Walking back into NCIS was the easy thing. It was staying there Tony soon found to be his problem. As predicted, everyone including Ducky, Abby and even Palmer was huddled around the plasma, their backs to the elevator. A rumble of their tense conversation, travelling across the low lit squad room on a wave of discontent reached his ears, paralleling his own feelings of anxiety and despair. He watched them, Abby's frantic hand signals, Kate's closed off posture, McGee, stood to the side with Palmer looking a little bit dumb. And there was a moment, just before he cleared his throat, causing each of them to turn and look at him, that it all became too much. He was seconds away from stepping back onto that elevator when Gibbs looked over at him and Tony watched the naked expression of fear on his face morph into relief and then, disappointment.
He cleared his throat and, feeling like one of Ducky's corpses with all the attention he was receiving, bravely stepped up to Gibbs. He smiled awkwardly, hoping he looked as guilt as he felt and coughed out a quick apology. Tony wanted this to be a case of forgive and forget, however when nobody said a word he looked around at the stony faces and gathered they were all more than a little pissed off with him. Of course the tall hot blonde standing at his side might have a lot to do with their continued silence.
"DiNozzo, where the hell you been?" Gibbs growled bringing Tony's focus back to him.
What he heard was 'don't bother lying, I already know'. Tony faltered and tried not to look too disappointed, apparently forgiving was definitely not on the cards tonight and nor was forgetting he'd bet.
"Out," Tony tensed, going for all out insubordination, "you can slap me later boss," he allowed, seeing it as inevitable, "this is important."
Gibbs looked from him to Shauna, communicating that whatever it was better be good.
"Boss, er Gibbs," he stumbled, adverting his eyes and holding out his hand. "Meet Shauna, Shauna this is my Boss, L J Gibbs."
Gibbs duly offered his hand, which Shauna took.
"Shauna as in-" He half asked, forcing to Tony to look at him by his clipped tone alone.
"Miller," he nodded, knowing it was merely for confirmation of what Gibbs was already expecting.
You could hear a pin drop in the uncomfortable silence that followed.
"Conference room," Gibbs growled his demeanour no less cheery than when they'd first entered the bullpen.
Gibbs walked away expecting them to follow and Tony, turning to Shauna with a defeated sigh, held out his hand indicating they should do just that.
.
"Wow." McGee gasped once Gibbs, Tony and the allusive Shauna Miller were out of earshot.
"What?" Kate snapped, staring at him with beady eyes.
"She really is…" Palmer echoed McGee's sentiment.
"I can't believe you men are objectifying her." Kate said huffily, returning to her desk, leaving the men to ogle Shauna Miller as she waggled her way up the stairs towards the briefing room.
"Really?" Abby teased.
"Yes, I …" Kate said vexed, "She's the daughter of a man who has hurt Tony."
"Yeah," McGee drooled, "But she's very hot."
He very slowly walked back over to his own desk, Kate's watchful glare not even registering as she burned twin holes through the back of his head.
"And wasn't she Tony's friend?" Palmer continued, also lazily walking through the centre of the bullpen, head up following Shauna's impossibly graceful stride across the mezzanine.
"And he hasn't slept with her." Abby encouraged them, sitting behind Tony's desk to watch the show with a grin that bared all her pearly white teeth.
"He hasn't?" Palmer and McGee echoed each other, heads snapping around to stare at Abby.
"Well of course not," Kate shouted, standing behind her desk like a high school teacher addressing her remedial class, "Tony was eight last time he saw her, he my may idolise Hugh Heffner, but I'm sure even he didn't start that young, my god men are pigs."
As Kate continued to curse the male population Abby collapsed into laughter, while Ducky, who had kept himself out of the conversation so far, allowed a small chuckle before adding…
"And of course we've all heard the Rockette story." He said moving to rest his feet by leaning against Gibbs' desk.
"The what?" Palmer and McGee echoed each other, trying and failing not to sound too intrigued.
Kate allowed herself to join in on the laughter, enjoying the stunned look on both of the lusting men's faces while Ducky told the rather abbreviated version of how Tony DiNozzo lost his virginity.
.
Once in the conference room and it was just the three of them Gibbs seemed to relax a little. It put Shauna at ease well enough that she explained to both of them about receiving a letter from her father and how, when she heard Kate's message left for her mom, she knew she had to come in.
Tony had seen Gibbs like this before and knew the soft smile and light conversational tone were all part of his technique of gathering intel without the other party knowing his motives. He got it, it was suspicious Shauna had just happened upon him at the exact time he'd decided to go out for a unannounced stroll, but he didn't have any right to think bad of her. She was roughly the same age as him, so just a kid when he was kidnapped, or whatever really happened, happened. No way did she have anything to do with any of it.
"Boss can you maybe not interrogate her." Tony pleaded when Gibbs starting to come on strong with some of his questions.
"It's okay. I understand. My mom was exactly the same after we left Long Island." Shauna said smoothly, looking directly at Gibbs in a similar way to which she'd leered at Tony when she first approached him outside.
Tony shivered involuntarily. Having flashbacks to a certain girlfriend who'd, within a week of dumping him, become his stepmom. It was after that Freudian disaster Tony decided to only date women much younger than his self.
"Tony," Gibbs' tone remained friendly, only he could still hear the veiled threat behind his name. "Go help McGee."
As excuses to get rid of him went Gibbs couldn't have been more obvious, but he supposed that was the point.
Tony really didn't want to leave though and mounted a protest. "Boss?"
Gibbs turned in his seat and glared, which was enough to send him running out the door without another word.
.
Gibbs allowed himself a small smirk once Tony had ran out, but turning slowly back to face Shauna Miller he hardened his expression. There was something going on here, her arrival only complicating the story he thought they'd finally figured out.
"So why are you really here Miss Miller?" Gibbs asked her straight, his tone a little friendlier than before Tony interrupted, but not by much.
"I told you, the letter and it's Becket now," she said calmly, tapping her fingers against the table in a nervous fashion, "though the divorce was finalised just last month. Has Tony been married? I didn't see a ring."
Her deflect told Gibbs she knew a little about interrogating herself and given her proclaimed occupation as a dancer, he didn't want to delve too deeply into how she might have honed those skills. Gibbs could tell that beyond the confidant bravado she was putting out, Shauna was most definitely a troubled individual. Strangely enough she actually reminded him a little of Tony. They both had that same look in their eye, the one that suggests they're trying very hard to hide who they really are.
"You lost something Ms Becket?" Gibbs sidestepped the question smoothly, watching her rifle through her handbag, eventually emptying it onto the table sending its contents sprawling.
"Got it," Shauna proclaimed loudly, producing a very crumple brown envelope. "I really do only want to help agent Gibbs."
Shauna handed him envelope then proceeded to gather the contents of her handbag. He saw immediately the stamp was English and, ignoring the fact it looked similar to another brown envelope he currently held in his possession, he opened it.
"I want you to tell me everything you know, and I want to hear it now!" Gibbs shot out og=f his seat and leaned over the table, supporting his self with both hands spread out in front of him.
Shauna Becket, formally Miller, sat back in her seat and once again brought on the smouldering look she'd clearly perfected over her time in Vegas.
"I'm not sure what you mean," she queried back trying to sound innocent.
"How long have you known about what your father did to Tony in '78?" He rephrased, knowing full well she understood perfectly the first time.
There was clearly something else going on here beyond her sudden burning desire to help, he knew Tony was sceptical too, even if he felt they didn't have cause, but if three divorces had taught him anything about women it was that they were expert manipulators, and this one was no exception.
"The night Tony went missing Mr DiNozzo came round to our house, he didn't say anything, but I knew something was up," Shauna sat up and looked Gibbs directly in the eye. "That same night my dad comes home, packs a bag says he'll be gone a few days. I found out about Tony being missing when the police came round to talk to my mom, she never told them about Tony's dad coming round that night and claimed dad was on a business trip."
"How'd you know he wasn't?" Gibbs asked carefully, willing to let her tell the story how she wanted.
"My dad didn't take business trips Agent Gibbs, and if he did he always packed his best underwear and aftershave if you get my drift."
There was the leer again. He hadn't failed to notice Tony shiver earlier when she started flirting with him and remembering the blonde he'd seen senior with at the restaurant he couldn't guess at what was going through his kid's head right now, especially considering he'd banned him from the room.
"When did you find out your dad had been involved?"
"Just before he left the country, he came clean to mom, I was listening in." She resumed her nervous tapping against the table, "he wanted us to go with him, mom refused. Next thing I know the FBI's knocking on the door, and I never see my Dad or Tony again."
"What he'd say?"
"Just that he was in trouble, it had something to do with what happened to Tony two years before and that he'd done something terrible." She shrugged.
"And you'd heard nothing from him until receiving this?" Gibbs asked, slightly sceptical that Miller would send his estranged daughter a letter like this after all this time.
Checking out the envelope he could see it was postmarked the same day McGee had Miller catching a plane to New York, making the timing of it quite unbelievable.
Gibbs slipped the contents back inside and waved the envelope in her face, "Why do you think he sent this?"
"I don't know!" She snapped back, her temper finally getting the better of her, "look Agent Gibbs I came here because I thought it was the right thing to do, don't treat me like I'm a suspect."
Gotcha. Gibbs mentally cheered and leaned further over the table, tone low and dangerous.
"Now why would you think you would be?"
Before Shauna could even open her mouth again Tony barged back into the room without knocking. Gibbs watched her immediately clamp her jaw shut, crossing both arms and legs, leaning back in her seat. She'd used the temporary distraction to close herself off. He wouldn't be getting anything more.
Gibbs could have killed him there and then. Rule #22 didn't only apply to interrogation rooms. He stood up, pushing his chair back hitting Tony in the shins and marched out of the room without a word.
.
"Gibbs what's going on?" Abby pounced running to meet him at the bottom the minute she saw him jog down the stairs.
Still too focused on his anger at Tony for interrupting Gibbs walked right passed her and everyone else still gathered waiting in the bullpen, no doubt curious about their visitor and made a beeline for Ducky. Without a word spoken the pair headed off towards the elevators leaving the others behind.
Gibbs handed Ducky the open envelope just as the doors pulled open and they stepped inside. Ducky looked up at Gibbs questioningly, then redirected his gaze to the letter, muttering an 'oh my' upon reading the first few lines.
Bringing the elevator to a stop, waiting for the lights to switch over Gibbs faced Ducky, "Well?"
"It's intriguing." Ducky nodded enthusiastically.
"It's more than intriguing." Gibbs groused, uncharacteristically fidgeting in the small space.
"Where did you get it?"
Gibbs pointed with his eyes, "DiNozzo's ex playmate. Her father supposedly sent it to her."
"What does it mean?"
"You tell me."
Ducky huffed a quick frustrated sigh, "I must say this is getting very complicated, Jethro."
"Getting Ducky?" He said with bite, much too tired to be dealing with mysterious visitors at this time of night.
"You think she's involved or in just as much trouble as Anthony?" Ducky asked him knowingly.
"Rule #36 Duck." Gibbs turned around and flipped the car into motion once more, whispering "Rule #36."
.
"He, er," Tony nudged his head at the door Gibbs had just exited through, "takes a little getting used to," he finished nervously, understanding too late what he'd done wrong.
"Yeah, he's a delight." Shauna drawled grabbing her refilled handbag off the floor, "I can't find my smokes can I bum one of yours, this has all been very stressful."
Tony cringed, quickly and gingerly shutting the door.
"Yeah, you see, I don't really smoke." He whispered.
Shauna stared at him and then at the door.
"You're afraid of your boss finding out you had a cigarette?" She spat, like it simultaneously disgusted and amused her.
"No!" Tony denied, his voice a little too high to be believable. She gave him the same narrow eyed look she'd worn at eight whenever she caught him in lie, "Yeah okay," he gave in, "but please don't tell him…"
The shock morphed into a chuckle, not that Tony appreciated being the source of her amusement, but at least it was a feeling he was familiar with.
"Sure. But I still need one and I don't care if he doesn't like it." Shauna pulled herself up onto her ridiculously high heels and walked out.
She walked elegantly enough down the stairs, but trailing after her Tony no longer saw the long legs and swinging hips. Instead he chased after her in much the same way he had done more than twenty years before…
"Who here has a cigarette for me?" Shauna demanded walking into the middle of the bullpen, garnering the attention of everyone still present.
Tony caught up to her by jumping the last few steps and running around the stair case, he tried looking nonchalant as he arrived to stand behind her, giving Kate, McGee, Abby and Palmer a wide toothy grin, but only succeeded in looking very, very nervous.
"I'm sorry, we don't smoke." Kate told her rather smugly, offering Shauna one of the fakest smiles Tony had ever seen.
Bitch fight Bitch fight Bitch fight.
Kate would slap him for even thinking it, but it had been clear from the moment he'd walked Shauna in that his partner didn't like his childhood friend. It was a typical women reaction, fighting over the home turf, in this case the home turf being him. Tony grinned, liking the mental image he'd created very much.
"Tony!" Kate shouted
Judging by her pissed off face when he finally looked her way, he gathered it wasn't for the first time.
"Yes?" He responded innocently, acting, badly, like he hadn't just been imagining her and Shauna in-
"DiNozzo!" She screamed again, knocking him right out of his fantasy.
Kate nudged her head in the direction Shauna had left and with an apologetic grin he ran off after her, leaving only Abby smiling in his wake.
.
"What do you think they're talking about out there?" Kate asked McGee, keeping an eye on Tony from the squad room window.
She was watching Shauna smoke in the yard below the window where she and Tony seemed to be having a pleasant conversation. At least that was what it looked like the second and third time Kate had told him to 'quick, come look at them'.
"I don't know." McGee groaned from his desk, having gone back to working on the information Abby had sent him regarding Bell and the psychiatrist.
McGee picked up his coffee, cold as it was and took a long drink.
"Well don't you think we should find out?" she pressed.
"I think you sound like a suspicious spouse." McGee muttered into his now empty cup.
"What?!" She snapped, tearing her gaze away from the couple outside.
"He said you sound like his wife," Gibbs clarified for her, walking in to the bullpen swiftly, tossing McGee a cell phone.
"What's this?"
"A cell phone, trace all incoming calls," he went behind his desk and stowed the brown envelope they'd seen him walk out the briefing room with in his desk.
"Whose is it?" McGee asked dumbly, holding the phone at arm's length, like he thought it might detonate any second.
"Hers!" Gibbs snapped, making him flinch and pointing out the window.
McGee got to work, tapping away on his keyboard, forgetting about Kate who still remained fixed by the window.
.
"I don't like her Gibbs." Kate announced when Gibbs joined her in staring down at Tony and Shauna.
"Ah huh." He answered noncommittally.
"You must think something's wrong or you wouldn't have taken her cell phone."
"Kate-"
"Gibbs-"
"The case," He turned to glare at her, making sure she looked him dead in the eye and saw how serious he was. "DiNozzo's still an agent, he can handle himself."
"Oh really," Kate rolled her eyes at him.
"Yeah, most days," He shrugged, adding a small smile.
Kate smiled back and with a little encouragement dragged her gaze away from the window and walked back with him towards their desks.
"You don't think I'm really acting like his wife?" she asked with a nervous laugh.
"Nah," Gibbs grinned, "more like his mother."
He walked away very quickly, preparing to make a sharp exit and head down to see what Abby had when McGee called him back.
"What McGee?"
McGee typed, fingers flying frantically over his keyboard and then pointed nervously at the plasma by Gibbs' desk.
"We got a hit on the bolo for the car Miller left in our parking lot," he used the clicker to bring up a traffic cam still, emailed to him from metro PD. "Look who's driving it."
.
Tony was still standing outside with Shauna, her second cigarette half smoked, when Gibbs and the rest of the team appeared behind them at the far corner of the building. It was too dark to see them clearly, and he wouldn't have noticed them at all but for Shauna's worried expression making him turning around to see what had her so concerned. He thought maybe Miller was still hanging around somewhere ready to pounce.
"I gotta go ladies room," she leaned in kissing his cheek, handing him the still lit cigarette.
She took off before Tony could say anything, leaving him trying to piece everything together when Gibbs reached him.
"Gibbs I swear it isn't mine." Tony hinted stubbing out the cigarette held in his right hand.
Gibbs slapped him around the head and raised his drawn gun, pushing Tony flat to the wall covering their exposed position the best he could
"She's gone Gibbs," Kate ran up to them, McGee joining seconds later with the same news.
"Boss? What's going on?" Tony asked, managing to turn away so he wasn't face planting the rough brick wall.
Shaking his head, Gibbs stepped away securing weapon, sighing quietly, "Get inside DiNozzo."
.
Minutes passed in silence, everyone, Tony, Gibbs, Kate and McGee sat at their desks watching the time count down on the clock towards midnight. In less than 35 minutes it would be Saturday, the twenty-fifth anniversary of his kidnapping and shut down of the Element 79 operation. They'd have to let his father go in the morning, having nothing to charge him with since the man hadn't actually confessed to anything illegal and they had no solid physical evidence to tie him to their case with Hannigan. The FBI would be compelled to give up all details relating to Element 79, including all the assets seized by the same team two years later. Miller, Senior and Bell would have a free pass to find that money. He didn't care to be truthful, FBI's fault for losing it in the first place, but if his supposed father was to be believed he was the key to finding it, which meant he either stayed in Gibbs' protective custody forever, or he ended the game. Right here, right now.
Tony knew there was something he could do, he'd been thinking about it since making an idiot of himself at Hannigan's crime scene and looking around at his equally dejected teammates, out of all other options, he believed now was the time to bring it to fruition.
"I have an idea boss." Tony spoke up making sure his voice was level and serious.
Gibbs barely moved his head to look over at him, but Tony caught his eye and held it, making sure his message was received loud and clear.
"No." Gibbs said after a brief pause, watching him.
Tony was going to protest, but Gibbs didn't even give him a chance to present his plan, standing swiftly he walked out of the bullpen.
"You don't even know what it is yet?" Tony chased after him, discovering the energy from somewhere.
Gibbs continued down the corridor ignoring his calls and walked into head so Tony, seeing no other option, followed him in.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs groaned, spinning around in the middle of the small room, pinning him in place.
"Gibbs we need to do something." He pleaded, letting the door swing slowly shut behind him.
"We are, but it's going to take time." Gibbs pointed out to him, like he was some hysterical victim who didn't understand what he was talking about.
"Time we don't have!"
"No," Gibbs repeated annoyingly calm. "It's them who don't have the time…"
Sick of having to take the kid glove treatment from everyone, Tony lost the last of his mental reserves holding him together and he snapped. "You don't even know what my idea is and you're shutting it down of all the egotistical-!"
"I know your idea!" Gibbs shouted. "You want to let Miller find you, you know as well as I do he'll approach you again. You are not bait DiNozzo!"
Tony laughed incredulously, trying to cover the surprise that he should be used to by now. Of course Gibbs knew what he was thinking it was what he'd suggest himself if the stakes weren't quite so personal. Thinking he knew Gibbs' issue, Tony sort to appease.
"Thanks boss, really but, I can handle it. It's not like he's going to hurt me, he thinks I know where the money is."
The sentiment didn't seemed to mollify him however, if anything it made Gibbs even madder.
"Have you thought about what he'll do when you can't tell him?"
Yes, he had actually, but before he could tell Gibbs that an uninvited and violent image flashed in front of his eyes, vivid and frightening it took all of Tony's effort to remaining standing.
"He might hurt me." He agreed, swallowing convulsively, hoping Gibbs hadn't noticed his slight hesitation.
"What was that?"
Seemed that was too much to hope for.
"What was what?" He tried to deflect.
"Don't play games with me DiNozzo. You looked like you were going to pass out, what's going on?"
"Nothing," Tony insisted, only he knew he wasn't very convincing.
Gibbs took a step towards him and Tony instinctively stepped back, not sure why he was suddenly so close to hyperventilating.
"You know what DiNozzo, if you aren't going to be honest with me this isn't going to work."
The words were spoken softly, without malice, yet carried the heartrending threat all the same.
"Gibbs I-" but Tony choked, the words dying on his lips.
.
"What do you think they're talking about in there?" McGee asked after five minutes and still no one had come out of the men's room.
Kate huffed, refocusing on the paperwork leftover on her desk, "if I know Tony he's decided he wants to take matters into his own hands."
"By doing what?" McGee frowned curiously at her across the quiet and mostly dark bullpen
Throwing down her pen Kate leaned back and stretched, "McGee how do you think Tony ended up getting kidnapped by that crazy waitress?"
"He er, was tracking a suspect…"
"And whose idea do you think that was?"
"Gibbs?" McGee hazarded a guess.
Kate tilted her head, considering the truth. "Gibbs did send him alone, but it was Tony's suggestion. Mainly because we had no leads and were running out of time."
She watched McGee assimilate that information.
"Ah, and right now with have no leads and-"
"We're running out of time…" they finished together.
After a brief pause McGee continued. "Gibbs sent him alone?"
Kate looked over at him and nodded sagely, it hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone, and by that she meant her Abby and Ducky that since then they always did all field work in pairs.
"Do you think Tony really does know where the money is, just doesn't remember?" McGee quickly changed the subject.
"It's possible I guess." Kate mused noncommittally
McGee appeared to give that some consideration before formulating his next question. "Do you think if they did get hold of Tony, they'll kill him like Hannigan, you know if they don't get the answers they want?"
"I think that's what Gibbs is afraid of." Kate gave him a serious look.
"I didn't think Gibbs got afraid."
"Everyone gets afraid McGee."
Kate was sure her tone would end any discussion he might want on the matter, but seeing McGee open his mouth about to ask yet another question she prepared to shut him down for good when a door could be heard being slammed across the now empty except for them squad room. They turned around to the source of the noise and saw Gibbs appear in her peripheral vision, marching over, looking more pissed off than ever.
"What happened?" She asked as he walked by heading for the elevator.
"DiNozzo happened." He snapped without stopping.
After watching him leave the floor, Kate turned back to see McGee doing the same and they shared a look. An unspoken agreement passed between them. Two beats pass and on three McGee produced scissors, where as she unfortunately, drew paper.
"Okay fine, I get Gibbs," she smiled cunningly, "but you, you get Tony."
Kate pointed back at the men's room, running off as soon as McGee turned to look.
"Hey! That's not fair," He shouted, chasing after her.
Kate stepped on the elevator just in time and waved with fake pity at McGee through the tiny gap in the doors as they closed in front of him.
.
Gibbs stormed down to interrogation. He was pissed off beyond belief at DiNozzo's arrogance. Yes he got that not being able to go home, everyone knowing his business was getting to him, and whereas normally they'd all work through the night, this case was not so simple. They needed to sleep, look at things fresh tomorrow. Gibbs really couldn't care less about finding the money. He'd much rather let them all get on with it and let the FBI deal with the fallout, but there was one variable in all that he didn't like. That DiNozzo might be the key to finding it.
"I want the truth." He shouted before even closing the door on the interrogation room. "Tony's willing to risk his life to get it I'd much prefer to risk yours."
"I've told you everything already." Senior insisted, he didn't look so great, but then being kept in a tiny room without natural light for over twenty-four hours would take it's toll.
"Not everything." Gibbs denied, finding enough energy to convince DiNozzo Sr he could make this last all night if he had too.
Senior's lips thinned, "Gibbs-"
"Tony's already been hurt once because of this, if you give a damn about him like you claim to, you'll help us before it's too late." Gibbs said lowly, "Miller and Bell are both after Tony because they think he knows where the money is. He doesn't, but I think you do."
"If I tell you what you want do I get a deal?"
"Another one?" Gibbs' eyebrows rose.
"You're asking me to confess to stealing FBI money. I don't much fancy federal prison Gibbs, plus I know I can walk out of here a free man in only a few hours. Everything will be mine again, why would I risk that?"
Gibbs got up in his face.
"Because Tony's life is in danger if you don't!" Gibbs' eyes narrowed, and he slammed a hand down on the table. "You tell me what I want to know, now!"
A look flitted across Senior's face, the same one he'd seen on his own father's face the day he left to join the marines.
"Okay," Senior sank into his seat, looking as tired as Gibbs felt. "You play a good game Gibbs, but I'm not as young as I used to be, I can't keep this up any longer, I'll tell you what you want to know, just promise me one thing."
"What?" Gibbs kept his tone neutral, not willing to start celebrating his victory just yet.
"Tell Tony," he paused, "tell my son, despite how crappy a dad I was to him, I really did love him like my own."
Gibbs fell back in his chair, staring at Senior across the table.
.
Angier than all hell at Gibbs, for his words, lack of faith in him, general dismissive attitude, heck all of the above, Tony ditched McGee quite easily by sending him on a run to the break room vending machines. Once alone, not really caring where Kate had gotten too he grabbed his coat and removed his badge and gun from his draw, leaving them on Gibbs' desk. Taking less than a minute to really think about what he was doing Tony made his way outside into the parking lot.
Once there it didn't take long before he saw a figure appear by his car, hiding in the shadows and instantly knew it was the person he was looking for.
"I know you're there." He called out, quickening his pace, "what the hell are you waiting for?"
"The right time," Shauna stepped out, coming to a stop beneath one of the flood lights.
"You?" He faltered, coming to an abrupt halt, his feet skidding on the asphalt.
"Who were you expecting?" She asked kindly, yet with a bite in her tone that suggested he'd been played and played well.
"Me perhaps," Miller came up from behind him.
Tony heard the distinctive sound of a gun being cocked. He risked a glance and saw the barely visibly hint of mental sticking out the folds out of Miller's jacket.
"Well according to Senior you've only got my best interests at heart." Tony quipped, showing he had nothing in his hands, that he wasn't armed.
"Always did Anthony, but I must say I'm pleased you haven't changed much, I knew once I dropped the seed you'd do anything to know what happened." Miller's smile was slimy, completely untrustworthy. "It'll make all this much easier."
Listening to him Tony doubted this guy had ever closed a deal in his life, which was probably what he'd needed Senior for back when they ran their business deals, that man could charm the pants of a cobra if he put his mind to it.
"Well, you did a good job," Tony formed a fist and tapped his head. "Don't remember a thing."
"I imagine you remember more than you think, especially after seeing that lovely doctor, Mary wasn't it? A perfect match for Agent Gibbs," Miller closed the space between them, to the point Tony could feel his breath on the back of his neck.
"You best not have hurt her." Tony growled low in his throat.
"Of course not," Miller dared to sound offended. "She did you a good service, I should thank her. And maybe I can fill in a few of the gaps for you. Questions you must be dying to know the answers to."
Tony frowned over the disjointed change in topic, but played along.
"And why would you do that?" He asked, sarcasm driving his words.
"Quid pro quo," Miller answered lightly.
Tony giggled, mentally adding and casting himself as Clarisse.
"'fraid not," he snarked. "I get it. I do. But you've branched into murder and for that I'm afraid, I'll have to arrest you." Tony dropped his hands and lifted his shirt, reaching for his cuffs. "My team is listening so you might as well come in quietly."
"Bell killed Hannigan and I can prove it." Miller eyed him with caution.
"Riiiight. And you only want to find the money so you can return it to the FBI." Tony dropped the tone and turned serious, "I know you're after your cut Miller, and I know you think I can help you-"
"I want more than my cut Anthony. I want it all." Miller's hold on the gun wavered slightly, and Tony thought his moment to act would come very soon. "I lost my family because your father sold out."
"Oh can it, we both know he isn't my father." Tony snubbed, thankful that Miller hadn't yet called his bluff about the team and decided to shoot him-
A memory blasted suddenly into his mind, unexpected and unwelcomed the nature of what he was seeing knocked him for six. The flashes had been building in intensity since after he'd confronted Senior, this time being the worse, spots formed before his eyes and his head actually felt like it may explode. Losing his balance Tony dropped to his knees, hands grabbed at him and he tried to fight them off, but he was too weak, the sudden headache leaving his entire body feeling limp and lifeless as he put all his effort into not passing out completely.
"Hannigan was the one who hurt you." Miller insisted, continuing as if nothing unusual was happening.
"No, no I remember him saving me." Tony managed to grind out.
He was sure that's what he remembered, it was vague but Hannigan's was the last face he saw before being left alone in that alleyway…
"You can't trust your memories Tony, you were so scared. We thought the ECT would help you deal with the trauma of what happened. I was the one who protected you, you and your dad."
"And yourself," Tony added, "if you'd gone to the police there would be no covering up what you all did. You'd have been in as much trouble as them."
"They could have killed you, I convinced them not to, I got you out - now why don't you thank me by helping us find that money?"
"And if I refuse?" He kept up his resolve, keeping an eye out for anyone else who might be lurking in the shadows. "Hurt me all you like, no one will care."
Tony had just said it for effect, but the words came so easily he had to wonder were they also true. The very reason he was out here was because Gibbs didn't want to look at him anymore. Kate and McGee had practical drew straws to see if he was okay. It could be the lack of sleep talking but right now he honestly felt that people might actually be relieved if he'd disappear. Then they could get back to their lives, like nothing had happened.
"If that's true then why not help us?" Miller whispered into his ear, and shamefully, Tony found himself not being able to come up with a decent answer.
.
"Where is he McGee?" Gibbs stormed into the bullpen Kate following him, cell phone to her ear.
"Got his voicemail again," Kate announced holding it out for them to listen.
Gibbs snatched it out of her hands, "DiNozzo! Get your butt back upstairs now!" He shouted into the receiver before tossing back to her.
"Erm, I don't know." McGee stammered, looking at Kate in panic, snapping his gaze back to Gibbs. "I mean, he was right here, he asked me to get him a chocolate bar from the break room, I wasn't gone that long, he should, should be here…"
Gibbs growled impatiently watching McGee look around the squad room as if he thought Tony was hiding under one of the desks. He looked at the ceiling for inspiration, but as he did so his gaze caught the sight of something on his desk. Walking over he realised it was two something's.
"God damn it." He angrily pulled open his draw and grabbed his own badge and gun. Pocketing DiNozzo's he marched out of the office.
Entering the garage at a jog Gibbs frantically scanned the area and immediately spotted DiNozzo's car parked in the same spot it had been the last three days. A knot undid in his gut with the knowledge that he hadn't left the yard in his own vehicle, but the respite from panic only lasted as long as it took to turn the corner. With Kate and McGee flanking each side Gibbs soon had Tony and an unwelcome visitor in his sights.
"DiNozzo!" He shouted breaking cover and raising his weapon.
Inching slowly forward, McGee and Kate following his lead, Gibbs recognised the man standing next to Tony as Henry Miller.
"Not another step Agent Gibbs," Miller shouted, reacting immediately to their presence.
Tony didn't move, he barely even acknowledged their presence.
"Henry Miller," Gibbs called, watching his agent warily, "you're under arrest."
"I said not another step!" Miller shouted again.
Gibbs made eye contact with Tony, but couldn't read him. He knew DiNozzo, knew he could get free of Miller if he chose to. Something was wrong.
"DiNozzo?" Gibbs risked calling to him, ignoring the gun being pointed in his face.
But Tony only stared back, eyes void of anything resembling emotion. No fear, no guilt, nothing. He looked completely shut down. A van pulled around the corner, coming to a screeching halt at the far end of the parking lot. The rear doors slid open and with the gun still aimed at them Miller quickly dragged Tony back towards it with one hand on his shoulder. Gibbs looked over their heads and got a good look at the driver. Not surprised in the least, he kept his own gun raised as he closed up the gap.
"DiNozzo step away from the van. Miller this is your last warning." He commanded.
Thunder spots started to rain down on them, another summer storm to counteract the extreme heat they'd been experiencing the last few days. The rain would destroy any evidence faster than the most inexperienced Probie if they got away. Miller reached the van and with one swift hand movement pushed Tony into it without a struggle. He could see Kate looking confused out the corner of his eye, but seeing the only opportunity they'd have Gibbs risked everything and took his shot. Miller ducked and the bullet ricocheted off the van. Kate and McGee dove for cover as soon as he'd fired, but he remained out in the open.
Gibbs heard the crack of the gun a split second before he felt the impact against his chest. Falling backwards, he had no time to come to terms with the excruciating pain he was in before he hit the asphalt.
TBC…