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Chapter 7
Gibbs, the LA- and the NOLA-team sat together in the squad room. Pride and Brody had informed everyone about what their suspect had told them. Now they deliberated about their next steps.
"Alright, we know that one man hired the kidnappers, who took Abby, but we don't know if he is the same one, who hired the others," Kensi summarized.
"And Agent Bishop's kidnappers won't say a word," Brody said.
"What if we bluff again?" suggested Chris, "We tell Mister Broken-nose to draw us a picture of the guy, or he shall describe him to a sketch artist. Then we show our four suspects this picture and tell them that one of their friends told us everything. If they think they are useless to us, and that we put them in jail for kidnapping, maybe one of them will try to make a deal."
"That is a big maybe," Gibbs meant.
"But it is worth a try," Sam agreed "I'm with Lasalle. The worst that could happen is when they don't say a word. Or we are lucky, and one of them starts to talk."
"This is my suggestion: Agent Lasalle, Kensi, Sam, and me, we will do the interviews with the stubborn ones," Callen explained "Agent Brody, can you talk to the guy, who gave us the information? Get the picture from him and take a sketch artist with you. I don't trust him to be such a great artist. The rest of you should take a break."
"A break, Callen? Are you serious? How am I supposed to take a break when I still don't know if my team is alive? The bastard hasn't called and doesn't keep me in the loop!"
Gibbs didn't like it to be in a time-out again. At first, he had to play babysitter for the geeks and now he should take a break.
"I know that it is hard for you, but you won't be a help for your team if you don't start to take a break sometimes."
"Come on, brother. I could use a coffee to keep my power."
Gibbs looked as if he wanted to throw something, but then he sighed and followed his friend to the elevator.
Pride had taken the long round with Gibbs, although it had been a very quiet one. The team leader hadn't talked much. Instead, he had drunk his coffee and was lost in his thoughts. At least Callen and his team had good news when the two older gentlemen returned to the squad room.
"We have a confirmation," Kensi explained "Sam's suspect sang like a little bird. He confirmed that the drawing looks kind of like the guy he met to hand over Agent Bishop. Although, he described his employer a little different. I have the feeling none of them took a good look at the guy. But Sam's suspect and his friends were hired by the same man. They kidnapped Agent Bishop, then they brought her to the woods, where they exchanged her for their money. This was the last time, they saw him and her."
"So, this guy hires others to do his dirty work. Why?" asked Pride "And when he knows that it is hard to get the agents, why does he take all of them? Why doesn't he stop with two?"
Suddenly, Nell appeared on the steps before anyone could answer Pride's questions.
"Agent Gibbs? You have a call in MTAC. It is the kidnapper."
Gibbs stormed into MTAC, closely followed by the two teams and Nell.
"Show me!"
Eric pressed a button, and the shadow man appeared on the big screen.
"Welcome back, Agent Gibbs. My apologies for taking so long, but I had to arrange some things and they took more time than I thought. I hope you haven't driven the NCIS crazy in the lasts days."
"Where is my team?"
The team leader decided to ignore the obvious side blows. He noticed that the background had changed. It looked like a metal wall, but there were no pictures, or anything personal. So he didn't search a new house. Maybe a bunker? But where was his team?
"Of course, since this is what you are waiting for. How impolite of me. It must be strange that you can't see them. I mean, you are used to seeing them every day and have them around you, and now they are all gone."
"I want to see my team!"
"Alright, here is your precious little family."
Gibbs heard how the shadow man pushed a button, then four small videos filled the screen. Gibbs took a few steps closer when he recognized the people. The videos showed his missing agents and Abby. Each of them had their own camera, which could only mean that they have been separated from the kidnapper. But the important thing was that they all were awake and even more important they were alive. Gibbs' eyes moved over the screen until they stopped at a certain black-haired forensic scientist. He couldn't hear anything because there was no sound, but he watched how she knocked on every wall and listened to the sound. That was his girl. Always trying to find a way out.
'Don't panic. Use your head and then you'll find a way.'
"What do you want?" asked Gibbs calmly.
It wasn't that hard anymore to regain his composure, now that he had a visual confirmation of his people being alive.
"Agent Gibbs, you disappoint me. I already told you what I want from you."
"You want me to suffer, fine. Just tell me what I have to do to save my team."
"You have to solve some riddles."
"Riddles? That's all?"
"Oh don't take them that easy, Agent Gibbs. You have to solve all the riddles to save all of your people."
"Tell me."
"Your first riddle should be on your desk by now."
"What?"
"I sent it with the mailing. When you're done, you write me the answer with the payphone, which you will find with the letter. As soon as I have the correct answer, I will call you again."
Immediately, Gibbs turned around and wanted to storm out of MTAC.
"Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing."
Slowly, the team leader walked back to the screen. Why couldn't you strangle someone through a video?
"And what would that be?"
"Your timeline. I can't give you a month to find your people. You have 110 hours to solve all riddles. If you don't make it in time your team will be dead."
"110 hours? And how many riddles do you have for me?"
"You will see. I think this was enough for today. It's already late, and I'm tired. But I'm generous, Agent Gibbs. I allow you to keep those live streams of your team so you will always know how they are doing."
"You son of a…!"
"And remember: The clock's ticking."
The video connection ended, and instead, a large countdown appeared. The sound of the seconds, which counted down rang loud in Gibbs' ears.
110 hours to solve some stupid riddles.
110 hours to find his team.
110 hours until his family was dead.
Gibbs looked at the letter as if it came from another star. The teams from LA and NOLA stood around him in a circle and waited for him to take it. He knew he was stupid to be afraid of a letter and he also knew that he was wasting time. Time his team didn't have. Finally, Pride opened the brown envelope and pulled out the white letter.
"It's a crossword."
/a/HCT44bs Crossword – Quiz One
"That's all?" asked Deeks disappointed "I expected something difficult."
"Deeks," Kensi hissed and nodded in Gibbs' direction but the older agent wasn't listening.
"I'm not good with crosswords."
"Me neither, brother. Is there anyone, who can do this?"
"I would say we make copies for all of us and then we solve it together. Any complaints?" Sam suggested.
Everyone shook their heads. This would be the easiest way to come to an answer. Pride made the copies, then he handed them over.
"Okay, let's start," Deeks said and took a pencil.
"I've got it!" yelled Brody "It's AUSTRALIA!"
"I have the same solution," Kensi confirmed, "Write him that you know the answer."
Gibbs took the payphone and threw it to Kensi. There was no way he would use this thing.
"You write, Agent Blye. I can call someone and that's it."
"You don't know how to write a message?"
She looked shocked until she got the famous stare of which she had already heard so much.
"Never mind, I'll do it."
"I don't think that he will answer us tonight," Callen explained "It's late, and he already sounded tired in the video call. We should use this time to get some sleep for ourselves."
The team leader from LA looked at Gibbs for any complaints, but the ex-marine nodded in agreement. They wouldn't be any help if they were too tired to stand.
"Alright, Kensi, you write this bastard our answer. The rest of us, find a place where you can lay down for a few hours. We need a clear head for the rest of the riddles."
"Tony, stop it! That's not funny!"
"If Ziva would be here she would have kicked your ass by now!"
Surprised Gibbs walked up the stairs from his basement. Where were these children voices coming from? He couldn't remember letting kids in his house.
As soon as he reached the upper floor, he stopped immediately.
"Not again," he whispered when he noticed the three familiar children from his office.
The little Tony, McGee and the overexcited Abby were in his living room and they were fighting over one of those stupid computer game things. Apparently, McGee had played with it before, but now Tony had the little computer in his hands. The geek boy tried to get it back, and Abby wanted to help her brother, but she wasn't tall or strong enough.
"Tony, give it back!" McGee said angrily.
His older brother didn't hear him. He was concentrated on the game and he didn't even notice how he pushed Abby, who stood in his way when he moved to the couch. She stumbled and landed on her butt. It wasn't a hard fall, but the little girl started to cry.
This was the time when Gibbs decided to stop this nonsense. Maybe they weren't his children by blood, but he still couldn't see his favorite girl crying. The big tears were already running down her cheeks and dripping on her shirt.
"TONY! Give Tim the computer game back!"
"It's a Nintendo, Dad, and not a computer game."
"I don't care what it is. You give it back or you are grounded for the next week."
"That's not fair! Tim and Abby are always playing! When is my turn?"
"Either you three make a plan, or I take it, and then no one will play with it."
"Fine, we'll make a schedule," Tony said, then he handed over the Nintendo to his younger brother.
Abby stood up and ran to Gibbs, who caught her and pulled her into his arms. A part of the team leader still knew that he had no kids and that he was dreaming. But there was a part of him, who enjoyed the feeling of being a father, even when they were fighting. And it was this part, which enjoyed the feeling of having the little Abby in his arms. The last time, he had a young child in his arms, had been a very long time ago, and even then he had been away with the Marines most of the time. Shannon had been the housewife and had taken care of Kelly.
"Daddy, Tony pushed me."
Gibbs resisted the urge to laugh out loud when he heard Abby's complaint. Of course, she tried to get him on her side.
"He didn't do it on purpose, Abs. He was playing this game and didn't see you. He would never hurt you."
"But I fell on my butt."
"Do you feel any pain?"
"No."
"See? It wasn't that bad. Now go and play with your brothers. I'll make dinner."
He gave Abby a soft kiss on her cheek, then he put her back on the ground.
'Wait a minute! I'd make dinner? Why would I do something like that? This is a dream, just a stupid dream. Why can't my brain get the message? Because you like the feeling and the thought of being a father.'
Smiling he watched how the little girl ran back to the two boys. Why shouldn't he enjoy this for a little while? It was way better than the reality, which waited for him.
"Dad, I want a pizza!" yelled Tony.
"No, we had pizza two days ago," Abby objected "I want a burger."
"That's not true."
"Guys, what do you think of pasta?" Gibbs suggested, "I thought about Spaghetti Bolognese."
"I'm in," McGee answered, while he continued to play.
"Yeah, I guess spaghetti are fine," Abby admitted.
Tony's answer was a loud sigh. He knew that he was outnumbered, and this was his way to say that he surrendered. The team leader shook his head in amusement, then he walked back to his kitchen to prepare the dinner.
He just started to warm up the water when he heard a strange melody. It kind of sounded like the one of an ice cream car, but it didn't sound right. Immediately, he felt how his gut tried to warn him, but he couldn't figure out what was bothering him.
"It's the ice cream guy! Tony! Tim! Look!"
"Come on, Tim. Let's get some ice cream for dinner."
It took Gibbs a few seconds to understand what the kids were saying. Then he heard how someone opened his front door. Immediately, he understood the warning from his gut.
"Don't go outside!"
He ran to the door as fast as possible. The living room was empty, but he saw how the three children ran towards the big car. But when the window opened itself, there was no nice man with a big smile on his face. Instead, there was a guy, who stood in the dark. He grabbed the hands of the little kids and pulled them into the car with one strong pull.
"NO!"
Gibbs tried to run faster, but it was useless. Only seconds before he reached the car, it drove away. Bewildered he followed the vehicle with his eyes, while the ice cream melody rang in his ears. Gone. His kids were gone. Again. Again, he'd deserted them. They had needed his help, but he hadn't been fast enough. He was a terrible father! Desperately, the team leader sank to the ground and hid his face in his hands. When would this nightmare end?
/a/hR1siJN Crossword 1 - Solution