There was a lot of commotion coming from outside. But in the entrance of the warehouse, everything had become still.
"Gibbs! We have some trouble," Ziva said in his com.
Then he heard McGee, chiming in from his position at the base. "We see them, Ziva. We've got it all on visual. We're on our way, hang on."
He ignored it for the time being.
Tony had one arm up, gun against the SecNav's head. He was looking at Jarvis angrily, his hand was shaking, and his finger was playing upon the trigger.
Jarvis didn't move.
"Tony," Gibbs repeated his name. "Don't do it. Don't shoot"
Tony's posture was rigid, his eyes focused at the man in front of him. His breath was shallow.
Latham was smiling.
"DiNozzo! Are you hearing me ?"
"He's going to hurt you, Tony. Kill him," Latham said smoothly.
"Shut up, Latham, before I end you," Gibbs threatened, in a low, dangerous growl.
Tony was shaking more violently now, his brow furrowing. He was seeing Stratton, not Jarvis, standing there next to him. The man who had torn his soul apart, piece by piece.
"It's not him, Tony," Gibbs said, knowing now what the sick bastards did. "Remember? He's gone, Tony. Stratton is gone."
Tony was almost gasping now, the gun shaking against Jarvis' temple. He could hear Gibbs' voice, telling him not to shoot…but why would Gibbs tell him that?
"He...he's gone...?" Tony said with a quiver in his voice. He still didn't look at Gibbs.
"No more lies. No more secrets. Remember? It's not him your pointing that gun at. They're tricking you into killing the wrong person. Look at me, Tony."
Tony's eyes were starting to well up. The confusion was tearing him apart. He knew if Stratton was alive, he would try to hurt him again. But, he trusted Gibbs, didn't he?
"Look at me. Tony, please, son."
Gibbs saw the fingers flexing again...almost itching over the trigger. And then they released away from it.
Tony looked at Gibbs, with a tear tracking it's way down his cheek, as his body swayed a little.
"Boss...I don't know...I don't know what's real..." the words were desperate and sad, his face pale and eyes filled with pain.
His arm suddenly fell away from Jarvis, gun skittering off on the ground.
The crease between his brow seemed to lessen, and then his eyes rolled up in his head as he simply crumpled down.
Gibbs moved fast, but not fast enough, trying to catch him, and landing on the ground next to him. He turned quickly on the floor with his gun raised but it was too late.
From outside, they heard two shots fire in succession from the warehouse.
Ziva was calling him on the com. "Gibbs ! What happened?...Gibbs !"
Latham was dead, face up, blood flowing out from the back of his head. His gun resting in his limp right hand.
Jarvis was also on the ground, struggling to breathe, as blood flowed from a wound in his chest, and from his mouth.
Gibbs scrambled over and leaned over him, trying to compress the wound.
He looked up as he heard Ziva swear in Hebrew over the com and gunfire being exchanged outside.
A hand grabbed at his wrist. He looked down again at Jarvis.
"G-Gibbsss..." Jarvis was trying to speak. "Go..."
Gibbs shook his head no, but was torn because he knew Ziva and the others needed him outside.
"You'll bleed out, Sir," Gibbs said evenly.
"I'm the damned.. Secretary.." he coughed up some more blood," of the United...States Navy...Go! It's an order, Gibbs."
Gibbs looked at the man, for just a moment, and said, "Semper Fi, Mr. Secretary."
He got up, knowing without immediate medical help, Jarvis was done.
Tony was still on the floor, but showing signs of coming around. He hoped he would be okay, but had to find out what was happening outside.
He turned to Latham's corpse, just for a moment, grim satisfaction in his icy blue eyes.
"You didn't do it, you sonofabitch. You didn't break him. But I sure broke you, didn't I?"
He tweaked the com. "Ziva, sitrep !"
He looked outside and saw Latham's hired guns, taking cover behind their vehicles, while Ziva and the rest were behind the Prince's.
From the looks of it, Latham's men were outnumbered, but regardless, they had big guns and plenty of ammo, pinning down Ziva and the rest dangerously.
Gibbs saw one of the original guards lying on the ground, sadly, now covered in real blood.
"McGee," Gibbs growled into the com, "What's taking you?"
"We're almost there," he heard McGee's voice over the sound of chopper blades.
More bullets tore into the Prince's vehicles, and they all returned fire. In the fray, he heard a scream.
It was Ziva.
"Ziva!"
"I am here, Gibbs," she said, clenching her teeth in pain. He tried to see which vehicle she was behind. "It is not serious."
"The Hell it isn't!" he said, running back into the warehouse as fast as he could.
More gunfire was exchanged outside.
Tony was just starting to open his eyes when he saw Gibbs leap over him carrying something long and tube-like. Was he dreaming again?
From outside, the barrage could be heard again, until something, very much like a missle, sailed out of the warehouse entrance, and hit one of the enemy vehicles.
It exploded, shaking everything around it with the vibration of its impact. The SUV burst into flames.
Almost at the same time, a helicopter could be heard, and appeared from behind the warehouse.
The remainder of Latham's men ran from their cover, the other vehicle, as the chopper deployed it's own weapon, blowing that one to bits as well.
They dropped their weapons, and put their hands up.
Gibbs put down the rocket launcher he'd borrowed, smiling, and said,"About time McGee."
McGee gave him a heads up from the chopper, as the pilot landed it.
Gibbs saw Ziva run to meet him, holding her hand to a bloody shoulder.
He turned to look at Tony, who was sitting up, but looking at the dead bodies of Latham and Jarvis.
"Damn," Gibbs muttered, realizing Tony had no idea what happened, and maybe even thought he killed them.
He crouched next to the younger man, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Tony?"
There was no response. Tony's mouth was slightly open, and he seemed to be frozen, except for the subtle tremors running through him.
Gibbs called him again, and shook him a little.
But there was nothing.
"Come on, Tony, it's over. Look at me."
He just continued to stare at the two dead men, oblivious to Gibbs' pleas.
Tony was in shock. Or...worse.
Gibbs prayed to himself that it wasn't some kind of breakdown, and he gently took his hand, turning Tony's head by his chin, towards him.
The green eyes had almost no expression in them. Tony was looking at him, as if surprised or confused Gibbs was there.
"Tony..." Gibbs said more urgently.
But Tony just stared at him, and said nothing.
"Ah, dammit," Gibbs said brokenly, and put his arms fiercely around the unresponsive man.
Tony was still, as Gibbs told him, "You're gonna' be okay, I promise you."