Thanks as always for reading and reviews. You people are wonderful. :) If there is anything wrong with this chapter I apologize it has been a busy day and I wanted to get it up.

Gibbs was still trying to focus on the work in front of him when he heard Abby's boots again, except this time they were running.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! I think something's wrong. You have to find them, you have to go get them, why would they do this they know the rules, never be unreachable, they know-"

"Abby." Gibbs said firmly his worry growing. "What is it?"

Abby stopped rambling but redirected the energy into pacing in front of Gibbs desk. "When I traced the phones, there was something hinky."

He gave her a look and she swallowed and continued.

"The last ping was at Mrs. Baird's house."

"Why is that hinky?" Ziva asked. "You said yourself they were probably still there."

"Because I had to go off the last recorded hit." Abby explained to Ziva before she turned back to Gibbs. "Their phones are off now."

"Why would Tony and McGee turn their phones off?" Ziva asked uneasily beginning to open the drawer for her gun.

"They wouldn't." Gibbs said grabbing his gun. "Let's go."

Tony groaned. It was the only expression that would possibly describe the agony he was feeling. Everything hurt, every extremity, every muscle. Zeroing in he tried to focus. Breathing, breathing was what hurt the worst he realized.

No problem, just got to find a way to stop breathing. He thought ruefully. What the hell happened? Tony did a quick run through of the day's activities.

Work, flirting with Jaclyn in PR, fighting with Tim. Tim!

He attempted to turn over but his ribs caught and he groaned again screwing his eyes tightly shut.

"Tony, Tony are you ok?" He felt a presence at his side and opened his eyes half way. As soon as he did his vision was assaulted by a glaring light.

Ok it wasn't glaring, but to Tony's pounding head it was the equivalent.

"Geez McGee, point that thing somewhere else." He growled.

"Sorry." The light shot away from his face.

"Are you ok?" McGee asked again. "Where do you hurt?"

"Well, my head for starters. Some bird brain shown a light right in my eyes." Tony glared.

Tim sighed. "I said I'm sorry. I was technically trying to see your face."

"Well, that backfired and hey newsflash, eyes are in my face." Tony said sarcastically.

Tim took a deep breath and didn't say anything.

"Don't worry about me." Tony said. I'm built like a rock, can't hurt a rock." He chuckled. Unfortunately his nonchalant attitude was betrayed by his body as the chuckle turned to coughing. Tony started to panic when he couldn't stop. He doubled over and tried unsuccessfully to catch his breath.

He could hear McGee's voice but couldn't make out the words. It seemed like hours before he could breathe again and then a few minutes to stop gasping for air. McGee got him leaned back against the wall.

"Ok…" Tim started after a few minutes. "Mr. Rock, I'm gonna guess ribs are one injury."

"Ya think? So glad you chose a career as an investigator." Tony said getting his breathing back under control.

Tim studied him quietly. "You look awful."

"You're no beauty either." Tony rasped. "What happened to your arm?" Tony noticed in the short time he had been awake, especially when he was helping him lean back after his coughing fit, that the younger agent had been favoring his right arm.

"Don't know but I don't imagine the thirty foot fall helped." Tim said gesturing to his left. Tony could barely make out the smoldering remains of what he guessed was their car. Now that he thought about it the air was a little smoky, he would chalk some of his breathing problems to that.

"So they dumped us in the car." Tony mused.

"Yeah, I woke up in the backseat a few minutes before they dropped us down this hole." Tim said shuddering at the memory of his few conscious moments before excruciating pain had made him pass out again.

"I woke up and we got out before the car exploded. We've been lucky in a lot of ways, getting out of the car in time, the smoke clearing up the way it has. I was afraid the shaft was shut off and we'd just be trapped in here with the smoke, but some of it went up and out and the other was sucked down the tunnel." He said gesturing.

Tony nodded and the movement of his head sending sparks through his vision. He lifted a shaky had to his face in an attempt to sooth his aching head.

Tim asked again, gently. "Where do you hurt?"

Tony gritted his teeth. "Don't worry about it Probie, I'll be fine."

"I'm sure you will Tony." McGee said calmly. "But we don't know how long we're going to be down here and I think it would be better if we knew the extent of our partner's injuries.

"Ok." Tony said finally. "What's wrong with you? "

McGee sighed.

"Shoulder hurts, I don't think it's dislocated but it hurts to put pressure on it, chest hurts, collar bone might be broken, hit my head and my leg has been cramping up. What about you?"

Tony looked away again. "I'm fine McGee."

"Tony-."

"I said I'm fine."

All Tim did was huff his disapproval but didn't push the issue.

"Think they know we're missing yet?" Tony asked.

Tim looked at his watch. "Probably not, we haven't been gone enough time to have gotten back yet."

"How long has it been?"

"About five and a half hours. So unless Gibbs gut tells him something different, it will probably be another hour before they even start wondering about us." Tim said dejectedly.

Tony nodded. "I have eternal confidence in Gibbs' gut."

"We solved the case." McGee said suddenly.

The change of topic was so unexpected it took Tony a few minutes to process.

"What?"

"Over close to the mouth of the tunnel, there's a woman's body."

"Reed?" Tony said sitting up straighter and wincing.

"Yeah. We tripped over her on the way over here. Once I woke up the car fire had mostly died down. I went to see what I could find right before you woke up and found her purse. Had her ID and this flashlight." He indicated the light, which he had set on a shelf dug out of the tunnel wall.

"Hmmm, yeah I guess when you murder your girlfriend you can't just leave her purse lying around." Tony said lightly.

Tim snorted in agreement.

"So I was right." Tony said grinning again.

"About what?" Tim asked confused.

"This mine shaft," Tony gestured with his arms as much as his ribs would allow, "is a great place to dump a body."

Tim rolled his eyes.

"Say it." Tony prodded.

"Say what?"

"Say "Tony was right"!"

"No."

"Say it."

"No."

"Say it!"

"Fine! You were right. Happy now?" Tim snapped.

"Ecstatic Probie." Tony grinned cheekily.

Tim leaned back against the wall and prayed silently that Gibbs would get there soon.

Gibbs and Ziva finally pulled in the driveway of Mrs. Baird's house. Gibbs eyes went up in surprise as the house came into view. He had expected a darkened house as it was well into the night and most of the houses they had passed were tightly shut up, their residents apparently turned in for the night.

"It is very late. I cannot believe a grandmother is still awake." Ziva observed as they climbed the steps to the front door.

Gibbs grunted and pulled open the screen door before rapping hard on the wood.

"Coming!" The two agents heard a distant voice and the sound of someone using a cane making their way to the door.

The door opened slightly and a white head peaked out. "Can I help you?"

"Special Agent Gibbs and David." Gibbs said flipping open his bade and holding it before the woman. "Wanted to ask you about two other agents that might have been here several hours ago."

"Oh yes, sweet boys. They left several hours ago. Why is there a problem?" She inquired.

"Well they-."

"No, no problem." Gibbs interrupted Ziva. "You mind telling us what you told them?"

"Of course, would you like to come in?"

She led them to the living room. Gibbs took the chair and Ziva sat on one end of the couch.

"Would either of you like tea?" Mrs. Baird inquired. "I have some fresh."

"No ma'am." Ziva said.

"Oh but-."

"Mrs. Baird if you could just tell us what you told Agent DiNozzo and Agent McGee then we'll leave you to the rest of your evening." Gibbs said firmly.

"I do hate to let tea go to waste." She sighed as she sat down. "Well, I'm afraid I didn't help them much. They were looking for Kyle and I haven't seen him in years. I guess I haven't seen him since his brother was killed in the car accident." She said thoughtfully.

"And then they left." Ziva clarified.

"Yes." Mrs. Baird nodded.

"You mind if we look around?" Gibbs asked.

Mrs. Baird turned to him and for one second Ziva thought she saw an emotion, was it malice, in the older woman's eyes. Then she smiled and it was gone. "Of course not Agent Gibbs though I'm sure they're not here."

"Probably not." Gibbs said walking out of the room.

"Man of few words, hmm?" Mrs. Baird smiled at Ziva.

"Oh yes, he certainly is." Ziva agreed, quickly exiting to catch up with the senior agent.

Once outside Ziva zipped up her coat higher to ward off the chill that was coming with the late night.

"What are we looking for Gibbs?"

"Not sure yet."

Together they searched for twenty minutes without finding the slightest sign of either agent having been there. There hadn't been places to look, a detached garage, a garden shed, and a small well house were the extent of the buildings on the property. Walking back to the car Gibbs suddenly knelt down and studied the driveway.

"This drive has been graded." Gibbs running his fingers across the gravel.

Ziva looked confused. "Like…cheese?"

The smallest of smiles tugged at the corners of Gibbs' mouth before he explained.

"Graded, not grated. Gravel roads and driveways have to be graded occasionally. Rain and water run-off creates ruts and potholes that can make it hard to drive. You basically take a tractor or backhoe and scrap the road."

"Ah." Ziva said nodding.

They fell silent for a few more minutes.

"I don't see any sign that a car was here before us at all." Gibbs finally said.

"You think it was grated after Tony and McGee left? Why? Mrs. Baird told us they were here, why would she then try to cover it up?" Ziva asked.

"I don't know Ziver." Gibbs frowned as he stood up and tried to ignore the popping in his knees and looked out at the vast expanse of the land before him, there wasn't another house in sight. The moon was full and shining brightly lighting up the earth under it's glow.

"Maybe someone was trying to cover something else up," he said quietly, "something besides the car."

I usually have no problems writing Tony and McGee scenes but this one was hard, trying to find the right order for everything. Plus it is leading up to conflict later so had to get that set up…

I am not really sure the first thing one address when they wake up after being dropped down a mine shaft. If you personally have been dropped down a mine shaft I would be very interested in your perspective on the matter.

P.S. Even if you've never woke up in a mine tunnel I would still love to hear from you. ;)