Drowning

Chapter 23

Abby worked happily at her bench, a fresh CAFFPOW within easy reach. She was in a particularly upbeat mood because as much as she enjoyed working alone, the company she had this morning was special – as in Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Tony had rung the night before to forewarn her that he had a special baby-sitting assignment for her while he went to pay a visit to the Partingtons. Gibbs had been surprisingly co-operative when Tony had brought him down to the lab. He hadn't even interrupted while Tony was giving Abby a run-down of what medication the boss needed to take and when.

Abby stole a happy glance over at where Gibbs sat, and her happy expression diminished slightly. Gibbs was starting to look restless and a bit pissed off. 'Must be feeling better,' Abby thought to herself.

'How you doing, Bossman?' Abby called out.

'Turn the damn music off!' was Gibbs' terse response.

'Okay, okay,' said Abby as she complied. 'No need to get huffy.'

'It's been too long,' muttered Gibbs, half to himself.

'No, I disagree,' said Abby. 'You were definitely very huffy yesterday with me, and even huffier with Ducky.'

'It's been too long since Dinozzo left,' clarified Gibbs, impatiently. 'He's been gone over an hour.'

'Call him,' said Abby, simply.

'I did,' said Gibbs. 'Recorded message.'

'Why don't you call McGee?' suggested Abby. 'He and Ziva are at the Partington house, aren't they?'

'Already did,' said Gibbs. 'McGee said he hadn't arrived yet. It's a ten minute drive from here to there. Where the hell is he?'

'Come on Gibbs,' Abby chided him. 'You can't pronounce someone missing after only 50 minutes. Maybe Tony stopped somewhere for a coffee or some groceries. Maybe he got talking to our new receptionist who thinks he's really cute. Maybe he had to answer the call of nature.'

'Well if he's doing any of that, maybe he should have called since he knows I'm sitting here waiting for him to arrive at the damn Partington house,' spat Gibbs.

Any remark Abby was about to make regarding how unreasonable Gibbs was being was not given airtime because Gibbs' cell began to buzz.

'Gibbs,' barked the boss into the phone.

'Boss, Tony's just arrived,' McGee told him. 'We're watching him go up the path now. He's rung the bell…..Door's opening…..'

'What's happening, McGee?' demanded Gibbs as the younger agent remained silent. God how he hated not being there to see what was happening with his own eyes!

'He's talking to Mrs. Partington,' said McGee. 'I don't think she's gonna let him in. No, hang on. He's in and the door is shut.'

'Keep me informed,' said Gibbs. 'I want you to call the moment Dinozzo comes out of there.'

'Won't Tony call you?' asked McGee.

'You getting hard of hearing, Agent McGee?' demanded Gibbs.

'Okay Boss. I'll call the moment Tony walks out of there,' stammered McGee hurriedly.

Gibbs terminated the call, tossed his cell on the desk in front of him, and glanced at his watch.

'Everything okay?' Abby ventured to ask.

'It will be when we've found Dianne Partington, when Brogan, or whoever the hell it was who shot me, is behind bars, and when I'm back in the field,' Gibbs told her tersely. 'I also want to know why the hell it took Dinozzo so long to get there.'

'Okey, Dokey,' said Abby as she resumed her work. 'Definitely huffy and definitely feeling better,' she whispered under her breath.

………………………………………………….

Tony pulled up outside the Partington house. Pretending to fix his hair, he looked in the rear vision mirror. Yep, there was McGee and Ziva in place with a clear view of the front of the property. Smiling to himself, he wondered if Ziva had been freaking the Probie out with stories of assassinations and torture. He slapped on a hard hat and a bright jacket before grabbing a clipboard and getting out of the car. Looking for all the world like a representative from an electricity company, Tony walked confidently up to the Partington's front door. He and Gibbs had agreed that they didn't want to spook anyone about to contact the Partingtons regarding delivery of the ransom money, but they needed to try and get Dianne's parents to talk. Otherwise, they might lose their money, their daughter, or both. Tony wished someone would answer the doorbell soon. It was damned cold!

After the second ring, Mrs. Partington came to the door.

'Morning,' said Tony, loudly as she showed her the clipboard. 'I need to come in and check your safety switches.'

'No, you can't. I mean, not now,' said Mrs. Partington. Her eyes were wide and frightened. Tony didn't need his gut to tell him something was up.

'I really need to come inside,' said Tony, leaning closer to her in the hope that she would recognize him from the time he had visited with Gibbs. He saw the flash of recognition in her eyes, but he also saw panic.

'I can help,' he whispered. 'Just pretend everything's okay.'

With that, he gently but firmly moved forwards so that Mrs. Partington had to allow him entry into the house. Once the door was closed behind them, Mrs. Partington started ringing her hands.

'We withdrew the amount he demanded, but he wants more,' she whispered, hoarsely. 'We can get more, but I can't bear the thought of her with him for a moment longer.'

Tony placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

'It's okay,' he told her. 'We can work this out together.'

'Oh, that's very sweet,' snarled a man who had suddenly appeared at the other end of the hallway. He was wearing a balaclava that obscured his facial features, jeans and a faded jumper. He had a gun in his hands and the gun was trained on someone or something in the adjoining room.

'Come and join the party,' he told Tony and Mrs. Partington. Tony guided the woman gently by the arm down the hallway towards the man. Mrs. Partington, clearly at the end of her tether, held her hand to her mouth. As they neared the man, Tony tried, unsuccessfully, to get a look at the kidnapper's face. The man waited until they had passed him before giving them both a shove to hurry them into the room. Tony's jaw dropped at the sight before him. Mr. Partington sat unharmed but tied to one of the velvet covered chairs. Standing beside him, the gun trained directly at her, was Dianne Partington.