As soon as she had finished her food, Ziva picked up the pencil again. Rolling it between her fingers gave her something to focus on as she waited. Abby had pulled up the maps on McGee's computer and was completely engrossed in them. Jenny had a stack of paperwork and was sitting at Gibbs' desk instead of her own, upstairs. When the phone finally rang, Abby jumped, while Ziva snapped the pencil she was clutching.
"What? How long ago? How soon will your men… then what do you know, Captain? Very will, keep me posted. I expect a call the second you know anything."
Two sets of eyes, one brown one green, watched as Director Shepard terminated the call. She studied them both before quietly updating them. "The Marines have not caught up with any of them, but a few moments before they called me there was a report of shots fired and then what appeared to be the sound of a cave-in of one of the tunnels."
"Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God." Abby resumed her frantic pacing from earlier, pulling on her pigtails as she gave in to her panic. Jenny moved to intercept her, then froze as she saw the expression on Ziva's face.
"Ziva…"
"How can they not catch up with them?" The Mossad officer slammed her fists against the desk three times before she spoke again. "They are supposed to be trained military, the best there is, yet they cannot even keep up with our team. Are they so bad that…" Jenny's hands pressed down on her own, stopping her from punching the desk again also stopped her rant.
"No, our team is that good." Jenny used her best, calmest director voice to get Ziva's attention. "Our guys are the best there is. Tony and Tim are together, they will watch each other's backs. If Gibbs hasn't met up with them yet, he will any minute. They're going to be fine."
"You promise?" Abby stood next to her, biting her lip as she blinked back tears. Keeping one hand on one of Ziva's, Jenny reached out with the other to the young Goth to embrace her. Abby clung to her boss, holding that hand tightly while grasping blindly with the other. Ziva clasped the searching hand, completing the circle. This time all three of them jumped when the Director's phone rang.
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Controlled breathing, a steady pace and years in the Marine Corps taught Gibbs how to push himself beyond normal endurance. What it hadn't taught him was how to deal with the ball of dread currently lodged in his gut. That famous gut of his was currently screaming at him to get to his men, that he should already be with them. Ahead of him he heard activity and brought his gun up as he rounded the corner.
"NCIS, freeze!"
"Federal agent. Drop your weapon or I will drop you."
The two men stood staring at each other before slowly lowering their weapons. "Man, Boss, am I glad to see you." DiNozzo spoke first, looking over his shoulder at the pile of rubble that hid their suspect before turning his gaze to his partner who was again struggling to regain his footing. "Stay down, Probie, the Boss is here with the cavalry." He turned again to look at Gibbs, then past him at the empty tunnel. "You did bring the cavalry with you?"
Gibbs took a quick look over his own shoulder as he moved towards McGee. "Yeah DiNozzo, they're behind me, way behind me." He stepped forward and caught McGee's arm, balancing him as he stood. "You sure you should be upright?"
"Yes."
"No."
The conflicting answers made him smile. Apparently, it was McGee's turn to downplay an injury and DiNozzo was not happy about it. His youngest agent had been full of surprises ever since the call had come in.
Seeing the pause as an opportunity to make his point, McGee continued. "The suspect is behind that pile of rocks. We can't dig him out, cover him and take care of the kids all at the same time." As much as it galled him, Gibbs knew he had a point.
The clatter of falling rocks made the decision easy as he picked up the two exhausted boys. "We'll leave him for the Marines. Let's get out of here." Neither Kevin nor Kyle objected to being picked up by the point. Much to Gibbs' surprise, McGee didn't argue with the support he received from DiNozzo.
____________________
The agency sedan flew down the freeway with the Director behind the wheel, but not fast enough for the other two occupants.
"You should have let me drive, Jenny." Ziva sulked from the passenger seat while she contemplated stepping down on her friend's foot as it rested on the accelerator. The agency had cars with powerful engines for a reason, but her American counterparts were so cautious behind the wheel.
Jenny was beginning to realize that Jethro Gibbs had much more patience than she had given him credit for. She explained again, hoping this time it would register. "Even with my slow, dawdling pace we are going to get to the hospital before they will. They were still in the tunnels when we got the call and the helicopter was still in route to their location." Maybe this time her words got through.
"But, can't we go any faster?"
Or not. Jenny resolutely ignored the whining from the back seat and just concentrated on driving.
____________________
Gibbs and DiNozzo exchanged a look as McGee climbed out of the helicopter under his own power and moved towards the entrance of the hospital. Next to them the two boys were lifted out, each carried by a Marine corpsman. They scrambled to keep up with the injured man they thought they were supposed to be helping.
With his longer legs, Tony reached him first. "Come on kid, it's over. Let us help you."
McGee looked more drained than Gibbs had ever seen him as he caught up with them and he had to strain to hear the quiet words. "Once I stop, I'm done. Just let me get inside under my own power guys. Besides, at least I didn't break my ankle."
The last comment was probably meant to ease the tension, but instead it pinged at Gibbs' gut as he remembered the throwaway jab he made at McGee in the elevator when they left NCIS those many hours ago. He tried to answer in the same light vein. "Don't worry, McGee. I think you're pretty safe from Ziva."
Any other words he may have wanted to add were drowned out as the hospital doors slid open and two dark haired whirlwinds flew out and engulfed the injured man. Abby clung to his uninjured shoulder chanting his name under her breath while Ziva grasped his face, staring at him without saying a word.
"Or, maybe not." Any questions Gibbs may have wanted to ask were trampled when the red headed member of the female trio stood in front of him.
"Why isn't he in a wheelchair? How could you let him walk?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned towards the hospital and bellowed, "Get us a wheelchair right now." When a corpsman rushed over with the requested wheelchair she continued berating Gibbs. "Have you no sense at all, Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" By then the corpsman had McGee seated in the wheelchair, Abby still attached to his shoulder, Ziva still holding his face, but now speaking quietly to him. Ziva had apparently abandoned her crutches someplace and Jenny left Gibbs and DiNozzo to help her hobble inside.
Suddenly abandoned, the two agents stared at each other. DiNozzo found his voice first. "Full name, man she was pissed."
"What the hell just happened?" Gibbs looked around as if a clue would magically appear around them.
"It's kinda like…" DiNozzo paused, collecting his thoughts as he raked his fingers through his dusty hair. "You ever gone to see a foreign film where there aren't any subtitles? You get the general gist of the movie, but all the details pass you by, and you keep thinking that those details must be pretty important. This whole day's been like that Boss."