Oy. While I have a brief moment of mental clarity here before I shut down completely, I feel as though I should let you all know, I curve a bit out of canon here. (Imagine, me not following the shows actual written story line and instead creating my own! The horror!) Just felt like I should let you know. It'll all straighten out in the end, but bear with me through here. This is where I felt it needed to go. As to why the mental clarity is difficult, I had great discovery a couple hours ago, which is being shared with you in the author note below. Have a nice evening!
~Renee
They make energy drink tea. Guys. Guys. Guys. They make energy drink TEA! TEA! With ENERGY DRINK! I think I'm going to go solve world hunger. And find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop by giving it to someone who is hungry and counting because I don't like tootsie rolls, they are not cool. Bow-ties. Bow-ties are cool. But you shouldn't eat them. I should balance America's deficit. And write a novel. And bake a cake. I need an oven. I'm also going to build an oven. I should buy a hammer! I can hammer things while building an oven! I am so...so...I need to figure out what I am and then write a poem about it. Because poetry is wonderful. I want a rabbit. My cat says no. Guys. I can understand my cat. I've had too much ENERGY DRINK TEA. You can't have too much ENERGY DRINK TEA!
Hey look! A new chapter! You should read it while drinking ENERGY DRINK TEA!
I need a nap.
"You alright there Tobias?"
Fornell stifled a groan and glared at the former marine.
"I'm too old for this you bastard. And dammit so are you. And don't even get me started on him."
He gestured a shoulder towards Mike who had settled himself at the top of the hill on the other side of the elaborate mansion with his long range.
Gibbs chuckled under his breath.
"I'll let you be the one to tell him that."
Tobias rolled his eyes and double checked the timer on the small hand held device resting in his palm.
"I'll get right on that. You ready?"
He nodded and pressed the mic in his ear.
"Mike?"
"Whenever I see the signal gunny."
Gibbs turned back to the house and watched as the final man stepped from the last vehicle and into the house.
That's everyone.
He looked toward the FBI agent.
"You figure out how to work that?"
Tobias dipped his head and pressed in the code the kid from tech had shown him how to do. He had been amazed what mentioning Tony's name had done. When he had called the L.A. office with a cover story, it had blown up in his face, but the moment he said it was being used to help find the Gibbs boy, the young man immediately told him to wait and he was handed over to a woman with a disarmingly charming voice. The woman, Hetty, once she heard what had happened to Tony offered the services of their tech man without hesitation, with the promise that if they needed anything, they would call. The NCIS agent he had been transferred over to had all but climbed over himself to help, doing anything and everything to explain the functions to the FBI agent over video screen.
"That Eric kid showed me what to do. We're good to go the second I let go of this button. Just say the word Gibbs."
Gibbs turned back towards the large white house resting in the dip between the hills. The windows were gently lit and he could see shadows moving behind darkened curtains.
He wanted his son.
They were going to help him.
One way or another.
He nodded and gripped his sniper rifle, siting up.
"Alright," he said to both men, "we're a go."
Tobias took a breath and released the small red button. Immediately three small explosions went out, the empty vehicles parked in the circle drive igniting at once and completely eliminating any hope of escape by those means and creating the perfect distraction.
Gibbs smiled and heard Mike's answering whoop of excitement through the mic.
"If they didn't know we're coming before, they do now! How the hell did you do that?"
Tobias smiled at the burning cars and unison he and Gibbs said-
"Hetty."
"Ah."
The three men watched silently as people began to pour out of the house like ants, screaming and cursing and pulling out cell phones to call for help.
"You have it?"
Tobias pulled the jammer from his jacket and laid it on the grass.
"No phone service for two miles. No one's talking to anyone till we want them to."
Gibbs smiled grimly.
"Alright. Mike, you got me covered?"
"Always probie. Go."
Gibbs ducked down and quickly moved down the hill, slipping towards the back door of the kitchen as the chaos kept everyone occupied in the front.
He dashed up the stairs, following the map he had memorized previously that day, blueprints McGee had downloaded for him without question.
I'm coming Tony. I'm coming for you.
Down the hall.
Left towards the study.
Hernandez would be there.
He would have Tony.
Gibbs came to the doors and threw himself against them, bursting through the double doors with handgun drawn.
"Hernandez?!"
The man in question looked up from the desk.
"Special Agent Gibbs. I assumed that was you. Who else would make such a racket when walking through the front door was an option?"
Gibbs paused, for once taken completely by surprise. The man stared at him impassively, liked he was utterly expected. Then as quickly as it arrived, the shock was gone. And replaced by anger.
"Where is he?"
"I'm sorry? Who?"
Gibbs stormed forwards and grabbed Hernandez by the lapel.
"Don't shit with me Hernandez. Where is he?"
Alejandro smiled, his eyes glinting dangerously.
"I'm sorry Special Agent. You're going to have to be more specific. You've lost so many people recently, I wasn't sure whom you were speaking of."
Gibbs paused, his grip tightening.
"What do you mean by that? Who else have I lost? What are you talking about? Where is my son?!"
"Your son! Well that narrows it down, thank you. I really wasn't certain if you were meaning your dear Anthony...or your father."
Gibbs blinked, his face paling.
"My...father? What the hell does Jackson have to do with any of this? Why would you go after him? We aren't...we don't… where are they? Where is Tony?"
Alejendro started to laugh quietly and leaned back in his chair, slipping from a shocked Gibbs' grip.
"Not here. Quite possibly, not anywhere."
Xxx
Tony curled against the wall, his back pressed as close to it as he could manage. He shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable.
Although comfortable was a pretty big stretch right about now.
The room was dark.
Not a single corner lit.
Not even a flicker.
He had never minded the dark before but this...
This felt like he was being buried alive.
He took a deep shaky breath, and stuffed that thought down, chocking on the sob threatening to erupt from his throat.
No.
He was okay.
He was okay.
Just needed to breath.
In. Out. In. Out.
Just like those days when he would hide under his bed and wait for his father's rage to stop seeping through the floorboards.
Breath.
Wait for the storm to pass.
In. Out.
He could feel his heart rate beginning to slow and his eyes starting to sink close even though it made no difference towards how he saw the room.
In. Out.
Suddenly there was a shattering sound and the entire room seemed to shake.
He cried out quietly and tried to push himself further back, but he was already wedged into the corner, his hands stuck behind him, impeding his process.
"Get your ass in there!"
Someone yelled, rough, angry, vicious. Tony knew the tone. This was someone who wanted to hurt. Not for any reason other than to cause pain. He swallowed hard and curled deeper into himself, making his form as small as possible in the dark.
"Alright, just calm down now. I'm going. There's no need to get rough."
He titled his head slightly, listening to the other. It was rough also, but in a different way. It sounded used, like it spoke all the time. Gentle though. Not something to be scared. And oddly enough...familiar.
"Shut up."
"Okay. I'll be quiet. I'm just saying son, you need to think about what you're doing. I don't know who you all think that I am, but-"
Tony frantically whipped his head from side to side, trying to figure out where the voices were coming from and (more importantly) where the door was that they had entered by.
He heard an impact and a gentle exhalation as someone hit the ground.
"Enjoy the company. Good old fashioned family bonding."
The voice laughed, throaty and deep before it was cut off by the very final sound of a door bolt sliding shut.
Tony took a breath and felt the scream he had been denying himself since this all started start to claw its way up his throat.
They left him in here again.
In the dark.
Trapped.
Unable to move.
Alone.
With a stranger.
No no no no no no no NO!
"Is someone there?"
Tony cut the cry off before it ever started, unwilling to give away his position by doing something as childish as giving into the need to start yelling, no matter how much he wanted to.
"Hello?"
Tony pulled in another deep breath and held it, biting his lip. He could hear the other man, hesitating from his position on the floor, still resting there since the man had shoved him in. Slowly he stood and Tony listened to him make his way over to him. He began to shake, trembling as he heard him approaching him.
Please. Please don't hurt me. Please don't touch me. Please don't bother me.
Then he stopped. And slowly lowered himself to ground, leaning against the wall about three feet from the quivering boy.
"Not much of a talker eh? That's alright. Most people say I talk enough for two anyway."
Tony blinked a couple of times and squinted, hoping against hopes he could see something through the dank of the room.
Not even a shadow.
"The man who dropped me off in here had me blindfolded, don't know exactly where I am, but he said I would have company, there'd be someone in here with me. Don't suppose you could tell me what this is all about?"
Tony scrunched his eyebrows. The man didn't know why he was here? He wasn't here to… was this a trap?
"Now maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. This could be one of those things where you're a thug waiting to get answers from me, which you aren't going to get because honestly I don't have answers to any sort of questions that would matter to anyone of consequence and I'm getting up there in age, so if you just look at me funny, I'm probably gonna fall over. If that's true, maybe I should stop talking, because talking would be just what you want. Is this true? Are you a part of this whole fiasco? Someone here to get something from me?"
The man sounded so serious and the undercurrent of worry in his voice made Tony's stomach twist. There was just something in the voice. He didn't want him to worry. He swallowed hard and whispered, just barely audible.
"No."
The man sounded surprised when he spoke next.
"No? You aren't a part of all this then?"
"No."
The voice lightened and Tony could hear the faint run of relief hidden in the quiet laugh.
"Well that's good. I reckon we'll get along fine then. My name's Jackson, how bout you?"
"...Tony."
"Well it's very nice to meet to you Tony. I wish it was under better circumstances."
Despite himself, Tony found himself grinning slightly.
"Me too."
Xxx
Gibbs paced back and forth in the observation room, his thoughts skipping and his heart in his throat.
The door opened and he could see Morrow's reflection in the glass.
"Gibbs."
"I know. I'm up a creek."
"Not as bad as you would think."
Gibbs turned and raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Scuito dug further into the men that were obtained on sight. All but four are persons of interest in unrelated cases back in Mexico. In the basement of the house we found multiple stashes of illegal weaponry and drugs that appeared to getting ready for distribution. The house itself looks like it was a go-between for a half a dozen major crime hubs in D.C. That combined with the fact that Lange threw in her support this and resources for this, I don't even want to know how she managed to get those vehicles to explode from California, we are labeling this debacle as an 'authorized raid'. Count yourself lucky that the three of you aren't facing criminal charges. And be aware that for the time being, you are on suspension."
Gibbs narrowed his eyes, but didn't argue. Morrow stared him down for a long moment before he dropped his shoulders and turned to the window, handing over one of the two cups of coffee he had brought with him.
"He say anything?"
Gibbs shook his head, gripping the cup.
"Not a thing. Just sits there and smiles."
Morrow put a hand on Gibbs shoulder and squeezed gently.
"We'll find them. I promise."
Gibbs looked over at the director, and the man had to force himself not to step away under the weight of the sorrow in his gaze.
"I was supposed to keep him safe."
Xxx
"So, read any good books lately? Or are you not much of a reader?"
Jackson could hear the other person shift slightly. Tony had been in constant movement since he had first started speaking, little twitches, but enough that he could figure he was only a few feet away.
"I love reading" the voice drifted over softly "I just finished To Kill a Mockingbird."
Jackson nodded, surprised but impressed. Because of the dark and the near whisper volume of the voice, he couldn't pinpoint the age of the other person in the room, but he was guessing young, and his experience was showing him that young people didn't read that much.
"Really? One of my favorites. Interesting study on human culture, how we react to people, how much society has changed."
There was a quiet sigh.
"And how much it hasn't. I found it sad."
Jackson blinked.
"It is sad."
The room was quiet for a couple minutes before Tony moved against the rough cement walls again.
"You alright Tony?"
Tony hesitated, he could hear the surprise in the young man at the question.
"I… um… yes. I'm fine. They just um… the man taped my hands together and I can't-"
"What! I didn't know that! They didn't do that to me."
Jackson frowned and heaved himself up to his feet. Tony immediately stopped talking.
"Now don't start worrying Mr. Tony, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to get your hands undone, alright?"
Tony gulped and then a very shaky, "alright" could barely be heard.
"Kay, now can you turn around for me?"
It took some maneuvering but finally the two found each other, Jackson began to reach out and before he even touched his arm, he could feel the shaking.
"Tony? Are you scared?"
"Yes." he whispered.
Jackson nodded and very gently put his hand on Tony's arm.
"It's okay Tony. I promise, I am not going to hurt you. I promise."
I promise I'll keep you safe.
"Okay."
Jackson nodded and made quick work of the tape, gently removing it from the chaffed and blistered skin.
When the last piece finally came off, Tony's arms fell forward and he cried out quietly as the strained muscles protested the sudden change.
"Thank you Jackson."
"Of course Tony." he said distractedly, trying to figure out what bothered him about the entire situation. He could feel tony moving next to him, working aching shoulders and massaging his wrists when it suddenly hit him.
His arms were so small.
"Tony… how old are you?"
Tony turned his head towards the voice, curious at the question. Jackson had been talking to him for hours. About his store back home, his favorite tv shows, the crazy people who inhabited his town. It had been nice. The only problem had been the constant pain in his back and arms and Jackson had even taken steps to solve that.
He didn't have to be scared of him. He was nice.
"I'm thirteen."
Jackson moved away in surprise, then scooted back closer, as if wanting to protect him from any sudden danger that might appear.
"Thirteen? What are you doing here? Do you know what's going on?"
Tony smiled slightly, he had been wondering if Jackson was going to ask that. He was guessing that Jackson had his own reason for being kidnapped and thrown in wherever they were, and that the older man was just running with the assumption that Tony was as clueless as he was.
"Yes, I know why I'm here. The man who took me hates my father. He told me that he wanted to take what was most precious to him. So he took me."
Jackson stared into the dark, trying to see what was hidden, filled with an unquenchable sorrow for the boy.
"Tony I am so sorry. Is your father someone important?"
Tony laughed quietly and leaned against the wall, resting his head on his knees.
"Oh Jackson. To me? He's the most important man in the world."