"What did you find?" Gibbs questioned Tony and Ziva after their return.
"We sent some prints down to Abby, but perhaps the most interesting thing we found was a tiny camera. It was in the vent shaft," Ziva said.
"Was it transmitting?"
"Not anymore," Tony said, "But we sent it to Abby, too. Maybe she'll be able to work her magic on it."
Gibbs nodded. If there was any clue to be found, she'd find it. Someone had messed with both Tim and Tony. Suffice to say…if Abby got her hands on these guys, Gibbs would almost feel bad for them. Almost.
"What did Jenkins tell you, Boss?" Tony asked as he lowered himself into his chair.
"He didn't know who hired him. The only thing he could tell me was the name of the dead guy and the other guards he had been working with. We need to see if these men had any past connections that will give us a lead to go on." Gibbs paused for a moment, giving Tony a chance to ask the question he and Ziva had been discussing.
"Was that their plan, Boss? To take McGee? Or was that because we interfered?" Tony saw Ziva lean forward in her seat, anxious to hear the answer.
Gibbs sighed. "Jenkins told me his job was to make sure there was no one else in the area. As for whether or not that meant McGee was going to be taken or to make sure their boss was secure, he didn't know. He was going to get further instructions over his radio."
Tony's hand clenched in anger. Of course they couldn't get a clear answer. Now he had to wait to find out if it was his fault McGee had been kidnapped. He shook his head as he returned to his computer, acknowledging the fact that he would feel guilty no matter what. McGee was his Probie, and Tony hadn't had his back.
Deep breath in…and out.
Again…In…and out.
He stared straight ahead. If there were more lights on, he would be able to see the door.
In…and out.
There was a voice, speaking meaningless words. It would take him a while to be able to focus enough to understand what Tom was saying.
In…and out.
He had to breathe now. He wouldn't be able to when Tom flipped that switch again.
"Will you help us?"
Ah, he could understand now. "No," he replied, pleased that even though his voice was hoarse, it was steady.
In…and out.
The agony was back, without warning. He threw his head back, screwing his face against the pain. He was yelling, he knew he was, knew it wasn't helping. His chest was burning, body twitching…Then the pain was gone. Tim's yells quieted to a soft moan. There was silence in the room after that, filled only with his harsh breaths.
"They aren't coming for you," Tom whispered. "They blame you for his death."
Death? Well, he had shot that masked man, but why would his team blame him for that?
"After all, if you'd never gotten involved, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo would never have gotten shot, let alone died."
Tim felt the blood drain from his head, his breathing getting faster and faster. No. Not true. He's not dead.
That agony was racing through his body again, throwing his mind away from Tony. All he could think of was the pain, the fire that raced along his nerves. He might have been begging for the pain to stop, but he didn't think he could truly articulate anything. The pain stopped, leaving McGee confused.
There was something…something he was forgetting.
In…and out. In…and out.
"How does it feel?...Knowing that you are responsible for your friend's death?"
Tony! Tim's head bowed as grief settled on him. It was his fault. If he hadn't gotten involved, if he had just told Gibbs, none of this would have happened!
Tony…
"Will you help us?"
I'm so sorry.
In…and out.
He shook his head and then screamed at the consequences of his choice.
I deserve this…