A/N: I am always avoiding legitimate work for you guys. ;) Partly, because I like avoiding work, and partly, because I want to honor your commitment to this story. My health is improving and so I am working to get back on track. It's still complex and I think there are interesting things happening in this chapter. Believe or not, the next chapter is the last one. Tell me what you think if you wish. Sheila

Warning: There is an uncomfortable sexual encounter within this chapter.

A Man Left Behind

Chapter 8

Gibbs lifted his head sharply in the dark of the early morning. Sleeping in an armchair was never ideal, but he'd certainly been in worse places. Visions of men torturing McGee had been ambushing his sleep ever since he closed his eyes. Listening to McGee's testimony had taken its toll.

He sat up and blinked into the darkness. His eyes adjusted and he looked at the bed. It still amazed him that McGee was with them. The sheets were rumpled and he had a hard time spotting McGee's shaggy head. Then he was on his feet when he realized he couldn't see what wasn't there. The bed was empty. He crossed to the bed and pulled open the door. The light was on, but the room was empty. Breathe rose in his chest and he tried to imagine where McGee had gone. Ducky's room was up two flights and it would've been folly for him to wander the hallways on his own.

He opened the door and looked up and down the hallway. It was dim and deserted. He started toward the elevator when he heard a noise. He turned and saw a Berumian man signaling to him from an emergency exit. He remembered the man to be one of the porters from the lobby. It had all the hallmarks of a trap, but he couldn't help thinking that Saldana would never be this subtle. He trotted over to the exit, and the man put a finger to his lips. He followed him up several flights of steps and through a metal door to the roof. It was a cool night and the stars shown brightly around an almost full moon. The roar of the surf sounded in the background as he followed the man across the roof. There were old beach chairs in a circle at the center of the roof filled with hotel staff drinking rum and laughing. They looked up as he passed but said nothing.

Around a large air conditioning unit, he spotted Consuela leaning against a vent and a man with a baseball cap sitting in a beach chair staring out at the surf. The lankiness of his form was all McGee and Gibbs deflated. He walked past Consuela and looked down at McGee. "You were about gave me a heart attack."

McGee looked up. "Sorry Boss."

Gibbs set down on the concrete roof next to him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"My Portuguese is improving. I was able to tell Consuela that I wanted to see the moon and she arranged it."

"This is pretty dangerous, Tim."

"I haven't been outside in three months."

"You could've waited another day. Moon looks great in Virginia."

"Ya' think?"

Gibbs gestured to the group huddled around the rum. "We can't trust everyone."

"They're all pretty much related to Consuela. We certainly didn't get down to the laundry room on our own yesterday."

"So you just wanted to see the moon?"

"You all sat through 4 hours of testimony."

"That was pretty hard for you, wasn't it?"

"Actually, I was wondering how it was for you."

Gibbs looked up at the moon. "Painful."

"How can it possibly be good for all of you to know those things?"

He took a deep breath. "We are a team and a family. We needed to be there."

"No one said anything when it was over."

"Hard to know what to say. All I know right now is that you are here and you're alive. I don't have time for the rest of it."

McGee studied him. "You're worried that the yacht isn't coming for me."

"You think you know me that well?"

"I do."

Gibbs shrugged. "I guess I just think we should have a plan B."

"Do you know what that is?"

His mouth twitched. "Not a clue."

McGee nodded slowly. "Well then I'm glad I came up to see the moon. Who knows when or if that opportunity's coming my way again."

Gibbs squinted at the horizon. "Sun's coming up."

"I suppose I'd better get back to the room."

"Oh, I figure it won't hurt us to sit through a sunrise. Tourists sleep in, don't they? It's important to find time for things like this."

McGee nodded and turned his attention to the warm colors gathering along the edge of the ocean.

…

Tony stood at the doorway to the bedroom and watched Ziva and Kort sitting on the bed talking in whispers. "Would you like me to close the door and give the two of you some privacy?"

"Tony, you're supposed to be sitting with Laurent."

"He's sitting on the deck feeling sorry for himself. There's nothing to watch."

"Do it anyway," Kort growled.

"Is there anything likeable about you, Kort? I mean, does your mama like you?"

Kort shook his head and looked away. Ziva got up off the bed. "We have less than a day. No more fighting."

He gestured with his head. "What were the two of you talking about?"

"Keep your voice down. The place still has bugs," she hissed at him as she walked by. He followed her onto the deck. Laurent was staring out at the water, his head in his hands, but they ignored him. Ziva jumped off the stairs into the sand and he followed.

"If you're going to kill him tonight, I have a right to know."

"I'm not killing him tonight," she retorted.

"We'll never get on that plane alive if you do."

She flashed her dark eyes at him. "He's evil. He doesn't deserve to live."

"Agreed."

"I'm not planning to kill him this evening, Tony."

He stuffed his hands in his shorts' pockets. "We should. The people of Berumi deserve better."

"It's not our decision to make."

She put a hand on his arm and stopped him. "What are we going to do if Monterros' yacht doesn't come for McGee tonight?"

"I want to go with Gibbs to get him on that yacht, but he's really adamant that he do this alone. Besides, I want to be nearby in case you need backup."

"You're not answering my question."

Tony squinted up at the sun. "I'm not leaving this country without him."

She nodded. "Me neither."

He took her hand. "Ziva."

She shook her head. "No. I can't have this conversation with you. We have to proceed with confidence. We're going home tomorrow and he's going to be waiting for us, and we'll be a team again."

"So we'll have this conversation then?" Tony brushed a curl behind her ear.

She smiled. "I suspect that in the light of day, this conversation will be no longer be so urgent. It's what we always do, you and I."

He nodded. "I suspect you're right."

She patted him softly on the chest and walked back to the house. He stared after her and whispered, "I love you."

The trade winds carry sound in funny ways, and she suddenly stopped, and his breath caught as he realized that she must have heard him. Instead of turning though, she merely bowed her head and kept walking.

….

They still had access to Ducky's room after he left. Gibbs had spent much of the morning packing the SD card securely into Ducky's luggage so it wouldn't be discovered at the airport. Ducky had fussed quite a bit, reluctant as he was to leave McGee, but Gibbs pretended enough confidence to get him on the shuttle to the airport.

McGee was still resting in Gibbs' room so he waited in Ducky's until she showed. She was in power clothing again, a silk print that emphasized her curves and gold jewelry that shimmered against her brown skin. Her curls had been transformed into waves cascading down her back. She sat on the bed and crossed one long leg over another. "I look good to you, no?"

"You look good."

"If it were only a different time," she said wistfully.

He shook his head. "Stay focused."

She threw back her head and sighed, her ample bosom heaving. "Can you blame me? We are living on borrowed time, you and I."

"Did you find out what I asked?"

"Yes, you were correct about everything."

He nodded slowly. "What is Azul's itinerary?"

"He arrives in a couple of hours. I am putting him up in the honeymoon suite here. Tomorrow morning, I prep him and he goes to meet with Saldana. The interview should take a few hours and then I drive him and his crew to the airport."

"How much does Azul know?"

"Nothing. I have promised him a big scoop on the subject of human rights."

"You were going to give him a copy of McGee's testimony."

"Naturally, he expects something bigger. A mere tape is not worth flying across the Atlantic to interview a wannabe dictator for a distinguished journalist like Augosto Azul."

"He's going to get the biggest scoop of his career."

She narrowed her eyes. "Give me details, Gibbs."

He shook his head. "It's still coming together for me. We work it hour to hour. I'll tell you more soon. Keep your passport with you."

She ran her fingers across the bare skin under her neck. "I'm not leaving my country."

"He'll kill you once he finds out what you've done."

She shrugged. "I feel very little about this idea. I'm so tired and so disgusted at myself. I watched all of this take shape over the years and I said nothing. It wasn't until my father began to protest that I even got angry, and when I did, I turned it at him."

He leaned forward in his chair. "You're doing something now, Eponine."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "What if you and I had met under better circumstances? What would you have thought?"

"I would've thought that you were a very beautiful, arrogant, and infuriating woman, and you would've looked through me like I was a piece of furniture."

Her eyes popped open and she studied him. "Don't be so sure. This quality… this presence of yours- I suspect you carry it on you no matter the circumstances."

He smiled. "I knew a woman like you once. A redhead named Jenny. Danger was like an aphrodisiac to her."

She stared at him, eyes dark and wide. "I don't have to get in the limousine for another hour."

He stood. "I'm still working the plan, Eponine. Another time and another place, and I would follow you anywhere."

He took her hand and pulled her up and into his arms. He breathed in the smell behind her ear and then gently bit the lobe. "Bring your passport with you. When I get you out of here, I'm going to show you exactly what I'm capable of."

He gently pushed her back onto the bed and left the room.

…

He was there to greet her when she stepped out of the car. As usual, he was dressed in a uniform bastardized to his own tastes, and Ziva wrinkled her nose slightly at the stench of expensive cologne radiating off him. She wore a tight fitting white dress in a Grecian style with one shoulder strap. She wanted to look both classic and slightly primitive.

"You are a goddess, my dear Cassia."

She smiled. "I'm glad you could find time for me. Poor Laurent is too busy for a nice dinner."

He offered her his arm. "Tonight, we will not speak of him. I am too happy to think of how he has disappointed me. A very important journalist has arrived in Berumi to see me. My significance in this country is finally being recognized."

"How very exciting!"

"If you were truly mine, Cassia. I would have you on my arm tomorrow when he interviews me. All of Portugal would see how you have risen."

She laughed. "You flatter me, General. Where are you taking me for dinner?"

"Why must we go anywhere? My chef is the best on the island. I am having something prepared for us in my quarters."

"I'm not sure that's appropriate, General."

"My dear, your protests are disingenuous. You have seen the way I look at you and I know you are not a fool."

She walked with him up the steps to his home. "You are quite right, General. I am not a fool nor am I a concubine. I guarantee you a lovely dinner companion but nothing more."

He threw back his head and laughed.

…..

"Your job is to stay close to Ziva. I'll get McGee where he needs to go."

Tony sat on the bed and watched Gibbs administer a B12 shot to McGee. "All I know is that if you don't make it to that plane at 6 a.m., I'm staying behind."

Gibbs turned sharply. "You will not deviate from the plan!"

McGee nodded. "Boss is right, Tony. You do what he says."

"You're sure about this yacht?"

"Monterros himself set it up. The boat picks McGee up. The timing is iffy. So if I don't get back in time for the flight, I just get on another one. There's one at 10 a.m. that goes to Caracas, Venezuela. The only way this plan fails is if you and Ziva don't follow my lead."

"What if the yacht doesn't show?"

"That's not going to happen."

"You don't know-"

"Enough! We proceed with confidence, DiNozzo! You need to get going. I want you parked somewhere near his plantation in case she needs you."

Tony fixed his eyes on McGee. "I can't wait until we're all home. I'm going to bring over a bunch of movies and we're going to hang out for days."

Tim smiled. "Sounds good."

He looked at Gibbs once more, but the man's face was granite and so he patted McGee's check and left.

…

Completely naked, the rolls on his hairy gut were grotesque. The only saving grace was that his flab hid much of his genital area. He lounged on his side on an enormous red satin bed and beckoned to her. "Come here, my sweet."

She stayed out of reach, dancing rhythmically as she teased the only strap on her dress. "Let me dance for you, General."

His head lolled in the palm of his hand. "No dancing. I have waited long enough."

She let the strap drop and her dress floated over her hips. She wore nothing underneath "Are you sure you're ready?"

He slapped the bed. "Now! Or I shall come for you and beat that beautiful ass."

"More wine?"

"No!" He bellowed. "Come!"

She walked over to him and he reached out and grabbed her hand, jerking her onto the bed. She stayed docile as he mauled at her breasts, his hot breath in her ear. "I think that I shall spank that ass nonetheless. You deserve it, Cassia. But first, I'll take my pleasure in you."

He rolled over on top of her, but she said nothing. He grunted as he reached for his flaccid member. "You have done nothing to stimulate me!"

"I will take care of it," she said softly as her hand trailed down past his stomach. Just as she reached his groin, his breath grew heavy and deep. She looked up at his face and his eyes were closed. He tossed his head in an effort to wake, but sleep was too powerful and he started snoring into her neck. She stayed still for a few minutes until she was sure he was out. She worried that the sedative she poured into his wine wasn't as powerful as she'd hoped, but his eyes didn't open again. Finally, she rolled away from him and got off the bed. She picked up her dress and pulled a small glass vial out of the hem. She crawled back onto the bed and two fingers in his mouth, prying open his teeth. She shook the powder onto his tongue and closed his mouth. She stared at him and then shuddered deep inside.

She pulled her dress on and texted Tony. She gathered her shoes and left the room. The guards were nonplused by her exit and she imagined that it was pretty common practice for Saldana to kick out his conquests in the middle of the night.

The car pulled up within minutes and she climbed in next to Tony. She felt his eyes on her but she said nothing. Tony drove. "Is he alive?"

She nodded, staring out at the starry night.

"How far…what did he do to you?"

The slap to his face was as fast as lightning.

He sucked in breath. "Ziva!"

She glared at him. "I did my job in there and that's all you need to know."

"I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes and rested her face against the window.

….

McGee followed Gibbs and Eponine from the car to a spot on a cliff overlooking the beach. It seemed an unusual place to rendezvous with a yacht. He tried to ask questions but Gibbs gave him cryptic answers. Eponine was in jeans and a t-shirt now, having deposited the celebrated Augosto Azul at the hotel. She handed Gibbs a pair of night vision binoculars, and he peered out on the bay. After a few moments, he caught sight of the yacht. Then he scanned the area around it. Finally, he shook his head, handed the binoculars to McGee and pointed. McGee took them and trained it where he was pointing. Behind an outcropping of rocks waited two smaller motorboats. McGee turned to Gibbs. "It's an ambush."

He nodded. "I had my suspicions. Eponine checked it out. The rumors of this rescue were already running through the capital building. Monterros is too weak. His people are spies for Saldana."

"There is no way to get on that boat, is there?"

He shook his head.

McGee sighed. "Well, that's it then."

"Do you imagine I would leave you?"

"There's nothing left to do, Boss."

"Then what do you do?"

"Leave me a gun, and I will hang on as long as I can."

Gibbs chuckled. "Not going to happen. Time for plan B."

"Which is?"

He sighed. "I almost have it. Eponine, we can't go back to the hotel, can we?"

She shook her head. "It is hard to say how much they know. It's better I take you elsewhere."

McGee stared out at the bay once more at the yacht in the distance. Freedom had been so very close. He let out a ragged sigh before following Gibbs and Eponine back to the car.

….

Gibbs' phone rang in the car and he picked it up. "Yeah Tony…No, it went smooth. I got him on the yacht about half an hour ago…I know what time it is…You and Ziva will get on that plane at 6 a.m. I am going to follow on the 10 a.m. flight to Caracas…No! You're not waiting! This is the plan and you're going to follow it, DiNozzo…Everything is fine. How's Ziva?...Okay. We'll meet up again in D.C…Don't worry about anything. Just get back to D.C…Good luck, Tony."

He hung up and leaned against the back of the seat with a heavy sigh. From the back seat, McGee reached up and touched his shoulder. "That was the right thing to do, Boss."

"I know."

….

Tony sat in first class next to Ziva, but he couldn't relax. Kort and Laurent were staying back for the time so that Kort could further insinuate himself into Saldana's world. When the attendant offered him champagne, he started to decline, but Ziva stopped him and accepted a flute for him and herself. She put both of them on her tray and stared out the window.

She hadn't said two words to him since he'd picked her up from Saldana's estate. He wanted to know what happened, but he also knew that his anger wouldn't help her. The best thing he could think to do was to stay close and be gentle with her.

She finished both flutes champagne, and he took the glasses from her and handed them to the flight attendant. Ziva started to ask for another, but he shook his head at her. He covered her hand with his and leaned his head toward hers. "I'm just going to be here with you."

Her eyes watered and she rested her head on his shoulder.

….

"You think we can get a clean link here."

"It's on the laptop that International Red Cross left behind for us. I don't see any reason why they would be monitoring it especially since the team left Berumi yesterday."

Gibbs nodded. "Are you ready?"

"No."

"You don't have to do this."

McGee took a deep breath. They were in Paolo Fuente's living room, and the experience left him emotional. Everywhere he looked, there were signs of who he was, the man who kept his hope alive for so long. A large picture window looked out on the bay. It was a quietly beautiful room with built in bookcases and classic prints. It was an aesthetic that McGee appreciated, and on any other occasion he would have been happy to relax here. Eponine seemed oddly uncomfortable and keep to her feet, fussing about the kitchen for unspoiled for food.

"Tim?"

McGee turned to him. "They deserve it, right? The truth is best."

He nodded. It took only a couple of tries before Vance's face filled the screen. He looked worried. "What happened?"

"Too many leaks. Saldana's men were waiting. We had to abort."

"Damn!"

James McGee got in next to Vance. "Tim, are you there?"

Gibbs pointed the webcam at McGee. His bruises were fading, but the toll of the experience was still etched in his pale, drawn features. "Dad."

James rubbed his mouth for a moment before responding. "I'm so sorry, Son. I'm so sorry."

"I'm okay."

"Don't lie. No more lies, okay?"

"Okay."

"Gibbs, do you have a plan?"

He leaned in. "Only the ghost of one. I can't talk about it over this link."

"Understood. I wish I could do more. Jarvis all but has me on house arrest. Guess he's afraid I might go rogue…and he's right."

"Dad, I have faith in my boss. He doesn't give up and I won't either."

"When will we know something?"

McGee looked at Gibbs. "We don't know."

The admiral's chin trembled. "I have been a fool. We've wasted so much so time. Please come home! Come home and we'll start over. I'm so proud of you and I love you. Your mom and I think of you every day."

"It's going to be okay," he said as he brushed at the moisture at the corners of his eyes. Tell Mom I love her and Sarah too. We're going to be together again. I promise you that."

"Okay. Let's not…clog up the line here."

Tim smiled at his father's logic. "You're right. Somebody else might need the bandwith."

"Before you go, there's someone here who needs to say something."

She looked as pale as he was and her eyes were blurry with tears. He touched the screen. "I'm so sorry, Abbs."

"You can't give up. Neither one of you. The two most important people in my life are in danger and it will literally kill me to lose you."

He shook his head. "It's okay, Abbs. We're doing everything we know to do."

A sob escaped. "I love you, McGee. I love you so much. You have no idea how badly I've missed you."

He studied her face. "Probably as bad as I've missed you."

"Come home."

He swallowed hard before answering. "Promise."

Vance gently moved her aside. "Can we do anything?"

Gibbs shook his head. "It's a wild card move. The most I will say is that we plan to exploit Saldana's weaknesses."

Vance nodded. "We'll be waiting."

The screen went dark. For a few moments, no one said anything. Eponine came in from the kitchen. "I called a friend who will bring groceries. No worries. He thinks I am here alone packing up my father's things."

Gibbs looked up. "Food would be good."

"Is it safe for me to go outside?" McGee asked.

She nodded. "It's very private here. Stick to the gardens. The trees will cover anyone watching from the air."

He rubbed his face. "I just need a little time alone."

Gibbs watched him go outside. Eponine came into the living room, hands on her hips. "I have to get to town and meet up with Azul. My friend will leave the food on the steps. We have a few minutes before I go. Let's pull this idea together."

He smirked. "You'd make a helluva' agent, Eponine."

…

He slammed the table with his palm and stood. "He played me! I knew it! I felt it! Bastard!"

"Sit down, DiNozzo." Vance said.

"We should be there. Damn it!"

Ziva was on her feet, holding her middle. "Our covers are still good. We can get on a plane tonight."

"You're not going anywhere."

Tony pointed a finger at him. "This is not how a team operates! This breaks every rule he ever made! How dare he!"

"You're excess baggage back there. The op has changed. Whatever they do, it needs to be clean and simple. He made the right call. You're going to have to get over it, DiNozzo."

Ziva looked at the ceiling. "Vance is right."

"They don't have a way out, people."

Vance looked at him. "If there is anyone that can make this happen, it's Gibbs. We have no more control. Both of you are exhausted. You look like hell. Go home. Shower. Sleep. Then we'll talk."

"You gotta' be kidding me," Tony chortled. "Not happening."

"Really? Loose cannon is not what we need around here right now. And don't think you can just head back to the airport. I called NSA and put your aliases on alert. You're not boarding any plane right now."

Tony cursed and left, slamming the door behind him. Ziva looked at Vance. "I did something for Kort."

He gestured to a chair. "Sit down and tell me about it.

…

TBC