Hey everyone! So I'm finally updating! I've had pretty much no ideas for this chapter, and when I finally got one, I ended up hating it and rewriting the entire chapter. Again. I wrote half of this at like two in the morning and the other half at ten PM, so if the writing style's a bit inconsistent, you know why. Okay… So I guess that's it! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: NCIS isn't mine, if it was the deleted scenes in the 200th episode would have never have been deleted in the first place!
Jenny paced the room, her eyes searching the walls and ceiling for any way of escape. She was a trained NCIS Agent, at least, she'd once been one. And even though she hadn't been in the field for years, Jenny still knew a thing or two about what to do during situations like this. First things first, think of a way out. Second, if there is no way out, create one. Third, never, ever, do what the captor wants. Jenny walked over to the bookshelves pressed up against the wall, trying not to think of what would happen if she couldn't get out.
Stepping onto the first shelf of the bookshelf, Jenny gnawed on her lip, heaving herself up as she tried to think of one of Gibbs' Rules that could possibly save her. Rule Nine: Never go anywhere without a knife. Jenny grinned, reaching down into her stiletto and yanking out her knife. Rule Eight: Never take anything for granted. Reaching the top of the bookshelf, she squinted at the wall, her grin widening when she spotted a seam in the wallpaper. Running her knife along the thin line, it wasn't long before she could wrap her fingers around the edge of the newly cut wall and pull. A moment later, a large, textbook sized chunk of wood dropped onto the top of the bookshelf, revealing a small window. Rule Sixteen: If someone thinks they have the upper hand… Break it!
Hopping down from the bookshelf, Jenny slipped her knife back down in her stiletto before scaling another bookshelf, searching for another window, door, or anything that could help her escape. All the while, thick, black smoke was slowly seeping into the room from under the door, making Jenny stop and cough every few moments before returning to her work. When she finally finished, three open windows now visible at various places around the room, Jenny turned to the door. Taking a step towards it, she pressed her hand against the paneling, yanking it back when she felt the burning wood under her fingers. The fire would soon roast the door, turning it to ash, and then travel into the basement, where Jenny will be helplessly waiting.
Oh Director, are you still there? Ryan's voice echoed through the room, the speakers cracking.
"What do you want, Ryan? To kill me? Well that's not gonna happen today, sorry to burst your bubble!" Jenny yelled towards the ceiling.
Ryan cackled, the sound sending shivers down Jenny's spine. You know, you're a lot funnier than I expected, Jenny. I always imagined you to be some boring chick who Jethro only liked because of, obviously, your hair color. I never expected you to have a sense of humor!
"I'd tell you I wasn't joking, but I'm pretty sure you already know that. Now let me out of here before I personally come up there and throttle you." Jenny threatened, sighing when Ryan again just laughed.
So you know I'm upstairs? How smart you are! Well, sorry to ruin your plans, but I'm going. You know, cause this buildings going to burn down in about ten minutes… So… Bye! I'll send you a wedding invitation to Jethro's and my wedding, but no worries, if you can't attend because you're, oh I don't know, dead or something, I won't hold it against you! With another cackle, the speakers shut off, leaving Jenny in silence once more.
The windows being too small to escape out of, but just the right size to toss things through, Jenny began wandering the room, picking up any flammable substance she could find, and flinging them outside. A few minutes later, after many failed attempts at ripping up the carpet, which was already smoking in some places, Jenny collapsed on the couch. Taking a deep breath and praying Gibbs would find her in time, Jenny then began to practically scream her head off, yelling for help as the room turned darker by the second.
…
"Gibbs, I'm serious, do you smell that?" Abby whined, marching up to Gibbs and tapping him on the shoulder.
"Smell what, Abs?" Gibbs asked, turning around to face her, his eyes scanning the horizon absentmindedly as he waited for her to reply.
"I don't know, it kinda smells like-"
"Fire." Gibbs muttered, cutting Abby off. His eyes had landed on an ever-growing line of smoke stretching up towards the sky in the distance. Leaving Abby standing by the side of the road, confused, Gibbs marched over to Tony and Ziva, grabbing them both by the arm and yanking them a few feet away from the group of agents.
"What's up, boss?" Tony asked, rubbing his arm once Gibbs released him.
"I'm going to save Jen, make sure McGee keeps Abby out of trouble." Gibbs replied, already retreating towards the main road.
"You know where she is?" Ziva questioned, glancing around as if Jenny was going to hop out from behind a car and skip over to them merrily.
Gibbs nodded about the agent's heads to where, in the distance, the cloud of smoke was growing larger. He wondered why no one had called 9-1-1 for a moment before realizing that everyone living in this neighborhood was probably at work, so there was no one to notice the fire. Tony and Ziva's eyes widened, realizing that Gibbs must mean he thought Jenny was in the building.
Tony turned around to see his boss, who had only a moment ago, glance behind him, shifting from one foot to the other with an antsy expression. "I'm coming with you boss."
"So am I." Ziva said with finality, turning around as well.
"What, no you're not, Zi. You're staying here with McGee and Abby." Tony ordered, staring her down.
"I'm not letting you go into a burning building alone, Tony." Ziva said, unfazed by his glare.
While the two were bickering, Gibbs slowly slipped away, jogging across the main road before turning to the right and sprinting up the block. Tony glanced to where Gibbs once stood, wanting his opinion on the debate, only to see the spot empty and his boss running around the corner thirty feet away.
"Ziva, you are not coming." He said, turning back to his partner.
"Yes I am." Ziva replied, gritting her teeth.
"Anyways, Gibbs is gone." Tony answered, shrugging.
"I noticed, so we need to hurry, we cannot let him go alone." Ziva demanded, grabbing Tony's wrist and pulling him towards the street, dodging a lone car speeding by.
Meanwhile, Abby had made her way over to McGee, Justin grinning when she stopped next to him. "McGee!"
"Yeah Abby?" McGee asked, stopping his conversation with Justin to look at the Forensic Scientist with wide eyes.
"Do you smell that? I think a building's on fire! And Gibbs and Tony and Ziva all just rushed off towards it and, do you think Jenny could be inside?" Abby rambled, glancing over McGee's head at the now dark cloud of smoke practically exploding from the building.
McGee turned around, his eyes following Abby's line of sight until they landed on the burning building. His mouth dropped open and he turned to her, his eyes as wide as saucers, before grabbing her by the shoulders.
"Abby, I'm going to go help Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs. Stay. Here." He demanded, his expression dead serious.
"Okay, I am not going to just let you go there alone!" Abby cried, putting her hands on her hips.
"I'm serious, Abby. No."
"McGee! Come on, I'll just stand outside! I promise!" Abby whined.
"I'm not letting you within a fifty foot radius of that house."
"Well then you, Justin, and I will all sit outside. I'm not letting you risk your life going into there, Tim. That's just dumb." She responded, ignoring his protests. "Come on Justin."
"Fine, but we have to hurry." McGee agreed, Abby nodding as the three set off for the road ahead of them, not having any idea of what was going to happen in the next ten minutes, but knowing it would change their lives forever.
…
Bang! Gibbs kicked down the door, emerging into the dark house. Pulling the collar of his shirt over his nose, he crouched down, running towards what seemed to be a staircase.
"Jen! Jenny! Jenny!" Gibbs yelled, feeling a sense of Déjà vu, except this time he couldn't see a thing and smoke was swirling around him, blocking out every sense he had. "Jenny!"
"Jethro?" The voice was faint at first, but a moment later, it gained volume. "Jethro! I'm in the basement… Again!" She called frantically, running towards the door.
Gibbs moved forward blindly, gripping at the smoldering walls as he followed Jenny's voice. Reaching out, his hands brushed against a burning hot door. Finding the doorknob, he pulled, grunting when it didn't budge and he felt his hands begin to blister. As he yanked his hands back, they knocked a white-hot chain lock, and suddenly everything made sense. It wasn't going to be that easy. He'd have to find a way to break open the chain, or both him and Jenny would die.
Justin sat down next to Abby, watching as Tony and Ziva argued about whether or not they were going into the building to save Jenny. His stomach growling, Justin reached into his pocket, hoping for a lollypop or piece of gum, but was surprised when he pulled out the key he'd grabbed earlier.
"Hey, Abby?" He asked as Abby sat down next to him, clutching McGee's arm as she watched the fire consuming the house with a terrified expression. McGee had already called 9-1-1, but there wasn't a fire station around for ten miles and it was rush hour, so they weren't going to get there for at least fifteen more minutes.
"Yeah?" She whimpered, her voice shaking as McGee wrapped his arms around her.
"What kind of key do you think this is?" Justin asked, holding up the key.
"Ummm…" Abby began, trying to think straight, her hands shaking as she took the key from Justin.
"That's the key to some sort of chain lock or safe lock, my Dad used to have on our safe. Where'd you get it?" McGee questioned as Abby returned the key to Justin.
"My mom had it. Do you think it could be the lock to something holding the Director captive, or something like that?" Justin wondered, standing up.
"I don't know, maybe…" Justin didn't hear the end of that sentence, sprinting towards the house as he realized that maybe he could help save a life.
"Justin!" Abby yelled, jumping up, dragging McGee with her. "McGee, we have to get him, he can't go in there!"
Tony turned to see Justin Ryan sprinting through the dark, smoke filled doorway into the house. He turned to look at Ziva, who was instead staring in the opposite direction, where Ryan was slowly sliding into a dark blue car. Not wasting a second, Ziva sprung forward, pulling out her gun and pointing it at the windshield of the car.
"Freeze, or I shoot!" Tony sprinted to the other side of the car, shaking his head at a worried looking Ryan.
"Hmmm… Lemme think about that…" With that, she pressed down on the gas pedal, her car shooting forward.
"Ziva!" Tony yelled, just as Ziva dove out of the way, shooting at Ryan's tires as she fell to the ground. The car came to a halt and Ryan threw the door open, about to make a run for it when Tony knocked her to the ground, cuffing her. "Attempted murder on a federal officer twice. I wonder how many years you're gonna be in prison. Let's just say, you're never gonna see the light of day again, lady."
"Special Agent Gibbs!" Justin yelled, coughing, his eyes burning, as the thick smoke surrounded him.
"Justin!" He turned, squinting to see Abby running into the building, followed by McGee.
"Abby!" Gibbs roared, hearing her voice across the room. "What are you doing in here? Get out now!"
"Gibbs, I have something you might need!" Justin said, moving forward through the abyss of smoke.
"What is it?" Gibbs yelled, coughing.
"Here!" Justin replied, stretching out, the key in hand, as he reached for Gibbs' hand in the dark.
Gibbs' fingers wrapped around the key. Without a word, he turned, stuck the key in the lock, and let out a strangled sigh as it clicked open and the chain fell onto the floor. "Jen, get back!"
A moment later, the door fell to the floor, Gibbs coming with it. Jenny ran forward, hugging him tightly as he slowly moved back towards the empty doorway.
"You okay, Jen?" He murmured through coughs as the two tripped through the dark room, Gibbs reaching out and grabbing Justin by the collar of his shirt. As they emerged into the light of day once more, Gibbs thought he heard a scream and crash, but decided it was just his imagination.
"GIbbs, Jenny! You are alive!" Ziva yelled, running up and embracing the two in a tight, and slightly out of character, hug, followed by Tony.
The hug broke apart, everyone grinning, as they looked around, relishing in the sunlight. There were still no sirens to be heard, so the only sound around them was the crackling of the building burning down, a few coughs, and some muffled yelling, probably coming from a neighbor. Tony looked around, beaming, when he noticed something was off. Ziva too noticed it, sharing a worried look with her partner.
"Guys?" Tony began, staring at the slowly collapsing behind them. "Where are Tim and Abby?"
The end! Not really, I'll have the next chapter up soon… I hope. Review please! :