Chapter 3
Cold.
His first, muddled thought was that the thermostat had broken; he had to call the super. Then, as his throbbing head made itself known, he vaguely remembered what had happened. He'd been out walking Jethro in the snow; they'd been waiting for him when he got home. They'd hit him with... something. He tried to raise his hand to touch the tender area on the back of his head, and couldn't. Strangely it felt like his hands were connected... to his feet? That wasn't right. He moved again, and this time heard the distinct slither of chain on concrete. Startled, his eyes flew open and he looked around. Dim light was filtering into the room somewhere behind him; he could faintly see that he was lying on his side on a bare concrete floor. He looked over his shoulder, trying to see what was stopping him from moving his hands. As he suspected, his hands were cuffed; a chain ran between the cuffs and what appeared to be old prison-style manacles around his ankles. He rolled, attempting to see the rest of the room he'd been put in, then wished he hadn't. The pain in his head intensified; he bit back a groan. The light was too dim for him to make out much detail; the light was coming through a rectangular slot in the heavy steel door. Feeling shivery and sick, he lay where he was, waiting for his head to clear.
He didn't know how long he'd been there, but as he watched, the light grew brighter and he knew the day was passing. He was supposed to meet Abby for lunch; hopefully she'd check at his apartment when he didn't show. Hopefully, she'd let Gibbs know straight away. Gibbs would find him.
With the extra light coming through the gap, he could see more of the room. He only had time to take in the blank television screen mounted in the corner of the roof before the door swung open, flooding the room with brightness. He blinked furiously to clear his vision before looking up from his position on the floor. Above him loomed a figure in a grey jumpsuit; from their build, McGee assumed they were male. His head was covered in a black hood, and one large hand clutched what appeared to be a length of steel pipe.
"Tell me everything you know... about Leroy Jethro Gibbs."