Chapter 19
A Tom Hagen
1800 hours, 19 February 2001, Southern Bank of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City, Republic of Quebec.
With Quebecois Junior Lieutenant Chris Galtier as their guide, Staff Sergeant Anthony "Three" DiNozzo and Sergeant 1st Class Tali Colleton trekked along the bank of the St. Lawrence. With the climbing gear and explosives he would need for the upcoming mission, a beads of sweat dripped off Three's face, despite the freezing cold temperatures. "How much farther Chris?" Three asked.
"Not much, and that's Junior Lieutenant Galtier to you Staff Sergeant" Chris shot back.
"Blow it out your ass" Three replied, scoring a chuckle from Tali. A few minutes later, they came to a halt.
"We have arrived" Chris announced.
"Holy Shit" said Three as he took the opportunity to glance across the river. "I gotta climb that?" he asked, staring up the 1100 foot cliff that stood across the River.
"You can back out if you wish" said Chris.
"Never" replied Three confidently.
For the next few minutes, Lieutenant Galtier and Tali watched as Three swam across the mighty St. Lawrence River. even with the added weight, he made the treacherous swim seem like nothing. "How does he do it?" Chris asked Tali.
"How does he do what?" Tali replied.
"Do what he does. He's only 17" Chris observed.
"Some men are born to be heroes" Tali commented.
It took Three several minutes in the icy water to make it to the far side. From the very little 3 remembered from Ms. Gandolfo's Physics class his senior year; still water would freeze at 32 degrees. Fast moving water, however, requires a colder temperature in order to freeze. Just my luck Three thought to himself. Three quickly pulled himself and his gear out of the freezing water, as show began falling around him. he made sure the explosives were tied securely to his back he grabbed his climbing rope and reached down for the piton hammer, which was clipped to his belt. But when he reached down, he could seem to grasp it. He looked down and realized why, it wasn't there. It had been washed away with the water. Not only that, but the pitons were missing too "Fuck" he yelled. He looked back across the river and saw that Lt. Galtier and Tali were already gone. With his hammer and pitons missing, that left Three with only one option if he wanted to complete his mission. He had to free climb all 1100 feet. Three dropped the rope off his back and slipped on his climbing gloves. "I want to be an Airborne Ranger. I want to live a life of Danger" he sang to himself as he began his climb. 1100 feet was a long way up.
By the time he reached 500 feet, blisters were beginning to form on his fingertips and he arms and shoulders ached. "I will fight on to the Ranger objective, though I be the lone survivor" he said quietly to himself, reciting The Ranger Creed. Using every bite of strength, courage and intestinal fortitude he could muster, Staff Sergeant Anthony Dominick DiNozzo III, free climbed an 1100 foot cliff. His body ached with pain, and his muscles screamed in agony, but he had made it. "No for the hard part" joked Three as he shed his wet suit, revealing The CNP Guard uniform he was wearing underneath.
0930 hours, 20 February 2001, Quebec City, Republic of Quebec.
Dressed in the uniform of a CNP Guard, carrying an AK74 on his back, Three walked down the street towards the main Canadian command post in the city. He approached the front door and presented his perfectly forged id to the guard. He Guard nodded approvingly and waved Three along. "Moron" Three whispered to himself. Three walked into the building and quietly made his way down to the basement. Suit case in hand, he walked into the room that served as the main armory/prison. Three smiled to the corporal at the desk as he laid down the suitcase. Three opened the case slightly and reached inside. Three quickly yanked out the silenced 45. and put 2 rounds in the corporal's chest. he then spun around and shot 3 more rounds in the torso of the guard who had been standing behind him. Three wasted little time setting the Semtex explosive charges. Once that was finished, he made his way down the hallway to where the CNP Garrison Commander was holding his prisoners. His 45. still drawn, Three quickly checked the 1st 2 cells, finding them both empty. But when he checked the 3rd cell, he found what he was looking for. "Damn" Three said quietly as he lowered his pistol and slipped it back into his shoulder holster, which was concealed under his CNP Uniform. Inside the 3rd cell, a man was strapped to a chair, his throat slit open, and there were other obvious signs he had been tortured. Three cautiously stepped forward and full the dog tags off from around his neck. They read Samuel G. Hodges, Lt. USN 765-5684. A+. RO.
"Rest in Peace my friend" said Three as left the cell. He pulled out his sate phone from it's secure pouch and quickly dialed. "Freedom, this is Sky Train, Phases 1-3 complete, package had expired, repeat package has expired. Exfilling to phase line Alpha, see you at the extraction point. Sky Train out" he said as he hung up.
1005 hours, 20 February 2001, Marshlands- Colleton Family Estate, St. Matthews, South Carolina.
Retired US Army Colonel Thomas Colleton sat quietly on his front porch, drinking a cup of coffee as he enjoyed another peaceful South Carolina morning. "I fucking hate being retired" he grumbled for the umpteenth time. Ok, maybe he wasn't exactly enjoying the retired life. the peaceful silence was suddenly interrupted by a red 1995 Pontiac Thunderbird that came flying down his dirt drive way. Stopping in front of the porch, the driver opened his door and stepped out, a stack of folders in his hands. "Ya know something, you just ruined a perfectly fine cup of coffee" said Colleton as he dumped out the now dust-filled coffee cup.
"Fuck you too, Colonel. You're retired, so I don't have to be doing these favors for you" said the young man as he dropped the files in Tom's lap.
"True, but I can still serve you up a knuckle sandwich that'll keep you full till next Christmas" said Tom as he held up a fist. The man laughed as he sat down in the chair next to Tom.
"Take it easy… old man" he joked. Tom slipped his foot under the chair and jerked it back violently, sending the man down to the floor.
"Amateur" said Tom as now it was his turn to laugh. Still laughing, Tom looked down at the man on the floor. "Well get your ass up Hazard" Tom ordered. Just like old times. Billy quickly got up and dusted himself of, before picking up the chair and sitting down. "So, how was London?" Tom asked.
"It went well, I accomplished what the President and Colonel Barrett sent me to do. Now, we just have to wait and see what transpires" Billy informed him.
"Excellent, now, to more, personal matters" said Tom with a grin. "You met with the lawyers correct?" he asked.
"Yes I did" said Billy as he picked up one of the files. "And we will have no legal troubles with what we are planning to build" Billy said confidently.
"And you are sure your family's company can provide us with what we need?" Tom asked.
"Absolutely, after all, I'm the aire to The Hazard Family Empire" said Billy with a slick grin.
"Good, very good" Tom said contently.
"Also, Izzy's info proved correct, Tony does in fact have a half-sister" said Billy, handing Tom another file.
"Catherine Middleton" Tom read aloud.
"DiNozzo Senior's biological daughter" Billy explained.
"Does Tony know about her?" Tom asked.
"Not according to Izzy, but only Tony would know for sure" Billy concluded.
"Now that that's settled, what the hell are the rest of these files for?" Billy asked, holding up a stack of 4 files.
"How much do you know about the rest of Tony's family?" Tom asked as he took the files from Billy's hand.
"Abusive Father, mother died when he was 10, sad story" said Billy. "Chester once told me something about his mother having had set up a trust fund for him before she died, which he used to make it through the end of high school and college" Billy added, making Tom chuckle. "What's so funny?" Billy asked.
"That both you and Chester were stupid enough to believe that story" Tom said.
"What do you mean?" Billy asked.
"Oh, Tony had a trust fund, but I was not setup or funded by his mother" Tom said with a grin.
"Then by who?" Billy asked.
"Do you know what a 'Tom Hagen' is?" Tom asked.
"The character from The Godfather movies?"
"In the movie, Vito's son Sonny, brought home Tom Hagen, who was living alone on the streets. Vito took Tom Hagen in and he became like family to the rest of the Corleones" Tom explained.
"So Tony is a 'Tom Hagen'?" Billy asked.
"Exactly" Tom said.
"To who?" Billy asked.
"Have a see for yourself" said Tom as he handed Billy one of the files. Billy stood up as he took the file from Tom's hand. He flipped it open and quickly read it.
"Oh my god" Billy exclaimed.
1015 hours, 20 February 2001, Quebec City, Republic of Quebec.
Bullets clanged off the steel desk in front of him, as Three took cover from the hail of bullets. Three quickly jumped up and sprayed the far side of the room. "Come get me you fuckers!" he yelled as he fired. Despite his strong front, Three knew he was running out of both time and options. Three jumped up and fired again, expending the rest of the ammunition in his clip. He jumped back down, ejected the clip and inserted a new one into his AK-74. with time running out, Three knew that he only had one option left. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small object. I will fight on to the Ranger objective, though I be the lone survivor he thought to himself. The detonator. He flicked off the safety. Slowly, he stood up, detonator in hand. "See ya in hell, boys" he said as he pressed down.
Once the Semtex in the ammo dump blew, the entire building erupted into a giant fireball.
1100 hours, 20 February 2001, Benzinger's Bar, Georgetown, Washington D.C.
Staff Sergeant Izabella Howsham (Gibbs) nervously sipped her tea as she stared across the table at her father, former Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jeathro Gibbs, who was having no trouble gulping down his scolding-hot black coffee. It had been difficult for both of them to accept one another into their respective lives, but both here determined to try. And no one was rooting for them more than Captain Bridget Sullivan, who was sitting across the isle and a few booths down. Bridget turned away from them for a few seconds, in order to take a sip of her ice tea when someone sat down in front of her. Bridget let out a sigh and a slight smile when she saw who it was. "What do you want Danny?" she asked him.
"You" replied Gunnery Sergeant Daniel McCoy of The United States Marine Corps, the same man who had helped Bridget prove that Special Agent Gibbs was in fact Izzy's father.
"Give it a rest Danny" Bridget said with a smile as she took another sip of her ice tea.
"Aww, come on, you know you've missed me" said Danny. Bridget simply rolled her eyes. "Join me for a walk" said Danny as he stood up, offering his arm. Bridget rolled her eyes and smiled as she stood up, taking his arm.
Once Danny and Bridget had left, Special Agent Gibbs finally decided to speak. He cleared his throat and asked, "So, how is your tea?"
"Fine" Izzy replied simply. "How's your coffee?" she asked her father.
"Fine" the elder Gibbs replied.
No one said this would be easy Izabella thought to herself. "So, um, if you don't mind me asking, what was my mother like?" Izzy asked.
"What do you mean?" asked Gibbs.
"My Mother hemorrhaged during childbirth and died only minutes after I was born. I never knew her" Izzy explained, as she looked down as her tea cup.
"That was 21 years and 3 marriages ago kid" Gibbs said.
"Oh" said Izzy, who was very disappointed. Gibbs instantly recognized his mistake and quickly tried to correct his error.
""But, then again, your mother was a hard women to forget. She was beautiful, just like you. Hell, you'll a spitting image of her" said Gibbs, putting a smile on Izzy's face. Gibbs reached across the table and took one of Izzy's hands in both of his. "Hey, I know I haven't been a great father, well, I haven't really been a father to you at all, but I promise you from now on that is going to change" Gibbs promised his daughter as he placed a kiss to her knuckles.
1130 hours, 20 February 2001, outside McMurphy's Tavern, Georgetown, Washington D.C
Bridget and Danny had been walking for about half and hour and, although she would never admit it to Danny, Bridget was really enjoying it. When they first stepped out of Benzinger's, Bridget was immediately hit by the cold weather. Danny, the gentlemen that he only happens to be when Bridget is around, gave her his coat in order to stem the cold tide. It had been a lovely walk, and both of them were enjoying each other's company. They stopped briefly in front of McMurphy's when Danny noticed that Bridget's shoe laces had come undone. When Bridget started to squat down to tie them, Danny stopped. "I'll get them" he said with a sincere smile.
"Trying for a peek up my skirt?" Bridget asked slyly.
"Wouldn't dream of it" Danny said as he began tying Bridget's laces.
"Fine, but you better not be tying em together" Bridget warned, reminding both of them of the old elementary school prank. As Danny tied the laces, Bridget began looking around, merely out of curiosity. When her eyes fell upon the café across the street, they stopped and focused on the back of one of the patron's head's. The very familiar dirty blond hair. "Danny. Get up" she said urgently.
"Hang on, I'm almost done" Danny replied. As the man sitting in the café began to stir.
"God dammit Danny, move" she said as pushed Danny into the wall of the tavern. When the man exited the café, Danny recognized him too.
"Hey isn't that" Danny said, going to point.
"Shut up" said Bridget, cutting him off. She grabbed his hand and shoved it up against her breast and then slammed her lips again his. Hey, Danny wasn't one to complain. As soon as the man had turned the corner, Bridget ended the kiss.
"Well" Danny said taking a deep breath. "1st can I say that that was amazing" Danny exclaimed.
"No you cannot" Bridget shot back.
"Ok then. Any particular reason why you didn't want your CO to see you?" Danny asked.
"Because he's supposed to be in Quebec with Tony, Three, Chester, Tali and Deeks" Bridget explained, not knowing that both Tony and Chester had been called away on some unspecified, highly classified mission. "Another thing is, why is he dressed in civvies, and not his uniform?" Bridget asked rhetorically.
"Maybe we can ask Colonel Mann" suggested Danny.
"What?" Bridget asked.
"Look" said Danny as he nodded his head towards the café. Out walked a blonde woman in her early thirties. "I've seen her around the Pentagon, she's Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann, Army C.I.D Internal Affairs division" Danny told her.
"Why the hell is Colonel Barrett meeting with an I.A.D investigator?" Bridget asked.
"Yeah cause I'm gonna know" Danny responded, drawing a look from Bridget. "Sorry" he added, throwing up his hands.
"Come on" she said grabbing his hand. "Let's get the hell out of here"
1500 hours, 20 February 2001, 10 miles southeast of Quebec City, Republic of Quebec.
In order to evade radar detection, Sergeant 1st Class Tali Colleton was forced to fly inches off the deck. With the radio cranking, she was flying along to the pickup point. If everything had gone according to plan, Three will have destroyed the main ammo dump that supplied the Canadian Military Garrison in the city. He willed also have freed a downed Naval Aviator and secured the photos he took of the mass grave sites. "Hang on Three, I'm on my way" Tali said to herself as she flew along in the UH-1 Huey Gunship. As she flew, the familiar voice cracked over her radio.
"Freedom, this is Dragnet, Freedom, this is Dragnet, over" said Staff Sergeant Deeks over the radio, he voice sounding seemingly distressed.
"Dragnet, this is Freedom" Tali replied.
"Freedom, I uh" he paused, "I uh need you to come back" Deeks said.
"Copy that, I will return once I have picked up package" Tali replied into her mic.
"Negative Freedom, you are to return to base, post-ricki tick, Kingfish's orders" Deeks.
"Dammit" said Tali to herself. "Interogitive" she said into her radio mic. "What's going on Dragnet?" Tali asked him. There was only silence. "Dammit answer me!" Tali demanded.
"Just get your six back here" Deeks said ominously.
1545 hours, 20 February 2001, US Forward Operating Base, 7 miles south of Riviere-du-Loup, Republic of Quebec.
To say that Tali Colleton was upset would be an understatement. In fact, to say that she was furious would even be an understatement. Tali Colleton was fucking pissed off. before he had gone off on his unspecified, highly classified mission, Tali had promised Tony that she would take care of Three and keep him out of trouble. And keeping the young Anthony "Three" Dominick DiNozzo III out of trouble was no easy task. When Brigadier General Morrell had dispatched Tali, she was under the impression that she would be picking Three up from the exfil point, not flying 7/8 of the way there and then turning around.
Still dressed in her flight suit, Tali stormed into Morrell's Command Center, slamming her helmet down on one of the desks. "Why the hell was I called back?" she demanded at once. However, to her shock and surprise, no one answered her. in fact, except for Deeks and Morrell, the Command Center was deserted. "What the hell" Tali said softly. Deeks looked up at her, his eyes her red with tears. Deeks tried to speak, but couldn't find the words.
Morrell finally spoke. "Staff Sergeant, turn on the TV please" Morrell order. With a sigh, Deeks stood up and walked over to the TV. He turned it on and Tali's jaw dropped.
"This is Shepard Smith reporting to you live from Studio B, and we'd just like to show you, once again, breaking news out of Quebec City. Canadian Military Officials are reporting that they have killed an American Special Forces Operative. And while the body of this operative has not been identified, what we can tell you is that he's approximately 6'2, 185 pounds, and astonishingly, only 18-20 years old. Thus far, Canadian Officials are reluctant to surrender the body"
Deeks turned off the TV, as Tali's eyes stung with tears, as the warm liquid ran down her cheek. "That description matches Staff Sergeant DiNozzo's perfectly" Morrell explained grimly.
"So what are you saying?" Tali asked, the sadness in her voice more evident than ever.
"Staff Sergeant Anthony DiNozzo III is Dead"
A/N- I'm back!