Impasse
Chapter Two
Tony's eyes locked unto his boss' battered face. Violently he squelched his anxiousness and concentrated on keeping his voice calm and steady.
"You okay, Boss?" he asked.
An expression of bemusement, washed over the former Marine's bruised face and a hint of drollery coloured his voice.
"I look okay to you, DiNozzo?"
"Well…fashion's never been your thing, Boss, but I gotta tell ya...as accessories go, the collar's a little kitsch."
The former Marine's cut and swollen lips quirked in a crooked grin as the familiar banter brought fleeting comfort to them both.
James Mahoney stepped back into camera range, partially blocking Gibbs from his agents' view. Mahoney Junior was leaner than his father, with a chiseled jaw accented by a deep cleft. With his sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, he reminded Tony of Dudley Doright's life-sized evil twin.
"I want my father released from custody," Mahoney demanded.
"And I want my father to stop chasing everything in a skirt but, seriously man, I don't see either of us getting our wish anytime soon," Tony replied, his casual tone belying the torrent of emotions raging within.
Mahoney spun quickly toward the former Marine, grabbed a fistful of Gibbs' jacket and pulled him to his feet where he swayed unsteadily.
"Maybe you need a demonstration of what this collar can do," he seethed.
"Only if you're the one wearing it," Tony uttered through tightly clenched teeth.
The other man's face flushed red with fury before he dragged Gibbs to the back of the large room. Tony held his breath and, for a sickening moment, thought he had signed his boss' death warrant as Mahoney attached the handcuffs to a large stack of packing crates and withdrew a small cylindrical remote from his pocket.
Returning to the laptop, Mahoney turned the angle of the camera away from Gibbs and toward the far side of the building where it centred on a person sitting in a chair. Simultaneously, the agents leaned forward, straining their eyes to focus and then breathed a selective sigh of relief when they realized the object of their concern was a mannequin wearing an identical collar bomb around its neck.
Pausing momentarily for dramatic effect, Mahoney pressed the red button on the remote and the collar bomb exploded, scattering pieces of the mannequin's head and upper body in every direction. Unable to tear their eyes away, the agents stared at the smoldering remains.
"Oh my God," Bishop whispered.
The warehouse appeared to lurch violently to one side as Mahoney re-positioned the laptop again and wrestled Gibbs back in front of the camera.
"Listen to me, man," Tony started. "The US government won't be blackmailed into releasing your father or anyone else. Let Gibbs go before anyone else gets hurt."
"You want him back? Release my father."
Tony huffed out a laugh.
"I told you; I don't have that kind of authority," Tony replied, his levels of frustration kicking up several notches.
"You got my father arrested…now get him released."
"Your father was arrested because he killed a Marine."
"Just do it!" he bellowed, reaching his hand across the table toward another small remote.
"No, wait!" Tony replied desperately. He forced himself to breathe deeply and continued in a voice so calm he surprised himself. "Don't do this, James. You kill Gibbs and every law enforcement agency in the country will come looking for you. Let him go, man; walk away."
A thick silence hung in the air while Mahoney appeared to consider Tony's words.
"You've got 24 hours to free my father," he said finally.
"That's not enough time!" Tony told him.
"That's all the time you got."
"DiNozzo," Gibbs said impassively.
"Boss?"
"Enough. Just get this done."
"Boss, I-"
"You deaf, DiNozzo?" the lead agent barked."Do your damned job! Get this done!"
The harsh tone cracked like a whip and from his peripheral vision Tony noticed Bishop flinch in surprise. The two senior agents silently communicated in a long meaningful glance until Tony looked away, attempting to marshal the emotions churning inside him. After a long moment's silence, he met and resolutely held his boss' gaze, giving a barely noticeable nod in reply.
"We clear?" the lead agent asked sharply.
"Crystal," Tony replied, not breaking eye contact.
Mahoney's face came back into view, distorted by its close proximity to the camera.
"The exchange gets done quietly – just you and my father," he demanded. "If I see one cop or hear a whisper from the media, I'll send you that shoe box. Keep that Skype account open, I'll contact you for an update in 12 hours."
The screen faded to black and several seconds passed before Tony turned to McGee.
"Can you trace the call?"
"I can use the internal networking maintenance commands within windows to track the IP address but I don't have my computer."
"Does Gibbs have a computer here?" Ellis asked.
"Not from this century," McGee quipped before turning back to Tony. "I could use this one but it's evidence."
"Do it anyway," Tony answered. "Let me when you've got something."
Turning quickly, Tony crossed the room and exited the door to Gibbs' back patio.
"Should I go after him?" Bishop asked.
"He's fine," McGee replied, quickly typing commands into the laptop.
"But...where's he going?"
"He'll be back," he assured her. "Just give him a minute."
"Do you think SecNav will agree to release Sean Mahoney?" Bishop asked.
"Unlikely," McGee replied curtly. Bishop's interruptions weren't helping but he understood that the probationary agent was well out of her comfort zone.
Ellie paced nervously behind him, her dark eyebrows knitted in a frown. She hoped like hell she was wrong in her assumption but, tentatively, she asked the question.
"So…when Gibbs told Tony to do his job, he meant..."
"He meant, don't release Mahoney under any circumstances…no matter what happens," he replied.
"But James Mahoney will kill him."
"He knows that," McGee said grimly. "So does Tony."
-oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo-
Outside on Gibbs' back landing, Tony coughed as the cold night air filled his lungs. Struggling for control, he crossed his arms over his chest in a self-hug and squatted on his haunches.
"I shoulda seen this coming," he whispered, his voice dripping with self-loathing.
He'd just spent eight long weeks as James Mahoney's shadow. He knew the man was a loose cannon and capable of anything when his back was to the wall. Despite Tony's earlier assertions, the former detective knew Mahoney would target him to avenge his father's arrest. In fact, if he was totally honest, a part of him hoped Mahoney would do just that. The guilt he felt over Billy Simmons' murder still burned fiercely in his gut and he welcomed any chance to even the score. He had been the one to back Mahoney into a corner…and now Gibbs was paying the price. He recalled the former Marine's last order…
'Do your damn job, get this done!'
Gibbs knew there was little chance of SecNav agreeing to a prisoner exchange. It was a fact of life that all law enforcement officers knew and accepted. But when Tony's eyes locked with his boss' in silent communication, he knew that Gibbs was ready to accept his fate...no matter what.
"Not gonna happen, Boss," Tony vowed. "Not on my watch."
The senior field agent shook his head to clear his mind of any distractions; he didn't have time for hindsight or second guessing. He needed to focus his attention solely on locating and freeing his boss.
He had neither the time nor the inclination to endure SecNav's rhetoric on the political and social ramifications of the government's prisoner exchange policy. Right now, Tony didn't give a damn. As far as he was concerned, there was only one person qualified to champion that issue on Gibbs' behalf. He withdrew his cell from his pocket and dialed the number, waiting impatiently until the call was answer.
"Director Vance? It's DiNozzo...we have a situation."
-oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—
With Director Vance arranging an emergency meeting with SecNav, Tony re-entered Gibbs' living room, tugging on a pair of latex gloves.
"Talk to me Probie," he said, then waved both hands about frantically as both McGee and Bishop started speaking simultaneously. "Uh, uh! One Probie at a time."
"Well, technically, Tony, I haven't been a probationary agent for years," McGee replied without looking up from the keyboard.
"And yet, you answered," the senior field agent responded with a forced grin.
"Old habits die hard," the IT Specialist explained. "I'm getting close. We should have an IP address in a few minutes."
"Stay on it, Tim," Tony said before turning to see Bishop examining the lock of Gibbs' front door.
"There's no sign of forced entry," she told him.
"There won't be. He never locks the damn door."
Frowning at the response, Bishop led Tony to where she'd bagged and tagged a baseball bat.
"I found this and some muddy footprints over there," she said. "Looks like someone was waiting behind the door. The bat has blood and hair on it and the barrel's cracked."
Tony examined the bat, feeling his gut tighten at the sight of his team leader's blood.
"Gibbs is gonna be pissed," he muttered.
"You mean because he got jumped?"
"Nope...this was his favourite bat."
The senior agent's response was glib but Ellie could see the underlying anguish on his face.
"I got it, Tony!" McGee called. "Warehouse complex in Hyattsville."
"Nice work, McGee. Grab the evidence and let's go," Tony replied as he jogged from the house.
-oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo-
As the agents suspected, by the time they arrived at the large industrial estate, the warehouse was deserted and James Mahoney and Gibbs were long gone. Methodically, they cleared the building; Tony placing a call to Ducky when they located the body of a man in one of the small offices at the front of the warehouse.
They processed the crime scene, gathering the scattered remnants of the collar bomb, locating a discarded remote and the laptop Mahoney had used and left on the table. Every item was bagged and tagged for forensic analysis.
Tony removed his cell from the pocket of his jacket and took a deep breath to steel himself - this was not going to be easy. He dialled Abby's number and broke the news of Gibbs' abduction, his heart twisting as he heard the distress in her voice. But the forensic specialist dug deep and held herself in check, promising to get back to the Navy Yard and as soon as she possibly could.
A heavy silence settled upon them as McGee guided the agency vehicle back toward the office. In the back seat, Ellie Bishop glanced out of the window. It was still dark though a faint lightening on the horizon warned of the approaching sunrise. Her eyes flicked to the front passenger seat where Tony appeared lost in his thoughts. Lines of tiredness creased the skin around his eyes and he was as sombre as she had ever seen him. The strident sound of a ringtone startled them all and Tony snatched up his cell, impatiently.
"DiNozzo."
His body stiffened and his jaw tensed as he grunted a curt reply and tossed his cell onto the seat beside him.
"That was Vance," he said without making eye contact. "SecNav won't approve Mahoney's release. We've got twenty-two hours to solve this case or Gibbs is dead."
-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-
Familiar landmarks blurred by with the speed and urgency of their journey as the agency vehicle neared the turn-off to the Navy Yard. The oppressive silence in the car tore at McGee's nerves and he flicked his eyes quickly toward the passenger seat where his partner sat uncharacteristically still and quiet.
The sleep Tony had managed earlier in the evening had barely made a difference and his pallor clashed starkly with the dark shadows under his eyes. The normally genial expression was sombre and his hands were fisted so tightly that McGee was almost expecting to hear the pop of dislocating knuckles. Adjusting his line of vision, Tim caught Bishop's concerned eyes in the rear view mirror and was grateful that the newest team member was smart enough not to ask questions to which they had no answers. He gave a small nod of his head to reassure her.
Arriving at the Navy Yard, McGee popped the trunk and removed the box of evidence before noticing that Tony had loped across the parking lot and was already enterrng the building. Thrusting the box into Bishop's arms, he hurried after the senior agent.
"Check the evidence in," he called over his shoulder. "We'll meet you in the bullpen."
"By myself?" the perplexed probationary agent called. "Wait, McGee!"
Ellie groaned under the weight of the evidence box as she watched McGee disappear into the building. Straightening her shoulders, she reminded herself that this was just another step in her journey to becoming an NCIS agent. Although her learning curve was steep, she was smart and determined enough to complete her training and find her own place as a valued member of the MCRT.
-oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—
The erratic side to side movement and the piercing screech of tyres seeking traction drew Gibbs slowly back to awareness. He cracked open his uninjured eye and realized he was in the back of a van travelling at high speed. With his hands still cuffed behind his back, bracing himself against the motion was difficult. He tried to raise his body but the nauseating sensation was too great. Determined to pinpoint his location, he lifted his head again but the rear windows had been blackened and the blaring radio made it impossible to hear anything else. As the fog slowly lifted from his brain, he became aware that the collar bomb was still secured around his neck and fragmented memories came crashing back.
Mahoney.
Forcing himself to concentrate, the former Marine tried to make sense of his disjointed recollections and realized that they centred on his senior field agent. Since returning from Philadelphia, Gibbs had sensed a troubling undercurrent in Tony's demeanour, something the younger man had worked hard to disguise. Generally, DiNozzo was a man who was slow to anger and quick to let go and move on – he was the easy-going, flaky yin to Gibbs' high and tight yang. But his agent had been gutted by the murder of his CI and Gibbs knew that if James Mahoney came looking for revenge, he'd see a side of DiNozzo very few knew existed. He'd sent McGee and Bishop to watch Tony's six, hoping that - if Mahoney came after the former detective - cooler heads would prevail.
Ignoring the pounding of his temples, Gibbs recalled leaving the Navy yard and heading home; he'd left just enough time to shower and eat before he had to relieve McGee and Bishop at Tony's apartment. Parking in the driveway, he entered through the front door and reached for the light switch when movement in the darkness caused his heart to skip a beat. As he moved to draw his weapon, something impacted brutally against his head and his world exploded into nothingness.
His memory of the next few hours was vague and clouded and the more he tried to recall what had happened, the more it increased the intensity of his headache. He had no recollection of arriving at the warehouse but woke to find the collar bomb already around his neck. He'd watched as Mahoney placed another bomb around the neck of a mannequin and, after speaking online with his agents, the man triggered an explosion that shattered the windows and sprayed the area with deadly shrapnel. But by far, the most painful memory was a fleeting image on the laptop screen - the stricken faces of his young teammates.
He took a moment to think about his team. The addition of Bishop's brilliant analytic mind had complimented McGee's IT expertise and the "old school" investigative methods used so successfully by him and Tony…but in this current situation, DiNozzo was the wildcard. He was street smart and intuitive and could read a situation like no one he'd ever met. The former detective would risk everything to secure Gibbs' release...including his own life, but as resourceful and unconventional as Tony was, even he couldn't change a United States government mandate on prisoner exchange.
Gibbs was certain that his team would do their utmost to find him before the deadline but if fate was against him and the collar bomb was detonated, he would make damn sure that he took James Mahoney with him.
-oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo-
Rushing through security, McGee took the stairs two at a time and burst through the stairwell door into the operations room. Seeing no sign of Tony, he cast his eyes upward to the mezzanine level and spotted the senior field agent striding purposefully toward the director's office.
Tony was usually hard to read; often hiding his feelings and sometimes his intellect, behind an apathetic and easy-going manner. But the rigidity of the senior agent's posture told him that Tony's hard fought restraint was hanging by a thread. McGee shook his head at the irony - the one man capable of pulling an exhausted and pissed off Tony back into line was the man whose disappearance was causing his distress.
An attractive blonde secretary passed Tony in the hall and flashed a brilliant smile in his direction. But it was the total lack of acknowledgement from the senior field agent that nudged McGee's concern into overdrive.
"This is not good," he muttered under his breath before haring off in pursuit.
-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-
Knocking once on the door, Tony entered the director's office without waiting for an invitation. Holding the phone to his ear, Vance held up a hand to silence the agent before he got started.
"Of course, Madam Secretary," he said. "I give you my word that JAG will have the report within the hour...I understand...thank you for your time, Ma'am."
The director placed the receiver in its cradle as McGee entered the office and took his place at Tony's side.
"Has SecNav's agreed to the prisoner exchange?" Tony asked hopefully.
"I'm afraid that's out of the question. She's attending a budget meeting with the appropriations committee later this morning and needs Sean Mahoney's arrest report within the hour."
Tony's bark of sarcastic laughter echoed loudly in the quiet office.
"We have an agent with a bomb around his neck and she's worried about balancing the agency cheque book?" he asked incredulously. "Nice to know she has her priorities in order."
Vance shot the agent a withering look until McGee intervened.
"Why would SecNav need an arrest report for a budget meeting?" the IT Specialist asked.
"The committee wants to reduce our operating budget," Vance explained. "SecNav's hoping to educate them about the costs involved in running these lengthy operations."
"What's the cost of a agent's life these days?" Tony asked curtly before feeling the sharp pain of McGee's elbow to his ribs.
Although DiNozzo was dangerously close to insubordination, Vance knew how close these men were to their team leader and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself.
"Report," he instructed succinctly.
Forcing his voice into a facade of professional detachment, Tony brought the director up to date with the investigation. Vance listened intently, his sharp mind processing the facts.
"Mahoney has a beef with you," Vance said to DiNozzo. "Without your testimony we have no case. So why weren't you the target?"
McGee and Tony exchanged a meaningful glance.
"Director," McGee started hesitantly. "We think he knew Tony was in protective custody. We think that's why he targeted Gibbs."
"How would he know that, unless..." Vance's dark eyes widened with realization. "You think we have a mole?"
"Maybe," Tony shrugged. "It could have been a lucky guess but with Gibbs' life at stake, we need to consider the possibility that someone here sold us out."
Vance sighed audibly and ran his hand over his jaw. Much as he hated the thought of any of his agents had been compromised, he couldn't take the chance.
"DiNozzo, you have point on this investigation. News of Gibbs' abduction has already spread around the agency but do whatever it takes to keep a lid on the investigation."
"Yes, Sir," Tony replied.
"Whatever resources you need, let me know."
Tony nodded his head in agreement before straightening his shoulders and clearing his throat.
"May I speak freely, Director?" he asked formally.
For a moment, Vance thought about saying no but he nodded. "Go on."
"We have less than 20 hours to find Gibbs," Tony said. "You need to get SecNav to agree to the prisoner exchange, if only to buy us more time."
"The Secretary of the Navy will not breach a government mandate on prisoner exchange because I say so," Vance stated, quickly running out of patience.
"Then go over her head. Take this to SecDef," Tony insisted not bothering to hide the depth of his anger and frustration. "You owe it to Gibbs. Hell, we all owe it to Gibbs."
"Let me get this right," Vance growled between tightly clenched teeth. "You want me to disregard the chain of command and go directly to the Secretary of Defence. Is that what you want, DiNozzo?"
Tony's voice was calm but his eyes burned brightly with barely restrained anger.
"What I want, Director, is for the brass to be more concerned with the lives of their agents than with budget cuts and toeing the party line."
Vance shot angrily to his feet; his chair tilting dangerously before righting itself.
"You think I'm toeing the party line, DiNozzo?"he seethed. "You're damned right I am!I've worked too hard and lost too much to do things any other way. I have my orders...there will be no prisoner exchange. Officially, my hands are tied. If you're worried about the ticking clock, DiNozzo, I suggest stop wasting time telling me how to do my job and start doing your own!"
Vance's facial nerves twitched as he glared at his agent with an almost incandescent fury. They had reached an impasse and were momentarily locked in a battle of wills. Interminable seconds passed before McGee broke the tension between them.
"Tony," he said quietly, "Come on, man, this isn't helping Gibbs."
Releasing a deep breath with an audible hiss, Tony nodded and turned for the door when Vance's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"DiNozzo? I'll expect that arrest report on my desk within the hour."
The acting lead agent shot the director a look that conveyed exactly what he thought of that order and then strode from the office allowing the door to slam behind him.
McGee cleared his throat nervously.
"If that's all, Director, I'll...um..." he pointed to the door, wanting to be anywhere else.
"You're excused," the director said before adding. "McGee?"
"Sir?"
"Keep me informed."
"Yes, Sir," the agent said as he hastily left the office to find his acting lead agent.
-oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—
Despite hearing McGee call his name, Tony let the elevator door close before his partner arrived. He needed a moment to calm himself without the scrutiny of his well-meaning teammates.
Waiting until the car moved between floors, he flicked the emergency stop button with more force than was necessary and thumped the side of his fist into the wall. The muscles along his jaw line contracted as he tried to swallow the frustration that threatened to choke him.
"Think, DiNozzo, think!" he snapped.
After a few deep breaths the tension eased its vice-like grip on his chest and, exhausted, he slumped against the wall and stared at the fist-size indentation.
Tony not only understood the government's position on prisoner exchange but as a law enforcement officer, he agreed with it. The sharp reality of the situation was that Gibbs' life was on the line...his boss, his mentor and his friend. No one in the world had a bigger influence on his career or his life and no one had ever had such unwavering faith in him. There had to be something more he could do.
"WWGD?" he asked himself as he paced the confined area. "What would Gibbs do?"
He stilled suddenly and cocked his head slightly as if hearing the older man's words.
'Doesn't matter what I'd do...what would DiNozzo do?'
"That's just it, Boss, I don't know," Tony argued quietly.
"You gotta team to lead and an investigation to run. Whatever you're feeling…bury it until this is over."
"That's kinda easy for you to say, Boss, you've only got a bomb hanging around your neck.," Tony said, still pacing. "Me? I got just over nineteen hours to find you before the deadline. Meanwhile, SecNav's having tea with the bean counters and Vance has his head stuck so far up SecNav's...ahhh!"
He rubbed the back of his head, easing the pain from a stinging head slap that was as well-placed as it was imagined.
"Follow your gut, Tony."
He stood stock still, replaying the words over and over in his mind. Straightening his shoulders, he expelled his self-doubt and indecision in an audible breath. Gibbs was counting on him to do his job and lead the team. He could do this. He would do this.
"Hold on, Boss," he said confidently and flicked the switch to set the elevator in motion. "I'm coming for you."
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