Impasse
Chapter 6
A/N - In answer to the many gentle "pokes and nudges," yes, this story will be finished. This was to be the last chapter but I stopped halfway as I needed to post something in gratitude of your patience and understanding. I'm working on the next chapter and promise it will be forthcoming shortly.
James Mahoney's face darkened to crimson but his eyes revealed a flash of panic as he began to realize that he had lost the upper hand in the negotiation. What the hell had happened? When he'd spoken with Victor Ambrose earlier, the attorney had assured him that his father was about to be transported back to Philadelphia and his release on bail was all but guaranteed. He withdrew his cell from his pocket and cursed when he saw the missed calls.
"Looks like someone didn't know that Dad didn't make it to Philly," Tony said. "Rule number three, James, never be unreachable. You want your old man back, you're gonna have to give me Gibbs."
Quickly regaining his composure, Mahoney's lips drew back, not so much smiling as baring his teeth.
"We trusted you once before, DiNozzo, and look what happened? How do I know this isn't a trap and there won't be a dozen feds waiting for me?"
"Come on man, think about it. I flushed my career down the toilet when I had the charges against your old man dropped," Tony told him. "Besides, NCIS has a very strict policy about abducting their prisoners and handcuffing their agents to a tree. Tends to make them a little cranky."
All trace of glibness left Tony's voice and his featured hardened as he added…
"You targeted Gibbs because you knew the lengths I'd go to get him back…and you were right. You really think I'd risk his life now?"
James Mahoney flicked his gaze to his father, recognising the indignation and fury etched on the older man's face. After a prolonged pause, Mahoney Senior gave a curt nod of his head and James returned his attention to Tony.
"There's a new commercial estate being built in Cathedral Heights. You know it?" James asked.
"Off Arizona Ave," the agent replied. "Opens in a few months."
"In the middle of the complex there's a vacant block of land that's been zoned for parkland. Use the entrance on the western side. I'll meet you there at 7AM sharp."
"7AM," Tony repeated. "I'll be there."
"If I get even a hint that you're playing me…your boss is dead. You got that?"
Tony nodded slowly. "Yeah…I got it."
Turning his eyes to the badly beaten lead agent, Tony noted that stubbornness and defiance had given way to pain and exhaustion. Gibbs' head had pitched forward and Tony wasn't even sure he was conscious. The younger man clenched his fists and swallowed the rage that threatened to choke him.
As if responding to Tony's silent plea, Gibbs fought to raise his head. His face was a mixed pallet of colours, swollen and bloodied. He looked toward the computer screen and tried to focus his uninjured eye on his agent. Their eyes met fleetingly and Tony hoped the former Marine could hear the unspoken message he was trying to convey.
"We're coming for you, Boss."
Grabbing Gibbs by the hair, Mahoney roughly forced the agent's head back.
"Don't screw with me, DiNozzo," he said. "Remember, you've got just as much to lose as I have."
Tony huffed a laugh; his eyes never leaving his injured team leader.
"Not even close, Mahoney," he said quietly. "Not even close."
The screen faded to black as the call was ended.
Flicking the safety on his weapon, Tony re-holstered his SIG and fixed a glare on Sean Mahoney that could melt the ice caps.
"Get him outta here," he instructed Fornell, who assisted Mahoney to his feet and led the bound man down the hall and into the locked room.
Taking a deep breath, Tony spoke aloud into the com-link.
"McGee, you get that?"
"Got it Tony," McGee replied. "The tracker in your laptop worked fine. We were able to trace Mahoney to a vacant house in Brightwood Park. I'll have Metro PD watch the place till I get there and-."
"No," Tony ordered. "No cops, no Feds."
"Tony, I-"
"I said no cops, McGee," Tony repeated sternly. "The only way this is gonna work is if Mahoney thinks I'm working outside of the law. If he gets a whiff of cops he's going to trigger that collar bomb and Gibbs is dead. Besides, if I know James, he's already packing up and he'll be gone before they get there."
"O-kay," McGee drawled uncertainly. "So how do you wanna play this?"
"The best chance we have of getting the boss back is to go through with the exchange. In the meantime, we need to take Mahoney's accomplice out of play. You gotta name?"
"Abby identified him as Richard Alexander. You know him?" McGee asked.
"Never met him but I heard Mahoney talk about him," Tony replied. "He's worked with the Mahoney's before…they trust him."
"The guy's a former sniper with the Army Rangers," the IT Specialist told him. "We have a BOLO out on him but so far, we haven't had any hits."
"Stay on it."
McGee cleared his throat before continuing.
"Tony, you know this is a trap. Mahoney wants you to watch Gibbs die…and then Alexander's gonna kill you."
"If you're blocking the signal to the collar bomb, we can still get Gibbs out of this," Tony replied.
"But you'll be completely exposed," McGee argued.
"Not completely - you guys will be watching my six."
0—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—0
James Mahoney slammed the laptop closed and cursed vehemently. He hurled a small portable lantern across the empty room and watched as it shattered against the wall. The panic he'd been suppressing during the Skype call now manifested itself as rage and, shoving his shaking hands into his pockets, he took a few deep breaths to clear his head. DiNozzo's interference had been unexpected but their plan could still work. He could still get his father back and satisfy his burning desire to watch the demise of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.
Turning on his heel, he advanced toward Gibbs and dragged the injured agent to his feet. Gibbs tightly clenched his teeth as every aggrieved muscle protested but any trepidation the older man felt was hidden under a bone-hard shell of stoicism.
"Looks like you're gonna be my house guest for one last night," Mahoney told him.
With his hands still cuffed behind his back, Gibbs was led outside. The bright sunshine drove shards of agony into his brain and he stumbled, barely remaining upright. Mahoney opened the back door of a van and Gibbs was shoved roughly inside. Moments later, the engine roared and the van screeched off to another unknown destination.
Bracing himself against the erratic movement of the vehicle, the former Marine closed his eyes in a vain attempt to counter a pounding headache and nauseating dizziness. Despite the considerable physical ailments, it was the revelations heard during the Skype call with Tony that roiled his gut and were almost his undoing.
He had given Tony a direct order, "Get this done." He had ordered DiNozzo to adhere to the government mandate – no prisoner exchanges - Mahoney was not to be released under any circumstance. Okay…so his order may have been chronically short on words and detail… but if there was one person who spoke fluent "Gibbs;" someone who could be trusted to accurately interpret every look and discern the most subtle of his mannerisms; it was his partner of fourteen years.
Gibbs had no doubt that the younger man had understood the explicit, but unspoken, implications of his order. Yet, for the first time since he recruited the ex-detective, Tony had deliberately disobeyed him. With SecNav and Vance bound to uphold the mandate, there was only one explanation for Tony's actions – he'd gone off book; risking his career and his life for Gibbs.
"Dammit, DiNozzo," he whispered.
The former Marine cast his mind back to the Skype call. With the muzzle of Tony's sidearm held firmly to Mahoney Senior's head, Gibbs had never seen his agent look as menacing or calculated. His considerable undercover skills were such that James Mahoney hadn't dared call his bluff. If Mahoney had triggered he bomb, Gibbs fleetingly wondered whether Tony would have pulled the trigger in retaliation. He quickly dismissed the thought. Although Gibbs had often trampled the fine line between justice and revenge, his agent never had.
A crooked smile ghosted quickly over his cracked lips and he was surprised to realize that he was equally pissed and proud of his agent. If, by some stroke of luck, they survived tomorrow's exchange, he vowed to give the young man a heartfelt "attaboy" – right after he kicked his ass.
0—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—0
Having escorted Mahoney senior to the locked room, Fornell removed the ski mask and ran his hand over his bald head as he made his way back to the living room. He stood silently in the doorway watching as Tony leaned back on his chair and stared at the ceiling as if seeking answers. If the move was designed to convey nonchalance, it failed. Tony scrubbed at his red-rimmed eyes. He needed sleep to face whatever they threw at him tomorrow but sleep was a luxury he didn't have right now.
"How are you holding up?" the FBI agent asked as he entered the room. He didn't miss the way Tony's hand started toward his weapon before abruptly aborting.
"Geez, Fornell, you trying to scare me to death," Tony says feigning a shudder. "Put the ski mask back on!"
Tobias grinned, admiring the man's ability to camouflage his true feelings. He flipped the chair around and straddled it; crossing his arms over the back and waiting a moment before speaking again.
"That was a pretty gutsy play back there."
"Not really," Tony shrugged. "James Mahoney's a murdering SOB but he loves his old man. He wouldn't do anything that put him at risk."
"All the same…what would you have done if Mahoney had called your bluff?" he asked before retracting the question with a hasty, "Don't answer that, I don't think I wanna know."
The older man ran a hand over his jaw thoughtfully.
"It's not too late to reconsider. Say the word and I can have the Bureau's Hostage Rescue Team ready to go."
"No," Tony replied. "Like I told McGee, if James Mahoney gets a whiff that he's being played, he won't hesitate to kill Gibbs. We stick to the plan…let him think that he's still got the upper hand. If we do this right, we'll get Gibbs back and we've shut down a dangerous drug syndicate."
"And if it goes all goes to hell?"
"Then I'll be dusting off my resume," Tony answered, hoping the levity in his tone would defuse the knife-edge tension in the small room
Fornell sighed audibly and shook his head.
"If you survive this, a resume won't help. Depending on the outcome, you could be looking at fifteen to life."
"Ya picked me right up there, Toby," Tony quipped. "Shouldn't you be out there looking for a kid with a balloon to pop?"
Fornell wasn't fooled by the carefree façade.
"I'm serious, Tony," he said, in a rare use of the agent's first name. "You can't really think that Vance or McGee, hell, any one of us will allow you to take the fall alone. It's madness!"
"It is what it is," Tony stated evenly. "You signed on knowing this could get ugly. So far, Mahoney hasn't seen your face; he has no way of identifying you. If you're having second thoughts, tell me now while there's still time for you to get the hell out."
Once again Fornell found himself marveling over the paradox that was Tony DiNozzo. He couldn't help but respect the younger man's commitment and loyalty. He was, after all, putting it all on the line for Gibbs. The silence between grew until the FBI agent met DiNozzo's determined gaze.
"I think you're out of your mind," he replied. "But I'm in."
0—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—0
Ellie Bishop and Ducky stood alone in the observation room, watching through the one way glass as Victor Ambrose paced like a caged lion.
"Oh my…I see what you mean, Eleanor," Ducky said. "He does appear rather…formidable."
"That's one way to describe him," Ellie replied.
"Tell me, my dear, how would you describe him?"
"Intimidating, arrogant, turgid…"
"Turgid?" he repeated.
"Forty-seven down in Monday's Times crossword," Ellie smiled shyly. "I've been waiting all week to use it in a sentence."
"From what we know of Mr Victor Ambrose, turgid is an apt description. However, I get the feeling that the man's disposition is not the only thing that has you worried."
"It's just a feeling really," Bishop replied. "I just can't help wondering where Joseph Pangetti fits in?"
"The security guard who manufactured the collar bomb for Mahoney?" Ducky asked.
"Yes. We know that Richard Alexander is an associate of James Mahoney's but I have checked for links between the Mahoneys and Pangetti and I've found nothing!"
"And you think Victor Ambrose knows what that connection is?"
"I think Victor Ambrose is the connection. But it doesn't matter; he's definitely not going to tell me," the young woman stated resignedly. "I know interviewing and taking statements is a big part of my job description but I usually have Gibbs or Tony or McGee sitting with me. They are so great at this…and I'm…not so great."
"Nonsense, I am quite certain that Director Vance would not have sent you to speak with this man if he did not have complete faith in your ability."
"I think it had more to do with the fact that I was the only one available," Ellie quipped.
"Eleanor," Ducky said somberly. "I have known Leroy Jethro Gibbs for many years and if there is one thing I can say with the utmost certainty, it is that you would not be here if he did not think of you as an integral team member. Your team needs you now…Jethro needs you."
Ellie took a deep breath and released it slowly.
"You're right," she said, placing her hand on the older man's forearm. "Thank you, Ducky."
A moment later, the ME shifted his gaze to the interview room where, with a hint of trepidation, Ellie Bishop opened the door and joined the Mahoney's attorney. Ambrose looked questioningly at the door as if expecting someone else to join them.
"I asked to see Director Vance," he said curtly.
"I'm sorry, Sir," Ellie replied politely, "The director is in a meeting at the moment and can't be disturbed. He extends his apologies and asked me to speak with you on his behalf."
Clearly irritated by the change in plans, the attorney eyed the young agent with obvious disdain.
"And you are?"
"Oh, excuse me. I am Special Agent Eleanor Bishop," she replied. "Shall we sit down?"
Ambrose huffed a humorless laugh.
"Were you recruited out of middle school, Ms Bishop?"
"Actually, it's Special Agent Bishop and, no, I transferred to NCIS from NSA just under a year ago."
"Then am I correct in assuming that you are a probationary agent?" Ambrose continued.
"Yes, Sir, that is correct."
"Well then, Ms Bishop, unless you wish to be a material witness in a thirty-five million dollar law suit against this agency, I suggest you step outside and find me Director Vance or a real agent."
Ellie's stomach clenched and a flush of heat coloured her face. She clasped her shaking hands on the table in front of her to still them.
"I can assure you, Mr Ambrose, I am quite capable of hearing your complaint and ensuring it is forwarded through the correct channels."
"This agency did not simply misfile a booking sheet, Ms Bishop. My client was forcibly removed from NCIS custody by one of your own agents!" Ambrose leaned forward menacingly into Ellie's personal space. "And know this, I will not only petition for a full congressional inquiry into the operation of this agency but I will stop at nothing to ensure that Tony DiNozzo is prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
Ellie dropped her gaze to her clasped hands and attempted to compose herself. She took a few deep breaths and when she forced herself to meet the attorney's challenging glare, her voice was steadier.
"You're right," she said with an apologetic shrug. "Maybe I am too inexperienced. I mean, Tony DiNozzo has been a law enforcement officer for almost twenty years and has an unblemished record. I would never have suspected him over your client James Mahoney who, as it happens, is already wanted for the violent abduction of Special Agent Gibbs."
A smug smile ghosted over the attorney's lips as Bishop frowned and continued.
"Yet, despite the fact that there is absolutely no evidence against Tony, you seem so sure that he's guilty," she said tapping a finger to her pursed lips. "It's like you know something that we don't. But that's silly, right? I mean, an attorney of your considerable standing would never be involved in impeding a federal investigation."
"Anything I do or do not know, Ms Bishop, is protected by attorney/client privilege," Ambrose snarled.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Mr Ambrose, but I believe attorney/client privilege does not apply to any communications made in furtherance of a crime like, say, arranging the meeting of Joseph Pangetti and James Mahoney or conspiring to abduct and murder a federal agent."
For a fleeting moment, Ambrose looked rattled before surging to his feet.
"I think we're finished here," the attorney said as he stormed toward the door. "Tell Director Vance that he'll be hearing from my congressman. And you, Ms Bishop, will be at the top of the list of material witnesses."
"It's Special Agent Eleanor Bishop," she said smiling sweetly. "I wouldn't want you to make a mistake on your paperwork."
Ellie opened the door to the interview room, allowing Ambrose to precede her. She turned quickly toward the one way glass and gave the ME an exaggerated wink.
From the observation room, Ducky felt his chest fill with pride. The young agent had not only rattled the attorney but she may have also found the chink in the armour of the pompous Victor Ambrose.
"Well done, Eleanor," he chuckled. "Well done."
0—oo00oo—oo00oo-oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo-0
Leaning forward in his chair, Director Vance grazed his thumb and forefinger over tired eyes and squinted at his watch – he had ten minutes before he was due to meet with the MCRT for an update on their investigation.
He had always been comfortable with the encumbrance of leadership - it was something he'd aspired to from very early in his career. But even his experience in counter-intelligence hadn't fully prepared him for the politicking and Machiavellian ways of Washington DC and nothing could lessen the burden of responsibility that came from placing agents in harm's way.
As NCIS Director, Leon Vance not only knew the "no prisoner exchange/no negotiation" mandate, he supported it wholeheartedly. But as a man and as a friend, he had failed to adhere to it and, as a result, he had jeopardized the lives and careers of his best people.
His gaze fell upon a framed photo of Jackie and his children and his chest constricted painfully. Since the loss of his wife his relationship with Gibbs had transformed from subordinate to friend. In his own unobtrusive way, the former Marine had been a source of support and reason when Vance's world had careened out of control. So, when he found his hands tightly bound by executive orders and red-tape, Vance did the only thing he could…he called his reserve quarterback into play.
With DiNozzo, there's what you see and what you get and the director had spent more time than he'd care to admit marveling at the incongruous harmony of goofball and highly competent agent. Although he was fairly certain that DiNozzo would have slipped the leash and gone after Gibbs without his help, if things ended badly, he was not prepared to let the younger man take the blame alone.
He sealed the envelope containing his resignation and placed it in the top drawer of his desk hoping, for all their sakes, that it never saw the light of day.
0—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo—oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-oo00oo-0
A/N Once again, thanks for your support. Don't give up on me...we're nearly there. L