"Missing In Action, Pt. 1"

AT NCIS HQ...

SQUAD ROOM...

Tony sat at his desk, no Gibbs' desk, at NCIS that evening alone with his thoughts.

Ziva, his wife, was at home with their Daughter, Talia.

Tony was now in charge of the team now and he knew he wasn't as good as Gibbs, but he damn sure tried.

Tony reached across his desk and picked up a photo of his boss/former boss that he kept there as a reminder.

He studied it for a moment under the light of his desk lamp.

"Damn you Gibbs." Tony whispered, as he rubbed his eyes with one hand.

All of the things that had happened in the last few years as well as in just the last--almost--a year flashed through his mind.

.........Dream-Like Sequence.........

In a Shack Somewhere in The Forest/Jungle(s) of Colombia...

Gibbs, Tony, and a group of three or four men and one woman that they had been sent to rescue now stand in a small uninhabited old shack in a forest/jungle somewhere in Colombia.

They'd been running from known drug lord Francois Cota and his men, and now they were stopping for a quick breather before continuing on to the extraction point.

Three of the men they had rescued were U.S. Marines who had been sent to extract the fourth guy who was an undercover DEA Agent who had infiltrated Cota's Drug Cartel. The fifth person was a woman named Marta, and Gibbs and Tony still didn't know her story.

Tony was checking on their entourage while Gibbs leaned against the wall near the shack's single door.

Gibbs moved his hand from his lower right side just enough for him to inspect his latest injury before hiding it again.

"...They'll be here soon, DiNozzo, and you have to get these people to the extraction point." Gibbs said, breathing heavily.

"But Boss wh-" Tony began.

"I'll be right behind you." Gibbs cut in.

An indistinguishable sound is heard in the distance.

"How many rounds ya got?" Gibbs asked Tony, through a heavy breath.

Tony quickly checked his clip to make sure before answering.

"4." he replied, as he slipped the clip back into his Sig.

Gibbs reached back into his back pocket and pulled out his last unused ammo clip.

"Here, take this." he said, as he handed it to Tony.

Tony took the clip from his boss, slowly.

"How many do you have?" Tony asked.

"Enough." Gibbs said, with a nod.

The truth, which he would not admit to Tony, was that he only had 3 shots left in his own Sig.

Gibbs outlined his plan, quickly, to Tony.

After another minute or so of prepping they all filed out of the shack silently and quickly, with Gibbs breaking off from the rest of them and going back towards Cota and his men.

Tony stole a glance back over his shoulder towards Gibbs as he ran on.

Something that Gibbs had said back when Paige had been infected with a 'super-virus' echoing in his head: "If its worth fighting for, you fight like hell even when there's a chance you might lose."

.........End Of Dream-Like Sequence.........

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Gibbs Residence...

Chloe & Paige's Bedroom...

Abby entered the bedroom that her two daughters shared, and found Chloe sitting at the desk that she ('she' being Abby) and Gibbs had given to her for her 12th birthday.

She was 14 years old now, and was becoming a wonderful, bright, kind, and outgoing young lady.

She sat at her desk do what she usually liked/enjoyed doing. Writing.

Yes, Chloe had found that she enjoyed writing. Anything from short stories, song lyrics, and poetry. It was a way that she expressed herself.

Chloe also enjoyed science and history as well.

She had her dark hair, which she usually kept up in either pigtails (like her mother) or just in a simple ponytail, down.

"Whatcha doing?" Abby asked her daughter, from behind.

"Nothing." Chloe replied, softly.

Abby knew that that wasn't true because she could see her daughter's right hand moving feverishly about a sheet of paper, writing--what, she didn't know.

"You've been in here by yourself for quite a while." Abby said, pointing out her observation. "You're not sick are you?" she asked her daughter.

"No ma'am...just writin'." Chloe replied, softly.

Abby sat down on the edge of Paige's bed which was closer to the bedroom door.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Abby asked.

"Yes ma'am." Chloe replied, sweetly. "It's just...I was thinking about dad."

"I was just thinking about your father too...that is so funny, ya know." Abby said, somewhat jokingly, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

Chloe turned to her mother, and Abby knew what was coming next.

Chloe's eyes teared up almost immediately.

"I miss him so much." Chloe sobbed, as she turned and leaned over into her mother's arms.

"I know sweetheart." Abby said, softly, as she wiped a tear from her own eye(s). "I know."

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The Gibbs Home...

The Living Room...

Paige sat down on the sofa. She was 10 years old now.

She had been passing by her and Chloe's bedroom just mere moments before and had heard her sister and mother talking about their missing father.

And now as she sat on the sofa here eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the snow globe that sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

She reached out and picked it up and studied it for a moment or two.

Then she reached under the bottom and turned the key several times before stopping and setting it back down on the coffee table.

The snow globe began to play a soft, sweet melody, one that Gibbs had used to make up a song for his daughters (Paige more specifically) for when he had to go away on those long assignments.

As the music played from the snow globe, Paige began to sing along using the words that her father had always sung to her at night over the phone when he was away. They were words that she had memorized oh so well.

"In my dreams I see your face, In my dreams you're not far away; and in my dreams there's better days, cause you've come home to stay." Paige sang softly.

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Somewhere in Colombia...

A man steps into a hut somewhere in Colombia.

Inside the hut he faces Leroy Jethro Gibbs who lying in a corner, on his side, facing the wall of the hut.

Gibbs sits up as the man kneels down by his side and holds out a cup of water and some pieces of bread.

"Eat. Drink." the man said, as he held out bread and water.

Gibbs took the bread and water from the kindly old man slowly.

"It is not much, but at least it is something." the old man said in a thick accent.

Gibbs smiled weakly and nodded.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Gibbs said, quietly.

The man dropped into an Indian-style sitting position in front of Gibbs and watched as he ate.

"Do you...remember anything?" the man asked.

Gibbs shook his head. No he couldn't remember a damn thing and it was really making him angry.

All he knew at this point was that his head was hurting like hell, and he was somewhere in Paraguay.

The man smiled a friendly smile at Gibbs.

"Do not worry...it will come, you are not fully healed yet...but in time, it will come." the man said, quietly.

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AT NCIS HQ...

SQUAD ROOM...

Tony was wrapping up the days' paper work when his phone rang.

'Its probably Ziva wondering where I am.' He thought to himself as he picked up the phone.

"Ziva, honey, I'll be home in-" he started.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, this is Agent Hatcher with the DEA." Hatcher said over the phone.

"Hatcher?" Tony repeated, somewhat confused.

"Sorry, I think you have the wrong number...I don't know any-" Tony started to say.

Hatcher cut him off knowing that he had to stop Tony from hanging up the phone.

"It's about Special Agent Jethro Gibbs." Hatcher said quickly.

Tony froze in his seat.

After a moment or two he managed to regain his composure.

"Yes. I'm listening." Tony said, quietly.

Hatcher spoke.

"First you have to understand that I'm supposed to be undercover here, and so technically I'm not even supposed to be making this call, but considering the circumstances-"

"The point." Tony said, both excited and irritated at the same time.

There was a momentary silence, but then Hatcher spoke again.

"He's alive." Hatcher said.

Tony's mind began to race from what he was hearing.

"Do you have him with you?" Tony asked, quickly.

"No, sorry, we do not." Hatcher said. "But like I said...I shouldn't even be making this call."

"Oh." Tony said, as he leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his eyes again.

Hatcher could be heard over the phone as he drew in a deep breath.

"I have some time, tomorrow evening, if we could meet I could point you in the right direction...at the very least." Hatcher said.

Tony pulled a pad and pencil out of his desk drawer and readied it for use.

"Just tell me when and where." Tony instructed Hatcher over the phone.

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Gibbs residence...

The Living Room...

Abby stood at the doorway of the living room with Chloe at her side and the two of them listened silently as Paige sang along with the snow globe's soft, sweet melody.

The phone in the kitchen rang, and Abby tip-toed away to answer it.

The phone ringing didn't seem to distract Paige one bit.

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Gibbs residence...

In The Kitchen...

"Hello." Abby said into the phone, as she wiped a tear from her eye(s).

"Abby." Came Tony's voice over the phone.

"Tony, what're you-" she started.

"Abby, they found him." Tony said, almost immediately.

"They found..." Abby started, but then stopped when she realized just what Tony was saying.

She gave Tony time to explain the situation to her, and then once it was all said and done she knew she had to tell Chloe and Paige.

Abby hung up the phone and stood there in the kitchen for a few minutes letting everything just sort of sink in first before she went to tell the girls the news.

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Gibbs residence...

In The Living Room...

Abby walked into the living room, motioned for Chloe to come and join her on the sofa with Paige.

Once they were all settled she began.

"Chloe, Paige, I just talked to Uncle Tony." Abby began, as she tried to wipe tears from her eyes.

Abby tried to find a good/the best way to tell them the news, but then she decided to just tell them.

"Girls, they found daddy." Was all Abby was able to say.

Chloe broke down and cried with her mother, as Abby drew her two daughters together around her to hug them both.

And as the snow globe hummed the final few bars of its melody.

"Sometimes it shines, and sometimes it rains; but you'll always find there's better days." Paige sang along, with the last few bars of the snow globe's song.

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Tony had just gotten off of the phone with Abby, and now he had some other phone calls to make.

First he knew he needed to call Ziva, and then he needed to call McGee. After that he planned on calling a few other people. These would be people that he knew would be a big help in ensuring that his 'plan' to bring Gibbs home succeeded.

He dialed his home number and then put the phone up to his ear.

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DiNozzo Residence...

The Living Room...

Ziva was sitting on the sofa of her and Tony's home when the phone, which sat on the side-table next to the sofa rang.

She had just put her (and Tony's) daughter, Talia, to bed; and had decided to sit back on the sofa and read a little bit in her new book that she had just gotten about like a day ago.

She picked up the telephone and answered it.

"Hello." Ziva said into the phone.

"Tony, are you still at work this late?" She asked, a little irritated.

"Sweetheart, listen." Tony's voice was heard over the phone.

"What?" came Ziva's reply as Tony explained what had just previously transpired.

"Gibbs is alive." Ziva said aloud.

She listened intently for the next few minutes as Tony explained everything from start to finish.

"Have you called Abby?" Ziva asked, finally.

"Yes, she was the first person I called...she is his wife after all." Tony was heard saying, over the telephone.

"What about McGee?" Ziva asked, next.

"He's next on the list of people to call." Tony informed her.

............To Be Continued in "Missing In Action, Pt. 2"............

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Tune In Regularly For More Updates on This Exciting (hopefully), Suspenseful, New Story...

"Missing In Action, Pt. 2"

NCIS HQ...

DIRECTOR VANCE'S OFFICE...

REAL EARLY THE NEXT MORNING...

Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Ducky sit/stand in Director Vance's office discussing the situation at hand.

At this point there is an argument going on in Vance's office.

"If Gibbs is down there, alive, then we should be down there looking for him!" Ziva argued, with Director Vance.

"Out of the question, David." Director Vance shot back.

"She does have a point, Director." Tony agreed, from the side.

"Agent DiNozzo." Vance said, as he shot Tony a sideways glance.

"And I'm not just sayin' that, just because she's my wife." Tony said, with a crooked grin.

"We owe him, at least, that." Ziva added, her voice rising a few octaves.

"I can't tell you how many times Gibbs pulled my sorry self out of the fire...as many times as I've messed up since I joined NCIS." McGee chimed in.

"I can, Probie, and its quite a few...but that's beside the point." Tony said, in that playful way that he did with McGee.

"All else aside, Director, they're all right." Tony added.

Vance dropped into his seat, behind his desk, and gave a sigh.

"Look, I want to help Gibbs just as much as anyone else here." Vance started.

"But." McGee said, knowing that there was a 'but' somewhere in what Vance was about to say.

"But, NCIS is still recovering from its last operation in Colombia." Vance continued. "I'm still taking heat from the Colombian National Government for the trouble you guys stirred up last time."

"But that's the point, Director, if the Colombian Government finds out that Jethro is still alive, and in their country, there is no telling what they might do if they catch him." Ducky chimed in, as he leaned forward in his seat.

Vance sat in his seat, in silence, obviously deep in thought. He glanced at each of the people sitting in his office at present as if trying to see what their eyes might tell him.

It was always the same thing; and then finally after a few moments had passed, he spoke.

"Fine." Vance said, folding his hands in front of him on his desk. "But only one of you, can go..." Vance added.

Everyone in the room glanced at one another quickly.

"...Everyone else will stay here, where I can see you." Vance finished his sentence, after having taken a deep breath.

Ziva stepped forward. "I should be the one to go." she said plainly. "After all I was trained, by Mossad, for missions such as this."

"True." Vance agreed.

Tony stepped away from his perch near the door and moved close to Vance's desk, arms folded across his chest.

"But if anyone of us is going...its me." Tony said.

Ziva turned on her heel and faced Tony.

"Why?" Ziva asked, flatly, questioning Tony's reasons.

"Why?" Tony repeated.

"Yes, considering what happened the last time you were there...why should you be the one to go?" Ziva pressed, her voice rising an octave. "When the logical choice here, clearly, is me."

Tony stepped closer to his wife, and dropped his arms to his sides.

"You want a reason why I should go instead of you?" Tony said, attempting to match his wife's tone.

"Yes, I do." Ziva replied.

"Okay, fair enough." Tony said, flashing that crooked grin again. "I guess I could pull rank on you, and that would be that. I could also argue that I've actually been to Colombia more than once, so I know the area better than you--someone who's never actually been." Tony said, narrowing his eyes into that 'Gibbs trademarked' stare that he had learned from his boss.

There was a feeling of apprehension in the air, and everyone in the room could feel it.

"But with the exception of Ducky, and perhaps Director Vance--I know Gibbs better than anyone else in this room." Tony finished, quietly.

After that there was a moment of silence that actually felt like it lasted more than just a mere moment.

Vance finally spoke, deciding to be the one who would get things started back up.

"Alright, its settled then." Vance said, after clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. "Special Agent DiNozzo, how would you like to proceed?" Vance asked, looking up at DiNozzo, with a serious expression on his face.

Tony turned away from Ziva so that he was fully facing Director Vance.

"I've already made arrangements for extraction once the mission is completed." Tony informed Vance.

"Really?" Vance said, sounding somewhat amused. "You weren't really gonna give me much of a choice on this one, were ya?"

"No sir, not really." Tony replied, again with that goofy grin of his.

"The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan is stationed just off the coast of Venezuela--they're engaged in training maneuvers, luckily for us." Tony continued. "And I just happen to have a friend on board that particular carrier who owes me a favor...or two." Tony added, with a grin.

Vance tried to stifle a chuckle.

"I don't suppose, then, that you have a plan for actually getting there...or have you made arrangements for that already too?" Vance mused.

"Actually I do, and she should be here in 3...2...1...Now." Tony said, as he pointed one finger at the office door.

At nearly that same moment there was a knock at the door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Came the knock at the door. It wasn't a really loud knock at all either, but it was still audible.

Vance stared at the door for a beat, and then looked up at Tony.

"Come in." Vance instructed.

The door opened slowly, but surely, and Forensic Specialist and Wife to Jethro Gibbs entered the room closing the door behind her as she did.

"Abby?" Vance said, to Tony.

"Yep." Tony replied, with a grin.

"Abby is going to provide me with a fake passport, papers, and ID." Tony informed Vance, as well as everyone else in the room.

"Planning to lie about your age, Tony?" Ziva mused, in that playful way that she did.

Tony shot his wife a sideways look.

"No, but, I would like to have the element of surprise on my side just in case things go South." Tony said.

"Gut feeling?" Vance asked, with an amused look on his face.

"You could say that, yeah." Tony replied.

"Hmm, and I thought only Gibbs got those." Ducky said, jokingly, from behind them.

"So, what's your cover then?" Vance asked Tony.

"Tourist." Tony replied. "Just a happy go lucky, single, Real-Estate agent looking for a little...R & R." Tony added, with a grin.

McGee crossed from where he was sitting/standing over to where Abby stood near the door.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" McGee asked Abby. "I mean this has all happened kind of fast-" McGee started.

Abby cut him off.

"If it will bring Gibbs home, then I'll help in any way I can." Abby said, sharply, yet quietly.

There was another brief moment (or two) of silence before anyone spoke up again.

"Alright then...anything else?" Vance asked.

Tony turned back to face Vance once again.

"Yes, I'll need MTAC set up as a monitoring station...with McGee at the helm, of course." Tony added, sort of matter-of-factly.

Vance stood up, behind his desk, and straightened himself out/up quickly.

"Dismissed." Vance said, resuming a slightly more professional air and tone of voice.

Tony, Ducky, McGee, Ziva, and Abby all gave a nod, and then filed out of Vance's office.

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NCIS HQ...

Outside of Vance's Office...

Hallway/Corridor...

Tony, Ducky, McGee, Ziva, and Abby are walking together, down the hallway that leads away from the directors' office, and back to the squad room.

"Tony, is there anything that I can do to help?" Ducky asked, quietly.

Tony looked at Ducky.

"As matter of fact, I think there might be." Tony replied.

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MEANWHILE...

Somewhere In/Near The Mountain Ranges of Colombia...

Outside In The Forest Not Too Far From The Hut...

Gibbs is walking towards the hut with a bundle of firewood in his arms.

Off in the distance, not too too far from where Gibbs is at that particular moment, male voices are heard talking to one another, with at least one familiar voice in the group of voices standing out.

From a distance though its hard to make out exactly what they are saying.

Gibbs slows down, and stops for a brief moment before laying his bundle of firewood down onto the ground carefully and as quietly as he possibly can.

He slowly and quietly edges his way through some of the more dense foliage as to get a better vantage point for hearing observing the commotion ahead.

He finally reaches a small knoll at which he can observe the commotion going on just outside the hut.

The older man who Gibbs had been staying with, and who had been taking care of him, Raul, was arguing with a group of armed men.

After a few minutes of arguing one of the men pulled out a pistol and shot Raul point blank in the chest.

Gibbs flinched (which wasn't something that he usually did) as the older man fell to the ground, dead.

"Damn." Gibbs whispered to himself, angrily.

The group of three men then drug Raul's body back into the hut, and shut it up inside.

Gibbs pulled himself up off of the ground and started to slowly make his way backwards in the direction in which he had come.

Suddenly there was a loud SNAP!

Gibbs froze in his tracks realizing that he had just, accidentally, stepped on and snapped a twig or stick, or something of that sort.

He looked back over his shoulder to make sure that the three men hadn't heard him moving around before he decided to start moving again.

Unfortunately, over his shoulder, Gibbs could see the three men moving in his direction, weapons at the ready. He was out of options at this point, so he took off in the direction that he was heading before he stopped, running full speed.

The first of the three men reached the higher side of the knoll just in time to see Gibbs disappear inside a dense pocket of foliage.

This first man raised his gun into the air, pointing in the directions that Gibbs had been heading, and shouted something in another language to his comrades.

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NCIS HQ...

THE SQUAD ROOM...

About An Hour Or Two Later...

Tony walked out from around his/Gibbs' desk with his back pack slung over his shoulder.

He walked over to McGee ho was just grabbing a few more things that he would need from his desk before heading up to MTAC.

"McGee, I need you to do somethin' for me." Tony said, as he approached McGee.

"What?" McGee asked.

"I need you to...how do I put this...I need you to do a little spying on our friends at the DEA." Tony said, quietly.

"Wait...you want, me, to HACK the DEA?" McGee asked, quietly, a little surprised, but not much.

"May I ask why?" McGee added.

"Yeah see, its just, I have this 'Gut' feeling, ya know, so just...I-I don't know, humor me, okay." Tony replied, quietly.

McGee displays a weird, unexplainable look on his face.

"And I just figured Hell, you've already hacked the CIA, the FBI, and God knows who else...so the DEA should be a piece of cake, right?" Tony added, with a smirk.

"Sure, I-I'll see what I can do." McGee said.

Tony patted McGee on the back.

"Good boy." Tony said, as he patted McGee on the back.

McGee then hurried off towards MTAC.

After McGee had left the bullpen, Tony motioned for Ziva to follow him ('him' here being Tony) as he made his way downstairs to see Abby.

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MEANWHILE...

Somewhere In/Near The Mountain Ranges Of Colombia...

In The Forest...

Gibbs had only run a short distance through the forest when he decided to stop for just a brief moment.

He found a decent size tree trunk not too far from where he had stopped.

He walked over to it, breathing quite heavily, and pulled a small pocket knife out of his trouser pocket.

He opened up the pocket knife and began to quickly etch/carve something into the tree's trunk. After he had finished his etching/carving he shoved the knife blade down into the dirt near the base of the tree.

Behind him Gibbs could hear the voices and the footsteps of the three men closing in on him.

They were getting closer, and he had to keep moving or he would surely be caught.

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NCIS HQ...

Down In Autopsy...

Abby strolled in to autopsy through the double-automatic sliding doors.

Chloe and Paige walked by her side, while she carried Talia (Ziva and Tony's daughter) in her arms.

Ducky sat at his desk finishing up some last minute paperwork.

"Hi Ducky." she said softly.

Ducky looked up from his work.

"Oh, hello Abigail." Ducky greeted the forensic specialist and wife of his dear friend Jethro Gibbs.

Abby rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but smile (sort of) at Ducky.

"Ducky, I told you, I don't like that name." she said, a smile spreading across her face.

"Sorry my dear. Old habits and all...you know." he replied with a slight chuckle.

"I brought you some visitors, Ducky." Abby said, motioning to the three 'children' she'd brought down with her.

"Ah, yes." Ducky said, as he pushed away from his desk and stood up--switching off the desk lamp as he did.

"Chloe Gibbs, a fine young woman in the making..." Ducky said, nodding at Chloe.

Chloe, as mixed up as her emotions were at this point, could never resist her adopted grandfather's charm. He could always make her smile--well most of the time anyway.

Ducky then turned his attention to Paige, who stood next to her big sister.

"And Paige...Equestrian extraordinaire..." Ducky said with a chuckle. "...and might I had, with quite the voice as well."

Paige blushed at her adopted grandfather's praise, and Abby couldn't help but laugh.

True, most people who knew, said that Paige--10 year old Paige--who'd only been riding horses for a little more than a year (F.Y.I. Gibbs and Abby had been able to get her involved in a horse riding club/stable--which Paige loved a whole lot after she'd turned about nine years old)--but regardless (back to the point of this whole thing lol) she'd shown tremendous promise in just the short time that she'd been riding. Also she enjoyed singing too, so they'd gotten her vocal lessons too (luckily one of the other agents that worked for NCIS had a sister that lived in D.C. that taught voice lessons).

"And let's not forget this little munchkin." Abby said, with a smile, as she playfully rubbed noses with little Talia in her arms.

Ducky laughed, as he moved closer to Abby so as to take little Talia from her.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten you Tali." Ducky said, with a smile, as he took the smiling little girl from Abby.

'Tali' was what Ducky called Tony and Ziva's daughter.

"Rest assured, I will take excellent care of this lovely bunch, indeed." Ducky said, with a smile.

"I know you will, Ducky." Abby said.

Ducky shifted Talia in his arms to a more comfortable position for both of them.

"Its not that I don't trust Chloe to watch Paige and Talia...its just that with every that's going on right now; I don't want to overwhelm her." Abby explained.

Ducky grinned. "I understand completely." Ducky replied.

After a moment or two...

"Here, may I take her?" Chloe asked, having stepped forward, arms extended towards Talia.

"Why certainly." Ducky replied, handing the little girl over to Chloe.

Chloe took Talia, and with Paige in tow, the three walked away from Abby and Ducky (while not leaving 'Autopsy')--Chloe talking sweetly to Talia--to the other side of the room.

"Have fun you guys...but don't get into any trouble, alright." Abby said, after the three girls.

Ducky chuckled. "Oh, Abby, I'm sure they will be just fine."

Abby smiled, and then turned to leave Autopsy.

"Abigail." Ducky called after her, quietly.

Ducky walked towards Abby.

Abby's expression had changed. She had put on the brave face for the most part, but now was not trying so hard to hide how she really felt.

Even so, though, Ducky had been able to see through her charade the whole time.

"Everything we'll be alright." Ducky reassured her, quietly.

"Tony will, undoubtedly, bring Jethro back safely." Ducky continued, quietly.

"I know, Ducky." Abby replied, quietly and softly.

Abby sighed.

"I just have to keep thinking happy thought...right?" She said.

"That's the spirit." Ducky replied, quietly, with a grin.

And with that Abby turned and walked back through the automatic-sliding double doors.

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About 3 Or 4 Hours Later…

Somewhere In A Small Town/Village In Colombia…

The Airport Terminal…

The sun was high in the sky outside the airport terminal, and Tony was inside the terminal which, by the way, was not nearly as big as the one that he had left from.

He rubbed his eyes, and tried to shake off the jet lag as he waited in line at the customs/security post.

He figured he had probably been in the line for about almost an hour when it was finally his turn.

He moved forward.

“Lay your bags on table.” The uniformed customs/security guy said, in what Tony considered to be very poor English.

Nevertheless, Tony did as instructed and set both of the small bags, which he’d brought with him, down onto the table.
The man then waved a metal detector over both bags several times, and then opened them up and barely even looked past the top of the bags’ contents.

Then he re-sealed Tony’s luggage, and pushed it back towards him.

“Step forward, please.” The man instructed once more.

Again Tony did as he was told, and stepped forward slightly so that the man could run the metal detector(s) over his person.

He instructed, forcefully, Tony to assume the spread eagle position, with both his arms and legs spread apart slightly.

After he was done he checked Tony’s passport and papers.

“Why you come to our country?” the man asked, not looking up at Tony.

“Well, ya know, my boss is a real jerk…works me straight into the ground most days.” Tony lied.

The man looked up at Tony finally.

“So this is my vacation…my only vacation for this year.” Tony continued his lie. “So I figured, what the hell right…why not spend it as far away from HIM as possible.” Tony continued, with a forced laugh.

The man gave Tony a good looking over once more and then handed his passport and papers back to him, and waved him on through.

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Outside The Airport Terminal…

Tony stepped out into the sunlight, took a deep breath, and then slid a pair of designer sun glasses, which he’d brought with him, over his eyes to shield them from the bright sun light.

People bustled back and forth passed him. They were all either coming or going, this way and that.

“Ah, Colombia, nice to be back.” Tony said to himself, sarcastically.

Tony looked around first, and then began to move forward through the crowds of people.

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An Hour Or So Prior To Tony’s Plane Landing In Colombia…

In The Forest…

Gibbs had been running from the three men for a little bit now, and he knew he needed to find a place to hide and lie low for a while…soon.

It had been almost a year since the last time Gibbs had had a decent shower, fresh clothes, and a good shave; so he knew he looked a little bit on the scruffy and unkempt side, but that couldn’t be helped…not right now anyway.

He stood in place, breathing heavily, trying to think of a place where he might be able to hide from these guys for a while. After a few minutes it came to him. He remembered that he had seen a small cave not too far from where he was, he could certainly hide in there for sure.
So he headed off in that direction. He just had to find that cave.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel…

Tony’s Room…

Tony sits on the edge of the small, uncomfortable bed that was in the room that he had rented for his stay in Colombia�"just fixing to lay back to try and catch a quick nap before he got down to business.

Suddenly his satellite phone, which he had cleverly managed to sneak into the country undetected, began to beep.

“Great.” He mumbled as he reached down into one of the bags that lay next to the bed and withdrew the phone.

He pressed the answer key and held up in front of his face.

Tony cleared his throat.

“Hello.” Tony said, audibly.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ…

MTAC…

NCIS Director Leon Vance stood in front of the large plasma viewing screen that sat nestled within the walls of MTAC.

McGee was seated in the forward chair in front/center of the computer area working feverishly with one of the computers.

“DiNozzo.” Vance said, into his headset.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel…

Tony’s Room…

“Hi Boss, I thought I told you I was going away on vacation.” Tony said into his satellite phone, real phony-like.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ…

MTAC…

“Very funny, DiNozzo.” Vance said, as he shifted his position. “Sit-Rep.”

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel…

Tony’s Room…

“Yeah, just checked into a motel.” Tony said, into the satellite phone.

“I Was thinkin’ about takin’ a nap…ya know refresh myself before I go out this evening.” Tony said, continuing his charade.

Vance’s voice is heard over the satellite phone.

“Did you get through airport security and customs alright?” Vance asked.

“Yeah, yeah it was fairly easy.” Tony replied.

“Good.” Came Vance’s voice over the satellite phone.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ…

MTAC…

McGee continued to work feverishly with his computer terminal, until finally.

“Got it.” McGee said, as the big plasma viewing screen came to life.

A picture of the world (a globe) appeared on the screen. The image spun around until the image of the South American continent was highlighted and then through a series of magnifications, shifts in coordinates, and the like�"they finally had a clear (well somewhat anyway) image of where Tony was staying.

“The GPS Locator we gave Tony seems to be working okay.” McGee informed Vance.

Vance reached into his pocket and pulled out a fresh toothpick which he proceeded to unwrap and stick into his mouth.

“We have eyes on you DiNozzo.” Vance said, through his headset.

Tony’s voice is heard through the headset.

“Really.” Tony said.

“So, What’s the plan?” Vance asked, through his headset.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel…

Tony’s Room…

“Well, I was thinking about takin’ it easy here…ya know just until this evening.” Tony said into the satellite phone.

”Then maybe later, I’ll hit the town, mingle a little bit, and see what turns up.” Tony informed Vance, through the satellite phone.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ…

MTAC…

“Okay, I want to know as soon as you make contact, understood?” Vance said, into his headset.

Tony’s voice is heard through the headset.

“Yes sir, I’ll be back to work in about a week.” Tony said.

Vance chuckled.

“And don’t cause any trouble while you’re down there, alright DiNozzo?” Vance said.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel…

Tony’s Room…

Tony chuckled.

“I won’t cause anymore than I have too.” Tony said, with a lop-sided grin that he knew Vance couldn’t see but would know was there.


…………To Be Continued in “Missing In Action, Pt. 3”…………

"Missing In Action, Pt. 3"

Colombian Motel...

Tony's Room...

Tony is asleep on the bed in his motel room.

His body language, even though he's asleep, tells a story filled with sorrow and pain.

.........DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE.........

Tony and the marines, the DEA Agent, and the woman, Marta, raced through the dense foliage heading in the direction of what Tony hoped was the extraction point.

"It shouldn't be much further!" Tony shouted, as they ran forward through the dense foliage of the forest.

By now Tony figured that they should be in the clear as far as actually reaching the extraction point in one piece.

Tony halted where we was.

"Keep going it should just beyond the next break!" he shouted to the group.

The group paused and turned towards Tony.

"Wh-where are you going?" one of the marines asked.

That was Corporal Toby Masters, Tony thought. He was being held up by PFC (Private First Class) Craig Dunsworth.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be right behind you." Tony reassured them, before heading back into the forest from where they had originally come.

As Tony ran back towards the point where he and Gibbs had separated he could hear shouting, and some gun fire.

"Gibbs!" he shouted out as loud as he could, as he ran.

No answer.

"Gi-" Tony started, as he slipped through another thick pocket, only to feel something hard strike the back of his head.

The blow sent him sprawling across the ground.

It took him a second to regain his bearings and shake the disorientation from his head, but when he did he realized that one of Cota's men was now charging at him at full speed with a bayoneted rifle.

Tony hopped to his feet quickly, and was just barely able to use the goon's momentum against him, flipping him over onto his back.

Tony tossed the rifle aside, and turned to finish the job when the goon lashed out with his legs kicking Tony in the shins.

Tony feel to his knees uttering a cry of pain. The goon jumped to his feet and threw a left hook which Tony quickly deflected by grabbing the goon's arm in mid-swing and the throwing a punch of his own which hit the goon square in the stomach.

The goon fell to the ground, and Tony quickly scrambled to locate his dropped Sig.

Then, suddenly, from behind him he heard the familiar click of a gun priming to fire.

He turned his head slowly only to find his own Sig pointed at him. It looked to Tony as if the goon had actually won this one.

The goon shouted something in his native tongue, loudly, so that his comrades could hear him, and then he turned back to Tony.

The goon uttered something that Tony couldn't understand.

Then, suddenly, there was the sound of a gun shot, and then the goon dropped to the ground dead--with a bullet hole in his head.

Tony turned to see Gibbs running towards him.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Gibbs barked, angrily.

"I told you to get to the extraction point!" Gibbs snapped.

"I came back to find you." Tony said, breathing heavily.

As he helped Tony to his feet, that's when they realized that Tony had somehow, during the struggle, sprained his ankle.

"Ow, ow." Tony moaned.

"It's sprained." Gibbs said, as he helped Tony balance against him. "Think you can walk on just one?" Gibbs asked, rhetorically of course.

The two of them started to make their way back towards the extraction point as quickly as possible, but from the sounds that they heard that wasn't quite fast enough.

"They'll be on us in a matter of minutes, Boss." Tony pointed out, panting.

"Yeah." Gibbs replied.

"Leave me." Tony said suddenly. "You'll get there faster if I'm not slowing you down."

Gibbs didn't stop, didn't hesitate, he just kept pulling Tony along as fast as they could go.

"Not gonna happen, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, breathing heavily, but seriously. "A Marine never leaves a man down...ever."

With Cota's men close behind them, Tony and Gibbs finally emerged in the clearing where the helicopter was waiting for them.

They paused a moment so that Tony could re-balance himself, but then they heard the shouts coming from only a few yards away.

Gibbs pulled Tony towards the helicopter as fast as he could move the two of them.

They approached the chopper just as Cota's men were reaching the clearing.

Gibbs helped hoist Tony up into the helicopter and they had him part ways into the helicopter when the shot tore right through Gibbs' side.

"Gibbs!" tony shouted.

The chopper medics quickly finished dragging Tony the rest of the way in.

Gibbs slumped forward against the side of the chopper, every muscle in his body straining to keep him steady.

Tony tried to wriggle himself free of the chopper's medic so that he could get to Gibbs, and help him in.

"GO!" They heard Gibbs shout weakly over the shouting of Cota's men and the whirring of the chopper blades. "Get them out of here!"

The pilot starred out at Gibbs for a brief moment.

"Sir?" The pilot replied, unsure.

The pilot had been told that he was to follow Gibbs' orders, but...

"I said G-" Gibbs started.

Just then a second shot tore through his left shoulder, and another gasp of pain escaped from his lips.

The chopper began to rise, slowly, up off of the ground as Gibbs sank backwards to the ground no longer able to hold himself up or hold onto the side of the chopper.

The chopper began to rise up into the air, moving farther and farther away from Gibbs.

"NO!" Tony shouted, again. "No, w-we have to go back!" He shouted at the pilot.

"We can't leave him here, we can't-" Tony pleaded with the helicopter pilot.

But his pleas went unheeded, as the pilot continued to push the chopper forward away from the danger zone.

"NO!" Tony cried out, as he watched his boss and friend slowly disappear as the chopper got further and further away.

.........END OF DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE.........

"NO!" Tony shouted as he sat bolt-upright in the motel bed.

Tony's face was soaked in sweat, and he was breathing quite heavily.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there his face buried in his hands.

It was a dream that he'd had often--since he'd gotten back from Colombia the first time.

'Why do you always have to be the hero, Gibbs?' Tony thought to himself.

"It should've been me...not you." Tony said aloud, quietly.

Tony wiped the sweat from his face with his shirt.

'What time is it?" he wondered to himself.

Tony looked at his watch, and since he hadn't bothered to reset it, he had to manually compensate for the difference in the time zone(s).

"Better get ready I guess." he said aloud. "First, a shower."

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel…

Bathroom…

Tony stood in the shower letting the hot water run over him.

He had to remind himself not to drink any of it, and to keep his mouth closed.

“Never leave a man down!” A voice shouted in Tony’s ears.

Tony jumped backwards slamming into the back wall of the shower.

“What? Who?” he gasped.

His heart raced wildly in his chest.

He looked around, but there was no one there.

“Not again.” He muttered under his breath, as he righted himself up, and tried to regain his composure.

“Never!” the voice cried out in his ears.

“I know, I know!” Tony shouted back.

And then everything was quiet again.

Tony reached up and switched off the water, stepped out of the shower, grabbed his towel and dried himself off.

He stood looking into the mirror at himself (his face) for a brief moment.

“I will find you, Gibbs…that’s a promise.” He said to himself.

--------------------------------------

Colombian Forest...

Cave...

The three men had finally given up their chase/search and now Gibbs could finally breathe...at least for the moment anyway.

He sat down on the hard floor of the small cave, which luckily for him he'd found it to be vacant.

As he sat there he raised his tattered shirt, and examined the scars that his injuries had left behind.

The first had been a knife wound on the left side of his mid-torso, the second was a GSW on the right side, and the third was the GSW in his left shoulder.

Cota's men had left him for dead, but he'd been fortunate enough that the kindly old man, Raul, had found him when he did. Raul had nursed him back to health, and had kept him hidden from Cota and his men.

And in the end, Raul had paid for helping Gibbs with his life.

He'd dreamed, more than once, of being found and rescued but so much time had already passed that he knew his chances were very slim if even at all.

He figured if help were to come the first place they would look would be at the old extraction point--but that was in the heart of Cota's territory--so getting there would be far from easy.

For now he needed some rest. He needed to conserve his energy for the fight to come.

--------------------------------------

An Hour or So Later...

Cantina/Bar in Colombia...

It had been almost an hour since Hatcher had said he would meet Tony here, but as of yet, he had not shown.

As Tony had been sitting in the back corner of the bar/cantina he'd seen the evening hours make the place become more and more crowded with drunks, and other low-lifes.

Tony had waited patiently for this long in the back corner of the cantina/bar silently.

An agitated Tony stood to leave, as his satellite phone beeped. He answered it as he headed for the door.

"DiNozzo." he said into the phone.

"Did you make contact?" Came Director Vance's voice over the satellite phone.

"Negative, Director." Tony said. "Contact never showed."

"Hmm, figures." Vance said. "Well that's what ya get for working with the DEA I suppose."

"Guess so." Tony agreed.

"I guess we pull out then, Agent DiNozzo." Vance said.

"Actually, sir, with all due respect...I'd like the chance to look around a bit." Tony said, quietly. "See what I can find out-"

Suddenly...

"H-H-Help M-Me." came a familiar voice from outside the cantina.

It caught Tony's attention and he looked up just in time to see a man in torn and tattered clothing, covered in what looked like blood perhaps, limp past one of the cantina's windows. And somehow, for some reason he looked oddly familiar.

"Director, could you hold on a sec." Tony said, slowly, as he pulled a photo out of his back pocket and looked at it.

He was right. The man he had just seen was DEA Agent Zach Hatcher.

He shoved the photo back into his back pocket.

"Director Vance, I'm gonna have to call you back." Tony said, quickly, as he hung up on Director Vance and then bolted for the door.

---------------------------------------

Outside Cantina/Bar...

Tony exited the bar/cantina and found the DEA Agent leaning against the outside wall, panting and gasping for air, his body and clothes stained with blood.

"Hatcher." Tony said, as he quickly approached the agent.

Hatcher looked up, and a relieved expression crossed his face--but then just as quickly it disappeared.

Hatcher took a step forward and then collapsed into Tony's arms.

Tony gently lowered Agent Hatcher to the ground.

"Somebody get me a medic!" he yelled into the crowd of gathering spectators, but to no avail. No one, not one person, even so much as budged from their spots.

Tony held Agent Hatcher in his arms on the ground there outside the cantina/bar.

Covered in his own blood, Agent Hatcher, gasped and gurgled desperately for air.

"C-C-Cota Kn-Knows." Hatcher gasped.

"Cota knows...Cota knows what Hatcher?" Tony pressed the dying DEA agent.

"R-Raul is d-dead." Hatcher continued, desperately.

"Raul." Tony repeated.

"Raul...Raul...that's who Gibbs was staying with, isn't it?" Tony pressed.

Tony shook his head.

By this time a group/crowd of spectators had gathered to watch the scene unfolding outside of the cantina.

"Hatcher, Hatcher listen...Hatcher listen to me." Tony said, leaning the agent upwards slightly to bring him closer. "Where's Agent Gibbs?"

"G-G-Gibbs." Hatcher sputtered.

"Yes, Gibbs." Tony nodded. "Where is he?" Tony continued to press the agent.

"G-Gibbs...Raul would have s-s-sent him to-to-to..." Hatcher sputtered incoherently.

"To where, Hatcher, sent him to where!?" Tony demanded, hating himself inside for acting this way to a dying man, but this was important.

"Hatcher, where is he!?" Tony tried again.

"to-to P-Pasto." Hatcher sputtered, finally.

After relaying that last vital piece of information, Tony watched as Agent Hatcher breathed his last breath.

Tony sat silently for a few brief moments, letting everything that he'd just been told sink in, before he finally decided on his next move.

His mind, at this point, was spinning rather wildly. This wasn't going to be as easy as he had originally planned...but then again, he'd already had that particular 'gut' feeling.

One thought that constantly invaded his thoughts was that they'd been compromised, already.

Tony wiped beads of sweat from his forehead as he pulled out his satellite phone, and dialed Vance's number, as he sat in a squatting position next to Hatcher's lifeless body.

"Vance isn't gonna like this." Tony mumbled to himself.

"DiNozzo, is that you?" Vance asked, answering Tony's call, in a not too happy tone of voice, over the satellite phone.

"Yeah, its me." Tony replied, quietly.

"Care to explain why you hung up on me, Special Agent DiNozzo." Vance said. "And why you're whispering." he added at the end.

Tony sighed, and it was a sigh that was meant to let Vance know that now was not the time to jump all over his case.

"Hatcher's dead." Tony replied.

"Dead!?" Vance repeated, a degree of shock and surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, Dead." Tony re-affirmed for Director Vance.

"And, apparently, so is the guy that Gibbs was supposedly staying with." Tony then added.

"Damn!" Tony heard Vance swear over the satellite phone.

"Can this thing possibly get any worse?" Vance asked, rhetorically of course.

"Actually, Director, it can." Tony said, as he looked around, quickly.

"How's that?" Vance said, angrily.

Tony didn't say anything at first because he knew what was coming next.

"As far as we know the only two people on Earth who could lead us to Gibbs are dead, and as if that wasn't bad enough Gibbs has amnesia, and can't remember who he is or what he is...and now he's lost, probably dead himself." Vance ranted in Tony's ear.

"So tell me, DiNozzo, how can it get any worse than that!" Vance barked.

"Cota knows." Tony replied, quietly.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

MTAC...

"That Gibbs is alive?" Vance asked.

"Yeah." Tony replied.

"Damn!" Vance swore, again.

"Which means Cota will probably be looking for Gibbs, too." Tony added.

"It means that Cota is probably the one who killed Raul and Hatcher." Vance added, in a slightly agitated tone.

---------------------------------------

Outside Cantina/Bar...

"Well, according to Hatcher--provided Gibbs is still alive, and he is, Raul would've sent him to Pasto at the first sign of trouble." Tony informed Vance.

"There's nothing down there, DiNozzo." Vance replied.

"I know that, Director." Tony reminded Vance.

"But there has to be a reason for sending him there." Tony said.

"That 'Gut' feeling, of yours again?" Vance asked.

"Yeah." Tony replied. "Director, there's more going on down here than we know." Tony added, quietly.

"Alright, I'll bite, so what now?" Vance asked.

Tony drew in a deep breath, as his mind worked out different scenarios, to best decide what their next move should be.

"I'm gonna need everyone in on this one." Tony said, quietly.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

MTAC...

"In that case I'll have your team standing by." Vance said.

"Good." Tony replied.

"I'll report back in 2200 hours." Tony said.

"I have a feeling if we're gonna do anything to find Gibbs...we need to make our move, soon."

---------------------------------------

Outside Cantina/Bar...

"DiNozzo out." Tony said, into the satellite phone.

He hung up on Director Vance and shoved the satellite phone back down into its side-holster.

He slid his hands/arms up under Hatcher's body and lifted him up and carried him off, with all the spectators watching him.

---------------------------------------

Later...

Behind The Motel...

Tony found himself behind the small motel where he was staying.

He had Hatcher's body laid out on the ground, which wasn't exactly the most sanitary he'd ever seen, but it was all he had at the moment.

Tony spent the next 45 minutes to an hour slowly and painstakingly taking photos of every inch of Hatcher's body with a digital camera that he'd brought with him, as well as collecting trace evidence (which he wasn't exactly sure what he would do with it, but he figured 'Why Not') and putting what ever he found in little plastic baggies that he'd brought with him from his 'Gear Pack'.

He found himself making some weird and funny faces as he carried out the work he was currently engaged in.

After all of that was said and done he took Hatcher's body and dropped it off anonymously at the nearest/local morgue.

---------------------------------------

.........To Be Continued in "Missing In Action, Pt. 4".........

"Missing In Action, Pt. 4"

Colombian Motel...

Tony's Room...

Tony had set up the lap top that he'd brought with him, as well as the enhanced satellite/internet link up (thingy) that McGee had sent with him.

He sat at the small desk/table that was in his motel room.

Now he was just waiting for his teammates in the upper hemisphere to answer his 'page'.

"Getting lazy, aren't we, McGee." Tony said to himself.

Suddenly McGee's face flashed across the computer screen.

"Took you long enough, McGee." Tony said.

He watched as McGee adjusted something that he (being Tony) couldn't see.

"There, how're you receiving over there?" McGee asked.

"Fine, just fine." Tony replied.

"Really." McGee said, somewhat surprised. "W-well, I could re-adjust the-" he started to say.

Tony cut him off before he got to far ahead.

"McGee!" Tony snapped.

"S-sorry." McGee apologized.

"It's alright." Tony replied. "Listen is everyone else in MTAC with you?" Tony asked.

"Uh, yeah...Abby's here, Ziva's here, Vance's here...and...I'm here." McGee informed Tony.

"Yeah, I can see YOU'RE there, McGee." Tony said.

"Oh, right." McGee replied.

"Now listen...wait...they can hear me right?" Tony asked.

"Um, yeah, we can all hear you Tony." McGee replied.

"Good." Tony said.

McGee shifted the transmission's settings so that Tony's face would be up on the big plasma viewing screen instead of just on the computer screen of the computer that McGee had been working at.

"Alright, I took a bunch of photos of Hatcher's body and personal effects...it was, the best I could do...given the circumstances." Tony began.

Tony shifted in his seat.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

MTAC...

The team stood in MTAC staring up at Tony's face on the big plasma viewing screen listening as he explained the situation and gave them orders.

"I need Ducky to examine them, and see what he can find." Tony said.

"Abs, if he asks, I'll need you to help him...unless Palmer can come in that is." Tony continued.

Abby nodded.

"McGee I am e-mailing those photos to you as we speak." Tony informed McGee.

"Right, I will see that Ducky gets them." McGee said.

"Good." Tony replied.

"Ziva, honey, I need you to dig up everything you can on Francois Cota, and any known associates." Tony said, to Ziva, his wife.

"I mean, that is, if you can handle it." Tony said.

"Tony." Ziva said, with a 'you're not funny' expression/grin. "Would you like to sleep in the dog house?" she asked.

Tony chuckled.

"But we don't have a-" he started. "Oh, oh, I-I see your point." Tony said.

"Point noted." he added.

"McGee, have you, by chance, had time to look into that thing I asked you...to look into?" Tony asked.

"I-I have not...but, I will get on that, and then I will get back to you." McGee replied.

"I'll let it slide this time, McGee, but be quick about it." Tony said.

"I will be." McGee replied.

--------------------------------------

Colombian Motel...

Tony's Room...

Tony shifted in his seat again.

"We may have already been compromised." Tony explained. "Which means any chances of finding Gibbs are slowly dwindling." he continued.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

MTAC...

Vance finished up for Tony.

"You all have your assignments." he said. "You are dismissed."

As the rest of the team, excluding McGee, filed out of the room Vance offered his services to Tony quickly before they cut their conversation short.

"I'll work the hill...see what I can dig up that might help us." Vance offered.

"Thank you, Director." Tony replied. "Any help you can give, would be greatly appreciated."

"DiNozzo out."

And that ended their conversation as both screens turned to 'snow'.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel...

Tony's Room...

Tony closed up the computer and packed it back into one of his bags, along with the rest of his stuff.

He knew that there was a chance that he might have to make a hasty get away from the motel at any time.

The only thing he kept out of his bag(s) was the small hand gun he'd purchased while in town earlier--since he had not been able to carry his service weapon with him.

The gun he loaded, and primed for action, before he laid down on the bed for a little shut eye. He planned to sleep with that gun under his pillow just in case.

He didn't even bother to get undressed or take his shoes off.

---------------------------------------

An hour Or So Later...

NCIS HQ...

Autopsy...

Ducky sat at his desk while the children played in another corner/side of the room. He sat studying the photographs that McGee had brought (from Tony) for him to look at.

He moved the photographs from side to side studying each one closely.

The automatic-sliding doors of autopsy slid open as Abby, once again, entered Ducky's domain.

"You wanted to see me Ducky?" Abby asked, as she approached his desk.

Ducky looked up.

"Oh, ah yes...Tony sent these photographs for me to look at, as you know, some of them; however, I think are more in your field of expertise." He said, as he handed her a group of about 6 or 7 of the photographs.

Abby held them in her hands and studied them.

"They're photos of...fingerprints." she said pointed out.

"Yes, precisely." Ducky said, with a grin.

"I do believe he wants to run those prints through the computer." Ducky added.

"Not bad, Tony, not bad at all." Abby mused.

"Thanks Ducky, I'd better set these up and run'em." She said, as she turned and walked out of autopsy.

The automatic doors opened so she could exit, and then closed behind her after she was out of the room.

---------------------------------------

A Warehouse Somewhere in Colombia...

Two men stand in the center (well almost) of the room, under a dim light talking/arguing.

Around them are 6 or 7 other armed guys.

The first guy is wearing a tight, black short sleeve shirt under a Kevlar vest. White, male with closely cropped hair, and an average build.

The second guy is dressed in an all white business suit, and sports slick, jet black hair, with a cigar in his mouth.

"I thought you said the situation had been dealt with." the first man says, angrily to the second guy. This is Francois Cota.

"No, I think you misunderstood me...I said I would take care of it." Cota replied, smoothly. "And I will." he added.

"Well, I hope I don't have to remind you what will happen if you fail." The first guy said.

"That is not a word I am familiar with, my dear, American friend." Cota replied, smoothly, with a grin, as he cradled his cigar, gently, between two fingers.

"Just don't screw it up, alright." The first guy snapped.

Cota smirked at the first guy.

"For now, what do you say we take care of business...shall we?" Cota said, as he strolled over to a stack of boxes just a few feet away from where they were standing.

The first guy followed Cota.

Cota patted the top box, which sat on two other medium sized, wooden boxes.

There were more boxes than just the three setting all around the warehouse, but they could only handle small shipment quantities at a time.

"This is it." Cota said, proudly.

"This?" The first guy said.

"Yes, this is it, the next shipment ready to go." Cota said, with a grin. "And it just might be the best stuff so far, if I do say so myself." Cota continued.

"I tell you, my friend, this stuff is going to make us...millions." Cota said, his eyes sparkling with the thought.

"Alright, alright...let's just load the truck and get this over with." The first guy said, as he rolled his eyes at Cota.

Cota took a long hit on his cigar before he continued.

"Very well then." Cota said, finally.

Cota commanded his henchman, in their native tongue, to start loading up the truck (which is/was waiting outside the warehouse).

The men set to work doing as their boss had commanded.

The first guy and Cota exchanged a few words, and then the first guy turned to leave.

Cota whistled and one of his henchmen cut the first guy off.

"What the-" the first guy started.

"Cota?" The first guy said, in an irritated tone.

"Did you think I would actually let you leave without..." Cota began.

"...Your money?" the first guy said, finishing Cota's sentence.

The first guy turned around to face Cota.

"Well, a guy can dream can't he." the first guy said, with a smirk.

Cota chuckled slightly.

"My American friend, I must warn you...I am not one to play games with." Cota informed the man.

"Alright, Alright...you win." the man said, giving a slight chuckle.

The first guy reached down to his belt and pulled out a walkie-talkie type device, into which he spoke to someone waiting for him on the outside of the warehouse.

After a few minutes a second guy dressed in a smiliar fashion joins the first guy inside the warehouse.

The second guy is carrying what appears to be 2 gym bags.

"Here you go...25 mil...in big bills." the first guy said, as he tossed the two bags down in front of Cota.

Cota grinned as he stooped over to examine the contents of the two gym bags in front of him on the ground.

"Much better." he said, as he stooped down.

"Just don't forget what we talked about...alright." the first guy said, as he and his partner turned and strolled towards the exit.

---------------------------------------

One Hour Later...

Colombian Motel...

Tony's Room...

Tony was fast asleep in the bed in his motel room, when he was suddenly awakened by a strange noise.

He sat straight up in the bed, and sat motionless after he'd rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was not asleep.

He sat motionless, and did not make a single sound as he strained to hear in the darkness of the room.

Thud! There it was again. He still wasn't able to make out what the sound was or what was making it.

Click! Uh oh, now there was a sound that he was all to familiar with.

Tony slowly reached under his pillow and retrieved the gun he'd placed underneath it for just such an emergency.

He held the gun close, listening intently in the almost pitch blackness of the room, as he slowly and quietly got up out of/off of the bed.

He grabbed the one bag, of the two that he'd brought, that contained the laptop, and other such equipment.

That was when he heard several more of the clicking sounds.

He carefully, quietly, and yet quickly made his way to the window at the opposite side/end of the room.

He opened and sat the bag down on the rickety old fire escape on the outside of the window.

The motel had two floors, and his room was on the second floor, so yeah, they needed a fire escape of some sort/kind.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel...

Outside of Tony's Room...

A group of about 4 or 5 men stand outside Tony's room whispering amongst themselves in their native tongue.

Finally one of then men gives a quick hand gesture or signal and another one of the men moves forward towards the room's door.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel...

Tony's Room...

The door flies open and the men storm into the room, weapons at the ready.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Motel...

Outside On Fire Escape...

Tony was making his way down the fire escape when he heard the commotion coming from his room above him.

This made him take the last few steps all the more quickly.

A sound coming from his room above made him stop momentarily to look up as he finally reached the bottom.

He hopped down, grabbed his bag up of the ground, and stole away into the shadows to make his get away as stealthy as possible.

---------------------------------------

8 Hours Later...

NCIS HQ...

Abby's Lab...

Abby had fallen asleep in front of her computer terminal/workstation while waiting for the results from the fingerprint analysis.

Suddenly her computer uttered a clearly audible PING! which caused Abby to wake with a start.

"Hunh, wha-?" She said, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

She looked up at the computer screen, and realized that the fingerprint analysis results were finally ready.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Squad Room...

Upstairs in the squad room Ziva and McGee were fast asleep at their own desks.

Ducky and the three girls had come upstairs as well. Talia was asleep, with a small pillow and blanket behind her mother's desk.

Chloe and Paige were fast asleep behind Gibbs/Tony's desk, on the floor with pillows and blankets that Ducky had provided.

Ducky slept in a semi-comfortable position at Tony's old desk.

Just up the flight of stairs in the back, the door to MTAC opened and Vance stepped out.

Vance walked to the edge of the railing.

"Up and atom, people!" Vance shouted down to the team.

Everybody awoke with a start.

"Agent DiNozzo will be in touch soon...we need to be ready." Vance added.

Vance then turned and walked back into MTAC.

Talia, now awake, climbed up into her mother's lap.

At that point Ziva was stretching and waking herself up.

McGee was doing pretty much the same thing across the room. He straightened his tie back up and pulled his sports coat off of the back of his desk chair.

"Sleep good?" Ziva asked her daughter, in a sweet voice.

Talia nodded up at her mother.

"Mommy's gotta go upstairs...but only for a little bit, I'll be right back." Ziva said, as she placed a gentle kiss on Talia's forehead.

"Stay with here with Grandpa Ducky, and be a good girl." Ziva said, as she stood up and grabbed a file folder off of her desk.

Talia remained sitting in her mother's desk chair, as her mother headed towards MTAC.

McGee followed close behind, carrying some papers, as well, under his arm.

Ducky was awake as well and was gathering the children when none other than his faithful assistant Jimmy Palmer entered the squad room from the right.

"Ah, Mr. Palmer, just the young man I needed to see." Ducky said, as he walked out from behind Tony's old desk.

"Dr. Mallard...H-have you been here all night?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes....but that's a story for another day...if you would be so kind as to keep an eye on the children just for a moment, I'll be right back." Ducky said, as he headed toward the stairs to MTAC.

"B-but, Dr. Mallard, I-" Jimmy tried, but to no avail.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

MTAC...

Ziva, McGee, Ducky, and Director Vance sat inside MTAC, awaiting Tony's next transmission/contact.

As Ducky took his seat, finally, next to McGee, Vance decided to speak.

Vance held a toothpick, as was his custom, in his cheek.

"I trust you all have found some, enlightening, information." Vance said, without looking away from the big plasma, viewing screen.

"Yes." Ziva replied.

McGee nodded.

"Indeed." Ducky agreed.

"Good." Vance said. "I believe we're only missing one person." he added.

"Sir." Said one of the tech guys at the computer monitors stationed around the room. "Incoming Transmission."

"What's its point of origin?" Vance asked.

"Satellite GPS scanner puts the point of origin somewhere in Colombia, South America." the tech guy replied.

"Patch it through." Vance ordered the tech guy.

The tech guy did as he was told and within seconds Tony's face appeared on the plasma, viewing screen.

"Rough night, Agent DiNozzo?" Vance asked, noticing how forlorn Tony looked.

"You have no idea." Tony replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"DiNozzo, where are you right now?" Vance asked, after he noticed something strange about the decor that was acting as a backdrop behind Tony.

"Oh, yeah I forgot to tell you...really funny story actually...I spent the night...in a church." Tony explained.

"Are you alright?" Ziva asked, her husband.

"Yeah...well other than being hunted by a bunch of big guys with guns...yeah, relatively alright, I guess." He said, with a lop-sided grin.

"Wait, someone was hunting you?" Vance asked, shocked.

"Yes Director...I think its safe to say they know we're here." Tony replied.

"But enough about me, lets talk about you guys." Tony said, with a grin.

"McGee." Tony said.

"I did that thing that you asked me to do." McGee started. "And I found, well I don't really know if its important or not, but-"

"Point, McGee." Tony said, cutting McGee off.

"Right...there have been several "Extension of Operations" orders placed in just the last few months alone." McGee explained. "And, so far, they've all been approved."

"Anything else?" Tony asked, McGee.

"Um, yes, all of the orders were placed by the same two guys...DEA Agent Martin Foster, and Jeffrey Tate." McGee added.

"What about their current assignment?" Tony asked.

"Um, it was blocked...but that was before I hacked their pass codes." McGee began. "According to their files the team working in Colombia now is on a reconnaissance Op--against Francois Cota."

Tony nodded at McGee.

"Alright...Ducky, whatcha got?" Tony asked the aging M.E.

Ducky stood up.

"Yes Well, from the photos that you took I found several, odd, injuries." Ducky said.

"Odd?" Tony inquired, wanting to hear more.

"Yes, odd." Ducky repeated. "Several of our deceased DEA Agent's injuries appeared as if they were inflicted as a way of causing pain...not death...not immediately any way." Ducky continued, as he strolled away from his seat a little bit.

"There were deep cuts, both, across his chest and across his abdomen." Ducky explained. "And while they were deep, they would not have been fatal."

"So it was slow and painful." Tony said.

"Indeed." Ducky said, in agreement. "There were also some more minor cuts and bruises as well." Ducky added. "These indicate that there was, more than likely, some old fashioned beating involved as well."

Tony gave a sigh.

"All of these injuries, as you know, are consistent with being tortured." Ducky informed Tony.

"Figures." Tony muttered.

Ducky nodded, a knowing nod.

"So tell me Ducky...can you, conclusively, say what the fatal blow was?" Tony asked.

"Well, its hard to say exactly, without actually seeing the body myself...but, from the photos I did find one wound, suffered by our DEA Agent that would, more than likely, have been fatal." Ducky explained.

"There was a deep penetration point on the right side of his lower extremities." Ducky explained. "From all appearances, it most likely penetrated the femoral artery--which most certainly would have caused him to bleed out."

"Certainly explains a lot." Tony said.

Just then the doors to MTAC swung open and Abby came running in.

She ran right in front of the others and stood right in the middle of the plasma screen facing Tony.

"Tony, I got a hit off of those prints that you sent me...well, granted, I had to run through every database I could think of." Abby started, talking in a rather fast pace.

"Mrs. Gibbs, we were just in the middle of-" Vance started to say.

Abby turned, briefly, in the direction of the Director.

"I-I know...but this is really important." She explained.

She turned back to face Tony.

"There were three different sets of prints all together." Abby continued to explain. "One of three sets was unidentifiable, but the other two-" She continued, as she held up a file folder that she'd been carrying with her.

"-the other two belong to one Martin Foster, and one Jeffrey Tate." Abby
continued. "Both are Agents with the DEA."

---------------------------------------

Meanwhile...

A Forest In/Near The Mountains Of Colombia...

Gibbs now walked slowly and carefully through the forest(s) cautiously moving in the direction of the old extraction point, which would take him right through the heart of Francois Cota's main compound.

As he moved along a small hut came into view. 'Might be inhabited by some of Cota's men.' Gibbs thought to himself.

He moved closer and closer to the small hut until he was silently hidden just beneath its one, single window.

He quickly peeked up once just to see what he was up against.

Just two. 'Manageable.' he thought to himself.

He looked around studying his surroundings for a moment before deciding on a course of action.

He picked up a small rock/stone and tossed it out towards a tree so that it would make a loud enough sound.

---------------------------------------

A Forest In/Near The Mountains Of Colombia...

Inside The Hut...

The two guys sit at a small table, guns nearby, playing with a deck of cards, and smoking cigars.

They hear the sound, and one of them lays his cards down and picks up his gun.

They wait a second, and then the guy tells his partner that he will go and check it out.

---------------------------------------

A Forest In/Near The Mountains Of Colombia...

Gibbs has moved around to the very backside of the hut when the guy walks out.

Gibbs throws another rock/stone, and the guy slowly and carefully makes his way around--gun at the ready--asking 'Who's There' in his native tongue.

The guy finally comes around to the backside of the hut, and before he can see Gibbs coming--Gibbs gets him in a sleeper hold.

Once the guy passes out, Gibbs drops him to the ground behind the hut.

"That's one." Gibbs said, quietly, to himself.

After a few minutes the second guy comes out, yelling (well sort of) his partner's name.

He too makes it around to the back of the hut where Gibbs grabs him and incapacitates him.

Gibbs drops the second guy close to the first guy behind the hut.

"And that makes two." Gibbs said, quietly, to himself.

Gibbs then grabs one of the guys' gun, and then proceeds to make his way further into the forest towards Cota's compound.

.........To Be Continued In "Missing In Action, Pt. 5".........

"Missing In Action, Pt. 5"

NCIS HQ...

Inside MTAC...

At first the entire room was silent, but then just as suddenly as it had gone quiet--it came right back to life.

"If the DEA killed one of their own Agents..." Vance started to say, as he got up out of his chair and moved closer to the plasma, viewing screen.

On the viewing screen they could see Tony rubbing his forehead in deep concentration.

"...It means that not only is the DEA here probably working with or for Cota--it also means that they have a reason for not wanting us to find Gibbs." Tony said with a sigh, as he finished the Directors' sentence.

"This does not look good." Ziva commented.

"You're right...it doesn't." McGee agreed, with a sigh.

Vance turned, slightly, and shot McGee and Ziva a hard look.

Assuming that the two federal agents got the message--he then turned back to face Tony.

"Agent DiNozzo, do you have weapon--or a means of acquiring a weapon?" Vance asked.

"As a matter of fact I do." Tony said, as he raised the hand gun that he'd bought up in front of the screen so that they could see it.

"I also purchased a couple of extra ammo mags...just in case." he added.

"Good work." Vance complimented Tony.

"Its not exactly a Sig, but, it'll do." Tony said, as he replaced the side arm back into the hip-holster it came with.

"McGee, I'm gonna need you to keep tabs on the DEA's activity for the next, oh I don't know...until we get home would be nice." Tony instructed McGee, in that comical way of his.

"On it." McGee said, as he stood up from his chair and straightened his sports coat, quickly.

"And Ziva, I'm gonna-" Tony started to say.

The sound of people arguing in the background, behind Tony, suddenly caught everyone's attention.

Tony turned and looked towards the back end/side of the medium-sized church--towards where the entrance would be.

Everyone was silent as they listened, though they could not understand what exactly was being said.

Then suddenly there was the sound of a gun going off.

Tony jumped up away from his seat, drawing his gun from its holster with lightning speed.

"DiNozzo?" Vance said, trying to get Tony to relay back what he was seeing that THEY could not.

Tony didn't answer just focused on what was happening.

Then he spoke.

"One of the voices sounds familiar...but,-" Tony started to say, slowly and quietly.

But then there was a second gun shot, and then the church doors flew open to reveal several armed men.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Church...

Inside The Church...

Tony ducked to one side just as the men opened fire with their automatic and semi-automatic weapons. He took cover, low, behind one of the nearby pews.

His quick, reflexive action caused him to accidentally bump the table that the laptop was sitting on which sent it toppling to the ground--fortunately it didn't do any visible damage to the computer.

"DiNozzo!" Tony heard Vance shout his name, through the laptop.

Tony tried to look up over the pew, but the men were firing wildly and it was just too dangerous he decided.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Inside MTAC...

Inside MTAC everyone was now standing, apprehensively, unable to see what was going on over on Tony's end.

"DiNozzo!" Vance shouted (sort of) again.

The others moved closer to the big, plasma viewing screen.

"Tony!" Ziva shouted, after Vance had done so.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Church...

Inside The Church...

Tony lifted himself up just enough to fire off a few rounds of his own, before ducking back down.

Just then, to Tony's displeasure he watched a stray bullet put his laptop out of commission, permanently.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Inside MTAC...

"DiNozzo, Sit-Rep!" Vance shouted (sort of) again.

"Ton-" Ziva started to say, just as the big, plasma, viewing screen went dark with electronic snow (static).

"What happened?" Ducky asked.

McGee rushed, quickly, over to one of the nearby computer terminals and began to work feverishly.

"Get him back...McGee!" Abby commanded, in a fast, snappy, and upset tone.

"I'm trying...alright!" McGee snapped back.

After a few seconds had passed...

"McGee!?" Vance pressed.

McGee finally turned in his seat at the terminal, and looked up at everyone.

"we-we lost him." McGee said, somberly.

"Tony's connection has been severed...maybe permanently." he added.

Vance turned to another one of the 'tech guys' sitting not too far from where he was standing. "Get me the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan...Pronto." Vance snapped.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Church...

Inside The Church...

The shoot out continued for a few more minutes before Tony decided that it was time to make a quick exit before it was too late.

He fired off a few more shots effectively emptying the weapons' magazine; and then he slowly began crawling along using the pews as protective cover.

For a split second there was a lull as the armed men reloaded their weapons, and at the same time began making their way towards Tony.

Tony seized the opportunity, eying a nearby stained glass window. He jumped up and ran full speed towards the window.

"God forgive me." Tony muttered, as he jumped up.

Just as the gun fire started back up, Tony leaped through the stained glass window, using his arms as a protective shield.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Church...

Outside The Church/City Streets...

Tony landed with a slight roll as he hit the ground outside the church.

He quickly regained his bearings, and scrambled to his feet.

He checked his gun, and then he heard shouting coming from around the other side of the church.

The armed men were still coming after him.

Tony turned on his heel and made a quick dash into the busy city streets.

As he dodged passed a man pushing a medium-sized two wheeled cart Tony glanced back over his shoulder, and could see the 4 armed men not too far behind, and steadily gaining.

The sun was high in the sky by now, and Tony could already feel the heat and humidity building.

Tony dodged and pushed his way through one crowd after another, before he finally came to an alley which he quickly ducked into.

............

Not too far behind the 4 armed men were gaining ground on Tony, and would soon close the gap.

One of the men signaled to his comrades as he watched Tony duck into the alley.

---------------------------------------

Colombian City Streets...

Alley...

The 4 armed men slowly entered the shaded alley, being careful too mind their surroundings knowing that an ambush here would be easy to pull off.

Just a few feet above them Tony had managed to pull himself up onto an overhang that jutted out from the side of one of the buildings.

Something moved, and the armed men jumped in a spin trying to see their quarry.

Above the 4 armed men Tony decided he would make his move on the 1 armed man that was slightly smaller than the other three.

Tony leapt down at the man bringing him down to the ground hard, and at the same time managed to knock one of the other guys off of his feet.

Tony quickly landed a knock out blow with the heavy end of his handgun to the smaller man.

The other two men that were still standing had been startled backwards and were trying to regain their composure.

As Tony tried to stand, the other guy that had fallen to the ground reached out a hand and wrapped it around Tony's arm flipping backwards onto the ground.

The man, in almost no time flat, was on top of Tony trying to strangle him while the other two watched from behind.

Tony struggled to free himself, but found that he was quickly losing air.

In his frenzy though, as he still clutched his hand gun, he did manage to fire off a couple of accidental shots one instantly killing one of the armed men who was watching from behind--the shot, fortunately hit him in the heart--the second man was severely wounded.

The man on top of Tony grunted as he exerted even more force on Tony's wind pipe, either trying completely crush it or trying knock him unconscious.

"I am not going out like this!" Tony growled.

He began beating his fists (while still clutching his hand gun) against the man's arms, hands, and wrists with as much force as he could muster.

Finally just before Tony thought he would pass out the man reared back off of Tony clutching at his hands, wrists, and arms in pain.

Tony pulled himself up off of the ground, as he shook his head trying to ward off the feeling of dizziness and light-headedness that he was experiencing.

Suddenly the man pounced at Tony, but Tony saw him coming in just the nick of time and was able to raise his gun in time to fire off a single shot which dropped the man to the ground on the spot where he stood.

And as much as he would have liked to just stand/sit there and catch his breath, he knew that he could not.

He needed to keep moving.

There were obviously some dangerous people after him, and that meant that time was rapidly running out.

---------------------------------------

3 Hours Later...

Privately Owned Air Strip In Colombia...

After walking around for almost three hours Tony had finally gathered the information that he needed.

So when he walked in through the front door of the small management building of the air strip--if he looked tried it was because he WAS tired.

"Not from around here, are you my friend?" The man that sat behind the counter asked, with a grin.

Tony leaned against the counter.

"That easy hunh?" Tony replied.

"We don't get many tourists in these parts, but we get enough." The man said, as he lit a cigarette.

Tony sighed.

"I've asked a lot of people...I mean A LOT of people." Tony explained. "And they all tell me that your the man to see." he continued, straightening himself up and pulling it all back together as best as he could.

"Aha, so then what is it that I can do for you on this fine day?" The man asked, as he puffed on his cigarette.

Tony leaned in a little bit closer.

"I need a helicopter." Tony said, quietly.

"A Helicopter, eh?" The man said, with a grin.

"I just happen to have one." the man said, as he leaned towards Tony.

He took a hit on his cigarette again.

"Good." Tony said, trying not to inhale the cigarette smoke.

"But...it is not cheap, my friend." the man said.

"Oh, trust me, I've got money." Tony said, with a sly grin, as he straightened himself up again, and turned away from the counter.

"Really." the man replied.

Tony walked towards a picture hanging on the opposite wall, and pretended that he was studying it.

"In fact, if you can get me where I need to be...I'll even pay you double." Tony said, hoping that the man would by his bluff.

"Double, eh?" the man said, puffing on his cigarette.

"Yeah, double." Tony repeated, still not looking at the man.

"So, where is it exactly that you're wanting to go?" The man asked.

"That's kind of what I was hoping you could tell me." Tony said, slyly, as he turned back to the man.

"A, friend, gave me this...well crudely drawn map, and told me I'd be able to meet him there." Tony lied, as he pulled a slip of paper from his back pocket.

The slip of paper he now held was a slip of paper that he'd found inside Agent Hatcher's shoe--well it was the only shoe he'd been wearing when Tony had found him.

Tony showed the slip of paper to the man.

The man took the slip of paper and examined it for a few seconds before saying anything.

"Crudely drawn, yes." the man said, with a slight grin.

"However, I do know this particular stretch of the mountains here." he said, as he pointed it out to Tony on the slip of paper.

"But, my friend, this is not a place you really want to go." The man said, puffing a bit more on his cigarette, which he then proceeded to squash in a nearby ash tray.

"Really...how come?" Tony asked, innocently.

"Because this is where he said I could find him." Tony said.

"No, no, my friend." the man chuckled slightly. "If he is there...then he is probably dead by now."

"Well, I mean can't hurt to check, can it?" Tony said, with a slight grin.

The man just studied Tony for a moment or two before he spoke again.

"Well I guess if you and your friend want to die." he started. "Then, by all means, go right ahead...a provided of course, that I get my money first."

"I'll tell you what..." Tony began, as he took the slip of paper back from the man. "...I'll pay you when we get there." Tony said, with a grin, looking over his sunglasses at the man.

---------------------------------------

Meanwhile...

NCIS HQ...

Inside MTAC...

Director Vance stood inside MTAC, before the big plasma viewing screen engaged in a tele-conference with the captain/skipper of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan.

The rest of the team had already vacated MTAC, and had returned to their work stations.

As Director Vance stood in front of the screen a man relieved the man that was currently talking to Vance.

The two men on the screen saluted each other before parting company.

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Captain." Vance said.

"Yeah." The man replied.

"I've been told that a Special Agent DiNozzo of NCIS contacted you recently." Vance explained. "Is that true?" he asked.

"Yes sir, Agent DiNozzo and I did speak." the man replied.

"And he asked for your services in a rescue mission that he was participating in?" Vance asked.

"Yes, he did." the man replied.

"And you agreed?" Vance continued.

The man rubbed his eyes, and sighed.

"Unfortunately, sir, I did." the man replied.

"Agent DiNozzo called in a favor...one that I was inclined to repay." the Captain explained.

"Why do you ask?" the Captain asked.

"Captain, it has come to our attention that the situation is rapidly deteriorating, and we need you to have your men on standby." Vance explained.

"When the call comes through...you'll need to be ready." Vance added.

---------------------------------------

............To Be Continued In "Missing In Action, Pt. 6"............

"Missing In Action, Pt. 6"

In The Skies Of Colombia...

Tony and the man sat in the cockpit of a small airplane.

"So, when do I get my money?" the man asked.

Tony looked out out the cockpit window, and looked around.

"When we get there." Tony said, over the noise of the plane's engine.

"Well my friend, we're getting close." the man said, with a grin.

Tony nodded, and then unbuckled his seat belt, and headed into the back of the plane.

"Where are you going?" the man asked.

Tony turned back, briefly, and leaned close.

"To get ready." he replied.

............

In the back of the small plane Tony pulled a parachute down off of the rack, and set to work strapping himself into it.

A few minutes passed and then the man yelled to Tony from the front of the plane.

"We're her, my friend." the man yelled to Tony.

Tony walked back up to the front of the plane.

"Here." he said, as he handed the man an envelope.

"Don't open it till you get back on the ground, alright?" Tony said, as he turned and headed back for the back of the small plane.

He counted to ten (quickly), and then pulled the release lever and shoved the door of the plane open.

Almost instantly Tony found himself sucked out of the plane, and out into the open air.

---------------------------------------

Open Air/Colombian Skies...

Over The Forest/Mountain Area...

Tony found himself in free fall tightly clutching the straps of his parachute.

He hadn't done anything like this since that first official case he worked with Kate.

It took everything he had in him, just about, to keep from passing out.

Once he finally reached a safe distance from the plane he reached over and gave the chute's rip cord a hard yank.

The chute opened immediately, filling with air, and jerking him upwards slowing his descent.

After what felt, to Tony, like forever.

He could finally see the ground rapidly coming up to meet him.

He quickly realized that he was heading into a thick pocket of trees instead of the clearing he'd planned on landing in.

He tried to swerve to miss the trees, but to no avail. He tumbled through the tree tops until his chute finally snagged on a strong tree branch.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Forest/Mountain Area...

Tony dangled, almost helplessly, from the tree branch by his chute. By his best estimation he was probably no more than 45-50 feet from the ground.

He had sustained a few minor cuts and bruises to his hands and arms, and maybe also one bruise to his left side, but other than that he was relatively fine.

"Well, at least its got a great view." Tony muttered to himself, as he looked around his surroundings.

He craned his neck upwards trying to see just how badly hung his chute really was.

He pulled with all of his body weight, jerking and twisting from side to side, trying to free the chute from the hold of the tree branch.

"Come on." Tony growled, as he fought against the snagged parachute.

Suddenly he heard a sound. He wasn't sure if it was a sound made by one of the local wildlife or if it was man made.

What he did know, for sure, was that it definitely was not safe for him to keep dangling around the way he was for to much longer.

He took one last look around, carefully judging distances, before he made his next move.

He wiggled his hand around the tight space between the parachute harness and his belt buckle.

"Rule number 9." Tony said, to himself, as he freed the secretly hidden knife from his belt buckle. "Never go anywhere..." he began, as he raised the knife up to the parachute cords above him.

He began to slash at the parachute cables that were keeping him tethered to the tree/limbs.

"...Without a kni-" just before he could finish his sentence, the last of the cables snapped as his knife cut through it, and Tony was sent sprawling downwards towards the ground.

He covered his face to protect it as he tumbled over the first of the branches that were in his way.

He knew the ground would be just a matter of seconds away.

At the last possible moment he through his arms up over his head. His right hand managing to grasp a hold of a passing branch.

It was only for a few seconds though, but it was enough to slow his fall enough to keep him from smashing into the ground beneath him.

He lost his grip on the branch and finished the last 15 feet or so of the fall to the ground, managing to roll (sort of) into a ball to weaken the force of impact on his body.

After a moment or so, he pulled himself up and brushed himself off.

By now he felt like he had made the bruise on his left side worse, and also that he'd added on a few more cuts and bruises. He even felt a slight bruise forming on the side of his head.

"This keeps us, and Vance'll have to send someone to rescue both of us." Tony said, aloud, to himself, as he took a moment to look around.

Uh oh. There was that sound again. He had to get moving, and quickly.

---------------------------------------

Colombian Forest/Mountain Area...

After he'd traveled a very good distance Tony stopped to check his bearings/surroundings.

"The shack should be close by...somewhere." He said, as his eyes darted over the thickets of foliage that surrounded him.

Finally his eyes landed on something not too far away from where he was standing.

He cautiously made his way through the foliage until he was close enough to make out the small cabin/hut.

He did a quick recon of the area before he actually made his way over to the cabin/hut.

He opened the small, fragile door of the cabin/hut slowly, and his eyes almost instantly fell upon the deceased and decaying body of the man, Raul, that Gibbs had been staying with.

The odor that followed the sight of the dead man's body was enough, Tony felt, to knock out even the toughest man.

He quickly closed the door back, deciding that there was nothing more he could do here/there at that point.

He gave the area a one last final once over searching for any sign that would point the way that Gibbs had ultimately gone (in).

He took another quick look at the small slip of paper again, and then slid it back into his back pocket.

He used the sun, which was steadily climbing higher and higher into the sky overhead, and his wrist watch to plot the points of a compass relative to his current position.

According to what Intel he had to go on, Gibbs was supposed to have gone South, but Tony's gut said 'go North'. And so he did.

.........

Another couple of hours passed as Tony, soaked in sweat, made his way through the dense foliage.

It wasn't long until something glistening in the sunlight (slightly) caught his eye. He made his way over in the direction of the glare.

He found himself in front of a medium-sized tree/tree trunk. At the base of the tree he discovered a knife.

He raised up to his face, and studied it for a moment.

He recognized it as being Gibbs' favorite knife. He quickly tucked it away into his pocket, and then stood back up...and then thats when he saw it.

The carving in the tree/tree trunk.

Two separate items were carved into the tree/tree trunk.

The word 'Todd', and the letter X--which weirdly enough was drawn in a weird/funny fashion.

At first Tony was thrown for a loop, but then after a few seconds he realized what it meant.

It had been carved into the tree/tree trunk by Gibbs with his own knife.

"He was leaving a message." Tony muttered, to himself.

Tony ran his hand over the carving.

"Todd...Kate." Tony muttered. "He was using Kate's last name as some sort of password." Tony mused, to himself.

"Which means that the 'X', stands for the old extraction point." He added, thinking aloud.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him.

"He remembers." Tony thought, aloud.

Suddenly a sound from behind him, startled Tony.

Tony reached for his holstered weapon, and tried to spin in the direction of the sound.

But before he got too far, he suddenly felt a sharp pain, as if someone had just struck him in the back of the head with something quite hard.

And then all went black.

---------------------------------------

.........To Be Continued In "Missing In Action, Pt. 7".........

"Missing In Action, Pt. 7"

A Few Hours Later...

Somewhere In/Near The Forest(s)/Moutains of Colombia...

Inside a Shack/Shed of Some Kind...

Tony finally began to come around.

As he slowly began opened his eyes he felt a throbbing pain shooting through his body from his head down to his toes.

He felt as though he'd just been hit by a run away freight train.

He shook his head once or twice to try to clear the fog from his head.

"Wha-what hit me?" he mumbled.

He shook his head again.

As the fog began to lift from his mind he tried to move his hands, and found that they, as well as his feet, had been bound rather tightly.

He looked around trying to get his bearings and figure out where he was, exactly.

From what he could see of his surroundings his best guess would be that he was in some sort of very dimly-lit shack/shed somewhere.

There wasn't much, really, to look at in this particular shack/shed.

The door of the shack/shed opened up and the early/mid-evening sun light poured in.

It was just enough to cause Tony to squint his eyes.

"Watch it with the light, will ya." Tony remarked, as he squinted his eyes to keep from going blind.

The man closed the door behind him.

"I hope my men weren't too rough when they brought you here, Agent DiNozzo."

Tony opened his eyes, but even before he had opened them he already knew the voice that was speaking to him.

"Now there's a voice I've tried to forget." Tony remarked snidely.

Cota gave a chuckle at Tony's wit/humor.

"Unfortunately, Agent DiNozzo, I haven't been able to forget about you." Cota replied.

"Lucky me, hunh?" Tony asked, rhetorically of course.

Cota took a little bit of time to light up a cigar that he pulled out of his coat pocket along with a lighter.

"Could you please not smoke in here, hmm?" Tony said.

Cota chuckled again.

"I trust your stay in Colombia has been a good one so far." Cota said, smoothly.

Tony grinned that crooked grin of his, and gave a slight chuckle as he looked down at his bound feet and wiggled them slightly--shifting his position a little bit.

"Oh yeah, wonderful--just peachy." Tony replied.

"Good." Cota answered. "Good indeed." he added, taking a puff on his cigar.

"I got hand it to ya, though, you're good...but not quite good enough." Tony snickered.

Cota grinned an amused grin.

"Oh. and why do you say that?" Cota asked.

"I mean most villians do hire random thugs to do their dirty work--but you...hunh, you went and hired United States Federal Agents." Tony explained, in that witty and humurous way of his.

"Not bad." he added. "There's just one thing I've gotta know...how much did it cost to get those DEA boys to betray their own country, hmm?" Tony said.

Cota couldn't help himself--he just had to laugh a bit at Tony for that one.

Cota stooped down so that he would be on Tony's level, and would be able to look him in the eyes.

"A breath mint wouldn't kill you ya know." Tony remarked.

Cota chuckle, once again, at Tony's wit and humor.

"I'm not going to ask you why you are here...or where Agent Gibbs is," Cota began, talking quietly, and smoothly. "Because I know that you will not tell me...not yet anyway."

Tony laughed, almost in Cota's face.

"Hah, how about not ever." Tony said.

Cota grinned.

"I have a feeling, my American friend, that you will soon see things from a very different perspective." Cota said, smoothly.

"I don't think so." Tony replied.

"We shall see." Cota replied, with a grin.

Tony grinned right back at Cota.

"For once...we agree." Tony replied, quietly.

Cota stood back up, and turned and walked to the door.

He opened up the door, and walked outside closing the door behind him.

From inside the shack/sehd Tony could hear voices conversing in their native tongue (which wasn't english by the way).

A minute or two later Cota stepped back inside the shack/shed, but this time he was followed by a heavy-set, kind of burly-looking guy.

The man clenched and unclenched his hands which made his knuckles pop, rather loudly.

The door closed behind the two men.

Cota nodded slightly at the burly man who then crossed the floor over to Tony who sat, propped up, against the wall.

"So what do you call this one...Goliath?" Tony remarked.

The man grabbed the ropes that bound Tony's hands, and picked him up and sat him on his feet.

"Thanks big guy, I owe ya one." Tony said.

The burly pulled a knife out of his pocket and used it too cut the ropes from both Tony's hand and his feet.

Tony rubbed his wrists as the burly man undid the ropes around his feet.

As soon as the deed had been done the man righted himself up and looked at Tony as he tossed the ropes aside.

"Thanks...thanks a lot." Tony said.

Tony swung at the burly man trying to catch him off guard, but the burly man caught his fist in mid-air and, twisted his arm around backwards, and then popped Tony, hard, on the back which sent him sprawling across the floor.

"Ow." Tony muttered, as he tried to pick himself up off of the floor.

He rubbed his now sore arm, as he turned back to face the burly man.

"So this is how its gonna go." he said, quietly. "Alright, I'm game."

Tony steadied himself, and then lunged at the burly man who caught Tony in his 'leap', and hurled him away and into the opposing wall.

The burly man then seized the opportunity and pounced on Tony. The burly man threw two punches, and both caught the stunned Tony straight across the jaw--drawing blood.

Then Cota raised a hand to signal the burly man to stop.

The burly man stopepd, as commanded, and stood up and backed away from Tony.

Tony stood up, slowly, and wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

By now he was panting, and kind of had to brace himself against the wall.

Coat stepped forward a little bit.

"Tell me, Agent DiNozzo, how're you feeling?" Cota asked, with a sly grin.

Tony tried to chuckle/laugh, but it came out kind of hoarse and slightly weak.

"If you think that this overgrown ape, is going to make me talk...then you're sadly mistaken." Tony said, smugly.

"Cute...very cute." Cota remarked, as he stepped aside once again.

Cota nodded.

"Juan, if you please." Cota said, with a sly grin and a nod.

The burly man went back to work.

Tony tried to dodge the burly man as he came at him, but Tony wasn't quite fast enough.

The burly man grabbed Tony around the waist, hoisted him up over his head, and then dropped him back down onto the ground.

"Oooh, Aahhh." Tony moaned, as he tried to roll over/away.

The burly man walked towards Tony once again.

"I must warn you, Agent DiNozzo, Juan can keep this up all day...if he has too." Cota said, with a sly grin, as he took another puff off of his cigar.

---------------------------------------

The Next Day...

It was mid-morning when Tony awoke from a night spent in agony.

From the tint window in the shack/shed a little bit of light streamed into the room.

Cota ahd brought in a small cot for Tony to sleep on after the brutal beating he had taken that evening.

Tony was badly beaten and brusied from nearly head to toe.

He had one good eye that wasn't swollen almost all the way shut, that he could actually see out of.

He knew it wouldn't be long until the whole process started all over again.

"OOhhh, Aahh." Tony moaned as he tried to turn over onto his back, on the cot.

The big burly man had been assigned to stand guard inside the shed and keep an eye on Tony.

"I'm sure you probably need to pee by now, hunh big guy." Tony said, hoarsely.

The big burly man only grunted.

"Okay, I'll take that as a no." Tony said.

There was a knock at the door.

"Oh, here we go." Tony said, as he rolled his eyes.

The big burly man opened the door and Cota stepped inside, and then he closed the door.

"I trust you slept peacefully last night." Cota remarked, with a smirk.

"Define peacefully." Tony said, smartly.

Cota gave a chuckle.

"Are we going to have to resort to acts of violence this morning, Agent DiNozzo?" Cota asked.

"I don't know," Tony said, as he turned, painfully, to face Cota from the cot. "You tell me."

Cota gave another chuckle, and then nodded to the big burly man.

---------------------------------------

Outside The Shack/Shed...

As the big burly man began his assault on Tony, Cota stepped outside of the shack/shed and headed back for the main building for a spot of tea.

Once he was out of sight, Gibbs appeared from around the backside of the shack/shed.

Gibbs stepped up, gun in hand, and tapped on the door.

---------------------------------------

Inside The Shack/Shed...

The big burly man had just thrown Tony into the opposite wall.

He grunted, and then turned and crossed the floor to the door.

When he opened the door he was instantly struck in the head with the butt of a sub-machine gun.

Gibbs then grabbed the unconscious burly man, with somewhat of a struggle, and drug him inside the shack/shed.

Tony rolled over, and could hardly believe his eyes.

"Boss." Tony groaned, blinking his eyes once, twice, and then three times to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

Gibbs turned around after propping the unconscious man up against the wall.

"DiNozzo!?" Gibbs said, startled.

"Boss, it is you." Tony said, hoarsely, with a grin.

"DiNozzo, what the hell are you doin' here?" Gibbs demanded, as he crossed the floor to the younger man's side.

"Nice to see you too, Boss." Tony said, trying to chuckle as the older man helped him up to his feet with his free hand.

Tony found that laughing of any kind hurt--he grabbed his aching ribs every time he tried--even coughing was torture.

The two stood face to face, silently, for a moment or two.

"Y-you look like hell, DiNozzo." Gibbs remarked, quietly.

"Likewise." Tony replied.

"How're you feeling?" Gibbs asked, quietly.

"Just a few cuts and brusies...here and there, but other than that--couldn't be better." Tony replied.

Gibbs grinned, slightly, at Tony.

"And the answer to your other question...I came to rescue you." Tony explained, while Gibbs looked around the shack/shed.

Gibbs found that the burly man he'd knocked out was, indeed, carrying a weapon on his person--a side-arm.

He pulled out the pistol, checked its magazine, and then tossed it to Tony who just barely caught it.

"Some rescue." Gibbs remarked.

"Thanks DiNozzo, for coming to save my life." Tony said, mimicing his boss as best as he could. "You're welcome boss." Tony finished, in his own voice.

Tony almost laughed at his own humor, but a sharp pain shooting through his mid-section stopped him short.

Gibbs couldn't help but grin that trademark grin of his, through his thick scraggly beard of his (of course).

Tony leaned against the wall for suppopt.

"Cota will be back to check on the bug guy's pogress soon." Tony informed Gibbs.

Gibbs peeked out of the one single, small window in the shack/shed.

"Oh, and I almost forgot...the DEA is on Cota's payroll." Tony added.

"Ya think." Gibbs said, sarcastically.

"And you missed Chloe's fourteenth..." Tony started to say, but stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Gibbs giving him the stare.

"But you already knew that, so I'm just gonna shut up, now."

"We need to get you out of here." Gibbs said.

"No offense Boss, but I'm not leaving here without you." Tony informed Gibbs, straightening up.

"And I'm not leaving until Mr. Cota is dealt with." Gibbs replied, as he reached for the door.

"Then I guess that means I'm stayin'." Tony said, as he hobbled towards Gibbs.

---------------------------------------

Outside The Shack/Shed...

Gibbs stepped outside the shack/shed, quietly, and checked his surroundings quickly before motioning for Tony to follow.

They closed up the shack/shed behind them, and then snuck away, towards the main compound--which was less than 1/2 a mile down a single dirt road just off to the left of the shack/shed--they used the foliage and brush and undergrowth as cover as they slowly, carefully, and quietly made their way along.

It was about mid-morning at this point.

"So how far are you willin' to go?" Tony asked, quietly.

"Until Cota is no longer a problem." Gibbs replied, quietly, as they moved through the brush.

"You know it won't be long, til they discover that we're missing?" Tony said.

"I know." Gibbs replied.

.........

Not too much time had passed, and Gibbs and Tony were passing by a medium-sized outer-perimenter security house/shack/shed type of building, when they were alerted to an intense amount of movement going on in the area.

"They know." Tony said, quietly.

"Hmmhm." was all that Gibbs said.

Gibbs' eyes darted all around the area, inside their coverage and outside, before he finally made a decision.

Through the dense cover-foliage that they had been hiding amongst, Gibbs spotted a group of men headed from the direction of the main compound, and they were headed towards the medium-sized building nearby.

"As fast as you can, quietly, start moving that way." Gibbs whispered, as he pointed in the direction of the main compound.

Tony nodded as they began to move through the dense foliage.

As they moved onward towards the compound, the closer they got to it the more guards and heavily armed men they seemed to see.

The two of them stopped momentarily in the thickest part of the foliage that they could find.

"There's too many of them." Tony pointed out, quietly. "We'll never get through without getting shot...or worse." he added.

"Okay, then what do you propose we do?" Gibbs asked.

Tony though about it for a moment, silently, trying to decide what tactic would work best here.

Gibbs could tell once Tony had finally come up with brilliant plan, because of the slight, crooked grin he wore across his face.

"Stay here." Tony whispered.

"DiNozzo, what are you doing?" Gibbs whispered, angrily.

Tony turned back to Gibbs, and flashed him a grin that didn't make Gibbs feel to good about what was too come.

"I'm getting us inside...what else." Tony whispered.

Gibbs watched as Tony exited the dense foliage that they had been hiding in, and made himself visible to the nearby security guards and heavily-armed men.

From that point on everything happened way too fast for Gibbs, and the next thing that he knew Tony was being hauled off towards the main compound.

............To Be Continued In "Missing In Action, Pt. 8"............

"Missing In Action, Pt. 8"

Afternoon/Evening...

Cota's Main Compound...

Torture Room...

In what could only be called 'The Torture Room' Tony was strapped to some kind of inversion table of some sort.

His shirt was missing from his upper torso, and they were some new, fresh cuts--probably inflicted by a whip or some other such object--added to the older ones across his body.

Cota finally turned to a mna, holding a sub-machine gun and said something to him in their native tongue.

Upon hearing his boss' orders the man opened the door, and exited the room closing it behind him.

Cota then turned back to Tony.

"See, I knew it was only a matter of time until you saw things my way." Cota said, smoothly.

Tony didn't speak, not a single word to Cota.

Cota chuckled at Tony.

"And as your reward I will let you live--tonight--but then tomorrow...well I'm sure you get the picture." Cota said, smoothly, with a crooked grin, as he turned and headed for the door.

---------------------------------------

Outside The Main Compound...

Hidden In The Dense Foliage Near The Main Gate...

Gibbs watched in silence as several waves of heavily-armed men in jeeps and such rolled out through the main gate and headed back out towards the forest area.

Gibbs grinned, he had to hand it to DiNozzo, what ever he did--it looked like it was working.

As the last of the jeeps rolled out of sight, Gibbs knew it was time to make his move.

---------------------------------------

Inside The Compound...

Some Time Passed...

In a hallway somewhere in the compound Gibbs snuck up, quietly, behind a guard and put the gun to the man's head.

Gibbs said something to the man in the man's native tongue--being there in Colombia as long as he had Gibbs had picked up a few things.

The man, nervously handed Gibbs his weapon and then the two of them began to make their way down the halls, with the guard in semi-lead position.

Some time passed, and then Gibbs and the guard finally found where Tony was being held.

Gibbs and the guard slipped inside and closed the door, at which time Gibbs proceeded to knock the guard unconscious before freeing Tony from his bonds.

As he helped Tony to stand up straight he whispered something in his ear.

"Not bad DiNozzo--not bad at all." Gibbs whispered.

"Th-thanks." Tony replied.

"Th-There are 3 floors to this builing...we're on th-the second, and Cota's on the th-third." Tony explained.

"Not bad." Gibbs repeated, with a grin.

"There's also a radio room on this floor--we'll need it to signal the ch-ch-chopper." Tony added.

Gibbs couldn't help but grin, again, at Tony.

Gibbs helped Tony over to a nearby wall so that Tony could hold himself up for a second or two.

Gibbs then proceeded to remove the guards' shirt, and then he handed it to Tony who then put the shirt on.

Tony winced, slightly, as he pulled the shirt on.

The shirt was about like a half a size bigger than he usually wore, but it would do.

Gibbs handed Tony the guards pistol/hand gun next.

"Think you're good enough to get to the radio room?" Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded.

"I think so." Tony said, slowly.

"Are you sure?" Gibbs asked, again.

"Yeah." Tony replied.

Gibbs grinned, and with that the two men exited the room, carefully and quietly, and then went their separate ways.

---------------------------------------

Tony made his way, slowly and quietly, down the hall. At the end of the first hall he took a right, and then a left after that.

From the looks of things it appeared as if his plan worked better than he had originally anticipated.

Just a few more steps, and Tony was safely inside the radio room.

---------------------------------------

Cota's Main Compound...

The Radio Room...

First things first, he had to sneak in and take down the lone sentry guarding the radio room--once he did that he was free to use the radio as he pleased.

He turned dials, and adjusted a few nobs until he was fairly certain he had the right frequency.

"Boy Scout to Raven 1...Boy Scout to Raven 1...do you read?" Tony said, over the radio, as he held the microphone up to his face.

No answer, just static. Tony tried again several times, but to no avail.

Tony thought for a moment, and then finally anotehr idea popped into his head.

Working for Gibbs had inspired a number of odd hobbies for Tony throughout the years--morse code being one of said hobbies.

He made a few more, quick, adjustments to the radio.

Tony then dismantled the front part of the radio setup. Once inside, he pulled lose a few wires here and there, and then rejoined a few here and there until he was finally able to send morse code by simply touching the ends of two wires together.

Tony set to work striking out his morse code message using the ends of the two exposed wires, he repeated the message over and over 5 or 6 times before stopping assuming that someone out there had to have heard his message.

---------------------------------------

Cota's Main Compound...

Cota's Room/Office...

When Gibbs slipped inside Cota's office/room the desk at the far end of the room sat occupied. Cota sat in his desk chair with his back to Gibbs.

"Agent Gibbs, I've been...expecting you." Cota said, smoothly.

"Really." Gibbs replied, holding his sub-machine gun in front of him(self).

"Indeed." Cota replied.

---------------------------------------

U.S.S. Ronald Reagan...

A naval officer runs up to his C.O. and hands him a piece of paper.

"What's this?" the C.O. asked.

"Message sir, just came off the wire." the officer replied.

The C.O. read the message silently, and as he did his eyes grew wide.

---------------------------------------

Cota's Main Compound...

Cota's Room/Office...

Cota turned his chair so that he was facing Gibbs.

"I knew that if I was patient, you would turn up sooner or latr." Cota said, smoothly.

"Just didn't know it would be like this, hunh?" Gibbs asked, with a cold stare.

Cota gave a chuckle.

"Yes, well, I must admit your, Agent DiNozzo, is quite clever." Cota replied, with a slight chuckle.

Gibbs shifted his grip on the gun in his hand(s).

"When he wants to be." Gibbs said.

Cota stood up behind his desk, and smoothed out his clothes as he did so.

"So what now?" Cota as he stepped out from behind his desk.

"Will you kill me now, or wait and hand me over to the proper authorities?" Cota added.

Gibbs gave a 'grin' that said "yeah, nice try".

"Not a bad idea, except I'd be willing to bet that you've got most of the local law enforcement on your payroll." Gibbs replied, as he took a step or two forward.

Cota gave a slight nod at Gibbs.

"So I guess I'll just have to kill you." Gibbs added.

Cota chuckled.

"I thought as much...which is why I came into this more prepared than you think." Cota said.

From behind, Gibbs heard a familiar click. Then he felt a hard, metallic object push up against his back.

"Agent Gibbs, I would like you to meet my close, personal bodyguard--Ramon." Cota explained.

The muscles in Gibbs' body tensed on the spot.

"He's never really been a man of words, but he is good at what he does." Cota continued.

Ramon nudged Gibbs in the back with his weapon.

"That means he wants you to drop your weapon, if you would please." Cota explained.

Gibbs stood almost completely still for a moment or two, but then he began to slowly lower his gun towards the ground.

"You see, Agent Gibbs, I never lose." Cota said, smoothly.

"Surprise." Came Tony's voice from behind Gibbs/The Brute.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Tony stepped up behind Ramon, and quickly plunged his knife into the brute's neck--severing vital arteries and veins.

The brute began to sputter and convulse as he dropped his weapon, and fell sideways onto the floor clutching at his neck/throat which was rapidly oozing/gushing blood all over the floor and himself.

"Ramon." Cota said, as the brute(ish) man finally stopped moving and lay completely still on the floor.

A flash of anger appeared in Cota's eyes.

Cota, quickly, whipped a small hand gun out from behind his back and aimed it at Tony.

Tony tried to fire his 'stolen' sub-machine gun, but, unfortunately, the weapon jammed on him, and he couldn't.

As Cota squeezed the trigger of his gun, Tony dove out of the way just in the nick of time to avoid being hit.

Meanwhile, Gibbs dove to the ground, grabbing his weapon, and then rolling over onto one side fired several rounds at Cota.

Cota wasn't fast enough to dodge the shots, and took 2 or 3 to the chest/abdomen.

Cota fell, gasping for air, first to his knees, and then finally onto his back on the floor/ground.

Tony scrambled back up to his feet, and made his way over to help Gibbs up.

Suddenly from below them, they heard footsteps coming in their direction and coming pretty fast at that.

"I think this is where we make like James Bond, and get the hell out of here." Tony said quickly.

.........To Be Continued In "Missing In Action, Pt. 9".........

"Missing In Action, Pt. 9"

Cota's Main Compound...

Outside Cota's Office...

Gibbs and Tony dashed out the door of Cota's office and out into the hallway--where they paused, briefly.

"Sounds like they're on the stairs." Tony pointed out.

"Guess they've got us trapped." Gibbs said, as he looked around, desperately trying to find another way out.

"Uh, Boss, that's not entirely true." Tony said, pointing a finger towards the ceiling/roof.

Suddenly a second sound became audible overhead. It was the sound of a helicopter approaching the complex.

"A chopper?" Gibbs muttered.

"Hope you don't mind boss, I kind of changed our extraction point." Tony explained.

"Not bad DiNozzo...not bad at all." Gibbs said, with a grin.

The two men then sprinted down the hallway to the right, until they reached the end of it, and found the door/stairwell to the roof.

---------------------------------------

Compound Stairwell...

The two men raced full speed--well Tony ran with sort of a limp but you get the idea--until they reached the door at the end.

Gibbs yanked open the outer door, and he and Tony exited the compound out onto the roof.

---------------------------------------

Cota's Compound...

On The Roof...

Tony and Gibbs stood and watched as the helicopter made its final approach, and then landed atop the compound's wide roof-top.

The chopper's doors opened up, and a man in a flight suit waved them over immediately.

"Come on, get in!" The man in the chopper shouted.

Tony and Gibbs started to run towards the chopper when several of Cota's men burst through the roof-access door.

The men raised their guns to fire at them.

Tony stopped/turned and started firing at the men first.

"Go, I'll cover you!" Tony yelled at Gibbs, during a pause.

Tony fired a few more shots at the armed men.

"No, you go!" Gibbs yelled back.

Gibbs tried to move around Tony to get a better shot at the men.

Tony pulled out a small hand gun--that he'd pulled of off Cota's number one guy--and pointed directly in Gibbs' face.

"Don't make me use this, Gibbs." Tony pleaded, as he fired out a few more rounds at the men with his free sub-machine gun.

"Get on the chopper." Tony instructed. "And tell them to take off."

Gibbs, reluctantly backed away towards the chopper.

Tony then turned both of his guns on the men and started firing once more.

Out of the 6 of Cota's men that were on the roof with Tony and Gibbs.

Tony managed to take out three of them, before his ammo finally ran out.

By now the chopper was hovering just over the edge of the roof of the complex.

Tony threw both of his empty weapons at the 3 remaining men, and then turned and ran full speed (well I mean as fast as he could with a limp) towards the chopper.

Once he reached almost the edge of the roof he leaped off towards the chopper.

He grabbed hold of the choppers 'landing legs' with a thud.

Tony struggled to hold on as the chopper lifted ever higher and away.

Gibbs leaned out of the chopper.

"Grab my hand!" Gibbs shouted to Tony, as he extended his hand down/out.

Tony shifted his grip first, and then lunged upwards and grabbed a hold of Gibbs' hand.

Gibbs pulled and helped Tony climb up inside the chopper.

Once Tony was inside the two of them watched as Cota's compound steadily shrunk out of sight.

"Thanks." Tony said, to Gibbs.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Inside MTAC...

A Few Hours Later...

Everyone had assembled in MTAC per Director Vance's orders, and now they waited patiently (well sort of) to find out why they were there/here.

Vance finally turned away from the tech guy that he was conversing with, and faced the team.

"I called you all here because I have some news concerning Tony and Gibbs." Vance said.

"I just received word from the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan," Vance began, suddenly showing a slight grin.

"Is Tony okay...did he find Gibbs?" Abby asked, suddenly and quickly.

Vance grinned a big grin.

"Both Tony and Gibbs are on their way home, as we speak." Vance informed them.

Everyone in the room, the whole team, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

---------------------------------------

Airport Terminal...

The Next Evening...

Ziva, Talia, Abby, Chloe, Paige, McGee, Ducky, Jimmy, and Director Vance all stood waiting in the airport terminal close to the gate where they'd been told Gibbs and Tony would arrive at.

A set of double doors swung open suddenly and Tony and a rather scruffy-looking Gibbs entered the terminal.

"Daddy!" Talia screamed, as her father, Tony, came into view.

Ziva let go of her daughter and let her run to her father who scooped the little girl up into his good arm that wasn't wrapped up in a temporary sling.

Chloe and Paige were next as they both raced, nearly full speed, towards their father.

Gibbs dropped to his knees and threw his arms around both girls once they got close enough for him to do so.

"I'm sorry I missed your birthday." Gibbs said, to Chloe.

"It's alright." Chloe replied, through tears. "We missed you so much." she added.

Paige lifted her head up and planted a kiss on her daddy's scruffy cheek.

A tear rolled down Gibbs cheek.

"I missed you too." Gibbs said, with a slight sniffle. "Both of you."

Ziva, by now, had crossed the floor over to where Tony and Talia were.

Gibbs held onto his two daughters for a few moments.

"And in my dreams there's better days; cause you've come home to stay." Paige sang, very softly.

Another tear rolled down Gibbs' cheek, and he kissed the little girl on the top of the head.

Gibbs whispered something to the girls, and then he stood up.

As he stood his eyes met with Abby's and there they stayed as he made his way, slowly, over to where she was.

They stared at each other for a brief moment, neither one saying a word.

But then they didn't have too.

Gibbs reached out and pulled Abby close, bringing their lips together in a kiss that was as deep as it was passionate.

As they kissed, a tear rolled down Abby's cheek.

As soon as they pulled apart, they noticed that Tony, Ziva, and Talia had come up behind them.

"Director Vance," Tony said, extending his good arm/hand to Vance. "I think you might want to take a look at this." Tony continued as he handed the object he was holding to Vance.

"What's this?" Vance asked, holding the object up to study it.

The object, as it turns out, is/was a CD-Rom.

"That disc, I think, should shed some light on what's going on down in Colombia, as well as with our friends in the DEA." Tony explained.

"Which reminds me, did you get them?" Tony asked.

"Just like you said," Vance replied with a slight grin. "Got'em as they were getting off of their plane." Vance said.

Everyone else was just a little bit confused as to what Tony and Vance were talking about until Tony and Vance explained the whole thing to them.

Gibbs grinned, and patted Tony on the back.

"Not bad, DiNozzo...not bad at all." he said, quietly.

------------To Be Continued In "Aftermath"------------

"Aftermath"

Gibbs Residence...

The girls were fast asleep in their beds, after having spent the last 4 1/2 hours with their father--it was now really late.

But even though it was really late, and Gibbs and Abby knew they should probably be getting some sleep as well; they still had a few things to take care of.

Abby followed Gibbs into the bathroom, grabbing him a towel from the linen closet as they passed by it.

Gibbs flicked on the light switch as he entered the bathroom.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

In The Bathroom...

Abby set the towel down on top of the toilet lid, and then walked out of the bathroom--to give her husband some privacy.

She stopped at the door, momentarily, and watched as Gibbs undressed.

Gibbs removed the shirt that he'd borrowed while on board the aircraft carrier, and threw it down into the corner of the bathroom, just behind the door.

The sight of him getting naked sent shivers down her spine, and once again awakened the desire that she felt inside--the yearning--the, the need to be with him was intensified with every moment that passed.

She shook her head, and cleared her thoughts. She needed to go and get ready for Gibbs.

And with that she turned and walked out of the bathroom.

The first thing he'd need to do was shave, and get rid of the horrid, scraggly, thick beard that had been growing on his face for almost a year now.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Abby's Bed Room...

In her room, Abby used a lighter to light several candles placed all around.

When she'd moved in with Gibbs. They had talked, for quite some time, about the 'housing' arrangements, and he ended up giving her the extra/spare bedroom so that she could have a plce to call her own--a place where she could go to think (kind of like he did in his/their basement w/ the boats and other stuff that he built down there). The room even had a bed in it, so that that way in case she needed to she could sleep there.

This came in handy on those rare occassions when she and Gibbs had an arguement, and just needed some 'alone time' to clear their minds and think things over. But, again, that did not happen often--it was, indeed, rare.

She opened up her closet and searched, in the back of the small space, for the night gown that she knew Gibbs liked. It was the one that he'd picked out for her birthday about 5 or 6 years ago.

Fortunately she found it. It was actually hiding from her in almost the very back of her closet.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Bathroom...

Gibbs made one last pass across his face with his razor, dipping it into the sink to clean it off once he was finished.

He wiped his face clean of any excess shaving cream that might still be lingering around with a small wash cloth that had been laying over the edge of the sink.

He checked his face in the mirror, quickly, before he began to strip off the rest of the borrowed clothes. Now he needed to take a shower.

He turned on the water, and got it ready steadily bringing it up to an acceptable and suitable temperature.

Then he stepped into the shower closing the shower doors as he did so.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Abby's Bed Room...

Abby heard the shower come on and knew that that meant Gibbs wouldn't be too much longer.

She had already stripped out of her day clothes, and was now wearing her night gown.

It was an extremely soft, light purple, silky night gown that they'd found at a clothing store in the mall. Which was actually really funny, because Abby didn't usually (or didn't used to) shop for really anything in a 'shopping mall'.

She sat on the edge of one side of the bed undoing her pigtails, so that her long dark hair would be able to hang free.

As she laid the last hair ribbon/band down onto the bedsie table here eyes fell upon a framed photograph of her, Gibbs, and the girls that had been taken about 2 or 3 years prior.

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she studied it. For a while, the family that it portrayed had been broken--apart--but now it was back together. The way that it was supposed to be.

Suddenly the shower cut off. It caught Abby's attention snapping her out of her trance. She instinctively jumped up from her spot on the side of the bed, and turned towards the door.

There was a moment of silence, well accept for the sound of a towel rustling around in the bathroom, and also his footsteps as he moved about.

Then, the door that had been standing open only a crack slowly opened up the rest of the way. Gibbs entered the room slowly and closed the door behind him. He was wearing only the towel around his waist.

He approached her slowly, and she could feel her whole body shaking.

It had been so long, it felt like, since they'd seen each other this way.

She tried to speak as he made his way over to her, but when she moved her lips no sound came out. her throat and mouth felt strangely dry.

He stepped up to her and their eyes met and locked firmly on each other(s).

She closed her eyes as he raised his hand and cupped her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb.

Gibbs could tell that his wife was shaking, hell, he was too--practically. He wondered if it would be as he(he'd) remembered it.

He bent his head down and brought his lips to hers--tasting her lips for the first time in what had seemed like forever ago.

Abby nearly lost it all right then and there when she felt her husband's lips against hers. It was a feeling that she'd long missed while Gibbs had been 'MIA'.

After a few moments when he finally broke away they stared at each other briefly, and then he carefully guided her backwards onto the bed.

Abby laid back on the bed, as Gibbs propped himself up on his hands above her.

She closed her eyes again, as Gibbs began slowly and gently nipping and kissing at her neck.

She could feel the tension beginning to build within her body.

"Gibbs." she mumbled, without thinking.

"Shhh." Gibbs whispered in her ear, softly.

His whisper tickled the inside of her ear, and made he shiver--she knew she would have chill bumps somewhere on her body.

She felt his hand move down to the top button of her night gown, and he slowly unbuttoned the first four buttons of the night gown.

She tried to speak, but Gibbs silenced her with a gentle, passionate kiss.

She felt his hand move again, but this time he moved it down to her right breast, and when he cupped it in his hand her body shuddered again.

"Ooh." Abby had to bite her lip to stifle the moan that threatened to erupt from her throat.

After a few minutes of torturing her in that way, Gibbs sat up and Abby leaned herself up on her elbows to look up at her husband.

"Strip." he commanded, quietly.

Abby did as she was told, sitting up now on her knees, and slowly began to strip away the silky, light purple night gown one button at a time.

She finally dropped the silk night gown to the floor on the side of the bed, and all that was left was her bare flesh.

There she sat before her husband, who took his time looking her over with his eyes--redrawing the map in his mind that he'd long since forgotten.

Abby blinked, and shivered (slightly) and Gibbs saw it all.

He moved towards her again, and wrapped an arm around her back. Slowly, he guided her, gently, back down onto the bed.

The two of them swapping kisses all the way down.

Abby experienced what could only be described as sheer ecstasy as Gibbs explored every inch of her body with his lips.

A couple of times his lower body actually came down low enough that she could feel his erection pressing through the towel wrapped around his waist.

The room was actually a little chilly but the warmth from Gibbs' body flowed into her and kept her as warm as she needed to be.

She realized that she was now moaning again. She may have even said his name a couple of times. And again she had to bite her lip to quiet herself, and to keep from waking the girls up.

Gibbs had shown remarkable restraint up til npw, unlike she who was begging him to finish the deed--she just couldn't stand it.

Suddenly Gibbs whipped the towel from around his waist and tossed it to the floor, and entered her with one fell swoop.

Abby's entire body tensed around his, and she panted aloud.

"Gibbs...please." she pleaded with her husband.

"Not yet." Gibbs whispered, quietly, trying to sound as if he was still in total control of what was happening in the candle-lit room.

But Abby could tell by the slight waver in his voice that Gibbs' restraint was beginning to falter, and soon he wouldn't be able to hold back any longer.

Gibbs bent his head down to hers and stole another kiss as he began to move, slowly and carefully, within her.

"Yes." she moaned, quietly, as her body shuddered.

"Oh."

Then suddenly he stopped, just as quickly as he'd started.

Abby shot Gibbs a dirty look through overly moist eyes.

"You...bastard." she whimpered, angrily.

Gibbs chuckled, quietly, and the sound of it drove Abby just that much further.

It was all beginning to come back to him.

"Patience...is a virtue." Gibbs said, with a crooked grin, as he bent his head to steal another kiss from his wife.

"Damn you, Gibbs." Abby mumbled, against his lips.

Gibbs lifted his head back up as he began to move again, this time slowly increasing their tempo.

After a few moments or so he tried to reign it back in again, but then Abby arched her body up against his, and the feeling of her skin against his in that way was all it took.

All of his willpower and restraint disppeared in a instant.

Abby wrapped her legs around Gibbs' waist as they began their final approach.

"Abs...I-" Gibbs started to say, but then suddenly found himself unable to speak.

Abby dug her fingernails into Gibbs' shoulders, which to Gibbs hurt like hell, but there was nothing that he could do about it.

Gibbs suddenly flipped the two of them over so that Abby was on top, and he was on the bottom--and then with one last thrust upwards...Fireworks exploded around them.

Abby slumped forward against Gibbs' chest--both of them panting, gasping for air against each other.

Gibbs planted a gentle kiss against his wife's cheek.

"I love you, Abs." Gibbs whispered, softly.

Abby lifted her head up, slightly, and looked into her husbands piercing blue eyes with her teary-green eyes.

"I love you too, Jethro Gibbs." Abby whispered as she kissed him fully on the lips.

Suddenly Gibbs felt Abby shiver from the slight chill that was running through the dim, candle-lit room. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her close sharing his body heat with her so that she would be warm.

As the two of them laid there in Abby's bed there eyelids became heavy, and before they knew it the night slipped away.

------------To Be Continued In "You'll Do"------------

"The Prodigal Son"

......Six Months Later......

Gibbs Residence...

Late Night...

Master Bedroom...

Gibbs and Abby were fast asleep in their bed.

It had been almost 6 months since Tony 'rescued' Gibbs from the wilds of Colombia.

Gibbs was so glad to be back home and back at NCIS--but most of all to be back with his family where he belonged.

Somewhere in the house the sound of glass shattering could be heard quite audibly.

Gibbs sat up in the bed, and looked around.

"Is something wrong?" Abby asked, groggily.

"I don't know." Gibbs said, quietly.

Another sound from downstairs was enough to make Abby sit up.

"What was that?" she asked, quickly.

"Stay here." Gibbs said, pulling back the covers.

Gibbs got up and walked carefully over to the dresser just six or seven feet to the right of the bed.

In the top drawer he rummaged around until he found the wooden box with a lock on it.

In the second drawer he found the key and used it to unlock the box. Inside was a small handgun, fully loaded and ready to go.

There was a crash coming from the kitchen.

"Gibbs, that wasn't the dog...he can't get into the kitchen." Abby said, her anxiety beginning to build.

"I know." Gibbs replied, quietly.

He moved over to the nearest window in the room. Their two-story house was positioned so the master bedroom overlooked the driveway area.

Gibbs moved the curtains aside so he could see down in the driveway.

Nothing in the driveway, but just out on the curb, almost out of view sat a parked car that he had never seen before.

"Abs, come with me." Gibbs said, quickly.

Gibbs opened the door and he and Abby slipped out quietly.

Gibbs made his way to the staircase.

"Get the girls, quietly." Gibbs instructed, pointing towards Chloe and Paige's room.

Abby did as instructed as Gibbs began to move quietly down the stairs.

----------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

The Girl's Room...

Abby entered the girl's room and quietly woke them up, signing 'stay quiet' in ASL.

The girls climbed out of their beds and followed their mother into a corner of the room where they huddled together.

----------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

In The Kitchen...

Gibbs had cleared every room along the way up to the kitchen, and had found nothing.

He did the same in the kitchen as he'd done with all the other rooms, and nothing.

Thwack!

Something smashed against the back of Gibbs' head, and sent him sprawling across the kitchen floor.

The man behind him was dressed all in black, and carried a small handgun.

Gibbs slowly rose up to his knees, shaking his head.

There was a familiar clicking sound, and Gibbs rolled to the side just in time to avoid being shot.

Gibbs scrambled back up right, once again, using the table as a half-ass shield.

The man tried to move himself into a better position, but Gibbs darted out of the way again.

"Arrrr." the man growled, angrily, as he continued to pursue Gibbs, randomly firing off shots.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Living Room...

Now in the living room, Gibbs sat, panting heavily, behind the one recliner/chair in the room.

The man walked, slowly, into the room--reloading his weapon as he came.

Gibbs' mind raced at about a thousand thoughts per second.

The man got closer and closer, firing a few shots at the television blowing it beyond repair, and then at the couch--finally turning his attention to the chair.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

The Girls' Bedroom...

Abby sat huddled up with Chloe and Paige in a corner of their room listening intently to the commotion going on downstairs.

For a moment there was silence, no more gun shots, no more crashes in the dark.

She kissed both of her girls on the top of the head, and then she stood up.

"Mom, whe-where are you going?" Chloe asked, quietly, nervously.

"Shhhhh." Abby whispered, softly and gently. "I'll be right back, I promise."

Abby turned and silently crept from the room.

----------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Kitchen/Living Room Area...

Abby entered the kitchen, which was empty, and saw where the intruder had broken in the window on the back door, and unlocked the door to get in.

The moonlight streaming in illuminated the floor in front of the back door.

Abby could make out the shapes of some of the slightly bigger shards of glass, as well as the small handgun that Gibbs had dropped when he was hit from behind.

She walked over and picked up the gun, and that's when she heard the gun shot coming from the living room area.

----------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Living Room...

The shot soared, through the chair, just over Gibbs' head barely missing him.

Suddenly both men heard a sound coming from the kitchen.

Apparently Abby had bumped into one of the breakfast tables' chairs.

The man turned quickly in that direction, and saw Abby through open kitchen/living room dividing door.

Gibbs swallowed hard, and then jumped out from his hiding spot into view.

"Gibbs." Abby yelped, as her husband came into view behind the masked man.

"Abby get outta here!" Gibbs shouted at his wife.

"Catch!" Abby shouted back, throwing the small gun as hard as she could in Gibbs' direction.

She managed to do so and then dive out of the way just in time to avoid being shot.

The man then realizing what had happened turned back in Gibbs' direction.

Gibbs dove forward, catching the small gun in mid-air, and then slammed into the floor/ground hard.

The man raised his gun at Gibbs and his finger began to close around the trigger of his weapon.

Gibbs rolled over, pointing his gun straight up at the man.

He aqueezed the trigger quickly, a shot was heard, and then the man dropped to his knees and then onto his back right there in the middle of their living room.

Gibbs rolled onto his back, arms spread out from his body, and took in
several deep breaths.

When Abby ran into the room Gibbs was already picking himself up off of the floor.

"Jethro, are you-?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Gibbs assured her.

"Where are the girls?" he asked.

"Upstairs in their room."

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

The Girls' Room...

Abby entered the girls' room, and motioned for them to get up.

"Pack your stuff." Abby instructed.

"Why?" Paige asked.

"Just-just do it, okay sweetheart." Abby said, trying her best to sound calm.

Paige did as she was told.

"Mom, you're scaring us." Chloe said, quietly.

"No, no its okay, I promise." Abby said, quietly, patting her oldest daughter gently on the cheek.

The two girls quietly, but quickly, packed one back-pack each.

---------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Living Room Area...

By this point Gibbs had turned on the lights downstairs in the living room and kitchen.

In the living room Gibbs stood looking down at the body, phone in hand.

He had called NCIS as soon as he was sure that the man was dead.

"Yeah, thanks...alright bye." Gibbs said, hanging up.

Abby and the girls entered the living room with their bags in hand.

"Dad, whats-" Chloe began, but her voice caught in her throat when she saw the man's body sprawled out on the living room floor.

Gibbs realized what she saw, and quickly ushered everyone towards the garage, assuring them that everything was alright.

--------------------------------------

Gibbs Residence...

Garage...

The girls climbed into their mother's car as per their father's instructions, and buckled their seat belts once they were situated.

"Jethro, what are you not telling me?" Abby asked, a worried look in her eyes.

Gibbs stared at her for a moment or two, silent.

"Don't do me like that, Jethro--please." Abby said.

Gibbs sucked in a deep breath.

"Looks like he broke in through the back--into the kitchen." Gibbs said, calmly.

"No not that--I wanna know what it is that's got you all worried." Abby said, quickly.

"I hope its nothing, but something the guy said when he attacked me--I heard the same thing when I was Colombia." he said, quietly.

"Oh no." Abby said, her heart sinking in her chest.

"No, no don't--okay, I don't know if its connected yet or not. I just don't want to take any chances." he reassured her.

"I've arranged for you and the girls to stay with Ducky, for now."

He kissed her on top of the head, reassuring her further. But even still, something in his eyes and in the way he talked suggested that he was hiding something else.

Gibbs could tell by the look in her eyes that she had read or was reading him--so hiding anything else from her would be next to impossible at this point.

"Teddy." he whispered, quietly, leaning in close.

"What about-" she started to say.

Her voice caught in her throat as she realized what he it was that he was going to say.

"He's not-"

Gibbs nodded.

"Looks like he might've used a silencer." Gibbs informed her, in a low whisper, turning away from the girls line of sight.

"Oh no." Abby gasped, quietly.

"Its the only way he could've gotten by him, without us knowing or hearing anything." Gibbs continued.

Gibbs shook his head while rubbing his eyes with one hand.

"I-I just--I juist don't know how I'll tell the girls." Gibbs said, with a sigh.

---------------------------------------

The Next Day...

NCIS HQ...

Vance's Office...

Gibbs and Tony stand in Director Vance's office.

"I'm sorry Gibbs, but I can't let you head this one." Vance said.

"Why not?" Tony asked.

"First of all, the Colombian National Government won't take too kindly to having one of their citizens shot on American soil." Vance explained.

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Plus, I've still got the Colombian National Government breathing down my neck from last time." Vance added.

"So then who is takin' the lead on this one?" Tony asked, flatly.

"I will." Vance said.

"You?" Gibbs said, arching his brow.

"Yes, me." Vance replied.

"The body is in autopsy waiting on Dr. Mallard to get in." Vance explained.

"Ducky should be in by now." Tony remarked, checking his watch.

Vance stood.

"That's exactly where I'm headed now." Vance said, as he headed for the door.

"Not without me your not." Gibbs said, following close behind.

"Hey, wait up." Tony called after the other two men who had already walked out the door.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Autopsy...

When the trio of men entered autopsy through automatic sliding door(s), Ducky was just emerging from the changing area.

"Oh Hello." Ducky greeted them, with a smile.

"A bit early aren't we?" Ducky asked, as he made his way over to the body laying on the slab.

"Sorry Duck, I'm handlin' this one." Gibbs said.

Ducky turned back to face them.

"Really?" he remarked.

"That's right Doctor, I'll be handling this one." Vance said.

"Well, alright then." the old man replied, as he turned back to the body.

"Sorry to say I can't tell you much, yet." Ducky said.

"Except that, from all appearances, he probably died from one of the three gun shot wounds to his upper torso--near the heart." Ducky explained, pointing a finger in the general area to which he was referring.

"Pretty good aim there Boss." Tony remarked, as he looked a little closer at the area that Ducky had pointed out.

Gibbs shot Tony a dirty look.

"Not-not that you have bad aim...I just meant-you know what, this one's on me Boss." Tony said, as he raised his hand and whacked himself hard on the back of the head.

Gibbs grinned, as he turned back around.

"Is that all, Doctor?" Vance asked.

Ducky had picked up a scalpal and was preparing to make the first incision.

"Well, as I said, I've only just begun my examination, Director." Ducky said, as he put the scalpal down to the body and started the incision.

"Mr. Palmer should be in anytime now, and once he's here things should go much faster." Ducky explained.

Vance sighed.

"If you find anything else, Doctor, you come straight to me--understood?" Vance said.

"You'll be the first to know, sir." Ducky said, looking up from his work.

As Vance exited autopsy through the automatic sliding door(s), Jimmy Palmer entered the room.

"Oh, h-hi Doctor Mallard...sorry I'm late." Jimmy stammered.

"You would not believe traffic this morning. It was-" he began to say, but Ducky cut him off.

"Mr. Palmer if you would be so kind as to wash up, and join me--it would be most appreciated." Ducky said.

"Oh, r-right." Jimmy said, with a rather lop-sided grin, as he turned to go change and wash up.

Gibbs stepped closer to his aging friend.

"How are they?" Gibbs asked, quietly.

Ducky looked up into his friend's eyes, and read him quite clearly.

"Abby was feeding the girls' breakfast just before I left." Ducky said.

"As far as I know, they all slept quite well last night." he added.

"Thanks Duck, I owe you." Gibbs said, quietly.

"Not at all, Jethro." Ducky replied, with a smile. "You know, I rather enjoyed having them over."

"Quite refreshing actually." he added.

"Thats right." Tony remarked.

"You're there by yourself now, aren't you--I mean since your mother passed away and all." he added.

"Quite right." Ducky agreed. "But, I do manage quite well if I do say so."

Gibbs couldn't help but grin.

Suddenly Gibbs' cell phone began to ring.

"Gibbs." he said, answerng his phone, on about the second or third ring.

Abby's voice is heard over the line.

"Are you at work?" Abby asked.

"Yeah--with Ducky." Gibbs replied, nodding.

"How're the girls?" Gibbs asked.

"Good." Abby answered. "I told them about Teddy--they're taking it pretty well." she added.

"Good." Gibbs replied.

Abby chuckled.

"I need to stop by the grocery store, and then I'll be on my-" Abby was suddenly cut off.

The sound of car smashing against car is/was heard over the phone.

"Abs?"

---------------------------------------

In Abby's Car...

On The Highway/Freeway...

Abby, Chloe, and Paige bounced in their seats from the impact.

Abby looked up into the rear view mirror, and saw the car that had hit them trying to regain his control behind her.

"What the hell!" Abby exclaimed.

"Abs?" came Gibbs' voice over the phone (again).

"Who the hell does this guy think he is." Abby swore, under her breath.

"Abby are you guys okay?" Gibbs asked.

Abby started to answer, but as she did she looked up into the rear-view mirror.

In the mirror she saw the car from before speeding up, quickly, in their (meaning Abby and the girls) direction.

Just before it hit them, Abby looked back over the seat(s) at Chloe and Paige.

"Hang on to something!" she screamed.

Suddenly the car smashed into the back of Abby's car, hard, once again--nearly forcing them off of the road.

Abby and the girls screamed with the impact.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Autopsy...

"Abs!?"

Over the phone Gibbs could hear everything--the crashing noises, the screaming--everything.

"Jethro, I think this guy's tryin' to kill us." Abby said, over the phone, in a panicked voice.

"Where are you?" Gibbs asked.

Ducky and Tony were now staring at Gibbs, aware that something was wrong.

"What is it?" Ducky asked, sensing that something was wrong.

After a moment of silence Abby resumed.

"He just tried to run us off the road." she said, frantically.

"Where are you right now?" Gibbs asked, quickly.

---------------------------------------

In Abby's Car...

"Mommy." Paige sobbed, in the back seat, as she felt a sore spot (a bump) that was forming on the side of her head.

"Its okay sweetheart--everything's gonna be okay." Abby said, putting on a brave face, and trying to reassure her youngest daughter.

"Are you somewhere where you can get off of the road--somewhere crowded?" Gibbs' voice came over the phone.

Abby tried to speak, but before she could the guy following her closed in to ram her car once again.

Abby quickly swerved into the next lane to avoid being hit again.

The sounds of cars swerving and car horns blaring came through the phone so that Gibbs could hear all of it.

"Abby get off of the road, and find somewhere heavily crowded--and stay put, we'll find you." he instructed her, over the phone.

"Alright, just please--hurry." she said, just before she hung up the phone.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Autopsy...

"What...what is it?" Ducky asked, quickly.

"I'll explain later Duck, I promise." Gibbs said, as he turned away and headed for the door.

"Boss-" Tony started to say.

"DiNozzo, with me!" Gibbs barked, as he hurried from the room.

"On your six Boss." Tony replied, as he hurried after his boss.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Hallway...

As Gibbs and Tony hurried down the hallway away from autopsy.

"DiNozzo, get Ziva and McGee." Gibbs instructed. "Tell McGee to bring his computer."

"Right boss." Tony replied.

"Meet me in the parking lot--you've got two minutes." Gibbs said, as he reached the elevator.

Gibbs reached out and slapped the up button right outside the elevator.

"On it." Tony said, as he turned sharply just after the elevator and took the stairs several steps at a time.

---------------------------------------

Wooded/Forest Area...

Abby pulled off of the highway and headed into a wooded, park-like area.

"Girls, when I stop I want you to jump out and run...run as fast as you can and don't stop." Abby instructed Chloe and Paige.

"Mom, what's going on?" Chloe asked, nervously.

"Its gonna be okay, I promise." Abby said, trying to put on a brave face.

"Ready," she began.

Abby pulled the car to a sudden stop at the edge of the park.

"Go!" she commanded.

Chloe and Paige did as they were told, and left the car at full speed.

Abby leapt from the car and followed after them as fast as she could, looking back over her shoulder once to see the two guys that had been in the other car beginning to give chase on foot.

---------------------------------------

In The Car...

Not Too Far Away...

Gibbs drove while Tony and Ziva sat in the back seat(s).

McGee sat in the front, close to Gibbs, working feverishly at/on the lap top that he had brought with him.

"Anytime now McGee." Tony said, leaning over the edge of the seat.

McGee did not even look up, but blew an irritated sigh. He began rambling on with a lot of technical jargon trying to explain what it was that he was doing.

"McGee!" Gibbs barked, without looking over.

"Right, right--its coming through...now." McGee said, as the information finally popped up onto his computer screen.

"I've tracked her cell phone to Centennial Park." McGee informed them.

"Centennial Park, that's not too far from where we are now." Tony remarked.

"How is a park a crowded area?" Ziva asked, referring to the instructions that Gibbs had given to Abby.

"Maybe she didn't have a choice." Tony suggested.

"Boss, according to this--her cell phone is stationary." McGee informed Gibbs, looking up at his boss. "She's not moving."

Gibbs didn't look over at McGee--didn't say a word, just pressed his foot down on the accelerator casuing the car to lurch forward, rapidly picking up speed.

---------------------------------------

In The Park...

Abby ran as fast as she could behind her daughters as they desperately fled to escape their pursuers.

Normally Abby would have stood her ground and fought off her attacker--somehow--but having children had changed her somewhat.

One of the men finally got close enough to wrap his fingers around the edge of Abby's coat.

She quickly shrugged out of it, causing the man to lose his balance and stumble backwards.

"Keep going!" Abby shouted.

---------------------------------------

Outside The Park...

Gibbs and the team pulled up to a stop behind Abby's car.

The four of them jumped out weapons at the ready.

Gibbs peered inside the car, and saw Abby's cell phone lying in the seat.

"She left her phone in the car." Gibbs said, flatly.

Tony peered into the car that was parked beside Abby's car.

"This must be the perp's car." Tony said.

"Empty." Ziva pointed out, looking over her husband's shoulder.

Suddenly a gun shot is heard echoing through the park.

"Spread out!" Gibbs instructed, as the four of them immediately headed/ran into the park.

......Elsewhere In The Park......

One of the men finally caught up to Abby once again, and managed to grab her, and tackle her to the ground.

Abby struggled against her attacker desperate to free herself from his grip.

Chloe and Paige stopped and looked back at their mother, in distress.

"Mommy!" Paige screamed, as she ran toward her mother.

Chloe started to run after her sister.

Abby looked up.

"Paige, no!" Abby screamed. "Run away! Save yourself!" Abby begged her youngest daughter.

The second man grabbed Chloe just before she could reach her sister's side.

Chloe and the man struggled.

After hearing her mother begging her to run, Paige finally obeyed--tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran into a more wooded area.

......Wooded Area......

Paige had run a fair distance when a pair of arms stepped out of nowhere and snatched her up.

"AAAAaaahhhhhhhhh!" Paige screamed.

"Shhhhhh, shhhh, shhhh." Tony whispered, softly.

Paige thrashed around in Tony's arms, briefly.

"Paige its me, Uncle Tony." Tony said, softly.

Paige threw her arms around her adopted uncle's neck and held on--sobbing against his shoulder.

"Shhhhhh." he whispered. "Its okay...its okay." he said, as he rocked her against him.

......Back Out In The Open Park Area......

The man now had Abby standing on her feet, and had pressed a gun to her temple.

Just a short distance away Chloe looked up--still struggling with the second man--and saw her dad.

"Dad!" she said, loudly.

The man whispered something--in another language--into Abby's ear, and then placed his finger around the trigger of his gun.

Suddenly, Gibbs' arms wrapped around the man's throat/neck in a sort of choke hold.

"Surprise." Gibbs whispered.

The man dropped his hold on Abby--and his gun--and she fell to the ground and then rolled out of the way.

Gibbs struggled with the man.

The man elbowed Gibbs in the ribs, Gibbs faltered a bit, but he did not let go.

The man began to slowly stop struggling as Gibbs' choke hold was depriving him of oxygen.

The man started to go limp in Gibbs' arms.

"Stop--let him go!" the second man shouted, suddenly pressing a gun to Chloe's temple.

Gibbs looked up.

"Daddy!" Chloe cried, tears staining her cheeks.

"Or I will shoot her--right here." the second man threatened.

"We leave, alive, or she dies." the second man continued, being more explicit with his threat.

"Daddy, I don't wanna die." Chloe sobbed.

Gibbs' mind was racing by this point.

"It's okay, it's okay--everything's gonna be alright." Gibbs said, trying to reassure his daughter.

His mind was racing he knew what he needed to do, but something was bothering him, and he did not know what it was.

"Not if you don't do as I say!" the second man shouted, pressing the muzzle of his weapon into Chloe's temple harder.

Chloe couldn't help but scream out in fear at the feel of the weapon's muzzle being pressed against her head.

"Okay!" Gibbs shouted to the second man, suddenly. "Okay!"

He let go of the man he was holding in a choke hold, and the man fell to the ground on his knees gasping for air.

The man then reached for his gun, which was laying not more than a few inches away, and stood up, turned, and pointed it at Gibbs.

The man said something in his native tongue, just as he aimed his weapon right over Gibbs' heart.

Suddenly there was a gun shot, blood sprayed onto Gibbs' shirt, as the man slowly sank backwards onto the ground--dead.

Ziva emerged from a thicket of dense foliage near a slightly more wooded area of the park, gun drawn and at the ready.

The second man tightened his grip on Chloe--slightly frightened by what he had seen.

He pressed the gun, more firmly, against Chloe's temple.

"She dies!" he yelled at Gibbs.

"NO!" Abby and Gibbs cried out, in unison, as the man went to make good on his promise.

"Don't move." McGee said, firmly, as he laid the muzzle of his Sig against the man's temple.

The man froze in his tracks.

"Drop the weapon--slowly." McGee instructed him.

The man did as he was told, dropping his weapon and then kicking it away.

"Now the girl." McGee continued.

The man did as told once again--letting Chloe go.

As soon as he had let Chloe go, McGee quickly handcuffed the man, and puched him face down to the ground.

Gibbs and Abby raced over to Chloe who was sobbing, on her knees.

"Chlo--princess." Gibbs said, as he dropped to his knees, pulling his daughter into his arms.

Chloe sobbed against her father's chest.

"Its alright, its okay--you're okay." Gibbs whispered as he rocked her.

Ziva ran the last few steps over to their side.

"Everyone okay?" she asked.

"I-I don't know." Abby replied. "Where's Paige?"

Gibbs looked up--as did Chloe--and looked around.

"Paige!" Gibbs yelled at the top of his voice.

"Paige!" Abby yelled--as well.

Suddenly Tony walked out of a dense pocket of foliage, with Paige by his side.

And upon seeing her mother, father, and sister all togethr, and all okay--she took off running towards them.

The four of them embraced in a family hug, almost immediately.

"Angel face--mommy's angel face." Abby sobbed, as she held her 10 year old daughter close.

---------------------------------------

Outside The Park...

By The Cars...

Several (several) minutes later they all gathered around the vehicles.

Gibbs shoved the handcuffed man into the backseat of Abby's car, and then he slammed the door shut.

"Ziva." Gibbs said.

"Yes." Ziva replied.

Gibbs held up the keys to Abby's car.

Abby and the girls were climbing into the back of Gibbs' car.

"You're driving Abby's car." Gibbs informed her.

"Yes sir." Ziva said, as she took the keys from Gibbs.

"Tony, go with her." Gibbs instructed.

"On it boss." Tony replied, waslking around to the passenger side of the car.

McGee had climbed into the passenger seat of Gibbs' car per his boss's orders.

As Gibbs started to climb behind the wheel of his car, he leaned out.

Ziva was just about to climb behind the wheel of Abby's car, when Gibbs called her name.

"And Ziva," Gibbs said, getting her attention.

Ziva turned in his direction.

"We need to get back to NCIS--fast." Gibbs said, almost with a grin.

As Ziva sat down in the seat, and closed the car door behind her--Tony recognized the look that she had in her eyes.

In Gibbs' car--Gibbs turned the key and started his car.

He looked over at McGee, before pulling away.

"By the way, McGee, nice work." Gibbs said, quietly.

Then they all pulled back out onto the highway and headed for NCIS.

------------To Be Continued In "A Night At NCIS"------------
.........This Chapter Is Not Yet Finished.........

"Witness Protection Program"

NCIS HQ...

Abby's Lab...

It was afternoon/mid-afternoon at NCIS. The team had relayed to Vance what had happened, and Vance reluctantly agreed to at least Gibbs serve as a consultant on the case--Gibbs still was not happy though.

Ducky had also taken the liberty of giving Abby, Chloe, and Paige a once over just to be on the safe side.

Now Abby stood, downstairs, in the lab.

Chloe and Paige were sitting in Abby's office.

Gibbs entered the lab.

"Abs." Gibbs said, quietly, stopping at the door.

Abby spun around on her heel to face him.

"Gibbs." she said, happy to see her husband.

He walked over to his wife.

"So, how'd it go with Vance?" she asked, as she stole a kiss.

The look that Gibbs gave her told Abby all that she needed to know.

"Not good, hunh?" she said.

Gibbs shook his head.

"Nope."

He kissed his wife on the lips.

When he pulled away from her Abby saw something in Gibbs' eyes, and knew instantly that something was troubling him.

"What?" she asked, firmly.

"Hmm?" Gibbs said, a confused look on his face.

Abby pulled away, a few steps, and looked at her husband.

"You've got something on your mind--what is it?" Abby asked, sternly.

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs asked.

Abby was starting to get ill at Gibbs--she hated it when he kept things from her--withheld information from her...she just hated it.

"You can't hide things from me Gibbs." Abby said, her voice rising an octave.

Uh no. Now Gibbs knew he was in trouble. Abby only called him by his last name when she was upset or upset/ill with/at him.

Gibbs let go of a long held sigh, and decided to just get it over with.

"I can't stop thinking about what happened--at the park." Gibbs said, slowly.

Abby saw the tortured look on her husband's face, and her heart ached for him.

She walked over to his side.

"He had a gun to Chloe's head, and I-" he stopped short, his mind reeling, as he tried to choke back the emotion(s)--it wasn't something that he did on purpose, it was just instinctive for him.

He swallowed hard.

"-I hesitated." he said, finally.

Abby wrapped her arms around her husband.

"If it hadn't been for McGee--she might be laying on one of Ducky' slabs." Gibbs said, as he wrapped his arms around Abby and held her close.

"But she's not, Jethro." Abby said, softly, trying to comfort her husband.

"Look, I was scared too, ya know--I was there." Abby continued.

"But I'm her father." Gibbs replied. "I'm supposed to protect her."

Abby knew there would be no changing his mind--at least not right now, but she had tried.

"That's why I've arranged, with Vance, to have you and the girls placed in protective custody." Gibbs said, suddenly.

Abby pulled away from her husband, a surprised look on her face.

"You know somewhere safe--away from me--" Gibbs continued.

"What!?"

"--Cause as long as you're near me, you're in the line of fire." he added.

"You're not serious?" she remarked, still in shock.

Abby shook her head in disbelief.

"I-I can't--I can't believe that you would do this-" she began to rant, angrily.

"Abs." Gibbs said, quietly, trying to calm his wife down.

"You didn't even ask what I wanted to do...did you?" she demanded.

Gibbs shook his head.

"Why do you always do this to me, Gibbs!?" Abby asked, angrily, her voice rising another octave.

"Abs, I just want you and the girls to be safe." Gibbs said, attempting to make her see things his way.

"I know, but--you didn't even talk to me first." Abby said.

"I mean, what if I want to stay here--with you?" Abby asked.

"You can't." Gibbs said, sternly.

"Why not!?" Abby asked, angrily.

"Because its too dangerous, and you know it!" Gibbs nearly shouted.

"So, what if I don't care!?" Abby shouted back.

"I don't give a damn whether you care or not--your going and that's final!" Gibbs shouted back, equally as loud.

Gibbs saw the flash of anger, hurt, and fear in his wife's eyes as the words left his mouth, but it was too late.

From inside Abby's office Chloe and Paige watched and listened as their parents fought.

They didn't fight a lot--at best it was a rare occassion--but nevertheless, they had their fair share of arguments and disagreements just like other couples did.

Their parents fighting always seemed to upset Paige, but Chloe had seen it more times than Paige had, and there was no doubt in her mind that her parents loved each other.

And the one thing that Chloe had never seen her father do--nor did she believe that he would ever do it--and that was that he had never raised his hand to their mother (Abby) out of anger.

Chloe could see the tears welling up in Paige's eyes.

Paige turned and ran over into the far corner of Abby's office, and sat there and wept.

Gibbs stepped closer to Abby, and employed the 'stare'.

"Is that understood?" Gibbs asked, in a low growl.

Abby's cheeks were stained with tears by now.

"Screw you Gibbs!" she snapped, angrily.

And as Gibbs stood there Abby walked over to the chair that she'd set up in front of her workstation and plopped down into it--arms folded against her chest and facing away from him--all the while avoiding eye contact with Gibbs.

Gibbs stood there for a minute, and then he turned and walked out of the lab.

In Abby's office Chloe was trying to comfort her little sister.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Out In The Hallway...

Gibbs stood in the hallway waiting for the elevator to get there.

He knew he had messed up--he'd messed up big time.

He didn't mean any of what he said, it just kind of came out.

Suddenly the elevator door opened and there in the elevator stood Ducky.

"Jethro, just the man I was looking for." Ducky said, as Gibbs stepped onto the elevator.

"Well Duck, looks like you found me." Gibbs replied, solemnly.

Ducky could sense that something was wrong.

"What is it?" Ducky asked.

Gibbs sighed, as he hit the up button on the wall of the elevator.

The elevator doors slid shut, and the elevator started to move.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Abby's Lab...

Abby sat at her workstation with her head resting on her arms--sobbing.

"Mom, are you okay?" Chloe asked, approaching her mother's side.

Abby lifted her head, and wiped some tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

"I'm okay." Abby said, trying to make herself stop crying.

"Paige and I saw you and dad fighting." Chloe informed her mother, slowly.

Paige stepped out from behind Chloe.

Abby held her arms out to her daughter.

Paige hugged her mother.

"I'm sorry you guys had to see that." Abby said, apologetically. "You're father and I love each other very much." she continued.

Abby kissed paige on top of the head, gently.

"Even though we don't always agree on everything--doesn't mean we love each other any less."

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Inside The Elevator...

"Abby and I-" he started to say. "Nothing...its--its nothing." Gibbs said, finally.

"What'dya need Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"The autopsy reports for both of the young men lying on my slabs." Ducky said, holding out a file folder.

Gibbs reached out and flipped the "Elevator Halt Switch" which brought the elevator to an abrupt stop--the lights in the elevator went out as well.

Gibbs turned to face Ducky, leaning back slightly on the elevator wall.

"I know Director Vance said otherwise, but I thought, given the circumstances, that you should be the first to see this." Ducky explained, knowing what Gibbs was thinking.

"What?" Gibbs asked, flatly.

Ducky flipped open the file folder and went straight to a set of photographs that he and Jimmy had taken.

He showed Gibbs two photographs in particular--first.

"See this tattoo here," Ducky pointed out. "Both men had the same tattoo in the same exact place on their bodies." Ducky explained, in a low voice.

"Whatcha thinkin' Duck?" Gibbs asked, with a knowing look.

"Just that maybe, these tattoos are some means of identification--like the type used by many gangs here in the United States." Ducky explained.

"So maybe we can use the tattoos to lead us to the big boss himself." Gibbs said.

"Precisely." Ducky said, with a triumphant smile.

"Nice work, Duck." Gibbs said, patting the aging man on the shoulder. "Anything else."

"Well I sent some samples off to Abby for analysis, so we won't know anything else until she's done." Ducky said.

Gibbs nodded.

Gibbs reached over and flipped the switch back on--restarting the elevator.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Interrogation Room...

Ziva and Tony were in the interrogation room with the suspect that they apprehended in the park.

Tony stood leaning against the wall while Ziva sat at the table across the handcuffed suspect.

Ziva rubbed her eyes with one hand.

"If I were you I would start talking." Tony said, to the man. "Pissin' her off is not a good idea." he added.

Ziva straightened up.

"Okay, from the top." Ziva said, looking at the man.

"Name." she said, sternly.

The man sat silently--unmoving.

By now Ziva was really angry, and her patience was getting shorter and shorter by the second.

"Answer!" Ziva shouted, slamming her hand, hard, against the table.

Still nothing.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Squad Room...

Gibbs and Ducky stepped off of the elevator.

Ducky headed for Vance's office, while Gibbs headed for his (own) desk.

"McGee." Gibbs said, as he entered the bullpen (area).

"Yeah boss." McGee replie, standing up behind his desk.

Gibbs walked up to McGee and handed him a couple of photos, of which Ducky had taken doubles.

"I want you to run these--see what comes up." Gibbs said, in a low voice.

"Right, on it boss." McGee replied, taking the photos and sitting back down.

Gibbs leaned in close.

"Vance is not to know." Gibbs whispered.

McGee nodded, expressing to his boss that he understood.

Gibbs walked back over to his desk, and sat down.

"Tony and Ziva get anything out of our 'friend'?" Gibbs asked.

"Uh nope, not yet." McGee replied.

Gibbs heaved a exasperated sigh.

He could not stop thinking about Abby. He knew he'd been wrong, and that she was now hurting, and it was tearing him up inside.

Gibbs stood up behind his desk.

"Going somewhere?" McGee asked.

"To get some coffee." Gibbs replied, as he walked away.

---------------------------------------

3 Hours Later...

NCIS HQ...

Squad Room...

Gibbs entered the squad room and found his team sitting around talking with one another.

"Hey Boss, see ya got yourself some coffee...are you feelin' better now-" Tony said, as he got up from his desk.

"I heard you and Abby had a--a bit of a disagreement, earlier, and I was just wonderin' if-"

Gibbs stood and looked Tony dead in the eyes with 'the stare'.

"You know what, never mind, I-I'm just gonna go and-and sit down now." Tony said, grinning nervously as he turned back for his own desk.

Gibbs sat back down in his chair, and turned to his computer screen.

Tony sat back down in his chair.

McGee leaned over in his chair towards Tony.

"I think that's a 'no', Tony." McGee said, with a smirk.

Tony made a mocking 'Ha Ha' face at McGee.

"David," Gibbs called, across the bullpen.

"Yes sir." Ziva answered, straightening in her seat.

"Get anything from our suspect?" he asked.

"Nothing." she replied.

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"He still refuses to say anything--to anyone." she explained.

Gibbs, coffee cup in one hand and a plastic bag in the other, made his way over to his desk, and sat down.

"We grilled him for almost 2 1/2 hours, and all we got was a blank stare--everytime." Tony chimed in.

Gibbs read a memo that had been e-mailed to him on his computer from Director Vance.

He finished reading the memo and then he punched the escape key on the keyboard, and stood up behind his desk.

"David, catch!" Gibbs called across the bullpen, as he lobbed the plastic bag at Ziva.

Ziva managed to catch it just in time to avoid being hit square in the face with/by whatever was in the plastic bag.

"Ducky found that in the dead guys pocket." Gibbs explained, as he walked out from around his desk.

"A cell phone?" Ziva remarked, as she studied it.

"Find out what's on it," Gibbs said, as he walked past her desk.

"On it." she said as she got up and headed for the elevator.

"Good luck with that honey!" Tony called after her.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs called, over his shoulder.

"Yeah boss!" Tony replied, standing up.

"Go with her." Gibbs instructed.

"You got it boss!" Tony called back.

Tony ran towards the elevator, but the door(s) were already closed behind Ziva.

Ziva waved at her husband, with a playful grin, as the elevator doors closed shut.

Tony chuckled to himself--amused.

"Oh, cute--very cute," Tony thought. "Alright, have it your way then--two can play this game." he said aloud, as he turned and bolted for the stairs determined to beat his wife downstairs.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Director Vance's Office...

Gibbs walked in through the door into Vance's office.

Vance was standing/leaning against the outside edge of his desk.

"You wanted to see me--Leon?"

"Took ya long enough." Vance scoffed.

"Yeah well, I was kind of preoccupied." Gibbs replied.

Vance chuckled.

"The reason I called you up here Gibbs, is not because I want you to stop investigating behind my back--and don't say you're not, because I know you are," Vance started.

"Wasn't gonna." Gibbs replied.

Vance reached across his desk, and picked up an already opened package, wrapped in brown paper.

"This package just arrived about an hour ago." Vance explained.

He handed the package to Gibbs who gave it a quick once over.

"On the outside it was addressed to NCIS, but on the inside it wa addressed--to you." Vance said, as he handed Gibbs the card that had been found inside the package.

"Who's it from?" Gibbs asked, plainly.

"It didn't say." Vance replied. "But I think you should listen to it yourself." he added.

Gibbs reached inside the package/box and pulled out a small miniature tape recorder.

Gibbs held it up and pressed the play button.

......Pre-Recorded Voice/Message......

"Hello Special Agent Gibbs, who I am is not important right now, but what is important is that you and Special Agent DiNozzo be made aware of your crimes and also that you will be held accountable for said crimes." The voice explained, very calmly.

Gibbs looked up at Vance.

"If you are listening to this, Agent Gibbs--then it means that you have, by some miracle, managed to elude my enforcers. The next time, though, you won't be so lucky. The guilty party will be punished--severly. I will be in contact if you and your families are still alive."

And that was it. The recording ended rather abruptly.

Gibbs turned the recorder off, shoved it back into its box, and tucked it under his arm.

He nodded at Vance, thanking him for the heads up.

Gibbs turned and headed for the door.

"Whatever your plannin' Gibbs--be careful." Vance said.

Gibbs turned around.

"Let Eric, downstairs, know that we'll be staying over night." Gibbs said.

Vance nodded.

"I will." Vance said.

Gibbs turned and walked out.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

In Abby's Lab...

Tony, Ziva, and Abby were standing around in the lab talking while waiting on the results from the tests that they were running.

"I heard that you guys had a fight," Tony said. "Gibbs didn't wanna talk about it--he didn't hit you, did he?" Tony asked.

Even though she was still angry and upset with her husband she would never tell a lie about him.

"No, of course not--Gibbs would never lay a hand on me out of anger." Abby said, quietly. "He's just really stubborn sometimes." she added.

"I wish these machines would hurry up already." Ziva said, blowing out a frustrated sigh.

Abby laughed at Ziva--her friend.

"Their like little babies, ya know--you can't rush'em to grow up any faster than they already are." Abby said.

Suddenly Tony's cell phone rang, and he answered it.

It was Gibbs.

The two of them talked, briefly, and then Tony hung up--a serious look on his face.

"Ziva, you got a gun on ya?" Tony asked, quickly.

"Yes, why?" she asked, her husband.

"Gibbs just got a message from the person who's been trying to kill us." Tony explained.

"We're all targets." he added.

"Tali." Ziva breathed.

"Yeah. That's where were headed." Tony said. "To get Talia and McGee's sister."

"Sara, why?" Abby asked.

"She was babysitting Talia for us at McGee's place." Ziva explained.

Ziva bent over, pulled her left pants leg up a little bit to reveal a small revolver inside an ankle holster.

She handed the weapon to her husband.

Tony checked the ammo, and then with a flick of his wrist closed the weapon back up.

"Be careful." Ziva said, as she planted a quick kiss on her husband's cheek.

Tony turned and was half way out of the room when Abby called his name.

"Tony," she called out.

Tony turned around. "Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on my husband for me, please." she said, softly.

Tony smiled a knowing smile.

"I will." he replied, and then turned and walked out of the lab.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Squad Room...

Gibbs and Tony returned about an hour and a half later with Talia and McGee's sister Sara.

Ziva and McGee were waiting in the squad room when they stepped off of the elevator.

"Mommy!" Talia yelped excitedly, as she ran around the corner to her mother's desk.

Ziva was sitting at her desk.

"Tali." Ziva said, with a smile, as the 5 year old leapt into her mother's lap.

"Kiss." Ziva said.

Gibbs, Tony, and Sara came around the corner as Talia gave her mother a big kiss.

"Did you lock everything up?" McGee asked Sara as she approached his desk.

"Yes, I locked everything up--just like you said." she replied, slight annoyance in her voice.

Gibbs and Tony sat down at their respective desks.

"How was she?" Ziva asked.

"She was great." Sara replied, with a smile. "We colored, watched TV, she napped."

"Ziva," Gibbs called, from his desk.

"Sir?" she replied.

"Anything on that cell phone?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothing." she replied. "It was a burn phone."

"Abby and I traced every call placed and recieved from the suspects' cell phone." she added. "All of the outgoing calls were the same."

Gibbs let out a 'well that was a waste of time' sigh.

Talia gave her mother another big kiss.

"Hey what am I, chopped liver." Tony quipped, jokingly. "What about a kiss for dear old dad."

Ziva laughed.

Talia jumped down from her mother's lap and ran across the bullpen to give her daddy a kiss.

"So what are we doing for supper?" Sara asked, looking over at her brother.

"I guess we'll order out." McGee replied.

"McGee--tattoos?"

"Uh, not yet Boss. The images are still running through the known databases." McGee informed Gibbs.

Across the bullpen at Tony's desk--

"Daddy," Talia said, sitting in her father's lap. "I'm hungry."

Tony looked across the bullpen at his wife.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"I guess I could eat--yes." Ziva replied.

Tony looked over at Gibbs.

Gibbs realized that Tony was staring at him.

"Go." Gibbs said, nodding. Then a half second later he changed his mind.

"Wait--call out and order for all of us--then let Eric downstairs know that the delivery guy is coming." Gibbs said, revising his original statement.

"Alright," Tony said, standing up. "Come on pumpkin." Tony said, softly, ushering his daughter along.

As Ziva stood to follow them, everyone in the room began handing her slips of paper with their orders on them--except for Gibbs.

She stopped by his desk.

"Chow Mein?" she asked.

"Yep." he replied.

She smiled and then walked away, memorizing her boss's order.

"Watcha workin' on?' Sara asked, her brother.

The two of them began conversing with one another, as Gibbs stood, walked around his desk, and headed for the elevator.

............To Be Continued In "Break-In"............

"Break-In"

NCIS HQ...

Elevator...

Gibbs stepped onto the elevator, and hit the button to take him down to Autopsy as the doors closed behind him.

A minute or so passed as the elevator descended downward, and then suddenly stopped short of its destination.

Gibbs blew out an exasperated sigh, as he eyed the gauge above the door that displayed which floor he was on.

"What Idiot-" he thought to himself, as the elevator door slid open.

His thoughts suddenly froze.

When the elevator door opened Gibbs found Abby staring in at him.

Abby contemplated the possibility of just taking the stairs instead, briefly, but shook it off--the elevator was much faster than the stairs.

She stepped on, avoiding eye contact with Gibbs, as the elevator doors closed behind her.

They rode in silence for a bit.

Abby could feel Gibbs' eyes on her, and it was making her slightly uncomfortable.

She heard Gibbs heave a great sigh from behind her.

Gibbs reached out and slapped, rather hard, the stop switch--bringing the elevator to a halt and turning out the lights.

"You hurt me Gibbs." Abby said, as she turned to face her husband.

Gibbs was silent--he just stood in place, leaning against the wall, with his arms folded across his chest.

"Why didn't you talk to me first?" she asked, quietly.

Gibbs looked down at the floor.

"Because I know you too well." he replied, plainly.

Tears began to form in her eyes.

"Sometimes you make me feel like my opinion doesn't matter." she said, with a sniffle.

"I don't want a bodyguard, or protective detail, or anything else," she said, wiping a tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

Gibbs ran one hand through his silvery hair.

"My place is with you." she added. "I don't feel safe anywhere else."

She tried to continue, but she suddenly just broke down and feel to her knees right there in the elevator.

Gibbs dropped down to his knees, slowly, and pulled his wife into his embrace.

"I almost lost you once, Jethro, I can't go through that again." she said, sniffling.

Gibbs let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Abs." he said, softly, kissing her on top of the head.

He hugged his wife tight.

"I didn't mean to upset you--the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you." he said.

"You and the girls are my whole world," he said, softly. "And if something were to happen to you guys--I would never forgive myself."

"I know." she said, her head resting against her husband's shoulder.

"You were just doing what you thought was best--thats why your children feel so safe around you." she said.

There was a moment or two of silence before either one of them spoke again.

"So I guess this means we're spending the night here." Gibbs said.

Abby looked up, and saw a grin on her husband's face.

She kissed him, passionately, on the lips.

"I guess so." she whispered, against his lips.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Autopsy...

A Few Minutes Later...

Gibbs and Abby walked into Autopsy.

"I see you two have finally made up." Ducky said, as he walked towards them.

"Yep." Abby replied.

Ducky chuckled.

"Good. Now what can I do for you two?" Ducky asked.

"Its time to eat." Gibbs said.

"Yeah, Tony and Ziva ordered out for everyone." Abby explained.

"Oh well that is a good thing indeed." the old man replied.

"I think we could all use a bit of nurishment." he added.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Squad Room...

Tony and Ziva stood in front of the elevator waiting for it to get to them. They'd only been waiting for a couple of minutes.

The couple were whispering to each other when the elevator pinged, and then the door opened.

"You two look like you have a dirty little secret," Abby joked, as she stepped off of the elevator.

Tony and Ziva exchanged glances.

Gibbs and Ducky stepped off after Abby.

"We were just going down to meet the delivery guy," Tony informed them.

"Good." Gibbs said, plainly. "I'm starved."

Tony chuckled to himself as he and Ziva stepped onto the elevator.

The elevator door started to close.

Gibbs quickly spun back around on his heel, and caught the door with his hand--preventing it from closing.

"Need something boss?" Tony asked.

"Yeah DiNozzo, I do." Gibbs replied. "I need you to requisition pillows and blankets for my family while you're down there." Gibbs instructed.

Tony grinned. "I'll get right on that as soon as possible." he said.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ...

Abby's Lab...

Night Time...

Gibbs, Abby, Chloe, and Paige all gathered downstairs in the lab where pillows and blankets were waiting for them.

They shuffled everything around in the back office space to make room for them to sleep.

Gibbs leaned up against the wall, a pillow nestled behind his back, with Abby leaning against his left side and Chloe leaning against his right side. Paige was leaning against her mother.

Gibbs and Abby had also pulled the two big blankets that they had up around to cover all four of them at once.

"Time for bed." Gibbs said with a yawn.

"You won't let anyone hurt us, will you daddy?" Paige asked, as she rested her head against Abby's stomach.

"Not on your life kiddo." Gibbs replied with a soft smile.

After a few minutes the four of them finally settled down and fell fast asleep.

---------------------------------------

NCIS HQ---

Squad Room---

Night---

Tony, Ziva, and Talia sat nestled together behind Tony's desk in the squad room with pillows and blankets.

.........This Chapter Is Not Yet Finished.........