Kate opened the door to her apartment, looking forward to finally being able to relax after what turned out to be an incredibly exhausting day. She had spent most of her day trying to figure out the enigma that was her partner, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo; a man who had been content to allow her to believe that he was nothing more than an overgrown frat boy, lacking depth and maturity. Kate had never been so wrong about anybody in her life. Her profiling skills had failed her miserably. She had misjudged Tony and now, she had to start from the beginning and attempt to figure out exactly who Tony DiNozzo was.
She cut on the light and locked the door behind her, laying her personal belongings on the countertop. Unable to summon the energy to go and start her water for the hot, steaming bath that she had been planning, Kate collapsed on the couch, welcoming the opportunity to rest. Although her body was beginning to melt into the cushions, her mind continued racing as she tried to process everything that had happened in the past 24 hours.
The revelation that Tony had been married at such a young age came as a great surprise to her. DiNozzo’s so called reputation with women had allowed her to automatically label him as a typical male who was only looking for a fling to serve his physical needs; never would she have considered that maybe his dating habits were a cover for something deeper. Could it be that after losing Sydney, Tony believed that no one could take her place? Could it be that he was afraid of making another deep seated commitment for fear that his heart would be broken once again? Could it be that DiNozzo was simply trying to escape his past?
Kate sighed. She cared about Tony, perhaps more than she wanted to admit, and it pained her to think about how he must have felt when Sydney and their son was killed. Despite outward appearances, DiNozzo carried guilt close to his heart and there was no doubt in her mind that he had carried around the burden of Sydney and Sean’s deaths for years.
“Why didn’t you tell us, Tony?” she mumbled to herself.
He had evidently kept this secret hidden from Gibbs; why would he confide in her? Gibbs was like a father to the senior field agent and he had been as astonished as the rest of them to learn that DiNozzo had lived a different life before meeting up with the team leader. She was merely his partner, his friend, but not his confidante. Tony knew her life’s history, but until today, all she had known about him was that he came from money and he didn’t have a good relationship with his father. She didn’t even know his birthday, but he had sent her flowers when it had been hers; another testament to the perplexity of the layers that made up the man who was her partner.
Disgusted, she shook her head. “Wow. Maybe Gibbs needs to get a new profiler; someone who won’t let her partner play her like a fiddle.”
She was a little surprised that Gibbs was still speaking to her; he had not been pleased to learn about her and McGee’s private investigation into Tony’s affairs, including the call she had made to Steve Adler. He had forced them to focus on Jason Miller and what they had learned had truly horrified her and forced her to see DiNozzo in a whole new light.
Miller had been accused and tried for the murders of Sydney and Michael Sean DiNozzo, but the case had been thrown out because of mishandled evidence. That certainly explained Tony’s insistence on perfection when handling and processing evidence. His wife and child’s murderer had been set free and Tony had been powerless to stop it, creating a burden that DiNozzo would silently carry for many years.
Despite the fact that she had never met Jason Miller, Kate hated the man for the agonizing pain that he had caused her friend. She was determined to see Miller brought to justice; she owed Tony that much.
Kicking off her shoes, Kate slowly pushed herself up off the couch. It was time for that long, hot bath she had promised herself earlier. Heading towards her bedroom, she stopped mid-stride at the familiar sound of a gun being cocked. Her first instinct was to reach for her own weapon, but unfortunately, it was beside her purse on the counter. The agent muttered a curse and slowly turned around to face her unexpected guest.
“Not the kind of language a lady should use, Agent Todd,” the intruder chastised, sarcasm dripping from every word.
Kate immediately recognized her unwelcome visitor; she had been staring at his face all day long. “Miller.”
“Here I was worried that you wouldn’t recognize me.”
“Believe me,” she coolly replied. “I know who you are.”
“Then my reputation precedes me. Tell me, what has my dear friend Anthony told you about me?”
“He didn’t tell me anything.”
“So you found out about me through some good old fashioned police work. Is that right, Katie?”
She cringed at the familiar moniker that Tony sometimes used when he was teasing her. What else did this man know about her? The very sight of Jason Miller made her stomach church, but she would not show weakness in front of this man. “You could say that.”
“Let me guess,” Miller taunted. “You’ve spent all day studying my record and now you think you know everything about me. Well, I’m here to tell you that you don’t know anything about me. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions until you hear both sides of the story.”
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”
“I figured as much.”
“In that case, you can just leave,” she demanded. Kate was genuinely surprised at the strength that her voice projected; inside, she was shaking like a leaf.
“That’s very rude, Katie. We’ve not had the opportunity to get to know one another better.”
“The only thing I need to know about you is the fact that you are a cold blooded murderer.”
In an instant, she found herself pinned up against the wall, Miller’s gun pointed at her temple. Kate swallowed hard, silently praying that this would not be the way her life ended; the thought of her brains being splattered on her wall only served to exacerbate the nausea that was plaguing her.
His face was mere centimeters from hers; his hot, rancid breath made her body shiver involuntarily. “Like I said,” he growled. “You don’t know the whole story. But you’ll have plenty of time to hear it while we wait.”
“Wait for what?” Kate asked, uncertain if she wanted to hear the answer.
“For Tony.”
“Tony?”
“Yes. You see, I’m sending him a special invitation to this little party.”
Suddenly, everything made sense. “You’re using me to get to Tony,” she boldly observed.
“He was always a sucker for a damsel in distress,” Miller pointed out. “I doubt much has changed. Too bad Tony was too late the last time; I hope his sense of timing has improved over the years.”
“Why are you doing this?”
He released his grip on her, a malicious smile creeping across his face. “Because I can.”
“You won’t get away with this.”
“Oh, I did once and I will again.”
“Not this time. This time, you won’t escape and you won’t live to see…”
“As long as I live long enough to see Tony DiNozzo beg me to kill him; I’ll be happy.”
Fighting back tears, Kate glared at the man before her. “You bastard.”
“So I’ve been told.”
She gasped in pain as Miller grabbed her by the hair of the head. “Now, I want you to listen to me, Katie. Are you listening?”
“Y…yes,” she stammered.
“Here’s the plan. We’re going to walk out of here together, but this gun will be pointed at your back the entire time. Hopefully, it’s late enough, we won’t run into any pesky neighbors; at least you better pray that we don’t or they’ll be sorry they ever knew you.”
Kate’s eyes widened in fear and disbelief. “You don’t mean…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish her question. The agent already knew the answer. Jason Miller would kill anyone who got in his way, including any innocent bystanders.
“Yes, Katie. I will kill them without hesitation. Do you understand me?”
She nodded, knowing that she could never needlessly put an innocent person in harm’s way. Kate would have to wait for a better time to formulate an escape, but in the meantime, she had to figure out a way to warn Gibbs about Miller and his plans.
“I understand,” she quietly answered. “Just don’t hurt anybody.”
“That my dear, is up to you.”
She grabbed her coat as she walked out the door, knowing that her cell phone was in her pocket. Kate silently prayed that Miller wouldn’t think about checking her pockets because her phone was going to be the only link in letting Gibbs know where she was. Side by side, she and Miller walked towards his car, the gun firmly planted against her spine. A couple of her neighbors passed them, but they only nodded and continued on. Breathing a sigh of relief that no one stopped them, she slid into the passenger’s side and watched with irritation as Miller used her own handcuffs to fasten her hand to the door handle.
“Hope you don’t mind. I took these out of your purse. I thought they would come in handy.”
Kate refused to look at Miller as he opened the driver’s side door and slide behind the steering wheel. He started the car and picked up his own phone. “Now, it’s time to get this party started,” Miller announced. Kate didn’t miss the almost joyful sound his voice held as he dialed the phone.
There was no doubt in her mind who he was calling; she just hoped that Gibbs was around to keep Tony from doing something foolish. Kate knew that Tony would trade his life for hers without hesitation; that was just the kind of man he was. Despite his sometimes juvenile behavior, he was someone that she could always count on to have her back.
Blowing out a pent up breath, she attempted to calm her frazzled nerves. Kate knew that she had to ready for anything and she had to keep her wits about her. Leaning her head back against the head rest, she listened intently as Jason Miller made his call.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tony was startled awake by the ringing of the phone. It took a few seconds before he realized that it wasn’t his cell ringing, but the phone beside his bed. Looking around, he quickly remembered that he was not at his apartment, but in the hospital. Memories of the day came flooding back to him as managed to fumble for the receiver.
“DiNozzo,” he answered, out of habit.
“I didn’t expect you to answer the phone. Where’s your bodyguard?’
There was no mistaking the voice on the other end of the line. The mere sound of Jason Miller’s voice evoked a feeling of hatred in him that words could not describe. “Miller,” he seethed.
“You didn’t answer me. Where’s your bodyguard?”
“I don’t know. Probably gone for coffee,” Tony snapped. “What do you want?”
Miller laughed. “It’s not what I want, Tony. It’s what you want.”
“And what would that be?”
“You want to see me dead.”
“More than anything.”
“Then we have something in common,” Miller purposefully taunted.
Tony wasn’t in the mood for games. He pushed the button that would summon the nurse, hoping that she would know where Gibbs was and that he was nearby. “We have nothing in common,” he shot back.
The nurse entered the room and he mouthed ‘Gibbs’, hoping that she would understand. Before the nurse could leave, the team leader walked in and without Tony having to utter a word, he seemed to know who the senior agent was talking to.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Tony,” Miller continued. “We both loved Sydney and…”
He clenched his fist as images of Sydney’s broken body came flooding back. “Don’t you dare mention her name!” he screamed, not caring who heard him. “You don’t have the right! You killed her and Sean and you will pay. The pain they went through is nothing compared to what you’re going to face when I get a hold of you.”
“I’m sure that there is a law about federal agents needlessly threatening innocent civilians; isn’t that right, Katie?”
Tony nearly dropped the phone at the mention of his partner’s name. The bastard had Kate. He felt his chest tighten at the thought of what Jason Miller could do to her. He knew what Miller was capable of and Tony truly feared for her life. “Let me talk to her,” he insisted.
“Of course, Tony. I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear a friendly voice.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to ward off the visions that were haunting him. He would not let Kate become Miller’s next victim. Tony could hear Gibbs talking to someone and he knew that the former Marine was already one step ahead of him, trying to get the call traced.
His heart sank when he heard Kate’s voice. “Tony?”
“God, Kate. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she promised. “Don’t listen to him, Tony. It’s a trap.”
“I know,” he assured her. “Just sit tight. I’ll get you out of this. I promise.”
“How sweet,” Miller snarled. “I’ll have to warn her about your promises; you tend to break them. If Sydney were alive, you could ask her how well you keep your word.”
“What do you want?” Tony repeated.
“A trade, plain and simple. You for Katie.”
Without thinking, Tony asked, “When and where?”
“I’ll let you know. I figure by now your boss is there, trying to get a trace on me. But you don’t give me enough credit,” Miller declared. “I’m getting ready to toss this phone out the window. Burn phones certainly serve their purpose, don’t they?”
“You better not lay a hand on her.”
“Why? Don’t tell me that you have feelings for her? Do you think Sydney would approve?”
“Don’t you hurt her!”
“I’ll be in touch. By the way, where will you be staying?” Miller’s maniacal laughter rang in his ear and then it stopped abruptly. The line was dead and he had lost his only connection to Kate.
He dropped the receiver in his lap and cradled his aching head with his hands. Tony felt a calloused hand on his shoulder. “Tony?” Gibbs called out to him, hanging the receiver up with his free hand.
“Miller has Kate. Wants to make a trade; me for Kate.”
“No,” the team leader growled.
“Boss, I…”
“We’ll think of something else. We’ll find Kate, but I’m not letting you turn yourself over to Miller.”
Tony raked his hands through his hair. “I have to, Gibbs. I have enough blood on my hands; I can’t handle having her death on my conscience as well. You don’t know what Miller’s capable of. I do.”
“There has to be another way. We’ll trace his call and…”
“Burn phone,” Tony informed him. “He’ll get rid of it first chance he gets.”
“You’re still not making the swap.”
He glared at the team leader, prepared to argue his point even further, but something in Gibbs’ eyes made him reconsider. There was a sadness and a fear in the older man’s blue orbs that had not been there before and Tony wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. “Gibbs, I…”
“I’ve lost a wife and daughter. I’m not losing my son,” Gibbs vowed.
“But what about Kate?”
“We’ll think of something. I’m going to have Abby try and see if she can get a GPS fix on Kate’s phone. Maybe she has it with her.”
“Maybe.”
Tony didn’t trust his voice to speak, so he closed his eyes and feigned sleep. Gibbs knew that he wasn’t asleep, but thankfully, the team leader did not try and force him to participate in a conversation he wasn’t ready to have. Worry for Kate consumed him to the point that he began to feel sick. He tamped down the urge to vomit, knowing that if he showed any signs of illness, he would be forced to stay another day in the hospital and Tony could not afford to waste anymore time if he were going to find Kate.
“Tony?” Gibbs gently shook his shoulder to rouse him. “Tony, I want you to listen to me.”
He raised his head and met his boss’s concerned gaze. “Yeah?”
“I want your word that you’re not going to do anything stupid like agree to this swap.”
Tony shook his head. He wanted nothing more than to promise Gibbs that he would follow his orders, but he couldn’t make his lips form the words that the ex-Marine needed to hear. “I’m sorry, Gibbs. I can’t do that.”
“Tony, if…”
“No! I know Miller. He’ll kill Kate and I can’t live with that. If he kills me, then at least I’ll be with Sydney and Sean. I stood by and did nothing the first time; I will not do that again. I will not let him hurt Kate or anyone else.”
“Don’t you think I’ll be hurt if you die, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked.
“Yes, but…”
“No buts, Tony. We’ll do this my way.”
“I can’t, Boss. If you want to suspend me for not following orders, go ahead, but when Miller calls again, I’m making the trade and you can’t stop me.”
Gibbs’ eyes narrowed. “DiNozzo, I’m…”
“Gibbs, can you honestly stand there and tell me that you wouldn’t do the same thing if you were in my shoes? Can you tell me that you wouldn’t trade yourself for Kate? If you can, then I won’t go.”
His challenge was met with silence. Gibbs would give his life up for any of them without giving it a second thought and they both knew that no one would be able to talk the team leader out of making the trade. It was then that he and Gibbs came to an understanding. Tony knew what he had to do and Gibbs had to respect his decision.
“All right,” Gibbs finally conceded. “We’ll do it your way, but I reserve the right to pull the plug on this operation.”
Tony nodded. “Gotcha Boss.”
“Are you sure about that, DiNozzo?”
“I’m sure.”
“All right. Get some rest,” the team leader instructed. “I’ll call Abby and we’ll see what we can come up with.”
“Okay.”
Tony closed his eyes again, his reserve of energy completely depleted. He was forced to wait for Miller to make the next move and his patience was waxing thin. What if Miller hurt Kate? How could he look her family in the eye and tell them that she was dead because of him? He could not let her meet the same fate as Sydney.
He heard Gibbs talking to Abby and it wouldn’t be long before the news that Kate had been kidnapped spread like a wildfire through NCIS. Everyone would know that he was to blame and if anything happened to her, everyone would know who to hold responsible.
Tony cared for Kate deeply. He always pictured her as the good sibling in their little family, while he was the worldly brother; McGee was the naïve baby brother and Abby was the strange but sweet sister who accepted everyone as they were. Gibbs was the head of their dysfunctional family, while Ducky was the wizened grandfather who told stories and offered advice without passing judgment. He wasn’t sure what role Palmer held at the moment, but he also had a place in their family.
Miller was threatening his family, just as he had many years ago. Tony vowed that he would not permit his new family to be destroyed by the crazed man, whose blood ran cold with hatred for him. He would protect them at all costs, even if it meant he had to go against Gibbs’ orders.
Chapter End Notes:
Again, sorry for the delay...couldn't get logged in and now I am so I am catching the site up! Happy reading.