Chapter 20
The former Marine carefully took in his surroundings, his eyes continuously darting about for any sign of Jason Miller. Miller was ten minutes late, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that the other man’s tardiness was just a way to remind him of who was in control. Gibbs leaned against the frame of his truck and mentally ticked off the minutes in his mind, remaining alert and focused on the overwhelming task that lay ahead.
Fortunately his enforced period of waiting came to an end when Jason Miller pulled up beside him, driving the very car that they had put a BOLO on. Maybe Miller wasn’t the mastermind that he believed himself to be; either that or he simply didn’t care that he would ultimately get caught because of his recklessness. Gibbs approached the open window on the passenger’s side.
“You’re very punctual,” Miller observed.
“And you’re late,” he retorted, purposefully glancing at his watch.
“I just had to make sure that you were following my instructions.”
“I thought I made it pretty clear that I wouldn’t do anything to purposefully endanger Tony’s life.”
“I think I’m fully aware of the lengths that you’ll go to save that worthless piece of human flesh. Maybe one of these days you can tell me why he’s so special to you. Actually, it will probably end up being one of those unsolved mysteries of our time; his own father doesn’t even like him that much, and yet you think of him as a son. Perhaps it’s that common bond that you two share.”
An evil smile danced on Miller’s lips. “Of course, I’m sure that you’re aware of the common bond that I’m referring to. I’m sure since both of you lost your families in such a tragic way, that you share a kindred spirit.”
Gibbs clenched his jaw tightly, refusing to rise to Miller’s bait; he would not succumb to the evil man’s antics. DiNozzo’s life depended on him keeping a cool head; he could not allow himself to be drawn inside Jason Miller’s twisted mind. “Take me to Tony,” the team leader growled.
“But of course.” Miller reached across the seat and opened the door. “Get in.”
The team leader slid into the passenger’s seat and closed the door. Miller threw him a pair of handcuffs and ordered him to cuff his right wrist to the door handle. Gibbs found himself slightly amused at Miller’s penchant for overkill as he complied with the request. “Afraid I’m gonna jump? I already told you that I’m not going to take any chances with DiNozzo’s life.”
“I know what you told me and actually, I believe you. Let’s just say it’s for my peace of mind.”
His glare remained fixed on Miller as he finished securing his wrist to the door. Gibbs knew that he had to quell his temper in order to insure Tony’s survival, but the longer that he was in Jason Miler’s presence, the more difficult it was becoming to curb that anger that was raging inside of him.
“Are you ready, Agent Gibbs?” Miller testily inquired.
“I’m ready.”
“I’m sure that Tony will be relieved to see you; that is if he’s still alive. He looked absolutely exhausted when I left him, but he was still standing.” Miller’s fingers began drumming the steering wheel. “I really do hope he’s in one piece.”
Gibbs swallowed hard at the thought of the torture Tony was being forced to endure. What else did Miller have in store for the young agent? “When we get there, you better put an end to this game.”
“You are in no position to make any sort of demands, Agent Gibbs. I am in control.”
“You seem to take great pleasure in reminding me of that fact, but you’re going to find out that Tony is a lot stronger than you give him credit for. You didn’t break him the first time; what makes you think that you’ll break him now?”
The few seconds of unexpected silence seemed to stretch into an eternity. Gibbs realized that he had obviously struck a nerve and he quietly filed this away for future use; he had a feeling that he would need all the help he could muster if he were going to help Tony defeat this monster.
“It wasn’t for lack of trying,” Miller seethed. “Last time, I was hindered by our judicial system and the need to quickly leave the country; now I have all the time in the world to make sure that Tony understands what true suffering is. It has taken me several years to set my plan in motion and now that I have, I get to sit back and enjoy the show.”
“So what am I here for?” the team leader wanted to know.
“I haven’t fully decided yet. I consider you to be a loose end. I came to realize that if I didn’t have you in my grasp, that there was a chance that you would actually rescue Tony and I couldn’t let that happen. So you became part of my plan.”
“And what part is that?”
“The part that forces Tony to endure my brilliant madness,” Miller crowed. “He’ll bend to my will if he thinks that I’m going to harm you.”
The former Marine blew out a pent up breath and shook his head in amazement. “I thought you knew DiNozzo better than that.”
Miller visibly bristled at the sound of his laughter, causing him to swerve slightly. “I do know him.”
“Obviously not.”
Gibbs pointed to the road in front of them. “You might want to keep your eyes on the road.”
He made yet another mental note regarding Miller’s adverse reaction to his knowledge being challenged. “If you knew DiNozzo as well as you claim to know him, you’d know that Tony doesn’t bend to anyone’s will; he’s pretty stubborn.”
“Yes he is,” Miller agreed. “But a man can only take so much and I intend to push him beyond his limits. I will truly enjoy watching Tony begging me to kill him, but I won’t give him the release that he wants; at least not until he sees you die. He will be losing another member of his family all because of his selfishness and insecurities.”
“So you’re going to kill me,” he coolly deduced.
“Eventually.”
“Eventually?”
“When I think you’ve outlived your usefulness, your demise will be swift. I can’t say the same thing for Tony.”
Gibbs refused to be intimidated by the threat on his life; he had faced worse than the likes of Jason Miller and survived. “Do you want a piece of advice?”
“Not really.”
The team leader shrugged. “All right. Just thought I’d offer.”
“Go ahead and say what you were going to say,” Miller sighed.
“I was just going to tell you that you probably shouldn’t underestimate me or Tony,” Gibbs warned. “That’ll be a decision that you’ll regret.”
A barely audible moan escaped from his throat as his head collided with the window when Miller slammed on the brakes, coming to a complete stop in the middle of the nearly abandoned highway. Gibbs silently cursed as he felt a thin trickle of blood seep from his scalp.
“Don’t say another word!” the younger man roared. “I’m tired of hearing you run your mouth. I hear a peep out of you and I’ll make sure there aren’t enough pieces left of DiNozzo left to gather up as evidence; remember, he’s standing on a bomb. A bomb that I can detonate as soon as I’m within a mile radius.”
Unwilling to call Miller’s bluff, Gibbs stared out the window, continuing to take in the wooded area as the car once again began to follow the asphalt path that would ultimately take him to Tony. He found his thoughts centering on his senior field agent, hoping that DiNozzo’s natural survival instincts would serve him well until he arrived. Then perhaps Tony could draw from his strength and use it as his own; the only thing that the young agent had to do was to stay alive until he arrived. The team leader couldn’t shake the feeling that surviving was not going to be an easily accomplished feat.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Sydney? You still,,,there?” Tony gasped.
He was fading fast. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his mind focused despite the conversation that he had been having with his deceased wife. He loved the sound of her voice and knew that it would now be etched in his mind forever. If her voice was the last sound that he ever heard, Tony knew that he would die a happy man. Of course, not that he could die anytime in the near future; Gibbs wouldn’t be happy if he arrived to discover that he was rescuing a corpse.
“Syd?” he called out again.
“Dad?”
Tony licked his parched lips. “Sean?” He choked back a sob as he tried to picture his son’s face. Regret and sadness consumed him at the thought of the child that he had never seen or held in his arms. Sydney had said that Sean looked like him but that did little to comfort him as the desire to see his child overwhelmed him. “Oh Sean,” he muttered.
“I’m here, Dad. It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry. I just…I’m just a little…emotional.”
“I know, Dad. Everything is going to be all right.”
“I just…keep…thinking of what it would have been…like to hold you as…a baby; to…watch you grow up…play catch…” Tony exhaled a ragged breath in an effort to clear his mind. “You must think that your old man is a blubbering idiot.”
“No sir,” Sean replied. “I think you’re the strongest man I’ve ever seen.”
Sean’s words melted his heart; the love and admiration of a child was truly a wonderful thing. “Really?”
“Yes sir!”
“Yes sir? You’ve got some good…manners there.”
“Mom’s taught me well. She always said that you were respectful of others and she says that I’m just like you, so I figure that I better do you proud.”
“I’ve always been…proud of you.”
“Even though you never got the chance to meet me until now?”
“From the moment…I found…out your mom was…pregnant, I was…proud of you. I knew…that you were special. You and your…mom were the best thing…that ever…happened to me.”
“Mom says you were the best thing that ever happened to her.”
Tony gritted his teeth against the pain that was assaulting him. His nerves were on fire from being forced to stay immobile for so long and he wished desperately for relief.
“Are you okay, Dad?”
“Yeah,” he groaned. “I’m just tired.”
“I know, Dad. Just hang in there a little while longer,” Sean pleaded.
“I’m…not going…anywhere.”
“You’ve still got a lot of living to do, Dad.”
“It’d be so…easy to…give up. Join you and…your mom.”
“But that would be giving up and mom says you’re not a quitter.”
“No,” Tony sighed. “I’m not, at least not yet.”
“Promise me, Dad. Promise me that you’re not going to ever quit.”
“But I would get to see you and hold you. I…never got that…chance. I never…”
“Promise me, Dad,” the young boy insisted.
“You’re pushy…get that from your…mom.,” he weakly grinned.
“Promise me, Dad.”
Tony didn’t want to make that promise because he knew that if he did, that he would have to keep it. One thing that Tony had never done was to go back on his word and he wasn’t about to start now. “I promise.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I’d do anything for…you and…your mom.”
“I love you, Dad.”
“We both do.”
Tony’s smile grew as Sydney’s voice echoed in his mind. “Syd…he’s a good boy.”
“He takes after his father,” she proudly stated.
“I love you both.”
“We love you, Tony. We have to go for a little while, but…”
He felt a sense of rising panic. “Why? Please…don’t leave me.”
“It’s okay, babe,” she assured him. “Someone else is coming to help you.”
“What? Who?”
The door to his prison swung open, the door hitting the wall with a resounding thud. Tony struggled to keep his muscles from tensing when he heard the familiar voice of Jason Miller.
“Miss me?” his enemy taunted.
“Were you…gone?” Tony tiredly shot back.
Miller chuckled at Tony’s feeble attempt at humor. He wanted to prove that he was still in the fight despite the fact that he felt like he could curl up and die at any moment, but that was the easy way out and Tony had never been one to take the easy way.
“I’m amazed that you still have enough of your wits about you to make such a whimsical remark,” Miller stated.
“You…shouldn’t…underestimate me.”
“Hmm…where’ve I heard that before? I believe that you just told me the same thing not to long ago, Agent Gibbs.”
Tony fought the urge to straighten his weary frame at the realization that Gibbs was in the room with him. He was having a hard time believing that the team leader was actually here with him; after all, he’d spent the better part of his day talking to dead people and his grasp on reality was questionable. “Boss?” he tentatively called out.
“Tony,” he answered. “You doing all right?”
There was no mistaking that voice; it was the same voice that had both yelled at him and supported him over the years. “I’m a hanging…in there, Boss.”
“You’re doing good, DiNozzo.”
The words of encouragement were like a life preserver to him; praise from Gibbs was always well deserved and not easily earned. Tony cleared his throat in an effort to make his voice sound more confident. “Thanks.”
“Cut him down.”
It took Tony a few minutes to recognize the fact that Gibbs was not talking to him. He was fading in and out as an argument ensued between Gibbs and Miller. Unable to follow the conversation, Tony settled for replaying the former Marine’s words in his mind. You’re doing good, DiNozzo.
All he had to do was stay alive until Gibbs convinced Miller to set him free. He knew that his wish for freedom was more than likely a mute point, but he had a feeling that his current ordeal would soon be over.
He was brought out of his reverie by a calloused hand striking his face. Tony’s head jerked back and he cried out in fear, expecting his body to be ripped apart by the explosion that he had managed to avoid the past several hours. Instead, he was greeted by the maniacal sound of Jason Miller’s laughter cutting through his jumbled mind.
“Boom!” Miller snickered. “What’s the matter, Tony? Nerves a little on edge?”
Tony couldn’t find his voice to answer. He slumped his head forward, relieved to be alive and grateful that Gibbs wouldn’t have to witness his demise.
“Nope,” he finally managed to answer. “Just…glad…to be alive.”
“Don’t get used to it. You survived this, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll survive the next game.”
“There isn’t going to be any more games,” Gibbs vowed.
“Once again, Agent Gibbs, I must remind you that you are not in a position to make any demands. I’ll leave you two alone for a while; you can get reacquainted or maybe even say goodbye. At any rate, I won’t be gone too long.”
Tony suddenly found himself on the ground, free from the chains that had forced him to stay upright. He lay there trembling; the feeling started to return to his limbs as the scent of urine battered his senses. His cheeks flushed a crimson red, humiliated at the thought of his mentor realizing that he couldn’t hold his bladder.
He listened for the door to close, indicating that Miller had left the two of them alone. Tony felt himself being gently turned over and cradled in the team leader’s arms. “Take it easy, Tony,” Gibbs whispered. “Take it easy.”
“Sorry, Boss.”
“What have I told you about apologizing?”
Tony was truly thankful that Gibbs had decided to ignore the obvious odor radiating from his body. “I know,” he rasped. “But these are….extenu…exten….special circumstances.”
“Doesn’t matter, DiNozzo. Apologizing is a sign from weakness and I think you’ve proven that you’re not weak.”
“I hate…to disagree…with you, but right now, I feel like…crap.”
“But you’re alive,” Gibbs pointed out.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t shortchange yourself. You’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, Tony.”
Tony winced as he tried to swallow; he would give his last dollar for a drink of water. “I’m strong…because of...Sydney…and Sean.”
Although he wasn’t fully cognizant, Tony didn’t miss the confusion in Gibbs’ voice. “Sydney and Sean?”
He silently chastised himself for mentioning their names, hoping that the team leader wouldn’t ask too many questions. Tony prayed that Gibbs would assume that he was simply hallucinating. “Dreaming of them,” the younger man quickly explained.
“Sometimes our dreams are what inspires us to keep going,” the team leader conceded. “Right now, you need to rest; you’re going to need that strength.”
Tony’s eyes closed, satisfied that for now, he was safe; Gibbs was here and had his six. “You do…have a plan…for getting us out of…here; right, Boss?’
“Working on it, DiNozzo. Working on it.”
“That’s good…to know.”
The last thing Tony remembered before succumbing to the darkness that beckoned him was Gibbs promising him that he wouldn’t let anything else happen to him. DiNozzo wasn’t sure if the former Marine would be able to keep his promise, but he knew that Gibbs would die trying to protect him. Tony also knew that if something happened to the team leader because of him, that he would never be able to forgive himself; he wouldn’t be able to live with yet another death on his conscience.
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