Chapter 15: Breaking Promises
Gibbs turned and looked at Tony whose face had taken on a somewhat gray color. “Are you sure,” he said quietly.
Tony nodded miserably. “It’s Declan. I’d know the smell of him anywhere.”
Gibbs ran a hand through his hair and put his other hand on his gun. “Okay,” he said softly. “We need to get you out of here.”
Tony shook his head. “No way in hell. This is my problem. I need to fix it. I have to confront him.”
“DiNozzo you just had surgery this morning; there’s no way you can do this today.”
Gibbs blinked in shock at the expression that closed over Tony’s face. “I need to do this,” Tony said with a cold voice. “You need to understand that. I need to prove to myself that I can do this. All this time you’ve been telling me how strong I am, how capable I am, how fucking brave I am. You can say it all you want, but I have to believe it.”
Tony ran a hand over his face before he continued. “I have to know that I have the ability to face my own demons. I have to know I can do this. You’ve taught me to believe in myself--now I need to prove to myself that I can do it.”
Gibbs didn’t like it. Not one bit. But he couldn’t argue with Tony; the man had a point. If he was going to be able to move on, he had to face the demons sometime. Pulling his back up piece from his ankle holster, Gibbs handed Tony the weapon as he pulled his primary weapon from his waist.
“Just hold the gun,” Gibbs reassured. “Do not fire it unless I tell you to; you’re not going to be a real good shot since you’re medicated.”
“I’m fine,” Tony argued with fear laced in his voice. “The smell is stronger coming from the hallway.”
Gibbs pushed the wheelchair down the hallway. Stopping in front of the bedroom door, the older man motioned for Tony to cover him. Giving the signal of counting to three, Gibbs threw the door open…
xxx
Ducky had left his house only a few minutes after Jethro called requesting he meet them at the house. It sounded like Tony had a rough time with the anesthesia; Ducky knew his patient typically did not respond well to any kind of drugs. He frowned when his phone rang again and pulled off to the side of the road.
Ducky hated people who drove and talked on the cell phones. It disturbed him quite a bit. Ducky’s own gut churned when he saw that Jethro was calling again.
“Jethro? Dear boy you have to give me time to drive to your house. I’ve barely had time to--”
“DUCK! DO NOT COME IN THE HOUSE! WHEN YOU GET HERE, DO NOT COME IN THE HOUSE!”
“Jethro? What on earth is going on? I have to come in the house to tre--”
“This house just became a crime scene! Whatever you do, don’--oh hell Tony you gotta calm down Sweetheart…gonna be alright…just hang on alright?”
“Jethro what on earth has happened?” Ducky had already pulled out in traffic once again, his own peeves be damned, his boys needed him.
“Declan O’Sullivan happened Duck. Just get here as quick as you can.”
Ducky glanced down at the phone in his hand, the words “call ended” blinking ominously up at him and he floored the gas pedal.
xxx
Tia Maloney leaned back in her chair and blew a bubble with her chewing gum. She had fifteen minutes until her break started and she was ready to go outside for some fresh air and a smoke. She glanced around at the other dispatchers working and shared an expression of exasperation with several of them. Their lines were blissfully quiet tonight; it almost seemed as though crime had taken the evening off.
A light spring rain was falling and Tia looked out the window mournfully when she realized that would change her break plans. She didn’t have her jacket with her and standing outside in the rain to smoke just seemed silly to her. She only smoked a few cigarettes a day, so she could easily put it off until she got off work or it stopped raining.
One of the phone lines suddenly came to life, blinking and ringing, and Tia sprang for her headset. “My turn!” she called to the others. It was such a slow night that they were taking turns answering calls. Tia had been working with NCIS for just over a month now. She was very proud of herself to be working for a government agency--especially an elite investigation group like NCIS.
“Thank you for calling the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. My name is Tia, how may I assist you?”
“THIS IS AGENT GIBBS! I NEED TO SPEAK TO THE DIRECTOR! IT’S AN EMERGENCY!”
Tia narrowed her eyes. It was rare for an agent to call into dispatch; in fact she hadn’t ever experienced it before. She took a deep breath.
“One moment Agent Gibbs. Please hold.” She quickly put Gibbs on hold and looked to the others. “Agent Gibbs is on the phone and wants to speak to the director. What should I do?”
Calls to the director were typically routed through his secretary. But this situation seemed different…
“If it’s Agent Gibbs you put him straight through,” Charlotte, one of the other dispatchers said. “Gibbs always goes straight through, no questions asked.”
Tia nodded, though still unsure, and clicked Gibbs back onto the line. She heard Gibbs speaking before she could speak and paused to listen.
“--Ok DiNozzo, gonna be ok. Gotta keep breathing for me; you just hang on. Keep breathing; that is an order!!!”
Tia could hear someone gasping in the background.
“Agent Gibbs? I’m going to transfer you to the director now.”
“Before you do,” Gibbs’ voice had taken on a deadly calm, “I wanna know who gave out information on me that could lead to my address being traced. Someone in dispatch had to have given out something that would allow my address to be discovered.”
Tia blinked at Gibbs’ suddenly calm and controlled words. And then she remembered…
*Flashback*
Tia Maloney had been working at NCIS for two weeks. She’d been through all of the training, all of the workshops, all of the lectures, and now she’d been turned loose in dispatch as the newest dispatcher. She sipped on her strawberry slushie and pulled up facebook on her computer. There weren’t many calls coming in tonight. She was bored.
When the phone rang she immediately snatched it up, reciting from memory the standard greeting.
“Thank you for calling the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. My name is Tia, how may I assist you?”
“Good evening. I’m trying to reach Agent Gibbs. I’m a detective from the Metro Police Department and he and I are sharing jurisdiction on a case. I have some vital information I need to pass along to him, but he isn’t answering his cell phone. I was wondering if you have his home number?”
Tia tapped on her keyboard and pulled up the employee database. She didn’t consider the fact that the officer never identified himself with a name or a badge number. He also did not identify the case he was working. Tia pulled up the information page on Agent Gibbs and read through the information looking for the phone number.
“Here you go, Detective,” Tia spoke into the phone. She rattled off Gibbs’ home phone number and asked him if she could be of anymore assistance.
“You wouldn’t happen to have his address would you? I need to run something over to him. It’s the weekend and I know he’s not working, but this is really important for the case.”
“We aren’t supposed to give out addresses. I’m sure if you use that phone number you and he can get together.”
“Thank you for all your help, Tia. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye Detective.”
*End Flashback*
“C-could someone find your address by using your home phone number?” Tia’s voice was a near-whisper. She felt her stomach clenching nervously. Maybe she’d need that cigarette after all.
“Well yeah,” Gibbs snapped. “Why, was it you?”
“Yes,” Tia whispered. “Oh God what happened? Did something happen because of--”
“DIRECTOR MORROW. NOW.”
“P-pleas-se h-hold-d A-ag-gent G-Gib-bs s-s-sirr,” Tia said, swallowing down her fear. God what had she done?
xxx
It was late in the evening for the director to still be at NCIS, but Tom had a meeting in MTAC that had taken longer than he’d expected. He was gathering his things when his phone suddenly rang. Tempted to let it go to voicemail so he could answer it tomorrow, the director stared at the phone for a long moment before a feeling in his gut told him he needed to answer it.
“Director Morrow.”
“Tom it’s Gibbs I need you to get a team to my house as soon as possible.”
“Jethro what’s happened? You sound like you’re in a complete panic. Calm down man and tell me what’s going on.”
Morrow could hear a strange sound in the background and a cold feeling filled him. “Is everyone alright,” he questioned softly.
“No I need a team--my team--at my house as quickly as you can authorize it. This bastard Tony was involved with has--”
“AGENT GIBBS.” Tom smiled when Gibbs stopped mid-rant.
“Yes?”
“Are you and Agent DiNozzo safe?”
“No sir we aren’t safe here. One of the dispatchers gave out information about me that led to DiNozzo’s location being identified and now the house is no longer safe! I need a team out here to process the crime scene and…Tony? Tony! You stay with me ok?”
There was a pause and Morrow listened as Gibbs spoke to the other man.
“--I know you’re scared. It’s going to be fine. Help’s on the way. I know it hurts but you’ve got to try and relax…shhhh…just relax…Director are you still there?”
“Still here Gibbs. Hold on a moment while I call Agent Todd and get her and McGee moving toward your house.”
Gibbs grunted his assent and Tom pressed the hold button. For a split second he stared at the phone in his hand, wondering what else could possibly go wrong. He quickly dialed Kate’s phone number.
xxx
It had been another long boring day working cold cases and Kate let out a happy sigh as she slid down into the bubbles in her bathtub. She rested her head against the towel on the side of the tub and smiled as her eyes drifted shut. What a perfect way to end a crappy Monday.
Naturally her phone chose that minute to ring.
Kate was tempted to ignore it, but she’d gotten that weird call from Gibbs earlier, telling her to watch her six and then that whole mess with Tony had her on edge…Kate opened one eye. Maybe she’d better answer it. She reached out and grabbed the phone and flipped it open.
“Kate Todd.”
“Good evening Agent Todd. I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’ve just received a phone call from Agent Gibbs and he needs you and Agent McGee to bring your gear and meet him at his house. Immediately.”
Kate sat up straight in the tub. Now her gut was churning, and she wondered if Gibbs’ concern hadn’t been misplaced earlier.
“It’s Tony isn’t it,” she said softly. “That person’s come back…the one who hurt him.”
“I’m not sure on all the details. Agent Gibbs is understandably upset and he has requested his team to back him up immediately at his home. I trust you know the address.”
“Yes Director,” Kate said, wrapping a towel around herself and pulling the stopper out of the drain. “Just let me change and I’ll be on my way. I’ll let McGee know to come as well.”
“I’ll join you there shortly. Goodbye,” the director said before hanging up.
Kate quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She grabbed her badge, gun, cell phone and her keys. Gibbs and Tony had not been very forthcoming with information regarding Tony and the attack he’d suffered. Kate pulled out of her parking lot with a squeal of tires.
She had a feeling they were going to get more information than they wanted.
xxx
A couple of miles away from Kate, Tim McGee settled down in front of his typewriter, pipe unlit in his mouth, turtleneck and tweed jacket carefully donned. He was ready to become Thom E. Gemcity for the evening; McGee just wanted to let his brain unravel a bit after spending the day reading file after file. He let out a cleansing breath and stretched and just as he poised his fingers over the keys on the typewriter when his phone rang.
McGee dropped his chin to his chest and closed his eyes. Seriously?! He picked up his phone and looked at it.
Kate.
Why was Kate calling? They’d just discussed in the parking lot at NCIS about how they were each looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. McGee narrowed his eyes and flipped open his phone.
“McGee.”
“You need to get to Gibbs’ house as fast as you can. I’m on my way too. I just got a call from the Director.”
McGee was already on his feet and quickly changing his clothes. Tony would never let him hear the end of it if he showed up dressed like that. He’d think of some new “McNickname” to call him and he just wasn’t in the mood.
McGee’s movements faltered for a moment though, as he processed what Kate said.
“What’s happened at Gibbs’ house? Is everyone alright?”
“I don’t know! The director is coming too, said that Gibbs called in and that we needed to get over there as soon as possible.”
“Should we…well do you think we should let the others know?”
“You mean Abby, Ducky, and Palmer?”
“Yes.” McGee had his keys and badge in his hand and his gun hooked to his belt as he ran down the stairs to his car.
“I dunno McGee. I dunno what we’d tell ‘em. Let’s just wait until we get to Gibbs’ house and see what’s going on before we make any calls.”
“Good plan. Meet you there.”
McGee quickly started his car and sped out of his parking lot. He hoped that Tony was alright…he didn’t want to think about what this call might mean.
xxx
Palmer and Tony were becoming surprisingly close friends, despite the “autopsy gremlin” being so socially awkward most of the time. Tony always brought him coffee around the office, and on occasion they’d grab lunch together. Ever since Tony had been attacked and subsequently out of work, Palmer had called every couple of days to see how he was doing and to keep his buddy updated on the latest office gossip.
Tony had told him several days ago that on Monday he’d be having knee surgery. He’d expressed some concerns to his friend about what all could go wrong, or what could happen if his attacker showed back up. Palmer, out of everyone, probably knew the most about what was going on, with the exception of Gibbs, Ducky and Director Morrow. Palmer knew how afraid his friend was most of the time now, how he expected his former lover to be around every corner, ready to bait him and steal him back into the life he’d once lived--the life Tony could only describe as “slavery.”
On Monday evening as soon as Palmer finished up his class he hurried to his car. He opened his trunk and slung his backpack inside and grabbed his cell phone. He hopped in the car and headed toward his apartment. He flipped open his phone and called Tony to see how he was feeling after surgery. He spoke before Tony could when he heard the click telling him that his call had been answered.
“Hey Tony! I was calling to see how you were feeling and to offer to bring over a pizza for dinner. How ya doin man?”
“N-nooo J-J’mmy…s-staay…stay away, stay away from me,” Tony whimpered in the phone. “Oh God, oh God,” Jimmy heard Tony hyperventilating on the other end of the line and called out to him.
“Tony? Tony what’s happened? Talk to me Tony; where’s Gibbs? What’s going on? Tony is it Declan?”
A keening moan echoed in Palmer’s ear and he pressed the gas harder. “Where are you Tony? I’m coming where are you?”
“Stay awaayy,” his friend moaned in his ear. “Don’t want…don’t want you to see this…don’t want you to see me like this,” he whispered.
The line went dead.
xxx
“Just hold the gun,” Gibbs reassured. “Do not fire it unless I tell you to; you’re not going to be a real good shot since you’re medicated.”
“I’m fine,” Tony argued with fear laced in his voice. “The smell is stronger coming from the hallway.”
Gibbs pushed the wheelchair down the hallway. Stopping in front of the bedroom door, the older man motioned for Tony to cover him. Giving the signal of counting to three, Gibbs threw the door open and gasped when his eyes took in the horror before him.
Behind him, Gibbs heard the sound of the gun he’d handed Tony hitting the floor. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure that no one was there except a very dazed and terror-stricken Tony, Gibbs kicked the door open further and began clearing the room.
It seemed he’d left his mark everywhere.
The mirror on the dresser was covered with photographs. Gibbs stepped closer and gagged when he saw they were all photos of Tony--Tony sporting various bruises, burns, welts, cuts, abrasions--any mark Declan had left on Tony he’d photographed. It was clinical--as though he were collecting documentation. There were hundreds of photographs.
On the desk was a bottle of liquor, half full, used glass next to it.
It smelled like Declan had quite possibly dumped the entire bottle of cologne out in this room. Gibbs wasn’t sure how he’d ever get the stink out of the room. The empty bottle was discarded on the floor.
Gibbs immediately knew that Declan had done this on purpose. He was baiting them. Taunting them. In Gibbs’ own house; and it pissed Gibbs off.
Feeling his anger rise, Gibbs continued to look around. The wooden bedframe (selected by wife number two) had a length of chain dangling from the headboard with two wrist cuffs--meant to bind someone to the bed, and there were similar cuffs on the foot of the bed.
The bed was rumpled; it was easy to see that someone had laid there while they were gone. Gibbs knew he and Tony had left it neat and in order when they’d left early this morning. Additionally on the bed, Gibbs saw the word “M I N E” spelled out in what looked to be Tony’s pills. The white pills stood out in stark contrast against the navy blue comforter. Gibbs knew he’d have to call Dr. Corkran and explain to him what had happened--there was no way he’d trust those pills to give them to Tony now.
Tony’s clothes were scattered around on the floor. Closer inspection revealed that many of them had been slashed and all of them stank of urine. Tony’s SIG was on the floor as well, completely dismantled and surrounded by bullets. Gibbs could only count six though, and he wondered where the other two bullets had gone.
He continued to glance around the room, taking in the horror of it all. Condoms, a riding crop, and a very uncomfortable looking butt-plug were on the bedside table. A flogger was propped in one corner, and apparently Declan had gotten hold of a tag-marker because the word “W H O R E” made an insulting graffiti on every wall and surface of the room.
Gibbs gasped when he looked at the bed again. Tony’s NCIS badge was on the pillow he normally slept on--had Declan been watching them?--and Gibbs quickly saw there was a bullet hole through Tony’s face on his badge, the shot having fired down into the bed. A glance at the hole in the other pillow showed Gibbs where the last of the eight bullets in the magazine had gone. Next to Tony’s badge was a note:
Next time the hole won’t be through a picture.
Gibbs had seen enough. More than enough. He moved back to the doorway, turning his gaze fully on Tony for the first time since opening the door. Tony’s good arm was hanging loosely by his side, but his hand was clenched in a tight fist. The shock Tony was experiencing was evident on his face and his eyes were glassy.
Gibbs quickly backed Tony up, and picked up the discarded gun off the floor. Once they were in the living room, Gibbs cupped Tony’s face in his hands.
“Listen to me Tony. You with me?”
Tony nodded, his movements shaky and jerky. Gibbs sighed, “I need to check the rest of the house. You hold this gun, you shoot someone if you have to. Understand? Don’t drop it this time.”
Tony nodded again, his movements still uncoordinated. Gibbs knew the storm was coming--could see it on Tony’s face and in Tony’s eyes. The older man had known all along that this situation would come to a head--he just wished it hadn’t happened today.
He pressed a quick kiss to Tony’s lips, but his younger lover didn’t respond to Gibbs’ affection. “I’ll be right back,” he murmured before stepping away.
Three minutes later, Gibbs returned to Tony’s side. Tony was pale and visibly trembling. Gibbs knew he was in considerable pain and this added stress and terror would not help that any.
“Tony you with me?” Tony blinked and nodded slowly.
Gibbs ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. “He’s gone. He’s not here,” he said softly. “Just you and me here.”
Gibbs saw a fire in Tony’s eyes that hadn’t been there earlier. “Tony? Babe you with me? Tony?”
“How could you…” Tony growled softly. “How could you let this happen?”
“Tony we didn’t know Declan had my address. How could we have known that?”
Tony shook his head forcefully, the side to side movement made him nauseous, but he was too angry and upset to care. “You promised me,” Tony growled a bit lower at Gibbs and the fire in his gaze was enough to cause Gibbs to draw back.
“Tony I know you’re scared but you need to take it easy. I need to call Ducky and tell him not to come inside.”
“You fucking promised me that I’d be safe here. You promised me he’d never find me here. You promised me he’d never hurt me again. You lied to me! You lying bastard how could you?”
Gibbs could easily sense Tony’s growing desperation and knew he needed to regain control over the situation. And he needed to get the gun away from Tony.
“Give me the gun Tony,” he said quietly. He didn’t blink when Tony raised it at him. “C’mon Tony, think about this,” Gibbs said softly. “Don’t you see? Declan’s taunting us.”
Tony’s expression started to crumble. It was too much. Gibbs quickly grabbed the gun and pulled Tony into a tight embrace. Tony leaned against him, and his sobs were soul wrenching. Gibbs ran his fingers through Tony’s hair and pressed kisses to his forehead.
Tony clung to him like a life line and through his sobs tried to speak, “’m sorry…oh God…oh God’m sorry…pl-pleaseeee…’m so sorry,” Tony cried as he clung to Gibbs.
“It’s not your fault Sweetheart,” Gibbs said softly. Tony continued to sob as Gibbs pulled out his phone. “Shhhh I know…gonna be alright,” the older man murmured as he dialed the number.
It was only a moment later when Ducky answered the phone.
“DUCK! DO NOT COME IN THE HOUSE! WHEN YOU GET HERE, DO NOT COME IN THE HOUSE!”
TBC…
Chapter End Notes:
Warning: Angst & Suspense!