Half a hour later they were at the scene (McGee and Ziva had shown up for a reason).
Gibbs couldn't quite resist the smile forming on his face since Tony had been complaining about being called yet again out of bed with Gibbs totally ignoring McGee's expression.
But Tony immidiatly forgot about complaining when he saw the body. It was a horrible sight.
„Ahh, Jethro, there you are! When you're done with the photos we can take him home."
Ducky said when they approached.
„What do you know so far?"
Gibbs asked taking a last concerned look at Tony who seemed more shocked than expected.
„According to his liver temperature he died about three hours ago. And, well, quite obviously, I guess the COD is his missing head."
The ME said and for the first time he really hadn't any story it reminded him on.
„Yeah, would be my first guess, too."
Gibbs said...
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Gibbs switched the energy button when he was on his way to Abby with Tony. He waited but the younger man didn't say anything.
„C'mon Tony, what is it?"
„Nothing, boss, everything's fine."
„Ok, and now tell me the truth!"
„The body, the scene, it just reminded me on a case I had in Baltimore."
„You think it could..."
„No, that guy got life and I'm sure no judge would ever let him out again. And besides, it was just...I mean, why take the head but leave the ID? It was what that guy did and what reminded me."
Gibbs could see that there was more Tony didn't tell but he could also see that Tony didn't want to tell, at least not yet.
„Hey, bossman!"
Abby said and took the Caff-Pow!.
„What have you, Abs?"
The Goth looked uncomfortable for a moment.
„Em, well. Nothing but dust."
Gibbs gave her look.
„I'm sorry, but Ducky hasn't sent me anything yet. The things you found in the room had no finger prints except the Petty Officers. And all the blood..."
„Was of the Petty Officer."
Tony finished for her.
„Yep. I'm sorry, Gibbs. There's nothing I can do before Ducky's done with the body."
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„I really hope you have something for me!"
Gibbs said when he and Tony entered the morgue.
„Oh, yes, that I have!"
The ME said meaningfully.
„Our young friend was not only treated badly but brutally abused. I would even say he's been tortured. You see, it seems that he hadn't anything to eat or drink for at least 48 hours before his death and he'd been beaten and I think worst of it, he'd been raped on a very violently and painfully way more than once."
Tony leant against another table and his gaze was empty. Gibbs shot him another onderned look.
„Ok, Ducky, and the COD? Was it the head?"
„No, Jethro. I don't know yet, maybe Abigail will find drugs or something in his blood. But for the head, it had been taken after the Petty Oficer's death."
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Gibbs sent Ziva and McGee to the Petty Officer‘s girlfriend. Then he took Tony into the breakroom and locked the door.
„That's enough, Tony! I want to know everything."
„Why? It can't be that guy, he's..."
„In jail, I know. But maybe this maniac is doing it after him. Or he's just as insane. And most important, you're my lover and you're walking around like a zombie! I wanna know why!"
Tony sighed and sat at the table, Gibbs took the seat opposite.
„It was about six months before I met you. There was this serial killer. He captured men, tortured them for two days. When they were close to death he, he raped them. When they were dead he took their head, just for fun. When we found his apartment, we found the heads in a line on a shelf.
This guy always put up traces for the police. He thought of it as a game. You know, I was the only one who never believed in those traces. They were too good to be true. After a while we found his system. We knew which type of men he chose and where he looks for them.
Of course my luck, I fitted! So I went under cover to those places. For a week we had no idea if it was working or not. We didn't know if he'd even seen me but there weren't any murders so we knew he was looking for a victim.
Three days later my boss said it's not working and I was officially off. He even took me off the case completely. It was that night when he got me..."
Tony stopped there. Surely it had been hard for him and Gibbs didn't want to push him even more. But eventually Tony found his voice back.
„I sat two days without water or food in a basement. There was nearly no light and my hands and feet were tied. I had no idea how long I was sitting there, which time it was, or if anybody even missed me. And then he came in and for the first time I saw his face..."
Gibbs mind was working hard. Somehow this was ringing a bell. He had heard of that case. His mind brought up the article.
"Detective of Baltimore PD, name not official yet, captured, tortured and nearly killed by serial killer.
After a two days hostage the young Detective could bring his kidnapper down. It's been..."
„My boss."
Tony ended and called Gibbs back into reality. Gibbs rubbed his hands over his face. Why haven't he seen it? He had read this article, he had known that Tony's boss was new when he hired Tony. Why hadn't he noticed anything. Probably because he hadn't thought that that Detective was working again so fast, maybe even ever.
„You know, he did only one mistake!"
Tony said and looked at Gibbs. The older man could see all the pain and fear in Tony's eyes.
„He untied my hands when he wanted to rape me because he thought I'm too weak to even move."
Gibbs swallowed hard. He wanted to hurt that man just as much as he had hurt Tony, maybe even more.
But there were questions in Gibbs‘ head running. Why had his boss taken Tony off the case? Why had he waited that long to take Tony? Why wasn't Tony his first victim?
„You know, I guess the fact that I was the only one who seemed to understand the killer turned him on. I mean, everybody there believed those traces, but not me. I guess that's why he wanted me. And at the same time it made me dangerous."
Tony seemed to read Gibbs‘ mind and with the last sentences he allowed Gibbs non-verbal to ask questions.
„Why hadn't he taken you when you were undercover, or before?"
„When I was undercover I had always backup. If he would have taken me they would have tracked him down in less than a hour. And before, well, I guess he wanted to see how far I could get. He took me off the case just before I would have found something what would have lead us to him. As soon I was gone, the other idiots followed his traces again."
There was a loud knock on the door.
Gibbs opened and a quite nervous McGee looked at him, probably he was afraid in what situation he would find his boss and Tony.
„There's a new body. It's a Seargeant. He's beheaded, too."
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„You still think it has nothing to do with that other case?"
Gibbs asked Tony quietly.
„Mitchell is in prison. He killed four men and kidnapped me. Who would ever let him out again?!"
But Tony really had a bad feeling. The cases were just too alike. Even for a free-rider. Everything was the same, there were even traces which Tony just didn't trust.
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks to Eve.
No at the moment there isn't more...
No at the moment there isn't more...