Gibbs sat at the bed and watched Tony sleep. Abby had brought him cloths to change and didn't ask any questions, and he was grateful for that. What was he supposed to tell her? That he fell in love with one Anthony DiNozzo? That he wished it would have been him and not the younger man? That he wanted to kill Madame Director and the dirtbags who did that to him? C'mon, it's Abby we're talking about, most likely she already had figured it out before Gibbs himself.
Gibbs caught himself stroking through Tony's hair. Quickly he pulled his hand away and sat back in his chair. It wasn't as if he knew about his feelings for long. It wasn't before this undercover, actually not before he knew it was screwed, that he knew what he felt for the younger man. Before that? Before that he denied, like in so many years he just pushed those feelings aside to think about later. The problem was, he never thought about them later. And then it had hit him like his third wife with the baseball bat.
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„That's why."
Gibbs hung up the phone. It was the first time in some days that he had heard from Tony and the younger man seemed completely fine and actually confident. But Gibbs was working with him too long to not know that especially when he thinks everthing is going fine the things take a dramatic turn and Tony suddenly was in danger. Hell, even opening of a damn letter nearly killed him. He stood up and went down to the lab.
„Abby, you checked Tony's GPS Chip?"
„Not lately. They're not supposed to be in Cuba before tomorrow eve."
„Yeah, but I want you to check it anyway."
„Anything hinky?"
She asked and he could clearly hear the worry. She was very protectively when it came to her friends.
„No, Abby. I just talked to him, he's fine. But I want you to check the chip permanently, ok? Call me if there's anything out of order!"
***************************************************************
Tony stirred a little in his sleep. Gibbs softly stroke over his forehead. The skin under his palm was a bit warm but not enough to worry about. When exactly did his professional interest and job-related concern about Tony's well-being turn into this? Attraction, affection, love? Since that day on the roof Gibbs had nightmares. He saw himself, Kate and Tony standing on the roof but the bullet didn't hit Kate. It hit Tony. He always woke at that point breathing heavily and sweating. After Ari's death the dreams came less often but it did became his personal bête noire.
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Tony's POV
Tony came back from the phone. He knew that they would ask him about it. He hadn't told him about a wife so he chose the next thing to truth.
It only took a few minutes before Curtis and Hensley were in his cabin again.
„So, what emergency had your wife?"
„She's not my wife, actually. She's my fiancée. She said wife so she would get me on the phone and the emergency..."
He laughed a bit.
„Her mother got into hospital, you know she's an old dragon so I could care ..."
Curtis pushed him against the wall. It took a moment before Tony got his breath back.
„You know, I can tell if somebody's lying to me! And you do!"
„I don't-"
Curtis fist came hard and fast into his stomach and again Tony fought for air.
„Who sent you, you bastard? FBI? DEA? NCIS?"
„I really don't-"
The second punch was just as hard as the first but it hurt double.
„I would say NCIS. You're alot too stupid for the FBI."
Tony surpressed every comment he had on his lips. Fight back came to his mind but the other half, the more realistic and smarted half, the half which sounded a bit like Kate, told him that he hadn't had any chance against two fully trained Marines.
„The chair, Mark!"
Curtis said but Hensley didn't move.
„Steve what if he isn't a Cop?"
„You wanna try and get into prison? The fucking chair, Hensley!"
Hensley took the chair and put it in the middle of the small cabin. Curtis all but threw Tony on it and tied his hands and feet.
„Ok, let's see what information we can get out of you, shall we?"
Curtis said and knelt in front of Tony.
„What's your name?"
Tony didn't answer. This time Curtis hit his face hard enough that Tony spat blood.
„What's your name?"
„Anthony DiNozzo."
He answered. At least he wanted to try to get out of that alife.
„Where do you work?"
Tony waited. Just before Curtis hit him again he said
„NCIS."
Curtis grinned to Hensley.
„You see? Like I said! Too stupid for FBI! Ok, how much do they know?"
This time Tony remained silent. He wouldn't answer, even if they would kill him. But the expected punch didn't come.
„You know I expected that to be the Million Dollar Question. Ok, Hensley? What do you think what he likes more, his eyes or his ears?"
Now Tony got nervous. That wasn't a usual question. Curtis opened the back bag and took out a long, slim stick.
„I think we start with one ear. Eyes always make such a mess."
He said when the other man didn't answer. He stood up and placed himself next to Tony then he whispered in his ear.
„Once again, how much do they know?"
Tony licked his lips but didn't answer. He didn't really knew what was coming but he knew he wouldn't like it.
„Wrong answer."
Curtis said and Tony felt the stick at his ear.
„Steve wait! We can't do this! He'll scream, they'll know!"
Curtis straightened up.
„You're right! We have to keep him silent."
Tony thought they would cut out his tongue but instead Curtis only put a bunch of socs in his mouth.
„That should muff your screams, shouldn't it?"
He said and then Tony felt the stick again. He felt it slowly entering his ear and then Curtis took one move...
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„NO!"
Tony said upright in the bed. He couldn't tell what had happened but suddenly there were two nurses and a doctor in the room arguing with Gibbs. Then the doctor and one nurse left and the remaining readjusted the electrodes on Tony's chest.
„You had a nightmare and pulled the electrodes off."
Gibbs signed. Tony lay back slowly.
„I remember who did it. But I don't remember what exactly. It was..."
He thought for a moment then took the pad and wrote the names of the three down.
„Petty Officer Second Class Mark Hensley, Petty Officer Second Class Steve Curtis and Petty Officer Third Class Michael Davis."
Gibbs pulled out his phone, argued a bit more with the nurse then did a call.
„I told McGee to get them into custody. You remember what happened?"
„Only that they found out."
Tony signed and sighed deeply.
**************************************************************
Curtis and Hensley pulled Tony on the deck. It was deserted, so Tony figured it was a part of the ship they didn't use at night. He must have past out after one of the punches since he didn't remember how they got him out of his cabin. He felt blood running down his cheek from his left ear and it hurt like hell.
„You're sure about this?"
He heard Hensley's nervous voice.
„Sure about this? You want this guy to get us into jail?"
Tony tried to clear his vision. His right eye was swollen and the other teared. He had to find some way to untie himself or he wouldn't get out of this, hell Gibbs would be pissed.
Curtis searched Tony's clothing and found the GPS chip, the only thing he had for backup.
„Nice. I ask myself how long they'll take until they notice that you don't have that anymore."
He said and threw it over board.
„Steve, this is murder!"
„But they don't know that it was us!"
„They'll search through the whole ship!"
„And we don't have anything. The stuff will be on the ground of the ocean, just like him!"
Ok, if there was any moment to get paniced it was this one. Tony felt himself pulled up, he could tell that there was something heavy around his waist, this surely wasn't looking good.
„Somebody's coming, hold him there, I'll do that."
Curtis vanished from Tony's eyes sight.
„Hey, listen, I...I can't kill somebody. I can't let you go, they would kill me, but..."
Tony felt that the ties around his wrists and ankles loosened.
„So you have at least a chance."
„Now! Hensley, get him up and over!"
The next thing Tony felt was icy coldness like needles on his skin.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony finally remembers what happened on the ship.
Chapter End Notes:
Finally. I know it took quite long but I hadn't found the right way to go on. Thanks for your patience with me and all the nice feedback.More please :-))