Biting hard on his bottom lip, he struggled to contain the scream that was caught within as the white-hot pain tore through his body, robbing him of his breath. He attempted to concentrate on the coppery taste of the blood that invaded his mouth from his now shredded lip, determined not to give them the pleasure of hearing him scream, let alone beg for his life.
The agony subsided for a brief moment and he slowly opened his eyes, ignoring the wetness of his own tears as he watched the blurry figures of his tormentors move away. He swallowed hard, reassuring himself that help was on its way. He knew that his team was searching for him, that they would soon find him. He had the training to endure the pain and the faith to know rescue was close at hand. He could tough it out till then!
The three men who had surrounded him moved away, laughing at his fortitude, enjoying the battle of wills that this had become. They had been raised with the stories that Marines were tough but this ex Marine had surprised them all! They jostled each other, taking swigs from the bottle of whiskey they shared amongst themselves as each suggested crueler and more sadistic ways to make him break, each man placing bets on how long it would take before he cracked or gave up.
Drawing a breath and steeling himself for what more was to come, Gibbs warily watched the three men return. The excited smiles upon their faces and the cold glint in their eyes warned the ex-gunny what ever was planned was not going to be pleasant. He felt the icy tendrils of fear tighten within his gut but he pushed it down, determined to endure what ever they attempted to throw at him, and determined that he would be the one to be victorious even in the face of defeat.
He didn't have long to wait! He allowed himself to internally acknowledge the terror that momentarily filled his being as he focused on the instrument the bigger man held in his hand. He gritted his teeth and felt his body tense up in anticipation as he watched helplessly as the small stun gun was pressed against his chest and the finger tightened on the trigger…
His world exploded into a world of agony, his body arching as the electricity arced through already bruised and damaged muscles, his breath torn cruelly from his lungs by a silent scream that intermingled with the delighted laughter that echoed in his ears. The ropes that had bound him so tightly to the chair now cut deeply into his skin, the knots only tightening at the sudden strain.
As quickly as the agony began, it ended, dropping his body back limply onto the chair, his muscles twitching uncontrollably as he swallowed the sobs of pain, ignoring the pain of the now raw throat.
The reprieve from pain was only brief, only allowing him to catch his breath before new jolts of electricity ripped through his body, each more intense and longer than the last. The time period between each jolt becoming shorter until he could no longer identify when one jolt stopped and the next started, his body convulsing uncontrollably even after his consciousness had mercifully fled.
Throwing the weapon in frustration and anger, the oldest of the three men turned back to their captive, grabbing him by the shirt collar and slapping him back to consciousness. "Why don't you break? Damn you!" He screamed into the bruised and battered face.
A small painful smile tugged at Gibbs' mouth. Ignoring the fetid, alcohol breath that almost caused him to gag, he licked his dry lips and whispered. "Never!"
With an enraged roar, the man raised his fist and punched the lead agent in the face, knocking the chair off balance and causing it to crash with its burden heavily to the floor. Drawing his foot back, he used all the force he could muster behind his kick to the helpless man's ribs. The small cry of pain that escaped the ex-gunny's lips no longer brought any of the men satisfaction as they turned and walked away.
Struggling to control the pain that radiated throughout his abused body, Gibbs closed his eyes. "Hurry, Tony, I don't how much longer I can hang on." He murmured as he allowed himself to drift into the darkness that promised some escape from his pain.
NCISNCISNCIS
Staring through the one-way mirror, DiNozzo struggled desperately to free himself. His own pain from the ropes that cut into him as he struggled to gain freedom was unnoticed as he endured the far more intense agony of watching the torture of Gibbs. His own throat was raw from his muffled shouts and pleadings for them to stop, unheard through the tape that gagged him.
Gibbs' whispered plea floated through the speaker that had allowed DiNozzo to hear every horrifying gasp and groan uttered by his boss. Tony's chest tightened with anguish and guilt as his struggle to gain freedom intensified. Gibbs was counting on him to watch his six and he wasn't going to let his boss down, no matter what price he would have to pay.
Story Notes:
Not sure if Rule #1 is Never Surrender but I think it is a rule Gibbs' would live by.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs taught Tony a set of marine rules when he first joined NCIS. Rule #1 was Never Surrender. Tonight will test Gibbs and Tony. Will they be able to obey that rule?
Chapter End Notes:
Not sure if Rule #1 is Never Surrender but I think it is a rule Gibbs' would live by.