Kate sees a van approaching their cabin. She frames the door and grips her pistol tightly, ready to use it if necessary. As she hears the van's doors open and slam shut, she hears the sweetest voice shout, "Kate! Tony!" as Abby runs towards the cabin.
"Abby!" Kate shouts back as she opens the door and Abby hugs her close, squeezing her shoulder and increasing the pain tenfold. Kate winces in pain but doesn't let Abby go. She sees Ducky, McGee, a ranger and what looks like 2 paramedics all following Abby into the cabin. Thank God, you guys are here! Kate sighs and sags against Abby.
"Tony!" Abby whispers as she sees a pale, shivering version of the normally vibrant and smiling agent. She hands Kate into Ducky's arms as she crouches down next to Tony. Ducky looks at Kate with a critical eye, noting her discomfort. He hugs her close and tells the paramedics to look her over.
"No. I'm okay. Tony needs help. He hasn't woken up since late last night and he still has a raging fever." Kate says as she directs the paramedics towards Tony. Ducky helps her to a bunk and continues to hold her noting how exhausted and vulnerable she looks. The paramedics look Tony over noting that his fever is still high at 103 degrees and he is dehydrated. They also examine the wound on his leg and note that it has formed a blister again and they confirm that they have to get him to a hospital urgently to drain it and to treat the infection ragging in his body.
They hook him up to an IV line and start administering a broad spectrum antibiotic with a course of ibuprofen. At the same time the other paramedic, takes a look at Kate's shoulder and thigh and he gives her a shot for the pain. He advises her that her shoulder is inflamed and she will likely have to spend a night in hospital.
Just as they plan to move Tony to the van, the ranger gets a radio message from the other ranger van.
"Tom, this is Ian. Come in."
"Ian, go ahead."
"We've just heard gun fire. It came from the cabin area near the base of the Shaggy Mountain Trail."
"What, you heard gun shots!"
"Yes, you should get over here asap. I think that we may have casualties."
"We're on our way!" Tom replies as Kate and Abby simultaneously gasp, "Gibbs!"
McGee, Ducky, and one paramedic accompany Tom to the cabin where the gun shot were heard, while Abby and Kate stay with the other paramedic and Tony.
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Gibbs and his assailant continue to stare at each other for a few more seconds, the barrel of the pistol grazing Gibbs forehead uncomfortably. So this is how it ends, at the hand of an unknown assailant, with an unknown motive, Gibbs ponders.
"This is for Shannon and Kelly." The assailant says in a quiet voice.
Gibbs is thrown aback by this and fights through the pain to ask, "What !!!!"
Sasha comes slowly awake. Her head feels like it's about to explode into a million pieces and her vision is clouded. It takes her a second to remember where she is and what has happened. She looks around and sees 3 dead bodies. How? What happened? Who shot them? Stacey and Jason! I need to get them out of the cabin.
And then she hears the kidnapper shout, "You killed them and now you'll die!"
"I … I lo…ved … them." Gibbs struggles to say, as anguish and loss for his first wife and daughter engulf him. Who are you? How do you know Shannon and Kelly? These thoughts flow through Gibbs' foggy mind.
Gibbs! He's going to kill you! I have to do something! Sasha realize as a wave of shock and fear races through her veins.
"I loved them! But Shannon refused to leave you. She insisted that you would comeback to her and Kelly. But you never did. Did you? You let them die, you bastard. You were not there for them. I could have saved her but you kept her from me." He growls as he grabs Gibbs by his collar and slams him back into the ground, jarring all his injuries. Gibbs involuntarily cries out as pain slice through his body and bile rises in his throat. Sasha slowly gets up and fights the wave of dizziness that makes the park shake and twirl around her.
Oh Shannon, Kelly I'm so sorry. I miss you so much!!! Gibbs gets caught up in the torrent of emotions washing over him.
"I… should …have … been … here. ….I … should … have … saved … them." Gibbs admits as his eyes glaze over and tears roll down his cheeks.
He sees Shannon and Kelly laughing and talking and he thinks I should die now. Then I'll be with you and I can try to make up for everything.
As Sasha's vision clears she spots her pistol on the ground. She crouches down slowly, trying to avoid another dizzy spell and picks it up. Then she makes her way towards the kidnapper and Gibbs, slowly and quietly.
"Yeah, but being a marine was more important to you them being a husband and a father! That's why I wanted you to see your agents die, one at a time, in front of you, so that you could feel the pain and loss that I suffered." He growls as he cocks the pistol. As Sasha sees Gibbs lying prone on the ground with blood pooled around his thigh and shoulder she becomes infuriated and shouts, "Get away from him now!"
"Not you again!" The kidnapper growls, as he pulls a second gun and aims it under his arm, backwards at her. Sasha is only a few yards behind him when she takes aim at the base of his skull. She sees his gun a split second before he fires, just as she fires a round at him snapping his spine. He grunts in shock and disbelief as he falls over sideways. At the same time, Sasha collapses onto the ground as she feels a scorching pain radiate through her left thigh.
Gibbs is completely disorientated, vacillating between the past and the present, seeing Shannon and Kelly and then seeing the assailant. He also sees his team, DiNozzo shaking with fever, Kate limping in pain, McGee coughing and wheezing. Then he sees Sasha, unconscious on the ground. It's my fault! All of your pain and suffering is because of me!
"Gibbs!" he hears an urgent whisper as Sasha's face comes into view. She kept calling out to him but when he didn't answer she dragged herself across the ground to get to him.
"Gibbs. I'm … so … sorry. Gibbs, listen to… me… You're going…. to be okay. Just … just hang … in there. You're going … to be okay." Sasha affirms as she caresses his head and kisses his brow. She ignores her pounding head and her burning thigh. Gibbs stares at her and wonders whether she is really there as everything around him starts to fade away. Her face is replaced by Shannon's and as he blinks it becomes Sasha again. I'm losing it he concedes as pain, both emotional and physical, overwhelms him.
He hears Sasha's voice as if it is coming from far away, "Gibbs, don't ….you dare …. pass out. Stay with me…… Gibbs!"
I can't. I don't what to, I want Shannon and Kelly, Gibbs surrenders to the blackness that engulfs him.
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