"He will be all right won't he?" Abby asked, snuggling close to Gibbs on the sofa in Alex's office as the two brothers set up her laptop and other gadgets on the desk.
"If he isn't, he'll answer to me." Gibbs said with a half smile before kissing Abby's cheek as she gazed up at him with those dark doe eyes - suddenly ruining the moment by taking a noisy slurp of Caf Pow.
"But it's Tony," she began - around another slurp. "And if anything happens to him - I don't think I could imagine anyone taking his place - I'd turn his desk into a shrine - drape it in black velvet and satin - and put a fresh vase of black roses on it every day - and I'd demand that we all have a three minute - "
"Yeah," Gibbs sighed, shaking his head before pulling her closer to him. "He's just missing Abs - not dead - and he's not allowed to be dead."
"But - "
"Because he knows what I'll do to him if he was."
"What's your gut telling you then, Silver Fox?" She shifted about until she was sitting on his lap, head on his shoulder as her hands clasped her favourite beverage.
"Abs, I think we're done here - want to check it over?" Nicky stepped back from the desk and pushed both hands through his hair as he pulled in a deep breath.
"What's all this in aid of anyway?" Gibbs asked as he joined Abby on the other side of the room.
"Ah," Abby checked the connections between the main PC, her laptop and the speaker phone and fired them up. "If your darling psycho calls in - either via email, messenger or phone - all I need is a minute and I can get a fix on him and then you guys ride off to the rescue and get to do some serious ball crunching!
"If anyone's crunching anything - it'll be my boot upside Taylor's head," Gibbs murmured - leaving Abby looking slightly taken aback at the venom in his voice.
"And if he's jamming the signal?" Alex hitched a hip on the desk and glanced at Nicky wryly.
"Bro - it's Taylor - he likes the dramatic." Nicky tilted his head and smirked. "He won't think of things like that - as long as he gets to show off - he's a happy bunny."
"Why hasn't he called in?" Gibbs checked his watch. "It's been nearly three hours and nothing."
"He'll call when he's ready," Nicky shrugged. "He changes his cell daily - and we've already tried calling his place - line's dead."
"So why," Gibbs leaned forward with both hands on the desk. "Aren't we at his place right now - and looking for Tony?"
"Because the minute he smells a rat - Tony and Rick will be dead - we can't risk that," Alex explained, glancing at Abby then Gibbs. "It's how he operates - it's happened before. You'll find nothing - no trace of anything or anyone - Taylor has ways of making bodies disappear."
"Don't tell me," Gibbs growled. "Concrete overcoats holding up the highway?"
"You want to tell him or shall I?" Nicky looked pained and let his head fall back before stretching his neck from side to side.
"Nick - ladies present?" Alex indicated Abby and pulled her to him with a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder.
"If it's gore - I'm all ears - "
"She's cool," Gibbs affirmed with a quick smile. "She sleeps in a casket for crying out loud."
"Just tell me when you want me to stop," Nicky raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"How's Taylor dispose of unwanted items?" Gibbs prompted.
"Pigs," Nicky stated, his eyes narrowing as he gauged Abby's reaction. "He feeds them to pigs - "
"Whoa!" Abby grinned almost evilly. "That's just so - hinky - cool but hinky."
"Apparently, starve a pig for a day or two - then present it with the carefully cut up bits of said - item - flesh and bone - and the whole lot will be gone in twenty minutes flat - nothing left."
"And you know this - how?" Gibbs straightened up, fixing Nicky with that stare.
"He's related to us - and some people like to keep us up to speed on what he's doing."
"Yeah? Well - no one is feeding anyone to any damned pig while I'm still breathing," Gibbs growled. "Why in hell did you never deal with Taylor yourselves? Why's he still out there? What's it going to take to bring him in and put him behind bars?"
"Kidnapping a Federal Agent - for starters," Abby announced, bouncing up and down on her toes. "He won't stand a chance - and if he hurts my Tony - he won't just be facing a judge, Gibbs. It'll be me - then you - then McGee - and then - last but not least - we'll let Ziva loose on him - don't forget - she can kill with a paperclip - not to mention crush a man's balls in ways that make even my eyes water."
"Ziva?" Nicky's radar was suddenly alive and kicking. "Have I met her - yet?"
"She'll see you coming," Gibbs taunted good naturedly. "Believe me - she's not your type."
"She ties electrodes to men's - bits," Abby winked as she stared pointedly at Nicky's prominence in his pants.
"Not my type?" Nicky chuckled. "You jest, Jethro - she sounds like a lot of fun."
"You wouldn't say that if you - "
At that point - the room suddenly fell silent as the telephone beside Alex began to ring. He looked to Gibbs immediately for guidance and was answered with a slight shake of the head as a second then a third ring sounded.
Abby sat down at her laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard and then she nodded to Gibbs who signalled Alex to answer.
"Yes?" He sighed in relief and then covered the mouthpiece. "It's him - he wants this on speaker."
"I'll bet he does," Gibbs snarled as he stabbed the button on the phone.
"So - how many am I talking to?" Taylor's voice barked. "Names!"
"Four of us," Nicky informed him tersely. "Where's Rick?"
"Safe enough - and set up your computer for a live feed - I hate talking to fresh air."
Alex scooted behind the desk and seated himself before the main console. "How'd I do that?"
Abby shoved his chair aside and wheeled her own across - and in seconds Taylor's face was beaming at them on the screen. "Ooh - now he's a hottie!" she beamed.
"Goth, huh?" Taylor peered closely at her. "Still - cute enough - "
"Hey!" Gibbs leaned in. "This isn't a fucking dating agency - where's Rick - and the man you took with him?"
"Man I took with Rick?" Taylor thought for a moment and then a smile slid across his features. "Oh - you mean - Tony?"
"Yes, Tony. Where is he?" Gibbs demanded.
"Such a cute guy - one might even say devastatingly handsome - " Taylor's voice took on a dreamlike quality. "The things I could do with him - to him - but he belongs to Rick - he's Ricky's little fuck toy of the moment - and as soon as Rick tires of him - I'll quite happily take him on - haven't had one as fresh as Tony for a long time."
"Show me they're all right!" Gibbs snapped.
"Oh - " Taylor let out a sharp breath as his shoulders sagged. "Manners aren't your forte are they - um - " his brow knitted as he gazed back at the angry blue eyes glaring at him. "And who the fuck are you?"
"Leroy Jethro Gibbs - like that matters - you have something we want and we're going to take them back - you can either stay out of the way - personally I'd prefer it if you were in my way - that way I get the great satisfaction of kicking your ass into the middle of eternity!"
"Something tells me you're a little pissed, Leroy - " Taylor taunted. "And what kinda hell name is Leroy Jethro - " Gibbs didn't need to see the nod from Abs but she nudged his foot with her own which told him she'd got a fix.
"I said - show me they are all right!" Gibbs repeated.
"Have you ever heard of the word - please Leroy?"
"So fucking help me - "
"Check your email, Alex - some interesting attachments - enjoy - and I'll be in touch!"
With that, the feed died but Abs was grinning like a Cheshire Cat as she pointed at her own screen. "We have got him cornered."
"Been there before Abby," Gibbs reminded her. "Petty Officer's laptop giving out a signal for three days - he'd been dead for four. What we got?" He turned to see Nicky collecting up paper from the printer and knew it wasn't good as Nicky's face paled, his jaw slack.
"I knew he was sick but this is just - " He dumbly handed the pictures to Gibbs who quickly scanned them.
"He's a dead man!" he breathed - holding them out of reach as Abby reached for them - handing them instead to Alex.
"Oh God," Alex shook his head in disbelief. "I am so sorry Jethro - I had no idea he was capable - "
"Yeah - I'm sure you didn't!"
The pictures were blatant - three shots from inside the club showing high ranking Government officials and three others - two of Tony - fastened to a chair - his head held up and back clearly unconscious. His nose bloody - a nasty gash on his right temple and a dark bruise on his other cheek, blood running copiously down his chin from a split lip and the other picture showed a long shot of Morgan pulling back Tony's left middle finger - although thankfully - it looked like Tony had already passed out, oblivious to his surroundings and the agony he surely would have felt if he'd been awake.
The third picture showed a full length shot of Rick - staring straight into the camera - he had been beaten too - although not as badly as Tony - but enough to have blood dripping onto his shirt from a deep cut on his right cheek - it was clear he was unable to defend himself - the straps at his ankles told them that much.
"What the fuck did Tony do to have Taylor do that to him?" Gibbs whispered, taking back to two pictures of his young lover and staring at them sadly.
"I've never seen anything that bad, Jethro." Alex squeezed his shoulder tightly. "I just hope it isn't because he knows Tony's a Fed."
"And if he does?" Gibbs placed the pictures face down - well out of Abby's reach and turned to face the two brothers. "What happens then?"
"He gets away with it - one more time." Alex breathed. "And we can't let it happen - again."
"What aren't you guys telling me?" Gibbs snapped - looking from one to the other. "He's done this to people you know before?"
"I didn't say that - " Alex turned away and walked to the small bar on the other side of the room.
"You didn't have to," Gibbs snorted - looking to Abby for reassurance and smiling at her as she remained silent through the exchange. "It's not just me he's hurting is it? Not just because he's got your brother - dammit to hell - guys!! Don't hold out on me now - whatever that bastard has done to you in the past - today is retribution day - tell me what the fuck else has been going on and maybe - just maybe - I can actually help you find the son of a bitch and take him out - permanently!"
"There isn't anything to tell, Jethro - honestly!" Alex protested and then he clammed up - hands on hips as he dropped his chin to his chest.
"Nothing huh - Abs - the address?" He held out his hand as she slapped a post it note into his palm. "I'm going to get Tony - and Rick - and I'm bringing them back here - with - or without your help - I'd prefer it with someone to watch my six but since you two seem kinda reticent about doing anything fucking positive - it's down to me - it's Ari Aswari all over again - except Ari wasn't a fucking nut job was he? Hell - I've taken on worse than that - "
"Gibbs!" Abby was on her feet - and hugging the silver haired man as though he might disappear in a puff of smoke. "Go get the bastard - and give him a stiff kicking from me - just - be careful!"
"I'll be back Abs - but I could be a while." He held her from him and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "If psycho calls back - keep him busy for me."
"Sure thing Sir."
"Don't call me Sir."
"Sorry, Ma'am."
"So?" Gibbs turned to Nicky and Alex. "I'm heading out - you have five minutes to join me - or I go alone - your choice."
TBC……
Chapter End Notes:
SO - now things are moving on a pace - I love a pissed Gibbs - but the boys seem somewhat - unforthcoming about something -