"What are you going to do?" Alex asked as he opened the trunk of the car and reached in for a large black leather holdall.
"About what?" Gibbs grunted in surprise as he was handed a Sig and two rounds of ammo. "Something else I should know about you?"
Alex shrugged, collecting up a back pack and unzipping it. "Just pays to be prepared, Jethro."
"You don't strike me as the Boy Scout type - you got a licence for these?" He pressed the clip home and shoved the gun into the back of his pants.
"All above board and legal - " Alex shut the trunk and locked it, shoving the keys into the back pocket of his jeans as he slung the pack over his shoulder. "What are you going to do about Rick - when all this is over?"
Gibbs stared at the other man for a moment and realised that - for the first time - Alex actually looked worried - scared even. But who for? Himself - or his brother? As for what he would do to Rick? He hadn't decided - but whatever he came up with - Rick wouldn't forget about it. He'd broken a cardinal rule - taking what wasn't his despite Tony marked as belonging to Gibbs - he'd been wearing his collar when the two had been brought down - and yet Rick chose to completely ignore it - maybe he'd been the one who'd wrenched it off. A possibility - given Rick's voracious habit of helping himself when no one was looking. "Do?" Gibbs answered softly. "Who said I was going to do anything - I have got a couple of options in mind - it's a toss up between take him apart bit by bit or just slap his wrist." He scuffed a hand over his face and sighed heavily. "I'll probably go with taking him apart - he'd enjoy being slapped too much."
"Jethro - he made a mistake," Alex handed him a cell phone. "You know what he's like!"
Gibbs turned and closed the space between them - staring into Alex's still fearful eyes. "Yeah - I do - and pardon me for sounding like a fucking stuck record - Tony's up to his neck in shit right now thanks to him. Believe me, Alex - but your brother isn't getting off lightly - by the time I'm finished with him I'll have bounced his ass from here to kingdom fucking come - he will never fuck with my property again." Gibbs continued to glare at Alex until the younger man stepped back a few paces as Gibbs held up the cell in his hand. "And this?"
"If we get separated - just hit one - it'll automatically connect to mine."
"Ring or vibrate?" Gibbs breathed, still holding Alex's gaze.
"Vibrate - ring might warn them we're coming."
"Ya think!" Alex looked uncertain. He closed his eyes, hitching the pack higher onto his shoulder.
"I know you're pissed Jethro - "
"Hey!" Gibbs barked. "Jesus, Alex - can we just get a bastard move on here - and quit telling me I'm pissed! Just understand that right now - I am tired, I'm hungry and the one thing - the only thing keeping me going is that I am going to blow the head off that megalomaniac who - for all we know - could have killed Tony by now - "
"He won't have - " Alex shot back - a little too quickly.
"Huh?"
"I mean - Taylor probably knows Tony's a Fed by now - he's stupid - but he's not that stupid."
Gibbs gazed off into the distance over Alex's left shoulder - suddenly deep in thought. "I don't know why - " he began finally. "But my gut is telling me something isn't quite right about all this."
"You said you were hungry," Alex smiled nervously. "Probably hunger pain." He turned away and checked the car was locked, setting the alarm before turning back to Gibbs. "You coming?"
Gibbs said nothing. Hunger pain - huh? He watched as Alex began walking slowly away from the car, over the grass verge to the high wall surrounding Taylor's compound. Yep - something's hinky and I'm damned if I can put my finger on it.
******
Thirty minutes later - the two men were now on higher ground surrounded with brush and trees with an excellent view down into the grounds of the vast estate below - even Gibbs had to admit - it was impressive. A large main building with large wings set east and west was surrounded by trees and ornate gardens - at the back of the house - a massive swimming pool and to the left of that - tennis courts and what looked like a large decking area topped with a blazing white marquee affair. But something was off - something was missing.
Alex handed a pair of binoculars to Gibbs and lifted his own to his face, scanning the area quickly before lowering them.
"How many rooms we talking about?" Gibbs asked - still taking in the place below.
"How long's a piece of string? You're looking at forty plus - maybe more."
"Basement?"
"A warren - wine cellars, games room - play room."
"A what?" Gibbs handed back the binoculars and linked his fingers behind his neck - frowning.
"Play room - as in - a play room?" Alex flicked up an eyebrow at Gibbs's questioning look. "Taylor's into kink too - "
"Okay - too much information already." Gibbs lowered his arms to his sides. "Did you notice what I noticed?"
"That depends - " Alex shrugged. "His hedges need a trim - "
"No," Gibbs folded his arms across his chest. "You said he'd have reinforcements - he'd have men all over the place - "
"So?"
"So - why didn't we see any just now - the place is deserted."
"Just because you can't see them - doesn't mean - "
"I'll tell you what it means, Alex." Gibbs rounded on him. "I think he's expecting us - he wants us in there."
At that moment, Alex's phone began to vibrate and he pulled it free from his jeans as he flipped it open to press it to his ear. "Talk to me - yeah - Nick. We're here now." Alex held up a hand to Gibbs. "No - I think we'll be all right - doesn't seem to be anyone around - it might be we can sneak in and sneak out - "
Gibbs suddenly snatched the phone from him and walked away a few paces. "Put Abs on Nick - now!" He glanced at Alex and then turned away again. "Abs - listen - that NASA guy - can you get a hold of him in the next ten minutes? Yes - I know it's a weekend - I need you to find him - and I need a satellite fix on - Abs - shut the hell up and listen - hold on! Alex? Where is this place?"
"Huh?"
"Just tell Abs the address and she'll do the rest - " he tossed the phone across and waited as Alex filled Abby in, snatching the phone back again as he finished. "No Abs - no time to explain - but I'm bringing Tony home if it's the last thing I do - you got five minutes - just do it!"
"Now what?" Alex leaned his back against a nearby tree and watched Gibbs pacing up and down.
"We wait - Abs'll come through for me - she always does."
"But why satellite?"
"Why not - ? We get a fix on this place - we can monitor who's coming and going - who's where - and if they decide to move - we've got them!" Gibbs explained, spreading his hands.
"Since when did satellites have x-ray vision?"
"Alex - you're not helping the situation - " Gibbs growled. "Shut up and let me think!"
Ten minutes went by - ten long tense minutes and then the phone in Gibbs's hand vibrated. "Abs!" He listened - as a smile began to appear. "Good girl - I knew you could do it - what we got?" He listened again and then snapped the phone shut. "We have a convoy gearing up out front - looks like I was right - they're moving out."
"We won't get there in time - "
"Doesn't matter - " Gibbs was beaming at the younger man now. "GPS - the cars they're using are Jeeps - and all Jeeps have GPS - Abs will be able to track them - "
"Jethro?" Alex tilted his head. "Why are we still standing here?"
"No idea - move out!"
******
Taylor snatched the pen from Rick's hand and stood back with a defiant almost manic grin as his cousin's wrists were refastened at his back. "Now that wasn't too hard was it?" he taunted.
Rick didn't look at him - he didn't trust himself to even speak despite having just signed over the club et al to the dark haired man standing proud and aloof before him. He grunted a protest as he was hauled to his feet - only too well aware of the gun barrel pressed to his side as he was led from the room.
Taylor tossed the pen over his shoulder and stared up at the ceiling - his mouth moving as he counted off the seconds and then he held up a hand and grimaced in anticipation - he was not disappointed. He strode to the door and peered around it - the smile firmly in place. As Rick had left the room - Morgan and Lane with a limp unconscious Tony between them - left the room next door.
"I did what you wanted, Taylor!" Rick bellowed, struggling to free himself from the iron grip around his right bicep. He managed to turn and face his cousin - his eyes blazing - his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tried to close the space between then and wipe that sanctimonious smirk off Taylor's face but the gun barrel pressed closer. "You said you'd leave him alone! You told me it was just the fingers - you didn't have to beat the living fucking daylights out of him! He's nothing to do with any of this - you should have let him go - I asked you to let him go - you said you were going to let him go!"
"So - I lied. As for the fingers - I'm still wondering why it took four of them before you signed over your life to me - or were you getting off on seeing him screaming in agony?" Taylor shrugged. "He's with you - therefore - he is fair game - if it had been another of your simpering, whimpering hangers on - they'd have been treated the same - only - " Taylor paused as though weighing something up, he made to speak and then shook his head. "What the hell," he said finally. "Just so you know - Ricky lad - I know what Tony is - and do you know what that means?"
"What?" Rick gaped at him. "What the fuck are you talking about now?"
Taylor sniggered to himself, his eyes to the floor for a moment until he took a few paces forward to stand nose to nose with the other man. "He's a Fed, Rick. Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo - and according to his resume - he's a good agent too - but - sadly - not good enough."
Rick's stomach lurched as his face suddenly paled - he swallowed slowly and gazed into Taylor's tormented eyes. "If he is - and if what you've done to him is anything to go by - you are in a shitload of trouble."
"Oh don't play me for a fool, Cuz." Taylor cuffed Rick lightly upside the head. "He's with NCIS - and has been for over three years - previously he was with Baltimore PD - he's thirty three years old - birth date July 8 - Daddy's stinking rich but a bastard - Tony fancies himself as a ladies man - and he is - but he has commitment issues - he digs old movies - watches crap like Jackass - drives a Mustang - he did drive a Corvette until that was trashed in a high speed car chase - and he enjoys pizza with pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese - need I go on?"
"He needs medical attention, Taylor - "
"And he'll get it - after you've washed up - your face is a mess and I don't appreciate you bleeding on my expensive Persian rugs." Taylor stepped back and signalled for the men holding Tony to move on as Rick was taken further along the corridor to the bathroom.
"I'll be coming in with you," said the man with him.
"Whatever - " Rick breathed. "But I can't do anything cuffed like this."
"Which is why I'm coming with you," his guard leered at him.
"Then maybe I can wait."
"I doubt it, I'm Carson by the way - and I have a very short fuse." Rick looked at him and then yawned loudly.
"I'm Rick and I'm more than a little pissed right now, Carson - but in light of the situation as it stands - I need the bathroom and I would like to clean up - if that's okay with you?"
"Fine - "
Rick was shoved through the door and held his hands up and back as Carson unlocked the cuffs, bringing them round and massaging his wrists carefully - watching the other man from the corner of his eye.
Ablutions over - and grateful Carson had chosen to turn his back and gaze out of the window as he relieved himself - Rick made light work of washing his face - grimacing at the bruises and tired eyes staring back at him in the mirror. "I look like shit," he murmured.
"Yeah - " Carson held up the cuffs. "Hands in front this time - "
Moments later, the metal door of the cell slammed shut behind Rick as he was pushed inside. He closed his eyes and leaned against the cool steel as he tried to refocus - tried to gain some semblance of - something - but it was as he opened his eyes he spied what he thought had been his worst nightmare - lying in a heap at the bottom of the left wall - Tony.
Rick was at his side and on his knees in a nano second, easing the deeply unconscious man onto his back. "Tony?" he whispered. "Tony? It's Rick - can you hear me?" Nothing - no reaction whatsoever. Bile rose in his throat as he took in just how badly Tony had been beaten - his face was a mess - bruised and cut - and his hand - his left hand -
"Oh God," Rick breathed. "What have I done? This wasn't supposed to happen - you shouldn't be here, Tony - you are here because I screwed up - I should have been watching out for you and instead - I got - distracted. It's not your fault - none of this is your fault but Taylor figures you're with me - and used you to get to me." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as tears began to well in his eyes. "I failed you - you and Gibbs - Jethro will never forgive me for this - never. I should never have touched you - I shouldn't have checked you out - I should not have turned up last night in the first place - this is all my fault - all my fault - "
"Boss?" Barely a whisper but it was audible. Tony's eyelids were flickering as his head turned towards the man kneeling beside him. "Jethro?"
"No, Tony - it's Rick. Lie still - "
"Jethro."
"He's on his way - just lie still - don't speak - reserve your strength."
"No - want - Jethro - need - " Tony managed to lift his right arm, bending at the elbow to grab a hold of Rick's shirt - leaving Rick a little surprised at the strength the barely conscious man still had. "Rick - Rick - " Tony passed out again, his hand falling to his stomach as his head lolled to the side once more.
If Rick had anything more to say - he didn't stand a chance. The cell door opened and Taylor stepped through - flanked by Morgan and Lane.
"Move a muscle Rick - and you're dead!" Taylor barked. "Morgan - hold him still - Lane - if you would please?"
Rick didn't stand a chance - he was hauled to his feet by Morgan with a choke hold around his neck - and then something was pressed to his face - a soft cloth soaked in something - something sickly sweet - and as his eyes fluttered close - his hands falling away from Morgan's massive forearm holding him upright - the last thing he saw was Taylor looking at him - almost sadly - then - he was unconscious before he hit the floor.
TBC -
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs calls in a favour - of sorts