Gibbs rose to his feet - feeling slightly stifled in the small but functional room where he had been questioning Taylor. There was no window - just some chairs folded up against one wall - against them what looked to be an old street sign and - of all things - a traffic cone. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets - he paced left and then right - finally settling to lean back against the wall opposite the man still cuffed across the room.
Taylor had tracked him with his eyes as he had paced - not quite sure if Gibbs was serious about handing him over to the Feds - he swallowed thickly and lowered his dark gaze to the table top and blew out his cheeks. "How long you gonna keep this up?" he growled between clenched teeth.
"Me?" Gibbs flashed a grin. "Until Abs has finished with Alex - and then it's your turn - and be warned - Abby can be very persuasive when she wants to be."
"I thought you were the persuasive one - " Taylor snorted. "For an old man - you sure have some fancy ideas about getting rid of me."
"Just give me the name of your lawyer," Gibbs prompted - pushing himself off the wall and retaking his seat - but not before reaching down and collecting up a rather weighty paddle and examining it closely. "Ah - " he paused, dropping the paddle from in front of his face. "If I say - please - will you tell me the name of your lawyer."
"Not a hope in hell!"
"Ever felt one of these across your ass, Taylor?" Gibbs held up the leather padded instrument - stroking the smooth surface with a small smile on his lips. "It's quite - painful - but in the hands of an expert - it can do so much - the kiss of leather with the weight of a Dom behind it - it's actually quite liberating."
"You're a sub?"
"A switch, Taylor - big difference." Gibbs shrugged. "But you didn't answer the question - have you ever felt one across your butt?"
"And what in hell is a switch?"
"You have your Dom and you have your sub - I kinda slide between the two on occasion - "
"Okay - " Taylor's brows arched in shock. "Let's stop this conversation right now - "
"But I thought you liked dishing it too - " Gibbs teased. "In a way - your behaviour is quite Dominant - so really - there's not a lot of difference between me dealing punishment to a sub and you just - being a bastard in general."
"Shut up!"
"I could show you if you like," Gibbs leaned forward - the paddle flat on the table. "The Rumpus Room is just next door - and I'm sure Tony would be only too happy to help me fasten you to one of the frames - " Gibbs couldn't help but smile as he spied beads of sweat on Taylor's upper lip - the discomfiture on that suddenly not so proud face. "In fact - " Gibbs went on. "I think - tied face down - gagged and maybe blindfolded - your pants around your ankles and your little pink butt in the air - "
"I said shut the fuck up."
"Methinks he doth protest too much." Gibbs leered.
"You're nuts."
"You keep saying that," Gibbs shifted around in his seat until his left hand was spread out on the table top - his right elbow resting lightly on the back of the chair. "Where was I - oh - yes - so - there you are - all trussed up - and then I'd - well - it would hardly be fair to you if I'm honest about it - but I'm really having trouble trying to tell myself that to do that to you would be just - cruel."
"Do what?" Taylor's eyes went wide - and he blanched.
Reaching into his jacket pocket, Gibbs pulled out his wallet and fished out a card - holding it up for Taylor to read.
"You're bluffing!" he spat.
"No - I'm not," Gibbs said as he replaced the card and pushed his wallet back into his jacket. "Melinda Meadows - the anchor for the six o'clock news on ZNN - she'd be only to happy to head out here and film it - " Gibbs winked. "Imagine that, Taylor - you get the notoriety you want - and we all get a good laugh."
"Bastard!"
"And people keep telling me that too, Taylor." Gibbs nodded sadly. "Name's Gibbs - two b's - second one stands for bastard - and you're not looking too good right now - can I get you some water?"
"You can let me go this fucking minute!"
"Nope - can't."
"Shit!"
Gibbs got to his feet again and pulled out his cell.
"What are you doing?" Taylor asked curiously - but he already knew what was coming.
"Calling Melinda - "
"Liar!"
"Only way I'm going to not make the call - you tell me who your lawyer is." Gibbs rounded on him - fixing him with the stare - until he held up a hand for silence. "Yeah, hi - Melinda Meadows - " he said into his cell. "Yes - Special Agent Jethro Gibbs - NCIS - " A pause. "Sure - I'll hold." Another pause. "Melinda - hi - Jethro - look - I've got something you might be interested in - remember that small fry perp who's always managed to evade prison?" Gibbs nodded. "Taylor Garvey - yep - that's the guy - well - believe it or not - I'm looking at him right now - " Pause. "No - I am not yanking your chain - he's sitting here with me now - only he's not looking to happy about it - " Gibbs held out the cell. "Taylor - play nice and say hi to Melinda."
"FUCK OFF!"
"Whoops," Gibbs pulled a face as he pressed the phone to his ear again. "Yeah - he's a bit pissed - you'll head over? Great - see you in about an hour - we're at Heaven's Gate - west side." Gibbs flushed and smiled almost coyly - deliberately turning his back on Taylor. "I know you head over here occasionally Melinda - I bought you a drink last month - remember? Yeah - in an hour - look forward to it."
Gibbs sat down with a victorious smile and gazed off into space for a second or two. "So - lawyer? Who is he?"
"There was no one on the end of that call, Gibbs - you're bluffing still."
"Okay - well - " Gibbs leaned forward. "I'll just leave you here alone for a little while to think things over - either - your ass hits primetime news - or you name your lawyer and I hand you over to Fornell - your choice."
A final staring match - that Gibbs won hands down - and Taylor was hearing the key turning in the lock as the silver haired man went to check on progress with Alex.
******
Crossing the main hall - Gibbs lifted a hand in salute to Matt and Pete as he passed and made his way to the main door. He quickly undid the lock and pulled it open sharply. Both goons turned to look at him as though he was something on the bottom of their collective shoes, their menacing looks fading as Gibbs held up a hundred dollar bill he'd removed from Taylor's own wallet before locking him up. "Boss says - no worries - lunch is on him - "
"Where is he?" Goon One demanded.
"Finalising the deal - now go - before he changes his mind - " Gibbs watched both men head down the steps. "Hey!" They both turned. "He also said to tell you - beer's allowed - as much as you want."
"Nice!" Goon Two grinned.
"Assholes," Gibbs muttered as he locked the door again, turning to see Matt and Pete gaping at him. "What?"
"Good job - those guys were - big!" Matt stuttered.
"They've gone now - and we're opening in a couple of hours - you two wanna get busy - this place has to look like it's business as usual." Gibbs called over his shoulder as he made his way to the kitchen.
"But Jethro - surely - we'll just be an invitation for trouble if we open tonight?" Pete spread his hands. "Taylor's got more guys like that back home - and they only have to get a sniff something's wrong - and we're dead."
"Then make like there is nothing wrong," Gibbs suggested - eyes wide. "Geez - do I have to think of everything?"
He pushed open the kitchen door with the flat of his hand and looked around the place. From the look of things - and the number of Caf Pow cups beside the laptop - Abby was getting her third refill - Ducky was settled in a corner - dozing - and Alex and Tony where nowhere to be seen.
"Gibbs!" Abby greeted him brightly. "You look pleased with yourself."
"I am, Abs - "
"Care to share?"
"Let's just say - Taylor's going to make national TV in about an hour." He kissed her cheek. "How'd you get on with Alex?"
"Well," she said before taking a long slurp of her drink. "I really really told him off for getting involved in this whole thing and then Tony told me what you wanted me to do - and I figured it would hardly be fair to Alex for me not to show him a demonstration - and by the way - " she slapped his arm. "thanks for making me look like some psychotic bitch Dom - "
"I knew you'd understand," Gibbs smiled warmly at her.
"So - I suddenly remembered something I'd seen on UTubeXXX - and figured that would work - so I downloaded it and played it."
"And?"
"Alex went a weird shade of green - Tony couldn't look - and Duckman - well - he was too busy snoring - anyway - "
"What you show him Abs?"
"Wanna see?"
"Not really - just the bare details will be fine."
"Okay - it's this dungeon of this French or German man Dom - and his slave is only to happy to have things attached to his - bits - down there - " she lowered her eyes to Gibbs' crotch. "And then I gave Alex earphones - Tony ended up having to hold them on his head - he was not a happy bunny - and struggling to get loose - and after watching him for about two minutes - I figured he'd gotten the message - and he bolted from here with Tony in hot pursuit - and they're outside right now - Alex puked - just as he got out the door - so be careful - it's a bit slippery."
"Thanks, Abs. Good job."
"I know - I always come up with the goods, Gibbs."
Outside - Alex was leaning against the wall - eyes closed - hands clasped over his nether regions with Tony beside him - Sig in hand.
"You okay?" Gibbs asked - sidestepping a puddle of puke.
"You are one fucking bastard - " Alex hissed - sneering at him.
"He okay?" he asked Tony.
"Sure - just missed hitting me with that - " Tony jerked the Sig in the direction of the mess on the ground.
"Get what we wanted?" Gibbs asked - ignoring Alex who was trying to lever himself off the wall - until Gibbs's hand on his shoulder pinned him there.
"No - you?"
"Might have - called in a favour with Melinda," Gibbs sighed.
"No - what kinda favour?" Tony was curious now.
"You know the one - the - I got something you might be interested in - be here in an hour - and you'll see Taylor Garvey in a whole new light - but - "
"But?" Tony prompted.
"But - do I involve this shit too?" he took a handful of Alex's shirt - pulling him forward and then slamming him back against the wall.
"Why not?" Tony agreed. "Two shits together on TV - I'd watch it."
"You'd watch anything." Gibbs shot back.
"But Melinda's got a great stack, Gibbs. So - you going to enlighten me on what's gonna happen?"
"Sure," Gibbs nodded. "These two - bare assed - getting the whipping of their lives.!"
"You wouldn't!" Tony sounded genuinely horrified.
"I would, and I will - " Gibbs pulled Alex forward again. "Unless I get the name of their damn lawyer!!"
"No one ass whips me on TV, Gibbs!" Alex hissed.
"You'd make a fortune with that on the Internet, Boss."
"I know," Gibbs turned and made his way back inside - tugging Alex after him. "I'll get Abs working on a live doowacka - whatsit."
"That's live feed, Boss. Key word is feed." Tony rubbed his hands together, grinning goofily as he followed them back indoors. "That second B sure as hell stands for bastard."
TBC
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs - yep - that second b sure as hell stands for bastard!!