NCIS. Abby/Kate. 032. Sunset. *
Title: Dreadful Sorry, Caitlin Todd
Fandom: NCIS
Characters: Abigail Sciuto, Caitlin Todd, Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, Timothy McGee, Donald "Ducky" Mallard
Prompt: 032 Sunset
Word Count: 7,269
Rating: R
Summary: A case of mistaken identity may become fatal for Kate.
Author's Notes: I blame the inclusion of the Clementine lyrics entirely on the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Little Damn Table
There wasn't a soul stirring on Fourth Street. The only illumination was coming from the streetlights on either corner. The moon was hidden behind thick, rain-fat clouds. The woman had the hood of her jacket up, obscuring her face as she walked down the sidewalk, glancing nervously over her shoulder as she approached the library.
As instructed, she stood on the lowest step and turned towards the street. She stuffed both hands into her pockets and scanned up and down the street, her lower lip quaking in the cold. The brim of her baseball cap stuck out from beneath her hood, her eyes hidden behind wide-rimmed sunglasses. Everything was as instructed; her jacket clearly said NCIS Federal Agent, as did her cap. She just prayed she hadn't spray-painted targets on her back and forehead by wearing the identifiers.
At midnight on the dot, her wristwatch began beeping. She checked it and heard footsteps behind her. She started to turn, but a gun pressing against the back of her coat made her freeze. "Agent Tierney?"
"Yes," she confirmed, voice shaking. "Please, whatever you want, just don't..."
"Shut up. Step down onto the sidewalk and go west. Slowly, with your hands out to your sides, fingers splayed. Got me?"
She did as he instructed and they began walking down the street.
"Did you bring the money?"
"Yes, it's in my coat pocket." She started to reach for it and he pressed the gun tighter against her back. "That would be a very stupid move, Agent Tierney. Just keep walking." She moved her hands back to where they had been. "List your jewelry."
"What?"
"The jewelry you're wearing. List it."
She stuttered and said, "A wristwatch on my right wrist. Uh, a necklace. Earrings."
"That all?"
"I-I think so."
"You're not wearing that sexy little navel ring, huh?" he chuckled and said, "All right, stop." They were at the corner and she watched as a van down the street flashed its headlights at them. He whistled and the van started towards them.
"What is this?" she asked. "I thought I was going to give you the money and you were going to give me the photos."
"Plans changed. You lied to us, Agent Tierney."
She shook her head as the van pulled up. The back door slid open and she was shoved forward into the dark back seat. "Get her hands tied," he said, climbing in behind her. "Bag her head. We don't want her to know where she's going."
The van pulled away, tires screeching on the wet pavement.
Down the street, another non-descript blue van pulled away from the curb and attempted to follow. After three blocks, they turned into a dead-end and gave up the chase. The back door swung open and Gibbs leapt out, running back to the intersection. He hit speaker on his cell and scanned the street for signs of the other van.
"This is Special Agent Gibbs. Do you have them?"
"We're sorry, Agent Gibbs. They slipped past our roadblock. Should we pursue?"
Gibbs hesitated. "Negative. They have Special Agent Todd. If we give chase, they may do something drastic." He snapped the phone shut and turned to DiNozzo.
"Anything?" Tony asked.
"They got away."
"But Kate..."
Gibbs pushed past Tony, heading back to the truck. "I know, DiNozzo."
Tony scanned the empty street before turning and running after Gibbs.
---
Gibbs stormed into the interrogation room, pulling his seat away from the table and smacking it down next to Special Agent Rebecca Tierney. "Who?"
She looked at him, eyes wide and wet with tears. "What...?"
"Who is blackmailing you? Who did we send Special Agent Todd to meet?"
"I... I told you before, I have no idea!"
Gibbs leaned against the back of his chair. "Do you have a navel ring?"
She glanced at the mirror. "How is that..."
"Answer the question."
"Yes."
"Whoever is doing this knows about that ring. He caught Kate off-guard." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "If he hurts her because of this... I will make you regret it."
"Please, Agent Gibbs, I... I didn't ask for any of this! I didn't ask for that note to be put in Kate's in-box instead of mine. I just wish all of this was over! You have to believe me! I don't know anyone who would want to do this to me."
"You think," he said. "Because right now, my agent is being held by somebody who is trying to blackmail you. Odds are, you've done something that you don't want to get out. I want you to think long and hard about what that might be... and whether or not you think it's worth an agent's life."
He stood and lifted his chair, nearly tossing it across the room and opening the door. He was one step into the hallway when Tierney said, "Wait, Agent Gibbs."
---
The men wore hoods pulled down around their faces, keeping Kate's face covered with a black bag. They tore off her wristwatch and the bracelet she'd forgotten to mention, tossing them both into the gutter. The second man was rifling her pockets, thumbing through the money packets before he tossed them onto the sidewalk.
The first man, the only one who'd spoken so far, said, "Is that real cash?"
"Yes," Kate said.
"Hope some bum gets lucky," he said. "Maybe NCIS will track him down to all the liquor stores in the area."
The second guy laughed and pulled Kate's jacket off her shoulders. The first man said, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Making sure she's not wired. Gotta check... everywhere."
The first man pushed the second away. "Hands off." He knelt next to Kate and said, "He does have a point. If you're wired, that would be very bad for us. So... if you don't tell us, I will let him check."
"Inside of my coat cuff," Kate said quietly.
"Good girl," the first man said. He ripped the jacket off and pushed her back against the side of the van. They pulled off her shoes and belt, her jeans hanging dangerously low on her hips as they shoved her back into the van. The first man got into the van and sat beside her, finally asking the sixty-four million dollar question. "So. Who are you?"
Before the bag was put on her head, they'd pulled off both her hat and glasses. "Special Agent Caitlin Todd."
"You friends with Becca? She ask you to help her out? Play the bait?"
"No," she said. "My name is Caitlin Todd. Your blackmail letter was delivered to me by mistake. My mailbox at NCIS is right next to Agent Tierney's."
The first man stared at her for a moment before he started laughing. He looked at the second man and said, "If we hadn't caught her, can you imagine how humiliated we would be? Ruined by the postal service. It's a good thing your team was just as inept as the post office."
He patted her leg and stood, moving to the front seat of the van. Kate shifted her foot inside her shoe, hoping the transmitter Abby had nestled between the sole and the shoe was still active. As she was whispering a prayer to the technology gods, the leader began untying her shoes and pulled them off, tossing them over his shoulder.
So much for Plan B...
---
"I'm a deacon at my church," Rebecca Tierney said softly. "The Fairfax Church of Christ. Part of my duty is that I minister to the homebound on Sundays. But when I was... nineteen, I broke away from my parents, the church, everything. I went a little wild... as kids do. Something I did was videotaped."
Gibbs said, "The tape mentioned in the letter."
"They threatened to send it to my pastor, Agent Gibbs. I don't know exactly what is on the tape, but... when I think of the things I allowed to be put on tape..." She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I could probably keep my job here. And it's nothing that would put me in jail. But... to be stripped of my duties, to be banished from my church and shunned by my friends? I couldn't bear that, Agent Gibbs, I just... I couldn't."
Gibbs sighed and leaned back. "I'll need the names of anyone you think might be involved."
"I don't have names, Agent Gibbs. Believe me. That whole part of my life, it's been blocked out."
"If I were you," Gibbs said, his voice low and threatening, "I would start thinking very, very hard."
---
Kate was led into a small, dark room and pushed down into a chair. "Sit. Face here." A bright light was shone into her face and she blinked, her eyes accustomed to the inside of the bag and the dark back of the van. The second man fastened her wrists together with rope, tying it to the back of the chair. The first man picked up a remote control and hit a button.
"Hello, Agent Rebecca Tierney. Hello, everyone else at NCIS watching this." He waved the remote and stepped aside, making sure Kate was center-frame. She was dirty from the back of the truck and the bag, her blouse ripped and untucked. "My name is Huckleberry. The man behind your friend is... Clem."
"Why do I have to be Clementine?" the second man hissed.
Huckleberry ignored him. "Say hello to your friend, Special Agent Caitlin Todd. This tape will be hand-delivered to you at 7am tomorrow morning. That's about seven hours from the time of this recording. In that time, you have my word that Agent Todd will not be injured or molested in any way. When you receive the tape, you will begin gathering $250,000. You'll notice this amount is double our original agreement, which you violated. We'll consider the extra money to be an apology.
"At noon, we will contact you. If our demands have not been met, Agent Todd will lose a finger. At five in the afternoon, I will allow Clem to do what he's been wanting to do since we grabbed her."
"Hell, dunno if I'd want her without a finger."
"And at sunset, should we still be unsatisfied... Special Agent Todd will die. The videotape will be returned to Agent Tierney and we will disappear. There's an old joke... your money or your life, to which the comedian replies, 'I'm thinking.' You have five hours before your agent loses a finger. You have six hours after that before she gives her life to save you a few measly dollars."
He waved to the camera and said, "The countdown begins now, NCIS."
He shut off the camera.
---
McGee and DiNozzo camped out on the floor behind their desks, staring up at the ceiling. Gibbs had ordered them to go home, insisting there was nothing else to be done tonight, but neither could bring himself to actually leave while Kate was in trouble. When Gibbs returned to the squad room, he automatically placed a cup of coffee on each man's desk without looking to make sure they were still there.
"Thanks, boss," Tony said, sitting up and taking his cup. McGee stayed down, having fallen asleep. Tony chuckled and said, "Looks like the probie isn't losing too much sleep."
"Good," Gibbs said. "One of us needs to be on top of things tomorrow." He took his jacket and spread it out on the floor, kneeling and stretching out behind his own desk.
"Can I have his coffee, then?"
Gibbs sat up and turned, looking at Kate's desk. Abby sat up, raising her eyebrows. "You look surprised, Gibbs. What? I'm not going to go home. And I'm not staying down in the lab all alone."
"I'm sure Tim wouldn't mind sharing," Gibbs said. He turned on his desk light and lay down, putting his hands behind his head as Abby hurried across the room and filched McGee's coffee.
After a few minutes listening to the hum of the air conditioner, Abby said, "Who wants to tell ghost stories?"
---
At four am, Kate woke to the touch of gloved fingers on her cheek. She jerked, staring up at the masked face in front of her. Without hearing him speak, there was no way to tell if it was Clem or Huckleberry. She held her breath, cutting her eyes to the door and hoping, praying, it was the saner of her kidnappers. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just making sure you're still breathing."
Huckleberry. She exhaled a little and said, "Sorry. I just... it's a long time before my team will even get that tape. What makes you so sure they'll be able to get the money you're asking for?"
He walked to the camera and ejected the tape, sliding it into a plain yellow mailing envelope. "We'll get it. Don't you worry about that. All you have to worry about... is when we get it." He walked over, standing next to her chair. "I don't bluff, darling. That's one thing you should know right now."
Kate waited until his back was turned to shudder.
---
The messenger stepped out of the elevator, tapping the corner of the envelope against his hand as he searched the room. The first person he passed, he asked for Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He was pointed to a block of empty desks and he groaned, heading over and searching for signs of life.
As he got closer, he saw that there were people behind the desks. "Whoa, dude. I thought my boss worked me like a dog..."
An older man with gray hair stood and glared at the messenger. "Who are you?"
"Elmo. I have a delivery for a Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Says you gotta sign for it."
Gibbs took the envelope and drew a line across the kid's clipboard. "Aw, dude, that ain't cool..."
Gibbs ignored him, tearing the envelope open and heading for the entertainment center. He searched for the VCR, but found only equipment for discs. "Abby!" he shouted.
Tony, McGee and Abby all rose from behind their desks, all of them muttering and trying to focus on where they were. Elmo yelped, spinning around at the sudden flurry of activity. "Whoa, dude, this is totally not what I expected from a federal agency."
"We get that a lot," Tony said. "Boss."
"VHS tape."
"VCR is down in Abby's lab."
Gibbs sighed and turned, glaring at Elmo as he passed. "Are you waiting for a tip?"
When Tony passed, he chuckled and said, "I wouldn't expect one."
McGee handed Elmo his half-eaten donut and said, "Enjoy."
Abby smiled as she passed. "See you, Elmo."
Elmo watched them go and scoffed. "Dude. Crazy-ass, cheap G-men sleepin' on the floor..." He shook his head and returned to the elevator.
---
"You have six hours after that before she gives her life to save you a few measly dollars. The countdown begins now, NCIS."
Gibbs stared hard at the screen, paused on the final image. Kate was visible just over the kidnapper's left shoulder. "Abby," he said.
"Voice analysis. Working to lighten the background, see if there are any identifying marks."
"DiNozzo," Gibbs said.
"Already called the front desk and stopped Elmo from leaving the building."
"Good work," Gibbs said, storming out of the room. He wanted to talk to Tierney again.
---
"Something doesn't add up here, Agent Tierney," he said. "This videotape you told me about. What exactly is on it?"
She looked down at her hands. "I can't, Agent Gibbs."
"You will," he said. "I want to know exactly what we're dealing with."
She closed her eyes. "I can't give you a blow-by-blow list, Agent Gibbs. I don't know exactly which tape it is. There... were several."
"I think you're lying."
"If I were lying, I would lie about--"
"There's something worse than sex on that tape. Something far more valuable. I will not let my agent suffer because of it."
The intercom buzzed and McGee said, "Boss? We may have something."
Gibbs stood and left the room, meeting McGee in the hallway. "I spoke with the delivery guy," McGee said. "He told me that the tape was dropped off at 6:45 this morning with no return address. The guy who dropped it off paid cash and the store doesn't have security cameras."
"Then why are you acting like this is good news?"
McGee smiled. "Because the kid remembered something about the store across the street from their business."
"They have a security camera?"
"Better."
---
Tony stuck out his jaw, craning his neck to one side and watching the veins pop out. There were thirty-two 27-inch reflections of his mugging being reflected at him. The TV store faced Hermes Parcels, recording all the comings and goings of the customers. McGee came out of the store and held up a tape. "Footage from these display cameras from 6:15 until 7:15. Should have caught our guy."
"Excellent work, probie," Tony said.
McGee looked at Tony's face on the screens and asked, "Is this what you were doing the entire time I was in there?"
"I can't hold your hand on every case, McGee. Gotta spread those wings, fly on your own."
"Right," McGee sighed. "Come on. Let's get this back to the office and check it out."
---
Huckleberry walked into the room, placing a stool behind Kate. She tried to watch him over the shoulder, but he moved into her blind spot. Taking her hand, he examined the fingers carefully before he let them fall limp again. "Which hand do you write with?"
"Why?"
"Are you ambidextrous? That would be very lucky. But I need to know if you're a righty or a lefty."
"Right."
"Thank you," he said. "I'll let you keep all your fingers on the right hand, then."
He touched something cold to the knuckle of her left index finger and she jumped. He laughed and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Agent Todd. I'm squeamish. I could never cut the finger off of a pretty lady." He stood and walked out of the room, leaving the door open.
Just outside, Clem was watching her intently. Kate had no doubt how he felt about mutilating people's bodies.
---
They set up the security camera in Abby's lab. Elmo watched the screen, his head waving to and fro as he followed the fast-forwarded movement. "Dude, whoa, whoa." Abby stopped the tape and Elmo walked forward and pointed at the screen. "That dude is letting his dog piss on my car! Unbelievable!"
"Yo. Elmo." He turned, looking at Tony. "Woman's life? Kind of at stake here. Worry about your tire later."
"Right, dude." He turned back and cleared his throat. He watched the steady flow of people in and out of the store, pursing his lips and rocking on his heels.
"Come on!" Abby snapped.
Elmo and Tony both jumped, turning to look at her. Abby sighed and said, "It's almost eleven! If we don't find these guys or give them their money, they'll chop off Kate's finger. And this guy's sitting here playing people-watcher."
Elmo glanced at Tony and looked back at the screen. "Whoa, whoa, back up." She rewound the tape and Elmo moved closer. "Pause it, pause it." He poked the screen, circling a customer with his finger and smudging the screen. "That's him. That's totally him."
"Okay," Abby said, "now we're getting somewhere."
She typed a few commands, zooming in on the guy's face. He only half-turned towards the electronics store, but that was enough. She caught a still of his face and cleared it up, printing out a nice portrait of the man. Tony snatched it up and said, "I'll get this up to Gibbs, let him show Tierney."
"Tick tock, Tony!"
He hurried out of the room, leaving Abby and Elmo alone. She turned to look at him and he smiled. "So. You guys got a, uh, cafeteria around here?"
"Yep," she said.
"Wanna point me in the right direction?"
Abby stared at him for a moment and then walked away, heading to her desk.
Elmo squirmed for a moment before showing himself out.
---
Rebecca Tierney turned the photo around, staring at it. "I don't recognize him," she said. "I'm sorry."
"Look again," Gibbs said.
"I don't recognize him," Tierney sighed. "I wish I did! In one hour, someone is going to get her finger cut off because of me. Do you think I want that on my conscience? If I could help you... if there was any way I could tell you who the hell this guy is, trust me. I would do it."
Gibbs closed his eyes.
---
Abby focused in and out on the image. She spun it, flipped the picture upside down, zoomed in on the reflection of the guy in the window. Something had to show up. Something had to give them a clue to who the hell the guy was. A logo on his t-shirt or a dry-cleaning tag hanging out of the back of his sweater.
She stared helplessly at the image, silently begging it to tell her something, anything.
She stood and began pacing, chewing on her thumbnail as she pondered how to track down the guy in the video. He was on foot, hadn't appeared to come from any particular parked car. All their running around, the past couple of hours... for nothing. A face they still had no name for.
The elevator dinged and she turned, halfway across the room before Ducky walked in. "Anything new on Caitlin?" he asked.
Abby sighed heavily.
"I was afraid not."
"I doubt Agent Tierney is going to come up with the money they're asking for?"
Ducky laughed. "Even if she wanted to, $250,000 is quite a large sum for a federal agent."
Abby sighed. "I keep thinking... you know, if we all pitched in..."
"Abigail," Ducky said. "You can't really be thinking of giving in to a blackmailer."
"I don't know what I'm thinking, Ducky! I'm thinking... I'm thinking of getting Kate's finger in the mail! I'm thinking of what that bastard is going to do to her if we don't get him the money."
Ducky was about to speak again but was interrupted by the beeping of his watch. He looked down and checked the time. "Oh, dear," he muttered.
Abby bit her bottom lip.
---
Gibbs stepped out of the room, meeting McGee and Tony in the hallway as he answered his ringing cell phone. "This is Gibbs."
"Hello, Gibbs. This is Huckleberry. Do you have my money?"
"We do. Tell us how to proceed."
Huckleberry laughed. "Oh, Agent Gibbs, I'm embarrassed for you. Really, I am. You think we haven't been watching Tierney's bank accounts? She hasn't withdrawn a single red dime. She hasn't even tried." He sighed and said, "You disappoint me, Agent Gibbs. But most importantly? You disappointed Special Agent Todd."
There was a pause on the line and, moments later, they heard Kate's voice. "No. Don't... Gibbs! Gibbs!" A clatter, something being knocked to the ground. Scuffling. And then Kate's screaming.
McGee paled and turned away, moving down the hall and covering his mouth.
Tony's face went slack, staring at Gibbs' phone in utter shock.
"You now have five hours before your agent is violated again. Expect a call and... expect a package soon," Huckleberry said.
Gibbs hung up and stuck the phone into his coat pocket. He stared at DiNozzo and softly said, "You okay, Tim?"
"Yeah," McGee rasped.
Gibbs turned away and headed down the hall. He waited until he was in the elevator, alone, before he closed his eyes and exhaled sharply.
---
Huckleberry pushed Kate's chair back up, pushing her head up so he could look into her eyes. "Sorry about that. Had to be done."
"Get your hands off me," she hissed.
The side of her face was dappled with blood, her bottom lip split on the left side. She licked her lips and turned her head, spitting blood onto Huckleberry's thigh. He shook his head. "You're alive right now because I say you get to live. If I get tired of waiting? If I let Clem have you before the five o'clock deadline? Well, that's my prerogative." He stood and put the bag of ice into a container. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to drop this off at NCIS."
He walked to the door and Kate said, "They'll catch you. No matter what you do to me, they'll catch you. You're only making things worse for yourself."
"We'll see," Huckleberry chuckled. He walked out of the room and, as he headed for the building's entrance, began to sing. "Oh, mah darlin', oh, mah darlin', oh mah dar-lin' Clementine. You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry, Clementine."
---
"He did it?" Abby said quietly. "The rat bastard actually... a-actually did it?"
"Good Lord," Ducky muttered.
"Can the finger be reattached, Duck?" Gibbs asked.
Ducky groaned and hesitated. "Well, if we're able to procure the finger and... it would be a remarkably difficult surgery, Jethro. The odds of her regaining even partial use of the finger ever again..."
"She's an artist," Abby said, tears in her eyes. "How could he cut off her finger? She's an artist!"
Tony put a hand on Abby's back and rubbed in slow circle. Abby squirmed away from him and said, "No, DiNozzo. You... m-make a dirty joke about what else she could do with the finger or something about picking her nose. Don't be nice! Because if you're being nice, that means that something is really wrong."
"Abs," Gibbs said quietly.
She turned and he was right there. He signed something, keeping his hands low and blocking the signs with his body so no one else could see them. Abby nodded and made a single motion back to him. He stepped back and she went to Tony, hugging him and putting her head on his shoulder. The elevator doors opened and everyone turned, watching the messenger walk into the squad room. He slowed as he saw the scrutiny he was under. "Um... I-I have a package for you."
Gibbs stepped up and snatched it, motioning for someone else to sign for it. McGee got the pen and scribbled his name, joining the odyssey to Gibbs' desk to see the unveiling. The deliveryman looked down at the clipboard, making sure it was signed legibly and said, "Have a nice day, folks." Tucking the clipboard under his arm as he walked back to the elevator, he quietly sang, "Ruby lips above the water, blowing bubbles, soft and fine, but, alas, I was no swimmer, so I lost my Clementine."
Gibbs tore open the paper, finding a small icebox. He lifted the lid and tightened his jaw at the sight of what was inside. "Oh, God," McGee breathed, hurrying away from the desk. A finger, impossibly small among all the ice, pointed accusingly up at them.
"Tony," Gibbs said.
"Front desk has been alerted to stop all messengers leaving the building," Tony said. "I'll let them know we're keeping this one."
"This is good news," Abby said.
Everyone looked at her.
"Well... i-it is. I mean. This isn't Kate's finger."
"Abby," Gibbs said softly. "I know you're in shock, but..."
Abby rolled her eyes. "This isn't shock, Gibbs. It's relief." She picked up the box, turning it so he could see. "The nail is too small and squared-off. The first joint is too far down. And the finger itself is too thick. This is not Kate's finger."
"Ducky," Gibbs said.
Ducky took the box, excited now. "I'll run a quick DNA comparison. Jethro, if he was bluffing about her finger, perhaps..."
"We'll wait for confirmation before we start counting unhatched chicks."
"Right, yes, right away," Ducky hurried off with the finger.
Gibbs put a hand on Abby's shoulder and said, "If you're right..."
"I am. No doubt in my mind."
Gibbs moved his hand to her cheek and slapped it lightly. "Then I'll add another Caf-Pow to your tab."
She bounced on her heels and headed for the elevators. She wanted to be there when Ducky proved her right.
---
Huckleberry sat down, eyeing Kate's lip and extending a glass of water to her. "Would you like a sip?"
"Go to hell," Kate sighed.
"I could've cut off your finger. I chose not to."
"Your compassion is overwhelming," Kate said. "But the fact that you didn't kind of drops your threat level. Why should I believe anything you say now?"
"Cutting off your finger would've been... problematic for me. The bleeding, the screaming, I just didn't want to deal with it. But the rape? All I have to do is stand outside, cover my ears. As for killing you? You'd be surprised how easy it will be." He stood and got into her face, the black stocking moving over his mouth as he spoke. "You'll be my first. But I've been waiting for this for about ten years. So you'll understand that I want to get it over with."
He started for the door and Kate said, "Ten years, 125,000 dollars..."
"250,000," he corrected.
"Right. What the hell did Agent Tierney do? What is on that tape?"
He turned. "She didn't tell you? Not even a lie?"
"No. That's the point of stopping the blackmail; she wouldn't have to tell."
He scoffed and shook his head. "I'll be back. It's time to see what you're suffering for." He left the room, slamming the door behind him. Kate lifted her arm and looked down; when they'd knocked her over for their little audio play, the back of the chair had come loose. Since then, she'd spent every solitary minute working the seat, trying to get the back board to pull out. If she could free it, she could slide her right hand free. Then, maybe she'd have a chance...
---
Ducky slapped the desktop and turned to Abby. "How on Earth could you tell just from a glance?"
"It's not her finger, right?"
"Without a doubt," Ducky assured her. He pointed at the monitor and said, "It will take time to run the DNA and compare it, of course, but the blood type is not a match! This is not Caitlin's finger!"
"We've gotta tell Gibbs," Abby said, halfway to the door before it slid open to reveal the man himself. "Gibbs! It's not hers!"
"You have the proof?" Gibbs asked.
"Blood type is not a match."
"Not to mention the fingernail."
"Not to mention," Ducky said, ignoring Abby for the moment, "that this finger has been preserved."
Abby and Gibbs both looked at him. "How's that?" Abby said.
Ducky returned to the computer, motioning for them to follow. "The finger and presumably the person it was once attached to were frozen until very recently. Thawed, of course, for the dissection. The kidnapper was hoping we would discount any blue tinge to the ice used to transport the digit."
"Any idea how long it was frozen?"
"From what I have, I must say no. If we find the entire body..."
"Right." He turned to Abby and put his hand on her cheek. "Good work spotting that, Abs."
Abby beamed and followed Gibbs to Ducky's desk. "What are we going to do now, boss?"
"Talk to Agent Tierney. See if she's ready to give up the truth." He picked up a pair of rubber gloves, using them to place the finger back into the box. "Can I take this, Duck?"
"So long as it doesn't leave the building, Jethro."
"Trust me, Ducky, it won't."
---
Other than brief trips to the bathroom or to her desk, Rebecca Tierney had been in the interrogation room since 11pm the night before. When Gibbs returned, she lifted her head from the table and focused her bleary eyes on him. "Can I go home soon?"
Gibbs dropped the box on the table in front of her. "You can go home when Agent Todd goes home." He took a seat and centered the box in front of him. "Of course, that might be a while." He lifted the lid of the box and propped it up so she could see the contents. "The kidnappers just sent us a finger."
Tierney gagged and covered her mouth, eyes wide and her face going white.
Gibbs covered the box again and leaned forward. "Tell me again, Special Agent Tierney, that there is nothing in your life that would make someone hate you."
She closed her eyes and started to cry. "It was so long ago."
Gibbs waited.
---
Huckleberry rolled in a combination TV/VCR on a cart. He parked it in front of Kate and knelt down, putting a tape into the slot and hitting play. The tape started, a typical jumpy home video shot. The cameraman was in the backseat of a car, the headlights cutting the road in front of them. The driver and passenger were singing 'Clementine' at the top of their lungs, obviously wasted.
"The driver is Rebecca Tierney. The rest of the people in the car are bastards who don't matter anymore."
"What did you do to them?"
"They paid," he said simply. Kate didn't press whether they'd paid with cash or in some other manner. She licked her lips and turned her attention back to the tape.
The driver was still singing. "Drove she ducklings to the water, ev'ry morning just at nine. Hit her foot against a splinter, Fell into the foaming brine!"
The passenger laughed and said, "How I missed her! How I missed her, how I missed my Clementine, but I fucked her little sister, I forgot my Clementine!!"
The cameraman laughed and said, "Those aren't the right lyrics!"
"They're close enough!" Tierney laughed, looking back. "Is that thing on? Are you going to show my Dad how I'm driving?"
"Maybe! Maybe I'm just doing a documentary on the world's first drunk designated driver!"
Tierney scoffed. "I'm sure I'm not the first. Gimme that camera." She reached back with her right hand, the left turning the steering wheel just slightly. Kate held her breath, watching in horror as a person was briefly illuminated in the headlights. Huckleberry turned away, cringing at the sound of a body thudding against the car.
"Geez, Becca!" the passenger said. Tierney took the wheel with both hands, guiding herself back onto the road. "What was that?"
"I think it was a deer," the cameraman said, turning and aiming the camera out the back window. "You killed Bambi!"
Tierney laughed. "Oh, God, poor Bambi!"
Huckleberry jabbed the VCR with his finger hard enough to make the machine move back on the stand. "'Bambi' was my brother. He was walking home from the library. He was fourteen years old. And those... bastards... laughed about it."
"Did they ever... did..."
"No," Huckleberry said. "No one ever knew. Until the guy in the backseat next to the cameraman found the tape last year. He checked the newspapers, found the name of the kid who died. Instead of taking this tape to the cops, he brought it to me and my brother."
"Clem?"
"Yeah. Robert was our baby brother. And they killed him. The kid who handed over the tape was apologetic, blubbering all over himself. Clem beat him half to death on our front porch. We tracked them all down. One-by-one. The cameraman paid us off. Very handsomely. The girl in the passenger seat... well, she was a bit more stubborn. Didn't seem to think it was her fault. Didn't think she was drunk enough to forget hitting a person. So... we had to take a little bit of an... active role in it."
"The finger," Kate said.
"We saved it. Just in case." He chuckled and said, "Good thing we did, too. Now, we let the first one live because he showed us who'd killed Robby. But Tierney? She's going to pay... and pay."
He stood and ejected the tape from the VCR, pushing the entire works out of the room. When the door slammed behind him, Kate started working on the back of the chair again. She had no doubt that, if the deadline was missed, Huckleberry might take out some of his frustrations on her.
Worse, that he might let Clem take a whack at her first.
She wiggled the post, checking to see how loose it was. Slowly but surely.
She just hoped that it was fast enough...
---
Gibbs tossed a phone book at DiNozzo as he passed. "Covington, Mark and Ryan. Find them. Get me a number." He pointed at McGee. "Find any properties those two may own in the area."
"Mark Covington?" Elmo said.
Gibbs turned. The messenger from the morning was slumped next to Tony's desk, half-asleep, watching Gibbs. "You say Mark Covington?"
"You know him?"
"Sort of. I mean... dude's name is on, like, all our checks."
"Mark Covington owns Hermes Parcels?"
Elmo nodded. "I think so. Yeah. I think his name is Covington."
Tony grabbed his jacket. "This the guy who has Kate, boss?"
"He's our best suspect at the moment," Gibbs said. "Grab your gear. I'll explain on the way."
---
They drove around Hermes, passing the electronics store where McGee had gotten the security camera footage. As they rounded the back of the store, McGee pointed into the back alley. "Boss! The van that took Kate!" He shook his head. "If we'd just come the other direction..."
Gibbs stopped, blocking the alley and pulled his weapon. "McGee, go around front and ask the person in charge if they have any other properties back here."
"Got it," McGee said, hurrying off.
Tony pulled his weapon and moved to the other side of the alley, following Gibbs down to where the van had been parked. They peered into the windows, making sure no one had stayed behind with the truck and proceeded to the back door of Hermes Parcels. Gibbs glanced down and saw several discarded cigarette butts forming a halo around a door in the next building.
Gibbs motioned at the butts and Tony nodded. They moved to the door and Gibbs put his hand on the knob, glancing to make sure Tony had him covered. McGee came around the corner, drawing his own weapon. He quietly said, "We're good. This building is theirs, too."
Gibbs nodded and twisted the knob. He pulled the door open and stepped back, letting DiNozzo sweep the interior before he came around himself. He moved in first, McGee second with Tony bringing up the rear. Down a long corridor, split in two by a plywood wall, they stepped into a large common area and found a small card table placed against the far wall.
The door at the opposite end opened and a man wearing a black mask stepped out. He was holding a videotape, completely oblivious to the agents' presence. Tony moved to the right, staying in the shadows while Gibbs worked his badge from his pocket. "NCIS!"
The man jumped, already moving towards one of the far doors. "Don't do it!" Gibbs said. "Stop where you are!"
The masked man pulled a gun from beneath his sweater and brought it up, opening fire at Gibbs and McGee. Tony fired at him from the shadows, catching him off-guard. The man collapsed, hitting the ground hard enough to shatter the tape. Another door opened and a second man leaned out. He screamed something unintelligible at them and fired twice.
McGee went down and Gibbs dropped to his side, using the card table for cover.
"DiNozzo!"
The door slammed shut and Tony said, "Kate might be in there, boss."
"I know. You can't take the risk," Gibbs said, checking McGee's shoulder. "Just a graze."
"Oh, is that all," McGee muttered.
---
"Damn fucking hell," Clem said, crouching next to the door. "How the fuck did they find us?"
"Your incompetence might have helped," Kate said.
Clem glared at her and stood. "You know what? They might be ending our game a little early, but they ain't gonna take all my fun." He stormed towards her.
Kate pulled her arm free and lifted the loosened chair support from the seat. She swung it, burying the nail in Clem's neck. He screamed, knees buckling beneath him and dropping him to a crouch. Kate stood, her other arm still tethered to the remnants of the chair. Instead of trying to free herself, she lifted the chair and swung it into Clem's face. He was knocked back, hitting the ground and clutching at his neck.
The door burst open and Kate lifted her free hand. "Hi, guys."
"Hey, Kate," Tony said, holstering his weapon and moving towards Clem.
Gibbs walked over, looking at Kate's rope-burned wrist and her mussed hair. He reached up and touched her split lip and then looked into her eyes. "This counts as one of your sick days."
Kate stared at him for a moment and then began to laugh. Gibbs wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and hugging her just long enough to let her know how much he'd been worried. He turned and looked down at Clem. "The brains behind the operation?"
"No, that was the other guy... Huckleberry. You know the whole story?"
"We know."
Kate sighed and closed her eyes. She sagged against Gibbs, then lifted her still-tied hands. "One of you guys want to untie me here?"
As Gibbs began working the knot, McGee came in. Kate saw the blood on his sleeve and said, "Tim. You got shot for me?"
He shrugged. "I... well..."
Gibbs got the knot loose and she pulled her hand free. She walked over and pecked him on the cheek. "Thank you."
Tony shook his head. "Next time, I'm going to be the idiot who gets shot."
---
Abby opened the bathroom door a crack and peeked in. "You decent?"
"I'm in the tub."
"Okay," Abby said, walking in. She was wearing a black robe with white trim, carrying a tray of goodies. Pecan sandies, a tall pitcher of chamomile tea and chocolate strawberries. She sat the tray on the edge of the tub and sat next to it, touching Kate's forehead. "You almost got yesterday washed off?"
"Close," Kate said quietly. "They told me you knew it wasn't my finger before Ducky ran any tests on it. How did you know?"
Abby picked up one of Kate's hands, watching the bubbles slide over her wrist, down her arm. She pictured the same hand resting on her chest, or curled in the sheets or simply holding her own hand on the couch. She shrugged and kissed the knuckles. "Some things you just know by heart."
Kate smiled and closed her eyes. "I'm just going to soak a little while longer, okay?"
"Yeah," Abby said. "You've got all night if you want it." She smiled and slipped out of the robe.
Kate opened her eyes a crack, watching as Abby climbed over the edge of the tub and sat at the opposite end. "What are you going to do way over there?"
"I'm way over here," Abby said, stretching her arms out and resting them on the edge of the tub. "But my foot..."
Kate gasped and jerked slightly as Abby's toes found her under the water. "Oh."
"Mm-hmm," Abby said, arching an eyebrow.
"You stay over there," Kate breathed, closing her eyes and sinking lower into the tub.
Maybe not such a bad night after all.