Post by jtbwriter on Apr 10, 2005 23:55:26 GMT -5
NCIS April 1st Challenge- No “I” In Goodbye
Hard to stay within 1000 words-let me know what you think!
Condensation slowly slid down the sides of the glass, leaving a wet ring on the table top.
Kate ignored it, listening to the rain splashing against the windows of her apartment.
Another Saturday home alone, the loneliness of her life only magnified by yet another broken date.
When the phone rang suddenly, she dived for it, anything to break her empty mood.
“Hello?”<br>
“Hey, Abbs, don’t forget that I’m going to be late tomorrow, okay?” Kate snickered, Tony was having way too good a time from the noise in the background, with someone yelling, “Hang up!”.
“Tony, it’s Kate, you must have mis-dialed.” She smirked, then caught her breath as he rushed on.
“I have to go, just remember to water the plant on my desk, next to my files, ..uh, I have to go, bye!”<br>
The dial tone sounded in her ear.
Something was wrong. Tony was in trouble. She had to call Gibbs.
Snatching up her umbrella, Kate grabbed her cell phone and headed for the door.
As she headed for her car, she rang Gibbs, worried when he didn’t pick up.
“Come on, how far can that damn boat be from your phone?” she groused, pulling out of her parking structure, then stopping to let an old man cross in front of her.
Suddenly he stumbled, and Kate hurriedly got out of her car, absent-mindedly stuffing her phone in her pocket.
“Are you all right?” She called, coming up to him as he leaned against the bumper of her car.
“Yes, Agent Todd.” The voice was familiar, then she gasped as the “old man” straightened up, then pointed a gun at her. Kate took a step back.
“Just open the back door of your car and lay face down on the seat. I don’t want to have to shoot you.”<br>
Pretending to comply, Kate opened the rear door then turned, saying, “Look, don’t do this to her..”
Kate’s attempt to dissuade her attacker was halted by being pushed off-balance onto the car seat, then being tied down with the seat belts.
Before she could call out, a piece of cloth was thrust into her mouth, then the door was closed. A moment later the car jerked forward.
Kate felt her phone vibrating against her leg, and hoped Gibbs had seen the id and was trying to call her back.
Suddenly the car stopped, then the rear door opened.
“All right, Agent Todd. I’m going to bring you in to see a friend of yours. Not a sound now.” The voice warned.
Kate felt the seat belts come off, then something being wound around her wrists.
Abruptly she was pulled upright, and found herself being led through a garage.
“Just a few more steps, Ms. Todd.” As she was led down a flight of stairs, fear engulfed her. Halting at a wooden door, she watched the door unlocked. It swung open, then she was pulled forward.
In the faint light of the room was a person in a chair, arms tied behind his back. Tony.
Gibbs was having a bad time. He’d been awakened by the ringing of his cell phone, hearing Kate’s voice only for a moment before he knew there was trouble.
The whole exchange was muffled, but he understood enough to know she was being abducted. He alerted the police, but by the time he reached her apartment complex, she was gone.
“Agent Gibbs.” A policeman ran up to him as he got out of his car.
“Did anyone see anything?” Gibbs asked tersely, then was surprised by a “Yes” from the officer.
“One of Ms. Todd’s neighbors was about to turn in when she heard the sound of a car and saw an person, perhaps an old man or woman stop the car. Mrs. Sandoval saw Ms. Todd being made to get in the back of her car, which drove off.” The policeman continued.
“Thank you, Officer. I’d like to have one of my agents speak with Mrs. Sandoval, did anyone see the assailant arriving?” Gibbs wondered.
“Yes, the security guard. He confirms seeing someone park a small sports car at the curb, then stand in the rain until Ms. Todd started to drive up the ramp. We’ve secured the car for your forensics team. Here’s what we recovered from it so far.” The officer handed him a plastic bag.
Gibbs thanked the policeman, then saw McGee drive the NCIS truck up. As he got out, he turned to someone, and the head agent was surprised to see Abby follow him out of the van.
“Yo, McGee. Where’s DiNozzo, and why did you bring Abby?”<br>
The nervous agent trotted up to him, then breathlessly responded. “Sorry boss, I couldn’t get a hold of him. Abby, uh, Abby..”<br>
“Just happened to be there, so I volunteered to help find Kate.” she added somberly, then Gibbs put a hand on her shoulder.
“I appreciate it, Abbs, but I’m going to need you to take what ever we find back to the lab. Starting with this.” He said, handing her the bagged registration info. “McGee, keep trying to locate DiNozzo, so I can kick his butt. I’m going to Kate’s apartment, try to find out where she was going in the weather.
As he started toward the assailant’s car, Abby suddenly called after him, “Gibbs?”<br>
He turned, then went back to her seeing her frightened expression.
“It’s Tony, Tony’s car was the one used by Kate’s kidnapper.” Abby used the plastic bag to open up the leather holdall, displaying Dinozzo’s car information.
Gibbs swore, then said “Abby, take that back to the lab and see if there are any prints on it. McGee, go meet Mrs. Sandoval, see if there’s anything else she remembers.”<br>
As the agents started to scatter, Gibbs whirled around.
“Abby, how long will it be before I get what you pull up?”
Abby sighed, “Gibbs, these things take time. You can't rush science.”<br>
TBC?
Hard to stay within 1000 words-let me know what you think!
Condensation slowly slid down the sides of the glass, leaving a wet ring on the table top.
Kate ignored it, listening to the rain splashing against the windows of her apartment.
Another Saturday home alone, the loneliness of her life only magnified by yet another broken date.
When the phone rang suddenly, she dived for it, anything to break her empty mood.
“Hello?”<br>
“Hey, Abbs, don’t forget that I’m going to be late tomorrow, okay?” Kate snickered, Tony was having way too good a time from the noise in the background, with someone yelling, “Hang up!”.
“Tony, it’s Kate, you must have mis-dialed.” She smirked, then caught her breath as he rushed on.
“I have to go, just remember to water the plant on my desk, next to my files, ..uh, I have to go, bye!”<br>
The dial tone sounded in her ear.
Something was wrong. Tony was in trouble. She had to call Gibbs.
Snatching up her umbrella, Kate grabbed her cell phone and headed for the door.
As she headed for her car, she rang Gibbs, worried when he didn’t pick up.
“Come on, how far can that damn boat be from your phone?” she groused, pulling out of her parking structure, then stopping to let an old man cross in front of her.
Suddenly he stumbled, and Kate hurriedly got out of her car, absent-mindedly stuffing her phone in her pocket.
“Are you all right?” She called, coming up to him as he leaned against the bumper of her car.
“Yes, Agent Todd.” The voice was familiar, then she gasped as the “old man” straightened up, then pointed a gun at her. Kate took a step back.
“Just open the back door of your car and lay face down on the seat. I don’t want to have to shoot you.”<br>
Pretending to comply, Kate opened the rear door then turned, saying, “Look, don’t do this to her..”
Kate’s attempt to dissuade her attacker was halted by being pushed off-balance onto the car seat, then being tied down with the seat belts.
Before she could call out, a piece of cloth was thrust into her mouth, then the door was closed. A moment later the car jerked forward.
Kate felt her phone vibrating against her leg, and hoped Gibbs had seen the id and was trying to call her back.
Suddenly the car stopped, then the rear door opened.
“All right, Agent Todd. I’m going to bring you in to see a friend of yours. Not a sound now.” The voice warned.
Kate felt the seat belts come off, then something being wound around her wrists.
Abruptly she was pulled upright, and found herself being led through a garage.
“Just a few more steps, Ms. Todd.” As she was led down a flight of stairs, fear engulfed her. Halting at a wooden door, she watched the door unlocked. It swung open, then she was pulled forward.
In the faint light of the room was a person in a chair, arms tied behind his back. Tony.
Gibbs was having a bad time. He’d been awakened by the ringing of his cell phone, hearing Kate’s voice only for a moment before he knew there was trouble.
The whole exchange was muffled, but he understood enough to know she was being abducted. He alerted the police, but by the time he reached her apartment complex, she was gone.
“Agent Gibbs.” A policeman ran up to him as he got out of his car.
“Did anyone see anything?” Gibbs asked tersely, then was surprised by a “Yes” from the officer.
“One of Ms. Todd’s neighbors was about to turn in when she heard the sound of a car and saw an person, perhaps an old man or woman stop the car. Mrs. Sandoval saw Ms. Todd being made to get in the back of her car, which drove off.” The policeman continued.
“Thank you, Officer. I’d like to have one of my agents speak with Mrs. Sandoval, did anyone see the assailant arriving?” Gibbs wondered.
“Yes, the security guard. He confirms seeing someone park a small sports car at the curb, then stand in the rain until Ms. Todd started to drive up the ramp. We’ve secured the car for your forensics team. Here’s what we recovered from it so far.” The officer handed him a plastic bag.
Gibbs thanked the policeman, then saw McGee drive the NCIS truck up. As he got out, he turned to someone, and the head agent was surprised to see Abby follow him out of the van.
“Yo, McGee. Where’s DiNozzo, and why did you bring Abby?”<br>
The nervous agent trotted up to him, then breathlessly responded. “Sorry boss, I couldn’t get a hold of him. Abby, uh, Abby..”<br>
“Just happened to be there, so I volunteered to help find Kate.” she added somberly, then Gibbs put a hand on her shoulder.
“I appreciate it, Abbs, but I’m going to need you to take what ever we find back to the lab. Starting with this.” He said, handing her the bagged registration info. “McGee, keep trying to locate DiNozzo, so I can kick his butt. I’m going to Kate’s apartment, try to find out where she was going in the weather.
As he started toward the assailant’s car, Abby suddenly called after him, “Gibbs?”<br>
He turned, then went back to her seeing her frightened expression.
“It’s Tony, Tony’s car was the one used by Kate’s kidnapper.” Abby used the plastic bag to open up the leather holdall, displaying Dinozzo’s car information.
Gibbs swore, then said “Abby, take that back to the lab and see if there are any prints on it. McGee, go meet Mrs. Sandoval, see if there’s anything else she remembers.”<br>
As the agents started to scatter, Gibbs whirled around.
“Abby, how long will it be before I get what you pull up?”
Abby sighed, “Gibbs, these things take time. You can't rush science.”<br>
TBC?