Chapter 3
"Damnet, we're going this way, McGee!" Tony hissed out loud enough to Tim to hear him, but low enough, Tony hoped, not to be heard by the terrorists currently inside the.
Tim turned his head immediately. Ziva had followed Tony's instruction and was waiting by the correct door. Tim had turned and started in the other direction.
"McGee, damnet McGee!"
"Gibbs would..." McGee started. He then disappeared around the corner causing Tony to break his cover and follow.
"Gibbs is not here. I'm in cha..." Tony said. He almost didn't feel the bullet as it entered his chest. He stood upright for just a second before he put his hand to his chest. He pulled his hand away, looked at the blood, then fell to his knees.
"...never...listen..." Tony moved into a sitting position against the outside wall of the building. He shielded himself as much as he could as Tim and Ziva took over and returned fire. The gun fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun.
Tim and Ziva returned to Tony's side. By this time Tony was bleeding heavily from the wound in his chest. He was also coughing up blood.
Ziva quickly pulled off her jacket and pressed it to Tony's wound. "Why could you not just follow orders?"
"I don't think I'm the only one who is guilty of that." Tim replied.
"I will not get into a prissing contest with you right now." Ziva replied forcefully, a little surprised by Tim's attitude.
Tim didn't reply. Instead, he pulled out his phone and called 9-1-1 and then called Gibbs.
They both had thought Tony had passed out until he spoke. "...door...wired..."
Ziva looked at Tony, surprised. She had not seen what he had. "The door was wired...so if we had opened it..."
Tony nodded. He glared at Tim for just a second. "...still...don't trust..."
"No, Tony isn't not... I just..." McGee said. He was at a loss to explain himself.
Tony shook his head. Ziva continued to apply pressure as the ambulance, Gibbs and Ducky all seemed to arrive at the same time.
Ducky and Jimmy loaded the bodies after Tony was taken away on the ambulance. Gibbs, Ziva and Tim had stayed behind to process the scene.
"What happened?" Gibbs demanded from the two agents standing before him. "What the HELL happened?"
"The other door..." Tim began rambling. "...Tony saw the wire. I didn't. He told me not to. But..."
Gibbs put up his hand to stop Tim. He had heard enough from Tim and he had seen enough with his own two eyes to get an idea of what was going on.
"So," Gibbs sighed. "..Tony gave you an order and you disobeyed it." Gibbs summarized. "Is that what you're telling me?" Gibbs began to pace. "You disobeyed a direct order and Tony, in the process of saving you from making a huge deadly mistake, got shot." Gibbs paused and glared at Tim. "That about sum it up?"
Tim nodded.
Gibbs anger reached a new level with the admission. "To the car, both of you! You're done for the day! Get your gear and go home! Agent Pearson will be taking over this crime scene. And just so you know, the EMT's said Tony's lung could be collapsed and the bullet being may be too close to his heart to be removed."
Just then a thought popped into Gibbs' head and he voiced it. He knew he was way out of line. But at this point, he didn't really care. "You want his job that bad, McGee?" Gibbs paused. "Is that what this was about? Is that REALLY what this is all about?"
Tim's mouth opened and shut a few times. He was unable to form words.
The drive back to NCIS was silent and horrifying. Gibbs hands held the wheel in a white-knuckle grip as he expertly maneuvered through the streets. They reached NCIS in record time. Gibbs dropped them off without a word. There was no reason to guess where Gibbs was headed. They knew. They also knew they were 'persona non grata.' Tim and Ziva quickly and quietly gathered their things and headed home for the day.
TBC
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