Chapter 19:
The moment Erikson started to drag him towards the edge of the small hill Tony knew he was going to be in for a rough ride. Realizing that trying to fight Erikson off wouldn't do much good, Tony had used the last few seconds to regain enough control of his breathing so that he hopefully wouldn't drown. As he was thrown into the water Tony took a deep breath and prepared for the fight of his life.
As he hit the cool water he was immediately pulled under and the force of the rapids began to drag him further down the river. It was difficult to gain control of his movements, especially with his body being constantly slammed into rocks. Eventually though, Tony managed to fight his way up to the surface. Once he broke free Tony took several deep breaths as he struggled to stay as close to the surface as possible. He knew that the water was too strong for him to swim against, so at the moment his only option was to keep his head above the water and sort of float along.
Tony had no idea how long it was before the rapids finally released him into reasonably calm water and he was able to swim to shore. Once he felt his feet and hands hit the bottom, he started to crawl the rest of the way to a small opening in between some rocks. He barely managed to make it out of the water before he collapsed in exhaustion, giving in to unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, back at the camp, Gary was cleaning up Gibbs' head wound while Jim and Ray helped Jason clean up as he still had Tony's blood on his shirt. No one had said much, but Erikson and Myers had gone off to the side to discuss their new situation. Things had just gotten a whole lot more complicated for them, in more ways than one.
Gibbs had been quiet as Gary cleaned off the blood that had run down his face, in deep thought. Now that he had had time to think things over, Gibbs realized that he had put everyone in danger when he had attacked Erikson. Despite what had happened to Tony, he still had a job to do, now more so than ever. Plus, there was a chance that Tony was still alive. He had gotten himself through some pretty intense situations in the past; there was no reason to think he wouldn't be able to do so again.
It was starting to get dark, there wasn't much that Erikson and Myers could do about their new problems at the moment. They especially didn't want to risk losing what little control they had at the moment. There were only two of them, so the guns were the only real advantage that they had.
Walking over to the group, Erikson asked, "Alright, which one of you wants to start the fire and cook everyone some dinner?"
When no one responded, Myers said "Look, there's no need for you all to suffer any more than you have to right now. Just cooperate with us before he gets trigger happy again."
The small reminder of what had recently happened stung and no one appreciated it. Still, they knew it was better to go along with things rather than agitate Erikson further. So Jim moved to start the fire as Ray and Jason moved to get the supplies for dinner. Gary stayed seated next to Gibbs, worried that he hadn't said anything in a while.
Gibbs had decided that for the moment it would be best to maintain the cover that he and Tony had established. It gave him a small advantage, but he was willing to take what he could get. Feeling something pressed into his hands, Gibbs looked down to see a mug of coffee. Looking back up he saw the concerned face of Gary.
"You should get something in your system, don't need you passing out on me," Gary told him.
"I'm not going to pass out," Gibbs said as he took a drink from the mug. Gary was trying to help, there was no need to make him worry anymore then he already was.
"Head wounds can be tricky, and you did black out when you were hit," Gary said.
"Not my first concussion," Gibbs said.
"Didn't think it was," Gary said. At Gibbs' questioning look, he continued, "You're a Marine. From what I hear you guys never do anything the easy way."
Gibbs couldn't help but smirk at that. "No, we don't."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Ray came over with two bowls of baked beans. Handing one to his father, he held the other one out in front of Gibbs.
"I'm not hungry, thanks though," Gibbs said.
"You should eat something, keep your strength up," Ray advised him. Gibbs just waved his hand at the bowl, obviously not having any intention to eat. Ray looked at his father, who took the bowl from his hands and gave him a nod. After Ray had walked over to where Jim and Jason were sitting, Gary turned to Gibbs.
"Look, I realize that this day has probably been hell for you, and I won't even pretend to understand what you are going through right now," Gary started, in a calm but strong voice. "But I seriously doubt your son would want you to torture yourself like this."
"Tony was looking out for you, even if you didn't know it," Ray interrupted his father as he walked back up to them. Gibbs looked up at him questionably. "I split the coffee between the two of us. In case one of our rafts got drenched in water or tipped over, you would still have had your coffee."
"He called it self-preservation," Gibbs said with a small smile. Sighing to himself, he took the bowl from Gary's hands and took a small bite.
Satisfied that he was at least attempting to eat, Gary and Ray returned to their own dinner. They ate in silence, but everyone had similar thoughts running through their minds. How were they going to get out of this alive?
The sharp stab of pain started to bring Tony conscious. His entire body felt sore, and he was beginning to feel a little chilly. Groaning, he moved slowly towards a nearby tree and sat against it closing his eyes for a moment. After regaining his composure, he opened his eyes and began to examine his injuries.
Lifting his shirt, he examined his gun shot wound first. He had been lucky; the bullet had only grazed him. It still left a deep scratch across his left side and would probably need stitches, but he was in no danger of bleeding to death. The possibility of an infection was very real though, as he had nothing to clean the wound or bandage it with.
There were bruises surrounding the scratch, from Erikson kicking him and the rocks he had collided into as he road the water slide from hell. Tony figured he had a good amount of bruises forming all over his body, and he would bet good money that his ribs might even be bruised too.
Leaning back against the tree, Tony sighed to himself. This was definitely not a good situation to be in. He mentally gave himself a head slap for letting Erikson take his watch. If he still had it McGee and Abby would have realized that he and Gibbs were in trouble and help would now be on the way. ‘Gibbs!' Tony thought suddenly as he sat up, only to wince and lean back against the tree.
Tony sighed to himself. What a mess things were turning out to be. And once Gibbs found out what had happened, well, things were bound to get worse. He had seen Gibbs in pissed off mode plenty of times, although he wasn't sure now was a good time for it. He was alone, without back up, with two drug dealers, one of which he was certain didn't have any problems about killing someone in cold blood. No doubt Gibbs would think that help was on the way, thinking that Tony still had his watch on.
‘Help is on the way,' Tony thought determinedly. He would not leave Gibbs out here to protect the rest of the group from two guys with guns. He hadn't seen Myers with a gun, but if one brought a gun, it was a safe bet that he either brought back ups or the other guy brought his own gun.
But first things first, he needed a plan. He couldn't exactly waltz into camp, although it would have the element of surprise, seeing as how he had left the group everyone thought he was most likely dead. Glancing up, Tony realized that it was starting to get dark. Once again, luck was not on his side. Pushing himself off the ground, he started to walk back the way he had come, so to speak. He figured the best way to monitor his progress for the moment was to stay as close to the river as possible and hope that he would be able to sneak up on the camp without raising alarm.
As he walked, Tony began going over everything about the case in his mind, trying to find something useful that would give him some sort of advantage. When the sun was barely visible, something suddenly jumped out in Tony's mind. Pausing, he closed his eyes, remembering how he had studied the map of the area yesterday.
Abby had been studying the map with him at one point and she had pointed out some places on the map wondering why they had been dismissed as a possible rendezvous point for the drug exchange. He had told her that the distance from the river was too great for the Petty Officers to get to without their absence being noticed. Now, though, in light of his current situation, they didn't seem so irrelevant.
"There sure are a lot of ranger stations around," Abby had said to him.
"They aren't all in use anymore Abs and they weren't always occupied by park rangers," Tony had told her. "Before the park started to monitor its visitors they had set up emergency bunkers of sorts for hikers in case they ran into trouble."
"So what, they just kept them stocked with emergency supplies then? Cool," Abby said. "With all of the professional tours being offered, I guess no one goes out on their own anymore."
"Yea, defeats the whole purpose of ‘roughing it' though," Tony said.
"That's tourism for ya. So, your telling me you would rather tough it out, be on your own, no poor tourists to flirt with?" teased Abby.
"Well, who said I would be going at it alone?" Tony teased back. They had both started laughing; only stopping when Gibbs had come around wanting to know why they were goofing off instead of working.
Opening his eyes, Tony smiled. He remembered some of the locations of the old emergency cabins. More importantly, there was one not too far off from where he had been thrown into the river. If he could just make it back to that spot, then hopefully he would be able to find the cabin. There was the possibility that there were still some supplies left for him to use. It wasn't like he was completely unarmed, either. Fingering his belt buckle, he allowed a small smile to break through. 'Rule 9,' Tony thought.
Of the many rules that Gibbs had instilled in him, this was the one that he held most sacred. Rule 9, always carry a knife, had gotten Tony out of a lot of trouble in the past. Once again, it was going to be put to good use.
If nothing else, the old emergency cabins would serve as a place for him to rest and regroup before he made a move against Erikson and Myers. Filled with determination and relief at having some sort of a plan laid out, Tony started walking again at a faster pace. There was still a lot more work for him to do.
As he walked he pulled up a mental image of the map, focusing on the water. When they had broken off for camp they had traveled about half-way through the current section of calm water. Then Tony had gone on that hike with Jason and Ray where they stopped at the small hill over-looking the rapids and things had gone to hell. He still wasn't sure exactly how long he had been in the water for, but he had a reasonable amount of information to make a guess as to his current position. As long as he stayed close to the river as he walked, he would be able to monitor his progress somewhat.
Tony smiled to himself. He wondered how the rest of the team would react if they saw him now. No doubt they would be surprised that he was actually capable of using his mind in such a mental capacity. Well, it wasn't the only trick he had up his sleeve. Although, he hadn't a clue as how to apply them as of yet. But then again, he still had to evaluate the situation at the campsite before deciding on anything. Pushing aside all other thoughts for the moment, Tony focused on the state of the river and tried not to trip over any fallen tree branches. Last thing he needed was another bruise to add to his already growing collection.
After dinner had been cleared away Erikson and Myers pulled out some rope and started to tie everyone up. Separating each person one at a time, Erikson tied their arms behind their backs while Myers kept a gun trained on them. Once Gary, Ray, Jim and Jason where tied Erikson used a long piece of rope to link them all together before securing the end around a tree. Then it was Gibbs' turn.
"I'm not taking any more chances with you," Erikson said gruffly as he tied Gibbs' wrists together tightly. Still feeling the affects of his concussion, Gibbs was a bit unsteady on his feet as Erikson moved him towards a tree on the opposite side of the camp, away from everyone else.
"This way, if you start trouble, I can shoot you without having to worry about hitting anyone else," Erikson told him.
"You don't seem they type to care about who you shoot," Gibbs barked at him, which only earned him a punch in the face.
"Everyone here can serve a purpose," Erikson said as he secured Gibbs to a tree. "You just keep your mouth shut and you might survive the night." And with that Gibbs was left alone. He could no longer feel the heat of the fire, but at least he still had his jacket on.
'More than what Tony has,' Gibbs thought with a sigh. 'He just had a T-shirt on.'
Gibbs knew that Tony had a tendency to get cold very easily, and ever since he had contracted the plague, the cold seemed to hold even more danger than before. Mix the cool night air with the fact that Tony had been in the water and the outcome was not good. Gibbs could only hope that he hadn't been in the water for very long and that he had somehow managed to get to the shoreline.
Gibbs tried to shift his position without drawing attention to himself. He wasn't surprised at how well Erikson had tied the knots. He couldn't expect anything less from him, being in the Navy and all. As he surveyed the layout of the camp, he took note of the fact that Gary and Jim and their sons were trying to rest. Gibbs then began to wonder what was taking Fornell and his team so long. The hotel where Fornell and McGee had set up wasn't exactly far, and it wasn't like they had to ride a raft to get here, either.
Something was wrong. What exactly, he had no idea, but clearly something else must have happened. Gibbs just hoped that whatever it was didn't slow them down much longer. He really did not like the idea of spending the night tied to a damn tree. Plus, Tony had been shot and who knows what else. Being tossed into the river no doubt brought on a few more injuries, especially with Tony's luck. The thought of Tony out there somewhere alone and bleeding did not sit well with Gibbs at all.
Gibbs shifted his position again, trying to find an angle that would allow him to try to work the ropes loose. The knife in his pocket wasn't doing him much good at the moment, but he had plans for it later on, once he got free of these ropes. Gibbs had already figured that if Erikson was taken out then Myers would unlikely put up much of a fight. Myers had seemed genuinely worried by the fact that Erikson had shot Tony and gotten rid of him the way that he had. Not out of remorse, definitely not, but perhaps out of fear of what repercussions there would be. No doubt having a member of your tour group turning up shot would bring a lot of unwanted attention.
All Gibbs needed to do was wait for an opportunity to present itself. Taking a deep breath, he continued to work the ropes, listening to the sound of the water behind him as he worked. He would wait, and then he would take great pleasure at causing Erikson an immense amount of pain. After all, what Marine wasn't skilled in the many uses of a knife?
It hadn't taken long for the night sky to spread. Whether he wanted to or not, Tony found himself stumbling every so often as he strolled on. The cool air had clung to his damp cloths, making him shiver. He had picked up the pace a little bit; hoping the extra movement would keep him warm. Instead he found himself landing on his ass more often than not, so he reduced his pace.
Tony listened to the sound of the rapids as he moved. It was strange to think that just a few hours ago he had been shot and thrown in there. He most definitely had the strangest sort of luck. Tony was a magnet for trouble and getting hurt. However, he also had the incredible ability to get out of some unusual situations as well.
"Tony, I swear you are like a cat with nine lives," Abby had once told him. "Either that or you have an unusual amount of spirits watching out for you."
He had laughed at that, then proceeded to ask her if she had sent any of those spirits his way.
Everyone else called it dumb luck. Gibbs once said it was because he was too damn stubborn to leave things alone. Ducky had then told Gibbs that he sounded like he was describing himself, although Tony doubted that he was meant to hear that. Of course, with Ducky, one could never really be sure. Either way, Tony had felt proud at hearing Ducky compare their similarities. It also made him wonder if he would ever stop getting into unpleasant situations once he had more experience like Gibbs. He liked to think so.
Pausing to stop for a moment, Tony leaned against a tree and sighed. He was getting tired, and the fact that he hadn't had anything to eat since lunch wasn't helping matters either. Sleep was out of the question; there were too many dangers and there was no way he was going to risk it. If he could find the cabin, he would at least then be able to sit down for a while.
Groaning to himself, Tony set off again. After walking for a little while longer he began to notice that there was a slight incline to the ground. Getting on his hands and knees he started to move cautiously up the hill. Reminding himself that he was in a forest, he tried not to get too excited about climbing the hill. There were bound to be plenty around. Still, he hoped and continued to crawl. If it was where he had taken his dive, he had no intention of going for round two.
Pausing when he felt the ground flatten a bit, studied the area as best he could in the dark. The moon above peaked through the trees a little, and had so far given him enough light to not run face first into anything. Glancing around, he felt a rush of adrenaline as he realized he had reached his first destination. Moving slowly, Tony stood up, taking notice of where the ledge was. Keeping near the trees, he walked the edge of the small clearing until he reached the other side of the hill. Kneeling down, he quickly moved down the hill.
Relieved that he had finally a sure sign that he had been making some progress, Tony turned away from the water and started to make his way further into the forest. Now that he had a better idea as to where he was, Tony felt more confident in being able to find the cabin. He was already a good distance away from the camp, so the trek to the cabin shouldn't take too long. One thing was for certain, though, and that was that for the moment Tony had no desire to get closer. He had no way of knowing if the guys meeting Erikson and Myers had arrived and were at the camp as well or securing some sort of perimeter. Tony had no intention of pushing his luck any further than what it was at the moment.
Eager to find the cabin, Tony did push his luck a bit by picking up his pace a bit again. He still stumbled, but at the moment he really didn't care. Finding the shelter was his first priority at the moment. He kept moving, and for all he knew he had been hiking for hours, but finally, through the darkness Tony was able to make out the shape of a small cabin up ahead.
Tony slowed down as he cautiously approached the cabin, alert for any sign that someone else might be in the cabin. He hadn't dismissed the possibility that there could still be other people out here and he did not want to scare anyone unnecessarily.
Luck finally seemed to be on his side again. Looking through the windows it appeared that no one had been inside the cabin for quite a while. Tony just hoped that included wildlife as well as people. He really did not want to try to share the space with a rabid raccoon. Reaching out, he slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Tony wasn't surprised to find it unlocked. It would have made little sense to lock a cabin that's purpose was to serve emergency supplies to hikers.
Once he was relatively satisfied that there was no one inside, Tony walked in. He left the door open, in a vain attempt to let what little light came from the moon in. He moved around slowly with his hands held out in front of him, feeling his way along the wall. About halfway into the room his legs bumped against something. Bending over slightly, he examined what appeared to be some sort of desk. Tony began opening the compartments and examining the contents. Pens, some paper, wait a minute…
He could honestly say that he couldn't believe what he had found. Matches. Running his fingers over the small package, Tony opened it and counted the number that was left. Seventeen. He grinned. Even if he wasn't able to find a lantern or candle, he still had light. Pulling one out, Tony struck it and was rewarded with a faint glow.
Not wanting to waste the light, Tony quickly scanned the rest of the room before putting the match out. He was fairly certain that there was a pile of blankets on the opposite side of the room. He had also made out a table and chairs, and what appeared to be a cabinet that at one time had been fully stocked of something or other. There wasn't much else, so Tony turned his attention back to the desk. Striking another match, he was able to identify a logbook of sorts for the cabin, a paperweight, and even a roll of duck tape.
Tony decided to hold on to the duck tape, thinking that it might very well come in handy at some point the next day. Turning, he started to head towards the blankets, then paused and headed to close the door. He really didn't want to share his so-called safe house with any creatures of the night. After closing the door, he lit another match and walked towards the blankets. They were dusty, but otherwise seemed intact. Blowing out the match, Tony picked them up and took them to the other side of the room where he shook them out in an attempt to get rid of some of the dust.
Moving to a corner, Tony settled down and wrapped himself up in the blankets. They smelled old and the dust caused him to sneeze a few times, but other than that they were ok. It certainly beat sitting in the dark freezing to death. Lighting another match, he took another look around the room. In the morning he would have to make a closer inspection of the area before heading out.
Sighing, he leaned back against the wall. It would be incredibly easy for him to fall asleep if he wasn't careful, so Tony turned his mind to planning on what to do once it was light enough out. There were still probably a good few hours left before sunrise, so Tony started playing out several possible situations that he could find at the camp, and contingency plans for each of them. He might as well be as prepared as possible, and Tony did not want to have to risk waiting to form a plan until he approached the camp. One thing he could be certain of was that time was not on his side, and he had no intention of wasting it.
Chapter End Notes:
For all those who liked the Abby/Tony scenes and wanted more, I hope that those little bits were satisfying. And no, I am not killing Tony. After all I put him through with his father, I couldn’t do that! Sorry about the cliffhanger like that, but I thought that it was a good way to keep everyone hooked. Please review, want to hear how you are all enjoying my version of action so far! Hope your enjoying!