"Come on Tony, open your eyes and talk to me!" Gibbs commanded as he struggled against his bonds, "DiNozzo, open your eyes!" His whispered demands were answered a moment later when Tony softly moaned and slowly lifted his head from his chest.
"B…Boss?"
"Yeah, DiNozzo, it's me. " Gibbs answered softly as he tried to visually examine the younger man for injuries through blurry eyes as Tony's head slowly dropped back limply onto his chest. "Tony, how badly are you hurt? ... DiNozzo, answer me!"
Gibbs' order for an answer filtered through the darkness that offered escape from the pain that seemed to reverberate through his entire being. Forcing himself to a new pain filled level of alertness, Tony drew a shallow breath, wincing before he answered, "Think that big ape…broke a …couple of ribs… Boss… hurts to breathe… Head and back…hurts too…think he got…a few…good kicks…to my kidneys…How ‘bout …you?"
"I'll live." Gibbs growled, "How the Hell did they grab you?"
Tony lifted his head, swallowing a moan, as he looked into Gibbs' face defiantly "Your mic and transmitter failed…They made their move …before I…could warn…you … Someone had ...to watch your… six… …tried to follow… I musta… let ‘em get… the drop on me…" Tony mumbled as his head slowly dropped onto his chest and his eyes slowly began to close. "Guess that wasn't… the smartest move…" He breathed out
"Ya think, DiNozzo!" Gibbs murmured quietly, shaking his head at the man sitting opposite. "Tony, I need you to hang on till the others get here, understand? They want us to break but we are not going to let that happen. Remember Rule 1- Never surrender."
"Rule 1 … Never surrender." Tony whispered as the darkness claimed him.
Gibbs smiled, ignoring the pain of his own injuries, "That's right DiNozzo- Never surrender."
"Definitely not the smartest move for a Marine, hey Gunny?" The soft laughter filled question from somewhere in the shadows startled the NCIS Agent but he refused to react to the taunting voice as it continued. "But then again I forgot, your boy isn't marine material, is he? He was just a lousy cop from Baltimore that you recruited into NCIS, isn't he?"
Gibbs tensed as his tormentor stepped from the shadows and stood behind Tony's limp form, his hand gently caressing the back of Tony's head as he spoke. "But even though he's just a lousy Baltimore cop wanna be - he's gunna be the one to make you break!" He grinned as surprise flickered across Gibbs' face. "Did you really think that we didn't know who you were or what you were up to tonight, Agent Gibbs?" he laughed. "Of course we did! We have been watching you since the first day you were on the case! You and your NCIS puppies!" With a sudden viciousness, he grabbed a fistful of the young agent's hair and jerked Tony's head up, causing Tony to moan and weakly struggle against the harsh mistreatment as he grinned. "Do you really think he can follow your Marine rules? Rule 1- Never surrender, hey? Its gunna be fun watching you break a little each minute, watching you beg to make us stop! By the time the night is over Gunny, you are gunna be crying like a baby and your boy here is gunna be begging us to let him die!"
"It's me you want to break, not him!" Gibbs hissed through swollen lips, "Or don't ya think you and lackeys can break a mere Gunny? " Gibbs taunted back.
Jed growled as he flung Tony's head forward, releasing the young man's hair and allowing Tony's chin to slam heavily onto his chest before he pushed past and rushed across to his second captive.
Biting down on his bottom lip, Gibbs refused to allow the scream of pain from escaping as the enraged man grabbed the front of his shirt and shook him violently.
"You think you are so tough! That you Marines are something special, don't cha! The Marines think they are something special- too good for lowly hicks like us ta join. Well tonight, we're gunna show you just how tough Marines really are. Tonight you are gunna be crying like a baby, begging for us ta stop! And ya boy is gunna help us do it!" Jed yelled into Gibbs face before he shoved the NCIS agent backwards causing the chair to rock unsteadily under the abuse. "Ya gunna break before ya die tonight, Gunny! And so is your boy!" Jed screamed as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door closed.
Trying to think through the agony flared through his battered body from the latest abuse, Gibbs' jumped a weak whisper floated across the small space that separated him from DiNozzo.
"Rule 1…Never… surrender…Right Boss?" Tony murmured, watching him through swollen eyes.
Gibbs nodded, "That's right, DiNozzo, Rule 1- never surrender!"
Tony's sudden laughter ended with a cough.
Gibbs frowned, "Do you think the Marine Rules are funny, DiNozzo?" he demanded.
"No… Boss,' Tony manged to gasp as he struggled to regain his breath, "It's just …that I…thought…Rule 1…was Never let…suspects…stay together…"
A small smile crept onto Gibbs' lips. "Rule 1 is that too, DiNozzo!" he whispered.
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