NCIS:Rag Doll. Angst/Drama PG 13 - 6/?
Title: Rag Doll
Chapter: 6/?
Fandom: NCIS
Author: cheekymice
Rating: PG13
Beta: Iantalia
Genre: Drama/Angst
Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to the TV show NCIS sadly.
Notes: So here I am back again with another multi chapter fic. I hope you enjoy. This will be my usual brand of overblown angst with a soupcon of whumpage. I can say that this story will not be dwelling on anything graphic regarding the subject matter, it is mainly a study on how difficult some undercover assignments must be.
~~~ ~~~~
Rag Doll
"Here," Fornell walked down the stairs of the basement and tossed an office internal communication envelope down on the workbench. "All the info on the joint op last year with Norfolk as you requested, plus any Intel we have on Commander Charles Grey."
Gibb picked up the envelope and unwound the string, sliding the pages out.
"You gonna tell me why you couldn't get one of your many minions to get that info for you?" Fornell asked.
"Operation Ruby Slipper was an FBI op," Gibbs said simply and started reading.
"But Grey is Navy," Fornell pointed out. "So why all the interest now? He done something we need to know about?"
"Not that I know of," Gibbs looked up from the file.
"I'm not interested in playing twenty questions with you, Jethro. Spill." Fornell griped.
Gibbs had already made a decision to tell the FBI agent everything but it didn't do to go too easy on the man. Tobias expected the runaround; it was all part of the game they played.
"The SecNav ordered a covert op. An NCIS agent has been undercover for the past two months posing as a pedophile to set up a honey trap for Grey," Gibbs revealed.
Gibbs watched a myriad of expressions cross Fornell's face as the implications of the assignment sunk in.
"Ouch. Can't imagine there was a big fight for that assignment." Fornell eventually choked out as he scrunched up his face in distaste. "So, why weren't we read in on it?"
Gibbs raised his eyebrow. Typical, the Febs always wanted a piece of the action even though they weren't exactly known for being free when it came to sharing.
"After the fuck up that was the last op, are you kidding?" Gibbs scoffed. "The less people who know about this then its less likely someone tips off Grey again like last time. Only three people know about it, the SecNav, Vance and the agent."
"And yet you also know about it. What gives?" Fornell asked, clearly intrigued.
Gibbs leaned back against the bench and fixed Fornell with a steady gaze.
"DiNozzo is the agent undercover."
"DiNutso?" Fornell's mouth all but fell open. "Damn."
"Yeah. My sentiments exactly." Gibbs growled.
Fornell wasn't usually lost for words but he shook his head and took a few minutes to absorb before he spoke again.
"DiNutso's about as from removed from a Pedo that anyone could get but I guess that's the idea. If they all looked like the Child Catcher then that would make our jobs easier, right. You say he's been under for two months, why are you only digging around now?" Fornell frowned.
"Only found out about it yesterday," Gibbs replied simply. Leaving it at that.
"So you thought you'd poke your nose into the operation even though you weren't invited?" Fornell stated blandly.
"I'm not going to sit around with my thumb up my ass whilst my agent is trying to cope with what's probably the hardest assignment of his life," Gibbs spat angrily. " You'd better believe I'm going to see if I can help DiNozzo close this op as quickly as possible."
Fornell held his hands up in mock surrender.
"Hey, it wasn't a criticism, Jethro, just wanted to get a handle on where you were going with this."
Fornell sat down on the bench; he pulled his hipflask out of his jacket pocket and unscrewed the top.
"So, how else can I help? I take it your searches are being monitored so you'll need our databases on this one," Fornell took a swig from the contents of the flask.
"And they say the FBI have no brains," Gibbs mocked lightly, grinning to take the edge off.
"I'll ignore that barb, Jethro as it's always a pleasure to get one over on the director of a rival agency." Fornell grinned broadly and he held up the flask in a mock salute.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Week 8
After three days off 'sick' Tony eventually slunk back to work fully expecting, at the very least, a warning from his employers considering he'd only been on the job for two months, instead he found himself being fussed over by Marcel, the manager.
He looked pale.
Had he been taking his vitamins?
Had he been to the doctor?
Did he need more time off?
Okay, so he wasn't stupid enough to think that all the concern wasn't partly due to the fact that the man was trying to get into his pants but there was also been a genuine underlying worry there that Tony found strangely endearing.
He assured Marcel that his 'ailment' had been simple case of stomach flu and he was over it and slipped back into the routine of the gym like he'd never been away. First he spent a few hours in his office revising exercise programs for some of his clients before he eventually made his way out onto the floor.
Several of the patrons cheerfully greeted him and he worked the room and chatted to each as they exercised. He worked through the clients he had booked for that day but he found himself continually looking over towards the door as the day wore on.
Grey always came into the gym on Thursdays but it was looking increasingly like he wouldn't be showing up.
Perhaps he'd miscalculated in his plan, maybe become too focused on making sure that Grey didn't smell a rat in the long run that he'd blown it?
Could it be that his overly fervent denials regarding 'DiMatteo's' viewing choices had made the commander come to regret speaking as openly as he had about his own desires.
Dammit, he was usually spot-on in anticipating all possible scenarios whilst undercover and usually he had back-up plans in place but he was struggling with this one, struggling with understanding Grey.
Obviously the commander had too much to lose, his career, his wife and children and that was probably enough to make the man take a step back now he'd had time to think about it.
How the hell did he know what was the norm when it came to a man who thought that kids were fair game?
As the day wore on Tony argued with himself, alternating between kicking himself for obviously handling the situation wrong and telling himself he'd done the right thing in acting like he had.
Tony couldn't help it all his usual confidence had vanished with this one.
The five o'clock crowd started to trickle in and the noise levels rose as voices competed with the upbeat music that pumped in through high-tec speakers mounted on the walls. Tony was on the last client of the day, a rich but vacuous Washington housewife. She might have been pretty at one time but now after one too many procedures her face was stretched so tight it looked like an elephant had taken her roughly from behind, it wasn't a good look but hey, if she was happy. She was waffling on about sacking her gardener because the topiary was off but Tony wasn't really listening, he was too busy thinking that Vance was going to kill him if he'd fucked up and sent Grey underground again.
Tony could feel his already high anxiety levels skyrocketing and he made the decision to call Gibbs again when his shift finished because that always seemed to calm him, the normality of talking about the everyday goings on at the yard helped more than he could say. Gibbs was being pretty good when it came to his needy phone calls but Tony tried not to be a pain in the ass because it was one thing saying 'call whenever you need to' but that didn't mean his boss wanted him on the line 24/7.
Tony was just contemplating asking Gibbs over for pizza when the doors opened and Grey strode into the gym.
The woman yelped as he involuntarily gripped her ankles too tightly as he grounded her whilst she did her stomach crunches.
"Sorry," He muttered and she went back to twittering on about her gardening woes.
The commander put his towel and bottle water down on the floor and he started up the running machine. Tony acted like he hadn't seen and continued to rally his client as she did a continued her rep of stomach crunches but the little hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention signaling that Grey was still looking his way.
Relief raced through his body as his heart rate galloped.
It looked like he didn't need to tell Vance he'd screwed up thank God.
Twenty minutes later and Tony was done for the day, he walked the length of the gym, quickly passing Grey as he went. Tony acted skittish, not that it was much of an act to be honest. He kept his head down and continued to walk ignoring everything around him. Once in his office Tony sat down behind his desk and rubbed a hand over his face and waited.
It didn't take long.
Grey opened the door after one perfunctory knock, not waiting to be invited. The commander seemed to slither into the room like a viper ready to strike.
"Hey, Tony. Haven't seen you around the last few days, you take a few days vacation?" Grey gave a sly chuckle. "Or were you just avoiding me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony stared hard at Grey.
"Oh Tony, are you still playing that game?" Grey sat down in the chair opposite and picked up a stress ball, he started to squeeze. "As I said on Saturday, I'm not your enemy but I applaud your need to be discreet. There's a witch-hunt going on for people like us and we need to be careful around those who don't understand but I'm cool with it, we need to stick together."
'People like us.'
Tony bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from launching over the desk and grabbing Grey by the front of the shirt and yelling that they were nothing alike.
Tony gave a shuddering breath.
"I'm sorry. I guess you freaked me out. Just not used to people… knowing…. Trust me it doesn't usually end well." Tony responded dully.
Grey nodded as he squeezed a sly smile played on his lips.
"I think I know now why Daddy froze you out of the family business. I bet he thinks nothing of banging a mistress behind your mother's back or fleecing the taxman or anyone else he comes across but he takes the moral high ground just because you're a little different, huh?"
Tony nodded slowly. He hadn't worked that into his fictional back-story but he could work with that.
"You got it in one, called me sick and tried to have me admitted to a hospital so they could 'cure' me when he found some photos on my PC. He disinherited me when I refused." Tony acted as if he were angry at the injustice of it all but it was the only emotion he could portray at the moment, anger that Vance had put him in this position, anger at the fact that he was having to pretend to understand this shit. "I also got beaten to an inch of my life by my fraternity brothers when they discovered what chat rooms I'd been inhabiting. You can understand I've been a little more careful since then. It's not something you share readily is it? Call me paranoid but I like my life right now and don't want to have to move on again. And it's going to take a while to trust you though, been stung before, people pretend to be your friend then you find out they're a cop or a fucking liberal vigilante who doesn't understand," Tony pursed his lips and frowned.
"Yeah, been I've been there too, Tony," Grey said eventually and Tony would bet a whole heap of cash that the commander was thinking about Operation Ruby Slipper. "Learnt the hard way too, got a little hideaway now that no one knows about, keep my two lives separate but as I said…I'm not the enemy," Grey smiled warmly. "I understand, Tony, we're not doing anything wrong really and a friendship like ours can be, shall we say, mutually beneficial. Look out for each other and lets face it, it's always great to find out a friend shares the same interests isn't it?"
Tony nodded slowly as if he were thinking about what Grey had said but in reality he was trying to stop the rising nausea within. The guy was like an insidious cancer that was the only way he could describe him.
"The way you freaked out on me was hilarious. Hell, I thought you were going to piss yourself when I called you on the photos on your laptop, you looked like you were going to cry."
"Fuck you, Grey." He forced himself to laugh as if it were all a joke to him now the air had been cleared between them. Grey joined in.
They both grew silent then Grey put down the stress ball and got up.
"Got to make tracks now, Sarah has roped us into another of her fundraisers tonight." Grey grimaced. "You free on Friday? We're having a few friends over, I'm going to fire up the grill, knock a few longnecks back."
Tony stood and walked him over to the door.
"Yeah, yeah sounds good."
Grey paused slowly looked Tony up and down and the atmosphere changed in an instant.
All of Grey's previous good humor seemed to vanish and Tony suddenly found himself being pushed up hard against the wall next to the door. His immediate reaction was to fight back and it took every ounce of control not to land Grey on his ass as he was trained to do, instead he forced himself to stand passively as Grey pushed an arm tight against his windpipe.
"I like you, Tony but if you ever so much as touch my kids ….I will kill you, do you understand?" The commander spat out and his face was so close that Tony could smell the peppermint gum the guy was chewing.
The shock Tony felt was real. He shook his head fervently in denial.
"No…no…you don't… shit on your… own doorstep… learnt that the hard way."
Tony could barely speak as the pressure on his larynx and the lack of oxygen to his lungs was making itself known but he vehemently made his displeasure known as if the thought had never crossed his mind because it hadn't.
Grey tilted his head and looked at him with interest.
'Really, Anthony, I think you may have just revealed a little more than you intended there but that's definitely a conversation for another day." Grey gave a sick smile and as quickly as he'd attacked he released his hold.
Tony moved away and glared at Grey but the man appeared unconcerned and just watched him rub his neck.
"What the hell? You damn near choked me." Tony coughed out.
"Just making sure you know the score, Tony." Grey shrugged. "No hard feelings."
Tony kept silent but nodded as the commander moved towards the door.
"See you Friday." He said cheerfully as if the last three minutes hadn't happened.
And on that note Grey was gone.
Tony released the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding as he shut the door and sat back down behind his desk. He was shaking hard and he looked at his hands in wonder as they trembled and fought back the urge to laugh. He clenched his hands into fists and winced as the cut on his hand made itself know again.
Jesus, you couldn't have made that up.
Tony put his head in his hands and lost the battle with the rising hysteria and laughed not that it was remotely funny.
What the hell was going on in Grey's mind to react so angrily towards someone he thought had been grooming his children yet he obviously had no such compunction where it came to someone else's.
Tony always knew the world was a fucked up place but that just put a big, fat bow on top of just how messed up it really was.
At least he had the first real evidence that Grey was more dangerous than they thought but Tony needed hard proof. It was still just Grey's word against his right now and any decent lawyer worth his salt would cry coercion quicker than a whore could disrobe but it was a step closer…one more step closer to him being able to return to the yard and forget he ever heard the name of Commander Charles Grey.
Tony laid his head down on the desk and tried to calm down before he drove back to the apartment. If he got behind the wheel of a car now he suspected that he'd probably end up causing an accident and he really didn't need that added to his conscience.
Tony had to admit that he felt more positive now he had a clear agenda to work towards.
If he found Grey's 'hideaway' then he'd bet he'd find all the evidence he needed.
As he left his office, he plastered his 'game face' on giving a wave to Marcel and the receptionist on the front desk as he passed.
In the sanctity of the Aston he called Vance. Leon listened and even gave him a speech on how impressed he was with his work. Usually that would have made a hell of difference but Tony just felt numb.
Yes, numb was definitely a good word for it.
The fact that Grey had reacted the way he had should have acted as further validation of his undercover skills but it really didn't make him feel proud as it usually would.
Convincing someone that you made a plausible pedophile was not something Tony could see himself ever, ever bragging about.
Gibbs was drowning under a sea of paperwork when his cell rang.
He flipped it open and peered at the display.
DiNozzo.
He looked across at the bullpen to where the rest of the team was finishing up for the day.
"DiNozzo," He uttered the greeting quietly.
The pause before Tony spoke set his alarm bells ringing.
"Hey, Boss, I know it's a school night and all but I was wondering if you wanted to meet up for a beer or maybe even a dozen?" The tone was flat even though DiNozzo seemed to be doing his best to inject a little life into it.
"I take it you've spoken with Grey again?" Gibbs turned around to face the office divide behind his desk to give a little more privacy to the call.
"Oh, what makes you think that? Wait, is it the fact that I want get wasted to wipe out yet more sick words of wisdom from our friendly local pedophile or the fact that right now I really don't think there is enough bleach in the world to make me feel clean again.
Tony gave a high, weak laugh that sounded way to close to hysteria for his liking.
"Seriously, Boss. I really need a little normality right now."
Gibbs swung around in his chair and looked up towards the mezzanine level. He saw Vance walk out of one of the meeting rooms and enter MTAC.
"My house at eight, that okay, DiNozzo, I'll get a couple of crates of that piss water you call beer in," Gibbs said quietly. "And I've got some pretty nasty industrial bleach in the basement that might just do the trick if ya need it."
Gibbs gripped his phone tightly as he waited for Tony to respond.
Eventually DiNozzo laughed, it still sounded too tight but he did seem calmer.
"Thanks, Boss, sounds good, if you throw in one of your steaks and some slaw, I may have to marry you."
"Goodbye, DiNozzo." Gibbs huffed in amusement before he ended the call.
He sat back in his chair and looked across at DiNozzo's desk.
A blow up doll with a photo of Tony taped over the face and had taken up residence a day after DiNozzo had left on his assignment much to the amusement of the other agents on the floor.
Over the weeks people had mysteriously added to it. The effigy of Tony now wore a lurid nylon shirt in orange and green that wouldn't have looked out of place in the seventies, a loud plaid jacket and a satin tie emblazoned with Santa Claus finished the ensemble. Yesterday a yellow fright wig had appeared and a panama hat, which he suspected, was an addition from Ducky.
DiNozzo would freak at his doppelgangers abysmal fashion sense.
Gibbs gave a little grin; he had to admit that his old jacket looked pretty damn good on the doll. Just call it payback for all the Sears comments throughout the years.
He stuffed his cell in his pocket and then slammed a file down on his desk causing Ziva and McGee to look his way in alarm.
"Go home, people," He ordered.
They both blinked at the clock, noting the still early hour but neither of them argued and they scrabbled for their bags and coats as they simultaneously shut down their PC's.
"Um, see you tomorrow." McGee called.
"Nope…I want you both at my house tonight at twenty-one-hundred hours," He added and they both paused, dumbstruck, bags in hand.
Gibbs figured that would at least give Tony an hour free and clear to talk if he needed to and to have a few beers before everyone else showed up.
"What?" McGee looked perplexed, terrified even. "Your house?"
"You got a problem coming to my house, McGee?" Gibbs enquired making Tim stutter.
"No, yes…yes. I, I mean I can't, I have a date," McGee sounded flustered.
"Well cancel, McGee, my house at nine," Gibbs smiled a steely smile that broached no argument as he got up from his desk. "You got a date too, Ziva?"
"No, I can be there," Ziva frowned. "But why do we have to be at your house?"
"Just be there," Gibbs called behind him as he headed for the elevator, knowing full well that both agents were frantically mouthing to each other behind his back. "And you'll find out."
He smiled a genuine smile as he suspected that McGee and Ziva would both be on the phone to Abby before the elevator doors closed behind him. They were so predictable.
Call him sadistic but he deliberately chose to stop at autopsy first to give Abby time to work herself into an absolute frenzy with unanswered questions before he showed up.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Ducky parked his Morgan in the street outside and gestured for Jimmy to unbuckle. The poor boy looked a tad nervous but then getting a summons from Jethro wasn't an everyday occurrence, especially when that summons was an invite to his house.
"Chop, chop or we shall be late," Ducky chivied his assistant along. This was all really very intriguing and he was as in the dark as the rest of them.
"We're early. The others haven't gone in yet," Palmer responded and nodded to where Ziva, McGee and Abigail stood around a beauty of a car that was parked in Jethro's driveway.
"Oh my! An absolute triumph of British engineering," Ducky couldn't help but exclaim as he approached the car.
"I don't think Aston Martin was in British hands anymore, Ford bought it in the mid nineties, then I'm pretty sure a consortium bought it from them…" Palmer stated with authority.
Ducky glared and Jimmy stumbled to a halt.
"The design is clearly purely British, my dear boy, I don't care who may own it now!" Ducky clucked his tongue at Jimmy. He then turned his gaze to the rest of the group. "Why haven't you gone in yet, don't tell me you are all dragging your heels."
"Of course we're dragging our heels!" McGee answered. "Why would Gibbs ask us all here?"
Abby let out a wail.
"Oh my God, do you think that Gibbs is going through a midlife crisis, hence the totally inappropriate babe magnet car," she flailed her arms. "He's going to retire for real this time and that's why he's invited us all here. He's going to tell us he leaving, first Tony disappears and now Gibbs is going!"
"Abby, I really don't think Gibbs is going to retire, if he were going to do so he would not feel the need to sweet coat the news," Ziva scoffed.
"Sugar coat," Palmer muttered, still clearly scared of Ziva.
"Whatever! Sugar coat, sweet coat!" Ziva said exasperated. "I really don't see Gibbs owning an expensive car like this."
"So whose is it?" McGee frowned and ran his hand lovingly over the hood.
Ducky shook his head and chuckled.
"Once you solve one riddle everything else falls into place," he looked around the group but they all stared at him. "And you call yourselves investigators! I can think of only one person who would choose to drive a car that played such a pivotal role in Casino Royal."
"Agent DiNozzo!" Jimmy excitedly shouted proudly as if he'd just won a pop quiz set by the teacher.
Ducky lifted his hat and bowed.
"I do believe you are correct Mr. Palmer."
Abby blinked several times and let out a squeal that was probably high pitched enough to summon bats.
She ran towards the house. The others hurried up the path after her.
By the time Ducky entered the den Anthony had a lap full of Abigail and the rest of the team had surrounded him and were all talking at once.
Ducky watched the scene with interest.
Anthony was openly laughing and already regaining everyone with tales of a life undercover as an International playboy whilst Abigail squirmed in his lap and excitedly petted him as if she hadn't seen him in a year. He'd apparently been spending his weeks wining and dining the country's most eligible debutantes. He gloated over the 'sweet' assignment and poked fun at McGee over being the one Vance chose. Jimmy beamed as if he were just pleased to be included in the impromptu reunion.
As heartwarming as the scene was Ducky saw beyond the easygoing banter and frowned.
Anthony looked tense. There was a tightness of the jaw and dullness in the eye that he had witnessed a few times before, the most notable example had been when Caitlin had passed but it had also manifested itself when Jethro had retired and before the team left for Somalia to bring Ziva home.
"Hey, Duck, take those for you?"
Gibbs appeared and motioned to take his hat and coat.
Ducky handed his outerwear over and followed Jethro into the kitchen.
Gibbs draped the coat over one of the wooden chairs that surrounded the table and balanced the hat on top.
"I've got beer or a bottle of red or I can make you a tea, still got some Earl Grey somewhere?" Jethro made for the refrigerator and pulled out a six-pack.
"A beer would be most refreshing, thank you." Ducky said as took a beer and requested a glass.
Gibbs grabbed one from the cupboard and handed it over. Ducky sat down at the table and carefully tilting the glass he poured.
"You know, one of the advantages of reaching such a great age is the ability to detect many an untruth," Ducky mused.
"That right, Duck." Gibb's jaw clenched at his words.
Whatever was going on wore hard on his friends face.
"I'm guessing Anthony is spinning quite a tale in there, isn't he?"
Gibbs sighed and sat down opposite.
"I'm worried about him, Duck, this assignment Vance has got him on is tying him up in knots and it's not right he hasn't got proper back up."
Ducky smiled.
"Oh I totally disagree, Jethro, I think he has splendid back up right now. You are a good man and I think this is exactly what Anthony needed."
Gibbs snorted.
"Not sure the director will see it that way."
Ducky took a sip of his beer then let a mischievous smile play on his lips.
"He'll certainly not be hearing about this little gathering from any of us, I can assure you."
Ducky took another sip and wiped his lip free of foam.
"I take it you can't tell me what has you so worried about the boy?"
"Not my place to say, Duck but it's as bad as it gets. I don't think I could do what he's doing right now. I'm proud of him, any other agent would have probably walked away by now but DiNozzo's not a quitter." Gibbs sighed. "I wouldn't normally say this, an assignment is an assignment and you do the job you're paid to do no matter what but I think maybe he should walk away from this one."
"Have you told him what you've just said to me, that he can throw in the towel if he needs too and no one will think any less of him?" Ducky asked.
"Yup, told him tonight but he refused. He's in too deep now and it's gotten personal. I think even Leon is worried but he has the SecNav breathing down his neck on this and he needs a result but I think if DiNozzo pushed then Leon would back him." Gibbs shook his head in defeat.
"I'm guessing whatever it is; it goes against Anthony's moral code. I've come to learn that he has a problem on that front somewhat."
Gibbs gave a bitter laugh.
"Oh, it should go against everyone's moral code, Duck but there are some sick SOB's out there and Vance has DiNozzo swimming in the deep end with the sharks. Just hope he doesn't end up drowning."
Ducky's heart sank. Jethro didn't tend to share his concerns for his agents; he internalized any concern and acted as if everything was controllable even if it wasn't.
"Anthony will be fine, he is more resilient than we give him credit for. Once he's back in the fold I'm sure he'll bounce back," Ducky said with more confidence than he felt.
Gibbs nodded slowly as the sound of laughter sounded from the den.
"C'mon, we'd better join the others or DiNozzo will get paranoid thinking we are talking about him."
Ducky stood.
"But we were indeed talking about him."
"Yeah but he doesn't need to know that, Duck."
Gibbs grabbed the beers off the side and headed towards the noise.
Ducky picked up his beer.
"Oh Anthony, what have you got yourself into now?" he said quietly to the empty kitchen.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Tony deliberately turned up late to the commander's house on the Friday evening.
He figured Grey would be either too drunk or too busy with the other guests to corner him for any great amount of time. Thankfully there appeared to be more people invited to the shindig than he'd thought. The street outside was lined with cars and he had trouble finding a space but the fact that the house appeared to be packed would work well for him.
Tony squared his shoulders and knocked on the door.
Dexter, Grey's son had obviously been press-ganged into doing door duty and he didn't look happy about it. The kid grunted at Tony's greeting and waved him in the direction of the kitchen. It seemed that everyone was either huddled in the garden wearing coats and scarves or were hanging around the kitchen and dining room.
Sarah caught his eye and hurried over to greet him with a fierce hug. She handed him a large Long Island Iced Tea off a table loaded with bottles, jugs filled with exotic colored punches and glasses. He took a grateful gulp.
"Tony! I didn't think you were going to show."
"Wouldn't miss seeing you, Sarah, you know that," He released her and stepped back, holding Grey's wife at arms length. "You look stunning as always."
"Oh you old flatterer!" She swatted his arm then frantically craned her neck as if looking for someone.
"Less of the old, please." Tony sighed dramatically.
A slightly plump but attractive blond suddenly appeared and Tony inwardly groaned. Sarah delighted in showcasing him for her single friends delectation.
The blond had obviously had a few drinks and seemed to forget he was standing there and actually had functioning eyes because she gave him an obvious once over and nodded her approval to Sarah. Tony supposed that was something, as getting the thumbs down so openly would be a little crushing.
"Ingrid, I don't think you've met Tony DiMatteo." Sarah smiled excitedly as she did the introductions. "Tony, this is Ingrid Hohenstein, I've known her for just forever and be warned I've told her all about you."
"All lies I can assure you." Tony switched on the charm even though his heart really wasn't in it. He politely shook Ingrid's hand.
"So, Sarah tells me you're a personal trainer and a bit of a property mogul." Ingrid stared openly at his arms and looked like she wanted to paw him.
"Yup, got a few houses and apartments in Georgetown and working at the gym keeps me in check," Tony said conversationally. "And you?"
"I'm an interior designer, keeps me in check too, I get to indulge my passion to shop but using other people's money. It's a win-win situation." She pouted prettily and fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"Sorry, will you both excuse me? I must go and check up on Charles and Daddy. You know what men are like, show them some fire and they go all caveman, they are probably turning the steaks to charcoal as we speak."
Sarah floated away looking clearly pleased with herself. Tony tuned Ingrid out as she started to yak about the cost of wallpaper and carpets.
So the Senator was here. He hadn't met the man but knew him by reputation. He was respected on the hill and was a big advocate for family values so the allegations about his son-in-law must have been a huge embarrassment. No wonder he'd gone out of his way to bury the allegations.
Through the sunroom window he could see Grey standing by the outdoor grill drinking beer and flipping burgers. He was wearing a comedy apron over his coat, not caring that it was probably approaching zero out there but the large gas patio heater they stood under probably helped. Senator Reinhart seemed to be holding court to the several people who watched Grey cook. For a man in his late sixties he was wearing well, he certainly had the natural magnetism of a statesman.
Grey turned his head and saw him watching. The commander lifted the beer he was drinking by way of greeting and winked.
With that one gesture all the good mojo he'd gained from kicking back with the team suddenly vanished.
Taking this guy down would be such a fucking pleasure.
Forty minutes of feigned interest on his part and obvious flirting on Ingrid's, Tony excused himself citing a trip to the bathroom.
Tony made his way towards Grey's study at the front of the house, he cocked his head to make sure that no one was around before he opened the door and crept inside. The filing cabinet was his first point of call. He opened the draws and scanned the neat rows of files within.
He'd read and re-read the original Operation Ruby slipper/NCIS investigation on Grey and but he'd found nothing about a second property but from what Grey had said there was definitely one somewhere.
On his third drawer he hit the jackpot.
Tony spread out the file and scanned the pages. There were several tradesmen's invoices relating to an address in West Virginia, all paid for in cash. One was for repairs to a roof another was for the removal of waste from a cesspit. This had to be it.
Tony got his cell out and took photos of the invoices before carefully replacing the file.
He was halfway to the door when he heard footsteps.
Shit, just great.
He frantically looked around for a hiding place or an alternative way out but it was too late, whoever it was out there already had their hand on the doorknob.
The door opened and all he could do was stand in the center of the room, frantically hoping that he could somehow talk his way out of the situation.
A blond head appeared around the door.
"I've been looking all over for you?" Ingrid pouted then she frowned at him. "What are you doing in here?"
Tony licked his lips as a lie formed about a sudden migraine and the need for quiet. He was just about to open his mouth when he caught the sound of yet more voices and footsteps.
Un-fucking-believable, suddenly it was like Grand Central Station in this part of the house.
The unmistakable baritone of Grey and an unidentified person filtered past the music playing in the kitchen and they seemed to be heading towards the study.
Tony leaped into action - literally.
Ingrid's eyes widened as he pushed her up against the wall and crowded her with his body.
"Was waiting for you. I was hoping you'd come and find me," He growled out huskily.
She gave a squeak of surprise but thankfully she didn't start to scream the house down with cries of 'assault' at the suddenness of his advances, instead she rather enthusiastically grabbed his ass and squeezed.
"I knew it! I could sense a spark between us immediately!" Ingrid said breathlessly. "My horoscope said today was going to be my lucky day, so I knew I had to come tonight…what star sign are you?"
Oh boy, just what he needed, a fluffy bunny woman who relied on the cosmos for dating tips?
The voices stopped outside, he wound his fingers through her hair and thrust his tongue into her mouth to shut her up.
The way he figured it Grey would either pass by and would be none the wiser but if the commander did discover them in his study, he'd just assume that they'd stumbled into the room for a little 'privacy.
Tony did feel a pang of guilt that he was using Ingrid purely to maintain his cover; she seemed nice enough even though she wasn't exactly his type.
What had started out as a light diversionary tactic on his part quickly escalated out of his control. He may have instigated the tryst but she had certainly taken it over. Before he could process, she was scrabbling with his belt and pulling down his zipper.
They seemed to be skipping second and third base and going straight for the home run in about thirty seconds flat.
Not what he'd been anticipating but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth because, damn, she was frisky.
When the door eventually opened his pants were already pooled around his ankles and Ingrid was kneeling in front of him, her head in his hands.
"Whoa!" Grey exclaimed and snorted out an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, Buddy."
The guy next to Grey just grinned.
Tony acted shocked at the interruption and gave Grey a contrite look but if Ingrid noticed that they had an audience she didn't show it or break her rhythm.
The two of them backed out and the door quickly closed. Tony heard raucous laughter outside as they walked away.
He shut his eyes and released the breath he was holding, allowing himself to relax.
Tony leaned his head back against the wall and stared at ceiling.
The things he did for his job.
Not that he'd be telling Vance about this little escapade.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Late Sunday afternoon saw Tony driving to Red Jacket, West Virginia. It might prove to be a wild goose chase. Hell, for all he knew an octogenarian Granny Grey lived there spending her days making jams and jellies but it was all he had to work on right now.
His gut told him he was onto something and the thought that maybe, just maybe he'd find the evidence there that would nail Grey's ass to the wall once and for all.
As Tony idled at a set of lights he rubbed his hands together and blew on them to try and get the blood flowing.
He was turning into a freaking Popsicle.
The cold snap was definitely showing no signs of abating and the further East he drove the colder it got. Snow had started to flutter down at an alarming rate and was starting to settle on the road, not ideal driving conditions but it could be worse. Tony reached down and checked that the heater was actually turned to max, not that it seemed to be doing much good for all the amount of warmth coming out of the vents. Lack of heat aside, the rental car he'd picked up that morning was a necessary as the Aston was definitely not the kind of car you took on a road trip to the boonies. As it was the wipers were working overtime but he still had difficulties seeing where the hell he was going.
He passed a Mom and Pop diner outside Red Jacket and decided to turn the car around and stop.
The place was deserted, wasn't the type of weather that people voluntarily ventured out in and the waitress greeted him like a visiting Lord. He asked for coffee then added a hot peach cobbler to the order as Mabel, the ancient looking waitress, looked disappointed by his initial order. Whist he waited he pulled his cell out and glanced at the display. Great, no signal. Why the hell anyone would choose to live in a place that didn't have the decency to put a cell tower nearby?
Mabel returned with his cobbler and coffee. He wasn't expecting much but the greasy looking guy outback sure could cook. His dessert was sweet, light and fragrant with cinnamon and the whipped cream was the real stuff and not that aerosol shit.
Maybe the boonies weren't so bad after all.
He quickly finished his food and watched the snow falling outside as he drained the last of his coffee. He left Mabel a good tip because she looked like she should have retired years ago and got back on the road.
Tony eventually found the property after a lot of cursing and driving around the same area for a good twenty minutes. The houses were all spread out and set back from the road far enough to be a pain in the ass when it came to checking numbers. He circled around, following a dirt track so he was round the back of the house. He parked of the way just in case. It didn't do to advertise if you wanted to do a little breaking and entering even if the place was secluded.
Tony got out and zipped up his coat to the neck and turned his collar up against the biting wind and flurrying snow. He had a good hour before it started to get dark but he grabbed his flashlight out of the glove compartment and stuffed it in his pocket before setting off.
It was a big plot and the house backed onto dense woodland. He clambered over a fallen tree and made his way across the overgrown garden, glad that he had worn his Dockers as he trod through the settling snow.
He stopped and stared at the house.
It was a substantial wood frame property, painted the ubiquitous white. A veranda wrapped around the ground floor, all it needed was a picket fence and it would win the award of cliché of the year. His gut told him that it was empty, had that feel about the place but it didn't do to assume so he kept to the tree line.
He was halfway to the house when something caught his eye in the undergrowth.
A flash of red under a tangle of brambles looked stark against the smattering of snow.
Tony used his foot to kick away the spiky tendrils of the bramble and looked again.
He wasn't sure why it piqued his interest as much as it did but his training told him to investigate.
Tony crouched down and pulled one of his gloves off. It felt like cotton. He wiped the snow away from the area and quickly discovered that the surface soil was frozen solid.
Great, nothing was ever easy.
He took out his switchblade and dug. It didn't take long to loosen the dirt even though his fingers were turning numb.
Eventually he dug the object free and shook the dirt from it.
Tony stared.
He held out a large rag doll complete with braids and rosy cheeks and although the doll was dirty and damp, it wasn't rotted as he expected a fabric doll to be if it had been buried for any great length of time.
Little girls didn't bury their beloved dolls, if it had been an old, mangy GI Joe then he wouldn't feel quite so apprehensive, he remembered setting fire to his own re-enacting a scene from The Six Million Dollar Man as a kid. His toys had purely been a means to an end for his imagination.
Tony stared down at the patch of soil, but considering the reason he was here he felt a tight apprehension settling in his gut.
With great care he lowered himself down an inch from the hole he'd dug and inhaled.
Tony sat back on his heels and shut his eyes.
The smell seeping from the soil was cloying even in the chill of the day.
There was no mistaking the nauseating smell of decay and he'd become attuned to it since he'd been working in law enforcement.
He patted down his jacket, relief washed over him when he found several latex gloves shoved in his inside pocket. Obviously the last time he'd worn this coat had been at a crime scene and it was habit to grab a handful of gloves out of the van and stuff them in an available pocket.
Maybe his imagination was getting away with him. Grey was warping his mind and all he was dealing with was a lost doll and a dead squirrel stashed by a dog or maybe 'fluffy' had been totaled by a car but as Gibbs was fond of saying, He don't believe in coincidences.
Tony looked towards the house before he picked up his knife again and started to gently scrape the soil away.
It didn't take long for him to find out that he wasn't dealing with a dead squirrel or family cat.
"Fuck," He cursed under his breath.
With a shaking hand Tony pulled out his cell as he stared at an atrophied foot still encased in a small scuffed Mary-Jane shoe, he didn't need to dig any further to know what he'd find.
Still no signal.
Tony shut his eyes to blink away the snow that was falling heavily now and breathed deeply.
When he opened them again the rag doll was almost covered in a layer of white.
Tony gently covered up the exposed foot to try and preserve as much of the integrity of the scene as much as he could. He picked up the rag doll and headed back towards his car. He could wrap the doll in the plastic car seat protectors from the car, wasn't idea but it would have to do. He had no evidence bags; there was nothing else he could do. It wasn't like he'd been planning on finding a corpse when he'd set off a couple of hours ago.
The light was starting to fade. He needed to get to a phone, screw finding the evidence that Grey was a pedophile.
Try explaining why there was a dead child buried in the garden of your house.
The bastard was going away for a very, very long time and it would be a pleasure to see the look on Grey's face when he arrested the fucker.
Tony shivered as he walked. To be honest he was so focused on getting to a phone that he probably wouldn't have noticed a light being flicked on inside the house if the light outside hadn't been fading so fast.
He quickly moved into the cover of the trees that lined the garden and turned.
There was definitely someone inside the house now. The downstairs was illuminated brightly. Tony cursed again at the lack of a working phone and made a split decision.
He checked his sidearm and made his way towards the house.
This case just kept getting better and better.
TBC
Hope you enjoyed. xx
Chapter: 6/?
Fandom: NCIS
Author: cheekymice
Rating: PG13
Beta: Iantalia
Genre: Drama/Angst
Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to the TV show NCIS sadly.
Notes: So here I am back again with another multi chapter fic. I hope you enjoy. This will be my usual brand of overblown angst with a soupcon of whumpage. I can say that this story will not be dwelling on anything graphic regarding the subject matter, it is mainly a study on how difficult some undercover assignments must be.
~~~ ~~~~
Rag Doll
"Here," Fornell walked down the stairs of the basement and tossed an office internal communication envelope down on the workbench. "All the info on the joint op last year with Norfolk as you requested, plus any Intel we have on Commander Charles Grey."
Gibb picked up the envelope and unwound the string, sliding the pages out.
"You gonna tell me why you couldn't get one of your many minions to get that info for you?" Fornell asked.
"Operation Ruby Slipper was an FBI op," Gibbs said simply and started reading.
"But Grey is Navy," Fornell pointed out. "So why all the interest now? He done something we need to know about?"
"Not that I know of," Gibbs looked up from the file.
"I'm not interested in playing twenty questions with you, Jethro. Spill." Fornell griped.
Gibbs had already made a decision to tell the FBI agent everything but it didn't do to go too easy on the man. Tobias expected the runaround; it was all part of the game they played.
"The SecNav ordered a covert op. An NCIS agent has been undercover for the past two months posing as a pedophile to set up a honey trap for Grey," Gibbs revealed.
Gibbs watched a myriad of expressions cross Fornell's face as the implications of the assignment sunk in.
"Ouch. Can't imagine there was a big fight for that assignment." Fornell eventually choked out as he scrunched up his face in distaste. "So, why weren't we read in on it?"
Gibbs raised his eyebrow. Typical, the Febs always wanted a piece of the action even though they weren't exactly known for being free when it came to sharing.
"After the fuck up that was the last op, are you kidding?" Gibbs scoffed. "The less people who know about this then its less likely someone tips off Grey again like last time. Only three people know about it, the SecNav, Vance and the agent."
"And yet you also know about it. What gives?" Fornell asked, clearly intrigued.
Gibbs leaned back against the bench and fixed Fornell with a steady gaze.
"DiNozzo is the agent undercover."
"DiNutso?" Fornell's mouth all but fell open. "Damn."
"Yeah. My sentiments exactly." Gibbs growled.
Fornell wasn't usually lost for words but he shook his head and took a few minutes to absorb before he spoke again.
"DiNutso's about as from removed from a Pedo that anyone could get but I guess that's the idea. If they all looked like the Child Catcher then that would make our jobs easier, right. You say he's been under for two months, why are you only digging around now?" Fornell frowned.
"Only found out about it yesterday," Gibbs replied simply. Leaving it at that.
"So you thought you'd poke your nose into the operation even though you weren't invited?" Fornell stated blandly.
"I'm not going to sit around with my thumb up my ass whilst my agent is trying to cope with what's probably the hardest assignment of his life," Gibbs spat angrily. " You'd better believe I'm going to see if I can help DiNozzo close this op as quickly as possible."
Fornell held his hands up in mock surrender.
"Hey, it wasn't a criticism, Jethro, just wanted to get a handle on where you were going with this."
Fornell sat down on the bench; he pulled his hipflask out of his jacket pocket and unscrewed the top.
"So, how else can I help? I take it your searches are being monitored so you'll need our databases on this one," Fornell took a swig from the contents of the flask.
"And they say the FBI have no brains," Gibbs mocked lightly, grinning to take the edge off.
"I'll ignore that barb, Jethro as it's always a pleasure to get one over on the director of a rival agency." Fornell grinned broadly and he held up the flask in a mock salute.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Week 8
After three days off 'sick' Tony eventually slunk back to work fully expecting, at the very least, a warning from his employers considering he'd only been on the job for two months, instead he found himself being fussed over by Marcel, the manager.
He looked pale.
Had he been taking his vitamins?
Had he been to the doctor?
Did he need more time off?
Okay, so he wasn't stupid enough to think that all the concern wasn't partly due to the fact that the man was trying to get into his pants but there was also been a genuine underlying worry there that Tony found strangely endearing.
He assured Marcel that his 'ailment' had been simple case of stomach flu and he was over it and slipped back into the routine of the gym like he'd never been away. First he spent a few hours in his office revising exercise programs for some of his clients before he eventually made his way out onto the floor.
Several of the patrons cheerfully greeted him and he worked the room and chatted to each as they exercised. He worked through the clients he had booked for that day but he found himself continually looking over towards the door as the day wore on.
Grey always came into the gym on Thursdays but it was looking increasingly like he wouldn't be showing up.
Perhaps he'd miscalculated in his plan, maybe become too focused on making sure that Grey didn't smell a rat in the long run that he'd blown it?
Could it be that his overly fervent denials regarding 'DiMatteo's' viewing choices had made the commander come to regret speaking as openly as he had about his own desires.
Dammit, he was usually spot-on in anticipating all possible scenarios whilst undercover and usually he had back-up plans in place but he was struggling with this one, struggling with understanding Grey.
Obviously the commander had too much to lose, his career, his wife and children and that was probably enough to make the man take a step back now he'd had time to think about it.
How the hell did he know what was the norm when it came to a man who thought that kids were fair game?
As the day wore on Tony argued with himself, alternating between kicking himself for obviously handling the situation wrong and telling himself he'd done the right thing in acting like he had.
Tony couldn't help it all his usual confidence had vanished with this one.
The five o'clock crowd started to trickle in and the noise levels rose as voices competed with the upbeat music that pumped in through high-tec speakers mounted on the walls. Tony was on the last client of the day, a rich but vacuous Washington housewife. She might have been pretty at one time but now after one too many procedures her face was stretched so tight it looked like an elephant had taken her roughly from behind, it wasn't a good look but hey, if she was happy. She was waffling on about sacking her gardener because the topiary was off but Tony wasn't really listening, he was too busy thinking that Vance was going to kill him if he'd fucked up and sent Grey underground again.
Tony could feel his already high anxiety levels skyrocketing and he made the decision to call Gibbs again when his shift finished because that always seemed to calm him, the normality of talking about the everyday goings on at the yard helped more than he could say. Gibbs was being pretty good when it came to his needy phone calls but Tony tried not to be a pain in the ass because it was one thing saying 'call whenever you need to' but that didn't mean his boss wanted him on the line 24/7.
Tony was just contemplating asking Gibbs over for pizza when the doors opened and Grey strode into the gym.
The woman yelped as he involuntarily gripped her ankles too tightly as he grounded her whilst she did her stomach crunches.
"Sorry," He muttered and she went back to twittering on about her gardening woes.
The commander put his towel and bottle water down on the floor and he started up the running machine. Tony acted like he hadn't seen and continued to rally his client as she did a continued her rep of stomach crunches but the little hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention signaling that Grey was still looking his way.
Relief raced through his body as his heart rate galloped.
It looked like he didn't need to tell Vance he'd screwed up thank God.
Twenty minutes later and Tony was done for the day, he walked the length of the gym, quickly passing Grey as he went. Tony acted skittish, not that it was much of an act to be honest. He kept his head down and continued to walk ignoring everything around him. Once in his office Tony sat down behind his desk and rubbed a hand over his face and waited.
It didn't take long.
Grey opened the door after one perfunctory knock, not waiting to be invited. The commander seemed to slither into the room like a viper ready to strike.
"Hey, Tony. Haven't seen you around the last few days, you take a few days vacation?" Grey gave a sly chuckle. "Or were you just avoiding me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony stared hard at Grey.
"Oh Tony, are you still playing that game?" Grey sat down in the chair opposite and picked up a stress ball, he started to squeeze. "As I said on Saturday, I'm not your enemy but I applaud your need to be discreet. There's a witch-hunt going on for people like us and we need to be careful around those who don't understand but I'm cool with it, we need to stick together."
'People like us.'
Tony bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from launching over the desk and grabbing Grey by the front of the shirt and yelling that they were nothing alike.
Tony gave a shuddering breath.
"I'm sorry. I guess you freaked me out. Just not used to people… knowing…. Trust me it doesn't usually end well." Tony responded dully.
Grey nodded as he squeezed a sly smile played on his lips.
"I think I know now why Daddy froze you out of the family business. I bet he thinks nothing of banging a mistress behind your mother's back or fleecing the taxman or anyone else he comes across but he takes the moral high ground just because you're a little different, huh?"
Tony nodded slowly. He hadn't worked that into his fictional back-story but he could work with that.
"You got it in one, called me sick and tried to have me admitted to a hospital so they could 'cure' me when he found some photos on my PC. He disinherited me when I refused." Tony acted as if he were angry at the injustice of it all but it was the only emotion he could portray at the moment, anger that Vance had put him in this position, anger at the fact that he was having to pretend to understand this shit. "I also got beaten to an inch of my life by my fraternity brothers when they discovered what chat rooms I'd been inhabiting. You can understand I've been a little more careful since then. It's not something you share readily is it? Call me paranoid but I like my life right now and don't want to have to move on again. And it's going to take a while to trust you though, been stung before, people pretend to be your friend then you find out they're a cop or a fucking liberal vigilante who doesn't understand," Tony pursed his lips and frowned.
"Yeah, been I've been there too, Tony," Grey said eventually and Tony would bet a whole heap of cash that the commander was thinking about Operation Ruby Slipper. "Learnt the hard way too, got a little hideaway now that no one knows about, keep my two lives separate but as I said…I'm not the enemy," Grey smiled warmly. "I understand, Tony, we're not doing anything wrong really and a friendship like ours can be, shall we say, mutually beneficial. Look out for each other and lets face it, it's always great to find out a friend shares the same interests isn't it?"
Tony nodded slowly as if he were thinking about what Grey had said but in reality he was trying to stop the rising nausea within. The guy was like an insidious cancer that was the only way he could describe him.
"The way you freaked out on me was hilarious. Hell, I thought you were going to piss yourself when I called you on the photos on your laptop, you looked like you were going to cry."
"Fuck you, Grey." He forced himself to laugh as if it were all a joke to him now the air had been cleared between them. Grey joined in.
They both grew silent then Grey put down the stress ball and got up.
"Got to make tracks now, Sarah has roped us into another of her fundraisers tonight." Grey grimaced. "You free on Friday? We're having a few friends over, I'm going to fire up the grill, knock a few longnecks back."
Tony stood and walked him over to the door.
"Yeah, yeah sounds good."
Grey paused slowly looked Tony up and down and the atmosphere changed in an instant.
All of Grey's previous good humor seemed to vanish and Tony suddenly found himself being pushed up hard against the wall next to the door. His immediate reaction was to fight back and it took every ounce of control not to land Grey on his ass as he was trained to do, instead he forced himself to stand passively as Grey pushed an arm tight against his windpipe.
"I like you, Tony but if you ever so much as touch my kids ….I will kill you, do you understand?" The commander spat out and his face was so close that Tony could smell the peppermint gum the guy was chewing.
The shock Tony felt was real. He shook his head fervently in denial.
"No…no…you don't… shit on your… own doorstep… learnt that the hard way."
Tony could barely speak as the pressure on his larynx and the lack of oxygen to his lungs was making itself known but he vehemently made his displeasure known as if the thought had never crossed his mind because it hadn't.
Grey tilted his head and looked at him with interest.
'Really, Anthony, I think you may have just revealed a little more than you intended there but that's definitely a conversation for another day." Grey gave a sick smile and as quickly as he'd attacked he released his hold.
Tony moved away and glared at Grey but the man appeared unconcerned and just watched him rub his neck.
"What the hell? You damn near choked me." Tony coughed out.
"Just making sure you know the score, Tony." Grey shrugged. "No hard feelings."
Tony kept silent but nodded as the commander moved towards the door.
"See you Friday." He said cheerfully as if the last three minutes hadn't happened.
And on that note Grey was gone.
Tony released the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding as he shut the door and sat back down behind his desk. He was shaking hard and he looked at his hands in wonder as they trembled and fought back the urge to laugh. He clenched his hands into fists and winced as the cut on his hand made itself know again.
Jesus, you couldn't have made that up.
Tony put his head in his hands and lost the battle with the rising hysteria and laughed not that it was remotely funny.
What the hell was going on in Grey's mind to react so angrily towards someone he thought had been grooming his children yet he obviously had no such compunction where it came to someone else's.
Tony always knew the world was a fucked up place but that just put a big, fat bow on top of just how messed up it really was.
At least he had the first real evidence that Grey was more dangerous than they thought but Tony needed hard proof. It was still just Grey's word against his right now and any decent lawyer worth his salt would cry coercion quicker than a whore could disrobe but it was a step closer…one more step closer to him being able to return to the yard and forget he ever heard the name of Commander Charles Grey.
Tony laid his head down on the desk and tried to calm down before he drove back to the apartment. If he got behind the wheel of a car now he suspected that he'd probably end up causing an accident and he really didn't need that added to his conscience.
Tony had to admit that he felt more positive now he had a clear agenda to work towards.
If he found Grey's 'hideaway' then he'd bet he'd find all the evidence he needed.
As he left his office, he plastered his 'game face' on giving a wave to Marcel and the receptionist on the front desk as he passed.
In the sanctity of the Aston he called Vance. Leon listened and even gave him a speech on how impressed he was with his work. Usually that would have made a hell of difference but Tony just felt numb.
Yes, numb was definitely a good word for it.
The fact that Grey had reacted the way he had should have acted as further validation of his undercover skills but it really didn't make him feel proud as it usually would.
Convincing someone that you made a plausible pedophile was not something Tony could see himself ever, ever bragging about.
Gibbs was drowning under a sea of paperwork when his cell rang.
He flipped it open and peered at the display.
DiNozzo.
He looked across at the bullpen to where the rest of the team was finishing up for the day.
"DiNozzo," He uttered the greeting quietly.
The pause before Tony spoke set his alarm bells ringing.
"Hey, Boss, I know it's a school night and all but I was wondering if you wanted to meet up for a beer or maybe even a dozen?" The tone was flat even though DiNozzo seemed to be doing his best to inject a little life into it.
"I take it you've spoken with Grey again?" Gibbs turned around to face the office divide behind his desk to give a little more privacy to the call.
"Oh, what makes you think that? Wait, is it the fact that I want get wasted to wipe out yet more sick words of wisdom from our friendly local pedophile or the fact that right now I really don't think there is enough bleach in the world to make me feel clean again.
Tony gave a high, weak laugh that sounded way to close to hysteria for his liking.
"Seriously, Boss. I really need a little normality right now."
Gibbs swung around in his chair and looked up towards the mezzanine level. He saw Vance walk out of one of the meeting rooms and enter MTAC.
"My house at eight, that okay, DiNozzo, I'll get a couple of crates of that piss water you call beer in," Gibbs said quietly. "And I've got some pretty nasty industrial bleach in the basement that might just do the trick if ya need it."
Gibbs gripped his phone tightly as he waited for Tony to respond.
Eventually DiNozzo laughed, it still sounded too tight but he did seem calmer.
"Thanks, Boss, sounds good, if you throw in one of your steaks and some slaw, I may have to marry you."
"Goodbye, DiNozzo." Gibbs huffed in amusement before he ended the call.
He sat back in his chair and looked across at DiNozzo's desk.
A blow up doll with a photo of Tony taped over the face and had taken up residence a day after DiNozzo had left on his assignment much to the amusement of the other agents on the floor.
Over the weeks people had mysteriously added to it. The effigy of Tony now wore a lurid nylon shirt in orange and green that wouldn't have looked out of place in the seventies, a loud plaid jacket and a satin tie emblazoned with Santa Claus finished the ensemble. Yesterday a yellow fright wig had appeared and a panama hat, which he suspected, was an addition from Ducky.
DiNozzo would freak at his doppelgangers abysmal fashion sense.
Gibbs gave a little grin; he had to admit that his old jacket looked pretty damn good on the doll. Just call it payback for all the Sears comments throughout the years.
He stuffed his cell in his pocket and then slammed a file down on his desk causing Ziva and McGee to look his way in alarm.
"Go home, people," He ordered.
They both blinked at the clock, noting the still early hour but neither of them argued and they scrabbled for their bags and coats as they simultaneously shut down their PC's.
"Um, see you tomorrow." McGee called.
"Nope…I want you both at my house tonight at twenty-one-hundred hours," He added and they both paused, dumbstruck, bags in hand.
Gibbs figured that would at least give Tony an hour free and clear to talk if he needed to and to have a few beers before everyone else showed up.
"What?" McGee looked perplexed, terrified even. "Your house?"
"You got a problem coming to my house, McGee?" Gibbs enquired making Tim stutter.
"No, yes…yes. I, I mean I can't, I have a date," McGee sounded flustered.
"Well cancel, McGee, my house at nine," Gibbs smiled a steely smile that broached no argument as he got up from his desk. "You got a date too, Ziva?"
"No, I can be there," Ziva frowned. "But why do we have to be at your house?"
"Just be there," Gibbs called behind him as he headed for the elevator, knowing full well that both agents were frantically mouthing to each other behind his back. "And you'll find out."
He smiled a genuine smile as he suspected that McGee and Ziva would both be on the phone to Abby before the elevator doors closed behind him. They were so predictable.
Call him sadistic but he deliberately chose to stop at autopsy first to give Abby time to work herself into an absolute frenzy with unanswered questions before he showed up.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Ducky parked his Morgan in the street outside and gestured for Jimmy to unbuckle. The poor boy looked a tad nervous but then getting a summons from Jethro wasn't an everyday occurrence, especially when that summons was an invite to his house.
"Chop, chop or we shall be late," Ducky chivied his assistant along. This was all really very intriguing and he was as in the dark as the rest of them.
"We're early. The others haven't gone in yet," Palmer responded and nodded to where Ziva, McGee and Abigail stood around a beauty of a car that was parked in Jethro's driveway.
"Oh my! An absolute triumph of British engineering," Ducky couldn't help but exclaim as he approached the car.
"I don't think Aston Martin was in British hands anymore, Ford bought it in the mid nineties, then I'm pretty sure a consortium bought it from them…" Palmer stated with authority.
Ducky glared and Jimmy stumbled to a halt.
"The design is clearly purely British, my dear boy, I don't care who may own it now!" Ducky clucked his tongue at Jimmy. He then turned his gaze to the rest of the group. "Why haven't you gone in yet, don't tell me you are all dragging your heels."
"Of course we're dragging our heels!" McGee answered. "Why would Gibbs ask us all here?"
Abby let out a wail.
"Oh my God, do you think that Gibbs is going through a midlife crisis, hence the totally inappropriate babe magnet car," she flailed her arms. "He's going to retire for real this time and that's why he's invited us all here. He's going to tell us he leaving, first Tony disappears and now Gibbs is going!"
"Abby, I really don't think Gibbs is going to retire, if he were going to do so he would not feel the need to sweet coat the news," Ziva scoffed.
"Sugar coat," Palmer muttered, still clearly scared of Ziva.
"Whatever! Sugar coat, sweet coat!" Ziva said exasperated. "I really don't see Gibbs owning an expensive car like this."
"So whose is it?" McGee frowned and ran his hand lovingly over the hood.
Ducky shook his head and chuckled.
"Once you solve one riddle everything else falls into place," he looked around the group but they all stared at him. "And you call yourselves investigators! I can think of only one person who would choose to drive a car that played such a pivotal role in Casino Royal."
"Agent DiNozzo!" Jimmy excitedly shouted proudly as if he'd just won a pop quiz set by the teacher.
Ducky lifted his hat and bowed.
"I do believe you are correct Mr. Palmer."
Abby blinked several times and let out a squeal that was probably high pitched enough to summon bats.
She ran towards the house. The others hurried up the path after her.
By the time Ducky entered the den Anthony had a lap full of Abigail and the rest of the team had surrounded him and were all talking at once.
Ducky watched the scene with interest.
Anthony was openly laughing and already regaining everyone with tales of a life undercover as an International playboy whilst Abigail squirmed in his lap and excitedly petted him as if she hadn't seen him in a year. He'd apparently been spending his weeks wining and dining the country's most eligible debutantes. He gloated over the 'sweet' assignment and poked fun at McGee over being the one Vance chose. Jimmy beamed as if he were just pleased to be included in the impromptu reunion.
As heartwarming as the scene was Ducky saw beyond the easygoing banter and frowned.
Anthony looked tense. There was a tightness of the jaw and dullness in the eye that he had witnessed a few times before, the most notable example had been when Caitlin had passed but it had also manifested itself when Jethro had retired and before the team left for Somalia to bring Ziva home.
"Hey, Duck, take those for you?"
Gibbs appeared and motioned to take his hat and coat.
Ducky handed his outerwear over and followed Jethro into the kitchen.
Gibbs draped the coat over one of the wooden chairs that surrounded the table and balanced the hat on top.
"I've got beer or a bottle of red or I can make you a tea, still got some Earl Grey somewhere?" Jethro made for the refrigerator and pulled out a six-pack.
"A beer would be most refreshing, thank you." Ducky said as took a beer and requested a glass.
Gibbs grabbed one from the cupboard and handed it over. Ducky sat down at the table and carefully tilting the glass he poured.
"You know, one of the advantages of reaching such a great age is the ability to detect many an untruth," Ducky mused.
"That right, Duck." Gibb's jaw clenched at his words.
Whatever was going on wore hard on his friends face.
"I'm guessing Anthony is spinning quite a tale in there, isn't he?"
Gibbs sighed and sat down opposite.
"I'm worried about him, Duck, this assignment Vance has got him on is tying him up in knots and it's not right he hasn't got proper back up."
Ducky smiled.
"Oh I totally disagree, Jethro, I think he has splendid back up right now. You are a good man and I think this is exactly what Anthony needed."
Gibbs snorted.
"Not sure the director will see it that way."
Ducky took a sip of his beer then let a mischievous smile play on his lips.
"He'll certainly not be hearing about this little gathering from any of us, I can assure you."
Ducky took another sip and wiped his lip free of foam.
"I take it you can't tell me what has you so worried about the boy?"
"Not my place to say, Duck but it's as bad as it gets. I don't think I could do what he's doing right now. I'm proud of him, any other agent would have probably walked away by now but DiNozzo's not a quitter." Gibbs sighed. "I wouldn't normally say this, an assignment is an assignment and you do the job you're paid to do no matter what but I think maybe he should walk away from this one."
"Have you told him what you've just said to me, that he can throw in the towel if he needs too and no one will think any less of him?" Ducky asked.
"Yup, told him tonight but he refused. He's in too deep now and it's gotten personal. I think even Leon is worried but he has the SecNav breathing down his neck on this and he needs a result but I think if DiNozzo pushed then Leon would back him." Gibbs shook his head in defeat.
"I'm guessing whatever it is; it goes against Anthony's moral code. I've come to learn that he has a problem on that front somewhat."
Gibbs gave a bitter laugh.
"Oh, it should go against everyone's moral code, Duck but there are some sick SOB's out there and Vance has DiNozzo swimming in the deep end with the sharks. Just hope he doesn't end up drowning."
Ducky's heart sank. Jethro didn't tend to share his concerns for his agents; he internalized any concern and acted as if everything was controllable even if it wasn't.
"Anthony will be fine, he is more resilient than we give him credit for. Once he's back in the fold I'm sure he'll bounce back," Ducky said with more confidence than he felt.
Gibbs nodded slowly as the sound of laughter sounded from the den.
"C'mon, we'd better join the others or DiNozzo will get paranoid thinking we are talking about him."
Ducky stood.
"But we were indeed talking about him."
"Yeah but he doesn't need to know that, Duck."
Gibbs grabbed the beers off the side and headed towards the noise.
Ducky picked up his beer.
"Oh Anthony, what have you got yourself into now?" he said quietly to the empty kitchen.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Tony deliberately turned up late to the commander's house on the Friday evening.
He figured Grey would be either too drunk or too busy with the other guests to corner him for any great amount of time. Thankfully there appeared to be more people invited to the shindig than he'd thought. The street outside was lined with cars and he had trouble finding a space but the fact that the house appeared to be packed would work well for him.
Tony squared his shoulders and knocked on the door.
Dexter, Grey's son had obviously been press-ganged into doing door duty and he didn't look happy about it. The kid grunted at Tony's greeting and waved him in the direction of the kitchen. It seemed that everyone was either huddled in the garden wearing coats and scarves or were hanging around the kitchen and dining room.
Sarah caught his eye and hurried over to greet him with a fierce hug. She handed him a large Long Island Iced Tea off a table loaded with bottles, jugs filled with exotic colored punches and glasses. He took a grateful gulp.
"Tony! I didn't think you were going to show."
"Wouldn't miss seeing you, Sarah, you know that," He released her and stepped back, holding Grey's wife at arms length. "You look stunning as always."
"Oh you old flatterer!" She swatted his arm then frantically craned her neck as if looking for someone.
"Less of the old, please." Tony sighed dramatically.
A slightly plump but attractive blond suddenly appeared and Tony inwardly groaned. Sarah delighted in showcasing him for her single friends delectation.
The blond had obviously had a few drinks and seemed to forget he was standing there and actually had functioning eyes because she gave him an obvious once over and nodded her approval to Sarah. Tony supposed that was something, as getting the thumbs down so openly would be a little crushing.
"Ingrid, I don't think you've met Tony DiMatteo." Sarah smiled excitedly as she did the introductions. "Tony, this is Ingrid Hohenstein, I've known her for just forever and be warned I've told her all about you."
"All lies I can assure you." Tony switched on the charm even though his heart really wasn't in it. He politely shook Ingrid's hand.
"So, Sarah tells me you're a personal trainer and a bit of a property mogul." Ingrid stared openly at his arms and looked like she wanted to paw him.
"Yup, got a few houses and apartments in Georgetown and working at the gym keeps me in check," Tony said conversationally. "And you?"
"I'm an interior designer, keeps me in check too, I get to indulge my passion to shop but using other people's money. It's a win-win situation." She pouted prettily and fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"Sorry, will you both excuse me? I must go and check up on Charles and Daddy. You know what men are like, show them some fire and they go all caveman, they are probably turning the steaks to charcoal as we speak."
Sarah floated away looking clearly pleased with herself. Tony tuned Ingrid out as she started to yak about the cost of wallpaper and carpets.
So the Senator was here. He hadn't met the man but knew him by reputation. He was respected on the hill and was a big advocate for family values so the allegations about his son-in-law must have been a huge embarrassment. No wonder he'd gone out of his way to bury the allegations.
Through the sunroom window he could see Grey standing by the outdoor grill drinking beer and flipping burgers. He was wearing a comedy apron over his coat, not caring that it was probably approaching zero out there but the large gas patio heater they stood under probably helped. Senator Reinhart seemed to be holding court to the several people who watched Grey cook. For a man in his late sixties he was wearing well, he certainly had the natural magnetism of a statesman.
Grey turned his head and saw him watching. The commander lifted the beer he was drinking by way of greeting and winked.
With that one gesture all the good mojo he'd gained from kicking back with the team suddenly vanished.
Taking this guy down would be such a fucking pleasure.
Forty minutes of feigned interest on his part and obvious flirting on Ingrid's, Tony excused himself citing a trip to the bathroom.
Tony made his way towards Grey's study at the front of the house, he cocked his head to make sure that no one was around before he opened the door and crept inside. The filing cabinet was his first point of call. He opened the draws and scanned the neat rows of files within.
He'd read and re-read the original Operation Ruby slipper/NCIS investigation on Grey and but he'd found nothing about a second property but from what Grey had said there was definitely one somewhere.
On his third drawer he hit the jackpot.
Tony spread out the file and scanned the pages. There were several tradesmen's invoices relating to an address in West Virginia, all paid for in cash. One was for repairs to a roof another was for the removal of waste from a cesspit. This had to be it.
Tony got his cell out and took photos of the invoices before carefully replacing the file.
He was halfway to the door when he heard footsteps.
Shit, just great.
He frantically looked around for a hiding place or an alternative way out but it was too late, whoever it was out there already had their hand on the doorknob.
The door opened and all he could do was stand in the center of the room, frantically hoping that he could somehow talk his way out of the situation.
A blond head appeared around the door.
"I've been looking all over for you?" Ingrid pouted then she frowned at him. "What are you doing in here?"
Tony licked his lips as a lie formed about a sudden migraine and the need for quiet. He was just about to open his mouth when he caught the sound of yet more voices and footsteps.
Un-fucking-believable, suddenly it was like Grand Central Station in this part of the house.
The unmistakable baritone of Grey and an unidentified person filtered past the music playing in the kitchen and they seemed to be heading towards the study.
Tony leaped into action - literally.
Ingrid's eyes widened as he pushed her up against the wall and crowded her with his body.
"Was waiting for you. I was hoping you'd come and find me," He growled out huskily.
She gave a squeak of surprise but thankfully she didn't start to scream the house down with cries of 'assault' at the suddenness of his advances, instead she rather enthusiastically grabbed his ass and squeezed.
"I knew it! I could sense a spark between us immediately!" Ingrid said breathlessly. "My horoscope said today was going to be my lucky day, so I knew I had to come tonight…what star sign are you?"
Oh boy, just what he needed, a fluffy bunny woman who relied on the cosmos for dating tips?
The voices stopped outside, he wound his fingers through her hair and thrust his tongue into her mouth to shut her up.
The way he figured it Grey would either pass by and would be none the wiser but if the commander did discover them in his study, he'd just assume that they'd stumbled into the room for a little 'privacy.
Tony did feel a pang of guilt that he was using Ingrid purely to maintain his cover; she seemed nice enough even though she wasn't exactly his type.
What had started out as a light diversionary tactic on his part quickly escalated out of his control. He may have instigated the tryst but she had certainly taken it over. Before he could process, she was scrabbling with his belt and pulling down his zipper.
They seemed to be skipping second and third base and going straight for the home run in about thirty seconds flat.
Not what he'd been anticipating but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth because, damn, she was frisky.
When the door eventually opened his pants were already pooled around his ankles and Ingrid was kneeling in front of him, her head in his hands.
"Whoa!" Grey exclaimed and snorted out an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, Buddy."
The guy next to Grey just grinned.
Tony acted shocked at the interruption and gave Grey a contrite look but if Ingrid noticed that they had an audience she didn't show it or break her rhythm.
The two of them backed out and the door quickly closed. Tony heard raucous laughter outside as they walked away.
He shut his eyes and released the breath he was holding, allowing himself to relax.
Tony leaned his head back against the wall and stared at ceiling.
The things he did for his job.
Not that he'd be telling Vance about this little escapade.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Late Sunday afternoon saw Tony driving to Red Jacket, West Virginia. It might prove to be a wild goose chase. Hell, for all he knew an octogenarian Granny Grey lived there spending her days making jams and jellies but it was all he had to work on right now.
His gut told him he was onto something and the thought that maybe, just maybe he'd find the evidence there that would nail Grey's ass to the wall once and for all.
As Tony idled at a set of lights he rubbed his hands together and blew on them to try and get the blood flowing.
He was turning into a freaking Popsicle.
The cold snap was definitely showing no signs of abating and the further East he drove the colder it got. Snow had started to flutter down at an alarming rate and was starting to settle on the road, not ideal driving conditions but it could be worse. Tony reached down and checked that the heater was actually turned to max, not that it seemed to be doing much good for all the amount of warmth coming out of the vents. Lack of heat aside, the rental car he'd picked up that morning was a necessary as the Aston was definitely not the kind of car you took on a road trip to the boonies. As it was the wipers were working overtime but he still had difficulties seeing where the hell he was going.
He passed a Mom and Pop diner outside Red Jacket and decided to turn the car around and stop.
The place was deserted, wasn't the type of weather that people voluntarily ventured out in and the waitress greeted him like a visiting Lord. He asked for coffee then added a hot peach cobbler to the order as Mabel, the ancient looking waitress, looked disappointed by his initial order. Whist he waited he pulled his cell out and glanced at the display. Great, no signal. Why the hell anyone would choose to live in a place that didn't have the decency to put a cell tower nearby?
Mabel returned with his cobbler and coffee. He wasn't expecting much but the greasy looking guy outback sure could cook. His dessert was sweet, light and fragrant with cinnamon and the whipped cream was the real stuff and not that aerosol shit.
Maybe the boonies weren't so bad after all.
He quickly finished his food and watched the snow falling outside as he drained the last of his coffee. He left Mabel a good tip because she looked like she should have retired years ago and got back on the road.
Tony eventually found the property after a lot of cursing and driving around the same area for a good twenty minutes. The houses were all spread out and set back from the road far enough to be a pain in the ass when it came to checking numbers. He circled around, following a dirt track so he was round the back of the house. He parked of the way just in case. It didn't do to advertise if you wanted to do a little breaking and entering even if the place was secluded.
Tony got out and zipped up his coat to the neck and turned his collar up against the biting wind and flurrying snow. He had a good hour before it started to get dark but he grabbed his flashlight out of the glove compartment and stuffed it in his pocket before setting off.
It was a big plot and the house backed onto dense woodland. He clambered over a fallen tree and made his way across the overgrown garden, glad that he had worn his Dockers as he trod through the settling snow.
He stopped and stared at the house.
It was a substantial wood frame property, painted the ubiquitous white. A veranda wrapped around the ground floor, all it needed was a picket fence and it would win the award of cliché of the year. His gut told him that it was empty, had that feel about the place but it didn't do to assume so he kept to the tree line.
He was halfway to the house when something caught his eye in the undergrowth.
A flash of red under a tangle of brambles looked stark against the smattering of snow.
Tony used his foot to kick away the spiky tendrils of the bramble and looked again.
He wasn't sure why it piqued his interest as much as it did but his training told him to investigate.
Tony crouched down and pulled one of his gloves off. It felt like cotton. He wiped the snow away from the area and quickly discovered that the surface soil was frozen solid.
Great, nothing was ever easy.
He took out his switchblade and dug. It didn't take long to loosen the dirt even though his fingers were turning numb.
Eventually he dug the object free and shook the dirt from it.
Tony stared.
He held out a large rag doll complete with braids and rosy cheeks and although the doll was dirty and damp, it wasn't rotted as he expected a fabric doll to be if it had been buried for any great length of time.
Little girls didn't bury their beloved dolls, if it had been an old, mangy GI Joe then he wouldn't feel quite so apprehensive, he remembered setting fire to his own re-enacting a scene from The Six Million Dollar Man as a kid. His toys had purely been a means to an end for his imagination.
Tony stared down at the patch of soil, but considering the reason he was here he felt a tight apprehension settling in his gut.
With great care he lowered himself down an inch from the hole he'd dug and inhaled.
Tony sat back on his heels and shut his eyes.
The smell seeping from the soil was cloying even in the chill of the day.
There was no mistaking the nauseating smell of decay and he'd become attuned to it since he'd been working in law enforcement.
He patted down his jacket, relief washed over him when he found several latex gloves shoved in his inside pocket. Obviously the last time he'd worn this coat had been at a crime scene and it was habit to grab a handful of gloves out of the van and stuff them in an available pocket.
Maybe his imagination was getting away with him. Grey was warping his mind and all he was dealing with was a lost doll and a dead squirrel stashed by a dog or maybe 'fluffy' had been totaled by a car but as Gibbs was fond of saying, He don't believe in coincidences.
Tony looked towards the house before he picked up his knife again and started to gently scrape the soil away.
It didn't take long for him to find out that he wasn't dealing with a dead squirrel or family cat.
"Fuck," He cursed under his breath.
With a shaking hand Tony pulled out his cell as he stared at an atrophied foot still encased in a small scuffed Mary-Jane shoe, he didn't need to dig any further to know what he'd find.
Still no signal.
Tony shut his eyes to blink away the snow that was falling heavily now and breathed deeply.
When he opened them again the rag doll was almost covered in a layer of white.
Tony gently covered up the exposed foot to try and preserve as much of the integrity of the scene as much as he could. He picked up the rag doll and headed back towards his car. He could wrap the doll in the plastic car seat protectors from the car, wasn't idea but it would have to do. He had no evidence bags; there was nothing else he could do. It wasn't like he'd been planning on finding a corpse when he'd set off a couple of hours ago.
The light was starting to fade. He needed to get to a phone, screw finding the evidence that Grey was a pedophile.
Try explaining why there was a dead child buried in the garden of your house.
The bastard was going away for a very, very long time and it would be a pleasure to see the look on Grey's face when he arrested the fucker.
Tony shivered as he walked. To be honest he was so focused on getting to a phone that he probably wouldn't have noticed a light being flicked on inside the house if the light outside hadn't been fading so fast.
He quickly moved into the cover of the trees that lined the garden and turned.
There was definitely someone inside the house now. The downstairs was illuminated brightly. Tony cursed again at the lack of a working phone and made a split decision.
He checked his sidearm and made his way towards the house.
This case just kept getting better and better.
TBC
Hope you enjoyed. xx