Rule 39: There Is No Such Thing As Coincidence (Tony DiNozzo Love Story)

For Agent DiNozzo

Tony's POV

    "Tony, I think it's best if you go home," the Director says. I say nothing as I sit on one of her couches. She sits down next to me and lays a hand on my shoulder.

    "I have to find her," I croak out, looking up at her. She pulls her lips into a thin line before speaking.

    "You need to step back from this, get a clear head before even trying to help. You're lucky I haven't pulled you off this yet. I haven't because I know what she means to you," she says.

    "She means everything, I'd gladly take her place if it meant she was safe," I say, my face firm.

    "I know, that's why I need you to go home and clear your head before coming in tomorrow."

    I hold her gaze and finally sigh with a nod.

    "Fine, but I'm going to be here by five-thirty," I say. She nods.

    After leaving her office, I head for my desk. Ziva and McGee's desks are empty and Gibbs is staring at his computer, the screen turned off.

    "Heading home, Boss?" I ask. He shakes his head as he continues to stare at the screen.

    "Night Tony," he says as I grab my bag. I glance up to him and nod, even though he's not looking at me.

    "Night, Boss," I say and head for the elevator. On the ride down, I know I'm not going to be getting any real sleep tonight knowing that Erin is out there somewhere being tortured for their pleasure.

Erin's POV

    My eyes flash open and I grit my teeth. Above me Timofei is smirking with a dark glare as he rubs his hand over my abdomen. The burn is all too familiar against my open wounds. He eagerly rubs the salt over my skin, forcing it into each little part of the cuts.

    "вопль." (Cry.)

    My teeth grit together even more as more salt is poured on me and he moves his hand up to my side where there is a much larger slice on my skin.

    "Отпусти ситуацию," (Let it go.) he says. My eyes burn into him and he just grins.

    A sharp slap against the wound and then an even stronger stinging burns across my arm. I look to see the knife he's been using, slicing down my bicep.

    I cry out as he adds salt to it, my body overloaded from the beating and the torture of the salt already pushing me to a limit.

    "Я не сдамся," (I will not give up.) I grind out. He says nothing as he continues with his work and I lay back, my focus pulling away as I think of Tony.

Tony's POV

    I awake with a start. The sound of a lock clicking breaking through my slumber. Grabbing my gun from under the pillow, I sit up and listen. There's silence echoing in my ears, standing slowly, I make my way to the door and gently open it. The room is dark, keeping my guard up, I move towards the front door and find it locked. In the kitchen there's nothing out of the ordinary. Walking back to the living room, I make out a shape on the coffee table and I flick the light on. There sitting on top of the table is a box, an envelope sitting on top of it.

    I glance around the room once more, clarifying that no one else is here and move towards the box. Staring at it makes my heart race, grabbing the red envelope with my free hand, I look around again before turning it over.

    For Agent DiNozzo

    I lightly rip the envelope open and peek inside. It appears to be a stack of note cards, but once I pull them out and feel the smooth, glossy surface of the other side, I flip them to see that they are photographs.