Stepping into the elevator, Tim nodded to the surgeon, dressed in surgical scrubs and a surgical cap, who had stepped into the elevator after him and was now casually leaning against the back wall before he turned and hit the button to the ground floor. He glanced at the bagged note he held in his hand as the elevator doors slid closed and he felt the familiar jolt as the elevator began to descend. He froze as he suddenly felt a small round object, which he instantly recognized as the barrel of a gun, being pressed against his spine.

"Ah, Agent McGee, I was wondering when you were going to come. I was starting to think you might have decided to take the stairs and that would never have fitted into my plans." A soft, male voice whispered into his ear as a hand reached around and removed his gun from its holster.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Tim asked as he raised his hands slowly in the air.

"Why Timothy, I am the man with whom you are going to get off this elevator with on the ground floor and with whom you are going to walk quietly through the foyer and out to my car. Then Timmy-Boy, we are going to take a little ride together. But I will warn you, if you try anything stupid, then I promise you that a lot of innocent people are going to die," the man told him softly, pushing the gun harder against his spine.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"I'm sorry, I really thought that he was the agent sent by Agent Gibbs to guard Agent DiNozzo." the nurse sniffed as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "I never thought that he would try and murder Agent DiNozzo. I thought he was legit." Looking down at the tissue that she was twisting anxiously between her fingers, she choked back the tears as she whispered, "God, this is my fault. I should have asked for some more ID or something."

"It wasn't your fault." Kate tried to soothe the distraught young woman, "He told you he was the NCIS agent sent to guard Agent DiNozzo and you had no reason to doubt his word. But we do need your help right now to capture this man and prevent him from harming Agent DiNozzo again. Do you think you can tell me exactly what happened and give me a description of the man you saw in the room?"

Blowing her nose, the young nurse wiped away the tear soaked mascara that now stained her cheeks before she nodded and spoke. "He…he was near the nurse's desk when I first saw him. I just thought he was a visitor." She sniffed again as she worried the tissue she still held in her hands, twisting it as she continued to talk. "I…I told him that it wasn't time for visitors and that's when he told me that he was the NCIS agent sent by Agent Gibbs to guard Agent DiNozzo. " The nurse's voice trailed away as new tears began to flow down her face.

Patting her arm in support, Kate swallowed down a wave of impatience as she softly asked, "What happened then?"

The nurse shrugged, "I believed him, especially after he showed me his badge, I mean, I knew that Agent Gibbs was sending over someone to guard Agent DiNozzo's room and I just thought that…" She swallowed down another sob, before dapping her eyes again as her eyes wandered to stare at her patient's room. "And when he went into Agent DiNozzo's room, I just thought he was going to guarding Agent DiNozzo in there. I didn't even know anything was wrong until the patient alarms in Agent DiNozzo's room started going off after Agent Gibbs arrived and Agent Gibbs began to demand where the guard was. That's when all Hell broke out! Oh God, it's all my fault! I should have…"

"No, it wasn't." Kate told her firmly, handing the woman another tissue from the box between them as she gently tried to reassure the nurse. "You weren't to know. Can you give me a description of the man that was in Agent DiNozzo room?"

"He was tall and dark - I guess he looked Middle Eastern in appearance, kind like an Arab." She shrugged but continued at Kate's encouraging nod, "He had short dark hair and his eyes were dark- almost black. He was thin but not skinny-if you know what I mean. Kinda cute…" The nurse blushed as she softly admitted, "I guess I like dark, swarvey looking men."

Kate nodded, "Did you see the guard leave?"

"No, I thought he was still in the room, when you all arrived. I was surprised when you found he was gone but I guess he slipped out after he…he… tried to murder Agent DiNozzo."

"Do you think you would be able to recognize the man again?" Kate asked.

"I would," the nurse answered eagerly, "I don't think I will ever forget his face."

"Good." Kate smiled as she pulled out her sketchbook, "Do you think you can describe him well enough for me to draw?"

The nurse nodded and began to describe in detail the man who had attempted to murder her patient as Kate drew.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"Come on, fight, dammit, fight!" the surgeon muttered as he recharged the paddles for a second time and placed them on the patient's chest as he called clear. Tony's body arched off the bed as the electricity surged through his body and all eyes turned to the monitor, desperately watching for the small blip. "Damn, nothing!" The surgeon muttered in anger as he again recharged the paddles and prepared to shock the young agent again in a last desperate attempt to bring him back from the edge of death upon which he now teetered. "Come on, you have to help me and fight!" he demanded as he placed the paddles back onto the young man's chest calling clear as he pressed the button for the final attempt before he admitted defeat.

The straight narrow green blip that rushed across the screen, jumped before falling back into the flat line again for a few long seconds before it jumped again. "That's it." The doctor grinned in relief as he watched the heart monitor as the small blip began to hesitantly dance across the screen, increasing in strength with each heartbeat. "We've got him back. Let's finish up before he decides to try and scare us again. I don't think he is going to be able to tolerate much more."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Glancing across at the man sitting beside him who was holding the gun firmly against his side as he drove towards the hospital exit, McGee asked softly, "Where do you want me to drive to?"

"Just drive, Timothy, I will direct you as we go." the man answered as he pushed the gun harder into McGee's ribs before adding coldly, "And don't even think about speeding or drawing any attention from the cops to us 'cause you will be the first one to die followed by any cop who tries to stop us. Now turn right at the exit."

McGee swallowed hard and nodded as he did as he was directed. Pulling out into the heavy Washington traffic, he glanced again at his captor as he warned him softly, "You do know Gibbs is going to realize I am missing soon, and when he does he is going to look for me."

"That's the plan, Timothy, what's the plan." the man chuckled callously, sending a cold shiver down Tim's spine.