Signed

Tony wrinkled his nose as he ran, trying to see if he could distinguish the scent of gardenias just yet. His abuela loved the flowers, and waited excitedly for the bushes to bloom each year.

He sniffed dramatically and grinned. Definitely, definitely, an aromatic cape jasmine gardenia bush had to be planted nearby.

"Absolutely," he congratulated himself as he spied it the second he turned onto a perpendicular street, "you, Tony, have managed to discern a complicated aroma using just one of your senses, and have done so while out jogging at that!"

He laughed gleefully, then waved as a group of teen aged girls pulled up alongside him in a convertible, slowing in momentum to mimic his pace.

"Hey, Tony," they chorused, and he raised his eyebrows and blew a kiss towards them.

All of them attended his high school. Two cheered for football, while the others participated in non-sports- extra -curricular activities.

The driver, a doe eyed brunette, called out the window, "Isn't it great that we have three whole days off from school?" She licked her lips.

Nodding in agreement, he slid his sunglasses down to the tip of his nose and responded in his best Elvis voice, "Well, yes it is, Ladies, yes it is!"

A redhead in the back seat leaned forward, "You will be at Shane's party tonight, right, Tony?"

He flashed a brilliant smile and winked, "It wouldn't be a party without me, now would it?"

The girls giggled in response and then waved good bye as they continued a straight course down the avenue.

Tony veered to the left and began the last part of his routine run.

He glanced at his watch and then brought it closer to his eyes to verify the displayed hour and minute hands. He had made exceptional time this morning.

Inhaling a deep breath he thought ahead to what promise the rest of the glorious day held. Permission to attend Shane's party later that evening had already been granted from his dad, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, which meant he could relax and savor anticipating the event. The hard work of securing permission was done. It hadn't been an easy task whatsoever, because Tony's conduct the past month had not fallen into the exemplary category. However, he had begged and pleaded, and had eventually gotten his father to say he could go.

The day radiated beauty, which made his physical exercise so much easier to complete. Spring had just arrived, and the birds and flowers dotted the landscape, trying to outdo each other with their beauty and contributions to the scenery.

Slowing his pace a bit as he neared the park closest to home, Tony shifted his attention to the thick forest bordering the back of the area. A rugged trail wound its way through the trees, covering over a mile of a pine straw and grassy path.

Making a quick decision, he headed that way, trying to get onto the trail quickly. It took just a couple of minutes until he pounded rhythmically over the path, leaving people and civilization behind.

This route allowed a freedom not available within his regular run. Now he could enjoy the absolute solitude that only a scenic forest could provide.

He moderated his breathing, treating himself to deep breaths that enriched his body with the serenity that the outdoors offered.

A twig snapped somewhere behind him and he glanced over his shoulder in surprise. Nothing returned his gaze and he continued his course.

Nevertheless, trepidation began to enter his consciousness, and he thought of his dad, and his dad's reaction if he knew where Tony had chosen to jog. Jethro would not appreciate his route decision.

Jethro had a firm rule that he had better know Tony's whereabouts every hour of the day. Further, he expected his son to be at those whereabouts should he check. Tony had learned the hard way that unpleasant consequences followed if his dad couldn't readily locate him.

In actuality, his dad had no problem with Tony jogging, or the path that he jogged. He knew Tony's route, from street to street.

That satisfied him.

What would not please the man, however, was the fact that Tony had deviated from the route he had assured his father he would take, and further, that Tony had not contacted him to share the change when he actually changed- that crucial piece of information.

The young man shook his head.

He felt his dad let his special agent persona influence his real life parent persona too much and too often.

Despite his bravado, Tony felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe he should double back and complete his usual run as scheduled. Should his dad find out he had disobeyed, he might punish him by restricting him from the night's teen party.

Glancing at the brilliant sun he acknowledged that his father had, first and foremost, a law investigator's perspective.

According to his son, his dad over-reacted, however.

Jethro contradicted that, and maintained that he responded appropriately and within reason, especially with issues impacting Tony's well being.

A sudden whoosh of sound combined with a gust of wind enveloped him from behind. Startled, he glanced over his shoulder to witness a muscular stranger, a large brimmed hat covering his facial features, reach out to grab him.

In the split second before physical contact was made, Tony sensed his danger and frantically accelerated his pace to outrun the man.

He did not succeed.

He was facing the worst case scenario.

The stranger grabbed him in a vise grip and yanked him backwards by the shoulder. It knocked him off balance, and Tony hit the ground hard. The man threw himself on top of the teen, straddled his chest, and yanked cable ties from his front pocket.

It took no time for the young man to accept that he was in dire straights.

Willing himself to think clearly, he took a deep breath and prayed.

His father's voice suddenly flooded his subconcious and he tried to focus on what he had been taught.

Over and over again, from the time he could communicate, his dad had instructed him to fight any attempt at abduction, even if he went down fighting.

With a surge of adrenaline he threw himself sideways, trying to unbalance the man, but the assailant's weight held him securely. Tony dug his heels into the soft foliage and he kicked and struggled, while at the same time punching the man in his face and scratching down the man's neck.

Despite his valiant efforts, the criminal won the physical battle.

The man retaliated by leveling several hits himself, connecting with Tony in vicious blows.

It took him mere seconds to bind the boy's wrists, and he shifted his weight to stuff Tony's mouth with a foul smelling scrap of material.

Still fighting to scramble away, Tony felt himself getting woozy, and realized the rag had been soaked with some type of sedative. Before he succumbed to the seductive smell he grabbed hold of the necklace around his neck, a costume type of jewelry sporting his high school basketball team's emblem. Ripping it off, he flung it away from him before his assailant could react.

In the adrenaline of the fight and the chaos that followed the abductor did not appear to even notice. Still straddling him, he did not turn loose until he felt the boy finally lose consciousness. Breathing heavily, he slowly got up and then, scanning the tree line, whistled loudly. From the opposite side of the trail another man appeared, unmasked and dressed in jeans and a pullover.

"Let's go," he ordered, jogging down the path.

He reached down and grasped Tony by an arm, yanking him, and the other man steadied the boy. Working quickly, they half lifted, half dragged him through the dense growth to the van waiting at the edge of the park.

No one witnessed their exit.