Prologue

Once again Leroy Jethro Gibbs was in the wind. It was a difficult case involving the six year old daughter of an admiral being kidnapped and Gibbs took it personally, as he often did when a child was involved. The window to get a kidnap victim back alive was 72 hours. After ten hours, Gibbs went rogue. He called in from wherever his instincts took him to check in on evidence and leads, but in the end he left Tony in charge, while he did what he thought was best.

Sitting at his desk wearing jeans and grey Henley shirt, Tony looked exhausted. It was now going on thirty-six hours and all the forensic evidence they had collected led them to an admiral aide named Commander Thomas Helfin. It seemed one screw up by Helfin and Admiral Simon Ecklund ruined any chances for further promotion by Helfin. His career was short ended and he didn't take it well.

McGee was working on going through Helfin's finances with a fine tooth comb looking for anything that might lead them to where he might have the young girl hidden. Meanwhile, Bishop reviewed all of Helfin's life putting together a pattern or profile that might give them a sense of where Helfin was.

Looking up at the mezzanine, Tony noticed a dour looking Director Leon Vance looking down at them. The man had two children, so he was invested in the case, also. For Gibbs, a case like this reminded him of his dead daughter, but for someone like Vance it was a reminder of how his children's safety was so fragile. The man had already lost his wife to the violence of the life they led. Tony's phone rang.

"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," he answered the phone.

"DiNozzo, don't react," said Gibbs. "I've got a lead on Helfin. I need backup."

"Uh huh," said Tony.

"Meet me at the Gangplank on the Potomac. He has a houseboat there," said Gibbs.

"You sure," said Tony.

"Positive. I want to go in quiet and light. I don't want him to see us coming," said Gibbs.

"Okay, well, I see. You must be thinking of the ending of Casablanca where it's just Rick and Louis," remarked Tony.

"I better be Rick, DiNozzo," growled Gibbs.

"You know it," he replied then hung up.

Bishop was looking at him with an open expression of curiosity. Tony smiled at her. She bit into a Three Musketeer Bar. He looked at his wristwatch.

"Going on ten. The Deli is still open and I want a good cup of coffee," said Tony standing up.

He opened his desk drawer, took out his Sig Sauer, and attached it to his jeans on his right hip. Next, he grabbed his leather jacket and slipped it on. Bishop's face lit up.

"Oh, I want a sandwich," the attractive blonde said. "I think corned beef with Swiss cheese and spicy mustard."

There was no doubt that Anthony DiNozzo missed his former partner Ziva David. Besides the years protecting each other's six, he fell in love with her. When she left NCIS and returned to Israel, he thought his future was to become a clone of Gibbs, but instead he started to change. It was small changes, including having to break in a new member of the team in Ellie Bishop.

Over time he'd come to like Bishop. In many ways she was the exact opposite of his dark haired ninja assassin, but in the end she was a partner, teammate, and he liked her. Okay, he didn't feel about her the same way he felt about Ziva, but he enjoyed her company.

He smiled at her and said, "Sure."

Tony then looked over at McGee and asked, "McSerious, what can I get you?"

McGee looked up from his computer and made a face then answered, "Ham and cheese on rye with mayo."

"Okay, McBland, are you sure you don't want white bread instead of rye?" teased Tony.

McGee ignored him and then added, "And coffee."

Tony nodded like he intended on getting the food for his teammates, though he had no intention then he headed off.

NCISNCIS

Tony pulled up in the Charger at Gangplank on the Potomac. He noticed Gibbs' truck with his boss leaning at it. He got out and walked over to his boss.

"I'm here, boss," he said.

"Third dock, fifth slip, the houseboat," Gibbs said.

"Any movement?"

"Yes. I saw Helfin enter the boat abut an hour ago with a bag of fast food," said Gibbs.

"How do you want to handle it, boss?" Tony asked.

"You distract and I surprise," he said.

"Okay, it's time for some of that old DiNozzo acting skills," smiled Tony.

Gibbs glared at him, but didn't respond. Tony unclipped his gun in its holster in order to get a quick draw in case he needed one. He then zipped up his leather jacket, pulled up the collar, and started walking towards the dock. As he got closer and closer to the third dock, he started to sing.

"Welcome to your life, there's no turning back," he started to sing. "Even while you sleep, when you will find."

He continued down the walkway to the dock. Now that he was close to the houseboat, he decided to up his drunk act.

"Acting on you best behavior, turn your back on mother nature," he sang. "Everybody wants to rule the world."

Helfin came out on the deck of his houseboat. He stared at Tony who was now standing next to the boat.

"Howdy," smiled Tony then he offered Heflin a friendly smile.

"Singing mood?" asked Helfin.

"Drinking mood," Tony said then he swayed.

"Uh huh," Helfin said then he turned and went back into the boat.

Tony noticed that Gibbs was already on the houseboat. He was up near the steering house. Helfin exited the young girl in his arms and a gun in his hand. The girl had her hands tied and her eyes were red from crying. Gibbs stood still and aimed his gun at Helfin.

"Hey, Rachael. I'm Tony," he said to her.

"You didn't smell like booze," said Helfin. "Who are you with?"

"NCIS, now stand down," barked Gibbs.

"I'm not afraid to die," said Helfin. "The admiral ruined my life, so I get to ruin his."

"Let the girl down," ordered Gibbs.

Tony looked at Gibbs and knew he was reading the situation the same as him. Helfin was suicidal and the girl was in the crossfire. Tony took a deep breath and made a leap from the dock onto the boat. As he landed he saw Helfin toss the girl into the water, so he dove in after her. Gibbs didn't hesitate and put two in Helfin's chest, who fell to the deck bleeding and dying.

About six feet under the water, Tony caught up to the struggling child. She was fighting against him because of panic but he grabbed her strongly in his arms and started kicking to the surface. Once he broke the surface, he saw Gibbs with his arms reaching down to him. He handed her Gibbs then Tony swam over to a ladder at the dock and climbed out of the water.

Tony sat down on the dock and looked over as Gibbs calmed the girl. He smiled. Gibbs looked like a father taking care of his daughter. It was a sight to behold and appreciate.

NCISNCIS

The kidnapping case was put to bed and Tony went to Walter Reed to get his lungs checked out after taking a swim in Potomac. After he got the okay from the internist, he headed home. It had been a long day and all Tony wanted to do was get some sleep before he had to get up and face Bishop and McGee in the morning. He owned them both lunch for not telling them what he was really up to. Getting into the Charger, having left his car at NCIS, he drove home.

It was two am when he opened the door to his place and entered. Stopping at the fish bowl, he fed Ziva and Kate then put his gun away in the antique box and locked it up. Dropping his leather coat and the bag with his wet clothes on the floor near the table, he walked over to the nearest lamp and turned it on then he walked over to sofa and sat down. It was then that his smart phone rang. He reached into the sweat pants that Gibbs had gotten for him and pulled out the smart phone.

"DiNozzo," he answered.

"Hey, DiNozzo, it's Dennis Macklin. You remember me, right?" said the voice on the other end of the line.

"Macklin. Sergeant Macklin, Philly PD," he said.

"It's Captain Macklin now," he corrected him.

"Why are you calling me at 2 in the morning?" asked Tony.

"Cortez is back. I just came across two stiffs and one of them was Mike Seaver. He was undercover with you when you brought down Cortez drug ring," said Macklin.

Tony's stomach turned.

"Where did you find him?" asked Tony.

"An apartment on Berks Street Bridesburg, Kingsington, and Richmond Neighborhood," said Macklin.

Tony's mind went back to his old partner. He remembered Seaver's sense o humor and his love of the Eagles. Now he was dead.

"If I give you my email, can you send me a copy of his autopsy?" asked Tony.

"Why?"

"I want to see how he treats his victims now," said Tony.

"I'll email you it when I get it," said Macklin.

Tony wanted to hang up but he had to ask him the question that was hanging in the air.

"Macklin, do you think Cortez will come after me?" he asked.

He heard Macklin exhale.

"You cost him almost sixteen years of his life and millions of dollars, DiNozzo. What do you think?" said Macklin. "You also cost him a wife and kid, who went into WITSEC to get away from him."

"I think my life is going to get real complicated soon," sighed Tony.

"There was a good reason you left Philadelphia, DiNozzo, and it was more than burnout and a knife to the gut," said Macklin.

"Ah, good memories, Makclin, good memories," Tony said with a hint of bitterness then hung up.

Tony sat back and then he tossed his smart phone on the sofa beside him. Cortez will be coming, he thought, and I need to find a way to protect my team and myself. But how?