reMEMBER

The bullpen was quiet with actual work getting done. With a team as close as Gibbs' it was easy to notice that something was missing. Special Agent Conners was the first to wonder why it was so quiet near the stairs that led to the offices. Something almost seemed wrong when Gibbs' team was in and quiet.

"What's up with them?" Conners asked as she nodded in the direction of the stairs. "It's too quiet," as unbelievable as it sounded, it wasn't unusual to see paper airplanes flying around that area care of Air DiNozzo and regularly Leroy Jethro Gibbs could be heard shouting DiNozzo at regular intervals.

"I don't think Agent DiNozzo's in yet," Agent Wilson answered her query.

Conners checked her watch. "He's an hour late," she said. "Gibbs is going to be pissed at him."

Gibbs had heard some muttering going on in the next cubicle but chose to ignore it. Deep down he knew it was about his team and couldn't blame them… Things just seemed to, how does Abby put it… Hinky, when Tony wasn't here. It was like everything goes way to quiet.

"Ziva!" Gibbs called out. The sudden sound caused Mcgee to jump slightly.

"Boss?" She looked up from the report.

"You haven't heard from DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Ziva shook her head slightly. Tony wasn't one to take sick days and the fact that he hadn't called was troubling. "I have not." She said.

"Mcgee?" Gibbs asked.

"Haven't heard a thing Boss," Mcgee answered. Of course he wouldn't have heard anything.

There was one good thing Tony not being in and that was the amount of paperwork that was getting done. Gibbs even started unloading some of Tony's paperwork to the other two. Now Tony was officially two hours late by Gibbs' time without so much as a phone call.

"Stop," Gibbs said. The concern for the senior field agent had reached the point where he couldn't concentrate on his own work. He grabbed his keys. "Mcgee… See if you can find anything from Tony's phone… Call him or trace it or whatever you do. Ziva, you man the station in case he calls. I'm going to check his apartment," Gibbs said before leaving the bullpen.

Tony's apartment

Gibbs knocked on the door to Tony's meager apartment but received no response. He picked the lock the old fashioned way. If it had been anywhere else he might have kicked the door down. Since Tony's apartment often lacked heating and pretty cold, it would've been unwise to bust the door down. The simple lock was easy to pick.

The apartment looked how it normally looked. The bed was neatly made and a pile of laundry hidden away in a dark corner. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary here. The worrying thing was that according to his apartment there was nothing to worry about. His phone rung.

"Gibbs." Gibbs said.

It's Ziva here… Tim has told me to ring you and got a trace on Tony's phone.

"Where is he?" Gibbs asked.

He's at Worsfold Central Park.

"I'm not too far from there." Gibbs said before hanging up.

Worsfold Central Park

When you drive like Gibbs, everything's not too far from where you are and he was soon at the park and on the phone with Mcgee this time.

Ziva's calling the number again. Mcgee said.

He heard the mobile go off. Gibbs was very familiar with Tony's ringtone since his phone went off a lot. The young man was shocked when Gibbs spun him around. "That phone… Give it to me," Gibbs said.

"That's phone's mine," The young man said.

Gibbs fought to keep hold of him and show him his badge at the same time. "I said… Give me the phone," Gibbs ordered and he looked at the phone and checked the contacts. It was definitely Tony's phone. "Where did you find this?" Gibbs asked.

Fearful, that he was going to get imprisoned the young man talked nervously. "I found it on the ground over there," He showed Gibbs the spot where he found the phone.

"I thought I'd found a cool phone," the young man said as Gibbs began looking around. "I'm not going to get busted am I?" He asked.

"Was anyone here?" Gibbs asked. "You know… Near where you found the phone," the man shook his head.

Gibbs looked near the bushes for any sign and when he stood up, the young man was sprinting in the other direction for dear life. Sun shining off black leather caught his attention. Something had been thrown into the bushes. He carefully picked it up to find that it was a wallet. It contained the driver's license of Anthony DiNozzo and a few other cards that belonged to him. Now he was really worried… He had Tony's cell and wallet but no Tony.

"He's not here," Gibbs said into the phone.

But his phone- Mcgee began to say.

"I have his phone and wallet," Gibbs looked at them hopelessly. "I'll meet you back at base," he said before shutting his phone.

NCIS Floor

Agent Wilson was the only agent outside of Gibbs' team that even dared to look up when Gibbs stepped out of the elevator and briskly walked across the floor and into his section. He tapped Conners on the arm and pointed to the next cubicle. By then, everybody on the floor knew that Gibbs' senior agent was missing and it was no secret that there'll be hell until he turns up.

Ziva and Mcgee stood up as soon as Gibbs entered the bullpen, neither of them dared to speak since obviously there was nothing to report. Gibbs paced up and down the bullpen to think of the next move. There was only one direction to go and the mere thought of the next step sent a shiver down the spine. "Mcgee… Start enquiring at hospitals and medical facilities to see if he has shown up and if that fails, get information for John Does in the past twenty four hours. Fax pictures if you have to. Ziva put out a BOLO alert for DiNozzo," that was something he never thought he'd never say.

Mcgee stood up. "Ah, Boss," he said. Gibbs looked at him hopefully. "Do you want me to search the morgue as well?" The words came out right before he realized what he was saying. Ziva stopped in her tracks.

If looks could kill, Mcgee would be truly dead and buried right there and then. Gibbs knew it looked cold but the stares sure as hell got their points across.

Mcgee sat straight back down. Is that a yes or a no? He thought to himself.

"Lunch break?" Agent Conners asked.

"Lunch break," Agent Wilson said as they both quickly left their workstation excusing themselves from their superior and quickly made for the door. Their desks were separated from the other team's desks by a thin wall and there'd be no doubt that that's a place where you wouldn't want to be right now.