ABUSED LOYALTIES
The end of season 6 saw Ziva being violently tortured after leaving NCIS for Mossad. This story takes place a considerable while later in a mountain range. Ziva has escaped from her captors and now has to reach NCIS if she is to survive.
The trees had stood there for a long time. They had seen the woes and wraths of war, the turbulences of trouble and the pretentious prejudices of peace. These trees had lived a thousand lives and claimed a thousand more. Today they would claim another...
The wind howled like a wolf, the clouds moaned with the sheer weight of its adipose package. The autumn rainbow of leaves swirled through the air. Gliding planes invading a vast ocean before helplessly crashing on to the wild seas of the forest floor. The lion`s mane of the setting sun vibrantly shone across the night clasped sky. Each second plunged the land further in to darkness. Each second was precious. She was running out of time. She was running from death.
She blindly hurtled through the trees. As a predator she was taught to use nature to her advantage. Before now she had never faced an enemy vastly superior to her. She was being hunted: by her family, her friends, and her father. There was only one place safe for her. This place was NCIS. She couldn`t call them, contact them- Mossad were monitoring the phones. Her only chance was to reach one agent`s home it was the nearest place to her. Unfortunately the last time she met this agent he had killed her boyfriend. Rather he had killed the agent working for her father to test her loyalty. She regretted her decisions; if only she had known the truth then. She realised now she should have stayed with NCIS not Mossad. Her father, the director of the Mossad, had ordered Michael to test her loyalties and bring her back to Mossad. Bring her where Mossad could brutally torture her and force everything she knew about NCIS from her. Ziva felt violated and angry; she had loved Michael, trusted him, and fallen in to the trap he set for her. She had been tricked but it would not happen again.
Her green coat snagged on a bush. She did not notice. On a spidery twig a green blood coated scrap hung pitifully. Several minutes passed then a man knelt down and picked it up. Then like a shadow the man followed Ziva into the night.
Her head throbbed. She grasped it with her hands. They were scarred and held seas of blood. Ziva felt dizzy. She couldn`t stop; he Mossad were following her. The second she stopped was the second she died. Mossad were infamous for their assassins like the one which was trying to silence her. As she leapt over a crystal pool of water Ziva caught a glimpse of her face. She was mortified. Tony was more likely to shoot her or call the police than recognise her. Her once tanned caramel skin was raw bloodied and worm-like scars wriggled across her skin. Her hazel intelligent glowing eyes were dull and tired. She had lost her spark; it had been beaten, tortured out of her. The Mossad had taken everything from her. Everything except her life. A gnarled arched root sent Ziva flying to the ground. The bracken scratched her badly. Her flimsy muddied pumps flew over the bushes. A stone punched her face. Blood ricocheted to her head. Ziva blacked out.
A minute later a shadow creped passed her. To his broad black feet Ziva`s bones felt like branches. They snapped easily. In the dark of the night blood looked like water. The shadow passed on tracking a trail which did not exist. Unaware of the danger she had been in, Ziva peacefully slumbered on.
The cacophony of morning chirrups brought Ziva to her senses. She moaned pitifully. Her arm was filled with a burning fire. She surveyed her surroundings. Tall pines loomed over her. Bracken ensnared her; tied her to the mud. Her green coat was shredded, muddied and blood oozed along the stitching. Funnily, her feet were frozen. Ziva looked at them. Her shoes were missing. Ziva hauled herself up. Then she remembered she was prey for an assassin. She limped onwards ignoring the pain which shook her body. The bracken underneath scratched and clawed at her feet. A blood stream wiggled across the mud following her. Ziva didn`t notice. A wolf of exhaustion was fighting her. It was winning. Ziva didn`t notice the mortal danger she was in. She was leaving a trail. An assassin was following the very same trail!
As the sunlight flooded through the trees, Ziva finally staggered to the edge of the forest. Before her lay a mob of idyllic mountains. Grey rocky outcrops were sun tanning under the blue ocean that lay above. Hanging of the edge of the nearest mountain was an alpine chalet. Sprouts of verdant ivy creped across the walls. Thick bears of beams were tightly bound across the walls. Glassy glossy panes reflected golden rays across the land. Ziva knew this had to be Tony`s place; there was no other buildings for miles. Ziva actually wondered why Tony lived a few states away from Washington. How did he get to work in the morning!
To the side of the house their lay a sleepy stone garage. A corrugated black door held a singing shining shingly golden handle. An array of rainbow plants looked at Ziva in pity. Ziva looked at several of the flowers then she leapt back in surprise. Three pots held vicious blooms of midnight black roses! Had Abi been here?
Ziva cautiously opened the garage door. Another surprise awaited her. In the centre of the garage, several unfinished boats slept. Gibbs was here recently! Considering the size of the house, Ziva concluded everyone was staying at Tony's place for a holiday. Ziva left the garage and limped to the house. A black door was vibrantly plastered in "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" posters. Spidery cobwebs fluttered in the breeze. Ziva laughed in merriment. Tony had allowed Abi to decorate the front of his house. He was probably regretting it.
Ziva flung open the door. It wasn`t locked. Strange. Inside the room was empty. A large alarm bell began to ring in her head. It was too late. An iron hand clasped her head. Ziva swung round and punched him with her good arm. He acked in pain. Ziva gave him a vicious kick as he collapsed on to the ground. Ziva fled through a glass door. It smashed instantaneously. Shards slapped Ziva and sent blood flying. Through the door was a kitchen. The first thing Ziva saw was the knife stand. She didn`t hesitate. A second later a carving knife touched her hand. Then a bullet screeched through the air. It ricocheted off a mirror and blasted a pumpkin to smithereens. Ziva ducked behind a cabinet. The cold marble surface cooled her throbbing head.
She slowly peeked at her assailant he slowly walked towards her. Ziva sprung up like a cat. The knife left her hand and sliced the assassin's heart in two. Blood erupted across the room. Ziva winced as a warm liquid momentarily blinded her. The pain in her head became unbearable. She sank to the ground. Then everything went black...
"Tony!" a sharp voice screamed. "There is a dead Mossad in the front room."
"Don`t joke Cara. Why on earth would there be a dead Mossad officer. I mean did a ghost kill it. No one has been here for days." Ziva heard Tony`s smiley voice joke.
"I don`t joke. We have company. Serle! Ziggy!"The first voice called urgently.
Quick padding footsteps entered the building and were rapidly heading towards Ziva. Her heart raced. Then Tony entered the room. His tanned face fell solemn.
"Ziva!" he exclaimed in surprise.