Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of it characters.

Hope you enjoy the story.

Chapter 1

A Pocket full of Stars

Savoy Suites Hotel Washington DC Room 24

Adan paced up and down in his hotel room. His little stepdaughter Nadia was happily playing with her Newfoundland pup Goliath. With a smile, he remembered her talking him into buying the pup for her. She had pleaded for a whole week and never relented until he softened and bought Goliath. He watched her as she carefully tried to put a bow on Goliath's head while the pup tried to lick her hands. Her giggles filled the air and distracted him from his worries for some seconds, but soon they returned.

Would they find him here? What if Jim betrayed him to… No! Jim was his friend he would never do that! But the dealer, he didn't trust him. And what was with Abdulla? No, he fought for the freedom of his people. He would never betray him, not for money, not for weapons, for nothing. He was the one who had helped him coming to America, he would never betray him. But what had happened to Martin then? A week ago they had found his body in a river. He had been shot.

He checked his watch. 5pm. Jim and Abdulla would come in an hour. They had promised it.

"Daddy?" He heard Nadia call. He looked at her. He could never forgive himself if something happened to her, but his people were starving and dying, and he promised to help them.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I gotta go." She raised both arms in his direction. He picked her up and went with her to the bathroom. Goliath jumped at one of his shoes and started to chew at it. He quickly helped his little girl and rearranged her clothes afterwards. Then he snatched his shoe from the pup and placed them high upon a cupboard.

Nadia continued playing with Goliath, while he sat down on the bed and continued thinking.

When did it start going wrong? They had kept everything secret. No one had seen them. But why had someone shot Martin then?

Adan continued to let his mind wander until it was time. At 5 to 6 he went over to Nadia and kneeled down next to her, "Nadia." He put two fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. "I want you to hide in the wardrobe and stay quiet. If you manage to stay quiet while the other men are here, I'll buy you as much ice-cream as you want. Okay?"

The little girl nodded avidly.

"Can I have Goliath with me?" She asked.

"Hm…Yes you can, but remember be as quiet as a mouse sweetheart."

"Yes, daddy." She ran over to the wardrobe, excited at the prospect of this new game. He opened the door and ushered her inside. The crosswise design on the lower portion of the closet doors left gaps between the planks. To be sure that no one would see her, Adan put a blanket around Nadia and the pup. The little one giggled and Adan couldn't resist kissing her nose before closing the door, then whispered, "Remember, be quiet or you won't get any ice-cream."

Again she nodded. Adan fastened a camera under the only desk in the room, just in case something happened.

"Don't think about it." He mumbled to himself.

Nadia dropped the blanket from her head and poked her small face against one of the doors openings, "Daddy? Are you…" She seemed to look for the right word. "WORRIED!" She exclaimed happily as she had remembered it.

Adan jumped, "No, Nadia. Daddy isn't worried. It's just a game. But could you take care of this for daddy? It's very precious for me." He poked a small cotton bag, twice as big as his hand through the cavity, "Now poke your head back in there and cover up, stay as quiet as you can."

"Can I look inside?" She asked curiously and opened the bag, before he answered. "Ooooh! Twinkling stones! Are they stars daddy? Can I play with em daddy?" She took one out.

"No, Nadia, not yet. First you have to be very quiet!" he said sternly.

She nodded with a pout and quivering lip.

"Good girl. Thank you Sweetheart." He bent down and tapped her nose again, trying to reassure her that he wasn't angry. Nadia smiled and adjusted the blanket over her head. Adan stood up, snapping his attention to a sudden knock at the door.

"Who's there?" He asked.

"I'm the one who will save many lives, but the cost of it is death." He heard the whispered answer. Adan let out a sigh of relief. That had been Jim's voice. He sounded tired, perhaps Martin's killer had found him and he had to flee.

"Wait a second. I'm coming." Adan went over to the bed table and opened the top drawer. He took out his gun and hid it inside his jacket. Just in case, he calmed himself down. He went to the door and opened it. The man standing in front of him wasn't Jim. It was a stranger pointing a gun at him. His left hand held a recorder.

"I'm sorry that you're friend had to cancel the meeting Adan. He had a… so called accident." The man said with a dry smile.

"Get inside!" He ordered.

Reluctantly Adan stepped back. The man quickly came into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Now we're gonna have a little talk, Adan Anderson."

"How did you find Jim and Martin?"

"That was quiet easy; USMC always have a staff list of all the marines. The hard part was to get the password out of your friend Jim. It took me some time, but finally he surrendered and told me."

"You tortured him?"

"If you want to call that, yes. But now, to business; Where's Abdulla?"

Adan shook his head, "I don't know. He never wanted to tell us where he hid, he was afraid of people like you." He replied.

"Now you're putting me in a very uncomfortable position, Mister Anderson." The man said with played politeness. "I really want to get this over with as quickly as possible. I think it's in your interest also." The man reached out for a chair and lowered himself in it, still aiming his gun.

"I won't tell you anything." Adan replied angrily. If he just could draw his gun, he would perhaps be able to shoot this bastard.

"Fine, your choice." The man said and pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit Adan in the knee and he fell backwards on the bed. He gritted his teeth, trying not to yell out in pain. Nadia would come out and then the killer would murder her too. The thought of his little stepdaughter warmed his heart and he was able to control his mouth. The man came over to him and retrieved Adan's gun from his jacket.

"Now my friend, do you have anything you need to tell me?" He sneered, pressing on the open wound in his leg.

Adan gritted his teeth, not wanting to cry out, and then ground out, "Yes… Go to hell!"

Adan's anger gave him the adrenaline rush he needed and he lunged at the man, managing to grab the silencer of the gun that pointed at him. The killer hit him hard in the face, but he ignored the pain. Adan grabbed with the other hand inside of his boot and pulled out a knife. Again the thug kicked Adan's wounded knee. This time Adan wasn't able to stifle the moan that escaped his lips. He fell to the ground, but not before stabbing his assailant in the calf. If he hit the artery the man would die within minutes.

Before Adan could finish processing this thought, he felt a sharp pain in his back and all his forces left him. His grip around the knife flagged and breathing became extremely arduous for him. Damn, I've been shot, he realized. His view darkened more and more. He was the only one Nadia had. Her mother had died in a car accident shortly after he had married her. He had to stay alive, but all his efforts were useless.

Nadia, he thought, I'm sorry for leaving you alone. Then everything went black.

The killer looked down on the man. He had left trails, he thought angrily. He grabbed the knife and pulled it out. Then he unbuckled his belt and bound it hard around his leg. Now he just had to put something over the wound. He went into the bathroom and found a first aid kit. He wrapped a bandage around his calf and went back to the lounge. Now, all he needed was a fresh pair of trousers. Spotting the wardrobe, he limped towards it and raised his hand clasping the doorknob. Then he heard a quiet buzzing, then a click. Turning his head quickly he spotted the flashing red light coming from under the desk. The killer went over to the desk and looked under it. With a sigh, he ripped the video camera away and dropped it on the floor, crushing it with his foot. Why did they always think they could trick him? He thought shaking his head. He headed once again for the wardrobe.

Suddenly he heard a knock at the door.

"Mister Anderson? Is everything alright?" He heard a voice call.

He had to go now. He took out his gun and went to the door and flung it open. A footboy stood in front of him. The bullet hit the boy in the forehead, before he could begin his enquiry. He grabbed the dead body, before it fell to the ground and pulled it into the room. No one else was in the corridor. He walked casually to the lift and pressed the button.

TBC. That was the introduction. Hope you liked it and please review.