An NCIS story: Old News.
A gruesome murder in Georgetown puts Ziva into a position where she has to make some bitter choices. The characters and settings of NCIS are the property of its creators. Warning Violence and grisly descriptions of violence.
Georgetown, an old man walks through his small studio apartment. He is having a good night considering his age. He turns on his TV to watch the game. As he gets settled in his chair. The doorbell ring. The old man just shakes his head and walks to the door. He opens the door. Looking in the hall, there stood a elderly gentleman staring back at him. A very tall man at least 7 inches over 6 ft. he smiles at the other man.
The other man asks "Can I help you sir?
The tall man takes a deep breath "Do you remember me?"
The man looks at the tall man. "My eyes are not what were." The tall man stepped in to the studio. "Let me refresh your memory. In Poland?" The man stares in horror at the tall man. "No."
The Bullpen:
Tony Dinozzo and Tim McGee had just gotten off the elevator for the start of the morning shift. They were having one of their usual conversations.
"Probie, what did I tell you about writing another book." Tony said
McGee held up his hands "I didn't say that I was writing another book, Tony.
I said that I was going to think about a new series."
Ziva David looked up from her desk and glared at McGee. "I warn you." She said with that flash in her brown eyes that everyone except for Gibbs feared. "Officer Lisa had better not be joined with Special Agent Tommy! I did not think they were such a good couple."
Tony could not resist. "I don't know Ziva. I thought Tommy handled Lisa with a firm hand quite well."
Before Ziva could respond. Gibbs came down from Vance's office. "Grab your gear."
He said "We're heading for Georgetown." The others grabbed their equipment and chased after Gibbs.
"What's going on boss?" Tony asks
"We got a dead ex-marine in Georgetown, possible torture." Gibbs said "Ducky and Palmer are already on the way." They walked into the elevator, for once no banter, back and forth.
The team pulled up to the apartment building. There were police cars and the NCIS truck was put front. They walked up to the entrance, as the local LEOS came out. The officer asks "Whose Gibbs?"
Gibbs nods "That's me." The officer shook Gibbs hand. "I'm Sanchez. 20th precinct. Your dead marine is on the 2nd floor, Apt A-6. Feel free to throw up when you get there. I know I did."
They walked up to the apartment. They saw Palmer and Ducky knelling in the bathroom. Gibbs and Ziva walk in and were promptly sickened. The man had obviously been tortured, badly burned by some object and his mouth had been smashed.
Ducky looked ashen as he looked up at Gibbs.
"Who ever did this, Jethro is one sick bastard." He said softly. Gibbs stared at the body and felt a rage that he normally does not feel on a case." Time of death, Duck?"
"Mr. Palmer?" Palmer took out the probe "Liver temp was 87 degrees. Time of death was 4 hours ago."
"How could someone do this and no one hear anything?" McGee asked as he walked into the bathroom. "Unfortunately Timothy, this poor soul had his tongue removed. In all likelihood with a knife." Ducky said.
McGee walked out of the door. Gibbs looked to him. "Tim, we have a job to do."
"I know you don't like to hear I'm sorry, Boss." Tim said "But..."
Gibbs put his hand on McGee's arm. "I would worry more about someone that this did not affect." Tim nodded and took out his PDA. "His name was James Cohen, age 78, enlisted in the Marines 1950 mustered out in 1981. Served in Korea, Vietnam, last action was in Panama."
"Hard core Marine." Tony says.
"Any more McGee?" Gibbs asked
"Yes." McGee continued reading numerous decorations. Purple Heart 3 times, Silver star, Navy cross and..." McGee voice trailed off. Gibbs and Tony looked around to him.
"And?" Tony asked.
McGee took a breath "And the Congressional Medal of Honor. Boss he was decorated by President John F. Kennedy, personally."
Gibbs walked down the hall. Ziva was interviewing the superintendent of the building.
"Gibbs, this is Mr. Hires. He is the manager." The man was clearly shaken up. "Mr. Hires what did you hear last night?" Gibbs asked
"Everything seemed ok, I saw Jim before 1900 hours last night." He was going up to his place to watch the game." The old man sat down in the chair. "That's no way for a man to die, specially a man like Jim!"
"You knew Mr. Cohen a long time then, sir?" Gibbs asked
The old man looked into Gibbs eyes. "First, Son don't call me Sir. I wasn't an officer. I was a Gunnery sergeant, I worked for a living." Giving Gibbs a closer look "From what I see of you, Special Agent Gibbs, you got the look of a devil dog too. Let me guess, Master?"
Gibbs smiled "Nope, gunny."
The old man smiled at that. Yes, we served together for 25 years. Nam, then Grenada. We mustered out together. We buried our wives within 10 years of each other."
The old man was out of breath. "Find the bastard who did this." Gibbs put out his hand, and the old man took it in a firm hand shake. "Count on it." The old man walked back to his apartment.
Ziva tried to get Gibbs attention. Looking at a security monitor. "Here is who came in and out last night." They both watched as the tape. Nothing much to be seen until a very tall man walked through the lobby. "That's curious" Ziva said "He came through at 2100 and left out 0100." The man stooped and looked into the camera and smiled.
Before Gibbs could respond. Ducky was calling him "Jethro, I need you up here."
Gibbs went back up stairs; Palmer and Ducky were bringing the body down on the gurney. Ducky gestured to Gibbs. "Something you need to see." Ducky was gesturing, but also looking at Ziva oddly.
Ziva noticed too, and walked over. "We found two interesting things." He turned the body over and pointed. "This Tattoo was burned into our marine last night." It was a tattoo of two old style hand grenades crossed. Gibbs looked at it. Not a tat that I've ever seen." Ziva took a closer look, and felt a cold shiver down her spine. "Ziver, you ok?" Gibbs asked.
"I'm not sure, that tattoo looks vagly familiar."
"You said that you had two things to show us duck." Gibbs asked. Still looking at Ziva Ducky replied "Yes I do. Walking over to the body, he reached for his right arm.
"No." Ziva said softly, with tears starting to roll down her cheeks.
Ducky looked to the team, "I'm sorry, my dear." Gesturing to the man's arm. The tattoo was there for everyone to see the seven numbers and single letter burned into his arm. "This man was not only a hero; he was a survivor of the Nazi Death camps."
Abby was silent for her. She was checking the tattoos from the body. Ziva walked into the lab. "What do you have Abby?" she asked. Abby looked to her friend. "You don't look so good."
"I know." She said "Do you have anything?"
Abby pointed to the monitor. "Ok the tattoo on the left, what the Nazis burned into him. I'm not sure of the significance of the seven numbers were, but the letter was what camp he was at. In this case, it was Treblinka." Ziva just closed her eyes for a moment.
"And what about the other tat Abbs?" Gibbs asked as he walked in with her caf-pow.
"That one was harder. But with a little research it turns out that it was the unit emblem of a Waffen S.S. unit."
"Which one?" Ziva asked.
"It was the 36th S.S. division, commanded by one..."
"Oscar Dirlewanger" Gibbs said. "Sadist and pervert." Ziva turned and walked out of the lab. Gibbs followed her. He found her crying. He holds his hand out and she walks into his arms and cries.
"Go home Ziva." Gibbs says "you need to get yourself together."
Ziva just nods and Gibbs walks her to her car. "Thank you Gibbs" she says.
"If you need time, you take it,Ok"
Ziva smiles and drives off. Gibbs looked after her, very worried.
But Ziva does not go home right away. She drives around for a while but finds herself in front of the Israeli embassy. Ziva walks to the elevator, and rides to the forth floor, walks down to the door on the end and goes in.
The secretary glances up and laughs with delight. "Ziva." She says with a smile as she comes around the desk to embrace her.
"Hello Helena." Ziva says. Helena looks her over. Ziva's eyes were red rimmed
"What is it Child?"
"I need to speak to Michael"
Helena tapped the intercom and spoke in Yiddish. A moment later, Michael Bashon, Section chief for Mossad steps out.
"Ziva" he said with a smile that quickly faded. "Come in Ziva." He led her into his office. "Sit down Ziva." Bashon was worried. He was Ziva's former commander. He also helped raise her as well. "What is it?"
"I need to speak to my father." She said "On a secure line." Bashon looked at her for a long time. "All right, he went to the phone. "Give a secure line to Tel Aviv. He said "Get me the Director. Tell him it is family."
Within a few minutes; Eli David, Director of Mossad was on the phone. "Michael, what's going on?"
Ziva responded "Hello Papa."
The pleasure in Eli's voice was evident. "Ziva, what's wrong? Ziva considered her words. "Something happened this morning that I can't deal with alone. I need you, Papa."
"What is wrong Ziva?" Ziva took a breath and said. "I have a case of "Old Business in DC." Bashon was startled, and there was total silence from the other end. After a time Eli spoke "You are certain, Ziva?"
"Yes Papa, I'm sure."
"Very well, Ziva. We will activate the teams." Eli said. Then he said "You do realize that you may be put into a position where your choices may be hard."
"I know." She said flatly. "I love you, papa."
"I love you too, daughter." The connection ended.
End of Part 1.