Title: Ghost
Author: Jo. R
Rating: PG-13 for now.
Pairings: Tony/Kate, McGee/Ziva, Abby/Gibbs
Category: Alternate Universe, Drama, Angst, Romance, Friendship
Spoilers: Yankee White, High Seas, Bette Noire, Reveille, SWAK, Twilight, Kill Ari 1& 2, Hiatus 1&2, Suspicion
Summary: Their final encounter with Ari introduces Gibbs' team to Mossad Officer Ziva David and her partner.
Author's Notes: Most of the dialogue in the first five scenes or so is taken directly from the episode 'Twilight'. Some of the later dialogue is from the other episodes mentioned and re-tweaked in this story. Not dramatically AU but different enough to warrant the label.
****
The image of Ari Haswari was still fixed in his mind. The man had hurt one of his people and kidnapped another. NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been warned away from the undercover Mossad operative by both his former boss, Director Tom Morrow, and his newly appointed replacement, Director Jenny Sheppard but he still couldn't bring himself to let the subject drop.
A need for vengeance he hadn't felt so strongly in quite a while ran through his veins and caused his blood to heat. His gut and his instincts were screaming at him that there was something wrong about Ari Haswari, something corrupt, despite what Agent Fornell and the FBI and Mossad all believed.
While his team may have shared his suspicions, they knew better than to voice their opinions.
Special Agent Caitlin 'Kate' Todd was on the fence about Ari's involvement with Hamas and Al-Qaeda despite having been held hostage by him twice – once in the morgue at NCIS Headquarters and once when she'd been kidnapped by the would-be terrorist. She still maintained that there was something about the man that kept her from believing he was capable of the cruelty Gibbs would have her believe – though she hadn't mentioned it to him or in front of him, Gibbs had heard her tell Doctor Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, another of Ari's former hostages, and her teammates that there had been something in Ari's eyes that had kept her from killing the terrorist when she'd had the chance.
Gibbs wished she'd done it, just as he wished his aim hadn't been so accurate when he'd shot the undercover agent in the shoulder; a little more to the side and Ari Haswari would be dead.
Special Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo tended to believe Gibbs over Kate but only just, and, Gibbs suspected, because he was still angry over the way Ari had taken Kate hostage twice. The events had awoken a protective instinct in Tony that Gibbs suspected he was having trouble coming to terms with; there'd always been an attraction between Tony and Kate though it had been easy for the pair to deny and control their feelings before they'd both had to face the possibility of losing one another – Tony when Ari had purposely chosen to kidnap Kate and hold her hostage for a second time, Kate more recently when Tony had been infected with the plague.
As for the newest member of his team, Special Agent Timothy 'Tim' McGee... Gibbs wasn't entirely sure what the youngest member of the team thought about the situation. McGee was good at being diplomatic when he needed to be and he was a stickler for rules and orders – more so than Gibbs himself was. While Tony was more like Gibbs, McGee was more like Kate. He was protective of the female member of the team but he wasn't as angry or indignant over what could have happened to her as Tony or Gibbs. McGee, like his colleagues, was confident Kate could take care of herself and he believed her when she said there was something about Ari that made it hard for her to see him as the cold-blooded killer Gibbs was adamant he was.
Taking a generous gulp from the glass of bourbon he'd poured for himself, Gibbs stared at the skeleton of the boat in his basement. Even six hours of working on it, sanding rough surfaces into smooth ones with an almost angry energy, had done little to relax him.
He glanced at his watch and grimaced at the time, knowing he'd have to be up and ready for work in less than four hours despite the fact that sleep continued to elude him. The following day would be Tony's first day back after his extended sick leave and, although he'd never admit it to anyone, Gibbs had actually missed the younger agent's presence.
Out of all of his agents, Gibbs had known Tony the longest. They'd been working together for almost four years, while Kate had only been on the team for almost two years and McGee had only officially been part of the team for nine months. Tony had joined the team after Special Agent Stan Burley had left to accept an Agent Afloat assignment and Gibbs had suspected instantly that he had leadership potential. Life with Tony around was never dull and although he'd often wondered what he'd done to deserve the extra aggravation having an agent like Tony under his command had brought, Gibbs wouldn't trade him for any other agent.
He wouldn't trade any of his team, really, and it was realising that – realising the direction his thoughts were going in – that made him groan and rub his eyes tiredly.
"You're getting soft in your old age," he told himself quietly, contemplating the amber liquid left in his glass before downing the remaining contents in one and heading for the stairs.
He flicked his wrist and plunged the basement into darkness, not bothering with turning any of the other lights on as he made his way through the empty house to his equally empty room.
Thoughts of the past haunted him as he tried to get to sleep, the faces of those he'd loved and lost, known and hated, keeping slumber from taking him in its grasp.
****
Kate sat at her desk, attention focused on her sketch pad in an attempt at taking her mind off the time. She knew Tony was returning to work and would be there any minute but didn't want to think about it; she personally thought it was too soon for him to return to the team, far too soon given she still vividly remembered how weak and frail he'd looked in the hospital while he'd recovered from his illness.
Just thinking about it caused a surge of anger well up inside her, anger for the careless young woman who's lies to save her own reputation had almost cost Tony his life and anger for the mother who'd thought nothing of risking a few lives as revenge for what had happened – or hadn't happened as it had turned out – to her daughter.
In her anger, she pressed the tip of her pencil a little too hard against the grain of the paper, the lead snapping and leaving a smudge over the sketch as she sighed and blew the broken remnants away. She pushed at her dark hair with one hand, reaching for a replacement pencil with the other. A look of concentration appeared on her face as her teeth toyed with her bottom lip, her hand moving with the rapid ease of an artist comfortable with her tools and subject matter.
The eyes that gazed up at her from the paper were warm and full of good-natured humour but with a glint of something a little wicked in their depths. She never had a problem trying to capture his eyes; it was usually a feature she struggled with but not with him. With him, it was his mouth that caused her the most trouble. She could never decide whether to draw him with the almost-arrogant smirk she knew so well or the boyish grin full of mischievous charm...
She sighed softly and ran a finger over the smudge left on the paper by her earlier mishap, so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn't sense the presence of the person behind her until he spoke.
"Is that Tony?" McGee leaned over her desk, neck craned as he tried to get a better glimpse of the picture.
"No." She shut the sketchpad with a glare and held it almost protectively against her chest.
McGee frowned at her, scepticism in his eyes. "Are you sure? It really resembles..."
"Is there a reason you've been haunting my desk all week?" She used the distraction technique to slip the sketch pad in her desk, turning the key as quietly as she could.
"Um. No." McGee straightened and took a step back when she got to her own feet. "I was just..."
"Or maybe you just decided to take over DiNozzo's job of annoying me while he's on sick leave." She sound angrier than she felt but couldn't find it in her to feel bad about it. She hadn't slept much the night before and although she knew she shouldn't take it out on McGee, he was an easy and available target.
Stumbling over his words a little, he gave her a quietly assessing look, his green eyes dark with unconcealed concern. "I just wanted to check that everything was okay."
Kate arched an eyebrow and fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest. "Why wouldn't it be?"
He shrugged under the intensity of her gaze, a momentary look of discomfort passing over his face as his eyes darted away from his. "Well, you and Tony were close and, you know..."
"No, I don't know." She stared at him expectantly when he remained silent. "What?"
"He almost died." McGee kept his voice softly as he said it but despite that, they both had to pause as the words and reality of the situation hit them once more.
"We're NCIS agents, McGee." Kate shook her head, forcing the words passed the lump that rose in her throat. "There's a chance one of us might die every time we walk through the door."
He nodded but his eyes and expression showed the lingering guilt he felt. "Yeah, but I'm the idiot that handed him an envelope full of the plague."
Seeing his expression, realising in that moment that his night had more than likely been as disturbed as her own, Kate allowed her anger to abate and sympathy take its place. "Tim, it's not your fault." She kept her voice gentle and reached out to touch his arm. "Look, if you want to think about something, why don't you think about all of the times Tony has insulted us, invaded our privacy... The fact that he almost died owing us all money..."
"That's true." They shared a knowing, companionable smile, affection evident through the exasperation. "He can be pretty obnoxious."
"Uh-huh." Kate nodded and agreed with a smile she knew was a little too fond for the workplace. The phone rang but they both chose to ignore it.
McGee studied her for a moment and, when he spoke, all trace of humour was gone. "Do you miss him as much as I do?"
"More," she admitted with a sigh, blinking quickly when she realised what she'd said. "It's part of his charm. Like an X-rated Peter Pan." She paused for a moment and, realising they were in danger of getting a little too sentimental, swiftly thought of a way to change the subject. "You know he told all the girls downstairs you're gay, right? Said it would cut down on the competition."
The look on McGee's face was comical to say the least and she bit back a smile. "That bastard!"
She patted his arm again, satisfied that she was safely passed the subject of how she felt about Anthony DiNozzo. "Hold onto that feeling and you're going to be just fine."
His voice stopped her from turning away, back to the work she'd been ignoring on her desk. "Do you want to know what he said about you?"
"Mmm." She kept her tone as uninterested as possible; Tony said a lot of things that weren't true, all of them designed to get a reaction out of her and she was determined not to let him succeed again – especially when he wasn't even in the room.
"That you tried to sleep with him when you were in Paraguay."
The matter-of-fact way in which McGee said it had her jaw dropping even as heat flooded her cheeks. Kate ground her teeth together, all kind thoughts about Tony fleeing her mind as self-righteous anger took its place. "I will kill him," she declared fiercely.
The two teammates exchanged another look, revenge on their minds.
*****
Though Gibbs denied waiting for him in the lobby of the building, Tony found himself riding the elevator to the third floor beside his boss. He fought the urge to shiver, his still-healing body reacting to the air conditioning he'd become unaccustomed to, aware of Gibbs' eagle eyes observing him keenly.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Gibbs asked, doubt showing on his face.
Tony forced a grin and bounced on the soles of his feet. "Never felt better."
Gibbs looked at him sceptically. "Yeah."
"Yeah." Tony nodded and widened his grin.
"You look like crap," Gibbs retorted, brutally honest as always.
Tony didn't let it bother him. There'd been a time when it might have done but he knew Gibbs too well and remembered too vividly his boss ordering him not to die when he'd been at death's door in quarantine. He grinned easily instead of getting insulted. "I missed you, too, Boss."
There might've been a shadow of a grin on Gibbs' lips for a moment but it disappeared quickly under the weight of the concern he couldn't hide. "You've got another week of sick leave coming, Tony. You should take it."
"I was going crazy at home." Tony shook his head, ignoring the thumping in it. "Maybe I'm not a hundred percent," he admitted seriously, "but you need me." The look on Gibbs' face said otherwise but he didn't let it faze him. "Okay, what about Kate and McGee? They're practically lost without me!"
Gibbs did smirk then but luckily Tony missed the gesture, distracted by the doors of the elevator sliding open. "They got more work done in the last two weeks than in the whole year."
Tony scrambled to follow him, struggling to match Gibbs' long strides. "They did miss me, right?" He called after his boss.
"Yeah." Gibbs kept his gaze fixed straight ahead and caught a glimpse of the unimpressed looks on McGee and Kate's faces, hiding a grin at the realisation that his team was once again complete. "Something like that."
*****
There was little time for a reunion even if McGee and Kate had decided to be more welcoming to their newly returned colleague. Two sailors were found shot dead in a car just off route seventeen and the case had been assigned to them. It sounded straight forward at first – as straight forward as their cases usually got – but it took a turn for the worse when Tony discovered the car they were working on was wired to explode.
He began to regret his decision to return to work the moment he told McGee and Kate to run, his instincts telling him he would have been better off staying in bed.
An hour later, he was more than ready to hand in his badge and take the extra week of sick leave, rapidly reaching his limit with Ducky's ministrations and lectures on the need to rest and let his body heal. The only good thing about it was that Kate was with him in the morgue, no doubt feeling bad that he was there due to his need – unnecessary need according to her – to protect both her and McGee from the bomb and subsequent explosion.
"You need a rest," Ducky told him firmly, his expression stern.
Tony winced and shook his head in protest. "No. I need to get back to work, Ducky."
The Medical Examiner opened his mouth to protest but it was Kate who beat him to it, fury flashing in her hazel eyes. "Damn it, Tony. I should just take you home and get you in bed." She seemed to freeze the moment the words were out of her mouth, her gaze meeting his for a split second before skittering away from his surprise and Ducky's amusement. "Okay, that didn't come out the way I'd intended..."
Gibbs arrived before she could dig herself deeper into the hole she'd created, much to Tony's disappointment. After being ordered to lie down and take it easy – and told he couldn't do so behind his desk as was his normal routine – Tony made his way to the forensics lab.
There was no one there to greet him, which wasn't surprising. Ever since he'd stared at NCIS, there'd been an on-going succession of forensic scientists, none of whom seemed to last for over six months. The last one had walked out muttering something about Gibbs being too demanding and they'd been working with temps ever since.
The newest temp was quiet, nervous and did her best to keep out of the way. She was more suited to be an assistant – that was the role she'd applied for – but Ruby Rae did her best and got the job done. Not as quickly as Gibbs would have liked but then he had little to no patience for the lab technicians at NCIS. Tony had asked him why once and received a glare and a head-slap that left his ears ringing for hours.
He hadn't asked again.
"Ruby?" There was no response to his call so Tony made his way to the small office attached to the lab – an office he knew the lab tech didn't use. He sat on the floor behind the desk and took of his jacket, bunching it up as a pillow before lying down and making himself as comfortable as possible.
He must've fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, he could hear Ruby stuttering an answer to one of Gibbs' questions, the anger in the Special Agent's tone as audible as the anxiety in hers. Tony pushed himself up with a groan and made it into the main part of the lab just in time for Gibbs to come to the conclusion that someone was trying to kill them.
Again.
*****
The case took another interesting turn when Agent Tobias Fornell arrived from the FBI and demanded to speak to Gibbs and Director Sheppard alone. When Gibbs returned from MTAC with a face like thunder, the team knew there was something wrong.
"You know who's after us, Boss?" Tony asked with raised eyebrows. He traded a look with Kate and McGee, both of whom seemed to have forgiven him his misdeeds on account of the fact he'd saved their lives at risk of his own.
"Ari Haswari." Director Jenny Sheppard answered when their boss remained silent, reaching Gibbs' desk with Fornell at her heels just moments after the irate Special Agent himself.
"You let that bastard back into the country?" Tony demanded, attention fixed on Fornell. He ignored the calming hand Kate put on his arm and glared at the FBI Agent.
Fornell looked passed Tony to Gibbs, not wanting to acknowledge the question or the accusation but knowing he didn't have a choice. "He was supposed to be helping us uncover an Al-Qaeda cell here in DC."
"Supposed to be?" It was Kate's turn to ask, her gaze flicking from Fornell to the new Director standing beside him. "He isn't anymore?"
"The FBI now think he's here for more personal reasons," Jenny informed them, her eyes showing her concern as she looked at her one-time lover and still-friend and Agent. "They think he's planning on killing Agent Gibbs." She waited a moment to let the news sink in, then held up a hand to keep them from talking at the same time. "You are forbidden from acting on this information, Agent Gibbs, as are the other members of your team. Mossad are sending two operatives to liaise with us on this case and hopefully resolve the situation without anyone getting hurt."
"Meaning they want to stop us from killing Ari. Well, stop Gibbs from killing Ari," Tony amended with a shrug.
The Director shook her head. "Meaning they want the situation resolved as peacefully and diplomatically as possible. I've worked with one of the agents they're sending over and I can assure you that you won't have an issue with her approach to this matter." She straightened her shoulders and gave Tony a hard look when he opened his mouth to protest. "As of this moment, Agent Gibbs is being taken into protective custody. Agent Todd, I saw from your record that you previously served with the Secret Service as part of the protection detail for the President." At Kate's nod and slightly confused look, Jenny continued. "I'm releasing Agent Gibbs into your custody. Agent Gibbs, I'm expecting you to follow her orders to the letter. As if they were my own."
A small smile played on Kate's lips at that and it only widened when she saw Gibbs' scowl. "That last part? I like."
An answering smile may have flickered on Jenny's lips but it faded almost before it appeared. "Agent Fornell, I believe we're needed in MTAC." She waited until Fornell turned away before glancing back at Gibbs. "I mean it, Jethro. Ari Haswari is off-limits to NCIS until the Mossad operatives get here."
Gibbs said nothing. He didn't acknowledge her order or even look at her as she sighed and moved to follow Fornell from the bullpen to the stairs leading to MTAC. He waited until she was out of earshot before turning to his team, biting back a sigh at the obvious concern on their faces.
"McGee, what did you find out about Westfall?" Westfall was one of the officers killed in the shooting, Tony remembered, the one whose hands had been removed by his killer.
McGee hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Kate and Tony for a second. He started talking when Gibbs advanced forward, a sound that was suspiciously like a growl escaping from him. "He was working with an aerospace contractor in Maryland. Danborn Avionics. The... Ah. The FBI sent a team over to the company to investigate their security, Boss. The Director just told me before she called you to her office or I would've said something sooner..."
"Damn the FBI." Gibbs glared in the direction of MTAC and shook his head. It was getting late, he was getting tired and, from the looks of his team, he wasn't the only one. "Go home and get some sleep," he ordered brusquely. "Tomorrow we go to Danborn Avionics and find what the FBI missed."
"Ah, Gibbs." It was Kate who stopped him from moving, an eyebrow arched. "You're not going home until I've had a chance to arrange two teams. Six hour shifts, alternating radio checks every ten minutes. I need time to get the surveillance set up and linked back to MTAC..."
"Not necessary, Kate. I'm not going home." Gibbs looked at her and swallowed another sigh. "I'm staying here tonight."
She didn't look convinced but then neither did the other members of his team. "You won't leave the building?"
"Not without calling you first. I'm just gonna go see downstairs and see Ducky." He held his hands up in mock-surrender when she frowned at him. "Get some sleep. All of you. Especially you, DiNozzo. You look like you could pass out at any minute."
"Hey!" Tony called after him, frowning at Gibbs' retreating back. "DiNozzo's don't pass out! Cry and feel sorry for ourselves, yeah, but we do not pass out!" He turned back to his teammates with a 'can you believe him?' expression on his face only to find them staring at him, amusement visible despite the severity of the situation. "What?"
"He's right, Tony," McGee told him with a small grin. "You don't look so hot."
Tony glared at him as McGee made his way to his desk, obviously prepared to settle in for the long haul. "Thanks a lot, Probie. Coming from you, that means so much." He turned his attention to Kate when he felt her hand on his arm, unable to keep the surprise from showing on his face at the concern written clearly on hers. "I'm fine," he insisted quietly.
"You need to rest," she told him softly. "I can't be looking after Gibbs and worrying about you."
He gaped at her, for once speechless. She gave him an almost shy smile, her cheeks flushed, and squeezed his arm before moving to the floor behind her own desk.
It was an interesting end to an interesting – and long – day. Tony settled behind his own desk, using the spare shirt he kept in the third drawer of the filing cabinet as a pillow and wondered what the next day would bring.
*****
McGee volunteered to go out and get coffee the following morning. Gibbs wouldn't let him go alone and, as Kate and Tony were still sleeping as soundly as they could behind their respective desks, McGee didn't feel like he had a choice. He couldn't refuse his boss without back-up and he'd been warned by Gibbs not to wake Kate or Tony.
They walked in silence from the NCIS building, heading to the small coffee shop on the Navy Yard. McGee kept his hand close to his gun as Gibbs placed their order, wondering how his boss could seem so calm and collected knowing a wanted terrorist was after him.
It wasn't so much Ari that McGee was worried about, though. The Navy Yard had great security and he knew the Director would've made sure security was tightened to extend to all visitors after the threat to Gibbs had been revealed. No, McGee was more worried that Gibbs was going to try and get away from him – that he'd have to then explain to Kate and Tony that he was responsible for letting Gibbs get away from them without someone there to watch his back.
"Still addicted to coffee, I see." The husky voice had him reaching for his gun at the same time as Gibbs spun around to face the newcomer. The look on his face was as stunned as McGee had ever seen him and he shifted slightly to view the woman who'd caused it.
A black-haired woman with a short biker-style leather jacket and close-fitting black jeans smirked at Gibbs, her hair in a tight ponytail. Her eye make-up was dark and heavy, lips painted a striking deep red and there was a choker around her neck that reminded him of a dog collar his parents had once bought for the family pet. A tattoo of a cobweb graced the side of her elegant neck and her startlingly green eyes assessed him coolly for a moment.
"This your bodyguard?" She asked Gibbs with the quirk of her lips. "I'm surprised you haven't lost him by now."
"Abby." It was the first thing Gibbs had said since playing their order and McGee noted that he sounded as surprised as he looked. "What are you doing here?"
The woman – Abby – shrugged her shoulders and glanced around. She looked comfortable enough but McGee could see her eyes were sharp and searching, her body tensed as though she sensed danger he himself couldn't feel. "I got an assignment," she answered evasively, glancing around her as she did. "I'd rather not discuss it here, and my partner's waiting for us back at NCIS so..."
"Your partner?" Gibbs repeated the phrase slowly. "Since when do lab rats have partners?"
Abby sighed and for the first time, McGee saw something akin to weariness on her face. "Since I stopped being a lab rat and started working in the field."
Gibbs grabbed the coffees and took his own, passing the rest to McGee before falling in step with Abby, leaving his agent to walk behind them and wonder. "You never said anything about wanting to be in the field, Abby. I thought you were happy in the lab."
"I was," she replied almost too quietly for McGee to hear. "I never said it was an assignment I wanted."
They lapsed into a silence that couldn't be called comfortable and McGee kept his eyes on them as they made their way back to NCIS Headquarters. He couldn't wait to talk to Tony and Kate and see what they made of this development.
*****
Tony and Kate had a development of their own to tell him about. The Mossad agent Director Sheppard had told them about had arrived and was none too pleased with the FBI accusations that Ari Haswari had betrayed his organisation with the intention of killing an NCIS agent.
"It is not possible," the agent, Officer Ziva David, told them with her arms folded over her chest. "I do not know why Ari has not been in contact with you, Agent Fornell, but I am certain that he is not after your Agent Gibbs. Perhaps there is another who would want him dead, yes? I am certain he has made many enemies during his time in service to your country."
"Gibbs does have a habit of annoying people, Ziva, but the FBI are pretty sure that Ari has defected." Director Sheppard looked almost apologetic. "How else can you explain him failing to meet with them or contact them as planned?"
"Perhaps he is at risk of discovery," Ziva suggested, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. She ignored the sceptical look Kate and Tony shared. In fact, she ignored the two NCIS agents altogether. "He is risking his life to save your country from another terrorist attack. He is undercover with both Hamas and Al-Qaeda. It is entirely possible that he has had to remain silent to prevent them from discovering he is really a Mossad agent."
Agent Fornell gave a short nod, considering the theory. "It's possible, Officer David, which is why we haven't gone public with our searches. The last thing we want is to waste the work that has gone into this operation."
Temporarily placated, Ziva responded with a small nod of her own. "Good. Then we are agreed that Ari is not to be considered a traitor until I have had a chance to question him." She looked to the Director, who also nodded her agreement. "Is Agent Gibbs here? I will need to talk to him and his team regarding any knowledge they may have about Ari's whereabouts."
"Agent Gibbs and his team have been working on a separate case," Jenny informed her evenly. "There is no evidence to suggest it might be linked to Ari so I'm not sure they'll be able to help you. That said," she added with a pointed look at Kate and Tony, "I would very much like to know where Special Agent Gibbs is myself."
"Right here, Jen." His timing as immaculate as always, Gibbs arrived to hear the tail-end of the conversation, accompanied by McGee and a black-haired woman neither Jenny, Kate or Tony recognised.
"Abigail Sciuto," Fornell muttered in surprise. "I'll be damned."
"I'd like to say it's good to see you, Tobias, but unfortunately, I'm not here for a reunion." Abby gave Ziva a questioning look. "Do they know where we can find Ari?"
Ziva shook her head and sighed when Abby moved to stand at her side. "I was just about to ask Agent Gibbs and his team if they had any ideas."
"You... You're working with Mossad?" Gibbs looked at Abby with a frown on his face, blue eyes narrowed. "Since when?"
"Since a year after I left NCIS," Abby answered simply with a shrug as if to emphasis the point. "A lot's changed, Jethro. I'm not the person I used to be."
"From Queen of the lab to international agent," Fornell grinned at Gibbs. "Always told you there was more to her than meets the eye, Gibbs. I'm disappointed you didn't come to the FBI, though, Abby."
Abby responded to his look with the roll of her eyes. "I've never been that desperate, Tobias, and I hope I never am." She turned her attention to the Director and held out a hand. "Director Sheppard, I presume. Abigail Sciuto."
Jenny took the outstretched hand and grasped it firmly. "Pleased to meet you. You must be the American the Assistant Director told me would be accompanying Officer David on this mission. I had no idea you'd worked with NCIS before."
"At NCIS," Gibbs corrected, his gaze still fixed on Abby. "She was one of us."
Abby tensed at the past tense but no one commented on it. Ziva shifted a little closer to her and cleared her throat to detract the attention from her companion. "Might I suggest we move to another location and introduce ourselves formally? I am sure you would all like this situation to be resolved as soon as we would."
"Of course." Jenny gave a small smile of agreement and motioned to Gibbs. "Agent Gibb and his team will show you to the conference room. You can discuss the case there." She waited until Gibbs met her gaze and held it steadily. "I expect to be kept updated of any and all progress you make. The Director of the FBI has agreed to let NCIS work this case with Mossad in return for full disclosure."
"Understood, Director."
Jenny left and Fornell followed her example, looking reluctant to leave the party. Gibbs led the extended team to the conference room, ignoring the speculative murmurs from his agents.
*****
Ziva and Gibbs remained standing when they reached the conference room. Abby took a seat at one side of the table, unsurprised when Gibbs' team took seats opposite her. They watched her with as much suspicion as they did Ziva if not more because of her former connection with NCIS.
"I understand that you have no reason to trust us," Abby began after a nod from Ziva. "Ari was forced to do some... unpleasant things in order to maintain his cover and on behalf of Mossad, we'd like to apologise for that. However," she stifled a sigh at the snort from one of the agents sitting opposite her and clasped her hands together on the table. "Until you give us conclusive evidence that he is guilty of the crimes you claim he is, we cannot permit you to blow his cover." She gave Gibbs a sidelong glance. "Or blow his head off," she added quietly.
"He shot an innocent man, a hostage." It was Kate who spoke, her voice angry.
"Shot, but did not kill," Ziva retorted quickly. "And he could have shot you, Agent Todd, could he not? He could have killed both you and Doctor Mallard but he refrained from doing so."
"Only to save his own skin," Tony chimed in. "He knew we were onto him."
Ziva glared at him but held her tongue. She crossed her arms across her chest, fingernails digging into her flesh. "Director Sheppard informed Mossad that you are investigating a case you suspect to be linked to Ari's disappearance. Two dead sailors. The FBI said a company called Danborn Avionics was somehow involved."
"One of the murdered sailors has connections to it," McGee answered vaguely, drawing her dark eyes to him. "He was the military liaison for Danborn's Modular UAV project but we don't know any more than that. The FBI took over before we could pursue to lead."
"That sounds like the FBI." Abby rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder again – at Ziva or Gibbs, no one could really tell. "We should get over there and see what's going on. Solving this case might lead us to Ari or it might clear his name completely."
Ziva seemed to hesitate, her gaze shifting from McGee to rest on Abby. For a long moment, the two women said nothing. "We have leads to follow on Ari's whereabouts, Abby. Agent Gibbs and his team can complete their investigation without us."
"And if they find Ari before we do?" Abby kept her gaze fixed on Ziva's face. "At least one of us should go with them, Ziva, and you're better in the field than I am. I'll follow the leads on Ari and I'll call you if I find anything."
"You're not going after him on your own." Gibbs' protest took his team of agents by surprise. "He's a killer, Abby. He won't hesitate to shoot you if you get in the way."
While Ziva bristled at the insinuation, Abby merely arched an eyebrow. "He won't shoot me. He knows who I am."
"And how is that?" Gibbs moved forward, leaning over her, into her personal space. He was aware of his agents watching the scene unfold but ignored the sensation of being watched. "Exactly how well do you know Ari, Abby?"
She held his gaze unflinchingly, emerald green and ice blue. "Well enough to know he wouldn't kill me even if he is as corrupt as you'd have us believe."
"Ari would not kill another Mossad operative," Ziva interrupted the moment before it could stretch on too long. "Just as I am sure you would not kill another NCIS agent." She looked passed Gibbs to Abby and gave a small nod. "I will go with you to Danborn Avionics and we will prove that Ari is not involved in the murders of your people."
*****
The NCIS investigation led the team to a search of Danborn Avionic's hangar bay, where they discovered one of the Modular UAV's was missing. Kate and Tony treated Ziva with icy cold courtesy while McGee made an effort to be diplomatic with the Mossad liaison.
Gibbs didn't seem to care either way.
It was Ziva who worked out that the terrorist cell was targeting the return of the Marine Amphibious Strike Group and the families of the service men and women who'd be waiting at Norfolk for the return of their loved ones but even that didn't win her any support from Gibbs, Tony or Kate. McGee tried to give her a reassuring smile on their way to the location he'd helped pinpoint with the help of Ruby but while she didn't blank him or treat him coldly, her mind was clearly on other things.
Namely Ari, who was still missing, and Abby, who hadn't been in touch with the team since they'd parted ways earlier.
While McGee was intrigued by the black-haired woman who clearly had a past with his boss, his mind was mostly taken up with thoughts of the exotic Israeli sitting beside him in the backseat of the car. He was sitting in the middle, with Tony on one side and Ziva on the other, his thigh pressed against hers and despite his efforts to the contrary, he couldn't keep his mind from straying to less than professional areas.
She was a beautiful woman. Intelligent, tough. She was strong and determined but there was something else about her that caught his attention and drew him in, something almost fragile about the way she held herself, the way she kept her distance from them all.
He wondered what her connection to Ari Haswari was, if perhaps she was searching for a lover as much as a colleague. The thought actually made him envy the suspected terrorist, which wasn't a pleasant experience.
Before he could dwell on his thoughts too much, they arrived at their destination and he was soon kept too busy to think about anything else but stopping the UAV from reaching its target – and avoiding the bullets that rained down on him.
*****
She approached him quietly, careful not to let the grit on the roof crunch too loudly beneath the soles of her shoes.
Still, he knew she was here.
"Go away, Abigail. This is none of your concern."
Abby continued moving closer, pausing when he turned his head to glare at her. "It's my concern when you start assisting the terrorists you're supposed to be stopping." She looked passed him to the building he was focused on, unable to make out the identities of the people she could only just see gathered there but able to make an educated guess. "What are you doing, Ari?"
"Tying up some loose ends," Ari Haswari answered, his attention focused on the target he had in the cross-hairs of his Bravo-51. "It is nothing for you to worry about, Abigail. Go. I will meet you and Ziva in Paris once I am finished here."
"You're already finished here, Ari." Her tone was sad but firm. "If you do this, we'll have no way of protecting you. It's not too late to stop."
He kept his back to her, his focus absolute. "It is too late. Leave, Abigail. You cannot stop me and I do not wish to harm you."
"Yes, I can." He heard the click of her weapon as the safety catch was disengaged. "Turn around, Ari. It's over."
There was a tense moment as the shoot-out not 600 metres from where they were came to an end. The air was still, almost eerily so. If she wasn't so focused on Ari, Abby might have only just been able to make out one of the figures on the roof opposite them helped up by two others, a fourth lingering in the background, unnoticed and unwelcome.
She moved when she saw his finger twitch, unable to pull the trigger but able to knock into him, forcing him to miss his target. Ari swore and turned to face her.
His angry face was the last thing she remembered before pain and darkness engulfed her.
*****