"R" PLACE
Ziva shivers again and pulls her black leather coat tightly around herself in an attempt to ward off the cold, damp night. She huddles back into the recessed doorway as much as possible, but the wind still finds her bare legs. She curses and wonders again what she is doing out here. Trying to do the undercover work by herself. If her boss, Gibbs, ever found out there would be hell to pay, but there didn't seem to be any alternatives. If she wanted to find out what happened to sixteen year old Tasha Bergman she had to come to her world… the streets of New York.
Ziva tries to ignore the cold night as she reviews the case details in her mind. After running away, Tasha had last been seen staying in a flop house about a block from here. Ziva had tracked her to that location by talking to other homeless kids who knew her. She stayed in that abandoned building with several other kids, mostly child prostitutes like Tasha. One of those girls had been closer to Tasha than the rest and finally admitted she was very worried about her friend. About a month ago Tasha had come to her, very excited about getting a job at this bar called 'R Place'. Then about a week later Tasha just disappeared. The word on the street was some rich guy who owned the bar took her in and she was living up on the upper east side now, but her friend felt something bad had happened to her.
For a girl out here, with all the sexual predators lurking around; Ziva is sure something bad has happened to Tasha and she'd promised her mother she would find out what. Ziva had first been contacted by Moira Bergman a few weeks ago, worried about her daughter and having gotten no results from the cops who labeled her only daughter as a run-away.
Moira was a very close family friend and had worked for her father, Eli David, for many years before marrying an American and moving to New York. Moira had become Ziva's surrogate mother after her real mother had died and she owed her so much. This was the least Ziva could do for her.
Ziva glances down the street to her left once again, checking the activity at the bar known as 'R Place'. She did some research and found out this place was owned by a mafia man named Johnny Saldoro. He was a main player in the New York mafia scene and into any number of illegal activities. This is a logical place to start her search because one of his activities was running a line of prostitutes. Maybe he saw some potential in Tasha and took her into his stable… or maybe she'd gotten involved with the wrong crowd and been killed. Either way, Ziva was determined to find out. The only problem was she couldn't just waltz into Johnny's place and demand answers about some homeless street kid.
Ziva has been out here, dressed in very skimpy clothes, pretending to be a prostitute every night for over a week with no sign of the head man ever coming to this bar. From her intelligence work she knew he had an office upstairs and he conducted a lot of his illegal enterprises out of here. He had to show up sooner or later and Ziva was going to make a chance meeting happen between them.
For now, she once again pulls her short jacket closer around her body as she grumbles about the weather. It had been raining off and on all night and now, at close to midnight, she was cold, wet and miserable. If it weren't for the never ending stream of cars pulling over to pick her up she might actually have frozen to death out here. Her gaze is once again drawn to a car pulling up to the curb in front of her. She sighs and puts on her best street attitude as she saunters up to the car window on the passenger side. She places her hand on the door frame as the automatic window glides smoothly down. She bends down, not wanting to step off the curb into the puddle in the gutter, and looks inside. There is an older man of perhaps sixty driving. He smiles at her, his eyes never actually reaching her face as he stares straight down her low cut blouse.
"Hey, honey, you workin'? How about coming in out of the rain for a while?""Thanks but …"
Just then Ziva's attention is directed to headlights to the rear of this man's car. She sees a large dark sedan pulling to a stop in front of the bar. She needs to get rid of this creep quick so she can make her move. She turns her attention back to the older man as she sarcastically sneers at him.
"Look, Pops, I am not working, so beat it."
"Bullshit! You turnin' down cold hard cash?"
"Tonight, yes. I am cold, wet and I do not want your money, okay?"
"Come on, honey… I just want a quick blow job. I'll pay you double 'cause you look pretty sexy when you're all wet like that."
"Why do you not go home and hose off the old lady so she is as wet and cold as I am.
Then maybe she will look good to you too."
"You fuckin' bitch! I don't have to take that shit from you!"Ziva sees a man emerging from the rear of the dark sedan and from this distance he looks like Johnny Saldoro. She has to make her move now before he gets inside and impatiently turns back to the man in the car.
"Well maybe you would like to explain it to those cops who just pulled in behind you…"The older man looks in his rear view mirror and from that angle all he can see is headlights and two people standing by the passenger side of the car. He panics, thinking it is the police and guns his car as he squeals the tires on the wet pavement. Ziva is caught off guard as the car darts back into traffic and she almost falls off the curb as water sprays up at her from the spinning tires.
She catches her balance and calls after him, cursing in Hebrew before she can stop herself. When she turns back towards the bar she sees the two men have stopped to stare at her. The shorter of the two men is Johnny Saldoro and the taller, Ziva correctly assumes, is his body guard. She angrily brushes some water from her bare leg as the shorter man calls out to her.
"You all right, doll?""Yes. That asshole thought you guys were cops. Thanks a lot."
Johnny chuckles as he twirls a toothpick around in his mouth. "Sorry. It's hard enough
to make a buck in weather like this, eh?"
"That is an understatement. I am water logged… " She has started to walk towards the
two men, sauntering in her sexiest way and she can see they are both looking her over as
she comes to stop a few feet away.
This man is definitely Johnny Saldoro and this is her chance. Johnny's eyes roam over
her boldly and then he holds out his hand to her as he smiles; "The least I can do is offer
you a drink after I scared off your trick. I know you gotta' becold… especially dressed
like that. Come inside."
"Thanks, I could use a strong Irish coffee right now."
He places his hand on her elbow and they walk to the door. The body guard opens it for them and Ziva takes a deep calming breath as she realizes it had been easier than she imagined. Thanks to that creepy old man, her introduction went much smoother than she had expected. She allows Saldoro to lead her to a bar stool at the end of the long bar. She takes a seat and then allows him to remove her wet coat. He hangs it on the back of a chair beside her and she thanks him with a smile. Once again his eyes roam over her body, dwelling on the way her damp silk blouse is clinging to her breasts. He turns his attention to the bartender who is waiting patiently to take his order.
"Good evening, Mr. Saldoro. What can I get you tonight?""Vinnie, please get ….. Aahh.. " He turns to Ziva, realizing he has not yet gotten her name.
"Ziva."
"Please get Ziva anything she wants. I believe you said an Irish coffee?" He smiles warmly at her.
"Unless you have Ouzo?" At Vinnie's confused look Ziva shrugs and agrees, "An Irish coffee with no whipped cream, please."
"And I'll have my usual… upstairs, but not until Mr. Andretti gets here."
"Yes, sir."
"Now, Ziva, you sit here and warm up. Vinnie will get you anything you need."
"Thank you… Mr. Saldoro, was it?"
"Call me Johnny."
She gives him her best smile. "Well thank you, Johnny. This is the best offer I've had all night."
He looks her over once again, smiling as he is already considering putting her in his stable. With an exotic woman like that on his string he could demand big bucks. A woman like that should never be out working a street corner. She was classy and should be working the exclusive customers who expected more. As they turn the corner to head for the stairs he glances back his guard and softly orders, "Tommy, keep track of that one. I've got a feeling she could turn into quite a money maker for us."
"I'd pay for that one myself, boss."
They both chuckle and continue on up the back stairs to Johnny's private office. If it weren't for his important meeting tonight, Johnny would have considered asking her to come upstairs and audition for him right now. But with Nick Andretti coming by he can't afford to be distracted. He needs all his faculties to deal with this guy.
******After Johnny and his guard left, Ziva has her first chance to look around the room. She sees a few rough looking characters sitting around, probably regulars. There are also a couple of working girls, who were giving Ziva unfriendly glares right now. It didn't take much to figure out they didn't get offered free drinks from the boss. They saw Ziva as competition and that meant they weren't likely to be talkative. Her best bet right now seemed to be the bartender, Vinnie. Acting the part of a prostitute didn't mean she was willing to go all the way. She knows how far she can push the attitude. She also notices a couple of men in the room watching her too. With a little encouragement they might be able to give her some information as well. For now, she turns her attention back to Vinnie and sips the hot coffee she has cradled in her cold hands.
"Thanks, Vinnie. I think I was about to freeze out there."
"The street ain't no place for a lady like you… especially on a night like this."
"I agree, but I was just waiting for someone."
"Well, the boss said you can have whatever you want so feel free to wait in here where its warm."
"Thanks. I think after a couple of these I'll be just fine." She holds up her coffee cup and takes another sip.
She can tell Vinnie wants to talk more, but she doesn't want to appear to eager so she once again turns her attention to the room. By the time she has finished her first coffee she feels much better and decides to head for the ladies room to see if she looks as bad as she feels right now. Vinnie points her towards the back where Johnny and the guard went earlier and tells her it's to the right, just before the stairs. While she is in there combing her hair and trying to dry her damp shirt with the hand blower she is unaware of the new arrival.
Don takes a deep breath and raises his chin, portraying the image of the man he has come to be known as, Nick Andretti. He pushes the door open and struts into the bar in his expensive camel hair coat. Every head turns to look at him and the women around the room sit up a little straighter, hoping he'll notice them. They know not to approach him as he walks over to the bar. Vinnie immediately comes to him and says, "Good evening, Mr. Andretti. Can I take your coat for you?"
"Thanks, Vinnie." He removes his coat and gloves and hands them over the bar to Vinnie as he scans the room and asks, "Is the boss in yet?"
"Yes, sir. Got here about thirty ago. He's upstairs waiting for you. Can I get you
something?"
"Just a double Schnapps. I need something to cut the chill of this rotten night."
"I'll bring that drink right up."
"Thanks, Vinnie."
Don heads for the back stairs, knowing his deal is coming together perfectly. He's been working this case for several months now and after all his hard work he's finally got Johnny Saldoro right where he wants him. All he has left to do is draw the other big fish into his net before he calls in the cavalry to shut down this operation. Don has been working the mafia ever since they killed his fiancé Angel, and he isn't about to let anything stand in his way of shutting down the most notorious drug rings in the city.
While Ziva is in the restroom an idea comes to her. The stairs lead up to Saldoro's private office and this back area is so dimly lit she can probably get up there without the bartender seeing her go. She is just about to leave the ladies room when she hears voices and then footsteps heading up the stairs. This must be the person Saldoro was waiting for… what had he said his name was? Antolli, Anchovy… no, Andretti. Ziva makes a mental note to research that name when she gets back to the office. With this new arrival she decides to delay her plan to explore upstairs until they are settled into their meeting. She takes a deep breath and returns to have another cup of coffee while she waits. She is just leaving the ladies room when she almost runs into Vinnie. He is carrying a tray of drinks towards the stairs.
Ziva ducks back out of his way and comments, "That is better… oops, sorry."
"No problem. I refilled your coffee for you. I didn't want it getting cold while you were in there."
She smiles as he hurries by, but hesitates to return to the bar. Watching him as he takes the steps two at a time. She can't see where he goes, but she counts off three seconds before she hears three short raps, before a door is opened. She makes a mental note of this and returns to her seat at the bar. A few minutes later, Vinnie returns and she sips her drink while she waits for the right time. She picks out two of the roughest looking guys in the place and begins to make eye contact with them. When she catches one man's eye she smiles, letting him know she may be interested in his company. She is careful not to send out too much of a signal at first, then turns in her seat so her back is to him. Then she concentrates on a man at the other end of the bar. She does the same thing to him, silently letting him know she is interested.
Within a few minutes she has them both interested in her as they down their drinks to build up the courage to actually come over and talk to her. She sees one of them pushing back his chair. She winks at him to let him know he is on the right track and then turns her back to him again. She then makes eye contact with the man down the bar, lifting her chin in a motion for him to come join her. He also stands up and begins to move her way. Both men, oblivious to the other, are making their way towards the empty seat beside her.
As they get closer it dawns on them they are both heading for the same woman. One man tries to hurry his step and beat the other man there, but is grabbed by the arm and spun around to confront his competitor. A few words are exchanged and then the fists start flying as Ziva had hoped they would. She eases out of her chair, pretending to be afraid of the scuffle going on nearby and moves towards the back of the room. Vinnie is instantly over the bar, trying to break up the full scale fist fight now. With them all distracted by the commotion, she easily slips up the stairs unnoticed.
By the time Vinnie has the fight stopped and kicked both participants out the front door Ziva is safely upstairs and moving noiselessly down the dark hallway. There are doors on both sides, but they are all dark except one about halfway down the hall. This must be Saldoro's office and she creeps slowly towards it. She stops beside the door to listen for a moment. It is deserted out here and she recognizes Saldoro's voice, but the other, deeper voice is talking in Italian. She moves a little closer, but as she does the floor boards creak under her feet and she stops instantly.
She holds her breath, hoping the noise wasn't heard inside the room, but the door is suddenly flung open. Before she can retreat or hide she is confronted by the large guard. He grabs her roughly by the wrist and propels her into the room. Ziva's heart is beating wildly as she finds herself in a very dangerous position. The guard still has ahold of her wrist, clamping his huge hand down until she cringes in pain. She looks up to see Saldoro sitting behind a huge desk and another, handsome man in an expensive suit, sitting on the other side. Her eyes dart from the stranger to Saldoro as he coldly eyes her.
"What the hell were you doing out there?"
"Looks like she was listening at the door, boss."
"I was not! I was just…"
Her eyes again drift to the stranger and his expression is no less cold, but she can see something else there… a silent warning perhaps. She must be very careful if she is going to get out of this alive. Her attitude right now is everything so she takes a deep breath and tries to pull her hand away from the brute holding her as she indignantly demands to be set free.
"Will you tell this brute to let me go before he breaks my arm?"
Saldoro nods to the guard who immediately drops her hand as if throwing down some trash. Her wrist is red and sore, but she refuses show any weakness in front of these men. Slowly she turns her attention back to the boss. She has decided to tell him she was just coming upstairs to thank him for his hospitality, but he is still looking at her suspiciously.
"You were just what… Ziva?"
"I… I was just looking for…"
The handsome man sighs heavily as he draws all of their attention to him. "...me."
Before she can finish her sentence the stranger does it for her. She is as shocked by his statement as everyone else in the room and her eyes dart over to his. She sees the warning there again, but doesn't contradict him as Saldoro suddenly asks, "You! Why would she be looking for you, Nick?"
"Because, Johnny, this is my girl… and she has this insane idea I've been cheating on
her. My guess is she came here tonight to try and catch me with another woman."
"Your girlfriend?"
Saldoro suddenly remembers her statement that she wasn't working the streets, but had been waiting for someone. He looks from Ziva to Don and then sits back in his chair to laugh.
"Shit! I thought she was some hooker! She was out front when we got here. I asked
her to come in for a drink. I had no idea she was waiting for you when she said she was
waiting for someone."
"Neither did I. Now, if you will excuse me for a moment, this won't take long."
They can all see the anger in Don's eyes and Ziva has reason to shrink back from him as he stands up to approach her. Saldoro and the guard think Don has hit her before and she is expecting more of the same, but he simply grabs her already sore wrist in an equally harsh grip which makes her whimper. He propels her towards the door as he snarls, "Come on, honey… I need a word with you."
Ziva has no choice but to follow him as he practically drags her down the hall towards the stairs. She is glad to be out of that office, apparently saved from one disaster, but unsure if her current situation is any better. This stranger, for some reason has decided to tell everyone she is his girlfriend! She has never seen this man before and he is very angry right now as he drags her across the bar room towards a secluded booth in the corner. He shoves her into the booth and moves in beside her to block any escape attempt she might make.
In the booth, Ziva pushes her back up against the mirrored wall in an attempt to get as far away from this menacing man as possible. She rubs her sore wrist as she cradles it in her lap. He turns in his seat to face her, placing one hand on the table and the other along the back of the seat. He grips the cushion tightly as if trying to control the urge to strangle her. Keeping his voice low, he growls, "What in the hell are you trying to do…. get yourself killed!"
"I… I was looking for… Mr. Saldoro…"
"I don't know who you are or why you're here, but no one… and I mean NO ONE
sneaks around up there without a death wish!"
"I didn't know… I was just…" She breaks off as she realizes he wouldn't believe her story anyway. She is starting to get her wits back and remembers that he saved her life by proclaiming she was his girlfriend. "Thank you… for what you did up there..."
"Look, lady, I don't have time for this. I'm in the middle of a very big business deal…
and I don't need any distractions right now! I can't afford to have Saldoro distracted
while he tries to decide if he should kill you or not! I just did the easiest thing so I can
get back to business. Now what the hell were you really doing up there?"
Ziva decides to play her trump card, as she had planned it if she ever got caught snooping around. She sighs heavily and wrings her hands in her lap as she pretends to be upset.
"I… I was looking for my kid sister… she's missing and…"
"Oh Christ!"
Her eyes come up to meet his and she can see the frustration. He thinks she is crazy to be messing with these dangerous people. She is about to try to explain herself when she sees his eyes dart to the mirror behind her head. Before she can respond his hand darts along the back of the seat to snake around her neck. He roughly pulls her to him as he leans in to pin her against the seat. Holding her prisoner, he leans in close and hoarsely snarls, "Damn it! Be quiet…"
Before she can react his mouth is on hers in a harsh kiss that shocks her to the core. She is so stunned she can't resist as her hands come to rest on his chest. She has just enough time to register the minty taste of Schnapps on his breath before he abruptly ends the kiss. She sits back seeing the big guard, Tommy, standing beside the table watching them. Don doesn't turn around as his eyes flash the warning to her once again. Then the look is gone in an instant and he smiles at her and softly asks, "You all right now, sweetheart?"
She knows this is not the time to be indignant about being roughly kissed by this stranger. She simply nods her head in reply to his question. Don gently pats her cheek and then turns to the guard as he speaks. "Mr. Andretti, boss wanted me to make sure everything is okay with you…"
"Everything is fine. You know how women can be… every minute you're out of their
sight they think you're cheating on them."
Don stands up as they exchange a knowing smile about the emotions of women. Ziva is still so stunned she can't even think and misses her opportunity to get out of the booth. Before she realizes what is going on, Don pats the guard on the back and maneuvers him into place to block her in.
"Do me a favor, Tommy… keep my girl company while I finish up my meeting with your boss."
"Sure thing, Mr. Andretti."
"Honey, you just have another drink and I'll be back in a little while."
Don walks away as the big guard slides into the seat opposite her. She is so stunned it takes her several minutes to realize she is more or less being held prisoner here at the request of that infuriating man.
She looks over at her captor and tries to smile as she plays the part. "How was I supposed to know it was a business meeting?"
"I don't know, lady, but I wouldn't be doing that again. Mr. Saldoro doesn't like interruptions. Now, what can I get you from the bar?"
"I really think I should go. My coat is over there…"
She starts to get up, but a large hand on her arm stops her as the guard holds her in her seat with ease. He shakes his head and motions for Vinnie to come to their table.
"Sorry, but Mr. Andretti said for you to wait here for him. You sit here and have another drink like he said." This man's loyalties don't lie with her and he will follow Andretti's orders to the letter.
When Vinnie arrives she avoids looking into his eyes as she orders a Schnapps and then wonders why she did that. Then she remembers the faint taste of Schnapps left on her lips after that man kissed her. It dawns on her he probably saved her life a second time when he saw the guard coming up on them in the mirror. He was quite the mystery man in more ways than one. He was obviously someone respected in this criminal community and yet she didn't get the impression he was a bad man. He had gone out of his way to save her twice and he didn't know a thing about her. And what was this all important deal he was so anxious to get completed? She slowly sips her drink, careful not to let the alcohol affect her as she waits for his return.
The guard, Tommy, does his job well, keeping her here, and yet respecting Mr. Andretti's property by not speaking to her. Ziva sighs and glances at her watch. It is nearly one o'clock and she is more than a little worried about what will happen to her when this Andretti guy returns. She seems to be going from one problem to another tonight. Her life may have been in danger upstairs, but was she any safer with this Andretti guy? Maybe he was planning to take her out somewhere and kill her too.
She doesn't have to wait long. In less than an hour the meeting upstairs is finished. Don sighs in relief as he heads back downstairs to deal with that crazy woman. He'd been able to smooth things over with the usually nervous Saldoro so there were no glitches in the plan. The mobster had readily believed his story about her being his girlfriend and spying on him because she thought he was having an affair. After that, they had gotten back to business and finished up the deal for a million dollars in heroin.
She said she was looking for her little sister… but why in here? Maybe she had some information that the girl had been working for Saldoro. Maybe she'd been one of his stable ponies or something… in any event, she almost cost him several months of hard work. He knew Saldoro well enough to know he wouldn't hesitate to have her killed for what she may have overheard. Only his respect for Don's character and his greed in getting one million dollars kept him from ordering her killed. Don still didn't know what possessed him to blurt out that she was his girlfriend though. It just popped into his head to say she was there looking for him. Luckily she hadn't contradicted him in front of them or they both might have ended up dead.
He is walking towards the booth now, noticing the look on this lady's face that she wasn't happy about being kept there. He told her she'd come close to getting killed upstairs, but what assurance did she have that he wouldn't do the same thing? After all, he had claimed her as his girlfriend… then suddenly kissed her… for good reason, but she didn't know that. That's why he wanted her to wait for him. He felt he had to protect her from her own stupidity because she obviously didn't know who she was dealing with. He stops at their table and motions over his shoulder towards the stairs.
"Mr. Saldoro needs you upstairs, Tommy. Thanks for sitting with my girl."
"No problem, Mr. Andretti." He gets up and leaves them alone.
It is several seconds before Don speaks as he studies her intently and then sighs, "Come on, let's get out of here."
He holds out his hand to her, but she hesitates to take it as she timidly says, "Thank you, but I will just go by myself."
Don feels the tension rising in him as he bends down to come face to face with her. His hands rest flat on the table as he lowers his voice and coldly warns her. "Look lady, if you don't leave with me they're going to know I lied about us being together and then your life won't be worth two cents! Now, take my hand and we'll leave together… or I'll drag you out like before."
She can see the seriousness in his eyes and knows he wouldn't hesitate to do just that. He is correct and reluctantly she holds out her hand to him. He sighs and stands up, taking her hand as he helps her out of the booth. He glances down at the thin silk blouse she has on and then down farther to her short skirt and bare legs.
"Do you have a coat? It's freezing outside."
"Yes, over there on the chair."
He guides her over to the chair and grabs her damp leather coat to help her put it on. When he feels how wet it still is he sighs and turns to Vinnie. "Vinnie, my coat please."
"Sure, Mr. Andretti."
A moment later Don is draping the long camel hair coat around her shoulders. It nearly touches the floor and acts as an effective barrier to the wind as he escorts her outside. He is carrying her damp jacket over his arm and steers her down the sidewalk and away from the bar. They have walked about a half block when Ziva decides she doesn't want to go any further with this man. He may act like a gentleman, but she still knows nothing about him. She stops in her tracks and then holds out her hand for her jacket.
"I'd like my coat now."
"It's wet."
"I want to go now and I need my coat."
"We need to talk first."
"I am not going anywhere with you, now please give me my coat!"
Don is about to speak when he hears the door to the bar opening. He glances back down the street and sees one of the working girls staggering out on the arm of a drunk man. He sighs impatiently and grabs Ziva by the arm as he ushers her into the recessed doorway of another business. Ziva gasps in fear as they are plunged into darkness and she is pinned against the wall. She is about to strike out in self defense, but he simply puts his finger to her lips. "Ssshhh…."
A moment later the two drunk people stagger by, laughing and making noise as they hang on each other for support. Don glances over his shoulder at them and when they have gone he steps back to give her a little more room.
"I'm not going to hurt you, but we need to talk. What was all that nonsense about
looking for your sister, anyway?"
"It is not nonsense. My kid sister was last seen working in that place and now no one has seen her in a month."
"And you just thought you'd waltz in there and start snooping around?"
"No. I know it is a bad place and that the owner is Saldoro. I also know he operates a
line of prostitutes out of there."
"Where did you hear that?"
"The homeless kids on the street... they were all friends of Tasha's… my sister. She was living with them not far from here and she told them she got a job at that bar. Everyone assumed she was taken in by Saldoro to work for him."
"Your sister… she was a hooker?"
"She was a confused kid who ran away from home. I've been looking for her for months and I thought I'd finally found her when…"
"Ok. Look, you have to believe me when I say that place is no place for a lady. I know those guys and they wouldn't hesitate to kill you for what you did tonight."
"I will take my chances because I have to find out what happened to my sister."
Don sighs in agitation at her persistence. "All right, tell me what she looks like. I know everyone who hangs out there. I'll try to find out where she is, but you are notgoing back in there."
Ziva is stunned, but doesn't know if she can trust him or not yet. He seems to be a decent man, yet he was a mobster like the rest of them. Her cover was blown in there anyway and as far as they're concerned she was this man's girlfriend. She finally sags back against the wall and asks, "Why do you want to help me?"
"Because I can't afford to have some crazy woman distracting Saldoro right now."
"Because of your big deal? What is it anyway?"
"Questions like that will definitely get you killed, lady. Now tell me about your sister and I'll do what I can to find her for you."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"Jesus Christ, woman! I just saved your life tonight! If I wanted you out of the way I could have just let Saldoro do it! I'm not going to hurt you… or your sister. I'm offering to help you, but you're not going back into that place alone!"
"I cannot anyway… not when they all think I am your girlfriend. Why did you say that?"
"Because that's what those kind of people understand. Italians are emotional and passion rules their lives. They would understand a jealous woman better than they would have a concerned sister."
"Oh… Her name is Tasha Bergman and she's sixteen. She has my coloring, but her hair
is longer. She's been on the streets for several months now so I don't know if she's
changed."
"Ok, I'll check into it. Give me a number where I can reach you if I find out something."
"Aahh… my cell is … its 5-5-7-2-0-1-0-9-6-8." He jots the number down on the palm of his hand.
"Okay, now promise me you won't go back in there until you hear from me."
"All right, but…"
"No buts… promise me!"
"Ok, I promise." Her eyes come up to meet his as she hears the intensity in his voice. His eyes seem to blaze in the darkness as she promises to wait for his call.
They are standing close and Ziva is more than a little aware of him as a man. She can smell his aftershave and feel the heat emanating from him in the chill night air. She doesn't know why, but she does trust this stranger. There is something about him which tells her he isn't like the rest of those guys in there. She can't look away and a chill runs down her spine as he holds her spellbound for several long moments. She is finally able to pull away and lowers her eyes to his chest as she tries to cover her nervousness. "May I have my coat now?"
"Sure… do you have far to go?"
"No, my car is just around the corner."
"Fine. I'll walk you there. Come on."
He steps back and ushers her out onto the sidewalk once again. They walk in silence to her car and she gives him back his warm coat. She shivers at the sudden chill invading her clothing and hurries to open her door and get in out of the wind. When she is inside Don hands her the damp jacket and then steps back to watch as she drives away. He sighs as he wonders what it is about that woman that makes him want to protect her. It could just be his cop instinct to protect the innocent and the stupid, but he senses more than that.
He smiles as he remembers the rounded curves of her body, her deep chocolate eyes and the way her lips felt under his. It could possibly be that she's the most beautiful woman he's laid eyes on in a long time. He suddenly wishes he wasn't in the middle of this case so he could spend some time getting to know that woman better. Then he sighs and puts his coat on as he walks towards his own car. The smell of her perfume lingers on his coat and he once again smiles as he remembers every detail about her.
13