Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or Its characters. They all belong to CBS.
CHAPTER 1
Ziva tossed her bags on the floor.
"Finally! Good to be home."
She put her pajamas on and crawled into bed. She woke up about two hours later to hear something creeping in her room. She reached under her pillow for her gun but it was missing.
"Looking for this?"
She turned to see her gun in the hand of an intruder. He hit her on the head and her vision went black.
THE NEXT MORNING
Tony walked into the bullpen.
"Where's Ziva?"
He looked at McGee.
"I don't know."
Gibbs walked in. He noticed the uneasiness in the air.
"What?" he asked.
"Ziva's not here yet." Tony replied.
"Call her."
Tony picked up the phone.
"Not answering, Boss."
Gibbs shook it off when his phone rang.
"Grab your gear. Dead petty officer in Norfolk." as an afterthought, he added, "If she's not here by time we get back we'll check in on her."
They stepped into the elevator.
"When is Elisha scheduled to go to court?" McGee inquired.
"Sometime next week."
"Do we all have to testify?"
"Yes."
"Ugh. Not looking forward to that, Boss. What really bothers me is what she said when we arrested her."
"What was that, DiNozzo?"
"She said, 'You'll regret this'."
ONE HOUR LATER
They pulled into the crime scene.
The local LEO skipped a formal greeting, "Bout time. We found this and a letter addressed to a Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. NCIS."
He held up Ziva's badge and a letter. Gibbs took the letter.
"If you want to see your agent alive, bring Elisha Phillips and all the evidence pertaining to her case we will have to Exchange at a Gas station 3 blocks away from NCIS at 6:30 Pm this Friday or I will send your Agent to you piece by piece."
They walked over to the body.
"Hey, Boss. He isn't a petty officer. This is Daniel Springs."
They stopped by Ziva's apartment.
"Hey, Boss. Her secondary's gone," McGee said as he lifted up her pillow.
"She always keeps a gun under her pillow."
"Find it, McGee!" Gibbs growled.
"There's also some blood on the sheets."
"Bag them and send them to Abby."
BACK AT NCIS
"What do you have, Duck?"
"He was shot once in the back of the head."
"Execution style."
"Yes. I sent the bullet up to Abby."
"TOD?"
"Around 6:30 Saturday morning."
"After Ziva was taken."
"You'll find her, Jethro."
"The question is: will I be too late?"
He walked back upstairs and ran into an excited McGee.
"Hey, Boss! It turns out Springs escaped before they even got to the Sheriff's Department after we arrested him. He killed one deputy and injured another."
"Where's DiNozzo?!"
"He said he had to meet someone."
"Tell him I want him back here now!"
STARBUCKS DOWN THE ROAD
Tony was sitting at a table waiting. His phone rang.
"What, McGee?"
"Gibbs wants you back here."
"I'm following a lead."
"What?!"
"Here he is. I'll call you back."
"Wait!"
He hung up. A man in his mid sixties sat down.
"Where is she?"
"Excuse me?"
"Don't play stupid! Ziva David. Where is she?!"
"Follow me."
They walked over to a black van.
"Get in."
He scoffed.
"I'm not stupid. I'll follow you."
"If you want to see your agent again, get in."
As soon as he got in the back, he was knocked unconscious.
