I tend to like to work on more than one story at a time. I'm trying for something a little different this time. Hope it works.
Blind faith
Chapter One
On paper it seemed like a simple undercover assignment. Tony even complained it was worth his talent. A rash of drugs from ecstasy to Rhoypnol, or roofies, was drug activity at Naval Station Norfolk had drawn the attention of the SecNav, which forced Vance to use his best MCRT to clean up the problem. Tony would go undercover as a Chief Petty Officer working for the Quartermaster to find who the seller was and who the supplier was. McGee, Ziva and Gibbs were on surveillance duty. It all sounded so simple on paper, but after three weeks they were tiring of it.
Tony entered the Firehouse Lounge on North Military way. It was one of many local hangouts for many of the station's personnel because the drinks were fairly cheap and the atmosphere embracing to the military. Tonight he was to enjoy a beer while he pretended to pick up Ziva, so that they could pass information between each other.
He was wearing his service khaki uniform. Tony walked up to the bar and ordered a draft beer then he looked around. Down the bar Ziva, dressed in tight jeans and a silk blue dress shirt with her hair down and even some makeup on, drawing his attention. When his draft came, he down most of it in one long swallow. He had to keep up the impression of being a thirty service man. She smiled at him. Ziva had to admit that he looked handsome, and a bit fitter, in his service uniform. He lifted his beer in a toast to her then he finished his beer. Walking down the end of the bar, he sat on the stool beside her.
"Hi, beautiful," he said with a slight sexy growl in his voice.
"Hello," she purred in turn.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.
"Sure," she said.
"Hey, Bill," Tony called to the bartender. "Two more drafts and we'll take them at the table."
Ziva and Tony walked over to the table and sat down. He smiled at her. It was a sincere smile, as well as a sincere sentiment. He did find her beautiful so much so that he wished this was a date rather than an assignment.
"Why are you smiling at me like that?" she asked.
"I don't know. Maybe because you are beautiful, Zi," he said.
Though her eyes' smoldered from his remark, the mask she put on told him to get down to work. She was about to encourage him, at least not now.
"We are tired of watching you and waiting for something to happen. If Gibbs were here, he'd head slap you he is so bored. Tell me you have something," she said.
"Well, at least you didn't have to order toilet tissue for 8 Frigates, 2 Aircraft Carriers, 5 Cruisers, 15 Guided Missile Destroyers, 3 subs, and 4 Amphibious Assault ships," sighed Tony.
"Poor, Tony, you had to work," smiled Ziva.
He lost himself in her smile for a moment. It had been months since she put away her fiancé CI-Ray and Wendy drifted in and out of his life again. During that time he had building the courage to tell Ziva he loved her, though he realized now was not a good time. Yet, he felt a little real flirting wouldn't hurt.
"Okay, I'm meeting with Petty Officers Kline and Turlington in three hours. They sell the drugs. I've told them that I could increase distribution of drugs, but they have to introduce to the supplier. We are meeting me to give me feedback," he explained.
The bartender brought the two draft beers then patted Tony on the shoulder and left them alone.
"Good, I can't wait to go home and sleep in my own bed," said Ziva. "And poor Gibbs has to room McGee, who is working on a new novel and asking him all sorts of questions about being a marine. He told me to tell you that he actually misses you."
"I'm touched," Tony said.
"Yes, he said that at least you talk and don't expect an answer," she smiled demurely at him.
"Hey, at least, you didn't have to get a bad haircut," he smiled.
Suddenly, Ziva offered him her Mona Lisa smile: "It is not such a bad a haircut."
"You know I prefer you with her hair down," he said.
"Thank you, Tony," she said, "but how you like my hair does not affect the way I wear it."
He took a sip of his beer. Jesus, she keeps swatting my compliments aside like Maria Sharapova.
"You know it hasn't been that great an assignment for me, either," he said looking for sympathy.
"I'll let Gibbs know. Where are you meeting?" she asked.
Okay, I double faulted my serve. Forty love, game, set, and match to Ziva. He nodded his head and took a sip of his beer.
"Cruisers Sports Bar & Grill, Inc. in Hayes. It's about 29 miles from here," Tony told her.
"Gibbs, McGee and I will be close by when you meet with them," said Ziva.
"Good. I like having you close by," he smiled.
Ziva looked at him suspiciously: "What do you mean by that?"
He shook his head and laughed. She didn't trust his motives. Why should she? Maybe he hadn't proven himself changed enough yet, or maybe he had just waited too long to pursue his feelings for her.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything," he said then grinned slightly then he got. "I should go and get ready for tonight. Catch you later."
She went to say something but he took off, walked over to the bar, paid the bartender for their drinks, then left. Ziva sat for a moment and sulk. She knew he was flirting with her, more than flirting, but trying to connect with, but she was ready. Her relationship with Tony had gone through many incarnations from flirtation to her falling for him but him falling for Jeanne Benoit then she deciding to submerge her feelings for him and he dealt with his own feelings. She didn't want to just shoot him down, but she wasn't ready to deal with her feeling for him. Not yet.
NCIS
Tony showed up at the Sports Bar at eight o'clock and saw Petty Officer Dennis Turlington and Petty Officer Frank Kline sitting nursing drinks and waiting for him. A hockey game was playing on the TV with some of the men cheering. He walked over to the table and sat down.
"Well, do you have good news for me or bad news?" he asked then started to scan the bar with his eyes looking for McGee, Ziva, or Gibbs. He didn't see any of them, but he knew that they were there somewhere in the bar or, at least, outside of the bar.
NCIS
"Son-of-a-bitch, McGee, I told you to watch out for the pothole," Gibbs fumed. "Ziva, call the marine MPs and tell them we need a car to pick us up immediately. DiNozzo is in this with backup,"
The silver grey haired Gibbs ran his hand through his hair, while glaring at the wiry McGee with his grey blue ice eyes which were ice cold when he was angry. McGee was melting under the glare of his boss.
The three of them stood off the side of the road with a broken down car. The car's front axle broke when the hit the pot hole. Gibbs had let McGee drive because he hoped it stopped the inane questions about being a marine.
Ziva hung up her smart phone: "They are on their way."
"Boss, I didn't see the hole," said McGee.
"Get your laptop from the car and see if you can track, DiNozzo," ordered Gibbs.
"Yes, boss," said McGee.
NCIS
Tony sat in the backseat of the 2010 black Trans Am. Without looking like he was looking he kept checking behind them for a car, but it appeared that no one was following them. They were headed for the Crown Pointe Marina in Hayes on Chesapeake Bay, where the supplied had a boat he kept and did business off of.
"Murph was interested in your offer," Turlington said.
"Yeah, he said the idea of distribution on the station had real possibilities," said Kline, who was driving.
Tony knew bullshit when he heard it. He wasn't sure if his cover had been blown somehow or he wasn't convincing enough as a CPO working for the Quartermaster, though everyone he worked with bought his act. Or maybe this Murph had a case of paranoia he thought of Tony as some kind of competition. Whatever was the reason, he was headed for trouble and he knew.
The only weapon he had was his belt buckle knife, which didn't bode well with three to one odds. Even the ninja herself might have some trouble with this one. Better me than her, he thought.
Tony looked ahead of them and saw the Marina. He saw all the boast, many of them sail boats, floating on the black bay water with a navy blue sky above. This was not going to be a good time.
Where the fuck is Gibbs and Ziva? his mind asked the question. If they were following us they were giving these bastards way too much of a leash. I may not be Gibbs but my gut tells me something is wrong.
NCIS
Two sets of MPs showed up in two Dodge Chargers. Gibbs commandeered one of the Chargers. The four MPs plowed into the second Charger and followed him. He drove at a near suicidal speed with McGee in the passenger seat giving him direction and Ziva in the backseat looking more than a little annoyed.
"Can we go faster?" she growled.
"It seems like they have stopped at a marina, boss," said McGee.
"Good place to dump a body," Ziva mumbled under her breath.
NCIS
Tony walked in between Turlington and Kline as they approached a rough looking man who was standing on the deck of a 2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer. It was 32 feet long. The man had a shirt buzz cut. He looked to be six foot tall with well-muscled with tattoos, which he showed off in a wife beater, even though it was a cool September evening. Just from the grin on the man's face, Tony knew he was in trouble.
"Murph, this is Chief Petty Officer Tony LaMonica," said Kline.
"Really," he smiled and offered Tony his right hand.
Tony took it from his spot on the dock, but Murph pulled him onto the boat.
"So Chief," said Murph, "my buddy Friz knew you when you were a Baltimore Police homicide detective named Tony Dinozzo. Who do you work for now?"
"Friz," smiled Tony. "That weasel did his six years already."
"Yeah. He remembers you. As a matter of fact he wanted to be here when I killed you, but I told him to stay home. I'd take pictures," said Murph.
Turlington and Kline grabbed Tony's watch and tossed it in the water then one of them snatched his smart phone out of his pants and tossed it in the water. The two petty officers then grabbed Tony's arms holding him in restraint. Tony didn't bother to struggle but was looking for one good opportunity instead of useless struggle.
"I'm thinking an accidental drowning," smiled Murph.
"You really are an asshole," Tony smiled back at him.
"Friz told me you were a smartass. Do you have anything smartass to say before I introduce you to the water?" asked Murph.
"Sure, I got a good one," he laughed to himself then he motioned Murph to come closer.
Murph came closer to hear him. Instead of talking Tony brought his head back and head butted him in the face breaking his nose and causing blood to blow freely from his now flattened nose.
"Fuck!" Murph yelled.
"How's that for smart ass?" smiled Tony.
NCIS
"Boss, Tony's GPS has disappeared," said McGee. "I think he's in trouble."
Ziva could hear the guilt in McGee's voice. She wanted to tell him it was his fault because some pot holes couldn't be seen at night on an unfamiliar road, but Tony's life was on the line and she couldn't find her voice now. All she could think off was the thought of Tony dying without them ever dealing with whatever they had for each other.
"Marina was the last spot, right?" barked Gibbs.
"Yeah, boss. It looked like he was on a dock or a boat," McGee said.
"There it is," said Gibbs motioning with his head as he drove.
"Oh, thank God, boss," sighed McGee.
"Get ready. I got a feeling DiNozzo is in trouble," said Gibbs.
Ahead of them lay the marina.
NCIS
Tony finally started to struggle against Turlington and Kline's grips. He watched as the bloody faced picked up a lead pipe that was lying on the deck. He looked at Tony with a vicious grin screwing his face up into a mask of hate.
"I keep this to hit bigger fish I catch. They flop around on the deck then I smack," he slapped his hand with the pipe, "and they die. I bet it works for cops too."
Tony managed to get his arm away from Kline and hit Turlington with a right to the jaw, but before he could do anything else, he felt the back of his head explode and the lights go out, though he still could hear. He heard Murph cursing and swearing, as he pushed Tony overboard into the water and even heard Gibbs' voice yelling freeze but they all he heard were the sounds of water filling up his eardrums as he slowly sank under the water and then passed out.
NCIS
Gibbs shot Murph in the shoulder as he deposited Tony into the water. Ziva watched as Tony didn't fight as he sunk under the water. She dropped her Sig Sauer, tossed off her NCIS cap and jacket and ran along the dock and dove into the water after Tony. Her dive took her far enough under the water to be able to grab him. Getting a good grip under his left arm she brought to the surface and swam to the side of the dock.
"Help me, McGee," she called to her other partner.
McGee grabbed Tony and tried to pull him onto the deck but was having trouble. Since the MPs were handling the suspect, Gibbs grabbed Tony's other arm and with McGee pulled him onto the deck, as Ziva helped herself up and onto the deck. It was then that she saw the back of Tony's head and blanched. He was bleeding badly as his skull was cracked open.
"Someone call a bus now!" ordered Gibbs, as he took off his jacket and applied gentle pressure to the back of his senior field agent's head.
Ziva stared at Tony. First, his complexion was unnaturally pale, which scared her, then his breathing seemed to be a struggle, and finally his skull was cracked opened. She had seen her friend, maybe someone who was more than a friend, hurt before but this time it seemed really serious, really bad.
"Gibbs," she said, "is he alright?"
Gibbs looked up at her. He didn't speak because he was going to lie to her. This was bad.