So, I wrote this ages ago, but never published it. I think what stopped me was a little confusion-they all thought Ziva was dead, but something made me think they had doubts about that. I guess it just seemed like an elaborate plan for revenge (although, I suppose it could also have been to stop Saleem from doing anything more). But I decided that either way, I'd put it up. The idea for this came while watching, wondering what Gibbs was thinking throughout the episode. Enjoy! ~Jed
The desert sun beat down on him with unrelenting heat, causing him to feel like a cookie in the oven. The air was absolutely still, adding to the oppressive atmosphere under his protective covering. Were he not used to such an environment he would have found it difficult to breathe. His muscles twitched and the sand beneath him shifted minutely. A drop of sweat slid down the side of his face but he ignored it with practiced discipline. He blinked a few times as more sweat fell into his eyes and focused once more on the scene playing out through his scope.
He watched as Saleem beat his agents some more, and had to remind himself of the plan when McGee fell unconscious. He focused his scope on DiNozzo and waited to see what would happen. The terrorist began to do something but Gibbs couldn't see what exactly—until he held up a needle to expel the air bubbles. The infamous gut coiled with tension and Gibbs prayed his agent had the strength to withstand whichever drug was forced into his veins.
Conversation dragged on and Gibbs' gut stayed twisted in anxiety. He could only read Saleem's side of the exchange. From what he could gather, Tony was telling him about the team. It had been a tough summer. On second thought, tough didn't even begin to cover it. From the moment he was called to the hospital earlier that year in response to DiNozzo and Rivken's fight he knew things were going to change drastically. He even wondered if he'd be burying one of his people before the day was over. So he wasn't too surprised when Ziva refused to board the plane, giving him that talk about trust and her lack thereof in Tony. He knew that probably wasn't the true reason she was staying, at least not the whole reason, but with no other options, he shoved aside his feelings, kissed her on the cheek—pretending not to be hurt when she pulled back slightly before the peck—and jumped into the cargo plane waiting to take him back to the States.
He'd seen a difference in Tony since before the fight. His senior field agent had grown up significantly in the past year, since…since L.A. This was another change. He knew his agent would deeply feel this loss of his partner. They'd been paired together for four years, apart from a few hiccups down the line (namely, of course, Vance's first act as director of NCIS, splitting his team up and sending them around the world). Tony had been partnered with Kate for only two years, but her death still hit him hard. This…
Gibbs steered his thoughts away from Kate's death and on to…on to Ziva's. Things had been okay after Ziva stayed in Israel. McGee became Tony's new partner and life had begun again. Sailors and Marines were still being killed, kidnapped and caught up in various forms of trouble and it was still their job to find the truth and arrest the guilty. He wondered exactly how his team was really doing when they confronted him on choosing a new team member. They found a new girl, but he knew she wouldn't stay long. Besides, he knew Tony had the team looking into Ziva's whereabouts.
He never showed it—his "unflappable" exterior never would have allowed it—but it killed him to walk into Abby's lab that day to deliver his news. He'd heard McGee and Abby singing that Hebrew song, heard the trio talking about the information they knew, heard Tony delivering orders like the true agent he was…and still he walked in, told them about the fate of the Damocles and her cargo as if he weren't speaking of a colleague, a dear friend. He saw the shock cross each of their faces, felt it reflected in his own heart.
After that…he knew Tony was doing what he could to hold it together. He wasn't blind, by any means—he knew that feelings were among the changes that had taken place in the past year or so, but all parties ignored everything in light of Rule 12. Life went on, cases came and went and DiNozzo did his job, at least well enough to keep it. But Gibbs saw through the act—most anybody could. He'd started waiting weeks ago for the charade to come to an end when, finally, Tony stood up one day and firmly declared "no" when told to grab his gear. He knew he'd thrown the agent for a loop when he told him to make his case.
It went rather well, up to that moment in Vance's office. He knew he had to step in then and get Tony to see things a little more clearly. Once the younger man understood and volunteered himself and McGee for the mission Gibbs knew they were on track for Tony to get what he—what they all, needed. Revenge.
He turned his focus back to what was going on in the distant building, brought to him through his rifle's scope. He could see that Tony was getting close to the punch line. Saleem's face was losing its confident smugness and taking on an air of disbelief. When the canteen dropped and its red, caffeinated juices began bleeding out, he knew the time was getting closer. Saleem left the room and he could see McGee respond to something Tony asked him. A few seconds later the door opened again and Saleem entered, this time with a hooded figure enshrouded in khaki. He shoved the person onto the chair in front of Tony and Gibbs pulled in a breath when he whipped off the hood. He blinked a few more times, now in disbelief as he saw the person's face. He was tempted to wipe the lens of his scope as if some grime could possibly make him see the woman he was currently watching.
No. There was no grime, no condensation or dust obscuring his vision. No matter how ideal the conditions were for it, he wasn't hallucinating. The person on the other end of his scope was indeed Ziva David, looking rather well for a dead woman. Anger toward Mossad and its Director welled up within him but he quickly pushed it down. He had a job to do, and if there was anything he knew how to do, he knew how to finish a job.
He saw Ziva talk, obviously conversing with Tony. She looked quite worse for the wear, but she was alive. Their mission of vengeance had just become a rescue mission. Never before had he been so grateful for a change in mission objective.
Activity in the camp picked up and he knew his part in this twisted play was coming up. He slowed his breathing and prepared to deliver his lines.
Saleem stormed back into the room, knife in hand and walked over to the window, briefly looking out into the compound. Gibbs' finger tensed the slightest bit as the man grabbed Ziva's head and pulled it back, exposing her throat as he held the blade to her skin. He saw Ziva tell Saleem of the supposed rescue plans and waited for his cue. Ziva begged Saleem to kill her, to use the others as leverage. As soon as he looked sharply at Tony, McGee jumped into action, swinging his legs around and knocking Saleem to the ground. The knife fell and Tim scrambled to get it, but not before the other man pulled a gun out of his pocket. McGee froze instantly and at first Gibbs couldn't tell what was going on, but after a moment he realized that Tony must be talking again. Saleem stood up and moved over to the seated agent, gun still pointed at the one on the floor.
He saw Saleem's lips move. "No, you're still bound. You're lying."
Breathe in.
Thumb thump.
Breathe out.
Thumb thump.
Squeeze.
"Remember when I said my boss was a sniper?"