Please note I do not own any rights to any characters, stories or information to do with the CBS show - NCIS
This is based a month or so after the events of season 1 episode 16 - Bête Noire - when Ari holds Kate, Ducky and Gerald Hostage at NCIS.
(the story is mainly from Kate's point of view) - I know this chapter is short but I felt it should end with the end of this scene. :D
Chapter 3:
"Hello Caitlin." Ari's smooth voice echoes slightly off the concrete walls of the room. My captor saunters into the room, stopping short of where I sit, vulnerable and utterly helpless, on the ground. Never have I wanted the use of my hands and arms more than now. I am painfully aware of how open my body is. No protection of my chest or abdomen…. I'm easy to kill.
"I am sure you are wondering why I picked you out to stay here." He raises his arms to gesture at the damp walls of my prison room. "Not exactly what you are used to, I'm certain, but this is your home for now, none the less."
I merely glare at him, still unable to see his face clearly as the light entering the room only shows his outline. He's casually dressed in a button up shirt of some kind and loose trousers. His hair is smooth, but naturally so.
I on the other hand am wearing slightly clingy trousers, meaning to be flattering, formal and practical but now it simply seems ridiculous as a man stands over me. My jumper, although covering me up nicely, is still tight fitting. This, with the only remotely painless position I am able to sit in with these handcuffs on, makes me look like I am deliberately thrusting my chest out. I shudder at the thought of how sleazy I must look.
Ari walks around to stand to my right, still maintaining a metre's distance. Ideally, I would not follow his movement, it only makes him feel like he's in control, but I need to grasp some sense of what he's thinking; what his plan could be. I don't look at him for as long as I can resist the temptation of reading his body language (to make use of at least SOME of my training). But now I know his face must be visible in the light so I give in and look up at his face.
He is smiling down at me. I turn away again, I don't want to see his excitement, clear happiness at my helplessness. I try to move to a less 'flirty' position but fail to find one.
"You see Caitlin, after our first meeting at your place of work-"
I cut in "You mean holding us hostage and shooting my co-workers?!"
"Please do not interrupt me, it's very rude." Ari's threatening tone does not scare me as much as his smile, at least now I know what to expect – even if it isn't good. He continues, "I have been pondering that day for a long while and I've come to the conclusion that you, and only you believed me."
He seems to pause, but as he does not continue I say, "I would never believe anything you say, you could have killed Gibbs-"
"Ah, but I didn't." Ari interrupts, I'm about to retort that he shouldn't interrupt me when he silently breaths "Shhhh..". He bends down next to me and whispers in my ear "I am no terrorist, you believe me, even if you don't want to admit it to yourself." He lifts his hand to my face and softly sweeps aside a stray hair that was in front of my eyes. I don't make eye contact, instead I stare straight ahead. I feel my body tense at his breath on my bare neck – the same breath that was there when I was restrained and smothered. I can feel his eyes on my face and my body. He touches my shoulder, his fingers brush against my skin. This feeling again. The same as that day a month ago. How does he make me feel this….. this … I don't even know. I suddenly realise that I am showing all this on my face and try to amend my give away expression for one of harsh resilience. But already the damage is done. Ari stands, sighs, and walks to the door before stopping at the frame. He stands to one side of the door so the light still enters the room, he can see me but I am unable to see him.
"They think you're dead you know. Your team." Before I can question this he clicks something in his hand and a TV in the corner of the room I hadn't noticed before turns on. It's ZNN. I stare blankly at the screen, there is no sound, but I hardly need it. The warehouse I was kidnapped from is shown ablaze, then (presumably current time) an image of a burnt out shell of a building in the dying light of day. I'm about to speak when my own face appears on screen in the form of my ID photo, and the title "NCIS agent presumed dead" scrolls along the top. Before any more information is shown, the screen returns to black. I hear someone talking to me, but I can't compute it. My head is spinning. I hardly notice the room returning to darkness. All I can think is 'They think I'm dead. They won't be looking for me if the think I'm dead!'.