Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for the writing, creation, production, or distribution of NCIS. I also don't intend to make any sort of profit off of borrowing their intellectual property for this story.

Author's Note: This chapter is dark and a little violent, so you've been warned.

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Chapter 4: The Rooftop

Ziva David knew there was a reason she put a tracking device in Ari's cell phone without telling him. Walking briskly out of the NCIS complex, she took the phone out of her pocket, flipped it open, and dialed his number. His emotionless voice sent a chill down her spine.

"Shalom, Ziva."

Ari was near a building on M Street, a few blocks away from the Navy Yard. He had told her that he would be in Maryland. "Shalom, Ari." Ziva clenched her fists and tried to mask the fear and anger in her voice. The feeling that he was betraying her trust grew stronger every day, and she knew that she was about to be pushed over the edge. "Where are you?"

"I told you where I am. Rockville. I apologize, but I will likely be late for dinner. I know it has been a long time, and I will see you later tonight or tomorrow."

Ziva muttered a quick goodbye and hung up, put the phone back in her pocket, and ran to her car. He wasn't being honest with her. The Mossad Officer shoved the keys into the ignition and slammed on the gas pedal, almost forgetting to shut the door.

Five minutes and a haphazard parking job somewhat close to a sidewalk in a not-so-parallel manner later, she got out and examined the area around her. The Israeli muttered a few choice words to herself in Hebrew—she would have to search every floor to find him. Her barely audible rant ended when she looked up and saw a figure moving on the roof twelve floors above her. Ari. She burst through the revolving door of the building and dashed toward the man at the reception desk, making an unintentional scene.

"Where are the stairs to the roof?"

The receptionist looked appalled by Ziva's demanding tone. "They're beyond the glass doors to the right. But you need Gigant-O-Corp Incorporated company identification, or permission from a high-ranking employee to go beyond the lobby, Ma'am."

Ziva leaned over the counter and lowered her voice to a threatening whisper. "I am a government agent. And do not call me ma'am."

"Uh, usually when someone claims they are a federal agent, they show their identification. And you're not, so you must think I'm stupid."

"If I showed you identification at this point, I doubt that you would believe me. I need to speak to your head of security."

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Tuesday for that, we're currently in between security contractors right now."

"Then I was right. You are stupid." Ziva moved to the double glass door and yanked on the handle, and unable to open it, shook it violently.

"You need a key card to unlock the door."

The Mossad Officer shouted in frustration before regaining her composure and returning to the desk. "We will retry this. Something very bad could happen very soon. I need to stop it. Either you let me through those doors, or I will make you let me." Ziva moved part of her jacket aside, revealing the knife at her waist. "Are we clear…" she paused and looked at his nametag, "…Howard?"

The receptionist glanced between Ziva and the knife for a few seconds, and then attempted to smile. "Of Course I'll let you in!" The forced cheer in his voice was not convincing in the slightest. "Right this way." He swiped his identification card and held the door open, making sure to avoid eye contact. The Israeli uttered a curt 'Thank You' and made her way to the stairwell.

Ziva rushed up twelve flights of stairs before stopping momentarily to stare at the steel door in front of her. The rusted barrier was the only thing that stood between her and the truth that she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She waited a few more seconds before breathing in sharply and pushing it open.

An instant later, Ziva felt someone grab her arm and whirled around, managing to break free and send a fatal kick to the head of her attacker.

A quick glance to her right told her that the man lying on the edge of the rooftop was not Ari. Her heart raced. Had she walked into a trap? The man stood and began to turn toward her. She ran forward, dove at him, and pinned him to the ground. A sniper rifle lay next to him.

Ziva's dark eyes took on a frightening intensity. "Where is Ari?"

Instead of answering her question, the sniper began to reach for the handgun at his waist. Ziva grabbed his wrist, drew her pistol, and pressed it against his chest. She spoke through her teeth, trying to refrain herself from killing him immediately. "I will ask you this again. Where is Ari?"

A faint smirk played across his face as he stared back at her, saying nothing. Ziva's rage boiled within her and she pulled the trigger, killing him. It would have been better if she had tried harder to get answers from him, but at that instant she didn't care. She would probably begin to regret it soon.

A bronze gleam caught her eye. It was the tracking chip she had put in Ari's phone. She should have known that he was too clever for that. She should have predicted that he would mislead her.

Ziva searched the man's body, desperate to find any information on Ari's location, or what he was doing in Washington, D.C. Part of her hoped that she wouldn't find anything, that everything about Ari wasn't true and he had just lied to her for a good reason, or that he wasn't lying to her at all. She removed a piece of paper from one of the inside pockets of his jacket.

She moved away from the body and sat down on the concrete. Hands shaking, Ziva looked down at the photo of the woman she had met only a few hours earlier. Special Agent Caitlin Todd. The paper listed her hobbies, appearance, date of birth, usual hangouts, and her address. The sniper was aiming at the apartment building where she lived.

Her heart sank. Ziva wished that Ari had nothing to do with the two men on the roof. She wished that the entire ordeal with terrorist accusations by the American government had never happened. And she found herself hoping that Caitlin Todd, who she logically shouldn't care about at all, was safe. As a Mossad Officer, it was weak of her to be this emotional, she wasn't supposed to be sitting around on some rooftop looking at some photograph and wishing things were different. Ziva didn't know why she did it, but she traced over the woman's outline in the picture with her thumb and noted her smile.

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"I found the tracking device in my phone, Gibbs. I thought you might try something like that."

Every word Ari said made Kate want to scream, but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. The rope dug into her wrists and she curled up in the corner of her bedroom, squeezing her eyes shut. The taste of blood in her mouth and the sensation of dizziness sickened her, and she tried to push down the hopeless feeling swelling within her. It had only been half an hour, right? Kate couldn't believe that she was careless enough to let her guard down after finding the scalpel and rose on her table. She reassured herself over and over that NCIS would find her, that Gibbs would save her. Kate was furious with herself for needing to be saved in the first place.

"…and Gibbs, when you get to Caitlin's apartment—make sure that you are alone and unarmed. I would not want to have to kill her." Ari shut Kate's cell phone and tossed it carelessly behind him. He moved toward her with his typical arrogant stride, and knelt down so he was eye level with her, propping his arm up with his rifle. "Gibbs will be here soon, Caitlin. Within minutes, I am sure."

"I hate you." Kate almost summoned the courage to spit in his face.

Ari chuckled. "I do not think you mean that."

"I mean it. I hate you. Everyone hates you."

"I can name a few people who don't."

The casual tone in his voice disgusted Kate. "I'll be glad when you die. You're despicable, you're pathetic, you're the only person who actually thinks you're worth something. Your own mother couldn't love you."

Ari's face darkened at the final sentence, and Kate gave him a victorious look. "Did I say something that upset you?"

"Yes." Ari stood up and moved beside her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Ari raise the butt of his rifle. She closed her eyes and felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. It hurt like hell, but she didn't care. Her vision began to blur as she watched Ari walk out of the room.

Several minutes later, her vision finally blacked out. The last thing she heard was a sharp knock on the door, and seconds after that, the sound of Ari's smug voice.

"How nice of you to join us, Gibbs."

Kate fell into unconsciousness.