Chapter 4 - Not one, not two, but three!

As Ziva and Tony entered, Tim turned the computer and asked Ziva,

"This brings back memories?"

Ziva looked at Tim, then Tony, "That was the map I drew on my first case with NCIS. Tim, you found that on Mossad's threat matrix?"

"Yes, can't read any of the entries, but another entry caught my eye, look."

It was a photo of a very somber and younger Eyal with quintuplets.

Sharon asked Tim to enlarge the photo and focus near Eyal's hand.

"It's a docked one. Look at those four pixels (four white spots), typical of the old Israeli satellites, but they fixed that bug some time ago. Eyal made for us to see this."

Tony squeezed her shoulder, Sharon responded, "I'm not snitching … all spy agencies knew of this shortfall and it's now fixed. This is a routine surveillance mission photo of Eyal. It doesn't give away any intel."

Ziva replied, "Sharon's right, old problem now fixed and was known of all."

Sharon added, "Eyal cut out the background and added the kids, why?"

Tim answered, "Sharon, how many kids on the photo? Quinn-tuplets! I'm guessing; Eyal has Quinn or knows of her whereabouts."

Tony replied, "Well done, McSherloc!"

Sharon continued, "Ziva, don't lose time reading, I just did. Nothing of interest for us, but Mossad's director is going to be pissed, there are rumors of another hasty in-house shuffling!"

Ziva put her head sideways and said, "She whimsically replaces her deputies like a new pair of socks! She won't be pissed, she's probably the one that posted it! It keeps her people on their toes! Our threat matrix is no more than a second Twitter!"

Sharon asked, "It's still the best I know for identifying threats. Had the US taken Mossad seriously, maybe 9-11 could have been less of a tragedy. Ziva, all agencies regularly put up 'garbage news', it called clouding! You don't like Deputy Director Elbaz?"

"She has a good lead and wants the agency to be up to new challenges and frontiers. She lacks my father's charm, charisma and is not as daring. Eyal likes that the Mossad, under her, is less involved in assassinations. She told him that the method was outdated and had exhausted itself as a useful tool."

Tony interrupted, "Girls, work … remember?

He winced and whispered, "I'm becoming Gibbs … euh…frightening!"

Ducky smiled and said, "Not easy being the voice of reason!"

Tony rolled his eyes, but nevertheless added, "Ziva, the map?"

"To read you in, Sharon, it was my first case and a strange one at that. A Staff Sergeant was buried alive in a 140-year-old cast iron coffin that came from the Civil War in order to pave the way for his partners to scavenge an archeological site for old weapons."

Abby's head shot up, "Ziva, that was your first case and the word 'sakana' reminds you of your father's last mission. It may also be a hint to process Eyal's cell phone, like we did for the Staff Sergeant's, for other clues. Could there be something there–first, last?"

Ziva replied, "That's good Abby, but I'm still clueless. For the phone, it could be. Eyal is a wiz at sending encrypted messages, it's his strong suit. Just look at how he going about 'speaking to us' at this time!"

Tony added, "Tim, get those phones out of storage, now and analyze them all! We are missing something. People, pull together, it's there, we just aren't seeing it. Ziva, that map, how did Eyal know about it?"

"Eyal and I often challenge ourselves, a sort of training of the mind. A long time ago, I made him draw the map from my recollections. Tony, I'm not in the habit of sharing sensitive information with Mossad! As a game, he or I invoke our strangest cases to see how fast the other 'gets it'. Haven't done it in some time and he would not be proud of me. Never and I repeat, never have we divulged classified information."

Sharon was looking at the screen and she interrupted, "Tim, the time stamped on this matrix, is it Israel's time."

"Yes"

"Well, I was wrong, Eyal didn't go clubbing. From what I'm seeing, he posted that picture at 2 am our time; 9 am Tel Aviv time. He sat through this morning's debriefing, sorry the camp … something and didn't say a word, strange!"

Ziva deeply breathed in, "I'm more than clueless! Know I'm supposed to be 'getting it', but I don't!"

Tim came back and gave each person their phone. "People check out your phones. If you see something that is not right, tell us."

Tim analyzed Eyal's phone but found nothing. "Tony, nothing on Eyal's phone."

Ziva added, "He would not use his cell phone, it's too easy to track."

"Tim, did you sweep for bugs on his phone."

Tim turned towards Abby, "Abby, that's your field of expertise."

Abby shyly answered, "Yes, if I was in my lab… but …"

"Abby, you can surely talk your way in FBI's lab. Before putting on your best pitiful 'I need help' look, dust Quinn's room for prints. You'll kill two birds with one visit to FBI's lab. Quinn told us we could use FBI's equipment for our simulation if and when needed, they are forewarned, only need to ask."

Tim succeeded in tracking the history of the whereabouts of his personal cellphone but it was a dead end. The signal stopped at the secure locker where Quinn had stored their phones.

Sharon, Ducky and Ziva were studying the map.

Ducky said, "Ziva, the map, it's identical to what I remember. Even the inverted flag. From what I profiled of the man, Eyal Lavin is very intelligent. I don't think he would play us. Look, he studied us, the clues he is giving are supposed to pull at some of us. Eyal Lavin might not be a free man as we speak."

Sharon sat up, "Like where you're going Ducky! If he couldn't talk, he was bugged or watched. Using Abby's word, it must be a MOB. (A mother of a bug!) for him to go to such length for us to 'get it'. Ziva, do you still have an in at the Mossad?"

Ziva was too fast to say no and Sharon challenged her. "Ziva, you're lying. If I leave MI-6, I will make it a point to set up a 'help-web'. People like us always need friends. You helped many and they will return the favor, if you ask. Is that a stumbling block of yours; you don't know how to ask for help!"

Tony looked at Sharon and said, "You, I'm keeping. You're the best I've seen for cornering our Ninja Warrior!"

Rolling her eyes at Tony, Ziva outed, "Sharon, Mossad is not MI-6. There is not out package, you leave, it's final. You can't imagine what it's like to be an outsider!"

Tim wanted to stop Sharon from adding to the discussion, but Tony signaled to leave the girls hammer it out.

"Not talking about Officers, Ziva, but friends. You do have those! Eyal is one, you surely must have others. They will help you Ziva. You can ask, that's what friends do for each other. You've told me Eyal helped you, but I guessing, he stepped in, as Gibbs and Tony; you never asked. Ziva, asking for help is not a crime, it does not mean that you are weak or that you failed at the job at hand."

Ziva protested, "I did ask Gibbs for help at least twice…."

"Gibbs is not a friend, he replaced your father. I'm taking about real friends."

Ducky whispered to Tony, "From what I'm seeing those two girls are going to help or kill each other. They are made from the same mold, it's like seeing twins. It's eerie how they zoom in on the other's shortcomings!"

Tony agreed, but found it necessary to lighten the mood,

"Hey, we need to work as a team and accept each other's faults. Sharon, lay off. Like you, Ziva has her quirks. It seems a spook's life is not an easy one, especially for a director's daughter."

Sharon didn't back down, "We need to know if Eyal was bugged by Mossad. He was shot only days ago, maybe it had to do with his last mission and has nothing to do with our present situation. We need that intel!"

Tony glare at Sharon and she finally backed down.

Ziva spoke, "Tony stop, Sharon is right, pushy but right. I have a friend I trust and he could tell me, off-books, if Mossad put a trace on Eyal. He won't report my questioning to the director."

Ziva made the call and rapidly got the information.

"Guys, Eyal is not under Mossad's radar. Funny, Sammy said he wasn't wounded on his last mission. It was the gathering of very sensitive intel and, as usual, he aced it! Protocol demands that an officer be assigned to his desk after a mission of that kind … for the world to forget the face! We can never be 100% sure with Mossad, but at first hand, it doesn't look as if the agency was having him traced."

A pleasant smile filled Ziva's face as she added, "My friend even mentioned that Rivka Singer, Eyal's boss, was glad of NCIS's offer. Eyal doesn't do well at his desk so sending him to Washington was a blessing in disguise."

Tony got up and wrote on a blackboard.

"OK, what do we have;

Eyal and Quinn are missing; the word danger in Hebrew, a map of an old case, a docked photo giving us a possible lead on Quinn's disappearance, Eyal wasn't bugged by Mossad, he knew something was up at our campfire, his wound is recent and not related to his last mission; he might be a target…."

Ducky interrupted, "That wound, it wasn't in his file and not in the debrief he gave Director Vance of himself. Where/how was he wounded?

Sharon explained what she knew.

Ducky asked, "That wound, could it have been self-inflicted?"

Sharon outed, "WTF!"

Ducky continued, "Let me explain. Officer Lavin is a seasoned spy and has extensive medical training. The man had only a year to go for his doctorate. He would not have been so careless as to leave such a serious wound bleed for all to see. Sharon, I'm guessing he made for you to come to his help…"

"Ducky, are you saying he's practically a doctor?"

Ziva answered, "Yes, he became a Mossad agent and left medical school for very dire personal reasons."

Sharon was lost in her thoughts, she whispered, "He played me, he knew with my extreme extractions experience that I'd zero in on that wound. Plus, I also have two years of medical training, it's in my file. Another clue, Tony add it to the list."

Tim smiled and said to Ziva, "Remember that first case, you kept asking us if it was the strangest case we had worked…. Think this one is going to top your first!"

Tony talked out his thoughts, "Officer Lavin seems to be tapping in the experiences of all; Sharon your medical and extreme extraction experiences; Ziva, the words strange–first case and danger–father's last mission all of it to lead you to Mossad's threat matrix; Tim, your hacking abilities/guessing, Ziva not Sharon was to expose that the photo was docked but Ziva is not as 'outspoken' as our MI-6 spy!..."

Abby who was just walking in from the lab, took Sharon defense, "Tony, that was not called for!"

Sharon stepped forward, "Abby, he's telling the truth and I prefer it that way. I need help and Tony is the first that has succeeded in scoring on the + side. When he squeezed my shoulder to make me realize I had just unknowingly told all how MI-6 succeeded in secretly communicating while in the US, it sparked a little something in my brain. He didn't make a spectacle or condemn me as most usually do … my father included. It made me think and the next time I spoke, that little something came back. The bracelet is a good idea, it can better replace the shoulder squeeze. Abby, I'm aware of my shortcomings, I want to get rid of them and Tony is the best help yet…."

Sharon stopped talking and swore … in Hebrew!

Ziva laughed and said, "Oh, it's been a long time since I heard that kind of talk!"

Tim asked, "Care to translate?"

"Not in your lifetime! Tim, better you stay a virgin!" a smiling Ziva answered.

Sharon outed, " … best help yet: Eyal purposely snuck up on me when I was sneaking back in this morning. Another clue for us to conclude that he is in a bind of some sort. Why make sure I had seen that he went out?"

Tony was quick to add that piece of intel to their list.

Sharon turned towards Abby and said, "Hope I didn't offend you by taking Tony's defense. Thanks for caring, it is appreciated. You guys are great teammates."

"Wasn't offended, just worried that Tony had gone too far … he tends to … well…"

Ziva concluded, "Being Tonyish…."

Sharon went to Ducky, who was going over Eyal's file.

"Ducky, why would Eyal self inflict such a wound. It could have had serious consequences?"

"That what I'm trying to figure out. He …. The medics, Sharon, do you know if Eyal had an X-ray with an injection of iodine or an MRI?"

"I didn't follow, Gibbs and Vance accompanied him. But my guess would be yes. Only way to see the extent of the damage and diagnose if he needed stitches or surgery … it didn't … damn he manage to hurt himself just enough …. We need to see that medical file. Ducky?"

"Sorry, this is FBI territory, I don't have any jurisdiction. If I had a corpse… I'm not going there."

Tim said, "There may be a way. One of us 'gets injured' and only wants Dr. Mallard as his attending physician, need to know reasons."

Sharon took her knife and cut a gash in her arm, more blood that damage, but enough to make Tony panic.

"Girl, what did you do. Hell, Tim wasn't asking for the real thing! Ducky….?"

Ducky smiled and Ziva hadn't even reacted.

"Spies will be spies. Come Sharon, we will say that you being MI-6, it would be preferable, no ordered, that I patch you up. Are you going to need a tetanus shot?"

"No, I'm good, but will need stitches for real. I have very thin skin."

"Most redheads do."

Tony, Tim and Abby were in shock. Ziva calmed them as she explained.

"Guys, we are not getting the planned training, but I have a feeling you are going to learn a lot more than planned! Sharon did what I would have done as a spy. Do not worry; not a first, not a last and she'll be fine. As investigators, the scene is before us, we look for clues and connect the dots. Spy work is pretty much the same but it's worked from a different angle. A spy does not have a crime scene, he creates a moment to out his target or win an asset. Investigators have or need to corner a guilty party, a spy … not so much, they have to woe a person/a situation of interest that is valuable because of what it knows, witness or does. Investigators have to find the guilty party, spies need to silence or cultivate the designated target/assets. Where our work is ruled by codes and laws, for a spy everything goes, two rules only: Get the job done and never attract attention to your actions/person."

Abby asked, "Ziva, investigator's work; it must be boring for you? You never talked about it like this before."

"Why talk about something that is irrelevant? It is now, because of the threat level NCIS is facing. Abby, I've learned, with this team's help, that I am first an investigator. Look at Sharon, Eyal is the same; they act/react. Not saying that they act foolishly, they don't; their actions are planned and calculated. They use hunches and protocols, don't think back and never look at collateral damages. Spies sum it up to a successful or failed mission and move on. I, on the other hand, could never stop analyzing and dwelled on the bad. Abby, I would not, could not, go back to the spy world. But Gibbs is right, we are going to need to add a bit of spy like work in our curriculum. It's the only way to succeed in this changing and dangerous new world."

Tony concluded, "Another difference; when an investigator goes through some rough time, he can be helped … spies don't get many second chances!"

Ziva agreed, "Sadly, you are right, Tony. NCIS and this team are the reasons I am still alive."

Abby hugged Ziva.

Ducky rapidly convinced the nurse to leave him threat Sharon in a private manner. They were left alone in the infirmary. He tended to Sharon's wound then the MI-6 forensic spy specialist went to work. Looking at the woman hack medical files without any qualms, he realized the difference between Sharon and Ziva. One had a heart, soul and conscience, the other…

"A penny for your thoughts, Ducky?"

"Was thinking of the Wizard of Oz."

"Ha, comparing me and Ziva! I do have a heart, Dr. Mallard. To keep my sanity, I compartmentalize. The ones who don't… well they get out of the business pretty quick or end up as nut cases! I might need to work on my conscious at times, but the heart is there and ticking. OK, enough melancholy, I'm in Eyal's file. What are we looking for? I have Eyal's… Ducky, what is that dark object in Eyal's wrist. He took the z-ray with the right hand holding his injured leg very unusual … no doctor would put that hand in the X-ray….He wanted us to see his wrist, Ducky…?

A worried Ducky asked, "Sharon, can we transfer that file to Tim?"

Sharon put on a sly smile, "Already done. Time to bow out, partner in crime."

"Let's get back to the team. This is another case of déjà vue and it spells dire consequences! Never seen a mystery unfold in such a strange way. Sharon, Eyal, Quinn and one of the agencies (NCIS, Mossad or MI-6) secrets are in great danger, but they didn't count on a very intelligent spy to counter their frame-up!"

"Ducky, who are 'they'? Did I miss something?"

"Don't know yet who 'they' are. Sharon, Tony, Tim and Ziva will explain better than I. Eyal made us exhume three old cases and if I connected the dots, the others also did."

As Ducky entered, Sharon knew, by their looks that the team had come to the same conclusions Ducky had.

Looking at all, she asked, "What is going on, did you guys see a ghost?"

Ziva went to Sharon, "With this last 'clue', Eyal succeeded in bringing us full circle without the enemy catching on (well, I hope). We might still be missing some pieces of the puzzle, but we know what we are facing. Tony is calling Gibbs and Director Vance as we speak. This news has to go vertical, no keeping it from NCIS."

"Please, somebody read me in… I not familiar with your old cases!"

Ziva concluded, "Prefer waiting for Tony."

To be continued! Thanks all for the nice reviews, so much like reading them.