There was a constant struggle ensuing within Tony DiNozzo's mind as he matched Ziva's brisk pace that carried them away from the squad room and towards the interrogations rooms to, once again, interview Officer Shiri Eban of the Mossad. In the time since watching Gibbs' questioning Eban Tony took note of body language and general abnormal behaviour of the woman with whom he had worked with and had gotten to know for eight years. In addition to his observations Tony relied on the uneasiness indicated by his gut instinct. While his gut instincts were nowhere near as legendary or infallible as the mighty Leroy Jethro Gibbs' he had come to rely on his own and it told him that Ziva was holding out when it came to the Mossad officer in the custody of NCIS. As a loyal friend of Ziva's he chose not to go to Gibbs, who probably had an inkling of his own, but Tony knew he would have to speak to Ziva before they went toe to toe with Eban interrogation. As they both rounded the corner that completely cloaked the squad room from view Tony knew his time to act had arrived.
Tony stopped mid-step, looking down as a slight taint of guilt found its way into his heart as questions crossed his mind that could be perceived by his team mate as doubting her loyalty to the time or, more importantly, the friendship they shared.
In her anxiousness to reach their destination and finally get answers to the agency's questions in addition to maybe settling her own curiosity Ziva was several steps ahead of her partner before she finally stopped and made an about turn. In silence she regarded Tony inquisitively. Neither spoke words but their body language, each knowing the others tells and eccentricities, spoke volumes as Tony stared Ziva straight in the eye with the all too serious look that could rarely be seen as the senior field agent often confronted the more serious situations in life and work with a healthy dose of humour. In what had become a staring contest and a game of wits Tony made the first move as the point of their awkward show down crossed the point of no return.
In what could trigger a volatile reaction, skipping any safer build up to the million dollar question, Tony abruptly poised the thought that had been on his mind and dancing around in his gut since day one of their investigation. "Are you going to tell me how you know Officer Eban?" As he dropped the ball Tony realized it was never a question of if she knew their suspect, only the circumstances surrounding how.
Had she followed through on her first instinct Ziva's fist would have connected squarely against Tony's jaw in what he was aware would have been a damn fine left hook. She resisted the urge, instead clenching her fists and holding them in place at the seams of her slacks while seething on the inside. In truth her reaction had nothing to do with whether or not her loyalty or her friendship was being held in doubt. Ziva trusted Tony and believed that neither played a role in his reasons for asking her about the Mossad officer. Everyone at NCIS wanted answers however the questions that Ziva had on her mind were personal, hers and of consequence to no one besides herself and the anger and frustration she was now experiencing stemmed from her now compromised desire to keep those questions to herself.
"I do not know her," Ziva initially insisted in the face of Tony's unbroken gaze against her own. It was a lie, unsturdy at best, but it was her first instinct. It was not based on her desire to be dishonest with Tony but a self defence mechanism to preserve her own suspicions regarding the true identity of Shiri Eban. However with no further prompt from Tony she crumbled under the stress that had come from recent events and Tony's directness. "I mean, I might know her," she managed. "She is familiar to me."
As sure as Tony was that he could trust Ziva with his life there was a reminder lingering towards the back of his mind reminding him of how Ziva had a history of not being entirely truthful or forthcoming when it came to her relationships with Mossad personnel. The circumstances of Officer Michael Rivkin's activities in the United States were the most prominent, and it had affected Tony personally as he had asked Ziva about the nature of her relationship with Officer Rivkin more than once. Ziva had once admitted to thinking about killing him following Rivkin's death. Treading carefully, Tony moved forward with the can of worms he had blown open. "You need to tell me, Ziva," he implored her. No matter how much he wanted to protect Ziva Tony knew that depending on what he was told he would possibly have to report every word to Gibbs.
As much as she wanted to continue fighting Tony and deflecting his inquiry Ziva finally surrendered to the bond of trust and friendship that they had spent eight years establishing. "Orli Elbaz has identified her as Shiri Eban," she began, referring to the Mossad officer who was located just down the corridor and a second turn away from their position. "I'm sure it will be of no surprise to you that, again, the director of Mossad has not been entirely honest with us." Slowly, however surely, the truth began to unravel from the shroud that had been hiding it. "My gut tells me Shiri Eban is not her name, Tony. I think I recognize her, but it's been fourteen years."
"Fourteen years? That would make you,what? Eighteen? Nineteen?" Tony probed further as Ziva opened up. He recalled the details of the file Ziva had delivered to Vance, Gibbs and himself in MTAC. "Eban was born in 1983. That means she would have only been sixteen?"
Ziva nodded. "If the information passed on to me by my contact is accurate, then yes." Her answers were short. While she was not avoiding answering Ziva intended to keep her responses as to the point as possible.
"Did you serve with her in the Israeli Army?" Tony asked, attempting to figure possible means for a relationship between Ziva, then a Mossad officer, and the sixteen year old Eban. "Could she have been Mossad?"
"Mossad officers, while not yet conscripted into the Army for their mandatory two years of service, have been known to serve as young as fourteen in an unofficial capacity," Ziva explained. "I was fourteen and answering the call to serve my country when I started working with Mossad, Tony."
"Is that where you recognize her? Did you work together on an op?" Tony asked while taking a shot in the dark.
Another nod. "Cairo, I think."
Although he did not have the necessary pieces to construct the puzzle that paralleled Shiri Eban's past to that of Tali David's Tony's head was now filled with several more questions that might just have led to Ziva's confession had they both not been attracted by audio clues of a scuffle around the bend in the corridor ahead of them. Even as tension rose between the two agents and as Ziva's resentment for Tony's line of questioning grew both of them postponed any further words as they let their training and professionalism take over. No sooner did they reach the turn in the corridor did the body of a woman fall directly in their path, landing at the feet of the agents.
Known to Tony and Ziva as Janelle Lennox the woman was a probationary agent, new to the navy yard, who had been assigned to stand guard outside of the interrogation room where Shiri Eban was held in custody. The young agent laid sprawled on her back with the handle of a knife sticking outward from her chest. It was a clean stab to the heart and had probably taken Lennox entirely by surprise. Most probably dead medical training given to the agents recommended doing what they believed may help the fallen woman to survive. As Tony removed his jacket and used it to apply pressure to the wound Ziva reached for her phone and dialled the switchboard in the lobby of NCIS headquarters.
"This is Agent David. We have an agent down outside Interrogation Two. We need an ambulance." As she spoke Ziva peered down the corridor and saw the door to the interrogation room wide open. No sooner had she ended her call when she and Tony shared a glance, the exact moment when they both realized that their suspect who now had killed three NCIS special agents had escaped custody and was loose inside their own building presumably looking for method of escape.
"Take over!" Tony ordered, practically pulling Ziva's hands onto the makeshift pressure garment he had fashioned from his designer blazer.
"Go!" Ziva told him, and watched as he drew his weapon and took off sprinting down the corridor as she tended to the fallen agent. Regardless of what feelings of hostility might have come from their recent confrontation she felt concern for him as, after clearing the exposed interrogation room, he disappeared out of her sight.