Chapter 7.

The team slept peacefully for 7 hours, sometimes waking and shifting their positions in the metal bird. Akiva had moved down to the floor of the plane leaving Ziva on the bench, her body was starting to ache from sitting for so long. Her long body was stretched out; she was lying on her stomach, a hand supporting her head, her pack keeping her slightly elevated to keep pressure off her left side. Tony laid on his side, the harness straps keeping him from rolling off the bench seat. Gibbs had moved towards the front of the plane leaning against the cockpit his feet stretched out before him, his head resting on his chest. McGee had picked up his things stuffing them back into the pack and had moved closer to Gibbs, his body curled up as he slept on the floor. Ziva had remained on the bench, an earphone casually dangling from one of her ears as the music continued to play, she had fallen back to sleep after taking two more pills from Gibbs.

Suddenly, the plane started to shake, the team was rudely awakened when the pilots swung the plane to the right, causing Ziva to fall gracelessly on top of Akiva, McGee slid knocking into the bench Tony was on, Gibbs slammed into the side with a grunt. After a series of groans, the team stood looking around, finally the red light started flashing above their heads, quickly they started grabbing their packs and parachutes. McGee fumbled a bit trying to dislodge one of his clips that had somehow gotten wedged under one of the plane's cargo holders. The plane shook again this time with an explosion, Gibbs stuck his head in the cockpit.

"Stingers sir, taking evasive action, get ready for an emergency landing." Baley yelled cranking the plane to the left. Gibbs braced himself for the turn then grabbed his pack and parachute. Akiva helped Ziva stand quickly grabbing her pack, Akiva spun Ziva around clipping her in, as the plane rocked back and forth, Ziva held onto Akiva to keep her balance her leg threatening to give out from the impact with the floor. Tony finally finished clipping himself in when the plane shook again with another explosion, Gibbs pushed McGee onto the bench.

"Clip him in!" Gibbs pulled Ziva next to him as Akiva bent down to her pack. The plane leveled for a moment, before a blinding white light hit the team. There was a great whoosh, and a sucking feeling as the back half of the plane fell apart.

Gibbs uncovered his eyes, Ziva, Tony…Tim! Gibbs eyes looked around he saw McGee on the floor of the plane a strap wrapped around his ankle; he was reaching for a pair of hands griping one of the carrier ties. The wind was whipping around them like a vortex. Gibbs stood, holding onto the guide wire. The plane shook again and Gibbs watched in horror as McGee's foot came loose and he slid out the hole.

"Tim!" Gibbs clipped himself to the guide wire pushing himself towards the end of the plane, he looked over the edge. Akiva held on with one hand, her other, in a Vulcan death grip, around McGee's forearm. Her face held in a perpetual state of agony as she felt as if she was going to be ripped apart. Gibbs reached for her hand as it slipped from the extra weight, the wind was going against him making it harder and harder to move, finally Gibbs flattened himself and reached. But it was two seconds too late, Akiva's hand gave way and Gibbs watched, in complete horror, as they plummeted towards the tree tops. Gibbs blue eyes went wide, searching through the clouds and smoke, but they were gone.

Ziva watched Gibbs stand back up, her entire body flowing cold, the plane shook again, the cockpit exploding.

"Get up! Get out! Now!" Gibbs yanked Tony up, pushing him out of the plane, Tony barely registered what happened before pulling his rip cord. Ziva stood as Gibbs pushed her out as well, she spread her body out to slow her fall, and waited a few moments before pulling her rip cord. Gibbs looked back for a second grabbing McGee's pack before unclipping himself and jumping out as well.

Abby came around the corner of the bullpen slurping the last bits of her CalfPow from her cup, she looked around sadly at the empty desks. She had been busy cataloging evidence against Oren, per the Directors orders, to say the least she was a bit frazzled. She had tested the multiple blood samples from the scene, matching most of it to Ziva and Tony; she had found trace elements of DNA, from the others, on the zip ties and rope that were also recovered. She looked around the bullpen going from desk to desk, touching their things, moving some of Tony's, just reminiscing; she hadn't felt this nervous since they had gone to rescue Ziva. She had been saving up the courage to watch the surveillance footage the other team had found on site. It was a closed wire circuit that covered the entire building. Abby shuddered, a cold chill running through her, she looked around wildly looking for a source. But no one was around; it was past midnight, she was the only one left. Deciding to shrug it off as simple nerves she headed down to Ducky's; knowing he was still doing the triple autopsy.

The elevator doors closed and opened putting her in the basement, she glided through the sliding steel doors of autopsy.

"Ah, Abigail. What a pleasant surprise."

"Hey Ducky." Abby glided up next to him looking down at the seemingly undamaged body of an African American man, known as The Fear. "How'd he die?" Abby leaned over trying to look for a bullet wound.

Ducky chuckled and picked up a specimen jar that held a small piece of metal.

"Oh. No. Way!" Abby took the jar looking at the bloody paperclip. She had heard Ziva threatening Tony with a paperclip but never thought she could actually, kill, someone with one. Abby stared at it in amazement just turning the jar around in her hand.

"Yes, way and very effective too. Went straight into his brain." Ducky pointed to a CAT scan of his head showing the piece of metal before it was removed.

"Instant death?" Abby turned looking at the CAT scan.

"Instant death."

"Cool…" Abby breathed.

End Chapter.