GEORGETOWN, KATE'S APARTMENT; JULY 16, 2004, 17:00
Kate opened her apartment door to smell fresh baked bread, she closed her door silently before taking her gun out of her purse and started toward the kitchen. She found Ari making dinner, "do not be afraid Caitlin, I have just come to make you dinner."
Kate put her weapon up and folded her arms, "I thought you said…"
"It is a long story, I will explain." He walked over and handed her a cup of coffee, "it's Turkish so it looks horrible but tastes quite good."
She took the cup and tried it, smiling afterwards. "You're right, is that chocolate?"
"Some…my step-mother's recipe." He brushed the back of her cheek with his hand, "dinner is nearly done…come sit and tell me of your day."
They sat at the table and spoke over coffee, after explaining her case and how she wanted to kill the father right there in the bank, she realized he had funded the money to get his daughter surgery to see.
"What do you think of his will to help his child?" he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, Kate shook her head, "what is it Caitlin?"
"I believe that if God wants you to see, he will give you sight. He can't try to change the blindness for it isn't his to change." Kate eyed Ari, "without her blindness, the little girl would not have her other senses and without those we would never have found her mother."
She was careful not to say names; he was the enemy of NCIS but her friend. She could tell him of her day but not those involved. "I agree, he should not change what is not his to change…it should be put to the little girl."
Kate smiled and nodded, "perhaps, what are you doing here…you said you would not come back?"
"I have been ordered by my father to come back," he eyed her yet his hand continued to hold and caress her own. "He wants you to become a mole for me but I refuse to make you one."
"Why?" She eyed him, "I mean why not make me a mole…not that I'd agree."
Ari chuckled and stood, sensing the food was done. He placed the back of his hand on her cheek, "because my beautiful Caitlin, I will not use you like I have used others."
She watched as he opened the oven and removed a pan, placing what looked like fish on a plate. She noticed he began to place food on the table; plates and silverware were already on it. He had cooked a middle eastern meal…baked fish, fresh bread, hummus and lentil soup.
"It looks so good, you didn't have to cook again." She watched as he served her food and then sat down, serving his own. "Why do you do this?"
"Cooking was an interest for me when I was younger…my mother and step-mother taught me despite my father's protest." He eyed her, "do you wish to pray?"
"Sure," she found it strange he asked her that, she looked at her food and closed her eyes. "Lord, thank you for friends and family, thank you for this meal. I thank that you returned my young ward to her parents safely and have allowed enemies to become friends. Amen."
"Amen," Ari eyed her as she looked up, "I keep my religion close and rarely reveal it."
"I'll never tell," she smiled and dug into her meal, "so tell me if you can…your family, has it always been Mossad?"
"I am a fourth generation Mossad officer."
"It's only been around fifty years…sounds strange to be a fourth generation officer." Kate eyed him as she took a drink of coffee.
"Most officers marry young; my father was born the year the modern Mossad was created. Before 1949 there was another Mossad and my great-grandfather was part of that. After that my grandfather joined the new Mossad and then my father and his siblings and then me and my sister."
"So it's a family thing?"
"My step-mother is known as 'Madam Mossad'…my father's unofficial right hand however is my sister. He has trained her to become…" he stopped and then found Kate curious. "I cannot tell you anymore."
"Fair enough, you've told me more than I expected to hear." She took a moment to realize what he had said about his step-mother, if she was called 'Madam Mossad' then her husband, his father, had a high position…no doubt the director of Mossad. "Your father is director of Mossad isn't he?"
He looked at her in surprise and she eyed him, "Deputy Director David, my grandfather is director…how did you know Caitlin."
"No woman gets the title of 'Madam Mossad' unless she has a high position. That and you said your sister was his right hand, he had to be up at the top of the food chain." She eyed him and knew he was worried she'd use it against him. "I won't tell anyone."
"I am not worry about betrayal Caitlin, I worry for your safety." He took her hand and caressed it, "if my father knows that you have discovered who he is…he will not hesitate to kill you."
"My mouth is sealed, no one will ever know." She thought about something he had said earlier, about marrying young. She knew for a fact that he was nearing his late thirties. "Why haven't you married…you're thirty-six and yet you aren't married."
Ari chuckled and eyed her, he was about to answer when his cell phone rang. Releasing her hand, he opened his cell phone to find it was his father. "I must take this Caitlin, it is my father."
She nodded and he stood, walking to her living room window. She listened as he spoke in Hebrew; his voice was rough and full of anger. He had never spoken harshly to her, never yelled and was always gentle when he touched her…never out of anger but he was like a different person with others. He was living a double life in more ways than one…he was a double Mossad agent, yes, but the only thing he had ever had as a personal life were his motorcycles and now her, as he had said.
She watched as he hung up and she stood, walking over. "What is it?"
"My sister has exposed herself; I must leave and go take care of her mess." He looked at Kate as she joined him, "I do not know when I will return Caitlin, if I will. Just continue on with life and if I return, I shall see you then." He removed a small velvet bag from his pocket and handed it to her, "I am always with you in some form," he kissed her head before gently brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. "Take care of yourself my Caitlin."
She could say nothing, part of her wanted him to go and the other wanted him to stay. Fearing what she could say, she just nodded and watched him pick up his jacket from the couch and bike helmet from beside the door before leaving. "Goodbye Ari."
He didn't hear her because he had left by that time; dumping the contents of the bag into her hand she found a St. Michael medal, he was the patron saint for law enforcement and around the chain was the bullet she had bullet from his shoulder…the scratches from his shoulder bone were on the jacket. On it was an engraving in Hebrew and she knew Ari had carved it himself…she'd take it to the base's rabbi and ask what it meant.
