Five minutes later, Office of the Director of NCIS
Gibbs stormed past Leon Vance's bewildered secretary and into his empty office where he immediately initiated a 'lock down'. He picked up the desk phone and dialed Vance's home number.
Three rings and then, "Vance."
"Tell me what the HELL is going on, Leon," Gibbs growled—not a request; a demand.
Leon hesitated; changing course away from thoughts about his children to what Gibbs might be after. A rock formed in his stomach.
XXXXXXX
Ten minutes later: Safe House, Grayson, VA
Next to him on the bedside stand, Malachi's burn phone chirped indicating a missed call from an unknown number. He picked it up, annoyed that he had slept through the call; but certain it was just another telemarketer calling random numbers in hopes of making a sale. He retrieved the caller's number and sat up. The number was familiar. His heart rate increased noticeably…Ziva.
Down the hall, in the living room, Eli was bent over the 60's song book he'd picked up in the small music store in downtown Grayson, making notations in the margins. His phone's vibrations against his hip caused his hand to jump—leaving a line of blue ink across the page. He glanced at the caller I.D. and put the phone to his ear, "Aslan?"
"Your daughter knows. She's coming to you," came the somber, yet urgent voice on the other end. "ETA two and a half hours with her driving. We're on our way too. "
Eli stood up, the book and pen falling from his lap to the floor—forgotten.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Fifteen Minutes later: Near Dulles Airport, Washington DC
A smile snaked its way across his darkened features. How predictable these Americans, he thought. They have handed me my prize on a silver platter. More accurately, Ziva David has done so…her first mistake, being allowing me to access her partner's laptop and her second, just like her father, she is too trusting…too confident in the faithfulness of those with whom she surrounds herself. Becoming an American has weakened her.
A quick jerk of the head to his associates and five minutes of placing a triangulation tracker on the ping from ZIva's active cell phone and Ilan Bodnar was on his way towards restitution.