CHAPTER 10
Cracking what Oleg Pleshenko did to not only retire on a huge Government pension, but to also afford 1/4 fractional ownership in a private aircraft, seemed an impossible task. Of course, Ziva did her best to find out more about him, but the computer system didn't come up with any new clues. As far as the CIA was concerned, Oleg Pleshenko was shot and killed while traveling abroad on business. Ivan Smith was retired from the Army and living in Virginia. His files were neat, clean, and all up to date. Someone was taking good care of him.
Ziva sighed and logged out of the computer. She tried to limit the amount of time she spent exposed to the computer screen now that she was pregnant. She hadn't been to see Ari again, but had received several text messages from Katia's phone, all in Hebrew. He probably didn't want Katia to see them, but he was not likely to be familiar with Google Translate either. Sometimes, Ari seemed so idiosyncratic in his choice of English words, and felt far more comfortable speaking and writing in Hebrew.
Ari and Katia had decided to postpone their marriage until after he returned from France. He would be leaving the hospital on Friday, exactly 12 days after being admitted with internal bleeding. His latest blood work had shown great improvement in his red blood cell count, but he was still malnourished.
"They keep trying to fatten me up," he wrote. "I refused to drink the horrible protein and vitamin drink they gave me, so they pumped it directly into the tube in my stomach."
Ziva really didn't care to hear that one. Ari was always a fussy eater, and unless it was 5-Star cuisine, he'd rather starve. She'd seen him live on fruit, nuts, and wine for weeks when he was still working in the clinic. Knowing that he was now possibly an alcoholic made her want to weep. Ari would never give up his wine or Scotch. He had also started smoking again, which surprised her. Cigarettes were expensive, and he had vowed to quit forever when his mother had died. In the back of her mind, Ziva wondered if Katia was behind the smoking. She had a pack in her purse, and her breath had that faint smell of burnt ashes when she spoke too close. Ziva's nose had become so sensitive to smells since she became pregnant. CIgarette and cigar smoke now made her queasy.
Gibbs was waiting for her outside of the isolation room.
"Ziva, we need to talk. In private."
"Shall we go back into the cone of silence?"
"You watched Get Smart?"
Ziva rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah. Tony. Well, we can't talk in there, it's bugged and has cameras."
Ziva's stomach did a flip-flop. "Cameras? Where?"
"I'm surprised you didn't notice them. They are positioned in the photos on the wall behind the computer. They pick up everything."
"I guess I'm off my game. I've been a bit distracted lately. I'm sorry Gibbs."
"Come on, Let's talk."
Ziva was convinced that she was about to be interrogated for looking up information on Ivan Smith/Oleg Pleshenko. She tried to smile at Gibbs, but it came off looking a bit like a suppressed burp.
At Washington Hospital Center, it was the morning to evening shift change for the techs. Katia had left for the day, and Ari was awaiting the arrival of his favorite tech, Kate Jr.. Okay, he was being an idiot, but she was very young, full of life, and loved to tease. In other words, the perfect woman. Okay, girl. Katia would be furious with him for flirting, but he couldn't help himself. Besides, she was from a dirt poor family, and he had no interest in anything other than sex from this young lady. Katia had stirred a fire in him that he thought was lost, and the smell of Kate Jr. was one of vanilla and the odd spice, and was driving him insane. What was it? Jasmine? Cinnamon?
Much to Ari's dismay, his precious Kate did not arrive. In her place was Dr. Gregory Davis, the "Dr. Death" of Washington Hospital Center. Ari despised the man, and regarded him as a parasite of a doctor. His opinion of him as a person was even less, and he had once dreamt, in a Demerol-induced slumber, of blowing the man's head off. Having him show up now, was not what he had planned for his late afternoon and evening entertainment.
"Hi, Jacob. Good news. You're going home on Friday morning. 9:00 am sharp!"
Ari gave him a big smile, rubbed his slender hands together, and said, "I can hardly wait."
"You are going to need follow-up care after you leave Washington Hospital Center, and I would love to be your new doctor. I think we have established a great rapport, and I know your digestive tract rather intimately right now."
Ari wasn't certain, but he thought that the good doctor had just made a pass at him. Shit. Why did this always happen to him? Yes, he was tall, thin, and handsome. That did not make him gay. But, instead of shunning him, Ari decided to have some fun. After all, this charlatan of a doctor had just foiled his plans to seduce little Kate. Ari reached out and touched the doctor's hand, saying,
"Greg, you'll be at the top of my list when I return from France."
"France? No, you can't travel. You have an infectious disease. You know that you have Tuberculosis. You cannot travel on a commercial airline until you are clear of the disease. What you need is some TLC, not a vacation! No, absolutely not! You will have to sign documents before leaving on Friday, stating that you fully understand the nature of your illness, and that you will continue your medications and see a pulmonary specialist every 2-3 weeks until further notice. I've assigned Dr. Ben Weinstein to you. He's the best in the area. In fact, he's the foremost Infectious Disease specialist in the States."
Ari grew pale and gagged. Greg Davis was at a loss.
"Are you okay? Should I buzz for the nurse?"
Ari managed to calm himself down. He wanted to grab Greg's skinny neck and end it, once and for all.
"No, no, Greg. I'm fine. It's probably just the tapeworm."
Greg recoiled and stood up next to the bed.
Ari grinned, but deep inside, he was in pain. Dr. Benjamin Weinstein was his father's name. Eli David changed his name when he left the profession and became the Director of Mossad. He would never allow this American bastard to touch him.
"Please listen to me, Jacob. You need to rest when you return to Virginia. Promise me that there will be no attempts to travel. Please?"
Ari grinned his happiest grin, saying, "Anything for you, Greg."
"Good boy. Now let me take a look at those stitches," he cooed as he lifted Jabob's hospital gown.
"I'm happy with your progress," Greg exclaimed. "But, my friend, I am very curious how a man living on the street for 5 years happens to wind up at the W Hotel wearing a custom suit, Diamond Rolex, and possess the richest health plan around? Your health was too
deteriorated for you to have been off the streets for more than a week or two."
Ari looked at him straight in the eye and lied.
"Katia takes good care of me. She is rich."
"Oh yes, Katia. The one with the intense Russian father. Odd woman. Looks Russian, but speaks with a British accent."
"Katia was schooled at only the best universities. She has studied at Oxford. Do not insult her. We are to be married."
"Whatever you say, dear." Dr. Gregory Davis turned his back on Jacob Bettencourt, and started to leave. He paused, turned, and said, "Oh, by the way. Kate, your tech, has been fired. Our surveillance cameras picked up that little routine the other night. Your new tech will be in shortly with your afternoon meds. Sleep well, Jacob."
Gibbs escorted Ziva into Vance's office. Vance was out "sick", which everyone knew translated to the fact that Leon Vance was having flashbacks again. Ziva cringed at the thought. Her father was a major part of Vance's ongoing emotional problems, and it was effecting with his job performance.
"Have a seat, Agent David. I mean DiNozzo. Did you really have to change your name, Ziva?"
"Gibbs," she remarked, "Make up your mind if you are my boss or my friend, but, don't mix them together. What is going on?"
Gibbs sat her down and pulled another chair up , right in front of her. Close. He sat and
looked directly into her eyes.
"Since when do you have another brother?"
Ziva didn't flinch. This was one time that she was glad that she had survived such harsh training in Israel.
"Answer me." Gibbs was pissed.
"I don't. Ari was my only brother."
She was telling the truth, in a way. And, she believed what she said. Eli David, Jr. was not her brother. She had never met him, and was glad that she had killed him instead of Ari. Her father had demanded Ari's extermination, and she had obeyed. It was a test of loyalty. Things were different now. She was an American, and despite being under NCIS rule, she still had rights, and if she had to, she would ask for an attorney. She would not give Ari up.
Gibbs cleared his throat.
"Ziva, why were you at Washington Center Hospital last Sunday? Your face showed up on one of the facial recognition cameras."
"I went to see my friend. Her fiance was taken ill, and she was distraught."
"Since when are you friends with Katia Smith? Or should I say, Pleshenko."
"We met a while back. I had no idea who she was until I met her father and wondered why they went by the name Smith. She told me that they were in the witness protection program. Why?"
Gibbs looked very hard at Ziva and squinted his blue eyes, revealing the many lines that were engrained in his face. Years of sun and sea air had turned this Navy Officer into a true seaman.
"Ziva. If Vance were here, you'd be in the Brig."
"Gibbs!" Ziva was visibly upset. "I haven't done anything wrong. I just went to console my friend."
"Does Tony know you were there?"
"No, he was at the Redskins game with his pal Bill. I didn't want him to worry about me. Seriously Gibbs, he never lets me be. He talks constantly, and watches the television loudly. He's taken over my apartment, and he's a slob. Helping out my friend was good for me."
"So, you admit you made a mistake?"
"Going to the hospital to console a friend, was not a mistake. Especially with that man for a father. He wouldn't even allow her to cry."
Gibbs finally cracked a smile.
"I was talking about DiNozzo."
Ziva relaxed and laughed. She was off the hook. At least she hoped Gibbs would be too busy with Vance out to go snooping around. She got up to leave.
"Wait. We're not done. Now you have to explain why you have been researching Ivan Pleshenko on NCIS time?"
Ziva was going to have to think fast. This was going to be a long morning. She held onto her Star of David and prayed a quick prayer in her head. In the moment it took for her to compose herself, the fire alarms went off, and she and Gibbs made a rush to the door. A fire had started in a closet, and smoke was filling the halls.
"Who's been smoking in the closet? Their ass is mine!" WIth that, Gibbs forgot all about Ivan Pleshenko.
Katia arrived at the hospital early Friday morning. She had driven into D.C. alone. Ivan made people nervous, and Jacob did not need the added stress of her father's complaining. She was worried about this trip he had planned for France. If the plan didn't go perfectly, she may never see him again. The thought made her very nervous. She did not want to be living with her father anymore. She wanted out of his home, and didn't care if he disowned her. She was more than capable of paving her own way, and didn't need his dirty money.
Jacob had been moved to a private room, several floors away from the I.C.U., and in an area that resembled an Inn, rather than a hospital. As she entered the room, she saw that Jacob was already eating breakfast. It was the first time she had seen him eat normal looking food.
"That looks good," she said. She went over to him and gave him a kiss. She didn't care if he had a full mouth. She loved him.
"My personal chef cooked it for me," he replied. "Hospital food is always tasteless, but this is actually good. I can't wait to eat a nice buttery croissant with jam. I can smell the boulangerie now."
"Oh, my love. You are making me sad. Please let me go with you. I promise not to ask questions or get in your way. I haven't been to France in 10 years. Paris is so romantic. I want to be there with you. You shouldn't be alone in your condition."
Ari just smiled. She could not go with him. It was too dangerous. If he got stopped along his route, he would be in serious trouble. He did not want her to know it, but he would never be taken alive. Never.
"We'll go to Paris on our honeymoon. I promise. Now hush. We don't want the snooping eyes and ears of Dr. Death to overhear you speak of travel." His eyes darting up and from side to side. It made Katia laugh.
A short while later, Ari was allowed to dress in his street clothes, while Katia packed up his personal belongings. An aide came in with his wheelchair, and they left the hospital via a private elevator, which conveniently opened up to the V.I.P. parking area, and Katia's shiny red car. After helping him in the car, the aide left and didn't look back. This was the type of service Ari could appreciate.
Ari looked at his watch and asked, "Did you pack everything I asked for?"
"Yes, my love. Your bags are in the trunk."
"And my gun?"
"Under your seat. I haven't touched it since my father stashed it there."
"That wasn't wise. What if the car was stolen?"
Katia threw her hair back and laughed. She didn't care if Jacob got grumpy. He did it for attention. Men were such boys.
"My love, if someone could actually steal this car, they'd deserve to get the gun as a prize. My security system locks the engine if anyone tries to move it without the proper key."
For some peculiar reason, Ari did not know this before. If Katia was holding back information about her car, what else was she not telling him. He was going to have a very serious discussion with her when he returned. She must be 100% loyal to him, and obey him. Not Ivan.
Katia dropped Ari off on the tarmac. The Dassault Falcon 7X was glistening in the morning sun. Ivan had come through for him. No customs agents, no security checks.
The pilot was waiting for him, and personally carried his luggage aboard. Katia joined the men. The co-pilot was prepping the plane for takeoff, and the cabin had been fixed exactly as she had requested. Jacob would have his own special bed to rest in, and his medications were stored safely in a special refrigerator.
She hoped that he would manage by himself. He could be so stubborn. She got him settled in, and then had to leave. They were being called to their runway.
"Oh Jacob, I will miss you so much. Please call me often, and don't forget to take care of yourself. I love you."
Ari reached for her and drew her close. He took her head in his hands and kissed away her tears. Then, he kissed her gently on her full, sensual lips, and said in his sexiest voice, "I love you Katia. You are my angel."
Katia had to force herself to leave. It was the hardest thing she had done since leaving him that first night at the hospital. She wasn't a religious woman, but she prayed to God that he would protect her man from harm. One never knew what could happen when traveling in Ivan Smith's private jet.
As the jet soared off towards France, Ari rested back in his bed, closed his eyes, and dreamed of his favorite city, Paris, where he first fell in love, and discovered his twin.
The very next morning, Ari sat in a riverside park, reading the paper, sipping tea, and savoring a buttery croissant with jam. A lovely woman came up to him and stared.
"May I help you?"
"Eli. Is it really you? Where have you been. Why do you look so sick?"
"I'm sorry, but my name is Jacob. Jacob Bettencourt."
"No," she insisted. "You are Eli. I'd know your voice anywhere. Your accent is strange, but it's your voice. Why are you acting like you don't know me?"
"I don't know you. I've just arrived in Paris from America, and am waiting for a business meeting. Please leave. I don't want you to cause any problems for me. I've been very ill."
From behind, Ari heard a young voice, followed by the arrival of a small boy. He ran into the woman's arms and gave her a big hug.
Ari smiled. He remembered doing the exact same thing to his mother, Hasmia Haswari, when he was a boy. There was always something so comforting about his mother's hugs.
"I'm very sorry to have bothered you, but you look exactly like my fiance, who vanished 7 years ago. He never got to meet our son."
The boy turned and looked at Ari. Ari gave him a smile and said, "Take good care of your mama. She's the only one you'll ever have."
The mother and son turned and walked away. The boy looked back and waved.
He was the exact image of Ari at the same age.
Eli had fathered a son.
Ari waved back.
He took the encounter as an omen. Going back in time was wrong. He was going to have to rethink his plans.
He tossed his paper and cup, and walked towards the woman and child.
It was time to move on.
END STORY