Note: And so the reveal arrives! Thank you for the reviews! And a special thanks to Mew who pointed out my brain fart. Of course it is conscience! Ailyah I simply gobbled up your review and Greeny and come2me hold on to the tissue box for later chapters. Hugs! Don't forget to feed the feedback!
Oh and conversation next chapter.
Ziva woke early and carefully extricated herself from Tony's embrace. She pushed her pillow to his side and noticed the alarm clock read 5:53am. She went and washed up then dressed quickly in her jogging attire. Before leaving the apartment she grabbed a piece of paper from Tony's printer and scribbled a note to him.
Tony, went for a run. I'll be back with something hot and gooey for you. Love ~ your wife.
Ziva could not help the smile that automatically blossomed on her face. She'd just written your wife and she was indeed Tony's wife.
She left the note on the island and put the champagne glasses in the dishwasher quietly. As she looked around the apartment and saw the rose petals still on the floor and the untouched cake Barry must have left, on the island; it hit her hard. Gibbs had been right. She had become resigned to die.
She did not want to die - not with all she had to lose.
She left the apartment, bid good morning to Ralph, the morning doorman, who congratulated her and took off in a jog. The streets were quiet still just starting to come to life with the early morning coffee drinkers and dog walkers. She maneuvered around a guy texting with earphones on and noticed Tiffany's bakery. She'd stop there on her way back - she had to get to know this neighborhood better because as she ran she decided she would do whatever it took to come back.
She jogged into park and recalled that terrible day. They'd resigned about a week earlier. She, Tony and McGee had been inseparable those days but Gibbs was out in the ether. He'd taken some assignment he refused to clue them in on and vanished. They all thought Gibbs would contact them eventually. But Ziva never had the chance to wait around for Gibbs with Tony and McGee - she was approached by the CIA.
Trent Kort and another man, Jeremy Russell - if that was his real name; knocked on her apartment door just after Tony and McGee dropped her off after they'd had dinner together. That night changed everything.
At first they'd offered her a job at CIA since they knew she wasn't working at NCIS anymore. Ziva declined telling them that she was too rusty for that kind of work anymore. Kort also brought up the fact that she'd inherited millions from Eli and didn't need to work. Ziva didn't deny it and asked if it was a crime to be an heir?
Russell said no and he also said that she also didn't commit a crime when Bodnar died. They have video of the fight from a nearby surveillance camera watching the docks. She'd told the truth, she tried to arrest Bodnar, he fought her and tried to kill her before losing his footing and falling to his death. They have the video and it is as plain as day. Then he proceeded to tell her that that was why Parsons didn't go after her - they couldn't prove her intent.
Trent chimed in then and told her that Gibbs was a much easier target.
"Why the hell are you doing this?" Ziva yelled at Trent. "You sicked Parsons on Gibbs? Why?"
"Because we wanted to get to you Miss David," Russell offered. "We need your assistance and we know you are likely not amenable to give it."
"What is this about?" Ziva demanded.
"Rafe Cortez," Russell said simply.
"The mercenary on the top ten most wanted for most Federal agencies?" Ziva asked not liking one bit where this was going.
"Yes," Russell answered. "We want you to kill him for us."
"Excuse me?" Ziva glanced between the men and noticed how uncomfortable Kort was.
"You are just the kind of person he would recruit," Russell took a step to Ziva and she took a step back, "Former Mossad Kidon, daughter of the late director of Mossad. Former US Federal Agent with quite an impressive track record. Who killed her father's murderer and quit her job. Your credentials could never be artificially manufactured. There is no one in existence we could back stop the way you are set up. And the bonus - none of your story is a lie."
"No," Ziva shook her head, "I am not that person anymore."
"Of course you are," Russell nodded. "You don't forget how to do this kind of work."
"I am not interested," Ziva started to her door, "Please, leave."
"If you do not help us we will be forced to put your friends in jail," Russell calmly stated.
Ziva turned and stared at him before indicating for him to explain himself.
"The CIA has a file on Gibbs and it got bigger a couple of years ago." Trent stepped around Russell and started, "We know he killed Pedro Hernandez and we have hard evidence to prove it. CIA has held onto the evidence for years in case they needed to ask Gibbs for a favor. A couple of years ago your Miss Scuito wrote a forensics report that got lost in transit. We have a copy of that report as well and it paints her as complicit in a cover up. There is also evidence that Director Vance and Agent McGee had knowledge of Gibbs' crimes. It is enough to put them all in prison for the rest of their natural lives."
Ziva stood silent and watched as Trent turned to Russell.
"You and Mr. DiNozzo are the only ones of the team not implicated in these crimes. I commend you for covering your tracks well. Too bad your friends are not as adept," Russell said.
"If you help us," Trent continued, "none of this has to surface."
"I want all of it," Ziva stated flatly. "I want all the evidence files and I want letters from the CIA clearing everyone at NCIS of any wrongdoing. I want an authority letter for Abby Scuito to destroy the forensics report and I want a letter authorizing Gibbs to take out enemy of the state, Pedro Hernandez backdated to the time of death."
"You are not in a position to make demands, Miss David," Russell snapped.
"The hell I am not." Ziva glared at the taller man, "You are right. No one has my credentials. Getting to Cortez? It would take you years to back stop any officer with credentials enough to get them into Cortez's street gangs much less his inner circle!" Ziva stepped into Russell, her eyes narrowed, "And do not think that I cannot protect my team. I could make them vanish - trust me."
"Ziva," Trent interjected, "we can get this. We can make this deal." He turned to Russell, "No need to quibble over details. She is willing to do it - we give her what she wants." Trent returned his attention to Ziva, "As of today you will be officially a CIA officer. I have your credentials and everything will be on file. I will personally be acting as your handler."
"I want something else," Ziva crossed her arms over her chest. "Alejandro Rivera."
"Hernandez's son? He is in a Mexican jail cell," Trent said.
"It looks like he will be released soon and I do not think he will forget what happened with Gibbs and his sister's death," Ziva pushed to make sure her family was safe no matter what. "I do not want him to be a threat and surely the great CIA-"
"Fine," Russell agreed. "You will hear that he is no longer a threat in a few days. Then I want you in South America. We need to-"
"You will not tell me how to do my job," stepped closer to Trent, "I will take the credentials and a letter of my own authorizing this mission. When it is complete all letters and files are to be given to Gibbs. Those are my terms."
"Done," Trent stated.
And so far everything had worked. CIA had given her the IDs and sundry items she needed and even funded her mission. She was so much closer to Cortez after having accepted the contract on one of his competitors. The day Tony found her in Brazil she'd just shot the man with her long range rifle. She made sure to have Kort authorize this killing as well - no reason the CIA wouldn't want a human trafficker like that dead and it gave her the in she needed with Cortez.
Disappearing after the kill actually played into her cover - cover, how odd was it to use yourself as a cover identity? Even though she'd done it before. But she did have to get back to Brazil in a few days - it was one of the few times she knew Cortez would be in town and he would certainly try to find the new talent.
Ziva jogged back to the apartment but stopped at the bakery and bought a coffee cake and a couple of coffees. This could all still take many months but she'd assumed from the beginning that getting to Cortez would mean her death because he was always guarded - always moving and to be that close meant giving up your own life. But maybe there was a way still to get him and live. If there was she was intent on finding it now.