Dear all,

Thank you so much for your support and patience. I have not been a good sport and haven't updated in a while. For that I need to apologize. I had come to a point when nothing that I wrote was good enough and I didn't have the courage to post it. This chapter has been re-written at least two dozen times and I am still not happy about the outcome. I hope you will enjoy it, and I will try to update as soon as possible.

P.S. I actually tried to post this chapter 4 days ago, but the site wouldn't convert my file. Today was the day when my attempts were successful.

OK, I'll stop talking and I'll let you read. Enjoy and make me happy :))...Hit the button at the end of the page and drop me a few lines.

Cheers,

Trish

Cat and mouse game

His eye lids were heavy, yet he tried to open them slowly so he may be able to scout his surroundings. His throbbing head managed to bring up images that he was not ready to deal with, at least not yet. With a grunt he pushed himself from the surface he was laying into a sitting position. His left hand went straight to his neck and massaged a sour spot and his numb fingers grazed a bump. He was sure that it was blue and he winced when he applied pressure on the spot. His lungs seemed to still hold the bitter odor of the chloroform, and the dizziness was still there, making him unable to think clear.

"I need some coffee." He grumbled and tried to put his thoughts into some kind of order. The image of a screaming Ziva dance in front of his eyes, and then of Tony, fighting his capturers, trying to reach her. Then the world went black, only to wake up in the badly lit room. On further inspection he could see that he was sitting on some kind of improvised bed, with a rough blacked underneath him. A small bottle of water and some aspirin lay on a tray on the floor. "I see he thought of everything." Gibbs muttered. He reached for the bottle feeling the stiffness of his muscles slowly giving away. After drinking a mouthful and swallowing the aspirin, he stood up and walked along the cramped space. Three steps separated the bed from the door, and four steps the door from the window. At one point Gibbs had hoped that he could escape through the window, but only from a vertical position could he see that it was too small to accommodate a frame of his size. On top of everything it was barred, causing him to smile. His capturers had taken any possible precaution so he may not escape. They had studied him, and he presumed the rest of his team as well, in detail so they knew what they were up against. He chuckled lightly while imagining the type of restrains they had used on Ziva. But his amusement swiftly disappeared when he thought about the glint of fear in her eyes, when the Dragon had gripped her hair. He had punched, kicked, shot and broken so many men, but there were always fresh brutes coming from constantly arriving SUV's. They had no chance from the beginning, and he had failed his team. The fact that he didn't know where Ziva and Tony were worried him the most. They were bought injured, and he doubted that they would get medical attention. After pacing around, trying to come up with a solution, Gibbs gave up and sat again on his bunk, head in his hands. The rusty screechy of the door, made him look up, only to see a familiar face that he wanted to punch brutally.

"What do you mean they were kidnapped? WHAT DO YOU MEAN TIM???" Abby yelled, scaring every agent in the proximity of Gibb' cubical.

"Abby! Abby, calm down!" McGee tried.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down, after you returned at NCIS with a broken marine, a crying Dani and a pissed off Alison? And on top of everything you come back without Tony and Ziva and most importantly without GIBBS!!!" she spoke, her tone high pitched.

"Well, you yelling at me doesn't really help us…at the moment the director is up in MTAC talking to the FBI. Fornell should be walzing in here at any moment …"

"You're damn right I am, McGee. How the hell did you manage to lose Gibbs, Tony and Ziva on the same day?" Fornell asked a deep frown creasing his forehead.

"I…I..I…well you see…" McGee began , trying to shy away from the stern voice only to be cut short by another voice.

"Leave him alone Tobias. His been through enough today and he doesn't need to be schooled by you. I'll deal with him later." The director spoke, sending a harsh gaze towards McGee, causing him to shudder.

"Do we have something Jen? A lead of any sort?" Fornell asked, moving his glare from McGee, causing the young agent to release a breath that he had held for some time.

"Why don't you and McGee come up to my office and I can brief you on the situation." She spoke, moving towards the stairs.

"What about me director? What am I going to do? I just can sit here and do nothing?" Abby squeaked between sobs.

"Go and see Ducky, Abby. You need to calm down." She advised.

The forensic scientist was about to protest but a harsh glare from the director silenced her. She turned quietly and ran towards the elevator.

Once inside Jen's office, she invited Fornell and McGee to take a seat.

"Now gentlemen, I know this is a critical moment, but we at least know who is behind this." She began, rubbing her fingers nervously.

"McGee, would you care to explain to agent Fornell what went on earlier?" she trailed away.

The young agent turned his chair towards the FBI agent and spoke firmly.

"The man behind this is an old "friend" agent Fornell. His name is…"

The creeping cold woke Ziva up. She could feel the pain in every part of her body, but her mind was already alert. She sneezed loudly, and she could hear the rattling of chains. Instantly her eyes flew above her head only to notice that her hands were tied up with ropes and chains. "Explains why I cannot feel them." She muttered while trying to move her hands so she may regain some feeling.

They felt stiff and every move she made sent a pain wave through her body. By now she was certain that once free, from the bond, if she would get free of them and still be alive, she will have some nasty bruises

Her gaze traveled down her body and she could see dried blood on her favorite green sweater and a few holes. She wore softly in Hebrew, only to spot that she missed her shoes and that her legs were in chains as well. "Aren't we cautious." She chuckled.

Swiftly she scouted the room, only to see that it lacked windows. The only source of light was a hole in the ceiling and she could see the grey sky. She immediately tried to come up with a plan so she may escape and save Tony and Gibbs. Her stomach tightened when she thought about Tony and the rage in his eyes when they were captured. She hoped he wasn't hurt or worst and the pain in her heart was unbearable. Ziva tried to put her feelings aside and think logical. She vigorously shook her head and began to move in her chains. Her training had thought her that chains usually have a weaker link, so she hoped that she could manage to persuade it to give away and she could escape; she would deal with the rope after that. Her body swung furiously, but the chains seemed not to budge. Her eyes travelled then to the floor in search of any sharp instrument. She hoped that her body would be flexible enough for what she intended to do, but her frustration only grew, when she saw that the floor was impeccable.

In her rage, she did not pay attention to the mass of fabric on the floor, only at a closer look she saw that it moved slightly. Her suspicion grew, and she narrowed her eyes her stomach tightening with stress and anticipation. She swayed lightly, so she could make up the shape better. Her heart froze when she managed to see what the pile of fabric was. It was Tony, and the bruises on his face, made her cry out. Her frustration intensified, when she noticed that she can't reach him and help him.

"Tony! "she croaked, her voice raspy.

"Please wake up. Tony! Answer me!" she called, fear creeping in her cold body.

"Please, Tony! Don't be dead!" she thought, her lower lip trembling, while she felt a sting in her eyes. She was close to losing it, and she didn't know what to do, how to help the man she loved more than her own life.

"Tony! Wake up! If you don't wake up, I will arrange your DVD's alphabetical next time, and make you watch "The sound of music", with me for the next month! Tony!" she yelled, the tears slowly spilling on her cheeks. She was shivering from the cold and she was thirsty. On top of everything her hands had gone stiff again and every time she tried to move them the pain escalated.

The more Ziva struggled and cried, the more exhausted she was. Sleep overtook her in the end, but the fear of losing Tony never settled.

"Ah, agent Gibbs! So glad to see you awake." The Dragon spoke sweetly.

"Thank you for the aspirin. I hope my team gets the same treatment." Gibbs spoke, eyeing the man in front of him.

"Do not worry about your team, agent Gibbs. Worry more about your own life." He spoke

"Is that a threat? " Gibbs asked, his blue eyes, piercing the Dragon's cold gaze.

"Ts, ts, ts! Now Gibbs, do you not know me? I never threaten, I just give constructive advice." He responded.

"You're full of crap; you know that? Spit it out. What do you want?" Gibbs spat back, feeling the anger rise in his chest.

The stranger came close to Gibbs and put a hand on his shoulder.

Gibbs only looked at the hand, and then into the Dragon's eyes, speaking slowly, controlling the anger at the same time.

"I suggest you remove your hand, Dragon, before if break it off, along with your head."

"Are you threatening me Jethro?" The Dragon spoke, a flash of annoyance crossing his features.

"No. Just giving constructive advice." Gibbs replayed, and his adversary removed his hand.

"Where's my team, and what do you want with them?" the agent asked.

"I don't want anything. I'm just helping an old friend."

"You don't say. And what does this have to do with my team?" Gibbs trailed away.

"Well, you see Gibbs, you were not the one I was aiming for and neither was DiNozzo. You just were at the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought Ziva and Sensei had an agreement, but of course you had to come and save the day. I would have had Ziva, you would have been back at NCIS and my boss wouldn't be raging now." He spat out, his voice full of poison.

"What's your business with Ziva? You should know by now that if you mess with my team you mess with me. I thought that was clear to you." He replied, enjoying the Dragon's annoyance.

The Dragon walked away from Gibbs, turning towards the door. "You will find out in due time. Until then why don't you enjoy your stay? I will have somebody bring you some food. You should be appreciating the fact, that I have not bound you to a chair or sedated you. I know what you are capable off Gibbs, so don't piss me off, because you wouldn't like what I would do to you." He replied, his hand on the doorknob.

"Before you walk away out of this room, tell me, what has Ziva done to you?"

"It's not to me, Gibbs, it's to someone else, and like I told you I owe that person a favor."

Gibbs walked the three steps towards the door and hissed "You listen to me now, you son of a bitch. If you hurt Ziva or Tony, I will hunt you down and hurt you so bed, that not even your own mother would recognize you. And yes, Kort, that is a threat."