Chp. 12

Jake looked at his watch again for fifth time. "How long does it take to dress for a standard surveillance op?"

"Why don't you admit the real reason you're worried." Dave said.

"And that would be what, Sherlock?"

"You don't want some guy to steal your girlfriend." A female voice said, and both men turned. Irina sat up from where she'd been sleeping on the couch, stretched and looked at them. Her shirt rode up and both men could clearly see a large purple bruise below her rib cage.

"Something like that. That's a nasty bruise on your ribs. Where'd you get it?"

Irina's face paled ever so slightly, but then she shrugged. "I tripped. Concrete isn't exactly the softest surface in the world." She smiled and walked out of the room casually, but both operators could tell she was nervous.

Jake knew she'd lied to him for the second time. The bruise hadn't been from a fall. Jake knew because he'd had similar bruises, after a mission in Sierra Leone went FUBAR and he was captured. He been held prisoner for a week and it hadn't been pretty. No, Irina had been beaten.

Jake would've liked to attack the heavy bag in the gym downstairs, but Ziva and Kate walked in and his breath caught in his throat, causing him momentarily forget about the night's mission. But he recovered quickly and forced himself to get his head out of the bedroom and focus on the job.

"Ladies, you look beautiful this evening, if I may say." Jake said, going to Ziva.

She smiled. "You may." She offering her cheek and he kissed her.

"So, where to?" Kate asked.

"Club called 13. According to our friend downstairs, Arkady will be there tonight."

"And if he is not?" Ziva asked, worry in her tone. Jake knew she was worried about what he would do, and she had every right to be.

"Then Puchenko gets to explain why he lied to me."

Jake started for the door and the others followed. But working for Gibbs as long as she had, it had given Ziva a 'gut' of sorts and she trusted it. It told her that before this night was over, their lives would change forever.

000

Irina knew that her lie wouldn't hold up for long, but fortunately, she'd heard Agent Harrison's plans and figured she could slip past the other agents when Harrison and the others left. She just hoped that Arkady would at least be satisfied with her death rather than killing them all. After all, it was her fault that her brother was dead and she didn't see any other way to make it right. All she could do now was pray that her death was quick.

000

McGee and Travis were working surveillance in front of the building with Gibbs and Max in the rear. Morgan and Smalls had joined the surveillance operation at club 13. Abby and Shannon were babysitting and Irina had turned in early. Or at least that was what she'd told the team. She waited until the women and the agents were distracted before making her move. To her surprise, she reached the street and walked away from the building without being stopped. She made it three blocks before the hair on the back of her neck stood up and her stomach churned. She turned and saw Sergei, one of Arkady's most trusted soldiers, standing behind her. Sergei Petrovich, former KGB, looked surprised. He knew that Irina was his boss' favorite and he wanted her back, very badly. He also knew that Puchenko had been sent to retrieve her, but he had failed. Therefore, bringing her back would be a huge feather in Sergei's cap. One that he was not about to pass up. Before she could react, Petrovich pulled a Steyr GB 9mm pistol from his jacket and pointed it at her, smiling.

"Your brother, he was stupid, but you," he clicked his tongue and wagged a finger at her. "You are smart, Irina. And I know that you don't want to anything to happen to those beautiful sisters you have. If you don't, I suggest you come with me now."

As Irina allowed herself to be lead away, she comforted herself in knowledge that her sisters would be safe.

000

Jake and Ziva arrived ahead of Dave and Kate. Morgan and Smalls were already inside. Most of the men inside were dressed in the typical urban camouflage of splashy shirts, $200 designer jeans and snappy shoes. The women were similar in that they were all young, attractive and wearing dresses that didn't leave much to imagination. After ordering their drinks, Jake joined Ziva at a bench on the back wall, facing the door. Ziva raised an eyebrow at Jake's drink of choice as he handed her a mojito. He'd ordered bourbon.

"I didn't know you liked that."

He shrugged. "What can I say, it's an acquired taste and I acquired it."

His response gave her the opening to subject that had been on her mind a lot of late, but mostly today. "You ever think about it?"

"About what?"

"Having kids?"

Now Jake gave Ziva the raised eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

Ziva looked away from him and he could tell by her expression that his response hadn't been the one she'd wanted, but he saw their target enter the club and pushed the issue of kids from his mind for the time being. But something told him that they would revisit the aforementioned issue if he wanted to stay with Ziva, and he better have an answer.

Three hours passed and Arkady seemed to be enjoying himself, and he had no idea he was under surveillance. That, or he was a really good actor. The man seemed to be your typical run of the mill drug dealing pimp/arms dealer. Jake didn't know if the man dealt in arms or drugs, but girls, guns and drugs tended to go together. After finishing his drink, Jake reached over and squeezed Ziva's hand. That was her signal to get up and walk out. He would follow two minutes later.

As they were leaving, his phone vibrated inside his jacket. He checked the screen and saw it was Gibbs. "Yeah, gunny?"

"Irina's missing."

Jake felt his blood turned to ice, but he kept walking. Surely he'd heard wrong. "Say again?"

"Irina's missing."

Jake disconnected the call without saying anything as he reached the car. Ziva knew Jake well enough to be warned by his body language. As he climbed in the car, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Gibbs called…" his voice trailed off. He kept seeing how this was going to end, and it sucked. Things like this only ended well in the movies.

"What did he say?" she asked as he started the car and drove away.

"Irina's missing."

000