Author's note: Here are some referrings to other Intelligence Services. Here a little overview:

United States: CIA, FBI

Iraq: Mukhabarat

Iran: VIVAC

France: DGSE

Israel: Mossad

United Kingdom: MI6 (and MI5)

Chapter 20

Washington DC, bad district, where ever

Gibbs was sitting in his car and was thinking about what to do next, when he noticed a black car at the last corner. He had seen this car before. Four men were stepping out of them, all of them carrying submachine guns. They weren't taking any risk, in this district here, it was just usual to get killed. Gibbs stepped out of his car, pulling out his gun. Then a guy from behind tapped him on the shoulder.

Gibbs turned around and only saw the fist moving to his face. He fell to the ground and immediately lost unconsciousness.

Washington DC, somewhere outside downtown, where Paloma hides

Gibbs woke up again. He looked around. He was lying on a couch. He sat up and directly looked into Paloma's angry face. She sat in an armchair opposite to him. Guards were guarding the front door and two other guards stood behind her. Gibbs further looked around. He noticed Carolina who was standing a bit aside, watching him. He looked back to Paloma Reynosa.

She looked as always, dominant, self-confident and angry.

'You know why you're here Gibbs?', she asked in her strong Mexican accent.

'You wanna kill me. Feel the sweetness of revenge while pulling the trigger. You want to take revenge on my because I killed your father', he said calmly.

She looked at him. 'Right', she said. 'But first I want you to suffer.'

'I assume that is the reason why you abducted all the members of my team?', he asked.

'Except for DiNozzo', she said.

'Ah, yeah. You already had him suffer', Gibbs said, having a quick look at Carolina.

'And now you will endure the same', Paloma said, still not smiling. Gibbs was surprised. But somehow he saw that she was planning that.

'I killed your father, yes, Paloma. But I did not let him suffer in any kind of way', he shouted upset.

'But I did. You killed my father. I suffered', she got louder as well.

'After he murdered my family. My daughter, my wife. He makes me suffer!', Gibbs yelled and stood up.

'I know. Take it as a first step', Paloma said.

One guard from her behind went to Gibbs and pushed him back on the sofa. 'Don't touch me', Gibbs pushed his hand away.

Paloma leaned back. She nodded to the guard who pulled Gibbs' shirt up. 'I can stand up alone', he said. The guard pushed him forward to another room.

'That's only because I don't want so much blood on my carpet', Paloma explained and followed them.

The guard let Gibbs hard fall on the ground. He stood up again. The guard pushed him to the ground again, kicked him several times in stomach region until Gibbs lay on the ground and didn't try to get up any more, convulsed with pain. The man went back to the closed door to guard it. Carolina had followed them in the new room and watched Gibbs being hurt. Paloma came nearer. 'That wasn't even the beginning', she whispered.

'Do you know that there are a lot of ways of human torture? Just look at any free encyclopedia. There are free lists of methods of torture', Paloma said.

'As if this wouldn't be an invitation.' She stepped back.

'Carolina', she said dominantly. Carolina walked to Gibbs and kneed down in front of him. She took picked a knife which had been inside her leather jacket and turned it in her hands.

'I will let Carolina torture you a bit', Paloma explained. 'And when I'm tired of seeing you suffer and hearing you scream, which will take a time, I will allow her to fulfill your desire and she'll kill finally you .'

Gibbs looked at the young woman with the knife in her hands.

'So you will kill me tonight?', Gibbs whispered at her hoping that she would have a heart. His experience about DiNozzo has told him otherwise.

She bent over him, came closer and finally whispered into his ear:

'Die another day.'

Gibbs looked at her, surprised, when she moved back.

Suddenly there was a noise, it sounded like a big crash. Then there were loud voices screaming, gunshots. Carolina looked up and at Paloma. The guard turned around and opened the door for a bit, closed it again immediately.

'FBI', he said and walked away from the door, loading the machine gun he carried. Gibbs smiled. 'How did they now?', Paloma said angry and a bit nervous. 'No idea', the guard answered.

Paloma looked outside the window. 'Carolina', she said and nodded toward the window. There was a fire escape ladder outside on the wall. She looked down. Carolina opened the window and looked outside. Paloma pushed her away and climbed out. Carolina went after her.

Gibbs watched the women escaping and stood up. He did not want that to happen. He grabbed the guard from behind, kicked him twice until he fell to the ground. Gibbs took his machine gun and turned around. He saw Carolina just climbing out of window.

He heard a big bang and everything went white in his eyes. He fell to the ground. He heard voices, screaming out loud, then getting lower, vanishing, it became black. He lost consciousness.

He walked up a few minutes later. In the same room and looked around. He sat up. Fornell was kneeing in front of him. 'What happened?', Gibbs asked. 'I'm sorry', Fornell said.

'My agents came in and threw a smoke-bomb. That made Paloma and Carolina escape because they were already out of the building.'

'They escaped?', Gibbs asked.

'You should see a doctor, Jethro. What happened?'

'This asshole'- he nodded to the Mexican guard lying on the floor, unconscious –' kicked me few times in my stomach', Gibbs explained.

'Oh, the weakness point', Fornell muttered. Gibbs looked at him.

'We'll bring you to hospital, Jethro', Fornell said and helped him standing up.

'No, my team-', Gibbs started arguing.

'Your team is alright. We have found them', Fornell calmed him down. Gibbs stopped and turned to the FBI agent.

'How the hell did you know where they were? And how the fucking hell did you know where I was?', Gibbs asked.

'Oh, you really need a doctor', Fornell said looking at the nearly capable of standing Gibbs.

'How?', he repeated when they walked out of the building.

'Our good relationship with other countries and foreign Intelligence services', Fornell smiled.

Gibbs looked at him. 'CIA?'

'Foreign country.'

'Well, we have Mossad. Mukhabarat?'

'What the bloody hell shall we do with Iraq? And no, not Vivac either.'

'ASIS?'

'You never were a good guesser', Fornell muttered.

'DGSE? Then just tell me, Tobias!'

They arrived at Fornell's car.

'What was the last thing she told you?', Fornell asked.

'Die another day', Gibbs said and stopped.

'Just get inside the car', Fornell ordered him angrily. Gibbs and Fornell got in.

'She also gave Tony a lot of hints', Fornell added.

'Are you kidding me?', Gibbs asked.

'She's working for British Intelligence? MI6?', Gibbs shouted.

'Then why the hell did she-' 'She needed to do that with Tony', Fornell said more or less calmly when he started the motor and driving.

'Paloma got suspicious and that was her proof. She had had no choice. I have spoken with her boss. She had full permission. That is also the reason why she warned us before releasing Octopussy. MI6 told us where the hostages were and where to find you. They asked us to interfere.'

'God. They let her go so far?'

'Carolina is one of their best agents. And she really studied chemistry, that is why she was sent to that mission. The British needed to go so far to get Paloma.'

'And now she's got anyway', Gibbs reminded him.

'With Carolina. That meets we still have an agent down there. An agent she trusts', Fornell said.

They arrived at hospital.

Author's note: Paloma is still on the run and Carolina is with her. Where are they heading to? Hiding or offensive? As evil and determined Paloma is, nothing can stop her from taking revenge for her father...