Sorry it took so long to update. This has been a really busy month. Hope to update soon.
"DiNozzo?"
"Update." Gibbs spoke.
"I got them; they are stopping for the night."
"Anything else?"
"Ziva's sick and I've got myself a tail which I'm assuming is Franks."
"Good work." He heard before hearing the click on the other line that Gibbs had hung up.
Chapter Twenty-One
"How are you doing?" Madeline held Ziva's hair out of her face as she leaned over the toilet.
"Fantastic." Ziva spit.
"That's the spirit." Madeline chuckled before flushing the toilet. Cleaning Ziva up, she helped her up and over to the bed.
Once Ziva laid down, she pulled the covers up over her to tuck her in. Turning off the light, Madeline kept the side lamp on as she went through the bag of supplies. She now had a lighter, pocket knife, and a pack of cigarettes to burn. Laying out the food for tomorrow morning, she grabbed the newspaper she had picked up and looked over it before looking over at the bed to see Ziva fast asleep. After finishing the newspaper, she folded up a piece to tuck into her pocket along with the small click pen. Setting everything down, she went over to the bed and laid down next to Ziva keeping her eyes on the door as she started to drift off to sleep.
"Danny!" Madeline cried out as she heard her half sister's voice in the distance. "Danny, where are you?"
Sitting up in the bed, Madeline looked to see Ziva still asleep having not been stirred by the voice. Tip toeing out of the room, she entered the hallway and headed to the left as she heard Danny's voice calling out to her. The lights in the hallway flickered. She didn't care if it was lack of funds to buy new bulbs, as long as she had the lighter she would be able to find where she was going. Again, Danielle's voice cried out something…a word…a name…it almost sounded like she was saying Madeline, as if she knew Madeline were there.
"Danny." Madeline tried to call out in a hushed tone as she stumbled down the uneven hallway. There were doorways she passed with only a glowing light dimly lighting the room and creeping out to light the floor of the hallway. Crouching down, she slid along the wall waiting for the moment when she should be discovered.
"Maddy?" Madeline heard her name called loud enough for her to turn around. She walked a few steps over to door that keep whatever was inside the room in. Pressing her ear against the door, she heard the same crying out she had her a second ago. Her hand short down to the knob, turning it quietly before she slowly opened the door that opened into darkness.
"Danny?" Madeline turned around and shut the door behind her as she reached for her lighter. Flicking it on, she looked into the bathroom to see no one was there. Stepping further in the room, she held the lighter higher to see more of the room. Only to see there was another door blocking her path.
What kind of room was this? No hotel had two doors in a row with a bathroom in between unless it was an adjoining room. Releasing the lighter, her thumb flexed as soreness spread through it. The lighter was hot to the touch. Putting her hands up, she stretched them out until they unceremoniously hit the door. Her hands slid along the door until she found the knob with her right hand.
"Maddy, please say it's you?" Danny was sobbing now. Her already tear stained face continued to allow more tears to flow from her eyes.
Coming up to the door on the right, she pressed her ear against the door. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest faster and faster as she steadied her grip on the door. Twisting it she pushed lightly against the door, but it didn't open. Panic tried to surge through her but she pushed it back down. Taking a deep breath she tried the door again, but it refused to open.
"Danny, the door is locked try it from your side." Madeline whispered loud enough so that the person on the other side of the door could hear.
"Maddy," She could feel pressure against the door, either Danny had her hands against it or her body was relaxing against it. "You came for me. You found me."
"Of course I would, why wouldn't I?" Containing her emotions she could hear Danny sliding her hands around the door looking for the knob.
"Because I thought it was too late." Danny replied. "It is too late."
"It's never too late Danny; you know that I would find you. I wouldn't stop until I did." Madeline could feel Danny twisting the knob, but the door still wouldn't open.
"It's too late. They're going to kill me. I'm of no use to them anymore." Pressing herself against the door, she heard Danny slide down the door to a sitting position. There was a tiny shadow at the bottom of the door.
"Stop talking like that." Madeline searched her pockets. Why hadn't she thought to bring her pocket knife? It wasn't on the table when she left, was it? "I remember when you were little, you were so determined to learn how to swim and it took months of going to the pool with floats around you. You managed to kick and paddle your way with the floats, but when it came time to take them off, you wouldn't go in the water. It took another month before you'd put foot in it the pool. Do you remember what I told you?"
"No." She was being stubborn. "Go away Maddy, before they find you."
"What did I tell you?" Madeline flicked the lighter back on and lit the area where the door knob was. It took her a moment to realize that there was a bolt in the door. A rise of hope came over her as she turned the lighter off. "What did I tell you Danielle?" Stumbling back to the first door, she felt her way into the bathroom. As she turned the lighter on again, she looked around for something to use. There was no backing on the toilet, curtain rod, or even a plunger.
Spinning around, she looked for at least something for defense purposes. She didn't have time to go back to the room, or to wake Ziva. Ziva couldn't get involved because of the baby. While her eyes scanned the floor it took a second for the flickering fire to show her what she was looking for. As her eyes came back up to look in front of her, she saw the mirror. It wasn't a large mirror but it would do. Just as she was about to flick off the lighter, she took a glance over herself. She had lost weight; she had lost more than the weight she had left from pregnancy. There were large dark circles under her eyes from the past week or longer of little sleep. Time was lost to her now, she had no idea how long they had been gone for.
Removing her shirt, she wrapped it around her hand. The mirror shattered around her onto the counter and onto the ground at her feet. Her hand seared with pain but it didn't matter. Carefully, she reached down and picked up the largest most manageable shard she could find. Flicking off the lighter, she had to conserve what she could. Going back to the door, she kneeled and searched for the crack at the bottom of the door.
"I'm going to give you something to use to defend yourself. Be careful, and don't cut yourself."
"What's the point? I'm going to die here."
"No you're not. I won't allow it. You are so stubborn I swear to God. What did I tell you that day at the pool?" She slipped the piece of glass under the crack of the door. Her fingers just managed to fit under. Before withdrawing her hand, she could feel a shaky feeble hand grasp at her fingers. Tears came to her eyes, as she released the piece of glass and attempt to circle around Danielle's hand. The hand she held barely resembled the hand she once knew. It was thin, so thin that she could feel every bone, and it was shaking. She wasn't sure if it was shaking from the cold, from fear, or from both. Danielle took the piece of glass carefully; as she did Madeline felt a thin piece of something cold on Danielle's finger. For a second Madeline tried to think about what it could be before she recognized it as the ring she had given Danielle for her birthday.
"You told me that you would always be there for me and would be next to me in case I got scared. You told me that no matter what you would always watch over me and you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."
"That's right." She tried to calm her sister. "Now I need you to be strong Danny, and stand up away from the door."
"Okay." There was shuffling on the other side and the pressure against the door lightened.
"I'll have you out of here soon." Taking a few steps back, Madeline relaxed herself as she thought of her next step. Bracing herself, she knew that her weight would only do half the good, but it was worth the try. Where was Tony's shoulder when she needed it? Throwing herself into it, she slammed her shoulder and elbow into the door.
She could hear something in her body crack as she heard the wood of the door splinter and crack. Danny emitted a gasp before she ran over to the door. Madeline's head was spinning as she put a hand against the wall to brace herself. Her ears were ringing as she stepped back again. One good thrust and the door should open.
"Maddy, someone is coming." Danny's urgency caused Madeline to thrust against the door too soon. Flying onto her back side, Madeline crawled to the wall to climb up it to a standing position as her head continued to spin.
"Danny, is there anywhere you can hide until I get in there?"
"It's too late Maddy, you go." Danny tried to reason with her. "I won't let them find you."
"No!" Madeline stood up and thrust her body back into the door hearing it splinter again. She was about to slam her body into the door again when she heard a male's voice.
"Leave me alone!" She heard Danielle scream through her sobs.
"What are you doing out of your room? Who are you talking to?" His voice was American there was not a doubt in her mind. Could it have been Jeremy or Richard?
"I told you leave me alone!" Her sister was flung against the already almost broken through door.
"What did you do to the door you little bitch?" Danielle whimpered as Madeline cried out. Frantic, no longer caring about her own safety, she banged against the door. "Who is that?"
"No one! I'll go with you if we just leave now!" She tried to reason.
"Move away from the door!" He tried to throw her out of the way, but she glued herself to it.
"No, it's nothing. The girl who was with me is sick in the bathroom that's all. I came with her to make sure she was alright." Danielle calmed down a bit as she tried to be rational.
"What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know, she could just have a twenty-four hour bug."
"Why is she so quiet?"
"I don't know. I was trying to get in to check on her."
"Well, it sounds like she passed out by now."
"Yes, so please let me stay with her…until she wakes up?"
"No."
"She'll be scared when she wakes up alone."
"She won't be alone. I will see to her tomorrow. Right now, you'll be seeing me." It was Jeremy; he pressed her body against the door using his body.
"No," Danielle struggled against the door trying to push Jeremy away from her. "Get off of me!"
"Danielle!" She heard skin collide with skin with purpose. The room was silent for a moment. Had she hit him or had he hit her? "Get off of her you son of a bitch!"
"God damn worthless bitch!" This time she knew it was Danielle who was backhanded. "How dare you hit me? The only reason why you are still alive is because I wanted something to play with."
"Well guess what?" Danielle spat at him. "You don't get me."
"What are you-" She heard Jeremy ask as Danielle did something; something that made her cry out in pain. "Are you an idiot?" Danielle dropped to the ground as Madeline dropped to her knees. She was trying to figure out what was going on as her fingers slipped under the door frame. For a second she could feel Danielle's back covered by a sheer layer of material.
"No, you are for letting down your guard." Screaming, Danielle put up a struggle as Madeline banged against the door.
"Danielle, what is going on?" Standing back up, she slammed her body into the down over and over again, but she was too weak to break it any further. Pressing her ear against the door, she heard Jeremy gargle before dropping to the floor. Danielle sobs broke the silence as Madeline dropped to her knees again. "Danielle?"
"He's dead." Madeline heard her say as she knelt down and reached her fingers under the door.
"Are you alright?" Taking her fingers with hers, Madeline could feel liquid on Danielle's fingers. It was thicker than water and sticky. "Are you bleeding?"
"I'll be alright soon. I'll be with mama." Those words sent a wave of emotion crashing down on Madeline. "I'll say hello to your mom too."
"Danielle, what are you talking about?"
"I stabbed myself. It was the only way to get his guard down. It was the only way to keep you safe." Her knees felt wet as she shook her head in disapproval as if she could turn back time so it didn't happen. "Go now, and tell father I loved him."
"No, you're going to tell him." Madeline laid down on the floor and kissed Danielle's cold fingers, she could taste the blood on her lips.
"I love you Madeline, thank you for saving me." Danielle dropped to the ground as the world started to darken. "Here." She pulled her fingers away for a second before slipping them back under the door. "I don't want them to have this."
Madeline took Danielle's fingers again only to find Danielle holding the ring between two fingers for Madeline to take. Taking it with one hand, she clutched it in her palm as she continued to hold onto her sister. Tears rolled down her cheeks as hatred consumed her. She hated herself for not finding Danielle sooner. She hated the door for coming in between them. Most of all she hated Danielle; she hated her for leaving her.
"Danielle, hold on." Madeline sobbed. "I'm so so sorry."
"Don't be sorry Maddy," Danielle took in a painful breath. "I am finally." And with that she exhaled leaving nothing but silence after. Only the sounds of Madeline's cries rung out in the room and down the hallway.