Chapter 47

Ducky moved to the other side of the autopsy table from Jimmy. They had just changed gowns and gloves after the 6th autopsy of the day. With each body they washed up and re-gowned and gloved. Both men had said very little during their activity except to point out observations to each other. Abby remained present and took the photographs of each corpse, 2 copies. She demonstrated all the areas where a script could be found with a pencil. She touched nothing. There was no expression on her face, her dark eyes were like stones. Time passed.

While they were working on the 10th corpse the elevator chimed. Ziva whirled, her pistol out and extended. Both doctors stood frozen. No one was expected. As 4 men left the elevator Ducky turned his head but Ziva was no longer there. The door to the room swished open and they came in. One man stepped forward to the table. He was of medium height, dark hair short sided but with curls on top that fell forward on to his brow. He had a short Van Dyke type of beard.

He did not hesitate but reached out to tilt the dead man's head back. A second man moved forward with just a glance and held the head back at an angle. The first opened the dead man's mouth and with a pen light he looked within. Further perusal of the underarm, eyelids, groin, soles of the feet then indicated to Ducky and Jimmy to roll the man over. There was just something about him that made the two doctors cooperate. While that was occurring, Ziva somehow materialized in the far corner of the room.

"Did you find what you were seeking Roman?" All four men whirled toward her with hands reaching toward guns.

"Don't bother! Roman will tell you I do not miss what I aim at." Ziva's face was set in stone.

Roman waved and all the men relaxed though remained alert. Ducky and Jim allowed the body to return to its back.

"I received your message Ziva. Is the gun necessary?

"Is it? My decision to contact you was not made from friendship."

Roman smiled coldly. "I am well aware of that. But may I remind you I do not need to point a gun at you. Especially if we are going to try to reach out and untangle this mess together."

"This 'mess'. An interesting and quite objective, unemotional word. There has indeed been a very well planned, vicious, all encompassing 'mess' today. Much blood, many deaths, much chaos. In that sense it was a complete success. Do you know of this? Do you know who hired them? Do you know why?"

Roman walked around to the head of the table. He laid his hand on the tilted head of the dead man.

"I will show my good faith so to speak. This man's name is Ilyescu Narvo. I have not seen him since we were in Africa in 1989 as Erari mercenary provincial soldiers. We were ambushed while ferrying supplies to Uwaroo by way of the coastal highway. When the battle was over, he was not among the dead. We could not search too far for fear of reinforcements."

"So, you have no idea where he has been or what he was doing in the years since." Ziva's gun remained rock steady and her face expressionless. She was trying to determine if he was telling the complete truthor only 'just enough'.

He held out his hands palm up. "On the life of my son I swear it."

Ziva remained still for another minute. She believed him. In their past cooperation, which at one time was considerable, he steadfastly refused to speak of any family. She made very oblique comments to other 'soldiers' about their fear for loved ones and generally included Roman. She even managed to produce some tears in fear for her non-existent mother and 2 daughters' safety.

The responses were generally sympathetic and offers of concerns for their own families in hiding. When Roman was inferenced, the responses were shrugs or frank "Who knows?". It was assumed he had been devastingly affected by loss in the past.

For Roman to mention a son, the mysterious, unbending, unblinking, ruthless, leader of a rogue Black Ops Jewish justice group known as "For the People" was extraordinary. Ziva put her gun away and stepped to the table by Roman.

"Let us get to work. It is my belief that this man was some sort of leader. During the battle the assassins tried to place him toward the back of the group. The only other clue toward my belief is that he has more tattoos than any of the other bodies we have been able to obtain."

Roman gave her intense, direct eye contact during her report. Then he nodded once. He turned toward Ducky and Jimmy who were watching with interest. A quick and humorless smile was flashed to them. He gestured to the body.

"I am sure you both appreciate this highly efficient and beautiful woman. But I warn you, you have no concept of the intricacies of her knowledge and talents."

Jimmy looked thoughtful but Ducky spoke to Roman. "And you do." Roman studied Ducky's face and the highly intelligent blue eyes that met his own. A short smile crossed his face again, this time genuine. He turned back to Ziva.

"Your doctor is also more than he seems Ziva. It is there behind his unassuming manner, in his eyes. A dangerous man indeed. A past that has hardened him."

"You know all of this without talking to me." Ducky stated with a lifted eyebrow.

"Of course. Just as you have formed an opinion of me." A slight smile still touched his lips. "Can you come forward and give me your assessment of this corpse."

Ziva spoke then. "I would show you the markings that are new and significant. Perhaps then Ducky and Jimmy's input will provide clarification."

Roman stood unmoving, his fingertips touching the table. He looked up and his eyes appeared empty.

"You will bring out one of the other bodies. A soldier, a nobody."

"May I ask why." Ducky said calmly.

"You may. It is necessary to learn the basic tattoos in order to recognize the importance of each of the additional ones." He gestured at the dead man. "Come close now. We have no time to wait."

Ducky and Jimmy came to the table. "I am sure Ziva has gone over Narvo. The pictures are excellent. But there is yet more to uncover. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a silver stylus from a black case.

"Observe." Roman said quietly. He took the stylus and as he pressed into the eye with his left thumb, he caught hold of the upper lid eyelashes and rolled it over the stylus. Tiny signs became visible, extending far back into the upper eye socket.

"What ?!" Jimmy expostulated involuntarily.

Roman glanced up at him and then at Ziva briefly. She did not take her eyes off of the body. Her tension was palpable, as if she expected Narvo to jump up from the table.e then stepped

"He is unlikely to leap at the doctors, Ziva." Roman said, his voice flat. "Attend doctors. These people are so involved in their cult, so committed, so insanely dedicated, that they undergo surgery to have the tattoos placed in areas that are unknown to others. Otoscope please." Ducky who had rejoined the group at the table, reached to the instrument table for it and handed it to Roman.

"Here doctors, please observe. Both of you." He stepped back.

Jimmy and Ducky took turns. Ducky was silent, he moved to Narvo's other ear and looked for a long moment. He stepped back and moved to the other dead man. He deliberately turned his eye lids back, then looked in both ears. His expression was thoughtful as he gave the otoscope to Jimmy. Jimmy finished his examination and placed the scope back on the tray.

Ziva tossed her head and angrily confronted Roman. "His harm has currently been done Roman. In a hospital, with typical slaughter of innocents in order to distract from the real target." She waved a hand with disgust on her face.

It was Ducky who spoke the obvious, his body tense and voice angry. "Gibbs."

Jimmy stepped forward and deliberately crossed his arms. "Alright. ALRIGHT!" He shouted, as the muttering and arguing between Roman and Ziva continued. He was aware when everyone in the room whirled to look at him. Jimmy straightened with fists clenched and spoke with his teeth together. He was plainly and obviously furious.

"Alright! Now I want information. Dr. Mallard and I are not some brainless flunkeys for you to order around. To hold and fetch corpses, To stand around with our thumbs up our kiesters while you ignore us! We are professionals and we need to be included in this case. What do those tattoos mean and what are you looking for? How can we help? We need to know what to report to emergently to you and what can wait. We need to know what the bloody hell is going on!"

Ducky reached out and lay a gentle hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "Enough dear boy. I'm sure our message is delivered." He turned toward the table. "Ziva, I expected more of you. We have had a long and productive relationship. I have considered you a friend. I would be sorry to see this change. But I will remind you now, that this entire nasty episode was intended to murder one of my oldest and dearest friends.

"I cannot and will not participate in any enterprise that will endanger him, his family, our mutual friends or compromise my morality or my profound sense of duty. We require information in order to perform our duties!"

The room remained silent. Ziva shook with tension but said nothing. Ducky turned to Jimmy and said, "I believe we have had our say James. Time to go." They went into the locker room.

Ziva was in shock. Roman simply snapped his fingers and two of his men moved over to the morgue lockers. They opened doors and found another assassins body.

"Put it on its side Arlo. Start undressing him. Ziva and I will take care of this one. Carl, do you have a good amount of storage on that drive?"

"I do Sir. Do you want the camera?"

"No. Start with the superficially obvious and move on to the least. Questions, speak out. All of you." Roman looked into Ziva's eyes and nodded. She nodded back.