A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up, my intention is to update each week as I don't like to leave a story hanging for more than that. The upside is I've been moonlighting with the TivaDivas so you must go check out our latest collaboration!

Chapter 4

The hiking trail had all but disappeared. Tony's idea to follow the stream leading from the lake was good in theory, but passing close by it enough to keep it in their sights was virtually impossible.

"We need to keep on the trail Tony." Ziva was still supporting him as they fought their way over uneven terrain close to the stream. With Tony's ankle still sore and swollen, continuing on this way was asking for trouble.

Tony wrapped his arm around a nearby tree for support, relieving Ziva of his weight for just a moment. "Why? We don't even know where it will lead us…" he sighed in frustration, lifting his left leg slightly so he could twirl his ankle around in the hopes of relieving some of the discomfort.

"Oh and we do know where this will lead us. Right down another embankment with both of us injured this time, not to mention the possibility of landing in the water where we could drown, and…"

"Alright! I get it." Tony cut off Ziva's tirade. He had to admit they were getting nowhere fast.

Ziva nodded and smiled, her expression softening. "I'm sorry you are hurt Tony." She moved to support him again. "But we do need to get back onto that trail if we want to keep moving." She looked down at the ground before glancing up at him. Frustration and pain were evident on his handsome face. She knew he wouldn't want to be the one to make that call.

Tony nodded and wrapped his arm around her for support. Before long they were carefully climbing the small distance back to the only trail visible. Virtually covered by growth, the trail was obviously rarely used. It was barely even wide enough for them to walk side by side. For all they knew, it could lead them to a dead end.

Panting from exertion, they sat where they could once they made it back to safer ground.

"I'm sorry..." Tony looked at Ziva as he picked at the leaves clinging to his muddy jeans. Despite their earlier swim, both were sweating profusely from the late afternoon humidity. He was about to say something else but Ziva hushed him before he had the chance. Now it was her turn to put her hand over his mouth. Silence reigned until a gunshot rang out, echoing through the valley.

"You're kidding. He's still following us?" Ziva quickly tried to get them up off the ground and moving again.

"What do you mean, he's following us…" Tony grimaced as he tried to move quicker along the trail.

"What I said. He's following us. Playing a game." Ziva kept her senses alert, looking in all directions as they pushed their way further along.

It suddenly dawned on Tony. "That's why he hasn't been caught before. This is a game to him – he hunts down the hunter as if they are his prey. The dead bodies from here to Leavenworth. He was leaving a trail!"

"I believe he has had more than one opportunity to shoot us, but he doesn't want us dead, at least not yet." Ziva continued on.

"Probably enjoying watching me struggle," Tony added cynically as he looked down at his distended ankle.

"Your ankle may have saved us from being shot, Tony," Ziva made eye contact with him. "You injured yourself, so he didn't have to."

"You saying twisting my ankle is now a good thing?" He half smiled at Ziva. If it weren't for the seriousness of their situation he would have made fun out of the new turn of events.

"I'm saying, he wants us to struggle. He can still easily put a bullet into one of us if he so chooses so I suggest we keep moving and discuss the ramifications of your ankle later." Ziva pushed them along faster.

The smile faded from Tony's face as he concentrated all his energy on keeping up with Ziva, pain from his ankle shooting through him with every step.

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They walked in silence for close to an hour. Since the gunshot, they had neither seen nor heard any other signs of David Murray. He obviously knew the park well enough to be able to dodge them without being detected, yet still keep close on their trail. It was unnerving to say the least. With the tables turned, Tony and Ziva were no longer the ones in pursuit – they had become the pursued. Murray had the upper hand and they had no idea what he would do next. It was a part of his sick game, which made it even worse. They could only hope the gunshots had been tracked by the other search teams, and someone was close to finding them - or him – which ever came first.

The sky had quickly become dark and threatening as claps of thunder echoed around them. Rods of lightning cracked the sky. The rising humidity was oppressive. Tony let go of Ziva and cursed as tried to walk on his own. He looked skyward as the imminent heavy rain began to beat down on them.

With little shelter from the tree canopies, they stood and stared at each other, the rain coming down in solid sheets, soaking them to the bone.

"We have to keep moving." Ziva shouted over the rain. The heavy downpour was as deafening as the thunder.

"Where do you suggest?" Tony threw his hands in the air. "There's nowhere to shelter from this Ziva."

"Anywhere, we can't stand here forever." Ziva was wiping rain from her eyes as quickly as it fell. Tony started to shiver. The coolness of the rain had eaten through his sweat soaked skin, chilling him almost instantly.

The ground was now completely waterlogged and the trail had turned to solid mud. Moving quickly was not an option, even if Tony had been able to. As Ziva tried to support him she slipped and lost her footing, landing flat on her face in the mud. Tony reached out to help her but lost his footing too and landed hard on his butt. Ziva pulled herself up to a sitting position, closing her eyes and raising her face to the rain in an effort to clean off some of the mud. She wiped at her face with her arms, then promptly took off her t-shirt, using the relatively clean side to remove what she could from her mud stained face.

"You know under different circumstances I would be in heaven right about now." Tony was staring at a mud covered Ziva, water coursing through the valley between her wet breasts.

Not amused, she pulled the t-shirt back over her head. "Is sex all you think about Tony?"

"Pretty much." He replied

She leant over and put some pressure on his sore ankle.

"Ow! What was that for!"

"Thinking about sex now?" She asked with a glint in her eye.

"No – ow!"

"Really?"

"Yes really. Now let go."

Ziva had barely been putting any pressure on his ankle. It was actually a test to see how it was without having to ask him. He had repeatedly told her it was fine and to leave it alone. The smile faded from her lips as she realized he was in a worse state than she originally thought.

As they helped each other to stand Tony continued to stare at Ziva.

"What?" She recognized that look in his eye.

Tony didn't answer, instead they began to wade their way through the mud soaked trail yet again.

"Mud wrestling." It was several minutes until Tony spoke.

Ziva stopped. "Mud wrestling?"

"Yeah. I was thinking about mud wrestling." Tony nudged her to keep walking.

She couldn't help but smile. He really was incorrigible.

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Like something right out of a movie, Tony saw what appeared to be a cabin coming up on their right in the near distance.

"Over there." Tony pointed as he shouted to Ziva. With the rain still heavy, it was hard to see exactly what it was but it was definitely something, and hopefully they would be able to get to it without too much difficulty.

The late afternoon light was fading fast, and the rain had still not let up. They had to find shelter for the night or risk the chill of the damp night air. The temperature had dropped considerably and it was almost cold now in comparison to earlier on. Both Tony and Ziva were shivering from the extreme temperature drop as their bodies were soaked to the core.

"Tony!" Ziva screamed in shock as he fell to the ground, a single gunshot resonating out through the rain.

Grasping his leg, the same leg, he cried out as pain shot through his ankle where the bullet grazed him. Blood seeped through the hole it ripped in his jeans.

Ziva frantically searched the area with her eyes for any indication of David Murray.

Nothing. He had scurried off like the rat he was.

Kneeling next to Tony, she tried to assess his wound but he clutched onto his ankle almost desperately, blood spilling over his hands. Murray was still playing his sick game. He had deliberately shot Tony in the same ankle he had twisted. And that's exactly what Murray was; twisted.

Using all the energy she could muster, Ziva forced Tony to his feet. Carrying most of his weight, she ushered them over to the cabin, not stopping until they were on the porch. Kicking at the door, it creaked open gaining them access.

The rain beat down hard on the old shingle roof as Ziva got Tony to sit on the only chair visible in the dim light. Ripping at his torn jeans, she made a make-shift bandage out of scraps of denim. Fortunately, the bullet hadn't lodged itself into his ankle, which was one blessing in disguise. The down side of it was that it had grazed it sufficiently enough to cause immeasurable pain in an already distressed injury.

Shaking visibly, Tony tried to ignore the intolerable discomfort as Ziva did her best to clean up his ankle. Her backpack held water, rubbing alcohol and few other supplies. He couldn't help but scream out as she applied the rubbing alcohol to his open wound. Ziva could almost feel his anguish. The quicker she cleaned it up the quicker she could try to help him relax.

"Tony, so tell me about this mud wrestling." She was hoping to take his mind off of what she was doing.

A small, strained smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You, me, mud. That's about it," was all he could quietly manage.

"Ah I see." Ziva continued to talk as she finished dressing his wound. Once done, she moved to look around the small cabin. Tony seemed to have calmed down, the initial shock hopefully wearing off along with some of the pain. He stayed seated.

The cabin was small, only one room. There was a table and one chair, the one Tony was sitting in. A few old, worn blankets were piled up in one corner, and an old tin kettle hung on the wall. Rain leaked through cracks in the roof, constant drips their only indication. A stone fireplace was built into one of the walls. Neatly stacked logs lined another.

Ziva set to work lighting the fire, using the lighter from her pack along with kindling made by stripping the bark from some of the logs. Before long, a roaring fire sprang to life, adding a comforting warmth to the small room. Golden light flickered onto the wall. Ziva turned to catch Tony staring at her intensely. His eyes were dark as the firelight danced in them. A lump caught in her throat. What now?

TBC…