Gibbs surveyed signs of the intense shootout; blood, bullet-riddled containers, and brass. Some could be from Tony and Ziva's weapons, but there was no trace of them.
"They were caught in a crossfire."
He searched inwardly.
I'd know.
No sense of finality churned within, but neither could he explain their disappearance.
McGee stammered a question and doubt rose.
"…should we put divers in the water, or…?"
A fleeting moment when he feared the worst and the pain of loss threatened. You will not die, remember, Tony?
Then the knowing came in a rush…an instinct he trusted without reservation.
"They're not in the water," he declared. "McGee, if they were in the water, they'd be dead. If they were dead, I'd know about it." He shook his head and reassured McGee in a tone suggesting will alone was enough to make his assertion reality.
"They're not dead."
AN: There were some things I disliked about this episode. The horrible ending being foremost among them. This scene was one of the shining moments though, Gibbs' absolute certainty. I wanted to touch on something positive because all my works in progress right now are angsty-angry things.