Chapter 3: Holidays, Horrors, and Hope - December
Things were quiet again as Ziva prepared for Chanukah. She invited Adam and Zevi and the children over for the first night's celebration. Zevi brought sufganiyot that he had made that morning. They also brought chocolate dmei (gelt) and some small toys for sevivon (dreidel) games. Ziva made applesauce and levivot (latkes) for dinner. Tali was more interested this year in the activities and especially in the chocolate and sweet jelly-filled doughnuts. Adina and Avi played with Tali and showed her how to spin the sevivon.
Ziva lit the candles each night, explaining the rituals and holiday to her daughter. Just after sundown marking the end of Shabbat, she heard what sounded like gun fire. She quickly picked up Tali and then went to the safe to get her weapons. As she was unlocking the safe, she heard footsteps on the front porch, followed by a pounding on the front door.
"Ziva David, this is Nisi ben Aharon with Mossad. Director Elbaz sent me to bring you and your daughter to Mossad."
"What is the code phrase?" Ziva handed Kelev to Tali in hopes of keeping the toddler quiet. The little girl looked at her Ima with wide eyes. "Shh, Tali; it is okay, yaldati."
"Y-not porcupine." Ziva sighed and opened the door to see three heavily armed officers on the porch. "Come with us, please." The leader led Ziva to a waiting armored vehicle. No sooner had she settled herself and Tali into the back of the vehicle than they sped off. Tali started whimpering and clinging to her mother.
"It will be okay, motek," Ziva rubbed her hand on Tali's back, placing soft kisses on her baby's head as she spoke. "Ima loves you and so does Abba." Tali buried her face in her mother's chest as Ziva held her little one tightly.
At Mossad headquarters, the vehicle went into a secure tunnel into an underground area of the building. Ziva had been in this entrance many times herself as a Mossad officer, usually escorting a high-level official, a secret visitor, or a maximum-security prisoner. That knowledge did nothing to calm her; it only set her alertness on a higher level. She was trying to remain cool and calm for Tali's sake, but she could feel her anger rising. She needed answers now!
The vehicle's door was opened from the outside and Ziva stepped out; the Mossad officer she assumed was Nisi ben Aharon motioned for her to follow him. She knew immediately where they were headed, recognizing the hidden access to the Director's office. She did not need anyone to guide her; she had walked these same passages more times than she could count.
"Ziva," Orli greeted her with a terse smile. Ziva nodded in response. "It is for your safety that I have had you brought here. Please accept my apologies for the abruptness."
"What do I need to know?" Ziva wasn't playing any games with Orli tonight. She wanted straight answers and information. "What is the threat this time?"
"Ziva, so impatient," Orli tried to make small talk. "Well, hello, little Tali." Ziva pulled her daughter tighter to her, and glared at the Mossad director.
A knock at the office door interrupted. Orli opened the door to Officer ben Aharon. "We are ready," he informed her and walked off.
"Let us leave Tali with my personal assistant and then follow me to interrogation," Orli directed Ziva.
"No, Tali stays with me," Ziva shot back angrily. She took a deep breath, trying to center herself and get her emotions in check. She would not let her child out of her sight. Tali looked at her Ima at the sharp words. "It is okay, yaldati. Ima has you."
Ziva followed Director Elbaz to the interrogation rooms. The woman opened the door to one of the observation areas and motioned for Ziva to enter. Orli spoke into a headset and two interrogation rooms came into view on the monitors.
"Do you recognize either of them?"
Ziva looked closely at the man and the woman on the screens. "No, neither one. Who are they?"
"Hamas." Orli's clipped answer raised Ziva's hackles. There was a lot that the Mossad director was not telling her.
"What are you not telling me?" Ziva tried to control her anger.
"These two, along with four others were found in the olive grove, approaching the house. The other four are dead now. We captured these two. They were all heavily armed. One of the security detail officers has been gravely injured; she may not live. Two others are wounded but will survive.
"I thought you might have seen them prior to today as they seem to have a great familiarity with your property." Orli tapped a button on the console and the images of the four dead appeared. "Do you recognize any of the dead?"
Ziva looked over each image, "None of them. I am sure they are enemies of Eli." She tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the sarcasm in her tone. "Just how many security officers do you have at my property?" Ziva had counted at least six with the three injured and the three who had come to her door.
Orli evaded answering the question by leading Ziva out of the room and trying to engage Tali in a bit of play. Tali was having none of it though; she just clung to her mother and her Kelev. She watched everything with wide eyes, not understanding much other than that her Ima was upset and angry. Ziva simmered, not wanting to engage in an angry exchange with the Mossad director and risk scaring Tali.
Back in Orli's office, Ziva put Tali on a chair as she turned to confront the Director. Tali watched her Ima.
"I will have you taken to a safe house for a few days," Orli's tone left no uncertainty that she was giving an order. "Mossad will inspect each of Eli's properties to determine if they are safe for you and Tali."
Ziva took a sharp breath in, and tried not to shout, "NO! I will not live my life in fear because of my father. If you feel a need to check MY properties, then do so with my permission. Just do not damage anything and if you remove anything, I do not want any evidence of the removal left behind. Tali and I will be safe in Haifa."
Orli shook her head, "Oh, Ziva, still so stubborn. Officer Eschel cannot protect you. He is merely Shin Bet. You will be safer with Mossad."
"No, I will be under your control with Mossad!" Ziva spat the words, not regretting them one bit.
"Then you may have Tali's blood as well as your own on your hands," Orli angrily responded. "I am trying to protect you."
Tali let out a wail, scared from the angry exchange between her Ima and Orli. Ziva turned to pull Tali into her arms, soothing her by rubbing her back and talking softly. "Shh, motek, it will be okay."
Ziva turned to Orli, "DO NOT try to use my daughter to manipulate me." She spoke with her teeth clenched and fire in her eyes. "My baby will NOT grow up in fear."
"Then take her to her father in America!"
"WE will be with Tony when the time is right," Ziva was now fighting tears, both of anger and frustration. How dare Orli use the two people who meant everything in the world to Ziva to try to manipulate her and play whatever game she was trying to play. "I will go to the Haifa house tonight, with or without your approval and help."
Orli sighed and lifted her desk phone, calling for an officer to bring Ziva's car to Mossad headquarters. Ziva sat silently fuming; her mistrust of the Mossad director had grown significantly that night. If she had any way of knowing if they existed and where her father's alleged secret files were, she would hand them over to Orli and be done with it all. Tali would have a normal childhood, hopefully with both parents and free from any of the horrors and heartache that had scarred Ziva's short childhood. She had realized recently that her childhood had ended at about age six when Eli had started training her and Ari to be assets for Mossad.
~December~
Ziva and Tali spent the rest of December, the latter half of the month, at the Haifa house. At Christmas, Ziva put up a small tree and told Tali stories of Christmases in DC with her Abba and the other NCIS family. Tali loved tearing the colorful wrapping paper off of the presents. As she had the year before, Ziva made sure that she told Tali that at least one of the gifts was from Abba.