Tony leaned back in his chair, slipping his phone back into his coat pocket.
''It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Volkov.'' The man's voice was low and sweet, and he had a faint accent that told Tony the man had at least lived in the UK before.
''Please, Mr. Volkov was my father; call me Tony.'' DiNozzo responded, smiling at the waitress as she returned with their drinks.
''Well Tony, I'm glad you agreed to meet me here,'' Charles Douglas pulled a manila folder from a briefcase, opening it to reveal an image of Tony in a marine uniform. ''I hope you forgive me for being thorough, but we don't recruit people on a whim.''
Tony could see all the files they'd collected on him, including the fabricated family photos and the report of his 'dishonourable discharge' from the Navy.
''I understand.'' He replied curtly, a small smile remaining on his lips. ''So how did I do?''
''We'd like to give you a chance to prove yourself to us.'' Mr. Fox smiled faintly, his eyes twinkling darkly. ''If you do well today, I shall introduce you to our captains and you will be assigned accordingly.''
Tony met Douglas' gaze. He knew that their next attack was happening tonight, and he had been working hard to weasel his way into the operation, but 'Mr. Fox' had not revealed the date to Volkov yet. He feigned a hint of surprise, but quickly changed it into a grin.
''Ready when you are.'' He almost purred excitedly. As anticipated, Douglas seemed pleased with his response.
''Excellent, if you'd follow me.'' The man stood up and placed some money on the table next to the untouched drinks.
Tony followed Douglas out of the pub and three blocks down, neither one uttering a word. The older man suddenly stopped next to an unmarked car and opened the door, urging DiNozzo to get inside.
Tony obliged and slipped into the back seat. Charles closed the door and slipped into the front passenger seat. He reached into his briefcase and produced a blindfold, which he held out to DiNozzo.
''I hope you understand our cautiousness.'' The man explained expectantly. DiNozzo sighed, but took the blindfold regardless and put it on.
''I understand, doesn't mean I have to like it.'' He shrugged. Not receiving a response, Tony leaned back in the seat and tried to focus as they began to drive away.
''So your father, Mr. Volkov, he was Russian?'' Douglas began casually, but Tony was aware that it was an attempt to distract him from figuring out where they were headed.
''He was born there, but he moved to America when he was 10.'' Tony answered calmly before putting on a Russian accent. ''With nothing more than the clothes on our back!'' He changed his accent again. ''That's what he always told me.''
''How did he feel about you joining the Navy?'' Douglas asked as they turned left. Dinozzo shrugged.
''He died when I was 12, so I wouldn't know.'' Tony knew Douglas was testing to see if his information added up.
''That must have been hard on you and your mother.'' Douglas said sympathetically. Tony sighed.
''I thought you said you'd done your homework on me.'' He replied slightly agitated. ''So you should know that my mother died when I was 8, and that I was sent off to live with several foster families. So can you spare me the 20Q?''
''Very well.'' Douglas snorted amused. ''Lets talk business then.''
As if on queue, the vehicle came to a stop. DiNozzo waited patiently until he heard the door next to him open. He pointed at the blindfold.
''On or off?'' He asked, but quickly felt a hand guide him out of the car. ''On it is.''
He followed the man into a building and heard the door shut behind them. Before he could say anything, the blindfold was removed from his face, and he took a moment to adjust to the light.
They were in a warehouse, and there were at least twenty people there. Tony remained unfazed as they look at him, some of them appeared sympathetic to the way he'd been brought in: other hired guns, Tony suspected.
''Lets get started.'' Douglas moved into the middle of the room, addressing them all. ''There will be three groups; group A will head to Heist, group B to Bliss-''
''We're attacking nightclubs?'' One man interrupted. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie and black jeans that he had tucked into leather boots. He was tall and muscular, with short black hair and dark brown eyes.
Having read about their plans, DiNozzo understood the reasoning behind the plan. They would hit two night clubs at once: both places would be packed with people celebrating the New Year, providing them with a large impact from the start.
Only the clubs weren't the primary target: the emergency responders were. Tony had expected them to not entirely reveal their plans to the hired guns, so he would just have to play along.
''I understand that some of you may have questions,'' Douglas glared at the man, who seemed to realise his mistake for speaking up. ''I assure you that any of the sacrifices we make are for a just cause.''
''That being said,'' He continued. ''Group C will be our getaway team. For all teams there are rules that must be followed at all times. Anyone caught breaking these rules will be disposed off immediately, am I clear?''
They all remained silent, the graveness of what they were about to do sinking in.
''Rule number one: No names. That way if anyone gets caught, the group remains protected.''
Tony glanced around the room as Douglas spoke. All eyes remained on Douglas, but he could easily determine now who was new to the group and who was not.
Those who had been working for the terrorist cell before were listening silently, but nodded along with every word Douglas said, telling Tony they knew the rules already.
The newbies, on the other hand, seemed more skittish. They were all criminals, otherwise they would not have been chosen as hired guns, but that did not necessarily mean they were fully prepared for an actual terrorist attack.
''Rule number two:'' DiNozzo looked back at Douglas, who carried on like he was listing off a shopping list. ''Always go in pairs.''
This rule made sense for Tony in multiple ways: If they paired up a hired gun with a member, it allowed them to keep an eye on the new guys. Not only that, but it begrudgingly reminded him of his work as an agent: never go anywhere without backup.
''Finally, rule number three: don't leave any loose ends.'' A few of the members grinned and frankly it made DiNozzo's skin crawl.
After the briefing, they were split into the three groups and handed unmarked weapons. Each duo was given two handguns, a machine gun, and two knives. Some teams were handed an extra bag, and Tony dreaded what could be within those.
DiNozzo was assigned to the first group and was paired up with a man with blue eyes and long blond hair tied back in a man bun. The man was slightly taller than himself, and his rigid posture reminded him of a soldier.
''Hi, uh-'' DiNozzo eyed the man carefully. ''I'll just call you Thor. I'd hate to just call you 'other guy'.''
DiNozzo grinned, unfazed by the man's stoic expression. Suddenly, the man's expression changed, a small smile tugging at his lips.
''Who does that make you, Loki?'' Tony blinked for a moment, then snorted.
''I was thinking more like Iron Man, but Loki could work.''
''Everyone!'' Douglas called out, drawing their attention back to him. ''I thank you all for your service and for your faith in the cause. Together, we will expose our government's shortcomings to the world.''
''Lets go.'' Thor nudged Tony, who nodded and followed him into the black van. It was December 31st, 11:34pm. In less than thirty minutes, all Hell would break loose.