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- Thickening plot. Enjoy!

Chapter XIII - Together


He heard the screams. Her screams.

Tali.

The room was spinning and his head was pounding, but he couldn't do anything. Again, rendered helpless by the chains that kept him bound. It was dark and hot. If it didn't feel like hell before, it surely felt like hell now. Everything had changed. It was never totally dark and she hadn't screamed for days.

Tali.

It wasn't what had become their new normal. He was alone in the darkness. Feeling like his life was slipping away. Pain coursing through him and he listened to her scream. If he was alone, that meant she wasn't. She couldn't be, not while she screamed.

Tali.

They moved her to torment her more. Or maybe it was to torment him. Those screams. She was trying to say something between them, but the door made it muffled. Those screams though, they were clear as day.

Tali.

He couldn't focus. It was all too much. He prayed for her pain to end. Maybe it was the wrong prayer because suddenly a single gun shot rang out. Suddenly everything was quiet. She was quiet. No more screams.

None except for his, "TALI!"

Lucifer opened the door just wide enough for him to see a lifeless body being carried down the hall. "She can't hear you Mr. Amadi", his voice taunted him.

"You sick bastard", Hunter yelled as he tried to break from the chains. "You fucking killed her!"

Lucifer flicked a switch to cut on the light and walked over to him, but he didn't bother to close the door. "Mr. Amadi, I'm surprised that you seem so", he paused to find the right words. He smiled, "so broken. Surely you knew that this was the end game. I know your dear old dad told you everything, didn't he?"

Hunter remained quiet.

"So now you're at a loss for words? Maybe he didn't tell you. I'm not surprised. It really doesn't matter", he shrugged, "I'll talk and you can listen. I'd like to tell you a little story". He took a seat in the chair that was situated in the corner. "You see, Hunter, none of this was actually your fault. This all started a few years before you were even thought of. You're simply a victim of circumstance, or should I say you're a victim of your own DNA?"

Hunter glared at him with deeply rooted hatred. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your father. He is the reason you're here. I never had any intent on taking you as a prisoner. With that being said now, I'd like to let you go but I need to know you will do the right thing."

"If the right thing is putting two in the chest and one in your temple for good measure, then sure", Hunter spoke boldly meaning every word.

Lucifer laughed, "I see you aren't as broken as I thought. That's good son, use that hate for the greater good."

"I'm not your fucking son you twisted fuck!" Hunter wanted desperately to rip his head off. Fury was rising quickly, he wanted Lucifer's blood.

The older man was unfazed by his outburst. He leaned back in the chair and crossed his leg as he started picking his nails. "You know, this wouldn't have gotten so deep if it wasn't for your father. It's strange how you'd go so far for your family and country, but your father is doing nothing to help save you. Now the Dinozzo's on the other hand, they are using every resource at NCIS to track me down and get their daughter back. But your father, he's secretly called SASS off the search. He simply doesn't care if you die. I believe he said it would just be 'collateral damage' and 'rather good to sell his story'."

"You're a fucking liar! I promise I'm going to enjoy seeing you die!"

"Awe, Hunter, it's a shame you feel that way. What reason would I have to lie to you? You are locked in chains at the mercy of my hands. To be quite frank, I've been easy on you. Despite the broken ribs", he chuckled, "I may have gotten a little out of hand on that. Don't know my own strength sometimes. But, at any rate, I figured since you and I are both victims of the same wretched man that maybe we could work together."

"Fuck you", Hunter replied sharply.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Did you know your father signed the deal with NCIS then had a fake flight manifest registered to make it look like he traveled back home with your mother? Although mommy dearest went back, dear old dad never left. He's here in DC as we speak. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but, I thought the plan was to sign the deal and then return to South Africa."

What the hell is he still doing here? No, he's lying. Hunter stayed silent. He wanted Lucifer to keep talking.

"I knew your father in another lifetime, but he's changed a lot. I was surprised when he helped get me out of that Israeli prison and paid to help me get my new identity. You see, I've known about the deal with NCIS almost since day one. I didn't really realize that your father was not as bound to his duty to be loyal to his countrymen as he trained you to be, until he let me in on his plan. Did you know that he's mixed up in some real twisted shit? You think I'm a twisted fuck", he paused to laugh and look directly in Hunter's eyes. He shook his head slowly, "I'm nothing compared to that Director Amadi. Hell, he's the one that suggested I take Tali Dinozzo as a trophy, and payment for her mother locking me away in the height of my prime. Did you know he's been doing some real dirty work over the years? Really dishonorable and horrid things."

The young man had heard enough. "Shutup! My father is a man of honor! You're a fucking coward and a liar! I swear I'm gonna ki..."

Hunter's speech halted and his body got stiff as a wave of pain crashed into him. His chest was tight and he felt like he was burning from the inside out. His breathing became labored as he tried to mentally calm himself. Something was wrong, it was happening quickly and he couldn't stop it.

Lucifer smiled from ear to ear. He stood up and walked directly infront of the now, almost completely, paralyzed young man. "What you are experiencing at this moment is another one of serums doing its work, son."

Hunter's eyes showed that he was trying to speak but realizing that he couldn't.

The older man chuckled, "It's a very slow reacting serum. I designed it that way. Very cool how it took over right when you were about to roll out another good threat." He patted the boy's cheek and his voice became taunting again, "I'm sure you'd make good on those threats too. But I assure you that I am not the cause of your pain Hunter. Not when you look at the big picture. Everything you think you know about this thing is a lie. Young Tali wasn't my key to getting your fathers' to back out of signing the deal and getting some big payout. She was my leverage to get the Dinozzo's to cooperate when the plan gets in full motion, but I'm really not interested in that anymore."

"Your father may have signed a peace deal for the American military and yours to work together but it's all a front. At least on your father's side it is. He's using the deal to cover up his involvement in the upcoming strike. To make it seem like he's a victim too. Kidnapping you was part of that cover up. You being in DC to be placed under Director Dinozzo's wing at NCIS was by design. He needed you there before he arrived so I could take you. You really think the Americans needed you? Come on, why do you think Dinozzo was against you being part of the deal? NCIS doesn't have a need for newbie fresh out of training. You're father convinced them to take you on as a 'liason' and also give you more training. He told you that it was necessary for you to move up in the ranks and it would be the ultimate sign of peace between two countries. He only pretended to proud so you wouldn't catch on, and you didn't because you trusted him. So you were just following an order. And me kidnapping you and the Dinozzo girl was me following an order. The only reason I'm telling you this now is because I've come to find out that your father is playing me as well. And I don't like being played Hunter. So you see, you and I, we are very much so alike. Both getting played. Both just soldiers following orders by the same man we feel we owe a debt to ... Director Amadi."


Ziva woke up from the sound of Abby entering the lab with a splitting headache. She groaned as she rubbed her temples. Crying herself to sleep had made waking up feel like its own torture. Abby looked down on the floor at her sister-like bestfriend with confusion. But seeing Ziva's still red and puffy eyes shattered that confusion and immediately made something clear.

"Did you and Tony have a fight last night?" Ziva merely nodded her head and Abby sat on the floor next to her to wrap her in an embrace. "What happened", she asked while she stroked Ziva's back.

Ziva let out an exasperated sigh, "I called an old friend, who happens to be Mossad, and Tony flipped out because of the intel she gave me."

"About Benjamin", Abby asked to be sure.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Tony sent an email last night about getting information on the man in the video but he didn't say how he got it", she explained.

Ziva nodded, "He got it from me, well my friend Paza provided the intel and an old case file. When I shared it with him he accused me of being part of the plot to kidnap Tali ..."

"He did what?" Abby pulled away slightly. Her face showing her disbelief and immediate anger that Tony would even insinuate that Ziva was somehow involved. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Because of the fact that I identified the tattoo the other day and then last night we both realized that Benjamin and Lucifer are both one and the same. He's just had his face altered for obvious reasons. Since I'm the one that arrested him twenty something years ago, Tony thinks it's my fault that Tali was kidnapped by him. He thinks, that with my Mossad training, I should have killed Benjamin back then but those weren't my orders. Then he insisted that I must have known all along and had something to do with it."

"Tony clearly didn't know what he was saying", Abby tried to reason. "We've all been sleep deprived and running on empty. He's just frustrated. Granted he shouldn't have exploded on you, but you have to know he didn't mean it."

"No", Ziva shook her head. "He knew exactly what he was saying and his attitude damn sure proved he meant it." She paused to take a deep breath while trying to hold back tears. "The worst part is that he kept calling me Officer David. It's like he divorced me the moment he found out Mossad had ties with this guy a lifetime ago. I swear Abby, I had no idea about any of it. Had I not noticed that tattoo on his arm, I wouldn't have even remembered that op. I've pretty much forgotten everything related to Mossad. It has been my past since the moment I killed Bodnar."

"I know Ziva", Abby reassured that she was on her side. Although she did have questions, "but why didn't you kill that sicko back then? I'm just curious."

"It wasn't my op. I was only called as backup. My orders were simple, 'take the entire cell into custody so they could be pressed for information'. When we got there, everyone except Benjamin was dead. I was instructed to cuff him and bring him to Mossad headquarters. After that, I had no other ties with the case. The only reason I remembered him at all was because it was unsettling to put him in cuffs as an Israeli and seeing that elaborate detesting Swastika. I got the same nauseous feeling the other day that I did the first time I saw it."

"Does Tony know what your orders were?"

"I explained but he just kept refusing to believe me. In his mind, I'm now the enemy too." She sighed again, "maybe I am. Maybe he's right, I should have killed Benjamin a long time ago. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened. It's my fault."

Tired of fighting the inevitable, Ziva broke down in tears and Abby held her tighter. "This isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that he'd escape and come back to do this. It's not your fault Ziva. It's not your fault", she tried desperately to make her believe it. "It's not your fault."

"Abby, I feel like my world is shattered. Tony seems to hate me, Anthony has almost completely shutdown, and Tali ... Tali ...", she was stuck in her brokenness. "What do you do when you feel like the very essence of who you are is gone", she choked out.

"You keep fighting and searching until you get it back."

"How, when I feel like part of me is dead?"


Gibbs entered Tony's office and found him by himself. He handed him a cup of coffee, "where's Ziver? Tim told me you got an ID on the bastard behind all of this."

"Thanks Boss", he said after taking a sip. "Yeah, we uh ... we got an ID."

The older man looked at his protegé and noticed his attempts to avoid eye contact. Knowing Tony all too well, he knew exactly what that meant. Gibbs instinctively and unapologetically smacked the back of Tony's head.

"Hey", Tony yelped. "What the hell was that for?"

"For whatever you did or said to my kid." Gibbs stared him down.

Tony got defensive, "Look she slapped me in the face ..."

"And what did you do to deserve that slap", he interrupted. "I know you started this Dinozzo. So let's hear it."

Tony followed Gibbs lead and sat down, "did you know Ziva still has ties to Mossad and that Mossad knew about the Johansons and that bastard that has Tali? Did you know that this creep Benjamin was taken down by Mossad back in the day? Specifically arrested by one Officer Ziva David!?" Gibbs' face told him that the news didn't shock him. Tony continued, "She had the chance to kill that son of bitch and she just cuffed him instead. Who just puts cuffs on a known active terrorist? Especially when that terrorist is tracked down by Mossad? I mean, she's a goddamn assasin..."

"WAS an assasin", Gibbs corrected.

Tony rolled his eyes, "Fine, she WAS an assasin. Either way, my point is, back then all she did was takeout marks like him. Why was he so different that she didn't just do the natural Ziva thing and kill him?"

"What were her orders?"

"Does that really matter", he unintentionally hissed.

"Well yeah, Dinozzo, it does matter! What were her orders?" Gibbs' tone demanded an answer.

"To cuff him and bring him back to Mossad but ..."

Gibbs waved his hand shutting Tony up. "No buts Dinozzo. She did the 'natural Ziva thing' and followed Eli's orders. End of discussion."

"But Boss ..."

"You asking for another slap Dinozzo?" That stare from those piercing blue eyes served as a warning for Tony to stay quiet. "Ziva had no idea any of this could have happened. For you to even have the thought and then verbalize it to her was completely out of line. You deserved more than her slapping you and you're lucky she ONLY settled for slapping you." Tony swallowed the knot forming in his throat. Gibbs was completely right. Even in his old age, somehow Gibbs always knew everything without much to go on. "You've been married fourteen years, you've got two beautiful kids. Dammit, you fought like hell on more than one occasion just to get the woman you love. You've been all around the world just to get her and have this amazing life you've both built together, now you're throwing it all away because of some nut job from the past?"

"Gibbs", he spoke cautiously, "it's not that simple."

"None of this is simple Dinozzo, but you seem to be convinced that Ziva is at fault."

"My gut says something is off, but I don't know what!"

"So you automatically fill in the blanks with your wife, the woman who gave birth to your kids and risked her life thousands of times to save you? You think she's the reason why your damn gut says something is off? She has been loyal to you from day one Tony, why the hell would she break that now? And why do it by risking the life of the little girl she nearly died giving birth to, alone at that?"

Gibbs was pushing all the right buttons and Tony was getting pissed. "That was her choice to give birth to Tali alone! She had to be pronounced dead two years later before I even knew she'd been pregnant! How was that loyal?"

"Why didn't she tell you about Tali back then?"

"You know the answer to that already."

"Well I'm getting pretty damn old", he said sarcastically, "so remind me." Gibbs remembered but, just like he did to Ziva in MTAC, he needed to push Tony to a point of realization.

"She was scared and she didn't want to disrupt my life", he said plainly.

"Uhn huh, and how did she feel during that whole time?"

Tony sighed, "she felt horrible that she could never find the courage to tell me. She felt like she was betraying Tali and I for not knowing the truth. It killed her inside." He rubbed his head, "what's your point?"

"My point is that her feeling like she was betraying you was a clear indication that she was still loyal to you. Fear just got the best of her and that was a sign of her humanness. You've always looked at her as superwoman and that's not fair. To you, she's always been above natural basic human responses and errors, but at the end of the day she's still just a human. If you were so angry back then, why'd you track her down? Why'd you search the world to find her after everyone else gave up and said she was dead?"

"Because my gut was clear", he admitted. "They didn't find her body, and I knew deep down in my heart that that meant she was alive."

"Despite what Vance, Orli, me, and everyone else told you?"

"Yes."

"Your gut said otherwise so you took Tali and you went to find your woman?"

"Yes."

"Because you were loyal to your gut and your heart?"

"Yes."

"And with everything that happened now, would you do it all over again?"

"Of course", Tony didn't hesitate to answer.

Got him. Gibbs smirked, "why Dinozzo? Why would you do it all over again if your gut is now telling you that something is off?"

"Because it's not Ziva that's off, it's me", again he didn't hesitate. He pushed through his thoughts, "It's this goddamn Lucifer or Benjamin being so silent and illusive that's getting to my fucking head. It's not knowing if my daughter is dead or alive and it's killing me! It's watching my son, who never shows any emotion during hard times, cry over his big sister being missing and trying desperately to cling on to hope! It's my wife having to relive the trauma of losing her child all over again because of some sick egomaniac! I'm off Gibbs, because my world has been turned upside down by a practical ghost and I can't seem to do shit about it!" He stopped, gasping for air as it all finally hit him like a ton of bricks.

Gibbs just leaned back and waited for him to finish.

He finally looked Gibbs directly in the eyes, "I was wrong last night. And I know I was but when I tried to apologize she cut me off and left. I knew she felt betrayed but I didn't go after her. To be honest, part of me still wants someone to blame but I know it shouldn't be her. Guess I just let my confusion get the best of me. Even this morning I woke up ready to put the blame back on her but I really I blame myself. I just ... I mean ... this thing is just so crazy and with so much of the past coming back to haunt us ... I guess ... I just ... I ..."

"Need answers", Gibbs finally helped.

"Right. I need answers."

"Rule number fifteen."

Tony nodded knowing what Gibbs was getting at. "Always work as a team", he quoted from memory.

"Exactly. You're problem is you've been trying to do this alone and you can't."

"Yeah, I see that now."

"So then go apologize to your wife, tell her everything you just told me. And then the both of you go find those answers so you can bring my granddaughter home, together."


So we've gotten deeper into this plot. Things are about to get crazy now ...

Hope you all enjoyed. Please please please send me your feedback!

Next chapter coming soon with more answers ...

Later!