Chapter Twenty One- "So Cold"
"You know I am surprised, I figured someone would actually come looking for you" a voice said. Ziva sat in a chair in the middle of the room, with her arms behind the chair and tied together. It had been almost 48 hours since he had showed up at her door. All she knew was she had left the team and everyone behind again, no one was ever going to know she was here. By the time they did, she knew she was bound to be dead.
"They just know how stupid you can be" Ziva said, she knew it was wrong to get him angry, but she needed to do something. She needed him to slip up.
"I always did love that fire about you Ziva" He said to her. He finally walked out from behind her and moved to be in front of her. "I'm going to miss it."
"Oh you plan on going somewhere?" Ziva said. She knew what he really meant, but refused to show him any fear. She had to listen to what Tony was telling her. He had taken so much from her already, she couldn't… she wouldn't let him any many more.
"You really think you are clever" He said to her. "It is not I who is going somewhere, but you. When I'm finished with you I'll be sure to leave on the doorstep of the NCIS building."
"You'll be dead before you even begin" Ziva snapped at him. She knew he knew she was Mossad. She also knew what he was able to do it her, so that meant he knew she wasn't going to be the one to try and stop him. She was going to try her hardest to do what she could though.
"Is that so?" He said to her.
"You already made one mistake" Ziva said to him.
"What taken you? That wasn't a mistake" He said.
"No coming back to the scene of the crime. It's the first place they will look" Ziva said to him. She knew they weren't even looking for her. She wondered if they'd ever find out he was out of jail or if she'd really be dead before they knew.
"We'll be long gone before they even come looking here" He said to her.
"Tony good you're here" Melissa said as he walked into the bullpen and to her desk. She put her stuff down, before walking out from behind her desk and over to Tony's. "I really need to talk to you."
"About what?" Tony questioned. He was confused to what was going on.
"So I kind of made this promise and I need your help" Melissa said to him. "Do you know any good places to go on a romantic getaway for a weekend?"
"Tony's the wrong person to ask that one" McGee said as he walked into the bullpen.
"Really Tim?" Tony said. "There is this one place I know" Tony said, he then gabbed the piece of paper and pen and wrote something down before handing it to Melissa. "It's where Wendy and I were going to go on our honeymoon."
"Thanks Tony" Melissa said to him. "I promised my husband that we could go away next month, I cleared it with Vance and Gibbs. We are finally working things out and I need things to be as romantic and perfect as they can be."
"That's great Melissa, I'm really happy for you" Tony said to her.
"Thanks" Melissa said to him. "Turns out that when I was still on temporary status with the team, he felt at any moment we could be forced to pack up and leave and he didn't want to get to attached to something that was never going to happen" Melissa explained to him. "Now that I am sticking around and really apart of the team, we can actually talk about those things we needed to work on."
"That is good" McGee said. "If anyone deserves happiness it's you two."
"Thank you McGee" Melissa said. "I'm sure you and Abby will have this kind of love and understand soon enough. And I expect an invite."
"We've only just start dating again a year and a half ago. Gibbs barely okayed it, lets not get ahead of ourselves" McGee said.
"You might want to tell that to Abby" Melissa said as he walked back over to her desk.
"Trust me I have" McGee said with a laugh.
"Oh so you have talked about it?" Melissa said.
"Yes, we have discussed that it is not the time or place for this right now" McGee said to her. "With everything that has gone on with… it's just better to wait a bit longer."
"You can say her name McGee" Tony said to him. "You can say with everything that has gone on with Ziva, this team and me."
"We just don't want the people we care about torn apart when we make a decision like this" McGee said.
"Well the team is torn apart" Tony said. "I went to see her the other night, you know when we found out she officially left NCIS."
"You did?" Melissa questioned.
"I was so angry with her, not because of what happened in the past, but for what was happening now" Tony said to them. "She was giving up to easy because I was mad at her. So I told her that the Ziva I knew all these years wouldn't give up with a fight. The Ziva I knew would threated to kill me or harm me in some way, when I said something that annoyed her or offended her. That I wanted that Ziva back, guess that's not going to happen."
"Maybe it is, I mean you took a big step" Melissa said. "You went to see her and said things you wouldn't say if you really did hate her."
"Only it's been two days and she hasn't shown up once" Tony said to her. "She's really gone, and it kills me to know I'll never work with her again. There is just so much I am going to miss. So much I have missed. Just at the same time I can't figure out how to forgive her."
"In time" McGee said to him. "You give it time."
"There is only so much time I can give her McGee, before it's just to much" Tony said to her.
"Forgiveness is never something you can't give" Gibbs said as he walked into the bullpen.
"In this case it might be" Tony said to him.
"She cares about you DiNozzo, no matter what happens" Gibbs said to him. "Her last words before she left where about you, if that doesn't say something I don't know what does."
"Do we have a case?" Tony said trying to change the subject.
"You have reports to do" Gibbs said to him, before leaving the bullpen.
"You can try all you want, but they aren't going to come loose" he said to her. He had taken off once again like he had done in the last 48 hours, to do what Ziva wasn't sure nor did she want to stick around and find out. Each time he left she would try and undo the ties that bind her. Just has he was coming back she would stop, most of the time she was able to tell when he was back, so that was she could make it look like she hadn't done anything. Only this time he sunk up behind her and caught her off guard.
"Well I can try can't I" Ziva said to him. "It's not a fair fight if I give in to easy and you wouldn't have fun no would you."
"Now you are just trying to play those mind games of ours" He said to her. "I thought you knew they aren't going to work on me."
"What do you want me to scream like a damsel in distress?" Ziva said bitterly. "Help, help, help, someone please help" Ziva said in a normal voice with little to no emotion. "Happy?"
"No, like I said I like the fire in you Ziva" he said as he walked over to her, he moved so he was right behind her and leaned in so his face was right next to her ear and placed her hand on her shoulder slowly moving it down. "I want to see that fight again."
"Go to hell Matt" Ziva said, trying to move away from his touch.
"There it is" Matt said. He then removed his hand and stood up straight. "We are going to have tons of fun before I kill you." He said with a laugh.
Gibbs walked off the elevator with a cup of coffee in his hand. As he walked into the bullpen there stood Vance. Gibbs looked at everyone, almost like he felt he missed something. He walked over to his desk and stopped. He turned to face everyone and Vance.
"Is there something we can help you with Director?" Gibbs questioned.
"Mathew Mackenzie escaped from jail three days ago" Vance said. Tony and McGee's face dropped, Gibbs stood there. "Before you ask no one has heard from Ziva in two days. I sent agents to her apartment, but no one is there. No sign of forced entry."
"Why are we just hearing about this?" Tony said. He stood up from his chair and was ready to go after Vance for keeping this from them all.
"Because things have only changed recently, but in any case " Vance said to him. "It is also not our case. Ziva is no longer NCIS, which means it goes to Metro."
"She's still one of ours, no matter what" Gibbs said to him.
"Like hell it's not our case" Tony snapped. "He not only went after Ziva, but killed females Marines and Petty Officers. How can you stand there and say this isn't our case anymore?"
"I don't like it anymore than you, but I was given an order that this is not our case and to stand down" Vance said to Tony. " That means you too Agent Gibbs" Vance said before walking away. Tony turned and looked at Gibbs.
"You aren't going to let him do this are you?" Tony questioned.
"Give me the word and I'll do whatever I need to" McGee said.
"No, we are going to stand down" Gibbs said to them, he wanted to make sure Vance was completely back in his office.
"You can't be serious" Tony said. "If he is out there is going to kill Ziva for sure."
"You don't think I know that Tony?" Gibbs snapped at him. "He's already got her, and fact we are just hearing about this now, mean we are running out of time."
"So we are going to do something?" McGee said.
"Yeah" Gibbs said to him. "I want to know where he has taken her and I want it yesterday."
"Boss, I think I might know where he is" Tony said.
"Where?" Gibbs questioned.
"Ziva's apartment" Tony said.
"Vance said the place was empty and didn't look like anyone broke in or left in a questionable manor" McGee said.
"You got all that from what Vance said?" Tony questioned. "Never mind. Not that apartment, her old one. The one where Lily lived across the hall."
"Why do you think that one?" Gibbs asked.
"It's abandon. They are tearing it down next month to redo it over completely, no one is there and it's just about where it all started" Tony explained to them. "He's gone back to relive what he's most proud of and to finish the job he started. My gut tells me they are there."
"Then you are taking the lead" Gibbs said to him. "Lets go" Gibbs said. He then grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door, with Tony, McGee and Melissa following behind him.