Chapter Ten
With a back that still screamed in pain from the whipping he was given, he opened the door to his hotel room and entered. Mullen and he signed themselves out AMA. They were wasting time in the hospital. The Five Families would be moving against Scalia and Scalia would up his battle against them. Any longer of a delay of action and the possibility of innocent lives being loss grew.
"What the hell are you two doing out of the hospital?" barked Fornell.
"Making life interesting," answered Tony. "It's what I do best."
"You realize, boss, that the blood is about to flow out there and we need to stop it," said Mullen.
"And how the hell can either one of you stop that?" asked Fornell.
"I need to talk to Vincent again," Tony said. "If a war is coming then Vincent now leads the Families. Pushing and prodding him is the right target. It will have a consequence that we might be able to use."
"Yeah, like your death," said Fornell."
"And I need to back up the crazy bastard," Mullen added.
"Okay," Fornell inhaled then slowly exhaled. "How's your back?"
"Ouch," Tony said.
He then looked at Mullen: "And your head?"
"I'm lucky I don't have much inside of it to damage. I'm fine, Fornell," he answered.
"You're getting me and Stabile and Manetti backing you up this time. I want you wearing comm links and ear buds. You two are playing by some rules this time, so we can avoid another hospital trip," he said.
"No Kevlar, I won't wear it," said Mullen. "I'm not going to look like a pussy in front of the guidos."
"You know you have some serious issues, Mullen," Fornell growled at him.
"I know," replied Mullen.
NCIS
Dressed in a black overcoat Michael Rivkin kept a close eye on DiNozzo. He stood across from the Chelsea Hotel in a doorway. It was two in the morning. He was debating whether to sneak into his hotel room this evening and slice DiNozzo's throat while he slept, or to wait and put a bullet in his chest while he stared into his eyes. There was an appeal of watching the light go out of DiNozzo's eyes. Either way, thought, it would satisfy him just as long as he was dead and other of the way.
He knew which window belonged to DiNozzo. The light had just been turned off. All he had to do was wait twenty more minutes in the chill of night and then go in and kill him. Better tonight than wait an longer for an opening or an excuse.
He heard the sound of footsteps on the cement. Michael looked down the street to see Malachi with a smile on his face walking towards him. Michael relaxed. Ziva, well, he didn't trust her, though he did lust for her. Malachi he trusted.
"Where have you been, my friend?" Michael asked Malachi.
"I had to contact a few people in Director Meir's office," said Malachi.
"Anything important?" Rivkin asked.
It started to rain, so Malachi moved beside Michael in the door way.
"Are you thinking of killing him tonight?" asked Malachi.
Michael smiled: "It would make me happy. I can't stand the smug bastard."
"Director Meir's assistant Aaron Gold sends his best," said Michael.
"He was excremental, a cold, bloodless bastard. It was good to see him removed from Kidon," said Rivkin.
Malachi released a folded knife with a serrated blade pivoted and drove it into Michael's stomach then he moved the blade up and to the right doing as much damage as possible. The rain started to fall heavily.
"Malachi," Rivkin growled.
"You are expendable. Director David is not," Malachi said.
He pulled the blade out with a twist, stepped back into the pouring rain, folded the knife and put it in his pocket, then turned and walked away. Michael took his hands away from the wound and saw that they were covered in blood. He collapsed onto the cement sidewalk and slowly died, while his blood was washed away by the rain.
As Malachi walked in the rain he took out his smart phone and called Ziva.
"David," she answered.
"Michael is dead," He said not needing to introduce himself. There was no reason to be explicit about it, either. He wasn't proud about it.
"Good," she replied coldly.
"I have talk to contacts in Director Meir's office. They are aware of your father's mistake with you and your request. They will inform me how they wish to handle within twelve hours," he told her.
"If they handle it the wrong way, they will regret it," she said and then hung up.
She didn't realize it but she learned well from her father, Malachi thought. Eli David may have met his match and that match was Ziva David.
NCIS
Tony was awakened the sound of a police siren and then an ambulance. Looking out the window, he saw a dead body being loaded into the ambulance. It was a violent city, thought Tony. Some poor bastard must have been robbed and killed. It wasn't his problem, though. His uncle was his problem.
It was decided to meet at a Greek diner near Chelsea Hotel before taking off for Long Island. Tony dressed in a black Armani suit, white shirt, and black tie and thought Tarantino would be proud of him. When he stepped out of his room he noticed that Mullen was in the hallway talking up Manetti. He was dressed in a grey suit with white shirt and black tie. They both had a similar idea. If you to visit Vincent The Butcher then you might as well look cool.
He nodded to Mullen, who then leaned in and whispered something to in her air and she laughed. Mullen then walked down the hall to Tony.
"Morning, boss, are we going to have fun today?" he asked.
"You are going to go prod a black bear with a stick and hope it doesn't attack. Does that sound like fun to you?" he asked Mullen.
"It might be a giggle," he said.
They converged on the Greek dinner for their breakfast meeting. Taking over a table they ordered breakfast mainly a toasted bagel and cream cheese, except Mullen and Tony who both ordered the Irish breakfast.
"How the hell can you eat right now?" asked Manetti.
"I felt like blood pudding, Angela," said Mullen.
"I'm hungry and Irish breakfasts are good," added Tony.
"I'll take a car and Stabile and Manetti will be in a care. You two will have ear buds and comms. If we have the words Family is Family, we are coming in with guns drawn," said Fornell.
"Sounds good to me," said Tony.
"I expect you two to push some buttons to get the desired affect then get out of there alive," Fornell said.
"So, after we eat then it's a nice drive out to Long Island and Cold Spring Harbor on the North Shore of Long Island," said Tony.
Long Island was beautiful, especially Cold Spring Harbor where Vincent lived and even more so South Hampton where Anthony, Snr. lived. Tony forgotten how beautiful it could be, mixing fishing village with small town and nice homes and mansions all set by the ocean. He didn't really miss it, though, because of what it represented to him: his father's family. Once his mother died in his mind this became enemy territory.
Mullen hummed to fill the silence as Tony drove. Tony vaguely recognized the song.
"What are you humming?" he asked.
"Fairytale of New York. The Pogues," he said. "Shane MacGowan is a genius."
"So isn't Frank Sinatra," said Tony.
"No argument," smiled Mullen. "Think Uncle Vinnie is going to be happy to see you?"
"Yes and no. I am about to break with my family in a way I've never done before. I've always been respectful of Vincent because of the way he treated me, but now I'm going to be a fucking hard ass cop," said Tony.
"No more Christmas cards, huh?" asked Mullen.
"Nope," said Tony.
"I don't blame you. There comes a time when they are the enemy no matter how well you know them," Mullen said.
"And that time has finally come for me," Tony said.
"To think all it took was to be whipped like a fucking dog," said Mullen.
"Yeah, that's all it took," he sighed.
Vincent's house was a mansion, near the harbor with a dock and a boat and a security fence and gate. Some of his soldiers worked for him as security. It was a way of working yourself up the ladder. Tony drove up to the gate then rolled down the window and pressed the buzzer on a security panel.
"What do you want?" the voice asked.
"Tony DiNozzo to see Vincent DiNutso," he said.
"Wait," the voice said.
It didn't take long for the gate to start to open. He drove up the driveway to the front door of the mansion. He came to a stop in front of the house. Mullen got out and as two of Vincent's men came out of the house to pat them down, he did a quick draw startling them. When a third came out of the house he had Tony pointing his weapon at him.
"We are here for a short visit," Tony said.
Tony walked past Mullen, who now had three men in his sights, and into the house.
"Yo, Uncle Vincent, Boss of fucking Bosses, the unwanted fucking nephew is here," he yelled.
The first people he saw come out of the woodwork were Paulo, Vinnie, and Johnny looking pissed. Tony had his gun down at his side, but he waved it at them to show he was holding and they shouldn't do anything.
"What's up, Tony?" asked Johnny who had the most balls and brains of the three.
"Oh, I don't know, Johnny, I guess I got tired of being this family's whipping boy, literally," he said.
"Hey, cuz, chill the fuck out," said Paulo.
"Shut the fuck up, Paulo. I've never heard anything smart come out of your mouth and I want to remember you that way," growled Tony.
"Anthony," Vincent's voice boomed from another room then he entered the huge front hall with its grand staircase.
"Hello, Uncle," he said.
"What is this disrespect about?" he asked.
"Well, I was hanging from a wall getting whipped and suddenly came to me, my family sucks," he said.
His gather exited now. He had a scowl on his face: "You piece of shit, show respect."
"Hi, dad, I love you, too," said Tony.
"I should…" he started to yell, but Tony placed a bullet right between his legs taking a chunk out of the marble floor.
His father went from angry to frightened of his son. Vincent on the other hand smiled.
"Shut up, dad, and let the grownups talk," Tony said.
"You have a problem, Anthony," said Vincent.
"Yeah, I've got a problem being whipped and now I'm going to make it this family's problem and all the Families' problem. You taught me a lesson and that lesson is that you are strangers to me and I'm going to enjoy putting you away," said Tony.
"As if you could," his father spoke up.
"Like I couldn't out think you, old man," said Tony.
"Anthony, you're going too far," said Johnny.
"I'm going too far. Beat the federal agent and then accuse him of going too far when he takes it personally. You know what I have to say to that, Johnny?" he asked.
"No, what?" replied Johnny.
"It's jail time for some of you," said Tony. "I am going to put some of you bastards away."
"What about Scalia?" asked Vincent.
"He's going to down, but now you people are going down with him," said Tony.
"Do your worst, Anthony?" said Vincent.
"Uncle Vincent, thank you for the kindness you have shown to me over the years," he said. "The back, teaching me a lesson, I can forgive as a man. You were just doing Family business. But as a Fed, you fucked up, you went too far, and people are going to have to pay for that."
"If you don't get out of here now, I'll have charges brought against you for attempted assault," said Anthony, Snr.
"Is he really a good consigliere, Vincent? It's hard to believe," said Tony.
Vincent smiled then walked forward and embraced Tony. He whispered in his ear: "You would have made a brilliant Don. Now go and do you worse, Anthony, just don't hurt your cousins."
"Send them away, Vincent. Keep them safe and send them away on business," Tony said.
Vincent kissed his cheek then turned and walked away. Tony smiled. It was his I don't give a shit smile.
"Well, it's been a pleasure as usual," he said then turned and stormed out of the house.
Mullen was sitting on the hood of the car holding a gun on the three guards. Tony came out.
"Everything, okay?" he asked.
"Peachy," he said.
"Not a big fan of peaches," he said as she slid off the hood of the car and got into the passenger seat. "We good?"
"The pot has been stirred," Tony said.
"Let me guess, no more family, said Mullen.
"I still have family, just not them," he smiled then pulled away and drove away putting his family in his rearview mirror.
NCIS
Ziva's smart phone rang. She looked at it but the ID was blocked, so she answered it.
"Yes," she said.
"It is Officer Bashan. You need to come to the Embassy so we can settle this business," he said.
"I don't trust you, Michael," said Ziva.
"You don't have to. Your threats have done their work. Deputy Director David wishes to speak to you and then there are few other matters we must take care of. You have won, Ziva. Be a gracious winner," he said.
"I will be there soon," she said.
She made sure of entering the embassy from the front because she wanted to be on tape. Ziva no longer felt like an employee of Mossad so wasn't going to act like one. Stopping at the security desk she waited for Michael to come collect her.
"Ziva," Michael said as he appeared at the desk, "follow me."
She knew where they were going. They were headed to ops in the basement, so Eli could have his say. Getting on an elevator Ziva stiffened her resolve. She knew if she went through with this that she'd never be allowed in Israel again. It was a large price to pay, but she was willing to pay it to stay in the United States with Tony.
The elevator stopped and they got. They continued on to the ops center. As they entered Michael Bashan barked orders.
"Bring up Deputy Director David."
Ziva watched as the large plasma screen went from blank to an image of her father. He looked visibly upset and maybe even greyer.
"Officer David, you have caused me nothing but trouble and all over Agent Meatball," he snarled.
"Rivkin is dead," she said.
"I know. He was a good man," said Eli.
"He was incompetent," she offered.
"Do you hate your people so much?" he asked.
"No, I love my people. I hate you and how you have manipulated me," she answered him.
"You are my daughter. I can do with you what I wish," he growled.
"Not any longer, Eli," she spat.
"No, not anymore. You are not my daughter anymore," he said.
"Poor, Eli, you have lost a weapon to use," she said.
"I have been told by Director Meir to leave Agent DiNozzo alone. And you will be given your release from Mossad under three conditions: one you sign an oath never to share those secrets you own; two, you will have your Israeli citizenship and passport revoked; and three, you will not be allowed to legally enter Israel again in your life. Do you agree to these conditions?"
Ziva closed her eyes. She was now a woman without a country that she had loved and had done so much to protect.
"I agree," she said.
"Michael will have papers for you to sign. Once you sign them then everything Mossad has given you: apartment, car, and support will be revoked. You will have nothing."
"I will have my freedom from you," she said.
"Yes, you will. I wish never to see you again after I say this: You are not worthy to carry the name David. We have protected Israel but you chose to protect a man."
"A man I love and who loves me," she said.
"Then he is a fool," said Eli. "Have your Agent DiNozzo and choke on him and his weak ways."
"Goodbye, Eli, I wish you were a better father," Ziva said then she turned on back on the man.
He nodded and the screen went blank. Michael Bashan came to her side and said softly: "You bested him, so he hates you now. Later, he will come to regret this parting and try to reach out to you. That is when he is at his most dangerous. Eli does love you, but he doesn't know how to be a father. He only knows how to be a spymaster. You are his daughter and a great asset. He will miss the asset more than the daughter."
"Why do you tell me this, Michael?" she asked.
"Because you may regret someday what you have done here. Do not. You served your country enough. Now have a life," he said.
"I have papers to sign," she said.
"Call you bank first and transfer the funds in your account. There is no reason to lose all your money," he said.
"Why do you do this?" she asked.
"Because you have served your country well. I am not heartless," he said.
"Thank you, Michael," she said softly.
"Oh, and that say your father does come to his senses and you spurn him. He will be even more dangerous than before. Be cautious and strike him down for real then," he said. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"You have been in this country too long, Michael. You are starting to sound like an American," she said.
"I know," he laughed.