Chapter Ten
Liat and Malachi showed up at the bullpen looking like a couple cats that ate more than one canary. Gibbs, McGee, and Jardine were working on the information that Abby supplied them. She was able to track Nazar to Columbia Heights near Howard University. It was there that they lost him.
"Agent Gibbs, you looked upset," said Malachi.
"Do you have anything, Officer Ben Gideon?" asked Gibbs.
Malachi looked at Liat with a devious smile. She grinned.
"We have the safe house for Ullman's people in this area. It is in Baltimore, a neighborhood called Pigtown," he said.
Gibbs looked at Malachi with suspicion.
"How did you get this information?" asked Gibbs.
"An associate of Ullman's was recently captured by a Kidon unit," said Liat.
"The information is fresh. We have at least twenty-four hours before the safe house is blown," said Malachi.
"McGee, Jardine, gear up," Gibbs stood up.
He stared at Tony's Mossad twins. They both attempted to look innocent.
"I want Nazar taken alive if possible," Gibbs said to them.
"Of course, Agent Gibbs," said Malachi.
"I don't want an international incident," said Gibbs.
"We are not here," said Malachi.
"We police our brass," smiled Liat.
Gibbs shook his head and said, "Follow my lead and orders."
"Of course," said Malachi.
NCISNCIS
Eric and Nell traced every blue Kia Optima in the area of the murder of Sultan. Karim Bin Abdul was in one of them. Using ATM cams, red light cams, and CCTV they finally got a shot of Karim in a blue Optima and a shot of the license plate. It was stolen license plate.
"What do you have for us, Hetty?" Sam Hanna asked as he entered ops with Callen behind him.
"Eric," she said.
Eric brought the photo of Karim in the car and then another shot of the car's license place.
"Did you put out a BOLO?" asked Callen.
"Done," said Nell.
"Now, all we need to do is be patient," said Hetty.
"If you say so," said Sam.
"I'd feel better if we had a location for him already," said Callen. "There is no telling if he's in the final destination or not."
"Patience, Mr. Callen, patience," said Hetty. "Time is not working against us just yet. We shall find Karim Bin Abdul and when we do we will be one step closer to the anthrax."
"I'll call in Kens and Deeks. We might as well be ready to act on short notice," said Sam.
"I'll let DC know how things are going," said Callen.
"And I shall return to my desk. Although these are harrowing times we are living under, there is still paperwork to be done and reports read and filed," said Hetty.
Hetty exited ops. Sam looked at Callen.
"She is a scary little woman," he said.
"I know," smiled Callen.
NCISNCIS
Tony was pacing the hotel room with the smartphone to his ear and Borin, Morse, and Ziva watching him. He shook his head once or twice and spoke in such a low tone they couldn't hear what he was saying. Tony hung up but did not look at them at first instead he looked out the window at Avenue of the Americas. Morse threw a pillow at him.
"Earth to DiNozzo," said Morse.
Tony looked over at him, "Not funny, Jimmy."
"What have you got, DiNozzo?" asked Borin.
"DC has a trace on a safe house in Baltimore and LA is running down a car that might lead them somewhere," said Tony.
"Safe house? With who?" asked Ziva.
"Possible Nazar."
"Finally, that mother fuc…," Morse started.
"Jimmy," Tony warned him.
"I was just going to say that we finally have a line on that cold blooded murdering bastard," said Morse.
"Eloquently put," said Ziva.
"Thank you," smiled Morse.
Tony's smartphone rang again. He looked at the number it was his father. He rolled his eyes then answered it.
"Yeah, dad."
"Junior, I called Bahrain and they told me you were in DC and then they an Agent Fornell told me you were in New York," said Anthony DiNozzo Senior.
"I know where I am, Dad," said Tony.
"I'm in the Middle East visiting Al and I wanted to get together with you," said Senior.
"Well, that impossible now, isn't it, Senior?" asked Tony.
"Now, Junior don't be a smart ass with me. I needed to talk to you about the Long Island home. I think it is finally time to sell it," said Senior.
"That's your call, dad," said Tony.
"I want your input on it. Your mother loved that place," said Senior.
"What do you need me to do?" asked Tony.
"I'd like you to check it out. I haven't seen it in years. I pay a caretaker to check up on it and keep it from becoming a haunted house. Since you are in New York I thought you would check what condition it is in for me. Can you do that for me, son?" asked Senior.
He was finally selling the family home. Tony sighed. That was the last bits of his mothers.
"I check it out when I can," said Tony.
"Thanks, Junior. If it needs a good cleaning maybe I can convince the realtor to keep up the cost of that," said Senior.
"I'll be talking to you," Tony said then hung up.
"Daddy dearest," said Morse.
Tony nodded yes then he looked at his crew.
"We have nothing to go on yet. I'm going to be waiting on phone calls and I think I'll do that in the bar downstairs in the lobby. You guys can get food and relax. I'll call if I need you," said Tony.
"I can join you, Boss," said Morse.
"No need," said Tony.
He grabbed his Glock and hooked it to his hip then put on his leather jacket and exited the hotel room. More shook his head.
"Anthony DiNozzo Senior has a damned negative effect on his son," said Morse.
"Should you check up on him?" asked Borin.
"Nay. He'd be pissed with me," said Morse.
Ziva grabbed her leather jacket and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Morse asked.
"To have a drink with Tony."
"He won't be happy about it," said Morse.
"Too bad," she smiled and left the room.
"Those two have some issues to work out," said Borin.
"Yeah, I know," Morse agreed then he sat down on the edge of the bed. "So do you want to make out?"
Borin looked at him as if he was crazy.
"Are you making a pass at me?"
"Yeah," he said.
"That's unprofessional, Agent Morse," she said.
"I know, but I thought we might end up dead trying to stop this mad man and you're kind of hot," said Morse.
"I'm kind of hot?"
"Okay, I find you extremely hot," said Morse.
She got up and walked over to the light switch and turned off the lights.
"Move over," she said.
NCISNCIS
Tony sat down at the bar and ordered a scotch. When it came he dropped a twenty dollar bill on the bar and then took a sip. The bartender picked up the twenty and then brought him change. Tony left it on the bar.
"You drink alone," said Ziva, as she sat down beside him.
"Sometimes," he replied.
Ziva motioned the bartender over.
"I will have a gin and tonic," she said.
Tony pushed the change forward, "Keep the change."
The bartender grabbed the money then went to make Ziva her drink.
"I can pay for my own," she said.
He took a sip of his drink and didn't respond.
"You don't have to become like Gibbs," she said.
"I'm not Gibbs. I'm me," he said.
"I thought…," she stopped herself. He was in one of his prickly moods and knew not to push it too far with him.
Tony took another sip then looked at her out of the corner of the eye.
"What did your father want?" she asked.
"He's selling the old homestead. He wants me to check it out for him to make sure that it's not in too run down condition. Good old dad," said Tony.
"We can check it out together."
"We are here for a reason," said Tony.
"Yes, but if we have nothing to go on we can spend a couple hours away from the hunt," she said.
Her drink came. The bartender placed it down in front of her then left. Ziva took a sip.
"I'll think about it," said Tony.
"I missed having drinks with you," she said.
"Really," he said sounding as if he didn't believe her.
"Yes, really."
"Well, I missed you," he said then took a sip of his drink, "at first. After a while I got used to being alone. Luckily, I've had a lot of experience at it from when I was a kid after my mother died. Being alone isn't so bad."
Ziva sipped her drink. He didn't sound as if she was feeling sorry for himself, only that this was the way it was for him. Tony almost sounded as if was now Mossad. He had a somewhat fatalist view.
"You still have family and friends in DC, Tony. You know that," she said.
"And which are you, Ziva, family or friends?" he asked.
"I am a friend," she said the added, "and more than a friend. I haven't forgotten the night we spent to together."
He looked at her and smiled. It was a genuine smile, which made her heart beat faster.
"I can't forget that," he said, "but I should. Someone like you deserves a hell of a lot better than someone like me, Zi."
"Maybe what I deserve is you," she said.
Tony stood up, "I'm going for a walk."
He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.
"Maybe we can go out to South Hampton tomorrow," he said then walked away.
Ziva watched him walk away with a feeling of hope that maybe he needed saving and she could save him.
NCISNCIS
They parked a few blocks away from the safe house. Gibbs, McGee, and Jardine wore vests, NCIS windbreakers, and ball caps. Malachi and Liat were dressed all in black without body armor. Gibbs looked at them.
"We have spare vests," he said.
"We don't need them," Liat.
"Agent Gibbs, Liat and I will be fine. Allow us the honor of going in through the backdoor," said Malachi.
Gibbs looked at McGee and Jardine. If he had Tony and Ziva with him, he'd tell Malachi and Liat to get behind them and shut up, but he needed them.
"Take the back as quietly as possible," said Gibbs. "I'll give you five minutes. We'll go in through the front."
"Thank you, Agent Gibbs."
"Remember, Nazar needs to be alive if at all possible," said Gibbs.
"I understand," said Malachi.
"Go."
Malachi and Liat headed off. Gibbs looked at Jardine and McGee.
"Jardine, take the shotgun. You come up the rear," said Gibbs.
"Yes, sir," she said then went and got the shotgun.
Gibbs looked into McGee's eyes and said, "McGee, you have my six and I have yours. We both have Jardine's."
"Yes, Boss," said McGee.
Gibbs looked at his watch and shook his head then said, "We better get going before the Mossad twins have all the fun."
Gibbs, McGee, and Jardine moved forward to the house. They reached the front door. McGee rang the bell and Gibbs readied himself to go through the door. They heard a commotion on the other side of the door then gunfire. Gibbs kicked open the door and he, McGee, and Jardine rush into the house with weapons ready.
There was more gunfire. Gibbs entered a room to be presented with a man with a rifle. He took him took with three shots.
"Jardine guard the front door. McGee, sweep the first floor. I'm going upstairs," said Gibbs.
"Yes, Boss," said McGee.
Gibbs went into the hallway and headed up the stairs. He reached the second floor to find three dead bodies lying in the hallway. There was another flight up. He headed up the stairs.
There was more gunfire. He rushed to the third floor where there were more dead bodies. Form a room he heard screaming. Gibbs entered the room with his gun ready to fire to find Liat and Malachi in a room with two more dead bodies and a living Nazar.
"You two work efficiently," said Gibbs.
"They were not professionals," said Malachi.
Liat smiled at him.
"Agent Gibbs, you intend on taking him in and interrogating him. I can guarantee that you will get nothing from him. He knows you won't kill or torture him. He knows the worst thing you can do is send him to Gitmo where it is warm and he'll be well fed," said Malachi.
Gibbs looked at Nazar. He was a medium height and weight with a face that looked as if he feared no one or nothing. Too many interrogation and too many men had been cracked by him not to know when he was seeing a man who wasn't going to be cracked without some real coercion.
"Get to the point," said Gibbs.
"Give me and Liat fifteen minutes and we will have all the information you need," said Malachi.
Gibbs didn't answer but turned around and headed to the door. He stopped at the door and said, "We'll sweep the house to see if anyone is alive."
Gibbs opened the door exited it. By the time he started down the stairs, he heard Nazar screaming for his life.
NCISNCIS
Callen was seated at his desk with Sam seated across from him at his desk. Patience was what Hetty preached so they were practicing it. Kens and Deeks were up in ops along with Eric and Nell. Callen's sour mood made them rather watch the computer geeks play with their computers.
"G, something will turn up," said Sam.
"We should be out there looking."
"The FBI, CBI, and LAPD are doing that. We need a real lead," said Sam.
"I know. I'm waiting for something."
"It's a shame that Nazar knew nothing about the anthrax job. He gave them the suicide car bomb plot in DC and told them that he built a dirty bomb for Ullman in Queens then he went to DC and Ullman took off to wait for New Year's Eve. They are taking down the DC cell tomorrow. That will leave us with New York and our anthrax," said Sam.
"The best for last," said Callen.
Deeks and Kens came running down the steps and into their bullpen area drawing Hetty out of her area. They both look excited.
"We got a hit on Karim's car," said Deeks.
"Yeah, it's in Long Beach, parked outside a house," said Kens.
"We need at least two FBI SWAT teams plus your team Mr. Callen. Get yourselves ready. I believe you finally have something go on," said Hetty.
Callen grinned, "If the anthrax is at the house, it will be ours before midnight tomorrow."
"I'll call the FBI," said Sam.