Chapter Twelve
Tony always said that Saleem Ullman was smart. After waking into the midst of ten terrorists and Ullman, Tony had the shit beat out of him immediately. He expected no less. Ullman hated him. Unfortunately, when he woke up, he remembered that Ullman's Yale education was well earned. They were no longer at his old home, but had moved to another empty for the winter estate on Long Island. Now he had his arms tied behind his back and was on his knees in an empty living room, as Ullman talked.
"I will get started question you when I'm done playing with you and when my little serum is complete. I've experimented over the years with improving a truth serum. You see there is one thing to take away inhibitions or filters, but my serum adds the benefit of pain if you try to spin a tale or not speak," he explained.
"I'm so glad you got that BA in Chemistry at Yale," said Tony.
"I am, too," said Saleem.
"Saleem, babe, do yourself a favor and turn yourself in. All your other ops are dead. It's only a matter of time that my task force gets to you," Tony said.
"Everything else, the anthrax, suicide bombers, cars, was all busy work. The dirty bomb is what counts the most. It will kill tens of thousands, maybe more, and make Manhattan unlivable because of radiation and fear," said Saleem.
"You are too damned much, Saleem. You haven't succeeded, yet you are patting yourself of the back. Damn, you and your ego," said Tony.
Ullman kicked him in the gut then grinned and did it again. Tony was balled up on the floor trying not to puke. The pain was bad, but he had felt worse. It was thought that Saleem might get away with his plan that was sickening him.
"Once I get all the information out of you that I can then they won't be able to stop me," said Ullman.
He wound up and kicked Tony again. Tony tried not to be too loud in his groan of pain. He didn't want to give that bastard the satisfaction that he causing a great deal of pain.
"We are going to have fun for the next four or five days then I am going to kill you. I thought about keeping you alive long enough to see my success, but I'd rather see you dead then humiliated," said Ullman.
"You know what I'm going to do to you, Saleem," said Tony.
"What?"
"Piss on your grave," smiled Tony.
Saleem gave Tony a kick to the jaw sending him in unconsciousness.
NCISNCIS
When he woke up, Tony found that he was tied to a wooden chair. His ribs were sore, as well as his jaw. There was a slight taste of blood in his mouth. Tony smiled, even though it hurt. At least he didn't break his jaw with that last kick. As long as he could talk, Tony believed he could confuse.
Ullman and one of his men came into the deserted living room. He walked up to Tony and without alcohol to sterilize the area or pulling up his sleeve, Ullman stuck a needle in his arms and plunged whatever formula he had come up with into his bloodstream.
"In twenty minutes my serum will have kicked in and questioning you is going to be a pleasure for a change," said Ullman.
"Saleem, sometimes I think you have a crush on me and you just don't want to let me go," smiled Tony.
Ullman slapped his face. It sent Tony's head rocking back and the taste of blood increased in his mouth.
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," said Tony.
"Shakespeare, Hamlet. You are not as stupid as you pretend to be," said Ullman.
Tony mulled his situation and then chuckled, "Nay, I'm as stupid as you think I am."
Ullman smiled, "Let us hope not, Agent DiNozzo, otherwise I will be causing you pain for my pleasure and not for information. I'd rather it be for both reasons."
The twenty minutes passed. Tony could feel a pressure to the back of his skull along with tingling to his extremities. Next came a flush of warmth through his body. Whatever Ullman had concocted was working and was powerful.
"Saleem, this shit is pretty good," said Tony.
"Yes, it makes you want to talk and when you refuse to talk, it hurts. It also hurts when you start to filter or lie," said Ullman.
"Sure," said Tony.
"Tell, Agent DiNozzo," said Ullman, "who knows I have a dirty bomb?"
"Everyone you've told," answered Tony.
"Very good," said Ullman. "I can play with you like this for hours, even days. As the serum wears off, I'll fill you up with more. Eventually the pain will force you to speak the truth."
"Up yours," mumbled Tony.
NCISNCIS
"Who knows about me and the dirty bomb?" Ullman asked again.
"Knowledgeable people," grimaced Tony.
"That hurt didn't it," said Ullman.
"I've felt better," said Tony.
"Stop fighting the serum and speak your mind and you won't be hurting anymore," said Ullman.
"I like the pain," said Tony then he grimaced again.
Ullman laughed.
"No, you do not, but you are dealing with it better than I anticipated. I think you need more, even though it might over tax your system and cause you permanent damage. Oh, well."
"Well, at least I know that you care," said Tony.
Ullman barked orders to his man, who then turned and left. Once he was gone, Ullman walked over to Tony and slapped his face
"You can't win. I am going to win," said Ullman.
"I don't have to win. I just have to keep you from winning," said Tony.
"I am going to enjoy killing you slowly, Agent DiNozzo," said Ullman.
"Yada yada. You talk too much, especially for a terrorist," said Tony. "Don't they teach you how to be quiet and stoic in terrorism school?"
"Maybe I spent too many years in America," said Ullman.
"That, too," said Tony.
"I am going to enjoy killing you, Agent DiNozzo, though in some way I will miss you," said Ullman.
"I bet I miss you more," smiled Tony.
Ullman slapped him again just as his henchman returned with the second needle full of serum. Tony looked at it and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out.
NCISNCIS
Tony didn't know when he passed out only that he did pass out and that he was glad to have done so. Now that he was finally waking up, he wasn't all that sure that he would be able to hold out too much longer. His mouth was as dry as a desert and his self-control was fraying from the chemicals in his system.
With limited time and waning control, Tony knew needed to change his tactics with Ullman, but with limited resources he didn't have a clue to what that change of tactics would be. Suddenly, two of Ullman's men dragged a female, who had her hands bound behind her back and her head covered by a burlap bag.
One of them dragged a wooden chair along with them. He set it up across from Tony then they sat her down then pulled the bag off her head. She long brown russet hair was wild and her dark eyes stared at Tony. It was Ziva. His heart sank. The two terrorists left.
"Damn it, Ziva, why are you here?" he growled.
She smiled which turned into a grimace.
"He's given the same stuff as you, so don't ask questions you don't want an answer to, Tony," she said.
"Oh, shit. Don't talk. I'm filled with the stuff. It is a bitch on your system," he said.
"Tony, I've been trained for situations like this. I can handle this," she said.
"Oh, by Mossad, yeah. They trained you to do everything, right? Can you crap an escape plan?" he asked her.
She smiled again and again it turned into a grimace. She was fighting the serum.
"Damn it, Zi, why are you here?" he asked.
"Because of you," she answered.
"Me? Why me?"
"Because I think I love you," she said.
He stared at her. The expression of his face was one of complete confusion. If she loved him then why in the world had he drawn her into this mess? No, he didn't want this for her. This wasn't the right ending for her.
"Zi, I don't want you here," he said.
"Don't you love me, Tony?" she asked.
"Zi, remember I'm filled with more of the serum than you. It is really painful if I don't answer," he said trying to fight the pain.
"So, don't you love me?" she asked again.
He rolled his eyes at her. She was playing fair.
"You know that I do. For three years all I could do was thinking about you and the night we spent together. I want you more than you could ever know," he said.
She smiled. Saleem entered the room. He applauded them.
"She belongs to you, huh?" said Saleem.
"She belongs to no one," growled Tony.
"I couldn't have asked for a better present," he said.
"Let her go and I'll tell you everything I know," said Tony.
"Why don't I keep her and she'll tell me everything she knows and you will also," said Saleem.
"Listen to me, you son of bitch, if you hurt her I will come back from hell to kill you," said Tony.
Ziva laughed. Both men looked over at her. She smiled at them.
"You are not afraid of me?" Saleem asked her.
"I am more afraid of my father than I am of you," she answered.
"Who is your father?" he asked.
"Director of Mossad, Eli David," she answered.
"You are the great Eli David's daughter," smiled Saleem. "You are right, Agent DiNozzo, I can't kill her. She has too many other uses to me."
Saleem turned and looked at Tony.
"You, Agent DiNozzo, I can kill," he said. "Of course that is after I get all the information I can from you."
"Fuck you," spat Tony.
Saleem walked up to Tony, balled up his fist, and punched him. The punch brought Tony's head back and caused the chair to fall over. Ziva let out a howl of anger at this, which amused Saleem. He turned and stared at her.
"Angry? What are you going to do?" he asked her.
"I am going to kill you," she said.
"Really?"
"I can't lie," she said.
Saleem stopped for a moment. He knew that something was wrong. They needed to get out of their now.
"Ahmed," he yelled.
No one answered. A look of mild panic glazed over his eyes.
"Ahmed! Abdul!"
Ziva sat smiling at him. Saleem went to pull the gun in his hip holster. He got as far as touching the handle when a knife was imbedded in his chest. Saleem looked over at Ziva and her hands were untied and she had thrown the knife.
"How?" he asked her.
"Training," she smiled.
Before she could get up, though, he reached into his pocket and took out a cellphone. He pressed several buttons on it then smiled before falling to the floor dead.
The door to the living room burst open and Gibbs in SWAT gear along with Morse and Borin entered. He looked around the room.
"Gibbs, clear the area right away. Saleem armed the bomb," yelled Tony.
Ziva finished untying herself then rushed over to Tony. She started untying him. Gibbs grabbed his radio.
"McGee," he said.
"McGee."
"Grab Jardine and clear out. The Bomb has been armed. Get out and start clearing the area," he ordered.
"Gotcha, Boss," said McGee.
"Jimmy, check the master bedroom. See if this place has a highend panic room," said Tony to his friend and number two, as Ziva helped him up.
"Got it, Boss," said Morse then he ran out of the room.
"What do we do?" asked Borin.
"Where is the bomb?"
"I've overheard them talk. It's in the basement," said Tony.
"If there is a panic room, we put it inside and shut the door," said Tony.
Tony headed towards the basement door with Ziva right beside him. His body was filled with that serum and his equilibrium was off. She steadied him and made sure he didn't fall down. Borin and Gibbs followed.
Heading down the basement they found it in the middle of the room. Its timer was counting down. They had fifteen minutes.
"Gibbs, call Morse," said Tony.
"Morse," Gibbs said into the radio.
"They have a panic room. I just opened it up. It should contain most of the blast. I'm not sure about the radiation, though," said Morse.
Gibbs looked at Tony, who then looked at Ziva.
"Can you disarm this?" he asked her.
"I can try."
"Okay, let's carry it to the damned panic room, shut the door," he said.
Gibbs grabbed it along with Borin. They started to bring it up the stairs. Ziva helped Tony. When they got to the master bedroom there was nine minutes left. They set it down in the panic room. Tony walked up to Morse.
"I need your Swiss Army knife," he said.
"Boss," said Morse, knowing what Tony was up to.
"Now," he ordered.
Morse handed it to him. Tony turned to the rest of them.
"Let's get out and close the door," he said.
They started out of the room. Ziva knew what he was going to do, so when she got to the panic room door she shut and locked it then she turned and looked at Tony.
"I am not leaving you," she said, "so give me the Swiss Army knife and let me disarm this damned thing."
He tossed it to her then said, "You and I have a lot to talk about."
"I know. Now shut up and let me work on this bomb," she said as she started to follow the wires.
"Just one thing," he said, "quicker is better than slower."
She looked up at him and smiled, "Not always."
He laughed and she got back to working on the disarming the bomb. With all the serum in his bloodstream and the beatings he had taken over the past few days long with lack of food and water, he suddenly just wanted to do to sleep. Sitting down and leaning against the wall of the panic room, he watched Ziva as she worked. A smile crept across his face. Yeah, he loved her. He'd loved her for years and now his life was completely in her hands. It wasn't a bad way to go one way or the other.
Closing his eyes, he slowly let sleep overtake him. If he woke up then he'd be surprised and happy, otherwise he'd just be surprised. It was all up to Ziva now.