Tony gnawed on the gag Safad hadn't bothered to remove after he had finished filming their kidnapped short. It had been standard fare, with Ziva being allowed to say only that they were unhurt while Safad went on and on about his demands, both for NCIS and Moussad, while walking back and forth in front of a stationary camera that was focused at the head level of the people tied to chairs, meaning whoever had to watch the thing was going to get a extended scene of a mouthy, pacing torso. All a little artsy and pretentious for Tony's tastes. He suspected the lack of concern with production values wasn't going to be of much concern when Gibbs saw it, but who knew what Safad was planning to do with it? The guy seemed pretty intent on getting his buddy back, maybe to the point of shopping a ransom video around to the major TV networks when Jenny gave him the standard line about how the US didn't negotiate with terrorists.

He sighed and tipped his head back onto Ziva's shoulder. At least Safad had cleaned up her head wound before putting her on camera. "Hhowa eee?"

"What?" she replied clearly, having behaved well enough that she hadn't been gagged.

He started to talk, wondering if any of his monologue about how the tape would have come out better with improved lighting and a tighter script was getting through until Safad pulled that gag down. "What are you saying?"

Tony worked his jaw for a moment before replying, "Nothing important, unless you're planning to enter your short film at Cannes or something like that. Then I'd recommend…"

"Does he enjoy being gagged?" Safad asked Ziva, cutting Tony off.

"He will likely talk more if you leave it in his mouth."

"I can be very annoying," he added. He felt a hard bump where Ziva suddenly struck the back of his head with hers. "What? You're gonna lie to our kidnapper and say it's not true?"

"I believe she was asking you to shut up and stop antagonizing your kidnapper." Safad seemed to contemplate replacing the gag, but instead turned back to the computer. He was taking his sweet time with it. Tony was hoping he sent it soon; the sooner NCIS got it, the sooner McGee could start tracking the email or whatever back to where they were being held. Safad suddenly made a noise and held up a CD. "Hopefully, your colleagues will enjoy this."

"Yeah, you should go to the Navy Yard and drop that off," Tony suggested. So much for McGeek saving the day. Gibbs could always interrogate something out of the delivery man, but… "Make sure you give them your name."

Safad gave him an unsettling grin. "When I spoke with Ziva's husband when he had captured you, he told me that he would be doing me a favor if he shot you and saved us the trouble." He moved in a wide circle, out of Tony's line of sight. "He doesn't like it."

Tony could imagine Ziva's expression from her sarcastic tone. "Being threatened with death?"

"Hearing me call Tushkevich your husband."

"Like I told you…"

"Yes, you mentioned a meaningless marriage. Full of meaningless sex?"

Tony wasn't sure if his current tension were a result of the unpleasant reminder of Ziva's time with Tushkevich or the fact that he could feel her stiffness against his back. He tried to lean into her to lend some support as she said, "Upset because you and Sahrawi were not able to purchase nuclear weapons from Dmitri? He really talked a lot once we convinced him that it was a good idea."

"When you tortured and interrogated him?" Safad shouted. Tony could tell he was leaning into Ziva's face when he continued a moment later in a calmer tone, "You should be thankful that I am more civilized than you people – or, at least, that I have become so. While I arrange the delivery of this disc, I have another that you may find enlightening. I had originally suspected that you were so eager to destroy our operation in Cairo because you knew about this particular incident, but Ari assured me…well, you will see the…" He suddenly switched to another language when another man stepped into the room. He left a moment later without clarifying anything he had said.

Tony turned his head and asked Ziva, "What was he going on about? What'd you do in Cairo?"

"It was years ago. We were observing him and Sahrawi – that is the man we were interrogating in Morocco. We'd had some intel that they were preparing a major attack and…"

"Who's we?"

"Moussad and NCIS. Jen and her partner were captured. He died, she was held captive for a few days until we were able to mount a rescue. Safad and Sahrawi escaped."

Tony was tempted to ask for more details, but Ziva's curtness was dissuading him. Of course, he could still hear Safad conversing somewhere outside the room. Dropping his voice to the softest whisper he could manage, he asked, "What about Ari?"

"I knew that they had had some contact. I do not know what occurred prior to the Cairo mission that Safad mentioned. Before that he was just a name on a list."

"You guys keep lists?"

"Sshh. I can barely hear them as it is."

Tony tilted his head, attempting a modified forehead and cheek snuggle until the voices faded away. "Well?"

"The disc is being dropped off at a hotel – the Mandarin Oriental."

"Nice."

"I did not hear a name, only a room number. It will not help us if we remain tied up."

He jerked his wrists, but he didn't feel any give in the ropes. "I don't suppose they let you keep your knife."

"I have dealt with enough government-sponsored murderers to be cautious about such contingencies," Safad interrupted, brushing a sheet back as he stepped back into the room. "The information I have available indicates that you are a fan of the cinema, Agent DiNozzo. You should recognize at least two of the stars of this feature."

Again feeling Ziva's tension, Tony didn't ask for any translations as video played out on the laptop screen Safad angled toward them before leaving the room again.

Ziva could feel her fingernails digging into her palms. Closing her eyes saved her from seeing the images, but there was nothing she could do to block out the painfully familiar voices speaking in Arabic.

"State your name."

"You know who I am, Haswari." She felt unexpected pride in the fact that Jacob's soft, deep voice never wavered.

"I have no interest in reliving the few instances in which I have been forced to interact with you. State your name."

She opened her eyes momentarily when a yelp came from the tinny speakers just before the now-bleeding man kneeling on the dirt floor of an unfurnished room gasped, "Officer Jacob Keinan."

"And why are you here, Officer Jacob Keinan?"

"Fuck you."

Ari laughed in a disconcertingly familiar way. "Hopefully you got enough of that from Ziva before Abraham decided your skills would be best served in Ramallah."

"You should talk to your sister more often. Ziva broke up with me months ago."

"Good for her. Did she make that decision on her own or were you stupid enough to cheat on her?" She was unable to stop herself from watching Ari circle Jacob. "No, if you were that stupid you would never have lived to be captured by us. Don't feel bad; she is much too good for you."

"Like you give a damn about her."

Jacob went down as Ari struck him. "It is not her fault that she has been brainwashed. Your fate has already been decided, Officer Keinan, so I suggest you make your remaining minutes easier. Why are you here?"

"I can't wait until they find out you're a traitor, you bastard."

"He isn't going to tell us anything useful," Ari hissed. "Don't worry. I'll make sure my sister gives your family something to bury."

Ziva squeezed her eyes shut when a younger Safad stepped into the shot, brandishing a saif. A swish and a thud preceded Tony's gasp. When she opened her eyes, the image was frozen as Safad reached down to grasp Jacob's head by the hair. Turning away, she waited until she was sure there would be no tears she couldn't brush away to tentatively ask, "Tony?"

He didn't reply until she met his gaze at an odd, peripheral angle. "Did you know that guy on the tape?"

Glad he didn't speak Arabic, she asked, "Do you remember a case we had – we found a man's head in a car's trunk and I told you…?"

"They mailed you the…his head. I remember." He was quiet for a moment. "Ari was…what was he asking?"

"Does it matter?"

"And the guy with the sword was…"

"Don't worry, Agent DiNozzo," Safad said with a chuckle as he reentered the room, "I have no intention of beheading you. As for what Ari was saying to Ziva's ex-boyfriend…" She refused to meet his eyes as he leaned toward her with an infuriating smile. "Was that true? Had you ended your involvement with him at that point?"

"Yes."

"Do you really think you should be showing her things that will piss her off more at this point?" Tony asked, saving her the trouble of articulating her rage. She had never known that Ari had been responsible for her receiving the package with… It took more effort to hold back the tears this time. She hadn't really known what Ari had really deserved when she had killed him. For the first time, her doubts and guilt were fully replaced by a feeling that it had been too easy. If circumstances allowed, Safad would not be so lucky. She doubled her effort as she strained her wrists against the ropes binding them, not sure if the moisture she felt was sweat or blood – lubrication could only help.