Previously in saving ziva.
"McGee run the recent calls on ziva's phone. Gibbs follow me." Gibbs looked stunned but followed.
"You mind telling me what this is all about, tony."
"She is in Africa and I just have this gut feeling that something is wrong. You of all people know that when your gut is telling you something you have to listen."
"Yeah. yeah, I know dinozzo. I know. So what do you want me to do?"
"get us on the next flight to Africa. Im going for her boss with or without ncis' help, I already lost one partner I'm not losing her too."
Gibbs knew that if tony felt this strongly, if he told him ncis couldn't help he would be on the next flight to Africa. As much as he wants to help her, he wasn't sure if ncis actually could. At this point her liaison position had been terminated and it wasn't as if the navy was just going to hand over a plane for a global quest for an ncis agent's girlfriend. There was one thing he had to do, he had no choice.
"Come on dinozzo lets go talk to the director."
-Vance's office-
After tony explained everything, and how he thought she was in trouble. Vance didn't disappoint when the first thing out of his mouth was.
"So you expect me to get the secnav to sign off a trip to Africa for a former liaison officer that you THINK is in Africa in trouble? You have a better chance of getting Gibbs to wear a dress."
Looks like plan b. tony thought.
"Do you even know where in Africa she is?"
"No, Abby couldn't get a good fix on her cell." Vance nodded.
Tony turned and walked down back to the squad room. Vance picked up the phone.
"Connect me to mossad."
"One moment please"
"Eli my friend. I have a few questions I need to ask you."
-Squad room-
"HOW COULD HE NOT EVEN CONSIDER IT? SHE GAVE 4 YEARS OF HER LIFE TO THE AGENCY! SHE PERSONALLY TOOK DOWN WAY TOO MANY DIRTBAGS TO COUNT AND WE..."
Smack.
"Calm down dinozzo, yelling at everyone isn't going to help her." Gibbs said.
"Right boss. Sorry."
Smack.
"Don't apologize…"
"It's a sign of weakness. I know boss"
"Good."
Tony's phone starts ringing he turns back to his desk.
"Dinozzo"
"Director Vance needs to see you now"
"On my way."
"Vance needs to see me"
-Vance's office-
Tony walks in to Vance's office
"Have a seat tony."
"I think I will stand director." He said as harshly as he could.
"I don't think you would be using that tony with me if you knew what I was going to say."
"And I don't think that it's right to leave someone hanging after they had given four years of their life to an agency if you can do something about it, sir."
"I know and that's why after you left I called Eli David. After a bit of convincing he told me about ziva's mission. He sent her to a terrorist cell on a ship near Africa a day or two after we left. The mission Michael started she's finishing."
"But the fix wasn't moving a ship moves especially if it's holding terrorists. I don't think he's telling you the whole story." Tony said trying to stay calm.
"So if you don't think that is the whole story then what is?"
"Well, let's see," tony said trying to think about what actually could have happened "she left about 2 days after we did. That isn't a lot of time to establish a good cover. Maybe her cover was blown and…" tony didn't even want to finish what he was thinking.
"And what killed?" Vance asked. Tony winced at the thought.
"I think that ncis owes ziva she helped this agency, this team and I don't know about you sir but DiNozzo's Rule number 1: Never sit on the sidelines when your people need you. And ziva needs us."
"Alright, I'll ask secnav but you owe me dinozzo. Big time."
Tony's mind flashed back to when ziva screwed up that saying I think it back fired on him. Large time. He had to control his laugh at that thought.
"Thanks director."
Tony stepped out of his office and headed down to his desk he had other work to do while he waited for the director's word.
-Abby's lab-
"Abby I'm telling you I would know if something went on with tony and ziva. Nothing happened they were just friends."
Abby slammed down the file she had in her hands.
"Did you just say were?"Abby said glaring at him.
"Maybe, possibly"
"Were means she's not coming back, she's gone and she's not gone, she is coming back." Abby glances over to her ziva sign. "She is coming back." She said again more to convince herself than to McGee
"And how can you be so sure nothing happened Timmy? I mean they are so cute together have you seen them look at each other, and they have the perfect Hollywood couple name"
"They what?"
"You know like benifer, brangelina, they are tiva"
"Tiva? Are you serious Abby?"
"What I was bored."
"Whatever, do you have the recent calls on ziva's cell?"
"Yeah and I'm already running the names against every database I can think of"
"Has the signal moved?"
"Not an inch"
"Thanks abs"
Tim turned to walk out when Abby grabs his arm
"What no caf pow?"
"Isn't that a Gibbs thing?"
Abby just looked at him
"Right one caf pow coming up"
"Thanks Timmy you're the best" then kissed his cheek and went back to work
-Africa-
As ziva sat there waiting for her captor to return, she thought about her last words to tony, to Gibbs, if she dies which at this point is a good possibility, her last words to her friends would be lies all because of her father.
While yes she was angry, very, very angry, with tony, she trusted him with her life. It pained her so much to say the things that she did to Gibbs about tony. Hopefully Gibbs understood the message she was trying to say without a word. Tony would have got it.
She had to stay in Tel Aviv, her father knows her weakness. Tail, her baby sister, so young, so undeserving of a death so cruel. This was her chance at revenge, and a chance for her father to regain control of his only remaining child. He knew that she could never turn it down, but part of her wanted to. She loved and hated that part of her, the part that has grown used to America, NCIS, and Tony. She hated it because she felt like she was letting tali down by not jumping at the chance to get revenge.
Clunk. She goes back in to her motionless state. The door opens. The guy enters with a plate of food, and a glass of water.
"I brought you some food."
Ziva just glares at him.
"It is not poisoned you would be no use to us dead."
"You first."
He drinks and eats some of the food. "See, now eat."
She drinks all of the water, not because she want to but she has to it has been days, her body needed it.
-Washington D.C.-
Tony is busy at work when his desk phone started to ring.
"DiNozzo"
"Agent DiNozzo the director needs to see you in MTAC. You have a conference with SecNav."
"I'll be right there."
Tony knew exactly what this was about.