Chapter 6 Fire in my eyes as the devil dances

Ziva was at the back garden; thinking. Her mind once again taking her back to what seemed over a life time ago when she was different, when she first started in MOSSAD...

The hatred that she felt ever since that day had turned the young beautiful assassin into a powerful killing machine in need and in thirst for blood and revenge.

A loved one was taken away from her, too soon. She didn't have the chance to say goodbye or tell her how much she loves her. Must importantly of all, she never had the chance to say how sorry she was for the way that she had treated her over the years.

Her need for revenge was so great she sometimes over stepped the mark and shoot to kill before her team could interrogate anyone. They had voice their concerns and questioned her act but could not take them further as she was the daughter of a highly respectable Deputy Director of MOSSAD.

They understood her need and want for revenge, but they could also see she was slowly getting out of control. She would argue with them when comforted about her actions. They saw the anger that burns in her eyes. Most have sympathised with her; as they also felt the same way. Experiencing a lost in their own hearts; for a love one that was cruelly snatched away from them too soon. But they needed answers so that they hope that some day, one day all the violence and rivers of blood that had already been shed will come to an end and both sides can find common ground to live in peace with each other.

Today was different. She sensed the change in atmosphere as she and her colleagues were taken to the integration room. Before they entered the room she asked her superior what was going on. All she got in reply was that she was going to conduct her first integration and to get answers and hopefully solace that she seeks.

The door opened and they entered. They saw in the middle of the room a figure slouched on the chair hands tied behind their back, ankles tied on each chair leg and their head hang low.

Ziva looked at those in the room with them and saw the Director of MOSSAD and next to him stood the Deputy Director... Her Abba. His face filled with the shade of anger as he stared at the lone figure he didn't register that she and the others have entered the room, he was just focussing on this one lone figure. Ziva turned to her father. "Abba... What is going on?" She didn't realise her first mistake addressing her father in front of everyone instead of his title or sir. The Director looked at her then at Eli but said nothing he watched and waited to see how the rest of the scene will play out.

"Officer David..." Addressed the Director "...Sitting before you, we believe is the killer of fifteen people...that including of your sister." Ziva turned back to the captive her face matching her father's. Sudden anger and fire had filled her body. Without a word spoken or any orders given she went over to the captive with all her strength, backhanded the person causing them to fall onto the floor. Their head and shoulder hitting the floor and a yelp of pain escaped and echoed around the once silent room. Still not waiting for any orders; she then went to the captive's side and gave a few kicks to the ribs and stomach until she was pulled away. "Officer David... This is not the way to conduct integration. You must ask the questions first before punishment."

"Fine..." She spat before jerking her arms away from her colleague's grip. Nodding her head for the captive to be taken off the floor and back to original position. She walked over and whispered. "You have blood on your hands of my people including that of my sister's. I will make you suffer and you will die slowly and painfully...Have you got anything to say?" Hearing no reply, she continued. "...I want you to look into my eyes so that you can see the fire in them for what you had caused. As well as the devil dancing before you die."

Ripping off the black hood, she let out a 'no' on the identity and understood why she did not reply back. Her mouth was gagged.

She looked at those standing around and seeing a smirk on the Director's lips, but still no emotion from her father. "Remove the gag..." She ordered. Once the gag was removed the woman before her, moved her jaw around to loosen it up. "Shalom Z! You still have a powerful backhand I see." For all her intent and purposes seeing who they capture for the killings all Ziva's nerve was lost as she couldn't believe her best friend was getting question about the deaths. She again looked at the Director's face and saw the smirk becoming a smile and she realised that this could be a set up. As it was no secret that she was best friends with the enemy's daughter and they were always trying to break their bond. She again look over to her father, she still saw no emotion on his face so it was hard for her to gage whether or not that he played a part in all of this. Ziva spoke no words and left the room, which was her second mistake.

The Director and Deputy Director followed her along with Amit Hader leaving orders the captive will not be touch by anyone besides Ziva.

Outside the room Ziva turned to the Director and was in his face. "I can not do the integration..."

"You will do what you have been ordered, Officer David." The Director replied standing his ground on the matter. "She is my friend, she did not do this."

"She is the daughter of the enemy."

"That automatically makes her guilty?" She argued. "It did not stop you from lashing out at the start." The Director answered. "That is because you had covered her face. I know she did not commit this crime."

"Were you with her at the time of the attack?" The Director asked. He needed to teach Ziva a hard lesson about being in MOSSAD and to keep in line. "No, but..."

"Enough Ziva...ENOUGH!"

It was the first time she had heard her father speak, not just today but in months, since the death of her sister.

Eli David had been a broken man and swore bloody vengeance that he will punish those that killed his angel, the apple of his eye... his little nesichah (princess) He made it no secret that Tali was his favourite even overshadowing his first born Ari. At one time he and Ziva were close but something had changed between the two of them. He started to ignore Ziva only acknowledging her existence by disappointment and punishment when she committed the smallest of mistakes.

It was also no secret that he had blamed her for Tali's death, for she was supposed to protect her from harm's way and go with her to the market. Instead she spent time with her boyfriend in a different city. When she heard the news that her sister had died in the blast she rushed home and had expected a beating, instead he gave her a few hard slaps across the face and told her how ashamed he was to have her as his daughter.

She will never forget the look of disappointment in his eyes, she looked over at her mother to explain, but their relationship was already strained as it is, that she never looked back. Her mother didn't really speak to her after that.

After that the only time Eli really spoke to her was to give her orders no matter the hidden danger knowing that she would do anything to please him and hopefully return to the place in his heart. "We have witnesses that place her on the scene, that she was present before the blast." The Director continued.

"How reliable are they? It is no secret that she is the daughter of our enemy and they all want to see her dead but she has never caused any trouble. Where is your evidence? Where is your prove?"

"Officer David. Do not question me or you will face punishment."

"This is not right! You know that this is not right. I know she did not do this, she would not... Aba." She faced her father pleading, hoping that he would take her side and release Aminah. Feeling his boss' eyes burning into him and feeling pressured into putting his daughter back into line he lashed out all that he felt in these past months.

Ziva did not see his fist coming let alone prepare for the impact. She fell to the dusty ground and could feel the salty liquid pooling filling up her eyes she quickly wiped them away for she knew she would receive another hit for showing weakness. She looked at her father and saw his expression was still as hard as the anger is still as raw. She moved her hand down onto her nose and mouth where she felt and saw the amount of blood that had spilled. "You will address me as either Deputy Director or Sir, just like everyone else. You will not receive any special treatment and you will obey orders or face the punishment. Do I make myself clear... Officer David?" Ziva quickly picked herself up and look back at the Director seeing his smile not leaving his face, then back to her father she about to say something, to argue back but knowing she would receive a much harder blow she compiled. "Yes..." She stopped herself from calling him Aba when see saw the look in his eye, he was in full MOSSAD mode, his head held high, posture straight, disciplined. "...Sir."

"Good, go back in there and get those answers. I do not care how much force you have to use. She was there and therefore knows more that she's letting on! It is time you had learnt; Officer David that you can not trust anyone even those that are closest to you."

Before she could stop herself she again gave a smart ass reply to Eli. "Does that include you? Deputy Director?" This time she was prepared for the smack and stood her ground, still the power behind the slap had made her shuffle back a bit. The ring on his finger had caused a cut on her cheek and she knew that she will have a big shiner tomorrow. He was about to hit her again when he felt a grip on his wrist. "Apologies, but we must continue." He turned to Amit Hader. Looking at his daughter he could see the hurt in her eyes but was holding it back. For that one moment he dropped his MOSSAD act and became a father who felt a pang of guilt on what he had done and how he treated his eldest daughter.

Again it only took one look at the Director to make him snap out of that. "You are right. Officer David go in there and interrogate her. I do not care how you do it I want answers." Ziva looked at her father and then the Director. "Sir."

"Oh! Officer David." The Director called out. "You want hard evidence? Here is your hard evidence!" He opened the folder he was holding and gave Ziva a photo. It showed her friend and her sister together just before the blast. Ziva looked back at the Director with new loathing but she could not hide the betrayal she felt. She needed answers and she will get them one way or another.

Ziva entered back into the room she saw the looks that her friend and her colleagues gave her, they knew she had yet another run in with her father. She wiped her face on her sleeve cursing herself that she will be punished for messing up her uniform. "I want answers!" She demanded. "I am telling you Z I was not with your sister." Aminah's head went to the side and once again she nearly was knocked over. "It is Officer David." She could feel the looks as her every movement was being judged.

"Okay, Officer David I am telling you the truth I was not with your sister." She again felt her head turn to the other side. "Liar... Here is a photo. Is it not of you and Tali; just before the blast?" Aminah looked and knew she was busted she was so sure that they were not being followed yet there it was in black and white a photo of them both twenty minutes before the blast. "Z...It is not what you think..." Aminah dropped the act and hope that she can reach out to Ziva as a friend. Ziva was pissed that her best friend had lied to her and let her fists do the talking, punching her in the face. "Untie her!" She commanded. Everyone stood still not knowing what to do. "I SAID UNTIE HER!"

"Ziva what are you doing?" Her friend Adam asked. "What I have been ordered to do, getting answers my way. Get me the tools." Getting a nod from the Director a table full of items that cause serious damage was brought in. "Grab her..." Ziva ordered. Adam untied Aminah and picked her up, putting her arms behind her back. "I am sorry." He whispered in her ear for she too was his friend. "Come on Z..." Aminah begged "...You do not have to do this." She watched as Ziva put on the knuckle dusters on both knuckles. "I told you. It is Officer David."

The cries of pain send chills down the spine of those in the room as it echoed. Ziva was lashing out at Aminah with everything that she got. "Explain to me what you were doing with Tali!" Aminah was in so much pain that she was going to tell Ziva everything; was going to tell Ziva the truth, just to make the pain go away. But the truth would destroy both Eli and Ziva place in MOSSAD and she did promise Tali that she will keep her secret, she cursed she knew she could not say anything.

"I can not...Sorry" Ziva cried out and hit her again. Removing the dusters she moved onto the next item, an 8.5 inch hidden release operator knife. It was slim and sleek in design with a quick release beautiful in creation but deadly in expert hands, Ziva's hands.

Aminah grew nervous as she watched Ziva play with the knife, taunting her, mocking her. Aminah knew knives were Ziva's favourite weapon; she could cause so much damage with the slightest cut and was she quick. You would never know when she cut you until you see the blood weeping out. Ziva walked up to Aminah and grabbed her bruised and swollen face. "I told them that you could not have killed those people and my sister because we are friends...That you were nothing like your mother." Aminah try to turn her head away, but Ziva held on. "You had lied to me. Lied into my face...My sister is dead and you had something to do with it..." She smiled as she brought the blade closer letting the cool metal touch her skin and making sure Aminah felt the sharpness of its edge. "A life for a life. Do they not say?" Ziva pushed Aminah's head upwards so that her neck was exposed and sliding the knife across it. "But I will start with an eye for an eye."

Quick as a flash Ziva held her chin tightly as she cut Aminah's left eye down to her cheek. The scream was earth shattering. She then had Ziva pulled back on her hair and threatening her as she ran the knife down her stomach cutting her not too deep to die from the wound but deep in enough to cause her pain through years to come. "The last image I want you to see is me having control of your life, like you had on those people. Unlike you I am going to give you an option that you did not give them. That is to beg for yours."

Ziva got her to be hang by the wall where she picked her next weapon... An Australian stock whip. "I want her to face me." Her colleagues looked at each other she was indeed going to make Aminah pay. Ziva whipped and whipped over Aminah body, her shirt ripped and was bloody but Ziva did not stop. She started from the chest to her breasts, then moving down to her stomach. She then told them to turn her over so she could start on her back. Before she did this she completely ripped the remains of her shirt and let it drop, she was now naked from the waist up. Ziva carried on whipping her; each whip was as powerful as the last. Aminah cries had stopped a few minutes ago but Ziva carried on, her eyes burning with tears wanting to fall but she kept them in, crying out her sister's name. She did not know when or how she stopped. Was it because she heard Monica's cry to stop? Or all her energy was spent in punishing Aminah? She was breathing heavily her arm dropped by her side, followed by her grip. Releasing the whip and letting it fall on the floor sweat beading down her face and back all the adrenaline gone and she can feel her body start to shake.

Aminah her friend was unconscious but still alive...Just.

"Take her down and dump her..." The Director walked up to Ziva giving her a bit of praise. "You had done well Officer David."

"I do not understand I did not get any answers."

"No you did not. However, you did manage to put your feelings to one side to punish her. You now know you can punish anyone regardless whether they are friend or foe." Ziva stared at him then back at Aminah. "Are you saying that this was all a test? Proving that I am loyal to MOSSAD?"

"It was a test of character and you have passed."

"You set me up? The photo is a fake?"

"No the photo is real, but there was no prove that she knew about the bomb. Officer David, she is and always will be the daughter of the enemy and you showed that you are more then capable of dealing with interrogation..." The Director looked at Aminah who was now lying motionless on the floor. "...No matter who they are to you." As he was exiting out he asked Monica and Malachi to stay and dump Aminah. "I will help them." The Director and Eli stopped. "...To say my goodbyes."

"Of course..." The Director turned to walk away. "...Officer David?"

"Yes sir."

"Do not think I did not see how you treated your uniform. It should be worn with pride and not a handkerchief. You will be punished for that."

"Yes sir." Ziva caught her father's eyes and once again saw the disappointment in them.

Helping to carry out Aminah, their orders was simple to just dump her and let nature takes it cause. "Wait, we can not just dump her."

"It is what was ordered."

"Malachi, I had done this to her, without hard evidence. I can not let her die. Monica?" Ziva looked at Monica her eyes pleading. Monica looked at Malachi then back at Ziva knowing if they are caught their punishment will be great. "There is a village nearby; they will look after her no questions asked."

"Monica, we will be punished."

"They can not punish, for what they do not know." Monica knew that money will keep the silence in the village and treat the injured. As they carefully unload Aminah and take her to the villagers she turned to Ziva who finding it hard to hold on to her emotions. "She will be safe here, she is in good hands. You can not blame yourself for this. You were set up."

Ziva said nothing she just looked one last time at her friend before letting the villagers take over and they prepare the trip back home and again face the wrath of her father.

Since then she was as ruthless as they come when integrating, the violence she used to get answers that they wanted. Their screams did not bother her, they did not wake her up at night.

But lately she had found herself waking up to those screams at night, only to realise that those screams were her own and the sweat running down her face, were her tears.

TBC

My god people! I did not realise how hard this story is... but I will finish it!