TOML chp. 10
Terry sat in the bronco, parked across the street from the pentagon, waiting his father to arrive. He knew that the man wouldn't listen to him when he'd said to come alone. But he didn't really care that wasn't what was important. What was important was that Khaleed had said they were both targets. He wondered where their career paths would have intersected such that someone would want both of them dead. Terry mulled it over and sipped his coffee. His father left the Marine in 1991, shortly after his return from the Persian Gulf. Then both his parents had joined NCIS in February of that year. Terry hadn't joined DELTA force until 1999, eight years after his father left the Marine Corp. Given those facts, Terry had no idea what they would find. He knew he could've just had McGee look up their jackets, but he didn't want his mother sniffing around. Terry saw the dark blue NCIS Dodge charger pull into the Pentagon. He got out, fed the parking meter and walked to the gate, knowing that what ever they found, he wouldn't like it.
000
Ziva couldn't stand it anymore. Keeping NCIS and Jenny in the dark was one thing, but she was his wife and she knew better than any of them, except her husband, how the shadow game was played. She dialed Terry cell phone.
Terry was entering the pentagon when his cell phone rang. "Speak," He growled, not bothering to check the number.
"Is that any way to address your wife?"
"Sorry, Ziva." He said, distractedly. "What do you need?"
She sighed. She hated him when he was like this. "Do you think you can just keep secret's from me? That I must find out from my mother-in-law that you are being targeted by whoever bombed the bar last night?" She asked, and Terry could tell from her voice that she was crying.
"Is the director with you?" He asked, as he and the other two agents rode the elevator to a lower level, his voice suddenly harsh.
"Yes."
"Put her on."
"But…"
"Ziva, please." Terry said, gently.
Silence and then his mother came on the phone. "What do you need?"
"Call Mike Frank's. I need to use his place as a safe house for you and everyone else. Also, I need priority one tasking for your G-5."
On the other end of the phone, Jenny nodded. "Anything else?"
"Make sure everyone has enough for a week. Give Ziva the phone, please." Terry said. More silence as Jenny handed the phone back.
"Terry…" Ziva started.
"I love you, Z. You know that right?" Terry asked. He knew she did, but he needed to hear her say the words.
"Of course. I love you, too. It's just…" Ziva said, crying some.
"I know, babe. It'll be ok, I promise. I'll see you soon." Terry said, hanging up before she could say more.
Terry read his file a second time and then something clicked. "Guys, listen, a second. Muhannad Al-Hasmiri, active member of Hamas and Al-Queda. Suspected of coordinating attacks on bases in Baghdad and Mosul in August 2004." Terry read.
"So, how does that make this your fault?" Gibbs asked. He wasn't blaming Terry, he just knew that his son blamed himself for what happened.
Terry looked at him. "Because I was sent to Mosul to kill him."
000
"I found his name in your file too, boss." McGee said. "You were assigned to kill him in January of 1991, but he never showed."
Gibbs nodded, remembering. He waited for two days in that spider hole, through the blistering heat of the day and the freezing cold of night. Never moving more than a fraction of an inch at a time. And all for nothing.
"Well what are we standing around for?" He asked as they rode the elevator to the surface. "Let's find this bastard and kill him."
"Ditto." Terry said.
000
An hour later, the group met at Andrew's Air Force Base, where most government planes were kept under guard in D.C. Terry was inspecting the plane as the other's arrived.
"So, where to, Captain?" Abby asked him as she and Tim walked up.
"Mexico." Terry said.
Ziva, Collin, his parent's, Sam and Ducky all arrived together a few minutes later. "I do appreciate the vacation, Terry. Though I wish it were under better circumstances." Ducky said.
"Me too, Duck." Terry said as they boarded the plane. Ziva and Jenny were at the table with Sam and Collin, coloring and his father and the McGee's were sitting in three of the five captains chairs, talking quietly. Ducky joined them. Terry took in the scene before going to the table where his mother, wife and the boys were seated. He'd asked his mother if he could do this and she'd agreed.
"Hey, guys, how are you?" He asked.
"Good." The boys answered, a little too quickly.
"Well, wanna come up front and help me fly this thing?" Terry asked.
Their eyes widened. "Can we?" they both asked simultaneously and looked at their mother's.
"Sure." Both women said.
But the boys stopped suddenly. "Can they come?" Sam asked, gesturing to Jenny and Ziva.
Terry smiled and nodded. "They certainly can."
He led them to the cockpit and took the captain's chair with a confidence that told Jenny and Ziva this wasn't a first for him. "Ok, Ziva, you and Collin sit here." He said, gesturing to the co-pilot's seat.
"Where do we sit?" Sam asked.
Terry turned around. "The navigator's chair." He said, pointing. Jen sat first and lifted Sam into her lap.
"Ok, Collin, you see this button here?" Terry asked, pointing the throttle. The boy nodded.
"I need you to push it forward just a little." Terry said. Collin did, with Ziva's help and the plane moved forward at a snail's pace.
"We're movin'!" He said, excited, proud of what he'd done.
"Yeah," Terry said, "Good job, buddy. Ok, Sam, grab those headphones." Terry said, turning and pointing.
He did and with Jenny's help got them on his head. "Ok, now, I need you to repeat after me," Terry said, wearing his own seat of headphones. "Tower, this is NCIS flight 226 requesting take off." Terry said.
"Towa, this is NCIS fwight 226 'questing take off." Sam said in his most serious voice.
"NCIS, you got an echo?" the controller asked and Terry chuckled.
"No, just a couple of co-pilots."
The man laughed. "Roger that. You're cleared for take off on run way 2-3." The tower said.
"Thank you, tower."
"tank you, towa." Sam said.
"Good job, Sam." Terry said.
"Ok, Collin, thing you can help me get us to run way 23."
"What I do?" The boy asked, his eyes wide.
"I'll help you." Ziva said.
"I didn't know Mossad had a flight school." Terry joked. Ziva stuck her tong out at him.
A few minutes later, they were at the proper run way. The tower came over their headsets once again.
"Good hunting, NCIS."
"Thanks, Tower." Terry said.
Hunting indeed, Terry thought as the plane sped down the run way, lifted into the sky and banked southwest toward Mexico.