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Did everyone see the spoilers? Pretty awesome. Can't wait for season 7!

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Eli David was a meticulous man. He liked everything sorted, plans well thought out, and covers strong enough to handle the highest level of scrutiny. This time, however, he had to admit he had gotten impatient. It was not until far too late that he realised his whole plan had relied far too heavily on other people's involvement. People he wasn't even sure he could trust.

If he had been a better father this would have been a time he would have pulled out a photo of his daughter and reminisced about the good times. Of course, this was not to be. Not only did no photos of such a nature exist in his workplace, but there was really no good times he could think of anyway.

He had spent so much time drilling his children, forcing them into training, forcing them to be adults, that now there was nothing else he could think of. He remembered a time when Ziva was eight. He'd taken her for a walk through a park. The park was full of trees, huge trees with lots of branches. He'd grabbed her hand and pulled her towards one of the larger ones.

"Climb it, Ziva."

She didn't even hesitate. Even at such a young age she was able to recognise order from request. She made quick work of the tree, stopping a couple of metres above the ground and securing herself in a Y-shaped branch. She met her father's eyes expectantly. He didn't offer praise.

"Alright, child." He put his arms up. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded without faltering. "Ken, Abba."

"Then jump into my arms. I will catch you."

Ziva smiled and pushed herself from the tree. Her father put his hands down and stepped out of the way. Then she hit the ground, sending shockwaves through her small frame. He stood over her.

"You must never trust anyone, Ziva. Never." His voice was harsh. "Trust is a luxury you cannot afford. Get up."

She felt tears pricking her eyes as she got to her feet, dusting herself off, ignoring the pain.

"Do not cry, Ziva. Fighters do not cry."

She had blinked the tears back and kept walking, despite the pain. And she lived that way ever since.

Always in pain.

Always hiding it.

David was broken out of his thoughts by the ringing of his phone.

"Shalom."

"Shalom, Director." It was a voice David could not identify. "I'm Special Agent McGee of NCIS." A pause. "I'm calling about your daughter."

Ah, perhaps all was not lost after all...

It was 2am and neither Tony nor Gibbs had gotten a wink of sleep. The silence that had stretched over the last few hours had been uncomfortable and long. Tony was the one to break it.

"Do you think she's okay?"

Gibbs didn't look up from his laptop. "I don't know." Honesty is the best policy.

"Do you think we are going to find her?"

"I don't know," Gibbs repeated, still not looking up.

Tony persisted. "Do you think-"

Gibbs broke. "What makes you think I know, Tony? All we can do now is wait for McGee's call."

"There must be something-"

"Tony! It's 2 am. Give it a rest." He closed his laptop and gestured to the couch. "Why don't you get some sleep? I think I'll turn it too."

Tony lay down on the couch and stared at the roof. "Alright," he said with little conviction.

The light was flicked off and they were plunged into darkness.

"Goodnight, Gibbs."

Silence. Then, "Goodnight, Tony."

Both men knew the other would get no sleep that night.

"I am listening."

McGee tried to put together his thoughts. "Ziva... Ziva needs to be rescued."

"That would be a waste of time and resources, Agent McGee. Besides, it would be a pointless task."

"Pointless?" McGee asked, nerves disappearing. "How would it be pointless?"

"Do you know the specifics of her mission, Agent?"

McGee thought for a moment. "I know she was trying to infiltrate a terrorist cell. And I know Rivkin had something to do with it."

"Yes," David said. "And from what I can conclude, the reason Ziva was captured is because Rivkin had told the cell of Mossad and given them information. This means that anyone I send will most likely be also captured before they get anywhere near my daughter. Don't you see, Agent?" David asked, the perfect voice of reason. "All my resources are useless."

"It's a good thing mine aren't then," McGee said.

"Excuse me?"

"The cell knows nothing of NCIS. Agent Gibbs and DiNozzo flew out already."

David laughed. "And you think they will be able to help her? Do they even know where she is?"

"Somalia somewhere. That's where I was hoping you would be able to help us."

David just chuckled again. "Even if they find the place they'll never get out alive. It's a suicide mission."

"I'm sure they have their own resources to call on."

David paused. "I have a general area that we managed to pinpoint. That is all I can tell you, Agent McGee."

"Where?"

"I will not be held responsible for what happens to your Agents as a result of this," David said. "I am only doing this for my daughter."

McGee wasn't sure whether he was being sincere or not. Sure, he sounded it, but as director of Mossad he was surely an excellent liar. "Where?"

Pause. "I will have the location sent to you."

"Thank you, director."

There was another pause. "Believe me, Agent, if you get my daughter back alive I will be the one thanking you."

McGee hung up and waited for the directions to come through. That man unnerved him, but he couldn't figure quite why. Shrugging, he lay back, finally satisfied with himself.

In his office, Eli David leant back in his chair and smiled to himself. The plan was back on track.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Thoughts? Fave lines?

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