In the Dark

Chapter Seven

Part I

Ziva David bowed low to her opponent, who was looking a little bit the worse for wear. After the bows she stepped forward and they shook hands.

Tony popped the last few M&Ms into his mouth, crumpled up the bag and tossed it accurately into a nearby garbage can, as Ziva came to meet him.

"Whew," said Tony. "You took it a bit easy on him, didn't you?"

"Are you convinced now?" Ziva, whom Tony thought was Ziva, asked of Tony, whom she thought was Michael Weatherly.

Tony raised an eyebrow. But he said, "Absolutely. Well done."

Ziva nodded sharply. She took a deep breath and tugged at the gi that she had borrowed to her bouting with the black belt. "I wish to take a shower. I will only be five minutes."

"Sure," said Tony.

As Ziva disappeared into the women's locker room, Tony ran his fingers through his hair. It didn't seem as if they were in this dojo for any purpose related to work, so Ziva must have wanted to come in here just to get a work out. And obviously to show him something, although what, god only knew.

With a flash of inspiration, Tony pulled out his cellphone. A look at the calls he'd received in the last 24 hours might tell him something.

He stared at the phone in surprise. It was an IPhone, but it wasn't his. He pushed the button to look at the phonebook, and scrolled through the names in bewilderment. He didn't recognize a single one. Tony returned the phone to where he'd gotten it and searched the rest of his pockets. No other phone. He pulled out his wallet. For some reason, he opened it up. There was his driver's license. But it wasn't for Washington, DC. It was for Los Angeles, California. And the name on it wasn't Tony DiNozzo, but rather Michael Weatherly.

He and Ziva must be on an undercover mission. Tony looked around the dojo casually. No payphones. Well, they'd probably been take out ten years ago or more. But… he went over to the entrance desk. "Do you have a phone book I could look at?" he asked.

"Sure," said the clerk, and put a large phone book up on the desk. As Tony had semi-suspected, it was a Los Angeles phone book, not a DC one. They must be in Los Angeles. Why? Were they helping out the NCIS: Los Angeles squad? Is that what was going on here?

Got to be, he murmured to himself.

Ziva reappeared, dressed in street clothes now.

"Ready?" said Tony. Ziva nodded. Tony opened the door and she preceded him out into the street. Once there, Tony glanced around. Where the hell were they?

He finished glancing around, then looked at Ziva, who was staring at him.

"Well?" she asked.

Tony essayed a grin. "Well, what?"

"Why are we just standing here?"

"I'm waiting for you to lead the way," said Tony with a cheeky grin.

She gave him one of her looks, then walked to the passenger side of a bright blue Lincoln. Tony followed her, except to the driver's side. He fished in his pockets and pulled out a keychain. A touch of a button and the doors unlocked, and he slipped into the driver's side as Ziva climbed into the passenger's side.

Tony took a deep breath. "Where to now?" he asked.

"You tell me," countered Ziva. "After what I've told you…what I've proved to you…have you nothing to say?"

Tony looked at her. She looked so….so vulnerable somehow….so lost. Tony leaned forward and brushed his lips slowly over hers.

Her eyes widened. "You have nerve, I will give that to you," she said, as he paused to see what her reaction would be.

"Ziva," Tony said, "I have to tell you something. I can't…."

"Shhhhh," Ziva hissed suddenly, as her eyes suddenly stared over his shoulder.

Tony maintained his position. "What's happening?" he whispered.

"I think it's a car jacking," Ziva whispered back. "There's a green Malibu at that stop light ahead of us…a man just got in and forced the driver into the passenger seat."

"I'm on it," said Tony decisively. Casually, he turned away from Ziva to face front again, and started the car. He saw the green Malibu ahead of them…the light turned green and the car accelerated smoothly. No sign of panic on the driver's part, if it was a car jacking. But the person in the passenger's seat did seem to be cringing as far away from the driver as possible.

Tony shifted his own car into gear and followed after them. "Scooch next to me, Ziva," he ordered, " so that if the driver looks back he'll just see a guy and a girl out for a joy ride."

Obediently, Ziva scooched over, after giving him a look that Tony could swear was one of admiration. Rather odd, that. This was just routine procedure. Nevertheless, he felt a warm glow as her left arm circled his shoulders, and her right arm rested on his bicep. It felt good.

Part II

Beta.

Yes, Alpha?

Did you manipulate the Teleinvisichronomicon?

What do you mean…to cause that…. What did she call it… carjacking?

Yes.

No.

Then it is a coincidence?

I think that it is something that happens to our subjects. Remember we have observed some subjects that have gone through their entire lives with nothing dramatic happening to them.

That is very true. I much more enjoy observing these NCIS people. Something is always happening to them.

I think that is what it is. The Great One talked about it during one of his lectures. The Flux, he called it.

Oh…yes…I remember now. Well, the Flux is certainly working now. For all our subjects.

Yes. But only two of them are used to this. Let us go back and observe what is happening with our initial subjects.

Very well. Beta maneuvered his tentacles, and the scene in the Teleinvisichronomicon shifted, to show Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo walk past the police officer guarding the door of the home, within which was a murder scene.

Part II