Revelations
A/N: I am sorry that my established timeline is beginning to unravel. Maybe I should have given myself a two-week instead of one-week leeway. Review and tell me if you see any blaring mistakes. Also, I once again apologize for slowness. I am on chapter 8, but I have them handwritten, so it takes some time to type up, and I am supposed to be on vacation. Don't forget to review with your favorite lines!
Ch6
Tony got his Sig cleared at customs, then his bags, and raced through the terminal of the airport. In five minutes, the plane would take off. There was no way Tony would miss that flight. Not for anything in the world would Tony forsake his ninja.
Just in time, Tony presented his ticket at the gate and boarded the plane. Barely a minute later, the safety rules were read over the speaker and the aircraft took off. The journey began.
Commercial flights were so much more comfortable than Navy jets. But Navy jets were so much faster. DiNozzo wished Vance had given the all clear for one.
So many hours of restless sleep later, the flight touched down in Tel Aviv. It was about time! Overjoyed, DiNozzo made his way to the Mossad headquarters. Tony paid the cab driver too much, but he did not care. The Israeli cabbie stared as the green eyed American nonchalantly entered the headquarters of Israel's intelligence network.
As soon as Tony entered the building, a young Israeli woman ushered him away, back to the room where Eli David had interrogated him- or was it the other way around?- just a week ago. Half an hour later, there was the "mysterious" Eli David himself!
"In the flesh!" Tony exclaimed. "So nice to see you. I wish I could say that I was sincere."
Director David narrowed his eyes. "You should be, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. We have located the terrorists' center of operations. And my daughter. My team is all ready in place."
Ziva…
"When do we go?" Tony asked, anxiously.
"You will depart to meet my team in Somalia this evening, if that is acceptable."
"Why not now?"
The Director of Mossad laughed. "You need to rest, Anthony. Being tired will ensure no one but the terrorists benefits."
Tony reluctantly nodded, agreeing.
****
That night, Tony dreamed of his Ziva.
She was dressed in the familiar cargo pants and tight tank top, armed to the teeth with guns strapped to her legs and stomach. Knives were concealed in many places on her person, Tony knew. The gold Star of David glinted on her neck.
DiNozzo raced to his love. "Ziva," he whispered, with his voice husky in his throat.
"Tony," dream Ziva whispered, reaching out to touch his face.
Before her fingers reached his cheek, she vanished.
"Ziva," he called. "ZIVA!"
A small bit of gold at his feet caught his attention. He retrieved the item, and held it dangling before his face.
Oh, no.
****
Knock, knock.
The knock on the door woke Tony from his nightmares. He rolled grumpily to look at the time- 3 a.m., Israel time. Somewhere around eight p.m. in Washington. DiNozzo sat up with a grunt, pulling blue jeans over his boxers and stumbling to the door.
Tony cracked the door, opening it wider when he saw the late night delivery boy. "Express package for DiNozzo," the boy said in halting English.
"That's me." Tony signed the familiar papers, and took the yellow envelope. He turned away from and closed the door.
Tony plopped down on the couch, tearing open the envelope and pouring its contents into his palm. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the gold necklace coiled in his hand, and the blood smearing it.
Ziva.
**** Mossad HQ, 6:00 a.m.
Three hours later, the necklace landed on the desk of Eli David. The Mossad Director looked up sharply, staring into DiNozzo's blazing green eyes. "Where did you get this?"
"It came to me by express mail, three hours ago."
"Three… hours?" Director David stared. "You need to join my team in Somalia immediately."
Tony nodded, taking the proffered plane voucher and exiting the headquarters of Mossad.
Eli David placed the gold necklace beside the note on his desk, which he had received shortly after intelligence of Ziva's capture.
Eli David, Director of Mossad.
Deliver Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo to Somalia.
You may get your daughter back if you do so.
**** Somalia
Tony got off the plane, glad to finally be in Somalia. He looked around for the Mossad officer David had said would be waiting, and saw a "cabbie" with the name DiNozzo on a poster. Tony walked over, and the cabbie led Tony to a black Suburban. Classic government vehicle.
Before Tony even set his hand on the passenger side door, a hard blow from behind rendered him unconscious.
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauties," a gravelly voice rumbled, kicking Tony (and whoever was in the other chair) into consciousness. Tony blinked a few times, and started when the world came into focus.
"ZIVA!" Tony yelled. He fought against the bonds that tied him to his chair. "Aah!" he yelled, frustrated, when they did not give at all. He relaxed dejectedly into his bonds, staring four feet in front of him at the beaten brunette.
Ziva David stared back, some incomprehensible mix of emotions on her face. Anger and joy both he saw- as well as one other emotion Tony had never really identified in the four years he had known Ziva David. He had only seen it a few times.
If he did not know any better, he would say it was love.
//// Switch viewpoint
Ziva flitted in and out of consciousness, preferring unconsciousness. In her dreams, Tony was there. Just… there. Smiling. Occasionally, when a boot called her back to the harsh lights of reality, Ziva thought she could see Tony there too- but unconscious, blood trickling from his left temple.
Only when the harsh voice of her interrogator called her fully awake did Ziva realize that DiNozzo was real. He had obviously been forcibly taken; blood flowed slowly down the left side of his face, and burns on his suit showed where he had been rough handled after being knocked out. Emotions swelled in her chest, and she knew they were visible in her face.
Anger: He had come for her.
Why had he come for her?
Tony was not so stupid!
Why would Tony put his life on the line for a woman he believed hated him?
Joy: Tony still cared enough to come.
He cared enough to come so far, to the Horn of Africa, to die in a futile rescue attempt.
Love: Even if this did not bowl out well for the two, she still could not help her feelings for Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.
Her breath came short, and she refused to meet Tony's green eyes directly. She avoided that gaze with her own brown eyes, knowing that if she met those green eyes, she would not be able to keep silent.
The torturer grinned, baring his teeth in a cruel facsimile of a smile. "I shall leave you two alone, after giving DiNozzo something to think about."
His fist whipped across Tony's face, eliciting a scream, as well as a spray of blood from the broken nose.
Ziva flinched. The torturer left.
//// Switch viewpoints
Tony could not help but scream. Just something about having one's nose broken.
Once the terrorist left, Tony stayed silent for a few minutes. He let the silence grow, then shattered it.
"You weren't there." He decided to continue their last conversation.
Ziva stared back, her face incomprehensible. "I am glad."
Well, that was unexpected.
Tony said nothing.
The assassin spoke again. "Tony, I am so sorry. Do not know if I can forgive you entirely, but I shall try. I am trying. I am glad Michael is gone."
How strange. Captivity must have changed his ninja.
For once, she was apologizing to him.
Tony said nothing.
Then he said, almost to himself, "Your father asked me to come. He's worried about you, Zi."
The brown-haired woman stared for a moment, and then replied.
"The only reason my father would ask for a Catholic American's help would be in exchange for my life. He sent you here to die, Tony!"
DiNozzo nodded, his green eyes solemn. Not that Ziva would meet them. "I kind of figured. So, what do these guys want?"
//// Switch viewpoint
He had thought so?
He had known he was sent here to die?
Why had he come?
Why…
Tears flowed down Ziva's face.
//// Switch viewpoint
She was crying? Why was she crying?
It was not Ziva, to cry.
Tony had never seen Ziva cry, not even undercover. That wasn't what Tony wanted! He wanted to see her smile again; he wanted to see her beautiful smile.
"Ziva, don't cry," Tony begged.
"Why not?" she snapped. "You did! You drank, and you cried, and I do not know why," Ziva sobbed. "Tony, you have no idea about how badly they want this information. They quiz me for information about NCIS, and if I will not speak, they threaten to kill you."
"No, Ziva, don't cry. Please don't cry. I'm alive!" Tony would be on his knees begging now, but he had to settle for scooting close so their feet touched.
"For how long?" Ziva looked down, her dark hair hanging like a curtain in front of her face.
"For as long as you want me to be." Tony looked at her, willing her to meet his eyes. When she finally did, Tony continued. Oh, how he had missed those brown eyes! "Ziva, I intend to kill the bastards who have harmed you here. Then you can kill me, because I hurt you worse."
Ziva stared into his green eyes for a moment, seeing his sincerity, and then shook her head.
"Tony, I love you."