A/N: Hello all. I apologize for the severe lack of updating. I hope these next few chapters suffice.
Ch. 13 Diplomacy
"Excuse me, miss, but if you do not calm down, I am going to have ask security to escort you out!" Yelled the disheveled desk officer. By now, all of his professional politeness was gone. He was on his feet yelling, gesturing wildly with his hands.
The lady across from him was equally mad and gesturing.
"Escort me out?! I told you, I need to see someone about your computers and that I need to verify a registration number! How could I be anymore specific?!"
"And I told you, ma'am, that we have not purchased any computers nor are any of our computers for sale! So answer me, why do you need to see one of our computers?" yelled the man in response.
"Listen up, pal. My name is Abigail Scuito and I'm the forensic technician at NCIS. NCIS! That's a federal agency. Now, the reason I have to see someone about your computers is classified, but unless you want me to really get mad, then you will get me someone who can help!" Abby inched her face closer and closer to the man behind the desk. He took a step back, slightly alarmed at Abby's best attempt at a Gibbs glare.
"Excuse me, but what seems to be the problem here?" Came a curt and falsely polite voice from a door way in the back of the embassy.
"Officer Bashan, I have tried repeated to make this women to explain herself. She says she is NCIS." The clerk spoke the phrase NCIS with disbelief in his voice, hardly believing that the woman in front of him, dressed in black and red with huge platforms and dog collars could possibly work for a federal agency.
"Ah, NCIS. Then ma'am, you are a friend, no doubt?" Supplied Officer Bashan, his voice turned to true pleasantness, but his eyes displaying complete wariness.
"I need to verify a registration number on one of your computers. We just need to find out who was using it. It's connected to one of our cases. Now, before you jump the gun Officer, we don't think that any of your people are directly involved, but we just need to cover every angle. Now, I have the registration number. I just need to know who was using the computer three weeks ago." Abby spilled out rapidly, her previous anger forgotten in an attempt to get her information stated without being interrupted.
"Ms. Sciuto, I am sure I will be able to help you if you'll just follow me to my office. This way."
Officer Bashan gracefully ushered her away from the seething clerk and the small audience that had accumulated in the Embassy lobby.
The clerk's eyes got wide with indignation.
"But sir, she was totally..." he stopped speaking as he saw Bashan was ignoring him.
Inside of Bashan's office, he looked at Abby sternly.
"Miss Scuito, that was a brave stunt to pull in the offices of this embassy. You say your matter regards an NCIS case and that it is a possible mistake. I think you are lying. This something to do with the events of the past month with Officer David. Am I correct in assuming so?" Officer Bashan sat at his desk and apprised Abby with an inquisitive eye.
"Officer Bashan, Officer David is a friend. I don't think that whatever happened was right in any regard. I'm just trying to help a friend." replied Abby, her eyes pleading.
"Well, Ms. Scuito, Officer David is our mutual friend. I trust your integrity. I will be honest in saying that I cannot vouch as such for other Mossad officers. I will help you, but just this one time. Consider it a favor." smiled Bashan.
"A favor I am sure that I will have to repay someday," replied Abby, with a knowing smile of her own. Bashan merely shrugged and opened a program on his computer.
"If you please, the registration number?" Abby handed him a small piece of paper. He typed it into his computer and seemed surprised at the result.
"Well, Ms. Scuito, it appears as if Officer Amit Hadar was the only one who used this computer. A laptop actually."
"Hadar? But he's Ziva's current control officer. He's with her on the whole Rivkin mission. Oh my goodness!" Abby quickly gathered her bag and made for the door. Bashan stepped around his desk in time to meet her there.
"Is there anything else I can do Miss Scuito? Despite this obvious breach in protocol, Ziva is a friend that I would like very much to see safe and it seems she is not." The concern on Officer Bashan's face was sincere. Abby wrapped her hers around him. He was too stunned to respond.
"No, you've been a big help already Officer Bashan." Leaving him with a pat on the back, Abby rushed from his office, eager to get Gibbs the news.
Officer Bashan shook his head and returned to his desk. He knew that offering complete assistance to a United States federal agency without inquiry into the exact nature of her investigation was dangerous for himself. Should Eli David catch wind of it, Bashan was in serious trouble. But Bashan cared for Ziva's welfare. He always had. And aside from why he felt it was justified, he felt personally slighted by not being informed of Rivkin's mission in full upon his arrival in the states.