Ch. 14 Compensation
Ziva's mind no longer registered the giant hurt that her body had become. They'd moved her back into a chair with steel restraints after her last attempt at freedom. It was infinitely more uncomfortable than the floor was, but Ziva forced herself to ignore it. In reality the physical pain she was experiencing had finally been outweighed, but unfortunately it was by a much more devastating hurt. The pain of betrayal at the hands of her fellow officer, her friend, hurt much deeper than any blow ever would.
The saying about words never hurting:it's wrong,thought Ziva. She knew now, in her heart that that she'd been terribly mistaken about everything. Hadar had turned and that alone threw all of her previous judgments out the window. She was alone. To her dismay, the door to her prison opened. The sunlight from the outside hurt her eyes.
"Ziva, we have reached the end of another week." This time it was Hadar, not her previous tormentor to come through the door.
"So that makes a month, Hadar. A whole month that you have masked my capture from Mossad. I can barely contain my joy." spat Ziva, her voice hoarse.
Hadar simply strode up to Ziva and with one deft movement broke her index finger. Ziva cried out at the fresh wave of pain coursing through her poor hand.
"Ah, Ziva. You know, I admit: we picked the wrong Mossad officer to get information from. You are tough. Like your father and your brother."
"I am nothing like them." stated Ziva, glaring up at Hadar best she could. She thought of her father's naiveté in being unable to recognize a traitor so close to him. Thoughts of her brother's betrayal to Mossad and to her made bile rise in her stomach. She wanted nothing to do with that part of her relatives.
"Is that so, Zivaleh? How are you different from your father? He did not recognize me as the traitor that I am and you Ziva, you did not recognize dear Michael for the traitor he was." Hadar paused to let his words sink in. Ziva tried best she could to process the information, but her mind wanted to rebel. She began to shake her head in disbelief.
"Ziva, it is true. He was in America for two reasons: to go to a meeting with myself and Abin Tabel and to run a special favor that the Director promised your Director Vance. You, sorry, but you were a cover. He needed people to trust him, so he used you Ziva. Come now, you cannot deny that it is all becoming incredibly clear." Hadar smiled with mirth at the denial that was slowly turning to defeat in Ziva's face. She knew Hadar was speaking the truth. Rivkin "played" her, just as Tony said he would.
God, Tony! Thought Ziva, guilt shooting through her like lightening.
"Ziva, you have two options. Talk or die. I cannot wait any longer. I hate to be driven to this, but you have left me no choice. You see, you are the last piece of the puzzle. I think I owe you an explanation. You see, our mission is to tear down the US and Israeli friendship, because frankly, it is bad for business. You see it is a simple plan. For years, we have been infiltrating your US Navy with sleepers. Through much work, they all are at this moment aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. Your boyfriend's ship, no? Those sleepers will be activated. Today. They take hostage of the ship. Then, quite simply, they send a message claiming themselves to be a contingent of Israeli nationals. And, coincidentally they are. Then it will come out that the currently missing Mossad Officer Amit Hadar knew of the threat and did not report it. The United States gets angry with Mossad. Then, through the information we acquire from you, it gets out that Leon Vance is on a first term basis with the Director of Mossad and that his confused loyalties led to him being blinded to a real threat to the Navy. So, Mossad and NCIS fall. The two countries abolish relations and then, we have full range to attack to the United States and Israel." Hadar seemed to be enjoying the sound of his own voice, getting more and more excited as he spoke. Ziva cringed at the boarder line insanity that seemed to accompany his words.
"Hadar, it will not work. I will not talk." Ziva's voice was quiet, but resolute.
"Ziva, just tell me how Eli and Vance know each other and everything you know of their dealings since. That is all I need. Do not make this harder than it needs to be."
Ziva shook her head slightly but did not speak.
"Oh Ziva. You were the best of us, of myself, Michael, Ari. The most loyal to the cause. I only wish it was as easy for us to believe in Israel as you do. But it is already too late for us. And for you it seems. You will not talk, and so you choose death. In a way, I am happy for this. At least one of us will die with our honor intact." Hadar turned heal and left.
No Hadar, thought Ziva, when you forsake your true friends, you have no honor. For the first time during her captivity, Ziva let out a sob; not for the pain, but for the thought of knowing that she would die and never have a chance to make things right with her real friends, her family, at NCIS.