A/N: First of all, thank you all so much for the reviews and story favorites and such. Makes it easier to write when you know people want to read what happens next. Be warned, the next couple of chapters are a little Tiva intensive. But, have no fear, for we will get back to the whole team and the overall plot. Hope you all enjoy.
Ch. 16 Army of One
"Excuse me?" Tony was aghast, sure he'd misheard Gibbs.
"You heard me just fine DiNozzo. You're off my team until further notice." Gibbs turned to talk with one of the SEALs to discuss where they would get a boat to reach the USS Ronald Reagan. Tony blinked his eyes several times and shook his head in an attempt to clear it.
"But, Boss? Did I do something wrong? You've lost me here?"
"Tony, are you really that dense?!" This time it was McGee who spoke up, his face radiating disbelief at Tony's naiveté.
"Hey, Probie, you'll forgive me if I'm a little upset at the moment!" Yelled Tony at McGee.
"Will you both just shut up!" shouted Gibbs. "Tony, my team has to go solve a hostage situation on a Navy carrier. If you're on my team, then I and Director Vance, would expect your complete cooperation. However, there's an agent in the field who needs her partner's help. I intend to see that she gets it. Got it?!" Gibbs icy blue eyes bore into Tony's green ones, forcing the younger man to avert his eyes.
"Got it, Boss," replied Tony appropriately cowed.
Gibbs nodded his head and went back to drawing up a plan with the Navy SEAL.
A half hour later, the helicopter descended into the dry land of Northern Somalia. One of the SEALs spoke with Tony before letting him off.
"Listen up. There is not much cover as you can see. It's shrub land. We've dropped you one mile away. We'll give you some time to start making your way over. We will pass overhead. Gunnery Sergent Gibbs here is going to break loose some of his sniping skills. We will take out the perimeter guards and tower guards. You have to move fast DiNozzo. They're only going to hear the chopper and by the time they realize their guards are dead you need to be in the compound. And that's as far as we go." Tony nodded, his mouth too dry to speak. Gibbs grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye.
"DiNozzo. This camp is right outside the city of Erigavo. Get Ziva and get to Erivago. Then get yourselves to Heis. It's a city on the coast of Aden. Erivago is too close for us to come in for a pick up. We have an undercover agent in Heis who I trust. He'll keep the two of you safe until we come for a pick up. This is his address." Gibbs handed Tony a hastily scrawled slip of paper. Tony looked at it, committing it to memory, then placed it deep inside one of his pockets. When Tony looked up again, Gibbs eyes had softened. "Tony, be safe. Think before you move. I want the both of you home safely. Both of you." Gibbs gave Tony a nod and a squeeze on the shoulder. Tony nodded his head a couple of times. He gave McGee a small grin and without looking back again, got off the helicopter, making his way towards to the camp. To Ziva.
Tony covered the ground easily. His weeks of intense physical training were paying off as he ate up the distance between himself and the compound easily. He had a quarter of a mile left when the chopper came up roaring behind him. As he approached he could hear the yelling and the gunfire as Gibbs and undoubtedly the SEALs took out the guards. Tony reached the camp just as the helicopter took off. Making it into the camp was not difficult as the initial resistance had been cut down, however, inside the camp there was chaos. It seemed that the mere presence of the helicopter had sent ripples of disturbance through the camp. Men were running everywhere, shouting orders. The camp was not huge, solidifying Tony's suspicions that the camps' main efforts were extremely clandestine. The camp was comprised of small building structures. Tony assumed that they were primarily for barracks, mess hall, storage, headquarters and most important to Tony, holding cells. Using the buildings as cover, Tony made his way through the camp. He let his assault rifle hang by the strap and kept his silenced Sig Sauer in his hands. He didn't hesitate to shoot when men came across his path. His mission was Ziva and he was sure that these men would get in his way. Just as Tony was about to run a short sprint from the cover of one building to the cover of another, a man appeared around the corner. He was too close to Tony for Tony to get a shot off. Instead, Tony grabbed and yanked him forward, ensuring that his knee found its way into the man's gut. The man was winded, but taking no chances, Tony slammed him into the wall behind him and struck the man's throat, effectively crushing the windpipe. The man dropped to the ground fighting to take a breath. Tony held the man by his shirt and and looked the man in the eye.
The look in Tony's eyes terrified the dying man. He'd never seen a man with so much fire in his eyes. The light-hearted Tony was gone, temporarily replaced by a Tony with one thought: Ziva.
"Where is Amit Hadar?" growled Tony, his voice low to avoid detection. The camp was still busy, but it's occupants were otherwise too occupied to notice the dead bodies in the camp or to think that they were not casualties wrought of the helicopter flying overhead. The man's eyes bulged at the lack of oxygen.
"Which way?" demanded Tony. The man raised a shaky finger a pointed to the west side of the camp. Tony let him drop and turned to look in the direction he'd indicated. Off in the distance was a small building, a large hut type structure, and the unmistakable figure of Amit Hadar entering it.