Author's Note: Hey everybody, how is everyone doing? Did Spring weather start rushing in for any of you? I live in Connecticut--and boy the temp was HIGH in the 80's today. I am such a lover of the warm weather...not that anyone cares. I wonder why that is? I'm picky too--I can't stand Spring weather so much, it is the summer I love (though now should be spring temp's, but surprisingly we're said to be 20 degrees higher for this time of the year)--I just love the summer. Maybe because I was born in August? Eh--maybe, maybe not. I was born on the 26th of August so that's like the end of summer, right? Actually more like the end of September, but I guess I always think of the year like I'm back in grade school and high school. I remember moving to the town I grew up in when I turned 9 and on my birthday, I had the first day of school. New town, new school--on my birthday? Yeah...I wasn't exactly happy about that. ANYWAY....WOW I know how to ramble on, don't I? Ya'll are probably like SHUT IT UP ALREADY! ... so I will... but before I go, hope everyone is having at least DECENT weather and if you aren't, I hope you get some nicer weather soon (if you like nice weather, because if you don't, then I won't hope for you)...and enjoy the chapter.

PS: Thanks for the reviews, everyone!

LATER DAYS--GEEK


Chapter 9: Your Word

A small plane carrying cargo arrives on the runway of the airport; the location, Tel Aviv. The air is sticky, clinging to everything--especially natives and tourists.

Inside the plane, Tony DiNozzo is dressed like a tourist, except there is much more flare and sophistication within his apparel and the way he wears it. It is a DiNozzo Family Code--passed down by the generations; an undeniable charm within the entire population of his flashy immediate family, extended family, and so forth. No matter the gender, a DiNozzo is an example of class.

The Pilot knows of Tony's presence, but he does not know who he is or what he is here for. It is not his business to know as much as it is not Tony's business to know what the pilot is carrying inside the large crates surrounding him or what his name is.

Hebrew words are spoken to Tony. He shakes his head slowly side to side indicating he does not understand the language. The Pilot shakes his own head, mutters even more Hebrew, then turns away from Tony.

"Alright--same to you." Tony's tone is sarcastic. "Can you get me out of here now?"

The Pilot shakes his head from side to side, a small grin on his lips, and then leaves the plane.

"Wise guy…" Tony mutters as he searches for the 'Exit' sign and the door that should be just below it.

A warehouse is near the airport runway. Inside crates are stacked high enough to graze the ceiling. The lights are dim, giving off a soft glow; this makes the humidity in the air extremely noticeable, too.

Tony wipes at his sweaty forehead. The area of his shirt that covers his chest is alright damp. He grunts while looking inside his standard backpack for his mini-pocket fan. In minutes he finds it, gives away a satisfied sigh, but soon frowns when he flicks the switch and the blades refuse to spin. Banging the fan inside the palm of his other hand, he selects a handful of swear words to go with the beat of the object in his hand. Growing even more sweaty, he wipes at his forehead again, then turns the device over to study the back panel and rip it out. Inside he sees no evidence of batteries, then scolds himself for remembering he forgot to pack any in the first place.

"I can't take much more of this heat." He says harshly.

"It isn't so bad."

He turns around quickly to stare the man he has been waiting for since he managed to find his way outside of the cluttered cargo plane..

"Lior?" He looks the man up and down. "…friend of Ziva's?"

"Yes." He gives a slight nod.

"…Special Agent--"

"Shh!" Lior warns; his eyes spitting fire.

"…Anthony DiNozzo…" Tony says lowly while making his way over to where Lior is standing. "Why am I whispering?"

"You mustn't let anyone know you are here--that I am helping you!" He looks over his shoulders for a moment before looking back at Tony. "You did not think I would let an American come here to locate the only living child of the Director of Mossad--did you?" He does not wait for Tony to answer. "I've gone rogue for a reason--my position is as delicate as yours. Our lives…are at risk, Agent DiNozzo."

"I'm well prepared to do my job--to get to Ziva."

"…and getting to her you will, but you have quite a way to go, my friend." He watches Tony's face scrunch in confusion. "There is something I could not tell you--"

"What is it?" Tony begins to feel as if he is being played. "What's you forget to tell me?"

"I didn't forget to tell you anything. I could not tell you this--" He skips a beat. "Ziva is not here." Tony's eyes grow wide with questionable rage. "Let me finish--"

"You better damn well make it a good one--I didn't fly all the way here inside the back of a cargo plane filled with only god knows what only to get here and find out she isn't here!"

"Listen to yourself, Agent DiNozzo. How can Ziva possibly be here--how could she have picked up where she left off? Not here in Tel Aviv--not here with her father." He stuffs a piece of paper into one of Tony's limp hands. "Keep this away from the public eye--do not lose it; keep it safe. When you reach her, dispose of the information--please."

"What is this?" Tony curiously looks at the unfamiliar words that are written clearly on the piece of paper. "I can't read this."

"You will meet a translator once you've made it safely to Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong?!" He cries, then lowers his voice as a slight feeling of embarrassment begins to creep into his face. "Ziva's in Hong Kong--what the hell is she doing there?"

"As of a three weeks ago she is a Sniper for the HKPF."

"Ziva's a Sniper?" He smirks to himself as he thinks about his Team Leader's past. "She alone?"

"With a friend--"

"This friend going to cause any trouble?" Lior shakes his head slightly. "Why am I not too keen about your answer?"

"Michael…this friend…he is very protective of Ziva. He will do anything to anyone…in order to keep her safe."

"Come on, Lior…" He throws his head back to get a hearty chuckle. "Ziva doesn't need protection--if anything others need protection from her." He chuckling when he sees how serious Lior looks. "…Michael's Mossad, isn't he?"

"Was--still is…" He shakes his head. "In some way, we all are."

"You just told me you went rogue."

"I did." He sighs. "You do not understand."

Tony grows curious. "Try me."

"Once Mossad--always Mossad."

"…sounds awfully familiar…" Tony thinks about Gibbs for the second time during the conversation. "There's one particular form of American military that comes to mind…" He shakes off the thought of Gibbs. "I understand."

"Will he try to harm me?" Tony opens his arms to reveal his sweaty clothed body. "I've come without firearms."

"As instructed."

"You're not the only one that requested I be stripped of any protection." He cleared his throat. "Director of NCIS went into a moment of panic over it."

"Now that you are here, I will supply you with backup. Those I select will bring along weapons." He extends his hand; beckoning Tony to shake it. "You will be protected on your journey, Agent DiNozzo. You have my word."

Tony hesitates for a few minutes. Every possible doubt about Lior surfacing from the deep, dark corners of his mind. "…and you have mine."

Gibbs pounds his fists on top of McGee's desk. A gusts of air pushes past his lips as he tries to control the amount of blood he is allowing to pulse inside of his veins.

McGee swallows nervously behind his computer screen. His fingers are nowhere near his keyboard, in feat Gibbs might reach across and claw at them as a means of getting his frustration out and across.

Above the two Agents, Director Shepard steadies her legs as he walks straight into her secretary's room. Her only wish is that she makes it safely inside her office and is able to drink a fresh, steamy cup of coffee before Gibbs' possible return.

"She's lying." His voice low and strained.

He can feel McGee's nerves all around him, but he does not care. All he wants to do is attack the Director with such a verbal lashing it knocks her completely on her ass--once and for all. He wants her to see what it feels like for be at that angle--looking up at him; at his team--at their pain.

"…what was that…boss?" McGee swallows again.

"She's lying." Gibbs points his angry finger towards the direction of the Director's office. "She's fucking lying--Director of NCIS…our Director…is fucking lying."

"…about Tony?"

"About Tony." Gibbs confirms. "Locate him."

"Now?"

"No--McGee, tomorrow--just so we all can spend the night not knowing just where in the hell is he." He walks around to put his arm around McGee's chair. "Find him."

"Yes, boss--on it." McGee's fingers begin to pound the keys in front of him. "…I'm doing it now."

"Don't tell me--just do it!" Gibbs' voice is urgent.

In a split second McGee notifies Gibbs that he can not find Tony--that his cell phone could possibly be turned off.

"Damn it…" He keeps his arm around McGee's chair. "Tony tell you he was taking a few days off?"

"No, Sir."

"Don't call me, Sir."

"Yes…boss." McGee takes his fingers off the key. "Maybe something came up?"

"The only thing that comes up for Tony is the opposite sex."

"Well maybe we could--"

"Forget it. I'm not wasting the Agency's resources on locating a group of women Tony has had relations with." He shakes his head.

"My thoughts exactly, except I was going in a slightly different angle…" He turns a little to face Gibbs. "Maybe this has to do with Jeanne?"

"He wouldn't be so stupid."

"Tony was in love…nothing stupid about that." McGee offers Tony some support even without him being present. "Could just want to talk to her--alone."

"She wanted to turn him in--blame him for the death of her father."

"She was angry."

"Whatever she was--or is, I've got a better knowledge of Tony." He shakes his head again. "He's too vulnerable to go after her."

"…The last thing we could do is contact his family?"

"Seems unlikely." Gibbs removes his arm from the back of McGee's chair. "Get Agent Huntington. Go to his apartment. See if you guys can find something--anything."

McGee knits his eyebrows at Gibbs' uneasy state.

"You hear me, Ma-Gee?!" Gibbs barks.

"Um, very loud and uh…very clear, boss--but…" He holds his breath for a moment. The piercing of Gibbs' blue eyes are intimidating him. "…why go through all of this so soon? Tony's stepped out on us from time to time before."

"The Director said he requested some time off." He lifts his smooth, yet point-like eyebrows to emphasize his on-coming words. "Tony wouldn't request time off without asking me first."

"Okay, but you're not the one with the power…I mean…you have power over us, but the Director…" McGee bits his lip. "…she's got the power over all of us."

"Tony's got a big mouth. He would have bragged about it for days--weeks, hell, months! We would have known, McGee."

"Maybe the Director put him on another secret mission?"

"She knows better than that." McGee is shocked at the vile behind Gibbs words. His tone so livid. "Damn it McGee, do as I say--get Huntington; get to DiNozzo's place. NOW!"

"On it, boss." McGee grabs his weapon and his badge before rounding his desk.

"TURN HIS PLACE UPSIDE DOWN IF YOU HAVE TO!" Gibbs shouts from the center of the squad room.

Upstairs Director Shepard can almost hear the rumble of his thundering voice; even through all the conversations and actions buzzing around inside the bland and colorful walls of the Naval Criminal Investigative Services building.

…and it makes her stomach twist with fear of what her approval of Tony's time off will create.