Chapter 16
'Anything unusual?', Juan asked when Ari came over to him. 'We should be finished before eleven', he murmured. 'Urgent appointment?' 'No, but we will have one with FBI.' 'What?', Juan asked surprised. 'How did they find out? And how do you know?' 'Stay calm', Ari tried not to catch any attention by Theresa who guarded the men carrying heavy boxes. She seemed nervous. She had all reason to be.
'Look over there', Ari nodded over to Theresa. She did not look. 'Theresa?', Juan asked. Ari nodded. 'She's a cop?', Juan asked. 'FBI', Ari knew that if he carried on what he just did, he would end up on the run. But she was worth it.
'How do you know?' 'Sleeping with someone reveals a lot of truth. I found it out this morning. Overheard a conversation with her boss on cell phone.' 'What shall we do?' 'Get finished before eleven pm. Kill her.' 'Don't you wanna do that?', Juan asked. Ari smiled. 'I need to get away. They think that I'd help FBI.' 'Double agent?' 'No, just betrayer', Ari smiled and quickly went away through a bag door of the big warehouse. Juan walked over to Theresa, slowly. 'Everything goes according to the plan?', he asked. Theresa nodded. 'Until now.' Juan told one of the men to be finished at eleven. 'Why?', Theresa asked. She looked around but did not find Ari. 'Would you follow me please?', Juan asked her in a low voice. 'Why?', Theresa got suspicious. Juan pulled out his weapon and pointed it toward her. 'Please.' He followed her outside the storehouse. 'A bird told me you'd be a cop', he said when they were outside. He closed the door behind them. 'Then you're bird was not very specific', Theresa replied. She did not get scared so easily. Juan smiled. 'You work for FBI.' 'Ari works for Mossad', Theresa replied. 'What? Who?', Juan asked confused. 'No, he told me about you.' Theresa sighed. Why? Ari was such a nice bright guy. Why did he betray her and his country? He could have had a good life working for Mossad again, but no, he had to destroy his and her life.
'What are you going to do?', Theresa asked. 'Kill you. What's Mossad?' 'Israeli secret service.' 'Fuck.' 'Don't worry. He's not working for them anymore when he told you about me. We were supposed to work together.' 'Did you love him?' 'He first was another target and then just another working partner.' 'You did not answer my question.' 'Can't you first shoot me and then I'll answer your question?', Theresa asked coldly. 'Fine', Juan said and pulled the trigger in the same moment as Theresa grabbed his arm to push it away. With his left arm Juan grabbed after Theresa's head to pull it forward. She fell down and swept him along. They both landed on the floor and he let the gun drop. It rolled away two meters. They both sat up from the fall. Theresa felt something wet around her belly. She felt it and held her hand against the spare light. Blood. She was bleeding. He looked at her hand and smiled. 'Good shot', she said and crawled forward to reach the gun. He hauled off and with his fist he hit her in stomach region. He had luck and had hit her wound. She yelled and stopped. He went past her and grabbed the gun, turned around and pointed it toward her.
'Say good-bye', he said.
She sprang forward grabbed the gun and they both turned and tossed around on the floor trying to get the weapon they both held and which was pointed into nowhere. She kicked him in his balls, he cried out and left the gun drop. She picked it up, they both still lay on the floor and pointed it toward him. He lunged at her, let himself fall on her, trying to push the weapon away and grab it at the same time. She shrieked as he tried to get the weapon and shot.
Fornell and Gibbs arrived in the same car. It was ten to eleven. They got out and slowly walked around the storehouse to safe the area. The FBI team and the NCIS team, including McGee, Tony, Valentina and Ziva, got in there positions. Tony and McGee helped FBI to get a good look inside the building to attack. Ziva and Valentina got in their positions as snipers, look-outs, so that no one could flee. 'In position', they both said when they had climbed up the roof of an old abandoned service station. Fornell and Gibbs walked around when they suddenly heard a gunshot. They signed each other to be more careful. They waited until they got further. They had a look inside. The men carried on their work but they could not find Juan, Ari or Theresa. They heard a second shot. They both looked in the same direction and started to run. They came around the corner and saw two bodies on the ground. They ran faster.
One body still breathed. 'Theresa', Gibbs cried out. Fornell signed him to be quiet. He saw her lying on the floor, breathing deeply. He saw her blood dripping out of the wound. 'She is wounded, Tobias.' 'And he is dead', he said and felt Juan's pulse. 'I had to kill him. Self-defense. Ari…betrayed us. He told him I was an agent.' 'Where's he now?', Fornell asked. 'I don't know', Theresa answered. 'We need to bring you to hospital', Gibbs said examining her wound. 'I'll drive her there', he said to Fornell. 'You have the full leading now her.' 'Fine', Fornell said. 'It's gonna be my fault if this fucking Hamas, Al Qaida whatever terrorists gets us all killed.'
In that exact moment they all heard a second shot. They looked around. Nothing to see. 'Fornell to everyone. What happened?' 'Don't know', Tony said. 'We did not do anything', another FBI agent answered. 'Go inside the building and arrest them all. Now!', Fornell ordered and signed Gibbs and Theresa to go. Theresa was weak and he carried her. 'Dad', she said weakly. 'It's all going to be alright', Gibbs said. He spoke into his walkie-talkie now: 'Ziva, Valentina, get into your position. They are inside the building now. Ziva? Valentina?' Nobody responded. 'Shit', he cursed. 'No response?', Theresa asked. Gibbs shook his head. 'Look after them', she said. 'No, I've got to bring you to hospital right now. Fornell will handle this. He opened the door of the car. 'Lie down. Try to press your hand on the wound. Try not to lose too much blood.' 'Good hint', she said sarcastically when he walked to the driver's seat. He started the motor. 'Fornell, look what's the matter with Valentina and Ziva', he said. 'Acknowledged', Fornell said. Gibbs drove away, on the way to hospital. In comparison to now, his usual kind of driving was like driving a tricycle.
Fornell looked around. There were gunshots everywhere. FBI and NCIS had stormed the building but there was nothing to here from the sharp shooters. He climbed up the roof. Two bodies lay there. 'Oh no', he sighed and ran over to them to feel the pulse. He felt Valentina's pulse. Weak, but there was one. 'God', he said relieved. He held his fingers on Ziva's neck.
'Nooooo!', he screamed out loud. 'You god damned asshole. You fucking son of a bitch!' He could not pull himself together. He started to cry. No pulse of Ziva. He cried out loud. 'What's up?', Tony appeared behind him. 'We arrested most of them and-' 'Gimme your car keys. We need to bring Valentina to hospital', he said and stood up. 'What? What happened?', Tony asked coming nearer and stopped breathing. Two bodies. Valentina had a severe shot wound in her chest, bleeding far too much. Then he looked at Ziva.
Brave little Ziva. No shimmer in her opened eyes. Her eyes full of shock. Between her eyes a little hole. Her head was lying in a puddle of blood, which grew bigger. She did not move anymore. 'No…is she…is she?', he breathed loudly. 'We need at least save Valentina', Fornell screamed and picked her up. She was not very heavy. 'Come on, Tony. Help me!' He climbed down the roof. 'Who?', Tony yelled out loudly and turned around and followed him. 'That bastard', Fornell cried. They were down. 'Where's your car?', Tony ran past him. They put Valentina on the back seats. Tony put off his jacket and shirt and tied his shirt around her chest, pressed it on the wound. Fornell drove. Fast but not fast enough. 'She's losing too much blood', Tony cried. 'I know', Fornell yelled back. It took eternity until they saw the outdoor lights of local hospital.
Tony carried her, they ran together to emergency hospitalization. 'Do I have a déjà-vu?', the doctor there said and put her on a bed to roll her to emergency operation room. 'It's her twin sister', Fornell explained. 'What? Her sister is here, too?', Tony asked surprised. There was a lot of blood on his hands, Valentina's blood. 'Juan had tried to shoot Theresa', Fornell said. 'Wait, what?', Tony said and forgot breathing. 'Theresa and Valentina are identical twins and both actually working undercover for FBI. Short version', Fornell said and followed the doctor. Another doctor turned around. 'Not further please. Take a seat in waiting room, please', she said. 'Is she gonna make it?', Fornell asked. 'The wound is deep. We don't know', she said and tried to push them away.
Tony and Fornell walked away. 'Gibbs', Tony screamed out loud. They ran toward him. 'What are you doing here?', Gibbs asked. 'This son of a bitch shot Ziva and wounded Valentina heavily. They don't know if she's gonna make it.' 'Shot Ziva? Is she…is she dead?' Tony and Fornell did not answer. Tony nodded. 'Ari', Gibbs whispered. Fornell nodded. 'I'll get him', Gibbs said and turned around and walked away. 'No, you're not gonna go. You don't know where to search', Fornell ran after him. Tony followed. 'Boss, he wants you to do. He-' 'I know Tony. And I do exactly what he wants. He wants to destroy me, to hurt me. He succeeded. But he is not getting away with killing my family', Gibbs screamed and ran out of the front doors.
'Family?', Tony asked surprised. 'Yeah, the twins are Gibbs' daughters', Fornell said silently as they saw Gibbs driving away in Fornell's car. 'What?' 'Believe me, they were all three as surprised as you are when they found out', Fornell said. 'What now?' 'Someone's gonna die. Let's hope it's not Gibbs', Fornell said and pulled Tony back into the hospital.