"Oh, my God, it works from here." He started to call Gibbs, but he walked in just then. "Boss, you aren't going to believe this. I got the email from Tony and Ziva with the tracking software. Here, look."

Gibbs came around McGee's desk and looked at his computer. He was just as surprised to see that not only did the software work on their computer but they could use it to track a suspect from such a distance.

Gibbs looked at McGee. "We need to show this to the Director. Come on."

Vignette Eleven- Part Eight

Tony and Ziva sat comfortably in their hotel room, relaxing after a full day of sightseeing. Ziva had been to Paris many times, but she thoroughly enjoyed playing the role of tourist. However, now it was time to go back to work.

She sighed. She really wished they could just relax and be themselves and not be working. But she knew she would never rest until Ilan Bodnar was captured or killed.

Tony grabbed her hand. "What are you thinking?" He asked, concerned to see the worry lines in her forehead.

Ziva looked at him in surprise. She shook her head. "I was just contemplating our mission. I would much rather be doing something else, but I cannot let this go."

Tony went and sat next to her, putting his arm around her. "I know that. That's why I'm here with you. So what's next? Do we stay here and try to get some more Intel, or do we leave and search for more of these guys Bodnar told you about?" Tony stroked her hair.

Ziva looked into his eyes. "I think we should leave. There is only so much we can do here. I am not inclined to do Interpol's work for them."

Tony nodded, agreeing that while it was fun and tempting to see if they could track down any other terrorist or arm's dealer who happened to be here, that was not what they were here for.

"So, where do we go from here? You had mentioned Spain and Italy." Tony asked.

Ziva bit her lip and considered the options. "I think Italy. It is closer to Israel, and he had more contacts there. We may have better luck."

Tony smiled. He had never been to the country of his grandparents. Well, that was not technically true; he had been there as a child and he had resented it. Just another place he was carted off to.

And then he and Ziva had been sent to Naples last year, but that was work. Tony smiled in remembrance. They had had a nice dinner with Stan, and the remainder of the evening had been pretty damn nice as well, but the rest of it was work. To see the land of his forefathers as a "tourist" appealed to Tony's sensibilities. "Italy it is!" He grinned. "When do we leave?" He tried to not appear to be anxious. A part of him was really excited to be going there, but he had to remind himself that this was not a vacation. The real reason for their trip was much less exciting for him.

"I think the end of the week." Ziva answered, which was in two days. "That will give us time to tie up things here, contact Gibbs and send McGee an email. I would like to find out what happened with Haddad."

Tony looked at her. "They may not do anything for weeks. They probably just have him under surveillance at this point."

Ziva's shoulders sagged. "Yes, I would suppose you are right. They would not want to bring him in too soon. They are probably waiting for him to meet with others."

"Well, that makes sense, doesn't it?" Tony wondered why he was trying to talk her out of waiting to hear if Haddad had been captured. It would keep them in Paris longer, which he certainly preferred to roaming about Europe, leaving them exposed to detection.

But a part of him wanted this to be over with, so they could go back to their lives back home. The sooner they got Bodnar, the sooner that would happen.

Naples, Italy

Special Agent Stan Burley looked over the briefings for the day, frowning as usual at how little intelligence they actually contained.

He looked out the small window of his office. The events in DC had shaken him to the core. It was as bad as the Navy Yard being bombed, in his opinion. This one was just so much more intimate; so much more evil.

He felt horrible for Ziva. He smiled in remembrance of their first meeting last year. She was as stunning as the day was long. But he didn't mistake the protective nature DiNozzo hung over her. He wondered for the gazillionth time if the two of them were together.

He hoped for Ziva's sake that she had a strong arm to lean against, and he didn't begrudge DiNozzo being that arm.

He was used to seeing a Mossad presence in Naples. He knew many of them by name, occasionally meeting one or two for a drink to compare notes. Since the killings at the Vance's home, that presence had been eliminated.

Stan wondered if they had been recalled, to be reassigned to find Bodnar. He shuddered to think if any of these Officers he had contact with, could have been in league with Bodnar. He tried to think if he gave any information regarding Director Vance. He shook his head to remove that train of thought.

No, Director Vance and his wife had not been the targets. It had been Eli David and perhaps even Ziva. They had the misfortune of being at the Vance's home when the inevitable attack occurred.

Stan had never met Jackie Vance, although he knew Leon from before he became the Director. He couldn't imagine the pain he had gone through, losing his wife in their home. Every day, he stood on the very place she had been shot. Stan shuddered.

That was probably why he had never gotten married, although he had been close once, or maybe twice, if he was being completely honest with himself. The threat was ever present, although he had been thinking of the threat to his own person. He knew instinctively that family and loved ones were a favored target, but until it actually happened to someone he knew, it was easy to forget.

He threw the reports to the side. He wondered, not for the first time, if he was getting the full picture. The reports seemed…lacking for a better word. Like they were being edited or redacted by a third person before they reached his hands.

He stood up, coming to a decision.

NCIS

Leon Vance was more of a computer geek than McGee was, so he was fascinated by this new technology that was being shown to him by Gibbs and McGee.

He looked up from the red pulsing dot. "This is Haddad? DiNozzo put one of those tracking devices on him?"

"Yes, Sir." Tim answered. "He didn't explain how he did it, but he said you have to actually touch the person you want to track. The disk is absorbed into the skin."

"Interesting." Vance chewed on his toothpick. "Any idea how long they last?"

Gibbs looked at McGee. "Uh, no. Tony is sending us one to experiment with. This one was placed yesterday or the day before. Not sure because of the time difference."

Vance nodded. Just then, his intercom beeped. "Director, Special Agent Burley is in MTAC, wishing to speak to you."

He looked up at Gibbs and McGee. "I'll be right there, Cynthia. You two; come with me." Vance got up and strode out of this office, Gibbs and McGee in his wake.

MTAC

"Special Agent Burley, this is a surprise. I hope you have something for us." Vance got right to the point.

Stan grimaced. "Frankly, I hope I don't. Hey, Boss, McGee. How's Ziva?"

"She's fine." Vance answered for all of them. "What is the purpose of your call?"

Stan again looked worried. "It may be nothing. Director, my Intel reports seem a little thin lately. I was wondering if perhaps, they were being censored."

Vance became alert at that. "You think someone is intercepting your reports before you get them?"

Stan shrugged. "These daily reports used to be full of crap, I mean, literally. You had to really read through them to figure out what was useful, and they always had something useful in them. But now…"

"Stan, are you saying that now all you are getting is crap?" Gibbs asked his former Senior Field Agent.

Stan shook his head. "I only wish. I mean, what I am getting is bullshit, but it is so much less, and there is definitely nothing of use in them. I would think if someone really wanted to mess with my reports, they would drown me in the manure. Instead, it is an embarrassment by the lack of data."

Gibbs and Vance looked at each other. "So you think someone is editing your reports before you get them, and doing a pretty half-assed job at it at the same time?" Vance clarified.

"Yeah, pretty much. Also, I used to see a Mossad presence around here. Lately, nothing. No one who even smells of Mossad."

Vance stiffened at that. "How long has that been going on?"

Burley swallowed reflexively. "Since January." He said quietly.

Vance looked down, then at Gibbs. Gibbs looked back and nodded. "Need to know." He whispered.

"Burley, we have an undercover team over in Paris right now, working with Interpol. So far they have caused the capture of a known arm's dealer and a member of the 'Hamburg Cell'. They have also successfully placed a tracking device on a member of the pro-Palestinian group First Wave, Matim Haddad."

Stan sat up at that. "What? I should have been notified of at least the captures. That proves someone is intercepting my reports. Damn."

He looked up. "Can you tell me what the objective of this team is? I may be able to assist."

Vance looked grim. "Their sole objective is to locate Ilan Bodnar and assist in his capture. What they have accomplished so far came as a result of their search."

"Wow." Stan said. "Undercover you say? Guess they won't be knocking on my door."

Gibbs smiled to himself. "Well, if they get in a jam and end up in Naples they might. You are to assist them in any way you can, should that happen."

Stan looked surprised. "Ok, I am assuming they know me then, or at least know we have an NCIS agent here in Naples."

"They know." Vance said. "Agent Burley, I want you to continue as if you suspect nothing."

"While at the same time trying to figure out who is getting my reports first. They are delivered by hand courier every morning. And no, I do not have a new courier."

Gibbs nodded, pleased that Stan had anticipated the question. He would be a good back-up for Tony and Ziva should they travel to Italy. Despite their successes, he knew the closer they got to Bodnar, the more dangerous it would be for them. The more allies the better.

"Tread lightly, Burley. We want to give our team every advantage. We will inform them that they may contact you if necessary." Vance instructed.

Stan nodded his understanding. "I'll contact you if I find out anything pertinent relating to my reports." He said, signing off.

Paris, France

Ziva looked over their belongings, trying to decide how much to bring with them. Since the weather was warm and they were heading south, they would not require heavy coats, but they still needed a variety of clothes to be appropriate for any occasion they found themselves in.

It was easy to just buy clothes on the road, but they didn't want to spend their money endlessly on unnecessary items. She looked up as Tony entered their apartment. "Did you get the car?" She asked.

Tony nodded. "Yep, a BMW SUV. I figured we could use the extra space, plus there are some hiding places in the cargo area for our weapons. Are you sure we won't be searched when we cross the border?" Tony threw the car keys onto the table and walked into the bedroom to watch Ziva fold clothes and place them in two piles: "yes" and "no".

"They should not or rather I guess I should say that it is not a practice, at least with those countries that belong to the European Union. I suppose if we look and act very suspicious they will, but I do not anticipate any problems." Ziva frowned as she reached for one shirt and then changed her mind.

Tony watched her, amused. "Are you really this stressed over which clothes to take, or is there something else bothering you?"

Ziva looked up at that. "I am not bothered. Packing is one of my least favorite activities, especially when it is for an op. I always over pack." She shook her head.

Tony chuckled and put his arms around her from behind. He kissed her neck. "We have plenty of room, so don't worry about it." He threw two packets of cash onto the pile.

"I went to the bank and got some more money, just in case we need to buy some more 'services'. Hey! I like that shirt!" Tony grabbed a shirt Ziva had put on the "no" pile.

"Fine, you can take it." Ziva flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"What is wrong with you?" Tony flopped beside her. "Are you having second thoughts about going? Or maybe about me coming with you?" Tony said the last in a quiet voice, afraid.

Ziva looked quickly at him and grabbed his hand. "No, I am not having second thoughts…about leaving or about you. So just get that out of your head right now."

"Then what is it? You seem distracted. Normally, you're so focused when we get ready for a case." Tony stroked her cheek.

Ziva leaned into his caress. "I do not know. Maybe I know we are getting closer and I am feeling too much…too close to this. I do not want to lose my perspective. That is how people get killed."

Tony frowned. "We'll be fine. We're not doing anything except being eyes and ears for NCIS. We're not planting bombs; we're not going to storm any terrorist hiding place. Are we?" He wondered now if he really knew Ziva's end game.

Ziva turned on her side. "No, I do not plan to try to capture Ilan or anyone. Maybe that is the problem. It is like sitting behind a desk instead of being in the field. It would be easier to take someone down rather than make a report and wait for someone else to do the job."

Tony pushed back a strand of her hair. "I know how you feel. But the goal is to get Bodnar and not get injured…or killed. I really like my life right now, and I'm not looking forward to making any major changes."

Ziva smiled, knowing Tony was referring to their relationship. "Tony, what do you think will happen when we go back?"

Tony looked at her in surprise. "Back to NCIS? I don't know. I guess I thought…we would just go back to work."

Ziva sat up. "Gibbs must have realized by now that we are together, as well as Director Vance. Do you think we will be able to still work on the same team, with Gibbs?"

Tony sat up at that. "I hope so. But if Gibbs or Vance says we can't then I will go to another team. There's no way they are going to tell us we can't be together." He put his arm around Ziva's shoulders and kissed her temple.

Ziva sighed. "I think a lot will depend on how successful we are. Although we have already paid the price of admission, as it were."

Tony chuckled. "That's for sure. I think we are no longer on the shit list. But I also think you're right: we are going to have to earn their approval, for us to be together and remain on Gibbs team."

Ziva laid her head on Tony's shoulder, savoring their private time together. They were so used to being openly affectionate with each other that it will be hard to keep apart when they get back.

Tony pulled her to a standing position. "What else needs to be done?" He got her focus back.

Ziva considered the question. "Once we are done packing, all we need to do is call Gibbs and mail the package to McGee, which we can do from anywhere but the sooner the better." Tony was mailing McGee one of the tracking disks so he and Abby could experiment with it.

"Ok, let me call Gibbs now, and let him know our plans. Then we can get something to eat or we can head out, whichever you prefer."

Ziva nodded. "I think we should eat first before we leave.

Tony nodded and grabbed the newest burn phone. He quickly pressed in the numbers and waited patiently while it rang.

After the fourth ring, Gibbs answered. "Yeah, Gibbs."

Tony smiled. "Hi Dad! Wanted to check in before we take another trip."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and nodded his head, knowing this would happen sooner or later. "Give me a second…son." Gibbs grabbed McGee and they went up to Vance's office. He waved the phone in front of Leon so he would know what was up.

Vance pressed the button under his conference table so that the room would be sealed.

Gibbs put his phone on speaker. "Ok, Tony. All clear. Go ahead."

Tony had his phone on the bed, as he and Ziva playfully cuddled together. It was their little secret, to be able to touch each other like this while talking to Gibbs and he had no idea what they were doing.

"Ok. We're getting ready to head down to Rome. We rented a car and are leaving shortly."

"How long will it take you to get there, DiNozzo?" Vance asked the question.

"It is between a thirteen and fourteen hour drive. We will stop in Marseilles overnight, and then continue on to Rome." Ziva answered.

"We were able to download the package you sent and can see your handiwork on the screen." Gibbs commented.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other in shock. "That's surprising. Not about being able to download the software, but that you can track targets over here. That really works to our advantage." Tony and Ziva realized they could place their own targets and NCIS could also track them at the same time they were. This was good news.

"Agent Burley contacted me this morning. He is concerned his Intel reports are being tampered with. We read him in to your mission, but not your identities. If you should need backup, Burley is at your disposal." Vance stated.

Tony heaved a sigh of relief. That was very good news. Stan would be a valuable asset should the need arise. In fact, he could be used in a variety of ways, not the least of which was placing tracking disks so his and Ziva's identities would not be compromised.

"What's in Rome? Or is it a staging area for you to travel to and from surrounding ports?" Gibbs asked the question.

"A little of both." Ziva answered. "I do have some names to run down from my conversations with Bodnar regarding his past missions. They may be people he will turn to."

"Like you Antiques slash arms dealer Favreau?" Gibbs responded.

"Exactly." Tony said. "By the way, the shop has been closed down."

Gibbs and Vance glanced at each other and nodded. That was confirmation that Interpol had been truthful in their dealing with Favreau and Sanger.

"We've not heard back from Interpol regarding your other target. Since he can still be seen moving about, we are assuming that he is under surveillance and will be apprehended when it is deemed appropriate." Vance said.

Tony and Ziva glanced at each other. On the one hand, they had expected this, but they had really hoped he would have been captured by now.

"Well, hopefully he will meet up with a bunch of his friends real soon." Tony answered drily.

"Should we hear back from them, do you want us to tell them that you have left the city?" Gibbs asked.

Ziva shrugged. "I do not think we need to tell them more than necessary. For all we know, they are watching us now, in which case they may try to follow us. We will not let that happen."

"Tony, did you get the chance to mail me one of those disks?" Tim asked.

"Hi, McGee! It will be in the mail today. Have fun with it." Tony smiled in anticipation of the excitement Tim and Abby will have trying to figure the thing out.

"Great, thanks!" Tim said. "By the way, I like the 'new' looks. I didn't realize it was you in the picture until I stared at it for a while."

"Well, that was the point, wasn't it?" Ziva chuckled. "Sometimes we look at each other and don't recognize ourselves."

Gibbs and Vance looked at each other. "Agents, I have a delicate question for you. Perhaps, Agent McGee, you should step out." Vance interrupted the levity.

McGee looked startled, as did Tony and Ziva, who looked at each other warily.

Sorry this update took so long. Work has been tiring and I had a bit of writer's block on this story. Hope you continue to enjoy. I love Joel Gretsch and put Stan Burris in as many stories as I can.

Thanks for the reviews pointing out my boo-boos. I told you I was tired!