There she was; Ziva thought as she spotted a girl she'd seen with one of Cortez's men. She was headed to Cortez's building around the block. Ziva approached her and quickly pulled her to the side. At first Ziva pulled out money but the girl simply asked what she wanted; Ziva took a moment to study the girl and then the girl told her that she had no love loss for those men. She was just with them because she wanted her brother safe and they had her brother working in the country.
Ziva asked her to carry in a small bag and meet her in the bathroom once inside. The girl refused her money – took the bag and threw it in her oversized purse. With a smile she said, 'See you inside."
Ziva waited a few moments, smoothed down her black, low-cut cocktail dress, and then headed for the building.
They let her in and patted her down, one of the men commenting that she didn't even need a gun to be dangerous and then they told her the boss was waiting on her. Ziva asked to use the bathroom first and the girl called out that she'd show Ziva where it was.
Once in the bathroom, the girl handed Ziva the bag and said, "Kill them all if you can," before leaving with a wink. Ziva hoped the girl would not betray her.
Ziva emptied the contents of the bag on the counter quickly and assembled the gun and silencer. She slipped it into a thigh holster, checked her outfit then headed out to meet Cortez.
Cortez had set up the room with candles and a small table in the center covered in a gold tablecloth and white roses atop with expensive looking dinnerware and crystal. There were silver domed trays on the table and a side table with more food items. Ziva sauntered into the room and he complimented her on her dress and told his men he did not want to be disturbed.
One of his men bristled and whispered to Cortez that tonight was a bad night to not be on guard. He said Santiago's men were roaming the streets in force. Cortez dismissed him and repeated that he did not want to be disturbed to handle it.
"Problems?" Ziva asked as she looked over her shoulder at Cortez.
"Nothing of importance," Cortez said as he poured them two glasses of Champagne. "A rival is in the city looking for trouble."
"Are you sure I cannot be of help then?" Ziva asked him with a glint in her eye.
"I am sure you would be more competent than fifty of my men," Cortez offered her the glass, "but tonight I want to forget about rivals and business and enjoy you."
"I have not taken pleasure in someone in a long time," Ziva commented before she put the champagne glass down on the table.
Ziva had not smiled unless it was for her cover since she left Tony. When she wasn't focused at the task at hand, all she thought of was Tony; was her family at NCIS. She was moments from completing her mission, moments from fulfilling her bargain with the CIA. All she had to do now was get out clean. The belt of her dress was reinforced nylon and she could use it to lower herself closer to street level from the balcony. Perhaps she could use this rival roaming the streets to her advantage should she be caught. Regardless…it was time to end this.
"Perhaps it is time you should then, Ziva?" Cortez cooed.
Ziva stepped away from Cortez and moved closer to the balcony when she heard gunfire outside the doors. Cortez turned to the doors and she pulled her gun from her holster.
"Come, I have a place to hide, this way," he said to her as he turned his attention back to her.
"I will take great pleasure in this," Ziva shot Cortez twice in the chest then quickly untied her belt. She opened the French doors and stepped out onto the balcony and started to tie the belt around the railing when Cortez appeared behind her.
He punched her and when she regained her focused she saw that he wore bulletproof lining under his jacket. She blocked his second throw but Cortez lifted her up and tried to toss her over the balcony. He finally pushed her over the edge of the railing.
Ziva struggled for purchase and managed to hang onto one side of the belt. Cortez raised his fist to strike her again but Ziva managed to swing the gun up – never having dropped it – and put two in Cortez's skull.
Cortez let out a scream before stumbling backwards, failing his arms, until he finally collapsed on the floor.
Ziva aimed her gun again as she dangled over the side of the balcony and put another several shots into his body. She then dropped the gun, hearing it clatter to the street and grabbed the belt with her other hand.
As she started to lower herself to the street, thinking this was it – she would get away, get home - the cement under the railing crumbled away and the belt slipped through the crevice and Ziva fell through the air.
As she hit the roof of the car below and felt the metal give beneath her weight the last thought in her head was, I am sorry, Tony, before everything went black.
Author's Note: We are not finished.