Warnings: Spoilers for Season 7.

A/N: Here's the next part. Working on finishing up this arc as quickly as possible so you are not waiting too long, haha. Enjoy! And please let me know what you think :)

wytygr- Ah...I guess I never knew Liat's last name haha.

NCIS Fan- of course Gibbs has a plan...he probably had a plan before they got off the plane lol. I don't think he's sad that his plan might not work, I think he's sad/guilty that it's Tony and Natalie in trouble and not him.

Natalie was roused from a restless slumber by voices outside. Opening her eyes she peered into the dusty, hot room, and strained her ears to listen. The voices weren't speaking English…nor were they speaking Arabic. But…given her limited hearing abilities at the time…she couldn't be sure what they were speaking.

Exhausted, she gave up, and gazed at the ceiling. They had been left alone for the night. But every sound, every laugh and shouted phrase, had both agents jumping out of their skin. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. Granted, given where they were at the moment it was a miracle they had gotten any sleep at all. Natalie heard the voices fade away and a few doors opening and closing.

She wasn't sure how much longer they had to live. If they didn't give Saleem what he wanted to know today, then it was probably only a matter of hours. Was Gibbs even in the area looking for them? Was NCIS aware that they were missing? Sure…they had missed their check-in with McGee and they had not reported to the Marines and Dunham—but did that mean it would galvanize Gibbs into action? She didn't know him well enough yet to determine what the answer would be. Although…Tony was confident that their lead agent was searching for them and would get them out of here alive. And if he was confident…

"Are you ready to talk?" Saleem shouted, kicking the door open with a bang. Tony was torn away from the wall and forced into a chair by two men. "I am growing tired of waiting."

"Sure, we can talk," Tony drawled, quietly. "What do you want to talk about? The weather? Movies? Sports?"

"What is NCIS' interest in the Damocles?" Saleem snapped, glaring at the senior field agent.

"NCIS has no interest in the Damocles."

Saleem's jaw twitched with anger, frustration. "My sources tell me that the Navy is pulling bodies from the ocean as we speak. Bodies that are rumored to be the crew of the Damocles. You will tell me, Agent DiNozzo, what you know about that ship."

Tony shook his head. "I know nothing about that ship."

Natalie flinched at the sound of Saleem's fist connecting with Tony's jaw. "Staff Sergeant Cryer was onboard the Damocles," she cried out, not wanting to see Tony hurt anymore because of his sarcastic nature.

"You should follow your partner's example," Saleem hissed. "Why is the Navy recovering the bodies? If they drowned in a storm?"

"They didn't tell us," she lied, keeping as straight a face as possible.

"No one else was going to clean up the mess," Tony snarked.

Saleem turned his heated glance back onto Tony. "If that is all the Navy is doing…why such the heavy NCIS presence..why so many federal agents, Agent DiNozzo, for one, small, cargo ship?"

Tony licked his lips. "Agent Callahan and I are here to investigate the death of Daniel Cryer. As for the other NCIS agents in the area…well…you've been a bad boy, Saleem."

Natalie could see the terrorist's eyes gleaming. She knew what was coming before he even acted. Tony bit down hard on his lip to keep himself from crying out in pain as the men turned on him. When they were done they held him there while Saleem prepared a syringe. "What are…what are you doing?" she asked, scrambling to her feet. "What are you giving him?" She shouted as the syringe was inserted in his arm, while Tony tried to fight the hold the men had on him.

Saleem pulled the needle out. "You Americans refer to it as Special K—but it is known in the medical community as ketamine." He tossed the syringe aside and pulled a chair up across from Tony. "Special Agent DiNozzo here is going to do everything that I say—he's going to be obedient. Isn't that right, Special Agent DiNozzo?"

Tony's eyes were heavy lidded and he could only nod his head. Natalie felt her heart leaping into her throat. Saleem was nullifying his protective like nature of her. So what…he could go after her? Break her without Tony intervening?

"Now…Agent Callahan…what is going to happen when the Marines realize you have not reported in?" Saleem said, turning to her, his eyes dark and menacing. "Keep in mind…I can do a lot worse to you—and your partner—then just drugging you with ketamine."

"The Marines will report our failure to check in to NCIS," Natalie said, swallowing her tears. She pressed her back into the wall as he stood and stalked towards her. "If and when they find our vehicle…more than likely they will mount a rescue operation."

Saleem titled his head to one side. "And if NCIS believes you to be…dead?"

Natalie curled her hands into fists. "Then chances are…they won't be coming after us."

"Now, see," Saleem said, reaching out and patting her on the cheek almost affectionately. "That was not so hard, was it?"

"You didn't have to…you didn't have to drug him," Natalie said.

Saleem chuckled. "I was growing tired of his attitude. Besides…he's rather protective of you…and if he isn't drugged I will not be able to do this," he said, brandishing his knife and cutting a path down her left arm. She cried out in pain and collapsed on the floor. "I am sorry, Agent Callahan, but your blood is necessary to lead the Marines off the beaten path." Natalie watched as he ran her ball cap up and down her arm, drenching it in her blood. When he was done, he tossed a shredded towel at her, turned to order his men to let go of Tony and she watched as he slumped out of the chair onto the dirt floor with her. In a flash Saleem and his men were gone, the leader promising to return later to keep their discussion going.

Natalie waited until the door had slammed shut behind the terrorists before she went to help Tony, wincing against the pain in her left arm. Gently she helped him towards the wall where she propped him up. He looked at her, dazed and confused for a moment. "Tony…they gave you ketamine…you're going to…you're going to be okay. It's just going to take a few hours for the drug to wear off."

Tony didn't respond. Instead his eyes shut and he slipped into a drug-induced sedation. Natalie used the towel to wrap her arm in it to stop the bleeding. There was probably no way to stop any infection forming in this disgusting place. And chances are she was going to be dead even before any germs could ravish her body. So, what did it matter really? She took a deep breath and rested her head against Tony's shoulder, listening to his steadying breathing. Then chances are…they won't come looking for us.

It was exactly what Saleem wanted. He wanted the Marines to call off looking for Natalie and Tony, and if the Marines and NCIS thought they were dead—they might just do that. It would be too risky of an operation just to recover bodies. This was not how she pictured dying. She allowed a few tears to leak out of her eyes. She was doing her best to keep her composure around Saleem, because he was right…he could do a lot worse to her than a slice down her arm or drugging her with ketamine. She might not have been a federal agent that long, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what these men thought of her.

Sniffling, she turned her face into Tony's shoulder and buried it there, trying to drown out the world she was living in at the moment. It was hard to do so when all she could hear was Arabic voices, smell blood, and see four walls closing in around her. NCIS better hurry up or Natalie knew that they were going to be dead by nightfall.

"Agent Gibbs?" a voice interrupted his troubled thoughts. "Agent Dunham says they've found something. He's on the SAT phone for you."

"I'll be right there," Gibbs whispered, before rubbing his face with his hand and getting up. He pulled his ball cap down over his graying hair and exited the tent, following the Marine to where they were holding the call for him. He took the phone offered. "What have you got for me Dunham?"

Dunham took a deep, steadying breath. "My team has been scouting the area for any other signs of DiNozzo and Callahan. Was Callahan from Boston?"

Gibbs felt his heart thundering in his chest. "Yes. Why?"

"We found a Red Sox cap with female hair in it…" Dunham replied, softly. "Gibbs…the cap…the cap has blood on it."

He felt his whole body stiffen. Blood on a ball cap didn't necessarily mean that Natalie was dead…it just didn't bode well. They were going to have to move a lot faster on his plan than he was anticipating. He was still waiting for SecNav's approval…but at this rate…Natalie and Tony would be dead. Surely the SecNav could overlook them going ahead to rescue two of his agents? "How far from Saleem's camp did you find the cap?"

Dunham was reluctant to answer at first, but then, "About twenty miles. Looks like it was planted to give us proof of life. Of course...we don't know if she's dead or alive."

Gibbs clamped down on his anger. " No...it's not a proof of life...it's a warning...I'm coming to you. And Dunham…we move in first thing in the morning to get my agents back."

Dunham coughed a little in surprise. "SecNav approved this already?" When Gibbs didn't say anything, Dunham had his answer. "Well…these are unique circumstances…I think SecNav will overlook this if it means rescuing two agents."

He chuckled and Gibbs hung up the phone, moving through the camp swiftly to find McGee. Time was not on their side.

"You know…I always thought I'd go out in more of a blaze of glory than…this," Tony said, hours later, breaking the diatom of voices outside.

Natalie blinked her eyes open. The light in the room had changed, signaling that it was well past midday, close to dusk actually. Saleem had not returned yet to further discuss the Marines or NCIS or why they were so interested in the Damocles and she was happy for that, because it meant they were alive a little bit longer for Gibbs to find them. "How did you picture yourself dying?"

Tony turned his head and looked down at her, her cheek resting against his shoulder. "In a hail of bullets."

"Still time for that," Natalie said with a bit of a smile.

"What happened to your arm?" Tony questioned, shifting slightly and reaching out gently to take her wounded arm in his hand. "He do this to you, Natalie?"

Natalie winced at the touch, however gentle it was—it still hurt. "He wanted my blood…to use it to make the Marines believe I was dead. Give them proof of life...a warning sign...I don't know the reasons."

Tony's green eyes were a sea of emotions. He pulled the towel back and glared, angrily at the sight of his partner with a slash mark the length of her arm. He was furious that he hadn't been able to protect her. Saleem had prevented him from doing so by giving him that drug. And the damn terrorist knew exactly what he was doing when he'd injected the ketamine into Tony's blood stream. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again, Natalie."

"He'll just keep drugging you with the ketamine," Natalie said, tears in her eyes. "He knows what your weakness is—me."

"Protecting you is my job, Natalie," Tony stated, firmly. "Not my weakness."

Natalie let one lone tear slid down her cheek. "It's weakness to him, and he's going to capitalize on it."

Tony reached out and flicked the tear away. "You keep telling him what he wants to hear, Natalie. Do you understand me?"

Behind them the door opened and there was angry shouting. Tony watched as Saleem and his men came storming back into the room. He turned his eyes back towards his partner. "Natalie…do you understand me?"

"Yes," she whispered with a slight nod of her head as the pair was ripped a part.

Natalie was thrown in one direction, Tony the other. "You LIED to me!" Saleem bellowed. "Sources tell me that the Navy is calling the sinking of the Damocles a terrorist act! They are pinning it on me! The Marine presence is growing! If they do not leave soon, I will be forced to relocate! You have made things very difficult for me Agent Callahan!" He struck her with so much force that she bit the inside of her cheek, drawing blood. "Perhaps you need to be shown what happens to people who defy me! I am done playing these games with you, agents! You are stronger together, let's see how you do a part!"

Tony could see the horror flash through her grey eyes. "Don't touch her!" he snarled, angrily, scrambling to his feet and throwing himself in front of her, earning his own backhand.

Saleem circled the two agents, shouting at his men to take Natalie away. One of the men grabbed her roughly and started to drag her out of the room. She screamed, fighting against him, as Tony fought against the two guards holding him back.

"Let go of her!" Tony hollered, striking out at the men that were holding him down. He managed to break free and got to her, attempting to pull her back into the room with him. The two men he'd fought off grabbed him from behind, roughly. He lost his grip on Natalie's hand, and his eyes filled with desperation as they were torn away from one another. "Let. Her. Go!"

Natalie was helpless. The man overpowered her easily. No amount of physical combat training could help her in this situation. And as she realized this, she watched as Saleem grabbed the leg from one of the chairs that now was broken from the struggle, and hit Tony on the base of the skull with it. Tony slumped to the floor, on his stomach and laid their motionless. "TONY!"

Saleem followed the guard hoisting her out of the room and slammed the door shut. She was taken into an even smaller room and tossed onto the floor. Saleem came in then, yanking her back to her feet and shoving her into a chair. "You should listen to your partner, Agent Callahan, and tell me everything I want to hear. Let's start with Daniel Cryer. How did he die?"

"He was on the Damocles when it went down."

"NCIS and the Navy would not show such interest in a freighter crew if he merely drown."

Natalie blinked back her tears, focusing on the knife that was in his lap. "He was…he was murdered."

Saleem's interest was peaked. "Murdered? By who…"

"Mossad."

"Mossad killed him? Killed the crew?"

"Yes. To cover their tracks."

"They were coming to kill me."

Natalie knew that his statement of this, and not a question, signified he had been aware that Mossad was coming. "Cryer…he told you that Mossad was on their way. Before he died. Before the ship went down. That was the information he was selling to you. Information on Mossad."

Saleem gave her a dirty, evil smile. "Mossad thinks they were so clever taking that ship to get here. They do not realize that I have eyes and ears everywhere. Cryer was keeping me informed that they were in the area looking for me. I knew about NCIS helping them take out my cell in the United States thanks to him. No worries, I have other cells that I can reach out too. But to think…they thought they could get in here to kill me…it was impossible. I have heavily armed men."

"You killed the team that came to kill you?"

"I took care of the operative, yes. Mossad has not stopped trying though."

Natalie flashed back to the man and the woman sitting at the café the day that her and Tony were taken prisoner. "How did you find out about us? Your eyes and ears?"

Saleem looked at her thoughtfully. "Someone who wants to join my cause alerted me to your presence. If their information panned out, I told them I would allow them access."

"Capturing us was panning out then?"

"Indeed. So far they have been helpful. They are very knowledgeable about what Mossad and NCIS are doing in this region."

You've been played, Saleem, Natalie thought, her mind running a hundred different thoughts. We all have.

He snapped his fingers, startling her slightly. A woman, hood covering her face was brought forth. The men held her firmly, forcing Natalie to look at her. "This is what happens to women, Agent Callahan, when they defy me. Let this be a lesson to you."

"Did she lie to you too about NCIS?" Natalie snapped, regretfully because he pulled her head back by her hair.

"No. She tried to kill me," Saleem said.

"Too bad she didn't succeed," Natalie spat.

Saleem chuckled, low in his throat, and he released her. "Women like you—like her—need to learn their place in this world."

Natalie looked at the thin form of the woman. "And you think you are the one to teach us that place?"

He responded by placing the hooded woman in the chair across from Natalie. "You tell me, Agent Callahan," he said with a sadistic grin, pulling the hood back to reveal a woman's face beaten and swollen, but it was her dark eyes that haunted the NCIS agent. It was the same look that Amber Hamel had given her what felt like years ago now. Before her was a broken, beaten soul, and if she wasn't careful she was going to be next.

Tony came too, slowly. Hours had passed since he'd been bashed on the back of his head. He now found himself strapped to a chair. Moonlight was coming into the room but it was enough to determine that he was alone. He fought against the restraints, hoping to find some way to break free so he could go find Natalie.

He hated to think of what they were going to do to her. These types of men respected dogs more than women. But…the restraints were tight and he was going nowhere.

Outside the room he could hear voices. The camp was much more silent at night than it was during the day. Gibbs…he thought, now would be a great time to come get us. But…what if Gibbs thought they were dead? Natalie had wondered if they had used her blood on her cap to throw the Marines and NCIS off course. No…Gibbs wouldn't believe that…he'd need more proof.

Tony struggled against the restraints again. He was weakening. Two days now without food and very little water. Not to mention his injuries. The NCIS shrinks were going to have a field day with him after this. That is, of course, he survived this.

A door opened and closed down the hall, startling him slightly. Voices were a bit louder now and he swallowed the bile in his throat. Gibbs…I wasn't kidding…now would be a great time to mount a rescue!