Gibbs put security on Ray as they immediately began their frantic search for Liat; keeping the man contained in the tiny room until Gibbs was finished with him. Right now, finding Liat was priority. McGee and E.J. were eventually called back having found no trace of Liat in the airport.
Ziva now sat in her desk chair staring at the suitcase on the floor. Liat's suitcase. Her mind was replaying everything over and over in a continuous loop.
"McGee," Gibbs directed him the moment they stepped foot back in the Bull Pen, "Security footage of the passengers leaving the plane at Dulles. See if we can see her getting off the plane. We need to know if she even made the flight."
"On it, Boss." McGee quickly set down to work.
"Gidon," Gibbs turned around to face the Director of Mossad.
"Already on it." Malachi waved him off, with phone to his ear, giving instructions to his own people and then hanging up quickly. "They're running the security footage at the airport in Tel-Aviv to see if she boarded and they're running a trace on her phone."
Gibbs nodded, remembering this man had become Director of Mossad with merit. He was good, just like his own team and didn't need to be told what to do.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs wheeled around again to find Tony, "Get a hold of Asa. Find out when he saw her last." He put Tony in charge of that, knowing that Malachi would likely be too charged up for that conversation.
"Right, Boss." Tony quickly picked up the phone and began dialing the man's number.
"Barrett." Gibbs addressed her next, "Get the suitcase to Abby; tell her to run it."
"Boss, a hundred different hands could have touched it going through the airport personal and baggage handling." McGee piped up and received a knowing look from Gibbs, "But that's not what you want her to look for is it?" He realized Gibbs had other ideas.
"No, McGee." Gibbs answered annoyed and on edge, "Bodnar may have left behind a clue if he wants Ziva to follow." His eye flashed to the one agent he hadn't called upon yet, still sitting motionless at her desk and staring into nothingness now that E.J. had taken the bag. He could only imagine the turmoil Ziva was going through in processing all of this information given he was even having a difficult time keeping up. "Ziver," He finally addressed her knowing he needed to give her something to do and keep her busy, stopping her mind from wandering to the bad thoughts of what Bodnar would do to Liat.
"Yes, Gibbs?" She finally looked at him, sitting up straighter and pulling her emotions back, ready to do something.
"Get the most recent photo you can of Liat. Make it a happy, smiling one. We'll run it as a BOLO for Missing Persons." He instructed her softly.
"Why not just use the photo from her Personnel File?" Ziva asked knowing they had that immediately available.
"We're appealing to the general public, Ziver. They see the standard government photo and-" Gibbs began to explain but Ziva cut him off.
"She looks fierce and intimidating. Not smiling." Ziva realized why he wanted a personal photo. They weren't advertising that she was a missing Officer of Mossad, but rather a young beautiful woman with a gorgeous smile simply missing. The other may do more harm then good. "Right." She nodded.
"Abby has a bunch downstairs up on her wall from my party and yours." McGee offered as a quick solution, "There are several with Liat."
"I'll get them!" Ziva bounced up quickly, feeling an overwhelming urge to vomit with her nerves and trying to temper it down by keeping busy.
"I'm calling Fornell. Get the FBI on this." Gibbs moved quickly towards his own desk and started making the call. "Tobias…yeah, we've got a problem." He spoke into the phone and Tony and McGee shared a knowing look across the space.
"Asa's not answering." Tony tried again for the fifth time getting his voicemail. "It goes straight to Voicemail."
"I'll try his main office." Malachi moved quickly dialing the number with heart pounding, hoping to God for once, the man knew something about Liat's whereabouts, or that she had changed her mind and was with Asa. That perhaps, he'd come at the last minute before she was boarding the plane and wanted to make up and talk out whatever had happened and she never got on with her luggage. He prayed this was the case silently to himself hearing the phone ringing on the other end, as that was more bearable to think about then the alternative of her having been taken by Bodnar.
"I don't see her getting off this plane." McGee shook his head watching the footage over and over of the deplaning process at the Gate where every other passenger should have gotten off.
"Did she have any layovers?" Tony asked hopefully, "Maybe she got off there and missed the connection."
"She was booked on a direct flight from Tel-Aviv," McGee answered shaking his head going through the footage again in slow motion. "She's not here. I don't see her."
Tony got up and moved across the floor to stand behind McGee to see if two pairs of eyes could see it on the small screen.
"McGee, bring up!" Gibbs got off the phone with Fornell and waved his hand towards the large screen between their desks.
"Bringing it up…now," McGee quickly transferred it to the larger television and moved in front of it with Gibbs, Tony and Malachi, who was still on the phone speaking in Hebrew now to someone. Their eyes all frantically searching the black and white footage for any sign of her.
"Damn it!" Malachi cursed in English ending his call, "His secretary said that he took personal days and is traveling. Saying he needed a vacation. She said he was upset about the engagement being off and needed a few days." He answered quietly with pounding heart, having only gotten that information after badgering the woman about where he was.
"You don't think…" Tony didn't dare speak it out loud, didn't want to even imagine it.
"Think what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs prompted him knowing he was holding back.
"That Asa had anything to do with this, right? I mean…the guys on our side," Tony gulped, "Right?" He didn't know who to trust anymore or what was happening with so many lies and manipulations going around.
"I can't imagine… no," Malachi shook his head not wanting to believe it either, "He is a good man. I may not be happy about the fact that he is having a child with Liat, but he is a good man. He would never harm her." He spoke quietly.
Tony, McGee and Gibbs all shared a quick look at hearing what Malachi had said. The man still believed that Liat was pregnant with Asa's child. Tony quickly looked to Gibbs, wondering if he should tell Malachi the truth now and Gibbs shook his head very slightly no.
Malachi's phone began ringing and he looked at the number, "It's my people." He informed them quickly before stepping away to take the call, speaking rapidly once more in Hebrew.
"Boss, don't you think we should tell him at least now?" Tony asked quietly leaning towards Gibbs once Malachi was standing on the other side of the room. "It's his baby." Feeling horrible for the man who was having as rough of morning as Ziva was with all of these revelations in regards to Liat's life.
"DiNozzo," Gibbs began quietly taking a deep breath, "If it were Ziver missing…would it make it better or worse for you to know she was also pregnant with your baby… if you hadn't known before?"
"Worse." Tony answered softly feeling a sinking in his heart, knowing that was the truth, "I'd be even more devastated and worried."
"Exactly." Gibbs nodded to both Tony and McGee, "He's already holding on by a thread. We need for him to focus to be able to help us find her. Especially if she went missing in Israel; that's his jurisdiction, not ours." He added quietly, not liking to lie to the man anymore then they did but finding it necessary in this moment to do what needed to be done. This was still Liat's decision to tell Malachi the truth or not, and he was wanting to protect that. When they found her. Yes, when…she could decide for herself if she wanted Malachi to know the truth.
"She's not here, Boss." McGee shook his head reviewing the footage over and over. "She never got off the plane at Dulles."
"My people are sending over the video footage right now from the airport, McGee." Malachi spoke as he moved back towards them, ending his call once more. "They said they saw her checking in at the ticket counter and I asked them to send the rest here immediately."
"Pulling it up now." McGee quickly set to work at his computer, finding the new files and loading them.
"They said her mobile phone last pinged at the airport and is now silent." Malachi informed them somberly with racing heart that this was really happening.
Ziva returned with a handful of photos in time to see them all standing before the screen. "What is this?" She asked nearly breathless having run to get the photos down the stairwell and back up again, not wanting to wait for the elevator.
"Airport footage in Tel-Aviv last night." Tony answered her quietly as she came to stand beside him. "Mal's people said they have her checking in."
"And there she is!" McGee used the remote to speed through the check-ins and stopped when they recognized Liat, "So we know she at least checked in herself." He added softly, feeling better they had at least some idea of where to start looking. There hearts were all pounding to see her alive and moving on the video feed.
"Follow her," Gibbs instructed seeing Liat move away from the counter once checking her bags in and out of view of that camera.
"Switching now." McGee changed the screen to bring up several video feeds at once, showing six different cameras as they moved through the airport. "She's there!" He pointed seeing her coming into view on another feed, and going through security. The camera was now intimately close. She smiled at whatever the security man had said to her as she removed her items and stepped through his scanning device and then several more.
"You have more security devices then we do." Tony marveled watching the endless process, "I didn't think that was possible." He commented nervously feeling his heart pound at seeing Liat so close on the screen.
"Considering the terrorist threats against us daily, this is minimal." Malachi offered quietly without taking his eyes off of Liat. His heart skipping a beat every time she turned and he saw her face in full view.
She finally made it through security and then stopped to look at a magazine and pick up a bottle of water and juice before moving out of screen and into the next.
"The time stamp says she has about 25 minutes before her flight is boarding." McGee noted when Liat sat down in one of the chairs to wait, taking out her phone and began texting.
E.J. had joined them quietly having come straight back from Abby's lab.
"Who is she texting, McGee?" Gibbs asked immediately, wanting him to zoom in.
"Just give me a second, Boss." McGee began pounding away on his keyboard trying to zoom in to see. "I can't tell it's too small. I can't see the screen on her phone well enough."
"What is the time stamp?" Gibbs asked feeling frustrated.
"9:06 P.M. our time, Boss." McGee answered quickly having an idea of what Gibbs was thinking already.
"Ziver, check your phone. What time did you receive your last text from her?" Gibbs asked turning his attention to Ziva, knowing she had text her about what time she would land.
Ziva quickly looked through her phone and pulled up the last text, "9:07…" She inhaled realizing that Liat had been texting her as she looked at her on the screen, "She was texting me."
"McGee fast-forward until she moves again." Gibbs commanded and they all watched as Liat sat mostly still for the next fifteen or so minutes and then began moving when ever else had. Likely hearing the Boarding Call.
"Where is she going?" Tony asked with furrowed brows seeing Liat walking away from the Gate to board the plane as everyone else moved towards it.
"She always goes to the restroom one last time at the Boarding Call," Malachi sighed and shifted nervously, "She doesn't like stand in a huddle group and wait around, preferring to be the last on the aircraft."
The others shared a look amongst themselves at how well Malachi really knew Liat and her behaviors and yet, it made perfect sense. They'd been partners for nearly seven years themselves.
Sure enough Liat walked into the nearest women's restroom and never walked out. McGee fast-forward again, trying to find her as the view was clear on the screen with people coming and going in and out but never Liat.
"Where is she?" Ziva asked with pounding heart as they watched the minutes go by. People they'd seen going in after Liat were coming out and she was still not there.
"Boss, the time stamp at this point means the plane is already taxing for take-off."
"Bring up the boarding on another screen, see if we didn't miss her." Gibbs instructed and the screen split into two. Their eyes darting back and forth between them, watching people load onto the plane with no sight of Liat and keeping an eye on the restroom without any sign of her either.
"She did not get on that plane." Ziva sighed heavily taking ragged breaths watching the flight attendants closing the doors.
"But she never came out of the bathroom either." Tony countered with a narrowed look, "I mean it's been nearly 30 minutes now from the time stamp of when she went in."
"Maybe she was sick. She's had morning sickness." McGee offered as a possible reason, "She could have just missed the flight." He added hoping that was why. He continued fast-forward through the footage for more then an hour with no sign of her.
"She's not coming out." Malachi sighed rubbing his chin with arm crossed over his chest trying to calm his nerves and failing, "If he subdued her there they would have had to take her out the same door. There is no other access point into this restroom." He knew layout of the airport well. "There!" He suddenly shouted pointing to a woman coming out of the restroom with a large bin for trash on wheels. The bin now looked nearly full. "Rewind it and see when this cleaning person goes in!" He commanded McGee and Gibbs nodded for him to listen.
They rewound the footage and saw the woman entering the bathroom five minutes before the boarding call. Five minutes before Liat entered the restroom. The woman's trash bin had been mostly empty.
"They knew her habit." Malachi gasped softly shaking his head at how that went against everything in their training to have such habits, "They were waiting for her." He realized when McGee captured both segments of footage to play side by side, to show how they likely smuggled Liat out inside the trash bin. The fact that she was stuffed into the bottom of such a container and so still meant they had subdued her somehow and he couldn't stop his rise in fear to know that was never good.
"So she never left Israel." Ziva spoke quietly with heart pounding at how far away that suddenly seemed.
"How could this happen?" E.J. asked shaking her head in disbelief they were able to pull this off inside Israel.
"How could they shoot Ziva inside Mossad?" Tony countered with a sarcastic tone, not at E.J. but for the situation that was so disturbing and flashed his eyes towards the woman he could still see in his memory, on this very screen bloody and falling to the ground while Malachi screamed her name.
"Mossad is divided." Malachi answered quickly and with shame in his voice, "He must have had help from the others." He realized that was the only way for Bodnar to be able to pull this off so close to 'home.'
"So they're all in on trying to lure Ziva back to Israel?" Tony asked with a pained looked and finding his mouth suddenly dry to think of so many wanting to finish the job, in regards to Ziva.
"Well, it's working." Ziva answered quietly staring down at the photo of she and Liat with arms wrapped around each other from McGee's birthday party. Ziva had pulled Liat in to kiss her head in her happy intoxicated state and both were all smiles and laughter as Abby had snapped the photo. Liat. Her sister. She shook her head softly still in disbelief and feeling the surge of love for her already in her heart. Her protective big sister instincts taking over. "I'm going back."
"Ziva," Tony immediately felt his heart stop at the thought of her returning to Israel, especially if there were a group of highly trained individuals waiting there to kill her. "You can't be serious?"
"Deadly." Ziva looked up slowly to meet his eyes finding her fire at anyone who would dare try to use those she loved against her. "I'm going back. I won't let them hurt her for me."
"Well you're not going alone!" Tony fired back with pounding heart and anger in his own eyes, mixing with fear. "That's exactly what he wants! You to walk right into this trap!"
"I did not say…" Ziva spoke softly, pulling back her emotions seeing the fear in Tony's eyes, "That I would be going alone." She looked at him intently, remembering her promise to him.
"If you're going," Gibbs spoke quietly and slowly gaining their attention, "Then we're all going." He nodded softly at Ziva, remembering his own promise to her, that they would do this together. His heart was pounding with fear at what was happening and how quickly Bodnar had turned the tables on them that now had them going back to Israel. The last trip they'd made there, Ziva had come home in a body bag.
"Well how do we know she's even still there?" McGee asked feeling the same protectiveness and fear that Tony had when Ziva said she was going back to Israel. "I mean, he could have moved her anywhere by now, Boss." They all knew Bodnar had likely seized the opportunity to grab Liat while she was still in country and Malachi had just left. The perfect opportunity to take her with everyone's guards down and more concerned about Ziva's physical welfare and safety, not suspecting that Liat would ever be in danger.
"I think its time to ask, Cruz what he knows." Gibbs realized it was time to come back to the man. Their hopes at finding Liat quickly and in country were gone now realizing she'd been taken in Israel more then 15 hours ago.
"Where is she?" Gibbs demanded of Ray the moment he returned to the Interrogation Room where Ray was being held. His heart was pounding at the new turn of events. "Where is Bodnar taking Liat?"
"I have no idea, Agent Gibbs." Ray shook his head.
"Your timing as usual is too coincidental, Cruz!" Gibbs seethed not believing for a second the man didn't know more then he was letting on. "You show up and Ziva's poisoned. Now you show up to inform she has another sister and suddenly Liat is missing!"
"I have no idea where he's taken her. I'm not hiding that from you." Ray defended his intentions, "I came here to warn, Ziva not to fall for this. He wants her, Agent Gibbs. She is the one he is after. I am trying to protect Ziva!"
"Is that why you killed the two Mossad Officers? And the Navy SEAL, Ray? To protect Ziva?" Gibbs asked, cornering him on the other unsolved mysteries.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Agent Gibbs." Ray shook his head.
"No idea? Why do I find that hard to believe as well? Three people killed, who were all sent after Ziva, and you have no idea how or why?" Gibbs spoke slowly and in a quiet tone.
"This is much bigger then you realize, Agent Gibbs. You have no idea how far this reaches." Ray shook his head, speaking slowly as well.
"How far?" Gibbs asked with his heart picking up in pace.
"The Hashshashini Project," Ray began, saying out loud for the first time the name of the project, "Is just a tip of the iceberg." He paused letting that sink in, "I have very little control over this situation. I'm doing the best I can to protect Ziva with my limitations. My moves are only seconds at times ahead of theirs. That's why I arrived just before the flowers and today, just before Liat went missing. It is the only way I can warn her without them knowing."
"Who are them?" Gibbs asked realizing that Ray was speaking of more then just one man, one person. "More then Bodnar?"
"Far more. He's not the only one that wants Ziva." Ray informed him just as Tony and Ziva were stepping back into the room, no longer wanting to remain on the other side of the glass given what he was revealing. "Bodnar wants her for personal reasons but the others still want her too."
"Who? And why? Why do they want me?" Ziva asked swallowing hard with unshed tears and pounding heart in confusion.
"Your name was on the List, Ziva." Ray answered quietly looking at her intently. "Do you really think they're just going to let you go?" He paused gauging her reaction, "You of all people should know…that once you're on the List, there is no getting off of it."
Ziva's heart was pounding and breathing labored as she thought about what he'd said.
"They put a lot of work into you. Into your life, they won't just let you go." Ray continued with clear desperation in his eyes.
"Who are these people, Cruz? Who are you speaking about?" Gibbs asked probing further to know that Ziva was in danger from far more then just Bodnar.
"I cannot tell you." Ray shook his head.
"To hell you can't!" Gibbs pounded his fist against the table with outrage.
"I cannot tell you, Agent Gibbs! And no amount of strong-arming will force my hand. I tell you only what you need to know, as it's happening to try and stay ahead. And right now, what you need to know is that Bodnar is using Liat to bait Ziva into a trap! You must not fall for it!" He stood and reached for his bag, "I can't tell you anymore then that right now. I have to go."
"You're not going anywhere. Not until you answer our questions about the Mossad Officers and Bodnar and what the hell is going on around here!" Gibbs stood ready to stop the man with fire in his eyes.
"I cannot answer those questions, Agent Gibbs. And you need to ask yourself what is more important right now…worrying about those that are already dead? Or those who may be shortly if you don't focus on them!" Ray pointed across the room directly at Ziva with chest heaving holding back his own anger. "Holding me does you know good. They will just find a way to release me or shut me up for speaking with you, one of the two and neither of those options are going to help you keep Ziva safe." He tried to slow his breathing and focused on Ziva, "I know you don't believe me, Ziva but I do love you. Your father and I tried to find a way to get you off that List after he realized what he'd done."
"What do you mean?" Ziva asked through choking tears that she was struggling to hold back.
"He understood the gravity of his mistakes by volunteering his children for the program only after he lost you to America and NCIS. That you refused to speak with him anymore. He shut down the training part of his program but that does not mean the program was shut down by the others, Ziva. Your father was only a small part of a much larger puzzle. They still wanted you and Liat in one way or another and so we tried to make a compromise with them." Ray tried to explain.
"What kind of compromise?" Ziva could only guess what that meant.
"To move you to another area of the program. The Assassins are only one small part of many. Your brother, Kahlil, for example was put into the Cyber Division given his genius. Each is matched with their certain skill set. We tried to move you into another essential part of the program, Ziva, that would be sufficient for the others and also allow you some semblance of a normal life. The move would allow you to have a family and one day become Director of Mossad. That had been the plan." Ray continued, "That was what your father wanted in the end."
"What are you talking about, Ray?" Ziva was only getting more confused with the information, "What other part of the program were you and my father trying to move me into?"
"The Genetics Division." Ray shifted on his feet uncomfortably.
"What does that mean?" Tony asked feeling his mouth already dry and having a difficult time swallowing to hear these people, whoever they were still wanted Ziva for their plans.
"Ziva, your genetics are near perfection." Ray ignored Tony and continued only on looking at Ziva, "Generations of the perfect breeding have culminated in your intelligence, strength, speed, flexibility, endurance, health and beauty. Carefully selected like your siblings for these very traits. If you were no longer to be a viable option as an Elite Assassin yourself, we tried to appease them by suggesting you be moved into the Genetics Division; that your genetic material would be more of an asset in the long run with its potential. Your ability to withstand months of that kind of torture, Ziva…" Ray looked at her with a soft sigh, "You held out longer then any other candidate in the entire program. Months longer… They will not simply let that go! You proved too valuable. This was the best compromise we could make. Your life for your genetic material."
"My genetic material?" Ziva repeated in disbelief barely above a whisper and feeling her stomach rolling into knots at exactly what that meant and why they wanted it. "How?"
"The Genetics Division has one purpose, Ziva. To combine best genetics possible to create near perfect humans." Ray answered quietly swallowing hard in watching her eyes go wide and everyone else's.
"My God, you're talking about a Breeding Program." Malachi realized in horror, "Like the Nazi's tried with the Lebensborn children…to create a Master Race."
"Yes," Ray nodded slowly, "Much of their research was applied to this Division Unfortunately, much of modern technology and methods were gained from their experiments." He swallowed hard seeing the tears welling in Ziva's eyes, "In the earliest days of its creation, it was simply picking out individuals with desirable characteristics and breeding them together to create these children."
"Like me?" She asked nearly choking on the words coming to yet another realization about her father and her siblings and how pieces were clicking together, "And my siblings?" She asked realizing how Ari and Kevin came to be as well.
"Yes," Ray answered honestly and everyone remained silent in disbelief, "But as science expanded so did the program. They would have simply taken your eggs, Ziva and matched them with equally genetic superior material using surrogates to carry the children and create the next wave of Super Soldiers. You would have been able to have a normal life." He added with passion as if trying to make it sound like a great compromise.
"Normal life?" Ziva backed away from him in horror, "To steal my eggs…and create children in a human…breeding program?" She stumbled over the words to actually say them. "And you and my father thought this was a good idea?" She asked completely mortified.
"Better then the alternative, Ziva!" Ray fired back with hands on hips, "You wouldn't have been subjected to torture anymore! You would donate genetic material and that is all!"
"Genetic material…" Ziva shook her head in disbelief at how casually he was describing such a thing, "They were my eggs, Ray! Used to create children! My children!" She shook her head in horror at the thought.
"Only genetically!" Ray countered shaking his head, "We would have had our own children, Ziva! Children we created that the program would leave alone if you had donated your eggs to create others." He took a breath watching her mouth fall open in shock, "Our children and your father's grandchildren would have been free from this life! That was the goal!"
Gibbs mind immediately flashed to Vance's telling of him how Eli David had spoken to him once about how he could have raised his daughter to be a killer. It was so that his grandchildren could one day be free to doctors or architects. To hear how he planned on accomplishing that, was beyond mindboggling now.
"The Goal…" Ziva repeated continuously mortified with each new thing he was saying, "To sacrifice some of my children for the greater good of the others?" She asked him and realized in that moment that was exactly what her father had done. "This is what my father did. Didn't he? With his own children."
"Yes." Ray answered honestly, "In those days, they had to sacrifice their children to the programs. But they were running into increased difficulty in doing so. To raise the child and then give them over to the program was proving problematic such as the case with you and with Liat. Tali was the one child of your fathers that would be spared because he had volunteered her twin, in Liat. There were many, many others in the program in the same position as your father with his children, Ziva. The solution to this came about with the advance in science and the ability to simply extract eggs from women and have a surrogate carry the child. A surrogate devoted to the program. Then those children would be raised separately so no emotional lines were blurred."
Ziva stare at him with face paling considerably, "And this was the solution."
Ray nodded, "It was the best solution given the circumstances."
"So what do they still want with me?" She asked swallowing hard and having an idea already from what he said and the way he was looking at her.
"They still want your genetic material." Ray answered quietly and then swallowed hard, "Once they have that…they won't care what happens to you. In fact, they'd rather you were dead. Knowing your emotional connections and inability to let things go. That you would eventually be problematic in regards to the projects."
"The projects… you mean, my children?" Ziva asked in an icy tone feeling a rage boiling inside of her to be treated like some kind of prized Thoroughbred Mare.
"Yes," Ray answered, "So do understand now? What a delicate dance this is? And why I can only tell you what you need to know, one step ahead of what their next move is? They are helping to keep you safe at the moment, Ziva but only until they get what they want. And then they'll want you dead too. Especially now that you do not want to take over Mossad and with it, your father's position within the group."
"What position?" She asked still not understanding who this group was or what these people wanted and why.
"I cannot tell you that. But there is a much bigger war going on right now for that position. Much bigger then simply being the Director of Mossad," Ray looked right at Malachi. "You were lucky to have fallen into that position, Director Ben-Gidon. Do not think for a second that was by accident after Ziva declined. They are withholding information from you right now that you otherwise would have been given because of your involvement with Ziva and this situation. They do not trust you with it…yet."
"I was on that List, too." Malachi spoke quietly feeling his own rage boiling at how manipulated they all were, "And Liat." He added softly, remembering what the man had just said about 'once they were on the List there was no getting off of it.' "So what does that mean for her and I if this is what they want from Ziva?" He nodded towards her realizing she'd been moved from one List to another, but not knowing what that meant for he and Liat.
"You were moved from the Assassins List once you became Director. Once this situation with Ziva is resolved, I'm sure they will be speaking with you about what else they expect from you." Ray paused looking at him intently, "This position comes with a price, Director." He cocked his head to the side to see the shock on Malachi's face and sudden paling, "You did not think this power came for free, did you? There is always a price."
"What kind of price?" Malachi dared asking torn between feeling rage and ill.
"Likely genetic material. Much like Director David traded in exchange the position." Ray answered quietly with eyes flashing to Ziva, one of the 'genetic material' exchanges, "Though you will have it substantially easier then he with today's modern advances. A simple sperm donation from you and perhaps your first born."
"First born?" Tony repeated with wide and horrified eyes, "What the hell is this, Rumplestiltskin?" He asked mockingly in horror thinking of the unreasonable demands that existed in the fairy tale as the price to be paid.
"The first born, Agent DiNozzo, would be trained to take the Director's place within the group of course. They will want one of the children he has raised for that. Much like Ziva was trained for, to take over Mossad." Ray clarified not amused by Tony's comparison.
Ziva and Tony's eyes flashed to meet with pounding hearts, both sharing the silent fear and conversation without actually expressing the words. Their minds were both thinking of Liat, pregnant with Malachi's child and how her fears and gut instincts were founded hearing this news. They had no plans to reveal the paternity of her child, especially now as it would only put Liat and the baby in more danger.
"And if I refuse?" Malachi asked through choked words, unable to process the idea of ever giving over his child or children to a program that had done what it had done to Ziva. He'd wanted no part of it.
"You cannot refuse." Ray answered in a flat tone.