Tony pov
He's barely got 4 hours of sleep before the ringing of his phone wakes him up "yeahwhat" he mumbles.
"Get up Tony we've got a case i'll pick you up in 10" McGee says sounding way too chipper for whatever time it was.
"We're not on call this weekend Mcstupid" Tony grunts back
"I know but the on-call team are already busy and this is a messy one, just think of the overtime". McGee hangs up before Tony can protest more and he gets up to go get ready.
Tony doesn't say a word on the way to the crime scene other than asking where Ziva is. McGee informs him that she said she would meet them there. Tony fell back into silence after that, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to even notice they had arrived till McGee slammed the car door shut. Tony stayed in the car for a moment trying to clear his head and focus on the scene he was about to walk into. Looking around he spots her. She's arrived before them and naturally is already busy taking a witness statement. Anyone looking wouldn't know anything had happened but Tony noticed. He noticed the way she was guarding her right side and the slight twinge in her lip as she moved. As he approached, studying her, he noticed the extra concealer on her face. She must have sensed his presence behind her,
"Good morning Tony" she calls out in her normal bright tone as she walks away from the man she's interviewing. Tony doesn't reply, for once he doesn't know what to say. Before he can form any sort of words that resemble a sentence the boss shouts over.
"Glad to see you could join us DiNozzo."
"Sorry boss McGee drives slow."
At that moment the familiar screech of brakes signalled the arrival of Ducky and Palmer. "Palmer get you lost again Ducky?" Tony asks as they climb out of the van.
"You would think he could navigate to a park that is on our doorstep but apparently not" Ducky responds. As Palmer begins to protest Ducky cuts him off "Right then, shall we start Jethro where are we heading?"
"Just down that alley there Duck" Gibbs responds gesturing to the narrow alley.
The team gather their gear and head in to find the victim. "Local leo's ID'd her as petit officer Anna Cole" Gibbs states as they make their way to the body that is being obscured by the dumpster. "The bar staff found her at around four this morning and called the cops who called us when they ID'd her. Ziva, follow up with the owner you were talking to earlier and get the security footage, Tony go with her and interview the bar staff, McGee start taking photos".
With Gibbs' orders given the team disperse. Tony follows Ziva staying an apprehensive half-step behind her. They enter the rear entrance of the bar now out of earshot of the others Tony finally gets a moment to talk to her. "Ziva look I just.." before he could finish the sentence he is face to face with the man Ziva was talking to earlier.
"ah Agent David, did you have more questions for me?" he asks, slightly apprehensive. Ziva tends to have that effect on people particularly when she's in a bad mood.
"Not yet but I need to see your security." She responds.
"Of course, this way." The man splutters gesturing quickly to the office down the hall. With that Ziva disappears without even a glance in Tony's direction to indicate she even knew he was there. Tony sighed before walking off too in defeat to look for the witnesses.
He had not long found the two bar workers who found the body and began the standard interview process when he's pushed violently to the side. He swings around to give whoever it was an earful but only sees his partner's dark curls retreating towards the exit. Curious, he excused himself and followed.
"Time of death around 0300, no obvious wounds, bruising round the neck and wrists possibly starved of oxygen note the petechial haemorrhage in the eyes there Mister Palmer" Ducky notes performing his initial exam.
"Cause of death Duck?"
"Looking like strangulation Jethro but as usual I know more later. Ah, here's something that might help you. This young lady has a number of bruises abrasions. Jethro, I believe this woman was restrained and possibly by more than one assailant based on the position of the wounds."
"Three" heads turn in the direction of the voice. Ziva had approached the body and stood silently without anyone noticing. Using her sneaky ninja skills Tony notes. When no one responds to her she repeats, "There were three of them." Gibbs having not looked up from the body missed the tense way she held her shoulders, the way she couldn't take her eyes off the girl's body. If he noticed the quiver in her voice he didn't show it.
"You go through the tapes already David?" Tony did not like the look he was seeing on Ziva's face, he'd seen it far too much lately and it still made him feel ill.
"Zi.." he began to say reaching out his arm to her shoulder. She turned away from him facing Gibbs who had looked up at the lack of response making strong eye contact.
"There were three assailants, all white mid-30s, 180 to 200 pounds and ranging from six feet to six foot five. Their intent was originally to violently rape the victim." She delivered this sentence as if it were any piece of evidence she had presented to the team before, in a very matter-of-fact way. But Tony was beginning to piece together a very dark story, one he really did not want to be true.
"You get all that from a video tape David?" Gibbs innocently questioned and Tony winced knowing the answer. Ziva takes a moment never breaking Gibbs' eye contact.
"No" she states matter of factly "I need to recuse myself from this case, you will have my report on your desk by the time you are done here Gibbs" and with that, she left. Tony looked to his boss pleading with him to go after her without saying a word. Gibbs pauses for a second pondering the scenario.
"DiNozzo go finish your interviews, McGee keep taking photos."
"But boss?!" Tony begins to protest,
"Give her space DiNozzo ill check on her." As much as he didn't want to, he knew an order when he heard one and turned to resume his interviews.
