Chapter Five
Good Girls Don't
Gibbs shut the bedroom door tightly and strode into the kitchen of the small, sparsely furnished safehouse. The place looked as if it hadn't been updated since the seventies – very much like his own home, actually – but that didn't bother him. He was surprised to find Ziva there since he hadn't yet called her. She was sitting at a small dining table with McGee, looking aggrieved as she drummed the blunt end of a butter knife into the table repeatedly.
"You must be aware of more than that, McGee. I do not understand why you are keeping things from me," she said, leaning across the table into Tim's personal space as if to intimidate him.
Tim swallowed convulsively, his eyes never leaving the butter knife. There was a fork and an empty take-out container resting in front of him.
"Problem, Officer David?" Gibbs asked, startling both of them with his silent appearance.
"Gibbs! I have been trying to get some answers on why Tony did not return with McGee and the Lieutenant, but McGee is being unhelpfully shut-lipped," she said, releasing the butter knife. "What is going on?"
"Close-mouthed," Tim replied wearily.
"Ah ha! Then you admit you are hiding something," she said triumphantly, pointing her finger at McGee. "I knew it."
"I'm not hiding anything," Tim said. "I told you everything I know."
"Ziva, why are you here?" Gibbs asked, entering the kitchen looking for coffee. He was disappointed with the meager supplies.
He'd have to ensure one of them took the first shift so he could restock the necessities.
"Director Shepherd sent me to cover the first shift of guard duty. Where is the Lieutenant?" she asked.
"Sleeping it off," Gibbs grumbled.
Apparently, Jenny knew about the coffee situation and planned accordingly. Maybe she was trying to mitigate the stiff tension that had arisen between them.
"Sleeping what off? Did something happen?" Ziva asked, her eyes darting suspiciously towards McGee.
"Boss, I didn't know he had the flask. He pulled it out once the train was underway, and he wouldn't let me have it," Tim said, a slight hint of the desperation he must've felt on the train coming through in his words.
"Did you threaten to shoot him?" Ziva asked.
"Shoot him? No! He's not a suspect, and I thought we were supposed to be discreet," Tim said, outraged.
"It is not difficult to conceal a weapon but still manage to convey the threat," Ziva replied unconcernedly.
"That's enough," Gibbs said, too caffeine-deprived to put up with their bickering. "Tell me what you do know."
"You must know more than I do, Gibbs. You have Abby searching the Philadelphia police department records, but she would not tell me for what," Ziva said, irritably.
"Are you running this investigation, Officer David?" Gibbs asked, glaring.
Ziva clenched her hands together until her knuckles whitened, but she held her tongue. Certain she was mollified, he turned back to stare at McGee expectantly.
"It's like I said, when we arrived in Philadelphia, Tony thought you would want us to take a look around the nightclub where the Lieutenant was approached," Tim said, pausing as he glanced at Gibbs, licking his lips.
Gibbs nodded, narrowing his eyes to encourage McGee to continue. DiNozzo always knew what he expected. Unfortunately, it frequently took the other man's absence for Gibbs to notice it.
Apparently relieved that Gibbs wasn't going to yell that it was the wrong thing to do, McGee visibly relaxed and continued his tale.
"The club was closed, but we walked around the building. There's a door around back where they load supplies, probably an employee entrance, as well, but it was also locked. We were approached by a vagrant who recognized Tony from when he used to walk a beat there," Tim said.
"Tony just happened to know someone on the street in another city – and it wasn't even a woman?" Ziva asked.
"DiNozzo has contacts in all the cities where he's worked. You've seen it with Metro," Gibbs said, brushing her off. "What did the guy say?"
"I didn't hear much. Tony sent me into a convenience store to buy some food and cigarettes in exchange for information. When I got back, we walked down a sketchy ally beside the club where his contact said he'd heard screams a few times in the past."
"What kind of screaming?" Ziva asked.
"I dunno – screaming, screaming. Next thing I knew, Lieutenant Montague called and interrupted our search. He was panicked that his CO reported Paul Bergmann missing, and the local PD was coming to question him. We managed to get to NSWC, and got Lieutenant Montague away before he could be questioned by the police," Tim said.
"Then where is Tony?" Ziva asked.
"Tony brought us to the train station and waited until the train left. He said he had to report a body he saw back in the ally," Tim said, looking anxious and slightly panicked. "I didn't see a body, Boss, but the place did smell really bad. The Lieutenant pulled out a flask before we were even completely out of the station, and it was empty by the time we arrived in DC."
Gibbs nodded, satisfied that DiNozzo secured both his Probie and their charge before doing what needed to be done.
"Did anyone approach you on the train?" he asked.
"Was it the body of the Lieutenant's roommate?" Ziva asked at the same time.
Tim shook his head, wisely choosing to answer Gibbs first. "No, and I stood outside the bathroom while he used it several times. It was never the same people there, so I don't think we were followed. I told you already that I never saw a body."
Gibbs scowled. "The lieutenant is plastered and not coherent enough to be helpful. Ziva, make sure there is no alcohol in this house before he gets up. I'll relieve you at oh three hundred."
"Of course," Ziva said.
"What about Tony? Have you heard from him? He should've been back by now," Tim said.
"Was there ever really a body? Perhaps he stayed behind to catch up with his… informant – and I am certain there must be a few women whom he wanted to hook up," Ziva said, disapprovingly.
"Look up," said McGee automatically.
"There wasn't a body – there were three, all in various stages of decomposition, so none of them could be Paul Bergmann," Gibbs said, annoyed.
She was determined to cast DiNozzo in a bad light, despite the fact he'd done exactly what he should've done. Her attitude toward him and his contributions was always condescending. It only further reinforced DiNozzo's accusations.
Tim and Ziva sat there, mouths agape, momentarily stunned. The silence swelled, nearly engulfing them all.
"Three?" Tim finally asked, gaping.
"But you said you met Tony's friend near that same spot. There is a lot of drug overdoses amongst the homeless. If it is a place where they shelter, it cannot be related to our case," Ziva said.
"We don't know that, Officer David, and until I rule it out, we work the case," Gibbs said, raising his voice so that it echoed around the small space.
Ziva's face pinched. "Very well."
He knew she loathed when he addressed her with her full title, but she deserved the rebuke.
"DiNozzo bought us some time by calming the local PD's desire to question Lieutenant Montague."
"So… they're not still looking for him?" Tim asked.
"He told them the lieutenant is helping us with a case, but they're welcome to come to DC to question him," Gibbs said.
"And are they planning on doing that?" McGee asked.
"At the moment, they're more interested in a potential serial killer than a missing person," Gibbs said, a hint of pride in his voice over Tony's handling of the matter that both his junior agents could hear.
It triggered envy in one and bitterness in the other.
"Still no sign of Paul Bergmann then, Boss? Do you think those bodies are connected?" Tim asked.
Gibbs ran one finger over his lips, considering. "You know how I feel about coincidences."
"Are the bodies being sent to Ducky? Do we yet know how they died?" Ziva asked.
Gibbs shook his head. "Philadelphia Coroner wouldn't release them, and we don't have the jurisdiction to compel him," he said bitterly.
"So, we have nothing," Ziva said.
"DiNozzo took photos of the victims. One was too far decomposed to recognize anything with the naked eye, but the others showed signs of torture," Gibbs replied.
"Torture? What kind of torture?" McGee asked, paling.
"Burns and broken or missing fingers. Ducky asked the Coroner to share his results," Gibbs replied, certain Ducky would get them what they needed.
"Do we have an ID on any of them?" Ziva asked.
"No, but DiNozzo thinks the proximity to the club is suspicious, and he's not wrong," Gibbs said, wondering what else Admiral Montague's son managed to get tangled up in.
"We need to get someone in that club, then," Ziva said, eyes glittering. "I will go undercover and stab around."
"Poke around," McGee again corrected.
"I'm not sending anyone inside until we know what we're dealing with," Gibbs said.
"But Gibbs, I am perfectly capable of gathering intel unnoticed. At Mossad, I did this all the time. Men tend to share too much with a woman, and it is easy to manipulate them. A little false flattery, and I can have them silly putty in my hands," Ziva said.
"I'm aware of what undercover means," Gibbs replied, growling.
"Gibbs–"
"Ziva! I'm not going to say it again, that's an order," Gibbs barked, his patience as empty as the coffee tin.
Ziva drew back, clearly aggrieved. She crossed both her arms and legs tightly as if holding herself together. She pursed her lips and swung her crossed leg rapidly back and forth.
"What are we going to do?" Tim asked, his eyes dancing back and forth between his two furious teammates anxiously.
"You're going to go home and hit the rack. I'll relieve Ziva at three, you'll relieve me at seven," Gibbs said.
"Should I bring the Lieutenant back to headquarters for a formal interview?" Tim asked.
"Not until he's sober enough not to barf all over my conference room," Gibbs said.
Tim nodded. "Understood."
"And Tony? What is he doing while we are all working through the night?" Ziva asked.
"I'm not sure if he's left Philadelphia."
/* /* /* /*
Ziva awoke suddenly at the sound of a key turning in its lock. Her eyes opened wide, instantly alert, as she slid off the couch where she had been sleeping. She then darted into a darkened corner at the back of the office. The window showed the inky darkness of a pre-dawn sky.
Jenny Shepherd entered the room, coffee cup in hand and chattering nonsense about her full schedule to her secretary, Cynthia. Neither woman noticed Ziva standing sentry in the shadows. Once Gibbs relieved her at the safehouse, she went directly to NCIS hoping to catch the director first thing. She had been told that she should call ahead and not resort to her lock picks several times already, but Ziva thought the director might need a reminder of her deadly skills.
Things had not gone how she expected since her arrival at NCIS, and she was determined to correct that slight miscalculation. It was both galling and infuriating to realize that the one who was suspicious of her was not the vaunted leader whom she had grudgingly come to accept as a respectable partner and worthy counterpart, but the clown, the fool, the nobody who inexplicably worked for him.
It was an insult that such a buffoon would be trusted more than her, a member of the Mossad. She had painstakingly compiled full dossiers on all the participants of Gibbs' team before she even arrived in the US for her brother, and Anthony DiNozzo was supposed to have been her easiest mark. Her discovery that Gibbs once lost a daughter was a jackpot that she had worked to her advantage. Soft eyes and a lost expression had worked wonders in gaining his trust.
As if she needed protection from anyone.
Before she ever stepped inside headquarters she was aware how to manipulate all of them. She knew about Gibbs' need to protect, about McGee's inability to stand up to strong women, about Abby's need to please and be told how wonderful she was… and she knew about Tony's complete lack of usefulness. He was just a cop, an ordinary, low-level law enforcement officer who had stumbled his way into becoming a federal agent.
Unfortunately, he had not proven quite as oblivious as her research indicated. Admittedly, he was the one she had spent the least amount of time on, but she knew the type well enough to be aware what to expect. He was supposed to have been awed by her skill and experience, falling in line, and bowing to her superior skill. His massive ego would not allow him to admit she was the superior, however. She had grown so exasperated with his stubbornness that she had even tried to play to his other weakness. She knew all about his promiscuity and lack of focus whenever an attractive woman was in range, but even her attempts at seduction had failed.
For a brief time, she even suspected that Tony might be gay. His reputation as a ladies' man was, in fact, a mustache. It was the only logical explanation that he had not acted on his desire for her. His clear attraction to an abundance of other women made her disregard this idea, however. It did not explain his wariness towards her, however. Most men made fools of themselves around a beautiful women, and she was not opposed to using her looks to her full advantage.
Regrettably, she had made no further progress using this tactic with the alleged Lothario than she had with anything else, and it was driving her to distraction.
Her assignment was simple – gain Gibbs' trust and pass on any classified information she acquired to her father, who wanted more intel on American operations in the Middle East. The problem was that Gibbs didn't confide anything to her, and she suspected he might actually be confiding in that fool instead. She clenched her hands so tightly that her nails left marks as she recalled that irritating hint of pride in Gibbs' voice when he spoke about DiNozzo's endeavors in Philadelphia. She should have been the one sent. She could have not only returned the Lieutenant to DC – sober – but also gotten inside that club to take a look around. It was ridiculous that Gibbs could not see this, and she risked her father's ire if she did not make progress soon.
She had come to enjoy her time in America, and the freedom it represented from her life in Israel where she was always being watched and monitored. It was as if those in Mossad did not trust her because they were just jealous of her connections. It was pleasant to work for Gibbs. He was not only driven to successfully complete each case, but she could count on him to do what he says he will do. That was quite a change from her own father, who always seemed to hold her in the highest regard – until something more pressing came along.
She was not about to lose her newfound freedom and a steadfast ally over an inconsequential nothing like Anthony DiNozzo. She needed to change the dynamics.
Cynthia finished her briefing and left the director at her desk, reviewing some papers the secretary had given her. Ziva bided her time, watching Jenny take a sip of her coffee, her eyes never straying from her papers. Ziva crept catlike across the office, delicately placing each step, ensuring she did not make a sound until she was situated right in front of the desk, posture tense.
"Director," she said in a loud, clear voice.
Jenny startled, some of her coffee spilling over the rim onto her fingers. She pulled them away quickly. "Ziva! Where did you come from? I told Cynthia no interruptions."
"Cynthia does not know I am here," Ziva said, nonchalantly perching her hip on the edge of Jenny's desk.
Jenny's face was blank for a moment before it reddened in anger. She picked up a napkin, forcefully wiping off her scalded fingers. Ziva had expected the anger. The director always had a temper, and it made her easier to manipulate.
"What did you do to her?" Jenny demanded.
"I did not harm Cynthia. I have been here since before she arrived. It is not my fault neither of you were alert enough to notice me when you entered your office," Ziva said.
"I shouldn't have to be on guard in my own office in a secure Navy yard," Jenny snapped.
"At Mossad, that kind of attitude could get you killed," Ziva replied.
Jenny's eyes flashed. "We're not at Mossad, and I am the director here. You are not in charge, Ziva, and don't think for a moment that I won't ship you right back to Mossad if you can't follow protocol."
"That would serve neither of our needs," Ziva said, shrugging.
"You're not the only Mossad operative out there, and I'm sure if I told your father I needed someone who could actually follow orders, he'd be more than happy to oblige. I am aware your difficulty in obeying directives is something that's been discussed at Mossad, as well," Jenny said, pressing her lips together in a tight line.
A hot wave of fury washed over Ziva at the betrayal of Mossad confidences. They were all jealous and trying to sabotage her. She would have to locate the source of that leak and terminate it. Still, she could tell the director was losing patience, so it was time to stop needling her and switch tactics.
"My father wants me here, and you know it. I did not come to flaunt your expectations of privacy anyway."
"Why did you come?" Jenny asked tightly.
"I was on guard duty until three AM, and since I wanted to speak with you first thing, I thought it would be sensible to sleep here. I was being proactive, no?" Ziva asked, tilting her head to the side.
"No. You easily could've waited at your own desk and made an appointment," Jenny said irritably.
Ziva frowned, puzzled. "But I thought you did not want Gibbs to know the… closeness of our relationship."
"We don't have a relationship. I am your superior officer; you are my employee. Don't mistake our former partnership as how things stand now. I was once Gibbs' partner, too, remember?" Jenny asked.
"Yes, I am aware. It is Gibbs I want to discuss," Ziva said.
"What about him? I thought you had made headway in getting him to trust you. He hasn't made any further requests to get you off the team," Jenny said, at last leaning back in her chair.
"No, he's fond of me. He respects my skills, and what I bring to the team, but his attachment to DiNozzo is a problem. I need to do something to prove that I am the better operative, so he will confide in me over him," Ziva said, aware some of her frustration was leaking through, but she thought the other woman would assume it was because she wasn't able to get Jenny the inside intel she wanted.
Jenny shook her head, however. "That's not how Gibbs operates. He doesn't confide in anyone."
This was true. Gibbs was a very closed-off person who only spoke when necessary. She'd seen a sort of non-verbal communication between him and his current SFA, however. They had a code that she had yet been unable to crack.
But she would, eventually.
"When he needs back-up, it is always DiNozzo to whom he turns, not me, despite my many skills. I think DiNozzo must be holding something over his head. Gibbs' trust in that clown does not make any sense," Ziva said, gritting her teeth.
Jenny nodded, frowning. "I agree that it's puzzling, but no matter. What I need from the MCRT is a concise unit, working at a high level to solve cases quickly and without error. This tension is causing the team to lose its edge, so I need you to find a way to work with both men. I thought I'd made that clear."
Ziva's hand twitched, and she had to forcefully stop herself from striking the other woman. She was not the problem – DiNozzo was! It was ridiculous that she was the one being lectured when he was the screw-up. Still, she was an operative of Mossad. She knew how to manipulate those who thought they were in control in order to get what she wanted.
"I have a way to show we can all work together while also proving to Gibbs that I am the superior agent," she said slyly.
"And what would that involve?" Jenny asked.
"The nightclub where Lieutenant Montague was approached seems to be the center point of all the nefarious activity. Even though Gibbs is not ready to put together an undercover operation, he is going to have to do it eventually. I want you to instruct him to use me as the operative. You know I can do this, and it will both please the Admiral, and highlight my exemplary skills and the possibilities they represent to Gibbs. It might even work to open DiNozzo's eyes to how useful I can be, if his ego allows it," Ziva said, eyebrows raised.
She could see Jenny's mind turning. The director simply wanted the accolades that went along with the MCRT's high solve rate to be attributed to her. Ziva did not care about that. What she needed was to be seen in the SFA role. She had noticed the way the other SFAs spoke with DiNozzo, and she was certain they shared details of the cases they were all working. She needed access to that information. The more intel she could supply to her father, the happier he would be. Ziva was impatient for Gibbs to realize she would make a far better SFA.
Jenny folded her fingers together under her chin. "First off, you haven't figured Gibbs out at all if you don't realize you can't push him. If you keep hammering the point before he's ready to do something, you'll sabotage yourself. Not one more word about an undercover op. If it comes to that, he'll see it," Jenny said.
Steaming at the reprimand, Ziva opened her mouth to interrupt but Jenny raised a finger, silencing her.
"When it does come up, I agree that it's an excellent opportunity to further both of our goals. Your insistence will only hurt your chances with Gibbs. He won't be pushed, and he'll do something else out of spite. Trust me; I know him better than you do," Jenny said.
The short-sighted director was only worried about her stupid career. She didn't know about her father's plans, and what he was expecting of Ziva. Ziva needed to keep it that way. It galled her to be forced to act submissive to anyone, but it was necessary. Once she was undercover, her skills would prove to Gibbs that he had been wrong not to place her in the SFA position immediately.
Seething, Ziva adopted a contrite expression, bowing her head in apparent submission and prepared to lie through her teeth.
"Very well. I will not bring it up again and leave it in your capable hands."
Author's Note: Posting early today because I'm leaving in a few hours for WI for my eldest son's graduation from Veterinary School, so I'll be away for a few days. This is the son who missed out on his Undergrad Commencement due to Covid, so it's a really big deal to all of us. I hoping there won't be any disruptions.
I thank and appreciate all who leave a comment.