Disclaimer: no legal rights to NCIS, no money being made.
Beta: Mike91848. So all mistakes are mine.
DETERMINED TO HOLD
Chapter Seven, Brain freeze
Ziva was tired of waiting. Of holding herself back. Of biting her tongue. Of wanting to dislodge gore every time she must say yes when she meant an emphatic no! Her mind was like an iceberg she had to plow through, whichever way she thought was the right way, there was still ice.
She was disappointed and angry, her father was enraged. People in Mossad, her father's associates, were laughing behind his back at her failures to achieve any of the things he had sent her to do. The disparaging, belittling remarks...was she even his daughter anymore? His beloved daughter he had once called her, the best part of the sword?
Instead, the horrible descent from mildly exasperated and chiding of his only remaining child to the harsh, derogatory, ruthless putting-down he had launched like a deadly blade at her had managed to astound and yes, even shock her into silence. Foul language that he had used on the phone last night, that he only used on disgraced or hated underlings, was still singeing her ears. She felt sick.
Her only option was to revert back to her true self. Forget the mamby-pamby, feeble and cowardly behavior of women who had no pride or ability in self. If she stepped on digits or hurt Tony DiNozzo's feelings, and she sneered at the thought, then let her get fired. So be it! What more could her father feel beside contempt, she could sink no lower in his eyes.
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Previously on NCIS
That put the FBI Director's niece Kathy's best friend Peggy at the top of their list of persons of interest.
"Well, that's a doozy." Fornell expelled air loudly from his lungs. "This is just great! The niece's best friend, huh?"
"Shall we drop every other avenue of investigation to marathon with Tony's theory? Perhaps we are making a fatal error by pursuing just the one suspect?"
"That would be 'run' with my theory, Ziva, not marathon."
DiNozzo's gentle mocking was infectious as smiles appeared and left to be undetected by the frowning woman.
"And it would be great if we had another suspect," he continued. "Do we have another suspect?"
Ziva gave a negligent shrug and did not answer, as neither did anyone else.
"That's what I thought."
"What are we stalling for? Why don't we just bring this Peggy, Margaret, whatever, in and question her, find out what she knows." Sacks stood to the side vibrating anger and impatience.
"We can't just barge in like Neanderthals, Sacks..."
"Why not, DiNozzo? You don't want to do it, we'll bring your girlfriend in. We can interrogate just as well as you and find out what she's trying to hide and..."
"Ron!" Fornell called his agent back from going too far before tempers rose and became volatile.
"Go take a break, Ron."
"What?!"
"Do you want me to make it an order, Agent Sacks?"
Sacks left without another word with a withering glare to everyone in the room.
"Will I be expelled from the room also if I express my belief that Agent Sacks is right, Gibbs?" Sardonicism coming from Ziva suddenly fit her recent elusive mood and McGee glanced at her briefly as her attitude brought back unpleasant memories of trembles and stutters, his father, and his fears.
Gibbs had also taken note recently that Ziva seemed to be reverting back to her original snappishness. That, 'who cares, I'm better,' attitude that he would not tolerate this time around. She sounded different and that had caught Gibbs' silent attention. It was an anomaly in an otherwise unobtrusive past few months. That tone of voice, reserved for those inheriting position by right of birth, a Queen for instance, had crept back into her speech and her look of arrogance, 'uppity', his mother would have said, was back. What had happened?
"You got something constructive to say, Ziva, say it." Gibbs had let Fornell deal with his out of control agent in his own way by sending him out of the room. His way with his agents would be another way, stay and defend your position.
Nothing stirred in the room except the drip, drip from the perking coffee pot and the circulating thermostatically controlled air. Ziva looks around the room coolly collected then breaks the silence.
"I do not have anything of relevance and that is the point, yes? But very well, we still need answers. If we are to proceed with Mrs Ringold she must be questioned. Subterfuge seems the only solution. I keep abreast of the Society pages and I recall the Ringold name being mentioned. They are hosting a fund-raiser and silent auction for 'Help Everyone World Society' or HEWS, children with TB campaign. Members of the Israeli government will attend. I will be able to get an invitation. Perhaps she would talk to me?"
Gibbs showed his interest by minutely changing his position in the chair, moving a little closer to the table. "Your saying try getting her alone and grilling her, Ziva?"
"That won't work, Gibbs." Tony jumped in. "I told you what Shane Ringold is like, a possessive, stalking husband who knows where she is at every moment and monitors her every move and every word out of her mouth."
"That is no reason to disregard my suggestion without due thought, Tony. There are ways to distract the husband so that Mrs Ringold can be approached."
"Fine, then you distract the husband, Ziva, and I'll approach Peggy." Tony knew, through no fault of her own, that Ziva could not talk to Peggy. Peggy right now was coming across as the weak-kneed, fainting woman needing a man to get her out of trouble, unable to help herself. That was not someone Ziva could relate to.
But Tony knew Peggy was not like that, something else had to be going on for her to behave as though she had no backbone. Ziva David did not know Peggy or what she was capable of and she especially did not have that fellow feeling of vulnerability. The bottom line was Ziva did not have the ability to ferret out any information from Peggy with anything other than with the use of violence.
"I can not get an invitation for you, Tony. You will have to sit this one out in the van for a change. It is up to you, Gibbs." Ziva announced perfunctorily then sat back in her chair as though bored with the whole subject.
Fornell broke the uneasy silence. "Sounds doable, Gibbs. So, we need a distraction, tear the jerk away from the wife somehow and keep him occupied, right?"
Fornell was sanguine about the plan, it was a good one. But like DiNozzo, he found one insurmountable cog in the operation, a diplomat Ziva was not. He couldn't see sending her in to encourage answers out of someone with any degree of patience, empathy or subtlety on her part.
A frustrated Tony objected vehemently. Physical violence would not produce the answers they sought. He tried getting his point across again.
"I'm sorry but no, it won't work. Getting her alone with Ziva and subjecting her to intense interrogation and fear tactics I can guarantee won't work on her. She's not afraid of anything, or at least she hadn't use to be. Sorry, Ziva, but we need someone soft, persuasive..."
"Like you, Tony?"
Yeah, like me, Tony thought truthfully, when it mattered. Someone soft and persuasive like me that can defend himself against the likes of you. And he couldn't help it, his mind went back to the last poor sap of a female agent who became mysteriously ill after being chosen over you, Ziva.
Tony was aware of Ziva's unblinking stare as though daring him to answer her question. He ground his teeth in annoyance. Her displeasure was always close to the surface ready to erupt when she didn't like something said or done. It could tire one out to homicidal thoughts.
McGee felt an unpleasant déjà vu moment. Something still unresolved in his mind about that other agent who had gotten so sick. Tim's feelings of guilt resurfaced for still thinking that Ziva had done something to that other agent. Was that why Tony was so reluctant to use her?
"Soft and persuasive?" mused Fornell, as though he didn't feel the undercurrent of troubled vibes in the room.
"We've got someone like that, Agent Samantha Lee. Great at undercover work, soft and persuasive one minute, hard as titanium nails the next. Samantha Lee, yeah she would work."
"Lee could get her away with some...womanly thing or other to the ladies room than question her or better yet, let her know that Tony needs to talk to her, set up a time and place where they could meet..." Was McGee's thoughtful playing out of that scenario.
"We could have..."
"... her husband find out, McGee? That's what we're trying to avoid." Gibbs got up for a fresh cup of coffee once his sensitive ears had picked up the drip had stopped.
"Yeah, well it may just come to that. We're running out of time, Gibbs!" Fornell yelled at his retreating back. They were talking about a potential National security and the safety of his undercover agent, and the man needed to suck down some coffee. If this woman, Margaret Ringold, knew something, it was well past time for her to spill her guts before people got hurt. In this case, the good of the many is what counted, even if it meant using Ziva David. He'd sacrifice Mrs Ringold and hall her ass into the FBI interrogation room without a qualm and be damned about the good of the one.
"She doesn't want her husband to know." Tony felt like he was belaboring the point to an unhearing, not getting the point audience.
"There's a reason for that, maybe Ringold's involved somehow or someone she knows and loves." Tony just knew deep down that Shane Ringold was a force unknown and somehow involved in something that was terrifying his wife. They needed to use kid gloves or they'd be walking on cracked eggshells, to use a Ziva euphemism.
Gibbs was not happy, they weren't getting anywhere with all the talk. He turned to Ziva,
"See if you can get that invite, Ziva, one with guest included if possible. We can't do anything until we know for sure we can get in there."
"You are unaware of one thing." Ziva informed them smugly. "I can and will get the invitation but only my name will be on the card and people will know me there. If anyone other than myself, meaning any undercover agent, attempts to use the written document, they will not be allowed inside and could possibly be detained by security police. I have gone to these functions before and even have been involved in setting up security for Israeli dignitaries. I know how it works. I will be more than..."
"Wait, wait." Tony waved his hand, he had something, a better idea his instinct was telling him.
"Let me talk to Kathy first, you know, the FBI Director's niece? She and Peggy Ringold are best friends, if anyone knows anything it would be her."
"We do not have time for you to play a singing and strolling guitarist to the lady, Tony. Our time is limited, surely you remember that?"
"It's, 'I have no time to serenade the lady', Ziva, a noun, meaning a piece of music sung or played in the open air, mostly to one's lover. And if that's what your inference is, why am I not surprised? Kathy is not..."
"DiNozzo!" Exasperated, Gibbs interrupted the confrontation mid-start. For good measure, he threw in glares at both agents and their constant trivial disagreements and tug of war antics.
"Get on with it! What's your idea?" He questioned.
Tony didn't blink an eye at Gibbs' annoyance. "Just what I said. I'll call her, tell her I miss the triplets and she'll invite me over to see them. I'll go from there."
"That simple?" Asked McGee, doubtful it would be that easy. "She might not know anything..."
"Then again, she just might. Gibbs?"
"Do it, the sooner, the better!" Gibbs ordered, and watched as DiNozzo left the office to make the call.
"This had better work, Gibbs. I just hope this Margaret...this woman's sensibilities are not more important to you than my agent in prison if his cover's blown."
"Yeah, I know, Fornell. Your man is still in lockup. McGee, get busy erasing any searches or references for Carlson, substitute Carson and indicate he was found if anyone's looking."
"On it, Boss." McGee also fled the room.
"All this is fine, Gibbs, but let's not make this too complicated and let's get one thing straight. DiNozzo gets some information by tomorrow or we're hauling Margaret Stratum into interrogation at the Hoover Building for some answers, one way or another!" Fornell didn't exactly storm out of the room but he wasn't skipping in joy either.
"Anything you wish me to do, Gibbs?" He had basically forgotten the quiet, remote woman by his side.
"Yeah, get that invite, Ziva" Gibbs ordered and the meeting was over.
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"Hey, Kath, how are you? What's the word from the Imperial Storm Troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic?"
"Tony, stop! You and Carl. Do you know he has little outfits all picked out for Halloween including the masks, jumpsuits and gloves? I put my foot down at the miniature Oozies. And guess what, he wants me to be a Wookie."
"Oooh, can I play?"
"Oh brother, why do I even bother? Guess who he's going as?"
"Darth Vader," said Tony in a sibilant growl.
Kathy Vigil chuckled softly over the phone as she left the children napping in their room.
"You coming by, Tony, the boys would love to see you?"
"I'm sure they would, Kath," Tony said dryly. "Are you free now, I need to have a word with you?"
"Boys will sleep for a couple of hours, what's going on? It's not Carl, is it?"
"Nothing to do with Carl, Kathy, calm down. No, it's something personal."
Thirty minutes later Tony was seated comfortably on the sofa with coffee and sandwiches in front of him on the coffee table. He was embarrassed at how hungry he was devouring a whole sandwich in a few bites.
Kathy didn't comment but she looked concerned.
"If you can wait, I'll have the cook grill an extra chicken breast I was going to have for dinner, Tony."
"Sorry, I'm good, busy with a case, forgot to eat. Listen, Kath, I'm not going to beat around the bush. Something's going on, possibly national security is at stake and it may involve Peggy."
Kathy couldn't look more disbelieving than if he said the moon was on fire melting its green cheese. He filled her in as best he could without revealing more than she needed to know.
"Tony, I know nothing about a phone call to your cell or anything else you're talking about. Peggy never confided anything to me, that is, when her creep of a husband lets her talk." Kathy had no love for Shane Ringold, either.
"That's the funny thing, Kath. I've never known Peggy to be a carpet and yet she lets this guy walk all over her. There's got to be a reason, a good reason for her...fear?"
"I agree, Tony, she's been a fighter since I've known her and always for the other guy."
Kathy sat vibrating with excitement. "Wait, someone with a heavy accent, hmmm. That could be Peggy's maid, Yonta. She's been with Peggy for years. She has a deep voice and a heavy Spanish accent, it could have been her," Kathy said hopefully.
Kathy got a conspiratorial look, "I could invite her over..."
"No! Kath, I don't want you to get involved. This is dangerous stuff." And just to make sure, he threw in, "You've got those boys to look after."
Her eyes widened, she got the point. All excitement left as she realized this wasn't a game. Now, instead of trying to join in on a little detour from her housewife and motherly duties, she texted him a family picnic photo with Peggy and Shane present and Yonta in the background, gave him her days off and the gym that she liked to frequent where she practiced yoga, and most important, the passwords Kathy and Peggy had cooked up to send messages to each other.
"We started it as a game to fool Shane and we included Yonta when it got more apparent that Shane was a psychotic sociopath. Just say this sentence and anything after that is the truth. Without them, everything is suspect and, Tony, the password changes every week."
And without cracking even the tendril of a smile, she said this weeks words were, "Gort Klaatu Barada Nikto," and dared him to laugh.
Tony felt the irony and the humor bubbling deep in his bones, that's why he and Kathy Vigil and her husband Carl got along so well, they were of like mind. They got him. But Kathy was dead serious now. Thoughts of her children's safety was paramount and she bowed out of anything else, no snooping, nothing.
"And don't mention my visit to Peggy, Kath, you understand?"
"Absolutely!" She wasn't stupid, her children and her husband were her life, they came first.
Just then the call of the boys waking up drew their attention. The triplets, who missed their father away at sea, wanted Tony's attention as the big man who threw them in the air and played with them. Tony indulged his inner fatherliness and played a little before getting back to the real world.
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Tony DiNozzo was at a conundrum and procrastinating never worked to solve it. He had to talk to Peggy and soon. Should he try seeking out the maid first and did he have the time? Or aim directly for the bulls eye, Peggy?
Since today was Yonta the maids gym day and the time was right Tony decided to try her first. He drove to the facility and went inside to get a free one day pass and skulked around in the gym shorts and t-shirt he bought for an outrageously expensive price at the sports shop. He spotted the middle-aged woman as he sped on the treadmill set to a breathtaking uphill run, right away as she entered her yoga class.
An hour later, showered and dressed, he sat at the sports bar waiting with his glass of 'SomethingGreen' concoction the pretty barista had said he needed more than coffee after a vigorous workout. Yonta and two of her friends came in and stood chatting in line to order their drinks.
Tony passed by and clumsily bumped into her spilling some of his nasty green stuff and in between apologizing profusely for her stained dress and rubbing at the spot with his handkerchief, he whispered, feeling just a tad bit foolish,
"Gort Klaatu Barada Nikto, and then, "Reunirse conmigo en la sala de observacion de la piscina.
He was barely there before she rushed in. "Lo que ha sucedido? Es Margaret bien?"
"Margaret's alright, Yonta. I'm Tony DiNozzo. Kathy Vigil gave me the code words."
Then on a hunch, he stated, "You called me, didn't you, Yonta?"
Without batting an eye and with an expulsion of breath, she said, "Sí, fui yo," as though finally relieved of a heavy burden.
"Well, I'm here. Tell me what's going on, por favor, dime qué está pasando."
"Usted debe ayudar! Usted es nuestra última esperanza!
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A/N Google translation (sorry for any errors)
Reunirse conmigo en la sala de observacion de la piscina - Meet me in the pool observation room.
Lo que ha sucedido? Es Margaret bien? - What has happened? Is Margaret alright?
Sí, fui yo. - Yes, it was I.
Usted debe ayudar! Usted es nuestra última esperanza! - You must help us! You are our last hope!
'Gort Klaatu Barada Nikto' is from the 1951 movie directed by Robert wise - The Day The Earth Stood Still.