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The car came to a halt, and four men
emerged, heavily armed and moving
with precision. Ziva's sharp eyes
took in the weapons-automatic
rifles, the kind used for serious
attacks. One of the men strode
towards the front door and with a
swift kick, sent it flying open
Gunfire erupted immediately, bullets
spraying wildly into the living room
Tony and Ziva stayed low, pressed
against the back of the couch,
waiting for the right moment.
Ziva's eyes narrowed as she assessed
their movement patterns, counting
the seconds between shots. The timing had to be perfect.
'Now," Ziva whispered.
In one fluid motion, they both
returned fire. Tony's aim was true
and his bullet caught one of the men
just as he crossed the threshold,
hitting him in the arm. The man
howled in pain, but the barrage of
bullets from the others didn't stop
They retaliated, and the hail of
bullets forced Tony and Ziva to duck again
The air was filled with the sound of
gunfire. Ziva leaned out just enough
to take aim, steady as ever. Her shot
rang out, and one of the men
dropped, dead before he hit the
floor.
"Got one," she said, her tone calm but focused The three remaining men regrouped and started shooting again
relentless. Tony checked his
magazine, grimacing. "Zee, we're
running low."
"We need to move," Ziva replied
"Cover me
Without hesitation, she fired off a burst of shots, giving Tony just enough time to dart towards the kitchen. Bullets flew past him, but he kept low, sliding into cover. Once
in position, he opened fire, allowing
Ziva to make her own dash towards the kitchen.
They quickly swapped magazines their hands moving with the
practiced ease of years of training.
even as bullets ricocheted around
them. "You good?" Tony asked, his
breathing heavy but controlled
Ziva nodded, loading the fresh clip
into her gun. "Always
Ziva took a position near the edge of
the kitchen counter, finding the best
angle. She saw her opening and
didn't hesitate. Her shot struck one
of the men in the leg, sending him
crashing to the ground. "Another
down," she called out.
The two remaining men, realizing
they were losing, started retreating
Tony, always ready to capitalize on
an opening, fired a well-placed shot
that caught the already-injured man
in the thigh. He crumpled, clutching
his leg in agony.
"They're fleeing!" Tony shouted as
the men scrambled out of the house, firing wildly as they retreated
Tony and Ziva exchanged a look. No
words were needed. They both
sprinted after the remaining men
shooting at the car as it sped away
Bullets bounced off the rear of the
vehicle, but it quickly disappeared
down the road, leaving the two of
them breathing heavily in the silence
of the aftermath
"We got two of them," Tony
muttered, lowering his gun. "Not bad."
Ziva nodded, her eyes still scanning
the distance, her gun still in hand
"Not bad," she echoed, though her
gaze was hard, knowing it wasn't over yet.
As Tony crouched down beside the fallen man, he carefully checked for any signs of life. The blood pooled around him was enough evidence, but Tony didn't take chances. After a quick pulse check, he confirmed what they already knew. "He's dead," Tony said, standing up.
muttered, lowering his gun. "Not bad."
Tony glanced over at her, his sharp eyes catching the way she was holding her side. "Ziva?" he called, walking toward her with concern etched across his face. "You ok?"
Ziva barely had time to respond before her legs buckled beneath her. "I'm fine," she tried to say, but the words were weak, her vision starting to blur.
Tony moved faster than he could think, catching her just as she collapsed. "Ziva!" His voice was urgent, one arm around her waist, the other supporting her shoulder as he eased her to the floor.
Tali and Rivka hurried down the stairs, their expressions shifting from worry to panic as they saw Tony kneeling beside Ziva. "What happened?" Tali asked, rushing over, eyes wide with fear.
"She's been hit," Tony said, his voice grim but focused. "We need to get her help, now."
Rivka hovered near, her face pale as she looked at her daughter, her hands trembling. "Ziva..." she whispered, fear tightening her throat.
Ziva, breathing heavily, looked up at Tony. "It's not... that bad," she muttered, but the pain in her voice betrayed her words.
Tony shook his head, his jaw tight. "We're not taking any chances."
Tony gently laid Ziva down on the floor, cradling her head as he lowered her. His mind raced, but his hands moved with calm precision as he handed Rivka her phone. "Call Gibbs. Now," he ordered, his voice firm but steady. Rivka's hands trembled slightly, but she nodded and quickly dialed.
Without missing a beat, Tony pressed his hands firmly against Ziva's abdomen, trying to slow the bleeding. He could feel the warmth of the blood seeping through his fingers, and his jaw clenched in frustration. "Tali," he called, "get the first aid kit. Hurry."
Ziva groaned and shifted, trying to push herself up, but Tony held her down gently but firmly. "Don't even think about it, Zee. Stay still," he murmured, his eyes locking with hers. "I've got you."
Tali returned, clutching the first aid kit, tears already welling in her eyes as she opened it. Rivka, meanwhile, relayed what had happened to Gibbs, her voice tense with worry. Tony kept his focus on Ziva's wound, applying pressure to slow the blood flow. He glanced over at Rivka as she switched the call to speaker, allowing Tony to speak to Gibbs directly.
"Gibbs, we've got a serious situation here," Tony said, his tone no-nonsense. Ziva stirred beside him, trying to say something, but Tony quickly cut her off. "No, Ziva. Stay quiet. Stay awake. We need you focused."
Gibbs's voice crackled through the phone, but Tony shook his head, already knowing the answer. "The ambulance will take too long," he said grimly. He handed Rivka the keys to the car. "You're driving. We don't have time to wait."
With a careful but determined motion, Tony scooped Ziva up into his arms. She winced but didn't protest. Tali stood by, tears now streaming down her cheeks as she looked at her sister's pale face. They moved quickly past the body on the floor, the grim reminder of the attack still fresh in everyone's mind.
"Let's go," Tony said, his voice steady, though his heart pounded with urgency. As they stepped outside, Ziva's weight in his arms felt both too light and unbearably heavy, the fear of losing her weighing on him far more than any threat they'd faced together before.
In the car, Rivka gripped the wheel tightly, her knuckles white as she sped through the streets, far exceeding the speed limit as Tony had urged her. Tali sat beside her in the passenger seat, tears still streaking her face, occasionally glancing back at Tony and Ziva with a mixture of fear and helplessness.
In the back seat, Tony held Ziva tightly against him, his hands pressing down on her wound to stem the bleeding. Her skin was growing pale, and Tony could feel her weakening in his arms. He leaned closer to her, his voice low and urgent. "Stay with me, Ziva," he whispered, brushing the damp hair from her sweaty forehead with his free hand. "Stay with me."
Ziva managed a weak, pained smile, her breath shallow. "Don't… leave me, Zi," Tony continued, his voice almost breaking as he looked into her eyes. The fear in his heart was unlike anything he had felt before.
Ziva's eyelids fluttered, and for a moment, it seemed as though she might drift away. Tony quickly patted her cheek, his voice firmer now. "Hey, stay awake, David, or I swear I'll kick your ass," he said, his tone a mix of desperation and affection.
A faint grin appeared on Ziva's lips, though it took all her strength to muster it. "I'd… love to see that," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Don't make me," Tony replied, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
Ziva's eyes flickered again, and she tried to speak, her words faint. "No… fitting movie reference now?" she asked, her breath labored. "Never seen… you quoteless."
"Don't waste your energy on talking, Ziva. Just stay with me," Tony said, his voice trembling, but he kept his focus on her, refusing to let the fear overtake him. "Please."
A few more moments passed, and Ziva's eyes began to close. "Ziva!" Tony called, shaking her gently. But she didn't respond. Her body went limp in his arms, her breathing shallow. "No, no, no… Rivka!" Tony shouted to the front. "Drive faster! We're losing her!"
Rivka's eyes filled with fear, and she pressed the gas pedal harder, her heart pounding as the car raced down the road, her desperation matching Tony's as they sped toward the hospital.
Tony's voice cracked as he tried again to wake Ziva, his tears now freely falling. "Ziva, come on. Wake up. You're stronger than this," he whispered, his words a constant plea. He brushed her cheek, his hand trembling as he watched her unresponsive face. "Stay with me, Ziva. Please."
The world felt distant to Ziva, as if she were watching everything through a foggy window. Her side throbbed, and with each passing moment, the pain grew more intense. She was lying on her back in the backseat of the car, and Tony was beside her, holding pressure on the wound. His hand felt warm against her skin, but her body was beginning to feel cold.
"Stay with me, Zi," Tony's voice cut through the haze, soft but urgent. She could hear the worry, the desperation in his words, but it felt as though he were speaking from far away. Ziva blinked, struggling to keep her eyes open. The ceiling of the car spun slightly above her, and she could barely make out Tony's face as he leaned over her, brushing the damp hair out of her eyes.
"Don't leave me, Zi," he whispered, his voice softer now, almost pleading. Ziva tried to offer him a reassuring smile, but her muscles barely obeyed her. Her lips twitched into a weak grin, and she winced as pain shot through her side.
"Tony…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Each breath felt like fire, and it was becoming harder to draw air into her lungs. "I… would love to see that," she added, trying to inject humor into the moment. But even that effort drained her, and her eyelids began to feel heavy.
"Don't make me, Ziva," Tony said, his voice breaking slightly. "No movie reference now?" she rasped, trying to keep her mind occupied, anything to stay awake. "I've never seen you… quoteless."
Tony's face hovered above her, blurry, but she could see the faint smile he was trying to force onto his face. "Don't waste your energy talking, Ziva," he said, his tone firmer now. "Just stay with me."
Ziva wanted to respond, to tell him she was still here, that she wasn't leaving. But the pain was pulling her under, and her body felt heavier with each passing second. Her vision started to darken at the edges, and though she fought to stay awake, it felt like an impossible battle.
She heard Tony's voice, more urgent now, but the words were slipping away, harder to hold onto. The sound of the tires screeching as the car sped through the streets barely registered in her mind. The world was fading, and the last thing she heard was Tony's voice, pleading, before everything went black.
When the car finally screeched to a stop in front of the emergency room, the wheels squealing against the pavement, Tony barely registered the noise. His focus was entirely on Ziva. A team of ER doctors and nurses rushed out, already prepared thanks to Gibbs' call. They arrived with a stretcher, swiftly opening the back door.
Tony, his hands stained with Ziva's blood, gently helped them lift her from the back seat and onto the stretcher. His words were rapid and precise, a mix of panic and professionalism. "Ziva David. She's 28. NCIS agent. O-negative blood. No allergies to medications. Gunshot wound to the abdomen. Lost a lot of blood."
The doctors nodded, quickly wheeling Ziva toward the trauma room. Rivka and Tali, both pale and shaken, hurried out of the car behind him but were stopped at the doors to the trauma area. They could only watch as Ziva disappeared inside, the doors swinging shut behind her.
Tony stood there, just outside the trauma room, his breath heavy, eyes fixed on the doors where they had taken her. He could feel Rivka and Tali close behind, but in that moment, the world felt distant and quiet, his only focus being the woman he had just let go of.
Ziva was immediately wheeled into surgery, leaving Tony, Tali, and Rivka behind in the waiting area. Tali and Rivka sat together, clinging to each other, both of them crying softly. Tony stood apart from them, frozen in place like a statue. His gaze was locked on his blood-stained hands, unable to shake the image of Ziva's lifeless body being carried away. Time felt irrelevant, every second stretching into eternity.
It felt like hours had passed when Gibbs, McGee, and Abby finally entered the room. Abby rushed straight to Tali and Rivka, tears streaming down her own face as she tried to offer them comfort. She hugged them both, whispering words of reassurance, though her own voice wavered with emotion.
Gibbs and McGee approached Tony. Gibbs spoke first, his voice low and firm, but for Tony, it sounded like he was far away, his words muffled by the storm of thoughts swirling in his head. It wasn't until Gibbs shook his shoulders that Tony snapped back to reality.
Slowly, Tony began recounting what had happened, his voice flat and detached, his eyes drifting to his bloodied hands every now and then. When he finished, he fell silent, his shoulders slumping under the weight of everything he had just relived.
Gibbs' voice broke through the silence. "How are you holding up, Tony?"
Tony's eyes stayed fixed on his hands as he muttered, "Depends on what happens to Zi."
McGee stepped forward, his voice gentle but reassuring. "She's strong, Tony. Ziva's a fighter. She'll make it." He gave Tony a sympathetic look. "I brought some spare clothes for you from your locker. Let's get you cleaned up."
Tony barely registered the offer, still lost in his thoughts. But when McGee gestured for him to follow, Tony moved like a robot, numb and unfeeling. They walked to a nearby nurse, and McGee flashed his badge, asking if they could use a room for Tony to change and store the evidence.
The nurse showed them to a small room, and McGee placed the spare clothes and an evidence bag inside the bathroom. "I'll be outside," McGee said, leaving Tony alone.
Tony entered the bathroom, staring at the sink for a long moment before turning on the water. As he washed the blood from his hands, flashbacks assaulted him—the image of Ziva collapsing, the feel of her blood on his skin, her pale face in the back seat of the car. His chest tightened, and he nearly lost control, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. But he forced himself to hold it together. He had to be strong—for her.
Once the blood was gone, he changed into the clean clothes McGee had brought, carefully placing his bloodied clothes in the evidence bag. With a heavy heart, he left the room and handed the bag to McGee, who looked like he wanted to say something. "Tony…" McGee started, but Tony brushed past him, heading straight back to the waiting area.
As soon as Tony re-entered the room, Abby ran up to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Tony, are you okay? What happened? Is she going to be okay?" Abby's questions came in a rush, her voice trembling with worry. But Tony remained silent, still numb, his mind trapped in the uncertainty of what would come next.