Chapter Nineteen

Gibbs and Ziva waited patiently as McGee prepared information. After spending the night tracing Heather Sloan's financials, McGee had excitedly called them on their smartphones to give them good news. Ziva had been down in Abby's, while Gibbs was getting his sixth cup of coffee of the night, now day. One look at him, Gibbs knew McGee had something good.

"Now McGee," snapped Gibbs, as he held a hot cup of coffee.

McGee stood up, pressed the remote then brought up a street with several abandoned houses on it. Right up until he finally was able to find what she wanted hid, he felt exhausted, but now he was reinvigorated.

"This is the Cherry Hill neighborhood in Baltimore and Heather Sloan owes one of those abandoned buildings through a shell company," he told them.

"Grab your gear," said Gibbs then he threw his coffee into the nearest garbage can.

"Should we tell Metro, Gibbs?" asked Ziva.

"Baltimore is outside their jurisdiction, Ziver. We can check out this lead for them," Gibbs told her.

The three of them grabbed their sidearms from their desk drawers and headed off to their Dodge Charger. The drive to Baltimore was a silent one. Each one of them knew that they had a finite amount of time to hunt DiNozzo down and save him.

NCIS

Tony felt better. The crazy woman had bandaged his ribs, as well as his forehead. Whatever was in the needle also let him sleep which helped his body. He pulled at the ropes, but there was no give. Suddenly the door opened and Heather Sloan came walking in with a mug of coffee and oatmeal. She put them on a table that she pulled up close to Tony.

"It's breakfast time," she said.

"I'm not hungry," said Tony.

"You'll eat or I'll set up an IV to make sure that you are well fed," she said.

"Well in that case, Snookums is waiting for his breakfast," Tony said then he opened his mouth.

She grabbed the oatmeal and prepared to spoon-feed him. When Tony felt she was close enough, he snapped his forward and head-butted her with a good amount of force. She fell to the floor with a bloody nose and a laugh that sent a chill down Tony's spine.

"That wasn't nice, maybe even a little dark," she said.

"Untie me and I'll show you dark," he growled.

"Oh, I expect that you could," she laughed. "So, do you still want your coffee?"

"Drop dead," he said.

She left him alone in the room.

NCIS

They arrived at Cherry Hill in record time thanks to Gibbs' driving. When he finally came to a full stop, McGee almost vomited in the car, which drew a smirk from Gibbs. Ziva shot out of the car with Gibbs right behind her. McGee came up the rear.

"Ziver, McGee, take the back of the house through the yard. When you are in position let me know and we'll go in at the same time and do a floor by floor sweep," Gibbs said.

"Yes, Gibbs," said Ziva, who then motioned McGee to follow her.

When she and McGee got to the back of the house in the backyard was a dumpster with a chute that led to the second floor.

"She must be having this place renovated," said McGee.

He went up to the dumpster, grabbed a chair, stepped onto it, and checked what was in the dumpster. Under what looked like some wall plaster and a good size piece of rug was Thing.

"Ziva, there looks like a body in the dumpster," he said.

"Check it, McGee," said Ziva.

He awkwardly climbed into the dumpster and made his way to the body. Uncovering he saw the knife wound. Putting on a pair of gloves he had in his NCIS windbreaker, he started to go through the pockets of the dead man. He found Tony's knife.

"Ziva," he said in a whisper yell, "he had Tony's belt buckle knife in his pocket."

A charge of energy went through Ziva. Either Tony was there or he had been there. They were on the right track. She pulled the walkie-talkie off her belt and called Gibbs.

"Gibbs, McGee found a body in a dumpster in the backyard. He had Tony's knife in his pocket," she said into the walkie-talkie.

"Let's enter the building, Ziver. Head on a swivel and shoot to kill," Gibbs replied.

Ziva didn't wait for McGee to climb out of the dumpster but went in all by herself. The back door was unlocked. Gibbs tried the front door, it was unlocked. His gut didn't like this because it just seemed too easy.

NCIS

Tony stretched his legs, as he sat. Sloan didn't tie them to the chair this time, which allowed him to stretch them out. It felt good on his bad knee to stretch it out. As he sat there, she entered with a malicious smile on her face. She walked up to him and tied a gag around his mouth.

"We have company and they are friends of yours. Oh, the traps and pain I have planned for them before they die. You know one of them is the tramp you were humping," she said.

Tony struggled against the ropes, as she walked over to where she left her tablet, turned it on, and started to watch.

NCIS

Gibbs saw Ziva down a long hallway. He pointed to her and made motion letting her know to sweep the first floor because he was going to the second floor. She nodded okay and Gibbs headed for the stairs letting Ziva and McGee handle the first floor.

Slowly, he started up the stairs. He was a third of the up the stairs when his right foot went through the stair and some sort of trap closed around it breaking the bone. He growled in pain causing Ziva and a now filthy McGee running. When they got to him, Ziva was about to pull his leg out when McGee snapped at her, "Stopped!"

"What is it, McGee?" she said.

"Keep guard, Ziva, and I'll get his leg out. We don't know what trapped it, what condition it's in, or if there is another trap. I'll handle this. Go to the top of the stairs and keep guard," he said.

"Listen to him, Agent David," Gibbs growled in pain.

He feared like McGee feared that there was some sort of secondary trap.

"Be careful, McGee," Ziva said.

"Go on and slowly go up the stairs," said McGee.

Ziva slowly and carefully walked up the stairs testing each step as she went.

NCIS

"Oh, your friend Gibbs just has his leg broken," she smiled at Tony and your tramp is coming up the stairs. Isn't this exciting?"

Tony closed his eyes. He knew he had to stop her, kill her if he had to, and do it now. He concentrated on his alternatives and realized he didn't have many.

"I think the next trap should hurt, not kill, but hurt. The killer traps I get to spring from here," she said then showed him her tablet.

She must have the place bugged with traps and camera. Some of the traps sprung on their own but the fatal ones she sprung them. Yeah, he had to kill her and kill her know.

NCIS

McGee helped Gibbs to sit on the stairs. He was in great pain but he didn't want a bus called for.

"This bitch probably has more traps for us. We don't want to get EMTs killed. Find her," he growled.

"Okay, Boss," McGee said.

"Sweep the second floor with Ziva. Be careful," Gibbs ordered.

McGee nodded then joined Ziva at the top of the stairs.

"McGee, we have to check each room. Closed doors always hold surprises. I'll open the door…," she started to say.

"Ziva, I'm the SFA not you. I'll open the doors. You back me up," he ordered.

McGee slowly proceeded to the first closed door. Ziva had his six. He slowly turned the knob and when he felt or heard nothing out of the ordinary and started to open it. It was about an inch open when Ziva stopped him. She noticed a wire at the top of the door.

"McGee, stop. There is a wire," she said.

He stopped staying as still as a statue, while Ziva pulled her folding knife with a serrated edge. She moved up behind him and with great care cut the wire. Nothing happened.

"That was scary," said McGee then he started to open the door.

"Don't…," Ziva yelled.

A shotgun blast went off throwing McGee and Ziva back from the force. From his spot, Gibbs yelled from his spot, "McGee, Ziver!"

He forced himself up on one leg and started up the stairs. When he got to Ziva and McGee. They were both flat on their backs in pain. He checked Ziva first. She had a few shotgun slugs in her vest and her right upper arm was bleeding. He helped her into a seated position.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked.

"I think I have a broken rib on my left side," she grimaced, "but I am fine otherwise."

He went over to McGee next. He was in greater pain, as his vest was peppered with slugs and his right shoulder was chewed up and bleeding from the shotgun.

"McGee, how bad?" he asked.

"I think I got several broken ribs," he groaned.

Gibbs shook his head. He didn't want to do this but it was time for backup.

NCIS

Tony heard the shotgun blast and his eyes lit up with fury. She was going to kill Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva. There was no way he was going to let her kill Ziva. Standing up as best he could and charging her, he rammed his body into hers knocking the tablet from her hands and crashing her into the wall. She laughed.

"That's it, let all your darkness out," she ordered him, as she stood up.

Tony swung the still tied to him chair at her knocking her towards the window. Before she could recover, he hit her again then again forcing her towards the window. His anger was driven by her laughter, as well as thoughts of her hurting Ziva. Finally, he had her up against the window. He hit her one more time this time with his shoulder driving her out of the window. As the glass gave way and she started to fall, she grabbed hold of Tony forcing him to come along with her. They both feel from the third story window, as they went they hit the garbage chute then continued into the dumpster. She landed first with Tony landing on top of her.

NCIS

The first thing he saw as he tried to open his eyes was Ziva staring at him with tears in her eyes. He was in an ambulance.

"You will be okay, Ahuvi," she said.

An EMT moved her aside and put an oxygen mask on Tony. Part of him wanted to scream. He was headed to the hospital once again. All he wanted to do now was close his eyes and hope he didn't have to spend too long on his ass in hospital room. There had to be an easier way to make a living.

Epilogue

He broke an arm, a leg, several ribs, and bruised his tailbone, other than he was fine. Hawes ran the MCU for him while he recuperated and he got daily visits from Abby and Ziva and even got a visit from Antonia and her father.

Enigma was dead. She might have survived the fall except for Tony landing on top of her. The case was closed. Commander Amara, the Chief, and the Mayor were thrilled that Enigma was caught and killed and it was done by Tony. He was their golden boy now.

Ziva came into the room with the wheelchair. Today was his release.

"Are you ready to go home?" she asked with a smile.

"I love you, Ziva David," said Tony.

"Good," she said, "because I will be living with you until you get all your casts off."

"Really, only until then," he smiled.

"Well, maybe longer," she said returning the smile. "We shall see."

"Take me home, please. I haven't seen a James Bond movie or a Magnum PI marathon," he said, as she helped him to the edge of the bed.

"I will be glad to sit and watch James Bond and Magnum PI," she sighed.

"Can I have pizza?" he asked sounding like a little kid.

"Okay, you can have pizza today, but starting tomorrow I cook your meals," she said.

Next she helped him into the wheelchair. With his good arm, he pulled Ziva into his lap. She didn't fight it but instead captured his lips. Their kissed last until they both needed to come up for breathe.

"You are the best, Ziva David," he said.

"I know," she purred.

"I love you," Tony said.

"I know," she said then slipped out of his lap and got behind him.

Ziva started to push him out of the room. As she did she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "And I love you, too."

Let me know if you want any more Inspector DiNozzo mysteries.