Berlin-The Aftermath Chapter 33

Gibbs hurried back to his car shaking out his fist trying to alleviate the pain from punching Trent Kort squarely on the jaw.

It had felt so good knocking the traitorous CIA agent firmly on his ass.

Gibbs didn't want to give life to the thought it may be too late to get Tony back.

But he promised himself that if Tony was lost in all of this, Kort was the next to go.

He would make sure the one eyed snake slithered no more.

When he was seated behind the wheel of his car he pulled out his cell phone and called Fornell as planned.

He didn't have long to wait as Tobias Fornell picked up on the first ring.

"Jethro….are we a go?!"

"Did Bodnar agree to bring Tony to the hospital?"

"Not yet…Ziva was on the phone with him and Bodnar suddenly hung up yelling he would call her back. She had called him right after you left…..we haven't heard anything since."

Gibbs thought for a moment and allowing his gut to be his guide made a decision.

"Change of plan, Tobias, the CIA has just handed me a list of three locations Bodnar and the Rivkin's may be holding up. Kort told me the information had not been disclosed to the Israelis…yet….and since we can't trust that bastard we need to act quickly. I need you to arrange three teams of your best agents. Ziva, McGee and I will each team up with one of them. I want Ziva to be with you…..I need you to keep an eye on her…keep her safe. I am tempted to bench her but I know she will just venture out on her own."

"Why not just team up with her yourself?" Fornell asked

"Because if Tony is at one of these three locations I want a member of his team with him….and make sure each group has a medical team standing by…."

Gibbs didn't share with his old friend he secretly hoped Ziva would find Tony.

Gibbs wanted Tony to be with the woman he loved in case, God forbid, they couldn't get him medical help in time. Gibbs wanted Tony and Ziva to have whatever time may still be granted them and he wanted Tony to know she was there for him in the end.

He forced the morbid thoughts away focusing instead on the fact that the only acceptable outcome was finding Tony alive.

"Jethro?" Fornell asked, breaking Gibbs train of thought.

"I'm on my way back to the house." Gibbs replied ignoring the concern in his friend's voice.

Ziva and McGee shared a troubled look as they watched Fornell frown as he replied:

"Okay….I got it…..I'll get the ball rolling…." Tobias agreed, adding "…..and if Bodnar calls back agreeing to the hospital drop off?"

"Then we will act accordingly….got a pen?"

Fornell pulled a pen from his breast pocket as McGee scrambled to hand him some paper.

Fornell smiled at McGee in appreciation as he said "Go ahead".

Gibbs read off the address information before saying:

"I'll be home in less than twenty…."

Fornell hung up and quickly filled in the younger agents on what the new plan would entail.

He left out Gibbs concern for Ziva just letting them know how Gibbs wanted it to play out.

Fornell handed the paper back to McGee saying:

"Tim, I need you to map out these addresses while Ziva and I make the calls."

As McGee input the information into his laptop, Fornell instructed Ziva to arrange the medical assistance they would need.

Fornell made the calls he needed to get the FBI teams in action.

Ziva tried to focus on the task at hand but she was haunted at how her earlier conversation with Bodnar had ended.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Earlier that day

Saul held Avi and prayed.

His brother's cries broke his heart and the grief of losing his last sibling played with his mind. He prayed to God and to his dead brothers to guide him in what he needed to do.

Saul was sick of hearing Bodnar trying to convince him to get his brother to a hospital.

He wondered how hard it was for Bodnar to understand it was not an option.

Bodnar was Mossad but he was not Kidon.

'Just a paper pusher' Saul thought, relieved when the phone rang and Bodnar moved away to answer.

Saul Rivkin was not the sharpest tool in the shed and if you called him on it he would agree.

As he tried to help Avi cling to life, he fought the panic and rage building within him.

He knew without his brothers he would be lost.

The four of them had always been so close.

Michael had been their strength and with his death Simon had stepped in.

Where Simon was the brain, Avi was the heart….but Saul…he'd say he was the muscle.

He was Mossad, a trained Kidon assassin, but he counted on the guidance of his brothers.

They had carried him through his training, covering for his lack of intellect by honing his skill to kill.

He had laughed when Avi said he was like a bull in a china shop-crashing and destroying everything around him if left unsupervised.

Michael and Simon called him the "point and kill" assassin.

They pointed and he killed.

His nickname amongst Mossad was "shochet"-Hebrew for butcher.

He was proud of the name and he had no problem living up to it.

Enemies of his country, of his family, had experienced his skills first hand.

When Michael's body was returned to Israel- Simon, Saul and Avi had been on the tarmac to welcome his body home. They were far enough away to avoid Ziva and regretfully too far away to get their hands on the American who had stolen their brother's life away.

They had buried their brother with a promise that someday one of them would avenge him.

Eli David had prohibited them from going after Anthony DiNozzo.

David had assured them he wanted DiNozzo to pay but he had made a deal with his daughter.

Saul shook his head clear of the painful memories as he prayed over his brother.

Avi's wails and cries began to diminish as he looked into Saul's eyes with such pleading and fear.

"Hang on…hang on brother!" Saul whispered "Do not leave me! I am so sorry Avi! I did not mean to hurt you….I could never hurt you!"

"This is not your fault Saul" Avi said as he grasped his brother's arm and with all the strength he had tried to sit up.

As Saul leaned down to meet him, Avi's body began to relax as he whispered:

"Avenge us…."

Time came to a standstill for Saul Rivkin as he watched in horror as the light in his youngest brother's eyes dimmed and went out.

Saul could only stare at the lifeless body as the realization that he was alone swept through him.

He pulled Avi into his arms, cradling him.

Rocking back and forth, he silently promised his brother their enemies would pay.

'I will make them suffer...all of them, Avi...DiNozzo...Ziva...Ilan...'

The sound of retching pulled Saul from his sorrow and thoughts of revenge.

He turned seeing Anthony DiNozzo was awake.

DiNozzo was alive and Avi was dead.

Michael, Simon and now Avi…his beloved brothers…all gone.

All of them dead.

All because of Anthony DiNozzo.

Saul Rivkin lost all control.

Tony heard a growling like that of a cornered animal. The sound of it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

When the growling turned to a scream full of grief and agony Tony froze.

Adrenaline flooded his veins signalling his body to flee but he was bound and he was wounded.

He struggled to open his eyes again, tried to get his bearings but the light brought back the nausea and he was so dizzy.

He heard Bodnar yell:

"NO…SAUL! ZIVA….. I WILL CALL YOU BACK!"

Tony sensed Ilan move past him as Bodnar switched from English to Hebrew.

Angry voices filled the room and there was the sound of a scuffle

Tony didn't understand a word of what the men were saying but there was no mistaking a threat of violence was in the air and he couldn't help but feel like he was a sitting duck.