Chapter Text
Chapter One:
It was supposed to be a simple operation: go to Paraguay to pick up a corporal who had run, trying to escape being arrested for being a drug mule. Special Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Timothy McGee were sent to the South American country to pick up the recalcitrant young man and bring him back to the States for prosecution. But things went horribly wrong as the two agents were ambushed.
McGee looked pale over the transmission appearing on the plasma screen in MTAC. His head was bandaged and he sounded hoarse.
"I'm sorry, Director," he apologized. "We never heard them coming. Everything happened so fast; when I woke up, Corporal Pearson was dead and Tony was missing. I can't even tell you what happened."
"It's not your fault, Agent McGee," replied Director Jen Sheppard. "Are you sure you're okay?"
McGee nodded, then winced. "The doctors said the bullet hit at just the right angle to be deflected by the skull. I don't know why they didn't kill me, or why they took Tony."
"They probably thought you were dead, head wounds tend to bleed a lot," Officer Ziva David spoke up. "Maybe they wanted to get information from Tony, or sell him to the black market."
"Black market?" McGee looked puzzled.
"There's a huge market for human 'goods' McGee," explained Sheppard. "DiNozzo's a young man, strong, healthy, attractive. Gender doesn't matter." She stopped there, letting the information sink in. McGee's expression changed from questioning, to aware to horrified.
"I'm coming down," declared Ziva.
Sheppard turned to confront her. "You are not going down. Special Agent McGee is returning to NCIS as soon as he's declared fit to travel."
Furious, Ziva turned to the Director. "We can't just leave Tony down there. We don't know what's going to happen to him."
"There's every reason to believe that DiNozzo is dead, Officer David," declared Sheppard firmly. "If those men had the guts to shoot a Federal Agent and leave him for dead, they most likely killed DiNozzo or they've already sold him and he's in a pipeline to some other country. We'll never be able to track him down."
"So you're not even going to try?" Ziva asked, outraged.
"I will not risk more personnel for one agent. I'll make some calls, but that's the best that I can do," Sheppard replied. "I have other agents to consider, the entire agency is my responsibility."
Ziva's eyes narrowed. "I am not one of your agents," she said, pulling out her badge. "I am separating myself from your agency, as of now." The young woman handed her badge to the startled director, turned and left the room.
"Ziva," Sheppard called after the retreating figure. "You can't do that. Your father will be furious." The sound of the door slamming was the only reply she received.
~0~0~0~0~
Abby Sciuto sat on a stool in her lab, watching Ziva pace around angrily. Doctor Donald Mallard was standing off to the side, his expression concerned.
"She's just going to give up on Tony," fumed Ziva. "She's not even going to try to find him, like he's just an expendable piece of a game."
"What are we going to do?" asked Abby.
"I'm going down there," declared Ziva, firmly. "I'm going to make a few calls, call in some favors, then I'm going to go down there and bring Tony home."
"You're going to Mexico first, aren't you?" Ducky stated softly.
Ziva stopped pacing and faced the two. "Yes. I am," she replied.
Ducky nodded. "He'll want to know, he'll want to be involved," he said.
Abby nodded. "Tony's special to Gibbs," she agreed. "It's like a Master/Grasshopper thing. He's gonna go ballistic when he finds out what happened, and that the Director didn't do anything to help Tony."
"I'm going with you," declared Ducky. "Tony may require medical attention."
"Ducky," replied Ziva, "this is going to be rough travel. I'm not sure you'll be able to..."
"I've trekked through the jungles of Africa and the rainforests of South America," interrupted the indignant ME. "I've camped out in the jungles of Malaysia with the natives. I'm perfectly capable of keeping up with you and Gibbs, and if Tony is injured, he will most likely need immediate care. It won't do for you to find him and then have him die."
Ziva narrowed her eyes, staring the determined older man in the eyes. Finally she nodded and turned to Abby.
"Abby, can you contact McGee? Tell him not to follow the Director's orders to return to NCIS."
"How's he going to do that? He's never refused a direct order."
"Tell him what we're planning on doing, that we'll need his help. He'll want to do this, for Tony," replied Ziva.
"I want to come too," Abby said plaintively.
Ziva faced Abby and placed her hands on her shoulders, looking into the young woman's eyes, "We need someone here, Abby," she said firmly, "someone to help with travel arrangements and to be our ears in NCIS."
Abby pouted, but reluctantly agreed.
"Someone's got to say it,." Ducky's voice was solemn. The two women looked at him inquiringly. "What if Tony is dead?"
"Then we bring him home," replied Ziva, "so we can mourn him properly."
The three sat in silence for a moment, each considering the possibility of the death of their teammate, team leader, and friend.
Standing abruptly, Ziva said, "I have to make some calls," and left the lab. On the way back to the squad room she ran into Director Sheppard.
"Ziva," Jen stopped the younger woman with a touch on the arm. "I've sent word down to the local CIA office, to see if they can find out anything about DiNozzo. I'm afraid that's the best I can do."
"Thank you, Director," Ziva replied coolly. "I'm still going down there."
"Ziva..."
"You can't change my mind on this, Jen," interrupted Ziva. "I owe it to Tony to try to do everything I can to help him. Your hands are tied, officially. Mine are not."
"I can't send anyone to help you, no personnel, no weapons, no money... nothing," warned Sheppard.
"Understood."