Lie Again

Missing

I debated holding this one until Lie Again hits 1k but I decided we will get there quicker if I release it now. Don't worry, I have 4 updates ready for when we hit 1k!

We're almost there!!!

*****

"Ziva?" Tony slowly opened the door to her room. Disappointment and then anxiety flashed through him as he registered that the room was empty.

She had left without him.

Maybe she just went for a run?

He doubted it, but he tried her phone number anyway. He was greeted with the familiar message of the called number being deactivated.

"Ziva, what the hell?" He shoved his phone into his pocket and took the stairs two at a time.

The car was still in the driveway.

He went around the house, checking all the doors and windows. The back door was unlatched.

Unfortunately, he hadn't thought to bring a crime scene kit to Israel, so he had to make do with cocoa powder he found in the kitchen. He took a picture of the fingerprints that showed up on the door handle and called Abby.

"How's Israel?" Abby asked cheerily.

"Not good. I'm sending you a print, and I need you to run it in the international database."

"What's-"

"Just do it, Abby. It's important."

"Okay." He heard her sigh as her fingers attacked her keyboard. "Anyone in particular you want me to run it against?"

"A Mr. Smith."

"You do realize that there are nearly three million people with that last name just in the US, right?"

"Look for him in Israel. He's been here since before Ziva joined NCIS."

"What's going on, Tony?"

"Run the print."

"I am!" she snapped. "Tell me why."

Gibbs' gruff voice came on the phone. "DiNozzo. Talk."

"Ziva's gone."

"Back up a little."

"We went to this fancy office building yesterday and Ziva left a message for a Mr. Smith guy saying that she was going to bring him down, and now this morning, she's gone. The back door was unlocked, and her phone number was deactivated."

Gibbs swore under his breath. "On my way."

"You don't need to-"

The man hung up on him!

Tony stared at the phone in his hand in disbelief. Things were spiraling out of control.

***

Ziva squinted as the blindfold was pulled off.

"Officer David. We meet again."

"It is Agent David now," she growled.

Mr. Smith feigned amazement. "Wow! So that's why you thought you could take me on a second time. An inflated ego and a fancy badge."

She tugged at the rope binding her wrists together behind her back.

The tall man only laughed. "Just as determined as ever, I see."

"You murdered my partner."

He shook his head at her. "I have people for that. Why dirty my own hands?" He jerked his head towards a dark-clothed man in the shadows. "Vlad here is much better at that kind of thing anyway."