Chapter 2: Forgotten Memories.
One Month Later:
Emilia DiNozzo gazed into the bottom of her coffee cup. She had woken to the sound of Tony's irate voice. Detective Deluca had left a month ago to find some information about Annabella's disappearance. She had left a note saying she was trying to get kidnapped. Tony was still irrate. Sighing she shock her head softly. Blanche had woken up six times last night with nightmares.
Her dreams varied from Annabella just inches from her grasp to her being frozen in place as a man with a blurred face took off with her daughter. Blanche had woken up crying at least four times. It broke her heart to see her like this then Tony was on edge all morning. Not like last night where he was more frustrated than anything.
He couldn't seem to deal with the fact that he had no control over this situation. He couldn't promise a good outcome. He had joined NCIS for that very reason to control the outcome of something. Sighing she ran a hand through her thick gray hair. She looked up when she heard the door swing open.
"Hi Mama." He said sitting down across from her.
"Hi dear, you feeling better?" she asked with a crinkled brow.
"I'm great the person who is supposed to find Annabella ran out to purposely get herself kidnapped. Blanche is a mess and I have no idea what to do." He said slamming a hand down on the table.
Emilia sighed and stood from her chair. The legs scrapped against the floor as she moved toward the sink.
"That woman from the FBI is one smart cookie. She'll bring her back." She said rinsing her cup.
"I could get her back." He declared hotly.
"Never said you couldn't." Emilia replied with a shrug.
"I'm worried, Mama. Gibbs isn't I'm not sure why. For all we know both of them could be dead." He stated softly his voice softer.
"You mustn't talk that way, bambino. She'll bring her back." She said walking toward him and rubbing his shoulders.
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Shifting on the small cot that was located in the corner on the dungeon like room. She had been here a month. Ari was a dead man. Annabella had finally drifted of to sleep and she slowly stood from the makeshift bed. Her head was throbbing her anger rising as she moved about the room quietly having already forgone the heels. The longer Ari thought she was unconscious the more time she had to plan.
Glancing at the walls it almost seemed like a bunker. The walls were concrete not sheetrock. There were no windows basically any form of easy escape. This man was no novice. She expected nothing less from Ari Haswari he was an experienced criminal and terrorist. Sighing she moved toward the far end of the room.
Nothing.
The only thing in the room was the cot. Dragging a hand across her face she cursed. This was going to be one of the most difficult cases she ever had to work. Most men made mistakes. Left something that could be used for a means of escape. She heard footsteps from outside of the room. Rushing back to the cot she lay down and feigned sleep. She heard the door creak open and heard his heavy footfalls approaching the bed.
Keeping her breathing light and even she waited till he approached her. When she felt the paper thin mattress dimple. She could feel his breath feather against her cheek. Her nails bit into her palm.
She bit her tongue when she felt his fingers caress her jaw. In on fluid motion she brought her stiletto boot clad foot and kicked him hard in the chest. Her eyes sprang open and jerked up into a sitting position and glared down at the man huffing on the floor. Driving her heel into diaphragm she was rewarded with a loud grunt. Her back turned to the door she didn't hear the other person enter the room until she felt the gun pressed into the back of her hair.
"Sit down." the gun wielding fiend spat. She knew that voice.
That traitor.
"Ziva." She hissed as she slowly sat down on the bed.
"Very good Kelly." Se said making a disappointed sound.
"You bitch." She spat.
"Thank you!" Ziva grinned.
"Why? Why agent DiNozzo's niece?"
"A distraction tactic. With DiNozzo out of the office Gibbs is vulnerable."
"You think he didn't see this?" Kelly chided with a smirk.
"He'll never put it together." Ari said standing.
"That's where you're wrong. You murdered one of his Agents you're exploiting his niece." She said a mask of indifference dropping over her face.
Ziva turned to her brother.
"You killed that Agent?" she barked her arm lowering.
"That's beside the point." Ari said waving a hand in the air dismissing the question.
Kelly watched as Ziva's anger grows.
"She was my best friend! You said DiNozzo had something to do with this!"
Annabella opened her brown eyes and watched silently as the two people before her argued. Turning her frightened eyes on Kelly tears welling. She held a finger to her lips indicating for her to be quiet. Annabella nodded and closed her eyes again.
Her arm flew through the air hitting Ziva across the hand and knocked the gun free. It clattered loudly to the floor. Flinging herself off the bed she was able to grasp the gun and roll away from Ziva's attack. Raising the gun she fired a shot it entered the other woman's head right between her eyes. Blood began to dribble from the hole.
Ari glanced back at his dead sister and tried to run from the room a bullet bit into his shoulder but he still made it out.
Annabella cried softly looking down at the dead woman on the floor. Rushing over Kelly swept the girl off the bed and placed her on the floor by the doorway.
"Now listen Annabella, if anything happens to me I want you to run and find a neighbor. Okay?" she asked locking eyes with the girl.
"Otay." She agreed nodding her head her black locks flying.
Sliding her arm out the doorway. The gun held firm in her steady hand. Moving into the hall Annabella holding onto her belt. Scanning the hall she moved toward staircase. Reaching the door that was slightly ajar she moved into the kitchen. Her trigger finger itching to shot the coward that had fled.
Spotting movement out of the corner of her eye she turned quickly her free arm anchoring her behind her.
"Annabella, run!"
The girl blinked before following her instructions. She pushed open the back door and tore off into the back yard.
Before Kelly could make a move Ari flew out of his hiding place. Tackling her to the ground and a struggle for the gun began to ensue. Fighting as hard as she could she watch helplessly as he swung an object back and hit her in the forehead. Her grip loosened on the gun that was still wedged between their bodies. Pulling back a little he twisted his hand and pulled the trigger. Her body jerked from the force and was consumed by darkness.
The sound of sirens echoed through the night causing Ari to lung to his feet gun still in hand he ran through the back door leaving Kelly to bleed on the floor.
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The DiNozzo house was quiet until the shrill ring of a phone pierced the air. Grumbling Tony climbed to his feet and answered the phone. Relief swarmed his system.
"They found Annabella." He shouted through the house.
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