Rule 39: There Is No Such Thing As Coincidence (Tony DiNozzo Love Story)

Another Assassin

Tony's POV

"Tony..." Her voice slurred and her eyes closed.

"Hey, hey." I shake her lightly. "Get a doctor in here!" I yell and look up to see Gibbs, McGee and Ziva at the door.

Five Hours Later

"Alright, seeing as every effort that we have tried so far to protect our ghost hasn't worked there's only one possible option left," the Director says as we sit in a conference room in the hospital.

"We need her in our protection and only accessible to NCIS and you all. Protection detail while she's continuing to recuperate must be twenty-four-seven."

"Well, the only way that could happen is if she stayed with us or we stayed with her," McGee says.

"Correct McGee, you will be living with our ghost until she is cleared by Ducky that she is fit to be interrogated."

"With me Director?"

"No, with me," Gibbs says.

"Well—," the Director starts.

"She'll be safe with me," Gibbs adds.

"You can't interrogate her while she is in your custody and care."

"I wouldn't think of it," he says. Standing up he pushes his chair in. "Now if you'll excuse me Director, I'll be getting back to our mystery girl. DiNozzo, question our newest assassin."

We travel back to the office and I head for interrogation as they move our new suspect into the room.

"Gabriel Oliveira da Costa Brito da Silva e Gouvea de Santigo, you have quite a long name there Gabriel. How many names is that? Don't tell me you have to write that on every piece of paperwork you have to sign? Geez, well I give you one for that. You gotta have the strongest writing hand," I say as I look at the man across from me.

A busted lip, a welt on his left cheek and on the right side of his forehead. There's a bandage across his discolored nose, just below a pair of raccoon eyes.

"How you holding up? You need anything, more ice?" I smile. He looks at me with a hard stare.

"You're fine, a man of few words but I'm sure if you needed something you'd let me know."

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"The woman from the hospital," he asks, his voice thick with a Latin accent.

"Oh, she's somewhere. You know I gotta say Gabriel, it was awfully kind of you to have your wallet in your pants pocket. I'm sure James Dawson, the orderly you knocked out to get his ID took good care of it."

"She needs to die," he says.

"You really tried to get that message across at the hospital. Why does she have to die though? I mean a woman like her must have caught your eye? Beautiful, secretive, you know. Or are woman not your thing? It's completely fine if that's it, I mean it make sense why you didn't kill the orderly. But—,"

"She robbed Vega and Jean. No one robs Vega and Jean, not even a woman. Anyone that robs them, they die," he says interrupting me.

"Vega and Jean? Who are they?"

"You, you should know Mr. Federal Agent." He smirks.

"They hire you to kill that woman in the hospital?"

"They pay me to kill her and send her head in a box," he says with a smile.

"Well, Gabriel I don't think you're getting paid, because that woman is still alive," I say and leave.

Outside in the hall I walk into the other room to see McGee and Ziva watching our guy through the oneway glass.

"McGee, see what you can find on these guys named Vega and Jean. Ziva look and see if our Russian and this guy have anything in common, other than wanting our ghost dead."

"Hey, Mr. Federal Agent! I think there's something else you might want to know. You don't know her name do you?" He laughs. "I do."