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

Truth Will Out

I look around the edge of the stacked freights, the ship sits docked along the edge of the port. The cargo hasn't been pulled off yet and transport haven't arrived yet either. Leaning back against the freight I stare up at the darkening sky.

    A sharp whistle echoes through the empty dock and I look back to see four men coming up along side the cargo. Looking up to the ship a rumbling comes off and I see the three freights begin to unload and come down one by one.

    "Open 'em up. Get the stuff and packed up. We're gone in ten."

    I stare at one man in particular and think back to the past and as his men begin to pull out the cargo.

    "Eight weapons, four men," I say.

    "Copy," Egypt replies in my ear.

    "Remember you'll only be needed if things really go down hill," I say.

    "I can make the shot easy."

    "I know, but I'm trying to keep you and Baron out of this if I can," I say.

    "You gotta move, window is closing."

    My feet lightly carry me across the metal frames of the freight's and I jump off to silently land on my feet behind another freight. Creeping around, I look down the dock and find no sign of cops. Looking down at my watch I see the fifty-seven minute window is down to eight minutes.

    "Sorry I had to lie to you Gibbs," I say.

    Stepping from the shadows, I move towards them.

    "Well, well, well. Nice to see the shipment got here in one piece," I call out and they turn quickly with guns drawn. I look over and he claps his hands.

    "I don't think this is what you meant when you said you'd hope to see me again," I say. He shakes his head as he stops clapping.

    "I didn't. I hoped that it would be when you were actually dead. You know, I thought something was up when I didn't get a call from Cruz. I heard what you did to him and I'd like to thank you. You saved me a lot of trouble."

    "Why'd you do it Joe? Why'd you frame me?"

    "You needed out. You're too good, you're beginning to make us look bad. You're leaving things too clean for me to explain away, sometimes you actually have to leave a little proof you know," he says.

    "Did Victor and Antoine have an in on it?" I ask.

    "No. They're dead," he says nonchalantly.

    "Did you think I'd do it?" I ask.

    "Crossed my mind, but I knew the moment you started to check the port before we left for Casablanca."

    "It was you who blindsided me."

    "Yeah and I gotta say it was a lot easier than I thought it'd be."

    "Has this been the plan for the past four years? There never was a job to do in Russia was there? Nothing to do with Novikov? It was all just a way to get me out of my previous mess and get rid of me for good?"

    He smiles. "Yeah. You don't know how hard I tried to kill you in Saratov."

    "Yeah, I thought it was a nice move from Moscow. You try to kill me then, too?"

    "No you almost got yourself killed on that one. Sorry about the wound to the shoulder, I was aiming for your head. I would've killed you at the banks, but Nile insisted that he get to shoot because the wind. We wouldn't have needed to fake a death if you were actually dead."