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Just because she was strong didn’t mean she didn’t need him. God knows I need her. She’d shown him more about who he was in a short time than he’d been willing to admit. All these years, he’d run from being a Henderson instead of working to make the name something to be proud of.
You’ve become very important to me, Ziva. Where the hell are you? I need you to know what you mean to me.
When the chopper landed, Alex hopped in, and the two guards joined him, leaving their vehicles behind. It took all his self-control not to tell them to get the fuck out. None of them had expected Ziva to take off like she had. But he needed everyone he could find to look for her.
The bird was in the air not even five minutes when the pilot handed him a headset.
“We located the car on the side of the road just outside of town. You weren’t joking when you said it was beat-up. I can’t believe it made it that far.”
“Any sign of her?” Alex asked Bennett.
“There are footsteps heading to town. We’re on it. Alex, don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
God, I hope so.“We’re on our way.” It was still early, so the heat hadn’t fully set in yet. If they didn’t find her, and she was walking for more than an hour, she’d quickly overheat and dehydrate.
“We have people on the ground, checking in the town.”
“Thanks. Keep me posted.”
He wasn’t sure where he should start looking. Alex hadn’t explored the town much at all, unlike Bennett and Doug who’d scoped out everything. They were his best hope of locating her.
The sun was up, and as they flew over houses he saw people already up and on the move. There was a mother walking with small children in tow. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like to grow up here, instead of in Boston with his father. They didn’t have the financial benefits of living in the lap of luxury, but they had something he didn’t. A true family unit.
This is what Ziva is fighting for.It was something he’d always wanted. He needed to find her. If nothing else, he’d make sure she was safe and tell her he wanted to help her.
Exactly what that help would be he wasn’t sure. The government was a mess, and the country was understandably very rocky. It was going to take some serious work to get it stabilized again, never mind become a safe place to live. He respected everything she was trying to do, but it was impossible to do any lasting good by herself. It’s going to take money and manpower. She has neither. Fortunately, he had both.
He tapped the pilot for the headset again. Once in place, he called out to Bennett. “It’s a long shot, but I think I know where she went.”
“We’ll take it ’cause we’re striking out.”
Alex gave him the address of his mother’s house, thankful he’d had the forethought to get it from her. Since Nikolet had told him Ziva had been there once, maybe she’d go again if she needed help. It’s worth a try.
“Alex, you realize she’s on foot. That is a lot of distance for someone her size to travel.”
“Bennett, you underestimate her.” A mistake I’ve made myself. She is capable of more than any of us give her credit for.
“Roger. On our way.”
So am I.Alex gave the pilot directions where to head next. The pilot nodded and the chopper banked hard to the right with the new coordinates. Odds were Bennett would arrive before him. He wanted to be first, to have her rush to him and throw her arms around his neck, kissing him like she had those days ago. He hoped she would be as happy to see him as he was her. Then again, nothing I’ve played out in my head has turned out how I envisioned it. Why would this be any different?
Rather than dwelling on what might or might not be, he went with his gut. And that told him if Ziva couldn’t be with him, she’d go and be with Nikolet. Bennett was right, it was a long shot, but so was coming halfway around the world to find someone like her. If she wasn’t with Nikolet, he’d keep looking until he found her. There was so much left unsaid, and he wasn’t leaving Tabiq until it was all out on the table.
I need to see you. Hold you one more time. Tell you that I...His heart was racing. That I love you.
