𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 ━━ 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐳𝐳𝐨

FIFTY SEVEN | foolish heart

"Hey. Our cars blew up this morning. Did you do that?"

Agent Trent Kort of the C.I.A. stands at the front of the elevator. Tony lets out a sarcastic laugh before being held against the wall.

"Where did you go with La Grenouille?"

"Actually, he prefers René. Arms dealers get very touchy about their code names." Tony informs him. "The Frog has a kind of slimy overtone to it. Maybe you should keep that in mind for next time. Could use it yourself."

My lips tighten, and I lean against the wall. "Kort, let go of him."

"I'd do what she says." Tony grunts against the tight hold. "Not because it's me, but because she's already stabbed one guy."

"Unless you prefer to be shot to death." I nod in front of us.

Across from the elevator just behind Kort stands Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, and Jenny, and the first three have their guns raised.

He reluctantly releases Tony, who fixes his collar. The others lower their guns.

"We will find him, DiNozzo."

Kort's grimace turns to me, eyes narrowed in threat.

"You little —"

Tony circles his arms around my waist from behind, pulling me back against his chest before I can kill the agent.

"She didn't get her beauty sleep last night."

"A little busy trying to stay alive."

"Happy frog-hunting." Tony wishes him sarcastically as the two of us walk off the elevator and towards the others.

My hand scratches the back of my neck. "No welcome balloons?"

Jenny and Gibbs take me and Tony upstairs into the one and only conference room. I slump against the couch while we watch the video footage of the simultaneous explosions.

"That was more exciting live."

Jenny pauses the video. "You two saw it?" You were there?"

"Saw it, heard it, felt it." Tony sits on the armrest beside me. "He was waiting when we left the hospital with Jeanne and Jaiden this morning."

"It was their idea. A little Meet The Parents Part Two surprise for us."

"God, I hate sequels."

Gibbs smiles ever so slightly.

"Figured our covers were blown as soon as we saw him."

"Turns out he's known for months."

"Kort?"

"Probably." I lift my chin a little. "We tried talking our way out of the mess."

The two of us take the director and Gibbs down memory lane — which took place only a couple of hours ago.

"Did La Grenouille tell Jeanne and Jaiden who you two were?" Jenny's grip on the remote tightens.

Tony looks over at me. "They didn't miss a beat. Pretended everything was fine."

"Didn't last long, obviously. We saw the two men driving our vehicles a couple of cars behind us when. . .it happened."

The cars exploded almost exactly at the same time, bursting into flames so close. . .we could almost feel the heat.

"What was La Grenouille's first reaction?"

"That he was the target."

Tony pours himself a glass of water but passes it to me instead. Still in shock from the explosion, I shake my head.