Legerdemain

Eli had thought he’d have more warning before this happened. In fact, he wouldn’t have even known what happened since Rivkin was dead and Ziva incarcerated had it not been for the low ranking spy he’d placed in NCIS through a masterful legerdemain while NCIS was distracted tracking Ziva and Ari early on.

Unfortunately the spy wasn’t even an NCIS agent, so hadn’t been privy to the knowledge that NCIS was onto them until it was too late, but at least they’d been able to warn him enough that he could start making plans here in Israel to counterbalance what was to come before things became too public knowledge.

He was sure that as soon as the masses heard about the failures happening in the US they would begin seeking to kick him out of office. Ilan would be only to happy to use this as a reason to take over Mossad, he knew. However, he had one last legerdemain planned for Ilan. He would let Ilan take over, but what Ilan would be taking over wouldn’t be what he expected.

He’d already secreted Talia away when he faked her death. Ziva was now a lost cause, but her mother and Talia could be reunited and they could all vanish somewhere and when Ilan took over, he’d find a shell of the Mossad he knew. Mossad lives on information, but if there is no information to be found, Mossad will crumble and all the agents will be lost with no direction. Eli first inserted one thumb drive into the computer system and copied down, encrypting them at the same time, all the important files he would need for bribes and other things later.

Once all the files were copied, he inserted another thumb drive. One that he always kept with him just in case something like this were to happen or if they were to be infiltrated or anything. That way he could wipe out all the information at once. Slipping the thumb drive into the computer system, he let the virus do it’s work while he waited for the news to spread through the populace.

He was sure even now that Ilan was grandstanding about how horrible he is and how better management is needed. He knew Ilan had his own sources in America that he had never been willing to share with Mossad. Sending a coded message to Ziva’s mother, he gave her the instructions on where to meet up with Talia letting her know he would join them later.

Then he leaned back in the director’s chair and waited for the show to happen. He knew exactly which Mossad agents were loyal to him alone and had already positioned them such as to allow for his easy escape through the secret passageways.

Sure enough about an hour later, his door burst in and Ilan started his filibuster. For a supposedly secret government agency, a number of news reporters clearly knew where it was located now. All the more reason for Eli to leave and start it up again somewhere else.

Cutting into Ilan’s speech, Eli interrupted. “You know, you’re right. You should run this place. You’re clearly capable of making it more public than I ever did.” Slipping the thumb drive with the virus into a hidden pocket while no one was looking, so no evidence of what happened remained, Eli continued. “In fact, I leave this entire building to you. Though you may want to sweep it for bombs before you continue your speech.” With that last parting shot that Eli was certain would distract from him, Eli slipped into one of the hidden passageways and simply vanished.

Of course, the reporters immediately turned to Ilan and demanded to know what Eli meant. Ilan scrambled and panicked and everyone forgot about Eli until it was too late to stop him from vanishing to his hideaway. Ilan cursed when he realized Eli had given him the slip over a completely fake bomb threat that was nevertheless real enough to wipe all the computer systems of any information they had.