Twisted Justice (an NCIS story)

Chapter Fourteen

Danny was sitting down for a rest. He had been going pretty hard. He stared at the piece of trash sitting tied to a chair in front of him only semi-conscious. Part of him wanted to wrap his hands around the man's throat and strangle the life out of him, but another part wanted him to last and suffer a little longer. Besides he had hardly gotten all his thoughts out. Sure shrinks were ok to talk to when there was no one else, they had to listen, that was their job. The annoying thing about them though was how the always wanted to change your mind. They would let you tell about all the injustice you and your family had endured, who had wronged you, what should be done to people like that, but in the end they just wanted to tell you it was wrong. And Danny knew it wasn't wrong. There was nothing wrong with making people pay for what they did. Nothing.

Then there was his uncle. Danny didn't like he was always telling his nephew what to do. I can take care of myself Danny thought. Still he was forced to admit Uncle Jerry had thought of some things he didn't. It never occurred to him they needed to move after McGee had escaped and attempted to use the phone. It was a good thing they did. He had gone over there this morning and seen NCIS agents everywhere presumably looking for the missing agent.

That had actually made him angrier. Why did they think McGee was worth the effort? If they knew what he did they would have just left him to his fate. If they knew they would think less of him, much, much less. He leaned forward to speak to his captive.

"You're getting off easy. You've had your whole life to live; my sister was only 7 when she died. My sister suffered. Can you imagine what she went through her final conscious moments? Drowning, not able to get help, no one to save her?"

"See in the loony bin they told me you did understand cause you were there too, but now you're here alive and she's dead. That doesn't seem fair. My mom tried to tell me you had pulled her out, but I know that's a lie. You're a coward; you only wanted to save yourself. Did you know my mother committed suicide a few years after that? Hmmm? My stepdad was killed overseas. I didn't really like him, but I guess she did. Anyway that freed me from anymore of her advice. I can do what I want now."

He paused. His prisoner hadn't spoken. Danny wasn't really sure he wanted him too. He didn't want excuses, but it would have been nice to hear him beg and plead for his life knowing all the while that it would be denied. McGee had stirred at his voice so he knew he heard him, but he showed no signs of speaking so Danny continued.

"I've waited so long. I wanted you to feel some of the terror and helplessness she must have felt. To drown alone, trying to live."

A voice slurred from exhaustion and pain finally mumbled too softly to hear.

Danny erupted and backhanded him across the face.

"Don't talk to me you piece of crap. You're happy their dead and you're alive. You don't care that she died; if you had you would have died too. You should have died. My sister was worth a hundred of you."

He leaned in close and his presence made McGee shudder.

"I thought about taking your sisters. It would have been more parallel. My two siblings gone, your two sisters gone. See, perfect. But they were innocent and it wouldn't have satisfied my dreams, the dreams I've had for 24 years. I've imagined all the ways I could hurt you, cause you pain. I want to watch. My favorites ended up being the cattle prod, chains, and this." He said kicking a bucket causing McGee to flinch. Pretending not to see the effect Danny continued.

"Beating is really the best though. Every time I hit you with my bare hands it makes me feel like something is being repaid. Somehow we're a little closer to being even. "

He abruptly got up.

"But we'll never be even, not really."

He picked up the bucket of water and the sloshing sound sent McGee into a panic. Danny's eerily composed voice was completely out of place.

"Let's go again"

Ducky had asked Gibbs if he wanted to talk. He didn't. He wanted to think. Alone. Having sent Ziva for Wilson and Tony for a break Gibbs sat at his desk taking in the silence of the bullpen. Normally he enjoyed this; it meant his team was working, doing what they did best. Tim would be down in the lab with Abby working on some computer stuff he didn't understand. Tony and Ziva would be out following a lead, but not today.

He looked at Tim's empty desk and remembered with a pang that last time he had seen him standing there. He remembered chewing him out for the misplacement of evidence. Why? McGee was always careful. God knows this wasn't a regular occurrence for him, but something about it had rubbed Gibbs the wrong way.

Gibbs hated that McGee was missing, hated that anger had been the last thing he had seen from his Boss, he hated that his senior field agent was hurting for a variety of reasons, hated that his friend had lied to him, hated that McGee was most certainly being mistreated by some deranged person who despised him him, but there was another nagging feeling bothering him.

McGee had kept information from Gibbs to protect him and Tony. If he had been asked at that moment Gibbs honestly couldn't have said if he was angry or proud. He was the one who protecting people. When his team needed him they leaned on him. He wasn't use to someone trying to shield him from emotional hurt and certainly the last person he expected that from was Tim McGee.

The baby of his team protecting him. It was perhaps one of the most shocking discoveries of a day that had held plenty. In truth McGee sometimes slipped under Gibbs' radar. He considered his team family, everyone of them and while Gibbs would go to the ends of the earth for the young man as he would anyone on his team McGee rarely needed the emotional support the others did. In reality McGee needed Gibbs the least of anyone on the team as an emotional bulwark. McGee had a father who obviously cared about him. So while Gibbs would have almost expected this from Tony or Ziva who looked to him more as a father, the fact that it came from McGee blindsided him.

Shaking his head he pulled a letter out of his desk that he had only read once and yet somehow it was burned in his mind.

Special Agent Gibbs,

I will take this opportunity to offer my resignation. I know how you feel about apologies and lots of words that aren't necessary, so I will refrain. I do want you to know I regret the way things ended. I have no good excuse for what happened; I doubt you would accept one anyway.

Being an NCIS field agent has always been my dream in no small part because I wanted to make a difference, to help people. At this point I have ceased being a help and become a hindrance. A murderer will likely go free because of my carelessness and I cannot in good conscious continue my job under the guise of helping when I am in fact not.

I thank you for the confidence you instilled in me. It is more than I ever imagined I could do. It was truly an honor to observe you work and a privilege to work alongside you. Thank you for the opportunity and the faith, however misplaced, you had in a stuttering young man all those years ago.

Sincerely

Timothy McGee

Gibbs sighed. He had to find a way to make this right. Abby had been right they couldn't let him quite over some lost evidence because in the end the good he had done in his short career far outweighed the bad.

Got to find him first. Gibbs though ruefully.

The elevator ding brought Gibbs back to the present. Ziva emerged first and pulled along with her a disgruntled looking Wilson. Gibbs began to gather his material. He knew what he wanted and he intended to get it.

Here we go.