Twisted Justice (an NCIS story)

Chapter Twenty

Gibbs walked into interrogation with a box and set it on the table. He came to stand beside the man that had been brought in hours before. Gibbs began taking items out of the box and throwing them on the table. Evidence bags were first, items from the first crime scene, then email printouts, and finally a Colt revolver.

Jerry Niles stared as Gibbs continued to place items on the table, each piece of evidence a nail in his coffin.

"Agent searched you house and car, Jerry. You really should do better job of disposing of criminal evidence. Thought you would have learned that by working here. We have all the evidence you stole, we have emails from Carrol demanding blackmail money after he caught you taking bribes."

He picked up the revolver.

"This has been fired recently. One bullet for Carrol, one for Teal, and then this one."

He brought one more item out of the box, a glass jar holding a mangled, bloody piece of metal, and set it on the table.

"This was the bullet they dug out of Special Agent McGee's knee several hours ago. Didn't do too much long term damage but he's got a bad infection."

Jerry was a little wary of the calm in Gibbs voice. He had expected Gibbs to come in and throw him against a wall.

"Yup," Gibbs continued "We have all we need. Slam dunk for the prosecution."

"Then why am I here instead of in lockup?" Niles finally asked.

It happened so quickly Niles barely had time to think before Gibbs had grabbed him by the shirt and brought him inches from his face.

"Because my agent is in a coma, not even able to breathe on his own and I want to know why!"

Niles flinched at the rage in his voice. Gibbs threw him back in the chair and backed off a little trying to control himself. Vance was watching and he didn't want to give the director a chance to pull the plug before he was done, he hadn't brought Tony or Ziva in for that very reason. He leaned back in.

"You wanted us, my team, dead because we were too close on the case. I get that, it's what scum does. But instead of just trying to gun us down you allowed you mentally deranged nephew to beat a man almost to death. Not even over the case, over something that happened 25 years ago when he was a child. Why? You questioned him, you knew he didn't know where the evidence you were looking for was and yet you still let Danny break him down, use his guilt to make him suffer. I want to know why."

Niles glared.

"I have nothing to say to you Gibbs. You and your team mean nothing to me, why should I care what happens to them, any of them?"

Gibbs didn't have anything to say either because in truth he wanted to punch the man. He silently started to load the evidence back in the box.

"Your nephew is crazy and the defense is going to run with that, but you? You have no excuse. "

He put his hand on Niles' shoulder, finding and squeezing not so gently on a pressure point. Niles winced as Gibbs leaned in and whispered.

"And you won't last long in prison."

Gibbs stepped back into the hall. He was immediately flanked by Tony and Ziva.

"Ok Boss, you wouldn't let me talk to Jerry Niles, but you'll let me go in with you when you talk to Larson right?" Tony said hopefully.

"And me Gibbs" Ziva jumped in.

"Nobody is talking to Larson." Vance said suddenly coming up behind them making Tony jump.