Twisted Justice (an NCIS story)

Chapter Sixteen

"Shh it is beginning." Ziva interrupted.

Danny started at him from across the table with those wild eyes. Gibbs decided he didn't want to spend any more time in this room than necessary. Besides each moment was precious time that Tim was still missing.

"Where were you Friday night?"

Danny stared at him.

"Do you know Timothy McGee?"

The wild look in Danny's eyes changed completely to pure hate, but still he didn't say anything.

"Why don't you tell me about him?" Gibbs tried again.

Danny averted his eyes and started to rock back and forth mumbling.

Gibbs wasn't the best interrogator at NCIS for no reason though and as he had told Ziva this interrogation might not follow textbook. There was one tactic he thought of trying but it usually made him sick to his stomach. However it might be the only way to get Larson to open up and if that would save McGee then he resolutely resigned that it must be done.

"Look son I know how you feel. McGee is one of my agents and sometimes, well ," Gibbs sighed as he leaned back, "sometime he can be a problem."

"What is he doing?" Abby demanded.

"Not everyone confesses under the Leroy Jethro Gibbs stare Abby" Tony commented.

"Yes, they do and Gibbs didn't even try!"

"Abigail Tony is quite correct. Many people can withstand a great deal of scrutiny and only when they believe they have reached a sympathetic ear will they spill out their trouble. Gibbs knows how to read people and I'm sure his interrogation method is correct, look he has already broken through." Ducky nodded toward the window, Abby turned to see Danny's face open up a bit as he nodded.

Gibbs leaned forward and spoke softly, confidingly to Larson.

"People think he's a good guy, that he does not wrong. I don't understand it, I can't make them see."

By now Danny was nodding so hard he looked like his head might come off his neck.

Gibbs continued with the question he hoped would open the door to what he really wanted to know

"Danny, what do you do with someone like that?"

"Make them pay." Danny finally spoke. "Make them suffer."

"He hurt you." Gibbs stated.

Danny nodded again

"What did he do to you?"

"He killed my sister."

"Really?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows in interested curiosity urging Danny to continue.

"She drowned when she was just a kid, he stood there and watched her drown. He's guilty. He drowned too, but he came back. It's not fair, if anyone was going to come back it should have been my sister not that stupid kid. He didn't even have any friends, it's not like anyone would have missed him."

Gibbs pushed his anger down, he needed as much information as possible and Danny would only give it to him if he thought he was a friend.

"Have you ever thought about making him pay?"

"Oh yeah, every day."

"What's stopping you?"

"I was in hospitals, talking to stupid people who told me that was wrong."

He suddenly grinned and the sight made Tony sick.

"Nothing stopping me now though."

"Yeah?" Gibbs said calmly.