A/N: Wow! I'm having a Sally Fields Oscar Speech moment - "You like it, you really, really like it!" - to paraphrase. (Apologies to Sally) Want to thank my first "fans", those who took the time to Alert or Favorite the story, and the reviews. This means YOU: a-rab; sorgina13; STLFan; lovinlife48; kdjane; allenT; narumi112; Spanish girl; and the one who provided the kick in the butt to get me going, Moonlight Gypsy (any flamers or snarky reviews can still go to her!). I hope you find the rest of the story just as intriguing. Now, on with our story….(long chapter - beware!)

**Rated M for sexual situations and foul language. Read at your own risk.**

Monsters in the Shadows

Chapter 3 - - Interrogation

Thad Bensonhurst,III, barely looked up as the door to the interrogation room opened and a well-dressed man - much like himself - entered. Well, ok, to be honest - and TB3 (as he called himself) was nothing if not honest - maybe this guy was just a bit more polished than he, himself. MAYBE. At least this agent, this… DiNozzo, would be easy to talk to - like speaks to like, money to money. Not like that foreign bitch that pushed him in here.

Thad smiled slightly as he thought about her. She was a feisty one. He'd love to get a piece of that ass - bet she was an animal in bed.

Tony sat across from Bensonhurst, barely restraining his anger. He knew guys like this. Hell, on the outside, he was a guy like this - guys that believed their money entitled them to the world, no matter who got stepped on in the process. He's betting 'Trust Fund Thad' is thinking the same about him.

"Finally," Thad said jovially. "I was beginning to think I'd been forgotten in here."

'I wish', thought Tony to himself. "Sorry about that, Thad - can I call you Thad?" He continued on at Bensonhurst's nod. "There was a little miscommunication. Has someone been in to look at that?" Tony asked, pointing to the suspect's left hand, where it appeared as if more than one finger was sprained, if not broken, courtesy of Ziva.

Bensonhurst looked down, as if he'd forgotten all about it. "Oh, nah, it's good. A sprain or 2, nothing serious."

Tony played along, building a rapport with the jerk. "You sure? Our doctor is top-notch…. No? Ok. And just to let you know, Officer David has been reprimanded for the way she treated you as she brought you in. This is not how NCIS treats people, suspect or not."

'TFT III' (as Tony was beginning to think of him in his head) smirked. Oh yeah, this was going to be a cake-walk. "Not too severely, I hope." He leaned in as if sharing a secret. "Must be that 'time of the month', eh? You know how un-rational women can be then," he said with a wink.

Tony chuckled. He had the creep hooked. "Ha, ha, yeah. That, or the fact that she's an Israeli Mossad assassin," he said with a smirk, as TFT III's smile faded away. He pulled a stock photo of Abby out of the folder in front of him and set it so Thad could see it. "Know her?"

Bensonhurst made a show of examining the photo. "Mmmmm, don't think so. Cute but… not quite my type," he said cockily.

Tony put out a few more pre-attack photos of Abby. "Are you sure you've never seen her? Abby Sciuto…. " TFT thought quick on his feet, Tony would give him that much, as he tried to save himself. "Ohhhh, yeah, yes, Abby! Yes, yes, I do know her. Well," Thad backpedaled perfectly, "not well, but we've spoken, had lunch once or twice."

Pulling out a picture of Abby in full Goth garb, Tony danced it in front of Thad, and turned into 'Ladykiller Tony.' "Just lunch? C'mon Thad, buddy, ol' pal," he turned the picture and looked at it, sucked in a breath with a whistle. "Girls like this? You know they want more than just lunch…" He winked at Thad. "And this one?" He leered as he gave the photo back to Thad. "Mmmmm, bet she was better than any lunch you've ever had, huh?" he asked with another wink.

Thad was a bit shocked, but knew now that he'd be walking out of here a free man. "You?… and her…?"

Tony laughed a predatory laugh. "Shorter list is who hasn't she been with here at NCIS!" He leaned in conspiratorily. "Hey, did she do that thing… tightening her muscles around you when you… ya'know….?" He wanted to wipe the smirk off Bensonhurst's face. Either that or throw up. Maybe both.

"Ohhhh-ho, yeah, man! And what about that mouth?" The scum was practically drooling over the picture. "Watching your cock disappear in and out of those pouty, red lips…"

The guy talk came to an abrupt halt as the door flew open. "DiNutso, " FBI Agent Tobias Fornell growled. "You shouldn't be talking to my suspect." He turned to Thad. "FBI, Mr. Bensonhurst. I'll be taking over this case."

Thad was nervous. What did this guy, in his Sears off-the-rack suit, know about guys like him and Agent DiNozzo?

"This was that little misunderstanding I was telling you about Thad. We'll get it straightened out right now." Tony turned to Fornell. " Fornell. Always a pleasure. Nice suit, hey, did you get the complimentary security tag with it?" Thad chuckled.

"Funny, " Fornell said blandly. "This is an FBI case, DiNutso." Tony wagged a finger as he answered, "Aahh yes, but the victim is an NCIS employee."

"Civilian employee," Fornell interrupted, "means she's ours."

Tony sighed. "Well, hell, Tobias. If you want to get technical about it."

Thad sensed things were tilting out of his favor. He knew he couldn't schmooze the Feeb. "What if I want NCIS to handle it? Don't I get a choice?"

Winking at Thad, Tony said, "See Tobias? The suspect wants NCIS to take this. And Thad… I mean, Mr. Bensonhurst and I, are still discussing things."

Fornell sat with a sigh. "You know I hate coming down here for nothing. At least read me in, so I haven't totally wasted a trip."

"Sure, I can share." Tony returned the photos back to the folder. "We're almost finished here, right Thad?" Thad agreed. "My buddy Thad, here, had a bit of a … well,let's call it a 'disagreement'… with a female NCIS employee."

Fornell's eyebrows rose. "Disagreement? Hell, I heard she was in the hospital, still in a coma caused by her injuries. Didn't you see the 'after' pictures?"

"You mean, " Tony said smoothly, laying several pictures of Abby bruised and beaten, in front of Thad, "these pictures?" He saw TFT swallow nervously and begin to sweat. "Well, I gotta' admit, Thad, Agent Fornell may be right about these. This does look like a little more than a 'disagreement." He spread out close-up photos of the bruising and cuts, the blackened eye. " But I bet you can explain all this, right?"

"You said it yourself, Agent DiNozzo," Bensonhurst began. "Women like this are only good for one thing." He pushed the pictures away. "So ok, we were fucking like bunnies and it got a little rough." Thad didn't see Tony's eyes narrow or his nostrils flare, his hands clench into fists. "She's bouncing up and down on my cock, yelling 'more, more, harder, harder….man, I love screamers! She asked for more, I gave her more," he ranted, so worked up spittle was flying out of his mouth. "She fucked like a dog in heat, she just kept begging…."

Thad flew from his chair and up against the wall - hard. "Begging you to stop, maybe," Tony growled, his arm pressed against Bensonhurst's throat, and right in his face.

"C'mon, man! She wanted it! You said you've done her yourself," Thad gasped. The arm across his throat just pressed harder. It was getting more difficult to breathe.

Fornell tried getting in between Tony and the suspect, but he couldn't break the younger agent's hold on Bensonhurst. "DiNozzo, let him go, c'mon."

"He hurt her, Tobias," Tony spit, watching TFT's eyes begin to bulge. "Almost killed her."

"Who? Let him go, no one's worth killing this skell over," Fornell said, still trying to break them apart.

"Abby," Tony said through clenched teeth. Fornell froze. "Abby Sciuto, Abby?" he asked, incredulous. "GIBBS' Abby?"

Tony shook Thad so hard, his head cracked against the cement wall, pressed his arm harder against the scum's neck, enjoying watching his face turn a deep shade of purple, relishing in the gasping pleas to stop. "DiNOZZO'S Abby."

Fornell stepped back. "He's all yours." Thad begs the FBI agent to help him, telling him that he can't just stand there and let this happen. The seasoned agent shook his head. "You messed with the wrong girl, Bensonhurst. You're on your own." As Fornell walked out, Director Shephard stormed in. "Let him go." She could tell Tony was in the Red Zone, could see the steely determination in his eyes. "Tony, stop!"

"Abby asked him to stop, too," he ground out. "You've seen her, the condition she's in."

"I know, DiNozzo, but this is not the way to handle this. Abby wouldn't want this."

Tony grinned evilly. "Oh, I think she'd understand." He could tell it was close…. Almost there…..

"STAND DOWN, AGENT DiNOZZO. THAT'S AN ORDER."

Tony released Bensonhurst with a growl and watched him slide to the floor, gasping and choking for breath. He stood over him, fists clenching, lungs heaving, itching to pick up where he left off. He can't remember a time when he's actually wanted - no, NEEDED - to kill. He flinched when Jenny touched his shoulder, nudging him toward the door. "It's over Tony," she said softly. "He's going away for a long time, I promise you. But right now, you need to concentrate on Abby…. DiNozzo's Abby, remember? You can't help her if you're in custody."

Tony started to leave, then returned to kneel next to Bensonhurst. "You and I are nothing alike. A real man is more than an expensive suit and a rich daddy buying him out of trouble." Leaning down closer, he whispered in his ear so only TFT could hear. "I know about the other women, the GIRLS you've hurt, that were swept under the rug by daddy's money. I know all about you, and I'll be watching you, just waiting for you to slip up." Tony stood then and left the room quickly.

Jenny watched as Tony knelt next to Bensonhurst, saw him whisper something to him, watched as all color left the suspect's face. She motioned two agents in to scoop the scum up off the floor. "Thank God," he croaked. "I'll sue DiNozzo for all he's got!"

Director Shephard pushed Thad none-too-gently into the chair. She stood over him, staring him down with eyes of steel. "I didn't stop him to help you," she ground out angrily. "Agent DiNozzo is one of the best agents NCIS has, and I'll be damned if I lose him over someone like you." She could see that the bastard still didn't get it. "As Agent Fornell said, you picked the wrong girl to 'fuck with.' " She picked up a picture of bruised Abby and held it in front of his eyes. "Abby Sciuto is as good as a little sister to Agent Dinozzo." She began to see the light of understanding in his eyes. "He would've been justified in killing you."

Bensonhurst made one last effort. "I was attacked in NCIS custody…."

Jenny smiled, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "You were never read your Miranda Rights. At no time were you in custody or under arrest." She chuckled at his expression. "You could have gotten up and left at any time." She enjoyed watching his mouth open and close, like a fish out of water. He looked at the mirror window and the video camera. "The only one back there at any time was me. And since you weren't under arrest, there's no video record of what happened here today."

Fornell came back into the room. "But you are under arrest now." He motioned for the two agents to take custody.

"Read him his rights, and then get him the hell out of my agency, Fornell," Jenny said as the agents put the cuffs on Thad.

"Gladly, Madame Director. You know," Tobias said thoughtfully, "I think the student has surpassed the master."

With a smile, Jenny said as she left the room, "it was bound to happen sooner or later." Tobias smiled after her. He turned when Bensonhurst began complaining again. "'ey!" he said loudly. "Abigail Sciuto is a friend. Shut up before I let DiNozzo back in to finish what he started." He followed as his agents dragged Thad Bensonhurst, III down the hall to the elevators.