AT SUMMER'S END
CH 7
Meanwhile, Gibbs was on a tear. He strode to the squad room, "Ziva with me," he turned abruptly back toward the interrogation rooms.
Ziva jumped grabbing a file off her desk. Before she hurried behind her boss, she signaled to a nearby agent to keep an eye on Elena. When she was sure the little girl was well supervised she caught up to Gibbs almost running into him when he stopped and turned at the door where Lucas was waiting. He updated her with the latest findings.
"Is his lawyer present?" Gibbs sneered.
"Yes, she arrived ten minutes ago," Ziva nodded stunned with the direction the case had turned. Why did Mexico and drugs seem to return again and again into Gibbs' life?
Her boss straightened his back, took the file from Ziva and entered the room as Ziva moved to watch from observation. Gibbs didn't acknowledge Lucas or his attorney before pulling out his chair and tossing the file on the table as he sat down.
He twisted his neck and stared stonily into Lucas' eyes. "We have you for kidnapping, assault and when our investigation is complete we'll have you for drug trafficking and murder as well."
Lucas stood to argue despite his attorney's attempt to keep him seated with a hand on his arm.
Gibbs didn't look at the young man standing and struggling with his attorney. He opened the file and sorted through the papers. He chose a couple photographs of the kitchen and placed them on the table facing the chair Lucas had vacated.
Both the lawyer and Lucas stopped to see what he put there. The lawyer looked horrified, but Lucas almost smiled retaking his seat. Before he could put his fingers on them Gibbs picked them back up.
"We'll find your DNA in that mess. We already matched the blood to Nelson's parents."
Lucas shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Gibbs showed a half smile before narrowing his eyes, "I do." He stood collecting all the papers and sliding them back into the folder. When he opened the door to leave he looked over his shoulder to see the attorney whispering in Lucas' ear. Lucas stared angrily at Gibbs as he exited closing the door behind him.
As he walked determinedly down the hallway his phone rang, "Yeah, Gibbs."
"He's awake," Tony informed him.
Ziva joined Gibbs and watched as he shut his phone and went to retrieve his badge and weapon, and then storm out. Things were not going well.
At the hospital Tony met Gibbs at the door and led him to Nelson's room. The kid looked so young laying in the bed Gibbs wondered how he got caught up in the mess he was entangled. He sat in the chair next to the bed. Time was of the essence in finding his sister.
"I'm Special Agent Gibbs," he introduced himself in a calm voice.
Nelson's eyes filled with tears. "My parents. They're dead," he choked.'
Gibbs tilted his head to the right, "Most likely. Who did it?"
"Lucas," he sobbed and turned his face away. "It's all my fault."
Gibbs waited for him to calm himself before asking, "How is it your fault?"
"The package. I didn't know. At first it seemed like an easy way to make some money. Dropping off letters and envelopes. But the package. I knew it wasn't good."
"How'd it start?" Gibbs was trying to figure Nelson out.
"Lucas was hanging out by the school and I heard him talking to another kid about making some fast money. My mom's birthday was coming u and I wanted to get her something nice. He said all I had to do was take a letter to his boss and he'd pay me $50." He craned his neck "back and slapped at the mattress, "I was stupid. I should've known."
"How long did you work for him?" Gibbs narrowed his eyes feeling almost sorry for him.
"A couple of months. The two days ago he gave me a package. I didn't want to take it, but Lucas said I owed him. He'd give me good money for simple errands. I had to earn my keep. Plus there was a bonus for agreeing to deliver it."
"How much of a bonus did he pay you?" Gibbs asked.
"$250. I knew then it had to be illegal. He told me when it was delivered safely there would be even more money. I didn't know how to get out of it. I got myself sucked in and the way Lucas was staring at me scared me. He looked crazed. I'd never seen him look that way before," Nelson practically begged the agent to understand his predicament.
Gibbs remained silent waiting for Nelson to finish his side of the story. He urged him with a nod.
"I took the package and hid it in the backseat of my sister's car. I wanted to take it to the cops. I was too scared," he cried.
Good reason to be scared, Gibbs thought. "Is it still there?" he was going to find it and nail Lucas and whomever he was working for.
Nelson nodded. "I couldn't tell him. That's why he killed my parents. It was awful. I ran to my sister's after he called asking about where the package was. I took my sister's car home hoping to get my parents out before he got there. He'd already killed them. When he saw me with the car he asked where I'd gotten it, but I couldn't talk. He knocked me around and tied me up and put me in the backseat of his car. I must've passed out because the next thing I knew I was tied up to the chair and he was slapping me in the face. He kept trying to get me to tell him where the package was. It was the first time I glimpsed some fear in his eyes. He threatened my sister and my niece. Are they okay?" he asked suddenly gripped with fear for them.
"Elena is at NCIS," Gibbs answered deliberately vague.
"What about Marcea?" his eyes begged him to say she was okay. "Tell me she is still alive."
Gibbs chewed at his cheek, "Wish I knew myself. She's missing. Elena had a note asking for the package in exchange for her safety."
Nelson squeezed his eyes closed and released the sobs he'd been controlling. "It's all my fault. I was so stupid!"
Gibbs nodded silently, no argument there, but he needed a lead to whom they were looking for. "Who did Lucas for?"
Nelson shook his head, "I don't know. He never told me."
"You never heard him say a name or read one on any off the letters you delivered?" Gibbs wanted answers. "Where did you deliver the other things?"
The young man sank into his bed. Looking up to the ceiling he tried to recall anything. He took a deep breath and sniffed, "Most of the deliveries I made were on corners, different ones every time. One time I think he mentioned someone named Ramone, but I don't know if that anything to do with the package."
"It's a start," Gibbs grabbed his phone.
"Do you have him? Lucas?" Nelson asked stopping Gibbs before he opened the door to leave.
He nodded, "Yeah. We got him."
"Good," Nelson replied and watched the older man leave holding his phone to his ear.
Gibbs signaled to Tony that he wanted a word. Before his call was answered he told him to get someone to replace his post at the hospital and then meet back at headquarters.
