Callen sat down at the table in the interrogation room, anger written all over his face.
"You've really done it this time, Tracy," he said. "You assaulted a federal agent, then kidnapped him, stowed him in an airplane luggage compartment, then let him fall to the ground. He has a badly fractured skull, swelling on his brain, and he may never wake up. If that happens, you'll be going away for the rest of your life. Why did you do it?"
"Don't know what you;re talking about," Tracy said pleasantly. "You should ask Zoe though, she should be able to give you answers."
"You would throw your sister under the bus?"
"If she's innocent, then it won't matter what I say."
"Give it up," said Sam. "Your partner and your sister both made statements and got deals. They're only going to prison for a few years. They told us that you were the one to come up with the plan to kidnap Agent DiNozzo and then to let him die from his injuries. They said that you organised the car to get you to the airport and that you came up with the idea of improvising and hiding in the luggage compartment of a Boeing 747 for a five hour flight so you couldn't be caught by police on the road."
"I didn't do any of that stuff." Tracy put on a fake crying face. "You have to believe me," she sobbed, "it was all Zoe's idea. She thought she could win that agent over and get him back, and when it didn't work she forced Max and I to bring her and the agent out to LA. She wanted us to hide her so that when the police found the body, she wouldn't be caught."
"And you had absolutely no part in this?"
"Of course not."
Callen shook his head angrily. Vance had been able to get camera footage from the gas station they had stopped before going to Dulles Airport, as well as the copy of Zoe's conversation with Gibbs. There was some footage from a camera in a house across the street from Zoe's old safe house that showed the two women entering together, quickly followed by Max, dragging Tony. Callen pulled an iPad out and unlocked it. He tapped play and put the video in front of Tracy.
"That's you and Zoe. Big surprise, you're the one taking charge. Zoe looks like she wants to run away from you." Callen waited a moment, and then paused it. "Why are you pulling her into the house?"
"You have it wrong. She's the one pulling me in."
"I'm not blind or stupid Tracy. We worked together long enough for me to know you when I see you." Callen pressed play again, and let the video run until it came to the end. "Do you want to revise your statement? I have a lot more damning evidence."
Tracy paled. She hesitated, and then gave up. "Okay, yes, I coerced Zoe into escaping from jail and kidnapping Tony. I told Max to bring Tony to Zoe's old safe house. But knocking Tony that hard over the head, that wasn't part of the plan. I told Max to incapacitate Tony, not put his life in danger. He did that himself. I don't know why, maybe he saw Agent Gibbs, maybe he just felt threatened. Either way, that is all on him."
Gibbs glared at Tracy through the screen. He had long since sent McGee off to the airport, and Kensi and Deeks had gone back to their office for a while. He was alone in the empty boat shed. But he wouldn't have it any other way. He had already sworn a few times, and he felt more pissed than ever before. This woman wanted them to believe she was only responsible for kidnapping Tony? Gibbs didn't believe a word she said. He wanted to kill her with his bare hands. But he wouldn't. He wouldn't do it, because then he would end up in prison too, and the last thing anyone needed was a pissed off federal agent stuck in a prison cell when he was needed elsewhere.
"Gibbs," said Callen. "We're going to take her to a holding cell. Do you want her prosecuted in DC?"
"No. You deal with her. I need to get back home and get to Tony."
"I understand. I'll book you a flight on the next available one to DC. But even so, you won't get there before tomorrow."
"Doesn't matter. I'm going straight to the hospital when I get home. Callen, I swear to you, if something's wrong with Tony, in any way, I'll be back here and she won't know what hit her."
"I know that. Just go back and focus on Tony for now. I'll let you know what happens." Callen hugged Gibbs, something that they used to do all the time.
"Thank you Callen." Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief, then followed his friend back to their office.