Lieutenant Bates is seated in his office as he got a call from the receptionist mentioning that Granger and Hetty were at the precinct to talk to him. Even though he was supremely confident that his tracks are covered and his skeletons are safely put away, he couldn't help but feel a little niggling sensation of foreboding. From all the stories he's heard from CIA about Hetty and Granger from his time in Iraq, he had just messed with a Pride of Lions and if he doesn't play it carefully, there is no way in hell he will be able to see the light of the day.
"I am busy right now. Find out why they would want to meet me." Bates commanded.
"They say that they have information pertinent to an open investigation into an attack on one of their agents." The receptionist's voice came through. The little niggle in his mind has blown to a full-fledged storm as he asked his receptionist to send them through.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet us, Mr Bates." Hetty's voice was genial as ever while Granger simply nodded towards him.
"How can I help you?" Bates asked while indicating the seats in front of his table for them to be seated.
"We were wondering how much of the reports sent by Mr Deeks while he was undercover have you studied or even gave a fly by reading." Granger commented, his voice sounded friendly but there was concealed contempt that made it clear that Granger clearly knows what his plans are.
"I read every report that comes to me." Bates answered indignantly.
Granger glanced at Hetty before retrieving the file from his bag and placing it on the table. "I somehow cannot believe that." Granger's verbal punch though delivered in a soft voice hit the spot.
"What do you mean?" Bates managed to keep the shiver out of his voice.
"Because, in front of me are the reports, Mr Deeks sent you. Before you even begin to object, since we pay his salary, as agreed by the Chief of Police, it is mandatory for Mr Deeks to send me a copy every report he files, even if they were for LAPD purpose only. This file contains every report he ever sent you during his undercover mission." Hetty answered.
"And…" Bates managed to make it sound like a question.
"I am still trying to understand how photographic evidence, and fingerprints on the smoking gun and the smoking gun are just circumstantial evidence." Granger answered.
"There wasn't any photographic evidence or fingerprints or a smoking gun." Bates shot back.
"Really, because on his report sent on May, the 26th mentions that you have to collect the evidence from NCIS personnel and no one has come to collect it from us." Hetty opened the report and pointed it out.
"So, you withheld evidence? Are you aware that I can charge you with obstruction of justice?" Bates thundered.
"No, we didn't. We have called LAPD several times. Every time, we spoke about the undercover operation, we were told that there is no undercover operation involving Detective Deeks." Granger shot back with equal intensity.
"As Mr Deeks's handler during the operation, we expected the call to be transferred to you. As you are aware, every call originating from NCIS Switch Board is recorded and we have the proof that we did attempt to surrender evidence. We have maintained strict chain of command on the same." Hetty continued in her gentle voice forcing Bates back off.
"Why wasn't the department aware of the undercover operation?" Granger questioned. "I am surprised that the Chief of Detectives wasn't even aware that an undercover mission was in progress involving our Liaison Officer."
Bates took a deep breath to calm his nerves and spoke, "We had a mole in our department that was helping the Perez Cartel. Thanks to IA Detective Quinn, there have been murmurs that I could be the mole. Not knowing who the mole was or why was I being implicated, I had to keep things under wraps. He was to work uncover the mole and bring the cartel down just like we did with Clarence Fisk case."
"You had sought our help with Clarence Fisk and with witness protection for Ray and why was this any different?" Hetty asked.
"Those two cases crossed jurisdictions and this one didn't." Bates answered, feeling lesser and lesser confidence as time went by.
"May we know on what criteria was Detective Driscoll involved with the case?" Hetty asked.
"How I run our investigation is none of your business." Bates answered angrily.
"We really didn't want it to come down to this but…" Hetty handed over a subpoena for the complete case details signed by a Federal Judge.
"The subpoena has been obtained by legitimate means. Given that we had the knowledge of the case involving Deeks and the people who attacked our Agent were a target of that particular undercover operation, we need all the details and Judge Markham agreed with us." Granger completed the statement.
"He was my junior partner and was as straight laced as any other Cop I had met on the job. I trusted him to file all the required paper work and collect the evidence." Bates answered.
"Some straight laced Cop. He has amassed a balance of 3.7 million in an off shore account, 6 properties in LA and a Ranch in Texas. He managed to do all of these within the last 6 years and you made him a part of the investigation?" Granger glared at Bates.
Seeing that Granger and Hetty have iron clad evidence against him and Driscoll, Bates lost it.
"OK, so I screwed up. What the hell do you want from me?" Bates questioned angrily.
"We know that you have already made arrangements for a formal IA enquiry into Deeks. I don't care what you do and how you do it but Deeks has to come out innocent. Nothing about the events of the last 12 days will feature on any record that tarnishes him or his associates. And finally, Deeks will resign from LAPD when he recovers and you will approve it without any questions and relieve him immediately. Do you understand?" Granger growled.
"But…" Bates tried to reason.
"Mr Bates, what our Assistant Director meant is that none of it will appear on LAPD records other than the fact that the bodies were discovered and the details were provided to NCIS since they were all persons of interest in our active case. They will all feature in our reports. Is it understood?" Hetty interrupted Bates and her normally genial voice had a hard edge to it.
Bates understood that if he doesn't agree to the terms, the pair of NCIS personnel sitting in front of him will ruin his career and have enough ammunition to ruin his life if that's what it takes to prove Deeks innocent. He has always understood that Deeks is a good Cop but failed to understand why Hetty insisted on Deeks to be the Liaison Officer even though he has offered some of the decorated Detectives for that role.
"We tend to see beyond the masks people wear, Mr Bates." Hetty's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"I will do it." Bates answered with a sigh. Both Hetty and Granger nodded and left the room.
What a mess have I gotten myself into? If only I read the reports before sending them to Driscoll, I would've closed the case, brought down a Dirty Cop and would've retained my best undercover. Bates thought as he stared at the closed door of his chamber.