Chapter 13. Confrontation, Part 1

DiNozzo opened the door to Observation, but it didn't open far. Behind the door, he heard two separate thuds, feeling one thud. He peered around the door and saw McGee rubbing his right hip and left shoulder, a slight wince on his face.

"Sorry, McDoorstop," DiNozzo said.

"Alright," Vance started. "There are far too many people in this room. If you're not in a supervisory position, leave."

Sacks, McGee, Technician Janice Dorn, and Special Agent Johnson exited the room, Sacks closing the door behind him. DiNozzo took in the three other men in the room. Vance and DDO Johnson sat on the edge of the technician's desk while Fornell leaned against the mirror that looked over Interrogation Two, the lights out and the room now empty.

Vance, his toothpick moving around his mouth from one side to the other, regarded his Special Agent. DiNozzo had rapidly grown into the role of Acting Lead Agent, a growth too quick to be something new. He was starting to realize the truth that Gibbs had been talking about when he told him to look deeper into the younger man's personnel file. He made a mental note to do so at his first opportunity.

He also wondered what and in depth look into the files of the rest of the team would reveal.

"How goes the case, DiNozzo," Vance inquired.

"Going well, Director," DiNozzo answered, ice in his voice. He glowered at Vance for a moment, who returned the same look. DiNozzo broke it first as he looked at Johnson. "Deputy Director, what would it take to get you to give up Kort to NCIS?"

Johnson glanced at Vance, mentally handing over the twenty dollars that Vance had bet him. He looked back at DiNozzo after a moment. "Get him to admit that he was buying from the Navy Yard. In the U.S., he was only sanctioned to purchase from three bases, Fort Hood in Texas, Jacksonville NAS in Florida, and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota."

DiNozzo nodded as he felt Fornell's eyes on him, sending him a nod as well. Fornell examined him carefully, but surreptitiously. DiNozzo appeared exhausted, but still had a sharp glint in his eyes. His posture didn't show the stress he was under, but DiNozzo was in 'game mode' and had his mask in place. Fornell nodded in return.

DiNozzo was ready.

DiNozzo nodded to the three men and moved to the door. As he opened it, he saw everyone that had been kicked out waiting in the hallway. He moved out and held the door open as everyone entered. From down the hall, Ziva walked with Abby.

David handed the sandwich, water, and file to DiNozzo. He looked at them and grinned. "Three days old, perfect." He smiled at Abby as he held out his hand. She smirked and upended the box over his hand, before entering Observation.

As he looked at Ziva, Tony heard Vance before the door closed. "Ms. Scuito, I thought I told you no snacks in Observation."

They heard Abby chuckle. "No, Director. You said no popcorn. You said nothing about Junior Mints or Twizzlers."

As the door closed, both turned back to see Vance hold out his hand and the forensic scientist fill his hand with Junior Mints.

David held out her hand, but DiNozzo shook his head. "I'm gonna hold on to it." Ziva nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder before moving to the door and entering Observation, moving directly to the one way mirror.

Over a minute later, DiNozzo opened the door and poked his head in. "Trent, I'm sorry, I forgot you were here." DiNozzo entered and closed the door behind him. "Thought you'd left hours ago."

"So, does that mean I'm free to go, DiNozzo," Kort replied laconically. He made no move to stand, however. He knew better.

DiNozzo moved to the mirror side of the table before sitting. "Not just yet. The Director is going to nail my hide to the wall if I don't at least ask you some questions." DiNozzo placed the sandwich and water in front of Kort, "I know you haven't eaten, thought I'd get you a snack, at least." He pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. "Hope you don't mind, but I've been trying to beat this level for a couple of days now." Sounds of a game came out of the speaker on the cell phone.

Kort sighed loudly. He really is an idiot. "DiNozzo, we both know as soon as the CIA sends someone over here, I'm going to walk out the door. Speaking of, I've been here ten hours. Where are they?"

DiNozzo smirked. "Well, right now, they're probably still over at the Hoover Building. The FBI arrested you, and delivered you here. The CIA is still looking for Fornell." He looked at his watch. "I'd say we got about two hours, Trent." He returned his attention to his phone. "Ah, here it is. Now, let's see if I can beat it now," he growled at the phone.

Kort sighed and looked around the room, a bored expression on his face. He rested his eyes back on DiNozzo. "I thought you had to ask me some questions, DiNozzo."

DiNozzo glanced up. "Glad you reminded me, Trent." He looked back at his phone. "C'mon, left, left, up, little right...Aw," he yelled. "I'm going to beat you." He put his feet up on the table as he turned slightly away from Kort. "Questions, right." He looked pensive for a moment. "Seen any good movies lately?"

Kort sharply inhaled, his anger visible on his face. "DiNozzo, how about any serious questions."

"That was a serious one. Little more left...Damn. Not a movie fan? I'd just think you'd be a fan of The Princess Bride. 'No one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley.' Just like him, you took over Rene's operation and kept his name. Just like the Dread Pirate Roberts. Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin were great in their sword fight. Did you know they did the entire sword fight themselves. The only stunt people that were used did the somersaults. And Robin Wright Penn was just beautiful." DiNozzo paused. "Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way."

"You have no idea, DiNozzo. I took over the operation on the orders of the CIA," Kort stated.

"No, I mean, my game. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. Let's see if I do this," he trailed off. "Yeah, there we go. Past that part. Virgin territory, baby."

There was silence for a full minute, broken only by the sounds of DiNozzo's phone. "DiNozzo, I'm quite content to wait for the CIA alone. You can leave."

"Nah, don't have anything else to do. We just wrapped up a case, and me being down here means I get out of paperwork."

Kort again looked around the room, sighing heavily. "DiNozzo, where's Gibbs?"

"Unavailable at the moment." The phone made noises that signaled his loss yet again. "No." He pulled the phone close to his face and spoke angrily. "I'm going to beat you. I'm better and smarter than you. Stupid game."

Kort shook his head, showing his doubt for the last statement. He held out his hand. "Look, DiNozzo, give me the phone and I'll beat the level for you, then I can leave. Is it a deal?"

"Nope. I'm going to beat it. This is between man and machine." DiNozzo was pressing buttons on his phone rapidly. "So, you're not into movies. What about books, Trent?"

Kort hung his head in despair. He was stuck with this imbecile until the CIA arrived. "What about them?"

"What's the last book you read?" No response. "Nothing? Let me tell you about my last book. It wasn't really a book, it was a diary. See, when Director Shepard's house burned down, not everything was destroyed. Her father's diary was found. I was going through the evidence locker when I found it. Pretty interesting reading.

"He actually knew you, did you know that? Said he tore into you for your uniform being a, what was the term he used? Soup sandwich." DiNozzo chuckled. "That's pretty funny. 'Soup sandwich.' You can see what he means by it. Sloppy, wrinkled, basically looking like crap. Pretty colorful if you ask me."

Kort's face showed anger at the slight against him. As the phone beeped in different tones according to DiNozzo's playing, he made a mental note to do all he could to get rid of DiNozzo. Killing was too good, but getting him arrested, that was something else. A man with an ego that large would be brought down a peg, and brought down hard, by a man who knew what he was doing.

Trent Kort was such a man.

DiNozzo continued. "I like your suit now though. Very dashing. Didn't get to read all the diary, Gibbs came down for something and I had to put it up quick. I'll have to go back and read some more. Really interesting."

"Really, DiNozzo? Did you like the pretty pictures it had?" His tone, his face, his entire being was poured into the most insulting he could muster.

DiNozzo focused his eyes on Kort. "Trent, that hurts. I can read very well." He turned his attention back to the game. "And, yes, he had some good pictures in it." The sound of another loss sounded from the speaker.

"Okay, so you're not into movies, not into books. I'm bored. Want to hear about our last case?"

"Not really, DiNozzo."

He was ignored. "Petty Officer was killed. He was selling spare parts. To you, actually. Kind of how you ended up here." He looked at Kort again. "You can keep a secret, right?" Kort didn't move, except to cross his arms. "Doesn't matter. See, this Petty Officer was killed because of the sale of these parts."

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Hey, you can settle a bet between me and Gibbs." He placed his feet on the floor and his arms on the table. "See, Gibbs doesn't believe that the Petty Officer was selling to you, but that it was an officer. He thinks that the Petty Officer didn't have the resources to complete the transfers. I think he did. Which one of us is right, Trent?"

In Observation, all eyes except McGee's turned to Ziva as she softly said, "In three...two..." She pointed to the glass in front of her, drawing all attention back to the two men.

"You owe Gibbs. I was buying from the Executive Officer of the warehouse," they all heard through the speakers.

McGee and Ziva looked at each other and grinned. "Shock and awe," McGee said as the door to Observation opened behind them.

DiNozzo's face fell. "Really, Trent? He's right?" He lowered his voice as he looked at the table, hanging his head. "Great, not only did I lose fifty bucks, but he's going to lord this over me."

Both men's attention was directed at the door opening. In it stood DDO Johnson and Special Agent Johnson. Kort grinned back at DiNozzo, ready to gloat that he'd now be free. His voice caught as he saw the look of satisfaction on DiNozzo's face.

DDO Johnson spoke formally. "Trent Kort, you are not longer employed by the Central Intelligence Agency." He turned to DiNozzo. "Special Agent DiNozzo, he's all yours."

As the door closed, Kort turned back to DiNozzo, who closed his phone as he face was covered by a grin that belied any mirth.

Kort sunk into his chair.