Chapter Six: "Justice? - You get justice in the next world. In this one you have the law." – William Gaddis, "A Frolic of His Own"
Callen and Sam walked into the boatshed with Kim. At the main table, Kensi, Deeks and Damien were all eating lunch. A mix of sandwiches and wraps along with several bottled waters were sitting on the counter near the refrigerator. Brandon Bryant was on the TV screen as he sat in in the interrogation room alone.
"What have we got?" Callen asked.
"I got a roast beef with muenster, she's eating chicken and he's eating bunny food," Damien answered.
"I resent bunny food. And it's Kensi and Deeks, not he and she," Deeks said.
"I think Callen was talking about Bryant," Sam replied.
"I was, but I'll take a sandwich," Callen agreed. Tossing a wrap to Sam, Callen asked again, "What do we have?"
"New York is sending someone to interrogate Bryant," Damien said between bites.
"We can talk to him," Sam said, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge. Returning the favor, Sam tossed a second bottle to Callen.
Taking a sandwich and pouring herself a cup of coffee, Kim said, "Honos is full of lawyers. Genevieve is not going to mess up whatever case the government is going to have against this useless, spoiled brat because he's got an expensive lawyer."
"We can get him an attorney and ask questions with the lawyer present without violating his rights," Sam said. "It's what we do."
"He already asked for a lawyer," Deeks noted. "And he may not talk at all."
"So we get him a lawyer and find out. And whatever New York does or doesn't have for a legal case means nothing if the small pox virus is released and starts killing people," Sam added.
The door off the interrogation room opened with Nell walking. "I have company," she said as she joined the group. A large man carrying a Dunhill Boston Small Holdbag helped push Michael in his wheelchair to the main room. Michael had a Tumi garment bag a draped over the arm rests of the wheelchair.
"Hey Mikey," Damien said. "The big guy means her worship may be gracing us with her presence."
"I am Deputy U.S. Marshal Eli Ben-Aharon," Eli introduced himself in his slightly-accented English. "Also she prefers Director Fitzgerald over 'her worship' Captain. The Director should be here soon." He took the garment bag from Michael. Kensi pointed to the open door alongside the sink giving Eli a place to hang the garment bag and hook the Dunhill bag on the doorknob.
Kim took a sandwich and a bottle of water. Handing it to Michael, she said, "You should be at the crib."
"Bored. Besides, the boss lady mentioned I could help."
"Where is the Director? Isn't she in…" Sam started to ask but was drowned out by the sound of a low flying helicopter.
Eli calmly pointed to the sky.
Not a minute after the helicopter left the parking lot, the boatshed door opened. Genevieve Fitzgerald marched wearing her Navy work uniform and carrying a Nike gym bag.
"Whoa!" Deeks said as he saw her. "That is…."
"Not a word, Detective," Genevieve warned as she pulled her hair out of a ponytail. Eli took the Nike bag. "Good afternoon all and thank you for waiting."
"OK, but I've never seen you in anything that didn't scream cocktails at 21," Deeks said.
"Untrue Detective – I took you to a Yankee game during your time with Honos. Look, I was told at zero-three-twenty this morning that I had 15-minutes to grab my gear and get out of Gitmo. Hurricane type weather to Key West. Flying into Coronado and then a Huey here. It's been a long day already and I need..."
"It's just that uniform…" Deeks could not help himself.
"Is small. Like me," Genevieve shook her head and rolled her eyes. "That's why it fits."
"Deeks," Callen whispered, making a slashing motion with his hand across his throat.
"I'm sorry, it's just…"
"It's just you didn't know the American Doll Store made uniforms, Detective?" Genevieve said with a sigh, arms folded. "That Doc Martins made boots for toddlers? That female officer's uniforms come in large, medium, small and fun-sized?"
"That's funny," Kensi snorted.
"Always happy to entertain," Genevieve replied. Pointing to the door where the garment bag hung, she said, "I'm going to change. Restroom?"
"Down that hall, ma'am," Sam replied.
"Thank you," she said, pulling the garment bag off the door and taking the Dunhill bag to the restroom.
"It's small in there," Deeks warned.
"I'll fit right in," Genevieve answered before slamming the bathroom door.
Kensi looked at Deeks. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"There is always one," Eli said quietly. "More recently it has been Captain Scott but someone always has jokes about the Director's size."
"And she has more jokes back," Sam said.
"Well it isn't like you wake up one day and you're suddenly smaller than most of the people around you," Nell told the group. "Sooner or later you hear everything."
"It was the uniform," Deeks explained. "I saw her every day for a month and she was always in a business suit or a dress and five inch heels. And at the Yankees game she was still better dressed than most people in the stadium. That look just surprised me."
"Surprises the hell out of me half the time," Genevieve said as she rejoined the group, wearing a sleeveless Karl Lagerfeld black dress, pearls and pair of Valentino black pumps. She was also carrying an iPad. "So the minute our young man asked for a lawyer, all questioning was stopped, correct?"
"Yes ma'am," Sam said.
"Good." Looking at the group, Genevieve said, "Eli, Agent Hanna, Det. Deeks, I'd like the three of you to join me in the interrogation room while I speak to Mr. Bryant."
Kensi frown was not missed by either Deeks or Genevieve.
"That's going to be a little tight," Deeks noted.
"That's the plan, Detective."
"Oh, this is going to be fun," Kim said. "Do we have popcorn here?"
Just before entering the room, Kensi saw the three men all lean down, taking instructions from Genevieve. Sam walked in first, with Brandon yelling "Finally!" Genevieve was next followed by Eli and Deeks, who was working his phone. Sam walked around the interrogation table and stood just to Brandon's right. Genevieve took the chair on the good side of the table with Eli standing immediately to her right. Deeks handed Genevieve his phone while taking her iPad before sitting at the desk near the door.
"Good afternoon Mr. Bryant. My name is Genevieve Fitzgerald, Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Terrorism Division. I've been told you've requested an attorney. Before you say a word, I'm going to read you your rights, clarify your situation and then ask you again if you are interested in speaking to an attorney." Using Deeks's phone, Genevieve read Brandon his rights. "Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" she asked as she finished reciting the Miranda Rights. "Now for your answer Mr. Bryant, I just want a yes or no, nothing else. Do you understand your rights?"
"Yes," he said sullenly. Sam's towering presence clearly made him uncomfortable.
"Det. Deeks, did I read Mr. Bryant his right correctly?" she asked.
"Yes Director. Word-for-word," he replied, returning her iPad and taking his phone. The Justice Department's Miranda warning card was on the screen of the iPad, just as LAPD's was on Deeks's phone.
"Before he was a police officer, Det. Deeks was an attorney. Always good to have an attorney around and I've been told you want one. One will be provided to you as soon as I explain your current situation, what charges you are facing and how my office plans on seeking at least life in prison with no parole and quite possibly the death penalty."
"Nobody gets the death penalty here in California," Brandon said dismissively.
"Not true and I'd like to finish what you need to know before I hear from you again."
"Because you're in charge," he sneered.
Genevieve leaned back in the chair, folding her hands on her lap. "Yes I am, Mr. Bryant. From this moment on, every minute of your day, every day, will be a reflection of what I chose to do to you. And using a term someone like you might understand, spoiler alert: I am not a nice woman."
"And the two big dudes and the wash out lawyer," Brandon pointed to Sam, Eli and Deeks, "they're here to scare me."
"No, they are here for my personal security and to help provide me with information. And again, I'd like to finish what I have to say because when I finish speaking, outside of your many upcoming court dates, nobody is much going to care about you."
Leaning forward, Genevieve started swiping her iPad screen. "Currently, I have you on three charges of kidnapping – all federal crimes. One of your victims suffered a head wound while the other was mutilated with significant blood loss. If either of those men die of their wounds, you as one of the kidnappers found guilty of the federal charge of kidnapping and now murder, would face a federal death penalty so the state of California and its relative indifference to its convicts on death row is immaterial to me. DNA of a fourth, unknown victim was found on the chains in a hidden room-slash-laboratory off a house you inherited. If the owner of that DNA shows up dead, you will face the death penalty in a federal court."
Brandon started to speak but Genevieve held up her hand. "I'd think twice before interrupting Director Fitzgerald," Sam said.
"Thank you Agent Hanna. Then there is the matter of your Brand On! holding company. A raid of the meth lab you bought and paid for resulted in the shooting of a Department of Homeland Security-Justice Department joint counter-terrorism task force member. If that agent dies, you will also face the death penalty and of course a laundry list of drug charges."
Watching on the big screen in the main room of the boat shed, Kim shook her head. "She's making me a widow. I did not see that coming."
"Mikey, she's killing ya off," Damien teased.
"I'm going to rally," Michael joined in on the fun. "She's going to regret writing me off so quickly."
Back in the interrogation room, Genevieve pushed her iPad to the center of the table. "And then there's this. In the fall of 2013, Leo Kamali, your late father-in-law, had an agent of his terrorist group release the weaponized small pox on a train travelling Brussels to Berlin." The iPad photos showed Hazmat teams removing people from a train car in a rural area outside of Berlin. "This is what happened to the men and women exposed." Genevieve swiped photo after photo of men and women covered with small pox lesions. "This young woman, Eva Mertens, was about 19 when she was infected. Ester is about 19, isn't she? Don't answer, I know exactly how old she is."
Genevieve kept swiping to show Brandon the photos. "Ten hours after being exposed, Ms. Mertens was covered head to toe. Eventually, there were lesions in her nose and mouth, leaving open sores. Ms. Mertens died less than 48-hours after exposure. The Berlin hospital where she was being treated had to put Ms. Mertens and all of the victims into medically induced comas near the ends of their lives because they were in such agony."
Pulling the iPad back and turning it off, Genevieve continued. "And now you and your child bride want to bring that here. You're fooling around with a biological weapon that could kill millions. If one person dies here from something you and your wife think you're masterminding, I'll make damn sure you never know anything but supermax confinement before I make damn sure you are strapped down on a gurney and given a lethal injection."
Brandon started to speak again but Eli raised his hand. "I insist you let Director Fitzgerald finish."
"Thank you Eli. Now let me explain your current situation. Right now, you have a chance to make things better for yourself. Your basement accomplice, the guy working for you and who is good with the bolt cutters – Nassib - I've cut a deal with him."
"She has?" Damien asked.
"She's lying," Nell replied. "She can do that."
Genevieve continued. "Mr. Nassib is quite the talker and he is with my top deputy spilling everything he knows."
"Pussy," Brandon mumbled.
"And for that, he won't face the death penalty. Now he's accepted a plea where he'll be sentenced to life with a chance for parole after twenty-five years. That's what, 2041 before he can hope to be free? And he won't be but hey, he can try. As for you, you tell my people what I want to know, I'll offer you the same deal. Life in prison with opportunity for parole after 25-years. You don't cooperate, when I leave this room the next time I see you will be in a court hearing explaining why I'm asking for death penalty considerations."
"I'm not afraid of you."
"Oh buddy, she's the scariest person on the planet," Deeks chucked.
"I'll take that as a compliment, Detective. Now you want an attorney, I'll get you one. It will be a public defender as all your bank accounts have all be frozen. California is a community property state and since there are concerns your fugitive wife plans to unleash a biological weapon on the innocent civilians, you are currently penniless. Perhaps your father's good will in the community may have had an attorney or two offer their services pro bono but I think what happened to Justin Dunn would certainly cause me to rethink any involvement with a client like you."
Leaning back and watching Brandon fidget, Genevieve finished her pitch. "So you'll wind up with a public defender, a position Det. Deeks had prior to joining the LAPD. Detective, what was your work load before leaving the L.A. County Public Defenders Office?"
"The final year was over 400 misdemeanor cases, close to 300 felonies."
Sam whistled, "You were busy."
Deeks nodded his head. "Yes I was."
"Welcome to the world of being one of the 300, Brandon," Genevieve said with a smile. "Your lawyer will get to you just after he gets some abusive spouse off on time served and cuts a deal for some kid on the nine-year college plan dealing weed to a local high school student who was really Jump Street. Meanwhile, I'll have the full force of the United States government on my side, providing expert witnesses on contagious diseases, forensic accountants who track terrorist funding and a legal team that has lost exactly zero domestic terror cases since it was formed in 2002. Welcome to the wonderful world of being in indigent defendant, Mr. Bryant."
"Where maybe you get fifteen minutes of my time on a random Tuesday once a month just to make sure I'm not going to miss a hearing or a court date," Deeks added.
"So now is your moment of truth," Genevieve stood with her hands on the table, leaning toward Brandon. "You can tell my task force everything you know about what is going on with Ester, the names and current whereabouts of Leo Kamali's former terrorist organization members who are working with you and what other drug labs you have running. You tell my people that, I will take the death penalty off the table. You don't help – and by help I mean name every single name, disclose all plans and give a full accounting of your criminal activity and if you miss one, deal's off – I will be the one in the red dress in the front row the morning of your execution."
"And now you know how we got recruited to Honos," Damien said watching his boss on the screen.
"Yeah, I'd make sure I'm not on the business end of that," Callen agreed.
"You gotta promise me nothing is going to happen to Ester," Brandon said.
"When Ester is found, every attempt will be made to bring her into custody without incident. But if she makes a move on members of my team, just as with your meth lab geniuses, it will end badly for her." Genevieve grimaced. "Are you revoking your request for legal counsel?"
"Yeah, for now."
"Agent Hanna, Det. Deeks, please make sure Mr. Bryant is fed some lunch and given some water. I believe he has a busy afternoon ahead of him," Genevieve said as she took her iPad and walked out of the room. Eli, Deeks and Sam quickly followed.
Kim started applauding. "Always the best show in town."
"Thank you," Genevieve said absently. "Detective, did you have any problem with the end of that interview?"
"When he asked about Ester, no. He wasn't giving information, just asking for some assurances before revoking his attorney request."
Looking at Nell, Genevieve asked, "Can you e-mail me that entire interview?"
"Of course," Nell said as she walked to a trunk behind the couch and pulled out a laptop.
"And then I'd like to have you and Michael interview Mr. Bryant."
"Me?" Nell was surprised.
"Have Eric Beale link that laptop to the crib. You'll have complete access to our files. Michael knows everything about what Kamali did overseas, Nell will have access to all of our files and a much better grasp of the Los Angeles landscape. We should get some very useful intel. Kim, I'm going to need you to feed me the highlights in real time."
"Where are you going?" Damien asked.
"Do that same dog and pony show with Karim Nassib. Agent Hanna, Agent Callen, Det. Deeks and Damien, if there is actionable intel from Brandon…"
"We'll be the action," Sam said.
"Excellent. Agent Blye, feel like a ride to Terminal Island? Mr. Nassib is currently housed in the FCI there and between you, me and Eli, we likely cover all languages spoken by Mr. Nassib."
Kensi smiled. "Yes ma'am."
x-x-x
Kensi and Genevieve got into the back of the Chevy Surburban while Eli took the wheel. "There is an In-N-Out Burger on the way to the 405."
"You are a prince among men, Eli," Genevieve sighed. "Feed me."
As they pulled into the drive-thru, Genevieve ordered a hamburger, fries, diet Coke and "all the napkins you can give me and remain environmentally sound." She also got a strawberry shake for Eli and a chocolate one for Kensi.
"Sorry to be plowing through my meal but I got a bottle of water and a power bar on both of my flights out here. If I stopped for a sandwich at your place, I would have inhaled everything you had."
"Little woman, big appetite," Eli noted.
"More short jokes, this is my lucky day."
"I'd like to apologize for Deeks. He was kidding..." Kensi started to explain.
"Of course he was. When he was on loan to Honos, he spent most of his lawyer time making jokes about my shoes. I had a feeling when I walked in, he'd unleash his inner smart ass." Picking through her fries, Genevieve asked, "Was there any particular reason you were unhappy Det. Deeks was part of the interrogation?"
"Oh no," Kensi said quickly. "He's an excellent detective, smart in the interrogation room and you used him as a lawyer. Deeks was perfect for the job."
"I've done variations of that in the past. Brandon Bryant thinks he's an alpha male and he needed to be reminded what real alpha males look like, act like and know. Add in a tiny alpha female who is giving him orders and he was toast the minute Sam Hanna stood next to him." After taking a sip of her soda, Genevieve had another question. "So if Det. Deeks was perfect for the job, was there any reason you seemed unhappy he was chosen?"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand…"
"Agent Blye, you looked unhappy when I chose Det. Deeks for the interview. You seemed surprised he worked with Honos before becoming your agency's liaison officer. Are you concerned I'm here to poach Det. Deeks? Because I tried that a few years ago and failed spectacularly."
"No, of course not. I was… it was…"
"Agent Blye?"
"Kensi, please. I was…" Kensi was looking for the right words. "I was surprised that so many members of our team either worked or interviewed to work with you in the past."
"You were heavily recruited by other agencies, Kensi. You know the drill. Agencies and teams are always looking for the best and the brightest. That would cover everyone at Honos and at OSP."
"Of course, it's just…"
"Were you looking for an interview? Are you looking for one?"
"Oh no. I'm really happy with my position with OSP."
"Good to hear. And for the record, I did call Hetty a while back about you. I needed someone for a short term undercover detail and I thought you'd be perfect. You were on an assignment and unavailable. Wound up with an ATF Agent from Seattle. She's was a peach."
"Oh, yes," Kensi said as she felt a sudden sting of disappointment. "I was in Afghanistan for about four months in late 2013, early 2014."
"I needed you in May of 2012. You were undercover looking for a Russian spy in some zippy cul-de-sac around here. I'm terrible at LA locations. And you found him, according to Hetty who updated me a week later to tell me you were available. At that point I had Peachy Alison from ATF set up inside the UN as a translator."
"Oh."
"Agent Blye, you have an excellent reputation inside Homeland and at the Justice Department."
"That's good to hear."
"You are a true asset and OSP is fortunate to have you. Besides, in recent months I've been rethinking how I run my unit."
"I don't understand."
"I've been able to attract the best and the brightest from all over the country. My personal financial situation allows me to offer inducements above and beyond what the typical federal agency can."
"That's great."
"It works, or it did work, for a long time. Your Det. Deeks – and based on what I saw for the hotel usage yesterday, he is your Det. Deeks – was a surprise 'no' when I started inquiring about his interest in joining Honos."
"Deeks likes living in L.A."
"Which I respected but didn't understand. I'm enough of a hands-on manager that I want my people close. In the past, I recruited great people who liked the idea of living in New York. Commander Rehme is the perfect example. At the time his name was mentioned to me, I was looking for a strong second-in-charge and I can always use computer geniuses. Add in that he's damn smart with a brilliant daughter who got into Columbia, one of my alma maters. It wasn't a hard sell."
"For a lot of people, New York isn't a hard sell."
"But it is for people who have found a sense of home someplace else. The team recently added a full-time profiler. We used the FBI's BSU for years but I always wanted one exclusively for the team. Our new to the staff profiler works from his home just outside of Bethesda. He's a great addition."
"That kind of work can be done in a home office."
"True, but my New York team is here in Los Angeles. A month ago, they were in San Antonio. Six months ago, Damien and Michael were working on a ranch in Idaho. That was high comedy while tracking down a domestic terrorist interested in ricin. I'm beginning to realize I send my team from New York all over the country. I can send them from Chicago or Dallas just as easily. Hell, I can send them from L.A."
"Oh," Kensi said, unsure what was coming next.
"Just something to ponder, I suppose," Genevieve said. With a broad smile, she added, "I would never want to anger Hetty by making a pitch for a career move without running it by her first. Because, you know, that would be wrong."
Eli laughed – a deep and hearty laugh. "Yes it would. We are about five minutes out, Director."
x-x-x
After ten minutes of getting visitors passes, Kensi, Eli and Genevieve were asked to wait in the Warden's office. When Warden James Koppel walked into his office, he wore a panicked look.
"This happened about 40-minutes ago," Warden Koppel said pointing with his television remote to the video screen on his office wall.
Video of Karim Nassib in his prison cell wearing just his underwear. His holding his prison issued pants in his right hand, he walked over to the isolation/shower area of his cell. In less than a minute, he hung himself.
"Where were the guards?" Kensi asked.
"They were there 47-seconds after he walked into the shower area." The video on the screen confirmed what the Warden was saying. Cutting him down and starting CPR, the guards tried to save Nassib. "He tied a knot in his pants. Our doctor thinks he knew…"
"He was trained as a medical doctor. He'd have an idea how to cause the most amount of damage in the least amount of time," Genevieve noted.
"There was a note. We're looking for someone who can translate it."
"Marshal Ben-Aharon may be able to help," Genevieve offered.
"May I see the note?" Eli asked.
Warden Koppel put a hand-written note on the screen. "We have several inmate trustees who have helped us translate in the past if the Marshal can't…"
Eli interrupted. "It is my honor to protect the daughter of Dina and Leo Kamali. No price is too high when it comes to Ester's safety and to her mission. I will be reunited in the afterlife with Dina, my dearest friend. I will be greeted as Ester's protector and the man who carried on Leo Kamali's legacy."
"Dammit," Genevieve said. "Kensi, call this in to the team. I need to talk to Washington."
-30-
