Chapter 19: Consequences

A man does what he must- in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality. - Winston Churchill

2 months later

"Hey Rossi!" A big burly man shouted as he came up behind his intended target.

"Yes" Rossi looked up from the book he had been reading, coming to realize he was completely surrounded by at least eight men.
He was currently sitting in prison thanks to his good for nothing wife.
Those so called friends of hers had started singing the second the feds squeezed them a bit and his beloved darling had in return squealed on him to lessen her sentence.
Now he was simply waiting for his weasel of an attorney to do his job and get him out of here so he could return the favor.

"It seems we have a mutual friend."

"And that would be?" He quickly stood. The numbers against him seemed to have tripled in the time it took him to blink.
What was a real shocker though was the faces of some of the men he had insured would protect him during his stay standing there looking ready to attack him.

"Oh his name isn't important but he told me to tell you now he's really glad he ain't your boy seein' as how you treated your girl and all."

Knowing exactly who this man was talking about Rossi tried his best to think of a way out of this that wouldn't involve him losing any blood.
But the more he racked his brain and the more he thought about it the more his heart began racing and he couldn't help the sweat that began piling on his face.
That man was crazy on a good day, that's exactly why he hired him, but now looking at his apparent friends he knew this wasn't going to end well.

"You see I got a little girl myself so I thought I'd do us all a favor and maybe give you a little parenting lesson."
With that he kneed Rossi right in the stomach sending him to the floor as he clutched his middle and curled into himself.

As he lay there barely groaning at what felt like millions of hands and feet leaving their marks with each blow that was given he thought of his little girl and everything he had put her through.
Maybe he did deserve this after all, but the thought of never being able to change that, the fact that these men weren't going to let him change that brought tears to his eyes.
He was never going to see his Abby again and that was his last thought as he was mercifully kicked in the head sending him into a blissfully permanent oblivion.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Rossi's dead" Fornell informed Gibbs as he hung up his phone.
"He was jumped by a gang of inmates this afternoon.
The warden says by the time the guards got all the men off of him and back under control
he was already beaten beyond recognition and stabbed a few times with an item they've yet to identify."

"All that work and he didn't even make it to trial." Gibbs sighed not sure what he thought of the outcome.

"And his wife nearly getting off free to insure that happening." Fornell agreed.
Sophie had been given 18 months in a minimum security prison in return for her testimony
against her husband which she had willingly agreed to considering she could be facing up to 10 years otherwise.

"Do they know who was behind it?" Gibbs had a feeling he knew, maybe not the who, but he was almost positive on the why.

"Nope, they're still trying to find answers but no one's talking.
He knew it was a federal case so he wanted us to know first but he assured he'd call
back when they learn more." Fornell relayed what he had been told. "Where are you going?"

"To call Captain Cragen and see what they've come up with on Sterling." Gibbs answered as he left.
He wasn't happy about getting pushed off the case but Rossi was the original reason for him even joining the
investigation to begin with and when they had got him there was no need for them to continue working with the LVPD.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Do you want to do something about that circus in the hallway!" Captain Cragen shouted.

He had just gotten off the phone with Agent Gibbs and he was not in a good mood.
Not only did he have a frenzy of reporters trying to stampede their way into a story but
he had just been reminded that his murderer was still on the loose, alive and very much free.

"Why me?" Munch said exasperatedly.
He was working on figuring the reason behind a mother drowning her three young children, not to mention all the extra hours he had dedicated to finding Sterling.
They were keeping a close eye on his sister who had returned to Chicago shortly after everything had happened, but from what they knew he hadn't attempted to make contact.

"We both will." Nate hurriedly agreed seeing that Cragen was about to burst a blood vessel.

"Speak for yourself."

"Shut up" Nate growled pulling his unwilling partner with him.

As they opened their office door they were nearly swarmed by many different men blinding them with a multitude of camera flashes.

"If you would all calm down and act like the civilized gents we know you to be then we will gladly answer your questions."
Munch tried his best to tame the sarcasm but it was hard when they were acting like a bunch of wild animals.

"What can you tell us about the death of David Rossi?" A short balding man asked; paper and pad at the ready.

"That you're on the wrong doorstep." Munch didn't even try to hide his annoyance now.
Honestly how dumb could these journalists get?

"What my partner means is that we have no involvement on the case that has been made against Rossi.
So even though his death has come as a shock to us all and we would all like answers we have none to provide you with at the moment.
You will have to get in contact with the Federal investigators that are assigned with his case for any other information.
We are sorry that we couldn't have been of more help and wish you the best in your search for the truth." Nate said easily smoothing over his partners rudeness with some falsified flattery.
He didn't exactly like these baboons either but you never knew when they'd come in handy and he had learned early on they didn't tend to help someone who constantly demeaned them.

"So you're saying he was in no way connected to the murders of all these women." A dark haired woman appeared a challenging look in her eye.

"And you would be?" Nate asked turning back around to face the woman he hadn't noticed earlier.

"Olivia Benson." The woman was standing there expectantly.

"He did not murder those women." Nate crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall.

"So he is connected then? Was that the reason he was killed?" She pressed.

"Yeah, why haven't you brought in that cutie killer?" Another man shouted from the back.

"We've already told you all we know now thank you for your time but we have to be getting back to work."
Munch hurriedly excused making his way back into the office as dozens more questions were shouted.

"I have a feeling that woman is going to be a pain in our side." Nate went back to his desk thinking about what had been said.

"More like a pain in our-"

"HEY" Captain Cragen interrupted what he knew would be a vial comment from Munch.

"He did say he'd make him pay though, do you think Sterling was behind Rossi's murder?"
Nate had talked with Gibbs about everything that had happened and according to what he was told it was highly likely.

"That's what you two are going to find out and while you're at it check up on the sister." Captain Cragen ordered.
Sterling had been playing with him for over six months and it was high time they got the man placed where he belonged.

That's the funny thing about conmen, they don't bluff. - Jim Sterling (Leverage)