Callen looked at Vance in surprise. "You think Nate helped Tim disappear. That's impossible. He's in the Middle East."

"Not anymore, Callen," Kort said.

"Doctor Getz flew into DC a few days ago. Apparently he acquired a fake passport for McGee as well as other documentation," Vance said.

Callen frowned. This didn't make any sense. He had problem believing Nate would help Tim, but he did have a hard time believing Tim would let him. Tim was a self-sacrificer. He wouldn't allow anyone else to go down if it was in his power to stop it. He wouldn't let Nate do this if there was a chance that he would go to prison for it. Unless he'd asked Nate to help prior to learning that he was now being charged and it was too late to stop Nate's involvement later. It was possible that he'd always intended to leave the country. Tim was also fiercely loyal to his team. The idea of someone like Kort using one of them to get away with betraying everything he stood for would've seriously pissed Tim off. He would've wanted justice.

"Where is Getz now?" Kort asked.

"Being picked up as we speak and I will be questioning him," Vance said firmly. He wasn't about to let another one of his people be pulled under the clutches of Trent Kort.

"I don't think so, Director. Getz is mine. Or have you forgotten my court order?" Kort asked with an arrogant smirk.

"Not at all. Your warrant is for McGee, not Doctor Getz. Until I see another order demanding I hand him over, he's mine," Vance said, knowing for a fact that wouldn't happen until after he interrogated the man. Doctor Getz was already on his way in.

"Then I'm going to be there when you interrogate him," Kort said grudgingly.

"Fine. But you'll keep your mouth shut. You say even one word and I will have you thrown out on your ass," Vance warned. He knew he could refuse to allow Kort into the interrogation room, but the truth was he wanted him there. He wanted to gage his reaction to whatever Doctor Getz would say.

"I wanna be there too, Director," Callen said.

"The same rules apply to you, Agent Callen. I will be asking the questions, not you," Vance said firmly.

Callen nodded.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Nate sat at an interrogation room at NCIS Headquarters. He was brought in less than twenty minutes ago. They didn't tell him why, but he knew. He had been waiting for it. He knew that it would not take long for them to link Tim's disappearance to him.

Vance, Kort, and Callen entered the room seconds later. Vance and Kort sat in front of him while Callen sat on the side of him.

"Callen, you've been released?" Nate said feigning surprise. He couldn't know what was going on for the purpose of this conversation. He had to play it like this was the first time he was hearing about even the possibility of Callen being exonerated.

Callen nodded. "Just today."

"Doctor Getz, do you know why you're here?" Vance asked.

"Well, that question and the way you asked it makes me think that you think I've committed a crime, but other than that, no," Nate lied.

"When's the last time you saw Agent McGee?" Vance asked.

"This is about Tim? I just saw him a few hours ago," Nate told him.

"Really?" Vance asked in surprise. He wasn't surprised that the doctor saw him, but he was surprised that he admitted it. He figured he would've lied about it, especially with Kort in the room.

Nate nodded.

"And did you provide him with the means to flee the country?" Vance asked.

Nate put on a very good look of surprise if he did say so himself. "Flee the country? You say that as if it was a crime for him to go. He left to try to save Callen, and yes, I did help him with that."

"You provided him with the documentation he needed to leave the United States undetected until it was too late?" Vance asked.

"Yes. He was worried that the person who was setting Callen up might find out if he made the arrangements himself," Nate said.

Kort shifted in his chair. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he wasn't completely stupid. He knew Vance would make good on this threat if he said anything.

"So to your knowledge, Callen had not been exonerated when McGee left?"

"No, Tim left thinking that Callen was still in trouble," Nate lied effectively

"You're sure about that?" Vance asked. He had to give it to him. If he was lying, he was doing a very good job at it.

"Of course I'm sure. But you're obviously not. What do you know that I don't?" Nate asked. Now came the hard part. Vance was going hand him evidence of Tim' 'guilt' and he was going to have to believe it, causing his personal safety to become an issue.

Vance pulled a piece of paper from the folder he'd brought with him and handed it to Nate. "That's the authorization of the wire transfer from an account supposedly belonging to Callen and that's supposed to be his signature at the bottom."

Nate pretended to read at all and be surprised by it. "This is Tim's signature, and if I'm reading this correctly, his account fraudulently set up in Callen's name. Callen's name's on the account, but it's not his.

"Yes. It's believed that McGee set Callen up to take the fall," Vance said. He worded that just right. He made sure not to say he believed it because he didn't. He didn't think for one minute that McGee was guilty. In fact he believed the person responsible was in the room with them. "McGee's decision to go to Iran makes him look even more guilty since that's where this specific group of terrorists is."

"I thought he was going there to get the goods on the real traitor. I never thought…" Nate trailed off for dramatic affect. Well, that and he couldn't bear to actually say the words.

Callen narrowed his eyes at Nate. "What?"

Nate stiffened. Callen was already starting to get pissed. Not that Nate blamed him. He hated himself for even implying that Tim was guilty. "I'm sorry, Callen. I thought he was trying to save you."

"He was! What the hell are you saying, Nate?" Callen asked in shock. He couldn't really be saying he thought Tim was guilty, could he? He better not be because if he was, Callen would kill him!

Nate sighed. Callen was going to make him say it. "It's all right here. He did it."

Callen leaned forward and snatched the piece of paper out of Nate's hand. "This is trash! It's a lie! It's no more true than it was with me! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's the matter, Callen? Don't like what you hear?" Kort asked smugly.

"You shut up!" Callen yelled at Kort before glaring at Nate. "You know Tim. You were the first person to help him when he came to work with us. Are you really going to sit here now and write him off as a traitor?"

Nate took a deep breath. He then spoke one word that he knew could be his last if Callen had anything to say about it. "Yes."

"You son of a bitch!" Callen yelled before standing up, grabbing Nate up by the shirt and slamming him against the way.

"Agent Callen, let him go!" Vance ordered before quickly making his way over to them.

Callen ignored him. He was too focused on his fury with Nate. "Tim was your friend! He trusted you and this is how you pay him back?"

"I said enough!" Vance yelled as he pulled the extremely volatile agent away and got in the middle of him and Nate.

Callen continued to glare at Nate, but didn't try to go back at him, mostly because he knew Vance would stop him. "You bastard. You're worse than Gibbs and his band of idiots could ever hope to be. You can rot in hell!"

Nate looked away. He had to admit that those words hurt. Not that he could really blame Callen. It did look like he'd betrayed Tim.

Vance turned to Nate. "Do you want to press charges?" Legally, he had to ask. Callen had assaulted Nate. He had every right to want Callen arrested.

Nate shook his head. "No."

Vance turned back to Callen. "Alright, you get out of here. Take a walk."

Callen glared at Nate for a few more seconds before walking out of the room.

"I think I'll be heading out too. I've heard all I need to," Kort said smugly. He obviously enjoyed what just happened.

"Am I to understand you no longer believe Doctor Getz to be involved?" Vance asked.

"No. After this little display, I'm convinced that Doctor Getz wasn't involved. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a terrorist to stop," Kort said.

"Good luck with that. The last time I checked, Iran wasn't US friendly. They're not going to hand him over," Vance said. He knew that that wasn't what he meant though. If Kort was the traitor, he would likely just contact his terrorist buddies to have McGee executed on site. For that reason alone, Vance sincerely hoped Callen was right about him not being in Iran.

Kort just stared at him for a minute and then walked out.

Once everyone else was gone, Vance shut off the microphone in the room and then went over to Nate. "Well, this an interesting turn of events. Callen's reaction sure sent things home for Kort."

Nate simply nodded.

"I can't figure out if that was what you wanted all along or not, and honestly I think it's better that way. Anyway, you won't be returning to the Middle East anytime soon," Vance said.

"I figured as much," Nate said.

"I'm sending you back to LA," Vance said.

Nate gulped. He'd seen it coming, but it still made him very uneasy. Now he would have to face the rest of the team. They wouldn't be any happier than Callen was. "Would you mind terribly if I took a separate flight from Callen?"

"I would encourage it. I'll let Hetty know you're returning to her command. I'll let you tell her your opinion of McGee," Vance said. He wasn't sure if Doctor Getz really believed McGee was guilty, but if he did, he deserved anything Hetty had to throw at him.

Nate nodded and then headed for the door.

"Doctor Getz," Vance called, stopping the man just as he reached the door. "If you did mean what you said here today, I find I agree with Callen. You are worse and you should rot in hell."

Nate nodded again and walked out the door.