After Tony had fallen asleep, Gibbs had stayed by his side for another hour in hopes that he would get another chance to talk to DiNozzo. He felt like he still had a lot to say to the injured man, but it seemed like he was going to have to wait until a later time; Tony was still sleeping soundly and the team leader didn't have the heart to wake him. Glancing at his watch, he decided that he needed to go to the prison and talk to the warden; it was a conversation that was long past due and the sooner he could figure out exactly what had happened, the sooner he could fully focus on helping DiNozzo reclaim his life.
Gibbs also knew that the doctors were going to try and remove the breathing tube later and that Fornell was planning on dropping by as well, encouraging him to get his ass in gear so he could get back. He would need to be here for Tony; the team leader wasn't going to allow DiNozzo to distance himself any longer. Pushing himself up from the chair that he had been occupying, he stretched in an effort to relieve the deep-seated ache in his back; it was a shame that with all the technology available, no one had yet to design a hospital chair that would provide some measure of comfort. Placing his calloused hand on DiNozzo's forehead, Gibbs silently bid the younger man farewell and made his way to the car.
As he pulled out of the visitor parking lot and onto the road, Gibbs' thoughts turned back to the visit he was going to make to the prison and to Warden Phillips. It was time to find out for himself the sordid details of what happened to land his former senior field agent in the hospital. Of course he realized that he may not be totally prepared for the truth, but nevertheless, he had to know. Someone was going to pay for every ounce of pain that had been inflicted upon DiNozzo—he would make sure of it.
Before Tony had started refusing to see him, Gibbs had noticed DiNozzo's slow and painful movements, but when questioned, the former agent had denied that anything was wrong. The Marine knew better, but there was nothing he had been able to do or say to get Tony to come clean about what was happening to him. DiNozzo had all but told him to mind his own business and Gibbs couldn't help but wonder that maybe he should have pressed a little harder; perhaps if he had, Tony wouldn't have been beaten to within an inch of his life.
Gibbs was so caught up in his thoughts, it barely registered that he was coming upon the exit that would take him to the prison. He had come to know this road all too well; hopefully, he wouldn't have to make any more visits after today. Taking the exit ramp, he executed a rolling stop and then pulled out onto the two lane highway. It only took him a few more minutes before he was pulling into the visitor's lot and parking his car beside another government issued Charger. Figuring that McGee and Ziva were beginning to take statements, he decided that he would check in with them before he talked with the Warden.
Flashing his badge for identification, he proceeded through the checkpoint, informing the guard that he had left his weapon locked up in his car. Fortunately, the officer didn't dare question him and allowed him to pass, telling him that his colleagues were in the commons area. The team leader nodded his thanks and turned to walk down the long corridor, his stride boasting a mixture of anger and determination.
He entered the room to find McGee and Ziva talking to a guard. The officer looked nervous, suspiciously eyeing the young woman; Gibbs assumed that the Mossad liaison had threatened the man with bodily harm. Sometimes it was handy having a former assassin around. "What do you got?" he asked.
"Boss, this is Officer Carl Banks," McGee stated. "It seems that he's responsible for setting up this last attack on Tony; this…uh…apparently wasn't the first time that he's made these kinds of arrangements."
Gibbs braced his arms on the table and leaned forward. "Is that true, Officer Banks?"
"Uh…well," Banks stammered.
The team leader pounded his fist on the table causing the man to startle. "Answer me!" He wasn't in the mood to play games. If this man was in any way responsible for what had happened to Tony, then Officer Banks was going to discover firsthand the dangers of being a cop in prison.
"I uh…was…"
"I suggest you answer him," Ziva whispered in Banks' ear. "You need to quit beating around the tree."
"Bush," McGee automatically corrected.
Gibbs glared at Banks, who sank down further in his chair. "Don't make me ask again," the Marine warned. "Are you responsible for setting up Tony?"
"Yes," Banks answered. "But I'm not the only one; DiNozzo has a lot of enemies in here."
"Tell me something I don't know! I want a list of names and you can put your name on the top of the list."
"What's going to happen to me?"
The agent was seething. "As far as I'm concerned, you can rot in hell."
"But it was all Charles' idea!" Banks blurted out.
The three agents exchanged puzzled glances. Gibbs stood tall, his jaw firmly clenched. "Charles?" His gut was screaming at him; could Banks be talking about Chip? If the officer was referring to Sterling, then Gibbs could put another nail in the little bastard's coffin. "Charles who?"
"Charles Sterling," the man nervously replied. "He's my brother-in-law. He told me what DiNozzo had done to him and so I agreed to help him exact some revenge. I mean, he's family—what was I supposed to do?"
Gibbs had surpassed fuming and was now raging inside. "What were you supposed to do? You're an officer of the law and you're supposed to uphold the law!" If it hadn't been for the fact that the agent knew that he would need Banks to testify against Chip, he would have taken great pleasure in taking the guard apart, limb by limb. By cutting a deal, it was more than likely that Banks would get off easy, but at least Sterling would be behind bars.
He walked around the table until he was behind the guard. It was still taking every ounce of restraint he could muster not to jerk the man out of the chair and render his own brand of justice; Banks deserved a taste of his own medicine. The team leader was now standing beside Banks, maintaining a firm grasp on the other man's shoulder. Gibbs gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. "I want you to tell everything to Officer David and Agent McGee," he instructed. "I want to know every little detail of Sterling's plans and how you carried them out. If I like what you have to say, we'll see about cutting some kind of deal. You don't give me something I can use, I'll throw you under the bus alongside your brother-in-law."
"But…"
"It's either you or Chip and you ought to know how former cops are treated in prison." Gibbs released his grip and headed towards the exit. "Think about it," he said over his shoulder as he opened the door.
With a quick nod to McGee and Ziva, he headed towards the warden's office. He knew that his two team members understood his silent instructions; they had definitely learned a few things since Tony had been gone. Gibbs knew that when he returned, he would have a full confession as well as more information that he could used against Sterling; if McGee couldn't get it out of him, Ziva definitely would.
It didn't take very long for him to reach the office of Warden Phillips. Gibbs excused the guard that had been stationed outside the door and he purposefully strode into the office. He and Warden Phillips had crossed paths a few times before, but this time, the gauntlet had been thrown and Gibbs was prepared for battle. Phillips had done nothing but lie to him for a long time and now was the time of reckoning.
"Agent Gibbs," the warden greeted.
"Why?" the agent demanded, ignoring the other man's attempt at exchanging pleasantries.
"I'm afraid I don't understand the question, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs walked over and locked the door. His movements were swift and fluid as he moved to pin the Warden against the wall. "You knew all along what was happening!" he roared. "How much were you paid to look the other way?"
"I don't…"
The fact that Phillips was gasping for air didn't seem to bother the agent. He wanted answers and one way or another, he was going to get them. The warden had lied to him and that was unacceptable; the man had failed to do his job and in turn, Tony had nearly died. "You gave me your word that you were going to look into the beatings; you were going to make sure that Tony stayed safe. You didn't keep up your end of the bargain."
Gibbs threw Phillips to the floor, knowing he was dangerously close to crossing that invisible line of right and wrong. He glared at the man as the warden struggled to his feet. "I told you that interfering would make things even more difficult for DiNozzo; I specifically warned you that you were putting a target on his back," Phillips recalled. "This is prison! Did you really think that DiNozzo was going to get off that easy? I did what I could and confined him to solitary as much as I could justify it. He was a cop in prison and you know what that means! It's not my fault that he couldn't stay out of trouble!"
He visibly bristled. Gibbs knew that Warden Phillips was trying to deflect the blame from himself, but the team leader was not about to let that happen. "He's in the hospital, recovering from the injuries from his latest encounter; one of your guards set him up to receive a beating and at the moment, that officer is about to spill his guts to my agents!"
"What do you want me say, Gibbs?"
The agent could hear a mixture of exasperation and desperation in Phillips' voice. Gibbs grabbed the warden by the arm and forced him to sit down in the nearest chair. Standing over him, the Marine didn't bother to hide his disdain for the other man. Gibbs had to continue reminding himself that he had to remain in control; there was simply too much at stake.
Menacingly leaning over the warden, Gibbs answered, "I want you to give me Tony's files, including all his medical records."
"I can't…"
Gibbs pulled a warrant out of his pocket and slammed it down on the desk. He was glad that Fornell had been thinking ahead and had provided him with the document that he would need to seize the records. "Yes, you can. This is for your computers and for your files; anything that has Tony DiNozzo's name, is now property of NCIS."
"You're out of your jurisdiction!" Phillips exclaimed. "This isn't a NCIS matter! What happens in this prison doesn't concern you! Last I knew, DiNozzo cut all ties to you!"
He tried to ignore deliberate stab to his gut. Gibbs hated to be reminded of the fact that DiNozzo had removed him from being his next of kin; the warden definitely knew how to throw a few punches of his own. The team leader clenched his fist as he slowly released a pent up breath that he had inadvertently been holding. "That's irrelevant! What does matter is that you have been overlooking the constant abuse…"
"He brought it on himself!" the warden growled. "He thought he was above the law; DiNozzo thought he could get away with murder and he almost did. Those of us who try and uphold the law don't like it when we're made to look bad."
"Tony was set up and you know it," Gibbs shot back. "You don't uphold anything except your own twisted rules. Of course, you're going to get a taste of your own medicine, because you're well on your way to prison. Conspiracy to murder will get you a few years."
"Conspiracy to murder?"
"Yep. Officer Banks is singing like a canary." Gibbs realized that he was taking a chance by playing this particular hand he had been dealt, but he really didn't have a choice. Phillips knew what Banks and the others had been doing and in his book, that made the warden just as guilty. "Don't forget that when all the records are gone through, there will probably be a separate investigation into your prison and who knows what that will uncover."
Exasperation and desperation had now merged into panic; it was obvious that the warden was starting to get nervous. This was definitely a man who had a lot to lose and Gibbs was more than prepared to be the one to take it all away. "So, are you ready to talk?"
The warden merely nodded, prompting Gibbs to pull up a chair beside him and pull out his tablet. The team leader was fully aware of the fact that he wasn't going to like everything he was about to hear, but maybe by the time he was done, the agent would have a better idea of everything DiNozzo had been through. He glared at the warden as he opened up his notebook. "Start talking," he gruffly ordered. "Let's start at the beginning."
As Warden Phillips began to talk, Gibbs began to write. The more he learned about what Tony had been subjected to, the more he struggled to tamp down the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. Gibbs realized that he had barely touched the tip of the iceberg; Tony DiNozzo had been through hell and he had done nothing the entire time except offer him false platitudes of hope. It wasn't any wonder that he had cut Gibbs out of his life.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next time Tony began to surface from his drugged induced slumber, he instantly became aware of the fact that he was still in agonizing pain. However that realization paled in comparison to the feelings of uncertainty and loneliness that was threatening to overwhelm when he discovered that Gibbs was no longer there. Of course, given the jumbled mess that now comprised his mind, he wasn't sure that his former boss had even been there. Tony remembered Gibbs talking to him and telling him that he had found something that would clear his name; that memory alone had all but convinced him that he had been dreaming.
Pushing those particular thoughts to the back of his mind, his gaze came to rest on two familiar faces standing over him. Tony knew that the two men were the doctors who saved his life, but at the moment, he couldn't recall their names. He supposed that it didn't matter what their names were; Tony knew that he would be sent back to the prison infirmary sooner than later and he would never seen the two men again.
"Mr. DiNozzo, it's Dr. Neal; can you hear me?"
Tony managed a slight nod, wincing at the not too gentle reminder of the tube down his throat. He felt trapped, which only served to exacerbate the terror that was coursing through his body. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that if showed a modicum of fear that they would sedate him again and he needed to stay awake long enough to figure out exactly what was going on.
"That's good. Dr. Coleman and I are going to take you off ventilator," the physician began to explain. "I just need you to relax as much as possible and cough when I tell you to. Do you understand?"
He nodded again and managed to do as he was instructed. Within a few seconds, he was free of the breathing tube, which was replaced by a nasal canula. Tony took several deep breaths, appreciating the fact that he no longer felt like he was suffocating.
"I'll have the nurse bring you some ice chips in a minute," the other doctor informed him as Dr. Neal listened to his lungs.
The injured man licked his parched lips as he attempted to speak; the ability to form a word seemed lost to him at the moment. Tony needed to know if Gibbs had been in his room or if the team leader's presence had been wishful thinking. "Gi…Gibbs," he finally managed to rasp. "He…here?"
"If you're referring to Agent Gibbs, he was here," Dr. Neal confirmed. "He said he would be back later and I have a feeling that he's a man of his word."
"Yeah," Tony quietly replied. Apparently Dr. Coleman and Dr. Neal were now among the growing list of people who didn't want to cross Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He still wasn't sure how Gibbs had managed to get in to see him, but when it came to determination and tenacity, his former mentor seemed to have been given a double dose.
"You need to rest. Later, we're going to take a look at that knee and see what kind of damage it sustained," Dr. Coleman stated. "You're going to be fine, but it's going to take a while."
Until the next time. Tony didn't voice his thoughts, but he knew that once he returned to the prison that it would only be a matter of time before he was involved in another so called incident. Despite his best efforts to stay out of trouble, he always seemed to be in the middle of some altercation; Tony knew that he was constantly being singled out, but there was nothing he could do about it. No one in that hellhole, including the Warden, cared if he lived or die; that was the price of being a former cop who was condemned to life in prison and Tony had finally come to accept that he was going to have to pay that price.
He was so lost in his private musings, it had taken Tony a few seconds to realize that Dr. Coleman was still talking to him. The young man forced himself to focus on what the physician was saying. "You have some visitors if you're up to seeing them."
"Who?" he asked, his voice betraying the weakness that had enveloped him.
"There are two FBI agents out in the waiting room," Coleman informed him. "They arrived just before we came in here to take you off the ventilator; I told them we would have to see how you were doing. If you're not up to it, I'll tell them to come back later."
What would the FBI want with him now? What had he done? His mind momentarily drifted to the words that Gibbs had apparently spoken to him; the Marine had said something about having proof that he had been set up. Was that true? Even though he was exhausted and struggling against the constant pain assailing him, Tony readily agreed to see the FBI agents.
"If I think things are getting too intense for you, I'm kicking them out," the doctor warned.
"Okay," he whispered, resisting the urge to cry out in pain as he shifted slightly.
The blurred image of Dr. Neal walked over to the door and motioned for the agents to enter. Tony blinked several times to clear his vision but the action didn't help. He surmised that he had one hell of a concussion and it would be a while before his vision returned to normal. His gaze remained fixed on the door as Agents Fornell and Sacks entered the room. The two men merged into four, forcing DiNozzo to tamp down the nausea that was beginning to plague him. Tony began to have second thoughts about conceding to see the agents, but at the moment, he couldn't ignore his gut. His instincts were telling him to hear them out and he would do so; he just hoped that they were going to say something he wanted to hear.
I apologize for the delay. I'm in an area that was greatly affected by the power outages last week, but thankfully, we finally got our power back the other day! I hope if any of you were affected as well, that you have your power back.
So between that and being on vacation, it's been a while since I was able to post. I appreciate those who understand about real life and are sticking with me—you guys are totally awesome, or as my son would say, you guys are the bomb-diggity! Hope you enjoyed the post!