"You up for this, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, knowing they were both exhausted and neither at their best.
"I would not miss it. I suppose we will not be allowed to beat him?"
Gibbs smiled.
"No...unless he resists."
"I hope he does," she said, glaring.
"Well, let's go and find out."
Together, Gibbs and Ziva walked into Interrogation. Drew Arnold actually smiled when he saw who it was.
"You're looking well," he said, pleasantly.
Ziva smiled back. "You are not."
"Wouldn't this be considered conflict of interest, for the victims to interview the perpetrator?"
"You're not denying it?"
"What do I gain by trying? You both lived and you both saw me. I was arrested at the scene." He settled back. "What deal are you going to offer for my cooperation?"
"We're not interested," Gibbs said shortly. "We're not here about kidnapping federal agents. We're not even here about your drug dealing. That's a whole different issue."
For the first time, Arnold allowed a look of confusion to cross his face.
"Then, what?"
"Attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer. That puts you in a whole other category for sentencing," Gibbs said.
"What?"
"Minimum sentence is what?" Ziva asked Gibbs.
"Hmmm...last I heard was ten years...to life."
"Oh, but this happened in Maryland, didn't it," Ziva observed.
"Three strikes," Gibbs said with a smile. "How many times you been in prison, Arnold?"
Ziva grinned at him. "Mandatory life sentence for attempted murder of a federal agent...no possibility of parole?"
"I didn't try to kill anyone!" he protested, all bravado gone.
"You didn't?" Gibbs looked at Ziva. "He didn't try to kill anyone. I guess he thought that Agent McGee's reaction to the PCP would be just like a walk in the park."
"Yes, he must have thought he was helping. Is that it, Mr. Arnold?" Ziva asked.
"I wasn't trying to kill him!" Arnold said loudly.
"Then, what were you doing when you overdosed him?" Gibbs demanded, suddenly losing all presentation of humor. "What did you think you were doing to him?"
"It was a distraction! It was supposed to work faster than it did! He'd go off on his little trip and I'd get away!"
"Oh, so that makes it okay, does it?" Gibbs asked.
"It wasn't even for him...if you'd all just stayed out of the way."
Ziva laughed incredulously and spoke to Gibbs again. "Oh, it is our fault that we were shut up in a small
