Transcripts - Forever Dreaming

Victory!

I got to stop.

Great idea!

I'm sorry. Did we get you?

Gee, you think?

Oh, here. Here you go.

I'm so sorry.

Here, touch me... You'll make it even.

No, thank you.

That didn't come out right.

All right, all right! Man, sober up.

Dude, you okay?

I'll drop you off back at base.

No, no, no, I'm just going to walk. Shake the stink off.

Play with me.

Please... play with me.

Play with me.

Please... Play with me.

Play with me.

Please... play with me.

Play with me.

Please... play with me.

Yes, they came in this morning.

In fact, I'm wearing them right now.

Yes. They feel really, really good when I move.

I have to get to work.

I'm going to have to call you back.

Yeah, I...

I miss you too, Ray.

Yeah. Okay, bye.

I do. And I do not care who knows.

Sounds like you're getting pretty serious.

I am happy. Ray is happy.

We are meeting in New York, next weekend.

He's taking me to the opera.

The opera?

Does his boyfriend know about you?

No, but his mom does.

You've met the 'rents?

When are we going to get to meet him?

All in good time, McGee.

And how is your... special new someone?

I don't have a special anything. And it's none of your business.

Someone's keeping secrets.

That's pretty classic, coming from the woman who's kept her...

"Boyfriend" hidden from us for months.

I'm not hiding anything. Ray knows all about you.

Again, why haven't we met him?

Because Ray knows all about you.

I'm not the one you should be worried about, right?

I've seen men of steel melt from a mere glance from Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

That flinty, steel-eyed stare that makes those men turn into sniveling little girls.

It's just... Morning, Boss.

Grab your gear.

Got a dead naval officer in Virginia.

Think we could get a better look at this?

He's wrapped up tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey.

His ankles are bound. That's odd.

We'll move as fast as we can.

Might want to move a little faster.

Looks like the locals want to get back to work.

They probably didn't expect him to be part of their spring crop.

Although human remains would make a... excellent fertilizer.

That is stinky.

Yeah. Just a little.

Yeah, throat's cut.

And a deep cut at that.

Had a pet gerbil when I was a kid.

I buried him in my mother's vegetable garden after he d*ed.

And that year, her plum tomatoes were better than ever.

I used to think of him every time I bit into one, and...

'Cause he was talking about the fertilizer...

You're right. I'm sorry, sorry.

Skin is dehydrated.

Decomposition has set in.

How long ago?

My guess... Four to five days.

He's extremely clean.

There's no defensive wounds.

No obvious signs of a struggle.

No blood pooling.

I'd say he was k*lled somewhere else and left here.

The farm's owner says he has only seen his employees around this area.

That's about half a mile from the road. No street lamps.

Easy to come and go without being seen.

Police report someone found a wallet and a watch in a dumpster near town.

No one claimed it.

You get an I.D.?

It was empty except for about 50 bucks.

Whoever k*lled the captain wasn't after his cash.

This is not a captain.

Seaman Derek Balfour.

Whoever k*lled him could have played dress-up.

Something is in his lapel here, doctor.

It's a metro card.

Based on the date stamp, purchased after his time of death.

Jethro, take a look at this.

This young man's gaze has been altered, postmortem.

Yeah, someone physically adjusted his eyeballs.

Combine where they're looking now, with the metro card and...

What is he looking toward?

D.C.

It's a message.

Seaman Derek Balfour, 22.

Enlisted three years ago, stationed at Norfolk.

Scheduled to ship out next week for a second tour to the Middle East.

Service record?

C.O. says he's likeable, but a bit of a loose cannon.

Not captain material, Boss.

He was dedicated, though.

"Seaman Balfour lacks the skills necessary for promotion

"yet has great devotion to the Navy. He works harder than anyone else."

And played even harder.

Written up for a drunk-and-disorderly, 6 months ago... mandatory alcohol counseling.

Passed with flying colors. Not a blemish on his record since.

Did he have a family?

Mom's in Rhode Island.

Estranged for years. Dad was never in the picture. No siblings.

Left home when he was 15.

Supported himself with odd jobs until he joined the Navy.

A friend of seaman Balfour's says they were at a D.C. club together last Thursday night.

They had several beers, and left separately around 1:00 A.M.

Okay, phone records, e-mails, financials.

On it.

I thought you were in Miami.

I lied. I was in the parking lot.

You have been very creepy today.

"Sneaky."

And yes, I have.

But for a very good cause.

Introductions, Ziva?

Right. Of course.

This is everyone.

Pleasure, sir.

Special agent. Heard good things.

Yeah. Likewise.

Friend of Ziva's is a friend of ours.

The last time she had an visitor, our director ended up in the hospital.

I come in peace. Promise.

And despite the injuries your director sustained, the agency thinks that you navigated that situation very well.

You CIA?

Just celebrated my 13th year, sir.

That's funny.

Ziva failed to mention your line of work.

That's what I do. It's not who I am.

That's a very zen, new-agey kind of attitude for someone who installs puppet regimes for a living.

Gibbs, can I give Ray a tour?

Yeah, sure. Don't lose him.

It's been a pleasure meeting all of you.

So it's not "Renaissance Ray." It's "CIA Ray."

He's "CI-Ray."

You really should get that checked out. It's like a bad tick or something.

There's something about this guy, Boss.

His smile is disturbing.

Haven't seen a smile like that since Christian Bale's barely audible Batman in The Dark Knight.

Right. Back to work.

"It's what I do, not who I am."

What's...?

It's just so weird.

So many naval decorations for the "low man on the totem pole".

Sorry. No offense.

Actually, Mr. Palmer, if seaman Balfour had been "totemized, " as it were, he would have been much closer to the top.

I don't follow.

Native Americans designed their poles so that the lower you were on it, the higher they held you in esteem.

Calling someone "low man on the totem pole" is, in fact, a compliment.

So all these years, Gibbs has been complimenting me.

I wouldn't go that far, Palmer.

How far are you getting, Duck?

As far as the evidence will allow... not very.

However, seaman Balfour, here, d*ed from loss of blood from a severed carotid artery.

A six-centimeter-deep cut.

They knew what they were doing.

And they knew not to leave anything behind.

The body was thoroughly cleansed.

I mean, I've been over it twice. There's nothing... no trace of blood, no fingerprints, no strand of hair.

Additionally...

The fingernails on both hands were just cut.

Well, manicured is more like it.

And the skin is abraded in places where the person scrubbed so hard.

Meticulous.

Not to mention well-trained.

We did find traces of a rare, high-grade cleanser.

Abby is running tests.

Medical background?

Perhaps.

But I wouldn't rule out someone from law enforcement, either.

Someone who knows the value of a clean corpse.

Greetings, director.

What brings you to the nether regions of our building?

I am so sorry.

I had no idea that that was your parking spot.

I swear.

At ease, Palmer.

I'm just here to check on the case.

Heard there were some unusual characteristics about it.

Still putting it together.

I'm not here to disrupt that; just to get an update.

Is that a problem?

Just don't see you down here much.

Things change.

Dr. Mallard, tell me what you know so far.

Right. Let me call you back.

Sorry... special agent DiNozzo.

C.I. Ray.

Need to get that?

It can wait.

Just wrapping up an old case.

Anything interesting?

Can't talk about it.

C.I. Ray business?

How long you in town?

As long as Ziva will have me for.

Yeah, she's a tough nut to cr*ck.

But, you know, once you navigate past that Mossad-influenced exterior and her inability to grasp cultural references, she's great.

I'm in love with her.

That's why I'm here.

To tell her?

When are you going to do that?

I don't know.

Tonight, tomorrow...

Soon.

You know, it feels good to finally get it out.

I'll bet.

You know, I want Ziva's friends to become my friends.

She's told me how close the two of you are.

I wouldn't say that.

She says you're like a brother to her.

Meeting.

Do me a favor...

Don't say anything to Ziva.

I gotta go.

Where are you off to?

I have to see an old associate, but it shouldn't take too long, okay?

Somebody sure left in a hurry.

He has work to do.

Yeah, so do we. Tell me what we got.

Navy server showed nothing unusual in seaman Balfour's e-mails.

But I did find this.

Bank shows several charges on his debit card over the past four days.

Various stores, various amounts.

Dead guy on a shopping spree.

Surveillance video?

Abby's still analyzing.

But so far, we've got no clear sh*t of the person taking Balfour's identity.

Seaman Balfour's apartment manager says that someone has been staying in his apartment since last Friday.

After he was m*rder*d.

You got a description?

White male, unknown age.

Is he there now?

Manager saw him go into the unit this morning, but never come out.

Come on, let's go.

It's 203.

If you need, I got the key.

NCIS. Open up.

Clear, Boss.

Tidy. Not a thing out of place.

Except for this.

That is one empty refrigerator.

What the hell is that?

He likes leaving things behind.

You just happened to be in the neighborhood, Special Agent Barrett?

Flower?

That's a new one.

I'm gonna take a look around, see what I can find.

See what you can find?

I've been tracking the k*ller the past nine months.

Three dead Navy men in three different ports.

What's your connection?

Case started in Rota, Spain.

Rota.

Never been there. Hear it's nice.

Seaman Balfour's m*rder fits the pattern, right down to the funny little ice cubes.

My k*ller, my case.

What I was thinking is we...

I'll have to call you back.

I take it Agent Barrett got settled in.

Yeah, for the second time.

You could have told me, Director.

It was need-to-know. You didn't, so what's the problem?

You kept me in the dark...

On purpose?

It just landed on our soil, Gibbs.

I'm telling you now.

Called the "port-to-port k*ller."

Victims are all Navy enlisted.

Bodies found near bases in Sasebo, Guam, Rota.

M.O.'s the same every time.

Throats cut, redressed, thoroughly cleaned and wrapped in plastic.

No physical evidence left behind.

But he always leave some object.

That's a signature.

Maybe.

Bread crumbs.

Left this near the last body in Guam.

A peanut?

Boiled.

Grown in Southeastern Virginia.

Suggests that the k*ller may be on his way to the States.

Agent Barrett was brought in last month in anticipation of that move.

Unfortunately, we were right.

Balfour was the latest victim.

But he won't be the last.

The SecNav wants the port-to-port k*ller found and locked up fast.

I suggest you get past your issues with E.J. running the lead on this and find him.

You're quiet.

I'm pensive.

If this is some kind of game, I'm not playing.

No game.

I get it.

You don't like it when I play boss lady.

Would have been nice to know you'd be showing up out of the blue.

You just saw me last night.

Yes, in my apartment, wearing my Elvis Costello t-shirt which was extremely gratifying, but I didn't expect you at my crime scene... sifting through my evidence.

Technically, it was my crime scene and my evidence.

Technically, you could have mentioned it.

It wasn't something I could share.

Maybe it was something you didn't want to share.

That thing is pissing me off.

Just move this...

The skylight and the computer screen...

A way to avoid awkward moments.

Intriguing.

"A riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma."

Joe Pesci, Oliver Stone's JFK... Nice.

Winston Churchill, Russia, 1939.

Smarty-pants.

This is not gonna work out. Not with us on the same case. We should stop.

Okay. Best we end it.

Or not.

Dinner my place?

I'll bring wine.

Got anything?

It's just that our crazed lunatic k*ller also happens to be a plant lover.

After comparing the flower that was found in seaman Balfour's apartment to dozens of species that are indigenous to North America, I got a match.

Behold the pogonia ophioglossoides.

Also known as the snake-mouth orchid.

It's a rare species, Gibbs...

So rare it's been put on the endangered list in several states.

Yeah, so?

So, if P2P... port-to-port k*ller, I made that up myself, if P2P wants to grow one, he would have to do it himself, or find someone who could.

He knows his plants.

That's not all he knows.

Seaman Balfour's wounds were clean, there were no ragged edges.

The angle and the bevel of the cut run in a straight line, so our w*apon is...

Surgical.

And it's a perfect match to this.

I also matched the cleanser that was found on the body.

It's an iodine-based scrub called xeonphine.

It's made in Canada, and it's only sold to hospitals.

So, we're looking for someone in the medical field?

What, a doctor maybe?

Yeah, or...

A surgeon or a nurse maybe.

Abbs, do you need a doctor?

No, it's just...

Change, Gibbs.

Change makes me itch.

It always has.

It's Agent Barrett.

I'm not a fan.

I mean, of change.

Her... I don't mind.

She's feisty for someone so small.

And I like that. Not that I like her, because I don't really...

Not like I like you.

I just... I like our family just the way it is.

Nothing's gonna change.

I do not trust her.

And I know that Gibbs does not trust her.

But...

She will be here running lead until we solve this case.

I mean throwing in someone new, It's never a good idea.

Never.

I'm sorry.

I'm rambling.

Enough about my day.

The meeting with your associate?

Can we talk about something other?

Just for a while?

A very little while?

There's something that I want to tell you.

Ignore it.

Wait.

I'm sorry. That was...

That was McGee. He had a question.

What did you need to tell me?

Nothing.

It can wait.
The port-to-port k*ller is a highly egotistical individual.

He's lethal and determined and...

You're all welcome to join me.

I'm not really into yelling from way over here.

We can hear you fine.

Keep going.

Suspect is a white male anywhere from 25 to 55, never married, no children.

Born into money, he is charming, charismatic and very entitled.

Are you sure we're not looking for Tony?

He's k*lled in Japan, Guam, Spain and now the U.S.

No connection between any of his victims besides the fact that they're all Navy or former Navy.

He is well-traveled, multilingual, adapts to other cultures easily.

And as you know, his M.O. suggests he has medical training of some kind.

Doesn't tell us why he gives them a promotion before he dumps them.

Or why he leaves things behind.

The flower from Balfour's apartment told us nothing.

Could indicate where he's going next.

I think he's still here.

And he's not leaving anytime soon.

Is that a hunch?

We're talking about a pathological individual!

He's smart, incredibly high-achieving...

I doubt it.

I think that these murders are his biggest achievement.

That a hunch, agent Gibbs?

Got something you should see.

Excuse me.

It's from seaman Balfour's personal e-mail cache; most recent was the morning of his death.

"You're crazy if you think you're getting away with this, Balfour."

"I'll k*ll you before that happens."

You got a name, McGee?

Yep. 24-year-old Bryce Leitner, heir to the Leitner Timber fortune.

Dropped out of med school two years ago, been traveling the world ever since.

And he has visited Japan, Guam and Spain in the past year.

A location?

Last known local address is a condo in Georgetown.

We can be done in ten minutes, or here all day. It's up to you.

I'm not saying anything.

Let's talk about Sasebo, Japan.

Why were you there?

Starting without me, special agent Barrett?

We're just getting settled in.

You're in my chair.

We need to know why you traveled so much the last year, Mr. Leitner.

You've been in D.C. two weeks?

And before you arrived here, you were in Europe and Southeast Asia.

We have e-mails you sent threatening seaman Balfour's life.

Yeah? So? I hated the guy.

"Next time I see you, I'll take your head off."

It's a figure of speech.

Really?

Yeah.

I find that funny.

That's almost what the k*ller did.

You were in Japan, Guam, Spain...

Where were you a week ago?

Let him answer my question, Gibbs.

Why the threats to Balfour?

Because that loser made a move on my girl.

Can you believe that?

Low-class piece of...

And just to spite me, she actually goes out with the jerk.

So I get screwed twice.

Tell me, Bryce, what's it like to have it all?

The looks, the money, world travel...

The women?

Excuse us.

There are standards in there.

Rules.

I can interrogate him however I want.

Different strokes, Gibbs. You weren't getting anywhere and he's my suspect.

That's my room.

Vance put me in charge.

Vance isn't here.

I'm trying to establish he was in all cities at the same time of the murders.

Focus on Balfour.

That's our body, that's our evidence, that's our case!

It's a multiple m*rder case!

Start by pinning one m*rder, and then connect the others. It's how it's done.

Maybe that's the old-school way.

It's my way.

I'm calling Vance.

I'll be talking to Leitner.

Are you questioning whether I know what I'm doing, agent Gibbs?

No, Ma'am.

I'm questioning the way you do it.

Yeah, it's Gibbs.

Yeah, Abbs, I'll be right there.

Where are you going?

Wherever you are.

Did you guys have a fight?

Excuse me.

Abbs, what do you got?

Okay, so I ran Bryce Leitner's name through every intelligence and law enforcement database...

AFIS, interpol, DIA, CIA.

Point, Abby?

Abbs, come on.

So Leitner's in the system because of a DUI charge in Virginia last year.

Okay. And?

And he gave blood.

What does that have to do with it?

Only everything.

That, my fearless leader is the Spanish fishing village of Rosa Verde.

There was a viral outbreak there last July.

About a thousand people were infected.

Leitner's blood had traces of the pertussis virus.

Exactly. Which means...

He was in Spain at the same time as the Rota m*rder.

And he was here in D.C. on the date that Balfour was k*lled.

Looks like my suspect is panning out, agent Gibbs.

Do you want to talk about it?

I'm telling you, you mess with the great white, you're gonna get eaten.

I'm not afraid of him.

That's your first mistake.

Look, there's a pretty good chance I just caught the port-to-port k*ller.

Besides, Gibbs isn't exactly in Vance's good graces these days.

There's your second mistake.

I get the feeling they're not on the best of terms and Vance outranks him.

I've seen a few directors come and go.

There's only been one Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Do the math.

And there's only one Anthony DiNozzo.

Actually, there are two.

You know, this case may take me more than a few weeks for me to wrap up.

And?

And...

I'm just saying, I could get used to this.

I like the city life and these offices, despite that ridiculous skylight.

Well, you get used to that.

Then maybe your coworkers could get used to the idea of me being here on a more...

Permanent basis.

I look at you and how you've made this place work for yourself.

And it's your home.

It's all about the people around you.

I'm starting to get that.

Agent David, C.I. Ray.

Stop calling him that.

It's okay.

I kinda like it.

Agent Cruz.

Wait, do you two know each other?

Didn't he tell you?

Tell me what?

Ray's our CIA liaison with NCIS on the port-to-port k*ller case.

He has been from the start.

Look, I...

No.

You lied to me.

What does the CIA call it?

Do the call it "disinformation", a cover story?

I was protecting you?

I do not need protection!

It was need-to-know information.

I was not allowed to tell you, period.

Did you sleep with agent Barrett?

No, no. And if I did, I would have told you about it.

I didn't come here for this case, Ziva. I came here for you.

Just stop it!

Was any of it real?

Yes.

Were you just planning on using me to get information, just in case things with Barrett didn't pan out?

I mean, was that it?!

I mean, am I part of this back-up plan?

No, you're overreacting.

Oh My gosh!

You want to see me overreact?

Why don't you tell me another lie?

Why don't you tell me the sky is yellow?

Why don't you tell me that water isn't wet or that sand is not dry?

Why don't you tell me, that you love me?

I love you.

I love you, Ziva.

I don't believe you.

What about our time in Miami?

The trips?

What about the romantic dinners? I mean, was...

Was that all part of your plan?

It was real. It is real.

We are real.

I wish I could believe you.

You have the wrong guy.

Leitner... he's not the port-to-port k*ller.

He's a mule for the Syrian government.

We've been watching his every move for the last 16 months, and there's no way he could have k*lled any of them.

You didn't hear this from me.

Gibbs, I got to talk to you.

I need to tell you something.

I cannot tell you how I know this, and you cannot ask.

All right. Tell me what?

Bryce Leitner is not the port-to-port k*ller.

How sure are you?

Very.

Okay.

Turns out our chief suspect isn't the port-to-port k*ller.

How can you be so sure?

Reliable source.

How reliable?

Very.

Well, what's that supposed to mean?

It means Leitner has alibis for all three international murders.

Still leaves our local body.

Crime scene photos. Put'em up.

Look, I've been on this case for nine months.

I've studied every piece of evidence; I've studied these photos a hundred times in the last 24 hours.

We're going to study them again.

Go close-up on his decorations.

What?

Surface warfare pin.

Four Navy Air medals.

Distinguished Flying Cross.

There's no way a black shoe could have a Distinguished Flying Cross and four air medals.

Boss, this guy should have pilot wings.

So the k*ller made a mistake when re-dressing the victim?

Has he ever made a mistake before?

Never. The guy's meticulous.

This is a message. He wanted us to see these.

McGee, put up a map of the murders.

All port cities. I've already been over this.

Airports?

And I've already checked the flight manifests for all passengers...

Not interested in passengers. Hubs.

Hubs?

Hubs.

MTAC, now.

Stay.

Told you not to play with the great white.

Homeland just had FAA transfer all encrypted flight watch data.

Do it.

Airlines servicing all four cities where the port-to-port k*ller struck.

There's four airlines that service Sasebo and Guam, but not Rota.

There's only one that services all three cities and D.C....

Espree Airlines.

They go to all four international hubs, as well as Reagan and Dulles.

Cities are transfer points.

Meaning stopover points for pilots, flight crew, stewards and maintenance workers.

Checking the employee records for Espree Airlines.

All right.

Now these are the names of the various flight personnel who had stopovers in the cities where the port-to-port murders occurred.

How many served in the U.S. Navy?

Six.

How many were in all four cities at the times of all four murders?

One.

Nathan Finney, U.S. Navy, retired.

Put him up.

F-18 jockey, top of his Top g*n class in San Diego.

Served in Gulf wars one and two.

That explains the decorations.

80 bombing sorties in downtown Baghdad.

Our k*ller's a w*r hero?

Give me an address.

Just outside Alexandria.

Clear!

Clear!

Clear.

Nothing here, Boss.

Out here!

Nathan Finney, with a bad case of freezer burn.

Heat wave in autopsy.

I guess there really is global warming.

Autopsy is indeed topsy-turvy today, Mr. Palmer.

Nice alliteration doctor.

What do we got?

Based on the depth, angle of penetration, and the keenness of the blade, I'd say it was...

Same scalpel as the murders.

Yes.

Carotid artery and windpipe severed with great precision.

You have a time of death?

I'd say he's been dead and frozen for at least six weeks.

So you've got one more dead body, but no port-to-port k*ller, is that right?

We're confident we're closing in.

Good, because SecNav tasked me to solve this case.

So, I'm to tell him what?

We got a bouquet of flowers, some more ice, and no suspects.

I put both of you on this case to double the chances of catching this lunatic.

Now I'm wondering if I didn't double his chances of escaping.

Look, I don't care how you do it... together, apart, mean, nice... just get it done.

So I guess we're still partners.

See you in the morning.

You're sleeping with DiNozzo?

It's not against NCIS policy to date co-workers.

It's against my policy.

This team operates on respect.

You don't respect me...

I don't trust you.

Really?

Really.

Except to work the case, leave my team alone.

We clear?

Shouldn't drink alone, it's too depressing.

It's a club soda, and I'm not depressed.

I wouldn't blame you. It's been a rough day.

Maybe for you.

I'm fine.

If you were fine you wouldn't be here.

Okay, then let's go.

I would like a drink. And it is depressing to drink alone.

Barkeep!

Anything old and gold. I might be getting a cold.

Sorry.

Scotch on the rocks. Thank you.

Comin' up!

He's CIA.

They have a sworn duty to protect what they know.

Same as we do.

He was just doing his job.

He lied to me, Tony.

Because...

He cares about you.

Does not matter, because it's over.

Scotch, sir.

What about you and EJ?

What about us?

What are you going to do when Gibbs finds out?

I understand this one.

I understand her.

That's why it's working.

This is for you.

I didn't order that.

Guy in the booth did.

I wonder who?