09x23 - Up in Smoke

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "NCIS". Aired: September 2003 to present.*
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The cases of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
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09x23 - Up in Smoke

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on NCIS...

Someone was looking for Navy secrets.

It's a list.

Of What?

Every Navy warship that contains the faulty wiring.

You find something?

Found an expl*sive device hidden on a palette.

Who put you up to this, Fullerton?

His name's Harper Dearing.

Harper Dearing.

He's the CEO of Dorado Hills Investments.


May I help you? Where's Dearing?

We have a warrant for his arrest.

Look, I haven't seen or heard from him in over a year.

You said Dearing had a son that was in the Navy.

Did you get a DNA match?

They found a familial match.

There is 99.9% probability that Harper Dearing is your guy.

Harper Dearing.

Let's go! We got work to do.

Uh-huh. And then what happened?

Ah, you must have been pretty scared.

How badly did she hurt you?

Mmm, you were lucky.

Yeah, you can say that again.

Got it.

Oh, yeah, you definitely fractured your implant.

Looks like a popcorn kernel.

I can see the pieces.

A popcorn kernel? Oh, yeah.

Happens all the time.

Most people don't realize the tensile strength of the...

What's wrong?

This implant isn't solid.

No wonder you fractured it.

Was that in my tooth?

Wait.

Did somebody bug my mouth?

What did you say you did again?

♪ NCIS ♪
Up in Smoke


I had no idea you were this a**l.

Even the inside has to be cleaned?

No. Line's been staticky.

Think there's dust on my circuit board.

No room for error this week.

Well, careful you don't electrocute yourself over there.

It's impossible.

System uses low-voltage DC current.

It's interesting-- you seem proud to know this information.

He's... he's back.

How many bodies did you say you found?

Now, calm down. Tell me again, what floor was the expl*si*n on?

I thought I heard it ring.

Oh, come on.

You guys, just give me one hint as to what Abby has planned.

It is my bachelor party, okay?

I've got a right to know.

Sorry. She swore us to secrecy, and she scares me more than you.

God.

Think I made a big mistake making her my best man.

Relax, Jimmy. Everything's fine.

Just make sure you're up on your hepatitis vaccinations. Hepatitis?

And get a good pair of knee pads.

And a good helmet.

You guys are messing with me.

Are we? Two words.

Abby Sciuto.

What is Abby planning?

You know, I'm still not really sure.

But maybe Ziva knows.

Ziva, what is Abby planning?

I have a statement from the dentist and the evidence.

Agent Gibbs, I have no clue what's going on, but I can assure you... You better hope you can.

Hey.

Stay.

I called Gibbs. He called Ziva.

And?

And I think I'm in a lot of trouble.

It's definitely some kind of acoustic listening device.

Somebody thinks Dorneget's more interesting than we do.

Agent Dorneget said the implant had been there for years.

Never.

That device wouldn't last more than a couple of months in a place as inhospitable as the human mouth.

He have any work done recently?

Actually, two weeks ago. Dorneget's regular dentist called and said there was a recall on his implant and that it needed to be replaced.

Did he?

Yes, and then, yesterday, that replacement was knocked loose by...

Popcorn kernel.

I can see the pieces.

He tried to go back to see his dentist, but he wouldn't return his calls.

The plot thickens.

So he went to see a new dentist, and he discovered the... bug.

Can you trace the signal, Abbs?

A unit that small would be really short-range.

It probably used Dorneget's cell phone as a booster.

I'll have to look.

Holy molar!

What?

Graphene.

That's the electrical source.

And it looks like it's acting as a piezoelectric substrate.

It's genius.

If you say so.

Piezoelectricity is the conversion of pressure into an electric current.

So, every time Dorneget would chew...

The pressure on the graphene charged the battery.

It's brilliant.

Someone should patent this.

Maybe somebody did.

I like how you think.

Got a hit.

Patent was filed for 18 months ago.

By who?

Harper Dearing.

Oh, dear.

The newest addition on our Most Wanted Wall.

And I just got my blood pressure under control.

Harper Dearing, 61 years old.

CEO of a multinational venture capital group headquartered out of Virginia.

That is, of course, his day job.

He's been very busy building up a new résumé.

First, he burns down warehouses.

Then almost blows up two Navy ships.

Then he steals Dorneget's molar.

We're looking for him; he's watching us.

If Dearing wanted to keep an eye on our investigation, then why bug a probationary agent?

Dorneget's a floater in every department, and he's a talker.

If Dearing had bugged Gibbs...

All he'd hear is wood being sanded.

Hi.

Something told me you could use my help.

So I brought some.

Ah.

You're wondering how I knew.

A girl's gotta have her secrets.

Mine is: I can read your mind.

So, since our CEO-turned-t*rror1st has gone MIA, his company's been run by its president, a man named Vincent Maple.

Wink.

Go for it.

Oh, yeah. Sorry.

I brought you NSA intercepts of Dearing's last communications with Maple from a year ago.

Thought they might help.

DiNozzo, Ziva, talk to Maple.

See if there's been any new contact.

McGee... I'll pick up the dentist that put in Dorneget's fake tooth. On it.

How'd you know?

Fine, you big baby.

DoD flagged Abby's search of the patent office.

Dearing's public enemy number one.

We're all looking for him.

Could have told me.

Yeah... where's the fun in that?

Stick around, Doc.

I think you could end up being helpful.

Yeah, I already cleared it with SECNAV.

Hey, I told you I could read your mind.

I don't care what customs says.

No, we need those containers on the shipping platform ASAP.

Call me back to confirm.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

We heard.

And I already told NCIS everything that I know last week.

I mean...

Yeah, yeah, go for Maple.

He'll call you back.

All right, can we just... can we just make this quick?

You told NCIS, since Dearing disappeared, you've been running the company by yourself.

Yeah, all by myself.

And you have no clue where he went.

You care to explain this?

The last e-mail communication between you and Dearing.

He says, "I am enjoying a mai tai on the beach where you and I had gone surfing."

Seems like a clue to me.

Uh, well, no, not really. I mean, I didn't mention it because I had no idea what he was talking about.

We never went surfing. I'm not exactly a beach kind of person.

Sand is itchy.

Guys, look, I'm cooperating, okay?

He may be my boss, but I actually have family serving on Navy ships right now.

Mm-hmm.

Well, you think this reference to surfing might be code?

I... who knows?

I mean, look, Dearing had been saying odd things for months before he disappeared.

Uh...

I think he might be losing it.

I think that boat has already sailed.

"Ship, " but yeah.

Close.

I'm Special Agent Gibbs.

And I'm here to tell if you're lying.

Am I under arrest?

Why? Should you be?

No.

But your agents didn't say what you wanted to talk about.

It's funny you didn't ask.

He a patient of yours?

Um, I'm sorry-- I can't discuss that.

Doctor-patient confidentiality.

Waiver.

Yes, uh, he's a patient.

I replaced a molar implant of his, uh, two weeks ago.

I had some concerns about sterility issues with the manufacturer and was just being cautious.

You aware that your replacement implant had a bug in it?

No.

He's lying.

No, I'm not.

Suppose you don't know who he is, either.

No, I've never seen him before in my life.

Lying.

I'm not lying.

Look, Ned was a patient.

I replaced an implant-- end of story.

Now, I don't know anything about any... any bugs.

I certainly don't know who that is.

Sorry to interrupt.

There's a call for Dr. Berman.

Take a message.

Um, boss, it's Dearing.

He's on the screen in MTAC.

Let's go.

Hello, Dr. Berman.

You recognize him now?

I, um...

No point in lying now, Doctor.

You have my permission to tell NCIS whatever they want to hear.

Your cooperation may well carry some weight with the judge.

How gracious.

I try to be considerate, Dr. Ryan.

Mark Twain said, "Always do right.

This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

Is that why you called?

To quote Twain to your dentist?

Agent Gibbs, nice to finally meet you.

No, I did not call specifically to speak to Dr. Berman.

I called specifically to speak with you.

About?

It's important to know thy enemy, don't you think?

I'm not your enemy.

Says the man who'd certainly k*ll me if he had the chance.

Turn yourself in.

Nobody else needs to die.

Well, that's where you're wrong, Agent.

People die for a cause every minute of every day.

These are innocent Navy personnel being targeted.

Explain the cause.

Ask Agent Gibbs.

After all, this is all his fault.

I called because I think you should know that.

What did we miss? I don't know, but looks like Dorneget's about to wet my chair.

Now, you're sure you didn't discuss any classified material in the last two weeks? No.

Wait.

Is that a trick question?

No, she didn't ask one yet.

Maybe that's the trick.

How'd Dearing know the dentist was here?

We're sweeping the entire building for more bugs, Agent Gibbs. I want to know how Dearing punched through MTAC's firewall.

Dearing was in MTAC?

Oh, yeah, bigger than hell.

Dorneget, get out of here.

Did you learn anything from Maple?

Well, Dearing's nuts.

Not nuts.

Just a sociopathic, paranoid narcissist.

I don't know why Abby asked you what kind of tattoo I want.

I'm not getting a tattoo, Breena. I...

Did you say dragon?

Because a dragon would be kind of cool.

Boss, talked to the dentist.

Did he talk back?

He sang like a canary after the call to Dearing.

Did he admit to bugging Dorneget?

Yeah.

But he claims that he was forced to.

He said one of Dearing's guys roughed him up.

Told him if he didn't implant the bug, they'd k*ll him.

Dearing paid him for his troubles, though-- ten grand in cash.

You get a description?

Even better.

DiNozzo, BOLO. On it.

Ziva, get down to Abby.

Give her the money.

See if she can pull prints off it.

Hey.

No matter what Dearing said, you know this isn't your fault, right?

Yeah, yeah, I know.

Unfortunately, I get the sense that Dearing actually believes it.

Hey.

I know.

Hi, Abby.

Hi, Jimmy.

So, I was just thinking that with all of this stuff that's going on right now, maybe tomorrow night isn't such a good idea.

We're not canceling your bachelor party.

What? No, no, no.

Who said cancel?

I already put down a nonrefundable deposit on 50 gallons of scented body lotion, so...

Just, uh... just postpone for a long, long... long time.

Or longer.

Look.

I know, with ships blowing up and a crazy t*rror1st on the loose, that it seems like the worst possible time for a party.

Yes, I couldn't agree more.

But if there's one thing that we've learned working around all this death, is that life must go on.

Right, and, uh... what exactly does life going on entail exactly?

With details.

Just trust me.

It'll be a night that you'll never forget.

Assuming you don't have some sort of head trauma with memory loss or...

Okay, oh, just... the joke is over.

The joke is over!

I need to know what you have planned for my bachelor party.

No, you want to know.

If you needed to know, I would tell you.

I... Hold that thought.

I got a hit on my facial recognition program.

Bachelor party or case?

Case. Thank God.

I've been running Dearing's face against every database I can think of.

Like, traffic lights, airport cameras.

He's been laying low, but I thought, if I could find out where he's been...

You might find out where he went.

So, where's he been?

Jimmy!

That's a Navy Yard camera.

Dearing was on the Navy Yard?

No, not "was."

That's a live feed.

Dearing is on the Navy Yard.

Right now.

That's right, a total lockdown.

Every gate, window and access tunnel.

Start a perimeter search-- two-man teams.

Probably armed, definitely dangerous.

Armed and dangerous. Yes, sir.

And we'll find him. He couldn't have gone that far.

Far enough. He didn't come here to get caught.

Anybody got anything?

Sir, all stations report no sightings.

Continuing the lockdown and search.

Ziva.

Dearing signed in at the walk-in gate as a civilian contractor.

He had all the necessary credentials.

Not hard for a guy like him.

The guard says he left almost immediately after he arrived.

Did he bring anything in with him?

Just a briefcase.

McGee, let's see the tape. Dorneget.

Supervise a sweep of the surrounding area.

He wanted us to see him.

Ryan did say he was a narcissist.

Could be a contact poison.

Or another bug.

Boss?

That looks just like...

Is that your boat?

Yep.

Right down to the spade rudder.

You know he's just trying to get inside your head, throw you off-balance.

Noticed.

You know, I got to admit, I kind of like his style.

Well... that's because it's yours.

Let's see.

Either of us having any luck?

No.

Nope, solid as a rock.

Which is a compliment to rocks.

Need to know what's making this guy tick.

What's his endgame?

Of course you do.

Luckily, that's my specialty.

You know Dearing had a son in the Navy, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, he was k*lled in a su1c1de att*ck on board ship while it was in port.

Already looked into it.

That's not the whole story.

There was a defect in an early warning system.

Could have stopped the att*ck.

The Navy was in the middle of replacing it on dozens of ships, but...

But we were also in the middle of a w*r.

Mm-hmm. Only so much they could do.

My guess is, Dearing doesn't see it that way.

So this is about payback?

Yeah, in a way.

I mean, all his att*cks have exploited flaws in the fleet.

I think, in his mind, Dearing is trying to teach the Navy a lesson.

By k*lling more sailors?

Look, DiNozzo said it-- he's nuts.

And obsessed.

That's why I think he's fixated on you.

Aside from your handsomeness.

Every hero needs a bad guy.

And since you're seemingly in charge of the investigation...

I'm the black hat.

I think so.

I-I... it's thin.

I'm working on it, but, uh...

I'd be careful, Gibbs.

I mean, the fact that Dearing has gotten this close suggests he's got something cooking.

Something more substantial.

How long you know about this?

Oh, I know about a lot of things, Agent Gibbs.

I share them when I think they're relevant.

Who decides that?

You are sounding like a broken record.

I would just like some straight answers to straight questions.

Like you to turn it off for once.

Well, it's, uh... it's not as easy as you make it sound.

They may be mind games to you, but my work is no game.

Do you turn it off when you come home, Gibbs?

I've been in your basement.

You don't turn anything off.

You marinate in it.

You want me to let you in?

Then let me in.

Yeah, it's Gibbs.

Hi, boss.

I didn't interrupt anything, did I?

Pretend I didn't ask.

What, DiNozzo?

BOLO came back on the guy who blackmailed Dorneget's dentist.

Local LEO found the car.

Boss?

Saved by the cell.

Telling you, Ryan was there.

So what if she was?

I was happy to gossip when things were just getting started, but now that they are a... a couple, I think we should just back off.

How are you not interested in other people's private lives?

Okay, DiNozzo...

What do you got?

The vehicle is registered to a man named Frederick Fountain.

He's a cop.

Well, ex-cop.

Was kicked off the force for... taking bribes.

Uh... he served some time.

What? Nothing.

It's just that you smell like... someone that isn't... you.

Um, did I mention he served a little time?

Yep, and he's about to serve some more.

Uh-oh.

He made us.

Federal Agent! Freeze!

Was it something we said?

You're under arrest--

I don't care!

We just gotta get out of here.

What's the rush, Fred?

Look, I'll tell you anything you want to know.

I'll tell you about the next att*ck.

Just get me the hell out of...
If ever there was a time for the dead to talk, it would be now.

I heard he said something about an att*ck.

Yes, but unfortunately, he was a tad short on details.

Yeah, speaking of details, uh, has Abby mentioned anything to you about my bachelor party?

Mr. Palmer, this is hardly the time.

You're right.

Of course. I-I'm sorry. I just, uh...

Besides, all I know is that she asked to borrow the autopsy rotary saw for tomorrow night.

The one with the 15-foot cord?

No, 20.

She said 15 wouldn't be long enough.

Tell me you got something, Duck.

Yes, unfortunately, I do.

Abby found some rather disturbing physical evidence.

Traces of an expl*sive from a swab I took from under our guest's fingernail.

RDX?

Yeah, that's disturbing.

That's a very powerful expl*sive.

I shudder to think of the damage it could do.

He was going to tell us.

Yes, I read the report.

Someone made sure he didn't.

A very elusive someone.

You find the b*llet?

No.

k*ller used a frangible round.

It shattered on impact.

No brass, either.

Nothing to trace, which was the point.

It reminds me of a story of German spies behind enemy lines in World w*r II.

They traveled in pairs, using the buddy system.

In the event of capture, their orders were to k*ll their buddy to prevent him from talking.

Well, if that was the plan, it worked.

Oh, but the dead do still speak.

Mr. Palmer.

I took that from Mr. Fountain's forearm.

Look familiar?

Come on, Duck. You can't be serious.

Very.

I'm pretty sure it's another Watcher Fleet microchip.

And judging by the surrounding tissue, it was only recently put in.

Put in for what?

Well, I imagine that would depend on what's on it.

No, we haven't I.D.'d a target.

All we know is RDX might be involved in the att*ck.

Yeah, I think b*mb-sniffing dogs would be a good idea, too.

Alarm bell has been sounded.

I sent everything we have to Director Vance in Prague.

It's a good time to be at a NATO security conference.

Though there's not much anyone can do without more information.

McGee?

Well, I've confirmed that this is, in fact, a Watcher Fleet microchip.

It's actually the exact same one we pulled out of Agent Levin's arm.

How'd Dearing get one?

Well, he must have bought it.

We know Cole and Latham were selling it to the highest bidder.

That was almost a year ago.

Among other things, the chips revealed vulnerabilities in our naval fleet.

Now that we have one, we may have a better idea what Dearing is targeting.

Well, we would, except all that information's been erased. What was on it?

It's hard to tell. It's in code.

Encrypted?

No. More like the second set of books that a front company might use when doing something illegal.

That's a lot of dollar signs.

There's a huge sum of money involved, all of it coming from Dearing's company.

There's also what looks like purchases of specialized machining equipment and raw materials.

He's building something.

I doubt it's a Cuisinart.

What is that number?

It appears repeatedly.

Yeah, I think it has something to do with the shipping manifest.

I'm not exactly sure.

I'm not really sure of any of it, to be honest with you.

Send it to Ryan.

Tell her to bring a hard copy to Maple's office.

It's unbelievable.

This is just unbelievable.

Huh?

No, I wasn't talking to you.

Uh, where'd you get all this?

What's unbelievable?

Well, these purchases are all charged to our company accounts, but, uh, we have no record of any of it.

You're saying that Dearing is stealing money from his own company?

And buying a lot of equipment with it.

These are all delivery codes for deep-hole drillers, bottle borers, CNC routers.

You were right-- he's building something.

A lot of something.

Any idea what?

Well, I can only think of two things with this combination of machinery.

One, building a fuel preburner for the space shuttle.

Think we can rule that out.

And two, making a*tillery shells.

Naval a*tillery shells.

I think we can rule that in.

But why on earth would Mr. Dearing be building naval a*tillery shells?

What?

No, uh-uh.

No, no, what? No. No, no, no.

No, no, no. I am not talking unless you promise not to get all insularly obsessive with negativistic features on me. Are you talking to me?

Look, you can't accuse me of holding back.

An idea popped in my head.

I am sharing it with you immediately.

No, actually, you're not.

One of the vulnerabilities the Watcher Fleet microchip exposed was a tolerance issue in some of the larger naval g*n barrels that used RDX as a propellant.

If the shells produced weren't exactly to spec...

g*ns could explode.

Yes, and then some.

Now, you already found RDX on one of Dearing's men.

If he's building his own defective shells and has a way to get them into the supply chain...

We could take out half our own fleet during exercises.

Yes.

Let me ask you something.

You were going to tell me this if I didn't ask?

What do you think?

Whose side do you think I'm on, really?

I'm calling Vance.

Exhibit A.

A normal, perfectly constructed a*tillery shell.

Exhibit B.

An RDX shell, which is slightly off spec, but still within the supposedly acceptable tolerance limits.

Boom.

Ouch.

This is all going to be blamed on me and my bad teeth.

I know Agent Gibbs is just biding his time before he sends me to Gitmo.

No, he's not.

He knows that you're the victim in this.

And in about one minute, he'll know that you're the hero. What?

He's coming down here now?

But we haven't told him what we found.

But we don't have to. He's that good.

No, no.

Ah-ah-ah.

You're that good, too.

This is your breakthrough.

You should be the one to tell him.

Tell me what?

Uh...

Uh, when I was doing some menial data entry on a report, I noticed that the microchip Dr. Mallard removed from Freddie Fountain's arm contained a private decryption key.

You don't know what that is.

I don't care what that is.

Right, of course.

Well, think of it as a regular key and the call from Dearing to MTAC as a lock that we couldn't open.

So...

You used the microchip to trace Dearing's call to MTAC.

Exactly.

Why didn't you just say so?

In retrospect, I wish I had.

We got the number to the cell phone that was used to initiate Dearing's video call.

It's unregistered.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for Dearing to call again before... we can get a location.

I can't believe I didn't think of that.

Hello, Agent Gibbs.

I'm impressed.

This must mean you found a microchip. Very good.

I know about your son.

Yeah? What do you think you know?

He was a sailor.

Proud of his country.

I wonder what he would feel about what you're doing now.

What I'm doing needs to be done.

A few must be sacrificed for the cause.

The greater good demands it.

So, what good could come out of this cause?

You're paying attention, Agent.

How's that for a start?

You're all finally paying attention.

So, tell me what you want.

I want to hear about your cause.

You've seen the effects.

The cause will reveal itself soon enough.

Got it.

54728 Donovan Street.

54728?

That's the same number from the shipping manifest.

It was an address.

It's where the equipment's being sent.

We got Dearing's b*mb factory.

Go get him, Gibbs!

Remember, watch your fire.

If they're building munitions in there, we don't want to set any off.

NCIS! Freeze!

Nobody move.

Well, this is anticlimactic.

Where's all the equipment?

It was supposed to be here.

Well, it's not, McGee.

Well, something must be here.

♪ Your kisses smell so good ♪

♪ Yeah, when you kiss me ♪

♪ Why don't you kiss me? ♪

NCIS.

Can I help you?

Do you know this man?

DiNozzo.

With pleasure, boss.

Yakov Smirnoff is processed and waiting in interrogation.

Let him wait.

We definitely had the right building, boss.

The equipment was sent there.

Where is it?

Maybe Dearing found out we were coming and cleared it all out.

No way. Wasn't enough time.

Maybe he's done with it already.

If he has already finished building his defective a*tillery shells...

He could have already slipped them into the supply chain.

That's a lot of ships, boss.

Ziva, update Naval Sea Systems Command. McGee.

I'll call Director Vance and SECNAV, tell them they need to cancel any naval exercises planned.

DiNozzo.

Yakov Smirnoff, aka...

Ghenna Kozlov.

Russian immigrant, father of three.

Pays his taxes, no record.

Apparently, he likes bingo.

He's our best lead to Dearing, but look at him.

There's no there-there.

DiNozzo, he was found pushing a cart with a million bucks on it.

Yeah.

Come on. There's something there.

You have to believe me.

I had no idea what's inside that case.

Yeah, you said that.

If I did, do you think I will be working as a night watchman for minimum wage?

I-I mean, I'm not saying I would have taken the money, okay?

Except you just did.

How long you been working at that warehouse?

Uh, about a year.

An agency hired me.

Get any deliveries?

Like this?

No, never.

My job is to keep eye on the warehouse.

Once a month, truck deliver a small case.

I have never opened them.

I had no idea what's inside.

I just hold it, then wait.

Another truck comes, picks it up, and that's it.

Trucks, huh? I didn't see any trucks.

So, where were you going with it?

I received a text on my work cell.

It told me to deliver the case to address on M Street tonight.

To who?

It didn't say.

It just said a limousine will be waiting.

Get any other texts like that, Ghenna?

No, never.

McGee.

Night watchman's cell.

Trace the last text.

We got Dearing on the run.

He's changing his routine, trying to get his money out. Well, he's been one step ahead of us from the beginning, and he sure doesn't need the money. McGee?

The cell only received one text.

Who?

It's not from the number you called Dearing at before.

He disconnected that cell as soon as he hung it up.

I'm sure he's got more than one.

Looks like he does.

This new cell is registered to a holding company in his firm's name.

Gotcha.

Night watchman was supposed to meet a limo.

Sounds like gazillionaire wheels to me.

Just got off the phone with Director Vance.

He's en route to DC.

Should be landing within the hour.

He alert the fleet?

Yes. Navy canceled all planned w*r games.

What's our w*r game, boss?

We are going to let the night watchman deliver the money.

A sting.

I like it.

But M Street's going to be pretty bananas with all those coeds running around, post finals.

You guys are going to stick out like a sore thumb.

I usually fit right in, but...

We're going to have to cancel Jimmy's bachelor party.

What?

That's fine. That's fine.

No problem. No problem at all.

There you are.

I have been looking all over for you.

Abby, did you hear? The, uh... the party... the party's been canceled. I...

Oh, well, right?

What can we do?

What?

The party's canceled?

No.

No.

Actually, it's not.

With his finger!

He didn't do that!

He did not do...

No, no, no, I've had enough. I've had enough.

I've had enough. I've had enough. Yes, you can't stop drinking it until he misses. Okay.

Okay, okay.

I'm watching. I'm watching.

Oh, come on, Leroy!

Oh!

sn*per!

Oh, three in a row! Nice.

Wow.

Give me a sitrep.

It's really smooth.

Our Russian is doing fine.

The drop is set.

Copy that.

It is quiet.

No sign of the limo.

Keep me posted.

In all seriousness, in all seriousness, I'm going to talk because, let's be honest, this is about me right now.

I'm really happy that you guys are here tonight.

As... as Nathaniel Hawthorne once said of marriage,

"Let man tremble at the hand of woman for..."

Blah, blah, blah, alcohol is fun.

I thought you said this was apple juice.

I even watered it down.

You guys, I want to sing.

I want to sing. Who wants to sing with me?

Who wants... I want to sing.

Look sharp.

Ziva.

I see it.

Okay, let's move.

Now. Move.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Come on. Here we go.

This place is dead, anyway.

It's dead. We're going on a bar crawl!

We're going on a bar crawl!

Oh, pop quiz-- who here is my best friend?

I would say I have a best friend, but I don't.

Tonight, I have four best friends.

So, "Puff the Magic Dragon"" barber shop quartet style.

Are you doing low, or am I going low?

Move, move, move!

Move, move, move! Oh, this is getting real.

This is getting real. This is real.

NCIS! Hands in the air!

Opening the door, Dearing.

No sudden moves.

Boss, it's not Dearing.

It's Vincent Maple.

No bags, a fake I.D. and a one-way ticket to Morocco.

Perhaps because they do not have an extradition treaty with the U.S.?

I want to make a deal.

Yeah, I bet you do.

We do not make deals with t*rrorists.

What?

Where's Dearing?

I don't know.

How long have you been working together?

We're not.

Look, I had nothing to do with any of that.

I told you I would help you find Dearing, and I meant it.

Okay? I really do have family serving on Navy ships.

What was all the equipment for?

Not without a deal.

Good luck at the m*llitary tribunal, pal.

Wait.

There was no equipment.

Go on.

And there was no secret, off-the-books project.

It was just a dummy account that I had set up.

Why?

To siphon money out of Dearing's company.

I had the cash delivered to the warehouse as accounts payable, and then laundered to my overseas account.

I was embezzling-- that's it.

And Dearing wasn't involved? Not in the slightest.

You told us he was building faulty a*tillery. No, I did not.

That was Dr. Ryan's theory, not mine.

I just let you run with it.

You were sitting there holding a copy of my entire embezzling blueprint.

What choice did I have?

The choice not to be a criminal.

The real question you guys should be asking is:

How'd you get a copy of my books?

We got the cooked books from the microchip inside Dearing's henchman.

Freddie Fountain.

On a hunch, we went back to the BOLO that I.D.'d his car.

Found something interesting.

It was an anonymous tip.

Good guess, boss.

Someone wanted us to find Fountain.

Abby's tracing the call now.

Traced it.

Our tipster was none other than Harper Dearing.

It's the same cell that led us to the warehouse.

Dearing ratted out his own man?

He wanted us to find the cooked books.

He wanted us to find the warehouse.

Okay, that's not my department, but if any of you see Jimmy, can you tell him that your little op doesn't count?

We still have plans, even if it's just the two of us.

Dearing must have found out that Maple was embezzling from him and used it to send us on a wild-goose chase.

He was just trying to distract us.

Distract us from what?

Mm-hmm. Yes, Admiral.

My... my team is working directly with NCIS.

Y-Yes.

Agent Gibbs is, uh... quite interesting.

Oh, I have a couple stories of my own.

Uh-huh.

Bye-bye.

Admiral Davis, an old friend.

So, heard about Maple.

I thought we were so close.

Want to go grab a beer and... and go over it?

No.

Oh.

I can see those Gibbsian wheels a-turnin' even from here.

What's up?

The defective a*tillery theory.

That one was yours.

Yeah, yeah, it was.

I was wrong-- again.

Thanks for reminding me.

This is the point where you usually say, you know, "We're all human.

Everyone makes mistakes."

That what it was, Doc? A mistake?

Oh, what exactly are you accusing me of, Agent Gibbs?

I don't know.

Have you lost your mind?

I don't know.

Why do you keep saying that?

Because I don't know!

With everybody else, Doc, I know, but with you...

God, I'm trying here!

Oh, and for an introverted, intuitive feeler like you, this must be intolerable. Why do you always have to talk like this? Like what?

Why can't you just be like a regular person?

Like a person? Like a normal person.

Like a human.

This from the man who doesn't talk.

What is it?

It's got to be from Dearing.

He wrote his college thesis on chess.

Something must have happened.

Boss. DiNozzo, what's going on?

I was just about to call you. So you heard?

I heard what?

Just got off the phone with Director Vance's security detail.

He insisted on driving home by himself, but he never made it.

He's disappeared, boss.

They have no idea where he is.
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