This is the captain!
You saw what?!
I said no one, repeat, no one goes on deck until this passes!
Where is he?
Get two men out there now!
Rescue the son of a bitch and bring him to me.
Captain wants us back inside ASAP!
This is bad! Why do we got to go out there?
Got orders. Bridge saw somebody on deck.
Ah, orders my ass.
This is a full-on, stain-your-shorts white squall, man.
My mama didn't raise no fool.
Your mama's not here.
Captain says now, so move.
Let's do it, Forrest!
All right, let's go!
Oh, man!
I got you!
Hook on!
Come on!
There he is!
I can see him!
On the deck!
He's not moving!
We got to get down there!
Hook on!
Tell the captain we need a doctor!
This is the doctor!
The unexpected storm off the Eastern seaboard caught fishing and U.S. Navy vessels by surprise last night.
The Coast Guard rescued over a dozen people associated with the squall that pounded the Virginia coast, then quickly dissipated.
Now it looks like we're gonna see...
Coast Guard officials have yet to release the exact number of injuries connected to the storm, but estimate the damage to be in the millions.
Tony, really?
Sorry, I happen to prefer the weather report on ZNN.
Yeah, I'm sure.
I mean, she's extremely...
Bright, articulate.
Chelsea... she's a cr*ck meteorologist.
Her name is Chelsea?
Oh, yeah.
Do you know, she has a master's in Earth Science, and her favorite cloud's cumulonimbus.
How would you know that?
It's all over her personal Web page.
And it has pictures.
Really good pictures.
Where's McGee?
Maybe he blew away coming to work this morning.
Or maybe he met someone last night.
That's doubtful.
That might be the reason I would be late.
These days, my friend, I'm not so sure.
You've noticed?
Yes, I am quite aware you hit a... dry spell recently.
Like Lawrence of Arabia.
You know, maybe it's not a woman, maybe it's a flat tire.
Maybe he stopped for doughnuts.
Perhaps he slipped in the shower and he can't get up.
Bought one of those for my dad.
Let's go.
USS Borealis... scheduled arrival's in one hour.
Got a m*rder*d officer on board.
Where's McGee?
Overslept.
Doctor visit.
Uh-huh.
So how much do you make being a Big Brother?
It doesn't pay anything.
It's a volunteer program.
So you actually make nothing to spend time with me?
Believe it or not, Adam, I want to.
Did you have a Big Brother growing up?
No, I wish I did.
My dad was at sea a lot when I was a kid.
You know, even though my mom has the flu, I could've stayed home.
What, and miss an overnight trip to Colonial Williamsburg?
People in puffy shirts making candles and soap?
No way am I gonna let that happen.
Thanks, Mr. McGee.
Call me Tim.
I'm glad I could help.
Who's Gibbs?
Oh, boy.
Where did they move the body?
Sick bay, but those two didn't touch him.
Who did?
Agent afloat.
On a destroyer?
Yeah, the ships were on their way back from UNITAS exercises in Latin America.
Carrier agent cross-deck, huh?
First responder.
Could have sworn it was that guy Hatfield out of Mayport.
I think you're wrong.
Look who I found.
Hey.
If it isn't Stan the Man Burley. How you doing?
Last time I saw you, you were up to your ears in Italian signorinas, red wine and thin-crust pizza.
I only admit to the pizza.
Stanley, good to see you.
You, too, sir.
Wish it was under better circumstances.
I boarded the ship as soon as I could.
I marked the location of the body and moved the remains to sick bay.
They were pretty contaminated after the storm.
Hard not to be contaminated with chicken of the sea sliding all over the deck.
Boss, I'm sorry.
I know, I know, I'm an hour and 46 minutes late.
47, Tim Tebow.
Better put a knee down, start praying.
Let's go, McGee, sick bay, come on.
I love when he's late.
Talk to me, Duck.
Well, regrettably, the commander was not on deck last night singing in the rain.
Got any idea what k*lled him?
Oh, hard to say till I get a better look.
But I think one can safely assume that that is not a bite from a hungry mosquito.
Maybe a syringe?
Yeah, very possibly.
It-it almost intrigues me how some people bruise more easily than others.
My cousin Beatrice had incredibly white skin.
I remember vividly when she was giving blood when her mother needed a transfusion, her arm had needle marks on it for over two weeks.
Hey, Duck.
Oh.
Well, I suppose one could assume that this bruising meant that the commander was on the move when he was jabbed.
After the commander was jabbed, he probably stumbled outside in search of help.
Picked a heck of a time to take a stroll on the lido deck.
Lido deck, it's, um, uh...
The-The Love Boat.
Uh, Captain Stubing always used to say that, um...
See, now, the lido deck is a cruise ship reference, and, uh, I... Never mind.
Special Agent Gibbs, may I have a moment?
McGee, statement from the hospital corpsmen.
Get details.
On it, boss.
Officer on board needs to talk to you.
Officer have a name, Captain?
Lieutenant Mane, Admiral's aide.
Captain says you're the agent in charge.
How can I help you, Lieutenant?
We came aboard the Borealis during exercises.
Then our helo was grounded due to inclement weather.
Despite the tragedy here, I'm afraid the admiral still has a schedule to keep.
We got a crime scene, Mane. Can't let you leave.
That's not acceptable.
What's not acceptable is a dead Navy commander.
Who else can I talk to?
If your admiral has an issue, he should come to me, directly.
Special Agent Gibbs.
Your reputation precedes you.
As does yours, Admiral.
Heard what happened; terrible loss.
Amazing what a little thunderstorm can do, the damage.
Storm didn't k*ll him. What can I do for you, Admiral?
Get me off the ship.
Can't.
Sure you can.
No, Dad, he can't.
A man d*ed here today.
Till we figure out what happened, this whole crew's on lockdown.
Understandable, but I have someplace to be.
Been hearing that my whole life.
Good to see you, too, son.
I get updates from Tim's grandmother.
Can't say I agree with her politics, but I do appreciate her fortitude.
She's a good person, Dad.
If you don't mind aging hippies with Commie tendencies.
You attend all battle exercises, Admiral?
Negative. Joined halfway through.
Boarded two carriers before the Borealis.
All out of Ushuaia.
How long were you in South America?
Nine days total.
Very hospitable people, gorgeous women.
How's your love life, Tim?
Did you know Commander Haber?
We exchanged pleasantries.
Decent man.
Dedicated physician.
I got to say, Tim, you look like hell.
You need to take better care of yourself.
Being good at science and math, that's all well and good, but MIT isolated you.
You're too content in your own little world.
Boss, do you mind if I leave?
That's right, run away.
Don't confront the situation.
God forbid, just like your mother.
You leave Mom out of this.
Where is she now?
She with that real estate idiot out of Dallas?
You see, Agent Gibbs, every mistake we ever made raising Tim and his sister was my fault.
Never mind the fact that Tim always had a safe home, three solids and a family who cared about him.
No, Mom cared.
Your family was the Navy.
Still is, boy.
Which is why I need to get ashore immediately.
Not until we finish our investigation.
This is what I'm talking about.
You could learn a lot from Agent Gibbs; he's got stones.
You stay in your bunk, Admiral.
Until you hear otherwise. Are we clear?
Crystal.
Uh, Petty Officer Graves, how long did you work under Commander Haber?
Nine months.
Commander was always good to me.
Respected my opinion.
Seemed like the crew appreciated him, also.
Being a physician on a ship like this is rough.
Folks know everybody's business... who's sick, who's medicated.
There are no secrets.
None.
So when somebody breaks the rules and starts abusing, it dominoes quickly.
How?
Commander Haber was about to come forward with information pertaining to a crew member's illegal drug use.
What kind of dr*gs?
Agent asked you a question, Graves.
Crews work long hours.
They're tired, edgy.
There's an amphetamine/ADHD cocktail that's been going around.
And who is the sailor he was pinpointing?
Believe me, I wish I knew.
Commander wouldn't say.
Thanks.
SECNAV knows that Commander Haber's body's being transported back here to Dr. Mallard.
The crew is to remain on board.
Admiral McGee and his staff are allowed to go.
Why?
Because John McGee's on the fast track to a presidential cabinet position.
I wouldn't want him in my cabinet.
Look, Gibbs, I'm well aware of the tension between McGee and his father.
Admiral disrespects everything McGee's earned.
Gibbs, we all know that the admiral's a pain in the ass.
I think you should let Tim know...
That I got his back, Leon?
I always have.
Let's keep looking for anything related to what Graves was talking about. Come on.
Signal watch officer to the signal bridge.
I, uh, I heard about your father, Ziva.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
I assume Homeland and CIA are knee-deep in it, huh?
Are they any closer to catching the guy?
No.
Not yet.
Ah, hey.
Look what I found.
Doctor's medical logs.
Commander was in charge of the pharmacy.
You think the stabbing is drug-related?
Well, based on what Graves was saying, sure.
I know the Borealis was anchored in Par'bo for a while.
And nonstop South America to Norfolk was a drug trafficker's dream cruise.
I love a good all-you-can-smuggle buffet.
We'd better comb through it all, see if anything's missing.
Maybe the commander wasn't willing to play ball.
Agent Burley and I will go take another look around.
Right, Burley?
So, Agent Burley was Agent DiNozzo before Agent DiNozzo was Agent DiNozzo.
That is correct.
One cannot help but be confused by the Downton Abbey complexity of government bureaucracy.
Yeah, the thing to remember is that we are all but one Stan Burley away from reassignment.
And that's why we should always, uh, focus on the job in hand.
Oh.
Yeah, I keep thinking about the look on Agent McGee's face when he saw his dad.
Yes. We certainly can't pick our fathers, Mr. Palmer.
But the real tragedy occurs when our fathers do not pick us.
Anything?
Your timing is impeccable.
Look at that.
Something under the skin?
Piece of a broken needle.
Yeah, I'm sure they had no intention of leaving it behind.
Yeah, there's no defensive wounds.
Commander Haber probably never saw it coming.
What was in the syringe?
Cyanide, ethylene glycol, eye of newt.
That last one being unlikely.
We sent samples to Abby.
Yes, I would venture to guess that it's something more slow-acting.
You know, it's quite extraordinary... with the chaos of the squall on the ship, they just happened to hit the carotid artery.
Telling you, it was more than that.
Tony, you're letting your imagination get the best of you.
Stan was not flirting with Ziva.
Mm. Well, I noticed it in Italy last year, too.
Does Burley look burlier to you?
Stan's a good guy.
Besides, he knows that Ziva's vulnerable right now.
Aha!
That's exactly what I'm talking about.
You see, he could use that to his advantage.
Swoop right in, like a hawk going after a sweet, innocent, furry little Israeli...
Boss, you're very stealthy.
Give me what you got, DiNozzo.
Uh, well, I have been going through the commander's records, and one person keeps flagging for multiple visits to the sick bay.
Name?
Petty Officer Third Class Kevin Wyeth.
23, divorced, no little Wyeths.
Three years in the m*llitary, only operational tour was on the Borealis.
Medical history?
Nothing unusual.
Colds, minor injuries, a staph infection.
Priors?
Wyeth had a juvie record of drug possession.
Also, when he first joined the ship, M.A.'s detained him for suspicion of giving dr*gs to another sailor, but they couldn't prove it.
DiNozzo, you and Burley bring him in.
Back to the destroyer.
Thank you, boss.
Loving the drive to Norfolk.
All I'm saying is tread lightly.
Ziva's been through a lot lately.
Ziva? Fragile?
Yeah.
She's been through a lot, Stan.
DiNozzo, wait, you got... you got it all wrong.
I've seen you work it, Opie.
Huh? Mr. Innocent with the...
Don't get me wrong, you're a good guy, but...
Tony, I'm engaged.
She's an officer in the USS Delarue.
Met about a year ago.
Right.
Connie's completing her next tour, then taking a gig in Navy Intel.
Guess my agent afloat days are over, huh?
Good for you, Stan.
Yeah, it's gonna be a whole new chapter for me.
You should try it.
Maybe I will.
Is that him?
Yeah.
Petty Officer Wyeth?
NCIS. We want to talk to you.
Oh, come on. Oh, no.
Petty Officer, where do you think you're going?!
Wyeth!
We just want to talk, Wyeth.
You all right?
Yeah.
Thanks.
You're too good to me.
Consider it an engagement present.
Like what you see there, Petty Officer Wyeth?
I don't know, sir.
Not especially.
Well, based on the bloods we just took, Kev, I got to say, you are a, uh, a walking drugstore cowboy.
Ups, downs, mood stabilizers, attention deficit pills.
They're all, uh, prescription and legit.
Mm. Too legit to quit?
When you take one or two, maybe, but not all five at once.
I, uh, I need them for medical reasons.
I see.
And did a doctor tell you that?
Yeah, I've talked to doctors.
Well, you have got a long list of juvie priors, a history of possessions and, frankly, a blood workup that, uh, makes Sid Vicious look clean.
Sid who?
Sid...
Oh, boy!
Here's what I think: I think you were running low, so you went to go see Haber.
No. I went to the doc because I was sick.
Sick or strung out?
That must have been kind of difficult, huh?
Sitting in his office, so close to that drug cabinet filled with exciting dr*gs.
The candy store, just out of reach.
He didn't understand.
I just wanted him to help me.
Mm-hmm.
Enough to k*ll him?
No.
Where you going?
You see, these are the side effects from all the dr*gs.
Knew it was only a matter of time before all this caught up with me.
All right.
Boss, there's no way that Shaky the Clown could have stabbed the commander with that kind of precision.
I know.
Doctor, this hurts me more than it hurts you.
Ouch.
Abby, what are you doing?
Here, grab a needle, McGee.
Start jabbing.
Why?
I have poked this guy over a dozen times now... o- on the fly, walking, running.
The computer still says that I haven't hit the carotid yet.
I mean, try it. It's practically impossible.
Can I stop now, please?
So, Ducky was right.
The needle was filled with a slow-acting strychnine that led to paralysis and eventually to asphyxiation.
But the amazing thing is how it was administered.
Look at this.
Okay, imagine, if you will, a white squall.
So, there's chaos in the passageway, there's sweaty sailors everywhere, but somehow, the k*ller swoops in and bam.
He nails the doctor first time right in the carotid with this tiny little needle, which, lucky for us, breaks off and leaves the tip.
But, I mean, what are the odds, right?
Think whoever did this had special training?
Or they're just really good with tiny little pointy things.
I'll tell Gibbs.
McGee?
Everybody knows it's been really rough on you, having your dad just show up like this.
Maybe you should stand up to him, a- and tell him how you feel.
You've spent your entire life avoiding this moment that could be... liberating.
Abby, he's the admiral.
No one talks to him, they just listen.
McGee.
When?
Okay, hang on. I'll be right up.
McGee is on his way.
Um, can we get you anything?
A soda, perhaps?
Adam here doesn't need a soda, Ziva.
Note the blank stare, dilated pupils.
He's probably running a fever, as well.
Because he's eyeing a real, live female agent.
You're the closest thing to James Bond's Honeychile Rider his turbulent, roiling pubescent hormones have ever encountered.
Well, he's giving me the creeps, Tony.
That'll stop. In about 60 years.
Adam, you're supposed to be in Williamsburg.
How'd you get here?
The bus.
Once I saw who I was sharing a hotel room with, I couldn't do it.
Bobby Moran.
Bully?
To the power of ten.
Kids like Moran don't have much time for nerds like me.
Hey, you are not a nerd.
Yes.
Yes, you are.
But own it.
My advice.
It's okay, Adam.
Don't listen to him.
But at some point, we all need to learn to stand up for ourselves.
See, kids like Bobby Moran aren't any better than you.
And ten, 15 years from now, when you're working in Silicon Valley, making six figures, they'll still be stupid jocks that peaked in high school.
You think?
I know.
And I'll tell you something else.
Most bullies... just big cowards.
Hey, Burley, where are you and what do you got?
I've been trolling through surveillance footage during the hours leading up to the doctor's death.
Find anything?
Yeah.
I think this is the moment the commander was poisoned.
We can't see the k*ller.
Later that night, Petty Officer Daniel Graves snuck into the sick bay and appears to be removing data from the doctor's computer.
Background.
I already run it.
Graves became a hospital corpsman after failing Navy SEAL training.
He excelled in hand-to-hand combat skills but couldn't handle the psychological pressure.
What if Petty Officer Graves was the one selling dr*gs to the crew?
Maybe the commander figured something out.
I'll go talk to the captain.
You find Graves.
Lieutenant, would you give us some moment?
Of course, Admiral.
I'll be right outside.
I have to ask you a personal question.
Mm-hmm.
I want to know...
...Tim's status here at NCIS.
Meaning?
Meaning, I want to know if he'll ever amount to anything more than an overpaid paper-pusher.
Let me explain something.
Special Agent McGee is a valuable asset to this team.
As a navy officer and as a father, you should be proud of what your son has accomplished.
I asked for an assessment.
I didn't ask for a lecture.
So, why the sudden interest in Special Agent McGee's future?
You have a good evening director Vance.
Maybe one day you can teach my son some some of the boxing moves I hear have served you so well.
He needs 'em.
Does not make any sense that a ship is still in lockdown, yet Petty Officer Graves never reported for duty.
Where is he?
He can't have gone far.
Graves has to be somewhere on board.
Burley.
When?
Are they here now?
Let me know.
What happened?
A crew member is getting off the ship.
It's a medical emergency.
Sick bay reported a ruptured appendix.
Ambulance is waiting on the pier.
Who from the sick bay called it in?
Federal agent!
Don't move.
Clever way off the ship, Graves.
Out of the ambulance.
This guy's appendix is about to blow, guys.
I have a signed order sending him to a hospital.
Signed by whom?
The ship's doctor.
Commander Brian Haber.
Fancy stuff with the ambulance.
What are you running from?
Pictures tell a thousand words.
These?
Pictures get doctored.
Easy.
What if I tell you half the crew gave you up?
Do I need to get a lawyer here?
I don't know, do you?
I was trying to get rid of the paper trail.
The cocktail that was going around...
That came from you.
Little extra pocket change, hmm?
So why'd you tell us about the drug?
I mean, why... why admit everything just like that?
Sir?
The first time we came to you, first thing out of your mouth... about the dr*gs.
Now you're copping to being the supplier.
I didn't k*ll the commander.
You doing something else in sick bay?
Petty Officer Graves...
...whoever you are covering for, you'd better ask yourself: is this worth it?
Your fingers, McGee... why are they not typing?
Hey, boss, I was just, um, running Graves' e-mails to see if anything flagged.
Yeah?
Anything flag?
Nope.
Good.
Go home, it's late.
You know, I kind of liked him.
Really?
I mean, I know he's kind of a blowhard, but I guess he's also got his good qualities, too.
I'm talking about the little guy, McGee...
Adam.
Oh, Adam.
Yeah, yeah, he's great... Adam.
How long you been helping him out?
Couple months.
It's a good thing you do.
Actually I've been thinking about moving on from the whole Big Brother thing.
That kid depends on you.
With work, it's hard to make the time, and it's probably better if they just assign him to someone else.
It's better?
Who's it better for, McGee?
Well, for both of us.
You know, I don't think he really understands what I do.
Let him know... who you are.
Are we still talking about the little guy?
You going to tell me why you called, or am I supposed to guess?
I called for this.
You called me to take a walk?
Yep.
Is that what you NCIS people do?
No, Dad, it's what sons do.
You know, my life is good, and I'm doing good work right now.
Just thought you might want to know that.
I'm sure your mother doesn't like this.
She loves going for walks.
Not that... this, us.
You lost me.
The fighting, Tim, the fighting.
Have you talked to her lately?
No. But I know her.
She's never liked it when we...
So change it.
Your fifth birthday...
I built that sandbox out back.
You played so long and so hard, you fell right asleep.
And I was just standing there... looking at you, and...
And what?
That was a long time ago, different time.
Excuse me, Admiral, meeting at the White House.
We need to get going.
Very well.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
What was it you used to say to me when I was shipping out?
Watch out for the bad guys.
Ten grand.
Hardly worth Graves risking his whole career.
What do we got?
Money transfer into the hospital, corpsman's personal checking account.
Ten grand... payment for who he's covering up for.
Source?
Still digging, boss.
You know, Burley, when I was an agent afloat, back in the good old days, there used to be this clipboard sheet in the sick bay with sign-in.
It's gonna be hard to track a clipboard.
Unless the clipboard has 3G.
'Cause my dentist started using a tablet.
There's this receptionist, Mallory... she's got the cutest little heart-shaped...
Hey. Burley, closed-circuit images of Graves in sick bay showed him walking off with a tablet, right?
Yeah, but I'm not sure if the Borealis made the switch to electronic records.
Let's find out.
Agent McGee won't mind if I use his computer, right?
Uh, now's not a good week to poke the beaver.
Uh, beaver?
MIT mascot.
Sorry I'm late, boss.
You mind?
Just checking to see if the Borealis made the conversion to paperless.
Well, fourth fleet made the switch two months ago, which means, if the tablet's connected to a network, we can search its MEID.
I guess your engineers Tr*mp my Buckeyes.
Go, Bucks!
Speaking of college, our missing tablet is online at John Hamilton University.
Go.
Tablet computers are like student loans around here.
You sure you can track this thing?
Within 50 yards.
But since it just dropped off the cellular net, I'm gonna have to wait for it to reconnect.
College campuses always bring back memories... good and bad.
Kind of like fathers.
How long you been sitting on that transition, Tony?
That's subtle.
Well, between Gibbs, Ziva and myself, there's no reason to b*at around the bush when it comes to daddy drop-ins.
Yeah, because those all went so well.
Two out of three ain't bad.
Look, the fact is, fathers start out as... heroes.
They end up disappointing.
So I should just skip to hugs and signet rings?
No, what about the part where you painfully begin to understand your old man's flaws?
Because we share them; I get it.
But the admiral never will.
It's just, it's just part of who he is.
There's got to be something that can soften him up.
Signal's active again. They're close.
Which way?
Please let it be this sunbathing book club.
Nope, it's over there.
Ladies.
Oh, you can't hold me.
I got it, baby!
Had to be sweaty ballplayers.
How'd a Navy computer end up here?
Yeah, well, let's find out.
Little help, my man?
Federal agents.
Have any of you acquired a tablet computer in the last 24 hours?
Sorry, genius bar, can't help you.
So if I checked these gym bags, I wouldn't find anything?
Wait, hold it. You gonna touch our stuff?
You see the badge?
You need a warrant.
You need a hook sh*t.
Possession of stolen m*llitary hardware is a felony, LeBron.
Wait. Hold up.
Nobody said anything about stealing.
Oh, so you have the tablet?
Oh, man.
Found it in the trash yesterday.
There was no name on it, nothing.
Look, I swear that's the truth, man.
Are we cool?
Did McGee say anything about his dad?
They spoke. I'm not sure the admiral listened.
I feel so bad for McGee.
These things take time.
McGee should be happy they still have time.
Well, luckily, the memory wasn't professionally wiped before the tablet was thrown away.
I can still access the records.
Access 'em faster.
I'm gonna go poke my mannequin some more.
That-that didn't sound right.
So far, all the names from the patient log appear to be crew members.
Nothing to suggest who could have k*lled the commander.
Boss, last to sign in was a Henry Newbolt.
Match it up.
Newbolt.
Doesn't appear in the ship's records.
Was he a civilian on board?
"How will ye know him among the rest?
"By the glint of stars that cover his breast.
Ye may find Admiral Death".
Boss, Henry Newbolt is a turn-of-the-century British poet.
He's one of my father's favorites.
It's a pseudonym.
Why would the admiral need to conceal his identity?
Bring him in.
Boss, please, no.
Yes. Go.
Boss, there's no reason to think that he would do this.
McGee, your dad has spent his life talking his way out of things.
This is about answers... real answers.
And that could just as easy prove him innocent.
You really want to do this, Agent Gibbs?
I think we're already doing it, Admiral.
I've got an appointment I can't be late for.
Then I'll try to make it quick.
I'm waiting.
Where were you when Commander Brian...
With my staff.
From the moment that helo landed to when I stepped off the Borealis.
Captain Vandevere also knew my whereabouts at all times.
Are we done?
You used a phony name to see the doctor.
Like I said, you have a question, ask it.
I just did.
Who's behind the glass?
Who's watching?
You scared he's gonna see you break?
My relationship with my son is none of your damn business.
You make him think he's nothing.
You're the one with nothing.
You will respect this uniform.
Answer the question.
This uniform provided for him, for his mother, for this whole family.
Why lie? Why avoid the truth?
Why avoid your son?
All right.
Because I'm sick.
No one could know.
Stage four.
I wasn't feeling well when we... showed up for the exercises.
I knew Haber was top-notch, so I transferred to the Borealis.
Haber gave me something for the pain, but he knew what was causing it.
He was gonna report it to NAVCENT.
Doctor-patient privilege is a little different when it comes to national security.
So that meant the end of my career.
It's motive to keep the commander quiet.
Gibbs...
I've been a lot of things.
I've been a lousy father, I've been a son of a bitch.
But I'm no m*rder*r.
That's a hell of a way to find out.
So who, beside the admiral, stood to lose if the illness went public?
The admiral did not even tell his own son, so whoever knew had to be someone extremely close.
Who could even get that close?
Someone who doesn't have a choice.
DiNozzo, run the admiral's aide, Lieutenant Carlton Mane.
On it, boss.
Agent DiNozzo?
Where are you going?
Squad room, sir.
Hmm.
Your computer?
Your desk?
Thank you.
I- I just used hand sanitizer, so...
It's a comfortable chair.
It gets less comfortable over time.
This is nice.
Hey. DiNozzo.
Got his service record.
Put it up on the plasma.
Well, he graduated high in his class at Annapolis.
Former intel officer working black ops.
This is interesting.
Letter in his file from the admiral.
Talks about Lieutenant Mane being an integral part of his team.
And requests his reassignment to the admiral's staff upon his acceptance of a cabinet-level post.
So if the admiral doesn't go to the White House, then...
Mane doesn't either.
Mm.
DiNozzo, link the ten-grand payoff to the lieutenant.
You think Mane paid Graves to steal the tablet?
Graves was just following orders.
Then Mane tossed it to the trash.
We'll finish the walk-through aboard the Knox, then break for lunch in the officers' mess.
The admiral will meet us there.
Does that work for everyone?
Doesn't work for me, Mane.
We got a lot of things to talk about.
Make an appointment, Special Agent Gibbs.
We'll be happy to get something on the books.
He doesn't need an appointment, Lieutenant.
Dismissed.
What he has to say is worth listening to.
Is there a problem, Admiral?
We weren't expecting you on base for another two hours.
I have questions, Carlton.
I expect straight answers.
How long have you worked with me?
A long time, sir.
We treated you well?
Like family.
It's not easy being a member of this family.
I expect the absolute best.
Honesty, integrity, loyalty in everything we do.
Yes, sir.
So where were those traits when you m*rder*d Commander Haber?
I was only ever thinking about you, Admiral.
I had to do something. I had to keep him quiet!
This was my decision.
My responsibility.
You taught me that commitment to success comes first.
I was wrong.
So... what did you decide?
Nothing yet.
I don't even know what kind of cancer he has, or how long the doctors are giving him.
Guess e, mat thing I could do is... is call him and try to get him to talk to me.
McGee, I was talking about the kid.
Oh, Adam.
Yeah, I decided to stay on as his Big Brother.
I'm actually taking him to a midnight screening of Zombie Planet from Galaxy J tonight.
Well, that sounds awful.
I think he's a lucky kid.
Boss, you think I made the right decision with my father?
To be the bigger man?
Maybe it's time he learned from you, McGee.
Just don't be late for the movie.
We, thanks for calling.
Beautiful out, huh? Not so cold.
Do the others know?
I'll talk to your sister.
What about Mom?
I can't just call her out of the blue.
I think she'd want you to.
Apologies are hard for me.
They're hard for everybody, Dad.
There are some things I wish I'd done differently.
You know, Gibbs says that apologies are a sign of weakness.
I always thought you'd be one to agree with that.
Like I said, Agent Gibbs is a smart man.
Oh, Tim.
What can I do?
You can walk with me.
Your mother would like this.
Yeah. I think she would.