Previously on NCIS...
No kiss for your father? What are you doing here?
Arash Kazmi is Eli's new VEVAK contemporary.
Kazmi's first visit to the U.S., Eli just happens to be here.
How could Eli be dead?
I was the one who approached him about forging peace
to begin with.
What are you not telling me, Tom?
CIA took out Kazmi that night.
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you've manipulated evidence and you've obstructed justice.
Overnight delivery, left him on the front porch.
Label says it was shipped from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Meet Navy SEAL Lieutenant Chad McBride.
I have got thousands of documents ready to indict Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Parsons,
you should know that Gibbs' team handed in their resignations.
Tom Morrow may have a solve.
We pull it off, this could all go away.
Where's Gibbs?
On a mission for JSOC.
Gibbs, do it.
Hello.
Good to see you.
Sir, I need a moment.
Richard, go home.
I figured you'd be drowning your sorrows by now.
Well, I know that Secretary Jarvis is inside, and I would like five minutes with the both of you to discuss NCIS.
This is not the place. My job was to clean up the Navy's investigative branch.
And I've been sidelined by some half-assed classified mission because you guys want Gibbs to play cowboy.
Homeland is not the only agency authorizing this.
Secretary Jarvis, the Director of the CIA both agree the mission takes precedence.
But my case was a political slam dunk.
Gibbs is being given a "get out of jail free" card.
It's wrong. What's wrong is me continuing this conversation for one more minute.
Gibbs has a job to do.
Your tunnel-visioned, stubborn determination is getting in the way.
Well, at least tell me, what is so important that one assignment can Tr*mp a career of rule breaking?
The less you know, the better.
And believe me, I'm doing you a favor.
I'll get to the bottom of this.
There's a line in the sand, Parsons.
Don't cross it.
* NCIS 11x01 * Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Original air date on September 24, 2013
This is so weird.
"Weird" is but one of the many adjectives I could apply to these circumstances, Mr. Palmer.
If only that creep Parsons wasn't pushing his witch hunt, none of this would've happened.
That creep, as you call him, Abby, did not b*mb the hotel ballroom.
Yeah, but Gibbs and the others, they would've still been here and maybe they could've stopped this.
Yeah, well, we have a long night ahead of us.
I didn't know the SECNAV, but I heard he was married.
Had kids.
Yeah.
He and Director Vance were really close.
Why didn't we do more to stop Parson's investigation?
Like a sit-in or a... or a hunger strike.
Yeah, I'm no good at hunger strikes.
I get really light-headed around 4:00 if I don't have a snack.
What we must do is to stop feeling sorry for ourselves.
There's work to do, and right now, those responsible have the upper hand.
Secretary Jarvis and those who have fallen are counting on us.
Gibbs, you're here.
Unless I'm seeing things.
You guys got work to do?
Yes, we do, Jethro.
And we are eager to do it.
Shall we?
Thank you.
That was the Secretary of Defense.
In addition to Jarvis's death, Tom Morrow was just rushed into surgery.
He may lose a leg.
Anyone claiming responsibility yet?
The Secretary of the U.S. Navy is dead, Captain.
I don't believe anybody would be fool enough to welcome that death wish.
Response?
The White House wants answers by any means necessary.
Intel thinks this is just a warning sh*t across the bow.
That the main event is still to come.
It's something to look forward to.
Gibbs, this may also be related to Navy Lieutenant McBride's m*rder.
We believe the lieutenant got too close to indentifying a new terror cell.
Combine the b*mb tonight and McBride's radioactive remains, it's...
What can I do?
JSOC will be handling its own investigation.
But nobody would suspect your involvement while you're under close D.O.D. scrutiny.
McBride's mission originated in Iran.
Finding his k*ller would be a start.
We have an informant in Abyaneh.
I can try reaching out.
Nobody's forcing you to do this, Gibbs.
Doing my job, Director.
Tony?
Tony, wake up.
Tony?
Ziva?
Damn it.
You didn't miss me.
I'm right here.
So much for a face-to-face.
"Thinking."
That's dangerous.
This is good.
I know you like surprises.
Delilah, hey.
I'm, uh, still recovering from last night's surprise.
I should be at work.
I can help.
Tim, you can't.
Not until you're reinstated.
Yeah, but this isn't right.
There's agents working around the clock.
Maybe I should call Vance.
Maybe Tony's heard something.
Look.
I could get into a lot of trouble for telling you this.
But...
But what?
More than one source of intel says the device used wasn't Middle Eastern.
It was American.
Single individual or group?
I don't know.
I need to go.
You don't even have a badge.
I-I can... at least talk to Abby.
Okay, McGee, let's talk.
Abby. Hey.
You've met Delilah, right?
Yes.
Hi.
Uh, you want a coffee, espresso?
So, McGee, I came down here after last night's horror show to make sure you're okay.
I had a feeling that you wouldn't come in.
Well, Abby, I'm not an agent anymore.
You'll always be an agent, McGee.
I also wanted to tell you that Gibbs is headed out of town.
Out of town where?
Um... can she be trusted?
I have a higher security clearance than any of you.
So did Mata Hari.
Abby.
Okay, um... well, I'm gonna go back to work.
Um, I've got a ton of evidence from last night to go through. Uh, but it was... mm, nice to... to see you both or...
Awkward.
Where would Gibbs be going?
Hey.
I was on my way to work, thought I'd stop by before you left.
You don't drive this way to work, Leon.
President said he'd be calling Clayton's wife this morning.
I wanted to get there first.
Jarvis did the job proud.
He was a good boss.
Better friend.
Gibbs, I'm not sure how much more of this I can take.
Drive to school, Leon.
Go hug your kids.
I'm concerned about your trip.
After what happened to SECNAV, I'm tempted to ground you.
After what happened to SECNAV... how can I stay?
Captain Wayne's informant knows you're coming.
There's a C-130 fueled, standing by.
You want anything from the Tehran gift shop?
You watch your six.
Bebakhshid.
Gibbs, get in!
Come on!
What are you doing here?
I had miles that were about to expire.
These friends of yours?
Till my money runs out.
I knew when they got Jarvis, you were next.
I wanted to call first, but the phones aren't safe.
Nothing is.
Where are we going?
Next village over.
Call me crazy, but I think you broke your cover.
You're in danger, Gibbs.
I came to save your life.
Your informant didn't show.
It surprise you?
No.
Well, it certainly reinforces my theory.
Your team knows too much.
About what?
Eli David and Arash Kazmi's death.
Nothing rattles cages more than a couple of well-timed assassinations.
Everybody has something to talk about.
How do you fit in?
If you're involved, I know about it.
To a fault.
You got to keep in mind, I know my way around D.C. politics, but this is different.
The players are different.
And I'm positive that NCIS is being set up.
Sending you out here was not about Lieutenant McBride.
It was about separating you from your team.
I reached out to one of Lieutenant McBride's coworkers, JSOC in Iraq, a Lieutenant Kagen.
I think we both might be interested in what he has to say.
I don't get you.
I watched people die in that hotel.
If I've learned one thing, Gibbs, it's that sometimes people do the wrong thing for the right reason.
Speak for yourself.
I am.
They were all out of apple fritters, Mr. Palmer, so you have to make do with this.
It's a bear claw.
Where's Mr. Palmer? Who are you?!
This room is for authorized personnel only.
So unless I see some credentials, I must insist...
Who are you?!
Call security!
Who needs security?
Tie him up.
Sure, I knew McBride.
We worked together on a few ops.
He's a good guy. How's he doing?
McBride's dead, Lieutenant.
You already knew that.
It's classified, sir.
I'm not supposed to say anything.
I heard he d*ed, but what happened?
Was hoping you could tell us.
I'm sorry. I don't follow.
His last assignment... how long was he here?
24 hours, tops.
It's not a lot of time.
Well, his mission was cancelled.
He got orders to return stateside.
He was jazzed; he wanted to get back to his wife.
We all got family back home.
You see McBride board the plane to go home, Lieutenant?
No, sir.
Just grabbed his gear and got his own ride back to the airfield.
Why?
All right, Kate, listen up.
The little girl down the hall's gonna feed you while I'm gone.
Maybe I'll bring you something back from Israel.
Don't give me the fish eye.
I know what I'm doing.
Well, maybe it's not the brightest idea, but we're not coworkers anymore, so all bets are off.
Where's that taxi?
Little impatient, aren't we?
I appreciate it, sir, but there are rules about drinking on the job.
New badge, new rules.
Need you to lay low till we get a handle on this.
Well, I was just hanging out in my apartment.
I can't lay a lot lower than that.
And you never saw the sh**t?
Well, I was pretty busy trying to keep my brain matter intact.
And you were on your way to the airport.
Personal trip.
To Israel?
I'll travel for good hummus.
Does Agent David know you've been delayed?
She does.
I also told McGee to keep his eyes open.
We have a man in Interrogation.
Dr. Mallard found him sniffing around, knocked him out.
Ducky did? Mm-hmm.
K.O. with a full ten-count.
Finish your drink, Agent DiNozzo.
I'll have somebody come get you as soon as your protection detail is ready.
Sir, instead of wasting Dorneget's time, what if I just hang around here as a visitor, doing purely "visiting" things?
We could use the company.
I must say, our victim appears markedly smaller than he did when Mr. Palmer and I pummeled him into next week.
Today we met danger head-on, Anthony, and emerged victorious.
Is it me, or does standing here on the sidelines feel like...
t*rture.
I thought Vance said he was headed straight in.
I'd like a few minutes with this clown.
Warm him up.
Without a badge?
I'm starting to miss that thing.
Building security has you signed in as Victor Cheng, former computer specialist with the FBI.
Is that true?
Money's better in the private sector.
You were fired from the Bureau.
And yet someone granted you access to my building.
Why?
I got a call.
There's an NCIS I.D. and 20K waiting in an envelope if I sneak in here to access your database.
Details about the shrapnel taken from SECNAV.
I couldn't access it remotely because, uh, some guy named McGee built a firewall.
Guess you agent types are smarter than you look.
Who do you work for?!
I told you, I-I don't know.
Koreans? The Chinese?
I need an answer!
What is it?
I'll be right there.
Leon!
I made a new friend along the way.
Enemies closer, Gibbs?
Well, Parsons is working for us now.
Well, do tell.
There was no mission.
Lieutenant Chad McBride was sent to Iran as a decoy.
Director Vance, we believe McBride returned to the United States.
But not just his head, all of him. Alive.
Someone wanted to make it look like the Iranians were responsible?
Leon, I know you're shorthanded, but we need you to connect the dots.
All right, I'll get Miss Sciuto on it.
See if we can pinpoint where McBride was k*lled.
We're on the next transport home.
Parsons, too?
What do you want me to do, leave him here?
Stop it.
Stop it! Stop it!
Ziva?
What, are you taking your frustrations out on a poor little keyb...?
You're not her.
Uh, no, sir. I am Murray.
Uh, it's nice to meet you, former Agent DiNozzo.
He's the new I.T. guy.
He works with Kevin.
This is a very weird dream.
You're wide awake, Tony, and you're just in time to see the second string in full effect.
Excuse me?
Well, I suppose there are other people that would technically be considered more of a second string, but Murray just joined the I.T. department, and I took the liberty of mastering the clicker.
Wow.
Show me what you got, autopsy gremlin.
Murray managed to confirm the intruder's... story.
"Victor Cheng was recently fired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
Nice typeface. He already told us that.
I know. But thanks to Murray, we know exactly when and why.
Go.
Uh, 2010, uh, Cheng was caught moonlighting as a hack for hire.
I am currently trying to find out who gave him an NCIS I.D.
Hold on.
Are you not using contractions?
Pardon?
All right, what else?
Someone has been trying to cr*ck NCIS's private files from the outside.
I don't like the swirly font!
I can read, Palmer.
Whoever they are already accessed our cell phone data.
Which files were compromised?
Looks like they were mostly after former personnel.
Get me coffee.
Tony, hey. I'm heading over to NCIS.
Where are you?
I'm already here, Tim. I spent the night.
Huh. Just like old times, huh?
Listen, they're tracking your cell.
Ditch it, get a cab.
Copy that.
Oh, boy.
Oh!
McGee, get in the car!
Agent Fornell, this isn't about your ex-wife again, is it?
Just get in the damn car.
We got him. We're on our way.
A hell of a place for a meeting.
Who lives like this, Martha Stewart?
Well, the towels are Martha.
That's it.
Tony, what happened?
Tim, I decided to remodel.
I'm going mid-century mob hit.
Gibbs walked into a trap.
DiNozzo almost got k*lled.
Special Agent Fornell has offered to enlighten us on recent events.
You ever hear of a t*rror1st wack-job named Benham Parsa?
What kind of name is Benham Parsa?
He's a young extremist.
He just claimed responsibility for k*lling SECNAV.
Parsa is the son of slain parents from Karachi, Pakistan.
He's still a kid. He's ticked off.
No fear.
Scary because he really doesn't give a damn.
Parsa started a new terror cell.
About a year ago, we got wind that he was brokering private business deals between t*rrorists and U.S. companies.
What kind of deals?
Well, every year, billions are spent rebuilding damage done by criminal acts.
Blow something up, boost the economy.
More jobs in construction, security even.
And who is Parsa reaching out to to help make these deals?
A handful of American business types.
Traitors.
MBAs and bad guys working together.
We're all searching for names.
Planned destruction can close some very, very sweet deals.
Somebody's got to rebuild.
Gordon Gekko meets bin Laden.
Why target NCIS?
Because they don't think you'll play ball.
They're right.
Does Homeland know about this?
From day one, Director.
Leon, come in.
Did you hear?
I'm keeping my leg.
Tell me you didn't know anything about Benham Parsa.
It's all tragic, reprehensible.
So you knew about the business deals?
There's no proof of any transactions.
It's all hearsay.
There's nothing to link anyone to anything.
Tom, tell me you didn't set this whole thing in motion.
For heaven's sakes, Leon, look at me.
I've dedicated my life to this country.
I know the lines get blurred sometimes, but I... I would never condone an att*ck.
There's a lot of money in play.
How dare you make that accusation.
Somebody's trying to wipe out my team!
They tried to k*ll me, too!
Tom, tell me right now... who's their next target?
It's Ziva David.
Eli knew too much; they think she does, too.
I just sent a secure e-mail to Mossad in case Ziva shows up there.
How do we know the terror cell isn't monitoring everything we send?
We don't.
Assume it's all been compromised.
Knowing Ziva, she'll still go under.
She has to.
Well, well.
How was the desert?
They say it's a dry heat.
Welcome back, boss.
What do we got?
The usual.
World went to hell while you were gone.
I've got sn*per slugs in my living room, and the Duck man found a rat in his lab, and, uh, there's a t*rror1st named Parsa who...
Yeah, I know all that, DiNozzo. Of course you do.
What don't you know? Where's Ziva?
Israel. Off the grid for now.
I'm trying to establish a protected e-mail account so we can communicate securely overseas.
Yeah.
He's okay.
Working with us now.
It's nice to see that you guys are alive and well.
Look, I'm sorry about the, uh...
I want my badge back.
Yeah, I can understand that.
Not a problem.
Now that the case is, uh, dismissed, I'll talk with Director Vance about it.
Thank you, d*ck.
So, what'd you find out about the Iranian head games?
Lieutenant wasn't k*lled in Iran.
Uh, yeah. We, uh, we found out that Lieutenant McBride was given orders redirecting him to the United States, and he walked into a trap.
His head was mailed to his house via a Middle Eastern detour.
And toss in a little radioactivity...
I'm so glad that you're here.
Someone went to great lengths to make it look like Iran was responsible for this.
So who actually k*lled him?
Same people who want us dead.
Local cell. g*ns for hire.
Find them. Go.
I don't care if you're dirty or sweaty or tired or you smell like the inside of a cargo plane. Abbs, yeah, but I do. Come on.
Results of Lieutenant McBride's head.
Gibbs, look out!
It was getting a little uncomfortable in the squad room.
But I can see it's not much better down here.
Nerve of that creep.
He just thinks he can... he can go anywhere and...
Abby. Yes?
Test results.
They're in the other room.
Yeah. And?
And he is in the other room.
And unless something has changed, I am not going in there with him.
I mean, something would have to have drastically changed.
Like if he saved my life?
Yeah. Like that's gonna happen.
Yeah.
I mean, if he did, then of course I'm glad, but, I mean, he hasn't redeemed himself, has he?
Fine.
But I still don't like him.
Thank you, Gibbs. Abby...
No talking, you.
So, I ran the sand grains from McBride's hair and nose and ears, and they're not all from Afghanistan or Iran.
No, they're from the U.S.
No.
Both.
Some grains were Middle Eastern and the others were from the Sonoran Desert.
It's a big place.
Mm-hmm. It extends from California to Arizona and into Mexico.
But based on the toxicology results, the water in his system and the minerals in his blood and the pollutants that were in his windpipe...
Uh, trace amounts like that would be so small, you couldn't possibly determine exactly where...
Best guess.
McBride was m*rder*d and beheaded in the Copper State.
Arizona.
Thanks, Abbs.
If Ziva's in trouble, a badge might come in handy.
If you know how to get it to her, I'm game.
Well, even if someone could contact her, who would she trust? Shmeil?
Well, the Man of Shmeil's showing his age, McGee.
She won't risk exposing him.
You have another option, Agent DiNozzo?
Let me get this right, DiNozzo.
You want me to track down a former Mossad operative who has been trained to disappear?
She's also a former U.S. federal agent who's recently been under intense scrutiny.
And you want me to find her without letting anyone else know that I'm looking?
Well, sure.
Because if you lead the wrong people in her direction, you might get her k*lled.
That part you made quite clear.
Do we have a problem, Adam?
No.
I'm merely surprised that you would trust me with such responsibility.
I thought you did not like me.
I don't.
But Ziva trusts you, so I'm gonna have to.
I'll do what I can.
Hard to know who to trust anymore.
Has it ever been easy, Tobias?
Hell no.
But with big business profiting from acts of terror?
It's like Chicago, Capone in the '20s.
Yeah.
Well, they caught Capone.
That make you feel any better?
No, it doesn't.
Our headless lieutenant was ordered to Iran only to have his orders cancelled without any record of it.
Who better to do that than his...
...commanding officer.
McGee, Captain Dominick Wayne, JSOC, financial records. On it.
All right, I've got Captain Wayne's bank statements up.
What exactly am I looking for?
Temptation. Payoffs.
For throwing McBride under the bus, sending Gibbs into a desert trap.
No unusual activity or deposits.
It appears our captain's a typical government employee.
Broke.
Well, maybe he didn't change the orders.
We could be wrong.
Want to find out? Yeah.
McGee, how's your handwriting?
Honey, you got something to light these with?
Mm-hmm.
Who's that? One second.
Why don't you take care of it, honey.
I'll be right back. Okay.
Gentlemen.
Must be important for you to come all the way out here.
We're having cake in just a minute.
Might make it worth your while.
Start with the truth, Captain.
Tell us about Lieutenant Chad McBride's orders in Iran.
More specifically, his orders to come home.
Come home?
What are you talking about? He came home in a box.
It was your job to find out who put him there.
You did.
You know, it's against regulations for m*llitary personnel to tell their loved ones their orders have changed.
But I used to write my wife anyway.
So did, uh, Chad McBride.
Just came in the mail today.
"Thought you should know, I talked to Captain Wayne.
"He changed my orders.
You can stop worrying."
Little did he know, you set him up to be ex*cuted.
I didn't know they were gonna k*ll him.
I wouldn't have made that call.
Who paid you?
Where's the money?
They didn't offer me money.
They offered pictures.
Of my infidelity.
Blackmail.
Another Capone tactic.
I couldn't let them take all this away.
Them?
I got a call.
To change McBride's orders.
Another to send Agent Gibbs to Iran.
But I don't know who it was.
I-I'll give you my phone records, anything.
Including my resignation.
And don't forget your prison time.
And your court-martial, Captain.
I'm sorry.
Tell it to McBride's wife.
Special Agent Gibbs, I want you to meet Tomas Mendez.
He's on the board of the Public Anti-Terrorism Coalition.
The coalition helps facilitate cooperation between private businesses and government agencies in the fight against terror.
What brings you here, Mr. Mendez?
Tomas was working closely with Homeland.
They were monitoring Parsa and the new terror cell.
Parsa's hard to pin down.
This was taken by a surveillance camera in one of my apartment buildings in Miami.
As part of the coalition initiatives, all of my building security cameras are linked with government lists.
And his face flagged.
We had been working with Homeland, but since Morrow was injured, we thought we'd reach out to you. Mm-hmm.
It's best we're all on the same page.
You own any property in Arizona, Mr. Mendez?
Beautiful state.
Why?
We think whoever's calling the sh*ts has a cell working there.
We could use your help.
Are you getting out or what?
Well, actually, I was coming to find you.
If you're going down, I can tag along.
If that's okay?
Okay, look, you may not like me or what I do.
Whatever gave you that impression?
But when I investigate someone, I do it very well.
Well, then you and I have something in common.
What's this?
It's a peace offering.
Of sorts.
Eli David owns a farmhouse outside of Yavne'el.
It's his safe house.
It's under a false name, and I don't think anyone knows about it.
Except maybe Ziva.
And a slimy Beltway lawyer.
That makes total sense to me.
You're grasping at straws.
You're looking for her.
I know you.
Then you know I have to vet this file.
I would hope so.
Or I'll start to think you actually trust me.
You know, I'm not gonna kiss you good night.
What?
Why are you walking me to my car?
We breaking up?
If I could, I would. Unfortunately, I trust you.
Well, feeling's mutual, so there you go.
Somebody's got to slay the dragons.
Might as well be us. Mm-hmm.
Look, if this is gonna turn into a proposal, I'm just not ready.
How long did you know NCIS was in danger before you stepped in?
As soon as I found out some jackass was hiring turncoats, I came to you.
And I can only hope that you'd do the same if it was me.
No matter how this unfolds, Tobias, I got your back.
During the blitz, children were given little white flags to mark the positions of any unexploded incendiary bombs.
Seems like just building a victory garden would have been far less dangerous.
But not nearly so rewarding.
End of the w*r, I had a terrific shrapnel collection.
It was better than cash in the school playground.
I could even identify many of the pieces.
I'm hoping you still can, Duck.
Well, you're in luck, Jethro.
With the aid of Abby's chemical analysis and Timothy's database, we have done just that.
Times have changed since you were five.
Not as much as you might think.
By using the same methods that Ducky used when he was a child, I.D.'ing metal types and manufacturing marks, we can link the shrapnel removed from SECNAV Jarvis and others to devices that were used in the past.
A trigger used twice in Yemen.
Plastic expl*sive used by a white supremacy group in South Dakota.
Times have changed.
People, not so much.
But the majority of links were on the casing itself.
Bike?
Yup.
Somebody filled all of the empty tubing on a mountain bike with the contents from a pipe b*mb.
Hell of a signature.
And it's the signature we have on file.
Belongs to a soldier-of-fortune group the FBI has been tracking called The Brotherhood of Doubt.
No doubt made up of people who have little faith in the country that protects their inalienable rights.
Where?
Yuma.
Arizona.
That's good work, guys.
Hey, Tobias.
Come on back. You're not going home yet.
Clear!
Clear!
Lieutenant McBride.
Got C-4 and detonators.
Photos of their targets.
Mr. Mendez?
Agent Gibbs.
I have a feeling this is not a coincidence?
You need to come with me.
Get you someplace safe.
Ziva.
Your information was correct, Tony.
Ziva was here.
But she's gone.
What happened?
Well, as you can see, clearly there was a struggle.
Three men are dead.
We will get them identified.
How do you know it was Ziva?
Because she told us.
Talk to me, Ziva.
Where are you?