04x03 - The Fifth Man

[bunniefuu]

Hey. You think this could be him?

I wasn't expecting Scrooge McDuck.

Well, we're about to find out.

Echo-1?

That's us.

You... the guy?

Not me.

I guess we all got the invite.

(chuckles) Anyone else waiting for the punch line?

Rich guy, college brat, geriatric and construction worker walk into a diner.

(chuckles)

Some coffee for you, sir?

Voss, Badoit or Pellegrino.

Pelle... Pelle-what?

WAITER: Uh, no hablo español.

Sparkling water.

With the bubbles.

Okay.

(laughing)

I'm curious.

I suspect the man who invited us here must be quite important.

Well, assuming it's a man.

We've never met him.

Or her.

Got no updates on the Twitter account.

Hey, snap a pic while we wait.

I don't want my face on some blog.

Why? Do you have something to hide?

I like my privacy.

Come on.

Everybody say "bubbles."

(chuckles)

Bubbles.

Moneybags looks good on camera.

Preserved for posterity.

Wh-What is this?

Where did everyone go?

Isn't that odd?

Hello?

Hello?

The hell is going on?

And why did we all get invited here?

♪ NCIS: LA 4x03 ♪

The Fifth Man
Original air date on October 9, 2012

SAM: Not bad, Kensi.

Not bad.

Better than your partner.

Speaking of which...

Deeks is running late.

He ate some bad sushi last night, so it made him sick.

Bad sushi?

Mm-hmm.

What?

You know we invented the "bad sushi" move, right?

Which means we don't fall for the "bad sushi" move ever.

Okay. He went to Vegas.

He drove back last night.

(grunting)

And he didn't invite you?

No, because I had plans.

Plans?

Plans?

If you lie, we'll know.

(sighs)

John Hughes marathon with my mom.

Wow.

That you should have lied about.

He must've taken that model.

She's a fitness model, not a fashion model, which means she doesn't even model actual clothes.

So what does she model?

(Sam laughs)

Energy drinks and fake tattoos.

You actually think he took her?

(grunting)

(groans)

DEEKS: I'm, uh...

I'm really sorry that I'm late.

I just... I had some bad sushi last night.

I mean, it was so hard to get out of bed this morning.

And why are you doing this?

Because they know.

They know?

(chuckles) Okay. The only way they could know is if a certain person who watched Pretty in Pink for the 98th time last night ratted her partner out.

We agreed on the "bad sushi" move, partner.

Well, it turns out they invented the "bad sushi" move.

That's right.

Really?

And, uh...

Wow, what is...

What is this?

Sayoc.

Stick grappling.

Yeah. Close-quarter combat.

Oh, I see.

So, what's the plan here?

You gonna go a little Bruce Lee on me, 'cause you do remember that I carry a... a w*apon, right?

The most common weapons are blunt objects.

Oh.

Sticks, pipes, bats.

Things like that.

Oh, I see, I see.

Hey, Hetty!

(grunting)

Aah! Ha, ha!

Uh, uncle! El tío!

El tío! Uncleway! Uncleway!

Huh? What'd you say? What'd you say?

El tí...

(grunts) (phone rings)

You dropping the pig latin on me?

Fun's over.

Yeah, 'cause you know what?

Nothing says fun like getting choked out with a stick.

Four bodies pulled from the remains of the Winer n' Diner in Pasadena.

That place was closed last year.

Well, someone reopened it without telling the landlord.

Safe to say there won't be any Yelp reviews written in the near future.

We pulled the photo of the dead men from the user's cloud account.

It was taken before the diner was leveled by RZX plastic expl*sive.

SAM: Rigged by pros.

Controlled detonation.

All right, so who are these guys and who'd they piss off?

NELL: Well, it was an eclectic group.

We have a millionaire, a college kid, a grandfather and a man licensed to drive a bulldozer.

We're still searching for common enemies.

CALLEN: All right.

Let's start with connections.

Well, all four victims followed a Twitter account linked to the Office of Naval Intelligence.

ERIC: And that's what got them k*lled.

Computer logs show that each victim received an invitation to the diner from this particular account.

So either the Navy staged a Twitter ambush or their account was hacked.

Okay, is anybody else wondering why the Office of Naval Intelligence is on Twitter in the first place?

Operation: Wide Awake.

It's an experimental project that uses social media to reach its participants.

It's designed as a... strategy game.

Naval Intelligence was recruiting high-IQ individuals to test the integrity of the project.

Why?

NELL: That's the part we don't know.

Operation: Wide Awake is currently classified.

So all the victims were players?

Not merely players, Mr. Callen.

They were the elite of the project.

Naval Intelligence referred to them as Group Echo-1.

The man behind the project has been authorized to brief you both.

We'll let you know what we find.

(metal detector beeping)

Thank you, gentlemen.

I only just found out about the att*ck.

I don't understand who'd want to do this.

The group wasn't even supposed to know each other.

You don't have any idea who could access your Twitter account to stage the ambush?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Despite all the protocols in place, we got hacked.

Tried to trace it, but hit a dead end.

What is Operation: Wide Awake exactly?

On the surface, Wide Awake looks like an online strategy game, but in fact, it's potentially the most advanced technology we have for predicting t*rror1st threats.

Think of all the different ways someone could att*ck this country. Using Wide Awake could tell us which one it's most likely to be.

The Pentagon already does that with thr*at matrix software.

Computers predict logical outcomes, Agent Callen, but we humans are not always logical.

Wide Awake allows us to account for both.

How?

Crowd sourcing.

The way thousands of people play this game enables us to predict the most likely course a small group or even a lone individual might choose in predicting a thr*at.

So, what can you tell us about the players that d*ed this morning?

Group Echo-1 was my elite sample group.

Best of the best.

The brightest individuals in the crowd tell us the most, but they're also the most difficult to find.

And without them?

I'll have to start from scratch.

It'll... set Wide Awake back years.

People that gifted don't just turn up every day, but...

But what?

There weren't... four members of the group.

There were five.

So one of them's still out there.

It seems so.

Here's the details he filled out for Wide Awake.

SAM: Mike Hoffman. Residential address: San Pedro.

Kensi and Deeks are closer.

Hoffman didn't show up at the diner.

Does that make him a target or a suspect, Agent Hanna?

DEEKS: So, uh, tell me.

Did the, uh, ride over here strike you as somewhat tense with long, uncomfortable silences?

Kind of like this?

This about Vegas?

I had other things to do, okay?

Non-Deeks things.

Plus, I'm totally over Vegas.

You've never been to Vegas.

Exactly. Because I'm over it.

Okay, technically, you can't be over a place you've never been to.

Doesn't matter.

Here's the deal.

We're going together.

You and me.

No.

Yeah. Look at me.

It's happening.

No, it isn't.

Vegas.

Vegas.

All right, I get it.

You're afraid you wouldn't be able to keep up with me in Vegas.

Oh, I could keep up with you.

Not even close.

I'd bury you.

Okay, so prove it.

Me, you, Vegas.

Okay. You're on.

Bring it, Beach Boy.

You know what they say.

What, uh, happens in Vegas...

Will leave you curled up in a little fetal position begging for mercy.

Promise?

So, Hoffman lives on the third floor.

Outstanding arrest warrants-- check fraud, possession of counterfeit currency, misdemeanor as*ault.

But, supposedly, he's got an IQ higher than both of us?

Yeah.

Ooh.

Watch it!

Probably a sale on skinny jeans someplace.

What?

'Cause she's a hipster.

She was emo.

Mmm.

I will bet you Eric's horn-rimmed glasses that that girl was a hipster.

Is there even a difference?

Yeah.

Of course there's a difference-- they got the... the hair with the colors and the tight...

I have no idea.

Is there a difference?

You sound seriously uncool right now.

Whatever. Either way, she was a cutie.

Oh, my gosh, she looked like she was 15.

No, I didn't mean that kind of cute.

Wait a minute, how do you know that she wasn't 18, huh?

Maybe... maybe she was just petite.

Maybe your brain is petite.

(chuckles)

Touché.

Kens?

Hey.

The girl.

I got the apartment.

Yep.

Federal agent! Stop!

(train approaches)

(train horn blares)

(train horn blaring)

Manic Pixie Dream Girl?

(sighs)

Slipped away.

For now.

You check that laptop?

I'm going to have it bagged for Eric, let him do the honors.

So, we got no wallet, no I. D.

And obviously a hell of a struggle.

That's fatal head trauma.

Bad fall would do it.

Right there.

Slammed his head on the edge of the coffee table.

Or she could've slammed it for him.

He's twice her size.

If anything, she was in survival mode.

Running from the scene and leaving a trail of blood makes her look pretty guilty.

(camera shutter clicks)

We don't know anything about her.

Exactly.

You've been busy.

Yeah.

This Hoffman?

No, sir.

This is Hoffman.

We're still waiting on the I. D. for the body.

Hoffman didn't get hit at the diner like the rest of them.

Maybe this guy was sent to finish the job.

Holster, no g*n.

DEEKS: Manic Pixie Dream Girl must've taken it.

She had a small backpack.

CALLEN: "Manic Pixie Dream Girl"?

I think her name is Astrid.

And she clearly knew Hoffman.

(phone rings)

Yeah, Eric?

All right, still waiting for an I. D. on your body.

Hoffman's cell phone's been switched off.

No signal, no trail.

Does Hoffman have any family?

Negative. Everything we've got indicates he's a loner.

Speaking of social connections, I just got the results from a deeper round of profiling on the diner victims.

This morning was the first time any of them met.

Dr. Mathers' story checks out.

The group didn't know each other.

So, besides Operation: Wide Awake, the doctor was their only link.

Which means he could be a target, too.

Send us any updates on Hoffman and the girl.

Done.

Where did you go?

MATHERS: I'm sorry, I don't recognize any of them.

All of Wide Awake's communication was conducted online.

They were just names on a screen.

Which is why none of them met in person till this morning.

Who else knew about Wide Awake?

The only people who ever saw the whole program were those skilled enough to play through every one of its levels: Group Echo-1.

SAM: And now the only ones with that knowledge are you and Hoffman.

Yeah.

There's someone else.

I've been getting...

Help from a friend on the outside.

A Pentagon analyst named George Toretto.

I wanted to see how it was doing against the best thr*at matrix in the world.

So you asked him to compare your results against the Pentagon's classified thr*at intelligence.

You broke security protocols to beta-test your program.

And in doing so, not only compromised your entire project but four innocent people were k*lled.

I never thought anyone would get hurt, Agent Callen.

My research is designed to save lives.

Do you realize what's at stake?

If Wide Awake goes operational, it will make our country a safer place.

What did Toretto tell you?

Well, that's... the problem.

He never gave me the results.

We're going to increase security at this lab.

If you contact Toretto, the two of you will end up sharing a cell.

Am I in danger, Agent Hanna?

Not if you stay put.

I'll get Eric to pull everything he can on this guy, Toretto.

(alarm beeping)

Stop. Stop. You can't go in there with your bag.

We got to check it.

Hey!

Hey!

(grunts)

Stop that girl!

Stop that girl!

(alarm beeps)

She came here for a reason.

Looks like Wide Awake isn't as big a secret as Dr. Mathers thinks.

So, security team at the Naval Intelligence Lab says Astrid tried to slip through a metal detector and triggered the alarm.

Maybe the g*n she stole off the dead guy was in her backpack.

Or maybe she's a girl who was never briefed on security protocol-- she saw the alarms, men trying to detain her, and she ran.

Maybe.

What else do we know about her?

Neighbors said they started seeing Hoffman and Astrid together a few months ago, but they kept to themselves.

She had her own room in Hoffman's apartment, but we found no personal items, just some clothes.

Sounds like a girl on the run.

Okay, so why do you run to a m*llitary facility?

Looking for someone-- a friend, maybe?

Hey. Hoffman's laptop.

Searched the e-mail archives, but the entire account's been wiped by a pro.

Anything else on the computer?

The most recent version of the Wide Awake gaming application.

Now we're talking.

Nell uploaded the file on Dr. Mathers'

Pentagon buddy, George Toretto.

Red flag in his bank accounts.

$100, 000 deposited five days ago.

All cash, no paper trail.

Wide Awake's technology predicts att*cks on America before they happen.

There's plenty of well-funded groups that would like to see it fail.

Not to mention rogue governments.

Maybe someone's paying Toretto to sabotage the program.

This is the building.

(tires squealing)

CALLEN: You got to be kidding me.

That's our guy.

That's Toretto.

SAM: Something must have tipped them off.

CALLEN: He's a popular guy.

♪ ♪

(tires squealing)

Going to crash.

Please don't.

Not us. Him.

(tires squeal, truck's horn blares)

(tires squealing)

Driver's dead.

Toretto?

Gone.

We I. D.'d the body found at Hoffman's apartment.

Max Naylor.

He did time at Folsom Prison with the driver who was k*lled in the car crash.

Uh, he also has experience in demolitions, which explains the diner.

Both were g*ns for hire.

Well, if someone hired them to sabotage Wide Awake, Hoffman would be the next logical target.

SAM: Unless he was the one behind this.

Hoffman and Dr. Mathers are the only ones left who understand how this technology works.

Well, then Mathers might want to step up the security at his lab.

It's already done.

Nell, confirm his location.

On it.

What about Toretto?

The $100K in his account had to come from somewhere.

DEEKS: Well, Toretto's got the financial connections; Hoffman's got the insider knowledge.

Maybe they were partners.

Hoffman got greedy, took out a hit.

Doesn't explain the dead guy in Hoffman's apartment.

Maybe Toretto tried to get to Hoffman first.

Or the guy was there to k*ll Astrid.

She showed up at the Naval Intelligence Lab, which means she knows something about Wide Awake.

Hoffman's cell phone was just switched on.

I got the signal.

Hoffman's at a bus stop on Pico Boulevard in West L. A.

The signal means we can get remote access.

Does the phone have a front-facing camera?

Roger that.

Call it.

Grab an image of the person that answers.

(beeping)

Got it.

CALLEN: That's not Hoffman.

WOMAN (over phone): Hello?

She disconnected the call.

Call her back.

Wait a minute, what's the plan here?

I mean, what are you going to say to her?

"If you're not k*lling everybody involved "in a top secret governmental program, "maybe you can come over and watch Pretty in Pink, we can eat some Oreos"?

This might be the only chance we get, and I think I can get her to talk to me.

Why?

Because she's scared.

HETTY: You've found the girl.

KENSI: Yes.

Astrid is on the run and she knows about Operation Wide Awake.

We have a chance to talk to her.

But Mr. Deeks believes your emotions are clouding your judgment.

DEEKS: Well, that's a little harsh, but...

Yeah.

HETTY: Call the girl, Mr. Beale.

Maybe she'll see in you what you see in her, Miss Blye.

ERIC: All right, I got Astrid on a traffic cam at that intersection.

(line ringing)

ASTRID: Hello?

Hi, Astrid.

My name is Kensi.

I was at your apartment building today.

I'm so sorry if I scared you.

You didn't scare me.

Well, I know you've had a hard time today.

I thought you might like to talk.

I don't.

Well, then maybe you need a friend?

You don't really know me.

No, I don't, but I'd very much like to.

Why don't you start by telling me something about yourself.

You're tracing this call.

Okay... let's start with me, then.

Um...

I'm single...

And totally over Vegas.

I love Pretty in Pink and Oreos.

No one's trying to hurt me; they're trying to hurt Mike.

And where is Mike right now?

He's enjoying the art of civilized bushwhacking.

I have to go now.

No, no...

Astrid...

ERIC: Phone's been turned off.

No signal to track.

By the time we get there, she'll be long gone.

Anyone understand what she was talking about?

The "art of civilized bushwhacking" is an old term for the game of poker.

Don't ask me how I know that.

Eric, pull up Hoffman's finances.

(beeping)

SAM: He's made seven withdrawals from the Hollywood Park Casino ATM in the past month.

Sounds like a guy with a gambling probleto me.

Sounds like a motive.

Eric, bring up the security cameras at the Hollywood Park Casino.

Maybe he's still there.

Done.

Thank you.

Mr. Deeks.

Hey, um...

You knew that putting Kensi on the phone with Astrid was the right call.

And you want to know how I knew that.

If you don't think that I need to know, then...

No, no, no.

After her father d*ed, she, uh, ran away.

She lived on the streets for almost a year.

I didn't know that.

And I, Mr. Deeks, didn't tell you.

'Course not.

Miss Jones.

With me.

Okay.

But that's your seat.

Indeed.

(laughs)

Okay, this is a test, right?

You're looking to see my response?

This is a chair, Miss Jones.

Sit in it.

Fair enough.

Wow. Yeah, it's, uh...

It's really...

Oh, it's comfortable.

I've been told that you have a very high IQ.

Higher, in fact, than any other person currently employed by NCIS.

Well, it's just a number with a range of variables prone to cultural bias, so...

Prove it.

You want me to play Operation: Wide Awake?

Those four men at the diner were k*lled because of something they discovered with this program.

I need you to find out what that was.

All right.

(tapping keyboard)

MAN (over speakers): ... Texas hold 'em tournament this Friday.

Players may register at the members' service desk or online.

Excuse me.

Pardon me.

Pardon me.

Now, that's what I call two well-mannered young man.

Someone certainly taught them well.

What a handsome couple they are.

Where'd that brunette get those legs?

DEEKS: Just remember, boys, you got to know when to hold 'em.

(groans)

You've been singing that stupid song the entire ride over here.

Mmm, okay, it's not a stupid song.

That's "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers, aka the Silver Fox.

Ah, Charlie Rich was the Silver Fox.

I'm pretty sure it was Kenny Rogers.

It's Charlie Rich.

Any luck, Eric?

Jackpot.

I got him at poker table number four.

Striped short-sleeved shirt.

Kensi, Deeks...

Why don't you do your thing.

First date?

Last date.

(groans) Is this because I didn't take you to Vegas?

Because we are in the casino now.

Mmm... that's why I need to upgrade.

Kensi? Kensi?

(groans) My friend hates it when I gamble.

Life's a gamble.

(laughing): No.

DEEKS: Fern?

Fern. What-what are you doing here?

Are you trying to make me jealous?

(clears throat)

See, he went to Vegas, and he thinks that this is gonna make up for it.

I'd never go anywhere without you.

He's clearly playing way out of his league.

Okay, you know what I love?

I love it when people talk about me like I'm not standing right behind them.

And the fish hooks take it.

So... are you just lucky, or are you really, really good?

I'm really, really good.

But, uh... I'm looking to get lucky.

Okay. (laughs)

You know what?

I love... I love a little butter with my cheese.

I'm going to grab a soda.

Buy you a drink?

Yeah. Shaggy won't stop bugging me if I stick around.

Then maybe...

We should leave.

Maybe we should.

DEALER: Thank you, sir.

Genius-level IQ, huh?

(sighing): Oh, crap.

Luck's run out, Hoffman.

I knew it was too good to be true.

Figured my chances were 50-50.

(laughs)

Just to be clear, I am, uh, totally in your league.

In your dreams.

All the time, darling.

(phone ringing)

All the time.

CALLEN: What do you got, Eric?

Mathers is gone.

Gave his protective detail the slip.

So, it was all an act?

Even that whole "are you lucky or just good" bit?

Act.

Ah.

Well, I'm impressed.

DEEKS: The four other people in Echo-1 are dead.

Operation: Wide Awake.

Yeah.

Never heard of it.

Hey, that's my laptop.

Wow, nothing gets by this one.

Mmm.

Wide Awake application's installed on the hard drive.

Why don't you play it for us?

Let's see what you got.

(sighs)

Well, if it doesn't involve...

Dice or cards, I'll probably need an instruction manual.

Preferably one with pictures.

DEEKS: Okay, there is no way this is our fifth man.

This looks like one of the games Astrid likes to play.

Okay. Who exactly is Astrid?

(sighing): I, uh...

I don't know.

I think she's my daughter.

You think?

(exhales)

She's different.

She, uh, barely speaks.

She's really good at math.

She spends hours on this computer.

I took her to the casino a few weeks back and taught her how to gamble.

Astrid never loses.

I mean, like... ever.

The art of civilized bushwhacking.

Yeah, that's what we call poker.

Hey, you...

You talked to her?

Where is she?

We were hoping you could help us find that out.

Well, I was on an 18-hour streak at the casino when you found me.

Hey, I gave her my cell phone in case of an emergency.

No, trust me, that girl knows how to take care of herself.

She's okay, right?

ERIC (over speaker): Mathers still hasn't gone back to his office.

If Astrid was using Hoffman's laptop and e-mail, all of her Wide Awake activity would've looked like it was coming from him.

Dr. Mathers would have had no way of knowing it was her.

(sighs) Maybe this girl has some form of autism.

Asperger's syndrome.

That would explain a lot.

Well, we'd need a formal diagnosis to be sure, but Astrid seems to fit the profile.

Social awkwardness, limited empathy, a savant's gift for numbers.

Yeah, but clearly high-functioning enough to defend herself and evade us.

KENSI: Whoever wanted the rest of the team members dead still thinks that Hoffman's the target, not Astrid-- so as long as no one finds out, Astrid is safe.

And only two people had access to Hoffman's data: Dr. Mathers and Toretto.

Eric, send us Dr. Mathers' home address.

You two keep talking to Hoffman.

If anyone can help us find Astrid, it's him.

Okay.

Anyone add up all those outstanding warrants I've got?

I did.

I figure I'm looking at five years in prison.

That's if I'm lucky.

Well, I think we've pretty much established the only kind of luck that you have is bad.

Bad luck doesn't make you a bad guy.

Just a bad father.

(sighs)

Look, it all happened so fast.

I-I never had the chance to get the hang of it.

And it's too late to start now.

Promise me that you'll make sure Astrid is okay when I get locked up.

We're not cutting any deals.

(beeping)

I hope you don't feel I'm putting pressure on you, Miss Jones.

Nope. Nope, I'm fine.

Let me know when you're finished.

Mm-hmm. I'm...

Still... still working, so...

Yeah, no, this is not going to happen.

I'm... sorry.

I... I thought I was doing something wrong, but this is not me.

This is program.

When you reach the final level, the engine used to predict the threats completely falls apart, which means...

Operation: Wide Awake doesn't work.

Could it be that Dr. Mathers didn't know about this?

(sighs)

Highly unlikely.

Wow.

Astrid-- how do we find her?

I don't know.

How could you not know?

She's your daughter?

She just showed up on my doorstep a few months back.

She told me her mom d*ed and left her my address.

I recognized her mom's name, but...

We were just kids when her mom got pregnant.

I promised her we'd work something out, but...

Instead, I did a runner.

Not my finest moment.

So when Astrid told me who her mother was, I... I couldn't turn her away.

Because you felt guilty?

Look, I don't even know for sure that she's my daughter.

And I told Astrid that.

But she just...

Looked at me...

With those big eyes.

I mean, she just wore me down, you know?

What can I say?

So, um...

I gave her a room and I let her stay.

Did you ever take back what you said?

About not being her father?

Listen...

This isn't about me trying to cut a deal here.

I know I have nothing to offer you.

(long sigh)

My life has been one big gamble with no payoff.

Maybe Astrid's the payoff.

I blew that, too.

I know I might not be...

The best person for Astrid...

But she still needs someone looking after her.

(door opens)

(door closes)

(door opens)

(door closes)

I'm fine.

I know.

I'm just getting some water.

(refrigerator door opens)

Looks like Mathers is home.

Or not.

Someone broke in.

SAM: Take the front.

I'll cut him off from behind.

Federal agent!

Don't move, Toretto!

(panting)

You need to hear it twice?

You won't sh**t me.

I'm the only one that can give you answers.

No one's getting sh*t.

See?

SAM: Just relax.

Now, put it down.

You try and get past him, you're going to wish I sh*t you.

(grunting)

(Toretto panting)

When I tell Deeks about this, you better vouch for me.

You went Bruce Lee on his ass.

I'll vouch for you.

(panting)

Mathers is the one you want.

What are you doing here?

Look, he's trying to k*ll me.

I came here to try and talk some sense into him.

It's complicated.

Oh, yeah?

Wide Awake doesn't work.

Neither one of you knew till Mathers gave you his results to compare to the Pentagon's intel.

He paid you $100, 000 to keep quiet.

Mathers wanted the results to look successful.

SAM: And you taking that hush money means you'd get charged with treason if people found out, which is why you didn't go public when bodies started turning up today.

I wasn't the only one who knew Wide Awake was a failure.

There was some guy in Mathers' test group who actually e-mailed him, tried to call him out on it.

Hoffman.

Yeah. Mathers never heard from him again.

He got worried others in the group would figure it out.

So he lured them to the diner this morning.

I didn't think he was going to k*ll them.

I thought he was going to try to buy them off.

And then that guy came after me.

Where's Mathers now?

(panting): I don't know.

So, Callen and Sam have Toretto.

Looks like Mathers offed his own test group.

Good thing we just found him, then.

My lovely assistant will take it from here.

Assistant?

Uh, colleague.

They can be lovely, too.

Mathers' cell's online.

He just received a call from Hoffman's phone.

Their call lasted 30 seconds; Hoffman's phone went dark immediately afterwards, but Mathers is still online.

He's headed for the casino.

That's Hoffman's stomping ground.

Okay, it stands to reason Astrid would go there looking for her father, but why reach out to Mathers?

Well, if she called him, then Mathers probably realized he's been hunting for the wrong person.

If that's true, once he finds Astrid, he's going to k*ll her.

Astrid's too smart to let Mathers find her like this.

She couldn't get him at his lab, so she led him here.

If Astrid still has the g*n, I think she might use it.

To protect herself?

To protect her dad.

We got eyes on Mathers.

NELL: He's on the west side of the floor.

Looks like he's headed towards the kitchen.

Moving in.

Mathers!

He's got a w*apon!

Mathers, drop your w*apon.

Drop it.

You got this?

Yeah, I got this.

Astrid?

I told you, I don't have friends.

KENSI: Told you I wanted to be the first.

Prove it.

That's kind of hard right now, don't you think?

Then you're not really my friend.

Okay.

Astrid, tell me what you want me to do.

You tell me.

Leave me alone so I can sh**t him.

I know you're trying to protect your dad, but...

I can't do that. I'm sorry.

This is not something that you want to hear right now...

But I will do everything in my power to stop you.

Do you hear me?

This is what friendship looks like, isn't it?

KENSI: Yeah. It is.

KENSI: Please hand me the g*n.

Please hand me the g*n.

You really like Pretty in Pink and Oreos, or were you just saying that?

I do like them.

It's weird.

Okay.

Hey, what do you say we get out of here?

(exhales)

What's up, man?

Hey.

Anybody seen, uh, Hetty?

CALLEN: Nope. Haven't seen her.

Writing off your losses in Vegas as business expenses?

What? No.

What do you take me for?

(chuckles) A guy who sneaks off to Vegas for Phantom of the Opera and has a secret love for musical theater.

We always know where our teammates are, Deeks.

Always.

Phantom of the what?

Opera.

I wouldn't know, see, 'cause I'm not into musical theater.

Nothing wrong with a good musical, Deeks.

Fair enough.

You got me.

Just do me a favor...

Oh, we won't tell Kensi.

How's Astrid?

The doctor diagnosed her with Asperger's syndrome.

Says she can look after herself with a little bit of help.

Well, Hoffman's facing jail time, so the girl's on her own for now.

And she's a smart girl.

I'm sure she'll figure it out.

Oh, and just for the record, I also went and saw Andrew Dice Clay just to even it out.

SAM: Yeah, right.

Okay, two, please.

(clears throat)

So, tell me about your mom.

She's dead.

I know.

What was she like, though?

Okay.

Let's start with me.

You can ask me anything you like.

Are you in love with your partner?

How old are you?

18 years, three months, 12 days, six hours and 32 seconds.

33.

34...

Your dad was happy to see you.

Mike was happy, but he was sad, too.

He tried to hide it from me, but I could tell.

Why do you call him Mike if he's your dad?

That's his name.

Are you sure he's your dad?

Yes. My mom told me that.

But how do you know it's true?

(big sigh)

Are you sure that the man that you call Dad is your real dad, Kensi?

Yeah.

How do you know that it's true?

Point taken.

Win the next hand...

And I will answer any question that you ask me.

I'm not going to win the next hand.

Or any hand after that, for that matter.

(inhales)

I do really want to know more about you, though, Astrid.

I guess you'll have to keep me around, then.

(footsteps approaching)

(cards shuffling)

My name's Hetty Lange.

HETTY: You feeling lucky?