02x01 - Heart Starter

[bunniefuu]

[MACKEY] Previously on NCIS: Sydney...

[RANKIN] Special Agent Mackey?
Colonel Richard Rankin.

- Heard great things.
- And you're already lying to me.

Not a good start, Colonel.

[JD] We need to get her help quick.

- I need a doctor!
- You need a lawyer.

What should we call you?

My name is Ana Niemus.

Your guest is of extreme importance

to the US intelligence community.

[CLOWN] If you want to disappear,

you have to have your hands tied.

[SCREAMS] Jack!

Whoa, whoa, hey. What do
you mean, they took Jack?

Where the hell's my son?

She's important enough for someone

to kidnap a 9-year-old boy...

Yeah, my 9-year-old boy!

And this guy? He's not
planning on rescuing you.

He's planning on k*lling you.

His name is Yaroslav.

[JD] Each of them discovered dead

with a painted conifer in their hands.

Turns out it's an
obscure pagan tradition

within the Russian Orthodox Church.

[JACK] Dad, that you?

[g*n CLICKS]

[g*n FIRES]

[NIEMUS] I'm sure your team
will arrive soon enough.

And if they don't, phone a friend.

You might be surprised who answers.

[PHONE BUZZES]

You gonna get that, Colonel?

[SPARSE MUSIC]

I think it fair to say
that given the choice

between fight and flight,

most of us will run from danger.

It's the rare few who run towards it.

[SOLEMN MUSIC]

But when you volunteer to defend
the nation against all enemies,

foreign and domestic,

that's the deal you make.

[PRAYS SILENTLY]

[CHAPLAIN] To place
duty above family...

...hardship above comfort.

[BUGLER PLAYS TAPS]

[CHAPLAIN] Tragically, for some,

it means paying the ultimate price.

[THEME MUSIC]

[PHONE BUZZES]

Don't make me ask again, Colonel.

Answer the damn phone.

[LINE RINGS]

[DESHAWN] JD, we clear?

[PHONE BUZZES]

- [SNORTS]
- [PHONE CONTINUES BUZZING]

That's not supposed to happen, is it?

- [MACKEY] Get up!
- Mackey.

Get up, now.

[CHOKES AND GROANS]

[MACKEY] On your feet.

- Now, Colonel!
- [PHONE BUZZES]

[DOC ROY GROANS] Oh, sh*t.

Lidocaine syringe in my
kit and call paramedics!

Come on, you're not buying
this, are you? He's faking!

It's very hard to make
your heart stop beating

if it doesn't want to.

[PHONE CONTINUES BUZZING]

Hey, it's me.

Mackey? What?

I don't under...

[MACKEY] You just
called Rankin's phone.

Mackey, why did my son's kidnapper

have Rankin's number in his phone?

[MACKEY] I don't know,
but we're gonna find out.

I got this. Call you later.

[RANKIN GASPS]

[RANKIN GROANS]

- [GASPS]
- [DOC ROY] There you are, boy.

- Come on.
- You back with us, Colonel?

[WHEEZES] You... you
have to help me...

Once you tell me why your number's

on a Russian assassin's phone.

My kids...

- [RANKIN WHEEZES AND GROANS]
- W-what's happening?

Well, his heart rate's
gone from zero to 200bpm

in a matter of seconds.

Adverse reaction to the lidocaine?

- It's that bloody thing there.
- Pacemaker?

- Pacemaker, yes. Gimme a hammer.
- A hammer?

Hammer and Blue's portable
sound thingy there on the shelf.

[RANKIN GASPS]

[YELPS]

That'll do me! It worked.

Pacemaker runs on a battery.
Magnet disables the battery.

It's an old b*ttlefield hack.

- So he's gonna be okay, then?
- Him? No, no, no.

I've stopped his heart
from temporarily exploding,

but by the time the
paramedics get here

and we get him to
the hospital, then...

...old mate will be as dead as disco.

[PANTS]

I need a cardiac team! He's crashing!

[MEDIC 1] All right, out of
the way, please. Thank you.

[MEDIC 2] Thank you.
With me. Let's go.

[ANNOUNCEMENT] Code blue. Room 3.

- Do you wanna take a seat?
- No, I'm... I'm fine.

Just take care of him.

He's in good hands, I promise.

I need to ask you a
few questions, okay?

Starting with the patient's name.

Ma'am?

His name is David Simons.

[JD] "Dippy smiled
and closed his eyes",

"curled his tail
around the campfire..."

"...and went to sleep."

[TENDER MUSIC]

Dad?

Easy, mate.

I'm right here.

Hey? Just go back to sleep.

Everything's okay.

[JACK] Promise?

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]

There's two more AFP
officers out the front.

Suits this time.

Apparently it couldn't
wait until tomorrow.

[FOOTSTEPS RECEDE]

[FOOTSTEPS RECEDE]

[DOOR LOCK BEEPS]

[CARTER] Special Agent Mackey.

[MACKEY] Sir.

I, uh... didn't know
we were expecting you.

[CARTER] You weren't.

I just flew in from Singapore

after I got a call from
our friends at Quantico.

Deputy Director of the FBI
wants to know why his grab team

flew all the way to Sydney

to render an international assassin

who is no longer in your custody.

Right. Yep.

That was unfortunate.

Deputy Director used
a different adjective.

Sir, we had Niemus isolated
in the interview room

while we worked the abduction
of Sergeant Dempsey's boy,

but by the time the
grab team got here,

she'd picked her cuffs
and fled the scene.

That's what I'm supposed to
tell the Deputy Director?

She just strolled on out of here?

It's a new office, sir.

We have no dedicated
holding cells on site.

So it's the building's fault?

I don't know what else to tell you.

[GRIM MUSIC]

Fine.

You're relieved of your duties
pending a 2B investigation.

Zero communication with
your team until I'm done.

Am I clear?

- Are you kidding me?
- [MACKEY] It's fine, D.

My watch...

...my responsibility.

I'll be interviewing each of
you regarding Niemus's escape.

Jackson!

You're Acting Supervisory
Special Agent in Charge.

Since you're calling the
shots, you get to go first.

Seriously? He made you boss?

Can I be benched too?

I'm not doing it.

Excuse me?

[DESHAWN] I resigned my JAG commission

over the way Mackey was treated
during her court martial.

I'm not about to throw
her under the bus now.

I don't think you're grasping

the existential nature
of the situation.

Word from DC is if Niemus
isn't recaptured, and quickly,

you can all pack your bags.

I'm talking end of days.

So why waste time with me
when I could be out looking?

'Cause there's blood in the water,

and in the event she's not recaptured,

I need to know exactly who's
taking the fall for it.

Because it sure as
hell ain't gonna be me.

Okay, just so I'm clear,

you say you drove her to the swap site

as instructed by the kidnapper.

My son's kidnapper, yeah.

But when you got there,
she somehow disarmed you.

That's right.

But then instead of sh**ting you,

Niemus shot the guy who
was there to rescue her

before escaping.

I underestimated her, what can I say?

Not my finest hour.

Seriously?

You think we're idiots, mate?

You really expect us to believe that?

What, that she escaped
or that you're an idiot?

So you transported an
international tier-1 HVT

to a potential swap site
without briefing AFP.

When was I meant to do that, mate?

Huh? We only arrested her last night.

Well, she's been on your
radar for months, no?

Along with the rest of
the intel community.

You know, NCIS just happened to be

the first ones that caught her.

Momentarily.

Well, momentarily more than you.

Well, it's your funeral.

Administrative leave,
effective immediately.

I'll let the 10th floor know.

They'll likely wanna
speak with Canberra.

Send me the Zoom link,
yeah? You've got my email.

Laugh it up, sport, but you're
gonna need a bloody good lawyer.

For your own sake,
stay away from NCIS.

I'm gonna need your
badge and your g*n.

Come on, Jim.

Take a look at the
badge. You're one of us.

Time to pick a side, mate.

[WHISPERS] Yeah.

g*n's at home.

Didn't think I'd need it
amongst mates, you know?

[SLURPS, BANGS CUP]

[INTENSE MUSIC]

[GATE BEEPS]

[CROWD CALLS OUT NEARBY]

Hey.

How's Jack?

[SIGHS] He's still asleep.

Poor thing's exhausted.

Are you all right?

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.

Um, just call me when
he wakes up, okay?

What do I tell him when
he asks where you are?

Just tell him Dad's making
sure this doesn't happen again.

[CROWD CHATTERS]

[PHONE BUZZES]

Howdy, partner.

Yeah, I'd use that term
advisedly if I were you.

- I just got benched.
- Join the club.

I'm about as close to
ex-AFP as you can get.

You tell them about Rankin?

Not in so many words.

You wanna tell me?

Rankin's not in a good way.

Looks like he was heavily compromised.

By who?

He had a heart attack.

He what?! When?

Just after you called him
from Yaroslav's phone.

I need to speak with him.

Yeah, I don't think so.

I'm not asking.

Come on, I'm already suspended.

- What's the worst they can do?
- You really wanna find out?

I really wanna talk to the
person who helped take my son.

[SIGHS] Fine.

Meet me in front of St.
Christopher's Hospital

in an hour.

Okay.

[CROWD CHANTS INDISTINCTLY]

[TENSE MUSIC BUILDS]

[WOMAN] Go, Swannies! Whoo!

[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]

[CROWD CHANTS AND CHATTERS]

[ANNOUNCEMENT] All
stations to Central.

Please remain behind the yellow line.

[TENSE MUSIC]

Blanket all airports. Domestic,
international, freight.

Overseas passenger terminals,

boat hire companies full pipe.

Do you really think that Ms. Niemus

is gonna try and flee the country?

Surely she'd know there's
gonna be an alert out for her.

Which 'her'?

Upload them all for facial rec.

- She's gotta be here somewhere.
- On it.

Hard at work, huh, Cooper?

You're up when I get back.

Yes, sir.

Can't wait.

[DOOR LOCK BEEPS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

What are you doing in here?

Just... getting my head straight.

[SNORTS] Good luck with that.

So you bring Carter up to speed?

More or less.

You know, didn't wanna
overwhelm him with details.

Details such as...

Such as dead Yaroslav.

And I didn't get to the part about

JD using Yaroslav's phone
to call Rankin either

or that he had a heart
attack as a result.

Told him everything else, though.

Okay.

Mackey didn't tell him

and she's gotta have her reasons.

I'm not about to drop
a dime on her, Evie.

- Snitches end up in ditches.
- With stitches.

Exactly.

I totally suck at
this boss, thing, huh?

I mean, you withheld intel from
your superior and you flat-out

lied about issues of national security

on your first day in charge.

It's a solid start.

[TENSE MUSIC]

[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]

[MACKEY] Thought we
agreed to meet out front.

- [RESPIRATOR HISSES]
- [HEART MONITOR BEEPS]

Be simple, huh?

Accidentally knock the plug
out and just walk away.

Must happen from time to time.

I guess.

Thing is you'd never get the answers

to the questions swirling
around that head of yours.

Maybe I'm okay with that.

Others, maybe.

Not you.

Helluva day, huh?

You were only pretending
you were gonna k*ll him

so I'd hug you, right?

That obvious, was it?

[WOMAN] Sorry I'm late.

I'm Dr. Jacobs, David's cardiologist.

Yes, of course. We spoke on the phone.

I'm Jenna, David's niece.

This is my husband, Ward.

We came as soon as we heard.

I... we weren't expecting to
find Uncle Dave like this.

He's gonna be okay, right?

Your uncle's in an induced coma.

It was the only way to
safely remove the pacemaker.

But he'll regain consciousness
at some point, right?

I mean, he's not gonna
be like that forever?

Your uncle was without
oxygen flow to the brain

for several minutes.

In reality, if he does come back,

he may not be the man you knew.

What exactly does this do?

It's an implanted
cardioverter defibrillator,

designed to punch the
heart back into rhythm

in the event of tachycardia.

And I'm guessing it didn't work?

[DR. JACOBS] Not exactly.

It paced your uncle's heart

back to almost 200 beats per minute,

leading to a near-catastrophic
cardiac arrest.

So he had a heart attack,

and then his pacemaker
failed and made it worse?

It's possible that the
pacemaker didn't fail

after your uncle's heart attack.

Its... its failure may have
caused the heart attack.

How often does that happen?

[SIGHS] Almost unheard of.

Even when we've had issues in
the past, it's almost always

a glitch with the third-party
monitoring service

that tracks the device 24/7.

[JD] Couple things.

Firstly, you might
wanna give me a heads-up

next time we get hitched.

[MACKEY] First thing
that came to mind.

And can we talk about 'Ward'?

I mean, really? Do I
look like a Ward to you?

What's wrong with Ward?
It's a good, strong name.

Yeah, for a 1950s TV dad!

Fine. Next time we get married,
you can pick your own name.

Now, can we get back to the fact

that someone hacked
Rankin's pacemaker?

What are you thinking?

There's a company with remote access.

All you gotta do is hack them

and you can turn him off
with a click of your fingers.

Okay, why would anyone wanna do that?

Maybe he'd become an
unnecessary complication.

Knew stuff they didn't want
him sharing. I don't know.

Okay, you'd have to know
that he had a pacemaker first.

You'd have to know the exact device.

Who has that kind of information?

He works for the DOD. Why
don't we start there... Ward?

Call me old-fashioned,
but isn't it normal

for an agenda to have
more than one item?

I don't know. First day in
the big chair, remember?

But what I do know is that
if we don't find her ASAP,

it could also be our last.

So let's go. No such
thing as a bad idea.

[DOC ROY] Hmm.

- [BLUE] I, uh...
- Doc. The floor is yours.

I was just wondering whether

now would be a good
time to discuss a raise.

- I'm serious.
- So am I.

Y'all think I wanted to be boss?

Hell, no! But here we are.

So is it too much for me to
ask for a little respect?

- I think it probably is, mate.
- [FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]

Sorry I'm late.

My interview with the
real boss ran long.

- How'd it go?
- Yeah, fine.

He just wanted to know how we
could have screwed up so badly.

I told him it was all your fault.

Who wants to start, now? For real.

I have good news.

Um, I was able to
track down Doc's van.

Turns out Niemus left the swap site

and drove to Wollongong Central.

Way to go, Blue. Good initiative.

In less good news, um,

they don't have CCTV
in the parking station

and we owe $235 in parking fees.

Great. What about Rankin's phone?

Burner, bought with cash,

only had Yaroslav's number on it.

So in terms of tracking down Niemus,

we got nothin' but our...

...dead Russian friend here.

And he ain't telling us squat.

[GASPS] Cool beans!

Sure, if you get off on QR codes.

It's a biowearable, obviously.

Huh?

A tech tatt? You...

Seriously, guys. Where have you been?

See?

It's a, um, digital device

that runs off the body's
electrical system.

It's embedded under the skin

with a near field communication chip.

Obviously. What's it for?

Data storage, mainly.

See, you can lose your phone,

but you have to try
really hard to lose this.

I've got hard data in me 24/7, baby.

I'm not even going there.

Isn't the problem old
mate is out of juice

so the tech died when he did?

Not true. See, the tattoo,
it's like a thumb drive.

So you don't need power
to store the information,

just to retrieve it.

In which case, we
have no other option.

We'll just have to stick
a probe up his butt

and Frankenstein him back to life.

- [DESHAWN LAUGHS]
- [DOC ROY CHUCKLES]

- No way.
- Why not?

Because it's my first day!

And that is not a first-day
boss type of move!

Says who? Come on!

Show everyone what
sort of leader you are.

Yeah! The type that goes to prison

for reanimating dead people.

Come on, Doc. Tell
her it's impossible.

Controversial. Deeply unethical.

But, uh, impossible?

[CHUCKLES] I don't think so.

Ohh!

[KEY TURNS IN LOCK]

[JD WHISTLES]

[SCOFFS] How much do you make again?

You're like some bougie serial k*ller.

[MACKEY GRUNTS] It's not
a crime scene... yet.

So stop snooping and plant your a*s.

- [JD CLEARS THROAT]
- Here.

Finish that, then go
home, be with your family.

- Oh, yeah.
- [BEER FIZZES]

Just sit back and wait
for it to happen again?

- [SIGHS]
- [BEER FIZZES]

Yaroslav had a bag over my son's head.

He was gonna sh**t him.

[MELANCHOLY MUSIC]

And the people who paid
for it are still out there.

So, uh, it's not gonna
end till I end it.

Besides, I haven't
been home in months.

I've been camping out
in a mate's garage

until things worked
themself out with Bec.

- A mate's garage, huh?
- Mm-hm.

Hmm, and you're criticizing my setup?

You're thinking about

my pacemaker hack theory, aren't you?

No, no, no. No.

Yeah, you are.

And you're wishing there
was some way to prove it.

- Wait, wait. No, no, no. Mackey.
- Why not?

'Cause it's 9:30 and they've
probably left for the day.

They're not meant to talk to us.

So it's time for the
loyalty test, then.

[LINE RINGS]

Hey, boss. Wassup?

JD wanted to see if you'd pick up.

- No, I didn't.
- What are y'all doing?

Oh, you know... paperwork.

[MACKEY] Any closer
to reeling in Niemus?

- Workin' on it.
- How 'bout Rankin?

We just paid him a hospital visit.

- [EVIE] And?
- And Doc was right.

His pacemaker wasn't
doing him any favors.

We think the device was hacked.

And once we figure out what
the device is, then we can...

Scratch that. We know
what the device is.

[DESHAWN] How's that?

'Cause Mackey stole
it from the hospital.

Ooh! Way to go, real boss.

[MACKEY] Blue, I need you to shake out

Rankin's medical file
from Walter Reed.

Think you can do that without
leaving too many fingerprints?

Is the bear a Catholic?

Hey, turn your video on so we
can take see the pacemaker.

No can do.

We're at... the library.

Then why aren't you whispering?

[WHISPERS] Call us when
you have Rankin's file.

[EVIE CHUCKLES]

[JD SIGHS]

They're never gonna
find Niemus, you know.

Don't say that.

We catch a lucky break -
maybe she makes a mistake...

No. People like that
don't make mistakes.

You get one shot at someone
like that and we took ours.

Well, in that case...

...it was fun while it lasted, mate.

[JD CHUCKLES]

Good luck crop-dusting from a chopper.

Mmm, right back at ya, teach.

- [PHONE BUZZES]
- [MACKEY] Mm.

- [PHONE CONTINUES BUZZING]
- [MACKEY SIGHS]

Oh, it's the States.
I'll... I'll call back.

Nah, you can take it.

Just... pretend I'm not even here.

[PHONE CONTINUES BUZZING]

Hey.

Just wrapping up for the day.

Kinda crappy, I can't lie.

Yeah, I'll explain later.

No, no. I'll be fine.

Okay.

I love you too, baby.

[CLEARS THROAT]

You told me to pretend
like you weren't here.

Well, I didn't know you
had a partner back home.

I don't.

That was my son.

Okay, your son. Right.

How old is he?

Almost 18 now.

Senior year at high school.

Wow! Um...

[MACKEY] I was 17.

Also a senior at high school.

Crazy, huh?

[JD] That must've been... a lot.

Yeah.

Making real-life decisions

without any real-life experience?

I would not recommend it.

Figured I'd totally
screwed up both our lives.

You know, living cliché.

Broke-a*s teenage mom

trying to raise a kid
in small-town America.

But that is not how
it turned out for us.

- Trey lives with my mom.
- Mm-hm.

We talk most nights, he
visits during holidays.

He's k*lling school.

He's varsity point guard.

He's the best thing
in my entire universe.

Best mistake I ever made.

[EVIE] A conifer?

Seriously?

[GLOVES SNAP]

What? It's a shield against evil
spirits that might be released.

I don't wanna take any chances.

I wonder about you sometimes.

- [DOC ROY] There you go.
- [SOFTWARE BLEEPS]

[DESHAWN] What is that thing?

[DOC ROY] That is a magnetic resonance

electrical impedance
tomography machine

and it's used to measure

the electrical conductivity
in skin tissue.

And that?

That's a car battery.
These are jumper leads.

- [EVIE] Oh!
- Hey! Now, uh, Blue.

Please connect those

and soon his hard data will be yours.

Are we sure about doing
this? I just... [SIGHS]

I feel like we're crossing
some kind of spiritual Rubicon.

[DOC ROY] Bluebird, relax.

I've spent an entire career on
the margins of life and death.

Grab your conifer.

There is really nothing
to fear here, okay?

Besides, I'm being ordered
to do it by our new boss.

Listen, we need to find Niemus

and Yaroslav was one of the last
people to see her, all right?

That's a legit avenue of inquiry.

So in the absence of a better lead...

[SIGHS]

- Light him up, Doc.
- I thought you'd never ask.

Stand back. On the count of three.

- One, two and three.
- [MACHINE BUZZES]

- [DOC ROY] Ooh! Ooh, ooh.
- [EVIE] Eugh!

[MACHINE BUZZES SOFTLY]

Well, I won't lie to you.
I was hoping for more.

[CORPSE GURGLES SOFTLY]

[CORPSE FARTS]

[EVIE] Please tell
me that's you... Doc?

- [DESHAWN] Mmm.
- [DOC ROY] Yeah.

There's life in the old fella yet.

- Yes! Here we go. Come on!
- [EVIE] Oh!

He's got a charge!
Blue, let's go! Come on!

- [SOFTWARE BLEEPS]
- [BLUE] Uh...

[CARTER] What the
hell's going on here?

Who in God's name is that?

Uh... That's, um...

...Yaroslav Utkin, sir.

He's a dead Russian assassin.

[DOC ROY CLICKS TONGUE]

Then JD called the only number
in Yaroslav's contact list.

[CARTER] Who turned out
to be Colonel Rankin?

[DESHAWN] Who then had a
heart attack and almost died.

[CARTER] I see.

And you chose not tell
me this because...?

Because I didn't want
to compromise you, sir.

If you didn't know, you
couldn't be held accountable.

You thought that was
your call to make?

You told me to find Niemus
or risk losing my team.

If those are the stakes, I
gotta do what I gotta do.

- [FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]
- [EVIE] Sorry to interrupt.

You might wanna see this, boss.

And boss's boss.

[SOFTWARE BLEEPS]

[CARTER] What am I looking at?

This is what was stored
on Yaroslav's tech tattoo.

- Do we know what it means?
- I do!

Okay, so at first I
thought it was a haiku,

but then I realized that it has

more than 17 phonetic
units, obviously.

So then I thought it
might be the answers

to the 'New York Times'
Connections word game.

- Does anyone play that?
- No.

It's great for neuroplasticity,
especially in old age.

Um, and then I worked
out it's a seed phrase.

A what?

It's a series of random words

that allowed Mr. Yaroslav
to access this.

[DESHAWN] What is that,
his crypto wallet?

Affirmative.

Giving us a window into all payments

into and out of his account.

Jobs that he's done. It's
like his professional ledger.

That's what I'm talkin'
about! Boom! Come on!

And I'd bet my electric
scooter that based on the date,

that is his payment
for abducting Jack.

Which means that sequence of numbers,

that represents who
ordered the kidnapping.

It's like Yaroslav's boss.

The beauty of the blockchain is that

it's somehow able to embrace

anonymity and transparency
at the same time.

So meanwhile, you know,

we're not able to see who is
behind that series of numbers

but we are able to see what goes
into and out of the account.

And both of these line up
with Niemus's known actions.

The attempted theft
of the nuclear tech

from the USS 'Navajo'

and the crashing of
the GaiaMetric launch.

So this number paid both
Yaroslav and Niemus?

It's gotta be Rankin, right?

That is what we thought!
And then we noticed this.

That is a payment going into
Ms. Niemus's crypto account

an hour ago, while Rankin's in a coma.

So Niemus has another job.

And whoever paid Yaroslav and Niemus,

it's not Richard Rankin.

Then who the hell is it?

- [SHIP'S HORN BLARES]
- [SEABIRDS SQUAWK]

[RAPID TYPING ON KEYBOARD]

[JD] How long have I been out?

A... few hours.

Figured you could do
with the shut-eye.

I gotta go.

Yeah, hey, um, before
you go, I... about...

- Oh, in the cone, compadre.
- Thanks.

Would you have told me about him

if it didn't look like we'd
hit the end of the road?

I don't know.

Uh... at some point, maybe.

Hmm.

You know what? Prob... probably not.

Then I'm glad we're done.

[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]

[PULLS HANDBRAKE]

[SIGHS]

[JD SIGHS]

[CHILLING MUSIC]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Morning, Sergeant.

What the hell are you doing here?

Come on, now. You're not a
tiny bit excited to see me?

We're done, okay? That was the deal.

After you played me so badly?

Convinced me that
Yaroslav wasn't there

to rescue me after all?

I told you, I did what I had to do.

You know the funny thing? You
were right, you cheeky bugger.

Yaroslav brought three
conifers to the swap that day.

One for you, one for your
son... and one for me.

I was never meant to
walk out of there alive.

What's that got to do with me?

Well, you see, someone paid
him to do it, didn't they?

I don't know where Rankin is.

Come on, now.

I'd think carefully before lying to

a woman with a g*n in her hand.

Rankin's either military
or intelligence or both.

But the Yanks took him
and didn't tell me where.

He was more than happy
to sacrifice your son

to protect himself think about that.

I promise to do to him what you
want so badly to do yourself.

Think of me like an
angel of vengeance.

So who's footing the bill, then?

Hmm?

Someone further up
the chain than Rankin.

So how's this? Uh...

You tell me who's pulling the strings,

and maybe I can rustle
up Rankin's whereabouts.

You're in no position to
propose a deal, Sergeant.

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice...

...and I'll be back to
pay your son a wee visit.

And if not me, others.

You've got until noon.

[GRIM MUSIC]

[SOFTWARE BLEEPS]

[INTRIGUING MUSIC]

Work it out yet?

[WHISPERS] What the
hell are you doing here?

You know you shouldn't be here!

- Carter would flip.
- [MACKEY] How are we tracking?

[SIGHS] We found out who's
paying Niemus and it's not Rankin.

Any idea what the payment's for?

If we assume the pacemaker
hack is an attempted hit,

I'd say someone's trying to
finish what they started.

Find out where it's made, who sold it

and where it was implanted.

Crack that and we crack
who's pulling the strings.

It's, um, good to have you back, boss.

Don't speak too soon.

[TENSE MUSIC]

[SAFE DIAL BEEPS]

[DOC ROY] Oh, good work accessing

Rankin's medical file, Bluebird.

- Very good.
- [BLUE] Thanks.

Anything out of the ordinary?

[DOC ROY] Uh, well,
reasons I didn't like him.

He's fit as a trout
and strong as an ox.

No heart complaint history,

low cholesterol, low
blood pressure, um...

Hmm.

There's this.

Boss, down here, please!

Um, as of Rankin's last
six-monthly DOD checkup,

no pacemaker.

- So when was it implanted?
- No idea.

- And by whom?
- And why, if he wasn't sick?

Maybe it's leverage?

- For what?
- I don't know.

Get Rankin to play nice
and do as he's told?

That doesn't explain why
they chose that exact moment

to try and turn him off.

No, but this might.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[SOFTLY] It's a listening device.

Rankin had a listening device
inside of his pacemaker.

Come again?

Rankin had a microphone
implanted inside of him.

Explains that, I guess.

Rankin wanted to tell us
something before he collapsed,

but didn't want to alert
whoever was listening.

- [TENSE MUSIC]
- [PATRONS CHATTER NEARBY]

[LINE RINGS]

[NIEMUS] Sergeant.

St. Christopher's Hospital. Room 213.

[MACKEY] Bit early for a
heart starter, isn't it?

All good?

What's so important you
couldn't do it over the phone?

The listening device
in Rankin's pacemaker.

Someone was monitoring
him the entire time.

What's that tell you?

Tells me everything we
thought about him is wrong.

The attempted theft of
nuclear tech, GaiaMetric...

Jack. All of it.

All someone else.

And that "someone
else" just hired Niemus

to k*ll him once and for all.

- How do you know that?
- Because she told me.

You'd do anything for your son, right?

What have you done?

Call the others.

- We don't have a lot of time.
- Why?

Because Niemus knows where Rankin is.

How the hell did she find out?

I told her.

[TENSE MUSIC BUILDS]

[ELEVATOR DINGS]

[GRIM MUSIC]

I seem to have lost a patient.

Oh, Mr. Simons? He's on his
way to the ambulance bay.

He's being moved to a
different hospital, apparently.

[TENSE MUSIC BUILDS]

[ENGINE STARTS]

- [SIREN WAILS]
- [TIRES SCREECH]

[TIRES SCREECH]

Out.

[MAN GRUNTS] Hey!

- [ENGINE ROARS]
- [SIREN WAILS]

She's closing fast.

[TIRES SCREECH]

[CAR HORN BLARES]

Getting closer.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[MACKEY] She's gaining!

g*n!

[BOTH GRUNT AND PANT]

[SEATBELT BUCKLES CLICK]

[JD GRUNTS]

[MACKEY GRUNTS]

- You okay?
- Define 'okay'.

Where is she?

- [DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- [JD] There!

- [g*n FIRES]
- [GLASS SHATTERS]

[METALLIC CLANKING]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[JD] Go!

[SIREN WAILS]

- [JD] You good?
- [MACKEY] Yeah.

[BOTH BREATHE HEAVILY]

There, there! Crowd
control. I've got Niemus.

[MACKEY] Copy that.

Back! Get back!

Move back! This way!

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

That's far enough.

- Put the g*n down, Sergeant.
- Not this time.

Come, now. I spared your
boy. Don't make me regret it.

So you got cold feet and
couldn't see it through.

Rankin got what he had
coming, you know that.

It's a good result for both of us.

You don't know what
you're talking about.

- Of course I do.
- [SIRENS WAIL NEARBY]

Which is why you're going
to lower your weapon

and I'm going to walk
on out of your life.

Take care, Sergeant.

Give your boy a hug for me.

- [g*nsh*t]
- [NIEMUS GROANS]

[NIEMUS GRUNTS PAINFULLY]

[HEROIC MUSIC]

[NIEMUS CRIES OUT]

- [HANDCUFFS CLICK]
- [NIEMUS GROANS]

[THUNDER RUMBLES]

Rankin's family's been notified.

His wife and kids

are on a flight out
of Dulles as we speak.

- How'd they take it?
- How do you think?

I hope my being suspended

won't make things difficult
for you with the FBI.

I suspect it might
have... if I'd told them.

I didn't pick you for
such a pragmatist, sir.

The FBI are far more interested

in locking up a
national security threat

than they are with a temporary
HR issue at NCIS Sydney.

Temporary?

History is written by the
victors, Agent Mackey.

Now, I can't imagine how
Rankin's whereabouts were leaked

or how that may or may not
have flushed out Niemus.

But given the mission was
to take her into custody,

that's all anyone's gonna remember.

It was you who let Niemus know

where Rankin was holed up, right?

Why would you say that?

I'mma... I'mma take that as a yes.

All I know is that recovering Niemus

was a condition of
getting my job back,

and... I happen to like my job.

Remind me to never play
chess with you, Sarge.

[DOC ROY] You know what I mean?

It reminded me of this
fat American Marine

who was just as bad.

It wasn't so much the... the Gulf w*r.

It was a golf w*r. A mini-golf
w*r. Didn't last long.

[CARTER] Can I have
your attention, please?

I just received an email
from Director Vance,

congratulating all of you
on an outstanding result.

It's not every day we collar

someone on the Interpol Red List.

[DOC ROY] Yay! There you go!

- Huzzah!
- AFP have also been in touch.

And they're thrilled to have
played a pivotal role in

apprehending an internationally
sought-after fugitive.

[DOC ROY] Hey! Well done, you.

But I'm afraid I have
some more sobering news.

I've completed my interviews

regarding Niemus's
escape from custody.

And the findings are conclusive.

Heads are gonna roll, big-time,

which is why I need to know

who is ultimately
responsible for losing her.

I am, sir.

I am.

Yep, that would be me.

You're looking at him, mate.

[WARM MUSIC]

[SOMBER MUSIC]

[CARTER] The doctors
removed the sedation

but he's not responding.

He's swapped an induced
coma for a natural one.

- [RESPIRATOR HISSES]
- [HEART MONITOR BEEPS]

[CARTER] At least for now,
no one knows he's alive.

They can't guarantee he
comes back at this point.

He better.

He's the only one who can put a name

to the son of a b*tch behind all this.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[THEME MUSIC]