NCIS s22e19 Episode Script

1
Look, I'm telling you guys,
Deputy Director Laroche is dirty.
No, McGee, we got your back, man,
but it's just becoming an obsession.
Nocturne.
I don't know what that means.
Oh, I think you do.
That sounds like a threat.
It's a warning. I'm coming for you.
You're playing with fire, Agent McGee.
And if you're not absolutely certain
that Laroche is guilty of something,
we could all get burned.
♪
Ugh. [CLEARS THROAT]
[GROANS]
[STATIC CRACKLES]
♪
[DOOR OPENS]
Boss?
Don't look so surprised.
You knew this was coming.
[EXHALES]
LAROCHE: Agent McGee.
Working late.
Big case?
Oh, you could say that.
Right. Well
I hope you catch whoever you're after.
[TYPING]
♪
TORRES: Poor McGee.
The basement dream can, uh,
really mess with your head.
So that's a thing?
Have you had one?
Everyone's had one.
Really?
So Gibbs also wrote your name on a boat?
He handed me a virgin piña colada
and told me to stop slouching.
What do you think that means?
No idea. I never slouch.
Well, thankfully, McGee's subconscious
is less complicated.
Getting shot by Laroche?
Classic fear-of-failure nightmare.
Yeah, but why was he dressed like Gibbs?
Mm. Dream Interpretation 101:
clothes represent identity,
McGee holds himself
to impossible standards,
he wants to live up to Gibbs,
but he's afraid that he made a mistake.
Well, that's deep.
It's ridiculous.
The only mistake I made was
telling you two about my dream.
We're trying to help.
You know, I took a class
on Freud in college.
Dreaming of boats can also
symbolize growth and progress.
I wish.
No, I've spent the last week
dissecting Laroche's entire life.
So far, nothing to show he's a Founder.
A what?
It's a Founder,
it's from Star Trek, it's a
evil shape-shifter
that infiltrates government.
Mm, well, that makes sense.
He is a political chameleon.
And even with that DOJ file from Vance,
I still can't find any connection
between Laroche and the Nexus cartel.
Except the hit they put on him.
Ever since, he's had full-time security,
which means he's had
to keep a low profile.
Yeah, no more shape-shifting.
Yeah, no more leads.
[CLATTERING]
[SIGHS]
Maybe you should take a break.
I'm fine, okay?
I forgot my retainers.
- McGee is not fine.
- Mm.
And since when does he have retainers?
Uh, probably since middle
school, like the rest of us.
Oh, not me. I'm au naturel.
Never even had a cavity.
Unbelievable.
Yeah, that's what the dentist said.
This is a 10-70 from HR.
They want me to change
my marital status.
Change it to what?
Married.
Well, congrats. Who's the lucky guy?
You, apparently.
The system seems to think
that our undercover wedding was real.
That was months ago.
You did keep the ring.
Okay, this is obviously a glitch
that needs to be fixed immediately.
PARKER: It can wait.
Grab your gear.
Where, uh, where are we headed?
We're headed
to a vehicle fire in Buckley.
You're headed home to get some rest.
That's three all-nighters in a row.
What? I'm fine. It's not a problem.
I'm sending you home
before it becomes a problem.
I can do my job, Gibbs.
That came out wrong.
Freud would disagree.
You're busting your ass, Tim.
We got your back. Go home.
[CLEARS THROAT]
No, no, no, everything,
everything is okay, honey.
No, I just, uh just taking
the day off, you know?
I thought I'd spend a little
time with you and the kids.
DELILAH [OVER PHONE]:
Parker sent you home, didn't he?
Um, have you eaten yet?
'Cause I can, I can grab us lunch.
Ooh, sounds great.
What are you thinking?
Uh, pizza ooh, Thai. Thai.
No security detail.
What was that, babe?
Oh, uh
I'm just saying
Thai sounds great, you know?
Tim? Tim, you still there?
[CAR DOOR CLOSES, ENGINE STARTS]
Yeah, honey,
I just remembered something,
so I'm gonna be a little late
- coming home for lunch.
- [TIRES SCREECH]
Uh, love you.
[TIRES SCREECH]
TORRES: What am I looking at?
KNIGHT: Uh, I think it's
a cartoon balloon.
Truck's full of party supplies,
registered to a Buddy's Birthday Barn.
- Mm. Somebody crashed the party.
- [CHUCKLES]
MPD said that the driver
was missing when they got here.
Probably bolted after the fireworks.
Well, can't blame them. Whoever did this
- really hates birthdays.
- Mm. Yep.
No witnesses.
Passing driver saw the aftermath,
called the police.
Well, why would the police call us?
This is not our crime scene.
Has our name on it.
First responders found it in the bushes,
figured it was above their pay grade.
Uh, no barrel, no ammo?
No.
Whatever this thing shoots,
it's invisible.
Some kind of training weapon?
Well, whatever it is, we have to
figure out what it's doing here.
You two take the truck.
[PHONE CHIMES]
Is that Barbara from Accounting?
Yeah.
- She found the glitch.
- Great.
Why does the system think we're married?
Oh.
'Cause we are.
I mean, how does
the District of Columbia
have a certified marriage
license with our names on it?
Well, like you said, a glitch?
Well, it's a pretty big one.
We were undercover.
Well, I said I wanted the op
to feel real.
Someone clearly took it
to the next level.
Actually, I'm-I'm a little impressed.
That still doesn't explain
how any of this happened.
Okay, well, it happened.
For better or worse.
Well, it's for worse, Torres,
because now we need an annulment,
which means paperwork and-and hearings.
Yeah, with judges. Who will laugh at us.
Yeah.
We can handle it.
In the middle of a case?
One problem at a time.
Like, first one, why did somebody
turn this party truck into a piñata?
Okay, so
most of these rounds
came straight through,
except for right here.
Something blocked the bullets here.
Yeah.
Something, something solid.
Look at this.
It's a track.
This slides.
[GRUNTS] Oh, yeah.
Hidden vault.
Maybe this is what our shooter
was looking for.
Well, I guess they found it.
[LAUGHS]
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
What are you doing?
[ENGINE STARTS IN DISTANCE]
You switched cars.
Well, where are you going?
KNIGHT: Okay.
Any time now, Kase,
'cause My thumbs are cramping.
Slow your roll, Maverick.
I'm calibrating.
Don't want to take out
the whole building.
Wh uh, tell me
you're not about to blow up
government property.
Hey, relax.
It's science.
That's what Oppenheimer said.
KASIE: Uh-huh.
Suck photons.
Yeah, baby.
That's it?
[IMITATING SCARFACE]:
Say hello to my little friend.
[REGULAR VOICE]:
Military-grade signal jammer.
Kills all remote signals: radio, cell,
GPS, you name it.
Designed to take down
drones in war zones.
Or the local balloon guy?
Yeah, the jammer kept the driver
from calling for help.
More importantly,
it blocked the vault's
silent alarm, 'cause the birthday truck
was wired.
Yeah, whoever planned the robbery
knew what they were doing.
Mm-hmm. They had access
to classified military tech,
because that baby ain't street-legal.
We know where it came from?
I have a call in to Naval Air
Systems Command.
They handle all drone tech.
In the meantime,
I ran our vault-on-wheels.
The registration? Forged.
Buddy's Birthday Barn? Doesn't exist.
No records, no permits.
No wonder the driver ran.
Yeah, they were hauling
a lot more than party favors.
I found this behind a box of clown wigs.
Looks like our birthday
bandit may have dropped it.
They were moving money.
And not the clean kind.
If the vault was full of these,
someone's out a cool mil at least.
Any idea whose birthday got ruined?
No, and still don't know
who left with all the presents.
Keep digging.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Meant to say earlier,
smart move sending McGee home.
Someone did the same for me once.
Hmm. Obviously, somebody wise
beyond their years.
Did I ever say thanks?
You did.
But you haven't said
how you've been doing since.
Are you still seeing ghosts?
You really want to know?
Turns out, Lily is not a ghost.
She's real.
Do you know who she is?
How do you know her?
Still working on that part.
But she hasn't appeared lately,
and I'm sleeping like a baby, so
Well, it sounds like you had
a breakthrough with Dr. Grace.
Actually, with my dad.
I got him to open up about
my mother.
Told me things I never knew.
Do you think all this stuff with Lily
is actually about your mom?
I mean, Freud called it
unresolved grief.
Maybe you just need some closure.
Now let's just hope that McGee
can find some closure with Laroche.
[EXHALES]
[TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING IN DISTANCE]
[DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE]
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
[PHONE BUZZES]
♪
[MAN AND LAROCHE ARGUING INDISTINCTLY]
[METAL CLATTERING]
MCGEE: Federal agent! Stop!
Laroche! Stop!
Laroche!
[TRUCK HORN HONKS]
[GRUNTING]
The good news, McGee, is that
you're still in one piece.
The bad news is,
I think you have a concussion.
EMTs said you took a pretty nasty hit,
which would explain
the disorientation, the nausea
You know what? I'm fine.
the overwhelming urge
to ignore medical advice.
- Just
- Where's Laroche?
You already asked that.
I did?
Multiple times. Laroche is not here.
The guy who was driving the
truck that hit you is the one
who called 911.
He said you came flying out of nowhere.
- You got lucky.
- The driver they saw him, right?
Laroche running away?
Well, not exactly.
The driver only saw you, McGee.
After it was too late.
What were you doing out here?
I told you what I saw.
Laroche shot a man.
We need to get a warrant,
we need to put out a BOLO.
What? What's the problem?
[SIGHS] Look, Tim
you got hit pretty hard.
Maybe you just want to
You saw the body, right?
About that
MCGEE: I-I-I don't understand.
It happened right here.
You sure?
Yeah, I'm sure.
Then you see the problem.
Well, then Laroche moved the body.
He did more than that.
No prints, no drag marks.
TORRES: And no blood or shell casings.
MCGEE: Okay, I know I'm tired,
I know I hit my head,
but I also know what I saw.
Guys, you got to believe me here.
We do.
But will anyone else?
VANCE: Busy night.
The NCIS deputy director
evades his security detail,
switches cars,
and sneaks into an abandoned power plant
where he murders a man.
That's the gist.
And yet you have no proof.
We have the eyewitness testimony
of a federal agent.
No, you don't.
Agent McGee is
Compromised.
Head injury aside,
he's too close to this case.
This was never about McGee
losing the job to Laroche.
Well, that's how it looks.
I don't care about optics.
Well, that must be nice.
If we accuse our own
deputy director of murder
without a shred of physical evidence,
it doesn't just blow back on McGee.
If we do nothing, Laroche walks.
And if you go after him and you miss?
We won't miss.
Then what do you call last night?
Won't happen again.
You're damn right,
because this ends now.
Leon, if Laroche were
anyone else, you'd turn us
But he's not, Parker, which
is why we need ironclad proof.
How do we get it if we can't dig?
You don't.
Pamela.
- PAMELA: Yes, sir.
- Put in a call
to the secretary of defense.
Right away, Director.
BARBARA: I made some calls
and got the annulment paperwork started.
You'll need to sign a few statements
and update some records,
but I think we can avoid going to court.
Oh, Barbara, thank you.
You are a lifesaver.
Yeah. I owe you one, Barbara.
Well,
I'm just glad
you're still on the market.
Lets a girl dream.
Not to mention it saves me
the headache of switching
both of your benefits packages.
Hmm? Benefits?
- Plural?
- Well,
being married does have its perks.
Joint health care, tax breaks.
Technically, you'd qualify
for extra locality pay.
- Oh, uh, how
- Oh, like, uh
- how-how much?
- how-how-how much are we talking about?
Mm, roughly a 25% raise.
But you'd actually have
to stay married to-to, to-to each other.
We could try to make this work.
KNIGHT: For 25%, I would try
- chewing glass.
- Me, too.
- Temporarily.
- Yeah.
I'm not taking your name.
Well, that hurts, but I respect it.
Should I come back?
Update.
Um, I'm sorry, which case?
The robbery that suddenly
seems like small potatoes
or the murder that could potentially
take down a government mole?
The robbery. Go.
Hey, wait, what a what about Laroche?
We've been ordered to drop it.
[SIGHS]
Are we following those orders?
Probably should.
Not really worth losing your job.
Tim, you need to go home
for real this time.
No, no, no,
I know, but first,
Kasie found something on the robbery.
It turns out,
this thing doesn't just block signals,
it also logs them, including
any nearby cell activity.
Tell me the thief had a cell.
"Arliss Pinkerton"?
Well, that sounds fake.
Well, it is. It's an alias
for Crispin Shaker Jr.
Well, that sounds even worse.
Except Shaker is real.
And he's got the rap sheet to prove it.
KNIGHT: Armed car robberies,
secured cargo jobs.
Well, looks like we
found our birthday thief.
All right, let's start looking
into Shaker's known associates,
find out who's bankrolling
his jobs. Torres?
Yeah, I'll call the FBI. On it.
- McGee
- No, no, I know, I'm-I'm going home.
[SLAPS TABLE]
Agent McGee.
I just found out what happened.
I hope you're okay.
Yeah, it was a rough night.
How was yours?
You should really take it easy
for a few days.
Thanks. I'll consider that.
[SIGHS] Do I really have to go home now?
Yes.
But before you do,
make sure you see Jimmy.
Jimmy's already cleared me.
Yeah, maybe this time he can draw
some better conclusions.
JIMMY: For a guy with a concussion,
McGee had some pretty solid details.
Hey, keep it down, Van Gogh.
We're not supposed to be working
the murder mystery.
It's not a mystery.
McGee saw what he saw,
and we should do everything
we can to help.
Yes, I hear you, but right now
I am buried in our birthday bandit's
known associates, and let me tell you,
Crispin Shaker Jr.'s got
more friends than a golden retriever.
Well, I guess there is
loyalty among thieves.
Too bad none of them
connect to the robbery.
Okay, well, then this is
a waste of time.
Someone should tell Parker
to drop the robbery
and start focusing on Laroche.
Jimmy?
- You got a sec?
- Mm-hmm.
You can tell him now.
- Mm-hmm.
- Hmm.
Just to be clear, I fully support
all ongoing investigations.
Good to know.
I need a favor.
Oh, another off-the-books sketch?
I'm looking for my mom's grave.
You don't know where she's buried?
The cemetery's moved some plots
and the records are
a mess, and I figured, uh,
if anyone had connections
to the mortuary world
Oh, of-of course, yes.
- I'll make some calls.
- Thanks.
If you don't mind me asking
what made you start looking?
Closure.
I am gone for two minutes,
and I come back with a side quest.
Parker just asked me to
You realize you didn't
finish that sentence, right?
That facial hair, that looks familiar.
Didn't know that you
kept tabs on beards.
No, just this one.
So much for a waste of time.
[GULLS SQUAWKING]
[SHIP HORN BLOWS IN DISTANCE]
♪
PARKER: McGee! Hold up.
I got something you need to see.
That's him, that's the man Laroche shot.
Name is Jason Meeks.
We think he's part of the crew
that hit the birthday truck.
So the robbery
and the murder are connected?
And the common denominator is Laroche.
WARD: Excuse me?
Inspector General Regina Ward.
I need a moment, Agent McGee.
I was just headed home.
Not before I take a statement.
I already gave a statement
on the accident.
That's not why I'm here.
An official complaint
has been filed against you.
For what?
Professional misconduct.
Harassment.
Abuse of power.
You're under investigation.
Laroche.
[PHONE BUZZES]
[PHONE BUZZES]
Why wasn't I told about this?
Deputy Director Laroche filed
a formal complaint
with the IG's office.
We don't need your
permission to do our job.
And professional courtesy?
If you have any questions
about protocol,
take it up with the attorney general.
Already put a call in
to the secretary of defense.
I'll be sure to bring this up.
Good, when my investigation is complete,
we can all have a chat.
Laroche must have made quite the case.
Then again, I'm sure
his connections at DOJ helped.
This is an independent
investigation, Director.
Not a favor.
Well, that's good to hear.
I wouldn't want optics
clouding the facts.
Facts are all I deal in.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have a private interview to conduct.
I'll let you know when I'm done.
I look forward to it.
TORRES:
McGee's getting railroaded.
Mm-hmm, and we are supposed to wave
as the train runs him over.
Meanwhile, we "accidentally" get married
and we hit the jackpot.
Hmm?
Car insurance discounts.
Marriage rates.
Oh, nice.
I got 15% off of my gym membership.
See, we take advantage
of the system and we get perks.
McGee tells the truth
and gets flattened.
Yeah, that's not right.
PARKER: Then we make it right.
Stop comparing loyalty programs
and start looking into Laroche.
What do we know?
Not much.
And can prove even less.
All right, forget about proof
for a second.
What do we think about this guy?
Well, we think he's a jerk.
But we also think he's a mole
for the Nexus cartel.
Until they put a price on his head.
TORRES: Yeah, now he's in limbo.
Bad guys want him dead.
Good guys want him behind bars.
A man in that position needs
an escape plan.
And disappearing isn't cheap.
That could actually explain
his connection to the birthday heist.
He needs cash, so he hires
thieves to do his dirty work.
And if Nexus used that truck
to move their money
Laroche would have the inside scoop.
He knew exactly when
and where to hit 'em.
So, does that mean he's already
on a flight to Barbados?
Well, then we flag his passport.
Except we can't sneeze in his direction
without solid evidence.
[SIGHS] So what can we do?
Keep digging.
Like McGee's job depends on it.
I appreciate your time, Agent McGee.
Let's start simple.
Do you know why Deputy Director Laroche
filed a complaint against you?
No.
And do you have anything
against Deputy Director Laroche?
Not personally.
Professionally?
[SIGHS]
I think he's hiding something.
Something unlawful, I presume.
Any idea what that may be?
I know what you're doing.
You want me to discredit myself
with wild accusations.
I simply want the truth.
Well, my team will find the truth.
Faith in your team.
I can respect that.
But right now
it's just you and me in a room.
Here's the truth.
I haven't slept in three nights.
Okay, four actually,
if you don't count the time
I spent unconscious
after getting hit by a truck.
So let's cut the crap.
All right?
We both know what this is.
This is an independent investigation.
No. [CHUCKLES]
This is a setup.
This is a game, and Laroche is using you
as his pawn.
Is that your official statement,
Agent McGee?
Yeah. I guess it is.
In that case
my turn.
You rang?
I texted. Twice.
The second was in all caps.
Mostly because of this.
After we ID'd our birthday bandit's
burner phone, I got a warrant
for his text messages.
Messages between our two robbers.
Okay, so I will be playing
the part of Crispin Shaker Jr.
Nick, you be Jason Meeks, his partner.
Okay? Try to keep up.
[CLEARS THROAT] Here we go.
[DEEP VOICE]: "Change of plans.
No drop until he makes the trade."
"Meeting him tonight.
I will make that clear."
"He wants his cut, he pays up."
- [REGULAR VOICE]: Aw, come on, man.
- [SCOFFS]
They're talking about Laroche.
Which means Laroche doesn't
have the stolen cash yet.
"No drop until he makes the trade."
What does Laroche have to trade?
No idea.
But clearly he didn't like
the new deal terms
and negotiated with a bullet.
Can we prove it?
That part might be tricky.
[COMPUTER TRILLS]
Ooh, but this should help.
Our dead thief's phone just turned on
- in Rock Creek Park.
- On it.
Oh, perfect timing.
Oh, well, actually, uh,
Parker and I were
This concerns you both.
Since Agents Torres
and Knight decided to delay
their annulment
Temporarily.
per NCIS policy,
one of them needs to be reassigned.
Reassigned?
Reassigned to where?
Well, that's up to your superiors.
But married agents can't serve
on the same Major Case Response Team.
I'm sorry.
Insurance reasons.
Do I need to decide, or should you?
Your actions speak for themselves.
Last October, you needlessly pulled
Deputy Director Laroche's
personnel records.
No, I pulled records
because an undercover NCIS agent
had been made.
And the only one who had access
to that op was Laroche.
November and December.
You hacked the NCIS system to alert you
every time the deputy
director used his key card.
No. NCIS uses a federated access system
with government-wide credentialing.
I have clearance to pull logs
on active personnel.
Last month you entered
the deputy director's
home office without permission.
Again, no, I was a guest in his house.
I-I was simply looking for the bathroom.
Did you think the bathroom
was in his desk?
[CHUCKLES, SMACKS LIPS]
He did a really good job
hiding those cameras.
I'll take that to mean you're
out of easy explanations.
Let me offer mine.
This behavior establishes a pattern.
Accessing classified records.
Tracking a senior official.
Trespassing in his home.
Absent of just cause,
this looks like professional jealousy.
- It's not.
- Then what is it?
What am I missing?
He shot a man, okay?
Excuse me?
Last night I witnessed it.
You have proof of this?
I am willing to testify.
The man is a killer.
That changes everything.
I was going to suggest
temporary suspension,
but now I have no choice
but to recommend indefinite suspension,
pending formal charges for defamation.
[PHONE CHIRPING]
Did you hear what I said?
Laroche just scanned into
the evidence garage downstairs.
He is not supposed to be there.
He has no business being there.
And you have no business spying.
Are you serious?
Deadly.
And that is now evidence.
Hand over the phone.
All right, well
I guess it is my time
to talk to a lawyer then.
Well, I'm glad to see
that you're finally
taking this seriously, Agent McGee.
'Cause we're far from done here.
[DOOR OPENS]
Yo.
[SIGHS]
Beard.
Bullet holes.
- This is the guy Laroche shot.
- Well,
the jogger found the phone down there
and turned it on.
She see who dumped the body?
Nope.
But speaking of getting dumped
we need a divorce.
Yeah, Barbara texted.
In order to stay together,
we have to break up.
Yeah, things we do for love.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
Hold that thought, hubby.
Is that what I think it is?
Mint muncher is getting sloppy.
Figured I'd pull you in
before your agent
made this worse for himself.
Funny, I always thought
asking for a lawyer
was the smart move.
Not when it's a last resort.
Then it's purely damage control.
Agent McGee is out of moves.
You were saying?
Is this some kind of joke?
- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
- Yeah, well, we have a body.
And we have bullets
and we have Laroche's mint.
Are you really putting mints
on the same level as murder weapon?
Hey, it's a signature.
Let's make sure we have enough to prove
Laroche pulled the trigger.
On it. I'll check with Jimmy.
I'll take Kasie.
VANCE: All right, I need to know.
Right now.
Uh, Director, we just recovered
a body. We think that it's the
I'm talking about Agent McGee.
What about him?
Drop the act.
I already covered with the IG.
Told her you have no idea
about his sudden disappearance.
We don't.
Where'd he go?
That's what the IG wants to know.
McGee left the building
and no one saw a thing.
Well, maybe he got tired of waiting
for people to believe in him.
Well, he made his intentions very clear.
"Always clean up your mess."
I like that one.
Yeah, except Gibbs's rules
always come at a cost.
That should be a rule.
Leon, the body we found
is the guy Laroche shot.
You can prove that?
We're about to.
Do it fast.
Before the IG has
all of our asses in a sling.
Two gunshot wounds, close range.
Nine-millimeter rounds, high velocity.
No deviation.
TORRES: Bottom line, Jimmy.
Does it match McGee's story?
Short answer yes.
What's the long answer?
Well, that's gonna give some spoilers.
I pulled a partial print
on the victim's fingernail.
Kasie already ran it, came
back with a preliminary match.
Laroche?
Bingo.
That's good news, Jimmy.
It's evidence.
But Laroche
he's supposed to be one of us.
A leader.
An example.
More reason to get justice.
One man doesn't change
what we stand for.
Right.
And we can't undo what's been done.
It's not done.
Not until we find him.
LAROCHE: Oh, I'll be there.
And I'm bringing what you
should've cleaned up yourselves.
Hey.
I am sticking my neck out.
Thank you.
No sign of Laroche.
BOLO on his SUV?
No need to. That was Navy Yard Security.
His SUV is still parked in the lot.
Okay, so is McGee's.
Their cars are here, they're not.
- Coincidence?
- Mm, wouldn't be the first time
that McGee has followed
Laroche off the books.
Have you checked McGee's phone?
Oh, please, I have been pinging it
since he Houdini'd himself
out of the building.
According to this,
his cell is
Right here.
Aiding and abetting a fellow agent.
Imagine my surprise.
We're doing our job.
And I'm doing mine.
By shutting down this whole thing.
You may want to reconsider.
My office, please.
We've discussed this, Director.
I don't answer to you.
Then call it a professional courtesy.
PARKER: McGee was right.
This all leads back to Laroche.
VANCE: NAVAIR confirmed
how classified military tech
ended up in the wrong hands.
Disappeared from a demo
from a joint tech expo.
Only cleared personnel had access.
I'm guessing Laroche was on that list?
Last person in the room
before it vanished.
Doesn't prove he took it.
We're getting there.
A delivery van left
the site minutes later.
Registered to Arliss Pinkerton.
Alias of Crispin Shaker Jr.
- And he is?
- PARKER: A thief.
And so was his partner.
Our M.E. pulled a partial
print off the dead body.
VANCE: Laroche was
working with these thieves.
He helped them rip off
a Nexus money shipment.
And when they got greedy,
he pulled the trigger.
The murder McGee witnessed.
A partial print and Agent McGee's word.
Not exactly a slam dunk.
Let's not pretend that
your team doesn't have
a vested interest in protecting its own.
Like you're protecting Laroche?
I'm protecting the integrity
of this investigation.
I don't take people down on faith.
I need real proof that I can see.
KASIE: In that case,
feast your eyes on this.
I ran Laroche's key card.
His last scan was
in the evidence garage.
What's Laroche doing?
Stealing evidence.
PARKER: It's leverage.
He's gonna trade it
for his cut of the money.
Yes, but there's more.
On the right side of the screen.
How much you want to bet
that shadow has a goatee?
- McGee.
- That's a government-issued van with
government GPS tracker.
Inspector Ward?
What are your people
waiting for, Director?
You've got a killer to catch.
[GUN COCKS]
[BELL CLANGING]
Am I gonna need this?
Hope not.
How do I know you're
not going to shoot me
like you did my partner?
'Cause
he made the mistake of reaching.
You bring it?
It's in the van.
First
I want what I'm owed.
It's right here.
Then we have a deal?
Federal agent!
Don't.
Don't look so surprised.
You knew this was coming.
Drop your weapon.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Look at you.
Steady hands, squared stance.
Gibbs would be proud.
I read the files.
Then you know how this ends.
Gibbs pulled the trigger when he had to.
You don't have to, McGee.
Don't!
Both of you,
drop your weapons right now.
Do what he says.
This is between him and me.
Two against one.
I like our chances.
Bye-bye.
[GRUNTS]
MCGEE: Drop it.
Easy, McGee.
I just saved your life.
Drop it.
Federal agents!
Hands!
It's over, Laroche.
You okay?
[GRUNTS] I'm not sure yet.
This wasn't supposed to be like this.
Top left pocket.
Let me guess.
Banking info.
A bribe?
[SCOFFS]
This is not about money.
It never was.
It's time you know the truth.