NCIS s23e13 Episode Script
All Good Things
1
(RUNNING FOOTSTEPS)
TAGGER: Go, go, go, go. Security's
gonna roll through any minute.
TAGGER 2: Don't rush me, bro.
I'm an artist.
I need to feel it.
What is that, a duck?
- Dragon.
- Why does your dragon
look like a duck?
That's not very nice.
Everyone knows I struggle
with complex shapes.
Time's up. We got to bounce.
Who nominated you the fun police?
You rather have the real police?
You're being very hurtful today.
Trust me, we're fine.
Nobody cares about this dump.
GUARD: Freeze!
Base police!
Hands in the air.
How did you get in here?
(INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION)
Well, looks like somebody cares
about this dump after all.
♪
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
MAN (OVER RADIO): Evidence garage clear.
GUARD: Is that all you have
in your backpack?
WOMAN: Autopsy all clear.
- GUARD: All right.
- What the hell?
(INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION)
Thank you for coming in.
"Thank you"? It's my damn agency.
It was your agency, Mr. Vance.
Director Vance.
Army CID doesn't relieve my
authority for another three days.
Didn't mean to offend. My name is
I don't care.
What I do care about is that.
It's been barely a month
since CID took over operations,
and you can't even secure the building?
- Mr
- Director.
- Director, that is not why I'm here.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The world is moving
on without us. I got it.
But the one thing that I do insist on
is that this building be shown
the respect that it deserves.
- Of course, but
- But
you have no clue how
those taggers got on the base
and now you want me
to do your job for you.
I'm not here for them.
And I didn't call you in
to discuss base security.
So why am I here?
Because you're under arrest.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
Oh, glad I showered this morning.
I don't think anyone here
followed your lead.
Any idea what this
emergency meeting's about?
I think it's some kind of emergency.
That is what I love about you.
You don't miss a thing.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
TORRES: Whoa.
Did you know this many people
worked here?
Where did we get all the chairs?
(CHUCKLES) Right?
I heard from Dominic in the motor pool
that terrorists are planning on
shutting down the entire Internet.
Anybody knows what's going on here?
- MCGEE: Trying to figure it out.
- KNIGHT: It's got to be something big.
Well, Director Vance got
a priority message
from DoD last night,
but for some reason I'm blocked.
So unblock yourself.
You see I'm typing right now?
I'm trying.
Parker, what do you think?
Do you know something?
Just, just wait.
VANCE: I want to thank you all
for coming on such short notice.
I, um, wanted you to hear this in person
before you heard it
through the grapevine.
There's no easy way to say this,
so, um, I'll just say it.
Per a priority directive from DoD
NCIS is to cease all operations
by the end of the week.
We're being shut down
and folded into the Army
Criminal Investigative Division.
I know this comes as a shock to you all.
It does to me as well.
I have a lot of questions.
And I know you all have
a lot of questions.
So I would like to introduce
CID Director Wayne Rogers,
who will discuss procedures
for transferring our caseload
over to CID.
Director Rogers.
Thank you, Director Vance.
And as he just said,
I know this comes as a shock.
Well, I don't believe this.
Why do I get the feeling
that you knew something?
Probably because I, um, knew something.
Director told me last night.
TORRES: What?
Why didn't you say anything?
I guess I didn't know what to say.
Didn't quite believe it either.
MCGEE: Believe it.
Just got access to the DoD directive.
According to this,
we are all being reassigned.
Reassigned where?
That's a good question.
ROGERS: Thank you for your service
and God bless.
GUARD: Assistant's office clear.
Director's office clear.
MAN (OVER RADIO):
Command, this is One-Alpha
SUITED MAN: Thank you, gentlemen.
Well, I appreciate you letting
me be questioned in my office.
- My boss preferred it, actually.
- I imagine.
It's not every day he has the
head of a federal agency arrested.
Oh, and I'd love to know the charge.
That is how it still works, right?
You know who this man is?
VANCE: CID Agent Dolan Thompson.
He was overseeing the transfer
of some of our agents to CID.
Agents McGee and Knight, for starters.
It seems they took it upon themselves
to open an unauthorized case.
So agents using their own discretion
is now considered unruly?
This isn't just
a procedural matter, Director.
Agent Thompson was just found
face down in a ditch.
And the last people to see him alive
were your former agents.
I don't like the insinuation.
Oh, I'm not insinuating.
I think your people
colored outside the lines,
like they love to do,
and got a CID agent killed.
And I think you're covering for 'em.
You wanted to know the charge?
It's obstruction,
and if you're going to be
a stick in the mud,
we can raise that to conspiracy.
- I got nothing to hide.
- So talk.
- Is that a question?
- What do you know
about this case they were investigating?
I know it wasn't McGee
and Knight who opened it.
It was Agent Torres.
Wait, didn't Agent Torres refuse
his-his transfer to CID?
He did.
Which didn't give him a lot of options
in today's job market.
This baby's onboard AI
it's practically self-aware.
I just need it to make calls.
Oh, calls? I mean, who uses their phone
to make calls nowadays?
(LAUGHS): Am I right? I mean
VANCE: Agent Torres ended up at DEA
and was immediately put undercover.
Which suited him at first.
Becoming someone else
was right up his alley.
TORRES: Okay, well,
you can't live like a caveman anymore.
VANCE: But Torres was a lone wolf
who finally found his pack
I'm not sure if I mentioned
there's a chance
to win a trip to Alaska.
and he didn't like
running solo anymore.
And then fate intervened.
Welcome to, uh, Buzz-Mobile.
Hope you're having a buzzy day.
- Not really.
- Oh, then you came
to the right place
'cause we have a promotion
I-I don't need a new phone,
Agent Torres.
I need your help.
Do I know you?
No.
But I know you.
At least I've heard a lot about you.
From who?
And how'd you know I was here?
I saw you in here, like, two days ago.
It has to be a sign.
Of what?
Like I said
I need your help.
My name's Billy.
Billy Fuentes.
NCIS once helped my family
a long time ago.
And we need your help again.
It was obvious that NCIS represented
something pretty sacred to this man.
And his story, if I may be poetic,
touched the lone wolf's heart.
So Agent Torres decided
Please tell me we're not about to do
a "put the team
back together again" thing.
You want to hear the story or not?
So, after Mr. Fuentes left,
Agent Torres realized
that he needed to
um
put the team back together.
Starting with Agents McGee and Knight.
- (KNIGHT SIGHS)
- Agent Knight handled
her transfer much better than Torres.
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
She had already lost everything,
rose from the ashes.
And as a trained hostage negotiator
(KNIGHT SIGHS)
she's always calm under pressure.
Where's my office?
It's right there, ma'am.
You guys can't afford
door signs around here?
This place is more confusing than Lumon.
(SIGHS)
You like it?
I thought it might
remind you guys of home.
It's the view out your old window.
Really? Hadn't caught that.
That's, uh, very thoughtful,
Agent Thompson.
VANCE: Yes. In case you're wondering,
that Agent Thompson.
THOMPSON: Hey, Timmy,
maybe we could finally have
that drink tonight.
My date canceled.
Oh, that's a bummer.
At least I think she did.
She stopped responding to my
texts after I left a voicemail.
How long was the voicemail?
I don't see how that's relevant.
Yikes.
Hey, can I get back to you
about that drink?
Not if I see you first.
(LAUGHING)
Got to go.
Yeah, that evidence at NCIS
isn't gonna transfer itself.
(CHUCKLES)
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
KNIGHT: Anything good?
MCGEE: No,
but anything would be better than this.
Do you know,
if you leave me alone here
(WHISPERING): I'm gonna shoot you.
(PHONE RINGING)
It's Torres. Hoping he's having
a better time at DEA than we are.
Hey. I hope you're having
a better time at D
(TYPING)
Who?
When?
Uh, but I thought you were under
Okay, yeah.
Yeah, no, we'll meet you there.
- What'd he say?
- Uh, he says
we need to meet him
at Parker's place. Now.
PARKER: So, as it turns out,
I was the one who realized
that the Philly Phantom
was hiding in the wall
VANCE: Like Torres,
Agent Parker also refused his transfer.
After the year he had,
he needed a break.
But as a man of many hobbies,
didn't take him long
to settle on something.
And while you try to imagine
a grown man hiding in a 12-inch space,
don't forget to shake
until the metal frosts.
(ICE CLATTERING)
Mind if I steal that for a book title?
(CHUCKLES)
Okay, everyone, let's, uh,
give it a good two minutes.
- And we'll be back soon.
- (ICE CLATTERS)
Hey-ho.
This is a nice surprise.
Though, uh, I get the feeling
this isn't a social call.
We need to talk.
VANCE: It turns out that the man
that came to see Agent Torres
had a sister
sitting in a Navy brig,
accused of killing a fellow sailor.
CID already concluded she was guilty.
At least enough to close
the case, pending trial.
Mr. Fuentes didn't see it that way.
He insisted that
his sister was innocent,
and he wanted my agents to prove it.
- Why them?
- Like you said,
CID closed the case.
He was desperate.
And also, NCIS held a very
special place in his heart.
We solved his father's murder
over 20 years ago.
And when the case was closed
Can I come up?
Got a password?
Yes, sir. Semper fi.
That's a good password.
Come on up.
VANCE: In addition to
finishing the tree house
the boy's father had been building,
Gibbs also promised that NCIS
would always be there
if Billy's family ever needed us again.
And they needed us.
PARKER: So this sister
has a kid waiting at home?
- An eight-year-old boy.
- TORRES: His father died
in a car accident last year.
The mother is all he has left.
VANCE: It wasn't a long conversation.
They all agreed,
if being part of NCIS
ever stood for anything,
it meant honoring Gibbs's promise.
Regardless of what happened
to the building.
Except what really happened
is that your agents
reopened a closed case
and now a CID agent is dead.
My people had nothing to do with that.
- Oh, really?
- Really.
What if I told you
I had proof they killed him?
I know for a fact that you don't.
How would you know that?
Because they didn't kill him.
I did.
Cat got your tongue?
No.
Because I don't believe you.
But I am impressed
by how far you're willing to go
to protect your team.
- They don't need my protection.
- Oh, they do now.
You just confirmed their involvement
with Agent Thompson's death.
Why else cover for 'em?
GUARD: Clear.
You know, there are three other floors
that you could be checking.
Look, I'm not saying
Agent Thompson's death was malicious.
Your people are famous
for cutting corners.
Maybe things just got away from them?
I am willing to cut a deal.
Oh, I bet you are.
I have a dead CID agent.
I know you're still hiding something,
and I will find out what happened.
I'm sorry to disappoint you.
All that happened was,
Agent Knight was able
to sweet-talk Agent Thompson
into letting her reinterview
that accused petty officer,
albeit begrudgingly.
This is a waste of time.
I didn't kill anyone.
Is that all you got?
She rigged a missile to explode,
killed a fellow sailor.
We have her prints on the fuse.
Because I'm an Aviation Ordnanceman.
That's what I do.
Routine repairs of aircraft munitions.
Fuses and stuff?
Look, my son is waiting for me.
It has been months since I've seen him.
I-I need to get out of here.
How would you characterize your
relationship with the victim?
Airman Drake? We didn't have one.
I barely ever saw him.
Don't murders, like, need a motive?
And you had one.
Drake recently reported you
for leaving your appointed
place of duty.
You left your post?
Then tampered with ship records
to cover it up.
That's not true.
You didn't tamper with records
or you didn't leave your post?
Feel free to answer at some point.
I didn't kill anyone. Okay?
So you think she's guilty?
KNIGHT: I'm not sure.
She's definitely
hiding something, though.
Hopefully not murder.
Well, at the very least,
she left her post, and I want
to know what she was up to.
You, uh
you think you could get
ahold of those records
that she was accused of tampering with?
Well, I can, but our,
uh, weenie supervisor
Agent Thompson will know
if I try to analyze them here.
Maybe we can get them over to Kasie.
Aren't she and Jimmy still
at NCIS boxing things up?
You know what? That is a good idea.
Oh, speaking of Jimmy,
I really wish he could
take a look at that body.
Guess that would be asking too much.
No, I am way ahead of you.
(ALARM BUZZES)
I actually know this part.
McGee cut power to CID,
and they were forced
to rush all their bodies
to the nearest federal facility.
Which, as it turns out
Was NCIS.
More coloring outside the lines,
or did you approve that?
I actually didn't know
anything about it.
McGee is destined to lead,
and leaders know
when to ask for permission
and when to ask for forgiveness.
And yet something tells me
you're still holding back.
Just like that accused petty officer.
I don't know if you recall,
but I was in the middle
of supervising a shutdown
of an agency that
I gave up my life to build.
So forgive me
for not micromanaging agents
who no longer reported to me.
I had my hands full.
It was taking a lot longer than expected
to prep the evidence locker
for the transfer to CID.
All right, nothing leaves
until it's all ready to leave.
We can't break the chain of custody.
There's still hundreds of cases
working their way through
KASIE: Look at what
just came out of the void!
Curtis found it in an old storage unit.
Man, it's got to be Abby's.
(GASPS)
Look at these boots.
These boots are to die for.
VANCE: And they were
also very hard boots to fill.
Abby Sciuto had a big brain
and an even bigger heart,
and Kasie Hines stepped right in
without skipping a beat.
Suffice it to say,
I didn't know that there
was an unauthorized body
in the building until
Ms. Hines.
Yes, Director.
Or should I call you Leon
now because?
Yes, Director.
Do you know why it appears that
someone just delivered a body
when we don't have any active cases?
A body? Here?
(STAMMERS) Oh, wow.
Wow. Weird.
No, I got to go look into that.
That's crazy. That's no. Oh, my God.
Dr. Palmer.
Director Vance.
Or should I call you, uh?
Never mind.
Why are you holding a severed
foot behind your back?
- Severed what now?
- I can see the rest
of the body on the table over there.
JIMMY: Hmm.
So you can.
(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY): Uh, funny story.
Dr. Palmer told me about Billy Fuentes
and how the team felt
that they had a moral obligation
to help his family.
And Jimmy was happy to help,
even if it bent the rules.
Speaks for the dead
cares for the living.
That's exactly right.
You are aware that you've
broken more regulations
than I can count.
Uh, seven.
But-but Gibbs
Made a promise to a little boy. I heard.
- But that was a long time ago.
- And now there's another child
who's waiting for their mother
to come home.
Director, we both know what that's like.
Now, look, I-I couldn't help Victoria,
but I thought maybe
I could help out this time.
- It's not our fight, Jimmy.
- (PATS ARM)
- Not anymore.
- Says who?
Says the Secretary of Defense
and the bean counters who work for him.
Okay, so it's not cost-effective
for us to keep our lights on?
What's it gonna cost
this country if we're gone?
CID will pick up the slack.
At least that's the theory.
That theory sucks, sir.
Look, I understand that this
case represents something
bigger than itself to all of you.
But then what?
Everyone needs to accept
that it's time to let go.
It's time to move on
and trust that others
will carry the torch.
(QUIETLY): Yeah.
I heard a rumor that
you might be thinking about
going into private practice
once this shutdown is complete.
Well, the only private practice
that's given me an offer
was a gerontology group, and, uh,
that is not much different
than what I do down here, so
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
What are you going to do?
Jimmy, I don't know.
I had always hoped that I was
building something
that would outlast me.
Back to the drawing board, I guess.
Jimmy, we got a problem
Nope. Never mind.
Left a kettle boiling.
It's okay, Kasie.
He knows everything now.
No, not everything.
I just finished analyzing
those records McGee sent over
from that Navy ship.
We need to call Parker. Stat.
PARKER: Thanks, Kase.
I'm meeting, uh, Torres now.
I'll let him know.
Yeah, miss you, too.
Oh, oh, um, on a scale from one to ten,
how mad exactly was Vance?
Oh, that's practically a hug.
(GRUNTING)
TORRES: Hey, Parker.
Uh, am I interrupting something?
(GRUNTING CONTINUES)
VANCE: The DEA spent over a year
trying to bust a drug ring
operating out of that chain.
- Now!
- (GRUNTS)
VANCE: Agent Torres cracked
the case in less than a week.
(BREATHLESSLY): Oh, hey.
Hey.
I've never met a more dedicated agent.
Though if he's serious
about starting a family,
I certainly hope he finds
a better work-life balance
than I did. That was
one of my biggest regrets.
Agent Torres told you
he wants to start a family?
Do you want to hear
what Kasie found or not?
Kasie analyzed the ship's
internal cameras and was able
to confirm that Petty Officer
Hart left her post.
Okay, well, that still
doesn't make her a murderer.
Yeah, just a liar. Not a good look.
And this looks even worse.
You're welcome, by the way.
(SNICKERS)
- Okay, what am I looking at?
- Weapons inventory.
Hart didn't falsify records
to hide the fact that she left her post.
She was tampering
with the ship's inventory.
Juggling numbers to hide
ammo stocks on the books.
What happened to the real ammo?
- It disappeared.
- Are you saying
we have a weapons smuggler on our hands?
I'm saying it looks like we got played.
No, I got played.
I had a funny feeling
after McGee finally
agreed to have a drink with me
that something was up.
- You must be Agent Thompson.
- So, afterwards,
I followed him to your place
and then you to here.
- Get that off the screen.
- I think
you might want to see what we found.
I know what you found.
CID already knew about
the weapons smuggling.
- You what?
- THOMPSON: Yes.
And we kept it on the DL,
hoping to track down
Petty Officer Hart's
smuggling connections.
- Well, that makes sense.
- And you guys are gonna
screw it all up.
So if you don't back off,
I'm going to arrest
every single one of you
for interfering with
an ongoing investigation.
Back off.
And that's all I got for you.
(SOFT CHUCKLE)
Now who's the one being played?
You wanted to hear what I knew.
That's what I know.
Except you're leaving something out.
Something kind of big.
Luckily, this time
I have tape.
Security footage from the store.
That guy is a pain in the ass.
TORRES: Yeah, a pain in the ass
we're gonna have to make go away.
"Make go away."
And that's exactly
what they did, didn't they?
And you're still covering for them?
Man, you are way off base.
My people would never have
Preliminary ballistics say
that the bullets that killed
Thompson came from
standard-issue NCIS weapons.
I know for a fact one of your
former agents shot Thompson.
Cut the crap, Director.
You know it, too.
You're hurling accusations
like they're going out of style,
but you have yet to tell me why.
- Why what?
- Why the hell
would one of my people kill a CID agent?
Because they thought it would save NCIS.
And as it turns out
they weren't entirely wrong.
I don't know what game you're
playing, but I'm cashing out.
I'm done with the fishing trip.
If I'm under arrest, read me my rights
and let's get my picture taken.
All right.
You can hit the lights on your way out.
Feel free to grab yourself a mint.
Tell your men to stand down.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
I prefer to finish this at CID.
Who said I worked for CID?
I suppose it's too late to ask for ID.
And then some.
Who the hell do you work for?
Is that why you're holding out on me?
Because you thought I was CID?
What are you hiding from them?
You work for the weapons smugglers.
- Interesting theory.
- And you're trying to find out
how much my people know.
I want to know what you know.
And we're not leaving here
until you tell me.
But I know this next part, too.
Your agents were hoping
to clean up the mess they made
by solving the smuggling case for CID.
KNIGHT: The records you tampered with
involved weapons the U.S.
were transferring to Ukraine.
You pulled the weapons from inventory,
and then they were smuggled
across the border to Russia.
Is that what I did?
Yeah. But there's no way
you did it all by yourself.
I didn't do any of it.
- So who are you working with?
- No one.
Then why were you caught
leaving your post?
Who were you meeting?
Do you see the problem here?
If you don't come clean,
then we're all free to come up
with our own theories.
And CID has a very simple one.
He figured out what you were up to.
So you rigged
one of the munitions to explode
while he was repairing it.
Please, I I have a little boy.
Then talk to me.
Who were you meeting
when you left your post?
I don't know what you are talking about.
We can protect you,
if that's what you're afraid of.
With all due respect,
you aren't the people that
I would ever go to for protection.
This was a mistake.
With all due respect, you didn't
carry all those weapons
to Russia by yourself.
So who are you working with?
I think I know who our
petty officer was working with,
and you're not gonna believe it.
(WHISPERS): Shouldn't we be whispering?
Whispering?
When you hear what I found out,
you're gonna start screaming.
Hey, if you want
to keep the hand, put the keyboard back.
(EXHALES)
Did you know that the Feds
have investigated several
cases of weapons smuggling
- on Petty Officer Hart's ship?
- Sure, that was in Jess's brief.
Did you know that all of those cases
were closed by the deputy
attorney general without
- a single arrest?
- Wow, that petty officer
must have been really good
at covering her tracks.
She's not that good.
Unless she had someone
running cover for her.
Like that deputy attorney general.
Till we busted his ass
for beating his wife last year.
Claire! This is your fault!
(BOTH GRUNT)
(WOMAN GASPS)
I think that this piece of human garbage
- is part of the smuggling ring.
- (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
And when you hear why I think that,
you're gonna start screaming.
The only one doing
any screaming around here is me
- at both of you.
- Did your date end early?
You're under arrest for interfering
with an official investigation.
- Or, okay, and hear me out
- THOMPSON: Forget it.
And, yes, my date
with Agent Knight's sister ended early.
I'm on a first date, and she starts
talking about getting engaged?
Obviously, you were just
trying to get rid of me.
It's kind of par for course.
No,
that's actually pretty normal for her.
- Yeah, yeah, she's
- I didn't trust Parker and Torres
would back off, so I've been
checking up on you all.
I know McGee cut the power
at CID, and I know
you had one of our bodies
in your morgue.
So I'm arresting you and her
and McGee and Parker
And Brett Gaines while you're at it.
Who?
Former Deputy Attorney General
Brett Gaines.
Why?
'Cause we think that he was actually
working with the smuggling ring.
That was really weird.
That was really weird.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa.
Slow down, Kase, slow down.
So, Thompson didn't arrest you?
He didn't arrest them.
And-and what happened after
you told him that Gaines was in on it?
He just left?
He just left.
He probably came here
to arrest us first.
All right, you and Jimmy sit tight.
He must have pinged my cell.
I told you guys to back off.
Yeah, well, uh, the retirement
wasn't quite what
I thought it was gonna be,
- so
- You know, if you had just
told us that Petty Officer Hart
was smuggling weapons
from the beginning, we wouldn't
have gone to bat for her.
Then an innocent woman
would have gone to prison.
I'm not arresting you.
You were right.
That sailor's being set up.
MCGEE: Well,
I always knew Gaines was human scum,
- but
- How does a Beltway guy
like that get involved
in arms smuggling?
I think with the help
of another piece of scum
you arrested last year.
Reverend Pike, aka El Padre.
Aka Nexus.
These two were working together?
How did they even know each other?
They went to college together.
And looks like they stayed in touch.
All right, so Nexus
smuggled the weapons.
Gaines made sure
nobody looked too close.
Until NCIS arrested 'em both.
Yeah, now they're
setting up the petty officer
to take the fall.
Yeah, but they're both sitting in jail.
There's got to be
a third man still out there
pulling the strings.
And you know who that third man is.
How do you know that these two
went to college together?
Because I know the former deputy AG.
And I know him because
he's best friends with my boss.
The CID director?
THOMPSON: I never thought
we had enough to charge
that petty officer with murder,
but my director insisted.
- She did leave her post.
- THOMPSON: And I know why.
She was covering for a friend
who was too hungover to walk.
Your director made you bury that?
Then pressured me to close the case.
I figured he just wanted a
clean slate for the NCIS merger.
What he really wanted
was a patsy because
he's got to be in on it.
I mean, as soon as I heard the
former AG was involved, it all clicked.
Okay, so the petty officer is clean.
And your boss is dirty.
He's not just my boss.
He's my mentor. My friend.
Then you should be the one
to bring him in.
That's like telling you
to arrest Director Vance.
No.
Coming here was a mistake.
Wait, wait, wait.
Hey, Thompson, hey! Just calm down.
We got to find another way.
Well, the other way is,
we arrest your boss.
- All right, well, maybe we can
- Thompson,
- let's go back inside and
- No!
We're not doing this. We can't do this.
I won't let you do this.
(PUNCHING BAG)
We have a problem.
We got a lot of problems, Ms. Hines.
I just spoke to Parker.
Apparently, Agent Thompson took off
with some crucial case evidence
and nobody knows his whereabouts.
I think Petty Officer Hart's
life is in danger.
She was accused
of rigging an explosive device
that killed her fellow sailor.
But I found residue
on his hands that indicates
he was the one
messing with the detonator.
You think he was the one
rigging it to blow?
- Why?
- Because Hart is clearly a patsy.
And as Jack Ruby'll tell you,
it's a good idea
to shut your patsy up
before they talk too much.
Hart's lucky to be alive.
THOMPSON: For now.
If she's been targeted,
we have to assume that
her life is still in danger.
Does this mean you decided
to do the right thing?
Doesn't feel like the right thing.
But yes.
I'm going to arrest my director.
And since you're the only one
still carrying NCIS credentials,
I'd, uh, like you to be my backup.
Of course.
But we need
to secure that witness first.
You'll have to send your own people.
At this point,
I don't trust anyone at CID.
TORRES: Petty officer is secure.
Parker and McGee are heading back
to our old building
to set up a safe room.
We've got a problem.
I think the CID director
is one step ahead of us.
What do you mean?
I couldn't find any of the case
records in the ship's systems.
Why not?
They've been erased.
- When?
- Are you sure?
- Understood.
- Copy that.
BOTH: Keep me posted.
- Did you get the same call I did?
- Yeah,
- your director's cleaning house.
- All right,
we have to assume
that the evidence at CID
- has been destroyed, too.
- Which means
that the only proof left
that can tie your boss
to any of this is sitting
in NCIS's evidence locker.
If it's still there. CID has been
all over the building today,
prepping for the final move.
All right, come on, come on,
come on, let's go.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
Right here.
What exactly do we have left?
Ms. Hines would have stored
the physical samples from the body
plus her backup drive
of the tampered inventory records.
Got it.
VANCE: Whoa!
We got something else, too.
- Well, that's just peachy.
- You get out of here.
I'm gonna see if I can defuse it.
Are you crazy? We've got
the evidence. Let's go.
Yeah, that's probably a better idea.
I'll call the bomb squad.
I mean, it's not like
they're gonna get here in time, but
- What are you doing?
- There are years
of pending cases still in here.
I'm not gonna let it end this way.
This is still my agency.
You're not a bomb tech.
- You got a better idea?
- Yeah,
get the hell out of there.
You know what, I'd really appreciate it
if you would stop
Never mind.
Done.
What? That's it?
Actually, it wasn't that complicated.
(KEYPAD BEEPING)
Looked like that bomb was
thrown together last-minute.
I'm impressed.
Of course, the only person
that had access
to that evidence locker was
Me.
Sorry about that.
I liked you. I really did. But I really
need that bomb to go off.
Once your team made the connection
to the former deputy AG,
it was only a matter of time
before you followed the trail
back to my director and me.
So I played along.
Long enough to destroy any evidence left
that would hold up in court.
Freeze! Hands in the air!
My Lord! You NCIS guys are relentless.
Hands in the air or we will drop you.
You heard him. Get your hands up!
(VANCE GROANS)
Oh, please do it. Please do it,
you son of a bitch.
Please.
Call 911.
- And where's Jimmy?
- (VANCE GRUNTING SOFTLY)
All right.
Just hang on. Hang on, buddy.
- I'm not going anywhere just yet.
- (LAUGHING)
Okay.
You happy? You were right.
My people did kill Agent Thompson.
But he was dirty. It was a clean kill.
- I know.
- You know?!
Then what the hell are we doing here?!
We're here because
you're still hiding something.
I told you
You're still protecting your agents.
- From what?
- It's time
to stop wearing the suit.
Suit I-I'm wearing a hoodie,
if you didn't notice.
I'm wearing a hoodie!
Look around!
My agency's gone.
SecDef took care of that already.
But you're still holding on,
and that's the only reason we're here.
But just like you told Dr. Palmer
it's time to trust that the others
will carry the torch.
It's time to move on.
What the hell's going on here?
You were one of the best
agents I ever met.
You tell me.
I know you're not
working for the smugglers,
'cause I'd be dead by now.
You managed to get on the Navy Yard,
so you must have
some pretty big connections.
You knew what I said to Jimmy
and there's no way he ever would have
told you about that conversation.
GUARD: Clear.
And security keeps clearing this floor,
but you have your own guards
right outside this office.
So the only reason why I would
keep hearing something like that
is because
I wasn't wearing a vest, was I?
No, old friend.
You weren't.
PARKER: Call 911.
- (GRUNTING)
- All right. All right. Hang on.
Stay with me, Leon, stay with me.
- Hang on, just hang on.
- No, no, no, no, no.
(MCGEE MUTTERS)
PARKER: Hang in there.
Just hang in there. Come on!
- I'm here.
- MCGEE: You're gonna be okay.
- Hang in there, okay?
- Jimmy's here.
All right, here we go, here we go.
(WHEEZING)
- He's in V-fib.
- Shock him.
I can't. There-There's too much
- Do it!
- All right.
His shirt. His shirt.
(TEARS SHIRT)
(PADS CHARGE)
Clear.
(PADS THUMP)
JIMMY: Clear!
You okay?
Not really.
Apparently I'm
you know
dead.
You called me "old friend."
Hmm.
Who are you, really?
I'd figured if I showed
my real face too soon,
it would have given up the game.
Your real face looks a lot younger
than the last time I saw you.
One of the perks.
You been taking acting lessons, too?
Actually, I did dabble in
community theater while at university.
(CHUCKLES)
I'd hoped a familiar adversary
might make the transition
a little easier.
As much as I would like
my high school knees back,
I don't think that's gonna
quite make up for things.
And what things would that be?
I gave up most of my life
for this agency.
And, apparently, my actual life.
But for what?
NCIS is gone.
And now my children have lost
both of their parents.
So, without putting
too fine a point on it
this sucks.
Yes.
And so it goes.
Fate rarely bothers
to consult us with its plans.
However, in your case, dear boy,
I actually have good news.
That's gonna be a tall order.
As it turns out, the only reason
NCIS was shut down
is because the CID director cheated.
And he was getting worried NCIS
would put the pieces together
and uncover his smuggling plot.
So he fudged his budget numbers
and got NCIS shut down instead of him.
That son of a bitch.
But after you were killed
- Did you get what you wanted?
- your team arrested
- the CID director.
- What are you? Get off of me.
He's lucky they didn't kill him
in the process, to be honest.
Of course, all charges were dropped
against that petty officer.
And that family will never forget
what NCIS did for them.
And once your people told SecDef
about the fudged books,
he reversed the shutdown order.
In reality, things
never got quite this far.
In other words, that dreadful
duck dragon never happened.
Then what did?
Take a look.
They returned home.
They were all hurting.
Very much.
But for the moment they took the win.
Your sacrifice and, dare I say,
ill-advised and reckless bomb defusal
even inspired Parker
to come out of retirement.
You didn't give up your
life for nothing, dear boy,
you saved your agency.
Your legacy will live on.
Okay.
Okay.
And now it's time to go.
Go where?
To my assistant's office?
Not quite.
It's a little on the nose, isn't it?
(LAUGHS SOFTLY)
I have missed you, Leon.
I've missed you, too, Ducky.
Assuming I'm actually talking to you
and not just flatlining
in an ambulance somewhere.
But you
Yeah.
(CRIES SOFTLY)
♪
♪
♪
(CRIES SOFTLY)
Okay.
Okay.
JACKIE: Hey, baby.
VANCE: Hey, Jackie.
(RUNNING FOOTSTEPS)
TAGGER: Go, go, go, go. Security's
gonna roll through any minute.
TAGGER 2: Don't rush me, bro.
I'm an artist.
I need to feel it.
What is that, a duck?
- Dragon.
- Why does your dragon
look like a duck?
That's not very nice.
Everyone knows I struggle
with complex shapes.
Time's up. We got to bounce.
Who nominated you the fun police?
You rather have the real police?
You're being very hurtful today.
Trust me, we're fine.
Nobody cares about this dump.
GUARD: Freeze!
Base police!
Hands in the air.
How did you get in here?
(INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION)
Well, looks like somebody cares
about this dump after all.
♪
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
MAN (OVER RADIO): Evidence garage clear.
GUARD: Is that all you have
in your backpack?
WOMAN: Autopsy all clear.
- GUARD: All right.
- What the hell?
(INDISTINCT RADIO TRANSMISSION)
Thank you for coming in.
"Thank you"? It's my damn agency.
It was your agency, Mr. Vance.
Director Vance.
Army CID doesn't relieve my
authority for another three days.
Didn't mean to offend. My name is
I don't care.
What I do care about is that.
It's been barely a month
since CID took over operations,
and you can't even secure the building?
- Mr
- Director.
- Director, that is not why I'm here.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The world is moving
on without us. I got it.
But the one thing that I do insist on
is that this building be shown
the respect that it deserves.
- Of course, but
- But
you have no clue how
those taggers got on the base
and now you want me
to do your job for you.
I'm not here for them.
And I didn't call you in
to discuss base security.
So why am I here?
Because you're under arrest.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
Oh, glad I showered this morning.
I don't think anyone here
followed your lead.
Any idea what this
emergency meeting's about?
I think it's some kind of emergency.
That is what I love about you.
You don't miss a thing.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
TORRES: Whoa.
Did you know this many people
worked here?
Where did we get all the chairs?
(CHUCKLES) Right?
I heard from Dominic in the motor pool
that terrorists are planning on
shutting down the entire Internet.
Anybody knows what's going on here?
- MCGEE: Trying to figure it out.
- KNIGHT: It's got to be something big.
Well, Director Vance got
a priority message
from DoD last night,
but for some reason I'm blocked.
So unblock yourself.
You see I'm typing right now?
I'm trying.
Parker, what do you think?
Do you know something?
Just, just wait.
VANCE: I want to thank you all
for coming on such short notice.
I, um, wanted you to hear this in person
before you heard it
through the grapevine.
There's no easy way to say this,
so, um, I'll just say it.
Per a priority directive from DoD
NCIS is to cease all operations
by the end of the week.
We're being shut down
and folded into the Army
Criminal Investigative Division.
I know this comes as a shock to you all.
It does to me as well.
I have a lot of questions.
And I know you all have
a lot of questions.
So I would like to introduce
CID Director Wayne Rogers,
who will discuss procedures
for transferring our caseload
over to CID.
Director Rogers.
Thank you, Director Vance.
And as he just said,
I know this comes as a shock.
Well, I don't believe this.
Why do I get the feeling
that you knew something?
Probably because I, um, knew something.
Director told me last night.
TORRES: What?
Why didn't you say anything?
I guess I didn't know what to say.
Didn't quite believe it either.
MCGEE: Believe it.
Just got access to the DoD directive.
According to this,
we are all being reassigned.
Reassigned where?
That's a good question.
ROGERS: Thank you for your service
and God bless.
GUARD: Assistant's office clear.
Director's office clear.
MAN (OVER RADIO):
Command, this is One-Alpha
SUITED MAN: Thank you, gentlemen.
Well, I appreciate you letting
me be questioned in my office.
- My boss preferred it, actually.
- I imagine.
It's not every day he has the
head of a federal agency arrested.
Oh, and I'd love to know the charge.
That is how it still works, right?
You know who this man is?
VANCE: CID Agent Dolan Thompson.
He was overseeing the transfer
of some of our agents to CID.
Agents McGee and Knight, for starters.
It seems they took it upon themselves
to open an unauthorized case.
So agents using their own discretion
is now considered unruly?
This isn't just
a procedural matter, Director.
Agent Thompson was just found
face down in a ditch.
And the last people to see him alive
were your former agents.
I don't like the insinuation.
Oh, I'm not insinuating.
I think your people
colored outside the lines,
like they love to do,
and got a CID agent killed.
And I think you're covering for 'em.
You wanted to know the charge?
It's obstruction,
and if you're going to be
a stick in the mud,
we can raise that to conspiracy.
- I got nothing to hide.
- So talk.
- Is that a question?
- What do you know
about this case they were investigating?
I know it wasn't McGee
and Knight who opened it.
It was Agent Torres.
Wait, didn't Agent Torres refuse
his-his transfer to CID?
He did.
Which didn't give him a lot of options
in today's job market.
This baby's onboard AI
it's practically self-aware.
I just need it to make calls.
Oh, calls? I mean, who uses their phone
to make calls nowadays?
(LAUGHS): Am I right? I mean
VANCE: Agent Torres ended up at DEA
and was immediately put undercover.
Which suited him at first.
Becoming someone else
was right up his alley.
TORRES: Okay, well,
you can't live like a caveman anymore.
VANCE: But Torres was a lone wolf
who finally found his pack
I'm not sure if I mentioned
there's a chance
to win a trip to Alaska.
and he didn't like
running solo anymore.
And then fate intervened.
Welcome to, uh, Buzz-Mobile.
Hope you're having a buzzy day.
- Not really.
- Oh, then you came
to the right place
'cause we have a promotion
I-I don't need a new phone,
Agent Torres.
I need your help.
Do I know you?
No.
But I know you.
At least I've heard a lot about you.
From who?
And how'd you know I was here?
I saw you in here, like, two days ago.
It has to be a sign.
Of what?
Like I said
I need your help.
My name's Billy.
Billy Fuentes.
NCIS once helped my family
a long time ago.
And we need your help again.
It was obvious that NCIS represented
something pretty sacred to this man.
And his story, if I may be poetic,
touched the lone wolf's heart.
So Agent Torres decided
Please tell me we're not about to do
a "put the team
back together again" thing.
You want to hear the story or not?
So, after Mr. Fuentes left,
Agent Torres realized
that he needed to
um
put the team back together.
Starting with Agents McGee and Knight.
- (KNIGHT SIGHS)
- Agent Knight handled
her transfer much better than Torres.
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
She had already lost everything,
rose from the ashes.
And as a trained hostage negotiator
(KNIGHT SIGHS)
she's always calm under pressure.
Where's my office?
It's right there, ma'am.
You guys can't afford
door signs around here?
This place is more confusing than Lumon.
(SIGHS)
You like it?
I thought it might
remind you guys of home.
It's the view out your old window.
Really? Hadn't caught that.
That's, uh, very thoughtful,
Agent Thompson.
VANCE: Yes. In case you're wondering,
that Agent Thompson.
THOMPSON: Hey, Timmy,
maybe we could finally have
that drink tonight.
My date canceled.
Oh, that's a bummer.
At least I think she did.
She stopped responding to my
texts after I left a voicemail.
How long was the voicemail?
I don't see how that's relevant.
Yikes.
Hey, can I get back to you
about that drink?
Not if I see you first.
(LAUGHING)
Got to go.
Yeah, that evidence at NCIS
isn't gonna transfer itself.
(CHUCKLES)
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
KNIGHT: Anything good?
MCGEE: No,
but anything would be better than this.
Do you know,
if you leave me alone here
(WHISPERING): I'm gonna shoot you.
(PHONE RINGING)
It's Torres. Hoping he's having
a better time at DEA than we are.
Hey. I hope you're having
a better time at D
(TYPING)
Who?
When?
Uh, but I thought you were under
Okay, yeah.
Yeah, no, we'll meet you there.
- What'd he say?
- Uh, he says
we need to meet him
at Parker's place. Now.
PARKER: So, as it turns out,
I was the one who realized
that the Philly Phantom
was hiding in the wall
VANCE: Like Torres,
Agent Parker also refused his transfer.
After the year he had,
he needed a break.
But as a man of many hobbies,
didn't take him long
to settle on something.
And while you try to imagine
a grown man hiding in a 12-inch space,
don't forget to shake
until the metal frosts.
(ICE CLATTERING)
Mind if I steal that for a book title?
(CHUCKLES)
Okay, everyone, let's, uh,
give it a good two minutes.
- And we'll be back soon.
- (ICE CLATTERS)
Hey-ho.
This is a nice surprise.
Though, uh, I get the feeling
this isn't a social call.
We need to talk.
VANCE: It turns out that the man
that came to see Agent Torres
had a sister
sitting in a Navy brig,
accused of killing a fellow sailor.
CID already concluded she was guilty.
At least enough to close
the case, pending trial.
Mr. Fuentes didn't see it that way.
He insisted that
his sister was innocent,
and he wanted my agents to prove it.
- Why them?
- Like you said,
CID closed the case.
He was desperate.
And also, NCIS held a very
special place in his heart.
We solved his father's murder
over 20 years ago.
And when the case was closed
Can I come up?
Got a password?
Yes, sir. Semper fi.
That's a good password.
Come on up.
VANCE: In addition to
finishing the tree house
the boy's father had been building,
Gibbs also promised that NCIS
would always be there
if Billy's family ever needed us again.
And they needed us.
PARKER: So this sister
has a kid waiting at home?
- An eight-year-old boy.
- TORRES: His father died
in a car accident last year.
The mother is all he has left.
VANCE: It wasn't a long conversation.
They all agreed,
if being part of NCIS
ever stood for anything,
it meant honoring Gibbs's promise.
Regardless of what happened
to the building.
Except what really happened
is that your agents
reopened a closed case
and now a CID agent is dead.
My people had nothing to do with that.
- Oh, really?
- Really.
What if I told you
I had proof they killed him?
I know for a fact that you don't.
How would you know that?
Because they didn't kill him.
I did.
Cat got your tongue?
No.
Because I don't believe you.
But I am impressed
by how far you're willing to go
to protect your team.
- They don't need my protection.
- Oh, they do now.
You just confirmed their involvement
with Agent Thompson's death.
Why else cover for 'em?
GUARD: Clear.
You know, there are three other floors
that you could be checking.
Look, I'm not saying
Agent Thompson's death was malicious.
Your people are famous
for cutting corners.
Maybe things just got away from them?
I am willing to cut a deal.
Oh, I bet you are.
I have a dead CID agent.
I know you're still hiding something,
and I will find out what happened.
I'm sorry to disappoint you.
All that happened was,
Agent Knight was able
to sweet-talk Agent Thompson
into letting her reinterview
that accused petty officer,
albeit begrudgingly.
This is a waste of time.
I didn't kill anyone.
Is that all you got?
She rigged a missile to explode,
killed a fellow sailor.
We have her prints on the fuse.
Because I'm an Aviation Ordnanceman.
That's what I do.
Routine repairs of aircraft munitions.
Fuses and stuff?
Look, my son is waiting for me.
It has been months since I've seen him.
I-I need to get out of here.
How would you characterize your
relationship with the victim?
Airman Drake? We didn't have one.
I barely ever saw him.
Don't murders, like, need a motive?
And you had one.
Drake recently reported you
for leaving your appointed
place of duty.
You left your post?
Then tampered with ship records
to cover it up.
That's not true.
You didn't tamper with records
or you didn't leave your post?
Feel free to answer at some point.
I didn't kill anyone. Okay?
So you think she's guilty?
KNIGHT: I'm not sure.
She's definitely
hiding something, though.
Hopefully not murder.
Well, at the very least,
she left her post, and I want
to know what she was up to.
You, uh
you think you could get
ahold of those records
that she was accused of tampering with?
Well, I can, but our,
uh, weenie supervisor
Agent Thompson will know
if I try to analyze them here.
Maybe we can get them over to Kasie.
Aren't she and Jimmy still
at NCIS boxing things up?
You know what? That is a good idea.
Oh, speaking of Jimmy,
I really wish he could
take a look at that body.
Guess that would be asking too much.
No, I am way ahead of you.
(ALARM BUZZES)
I actually know this part.
McGee cut power to CID,
and they were forced
to rush all their bodies
to the nearest federal facility.
Which, as it turns out
Was NCIS.
More coloring outside the lines,
or did you approve that?
I actually didn't know
anything about it.
McGee is destined to lead,
and leaders know
when to ask for permission
and when to ask for forgiveness.
And yet something tells me
you're still holding back.
Just like that accused petty officer.
I don't know if you recall,
but I was in the middle
of supervising a shutdown
of an agency that
I gave up my life to build.
So forgive me
for not micromanaging agents
who no longer reported to me.
I had my hands full.
It was taking a lot longer than expected
to prep the evidence locker
for the transfer to CID.
All right, nothing leaves
until it's all ready to leave.
We can't break the chain of custody.
There's still hundreds of cases
working their way through
KASIE: Look at what
just came out of the void!
Curtis found it in an old storage unit.
Man, it's got to be Abby's.
(GASPS)
Look at these boots.
These boots are to die for.
VANCE: And they were
also very hard boots to fill.
Abby Sciuto had a big brain
and an even bigger heart,
and Kasie Hines stepped right in
without skipping a beat.
Suffice it to say,
I didn't know that there
was an unauthorized body
in the building until
Ms. Hines.
Yes, Director.
Or should I call you Leon
now because?
Yes, Director.
Do you know why it appears that
someone just delivered a body
when we don't have any active cases?
A body? Here?
(STAMMERS) Oh, wow.
Wow. Weird.
No, I got to go look into that.
That's crazy. That's no. Oh, my God.
Dr. Palmer.
Director Vance.
Or should I call you, uh?
Never mind.
Why are you holding a severed
foot behind your back?
- Severed what now?
- I can see the rest
of the body on the table over there.
JIMMY: Hmm.
So you can.
(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY): Uh, funny story.
Dr. Palmer told me about Billy Fuentes
and how the team felt
that they had a moral obligation
to help his family.
And Jimmy was happy to help,
even if it bent the rules.
Speaks for the dead
cares for the living.
That's exactly right.
You are aware that you've
broken more regulations
than I can count.
Uh, seven.
But-but Gibbs
Made a promise to a little boy. I heard.
- But that was a long time ago.
- And now there's another child
who's waiting for their mother
to come home.
Director, we both know what that's like.
Now, look, I-I couldn't help Victoria,
but I thought maybe
I could help out this time.
- It's not our fight, Jimmy.
- (PATS ARM)
- Not anymore.
- Says who?
Says the Secretary of Defense
and the bean counters who work for him.
Okay, so it's not cost-effective
for us to keep our lights on?
What's it gonna cost
this country if we're gone?
CID will pick up the slack.
At least that's the theory.
That theory sucks, sir.
Look, I understand that this
case represents something
bigger than itself to all of you.
But then what?
Everyone needs to accept
that it's time to let go.
It's time to move on
and trust that others
will carry the torch.
(QUIETLY): Yeah.
I heard a rumor that
you might be thinking about
going into private practice
once this shutdown is complete.
Well, the only private practice
that's given me an offer
was a gerontology group, and, uh,
that is not much different
than what I do down here, so
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
What are you going to do?
Jimmy, I don't know.
I had always hoped that I was
building something
that would outlast me.
Back to the drawing board, I guess.
Jimmy, we got a problem
Nope. Never mind.
Left a kettle boiling.
It's okay, Kasie.
He knows everything now.
No, not everything.
I just finished analyzing
those records McGee sent over
from that Navy ship.
We need to call Parker. Stat.
PARKER: Thanks, Kase.
I'm meeting, uh, Torres now.
I'll let him know.
Yeah, miss you, too.
Oh, oh, um, on a scale from one to ten,
how mad exactly was Vance?
Oh, that's practically a hug.
(GRUNTING)
TORRES: Hey, Parker.
Uh, am I interrupting something?
(GRUNTING CONTINUES)
VANCE: The DEA spent over a year
trying to bust a drug ring
operating out of that chain.
- Now!
- (GRUNTS)
VANCE: Agent Torres cracked
the case in less than a week.
(BREATHLESSLY): Oh, hey.
Hey.
I've never met a more dedicated agent.
Though if he's serious
about starting a family,
I certainly hope he finds
a better work-life balance
than I did. That was
one of my biggest regrets.
Agent Torres told you
he wants to start a family?
Do you want to hear
what Kasie found or not?
Kasie analyzed the ship's
internal cameras and was able
to confirm that Petty Officer
Hart left her post.
Okay, well, that still
doesn't make her a murderer.
Yeah, just a liar. Not a good look.
And this looks even worse.
You're welcome, by the way.
(SNICKERS)
- Okay, what am I looking at?
- Weapons inventory.
Hart didn't falsify records
to hide the fact that she left her post.
She was tampering
with the ship's inventory.
Juggling numbers to hide
ammo stocks on the books.
What happened to the real ammo?
- It disappeared.
- Are you saying
we have a weapons smuggler on our hands?
I'm saying it looks like we got played.
No, I got played.
I had a funny feeling
after McGee finally
agreed to have a drink with me
that something was up.
- You must be Agent Thompson.
- So, afterwards,
I followed him to your place
and then you to here.
- Get that off the screen.
- I think
you might want to see what we found.
I know what you found.
CID already knew about
the weapons smuggling.
- You what?
- THOMPSON: Yes.
And we kept it on the DL,
hoping to track down
Petty Officer Hart's
smuggling connections.
- Well, that makes sense.
- And you guys are gonna
screw it all up.
So if you don't back off,
I'm going to arrest
every single one of you
for interfering with
an ongoing investigation.
Back off.
And that's all I got for you.
(SOFT CHUCKLE)
Now who's the one being played?
You wanted to hear what I knew.
That's what I know.
Except you're leaving something out.
Something kind of big.
Luckily, this time
I have tape.
Security footage from the store.
That guy is a pain in the ass.
TORRES: Yeah, a pain in the ass
we're gonna have to make go away.
"Make go away."
And that's exactly
what they did, didn't they?
And you're still covering for them?
Man, you are way off base.
My people would never have
Preliminary ballistics say
that the bullets that killed
Thompson came from
standard-issue NCIS weapons.
I know for a fact one of your
former agents shot Thompson.
Cut the crap, Director.
You know it, too.
You're hurling accusations
like they're going out of style,
but you have yet to tell me why.
- Why what?
- Why the hell
would one of my people kill a CID agent?
Because they thought it would save NCIS.
And as it turns out
they weren't entirely wrong.
I don't know what game you're
playing, but I'm cashing out.
I'm done with the fishing trip.
If I'm under arrest, read me my rights
and let's get my picture taken.
All right.
You can hit the lights on your way out.
Feel free to grab yourself a mint.
Tell your men to stand down.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
I prefer to finish this at CID.
Who said I worked for CID?
I suppose it's too late to ask for ID.
And then some.
Who the hell do you work for?
Is that why you're holding out on me?
Because you thought I was CID?
What are you hiding from them?
You work for the weapons smugglers.
- Interesting theory.
- And you're trying to find out
how much my people know.
I want to know what you know.
And we're not leaving here
until you tell me.
But I know this next part, too.
Your agents were hoping
to clean up the mess they made
by solving the smuggling case for CID.
KNIGHT: The records you tampered with
involved weapons the U.S.
were transferring to Ukraine.
You pulled the weapons from inventory,
and then they were smuggled
across the border to Russia.
Is that what I did?
Yeah. But there's no way
you did it all by yourself.
I didn't do any of it.
- So who are you working with?
- No one.
Then why were you caught
leaving your post?
Who were you meeting?
Do you see the problem here?
If you don't come clean,
then we're all free to come up
with our own theories.
And CID has a very simple one.
He figured out what you were up to.
So you rigged
one of the munitions to explode
while he was repairing it.
Please, I I have a little boy.
Then talk to me.
Who were you meeting
when you left your post?
I don't know what you are talking about.
We can protect you,
if that's what you're afraid of.
With all due respect,
you aren't the people that
I would ever go to for protection.
This was a mistake.
With all due respect, you didn't
carry all those weapons
to Russia by yourself.
So who are you working with?
I think I know who our
petty officer was working with,
and you're not gonna believe it.
(WHISPERS): Shouldn't we be whispering?
Whispering?
When you hear what I found out,
you're gonna start screaming.
Hey, if you want
to keep the hand, put the keyboard back.
(EXHALES)
Did you know that the Feds
have investigated several
cases of weapons smuggling
- on Petty Officer Hart's ship?
- Sure, that was in Jess's brief.
Did you know that all of those cases
were closed by the deputy
attorney general without
- a single arrest?
- Wow, that petty officer
must have been really good
at covering her tracks.
She's not that good.
Unless she had someone
running cover for her.
Like that deputy attorney general.
Till we busted his ass
for beating his wife last year.
Claire! This is your fault!
(BOTH GRUNT)
(WOMAN GASPS)
I think that this piece of human garbage
- is part of the smuggling ring.
- (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
And when you hear why I think that,
you're gonna start screaming.
The only one doing
any screaming around here is me
- at both of you.
- Did your date end early?
You're under arrest for interfering
with an official investigation.
- Or, okay, and hear me out
- THOMPSON: Forget it.
And, yes, my date
with Agent Knight's sister ended early.
I'm on a first date, and she starts
talking about getting engaged?
Obviously, you were just
trying to get rid of me.
It's kind of par for course.
No,
that's actually pretty normal for her.
- Yeah, yeah, she's
- I didn't trust Parker and Torres
would back off, so I've been
checking up on you all.
I know McGee cut the power
at CID, and I know
you had one of our bodies
in your morgue.
So I'm arresting you and her
and McGee and Parker
And Brett Gaines while you're at it.
Who?
Former Deputy Attorney General
Brett Gaines.
Why?
'Cause we think that he was actually
working with the smuggling ring.
That was really weird.
That was really weird.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa.
Slow down, Kase, slow down.
So, Thompson didn't arrest you?
He didn't arrest them.
And-and what happened after
you told him that Gaines was in on it?
He just left?
He just left.
He probably came here
to arrest us first.
All right, you and Jimmy sit tight.
He must have pinged my cell.
I told you guys to back off.
Yeah, well, uh, the retirement
wasn't quite what
I thought it was gonna be,
- so
- You know, if you had just
told us that Petty Officer Hart
was smuggling weapons
from the beginning, we wouldn't
have gone to bat for her.
Then an innocent woman
would have gone to prison.
I'm not arresting you.
You were right.
That sailor's being set up.
MCGEE: Well,
I always knew Gaines was human scum,
- but
- How does a Beltway guy
like that get involved
in arms smuggling?
I think with the help
of another piece of scum
you arrested last year.
Reverend Pike, aka El Padre.
Aka Nexus.
These two were working together?
How did they even know each other?
They went to college together.
And looks like they stayed in touch.
All right, so Nexus
smuggled the weapons.
Gaines made sure
nobody looked too close.
Until NCIS arrested 'em both.
Yeah, now they're
setting up the petty officer
to take the fall.
Yeah, but they're both sitting in jail.
There's got to be
a third man still out there
pulling the strings.
And you know who that third man is.
How do you know that these two
went to college together?
Because I know the former deputy AG.
And I know him because
he's best friends with my boss.
The CID director?
THOMPSON: I never thought
we had enough to charge
that petty officer with murder,
but my director insisted.
- She did leave her post.
- THOMPSON: And I know why.
She was covering for a friend
who was too hungover to walk.
Your director made you bury that?
Then pressured me to close the case.
I figured he just wanted a
clean slate for the NCIS merger.
What he really wanted
was a patsy because
he's got to be in on it.
I mean, as soon as I heard the
former AG was involved, it all clicked.
Okay, so the petty officer is clean.
And your boss is dirty.
He's not just my boss.
He's my mentor. My friend.
Then you should be the one
to bring him in.
That's like telling you
to arrest Director Vance.
No.
Coming here was a mistake.
Wait, wait, wait.
Hey, Thompson, hey! Just calm down.
We got to find another way.
Well, the other way is,
we arrest your boss.
- All right, well, maybe we can
- Thompson,
- let's go back inside and
- No!
We're not doing this. We can't do this.
I won't let you do this.
(PUNCHING BAG)
We have a problem.
We got a lot of problems, Ms. Hines.
I just spoke to Parker.
Apparently, Agent Thompson took off
with some crucial case evidence
and nobody knows his whereabouts.
I think Petty Officer Hart's
life is in danger.
She was accused
of rigging an explosive device
that killed her fellow sailor.
But I found residue
on his hands that indicates
he was the one
messing with the detonator.
You think he was the one
rigging it to blow?
- Why?
- Because Hart is clearly a patsy.
And as Jack Ruby'll tell you,
it's a good idea
to shut your patsy up
before they talk too much.
Hart's lucky to be alive.
THOMPSON: For now.
If she's been targeted,
we have to assume that
her life is still in danger.
Does this mean you decided
to do the right thing?
Doesn't feel like the right thing.
But yes.
I'm going to arrest my director.
And since you're the only one
still carrying NCIS credentials,
I'd, uh, like you to be my backup.
Of course.
But we need
to secure that witness first.
You'll have to send your own people.
At this point,
I don't trust anyone at CID.
TORRES: Petty officer is secure.
Parker and McGee are heading back
to our old building
to set up a safe room.
We've got a problem.
I think the CID director
is one step ahead of us.
What do you mean?
I couldn't find any of the case
records in the ship's systems.
Why not?
They've been erased.
- When?
- Are you sure?
- Understood.
- Copy that.
BOTH: Keep me posted.
- Did you get the same call I did?
- Yeah,
- your director's cleaning house.
- All right,
we have to assume
that the evidence at CID
- has been destroyed, too.
- Which means
that the only proof left
that can tie your boss
to any of this is sitting
in NCIS's evidence locker.
If it's still there. CID has been
all over the building today,
prepping for the final move.
All right, come on, come on,
come on, let's go.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
Right here.
What exactly do we have left?
Ms. Hines would have stored
the physical samples from the body
plus her backup drive
of the tampered inventory records.
Got it.
VANCE: Whoa!
We got something else, too.
- Well, that's just peachy.
- You get out of here.
I'm gonna see if I can defuse it.
Are you crazy? We've got
the evidence. Let's go.
Yeah, that's probably a better idea.
I'll call the bomb squad.
I mean, it's not like
they're gonna get here in time, but
- What are you doing?
- There are years
of pending cases still in here.
I'm not gonna let it end this way.
This is still my agency.
You're not a bomb tech.
- You got a better idea?
- Yeah,
get the hell out of there.
You know what, I'd really appreciate it
if you would stop
Never mind.
Done.
What? That's it?
Actually, it wasn't that complicated.
(KEYPAD BEEPING)
Looked like that bomb was
thrown together last-minute.
I'm impressed.
Of course, the only person
that had access
to that evidence locker was
Me.
Sorry about that.
I liked you. I really did. But I really
need that bomb to go off.
Once your team made the connection
to the former deputy AG,
it was only a matter of time
before you followed the trail
back to my director and me.
So I played along.
Long enough to destroy any evidence left
that would hold up in court.
Freeze! Hands in the air!
My Lord! You NCIS guys are relentless.
Hands in the air or we will drop you.
You heard him. Get your hands up!
(VANCE GROANS)
Oh, please do it. Please do it,
you son of a bitch.
Please.
Call 911.
- And where's Jimmy?
- (VANCE GRUNTING SOFTLY)
All right.
Just hang on. Hang on, buddy.
- I'm not going anywhere just yet.
- (LAUGHING)
Okay.
You happy? You were right.
My people did kill Agent Thompson.
But he was dirty. It was a clean kill.
- I know.
- You know?!
Then what the hell are we doing here?!
We're here because
you're still hiding something.
I told you
You're still protecting your agents.
- From what?
- It's time
to stop wearing the suit.
Suit I-I'm wearing a hoodie,
if you didn't notice.
I'm wearing a hoodie!
Look around!
My agency's gone.
SecDef took care of that already.
But you're still holding on,
and that's the only reason we're here.
But just like you told Dr. Palmer
it's time to trust that the others
will carry the torch.
It's time to move on.
What the hell's going on here?
You were one of the best
agents I ever met.
You tell me.
I know you're not
working for the smugglers,
'cause I'd be dead by now.
You managed to get on the Navy Yard,
so you must have
some pretty big connections.
You knew what I said to Jimmy
and there's no way he ever would have
told you about that conversation.
GUARD: Clear.
And security keeps clearing this floor,
but you have your own guards
right outside this office.
So the only reason why I would
keep hearing something like that
is because
I wasn't wearing a vest, was I?
No, old friend.
You weren't.
PARKER: Call 911.
- (GRUNTING)
- All right. All right. Hang on.
Stay with me, Leon, stay with me.
- Hang on, just hang on.
- No, no, no, no, no.
(MCGEE MUTTERS)
PARKER: Hang in there.
Just hang in there. Come on!
- I'm here.
- MCGEE: You're gonna be okay.
- Hang in there, okay?
- Jimmy's here.
All right, here we go, here we go.
(WHEEZING)
- He's in V-fib.
- Shock him.
I can't. There-There's too much
- Do it!
- All right.
His shirt. His shirt.
(TEARS SHIRT)
(PADS CHARGE)
Clear.
(PADS THUMP)
JIMMY: Clear!
You okay?
Not really.
Apparently I'm
you know
dead.
You called me "old friend."
Hmm.
Who are you, really?
I'd figured if I showed
my real face too soon,
it would have given up the game.
Your real face looks a lot younger
than the last time I saw you.
One of the perks.
You been taking acting lessons, too?
Actually, I did dabble in
community theater while at university.
(CHUCKLES)
I'd hoped a familiar adversary
might make the transition
a little easier.
As much as I would like
my high school knees back,
I don't think that's gonna
quite make up for things.
And what things would that be?
I gave up most of my life
for this agency.
And, apparently, my actual life.
But for what?
NCIS is gone.
And now my children have lost
both of their parents.
So, without putting
too fine a point on it
this sucks.
Yes.
And so it goes.
Fate rarely bothers
to consult us with its plans.
However, in your case, dear boy,
I actually have good news.
That's gonna be a tall order.
As it turns out, the only reason
NCIS was shut down
is because the CID director cheated.
And he was getting worried NCIS
would put the pieces together
and uncover his smuggling plot.
So he fudged his budget numbers
and got NCIS shut down instead of him.
That son of a bitch.
But after you were killed
- Did you get what you wanted?
- your team arrested
- the CID director.
- What are you? Get off of me.
He's lucky they didn't kill him
in the process, to be honest.
Of course, all charges were dropped
against that petty officer.
And that family will never forget
what NCIS did for them.
And once your people told SecDef
about the fudged books,
he reversed the shutdown order.
In reality, things
never got quite this far.
In other words, that dreadful
duck dragon never happened.
Then what did?
Take a look.
They returned home.
They were all hurting.
Very much.
But for the moment they took the win.
Your sacrifice and, dare I say,
ill-advised and reckless bomb defusal
even inspired Parker
to come out of retirement.
You didn't give up your
life for nothing, dear boy,
you saved your agency.
Your legacy will live on.
Okay.
Okay.
And now it's time to go.
Go where?
To my assistant's office?
Not quite.
It's a little on the nose, isn't it?
(LAUGHS SOFTLY)
I have missed you, Leon.
I've missed you, too, Ducky.
Assuming I'm actually talking to you
and not just flatlining
in an ambulance somewhere.
But you
Yeah.
(CRIES SOFTLY)
♪
♪
♪
(CRIES SOFTLY)
Okay.
Okay.
JACKIE: Hey, baby.
VANCE: Hey, Jackie.