NCIS s21e07 Episode Script
A Thousand Yards
1
VANCE: Hard to
believe it's been this long.
But I still miss you so much.
Happy birthday, baby.
Kayla sends her best
from the South China Sea.
She's Agent Afloat.
[CHUCKLES]: Still single, I think.
And Jared?
[INHALES DEEPLY]
Well, uh
He's still afraid to commit.
To anything.
It's been that way since you left.
I could never understand him.
Not like you.
That goes both ways.
Jared.
Dad.
- How are you?
- Good.
- How's the internship?
- Dad.
I came to talk to her.
Well, then you're gonna have
to wait your turn,
because I wasn't finished.
Only fair.
You had Mom a lot longer than I did.
Sorry. Sorry, sorry.
That wasn't
I didn't mean it.
I think you did.
You blame me. You always have.
No. Not for Mom.
It's everything afterward I don't get.
The job, Dad.
You've already given it so much.
And yet you keep doing it.
Kayla, too. Why?
What-What's worth keeping
this family at risk?
What makes NCIS so damn special?
- You know that.
- Yeah?
- I told you.
- Ah. When?
Well, if we both can't remember,
then I guess you didn't tell me enough.
[SOFT THUNK]
[EXHALES]
Dad?
What's wrong?!
Dad! Dad!
[GASPING] It's okay.
Oh, my God.
I got you. It's okay.
Breathe.
♪
I don't see the big deal.
Just another airplane.
Dude, no, it is not. The VC-25B is
the most technologically
advanced airplane on the planet.
Look at this thing.
It looks like the old Air Force One,
McGee.
What?
Well, okay, maybe-maybe on the outside.
But let me tell you something.
Eight years and a billion dollars later,
difference on the inside is like a
Corvette built in 1975
and one built today.
Well, I'd take the '75.
Just unveiled as part of
the White House tech summit.
Yo, so, uh,
since when are you a plane guy?
Well, since I was ten years old
and I saw the VC-25A
land in my backyard
at Alameda Naval Base.
Oh, there's something kind of
romantic about Air Force One, you know?
- Well, that's weird.
- It's American history.
Not you, him.
Ooh.
Uh, Curtis, you okay?
I will be.
After three more minutes of vitamin D.
Cyber basement blues?
Working in a room with no windows
puts you in a dark place.
Even prison cells have windows.
[SCOFFS] You'd know, right?
Too soon?
Sorry if I'm a little edgier than usual.
Yeah, usually you're not edgy at all.
[SIGHS] It's because I hate lying.
I didn't come up here for sun.
I'm up here because
my annual review is next week,
and I want to expand my role at NCIS,
but in order to do that,
I need to log observation hours
outside the cyber basement.
You want to become a probie.
By stalking us?
I believe the term is shadowing?
Yeah. I understand.
Thank you. Grab your gear now.
Why? What's going on?
We didn't get a Bandium alert.
Director's been shot.
What? Is-is he okay? Where is he?
He's at Bluemont Medical.
No word on his condition.
Let's move.
Jared? Jared, you may not remember me.
I'm Agent McGee, this is Agent Parker.
Any word on your dad?
Yeah, the d
the doctor said he's in surgery.
- Um, it's touch and go.
- The man's a fighter.
One second, my dad
and I were just talking,
the next he went down. I mean
we didn't even hear a shot.
We've got agents at the scene now.
Tell 'em the bullet came
from behind my dad.
He was on the right side
of my mom's headstone
and facing due north.
I even wrote a diagram.
Just in case.
What?
Did I forget something?
The opposite.
Given the circumstances, most
people wouldn't remember their names.
Like father, like son, huh?
I don't think so.
If I seem calm, it's only because
I've already lived this
a thousand times in my head.
Hard not to
after what happened with my mom.
Yeah, I remember that night.
Then tell me you'll get
the bastard who did this.
I think NCIS owes me that.
We will.
KNIGHT: Vance was a little
more right of the headstone.
Wait, your right or my right?
Yeah, stop. Good.
The shot came, uh, from directly behind.
KNIGHT: From any one of a
dozen potential hiding spots.
According to Jared,
they never even heard the shot.
A silencer?
[PHONE RINGS]
Hey, Kase.
- Hey oh, mm.
- Hey, Jess, did you find the shooter?
We're working on it, Jimmy,
and trust us, we want to get
- this guy as bad as you.
- JIMMY: I doubt it.
Did you just spend the
last 20 minutes listening
to the doctors explain
the damage that was done
to the director's left lung
and heart ventricle?
No, but I'm hoping
that they gave you
the bullet that did it?
- They did.
- Is it traceable?
Hard to say until I get back to the lab.
But the caliber and groove
patterns are unmistakable.
Maybe a silenced handgun?
Long-range rifle, and given
this was a high-velocity round
and there was no exit wound
It came from serious distance.
I'd say at least a thousand yards.
No wonder they didn't hear the shot.
We're looking for a sniper.
TORRES: Sniper's nest.
It's a nice view from up here.
Yeah, they policed their brass.
But they left a shooting mat.
[GRUNTS]
Well, they didn't have a choice.
It's stuck to the roofing tar.
Yeah, that stuff can get everywhere.
Including the shooter's boots.
They were waiting up here.
They knew Vance was coming.
Yeah, they knew we were coming, too.
Well, I don't like the sound of that.
- What show?
- [EXPLOSION]
REPORTER: ZNN correspondents
on the scene are reporting
- three random explosions
- It's a rough day.
Yeah, and it's still early.
Anything new on Vance?
Ah, no, I'm just headed
back to the hospital now.
What about you? Any updates
on the explosions?
The news keeps calling them "random."
Yeah, nothing random about this.
Whoever shot Director Vance knew
we were on that rooftop
and waited to give us
- front row seats.
- What were the targets?
Well, the first target
was the same cemetery
that Vance was shot.
A pipe bomb in the Morrow family crypt.
Morrow, as in?
The former NCIS director.
He's buried there.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No.
- What about the second explosion?
- MCGEE: Uh, no injuries.
But that's a miracle, considering it was
a "gas leak"
at a medical office complex.
I am sensing air quotes.
Metro PD found detonator parts.
Facility have any connection to NCIS?
Detonator was found outside the
office of Dr. Rachel Cranston.
Whoa, talk about a blast from the past.
I don't get it.
Dr. Cranston's a psychologist
who worked with us here at NCIS before.
Also happens to be
the sister of my former partner.
- Kate.
- [SIGHS]
Well, I'm starting to see a pattern.
Whoever's behind these attacks
knows our history.
Not just yours, Chucky.
Fornell, what are you doing here?
- It's a good damn question.
- I'm not the one
who blew up your garage, Tobias.
Wait, your garage was the third target?
Rusty propane tank,
water heater, pilot light, kaboom.
That tank was brand-new!
KNIGHT: So, first Director Vance,
then two targets
that are related to NCIS,
so what's the connection
to a former FBI agent?
You kidding me?
I've been saving the asses
of NCIS for 20 years.
He's not wrong.
Someone's sending us a message.
Yeah. "Enjoy the show."
Problem is,
we don't know if the show's over.
So you think these attacks
could continue?
We don't know what to think yet.
So I'm calling to say watch your backs.
Any idea who NCIS pissed off?
It's a long list.
Right, well, I suggest
a shelter-in-place order
for upper-level NCIS personnel.
Yeah, I agree.
Anybody who could be considered
a high-profile target.
- SecDef is already signing the order.
- KENSI: Great.
Although we all know how Admiral
Kilbride feels about hiding.
Yeah, he prefers hunting.
Well, we all do, so let us know
how we can help.
You'd be my first call.
Unlike today?
Uh, excuse me?
The BOLO for the explosions
went out about
53 minutes ago,
and we've only been talking, for six.
KENSI: Which means either
you got a really slow start,
or we got dissed.
[CHUCKLES]: Okay.
You guys are messing with me.
Only out of love, my friend.
For you and the director.
We're all pulling for him.
Let us know about his condition.
JIMMY: The surgery
to repair your dad's lung
and ventricle was successful.
Now, the doctors had to put him on
ventilators, and a bypass machine,
but he's off now and he's stable.
- So he's gonna be okay?
- Well, he
he'll need to stay here for the
next few days, for observation,
but, uh, he should make a full recovery.
Can we see him, Doc?
Not if it's up to me.
What does that mean?
It means the director has been
medically cleared
to see visitors, but
talking is still very painful,
and he needs to avoid any topics
that might raise his heart rate.
Well, in that case, Agents Parker
and McGee should go in first.
I'll wait out here.
You sure?
JIMMY: Okay, fine.
But no shoptalk.
You promise?
We promise, Jimmy.
[DOOR OPENS]
[RASPY]: Update. Go.
[WHISPERS]: Jimmy
should've made him promise.
Relax, Leon.
We're-we're just here to say hello.
We're working on it,
but the good news is,
there's plenty of evidence
to comb through.
Yeah, from the cemetery
and all three explosions.
- [MONITORS BEEPING RAPIDLY]
- [STRAINING]: What explosion?
[GROANING]
- Uh, we should probably go.
- Wait.
Here. Read.
MCGEE: What is it?
Notes on the shooting,
including diagrams.
Like father, like son.
Next page.
"I need someone to fill in
as Acting Director."
You sure?
Director, I'm on it.
Parker.
Kayla.
We've arranged a satellite feed
from her carrier.
- She'll be calling in soon.
- Thank you.
And Jared is waiting in the hall.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
[STRAINING]: Keep reading.
You and Jared had another
argument before the shooting?
Advice.
I don't know.
Just talk to him.
I'll, uh, I'll go get him.
Agent McGee!
Agent, McGee, hold up.
Jared. Something wrong?
I just had to apologize.
- For what?
- My dad.
I just heard him pressuring
you into taking over for him.
Well, that's just temporary,
and-and he didn't pressure me.
Well, just because my dad's willing to
put his family at risk
doesn't mean you have to.
- [PHONE CHIMES]
- One second here.
Oh, my God. Been another attack.
Is it related to NCIS?
It's my apartment.
McGee! You seeing this?
- Yeah.
- PARKER: I'll drive.
You call Delilah on the way.
[PHONES CHIME]
It's another alert.
It's at my place.
[PHONES CHIMING RAPIDLY]
What's happening?
The entire agency's under attack.
No, the house is fine. I checked.
But you and the kids should
stay at your mom's just in case.
Yeah. Okay. Love you, too.
- Delilah's okay?
- [SIGHS] Yeah.
- And my place is completely untouched.
- Same here.
Every employee in the building
received a Bandium alert
saying there was
an attack on their home.
So far, all fake.
And Bandium security confirmed
their servers were hacked.
- Apparently, "the show" goes on.
- Yeah.
Except this doesn't feel
like the grand finale.
More like a preview
of coming attractions.
And we still have no idea
who's behind it all.
Maybe we can trace the hack.
Is-is Bandium giving us server access?
Well, they will now.
PARKER: Oh, let me guess.
The acting director threw
his new title around.
I had to. Bandium was only gonna
send a level 2 tech.
So who are they sending now?
Bandium's creator and CEO himself.
- Fletcher Voss is coming here?
- He's in D.C.
for a tech summit, I thought
you both would be impressed.
- I'm not.
- I am.
The man has been forced out
of every company he started
and thinks that funding
the next moon shot
is more important than paying taxes.
He's a visionary.
That's the polite way of saying
he can't code.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
- What else we got?
- Not much.
Kasie said the boot prints
from the rooftop were unusable.
And the bomb fragments
from the explosions
were all dead ends.
PARKER: What about Vance's schedule?
How did somebody find out
when and where he was gonna be?
The director could've been followed.
Or his son.
Maybe Jared saw something.
All right, I'll talk to him again.
Well, if you do,
I'd avoid mentioning his father.
Seems to be a sore subject.
Fathers and sons.
Fathers and sons.
My dad and I are super close.
Appreciate you taking time
away from the hospital.
I was actually home, about to
take a shower, when you called.
Look, I-I don't know
how else to help you.
I already told NCIS everything I know.
And unlike my father,
there's only so much
I can give this place.
I take it you still
haven't spoken to your dad
- since the shooting.
- Did he tell you that?
Is that really why I'm here,
Agent Parker?
T-To talk about my dad?
- Couldn't hurt.
- Actually,
it could literally kill him.
You heard Dr. Palmer.
If I go in that room
and I start an argument
You two need to talk.
- I agree.
- Then what's the problem?
The problem is, my dad almost
got killed and I'm exhausted.
Maybe I should just
Maybe I should just go home.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- It's late. What are they doing?
- The job.
I thought everyone at NCIS
received threats today.
- They did.
- So what are they doing here?
We all make sacrifices.
Is this supposed to make me
feel better about my dad?
- Does it?
- Not really.
But if they're all here,
then so am I.
How can I help?
Where is he?
Well, just, uh, give it time.
Fletcher Voss is a busy man.
First, he flakes
on coming here in person,
and now he flakes on a video call?
Yeah, his people said that there
was some sort of mix-up
with the Bandium schedule, I don't know.
This guy wants to go to the moon,
but he can't work his own app?
Burden of genius.
TECH: You have a signal.
- Put it through.
- Yes, sir.
Uh hello?
Can you, can you hear me?
- Am I even in the right place here?
- Is that, is that?
Is he?
Hello?
Hello? Hello, hello?
Are you, are you there?
Hello.
Hello? Am I not connected
to the Wi-Fi, or?
Mr. Voss. Hi, I am, uh
A dual major,
best-selling author,
and the current acting director,
Agent McGee.
You're Agent Knight.
Former REACT Team and daughter of
I get it. You did your homework.
Everything I read once
up here forever.
Mm, everything except your schedule.
Yeah, sorry about all the confusion.
The Secret Service moved up
my tour of Air Force One.
You were on the VC-25B?
Just before I came here.
It was a condition
of my attending
the White House tech summit.
I have been dying to see that plane.
Oh, that's so cool.
Do you have any pictures?
Nah, no, I wasn't allowed.
Oh, but you know what?
I do have these.
From me to you.
Oh, thank you.
Do these come with access
to the Bandium servers?
Because we need to trace that hack.
Our servers contain proprietary code.
We can't risk valuable IP leaking.
I mean, you understand.
Yeah, we do,
which is also why we did our homework.
KNIGHT: Turns out, Bandium has
a pending contract with the DoD
to put your app
in every single NCIS office
around the world.
MCGEE: Unless I report to SecDef
that Bandium has been uncooperative.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
Okay, yeah.
No, I'll send over the
server permissions right now.
That's embarrassing.
Um, I swear,
I just charged this thing. [CHUCKLES]
Um Uh, d-do you actually
Do you mind if I, uh
Mm. Go ahead.
The burden of genius.
Sorry.
You're good.
- Morning, Kasie.
- Mm.
Oh, he's still here?
Ah, he pulled an all-nighter
with Parker.
We get anything useful?
No. Jared worked really hard,
but, yeah, didn't remember anything new.
TORRES: Who's this?
The woman Jared has been
dating online for the past three months.
Lindsey Wexler,
a veterinary assistant
who lives in Bend, Oregon.
Wait, Bandi-Match?
Yeah, it's the new one owned by Bandium.
Jared gave me permission
to go through his phone.
- He did?
- Yeah, after he admitted
that Lindsey was the only one
he told about going to the cemetery.
Has Jared met this woman in person?
No, and I know what you're thinking.
Yeah, I'm thinking Lindsey's
a little too good to be true.
Curtis is already
digging into her background.
- What the?
- It's been happening randomly all night.
Curtis is digging into that, too.
Okay, that's not his department.
Oh, well, I think he's actually
trying to impress us.
He really wants to be a probie.
[SINGSONGY]: Special delivery.
That's one sweet tea with light ice.
And one protein oat blend.
- [CHUCKLES]
- You sent him on a coffee run?
He offered,
and he got it right.
I can also offer an update
on Ms. Wexler from Oregon.
Please tell me that Jared
isn't being catfished.
He's not. Lindsey has
an Oregon driver's license,
a better-than-average credit score,
and all of her photos
and videos are AI-free.
She's legit.
The only strike against the woman
is the fact that she's in town
and apparently didn't
tell her boyfriend.
What? Lindsey's in D.C.?
Falls Church to be exact.
Using our access to the Bandium servers,
I traced her user account
to hotel room Wi-Fi.
Why wouldn't she tell me that?
Relax, Agent Torres.
My girlfriend is not
a sniper or a terrorist.
Yeah, says the man who's never met her.
She's a soap carver and a Libra.
Lindsey's totally chill.
LINDSEY: Yeah, uh, yeah. Just a sec.
- Jared?
- Lindsey.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!
[LAUGHS]
JARED: Oh, my God.
Oh, oh, it's really you.
What, what are you doing here?
I was about to ask you the same thing.
Oh, uh, sorry, this is Agent Torres.
He's from NCIS.
Hi. [CHUCKLES]
Yeah, I know I have
some explaining to do,
but I didn't realize romantic gestures
- were a federal offense.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
Okay, come in.
Uh, water in the mini fridge.
Do you guys mind if I finish up?
- I just got out of the shower.
- TORRES: No, go ahead.
- Take your time.
- Thank you.
See? I told you.
So, romantic gesture, huh?
Yeah, yeah, I came to
D.C. to surprise you.
You know, I wanted our first time
meeting in person to be special.
[LAUGHS]: It is.
When I landed, I
I got cold feet. [LAUGHS]
I-I suddenly worried that
me showing up might be
like, like an ambush.
What are you doing?
So, you know,
I got a hotel room instead.
I hope this doesn't ruin things.
Lindsey, come out with
your hands over your head.
[WHISPERS]:
Seriously? What are you doing?
Is there a problem?
Go ahead and drop it.
Drop it.
Babe, why do you have a gun?
Because she's the one who shot your dad.
[BUSY CHATTER]
[CHATTER QUIETS]
Keep walking.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Agents in your hotel room found
bomb parts and a sniper rifle.
We know what you did.
This is your chance to tell us why.
What's your beef with NCIS?
KNIGHT: The shooting, the bombs,
the Bandium hack.
You wanted our attention.
Well, now you got it.
Good.
She finally gets a soapbox
and doesn't use it.
Doesn't make sense.
Who is this woman, really?
Lindsey Wexler really is
a veterinary assistant
from Bend, Oregon.
No priors, no connection to NCIS
that we know of.
Kasie's still digging.
You ever seen her before?
Not that I recall.
But thanks to this woman,
what was going to be my forever home
now reeks of smoke damage.
I need to find a hotel room.
Or a couch.
It's the second time
I've had to change this bulb.
I should have seen this coming.
Every time I get close to someone,
something bad happens.
I understand you're upset,
but you can't blame yourself.
Oh, I don't, I don't.
I blame this place.
Lindsey only used me to get to my father
because he's the director.
I get that you're upset.
But we have DNA and fingerprints
that prove
Lindsey is the one
that pulled that trigger
and planted those bombs.
We also have her laptop that proves
she hacked the Bandium servers.
Lindsey is at fault here,
not you and not your dad.
I guess I just want to know why.
Take a number, pal.
Stopping evil and understanding it
two very different things.
Lindsey Wexler has been
spewing NCIS hatred
anonymously online for years.
- Enough to turn violent.
- That's the kicker.
From what I can tell,
her posts didn't turn threatening
until three months ago.
That's when we Bandi-Matched.
That's also when she signed up
for shooting lessons.
Why? What changed?
She met a new message board user.
A user named GravitasMons
started feeding Lindsey
wild NCIS conspiracy theories.
Mostly about your dad.
Okay, he is definitely not
a member of the Illuminati.
[KASIE LAUGHS] Yeah, I didn't think so,
but
these files appear to be leaked intel
implicating him and NCIS
in everything from hiding bodies
to mass murder. Serious stuff.
- These documents look real.
- But they're not.
And a simple sense check would
have proved they're all faked.
But Lindsey didn't do that.
She took it at face value.
Which only fueled her rage.
And then GravitasMons goaded
her into acting on that rage.
He was gaslighting her
to attack my father and NCIS.
Which is when she found you.
So who is GravitasMons?
That is something we're still
trying to figure out.
[BEEPING]
Right after we figure out
what is going on with the power.
I know what's going on with the power.
I thought maintenance was working on it.
I worked faster. I scanned our
network code, and found a virus.
- How'd it get past cybersecurity?
- It was injected
using power-line communication.
- What?
- I'm serious.
It's a form of hacking
that uses power cables.
It's rare and only works with systems
that use digital power
regulation, like us.
But it is possible to transmit a virus
by simply plugging into a wall outlet.
Okay, Curtis, I know about
power-line communication.
Oh. Right.
The virus was designed to kill
the power system completely,
but since we're hardwired to the grid
All we got was flickering.
Compared to bullets and bombs
and server hacks,
this attack was surprisingly lame.
It's got to be connected somehow.
We just can't prove it.
There are a thousand outlets
in this building
and no way to tell which one
the virus came from.
You know what, there may be
a way to prove it.
When did the flickering first start?
- Late last night.
- After Fletcher Voss
plugged his phone in outside MTAC.
Rule 39: no such thing as a coincidence.
- We need to question him.
- [GASPS]
Can I help?
An interrogation would look
- really good on my review.
- Okay, slow down.
Curtis, we cannot prove that
the virus came from Voss.
He probably has lawyers on speed dial.
We need to get him alone.
How badly does Voss need
that new NCIS contract?
I'll be sure to send over
some more shirts and hats.
Aw, I'll give one to my sister.
[CHUCKLES] That's nice.
CURTIS:
These photos will look great
in our press release.
Thank you so much, Mr. Voss.
Hey, my thanks to NCIS
for continuing to support Bandium.
Would you like to take
a picture in here?
You know
[CHUCKLES] I feel like a picture in here
might send the wrong message.
What are you doing?
Can you delete that, please?
We'd like to ask you a few questions.
I think I should leave.
- Nobody's stopping you.
- Great.
But if you walk out, this
becomes a public investigation,
and, uh, we won't be able to help you
with any bad PR.
[CHUCKLES, CLEARS THROAT]
Okay.
You sent Curtis in there?
Well, he's the one that found the virus.
Even so, tech troll versus tech god?
I'm not sure he's up for this.
Well, they said the same thing
to me once
until someone gave me a shot.
We got a warrant for Bandium's books.
You're broke.
KNIGHT: Which is why the
NCIS contract is so important.
It's your last hope of keeping
your last company.
Which is why I'm still listening.
It's a shame the deal
isn't dependent upon
your attentiveness.
It's dependent on a recommendation
from Director Vance.
A recommendation that
you are never gonna get.
We found NCIS memos
outlining the director's
reluctance to take Bandium agency-wide.
You know, what works for us
doesn't necessarily work
for everyone else.
Vance was gonna kill your contract,
so-so you gaslit
Lindsey Wexler into killing him.
That is a very serious
accusation to make without proof.
You do know that I can make
your life a living hell?
I, uh,
I-I do know that.
Good.
But I also know something
you can't do.
Code.
Not only were we able to trace
the username GravitasMons
directly back to you,
but we did it using the Bandium
server access you gave us.
Oops.
You found someone
who already hated NCIS,
then fed her bogus intel.
Sharing information online
is not a crime.
It is when you deliberately
push someone to kill.
You're wrong.
See, I merely suggested to Lindsey
that she make her private
feelings about Vance public.
I never advocated for violence.
But you knew it would happen.
In order for you to get your contract,
- you needed Vance out of the way.
- Are you listening?
I never wanted Lindsey
to take it this far.
Just like I never wanted her
to hack Bandium.
That's what happens when you
feed a gremlin after midnight.
Okay, look,
obviously she found out who I was.
But that makes me a victim, too.
So I have rights.
You did until you planted a virus
in the NCIS system.
What? What virus?
What are you talking about?
Voss gave us his phone.
You planted the virus
without him knowing.
I'll go ahead and add that
to the list of charges.
Someone needed to pull
back the curtain on his genius.
At least we can agree on that.
So why'd you do it?
What time is it?
No more games, it's over.
We arrested Voss. We stopped the virus.
- And the director's going to live.
- You failed.
And you guys still can't see
the big picture.
Oh, but you will.
Very soon.
The history of liberty
is a history of resistance.
Doesn't seem like she's bluffing.
She's not.
I just realized how I know this woman.
I've heard that quote once before.
When?
Over 20 years ago,
on the first case
I ever worked with Gibbs.
How would she know about that?
Federal agents, working in
unison with the Secret Service,
were able to foil a terrorist
attempt to assassinate
the president while he was
on board Air Force One.
Wow, Tobias, you look good.
How old is this?
Take it easy.
20 years is not that long ago.
- I was in junior high.
- Am I the only one
that remembers this case?
Well, I've heard the stories before,
but, uh, it was even before my time.
[SCOFFS] A sleeper agent
named Leonard Rish
posed as a member
of the press pool
and stole a gun from
the Air Force One armory.
Until Gibbs put two in his chest
and two in his head.
Well, that sounds like Gibbs.
FORNELL: After Rish was killed,
the FBI found manifestos,
all based on the quote
that was just recited to us
by Lindsey Wexler.
"The history of liberty
is a history of resistance."
Did Woodrow Wilson say that?
Yeah, sure.
[TYPING]
Ah, here it is.
A Rish family photo.
Leonard with his wife and
their six-year-old daughter.
Lindsey.
Lindsey Wexler is Lindsey Rish.
Mom must've changed their last name
after Dad turned out to be a terrorist.
Lindsey must have found his manifestos.
And like Daddy,
she failed to accomplish them.
She sure isn't acting like it.
PARKER: No, either Lindsey is lying, or
we're still missing something.
Like what?
The woman's already in custody,
and we stopped the virus
that she planted in our system.
Unless it wasn't meant for us.
The virus that you put on Voss's phone,
it wasn't meant to target
a grid-based power system like NCIS,
it was meant for an isolated system.
This about more than punishing NCIS
for killing your terrorist father.
My father was not a terrorist.
He was a patriot.
Like me.
Which is why you created that virus.
- Mmm.
- A virus
designed to drain phone batteries
so that Voss would plug in
and spread it wherever he went.
Well, the man's already a disease
who kills everything he touches.
Seemed fitting.
Except he's not your real target, is he?
And neitherare we.
You wanted Voss to spread that virus
to an isolated power system.
Where?
My father failed, okay?
I won't.
You're going after Air Force One.
That's the isolated system.
Yeah, well, you're too late.
You're too late!
KASIE: Agent Baer,
did you stop the plane?
Secret Service takes
all potential threats
to the president very seriously.
Oh, good.
But we can't just stop this plane
for every threat we get,
especially one I'm still
trying to understand.
We believe malicious code
has been uploaded onto Air Force One
via power line communication.
I spoke to the pilot.
All systems are normal.
The president's been
cleared for take-off.
Except this virus
might not disrupt power
until it's too late.
Like mid-flight.
Look, the VC-25B is the most
advanced aircraft on the planet.
It's going to take more than
hypotheticals to ground it.
[PHONE RINGING]
Kasie, go.
The Secret Service
is dragging their feet.
They're not grounding the plane?
KASIE: Not fast enough.
It's still cleared to take off.
What do you want to do?
Whatever we have to.
[TIRES SCREECHING]
AGENT [OVER LOUDSPEAKER]: Pull
over and stop the car immediately!
[SIRENS WAILING]
[TIRES SCREECH]
PILOT: Uh, Andrews Ground,
this is Air Force One.
Uh, we've got a situation on the tarmac.
[SIRENS APPROACHING]
REPORTER: Federal agents
working in unison
with the Secret Service
were able to foil
a digital attack on Air Force One.
The White House issued a press statement
assuring the public
that the president
You came.
REPORTER: and reiterating gratitude,
for the Secret Service agents
Yeah.
Yeah, um
- [TV SHUTS OFF]
- Hope that's okay.
We need to talk.
I know.
Been sitting here for the past hour
trying to figure out what to say.
I want to apologize.
Funny.
That's all I could come up with, too.
I'm sorry, Dad.
If I wanted to know
why you stayed at NCIS,
I should've spent some time there.
It's pretty obvious
you're around good people.
But it's more than that, isn't it?
Agent Parker and the team
tried to explain,
but I didn't get it.
Till they gave me this.
It was with your personal effects.
It reminded me of a conversation
you and I had a long time ago.
A conversation we both forgot.
Ah, so that's where my badge went.
Did you know there's really
small writing all over this?
It's called microprinting, kiddo.
So nobody can make a copy.
It just says the same thing
over and over again.
Yep, "Serving those who protect,
protecting those who serve."
What does it mean?
[SIGHS]
It's the NCIS motto,
and it's very important
because it's a promise.
To do what?
It's a promise to try and do good.
♪
But, more than that,
it's a promise
to also help others
who are trying to do good.
♪
And not just people
who wear a badge
or a uniform.
It's a promise to help everyone.
♪
To be a light in the darkness.
♪
After all, the only way light can grow
is by passing it on.
♪
And that's why I do this job, son.
And that's why I'm gonna
need that back before I go.
[CHUCKLES]
Thank you.
- But you want to know a secret?
- Yeah.
This badge, it isn't everything.
You, your mother,
your sister,
you are my light in the darkness.
Dad, can we just fist-bump?
Sure.
[LAUGHS]
I don't think I fully understood
what you were saying back then
but I'm starting to now.
Yeah, me, too.
[CHUCKLES]
That being said, um,
there's still something
I just don't get at all.
I mean, I've been
watching the news all day
and they haven't once mentioned
Parker or the team.
Why doesn't NCIS get any credit?
Son, we got what counts.
VANCE: Hard to
believe it's been this long.
But I still miss you so much.
Happy birthday, baby.
Kayla sends her best
from the South China Sea.
She's Agent Afloat.
[CHUCKLES]: Still single, I think.
And Jared?
[INHALES DEEPLY]
Well, uh
He's still afraid to commit.
To anything.
It's been that way since you left.
I could never understand him.
Not like you.
That goes both ways.
Jared.
Dad.
- How are you?
- Good.
- How's the internship?
- Dad.
I came to talk to her.
Well, then you're gonna have
to wait your turn,
because I wasn't finished.
Only fair.
You had Mom a lot longer than I did.
Sorry. Sorry, sorry.
That wasn't
I didn't mean it.
I think you did.
You blame me. You always have.
No. Not for Mom.
It's everything afterward I don't get.
The job, Dad.
You've already given it so much.
And yet you keep doing it.
Kayla, too. Why?
What-What's worth keeping
this family at risk?
What makes NCIS so damn special?
- You know that.
- Yeah?
- I told you.
- Ah. When?
Well, if we both can't remember,
then I guess you didn't tell me enough.
[SOFT THUNK]
[EXHALES]
Dad?
What's wrong?!
Dad! Dad!
[GASPING] It's okay.
Oh, my God.
I got you. It's okay.
Breathe.
♪
I don't see the big deal.
Just another airplane.
Dude, no, it is not. The VC-25B is
the most technologically
advanced airplane on the planet.
Look at this thing.
It looks like the old Air Force One,
McGee.
What?
Well, okay, maybe-maybe on the outside.
But let me tell you something.
Eight years and a billion dollars later,
difference on the inside is like a
Corvette built in 1975
and one built today.
Well, I'd take the '75.
Just unveiled as part of
the White House tech summit.
Yo, so, uh,
since when are you a plane guy?
Well, since I was ten years old
and I saw the VC-25A
land in my backyard
at Alameda Naval Base.
Oh, there's something kind of
romantic about Air Force One, you know?
- Well, that's weird.
- It's American history.
Not you, him.
Ooh.
Uh, Curtis, you okay?
I will be.
After three more minutes of vitamin D.
Cyber basement blues?
Working in a room with no windows
puts you in a dark place.
Even prison cells have windows.
[SCOFFS] You'd know, right?
Too soon?
Sorry if I'm a little edgier than usual.
Yeah, usually you're not edgy at all.
[SIGHS] It's because I hate lying.
I didn't come up here for sun.
I'm up here because
my annual review is next week,
and I want to expand my role at NCIS,
but in order to do that,
I need to log observation hours
outside the cyber basement.
You want to become a probie.
By stalking us?
I believe the term is shadowing?
Yeah. I understand.
Thank you. Grab your gear now.
Why? What's going on?
We didn't get a Bandium alert.
Director's been shot.
What? Is-is he okay? Where is he?
He's at Bluemont Medical.
No word on his condition.
Let's move.
Jared? Jared, you may not remember me.
I'm Agent McGee, this is Agent Parker.
Any word on your dad?
Yeah, the d
the doctor said he's in surgery.
- Um, it's touch and go.
- The man's a fighter.
One second, my dad
and I were just talking,
the next he went down. I mean
we didn't even hear a shot.
We've got agents at the scene now.
Tell 'em the bullet came
from behind my dad.
He was on the right side
of my mom's headstone
and facing due north.
I even wrote a diagram.
Just in case.
What?
Did I forget something?
The opposite.
Given the circumstances, most
people wouldn't remember their names.
Like father, like son, huh?
I don't think so.
If I seem calm, it's only because
I've already lived this
a thousand times in my head.
Hard not to
after what happened with my mom.
Yeah, I remember that night.
Then tell me you'll get
the bastard who did this.
I think NCIS owes me that.
We will.
KNIGHT: Vance was a little
more right of the headstone.
Wait, your right or my right?
Yeah, stop. Good.
The shot came, uh, from directly behind.
KNIGHT: From any one of a
dozen potential hiding spots.
According to Jared,
they never even heard the shot.
A silencer?
[PHONE RINGS]
Hey, Kase.
- Hey oh, mm.
- Hey, Jess, did you find the shooter?
We're working on it, Jimmy,
and trust us, we want to get
- this guy as bad as you.
- JIMMY: I doubt it.
Did you just spend the
last 20 minutes listening
to the doctors explain
the damage that was done
to the director's left lung
and heart ventricle?
No, but I'm hoping
that they gave you
the bullet that did it?
- They did.
- Is it traceable?
Hard to say until I get back to the lab.
But the caliber and groove
patterns are unmistakable.
Maybe a silenced handgun?
Long-range rifle, and given
this was a high-velocity round
and there was no exit wound
It came from serious distance.
I'd say at least a thousand yards.
No wonder they didn't hear the shot.
We're looking for a sniper.
TORRES: Sniper's nest.
It's a nice view from up here.
Yeah, they policed their brass.
But they left a shooting mat.
[GRUNTS]
Well, they didn't have a choice.
It's stuck to the roofing tar.
Yeah, that stuff can get everywhere.
Including the shooter's boots.
They were waiting up here.
They knew Vance was coming.
Yeah, they knew we were coming, too.
Well, I don't like the sound of that.
- What show?
- [EXPLOSION]
REPORTER: ZNN correspondents
on the scene are reporting
- three random explosions
- It's a rough day.
Yeah, and it's still early.
Anything new on Vance?
Ah, no, I'm just headed
back to the hospital now.
What about you? Any updates
on the explosions?
The news keeps calling them "random."
Yeah, nothing random about this.
Whoever shot Director Vance knew
we were on that rooftop
and waited to give us
- front row seats.
- What were the targets?
Well, the first target
was the same cemetery
that Vance was shot.
A pipe bomb in the Morrow family crypt.
Morrow, as in?
The former NCIS director.
He's buried there.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No.
- What about the second explosion?
- MCGEE: Uh, no injuries.
But that's a miracle, considering it was
a "gas leak"
at a medical office complex.
I am sensing air quotes.
Metro PD found detonator parts.
Facility have any connection to NCIS?
Detonator was found outside the
office of Dr. Rachel Cranston.
Whoa, talk about a blast from the past.
I don't get it.
Dr. Cranston's a psychologist
who worked with us here at NCIS before.
Also happens to be
the sister of my former partner.
- Kate.
- [SIGHS]
Well, I'm starting to see a pattern.
Whoever's behind these attacks
knows our history.
Not just yours, Chucky.
Fornell, what are you doing here?
- It's a good damn question.
- I'm not the one
who blew up your garage, Tobias.
Wait, your garage was the third target?
Rusty propane tank,
water heater, pilot light, kaboom.
That tank was brand-new!
KNIGHT: So, first Director Vance,
then two targets
that are related to NCIS,
so what's the connection
to a former FBI agent?
You kidding me?
I've been saving the asses
of NCIS for 20 years.
He's not wrong.
Someone's sending us a message.
Yeah. "Enjoy the show."
Problem is,
we don't know if the show's over.
So you think these attacks
could continue?
We don't know what to think yet.
So I'm calling to say watch your backs.
Any idea who NCIS pissed off?
It's a long list.
Right, well, I suggest
a shelter-in-place order
for upper-level NCIS personnel.
Yeah, I agree.
Anybody who could be considered
a high-profile target.
- SecDef is already signing the order.
- KENSI: Great.
Although we all know how Admiral
Kilbride feels about hiding.
Yeah, he prefers hunting.
Well, we all do, so let us know
how we can help.
You'd be my first call.
Unlike today?
Uh, excuse me?
The BOLO for the explosions
went out about
53 minutes ago,
and we've only been talking, for six.
KENSI: Which means either
you got a really slow start,
or we got dissed.
[CHUCKLES]: Okay.
You guys are messing with me.
Only out of love, my friend.
For you and the director.
We're all pulling for him.
Let us know about his condition.
JIMMY: The surgery
to repair your dad's lung
and ventricle was successful.
Now, the doctors had to put him on
ventilators, and a bypass machine,
but he's off now and he's stable.
- So he's gonna be okay?
- Well, he
he'll need to stay here for the
next few days, for observation,
but, uh, he should make a full recovery.
Can we see him, Doc?
Not if it's up to me.
What does that mean?
It means the director has been
medically cleared
to see visitors, but
talking is still very painful,
and he needs to avoid any topics
that might raise his heart rate.
Well, in that case, Agents Parker
and McGee should go in first.
I'll wait out here.
You sure?
JIMMY: Okay, fine.
But no shoptalk.
You promise?
We promise, Jimmy.
[DOOR OPENS]
[RASPY]: Update. Go.
[WHISPERS]: Jimmy
should've made him promise.
Relax, Leon.
We're-we're just here to say hello.
We're working on it,
but the good news is,
there's plenty of evidence
to comb through.
Yeah, from the cemetery
and all three explosions.
- [MONITORS BEEPING RAPIDLY]
- [STRAINING]: What explosion?
[GROANING]
- Uh, we should probably go.
- Wait.
Here. Read.
MCGEE: What is it?
Notes on the shooting,
including diagrams.
Like father, like son.
Next page.
"I need someone to fill in
as Acting Director."
You sure?
Director, I'm on it.
Parker.
Kayla.
We've arranged a satellite feed
from her carrier.
- She'll be calling in soon.
- Thank you.
And Jared is waiting in the hall.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
[STRAINING]: Keep reading.
You and Jared had another
argument before the shooting?
Advice.
I don't know.
Just talk to him.
I'll, uh, I'll go get him.
Agent McGee!
Agent, McGee, hold up.
Jared. Something wrong?
I just had to apologize.
- For what?
- My dad.
I just heard him pressuring
you into taking over for him.
Well, that's just temporary,
and-and he didn't pressure me.
Well, just because my dad's willing to
put his family at risk
doesn't mean you have to.
- [PHONE CHIMES]
- One second here.
Oh, my God. Been another attack.
Is it related to NCIS?
It's my apartment.
McGee! You seeing this?
- Yeah.
- PARKER: I'll drive.
You call Delilah on the way.
[PHONES CHIME]
It's another alert.
It's at my place.
[PHONES CHIMING RAPIDLY]
What's happening?
The entire agency's under attack.
No, the house is fine. I checked.
But you and the kids should
stay at your mom's just in case.
Yeah. Okay. Love you, too.
- Delilah's okay?
- [SIGHS] Yeah.
- And my place is completely untouched.
- Same here.
Every employee in the building
received a Bandium alert
saying there was
an attack on their home.
So far, all fake.
And Bandium security confirmed
their servers were hacked.
- Apparently, "the show" goes on.
- Yeah.
Except this doesn't feel
like the grand finale.
More like a preview
of coming attractions.
And we still have no idea
who's behind it all.
Maybe we can trace the hack.
Is-is Bandium giving us server access?
Well, they will now.
PARKER: Oh, let me guess.
The acting director threw
his new title around.
I had to. Bandium was only gonna
send a level 2 tech.
So who are they sending now?
Bandium's creator and CEO himself.
- Fletcher Voss is coming here?
- He's in D.C.
for a tech summit, I thought
you both would be impressed.
- I'm not.
- I am.
The man has been forced out
of every company he started
and thinks that funding
the next moon shot
is more important than paying taxes.
He's a visionary.
That's the polite way of saying
he can't code.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
- What else we got?
- Not much.
Kasie said the boot prints
from the rooftop were unusable.
And the bomb fragments
from the explosions
were all dead ends.
PARKER: What about Vance's schedule?
How did somebody find out
when and where he was gonna be?
The director could've been followed.
Or his son.
Maybe Jared saw something.
All right, I'll talk to him again.
Well, if you do,
I'd avoid mentioning his father.
Seems to be a sore subject.
Fathers and sons.
Fathers and sons.
My dad and I are super close.
Appreciate you taking time
away from the hospital.
I was actually home, about to
take a shower, when you called.
Look, I-I don't know
how else to help you.
I already told NCIS everything I know.
And unlike my father,
there's only so much
I can give this place.
I take it you still
haven't spoken to your dad
- since the shooting.
- Did he tell you that?
Is that really why I'm here,
Agent Parker?
T-To talk about my dad?
- Couldn't hurt.
- Actually,
it could literally kill him.
You heard Dr. Palmer.
If I go in that room
and I start an argument
You two need to talk.
- I agree.
- Then what's the problem?
The problem is, my dad almost
got killed and I'm exhausted.
Maybe I should just
Maybe I should just go home.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- It's late. What are they doing?
- The job.
I thought everyone at NCIS
received threats today.
- They did.
- So what are they doing here?
We all make sacrifices.
Is this supposed to make me
feel better about my dad?
- Does it?
- Not really.
But if they're all here,
then so am I.
How can I help?
Where is he?
Well, just, uh, give it time.
Fletcher Voss is a busy man.
First, he flakes
on coming here in person,
and now he flakes on a video call?
Yeah, his people said that there
was some sort of mix-up
with the Bandium schedule, I don't know.
This guy wants to go to the moon,
but he can't work his own app?
Burden of genius.
TECH: You have a signal.
- Put it through.
- Yes, sir.
Uh hello?
Can you, can you hear me?
- Am I even in the right place here?
- Is that, is that?
Is he?
Hello?
Hello? Hello, hello?
Are you, are you there?
Hello.
Hello? Am I not connected
to the Wi-Fi, or?
Mr. Voss. Hi, I am, uh
A dual major,
best-selling author,
and the current acting director,
Agent McGee.
You're Agent Knight.
Former REACT Team and daughter of
I get it. You did your homework.
Everything I read once
up here forever.
Mm, everything except your schedule.
Yeah, sorry about all the confusion.
The Secret Service moved up
my tour of Air Force One.
You were on the VC-25B?
Just before I came here.
It was a condition
of my attending
the White House tech summit.
I have been dying to see that plane.
Oh, that's so cool.
Do you have any pictures?
Nah, no, I wasn't allowed.
Oh, but you know what?
I do have these.
From me to you.
Oh, thank you.
Do these come with access
to the Bandium servers?
Because we need to trace that hack.
Our servers contain proprietary code.
We can't risk valuable IP leaking.
I mean, you understand.
Yeah, we do,
which is also why we did our homework.
KNIGHT: Turns out, Bandium has
a pending contract with the DoD
to put your app
in every single NCIS office
around the world.
MCGEE: Unless I report to SecDef
that Bandium has been uncooperative.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
Okay, yeah.
No, I'll send over the
server permissions right now.
That's embarrassing.
Um, I swear,
I just charged this thing. [CHUCKLES]
Um Uh, d-do you actually
Do you mind if I, uh
Mm. Go ahead.
The burden of genius.
Sorry.
You're good.
- Morning, Kasie.
- Mm.
Oh, he's still here?
Ah, he pulled an all-nighter
with Parker.
We get anything useful?
No. Jared worked really hard,
but, yeah, didn't remember anything new.
TORRES: Who's this?
The woman Jared has been
dating online for the past three months.
Lindsey Wexler,
a veterinary assistant
who lives in Bend, Oregon.
Wait, Bandi-Match?
Yeah, it's the new one owned by Bandium.
Jared gave me permission
to go through his phone.
- He did?
- Yeah, after he admitted
that Lindsey was the only one
he told about going to the cemetery.
Has Jared met this woman in person?
No, and I know what you're thinking.
Yeah, I'm thinking Lindsey's
a little too good to be true.
Curtis is already
digging into her background.
- What the?
- It's been happening randomly all night.
Curtis is digging into that, too.
Okay, that's not his department.
Oh, well, I think he's actually
trying to impress us.
He really wants to be a probie.
[SINGSONGY]: Special delivery.
That's one sweet tea with light ice.
And one protein oat blend.
- [CHUCKLES]
- You sent him on a coffee run?
He offered,
and he got it right.
I can also offer an update
on Ms. Wexler from Oregon.
Please tell me that Jared
isn't being catfished.
He's not. Lindsey has
an Oregon driver's license,
a better-than-average credit score,
and all of her photos
and videos are AI-free.
She's legit.
The only strike against the woman
is the fact that she's in town
and apparently didn't
tell her boyfriend.
What? Lindsey's in D.C.?
Falls Church to be exact.
Using our access to the Bandium servers,
I traced her user account
to hotel room Wi-Fi.
Why wouldn't she tell me that?
Relax, Agent Torres.
My girlfriend is not
a sniper or a terrorist.
Yeah, says the man who's never met her.
She's a soap carver and a Libra.
Lindsey's totally chill.
LINDSEY: Yeah, uh, yeah. Just a sec.
- Jared?
- Lindsey.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!
[LAUGHS]
JARED: Oh, my God.
Oh, oh, it's really you.
What, what are you doing here?
I was about to ask you the same thing.
Oh, uh, sorry, this is Agent Torres.
He's from NCIS.
Hi. [CHUCKLES]
Yeah, I know I have
some explaining to do,
but I didn't realize romantic gestures
- were a federal offense.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
Okay, come in.
Uh, water in the mini fridge.
Do you guys mind if I finish up?
- I just got out of the shower.
- TORRES: No, go ahead.
- Take your time.
- Thank you.
See? I told you.
So, romantic gesture, huh?
Yeah, yeah, I came to
D.C. to surprise you.
You know, I wanted our first time
meeting in person to be special.
[LAUGHS]: It is.
When I landed, I
I got cold feet. [LAUGHS]
I-I suddenly worried that
me showing up might be
like, like an ambush.
What are you doing?
So, you know,
I got a hotel room instead.
I hope this doesn't ruin things.
Lindsey, come out with
your hands over your head.
[WHISPERS]:
Seriously? What are you doing?
Is there a problem?
Go ahead and drop it.
Drop it.
Babe, why do you have a gun?
Because she's the one who shot your dad.
[BUSY CHATTER]
[CHATTER QUIETS]
Keep walking.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Agents in your hotel room found
bomb parts and a sniper rifle.
We know what you did.
This is your chance to tell us why.
What's your beef with NCIS?
KNIGHT: The shooting, the bombs,
the Bandium hack.
You wanted our attention.
Well, now you got it.
Good.
She finally gets a soapbox
and doesn't use it.
Doesn't make sense.
Who is this woman, really?
Lindsey Wexler really is
a veterinary assistant
from Bend, Oregon.
No priors, no connection to NCIS
that we know of.
Kasie's still digging.
You ever seen her before?
Not that I recall.
But thanks to this woman,
what was going to be my forever home
now reeks of smoke damage.
I need to find a hotel room.
Or a couch.
It's the second time
I've had to change this bulb.
I should have seen this coming.
Every time I get close to someone,
something bad happens.
I understand you're upset,
but you can't blame yourself.
Oh, I don't, I don't.
I blame this place.
Lindsey only used me to get to my father
because he's the director.
I get that you're upset.
But we have DNA and fingerprints
that prove
Lindsey is the one
that pulled that trigger
and planted those bombs.
We also have her laptop that proves
she hacked the Bandium servers.
Lindsey is at fault here,
not you and not your dad.
I guess I just want to know why.
Take a number, pal.
Stopping evil and understanding it
two very different things.
Lindsey Wexler has been
spewing NCIS hatred
anonymously online for years.
- Enough to turn violent.
- That's the kicker.
From what I can tell,
her posts didn't turn threatening
until three months ago.
That's when we Bandi-Matched.
That's also when she signed up
for shooting lessons.
Why? What changed?
She met a new message board user.
A user named GravitasMons
started feeding Lindsey
wild NCIS conspiracy theories.
Mostly about your dad.
Okay, he is definitely not
a member of the Illuminati.
[KASIE LAUGHS] Yeah, I didn't think so,
but
these files appear to be leaked intel
implicating him and NCIS
in everything from hiding bodies
to mass murder. Serious stuff.
- These documents look real.
- But they're not.
And a simple sense check would
have proved they're all faked.
But Lindsey didn't do that.
She took it at face value.
Which only fueled her rage.
And then GravitasMons goaded
her into acting on that rage.
He was gaslighting her
to attack my father and NCIS.
Which is when she found you.
So who is GravitasMons?
That is something we're still
trying to figure out.
[BEEPING]
Right after we figure out
what is going on with the power.
I know what's going on with the power.
I thought maintenance was working on it.
I worked faster. I scanned our
network code, and found a virus.
- How'd it get past cybersecurity?
- It was injected
using power-line communication.
- What?
- I'm serious.
It's a form of hacking
that uses power cables.
It's rare and only works with systems
that use digital power
regulation, like us.
But it is possible to transmit a virus
by simply plugging into a wall outlet.
Okay, Curtis, I know about
power-line communication.
Oh. Right.
The virus was designed to kill
the power system completely,
but since we're hardwired to the grid
All we got was flickering.
Compared to bullets and bombs
and server hacks,
this attack was surprisingly lame.
It's got to be connected somehow.
We just can't prove it.
There are a thousand outlets
in this building
and no way to tell which one
the virus came from.
You know what, there may be
a way to prove it.
When did the flickering first start?
- Late last night.
- After Fletcher Voss
plugged his phone in outside MTAC.
Rule 39: no such thing as a coincidence.
- We need to question him.
- [GASPS]
Can I help?
An interrogation would look
- really good on my review.
- Okay, slow down.
Curtis, we cannot prove that
the virus came from Voss.
He probably has lawyers on speed dial.
We need to get him alone.
How badly does Voss need
that new NCIS contract?
I'll be sure to send over
some more shirts and hats.
Aw, I'll give one to my sister.
[CHUCKLES] That's nice.
CURTIS:
These photos will look great
in our press release.
Thank you so much, Mr. Voss.
Hey, my thanks to NCIS
for continuing to support Bandium.
Would you like to take
a picture in here?
You know
[CHUCKLES] I feel like a picture in here
might send the wrong message.
What are you doing?
Can you delete that, please?
We'd like to ask you a few questions.
I think I should leave.
- Nobody's stopping you.
- Great.
But if you walk out, this
becomes a public investigation,
and, uh, we won't be able to help you
with any bad PR.
[CHUCKLES, CLEARS THROAT]
Okay.
You sent Curtis in there?
Well, he's the one that found the virus.
Even so, tech troll versus tech god?
I'm not sure he's up for this.
Well, they said the same thing
to me once
until someone gave me a shot.
We got a warrant for Bandium's books.
You're broke.
KNIGHT: Which is why the
NCIS contract is so important.
It's your last hope of keeping
your last company.
Which is why I'm still listening.
It's a shame the deal
isn't dependent upon
your attentiveness.
It's dependent on a recommendation
from Director Vance.
A recommendation that
you are never gonna get.
We found NCIS memos
outlining the director's
reluctance to take Bandium agency-wide.
You know, what works for us
doesn't necessarily work
for everyone else.
Vance was gonna kill your contract,
so-so you gaslit
Lindsey Wexler into killing him.
That is a very serious
accusation to make without proof.
You do know that I can make
your life a living hell?
I, uh,
I-I do know that.
Good.
But I also know something
you can't do.
Code.
Not only were we able to trace
the username GravitasMons
directly back to you,
but we did it using the Bandium
server access you gave us.
Oops.
You found someone
who already hated NCIS,
then fed her bogus intel.
Sharing information online
is not a crime.
It is when you deliberately
push someone to kill.
You're wrong.
See, I merely suggested to Lindsey
that she make her private
feelings about Vance public.
I never advocated for violence.
But you knew it would happen.
In order for you to get your contract,
- you needed Vance out of the way.
- Are you listening?
I never wanted Lindsey
to take it this far.
Just like I never wanted her
to hack Bandium.
That's what happens when you
feed a gremlin after midnight.
Okay, look,
obviously she found out who I was.
But that makes me a victim, too.
So I have rights.
You did until you planted a virus
in the NCIS system.
What? What virus?
What are you talking about?
Voss gave us his phone.
You planted the virus
without him knowing.
I'll go ahead and add that
to the list of charges.
Someone needed to pull
back the curtain on his genius.
At least we can agree on that.
So why'd you do it?
What time is it?
No more games, it's over.
We arrested Voss. We stopped the virus.
- And the director's going to live.
- You failed.
And you guys still can't see
the big picture.
Oh, but you will.
Very soon.
The history of liberty
is a history of resistance.
Doesn't seem like she's bluffing.
She's not.
I just realized how I know this woman.
I've heard that quote once before.
When?
Over 20 years ago,
on the first case
I ever worked with Gibbs.
How would she know about that?
Federal agents, working in
unison with the Secret Service,
were able to foil a terrorist
attempt to assassinate
the president while he was
on board Air Force One.
Wow, Tobias, you look good.
How old is this?
Take it easy.
20 years is not that long ago.
- I was in junior high.
- Am I the only one
that remembers this case?
Well, I've heard the stories before,
but, uh, it was even before my time.
[SCOFFS] A sleeper agent
named Leonard Rish
posed as a member
of the press pool
and stole a gun from
the Air Force One armory.
Until Gibbs put two in his chest
and two in his head.
Well, that sounds like Gibbs.
FORNELL: After Rish was killed,
the FBI found manifestos,
all based on the quote
that was just recited to us
by Lindsey Wexler.
"The history of liberty
is a history of resistance."
Did Woodrow Wilson say that?
Yeah, sure.
[TYPING]
Ah, here it is.
A Rish family photo.
Leonard with his wife and
their six-year-old daughter.
Lindsey.
Lindsey Wexler is Lindsey Rish.
Mom must've changed their last name
after Dad turned out to be a terrorist.
Lindsey must have found his manifestos.
And like Daddy,
she failed to accomplish them.
She sure isn't acting like it.
PARKER: No, either Lindsey is lying, or
we're still missing something.
Like what?
The woman's already in custody,
and we stopped the virus
that she planted in our system.
Unless it wasn't meant for us.
The virus that you put on Voss's phone,
it wasn't meant to target
a grid-based power system like NCIS,
it was meant for an isolated system.
This about more than punishing NCIS
for killing your terrorist father.
My father was not a terrorist.
He was a patriot.
Like me.
Which is why you created that virus.
- Mmm.
- A virus
designed to drain phone batteries
so that Voss would plug in
and spread it wherever he went.
Well, the man's already a disease
who kills everything he touches.
Seemed fitting.
Except he's not your real target, is he?
And neitherare we.
You wanted Voss to spread that virus
to an isolated power system.
Where?
My father failed, okay?
I won't.
You're going after Air Force One.
That's the isolated system.
Yeah, well, you're too late.
You're too late!
KASIE: Agent Baer,
did you stop the plane?
Secret Service takes
all potential threats
to the president very seriously.
Oh, good.
But we can't just stop this plane
for every threat we get,
especially one I'm still
trying to understand.
We believe malicious code
has been uploaded onto Air Force One
via power line communication.
I spoke to the pilot.
All systems are normal.
The president's been
cleared for take-off.
Except this virus
might not disrupt power
until it's too late.
Like mid-flight.
Look, the VC-25B is the most
advanced aircraft on the planet.
It's going to take more than
hypotheticals to ground it.
[PHONE RINGING]
Kasie, go.
The Secret Service
is dragging their feet.
They're not grounding the plane?
KASIE: Not fast enough.
It's still cleared to take off.
What do you want to do?
Whatever we have to.
[TIRES SCREECHING]
AGENT [OVER LOUDSPEAKER]: Pull
over and stop the car immediately!
[SIRENS WAILING]
[TIRES SCREECH]
PILOT: Uh, Andrews Ground,
this is Air Force One.
Uh, we've got a situation on the tarmac.
[SIRENS APPROACHING]
REPORTER: Federal agents
working in unison
with the Secret Service
were able to foil
a digital attack on Air Force One.
The White House issued a press statement
assuring the public
that the president
You came.
REPORTER: and reiterating gratitude,
for the Secret Service agents
Yeah.
Yeah, um
- [TV SHUTS OFF]
- Hope that's okay.
We need to talk.
I know.
Been sitting here for the past hour
trying to figure out what to say.
I want to apologize.
Funny.
That's all I could come up with, too.
I'm sorry, Dad.
If I wanted to know
why you stayed at NCIS,
I should've spent some time there.
It's pretty obvious
you're around good people.
But it's more than that, isn't it?
Agent Parker and the team
tried to explain,
but I didn't get it.
Till they gave me this.
It was with your personal effects.
It reminded me of a conversation
you and I had a long time ago.
A conversation we both forgot.
Ah, so that's where my badge went.
Did you know there's really
small writing all over this?
It's called microprinting, kiddo.
So nobody can make a copy.
It just says the same thing
over and over again.
Yep, "Serving those who protect,
protecting those who serve."
What does it mean?
[SIGHS]
It's the NCIS motto,
and it's very important
because it's a promise.
To do what?
It's a promise to try and do good.
♪
But, more than that,
it's a promise
to also help others
who are trying to do good.
♪
And not just people
who wear a badge
or a uniform.
It's a promise to help everyone.
♪
To be a light in the darkness.
♪
After all, the only way light can grow
is by passing it on.
♪
And that's why I do this job, son.
And that's why I'm gonna
need that back before I go.
[CHUCKLES]
Thank you.
- But you want to know a secret?
- Yeah.
This badge, it isn't everything.
You, your mother,
your sister,
you are my light in the darkness.
Dad, can we just fist-bump?
Sure.
[LAUGHS]
I don't think I fully understood
what you were saying back then
but I'm starting to now.
Yeah, me, too.
[CHUCKLES]
That being said, um,
there's still something
I just don't get at all.
I mean, I've been
watching the news all day
and they haven't once mentioned
Parker or the team.
Why doesn't NCIS get any credit?
Son, we got what counts.