NCIS (2003–…): Season 1, Episode 16 - Bête Noire - full transcript

DUCKY: He's not
an American naval officer?

They said he was
a Royal Navy Commander.

Which royal navy, Gerald?
There are several of them.

I assume British, Doc.

No, no, the Swedes,
the Norwegians, Aussies,

Kiwis, Saudis,
they all have royal navies.

The EMT only said
that the embassy told them

to bring him to NCIS for autopsy.

Now which embassy?

Israeli.

- Israeli?
- That's what they said.

Why on earth would the Israeli Embassy
send us

a foreign naval officer?

Now, that's what I asked the EMTs
that delivered the body,

but they didn't know either.

Calls me down here
in the middle of the night,

doesn't know which navy.

Gerald, what does this look like?

- One of my gloves.
- What's it doing in my drawer?

I'm sorry, Doc.
I must've put your gloves in my drawer.

- I'll get it.
- No, no, I'll do it.

Gerald, unzip that body bag

and find out
with which navy our guest sailed.

Don't recognise the uniform?
I'm not surprised.

The royal navies of the world
wear almost identical uniforms.

In fact, during World War II,

British naval officers
whose ships went down in the Channel,

passed themselves off in Antwerp
as German submariners who...

Good God.

Shut off the lights.

And return.

Is the video camera on?

- Sorry, Doc.
- It's all right, Gerald. I looked at it, too.

How do you alert visitors
when conducting an infectious autopsy?

We hang a decomposing body
in the corridor.

A sense of humour under duress.

That's an admirable quality, Doctor.

However, when I ask a question,

I want a truthful and immediate answer.

So each time you lie,
or I suspect you lie,

I will put
a nine-millimetre hollowpoint slug

into one of your assistant's
ball-and-socket joints.

- If you doubt me, I can demonstrate.
- No, that won't be necessary.

May I make a request?

You would rather I put the slug in you?

- Yes.
- I can't oblige.

How do you alert people
to infectious autopsies?

- A lit red sign in the corridor.
- Gerald, the sign, please.

Just a moment. Also, lock the doors,

bring me a set of greens
and breathing gear.

What is it you want?

In due time,

Doctor...

Mallard.

Like the famous English
A-four steam locomotive.

Most people think of waterfowl.

The Mallard ran from London
to Edinburgh for decades.

In 1938, it attained

a speed of over 200 kilometres an hour.

- Two hundred and two.
- A world record.

Although the Germans claimed

it was set on a slight downgrade.

Typical.

You never had a nightmare?
Not even as a kid?

Nope.

No fear of the dark
or a bogeyman in my closet.

Me, neither, but the vampire
on the canopy of my bed freaked me.

You had a canopy bed?

I was five. My mother was into Louis XV.

It wasn't my call, Kate.

- She still frighten you?
- My mother?

- The vampire.
- What makes you think it was a she?

Vampires are seducers.

Knowing you, Tony, it had to be female.

Well, she was after my blood,
not the pride of my childhood.

You were proud at five?

She finished the story, tucked me in,
blew out the candles.

My mother thought that
candlelight enhanced the trompe l'oeil.

Canopy beds, trompe l'oeil,
flickering candles.

No wonder your bête noire
was a vampire.

(CHUCKLING) Bête noire. Cute.

Goes with the Louis XV bedroom.

So, what would happen?

- Forget it.
- GIBBS: Forget what?

Oh, Tony's bête noire.

- (CHUCKLES) It's French for...
- Nightmare.

- I do crossword puzzles, too, DiNozzo.
- Actually, my mother taught me

"nightmare" in French was...

Your father teach you how to report?

Yeah. During cocktail hour,
while I was pouring his Macallan 18,

three fingers, one ice cube.

You know, I had to report in
about my day at school

and just give him a sort of...

We bagged and tagged everything
in Qassam's room.

Wasn't much there.
Koran, prayer rug, fast-food wrappers.

This guy took home from work,
didn't even empty his trash.

He had sinus problems, bad breath.

Yeah, probably because
he didn't brush his teeth.

There was no brush or toothpaste
in his bathroom.

Just aspirin, sinus spray
and breath freshener.

- Did you swab for explosives?
- Yeah, top to bottom.

Found minute traces of nitrate
in the dresser table.

Probably where he kept his Beretta.

- Computer?
- Not even a Game Boy, boss.

- He didn't have a TV, Tony.
- Game Boy's handheld, Kate.

You're thinking
about Xboxes, PS2s, Gamecubes...

Well, I'm thinking of kicking some ass!

Gitmo Intel said Qassam
was to execute a terrorist attack

on the Naval Base at Norfolk.

But he's in no shape to tell us
how or when.

- His computer might.
- No computer.

What about the food court
where he worked?

Just keyboard with pictures.
Burgers, malts, fries.

Not exactly cyberspace-friendly, boss.

Hey, he could have used
an Internet cafe.

I'll check Little Creek
in his neighbourhood.

I should have thought of that.

Well, you're more, you know,
smurf than alpha geek.

So am I, according to Agent McGee.

You're right, DiNozzo.

- I am?
- Hell.

I mean, I still use
a notebook and a pencil

instead of a PDQ.

(CHUCKLING) It's a PDA.
You can call them PalmPilot...

It doesn't matter what
I call it if I can't use it.

I'll teach you.

You'll teach me?

McGee teaches you? You teach me?

It's backwards!

God, I need coffee.

What was that all about?

Gibbs' bête noire.

Right ventricle, left atria.

You haven't done an autopsy.

It was late. I was due to autopsy today.

Then you best place him on the table.

- Did you draw blood last night?
- Yes.

- Is it refrigerated here?
- No.

You sent it with his clothing
to forensics?

Yes. Are you a pathologist?

Where's the lab?

One floor up, directly above us.

There's a stairwell
outside to the left you can use.

Not the elevator?

I assumed you'd think that too risky.

Is it an emergency stairwell?

No. That would be alarmed.

Surveillance camera?

Yes.

- I answered promptly, and I haven't lied.
- You tried to trick me, Dr Mallard.

That wasn't a condition.

It is now.

(ELECTRONIC MUSIC BLARING)

(PHONE RINGING)

Ducky! You're in early.

- Abby, turn down the babble!
- Babble? You love Android Lust.

Not distorted by a speaker phone!

(GROANS)

Ducky, you're such a purist.

What's up?

I need the evidence
Gerald delivered last night.

Oh, good luck.

I haven't even had
my morning sprinkles yet.

I didn't ask for the results.

I need it all back, including the blood.

What are you gonna do with the blood?

Abby, just get it down here!

Wow!

Did you get up
on the wrong side of the autopsy table?

Sorry...

I have a theory to test.

Wanna share?

Not quite yet.

Okay. Send Gerald up.

He's busy.

You'll have to bring it down here.

Ducky, you know I can't do that.

Abby, I don't have time
to deal with your necrophobia.

I am not necrophobic.

Dead bodies don't freak me out,
Autopsy does.

Ducky, please don't ask me to do this.

You won't have to enter Autopsy.
In fact, you can't.

We've opened an infectious body.

Leave it at the door.

I can't even press the down button
on the elevator anymore.

Get Gibbs to do it! Stat!

Am I to believe that?

Well, Abby, who is unfazed
by the most gruesome of forensics,

recently had a nightmare.

Since then,
she has not set foot in Autopsy.

Gerald, is that true?

She hasn't been down for quite a while.

(ARI SIGHS HEAVILY)

A code word could have triggered
that absurd conversation.

Abby and I are not special agents,
we're forensic scientists.

We do not use code words.

Surely, you understand
the power of phobias.

- Butterflies.
- Sorry?

(INHALES)

I fear butterflies.

Good. Well,
not good that you have a phobia,

but good that you understand

that not a word I said was coded
to alert Abby.

Who's Gibbs?

Gibbs is the only other person
Abby has told of her phobia.

He's also the one person
she'd turn to for help.

- Is he a special agent?
- Yes, but does that matter?

Look, all I'm trying to do
is to give you the evidence

so you can do
what you came here to do and leave.

Okay.

(GASPING)

(SIGHS)

ARI: Have you worked
with Dr Mallard long, Gerald?

A bit over two years.

- Quick on his feet?
- He was a miler at Eton.

Still recalls all of his races
in great detail.

Your sense of humour
seems to be contagious, Dr Mallard.

I'm afraid Gerald took you literally.

I have a way of going on
about my salad days.

He associated "quick on my feet"

with my stories
of the playing fields of Eton.

You believe Wellington
actually said that?

Probably not,
but most Etonians love to think he did.

Are you lost, Gerald?

"The battle of Waterloo was
won on the playing fields of Eton."

Very good.

Stick around the Doc long enough,
and you pick up a lot of trivia.

Trivia?

As much as I'd enjoy that,

I have to decline.

So you believe this...

Abby, was it?

Abby Sciuto.

Abby Sciuto has really developed

an autopsy phobia?

Truthfully?

I think your shoulder would prefer that.

I never figured anyone
who slept in a coffin

could have a phobia, but

it's the kind of kinky thing
Abby would get.

She slept in a coffin?

She's goth.

(EXCLAIMS)

- Where's Gibbs?
- With the Director. You okay?

- Where's Tony?
- The head.

What's wrong, Abby?

Ducky needs all this evidence
back in Autopsy.

- Before you've tested it?
- Yeah.

- That's strange.
- Yeah.

I can't go down to Autopsy.

- Why?
- I had this dream, like, a month ago,

and ever since then,
Autopsy scares the hell out of me.

(LAUGHING)

- Why are you laughing?
- Sorry. Sorry.

I was... I was just thinking of Tony.

- Tony's afraid of Autopsy, too?
- No. Dreams of vampires.

Oh.

- I dig vampire dreams.
- Tony sure doesn't.

- Well, that's silly.
- Oh, but fear of going into Autopsy,

which you've done
your entire career, isn't?

(SIGHS) Of course it is,
but it doesn't change anything.

I can't even take the elevator
to the basement anymore.

- Wow.
- Yeah.

So you want me
to take this evidence down to Ducky?

- Would you?
- Yeah, of course.

(SIGHS)

Okay, you have to sign
to maintain the chain of evidence.

Right. Oh, and

Ducky's doing an infectious autopsy.

On who, the terrorist?

I don't know. He just said
leave everything outside the door.

Well, Qassam's the only body
in Autopsy.

Why would Ducky think
he was infectious

if you hadn't done a blood test?

I don't know.

(PHONE RINGING)

Autopsy.

KATE: So what's going on?

Yeah, I knew you could do it.

What?

- See you in 10 minutes, Abby.
- Wait. What are you...

Why didn't you use the speaker phone?

Oh, sorry.

I didn't think.

I always pick up my phone.

I thought the safest way
to apprehend him

was a routine trunk check
at the Little Creek gate.

The security guard opening his
trunk had his weapon pulled.

Qassam saw it in his side-view mirror,

realised the check was
anything but routine and...

He pulled his weapon,
and you had to take him down.

Yes, sir. I gave him every chance...

I'll read all about it in
your incident report, Jethro.

What I'm interested in at the moment

is how a terrorist got a job on the base.

Fast-food workers are vetted
by their employers, sir.

Unbelievable.

What was he planning on doing,

besides serving burgers and fries?

I have no idea, sir.

I was hoping to get some help
from Gitmo or Bahrain on that.

CASSIDY: Qassam's passport,
student visa,

and Social Security card
were all forged in Mexico.

Same errors as papers

on an Al-Qaida we caught at the border.

Getting forged documents in Mexico

doesn't make him Al-Qaida.

I got the lead on Qassam
from an Al-Qaida detainee.

Why don't you think
he's Al-Qaida, Agent Snyder?

Yasir Qassam was born
in the Gaza strip.

His parents were killed
during the second Intifada

when their home was shelled.

His brother Saleem
was recruited by Hamas

as a shahid, a suicide bomber.

This tape aired on Al-Jazeera
after Saleem blew himself up,

along with nine Israeli civilians

on a bus in Jerusalem.

Now, Saleem is reciting
the usual martyr rhetoric,

but he dedicates his death

to avenge the blood
of his father and mother.

I believe Yasir used his real name
on forged documents

because he was
a Hamas shahida like his brother.

Maybe he wanted to make sure
that he got the 70 virgins,

instead of some Muslim
with an alias he used.

Shahidas are like our sports stars

to Palestinian kids.

Qassam could've used his real
name to be famous in Gaza.

Exactly. It doesn't make sense
that he would die

on an Al-Qaida mission in the States.

He'd want to kill Israelis.

Hamas or Al-Qaida,
what was he trying to do?

All I know is that Qassam was key

to a planned suicide mission at Norfolk.

I've nothing to add, Director.

Think of something.

- Well?
- Daniel Snyder's a good agent, sir.

I'd trust his instincts.

Hamas has never attacked
targets on U.S. soil

for fear of losing financial support
from pro-Arab Americans.

How can you support any group

that lets their children
blow themselves up?

Their leaders say that
the suicide bombers

are all they have to fight with.

Sir, when Hamas leaders
start blowing themselves up,

I'll consider it.

There's a way to overcome this.

Really? How?

Group therapy.

(GROANS)

How many people have
a fear of autopsy?

You're gonna be a group of one!

Lots of people wouldn't be caught dead
in an autopsy room.

Very funny. Maybe hypnotism.

Remember Dr Wertzer's class?

You still don't know
what he made you do

when you were under hypnosis.

Whatever it was,
I woke up feeling refreshed,

in his office,

- a day later.
- Abby?

Yes?

What are you doing?

(SIGHS)

- I was having an internal debate.
- Who's winning?

I'm not sure. Oh, hell, the phobic side.

- Still can't enter Autopsy?
- No.

Did you find any tag traces of explosives
on the terrorist's clothes?

Ducky took everything back

- before I had a chance to test it.
- What?

Don't look at me. He wouldn't say why.

He just wanted everything back,
including the blood.

- Including the blood?
- Yeah, it's a bit weird.

There's no way to do a blood test
in Autopsy.

- Gerald pick it up?
- Gerald was busy.

- Ducky just wanted me down there stat.
- Stat?

Yeah, and I wouldn't go,
so Kate took it down.

- Hey, boss. What's up, Abs?
- Something's...

Hinky?

- Tony, get Autopsy on the plasma.
- Huh?

Autopsy. TV. Now!

Why would Ducky say "stat"?

Because he's a doctor,
and because "stat" means fast and...

Medical emergency.
But what is a medical emergency

in Autopsy?

All I'm getting is snow.

DUCKY: You can leave it there.

You have to sign.

Well, I can't open the doors
with you there.

- What's the infection?
- Don't know yet.

There's a pustule on his thigh.

(CHUCKLES) May be nothing.

(CHUCKLES)

I'll sign, cross my heart.

- I beat my phobia.
- Yes.

So I see, Abby.

Well done.

When did lab rats start carrying
Sig Sauers?

Punch up Autopsy Receiving
and stairwell cameras,

then the building floor plans.

On it, boss.

Gibbs for Director.
Abby, Ducky sound funny?

Kind of tense, like when a test result
isn't what he expected.

Director, we may have intruders
in Autopsy.

Possible hostage situation.

We got an ambulance
outside Autopsy Receiving, boss.

Yes, sir, I think we should alert HRT
and open a command centre in MTAC.

- Aye, aye, sir.
- Oh, God, I should be down there.

- Tony, where's my floor plan?
- Coming up!

Okay. Get me two agents in Receiving,
two in the elevator here.

Go to TAC one. TAC one.

- Abs, how do I rotate this thing?
- Just tell me what you need.

Your lab and Autopsy.
All entrances and exits.

Give me a 360. Keep going.

Keep going, keep going, keep going.
Go, go, go. Stop. Right there.

What's this, right here?

- My gas chromatograph.
- Can it be moved?

- Yeah.
- Do it.

Hey, Abby, I need a drill
and a flexible video probe.

Got it.

Agents on their way.
We taking the basement stairwell?

Yeah.

No throwaway?

"Special Agent Caitlin Todd."

You any good with this gun, Caitlin?

Give it back and I'll demonstrate.

Ever fire it in anger?

I would love to right now.

Did you shoot Qassam?

Did you put that double tap in his heart?

She didn't shoot him.

Who did?

- Special Agent Gibbs.
- Ducky!

That name rings a bell, Dr Mallard.

Don't answer this bastard!

You mustn't chastise
the good Doctor, Caitlin,

at least not until you know my rules.

I don't play by terrorist rules.

Who says I'm a terrorist?

Doctor, is this all the evidence?

From what I can see from here. Gerald?

It looks like all of it.

Caitlin, you may roll over now,

if you keep your hands where they are.

Did special agents search
Qassam's room?

Where is the evidence
that was bagged and tagged?

Doctor, please explain the rules
to stubborn little Caitlin.

If we lie, or he thinks we're lying,

he'll put a bullet
in one of Gerald's joints.

Be specific. Ball and socket joints.

And you omitted one condition.

- I did?
- Yes, you did.

Oh, yes!

We mustn't try to trick him.

Which you tried to do, Caitlin,
by saying you beat your phobia.

- Well, she didn't know the rules.
- But you did, Dr Mallard,

and you joined the ruse
by calling her Abby.

(YELLS)

(GROANS)

Autopsy's dark.
Who'd you get to back us?

Pacci's covering Receiving.
Balboa, the elevator.

- Pacci?
- Gibbs.

- You in place?
- Affirmative. Ambulance is empty.

Elevator door closed.

- You want us to enter?
- Negative. Hold your position. Balboa?

Standing by.
Personnel elevator locked down.

GIBBS: Disable the bell.
Go down to Autopsy.

Do not open the doors.

- Roger.
- I'm going to MTAC.

We got a hostage situation,
don't we, boss?

- Time to make a phone call.
- Yeah.

(GERALD GROANS)

- Don't worry, son. I'll take care of you.
- You bastard!

You seem like
such a bright young woman,

and that's all you can say?

You...bastard!

Kate, Kate, Kate, my medical bag,
over by the desk, on the floor.

It's all right, Gerald, hang on.
I've got morphine.

I would dislike having to put a slug
into Gerald's knee as well.

Gibbs, DiNozzo. Kate just ran past
the doors inside Autopsy.

She just ran back again.

I read you, Tony. Stand by.

MORROW: No video from Autopsy.

It's looking like
a hostage situation, Director.

Three of our people, Dr Mallard,
his assistant,

Gerald Jackson,
Special Agent Kate Todd.

Unknown number of dirt bags.

- Let's find out. Start tape.
- MAN: Yes, sir.

(PHONE RINGING)

Answer the phone, Doctor.

You answer it!
I'm trying to stop this bleeding.

- Give him the morphine!
- Where?

- In the thigh, right through the cloth.
- Yeah.

You better answer that phone,
or you'll be working on his knee.

Kate, come here, come here.
Throw that away. Come here, come on.

Put pressure on here.

If the blood seeps through your fingers,
then push harder.

Autopsy.

Ducky, what's with
the infectious autopsy?

Purely precautionary.

- That why you took the evidence back?
- Yes. Sorry. Look, I'm really busy.

Is Kate there?

No. She left a few minutes ago.

Okay.

You let me know
when I can come down.

You got me curious.

I can't wait to weigh your liver.

Unknown male in Autopsy.

Wearing greens.
Medium build and height.

- Copy.
- The FBI hostage rescue team

will be on site in seven minutes.

We need an eye in Autopsy.

On it.

- How's he doing?
- I'm fine.

The bleeding's stopped. That's good.

Yes and no.

Correct, Dr Mallard?

I had to clamp his
auxiliary artery to stop it.

Which means Gerald will lose his arm
if the artery isn't repaired

and the blood flow restored soon.

Ducky, can't you do that?

This is an autopsy room, not an ER.

No, I can't. I'm sorry.

I mean, he's going to need
a fully-equipped room and staff.

Which he will get
as soon as I'm out of here.

So, where is the evidence collected
in Qassam's room?

- The lock-up.
- Which is?

In the garage, one floor up.

- Same way I came in?
- I don't know how you came in.

In a body bag.

Same way you're going out.

Is it the same garage?

No. The evidence locker
is in the garage next to Forensics.

Above us.

ABBY: Oh, God, Gerald.
Oh, I should be in there.

Feed it into MTAC.

Hey, maybe you're not there, Abby,
because you are needed here.

Go.

One intruder?

- That's all I see, sir.
- Zoom in.

Guess he knows we're onto him.

Doctor, Caitlin.

Put Qassam in the body bag.

(ALARM BLARING)

Now, please.

Soon, they'll be calling
to negotiate your release.

We don't negotiate with terrorists.

Caitlin, when you get to know me better,

you won't call me that.

I have no intention
of getting to know you better.

Are you sure?

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Special Agent Gibbs.

HRT Leader Horowitz.
What do you got, Gibbs?

A terrorist is holding
three of our people hostage in Autopsy.

One of the hostages is wounded.
We're here. This is Autopsy.

There are three exits:
elevator, staircase, Receiving.

I have Special Agents at all three,

- and they're on TAC one.
- Team one, elevator.

Balboa, bring the elevator
to level three for HRT.

Team two, stairway, three, Receiving.

Pacci, DiNozzo,
replacements are on the way.

Stairwell and elevators
on the other side of the staircase.

Your team three will have to access
Receiving from the alley.

- Okay, let's hit it, gentlemen. Move!
- Hang on a second.

These hostages are our people.
I'm in charge here, understood?

Understood. Let's move out.

This is a video frame
of the man holding our people hostage.

- Nice smile.
- I'm sure.

But do you recognise him?

I just meant that
I would remember it, sir, and I don't.

The detainee who gave up Qassam
might be able to identify him.

I'm sorry, Director,
I was on with Tel Aviv.

Did Qassam work at Little Creek?

- He did.
- There's our Hamas connection.

The Israelis are training
at Little Creek on hurricane boats.

I should have known that, sir.

See if Tel Aviv can identify him.

Apparently, our hostage taker is Hamas,
but what's he after?

Negotiator Arkin, Director.
If you'll open up a phone line to him,

- I'll find out.
- I already know, sir.

He's here to retrieve
Qassam's body and blood.

Blood?

Hamas doesn't want us
to know they had an infected terrorist

serving burgers and fries
to American and Israeli sailors.

- Get me CDC.
- Right away, sir.

Infected with what?

There's typhoid, anthrax, smallpox.
It could be any number of diseases.

- Kate and I have been exposed.
- Maybe not.

I need all the evidence
I signed in this morning, Charlie.

- What?
- The evidence I signed in, now!

- Why haven't we been exposed?
- If Qassam was infectious,

the attack would have been successful.

No need to send a cleaner
to keep us from finding out.

Maybe they wanted
to delay our isolating exposed sailors

to induce an epidemic.

ABBY: So sick!

Well, it is!

One of you has to sign for that!

Don't wash.

- I got it.
- What's up?

There's two more.

GIBBS: Qassam would not have
infected himself

until he got a job on base.

He would've carried the virus
in something that's here.

How long was Qassam
slinging burgers?

- Eight days.
- That's good news.

Usually it takes longer than that
to become infectious.

- Usually?
- Okay, I'm gonna start testing.

Not until we get duplicates to give him.
We're not giving him the virus back.

The pharmacy will have the aspirin,
the nasal spray, the breath freshener.

And the nearest place to get the tea

would be

the Tea Peddler!

2788 Connecticut Avenue.

Now can I get started?

How long do you think
it would have taken me

to find the nearest tea shop?

An hour sooner than me.

ARI: I regrettably

had to demonstrate the consequence
of not obeying my orders.

The man I shot
is in danger of losing his arm.

Well, then, it's important you...

When all evidence
collected from Qassam's room

is in my hands,

you may have the wounded man.

I'll need the approval
of the NCIS Director before I can...

He's standing next to you.

Nod "yes" to the negotiator,
Director Morrow.

You have a deal.

Now, can we talk about releasing...

- You have 10 minutes.
- No, we need more...

DUCKY: (WHISPERING) Kate...

No.

He wants you to try.

Dr Mallard thinks that you were
daring me to pick up this knife.

The proper term is a "dissecting tool."

You didn't answer my question.

You just wanted another excuse
to shoot Gerald, didn't you?

(GRUNTS)

I had no intention
of shooting Gerald again, Caitlin.

I did, however, want to see
if I was right about you.

Next time, I'll be quicker.

Oh, don't you wonder
why you weren't now?

Could you give me a go?

I think not, Doctor.

You would kill me without hesitation.

I do, however, think you would regret it.

Now,

we have work to do

if we're all to survive this day.

ABBY: It's definitely a variola smallpox.

That's good news, because it's not a flat

or hemorrhagic smallpox,
which is always fatal.

Where'd you find it?

"Up your nose"
had special meaning for this guy.

(PHONE RINGING)

- That's good work, Abby.
- MAN: Hostage taker calling.

Hello.

I don't know your name.

Is Special Agent Gibbs there?

- I don't know who that is.
- I'm here.

I thought you might be.

You've seen me on video.

My turn to see you.

Looking forward to it.

Come alone. Unarmed.

And don't forget Qassam's things.

Got it all bagged and tagged, boss.

Aspirin, breath freshener,
nasal spray and tea.

Qassam drank a wimpy Darjeeling
from northwestern Kashmir.

I prefer the darker,
more robust flavour of tea

from the Brahmaputra area
in northeast India,

where they actually take
the leaf and they rake it...

- Tony?
- Yeah, boss?

You nervous?

Yeah. I don't like you going down there
unarmed and solo.

No choice.
Besides, I need you outside Receiving.

Team one? Gibbs.
Elevator to level three.

By the time we get down
from Receiving, it'll be over.

This guy's not a suicide bomber.

He has an escape plan.

Maybe to get out
the same way he came in.

I want someone I know there.

That's the same as saying
someone you trust?

Someone you can depend on?

(ELEVATOR DINGS)

I tested everything.

The nasal spray
was the only viral container.

- Thanks, Abs.
- Your best man?

I don't think "best man"
was the right thing to say to someone

- who's been married thrice.
- You worried?

Oh, no.

Yeah.

Me, too.

ARI: You're older than I expected.

Where are the other hostages?

Box on the floor.
Your hands on top of your head.

Then you turn around
and walk back to the door.

Not without Gerald.

He won't leave here at all
unless you put the box on the floor,

your hands on your head,

- turn around...
- Turn around

and walk back to the door.

Older doesn't mean deaf.

- You want out of here alive?
- I'm sure Gerald does.

I think you do, too.

That's why

very slowly now

I'm going to reach into this box

and take out of here with two fingers

exactly what you want.

(GIBBS SNORTING)

(IMITATES A BUZZER)

Surprise.

You failed.

Mission over.

The real smallpox virus
is on its way to CDC.

You wanna talk about
whether you live or die?

I have a shot.

Negative. Too risky through glass.

How far were you from Qassam
when you shot him?

I don't know.

You measured it
for your incident report.

Thirty seven feet and a few inches,
give or take.

You're a very good shot.

I would love to demonstrate.

Funny.

Special Agent Todd
said the same thing.

Where is she?

And the Doctor?

Would you truly like to demonstrate?

Yep.

Agent Todd's Sig Sauer
is in the box to your left.

The clip is from the Sig Sauer.

Untampered. All live rounds.

Pick it up.

(COCKS GUN)

Why?

Why not?

(GRUNTING)

Let's go! Go, go! Go, go, go! Come on!

(AGENTS YELLING)

(ECHOING) Target's down!
I got him! Over here!

(AGENTS YELLING INDISTINCTLY)

TONY: Boss? Boss?

Hey, boss.

Listen, don't try to sit up. Don't

sit up.

EMTs will be here in a minute.
It's a through-and-through.

- Nothing vital.
- We get him?

Yeah, you got him.

I've got to get down there.

TONY: Well, you were right, boss.

He had an accomplice in HRT gear
inside the Receiving elevator.

Shot both the HRT guys
before I nailed him.

One of them's dead.
The other's gonna make it.

Where are Kate and Ducky?

Right here.
He had them in the body cooler.

(COUGHING)

How'd you get him, Gibbs?

I didn't.

TONY: The way he escaped
was always his backup plan.

He just needed someone
he could count on

to shoot him in the chest,
to trigger the assault.

Gibbs figures he was
wearing a bulletproof vest all along.

He was. I felt it.

You felt it?

Well, how close did you get to feel it?

Close enough to touch him.

With your hands,
or did you touch him with...

Close enough to stab him
with a knife in my hand.

And you didn't?

No.

Stockholm syndrome?

You can't identify
with your captor in an hour.

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe it's like falling in love.

It can happen

like that.