NCIS (2003–…): Season 10, Episode 19 - Squall - full transcript

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[WINDS ROARING]

This is the captain. You saw what?

I said, no one, repeat,
no one goes on deck until this passes.

Where is he?
Get two men out there now.

Rescue the son of a bitch
and bring him to me.

- Captain wants us back inside ASAP!
- This is bad!

- Why do we gotta go out there?
- We got orders.

- Bridge saw somebody on deck.
- Oh, orders, my ass.

This is a full-on, stain-your-shorts
white squall, man.

- My mama didn't raise no fool.
- Your mama's not here.

Captain says now, so move.

Let's do it, Forrest.

- All right.
- Let's go!

Oh, man!

[FORREST YELLS]

LANDIS:
I got you. You're fine.

Come on.

There he is!
I can see him on the deck!

He's not moving!
We gotta get down there!

LANDIS:
Hold on!

[MEN YELLING]

Tell the captain we need a doctor!

[LANDIS PANTING]

This is the doctor!

The unexpected storm
off the eastern seaboard

caught fishing and U.S. Navy vessels
by surprise last night.

The coast guard rescued
over a dozen people

associated with the squall
that pounded the Virginia coast,

then quickly dissipated.

Now it looks like we're gonna see...

Coast guard officials have yet
to release the exact number of injuries

connected to the storm, but estimate
the damage to be in the millions.

ZIVA: Tony, really?
- Sorry,

I happen to prefer
the weather report on ZNN.

Yeah, I'm sure.
I mean, she's extremely...

Bright, articulate.
Chelsea, she's a crack meteorologist.

- Ha. Her name is Chelsea?
- Oh, yeah.

Do you know she has a master's
in earth science?

And her favorite cloud
is cumulonimbus.

- How would you know that?
- It's all over her personal web page.

And it has pictures.
Really good pictures.

CHELSEA: Now the...
- Where's McGee?

Maybe he blew away
coming to work this morning.

- Or he met someone last night.
TONY: Doubtful.

That might be the reason
I would be late.

These days, my friend,
I'm not so sure.

- You've noticed?
- Yes, I am quite aware

you hit, um, a dry spell recently.

- Like Lawrence of Arabia.
- Ha-ha-ha.

You know, maybe it's not a woman.
Maybe it's a flat tire.

Maybe he stopped for doughnuts.

Perhaps he slipped in the shower
and he can't get up.

Bought one of those for my dad.
Let's go.

U.S.S. Borealis' scheduled arrival
is in one hour.

Got a murdered officer onboard.

- Where's McGee?
- Overslept.

Doctor visit.

Uh-huh.

[GRUNTS]

So how much do you make
being a Big Brother?

Oh, it doesn't pay anything.
It's a volunteer program.

So you actually make nothing
to spend time with me?

Believe it or not, Adam, I want to.

Did you have a big brother
growing up?

No, I wish I did.

My dad was at sea a lot
when I was a kid.

You know, even though my mom has
the flu, I could've stayed home.

What, and miss an overnight trip
to Colonial Williamsburg?

People in puffy shirts
making candles and soap?

No way am I gonna let that happen.

- Thanks, Mr. McGee.
- Call me Tim. I'm glad I could help.

[RINGING]

Who's Gibbs?

Oh, boy.

- Where did they move the body?
- Sick bay. They didn't touch him.

GIBBS: Who did?
TONY: Agent afloat.

ZIVA: On a destroyer?
TONY: Ships were on their way back

from UNITAS exercises
in Latin America.

- Carrier agent cross-decked, huh?
TONY: First responder.

Could have sworn it was
that guy Hatfield out of Mayport.

I think you're wrong.
Look who I found.

Hey, if it isn't Stan "The Man" Burley.
How you doing?

Last time I saw you, you were
up to your ears in Italian signorinas,

- red wine and thin-crust pizza.
- I only admit to the pizza.

- Good to see you.
BURLEY: You too, sir.

Wish it was under better circumstances.
I boarded the ship as soon as I could,

marked the location of the body
and moved the remains to sick bay.

They were pretty contaminated
after the storm.

Hard not to be contaminated with
Chicken of the Sea all over the deck.

Boss, I'm sorry. I know, I know,
I'm an hour and 46 minutes late.

Forty-seven, Tim Tebow.
Better put a knee down, start praying.

GIBBS:
Let's go, McGee. Sick bay. Come on.

I love when he's late.

- Talk to me, Duck.
DUCKY: Well, regrettably,

the commander was not on deck
last night singing in the rain.

- Got any idea what killed him?
DUCKY: Well,

hard to say till I get a better look,
but I think one can safely assume that

that is not a bite
from a hungry mosquito.

- Maybe a syringe?
- Yeah, very possibly.

It always intrigues me how some
people bruise more easily than others.

My cousin Beatrice
had incredibly white skin.

I remember vividly
when she was giving blood

when her mother
needed a transfusion,

her arm had needle marks on it
for over two weeks.

Hey, Duck.

Oh, well, I suppose one could assume
that this bruising meant

that the commander was on the move
when he was jabbed.

After he was jabbed, he probably
stumbled outside in search of help.

Picked a heck of a time
to take a stroll on the lido deck.

[CHUCKLES]

Lido deck, it's...

Uh, um...

The Love Boat.

Uh, Captain Stubing
always used to say that, um...

See, now, the lido deck
is a cruise-ship reference.

And l... Never mind.

Special Agent Gibbs,
may I have a moment?

McGee, statement
from the hospital corpsmen.

- Get details.
- On it, boss.

Officer onboard needs to talk to you.

- Officer have a name, captain?
- Lieutenant Mane, admiral's aide.

Captain says you're the agent
in charge.

How can I help you?

We came aboard the Borealis
during exercises.

Our helo was grounded
due to inclement weather.

Despite the tragedy here, I'm afraid the
admiral still has a schedule to keep.

We got a crime scene, Mane.
Can't let you leave.

That's not acceptable.

What's not acceptable
is a dead Navy commander.

Who else can I talk to?

If your admiral has an issue,
he should come to me directly.

Special Agent Gibbs,
your reputation precedes you.

- As does yours.
- Heard what happened. Terrible loss.

Amazing what a little thunderstorm
can do to damage.

The storm didn't kill him.
What can I do for you, admiral?

- Get me off the ship.
GIBBS: Can't.

- Sure you can.
- No, Dad, he can't.

A man died here today.

Until we figure out what happened,
this whole crew is on lockdown.

Understandable,
but I have someplace to be.

Been hearing that my whole life.

Good to see you too, son.

I get updates
from Tim's grandmother.

Can't say I agree with her politics,
but I do appreciate her fortitude.

McGEE:
She's a good person, Dad.

If you don't mind aging hippies
with commie tendencies.

You attend all battle exercises,
admiral?

ADMIRAL:
Negative. Joined halfway through.

Boarded two carriers
before the Borealis, all out of Ushuaia.

How long were you
in South America?

Nine days total. Very hospitable
people. Gorgeous women.

- How's your love life, Tim?
- Did you know Commander Haber?

We exchanged pleasantries.
Decent man. Dedicated physician.

I gotta say, Tim, you look like hell. You
need to take better care of yourself.

Being good at science and math,

that's all well and good,
but MIT isolated you.

You're too content
in your own little world.

- Boss, do you mind if I leave?
- Right, run away.

Don't confront the situation.
God forbid, just like your mother.

You leave Mom out of this.

Where is she now? She with
that real estate idiot out of Dallas?

You see, Agent Gibbs,
every mistake we ever made

raising Tim and his sister
was my fault.

Never mind the fact that Tim always
had a safe home, three solids

- and a family who cared about him.
- No, Mom cared.

- Your family was the Navy.
- Still is, boy, which is why

I need to get ashore immediately.

Not until we finish our investigation.

This is what I'm talking about.

You could learn a lot
from Agent Gibbs. He's got stones.

You stay in your bunk, admiral,
until you hear otherwise.

- Are we clear?
- Crystal.

ZIVA:
Now, Petty Officer Graves,

how long did you work
under Commander Haber?

Nine months. Commander was always
good to me, respected my opinion.

Seemed like the crew
appreciated him also.

Being a physician on a ship
like this is rough.

Folks know everybody's business.

- Who's sick, who's medicated.
- There are no secrets.

None. So when somebody
breaks the rules,

- starts abusing, it dominos quickly.
- How?

Commander Haber was about
to come forward with information

pertaining to a crew member's
illegal drug use.

What kind of drugs?

Agent asked you a question, Graves.

Crews work long hours.
They're tired, edgy.

There's an amphetamine-ADHD
cocktail that's been going around.

And who is the sailor
he was pinpointing?

Believe me, I wish I knew.
Commander wouldn't say.

Thanks.

SECNAV knows
that Commander Haber's body

is being transported
back here to Dr. Mallard.

The crew is to remain onboard.

Admiral McGee and his staff
are allowed to go.

- Why?
- Because John McGee's

on the fast track
to a presidential cabinet position.

I wouldn't want him in my cabinet.

I'm aware of the tension
between McGee and his father.

Admiral disrespects everything
McGee's earned.

We all know that the admiral's
a pain in the ass.

- You should let Tim know...
- I've got his back, Leon?

I always have.

ZIVA: Keep looking for anything related
to what Graves was talking about.

Come on.

MAN [OVER PA]:
Second launch officer to the second...

I, uh, heard about your father, Ziva.

- I'm sorry for your loss.
- Thank you.

BURLEY: I assume Homeland
and CIA are knee-deep in it, huh?

- They any closer to catching the guy?
- No, not yet.

TONY:
Ah. Hey, look what I found.

- Doctor's medical logs.
- He was in charge of the pharmacy.

- Think the stabbing is drug-related?
- Based on what Graves said, sure.

I know the Borealis was anchored
in Parbo for a while.

Non-stop South America to Norfolk
is a drug trafficker's dream cruise.

I love a good
all-you-can-smuggle buffet.

Comb through it.
See if anything's missing.

Maybe the commander
wouldn't play ball.

Agent Burley and I will
go take another look around.

Right, Burley?

So Agent Burley was Agent DiNozzo

before Agent DiNozzo
was Agent DiNozzo?

That is correct.
One cannot help but be confused

by the Downton Abbey complexity
of government bureaucracy.

You know, the thing to remember is

that we are all but one Stan Burley
away from reassignment.

And that's why we should always
focus on the job in hand.

I keep thinking about the look on Agent
McGee's face when he saw his dad.

Well, we certainly can't pick
our fathers, Mr. Palmer,

but the real tragedy occurs
when our fathers do not pick us.

- Anything?
- Your timing is impeccable.

Look at that.

GIBBS: Something under the skin?
- Piece of a broken needle.

Yeah, I'm sure they had no intention
of leaving it behind.

PALMER: No defensive wounds.
Haber probably never saw it coming.

GIBBS: What was in the syringe?
- Cyanide. Ethylene glycol.

Eye of newt.
That last one being unlikely.

[CHUCKLES]

We sent samples to Abby.

But I would venture to guess
it's something more slow-acting.

You know, it's quite extraordinary with
the chaos of the squall on the ship,

they just happened to hit
the carotid artery.

TONY:
I'm telling you, it was more than that.

You're letting your imagination
get the best of you.

- Stan was not flirting with Ziva.
- Hmm. I noticed it in Italy last year too.

Does Burley look burlier to you?

Stan's a good guy.

Besides, he knows that Ziva's
vulnerable right now.

Aha!
That's exactly what I'm talking about.

You see, he could use that
to his advantage.

Swoop right in like a hawk going after
a sweet, innocent, furry little Israeli.

- You're very stealthy.
- Tell me what you got.

Well, I have been going through
the commander's records

and one person keeps flagging
for multiple visits to the sick bay.

Name?

Petty Officer Third Class
Kevin Wyeth, 23, divorced.

No little Wyeths.
Three years in the military.

Only operational tour
is on the Borealis.

- History?
McGEE: Not unusual.

Colds, minor injuries,
a staph infection.

- Priors?
TONY: Wyeth had a juvie record

- of drug possession.
- When he joined the ship,

MA's detained him for suspicion
of giving drugs to another sailor,

- but they couldn't prove it.
- DiNozzo, you and Burley bring him in.

Back to the destroyer. Thank you,
boss. Loving the drive to Norfolk.

All I'm saying is tread lightly.
Ziva's been through a lot lately.

- Ziva?
- Yeah.

- Fragile?
- She's been through a lot, Stan.

- DiNozzo, wait, you got it all wrong.
- I've seen you work it, Opie.

Mr. Innocent with the... Don't get me
wrong, you're a good guy, but...

Tony, I'm engaged.
She's an officer in the U.S.S. Delarue.

We met about a year ago. Wait.

Connie's completing her last tour,
then taking a gig in Navy Intel.

Guess my agent afloat days
are over, huh?

- Good for you.
- Yeah, it's gonna be

a whole new chapter for me.
You should try it.

Maybe I will.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

BURLEY: Is that him?
- Yeah.

Petty Officer Wyeth, NCIS.
We want to talk to you.

Oh, come on.

Petty officer, where do you think
you're going?

BURLEY:
Wyeth!

We just wanna talk, Wyeth.

[GRUNTING]

[WYETH GROANS]

- You all right?
- Yeah, thanks.

- You're too good to me.
- Consider it an engagement present.

Like what you see there,
Petty Officer Wyeth?

I don't know, sir. Not especially.

Well, based on the bloods
we just took,

Kev, I've gotta say
you are a walking drugstore cowboy.

Ups, downs, mood stabilisers,
attention deficit pills.

- They're all prescription and legit.
TONY: Too legit to quit?

When you take one or two, maybe,
but not all five at once.

- I, uh, need them for medical reasons.
- I see.

- And did a doctor tell you that?
- Yeah, I've talked to doctors.

Well, you have got a long list
of juvie priors, a history of possessions

and frankly a blood workup
that, uh, makes Sid Vicious look clean.

- Sid who?
- Sid...

Oh, boy. Here's what I think.

I think you were running low,
so you went to go see Haber.

No, I went to the doc
because I was sick.

Sick or strung out? That must have
been kind of difficult, huh?

Sitting in his office
so close to that drug cabinet,

filled with exciting drugs,
the candy store just out of reach.

No, you don't understand.
I just wanted him to help me.

Mm-hm. Enough to kill him?

Where are you going?

Wow.

You see, these are the side effects
from all the drugs.

I knew it was only a matter of time
before all this caught up with me.

All right.

Boss, there's no way that
Shaky the Clown

could have stabbed the commander
with that kind of precision.

I know.

Doctor, this hurts me more
than it hurts you.

[BEEPING]

Ugh.

[COMPUTER BEEPING]

Ouch.

- Abby, what are you doing?
- Here, grab a needle, McGee.

- Start jabbing.
- Why?

I have poked this guy
over a dozen times now.

On the fly, walking, running.

The computer still says
that I haven't hit the carotid yet.

I mean, try it.
It's practically impossible.

[COMPUTER BEEPING]

- Can I stop now, please?
- So Ducky was right.

The needle was filled
with a slow-acting strychnine

that led to paralysis
and eventually to asphyxiation.

But the amazing thing
is how it was administered.

Look at this. Okay,
imagine if you will a white squall.

There's chaos in the passageway.
Sweaty sailors everywhere.

But somehow the killer swoops in,
and bam.

He nails the doctor first time right
in the carotid with this tiny little needle

which, lucky for us, breaks off
and leaves the tip.

But, I mean,
what are the odds, right?

Whoever did this had special training?

Or they're just really good
with tiny little pointy things.

I'll tell Gibbs.

McGee, everybody knows
it's been really rough on you

having your dad
just show up like this.

Maybe you should stand up to him
and tell him how you feel.

You've spent your entire life
avoiding this moment

that could be liberating.

Abby, he's the admiral.
No one talks to him, they just listen.

[PHONE RINGING]

McGee. When?

Okay, hang on. I'll be right up.

McGee's on his way.

Um, can we get you anything?
A soda, perhaps?

Adam here doesn't need a soda, Ziva.
Note the blank stare, dilated pupils.

He's probably running a fever
as well,

because he's eyeing
a real live female agent.

You're the closest thing
to James Bond's Honeychile Ryder

his turbulent, roiling, pubescent
hormones have ever encountered.

- Well, he's giving me the creeps.
- That'll stop in about 60 years.

Adam, you're supposed
to be in Williamsburg.

- How'd you get here?
- The bus.

Once I saw who I was sharing
a motel room with, I couldn't do it.

- Bobby Moran.
- Bully?

To the power of ten.

Kids like Moran don't have much time
for nerds like me.

- Hey, you are not a nerd.
- Yes, yes, you are.

But own it. My advice.

It's okay, Adam. Don't listen to him.

But at some point we all need
to learn to stand up for ourselves.

See, kids like Bobby Moran
aren't any better than you.

In 10, 15 years from now
when you're working in Silicon Valley

making six figures, they'll still be stupid
jocks that peaked in high school.

- You think?
- I know.

And I'll tell you something else.
Most bullies are just big cowards.

[PHONE RINGS]

Hey, Burley, where are you
and what have you got?

BURLEY: I've been trolling
surveillance footage

during the hours leading up
to the death.

- Find anything?
- Yeah.

I think this is the moment
the commander was poisoned.

You can't see the killer.

Later that night Petty Officer
Daniel Graves snuck into the sick bay

and appears to be removing data
from the doctor's computer.

- Background?
- Already ran it.

Graves became a hospital corpsman
after failing Navy SEAL training.

BURLEY:
Excelled in hand-to-hand combat,

couldn't handle
psychological pressure.

What if Petty Officer Graves
was the one selling drugs to the crew?

Maybe the commander
figured something out.

I'll go talk to the captain.
You find Graves.

Lieutenant, can you give us
a moment?

Of course, sir. I'll be right outside.

- I have to ask you a personal question.
- Mm-hm.

I wanna know Tim's status
here at NCIS.

- Meaning?
- Meaning I wanna know

if he'll ever amount to anything more
than an overpaid paper-pusher.

Let me explain something.

Special Agent McGee
is a valuable asset to this team.

As a Navy officer and as a father,

you should be proud
of what your son has accomplished.

I asked for an assessment.
I didn't ask for a lecture.

So why the sudden interest
in Special Agent McGee's future?

You have a good evening,
Director Vance.

Maybe one day
you can teach my son

some of the boxing moves
I hear have served you so well.

He needs them.

It does not make any sense
that the ship is still in lockdown,

yet Petty Officer Graves
never reported for duty.

- Where is he?
- He can't have gone far.

Graves has to be somewhere
onboard.

[PHONE RINGS]

Burley. When? Are they here now?

Let me know.

- What happened?
- Crew member is getting off the ship.

It's a medical emergency.
Sick bay reported a ruptured appendix.

- Ambulance is waiting on the pier.
- Who from sick bay called it in?

ZIVA: Federal agents.
BURLEY: Don't move.

Clever way off the ship, Graves.
Out of the ambulance.

This guy's appendix is about to blow.
I have orders to send him to a hospital.

- Signed by who?
- The ship's doctor,

Commander Brian Haber.

Fancy stuff with the ambulance.
What are you running from?

Pictures tell a thousand words.

GRAVES:
These?

Pictures get doctored. Easy.

What if I tell you
half the crew gave you up?

- Do I need to get a lawyer here?
- I don't know. Do you?

I was trying to get rid
of the paper trail.

- The cocktail that was going around.
- That came from you.

A little extra pocket change. Hmm.

So why did you tell us
about the drugs?

I mean, why admit everything,
just like that?

- Sir?
- The first time we came to you,

the first thing out of your mouth
was about the drugs.

Now you're copping
to being the supplier.

I didn't kill the commander.

You doing something else
in sick bay?

Petty Officer Graves,

whoever you are covering for,
you better ask yourself,

is this worth it?

Your fingers, McGee.
Why are they not typing?

Hey, boss. I was just running Graves'
e-mails to see if anything flagged.

- Yeah? Anything flag?
- No.

Good. Go home. It's late.

You know, I kind of liked him.

Really?

I know he's kind of a blowhard,

but I guess he's also got
his good qualities too.

- I'm talking about the little guy, Adam.
- Oh, Adam.

Yeah, yeah, he's great, Adam.

- How long you been helping him out?
- Couple months.

It's a good thing you do.

Actually I've been thinking about
moving on

from the whole Big Brother thing.

That kid depends on you.

Yeah, but with work,
it's hard to make the time.

It's probably better if they just
assign him to someone else.

It's better?
Who's it better for, McGee?

Well, for both of us. I don't think
he really understands what I do.

Let him know who you are.

Are we still talking about
the little guy?

ADMIRAL: You going to tell me why
you called or am I supposed to guess?

I called for this.

- You called me to take a walk?
- Yep.

Is that what you NCIS people do?

No, Dad, it's what sons do.

You know, my life is good.

I'm doing good work right now.

I just thought
you might wanna know that.

- Sure your mother doesn't like this.
- She loves going for walks.

Not that, this. Us.

- You lost me.
- The fighting, Tim. The fighting.

- Have you talked to her lately?
- No, but I know her.

She's never liked it when we...

So change it.

[CHUCKLES]

Your 5th birthday.

I built that sandbox out back.

Played so long and so hard,
you fell right asleep.

And I was just standing there

looking at you and...

And what?

That was a long time ago.
It was a different time.

Excuse me, admiral.
Meeting at the White House.

- We need to get going.
- Very well. Thank you, lieutenant.

What was it you used to say to me
when I was shipping out?

Watch out for the bad guys.

Ten grand. Hardly worth Graves
risking his whole career.

- What do we got?
TONY: Money transfer

into the hospital corpsman's
chequing account.

Ten grand. Payment for who
he's covering up for.

- Source?
- Still digging, boss.

You know, Burley, when I was an
agent afloat back in the good old days,

there used to be this clipboard sheet
in the sick bay with sign-in.

- Gonna be hard to track a clipboard.
- Unless the clipboard has 3G.

Because my dentist
started using a tablet.

There's this receptionist, Mallory.
Got the cutest little heart-shaped...

Hey, Burley, closed-circuit images
of Graves in sick bay

showed him walking off with a tablet.

I'm not sure the Borealis made
the switch to electronic records.

Let's find out.

Agent McGee won't mind
if I use his computer, right?

Now's not a good week
to poke the Beaver.

- Uh, Beaver?
- MIT mascot. Sorry I'm late, boss.

Do you mind?

Just checking to see if the Borealis
made the conversion to paperless.

Well, Fourth Fleet
made the switch two months ago,

which means if the tablet's connected
to a network, we can search its MEID.

Guess your engineers trump
my Buckeyes.

- Go, Bucks!
McGEE: Speaking of college,

our missing tablet is online
at John Hamilton University.

Go.

Tablet computers
are like student loans around here.

- Sure you can track this thing?
- Within 50 yards.

But since it just dropped off
the cellular net,

I'm gonna have to wait
for it to reconnect.

College campuses
always bring back memories.

Good and bad. Kind of like fathers.

How long you been sitting
on that transition, Tony? It's subtle.

Well, between Gibbs,
Ziva and myself,

no reason to beat around the bush
when it comes to daddy drop-ins.

Yeah, because those all
went so well.

Two out of three ain't bad.

Look, the fact is,
fathers start out as heroes

and they end up disappointing.

So I should just skip to hugs
and signet rings?

No, what about the part where
you painfully begin

to understand your old man's flaws?

Because we share them. I get it.
But the admiral never will.

It's just part of who he is.

There's gotta be something
that can soften him up.

- Signal's active again. They're close.
- Which way?

Please, let it be
this sunbathing book club.

No, it's over there.

Ladies.

- Oh, you can't hold me.
- I got it.

It had to be sweaty ballplayers.
How'd a Navy computer end up here?

- I don't know. Let's find out.
- You take it out.

Little help, my man?

Federal agents.

Have any of you acquired
a tablet computer in the last 24 hours?

- Sorry, Genius Bar, can't help you.
- So if I checked these gym bags,

I wouldn't find anything?

- You gonna touch our stuff?
- You see the badge?

- You need a warrant.
- You need a hook shot.

[PLAYERS CHUCKLE]

Possession of stolen military hardware
is a felony, LeBron.

Wait, hold up.
Nobody said anything about stealing.

Oh, so you have the tablet?

MAN:
Oh, man.

Found it in the trash yesterday.
There was no name on it or nothing.

Look, I swear that's the truth, man.
We cool?

Did McGee say anything
about his dad?

They spoke.
I'm not sure the admiral listened.

ABBY:
I feel so bad for McGee.

These things take time.

McGee should be happy
they still have time.

Luckily the memory
wasn't professionally wiped

before the tablet was thrown away.
I can still access the records.

Access them faster.

I'm gonna go poke
my mannequin some more.

That didn't sound right.

So far all the names from the patient
log appear to be crew members.

Nothing to suggest
who could have killed the commander.

Boss, last to sign in
was a Henry Newbolt.

Match it up.

Newbolt?

- Doesn't appear in the ship's records.
- Was he a civilian onboard?

How will ye know him
Among the rest?

By the glint o' stars
That cover his breast

Ye may find Admiral Death

Boss, Henry Newbolt is a
turn-of-the-century British poet.

- He's one of my father's favourites.
- It's a pseudonym.

Why would the admiral
need to conceal his identity?

- Bring him in.
- Boss, please, no.

Yes, go on.

There's no reason to think
that he would do this.

Your dad has spent his life
talking his way out of things.

But this is about answers.
Real answers.

And that could just as easy
prove him innocent.

ADMIRAL:
You wanna do this, Agent Gibbs?

I think we're already
doing it, admiral.

I've got an appointment
I can't be late for.

- Then I'll try to make it quick.
- I'm waiting.

- Where were you when Commander...?
- With my staff.

The moment that helo landed
to when I stepped off the Borealis.

Captain Vandevere also knew my
whereabouts at all times. We done?

You used a phony name
to see the doctor.

Like I said, you have a question,
ask it.

I just did.

Who's behind the glass?

Who's watching?

You scared
he's gonna see you break?

My relationship with my son
is none of your damn business.

You make him think he's nothing.
You're the one with nothing.

- You will respect this uniform.
- Answer the question.

This uniform provided for him,
for his mother, for this whole family.

Why lie? Why avoid the truth?
Why avoid your son?

All right.

Because I'm sick.

No one could know. Stage four.

I wasn't feeling well
when we showed up for the exercises.

I knew Haber was top-notch,
so I transferred to the Borealis.

Haber gave me something for the pain,
but he knew what was causing it.

He was gonna report it
to NAVCENT?

Doctor-patient privilege
is a little different

when it comes to national security.

So that meant the end of my career.

It's motive
to keep the commander quiet.

Gibbs,

I've been a lot of things.

Been a lousy father,
I've been a son of a bitch.

But I'm no murderer.

LEON:
Hell of a way to find out.

So who besides the admiral
stood to lose if the illness went public?

The admiral did not even tell
his own son,

so whoever knew
had to be someone extremely close.

- Well, who could even get that close?
- Someone who doesn't have a choice.

DiNozzo, run the admiral's aide,
Lieutenant Carlton Mane.

TONY: On it, boss.
- Agent DiNozzo.

- Where are you going?
- Squad room, sir.

Your computer? Your desk?

Thank you.
I just used hand sanitiser, so...

- It's a comfortable chair.
- It gets less comfortable over time.

Whoo!

- That's nice.
- Hey, DiNozzo.

- Got his service record.
- Put it up on the plasma.

He graduated high in his class
at Annapolis.

Former intel officer
working black ops.

This is interesting.
A letter in his file from the admiral

talks about Lieutenant Mane
being an integral part of his team.

And requests his reassignment
to the admiral's staff

upon his acceptance
of a cabinet level post.

So if the admiral doesn't go
to the White House, then...

Mane doesn't either.

DiNozzo, link the 10 grand payoff
to the lieutenant.

You think Mane paid Graves
to steal the tablet?

Graves was just following orders.
Then Mane tossed it to the trash.

We'll finish the walk-through
aboard the Knox,

then break for lunch
in the officers' mess.

The admiral will meet us there.
Does that work?

Doesn't work for me, Mane.
We got a lot of things to talk about.

Make an appointment,
Special Agent Gibbs.

We'll be happy to get something
on the books.

He doesn't need an appointment,
lieutenant.

Dismissed.

What he has to say
is worth listening to.

Is there a problem, admiral?

We weren't expecting you on base
for another two hours.

I have questions, Carlton.
I expect straight answers.

- How long have you worked with me?
- A long time, sir.

- I've treated you well?
- Like family.

ADMIRAL: It's not easy
being a member of this family.

I expect the absolute best.

Honesty, integrity, loyalty
in everything we do.

- Yes, sir.
ADMIRAL: Where were those

when you murdered
Commander Haber?

MANE: I was only ever thinking
about you, admiral.

I had to do something.
I had to keep him quiet.

This was my decision.
My responsibility.

You taught me that commitment
to success comes first.

I was wrong.

So, what did you decide?

Nothing yet.

I don't even know
what kind of cancer he has

or how long
the doctors are giving him.

Guess maybe the best thing I can do
is call him

and try to get him to talk to me.

McGee, I was talking about the kid.

Oh, Adam. Yeah, I decided to stay on
as his Big Brother.

I'm actually taking him
to a midnight screening

of Zombie Planet from Galaxy J
tonight.

Well, that sounds awful.
Ha-ha-ha. I think he's a lucky kid.

Boss, do you think I made
the right decision with my father?

To be the bigger man?

Maybe it's time he learned
from you, McGee.

[PHONE RINGING]

Just don't be late for the movie.

McGEE:
Thanks for calling.

Beautiful out, huh? Not so cold.

Do the others know?

I'll talk to your sister.

- What about Mom?
- I can't just call her out of the blue.

I think she'd want you to.

- Apologies are hard for me.
- They're hard for everybody, Dad.

There are some things
I wish I'd done differently.

You know, Gibbs says
that apologies are a sign of weakness.

I always thought you'd be one
to agree with that.

Like I said,
Agent Gibbs is a smart man.

Ah, Tim, what can I do?

You can walk with me.

Your mother would like this.

Yeah, I think she would.
Ripped By mstoll