NCIS (2003–…): Season 11, Episode 7 - Better Angels - full transcript

This is Marine Sergeant
Michael Dawson.

28 years old. Poor guy was on leave
just doing some shopping.

Robbery gone bad, Duck.

Yes, amidst a flock

of fine wool suits...
Two for a hundred.

Got any suggestions?

Well, at first glance,

I see two gunshot wounds
to the chest,

one directly over the heart.

Write it up.
Let's get him back.

I opened this place six years ago.

People call me "Mr. Spiffy".

Well, why don't we just start
with Sergeant Dawson.

He was over there,
looking for a shirt.

All he wanted was a shirt.

I got... I got the shirt part.

So... what happens next?

A guy comes in
with a mask and a gun,

and he's screaming at me
to give him the money in the drawer.

And I was gonna do it...

But Sergeant Dawson intervened?

Yeah, he went for the gun.

And the robber shot him and ran off.

Hey, you all right?

You know,
the body's gonna be removed shortly,

so why don't you just take a minute.

I'll be right back.

I got out just in time.

Mr. Spiffy's
about to lose his lunch.

I see that victim-sensitivity
training

really paid off.

I think somebody's been spending
much time watching Bette Midler movies.

Delilah have you sit down
and watch Beaches again?

Leave her out of it.

No other witnesses.

Metro has seen three armed robberies
in the area this month.

Six feet, ski mask, working alone?

I'll have Metro send over the files.

Hey, Dad. I'm in the middle
of something. Can it wait?

Sir, this is Officer Mitchell,
Howard County PD.

Apologies for the confusion.

You were the only one
programmed into the phone.

Jackson Gibbs is your father?

Yeah. Is he okay?

- Well, sir, he...
- I know my rights.

I'll report you so damn fast,

your tears won't have time
to hit the floor!

Yeah. You have him.

Yes, sir, we do.

I'm afraid there's been an incident.

You think I'm kidding?

Show me what law I broke!

Show me!

NCIS Season 11 Episode 07
Better Angels 1.0 LOL DIM

Synchro: Gaillots & Kujathemas.

Rereading: Bruno.

- Boss call you from the road?
- Nope.

Me, neither.

So here's what we have to go on.

Jackson had a run-in
with law enforcement in Maryland.

It's not so bad that he's dead, but it
is so bad that Gibbs had to pick him up.

Something like that.

I'm thinking the old man got
busted with a lady of the night.

I can't even look at you right now.

It's either that or he was trying
to buy some kind of illegal exotic pet.

Those are your two choices?

Look, Jackson's older, he's lonely.

A monkey could be tempting.

What is with you lately?

Me?

You systematically
ate my yogurt all week.

If you don't want me to eat it,
then write your name on it.

I shouldn't have to.

You don't deserve yogurt,
you know that?

All you do is bash people...

me, the suit guy, Jackson.

Okay. I got it.

Thanks for setting me straight.

You are the wind beneath my wings.

What is this?

Case files from... Metro.

Other robberies in the area.

Yeah, why are they on my desk?

Because I would like you
to go through them

and see if you can find
any links to our homicide.

Are you taking point?

I am.

That's insane.
There's only two of us here,

and Gibbs'll be back in a few hours.

Go through the files... probie.

This never is easy.

I know what losing a license
can do to a person.

Well, if his eyes are that bad,
you didn't have a choice.

I'm glad to hear you say that.

Your father told me you were
gonna get me in my sleep.

This is him.

Listen, I appreciate

you going the extra mile.

You know, the same thing happened

to my father
when he reached a certain age.

It never is easy.

Forget my car.

We'll get it later.
Let's use yours.

Dad, slow down, okay?

Oh, and I'm gonna get
my license back, too, later.

Bunch of idiots.

Come on, we need to get on the road.

Take a breath.
Tell me what happened.

I hit a parked car.

Stop the presses.

I asked what happened, Dad.

I got off the highway
to get some gas,

and the gas station was closed.

I got... turned around somehow.

So I took off my driving glasses
and I put on

my reading glasses to check the map.

And I...

I bumped into a hatchback.

All right? I mean...

I can see fine.

Now, can we go?

What's so important about Maryland?

Nothing. I was just passing through
on my way to pick you up.

Going to see an old war buddy.

Eden, North Carolina.

I want you to come with me.

You could've called first, okay?

And give you a chance to say no?

My buddy...

I got word that he's dying.

I got things I need to say to him.

Golden Angel Four
to all stations... I've been hit.

Do you read me? Over.

I was helping you build
a model plane,

and you asked me about the war.

Do you remember the story
I told you?

Yeah, of course.

This guy was the other pilot.

Walter Beck.

Do you remember that name?

He was the one.

Dad, I'm right in the middle
of an investigation.

I can get someone to take you there.

I don't need to be taken.
I want you to meet him.

I need you to do this.

Please.

What's the best way to get to Eden?

Let's go.

Have you heard from Gibbs?

Not yet.

Dare I ask what's in the box?

Whenever he's close enough
to my computer,

I record his catchphrases
for posterity,

and now I have packaged them
in this portable and stylish box.

What do you got, Abs?

In English.

It's broken.

That's when he's just staring
at you.

Abs, the case.

Sergeant Dawson. Okay.

The bullets
that were pulled from his body

are both nine-millimeter.

The striations are consistent
with a Glock 17.

Suspect in the other
robberies never fired.

But the witnesses
all had him carrying

a black semiautomatic pistol.

Glock 17 would fit the bill,
and so would

a Smith & Wesson M&P

or a Beretta 92...

Is it Gibbs?

Tell him I'm making his dad
the best present ever.

I'm gonna go...
decorate this some more.

Hey, Boss.
How's your pops?

Like I said, a minor accident.
He's fine.

No, you didn't say that,
but that's what we figured.

One sec, Boss.

It's McGee.
He's really off the rails today.

- I'll talk to him later.
- No, no, patch him through.

Yeah. I finished the work
you're too good for, Boss.

Great.

You're on with both of us, Tim.

Okay. I did not know that.

I looked through Metro's files
on the other robberies.

Major elements line up with ours.
Looks like the same guy.

I could've told you that.

I also created an algorithm

that'll find links
between the cases.

Anything we input on our end that'll
match something on theirs will flag.

Hey, McGee, that's great work.

You got point.

What?

I mean, well,
do we really need a point?

You'll be back before we know it.

Change of plans...
I'll be back tomorrow.

Until then, McGee, you got point.

Thank you, Boss.

Tony, talk to Dawson's mom.

She has insurance questions.

Is the world still
turning without you?

Can't concentrate
with all that noise.

When's the last time
you went to the eye doctor?

Looks like we can just go
through DC, I guess.

Can we go over my patient history

after we talk to Walter?

Sure we can.

Aw, it keeps running
through my head.

How alone I was up there.

The sky's a lonely place.

It's not only lonely.

I was a sitting duck.

No ammo,

compass all busted up.

Compass is in-op.
Coordinates unknown.

Request assistance.
Do you read me?

No, no, I'm fine.

I'm just no good at explaining it.

You don't have to,
you already told me.

Yeah. When you were seven.

It's not something you forget.

I'm guessing you haven't eaten
since yesterday?

Now, don't start with me, huh?

After my husband passed,
Michael took care of me.

And now...

it's just me.

I need to know if I'll be...

receiving... anything.

Well, Marines handle that

through your Casualty Assistance
Calls Officer.

I see.

Thank you.
I have the number.

Why couldn't he have just

let the man have the money?

Still a Marine, even on leave.

He was on leave?

You didn't know that?

Michael never talked about his work.

But I always knew when he was
in the middle of something.

That's the only thing
that kept him from calling.

Leave started three days ago.

He was in the middle of something.

Do you know what he was doing?

Are you sure this is on the way?

You said yourself it was best
to go through DC.

Well, how long does it take
to get some toast around here?

How long does it take
at your house, Dad?

I'm done waiting.
Let's get the coffee to go.

Dad, sit down.
Sit down.

You got to eat.

You order food here
and you don't eat it,

this waitress,
she takes it personal.

I've seen her cry.

Listen,

I tracked down Walter after the war,

and wrote to him
to thank him for what he did.

Never heard back until I got
this in the mail yesterday.

"It seems I'm sick.

"I don't have much longer.

"Soon I'll be

headed up to the blue sky."

Now, son...

when I say the way it has to be,

you got to listen.

Leroy, you need to work on that.

No, that doesn't fly with me, Leroy.

You say two words,
and you expect me to fill in the rest?

No, I don't expect you
to do anything.

Have you listen?
I've told you ten times.

Now Walter's telling you.

We need to get moving.

I've got things I got to say to him.

Okay, club sandwich

times two.

Something wrong?

Looks good. Thanks.

Well, you need anything else,
you know where to find me.

Eat fast.

Hey there, sunshine.

What's shaking in the monkey tree?

You in here listening
to Yanni again?

I needed some alone time.

Let me guess, the algorithm

that got you point
is giving you nothing,

and you're scrambling to make it work
before I call you out on it?

8:57 a.m.

Bring it up.

- Why?
- Do it.

Oh, Tim, the algorithm
isn't working because...

there are no hidden similarities
between the other robberies and ours.

Well, let's say that's true.
What exactly are we looking at?

Bank security cam
facing Tate Street.

Right here.
Slow that down.

Morning in question.
GPS in Sergeant Dawson's car

has him going from his house
to the suit store,

and that's him on the way.

And there is an SUV.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Plate's not visible, but... still.

Still what?

So there's an SUV on the road...
what does that prove?

Nothing.
But the same SUV

on two other cameras
kind of proves something.

Dawson was being followed?

Killer tried to make it look
like another robbery,

but he never planned
on stealing anything.

He was there for Sergeant Dawson.

Here's the thing...
just 'cause you can name

all the parts inside a jet pack
doesn't make you Einstein.

That what you're saying?

I'm picking up
what you're laying down.

Right, maybe baby Einstein.

Listen, something small just came up.
I got to go.

Good talking to you, too.

All right, bye-bye.

Why are you on my phone?
Because it rang,

and I answered it.
Delilah said she's gonna pick up

your food tonight,
so you'll have dinner together.

Oh, yeah? Did she also mention
that your head's too big for your body?

'Cause that's what all of her friends
said when they saw your picture.

What picture?

Let's just stick to the case, okay?

All right, let's stick to the case.

Update. Go.

What?

Gibbs said I'm point.

That was before your algorithm
went down the toilet.

Fine. Co-point.

Deal.

Co-point.

I'll go first.

All right, Marine Sergeant

Michael Dawson.

Currently in the middle
of a seven-day leave from

his duty assignment
at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.

Targeted for reasons unknown.

BOLO's out on the SUV
that was following him.

Nothing worth talking about
in his bank records.

He did have one misdemeanor
ten years ago:

illegal possession of painkillers.

But his record's been
spotless ever since.

Yeah, the guy was popular.

Huge amount of phone calls
and e-mail buddies.

Yeah, I saw that.
I think we should create

a master spreadsheet of all
of Dawson's personal contacts.

Oh, Tim, you're a genius.
You should definitely do that.

All right, even though
Dawson was on leave,

his mother was convinced
he was tied up

with something work-related.
Now, the file says

his assignment at Bolling
was highly classified and he...

was working for the DCS.

The DCS?

His occupational specialty
was auto repair.

So what would Defense Clandestine
Service want with a mechanic?

- What are you doing?
- I'm bringing in Dawson's boss.

It would be awkward
if we both called.

I will let you do that.

You could've waited for me
to stop before you got out.

You sure this is the right address?

Got it off the envelope.

He know you were coming?

Will you keep your shirt on?

He's probably around back.

The guy didn't know you were coming?

Thank God.

Nobody's home.

Side door was open.
Place is empty.

He'll be back.

There anybody we can call?

Who do you think is
gonna keep tabs on him?

He's an old man.

Living alone.

He saved me, Leroy.

I was flying in the wrong direction.

He turned me around,

brought me home on his wing.

Yeah, I know, Dad.

I know you got this case.

Just wait with me for an hour.

"Clandestine"

is a part of our name, yes, so...

the DCS conducts

clandestine operations
to ensure national security.

What about Dawson?

He was an incredible asset.

Remarkable person.
His death is...

it hit us hard.

What kind of work was
he doing for you?

I'm afraid that's classified.

It's compartmented.

But you can tell us the DCS
handpicked an auto mechanic

for some reason?

Sergeant Dawson did have
that skill set, yes.

He was with you for two months...

were you planning
on keeping him much longer?

I'm confused.
I was told that Sergeant Dawson

was a victim of an armed robbery.

I'm not quite sure how

this line of questioning
has anything to do

- with...
- We're exploring all avenues.

Because you think
it was something else?

Ms. Fox, we're gonna need

access to any reports detailing
Sergeant Dawson's work.

You know as well I do
these things take time.

I'll do what I can.

Thank you.

There is one thing.

And now that you're telling me

"all avenues",

Sergeant Dawson was open
about his past problems.

Drugs?

Before he went on leave,
I noticed a change in him.

He was struggling with the secrecy.

I saw a change in him.

I thought it was... stress,

but...

he could have been taking
something to cope.

Karen Fox was wrong.

Sergeant Dawson's tox screen
came back clean as a whistle.

There are no drugs in his system.

But I think I know
what Sergeant Dawson was doing

for the Defense Clandestine Service.

Dawson's mother is originally

from a village in Nigeria,
where some speak

a language called Jalaa.

- Never heard of it.
- That's because it's almost extinct.

But according to his file,

Dawson spoke Jalaa, too,
and that's why the DCS recruited him.

If no one speaks the language,
what's the point?

Did you ever hear of

the Marine Navajo Code Talkers
of World War II?

Yeah, they used their native language
to transmit tactical info in code.

And now we're looking
to develop a code in Jalaa.

Not us.

According to the DOD,
there's this growing terror cell

in Nigeria that's using Jalaa code.

I put two and two together
and, hello, earth-shattering theory,

Dawson was using
his knowledge of Jalaa

to break the terrorist code
for the DCS.

I don't know you know about this
terrorist cell? Who's your DOD source?

I know somebody there.

What?
Who do you know at...

Delilah?

- What, are you two friends now?
- Did she say anything about my head?

Let's just focus, okay?

If Dawson was doing all
this really important work,

then why did the DCS
let him go on leave?

Well, Karen Fox said he was
having trouble keeping quiet.

Makes him a liability.

- You mean...
- I mean, Foxy Lady

realizes we're not liking
the robbery angle,

so she brings up
Dawson's drug history.

Sends us on a wild goose chase

to buy the DCS time
while they cover their tracks.

Looks like the DCS might have
something to hide, Boss.

Okay, on our way back.

Thank you.

- Head back.
- I know where he is.

Neighbor told me
an ambulance came by

early this morning and hauled him off.
He's at the hospital.

We'll find out which one,
I'll take you there.

- You're not hearing me.
- The case is bigger than I thought.

- Come on.
- You bet.

And by the time you close it,
Walter will be dead.

I'll have someone take you
to the hospital tonight.

I want you to meet him.

- Dad, I'm here, okay? I tried.
- Yeah, you're here, all right.

You're here to sell me
on getting a seeing-eye dog

who will tell me when to have lunch.

That would make you sleep better?

I'm not going to apologize
for worrying about you.

All I'm asking you

is this one time to be with me.

All right.

Forget it.

Just forget the whole damn thing.

Take me home.

Okay, campfire, get it going.

Newspaper articles
on the real robbery

give enough info
so that anyone could pull a copycat.

I'm doing background

on all of Dawson's personal
contacts right now.

No flags yet, but...

I organized everything
into that master spreadsheet.

- What'd it get us?
- Nothing.

Hard to believe.

BOLO's not doing any good, either.

We need to get proactive
about our SUV.

I told you.
I scoured those videos.

They don't give us anything other
than that Dawson was being followed.

The key is the Clandestine Service.

You think, McTective?

And how do you suggest
we get our hands on

a bunch of reports the DCS
is probably burning as we speak?

Picked up the reports from the DCS.

They gave them to you?

One copy, stays at NCIS.

- Terrific.
- My copy, DiNozzo.

You two can read at their place.

Thank you, Boss.

We get to go and do
an all-nighter at the DCS.

You want breakfast,
bring your own yogurt.

I'm glad to see you again.
Missed you.

Anything?

No record on your father's friend
being checked into any hospitals.

- The morgues?
- No, nothing.

I went looking for relatives,

and I went to the Army
Air Force's records

to see if I could find
his mother's maiden name.

Boss, there's no record of any
"Walter Bec" serving with your father.

Welcome back.

Thanks for staying, Duck.

I hardly noticed the time.

Sergeant Dawson here
is a very intriguing young man.

Yeah? What do we know?

Well, as a teenager,
he was devastated

by the unexpected loss
of his father.

Unfortunately, he turned to drugs.

- Found his way back.
- And then some.

"Bravery" was an important
word to him.

And I for one do not doubt

that he possessed
the courage to stand up

to the DCS if he felt
that they were doing wrong.

DCS got us the reports
in half a day.

No time for a cover-up.

Well, that's good news.

I presume...

the bad news is closer to home.

There's no right way to be his son.

Just as there is no right way
for your to act as his father.

The pain of watching a parent age
is unlike any other.

I vividly remember
the first time my mother

needed help brushing her hair.

It's backwards.

Certainly feels like that.

But in the end

it's simply life.

They suspended his license?

The license is one thing, Ducky.

He lies to me.

About things that matter.

I don't know what to do with that.

There is only one way to proceed.

Don't give up.

Keep talking to him.

You get somebody
to drive me home tomorrow?

McGee checked the hospitals
and the morgue, Dad.

Walter wasn't at either.

What are you looking for him for?

Trying to pretend you care now?

Dad...

there was no Walter Beck
in your squadron.

What's going on?

What do you mean, "what's going on?"

I'm asking you to tell me the truth.

Why are you looking for him
in my squadron?

Thank God.

Walter was the enemy.

He was German.

But he's here.

He moved here after the war.

- I told you he was German.
- No.

No, you didn't tell me.
I would have remembered that.

It was a hundred years ago.

Who knows what I said.

Who knows?
Dad... German?

It's the most important part.

No, son.

The important thing was...

is that we were both fliers.

We were brothers up there.

We were the same.

We're all the same.

But we keep fighting each other.

Walter told me...

that he saved me that day...

because he wanted to remind himself
who he was.

He's dying,

and all he can see
is the people he killed...

over ideas that weren't even his.

He can't forgive himself.

That's not an easy thing to do, Dad.

I really wanted you to meet him.

We start with the ambulance,
all right?

Yeah, we'll find him.

Abs, the neighbor says the ambulance
was white with an orange stripe.

- I'll see what I can find.
- Yeah. Thanks.

- Morning, Boss.
- Update for you.

Abby was right about Sergeant
Dawson's assignment.

He was working to break
the terror cell's Jalaa code.

Had trouble keeping quiet
because he wanted to warn his extended

family in Nigeria
about the cell, but...

He breaked the code
before he went on leave.

His work helped stop two...

Possibly three planned
acts of terror, meaning...

We have no reason
to believe that the Defense

Clandestine Service
wanted Dawson dead.

You two sound
like you had a good night.

It was a great night.

You know, DCS has this fantastic
reading room with a 60-inch flat screen.

After we finished our reports,

we just kicked back for a minute.

Beaches was on.

Bette Midler, she really makes you

think about...
what's important in life.

Gonna have to write that down.

I found this report on my desk.

I left that for you.

It's a list of Dawson's personal
contacts master spreadsheet.

- It's not important.
- DCS report says

only two people on here
called his work phone:

his mother
and some guy named Aaron Connolly.

I put Connolly in the "X" group,

which means we have no evidence
as to how he knew Dawson.

So what made him special enough
to have Dawson's work number?

It's what I'm asking, DiNozzo.

Aaron Connolly, 24.

DUI last year,
otherwise he looks clean.

- Wouldn't hurt to talk to him.
- Okay, let's bring him in.

Wait. Boss?

When he got his DUI, he was driving
an SUV borrowed from a relative.

Our SUV?

Same make and model.

Tracking down Connolly.

Got a home address.

Clear.

- Freeze!
- Take it easy, Connolly!

Take it easy!

I didn't want it!

- You okay, Tim?
- Yeah, I'm okay, Boss.

I didn't want Michael dead.

I didn't want it.

- How's your back, Tim?
- It's had better days.

Closet launch was a cheap shot.
We get anything?

They tore his place apart,
no murder weapon.

Must've tossed it.

What was he on?
Bath salts?

Marijuana and PCP.

I just needed to relax, you know?

I didn't know the weed was laced.

I don't even know what I did.

You assaulted a federal agent.

You said that you didn't want
Michael dead.

Where's the weapon
you used to kill him?

I didn't kill him.

You followed him to the store
in your uncle's SUV.

That's the same car
that's sitting in your driveway.

That you driving or not?

Is that you?

But I didn't kill him.
He was my friend.

He was my sponsor.

Narcotics Anonymous.

Heroin.

I had two months clean.

Then I lost my job, and it got bad.

Michael took leave
to help me through it.

He wasn't like me anymore, but...

he was always saving me.

What happened that morning?

If I tell you,

someone could

- someone could come after me.
- Aaron.

This is your turn to help him.

I broke.

I showed up at his place high,
and it crushed him.

He took my stash,
got in his car and drove off.

I thought he would throw the bag
in a Dumpster somewhere.

That's not where he was going.

He went to see my dealer.

By the time I caught up to him,
he was threatening to turn the guy in.

Who's the dealer?

He shot Michael.

He shot him, and I ran.

Wait, the dealer was in the store?

He owns it.

There's nothing here.

Back room's clean.

What did I tell you?

What?

You can't just throw
those on the floor!

Sir you need to stand back here.

Keyhole.

Key, please.

Thank you.

What have we here?

I'm copping to the heroin,

but I did not kill that guy.

No way.

Glock 17.

Tim, what was
the murder weapon again?

Glock 17, Tony.

Looks like Mr. Spiffy here
is about to lose his lunch.

Okay, first of all,
we caught Sergeant Dawson's killer.

And second of all, First Alert.

First Alert Ambulance

has the only orange-striped vehicles
that service the Eden area.

They are a private company that do both
emergency and nonemergency transport.

Walter never
checked into a hospital.

Right, so we can assume
that he hired them for a non-emergency.

You call them?

When I called them and asked
if they had transported

a Walter Beck yesterday,

they asked me if it was
case-related, and...

- You couldn't lie.
- Exactly.

So they weren't allowed
to tell me anything.

To make matters worse,
I haven't gotten anything

off Walter's letter.
I mean, there's no watermark,

no special ink magic, nothing.

Abs, you tried, okay?

Yeah, but, Gibbs, it's like,
every time I read this,

I feel like it's asking
to be answered.

You know, if Walter knew
that he was moving away,

then why wouldn't
he include some kind of

forwarding address or something?
It doesn't make sense.

"To the blue sky.

I'll be headed..."

"Up to the blue sky."

That's the problem
when people write in all caps.

A regular old blue sky
can end up being...

Bingo.

The Blue Sky Hospice.

Located...

nine miles north of Walter's house.

Wait, Gibbs.

Can you give this
to your dad for me?

Sure. Thanks, Abs.

Never seen a hospice before.

Dad, I got a proposition for you.

My house is big.

It's too big for one person.

It does not make sense,

you being up
in Stillwater all alone.

Especially without a license.

I'm gonna take the damn eye test
and get my license back.

Now, that's the end of it.

I'm still your father.

Yes, you are.

I appreciate the offer, Leroy.

I do.

Maybe I'll take you up on it
when I start getting old.

Why do you want me
to meet him so bad, Dad?

You ready?

Jack Gibbs.

You came.

This is Raydon Tower.
Do you read? Over.

Raydon Tower, that's a roger.

Raydon Tower,
this is Golden Angel Four.

I'm headed home.

You got my letter.

I want to talk to you about that.

And I want you to meet someone.

This is my son, Leroy.

Sir.

Nothing can make up
for the lives we took.

We both know that.

But what you did
was more than you know.

You made my boy possible, Walter.

And he helps people, Walter.
He's a good man.

He's the best person I know.

Thank you.

Thank you.