NCIS (2003–…): Season 3, Episode 19 - Iced - full transcript
A boy at play on a frozen pond sees the body of a man below the surface. Gibbs and company investigate; they find three more bodies. The first was a Marine; the others were gang members. The team figure it out; Gibbs provides a solution.
JEREMY:
Do you like Mom's new boyfriend?
SEAN: Haven't decided yet.
- I like him.
You only like him
because he bought us PSPs.
JEREMY:
So you don't like him?
SEAN:
I didn't say that. I'm just saying--
lwouldn't be too nice to him.
We play it cool, an Xbox could be
right around the corner.
What's up?
It's already March, Sean.
It's still frozen, see?
Come on.
Oh, chicken.
[CLUCKING]
[SEAN LAUGHING]
Whoo-hoo!
Who's the chicken now?
I'm coming.
Hurry up or I'm gonna tell Mom.
Come on, Sean.
[GASPS]
Apricot oil, aloe vera, shea butter?
I didn't know you were so interested
in skin care.
Yeah, it's not mine. It's McGee's.
Maybe the probie is gay.
I'm not gay, Tony.
Are you saying there's something
wrong with being gay, Timothy?
McGEE:
No, that is not what I am saying.
TONY:
Bi-curious.
I suppose now you're gonna tell us
that a lot of your friends
are of the homosexual persuasion
and that I should be more sensitive.
No, actually, I was gonna tell you
to stay out of my desk.
Right, because you wouldn't
want word spreading
that you're "deep moisturizing
to bring out your feminine glow."
l have dry skin, okay?
My doctor recommended it.
[LAUGHING]
TONY: Well, you're walking
a slippery slope there, probilicious.
Before you know it you're gonna be
taking bubble baths with your clogs on.
What is wrong with bubble baths?
GIBBS:
Load up.
Just got a break
in the Ryan Downing case.
ZIVA: Downing?
- Weapons company first sergeant.
Went UA last November
on leave from Iraq.
Not a peep since.
What's the break, boss?
GIBBS:
Two kids found the first sergeant
- floating under six inches of ice.
TONY: lce? That means--
You're now going to make
a reallyjuvenile cold-case joke?
It was a really good one too.
- Something wrong, boss?
- Just admiring your feminine glow.
[ZIVA LAUGHS]
TALBOT: Can't say I'm disappointed
this one's yours.
We'll leave the lights
if you guys return them.
Hey, we've worked with NClS before.
MAN 1:
Okay, guys, up. Here we go.
GIBBS:
What do you got?
DUCKY:
Hopefully not pneumonia.
That could be the death of me.
GIBBS:
I'm talking about the dead guy, Duck.
Well, technically,
paramedics have a saying
concerning cold-water drownings,
Agent Gibbs.
They say the victim isn't dead
until he's warm and dead.
DUCKY: I think we can make an
exception in this case, Mr. Palmer.
GIBBS:
Not a drowning.
This pond's barely six feet deep.
DUCKY: Yes, I once conducted
an autopsy on a man
who drowned in his kitchen sink.
Yes, apparently he couldn't loosen
the drain plug
and he attempted to use his teeth.
Thought you were cold.
DUCKY: Yes, well, it will be impossible
to determine the exact cause of death
until he thaws.
These three holes in his coat
could be crucial.
GIBBS:
How about time of death?
DUCKY: Yeah, well decomposition
suggests, well,
- anywhere from two weeks to--
PALMER: Four months.
Depending on how many times
the pond has thawed out this winter.
DUCKY: Very good, Mr. Palmer.
PALMER: Thank you.
DUCKY: Of course, I'll have to check
the meteorological data for the area
before we speculate further.
Let's strap him up.
TONY:
I'm just saying, probie,
the whole metrosexual thing
isn't working for you.
- I got it, Tony. Joke is over.
- I'm not joking, man.
We all know that the ladies
love a macho man
who's in touch
with his feminine side.
But I gotta tell you,
I think you're coming off a little gay.
Because he uses body lotion
- and likes to take bubble baths?
TONY: Did you forget the manicure?
The manicure was only once
and it was because I tore a cuticle.
You just set off gaydar
across the entire Atlantic seaboard.
Tony, I am not gay.
TONY:
This isn't about orientation.
- This is about image.
- So now your image is homo-pubic?
TONY:
The term is "homophobic." And no.
Prejudice of any kind
is an ugly thing.
Listen, girls like guys who like guys
but they like guys who like guys--
- No, Tony, back it up.
- I know.
lt's thick soup here, man.
The flashlight. Back it up.
What? Tree branch?
GIBBS:
Wearing a steel-toed boot?
- Eagle eye, boss.
GIBBS: Mark it.
ZIVA:
Got another one.
TONY:
These things always come in threes.
GIBBS:
Already got three, DiNozzo.
McGEE:
Make it four.
[SNEEZES]
I supposed a "bless you"
is too much to ask for.
PALMER:
Oh, bless you, doctor.
lwasn't talking to you, Mr. Palmer.
You know, the interesting thing
about the sternutatory reflex
is that no one knows exactly
when it first began.
Many theories abound.
And you know them all don't you,
Dr. Mallard?
Know them? I once wrote a sonnet
on the subject for an old flame.
She suffered from
the most horrendous allergies.
Yes, how did it go?
- "Doth thy heart skip a beat--"
- I'm not a big fan of poetry, Duck.
Well, as it turned out,
neither was she. In fact--
- Why am I here?
- Why?
- Why am I here?
- You were correct earlier on, Jethro.
Our first sergeant didn't drown.
- None of our bodies did.
PALMER: They were all shot.
DUCKY: First Sergeant Downing
received the most damage.
Three in the chest.
Here, here and here.
And one to the back,
just below the heart.
GIBBS:
That's the kill shot.
Yes, well it ruptured
his inferior vena cava.
As to our walking pictograms,
one bullet each.
- Are these gang tats?
- That's not my field of expertise.
But I've had Mr. Palmer document
the entire line for further investigation.
Some of them were quite explicit.
Jethro, this young man was shot
in the front, just below the left clavicle.
And this young man...
was shot in the back.
This young man...
...was also shot in the back
like our first sergeant.
Back, front. Front, back.
The pattern is quite random.
- I believe the phrase is "turkey shoot."
- More like massacre.
TONY:
Definitely gang tats.
McGEE:
How can you be sure?
Just a feeling.
I'm sure you know
what those are like.
GIBBS:
Feeling, DiNozzo?
That, and I faxed a copy to a buddy
at the Baltimore P.D.
He's sending the intel
that he's got back.
What do you got?
I have got an upper limit
on the time frame.
It's an ATM receipt.
It used to be an ATM receipt.
The ink's washed off,
but the dimensions
matched the receipt paper used
by Sergeant Downing's bank.
I checked his records.
Last withdrawal November 18th.
- The day he was reported missing.
- No ID on the other ice cubes yet.
But the dredge team did find
a weapon. H.P. Browning.
- Ziva brought it down to Abby.
GIBBS: Brass.
Nothing. It's pretty far off
the beaten track,
about 500 metres
from the nearest main road.
- You know what that means.
- The bodies were dumped.
McGEE: By who?
- That's a good question, McGee.
Why don't you find me an answer?
Good question. Find me an answer.
Okay, if you slide your heel further
back it'll decrease your exposure.
ABBY: Won't that throw off
my lateral balance?
Balance isn't usually
the primary concern on a mission.
ABBY: What is?
GIBBS: The guy shooting back.
Which is what I'm gonna do
if you two don't get back to work.
Gibbs, I was the one waiting for you.
What are you waiting for now, Abs?
I ran ballistics on the Browning.
Rifling patterns indicate
it didn't fire any of the slugs
Ducky pulled from the first sergeant.
ABBY:
Three 9 mm Parabellums and a .45.
ZIVA:
Which means Downing was shot by
at least two unaccounted
for weapons.
- I got that part.
- The dredge crew is still looking.
Hopefully more weapons
will turn up.
The good news is
I matched the Browning to the slugs
pulled from the other three victims.
- Any prints?
- No, not by a long shot.
And GSR would be pointless because
it's been undenNater for so long.
But I did run the serial number.
The gun is registered
to First Sergeant Ryan Downing.
Looks like he went down fighting
for his life.
Or committed triple homicide.
MAN 1 [OVER RADIO]: MTAC,
are you receiving my video feed now?
MAN 2:
Yeah, coming through.
- Which kid are we talking about here?
MAN 1: Should be on your screen.
Jethro.
The three bodies found
with First Sergeant Downing--
Were killed with his personal weapon.
I heard.
- Where are your glasses?
- Oh, I forgot them.
SHEPARD:
I don't like what it says either.
First Sergeants don't go looking
for this kind of payback.
SHEPARD: You would.
- I was only a gunny.
SHEPARD:
The Marine Corps is worried
his company is gonna come back
from Iraq and look for revenge.
It could be a bloodbath.
Ew! How do you drink that swill?
GIBBS:
How much time do I have?
SHEPARD:
They were to return this week.
Were?
Their rotation's been held up
till your investigation's over.
They're still in a war zone
instead of with their families, Jethro.
I don't care if First Sergeant Downing
killed those gang-bangers.
If he didn't, find out who did.
If he did, close the case.
You're wrong, Jenny.
You do care.
Ziva, if I ask you a question,
you'll be honest with me, right?
Of course, McGee.
What Tony was saying
about me before, you know....
Do I come off as unmanly?
I think Tony was jerking your brain.
Chain? Jerking my chain?
Whatever. I think you are
appropriately masculine.
However, perhaps not macho.
Tony and Gibbs are tough guys, yes?
They're--
So I'm not tough?
If you have to ask...
These the other victims?
Alejandro Marquez, Jorge Rubio,
and Hector "The Hammer" Menendez.
All members of the L.V.M.
- L.V.M., boss, that stands for--
GIBBS: La Vida Mala.
- El Salvadorian street gang.
ZIVA: Notjust a street gang, Gibbs.
They have 30,000 members
worldwide.
They deal drugs, run guns.
GIBBS: They also hire themselves out
as hit men.
Which is what two of their members
were allegedly doing a year ago,
when they mistakenly shot
a Private First Class--
Martin Reggio. A Marine from
First Sergeant Downing's company.
- We couldn't prove it.
- Downing was on a revenge mission.
First sergeants don't go
on revenge missions, Officer David.
I would.
Why not a Marine first sergeant?
They have more control than you do.
Do either one of you have
anything new to offer to this?
Yeah, boss. I think I do.
These three here,
they weren't just members of L.V.M.
According to the FBI here,
they are all lieutenants
in L.V.M.'s Manassas chapter.
- The boss?
- Miguel Sosa.
- Why are we standing here?
- He's missing.
He's been MlA since these three
disappeared a few months ago.
GIBBS: Let's go meet his replacement.
DiNozzo!
Where the hell have you been?
TONY:
I come bearing gifts.
Spent the night
at Rock Creek Park
and I found these
when they drained the pond.
ZIVA:
Oh, that's a big one.
- Were you expecting an attaboy?
- I thought it would be nice.
Attaboy.
- I was just doing myjob, boss.
GIBBS: I know that.
McGEE:
You wouldn't think it's the headquarters
of a worldwide crime syndicate.
ZIVA:
What did you expect, McGee?
Corporate headquarters building?
ZIVA: They're all armed.
- Keep your eyes open.
Spread out.
Who's e/jefe?
You are, officer.
Hey.
We're not local cops.
We're federal agents.
Federa/es?
[GANGSTERS CHATTERING]
- Who's in charge?
- In charge?
In charge of what?
McGEE: The Manassas chapter
of La Vida Mala.
lnside.
TOMAS:
You're either DEA or Immigration.
You're not FBl. They wear suits.
NCIS.
Navy cops.
What did we do to piss you off?
Come on, man.
We get blamed
for everything these days.
Help me out.
- We steal the admiral's car?
- Or his ca/zoncil/os?
[GANGSTERS LAUGHING]
You killed two Marines.
The first in a drive-by shooting,
the other in Rock Creek Park.
Take me away.
You want one of them instead?
Go with the federa/es.
They need a suspect.
We know who did it.
You can keep those.
GIBBS:
Don't look surprised.
I never seen them before.
They used to run your organization.
Organization?
[TOMAS LAUGHS]
We're a social club.
[GANSTERS LAUGHING]
You're not e/jefe.
No? Who am I?
GIBBS:
El Gordo.
[GANSTERS LAUGHING]
See? Nobody laughs at the boss.
You have eljefe give me a call,
or I book him the next seat
on the flight to Gitmo.
You can't do that.
We're not terrorists.
- Ziva.
- I'll have Tel Aviv produce an intercept
between Al Qaeda
and this social club.
- You want photos?
- That would be good.
- It might take me 24 hours.
- Okay.
Twenty-four hours.
Get a surveillance team
on this taco shack.
McGEE:
Actually, it's a pupusa shack, boss.
- I'm just saying, tacos are historically--
GIBBS: Ziva, make sure they're visible.
Okay, McGee,
you come back here.
You pick up anybody
who's got a La Vida Mala clown tat.
McGEE: What for, exactly?
- I don't care, McGee.
Driving around the block.
I don't care, McGee.
Okay, you want us
to shake them up.
ZIVA: If they're worried
we're on to something
they'll start talking to each other.
GIBBS: Get me intercepts
on their cell phones, computers,
pagers, smoke signals,
any way they communicate.
How are we gonna get
a judge to sign?
Didn't you hear, McGee?
La Vida Mala has ties to Al Qaeda.
Well, yeah,
but weren't we just saying that--?
[GIBBS CLEARS THROAT]
Unbelievable.
TONY:
Heard you rumbled with the sharks.
ZIVA: The sharks?
TONY: You know:
- West Side Story.
- Yes, McGee was quite impressive.
You didn't threaten them, did you?
Sort of.
I had a buddy on the Baltimore
gang unit, did that to the local L.V.M.
They found his head
in Crawford Park.
Never did find the rest of him.
- Think l'd lie to you?
- Yes.
To McGee I would lie.
Never to you, sir. Never to you.
Look out. Look out.
[ZIVA LAUGHING]
GIBBS:
I hope you've earned this.
ABBY: Oh, the director already
hooked me up.
She wanted an update.
But I didn't tell her anything, I swear.
She's been on her phone
since she got here.
Oh, that's mature.
You have something for me?
ABBY:
As a matter of fact, I do.
GIBBS: You looking over
my shoulder again, director?
- Why? You feel a little crowded?
- Yeah, a little.
- How's that?
- Better.
These are the four rounds taken
from First Sergeant Downing's body.
Three 9 mm Parabellum
and one .45.
I matched the .45 to the Colt.
That's a no-brainer.
The nine-millimetres are trickier.
But I got a definite match
on the Beretta and the TEC-9.
That leaves us with this final round.
The runt of the litter.
Ducky said it went in through the back
- and lodged in the chest plate.
- Kill shot.
The rifling was almost stripped.
It made it almost impossible
to find out which weapon it came from.
- But I did it.
SHEPARD: Which one was it?
Neither.
We're missing a weapon.
Then we're missing a shooter.
[ON MONITOR] / understand
you got a job to do, Agent Gibbs.
My Marines have done theirs.
It's time for them to come home.
- I agree, captain.
- Why is my company still in Iraq?
You lost two Marines to
a Virginia street gang, skipper.
Would you like me
to spell it out for you?
Headquarters is afraid of reprisa/s.
Not only headquarters.
PFC Reggio was killed
in a drive-by shooting
one week before your deployment.
Now your first sergeant
turns up dead?
You think First Sergeant Downing
was out for revenge?
His body was found in a frozen pond
with three dead gang-bangers.
His weapon was used to kill them.
You tell me, captain.
No way. Not his style, Agent Gibbs.
What was he doing back
on leave in the States?
His father had cancer. Terminal.
He wanted a chance
to say goodbye.
I hope he got it.
He was shot four times.
Kill shot was in his back.
You're a Marine.
Do you know any first sergeants
that would leave their men in combat
to go chase after
some street punks?
No, skipper. I don't.
Neither do /.
What are you gonna do
about it?
We're working on the case
on this end.
- As soon as I know, you'll know.
SlLVA [ON MONITOR]: Sir!
You people had a year to catch
Reggio's killers and you didn't do it!
At ease, Lance Corporal Silva.
SILVA: But, sir.
ARVlDAS: At ease, Marine.
SILVA:
Sorry, sir.
- ldidn't mean to--
ARVlDAS: Your watch is over.
- We 7/ talk about this later.
- Yes, sir.
lgot 182 other Marines wondering
the same thing, Agent Gibbs.
Don 't let them down this time.
You looking over my shoulder again,
Jen?
SHEPARD:
Not exactly.
He's right, you know.
You can't let them down.
McGEE:
El Gordo's cell phone again.
Probably his mamacita.
[TOMAS SPEAKING
IN SPANISH OVER SPEAKERS]
TONY: For a gangster,
this guy leads a pretty boring life.
Ziva, hab/a espafiol?
Si, mucho.
Bueno.
Welcome to the wonderful world
of Tomas Zepeda.
He's all yours.
Kill the speaker phone.
They are exchanging greetings.
The plan for lunch.
Oh, and a double feature is scheduled.
- Movies?
ZIVA: Nope.
Two ho's are coming over
for something called a rainbow party.
- Rainbow--
TONY: It's tough to translate slang.
- It's my speciality. I'll take over.
ZIVA: I know my cho/o from my chi/e.
I'll give you the summary.
I'll give you the summary.
TONY: Is that man-lotion
working for you there, probie?
McGEE:
I didn't shave today.
I'm trying a new look.
When you say today, you mean
the last couple of minutes or...?
Abby seems to like it.
- Like what?
- It looks nice, McGee.
It's very manly.
May I?
GIBBS:
DiNozzo.
- Hey, boss.
- Why are you touching his face?
TONY: I don't know. It feels good,
like a bunny rabbit.
GIBBS: Don't.
- Sorry.
GIBBS:
What are the wiretaps telling us?
Not much.
Zepeda, the big guy,
US. citizen, made five calls today.
Twice to his mother, two for food,
and one just now concerning--
ZIVA: Ho's. Slang for--
- I know what it's slang for, Ziva.
The rest of the gang's conversations
are even less promising.
The only member we've been
unable to listen to is Cesar Bernal.
Almost invisible, boss.
- Almost, McGee?
McGEE: He never talks on the phone.
Only sends and receives
text messages.
Twenty-two since yesterday.
All of them from Miguel Sosa
in San Salvador.
Texts are coded, but it looks
as though Sosa's still making
the day-to-day decisions
for the gang.
Then Bernal is his number two.
- Tony, get him in here.
- On it, boss.
GIBBS: Use your contacts.
Find out everything about Sosa
- and what he's doing in El Salvador.
- Done.
- McGee?
- Yeah.
You're trying too hard.
On it.
GIBBS:
Your friend Zepeda's a chump.
You're probably right.
Zepeda's an idiot.
But last I heard,
being stupid wasn't illegal.
I'm more interested
in who killed my first sergeant.
You're talking to the wrong cholo,
sefion
I'm just a small fish.
- Talk to the jefe.
- I would.
But I can't type.
How about you?
VVhy?
Do you want to hire me
as your secretary or something?
No. No, because I can't pay you
as well as your current employer,
Miguel Sosa. No, I can't do that.
You tell him
I wanna speak with him.
SI'.
I delivered your Gitmo threat.
Sosa said to ask you why you let
your people live so far from work.
That vato McGee, and the Israeli
chica, all the way out in Silver Spring?
A long way, si?
What if they need you pronto?
Threatening my people
is never a good idea.
I'm just the messenger.
A messenger that knows
what happened at Rock Creek Park.
Estoy muerto if I talk to you.
Estas muerto if you don't.
Two Marines called Sosa
to help unload captured Iraqi weapons.
- Two Marines?
- Si.
He sent our people to do a deal.
Figured maybe the Marines
would back off, for,
you know, what happened before.
Who was the other Marine?
They don't invite me to these things.
I don't know.
Three Marines from the company
were on leave
at the same time
as First Sergeant Downing.
Of those three,
two were nowhere near D.C.
Which leaves
Lance Corporal Jose Silva.
Juvenile record, suspected
pre-Corps gang activity.
He was also with PFC Reggio
the night he was murdered.
I want him on a plane. Yesterday.
[WHISTLING]
[MCGEE CLEARS THROAT]
Timothy, I suppose you're here
for the DOD?
Department of Defence?
- No, no. Date of death.
- Yes.
Absence of larvae
from airborne insects
indicate the bodies were thrown
into the water soon after death,
and were immersed for months
based on the presence of adipocere,
othenNise known as mortuary fat.
The first sergeant was stateside
on leave from mid-November.
The meteorological reports
from the area
indicate that the first hard freeze
was December 9th.
Is that aftershave I smell?
Old Spice. I had to shave midday.
Yes, I've heard about your infatuation
with lotions.
The lotions were--
It was for a skin condition.
Oh, it's quite all right, Timothy.
Skin care is something
we should all take more seriously.
In my opinion,
there's absolutely nothing gay about it.
Not that there's anything wrong
with that.
I've heard.
So a hard freeze December 9th?
Our key is that the bodies
were not frozen inside the ice,
but were below it.
So they died after the 9th?
No, no, no. No, human bodies sink
until the gases created
by the internal putrefaction
have had time to accumulate.
GIBBS:
How long does that take?
Under the forecasted
weather conditions, ten to 14 days.
Bodies went into the water between
November 25th and December 9th
or they would have resurfaced and
ice would have formed around them.
Precisely.
Have we any idea what our Marine
was doing there yet?
No, Duck, I don't. But we're gonna
find out in 11 hours and 30 minutes.
Hey.
[GIBBS WHISTLE]
GIBBS:
How was the flight, lance corporal?
It was long, sir.
- How much trouble am I in?
GIBBS: Trouble?
Why would you say that?
SILVA: Four NCIS agents
escorting one lance corporal?
You got it all wrong, Marine.
She's Mossad.
I hope you slept on the plane,
lance corporal.
TONY:
Yeah. It's gonna be a long night.
You wanna get the cash first
or the Iraqi weapons?
[CAR ACCELERATES]
[HORN HONKING]
- I'm not scaring you, am I?
- I'm fine.
SILVA: I don't know
what you're talking about, sir.
Really? Because you were on leave
with First Sergeant Downing.
Then you were with PFC Reggio
the night he was killed
in the drive-by shooting.
- I can't help a coincidence.
ZIVA: A coincidence, lance corporal?
Five dead bodies.
You're our only link.
[HORN HONKING]
Your company,
your fellow Marines, are stuck in Iraq
until we solve this case.
- You don't think I know that?
- He knows. He just doesn't care.
GIBBS:
Hey, Silva, you know what?
We had a name for guys like you
when I was on active duty.
Bravo Foxtrot.
It's an explicit term for a sexual--
- It wasn't supposed to happen like this.
- Like what?
[TIRES SCREECH]
If a drive-by killing
isn't solved right away,
the cops forget it.
NCIS forgot about it.
Private Reggio was my best friend.
He died in my arms.
I couldn't just let that go, sir.
- So you decided to turn a quick buck?
- No.
I called Sosa to meet
but not to sell him any weapons.
I wanted blood.
And your first sergeant
found out about it.
SILVA:
I don't know how, but he did.
He yanked my leave
and restricted me to base.
GIBBS: And he went to the meeting
in your place.
He didn't go down there
to kill anyone, sir.
He went down there to make peace.
To end it.
He didn't want anyone else
to get hurt.
Ifl could, I'd switch places with him.
I would.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think you would,
lance corporal.
McGEE:
It checks out.
Quantico gate log shows
that Downing restricted Silva to base
on November 26th
for the duration of his leave.
Lance Corporal Silva
wasn't at the pond.
He didn't kill anyone.
ZIVA:
Thank you. I owe you one, Simon.
That was my contact
in San Salvador.
- He locate Sosa?
ZIVA: No. He's not there.
McGEE: He has to be. Bernal's
texting there a dozen times a day.
ZIVA: If Simon says he's not
in San Salvador, then he's not there.
- He has to be.
ZIVA: Gibbs, I'm--
If not, we've wasted three days.
I am not wasting one more
to bring those Marines home.
You find him. Now.
Men, we are here today
for three reasons.
One, we can't find Miguel Sosa.
Two, I'm not even sure
that he exists.
And three--
Who were you talking to?
You will address me as "sir," soldier.
Sorry. Who were you talking to, sir?
My army.
Major Mass Spec.
Captain Comparison Microscope.
- Ensign--
- Isn't an Army rank.
It's actually Navy.
What do you want, McGee?
To go over the old text messages
between Cesar Bernal
and his boss, Miguel Sosa.
- They're in code.
- I know. But if we break them,
we might find where Sosa's hiding.
- He's in San Salvador.
- Ziva's people say no.
Oh, so if Ziva's people say no,
then we--
- Abby, please, just run them.
- Okay.
My Spanish is a little rusty.
Mine's not.
Okay, in this one
they're asking Sosa if they should--
- Wait a minute.
- What?
Itstoolong.
SMS text messages are limited to
150 characters. So that means--
It means that it was e-mailed
from a computer, not a cell phone.
ABBY: Can you backtrace it
to a physical location?
Just a simple matter of accessing
the e-mail-to-SMS gateway,
pulling an IP, linking to an ISP.
That's a Virginia address.
Ziva's people were right.
Let me see if we can get a name
of the account holder.
ABBY:
Cesar Bernal?
That doesn't make any sense.
Why would he send messages
to himself?
Because he was pretending
he's Miguel Sosa.
Okay, but that's stupid.
Because Sosa would totally find out
and kill Cesar.
Not if Cesar killed him first.
Uh-oh. What is this meal
gonna cost me this time?
Didn't cost you any last time.
You mean aside from the thousand
extra calories I didn't need?
Icanleave.
I didn't say that.
Salvadorian food?
How fried.
Sit. I'm sorry.
Another Marine was injured
in Captain Arvidas' group.
I know.
I heard you found the man responsible
for First Sergeant Downing's death.
His name is Cesar Bernal.
Can you make a case?
I knew this meal
was gonna cost me.
Okay, what do you have so far?
Cesar is making a power play
for control of his crew.
He's been faking orders
from Miguel Sosa
to the rest of L.V.M.
for the last four months.
And Sosa?
He's dead.
It's the only way Cesar
could have gotten away with it.
So First Sergeant Downing
wasn't the target.
He was Cesar's lure.
The real targets
were the three L.V.M. lieutenants.
Cesar was taking out the leadership.
Do you have any physical evidence?
Nothing linking Cesar
to the crime scene.
Jethro, you're gonna need
more than motive
to get a jury to convict.
Depends on the jury.
This is harassment.
When I get out of here,
I'm going to get me a fancy lawyer
and shove him all the way up your--
TONY:
Come on, it was just getting good.
ZIVA:
Okay, who wants to take him first?
- I'm gonna take him.
TONY: Oh, no, no, no. I got it, probie.
[MCGEE CRACKS KNUCKLES]
What, do you think
I can't handle this guy?
Gibbs said keep him on ice.
Not show him the warning signs
of osteoarthritis.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
Tony, I can break this guy.
You keep cracking
your knuckles like that,
you're gonna break a finger, probie.
I'm senior. I go first.
- You're always gonna be senior.
- Nice thing about being senior is that--
[ZIVA SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]
CESAR: So I cooperate with you
and this is the thanks I get?
Hauled in like a pescado muerto?
If by cooperate you mean lie, yes.
What did I lie about?
We know you were at the Rock Creek
Pond the night of the murders,
and we know you've been killing off
the L.V.M. leadership to assert control.
You must think very highly of me,
because the man who can pull off
something like that,
must be a very smart man.
You like smart men, bonita?
Ugh!
Sorry. You're not my type.
You're playing with fire, bonita.
Ugh!
- Is that a threat?
- No.
I'm just saying, my éses get
very lonely when I'm not around.
And they're not going to be too happy
with the one
that's keeping me from them.
I wouldn't worry about it.
I'm sure your éses will find something
to do while you're gone.
The autopsy of First Sergeant
Downing revealed four entry wounds.
However, of interest is the fact
that the three frontal wounds
showed no sign
of internal haemorrhaging.
The shots were fired after
First Sergeant Downing was dead.
GIBBS:
Each of your buddies...
...put a bullet in his corpse.
TOMAS:
Your point?
The point is if your buddies each fired
a round into the first sergeant
after he was dead, who shot them?
I want to talk to my lawyer.
McGEE [OVER SPEAKERS]:
No can do, punk.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
You've been watching
too many cop shows, know that?
Yeah, well you've been watching
too many gang-person shows.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
I don't think probie's
been watching enough cop shows.
McGee is a capable interrogator.
He can be quite intimidating
when he wants to be.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
You can't keep me here like this.
McGEE:
No, actually, I can.
You see, La Vida Mala
has suspected ties to Al Qaeda.
So all I have to do
is say the word "terrorist,"
and I can keep you in this room
till you grow old and die.
That actually was intimidating.
ABBY:
We can tell from the rifling patterns
that the slugs pulled
from your three dead L.V.M.'s
were from the Browning
found at the scene. Nice tat.
- Huh?
- Your Draconkreuz?
- The symbol of the ancient order of--
GIBBS: Abby.
Sorry, Gibbs. The point is that
whoever shot your guys
used First Sergeant Downing's gun.
smoked your muchachos.
Of course, your crew probably
would have only turned their backs
to the shooter if it was someone
they really trusted.
[PHONE BEEPING]
Argh!
[TONY CHUCKLES]
[TONY GROANS]
[PHONE BEEPING]
So, like,
you don't got no questions for me?
- That's a double negative.
- Huh?
"Don't got no" is a double negative.
It's a non-standard use of two
negative words in the same sentence.
They cancel each other out
and create a positive.
In Shakespeare's day, the double
negative was used as an emphatic.
But now it's just considered
a mistake. Oh!
Don't know if that's what
you intended. Pretty sure it's not.
We'll go with the colloquial
idiomatic thing. This is hard.
I'm pretty sure you meant:
"Do I have any questions?"
And the answer to that question is:
"I have no questions."
I do have some
observations, though.
Cesar. That's an interesting name.
Obviously derived from Caesar.
That was a powerful dude.
My name's Anthony.
Friends call me Tony.
Which backwards is "why not."
Anyway, in the pecking order,
I'm guessing that you're somewhere
between the guy that goes out
and buys the spray paint
that you use for tagging
and the guy who digs it out
from under your boss' nails.
[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]
You don't know who
you're messing with.
One word from me
and my crew will have you splattered--
- Your crew?
- Yes.
Well, that's funny. I thought L.V.M.
was Miguel Sosa's crew.
[TAPPING]
Interesting.
McGEE:
Miguel Sosa.
Word on the street is he is hiding out
in El Salvador.
Except the FBI has no record
of him leaving the country.
Salvadorian authorities
have no record of him coming in.
So the only trail we have is the SMS
text messages he's been sending you.
The problem is,
he hasn't been sending them.
El Salvador country code
has been falsified.
Someone faked them to make them
look like they came from Miguel Sosa.
Messages originated from an e-mail
account registered to Cesar Bernal.
He killed your boss.
Played you for a fool.
Us too.
He'll never get a conviction in court
with what I have on him.
Hey, boss.
Right. I see.
You were all trying
to throw me off balance.
Soften me up for the big guns, eh?
Actually,
I didn't know you were still here.
Come on, I'll drive you home.
TONY:
Wear your safety belt.
CESAR:
Door-to-door service.
I could get used to this.
What's the matter?
You're pissed because whatever game
you tried to play didn't work?
You got a lot to learn
about the streets, cabron.
Loyalty means everything in our world.
Without it, estas muerto.
Thanks for the lift.
Semper fl.
Good bye, Cesar.
[CESAR SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
These NCIS pendejos just won't quit.
I got a message from Sosa.
He thinks we ought to teach them
some manners.
What?
WOMAN [ON TV]:
The victim, a male in his early 203,
was found in this dumpster,
shot repeatedly at close range.
Police have identified him
as Cesar Bernal,
a native of El Salvador,
and say they believe he has close ties
to gang activity in the Manassas area.
In fact, police say he—-
[TV TURNS OFF]
You don't have work to do,
I'm sure I can find some.
- No. I got a lot of work to do, boss.
- There's lots of work.
Good.
I'll be in MTAC.
GIBBS:
Captain.
[ON MONITOR]
Agent Gibbs.
lhope you have
some good news for me.
Bring our boys home.
Do you like Mom's new boyfriend?
SEAN: Haven't decided yet.
- I like him.
You only like him
because he bought us PSPs.
JEREMY:
So you don't like him?
SEAN:
I didn't say that. I'm just saying--
lwouldn't be too nice to him.
We play it cool, an Xbox could be
right around the corner.
What's up?
It's already March, Sean.
It's still frozen, see?
Come on.
Oh, chicken.
[CLUCKING]
[SEAN LAUGHING]
Whoo-hoo!
Who's the chicken now?
I'm coming.
Hurry up or I'm gonna tell Mom.
Come on, Sean.
[GASPS]
Apricot oil, aloe vera, shea butter?
I didn't know you were so interested
in skin care.
Yeah, it's not mine. It's McGee's.
Maybe the probie is gay.
I'm not gay, Tony.
Are you saying there's something
wrong with being gay, Timothy?
McGEE:
No, that is not what I am saying.
TONY:
Bi-curious.
I suppose now you're gonna tell us
that a lot of your friends
are of the homosexual persuasion
and that I should be more sensitive.
No, actually, I was gonna tell you
to stay out of my desk.
Right, because you wouldn't
want word spreading
that you're "deep moisturizing
to bring out your feminine glow."
l have dry skin, okay?
My doctor recommended it.
[LAUGHING]
TONY: Well, you're walking
a slippery slope there, probilicious.
Before you know it you're gonna be
taking bubble baths with your clogs on.
What is wrong with bubble baths?
GIBBS:
Load up.
Just got a break
in the Ryan Downing case.
ZIVA: Downing?
- Weapons company first sergeant.
Went UA last November
on leave from Iraq.
Not a peep since.
What's the break, boss?
GIBBS:
Two kids found the first sergeant
- floating under six inches of ice.
TONY: lce? That means--
You're now going to make
a reallyjuvenile cold-case joke?
It was a really good one too.
- Something wrong, boss?
- Just admiring your feminine glow.
[ZIVA LAUGHS]
TALBOT: Can't say I'm disappointed
this one's yours.
We'll leave the lights
if you guys return them.
Hey, we've worked with NClS before.
MAN 1:
Okay, guys, up. Here we go.
GIBBS:
What do you got?
DUCKY:
Hopefully not pneumonia.
That could be the death of me.
GIBBS:
I'm talking about the dead guy, Duck.
Well, technically,
paramedics have a saying
concerning cold-water drownings,
Agent Gibbs.
They say the victim isn't dead
until he's warm and dead.
DUCKY: I think we can make an
exception in this case, Mr. Palmer.
GIBBS:
Not a drowning.
This pond's barely six feet deep.
DUCKY: Yes, I once conducted
an autopsy on a man
who drowned in his kitchen sink.
Yes, apparently he couldn't loosen
the drain plug
and he attempted to use his teeth.
Thought you were cold.
DUCKY: Yes, well, it will be impossible
to determine the exact cause of death
until he thaws.
These three holes in his coat
could be crucial.
GIBBS:
How about time of death?
DUCKY: Yeah, well decomposition
suggests, well,
- anywhere from two weeks to--
PALMER: Four months.
Depending on how many times
the pond has thawed out this winter.
DUCKY: Very good, Mr. Palmer.
PALMER: Thank you.
DUCKY: Of course, I'll have to check
the meteorological data for the area
before we speculate further.
Let's strap him up.
TONY:
I'm just saying, probie,
the whole metrosexual thing
isn't working for you.
- I got it, Tony. Joke is over.
- I'm not joking, man.
We all know that the ladies
love a macho man
who's in touch
with his feminine side.
But I gotta tell you,
I think you're coming off a little gay.
Because he uses body lotion
- and likes to take bubble baths?
TONY: Did you forget the manicure?
The manicure was only once
and it was because I tore a cuticle.
You just set off gaydar
across the entire Atlantic seaboard.
Tony, I am not gay.
TONY:
This isn't about orientation.
- This is about image.
- So now your image is homo-pubic?
TONY:
The term is "homophobic." And no.
Prejudice of any kind
is an ugly thing.
Listen, girls like guys who like guys
but they like guys who like guys--
- No, Tony, back it up.
- I know.
lt's thick soup here, man.
The flashlight. Back it up.
What? Tree branch?
GIBBS:
Wearing a steel-toed boot?
- Eagle eye, boss.
GIBBS: Mark it.
ZIVA:
Got another one.
TONY:
These things always come in threes.
GIBBS:
Already got three, DiNozzo.
McGEE:
Make it four.
[SNEEZES]
I supposed a "bless you"
is too much to ask for.
PALMER:
Oh, bless you, doctor.
lwasn't talking to you, Mr. Palmer.
You know, the interesting thing
about the sternutatory reflex
is that no one knows exactly
when it first began.
Many theories abound.
And you know them all don't you,
Dr. Mallard?
Know them? I once wrote a sonnet
on the subject for an old flame.
She suffered from
the most horrendous allergies.
Yes, how did it go?
- "Doth thy heart skip a beat--"
- I'm not a big fan of poetry, Duck.
Well, as it turned out,
neither was she. In fact--
- Why am I here?
- Why?
- Why am I here?
- You were correct earlier on, Jethro.
Our first sergeant didn't drown.
- None of our bodies did.
PALMER: They were all shot.
DUCKY: First Sergeant Downing
received the most damage.
Three in the chest.
Here, here and here.
And one to the back,
just below the heart.
GIBBS:
That's the kill shot.
Yes, well it ruptured
his inferior vena cava.
As to our walking pictograms,
one bullet each.
- Are these gang tats?
- That's not my field of expertise.
But I've had Mr. Palmer document
the entire line for further investigation.
Some of them were quite explicit.
Jethro, this young man was shot
in the front, just below the left clavicle.
And this young man...
was shot in the back.
This young man...
...was also shot in the back
like our first sergeant.
Back, front. Front, back.
The pattern is quite random.
- I believe the phrase is "turkey shoot."
- More like massacre.
TONY:
Definitely gang tats.
McGEE:
How can you be sure?
Just a feeling.
I'm sure you know
what those are like.
GIBBS:
Feeling, DiNozzo?
That, and I faxed a copy to a buddy
at the Baltimore P.D.
He's sending the intel
that he's got back.
What do you got?
I have got an upper limit
on the time frame.
It's an ATM receipt.
It used to be an ATM receipt.
The ink's washed off,
but the dimensions
matched the receipt paper used
by Sergeant Downing's bank.
I checked his records.
Last withdrawal November 18th.
- The day he was reported missing.
- No ID on the other ice cubes yet.
But the dredge team did find
a weapon. H.P. Browning.
- Ziva brought it down to Abby.
GIBBS: Brass.
Nothing. It's pretty far off
the beaten track,
about 500 metres
from the nearest main road.
- You know what that means.
- The bodies were dumped.
McGEE: By who?
- That's a good question, McGee.
Why don't you find me an answer?
Good question. Find me an answer.
Okay, if you slide your heel further
back it'll decrease your exposure.
ABBY: Won't that throw off
my lateral balance?
Balance isn't usually
the primary concern on a mission.
ABBY: What is?
GIBBS: The guy shooting back.
Which is what I'm gonna do
if you two don't get back to work.
Gibbs, I was the one waiting for you.
What are you waiting for now, Abs?
I ran ballistics on the Browning.
Rifling patterns indicate
it didn't fire any of the slugs
Ducky pulled from the first sergeant.
ABBY:
Three 9 mm Parabellums and a .45.
ZIVA:
Which means Downing was shot by
at least two unaccounted
for weapons.
- I got that part.
- The dredge crew is still looking.
Hopefully more weapons
will turn up.
The good news is
I matched the Browning to the slugs
pulled from the other three victims.
- Any prints?
- No, not by a long shot.
And GSR would be pointless because
it's been undenNater for so long.
But I did run the serial number.
The gun is registered
to First Sergeant Ryan Downing.
Looks like he went down fighting
for his life.
Or committed triple homicide.
MAN 1 [OVER RADIO]: MTAC,
are you receiving my video feed now?
MAN 2:
Yeah, coming through.
- Which kid are we talking about here?
MAN 1: Should be on your screen.
Jethro.
The three bodies found
with First Sergeant Downing--
Were killed with his personal weapon.
I heard.
- Where are your glasses?
- Oh, I forgot them.
SHEPARD:
I don't like what it says either.
First Sergeants don't go looking
for this kind of payback.
SHEPARD: You would.
- I was only a gunny.
SHEPARD:
The Marine Corps is worried
his company is gonna come back
from Iraq and look for revenge.
It could be a bloodbath.
Ew! How do you drink that swill?
GIBBS:
How much time do I have?
SHEPARD:
They were to return this week.
Were?
Their rotation's been held up
till your investigation's over.
They're still in a war zone
instead of with their families, Jethro.
I don't care if First Sergeant Downing
killed those gang-bangers.
If he didn't, find out who did.
If he did, close the case.
You're wrong, Jenny.
You do care.
Ziva, if I ask you a question,
you'll be honest with me, right?
Of course, McGee.
What Tony was saying
about me before, you know....
Do I come off as unmanly?
I think Tony was jerking your brain.
Chain? Jerking my chain?
Whatever. I think you are
appropriately masculine.
However, perhaps not macho.
Tony and Gibbs are tough guys, yes?
They're--
So I'm not tough?
If you have to ask...
These the other victims?
Alejandro Marquez, Jorge Rubio,
and Hector "The Hammer" Menendez.
All members of the L.V.M.
- L.V.M., boss, that stands for--
GIBBS: La Vida Mala.
- El Salvadorian street gang.
ZIVA: Notjust a street gang, Gibbs.
They have 30,000 members
worldwide.
They deal drugs, run guns.
GIBBS: They also hire themselves out
as hit men.
Which is what two of their members
were allegedly doing a year ago,
when they mistakenly shot
a Private First Class--
Martin Reggio. A Marine from
First Sergeant Downing's company.
- We couldn't prove it.
- Downing was on a revenge mission.
First sergeants don't go
on revenge missions, Officer David.
I would.
Why not a Marine first sergeant?
They have more control than you do.
Do either one of you have
anything new to offer to this?
Yeah, boss. I think I do.
These three here,
they weren't just members of L.V.M.
According to the FBI here,
they are all lieutenants
in L.V.M.'s Manassas chapter.
- The boss?
- Miguel Sosa.
- Why are we standing here?
- He's missing.
He's been MlA since these three
disappeared a few months ago.
GIBBS: Let's go meet his replacement.
DiNozzo!
Where the hell have you been?
TONY:
I come bearing gifts.
Spent the night
at Rock Creek Park
and I found these
when they drained the pond.
ZIVA:
Oh, that's a big one.
- Were you expecting an attaboy?
- I thought it would be nice.
Attaboy.
- I was just doing myjob, boss.
GIBBS: I know that.
McGEE:
You wouldn't think it's the headquarters
of a worldwide crime syndicate.
ZIVA:
What did you expect, McGee?
Corporate headquarters building?
ZIVA: They're all armed.
- Keep your eyes open.
Spread out.
Who's e/jefe?
You are, officer.
Hey.
We're not local cops.
We're federal agents.
Federa/es?
[GANGSTERS CHATTERING]
- Who's in charge?
- In charge?
In charge of what?
McGEE: The Manassas chapter
of La Vida Mala.
lnside.
TOMAS:
You're either DEA or Immigration.
You're not FBl. They wear suits.
NCIS.
Navy cops.
What did we do to piss you off?
Come on, man.
We get blamed
for everything these days.
Help me out.
- We steal the admiral's car?
- Or his ca/zoncil/os?
[GANGSTERS LAUGHING]
You killed two Marines.
The first in a drive-by shooting,
the other in Rock Creek Park.
Take me away.
You want one of them instead?
Go with the federa/es.
They need a suspect.
We know who did it.
You can keep those.
GIBBS:
Don't look surprised.
I never seen them before.
They used to run your organization.
Organization?
[TOMAS LAUGHS]
We're a social club.
[GANSTERS LAUGHING]
You're not e/jefe.
No? Who am I?
GIBBS:
El Gordo.
[GANSTERS LAUGHING]
See? Nobody laughs at the boss.
You have eljefe give me a call,
or I book him the next seat
on the flight to Gitmo.
You can't do that.
We're not terrorists.
- Ziva.
- I'll have Tel Aviv produce an intercept
between Al Qaeda
and this social club.
- You want photos?
- That would be good.
- It might take me 24 hours.
- Okay.
Twenty-four hours.
Get a surveillance team
on this taco shack.
McGEE:
Actually, it's a pupusa shack, boss.
- I'm just saying, tacos are historically--
GIBBS: Ziva, make sure they're visible.
Okay, McGee,
you come back here.
You pick up anybody
who's got a La Vida Mala clown tat.
McGEE: What for, exactly?
- I don't care, McGee.
Driving around the block.
I don't care, McGee.
Okay, you want us
to shake them up.
ZIVA: If they're worried
we're on to something
they'll start talking to each other.
GIBBS: Get me intercepts
on their cell phones, computers,
pagers, smoke signals,
any way they communicate.
How are we gonna get
a judge to sign?
Didn't you hear, McGee?
La Vida Mala has ties to Al Qaeda.
Well, yeah,
but weren't we just saying that--?
[GIBBS CLEARS THROAT]
Unbelievable.
TONY:
Heard you rumbled with the sharks.
ZIVA: The sharks?
TONY: You know:
- West Side Story.
- Yes, McGee was quite impressive.
You didn't threaten them, did you?
Sort of.
I had a buddy on the Baltimore
gang unit, did that to the local L.V.M.
They found his head
in Crawford Park.
Never did find the rest of him.
- Think l'd lie to you?
- Yes.
To McGee I would lie.
Never to you, sir. Never to you.
Look out. Look out.
[ZIVA LAUGHING]
GIBBS:
I hope you've earned this.
ABBY: Oh, the director already
hooked me up.
She wanted an update.
But I didn't tell her anything, I swear.
She's been on her phone
since she got here.
Oh, that's mature.
You have something for me?
ABBY:
As a matter of fact, I do.
GIBBS: You looking over
my shoulder again, director?
- Why? You feel a little crowded?
- Yeah, a little.
- How's that?
- Better.
These are the four rounds taken
from First Sergeant Downing's body.
Three 9 mm Parabellum
and one .45.
I matched the .45 to the Colt.
That's a no-brainer.
The nine-millimetres are trickier.
But I got a definite match
on the Beretta and the TEC-9.
That leaves us with this final round.
The runt of the litter.
Ducky said it went in through the back
- and lodged in the chest plate.
- Kill shot.
The rifling was almost stripped.
It made it almost impossible
to find out which weapon it came from.
- But I did it.
SHEPARD: Which one was it?
Neither.
We're missing a weapon.
Then we're missing a shooter.
[ON MONITOR] / understand
you got a job to do, Agent Gibbs.
My Marines have done theirs.
It's time for them to come home.
- I agree, captain.
- Why is my company still in Iraq?
You lost two Marines to
a Virginia street gang, skipper.
Would you like me
to spell it out for you?
Headquarters is afraid of reprisa/s.
Not only headquarters.
PFC Reggio was killed
in a drive-by shooting
one week before your deployment.
Now your first sergeant
turns up dead?
You think First Sergeant Downing
was out for revenge?
His body was found in a frozen pond
with three dead gang-bangers.
His weapon was used to kill them.
You tell me, captain.
No way. Not his style, Agent Gibbs.
What was he doing back
on leave in the States?
His father had cancer. Terminal.
He wanted a chance
to say goodbye.
I hope he got it.
He was shot four times.
Kill shot was in his back.
You're a Marine.
Do you know any first sergeants
that would leave their men in combat
to go chase after
some street punks?
No, skipper. I don't.
Neither do /.
What are you gonna do
about it?
We're working on the case
on this end.
- As soon as I know, you'll know.
SlLVA [ON MONITOR]: Sir!
You people had a year to catch
Reggio's killers and you didn't do it!
At ease, Lance Corporal Silva.
SILVA: But, sir.
ARVlDAS: At ease, Marine.
SILVA:
Sorry, sir.
- ldidn't mean to--
ARVlDAS: Your watch is over.
- We 7/ talk about this later.
- Yes, sir.
lgot 182 other Marines wondering
the same thing, Agent Gibbs.
Don 't let them down this time.
You looking over my shoulder again,
Jen?
SHEPARD:
Not exactly.
He's right, you know.
You can't let them down.
McGEE:
El Gordo's cell phone again.
Probably his mamacita.
[TOMAS SPEAKING
IN SPANISH OVER SPEAKERS]
TONY: For a gangster,
this guy leads a pretty boring life.
Ziva, hab/a espafiol?
Si, mucho.
Bueno.
Welcome to the wonderful world
of Tomas Zepeda.
He's all yours.
Kill the speaker phone.
They are exchanging greetings.
The plan for lunch.
Oh, and a double feature is scheduled.
- Movies?
ZIVA: Nope.
Two ho's are coming over
for something called a rainbow party.
- Rainbow--
TONY: It's tough to translate slang.
- It's my speciality. I'll take over.
ZIVA: I know my cho/o from my chi/e.
I'll give you the summary.
I'll give you the summary.
TONY: Is that man-lotion
working for you there, probie?
McGEE:
I didn't shave today.
I'm trying a new look.
When you say today, you mean
the last couple of minutes or...?
Abby seems to like it.
- Like what?
- It looks nice, McGee.
It's very manly.
May I?
GIBBS:
DiNozzo.
- Hey, boss.
- Why are you touching his face?
TONY: I don't know. It feels good,
like a bunny rabbit.
GIBBS: Don't.
- Sorry.
GIBBS:
What are the wiretaps telling us?
Not much.
Zepeda, the big guy,
US. citizen, made five calls today.
Twice to his mother, two for food,
and one just now concerning--
ZIVA: Ho's. Slang for--
- I know what it's slang for, Ziva.
The rest of the gang's conversations
are even less promising.
The only member we've been
unable to listen to is Cesar Bernal.
Almost invisible, boss.
- Almost, McGee?
McGEE: He never talks on the phone.
Only sends and receives
text messages.
Twenty-two since yesterday.
All of them from Miguel Sosa
in San Salvador.
Texts are coded, but it looks
as though Sosa's still making
the day-to-day decisions
for the gang.
Then Bernal is his number two.
- Tony, get him in here.
- On it, boss.
GIBBS: Use your contacts.
Find out everything about Sosa
- and what he's doing in El Salvador.
- Done.
- McGee?
- Yeah.
You're trying too hard.
On it.
GIBBS:
Your friend Zepeda's a chump.
You're probably right.
Zepeda's an idiot.
But last I heard,
being stupid wasn't illegal.
I'm more interested
in who killed my first sergeant.
You're talking to the wrong cholo,
sefion
I'm just a small fish.
- Talk to the jefe.
- I would.
But I can't type.
How about you?
VVhy?
Do you want to hire me
as your secretary or something?
No. No, because I can't pay you
as well as your current employer,
Miguel Sosa. No, I can't do that.
You tell him
I wanna speak with him.
SI'.
I delivered your Gitmo threat.
Sosa said to ask you why you let
your people live so far from work.
That vato McGee, and the Israeli
chica, all the way out in Silver Spring?
A long way, si?
What if they need you pronto?
Threatening my people
is never a good idea.
I'm just the messenger.
A messenger that knows
what happened at Rock Creek Park.
Estoy muerto if I talk to you.
Estas muerto if you don't.
Two Marines called Sosa
to help unload captured Iraqi weapons.
- Two Marines?
- Si.
He sent our people to do a deal.
Figured maybe the Marines
would back off, for,
you know, what happened before.
Who was the other Marine?
They don't invite me to these things.
I don't know.
Three Marines from the company
were on leave
at the same time
as First Sergeant Downing.
Of those three,
two were nowhere near D.C.
Which leaves
Lance Corporal Jose Silva.
Juvenile record, suspected
pre-Corps gang activity.
He was also with PFC Reggio
the night he was murdered.
I want him on a plane. Yesterday.
[WHISTLING]
[MCGEE CLEARS THROAT]
Timothy, I suppose you're here
for the DOD?
Department of Defence?
- No, no. Date of death.
- Yes.
Absence of larvae
from airborne insects
indicate the bodies were thrown
into the water soon after death,
and were immersed for months
based on the presence of adipocere,
othenNise known as mortuary fat.
The first sergeant was stateside
on leave from mid-November.
The meteorological reports
from the area
indicate that the first hard freeze
was December 9th.
Is that aftershave I smell?
Old Spice. I had to shave midday.
Yes, I've heard about your infatuation
with lotions.
The lotions were--
It was for a skin condition.
Oh, it's quite all right, Timothy.
Skin care is something
we should all take more seriously.
In my opinion,
there's absolutely nothing gay about it.
Not that there's anything wrong
with that.
I've heard.
So a hard freeze December 9th?
Our key is that the bodies
were not frozen inside the ice,
but were below it.
So they died after the 9th?
No, no, no. No, human bodies sink
until the gases created
by the internal putrefaction
have had time to accumulate.
GIBBS:
How long does that take?
Under the forecasted
weather conditions, ten to 14 days.
Bodies went into the water between
November 25th and December 9th
or they would have resurfaced and
ice would have formed around them.
Precisely.
Have we any idea what our Marine
was doing there yet?
No, Duck, I don't. But we're gonna
find out in 11 hours and 30 minutes.
Hey.
[GIBBS WHISTLE]
GIBBS:
How was the flight, lance corporal?
It was long, sir.
- How much trouble am I in?
GIBBS: Trouble?
Why would you say that?
SILVA: Four NCIS agents
escorting one lance corporal?
You got it all wrong, Marine.
She's Mossad.
I hope you slept on the plane,
lance corporal.
TONY:
Yeah. It's gonna be a long night.
You wanna get the cash first
or the Iraqi weapons?
[CAR ACCELERATES]
[HORN HONKING]
- I'm not scaring you, am I?
- I'm fine.
SILVA: I don't know
what you're talking about, sir.
Really? Because you were on leave
with First Sergeant Downing.
Then you were with PFC Reggio
the night he was killed
in the drive-by shooting.
- I can't help a coincidence.
ZIVA: A coincidence, lance corporal?
Five dead bodies.
You're our only link.
[HORN HONKING]
Your company,
your fellow Marines, are stuck in Iraq
until we solve this case.
- You don't think I know that?
- He knows. He just doesn't care.
GIBBS:
Hey, Silva, you know what?
We had a name for guys like you
when I was on active duty.
Bravo Foxtrot.
It's an explicit term for a sexual--
- It wasn't supposed to happen like this.
- Like what?
[TIRES SCREECH]
If a drive-by killing
isn't solved right away,
the cops forget it.
NCIS forgot about it.
Private Reggio was my best friend.
He died in my arms.
I couldn't just let that go, sir.
- So you decided to turn a quick buck?
- No.
I called Sosa to meet
but not to sell him any weapons.
I wanted blood.
And your first sergeant
found out about it.
SILVA:
I don't know how, but he did.
He yanked my leave
and restricted me to base.
GIBBS: And he went to the meeting
in your place.
He didn't go down there
to kill anyone, sir.
He went down there to make peace.
To end it.
He didn't want anyone else
to get hurt.
Ifl could, I'd switch places with him.
I would.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think you would,
lance corporal.
McGEE:
It checks out.
Quantico gate log shows
that Downing restricted Silva to base
on November 26th
for the duration of his leave.
Lance Corporal Silva
wasn't at the pond.
He didn't kill anyone.
ZIVA:
Thank you. I owe you one, Simon.
That was my contact
in San Salvador.
- He locate Sosa?
ZIVA: No. He's not there.
McGEE: He has to be. Bernal's
texting there a dozen times a day.
ZIVA: If Simon says he's not
in San Salvador, then he's not there.
- He has to be.
ZIVA: Gibbs, I'm--
If not, we've wasted three days.
I am not wasting one more
to bring those Marines home.
You find him. Now.
Men, we are here today
for three reasons.
One, we can't find Miguel Sosa.
Two, I'm not even sure
that he exists.
And three--
Who were you talking to?
You will address me as "sir," soldier.
Sorry. Who were you talking to, sir?
My army.
Major Mass Spec.
Captain Comparison Microscope.
- Ensign--
- Isn't an Army rank.
It's actually Navy.
What do you want, McGee?
To go over the old text messages
between Cesar Bernal
and his boss, Miguel Sosa.
- They're in code.
- I know. But if we break them,
we might find where Sosa's hiding.
- He's in San Salvador.
- Ziva's people say no.
Oh, so if Ziva's people say no,
then we--
- Abby, please, just run them.
- Okay.
My Spanish is a little rusty.
Mine's not.
Okay, in this one
they're asking Sosa if they should--
- Wait a minute.
- What?
Itstoolong.
SMS text messages are limited to
150 characters. So that means--
It means that it was e-mailed
from a computer, not a cell phone.
ABBY: Can you backtrace it
to a physical location?
Just a simple matter of accessing
the e-mail-to-SMS gateway,
pulling an IP, linking to an ISP.
That's a Virginia address.
Ziva's people were right.
Let me see if we can get a name
of the account holder.
ABBY:
Cesar Bernal?
That doesn't make any sense.
Why would he send messages
to himself?
Because he was pretending
he's Miguel Sosa.
Okay, but that's stupid.
Because Sosa would totally find out
and kill Cesar.
Not if Cesar killed him first.
Uh-oh. What is this meal
gonna cost me this time?
Didn't cost you any last time.
You mean aside from the thousand
extra calories I didn't need?
Icanleave.
I didn't say that.
Salvadorian food?
How fried.
Sit. I'm sorry.
Another Marine was injured
in Captain Arvidas' group.
I know.
I heard you found the man responsible
for First Sergeant Downing's death.
His name is Cesar Bernal.
Can you make a case?
I knew this meal
was gonna cost me.
Okay, what do you have so far?
Cesar is making a power play
for control of his crew.
He's been faking orders
from Miguel Sosa
to the rest of L.V.M.
for the last four months.
And Sosa?
He's dead.
It's the only way Cesar
could have gotten away with it.
So First Sergeant Downing
wasn't the target.
He was Cesar's lure.
The real targets
were the three L.V.M. lieutenants.
Cesar was taking out the leadership.
Do you have any physical evidence?
Nothing linking Cesar
to the crime scene.
Jethro, you're gonna need
more than motive
to get a jury to convict.
Depends on the jury.
This is harassment.
When I get out of here,
I'm going to get me a fancy lawyer
and shove him all the way up your--
TONY:
Come on, it was just getting good.
ZIVA:
Okay, who wants to take him first?
- I'm gonna take him.
TONY: Oh, no, no, no. I got it, probie.
[MCGEE CRACKS KNUCKLES]
What, do you think
I can't handle this guy?
Gibbs said keep him on ice.
Not show him the warning signs
of osteoarthritis.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
Tony, I can break this guy.
You keep cracking
your knuckles like that,
you're gonna break a finger, probie.
I'm senior. I go first.
- You're always gonna be senior.
- Nice thing about being senior is that--
[ZIVA SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]
CESAR: So I cooperate with you
and this is the thanks I get?
Hauled in like a pescado muerto?
If by cooperate you mean lie, yes.
What did I lie about?
We know you were at the Rock Creek
Pond the night of the murders,
and we know you've been killing off
the L.V.M. leadership to assert control.
You must think very highly of me,
because the man who can pull off
something like that,
must be a very smart man.
You like smart men, bonita?
Ugh!
Sorry. You're not my type.
You're playing with fire, bonita.
Ugh!
- Is that a threat?
- No.
I'm just saying, my éses get
very lonely when I'm not around.
And they're not going to be too happy
with the one
that's keeping me from them.
I wouldn't worry about it.
I'm sure your éses will find something
to do while you're gone.
The autopsy of First Sergeant
Downing revealed four entry wounds.
However, of interest is the fact
that the three frontal wounds
showed no sign
of internal haemorrhaging.
The shots were fired after
First Sergeant Downing was dead.
GIBBS:
Each of your buddies...
...put a bullet in his corpse.
TOMAS:
Your point?
The point is if your buddies each fired
a round into the first sergeant
after he was dead, who shot them?
I want to talk to my lawyer.
McGEE [OVER SPEAKERS]:
No can do, punk.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
You've been watching
too many cop shows, know that?
Yeah, well you've been watching
too many gang-person shows.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
I don't think probie's
been watching enough cop shows.
McGee is a capable interrogator.
He can be quite intimidating
when he wants to be.
[CRACKS KNUCKLES]
You can't keep me here like this.
McGEE:
No, actually, I can.
You see, La Vida Mala
has suspected ties to Al Qaeda.
So all I have to do
is say the word "terrorist,"
and I can keep you in this room
till you grow old and die.
That actually was intimidating.
ABBY:
We can tell from the rifling patterns
that the slugs pulled
from your three dead L.V.M.'s
were from the Browning
found at the scene. Nice tat.
- Huh?
- Your Draconkreuz?
- The symbol of the ancient order of--
GIBBS: Abby.
Sorry, Gibbs. The point is that
whoever shot your guys
used First Sergeant Downing's gun.
smoked your muchachos.
Of course, your crew probably
would have only turned their backs
to the shooter if it was someone
they really trusted.
[PHONE BEEPING]
Argh!
[TONY CHUCKLES]
[TONY GROANS]
[PHONE BEEPING]
So, like,
you don't got no questions for me?
- That's a double negative.
- Huh?
"Don't got no" is a double negative.
It's a non-standard use of two
negative words in the same sentence.
They cancel each other out
and create a positive.
In Shakespeare's day, the double
negative was used as an emphatic.
But now it's just considered
a mistake. Oh!
Don't know if that's what
you intended. Pretty sure it's not.
We'll go with the colloquial
idiomatic thing. This is hard.
I'm pretty sure you meant:
"Do I have any questions?"
And the answer to that question is:
"I have no questions."
I do have some
observations, though.
Cesar. That's an interesting name.
Obviously derived from Caesar.
That was a powerful dude.
My name's Anthony.
Friends call me Tony.
Which backwards is "why not."
Anyway, in the pecking order,
I'm guessing that you're somewhere
between the guy that goes out
and buys the spray paint
that you use for tagging
and the guy who digs it out
from under your boss' nails.
[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]
You don't know who
you're messing with.
One word from me
and my crew will have you splattered--
- Your crew?
- Yes.
Well, that's funny. I thought L.V.M.
was Miguel Sosa's crew.
[TAPPING]
Interesting.
McGEE:
Miguel Sosa.
Word on the street is he is hiding out
in El Salvador.
Except the FBI has no record
of him leaving the country.
Salvadorian authorities
have no record of him coming in.
So the only trail we have is the SMS
text messages he's been sending you.
The problem is,
he hasn't been sending them.
El Salvador country code
has been falsified.
Someone faked them to make them
look like they came from Miguel Sosa.
Messages originated from an e-mail
account registered to Cesar Bernal.
He killed your boss.
Played you for a fool.
Us too.
He'll never get a conviction in court
with what I have on him.
Hey, boss.
Right. I see.
You were all trying
to throw me off balance.
Soften me up for the big guns, eh?
Actually,
I didn't know you were still here.
Come on, I'll drive you home.
TONY:
Wear your safety belt.
CESAR:
Door-to-door service.
I could get used to this.
What's the matter?
You're pissed because whatever game
you tried to play didn't work?
You got a lot to learn
about the streets, cabron.
Loyalty means everything in our world.
Without it, estas muerto.
Thanks for the lift.
Semper fl.
Good bye, Cesar.
[CESAR SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
These NCIS pendejos just won't quit.
I got a message from Sosa.
He thinks we ought to teach them
some manners.
What?
WOMAN [ON TV]:
The victim, a male in his early 203,
was found in this dumpster,
shot repeatedly at close range.
Police have identified him
as Cesar Bernal,
a native of El Salvador,
and say they believe he has close ties
to gang activity in the Manassas area.
In fact, police say he—-
[TV TURNS OFF]
You don't have work to do,
I'm sure I can find some.
- No. I got a lot of work to do, boss.
- There's lots of work.
Good.
I'll be in MTAC.
GIBBS:
Captain.
[ON MONITOR]
Agent Gibbs.
lhope you have
some good news for me.
Bring our boys home.