NCIS (2003–…): Season 9, Episode 3 - The Penelope Papers - full transcript
A Naval Reserve lieutenant dies of a gunshot in Washington, DC; Gibbs and company investigate; the victim has one of McGee's cards; McGee learns that his paternal grandmother is involved. The gang assemble the pieces and catch the bad guy.
PAUL: Sweetheart, look, I meant
to come home last night, all right?
Yeah, my class ran late
and I had all those papers...
What are you accusing me of?
Look, I can't deal with this right now.
I gotta go. I'll call you later.
[SIGHS]
Come on.
Hey, it's me.
I'm starting to really lose it here.
I can't keep lying to my wife.
It's killing me.
We need to end this.
Can we meet?
I'm at the park
across from the Hayes Hotel.
I'll see you soon.
[EXHALES]
[GRUNTS]
Yes, I know, I got it.
For the 188th time, I got it.
Yes, the balloons
and the streamers.
I know, I know. What?
No, no, no. No strippers this year.
No.
I gotta go. I'll call you back.
Planning a party, Tony?
Not exactly.
It's my father's birthday.
He's planning. I'm paying.
In all kinds of ways.
- Well, it sounds like he's really into it.
- Oh, yeah.
He's into it like a little sorority girl.
"It's my birthday."
My birthday? Not even a present.
It makes my head hurt.
At least your dad gets in the spirit.
Mine hates birthdays.
My father attended
every birthday party,
but his mind was always elsewhere.
Yeah, I remember one year,
I think I was 7,
I spent all day making this huge card
for my dad.
Used paint, glitter, special paper,
the works.
I gave it to him that night,
and he handed it back to me and said:
"You can do better. Try again."
That is a terrible story, McGee.
Called him The Great Santini.
ZIVA:
Wait a minute. He's a magician?
I thought he was a Navy admiral.
The movie, Ziva.
The Great Santini,
starring the great Robert Duvall,
he played the ruthless military pilot
and brutal family man, Bull Meechum.
Please don't.
TONY: "There's those that's got them,
and those that don't.
Gonads, son. Big brass ones."
And there it is.
Kind of makes sense that you'd end up
working for Gibbs, McMeechum.
There are similarities.
He's got big brass ones.
- They're like bowling balls.
- That is disgusting.
I'm talking about tough-Iove tactics,
Tony, the veneer of impenetrability.
His skill at turning one word
into a rallying cry.
- Gear up.
- Guess that's two words, isn't it?
GIBBS:
Something funny, DiNozzo?
No, boss. Grabbing my gear.
Got a dead Navy officer downtown.
Nothing funny about that.
Ambushed from behind, boss?
Maybe.
- How many shots, Duck?
- Just one that I can see.
And it was devastating.
It's a single gunshot wound to the side
of the head. Through and through.
Never saw it coming.
PALMER: He was just enjoying
a beautiful fall morning.
The sun is out, birds are chirping.
All is right with the world.
And then out of nowhere, bam,
lights out.
Kind of poetic, if you ask me. L...
But you did not ask me,
and I apologize.
- Time of death?
- Couple of hours ago.
- Details?
- Navy Lieutenant Paul Booth.
Thirty-two years old. Married.
No kids.
Wife's being notified as we speak.
TONY:
Police are ruling out robbery, boss.
Cash, credit cards,
everything's still on him.
ZIVA:
Except this.
Found it on the grass.
Could be a company badge.
There's something weird.
- Well, it looks like a burn.
DUCKY: Not any burn I've ever seen.
Wow, what was this guy into?
I don't know.
Maybe you can tell us, Tim.
Me? Why?
This can't be mine.
You sure about that?
It's got your name on it.
McGEE: Matte-white card stock
with clean border
and seven-point Helvetica font.
- Oh, my God.
- McGee.
Boss, I don't know what this is.
I don't even know this guy.
Well, he knew you.
Lieutenant Paul Booth, late 2003.
Right after you started here, McGee.
Ring a bell?
No. I still can't place him.
TONY: Okay, here he is last year.
Anything?
No. And I've checked old files.
He wasn't a friend of a victim
or a witness in any case.
None of this makes sense.
How could he have my card
from eight years ago?
- I don't even have one of those...
- Sit, McGee. We'll figure it out.
- Boss, I don't know him. I swear.
- Sit.
Lieutenant Paul Booth,
a.k.a. McGee's mystery friend,
served two tours overseas
before joining the Reserves in 2007.
- Criminal background?
- Nothing. A model officer.
Made lieutenant in just three years.
CO says he was highly focused
and driven to succeed.
Officials at Waverly University
said the same thing.
Booth taught there
as a math professor.
He was praised
by colleagues and students.
TONY: It looks like teach was skipping
class the past few months.
Taught courses five days a week
for three years,
and then, look at this, last spring,
he cut his schedule down.
One class. Once a week.
That's right.
Officials say he gave no specific
reason for the change.
McGEE: Maybe he was working
someplace else.
ZIVA:
Abby ID'd the symbol on the badge
as the logo for something
called the Telles Research Group.
Get me an employee database.
Boss, Telles is locked up tight.
For me to get in, I'd have
to bypass the Pentagon's main frame
and go straight
into their secure server.
Which I'll happily do.
Well, why is this group so secret?
These guys develop
all kinds of things
from children's car seats
to advanced military spyware.
They got their headquarters out
in the middle of Virginia somewhere.
McGEE:
Boss, I'm in.
Booth was employed as an analyst
in January 2010.
Reported to Telles Vice President,
John Westfal.
- Yeah, and?
- That's it. Other files are classified.
Find out what they're hiding.
Tony, Ziva, go talk to Westfal.
[SOBBING]
GIBBS:
Mrs. Booth?
Please tell me this isn't happening.
Sit down.
[GRUNTS]
What do you know
about your husband's work?
Paul loved what he did.
He was a great teacher.
- When did you last talk?
- This morning. Pretty early.
Before 6, I think.
He sound upset?
More anxious.
Like he needed to get off the phone
with me.
He was like that a lot lately.
For a long time, I thought it was
because he was seeing someone else.
But then...
What?
[EXHALES]
A few weeks ago,
he came home really late.
I looked outside to make sure
it was him, and that's when I saw...
There was someone parked
across the street, Agent Gibbs.
Watching him.
- Who?
- I don't know.
It was a man, I think.
It's hard to tell in the dark.
You ever see him again?
When?
Last night.
And the night before that.
MAN: We're self-sufficient.
We installed solar panels
and we're hoping
to raise our own cattle this year.
Is that why you set up shop
so far out of D. C?
So you could milk cows?
We believe a certain amount
of isolation breeds creativity.
Well, Lieutenant Booth
was certainly isolated.
Not even his wife knew
he was here.
Paul was very aware
of the delicate nature of our work.
We were very up-front
when we recruited him.
Were there problems?
No. Never.
No, Paul was a top analyst.
He loved this place.
He loved working in the garden.
None of this will ever be the same
without him.
TONY: We need to know what
you really do here, Mr. Westfal.
I have a feeling it's more
than just growing tomatoes.
Max Ellswood founded Telles
in 1965
in order to develop
cutting-edge military strategy.
His theories have been used
in every war since Vietnam.
His passing was a sad day,
but his legacy lives on.
Telles remains the first choice
when it comes
to military innovative design.
And what designs was Lieutenant
Booth working on when he died?
I'm afraid that's classified.
Ah. Well, it is important
that we know what he was involved in.
My hands are tied, Agent DiNozzo.
I can't release such information.
Can't or won't?
I've said all I need to say.
You can find your way out.
Yeah, thank you.
Huh.
[BUZZING]
That's the third time in an hour.
I know. I am so sorry.
Will not happen again. I promise.
You'll have plenty of time
to turn off each other's calls
once you're married, Mr. Palmer.
I'd advise you not to start
before you've even exchanged
wedding vows.
How did you know it was Breena?
You're a man in love. Ha-ha.
I've been there many times myself,
but not much lately.
It's just all this wedding-planning stuff,
it just has us on edge.
She's having a hard time
making decisions.
I'm just trying to help,
but everything I say seems wrong.
- What should I do?
- Just give her what she wants.
I have no idea what that is.
Welcome to the rest of your life,
Jim Boy.
What do you got, Duck?
Enough to raise troubling questions.
Now Captain Booth died
from trauma
from a single gunshot wound
to the head
with massive skull fracture
and disbursement of brain matter.
We also found bullet fragments
lodged in his skull.
These would indicate that the killer
stood about 20 feet away.
Abby is doing tests.
That's not all.
These markings on the ends
of his fingers
are proving mysterious. Mr. Palmer.
PALMER: The fingertips were inflamed,
cracked and bleeding.
Strongly indicates a chemical burn.
- Drugs?
DUCKY: Possibly.
I've ordered tox screens
and additional panels.
Jethro, this was carried out
with precision.
The proximity to the victim,
the lack of physical evidence.
This is a killer
with considerable skill.
TONY: Bank records show Lieutenant
Booth cashed out all his accounts
the day before he died.
Everything was put into a trust fund
under his wife's name.
- Close to 100 grand.
- He knew he was in trouble.
Also knew he was being followed.
Metro Police say he filed a report
last week.
- Someone tried to run him off the road.
- Get a description of the car?
Yes, a dark-colored sedan.
Unknown model.
- McGee, e-mails?
- I'm still sifting
through Booth's personal e-mails
and Navy correspondence.
But cell-phone records do show
that he made three calls
just before his death.
To who?
McGEE: Well, the first was to his boss,
John Westfal, at 5:47 a.m.
Second to his wife at 6:01.
And the last call, just two minutes
before his murder,
was made to an unlisted number.
I'm tracing that number now.
Who is Penelope Langston?
McGee?
Hey, stop!
McGEE:
Boss, I can't right now. I'm sorry.
TONY:
She's your what?
You never told me?
McGEE:
Do I have to tell you everything?
TONY:
Yes, you do.
Now listen,
does she know we're coming?
PENNY: And if you learn
to make a bonsai tree...
McGEE:
Penny.
Timothy. Excuse me, kids.
Sweetheart,
how come the long face?
Have you not been eating those
wheatgrass honey squares I sent?
I told you they'd flush out
all the toxins.
And you must be Tony DiNozzo.
I have heard so much about you.
Well, it's a pleasure.
I wish I could say the same.
[MUMBLES]
Tony DiNozzo,
this is Penelope Langston,
my grandmother.
That word, grandmother,
so old-fashioned and so patriarchal.
You call me Penny.
Listen, as much as I love a surprise
visit, especially from Timothy...
Penny.
We need to talk.
About Lieutenant Paul Booth.
[SIGHS]
I know. I know he's dead.
I tried reaching him at the university.
They gave me the news.
How do you know the lieutenant?
Not for the reason you think,
I can assure you.
He's much too young for me
and not at all my type.
And your dear grandfather,
rest his soul, would not approve.
McGEE:
You don't wanna talk to me, fine.
But Gibbs is gonna have questions
and he's not gonna be nice about it.
I think you forget
that I staged a sit-in
with Gloria Steinem
at our nation's capital,
and spent seven nights in prison or jail,
really, after the Selma riots in '65.
And three in Chicago
after the '68 convention.
And I think I can handle
this Gibbs person.
Genghis Khan couldn't handle Gibbs.
You should talk to your grandson.
McGEE: Why did Lieutenant Booth
call you right before he died?
Paul was a student of mine.
He was so bright and thoughtful
and loved math and science
as much as I did.
Both his parents had passed.
He needed help getting through
some tough times, and I was there.
We stayed in contact.
- About what?
- Oh, God. Professional things, mostly.
He was having work problems.
Problems
with the Telles Research Group?
Telles? No.
With his work at Waverly.
Oh, since when was Paul working
for those imperialist nut jobs?
Well, that is a pretty strong opinion
about a group most people
don't even know exists.
I have strong opinions
about all kinds of things.
And I was the wife of an admiral
for 40 years.
Our pillow talk was enlightening.
Please don't say "pillow talk."
Okay. How about
"post-coital embraces"? Tch.
Nelson confided in me
about all kinds of things.
So, what do you know about Telles?
I know that it's a think tank
for the military going back to Vietnam.
That's about it.
Booth never said anything else
about his work there?
PENNY:
No, not a word.
I know you, Timothy.
And I know when you are trying
to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Sweetheart, stop trying to make
connections where there aren't any.
You're so much better than that.
She's lying.
Some grandson you are.
No, my dad used to do this thing
when he...
You'd ask a question and he didn't
wanna answer it, he'd turn the tables.
Tell me I was the one
with the problem.
From what you've said
about your pops,
Penny doesn't seem anything
like him.
I didn't think so. Until now.
You know, I've always trusted her.
She's someone I depend on.
Why would she do this?
I don't know.
There's gotta be a reason.
I don't think she'd just mislead you.
Unless she has something to lose.
Well, I guess we have to figure out
what that is, right?
You see how stubborn she is.
If I push too hard,
I'm gonna push her away.
Family.
Well, you might not
have a choice, Tim.
GIBBS:
Hey, Abby.
Gibbs, I'm in here.
- Here, give me your hand.
- God.
- It's hot, right?
- Yeah.
So imagine
how Lieutenant Booth felt.
Burned by a copy machine?
Yeah, this very machine, actually.
It was in his basement.
It's like a hundred years old.
Crazy, right?
Let me show you something crazier.
The Lieutenant's fingerprints
were singed.
And they tested positive
for high levels of iron oxide
and tungsten sulfide,
a.k.a. Rust and oil.
Put those two together,
and take a wild guess what you get.
Come on, guess, guess, guess.
Okay, observe.
Every time he made a copy,
the printer toner and the heat
of the glass burned his fingers,
but he kept doing it,
like, over and over and over again.
That's dedicated.
I would estimate he made
like 4,000 copies, Gibbs.
I mean, whatever he was copying
must have been really important.
Maybe enough to get him killed.
Thanks.
Tony, I was right.
Penny never taught Booth.
She retired before he enrolled.
We gotta know what she's hiding.
Guessing it's more than you think.
McGee, talk to me.
Well, boss, I'm trying
to penetrate Telles' top-secret files,
but the code is overly complicated.
It's almost indecipherable.
Decipher it.
Well, that's just it. I can't.
I mean, I will. I will. I am.
DiNozzo.
I'd like everyone to say hello
to Andrew Pike,
former analyst and rival
of Telles founder Max Ellswood.
He was fired
and banned from the building.
State employee records show
that Pike became erratic
after he was turned down
for a promotion.
Ellswood called him "an egomaniac
with a violent streak."
- Where is he now?
ZIVA: Last known address is in Virginia,
but it is from 1972.
Boss, that's not the only
Telles employee who's had issues.
Found several messages
in Lieutenant Booth's e-mail cache.
All from John Westfal.
All referencing something
called The Anax Principle.
- Could've been what he was copying.
- Put it up.
ZIVA: "The Anax Principle
is privileged information, Paul.
Time to come clean
before things get out of control."
Maybe Westfal
is the one who lost control, huh?
This is insane.
I already told everything I know
to your other agents.
You didn't tell them
about The Anax Principle.
All right, what do you know?
Not enough.
We were hoping you'd fill us in.
It's highly classified material,
Agent Gibbs.
Not even our top military commanders
know of its contents.
Sounds like Lieutenant Booth knew
more than you wanted him to.
Why the e-mails?
Was there a fight?
No. Absolutely not.
Where were you
the morning that Booth was shot?
I was home. I was asleep.
You got anybody
that can verify that?
No.
I know what you're thinking,
but you're wrong.
I didn't kill Paul.
I was mad at him, yes.
About what?
He was stealing from me, from us.
I caught him taking files
for The Anax Principle.
Close to 4,000 pages
of privileged documents.
I didn't say anything at the time
because I was trying
to get the files back,
but that doesn't matter now.
Why not?
When I confronted him, he admitted
that he'd given them to someone.
To who?
WESTFAL:
I don't know.
He was very protective.
He just said she was a close friend.
I thought I knew everything
about you.
I thought I could trust you.
You can.
I know about your work for Telles.
And I know about the papers
you and Lieutenant Booth stole.
Where are they?
You have to tell me.
I can't.
It's for your own good.
Do you know the kind
of trouble you're in?
I made a promise to Paul
to keep his family safe.
I'm your family.
I'm sorry, Timothy, I...
I can't. I love you, but I can't.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
McGEE:
Penny! Watch out!
[PENNY & McGEE GRUNT]
DMV records show
that the black sedan's been registered
to multiple Peppy Car Rental agencies
over the past two years.
Still trying to figure out which agency
had the sedan as of today.
You ID the driver?
Nothing yet.
Witnesses gave no clear description.
But one woman claims
she saw a man behind the wheel
- but she could not determine his age.
- Keep looking.
Hey.
How's she holding up?
Well, she's a little shaken,
but otherwise okay.
Ducky's checking her out right now.
She still won't talk?
Threatened to stage a hunger strike
in the lobby if I kept pushing.
She realize
what kind of danger she's in?
Boss, you don't understand.
She gets committed to a cause,
there's no stopping her.
Can't wait forever, McGee.
Get her to talk. McGee, or I will.
[PHONE RINGS]
Okay.
Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo,
how can I help you?
Lieutenant Booth's murder
is an ongoing investigation.
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to give you
the standard "no comment"...
What about The Anax Principle?
Uh-huh.
We'll be in touch.
DiNozzo.
That was Michael Sheedy,
senior editor at the D.C. Chronicle.
- Yeah, so?
- Apparently, he's been communicating
with Penelope Langston
about the Telles Research Group
and The Anax Principle.
She's meeting with him tonight.
Wait's over. Go.
Agent Gibbs, I always knew
that my grandson would introduce us.
I just never imagined
that it would be like this.
You failed to tell me
he was so handsome, Timothy.
Great eyes.
Why are you talking to the press?
I'm a free citizen, Agent Gibbs.
I can talk to whomever I want.
Are you giving them information
about The Anax Principle?
That's really none of your business.
- Oh, yeah, it is.
- Hmm.
Since you've done nothing but lie
for the past two days.
Your inflated sense of authority
does not impress me.
I have never been a fan of fascism.
What are you hiding,
Ms. Langston?
I'm not hiding anything. L...
I was protecting a friend.
I doubt that.
I think you're protecting yourself.
There's only one reason for that.
Enlighten me, Agent Gibbs.
You know something
about Lieutenant Booth's death.
- Boss.
- Maybe you're involved
with something way over your head.
- No.
- Maybe covering for the real killer.
Enough!
Go home, McGee.
You can't be professional. Go home.
I won't let you treat her like that.
She's my grandmother.
She's also the lead witness
in a murder investigation.
What do you want me to do,
needlepoint my questions?
Penny had nothing to do
with Booth's death.
- I never said she did.
- You gonna break her till she cracks?
That's how it's done, Tim.
I don't like this any better than you do.
I know that she's a family member.
Well, she means everything to me.
I respect that.
This is about murder. A guy is dead.
Enough.
We find what's in those papers.
We find Booth's killer.
And she's the one that can tell us.
She'll talk to me.
You worked as an analyst
for the Telles Group.
And then you quit. Why?
Don't do this, Timothy. Please don't.
Your experience with Telles.
I need to know everything.
I knew I shouldn't have given Paul
your business card.
- I just... At the time, I thought...
- Penny!
Now.
PENNY: The paper I published
caught Max Ellswood's attention.
He asked me
to be the first female analyst
to work on something
called The Anax Principle.
It was 1968, oh.
Of course, I said, "Yes."
And I've regretted that decision
all my life.
What happened?
They lied.
What else is new?
I was told that I was working
on something
that would keep our men
in Vietnam safe.
But then a few years in, I learned
that I wasn't helping anyone.
Instead, I was creating
a weapon of destruction.
I wanted to make amends,
you know, warn people. L...
They silenced you?
Like anybody could shut me up.
I took action, Timothy.
I armed myself
with the First Amendment.
We were just about to go to print
when the war ended,
and The Anax Principle
was abandoned.
Or so we thought.
Penny, what is it?
Oh, sweetheart,
it's better you don't know.
How did you meet
Lieutenant Booth?
Like me, Paul was lied to.
He learned that I was one
of the last living members
from the original group,
and sought me out.
We agreed to finish what I'd started.
I convinced him
that we were doing the right thing.
It's not your fault.
You inspired him.
You taught him so much.
About how to stand up for himself.
About how to be exactly who he was,
no matter what anyone else thought.
Especially his father.
He'll always love you for that.
You've never told me this before.
It's the truth.
Do you have any idea who did this?
All the way from the lovely
tropical island of Bali,
courtesy of our friends
at the State Department,
say hello to Andrew Pike.
I already told the guy from State
I don't know this Paul Booth.
But you do know
about The Anax Principle.
How do you even...?
That was something I created
years ago, but it's all over now.
GIBBS: Not according
to Penelope Langston.
The project started up again
last year.
She said you harbored anger
against Max Ellswood and Telles.
Claimed they stole your idea.
And one day you'd make them pay.
Yeah, I felt betrayed and rejected.
But I was 23.
Thought I'd change the world.
- And then...
- Then what?
Ellswood wanted to market
The Anax Principle.
I just wanted it to be a test,
a new kind of experiment.
I left and never looked back.
That was 39 years ago.
How long have you been in Bali?
Thirty-nine years.
Look, I don't know what's going on,
but I never meant for that project
to go public.
It is a threat to our way of life.
Boss, I'm just one firewall away
from Telles' top-secret files.
It's taken me a while,
but I think I'm actually getting in.
Got it. All right.
Searching all projects
between 1967 and 1972.
Boss, Andrew Pike was right.
Ooh. A caterpillar. Scary.
I do not understand.
Watch. It's a hybrid.
It's part insect, part machine.
The Anax Principle
merges technology with nature.
Ellswood said, "War should not only
be fought on the battlefields,
but in the fields themselves."
He wanted to change the game.
The hybrid's remote-controlled,
mutates quickly,
can infiltrate crops, multiply fast.
It's like a genetically-engineered
plague.
It has the potential
to kill thousands of people.
Yeah,
no wonder it was kept a secret.
Not anymore.
Penny's meeting with Michael Sheedy
at the D.C. Chronicle.
I'd rather she not go alone, boss.
Go.
McGEE:
This place is empty.
PENNY:
That must be Michael.
Okay, there's my signal.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
McGEE:
Why isn't he getting out?
Penny, wait. Something's not right.
Oh, Timothy, I'm perfectly capable
of handling this...
- Aah!
- Look out! Look out!
PENNY:
Oh, no. Michael!
Oh, Michael!
[PENNY SOBS]
Ducky's finishing, but the evidence
still points to our killer.
Another execution, boss.
Won't stop
until he gets what he wants.
He wants me.
No, we don't know that yet.
Yeah, we do.
McGee, analysts
who developed The Anax Principle.
John Westfal never said he was part
of the original group.
PENNY:
Wouldn't be the first time he lied.
Was he a problem?
John was a rich, entitled kid.
Ellswood took him under his wing,
promised him things.
- Like what?
- Gave him the reins,
let him make decisions
he shouldn't have made.
He got power hungry?
Telles is John's whole life.
He'd do anything to keep power.
Maybe even kill.
The rental car was paid for
using a private account.
And the signature belongs
to none other than...
John Westfal.
Bring him in.
It's a forgery. I didn't sign this.
I'm not playing games,
Mr. Westfal.
Well, someone's setting me up
to ruin my good name.
We can do this easy
or we can do this hard.
It's your choice.
I'm not a violent person,
Agent Gibbs.
I would never kill anyone.
We got witness testimony and a stack
of evidence that says otherwise.
- You're wrong.
- Prove it.
That's what I thought.
Paul was right.
It was evil.
That's what he called
The Anax Principle.
Pure evil. And I knew it.
But I just kept working.
I couldn't stop myself.
To protect your power.
I don't have any power. I never did.
Paul.
Paul had all the guts.
He had courage.
He took risks, spoke the truth.
And I just fell in line.
Did whatever the ones at the top
told me to do.
I admired him, Agent Gibbs.
Why would I kill him?
Abs, got your message. What's up?
Gibbs, hi. Lots.
The bullet fragments that came
from Lieutenant Booth, total dead end.
No pun intended.
And second, and this is good,
Ducky found traces
of a strange material
on the second victim.
And you're not gonna believe
what it is.
It's a highly unusual, one-of-a-kind,
super-strong carbon fiber
that was used
to craft military weapons.
- When?
- Oh, like way back.
Like the '50s or the '60s.
I mean, it's not that far back for you,
but for me that is like... That's way...
So I traced the carbon fiber back
to the manufacturer in Louisiana.
They make experimental stuff.
But they also make
some combat weapons,
including one just like this bad boy.
It's a limited edition, combat-approved
.45 caliber handgun,
dubbed The Black Hand.
It was used during Vietnam
for only two years, 1962 and 1963.
Abs, zoom in right here.
TONY:
Our killer's a GI Joe?
Was.
Number of Telles analysts
who served in the military?
Three. Andrew Pike, Max Ellswood
and a low-level analyst
named Erik Velez.
How many Army?
- Just two. Ellswood and Velez.
- Years served?
Ellswood from 1955 to 1963,
and Velez from...
That can't be right.
McGee, come on.
Velez didn't serve
until the first Iraq war.
- Enlisted in 1990.
TONY: Ha-ha.
Oh, come on.
I love science fiction
as much as the next guy,
but Ellswood's gone. His plane
crashed into the Rockies 23 years ago.
They find the body?
No.
- Ducky, it's McGee. Is Penny there?
DUCKY [OVER PHONE]: Oh, she left.
- What do you mean, she left? When?
- About an hour ago.
[RUSTLING]
Hello?
[RUSTLING CONTINUES]
I said, who's there?
Max.
Heard you've been keeping yourself
rather busy these days, Penelope.
But then I'd expect nothing less.
Always such a busybody.
Had to prove you were
as good as the boys.
All these years,
we thought you were dead.
Yes, well, I was.
The day the military pulled the plug
on my creation killed me.
I had no reason to be here anymore.
But when I found out they'd green-lit
the project again, I felt reborn.
So you can imagine how upset I was
when I also heard you were up
to your old tricks.
Out to destroy my legacy.
Don't move.
I wasn't about to let that happen.
You were wrong, Max,
about The Anax Principle.
About everything.
I did great things.
And I will again.
GIBBS:
No, you won't.
Please, don't. Don't do this.
Don't do this.
Already done.
You can't. This is wrong.
This is wrong.
I've done great things.
They need me. They need me.
They can't do this without me.
Ha-ha. And one year,
Timothy became obsessed
with my red pumps, you know.
He wore them everywhere.
I mean, to the grocery store, to church.
What'd the preacher have to say?
"Hey, kid, don't upstage me."
As he's teetering down the aisle
to the front and l...
- Hi, honey.
- Hi.
[TONY & PENNY LAUGHING]
- What's so funny?
- The red pumps.
We were just really enjoying
that story.
[TONY & PENNY LAUGHING]
You little cross-dresser, you.
Does the pope know?
Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of,
darling.
You know, it's healthy
to explore all sides of yourself.
I was 5.
Yeah, that's what's sort
of brilliant about it.
It's getting late.
Way past your date's bedtime there,
Tony.
- And I gotta get you home, Penny.
- No need. I already have a ride.
- With who?
- It's been a pleasure to meet you both.
And Ziva, Tony...
Until next time, mon ch?ri.
Timothy's lucky to have you.
No, we are the lucky ones.
PENNY:
Hmm.
Whoa. Whew.
Oh, that Tony DiNozzo.
[CHUCKLES]
It comforts me to know that you're
with such a good group of people.
I'll admit, even Gibbs has begun
to grow on me a little bit.
His cold, despotic ways,
really part of his charm.
Who knew?
He actually reminds me a lot of...
- You know, a little bit.
- Yeah.
In other words, he loves you,
but has no idea how to show it.
- Does he?
- Oh, sweetheart.
He loves you so much.
He always has, Timothy.
Deeply.
You need to take the first step,
Timothy. Call him.
It's been almost seven years.
I wouldn't know what to say.
Oh, you're a smart boy.
You'll figure it out.
Oh, here's my ride.
Wait, is this a date?
No, it's just a cocktail, Timothy.
DUCKY:
Or cocktails.
PENNY:
Mm-hm.
Sweetheart, call him.
- And you, doctor, good evening.
DUCKY: Have you made up your mind?
English or Italian?
PENNY: I think Korean.
DUCKY: Ha-ha.
PENNY:
I'd like to have a bunch of little pots.
[LINE RINGING]
MAN [OVER PHONE]: Hello?
- Hi, Dad?
It's me, Tim.
to come home last night, all right?
Yeah, my class ran late
and I had all those papers...
What are you accusing me of?
Look, I can't deal with this right now.
I gotta go. I'll call you later.
[SIGHS]
Come on.
Hey, it's me.
I'm starting to really lose it here.
I can't keep lying to my wife.
It's killing me.
We need to end this.
Can we meet?
I'm at the park
across from the Hayes Hotel.
I'll see you soon.
[EXHALES]
[GRUNTS]
Yes, I know, I got it.
For the 188th time, I got it.
Yes, the balloons
and the streamers.
I know, I know. What?
No, no, no. No strippers this year.
No.
I gotta go. I'll call you back.
Planning a party, Tony?
Not exactly.
It's my father's birthday.
He's planning. I'm paying.
In all kinds of ways.
- Well, it sounds like he's really into it.
- Oh, yeah.
He's into it like a little sorority girl.
"It's my birthday."
My birthday? Not even a present.
It makes my head hurt.
At least your dad gets in the spirit.
Mine hates birthdays.
My father attended
every birthday party,
but his mind was always elsewhere.
Yeah, I remember one year,
I think I was 7,
I spent all day making this huge card
for my dad.
Used paint, glitter, special paper,
the works.
I gave it to him that night,
and he handed it back to me and said:
"You can do better. Try again."
That is a terrible story, McGee.
Called him The Great Santini.
ZIVA:
Wait a minute. He's a magician?
I thought he was a Navy admiral.
The movie, Ziva.
The Great Santini,
starring the great Robert Duvall,
he played the ruthless military pilot
and brutal family man, Bull Meechum.
Please don't.
TONY: "There's those that's got them,
and those that don't.
Gonads, son. Big brass ones."
And there it is.
Kind of makes sense that you'd end up
working for Gibbs, McMeechum.
There are similarities.
He's got big brass ones.
- They're like bowling balls.
- That is disgusting.
I'm talking about tough-Iove tactics,
Tony, the veneer of impenetrability.
His skill at turning one word
into a rallying cry.
- Gear up.
- Guess that's two words, isn't it?
GIBBS:
Something funny, DiNozzo?
No, boss. Grabbing my gear.
Got a dead Navy officer downtown.
Nothing funny about that.
Ambushed from behind, boss?
Maybe.
- How many shots, Duck?
- Just one that I can see.
And it was devastating.
It's a single gunshot wound to the side
of the head. Through and through.
Never saw it coming.
PALMER: He was just enjoying
a beautiful fall morning.
The sun is out, birds are chirping.
All is right with the world.
And then out of nowhere, bam,
lights out.
Kind of poetic, if you ask me. L...
But you did not ask me,
and I apologize.
- Time of death?
- Couple of hours ago.
- Details?
- Navy Lieutenant Paul Booth.
Thirty-two years old. Married.
No kids.
Wife's being notified as we speak.
TONY:
Police are ruling out robbery, boss.
Cash, credit cards,
everything's still on him.
ZIVA:
Except this.
Found it on the grass.
Could be a company badge.
There's something weird.
- Well, it looks like a burn.
DUCKY: Not any burn I've ever seen.
Wow, what was this guy into?
I don't know.
Maybe you can tell us, Tim.
Me? Why?
This can't be mine.
You sure about that?
It's got your name on it.
McGEE: Matte-white card stock
with clean border
and seven-point Helvetica font.
- Oh, my God.
- McGee.
Boss, I don't know what this is.
I don't even know this guy.
Well, he knew you.
Lieutenant Paul Booth, late 2003.
Right after you started here, McGee.
Ring a bell?
No. I still can't place him.
TONY: Okay, here he is last year.
Anything?
No. And I've checked old files.
He wasn't a friend of a victim
or a witness in any case.
None of this makes sense.
How could he have my card
from eight years ago?
- I don't even have one of those...
- Sit, McGee. We'll figure it out.
- Boss, I don't know him. I swear.
- Sit.
Lieutenant Paul Booth,
a.k.a. McGee's mystery friend,
served two tours overseas
before joining the Reserves in 2007.
- Criminal background?
- Nothing. A model officer.
Made lieutenant in just three years.
CO says he was highly focused
and driven to succeed.
Officials at Waverly University
said the same thing.
Booth taught there
as a math professor.
He was praised
by colleagues and students.
TONY: It looks like teach was skipping
class the past few months.
Taught courses five days a week
for three years,
and then, look at this, last spring,
he cut his schedule down.
One class. Once a week.
That's right.
Officials say he gave no specific
reason for the change.
McGEE: Maybe he was working
someplace else.
ZIVA:
Abby ID'd the symbol on the badge
as the logo for something
called the Telles Research Group.
Get me an employee database.
Boss, Telles is locked up tight.
For me to get in, I'd have
to bypass the Pentagon's main frame
and go straight
into their secure server.
Which I'll happily do.
Well, why is this group so secret?
These guys develop
all kinds of things
from children's car seats
to advanced military spyware.
They got their headquarters out
in the middle of Virginia somewhere.
McGEE:
Boss, I'm in.
Booth was employed as an analyst
in January 2010.
Reported to Telles Vice President,
John Westfal.
- Yeah, and?
- That's it. Other files are classified.
Find out what they're hiding.
Tony, Ziva, go talk to Westfal.
[SOBBING]
GIBBS:
Mrs. Booth?
Please tell me this isn't happening.
Sit down.
[GRUNTS]
What do you know
about your husband's work?
Paul loved what he did.
He was a great teacher.
- When did you last talk?
- This morning. Pretty early.
Before 6, I think.
He sound upset?
More anxious.
Like he needed to get off the phone
with me.
He was like that a lot lately.
For a long time, I thought it was
because he was seeing someone else.
But then...
What?
[EXHALES]
A few weeks ago,
he came home really late.
I looked outside to make sure
it was him, and that's when I saw...
There was someone parked
across the street, Agent Gibbs.
Watching him.
- Who?
- I don't know.
It was a man, I think.
It's hard to tell in the dark.
You ever see him again?
When?
Last night.
And the night before that.
MAN: We're self-sufficient.
We installed solar panels
and we're hoping
to raise our own cattle this year.
Is that why you set up shop
so far out of D. C?
So you could milk cows?
We believe a certain amount
of isolation breeds creativity.
Well, Lieutenant Booth
was certainly isolated.
Not even his wife knew
he was here.
Paul was very aware
of the delicate nature of our work.
We were very up-front
when we recruited him.
Were there problems?
No. Never.
No, Paul was a top analyst.
He loved this place.
He loved working in the garden.
None of this will ever be the same
without him.
TONY: We need to know what
you really do here, Mr. Westfal.
I have a feeling it's more
than just growing tomatoes.
Max Ellswood founded Telles
in 1965
in order to develop
cutting-edge military strategy.
His theories have been used
in every war since Vietnam.
His passing was a sad day,
but his legacy lives on.
Telles remains the first choice
when it comes
to military innovative design.
And what designs was Lieutenant
Booth working on when he died?
I'm afraid that's classified.
Ah. Well, it is important
that we know what he was involved in.
My hands are tied, Agent DiNozzo.
I can't release such information.
Can't or won't?
I've said all I need to say.
You can find your way out.
Yeah, thank you.
Huh.
[BUZZING]
That's the third time in an hour.
I know. I am so sorry.
Will not happen again. I promise.
You'll have plenty of time
to turn off each other's calls
once you're married, Mr. Palmer.
I'd advise you not to start
before you've even exchanged
wedding vows.
How did you know it was Breena?
You're a man in love. Ha-ha.
I've been there many times myself,
but not much lately.
It's just all this wedding-planning stuff,
it just has us on edge.
She's having a hard time
making decisions.
I'm just trying to help,
but everything I say seems wrong.
- What should I do?
- Just give her what she wants.
I have no idea what that is.
Welcome to the rest of your life,
Jim Boy.
What do you got, Duck?
Enough to raise troubling questions.
Now Captain Booth died
from trauma
from a single gunshot wound
to the head
with massive skull fracture
and disbursement of brain matter.
We also found bullet fragments
lodged in his skull.
These would indicate that the killer
stood about 20 feet away.
Abby is doing tests.
That's not all.
These markings on the ends
of his fingers
are proving mysterious. Mr. Palmer.
PALMER: The fingertips were inflamed,
cracked and bleeding.
Strongly indicates a chemical burn.
- Drugs?
DUCKY: Possibly.
I've ordered tox screens
and additional panels.
Jethro, this was carried out
with precision.
The proximity to the victim,
the lack of physical evidence.
This is a killer
with considerable skill.
TONY: Bank records show Lieutenant
Booth cashed out all his accounts
the day before he died.
Everything was put into a trust fund
under his wife's name.
- Close to 100 grand.
- He knew he was in trouble.
Also knew he was being followed.
Metro Police say he filed a report
last week.
- Someone tried to run him off the road.
- Get a description of the car?
Yes, a dark-colored sedan.
Unknown model.
- McGee, e-mails?
- I'm still sifting
through Booth's personal e-mails
and Navy correspondence.
But cell-phone records do show
that he made three calls
just before his death.
To who?
McGEE: Well, the first was to his boss,
John Westfal, at 5:47 a.m.
Second to his wife at 6:01.
And the last call, just two minutes
before his murder,
was made to an unlisted number.
I'm tracing that number now.
Who is Penelope Langston?
McGee?
Hey, stop!
McGEE:
Boss, I can't right now. I'm sorry.
TONY:
She's your what?
You never told me?
McGEE:
Do I have to tell you everything?
TONY:
Yes, you do.
Now listen,
does she know we're coming?
PENNY: And if you learn
to make a bonsai tree...
McGEE:
Penny.
Timothy. Excuse me, kids.
Sweetheart,
how come the long face?
Have you not been eating those
wheatgrass honey squares I sent?
I told you they'd flush out
all the toxins.
And you must be Tony DiNozzo.
I have heard so much about you.
Well, it's a pleasure.
I wish I could say the same.
[MUMBLES]
Tony DiNozzo,
this is Penelope Langston,
my grandmother.
That word, grandmother,
so old-fashioned and so patriarchal.
You call me Penny.
Listen, as much as I love a surprise
visit, especially from Timothy...
Penny.
We need to talk.
About Lieutenant Paul Booth.
[SIGHS]
I know. I know he's dead.
I tried reaching him at the university.
They gave me the news.
How do you know the lieutenant?
Not for the reason you think,
I can assure you.
He's much too young for me
and not at all my type.
And your dear grandfather,
rest his soul, would not approve.
McGEE:
You don't wanna talk to me, fine.
But Gibbs is gonna have questions
and he's not gonna be nice about it.
I think you forget
that I staged a sit-in
with Gloria Steinem
at our nation's capital,
and spent seven nights in prison or jail,
really, after the Selma riots in '65.
And three in Chicago
after the '68 convention.
And I think I can handle
this Gibbs person.
Genghis Khan couldn't handle Gibbs.
You should talk to your grandson.
McGEE: Why did Lieutenant Booth
call you right before he died?
Paul was a student of mine.
He was so bright and thoughtful
and loved math and science
as much as I did.
Both his parents had passed.
He needed help getting through
some tough times, and I was there.
We stayed in contact.
- About what?
- Oh, God. Professional things, mostly.
He was having work problems.
Problems
with the Telles Research Group?
Telles? No.
With his work at Waverly.
Oh, since when was Paul working
for those imperialist nut jobs?
Well, that is a pretty strong opinion
about a group most people
don't even know exists.
I have strong opinions
about all kinds of things.
And I was the wife of an admiral
for 40 years.
Our pillow talk was enlightening.
Please don't say "pillow talk."
Okay. How about
"post-coital embraces"? Tch.
Nelson confided in me
about all kinds of things.
So, what do you know about Telles?
I know that it's a think tank
for the military going back to Vietnam.
That's about it.
Booth never said anything else
about his work there?
PENNY:
No, not a word.
I know you, Timothy.
And I know when you are trying
to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Sweetheart, stop trying to make
connections where there aren't any.
You're so much better than that.
She's lying.
Some grandson you are.
No, my dad used to do this thing
when he...
You'd ask a question and he didn't
wanna answer it, he'd turn the tables.
Tell me I was the one
with the problem.
From what you've said
about your pops,
Penny doesn't seem anything
like him.
I didn't think so. Until now.
You know, I've always trusted her.
She's someone I depend on.
Why would she do this?
I don't know.
There's gotta be a reason.
I don't think she'd just mislead you.
Unless she has something to lose.
Well, I guess we have to figure out
what that is, right?
You see how stubborn she is.
If I push too hard,
I'm gonna push her away.
Family.
Well, you might not
have a choice, Tim.
GIBBS:
Hey, Abby.
Gibbs, I'm in here.
- Here, give me your hand.
- God.
- It's hot, right?
- Yeah.
So imagine
how Lieutenant Booth felt.
Burned by a copy machine?
Yeah, this very machine, actually.
It was in his basement.
It's like a hundred years old.
Crazy, right?
Let me show you something crazier.
The Lieutenant's fingerprints
were singed.
And they tested positive
for high levels of iron oxide
and tungsten sulfide,
a.k.a. Rust and oil.
Put those two together,
and take a wild guess what you get.
Come on, guess, guess, guess.
Okay, observe.
Every time he made a copy,
the printer toner and the heat
of the glass burned his fingers,
but he kept doing it,
like, over and over and over again.
That's dedicated.
I would estimate he made
like 4,000 copies, Gibbs.
I mean, whatever he was copying
must have been really important.
Maybe enough to get him killed.
Thanks.
Tony, I was right.
Penny never taught Booth.
She retired before he enrolled.
We gotta know what she's hiding.
Guessing it's more than you think.
McGee, talk to me.
Well, boss, I'm trying
to penetrate Telles' top-secret files,
but the code is overly complicated.
It's almost indecipherable.
Decipher it.
Well, that's just it. I can't.
I mean, I will. I will. I am.
DiNozzo.
I'd like everyone to say hello
to Andrew Pike,
former analyst and rival
of Telles founder Max Ellswood.
He was fired
and banned from the building.
State employee records show
that Pike became erratic
after he was turned down
for a promotion.
Ellswood called him "an egomaniac
with a violent streak."
- Where is he now?
ZIVA: Last known address is in Virginia,
but it is from 1972.
Boss, that's not the only
Telles employee who's had issues.
Found several messages
in Lieutenant Booth's e-mail cache.
All from John Westfal.
All referencing something
called The Anax Principle.
- Could've been what he was copying.
- Put it up.
ZIVA: "The Anax Principle
is privileged information, Paul.
Time to come clean
before things get out of control."
Maybe Westfal
is the one who lost control, huh?
This is insane.
I already told everything I know
to your other agents.
You didn't tell them
about The Anax Principle.
All right, what do you know?
Not enough.
We were hoping you'd fill us in.
It's highly classified material,
Agent Gibbs.
Not even our top military commanders
know of its contents.
Sounds like Lieutenant Booth knew
more than you wanted him to.
Why the e-mails?
Was there a fight?
No. Absolutely not.
Where were you
the morning that Booth was shot?
I was home. I was asleep.
You got anybody
that can verify that?
No.
I know what you're thinking,
but you're wrong.
I didn't kill Paul.
I was mad at him, yes.
About what?
He was stealing from me, from us.
I caught him taking files
for The Anax Principle.
Close to 4,000 pages
of privileged documents.
I didn't say anything at the time
because I was trying
to get the files back,
but that doesn't matter now.
Why not?
When I confronted him, he admitted
that he'd given them to someone.
To who?
WESTFAL:
I don't know.
He was very protective.
He just said she was a close friend.
I thought I knew everything
about you.
I thought I could trust you.
You can.
I know about your work for Telles.
And I know about the papers
you and Lieutenant Booth stole.
Where are they?
You have to tell me.
I can't.
It's for your own good.
Do you know the kind
of trouble you're in?
I made a promise to Paul
to keep his family safe.
I'm your family.
I'm sorry, Timothy, I...
I can't. I love you, but I can't.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
McGEE:
Penny! Watch out!
[PENNY & McGEE GRUNT]
DMV records show
that the black sedan's been registered
to multiple Peppy Car Rental agencies
over the past two years.
Still trying to figure out which agency
had the sedan as of today.
You ID the driver?
Nothing yet.
Witnesses gave no clear description.
But one woman claims
she saw a man behind the wheel
- but she could not determine his age.
- Keep looking.
Hey.
How's she holding up?
Well, she's a little shaken,
but otherwise okay.
Ducky's checking her out right now.
She still won't talk?
Threatened to stage a hunger strike
in the lobby if I kept pushing.
She realize
what kind of danger she's in?
Boss, you don't understand.
She gets committed to a cause,
there's no stopping her.
Can't wait forever, McGee.
Get her to talk. McGee, or I will.
[PHONE RINGS]
Okay.
Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo,
how can I help you?
Lieutenant Booth's murder
is an ongoing investigation.
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to give you
the standard "no comment"...
What about The Anax Principle?
Uh-huh.
We'll be in touch.
DiNozzo.
That was Michael Sheedy,
senior editor at the D.C. Chronicle.
- Yeah, so?
- Apparently, he's been communicating
with Penelope Langston
about the Telles Research Group
and The Anax Principle.
She's meeting with him tonight.
Wait's over. Go.
Agent Gibbs, I always knew
that my grandson would introduce us.
I just never imagined
that it would be like this.
You failed to tell me
he was so handsome, Timothy.
Great eyes.
Why are you talking to the press?
I'm a free citizen, Agent Gibbs.
I can talk to whomever I want.
Are you giving them information
about The Anax Principle?
That's really none of your business.
- Oh, yeah, it is.
- Hmm.
Since you've done nothing but lie
for the past two days.
Your inflated sense of authority
does not impress me.
I have never been a fan of fascism.
What are you hiding,
Ms. Langston?
I'm not hiding anything. L...
I was protecting a friend.
I doubt that.
I think you're protecting yourself.
There's only one reason for that.
Enlighten me, Agent Gibbs.
You know something
about Lieutenant Booth's death.
- Boss.
- Maybe you're involved
with something way over your head.
- No.
- Maybe covering for the real killer.
Enough!
Go home, McGee.
You can't be professional. Go home.
I won't let you treat her like that.
She's my grandmother.
She's also the lead witness
in a murder investigation.
What do you want me to do,
needlepoint my questions?
Penny had nothing to do
with Booth's death.
- I never said she did.
- You gonna break her till she cracks?
That's how it's done, Tim.
I don't like this any better than you do.
I know that she's a family member.
Well, she means everything to me.
I respect that.
This is about murder. A guy is dead.
Enough.
We find what's in those papers.
We find Booth's killer.
And she's the one that can tell us.
She'll talk to me.
You worked as an analyst
for the Telles Group.
And then you quit. Why?
Don't do this, Timothy. Please don't.
Your experience with Telles.
I need to know everything.
I knew I shouldn't have given Paul
your business card.
- I just... At the time, I thought...
- Penny!
Now.
PENNY: The paper I published
caught Max Ellswood's attention.
He asked me
to be the first female analyst
to work on something
called The Anax Principle.
It was 1968, oh.
Of course, I said, "Yes."
And I've regretted that decision
all my life.
What happened?
They lied.
What else is new?
I was told that I was working
on something
that would keep our men
in Vietnam safe.
But then a few years in, I learned
that I wasn't helping anyone.
Instead, I was creating
a weapon of destruction.
I wanted to make amends,
you know, warn people. L...
They silenced you?
Like anybody could shut me up.
I took action, Timothy.
I armed myself
with the First Amendment.
We were just about to go to print
when the war ended,
and The Anax Principle
was abandoned.
Or so we thought.
Penny, what is it?
Oh, sweetheart,
it's better you don't know.
How did you meet
Lieutenant Booth?
Like me, Paul was lied to.
He learned that I was one
of the last living members
from the original group,
and sought me out.
We agreed to finish what I'd started.
I convinced him
that we were doing the right thing.
It's not your fault.
You inspired him.
You taught him so much.
About how to stand up for himself.
About how to be exactly who he was,
no matter what anyone else thought.
Especially his father.
He'll always love you for that.
You've never told me this before.
It's the truth.
Do you have any idea who did this?
All the way from the lovely
tropical island of Bali,
courtesy of our friends
at the State Department,
say hello to Andrew Pike.
I already told the guy from State
I don't know this Paul Booth.
But you do know
about The Anax Principle.
How do you even...?
That was something I created
years ago, but it's all over now.
GIBBS: Not according
to Penelope Langston.
The project started up again
last year.
She said you harbored anger
against Max Ellswood and Telles.
Claimed they stole your idea.
And one day you'd make them pay.
Yeah, I felt betrayed and rejected.
But I was 23.
Thought I'd change the world.
- And then...
- Then what?
Ellswood wanted to market
The Anax Principle.
I just wanted it to be a test,
a new kind of experiment.
I left and never looked back.
That was 39 years ago.
How long have you been in Bali?
Thirty-nine years.
Look, I don't know what's going on,
but I never meant for that project
to go public.
It is a threat to our way of life.
Boss, I'm just one firewall away
from Telles' top-secret files.
It's taken me a while,
but I think I'm actually getting in.
Got it. All right.
Searching all projects
between 1967 and 1972.
Boss, Andrew Pike was right.
Ooh. A caterpillar. Scary.
I do not understand.
Watch. It's a hybrid.
It's part insect, part machine.
The Anax Principle
merges technology with nature.
Ellswood said, "War should not only
be fought on the battlefields,
but in the fields themselves."
He wanted to change the game.
The hybrid's remote-controlled,
mutates quickly,
can infiltrate crops, multiply fast.
It's like a genetically-engineered
plague.
It has the potential
to kill thousands of people.
Yeah,
no wonder it was kept a secret.
Not anymore.
Penny's meeting with Michael Sheedy
at the D.C. Chronicle.
I'd rather she not go alone, boss.
Go.
McGEE:
This place is empty.
PENNY:
That must be Michael.
Okay, there's my signal.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
McGEE:
Why isn't he getting out?
Penny, wait. Something's not right.
Oh, Timothy, I'm perfectly capable
of handling this...
- Aah!
- Look out! Look out!
PENNY:
Oh, no. Michael!
Oh, Michael!
[PENNY SOBS]
Ducky's finishing, but the evidence
still points to our killer.
Another execution, boss.
Won't stop
until he gets what he wants.
He wants me.
No, we don't know that yet.
Yeah, we do.
McGee, analysts
who developed The Anax Principle.
John Westfal never said he was part
of the original group.
PENNY:
Wouldn't be the first time he lied.
Was he a problem?
John was a rich, entitled kid.
Ellswood took him under his wing,
promised him things.
- Like what?
- Gave him the reins,
let him make decisions
he shouldn't have made.
He got power hungry?
Telles is John's whole life.
He'd do anything to keep power.
Maybe even kill.
The rental car was paid for
using a private account.
And the signature belongs
to none other than...
John Westfal.
Bring him in.
It's a forgery. I didn't sign this.
I'm not playing games,
Mr. Westfal.
Well, someone's setting me up
to ruin my good name.
We can do this easy
or we can do this hard.
It's your choice.
I'm not a violent person,
Agent Gibbs.
I would never kill anyone.
We got witness testimony and a stack
of evidence that says otherwise.
- You're wrong.
- Prove it.
That's what I thought.
Paul was right.
It was evil.
That's what he called
The Anax Principle.
Pure evil. And I knew it.
But I just kept working.
I couldn't stop myself.
To protect your power.
I don't have any power. I never did.
Paul.
Paul had all the guts.
He had courage.
He took risks, spoke the truth.
And I just fell in line.
Did whatever the ones at the top
told me to do.
I admired him, Agent Gibbs.
Why would I kill him?
Abs, got your message. What's up?
Gibbs, hi. Lots.
The bullet fragments that came
from Lieutenant Booth, total dead end.
No pun intended.
And second, and this is good,
Ducky found traces
of a strange material
on the second victim.
And you're not gonna believe
what it is.
It's a highly unusual, one-of-a-kind,
super-strong carbon fiber
that was used
to craft military weapons.
- When?
- Oh, like way back.
Like the '50s or the '60s.
I mean, it's not that far back for you,
but for me that is like... That's way...
So I traced the carbon fiber back
to the manufacturer in Louisiana.
They make experimental stuff.
But they also make
some combat weapons,
including one just like this bad boy.
It's a limited edition, combat-approved
.45 caliber handgun,
dubbed The Black Hand.
It was used during Vietnam
for only two years, 1962 and 1963.
Abs, zoom in right here.
TONY:
Our killer's a GI Joe?
Was.
Number of Telles analysts
who served in the military?
Three. Andrew Pike, Max Ellswood
and a low-level analyst
named Erik Velez.
How many Army?
- Just two. Ellswood and Velez.
- Years served?
Ellswood from 1955 to 1963,
and Velez from...
That can't be right.
McGee, come on.
Velez didn't serve
until the first Iraq war.
- Enlisted in 1990.
TONY: Ha-ha.
Oh, come on.
I love science fiction
as much as the next guy,
but Ellswood's gone. His plane
crashed into the Rockies 23 years ago.
They find the body?
No.
- Ducky, it's McGee. Is Penny there?
DUCKY [OVER PHONE]: Oh, she left.
- What do you mean, she left? When?
- About an hour ago.
[RUSTLING]
Hello?
[RUSTLING CONTINUES]
I said, who's there?
Max.
Heard you've been keeping yourself
rather busy these days, Penelope.
But then I'd expect nothing less.
Always such a busybody.
Had to prove you were
as good as the boys.
All these years,
we thought you were dead.
Yes, well, I was.
The day the military pulled the plug
on my creation killed me.
I had no reason to be here anymore.
But when I found out they'd green-lit
the project again, I felt reborn.
So you can imagine how upset I was
when I also heard you were up
to your old tricks.
Out to destroy my legacy.
Don't move.
I wasn't about to let that happen.
You were wrong, Max,
about The Anax Principle.
About everything.
I did great things.
And I will again.
GIBBS:
No, you won't.
Please, don't. Don't do this.
Don't do this.
Already done.
You can't. This is wrong.
This is wrong.
I've done great things.
They need me. They need me.
They can't do this without me.
Ha-ha. And one year,
Timothy became obsessed
with my red pumps, you know.
He wore them everywhere.
I mean, to the grocery store, to church.
What'd the preacher have to say?
"Hey, kid, don't upstage me."
As he's teetering down the aisle
to the front and l...
- Hi, honey.
- Hi.
[TONY & PENNY LAUGHING]
- What's so funny?
- The red pumps.
We were just really enjoying
that story.
[TONY & PENNY LAUGHING]
You little cross-dresser, you.
Does the pope know?
Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of,
darling.
You know, it's healthy
to explore all sides of yourself.
I was 5.
Yeah, that's what's sort
of brilliant about it.
It's getting late.
Way past your date's bedtime there,
Tony.
- And I gotta get you home, Penny.
- No need. I already have a ride.
- With who?
- It's been a pleasure to meet you both.
And Ziva, Tony...
Until next time, mon ch?ri.
Timothy's lucky to have you.
No, we are the lucky ones.
PENNY:
Hmm.
Whoa. Whew.
Oh, that Tony DiNozzo.
[CHUCKLES]
It comforts me to know that you're
with such a good group of people.
I'll admit, even Gibbs has begun
to grow on me a little bit.
His cold, despotic ways,
really part of his charm.
Who knew?
He actually reminds me a lot of...
- You know, a little bit.
- Yeah.
In other words, he loves you,
but has no idea how to show it.
- Does he?
- Oh, sweetheart.
He loves you so much.
He always has, Timothy.
Deeply.
You need to take the first step,
Timothy. Call him.
It's been almost seven years.
I wouldn't know what to say.
Oh, you're a smart boy.
You'll figure it out.
Oh, here's my ride.
Wait, is this a date?
No, it's just a cocktail, Timothy.
DUCKY:
Or cocktails.
PENNY:
Mm-hm.
Sweetheart, call him.
- And you, doctor, good evening.
DUCKY: Have you made up your mind?
English or Italian?
PENNY: I think Korean.
DUCKY: Ha-ha.
PENNY:
I'd like to have a bunch of little pots.
[LINE RINGING]
MAN [OVER PHONE]: Hello?
- Hi, Dad?
It's me, Tim.