[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
TANNER: Hey, Zach. Zachary.
What did I say about wandering off? You have to be careful of strangers.
- Sorry. - Here.
Dad, balloons are for babies.
Right. What about that cotton candy? Is that still--?
Oh, no. That's fine. We could share it after my ride.
I'll try to save you some. It looks awfully good to me.
- Ahh! - Dad. After the ride.
[TANNER LAUGHS]
I'll be watching you.
[LIVELY MUSIC PLAYING]
Dad.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
A whole hour for a lunch run, probie?
Yeah, while Ziva and I were out,
she asked me to show her the best routes to work.
Her driving has gotten a lot better. Barely broke any laws this time.
Let me get this straight.
Ziva asked you,
who can barely navigate the Navy yard, to show her the best way to work?
- That's right. - Well, what about me?
I know every shortcut in the metro area.
I could shave ten minutes off her commute like that.
I don't know what to tell you.
It doesn't make any sense.
Unless...
...maybe I intimidate her.
Yeah, I'm sure that's it.
I've seen it happen before. It's a chemical thing.
- Hard to explain. - I do hope you try.
I told you not to do that again.
Sorry. I was so intimidated by your presence, I must have forgotten.
Seriously. I do apologize for not asking your advice on my commute.
Don't worry about it.
If I would have known you would have felt so emasculated--
- Is that the word? Emasculated. - Yes, it is. Emasculated.
I would have asked you first.
It takes a little more than an exotic accent
and some stealth ninja moves to emasculate me.
Only a little more? How disappointing.
[McGEE CHUCKLES]
Don't take sides, probie.
Gear up. We have a missing person. Coleman Park Carousel in Arlington.
- A child? - Father.
Lieutenant Commander Alex Tanner.
Disappeared an hour ago.
Do you always respond to missing persons cases so promptly?
Special circumstances, Ziva. His 6-year-old son called NCIS.
He's in the park, alone, waiting for us. DiNozzo, you drive.
Ooh. I think McGee wants to drive, boss.
You know what, Tony? I would really rather have you drive.
Heh. Afraid to run over another fire hydrant?
I'm sure that wasn't your fault. It was, according to the police report.
- I'll drive. - One more word, you're all walking.
You got it, boss.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Ah. I deserved that.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
[INDISTINCT VOICES ECHOING]
Zach.
Hey, I'm Special Agent DiNozzo, you can call me Tony, okay?
That's a smart thing to do, calling NCIS. Good boy.
I know this really scary, but I want you to be brave. Can you do that?
Okay, I want you to think back to what happened today.
Try to remember the details.
[CHUCKLES]
There's no wrong answer here.
- What do we know? - Nothing. I think the kid's in shock.
ZACH: No, I'm not.
I'm waiting for Agent DiNozzo to ask me a question.
What kinds of questions was I supposed to ask?
What I saw. Why I called NCIS.
What did you see, Zach?
Two men were watching us. I think they kidnapped my Dad.
Describe them.
Dark glasses. One had a military haircut.
One had a shaved head.
- How old? - About your age.
They had iPods too.
It's like a Walkman, boss. An iPod.
They were only listening in one ear like this.
GIBBS: Be back in a minute, Zach.
- Dark glasses, earwigs. - Sounds like feds.
You think the FBI would arrest a man and leave his kid in the park, DiNozzo?
Maybe our commander took a walk.
My father left me in the Maui Hilton for two days.
He didn't realize I was missing until he got the room service bill.
Sad, but enlightening.
Boss, I just spoke with the commander's C.O.
He's very concerned.
Apparently, Commander Tanner was working
on a highly classified DOD project.
What project, McGee?
I-- He wouldn't say over an unsecured line
but I'm going to find out.
Footage from the security cameras?
Park Security released them to me.
Okay, get a hold of Zach's mom. And then she can pick him up at NCIS.
Boss. Boss.
Um... His mother's dead. Killed four years ago in a car accident.
Primary next of kin?
There is none.
Just Commander Tanner and his son.
TONY: These guys are definitely pros.
They keep their faces from the camera.
All we've got to go on is the kid's description of them.
You know, it doesn't look like a kidnapping to me.
- They don't have guns. - Barely touched the commander.
They could have threatened his son.
Explains why they left him alone in the park.
What do we know about Commander Tanner?
Well, boss, he is a brilliant man.
A dual Ph.D. from Caltech in Number and Chaos Theory.
I was reading his thesis online.
He manages to link non-relativistic quantum effects--
Well, that's useful to this case, McGee.
Uh... Last three years he's been the Navy's liaison
with a defence contractor, Q and R Software.
Been the project lead on Honor.
- Which is? - Classified.
I put a call to the head of security over there. No one's gotten back to me.
So I thought I would pay them a visit?
Yeah, that's a good answer. Tony go with him.
The sketch artist is done with Zach's descriptions.
The boy has a remarkable memory.
There's also someone here from Social Security to pick him up.
Services, Ziva. Social Security is for older people.
Noted.
- Do you want me to tell the boy? - No, I'll handle it. Here, sit down.
Put out a BOLO on the composites.
Hey, Zach.
- Good job on the sketches, man. - Thanks.
- That's Social Services, huh? -Mm-hm.
They'll take care of you until we get your dad back.
I can take care of myself.
I don't doubt that.
- But I still have to go. - Yeah, just for a while. Come on.
What if you--? What if you don't find my dad, Agent Gibbs?
I'll find him, Zach. I'll find him.
Hey.
If you ever need me or even if you just want to talk,
you call, okay?
I'm sorry we didn't get back to you right away.
We've been having some problems of our own.
- What kind of problems? - Honestly, I don't know.
I'm only Mr. Connell's assistant. I'm--
[LIGHTS CLICKING]
That's been happening for the last half-hour or so.
[BEEPING]
They should snap back on.
[SCOOTER HONKS]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Are you all right, Ms. Osgood?
- It's Laura. - Laura.
Ms. Osgood.
I'll take it from here.
- Frank Connell, Q and R security. - You certainly got here fast.
We just found out about the break-in ourselves an hour ago.
At 0300 this morning, our network was breached.
We didn't detect the intrusion until we attempted to boot up our main servers.
Since then, we've had our hands full tracking the viruses
they embedded in our system.
Do we know yet what data's been compromised?
It's clear they were after a working copy of Honor
but fortunately it's protected by a key that exists outside our system.
Key doesn't sound very high tech.
An asymmetric algorithm key that's committed to memory.
Without it, the software won't work.
It's just random ones and zeros, completely worthless.
So you see, NCIS has nothing to worry about, gentlemen.
Great. Except that's not why we're here.
Who has the Honor key committed to memory?
Our project leader, Lieutenant Commander Tanner.
[CLICKING]
[POP MUSIC PLAYS LOUDLY]
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
[PHONE CLICKS]
- Yeah, Gibbs. TONY: We may have a problem.
- May have? - The Honor code thingy
Commander Tanner was working on may have been stolen.
I'm trying to confirm it right now.
- What's it supposed to do? - Break any encryption in use today.
Well, yeah, DiNozzo. I'd say that sounds like a problem.
And it gets worse, boss.
According to the people here
Tanner's the only one who can make it work.
All right. I'm heading your way.
Just got to drop off Zach's pod thing first.
[LINE RINGS]
Agent Gibbs.
You calling about your pod thing you left on my desk?
No. He's here. The man from the park.
Let me talk to your social worker, Zach.
I'm not in her office. As soon as I saw him, I took off.
- Where are you? - Outside on the street.
Zach, I'm a few blocks from you. Stay right where you are.
- I can't. He's leaving. - Zach, listen to me.
- I need you to-- - He knows where my dad is.
We can't let him get away. Hurry.
Zach.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
[GASPS]
[TIRES SCREECHING]
[SOBS] Help. Help.
- NCIS. Let the kid go. ZACH: Gibbs.
[ZACH GRUNTING]
Ahh! You little bastard.
[GRUNTS]
[GUNSHOT]
Go. Go. Go.
[TIRES SCREECHING]
It's okay.
[PEOPLE SHOUTING]
[BLOWING]
New hires just keep getting younger, Madam Director?
Obviously you didn't get the memo, Agent DiNozzo.
What memo?
The one where it explains the next person
who calls her madam gets keel-hauled.
Whatever that is.
- It's-- - Unpleasant.
Tell Gibbs I want him upstairs.
- What did the director want? - You.
Upstairs.
I better check on those sketches.
I got a BOLO out on a black Chevy Suburban, boss, but without plates.
DiNozzo, you will spend the next 24 personally checking each one
in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.
That's like an impossible-- I'm on that.
You keep an eye on him for me.
I'll be right back.
[COMPUTER KEYS CLACKING]
You know, he was just kidding when he said keeping an eye on me.
I couldn't remember when Gibbs asked me, but I think I got it right.
- Got what right? - The numbers on the license plate.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
I was scared, but I remember most of the numbers.
[LAUGHS]
All right, Zach.
My man. Come on. Give me five.
Come on, meet me up high.
All right. We'll work on that.
Good job.
Always admired your way with children.
Ever think of having any of your own?
Is that an offer, Jen?
No, it wasn't an offer, Jethro. It was merely an observation.
You know why I get along with kids so well?
Because when they lie,
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
They don't have the guile to get away with it.
You wanted to see me?
I have spent the last hour on video conference with the directors
of the FBI, NSA and Homeland Security.
Your kind of tea party.
If Project Honor's compromised, it will cripple our intelligence networks.
They all want jurisdiction on this one.
- And you said? - I have my best agent working it.
Now, tell me you have something.
The same men who kidnapped the commander went after his son.
Have you considered that he might not have been kidnapped?
- I have. I don't buy it. - And?
- Your famous gut again? - No.
His son.
Abs, give me good news.
My God. I got this e-mail that says I may have won $50 million.
And I'm really, really psyched.
Oh, you mean about the case?
I went through Q and R security logs.
[COMPUTER KEYS CLACKING]
It's like the Fort Knox of computer systems.
Next generation anti-virus software, intrusion detection.
- Crypto processors, ACLs, firewalls. - Hey, hey.
Okay. No one can penetrate the system, Gibbs.
It could be disabled if someone had a high enough clearance.
- It's an inside job. - Q and R is monitored 24l7.
All employees have passwords to gain access to the system.
Like digital fingerprints. Every keystroke recorded for posterity.
At 3 a.m. this morning, someone planted a virus into the network.
It shut down the security system exactly one hour.
Long enough to breach the network, remove the software, plant the viruses.
Go.
The virus originated from Commander Tanner's terminal, sir.
- Someone else could have used it. - No, sir. The data is very clear.
Pointing out that Q and R's security system was designed to be accurate.
- Under the circumstances-- - Chip.
He's right about the design, though.
Who designed it?
Q and R's risk management team.
But all of their people are former law enforcement and military.
- At the highest level. - Tanner was at the highest level too.
Tony is reviewing statements from the employees.
I'm reviewing the computer terminals, but the virus wiped a lot of files.
It doesn't look good for the commander, boss.
Wipe that dirt off your lip.
Dirt?
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
I feel like I've wasted your time, Agent DiNozzo.
- Bite your tongue. You've been great. - I just feel bad for that poor little boy.
Well, listen. If you think of anything...
...you give me a call
day or night.
[WHISPERS] Home number's on the back.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
[CHUCKLES]
Where have you been? I could've used your help
- with those interviews. - Oh.
You look like you had your hands full with her.
Watch your sexual innuendo around the kid. He's had a hard day.
He's taking it better than most adults. He's resilient.
Do you see the way he's been acting around me?
I think it's because he doesn't like you, Tony.
Kids dig me.
No they don't.
[SNORTS]
Zach. Zacharoo, buddy. Come on over here, man.
I was gonna wait until tomorrow when everyone was here
but considering what a brave little boy you've been
and how much you've helped us,
I'm gonna make you an honorary NCIS agent.
Thanks. I've got to go to the head.
[LAUGHS THEN SNORTS]
Yes, Tony. I was mistaken.
Your way with children is only rivalled by your way with women.
He's under a lot of stress.
- Where's Zach? - Potty break, boss.
You gonna speak?
I got an ID on one of our suspects. His name is Vincent Pazzo.
Italian-born. Freelance mercenary. Black ops mostly. Some wet work.
How'd you find out about that?
I sent Zach's sketches to some people who owe me a favour.
If he has the Honor program and the guy who knows how to make it work,
why'd they go after his kid?
To force him to cooperate.
There's a possibility Commander Tanner set this up
to make it look like kidnapping.
- Keep your voice down. - Shh!
That's what I would do if it were my op.
Authorities are looking for a kidnapper, they should look for a traitor.
It doesn't feel right, Ziva.
It doesn't have to feel right to be right, Gibbs.
Gibbs, can I ask you a question?
Yeah, shoot.
How are you going to get this out of here when it's finished?
Good question. I don't know. I haven't thought about it much.
I think maybe you could use a crane or something.
Yeah? I could dig a ramp.
Knock that wall out and hoist it out of here.
I went sailing once with my dad and Commander Wilder.
Didn't go too well.
- Did you get seasick? - My dad did.
Commander Wilder thought it was funny.
You know, my dad being in the Navy and all.
Yeah.
- You're going to find him, right? - Oh, yeah. We'll find him.
- Promise? - Yeah.
I promise you.
- Wanna give me a hand? -Hm.
- Don't know how. - Come on over here.
Mmm. I don't wanna ruin it.
You're not going to ruin anything. Come here.
See, you always want to go with the grain of the wood.
Put your hand there. Put your weight behind it.
Back and forth, real even.
[SANDING]
- Where's Gibbs? - Home with Zach. What's up?
Commander Tanner's bank statement.
Do Americans usually empty out their bank accounts
before they take children to the park?
You're kidding.
Savings, checking, money market, $23,000.
McGEE: Gibbs is not gonna like this.
Are we solving this case to please him?
TONY: Got a trace on the Chevy Suburban.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
Zach missed two numbers on the plate but I found the vehicle.
Rental car out of Maryland.
ID's fake. Credit card was stolen. But that's our other kidnapper.
Does the car have a navigation system? We could use the GPS.
Two words for you, McGee: Lo and Jack.
That's one word.
- A what? - It's a-- Whatever.
I tracked it down to a parking lot a couple miles from here.
Good job, McGee.
What?
GIBBS: Come on, let's roll.
Where's the child?
Now, keep your eye on the coin.
Yeah, like his.
[MAKES A WHIPPING SOUND]
Now that, my young friend, is magic.
Now, a true magician doesn't reveal the mysteries of his craft
to anyone else but another magician.
But would you like to learn?
It's in that hand.
Isn't it?
Oh.
[BLOWS]
So it is.
He's quite observant.
Does he remind you of anyone?
Huh. Very good.
[CHUCKLES]
TONY: Got it, boss. Black SUV, no rear window.
One visible suspect in the vehicle.
Should we take him now?
Wait. I'm almost in position here.
Copy.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather be partner with McGee?
The two of you seem to click, and we're about to storm this vehicle.
- Who knows what's gonna go down. - Don't worry, Tony. I got your back.
Hah! My back. Listen, lady, if anybody is getting anybody's back,
it's me getting yours.
McGEE: In position, DiNozzo.
Take him down.
[HUMMING]
- Ziva, what a pleasure. - Dr. Mallard.
- Oh, Ducky, please. - Ducky.
Are you two done with the name game?
Yeah. Our guest departed this world only a few hours ago.
But he was in a great deal of pain before he died.
Seems he was wounded.
Single round. The bullet lodged under his scapula.
- The shoulder blade. - Doc, I'm gonna guess
- that slug's from my safe. - Yeah.
As to the fatal injury, this circular burn around the entry wound suggests--
ZIVA: A silencer was used.
It was done in haste by someone with little, if any, experience.
If a professional did this, he would have not left his weapon.
It's untidy. Marks of an amateur.
If it were me, I would have not been so obvious.
There are literally dozens of effective ways to eliminate a target
without raising suspicions.
Heroin overdose is popular, but it requires a history of prior use.
Of course, something like insulin or potassium can be used
to suggest death by natural causes.
I really must ask you over for dinner. Mother would love to talk with you.
They cleaned house. I wounded him when he tried to grab Zach.
After that he was a liability.
Once again, I suggest Commander Tanner may be involved.
All the evidence says he stole the software.
He cleared out his bank accounts.
He likely killed this man.
From an investigator's point of view,
the pieces fit together quite well.
Or not.
- Abby. - Ballistics lab, sir.
- Serving in the military? - No, sir, I--
- Stop standing at attention. - It's good posture, sir.
[LOUDLY] What? No Zachster? - Abby, you're yelling.
- Oh, sorry. Where is he? - He's upstairs.
He's a cool kid. Reminds me of you. He's like a mini-Gibbs.
- Austin Powers? - You calling Zach a Mini-Me?
Gibbs, I am so impressed with your pop-culture reference.
Tell me about the weapon.
All right. It's a Makarov .380.
It matches the hollow point slugs from the body downstairs.
And this bad boy that we pulled from his shoulder matches your SIG.
- Any prints from the .380? - Dead guy's.
- You have something else? - I do.
- What? - Chip shaved.
I didn't notice.
He didn't notice?
He doesn't notice unimportant things, Chip.
Sorry, Chip. Didn't mean it.
- You getting off, director? - Looking for you actually.
I saw Ducky's report on the body downstairs.
- That was fast. - One of the perks of being director.
I get to read all the good reports.
What's next, Jethro?
Finishing this conversation.
- Don't give me a hard time. - I didn't realize I was.
The man who supposedly kidnapped Commander Tanner
is lying dead in our autopsy room.
Tanner is looking less and less like a victim.
You want back in the field again, Jen?
Tanner has technology
that could set back our intelligence monitoring 30 years.
Pardon me for taking an interest.
And here I thought you just wanted an excuse to spend time together.
[CHUCKLES]
I just want to know that this is about more than a fatherless child to you.
Boss.
Didn't you notice we're in the middle of a conversation, Agent McGee?
Sorry. Should I come back?
- No. - Yes.
I'm simply trying to solve your case here, director.
Speak.
Commander Wilder is here.
He works with Commander Tanner at Q and R.
Commander Wilder.
I went by his house to grab some stuff for him.
Your agents wouldn't let me in, so I bought him a Nintendo to play with.
That's the DS. It's an excellent system.
I've heard.
This is a hell of a situation.
Zach's been through so much in his life already.
Is there a reason you wanted to see me?
Tanner is a close friend. I was hoping for information.
At Q and R, they're saying he's a suspect.
Do you know the sacrifices he's made to serve our country?
I do.
I don't care what the computer log says.
Commander Tanner is no traitor.
- What's it gonna take to prove that? - Finding who is.
Then you should look at Q and R's civilian employees.
They're falling all over themselves to try and protect their collective asses.
What about Zach, where's he staying?
With me.
I'm the closest thing he has to family. I can take him home with me.
Can't do that. He's under protective custody.
You mean they're after Zach too?
We'll take good care of him, commander.
I'm just gonna say goodbye.
Boss, so did you tell him we think Tanner's innocent?
We don't know he is.
Do you have something to say, McGee?
[SIGHS]
I've been going through the evidence we bagged from the vehicle.
Prepaid burn phone. Guess whose number's on the caller ID.
Frank Connell, Q and R office.
- What the hell are you doing in here? - I couldn't stop them.
It's not her fault. She's overwhelmed by search warrant.
This is out of line. I've been cooperative.
Explain why you called the kidnappers from this office
the day the Honor code went missing.
- That's a ridiculous accusation. - Denying you were here?
I said in my statement I was working late that night.
So you made the call.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
Someone tampered this hard drive.
Tried erasing the command logs morning of the robbery.
We had a virus. It corrupted thousands of files.
- Is that what happened? - Can't tell until we get to the lab.
Okay, bag and tag.
You cannot remove that computer from this building.
- Don't worry. You're going with it. - Go up and call the lawyers.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you.
Hey.
- Gibbs got Connell talking? - His lawyer won't let him,
so Gibbs is giving him the old stare.
Gibbs does it much better.
- Apple for teacher? - For McGee.
He's been very generous with me. Helping me adjust to this new city.
So you're giving him an apple?
It's a small gesture.
If you wanna thank him, get him a date. Heh.
Gibbs wants to know if you've got anything he can use on Connell.
Frank Connell's a deacon at his church.
Never had a moving violation, let alone a parking ticket.
He calls his mother every Sunday. The man is spick-and-spam.
The saying is spick-and-span.
- Spam is lunch meat. - Oh.
- What exactly is span, then? - Span is--
I'll get back to you on that.
In my opinion, Frank Connell's not involved.
Good. I'll let Gibbs know right away because he loves to hear our opinions.
He's distracted by his affections.
- Gibbs doesn't get distracted. - What do you call it, then?
The boss moves in mysterious ways. Get this to him.
- Why me? - I'm gonna go see your buddy McGee.
- Hey, put that back. - I'm just bringing it to him.
[SIGHS]
Progress report, McGee.
Uh... I think that Frank Connell put a trace
on Commander Tanner's computer.
- Think? - Well,
I've got scraps of code, protocols, commands.
He might have put the trace in, collected Tanner's passwords,
stolen the software.
"Might have" and "think" are not going to make Gibbs happy.
Whoever wiped his files did a good job. There is nothing left but fragments.
Can't Gibbs just bring Connell in interrogation?
Not with a $500-an-hour defence attorney breathing down his neck.
Puts it on you, McGee.
Nothing I have found contradicts any of the evidence
we have against Commander Tanner.
I'm with you, probie. But he's feeling pretty strong about this one.
Has anyone considered the fact that Gibbs may be wrong this time?
[GASPS]
McGee, bite your tongue. Gibbs knows what he's doing.
- We just have to show him love. TONY: We show the love, Abby.
Just don't want to let the bad guys get away while we're doing it.
Almost blocked my shot there, Chipper.
- Ever play ball? - College.
Yeah? Me too.
- Tony ran point for Ohio State. - What conference did you play in?
- We didn't exactly have a conference. - Division?
Not really. It was more of an intramural thing.
Skins and moustaches?
[CHUCKLES]
What do you got for me?
Chip?
Fingerprint analysis results.
Hmm.
- You're free to go, Chip. - I don't mind staying late, ma'am.
Go home, Chip, please.
- Is that an order? - Yes. Go.
[GROANS]
[SIGHS]
I don't know how you concentrate around him.
I know. No, no, no.
No. I'm too good at what I do.
No, you're not.
- I am. Gibbs is going to hate me for it. - What happened?
I was following up on the murder weapon.
- Double-check for anything I missed. - Was there?
- Fingerprints. - On the gun?
- On the rounds in the magazine. - That's great.
Most people get obsessed cleaning the grip and trigger.
They don't think twice about the bullets.
We've got a nice partial thumb, a forefinger
- and a perfect index print. - Amazing.
- Yeah, I know. - So whose prints are they?
Commander Tanner's.
Yeah.
Yeah. At this rate we'll have her seaworthy in no time.
Maybe my dad can help when he gets back.
Hubba-hubba.
Dinner at the White House?
A date, actually.
Must be an important guy for you to get all decked out.
I'd prefer if you just told me that you liked my dress.
I haven't decided yet.
Do you mind giving us a moment?
Zach, why don't you go upstairs and grab a soda.
How long are you planning on keeping Frank Connell locked up?
You make a house call to reprimand me, Jen?
You got Commander Tanner's fingerprints on the bullets
- of the murder weapon. - Well, I'm not sure he did it.
Why? And don't tell me your famous gut again.
Zach is a great kid, Jethro.
Doesn't mean his father's not a bastard.
He might be, but Zach's our only link to him.
He might make another attempt to get Zach back?
If he does I'll be waiting for him.
My dad didn't do anything wrong.
It's a complicated situation.
- It's not. - Zach.
Zach, there is evidence he did something wrong.
It doesn't matter.
I know in my stomach he didn't do anything wrong.
You promised you'd bring him back to me, Gibbs.
Please.
McGEE: Where's Zach? - Ducky's.
Listen, I spent half the night taking Frank Connell's hard drive apart.
There's nothing. We need to accept Commander Tanner sold the software.
I'm not accepting anything.
- Boss-- - Look at this a different way.
I agree. I just talked to the CIA.
They were very cooperative.
- They were? - He owed me a favour.
How many people owe you favours?
How many dates does Tony go on a month?
This is from Kosovo in the late '90s.
The man with the shaved head is Vincent Pazzo.
The one on the left is Willis Hirst.
They were mercenaries for the Kosovo Liberation Army.
- Freedom fighters. ZIVA: Not exactly. Heh.
They worked for a warlord as specialists.
- What specialty? - Coercion.
Torture.
But the evidence we have against Commander Tanner?
This is a covert operation. Take nothing at face value.
They framed Commander Tanner as a diversion.
While they torture him for the access code.
Maybe he won't talk.
Have you ever been tortured, McGee?
There's only so much torment a human body can bear.
Strong men break in a few days, nobody holds out forever.
Not even Gibbs.
To a trained interrogator, can be done in less time.
I can get that code in hours.
They've had him for two days.
He's running out of time if he hasn't talked already.
A few hours, huh?
Give or take.
I'm putting you in a room with Frank Connell, you have 40 minutes.
TONY: I'd hold off on that, boss. - Where have you been?
Tracking down the store where our dead guy
purchased his cell phone. Not easy, by the way.
The language barrier between me and Mr. Singh was no piece of cake either.
Once I convinced him I wasn't going to shut down his store
he gave me his surveillance video tapes.
- Is this poppy seed? - Where is the video?
Abby's lab. Sorry, boss. She's scanning the tapes now.
The phone was purchased with cash,
a week before Commander Tanner disappeared.
Pause the tape.
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
That woman's got four phones in her hands.
Zoom in, Abs.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
Oh, yeah. The lips and the angle of the chin, the curve of the neck.
Okay, we got it, Tony. She's attractive.
It's Laura Osgood. Frank Connell's assistant.
I'll make you a print.
I hate it when they do that.
[MACHINE WHIRRING]
[WHIRRING STOPS]
What's going on?
You bought phones connected to a robbery, kidnapping and murder.
[PHONE BEEPS]
Her number matches several calls on the kidnapper's phone.
You're done.
Only way to help yourself is tell us everything you know.
I want a lawyer.
[SIGHS]
Commander Tanner's been gone for 47 hours.
If he's not dead yet, he soon will be.
Maybe we can convince her to change her mind about the lawyer.
I can convince her far more than that.
How long?
Not long.
McGee, are you thirsty?
Come on. I'll buy you a cup of coffee.
[DOOR LOCK CLICKS]
[SCOOTER WHIRRS]
Boss, what exactly is Ziva doing in there?
I don't want to know.
LAURA [SOFTLY]: It was a three-man team.
I was on the inside.
I put a trace on Commander Tanner's computer to get his passwords.
I planted the virus using his log-in.
Keep going, Laura.
Pazzo and Hirst grabbed Commander Tanner to get the access code.
- Who set it up? - I don't know.
We were contacted separately.
Money was wired. Instructions e-mailed on an anonymous server.
Where is he?
Commander Tanner, where is he being tortured?
That wasn't part of my assignment.
Please, they'll kill me.
[LAURA SNIFFLES]
It's a garage near Coleman Park.
[PHONE RINGING]
[PHONE BEEPS]
- Yeah? MAN: Code checks out.
- Proceed as planned. - All right. I'll go clean up.
[BANGING]
[YELLS]
[GUNSHOTS]
[YELLS]
[GRUNTING]
GIBBS: Clear.
Commander Tanner.
- Zach? - All right. He's safe. We've got him.
[GROANS]
They told me they had him.
If I didn't give them the code, they'll kill him.
- You gave them the key? - I had to.
They had my son. They showed me proof.
What proof?
[GRUNTS]
Agent Gibbs? What in the hell's going on?
[GRUNTS]
I'm not resisting.
Too bad.
I could have never hurt Zach. It was strictly business.
We'll be sure to let him know that.
[CUFFS CLICKING]
Are you okay?
I guess.
Commander Wilder was my dad's...
He was my friend, Gibbs.
I should have known.
I shouldn't have let him fool me like that.
Zach, sometimes really bad people
are good at fooling you.
Anybody bad ever fool you?
Oh, yeah. More than once.
Someday I'm going to find them and put them all in jail.
I believe you will.
TANNER: Zach.
Dad. Daddy. Daddy.
You're all right.
I knew you'd never leave me.
- I'm all right. Everything's all right. - I love you, Daddy.