ANNOUNCER: Previously on NCIS:
He's dead and I'm next.
- Who's the other agent? - Gibbs.
Oshimaida.
- Got a name? - Viggo Drantyev.
Why don't the two of you take the rest of the trip off?
L.A., Baby!
William had some kind of insurance policy.
- Where? - 1n this place, out in the desert.
- What did 1 tell you, Tony? - To take the day off.
These dates are wrong. This is some kind of code.
Sasha Gordon is dead.
- Director, where are you? - I'm fine.
It's best to stay away. For her and for us.
I need you to trace her cell.
About 35 miles into the Mojave Desert.
I spotted a water tank out back. You're up.
Wait there.
I'll come to you.
- I said to wait. MAN: And I said not to.
This is my crime scene.
Leon.
You called SECNAV, he called me.
I'm sorry, Jethro.
The bodies were picked up last night.
They're going to D.C.
- And Ducky? - He'll be handling the autopsies.
First two shooters came through the front door.
The other two came from over there.
She stood here.
She got off the first shots.
Shooter Number 1 never even fired his weapon.
[GUNSHOTS]
But she took heavy fire after that.
[GUNSHOTS]
One in the shoulder, one in the arm. She started moving this way.
The other two went in through the side door.
The second shooter went down there.
[GUNSHOTS]
She dropped to her knee, and she fired three more times.
[GUNSHOTS]
Which leaves the fourth shooter.
[GUNSHOTS]
We know how that ended.
She put up a hell of a fight.
Not good enough.
She was outnumbered five to one.
I think you gotta check your math.
We found four .45-calibre shell casings and no .45.
Somebody walked out of here alive.
There was a second car here. It was the director's ride.
The fifth gunman must have taken it.
- No blood? LEON: Nothing but a tyre track.
We'll put out a BOLO as soon as we can ID the car.
I'm sure you wanna get this bastard as bad as I do.
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
Yeah?
The bodies are on their way to D.C.
I chartered a private transporter.
- What do you got? - I'm sorry, Gibbs.
- We are sorry. - What do you got?
Not a lot.
The tyre tracks are from a second vehicle.
We're working on it.
We should've tailed her. Ziva wanted to tail her.
Yeah? Yeah, why didn't you?
- We were given an order. - Uh-huh. And you followed it.
And now Jenny's dead.
LEON: We keep a lid on this.
No press, no public statements. Understood?
It's a cover-up, understood.
I'm heading back to D.C. with the bodies.
Agent Gibbs, you will remain here and oversee my investigation.
I'll expect a call when you're finished.
- DiNozzo? - Yeah, boss?
Oversee his investigation.
[ENGINE STARTS]
And then call me.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
[CAR DOOR OPENS]
You're late.
Least of my problems.
Well, I got another one for you.
Vance knows there was someone else at the diner.
The tyre tracks?
I'm not the only one with a problem.
Jenny died protecting someone.
Who?
You.
ABBY: Call him again. - I've already left Tony five messages.
- Call Ziva. - Eight messages.
Why'd you call Ziva more than you called Tony?
Right, not important. What is important is we remain calm.
- I am calm. - Don't you care about your friends?
You just said that-- Never mind.
We haven't heard anything from Tony and Ziva,
and then Gibbs gets on an aeroplane without a word?
Something is wrong, I can feel it.
Abby, if something bad happened, I'm sure we would have--
[COMPUTER DINGS]
--Heard by now.
- What is it? - E-mail from Tony.
Let me see. I can't look.
Photos. Tyre prints.
Tony wants me to find out what car it came from ASAP.
That's it? Are they working a case?
- Am I interrupting something? - Just Abby's nervous breakdown.
Well, I'm sure everyone is fine.
Do you have any reason to believe otherwise?
Well, Tony just e-mailed me.
It looks like they've started working some kind of case.
So there's your answer, Abby. They're working on a case.
Common courtesy is the first casualty in a Jethro war.
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
Who is it?
- Ah. - It's for me.
Jethro.
Ducky.
I know I typically dominate the conversation,
but since you called me--
Jenny's dead.
GIBBS: Yesterday.
Oh, dear.
- I can't believe that it happened so-- - She was murdered.
Firefight.
- Tony and Ziva? - Not involved.
- What can I do? - Five bodies, on their way.
- I assume one of them is-- - Yeah.
Tell McGee, tell Abby. I'm gonna need them.
- Jethro-- - Yeah. I know, Duck.
Who?
Jenny.
[GASPS]
Everything.
She called me two days ago.
Said she needed some help from someone outside the agency.
- Another one of her ops? - One of yours.
Europe.
Well, I spent a lot of time in Europe, Mike.
She wasn't specific.
What did I tell you about leaving them loose ends?
Not to.
We didn't.
Well, you screwed the pooch somewhere.
Decker's cover was blown.
They found him. Made it look like a heart attack.
They?
Decker's funeral.
There was a guy named Viggo,
came looking for a man, Oshimaida.
Relax, probie.
Classified went out the window two days ago.
I know Oshimaida was the code you used
if your cover was compromised.
In Paris nine years ago.
Well, Decker resurrected it.
When they found him,
instead of giving you up, he sent you a warning.
- Bought you guys some time. - Not enough.
She knew what she was getting into.
Her last stand was to protect you.
Who protected her, Mike?
What happened?
I was out back.
I saw them going in the side door.
Too late.
I did what I could.
Yeah, you always do.
If you're looking for an apology...
I know better.
I'm sorry, gunny.
[COMPUTER CHIRPING, TYPING]
Abby, I'm almost done here. Where's that next batch?
Coming.
[SOBBING]
It's okay.
Abby, it's okay.
No, it's not.
We have work to do.
- Abby, slow down. - I can't.
Let me.
How could this happen?
I don't know.
Where were Tony and Ziva?
I don't know.
And don't ask me what I do know, because I don't know that either.
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
I need more time.
How long does it take to track a tyre print, McGee?
We're going as fast as we can. Tony, what happened?
Not the time, McGee. I need that ID now.
Got it. It's a P235 all-season radial. It's a custom mould.
Sold exclusively to the Western rental chain
for their Mercury Grand Marquis.
Okay, check their Los Angeles airport office,
all Grand Marquis rented in the last 48 hours.
- Got it. Calling you back. TONY: Do it now or have Abby do it.
She seems to be having better luck.
All right, we're opening a port into Western Rental servers.
ABBY: I'm checking all the customer records for the last 48 hours.
Ten Grand Marquis at the LAX office.
Three rented this week, only one in the past two days.
It hasn't been returned. Joe Hill, out of New Mexico.
No listing at the DMV. Must have used a fake ID.
That's our guy. Get it. I want that photo.
Well, it's not on the server, but I should be able to find it on the--
[LINE DISCONNECTS]
- What? - It is not McGee's fault.
No, it's not.
We left Paris clean.
Yeah.
Jenny told me.
And I might have bought it,
except there were three agents on that op.
Two are dead.
The op?
How many?
One each.
You verify the kill?
Her kill?
Jen was a pro.
I noticed.
What about Decker? I hear he had a thing for the ladies.
- What is your point? - Maybe he was compromised.
We got out clean.
Jenny knew something you didn't, probie,
and so did Decker.
He knew this might not be over. He left an insurance policy.
The numbers were:
GIBBS: Coded in photos.
- The way we did it back then. - We burned the original.
That's the only copy.
I'll let you know.
You need me on this one, probie.
Viggo was just a hired gun. There's someone else out there.
It's not your fight, Mike.
Vance is looking for you.
So go back to Mexico.
Give my goddaughter a hug for me.
[SIGHS]
[CLEARS THROAT]
McGEE: Joe Hill, H-l-L-L.
MAN [OVER PHONE]: Yeah, got it. - Great, send the photo. Thanks.
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
Boss.
Hey, you got a pen?
- Boss, I'm sorry-- - You got a pen?
I've got a keyboard.
71399-2181-5378.
- And what is it? - I don't know.
- I'm gonna find out. - Yep.
- When are you back? - On my way.
What about Tony and...?
- McGee. - Boss, we've got a problem here.
[EXHALES]
- Just one? - The ID on the tyre tracks
from Decker's diner came in.
- The car was rented to-- - Mike Franks.
- Yeah, how did you--? - Erase it.
- Well, Agent Vance wanted-- - McGee, erase it.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
[TYPING]
Viggo.
- Oh. Ziva. - It makes me miss California already.
Assistant Director Vance.
- I didn't know that you were-- - Just got in. Late night?
Still logging crime scene photos, yeah.
- Anything on the shooters? - Yeah.
Three of them had a list of prior felonies in the L.A. area.
- Five thousand dollars cash on them. - Hmm. For local hires.
The fourth shooter used a burn alias to fly from Moscow into D.C.,
finally into L.A.
Viggo Drantyev.
Abby and I ran the name for the direct--
[SIGHS]
The director took a photo of him at William Decker's funeral,
asked us to get an ID.
Hmm. BOLO?
There wasn't one.
Have Washington Dulles TSA pull every piece of security footage
on Mr. Drantyev.
- The gate, customs, baggage claim. - On it, boss.
Any lead on the fifth shooter?
Nothing yet.
All right, give it another hour. Then go home, get some rest.
Okay.
[SIGHS]
Doctor,
I've never had to autopsy a colleague.
I assure you, Mr. Palmer, the next one won't be any easier.
[SIGHS]
You, my dear, were a woman who always knew what she wanted,
a trait which some may have seen as mere careerism
rather than the true sense of duty I know carried you.
That's why I can't help wondering if your death, too, was on your terms.
[SIGHS]
Mr. Palmer.
PALMER: Oh, I'm sorry.
I must have...
[CLICKS TONGUE]
She was dying, Jethro.
She knew the deterioration would have been rapid.
Debilitating pain, loss of motor skills.
As difficult as it is to say, this may have been more merciful.
[DOOR WHOOSHES]
- NCIS, Naval Criminal-- MAN [OVER PHONE]: Right, right.
Look, I spoke with you earlier.
You were supposed to send me four security tapes. You only sent me three.
Thank you.
- I hate airport security. TONY: That makes two of us.
Rough flight?
McGEE: Um...
I saw you two went swimming.
[DRAWERS BANG]
What are you saying, McGee?
I was saying I saw that picture of Ziva at the pool when...
Say it.
- Say what? - I screwed up. You can say it, probie.
- It was not your fault. - Thank you.
[PHONE RINGS]
- McGee. GIBBS: Abby's lab.
McGEE: Sure, be right down, boss.
[REPLACES PHONE RECEIVER]
Abby's lab.
I barely had a chance to finish unpacking this stuff, Gibbs,
let alone processing it.
I don't have anything for you.
- You will. - I will, and it'll be my best work.
Always is, Abs.
It's different this time. This time it's for the director.
[VOICE BREAKING] It'll be my very best work.
[GROANS]
Oh, Gibbs.
- I'm trying not to be sad. - It's okay.
She was always such a snappy dresser, you know?
Like classy. But I never told her that.
Why didn't I tell her that?
She would've liked that. She would've smiled.
You can't wait with stuff like that,
because you never know what's gonna happen.
I like the way you dress, Gibbs.
It's masculine and spruce. Always with a jacket.
See? Even you smiled.
And Tony, you're business, but after hours, it's nice.
Ziva, you kick ass, and you look so good doing it.
McGee...
Oh, McGee.
- Boss, I-- - It's not your fault.
Only one thing to be concerned about.
Finding the director's killer.
Should I call Vance?
- Unanimous no. - Was this a hit?
TONY: Well, it was personal. It has to be.
Why else would she have brought along Franks?
She died trying to end something.
Does that mean the something is still happening?
LEON: That's a good question, David.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Don't ask.
Why wasn't I invited to the party?
The team lost a member, Leon. Hardly a party.
- Did I miss anything? - No.
Then I guess you were on your way up to brief me
on the only guy that walked out of that diner alive.
We'll take the stairs.
Tyre tracks led to a rental-car company at LAX.
A Mercury Marquis rented to a Joe Hill. We're still waiting on the ID.
- The San Diego team working on this? - Nobody knows anything about Jenny.
And don't worry, I'm sure your people
would eventually have put together the missing pieces.
Or have you already?
If you think you can protect them forever, Gibbs, you're mistaken.
There's already been one casualty. There will be more.
- We got something, boss. - The rest of the airport footage.
- Why are you whispering, McGee? - You know, I didn't want Va--
To yell. Didn't wanna yell. You were across the room there and...
Right, the footage you requested just came in.
Let's see it.
[TYPING]
Well, the first three clips show Viggo Drantyev
walking through the terminal, passing up baggage claim.
- Pros usually travel light. McGEE: Then exits.
The last piece they just sent in is from outside.
That is Viggo coming through the door right there.
Cab number and plate, McGee?
- On it. LEON: Good.
Wait.
Professionals do not share cabs.
Viggo wasn't travelling alone.
Run it back.
McGEE:You know what? Let me pull up the photos from the funeral.
That could be the same woman.
Do either of you recognise her?
- No. - No.
Agent Gibbs, do you--?
McGee, get him back here. Now.
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
- Where is he? - Who, Gibbs?
David?
I am sorry, but I do not have the slightest clue where--
McGee.
Photo pops up,
Gibbs runs off the reservation, and nobody knows a damn thing.
- Sounds like a Wednesday. - And her.
Your director's dead.
The director you were assigned to protect is dead.
We'll get to that, but right now I need to know what Gibbs knows.
McGee?
Decker left a code behind.
Some kind of insurance policy. It's a string of 13 numbers.
Don't know what they mean yet.
- Find out. McGEE: I will.
And when I do, you will be the first to know.
The second. But for now, I'll take what I can get.
- The mystery woman. - Name, go.
ZIVA: Abby. - Hey, guys.
- McGee sent you an e-mail. - No, I didn't get any--
Neat.
ABBY: Who is she? - We wouldn't be here if we knew.
- Facial recognition? - Start with Interpol, Eastern Europe.
- What country? - All of them.
- Well, that-- - Just do it.
- Tony. - Abby, Abby, please.
McGEE: All right, come on, baby.
[SIGHS, BANGS TABLE]
- Come on. - Have you tried latitude and longitude?
[SIGHS]
It leads to an asparagus field in Chile.
There's too many digits for a PIN number,
too few for a bank account.
Encrypted code, then?
I've tried letter substitution, I've tried frequency analysis,
affine shift ciphers.
Affine shift ciphers?
It's kind of hard to explain. No offence.
You mean it's hard to explain why you'd waste your time
on an affine shift
without even knowing the multiplicative inverse?
Well, I thought--
Have you tried a transposition cipher?
- Not yet. - Visioneer encryption?
- Well, I was going to. - So you haven't done anything.
You call me when you have.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
I'm surprised it took you so long.
Thank God for Ducky.
You have not listened to anything I have said.
Well, it's only been three years. I'm a slow learner.
And a slow healer.
You're crying over spilled milk.
- It's not milk that I spilled. - Do not do this, Tony.
Don't do what? Blow my protection detail?
- Blow my undercover assignment? - Those sound like apologies.
Hmm.
She died alone.
We are all alone.
Yeah, thanks for that.
I just mean that she never got married, never had any children.
I never even heard her talk about it.
Paris.
That's when it must have happened.
The two of them alone in another world.
Putting their lives in each other's hands every day.
Not to mention the long nights.
It was inevitable.
Nothing is inevitable.
[DOOR UNLOCKING]
- I got it. - You got what?
I think I've figured out the code.
John Anthony Walker.
He was a Navy warrant officer.
He was busted in '85 for selling encryption ciphers to the Russians.
I know that. But since I hit a dead end,
I thought I'd look into his NIS case file for inspiration.
And that is when I saw it.
The ciphers that Walker used are over 20 years old.
It's not the ciphers I saw, it was this.
The code that Decker used was not a code.
It's an old NIS case file number.
I didn't make the connection because in the NIS days,
we used shorter file numbers.
So Decker hid his insurance policy in plain sight,
in one of his old files.
- Pull it up. - Well, I can't.
Nothing prior to '84 in the system. It's in storage.
- Annex. Across the street. - You two, with me.
Nice work, Agent McGee.
McGee, nice work.
Ow.
CLERK: Here you go.
Knock yourself out.
Who was the last person to look in this?
It'll be in the log.
- It was last signed out in 2001. - That wasn't the question.
An old friend asked me to do a favour.
Did that favour involve you leaving to take a leak?
- Yeah. - When?
- About an hour ago. - Name.
Hey, it was just a look, okay?
Let me guess.
Special Agent Gibbs?
No. Mike Franks.
- Go take a leak. - Sure thing.
Did you know Mike Franks was involved in this?
- Yes. - No.
You wanna take a moment and get your story straight?
- No. - Yes.
That explains how Director Shepard got out to the diner.
- Franks was the fifth shooter. - On Jenny's side.
Whose side are you on?
[IN UNISON] Gibbs'.
Well, you finally got your story straight.
So where's Franks?
Maybe on his way to Mexico.
- Why? - Honour.
He fulfils his debt to Director Shepard,
he disappears with the file, it ends.
BOLO will stop him at the border.
[CELL PHONE RINGS]
- Yeah? McGEE: Found her.
We're on the way.
Her name is Natasha Lenkov, citizen of Uzbekistan.
Came out of nowhere in 1999,
built up a very successful import-export business.
- And before '99? ABBY: Didn't exist.
- No earlier records. - Completely blank.
McGEE: Not a thing.
Whoever our mystery woman was back then,
she is now Natasha Lenkov.
Gibbs saw the photo, recognised her, and he's gone to find her.
Tying up a loose end maybe.
- How would he know how to find her? - Maybe he's gonna call her.
Maybe Gibbs has an old number.
No, he's not gonna call her.
He doesn't have to. She's gonna call him.
- Viggo's cell phone. - Here.
Photographed, tagged, logged and...
And missing.
[VIBRATING]
Yeah?
LEON [OVER PHONE]: Think of a reason why I shouldn't
personally throw the book at you for hindering a federal inquiry.
- Because you want this to go away. - Where the hell are you?
GIBBS: Not far. - Franks with you?
[CHUCKLES]
Should he be?
If he's not, then he's on his way to Mexico with Decker's insurance policy.
Don't smile.
- Natasha Lenkov. Real name? - Svetlana Chernitzkaya.
And?
[PHONE BEEPING]
GIBBS: I'll have to put you on hold. LEON: The hell you do.
[POLKA MUSIC PLAYING OVER PHONE]
What are you hearing?
[POLKA MUSIC PLAYING OVER LOUDSPEAKER]
Russian polka.
[IN RUSSIAN]
NATASHA [IN RUSSIAN]:
[IN ENGLISH] Dead. I need you to come see me.
- Who is this? - Mr. Oshimaida.
- Trace it. - Got a hit on Svetlana Chernitzkaya.
"Hit" being the operative word.
She was the handler for Anatoly Zukov,
KGB hit man who started selling his services
to the highest bidder after the Cold War ended.
Anatoly disappeared in 1999.
Boss.
Sir, got a trace on that cell phone.
It's the south side. I'm narrowing it down.
All right, we've got the street name and number.
[TYPING]
Delete it.
[TYPING]
- You want us to--? LEON: Stay.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Status, McGee.
Gibbs out there, Vance out there, Natasha out there, us here.
- What are we doing? - Waiting for the fireworks.
[LIQUID POURING]
[FOOTSTEPS]
Hello, Natasha.
Or do you prefer Svetlana?
Not business, this is personal.
It was you who killed Anatoly.
What was he to you?
Everything.
Why now?
Because it took me until now to find you.
The night he died, a woman came to kill you.
What happened?
She couldn't do it.
Can you?
[COCKS GUN]
[GUNSHOT, NATASHA GRUNTS]
You were gonna go for that, weren't you, probie?
So Jenny couldn't do it? The girl was an artist with the steel.
GIBBS: Not back then. - What changed?
- Me. MIKE: She made her own choices.
I taught her how to accept.
None of that came natural to her.
The girl cared for you. Had a lot of regrets.
We all do.
They're gonna have your ass when they find her body.
They're not gonna find her body.
[SIRENS WAILING]
LEON: Hey, Mike.
- Leon. LEON: Little late for a stroll.
- Is that what I think it is? - It was sanctioned.
Nine years ago.
And your point?
Decker's insurance policy. What's in it?
You can read it for yourself.
I'll leave it for you in my will.
This has been one big screwup from start to finish.
What do I tell SECNAV?
Whatever you want.
MAN [ON TV]: These pictures are coming live to us
from our ZNN team here in Georgetown.
Now, the fire is believed to be at the home
of the director of a federal agency here in Washington.
The alarm was raised by a passerby who heard an explosion
and saw smoke billowing from a downstairs window.
By the time the firetrucks arrived,
the townhouse was fully engulfed in flames.
There has been no word yet
if anyone was inside the house at the time the fire started.
Fire officials are confident...
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
MAN [ON TV]: The memorial of the head
of a federal agency was held today.
What's the story circulating on Natasha?
Heard she pulled a Roman Holiday, ran off with her lover.
ZIVA: Viggo Drantyev. TONY: Shotgun wedding.
The funeral was held this morning for NCIS Director Jenny Shepard,
who died when her Georgetown home was destroyed by fire.
I find this whole business utterly distasteful.
--When leaking gas was ignited by a pilot light.
The official autopsy report
found Director Shepard died of smoke inhalation.
At today's private memorial service,
one mourner, who declined to give his name,
said Director Shepard had dedicated her life to serving her country
and will be remembered for her courage,
determination and loyalty.
Assistant Director Leon Vance has been named to succeed her.
Could you have Gibbs, DiNozzo, McGee and David come up, please?
WOMAN [OVER INTERCOM]: Right away, director.
Bad few days.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Officer David,
the liaison position with NCIS is being terminated.
You're going home.
McGee, I'm moving you across to the Cyber Crimes Unit.
You'll be working with Officer Hollsworth starting tomorrow.
- DiNozzo. - Sir?
You've been reassigned.
Agent afloat, USS Ronald Reagan.
Pack your bags. You fly out tomorrow.
Agent Gibbs.
Meet your new team.