Émission TV: NCIS - 22x20
I don't trust you.
You were the only one that knew that Torres was undercover with the Nexus cartel last year.
You think I burned him?
Carla Marino, matriarch of the biggest organized crime family in the Midwest.
And no one's ever been able to take her down.
I spent years on an FBI task force trying to.
Mm...
Alden.
I've missed this.
Both of you, drop your weapons right now.
Two against one.
Let me guess, banking info.
It's time you know the truth.
Inspector Laroche.
Mr.
Secretary.
Thanks for meeting me.
Sorry I'm late.
Shall we?
So...
what can the DOJ do for the Department of Defense?
I imagine you've heard of Nexus?
Of course.
We've been trying to take them down for years.
Well, you just might get your chance.
An opportunity's come up.
Recently, we learned that the cartel has had a mole inside the DoD.
When the guy got too greedy, Nexus cut ties with him.
Cut ties?
We fished his body out of the Potomac last week.
We have an opportunity to put our own man inside.
Make Nexus think they're dealing with a corrupt politician, when all the while he'd be spying for us.
A double agent.
Mm-hmm.
I'm not an agent.
I've asked around.
You're exactly what I'm looking for.
I'd install you in a top government position with the full power of the office at your disposal.
Little good that'll do me at the bottom of the Potomac.
It would never come to that.
No one but myself would know what you're doing.
If I were to do it, how would I even establish a relationship with Nexus?
You'd have to earn it.
One of our agencies currently has an undercover agent working inside the cartel.
You'd blow his cover to gain their trust.
Think of it as chess.
To get their queen, we serve up one of our pawns.
You realize what you're asking me to do, sir?
I'm asking you to betray NCIS for the good of the cause.
Now, are you in or out?
Jimmy, we got a situation here.
Guys, I'm fine.
McGee, slow down.
Just let us help you.
You lost a lot of blood, man...
No, I'm fine.
I told you, I'm fine, okay?
The bullet just, you know, just grazed me.
Jimmy, would you please...?
Oh, my God.
What happened?
He went after Laroche, and he caught a bullet.
Laroche shot him?
No, the thief did, right before Laroche shot and killed him.
I can't believe what he told us.
He was a double agent working for SecDef this entire time.
Who's a double agent?
The thief?
No.
Laroche.
He was trying to make one last play against Nexus.
After Laroche's cover was blown, he hired the thieves to steal something.
Steal from who?
F-From you, McGee?
From Nexus.
Keep up, Jimmy.
The thieves changed the deal, and Laroche had to shoot and kill 'em in self-defense.
Okay, shoot who?
McGee?
Laroche?
I'm so lost right now.
I will explain everything later.
So, McGee, your white whale turned out to be one of the good guys.
How do you feel about that?
Little weird.
Still processing it.
Well, the two of you made your peace, but Parker and Vance have not.
Did you see their faces when they left?
Where are they now?
They're at SecDef with Laroche.
Hopefully giving them hell.
Eight months.
That's how long we've been working on this thing, and then you come in and trample over everything.
You jeopardized the whole op.
Which we wouldn't have done if you had just kept us in the loop in the first place.
I tried to warn Agent McGee to back off.
Is that before or after you got him shot?
Two of my men were almost killed because of your op.
You should have told us.
And last I checked, Leon, I'm not obligated to tell you anything.
Regardless, sir, we're here now.
Maybe you can tell us what exactly Laroche stole from Nexus.
It's a copy of one of their hard drives.
What's on it might finally help us bring down the cartel.
And not a minute too soon.
Chatter suggests Nexus is planning something big.
We need to stop it.
With Laroche's cover burned, I'm ordering NCIS to take over the operation.
So now you want our help?
We'll need full access to everything that Laroche has compiled on Nexus.
It won't be enough, though.
You'll still need help from the inside.
What, you're not seriously considering putting another double agent into the cartel?
Luckily, there's already somebody on the inside who we might be able to work with.
That should be her now.
Director Vance, Agent Parker.
Carla Marino.
I believe the two of you know each other?
Hello, Alden.
You got to be kidding me.
This is who you want to hitch your wagon to?
Agent Parker...
The Mob Queen of Kansas City?
Are you deliberately trying to come up with bad ideas?
I told you he'd react this way.
Ms.
Marino has done extensive business with Nexus.
She knows how they think, how they operate.
She's an asset, Agent Parker.
Uh, no, she's a killer.
Responsible for the deaths of dozens of people, many of them my friends.
I'm telling you, you can't trust her.
She's a psychopath.
Oh, well, now you're just trying to hurt my feelings.
I have to agree with Agent Parker.
Just hear her out.
Give her five minutes to state her case.
That's all.
Oh, yeah, no, fine.
The room's all yours, Ms.
Marino.
Oh, this should be good.
It's very simple.
You want to take down Nexus, and I can help.
I can serve up the whole cartel to you on a silver platter.
And why would you want to do that?
Because I want out.
The business has changed.
Used to be, my family ran things alongside the other four major crime families, and, sure, there were tensions, but there was enough to go around.
Nexus has changed the game.
They're too big.
And for this generous offer to help us, you want what in return?
Well, full immunity and all open investigations against me closed, so I can retire in peace.
That's a tall order.
The way I see it, you don't have much of a choice.
What do you think?
I think her five minutes are up.
Let's at least consider her offer.
Can't you see she's trying to con you?
She can't help us.
She's got nothing.
Consider this a freebie, then.
I know what Nexus is after.
Nuclear fuel rods.
They're being transported on some train.
You mean the Atlas train?
That's old news, Carla.
We stopped those attempts weeks ago.
And Nexus will try for it again.
See?
She's just grasping at straws.
You guys can waste time with her all you want.
I'm done.
He walked out on SecDef?
That's what I heard.
Parker must really hate the idea of, uh, working with Carla.
I wonder if there's something else going on between the two of them.
What do you mean?
Well, remember, a while back, Parker was interrogating her, and there was, like, this weird sexual tension between the two of 'em?
Like they were either gonna kill each other or...
Oh, um, mm...
Okay, guys.
Update.
You were talking about Carla, weren't you?
Well, we were debating the idea of working with her.
Well, stop.
Never gonna happen.
We have the intel from Laroche, we're expert investigators, and we can take down Nexus all by ourselves, okay?
Good?
All right, then update.
What do we know about the cartel?
Well, after we removed their former leader El Padre, Nexus now has a new man in charge.
We don't know much about him, but we know that his nickname is El Carnicero, which means The Butcher.
One of Laroche's contacts was able to get a photo and audio of him.
What's he saying?
He's just threatening some employee, saying, uh, "Do as I say, or I'm gonna cut your family in little pieces and make you watch."
Okay, so now we know what we're dealing with.
Where is he?
We don't know where the photo was taken.
Laroche's contact was killed before he was able to tell him.
So we don't know The Butcher's real name or his location?
What about the, uh, the SD card that Laroche stole?
Please tell me we've got something useful off of that.
Card was pretty corrupted, but the tech trolls were able to salvage an account number and password.
Ah, now you're talking.
His bank account?
Not exactly.
It's called Wordix.
It's an online word game.
You've got six chances to guess the correct word.
It's actually a lot of fun.
This is what Nexus had on the drive?
Doesn't make sense.
There's got to be an explanation for this.
There is somebody we could ask.
No.
For the last time, we're not working with Carla.
And I don't want to hear that name out of any of your mouths ever again.
Understood?
Oh, yeah.
There's definitely something going on between those two.
Thanks.
Agent McGee.
How's the arm?
It's healing.
Well, I-I'm glad I caught you.
I was just, uh, clearing out my office and figured I'd drop off the last of my files before I head out.
You're leaving?
Yeah.
I, uh, played my role.
Mathison thinks it's best if I step down and lay low.
Well, I-I wish you luck.
But, you know, you-you didn't have to come down here.
I mean, we could've sent up for these files.
Honestly...
I was hoping to see you.
I know we had our issues in the past, but I hope there are no hard feelings.
We were both just doing our jobs.
Yeah, except mine didn't involve lying to you.
Yeah.
And, uh...
I'm sorry about that.
Truth is...
I respect you, Tim.
You're a good man.
Anyone had to come after me, I'm glad it was you.
Well, thanks.
Thanks, Gabriel.
Good luck with Nexus.
I risked a lot to get us this far.
Make it count.
We will.
How about this one?
Yeah, it's a possibility.
Hey, guys.
Oh, hey, Nick.
How goes it?
Hey.
Uh, what's going on over here?
You guys are planning to get buried together?
Oh, no.
Uh, Parker asked me to find his mom's burial site, so Kasie's helping me.
Yes, because I have so much free time.
Parker doesn't know where his mom is buried?
Well, he did, originally.
She was buried at a cemetery just outside of Chicago, but in the '80s, the nearby freeway had to expand, so they had to relocate several of the bodies to other cemeteries.
Yeah, ain't that a kick in the head?
Your final resting place gets upended by a car pool lane.
You guys made any progress?
No, no, it's been surprisingly difficult.
The original cemetery's records are a mess, so we've just been chasing one long paper trail.
All right, well, good luck with that.
What about our case?
You find out anything about The Butcher yet?
I'm still working on the photo and the audio you gave me, but I have made some headway on what was on the SD card.
Oh, Wordix.
Oh, I love this game.
Victoria and I play it all the time.
Try "gourd."
So, as it turns out, Nexus was using the game's online chat feature to secretly communicate with people.
Do we know which people?
No.
The chats are all anonymous.
No, "stork, stork."
Try "stork."
Hey, Jimmy, adults are working.
But I did find a coded message that Nexus sent yesterday to an unknown recipient.
Uh, could be a...
latitude or longitude?
Yeah.
Nexus could have totally been sending an address.
It's an old medical clinic in Virginia.
Thank you, Kase.
Stork!
I'm good at words.
I'll go left.
You go right.
Roger.
Nick, got a body.
Jess!
Jess, don't move!
He's been injected with a radioactive substance.
What?
Yeah, I found an empty container in the other room.
Carla was right.
Nexus was making another play for nuclear material.
Yeah.
And they already got it.
Just talked to the hospital.
Knight and Torres saw limited exposure to the uranium, so they're gonna be just fine.
It's more than we can say for this poor son of a bitch.
Agent Parker?
Yeah, Jimmy, go.
There's signs of a struggle in here.
Both of his thumbs are broken.
It's like someone held him down while someone else forcibly injected him with uranium.
Nasty way to go.
Turned his insides to sludge.
All right, thanks.
Keep me updated.
Any idea who he is?
Yeah, Peter Mobley.
He worked security for a company called Fortis Waste Solutions.
Turns out, the Navy recently contracted them to store nuclear material...
Let me guess, the Atlas train?
After we stopped the attempt on the train, Nexus must have learned where the uranium was moved to.
Hired Mobley to steal it.
Yeah, but they double-crossed him instead.
Whoever this Butcher is, he makes El Padre look like a saint.
No witnesses, no prints at the crime scene.
Maybe this is where we consider...
Hey.
...you know, working with "she who must not be named."
McGee.
She gave us solid intel.
She could be very helpful.
Look, we don't have any other leads.
What choice do we have?
Full immunity, pending your cooperation to help us stop the Nexus cartel.
Well, it took you long enough.
If only we'd done this sooner, you'd still have your precious uranium and that poor man would still be alive.
As if you give a rat's ass.
Oh, don't look so glum, Alden.
This is gonna be fun.
You and me, just like old times. "
Fun" is not the word I'd use.
Besides, if anyone should be upset, it's me with these accommodations.
You really could have put me up in a nicer place.
What's wrong?
Is the suite not big enough for you?
The room service is horrible.
Ms.
Marino, what can you tell us about the leader of Nexus?
El Carnicero?
I've never met him, but I've spoken to him a few times.
A real piece of work.
What is he planning to do with the uranium that they stole?
Well, he wants to sell it, obviously.
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
Nexus got bored peddling just drugs and firearms, so they moved up to the big leagues.
Any idea who they're selling to?
Not at the moment, but I can make some calls.
After I finish my breakfast, of course.
Just do it.
I could get to work a lot sooner if I had someone to share my breakfast with.
Do you care to join me, Alden?
The strawberries are delicious.
No, too much warble.
Hmm.
Closer.
Uh, Kasie, what are you doing right now?
Shh.
What's that sound like?
Uh, the sound of you possibly losing your mind?
I just might be, McGee.
I just might be.
Hope this is case-related, or is Jimmy gonna have to come take a look at you?
I've been working on that recording of The Butcher that you gave me, trying to figure out where it was taken from.
I isolated a bird call in the background.
Check it out.
You hear that?
Yeah.
No, no, no.
It's faint, but I hear that.
Yeah, if I can match it to a particular species, I might be able to figure out the general location the audio was taken.
Nice.
You made any progress or...?
No, except for giving myself a raging migraine.
How about that photo of The Butcher?
Maybe able to run facial recognition, get an ID?
I'm trying, but it's just taking longer than I thought, so for now it's just me and the birds.
Ah, there he is.
Was wondering when you'd show.
You forgot, didn't you?
No, no...
We made plans to watch the Cubs weeks ago.
I'm even frying up some steaks for us.
I'm sorry.
I just got a lot on my mind.
That's been happening a lot lately, ever since we, uh, talked about your mom.
No.
No, it's just work stuff.
And, uh, what about that, uh, Lily girl?
The one in the photo.
You find anything new on her?
I'm still looking into it.
Why?
What's on your mind, Dad?
What's on my mind is, uh...
our steaks not burning.
Uh, let me go check on them.
Good evening, Alden.
What are you doing here?
You wanted to see a list of potential buyers for the uranium, didn't you?
You didn't need to come to my home.
And deny me the chance to see how you live?
Huh.
Never saw you as a plant guy.
Now that you've seen it, leave.
Who's this lovely lady?
Carla Marino.
Hi.
Roman Parker.
Alden's dad.
Really?
Well, I can see where he gets his good looks from.
And his fabulous hair.
Oh, I like her, Aldie.
Would you like to stay for dinner?
Uh, she can't.
She's got other plans.
Which, fortunately, just fell through.
I'd be delighted.
So, then little Aldie comes in.
He's covered in mud.
No.
And he says, "Daddy, "it wasn't my fault.
The dog made medo it."
That is too funny.
Little Aldie.
He was a firecracker, this one.
But look at him now.
You must be so proud of him.
I sure am.
Don't say it enough.
What about you, Carla?
You have any kids?
Uh, one.
Jason.
He died.
Oh, I'm sorry.
No, i-it was a long time ago.
A motorcycle accident.
You must have loved him very much.
Well, he was a wonderful boy.
So funny and warm.
People just loved being around him.
You met him once, didn't you, Alden?
No.
Really?
I could've sworn you did.
Nothing worse than losing family.
Alden and I know it all too well.
Dad, I really don't think that this is...
No, son.
It's good to talk about it.
Alden's mom passed when he was ten.
I didn't know that.
No matter how much time goes by, it's still hard to move on.
Wanting answers, someone to blame.
Sometimes there isn't any.
You just...
just got to live in it.
Well...
To the ones we lost.
They may leave this world but never our hearts.
Uh, I think it's time we wrap this up.
We haven't had dessert.
It's a school night, and I got a big day tomorrow, so...
I'll grab your things.
Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Roman.
You, too, Carla.
Don't be a stranger.
I really had a great night, Alden.
We should do this more often.
Don't ever come here again.
Good night, Alden.
No, for sure.
Okay, yeah.
Yeah?
Okay, look.
Can we just stop with all the gossipalready?
Yes, Carla showed up to my place last night uninvited.
Why?
I don't know.
This is what she does.
She likes to mess with people, play games, but it's-it's not gonna work.
'Cause I refuse to let that woman get inside my head.
So now you know everything, okay?
So we can just stop all the talking behind my back.
Actually, we were just working.
Yeah, just comparing notes on the list of buyers for the uranium.
See?
Sure.
Um...
How's it going?
Make any progress?
We are culling down the list, but it's taking time.
Some of the names Carla gave us are criminals with outstanding warrants or unknown whereabouts, which makes, uh, finding them to be a little bit of a challenge.
Oh, great.
I hope it's not a wild goose chase.
Well, I might have something.
I talked to a buddy of mine in Homeland Security.
They have been after the leader of this extremist group The Messiahs of Purity.
I've heard of them.
Bunch of white supremacists.
Up-and-comers.
Yeah.
Word on the street is, they're trying to make their mark.
You think they might be in the market for Nexus's uranium?
Detonating a dirty bomb would get them headlines.
Where's this leader now?
Homeland has a BOLO out, so when he shows up, we should bring him in.
Yeah, okay.
Parker.
When?
All right, thanks.
The Butcher just reached out to Carla.
He wants to meet.
I will be in Kansas City tomorrow.
I expect you to be there.
Don't disappoint me.
Were we able to trace the call?
No.
He used a burner phone.
This is bad.
Any idea why he wants to meet?
Well, why do you think?
He must've put it together that I made a deal with you, and now he's luring me out there to put a bullet in my brain or worse.
I am gonna need protection, Parker.
Now.
And we need to change hotels.
His guys could be watching me.
I have never seen you this scared before, Carla.
I got to admit, I'm kind of enjoying it.
Well, you don't understand.
I've been up against plenty of tough guys, and I can hold my own.
But this guy?
He's...
he's sick in the head.
What am I gonna do?
You're gonna take the meeting.
Did you not hear what I just said?
First of all, we don't know for sure that they're onto you.
He could be calling because he needs your help selling the uranium.
And second, he would never make a move against you in Kansas City.
That's your home turf.
It'd be like suicide.
And what if you're wrong?
You'll have protection.
I'll go with you.
Undercover as your consigliere, and then we'll have agents stationed outside the meet.
I feel so much safer.
I hate to say it, Parker, but I agree with her.
This doesn't feel right.
You could be walking into a trap.
I think it's worth the risk.
We've got nothing on The Butcher, and this is our best shot at getting close to him.
Well, then you two go fly and take the meeting 'cause I sure as hell won't.
I did not sign up for this.
This was not part of the deal!
The deal, as I remember it, was dependent on your cooperation, and so far you haven't shown us jack!
If you want your precious immunity, then you're gonna have to earn it.
James!
Hey!
Oh.
Uta.
How are you?
It is so good to see you.
Hey, I bumped into your father-in-law at the morticians conference, and he told me you were well.
Yeah, I can't complain.
Thank you so much for coming down and helping out with this.
Oh, well, you need to find a gravesite, I'm your gal.
You found her?
I went onto the funeral parlor message boards.
Oh, have a lot of wackos there, let me tell you.
But I learned that she had been moved to a cemetery in Milwaukee.
I spoke with the owner, and he feels terrible that your friend wasn't notified, but there was no next of kin paperwork...
It's fine.
My friend is just gonna be so relieved that you found her.
Yeah.
Oh, um, the owner did find the original death certificate, which he sent it to me, in case your friend wanted it.
Oh.
I'm sure he'll appreciate that.
What is it?
Is something wrong?
I'm not sure.
Once you touch down in Kansas City, you'll be met by agents from our local office along with the FBI.
They'll run down security protocols before taking you to the meeting with The Butcher.
Got it.
This is a mistake.
This is NCIS Agent Ramos.
FBI Agent Ford.
They will accompany you throughout the journey.
You're in good hands, ma'am.
She gonna be okay?
Remains to be seen.
During the meeting, you won't be wearing a wire, but the agents will have their eyes on you at all times.
And if anything should go sideways, they'll be there.
I'll see you in 24 hours.
News?
Oh, it's a friend from Homeland Security.
They just found a guy who could be a possible buyer for the uranium.
They're bringing him in now.
You want to tell me what I'm doing here?
Mr.
Clark, have you ever seen this man before?
Nope.
Have you ever had any dealings with the Nexus cartel?
What do I look like?
Some kind of drug runner?
I'm an insurance agent.
Who also runs a group that preaches hate and promotes violence.
The Messiahs of Purity isn't about hate.
Oh, it's not?
Then what is it about?
Preservation.
It's about preserving the traditions and values of the true Aryan people who built this great nation.
Well, being how "messiah" is a Jewish word from the Hebrew Bible, you might want to rethink that name there.
And don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to think of a new name when you're in jail.
Oh, what?
You're gonna arrest me now?
For what?
Running my group?
It's called freedom of speech.
You might want to look it up.
It's in the First Amendment.
Yeah, but you know what's not in it?
Purchasing illegal firearms.
We searched your garage and found a stash of guns.
The serial numbers match weapons believed to have been stolen by Nexus.
So what else are you in the market for, Randall?
Perhaps something bigger?
Like uranium for a dirty bomb?
A bomb?
Wait...
wait-wait-wait, wait a minute.
The guy who stole the uranium was killed three days ago.
So this is no longer about an arms deal, it's a murder investigation.
You can't pin that on me.
Why not?
We don't have Nexus.
You're the one next in line.
Accessory after the fact.
Oh.
Conspiracy to murder.
Okay, okay.
Fine, yeah, I-I did.
I-I did a deal with Nexus, but it was just to buy the guns.
I knew about the uranium, but you guys have got it all wrong.
Nexus isn't selling it.
They're planning on using it themselves.
Director, we have a problem.
Add it to the list.
Photo and audio of The Butcher.
Kasie finally figured out why we've had problems IDing him.
He doesn't exist.
I don't understand.
We took a closer look at the image.
It's riddled with flaws.
Reflections in the eyes don't match, skin is too smooth.
So the photo is a fake?
Yes.
Created by AI.
Same thing with the voice in the audio.
We've been chasing a guy that doesn't exist.
Someone just wants us to think he does.
But if there's no Butcher, then who the hell are Parker and Carla meeting with?
Relax.
We haven't even left Virginia yet.
We might've picked up a tail.
Gray sedan.
It's been following us for the past three miles.
Oh, God.
It's them.
Okay, pull over to the side.
See what they do.
All right, I think we're good.
Don't.
Hand it over.
Sorry, Alden.
Change of plans.
Any word?
Parker's cell is still off.
Same with the other agents.
The car never made it to the airport.
Car's GPS, can we track it?
Disabled.
We have a BOLO out, and we notified local and state police.
Okay, thank you.
That was the FBI.
The real Agent Ford was found shot dead in his apartment.
They ran the bullet, they traced it back to a trigger man in Kansas City.
Carla Marino.
She's been behind this the whole time.
Carla is the head of Nexus.
Yeah, she must've stolen the uranium and played us from the jump.
Feeding us fake clues to distract us.
From what, though?
What's her play?
She's got a fake bomb, but what's the target?
And why take Parker?
We're not gonna get any answers just waiting around.
We need to find Parker.
We need to find him fast.
Come on, let's move.
Come on.
Get out.
Well played, Carla.
Wish I could say I was surprised, but I always knew we couldn't trust you.
Is this your big plan, though?
Bring me out here and kill me?
It's kind of anticlimactic.
Really, you know, I expected a little more out of you.
It happened here.
Almost 20 years ago.
He was coming back from getting food.
Car came around the bend, struck his motorcycle.
My son died on this very spot.
He was so far from home.
Over a thousand miles.
I couldn't be here to hold him...
...as he took his last breaths.
Do you know why he was so far from home?
No.
Wrong answer!
I'm gonna ask you again.
Why was he all the way out here instead of with me?
Because he ran away.
He learned you were a criminal, and he couldn't face it.
That's right.
And who told him I was a criminal?
Who met with him in secret?
Who?
I did.
You didn't think I knew that, did you?
You tried to turn him against me.
But all you did was send him out here to die on the street like an animal.
You killed my son.
You destroyed my life.
I made mistakes.
And I regret that.
But I didn't kill your son, Carla.
You did.
The day you chose this life.
Killing me isn't gonna change anything.
It won't bring him back.
I'm not gonna kill you, Alden.
That'd be too easy.
Kase, you get anything off those traffic cams?
Not yet, but I might've figured out the target for the dirty bomb.
So, I was going through the texts on Carla's phone...
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
We have her phone?
Since when?
Since Parker secretly cloned it when she came over for dinner.
He never trusted her from the start.
Well, that's fantastic.
Now we can track it and find Parker.
Yeah, already tried it.
No signal.
Carla must have gotten wise and shut it down.
So, anyway, I was going through her texts and found this.
It's a group text to the heads of the four major crime families.
Carla requested a meeting this morning in her hotel room.
Seems sketchy, right?
All her rivals in one place.
You know what?
She's setting a trap for 'em.
She's gonna use that bomb to take 'em all out.
She always said that Nexus was all about consolidating power.
How else do you do that?
Eliminate all your competition in one fell swoop.
Thanks, Kase.
Spoke with Parker.
He's okay.
Where is he?
He called from a gas station in Maryland.
Said that Carla left him on the side of the road and just took off.
What?
I know.
I know.
It doesn't make much sense.
Well, we'll have to worry about that later.
Let's call Parker back, tell him to meet us at Carla's hotel.
And tell him to get there quickly.
'Cause if I'm right about what's gonna happen, we don't have a lot of time.
All right.
Thank you.
The heads of the families are still in Carla's room, but police are evacuating the rest of the guests and staff.
Bomb squad's on the way.
Do we know where the bomb is?
No, but Kasie checked the hotel's surveillance cams.
Delivery truck with Missouri plates pulled in about 15 minutes ago.
Okay.
You and Torres sweep the kitchen and the loading dock.
McGee and I will evacuate Carla's room and search for the bomb there.
Everybody clear?
Clear.
She told us to wait?
Yeah.
Heads up.
Yeah, I see it.
NCIS!
Oh!
NCIS.
We need everyone to evacuate.
What the hell is going on?
This is a private meeting.
There's a bomb in the building.
We need everyone out now.
You expect us to believe that, Fed, huh?
This is a setup.
We're not trying to bust you, genius.
We're trying to save your life.
Get out.
No.
Don't.
Don't do it.
Hey!
Don't, don't, don't.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hey, hey, hey.
Put the firearm down now.
Put it down.
Lower it!
Lower it!
Put it down.
Put the gun down now.
You put it down.
Put it down.
No.
I can't get a shot.
Cover me.
Go!
Clear.
Get out of here, Fed, with this.
Huh?
Come on, give me a break.
Hey, listen to me.
We're not the ones trying to set you up.
Hey, Parker?
Yeah.
Go.
Van is empty.
The bomb has been moved.
Check the room.
What?
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Where's he going?
Where's he going?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
That's a bomb.
Boss, let's go.
Now they go.
How bad?
Well, it's got less than a minute left.
Bomb squad won't make it.
Can we deactivate it?
Well, there's a disarm interface, but, I mean, the code could be anything.
All right, Knight, Torres.
We're looking for an activation code.
Search the truck.
On it.
- Copy.
All right, this is Carla's bomb...
She's the one who set the code, so...
What could the code be?
Social security number?
Her birthday?
Do we know, do we know her birthday?
Try 5-2-7-6-6.
What is that?
Just do it.
5-2-7-6-6.
Ah!
Knight, Torres?
Bomb deactivated.
How did...?
The numbers spell out "Jason."
Carla's son's name.
...where earlier today, authorities successfully thwarted a bomb threat, preventing a potential catastrophe.
Sources tell us the effort was made possible due to crucial intel provided by former Deputy Director Gabriel Laroche.
Unbelievable.
We do all the work, and he takes all the credit.
Hey, you know what, let him have this one.
I've been at war with this guy for too long.
You know, we're, we're on the same team.
That's what matters, right?
Right.
Right.
Hey, how was the call with SecDef?
Well, he wasn't happy that Carla escaped, especially since it was his idea to bring her in the first place.
Well, she'll turn up sooner or later.
We have BOLOs out nationwide.
And if we can't find her, the head of the crime families will.
The word is, there's a big price on her head.
Yeah, one thing I still don't
You were the only one that knew that Torres was undercover with the Nexus cartel last year.
You think I burned him?
Carla Marino, matriarch of the biggest organized crime family in the Midwest.
And no one's ever been able to take her down.
I spent years on an FBI task force trying to.
Mm...
Alden.
I've missed this.
Both of you, drop your weapons right now.
Two against one.
Let me guess, banking info.
It's time you know the truth.
Inspector Laroche.
Mr.
Secretary.
Thanks for meeting me.
Sorry I'm late.
Shall we?
So...
what can the DOJ do for the Department of Defense?
I imagine you've heard of Nexus?
Of course.
We've been trying to take them down for years.
Well, you just might get your chance.
An opportunity's come up.
Recently, we learned that the cartel has had a mole inside the DoD.
When the guy got too greedy, Nexus cut ties with him.
Cut ties?
We fished his body out of the Potomac last week.
We have an opportunity to put our own man inside.
Make Nexus think they're dealing with a corrupt politician, when all the while he'd be spying for us.
A double agent.
Mm-hmm.
I'm not an agent.
I've asked around.
You're exactly what I'm looking for.
I'd install you in a top government position with the full power of the office at your disposal.
Little good that'll do me at the bottom of the Potomac.
It would never come to that.
No one but myself would know what you're doing.
If I were to do it, how would I even establish a relationship with Nexus?
You'd have to earn it.
One of our agencies currently has an undercover agent working inside the cartel.
You'd blow his cover to gain their trust.
Think of it as chess.
To get their queen, we serve up one of our pawns.
You realize what you're asking me to do, sir?
I'm asking you to betray NCIS for the good of the cause.
Now, are you in or out?
Jimmy, we got a situation here.
Guys, I'm fine.
McGee, slow down.
Just let us help you.
You lost a lot of blood, man...
No, I'm fine.
I told you, I'm fine, okay?
The bullet just, you know, just grazed me.
Jimmy, would you please...?
Oh, my God.
What happened?
He went after Laroche, and he caught a bullet.
Laroche shot him?
No, the thief did, right before Laroche shot and killed him.
I can't believe what he told us.
He was a double agent working for SecDef this entire time.
Who's a double agent?
The thief?
No.
Laroche.
He was trying to make one last play against Nexus.
After Laroche's cover was blown, he hired the thieves to steal something.
Steal from who?
F-From you, McGee?
From Nexus.
Keep up, Jimmy.
The thieves changed the deal, and Laroche had to shoot and kill 'em in self-defense.
Okay, shoot who?
McGee?
Laroche?
I'm so lost right now.
I will explain everything later.
So, McGee, your white whale turned out to be one of the good guys.
How do you feel about that?
Little weird.
Still processing it.
Well, the two of you made your peace, but Parker and Vance have not.
Did you see their faces when they left?
Where are they now?
They're at SecDef with Laroche.
Hopefully giving them hell.
Eight months.
That's how long we've been working on this thing, and then you come in and trample over everything.
You jeopardized the whole op.
Which we wouldn't have done if you had just kept us in the loop in the first place.
I tried to warn Agent McGee to back off.
Is that before or after you got him shot?
Two of my men were almost killed because of your op.
You should have told us.
And last I checked, Leon, I'm not obligated to tell you anything.
Regardless, sir, we're here now.
Maybe you can tell us what exactly Laroche stole from Nexus.
It's a copy of one of their hard drives.
What's on it might finally help us bring down the cartel.
And not a minute too soon.
Chatter suggests Nexus is planning something big.
We need to stop it.
With Laroche's cover burned, I'm ordering NCIS to take over the operation.
So now you want our help?
We'll need full access to everything that Laroche has compiled on Nexus.
It won't be enough, though.
You'll still need help from the inside.
What, you're not seriously considering putting another double agent into the cartel?
Luckily, there's already somebody on the inside who we might be able to work with.
That should be her now.
Director Vance, Agent Parker.
Carla Marino.
I believe the two of you know each other?
Hello, Alden.
You got to be kidding me.
This is who you want to hitch your wagon to?
Agent Parker...
The Mob Queen of Kansas City?
Are you deliberately trying to come up with bad ideas?
I told you he'd react this way.
Ms.
Marino has done extensive business with Nexus.
She knows how they think, how they operate.
She's an asset, Agent Parker.
Uh, no, she's a killer.
Responsible for the deaths of dozens of people, many of them my friends.
I'm telling you, you can't trust her.
She's a psychopath.
Oh, well, now you're just trying to hurt my feelings.
I have to agree with Agent Parker.
Just hear her out.
Give her five minutes to state her case.
That's all.
Oh, yeah, no, fine.
The room's all yours, Ms.
Marino.
Oh, this should be good.
It's very simple.
You want to take down Nexus, and I can help.
I can serve up the whole cartel to you on a silver platter.
And why would you want to do that?
Because I want out.
The business has changed.
Used to be, my family ran things alongside the other four major crime families, and, sure, there were tensions, but there was enough to go around.
Nexus has changed the game.
They're too big.
And for this generous offer to help us, you want what in return?
Well, full immunity and all open investigations against me closed, so I can retire in peace.
That's a tall order.
The way I see it, you don't have much of a choice.
What do you think?
I think her five minutes are up.
Let's at least consider her offer.
Can't you see she's trying to con you?
She can't help us.
She's got nothing.
Consider this a freebie, then.
I know what Nexus is after.
Nuclear fuel rods.
They're being transported on some train.
You mean the Atlas train?
That's old news, Carla.
We stopped those attempts weeks ago.
And Nexus will try for it again.
See?
She's just grasping at straws.
You guys can waste time with her all you want.
I'm done.
He walked out on SecDef?
That's what I heard.
Parker must really hate the idea of, uh, working with Carla.
I wonder if there's something else going on between the two of them.
What do you mean?
Well, remember, a while back, Parker was interrogating her, and there was, like, this weird sexual tension between the two of 'em?
Like they were either gonna kill each other or...
Oh, um, mm...
Okay, guys.
Update.
You were talking about Carla, weren't you?
Well, we were debating the idea of working with her.
Well, stop.
Never gonna happen.
We have the intel from Laroche, we're expert investigators, and we can take down Nexus all by ourselves, okay?
Good?
All right, then update.
What do we know about the cartel?
Well, after we removed their former leader El Padre, Nexus now has a new man in charge.
We don't know much about him, but we know that his nickname is El Carnicero, which means The Butcher.
One of Laroche's contacts was able to get a photo and audio of him.
What's he saying?
He's just threatening some employee, saying, uh, "Do as I say, or I'm gonna cut your family in little pieces and make you watch."
Okay, so now we know what we're dealing with.
Where is he?
We don't know where the photo was taken.
Laroche's contact was killed before he was able to tell him.
So we don't know The Butcher's real name or his location?
What about the, uh, the SD card that Laroche stole?
Please tell me we've got something useful off of that.
Card was pretty corrupted, but the tech trolls were able to salvage an account number and password.
Ah, now you're talking.
His bank account?
Not exactly.
It's called Wordix.
It's an online word game.
You've got six chances to guess the correct word.
It's actually a lot of fun.
This is what Nexus had on the drive?
Doesn't make sense.
There's got to be an explanation for this.
There is somebody we could ask.
No.
For the last time, we're not working with Carla.
And I don't want to hear that name out of any of your mouths ever again.
Understood?
Oh, yeah.
There's definitely something going on between those two.
Thanks.
Agent McGee.
How's the arm?
It's healing.
Well, I-I'm glad I caught you.
I was just, uh, clearing out my office and figured I'd drop off the last of my files before I head out.
You're leaving?
Yeah.
I, uh, played my role.
Mathison thinks it's best if I step down and lay low.
Well, I-I wish you luck.
But, you know, you-you didn't have to come down here.
I mean, we could've sent up for these files.
Honestly...
I was hoping to see you.
I know we had our issues in the past, but I hope there are no hard feelings.
We were both just doing our jobs.
Yeah, except mine didn't involve lying to you.
Yeah.
And, uh...
I'm sorry about that.
Truth is...
I respect you, Tim.
You're a good man.
Anyone had to come after me, I'm glad it was you.
Well, thanks.
Thanks, Gabriel.
Good luck with Nexus.
I risked a lot to get us this far.
Make it count.
We will.
How about this one?
Yeah, it's a possibility.
Hey, guys.
Oh, hey, Nick.
How goes it?
Hey.
Uh, what's going on over here?
You guys are planning to get buried together?
Oh, no.
Uh, Parker asked me to find his mom's burial site, so Kasie's helping me.
Yes, because I have so much free time.
Parker doesn't know where his mom is buried?
Well, he did, originally.
She was buried at a cemetery just outside of Chicago, but in the '80s, the nearby freeway had to expand, so they had to relocate several of the bodies to other cemeteries.
Yeah, ain't that a kick in the head?
Your final resting place gets upended by a car pool lane.
You guys made any progress?
No, no, it's been surprisingly difficult.
The original cemetery's records are a mess, so we've just been chasing one long paper trail.
All right, well, good luck with that.
What about our case?
You find out anything about The Butcher yet?
I'm still working on the photo and the audio you gave me, but I have made some headway on what was on the SD card.
Oh, Wordix.
Oh, I love this game.
Victoria and I play it all the time.
Try "gourd."
So, as it turns out, Nexus was using the game's online chat feature to secretly communicate with people.
Do we know which people?
No.
The chats are all anonymous.
No, "stork, stork."
Try "stork."
Hey, Jimmy, adults are working.
But I did find a coded message that Nexus sent yesterday to an unknown recipient.
Uh, could be a...
latitude or longitude?
Yeah.
Nexus could have totally been sending an address.
It's an old medical clinic in Virginia.
Thank you, Kase.
Stork!
I'm good at words.
I'll go left.
You go right.
Roger.
Nick, got a body.
Jess!
Jess, don't move!
He's been injected with a radioactive substance.
What?
Yeah, I found an empty container in the other room.
Carla was right.
Nexus was making another play for nuclear material.
Yeah.
And they already got it.
Just talked to the hospital.
Knight and Torres saw limited exposure to the uranium, so they're gonna be just fine.
It's more than we can say for this poor son of a bitch.
Agent Parker?
Yeah, Jimmy, go.
There's signs of a struggle in here.
Both of his thumbs are broken.
It's like someone held him down while someone else forcibly injected him with uranium.
Nasty way to go.
Turned his insides to sludge.
All right, thanks.
Keep me updated.
Any idea who he is?
Yeah, Peter Mobley.
He worked security for a company called Fortis Waste Solutions.
Turns out, the Navy recently contracted them to store nuclear material...
Let me guess, the Atlas train?
After we stopped the attempt on the train, Nexus must have learned where the uranium was moved to.
Hired Mobley to steal it.
Yeah, but they double-crossed him instead.
Whoever this Butcher is, he makes El Padre look like a saint.
No witnesses, no prints at the crime scene.
Maybe this is where we consider...
Hey.
...you know, working with "she who must not be named."
McGee.
She gave us solid intel.
She could be very helpful.
Look, we don't have any other leads.
What choice do we have?
Full immunity, pending your cooperation to help us stop the Nexus cartel.
Well, it took you long enough.
If only we'd done this sooner, you'd still have your precious uranium and that poor man would still be alive.
As if you give a rat's ass.
Oh, don't look so glum, Alden.
This is gonna be fun.
You and me, just like old times. "
Fun" is not the word I'd use.
Besides, if anyone should be upset, it's me with these accommodations.
You really could have put me up in a nicer place.
What's wrong?
Is the suite not big enough for you?
The room service is horrible.
Ms.
Marino, what can you tell us about the leader of Nexus?
El Carnicero?
I've never met him, but I've spoken to him a few times.
A real piece of work.
What is he planning to do with the uranium that they stole?
Well, he wants to sell it, obviously.
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
Nexus got bored peddling just drugs and firearms, so they moved up to the big leagues.
Any idea who they're selling to?
Not at the moment, but I can make some calls.
After I finish my breakfast, of course.
Just do it.
I could get to work a lot sooner if I had someone to share my breakfast with.
Do you care to join me, Alden?
The strawberries are delicious.
No, too much warble.
Hmm.
Closer.
Uh, Kasie, what are you doing right now?
Shh.
What's that sound like?
Uh, the sound of you possibly losing your mind?
I just might be, McGee.
I just might be.
Hope this is case-related, or is Jimmy gonna have to come take a look at you?
I've been working on that recording of The Butcher that you gave me, trying to figure out where it was taken from.
I isolated a bird call in the background.
Check it out.
You hear that?
Yeah.
No, no, no.
It's faint, but I hear that.
Yeah, if I can match it to a particular species, I might be able to figure out the general location the audio was taken.
Nice.
You made any progress or...?
No, except for giving myself a raging migraine.
How about that photo of The Butcher?
Maybe able to run facial recognition, get an ID?
I'm trying, but it's just taking longer than I thought, so for now it's just me and the birds.
Ah, there he is.
Was wondering when you'd show.
You forgot, didn't you?
No, no...
We made plans to watch the Cubs weeks ago.
I'm even frying up some steaks for us.
I'm sorry.
I just got a lot on my mind.
That's been happening a lot lately, ever since we, uh, talked about your mom.
No.
No, it's just work stuff.
And, uh, what about that, uh, Lily girl?
The one in the photo.
You find anything new on her?
I'm still looking into it.
Why?
What's on your mind, Dad?
What's on my mind is, uh...
our steaks not burning.
Uh, let me go check on them.
Good evening, Alden.
What are you doing here?
You wanted to see a list of potential buyers for the uranium, didn't you?
You didn't need to come to my home.
And deny me the chance to see how you live?
Huh.
Never saw you as a plant guy.
Now that you've seen it, leave.
Who's this lovely lady?
Carla Marino.
Hi.
Roman Parker.
Alden's dad.
Really?
Well, I can see where he gets his good looks from.
And his fabulous hair.
Oh, I like her, Aldie.
Would you like to stay for dinner?
Uh, she can't.
She's got other plans.
Which, fortunately, just fell through.
I'd be delighted.
So, then little Aldie comes in.
He's covered in mud.
No.
And he says, "Daddy, "it wasn't my fault.
The dog made medo it."
That is too funny.
Little Aldie.
He was a firecracker, this one.
But look at him now.
You must be so proud of him.
I sure am.
Don't say it enough.
What about you, Carla?
You have any kids?
Uh, one.
Jason.
He died.
Oh, I'm sorry.
No, i-it was a long time ago.
A motorcycle accident.
You must have loved him very much.
Well, he was a wonderful boy.
So funny and warm.
People just loved being around him.
You met him once, didn't you, Alden?
No.
Really?
I could've sworn you did.
Nothing worse than losing family.
Alden and I know it all too well.
Dad, I really don't think that this is...
No, son.
It's good to talk about it.
Alden's mom passed when he was ten.
I didn't know that.
No matter how much time goes by, it's still hard to move on.
Wanting answers, someone to blame.
Sometimes there isn't any.
You just...
just got to live in it.
Well...
To the ones we lost.
They may leave this world but never our hearts.
Uh, I think it's time we wrap this up.
We haven't had dessert.
It's a school night, and I got a big day tomorrow, so...
I'll grab your things.
Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Roman.
You, too, Carla.
Don't be a stranger.
I really had a great night, Alden.
We should do this more often.
Don't ever come here again.
Good night, Alden.
No, for sure.
Okay, yeah.
Yeah?
Okay, look.
Can we just stop with all the gossipalready?
Yes, Carla showed up to my place last night uninvited.
Why?
I don't know.
This is what she does.
She likes to mess with people, play games, but it's-it's not gonna work.
'Cause I refuse to let that woman get inside my head.
So now you know everything, okay?
So we can just stop all the talking behind my back.
Actually, we were just working.
Yeah, just comparing notes on the list of buyers for the uranium.
See?
Sure.
Um...
How's it going?
Make any progress?
We are culling down the list, but it's taking time.
Some of the names Carla gave us are criminals with outstanding warrants or unknown whereabouts, which makes, uh, finding them to be a little bit of a challenge.
Oh, great.
I hope it's not a wild goose chase.
Well, I might have something.
I talked to a buddy of mine in Homeland Security.
They have been after the leader of this extremist group The Messiahs of Purity.
I've heard of them.
Bunch of white supremacists.
Up-and-comers.
Yeah.
Word on the street is, they're trying to make their mark.
You think they might be in the market for Nexus's uranium?
Detonating a dirty bomb would get them headlines.
Where's this leader now?
Homeland has a BOLO out, so when he shows up, we should bring him in.
Yeah, okay.
Parker.
When?
All right, thanks.
The Butcher just reached out to Carla.
He wants to meet.
I will be in Kansas City tomorrow.
I expect you to be there.
Don't disappoint me.
Were we able to trace the call?
No.
He used a burner phone.
This is bad.
Any idea why he wants to meet?
Well, why do you think?
He must've put it together that I made a deal with you, and now he's luring me out there to put a bullet in my brain or worse.
I am gonna need protection, Parker.
Now.
And we need to change hotels.
His guys could be watching me.
I have never seen you this scared before, Carla.
I got to admit, I'm kind of enjoying it.
Well, you don't understand.
I've been up against plenty of tough guys, and I can hold my own.
But this guy?
He's...
he's sick in the head.
What am I gonna do?
You're gonna take the meeting.
Did you not hear what I just said?
First of all, we don't know for sure that they're onto you.
He could be calling because he needs your help selling the uranium.
And second, he would never make a move against you in Kansas City.
That's your home turf.
It'd be like suicide.
And what if you're wrong?
You'll have protection.
I'll go with you.
Undercover as your consigliere, and then we'll have agents stationed outside the meet.
I feel so much safer.
I hate to say it, Parker, but I agree with her.
This doesn't feel right.
You could be walking into a trap.
I think it's worth the risk.
We've got nothing on The Butcher, and this is our best shot at getting close to him.
Well, then you two go fly and take the meeting 'cause I sure as hell won't.
I did not sign up for this.
This was not part of the deal!
The deal, as I remember it, was dependent on your cooperation, and so far you haven't shown us jack!
If you want your precious immunity, then you're gonna have to earn it.
James!
Hey!
Oh.
Uta.
How are you?
It is so good to see you.
Hey, I bumped into your father-in-law at the morticians conference, and he told me you were well.
Yeah, I can't complain.
Thank you so much for coming down and helping out with this.
Oh, well, you need to find a gravesite, I'm your gal.
You found her?
I went onto the funeral parlor message boards.
Oh, have a lot of wackos there, let me tell you.
But I learned that she had been moved to a cemetery in Milwaukee.
I spoke with the owner, and he feels terrible that your friend wasn't notified, but there was no next of kin paperwork...
It's fine.
My friend is just gonna be so relieved that you found her.
Yeah.
Oh, um, the owner did find the original death certificate, which he sent it to me, in case your friend wanted it.
Oh.
I'm sure he'll appreciate that.
What is it?
Is something wrong?
I'm not sure.
Once you touch down in Kansas City, you'll be met by agents from our local office along with the FBI.
They'll run down security protocols before taking you to the meeting with The Butcher.
Got it.
This is a mistake.
This is NCIS Agent Ramos.
FBI Agent Ford.
They will accompany you throughout the journey.
You're in good hands, ma'am.
She gonna be okay?
Remains to be seen.
During the meeting, you won't be wearing a wire, but the agents will have their eyes on you at all times.
And if anything should go sideways, they'll be there.
I'll see you in 24 hours.
News?
Oh, it's a friend from Homeland Security.
They just found a guy who could be a possible buyer for the uranium.
They're bringing him in now.
You want to tell me what I'm doing here?
Mr.
Clark, have you ever seen this man before?
Nope.
Have you ever had any dealings with the Nexus cartel?
What do I look like?
Some kind of drug runner?
I'm an insurance agent.
Who also runs a group that preaches hate and promotes violence.
The Messiahs of Purity isn't about hate.
Oh, it's not?
Then what is it about?
Preservation.
It's about preserving the traditions and values of the true Aryan people who built this great nation.
Well, being how "messiah" is a Jewish word from the Hebrew Bible, you might want to rethink that name there.
And don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to think of a new name when you're in jail.
Oh, what?
You're gonna arrest me now?
For what?
Running my group?
It's called freedom of speech.
You might want to look it up.
It's in the First Amendment.
Yeah, but you know what's not in it?
Purchasing illegal firearms.
We searched your garage and found a stash of guns.
The serial numbers match weapons believed to have been stolen by Nexus.
So what else are you in the market for, Randall?
Perhaps something bigger?
Like uranium for a dirty bomb?
A bomb?
Wait...
wait-wait-wait, wait a minute.
The guy who stole the uranium was killed three days ago.
So this is no longer about an arms deal, it's a murder investigation.
You can't pin that on me.
Why not?
We don't have Nexus.
You're the one next in line.
Accessory after the fact.
Oh.
Conspiracy to murder.
Okay, okay.
Fine, yeah, I-I did.
I-I did a deal with Nexus, but it was just to buy the guns.
I knew about the uranium, but you guys have got it all wrong.
Nexus isn't selling it.
They're planning on using it themselves.
Director, we have a problem.
Add it to the list.
Photo and audio of The Butcher.
Kasie finally figured out why we've had problems IDing him.
He doesn't exist.
I don't understand.
We took a closer look at the image.
It's riddled with flaws.
Reflections in the eyes don't match, skin is too smooth.
So the photo is a fake?
Yes.
Created by AI.
Same thing with the voice in the audio.
We've been chasing a guy that doesn't exist.
Someone just wants us to think he does.
But if there's no Butcher, then who the hell are Parker and Carla meeting with?
Relax.
We haven't even left Virginia yet.
We might've picked up a tail.
Gray sedan.
It's been following us for the past three miles.
Oh, God.
It's them.
Okay, pull over to the side.
See what they do.
All right, I think we're good.
Don't.
Hand it over.
Sorry, Alden.
Change of plans.
Any word?
Parker's cell is still off.
Same with the other agents.
The car never made it to the airport.
Car's GPS, can we track it?
Disabled.
We have a BOLO out, and we notified local and state police.
Okay, thank you.
That was the FBI.
The real Agent Ford was found shot dead in his apartment.
They ran the bullet, they traced it back to a trigger man in Kansas City.
Carla Marino.
She's been behind this the whole time.
Carla is the head of Nexus.
Yeah, she must've stolen the uranium and played us from the jump.
Feeding us fake clues to distract us.
From what, though?
What's her play?
She's got a fake bomb, but what's the target?
And why take Parker?
We're not gonna get any answers just waiting around.
We need to find Parker.
We need to find him fast.
Come on, let's move.
Come on.
Get out.
Well played, Carla.
Wish I could say I was surprised, but I always knew we couldn't trust you.
Is this your big plan, though?
Bring me out here and kill me?
It's kind of anticlimactic.
Really, you know, I expected a little more out of you.
It happened here.
Almost 20 years ago.
He was coming back from getting food.
Car came around the bend, struck his motorcycle.
My son died on this very spot.
He was so far from home.
Over a thousand miles.
I couldn't be here to hold him...
...as he took his last breaths.
Do you know why he was so far from home?
No.
Wrong answer!
I'm gonna ask you again.
Why was he all the way out here instead of with me?
Because he ran away.
He learned you were a criminal, and he couldn't face it.
That's right.
And who told him I was a criminal?
Who met with him in secret?
Who?
I did.
You didn't think I knew that, did you?
You tried to turn him against me.
But all you did was send him out here to die on the street like an animal.
You killed my son.
You destroyed my life.
I made mistakes.
And I regret that.
But I didn't kill your son, Carla.
You did.
The day you chose this life.
Killing me isn't gonna change anything.
It won't bring him back.
I'm not gonna kill you, Alden.
That'd be too easy.
Kase, you get anything off those traffic cams?
Not yet, but I might've figured out the target for the dirty bomb.
So, I was going through the texts on Carla's phone...
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
We have her phone?
Since when?
Since Parker secretly cloned it when she came over for dinner.
He never trusted her from the start.
Well, that's fantastic.
Now we can track it and find Parker.
Yeah, already tried it.
No signal.
Carla must have gotten wise and shut it down.
So, anyway, I was going through her texts and found this.
It's a group text to the heads of the four major crime families.
Carla requested a meeting this morning in her hotel room.
Seems sketchy, right?
All her rivals in one place.
You know what?
She's setting a trap for 'em.
She's gonna use that bomb to take 'em all out.
She always said that Nexus was all about consolidating power.
How else do you do that?
Eliminate all your competition in one fell swoop.
Thanks, Kase.
Spoke with Parker.
He's okay.
Where is he?
He called from a gas station in Maryland.
Said that Carla left him on the side of the road and just took off.
What?
I know.
I know.
It doesn't make much sense.
Well, we'll have to worry about that later.
Let's call Parker back, tell him to meet us at Carla's hotel.
And tell him to get there quickly.
'Cause if I'm right about what's gonna happen, we don't have a lot of time.
All right.
Thank you.
The heads of the families are still in Carla's room, but police are evacuating the rest of the guests and staff.
Bomb squad's on the way.
Do we know where the bomb is?
No, but Kasie checked the hotel's surveillance cams.
Delivery truck with Missouri plates pulled in about 15 minutes ago.
Okay.
You and Torres sweep the kitchen and the loading dock.
McGee and I will evacuate Carla's room and search for the bomb there.
Everybody clear?
Clear.
She told us to wait?
Yeah.
Heads up.
Yeah, I see it.
NCIS!
Oh!
NCIS.
We need everyone to evacuate.
What the hell is going on?
This is a private meeting.
There's a bomb in the building.
We need everyone out now.
You expect us to believe that, Fed, huh?
This is a setup.
We're not trying to bust you, genius.
We're trying to save your life.
Get out.
No.
Don't.
Don't do it.
Hey!
Don't, don't, don't.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hey, hey, hey.
Put the firearm down now.
Put it down.
Lower it!
Lower it!
Put it down.
Put the gun down now.
You put it down.
Put it down.
No.
I can't get a shot.
Cover me.
Go!
Clear.
Get out of here, Fed, with this.
Huh?
Come on, give me a break.
Hey, listen to me.
We're not the ones trying to set you up.
Hey, Parker?
Yeah.
Go.
Van is empty.
The bomb has been moved.
Check the room.
What?
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Where's he going?
Where's he going?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
That's a bomb.
Boss, let's go.
Now they go.
How bad?
Well, it's got less than a minute left.
Bomb squad won't make it.
Can we deactivate it?
Well, there's a disarm interface, but, I mean, the code could be anything.
All right, Knight, Torres.
We're looking for an activation code.
Search the truck.
On it.
- Copy.
All right, this is Carla's bomb...
She's the one who set the code, so...
What could the code be?
Social security number?
Her birthday?
Do we know, do we know her birthday?
Try 5-2-7-6-6.
What is that?
Just do it.
5-2-7-6-6.
Ah!
Knight, Torres?
Bomb deactivated.
How did...?
The numbers spell out "Jason."
Carla's son's name.
...where earlier today, authorities successfully thwarted a bomb threat, preventing a potential catastrophe.
Sources tell us the effort was made possible due to crucial intel provided by former Deputy Director Gabriel Laroche.
Unbelievable.
We do all the work, and he takes all the credit.
Hey, you know what, let him have this one.
I've been at war with this guy for too long.
You know, we're, we're on the same team.
That's what matters, right?
Right.
Right.
Hey, how was the call with SecDef?
Well, he wasn't happy that Carla escaped, especially since it was his idea to bring her in the first place.
Well, she'll turn up sooner or later.
We have BOLOs out nationwide.
And if we can't find her, the head of the crime families will.
The word is, there's a big price on her head.
Yeah, one thing I still don't