Programma Televisivo: NCIS - 20x17
(rumbling) (clamoring outside) (speaking Dari) (phone rings) Hello.
Several blocks, still.
(explosion, gunfire) I'd say maybe ten minutes.
Mateen?
Is he safe?
Thank you, Bill.
Inshallah.
(knocking) (father shouts in Dari) (screams) (gunshot) (mother screams) (gunshot) ♪ ♪ Yes, I understand you're upset, but this is not up for discussion.
I...
No, I'm being perfectly reasonable.
And...
Sweetheart, I can tell those are fake tears even though I can't see you.
All right, we're gonna talk about this later tonight.
Just know that I love you and y...
(disconnect tone) (grunts) (exhales) Hi.
(both chuckle) (clears throat) What was that?
That was the never-ending pushback of a preteen.
It's exhausting.
But Victoria's the sweetest kid I know.
Oh, sure, whenever you're around.
As soon as you leave, she morphs into some devil spawn hell-bent on questioning every word that comes out of my mouth.
The wonders of adolescence.
Hmm.
So what are we not discussing?
Yeah, she wants to go out this weekend with her friends to a movie.
With boys.
Her first group date?
That's adorable.
Okay, first off, no.
It's not.
Secondly, we don't use that word "date."
Oh.
I know that look.
What look?
You purse your lips like that whenever I order pineapple on pizza.
Well, if you want to eat soggy pizza, you might as well just dip it in water.
Jess, you're biting your tongue.
Come on, just spill it.
What?
I just don't see what the big deal is about Vic going out on her first group...
hang.
The big deal is, it's unchaperoned.
The bigger deal is Austin.
The city?
No, it's a boy.
I don't know who he is.
Vic talks about him nonstop.
Austin.
You know, you never forget your first crush.
Elliot Spencer had the cutest dimples.
Okay, well, she is not gonna remember Austin because this thing's not happening, not unless I get to tag along.
Oh.
You're doing the pineapple lips again.
I just don't know if you want to be that dad.
How does this make me that dad?
I mean, she is way too young for this, right?
I wonder if it's more about whether Vic is mature enough to handle this?
Oh, certainly she is, but the boys are not.
I used to be one of those boys, okay?
I know what hormones can do.
And...
(whimpers) (clears throat) Maybe just...
sit with it.
You don't want to let a knee-jerk reaction cause a rift between you and your daughter.
(sighs) I'm getting pretty sick of hearing myself say "Over my dead body" about this.
That's good.
(phones chime) That's bad.
Speaking of bodies, we have a body waiting for us in Norfolk.
(door opens) Austin.
My first crush was Emily Tisdale.
Oh, man, I had it bad for her.
How'd you meet?
Middle school.
We were, uh, rivals.
Mathletes.
She could recite pi to a thousand digits.
It was so hot.
What about you, Nick?
Yeah, bet you had your choice of, uh, girls crushing on you.
Actually, pequeño Nico was a, uh, late bloomer.
What?
I always figured you were the boy parents were terrified to have their daughters around.
Well, believe it or not, this handsome face was terrified of those daughters until high school.
So who brought you around?
Oh, my Sofia.
She was my first date.
I was so nervous that I went to the wrong restaurant.
That's what Jimmy doesn't get.
Victoria deserves a future walk down memory lane about...
(whispers): Austin.
Wow, that is a lot of blood.
Yeah, courtesy of what appears to be a kitchen knife.
My guess is, it severed the carotid artery.
And then he lost consciousness.
And his heart kept pumping.
TORRES: Who is he?
He is Marine Private William Huxley.
Neighbor walking the dog noticed the garage door open.
Dog did the rest.
Led him right in here to this body.
Time of death?
Given lividity, I would say he bled out somewhere around 12 hours ago.
Look at all this flour, sugar, oil.
Enough ingredients to feed an entire platoon.
Yeah, I wonder who he was cooking for.
KNIGHT: Not his family.
According to Huxley's service record, he was single, no kids.
Ooh, that reminds me.
I got to pick up chocolate chips for the twins' bake sale cookies.
Hey, McGee.
It's too bad these are evidence.
'Cause you could have...
(whistles) Unfortunately, Delilah insists upon at least 70% dark chocolate 'cause it's healthier.
As a doctor, I can attest to that.
More importantly, way more delish, right?
How about we finish grocery shopping later and...
figure out what happened here?
Looks like the killer jumped him as he unloaded the car?
Guys, is it me, or does, uh, Huxley have a lot of gray hair for a Marine private?
He does look kind of elder for a grunt.
Yeah, you're right.
His license says Huxley was 46.
Corps's oldest-serving private.
There's got to be a story there.
There is, and it's a whopper.
According to his former C.O., Huxley was a gunnery sergeant who used to lead a Marine Force Recon team.
Force Recon?
Wow, those guys are badasses.
They go toe to toe with SEALs.
He must have really screwed up to get busted down to private.
He pulled multiple tours in Afghanistan, then he went missing from his unit after the U.S.
withdrawal and, uh...
was declared a deserter.
Where'd he go?
Back to Afghanistan.
Apparently, Huxley returned to Kabul to sneak out more families and allies who missed the airlift.
He really held on to the Marine code of "leave no man behind."
Even at the risk of his own career.
Sounded like a hero to me.
Yeah, well, clearly someone disagrees.
All right, Doc, what do we got?
Stop.
No food while a body's on the table.
There's a trash can in the hallway there.
Well, the only way that I'm disposing of this, uh, deep-fried, perfectly pistachio-ed treat is in my belly.
Yeah, what kind of pastry is it?
I don't know, but it's the third one I've had today.
It's like baklava, but...
(stammers) I've never tasted anything like this before.
Huh, where'd you get it?
I was interviewing, uh, one of Huxley's neighbors and she offered them, said he baked treats for everyone on the block all the time.
Must be why he had all those baking supplies in his SUV.
The guy on your table was a damn gastronomic genius.
He was serving out the rest of his tour as a Marine food service specialist.
He was demoted to a cook?
A chef.
A chef that we will avenge.
Well, what do we know about our Private Huxley here?
Well, as I suspected, cause of death was penetrating trauma due to the knife wound.
The murder weapon was a paring knife that severed the external carotid artery.
Exsanguination took one, maybe two minutes.
Huxley was Special Ops-trained.
It's hard to imagine anyone would get the drop on him for a close-range kill.
He must have known his attacker.
Allowed 'em to get close enough, catch him off guard.
I heard, uh...
your daughter caught you off guard this morning.
Something about the, uh...
big first date?
We don't use that word "date."
No, and there is none.
At least not yet.
You're thinking about letting her go?
(sighs) Jess says that I should "sit with it" so I don't make any decisions clouded by parental emotions.
You ever think about doing a little, uh, light background check on the kid?
Nothing creepy.
Just, you know, maybe peruse his social media accounts.
That's not creepy?
Checking his likes and dislikes to make sure he's no juvenile delinquent like I was?
No, no, not at all.
Oh, I-I guess kids do put it all out on social media for anyone to see.
What could it hurt?
Yeah.
KASIE: A paring knife is a chef's favorite.
Small but mighty, this bad boy can cut, chop, slice, and dice with ninja precision.
Any prints on it?
No.
And given that the killer left it in our victim's neck, they were likely smart enough to use gloves.
Any way to find out where the knife came from?
Well, it is a standard four-inch stainless-steel blade, so not likely.
Any chef who knows their way around the kitchen has access to one, but...
holster those frowny faces because I found you a bread crumb to nibble on.
That paring knife is covered in asafetida, a popular spice primarily grown in Afghanistan and Iran.
Parker did say that Huxley did multiple tours in Afghanistan.
Asafetida is a delicacy there, known as the "food of the gods."
(groans) Whoa.
What he said.
That pungent aroma may be divisive to some, but once heated, it releases a delicious flavor, similar to, uh, onions or leeks.
So if our murder weapon is covered in asa...
...fetida, it most likely came from a kitchen well-versed in Central Asian cooking.
What if Huxley's killer was a rival chef?
Look at this, just pulled up his doorbell cam footage.
Look what I found.
Get out here, Bill!
I am done playing games.
If you steal one more of my catering clients, I swear I will kill you!
She makes a really good Karen.
PARKER: As it turns out, her name actually is Karen.
Karen Graham.
Hey, names are fate.
Fun fact, as a Parker I always find good parking.
(chuckles) Well, this Karen is the neighborhood busybody.
She lives a few blocks over from Huxley, and while she has no arrest record...
At least not yet.
...well, she does have a long record of calling the police to get others arrested on H.O.A.
violations.
I've seen this type before.
Entitled.
Volatile.
It's just a matter of time before they explode.
No offense...
Yet I am sensing a coming offense.
...but what colorblind moron chose the palette of these offices?
Not a fan of the, uh, strong earth tones?
Walking these hallways seared my retinas.
(laughs) I'm happy to offer up my services to redecorate.
Well, maybe your services can be used to brighten up the drab palettes over at the Virginia Correctional Center.
TORRES: Because that's where you're headed for the murder of William Huxley.
Uh...
Bill's dead?
Yeah, he was killed last night in his garage.
Not long after you showed up there threatening to kill him.
See where we're going with this?
Well, I am sorry...
to hear about Bill.
Really, I am.
But I couldn't have killed him last night.
I was enjoying some...
companionship with my friend Javier.
Hmm.
Hmm.
He's 22.
Good to know.
We will, uh, be sure to follow up with Javier.
So we're done then?
Not even close.
How was a Marine cook stealing catering clients from you?
Karen's Confectionary supplies goodies to every neighborhood gathering.
At least it did until Bill got back from overseas and started a side hustle out of his own kitchen.
Oh, we heard he was a talented baker.
(scoffs) Oh, I would say he was...
adequate.
But he had that sob story pitch about donating his profits to some local Afghan group he worked with.
Afghan, huh?
KAREN: Oh, the neighbors-- they ate up his woeful tale of the displaced refugees fleeing their war-torn homes.
And then they ate up all his goodies instead of mine.
What did Huxley do with this Afghan group?
They had some community center.
Bill said he would cook meals for them that would remind them of home.
Seems like a waste of time to me.
JOANN: Promises Honored is a lifeline for these poor people.
Can you imagine having to start from scratch in a new country?
Yeah, I can.
Oh.
Well, I hope you had a community that welcomed you.
That's the whole point of Promises Honored.
It's to keep the promise we made to our Afghan allies who aided us overseas.
By doing what exactly?
Uh, we help the families find homes, we assist with their job training, and we teach them the skills they need to get by here in America.
Well, it's great that they have the space to come together like this.
So many had to leave family and friends behind.
Spending time here reminds them that...
they're not alone.
Oh, here.
This is our director, Pastor Eddie Watkins.
Hello there.
And you would be...?
Special Agent Torres and Special Agent Knight from NCIS.
They have some questions about Bill.
Oh.
Uh, Bill is our favorite volunteer.
(chuckles) Is he okay?
He was supposed to bake cookies with the kids today and he never showed up.
That's not like him.
Unfortunately, Private Huxley was found murdered earlier today.
What?
I-I'm sorry.
Murdered?
Oh, my God.
EDDIE: Bill-Bill was beloved by us.
He spent every spare minute he had here.
JOANN: His devotion to the Afghan people he worked alongside was endless.
Bill felt he owed a debt to the families he couldn't get out of Afghanistan.
I understand that Bill used to cook a lot for the refugees?
That was Bill's specialty.
(both chuckle) All the Afghans were impressed with his mastery of their cuisine.
We are gonna need to see the kitchen.
Yeah.
You smell that?
How could you not?
Asafetida?
EDDIE: Yes, oh, yes.
It stinks to high heaven, but the flavor's divine.
All his knives are here.
All except the paring knife.
Handle matches the murder weapon.
Who has access to this kitchen?
Um, this is a community kitchen.
Everyone can just walk right in.
Anybody had a problem with Huxley?
No.
Everyone loved Bill.
Everyone?
Mateen.
Who is Mateen?
Mateen Jamaah.
He's a young refugee we work with.
He and Bill had a...
strained relationship.
Why?
The Taliban executed Mateen's parents before Bill and his unit could get them out.
Oh, my God.
I saw Mateen and Bill arguing here yesterday at-at the center.
What about?
Well, I couldn't hear.
But it looked heated.
Mateen left and I went over to Bill.
He said it was nothing.
(sighs) Mateen was supposed to help us sort through clothing donations last night, but he never showed up.
Guess he had other plans.
TORRES: Mateen Jamaah arrived on a flight from Kabul August 20 of 2021.
Promises Honored helped him settle into an apartment, which we searched, but came up empty.
I've been trying to ping his cell, but it's turned off.
What about his work?
He stocked shelves at a grocery store.
Manual labor?
His file says that he was a mechanical engineer who helped our forces defend against IEDs.
Now he's stocking shelves?
KNIGHT: Must have fallen into the credentials gap trap.
A lot of refugees' degrees aren't recognized here in the States.
What was Mateen's connection to Private Huxley?
KNIGHT: Mateen's father worked alongside Huxley for years as an interpreter.
And, according to Mateen, the two men practically became brothers.
TORRES: Huxley helped Mateen flee, but he didn't get Mateen's parents out before the Taliban caught them.
And he never forgave him.
His family's gone.
Career's gone.
You don't think he blames Huxley for everything?
Well, we can ask him ourselves.
Mateen's boss says he just came in to work.
Go.
Take McGee.
Must be tough going from engineer to grocery bagger.
Yeah, I mean, I...
I get why Mateen is bitter, but s-still...
Yeah, and don't take it out on the Marine who helped you out.
Oh, hello.
I am Special Agent Torres.
This is Special Agent McGee from NCIS.
We're looking for Mateen Jamaah.
He'll be back any moment from his break.
Is Mateen in trouble?
No, we just-we just want to talk.
Are, uh, are most of the workers here Afghan refugees?
We were all lucky enough to get out in the final days before Kabul fell.
And Promises Honored connected you all with the jobs here?
Most of us.
Pastor Eddie knows the family that owns the store.
How are you, uh, finding America so far?
(sighs) My family and I have our lives.
We're immensely grateful for that.
Well, it doesn't make starting over any easier.
No.
It does not.
Oh, hey, McGee, you said you need to get those, uh, chocolate chips.
Oh, no, at least 70% dark chocolate.
70% dark.
Uh, I got to go grab those.
You...
Aisle three.
Baking goods.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
I wasn't a refugee.
But I remember looking over my shoulder, afraid that someone was coming to send me back.
Where was home for you?
Panama.
And then Colombia, uh, with my sister and my mom.
My mom worked as a housekeeper for a man that she found out was evil, and she saw some really bad stuff.
I understand.
We left with whatever we had on our back, and we came to United States.
How old were you?
I was 11.
The only English I knew was, uh, from watching, uh, reruns of American, uh, television.
(imitating Fonzie): Ayy!
You...
Okay.
So, no Happy Days in Afghanistan.
(laughs) When did life feel normal again?
Some days, still doesn't.
But this is our home.
Ah, Mateen.
There you are.
Hey, Mateen, uh, Special Agent Torres.
Hey, Mateen!
McGee, we got a runner!
(grunts) You're only making this worse!
(grunts) Whoa, whoa, whoa, where'd he go?
You okay?
I'm fine.
Go get him, go get him.
Mateen's gone.
Nick!
Nick, Nick.
Get him on his back, now.
First aid's on aisle five.
Bring me gauze pads, rubbing alcohol and shears.
Medical tape's out of stock, so get me duct tape, aisle seven.
Your friend might be concussed and is losing blood.
I need to stop it then stabilize him.
You're a doctor.
A surgeon back in Afghanistan.
Okay.
You will be okay, Agent Torres.
(sighs) Any update on Nick?
Uh, yes, McGee is with him at the hospital now and he should be fine, thanks to the fast work of that doctor in the grocery store.
BOLO's out on Mateen Jamaah.
No hits yet.
I've been running facial recognition against every camera feed I could find for blocks.
No sign of him.
Well, we have agents sitting in front of his house in case he comes home.
I had the contents of Mateen's work locker sent here so we could look for clues that might help us find him.
What are all the stains?
KASIE: Mass spec's running it now.
I should know soon.
Okay, great, uh, let me know when you find out.
Does that say...
Austin Marsden?
Jimmy, are you cyberstalking the boy who's crushing on Victoria?
(laughs) No.
No.
I was just perusing, and then I needed Kasie's second opinion on what I...
perused.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, and my opinion is Jimmy's gone mental.
Mm.
Okay, I make no apologies.
Austin Marsden is exhibiting some early serial killer tendencies.
(scoffs) This boy's barely hit puberty.
It's all in the details here.
Uh, take a look at some of these foodie pics that he's posted.
Nothing but rare burgers and steaks.
I mean, that is a scary sign.
A sign that his growing body is in desperate need of protein?
What?
No.
Like, no...
The-These are basically mutilated animals.
This is how Dahmer and Bundy and Gacy all got their first tastes.
You are reaching, Jimmy.
Okay, that may be, but...
uh, just to be safe, I think it's time that Austin and I had a little chat before the kids meet up.
A little chat?
Yeah, here, at NCIS.
I'll give his whole family a tour.
That way, Austin can see what a capable doctor I am.
And also see all the sharp knives I work with.
Ooh.
He has cannonballed into the overprotective deep end.
(chuckling) Neither of you is the father to a daughter.
You can't understand it.
Um...
Just got the results from Mateen's jacket.
The stains are motor oil.
But Mateen doesn't even own a car.
Maybe he works on them?
It's not just oil he's working with.
There were also trace amounts of pentaerythritol tetranitrate, which is a highly explosive organic compound.
Motor oil and explosives.
In the hands of a mechanical engineer who worked with IEDs.
I don't even want to say what I'm thinking.
It sounds like he's trying to build a car bomb.
Jimmy just gonna say it for you.
You sure you don't need a few days, Agent Torres?
I'm good.
Good, 'cause we need all hands on deck if we could be facing an imminent attack.
My phone's been ringing off the hook from agencies across town wondering if a Taliban sympathizer may have slipped through the cracks on our airlift.
We doubt that Mateen is aligned with the Taliban, given what happened to his mother and father.
He could be trying to strike back at a country he feels abandoned him.
A revenge attack because his parents never made it out.
Then why kill Private Huxley?
If Mateen is building a bomb and Private Huxley found out about it, maybe that's why Mateen killed him.
Find Mateen.
Now.
Hey.
Dr.
Rajab.
What are you doing here?
Please, it's Veeda.
And what kind of doctor would I be if I didn't do a follow-up with my patient?
Right.
May I?
Sure.
Whoever stitched you up did an okay job, but...
I could have done better.
Well, maybe you should have escorted me to the emergency room.
(chuckles softly) Veeda is the one who came to Nick's aid.
I'm getting that.
Sorry to intrude, but I heard about Bill Huxley.
He was a good man.
Do you really think Mateen did this?
It's just hard to believe that he could do something so horrible.
He's kind and polite to everyone.
Working two jobs just to make ends meet.
Mateen has a second job?
Back in Kabul, he'd help repair your military vehicles.
So he isn't just a mechanical engineer, he's also a mechanic?
Yes.
Doing the same here.
Paid-- what do Americans say-- under the table.
PARKER: Auto repair shop would have metalworking tools.
And tools that Mateen would need if he was in fact making...
...something.
We need to find Mateen.
Do you know where he was fixing cars?
I don't.
I'm sorry.
And Mateen ditched his phone.
But if he made any previous calls from an auto shop, would have bounced off the nearest tower.
I'll pull his call logs, see which tower is near a repair place.
(drilling) Federal agents!
Drop the drill.
Back away from the bomb.
Put your hands slowly behind your head.
I'm sorry I ran before.
But please just let me explain before they get here.
Who's they?
Gun!
There it is!
What are you doing?!
Shooting at the guys that are shooting at us!
Don't shoot towards the bomb!
Well, if it goes off, it'll kill them.
And us, too.
What the hell's going on?
Who were you building that bomb for?
You must believe me when I say I have no idea.
My only contact with them was through texts.
But you did what they said.
Why?
My fiancée, Asal.
She is in danger.
She is my everything.
The only family I have left.
Is she being held by the men who took the bomb?
No.
Asal and I were separated during the airlift.
She's been stuck at a camp in Turkey.
How do you know she's in danger?
I got a text from an unknown number weeks ago.
Photos of Asal at the camp.
She looked so scared.
Whoever sent the photos said I had to build them a bomb or they would kill her.
How many innocent people will be killed when they use that bomb?
No one will.
The bomb is harmless.
It was filled with explosive materials found on your jacket.
Yes, but I built it with a fail-safe.
The remote detonator mechanism I inserted doesn't work.
It's a dud?
I would never give them something that could actually hurt people.
I fled my homeland because of vile men like that.
What were you and Private Huxley arguing about before he was murdered?
When the explosives showed up at my apartment, I went to Bill for help.
After what happened to my parents, he said he owed me.
Promised to reunite me with Asal.
Private Huxley was trying to find out who was behind this for you?
He told me to stall making the bomb to give him time, but then the deadline was moved up.
I went to him upset, begged him to hurry.
Then I heard he was killed.
I know his blood is on my hands.
But we were trying to save Asal.
Please, you have to help her before they discover the bomb doesn't work.
KNIGHT: Mateen didn't kill Huxley.
His alibi checks out.
He was working an extra shift that night at the grocery store.
He's also telling the truth about those unknown texts.
We traced them to a burner phone.
Yeah.
A burner that sent him these.
This has got to be his fiancée, Asal.
Metadata on the photos confirms that they were taken in Turkey.
So Mateen was forced to build that bomb, but we don't know by who.
Or what they want to use it for.
The people behind this have a long reach to Asal in that camp.
Maybe we can find the connection?
Except they're good at covering their tracks.
I couldn't pull a single print off any of the shell casings collected at the auto shop.
And no hits yet on the getaway van they were driving.
Wait, what if one of the men that attacked you at the auto shop killed Huxley 'cause they were getting too close?
If they did, they had access to Promises Honored.
They took the knife from there.
So we start pulling names.
Every employee, volunteer, visitor.
We find out who killed Huxley and we find the men who took that bomb.
Damn it!
Nick, everything okay?
I'm running out of suspects.
I just cleared another Promises Honored volunteer.
You need to take a break.
Why?
I know this hits close to home.
You know, people come to this country because they're desperate.
Yeah, makes 'em vulnerable, which makes 'em an easy target.
My mom was one of 'em.
Must have pissed you off.
Yeah.
Now I'm pissed off for Mateen.
Just got off the phone with DHS.
It turns out the permanent refugee status of Mateen's fiancée was approved months ago.
Then why hasn't Asal been transferred from that Turkish camp?
Because the aid organization that was supposed to relocate her here has been holding things up.
Promises Honored?
Pastor Eddie's office has yet to approve Asal's assistance package.
Why?
I don't know.
But if our boy Eddie is somehow mixed up in this mess, then we need to find him, quick.
Let's roll.
McGee just pinged Eddie's cell phone.
He's here.
That's his car.
Looks like he's sitting in it.
NCIS!
Show me your hands, Eddie!
(grunts) No weapon.
It's not a suicide.
Another guy in Mateen's circle gets murdered.
Can't be a coincidence.
But doesn't get us any closer to whoever killed them.
No.
But this might.
I wouldn't hold my breath for prints.
Or maybe Kasie gets lucky.
TORRES: Guess I should have held my breath.
You can thank Kasie later.
Partial print that she pulled from that shell is a 90% probable match for this charmer.
Robert Whitlock, 55.
Head of a Maryland-based white nationalist militia known as Last Liberty.
KNIGHT: They're flagged as an extremist organization by the FBI.
Allegedly connected to multiple hate crime-related homicides.
And recent intel says that the militia is seeking out explosives to further their cause.
McGEE: Is it possible that Whitlock teamed up with Pastor Eddie to find someone to make the bomb?
Maybe that's why the pastor held up Asal's transfer.
KNIGHT: Mateen makes the bomb for them and then Whitlock kills the pastor?
Tying up any loose ends.
His manifesto is filled with violent threats to purge America of foreigners and nonbelievers.
Well, setting off a bomb made by a foreigner-- that's one way to start that purge.
Mateen says the bomb's a dud.
Yeah, well, let's not take any chances.
We need to stop these guys now.
WHITLOCK: Gravity!
Use gravity to your advantage!
There you go!
There you go!
That is right!
(grunting) Use your elbow!
Use your elbow!
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
On the ground.
That's it.
Up, up, up, up, up!
We are not weak!
Federal agents!
Put your weapons down and your hands in the air!
Cops, cops, cops!
Pull back!
Pull back!
Fence, fence, fence, fence!
Pull back!
Got eyes on the bomb.
It's in the van.
We can't return fire with that bomb right there.
You're surrounded, Whitlock!
There's no way out!
We're not going down without a fight!
No surrender!
(indistinct chatter) Bomb squad's still clearing the area to make sure there's no other explosives.
What about Whitlock and his men?
Explosion took 'em all out.
Which doesn't make any sense, given that Mateen said the bomb wasn't functional.
We need Kasie to find out why that bomb exploded.
I think I may know someone who can help.
We're offering you the chance to redeem yourself, Mateen.
Private Huxley deserves justice.
I will do anything to make this right.
Kasie, this is Mateen Jamaah.
Ah.
And this is your baby after it went boom.
That's impossible.
Well, half a dozen dead white nationalists would disagree.
I can spend hours sorting through this myself, or you can quickly tell me why your fail-safe failed.
Here it is.
The remote detonator receiver.
It's been repaired.
I cut these wires, but they've been reconnected to the circuit board.
The militia must have figured out the bomb was deactivated and fixed it.
Okay, and then what-- they just accidentally blew themselves up?
Setting off this bomb would still require a remote trigger.
And no trigger was taken into evidence from that camp.
Okay, so if the bomb wasn't set off by the militia, then who did?
PARKER: Who else knew about the existence of that bomb?
We recovered Whitlock's burner phone from the campsite.
We pulled the SIM card and saw that he traded plenty of calls with the Promises Honored Community Center.
Yeah, with his partner in crime, Pastor Eddie.
Well, that's what we thought.
But the phone calls began when Eddie was on an overseas mission trip.
Well, if Whitlock wasn't talking to Eddie, then Eddie wasn't his partner.
Eddie was an innocent scapegoat.
Once we were on the real partner's trail, they got spooked.
Killed Eddie with a bullet that pointed us to Whitlock.
Whitlock and his men were blown to high hell to make all of this go away.
Scorched earth.
Eliminate everyone so there's nobody left to investigate.
The real partner thought we would believe the bomb exploding was just an accident.
And thanks to Mateen, now we know it wasn't.
So who was Whitlock talking to at Promises Honored?
(indistinct conversation) (door closes) (clears throat) NCIS.
(chuckles softly) It is so kind of you to join us for the remembrance celebration for Pastor Eddie and Bill.
We can't stay long, Ms.
Hipple.
Yeah, and neither can you.
(weak chuckle) I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Once we started looking for connections between Promises Honored and the Last Liberty, didn't take long for us to discover that you were Robert Whitlock's girlfriend.
Whitlock sent you to this community to find a fall guy.
And once you found one in Mateen, you forced him to build that bomb.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Case worker at the Turkish camp where Mateen's fiancée is being held confessed to being bribed by you to hold up her transfer.
And when Private Huxley got onto your plan, you murdered him.
It was smart of you to point us toward Mateen as his killer.
(exhales) Too bad...
we're smarter.
It's you...
and everyone here that's destroying this once-great nation.
No, it's me and everyone here-- we help make it great.
(sighs) (handcuffs click) (grunts) JIMMY: Here's the deal, Austin.
You're a boy, soon to become a young man, and with that comes certain responsibilities, especially regarding soon-to-become young women.
(laughs) Ooh.
Okay.
(clears throat) We're done.
That's enough.
How do you feel?
Did you get it all out?
Did you-did you just...
Yeah, well, obviously, I'm not gonna do that with a scalpel in my hand.
Right.
(chuckles) But, yeah, I feel pretty good about it, you know?
Good.
Good.
Yeah.
I think I'm gonna call Austin's parents Nope.
Okay, no.
and set up a tour.
(chuckles) (clears throat) So, listen, uh...
You're right.
I will never be the father of a daughter.
So you're not gonna hear it from me.
But I'm hoping you will hear it from someone who is a father.
(chuckles) Dr.
Palmer, let's have a little chat.
Austin and his family will not be touring NCIS anytime soon.
Director Vance...
I talk, you listen.
From the moment you first cradle your daughter in your arms, it is your lifelong job to protect her.
Exactly.
And that is why I...
Part of that protection is accepting the natural order of things.
They grow up.
You need to trust that you have given her all the tools she needs to start protecting herself.
Yeah.
It's just...
it is scary trusting that I have actually done my job as a parent.
Director, when it comes to Victoria...
Yeah.
It's understandable.
Life has thrown a whole lot at you these last few years.
But you've been through a lot, too.
Several blocks, still.
(explosion, gunfire) I'd say maybe ten minutes.
Mateen?
Is he safe?
Thank you, Bill.
Inshallah.
(knocking) (father shouts in Dari) (screams) (gunshot) (mother screams) (gunshot) ♪ ♪ Yes, I understand you're upset, but this is not up for discussion.
I...
No, I'm being perfectly reasonable.
And...
Sweetheart, I can tell those are fake tears even though I can't see you.
All right, we're gonna talk about this later tonight.
Just know that I love you and y...
(disconnect tone) (grunts) (exhales) Hi.
(both chuckle) (clears throat) What was that?
That was the never-ending pushback of a preteen.
It's exhausting.
But Victoria's the sweetest kid I know.
Oh, sure, whenever you're around.
As soon as you leave, she morphs into some devil spawn hell-bent on questioning every word that comes out of my mouth.
The wonders of adolescence.
Hmm.
So what are we not discussing?
Yeah, she wants to go out this weekend with her friends to a movie.
With boys.
Her first group date?
That's adorable.
Okay, first off, no.
It's not.
Secondly, we don't use that word "date."
Oh.
I know that look.
What look?
You purse your lips like that whenever I order pineapple on pizza.
Well, if you want to eat soggy pizza, you might as well just dip it in water.
Jess, you're biting your tongue.
Come on, just spill it.
What?
I just don't see what the big deal is about Vic going out on her first group...
hang.
The big deal is, it's unchaperoned.
The bigger deal is Austin.
The city?
No, it's a boy.
I don't know who he is.
Vic talks about him nonstop.
Austin.
You know, you never forget your first crush.
Elliot Spencer had the cutest dimples.
Okay, well, she is not gonna remember Austin because this thing's not happening, not unless I get to tag along.
Oh.
You're doing the pineapple lips again.
I just don't know if you want to be that dad.
How does this make me that dad?
I mean, she is way too young for this, right?
I wonder if it's more about whether Vic is mature enough to handle this?
Oh, certainly she is, but the boys are not.
I used to be one of those boys, okay?
I know what hormones can do.
And...
(whimpers) (clears throat) Maybe just...
sit with it.
You don't want to let a knee-jerk reaction cause a rift between you and your daughter.
(sighs) I'm getting pretty sick of hearing myself say "Over my dead body" about this.
That's good.
(phones chime) That's bad.
Speaking of bodies, we have a body waiting for us in Norfolk.
(door opens) Austin.
My first crush was Emily Tisdale.
Oh, man, I had it bad for her.
How'd you meet?
Middle school.
We were, uh, rivals.
Mathletes.
She could recite pi to a thousand digits.
It was so hot.
What about you, Nick?
Yeah, bet you had your choice of, uh, girls crushing on you.
Actually, pequeño Nico was a, uh, late bloomer.
What?
I always figured you were the boy parents were terrified to have their daughters around.
Well, believe it or not, this handsome face was terrified of those daughters until high school.
So who brought you around?
Oh, my Sofia.
She was my first date.
I was so nervous that I went to the wrong restaurant.
That's what Jimmy doesn't get.
Victoria deserves a future walk down memory lane about...
(whispers): Austin.
Wow, that is a lot of blood.
Yeah, courtesy of what appears to be a kitchen knife.
My guess is, it severed the carotid artery.
And then he lost consciousness.
And his heart kept pumping.
TORRES: Who is he?
He is Marine Private William Huxley.
Neighbor walking the dog noticed the garage door open.
Dog did the rest.
Led him right in here to this body.
Time of death?
Given lividity, I would say he bled out somewhere around 12 hours ago.
Look at all this flour, sugar, oil.
Enough ingredients to feed an entire platoon.
Yeah, I wonder who he was cooking for.
KNIGHT: Not his family.
According to Huxley's service record, he was single, no kids.
Ooh, that reminds me.
I got to pick up chocolate chips for the twins' bake sale cookies.
Hey, McGee.
It's too bad these are evidence.
'Cause you could have...
(whistles) Unfortunately, Delilah insists upon at least 70% dark chocolate 'cause it's healthier.
As a doctor, I can attest to that.
More importantly, way more delish, right?
How about we finish grocery shopping later and...
figure out what happened here?
Looks like the killer jumped him as he unloaded the car?
Guys, is it me, or does, uh, Huxley have a lot of gray hair for a Marine private?
He does look kind of elder for a grunt.
Yeah, you're right.
His license says Huxley was 46.
Corps's oldest-serving private.
There's got to be a story there.
There is, and it's a whopper.
According to his former C.O., Huxley was a gunnery sergeant who used to lead a Marine Force Recon team.
Force Recon?
Wow, those guys are badasses.
They go toe to toe with SEALs.
He must have really screwed up to get busted down to private.
He pulled multiple tours in Afghanistan, then he went missing from his unit after the U.S.
withdrawal and, uh...
was declared a deserter.
Where'd he go?
Back to Afghanistan.
Apparently, Huxley returned to Kabul to sneak out more families and allies who missed the airlift.
He really held on to the Marine code of "leave no man behind."
Even at the risk of his own career.
Sounded like a hero to me.
Yeah, well, clearly someone disagrees.
All right, Doc, what do we got?
Stop.
No food while a body's on the table.
There's a trash can in the hallway there.
Well, the only way that I'm disposing of this, uh, deep-fried, perfectly pistachio-ed treat is in my belly.
Yeah, what kind of pastry is it?
I don't know, but it's the third one I've had today.
It's like baklava, but...
(stammers) I've never tasted anything like this before.
Huh, where'd you get it?
I was interviewing, uh, one of Huxley's neighbors and she offered them, said he baked treats for everyone on the block all the time.
Must be why he had all those baking supplies in his SUV.
The guy on your table was a damn gastronomic genius.
He was serving out the rest of his tour as a Marine food service specialist.
He was demoted to a cook?
A chef.
A chef that we will avenge.
Well, what do we know about our Private Huxley here?
Well, as I suspected, cause of death was penetrating trauma due to the knife wound.
The murder weapon was a paring knife that severed the external carotid artery.
Exsanguination took one, maybe two minutes.
Huxley was Special Ops-trained.
It's hard to imagine anyone would get the drop on him for a close-range kill.
He must have known his attacker.
Allowed 'em to get close enough, catch him off guard.
I heard, uh...
your daughter caught you off guard this morning.
Something about the, uh...
big first date?
We don't use that word "date."
No, and there is none.
At least not yet.
You're thinking about letting her go?
(sighs) Jess says that I should "sit with it" so I don't make any decisions clouded by parental emotions.
You ever think about doing a little, uh, light background check on the kid?
Nothing creepy.
Just, you know, maybe peruse his social media accounts.
That's not creepy?
Checking his likes and dislikes to make sure he's no juvenile delinquent like I was?
No, no, not at all.
Oh, I-I guess kids do put it all out on social media for anyone to see.
What could it hurt?
Yeah.
KASIE: A paring knife is a chef's favorite.
Small but mighty, this bad boy can cut, chop, slice, and dice with ninja precision.
Any prints on it?
No.
And given that the killer left it in our victim's neck, they were likely smart enough to use gloves.
Any way to find out where the knife came from?
Well, it is a standard four-inch stainless-steel blade, so not likely.
Any chef who knows their way around the kitchen has access to one, but...
holster those frowny faces because I found you a bread crumb to nibble on.
That paring knife is covered in asafetida, a popular spice primarily grown in Afghanistan and Iran.
Parker did say that Huxley did multiple tours in Afghanistan.
Asafetida is a delicacy there, known as the "food of the gods."
(groans) Whoa.
What he said.
That pungent aroma may be divisive to some, but once heated, it releases a delicious flavor, similar to, uh, onions or leeks.
So if our murder weapon is covered in asa...
...fetida, it most likely came from a kitchen well-versed in Central Asian cooking.
What if Huxley's killer was a rival chef?
Look at this, just pulled up his doorbell cam footage.
Look what I found.
Get out here, Bill!
I am done playing games.
If you steal one more of my catering clients, I swear I will kill you!
She makes a really good Karen.
PARKER: As it turns out, her name actually is Karen.
Karen Graham.
Hey, names are fate.
Fun fact, as a Parker I always find good parking.
(chuckles) Well, this Karen is the neighborhood busybody.
She lives a few blocks over from Huxley, and while she has no arrest record...
At least not yet.
...well, she does have a long record of calling the police to get others arrested on H.O.A.
violations.
I've seen this type before.
Entitled.
Volatile.
It's just a matter of time before they explode.
No offense...
Yet I am sensing a coming offense.
...but what colorblind moron chose the palette of these offices?
Not a fan of the, uh, strong earth tones?
Walking these hallways seared my retinas.
(laughs) I'm happy to offer up my services to redecorate.
Well, maybe your services can be used to brighten up the drab palettes over at the Virginia Correctional Center.
TORRES: Because that's where you're headed for the murder of William Huxley.
Uh...
Bill's dead?
Yeah, he was killed last night in his garage.
Not long after you showed up there threatening to kill him.
See where we're going with this?
Well, I am sorry...
to hear about Bill.
Really, I am.
But I couldn't have killed him last night.
I was enjoying some...
companionship with my friend Javier.
Hmm.
Hmm.
He's 22.
Good to know.
We will, uh, be sure to follow up with Javier.
So we're done then?
Not even close.
How was a Marine cook stealing catering clients from you?
Karen's Confectionary supplies goodies to every neighborhood gathering.
At least it did until Bill got back from overseas and started a side hustle out of his own kitchen.
Oh, we heard he was a talented baker.
(scoffs) Oh, I would say he was...
adequate.
But he had that sob story pitch about donating his profits to some local Afghan group he worked with.
Afghan, huh?
KAREN: Oh, the neighbors-- they ate up his woeful tale of the displaced refugees fleeing their war-torn homes.
And then they ate up all his goodies instead of mine.
What did Huxley do with this Afghan group?
They had some community center.
Bill said he would cook meals for them that would remind them of home.
Seems like a waste of time to me.
JOANN: Promises Honored is a lifeline for these poor people.
Can you imagine having to start from scratch in a new country?
Yeah, I can.
Oh.
Well, I hope you had a community that welcomed you.
That's the whole point of Promises Honored.
It's to keep the promise we made to our Afghan allies who aided us overseas.
By doing what exactly?
Uh, we help the families find homes, we assist with their job training, and we teach them the skills they need to get by here in America.
Well, it's great that they have the space to come together like this.
So many had to leave family and friends behind.
Spending time here reminds them that...
they're not alone.
Oh, here.
This is our director, Pastor Eddie Watkins.
Hello there.
And you would be...?
Special Agent Torres and Special Agent Knight from NCIS.
They have some questions about Bill.
Oh.
Uh, Bill is our favorite volunteer.
(chuckles) Is he okay?
He was supposed to bake cookies with the kids today and he never showed up.
That's not like him.
Unfortunately, Private Huxley was found murdered earlier today.
What?
I-I'm sorry.
Murdered?
Oh, my God.
EDDIE: Bill-Bill was beloved by us.
He spent every spare minute he had here.
JOANN: His devotion to the Afghan people he worked alongside was endless.
Bill felt he owed a debt to the families he couldn't get out of Afghanistan.
I understand that Bill used to cook a lot for the refugees?
That was Bill's specialty.
(both chuckle) All the Afghans were impressed with his mastery of their cuisine.
We are gonna need to see the kitchen.
Yeah.
You smell that?
How could you not?
Asafetida?
EDDIE: Yes, oh, yes.
It stinks to high heaven, but the flavor's divine.
All his knives are here.
All except the paring knife.
Handle matches the murder weapon.
Who has access to this kitchen?
Um, this is a community kitchen.
Everyone can just walk right in.
Anybody had a problem with Huxley?
No.
Everyone loved Bill.
Everyone?
Mateen.
Who is Mateen?
Mateen Jamaah.
He's a young refugee we work with.
He and Bill had a...
strained relationship.
Why?
The Taliban executed Mateen's parents before Bill and his unit could get them out.
Oh, my God.
I saw Mateen and Bill arguing here yesterday at-at the center.
What about?
Well, I couldn't hear.
But it looked heated.
Mateen left and I went over to Bill.
He said it was nothing.
(sighs) Mateen was supposed to help us sort through clothing donations last night, but he never showed up.
Guess he had other plans.
TORRES: Mateen Jamaah arrived on a flight from Kabul August 20 of 2021.
Promises Honored helped him settle into an apartment, which we searched, but came up empty.
I've been trying to ping his cell, but it's turned off.
What about his work?
He stocked shelves at a grocery store.
Manual labor?
His file says that he was a mechanical engineer who helped our forces defend against IEDs.
Now he's stocking shelves?
KNIGHT: Must have fallen into the credentials gap trap.
A lot of refugees' degrees aren't recognized here in the States.
What was Mateen's connection to Private Huxley?
KNIGHT: Mateen's father worked alongside Huxley for years as an interpreter.
And, according to Mateen, the two men practically became brothers.
TORRES: Huxley helped Mateen flee, but he didn't get Mateen's parents out before the Taliban caught them.
And he never forgave him.
His family's gone.
Career's gone.
You don't think he blames Huxley for everything?
Well, we can ask him ourselves.
Mateen's boss says he just came in to work.
Go.
Take McGee.
Must be tough going from engineer to grocery bagger.
Yeah, I mean, I...
I get why Mateen is bitter, but s-still...
Yeah, and don't take it out on the Marine who helped you out.
Oh, hello.
I am Special Agent Torres.
This is Special Agent McGee from NCIS.
We're looking for Mateen Jamaah.
He'll be back any moment from his break.
Is Mateen in trouble?
No, we just-we just want to talk.
Are, uh, are most of the workers here Afghan refugees?
We were all lucky enough to get out in the final days before Kabul fell.
And Promises Honored connected you all with the jobs here?
Most of us.
Pastor Eddie knows the family that owns the store.
How are you, uh, finding America so far?
(sighs) My family and I have our lives.
We're immensely grateful for that.
Well, it doesn't make starting over any easier.
No.
It does not.
Oh, hey, McGee, you said you need to get those, uh, chocolate chips.
Oh, no, at least 70% dark chocolate.
70% dark.
Uh, I got to go grab those.
You...
Aisle three.
Baking goods.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
I wasn't a refugee.
But I remember looking over my shoulder, afraid that someone was coming to send me back.
Where was home for you?
Panama.
And then Colombia, uh, with my sister and my mom.
My mom worked as a housekeeper for a man that she found out was evil, and she saw some really bad stuff.
I understand.
We left with whatever we had on our back, and we came to United States.
How old were you?
I was 11.
The only English I knew was, uh, from watching, uh, reruns of American, uh, television.
(imitating Fonzie): Ayy!
You...
Okay.
So, no Happy Days in Afghanistan.
(laughs) When did life feel normal again?
Some days, still doesn't.
But this is our home.
Ah, Mateen.
There you are.
Hey, Mateen, uh, Special Agent Torres.
Hey, Mateen!
McGee, we got a runner!
(grunts) You're only making this worse!
(grunts) Whoa, whoa, whoa, where'd he go?
You okay?
I'm fine.
Go get him, go get him.
Mateen's gone.
Nick!
Nick, Nick.
Get him on his back, now.
First aid's on aisle five.
Bring me gauze pads, rubbing alcohol and shears.
Medical tape's out of stock, so get me duct tape, aisle seven.
Your friend might be concussed and is losing blood.
I need to stop it then stabilize him.
You're a doctor.
A surgeon back in Afghanistan.
Okay.
You will be okay, Agent Torres.
(sighs) Any update on Nick?
Uh, yes, McGee is with him at the hospital now and he should be fine, thanks to the fast work of that doctor in the grocery store.
BOLO's out on Mateen Jamaah.
No hits yet.
I've been running facial recognition against every camera feed I could find for blocks.
No sign of him.
Well, we have agents sitting in front of his house in case he comes home.
I had the contents of Mateen's work locker sent here so we could look for clues that might help us find him.
What are all the stains?
KASIE: Mass spec's running it now.
I should know soon.
Okay, great, uh, let me know when you find out.
Does that say...
Austin Marsden?
Jimmy, are you cyberstalking the boy who's crushing on Victoria?
(laughs) No.
No.
I was just perusing, and then I needed Kasie's second opinion on what I...
perused.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, and my opinion is Jimmy's gone mental.
Mm.
Okay, I make no apologies.
Austin Marsden is exhibiting some early serial killer tendencies.
(scoffs) This boy's barely hit puberty.
It's all in the details here.
Uh, take a look at some of these foodie pics that he's posted.
Nothing but rare burgers and steaks.
I mean, that is a scary sign.
A sign that his growing body is in desperate need of protein?
What?
No.
Like, no...
The-These are basically mutilated animals.
This is how Dahmer and Bundy and Gacy all got their first tastes.
You are reaching, Jimmy.
Okay, that may be, but...
uh, just to be safe, I think it's time that Austin and I had a little chat before the kids meet up.
A little chat?
Yeah, here, at NCIS.
I'll give his whole family a tour.
That way, Austin can see what a capable doctor I am.
And also see all the sharp knives I work with.
Ooh.
He has cannonballed into the overprotective deep end.
(chuckling) Neither of you is the father to a daughter.
You can't understand it.
Um...
Just got the results from Mateen's jacket.
The stains are motor oil.
But Mateen doesn't even own a car.
Maybe he works on them?
It's not just oil he's working with.
There were also trace amounts of pentaerythritol tetranitrate, which is a highly explosive organic compound.
Motor oil and explosives.
In the hands of a mechanical engineer who worked with IEDs.
I don't even want to say what I'm thinking.
It sounds like he's trying to build a car bomb.
Jimmy just gonna say it for you.
You sure you don't need a few days, Agent Torres?
I'm good.
Good, 'cause we need all hands on deck if we could be facing an imminent attack.
My phone's been ringing off the hook from agencies across town wondering if a Taliban sympathizer may have slipped through the cracks on our airlift.
We doubt that Mateen is aligned with the Taliban, given what happened to his mother and father.
He could be trying to strike back at a country he feels abandoned him.
A revenge attack because his parents never made it out.
Then why kill Private Huxley?
If Mateen is building a bomb and Private Huxley found out about it, maybe that's why Mateen killed him.
Find Mateen.
Now.
Hey.
Dr.
Rajab.
What are you doing here?
Please, it's Veeda.
And what kind of doctor would I be if I didn't do a follow-up with my patient?
Right.
May I?
Sure.
Whoever stitched you up did an okay job, but...
I could have done better.
Well, maybe you should have escorted me to the emergency room.
(chuckles softly) Veeda is the one who came to Nick's aid.
I'm getting that.
Sorry to intrude, but I heard about Bill Huxley.
He was a good man.
Do you really think Mateen did this?
It's just hard to believe that he could do something so horrible.
He's kind and polite to everyone.
Working two jobs just to make ends meet.
Mateen has a second job?
Back in Kabul, he'd help repair your military vehicles.
So he isn't just a mechanical engineer, he's also a mechanic?
Yes.
Doing the same here.
Paid-- what do Americans say-- under the table.
PARKER: Auto repair shop would have metalworking tools.
And tools that Mateen would need if he was in fact making...
...something.
We need to find Mateen.
Do you know where he was fixing cars?
I don't.
I'm sorry.
And Mateen ditched his phone.
But if he made any previous calls from an auto shop, would have bounced off the nearest tower.
I'll pull his call logs, see which tower is near a repair place.
(drilling) Federal agents!
Drop the drill.
Back away from the bomb.
Put your hands slowly behind your head.
I'm sorry I ran before.
But please just let me explain before they get here.
Who's they?
Gun!
There it is!
What are you doing?!
Shooting at the guys that are shooting at us!
Don't shoot towards the bomb!
Well, if it goes off, it'll kill them.
And us, too.
What the hell's going on?
Who were you building that bomb for?
You must believe me when I say I have no idea.
My only contact with them was through texts.
But you did what they said.
Why?
My fiancée, Asal.
She is in danger.
She is my everything.
The only family I have left.
Is she being held by the men who took the bomb?
No.
Asal and I were separated during the airlift.
She's been stuck at a camp in Turkey.
How do you know she's in danger?
I got a text from an unknown number weeks ago.
Photos of Asal at the camp.
She looked so scared.
Whoever sent the photos said I had to build them a bomb or they would kill her.
How many innocent people will be killed when they use that bomb?
No one will.
The bomb is harmless.
It was filled with explosive materials found on your jacket.
Yes, but I built it with a fail-safe.
The remote detonator mechanism I inserted doesn't work.
It's a dud?
I would never give them something that could actually hurt people.
I fled my homeland because of vile men like that.
What were you and Private Huxley arguing about before he was murdered?
When the explosives showed up at my apartment, I went to Bill for help.
After what happened to my parents, he said he owed me.
Promised to reunite me with Asal.
Private Huxley was trying to find out who was behind this for you?
He told me to stall making the bomb to give him time, but then the deadline was moved up.
I went to him upset, begged him to hurry.
Then I heard he was killed.
I know his blood is on my hands.
But we were trying to save Asal.
Please, you have to help her before they discover the bomb doesn't work.
KNIGHT: Mateen didn't kill Huxley.
His alibi checks out.
He was working an extra shift that night at the grocery store.
He's also telling the truth about those unknown texts.
We traced them to a burner phone.
Yeah.
A burner that sent him these.
This has got to be his fiancée, Asal.
Metadata on the photos confirms that they were taken in Turkey.
So Mateen was forced to build that bomb, but we don't know by who.
Or what they want to use it for.
The people behind this have a long reach to Asal in that camp.
Maybe we can find the connection?
Except they're good at covering their tracks.
I couldn't pull a single print off any of the shell casings collected at the auto shop.
And no hits yet on the getaway van they were driving.
Wait, what if one of the men that attacked you at the auto shop killed Huxley 'cause they were getting too close?
If they did, they had access to Promises Honored.
They took the knife from there.
So we start pulling names.
Every employee, volunteer, visitor.
We find out who killed Huxley and we find the men who took that bomb.
Damn it!
Nick, everything okay?
I'm running out of suspects.
I just cleared another Promises Honored volunteer.
You need to take a break.
Why?
I know this hits close to home.
You know, people come to this country because they're desperate.
Yeah, makes 'em vulnerable, which makes 'em an easy target.
My mom was one of 'em.
Must have pissed you off.
Yeah.
Now I'm pissed off for Mateen.
Just got off the phone with DHS.
It turns out the permanent refugee status of Mateen's fiancée was approved months ago.
Then why hasn't Asal been transferred from that Turkish camp?
Because the aid organization that was supposed to relocate her here has been holding things up.
Promises Honored?
Pastor Eddie's office has yet to approve Asal's assistance package.
Why?
I don't know.
But if our boy Eddie is somehow mixed up in this mess, then we need to find him, quick.
Let's roll.
McGee just pinged Eddie's cell phone.
He's here.
That's his car.
Looks like he's sitting in it.
NCIS!
Show me your hands, Eddie!
(grunts) No weapon.
It's not a suicide.
Another guy in Mateen's circle gets murdered.
Can't be a coincidence.
But doesn't get us any closer to whoever killed them.
No.
But this might.
I wouldn't hold my breath for prints.
Or maybe Kasie gets lucky.
TORRES: Guess I should have held my breath.
You can thank Kasie later.
Partial print that she pulled from that shell is a 90% probable match for this charmer.
Robert Whitlock, 55.
Head of a Maryland-based white nationalist militia known as Last Liberty.
KNIGHT: They're flagged as an extremist organization by the FBI.
Allegedly connected to multiple hate crime-related homicides.
And recent intel says that the militia is seeking out explosives to further their cause.
McGEE: Is it possible that Whitlock teamed up with Pastor Eddie to find someone to make the bomb?
Maybe that's why the pastor held up Asal's transfer.
KNIGHT: Mateen makes the bomb for them and then Whitlock kills the pastor?
Tying up any loose ends.
His manifesto is filled with violent threats to purge America of foreigners and nonbelievers.
Well, setting off a bomb made by a foreigner-- that's one way to start that purge.
Mateen says the bomb's a dud.
Yeah, well, let's not take any chances.
We need to stop these guys now.
WHITLOCK: Gravity!
Use gravity to your advantage!
There you go!
There you go!
That is right!
(grunting) Use your elbow!
Use your elbow!
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
On the ground.
That's it.
Up, up, up, up, up!
We are not weak!
Federal agents!
Put your weapons down and your hands in the air!
Cops, cops, cops!
Pull back!
Pull back!
Fence, fence, fence, fence!
Pull back!
Got eyes on the bomb.
It's in the van.
We can't return fire with that bomb right there.
You're surrounded, Whitlock!
There's no way out!
We're not going down without a fight!
No surrender!
(indistinct chatter) Bomb squad's still clearing the area to make sure there's no other explosives.
What about Whitlock and his men?
Explosion took 'em all out.
Which doesn't make any sense, given that Mateen said the bomb wasn't functional.
We need Kasie to find out why that bomb exploded.
I think I may know someone who can help.
We're offering you the chance to redeem yourself, Mateen.
Private Huxley deserves justice.
I will do anything to make this right.
Kasie, this is Mateen Jamaah.
Ah.
And this is your baby after it went boom.
That's impossible.
Well, half a dozen dead white nationalists would disagree.
I can spend hours sorting through this myself, or you can quickly tell me why your fail-safe failed.
Here it is.
The remote detonator receiver.
It's been repaired.
I cut these wires, but they've been reconnected to the circuit board.
The militia must have figured out the bomb was deactivated and fixed it.
Okay, and then what-- they just accidentally blew themselves up?
Setting off this bomb would still require a remote trigger.
And no trigger was taken into evidence from that camp.
Okay, so if the bomb wasn't set off by the militia, then who did?
PARKER: Who else knew about the existence of that bomb?
We recovered Whitlock's burner phone from the campsite.
We pulled the SIM card and saw that he traded plenty of calls with the Promises Honored Community Center.
Yeah, with his partner in crime, Pastor Eddie.
Well, that's what we thought.
But the phone calls began when Eddie was on an overseas mission trip.
Well, if Whitlock wasn't talking to Eddie, then Eddie wasn't his partner.
Eddie was an innocent scapegoat.
Once we were on the real partner's trail, they got spooked.
Killed Eddie with a bullet that pointed us to Whitlock.
Whitlock and his men were blown to high hell to make all of this go away.
Scorched earth.
Eliminate everyone so there's nobody left to investigate.
The real partner thought we would believe the bomb exploding was just an accident.
And thanks to Mateen, now we know it wasn't.
So who was Whitlock talking to at Promises Honored?
(indistinct conversation) (door closes) (clears throat) NCIS.
(chuckles softly) It is so kind of you to join us for the remembrance celebration for Pastor Eddie and Bill.
We can't stay long, Ms.
Hipple.
Yeah, and neither can you.
(weak chuckle) I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Once we started looking for connections between Promises Honored and the Last Liberty, didn't take long for us to discover that you were Robert Whitlock's girlfriend.
Whitlock sent you to this community to find a fall guy.
And once you found one in Mateen, you forced him to build that bomb.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Case worker at the Turkish camp where Mateen's fiancée is being held confessed to being bribed by you to hold up her transfer.
And when Private Huxley got onto your plan, you murdered him.
It was smart of you to point us toward Mateen as his killer.
(exhales) Too bad...
we're smarter.
It's you...
and everyone here that's destroying this once-great nation.
No, it's me and everyone here-- we help make it great.
(sighs) (handcuffs click) (grunts) JIMMY: Here's the deal, Austin.
You're a boy, soon to become a young man, and with that comes certain responsibilities, especially regarding soon-to-become young women.
(laughs) Ooh.
Okay.
(clears throat) We're done.
That's enough.
How do you feel?
Did you get it all out?
Did you-did you just...
Yeah, well, obviously, I'm not gonna do that with a scalpel in my hand.
Right.
(chuckles) But, yeah, I feel pretty good about it, you know?
Good.
Good.
Yeah.
I think I'm gonna call Austin's parents Nope.
Okay, no.
and set up a tour.
(chuckles) (clears throat) So, listen, uh...
You're right.
I will never be the father of a daughter.
So you're not gonna hear it from me.
But I'm hoping you will hear it from someone who is a father.
(chuckles) Dr.
Palmer, let's have a little chat.
Austin and his family will not be touring NCIS anytime soon.
Director Vance...
I talk, you listen.
From the moment you first cradle your daughter in your arms, it is your lifelong job to protect her.
Exactly.
And that is why I...
Part of that protection is accepting the natural order of things.
They grow up.
You need to trust that you have given her all the tools she needs to start protecting herself.
Yeah.
It's just...
it is scary trusting that I have actually done my job as a parent.
Director, when it comes to Victoria...
Yeah.
It's understandable.
Life has thrown a whole lot at you these last few years.
But you've been through a lot, too.