- Me? - Mm-hmm.
Chief REACT training officer?
I believe you applied for the position a couple years ago.
Pendleton-- that-that's on a whole other coast.
It I took the job, it's not like a long-distance relationship
is the worst thing that could happen.
No, no, Jess, I lost Breena, I lost Dr. Mallard,
so if I'm gonna lose you, too, it's gonna be on my terms.
You aren't losing me, Jimmy.
Maybe you're losing me.
So, is it a yes or a no?
Hell yeah, sir.
Agent Parker?
Uh, please, call me Alden.
Celia Ross, Shorehelp Legal Aid Services.
Thanks for coming on short notice.
Everyone has the right to an attorney.
So, who's my new client?
Someone who asked for you by name.
Really?
Okay, what are the charges?
Obstruction of justice,
unlawful restraint and false imprisonment.
[chuckles] That's funny. Is that all?
So far. But that's not the bad news.
Wait, what i... what is this?
Well, it's what some people might call
an active hostage situation.
- Pardon me? - Your client
is armed and holding a man against his will.
They're locked inside the REACT team clubhouse
and are refusing to come out until they talk to a lawyer.
[briefcase clasp clicks]
Oh. Okay... Oh.
I'm-I'm confused.
Well, so are we. Things happened fast.
I-I mean, I...
I specialize in family law, Agent Parker.
Custody cases, divorce cases, nonviolent cases.
Hostage situations, if you know, are not that.
Truth be told, you weren't our first call.
Good, a hostage negotiator should be your first call.
That's the bad news.
Let me go, please.
You don't have to do this.
KNIGHT: Actually, I do.
[muffled grunt]
Forgive me, Father.
♪ ♪
Jess. Your lawyer is here.
KNIGHT: Send her in.
Just her.
You sure about this?
KNIGHT: No.
[door locks][sighs]
Agent Knight.
Counselor Ross.
Great to see you again.
Can I get you anything?
Some water or, uh, tea?
Uh... bourbon?
Is this a joke?
It's a habit.
I'm usually the one
who's trying to defuse these situations.
I'm a hostage negotiator.
I'm not.
Great. Then we're both trying something new.
Is that a priest?
That is... complicated.
So, wait, this is for real?
You've actually taken a hostage?
Well, that's up to you.
I don't follow.
I can tell you what happened. How we got here.
And then you can tell me
if it's legal or if I am going to prison.
You're the federal agent. You should know the answer.
And you're a lawyer, so you should know
that things aren't always black and white.
Well, I'm a pro bono divorce attorney, Agent Knight.
I can't help you.
Well, divorces and hostage situations
have a lot in common.
Fair point, but... There's emotional
tension, a desire for control
and, above all, a need for
clear communication.
And I am telling you right now that
that is not what it looks like.
REVEREND: Help me. Please.
[speaking indistinctly]
Please.
No, no...
Okay, that's a little what it looks like.
But I'm telling you right now that there is
a perfectly good and legal reason.
And I just need you to help me prove it.
Fine.
But you have to tell me everything.
And the minute you are not completely honest, I walk.
Deal.
Okay, in that case,
you need to start at the beginning.
Well, that would be two days ago.
Agent Parker got a call in D.C.
[phone ringing]
Major Case bullpen.
Uh, sorry, she no longer works here.
Six months.
Yeah, you too.
Uh, just add it to his pile, Hank.
[phone rings]
[sighs]
Special Agent McGee's desk.
Well, he's not here, so I can take a message.
Yeah. Okay, tell 'em I'm on my way.
Hey, hey. McGee.
Can't talk. I'm late for my interview on the Hill.
Ah. Nice to see you, too.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
KASIE: Whoa, this is serious.
That was a French macaron
and Parker didn't even smell it.
I'm telling you, it's empty nest syndrome.
First Jess leaves for California,
then Torres volunteers to go deep undercover.
And now McGee's applying for the deputy director position.
Yeah, poor Parker.
- That man is all alone. - Mm, mm, mm.
I wish I was.
You can hear us?
You're projecting.
Well, I was a tenor in college.
I'm talking about your feelings, Jimmy.
Just because you're lonely
doesn't mean I am.
Wait, what? What are you talking about?
Come on. This has nothing to do with McGee's job application
or Torres being undercover.
You miss Jess.
I do not.[chortles]
Okay, I do, but in a platonic way.
I mean, look, we've been broken up for 176 days
and I'm doing fine.
That's not the point.
What is the point?
The point is that we miss our friends
and want them back where they belong.
Which is why Kasie and I have come up with a plan.
It involves some favors, a little light treason,
but I think you're gonna like it.
We don't need a plan.
Because you already have one?
Because Torres, Knight and McGee are professional agents
and I trust them to make their own choices.
Hm.[scoffs]
Then why haven't you hired a replacement?
[phone rings]
Hold that thought.
What is it?
Hey! Listen up, everybody.
This is the "Hello Line."
Hello?
TORRES: Oh, hey, Pop. It's Nick.
You all right?
Not much, just going out tonight.
I was hoping that you could stop by my place
and feed Rocco.
Can you say your location?
Thanks, Pop. I love you, too.
[hangs up]
What's going on? Who's Rocco?
It's code for an emergency.
Nick's in trouble.
Okay, so far, we have an emergency phone call
from an undercover agent
and a priest locked in the back room.
"Priest" suggests someone with a higher calling.
That guy's a free agent.
Like you.
Excuse me?
Oh, y-you mentioned
a-a recent breakup.
I take detailed notes.
Well, that was six months ago.
What about it?
You tell me.
We've only been talking for a few minutes
and the concept of separation
has already come up three times.
I don't think so.
You broke up with Dr. Palmer.
You left your former team.
And you've likened hostage negotiations to divorces.
Are you working through some issues?
I'm just adding context to my story.
Well, I'm adding "mental anguish"
to your defense.
Oh.
Oh, you're good.
[phone vibrates]
I asked for full disclosure.
That's nothing important. I promise.
You ordered food?
Not just food.
It's Sportelli's.
That's all the way in Del Mar.
It's my favorite.
And I don't usually get to make demands in these situations.
Let's get back to why we're here.
Right.
My former teammate is missing.
The cell tower data
puts the call from Nick somewhere out here.
"Out here" is right.
He was undercover with a local fentanyl dealer.
Why come to the boonies?
I don't know. Privacy?
That's what I'm afraid of. Apparently Nick was, too.
I should have been there when he called.
This whole job interview process is really becoming a burden.
Deputy director. Big jump.
But more interviews are a good thing, right?
Well, hard to say.
I'm not the only applicant.
No? Who's your competition?
Well, no idea, but they were personally recommended
by secretary of defense.
- That's rough. - Yeah.
But, you know, I'm sure you got this.
Appreciate that.
It's just when Knight left,
it kind of made me want to do more.
Challenge myself, you know?
Field work still has its challenges.
Don't forget the perks.
Being on the front line, making a difference,
- saving lives. - Maybe not.
Body.
Who is it?
Not Nick.
Whoever he is, never saw it coming.
Had a bullet to the back of the head.
Execution.
What do we got?
I'm not sure.
VANCE: "T" for Torres.
Are we absolutely sure about this?
Kasie verified it's his handwriting.
Such as it is.
And the symbol?
PARKER: Written in the same ink with his same
handwriting slant. It's a message.
Delivered via dead body.
McGEE: The symbol is associated
with the Nexus drug cartel.
We think Nick is telling us who killed our mystery victim.
The Nexus cartel operates near the California/Mexico border.
What are they doing in D.C.?
Franchising.
They launder money for smaller drug operations
in exchange for a cut.
And Torres was undercover with one of those smaller operations.
Rumor has it
all dirty money is run
through a central kingpin in California.
Does this kingpin have a name?
He's only known as El Padre.
Okay, so how does that help us find Agent Torres?
And we also found tire tracks
in this field
belonging to a private aircraft.
You think Torres got on a plane with the Nexus cartel?
Likely headed to California.
I'll notify the southwest field office in San Diego.
I was planning to hop a plane there myself.
- And I'll run point here. - VANCE: That sounds premature.
Do we have actual proof of this SoCal connection?
I do.
The mystery body was in our system.
Meet Hector Molina.
VANCE: A known enforcer for the Nexus cartel.
Working out of Oceanside, California.
He's also the ex-husband of an NCIS agent.
VANCE: Special Agent Jodie Moreno.
Currently
a REACT trainee at Camp Pendleton.
Sounds like a connection to me.
Pack your bag.
[buzzer blares]
KNIGHT: Tighten up.
Move as one. Next pair.
Wait for the tone, then wait for your partner.
[buzzer blares] This drill
is about building trust.
Knowing where your partner is
at all times.
Moreno.
Why aren't you in line?
Sorry, ma'am. Family drama.
Everything okay?
Yeah. My...
my ex missed a custody hearing
and my lawyer's trying to reschedule.
She's on her way up to meet, if that's okay.
Yeah, take as much time as you need.
And, uh,
take a protein pastry. Family drama can be draining.
Uh, mind if I take one for my lawyer?
Sure.[door opens]
That's her now.
[grunts]
Oh, my God.
[groans] I'm sorry.
Are you okay?
Y... Yeah. Yeah, I thi-I think so.
Training time out.
[gasps, inhales sharply] Or not.
I think it's broken.
I'll get a medic.
[groans] Okay.
Parker?
Is this a bad time?
Not my finest hour.
Your tolerance for pain is very high.
So, is that why you asked me here?
Agent Moreno trusts you and I trust agent Moreno,
so I thought it was worth a shot.
Just still feel like you're holding back.
On what?
Well, nothing you've said explains
why there is a priest chained to a chair.
I told you that the head of the Nexus cartel
is El Padre.
Wait, El Padre...
...is an actual padre?
And he is the only one who can save Agent Torres' life.
You think that man is an international drug lord?
Wolf in shepherd's clothing.
Well, if he's guilty, why don't you arrest him?
You don't have proof.
I'm working on it.
While breaking the law.
You can't hold a suspect without cause.
I have cause.
Agent Torres is being held prisoner
and that man knows where.
If I let him go,
we'll never see him or my teammate again.
It's exigent circumstances.
It would be, with factual evidence.
But I haven't heard any of that.
Well, I haven't finished telling you my story.
Well, maybe you should skip all that personal stuff
about breakups and broken arms.
Get to the important part.
The personal stuff is the important part.
Hector and I haven't been together for three years.
But seeing this still hurts.
Turning the page doesn't mean tearing out a chapter.
Especially when that chapter involves a child.
Oscar.
He just turned four.
I understand
that you and your ex were
in the middle of a court case.
Yes, sir. Um...
Hector stopped paying child support.
Day care isn't cheap and I'm only a junior agent.
Least, till I pass REACT training.
Well, that shouldn't be a problem.
I hope not.
Did you know that Hector was working for the Nexus cartel?
It's why we divorced.
Hector started using after Oscar was born.
And I tried getting him help, but he refused.
When I cut him off financially, he went to work
for his supplier.
We think the cartel is behind the murder.
I... I only wanted to protect my son.
This isn't your fault.
We're just trying to find out
everything we can about the cartel.
And El Padre.
Hector never talked about that life.
And I didn't ask.
Hector wasn't perfect, but he didn't deserve this.
Whoever is responsible, they need to pay.
They will.
I promise.
Thank you.
We'll be in touch.
[sighs]
I hope we can keep that promise.
We don't have a choice. Nick's life depends on it.
- You drop something? - I think your trainee did.
Looks like a hair tie.
Could be.
Inspector General Laroche,
appreciate you returning my call.
Read your operations report.
You're missing an agent.
Nicolas Torres.
He's been dark for 26 hours.
How can the Department of Justice help?
We're requesting all files on the Nexus Cartel and El Padre.
You mean from FBI, DEA, Homeland?
If they all have open cases, yes.
Uh, they do.
But I'm afraid they're open for a reason.
Not even the big boys know very much
about this so-called El Padre. I...
I doubt the intel would help a lesser agency.
Uh... [chuckles softly]
It's not the size that counts.
You're asking for classified information.
What we're asking for is anything that may tell us
where Agent Torres is being held.
I'm-I'm sorry, is there a problem?
Mm. No problem.
That was weird.
Yeah. He's holding something back.
No, not him. You.
That guy just spit in your eye and you didn't even blink.
How do you stay so cool?
Well, practice. I've been getting grilled
by congressional committees all week.
Huh. You really want that promotion, uh?
Well, almost as much as Delilah wants
the steady hours that come with it.
What do you got?
Uh, case files.
The NCIS REACT team at Pendleton
has a history with the Nexus cartel.
They've led several raids on their hideouts.
Well, could this - help us find Nick? - It might.
Because the cartel knows the first rule of real estate.
Buy low, sell high?
Location, location, location.
All of the hideouts
have all been in empty warehouses
near freeways.
It's a cheap, quick getaway.
Makes sense.
What doesn't make sense is all the hideouts
have also been within two blocks of a local food pantry.
Like the ones that are for charity?
Maybe the cartel likes free food.
Or hiding in plain sight.
Either way, it's a pattern that could help us find
their next hideout and, hopefully, Nick.
- All right. Let's call Parker. - Okay.
[indistinct chatter]
Why would a cartel operate near food pantries?
Last place anyone would look.
KNIGHT: Well, I'm looking,
and all I see are good Samaritans.
All right, what's the next stop
on Kasie's list of potential hideouts?
Office park in Escondido.
Ugh. [chuckles] Never mind.
With traffic, we might as well just hang here.
PARKER: So...
new ride, huh?
Well, when in Rome.
California looks good on you.
The produce is magic.
Well, it's more than that.
This is what you wanted.
This is what I wanted.
Well, the team sends their best.
Especially Jimmy, who's still counting the days.
One hundred and seventy-seven.
You're both counting days?[chuckles] No.
Not us. It's Victoria.
She's having a hard time letting go
and sends a daily text tally.
Poor kid misses her friend.
Like the rest of us.
Yeah.
PARKER: Hey, we got movement.
It's Torres.
And the guy who's got him thinks he's Rambo.
We got to stop that van without starting a war.
I'm open to ideas.
How much do you like your car?
Aw...
Oh, my God! I am... I am so sorry.
Are-are you okay?
It's okay, lady, I'm fine.
Uh, don't worry about a thing.
I have great insurance.
We should exchange information.
I'll be right out.
Okay.
I got to deal with something.
You make a sound, I open fire,
and there are a lot
of innocent civilians out there. You understand?
Need any help, miss?
No, no. I think we're good. Thank you.
Sir?
Look, lady, how about I just pay for the damage?
Pardon?
It's just a busted headlight.
How's two grand sound? Good?
Well, you know... I...
It should really be my insurance.
I mean, it was my fault.
I'm sorry. You know what? Let me just go grab my insurance.
You just wait right here. It'll... I'll be so fast.
[sighs]
[Knight continues speaking indistinctly]
Mm-mmm. Mm-mmm.
Mm-mmm, mm-mmm, mm-mmm!
It's okay, it's okay.
We got you, we got you.
You got to get out of here before he comes back.
What are you talking about? You're a prisoner.
Yeah, by choice.
What? What happened?
I got made.
But instead of killing me, the cartel offered me a job.
Why would they do that?
I told them I was crooked.
That's not good, Nick.
They're gonna expect you to prove yourself.
Yeah, which is why I'm tied up.
They're not gonna trust me until I perform a hit.
- A hit on who? - I don't know.
But if you rescue me now,
somebody else is gonna take my place.
Someone who's actually gonna go through with it.
I heard El Padre is planning to make an appearance.
This might be our only chance to find this guy and take him down.
What if they take - you down first? - Parker.
I know what I'm doing. You have to trust me.
Trust me.
Wait, so you found your missing agent
and let him go?
Parker trusts his people.
Well, that clearly hasn't worked out.
[phone rings]
Hello? This is Agent Knight.
This is Inspector General Laroche.
Whatever you're doing, it ends now.
Do I know you?
I know you.
And I know you're illegally holding
a suspect without factual basis.
Well, that's actually up for debate.
It's not a joke, Agent Knight.
This is your career and your personal freedom
we're talking about. Not to mention
a costly civil suit.
Well, what about my missing teammate?
Can we talk about him?
If you do not peacefully surrender,
the NCIS REACT team will forcefully enter
and arrest you.
You have ten minutes to decide.
Where are you going? I'm not done.
The Department of Justice ordered you to surrender.
That was just a test to see if I'm in it for the long haul.
It's standard procedure.
- Hostage negotiation 101? - Yeah.
It's called the ticking clock.
So, what happens in ten minutes?
They call again. We ask for more time,
and so forth.[phone vibrates]
Either way,
we won't go hungry. Pizza is close.
What if you're wrong, Agent Knight? What if...
what if the REACT team threatens to kick down the door?
Then I guess it's my last chance to make my case.
Yeah, I like it better when you make jokes.
This part of the story isn't funny.
So where is Torres now?
[sighs] We're trying to find out.
And what about the van?
We put out a BOLO,
but tailing it would have put Nick at risk.
So would leaving him tied up.
Maybe the cartel will bring him back to the empty warehouse.
Knight's there on stakeout, and we have eyes
on all the other potential hideouts as well.
Just to be clear, when Nick asked you to trust him,
did you ever consider, you know, ignoring him?
Kasie... If I wanted
to jump off a bridge, would you let me?
I just want this team back in one piece.
We all do. Believe me.
So, what do we got?
Well, we've got bad news and we've got worse news.
We were digging into
the REACT raids on the cartel
and found a problem.
Early raids led to the seizures
of plenty of drugs
and dirty money, but lately, the raids
have been coming up empty-handed.
By the time REACT arrived to serve the warrants,
the cartel was already long gone.
It's like they knew NCIS was coming.
That's the bad news. The worse news is that
Torres got made, and he's way too good to let that happen.
Add the two together and...
There's a leak.
Certainly appears that way.
Inspector General Laroche
just informed me that NCIS
has been under investigation.
Since when?
Since we noticed the decreasing effectiveness
of the REACT team raids.
The DOJ believes that one of your agents
is feeding intel to the Nexus cartel.
That's why you didn't want to send over those case files.
Ah. No hard feelings.
There will be
if you don't have proof.
They have proof.
LAROCHE: We've been monitoring
the banking habits of NCIS agents.
Which agents?
That's classified.
But, two days ago,
we tracked a large deposit from a cartel bank
to an offshore account.
Whose account?
[door opens]
We got a problem.
You're right. [sighs]
It's been hours and no one has come in
or out of the cartel warehouse.
Okay, two problems.
Your trainee
is a mole.
Moreno?
Shouldn't be surprising. Turns out that the Nexus cartel
uses these exact bands
to sort their dirty cash,
and you knew it.
I've seen them on raids.
So, why didn't you tell me?
We don't know that band came from Moreno.
That's circumstantial.
Yeah, well,
the 150 grand
in her offshore account isn't.
Where'd you get this?
The IG has been tracking
a mole within NCIS.
Moreno wouldn't work for drug dealers.
Especially not ones who destroyed her marriage.
Then where'd the money come from?
- I don't know. - Ask her.
We can't find her.
She's not at home and her cell phone is off.
[sighs]
This looks bad, Jess.
I know my team, Parker. I trust them.
I get that.
But sometimes people make choices
we don't understand.
You're right.
Who is that?
It's the reverend from the food pantry.
What's he doing with a key?
No idea.
I mean, unless El Padre is a literal nickname. [chuckles]
REVEREND: This is a misunderstanding.
I was only dropping off extra food.
To an empty warehouse?
I leave it for the workers.
They work for a drug cartel.
They seemed so nice.
Even gave me a key.
You don't seem upset
that you've been feeding criminals.
I feed anyone who is hungry, Agent Parker.
Boss' orders.
Well, according to
what I'm reading, you are the boss.
Reverend Edward Pike. Owner
and CEO of Sunbelt Food Banks.
Amazing what a little faith and a lot of hard work can do.
Our first food pantry was in the back seat of my 1972 Chevy Nova.
I had a '73.
But I wasn't using my back seat for charity.
Well...
We have since upgraded to 23 branches
across the southwest.
Mm. We noticed. We also noticed
that these branches
have been near cartel hideouts.
I don't understand.
Maybe because you operate near the border,
ship across state lines,
deal in cash donations.
Sounds like the perfect front to me.
You think I'm El Padre?
I read the newspaper.
But wearing a collar does not make me guilty.
Doesn't make you innocent either.
We are a registered nonprofit that is audited regularly.
I have no criminal record,
I pay my taxes and I take the bus.
Hardly the life of an international drug lord.
Is there anything else I could help you with
or am I free to go to Wednesday night service?
Give us a minute.
You're not buying this open book act, are you?
I'm not sure it is an act.
But that doesn't matter. We got nothing to hold him on anyway.
We've got the warehouse key,
the cartel hideouts, the nickname.
It's all circumstantial. You know that.
I also know that if this guy is El Padre, we just
showed him our hand.
If we let him leave, we're never gonna see him
or Nick again.
We don't have a choice.
He doesn't know that.
- You want to lose your job? - I won't.
Trust me.
No. Not this time.
Reverend, thanks for coming in.
You're free to go.
I hope you find your man.
And I hope I didn't miss the bus.
[banging on door]
PARKER: Jess!
What's going on?
We're saving Nick's life.
Okay, so then what?
Nothing. I asked Parker to call you,
and here we are. End of story.
So this whole thing
is based on a single rubber band?
Plus the other stuff. I mean, that's got to be enough, right?
Relax, Agent Knight. You sold me.
But that doesn't mean the DOJ will agree or that
El Padre will suddenly confess.
I just need time to find Torres.
[banging on door] AGENT: This is
NCIS REACT!
- Time's up! - You said DOJ
would call first. Hostage Negotiation 101.
I guess they missed that day.
[banging on door] AGENT: Agent Knight,
unlock the door!
It's time.
Let's go.
One bullet.
One chance to prove your loyalty.
[whimpers softly]
Either she dies or you do.
It's a simple choice, Agent Torres.
[muffled groaning] What are you waiting for?
[loud, muffled groaning] TORRES: Hold on.
She's NCIS?
- Doesn't change anything. - It changes everything.
If you want me to kill one of my own, I need a good reason.
- It's called your life. - Well, that's not good enough.
I offered you my services, not my soul.
If your boss wants me to do his dirty work,
I want answers.
One of our employees
was caught stealing,
hid the money in an offshore account.
An account in his
ex-wife's name.[muffled grunting]
Why give the money to her?
Said it was for child support.
El Padre didn't like that.
Now the thief's dead.
And when I asked her about the account,
she pretended to be clueless, which makes her a liar
and a thief.
How's that for a reason?
Is that true?
No.
I don't know about any account.
I swear on my son.
If we keep her alive,
I can find the account.
You're stalling.
No, I'm offering you a gift.
If I get the money back,
you get the credit.
AGENT: Unlock the door
or we have orders to break it down!
- What do we do? - You're asking me?
You're my lawyer. I need more time.
I suggest doing what they say.
Look, you did everything you could.
It's time to let go.
- I tried that once. - What are you talking about?
The breakup with my former teammates.
You're right, I'm working through some issues.
AGENT: Agent Knight, this is your final...
[Parker speaking indistinctly]
[knocking]
PARKER: Jess?
It's me.
Parker?
It's over.
Are you sure? Because... Hey, hey. Trust me.
Okay.
We will be unarmed
with our backs turned,
hands behind our heads.
Weapon down.
Secure.
Don't move!
- You're under arrest! - What?
- Freeze! - No, I'm the lawyer.
AGENT: I said freeze!
About time.
I was starting to get worried.
Pizza took longer than I thought.
What is going on?
Time is a factor, so I'll make this quick.
I lied. I didn't tell you everything.
El Padre wasn't my only hostage.
I was keeping you here, too.
While I pulled warrants for your phone and banking records.
Aka...
pizza.
I'm a divorce attorney.
I have nothing to do with this.
We didn't think so, either.
Until it clicked.
You weren't the only one who gave yourself away
with a cartel money band.
The band I found under the chair.
That wasn't Moreno's.
That was yours.
And it fell out of your briefcase when you got tackled.
You can't prove that.
Oh, we can now,
because while we were talking, you weren't just
- taking detailed notes. - You were also
texting a burner number, telling someone
that your boss was being held hostage.
I've never seen this man before today.
Really? You're on his payroll.
Your bank account shows
large cash deposits
following each failed REACT raid.
You've been stealing REACT intel from Moreno
and feeding it to the cartel.
I want an attorney.
Smart move.
Yeah, an even smarter move would be flipping on your boss
and telling us where Torres is before something happens to him.
Okay.
Change of plans, Agent Torres.
Boss got in trouble.
So we got to move with or without you.
So, what's it gonna be?
[grunting]
Everybody back! Get back!
[grunting]
- Federal agents! - Federal agents!
KNIGHT: NCIS!Drop the weapons!
[grunting]
Put your hands up!
Moreno?
I'm good.
Nick.
Where have you been?
I leave you alone for two minutes.
You good?
Yeah.
PARKER: Well, next time,
we'll, uh, we'll keep you in the loop.
Yes sir.
I don't think we'll be on the DOJ's Christmas card list
[chuckles]this year. Even though
El Padre has been arrested, officially.
- And Agent Moreno? - Cleared of all charges.
She truly had no idea about the stolen money.
Well, that's a happy ending.
[sighs]
What's the problem?
Knight's been behind closed doors all morning.
I get the sense she's about to lose her job.
Hmm. Knight goes to California,
I get put on a case that leads to California,
and now she's coming home.
Funny how things work out.
You think that was my plan?
[knocking]
Parker, you got a second?
Yeah.
See you downstairs.
How'd it go with the IG?
Well...
I wasn't fired.
I was promoted.
[sputters][laughs] My shrewd
tactical actions were noticed
by the Office of Strategic Support.
And they want me there.
Another move up the ladder.
Well, that's great. That's what you wanted.
It was.
When I first came out here, I thought...
this was for me.
That this was the direction that I wanted to go in.
New job, new place.
New team.
And the past six months have been great.
Really great.
But I think I realized, deep down, that, um...
...this wasn't for me.
And...
...it isn't what I want.
So, what do you want?
Ah.
Jimmy?
- Missed a spot. - Oh. [chuckles]
Can't have Jess coming back to a dusty desk.
That's pretty exciting, huh?
Yeah. When Victoria heard the news,
she started planning the next four weekends with her bestie.
[chuckles]
No, Jimmy, Jimmy, I meant you.
You and Knight getting back together, or...
You know, we haven't really
had that talk yet, Tim,
but, uh, I'm just excited to have her back in the building.
[elevator bell dings]
Yo, yo.
Welcome back, man.
Where's Jess?
I missed you, too, uh, Jimmy.
Nick, I'm really glad you're safe.
Seriously, though,
- did something happen? - Relax.
Knight's finishing the last week with her trainees.
She'll be here in a few days.
Yeah.
I need to go text Victoria.
DOJ's final case report on El Padre.
I read it on the plane.
Well, there may be a loose end.
The lawyer confessed to leaking the REACT intel.
But she never admitted to blowing Nick's cover.
Well, someone did, 'cause my work was flawless.
Well, outside of this room, the only person that knew
we had an agent undercover is at DOJ.
Operation reports are classified.
And the one person who accessed ours
is Inspector General Gabriel Laroche.
Are you saying that
Laroche is a mole?
Not exactly, but...
Good. Because ruffling feathers at DOJ might put a little damper
- on your job application. - Yup.
I heard the director and SECNAV are pretty close
- to making a decision. - Mm-hmm.
[phone rings]
Agent McGee.
Yeah, I'll be right up.
Vance wants to see me.
Good luck, Deputy Director.
[chuckles softly]
[knocking]
Agent McGee, please come in.
Agent McGee, I wanted you to hear this from me
before SECNAV makes it public.
You were not selected
for the deputy director position.
I understand.
Hey, Tim, your dedication and service
to this agency did not go unnoticed.
I made sure of that.
However,
the secretary of the Navy felt it important
to hire someone from outside our walls.
Hmm.
Can you say who it is?
[knocking]
Well, that's why
I invited Inspector Laroche to join us.
Or
should I say, newly-appointed
NCIS Deputy Director Laroche.
I look forward to working with you.
Mint?
I'm good.
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