NCIS s03e04 Episode Script

Welcome to the Smithsonian Anthropology lab.
I'm Dr.
Elaine Burns, and you're watching the Recovery Channel.
Tonight we'll be opening a time capsule from the Civil War.
Lights, please.
This iron casket represents one of America's first uses of rubber in an industrial process, sealing in the dead from the ravages of weather and time.
Now, what makes this one particularly special is that all of its seals were found to be fully intact.
Gentlemen.
What we're hoping to find inside are some of the best preserved remains from the Civil War era.
This is unbelievable.
This type of preservation is unheard of in a 140-year-old body.
Joe, we have a problem.
- Dr.
Burns? - Yes? I don't think they carried those in the Civil War.
I freaking hate Mondays.
Frigging Fat Al's All-You-Can-Eat Burrito Shack.
More like Fat Al's bacteria shack.
Come on.
I shouldn't have come in to work today.
Gibbs sees me like this He'll probably be as horrified as I am, Agent DiNozzo.
Working undercover as a hobo? You mind telling me what you're doing here again? Waiting.
- For what? - To start work.
Does everyone always come in this late? It's 0700.
- At Mossad we start at 0500.
- Okay.
Let me rephrase the original question.
What the hell are you doing here, Ziva? I see.
Gibbs didn't tell you.
Tell me what? Mossad's assigned me to NCIS as a liaison officer.
We're gonna be working together.
- Does Gibbs know about this? - Do you think I'd be here if he didn't? You might want to do something about your hair.
It's sticking up like a porcu-swine.
Wrong word.
Like a porcu-pig.
The little animal with the little spikies, yes.
The - Porcupine.
- Porcupine.
Thank you, Special Agent McGee.
Sure.
Anyone have a key for this? That's Kate's desk.
Okay, but if I'm going to be a part of your team I would love to Whoa.
You're part of our team? Yes.
- Did Gibbs tell you about this? - Nope.
Here are my orders.
Signed by Director Shepard.
- You think Gibbs knows? - I hope so.
All my personal possessions are now being shipped from Tel Aviv to Washington.
I'd hold off on unpacking the waffle iron till you talk to him, Ziva.
- When's he come in? - Now.
Special Agent Gibbs.
Ziva.
What are you doing here? Looking forward to being a member of your team.
I stand corrected.
It appears he didn't know.
I feel like a donkey's butt.
- A donkey's butt? - I think she meant horse's ass.
Yes, that too.
Something I can help you with this morning, Special Agent Gibbs? Yeah.
I've got a personnel issue.
You know anything about that? I take it Ziva arrived a few days early? Right.
Before we get into this, I'm gonna need a refill.
That was sweet, not necessarily sanitary.
What is she doing here, Jen? If we're going to fight a global war on terror we need to work closely with our allies.
Well, that sounds good.
Put her on somebody else's team.
I want her with you, Jethro.
Mossad trained her to spy and kill, not to investigate crime scenes.
Send her to the CIA.
Just to be clear, this is not a request or a debate, Agent Gibbs.
Anything else you wanna change about my team while I'm here? Look, if anything, you're lucky to have her.
She's one of the finest agents I worked with in Europe.
- Why didn't you ask me first, Jen? - And what would you have said? Exactly.
Number 18, it's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.
Oh, that's real nice.
Using the rules I taught you against me.
Nice touch.
I learned from the best, Jethro.
I want Ziva to as well.
You want something to read? What do you have? GSM.
It's a men's magazine.
Most women find it objectifies them.
I read it on the plane.
I especially like the article on page 57.
In my experience, it works every time.
I always thought that was urban legend.
What's the verdict? Pack your trash.
Not a problem.
Most of it doesn't arrive till next week.
Nice seeing you again, Tony.
McGee.
I told you to pack your trash, Ziva.
I don't remember giving you permission to leave yet.
- You requested this assignment? - I did.
Why? I had to get away from Mossad for a while.
- You believe what Ari said? - No.
Yes.
Maybe.
Your brother was a Svengali, Ziva.
Like father, like son.
- Does Mossad know you killed Ari? - No.
They believe your report.
Only you and I know the truth.
For that I thank you.
I trust you.
You know that.
- But when we leave this elevator - You start kicking my butt.
I don't kick butt.
Ms.
David will be with us for a while.
That's Kate's desk.
Yours is down at the end.
He's a tough one to read.
You'll find most NCIS agents are like that.
It's our training.
Is that a fact? We never let other people know what we're thinking.
Right now you're thinking of doing page 57 with me.
Boss, we have a situation at the Smithsonian Museum.
What? Well, it's kind of complicated, but there may have been a murder.
May have been, McGee? Yeah, well, they have a Union soldier who was dug up from a battlefield in Manassas.
Now they think that he may be a Marine.
It was the Civil War, McGee.
Marines fought on both sides.
I know.
But this Marine had dog tags.
Didn't exist back then.
- You know that, being a Marine.
- Get to the point, McGee.
They think that this Marine was killed recently and somehow buried in a way They can't quite explain it, but in a 140-year-old cast-iron sarcophagus.
Dressed as a Union soldier? Basically, yeah.
Gas the truck, McGee.
DiNozzo.
Yeah, boss.
I've got a murder in your area of expertise.
This happens a lot, me being a Senior Field Agent and all.
I'm sure it does.
- What do we got? Multiple homicides? - No.
- Gang related? - No.
Defenestration? The Civil War.
I can hardly wait.
It's my favourite subject.
What about me? You're coming along strictly as an observer.
Hand over all your weapons.
Is that really necessary? Right.
- Your backup.
- What backup? Left leg.
That one.
And the knife concealed at your waist.
You can keep this.
I just want you to know that I know.
According to his dog tags this young man is Warren Sorrow, USMC.
How long has he been in there? He's remarkably well-preserved.
Could be months or even years.
We'll know more when we get him home.
You know, in the 1970s, grave robbers raided a Southern colonel's cast-iron casket.
They took his weapons, his jewellry, and for some strange reason, the poor man's head.
When the local authorities found the 100-year-old decomposing corpse they assumed he was recently decapitated and opened a murder investigation.
He's still got his head.
We're not local cops.
- I wanna know how he died.
- I can help with that.
Dr.
Mallard.
Well, how nice to see you again.
Yes.
It is.
How are you? Dr.
Elaine Burns.
We met in Hawaii almost 18 years ago.
The conference on identifying POW remains in Vietnam? Yes, of course.
How wonderful to see you again.
I still have that puka-shell necklace you gave me.
Yes, quite the keepsake, aren't they? Do you have information on how this man died? Yes.
We took the liberty of imaging the corpse before we knew for sure we were dealing with an actual homicide - and not just some sick hoax.
- You disturbed my crime scene? As a forensic anthropologist, I can assure you my examination was strictly non-invasive.
There.
Now, I've seen several images like this in the past, but you can't be certain until you get it out.
- Get what out? - In my opinion, it's a musket ball.
I don't think this is what Gibbs had in mind when he instructed me to observe.
Do you have any idea how many people get killed in America by bears every year, Ziva? No, but I can't imagine a lot.
You'd be surprised.
McGee? I think it's about one.
Isn't there something constructive you could be doing? - Like what? - Investigating.
DiNozzo and McGee.
Report in.
Casket was uncovered by a housing project going up near the Bull Run Battlefield in Manassas, boss.
Got the name and address of the company.
Scheduled an interview and soil test for tomorrow.
The only thing removed from the casket was a cell phone, damaged and non-operational.
I've also got the prints of the lab workers to run against any we find in or around the body and tomb.
Dr.
Burns was wearing surgical gloves when she picked this up.
Good work.
Ms.
David? I'm wondering why there's a nine-millimetre hole in my hat.
Ventilation.
I'll escort the casket back with Ducky.
We'll meet in the squad room.
Agent Gibbs? I would also like to know if I could drive the truck back to base.
It might make me feel as if I actually accomplished something today.
- Hey, not so fast.
- I always drive fast.
It's the best way to avoid possible IEDs and ambushes.
You're in America now.
I wouldn't worry about it.
How about this? Slow down or I'll puke on you.
Tony, why don't you like the American Civil War? - I don't want to talk about it.
- It's because of his father.
Was she talking to you, probie? Oh, you didn't get along with your father.
Explains a lot.
- My father and I got along fine.
- If you say so.
I think it's best to talk about things instead of burying them inside.
What about you? Your father? Deputy Director David, what's he like? Slow down.
We're taking the next left.
Ziva, car! Car! Car! Ziva! Sorry.
First time behind the wheel after a six-month mission in the U.
K.
I said I was sorry.
We ran his prints through AFIS.
It is confirmed our Union soldier is Staff Sergeant Warren Sorrow, an MSG instructor in Quantico.
- MSG stands for - Marine Security Guard.
I've been to over two dozen embassies around the world, Tony.
- What do we have on the sergeant? - Reported UA about a year ago.
I'm currently building a profile on his life around the time of his disappearance.
Not anymore.
I want you with Abby.
Find out what was on the cell phone we found in the casket.
You're on the paper trail.
I wanna know everything about him.
And you.
You keep You keep observing.
What exactly, Gibbs? I don't care.
Just do it quietly.
Now I know why he took all my weapons away.
Have you ever spent an evening with a young lady and failed to remember it, Mr.
Palmer? Oh, what was I thinking? Of course not.
But I wouldn't mind.
Well, it's not something to be admired, Mr.
Palmer.
That doctor today at the Smithsonian intimated that we shared a special something in Hawaii - during a conference once.
- Yeah, what doctor was that, doctor? The young and attractive one.
Still not following you.
She was the only doctor there beside myself.
- Oh, you mean Dr.
Burns? - Yeah.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I thought that you said she was young.
Young to me, Mr.
Palmer.
Young to me.
Will you rotate the head 20 degrees to the left? She invited me out for cocktails tomorrow evening.
- I was forced to decline.
- Why? She seemed nice.
Oh, she's more than nice.
But how do you tell a woman that you have absolutely no mental recollection of her whatsoever? I suppose one could always lie.
Have you been spending time with Agent DiNozzo again? - To Abby, please.
- Right away, doctor.
I don't suppose you've ever been to Hawaii.
That should do it.
That's what you said the last eight times.
See, that shows how much attention you pay to me.
- It was nine, Timmy.
- Right.
So did we do it? Did we do it? Did we do it? Did we fix the cell phone's circuit board? - Hold on.
- Come on.
You're killing me, McGee.
Yes.
Yes, I think that we fixed it.
I think the circuits are How many Caf-Pow! s you had today, Abby? You know, the usual.
Trust me, you've had more than the usual.
Because I'm getting jumpy just looking at you.
Some people drown their sorrows in drugs and alcohol.
I prefer caffeine.
Now hook up the cell phone board and get cracking before Gibbs decides to crack you one.
- You mean crack us.
- Gibbs would never hit a lady.
Exactly.
So I suggest we get started.
- Ziva? - Yes? First of all, don't ever do that again.
And second, what are you doing? I'm observing you, Tony.
Any way you can do that in a less creepy manner? Who's the woman with Gibbs? Once you're here long enough, you'll figure it out.
- Is that his girlfriend? - I have no idea.
- You just told me that - Well You'll figure out there's some things around here you don't ask about.
All right, then.
Bye.
- Where's Gibbs, Tony? - Your 2 o'clock.
What's wrong, Duck? I know how our staff sergeant died.
From your look I'm guessing it wasn't a musket ball.
At first one could assume that a projectile of such size and mass would produce almost instant death, but pre-Civil War muskets were notoriously unreliable and lost most of their velocity over the first hundred metres.
Our sergeant was grievously wounded by a musket ball, but his injury was not fatal.
Then how did he die, Dr.
Mallard? His lung tissue was coated with an extremely fine film of rust particles.
And one can only imagine how long he clawed at the iron sides of his casket, trying to escape before he suffocated.
A Marine dressed as a Civil War soldier is shot by a musket and then buried alive in a 140-year-old antique iron casket.
And you're telling me this isn't your strangest case? - Yep.
- Pretty much.
I don't know what I find more disturbing.
Your eating habits or the fact that I believe you.
I'm sorry, do our strange American foods frighten you? Not at all.
I was referring to your manners.
You should have bought me one.
I'm gonna go help Abby.
She seems to be fitting in well.
She almost killed my entire team yesterday.
- How? - Driving home from a crime scene.
I should've warned you.
I think she was an East European cabdriver - in a past life.
- Yeah, well, she wasn't a cop.
She obviously has no investigative or law-enforcement experience, Jen.
Neither did I when I first started.
Yeah, well, you were always a fast learner.
You sure you don't want it back, Tony? Most men usually don't have a problem with my germs.
I've got a lead on how our staff sergeant ended up in a Union soldier's uniform.
He was a member of a local C.
W C.
W.
R out of Fairfax.
C.
W.
R? Yeah.
Civil War Re-enactors.
Guys who get together, dress up in period costumes, re-enacting famous battles.
Why? I've been asking my father that since I was 10 years old.
They're preparing for one of those battles this week in Manassas.
Quite the coincidence.
And in the immortal words of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, - I don't believe in coincidences.
- Is that a fact? I was just telling Ziva about this lead that l Yeah, I heard.
Come on.
Abby's found something.
Let's roll.
That's an American custom.
A form of affection.
It seems like Shalowsh Stooges to me.
Like what? Larry, Moe, Curly, yes? - Abs? - I look like a freak.
Well? See, I don't think she really looks that bad.
Is she making a reference to that strange tattoo on her neck? Why? One of the director's new admin weenies brought me this last night.
It's the NCIS dress code.
He said I was in violation.
He did, didn't he? It's bad enough that I have to wear a monkey suit for court appearances, but every day? I think you look nice, Abby.
Nice? You think I look nice? I look like Like Career Girl Barbie.
Oh, my God.
I do.
- I can't work like this, Gibbs.
- I'll take care of it, Abs.
I'm allergic to polyester.
It makes me itch.
It's a medical condition.
I could get a note from the doctor.
Abby, I said I'll take care of it.
- Don't ask.
- Can we get back to work now? Do I have to wear the shoes? The circuit board on the cell phone was damaged.
But we managed to get it working again.
The battery shut down on October 3rd, 2004.
- The last 22 calls were made to 911.
- None of them went through.
He was calling from inside the casket.
Yep.
Cast iron and buried underground.
I don't think anyone's calling plan extends that far.
What are the last entries here? Well, he was running low on oxygen, Boss.
I assume he was trying to dial another number and hit random keys.
Find out.
What did you pull from the tomb, Abs? There were traces of Staff Sergeant Sorrow's blood inside the cover.
Most likely from when he tried to claw his way out.
Since his fingers were shredded, that must've been hard to figure out.
Agent David.
It's pronounced David.
Or you can just call me Ziva.
I also found two very distinct types of dirt on the outside.
One is red clay, which is very common in Virginia.
And the other had a high concentration of fertilizer.
Time you meet with the company that found this? - 0900.
- Take Ziva with you.
See if anything's left of that crime scene.
I'm on it.
Come on, McGee.
Abby, what if these aren't numbers? Abby? - See something you like, McGee? - No.
I mean, yes? Better.
What were you gonna tell me? What if he wasn't trying to dial a number but he was trying to send a text message? McGee, sometimes I think I love you.
Tell me you have a shower here.
We do.
But only for biological or chemical emergencies.
- Wonderful.
- You said you were sick of observing.
You made me crawl through a dump truck full of dirt.
There could've been valuable evidence.
There wasn't.
Yes, and thanks to you, we now know that.
- How'd it go? - Nothing, boss.
Building site was clean.
- Figuratively speaking.
- Very.
We taped off the area, but we're not gonna find anything.
Gibbs.
- We did it.
- Did what, Abs? Those random numbers weren't random after all, boss.
Staff Sergeant Sorrow was leaving us a text message from the grave.
When you put it through the cell phone's text converter, you get this.
"Only got half.
Oxbow not on his side.
Kearns, don't let him get safety-deposit box.
" - That's it? - He was buried alive, Tony.
What did you expect, a soliloquy? We ran his social through the banking system.
Staff Sergeant Sorrow has a safety-deposit box paid for five years at the North Virginia Savings and Trust.
- Get me a - Warrant.
I already called it in.
- DiNozzo, Oxbow and Kearns? - On it.
Get me into that safety-deposit box.
You take Ziva with you.
Is there somewhere I can clean up? Yeah.
Sure.
Tonight when you go home.
You know what? Let me help you with that.
I'm not a child.
Just trying to help.
You may get what I missed.
Thank you.
- Is Tony always so? - Yeah.
- And Gibbs? - Oh, yeah.
And Abby? Abby's usually nice.
Then it's me.
I guess I have that effect on people.
It's It's not you, Ziva.
The past month has been hard on everyone.
But I'm glad you're here.
Yes? Yeah.
Means I'm not the newbie anymore.
What's wrong? Nothing.
Still getting used to America, I suppose.
I understand Staff Sergeant Sorrows has been missing.
- Who told you that? - His brother.
He's enquired several times about the safety-deposit box.
- Why? - He felt if something had happened, - he would've wanted him to have it.
- Like death? Obviously.
But without a death certificate and a court order, our policy is to maintain the contents until the lease runs out.
- Is Staff Sergeant Sorrows missing? - Not anymore.
Anything else or can we open the box now? I'll be outside if you need me.
- We need to talk to his brother.
- Definitely.
A mummified hand.
An ancient map.
This has to be your strangest case now, McGee.
Thanks.
Maybe.
That was Tony.
Staff Sergeant Sorrow does not have a brother.
So we need to pull the bank security-camera footage, see if they have a shot of this guy who claims to be his brother.
You know what this reminds me of? - Mossad case? - No.
- A Harry Potter novel.
- You read those too? Me neither.
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Do you know where I can find a Kelleher Avenue? Yeah.
North of here about four blocks.
- Four blocks? Yeah.
- Yeah.
Hey, I'm gonna need that map too.
- Excuse me? - The map.
Why don't you take a look at that van behind me? All right, now give me your weapon.
Come on, give it to me.
Now back up.
Back up.
- Now what? - Now you get wet.
Damn it.
- Gibbs is gonna kill me.
- Look on the bright side, McGee.
At least I'm clean again.
No, no, no.
Tighter.
Hold it tighter, Mr.
Palmer.
I'm gonna put some English on it.
- Oh, dear.
- A little too much English, doctor.
There is no such thing.
Do you know what we have here, Mr.
Palmer? - A very old ring? - Yes.
And a reason to call Dr.
Burns back.
Boss, I'm sorry.
I screwed up and it won't happen again.
It wasn't your fault.
They used us.
Used us to get into that safety-deposit box for them.
He knew exactly what he wanted.
All he asked for was the map.
Map? What map? Map of what, McGee? - I didn't really get a good look at it.
- Maybe it was a treasure map, probie.
You know, like gold, diamonds, silver.
It wasn't from one of your dumb-ass movies, DiNozzo.
- Sorry.
- We need to find this guy.
Claimed he was Staff Sergeant Sorrow's brother.
I might have a name for him.
Been researching the words from Sorrow's farewell message.
- Oxbow and Kearns.
- Oxbow is the name on the map.
The other name might be his.
Judd Kearns, a member of the same Civil War club - our dead staff sergeant belonged to.
- Get an address? Yeah, but he's not there.
The club is on their way to Manassas Battlefield Park for a re-enactment.
Should be there this afternoon.
McGee, what else do you remember about the map? I think I can help with that.
At Mossad, officers who fail to observe don't generally last long.
And at NCIS, they apparently get drop-kicked into water fountains.
That would have never happened if I had my weapons.
Find out what this is a map of.
I'm gonna get right on it.
Abby, Ziva was amazing.
I mean, she's got a photographic memory.
What? Why don't you two just get a room, McGee? What, you think she likes me? McGee, never forget.
I am one of the few people in the world who can murder you and leave no forensic evidence.
Well, perhaps we should come back then.
Ducky.
Just venting.
Who's your friend? I'd like you to meet Dr.
Elaine Burns, a forensic anthropologist from the Smithsonian.
Ducky was saying you might be in need of my expertise.
It's French, 19th century.
Usually worn by Southern gentlemen to telegraph wealth and status.
It's in fantastic condition.
Where did you find it? On a mummified hand in a safety-deposit box, I'm afraid.
Sounds like scavengers.
Grave robbers.
We've had more sites ruined by them than I care to remember.
How about the map we found with it, Abs? Certainly typical of the Civil War period.
ICF stands for Irregular Confederate Forces.
Oxbow may be referring to a prominent Virginia family.
Where did they live? Manassas.
Their mansion was destroyed in the Second Battle of Bull Run by the Union.
Remember how we found Boone's dumping ground, Gibbs? I could run the vectors between these features and satellite imagery.
- Do it.
- Well, if it is Manassas, I've had several digs there.
I'd be more than willing to serve as a guide.
That is, if Dr.
Mallard would be willing to accompany me.
Boss, his club checked in with the park rangers.
Judd Kearns is there now.
Are we rolling? No, not yet.
Gear up.
- Bring back memories for you, Tony? - It looks like fun.
You know what little Anthony DiNozzo's job was during these re-enactments, Ziva? - Little drummer boy? - No.
I would carry around a bucket so these guys could take a dump in it.
They called me their "little poo boy.
" Kearns is out here somewhere dressed as a Union sergeant.
You two with me.
See if you can match up any of the landmarks on the map.
Any suggestions, doctors? Let me look.
By the orientation of the map, I suggest we start near some of my old dig sites to the north.
Unless May I? During times of war, mapmakers often add terrain or change the declination of north and south in order to confuse Confuse the enemy before it fell into the wrong hands.
Yeah, very good, Ziva.
Yes, what troubles me about this map is this Confederate flag in the corner.
It's unfurled in the opposite direction of most flags.
Precisely.
I think we should start looking to the south.
Boss, your 3 o'clock.
Red stripes.
That's the guy from the bank video.
Oh, he's going.
- Fast.
- You think? Son of a Ziva, I really think we should wait for Gibbs.
He is the one that told us to look for landmarks, Dr.
Mallard.
Landmarks, yes.
Following them deep into the woods, probably not.
- And please, call me Ducky.
- Okay, Ducky.
I believe this is the trail indicated on the map.
I doubt it.
Wait.
The topography's completely different today.
We might have better luck near the site where the Oxbow mansion used to stand.
We can try that next.
That's not bad, boss.
I thought you were still behind me until you tackled him.
Not likely, DiNozzo.
What's his excuse? It wasn't an X on the map.
It's a cross.
This is a graveyard.
Ducky, wait here and call Gibbs.
Tell him to hurry.
We need to hurry this up.
Yeah, that's it.
They buried these things so the South could rise again, and now they are all mine.
There's gotta be 50 of them here.
- At 30 grand a pop, that's - One point five million.
Your rifle is ten feet away.
I wouldn't recommend trying it.
I didn't do anything wrong.
No? What about resisting arrest, Kearns? And what's that other charge, McGee? Murdering Staff Sergeant Warren Sorrow.
Sorrow's dead? No way.
You guys can't pin that on me.
I wouldn't.
They told me he got scared and took off.
He was buried alive in a coffin, dirtbag.
I didn't sign up for this.
All she said I had to do was distract you.
DiNozzo, come on.
Ducky.
Ducky, where is Gibbs? Ducky can't answer right now.
Drop the gun.
Now.
Or he dies.
I knew there was a reason I blocked you out of my mind.
Last time I ask.
Drop it.
Shoot her, Ziva.
She'll only kill both of us.
And those weapons? That is why you killed that poor staff sergeant? He found Oxbow's casket and the map.
He actually wanted to turn them over to a museum.
The only mistake we made was killing him before we got the map.
You two are going to be the unfortunate victims of scavengers.
Remind me not to piss her off.
Oh, DiNozzo, you have no idea.
She's gone, Gibbs.
I don't think Kate would mind.
I found this, but I have a feeling she would've wanted you to have it.
See you in the morning.