NCIS Los Angeles s13e10 Episode Script
Where Loyalties Lie
1
Bang.
You're dead, Nelson.
How's the shoulder? I'll live.
What the hell is that thing, Top? You'll know soon.
Right, Dr.
Nash? If that damn thing can tell the difference between a rifle and a pistol.
Let's run it again.
You heard her.
Let's go.
Hello? Master Sergeant? Who's there? Security's on its way.
Oh.
And it's Deeks on the outside, and Seabiscuit is gaining slowly, and they're coming - Yeah! - Oh, that was hot.
Speaking of hot, that breakfast this morning was fire.
It had everything taste, texture.
It was amazing.
What are you talking about? I made toast with butter.
What? That was just toast with butter? Well, that must have been some sort of special artisan butter, from artisan cows raised on gourmet grass - and sleeping in sound baths.
- Let it go.
You're not turning the garage into a man cave.
What?! I don't even know what you're talking about.
- Uh-huh.
- But now that you mention I just think it's silly that we squander our very limited real estate with the parking of automobiles.
Yeah, I like parking the cars in the garage because they're protected, and also, it's safer.
The median price per square foot in Los Angeles is above $500.
- $500! - Mm.
That means our little two-car garage is Hold on a second.
I'm doing math.
- Smells like smoke.
- Oh, my God! Those cars are costing us a fortune.
We-we should be charging them rent.
Okay, you know what? Even if we could afford to build it out, what would you do with it? I don't know.
Haven't really thought about it.
But I would start with a pool table a bar area, two bar stools, big screen TVs, - a golden shark.
- Yeah, so basically, you would build the Squid & Dagger in our house.
I mean, we can call it a different name if you want to.
Speaking of which, did you tell Callen? I mean, what does it mean to really tell anybody anything? Oh! Deeks, you have to tell him that we're selling the bar.
He needs time to find a place to live.
I know.
It's just that every time I go to tell him, I get this ominous message from my Magic 8 Ball.
A lot of "Reply hazy.
Try again.
" Lately, I've been getting an "Outlook not so good.
" Yeah.
Maybe you shouldn't consult with the Magic 8 Ball.
Well, it hasn't let me down so far.
Do you know how many "Yes" answers I got before I finally proposed? To go to that Italian restaurant that we went to last week? Which was amazing.
Those garlic knots were the jam! The jam, yeah.
Okay, well, let me remind you that I proposed to you.
- That was romantic.
- But, also, listen.
If you let him down gently, I'm sure it'll blow over really fast eventually.
You know who's great at that? - Mm.
- Sam.
Yeah.
Good luck with that.
You know what? Why don't you drop me off at home first? What? You don't want to go with me for-for-for moral support or for protection? - Yeah.
Yeah.
Outlook not so good.
- That's not cool.
You threw it back at me.
That's a touché.
Ooh.
Java a day keeps the bad guys away.
- You make that up? - I did just now.
- But it's great, though, right? - Yeah.
I should put it on T-shirts for the team.
Put you down for an extra medium.
Deeks, what are you doing here? I got to ask you a question.
Before my morning coffee? This must be important.
I got an offer on the Squid & Dagger.
It's the best one so far.
Also, the only one so far.
You want to sell the bar? No, of course I don't want to sell the bar, but I don't have a choice.
COVID wiped that place out, man.
I mean, Kensi and I are the lucky ones.
If we didn't have another job, we'd be on the street right now.
Wait.
Are you sure you don't want to buy the bar? 'Cause this could be your last opportunity.
Deeks, I don't even own a house.
Why would I want to buy a bar? Well, for starters, it comes with a golden frickin' shark, man.
I mean, that should seal the deal right there.
I was gonna hang on to the shark if I sold it to somebody else, but if I sell it to my friend, the shark is yours.
Does Kensi know you're here? Yes, yes, Kensi knows that I'm here.
Which is the perfect transition, speaking of partners.
Because the bar provides a place to live for a young G.
Callen.
Mm.
So the buyer doesn't want a tenant.
They don't want some random dude living above their new fancy bar.
And now you have to tell Callen.
Yes, unless Better idea You can tell him.
- Me? - Yeah.
I mean, you're his partner, right? Probably his best friend.
You may be his only friend.
And I'm sure he would take bad news better from you than he would from me.
It's not happening.
Come on, man! What if I buy you a coupon for all your lattes and cappuccinos? Then I detail the Hellcat, huh? What if I buy you a year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club? They got boysenberry and raspberry and snozzberries.
Deeks, you're funny.
Yeah.
No, I definitely feel funny.
The kind of funny where you get nauseous and then throw up on a Hellcat.
- Deeks? - What? Relax.
It'll be fine.
Callen's cool.
Just talk to him.
He'll understand.
And get off my car.
Don't do that.
Just get off my car.
- I got my shea butter all over it.
- Yeah, yeah.
Sunblocks, not shea butter.
I wear shea butter.
Hello? Good morning, Mr.
Callen.
Dr.
Hodge.
Hey, did I, uh did I miss my annual physical? This is our follow-up appointment.
My follow-up to what? I haven't I haven't seen you in I don't know a year.
Um, our last video appointment was two weeks ago.
You really don't remember? I hate to break it to you, Dr.
Hodge, but, uh, that wasn't me.
Um, Mr.
Callen, are you feeling okay? Yeah, I feel great.
Huh.
Let me, um get back to you.
Okay.
Thanks.
What do we got? A call came in from ONI this morning after security at an industrial office park in Hawthorne found the body of this woman, Dr.
Laura Nash, shot dead inside one of the warehouses.
She was leading a team of engineers to develop a short-range radar technology for the Department of the Navy.
The only prototype in existence was stolen last night from the warehouse.
What exactly does this thing do? This.
This was taken during yesterday's testing session, not long before Dr.
Nash was killed.
It's like X-ray goggles, but on steroids.
Who are the tactical role players? Marine Raiders.
Master Sergeant David Maxwell was the one wearing the headset.
He's worked closely with Dr.
Nash for the last two years to develop this tech.
Hawthorne PD has cleared their alibis.
What about surveillance footage? Well, the warehouse has a closed-circuit system.
So, Hawthorne PD's still going through it, but they haven't found anything yet.
And what do we know about Dr.
Nash? Well, she was a single mom.
We notified her daughter, who's a freshman at Penn.
I, um, looked into Dr.
Nash's background.
Her husband died when their daughter was seven, so, she's raised her all on her own.
And they killed her just to get the radar tech.
Which makes me think that whoever is behind this is aware of its capabilities.
And they will either use it or sell it to someone who will.
Could you imagine if an active shooter had this? It's terrifying.
Well, it's not as terrifying as if one of our enemies, like Russia or China, got a hold of it.
They would have the resources to reverse engineer it and mass-produce it.
All right, Agent Callen, you and Hanna talk to Master Sergeant Maxwell, find out what you can about this radar technology.
Agent Blye and Investigator Deeks will hit the crime scene, while Agent Namazi looks into this team of engineers.
We can ill afford to have one shooter with this technology.
God help us if it's a whole army of 'em.
Feels like I just lost someone from my unit.
Dr.
Nash was a civilian, but she was also one of us.
Every successful mission requires teamwork, including civilians.
All she wanted was to give our Marines an edge.
This radar tech's gonna do that - and then some.
- When is the Department of Navy planning on rolling this out? If it was up to me, our boys would've had it already.
You saw what this thing can do, but Dr.
Nash wanted to make sure it was perfect.
Refused to sign off until every last bug was checked out.
Who's taking over the project now? No idea.
But if I made the decisions, Kevin Tyler, Dr.
Nash's right-hand man, her clone.
Clone? The way they both went about their jobs Diligent, meticulous.
Even had the same mannerisms.
Though I'd say Tyler's more personable.
Everyone loves him.
Was he there yesterday? No.
Just me, Dr.
Nash, and the two Marines I brought to help with the tests.
Tyler usually stays back at headquarters to monitor the test training analytics.
Who else knows about the warehouse? Just the names I mentioned.
We keep an extremely tight lid on anything related to testing.
You, uh, wanted to see me, Admiral? Where is the report that I asked for on the engineers who worked under Dr.
Nash? Oh, I'm still interviewing them.
What is taking you so long, Agent Namazi? I have seen snails move through molasses with greater speed.
Um, uh, you know, it's just a lot for one person, sir.
And I'm used to Agent Rountree being here, and so, without He is not.
You are.
Get it done.
Yes, sir.
Did you catch the game last night? Yes.
Agent Rountree's sister was ballin'.
I mean, 32 points, nine boards, six dimes.
And she hit the game winner.
It's like she willed the Bruins to victory.
Should've called "bank.
" Right.
Anything? Yeah.
Got a big empty space with a, uh, office and a bathroom up there, plenty of storage, parking everywhere.
I'm just saying, if we ever strike it rich, you can have the garage for your cars.
- I want my own custom warehouse.
- Cool.
I was asking about the window.
Did you manage to get that open? Oh, yeah.
No, that's jammed with a layer of dust.
There's no way the killer came in through there.
Okay.
Well, in that case, they must have come through the side door because that is the only other entrance without a camera.
Yeah, but there's no signs of forced entry, which means the killer either picked the lock or had a key.
Hmm.
So the test ran until 7:30 p.
m.
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay, the coroner's report has Dr.
Nash's TOD at 8:03.
Which means the killer came through that door some place in that half-hour window.
Except CSU says surveillance cameras saw the Marine testers outside in the parking lot hanging out until almost 9:00.
See, that doesn't make any sense because the parking lot has a direct line of sight to the side door.
There's no way they just missed the killer walking in.
Unless they didn't.
I see a sparkle in your eye.
What do you got? Maybe the killer was already inside.
Maybe they came in while they were running the tests.
That's interesting.
When no one's paying attention.
Someone could just slide right in and then they hide, and they wait for Dr.
Nash to be on her own.
- Then they kill her.
- Yup.
And they steal the radar tech.
I like it.
I mean, I don't like it, but I like it.
Mr.
Callen, this is Bill over at Certified National Bank.
We spoke a few days ago.
Listen, I'm sorry.
We can't approve your loan application at this time.
Um, hope your mother's okay.
Call me back if you have any questions.
Bye-bye.
Anna? No.
Uh, a robocall.
Stop.
I know what you're thinking.
I told you.
I am done trying to find any of Hetty's other protégés.
Okay.
Hey, guys.
I, uh, just completed the prelim interviews with everyone on Dr.
Nash's team, except for one person Navy Reserve Petty Officer LS-1, Kevin Tyler.
Dr.
Nash's right-hand man.
- Mm-hmm.
- Why hasn't he been interviewed? Never showed up for work today.
It's his first missed day in five years.
- Did you try calling him? - His phone's off-line.
When was the last time somebody actually saw Tyler? Yesterday around 4:00 p.
m.
A co-worker ran into him getting into the elevator to leave, but he didn't say where he was going.
And now he's missing, along with the radar tech.
Well, we find one, we may find the other.
Why don't you dig up whatever you can on Tyler? Talk to his co-workers again.
Maybe somebody knows something.
Oh, and send his address to our phones.
I'm sending it to you now.
Oh.
LAPD flagged his address for a routine welfare check.
It looks like a neighbor reported that his door was left open all night.
So he's diligent and meticulous but he forgot to shut his door? How long till LAPD gets there? The call's still in the queue, so ETA's 45 minutes.
Cancel it.
We'll go by ourselves.
You got it.
I mean, don't get me wrong.
I love our life and wouldn't change a gosh darn thing.
And yet, this morning you wanted to change the garage into a man cave, and now you want to turn said man cave into a man warehouse.
Just dreaming out loud, baby.
Sweetie, I get it.
I know how you feel about the bar.
I feel it, too.
I just really think that we need to prioritize where we put our focus.
And right now, our priorities are bringing a child into our lives.
I think I just found the killer's hiding place.
Oh, thank God.
I can't wait to leave.
The place is literally filled with rats.
With a perfect view of the testing area.
Killer could've watched the Marines go, and then move in on Dr.
Nash.
This person's good.
Yeah.
Not good enough.
Kevin Tyler? Federal agents! Clear.
Whoever killedDr.
Nash may have come for Tyler, too.
If that's the case, what did they want with him? Maybe they wanted the radar tech.
And they used Tyler to get it.
What is this I'm looking at? It's an analysis of the threads that Kensi and Deeks found at the warehouse.
This is a cotton twill that's been soaked in dye processed from the leaves of an Indigofera plant.
In other words, it is raw denim.
Impressive.
I was a Denimhead.
Japanese selvedge was all I wore in college.
What in Sam Hill is Japanese selvedge? We call them jeans.
Oh, no.
Actually, it is much more of subculture.
We take great pride in our denim, especially the process of breaking them in.
Mm-hmm.
We call it "wearing them.
" And washing them.
Oh, no, never wash them.
What? Gross.
So gross.
No, freezer is so much better, and it doesn't ruin the fade.
Huh.
Oh.
I hate Los Angeles.
On that note.
Well, it looks like this isn't just any pair of raw denim.
It contains a non-pigment black overcoating.
Okay, so, it's double-dyed Black over indigo.
That's right, and it looks like the dye is still fresh.
So just to clarify, these come from a new pair of jeans then? Most likely.
I mean, the initial dye would've already broken in had they been worn - more than a few times.
- But if they're new, - why are there threads falling off? - Could have been cut at the hem, you know, turned into shorts or something.
Even knee holes would leave threads.
Do we know who sells them? Uh, a number of manufacturers do, but I was able to trace the dye to an indigo mill based in Osaka, Japan.
And the only U.
S.
manufacturer that they've shipped their fabric rolls to is right here in Hollywood.
Of course it's in Hollywood.
Hey, babe, I could really use a new pair of denim.
- Yeah, I could use a new freezer.
- Hey.
- You know what? - Shopping spree.
- I'm down.
Let's do it.
- Cool.
No signs of forced entry.
You think Tyler knew his kidnappers? Oh, maybe they forced their way in when he answered the door.
Huh.
Oh.
Looks like our man was inked up.
Tattoo tracing paper.
He saved 'em? That's a little weird, right? Well, some people hold onto it if the tattoo is meaningful.
It's like a keepsake.
Isn't the tattoo the keepsake? When are you going to get your first tattoo? How do you know I don't have one already? Nah, you can't keep it to yourself.
Well, maybe I have it somewhere that you just don't get to see.
Uh, no, no.
Never mind.
I-I don't even know why I try.
Well, I do.
You're a glutton for punishment.
No denying that.
Oh, got another one.
"W, K, 4, L.
" - WK for life? - Hmm.
Could be a gang reference.
Hmm.
Tyler grew up in Venice.
Lot of gangs in the area.
He would have been 16.
Could be an initiation tattoo.
Fatima? Yeah.
Could you check for any gangs in the Venice area - that have the initials "WK"? - You got it, Sam.
Anything about this crime scene feel a little off to you? You mean the way things are just tossed around, random? Where was he when they took him? Was he, living room, kitchen, back room? I'm starting to wonder if this is a crime scene at all.
You think Tyler staged his own kidnapping? When was the last time your kidnapper gave you time to pack up? Hmm.
Oh.
See, now that is what I'm talking about.
Look at this.
I'm getting a very, uh, Marlon Brando, The Wild Onevibe.
Oh, you have no idea how wild I could be with this bad boy.
Uh, no, sweetie.
That is the title of the movie that Brando first wore it in.
I could have been a contender.
- I could have been somebody.
- Yeah, take it off.
Stella! And here we are.
These are the jeans.
Wow.
These are nice.
425 bucks.
Huh.
What? For one, or do they come in a pack of three? You know what? I really feel I should try them on.
You know, really get inside the killer's mind? We can tailor those to fit any way you like.
Really wish you wouldn't have said that.
Hi.
I am, uh, Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS.
This is my partner, Investigator Deeks.
Hi.
Ruby.
It's my shop.
How can I help? Well, we have a few questions about these jeans in particular.
- The Palomas.
- Yeah.
My best seller.
Because they come in a pack of three? Sticker shock.
He's not a Denimhead.
For what goes into a pair of these, they're a steal.
- Mm-hmm.
- Unless, you know, you prefer mass-produced jeans with stretch.
- Ooh.
- Oh.
You mean range of motion? - Oh, no, no.
- Little bit of that action? - Sorry.
- Huh? It's just, do you have a customer list that we could possibly take a look at, please? Sure thing.
Be right back.
Thank you, Ruby.
So, if everything in here is incredibly high quality and priced accordingly Then customers aren't hurting for money, so, maybe whoever stole the technology isn't trying to sell it.
Maybe they're trying to use it.
White Kings.
W-K-4-L.
White Kings For Life? They're a white supremacist gang in Venice, known for trafficking narcotics and weapons.
Wait a second.
Tyler had background checks in the Navy and at Z3.
Why wasn't this ever flagged? I don't know, but if he can hide all this, imagine what else is out there.
Fatima, go through all of Tyler's units in the Navy before he joined Z3.
See if anything unusual comes up, and, uh, get me a list of all known members of the White Kings.
If Tyler's close with these guys, I want to know who we're dealing with.
Copy that.
Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Malibu? We sure this is a customer list or a membership to Soho House? Oh, come on.
There are plenty of Hollywood types who would like a simple thing like a well-made pair of denim.
Yeah, but how many Hollywood types can break into a warehouse and steal high-tech radar equipment? I'm thinking the Rock, maybe even, uh, Jason Momoa.
Ah, you're just fantasizing about putting them boys in them jeans.
I'm just dreaming out loud.
Chris, uh, Hemsworth? What just happened? Why are you blushing? - Nothing.
- Did you just have a stroke? Stop it.
Did I just hit something real? - Moving on.
Moving on - What is happening right now? Okay.
So if we rule out people that actually bought the jeans, then how is the killer getting his hands on 'em? Donations.
Donate what? What if the jeans we're looking for weren't sold? Maybe they were donated.
Okay, I have a question.
Who buys a new pair of jeans just to give them away? Well, if you manufacturer clothes, you always end up with seconds.
- Right.
- You know, garments with minor faults - that fail QC.
- I'm with you.
Instead of sending them back, what they do is, they either sell them at a discount, or they donate them to charity.
I didn't see any discount bins in there, so So, maybe Ruby is donating hers.
Oh, Ruby.
Shall we? Uh, excuse me, Ruby.
I knew you'd be back to try 'em on.
Actually, um, I have a few more questions - about those jeans.
- Shoot.
Um, what do you do with your seconds? Throw 'em in a box.
About every six months or so, give 'em to this guy who runs a community outreach center in Venice.
Wow.
When's the last time you did that? Maybe a week ago.
And how did you meet this guy? Um through my sister.
Okay.
Were they together? Not exactly.
She had a She had a problem with methamphetamines.
Oh.
I'm, uh I'm sorry to hear that.
That must've been really hard.
Kaylee was my best friend.
We did everything together.
I mean, if you saw how she used to She wasn't even the same person.
Were you able to get her any help? We tried everything.
She didn't want help, ended up on the streets.
And then she was taken in at the community center? They have a no-drugs policy, but Manny didn't care.
Gave her a place to sleep, wash up, hot meals.
Treated her like she was his own family.
That's just who he is.
So she's okay now then? No.
She relapsed, and it was too much for her body to handle.
Oh.
I'm-I'm so sorry.
Thank you.
I'll never forget what Manny did for her.
I don't have much, but I give what I can.
Go ahead, Fatima.
Well, it looks like all signs point to the White Kings having a casual org structure, which is why it's taking so long to ID their members.
Well, that could be by design.
Makes it harder to know - who's running things.
- Well, makes it hard to know who the members are.
That might be why Tyler never got flagged in his background checks.
Or maybe he's just really good at covering his tracks.
I found several inventory errors at each location that he was stationed during his time with the Navy.
In most cases, several.
And yet, Tyler was never written up.
What kind of inventory? Equipment, weapons, a few rifles here, some body armor there.
But nothing big enough to raise any red flags.
Yeah, but over time, he's stockpiled enough to outfit a small militia.
Where could he have kept it all? Maybe they sold it.
White Kings were known for trafficking weapons.
Tyler could've been their supplier.
That means he could've helped them steal the radar tech.
But I don't get it.
If they've been running this scheme for years, you know, taking small amounts from large-inventory items to avoid drawing attention, then why go for the radar tech? It's one of one.
It goes missing, everyone notices.
Well, maybe they didn't care if they were noticed.
It could have been their chance to cash out.
Then they'd need a buyer.
Somebody who has the money and wants the radar tech.
And someone who's willing to be charged with espionage if they get caught.
Well, a foreign operative checks all three of those boxes.
If that's the case, they're not keeping it here.
They're gonna get it home as fast as possible.
Fatima, check every international flight leaving L.
A.
in the next 24 hours.
Narrow if down using facial rec, anyone flagged by ONI.
And focus on the regions that have state-sponsored - espionage operations.
- You got it.
So, basically, Russia and China.
Basically.
- Manny Ortiz? - That's me.
- Hey.
- What's going on? Investigator Martin Deeks.
This is Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS.
Hi.
We'd like to, uh, ask you about some donated jeans you received from Ruby over at Schaeffer's Garment Hotel.
Oh, yeah.
Those are real nice.
But you got to be crazy to pay that kind of money for jeans.
My thoughts exactly.
- Hey, thanks again.
- All right, take care, brother.
- Who's that? - Volunteer.
Yeah, we got all kinds of people helping out Carpenters, electricians.
He painted the inside, made it look real nice.
Huh.
And what's going on here today? Uh, big event.
We're giving scholarships to ten high school seniors, all from immigrant families, first-time college students.
- Wow.
That's amazing.
- It's incredible.
Yeah, these kids have been through a lot.
I'm so proud of 'em.
Anyway, uh, what about the jeans? Oh, just wanted to know what you did with them.
Usually, I leave 'em inside for whoever needs 'em, but those we gave to the volunteers.
We don't have any money so we can't pay 'em, but we could hook 'em up with nice stuff.
Do you know which volunteers? Oh, they all got something.
My only rule is, don't take it if you're not gonna wear it.
Any way to get their names? We don't take names.
We take anybody who will help.
But I will see what I can do for you.
- It's appreciated.
- That'll be great.
- Thank you.
Keep up the great work.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
So, I ran the names on all the flights out of L.
A.
through ONI.
And then I checked those against the countries that are most likely to target us in an espionage attack, and one name kept popping up.
Jun Chen.
She's actually leaving L.
A.
tonight on a flight to Lisbon.
She's a professor from a university in Shanghai.
What's she doing here? She's a visiting professor teaching Chinese language courses.
But she's been here five times in the last three years on a series of work visas.
Where is she teaching? Different universities across the country.
I haven't found anything really unique that they share in common except for their proximity to a naval base or a defense contractor.
But get this.
ONI, with the help of Scotland Yard, discovered a spy network operating out of North America and Europe.
Now, every place she's been to is on their list.
Well, that fits a lot of markers of the PRC Ministry of State Security.
Why hasn't she been arrested? They just hadn't been able to piece it all together yet.
Oh, well, facial rec has her entering a nail salon in Marina Del Rey 20 minutes ago.
Agent Castor and his partner are in the area.
All right, have Castor swing by, pick her up, give her a ride to the boatshed.
- We'll head over there.
- You got it.
I do not understand.
I am a visiting professor from Shanghai.
But that's not why you're here.
I have a work visa.
Five cities in the U.
S.
, four more in Europe.
We know what you did at each stop.
And we know what you're doing here in L.
A.
Tell me you found something on this Chinese operative we can use.
I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a cover this good.
I mean, it's like she's a ghost.
I mean, the only thing I could find was an address for her parents' apartment building in Shanghai.
Why don't you come clean? Tell us where the radar technology is.
What radar technology? Please, I have a flight to catch to You're not gonna catch that flight.
When we're done with you here, the FBI, CIA, NSA They're all gonna want to have a few minutes with you.
But I did find something interesting about the apartment building.
Half of the tenants that live there are from the same farming village in Hunan province.
It's the home of a phosphate mining and fertilizer company.
Hmm.
You're gonna spend the rest of your life in prison.
Now it's up to you to decide how comfortable that stay will be.
Oh, wow.
Uh, according to hospital records, uh, the cancer rate has doubled in the last 20 years.
Ever since the company began operating.
Where is it? Those callouses, and scars on your hands.
You didn't get those from spending endless hours in the library.
Those come from long hours in the fields, under tough conditions.
Years of physical labor.
The kind people do every day in small farming villages.
You find labor to be shameful? I grew up working with my hands.
There's nothing shameful about it.
There's also no shame in wanting to leave a village that's become a toxic dump site.
A lot of people dying, more than should be.
Most don't do anything about it.
But you did.
You got out, you got to the city, you got educated, you met people, you carved out a niche for yourself.
Right? Now, you want to do the same thing for your parents, other people in the village? Get them out too, hmm? That's how it works, right? You help out the government, they help out the people you care about.
Until you get caught.
Then they'll kill you to keep you from talking.
Listen.
We can help protect you on the inside, keep you safe.
Maybe in time, even help your loved ones.
First, you got to help us.
If this fairy tale of yours was true, and I am the person you claim, then you already know that I am at peace dying in one of your prisons.
Because in this fairy tale, it would be many times worse for me and the people I love if my government knew I gave up the radar technology.
I will not tell you where it is.
But I will help you.
The person who sold it to you? Give us a name.
It was two men.
And in my line of business, we do not ask for names.
- Is that one of 'em? - Yes.
He was the younger man.
What about the other one? The other man was much older, like a father to a son.
How much did you pay 'em? $2 million.
But the older man He wanted something more.
What did he want? Devil's Wrath.
What is it? All right, thanks.
The bomb techs I train with said it's an explosive that China's supposed to be working on.
High-intensity, no trace residue.
An untraceable explosive.
Why aren't we seeing more of it? It's unstable.
You can't detonate it with a cell phone trigger.
You got to be within a couple of hundred yards.
Hey, guys, I just spoke with my contact over at ATF.
He's worked the Venice gang scene for years.
He knows all about the White Kings.
He said a man named Seth Wilcox is kind of like their O.
G.
godfather.
He served four and a half years at Pelican Bay for a felony weapons charge.
Got out last year.
Isn't that the painter The guy with the blue flannel? Yeah, that's him.
Hey, guys, we just saw Wilcox leaving a community center in Venice.
He was painting the inside for an event they're having today.
- What kind of event? - They're awarding college scholarships to graduating seniors from immigrant families.
Immigrants.
Non-citizens, DREAMers.
That's right in Wilcox's backyard.
And he's got to hate that.
So why would he help them? Maybe he's there for some other reason.
Wilcox could be trying to blow up the community center.
I mean, he could've planted the bomb while he was inside painting.
Yeah, but they were cleaning the place out to get it ready.
Wouldn't somebody have found it? Nobody's gonna bother a painter patching up a hole.
He could have put the bomb in the drywall.
Call the center, - tell them to evacuate now.
- I already did, but no one's answering, and the event's about to start.
We got to get down there.
On our way.
We're pulling in now.
Looks like it's about to get started.
We got no sign of Wilcox, or Tyler.
You guys go inside and start evacuating.
We'll look for 'em.
Copy that.
They'll want to take off as soon as they detonate.
They got to be in one of these cars.
Well, unless they went into the community center, make sure it's full of people before they blow it.
Got 'em.
Three o'clock.
That road dead-ends to the alley.
We'll take 'em from behind.
Shooter! Cover! Kens, Deeks, you good? We're evacuating now.
- Go.
- Come on.
Sam, cover me! Hands in the air! You're surrounded! Hands in the air! - Hands up! - Slowly put that gun on the ground.
Put your weapon on the ground.
Don't do it! Put that gun on the ground! - Put it down.
- Slowly.
Stand up, hands in the air.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
Detonator's in the car.
Bomb squad just got here.
You good? We're good.
That is good to know.
Um, let us know if you find anything else.
Wow.
Well, it looks like Seth Wilcox and Kevin Tyler were planning to make a run for it.
LAPD found fake passports, $2 million in small bills, and more of those Chinese explosives stashed away at a hotel near Tyler's house.
They also found a pair of Paloma jeans in Wilcox's bag, cut off at the hem.
Hmm.
Well, he must have gotten the jeans volunteering at the community center.
Then wore them to the warehouse.
He killed Dr.
Nash.
Well, um, we managed to stop a bomb, save innocent lives, uh, recover Chinese money and high-tech explosives, and get Dr.
Nash's killer.
All things considered, that's a pretty good day.
All things considered, pretty good is not good enough.
That radar technology is still out there.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But there's always tomorrow.
- Now that was a party.
- Yeah.
I feel like we became honorary members - of Manny Ortiz's family.
- Mm.
You know, I was talking to this girl, and, uh, she's attending UCLA next year.
I told her I'd introduce her to Rountree's sister.
She cannot wait.
Yeah, well, I cannot wait to get home, plop down on the couch, put something on that has over-the-top action and a nonexistent storyline.
Really? I was kind of hoping for more of a storyline and less action.
Well, you know what? If we had additional space Say, for instance, the size of a, I don't know, two-car garage We could actually do both.
Okay, let's do this.
On weekdays we park our cars in the garage, and on weekends you have free rein.
Can I put in a little TV, tiny little couch, maybe a golden frickin' shark? You can have a tiny little beach chair.
- Sold! - Sold.
- Yes.
- What? What? What? I still got to tell Callen.
- Okay, let's go do it.
- No, no.
I'm the one that asked him to move in.
I should be the one to tell him he's got to move out.
- Okay.
- I'll see you at home.
You can pick the movie.
How about The Wild One? Hey, Johnny, what are you rebelling against? What do you got? I can already tell you're gonna be up all night thinking about this How Tyler and Wilcox got as far as they did.
This didn't just happen out of nowhere.
This thing was planned years ago.
All Wilcox needed was someone like Tyler to make it work.
He's been molding him from a very young age.
Yeah.
Makes you wonder how many other people out there are like Wilcox, planting their people in law enforcement, military, intelligence community.
Oh.
Kam's in town.
I'm going to dinner with her and Josh.
- You want to come? - Can I have them guess my tattoo? You're right.
I'm a glutton for punishment.
- Told you.
- Hey.
Yo.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Do you need something? Yeah.
I mean, I don't know if I would actually consider it needing something per se.
Deeks.
I got an offer on the Squid & Dagger.
Too good to refuse.
I, um I'm gonna sell the bar.
You're selling the bar? Yeah.
Thank God.
I don't I don't think that you, um Sorry.
I don't think that you heard me.
No, I heard you.
Congrats.
Right, well, then, I don't I don't think that you're fully understanding, 'cause if I if I sell the bar, it means that you got to find a new place A new place to live.
No, I I get it.
It's just, it's a lot, and you-you don't seem very fazed by that.
I've had a little bit of practice at this.
Right.
Just out of curiosity, when's the last time you lived in a place this long? Never.
In fact, I actually don't know how I made it work.
So why did you do it? Why did you stay? I thought you could use the money.
I know things have been tight around here lately, and I figured at some point you and Kens would want to buy a house and start a family.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Of course.
You would have you would have done the same for me.
In a heartbeat.
You know, uh, the house we bought It's a two-bedroom, if you want to - Not a chance.
- Okay.
Anna, you know how much I love you.
Anna, you know how much I love you.
Anna, you know how much I love you.
Anna, you know how much I love you.
You're dead, Nelson.
How's the shoulder? I'll live.
What the hell is that thing, Top? You'll know soon.
Right, Dr.
Nash? If that damn thing can tell the difference between a rifle and a pistol.
Let's run it again.
You heard her.
Let's go.
Hello? Master Sergeant? Who's there? Security's on its way.
Oh.
And it's Deeks on the outside, and Seabiscuit is gaining slowly, and they're coming - Yeah! - Oh, that was hot.
Speaking of hot, that breakfast this morning was fire.
It had everything taste, texture.
It was amazing.
What are you talking about? I made toast with butter.
What? That was just toast with butter? Well, that must have been some sort of special artisan butter, from artisan cows raised on gourmet grass - and sleeping in sound baths.
- Let it go.
You're not turning the garage into a man cave.
What?! I don't even know what you're talking about.
- Uh-huh.
- But now that you mention I just think it's silly that we squander our very limited real estate with the parking of automobiles.
Yeah, I like parking the cars in the garage because they're protected, and also, it's safer.
The median price per square foot in Los Angeles is above $500.
- $500! - Mm.
That means our little two-car garage is Hold on a second.
I'm doing math.
- Smells like smoke.
- Oh, my God! Those cars are costing us a fortune.
We-we should be charging them rent.
Okay, you know what? Even if we could afford to build it out, what would you do with it? I don't know.
Haven't really thought about it.
But I would start with a pool table a bar area, two bar stools, big screen TVs, - a golden shark.
- Yeah, so basically, you would build the Squid & Dagger in our house.
I mean, we can call it a different name if you want to.
Speaking of which, did you tell Callen? I mean, what does it mean to really tell anybody anything? Oh! Deeks, you have to tell him that we're selling the bar.
He needs time to find a place to live.
I know.
It's just that every time I go to tell him, I get this ominous message from my Magic 8 Ball.
A lot of "Reply hazy.
Try again.
" Lately, I've been getting an "Outlook not so good.
" Yeah.
Maybe you shouldn't consult with the Magic 8 Ball.
Well, it hasn't let me down so far.
Do you know how many "Yes" answers I got before I finally proposed? To go to that Italian restaurant that we went to last week? Which was amazing.
Those garlic knots were the jam! The jam, yeah.
Okay, well, let me remind you that I proposed to you.
- That was romantic.
- But, also, listen.
If you let him down gently, I'm sure it'll blow over really fast eventually.
You know who's great at that? - Mm.
- Sam.
Yeah.
Good luck with that.
You know what? Why don't you drop me off at home first? What? You don't want to go with me for-for-for moral support or for protection? - Yeah.
Yeah.
Outlook not so good.
- That's not cool.
You threw it back at me.
That's a touché.
Ooh.
Java a day keeps the bad guys away.
- You make that up? - I did just now.
- But it's great, though, right? - Yeah.
I should put it on T-shirts for the team.
Put you down for an extra medium.
Deeks, what are you doing here? I got to ask you a question.
Before my morning coffee? This must be important.
I got an offer on the Squid & Dagger.
It's the best one so far.
Also, the only one so far.
You want to sell the bar? No, of course I don't want to sell the bar, but I don't have a choice.
COVID wiped that place out, man.
I mean, Kensi and I are the lucky ones.
If we didn't have another job, we'd be on the street right now.
Wait.
Are you sure you don't want to buy the bar? 'Cause this could be your last opportunity.
Deeks, I don't even own a house.
Why would I want to buy a bar? Well, for starters, it comes with a golden frickin' shark, man.
I mean, that should seal the deal right there.
I was gonna hang on to the shark if I sold it to somebody else, but if I sell it to my friend, the shark is yours.
Does Kensi know you're here? Yes, yes, Kensi knows that I'm here.
Which is the perfect transition, speaking of partners.
Because the bar provides a place to live for a young G.
Callen.
Mm.
So the buyer doesn't want a tenant.
They don't want some random dude living above their new fancy bar.
And now you have to tell Callen.
Yes, unless Better idea You can tell him.
- Me? - Yeah.
I mean, you're his partner, right? Probably his best friend.
You may be his only friend.
And I'm sure he would take bad news better from you than he would from me.
It's not happening.
Come on, man! What if I buy you a coupon for all your lattes and cappuccinos? Then I detail the Hellcat, huh? What if I buy you a year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club? They got boysenberry and raspberry and snozzberries.
Deeks, you're funny.
Yeah.
No, I definitely feel funny.
The kind of funny where you get nauseous and then throw up on a Hellcat.
- Deeks? - What? Relax.
It'll be fine.
Callen's cool.
Just talk to him.
He'll understand.
And get off my car.
Don't do that.
Just get off my car.
- I got my shea butter all over it.
- Yeah, yeah.
Sunblocks, not shea butter.
I wear shea butter.
Hello? Good morning, Mr.
Callen.
Dr.
Hodge.
Hey, did I, uh did I miss my annual physical? This is our follow-up appointment.
My follow-up to what? I haven't I haven't seen you in I don't know a year.
Um, our last video appointment was two weeks ago.
You really don't remember? I hate to break it to you, Dr.
Hodge, but, uh, that wasn't me.
Um, Mr.
Callen, are you feeling okay? Yeah, I feel great.
Huh.
Let me, um get back to you.
Okay.
Thanks.
What do we got? A call came in from ONI this morning after security at an industrial office park in Hawthorne found the body of this woman, Dr.
Laura Nash, shot dead inside one of the warehouses.
She was leading a team of engineers to develop a short-range radar technology for the Department of the Navy.
The only prototype in existence was stolen last night from the warehouse.
What exactly does this thing do? This.
This was taken during yesterday's testing session, not long before Dr.
Nash was killed.
It's like X-ray goggles, but on steroids.
Who are the tactical role players? Marine Raiders.
Master Sergeant David Maxwell was the one wearing the headset.
He's worked closely with Dr.
Nash for the last two years to develop this tech.
Hawthorne PD has cleared their alibis.
What about surveillance footage? Well, the warehouse has a closed-circuit system.
So, Hawthorne PD's still going through it, but they haven't found anything yet.
And what do we know about Dr.
Nash? Well, she was a single mom.
We notified her daughter, who's a freshman at Penn.
I, um, looked into Dr.
Nash's background.
Her husband died when their daughter was seven, so, she's raised her all on her own.
And they killed her just to get the radar tech.
Which makes me think that whoever is behind this is aware of its capabilities.
And they will either use it or sell it to someone who will.
Could you imagine if an active shooter had this? It's terrifying.
Well, it's not as terrifying as if one of our enemies, like Russia or China, got a hold of it.
They would have the resources to reverse engineer it and mass-produce it.
All right, Agent Callen, you and Hanna talk to Master Sergeant Maxwell, find out what you can about this radar technology.
Agent Blye and Investigator Deeks will hit the crime scene, while Agent Namazi looks into this team of engineers.
We can ill afford to have one shooter with this technology.
God help us if it's a whole army of 'em.
Feels like I just lost someone from my unit.
Dr.
Nash was a civilian, but she was also one of us.
Every successful mission requires teamwork, including civilians.
All she wanted was to give our Marines an edge.
This radar tech's gonna do that - and then some.
- When is the Department of Navy planning on rolling this out? If it was up to me, our boys would've had it already.
You saw what this thing can do, but Dr.
Nash wanted to make sure it was perfect.
Refused to sign off until every last bug was checked out.
Who's taking over the project now? No idea.
But if I made the decisions, Kevin Tyler, Dr.
Nash's right-hand man, her clone.
Clone? The way they both went about their jobs Diligent, meticulous.
Even had the same mannerisms.
Though I'd say Tyler's more personable.
Everyone loves him.
Was he there yesterday? No.
Just me, Dr.
Nash, and the two Marines I brought to help with the tests.
Tyler usually stays back at headquarters to monitor the test training analytics.
Who else knows about the warehouse? Just the names I mentioned.
We keep an extremely tight lid on anything related to testing.
You, uh, wanted to see me, Admiral? Where is the report that I asked for on the engineers who worked under Dr.
Nash? Oh, I'm still interviewing them.
What is taking you so long, Agent Namazi? I have seen snails move through molasses with greater speed.
Um, uh, you know, it's just a lot for one person, sir.
And I'm used to Agent Rountree being here, and so, without He is not.
You are.
Get it done.
Yes, sir.
Did you catch the game last night? Yes.
Agent Rountree's sister was ballin'.
I mean, 32 points, nine boards, six dimes.
And she hit the game winner.
It's like she willed the Bruins to victory.
Should've called "bank.
" Right.
Anything? Yeah.
Got a big empty space with a, uh, office and a bathroom up there, plenty of storage, parking everywhere.
I'm just saying, if we ever strike it rich, you can have the garage for your cars.
- I want my own custom warehouse.
- Cool.
I was asking about the window.
Did you manage to get that open? Oh, yeah.
No, that's jammed with a layer of dust.
There's no way the killer came in through there.
Okay.
Well, in that case, they must have come through the side door because that is the only other entrance without a camera.
Yeah, but there's no signs of forced entry, which means the killer either picked the lock or had a key.
Hmm.
So the test ran until 7:30 p.
m.
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay, the coroner's report has Dr.
Nash's TOD at 8:03.
Which means the killer came through that door some place in that half-hour window.
Except CSU says surveillance cameras saw the Marine testers outside in the parking lot hanging out until almost 9:00.
See, that doesn't make any sense because the parking lot has a direct line of sight to the side door.
There's no way they just missed the killer walking in.
Unless they didn't.
I see a sparkle in your eye.
What do you got? Maybe the killer was already inside.
Maybe they came in while they were running the tests.
That's interesting.
When no one's paying attention.
Someone could just slide right in and then they hide, and they wait for Dr.
Nash to be on her own.
- Then they kill her.
- Yup.
And they steal the radar tech.
I like it.
I mean, I don't like it, but I like it.
Mr.
Callen, this is Bill over at Certified National Bank.
We spoke a few days ago.
Listen, I'm sorry.
We can't approve your loan application at this time.
Um, hope your mother's okay.
Call me back if you have any questions.
Bye-bye.
Anna? No.
Uh, a robocall.
Stop.
I know what you're thinking.
I told you.
I am done trying to find any of Hetty's other protégés.
Okay.
Hey, guys.
I, uh, just completed the prelim interviews with everyone on Dr.
Nash's team, except for one person Navy Reserve Petty Officer LS-1, Kevin Tyler.
Dr.
Nash's right-hand man.
- Mm-hmm.
- Why hasn't he been interviewed? Never showed up for work today.
It's his first missed day in five years.
- Did you try calling him? - His phone's off-line.
When was the last time somebody actually saw Tyler? Yesterday around 4:00 p.
m.
A co-worker ran into him getting into the elevator to leave, but he didn't say where he was going.
And now he's missing, along with the radar tech.
Well, we find one, we may find the other.
Why don't you dig up whatever you can on Tyler? Talk to his co-workers again.
Maybe somebody knows something.
Oh, and send his address to our phones.
I'm sending it to you now.
Oh.
LAPD flagged his address for a routine welfare check.
It looks like a neighbor reported that his door was left open all night.
So he's diligent and meticulous but he forgot to shut his door? How long till LAPD gets there? The call's still in the queue, so ETA's 45 minutes.
Cancel it.
We'll go by ourselves.
You got it.
I mean, don't get me wrong.
I love our life and wouldn't change a gosh darn thing.
And yet, this morning you wanted to change the garage into a man cave, and now you want to turn said man cave into a man warehouse.
Just dreaming out loud, baby.
Sweetie, I get it.
I know how you feel about the bar.
I feel it, too.
I just really think that we need to prioritize where we put our focus.
And right now, our priorities are bringing a child into our lives.
I think I just found the killer's hiding place.
Oh, thank God.
I can't wait to leave.
The place is literally filled with rats.
With a perfect view of the testing area.
Killer could've watched the Marines go, and then move in on Dr.
Nash.
This person's good.
Yeah.
Not good enough.
Kevin Tyler? Federal agents! Clear.
Whoever killedDr.
Nash may have come for Tyler, too.
If that's the case, what did they want with him? Maybe they wanted the radar tech.
And they used Tyler to get it.
What is this I'm looking at? It's an analysis of the threads that Kensi and Deeks found at the warehouse.
This is a cotton twill that's been soaked in dye processed from the leaves of an Indigofera plant.
In other words, it is raw denim.
Impressive.
I was a Denimhead.
Japanese selvedge was all I wore in college.
What in Sam Hill is Japanese selvedge? We call them jeans.
Oh, no.
Actually, it is much more of subculture.
We take great pride in our denim, especially the process of breaking them in.
Mm-hmm.
We call it "wearing them.
" And washing them.
Oh, no, never wash them.
What? Gross.
So gross.
No, freezer is so much better, and it doesn't ruin the fade.
Huh.
Oh.
I hate Los Angeles.
On that note.
Well, it looks like this isn't just any pair of raw denim.
It contains a non-pigment black overcoating.
Okay, so, it's double-dyed Black over indigo.
That's right, and it looks like the dye is still fresh.
So just to clarify, these come from a new pair of jeans then? Most likely.
I mean, the initial dye would've already broken in had they been worn - more than a few times.
- But if they're new, - why are there threads falling off? - Could have been cut at the hem, you know, turned into shorts or something.
Even knee holes would leave threads.
Do we know who sells them? Uh, a number of manufacturers do, but I was able to trace the dye to an indigo mill based in Osaka, Japan.
And the only U.
S.
manufacturer that they've shipped their fabric rolls to is right here in Hollywood.
Of course it's in Hollywood.
Hey, babe, I could really use a new pair of denim.
- Yeah, I could use a new freezer.
- Hey.
- You know what? - Shopping spree.
- I'm down.
Let's do it.
- Cool.
No signs of forced entry.
You think Tyler knew his kidnappers? Oh, maybe they forced their way in when he answered the door.
Huh.
Oh.
Looks like our man was inked up.
Tattoo tracing paper.
He saved 'em? That's a little weird, right? Well, some people hold onto it if the tattoo is meaningful.
It's like a keepsake.
Isn't the tattoo the keepsake? When are you going to get your first tattoo? How do you know I don't have one already? Nah, you can't keep it to yourself.
Well, maybe I have it somewhere that you just don't get to see.
Uh, no, no.
Never mind.
I-I don't even know why I try.
Well, I do.
You're a glutton for punishment.
No denying that.
Oh, got another one.
"W, K, 4, L.
" - WK for life? - Hmm.
Could be a gang reference.
Hmm.
Tyler grew up in Venice.
Lot of gangs in the area.
He would have been 16.
Could be an initiation tattoo.
Fatima? Yeah.
Could you check for any gangs in the Venice area - that have the initials "WK"? - You got it, Sam.
Anything about this crime scene feel a little off to you? You mean the way things are just tossed around, random? Where was he when they took him? Was he, living room, kitchen, back room? I'm starting to wonder if this is a crime scene at all.
You think Tyler staged his own kidnapping? When was the last time your kidnapper gave you time to pack up? Hmm.
Oh.
See, now that is what I'm talking about.
Look at this.
I'm getting a very, uh, Marlon Brando, The Wild Onevibe.
Oh, you have no idea how wild I could be with this bad boy.
Uh, no, sweetie.
That is the title of the movie that Brando first wore it in.
I could have been a contender.
- I could have been somebody.
- Yeah, take it off.
Stella! And here we are.
These are the jeans.
Wow.
These are nice.
425 bucks.
Huh.
What? For one, or do they come in a pack of three? You know what? I really feel I should try them on.
You know, really get inside the killer's mind? We can tailor those to fit any way you like.
Really wish you wouldn't have said that.
Hi.
I am, uh, Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS.
This is my partner, Investigator Deeks.
Hi.
Ruby.
It's my shop.
How can I help? Well, we have a few questions about these jeans in particular.
- The Palomas.
- Yeah.
My best seller.
Because they come in a pack of three? Sticker shock.
He's not a Denimhead.
For what goes into a pair of these, they're a steal.
- Mm-hmm.
- Unless, you know, you prefer mass-produced jeans with stretch.
- Ooh.
- Oh.
You mean range of motion? - Oh, no, no.
- Little bit of that action? - Sorry.
- Huh? It's just, do you have a customer list that we could possibly take a look at, please? Sure thing.
Be right back.
Thank you, Ruby.
So, if everything in here is incredibly high quality and priced accordingly Then customers aren't hurting for money, so, maybe whoever stole the technology isn't trying to sell it.
Maybe they're trying to use it.
White Kings.
W-K-4-L.
White Kings For Life? They're a white supremacist gang in Venice, known for trafficking narcotics and weapons.
Wait a second.
Tyler had background checks in the Navy and at Z3.
Why wasn't this ever flagged? I don't know, but if he can hide all this, imagine what else is out there.
Fatima, go through all of Tyler's units in the Navy before he joined Z3.
See if anything unusual comes up, and, uh, get me a list of all known members of the White Kings.
If Tyler's close with these guys, I want to know who we're dealing with.
Copy that.
Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Malibu? We sure this is a customer list or a membership to Soho House? Oh, come on.
There are plenty of Hollywood types who would like a simple thing like a well-made pair of denim.
Yeah, but how many Hollywood types can break into a warehouse and steal high-tech radar equipment? I'm thinking the Rock, maybe even, uh, Jason Momoa.
Ah, you're just fantasizing about putting them boys in them jeans.
I'm just dreaming out loud.
Chris, uh, Hemsworth? What just happened? Why are you blushing? - Nothing.
- Did you just have a stroke? Stop it.
Did I just hit something real? - Moving on.
Moving on - What is happening right now? Okay.
So if we rule out people that actually bought the jeans, then how is the killer getting his hands on 'em? Donations.
Donate what? What if the jeans we're looking for weren't sold? Maybe they were donated.
Okay, I have a question.
Who buys a new pair of jeans just to give them away? Well, if you manufacturer clothes, you always end up with seconds.
- Right.
- You know, garments with minor faults - that fail QC.
- I'm with you.
Instead of sending them back, what they do is, they either sell them at a discount, or they donate them to charity.
I didn't see any discount bins in there, so So, maybe Ruby is donating hers.
Oh, Ruby.
Shall we? Uh, excuse me, Ruby.
I knew you'd be back to try 'em on.
Actually, um, I have a few more questions - about those jeans.
- Shoot.
Um, what do you do with your seconds? Throw 'em in a box.
About every six months or so, give 'em to this guy who runs a community outreach center in Venice.
Wow.
When's the last time you did that? Maybe a week ago.
And how did you meet this guy? Um through my sister.
Okay.
Were they together? Not exactly.
She had a She had a problem with methamphetamines.
Oh.
I'm, uh I'm sorry to hear that.
That must've been really hard.
Kaylee was my best friend.
We did everything together.
I mean, if you saw how she used to She wasn't even the same person.
Were you able to get her any help? We tried everything.
She didn't want help, ended up on the streets.
And then she was taken in at the community center? They have a no-drugs policy, but Manny didn't care.
Gave her a place to sleep, wash up, hot meals.
Treated her like she was his own family.
That's just who he is.
So she's okay now then? No.
She relapsed, and it was too much for her body to handle.
Oh.
I'm-I'm so sorry.
Thank you.
I'll never forget what Manny did for her.
I don't have much, but I give what I can.
Go ahead, Fatima.
Well, it looks like all signs point to the White Kings having a casual org structure, which is why it's taking so long to ID their members.
Well, that could be by design.
Makes it harder to know - who's running things.
- Well, makes it hard to know who the members are.
That might be why Tyler never got flagged in his background checks.
Or maybe he's just really good at covering his tracks.
I found several inventory errors at each location that he was stationed during his time with the Navy.
In most cases, several.
And yet, Tyler was never written up.
What kind of inventory? Equipment, weapons, a few rifles here, some body armor there.
But nothing big enough to raise any red flags.
Yeah, but over time, he's stockpiled enough to outfit a small militia.
Where could he have kept it all? Maybe they sold it.
White Kings were known for trafficking weapons.
Tyler could've been their supplier.
That means he could've helped them steal the radar tech.
But I don't get it.
If they've been running this scheme for years, you know, taking small amounts from large-inventory items to avoid drawing attention, then why go for the radar tech? It's one of one.
It goes missing, everyone notices.
Well, maybe they didn't care if they were noticed.
It could have been their chance to cash out.
Then they'd need a buyer.
Somebody who has the money and wants the radar tech.
And someone who's willing to be charged with espionage if they get caught.
Well, a foreign operative checks all three of those boxes.
If that's the case, they're not keeping it here.
They're gonna get it home as fast as possible.
Fatima, check every international flight leaving L.
A.
in the next 24 hours.
Narrow if down using facial rec, anyone flagged by ONI.
And focus on the regions that have state-sponsored - espionage operations.
- You got it.
So, basically, Russia and China.
Basically.
- Manny Ortiz? - That's me.
- Hey.
- What's going on? Investigator Martin Deeks.
This is Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS.
Hi.
We'd like to, uh, ask you about some donated jeans you received from Ruby over at Schaeffer's Garment Hotel.
Oh, yeah.
Those are real nice.
But you got to be crazy to pay that kind of money for jeans.
My thoughts exactly.
- Hey, thanks again.
- All right, take care, brother.
- Who's that? - Volunteer.
Yeah, we got all kinds of people helping out Carpenters, electricians.
He painted the inside, made it look real nice.
Huh.
And what's going on here today? Uh, big event.
We're giving scholarships to ten high school seniors, all from immigrant families, first-time college students.
- Wow.
That's amazing.
- It's incredible.
Yeah, these kids have been through a lot.
I'm so proud of 'em.
Anyway, uh, what about the jeans? Oh, just wanted to know what you did with them.
Usually, I leave 'em inside for whoever needs 'em, but those we gave to the volunteers.
We don't have any money so we can't pay 'em, but we could hook 'em up with nice stuff.
Do you know which volunteers? Oh, they all got something.
My only rule is, don't take it if you're not gonna wear it.
Any way to get their names? We don't take names.
We take anybody who will help.
But I will see what I can do for you.
- It's appreciated.
- That'll be great.
- Thank you.
Keep up the great work.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
So, I ran the names on all the flights out of L.
A.
through ONI.
And then I checked those against the countries that are most likely to target us in an espionage attack, and one name kept popping up.
Jun Chen.
She's actually leaving L.
A.
tonight on a flight to Lisbon.
She's a professor from a university in Shanghai.
What's she doing here? She's a visiting professor teaching Chinese language courses.
But she's been here five times in the last three years on a series of work visas.
Where is she teaching? Different universities across the country.
I haven't found anything really unique that they share in common except for their proximity to a naval base or a defense contractor.
But get this.
ONI, with the help of Scotland Yard, discovered a spy network operating out of North America and Europe.
Now, every place she's been to is on their list.
Well, that fits a lot of markers of the PRC Ministry of State Security.
Why hasn't she been arrested? They just hadn't been able to piece it all together yet.
Oh, well, facial rec has her entering a nail salon in Marina Del Rey 20 minutes ago.
Agent Castor and his partner are in the area.
All right, have Castor swing by, pick her up, give her a ride to the boatshed.
- We'll head over there.
- You got it.
I do not understand.
I am a visiting professor from Shanghai.
But that's not why you're here.
I have a work visa.
Five cities in the U.
S.
, four more in Europe.
We know what you did at each stop.
And we know what you're doing here in L.
A.
Tell me you found something on this Chinese operative we can use.
I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a cover this good.
I mean, it's like she's a ghost.
I mean, the only thing I could find was an address for her parents' apartment building in Shanghai.
Why don't you come clean? Tell us where the radar technology is.
What radar technology? Please, I have a flight to catch to You're not gonna catch that flight.
When we're done with you here, the FBI, CIA, NSA They're all gonna want to have a few minutes with you.
But I did find something interesting about the apartment building.
Half of the tenants that live there are from the same farming village in Hunan province.
It's the home of a phosphate mining and fertilizer company.
Hmm.
You're gonna spend the rest of your life in prison.
Now it's up to you to decide how comfortable that stay will be.
Oh, wow.
Uh, according to hospital records, uh, the cancer rate has doubled in the last 20 years.
Ever since the company began operating.
Where is it? Those callouses, and scars on your hands.
You didn't get those from spending endless hours in the library.
Those come from long hours in the fields, under tough conditions.
Years of physical labor.
The kind people do every day in small farming villages.
You find labor to be shameful? I grew up working with my hands.
There's nothing shameful about it.
There's also no shame in wanting to leave a village that's become a toxic dump site.
A lot of people dying, more than should be.
Most don't do anything about it.
But you did.
You got out, you got to the city, you got educated, you met people, you carved out a niche for yourself.
Right? Now, you want to do the same thing for your parents, other people in the village? Get them out too, hmm? That's how it works, right? You help out the government, they help out the people you care about.
Until you get caught.
Then they'll kill you to keep you from talking.
Listen.
We can help protect you on the inside, keep you safe.
Maybe in time, even help your loved ones.
First, you got to help us.
If this fairy tale of yours was true, and I am the person you claim, then you already know that I am at peace dying in one of your prisons.
Because in this fairy tale, it would be many times worse for me and the people I love if my government knew I gave up the radar technology.
I will not tell you where it is.
But I will help you.
The person who sold it to you? Give us a name.
It was two men.
And in my line of business, we do not ask for names.
- Is that one of 'em? - Yes.
He was the younger man.
What about the other one? The other man was much older, like a father to a son.
How much did you pay 'em? $2 million.
But the older man He wanted something more.
What did he want? Devil's Wrath.
What is it? All right, thanks.
The bomb techs I train with said it's an explosive that China's supposed to be working on.
High-intensity, no trace residue.
An untraceable explosive.
Why aren't we seeing more of it? It's unstable.
You can't detonate it with a cell phone trigger.
You got to be within a couple of hundred yards.
Hey, guys, I just spoke with my contact over at ATF.
He's worked the Venice gang scene for years.
He knows all about the White Kings.
He said a man named Seth Wilcox is kind of like their O.
G.
godfather.
He served four and a half years at Pelican Bay for a felony weapons charge.
Got out last year.
Isn't that the painter The guy with the blue flannel? Yeah, that's him.
Hey, guys, we just saw Wilcox leaving a community center in Venice.
He was painting the inside for an event they're having today.
- What kind of event? - They're awarding college scholarships to graduating seniors from immigrant families.
Immigrants.
Non-citizens, DREAMers.
That's right in Wilcox's backyard.
And he's got to hate that.
So why would he help them? Maybe he's there for some other reason.
Wilcox could be trying to blow up the community center.
I mean, he could've planted the bomb while he was inside painting.
Yeah, but they were cleaning the place out to get it ready.
Wouldn't somebody have found it? Nobody's gonna bother a painter patching up a hole.
He could have put the bomb in the drywall.
Call the center, - tell them to evacuate now.
- I already did, but no one's answering, and the event's about to start.
We got to get down there.
On our way.
We're pulling in now.
Looks like it's about to get started.
We got no sign of Wilcox, or Tyler.
You guys go inside and start evacuating.
We'll look for 'em.
Copy that.
They'll want to take off as soon as they detonate.
They got to be in one of these cars.
Well, unless they went into the community center, make sure it's full of people before they blow it.
Got 'em.
Three o'clock.
That road dead-ends to the alley.
We'll take 'em from behind.
Shooter! Cover! Kens, Deeks, you good? We're evacuating now.
- Go.
- Come on.
Sam, cover me! Hands in the air! You're surrounded! Hands in the air! - Hands up! - Slowly put that gun on the ground.
Put your weapon on the ground.
Don't do it! Put that gun on the ground! - Put it down.
- Slowly.
Stand up, hands in the air.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
Detonator's in the car.
Bomb squad just got here.
You good? We're good.
That is good to know.
Um, let us know if you find anything else.
Wow.
Well, it looks like Seth Wilcox and Kevin Tyler were planning to make a run for it.
LAPD found fake passports, $2 million in small bills, and more of those Chinese explosives stashed away at a hotel near Tyler's house.
They also found a pair of Paloma jeans in Wilcox's bag, cut off at the hem.
Hmm.
Well, he must have gotten the jeans volunteering at the community center.
Then wore them to the warehouse.
He killed Dr.
Nash.
Well, um, we managed to stop a bomb, save innocent lives, uh, recover Chinese money and high-tech explosives, and get Dr.
Nash's killer.
All things considered, that's a pretty good day.
All things considered, pretty good is not good enough.
That radar technology is still out there.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But there's always tomorrow.
- Now that was a party.
- Yeah.
I feel like we became honorary members - of Manny Ortiz's family.
- Mm.
You know, I was talking to this girl, and, uh, she's attending UCLA next year.
I told her I'd introduce her to Rountree's sister.
She cannot wait.
Yeah, well, I cannot wait to get home, plop down on the couch, put something on that has over-the-top action and a nonexistent storyline.
Really? I was kind of hoping for more of a storyline and less action.
Well, you know what? If we had additional space Say, for instance, the size of a, I don't know, two-car garage We could actually do both.
Okay, let's do this.
On weekdays we park our cars in the garage, and on weekends you have free rein.
Can I put in a little TV, tiny little couch, maybe a golden frickin' shark? You can have a tiny little beach chair.
- Sold! - Sold.
- Yes.
- What? What? What? I still got to tell Callen.
- Okay, let's go do it.
- No, no.
I'm the one that asked him to move in.
I should be the one to tell him he's got to move out.
- Okay.
- I'll see you at home.
You can pick the movie.
How about The Wild One? Hey, Johnny, what are you rebelling against? What do you got? I can already tell you're gonna be up all night thinking about this How Tyler and Wilcox got as far as they did.
This didn't just happen out of nowhere.
This thing was planned years ago.
All Wilcox needed was someone like Tyler to make it work.
He's been molding him from a very young age.
Yeah.
Makes you wonder how many other people out there are like Wilcox, planting their people in law enforcement, military, intelligence community.
Oh.
Kam's in town.
I'm going to dinner with her and Josh.
- You want to come? - Can I have them guess my tattoo? You're right.
I'm a glutton for punishment.
- Told you.
- Hey.
Yo.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Do you need something? Yeah.
I mean, I don't know if I would actually consider it needing something per se.
Deeks.
I got an offer on the Squid & Dagger.
Too good to refuse.
I, um I'm gonna sell the bar.
You're selling the bar? Yeah.
Thank God.
I don't I don't think that you, um Sorry.
I don't think that you heard me.
No, I heard you.
Congrats.
Right, well, then, I don't I don't think that you're fully understanding, 'cause if I if I sell the bar, it means that you got to find a new place A new place to live.
No, I I get it.
It's just, it's a lot, and you-you don't seem very fazed by that.
I've had a little bit of practice at this.
Right.
Just out of curiosity, when's the last time you lived in a place this long? Never.
In fact, I actually don't know how I made it work.
So why did you do it? Why did you stay? I thought you could use the money.
I know things have been tight around here lately, and I figured at some point you and Kens would want to buy a house and start a family.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Of course.
You would have you would have done the same for me.
In a heartbeat.
You know, uh, the house we bought It's a two-bedroom, if you want to - Not a chance.
- Okay.
Anna, you know how much I love you.
Anna, you know how much I love you.
Anna, you know how much I love you.
Anna, you know how much I love you.