NCIS s14e20 Episode Script
A Bowl of Cherries
1 One more item to discuss Admiral.
You got 30 seconds.
I have breakfast with the Under Secretary.
It's about the Hornets on the Phoenix, sir.
Offloading ordnance? Yes, sir.
We've got 14 tons on deck waiting to go.
But the problem is the weather.
I'm looking at it.
Try it tonight if the ceiling lifts.
But I don't want any Gatlings in the Atlantic.
That makes two of us.
Thank you, sir.
Fleet movements in the Suez, sir.
And remember to print out your speech.
Oh, right.
COMPUTER VOICE (Russian accent): The Elliott Virus has encrypted your device with an unbreakable algorithm.
Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
The hell is this? Downey.
What did you do? Nothing.
I opened an e-mail.
The Elliott Virus has encrypted your device with an unbreakable algorithm.
Sir, you've been hacked.
Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
NCIS 14x20 A Bowl of Cherries (gun clicks) FIRING LINE COMMANDER: Shooters assume a good firing position.
Fire at will.
FIRING LINE COMMANDER: Cease fire.
Cease fire.
Clear and lock, and face your weapon.
Now shooters you may go downrange to check your targets.
McGEE: Boss, where's your SIG? Old Corps, McGee.
Going back to my roots.
McGEE: That your old .
45? GIBBS: That's my dad's Colt.
1911.
I grew up shooting it.
Reliable.
Packs a punch.
I don't know.
It just feels right.
Yeah.
I can see why.
Special Agent McGee.
Yes? Lieutenant Downey.
Aide to Vice Admiral Chase.
He okay? He needs to see Agent McGee right away.
Sure.
TORRES: Hey, Gibbs.
Where's Quinn? This was a mandatory re-qual.
Worry about yourself, Torres.
And your aim.
Oh, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
Not there.
Not there.
Uh, the impatiens go over there.
They only, they only thrive in the shade.
Like some people I know.
QUINN: Marie.
There you are.
Hey! Baby! Wh What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Okay, let's go with your question.
You text me, â911.
Emergency.
â Oh, forget about that.
I'm obviously okay now.
It's not obvious to me the last hour.
I Where's your phone? Um, it's here.
Here.
You know, I have a very bad relationship with this phone.
Yep, I have the ringer off.
I'm sorry, baby.
Oh.
- Look at this place.
- Hmm.
- Look at it.
MARIE: Look at all the color.
Oh, God, I love spring.
Jorge, uh, the pansies go in the window box.
The window box.
Marie - Oh, never mind, I'll deal with that later.
- Marie, listen, next time, no more 911s unless you really mean it from now on, okay? Okay.
Okay? Okay.
Okay.
See you tomorrow night.
What's tomorrow night? Darling, it's your father's birthday.
Oh, come on, you didn't forget.
I'm making my celebrated 12-hour ribs, baby.
No, I did I didn't forget.
Uh, I'll be here.
Ransom what? McGEE: Ransomware.
Like malware.
The computer virus.
How did I get it? Well, my guess is you clicked a link that had the ransomware embedded in it.
Oh, my sister's e-mail.
Is there any classified data on here? Classified, unclassified.
And when was the last time you backed this up? Never.
I have antivirus software.
Viruses mutate.
Well That's why the flu virus circumvents the flu vaccine every year.
CHASE: What does this mean? Well, you click that, and it sends the virus to people you know.
They pay, you get the decryption key.
(scoffs) Admiral, you're not the first one to be infected by ransomware, and you won't be the last.
Hundreds of companies, thousands of people have all paid the ransom.
Well, I won't.
No way in hell.
You know, Admiral, it's pretty reasonable, actually-- it's $500.
Tim, your father used to brag about you all the time.
Said you were NCIS's number one cyber tech.
I know you can figure this out.
Admiral, this isn't some kind of riddle that I can solve.
Okay, the data is locked up until you input the decryption key.
So input it.
That's what I'm trying to tell you is that you need to pay to get the key.
If you don't pay, you lose everything on here-- photos, documents, everything.
41 years in the Navy, I have never surrendered to the enemy.
I'm not about to start now.
Impressive range score, Ellie.
Only three points behind Gibbs.
Really? Hmm.
I didn't notice.
Yeah, Ellie's a deadeye.
Glad she's on our side.
Ah, there she is.
QUINN: Morning.
Hey, Quinn, you missed a serious gunplay this morning.
Oh.
Really, though, where were you? Uh, at the corner of mind your own business.
Oh.
Okay.
You won't believe what that was about.
The admiral asked you to track down the computer hacker who infected his laptop with ransomware? Yeah, he called Vance after you left.
Gibbs is up there right now.
This guy won't let up.
Where's his laptop? I didn't take it.
I told him there's nothing I could do.
You did the right thing, McGee.
Thank you, boss.
Quinn.
Mm-hmm.
Are you good? You need more time? No, thank you.
Oh, the admiral.
Looks like he finally came to his senses.
COMPUTER VOICE (over phone): The Elliott Virus has encrypted your device with an unbreakable No, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
Wait, what just happened? Is that Wait.
Everyone, listen up.
Get off your Wi-Fis.
We're all connected on the same network.
If I got infected (computer voice speaking over all computers) Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
We all got hacked.
VANCE: You intentionally infected an NCIS agent with a computer virus? I was trying to motivate him.
By committing a felony? Five felonies? I meant to send it to Tim only.
Viruses spread.
Are you going after me or the hacker that started this? We could do both.
McGEE: Look, I was able to contain the virus to only our team.
Nothing classified is at risk; all data's backed up.
That said, I don't suspect our admiral would have done something so foolish without a very good reason.
It's photographs.
Of my wife, God rest her soul.
Memories I can't get back.
I meant to print them out.
That's why we have to get this guy.
Sir, we have our entire cyber crime unit working on this, but as far as getting our hacker by tomorrow, it's just impossible.
Nothing is impossible, Tim.
Hypothetically, how would someone defeat this ransomware virus? Humor me.
Well, there's only one way, and that would be to find the physical location of the computer server hosting it, shut it down from there.
And this server could operate from anywhere? Anywhere in the world.
That's why most people pay the $500.
It's not worth the time and energy to fight.
Well, paying the ransom may be the answer for civilians, Agent McGee, but the government's not in the business of financing terrorists.
And make no mistake, that's exactly what these hackers are.
Gibbs, is your team working on a case? We are now.
QUINN: It's so weird without cell phones.
Yeah, and not laptop.
Well, the desktops still work.
They're hardwired to a different network.
Burn phones, till we get our new smartphones tomorrow.
Seriously? This takes me back to my undercover days.
BISHOP: I mean, (scoffs) what do you even do with these things? Call people.
Boss? No, I'm good.
Hack-proof.
Flip phone.
What do we know about ransomware? BISHOP: Well, this is a screen- grab of the Elliott virus.
It's not on anyone's radar, so it's new.
QUINN: I'm trying to trace the I.
P.
address, but the hacker has hopped through multiple proxies, all located in Russia.
Also, Gibbs, MI6 has a guy in Moscow who specializes in counter-cyberterrorism.
Say the word, and I can get him in MTAC.
IAN: 75% of all ransomware originates in Russia.
It's a source of national pride.
Special Agent Gibbs and McGee, MI6 Intel Officer Ian Lipovetskiy.
I call it, um, the Russian invasion.
(chuckles) They penetrate your borders without ever leaving the comfort of their gulag.
Do you recognize the virus, Officer? No.
Never seen it before.
But I think that your hacker is from your side of the pond.
An American? Why? The warning voice is computer-generated, so why does it have a Russian accent? That's pretty thin evidence.
Well, I have more.
The, uh, the ransom page itself, it doesn't have any typos.
The Russian hackers' demands tend to be full of misspellings or improper syntax, but this is grammatically perfect.
What do you suggest? Well, my counterpart, Clint Asher, who works for your government, operates out of Langley.
If he can't help you, no one can.
And this is where it all happens.
Well, it's certainly very orange.
TORRES (chuckles): Yeah.
And there she is.
Uh-oh.
What did I tell you? Not exactly thrilled to see me.
No, not not thrilled.
Oh, darling, I know this is going over the line, I know this is totally verboten, but I remembered what the 911 was about, and I tried to call your cell phone, and it's not working.
So So, I was at security, I overheard whose mother she was, and I'm not gonna let you wait down there.
Mm.
And I've always depended on the kindness of strangers.
You're such a Blanche.
Oh! Oh, no, she's not a Blanche, she's a Marie.
Honey, anyone this adorable who knows Streetcar can call me whatever he wants.
Uh, okay, Mom.
Uh, what did you want? My Crock-Pot, kid.
You took it four weeks ago, and I haven't seen it since.
Is that what the 911 was about? Yeah.
Well, how am I gonna make 12-hour ribs without my Crock-Pot? 12-hour ribs? Wow.
What are you doing tomorrow night? - Oh, no.
He's-he's very busy.
- I am? Mm-hmm.
You signed up for the stakeout mission.
Oh, damn.
Yeah.
The There's this, uh, mission that's a stakeout.
It's like a stakeout mission, I signed up for.
Oh.
Well, some other time, then.
Another time, then.
Yep, rain check it.
Rain check! Yeah.
But you know what? Let's-let's go get the Crock-Pot now.
Really? Yeah.
We can go right now? Absolutely.
You can take that time? You're gonna cover for me? Absolutely.
Great.
Well, Nick, it was a pleasure to meet you.
It was all mine.
Or should I call you Stanley? Go ahead and call me Stanley.
(laughs) Come on.
Come on.
Oh, baby, I don't know how you get any work done with a charmer like that around.
Mm-hmm.
Moms love me.
Ransomware is exploding.
It's gone from one percent of my day to 80% in just three years.
Hmm.
Why? Money.
Last year, Americans paid a quarter billion dollars to unlock their data.
Did you say a billion? (chuckles) With a capital âB,â yes.
So why is NCIS going after cyberterrorists? Not that I can't use the help, but Oh.
You're not here as agents, you're here as victims.
Well, technically, we're both.
No shame in that.
So, Ian thinks that your hacker is American.
What are we looking at? Well, it's called the Elliott Virus.
Elliott? Yeah.
You heard of it? No, just, uh, let me take a look.
(sighs) Huh.
What? Uh, nothing.
Just, every time I see a ransom screen, it reminds me of chasing ghosts.
I have a program that analyzes code snippets in the binaries to try to match it with a known virus.
I'll get right on it and get back to you tonight.
We'd appreciate that.
Here's a temporary number.
Obviously, sooner than later would be better.
(tears paper) Of course.
Thanks.
Yeah.
What do you think? Guy scratches his neck a lot.
Yeah, you think Asher knows more than he's saying, don't you? Well, that neck thing is his tell.
I could take all that guy's money at a poker table.
So what's he hiding? I can't see his cards, I can just see he's bluffing.
Well, let's bring him in.
See what shakes out in interrogation.
Yeah.
How'd you know I thought he was dodgy? 'Cause you have a tell, too.
Really? What is it? (scoffs) Asher? Asher? He's gone.
I thought he was gonna get right on it and get back to us tonight.
It's like I'm living in 1997.
I know, right? It took me, like, ten minutes to text âHello.
â (sighs) How does Gibbs live like this? Very well, thank you.
Oh.
Hey, Gibbs.
Help me out here.
I can only preprogram nine numbers into this phone.
Yeah.
So? Well, so how do you call everyone else? I remember their phone numbers.
That's insane.
(laughs) Clint Asher.
Where is he? Vanished.
Uh, we were the last people to see him.
That was 15 hours ago.
Yeah, his wife said he didn't come home last night, so I'm bringing her in to talk to us.
REEVES: Asher hasn't used a credit card, accessed an ATM machine, or made a phone call since he walked out on us last night.
And his phone's shut off.
He even turned off the GPS in his car.
Where's McGee? Down with Abby, checking the traffic cams around his office.
What do we know about him? REEVES: 30 years old.
Married, one son.
Works for the government's counter-cyberterrorism task force.
No arrests.
No major debts.
No major assets.
Red flags? One.
Uh, he was kicked out of college his senior year.
For what? For quote, âConduct detrimental to the university.
â What kind of conduct? Finding that out now.
Yeah, Abby? Yeah, yeah.
I'm on the way down.
That's good.
I love this phone.
Hey, how's Mom? Oh, uh, Mom's Mom.
Sorry about yesterday.
Sorry for what? She was cool.
Yeah, she's cool.
And nuts.
Oh, everyone thinks their mom is nuts.
Mm.
Not like Marie.
Why do you call her that? Oh, well, why not? I'm kind of like the mother in the relationship.
No, seriously, though.
Why? Seriously? Well, she told me to.
She thought âMomâ made her sound too old, especially when my friends and I were teenagers.
Ah, an original cougar.
I like to think of it as a youthful quality.
You know.
Not so much anymore.
(clicks tongue) There something else? Like what? Like something else you're not saying? Like, a family secret? Who are you, Oprah, now? Okay.
Forget I asked.
Okay.
Where is he? Well, we were hoping that you could tell us, Mrs.
Asher.
(scoffs) I don't know anything.
You're supposed to tell me something.
Has he ever disappeared before? No.
Not until you walked into his office.
What did you say to him? Well, he was helping with our investigation into ransomware.
That's what he does every day.
He puts hackers behind bars.
Maybe one of them got out and came after him.
We'd like permission to look at his home computer.
Depends.
Does NCIS consider him a victim or a suspect? Mrs.
Asher You know what? Um, go ahead.
My husband is a good man.
We found Clint Asher.
Where? Well, we-we found his car.
Traffic cams? Nope.
Satellite radio.
All right.
I think we have everything.
Thank you.
I don't follow.
Well, Asher's Toyota has satellite radio.
Pays a recurring monthly fee for it.
We got the serial number to the radio control unit in his car, and the satellite company was able to locate the transmitter.
Satellite radios have transmitters? Some do, to record proprietary information, yeah.
Okay, got it.
Off Highway 224, south of Marbury, Maryland.
The car has been there since 7:27 this morning.
- Go, McGee.
Take Bishop.
- All right, Abby, send me the coordinates.
Um, McGee, your phone doesn't do GPS.
Oh, right.
So A map, McGee.
Remember maps? Maps, right.
Where was Asher's car before this? Annandale, Virginia.
Stayed there overnight.
That a hotel? Industrial area.
Uh, looks like some kind of self-storage facility.
The car arrived there just after 9:00 last night, and didn't move again until 6:46 this morning.
BISHOP: How many miles? McGEE: 3.
6.
BISHOP: Oh.
Oh, stop.
We're here.
What do you mean, we're here? There's nothing here.
You sure you're reading that map right? Maybe you missed it.
Maybe you missed it.
I was reading the map.
You know, we sound like an old married couple right now.
(sighs) Sorry.
I just really miss my phone.
You mind if I look at that? Okay.
Well, you're right, this is exactly where Asher's car should be.
Yep.
McGee.
Is that Asher's car? BUZZ: Nope.
And nope.
No unit has been rented to a Clint Asher.
Or an Asher Clint, for that matter.
So I'm-I'm sorry, I can't help you guys.
GIBBS: Noticed you have security cameras at your front gate.
Oh, God.
Last night, 9:02 p.
m.
What kind of car is it you guys are looking for? Toyota Camry.
Blue.
Well, that's pretty common.
Uh, are you sure I should even be showing you this? There.
TORRES: Yeah.
License plate matches.
That's him.
Who's in the passenger seat? TORRES: I can't make him out.
BUZZ: We good? No.
We stay here and watch that car leave.
6:46 this morning.
(sighs) TORRES: Here it is.
Blue Camry.
But it's just the driver.
Where's the other guy? Which storage unit did they access? The cameras are only on the gates.
Buzz, that is not what he's asking.
Oh, I get it.
See, you get to ask all the questions, Buzz gets to do all the work.
(sighs) The gate code corresponds to the storage unit.
So that's 217.
Who rents that unit? Uh (scoffs) You know what? I got it.
You've done enough.
Boom.
All right, Unit 217 rented to David Yates.
I'm gonna take a picture of this.
I'm taking this.
Fine.
Did you boys get what you need? No, not yet.
(laughing) Hello.
Hello! Hello, Bishop.
We didn't find anything.
BISHOP: We did.
Asher's Camry.
Looks like someone dumped it.
Hey, guys, what is that? That steam? That open the trunk? No.
Here.
Thanks.
All right.
Ready? Whoa.
Why's he look like that? He's frozen solid.
I apologize in advance, Mr.
Asher, but this might hurt.
(drill whirring) Yeah, it's dreadful, I know, but it's absolutely necessary.
(sighs) As far as it'll go, Dr.
Mallard.
Thank you, Dr.
Palmer.
Let's see what we have.
No, that can't be right.
What can't be right? This man's core temperature is 62 below zero.
How, Duck? Well, I don't know.
Well, l-let's check it again.
You got the virus, too? Yeah, there was a worm functionality embedded into the virus, which of course replicated I (stammers) Yes, I got the virus, too.
Ah, it's correct.
62 below.
That's nearly 100 degrees below freezing.
What happened to him? Well, I wouldn't even venture a guess until I do the autopsy, and I can't begin that until he comes to room temperature.
Oh, not hours, Jethro.
Days.
Oh, come on, Duck.
Rapid defrosting would cause his skin to decompose while his inner organs would stay frozen.
It would seriously compromise the results.
No, we wait.
Okay, so Bishop is kicking butt back there.
How you doing? Any hospitals? Yes.
You know this is hard to do with you breathing over my shoulder.
Do we know how Clint Asher was frozen? Liquid nitrogen, Gibbs.
It's the only way.
And lots of it.
Okay, you get back to work, because this is my demonstration.
Demonstration? Liquid nitrogen.
It is a colorless, clear liquid that's stored at minus 346 degrees and immediately boils whenever it comes in contact with anything that's warmer.
Abbs.
Okay, so Asher's body temperature was 62 below.
He was in that lake for four hours.
The temperature of the lake was 54 degrees above zero.
The lake warmed him up, which means he was extra, extra frozen when he went into that lake.
That make you feel better? Oh, yeah.
Just wait until you see what I can do with a marshmallow.
I get it.
Liquid nitrogen freezes things, very fast, very cold.
How was Asher frozen? We don't know yet, boss, uh, but it would take a lot of liquid nitrogen and a container large enough to hold a body.
Lots of people use liquid nitrogen.
There's one major supplier in the area.
We've been going through their client list.
It's like hospitals, dermatologists But none of them order large enough quantities.
BISHOP: I think I may have something.
A cryotherapy spa.
Wait, wait, wait, cryo-what? It's the latest fitness craze.
It's like an iced steam bath.
I have been dying to try that.
Like, a girls' night out? Like, you, me and Quinn? Yeah, I'm into it.
McGEE: I can't imagine these spas are cold enough to freeze Asher's body like that.
So, there are six spas in the area.
One that stands out.
It orders five times more liquid nitrogen than the others.
Let's go.
Clock's running.
Bye.
Any more on victim Asher? Uh, yes, we have his college transcripts unsealed and we know why he was kicked out.
He wrote a ransomware virus and sent it to his friends.
QUINN: Yeah, he said it was a joke, but his dorm mates didn't think it was very funny, though.
The dorm name: Elliott Hall.
Wait, Asher created the Elliott Virus? QUINN: Ten years ago, and after that, he went on the straight and narrow and went after guys that he used to be.
His own virus then came out and he wound up killed.
Who and why? What do we know about the guy who rents the empty storage unit? Oh, it sorry.
Hello.
TORRES: Paperwork says David Yates.
Address puts him in the middle of Potomac.
Phone number is fake, too.
E-mail's bouncing back.
David Yates is an alias.
Anybody who read this rental app could see that including the storage unit manager.
GIBBS: Come on, Torres, you're with me.
Quinn.
Um, uh, Mom.
Yeah.
Do what you got to do.
It's like a blast of arctic air that sends your body into fight or flight mode.
All of the blood rushes to your internal organs, toxins flow out.
It's really very invigorating.
Why would anyone want to do this? BISHOP: To decrease inflammation, speed up muscle recovery, burn calories.
So I hear.
Yeah, LeBron James does it after every game.
Lauren here used to have wrinkles now they're gone.
McGEE: Huh.
REESE: Do you want to try? McGEE: What are you saying? So you guys go through a lot of liquid nitrogen containers? Yeah, I guess.
I promise you it's all totally legal.
My manager's on his way.
Oh, Lauren's done.
McGEE: So, how long is a session typically? Two minutes? Uh, three minutes max.
What are you looking for? We'll know when we see it.
(quietly): McGee, try to trap me inside.
Hey, what are you doing? You good? How many cryobaths do you get out of one canister of liquid nitrogen? I don't know, like, 15.
Can't we wait for my manager to get here? Sorry, we're racing the clock.
That's 525.
So, you get 525 customers a week? 500? No way.
It's more like 80 to 90.
Well, we know that you order 35 canisters a week.
So you figure that's 525 baths.
So what happens to all the extra liquid nitrogen? BISHOP: Reese, what do you know? We're not waiting for your manager.
GIBBS: Yeah, Bishop.
BISHOP: The manager of the cryospa is reselling bottles of liquid nitrogen at a big markup.
To who? David Yates, same guy who supposedly rented the storage unit.
What's he doing with them? Finding out now.
I told you, I don't know who he is.
That's the wrong answer, Buzz.
I don't know every renter.
I've got 260 units.
Well, we have a warrant that says we can open each and every one of them.
(stammers) You can't do that.
No.
Hey.
He can't do that.
This roast beef? Oh, come on, man.
Okay, Buzz, so here's the deal.
We're on a deadline, which means we don't have time to arrest you, transport you back to NCIS and interrogate you.
Tell us what you know.
The guy on your surveillance video-- we found him dead in a lake.
Did Yates do that? Uh, look, all right, I'm gonna be honest with you.
Yates has a second unit, off the books.
He pays me in cash, and then he tips me not to say anything to anyone.
But I swear on my mother's grave that I don't know what's in there.
TORRES: Whoa.
What is this guy? Dr.
Jekyll? It's a homemade cryosauna.
And not for pleasure.
Hey, Nick.
Ether.
Not the pleasure kind, either.
(clears throat) Gibbs.
Marie.
What are you doing? Damn thing is so sensitive, it goes off at the slightest whiff of heat.
Okay, come on.
Get down from there.
I'll fix it.
Oh, will you shut up? QUINN: Oh.
Uh Okay.
Come on.
All right.
Can you get down? Yes, I can get down.
I am not an invalid.
Ah.
Okay.
And this thing, this thing, I had this on low all day long.
Did not cook.
Put it up to high, that happens.
Mm.
Is anyone listening to Mother? Who else is coming? Who did you invite? What? There's three place settings, Mom.
Yeah.
You, me and your dad.
Don't look at me that way.
Come on.
All right, so he can be stubborn.
If he's stubborn, you just be the bigger person.
You come in, you give him a big hug.
Come sit.
Darling, what is it? What's wrong? Sit.
Just sit.
You know this.
Right? Marie, you know this.
I know what? What do I know? That he's dead? Dad's dead? You know, three years ago? You remember? Remember? You-you know that.
You live here alone? (voice breaking): Yeah, I know.
Of course I know.
Why are you even telling me that? Well, you didn't, you didn't remember.
(voice breaking): You don't remember a lot.
You know what I remember? I remember letting you ditch school in eighth grade, and taking you to a museum, and we looked at paintings of bare naked ladies.
(giggles) You remember? Mm-hmm.
Why did he have to go so young? Oh, God, I wasn't ready.
No, me neither.
We were making plans to go to the Caribbean.
You remember we were gonna buy a boat? You can't even swim.
You don't need to swim if you're on a boat.
Mm-hmm.
(both chuckle) Oh, God, look at me.
I got to get ready.
I'm a mess, I'm a mess.
Mom, come on, uh, let's eat.
I want to try your ribs.
No, no, no, I can't let your father see me like this.
It's his birthday after all.
Um, Earl Grey? - What are you two doing? - Nothing.
No, these poor souls are literally frozen in time.
Wow.
It's like a science fiction movie.
No, it's very real.
What your self-storage guy is doing is called cryogenics.
It's the ultra-low temperature preservation of human bodies, in the hopes that they can be resuscitated one day in the future when I don't know, death isn't quite so inevitable? And that could be in centuries.
Yeah.
Doesn't stop people from trying.
Like Ted Williams.
Ted Williams, greatest pure hitter in baseball.
Marine fighter pilot.
Perhaps he's hoping to one day take the field again.
Wait, cryogenics is legal? JIMMY: Yep.
There's over 250 bodies cryogenically frozen in the United States.
DUCKY: Well, those are in legitimate facilities, (chuckles): not in self-storage units.
So if it's not against the law, why hide these two? We found traces of microbial metabolites on the outer dermis.
And that tells us when those men were frozen, they were still alive.
And that means that you are dealing with a dangerous psychopath.
Special Agent McGee.
Vice Admiral Chase.
How's the case going? Uh, well, it's taken a sharp left turn.
Yeah, we are way past hacking.
The vice admiral's well aware; I've kept him up to speed.
Mm.
He's actually here for another reason.
Yes, well, um I want to apologize.
I let ego and obstinance get in the way of logic.
Those photos are too important to stand on principle.
I'd like to pay the ransom.
For myself and all who I infected.
Here.
Oh.
Thank you for the apology, Admiral, but I wouldn't pay just yet.
We still have 90 minutes left.
Did we I.
D.
the bodies? Two homeless men, disappeared separately more than a year ago.
Any connection to Clint Asher? No.
Or with ransomware.
McGEE: There's more.
Asher wasn't the only one kicked out of college for the ransomware prank.
His roommate was expelled, too.
Together they created the Elliott Virus.
Carlo Hackett.
Human developmental biology major.
He wrote a science fiction blog, and his senior thesis was on cryogenics.
Carlo went on to become a lab tech.
Worked in a blood bank until he was fired six months ago for theft.
Liquid nitrogen? He needed a constant supply.
And Cryoenergy Day Spa became the new source.
He cut a deal with the manager to buy the extra canisters.
Liquid nitrogen's expensive, so he dug out the ransomware virus him and Clint Asher created in college.
Carlo Hackett and David Yates are the same guy? I hooked up Buzz with a sketch artist to draw Yates.
Here's what we got.
Let's go get him.
No.
He's coming to us.
Hello, Carlo.
Freeze.
(chuckles) See what I did there? âFreeze.
â Clever.
McGEE: Hey, boss, Clint Asher logged on last night.
Looks like his last act was to try and shut down the virus.
He's gonna finish what he started.
Mr.
Hackett, password, please.
And if I refuse? A shower.
A cold one.
That's it? That's it.
Where are they? Answer me, where are my test subjects? You mean your victims? They're on our medical examiner's table.
You can't do that.
If you thaw them out, you'll kill them.
You already killed them.
You don't get it.
I put them into a state of suspended animation.
And I will bring them back.
BISHOP: Your college roommate, Clint, was shocked when he saw the virus you both created was back online.
REEVES: You took him to your lab, where you froze him in your ice chamber.
Cancer patients.
I could put them into a state of hibernation.
And when science has cured cancer, my test subjects can live healthy, productive lives.
They're not test subjects.
Couple of homeless guys, and you froze them while they were still alive.
I had to; if you wait until they're dead, you can never bring them back.
Get up.
Where are you taking me? Into hibernation.
Look you know that they locked up Galileo, too.
Today they call him the father of astronomy.
That's my grandma.
Oh, God, I loved her.
Uh, now, she went senile.
That's what they used call it back in those days, âsenileâ" Nobody-nobody calls it that anymore.
(sighs) Well, apparently it skips a generation, which is good news for you, baby.
Mom, how, uh how long have you known about forgetting things? I've known for awhile.
I-I I make a telephone call, and I'd forget who I was talking to.
Or I go out for a walk, and I-I would get lost in my own neighborhood.
It's like a window that just keeps closing a little bit, and then a little bit more.
Every day.
Like that.
Well, we're not gonna let it close, okay? Baby, nobody stops this window.
Nobody.
We're not nobody.
Okay? We-we we fight.
And I am not putting you in a nursing home.
I am here for you.
I know you are.
But what happens when I'm not here for you anymore? Forgetting about your dad was bad enough.
But what happens (crying): when I forget who you are? You won't.
You're not going to.
How can you? I mean, come on, you're not gonna forget about me.
(sobbing) I just don't want to live to be a burden.
You are not a burden.
You're my mother.
She ain't heavy, Father.
BOTH: She's my mother.
(both laugh) Come here, you.
Oh, my baby.
Baby, oh, my baby, baby.
FIRING LINE COMMANDER: Cease fire.
Make sure the firing lane is safe before going down range to score your targets.
How's your mom? Uh, yeah.
Like she says, if life is a bowl of cherries, why do I always get the pits? Yeah, you know what? I never got that.
If you got a bowl full of pits, it means you ate the cherries.
Yeah.
(chuckles) Yeah, it's just, uh came on so quick.
You know, she was good at hiding it, I was good at denying it.
Hey, Quinn, it's okay to be scared.
Yeah, I know.
I'm moving back in with her.
How's that for scary?
You got 30 seconds.
I have breakfast with the Under Secretary.
It's about the Hornets on the Phoenix, sir.
Offloading ordnance? Yes, sir.
We've got 14 tons on deck waiting to go.
But the problem is the weather.
I'm looking at it.
Try it tonight if the ceiling lifts.
But I don't want any Gatlings in the Atlantic.
That makes two of us.
Thank you, sir.
Fleet movements in the Suez, sir.
And remember to print out your speech.
Oh, right.
COMPUTER VOICE (Russian accent): The Elliott Virus has encrypted your device with an unbreakable algorithm.
Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
The hell is this? Downey.
What did you do? Nothing.
I opened an e-mail.
The Elliott Virus has encrypted your device with an unbreakable algorithm.
Sir, you've been hacked.
Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
NCIS 14x20 A Bowl of Cherries (gun clicks) FIRING LINE COMMANDER: Shooters assume a good firing position.
Fire at will.
FIRING LINE COMMANDER: Cease fire.
Cease fire.
Clear and lock, and face your weapon.
Now shooters you may go downrange to check your targets.
McGEE: Boss, where's your SIG? Old Corps, McGee.
Going back to my roots.
McGEE: That your old .
45? GIBBS: That's my dad's Colt.
1911.
I grew up shooting it.
Reliable.
Packs a punch.
I don't know.
It just feels right.
Yeah.
I can see why.
Special Agent McGee.
Yes? Lieutenant Downey.
Aide to Vice Admiral Chase.
He okay? He needs to see Agent McGee right away.
Sure.
TORRES: Hey, Gibbs.
Where's Quinn? This was a mandatory re-qual.
Worry about yourself, Torres.
And your aim.
Oh, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
Not there.
Not there.
Uh, the impatiens go over there.
They only, they only thrive in the shade.
Like some people I know.
QUINN: Marie.
There you are.
Hey! Baby! Wh What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Okay, let's go with your question.
You text me, â911.
Emergency.
â Oh, forget about that.
I'm obviously okay now.
It's not obvious to me the last hour.
I Where's your phone? Um, it's here.
Here.
You know, I have a very bad relationship with this phone.
Yep, I have the ringer off.
I'm sorry, baby.
Oh.
- Look at this place.
- Hmm.
- Look at it.
MARIE: Look at all the color.
Oh, God, I love spring.
Jorge, uh, the pansies go in the window box.
The window box.
Marie - Oh, never mind, I'll deal with that later.
- Marie, listen, next time, no more 911s unless you really mean it from now on, okay? Okay.
Okay? Okay.
Okay.
See you tomorrow night.
What's tomorrow night? Darling, it's your father's birthday.
Oh, come on, you didn't forget.
I'm making my celebrated 12-hour ribs, baby.
No, I did I didn't forget.
Uh, I'll be here.
Ransom what? McGEE: Ransomware.
Like malware.
The computer virus.
How did I get it? Well, my guess is you clicked a link that had the ransomware embedded in it.
Oh, my sister's e-mail.
Is there any classified data on here? Classified, unclassified.
And when was the last time you backed this up? Never.
I have antivirus software.
Viruses mutate.
Well That's why the flu virus circumvents the flu vaccine every year.
CHASE: What does this mean? Well, you click that, and it sends the virus to people you know.
They pay, you get the decryption key.
(scoffs) Admiral, you're not the first one to be infected by ransomware, and you won't be the last.
Hundreds of companies, thousands of people have all paid the ransom.
Well, I won't.
No way in hell.
You know, Admiral, it's pretty reasonable, actually-- it's $500.
Tim, your father used to brag about you all the time.
Said you were NCIS's number one cyber tech.
I know you can figure this out.
Admiral, this isn't some kind of riddle that I can solve.
Okay, the data is locked up until you input the decryption key.
So input it.
That's what I'm trying to tell you is that you need to pay to get the key.
If you don't pay, you lose everything on here-- photos, documents, everything.
41 years in the Navy, I have never surrendered to the enemy.
I'm not about to start now.
Impressive range score, Ellie.
Only three points behind Gibbs.
Really? Hmm.
I didn't notice.
Yeah, Ellie's a deadeye.
Glad she's on our side.
Ah, there she is.
QUINN: Morning.
Hey, Quinn, you missed a serious gunplay this morning.
Oh.
Really, though, where were you? Uh, at the corner of mind your own business.
Oh.
Okay.
You won't believe what that was about.
The admiral asked you to track down the computer hacker who infected his laptop with ransomware? Yeah, he called Vance after you left.
Gibbs is up there right now.
This guy won't let up.
Where's his laptop? I didn't take it.
I told him there's nothing I could do.
You did the right thing, McGee.
Thank you, boss.
Quinn.
Mm-hmm.
Are you good? You need more time? No, thank you.
Oh, the admiral.
Looks like he finally came to his senses.
COMPUTER VOICE (over phone): The Elliott Virus has encrypted your device with an unbreakable No, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
Wait, what just happened? Is that Wait.
Everyone, listen up.
Get off your Wi-Fis.
We're all connected on the same network.
If I got infected (computer voice speaking over all computers) Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
Purchase a decryption key or lose your data forever.
We all got hacked.
VANCE: You intentionally infected an NCIS agent with a computer virus? I was trying to motivate him.
By committing a felony? Five felonies? I meant to send it to Tim only.
Viruses spread.
Are you going after me or the hacker that started this? We could do both.
McGEE: Look, I was able to contain the virus to only our team.
Nothing classified is at risk; all data's backed up.
That said, I don't suspect our admiral would have done something so foolish without a very good reason.
It's photographs.
Of my wife, God rest her soul.
Memories I can't get back.
I meant to print them out.
That's why we have to get this guy.
Sir, we have our entire cyber crime unit working on this, but as far as getting our hacker by tomorrow, it's just impossible.
Nothing is impossible, Tim.
Hypothetically, how would someone defeat this ransomware virus? Humor me.
Well, there's only one way, and that would be to find the physical location of the computer server hosting it, shut it down from there.
And this server could operate from anywhere? Anywhere in the world.
That's why most people pay the $500.
It's not worth the time and energy to fight.
Well, paying the ransom may be the answer for civilians, Agent McGee, but the government's not in the business of financing terrorists.
And make no mistake, that's exactly what these hackers are.
Gibbs, is your team working on a case? We are now.
QUINN: It's so weird without cell phones.
Yeah, and not laptop.
Well, the desktops still work.
They're hardwired to a different network.
Burn phones, till we get our new smartphones tomorrow.
Seriously? This takes me back to my undercover days.
BISHOP: I mean, (scoffs) what do you even do with these things? Call people.
Boss? No, I'm good.
Hack-proof.
Flip phone.
What do we know about ransomware? BISHOP: Well, this is a screen- grab of the Elliott virus.
It's not on anyone's radar, so it's new.
QUINN: I'm trying to trace the I.
P.
address, but the hacker has hopped through multiple proxies, all located in Russia.
Also, Gibbs, MI6 has a guy in Moscow who specializes in counter-cyberterrorism.
Say the word, and I can get him in MTAC.
IAN: 75% of all ransomware originates in Russia.
It's a source of national pride.
Special Agent Gibbs and McGee, MI6 Intel Officer Ian Lipovetskiy.
I call it, um, the Russian invasion.
(chuckles) They penetrate your borders without ever leaving the comfort of their gulag.
Do you recognize the virus, Officer? No.
Never seen it before.
But I think that your hacker is from your side of the pond.
An American? Why? The warning voice is computer-generated, so why does it have a Russian accent? That's pretty thin evidence.
Well, I have more.
The, uh, the ransom page itself, it doesn't have any typos.
The Russian hackers' demands tend to be full of misspellings or improper syntax, but this is grammatically perfect.
What do you suggest? Well, my counterpart, Clint Asher, who works for your government, operates out of Langley.
If he can't help you, no one can.
And this is where it all happens.
Well, it's certainly very orange.
TORRES (chuckles): Yeah.
And there she is.
Uh-oh.
What did I tell you? Not exactly thrilled to see me.
No, not not thrilled.
Oh, darling, I know this is going over the line, I know this is totally verboten, but I remembered what the 911 was about, and I tried to call your cell phone, and it's not working.
So So, I was at security, I overheard whose mother she was, and I'm not gonna let you wait down there.
Mm.
And I've always depended on the kindness of strangers.
You're such a Blanche.
Oh! Oh, no, she's not a Blanche, she's a Marie.
Honey, anyone this adorable who knows Streetcar can call me whatever he wants.
Uh, okay, Mom.
Uh, what did you want? My Crock-Pot, kid.
You took it four weeks ago, and I haven't seen it since.
Is that what the 911 was about? Yeah.
Well, how am I gonna make 12-hour ribs without my Crock-Pot? 12-hour ribs? Wow.
What are you doing tomorrow night? - Oh, no.
He's-he's very busy.
- I am? Mm-hmm.
You signed up for the stakeout mission.
Oh, damn.
Yeah.
The There's this, uh, mission that's a stakeout.
It's like a stakeout mission, I signed up for.
Oh.
Well, some other time, then.
Another time, then.
Yep, rain check it.
Rain check! Yeah.
But you know what? Let's-let's go get the Crock-Pot now.
Really? Yeah.
We can go right now? Absolutely.
You can take that time? You're gonna cover for me? Absolutely.
Great.
Well, Nick, it was a pleasure to meet you.
It was all mine.
Or should I call you Stanley? Go ahead and call me Stanley.
(laughs) Come on.
Come on.
Oh, baby, I don't know how you get any work done with a charmer like that around.
Mm-hmm.
Moms love me.
Ransomware is exploding.
It's gone from one percent of my day to 80% in just three years.
Hmm.
Why? Money.
Last year, Americans paid a quarter billion dollars to unlock their data.
Did you say a billion? (chuckles) With a capital âB,â yes.
So why is NCIS going after cyberterrorists? Not that I can't use the help, but Oh.
You're not here as agents, you're here as victims.
Well, technically, we're both.
No shame in that.
So, Ian thinks that your hacker is American.
What are we looking at? Well, it's called the Elliott Virus.
Elliott? Yeah.
You heard of it? No, just, uh, let me take a look.
(sighs) Huh.
What? Uh, nothing.
Just, every time I see a ransom screen, it reminds me of chasing ghosts.
I have a program that analyzes code snippets in the binaries to try to match it with a known virus.
I'll get right on it and get back to you tonight.
We'd appreciate that.
Here's a temporary number.
Obviously, sooner than later would be better.
(tears paper) Of course.
Thanks.
Yeah.
What do you think? Guy scratches his neck a lot.
Yeah, you think Asher knows more than he's saying, don't you? Well, that neck thing is his tell.
I could take all that guy's money at a poker table.
So what's he hiding? I can't see his cards, I can just see he's bluffing.
Well, let's bring him in.
See what shakes out in interrogation.
Yeah.
How'd you know I thought he was dodgy? 'Cause you have a tell, too.
Really? What is it? (scoffs) Asher? Asher? He's gone.
I thought he was gonna get right on it and get back to us tonight.
It's like I'm living in 1997.
I know, right? It took me, like, ten minutes to text âHello.
â (sighs) How does Gibbs live like this? Very well, thank you.
Oh.
Hey, Gibbs.
Help me out here.
I can only preprogram nine numbers into this phone.
Yeah.
So? Well, so how do you call everyone else? I remember their phone numbers.
That's insane.
(laughs) Clint Asher.
Where is he? Vanished.
Uh, we were the last people to see him.
That was 15 hours ago.
Yeah, his wife said he didn't come home last night, so I'm bringing her in to talk to us.
REEVES: Asher hasn't used a credit card, accessed an ATM machine, or made a phone call since he walked out on us last night.
And his phone's shut off.
He even turned off the GPS in his car.
Where's McGee? Down with Abby, checking the traffic cams around his office.
What do we know about him? REEVES: 30 years old.
Married, one son.
Works for the government's counter-cyberterrorism task force.
No arrests.
No major debts.
No major assets.
Red flags? One.
Uh, he was kicked out of college his senior year.
For what? For quote, âConduct detrimental to the university.
â What kind of conduct? Finding that out now.
Yeah, Abby? Yeah, yeah.
I'm on the way down.
That's good.
I love this phone.
Hey, how's Mom? Oh, uh, Mom's Mom.
Sorry about yesterday.
Sorry for what? She was cool.
Yeah, she's cool.
And nuts.
Oh, everyone thinks their mom is nuts.
Mm.
Not like Marie.
Why do you call her that? Oh, well, why not? I'm kind of like the mother in the relationship.
No, seriously, though.
Why? Seriously? Well, she told me to.
She thought âMomâ made her sound too old, especially when my friends and I were teenagers.
Ah, an original cougar.
I like to think of it as a youthful quality.
You know.
Not so much anymore.
(clicks tongue) There something else? Like what? Like something else you're not saying? Like, a family secret? Who are you, Oprah, now? Okay.
Forget I asked.
Okay.
Where is he? Well, we were hoping that you could tell us, Mrs.
Asher.
(scoffs) I don't know anything.
You're supposed to tell me something.
Has he ever disappeared before? No.
Not until you walked into his office.
What did you say to him? Well, he was helping with our investigation into ransomware.
That's what he does every day.
He puts hackers behind bars.
Maybe one of them got out and came after him.
We'd like permission to look at his home computer.
Depends.
Does NCIS consider him a victim or a suspect? Mrs.
Asher You know what? Um, go ahead.
My husband is a good man.
We found Clint Asher.
Where? Well, we-we found his car.
Traffic cams? Nope.
Satellite radio.
All right.
I think we have everything.
Thank you.
I don't follow.
Well, Asher's Toyota has satellite radio.
Pays a recurring monthly fee for it.
We got the serial number to the radio control unit in his car, and the satellite company was able to locate the transmitter.
Satellite radios have transmitters? Some do, to record proprietary information, yeah.
Okay, got it.
Off Highway 224, south of Marbury, Maryland.
The car has been there since 7:27 this morning.
- Go, McGee.
Take Bishop.
- All right, Abby, send me the coordinates.
Um, McGee, your phone doesn't do GPS.
Oh, right.
So A map, McGee.
Remember maps? Maps, right.
Where was Asher's car before this? Annandale, Virginia.
Stayed there overnight.
That a hotel? Industrial area.
Uh, looks like some kind of self-storage facility.
The car arrived there just after 9:00 last night, and didn't move again until 6:46 this morning.
BISHOP: How many miles? McGEE: 3.
6.
BISHOP: Oh.
Oh, stop.
We're here.
What do you mean, we're here? There's nothing here.
You sure you're reading that map right? Maybe you missed it.
Maybe you missed it.
I was reading the map.
You know, we sound like an old married couple right now.
(sighs) Sorry.
I just really miss my phone.
You mind if I look at that? Okay.
Well, you're right, this is exactly where Asher's car should be.
Yep.
McGee.
Is that Asher's car? BUZZ: Nope.
And nope.
No unit has been rented to a Clint Asher.
Or an Asher Clint, for that matter.
So I'm-I'm sorry, I can't help you guys.
GIBBS: Noticed you have security cameras at your front gate.
Oh, God.
Last night, 9:02 p.
m.
What kind of car is it you guys are looking for? Toyota Camry.
Blue.
Well, that's pretty common.
Uh, are you sure I should even be showing you this? There.
TORRES: Yeah.
License plate matches.
That's him.
Who's in the passenger seat? TORRES: I can't make him out.
BUZZ: We good? No.
We stay here and watch that car leave.
6:46 this morning.
(sighs) TORRES: Here it is.
Blue Camry.
But it's just the driver.
Where's the other guy? Which storage unit did they access? The cameras are only on the gates.
Buzz, that is not what he's asking.
Oh, I get it.
See, you get to ask all the questions, Buzz gets to do all the work.
(sighs) The gate code corresponds to the storage unit.
So that's 217.
Who rents that unit? Uh (scoffs) You know what? I got it.
You've done enough.
Boom.
All right, Unit 217 rented to David Yates.
I'm gonna take a picture of this.
I'm taking this.
Fine.
Did you boys get what you need? No, not yet.
(laughing) Hello.
Hello! Hello, Bishop.
We didn't find anything.
BISHOP: We did.
Asher's Camry.
Looks like someone dumped it.
Hey, guys, what is that? That steam? That open the trunk? No.
Here.
Thanks.
All right.
Ready? Whoa.
Why's he look like that? He's frozen solid.
I apologize in advance, Mr.
Asher, but this might hurt.
(drill whirring) Yeah, it's dreadful, I know, but it's absolutely necessary.
(sighs) As far as it'll go, Dr.
Mallard.
Thank you, Dr.
Palmer.
Let's see what we have.
No, that can't be right.
What can't be right? This man's core temperature is 62 below zero.
How, Duck? Well, I don't know.
Well, l-let's check it again.
You got the virus, too? Yeah, there was a worm functionality embedded into the virus, which of course replicated I (stammers) Yes, I got the virus, too.
Ah, it's correct.
62 below.
That's nearly 100 degrees below freezing.
What happened to him? Well, I wouldn't even venture a guess until I do the autopsy, and I can't begin that until he comes to room temperature.
Oh, not hours, Jethro.
Days.
Oh, come on, Duck.
Rapid defrosting would cause his skin to decompose while his inner organs would stay frozen.
It would seriously compromise the results.
No, we wait.
Okay, so Bishop is kicking butt back there.
How you doing? Any hospitals? Yes.
You know this is hard to do with you breathing over my shoulder.
Do we know how Clint Asher was frozen? Liquid nitrogen, Gibbs.
It's the only way.
And lots of it.
Okay, you get back to work, because this is my demonstration.
Demonstration? Liquid nitrogen.
It is a colorless, clear liquid that's stored at minus 346 degrees and immediately boils whenever it comes in contact with anything that's warmer.
Abbs.
Okay, so Asher's body temperature was 62 below.
He was in that lake for four hours.
The temperature of the lake was 54 degrees above zero.
The lake warmed him up, which means he was extra, extra frozen when he went into that lake.
That make you feel better? Oh, yeah.
Just wait until you see what I can do with a marshmallow.
I get it.
Liquid nitrogen freezes things, very fast, very cold.
How was Asher frozen? We don't know yet, boss, uh, but it would take a lot of liquid nitrogen and a container large enough to hold a body.
Lots of people use liquid nitrogen.
There's one major supplier in the area.
We've been going through their client list.
It's like hospitals, dermatologists But none of them order large enough quantities.
BISHOP: I think I may have something.
A cryotherapy spa.
Wait, wait, wait, cryo-what? It's the latest fitness craze.
It's like an iced steam bath.
I have been dying to try that.
Like, a girls' night out? Like, you, me and Quinn? Yeah, I'm into it.
McGEE: I can't imagine these spas are cold enough to freeze Asher's body like that.
So, there are six spas in the area.
One that stands out.
It orders five times more liquid nitrogen than the others.
Let's go.
Clock's running.
Bye.
Any more on victim Asher? Uh, yes, we have his college transcripts unsealed and we know why he was kicked out.
He wrote a ransomware virus and sent it to his friends.
QUINN: Yeah, he said it was a joke, but his dorm mates didn't think it was very funny, though.
The dorm name: Elliott Hall.
Wait, Asher created the Elliott Virus? QUINN: Ten years ago, and after that, he went on the straight and narrow and went after guys that he used to be.
His own virus then came out and he wound up killed.
Who and why? What do we know about the guy who rents the empty storage unit? Oh, it sorry.
Hello.
TORRES: Paperwork says David Yates.
Address puts him in the middle of Potomac.
Phone number is fake, too.
E-mail's bouncing back.
David Yates is an alias.
Anybody who read this rental app could see that including the storage unit manager.
GIBBS: Come on, Torres, you're with me.
Quinn.
Um, uh, Mom.
Yeah.
Do what you got to do.
It's like a blast of arctic air that sends your body into fight or flight mode.
All of the blood rushes to your internal organs, toxins flow out.
It's really very invigorating.
Why would anyone want to do this? BISHOP: To decrease inflammation, speed up muscle recovery, burn calories.
So I hear.
Yeah, LeBron James does it after every game.
Lauren here used to have wrinkles now they're gone.
McGEE: Huh.
REESE: Do you want to try? McGEE: What are you saying? So you guys go through a lot of liquid nitrogen containers? Yeah, I guess.
I promise you it's all totally legal.
My manager's on his way.
Oh, Lauren's done.
McGEE: So, how long is a session typically? Two minutes? Uh, three minutes max.
What are you looking for? We'll know when we see it.
(quietly): McGee, try to trap me inside.
Hey, what are you doing? You good? How many cryobaths do you get out of one canister of liquid nitrogen? I don't know, like, 15.
Can't we wait for my manager to get here? Sorry, we're racing the clock.
That's 525.
So, you get 525 customers a week? 500? No way.
It's more like 80 to 90.
Well, we know that you order 35 canisters a week.
So you figure that's 525 baths.
So what happens to all the extra liquid nitrogen? BISHOP: Reese, what do you know? We're not waiting for your manager.
GIBBS: Yeah, Bishop.
BISHOP: The manager of the cryospa is reselling bottles of liquid nitrogen at a big markup.
To who? David Yates, same guy who supposedly rented the storage unit.
What's he doing with them? Finding out now.
I told you, I don't know who he is.
That's the wrong answer, Buzz.
I don't know every renter.
I've got 260 units.
Well, we have a warrant that says we can open each and every one of them.
(stammers) You can't do that.
No.
Hey.
He can't do that.
This roast beef? Oh, come on, man.
Okay, Buzz, so here's the deal.
We're on a deadline, which means we don't have time to arrest you, transport you back to NCIS and interrogate you.
Tell us what you know.
The guy on your surveillance video-- we found him dead in a lake.
Did Yates do that? Uh, look, all right, I'm gonna be honest with you.
Yates has a second unit, off the books.
He pays me in cash, and then he tips me not to say anything to anyone.
But I swear on my mother's grave that I don't know what's in there.
TORRES: Whoa.
What is this guy? Dr.
Jekyll? It's a homemade cryosauna.
And not for pleasure.
Hey, Nick.
Ether.
Not the pleasure kind, either.
(clears throat) Gibbs.
Marie.
What are you doing? Damn thing is so sensitive, it goes off at the slightest whiff of heat.
Okay, come on.
Get down from there.
I'll fix it.
Oh, will you shut up? QUINN: Oh.
Uh Okay.
Come on.
All right.
Can you get down? Yes, I can get down.
I am not an invalid.
Ah.
Okay.
And this thing, this thing, I had this on low all day long.
Did not cook.
Put it up to high, that happens.
Mm.
Is anyone listening to Mother? Who else is coming? Who did you invite? What? There's three place settings, Mom.
Yeah.
You, me and your dad.
Don't look at me that way.
Come on.
All right, so he can be stubborn.
If he's stubborn, you just be the bigger person.
You come in, you give him a big hug.
Come sit.
Darling, what is it? What's wrong? Sit.
Just sit.
You know this.
Right? Marie, you know this.
I know what? What do I know? That he's dead? Dad's dead? You know, three years ago? You remember? Remember? You-you know that.
You live here alone? (voice breaking): Yeah, I know.
Of course I know.
Why are you even telling me that? Well, you didn't, you didn't remember.
(voice breaking): You don't remember a lot.
You know what I remember? I remember letting you ditch school in eighth grade, and taking you to a museum, and we looked at paintings of bare naked ladies.
(giggles) You remember? Mm-hmm.
Why did he have to go so young? Oh, God, I wasn't ready.
No, me neither.
We were making plans to go to the Caribbean.
You remember we were gonna buy a boat? You can't even swim.
You don't need to swim if you're on a boat.
Mm-hmm.
(both chuckle) Oh, God, look at me.
I got to get ready.
I'm a mess, I'm a mess.
Mom, come on, uh, let's eat.
I want to try your ribs.
No, no, no, I can't let your father see me like this.
It's his birthday after all.
Um, Earl Grey? - What are you two doing? - Nothing.
No, these poor souls are literally frozen in time.
Wow.
It's like a science fiction movie.
No, it's very real.
What your self-storage guy is doing is called cryogenics.
It's the ultra-low temperature preservation of human bodies, in the hopes that they can be resuscitated one day in the future when I don't know, death isn't quite so inevitable? And that could be in centuries.
Yeah.
Doesn't stop people from trying.
Like Ted Williams.
Ted Williams, greatest pure hitter in baseball.
Marine fighter pilot.
Perhaps he's hoping to one day take the field again.
Wait, cryogenics is legal? JIMMY: Yep.
There's over 250 bodies cryogenically frozen in the United States.
DUCKY: Well, those are in legitimate facilities, (chuckles): not in self-storage units.
So if it's not against the law, why hide these two? We found traces of microbial metabolites on the outer dermis.
And that tells us when those men were frozen, they were still alive.
And that means that you are dealing with a dangerous psychopath.
Special Agent McGee.
Vice Admiral Chase.
How's the case going? Uh, well, it's taken a sharp left turn.
Yeah, we are way past hacking.
The vice admiral's well aware; I've kept him up to speed.
Mm.
He's actually here for another reason.
Yes, well, um I want to apologize.
I let ego and obstinance get in the way of logic.
Those photos are too important to stand on principle.
I'd like to pay the ransom.
For myself and all who I infected.
Here.
Oh.
Thank you for the apology, Admiral, but I wouldn't pay just yet.
We still have 90 minutes left.
Did we I.
D.
the bodies? Two homeless men, disappeared separately more than a year ago.
Any connection to Clint Asher? No.
Or with ransomware.
McGEE: There's more.
Asher wasn't the only one kicked out of college for the ransomware prank.
His roommate was expelled, too.
Together they created the Elliott Virus.
Carlo Hackett.
Human developmental biology major.
He wrote a science fiction blog, and his senior thesis was on cryogenics.
Carlo went on to become a lab tech.
Worked in a blood bank until he was fired six months ago for theft.
Liquid nitrogen? He needed a constant supply.
And Cryoenergy Day Spa became the new source.
He cut a deal with the manager to buy the extra canisters.
Liquid nitrogen's expensive, so he dug out the ransomware virus him and Clint Asher created in college.
Carlo Hackett and David Yates are the same guy? I hooked up Buzz with a sketch artist to draw Yates.
Here's what we got.
Let's go get him.
No.
He's coming to us.
Hello, Carlo.
Freeze.
(chuckles) See what I did there? âFreeze.
â Clever.
McGEE: Hey, boss, Clint Asher logged on last night.
Looks like his last act was to try and shut down the virus.
He's gonna finish what he started.
Mr.
Hackett, password, please.
And if I refuse? A shower.
A cold one.
That's it? That's it.
Where are they? Answer me, where are my test subjects? You mean your victims? They're on our medical examiner's table.
You can't do that.
If you thaw them out, you'll kill them.
You already killed them.
You don't get it.
I put them into a state of suspended animation.
And I will bring them back.
BISHOP: Your college roommate, Clint, was shocked when he saw the virus you both created was back online.
REEVES: You took him to your lab, where you froze him in your ice chamber.
Cancer patients.
I could put them into a state of hibernation.
And when science has cured cancer, my test subjects can live healthy, productive lives.
They're not test subjects.
Couple of homeless guys, and you froze them while they were still alive.
I had to; if you wait until they're dead, you can never bring them back.
Get up.
Where are you taking me? Into hibernation.
Look you know that they locked up Galileo, too.
Today they call him the father of astronomy.
That's my grandma.
Oh, God, I loved her.
Uh, now, she went senile.
That's what they used call it back in those days, âsenileâ" Nobody-nobody calls it that anymore.
(sighs) Well, apparently it skips a generation, which is good news for you, baby.
Mom, how, uh how long have you known about forgetting things? I've known for awhile.
I-I I make a telephone call, and I'd forget who I was talking to.
Or I go out for a walk, and I-I would get lost in my own neighborhood.
It's like a window that just keeps closing a little bit, and then a little bit more.
Every day.
Like that.
Well, we're not gonna let it close, okay? Baby, nobody stops this window.
Nobody.
We're not nobody.
Okay? We-we we fight.
And I am not putting you in a nursing home.
I am here for you.
I know you are.
But what happens when I'm not here for you anymore? Forgetting about your dad was bad enough.
But what happens (crying): when I forget who you are? You won't.
You're not going to.
How can you? I mean, come on, you're not gonna forget about me.
(sobbing) I just don't want to live to be a burden.
You are not a burden.
You're my mother.
She ain't heavy, Father.
BOTH: She's my mother.
(both laugh) Come here, you.
Oh, my baby.
Baby, oh, my baby, baby.
FIRING LINE COMMANDER: Cease fire.
Make sure the firing lane is safe before going down range to score your targets.
How's your mom? Uh, yeah.
Like she says, if life is a bowl of cherries, why do I always get the pits? Yeah, you know what? I never got that.
If you got a bowl full of pits, it means you ate the cherries.
Yeah.
(chuckles) Yeah, it's just, uh came on so quick.
You know, she was good at hiding it, I was good at denying it.
Hey, Quinn, it's okay to be scared.
Yeah, I know.
I'm moving back in with her.
How's that for scary?