Well,
what is your professional opinion, Jack?
Honestly, I'm stumped.
Gibbs has the best poker face I've ever seen.
It's like trying to read a statue.
Mm, that's his normal state.
Ain't that right, Popeye?
There's no way he can have
five winning hands in a row.
He's got to be bluffing.
I'm not so sure.
He had that same glint in his eye back when I married Diane
and he no longer had to pay alimony.
I'm with Tobias on this one.
All right.
I'll call you, Gibbs.
Let's see 'em!
Oh!
Oh... What did I tell you?!
Ridiculous!
Why do I get the feeling we're being bamboozled?
Gibbs. Yeah.
Whoa, McGee.
Slow down. Tell me what happened.
What do we have?
Single GSW to the left anterior chest.
BP's dropping fast. Possible hemothorax.
Open thoracotomy and chest tube.
She's coding!
Prep for it. Let's go. Crash cart.
Come on, we're losing her.
♪ NCIS 15x22 ♪ Two Steps Back Original Air Date on May 8, 2018
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man
♪♪
I came as soon as I heard.
Come on!
How can this happen?
Huh?
Can anyone explain that to me?
Losing anyone you know is always difficult.
But all we can do now is our jobs.
Ducky's right.
We have work to do. Let's go.
Dr. Palmer,
performing an autopsy on a colleague is not an easy task.
So if you prefer to sit this one out...
Thank you, Doctor.
This is the only way I can help,
and I'm not going anywhere.
Good.
So let us begin.
Any word on Abby?
Nothing yet.
I don't think I can handle
losing another family member today.
Nor I, Dr. Palmer.
Nor I.
Don't worry, Clay.
You're in good hands.
What do we know?
Abby's stable but critical.
The bullet pierced an artery,
but the doctors were able to stop the bleeding in time.
So she's out of the woods?
Well, it's too soon to tell.
They said if Abby doesn't regain consciousness
within the next 48 hours,
the outlook's not so good.
She will. She will, Tim.
MPD find the shooter?
Not yet.
Metro's calling it a mugging gone wrong,
and the details are limited.
Gibbs isn't gonna like that.
How's he holding up?
He hasn't said a word since he got here.
I know I let you down, Abbs.
I told you not to worry.
I said that I would always keep you safe.
Ari didn't shoot at you
and hit Kate by mistake, did he?
He's after me now.
I was walking by that window when he fired.
You're just saying that to make me feel safe.
I'll keep you safe, Abby.
I promise.
Gibbs?
Hey, boss, where you going?
Keep a promise.
Hi.
Ketchup and prawn?
Reeves knew they were my favorite.
He, uh...
he special-ordered them from England.
Kept a stash in his desk for me.
They don't
quite taste the same.
I'm gonna miss him, too.
He was like a brother to me,
and I never got to tell him that.
Hey, you didn't have to.
Yes.
Yes, I did.
Clay didn't have any family, Torres.
Us... we were it.
I mean, he...
he was here, and now he's gone.
Over what, like, 60 bucks in cash?
I mean, does-does that make any sense to you?
No.
No, it doesn't.
Any word on Abby?
No, there's no change.
What did MPD say?
The officers on the scene,
uh, they confirmed that Reeves' wallet
and Abby's purse
were missing, which supports
the “mugging gone bad” theory.
Witnesses?
Uh, several reported hearing three gunshots,
but no one actually saw the shooter.
No security cameras in the area.
The only people who know exactly what happened are...
Reeves, Abby,
and our unidentified mugger.
Right.
Let's get to it.
All right.
Doctor's orders, McGee.
Come on.
You need sustenance.
I'm not hungry.
Well, then at least go outside and get some fresh air.
Come on, you've been in here all night.
I'll watch over Abby.
I'm not going anywhere until I know Abby's gonna be okay.
That could be days.
Maybe weeks, even.
Then I'll wait.
She is gonna get better, right?
Oh, come on.
This is the indomitable Abby Sciuto we're talking about.
I don't care what the odds are.
You never count her out.
Look, I'm scared, too, but...
she is gonna pull through this.
Just wish I could help her.
You can.
Just because she's unconscious doesn't mean she can't hear us.
Isn't that right, Abby?
Just talk to her, pal.
Tell her how you feel.
I wouldn't know where to start.
There you are.
I've been looking for you all day.
I've been busy.
More like purposely avoiding me.
Reeves was a member of your team, Gibbs.
You should, uh... you should talk about it.
Talk?
That gonna help him?
No, but it might help you.
You want to help me, Jack?
Get me some answers.
I have some.
They may not be the answers for which
you are looking, but they could prove useful.
Cause of death was punctured aorta inflicted by
one of two bullets to the chest.
We also found bruising on his hands,
consistent with a struggle.
Kid had a hard life.
Deserved better than this. Dr. Palmer
took the slugs in his clothing out to the lab for analysis.
Analysis by whom?
Ugh! What is this even saying?
I-I can't understand a single word.
I thought all you brainy types
would understand that kind of stuff.
My background is in analytics,
not molecular science.
It all sounds like nerd to me.
This thing. Come on. Work!
That's got to be the blood analysis report
from Reeves' clothes.
Well, this says there were
two different blood profiles on Clay's shirt.
Reeves' and Abby's? No.
One was a match to Clay, the other's a match to...
former Army Specialist
Kent Marshall,
dishonorably discharged in 2008.
That's got to be our mugger.
NCIS!
Uh, Gibbs.
I've got an M9 Beretta,
Reeves's wallet, Abby's purse.
Marshall's definitely our guy.
Bishop.
Huh?
Oof.
Someone got to Marshall first.
Yeah. Who?
The person who hired him.
It's a dossier on Abby.
This wasn't a random mugging. This was a hit.
Abby is the target.
Our dead shooter is
former Army Specialist Kent Marshall.
Dishonorably discharged in 2010 for disorderly conduct
and aggravated assault. Not the military's finest.
Ballistics on his Beretta match the slugs
taken from Reeves and Abby.
It's also a match to six unsolved shootings
in the tristate area.
All right, if Marshall is a gun for hire, then who hired him?
Well, Abby's forensics has convicted
hundreds over the years, but so far, our top suspect
is this guy, Terry Spooner.
Spooner embezzled millions in '06.
He hired a hit man to stop Abby from testifying at his trial.
He was released six months ago and has been on probation
at a halfway house in Silver Springs.
Bring him in.
In one piece, Gibbs.
We'll see.
Well, the hospital's on alert
and I've got Abby's room secured.
I know.
Thanks, Tony. I will.
Well, why do I need to say it back to you?
All right, fine. I love you, too.
I'll keep you posted.
Bye.
That was Tony
checking in.
You know, he didn't even call me a McNickname,
so I know he's really worried about you.
We all are, Abby.
Abby, do you understand how serious this is?
Someone wants you dead.
Now, if you were awake,
you'd probably act like you weren't scared,
but you know what?
It scares me, okay?
It really scares me.
So what I need you to do is to stop sleeping and wake up.
Abby, please wake up. Wake up.
Never thought I'd be back at NCIS.
This place hasn't changed much in 12 years, has it?
Neither have you.
Um...
You're gonna have to help me out here
because I have no idea who this is.
It was the hit man you hired to kill Abby Sciuto.
You remember her, right?
Her testimony got you convicted in 2006.
Yeah, the first one you hired to kill her
couldn't get the job done,
so you decided to give it another go.
Except he failed, too.
So you're oh-for-two, Spooner.
Well, wait a minute.
I admit I've done some questionable things,
but that's all in the past.
Really?
I spent the last decade reflecting on all my mistakes.
I have no interest in repeating them.
Right. So you're making all new ones,
like killing MI6 Officer Clayton Reeves.
I have no idea who this is
or what you're talking about.
I have six months left on my probation.
I wouldn't risk that for anything.
All I want is to be a free man and to start over.
As you can see,
my life is an open book.
Look into me all you want.
I've got nothing to hide.
As much as I'd love to say that we caught the guy
responsible for Reeves's death...
It's not Spooner.
I-I can't say he's reformed,
but Spooner's defining trait is his greed.
What he wants more than anything right now is his freedom,
not revenge.
Gibbs, this attempt on Abby wasn't just business.
Whoever is behind this is someone who is calculating,
connected, and is holding a serious grudge.
You know anyone like that?
Yeah, I do.
We meet again, Gibbs.
To what do I owe this... pleasure?
Sit down, Alejandro.
See, that's the difference between you and me.
I was always raised
to be polite to guests.
My father taught me that as a child,
before he was murdered by a coward.
Just like Paloma.
Do not mention my sister's name again.
Gladly.
You did not come all this way to provoke me.
You want something.
Judging by your expression, it must be rather serious.
What? Did someone die?
Hmm?
Was it you?
And if it was?
Reeves is dead.
Your hit man is dead.
And if Abby does not pull through,
you will be next.
Abby?
You know me better than that. If I was gonna order
a hit on anyone, it'd be you, not Abby.
You threatened her before.
Oh, again, you misunderstand me.
I did not threaten her back then.
I was trying to warn her.
Warn her about what?
You.
There's a...
cloud of death that follows you, Gibbs.
Only, it's the ones closest to you who end up paying the price.
Tell me,
how many have made the mistake
of trusting you with their lives?
McGEE: I got one terrorist inside.
I don't know if I got him, but he stopped shooting.
Shooter!
Protection detail's over, Kate.
You did good.
For once, DiNozzo's right.
Wow, I thought I'd die before I ever heard a compl...
Previously belonged to
former Mossad director, Eli David.
- Isn't that... - Where Ziva's supposed to be staying.
Do we know she's dead?
'Cause if we know she's dead, we're gonna get him.
Yeah, she's dead, and we will get Kort.
Us, not you.
Oh, yes, me.
We've lost agents before, haven't we? And when we do,
it's all hands on deck!
Oh, Mike.
Stop!
McGEE: Abby?
Abby, can you hear me? It's Tim. Can you hear me?
Listen, you're in the hospital, okay?
But don't worry, you're gonna be fine.
Reeves...
Is Reeves okay?
Never seen Torres
so peaceful.
Yeah, I don't know what to do first, wake him or fire him.
Poor guy, no one on Gibbs' team
has taken a break since the shooting.
- Okay, give me an update. - Update, on it.
Since Abby still can't remember anything from the shooting,
Bishop and I are looking at every single one
of the cases she's worked on,
but no one matches Sloane's profile so far.
That's all you got?
It's a long list, Gibbs. We're talking 16 years worth.
Do better.
Uh, a little rest might help.
Your team could use a break, Gibbs, they're running on fumes.
Looks fine to me.
I moisturize.
Gibbs, found something.
I was digging more
into our shooter Kent Marshall, and discovered
he was deployed to a security post
in Afghanistan in 2008,
the same time
as Tom Reese, aka Marine Sergeant Robert King.
Who the hell's he?
Black ops soldier that tricked Ms. Sciuto
into developing a bioweapon.
She tracked King down before he could sell it.
Well, he fits our profile. Where's King now?
Serving a life sentence at Danville Correctional
since 2009.
Bishop, you are with me.
Torres, you're on protection detail, get over to Abby's,
relieve McGee.
Hey, I've never been there.
What's it like?
Uh, there are no words.
How's it looking?
One second, almost got it.
All right.
There we go.
What do you think?
Not bad.
I guess the tenth time is the charm.
Getting pigtails to be symmetrical
is harder than it looks.
You make it look easy.
Well, not anymore.
What's wrong?
I just hate feeling helpless, McGee.
How are we supposed to solve this case
when I can't even fix my own hair?
Look, you just need to give yourself more time.
You know who doesn't have time?
Reeves.
I was the target, McGee.
Me.
I'm the one
that should be dead, not him.
Abby...
You expecting someone?
Just a delivery,
of a customized studded arm sling.
Hey, McGee? Torres.
- Hey. - Hey.
Gibbs wants you back at headquarters.
All right, just stay alert.
Okay? Sergeant King has a Rolodex
full of black ops killers at his disposal.
No such thing as being too careful.
You don't have to remind me how ruthless King is.
You're under arrest for the murder
of Nurse Hannah Dunstan.
That is correct, and many, many more bad things.
Little tip: next time you're playing chess
with a forensic specialist...
Wear gloves.
Why?
Kept you from asking too many questions.
Why can I remember everything about King,
and nothing about the shooting?
I mean, there could be a vital clue hidden in there.
And I don't know it.
I have to remember.
I have to.
King's been a problem inmate since he arrived.
Always causing some sort of trouble.
Just last week, he started a brawl in the yard.
Is that why he's in solitary confinement?
Yes, ma'am.
Going on a week now, which is why I doubt he's your man.
Yeah, why is that?
We monitor all inmate communication with the outside.
Since King's been in the SHU,
he hasn't been in contact with anyone.
I'd rather ask him myself.
Have at it.
Open 12.
King, front and center.
Now.
Don't make me ask you again.
Uh, Gibbs?
That's not Sergeant King.
Brendan Denridge.
You're a night-shift guard in the solitary wing.
Until you swapped places with King to help him escape.
And you thought that was a good plan?
I had no choice.
He threatened my family.
Said if I didn't go along with it, he'd kill them.
You're the guard, King was the inmate.
I mean, you're the one with all the power.
Are you kidding?
His black op connections are legendary inside that prison.
He had photos of my grandkids at school.
What would you have done?
That fight that King started in the yard.
That was a setup.
He wanted to get sent to the SHU.
Yeah.
Okay, why now?
All King talked about
was leaving the country once he had a few loose ends tied up.
That's a coffin.
Like-like, that's, like, a real coffin.
I thought McGee was messing with me, man.
Wow.
Hey, this place is awesome.
How come you never invited me over?
You got to give me the number of whoever designed this closet.
It is legit.
Later, Torres, I'm trying
to go back through everything that happened
leading up to the shooting, and see if it will jog my memory.
Nothing yet?
No, but, uh, come here, check this out.
Remember that e-mail
that I got, saying I had been randomly selected for the dinner
at The Cooler? Yeah.
Well, it didn't come from the restaurant.
Someone hacked into their online booking system,
created a reservation and sent it to me.
It was a setup, to try to get me there.
You think it was King?
I'm not sure.
But I do have the hacker's I.P. address.
So if he uses public Wi-Fi anywhere in the city,
I'm gonna find him.
He messed with the wrong forensic scientist.
Yep. Never want to get on your bad side.
I got him.
Where? Arlington Heights.
Um, call Gibbs, and tell him I'm gonna send him an address.
The place looks like it hasn't been opened in years, boss.
Nothing in the back, either.
Abby must've gotten the address wrong.
When has that ever happened?
She sent us to the wrong location on purpose.
Why would she do that?
Boss, you don't think that...
Hey, Tom.
Or Robert.
Or whatever you're calling yourself these days.
Surprised to see me?
No backup?
Nope.
Not this time.
I came alone.
I'm impressed.
Impressed that I'm still alive?
Or impressed that I tracked you down a second time?
That you have the guts to face me yourself.
Don't think for a second you intimidate me.
Well, if you're not gonna arrest me, uh, why are you here?
Rule 45.
What does that mean?
You'll find out soon enough.
Well, in that case, have a seat.
Nothing. I mean, Torres and Abby are gone.
You really think Abby went to confront King?
“Rule 45”.
“Clean up your mess.”
There's no way Torres would've gone along with this.
I mean, something must've happened.
Call him. McGee?
Get over here, find out where she went.
Do you hear that?
That's Torres's cell phone.
What?
- What is this doing here? - Hello?
Is anybody out there?
Torres?
- Get me out of here. - Yep.
It's locked.
Get me out of here.
You okay? Am I okay?
What is wrong with you, Bishop?
You know what goes through a person's head
when they're locked into a coffin?!
W-Wait, Abby did this?
She played me, Gibbs.
She played me, man.
She bet me that I couldn't get in there,
'cause I was too afraid.
I get in and then she locks me inside.
I don't like this new Abby.
Did she tell you where she was going?
Yeah, she's confronting King.
She said she didn't want anybody else to die because of her.
Boss, I think I found her.
She tracked King
to a café in Georgetown.
If you've got something to say, now's the time.
After all the horrible things you've done,
how can you live with yourself?
Well, what you call “horrible,” I call “necessary.”
You can't justify murder.
My friend is dead because of you.
Your hands aren't clean, either, sunshine.
You know, hundreds of soldiers are dead because of you.
What are you talking about?
Every troop that died overseas while I was locked up?
My work could've prevented it all.
No, their blood's on your hands.
You think you're some kind of savior?
You're a bioweapons terrorist.
I'm the kind of patriot this country needs.
Someone who's not afraid to get his hands dirty
to get the job done.
“The job.”
Okay, that's why you're out now.
What kind of weapon are you developing now?
I wouldn't concern yourself
with the details.
Don't make the same mistake as your friend.
Know when you're beaten.
- Move, and she dies. - All right, man, look, just take it easy.
You're not here for money.
Who sent you?
Stop!
Clay.
Clay?
Reeves saved me.
Casualty of war.
He hadn't interfered, he might still be alive.
I've spent my whole life putting bad guys behind bars.
And every time we stop one,
someone else just takes their place.
You can't change human nature.
Well, I have a flight to catch.
Looks like our rematch will have to wait.
Oh, we're not finished here.
It's a stalemate.
You haven't got a move to make.
I made my move before I sat down.
Slipped some cyanide into your coffee
before the waitress gave it to you.
Enough to kill you.
I mean, not immediately.
But within the hour.
“A” for effort, sunshine.
Now, you're not capable of killing anyone.
Kate. Jenny.
Dorneget. Ziva. Reeves.
I am tired of my hero friends dying
while villains like you get to live.
Everyone has their breaking point, and this was mine.
Airway constriction.
It's one of the first symptoms.
Shortness of breath,
dizziness, chest pains.
You'll be in full cardiac arrest in, like, ten minutes.
I mean,
unless you happen to have some hydrocobalamin
on you.
Like this.
Confess and you get to live.
You're insane.
Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to get the job done.
Fine.
I hired Marshall to take you out,
but just you.
Your friend wasn't part of the plan.
Satisfied?
You may not deserve to live,
but I will never stoop to your level.
I'll be seeing you.
Checkmate.
Hey, you going somewhere?
Should've learned your lesson the first time.
Don't mess with Abby.
You really think this is over?
Go on. Lock me up. I'll find a way to escape.
Oh, that was good.
I got him, Clay.
Sorry it took so long.
I'll never forget what you did for me.
Oh.
We got your wallet back.
I know how much this picture meant to you.
I just thought... you'd want it close by.
I remember what you said about wanting to honor your mother...
and I'm gonna make that happen.
I promise.
I'm not gonna let you down, Clay.
So, Abby didn't slip cyanide into King's drink?
Nope. She laced his coffee with crushed up Caf-Pow! pills.
And the surge of caffeine jolted his heart rate
to mimic some of the symptoms.
The rest was brought up purely by the power of suggestion.
It's genius.
It's Abby.
Well, does anyone know
what this big announcement of hers is?
I don't know. Maybe it's apologizing
for locking me in a coffin!
Not exactly.
But... I am sorry about that, Nick.
All right, so...
what is the big announcement?
Well... Reeves wanted to be buried
next to his mother in London,
so... I'm gonna escort his body there tomorrow
and make the arrangements.
I know he would like that, Abbs.
And when are you coming back?
Um, I'm not coming back.
Wh... you mean not till after the funeral, right?
I-I mean...
I'm leaving NCIS.
Leaving?
Clay died saving my life and I owe him a debt,
and I intend to see it through.
What do you mean by that?
Clay always wanted to start a charity in honor of his mom.
And since he's not here to make that happen,
um... I will.
I know you may not understand,
but it's something that I have to do.
And not just for him, but for me.
Well...
if that's what you want, Abbs, we...
we will support you 100%.
Well said.
Dr. Palmer, isn't that so?
Uh, yes, of course.
Um, Abby, of course we support you.
It's just... I'm sorry.
The-the thought of you not being here...
just can't imagine it.
It wasn't an easy decision.
I mean, you guys are my family and this is my home.
But you have to go with your gut
and my gut is telling me that I have to go.
McGee?
I have never been so proud to call you my friend
than I am now.
I just don't think I can say good-bye to you.
It's-it's not good-bye for good.
It's just good-bye for now.
I'm gonna miss you.
I'll miss you more.
Ducky.
“Hey, Gibbs.
“You're probably wondering
“what's with the retro communication.
“Truth is, I chickened out.
“I was afraid that if you asked me to stay, I might waiver
“because there's nothing I wouldn't do for you.
“When I think back
“on when things in my life got difficult,
“you were always there to tell me that it would be okay.
“And it would be because you would make it okay.
“But Gibbs, Reeves is gone
“and it's not something anyone can fix,
“not even you.
“I hope you know what you mean to me, Gibbs.
“Every moment, every lesson, every hug.
“I'm thankful for it all.
“No matter what we faced over the years,
there was only ever one thing I needed to hear from you.”
Tell me that I made a mistake.
No, I can't say that.
Then...
tell me how much I've been like a daughter to you
and how much you love me.
Will that help?
No.
What I really need to know, Gibbs...
is if you're gonna love me...
no matter what.
♪ ♪
♪ Be still and know ♪
♪ That I'm with you ♪
♪ Be still and know ♪
♪ That I am here ♪
♪ Be still and know ♪
♪ That I'm with you ♪
♪ Be still, be still ♪
♪ And know ♪
♪ When darkness comes upon you ♪
♪ And colors you with fear and shame ♪
♪ Be still and know ♪
♪ That I'm with you ♪
♪ And I will say your name ♪
♪ If terror falls upon your bed ♪
♪ And sleep no longer comes ♪
♪ Remember all the words I said ♪
♪ Be still, be still ♪
♪ And know ♪
♪ If you forget the way to go ♪
♪ And lose where you came from ♪
♪ If no one is standing beside you ♪
♪ Be still and know I am ♪
♪ Be still and know I am. ♪
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man