Original subtitles

I know you're busy with school.

I'm glad you're busy with school,

but your poor mother misses you, Lily.

I can't tomorrow. I'm heading out of town for work.

Us Song girls stay busy.

That's just who we are.

So it has to be tonight.

It won't take long. I promise.

It'll be quick.

And I got a surprise for you. I got a few surprises, actually.

I love you, too.

Bye.

Laura Song?

NCIS Special Agent Callen.

Agent Hanna.

What's going on?

We think you might have been compromised.

We need to get you to a secure location

immediately.

♪

Where is everybody?

Well, it's a Sunday,

so Sam is fishing, Fatima's drag racing,

Rountree's crushing it in a hot dog eating contest,

Callen is probably smooching it up with Anna

and you and I are at the beach right now

drinking mojitos out of a can.

Except for the fact that we're not 'cause we're here

because Kilbride called us in on a Sunday.

Well, you forget that he probably also had to cancel

his plans, right? He doesn't work 24/7.

That's a good point. I wonder what Kilbride does on a Sunday.

I mean, besides the obvious goat yoga and ASMR.

Well, I know he has a son. I don't know where he is

or what their relationship is like.

Son of Kilbride. Wow, I do not envy that.

Oh, come on. You're assuming he's the same kind of parent

as he is the Director of Special Operations.

I mean, look at me and my dad.

You know? He was a tough son of a bitch

with all those Marines under him, but...

with me, he was just... dad.

My best friend. My whole world.

Wow. That's another good point.

You know what? In fact,

next time I see him up in his office, Kilbride,

I'm gonna go in there and I'm gonna ask him about fatherhood.

You know? Maybe he'll have some advice for me.

We could hold hands, cry it out,

do some trust falls. What do you think?

Yeah. No, I think that you might walk out of there

missing a limb.

That is another good point. God, you're en fuegotoday.

I'm always on fuego.

You know what, I know what he does on Sundays.

He wanders up and down the aisles of Home Depot,

wearing a little orange vest...

just answering people's questions

about the right diameter for wood screws

for their planter boxes. Then he gets home

and watches Dirty Dozen and takes notes from Lee Marvin.

Oh, God.

Thank you for the compliment,

Agent Blye.

Admiral Kilbride. Hi.

We thought you were gonna...

meet us here in person.

I'm on a flight into Santa Monica.

I'll be landing within the hour.

Until then, I have an urgent matter

I need your team to handle.

You're gonna be late for Home Depot.

Okay. What is it? Protection detail.

An operative working deep cover may have been compromised.

That's not good.

Did you not hear me when I said

it was an urgent matter?

So how 'bout we shelve the useless commentary?

Sorry.

Her name is Laura Song.

For the past two decades, she has provided

the Office of Naval Intelligence with crucial intel

on the capabilities of China's navy.

So if her cover has been compromised...

They're gonna want her dead.

What happened there? Was there a leak?

We have people working on that.

Your team's priority is Laura's protection.

Now, Callen and Sam are

in the process of securing her at a safe house,

along with Agents Namazi and Rountree.

Send us the address. We'll join 'em.

No, I want you to pick up her daughter.

She is a freshman at USC.

Take her to the boatshed. Keep her there

until I give the all clear. Understood?

Understood, sir. I have sent her address to your phones.

Go.

I just feel bad, you know? It's like Ben was really excited

about this dinner.

So go next weekend.

Yeah, doesn't work like that.

I mean, L'Ardoise is, like, the hottest reservation in L.A.,

and they know it.

There's literally a 90-second grace period,

and then they just give away your table.

You serious? Yeah.

Seriously, you should drive by sometime.

There's a line of people waiting to pounce.

Okay, correct me if I'm wrong...

You know I will. All right.

Aren't dinner dates supposed to be relaxing?

Fun? And not, like, a whole Hunger Gamesexperience

where only the richest people get to eat steak?

Well, actually, this place is vegan.

Come on. Hmm?

Vegans can't pounce. They're too anemic.

Maybe in Texas. But L.A. vegans take supplements.

You don't want to mess with them.

I'm not seeing the appeal of any of this.

So crazy and stressful, trying to dine out in this city.

Not where I go. Where's that?

Normal places

without apostrophes in their name.

Where you just show up and get a good plate of food.

Here? In L.A.?

I don't think so.

I'm not making this up.

These places exist.

I'll make a list for you, and you can take your date.

Well, at this point, I don't think I'm going anywhere.

Not with this last-minute protection detail.

Do you think you can get the cameras up and running

while I reroute comms through the system?

Uh... sure.

Let me just figure out the right

input setting...

There you go.

I could've done that. I just haven't worked

with this particular system yet.

Mm-hmm.

We are ready for Laura Song.

Well,

thank you, gentlemen, for a lovely tour

of this city's freeways.

I know it was long, but we had to be sure you weren't followed.

Fatima! Rountree!

Hey. Sorry, we were just taking care

of a few last-minute things.

We good to go?We're good.

Agent Devin Rountree.

Laura Song. So where you putting me up?

Oh, it's a secure apartment on the top floor.

Pretty nice by safe house standards.

Fatima's up there right now making sure

everything's good for you guys.

All right, I'm-a take the stairs,

make sure the rest of the floors are secure.

They are. I...

already did that.

Agent Rountree,

your efforts are appreciated. No problem.

Hope you enjoy your stay.

I mean, I...

hope you're comfortable. Uh...

Have your agents picked up my daughter yet?

They're almost there. When they do, you can speak with her.

Good. She doesn't know what I do.

I've protected her all these years from all this,

and I don't want to throw it away

until I know what's going on.

Ah. Agent Rountree

wasn't wrong. This'll do.

Laura Song, this is

Agent Fatima Namazi. Hi.

Sorry to meet you under these circumstances.

But if you need to lay low for a spell,

this is the place to do it.

All the doors in this apartment are solid steel.

The windows are bulletproof.

And there's a panic room in the bedroom.

Impressive.

But I don't think I'll be using it.

If this is the end...

I'm gonna die out in the open, not in a box.

This isn't the end.

Your cover may still be intact. So sit tight.

We'll know more when Kilbride gets here in about an hour.

Well, until then, I guess my life is in your hands.

Confirm interior secure.

Copy that. You're clear.

Stand by for 10-15.

Copy that.

♪

What the hell happened?

♪

This is Office of Naval Intelligence

Inspector General Akhil Ali.

It's Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

09:54.

I've been tasked with determining

the sequence of events that led to Operative Laura Song's death.

As none of the cameras at the safe house recorded anything,

I have only the accounts of the NCIS agents to go on.

To avoid any chance of corrupting their accounts,

they have been isolated from one another for the last 36 hours.

First up is...

Agent Callen,

you were in the secure apartment with Laura Song

before the attack began. Is that correct?

Yes, that is correct.

What was your impression of her?

She was...

confident, forceful,

not somebody who would go down without a fight.

And she was drinking.

A little bit.

Not... not enough to get drunk.

But, um...

The scotch made her...

chatty.

You work for Hetty Lange, don't you?

Yeah.

I did.

Don't really know right now. Uh...

How'd you know?

Hetty's fingerprints are all over this place.

Oh, no, thanks.

How long have you known Hetty?

Feels like my whole life.

And... you and the admiral?

Feels like forever.

I was born in Nanjing,

but my mother was American.

So when my dad died,

she moved me to San Diego,

which I hated at first.

But I loved watching the ships.

So, when I turned 17,

I joined the Navy, and that's...

where Hollace found me.

I wanted to work on a ship,

but he chose me for another mission.

So I guess that's fitting.

He pulled me into the world of espionage,

and now he's gonna pull me out.

Well,

again, we don't know that.

"Every operative has an expiration date."

Something Hollace would say.

Sometimes we don't...

leave so peacefully.

But we chose

this life and...

the risks that go with it.

That's not to say

that we don't take care of our own.

That's why you're here.

So that doesn't happen.

I'll drink to that.

Have your daughter on the phone.

Thank you, Agent Hanna.

You're welcome.

Sweetheart? Are you okay?

All the other floors are secure. All good here?

All good.

And how much did you drink,

Agent Callen?

None.

What happened next? After Agent Hanna returned,

I stepped out to get an ETA from Admiral Kilbride.

I have the record of that call.

But it only lasted three seconds.

That's because my cell service suddenly went out,

and then all of the power went out.

I was trying you on comms. I can't reach Fatima

or Rountree either. Phones are dead, too.

Yeah, I'm definitely gonna need a gun.

And did you provide her with a firearm

at that time? No.

Because she had been drinking?

No.

Why not?

Because, from my experience,

putting a gun into a protectee's hand,

especially one that is, uh...

trained as an operative, it...

it tends to put 'em in more danger

than if they didn't have a gun.

Not sure I follow.

It was our job to protect Song,

not hers.

Giving her a gun would have just been an invitation

for her to take unnecessary risks.

Not that...

that stopped her.

Lights are still on across the street.

It's just us.

We're gonna need to get her to the panic room.

Song!

Get back here!

I'm not sitting around in the dark.

We need information.

What we need is for you to get in the panic room.

I told you,

I'm not getting in that room.

So after you finished your perimeter check,

you returned to the apartment.

What happened then?

Agent Callen stepped out to make a call.

I kept watch in the apartment.

Song was talking to her daughter on the phone in the bedroom.

And what was her state of mind after the call?

It's not easy protecting your family

from the dangers of the job.

I know from firsthand experience.

It can take a toll.

Thank you.

Of course.

Maybe this is a... blessing in disguise.

If my career is over, I can spend more time

with my daughter.

I've already missed so much.

Mm. Her teachers at boarding school

have been more of a mother to her than I have.

Now I have to bribe her with gifts just to get her

to have dinner with me.

But the truth is she's fine.

She's probably, um, better off without me.

Mm, you can't think that way.

She'll pull away more and so will you.

No matter how hard she makes it,

you got to keep trying.

How old is your daughter, Agent Hanna?

She's the same age as yours.

She went to boarding school, too.

Does she get along with her mother?

She did.

Her mom died.

Oh. I'm sorry.

How did it happen?

Line of duty.

She was CIA.

"Every operative..."

I'm sorry?

Nothing.

Was Laura Song drinking,

Agent Hanna?

There was a bottle of bourbon on the coffee table.

I didn't see her drink any.

I'm sorry... bourbon?

That's correct.

Not scotch?

It was bourbon.

Your partner said it was scotch.

It was bourbon.

You're sure?

Well, you know you can check it out if you want.

The bottle must still be in the room.

It's probably in a million pieces.

But if it's really that important to you

whether it's scotch or bourbon,

I'm sure you can glue 'em back together.

What happened next?

I got a call.

Deeks, what's up? Hey, Sam, it's Deeks.

Listen, we've been talking to Lily, there's something

you should know.

Sam...

Deeks?

What happened?

G, you copy?

Fatima? Rountree?

Y-You can't reach anyone?

I think I'm gonna need a gun.

Agent Hanna, did you give her a firearm?

No, I did not.

Why is that?

'Cause the situation didn't warrant it.

We weren't under attack.

But that quickly changed.

Song, get back here.

Your agents are in trouble. We need to find them.

They can take care of themselves.

We need to get you to the panic room.

I'm not getting in that room!

Come with me!

What about Hanna?

You left me!

I had to get her to the panic room!

Do I have to do everything myself around here?

I can help. Give me a gun.

Now did the situation warrant giving her a firearm?

No, the situation warranted getting her in the panic room.

But she refused.

That wasn't gonna stop me.

We need to get you to the safe room. No! Let go of me!

Sam!

Sam!

When I came to, it was over.

Song was dead.

Do you still believe you made

the right decision not to arm her?

Yes. Yes.

But that doesn't mean I don't take responsibility

for what happened. Laura Song should not

have needed a gun in her hand to protect herself.

That was our job.

And we failed.

Agent Rountree,

you and Agent Namazi were covering

the ground floor, watching the security monitors.

How did the evening begin?

We performed the required perimeter checks

and reported back to Agents Callen and Hanna.

But there wasn't much to say.

It was pretty quiet.

So what did you do to pass the time?

Well, as an FBI agent,

I've been on plenty of stakeouts, so I knew to always

bring something-- you know, a book, some music.

And that night,

I had magnets.

Psst. It's your turn.

Oh, sorry.

Well, I've officially missed my date at L'Ardoise.

I don't think you missed out on anything.

Not the food and especially not the guy.

What are you talking about? I like Ben.

Do you?

You act like it's a chore every time you meet up with this guy.

Oh, damn it!

The trick is to use the magnetic field

to your advantage.

Well, right now, they're repelling me.

And it's time for me to go do my thing anyways.

Put in a good word for me.

Yeah, we'll see.

"Her thing"?

Uh, sorry. Prayers.

Faith is a pretty important part of Agent Namazi's life.

So, she left her post

to attend to a personal matter.

Well...

I mean, nothing was happening.

I mean...

I mean, even if something did, she was on comms,

So...And did anything happen?

What the...?

I didn't touch anything.

Was that the magnets?

Oh, hell no.

Fatima, we just lost power.

Comms is rerouted through the system.

And once we lost power, it's supposed to migrate

back to the cell towers, but that didn't happen.

That's when I realized they must've been using

a powerful signal jammer.

Callen, Sam? Anybody, copy?

Hey.

We got company.

Here, let me help you.

No, it's... I'm all good, thanks.

Oh...

Here you go.

Thank you.

Agent Namazi,

I'm ONI Inspector General Akhil Ali.

Thank you for being here.

How's your leg?

Uh, annoying, but it's getting better.

I actually have a doctor's appointment after this.

That's good. I'll try not to keep you too long.

I've been reviewing your file.

It's, uh, very impressive.

You've accomplished so much for someone your age.

And to give up a lucrative television career

for civil service, it's really...

Well, anyway...

uh, I thought we could start from just after you returned

from the top floor apartment, when you and Agent Rountree

were on watch-- he mentioned you were playing a game?

Yeah, yeah.

And I was kind of crushing it.

Ha! Gah!

Magnets! Oh, come on,

Tree, don't you know that opposites attract?

Oh, you missed your dinner date.

Oh, don't worry about it. I think you were right.

I wasn't that excited to go.

Plus I don't think Ben's my type.

Why not?

What?

Why, uh... why wasn't he your type?

I'm... not sure

I see how that's relevant.

Is it... relevant?

We'll circle back to that.

Uh, what happened

after you played the game?

Uh, then I left

to perform the first prayers of the Muslim day.

Now is prayer something you always

make time for while on assignment?

When reasonable.

My faith makes me a stronger person

and a better agent.

I-I admire that.

I'm Muslim myself.

But not as devout as I'd like to be.

It's, um...

it's not easy.

No, it's not.

But it can be rewarding.

Uh, s-so you did your prayers?

Yeah, and that's when I saw the first sign of trouble.

Rountree, I've got movement on the south side of the building.

You see anything on the cameras?

Rountree, do you copy?

Hey, we got company.

Yeah, comms are down. I saw two shadows on the south side of the building.

We need to get to the others.

What was that? Came from the door.

Be careful.

Move!

Agent Rountree and I managed to take out several operatives

downstairs. I'm not even exactly sure how many.

We were quickly overwhelmed and had to retreat to the top floor.

And that's where we ran into Laura Song.

Are you okay?

Get back! Get back!

This way! This way!

Take cover!

Rountree, hurry!

We can't stay here!

Come on.

Come on!

Aah!

Aah!

Oh, that hurts!

Let me see where you're hit.

We don't have time.

We can't stay here, either.

Oh, that hurts.

Oh, this hurts.

They're coming in!

Song. You go-- you're injured.

No way. You first.

There's no time to argue.

Go!

Come on.

I'm okay. Song?

No! No!

I don't know why she did that.

I think maybe she thought she was saving us.

Maybe she did.

A few moments later, we heard gunshots.

And that was it.

We had her.

We had her,

and we lost her.

Game over.

Agent Blye, you and Investigator Deeks were tasked

with picking up and bringing Laura Song's daughter, Lily,

to your office's auxiliary space, is that correct?

Yes, that's correct, but we call it the boatshed.

What was the first thing you did when you arrived?

I called Admiral Kilbride.

He wanted us to let him know as soon as Lily was safe.

Yes, sir, absolutely.

Uh, hey, my boss wants to talk to you.

His name is Admiral Kilbride.

He's an old friend of your mom's.

Okay.

All right, I'm gonna put him up on the screen for you.

Uh, Admiral, I am connecting you now.

Lily, hi.

I'm Admiral Kilbride.

I apologize to you for talking while driving.

How you doing?

I'm okay, I-I'm just--

I mean, these agents told me someone made a threat

against my mom, but I don't understand

why the Navy is involved.

She's an art dealer.

Yes, that's how I met her.

For obvious reasons I'm rather partial to maritime art.

Do you know J.M.W. Turner?

Yeah. I thought you might.

She said you were studying art history at USC.

Anyway, she got me a great price

on one of his sketches, and we've been close ever since.

When this is over, I'll show it to you.

When will this be over?

I know that you're scared, Lily, but you're safe.

And so is your mom.

I'm headed to her right now.

Now, normally the FBI would handle this, but...

your mom means a lot to me so I requested my team handle it.

They are the best.

I trust them with my life.

Thank you.

Agent Blye, Deeks... take care of her.

We will. Absolutely, sir.

All right, you okay?

Yeah. I just want to talk to my mom.

I totally get that. We'll make it happen.

Hold on.

Sam, hey, it's Deeks.

We're here with Lily. Is her mom available?

Yeah, okay.

There you go.

Mom? Sweetheart, are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay?

This is crazy.

I mean, these agents just showed up at my dorm.

So that was definitely the softer side of Kilbride.

Yeah, I think he was telling the truth, too.

I think he really cares about Laura Song.

That's not even the lead story-- did you hear the part about how

he said he would trust us with his life and we're the best?

Oh, honey.

That part was a lie.

Why did it surprise you that Admiral Kilbride

might have cared for Laura Song?

Well, let me answer that question with another question.

You ever seen The Dirty Dozen?

No.

Yeah, neither have I, so let's just say

Kilbride's a lot like an onion.

You mean he has layers?

And every single one of them will make you cry.

Okay,

what happened after Lily talked to her mother?

Well, speaking of crying.

I'm sorry.

Please, don't apologize, Lily.

I just don't want to lose her, too.

"Too"? What do you mean?

My dad died when I was 11.

Oh.

I'm so sorry, we didn't know.

He was on a work trip,

and there was a car crash.

I was just a kid, but I could still tell

how heartbroken my mom was.

I mean, she's usually so strong,

like a fortress, but losing him...

...it almost destroyed her.

But it sounds like you were there for her.

Right?

Bet you had to grow up pretty fast.

I know she feels guilty

about being away for work,

but...

you know, and she's away a lot.

But I'm glad she has it.

I mean, as soon as she went back to work after my dad died,

she got better.

You're a very strong young woman, Lily.

I should, um...

I should check in with Sam.

Yeah.

Is everything all right?

What?

Is everything all right?

Uh...

Yeah, as you may already know

based on your fancy file you have in front of you,

Agent Blye and I

are trying to adopt a child.

As hopeful parents

and law enforcement officers,

getting killed in the line of duty has obviously

crossed our mind once or twice.

And I fully recognize

everyone deals with trauma differently,

but if Kensi...

If Kensi, um...

died, I don't...

I just can't imagine remaining operational

with an 11-year-old.

And yet that's exactly what Laura Song chose to do.

So I just thought that information

should be relayed to Sam.

Sam, hey, it's Deeks. Listen, we've been talking to Lily,

and there's something you should know.

Sam? Sam?

Damn it. Kens.

Yeah. What is it? Uh...

I can't reach the safe house on the comms,

and the cameras are off-line.

Okay, well, let's call Fatima. I already did.

Nobody's picking up.

Wait, what's going on? Uh, nothing.

We're just having some technical issues.

Now we got an LAPD alert.

We got gunshots and explosion in the area.

Okay, stay with Lily. Yeah.

I'll be right back.

When I got to the safe house, the, um...

the comms had returned.

The tactical team must have retreated

with the signal jammer.

Rountree, Fatima, do you copy?

We copy. We're stuck in this elevator shaft.

Top floor.

We're coming to get you.

Guys, it's me. I just pulled up.

Coming in the front door.

That's where I found her.

♪

Thank you for being here, Admiral.

Not a problem.

Ready when you are.

Okay.

Why don't you start by telling me what happened

when you arrived on scene.

Nothing happened when I arrived on scene.

When I arrived on scene, it was already over.

Laura Song was dead.

Are we done?

No, Admiral, we're not.

What is this? I thought

all the cameras in the safe house went down.

This isn't from the safe house.

It's from the construction site across the street.

You pulled up,

went inside

and then left.

Before Agent Blye arrived on scene.

♪

Fine.

You want to know how Laura Song died?

I shot her.

♪

You killed Laura Song?

Based on recent intel leaks,

I began to suspect that Laura had been turned by the Chinese.

But I had to be sure.

After all, she had served our country for over 20 years.

So, in order to secure her for interrogation,

I made up that story about her cover being blown.

I had my team pick her up and place her in protective custody.

And you didn't tell them?

I needed them to play their roles perfectly.

I couldn't... take the chance that they might...

give something up. Uh...

They're good...

but she was the best I've ever known.

When I arrived on scene, the lobby was empty.

But...

then I heard them coming downstairs.

Drop the gun, Laura.

Let me guess.

My cover's still intact.

I said drop the gun.

You want to know the truth, Hollace?

You think I'd believe you after all this?

I guess not.

And that's what happened.

The, uh, tactical team was not there to kill her.

They were there to extract her.

And we didn't lose an operative.

I killed a traitor.

And now that you know that,

you are going to forget it.

Admiral, you have committed perjury

and obstructed a federal investigation.

I need to report all this to SECNAV.

She already knows, you idiot.

Go ahead. Call her.

I'll wait.

I'm trusting you to keep this confidential.

Yes, ma'am. Can I trust you?

Course, ma'am. Good.

I fully understand. I...

Happy now?

I don't think "happy" is the right word.

It's already been decided.

The truth makes us look weak.

So the official story is

Laura Song died a hero.

So my investigation...

Just a formality.

If we didn't have it,

my agents would be asking a lot of questions.

You have to tell them.

I'm not authorized to tell them.

But they blame themselves for what happened.

If they have

a great need to wallow in their angst,

who am I to stand in their way?

Besides, once they see the report from Cyber Command,

they'll realize

they're lucky to be alive.

I assume you got the report.

Uh...

Yes.

They found a sustained breach

of the ONI safe house security systems.

The Chinese knew NCIS had Song

from the moment she walked through the safe house doors.

Bottom line: they did the best they could.

And I expect to see that in your report.

And now I think we are done here.

I don't understand.

Admiral,

you recruited her.

You trained her. Y-You...

you knew her longer than anyone.

Why would she turn?

That's her story to tell.

♪

Hey.

Hey.

How's Lily?

She'll be all right.

She's strong, like her mom.

How are you guys?

Not in the mood

to answer any more questions.

Especially that one.

Yeah.

What are you still doing down here?

We have a case.

Someone triedto steal

a munitions supply on its way to Pendleton.

Let's find 'em

before they try again.

♪

♪

♪

Drop the gun, Laura.

I said drop the gun!

You want to know the truth, Hollace?

You didn't choose me all those years ago.

I chose you.

You were the perfect mark.

The man with the broken family,

looking for a second chance.

You really think I'd believe you after all this?

♪