- Ellie's gut says that Parsa is in his home district in NW Pakistan; there a SEAL team captures him alive. Gibbs, McGee, and Ellie fly to an aircraft carrier, where Gibbs and Ellie question him. Ellie gets into a bind, but Gibbs saves her.
- Ellie's boss, Marlens, at the NSA, hassles her about her communication with him about her current work on Parsa at the NCIS, and Gibbs hassles her about her previous work on Parsa at the NSA. Ellie describes to Gibbs her new insight into Parsa; her gut says that he's in his home district, in NW Pakistan. The Gibbs team investigate a body, wearing the clothing of Parsa's bodyguard, found at the ocean terminal in Portsmouth, Virginia; Duck and Abby say that the body is that of a security guard at the port; Tony and McGee elaborate on him. At the Norfolk airport Gibbs, Tony, and McGoo intercept Khalil, the live bodyguard; Ellie and Gibbs lean hard on him, who reveals important information, which enables a SEAL team to capture Parsa alive. Gibbs, McGee, and Ellie fly to an aircraft carrier, where Gibbs and Ellie question Parsa; Ellie winds up in an extremely dangerous predicament, but Gibbs saves her. Back in the US Gibbs and Ellie share a hug and a handshake.—DocRushing
- Ellie Bishop hits balls in the batting cage and gets a visit from her NSA Supervisor Jeremy Marlens. He's concerned she's working on the Parsa case, given what happened last time. She assures him she'll be fine. He starts complaining about the cold and she gets an idea and runs.
In the office, Tony waxes rhapsodic about bath beads he plans to use in his hot soak later. Gibbs interrupts with the body of the week: a man matching Parsa's bodyguard's description.
Ellie comes in, with her mind racing. She announces that Parsa is in Pakistan. His parents, innocent civilians, were killed in an airstrike in Pakistan and the 10 year anniversary is in 48 hours.
Later, Vance joins them to hear Ellie explain that every year Parsa disappears the first week in February to mourn.
There's no record of where his parents are buried, but Ellie thinks they're in the Swat district. A remnant of the document Bashir Malik tried to destroy mentioned Parsa being "out two sea," which translates to Bahrain, the name of a road that runs through the Swat district.
Vance is ready to call other agencies for their Parsa experts, but Ellie explains they'd all just refer him to her. She's been studying Parsa for six years -- which is a shock to Gibbs.
In the morgue, Duckie defrosts the recovered body. He was shot in the neck, but Duckie can't say more until he's thawed.
McGee gets word that CIA just intercepted a call from Parsa to his sister, planning a meet. But Ellie thinks it seems odd because he's always kept his distance from her. She thinks it's misdirection.
Gibbs pulls Ellie aside to grill her about her connection to Parsa, but she would need clearance to tell him. She assures him it has nothing to do with the current situation. He tells Ellie he doesn't work with people he doesn't trust.
Later, McGee and Tony hide from Gibbs and Ellie's silent détente. When Gibbs finally sneaks up on them, Tony reports a Russian freighter leaving the area had a passenger helicoptered off.
Down in the lab, Duckie and Abby explain the body is not Parsa's bodyguard, he's a Port Authority officer named Alex Rio. He was in the bodyguard's clothes, which had a bullet hole in the leg, meaning the bodyguard was wounded before they switched. They think it was bad enough to prevent him from traveling.
Ellie finds record of a John Doe treated for a gunshot at a local hospital, but he took off.
Gibbs gets a call and leaves without saying a word, just a glare at Ellie.
Gibbs goes to meet with Jeremy Marlens, who says he's just trying to protect Ellie. He tells Gibbs that Ellie was assigned overseas when she first began and was the first to home in on Parsa as a threat, but she was eventually reassigned for her own good.
Marlens suggests that Gibbs "distance her from the Benham Parsa case. The deeper you let her get, the more harm you're doing."
Back in the office, they have a charge on Rio's stolen credit card for a ticket to Miami. Ellie wants to go to the airport to pick him up, but Gibbs tells her she's assigned to her desk.
Gibbs, Tony and McGee pick up Khalil Farooq, the bodyguard, at the airport.
Back in interrogation, Gibbs knows Farooq is Parsa's cousin. Farooq says he'd never turn on his family.
Ellie goes to Tony for help -- in the men's room. "Gibbs doesn't expect that you'll tell him everything, but he needs to trust that you would," Tony says.
McGee joins them with a file on Operation Street sweep. Ellie takes it to Gibbs, saying it's the leverage they need with Farooq. She asks him to trust her gut.
Ellie joins Gibbs in interrogation, explaining that through a CIA program they have identified his three sons and believe they're with Parsa so a drone strike has been authorized. To save his sons, Farooq tells them where Parsa really is -- in a compound right in the area where Ellie predicted he'd be, where is parents are buried.
Vance and Gibbs get a briefing on the planned assault on the compound by the SEALs, led by Lt. William Blake.
In the office, Tony can tell something is bothering McGee and tries to get him to talk. McGee wants to update Delilah on the Parsa hunt, but he doesn't want to get her hopes up. Tony uses a Rocky metaphor to assure him they'll catch Parsa.
When they can't find Ellie, Gibbs knows to look down in the morgue, where she's sitting alone. She blames herself for the havoc Parsa has wreaked.
She tells Gibbs that Parsa made contact with her a few years ago, taunting her with clues and gifts, to remind her that he was watching, too. She didn't tell the NSA, thinking he'd eventually slip up -- but they found out. All the study of him humanized him for her and she started to see the man, not the monster.
Gibbs tells her they're the same and she should make her move then adhere to Rule 11: When the job is done, walk away.
Ellie joins the team watching the assault in MTAC with JSOC Vice Admiral Lloyd Manditsky. They watch as the SEALs breach the compound and shots are exchanged. There's a report of a SEAL down but the mission continues.
They watch as the team grabs Parsa. Sec-Nav's orders are to press Parsa for intel on his network.
Gibbs, McGee and Gibbs fly to the ship where the SEALs took Parsa. He was shot through the shoulder but is refusing treatment or pain meds.
Gibbs goes to talk to Parsa, who recognizes Gibbs. Parsa says he'll cooperate on one condition. He'd rather destroy what he has spent years building than let someone else run it. In exchange, he wants to talk to Ellie.
McGee video chats with Abby to try to decrypt Parsa's laptop.
On the ship, Parsa is excited to talk to Ellie. She gives him a candy bar -- his favorite. He tells her his main base of operation is in Peshawar. He says he has six targets planned. They're interrupted by a guard telling them Tony is calling.
Ellie wants to talk to Parsa while Gibbs takes the call. Gibbs is reluctant, but she points out Parsa's cuffed and there's an armed guard. He relents.
Over video conference with Abby, Gibbs learns that half of Parsa's bankroll came from two government contracted US companies.
McGee shows Gibbs a file he just decrypted on Parsa's laptop: surveillance photos of Ellie. Gibbs races back to the brig, where Parsa is with Ellie.
As he's talking with Ellie, Parsa grows weak and falls out of his chair. The guard comes in to investigate and Ellie steps into the hall to shout for help. Parsa disarms the guard, knocks Ellie to the ground and shoots the other guard.
Gibbs arrives just in time to see Parsa seal himself in with Ellie.
Gibbs waits as they try to weld through the brig outer door, but it takes too long and he tells them to blow it if they need to.
Parsa tries to mess with her, asking about her husband Jake and saying he should be more aware of his surroundings.
Ellie realizes he's not taking her hostage, it's a suicide mission.
Gibbs conferences with Marlens back home and asks for the CIA tapes of Parsa talking with his sister -- he plans to use his family against him.
Parsa asks Ellie how she knew he would become a terrorist. She says it was about not feeling alone, and causing pain to others so they would know how he felt.
Suddenly, Parsa hears the voice of his sister, pleading with him to come home to her.
Parsa aims at Ellie and is about to shoot when Gibbs busts through the door and kills him with two shots.
Back at the office, Tony and McGee leave for the night, telling Ellie good job. She writes a note to herself: "Rule 11." She walks out.
Back in the batting cages, Ellie is taking swings in the freezing cold. Gibbs tells her to trust her instincts and stop trying to guess what's coming.
Ellie tells Gibbs he's not the easiest person to read and it's really frustrating. He tells her she completed the task he gave her and it's the standard he'd hold her to as a probationary NCIS agent. "Before I officially start working for you and this becomes frowned upon..." Ellie hugs him. "Welcome aboard, Probie," Gibbs says.
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