-------------------- ZAPPING -------------------
[♫ Tijuana, Mexico. Lunch break in the morgue: 2 employees are drinking, one of them (man2) is also reading and eating- they speak Spanish ♫]
MAN1: Hey!
MAN2: What’s up?
MAN1: what kind of burrito is that?
MAN2: Beef. It’s tasty.
MAN1: I ask because from here it looks like a piece came…from that guy over there!
[Man1 laughs; his partner stares at his burrito…]
MAN2: I’m eating!
MAN1: You work in the morgue. Man up, buddy!
MAN2: you’re a jerk!
[Man1 laughs; the phone rings]
MAN1: Morgue.
[He stands up]
MAN1: Si Signor. Right away.
MAN2: What happened? Lunch over? What is it?
[But Man1 hurries to clean the room]
MAN2: Is it lunch?
MAN1: They’re bringing in a body.
MAN2: But when? How soon?
[Right now: Mexican soldiers are bringing it in; they hand papers]
MAN1: It’s OK, we got it from here.
[♫ The soldiers leave the morgue; guys stare at the name on the papers, amazed. Next second, they look highly surprised: tapping is coming from one of the refrigerated containers…Man2 opens it, pulls out the body drawer and can’t believe his eyes – ♫ he’s hit by silenced gunshots: a man in winter clothes with a gun was in the container, and he shoots too Man1 before he could realize what was happening. He leaves the morgue, carrying the body just brought in a few minutes ago…♫]
♫ ♫ NCIS: LA 4x21 ♫ ♫ Resurrection ♫ ♫
♫ ♫ Original Air Date on April 23, 2013 ♫ ♫
[NCIS office. Sam is on phone, entering the bullpen- the others are at their desks]
SAM: Why? You're giving me late notice on this, but I'll try to figure out something.
CALLEN: Say it ain't so.
SAM: It's so.
CALLEN: But you've got a plan.
SAM: Up and running.
[He clears his throat, looking at Kensi; she doesn’t notice; he clears again his throat, twice –louder and louder]
DEEKS: All right, if Sam clears his throat any harder, he's gonna break a hip.
[Callen clears his throat, Kensi jumps]
SAM: Kensi.
KENSI: Yeah?
SAM: What are you doing Saturday night?
KENSI: Uh...nothing. I mean...Why?
SAM: G got tickets to the Clippers game. My babysitter flaked out on me.
CALLEN: His wife's out of the country.
KENSI: You want me to babysit?
SAM: Now that you mention it.
CALLEN: That is a great idea.
KENSI: Uh...
DEEKS: We'll do it.
KENSI: What?
DEEKS: Yep.
SAM: No, I want you at least 500 feet away from my kids, minimal.
DEEKS: What are you talking about? I'm great with kids.
KENSI: Yeah. See, I'm not. Kids and me-- we don't mix.
DEEKS: Wait. What? Are you one of those people that hates kids?
KENSI: Hate's a strong word.
CALLEN: Well, you clearly don't like them.
KENSI: No...
SAM: You hate my kids?
KENSI: Oh, gosh, Sam, no.
CALLEN: Wow.
SAM: You hate my kids…
KENSI: No.
DEEKS: This...changes everything.
KENSI: What? What does it change?
[Eric clears his throat! They look at him; he “calls” them up with the hand]
SAM: You're a hater.
KENSI: No, Sam...
DEEKS: A kid hater.
CALLEN: Wow.
KENSI: Uh...!
[She sighs]
KENSI: Eric, I don't hate kids.
ERIC: Sure, you don't.
[OPS center.]
ERIC: This is Miguel Barbosa. He's the kingpin of the Barbosa cartel in Tijuana, Mexico.
CALLEN: Seems like every time we take one of these guys down, another five grow in their place.
SAM: Each one worse than the next.
NELL: Barbosa was gunned down in a high-noon shootout with local law enforcement in Tijuana, Mexico.
KENSI: Wow, big catch.
ERIC: Well, they were backed by Americans. Navy kept Barbosa's reinforcements from arriving on the water, and DEA added firepower on the ground.
DEEKS: And here it comes: "But..."
ERIC: But… Barbosa's corpse was stolen upon arrival at the morgue.
SAM: That's common with the cartels. Deprives law enforcement of a trophy and allows them to bury their own.
CALLEN: The shooter knew this corpse was coming in. How long was he waiting in the container?
[Footage from surveillance camera in the morgue runs backwards]
KENSI: There. Shooter got there two hours before the body.
DEEKS: He knew the gunfight was gonna happen and Barbosa was gonna get smoked.
CALLEN: Sounds like our side has a leak.
ERIC: SECNAV agrees. That's why he assigned us the case. Find the leak, track down Barbosa's body.
SAM: Who ran this op at the DEA?
ERIC: Uh, Agent John Ness. He's with the L.A. office. Should be expecting us.
NELL: And Tijuana police have a high-value informant who's an expert on the Barbosa cartel, but they'll only release information on him in person and on their own turf.
CALLEN: All right, we'll speak with Ness. Why don't you guys head down to Tijuana, see if this informant has any idea where the body went?
DEEKS: Well, Kensi should be fine, unless, of course, the informant is a child.
KENSI: And yet I've managed to get along with you this entire time.
SAM: Touché!
[Deeks and Kensi leave the OPS- Sam looks at Eric and Nell]
SAM: You guys have plans this weekend?
ERIC + NELL: Yep.
SAM: Oh.
CALLEN: Good-bye, Clippers game.
[OPS door opens: Hetty smiles]
HETTY: Can I be of assistance, gentlemen?
[G and Sam exchange a look]
CALLEN: Nope.
SAM: We're good.
[Federal Building- Sam and G heading to the DEA offices]
CALLEN: File on Ness indicates he's a serious guy. Practically lives at the office. Can't be bought. An old-school gunslinger type.
SAM: Yeah, I heard about him. He used to run counter-narcotics ops back in the '90s, Latin America. His call sign was "Ahab""
CALLEN: He's an obsessive guy.
[There’s indistinct chatter in the room: people are celebrating – there’s a ban: “Congrats Cap’Ahab” – a fisherman has caught a big fish/whale…Ness spots them]
NESS: Agents Callen and Hanna?
CALLEN: That's us. You Agent Ness?
NESS: One and only.
[They shake hands]
CALLEN: How you doing?
NESS: Good.
SAM: How's it going?
NESS: Good. So, does SECNAV really think I got Barbosa stuffed and mounted in my office?
[They chuckle]
SAM: Not exactly.
NESS: Because I think it's a damn good idea. It's too bad the cartels got their hands on him before I did. Let's go talk in here.
[He limps, and needs a stick. They follow him into a small room- but don’t close the door]
CALLEN: We're not interrogating you, Ness.
NESS: Maybe I'm interrogating you.
SAM: It doesn't have to be like this.
NESS: If we're talking about Miguel Barbosa, it does. Hope you don't mind if I have a seat. I stay standing longer than five minutes, my back goes into spasms.
CALLEN: You chased him for over ten years, huh?
NESS: Ten years, three months, 21 days. Most of it in the field, the rest of it behind a desk after Barbosa tried to kill me and failed.
SAM: He's recording this session, G.
[He shows a camera with a red spot]
CALLEN: Look, Ness, the Navy's not doubting you. In fact, we'd like your help.
SAM: You know this case isn't officially closed until we locate Barbosa's body, right?
NESS: My men were on site when he was killed. I was following the op in real time and received pictures of his dead face from the scene, which I confirmed.
[He pulls out his phone and shows them a pic]
NESS: My keepsake.
CALLEN: Does that give you closure?
NESS: After the car bomb, I woke up in a hospital bed in Mexico City. Told me I lost my leg. Then they told me about my wife. I called Miguel Barbosa from my bed, and I told him, "I will never stop coming. Take my other leg. Take everything I have, pal. But in the end, I'm gonna get you."
[Sam stands up]
SAM: We'll keep in touch, Agent Ness.
NESS: You know where to find me.
CALLEN: Thank you.
[They leave him]
[Tijuana. Diner “La Casita”. A young man is singing in Spanish. Deeks is alone at the bar]
DEEKS: Buenas noches, señorita.
[Kensi comes back from the bathroom]
KENSI: Hey.
DEEKS: Huh?
KENSI: Vámonos cowboy.
DEEKS: God, I love Mexico. Seriously, this place has got four of my favorite things. It's got cheap beer, it's got great surf, it's got, obviously, beautiful women, it's got sombreros.
[He eyes up a woman]
DEEKS: Stay sexy.
[They’re in another room- stop at the bar]
KENSI: A glass of water, please.
DEEKS: A beer, my friend, thank you.
KENSI: 2 waters, please.
DEEKS: No me gusta!
[These are lyrics of the song the young guy is singing]
DEEKS: So, how are we supposed to recognize this, uh, police contact of ours?
KENSI: His department didn't give us his name or the name of his high-value informant. S.O.P. in cartel country.
[Bartender gives them the glasses of water]
KENSI: Thanks.
DEEKS: But he knows what we look like. Wow, that is fantastic.
[Kensi looks at the singer]
KENSI: Kid's not so bad.
DEEKS: There's that word again-- "kid""
KENSI: Deeks...
DEEKS: You really don't like them?
[She sighs]
KENSI: I didn't exactly have the ideal upbringing. Maybe I don't want to put a kid through that, too.
DEEKS: Okay, you really want to do this? crappy-childhood contest with me?
KENSI: You and I get to see how dark this world is getting on a daily basis. Why would I want to bring a child into that?
DEEKS: Fair enough, but, you know, this isn't to be shocking, but you don't have to do it alone. I mean, it takes two people. And if you didn't know that, I could demonstrate for you. I just need, like, a cape, some tequila…
[A man interrupts them]
MAN: Agent Blye, Detective Deeks? Sanchez, Tijuana PD.
[He shows discretely his badge]
KENSI: Sanchez...how do you feel about children?
SANCHEZ: Cops don't banter down here.
DEEKS: All right.
SANCHEZ: Barbosa may be dead, but we're still living in a war zone.
DEEKS: Where's your informant?
[Sanchez looks at the singer]
KENSI: The kid?
SANCHEZ: His name is Javier. My team...
[Gunshots: Sanchez is hit in the chest, people scream. 2 shooters, who split.]
DEEKS: I'll get him.
KENSI: Move!
DEEKS: Moving!
KENSI: Hey!
[One of the men exchanges gunfire with her while Deeks runs to protect the informant]
DEEKS: Get down!
[Kensi shoots the 1st man; the second is running on the table, obviously targeting the kid – she hits him too before he could aim]
KENSI: Exfil out the back door!
DEEKS: You got to get better groupies.
-------------------- ZAPPING -------------------
[Kensi is driving, Deeks is sit in the back of a car with Javier]
JAVIER: If I'd known this is what it took to get across the border, I would have tried getting shot a long time ago.
DEEKS: Relax, man, relax. What's your name, amigo?
JAVIER: Javier. And I probably speak better English than you, amigo.
DEEKS: No argument there.
JAVIER: I want a lawyer.
KENSI: Yeah, might be one back at the cantina with those shooters. We can always dump you back there, Javier.
DEEKS: Listen, we're on your side, desperado.
JAVIER: Then why can't I have a lawyer?
KENSI: Because I said so.
DEEKS: Did you just drop the "because I said so" bomb on him?
KENSI: So, what if I did?
DEEKS: What do you mean, "What if I did?" What, are you gonna send him to his room next?
KENSI: Excuse me?
DEEKS: Take away his milk money?
KENSI: Whoa...
JAVIER: Why are you guys arguing?
KENSI & DEEKS: We're not arguing.
KENSI: We are having a discussion.
DEEKS: Why don't you just work on that ten and two?
KENSI: Oh, what?
DEEKS: Ten and two, ten and two.
KENSI: Yeah?
JAVIER: Hey, hey, hey, hey.
DEEKS: Put your hands on the wheel.
[Kensi sighs; Deeks too…]
JAVIER: Lady's crazy, dude. Kind of reminds me of my mom.
DEEKS: Listen, I know this is hard to believe, but I guarantee you're safer with us than you are anyplace else.
JAVIER: I never committed a crime. I never hurt anyone, I swear.
DEEKS: So why'd those guys come after you?
[♫]
[NCIS office. G is on phone]
CALLEN: Okay. Thank you.
[He hangs up; Sam is sit at his desk]
CALLEN: NSA says there's been no Barbosa-related chatter. Everyone's laying low. Could mean something big's going down.
SAM: Same with the Mexican Federales. If somebody knows about the hit, nobody's talking.
[Nell and Eric are coming down from the OPS]
CALLEN: Hey. What did you guys pick up on the singer?
ERIC: His name is Javier Ramos.
NELL: And he's not just a singer. He's a cartel celebrity. A narcocorrida.
SAM: Minstrels for the drug cartel. They make music that glorifies criminals like Barbosa. Like folk singers for the Mexican underworld.
ERIC: Javier was Barbosa's personal songwriter and performer.
CALLEN: So who stands to gain by killing Javier?
ERIC: Well, this cartel had some problems. Barbosa's right-hand man wanted to take over. Pedro Moreno.
ERIC: Their men were taking sides. It was going to be civil war, but Barbosa was killed before it could start.
SAM: Civil war would have been ugly. May have been some Barbosa loyalists left, Javier's songs glorified him. Those people in Mexico take their narco music seriously. Maybe seriously enough to turn Barbosa into a martyr.
CALLEN: Moreno killing Javier would be the final nail in Barbosa's coffin. End his legacy forever. You guys, go home. Get some sleep.
NELL: All right. Good night.
ERIC: Thanks. Night.
SAM: Good night.
[Eric and Nell leave the office; Callen sighs, shakes his head]
CALLEN: I don't know. What do you think?
[Sam sighs]
SAM: I think we need to talk to Ahab again.
[Callen nods]
[In the car]
DEEKS: This has been a memorable adventure. Are we almost there yet?
[Kensi groans – Javier is in the passenger seat]
JAVIER: He asked you that like ten minutes ago.
KENSI: Yeah, welcome to my life.
DEEKS: Maybe we can just pull over for like a half a second. I think I saw a cactus with my name on it.
KENSI: Seriously, Deeks, again?
DEEKS: Unless you want me to pee in a bottle...again.
KENSI: All right.
[She throws a bottle]
DEEKS: Hey. Damn it.
KENSI: Enjoy.
JAVIER: Look, I...I don't know why those guys wanted to kill me. Honest.
KENSI: They didn't want to kill you. If they wanted to, you'd be dead. Okay? They shot Detective Sanchez first. And then they took shots at me and then my partner. Never you--they wanted you alive.
DEEKS: She's right—somebody wants an audience with you pretty bad, and I don't think it's to sing "Hava Nagila" at their kid's Bar Mitzvah.
JAVIER: I'm not a snitch.
KENSI: Okay. Fine. Don't say anything.
JAVIER: I was Miguel Barbosa's best friend.
[Deeks and Kensi exchange a “wow” look]
[Federal Building. Callen and Sam enter the cafeteria]
CALLEN: Here he is.
NESS: You guys mind making some room?
[He’s eating with 2 men; they stand up with their trays and leave his table]
MAN: Sure.
NESS: Thanks.
SAM: How's it going?
NESS: You boys hungry? Kitchen makes a mean mac and cheese.
[Sam laughs]
SAM: We're good, thanks.
NESS: Sean. Give me two orders of mac and cheese for my sailor friends here.
[Sam laughs again]
CALLEN: An attempt was made on Javier Ramos's life last night in Tijuana.
NESS: Dance with the devil, you're gonna smell like brimstone. Javier was a cartel groupie-- his songs make kids want to grow up with gold-plated A.K.'s.
SAM: Pedro Moreno was part of Barbosa's entourage, too. They were about to go to war. Any reason you could think of that Moreno would want Javier to join Barbosa in the afterlife?
[Sean gives them “mac and cheese”]
CALLEN: You first, Sam.
SAM: You're crazy. There's no way I'm putting this garbage in my body.
NESS: Come on, eat up while I think.
CALLEN: I'm actually allergic to dairy.
SAM: Oh, since when?
CALLEN: Since... that thing.
SAM: What thing?
[Ness chuckles]
CALLEN: That thing. Allergic.
SAM: I have to pass. I'm gluten-free.
NESS: What the hell's gluten?
CALLEN: I'm pretty sure there's nothing gluten in there.
NESS: To answer your question, Barbosa was a megalomaniac. Which means the only reason Moreno would even go after Javier would be to...
[He stops talking – looks like about to be sick]
CALLEN: Ness?
SAM: Ness.
[Ness tries to speak, gasps, wants to stand up but fall down from his chair]
SAM: Agent Ness.
CALLEN: Get a medic.
[Ness is gasping – he faints]
SAM: Agent Ness! I don't think this is a heart attack, G.
CALLEN: Secure every exit--no one leaves this building.
MAN: Yes, sir.
[Sam checks the pulse]
SAM: He's dead…
-------------------- ZAPPING -------------------
[Cafeteria – FBI is at work; Sam comes back]
CALLEN: What do you got?
SAM: Kitchen staff reported one missing cook's uniform. Security cams didn't catch any unauthorized visitors coming or going. Killer's a pro.
CALLEN: Yeah, forensics team says he was killed by an aconitine toxin.
SAM: Yeah, monkshood plant. Guns and knives in a federal building get assassins caught. Vegetation...not so much.
CALLEN: Mm-hmm. Well, with Ness dead, we only have one reliable Barbosa source left. Any chance of finding the leak or the stolen body, it's gonna come down to one guy.
SAM: Narcocorrida. Javier.
[Boatshed. Interrogation room. Javier is waiting; Kensi and Deeks enter]
KENSI: Ever heard of DEA Agent John Ness?
JAVIER: Sure. He's Barbosa's worst nightmare. He has this obsession with catching him.
DEEKS: Had an obsession. Ness was killed inside his own office building less than a half hour ago.
KENSI: Poisoned, killer escaped. Ness is an expert on Barbosa. I mean, that's kind of like you, right? You don't think your cantina adventure and the Ness hit were connected?
JAVIER: I-I don't know.
KENSI: Someone's tying up Barbosa's loose ends. You're the last one left.
DEEKS: We just need a name, desperado.
JAVIER: …
DEEKS: Okay, you want to talk about Barbosa's enemies inside the cartel--what about Pedro Moreno?
JAVIER: Moreno? He's just a psycho. Barbosa was more than that. I was singing for pesos on the street when he found me. Took me in, bought me a new guitar that same day. He wanted me to sing "Happy Birthday" to his mother. He even let me keep that guitar afterwards.
DEEKS: So, he discovered you?
JAVIER: Nobody ever gave me anything before. My dad was killed in a cartel crossfire when I was a little boy. Barbosa took me in.
KENSI: And you paid him back by singing narcocorridas that would make him a living legend in Mexico.
JAVIER: We'd talk about music for hours. His ideas for lyrics. The things Barbosa had seen and done on his rise to the throne. I heard his hopes, his dreams, his fears.
DEEKS: And you got another father.
[Deeks looks at Kensi; she nods and sits down]
KENSI: I lost my father, too. He was an amazing man.
[She stops, doesn’t find the words]
DEEKS: My dad wasn't an amazing man. He was actually kind of a terrible human being. But that didn't mean that I didn't miss him in some weird way after he was gone. And I think my point is that I understand what it's like to have conflicted emotions about your father.
JAVIER: Barbosa was a monster to most people. Nobody can ever replace a father, but he was who I had. It feels like you're the first people I've ever met who get that.
[♫]
[Cafeteria – G has his phone in the hand]
CALLEN: It sounds like Kensi and Deeks are making some progress on Javier.
SAM: Let's go.
[But they can hardly step forwards: Hetty is blocking their way]
HETTY: Not so fast, gentlemen.
CALLEN: Here to put out fires, Hetty?
HETTY: Put out fires? This is an inferno to make Dante Alighieri blush.
SAM: How bad's the fallout?
HETTY: Bad, very bad. As a matter of fact, SECNAV and the DEA director want to hear your after-action report on Ness's murder.
SAM: SECNAV needs to know that we don't have that kind of time right now.
HETTY: Well, you can tell him yourself, Mr. Hanna. He's upstairs right now.
CALLEN: SECNAV is on site?
HETTY: On site and unhappy. I'm sorry, gentlemen. Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks will just have to wait for you.
SAM: That's okay. I-I'll go upstairs and debrief them. Go to the boatshed. I'll catch up.
CALLEN: I'm not gonna send you to the lions alone.
SAM: I work with Granger on a daily basis. Lions are just another day at the office.
HETTY: Go, Mr. Callen, before the inferno grows.
SAM: I'm good.
CALLEN: All right.
[He sighs and leaves, grudging]
[Boatshed. Interrogation room. Deeks sits down too]
KENSI: What was the last thing you remember discussing with Barbosa?
DEEKS: Anything can help us, Javier.
JAVIER: Lately he was obsessed with the idea of immortality.
KENSI: Living forever?
[Javier chuckles]
JAVIER: No. Being raised from the dead.
DEEKS: Resurrection.
[Javier chuckles again]
JAVIER: He'd sip tequila and smoke cigars out on his deck. Talk all night about the Savior's second coming.
DEEKS: Was Barbosa a religious man?
JAVIER: No.
[He laughs]
JAVIER: He just liked the drama of it. See, his enemies would think they killed him and sleep soundly that night. And come morning, all the world would know that Miguel Barbosa rose from the grave and brought hell along with him.
KENSI: Sounds like a song.
JAVIER: It was. I called it "Resurrection." When Barbosa heard it, he told me never play it for anybody else, ever again.
DEEKS: And why do you think he said that?
[Javier chuckles]
JAVIER: He was a great guy. A little crazy, but...he said it would ruin the surprise when he really did come back from the dead.
[He chuckles again but Deeks and Kensi don’t find this funny…They stand up]
DEEKS: We'll be back.
[Observation room – G is watching the screen, lost in thoughts]
KENSI: You thinking what we're thinking?
[Callen nods]
CALLEN: Barbosa's alive.
-------------------- ZAPPING -------------------
[[NCIS office. Sam is back]
CALLEN: You done with the debriefing?
SAM: Just getting started. They gave me a break before we get back into it. Ness was in line for assistant directorship at the DEA. They want to know every detail about his death.
ERIC: Callen, Federales sent us photos of the Barbosa shoot-out.
CALLEN: Throw it up. We think Barbosa may have staged his own death. Now, Ness verified these photos, but he's been emotionally involved in the case for over ten years. He could've gotten too close. Maybe he wanted Barbosa dead so bad he got tricked.
SAM: Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein used look-alikes as decoys. It's not like he doesn't have the resources. Barbosa has a lot of money and a lot less overhead.
CALLEN: He had a limited window of time. Once officials ran the DNA and the prints on this body, they'd realize it wasn't the real deal.
SAM: So they steal the body from the morgue. It's gotten to be so routine with the cartels that no one thinks twice about it.
CALLEN: Why don't you reach out to the DEA and the CIA. Have them keep a close eye for any communications to Barbosa's family or his top lieutenants.
NELL: Okay.
SAM: I got to get back. Keep me in the loop.
CALLEN: I will.
HETTY: You are sorely missed.
SAM: I could always...
HETTY: Keep walking, Mr. Hanna.
[Sam sighs heavily and walks towards the exit]
CALLEN: Barbosa's alive, Hetty.
HETTY: This whole ruse makes total sense. In a cartel power struggle, the smartest move would be for all his enemies to assume that he's deceased.
NELL: And it gives him the element of surprise to move against Moreno.
HETTY: Unfortunately, Moreno's not the only one Barbosa hoped would let down his guard.
CALLEN: Ness.
[Hetty nods]
NELL: These guys are as brutal as the Chechens or the Serbians ever were.
HETTY: I'm afraid it's more than brutality we have to be concerned with. Mr. Barbosa has gone to extraordinary lengths to lay out the board to his advantage. Our next move has to be made with extreme care.
CALLEN: We'll find him.
HETTY: We must. Otherwise, Agent Ness will have died for nothing.
[Boatshed. Interrogation room.]
KENSI: The joke that Barbosa made to you about resurrection...
DEEKS: We don't think that was a joke.
[Javier chuckles]
JAVIER: You think it was Barbosa that sent someone after me in the cantina?
DEEKS: Well, we don't know that for sure. Could've been Moreno.
JAVIER: If Barbosa's alive...he'll know I'm here. I can't go back to México. Even here, I'm...
KENSI: We can put you in a WITSEC program.
DEEKS: That's short for...
JAVIER: Witness Protection. There's satellites in México. I've seen the shows.
KENSI: You'd live under a new name, a new identity. It'll be a new start.
DEEKS: But you can never contact your friends and family again.
JAVIER: So I guess that rules out a record deal. Look, this isn't as simple as me giving up my lifelong dream for guaranteed safety. There are no guarantees. Barbosa has people everywhere. And in everything.
KENSI: You're absolutely right. There have been cases where the program was compromised.
[Javier sighs]
DEEKS: There is another option.
KENSI: Help us go after him. If we get Barbosa, he'll be placed in Supermax: the highest level security prison in the country.
DEEKS: Even the top criminals and terrorists in the world are pretty much powerless once they're inside.
JAVIER: So, that would be the end of it?
KENSI: We're not gonna lie to you, Javier. We all know there are no guarantees with cartels. But...I like your odds a whole lot better.
DEEKS: And obviously going after Barbosa's gonna be risky. And we're gonna have to put you in harm's way.
KENSI: But you will never leave our sight.
[Javier sighs]
DEEKS: I'll tell you what, why don't we give you, uh, some time to think about it.
[They leave the room; Javier sighs…♫ and bangs his fist on the table.]
[NCIS office. Hetty’s desk]
HETTY: I don't like this, Mr. Callen. I don't like it one bit.
CALLEN: Hetty...
HETTY: Trying to lure out Barbosa not only puts Javier's life in danger, but also Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks.
CALLEN: If Javier agrees to do it--and there's no guarantee that he will--this is our only chance at bringing down Barbosa.
HETTY: Bringing down Barbosa won't shut down the cartel's operation. It just makes it easier for his rivals to take control.
CALLEN: And then it's back to business as usual.
HETTY: Exactly. You just made my point for me, Mr. Callen.
CALLEN: Right. But... consider this, Hetty: You could have said the same thing about the Mafia in New York City in the '80s.
HETTY: But it took more than ten years of RICO indictments and much blood spilled on both sides.
CALLEN: And look at New York today. The Mob no longer has a stranglehold on the city. Hetty, we have to keep at it. People deserve the right to see their spouses off to work and their children off to school without worrying about them coming home in a body bag.
HETTY: …
[Boatshed. Observation room. Kensi clears her throat]
KENSI: It's probably the most important decision of his life.
DEEKS: Yeah, we're gonna do everything we can to make sure he stays safe no matter what he chooses. We can't hold ourselves responsible for the consequences of his decision.
KENSI: Really?
DEEKS: What? It is his decision. It's not like we weren't honest with him. He's not a kid.
KENSI: Oh, please. I shudder at the thought of your decision-making skills when you were that age.
DEEKS: I'll have you know I was actually very mature for my age.
KENSI: Mh-hmm. Probably as mature as a drunken 20-something-year-old in a Girls Gone Wild video.
DEEKS: Wow. Do you know those based on vicarious viewings or is it something much more first-hand?
KENSI: Touché. Bad example.
DEEKS: 'Cause I got my credit card ready and the pause button...
KENSI: Hey, moving on.
[Deeks looks at Javier]
DEEKS: That's not much of a decision, if you ask me.
KENSI: What do you mean?
DEEKS: Going into WITSEC with Barbosa still at large?
KENSI: Most WITSEC cases go without incident.
DEEKS: Yeah, but those odds go way down when you're talking about Mexican drug cartel snitches.
KENSI: Okay, and what are his odds if we dangle him like a worm on a hook in front of a barracuda?
DEEKS: Yeah, I guess they both kind of suck.
KENSI: Yeah, they both kind of do.
[She sighs]
DEEKS: You think we pushed him too hard?
KENSI: Maybe.
[On screen: Javier stands up and knocks at the door…♫]
[Kensi drives the car- Deeks and Javier are with her]
ERIC [over radio]: Guys.
DEEKS: What do you got, Eric?
[OPS center.]
ERIC: Word got out on the street that Javier's being taken to WITSEC.
[In the car- Deeks and Kensi exchange a look; he looks behind]
DEEKS: You got that sweet silver Range Rover?
KENSI: Keeping back nicely.
DEEKS: Yeah, but he's been with us for the last three random turns that you've made.
JAVIER: I told you he's got people everywhere.
DEEKS: Turn here.
[But the street is blocked by a garbage truck]
KENSI: Good timing, Deeks.
[The silver Range Rover stops at the top of the road – then runs forwards. Kensi sighs; she removes the seat-bell. The garbage man waves again: he has a golden watch around the wrist…]
DEEKS: I make a point of wearing my gold Rolex to my garbage man job.
[Kensi pick up her gun – and the man does the same in the container]
KENSI: Get down!
[The guy shoots at them; she goes out of the car and hits him in the chest. The back of the truck opens…]
DEEKS: Kens!
[She just has time to spot hooded men before kneeling behind the door: rapid gunfire from 2 automatic weapons hits the car…Javier is panic-stricken]
DEEKS: Stay down!
[But Javier gets out and runs down the street]
DEEKS: Get down. Javier!
KENSI: Javier! Javier!
[But the heavy gunfire is continuing; Deeks grunts, bullets are so close…The Range Rover stops at the bottom of the street (tires squealing)- 2 men push Javier inside - gunfire prevents Kensi from moving…Tires squealing again, it runs away…Gunfire is heavier if possible…]
DEEKS: Damn it!
KENSI: Deeks!
DEEKS: He's gone!
-------------------- ZAPPING -------------------
[The SUV stops in the parking lot of a plant. A man opens the door, waves at Javier]
MAN: Fuera.
[An armed guard is watching the door of the building; Javier follows the men inside; he stops dead when he recognizes the man waiting for him]
MAN: Javier! Look at this!
[He laughs. In the OPS Hetty is watching closely]
ERIC: Hello, Mr. Barbosa. It seems rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated.
NELL: Looks like the undercover op with the garbage truck was a success.
[She’s looking at a video on her computer]
HETTY: Let's not pat ourselves on the back just yet, Ms. Jones. Mr. Barbosa may be alive, but I'm afraid Javier may not be for very much longer.
[Building]
BARBOSA: [In Spanish] It’s great to see you.
[OPS center.]
NELL: Okay, Javier's GPS has them at 9th and Grand. Kensi and Deeks are both in position.
[Their position]
DEEKS: Eric, we got one security camera facing the parking lot and one guy at the door. We're heading to the fire escape. You ready? Go.
[They run]
[Inside. Barbosa smiles broadly]
BARBOSA: [In Spanish] Everything going well in the United States, Javier? I know you are very proud of your English skills. Show us how good you've gotten!
JAVIER: Maybe I can start singing that resurrection ballad now.
[Barbosa laughs]
BARBOSA: Your humor translates well. Tell me, who was it that got you? FBI? Homeland Security?
JAVIER: NCIS-- U.S. Navy. But I didn't say anything to them.
BARBOSA: No?
JAVIER: No.
BARBOSA: I'm sure you said something. "Hello. Where's the bathroom? Can I get a coffee?"?
[They laugh]
JAVIER: Well, yeah, yeah, maybe a little bit, but I-I...
BARBOSA: Stop babbling. Do they know I'm alive?
JAVIER: No. I didn't know you were alive. How could I tell them?
BARBOSA: Did I imply that you did?
[He chuckles]
BARBOSA: Would you tell them, had you known?
[Javier has a nervous laugh]
JAVIER: No.
BARBOSA: It's not that I don't believe you, Javier. It's just that sometimes, when people talk, maybe you say something you don't mean to. With all the questions and the pressure, sometimes maybe a little something slips out.
[He chuckles]
BARBOSA: Maybe you don't realize it at the time or you forget because of all the, uh...
MAN: Confusion?
BARBOSA: Confusion.
JAVIER: No. No, I-I swear. I didn't say anything.
BARBOSA: It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
[They hug]
BARBOSA: It's okay.
[He nods at one of his men]
JAVIER: No. Miguel! Miguel, we're friends! We're... we're friends.
BARBOSA: You are closer to me than anyone, Javier. That's more than a man like me can afford.
JAVIER: No. No!
[But one man holds him, one man beats him…he groans]
[OPS center.]
HETTY: Mr. Beale?
ERIC: A few technical difficulties.
HETTY: Well, I suggest you fix them now.
[He sighs, like Nell, while the beating continues…]
[Building. Barbosa’s cell phone rings. He looks at his screen: call is coming from Ness…]
BARBOSA: Ness?
NESS'S VOICE: Barbosa...
[Barbosa looks at the surveillance footage: Ness is limping in one of the hallways of the plant, speaking on phone]
NESS'S VOICE: I survived.
BARBOSA: Ness?
NESS'S VOICE: I'm never going to stop coming. You could take my other leg. You could take everything I got, pal. But in the end, I'm going to get you.
BARBOSA: You're dead. I'll finish the job myself, then spit on your wife's grave!
[He shouts at his men]
BARBOSA: How is it that Ness is still alive? You said the poison worked. Finish the job!
[On phone]
BARBOSA: You son of a bitch. You're dead. You hear me? I don't care how many times I have to kill you!
[In the hallway, Callen, with a stick and a baseball cap, looks around]
[OPS center.]
HETTY: Can you keep him on the phone, Mr. Beale?
ERIC: I could only cut together so much of Callen and Ness's conversation before it became conspicuously repetitive.
[Plant. Kensi and Deeks are moving forwards carefully]
KENSI: Where do we go, Eric?
[OPS center. Eric types]
ERIC: You're looking for double doors. Two of his men are still with Barbosa and Javier.
NELL: Callen, you're about to get some company.
[Plant: G shoots and runs; guys chase him]
[Main warehouse; Javier is gasping, he stays on the floor but sits up; Barbosa pulls out a gun]
BARBOSA: Sorry that it's come to this.
[OPS center.]
HETTY: Mr. Deeks, Ms. Blye, Javier is out of time.
[At that moment, they flung the doors open and start shooting with automatic weapons]
MAN: Shoot! Do it!
[But Barbosa grabs Javier and puts him like a shield in front of him; he stills has his gun pointing at his head]
[Meanwhile G reaches the door, the men on his heels but they stop dead: at least 6 weapons are aiming at them: they glare at the NCIS agents- but drop their weapons]
[Main warehouse]
BARBOSA: It was the only way, Javier. I had to test your loyalty. I was never going to kill you. You understand?
KENSI: Javier, he's lying. That's what he does. You know that now.
BARBOSA: No. You're like a son to me. You know that. You have to trust me. Okay? You trust me? We're going to leave now, okay?
[Javier nods]
BARBOSA: Let's go.
JAVIER: Sorry.
[He pushes Barbosa backwards and dives; Kensi and Deeks both shoot Barbosa, who dies before hitting the ground. ♫ Javier stares at his body; ♫ he starts crying; ♫ Kensi kneels at his side ♫]
KENSI: Javier, you did good.
[♫ He doesn’t get a single word; she repeats slowly ♫]
KENSI: You did good.
[♫ He sobs, and puts his head against her chest, like a little child looking for comfort. ♫ She closes her arms around him; ♫ Deeks smiles slightly ♫]
KENSI: I got you.
[♫ Javier is sobbing ♫]
[NCIS office. It’s dark. Callen, Kensi and Deeks are at their desks when Sam is back…]
CALLEN: Was it the longest debrief ever?
SAM: One day somebody might offer me a desk job--if I accept it, you have permission to shoot me on sight.
CALLEN: Done.
SAM: Javier make it back to Mexico?
DEEKS: On his way now.
KENSI: Now that his singing career is over, it's a fresh new start.
DEEKS: Why is it over? Barbosa and his closest guys are dead, he's young and talented...
KENSI: And his record label is a drug cartel. He should be applying to colleges.
DEEKS: That's right, that's what I'm saying--he's got other options besides narcocorrido, you know what I mean? I'm sure that Mexico has their own version of The Voice.
KENSI: That's what you came up with? I'll have you know that the winners end up broke a year later.
CALLEN: Did you get a sitter?
SAM: No. Out of luck. You're gonna have to take someone else to the Clippers game. Where's Paris Summerskill these days?
CALLEN: She's in Des Moines.
KENSI: I'll do it.
SAM: You will?
KENSI: I'll do it.
CALLEN: What changed your mind?
DEEKS: Yeah, what changed your mind? Besides the fantasy of little Martys running to and fro.
SAM: God...
[Kensi chuckles]
KENSI: I don't know. Just helping Javier...it felt different. Felt good.
DEEKS: Wow. This...changes everything.
SAM: Thank you, Kensi.
KENSI: I do have one condition, though.
SAM: Name it.
KENSI: Deeks helps me watch your kids.
SAM: What?!
KENSI: Look, I am taking a leap here with this babysitting thing. It would be really nice to have my partner there to back me up. That is, if he takes me up on it.
DEEKS: You want to play house?
[Callen sighs]
CALLEN: They want to play house, Sam. At your house, when you're not there.
[Sam chuckles]
SAM: Oh, yeah? I have nanny cams. Everywhere.
[Callen laughs]
DEEKS: That's okay, 'cause I do some of my best work on camera.
KENSI: Oh, thank you for an image I will never be able to get out of my head.
DEEKS: Is that so wrong? I'm just getting it done.
[♫ They leave the office, conversation continues, indistinctly; at her desk, Hetty looks at the scene and holds back a laugh with difficulty…the screen becomes dark…♫]
HETTY: They grow up so fast!
----------------------- THE END --------------------------
