----------------------- ZAPPING -------------------------
[A plane is about to land – by night]
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: Lear 251 Delta Lima, this is Burbank tower. Do you read?
[2 controllers in the tower]
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: Lear 251 Delta Lima, this is Burbank tower. Do you read?
[No answer]
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: Acknowledge, Lear 251 Delta Lima.
[His colleague leans forward his monitor]
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 2: They're off course and under the glide slope.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: Lear 251 Delta Lima, do you read? Come right to 020.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 2: Delta Lima, do you read?
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: It's seconds out!
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 2: Delta Lima, abort. Delta Lima, abort! Delta Lima, abort! Abort!
[The plane is very close]
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: Run!
[They leave their sits- the plane crashes…Both men stare at the big fire]
♫♫ NCIS: LA 5x02 ♫♫ Impact ♫♫
♫♫ Original air date on October 1, 2013 ♫♫
[[NCIS office. At the gym. Sam is grunting, punching again and again the punching bag. Hetty is watching him. Callen joins her]
CALLEN: How's he doing? Passed his evals, right?
HETTY: Oh, with flying colors.
CALLEN: So he's good to go.
[She doesn’t answer]
CALLEN: Have you talked to Deeks?
HETTY: He appears to be screening my calls.
CALLEN: That's brazen!
HETTY: Indeed…
[Rooster ringtone plays: Nell’s checks her phone, coming in the bullpen with Kensi]
NELL: Oh, my God. Emoticon overload. These guys from last night are kind of driving me nuts.
KENSI: Which one? Jesse?
NELL: Alex. What is that? An ear of corn? A pickle?
KENSI: That actually looks like a-a...
[This time a cat ringtone plays]
NELL: Oh, my God, here's Jesse. "Good morning, beautiful." "Well, good morning to you," smiley face.
[She types while walking and speaking]
KENSI: You heard from all three?
NELL: Haven't you?
KENSI: Uh, no. My, uh, phone's off.
[She sighs and sits down]
KENSI: I mean, who came up with this Groupster thing anyway? You know, three times the rejection doesn't seem psychologically sound. One-on-one is bad enough.
NELL: I know, but Rose was so excited, and, you know, she really needs to get out and meet guys.
KENSI: Yeah, that have a pulse.
[She chuckles]
NELL: It's supposed to be fun. Three guys, three girls, no pressure, no expectations.
KENSI: I'm sorry. Three's a crowd.
[Frog ringtone plays – she shows Kensi her phone]
NELL: Is that a heart or a butt?
KENSI: You know what? Here's an example. Three bears, burgled. Three little piggies, houses obliterated. Three blind mice, tails cut off. I am telling you, people start killing each other when the equation is three.
[Eric appears at the top of the stairs, half-hidden behind a pillar. He listens to them]
NELL: Wonder if Rose got any calls.
KENSI: Yeah, only if one of them dropped dead.
[She laughs- too much]
NELL: You're bad.
[Eric whistles]
ERIC: Case on deck.
NELL: Oh, here we go.
[Kensi checks her phone…]
KENSI: Haircut? No, I think it's a new shirt.
[He steps aside: he is wearing PANTS!]
NELL: Wait a second. Are those...?
ERIC: Yep, I am wearing…pants. Sad face.
[And…cow ringtone plays]
ERIC: What, you got Old MacDonald's entire farm in there?
NELL: Uh, it's just my mom.
KENSI: Just her mom.
[OPS center. Hetty, Sam and Callen are waiting for them…]
SAM: Well, well, well. Look who's wearing big-boy pants.
ERIC: Huh, Hetty got me these.
CALLEN: I mean, you still have the thongs, but it's a start.
ERIC: Might as well be wearing a thong.
HETTY: Stop whining.
ERIC: Yes, ma'am.
[He clears his throat, pulls up news footage on the large screen]
TV NEWSCASTER: Early this morning, a private jet, on its way from Washington, D.C., crashed at Burbank Airport. There's no information as to why the plane went down, but at this early hour, it does appear no one on board survived.
KENSI: What did air traffic control say?
ERIC: The tower lost contact with the jet upon approach.
[The flight path opens on screen]
ERIC: The plane appeared to be on a collision course before veering off at the last moment, crashing.
CALLEN: Pilot error? Could have overshot the runway.
SAM: Maybe, or whoever was flying the plane had a clear target in mind.
CALLEN: Or maybe they missed a target.
ERIC: It's who's on board that interests us. Former Vice Admiral William Gardner.
[Photo and form open on screen]
ERIC: He was a key player in the War on Terror. Forced into early retirement ten months ago.
SAM: Gardner's uncensored criticism of the administration lost him his job and a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
KENSI: What was he doing in L.A.?
[Nell pulls up a paper article]
NELL: According to this, he was brokering a book deal. "Unbroken Warrior, a riveting account of the truth behind the headlines."
CALLEN: Sam and I will check out the airport. Kensi...
HETTY: Uh, you'll be taking Kensi with you, Mr. Callen.
KENSI: Oh, great, my third-wheel status made official.
HETTY: Not today. Sam has an appointment.
KENSI: Oh.
SAM: With who?
[The door opens]
NATE: That would be me.
CALLEN: Nate.
[Everybody smile- but Sam…]
NATE: Good morning.
[Sam sighs…]
----------------------- ZAPPING -------------------------
[Hetty’s office.]
SAM: You want me to see another shrink?
HETTY: Uh, I don't think Mr. Getz is "another shrink." He knows you, your past.
[She hands him a cup of tea]
SAM: And he knows I bounce back fast.
HETTY: Even the most durable fabric wears out eventually.
SAM: Is that what you think, Hetty? You think I'm worn out?
HETTY: I worry that you will be if you don't take care of yourself. Sit down,Mr. Hanna.
[He sighs- obeys. He has not drunken the tea…]
SAM: I don't know what more you want from me, Hetty. I passed my physical and my psych assessment.
HETTY: Have I ever told you about the time I went blind? It was in Cambodia. I was so committed to my assignment that I went for weeks existing on little more than insects and lemongrass. So when, at last, my target presented itself, I could barely see to complete my mission. Vitamin A deficiency.
SAM: I take a multivitamin.
HETTY: Oh, come on.
SAM: Sorry, Hetty. I get it, but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could do a good job.
HETTY: Then, your visit with Mr. Getz will be a mere formality.
SAM: How'd you get your sight back?
HETTY: Carrots. Always eat your carrots, Mr. Hanna.
[He smiles, at least…]
[Burbank airport. Airport Police at work on the crash place, with others]
KENSI: Sorry. I know you were looking forward to getting back out with Sam.
CALLEN: Yeah, it's the same for you and Deeks.
KENSI: Well, let's stay positive.
CALLEN: Good idea.
KENSI: He won't return my calls.
CALLEN: Don't take it personally. Sam's been staying close to home as well. I couldn't get him to go to a Lakers game.
KENSI: Yeah, I bought him a Cronut.
CALLEN: I had courtside...You bought him a what?
KENSI: A Cronut. It's a croissant-doughnut hybrid; Deeks loves them. I can only get them in this little bakery in New York City, and I left it on his doorstep, and it's still there.
CALLEN: He'll be okay.
KENSI: Yeah. They both will. I'm gonna call Eric, see if he spoke to the I.T. guys.
[They split. Callen shows his badge to an airport police officer]
CALLEN: NCIS. Investigating the death of Vice Admiral Gardner.
HOWARD: Chief Howard, National Transportation Safety Board.
[They shake hands]
CALLEN: How are you?
HOWARD: Good luck with that.
CALLEN: Come again?
HOWARD: Take a look; not much left.
CALLEN: So you haven't been able to find anything that helps explain the crash?
HOWARD: Well, actually, we've pretty much found everything except the one thing that could help.
CALLEN: The black box…The wreck area is pretty small.
HOWARD: But we can't find the box anywhere.
CALLEN: Really?
HOWARD: Really.
[She leaves him- Kensi is on phone, coming close to G]
KENSI: Yeah, you think you can get onto those ATC computers?
ERIC: [Over phone] They're not your average laptops, Kensi. I'm a geek, not a god.
KENSI: Eric, okay, let us know what else you find.
ERIC: [Over phone] Fine.
[They hang up]
KENSI: I.T. guys confirmed the tower systems were operating properly.
CALLEN: Did the pilots give any indication that they were having problems?
KENSI: No, there was no response to any of the communication attempts. Total radio silence. I'm trying to get Eric to verify it, but something's got his panties in a twist.
CALLEN: Maybe it's his new pants…
[OPS center.Indeed Eric is entering walking oddly; a sheep ringtone plays; Nell is working on her computer]
ERIC: Busy morning. Is that your, uh, your mom again?
[Sheep ringtone plays]
NELL: A friend.
ERIC: Friend of you and Kensi's?
NELL: Yeah, just someone I hung out with last night.
ERIC: With Kensi? On a date? I don't mean a date with Kensi. You know what I mean. Like, Kensi and the guy she's into, you and the guy you're into.
NELL: Not into him, not into any of them, and neither is Kensi.
ERIC: Whoa, whoa, whoa, them?
NELL: Yeah, okay, there's three of them and three of us, but we only went because Rose really needs to get out more, so...
ERIC: Oh, Rose came, too.
NELL: Yeah, it was like a girls' night.
ERIC: Ah, girls' night with guys.
NELL: Who we are not into.
ERIC: And yet you hung out with them all evening.
NELL: Hey, so should we move this interrogation into the boatshed?
ERIC: Oh, sorry, just, uh, curious how this whole thing works.
NELL: Why? 'Cause you want to go on one?
ERIC: What? Oh, on a date? Whoa, with you?
[Nell chuckles after a few seconds]
NELL: No, no. With, like, other people. Just, come on, not with me.
ERIC: Oh…No...
[He chuckles]
ERIC: I mean, that's three times the heartache, right?
[Nell nods]
ERIC: For them, I mean.
[Nell whispers]
NELL: Right.
ERIC: Right.
[Both type, both have a lot in mind…]
[Boatshed. Sam is on the couch, Nate pours coffee into mugs. Sam sighs]
SAM: All right, ring on the questions.
NATE: Is that what you want? Me running through a list of questions, seeing if any of them trigger you?
SAM: Trigger me? I'm a ticking time bomb?
[He takes a seat]
NATE: Well, is that how you feel?
SAM: I feel fine. It's just everybody acts like I'm gonna explode.
NATE: In what way?
SAM: You know, tiptoeing around, "watching for signs."
NATE: Can you blame us? You went through quite an ordeal.
SAM: I've been through a lot worse.
NATE: That's not how trauma works, Sam. Somebody might survive a tsunami no problem, only to be scarred for life by a trip to the dentist.
[Sam chuckles]
SAM: You might not want to use that example on Deeks.
NATE: Noted. Look, Sam, you and I both know you're more than well-equipped to handle this, and you've got a great support network here.
[Sam sighs]
SAM: The other night, Michelle and I got into it over whose turn it was to do the dishes.
NATE: That sounds normal.
SAM: She wouldn't let me do 'em. That sound normal to you?
NATE: It sounds like she cares.
SAM: And Callen got us these amazing tickets at the Lakers game. Probably sold a kidney for 'em.
NATE: Did you go?
SAM: No, it didn't feel right.
NATE: Because he's being too nice to you?
SAM: Everybody is. It's like they're trying to make me feel better when I'm fine.
[Nate sighs, they exchange a look]
[The sound of falling rain in background, a woman is speaking over headphones]
WOMAN: Remember to relax and concentrate on the next exercise. You must breathe very slowly.
[We’re in Deeks’ house- kitchen is untidy. He opens the fridge]
WOMAN: Fill what is empty and empty what is full.
DEEKS: Fill what is empty and empty what is full.
[He sips milk from the bottle]
WOMAN: Ah-hum-rumas-me. I am the universe.
DEEKS: Ah-hum-rumas-me. I am the universe.
WOMAN: My head is relaxing.
DEEKS: My head is relaxing.
WOMAN: My arms are relaxing.
DEEKS: My arms are relaxing.
DEEKS: My abdomen is relaxing.
WOMAN: My abdomen is relaxing.
DEEKS: My abdomen is relaxing.
[He’s back in the living room with the milk. He wallows on the couch]
WOMAN: Relax the buttocks.
DEEKS: Relax the buttocks.
[He sighs]
DEEKS: What am I doing?
WOMAN: Clench, release.
DEEKS: Clench, release.
WOMAN: Clench, release.
DEEKS: Clench, release.
WOMAN: I am one with the universe.
DEEKS: I am one with the universe.
[Suddenly the curtains burst open – Hetty… Deeks gasps]
DEEKS: God, Hetty, what are you doing?
HETTY: Well, I thought I'd brave the monsoon to come check on you.
[She turns the tablet off -rain and thunder stop]
DEEKS: Storm sounds--supposed to make it easier to fall asleep, so...
HETTY: You having trouble sleeping?
[Deeks chuckles]
DEEKS: Yeah, I'd say I have a little case of insomnia.
HETTY: Probably all that clenching and releasing.
[She steps closer-stares at the mess on and around the table]
HETTY: Wow-wow-wow-wow-wow-wow-wow, you've been busy.
DEEKS: Well, when you don't sleep, you realize how many hours there are in the day you have to fill.
HETTY: Well, if you're bored...perhaps you could come back to work.
DEEKS: I didn't even know that you were, um, I didn't know you were coming. If I knew...Do, do you want something? Do you want some milk?
HETTY: Oh, no, no, no, no, no, I-I can't stay long.
[The phone on the table buzzes.]
HETTY: I just came to...
[She notices the phone]
HETTY: …see if your phone was working.
[She takes the phone]
HETTY: 43...missed calls. Fancy that!
DEEKS: Like you said, I've been busy.
HETTY: So has Kensi. For the past few weeks. Without a partner.
[Deeks is hit]
HETTY: I'm gonna need a decision soon. Especially if I need to find a replacement.
DEEKS: Of course.
[He’s destroyed]
HETTY: I'll leave you to your storm. Hopefully it'll pass without too much damage.
[She puts the tablet on- rain is falling again, thunder crashing…Deeks looks in pain – he puts the headphones on and lies back]
WOMAN: Feel your troubles melting away as you drift off to a world abstract.
[Deeks sighs…]
----------------------- ZAPPING -------------------------
[NCIS office. Eric is grunting and groaning – fighting against his pants! Nell is going down the stairs, looking for him. She hears him muttering]
[Burn room]
ERIC: I'll show you, Hetty.
[He opens the door of the oven—the door (of the room) opens; he no more wears his pants…]
ERIC: Oh!
NELL: Hello.
ERIC: Uh, did you ever hear of knocking?
NELL: Sorry. Last I checked, this was the burn room, not the locker room. What are you doing?
ERIC: What's it look like I'm doing?
NELL: Something really weird! Are those your pants?
[The paper bag he was about to burn]
ERIC: Uh... no.
NELL: Oh, my...God!
[She grabs the bag, opens it- raises the pants up]
ERIC: Those are not my pants. I do not own pants. Those are Hetty's pants.
NELL: Interesting, and you were going to incinerate them? Do you have a death wish?
ERIC: I didn't have a choice.
NELL: Did you have an accident?
[She looks disgusted and hastily puts the pants back into the bag]
ERIC: Ew, no. Those things are driving me nuts, they're so constrictive. It's like my legs are trapped in a straitjacket.
NELL: Eric, they're pants. People have been wearing them for thousands of years.
ERIC: Oh, no, no, not my people.
[With a Scottish accent]
ERIC: The Beales of the Clan McBeale.
NELL: And now you're Scottish?
ERIC: As heather and haggis.
NELL: So why don't you wear a kilt?
ERIC: I do. I did. I used to. Until this little incident with Hetty. It's easy to forget how short she is. Her eye line is lower than you think.
NELL: Yup, got it! Thanks. Okay, I suggest you take your bag-o-pants and put them back on your body before Hetty finds out, or else it'll be your butt in the incinerator!
[Eric looks scared]
NELL: And there was a last-minute passenger added to the flight's manifest.
[Eric reads]
ERIC: Jason Carter? How do I know that name…?
[OPS center. Jason Carter’s ID on screen. Nell briefs Eric]
NELL: Jason Carter was a journalist. He had written a number of high profile pieces on a variety of different topics. He was even nominated for a Pulitzer for an article he wrote on hydraulic fracturing and the oil companies.
ERIC: That's how I know him.
NELL: For the past year or so, he had been writing about the war in Afghanistan, embedding himself in several different units.
ERIC: Hmm. Maybe he was interviewing the vice admiral on the flight.
NELL: Reasonable assumption. So I contacted his publisher. Turns out, he was the ghost writer for the admiral's memoir.
ERIC: Somebody didn't want this book being published.
[She gives him an approval look]
[Boatshed.]
SAM: Listen, Nate. I wouldn't jeopardize Callen and the rest of the team if I didn't think I could hold my own.
NATE: Look, I appreciate that, Sam, and I believe you. In fact, I know you put your partner and the rest of the team above your own safety.
SAM: Okay, then you know pretty much all there is to know.
NATE: Hetty doesn't think so.
SAM: Then, maybe you should go talk to Hetty.
NATE: You know, you're probably right.
[He stands up – washes the mugs
SAM: Is that it?
NATE: I'm only here because Hetty worries about you.
[Sam chuckles]
SAM: Nate...
[He clears his throat]
SAM: The only way to survive is to let go. I keep a little something behind in case there's a chance to escape or attack, but...the rest of me is gone. I see 'em wailing on that guy in the chair. I can't help him. When it's over, I reconnect. And the only thing left are some scars. I'm afraid one day I may drift off...and never reconnect. Then what happens to the guy in the chair?
[Callen knocks at a door. A man opens]
MAN: Yeah?
CALLEN: Special Agent Callen. Special Agent Blye, NCIS. We were wondering if we could take a look inside of Jason Carter's apartment.
MAN: Yeah, I guess. I heard he died. Shame. Nice guy. Good tenant. This have anything to do with the fire?
KENSI: I'm sorry, the fire?
MAN: In his apartment. The place was gutted day before yesterday.
[He leads the way - keys jingle in his hands]
MAN: Fire marshal said it could take a week or more to determine what happened. Had a insurance company out here this morning. They wanted to take a look, too. Not much left. Fortunately nobody was home at the time. This guy's had a bit of a run of bad luck, huh?
[A woman is in the stairs, carrying blacken stuff]
MAN: This is Jason's girlfriend. Julie, these are the agents from, um...
CALLEN: NCIS.
JULIE: His insurance company?
KENSI: No...Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
JULIE: Oh.
[She walks away]
MAN: Shall we?
KENSI: Yeah.
[Callen follows the woman up to her car]
CALLEN: Need a hand?
JULIE: Oh. Thank you. I didn't even know Jason was on his way home until I saw the message on my phone.
CALLEN: What did the message say?
JULIE: Just that he was able to get a ride back to L.A. with the vice admiral, and was gonna use the time to interview him. I fell asleep waiting up for him. I kept expecting him to crawl into bed and kiss me good night. When I woke up in the morning and he wasn't there, I knew something was wrong. And he wasn't answering his phone, so I came here and the fire department was just leaving. I was standing here, already in shock when the police called to tell me Jason was killed in the plane crash. Uh, four days ago.
CALLEN: He gave you any indication that something might've been wrong?
JULIE: He seemed a little stressed maybe?
[Kensi joins them]
KENSI: Callen?
CALLEN: Excuse me.
KENSI: So, super wasn't kidding when he said the place was gutted. Forensics will be able to tell us more, but the fire was hot and fast. Pro job.
CALLEN: Julie? Do you know anybody that would've wanted to hurt Jason?
JULIE: No. Some of his articles earned him hate mail.
KENSI: Did he tell you what he was currently working on?
JULIE: No, he didn't talk much about work.
KENSI: Did he ever give you anything to keep for him?
JULIE: No. Why, do you think something he was working on played a part in his death?
CALLEN: We're considering a lot of possibilities…
[She stares at him – off to the office]
[NCIS office. Kensi and Callen are walking the entrance – Eric crosses their path]
CALLEN: Please tell me your presence here is because of your excitement over a startling and revealing piece of valuable evidence that solves this case.
ERIC: Well...
KENSI: You know what, I'll settle for a run-of-the-mill clue.
ERIC: Actually, I have more bad news.
KENSI: Is it worse than Jason Carter's apartment being torched?
ERIC: Virtually.
CALLEN: What is it?
ERIC: Virtually.
CALLEN: What?
ERIC: Virtually.
KENSI: I think he's stuck.
CALLEN: I knew Hetty was a robot, but now him?
ERIC: No... virtually as in cyberspace. As in somebody's been scrubbing through his electronic life. As in they hijacked his cloud and wiped it clean an hour after he died. This is some serious voodoo. I'm talking black bag kung fu, ninja warrior assassin level hacking.
CALLEN: Do you have any idea what he's saying?
KENSI: I really don't, but I think it's bad.
CALLEN: Either that or his motherboard was fried.
[Eric glares at him]
KENSI: So, who do we know with this level of cyber warcraft?
[Nell just appeared]
NELL: I may have a guy.
[They follow her to the screen]
NELL: This is the security cam footage from the airport. And I think this is the black box.
[Close up on a man carrying an orange box]
ERIC: Orange.
KENSI: See? That's why we didn't find it, because somebody stole it.
CALLEN: Why would someone steal a plane's flight recorder?
NELL: Million-dollar question.
ERIC: No, the million-dollar question is why is it called the black box if it's always orange?
KENSI: If somebody wanted to find out what happened to the aircraft in its last few moments.
CALLEN: Or if they didn't want someone to know.
[They exchange a look]
KENSI: Then they would get away in the confusion.
[Indeed the man gets into an emergency car]
NELL: Yup. And I believe the same vehicle entered the airport just 24 hours earlier. See?
[Without the lights & inscriptions]
NELL: Plain, inconspicuous.
CALLEN: They probably parked it in a hangar and then re-skinned it as an emergency vehicle.
KENSI: And then all they had to do was wait for the crash to happen.
NELL: So they show up on the scene as emergency workers, and when everyone else is busy, they walk off with the flight recorder.
KENSI: Which also means that they knew that the crash was going to happen. Which proves it was sabotage.
NELL: I'm running the hangar rental and owner lists now, but still no luck facial rec-ing these guys.
[Driver and the guy who picked up the black box]
KENSI: Okay, what about the vehicle?
NELL: Working on that, too.
CALLEN: I doubt you're gonna find it. These guys haven't left much to chance…
----------------------- ZAPPING -------------------------
[NCIS office. Bullpen: G and Kensi sit at their desks, Nell and Eric standing in front of them]
CALLEN: Someone deliberately crashes their plane in what was described as a aborted kamikaze flight into the tower.
ERIC: There could have been a struggle on board.
KENSI: Hijacking and a struggle would be the most logical explanation.
CALLEN: But all of these guys are top-drawer.
[He glances at the screen: pilot, co-pilot, attendant, Carter and Gardner]
CALLEN: None of them have anything in their profile or background that would even remotely suggest that they could be responsible for this.
NELL: Which is where our black-box-stealing, mystery emergency workers come in.
KENSI: Could they be responsible for the sabotage?
CALLEN: It's not likely. The plane originated in Washington. They would have had to have sabotaged it a few days before to have been waiting here.
KENSI: Which would suggest accomplices.
ERIC: This is starting to sound like a conspiracy nut's fantasy.
CALLEN: Only this might be real.
NATE: [voice] Okay, good luck.
SAM: [voice] Thank you.
CALLEN: How was the zoo? Did you get a churro?
SAM: That's funny. It's a good one.
KENSI: Hey, you sure you want him back?
SAM: Can I have the rest of the week to think about it?
CALLEN: Ha-ha…
[Nate heads to Hetty’s office]
HETTY: So, just give me the greatest hits.
NATE: He's as stubborn as he is big.
HETTY: I consider both of those to be assets in an agent.
NATE: And they don't make them any tougher.
HETTY: That's also why he's here.
NATE: But the trauma and damage he experienced, it's cumulative, physically and psychologically, as you well know. If it happens too many more times, he could reach a breaking point where he can't take it anymore. You also know what can happen then.
HETTY: Thank you, Nate. Now could you turn your attentions to Detective Deeks?
NELL: Anything I should know?
HETTY: I don't want him back if he's not the man he was.
[Nate nods…]
[Burbank airport. Sam and G at the crash place]
CALLEN: So, what'd Nate have to say?
SAM: Ah, same old shrink mumbo jumbo.
CALLEN: Yeah. "You ever have sexual fantasies about your mom? You ever wear her clothes when she's not home?" That sort of thing?
SAM: What???- The hell are you talking about? He asked you that kind of stuff before?
CALLEN: Yeah, but... I mean, that's normal... shrink stuff.
SAM: Are you messing with me?
CALLEN: I'm not messing with you.
[Sam stares at him then chuckles]
SAM: Don't be messing with me on my first day back, man!
[He steps ahead]
SAM: Anyone hear an explosion prior to the plane crash?
CALLEN: No... and no sign of any sort of explosive devices from what I can see. This all happened from this plane hitting the ground at several hundred miles per hour.
SAM: With a crew with a flawless record.
CALLEN: In a plane that was just as safe.
[Sam grabs an instructions leaflet from a table, then finds something]
CALLEN: What do you got?
SAM: Looks like it was a digital recorder in its former life…
[G checks the recorder…Off to the office]
[NCIS office. Nell is working on the recorder, Sam and G watch her]
SAM: Well?
[Nell sighs]
NELL: I'm not sure. I mean, it's digital, so it should be there. It's just a matter of the damage.
[She types- voices are garbled, sentences are broken]
GARDNER: What else...?
JASON: Afghanistan... never...conquered by a foreign army. The Russians learned...the hard...
GARDNER: Absolutely not...not at war with Afghanistan...the country trying to weed out persistent terrorists, bastards... to Pakistan.
JASON: ...semantics? What would it... take to put...?
GARDNER: Money...money and more troops...private contractors...billions.
SAM: Whoa, what was that when he said "money, private contractors"?
CALLEN: Can you dig it out more?
NELL: I can try.
JASON: Same... said of... military.
GARDNER: Our people...properly trained. Theirs are not. They're a... risk that re...lots... cover-ups.
CALLEN: Sounded like he said "cover-ups."
[Nell tries more noise reduction]
GARDNER:...risk that re...lots... cover-ups. Hell... proof of what...considered war crimes.
NELL: That's it.
SAM: He was talking about war crimes being committed.
CALLEN: Without the entire recording, we can only ever guess what was actually said, but that's what it sounded like to me, too.
NELL: Well, if you had proof that Americans with war contracts committed atrocities overseas while employed by the U.S. government, I'd say there are those who would kill to keep that buried.
[Eric appears]
ERIC: You need to hear this.
[They follow him]
[Boatshed. Nate is waiting – his phone rings]
NELL: Let me guess-- you're stuck in traffic. No. Uh, hi, Hetty. No, I-I thought you were going to be Deeks…No, he hasn't showed yet…In fact, he's not answering his phone calls or e-mails.
[NCIS office. Bullpen.]
ERIC: An amateur plane spotter and his buddy sent this to the Burbank Police Department. Yeah, they were parked here, listening in on the tower, when they picked up on this from a different radio frequency.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Lear 251 Delta Lima, this is Burbank tower. Do you read?
SAM: Tower said they never responded. They thought they were responding to the tower, but they actually weren't.
PILOT: Burbank tower. Lear 251 Delta Lima. We have you loud and clear. Little foggy down there.
ERIC: That's the pilot of Admiral Gardner's plane.
MAN: Delta Lima, we're still above minimums here, unbroken with a 300-foot ceiling.
KENSI: If that's not the tower, then who the hell is it?
PILOT: Roger. Glad to hear.
ERIC: I don't know
PILOT: I ran it Burbank tower, I may have some instrument issues. Altimeter isn't matching my other displays. Computer's got me at a thousand feet and altimeter is reading 750.
MAN: Altimeter setting is 2886. We have you descending through 900 feet. Glide slope is spot-on. Come left to 024 degrees. You're cleared to land.
PILOT: Wilco. 024 and cleared to land.
[Alarm beeps]
COPILOT: Look out, look out, pull up, pull up!
PILOT: We're going down!
[…Static hisses…]
ERIC: Three seconds later they crashed.
CALLEN: Somebody intercepted the tower's radio system as well as that of the plane.
KENSI: And were able to sabotage the jet's instrument system.
ERIC: Like I said... serious voodoo…
----------------------- ZAPPING -------------------------
[G, Sam and Kensi. Bullpen’s screen]
CALLEN: So, an outspoken navy admiral is speaking with a journalist known for controversial stories.
KENSI: And they want to keep him quiet so they kill the admiral and the writer...
SAM: Making it look like a plane crash...
CALLEN: Wiping out any evidence of what the journalist was doing.
KENSI: And we have nothing but a few seconds of interview.
CALLEN: What if the journalist gave his girlfriend copies of his work for safekeeping?
SAM: But he didn't.
CALLEN: Maybe those responsible don't know that.
[Sam gets it…they exchange a “worth a try” look]
[OPS center. ZNN news footage on screen. Hetty and Eric are listening closely.]
TV NEWSCASTER: More evidence is surfacing about the fiery plane crash in Burbank yesterday that killed retired Navy Vice Admiral Gardner. Another victim has been identified as controversial journalist Jason Carter. According to sources close to Carter, he was worried about his own safety recently because of the story he was working on, excerpts of which have been released by his girlfriend. The following conversation between Carter and the vice admiral is believed to have been recorded just moments before the fatal crash.
[Text is also written on screen]
GARDNER: [Clear voice] Our people are properly trained. Theirs are not. They're a security risk that resulted in lots of cover-ups. Hell, we've even seen proof of what would be considered war crimes.
TV NEWSCASTER: The investigation into the crash that killed Vice Admiral Gardner and Jason Carter is ongoing, and this latest development suggests this story is far from over.
[Eric presses a button – the video turns off]
ERIC: Will this be enough to draw them out?
HETTY: Whoever's responsible went to extremes to bury this. I doubt they have any intentions of stopping now.
[Julie’s house. She’s listening to the recording through her laptop]
GARDNER: Our people are properly trained. Theirs are not.
[OPS center. Hetty, Nell and Eric are watching her – she looks at the camera, stressed]
GARDNER: They're a security risk that resulted in lots of cover-ups.
[Someone else is listening…2 guys in a car with a laser-mic]
GARDNER: Hell, we've even seen proof of what would be considered war crimes. What else do you want to know?
[Julie’s house]
JASON: Afghanistan has never been conquered by a foreign army. The Russians learned that the hard way.
[Car]
MAN1: What are we waiting for? Let's go.
[Julie’s house. She turns the shower on – but keeps her clothes on; she closes the curtain]
[Car: the guys hear the water]
MAN2: Showtime.
[They cross the street, head to the front door- followed from the OPS by 4 cameras outside]
HETTY: You put a surveillance camera inside a garden gnome?!
ERIC: Yeah, we call it the Hetty-cam.
[She gives him a naughty look]
NELL: Hey now, these guys are real pros. Wouldn't you say so, Hetty?
HETTY: I could say many things, many, many.
[She hisses her last words to Eric’s ear]
ERIC: Look, they're picking the lock.
[House. Guys enter. The alarm is beeping]
GARDNER: Absolutely not the same situation. We're not at war with Afghanistan. We're in the country trying to weed out persistent terrorists, bastards who migrated to Pakistan.
[One of the men neutralizes the alarm]
JASON: Isn't that just semantics? What would it really take to put an end to...?
GARDNER: Money. It'd take more money and more troops, but we're inundated with private contractors who waste billions. They call Washington corrupt; these bastards take the cake.
[Man1 checks the computer; man2 pulls out a syringe and heads to the bathroom.
JASON: So now you're talking about multinational corporations.
[ Man1 starts deleting the record file. Water is running- Man2 pulls the curtain and stops dead – Kensi appears behind him]
KENSI: I've had my flu shot.
MAN2: What the...?
[He wheels round – just when Sam slams the door open – Kensi grabs his arm, Sam his neck – he faints. Meanwhile Man2 rummages into a box, pulling out files. He doesn’t notice G opening the door- gun ready. Man finds a magazine]
MAN1: Kitty Corner??
CALLEN: I only read it for the articles. Federal agent. Don't even think about it. What'd I just say? You're still thinking about it. "What if I distract him with the magazine, dive for cover, draw, and fire?" That might work, but they'd fill you full of holes.
[Sam and Kensi join them. The man kneels, hands upon the head]
CALLEN: Good call…
[Beach. Surfers are enjoying the swell. Deeks is watching them. Actually he’s lost in bad thoughts sit on the sand, in front of the sea. Nate steps close]
NATE: Wish you were out there?
DEEKS: No such thing as a bad day in the water. I came. Even had my hand on the door. I don't know what happened, I just couldn't come in.
NATE: Pretty sure you'd feel better if we talked.
DEEKS: Pretty sure I wouldn't.
NATE: Look... even though I'm here at Hetty's request, and...well, I've got my own opinions, the only one who matters in all this is you. I have no agenda beyond making sure you're in the best place you can be right now.
DEEKS: And how can you possibly know what that place is when I don't even know?
NATE: Perspective? Seldom do we know what we need for ourselves.
DEEKS: What I need... is sleep.
NATE: Why do you think you can't sleep?
DEEKS: Because every time I close my eyes, my mind just keeps running.
NATE: With what?
DEEKS: All sorts of stuff, man.
NATE: The abduction?
DEEKS: Yes, the abduction.
NATE: Torture?
DEEKS: The abduction...torture, when I was shot...falling off my bike when I was eight years old, stepping on a bee, nursery rhymes, grocery lists, infomercials. It's like someone took all my memories and just put 'em into a blender.
[He stands up, starts walking]
NATE: You went through a traumatic experience.
DEEKS: Yeah, but this is not my first traumatic experience.
NATE: No, but maybe something about this one had more impact. Your brain could be trying to make sense of what happened by comparing it to past experiences, but you got nothing that comes close, so it's working a little harder to resolve it.
DEEKS: Okay, so how long's this supposed to last?
NATE: I don't think I have a definitive answer for that, but the more you talk about it out here, the less you're gonna have to work on it in here.
[He points at his head]
DEEKS: So, what, in the meantime, I just walk around with the mind of a schizophrenic?
NATE: I don't think you have to worry about being a...
DEEKS: You know, it's funny, 'cause I already get the Shaggy jokes and how I'm halfway to homeless. You know, what's crazy is that I see these guys and I hear them talking to themselves and it's scaring the hell out of me because if I were to say what's going on in my mind, it wouldn't be that different.
NATE: Well, that's the real difference. You're worried about it. I'd be more concerned if you weren't.
DEEKS: So I'm not crazy?
NATE: Not yet. If you don't start getting some sleep, you're gonna start to act and feel like it.
[Deeks seems slightly relieved]
NATE: What about Kensi?
DEEKS: What about her?
NATE: You two obviously have something special.
[Deeks stops and stares at Nate]
DEEKS: Who told you that?
NATE: You're partners. That's a special relationship. Look at Callen and Sam.
DEEKS: Right, of course.
NATE: What is it about your partnership that's... unique?
DEEKS: What do you mean? What do you mean, "unique"?
NATE: Different from Callen and Sam or the others. What's the one ingredient you'd say makes your partnership distinct from the rest?
DEEKS: I don't know.
NATE: Well...once you can answer that truthfully to yourself, everything else will become much clearer.
[Deeks thinks about it…]
[Later. It’s dark. Sam, G and Kensi are coming back at the office. Hetty is waiting for them]
CALLEN: They're not talking. Lawyered up before we could zip-tie 'em.
SAM: Both are former Special Forces. Both work for D7--it's a private company with a couple of billion in government contracts supplying support services in hot spots around the world.
KENSI: Yeah, we've already called in for a search warrant.
[Eric is sit at an agent’s desk. Nell is standing at his side]
HETTY: The evidence we'd need will be long gone by then, if it isn't already. We have to work with what we have.
CALLEN: Well, the guys in the boatshed are small fish.
[Their photos and names are on the screen]
CALLEN: They're well-trained, they're well-funded, but they didn't order this. That was somebody higher up.
SAM: Somebody who has access to technology that allows them to intercept air traffic control and sabotage a private jet's in-flight computer.
KENSI: Yeah, Hetty, this is a lot bigger than we initially thought. I mean, we're talking war crimes by private contractors.
HETTY: We'll get them, but today you caught two small fish, and sometimes small fish are the most perfect bait for big fish. This is far from over. You did well today. Eric even managed to keep his pants on. You can drop them off at wardrobe.
ERIC: I can go back to wearing shorts?
HETTY: For a while! It's a process.
[Nate steps discreetly behind them]
SAM: Uh-huh.
ERIC: Hmm.
[Hetty leaves them]
SAM: I want a job where it's an accomplishment to leave my pants on.
KENSI: Hmm.
ERIC: I have sensitive thighs.
SAM: Oh...
CALLEN: He has sensitive thighs.
SAM: Yeah.
[They go away]
ERIC: Hey, come on, guys. Guys, it's not funny--it's like restless legs syndrome times a zillion.
KENSI: Good luck with that.
[Eric sighs. He stands up, hides behind a wall]
ERIC: I'm dead.
NELL: I'm the one who cut them.
[She has large scissors – he has …shorts!]
NELL: I couldn't bear to see you suffer.
ERIC: What are we gonna do?
NELL: Looks like we're going shopping, Beale.
[He exhales loudly]
[Nate is waiting for Hetty at her office.]
HETTY: So...what's the good word on our Mr. Deeks?
NATE: He's hurting.
HETTY: Can he return to work?
NATE: Yes. Whether he will or not is a question for him. He's not sleeping. He can't work through this if he doesn't get some rest.
HETTY: And his partner?
NATE: It's a complicated relationship.
HETTY: Aren't they all?
NATE: You asked me if he could come back to work.
HETTY: And now I'm asking you about his relationship with Kensi.
NATE: Are you playing semantics with me?
[She sighs]
NATE: He's very close...to his partner.
HETTY: Too close to return?
[Nate stares at her…]
[Deeks’ home. He’s lying down on the couch…His phone buzzes – Kensi’s call. He declined…There’s knocking at the door. The apartment is … a mess]
DEEKS: I'm co-- I'm co.
[He checks his visitor: Kensi.]
DEEKS: Oh.
[He grunts, looks like he won’t open…he opens]
KENSI: Hi.
DEEKS: Hey.
[She has food and beers]
KENSI: I've been calling.
DEEKS: Yeah, I think I must have had my phone off.
KENSI: Guess what reopened.
DEEKS: Is that Yummy Yummy Heart Attack?
KENSI: Yep, three Fs from the health department and still going strong.
[They take place on the couch]
DEEKS: Yeah, if "F" stood for "fabulous." Did you get the, uh, Drunken Pigs?
KENSI: With extra kimchi-- you're welcome.
DEEKS: I think I just felt a shiver. Want me to, uh, grab something to drink?
KENSI: Oh, no, no, no, no, I have got you covered, my friend.
DEEKS: Wow, one day you are going to make somebody the perfect personal assistant. Got a fork?
KENSI: I got a spork.
[He laughs]
DEEKS: Yeah, yeah, you do.
KENSI: All right. Oh, I have been waiting for this-- the smell in the car...
[He has already started]
DEEKS: Oh, are you kidding me? I forgot how good this was.
KENSI: This is so good.
DEEKS: You think it's bad for us?
KENSI: Hmm, ah, you only live once, ha.
DEEKS: Yeah, probably a lot shorter when you eat like this. You got napkins?
KENSI: Uh-huh.
[He stops, hand into the bag]
DEEKS: Is that dessert?
KENSI: Uh, no, it's nothing.
[He stares at the pastry]
DEEKS: You got me a Cronut?
KENSI: Um, I did, but that was a while ago, and I left it at your doorstep, so that's old, don't eat it.
[She stands up, the Cronut in hand]
DEEKS: N-N-N-No, d-don't throw it away. It's the thought that counts--I'm gonna frame this thing.
KENSI: You're so weird.
DEEKS: I mean, look at that. It's like America and France made slow, sweet love and then had a pastry baby.
[She laughs]
DEEKS: Sure you don't want a bite?
KENSI: No, seriously it's been out there for a while.
DEEKS: I'll probably still eat that.
KENSI: Okay.
[She grabs the remote control- turns the TV on]
KENSI: So, Burnt Offerings is on at 11:00.
ANNOUNCER: It's the bottom of the eighth...
DEEKS: I don't really know if I'm up for a movie.
KENSI: Oh, yes, you are because I cannot watch this alone. It is rated triple-B.
DEEKS: What's that?
KENSI: Blood, breasts, and beasts.
DEEKS: What was the last one?
KENSI: Beasts.
DEEKS: Well, you know how I like big beasts.
KENSI: Either way, you're watching it with me.
DEEKS: I thought you loved horror movies.
KENSI: I do, just not by myself. Watch it with me. Watch it with me? Watch it with me.
DEEKS: You won me over with the pastry, baby.
[She laughs]
KENSI: Awesome, okay.
DEEKS: Want to use my cat pillow?
[She giggles]
KENSI: It's pink, very masculine. So...
[He sighs, comfortable-]
KENSI: Oliver Reed and Karen Black move into this mansion with their son and their elderly aunt, played by Bette Davis, who I absolutely love, and then Burgess Meredith, who played Mickey in the Rocky films--it was so sad when he dies…
[Deeks looks at her – struggles to keep his eyes open]
KENSI: oh, my God, it's the best scene ever--um, and his sister play the caretakers of this mansion, and then their mother--
[Deeks is almost asleep]
KENSI: she's like an elderly recluse in the attic, and then...
[She notices his face]
KENSI: ...flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz show up with guns, and there's a big shoot-out.
[Sleepy voice, closed eyes]
DEEKS: Mm, those monkeys are scary.
[She looks at him tenderly – lays her head next to his]
KENSI: What happens next?
[Sleepy voice – closed eyes]
DEEKS: It's a love story.
KENSI: What?
[He’s asleep –guitar is playing…Screen is black…]
------------------------------- THE END --------------------------------------
