RHEA: I'm not proud of where I am today.
I don't mean here in this club.
Although, to be fair, it certainly doesn't help.
No offense to you guys. I mean, I'm sure you're all
lovely people with even lovelier bunkers.
All I'm saying is that
I thought I'd be at a different place...
- Here you go. - ...at this point in my life.
My friends, they-they keep telling me that I need a change.
They tell me I should break out of my shell a little bit.
Get a hobby.
And I'm always like, "You're both cats, how are you talking,
- and why is it in Oprah's voice?" - (WHISPERS): Let's go.
Mm.
(CLICKS TONGUE) Must be dog people.
No, you're just terrible.
Dad, is that you?
(BURPS) I'm bored.
(SINGSONGY): And I'm in the middle of my set.
At least you're nice to look at.
Oh, I'm nice to look at?
I mean, you're the one bringing sexy back
with that Unabomber look.
Unfortunately, I gave up interactive theater after
my high school's questionable performance of Hair,
so if you don't mind...
Actually, I've just been told that is my time.
Uh, you guys have been a great audience.
Scratch that, you've been terrible.
Seriously, the worst. Good night.
ANNOUNCER: Okay, everybody,
let's give it up for Rhea.
(GRUNTING)
(WOMAN SCREAMS)
- MAN: Security! - (GLASS SHATTERS)
(GRUNTING)
WOMAN: Leave her alone!
MAN: Hey, someone stop him!
(YELLS)
MAN: Whoa!
(PEOPLE MURMURING)
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com
ERIC: Which brings me to the question at hand.
Why do I do what I do?
Well, l-l-let me try to answer that.
(STAMMERS) Safety.
Uh, s-security.
Um, and...
Sweet mother of Wozniak! Oh, this is not good.
You're right. It's terrible.
How am I supposed to give this speech
at the Presence in Programming Summit
when I don't even have the presence to know
why I do what I do?
No, not you and your speech.
Your speech was fantastic.
It made me feel both safe and secure.
- You weren't even listening. - What?
Deeks, I came all the way down here to practice,
because you said you'd help me.
We have bigger problems.
What-what? We have a case?
Yeah, of slander and libel.
The-the Ledger did a profile... no, no, no...
a hit piece on the bar.
I'm sure it's not as bad as you think.
You ready for this? It's a "minimalist
ghost town out of touch with all that is edgy and provocative."
Oh, this is gonna ruin my Yelp reviews.
- Review. - Come again?
You have one review and Anna wrote it.
Can I live?
You can live. Sorry, go on.
It's hard enough to keep this place afloat.
Now I got to do it with bad publicity.
Hey, don't sweat it.
I'm sure it'll be gone before anyone even sees it.
Because you can remove it before they...
Oh, Beale, you sweet, spectacled...
- Swedish... - Scottish.
(SCOTTISH ACCENT): Scottish savior
of mine.
This is why you do what you do.
Record scratch. What now?
I need you to just take down the article.
You want me to hack their website?
I mean, I think you could just do a little glitch,
but I'm not here to tell you how to do your job.
Feels a little wrong. Yeah, so does wearing
a Mandaloriancostume to a bris,
but that didn't stop you now, did it?
B-B-But that was replica Beskar armor so...
Uh-huh. Show of hands: who cares?
- Anybody? That's nobody. - Okay.
Wait!
What if I were to say... please?
What if I were to say... absolutely not?
Not what I was looking for.
I'm going to work, and I suggest that you meet me there soon,
or else Hetty will try to make an edgy
and provocative case for firing you.
- Mm-hmm. All right. - (DOOR CLOSES)
Thank you. You're welcome.
You want to take the lead on this one?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Can we fast-forward through this part for once?
(LAUGHS): What part, exactly, are you talking about?
The part where you pretend I didn't see
what happened back there.
Oh, if you're talking about the fact
that I ordered a large coffee instead of a "biggo,"
- Mm. - I stand by my decision.
I saw what was on your phone.
Oh, congratulations, you know I haven't
made my steps for the day.
What I know is you were looking at real estate.
Yeah, I'm-I'm browsing.
You're looking to buy.
I'm looking to invest.
In some roots.
In a property.
You already have a property.
Yeah, that I can't live in. Besides, it's old.
I want, you know...
Have you seen these turnkey condos they're building?
They're low maintenance, it's just like me.
Well, I mean, you know, the market's tough right now.
It's smart to get in while you can.
Yeah, that's why I'm looking.
I thought you were browsing.
Okay, see, this is the part that
I would like to fast-forward through.
All right, yeah. Just keep walking.
You can get those steps in all the way to work.
FATIMA: I can't do this anymore.
You don't mean that.
It's not worth it.
(LAUGHS) Maybe not now, but it can be.
It's like every time I go out there,
a tiny piece of my soul dies.
Okay, this is dating, it's not a war zone. Geez.
You've been out of the game awhile.
Yeah, but I've been to my fair share of war zones.
Good point.
But trust me, I think this is worse.
All right, give it to me.
How bad could it be?
Well, the last guy I dated was obsessed with the Eagles.
Band or team?
The band.
And you didn't lock that down?
Wha... are you kidding me?
Henley has the voice of an injured baby bird
who's begging to be nursed back to health.
I learn something new about you every day.
Yeah, well...
Kind of getting the feeling this is not only about dating.
You're right.
It's everything lately.
Yeah, well, you've been through a lot in the last few months.
I mean, you're fighting through it.
I'm just... I'm so tired.
This job can certainly take it out of you.
That's an understatement.
Fatima, this is exactly why I'm telling you
that you need to have a life outside of this job.
It's what gonna get you through to the next day.
Yeah. Yeah, I currently rely on Ruffles
and The Great British Bake Off to do that.
(BOTH LAUGH)
- (PHONE CHIMES) - Oh.
Ooh, please tell me that that's the Eagles fan.
Oh, God no.
But, uh, we do have a case.
Okay, but this doesn't end here.
It is officially my mission to stop you from wasting away
at home on your
(BRITISH ACCENT): "soggy bottom."
I didn't peg you for the Bake Off type.
Oh, are you kidding me? It's savage what they did to poor Mary.
(CHUCKLES)
(EXHALES)
(INHALES)
(DOORS OPEN)
Kensi, Fatima,
please come in.
What is happening right now?
Um, I'm not sure but I feel like
we're gonna end up buying a new set of knives.
Do you mind? I'm trying to be present.
Oh. Well, you're here, so congratulations,
- you did it. (LAUGHS) - And now we're here,
- so we should probably get to the case. - Yeah.
Hmm. Someone's a little snappy.
Oh, she's tired. She's very, very tired.
(CLEARS THROAT) Meet NCIS Agent Robert Forbes.
He's based out of JIATF South in Key West
but here on an assignment in Los Angeles.
He was reported missing after he skipped his 5:00 a.m. check-in,
and didn't report for work.
Given the speed of his missing persons report,
I'm guessing he was working on some pretty top secret stuff.
Yeah, that's an understatement.
Looks like "top secret" is all this guy knows.
He's like the galette des rois of NCIS.
French pastry with the secret charm inside?
Yeah, maybe I should get out more.
(CLEARS THROAT) Uh, Forbes is a bit of an independent operator.
He likes to travel wherever the project takes him.
Oh, well, that explains why he has no family.
No spouse, no kids.
He's currently providing counterintelligence
for an innovative network architecture
that the Air Force is developing to compete with the Chinese.
Okay, so this guy could have been kidnapped
by one of many possible enemies.
Or he's currently on the run after selling his intelligence
to one of his many new friends.
Well, either way, we don't have a lot of time to find him.
- Yeah. - Callen and Sam are headed
to his rental house in Hollywood.
KENSI: Do we have a last known location on Forbes?
Uh, only thing I have is from two days ago.
Facial rec picked him up
at First Presbyterian in Eagle Rock.
Okay. I guess you and I are going to church.
Mm. What about Deeks?
(LAUGHS): Oh, no, no, no, no.
See, he'd burst into flames if he ever walked in there.
Plus, he's a little distracted today,
so it's probably for the best.
- (DOORS OPEN) - (SIGHS)
(ENGINE TURNS OFF)
Nice neighborhood.
Too quiet.
Yeah, you're right.
It'd be hard to saw your furniture in half in
the middle of the night without getting a noise complaint.
Yeah, it'd also be too hard for someone to grab Forbes
without making a fuss.
I guess you're tired of talking about this, huh?
Well, what can I say? I wear my heart on my sleeve.
You "wear your heart on your sleeve."
Well...
But if you need a Realtor, you know, I know a guy.
- Just sayin'. - (DOORBELL RINGS)
(CHUCKLES) Course you do.
You also know a tailor, a cobbler.
Remind me again, what was the name of your candlestick maker?
- (CHUCKLES) - (GLASS SHATTERS)
(ALARM BLARING)
Federal agents!
CALLEN: Hands where we can see them.
Don't shoot. I'm also a federal agent.
I mean, technically, I-I worked for a federal agency.
Are you guys familiar with NCIS?
House is clear.
Well, based on the alarm you just set off,
LAPD should be here in about five minutes
to arrest you for breaking and entering.
That means you have about five minutes
to tell us everything you know.
Well, technically, four and a half.
I was just admiring the view outside.
Where do you want me to start?
Try the beginning.
Well, mine was an awkward childhood
full of big dreams and even bigger perms.
- (CLEARS THROAT) - I'm joking.
You don't have time to be joking.
Actually, none of this is funny.
Wow, I forgot how serious you guys are.
You don't know us.
You're right. But I do know your kind,
and I know you hate two things: bureaucracy and BS.
So why don't we cut through both and go find Forbes?
Mm-hmm. Okay, you're not going anywhere
until you tell us who you are and what you're doing here.
(SIGHS) The name is Rhea Moretti.
I used to work at the NCIS Key West office.
Tech operations, mainly.
That makes sense.
We know your kind as well.
What are you doing breaking into Forbes' house?
I'm trying to save his life.
What makes you so sure he's in danger?
Because last night, someone tried to kill me.
Look, when push comes to shove, I can heave, and I can ho,
but not Forbes.
I mean, the poor guy has tiny wrists.
And if he's not here, my gut says that they have him.
Okay, for a former tech operator,
you leave out a lot of details.
Andre Vargas. He's an arms dealer out of Mexico.
Forbes and I did a JTF six months ago
to try to take him down.
Our covers were blown. The mission failed.
We were pulled out, and Vargas went underground.
Until last night, when he showed up in L.A.
and tried to kill me.
Well, if he was forced to go underground,
it would have cost him a lot of money.
Could be looking for revenge.
If that's true, you're not safe here.
I agree. So where should we go?
We're not going anywhere.
We still need to check this place out.
When LAPD gets here, they'll take you to the boatshed.
What's that, like, a Crab Shack?
Weird time to eat, but okay.
(CHUCKLES)
Okay, I got two words for you: kick ball.
I'm pretty sure that's one word.
Yeah, but I had to separate it for emphasis.
Is there a reason why we're talking about playground sports?
No, no, no. It's actually not only for kids.
There's, you know, adult leagues all over the city.
Oh, okay. I see what you're doing.
What? I'm... Okay.
I'm just trying to say that there are other ways
of getting out of the house that don't involve, you know, dating.
Yeah, you know, I think I'm good on that front.
NCIS is enough of a team sport for me.
Tell me about it. Yeah, maybe we should slow it down.
Well, how about a class?
Are you kidding?
The idea of studying makes me even more tired.
No, I'm talking about, like, a cooking class or something.
We could do it together. Lord knows I need it.
Ever since I moved home, my mom treats every night
- like a cooking class. - (LAUGHS)
Oh, how about this...
You know, actually, I have an idea what we can do together.
- Okay. - Solve this case?
- You're funny. You're very funny. - (LAUGHS)
That's weird.
I thought churches were open around the clock.
(DOOR OPENS NEARBY)
Yeah, well, everybody needs a life outside of work.
Hi. Excuse me.
Oh, if you're looking for the minister,
- he just left for lunch. - KENSI: Oh, no.
That's okay. We're NCIS, so perhaps you can help us.
Do you work here?
Oh, I hardly call what I do work.
I serve at the pleasure of the parish.
Do you mind answering a few questions?
Oh, of course, dear.
But I don't know how much help I'll be.
I don't like to meddle.
Okay. That's not a problem.
Now, if you're looking for somebody who does,
I'd be happy to introduce you to Rosemary.
That won't be necessary.
Oh, it seems to me two CSI agents like yourself
might be highly interested in talking to an embezzler.
Actually, we're NCIS... Rosemary embezzles?
You didn't hear it from me.
Because you don't meddle.
Mm-mm. But she's skimming off the collection plate.
At least I think she is.
My eyesight isn't that great these days.
Is there any chance you're head of accounting as well?
You're good.
The FBI is lucky to have you.
Okay, you know what, uh, we would just like to know
if you've seen this man.
He's not part of our congregation.
- So you don't recognize him? - Oh, I do.
- He comes to those meetings. - KENSI: Meetings?
Alcoholics Anonymous.
They rent the church basement every Saturday.
Is there anything else you can tell us about him?
They don't call it "anonymous" for nothing, dear.
But now, if you want to hear about the redhead
who runs the program...
Actually, we're okay.
- Thank you so much. - Have a wonderful day.
- Oh, you, too. God bless! - (CHUCKLES)
She ain't sober.
RHEA: Dude, your first marriage
is a total throwaway.
Look, I put everything into that marriage.
Oh, well, that's your problem.
The only thing worth putting everything into
is a bagel.
Don't listen to her, Harrison. Marriages are hard work.
Yeah, well, so is the conversation with her.
Good luck.
So, you must be Moretti.
And you must be late for the Hanson reunion tour.
So let's get talking.
Wow.
You're obviously much crueler than your contemporaries.
Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners?
You know what, that's right.
I left them on the floor of Cahoot's last night
when I was fighting for my life.
- Cahoot's, you say? - It's a club.
Like a "unce-unce" club or a "boom-boom" club?
More like a comedy "ha-ha" club.
Oh, wow, that's new information.
So you're a stand-up comedian, are ya?
Yeah. I'd rather do therapy, but I lost my insurance
after I quit NCIS, so it's the next best thing.
And it's why I moved to L.A.
I was finishing up my set when Vargas came after me.
After you incapacitated him?
After I kicked his ass, yes.
Semantics, but noted.
So after you kicked his ass,
did you see or notice anything that can help us find him?
There was a gray car outside.
Just sitting, idling.
A Buick, or a Ford.
Something your mom would definitely drive.
That's good. The information. Not so much the mom joke.
And just for the record, my mom would never be caught dead
in anything less than a PT Cruiser.
'Cause she drives one,
and she drives it hard.
I don't do it 'cause I want to.
I do it because I have to.
And pivot,
turn to the audience, take 'em in.
(DOORS OPEN)
Place your hands to your chest,
'cause you're just too blessed to be stressed,
and hold for applause.
- (APPLAUSE) - Oh.
Uh, hey, didn't...
I didn't-didn't see you there. (CHUCKLES)
We saw you, Eric Beale. We saw you.
Oh, and now we see a new face on the screen.
- Yes. - Who's this guy?
ERIC: Uh, this is Andre Vargas, arms dealer extraordinaire.
He's suspected of smuggling large supplies of weapons
between U.S. and Mexico for years.
What's his connection to Forbes?
Forbes worked an op targeting Vargas six months ago.
Their covers were blown. The whole thing fell apart.
He was pulled out, as was this woman,
Rhea Moretti.
Also NCIS. She quit the agency after the op failed.
Well, it's not a job for everyone.
- Maybe she didn't have the energy. - ERIC: Yeah.
Or maybe she couldn't remember why
she was doing this in the first place.
Okay, I think you guys need to get it together.
Uh, where's Moretti now?
Uh, she was attacked by Vargas last night,
but luckily she got away.
Deeks is talking to her in the boatshed.
Did you look into Forbes' finances?
I did, but so far nothing of note.
Unless you count notes of bougainvillea and edelweiss.
- What? - Guy was a bit of an oenophile.
I don't understand.
Oh, uh, that means wine expert.
No, I-I got that part.
It's just that Forbes is in recovery.
Oh, well, according to his credit card statement,
he spent a pretty penny at Highland Park Wine.
So either he's a collector...
Or he fell off the wagon.
Either way, hopefully, somebody there
saw him since Saturday.
We should go find out. Thanks, buddy.
ERIC: Yeah.
(DOORS OPEN)
(INHALES, EXHALES)
Well, for a highly trained agent, he's pretty bad
at reading the signs of mold.
Hmm.
And the signs for parking, too.
Look at all these.
There's got to be at least ten tickets here.
Well, in his defense, you do have to have
a PhD to read the parking signs in this city.
(CHUCKLES)
Apparently, in San Diego, too.
Look at this one, from early yesterday morning.
See, that's a yellow zone.
That's only allowed after 6:00 on the third Tuesday
of an autumnal equinox.
Look at the address.
It's by the Tijuana border.
And the license plate on that one
is different from the others.
Could be using a rental.
So Forbes made a secret run down to the border
on the same day that our arms dealer, Vargas,
has decided to come out of hiding.
Maybe Moretti's wrong about this guy.
Maybe Forbes went down to Mexico to bring Vargas back with him.
You think they're working together?
All signs are starting to point to that.
All right, this has been The really fun, over.
But it's time to get serious.
Last time I heard that, I ended up
in Portland getting matching narwhal tattoos
with a poet named Stu.
Well, you're talking to somebody
who invented the art of deflecting through comedy,
so I know what it is that you're doing.
What I'm doing is wasting away
inside of this poor man's Long John Silver's
while my friend is somewhere suffering,
or worse, dead.
I also know that you're scared,
which is why you need to talk to me specifically about Forbes.
You guys were close, were you not?
Yeah. He was like a big brother to me.
Well, he was also monitoring everything
that Vargas was doing, so he's kind of like a big brother
- to him, too. - Okay, this emotion I'm giving you,
it's a onetime wave, so you better ride it while it lasts.
Fair enough. When's the last time you saw Forbes?
We had lunch about two months ago,
when he first got to L.A.
I invite him to my shows, but he's always busy.
You told Sam and Callen that your guys' cover
was blown in Mexico. Do you know how?
I'm not one for office gossip.
What, you think somebody from NCIS is the leak?
Or FBI, CIA.
I mean, there were so many hands in that pot.
You think that Forbes has had any contact with Vargas
since you guys left Mexico?
What, do you think Forbes was the leak?
That he's working with Vargas?
I think that people are complicated.
No, Forbes took care of me down there.
Okay? I was way out of my league.
That poor guy was going through a divorce and he still
- found time to make me laugh. - Divorce?
Yeah, his ex-wife would call all the time.
He'd have to step out for hours just to calm her down.
Forbes wasn't married.
That's what happens when you get a divorce.
No, Forbes was never married.
He never had a wife and he was lying to you.
It's possible that Forbes is not who you thought he was.
No, that can't be true.
Uh-huh. Explain to me why
he took a secret trip to the border yesterday.
(LINE RINGING)
KENSI: Trivia night.
FATIMA: You're relentless.
(KENSI LAUGHS)
I, uh, dated a guy who loved trivia night.
We had to go every week and it was exhausting.
You're kidding.
No. He was terrible. He actually thought that Borat
was an element on the periodic table.
Wow.
I don't know what's worse, that or the Eagles.
ERIC: Um, bite your tongue.
"Desperado" is featured heavily
on my Swedish death cleaning mix.
- Okay. Uh, yeah, don't ask. - (PHONE CHIMES)
What do you got for us, Eric?
Just sent you a photo
of Ellie Martinez.
She's the owner of Highland Park Wine.
Yep. Got it.
Uh, what does she have to do with anything?
Still trying to figure that out,
but she does have a criminal record.
Ooh, more like a...
- criminal compilation. - That bad?
Eh, her greatest hits include: attempted kidnapping,
domestic battery, and who can forget
the sweet, sweet harmonies of wire fraud.
Oh. But looks like she had a pretty good lawyer.
All her charges were dropped.
KENSI: We got eyes on Martinez now.
Looks like she's getting a delivery,
so we'll just give her a chance to get that settled.
Mm, hopefully we get a chance to settle some things of our own.
Thanks, Eric.
No problem. It's why I do what I do.
Whoa, guys. L-Little warning before you come in here?
You should have more situational awareness.
Well, I used to have Nell to help me out with that.
She was my very own walking, talking,
oftentime cosplaying motion sensor.
Maybe I should get a hologram version of her.
Maybe you should just use your ears.
Any leads from the rental car
that Forbes took down to the border?
Uh, not really.
It's pretty clear that he wanted this trip off the books.
Keep searching the border crossings, see if he was alone
down there and let us know as soon as you find out anything.
- Yeah. Whoa. - (BEEPS)
Gentlemen, halt.
And get ready to catch this fire. (CHUCKLES)
CALLEN: Who is he?
Uh, Perry Bellamy. Uh, Moretti saw
a car outside the club where she was attacked.
I got access to their security cameras, got the plates.
The car is registered in his name.
Hmm. Does he have a record?
Um, not that I can find, but he's pretty into buying guns.
Especially out-of-state guns.
CALLEN: Well, maybe he's a straw man,
stockpiling weapons, then funneling them
through the iron pipeline to guys like Vargas.
Where is he now?
Um, probably halfway through a sewer drain, if I had to guess.
He's on the run?
Oh, no, no, he's a plumber.
Uh, he works for Connor's Plumbing in Eagle Rock.
Address is on your phones.
- Okay. - Thanks, Eric.
(DOORS OPEN)
(EXHALES)
ELLIE: Can I help you two find anything?
KENSI: Yeah. How about an excuse to get out of a dinner party?
(LAUGHS): Well, I'm good, but I'm not that good.
Yeah, rumor has it there's gonna be fondue.
- That sounds terrible. - Mm.
Well, maybe you have something that would pair nicely
with a fountain of cheddar?
I'm sure that we can find something.
Do you know if your friend prefers red or white?
Actually, we were hoping that you could tell us.
I'm not a mind reader,
no matter how many times I tell my kids I am.
He's a regular here. Maybe you remember him.
I have so many customers.
Which is why we brought a photo.
Sorry, I can't say I know him.
You sure? He comes here a lot.
Look, I can't help you, okay?
Yeah, we think you can.
And we're gonna need you to come with us.
Hopefully you're a bigger fan of cooperating
than you are of fondue.
This way.
(THUNDER ROLLING)
Anna likes to look.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY)
You know, I've made it clear,
I don't need to know all the details of your life.
All right? Please.
Houses. At houses.
It's fun for her. She-she sends me links.
Well, she's lived an unpredictable life.
It makes sense she'd want stability.
Uh, she wants more than stability.
She's looking for the whole American dream.
I mean, all of it.
The milk mustaches, apple pie.
What do you think?
Frankly prefer blueberry myself.
I'm talking about Bellamy.
Oh, he's definitely gonna run.
Mm-hmm. He'll run.
Federal agents! (STAMMERS, GROANS)
Ah!
- (PIPE CLATTERS) - (GRUNTING)
You had to take the long way around, huh?
I told you my step count was low.
- (GROANS) - (HANDCUFFS CLICKING)
Shut up.
It's not what you think. You got the wrong guy.
You're right. That's not what we think.
What we think is you're working with Andre Vargas.
Never heard of him. Is he in the business?
If by "business,"
you mean illegal arms dealing, then yes.
Arms dealing? Ha ha, uh-uh.
No, I'm just a plumber.
(SNIFFLES) It's a family thing.
My brother's a plumber, my dad's a plumber,
my grandfather...
Let me guess, plumber?
Oh, actually he was a mechanic.
But we got a long history of getting our hands dirty.
Well, maybe that's what drew you and Vargas together.
Speaking of dirty hands,
we have your car at the scene of an attack last night.
CALLEN: Which means if you don't start telling us what we want to know,
you're gonna spend less time with pipes
and more time behind bars.
All right, fine.
Yeah, I know Vargas. The guy stole my car.
Now can you take me to a hospital?
I'm pretty sure I need stitches.
I'm pretty sure you don't. Why don't you keep talking?
Look, I haven't done business with him in months.
He kind of just disappeared,
until he showed up here yesterday.
He wanted to score some of your weapons.
All my guns are legal.
But what you do with them is not.
Especially if Vargas is taking them back to Mexico with him.
He may have done that before, but it was different this time.
He wasn't looking for a lot,
he just needed enough for him and his men.
Did he say why?
You're not getting paid by the hour here.
He said somebody took something from him,
he was in L.A. to get it back.
That's all I know.
Doesn't make sense.
Why would Vargas come out of hiding to do this himself?
If they're working together, why not just send Forbes instead?
Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way.
What if Forbes didn't go down to Mexico to help Vargas sneak in?
What if he went down there to take something from him?
Vargas finds out, comes after Forbes to get it back.
Forbes would be dead the minute he handed it over.
Which means we have to find him before that happens.
(LINE RINGING)
Wow. I've seen better interrogations
on The People's Court.
Pay no attention to the princess in the polka dot.
She's a tough critic. Then again, we all are.
Why must we tear each other apart?
Got it.
Are you still spiraling about the Ledger article?
I am processing the Ledger,
and I don't appreciate that you're inferring that I spiral.
Uh, I have questions, but it feels like
- this is not a good time. - FATIMA: It's not.
What did Sam say?
Uh, he thinks that Forbes took something from Vargas.
Well, it must be something incredibly valuable
if he's willing to risk all this for it.
Maybe it's, uh, intel or, uh...
- Or an informant. - What-what-what?
Okay, uh, slow your rolls, I'm just spitballing here.
But Forbes was responsible for securing
an informant from Vargas's camp.
Sorry, you're just telling us this now?
I... There's not a lot to tell.
I don't have a name, and Forbes said
he was still in the vetting process.
All I know is he felt guilty
when we were pulled out so quickly.
Like he was leaving him behind.
Maybe that's who he was talking to when he told you
he was talking to his ex-wife.
And now he's putting his life on the line for him.
We still don't know what Ellie Martinez
has to do with any of this.
She's holding out on us for a reason.
Well, sounds like a really good time to put on
your best Judge Judy and figure out what that reason is.
She's nice.
No, no. She's super, super charming.
Very charming.
I like her.
Hey. Perfect timing.
What do you got?
These were taken
yesterday morning.
That's got to be the informant. Do we have a name?
ERIC: Her face is hard to make out.
Still searching for an I.D., but in the meantime,
you're gonna want to see this.
SAM: That's the owner of Highland Park Wine.
ERIC: Mm-hmm. Ellie Martinez.
Her shop is just
2.9 miles from this parking lot.
She's working with Forbes.
Well, if that's true, she has to know where the informant is.
Hey, I just got a hit on the plumber's car Vargas stole.
It's parked outside a garage in Glassell Park.
Call Kensi and Fatima.
We need Ellie Martinez to start talking now.
Quite the criminal record.
I was a different woman back then.
Oh, yeah?
What changed?
I took up Zumba.
Well, you had to do something with all the free time you had
after separating from your husband.
Mm. And it just so happened to coincide
with your path to the straight and narrow.
Your husband is mentioned in every single one of these files,
but his record is oddly clean.
He was a son of a bitch.
A powerful one, at that.
He worked in local government?
City controller.
More of a con-troller if you ask me.
Did he hit you?
Among other things.
So when you tried to leave,
he filed trumped-up charges that made you stay?
A lot of women have nowhere to go for help.
And you've spent the last few years trying to change that.
Tell us how it works.
Ellie.
You can trust us.
I promise.
Did you know that crows never forget the face
of a person who hurts them?
In fact, they even teach other crows
how to identify that person's face
so he can never hurt any of them again.
So you are helping other women who have nowhere to turn.
I give them a place to stay
until they're strong enough to go out on their own.
And that's why Forbes came to you.
I don't know how he found me.
But he was desperate and persistent as hell.
That woman was in danger.
Who is she?
Please, we need to know her name and where she's hiding.
(SIGHS DEEPLY)
Lorena Vargas.
She's in a house in Angelino Heights.
Give me a pen, I'll write down the address.
Wait, Lorena Vargas,
as in Mrs. Andre Vargas?
His wife was the informant against him.
She risked her life to save us, and we just left her there.
It's not your fault.
You didn't know and he didn't leave her there.
- He went back to save her. - And we need to hurry
before it's too late to save them both.
♪ ♪
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(FAINT WHISTLE)
(CHOKING)
Clear.
Eric, we need an ambulance over here.
He's alive but barely.
They could have tortured him
to give up Lorena Vargas's location.
Well, if Vargas and his men aren't here,
they may have already broken him.
If that's true, Kensi and Fatima could be walking into an ambush.
(KNOCKING)
Lorena Vargas, this is Special Agent Kensi Blye from NCIS.
Open up, please.
We need to hurry.
Eric, how much time do we have?
Vargas and his men traded cars.
I'm canvassing traffic cams now.
What about Callen and Sam?
On their way.
Lorena, I need you to trust us.
I know you're scared, but we're here to help.
We're friends of Robert Forbes.
KENSI: Vargas is here.
- Lorena, open the door! - (TIRES SCREECH)
Come on. Move.
- Is anyone else in here with you? - It's-it's just me.
Got four of them including Vargas.
- We need to move. - Okay. Stay close.
Oh! Get down!
(GRUNTING)
(GUNSHOT)
You good?
I am now.
Come on. Go.
- (SHUSHES) - (FOOTFALLS)
Run. Run.
(BOTH SHOUT)
(GRUNTING)
KENSI: Hey!
Put your weapon down.
Let her go!
- Let her go. - (GRUNTS)
(GROANING)
You okay?
Sorry, had to take the long way again.
Thanks.
So it turns out Vargas's men ransacked
Ellie Martinez's house, too.
They were able to piece together where she was keeping Lorena.
LAPD found the evidence in their car.
So Forbes never told them.
SAM: You care about somebody as much as he does,
he'd die before putting her in harm's way.
Luckily, he didn't have to.
What happens to Lorena Vargas now?
Well, she risked her life trying to help the United States.
We're going to make sure that we return the favor.
Well, on that rare bit of good news,
what do you guys say we call it?
I thought you'd never ask.
Let's do it.
KENSI: Loco moco, anyone?
(SAM LAUGHS)
Nah.
(ALL LAUGHING)
(EXHALES)
I'll be the first to admit I'm exhausted.
Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one.
You know what?
You should go home, put your feet up, relax.
Well, I would if I could, but I have plans.
Oh...
Well, that's great.
Don't you want to know with who?
I mean, I don't want to meddle.
Well, they're with you.
What are you talking about?
Well, you know, you're right.
It's easy to retreat at the end of these days.
But... I have to fight that.
We should have a little fun.
Yeah. I totally agree, as I told you today.
Good, because I just so happen to have some tickets
to a concert you might be interested in.
Are you...?
Did you get Eagles tickets?
Backstage passes.
I... (STAMMERS) How?
I... My friend owes me a huge favor.
But we need to hurry, 'cause it's at the Forum
and it starts in an hour.
- Let's go. - Let's go.
Oh, my God. (BOTH LAUGHING)
(CROWD CHATTER)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Eddie, you're giving me robot hands.
If you want to keep up, I'm gonna need some jazz hands.
Deeks, I'm dancing as fast as I can.
All right.
Deeks, please tell me that you didn't
go on the dark web,
place a plausibly deniable ad for an experienced hacker,
and trade all your Ethercoin
so that they could remove one stupid review.
Well, that is unnecessarily specific,
but, no, I did not have to.
Oh. So, then, one could say
that it wasn't as bad as you thought?
Well, it turns out that provocative and edgy
is not all it's cracked up to be.
You know what? Some people want the opposite.
Yeah. You didn't open this place for the Michelin stars.
You did it so that good people could have a place to go
for a stiff drink and a friendly ear.
- Cheers! - Cheers to that.
Speaking of friendly ears,
you only got 48 hours till your speech. Let's hear it.
What? No. Oh. I... I don't have it.
I've been wracking my brain all day.
I think I've been so busy
trying to make sense of all these new job offers,
I forgot why they were interested in me
in the first place.
I don't know. Maybe I should stop overthinking it.
Don't do that.
What?
Not that, you can do that.
Don't stop overthinking it,
because overthinking is your thing.
Oh, I never thought of it that way.
Or overthought of it that way. Can you under-think things?
You're proving my point. It's exhausting.
You, my friend, are exhausting,
and I say that in the best version possible.
It's because it's how you're programmed.
Right? You care too much about everything
to let anything slide.
It's why you're drawn to this business,
it's why those companies want you, it's why...
It's why I do what I do.
It is why you do what you do.
Now, you have 48 hours.
I want to hear this speech and I want it from the top,
but this time I want it with passion.
Five, six, seven.
Oh, not you, Eddie.
You've gone full Fosse on me, all right?
Dial it back.
(LAUGHS)
♪
(DOOR OPENS)
CALLEN: Thank you.
Castor.
Oh, I thought you guys stood me up.
SAM: Yeah.
We stopped by the Crab Shack on our way back.
Mm.
You see, he's not always serious.
(CHUCKLES)
I owe you guys an apology.
No. No, you don't.
You did good today.
But I should have seen the signs before today.
Well, signs can be confusing,
and sometimes it takes a while to figure them all out.
Yeah, but you're young and talented.
And I hear there's still an opening
at the office in Key West, if you're interested.
- Oh, thanks. - Mm.
I'll have to get back to you on that, because I am late.
Do you think your guy could give me a ride?
Of course. Where you headed?
Oh, back to the club.
To the club.
The club where you almost died last night?
Oh, please.
Dying's easy...
you know the rest.
Looks like it's just you and me, kiddo.
Please tell me this is gonna be a short drive.
Oh, no, we're gonna have
plenty of time to get into your home life.
Speaking of home lives...
Someone gives you an inch, you take a yard.
I'm not interested in the yard or the house.
I'm just glad you set your sights
on the general direction of the future.
Now I feel like I need to buy you a drink.
No. I'm supposed to be meeting Katherine.
Oh. You got big plans?
She's trying to land a reservation at Blank.
You gonna fill that in?
It's a restaurant. It's booked out for months.
It's Blank, a restaurant.
Blank.
Huh.
Don't say it.
CALLEN: Surprised you don't know a guy.