Při ochraně Gibbsova života byla zastřelena neznámým ostřelovačem agentka Caitlin Toddová. Gibbs je přesvědčen, že vrahem je Ari Haswari i když nemá důkaz. Najde se pouze prázdný náboj. Při dalším vyšetřování se zjistí, že šlo o život i agentu McGeemu, ale šťastnou náhodou nebyl zabit. Všichni jsou těžce zdrceni Caitlininou smrtí. Nejtěžší břímě nese Dr. Mallard, který musí provést její pitvu.

Caitlin byla nedílnou součástí Gibbsova týmu a není se čemu divit, že se u všech hlavních hrdinů vrací v jejich myšlenkách. Gibbs vidí Caitlin takovou jaká doopravdy byla. Stojí před ním s prostřelenou hlavou. Není však přátelská a vyčítá mu proč musela schytat dvě rány, které možná patřily jemu. Nenapravitelný DiNozzo vidí Caitlin oblečenou jako školačku s culíky v minisukni, která se jí nadzvedává a jsou vidět její puntičkované červenobílé kalhotky. Abby vidí Caitlin v dlouhé bílé paruce v obleku pankačky. Nesmělý McGee je trochu nakažen drsným DiNozzovým sexistickým humorem a vidí Caitlin nejprve v obleku Trinity z Matrixu a ve finále jako nefalšovanou dominu s bičíkem.

Jen o vlásek unikne Abby smrti. Zpočátku neznámý ostřelovač (později divák na rozdíl od hlavních hrdinů vidí Ariho) se jí pokusil zastřelit v její laboratoři. Za život může děkovat DiNozzovi, který jí včas strhnul na zem. Gibbs se zbylým týmem horečně dává dohromady důkazy s cílem dostat Ariho do centrály NCIS a je jedno v jakém stavu, nejlépe rovnou na pitevnu!

Gibbse si povolá ředitel Tom Morrow, aby mu sdělil, že odchází z NCIS. Na jeho místo nastupuje Jenny Shepardová, Gibbsova stará známá, se kterou měl před několika lety intimní poměr. Oba naznačují Gibbsovi, aby dal od Ariho ruce pryč, pokud nemá přesvědčivý důkaz o jeho vině. Gibbs je však neoblomný jako mezek. Shepardová tedy povolá do NCIS agentku Mossadu Zivu Davidovou, aby Gibbse hlídala. Ihned od začátku se ti dva nemají v lásce jsou jako oheò a led. Není však jasné, na které straně Ziva stojí. Navíc přímo z centrály NCIS na zabezpečeném telefonu hovoří s Arim. Jaký mají spolu vztah?

Ari se však nehodlá vzdát zadarmo. Zajme Geralda Jacksona - bývalého asistenta Dr. Mallarda a zavolá Mallardovi, aby se spolu sešli na tajném místě a on si vyslechl jeho verzi incidentu vedoucího ke smrti Caitlin. Ari tvrdí, že je nevinný.

Mallard neotálí a přijíždí na smluvenou schůzku. Když přichází Mallard k autu, kde sedí Ari s Jacksonem, rozkáže Ari Jacksonovi, aby vystoupil z auta a šel pomalu naproti Mallardovi, který ho vystřídá v autě. Někdo Mallarda pozoruje zaměřovačem své zbraně a míří mu přímo na hlavu...

Ducky enters autopsy, turning on lights. We see Kate's body on the table. He looks down on her, sighs and says "Oh Caitlin. I am so sorry".

Cut to a shot of Gibbs, seen through the NCIS HQ windows, through windowpanes hazed by runnels of rainwater. The heavens are crying, sobbing with rain. He is sitting alone, in silence with only the sound of the rainwater, in the dark but the golden lamplight, he is pensive and brooding. He sees Kate, with bullet hole in forehead, angrily asking him why she had to take two bullets: "Wasn't one enough?" and to which Gibbs says "I don't know" in a confused and shaken voice. Her reaction is to ask what his famous gut is telling him and "Why did I die instead of you?". Before he can react to his own thoughts, the lift doors open and a saturated Tony and McGee enter, to report that Ari didn't police his brass so they have the shell casings (La Poer 308). Gibbs stands to look at them under the desk lamp but holds them at arm's length, trying to focus. McGee tells him what they say and then apologizes that he wasn't trying to imply that Gibbs couldn't read it for himself: Gibbs admits "I can't, without my glasses".

They discuss why Gibbs wasn't hit: Tony suggests wind shift but Gibbs recalls a flag that didn't fly and says there was no wind. They report that they didn't find the bullets and Tony hastily says he will go back and keep searching, expecting Gibbs to headslap and cringing ready for the hit. Instead Gibbs notices how wet Tony is and tells him to get into dry clothes. Gibbs mentions that the full metal jacket bullet could have gone an untold distance. McGee asks Tony how Gibbs can know that it was FMJ and Tony describes Kate's injury, graphically because McGee says he didn't want to see Kate, if she looked bad. Tony rides McGee and headslaps him. Gibbs ticks him off "Don't do that". Gibbs offers coffee to the boys, calls McGee "Tim" and pats Tony on the back. McGee likes this nice Gibbs but Tony doesn't: he wants the real Gibbs back. Gibbs goes out in the rain for coffee.

Abby is in her lab is sitting with her head in her hands, looking terrible. She has a visit from Kate, in her mind, and they 'discuss' how they met and how Kate came to have a tattoo due to Abby's influence. Kate prompts Abby to buck up and put in her pigtails and put on her lipstick. Kate is embarrassed that Ducky will see her tattoo on her butt. Abby giggles to herself as Tony arrives, to point out that Abby is acting weirder than Gibbs. "How so?" "He's being nice" "Gibbs is always nice" "Maybe to you and Ducky, me he smacks on the head and growls at" "Which makes you feel wanted". He asks what sort of gun it was from the casings that he supplied. She takes umbrage that he has given her the most common size ammo. She rattles off all the things she CAN tell but "there is no way in hell I can tell you which of the 87 308 models fired those rounds." He deflates her rant by telling her that the rounds are La Poer, and she hugs him, crying that she will miss her. "Me too" Tony replied. As they hug, a bullet comes through the window, almost hitting Gibbs on his return from getting coffee. Abby and Tony hit the floor and Tony drags her out of the line of fire. Gibbs arrives and hits all the lights, turning the lab dark. Ari, no longer able to see into the lab via his sniper sight, drives off. Gibbs knows that the shot came from Anacostia Park and tells Tony to contact the cops and treat the park as a crime scene. Abby cuddles into Gibbs who says he will get her bulletproof glass. She points out that Ari isn't after Gibbs, he is after Abby.

In autopsy, Ducky converses with Kate. "Why did you hesitate (to stab him with a scalpel when she had a chance)?" "Something in his eyes". She appreciates him keeping her covered in front of the others. Gibbs arrives, reports the shooting. They discuss how different it feels that this agent is dead: they realize it is because she is a woman. Ducky points out that they are old chauvinists. Why Kate, why not me (Gibbs)? Ducky says that he's torturing Gibbs by coming after his women. Why is he such a sadist? Gibbs yells "I don't care! I just want to kill the bastard!" and leaves.

In Abby's car lab, she is looking for slugs in their car. Gibbs catches McGee eyeing Abby's butt, dressed in bright red overalls. They found slugs and realize that McGee narrowly escaped being Ari's target. Tony arrives and baits Gibbs, trying to provoke a reaction. Abby and Tony headslap McGee when McGee says "I like him nice".

Gibbs reports to Director Morrow in MTAC. All of the agencies have offered to hunt down Ari. He has endorsed the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Kate. They discuss Ari's shot. Gibbs expertise as a sniper is discussed: it is revealed that he served in Panama and Desert Storm . On the MTAC screen, there is an elimination of target (truck blows up and MTAC team swap congratulations). They discuss how the CIA must be upset to have been so wrong about Ari. Morrow announces that he is resigning as Director and introduces Jenny Shepard the new director. Jenny and Gibbs have a past, which we see in flashbacks to Paris with the two in bed. She asks whether he will have problems taking orders. "It was 6 years ago. The past won't be a problem. You were a good agent, especially under cover." "Jethro," Jenny says. "Madam Director," Gibbs replies.

They exit MTAC discussing the lack of evidence to prove that Ari was the killer. Gibbs says that no suit with a tight sphincter will get in his way: she calls him back and asserts her authority. She confronts him, so he apologizes (Won't happen again). He says they can keep talking on the way back to his house so that he can change clothes. He lets Tony know he is leaving. Tony is agog to see Gibbs with a woman. He doesn't know who Jenny is.

Tony alone in the bullpen has a visit from Kate, whom he dresses in a schoolgirl outfit with a short skirt..whilst he is talking out loud to her "I used to picture you naked"... a real woman has walked in and is bemused at what he is doing. He tries to fake a reason for what he was saying but fails. She introduces herself as Ziva David, Mossad. Tony asks "You're an Israeli?" and she scorns his acuity. She asks for Gibbs, and settles down to wait. He restarts the conversation and confesses that he was remembering his partner. They discuss people fantasizing about others. He eventually asks what Ziva wants: to stop Gibbs from killing Ari. Tony says good luck because Tony wants Ari dead too.

In Gibbs' basement, Jenny is asking about the boat he was building six years ago. What happened to her? "Burned her". They discuss why he did it. It establishes Leroy Jethro Gibbs is known to Jenny but she thinks he is a strange man. He attacks her for choosing politics over field work. She says the agency is in need of someone who can handle the politics. Gibbs learns that she is about to go on the "CBS Early Show" and Gibbs pleads for her not to do so. They discuss whether Jenny is going to believe Gibbs or believe the people who say Ari is a double agent working for the CIA and not the killer.

In Abby's lab, where McGee is on babysitting duty with Abby, McGee is being driven mad by the dirge that Abby is playing in honour of Kate. McGee can't go back to the squad room because Gibbs "told me to watch over you". He says it expecting Abby to explode but she just says "OOOhhh! That is SO Sweet!" with relish.

In the bullpen, Jenny and Ziva meet, greet and exchange kisses. Tony and Gibbs swap notes: "who's yours?" " Ziva David, here to stop you whacking Ari." "Yours?" " Director Jenny Shepard. Same mission."
Jenny addresses Tony's incredulity that the new director is a woman.

Ziva talks to Ari in Hebrew on the phone. They are arranging his escape. Ziva says "Ari, I don't want to lose you too". And he is sure she won't.

Gibbs asks Ziva "Ms. David, whose head gets cut off if Ari is a mole?" and she says "mine" as she is his control officer. Gibbs comments about Mossad breeding young COs. They have to, all the old ones are dead. Gibbs points out that Ari had no way of knowing that Gibbs could track down the missile. Ziva reckons that Gibbs underestimates Ari's faith in Gibbs and Ari stayed on his phone long enough for the NSA satellite to GPS the encrypted phone. They argue over whether Ari has turned and whether he killed Todd. Jenny says that they have to have proof. Gibbs refers to the Mossad error in Norway. Jen tells Ziva to assure her Deputy Director they would get proof before acting.

Abby is testing guns in her lab. She has identified two likely contenders for the gun. McGee lounges at Abby's desk and thinks about his sweet superhero, Kate. He fantasises her in black leather and whips...he is "wow" but then he is overheard by Abby. He admits he was thinking about Kate...then Abby realizes the nature of his thoughts and headslaps him.

Gibbs tells Tony to tail Ziva. Gibbs has realized that she must have been in contact with Ari as it's the only way she could know how long Ari was on the phone when he called Gibbs and Gibbs managed to use GPS to get a location. Tony queries whether Ziva could be right: Gibbs admits that Ari wanted Gibbs to raid the warehouse. Tony asks "Is he a mole or a terrorist?" "Whatever works to play his game". Gibbs instructs Tony to call Gibbs if he finds Ari. Tony asks "so you can bring him in?" "Yeah, so I can bring him in....." but as he walks away, Gibbs completes the answer, sotto voice, "...to autopsy"

In Abby's lab, Gibbs is discussing what Ari was firing. Gibbs susses out that Ari is using the gun that the marines call a "Kate" and it's what Gibbs used to shoot with when he was a sniper. He doesn't want to tell this to Abby but she insists he talk to her for once. So he has to tell Abby that the Bravo 51 is called a Kate.

Outside scene at night: Gerald has been to a pharmacy and gets back in his car to be ambushed by Ari in the backseat, holding a gun to his head. Ari is the one who shot Gerald in the shoulder. Forced to phone Ducky, he has to let Ari persuade Ducky to come and stand in for Gerald. Ducky slips out to the meeting.

Jen says goodnight to Gibbs: Gibbs actually says please when he asks her not to do that interview. He is very subdued, very small voiced. Very hesitant. When she gets in the lift, Ducky is there and Jen greets him with pleasure in her voice. Gibbs belatedly realizes that Ducky ought to have been grounded and that Ducky might be in danger too, but he is too late to get hold of Ducky. (The error is that Ducky ought to walk through the bullpen to get from the back-lift from autopsy to the front lift to the street.

Ari is talking to Gerald. They see a car approaching, putt putting along. "A vintage Morgan. How Ducky! Flash your lights, roll down your window. Now wait in the good doctor's car while we talk". And so Ducky and Gerald walk towards each other..and