Dvě děti naleznou pod ledem mrtvolu muže, který je posléze identifikován jako Ryan Downing, člen vojenské mise v Iráku, pohřešovaný od své dovolené. Vzápětí se v rybníku najdou další tři těla s tetováním patřícím pouličnímu gangu. Všichni byli zastřeleni Downingovou zbraní. Vyšetřovatelé zvažují dvě možnosti, buï Downing použil zbraò v sebeobraně, nebo se dopustil trojnásobné vraždy. Na vyšetřování je vyvíjen extrémní tlak, neboť ostatní vojáci z Downingovy roty se právě mají vracet domů a vládnou obavy z toho, že by někdo z nich chtěl smrt kamaráda pomstít...

In the squad room, Tony is reading the ingredients on a bottle of hand lotion. Ziva had no idea that Tony was so interested in skin care. Tony is not. The lotion belongs to McGee. Tony wonders if McGee is gay. McGee walks in on this and says emphatically that he is not gay. Ziva wonders if McGee thinks there is something wrong with being gay. McGee tells Ziva that is not what he said. Tony continues on asking if McGee is bi-curious and if most of McGee's friends are gay. McGee says that all he wants is for Tony to stay out of his desk. Tony agrees because McGee wouldn't want word to get around that he was deep moisturizing to bring out his feminine glow. Now McGee is getting annoyed. He has dry skin and his doctor recommended these products. Tony laughs and jokes that McGee is on a slippery slope to bubble baths and wearing clogs. What's wrong with bubble baths wonders McGee as Gibbs strides into the squad room telling them to gear up. They've caught a break in the Ryan Downing case, a Marine missing since last November. This is the body the boys found frozen in the river. Ziva wonders if Tony is about to make a juvenile joke about a cold case. It was a really good one too, Tony sheepishly admits. As they wait for the elevator doors to close, Gibbs stares at McGee who asks if something is wrong. "Just admiring your feminine glow" responds Gibbs. We hear Ziva laugh as the elevator doors snap closed.

The local LEOs turn the case over to Gibbs. Gibbs asks Ducky what he's got and Ducky replies "hopefully not pneumonia because that could be the death of ME." Mr. Palmer tells Gibbs that EMTs have a saying in cold-water drownings that the victim is not dead until he is warm and dead. Ducky believes that this case is an exception to that rule. Gibbs doesn't believe it is a drowning since the pond is only 6 feet deep. Ducky tells him that he once conducted an autopsy on a man who drowned in his kitchen sink after trying to unstop the drain with his teeth. Gibbs reminds Ducky he is cold and gets him back on track. There will be no cause of death determination until the corpse has thawed although the three bullet holes in his chest might be crucial. Even time of death is unknown. Ducky says "anywhere from two weeks to" and Mr. Palmer interrupts to conclude "four months, depending on how many times the pond has thawed out this winter." Ducky is pleased at how well his student is learning and then continues on discussing how they will determine time of death as Gibbs walks away.

As the team is scanning the ice of the pond looking for evidence, Tony is still giving McGee advise on staying away from the metrosexual thing. It isn't working for McGee. Tony says he's coming off a little gay. Ziva protests and then Tony reminds her of the manicure. McGee defends his manicure but Tony tells him he's just set off gay-dar across the entire Atlantic seaboard. Tony tells McGee it isn't about orientation but about image. Ziva asks if Tony is homopubic, which is corrected to homophobic. Tony gets into a convoluted statement about girls liking guys who like guys but don't like guys and gets everyone completely lost. McGee asks Tony to back it up, but he's talking about the flashlight not the conversation. McGee has seen something. Tony thinks it is a tree branch but Gibbs is pretty sure tree branches don't wear steel toed boots. Ziva finds another body and then McGee finds the fourth.

In autopsy Ducky is dissecting some organ and he sneezes into his face shield. Ducky turns to the corpse on the autopsy table closest to him and says he supposes a bless you is too much to ask for. From across the room, Mr. Palmer says "Oh, bless you Doctor." Ducky tells Mr. Palmer that he wasn't speaking to him. Ducky then begins to expound on the sternutatory reflex and says that there are many theories on the subject. Gibbs walks in and remarks "You know them all, don't you, Dr. Mallard." Ducky continues on telling Gibbs about a sonnet he once wrote for an old flame who suffered from allergies. Ducky starts to recite the sonnet but Gibbs interrupts him saying he's not a big fan of poetry. Apparently, neither was the young lady. Ducky is about to continue in this vein, but Gibbs presses him as to why Gibbs is in autopsy.

Ducky tells Gibbs that none of the bodies drowned. They were all shot. The Marine was shot three times in the chest and once in the back. The shot in the back was the kill shot. The other three, whom Ducky refers to as walking pictograms due to all their tattoos, they received one bullet each. Mr. Palmer has documented all of the gang tats for future identification purposes. One of the gang members was shot in the chest, the other two once each in the back. The shootings appear to be random. Ducky calls it a turkey shoot, Gibbs corrects him to a massacre.

Up in the squad room, Tony is displaying the images of the gang tattoos on the plasma. He's still riding McGee about his feelings, but Gibbs wants a report. Tony has sent the images to a friend from the Baltimore PD who will be forwarding intel on the gang tattoos. Gibbs wants to know what else and McGee has something. He displays a blank piece of paper, saying it gives them an upper limit on the time of death. It is a washed out ATM receipt. The paper matches an ATM receipt and First Sergeant Downing used his ATM on the day he disappeared. No ID on the other corpses yet, but they did find a weapon at the bottom of the pond, no brass. The pond is a ways from any road so it would appear the bodies were dumped there.

In Abby's lab Ziva is helping Abby with her gun stance. Abby is worried about her balance; Ziva tells her that's not the primary concern on a mission. Gibbs walks in and says it is the guy shooting back at them which he is about to do unless they get back to work. Abby tells Gibbs that she was waiting for him. The ballistics show that the weapon recovered from the pond fired none of the bullets that Ducky recovered from Downing's body. There are at least two unaccounted for weapons. The dredge team is still looking. The weapon recovered was the one that shot the other three victims. There are no prints or gunshot residue available since everything was in the water for so long, but the serial number indicates that it is Downing's service weapon. Downing either went down fighting for his life or he committed triple homicide.

Up in MTAC, Gibbs is reporting to Jenny. Jenny hands Gibbs a folder to read but Gibbs has forgotten his glasses. Jenny hands him hers. The file says there is evidence that Downing was looking for a revenge killing of gang members. Gibbs says that First Sergeants don't look for that kind of revenge. Jenny reminds him that he would. Gibbs responds that he was only a Gunny. The concern is that the Sergeant's company will come back from Iraq and look for more revenge, causing more bloodshed. Jenny takes a swig of Gibbs' coffee, but it is not to her liking. The Marine company is being held in Iraq until Gibbs closes this case. Jenny says she doesn't care if Downing killed them or not, she wants the case closed so the men can come home. Gibbs gets up and tells Jenny she is wrong, she does care.

Back in the squad room, Ziva is looking at the pictures of the three unidentified gang members. After checking to make sure Tony and Gibbs aren't around, McGee asks for her honest opinion, does he come across as unmanly. Ziva thinks Tony was jerking his brain, which McGee corrects to chain. Ziva feels McGee is appropriately masculine which McGee accepts until she adds that he is not macho like Tony and Gibbs are. Gibbs walks in on this and simply says "If you have to ask."

They have identified the three gang members, all members of the LVM, an El Salvadorian street gang. LVM has 30,000 members and is a world-wide organization dealing in drugs and guns and hiring themselves out as hit men. Two members of LVM mistakenly killed a private first class from Downing's unit a year ago. NCIS couldn't prove their case but Ziva speculates that Downing was on a revenge mission. Gibbs tells Ziva what he told Jenny, First Sergeants do not go on revenge missions. Ziva says she would but Gibbs tells her that Marine First Sergeants have more control than she does. Gibbs asks for new information.

McGee tells Gibbs that the three gang members weren't just ordinary members, but that they were all lieutenants in the Manassas chapter of the gang. The boss of the chapter is Miguel Sosa. Gibbs wants to interview him but he has been MIA since about the time of this shooting. Gibbs now wants to interview Sosa's replacement. He hollers for DiNozzo, who shows up "bearing gifts." DiNozzo spent the night at the crime scene and he found several weapons when they drained the pond. Gibbs looks at Tony and says "You expecting an atta boy?" Tony thought it would be nice but is completely taken aback when Gibbs comes around behind him and gently strokes the back of his head while saying "Atta boy."

Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee arrive on the street where LVM has its headquarters. McGee gets out of the car, puts on his shades, and proceeds to act as tough as he can. Gibbs approaches a group of people on the street asking who is El Jefe. He gets the response that "you are, officer." McGee pushes forward, takes off his shades, and tries to intimidate an answer out of the spokesperson. They are taken inside to meet a heavy gang member sitting at a table eating dinner. He jokes with them until McGee lays down the three head shots of the dead gang members. He denies knowing them and insists they are just a social club.

Gibbs leans in and tells him he knows he is not El Jefe but rather El Gordo. Everyone laughs and Gibbs says "See. Nobody laughs at the boss." Gibbs leaves his card on the table and says to have El Jefe contact him or they will send him to Gitmo. El Gordo protests that they're not terrorists but Ziva says it will only take her 24 hours to manufacture the evidence that they are. Gibbs gives them 24 hours and they walk out.

Gibbs wants a visible surveillance team posted. He also wants anyone with an LVM gang tattoo picked up. And he wants intercepts on all their cell phones and any other way they communicate amongst themselves. McGee wants to know how they are going to justify all that. Ziva asks him if he didn't hear that LVM has ties to Al Queda. McGee protests that they were just saying that to . . . as Gibbs clears his throat and looks at McGee. McGee stops talking and scurries away to carry out Gibbs' orders. "Unbelievable" Gibbs says under his breath.

Ziva and McGee get off the elevator carrying take out trays. Tony has all ready heard of McGee's performance and makes reference to West Side Story while snapping his fingers. He asks McGee if he threatened them. Sort of, McGee confesses. Tony reminisces about a friend in Baltimore who did that, they found his head but not the rest of his body. "Think I'd lie to you?" "Yes" says Gibbs walking into the squad room. Immediately Tony responds "To McGee I would lie, never to you sir, never to you!" Tony then shouts "Look out, look out!", and steals McGee's take out food.

Gibbs' walks in to Abby's lab carrying a Caf-Pow and saying he hopes she earned it . Abby all ready has a Caf-Pow that the director gave to her. Gibbs takes that one away from Abby, gives her his, and walks over to the garbage can and disposes of the director's Caf-Pow. As he is doing this, Abby assures Gibbs that she did not give the director any information. Jenny steps in to the lab from Abby's office and in time to see Gibbs throw out the Caf-Pow. "Oh that's mature" she remarks as Gibbs' barks at Abby for a report. The director and Gibbs exchanges remarks about how closely she is watching the investigation and Gibbs gets the director to physically back off. Abby reports on her ballistics work, saying that the three guns that Tony found at the bottom of the pond match the three rounds taken from Downing's chest. However, the kill shot, the shot in the back, matches none of the weapons. They are missing a weapon and a shooter.

Gibbs is up in MTAC talking to the company's commander in Iraq. The commander wants his men to come home. Gibbs explains to him why that is not possible. The commander denies that Downing would have killed those gang members. Gibbs wants to know why Downing was back in the States when his unit was still in Iraq. Downing was home visiting his dying father. The commander asks Gibbs if he knows of a First Sergeant who would leave his men in combat to go chase after a street punk. Gibbs says he does not. Gibbs says he is working the case and will let the commander know as soon as it is solved. At this point one of the Marines in the background comes up and berates Gibbs for not finding the killer of the private killed last year. The commander takes control of the situation but also reminds Gibbs that NCIS let this unit down once, not to do it again. The commander then hangs up on Gibbs.

Gibbs turns around to the find the director behind him. She hands Gibbs a cup of coffee and agrees with the commander, they cannot let the unit down again.

Back in the squad room, McGee is tapping the cell phone of El Gordo. Tony listens in to a conversation between El Gordo and his "mamacita." Tony discovers that Ziva speaks Spanish so he turns the duty of listening and translating the call over to her. When Ziva starts talking about a rainbow party, Tony regrets it, but Ziva refuses to give him back the headphones, insisting she will give him a summary. McGee has been scratching at his chin all through this exchange. Tony wonders if McGee's man lotion is working or not. McGee didn't shave today as he's trying a new look. Tony implies there really isn't much to look at. McGee says that Abby likes it and Ziva chimes in that it looks very manly. Tony asks and gets a nod from McGee. Tony reaches in very cautiously to touch McGee's face as Gibbs walks in to the squad room and catches him.

"DiNozzo, why are you touching his face?" Tony continues to stroke McGee's chin saying "Don't know, but it feels good, like a bunny rabbit." Gibbs gives Tony a shot to the temple and tells him "Don't" and walks to his desk. Tony apologizes to Gibbs, not McGee.

Gibbs asks for an update on the wiretaps. El Gordo's phone calls are not very promising. The rest of the gang even less so. They have been unable to listen to Ceasar Bernal's calls. Bernal only sends text messages, never talks on the phone. He sent 22 text messages yesterday, all to Miguel Sosa in El Salvador. The messages are encoded but it seems that Sosa is still in charge. Bernal must be his number two. Gibbs orders Tony to bring him in. Ziva is to find out everything she can about Sosa and what he is doing in El Salvador. As for McGee, Gibbs pulls a can of shaving cream out of his desk drawer and hands it to him. "You're trying too hard."

Bernal is in the interrogation room. Bernal tells Gibbs he's just a small fish; Gibbs needs to talk to the Jefe. Gibbs says he would, but he can't type. They joke about whether Bernal is being offered a job as Gibbs' secretary. Gibbs asks if he delivered his message. Bernal says yes, including the Gitmo threat. Bernal says Sosa wonders why Gibbs allows his team to live so far from their job. Bernal indicates he knows where they live. Gibbs half-stands, crouches over the table, slams his fist on it and tells Bernal that "threatening my people is never a good idea." Bernal insists he's just the messenger. That he will be dead if he talks to Gibbs. Gibbs assures him he will be dead if he doesn't. According to Bernal, two Marines called Sosa to help unload captured Iraqi weapons. Sosa sent the men hoping to make a deal, get the Marines to back off from what happened before. Gibbs asks for the name of the other Marine. Bernal still insists he doesn't know, he's just the messenger.

Back in the squad room, Tony is pulling up the IDs of the three Marines on leave from that company at the same time as Downing. Two were not in the DC area. Lance Corporal Jose Silva is the other man. His record indicates he was a suspected gang member before he joined the Corps and that he was with the private when he was murdered last year. Gibbs wants him back in the States now.

Ducky is in autopsy whistling as he stitches up the Y incision on one of the gang members. McGee walks in. Ducky assumes McGee is there for the DOD which confuses McGee who says Department of Defense? Ducky laughs and says no date of death. Ducky then proceeds to discuss exactly how he determined that. As Ducky moves around in autopsy he notices the smell of aftershave on McGee. McGee admits to shaving mid-day and using Old Spice. Ducky sidles up to McGee and says "Yes, I've heard of your infatuation with lotions" with a slight mocking tone in his voice. McGee explains with a stammer that the lotion was for a skin condition. "It's quite all right, Timothy. Skin care is something we should all take more seriously. In my opinion there is absolutely nothing gay about it." At this McGee straightens up and looks at Ducky who stammers "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

They go back to the discussion of determination of date of death. Ducky instructs McGee on when the ice was formed and that bodies sink until the gasses force them back to the surface. As this conversation is going on, Gibbs enters autopsy. They come up with a time frame during which the bodies went into the water due to the fact that they were under the ice, not frozen in the ice. Ducky wants to know if they have found out what Downing was doing. Gibbs says no, but they will find out in 11 hours and 30 minutes. Gibbs then whistles and beckons for McGee to follow him out of autopsy.

Gibbs and team meet Lance Corporal Silva at the airfield. Silva says the flight was long and wants to know how much trouble he's in. Gibbs wonders why he thinks he's in trouble. Silva says because there are four NCIS agents escorting one lance corporal. Tony tells him he's wrong, points at Ziva, and says she's Mossad.

Ziva is driving. Silva is in the back seat between Gibbs and Tony. Gibbs and Tony are exchanging pleasantries about how long the night will be with all the questions they have to ask Silva. Ziva accelerates and darts in and out of traffic. There are five dead people and Silva is the only link. Gibbs tells Silva they had a name for men like him when he was on active duty: Bravo Foxtrot. Silva starts to crack, saying it wasn't supposed to happen like that.

Silva says if a drive-by isn't solved right away, it is forgotten. NCIS forgot about the drive-by. The private was his best friend, he died in his arms. Silva called Sosa to arrange the meet, but there were no weapons. Silva was out for blood. But Downing found out about it. Downing restricted Silva to the base and he went to the meeting in Silva's place. Downing went to the meeting to make peace. If Silva could, he would trade places with Downing.

Back in the squad room, McGee has verified Silva's story. Ziva has just confirmed that Sosa is not in San Salvador. McGee says he has to be since Bernal is texting him there a dozen times a day. Ziva stands by her source. Gibbs says Sosa has to be there. If he isn't, they've wasted three days. Gibbs will not waste any more time before bringing those men home. Ziva is to find Sosa, now.

In Abby's lab Abby is addressing the troops. They are there for three reasons. 1) To find Miguel Sosa, 2) to prove that Sosa exists, and 3) -- but McGee walks in and wonders who Abby is talking to. Abby spins on her heel, strides up to McGee and informs him that he will address her as SIR! "Sorry. Who were you talking to, sir?" Abby was talking to her army. Major Mass Spec, Captain Comparison Microscope, Ensign -- and McGee interrupts her again to tell her that Ensign is a Navy rank, not Army. Abby is through with her General impersonation. What does McGee want? To go over the text messages. If they can crack the code, they may be able to find him.

Abby says he's in San Salvador. McGee tells her that Ziva's people say no. Abby is not amused. She still hasn't warmed to Ziva that much. She starts to get snippy about it, but McGee asks her to please just look at the messages with him. McGee's Spanish isn't that good so Abby starts translating. That's when she realizes that the messages are too long. Text messages are limited to 150 characters. These messages did not come from a cell phone but rather from e-mail. McGee back traces the headers and discovers that the messages originated in Virginia. Abby admits that Ziva's people were right. The account holder is Cesar Bernal. He's sending messages to himself. Bernal is pretending to be Sosa. Abby thinks that's stupid because when Sosa finds out, he'll kill Bernal. "Not if Bernal killed him first," replies McGee who is on his cell phone calling Gibbs.

Gibbs strides into the director's office without knocking. He's carrying a paper bag. Jenny wonders what this meal is going to cost her. They banter and Gibbs offers to leave but Jenny doesn't want that. Gibbs brought her Salvadorian food this time. Jenny makes a remark and Gibbs stands to leave but Jenny gets him to set back down again. Another Marine was injured in the company that cannot come home until the case is closed. Gibbs starts laying out the case to Jenny. They know it was Cesar Bernal, but they cannot make a case. Downing was not the target, he was the lure. Bernal was taking out the entire leadership of this LVM chapter. But there is no physical evidence. Jenny reminds him that he will need more than motive to get a jury to convict. "Depends on the jury" is Gibbs' reply.

Bernal is alone in the interrogation room lying on his back on the table. He is complaining about harassment to anyone who will listen. Tony, Ziva, and McGee are in the listening area. McGee wants first crack at him and is cracking his knuckles as he talks about it. Tony rides McGee saying that Gibbs wants Bernal on ice, McGee will break a finger if he keeps cracking his knuckles like that, Tony gets to go first because he is senior, etc. While they have been arguing, Ziva has left and gone into the interrogation room with Bernal.

Ziva tells Bernal that they know he was at the pond and that he has been killing off the leadership of the LVM chapter. Bernal denies it was him and then starts flirting with Ziva. Ziva puts her boot in his crotch and tells him he's not her type. Bernal threatens Ziva and she grinds her heel in his crotch. Bernal threatens her again but Ziva returns fire assuring her his crew will find something to do in his absence.

The scene shifts to autopsy as Ducky opens one of his cadaver drawers and pulls out Downing's corpse. Gibbs is there and so is the leadership of LVM, including El Gordo. Ducky gives them an autopsy report saying that the three frontal wounds were inflicted after Downing was dead. Gibbs goes over and rips the sheets off the bodies of the three gang members who are lying out on the autopsy tables. "Each of your buddies put a bullet in his corpse." El Gordo wants to know what the point is. The point is this: If they each shot Downing after he was dead, who shot them?

Back to Bernal in the interrogation room. It is McGee's turn, but Bernal wants to talk to his lawyer. McGee cracks his knuckles and calls him a punk. Bernal says he's been watching too many cop shows. McGee responds that Bernal has not been watching enough gang person shows. In the listening room, Tony says that he doesn't think McGee has been watching enough cop shows. Ziva defends his interrogation skills. McGee continues cracking his knuckles and explains that because LVM has suspected ties to Al Queda, he can keep Bernal in that room until he grows old. Even Tony admits that McGee is being intimidating.

Now Gibbs and the LVM group are in Abby's lab. She is explaining the ballistics evidence to them. Abby gets distracted by the tattoo on El Gordo's neck, but Gibbs gets her back on track. They explain that Downing's gun was used to make it look like he shot them, but their crew would only turn their backs to someone they trusted.

Now it is Tony's turn in interrogation with Bernal. He is completely ignoring Bernal and playing Tetris on his cell phone. Bernal is getting concerned, but phrases his question as a double negative. Tony gives him a grammar lesson. Tony then discusses Cesar's name and his own, explaining that Tony backwards is Y-Not. Tony then insults Bernal by saying how low of a position he has in the gang. This infuriates Bernal who pounds on the table and begins speaking in Spanish and then threatens the entire NCIS team. Bernal says "my" crew, which Tony immediately latches on to, saying he thought it was Sosa's crew.

Gibbs and the gang members are up in the squad room. McGee has Miguel Sosa's picture up on the plasma and is explaining to the group that Sosa isn't in El Salvador and that he isn't sending the text messages. That Cesar Bernal is sending the messages. Gibbs states that Bernal killed their boss and then played them for a fool, NCIS as well. Gibbs admits that he cannot get a conviction in court with the evidence he has. Gibbs and El Gordo lock eyes. Nothing else needs to be said.

Gibbs comes into the interrogation room. Bernal thinks the others were just softening him up for Gibbs. Gibbs says he didn't know Bernal was still there and he can go now. Gibbs will give him a ride home. "Wear your safety belt," Tony cautions.

Gibbs pulls up to the LVM headquarters and stops. Bernal tells Gibbs he has a lot to learn. That loyalty means everything on the streets. Without loyalty you're dead. Gibbs just listens. Bernal gets out of the car, leans back in and says "Semper Fi." Gibbs responds, "Good bye, Cesar." Gibbs floors it and drives away.

Bernal immediately runs into a crowd of LVM members, headed by El Gordo. Bernal starts to tell them that he got a message from Sosa and Sosa thinks they need to teach NCIS some manners. Another group of LVM members come up behind Bernal until he is completely surrounded by LVM members. The camera pulls back and pans around the group. Bernal says "What" as the scene goes dark.

Back in the squad room the team is watching the news. It is a report of a body found in a dumpster, shot repeatedly at close range. Cesar Bernal. Gibbs comes up and turns the TV off. If the team doesn't have enough to do, Gibbs will find them something. They all agree they have lots to do. Gibbs leaves and goes to MTAC.

In MTAC, the commander in Iraq is waiting on screen. He hopes for good news. "Bring our boys home," Gibbs says. Gibbs turns from the big screen to see Jenny sitting there in the dark.