rodinném domě je nalezen umučený mariòák desátník Brewers. Na bedně s nářadím se najdou otisky prstů jeho bývalého velitele, seržanta Kala, který byl pro nemoc z armády před třemi týdny propuštěn. Gibbs ho chce pozvat k výslechu, ale Kale není k nalezení. Když ho Gibbs objeví, dozvídá se, že Kale je korunním svědkem v případu drogového krále Azariho, obviněného z vraždy. Azari si je ale jistý, že bude při procesu zproštěn viny. Krátce na to je nelezen další umučený mariòák. A Gibsovi začíná docházet, že Kalova výpověï nebude tak čistá, jak se na první pohled zdálo.

The team do their forensics on the crime scene. They detect extra fingerprints on the bloody toolbox. They realise that the man was tortured for information.
Fingerprints lead to the marine's sergeant: he is Kale. Gone off the radar for last three weeks.
Team traces him to a house. Storm it and find...Fornell there, protecting Kale as a key witness in a case that goes to trial very soon.
Gibbs interviews Kale but he was being guarded at the time of the murder.
Gibbs knows Kale is telling lies but how can that be?
Fornell wont give details of the case on which Kale is the witness.
McGee hacks the FBI database and finds out it is a mafia case and the bad guy has escaped justice every time that Fornell has tried to get him in the past. There is long history with Fornell and he is not going to give up his witness for a mere marine murder. Gibbs does not like this.
Abby finds mold on the rope used in the torture. The mold is having sex (honest: it is breeding!). Gibbs is a bit put off by Abby's interest in the joys of moldy sex.
McGee is much more interested.
Ziva is planning a trip to Israel. Tony is consumed with curiosity.

Kale escapes. Gibbs and Fornell track him down using GPS in mobile phone.
Kale runs.
They catch him.
Kale says "I didn't do it!"
G and F detect a rat: they go back to the place where K ran from-there is another tortured dead marine who was buddy to Kale. Gibbs is suspicious. Ducky says "don't be: the body has been dead longer than the time since Kale escaped. Kale could not have done it"
Gibbs is still suspicious but concedes that someone else killed this marine.

The bad mafia guy is approached by Gibbs. He establishes how bad the bad guy is. Horribly well dressed bad.

Gibbs orders Giblets to reexamine the original murder for which the bad guy mafioso is on trial: and Giblets with Abby discover that Kale could not have witnessed the event, as the street lamp was blown and there was no light by which to see. Therefore in interrogation, Gibbs and Fornell find out that Kale merely said he had seen it, but really it was the two dead marines who had seen it. The dead marines were buying drugs when the mafia guy killed the dealer. Kale was protecting his men. Fornell points out that this was not a successful strategy as they are both dead and the guy who killed them will now walk free! Good point, Fornell.

Gibbs tells Fornell to not give up. Fornell is clearly depressed by the turn of events.

Kale escapes again. G and F race to the court because they know that K is now going to assassinate Mafioso. He does. F does not stop it. G arrests K. Kale says he had to do it. Gibbs says he knows why he did it: but Gibbs is sad as he knows the marine will go to jail. (but we also know he could put in a plea that the drugs made him do it...he has a medical condition and his drugs affect his brain).

Ziva goes off on holiday. Tony is intrigued and kind of somber about it. She is flying first class. It is the first time that Tony begins to realize that either Ziva or the boyfriend (whose photo Tony has found hidden in Ziva's desk mess) is very wealthy.

End scene: Fornell in a waiting area in a federal building. Gibbs enters. It is evening. Fornell is waiting to see his Director. Gibbs has come to show support. Gibbs notes that Fornell would do the same. Fornell observes "She said you would be here" "Who?" "Our ex-wife". Gibbs just looks.
A pretty woman comes to summon Fornell to see the Director.
The TV in the waiting room continues playing the news of yesterday's outrageous murder in broad daylight. It notes that, overnight, there were murders of others in the mafia, as new boss tries to emerge. The main contender is the henchman of the dead guy: we already know him! He was mean to Gibbs when Gibbs confronted the mafioso in the street. The final pfunf is on this guy and so we expect to see more of his dastardly ways in future eps.