Gibbs steps into the elevator as soon as the doors open. At the same time, in New-York, Andrea puts her cell phone in her pocket and enters a shop.
Andrea- Mike, you're here?
A man in overalls walks out of the storage area.
Mike- Hey, Andie, you're not working today, don't you?
Andrea- I'm just coming by to say I won't come working tomorrow. But I'll let you know if I must be absent for any longer. Ok?
Mike- Something's wrong?
Andrea- Just an old friend who's coming to see me.
Mike- Ok. Anyway, you've got a lot of vacation that you never took.
Andrea- Thank Mike.
Andrea walks out of the shop and decides that she needs coffee, so she enters the first Starbucks she crosses path with.
In the bullpen, in NCIS headquarter in Washington, Tony, Ziva and McGee are talking about their boss.
Tony- So, this Andrea girl is Gibbs sister in law, right?
Ziva- Ex sister in law, Tony.
Ziva is sitting on the corner of Tony's desk facing McGee's. The two men are at their desks.
McGee- You know, Gibbs acts a little weird. I mean, he smiles.
Tony- You should have seen him when he came back from Mexico, I saw him laugh. That was creepy.
Ziva- McGee, what did you find on her?
McGee- I'm not so much. I have got several addresses in New-York for Andrea Carlson, Andrea Farrell and Andrea Carlson-Farrell. She apparently left the FBI five years ago so I managed to cut down the numbers of person from 25 to 6. On the 6, 3 of them moved in New-York in 2002 but I can't find where they were before so I think she's one of them. I've got one working in a P.I. agency, another one is a karate professor and the last one is working in a little garage.
Tony- I'll bet on the P.I. one. That's the most likely one. You're working for the FBI and when you quit you become a private investigator.
Ziva- I don't know, maybe you can find something about her abilities on her FBI file, McGee.
McGee- Well, she worked on infiltration service for a while. Then she has been transferred to another section working on international arms dealers.
Tony- That doesn't help us. Maybe Gibbs will know.
Ziva moves down the desk and turns to face Tony. With her most doubtful expression she asks.
Ziva- And you're going to be the one asking him, Tony.
Tony laughs lightly and answers her.
Tony- No, that's a probie task.
Looking to McGee who is tapping on his keyboard to get more information, Tony adds.
Tony- McGee will ask, finding her is what he is supposed to do. Right, probie?
McGee doesn't answer and keeping looking at his screen with sad eyes.
Ziva- McGee?
Tim wakes up and looks at his coworkers with a serious expression on his face. He hesitates before he speaks again.
McGee- Something was bothering me about the phone call. Before she hanged up, she said that Gibbs should tell the FBI they shouldn't have killed someone named Eric. I thought that probably has something to do with her quitting the FBI so I searched for references on a Eric in her file.
Ziva- And…what did you find?
McGee- Before she was transferred to the international arms dealing section she was working with another FBI agent named Eric Farrell.
Tony- Farrell as in Andrea Farrell.
McGee- I guess so.
Ziva- So what, she has been married with an ex coworker. That happens all the time in movies, right Tony?
Tony- It's a typical happy ending movie yes, Zeeeeva!
Gibbs coming out of nowhere says.
Gibbs-There is no happy ending in this story Tony.
Tony- What happened boss?
Gibbs- The agent Eric Farrell died during an infiltration mission. The FBI ran an assault on the warehouse where a drug dealing was going on. The agent Farrell was there undercover; he died from a friendly fire. But before the ballistic could match the evidence with the FBI database, they accidentally lost all the evidences that could have lead to the shooter.
Ziva- You mean, the FBI…
Gibbs finishes her sentence, interrupting her.
Gibbs- covered their ass. Yeah.
Tony- That's why agent Carlson quitted?
Gibbs- Yep. So, McGee did you find anything that we can actually use?
McGee- Yes boss, I have three possible addresses. I thought maybe you can help.
Gibbs- What you got?
McGee takes the remote and starts the screen. On it, a map of New-York appears with three different points blinking.
McGee- The red one in the Village is a P.I. agency where Andrea Carlson-Farrell works. The blue one is a martial art school where Andrea Carlson number one works as a karate teacher. And the green one is a garage where Andrea Carlson number two works. I also have their personal addresses but I thought that wouldn't help you much to know which one she is.
Gibbs- Can you show me where she was located on the phone.
McGee tapes some parameters on his computers and a cross appears on the screen, near the green point.
Gibbs- That's what I thought. We'll start with the garage. The two other ones aren't her. McGee you give Tony, the green one personal address. Good job!
Gibbs walks to his desk and sits. He drinks a sip of his coffee and looks at the map. Remembering when he last saw Andrea Carlson, he takes another sip of coffee. It was at her husband's funeral.
Ziva's phone rings and she tells the person who called her that she will be there in a minute. While she hangs the phone she says.
Ziva- That was Abby, she has something already. I'm going to see her.
Ziva walks to the elevator while Gibbs asks Tony.
Gibbs- What did you find on this Cline guy?
Tony stands up and takes the remote. While he talks he shows on the screen different photographs and reports.
Tony- Major David Cline, born in Okalahoma in 1968. Normal childhood, average student, what's to be a professional rider and he became one. But he is inspired by his grandfather to become a Marine. So he quitted motorcycle races and he succeeded and became a Marine officer. Send in the Gulf he came back just two months after, wounded. The jeep he was ridding in has been attacked. He was the officer in charge of an explorers unit. He spent two months in a hospital before he came back in USA. Then he disappears eight days after his return. Apparently he tried to contact his former sponsor while he was in the hospital in D.C. to come back in motorcycle races but he got only negative answers. The nurses' reports say that he was really angry and violent. Then he escaped. After that…
Tony pushes a button on his computer and an FBI file appears on the screen.
Tony-…the FBI found him leading illegal races in the south, near Houston. Several people died during their initiative races, so the FBI tried to get a closer eye on him, but they always failed. And now, he is suspected to deal drugs in D.C. The FBI thinks he is in contact with the Columbian cocaine dealer Hernando Estavez trough this guy.
A photograph of a young Hispanic boy appears on the screen near to Cline. Tall, slim, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, the boy on the photo was wearing a black leather jacket and has a helmet on his hand. He seems to talk to Cline on the photo like they are good friends.
Tony- His name is Matthew Cortez. He's the son of Hernando Estavez sister. The FBI arrested him several years ago but he claimed he didn't have contact with his uncle. The FBI had nothing against him at the time so they had to release him. Now he is a important member of Cline organization.
Gibbs- Ok, what can you tell me about the other members of Cline band. How many they are? Who are they? Where is there safe house?
Tony approaches Gibbs's desk with the prudence of a cat near water.
Tony- I'm sorry boss. That's everything I have got. For the moment, he adds rapidly. I'm going to dig deeper.
Gibbs suddenly stands up. Tony, surprised, makes a step away.
Gibbs- I'm going to Abby. Keep working Dinozzo.
Gibbs was already on his way; Tony walks to his desk saying.
Tony- Yes boss.
Gibbs stops just before he turns to the elevators and tells Tony.
Gibbs- And stop saying you're sorry Tony. That's a sign of weakness.
Tony- Yep. You won't catch me apologizing anymore boss.
Gibbs moves again, rolling his eyes and taking an exasperated breathe. Tony looks at McGee with defiant eyes, then locks his gaze on his computer's screen and tells.
Tony- Don't say a word probie or I shoot you!
McGee- I was just going to say that you did an impressive job in such a small time Tony. Nothing more.
Tony looks up to his coworker and thanks him with a nod of the head.
Gibbs was in the elevator, waiting for it to reach the lab's floor. They had a long day coming. One they should collect as much info as they can on Cline and the illegal races if he wants to convince Andrea to work with them. Then, Ziva must come up with a really great plan so that it won't be destroy in a second by the FBI or Cline.
Arriving at Abby's floor, he steps out of the elevator, just to be interrupted in his way to the forensic lab by Ducky.
Ducky- Jethro! Can I talk to you for a second, my friend!
Gibbs- Sure Ducky. What's going on?
Ducky- Well, I think that's me who should ask you that. I came to bring Abby some samples on the agent Denton's case which is a very interesting one, remembering me of the one you investigated six years ago when a wolf attacked those two sailors in Greenfield's park. Well, I don't know if we can call this animal a wolf because you see there are different levels between dogs and wolves. And this particular one was closer of …
Gibbs- Duck, what did you want to ask me …
Ducky arranges his glasses on his nose and then remembers what he was originally coming to ask his friend.
Ducky- Yes, is it true that you're trying to make Andrea Carlson come working on a case with us?
Gibbs- Yes, that's true.
Ducky, then, puts his hands on Gibbs shoulder and tells him.
Ducky- I wish you good luck, Jethro, you're going to need it.
Gibbs-Oh, I'm going to need more than that Ducky.