Danny was on his back to HQ, while at the SCIF Chin and Kono was up against time, it was just matter of time before Collins lock them out of the SCIF, they all knew it.

Danny said, "Yeah. Its good thing that Steve stayed behind, he would most like have shot Collins, from the look of the undersecretary's face I would say that Sara Collins job is on the line"

Steve said, "it would be, she didn't follow protocell, the minute they knew that Wilson was missing they should have taken Catherine in to lock down"

Kono asked, "what is State doing to bring home my bestie and Wilson home?"

Danny said, "nothing" they knew that was going to be the outcome which Chin and Kono were one step head of State on this front.

Jerry asked, "what are we going to do?"

Danny said, "I tell what I would do, I would like nothing more than to lock Sara Collins up for life. I meet ya at HQ"

Steve said, "call for reinforcements"

Chin said, "they just locked us out, time to head back to HQ"

On the way back to the HQ Steve calls NCIS Los Angeles office and talked to Hetty and the new assisting director Shay Mosley who cleared the Op room of all personnel other herself and Hetty and had Nell to call agent Sam Hanna up to join them. Sam walked on to Op to see that it was locked down. It was new protocell, soundproof room, with no external systems connected to Op-center. Op was independent of the rest of NCIS HQ with Eric and Nell at the head.

Hetty said "Mr. Hanna. your failed mission to find your wife killer has just turned hot. both intel officers what missing. Commander McGarrett and his team are waiting for you in Hawaii."

Shay Mosley said, "Get your go bag. A private jet is waiting for you at the airport and car will be here within five minutes."

Hetty said, "Commander McGarrett will debrief you on the plane"

Sam said, "I'm on my way."

Sam signal for his partner to join him as he heads to the armory. He informed Callen what little he knows and where he is heading. Callen didn't like that fact Sam was going off without him, but he knew that Five 0 would have Sam back out in Hawaii. Sam and Five 0 were on video call the minute Sam step into the plane, they were exchanging information with one other.

Sam informed them, "According to Interpol data, Askari is as bad as they get. Highly educated member of the Republican Guard caught torturing POWs off the clock for fun. I'm sending you his profile now."

Danny asked, "So, this is who has CATHERINE?"

Sam said, "His name speaks volumes. Abdul means a student of nature, yet Askari means soldier."

Five 0 was standing around the smart table and Jerry was the one who pointed out, "Askari's methods appear well documented. He's organized, he's meticulous. He typically spends 24 hours with his subjects before they break."

Kono said, "They've had Wilson at least that long."

Lou said, "It looks like this guy uses most of the standard torture techniques."

Chin said, "He even keeps his ritual to an established timeline, a so-called perfect methodology evolved through years of practice."

Kono said, "No sexual torture. Maybe he has lines he doesn't cross."

Jerry said, "Typically, professional torturers are driven by a false sense of moral superiority. They don't derive sexual pleasure from the cruelty they inflict."

Danny said, "But Askari isn't just a torturer. He's a sadistic serial killer. And they love getting off."

Sam et Email for Op, it from Hetty he reading it and said, "Aah! Guys, I may have two more victims we can attribute to Askari. Saving Mubari and his wife Nadia. He was a known confidant to Kahler's both victims was at the camp where Catherine worked."

Steve said, "Then Catherine would have been assigned to interrogate Nadia. Do we know what happened to her?"

Sam said, "M.O. matches all of Askari's victims except for one thing." His face pale as he adds, "She was raped."

Danny asked, "So, what was different about her?"

Kono stated, "Maybe she lasted the longest."

Chin said, "If his ritual dictates a specific timeline, any new aspect would fall later in his routine."

Jerry stated, "So, the longer Catherine holds out, the greater the likelihood that'll happen to her."

Danny said, "So how much time does Catherine have?"

Sam and Steve said together "A few hours." Everyone knew what was going through Steve mind he was going to kill the man when he gets his hand on him, there was no other outcome Askari would die at Steve hands it just matters of how.

Sam said, "When war broke out, it looks like Askari's talents were recruited by the regime to break potential informants as well as captured U.S. troops."

Kono said, "So Askari works for the highest bidder."

Danny said, "How does a guy who tortured U.S. soldiers get drafted to our side?"

Chin said, "Wait, I might know that. I uploaded that ghost file to our private cloud server. The order was given by LT Wilson."

Lou asked, "Why would Wilson enlist a man like Askari?"

Sam said, "He needed a high-ranking partner to put him in position."

Kono asked, "So, what are we saying, Wilson and Askari were working together?"

Danny said, "Then Catherine's in more danger than we thought."

Jerry said, "No Wilson never officially put his name in for section chief."

Danny said, "Well, somebody did."

Chin said, "Or he pulled strings, called in favors to get closer to Catherine."

Steve asked, "Sam, you saw Catherine during this time. Did she ever mention Wilson or details of the investigation?"

Sam remember the last time he was with Catherine, it was on the plane after he had picked her up from Kabul just after her witness was killed. Sam had arrived in Kabul for the medical aid after being injured during a mission, just has military unit went to pick up Catherine's witness daughter. But it was a trap, they were all killed along with the girl. When they want to inform Nadia, they found her died in her cell.

On the plane ride back to D.C Sam and Catherine talked, he was heading back to his children in Los Angeles, and Catherine was staying with her father in D.C has she no longer had home in Hawaii with Steve. They had talked about how Steve no longer waited for her at home. But Catherine believed that if she and Steve were meant to be they will find their way back to each other. It was Sam who starts to steer the converse towards the Afghanistan.

Sam said, "The first thing I'm doing when we get to Los Aneles is having this removed" he traces the outline of his stabbed wound on his shoulder. He adds "How could a stabbing hurt more than getting shot?

Catherine said, "Maybe it's a psychosomatic itch you're scratching? The stab left an emotional toll, Absalom Bakri established dominance over you by marking you as his. A shot-I mean you overcame death. The ultimate victory over your foe. Why suffer a pain you're proud of? Or you could always get another tattoo."

Sam asked, "Oh Yeah"

Catherine said, "something transformative, like a Phoenix or a blackbird."

Sam said, "I love the song, it was Michelle favorite. But something tells me I shouldn't tread in your waters."

When Catherine seem to be surprised, Sam adds, "Come on, Catherine. Something's obviously different about you. You commandeered an Interpol jet. You're profiling me. the last time I saw you like this was after your return from been MIA, turned Steve hair white" he gave Catherine a smile.

When did Catherine not answer Sam asked "I Know that your transfer was a backstop? I handpicked you for this Mission. I needed to find Kahler, Catherine he killed Michelle, I want justices for my wife. Oh, I know that look. The (I can't trust anyone but myself) look. Steve invented it. he gets that look right before he goes alone wolf on the suspect ass"

Catherine asked, "Do you ever feel like you're in way over your head? You know that I got assigned to an information hunt. Instead, I am chasing an unsub who killed my informant."

Sam asked, "What would Steve tell you to do?"

Catherine said, "Focus on victimology, let behavior and advice lead the way"

Sam said, "Exactly. Who did your unsub kill?"

Catherine answered, "The one person I was getting through to."

Sam asked, "Why?" that simple question make something in Catherine head click, like a lightbulb.

Catherine said, "Because I was getting through to… I was getting through to her. What if she was about to expose her killer? Someone on the inside?"

Sam tell Catherine, "It sounds like it's time for you to be the blackbird and flip the script."

Sam was back present he was none longer in his own head relive the moment with Catherine. He tells Five 0, "Catherine suspected a double agent"

Danny stated, "She could have been talking about Wilson."

Lou asked, "If Wilson is working with Askari, why take Catherine? His clearance level is higher than hers."

Sam said, "At NCIS, our most sensitive information requires two ranking Officers to gain access. Maybe the Integrity systems require the same."

Lou stated, "But when Officers are compromised, their security privileges are revoked. Catherine's codes shouldn't work."

Chin said, "If he knew what he was doing, he could reroute the system updates that would render their security codes useless."

Danny asked, "Where would he have to go to do that?"

Kono said, "Straight to the source. He'd have to hard-line into the servers, but they're scattered all over the country."

Sam stated, "It would be difficult to transport Catherine and keep to Askari's timeline. He must have taken her someplace local."

Danny said, "We need to figure out which server they've hacked."