Yeah!
- Take it easy. - Come on!
Dude, did you hear the guy at the hotel this morning?
They spotted mako sharks.
Please. They go after seals, not this hard body.
Brad, this isn't a joke.
The odds of a shark attack against humans is like 10,000 to 1.
I saw it on Discovery Channel.
I don't know, bro.
Fine. You girls stay up here where it's safe,
I'm gonna get up close and personal with the coral reef.
The body was in the water less than 24 hours.
NAS Key West tagged and bagged and shipped it over.
We have an I. D?
Seaman Russell MacDonald. Nineteen.
Assigned to the USS Foster.
- Destroyer. Spruance class. - Hey, look at that!
New kid on the block's been doing her homework.
USS Foster left Roosevelt Roads Naval Station
two days ago en route to Norfolk.
This is her position now.
The body was found here, in the Bahamas.
- Roosevelt Roads? - Yeah.
- That's Puerto Rico. - Yeah.
- I love Puerto Rico. - I'm glad.
No, boss, you don't understand.
- I love Puerto Rico! - You been there a lot?
No! No, that's just it. I've never been there!
I mean, I'm so wanting to go! Ever since I was a kid, I was so
wanting. Sorry.
- I just always... - Wanted to be there.
Yeah.
Sometime night before last, Seaman MacDonald went overboard.
Anyone see or hear anything?
No. Didn't know he was missing till he failed to report for duty.
- Anything in the medical? - We'll get all that when we get onboard.
Anything else unusual?
- This is exactly how he was found. - Dress whites? Why?
No one knows. There were no formal events scheduled.
- The sword? - Officer's ceremonial.
Our man's enlisted.
Yeah. Doesn't make much sense, does it?
Here's something else for the mystery tour.
This so-called ceremonial sword
is sharp enough to slit someone's throat.
Do you know why they drive
on the left-hand side of the road in England?
Dates back to medieval times.
Most people were, and still are, right-handed.
It allowed them to slash at one another when passing on horseback.
Why, you might ask, doesn't this hold true
for the rest of Europe?
- Why the chain on the waist? - These...
These were attached to it, each 25 pounds.
Now whether he put them on himself or someone did it for him,
that much weight sent him down fast.
Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll get our poor seaman out of his wet clothes.
You're not gonna say, "And into a dry martini," are you?
No.
No, we'll save that for later, for me, I'm afraid.
The seaman's local. Address is in the file.
You don't have to do the dirty deed. CACO already notified next of kin.
Why me, boss?
Wouldn't a woman be more sympathetic?
- That's why Kate is going with you. - I'm sure Tony can handle it alone.
When did an order turn into a debate?
- I hate this. I really do. - Is it gonna be that tough?
You have no idea.
No, I don't.
- Tony? - Yeah?
Take a breath.
Think of Puerto Rico.
Good idea.
According to what's been reported,
Russell didn't seem to have a lot of friends on the destroyer.
No, he had many friends on the ship.
- He told me so in his letters. - Was this sword Russell's?
It was my husband's. He was Scottish.
He served in The Black Watch regiment.
Russell's file says he's deceased.
He was killed in a car accident when Russell was 12.
Russell was devastated.
Did Russell seem particularly obsessed with the sword?
I don't understand why you...
A similar weapon was found with the...
Near Russell.
Mrs MacDonald, in Russell's letters
did he seem, you know, down or depressed?
Russell had his quirks.
But a mother knows things about her son.
He would not have killed himself.
It's a mortal sin.
Are these interviews always that difficult?
- I guess. - You guess?
I've never interviewed a victim's mother before.
Well, I thought you'd been a Baltimore homicide cop.
I always had someone else interview the mother.
- This was your first? - Yeah.
Why did you assume I'd have no idea how bad it was gonna be?
- I didn't think you would. - That is so presumptuous!
- Kate? - What?
Breathe.
The commander's on a call with LANT fleet, sir.
He'll catch up with you as soon as he can.
We appreciate it, Master Chief.
Did you have any contact with Seaman MacDonald?
Can't say I did, sir. Kept pretty much to himself.
Seems to be the general consensus or the party line.
We got you set up in the XO's quarters.
It's small, but it's private and secure.
I'm sure it'll be fine.
Enter.
Lieutenant Commander Robbins, Agent Gibbs.
- Appreciate you giving up your... - Not a problem.
NCIS is always welcome aboard, sir. You can expect excellent cooperation.
I appreciate that, Master Chief.
- Lf you need anything... - I won't hesitate.
Now, why didn't that sound sincere?
You get used to it. They either stonewall or kiss ass.
To them, we're the Internal Affairs of the navy.
- So, basically, they hate us. - No.
Pretty much.
Set up the laptop and establish a feed from NCIS.
I'm on it.
We're not all sleeping here, are we? Together?
I'll take the couch.
- Afternoon, gentlemen. - Afternoon, sir.
Okay, let's dispense with the small talk.
Which one is his bunk, Petty Officer Carnahan?
- Below mine, sir. - Thank you, Petty Officer.
- You knew MacDonald? - Not well.
- He pretty much kept to himself. - Kept to himself.
He like to listen to music? Like to read?
I really didn't notice, sir.
Your bunk is right above his, but you didn't notice?
I'm a private kind of person.
Well, if you had to venture a wild guess, Carnahan,
what do you think MacDonald liked to do?
Spend his life at work.
Computers run the weapons systems, the radar, the sonar.
We're the backbone of the ship here, Agent DiNozzo.
The brightest of the brightest under your command.
I like to think so.
Where was Seaman MacDonald in the food chain?
- He was good. - How good?
That depends on what you're comparing him to.
All right, compared to you.
I trained at MIT, MacDonald was a year out of high school.
The best IT guy in our office is 22. Harvard.
When he gets stuck, he calls his 14-year-old nephew.
- MacDonald was very good. - How very?
When he was focused, better than anyone here.
Including you?
- Including me. - Had he been focused lately?
- No. Hadn't been for a long time. - You think he offed himself, Lieutenant?
It's possible.
He was troubled. There was definitely something bothering him.
He was having a hard time adjusting to ship life.
- I suggested he get into counselling. - Was he receptive?
No, ma'am. He just wanted to talk to me.
- What were his issues? - I wouldn't get into them.
It was obvious that Seaman MacDonald was disturbed,
but I wasn't qualified, ma'am.
But you did talk to him.
As his medical corpsman, not his psychologist.
All I know is that he had this mysterious friend.
I mean, he was from here, but he wasn't here.
It didn't make any sense.
But he seemed obsessed with him.
Do you think that Russell MacDonald was capable of taking his own life?
Off the record.
Definitely not!
So, here's what we got.
A dead kid wearing dress whites for no reason,
with a sword he shouldn't have on, which is not supposed to be sharp,
at the bottom of the ocean, with weights on.
He was a brilliant but troubled computer tech
who lived at work, and had a mysterious friend.
Okay, so, given the circumstances, probably not an accidental death.
So, suicide or murder?
The CO suggests he could have killed himself.
The corpsman he confided in and his mother
are adamant he never would have.
All right. Something else to consider.
I found this in Seaman MacDonald's rack.
You know, that razor-sharp sword he was wearing?
He was teaching himself how to use it.
We found a couple more things on MacDonald's body.
He was wearing this around his neck.
It's just your average St Christopher medal.
But here's what's really odd. He had this in his pocket.
My guess is it's some sort of character charter
for a fantasy game.
What kind of game?
It looks like an MMORPG.
- MM. What? - MMORPG.
It's a massive multiplayer online role-playing game.
They're huge on the Internet.
And a character charter would be what?
It's like a character's manifesto.
His goals, moral stance, creed.
You're kidding me.
No, they really get into this stuff.
There can be, like, thousands of players on one site alone.
Well, it's comforting to know that
Russell's computer skills were being put to good use on $1 billion ship.
He's a computer geek?
Yeah, worked in the Combat Information Centre.
That is a perfect gig for a power gamer.
I mean, he was working on combat, it was just more like the medieval kind.
- Abby, are games like this violent? - Well, there's poisonings, thieveries,
stabbings, decapitations, the occasional garrotte.
I'd say that's violent.
What should we look for on his hard drive?
If he's any good, he won't leave any footprints.
So where's the evidence, if there is evidence?
Cyberspace.
Theoretically, yeah.
Can you find it?
Maybe. These gaming sites are run
by anonymous server clients in every country on the planet.
MacDonald's file didn't show any foreign language skills,
you're probably looking for something run in English.
That's good.
The machines are state-of-the-art. Think government excess.
Well, that'll eliminate the weekenders, and the lo-fi guys.
I mean, I'll give it a shot, you know.
The sword.
Yeah. What about it?
The blade has nicks in it. Contact with hard metal.
Another sword?
- It's possible. - Two sailors playing with sharp swords.
Once in a while you might miss. I'm on it.
Abby, have fun with your MMROPG.
What?
- MMORPG. - Thank you.
You're welcome.
- Can I talk to Ducky now? - Yeah.
You might wanna warn us about
what you're working on after lunch, Ducky.
Yes, I suppose gazing directly into an exposed digestive system
doesn't aid the actual process.
Not after the meal we just had.
Yes, I'm sorry about that, my friend, but sometimes gaining valuable insight
requires suffering small indignities.
I recall one case, a young woman, not much older than yourself.
She ingested a small piece of jewellery...
Ducky?
- Yes? - What have we got?
Anoxia,
sea water in the stomach, foam in the trachea.
- Classic death by drowning. - A slight haemorrhaging of the inner ear
possibly caused by this rapid shift in pressure.
Because he sank so fast.
That's correct.
Then here we have dirt.
Yes, his fingers grabbed whatever he was touching when he succumbed.
There's a good chance Abby will deduce
the dirt came from the ocean floor.
- Which means? - That Seaman MacDonald was alive
when he went into the sea.
Stainless steel blade, acid-edged and hand polished.
The fittings, guard, and pommel are 24 carat gold plated.
As late as the 1800s, a sword like this would have been used
to defend against an enemy trying to board a ship.
Only the blade would have been sharp enough to take a man's limb off.
I always liked pirate movies. Didn't you?
Not really.
Of course, today it wouldn't stand much of a chance
against a 9-mill, H and K MP5 Parabellum, would it?
- I guess you like gun movies, too? - I like all weapons, sir.
I can really appreciate that, Ensign.
Are all the officers' ceremonial swords accounted for?
Yes, sir. I checked with 32 officers, found 32 swords,
including my beauty.
We're gonna need to take a look at all of them.
Yes, sir.
So where do you think MacDonald could have acquired the sword?
The only place that would have sold them.
The Base Exchange.
- Roosevelt Roads Naval Station? - Yes, sir.
If a clerk was lax in checking I.D.'s, he could have bought one as a souvenir.
But he'd have to hide it onboard.
Why's that?
Enlisted men aren't allowed to carry weapons on ship.
That'd be insane.
- We're taking care of you, I trust. - Very nicely, Skipper.
- I didn't know the boy very well. - No one did, it seems.
He was doing some maintenance work on my computer last week.
He seemed to be in a bit of a daze.
So I had a corpsman administer a drug test.
He was clean.
The toxicology test we gave him came up negative.
What do you make of the uniform, the sword and all?
Not sure.
But we think he was involved in an online fantasy game.
Like an MMORPG?
Yeah.
My children play. A lot.
Well, we think he might have taken it a step further
and staged real fights with someone onboard.
Onboard? How would that be possible?
Well, Skipper, I'm sure you know this ship
better than anyone else under your command.
Inside and out, Agent Gibbs.
So, if you wanted to stage a sword fight with another shipmate
and not get caught...
Damage Control, in the Machine Shop, at night.
Damn! King's guards again.
Okay, I'm turning left into the dungeon
and I spy a great staff of power!
Kick their asses!
I've already surpassed the third level of the fortress
and made it into the dungeon corridor of the castle's inner stronghold.
After, of course, slaying two gnomes, a drunken dwarf, and a frenzied ogre.
Of course.
You know, this reminds me of something.
Actually, I can't think of a thing it reminds me of.
The night Seaman MacDonald died there were three laceration injuries.
Two were work-related, verified by the division officers.
- The other? - A prank gone wrong,
in front of seven witnesses.
It didn't involve a sword.
Well, there have to be injuries that don't have witnesses.
All the time, ma'am. Mostly after a liberty call.
A surprising number of shaving cuts.
Chief, it would be helpful if I could get some of the files
of any of the questionable lacerations.
- Going back how far, ma'am? - A couple of months?
I'll need a couple of hours.
I like the symmetry.
MacDonald's mystery friend
did he ever mention being afraid of him?
He only talked about him once.
It was more like Seaman MacDonald was in awe of him.
- You're a prince, Ducky. - Is that a safe occupation in this...
What is this game you're playing?
The lmmortals.
And being a prince is pretty safe.
Unless the elf sorceress invades the king's apartment
and turns you into an ogre.
Whoa! Whoa! I just dodged a flaming arrow!
Well done.
- I'm almost there, Ducky. - And where exactly is "there"?
- The innermost stronghold of the castle. - The keep.
- Yeah, see? You're catching on! - Not really.
Remember the character charter I found in the dead seaman's uniform?
The booklet?
The booklet contained his character's name, "Weylin," and his creed.
I just don't know if he was playing The lmmortals
or some other online game.
And that's what you're trying to find out?
Yeah, if I can get into the keep,
I can open a log of all characters that have played The lmmortals.
- What's that coming towards you? - It's an orc!
I just got dismembered!
Now I have to infiltrate the castle again.
Would this help, my dear?
Oh, yes.
Gibbs, good guess, MacDonald got his sword at Roosevelt Roads.
If he was sword fighting with someone, they probably bought it there, too.
- Yeah? - I found the site MacDonald frequented.
- He was playing his character, Weylin. - Like the singer?
More like the mystical half-elf warrior Weylin.
It's W-E-Y-L-l-N.
That charter we found on MacDonald's body,
it referred to his main rival, Kinvaras.
Their main mode of combat was parle.
- Abby? - Sword fighting.
And here's the big whoop.
Fine, whoop me.
The guy who plays Kinvaras logs on from the Foster.
The same ship you're on.
Who would have thought that Pong would turn to
online role-playing games?
Pong?
Yeah, the first video game.
And what are the odds of Seaman MacDonald's character...
Weylin.
- Fighting online in... - The lmmortals.
- Another seaman's character... - Kinvaras?
And both of them are on the same destroyer?
About the same as Seaman MacDonald being found
at the bottom of the sea with chains around his waist?
Sounds like something that should happen in the game.
- Beheading is more likely. - Why do they use such weird names?
When you're a computer geek invading dungeons and fighting ogres,
Jethro doesn't cut it.
Neither does Tony.
Seaman MacDonald bought an officer's sword
and was teaching himself how to use it.
I think he found out who else onboard was role-playing...
Kinvaras.
And decided to take it to the next level: Reality.
But, boss, if they both had to have swords,
chances are they bought them at the Navy Exchange in Puerto Rico.
I could helo there, make an undercover purchase of a sword,
bust the clerk, swap the bust for info on who bought the swords from the ship.
Could be there and back in 24 hours.
- Six. - Twelve.
This is not a negotiation, DiNozzo.
Six.
Damn!
This is gonna take a while.
Can I help you, Petty Officer?
What do you think?
I think they look good on you.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
- I'll take them. - Okay.
Would you like anything else?
How about a naval officer's sword?
- You know I can't sell you that. - My friend said I could get one here.
Your friend is wrong. I could get in trouble.
It's not like it's drugs or anything, it's just a stupid sword.
Well, the navy has these rules, okay? Take it up with them.
I'll pay extra.
Come on. I just want to take it home as a souvenir.
Nobody's gonna know.
- $600. - They retail for $400.
I could lose my job.
$500.
All right. All right. All right.
Thank you.
Now, look, I know you're gonna take this the wrong way but I'm NCIS.
And you've got some explaining to do.
All I want is some information. Okay? No, no, that's all I want.
Once you settle down, we're gonna be just fine.
Hey! Now listen,
you gotta love Puerto Rico.
Hey, look at these marks.
More here.
These are about two sword-lengths from the cuts in the other one.
MacDonald and Kinvaras were starting to take their game very seriously.
- We don't know that yet. - Well, I checked all the officers' swords
and there wasn't a scratch on any of them.
Abby has not concluded that the other metal that
MacDonald's sword came in contact with
came from another sword.
Then why did you send Tony to Puerto Rico?
It's called being thorough. Hunches do not hold up in court.
Well, it's not just a hunch.
Two people stated that he wasn't prone to suicide.
- Why are you pushing this, Kate? - Because it makes sense.
- He's Catholic. - And so are you.
You cannot let personal situations colour your judgement.
I don't. But you hired me because of my knowledge
and my experience.
You've never seen how a suicide can tear up a Catholic family.
They take it very seriously.
Somehow I don't think this guy's the catechism type.
He was wearing a St Christopher medal
when they found him.
Even the most hardened criminals wouldn't cross that line.
It's part of the culture.
Yeah. Gibbs.
Hey, it's me.
Hey, your ears must have been burning.
Better not be from the tropical sun.
Here's what I have.
Hang on. The reception's not good here.
Let me see if I can get to a better spot.
It's DiNozzo. I'm gonna go up top, see if I can get a better signal.
The Base Exchange was selling swords to enlisted.
One was definitely to Seaman MacDonald.
There were three other seamen
who illegally bought officer swords.
And I've got their descriptions.
Okay, where are you?
I'm waiting for my helo to arrive. It's gonna be a couple hours, though.
Hey! What is that?
It's music, Gibbs.
Don't be so paranoid.
You know I'm a professional.
Yeah! This one matches the description Tony gave us.
The name's not on the list of suspicious injuries at sick bay.
How many people on this boat?
This ship has 323 enlisted, 32 officers.
You're lucky this isn't an aircraft carrier.
- What? - Petty Officer Ronald Zuger
cut his arm on a plate-glass window last month.
Only there were no glass shards in the wound.
- Matches the description? - To a tee. Guess where he works?
Lmpressive swordsmanship.
Killed anyone else lately?
The last time I looked there was nothing in the UCMJ
about virtual homicide, sir.
- You're not under arrest. - Then why am I here, sir?
Well, for starters, there's a little matter of misappropriation
of government property.
- Everyone in CIC plays online a little. - Well, here's a flash.
They don't give you guys top-notch equipment
so you can have a better gaming experience.
Well, they wouldn't have top-notch equipment if it weren't for guys like me.
Guys like you and Seaman MacDonald?
Okay, what came first,
the online chicken or the CIC egg?
I didn't know he was onboard for a long time.
Must have been quite a shock.
Actually we had a pretty good laugh over it.
He's not laughing now.
Is he?
Yes!
- NCIS. - That's very official.
Gibbs isn't answering his phone. Where is he?
Having a talk with Kinvaras.
Well, if he's anywhere near as whacked out as his rival,
tell Gibbs to watch his neck.
You got into MacDonald's diary?
I did.
This guy had diarrhoea of the keyboard.
It's going to take me a while to get through it.
I'll do it. I want to.
Cool.
Seaman MacDonald saw you as some sort of authority figure.
I outranked him, sir.
- That's not what I mean. - I didn't kill him, sir!
Okay. Have you ever killed him?
In the game?
Sure.
Kinvaras has beheaded Weylin lots of times.
You were better than him.
Lots better.
Pissed him off.
Is that when you decided to fight for real?
- I never said we fought for real, sir. - Tony!
I found this hidden in your rack, amigo.
It won't take long for the crime lab to match up the metals.
Look, it was his idea. Take the game to the next level.
I thought it was kind of cool at the time!
- Until you got cut. - Yes, sir.
That frighten you, Zuger?
When you found out that MacDonald was playing for real?
Kinvaras is never frightened.
And I've never quite known what Weylin was thinking.
Where were you the night that MacDonald went overboard?
I was helping a friend with a computer problem
most of the night.
Big problem.
Huge, sir.
I'm constantly being scrutinised by the crew.
Every move I make is monitored by calculating eyes.
I'm sure at this point they're in allegiance with Kinvaras.
I can't let them know I'm onto them.
The element of surprise
will be a great advantage for my final triumph.
Petty Officer Zuger said he was helping you
the night Seaman MacDonald went over. Is that true?
In a way.
Are you gonna help me out here, Petty Officer Carnahan?
I've been downloading a lot of stuff off the Internet onto my PC.
Porn?
I was pretty sure my CO was suspicious, so I hired Zuger.
- He cleaned out the hard drive. - A considerable amount to clean out.
I have a lot of free time on my hands, sir.
As I thought. Abby matched
the dirt lodged under Seaman MacDonald's fingernails
with the sedimentary composition of the ocean floor.
Any signs the suspect had a dance partner before he went over?
There were abrasions on his hands.
No sign of a struggle?
No. The only bruising I could see is where the chain was attached.
No, I'm afraid the only struggle this poor fellow endured
was the one to breathe when he hit the bottom.
Okay, thanks.
I wish I could say it was my pleasure.
From what I hear,
the afterlife could be a vast improvement
for a young man so troubled.
You know, there's a great book I should send you...
Gotta go, Duck.
There are no signs the victim struggled
and our only suspect has an iron-clad alibi.
- Sure looks like a suicide to me. - I don't think it's that simple.
You are letting your personal experience
get in the way here.
No, I'm not talking about his religious morals.
Okay, I've been reading this diary for hours
and MacDonald gives no indication of an intent to kill himself.
- Just the opposite, in fact. - Go on.
MacDonald seems resolved to continue his battle with Kinvaras
after he leaves the ship.
So why would a man so intent on his mission
no matter how deranged, off himself and end it?
- What else is in his diary? - I'm on the last entry right now.
Get me Petty Officer Zuger's records now.
I'm on it.
I need Petty Officer Zuger's records, please. I'll hold.
What?
Aren't you the least bit interested to know what I brought you back
- from Puerto Rico? - No.
- Listen to this. - Hey, yeah.
MacDonald says that after he makes his escape
he'll destroy his enemies by releasing a great plague against the realm
as the sun sets beneath the next full moon.
- File's on the way. - Plague?
Plague.
Yeah, here it is.
MacDonald had applied for the NBC programme.
Nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Passed the physical, flunked the psych.
So what's the realm he's talking about?
I think it's the Foster.
MacDonald was convinced that the crew was aiding his enemy.
He's gonna set a bio bomb off on this ship.
- Tell me it's not a full moon tonight. - Sorry, boss.
- What time does the sun set? - 23:37 Zulu.
- About an hour from now. - Get Zuger in front of this computer
and see if he can find out anything about MacDonald
or a bio weapon in that game site.
Navy ships do not carry bio-chemical weapons
nor would they have the material to make one.
Contact Reynolds at Homeland Security.
He'll know if there's anything unaccounted for in this region.
- Where's the captain? - In a staff meeting.
Hey, you can't go in there!
Skipper, I have reason to believe a bomb, possibly containing a bio agent
is set to detonate aboard this ship by sunset.
- How real do you think that threat is? - Very real.
- Sound general quarters. - Yes, sir.
Deploy the flying squad. Start with the ventilation systems
and alert sick bay of the situation and have them stand by.
Aye, aye, sir.
General quarters! General quarters!
All hands, man your stations. Stand by for further.
General quarters! General quarters!
What are you doing, sir?
Do you know anything about a bomb aboard this ship?
What?
Did MacDonald ever talk about delivering a virus aboard the Foster?
No! I don't think so.
Let's get on your site now!
I wanna know if there's even the slightest clue
about MacDonald setting off any kind of bio bomb aboard this ship.
Reynolds says there's no known material missing
but the intel's soft. They'll continue to check.
Stay on him every five minutes.
Well, he expressly told me to wait for his call.
I expressly don't give a damn. Ride his ass.
Die, Kinvaras! Die!
No! He can't do this!
- What's going on? - I'm not sure.
Weylin hacked me. And Kinvaras is gone.
Is MacDonald covering his tracks?
You listen to me very closely.
There's a good chance that a bio bomb is going off on this ship by sunset.
Right now, you're the best shot we've got to find it.
You give me answers
or I will make sure you're the last one in line on the evac.
Did MacDonald even hint, in any way, of taking out this crew?
No, sir. Nothing.
Go over MacDonald's diary again. Maybe we missed something.
I want to know every detail that happened between you and MacDonald.
Skipper, the hospitals in Raleigh are on standby
and the helos from the Washington and the Bryan are on their way.
We've got a little more than 20 minutes, Zuger.
What is it you're not telling me?
Do you want the crew of this ship to die?
He was crazy, you know. He really thought he was immortal!
He thought you were Kinvaras, didn't he?
That's why you fought with real swords.
I thought we were just playing the game. And then he tried to kill me.
- So you killed him? - No! I just...
- I just challenged him! - Challenged him to what?
To go UA. Like he was always talking about!
I told him to take his sword and swim to shore!
Why was he wearing weights if he was gonna swim?
Why did he have weights chained to his waist?
I told him that was the only way he could prove to me he was immortal.
Why would you let him do that?
To win the game.
This isn't helping us.
- Anything else in those diaries? - I've been over them twice.
Well, go over them again, Kate!
Nothing yet, sir, and it's almost sunset.
Have Agent Gibbs report to my sea cabin now.
I'm missing something. I know I am. How much time?
A little over five minutes.
This stuff MacDonald said about cutting off the head
so the body will die.
I mean, we're assuming that is part of setting up
a "plague against the realm."
But what if it meant two separate things?
Okay.
Zuger's website and his character were destroyed.
And the plague against the realm
could simply be referring to a computer virus.
Leaving "cutting off the head" as another threat.
Exactly.
And MacDonald was sure that the crew was aligned with his enemy.
He made it clear he was just as threatened with them
as he was with Kinvaras.
So he's talking about the crew
when he refers to cutting off the head so the body will die.
- That's what I'm thinking. - Who's the head of the crew?
My ship is in chaos because of your hunch, Agent Gibbs.
I'd characterise it more as a deduction, Skipper.
Whatever the hell it is, it's pretty damn flimsy.
I appreciate that. It's all we have to go on.
The seaman's mental attitude is...
Is there some kind of NCIS protocol...
It's not the boat!
- It's a ship. - It's the skipper.
Where are you about this time every day, sir?
- I don't see what that has to do... - Just answer the question, sir!
- Here. Every day I send a... - We gotta go, now!
- Go! Go! Go! Go! - What the hell?
You all right?
- Are you okay? - Yes.
I'm finding this very hard to understand, Abby.
Where did I lose you?
I think somewhere around the part about Weylin and Kinvaras.
- Okay. Seaman MacDonald was Weylin. - Got that.
And Petty Officer Zuger was Kinvaras.
Yes, I remember that 'cause it sounds a lot like Canaris.
- What? - A German navy admiral, World War II.
Okay. Whatever works for you.
So we've got MacDonald, Weylin,
and Zuger, Kinvaras, battling online in The lmmortals game.
Zuger always wins,
so MacDonald challenges him to a fight, like, for real.
And they both buy officers' swords at the Navy Exchange in Puerto Rico.
But they were enlisted.
Let's say they bought their commissions.
That was done at one time, you know.
So they're sword fighting and MacDonald wins.
He cuts Zuger. Zuger gets pissed, and he goes back to the one thing that
he knows he can beat MacDonald at.
The lmmortals.
Yes and no.
Zuger realises that MacDonald has tripped out
and thought he really was Weylin.
So Zuger challenges him to prove it.
MacDonald puts weights around his waist
jumps ship, and tries to walk across the bottom of the bay to dry land.
You know, Abby,
sometimes the dead make more sense to me than the living.
Me, too.
You all right?
I just can't get over how the line between reality and fantasy
was so blurred for Seaman MacDonald.
For him, destroying Zuger's website
was every bit as real and violent as trying to kill the skipper.
I'm so glad my parents pushed me into sports in high school.
Aren't you interested at all in what I brought you back from Puerto Rico?
- Sure. - All right.
- You've gotta be kidding. - It's a bikini. Two-piece.
A bottom.
- And a hat? - Puerto Rican.
Any chance you're gonna try that on?
You first.
- Trust me, not gonna fit. - Pigs. I work with pigs.
It's a fantasy RPG book,
complete with character sheets and dice.
Baby steps, Gibbs, baby steps.
- It's in Spanish. - There's just no pleasing you, is there?