04x07 - The Accident
Posted: 07/16/21 08:00
(indistinct shouting
and laughing)
(marching band playing)
State's gonna crush 'em.
I still can't believe
you got tickets.
Promised you I would, son.
Just took a little longer
than I hoped.
Come on.
Come on!
We're okay, Dad.
Don't worry about it.
It's my fault.
We should have left earlier.
Dad, really, it's okay.
Dad?
No!
Dad! Dad! Dad!
(g*n cocks)
What are you doing?!
No, stop!
Hey!
Dad!
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ How, how, how, how ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ You gotta come on. ♪
LASALLE: sh**t's a gunner's
mate out of Belle Chasse, King.
Witnesses say he just started
sh**ting for no reason.
All went down pretty fast.
Sebastian.
How's the boy?
He's still in shock,
poor guy.
LASALLE: No. Doc's here
doing her prelim now.
We'll canvass the scene,
see you when you get here.
Pride and Gregorio
are on their way.
Yeah, well,
so is the boy's mom.
I didn't even really know
what to say to him, you know?
It's not really something
they go over in training.
Yeah. It's the toughest
part of the job,
talking to survivors
and loved ones.
Best thing we can do
is find some answers
and figure out
what happened.
Yeah, well, what happened
seems pretty clear.
I mean, his dad just lost it
and snapped.
Any idea what
triggered it?
Not enough to make him
do what he did.
Eddie, his son, said that he
was agitated by the traffic
and then just
started sh**ting.
Well, that doesn't
make sense.
People just don't
suddenly snap
and start sh**ting
for no reason.
Based on the amount
of blood loss,
I'd say at least one of
the security guard's b*ll*ts
severed Mr. Ridley's aorta.
Died instantly?
Yeah.
Lucky he's the only one who did,
sh**ting like that
in a crowded area.
You know what caused it?
Meds, hallucinogens, alcohol?
There's no obvious outward sign.
I'll run the tox screen
when I get back.
However,
there is one
curious thing.
It's a recent incision,
still healing.
Could indicate Mr. Ridley had
some kind of brain surgery.
I'll know more when
I get him on my table.
(phone chirps)
LASALLE:
Oh, man.
Everything all right?
King just texted.
He and Gregorio are taking
a detour to Ochsner Medical.
Wait, what? Why?
Patton's been in an accident.
I'm okay. It's
no big deal.
(gasps)
Aye, ya.
I just misjudged the landing
a little, that's all.
Landing? What landing, Patton?
What were you doing?
Okay. Doctor wants you
back in a week or so,
to get the stitches removed.
I'll go get your
discharge papers.
Thank you.
GREGORIO:
Hello.
Somebody want to tell me
what's going on?
You might as well tell her
before she kicks your butt.
That's exactly what I'm afraid's
gonna happen if I do tell her.
Tell me what?
Every once in a while,
I like to do
a little paragliding.
Paragliding?
Wait. You mean like with the
parachute when you drop
from the sky? You're
kidding me. He's kidding.
See, that's why I
didn't want to tell her.
Bound to find out
sooner or later.
Wait. And you're
okay with this?
Are you two out of your minds?
You could have gotten k*lled.
Relax. Okay?
Relax?
Look, I've been doing stuff
like this my whole life.
I ain't gonna stop now
'cause I use a chair.
I know what I'm doing.
Yeah, clearly. Do me a favor,
talk some sense
into him, please.
Lost that battle years ago.
Ugh.
Still, neither of us are
as young as we used to be.
Might want to consider that,
if nothing else.
PATTON:
Oh, boy.
Hey, Patton.
Marlene.
Sorry. I just wanted
to make sure you're okay.
I was worried about you.
Marlene Bell, Tammy Gregorio,
Dwayne Pride.
These are my coworkers.
Hey.
MARLENE: Hello.
PATTON: Marlene runs the paragliding business.
She probably worried she's about
to lose her best customer.
That's not true,
and you know it.
Don't worry.
I'm gonna be up and flying
in no time.
Oh, that's a great idea.
Maybe next time you'll crack
that thick skull of yours open.
Just her way of caring.
She's from New York. (phone chimes)
Yeah. Well, it doesn't mean
she's not making sense.
Just saying. Oh,
I got to get back
to the squad room, catch up
on the case. Are you good?
Absolutely. Let's get to work.
No, no, no.
You're gonna go home and
get some rest, Patton.
Doctor's orders.
Mine, too.
Nice to meet you.
You, too.
(scoffs)
How's Patton doing?
Is he okay?
Don't even start with me.
She's upset.
She didn't know that Patton
was a paraglider.
Oh, yeah. But he doesn't
just paraglide.
He asked me to go bungee jumping
with him once.
Yeah. But I was like,
“How about instead of that,
I just, you know, stay alive?”
Okay, what's the deal?
Why does he do this?
SEBASTIAN: Honestly,
I-I think it's really cool.
For him, at least,
you know?
He-he won't let
the chair hold him back.
No, but there's got to be
something more to it
than that because he said he's
been doing it his whole life.
So most people thrill-seek
for fun, some to run.
I mean, why does Patton do it?
It's probably better if we stick
to our dead sailor first.
PRIDE: Yeah.
Just got off the phone
with his Navy shrink.
Any idea what
made him snap?
Said he suffered from PTSS,
but he said he's been
making remarkable progress
for a while now.
Even volunteered
for research studies
to help those
afflicted by it.
Well, something had
to have triggered him
to go off like that.
Question is: what?
Doc Wade might have
found the answer.
So it turns out that Ridley did,
in fact, have brain surgery
not too long ago, but it wasn't
to fix something,
it was to implant something.
What is that?
I think that it's
a neural interface.
Yeah. Okay, so follow me
on this, all right?
Elon Musk, Google, Apple,
they've all been
upping their research
into wizard hats,
as they're known.
Blending brains and computers.
It's pretty cutting-edge stuff.
Pretty creepy, too.
What's it supposed to do?
Well, I think that this one
was designed to stimulate
targeted areas
of the brain
with electrical pulses.
Kind of like what they've
been trying to do recently
to control Parkinson's
or epilepsy.
Or PTSS?
Yeah. I think
this could be the research study
that he was involved with.
A little zap
to the limbic center
when anger or depression hits
could just stabilize the subject
without the messy side effects
of pharmaceuticals.
Still, messing
with people's brains is
a slippery slope.
Especially if something goes wrong.
It's hard to believe that's
not what triggered things.
Yeah, which means we need to
find out who put that thing
in his head now.
Well, one step
ahead of you.
So, there's only one lab
in all of Louisiana
that's got pre-market approval
from the FDA
to carry out
this type of research.
BioResearch Institute
of New Orleans.
PRIDE:
All right.
You and I are gonna
pay them a visit.
Chris, you and Gregorio find out
anything and everything you can
about the institute.
Oh, hey, wait, we're just
going to a lab, right?
I don't need to bring my g*n.
Well, if you're sure that
the sailor's death
was an accident.
I'm gonna bring my g*n.
(trolley bell ringing)
Dr. Yoon?
These are federal agents.
They're here to see you.
They say it's important.
Uh...
Anna.
Dwayne.
Oh, I've got this, thanks.
It's been so long.
Too long.
Thought you were still
at Naval Research.
I was, that is until DoD
approved my project.
Which, I'm assuming,
is why you're here.
I heard about Gabriel,
we're trying to figure out
what happened.
Uh...
Sorry.
Forensic Agent Lund,
he works with me.
Dr. Anna Yoon.
Hi. Nice to meet you.
Hi.
Uh, where do I know
your name from?
Anna used to be married
to Patton.
SEBASTIAN:
Oh. Okay, yeah.
That-- okay.
That Anna Yoon.
Yup, one and the same.
Anyway...
the implant is yours?
The entire project is mine.
Excuse me, Anna,
but, uh, Max thinks
he might've found something.
Okay, I'll be
right there, thanks.
That's Dr. Lyons,
he's chief surgeon
of the clinical trial.
What do you think went wrong?
That's the thing,
we don't know.
Here, come, follow me.
It's not exactly a new science.
Deep brain stimulation
has been used for years
without any problems.
SEBASTIAN:
Well, except, and, you know,
correct me if I'm wrong,
that was before you were
implanting devices
directly into
people's brains.
Well, that's the point
of a clinical trial.
In success, DBS
allows us to modulate
overly aggressive
and violent behavior
so that we can regulate and
calm the patient immediately.
No disrespect,
but controlling people's brains
from a computer...
We are not controlling,
we are just monitoring;
giving low-level stimuli
when necessary.
This could be the biggest
breakthrough in mental health
in years, Dwayne,
especially for vets.
Which is why the DoD
is so excited about it.
MAX:
Dr. Yoon?
I think we might
have a problem.
Wait, is that Gabriel Ridley?
MAX:
Yeah. Right before he died.
That's impossible.
Why, what is it?
That's Ridley's
prefrontal cortex, right?
The amygdala? It's where
aggressive behavior forms.
Except it's intensified
instead of reduced.
How did that happen?
Who did this, Max?
Nobody from here. I...
I think we've been hacked.
All right!
Triple P is in the house
and ready to rock.
Aren't you supposed to
be resting?
Oh, come on, I ain't a resting
kind of guy. Besides,
Pride texted me, said he needed
me to trace down a hacker,
so let's get the show
on the road.
King happen to mention
the hacking involves
one of your ex-wives?
Oh, no, which one? Theresa?
Uh, no.
Jasmine?
Afraid not.
Anna?
I'm out of here.
Where you going?
Nah, I ain't doing this.
I know Pride didn't do me that.
Check this out, BioResearch
turned down three competitors
in the last year alone who
offered millions of dollars
to buy the DBS project.
Well, I'm not surprised,
especially with all
the heavy hitters
Sebastian said that are
interested in these wizard hats,
or whatever it is
they call them.
Cute name, scary technology.
You got that right.
I mean, hacking into cars
and computers is one thing,
but now brains?
Hey, you think one
of the competitors
didn't take no for an answer?
Like, maybe they tried
to sabotage the project?
Well, all the more reason for us
to try and trace the hack,
see where it leads.
Problem is,
we can deep-dive into company
records all we want, but...
Without Patton's help,
we're grasping at straws.
- He's full of surprises, isn't he?
- Patton?
He likes to keep
his private life private.
Doesn't really talk
about it much.
No, he doesn't talk
about it at all.
I've been working here
for, what, over a year now.
I've never heard about these
crazy stunts and ex-wives.
I mean, that's
just... weird.
Yeah.
It's understandable though.
Tough times Patton went through
when he and Anna divorced.
What's it been?
Uh, about six years now?
Six years. That's when Patton
had his accident, right?
Became paralyzed?
Yeah, like I said, tough times.
Fortunately for P,
Pride gave him a fresh start.
He joined NCIS
and he's never looked back.
Yeah, well, never looking back
is one thing.
Completely avoiding it
is a whole different deal.
I mean, you saw how
fast he took off
at just the mention
of Anna's name.
Something's
still going on there.
Well, hopefully King
can talk him through it,
'cause we need Patton
to find this hacker.
(beeping)
Oh, good, you guys are there.
I think I found something.
Like what, a prop
from Back to the Future?
Oh, right. I totally forgot.
Although, actually,
you know, Doc Brown
is sort of a personal hero
of mine.
No, uh, Anna was about
to show me a virtual demo
on how DBS works,
but, more importantly,
I think I found a suspect.
Lieutenant Krista Vreeland.
She was a test subject here,
until a couple weeks ago,
when she suddenly just
quit the trial.
Anna said she was
pretty pissed, too.
Did she say why?
Only that she thought
the treatment
wasn't working for her.
She started acting erratically
and then
just refused to come back.
You thinking maybe
a grudge?
That sounds like a good
enough motive for me.
We'll check it out.
Hey, Sebastian, good work.
Keep digging, but
don't fry your brain.
Too late. Just kidding.
I hope.
(elevator bell dings)
(Patton grunting softly)
Not gonna lie.
I wasn't sure you'd
even buzz me up.
I figured if I didn't,
you'd keep dogging me.
And I don't have time
for no lecture.
Should you be lifting weights?
I shouldn't be doing a lot of
things, according to most folks,
but that's not gonna keep me
from doing what I do.
I heard that you were...
pretty upset when you
found out about Anna
being involved in the case.
You should have told me, so I
wouldn't be caught off guard.
I didn't want to tell you
in a text.
And I had no idea you'd
be in such a hurry
to get back into
the office, either.
You call, I'm there.
You know that.
Patton,
it's me, okay?
Let's just talk about this.
Pride,
I don't want to talk,
especially about her.
Not now, not ever.
And I'd think you'd know that
better than anybody!
I do. But I also know that,
sooner or later,
you're gonna need
to talk about it
for your own sake.
But that's not why I'm here.
I need you on this case.
A young boy lost
his father yesterday
because somebody hacked
into Anna's project,
and you're the only one
who can help find out
who might have done it
and why.
I'm sorry.
I know this is hard for you.
And I wouldn't be asking
if I had any other choice,
but I don't think I can
do it without you.
Sometimes it sucks
being so good at what I do.
(Patton scoffs)
Let me hit the shower.
(indistinct chatter)
Lieutenant Vreeland?
Special Agents Lasalle
and Gregorio.
Will you stop the treadmill
for us, please?
What's this about?
(treadmill beeps)
We're NCIS,
Lieutenant.
When we say stop,
you stop.
Besides,
he said “please.”
I'm sorry, it's just when
I get my adrenaline going...
I take my exercise
very seriously, that's all.
Yeah, well, we
take the m*rder
of a sailor very seriously
as well.
m*rder? I don't
understand.
Step over here, please.
The DBS clinical trial--
why did you quit?
How do you know
about that?
LASALLE: Just answer
the question.
Hey, look, we're not trying
to piss you off, Lieutenant.
We just want some answers,
all right?
So take a deep breath
and tell us
what you know.
I didn't want to quit.
Frankly, DBS was the best thing
that ever happened to me
after... this.
Okay. So why did you
quit the trial?
Because of Max.
He's a tech specialist
at BioResearch.
We started dating,
and then I broke it off,
and he didn't like that.
Okay, so what does that
have to do with...
Max started posting terrible
things about me online,
making me look like a slut.
He was trying
to piss me off.
But not just with
the posts, either--
with that thing that
they put in my head.
What do you mean?
The implant?
Are you saying that he used it
to somehow manipulate you?
I know he was.
I don't deny I have
anger issues. Okay?
But nothing close to the rage
I felt every time
he posted about me.
I can't explain it,
but it was like a switch
had gone off,
and I could barely control it.
That's why I quit
the program.
And that's why I'm getting
this thing taken out
as soon as possible.
Okay.
Well, you can go, for now.
Thanks.
(sighs)
What do you think?
Think she sounds more
like victim than suspect.
Yeah. Which means
it's possible
this Max guy's trying
to do the same thing
to the lieutenant
he did to our sailor.
Pretty good way
to sabotage the program.
Plus, two deaths
are better than one.
PRIDE: All right,
we're at the institute now.
I'll talk to Max. Meanwhile,
you and Chris find out
everything you can about him,
especially a motive.
They might be onto something.
Oh, good, then let's go.
Wait, wait,
wait, wait, no.
Hold on, hold on, you're
not going anywhere.
Need proof on whoever's
doing the hacking.
Only you can get it.
Okay, all right, I'm good.
You sure?
Absolutely. Let's do this.
Okay, 'cause
here she comes.
What? Where?
God, she is beautiful.
Damn her!
Not about Anna,
it's about the case.
Right, it's about the case.
Hello, Patton.
How are you doing?
I'm just here for the case.
I-I mean,
that's not what I mean.
I mean, it is what I mean,
but... (sighs)
Anna, you look great.
Thank you.
Um, where's
the mainframe?
I got a hacker
to catch.
Oh, uh, your associate,
Sebastian,
is working on it upstairs
with Dr. Lyons.
The elevator's
over there.
Okay, well, that's
the way I'm headed.
Excuse me.
He's still mad at me,
isn't he?
I don't know.
And not for me to say.
I think you just did.
Listen, we, um...
might have a suspect.
Krista?
Your tech specialist--
Max Cahill.
Max? Are you sure?
- Is he here?
- Actually, no.
He called in sick.
Pride, I think you better
get up here fast.
ANNA: What's wrong?
We're locked out.
Wait a minute,
that's impossible.
Well, we tried to identify
the IP address of the hacker.
We used data analytics...
PATTON: That was
your first mistake.
Probably what triggered
the reaction.
What reaction?
PATTON: From the hacker.
He knows we're
looking for him,
so he sent a virus to infect
the entire system.
And now we can't monitor
or control
any of our test patients.
PRIDE: Hold on.
How many more are there?
Five.
PATTON:
Which potentially means
five walking time bombs.
Where are we
with Max Cahill?
Uh, nowhere good,
I'm afraid.
Put a BOLO out,
but so far, there's
no sign of him.
Did you try tracking
his car or his cell?
Tapped into the GPS
on both.
They're either inoperable
or they've both been disabled.
Which could mean Cahill
doesn't want to be found.
Still, what's his motive?
I get possibly one: to hurt
the lieutenant for jilting him,
but why Gabriel Ridley?
This might be why.
Three weeks ago, Max supposedly
got a research grant
for grand
from a group called
the Elmshorn Foundation.
A grant for what?
That's the thing--
I can't find out.
There is no record of the
organization even existing.
You thinking maybe
it's a payoff
by somebody wanting Max
to sabotage Anna's project?
It would certainly
explain why he att*cked
both the lieutenant
and Ridley.
And why he locked out
the institute,
put all their other
patients at risk.
One's still at risk
for sure.
Just got off the phone
with Sebastian.
He and Dr. Lyons
were able to contact
every other test patient
and bring them in.
All except for
Lieutenant Vreeland.
They can't find her anywhere.
No Max, no Krista--
that can't be good.
PRIDE:
Keep looking for Max,
and keep trying to figure out
where that money
really came from.
You're gonna try
and find Krista?
Hopefully before Max does.
Come on, Christopher, let's go.
Fill in Patton and Anna
when they get here.
Uh, what do you mean?
Wait, Th-they're coming here?
Well, the institute computers
were compromised,
so Patton wants to try
and take back control
with his own gear.
With Anna? Like,
are they getting along?
Too soon to tell.
GREGORIO:
Okay.
I don't need that drama.
I'm busy.
(horn honks, tires screeching)
ANNA: You're gonna get us
both k*lled.
Will you please slow down?
(horn honking)
ANNA: Watch out!
For God sakes, please.
Not to worry, Triple P
is completely in control.
I see you're still referring
to yourself in third person
with that stupid nickname.
Wait, hold on, you used to
like that stupid nickname.
You said it was
one of my lovable quirks.
I never said that.
You must be confusing me
with someone else.
I ain't been with
nobody else since you.
You just not remembering right.
I remember you drive
like a maniac.
What happened to your arm?
Oh, you don't even want to know.
(tires screeching)
Patton!
We're here.
(engine turns off)
Oh, boy.
MARLENE:
Hey, Patton!
Hey, Marlene.
Hey.
I was passing by.
I knew you worked here,
so I thought
I'd drop your gear off.
Um...
How's the arm?
Good enough to go paragliding
again soon, I hope.
Paragliding? Really?
Is that how you hurt your arm?
Unbelievable.
Ex-wife, enough said.
(clears throat)
Thank you.
Oh, hey.
You must be Dr. Yoon.
I'm Agent Gregorio, Tammy.
Anna, nice to meet you.
You, too.
Where's Patton?
- Well, uh...
- Follow me.
Let's get to work.
No need to explain.
I've got an ex, too.
Yeah? Any tips?
Yeah.
Well, I just arrested mine
and threw his sorry ass in jail,
so probably not.
(chuckles)
Is he, uh, doing okay?
Patton?
Are you kidding?
Yeah, he's great.
Like one big happy family.
I'm so glad to hear that.
Yeah.
So his office is that way?
Straight through the courtyard,
can't miss it.
Thanks.
Wish me luck.
(chuckles)
Lieutenant Vreeland,
federal agents.
(quietly):
Chris, take the back.
Clear.
LASALLE: Looks like the place
has been ransacked.
More like trashed
than ransacked.
Too many broken things.
Yeah, somebody had to be
pretty out of control
to do this much damage.
Think it has to do
with her implant?
Fits the profile, unfortunately.
Especially if somebody's
trying to do to her
what they did to Ridley.
LASALLE:
Man, I don't get it.
I don't care how much so-called
potential this thing has,
messing with people's minds
is just wrong.
That's what they said
about heart transplants
when they came out;
now, look at all the folks
it's helped.
Progress isn't
always pretty.
Yeah, well, not pretty's
one thing,
(keys rattle)
but dangerous is another.
King, might be her cell.
Looks like she got a text
from Max an hour ago.
“Please let me apologize.”
Well, it doesn't exactly
sound like
somebody trying to hurt her.
LASALLE:
Doesn't mean the lieutenant
doesn't want to hurt him,
though.
Maybe Max's
cyberbullying went too far
for her.
Well, it doesn't make sense.
If Max is behind all this,
why taunt her,
then trigger the DBS
to make her violent,
and then ask to meet?
LASALLE:
Yeah, putting himself
in harm's way,
it doesn't add up.
Either way, we got to find her
and stop her
before it's too late.
Man, I done tried everything.
Whoever locked you out
the project,
they know what they're doing.
Well, it has to be Max, he's the
one who programmed the software.
Got to be a compiler backdoor.
He has to have a remote way in
if he's trying to hurt people.
You ever change
your default password?
I assume you change
your passwords regularly
like I taught you to.
Yeah, just not every week.
Wait, I never said
“every week.”
Maybe every other week.
Your first password,
do you even remember it?
“Claudia .”
Who's that? I don't remember
no Claudia being in your family.
Claudia's my daughter.
“ / ” is her birthday.
Whoa.
Okay.
I didn't know.
I mean, you know,
'cause you're not
wearing a ring.
Yeah, well, I'm not married.
Not anymore, anyway.
I hope I'm a better mother
than I was a wife.
True that.
What is that supposed to mean?
Nothing, never mind.
No, you said it,
I want to know what
you meant by that.
It didn't mean anything.
Fine, just bury your head in
the sand like you always do.
Wait, whoa, say what?,
Or, better yet,
why don't you go skydiving
or-or paragliding,
or why don't you race your boat
too damn fast?
See? That's cold. I thought
we didn't want to go there.
No, you don't want to go there.
You never want to go there.
You just want to
keep blaming me
'cause it's easier
than looking at yourself
in the mirror.
I don't want to talk about it!
You never want to talk about it.
That's the problem!
That's our problem.
You never wanted to
talk about anything.
You just want to keep
running, and denying,
and blaming everything on me,
but it's not fair.
I'm not the one
who put you in the chair,
you did.
Sorry to interrupt.
Uh, but Pride needs you, Patton.
PRIDE: Patton, you get into
the DBS program yet?
I'm still trying.
Running out of time here.
Well, I would've been in by now
if I didn't have these
few distractions.
(Patton typing)
I'm in. What do you need?
I need you to shut it down.
Krista's about to meet Max
at a coffee shop
in the Quarter,
and we have to get to her
before she does
something she regrets.
Krista.
Somebody's triggering her limbic
system, it's off the charts.
What does that mean?
It means you have to
shut it down, fast!
Or she's gonna hurt somebody.
(siren wailing)
(siren chirps, stops)
(woman screaming)
Get out of the way!
Out of the way!
NCIS, don't move.
It's Max.
What have I done?
(indistinct radio chatter)
LASALLE:
How is she?
Still doesn't remember
what happened.
Doesn't even remember
coming here to meet Max
in the first place.
(siren chirps)
How is that possible?
Blackout, maybe,
blinded by rage.
Krista says it's
happened before.
Well, it doesn't look
good for her, King.
It's gonna be hard to prove
that someone triggered her
to be violent,
especially if that somebody
turns out to be
the victim.
Unless it wasn't Max
who triggered her.
Like you said before,
doesn't add up.
It's too neat.
Max taunted her,
I know, but if all he was
really trying to do
was sabotage Anna's project...
You think someone's
trying to set them both up?
Hoping to make Max
look like the fall guy
so we'd stop
investigating?
I think we need to
find that out.
Blunt force trauma.
I'd say at least three or four
strikes and powerful ones, too.
I found skull fragments
deep in the corpus callosum
of his brain.
That sounds pretty violent.
Very. And, yes,
overstimulating anybody's
limbic region,
even artificially,
could make someone
strong enough to do this.
LASALLE:
Doesn't exactly let
Lieutenant Vreeland
off the hook, does it?
No, but this might.
I just checked the m*rder w*apon
for prints, didn't find any.
You mean you didn't find
the lieutenant's?
No, I mean I didn't find
anyone's prints. Nada, nothing.
There's clearly blood where
there should be fingerprints,
but instead of loops and whorls,
all I found
was trace evidence of latex.
k*ller was wearing gloves.
But Krista wasn't.
SEBASTIAN: Right, plus,
the size and shape
of the blood spatter
on the lieutenant's clothes
doesn't match the downward force
she would've had to use
to hit Max with.
So you are certain
she's not the k*ller.
%.
That means Dwayne was right,
Lieutenant Vreeland
was being set up.
Which means so is Max.
Question is: by who?
SEBASTIAN: Hopefully
Patton's found something.
Hey.
You okay?
Yeah, yeah, of course.
I'm still trying to
backtrace the hacker.
So far, looks like
all roads lead to Max.
Doesn't mean somebody didn't
set him up, though, right?
Like Pride thinks?
Yeah, well, it's
a pretty elaborate setup
if somebody did.
Expensive, too,
if that same someone
planted grand
in Max's bank account
to make it look even worse for him.
Yeah.
You know what?
I'm gonna see if I can trace it.
No, I got it.
Don't worry, it's no problem.
Patton?
Can you stop?
I'm not gonna pretend
that I didn't hear
what you and Anna
were arguing about.
Obviously,
she's pretty pissed at me.
I can't say I blame her.
No, but you can
talk to her.
Come on, you know
how long it took
before I finally faced my ex,
figured out what I'd been
running from all those years.
Only wish I'd done it sooner.
Gregorio,
it's easier said than done.
No, I know, baby,
but I'm telling you,
now that I'm on
the other side of it,
I feel... free.
And it might be freeing
for Anna, too.
How much did you
overhear anyway?
Oh, not a lot.
Just enough to know that I don't
want you to get hurt anymore.
And I'm not just
talking about your arm.
I got Max, you
go get Anna.
Get out of here.
Don't be scared.
(gasps, sighs)
Patton...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean
to scare you.
That happens a lot.
These tires are not
as noisy as footsteps.
What are you doing here?
I'm not exactly sure.
I thought we should talk.
Now is not a good time.
Why not? I mean...
What are you doing?
Packing up.
Dr. Lyons and I decided
to shut down
the project for good.
What? I mean,
if I find out
who sabotaged you...
It doesn't matter.
Even if you catch
whoever did this,
they still violated every
single safety protocol
that we had.
People got k*lled.
And this project was supposed
to help people, not hurt them.
I'm sorry, Anna.
It's not your fault.
Yes, actually, it is.
You were right when you said
I've been blaming you,
and I have been all along.
And... I'm wrong for that.
I guess I just didn't want
to admit it.
I shouldn't have said the things
that I said that night.
Yeah, you should have.
I just didn't want to hear it.
So I did what I always do
when I don't want to deal--
I ran.
I had way too much
to drink,
I drove that stupid boat
too fast
trying to get away
from it all,
and... here I am.
Here we are.
Patton...
It's okay, Anna.
It-- no, it really is.
I'm good.
My life is good.
Do you know...
how many times I've
relived that night?
Thinking if only we
had never fought...
No, Anna.
As far as I'm concerned,
I'm lucky to even
still be alive
to do what I do--
help people.
Like you always tried to do.
I was just a boy
when my mother died.
I didn't want to deal
with that.
I didn't know how.
All you ever did was
tell me I needed to.
Now I get it.
Better late than never, huh?
Does that mean no
more paragliding?
Hey, girl, come on.
Don't go getting greedy now.
(chuckles)
Just take the apology,
will you?
(laughing)
I'm sorry for everything, Anna.
I truly am.
For blaming you,
for everything
I put you through,
for what happened to us...
All of it.
Thank you.
Now, get out of my way.
I got to find out
who's behind this
and save your project,
(Anna laughing)
whether you like it or not.
I think I know where
Max's research grant
supposedly came from.
Well, I hope it leads
to a suspect,
'cause we don't have jack.
So, when I couldn't find
anything on the foundation,
I did a forensic track on
where the money came from.
Ran into nothing but firewalls.
The same ones Patton
kept running into
when he was looking for the hacker.
Well, it makes sense.
- Probably the same person behind both.
- Exactly.
Which means probably
the same digital M.O.
So I started looking
for some connection
to Anna's project files.
I found about , of them.
So, what,
you're saying the
money that ended up
in Max's account
came from Anna?
Or from her partner,
Dr. Lyons?
Got to be Dr. Lyons.
LASALLE: Well, why would he want
to sabotage
their own project?
Unless he was trying to
get it away from Anna
to sell it for the millions
that she turned down.
Well, if that's true,
and Lyons figures out
we know he set Max up...
Anna could be in danger.
Where is she?
With Patton, at the institute.
PRIDE: All right, get Patton
on the phone. Let's go.
Now that I know the back door
that they used,
I should be able to
backtrace the IP address
from your project's
mainframe.
(phone ringing)
PRIDE: Patton...
Hello?
Not now, Pride.
I'm hot on the trail of...
PRIDE:
Listen to me, Patton.
You're in danger.
(Anna gasps)
PRIDE: What's happening?
Nothing good.
(glass shatters)
ANNA: What was that?
I don't know, stay here.
(g*nshots)
PATTON: Get back!
(Anna yells)
(siren wailing)
Still can't get through
to Patton's cell.
No answer at the institute,
either.
GREGORIO: He'd obviously pick up
if he wasn't in trouble.
Find out how close NOPD is.
(g*nshots)
(gas hissing)
(whispering):
Are you okay?
No, I'm not okay.
I'm scared.
In all fairness,
you scare easily.
Not funny.
I don't understand.
How does k*lling us
help Caleb get away with this?
(gas hissing)
What's that sound?
Stay here.
Where are you going?
Patton.
(hissing continues)
(whispering): I think he's
trying to blow up the laboratory
to make it look like
we died in an accident.
You know, I got an idea.
Get the orange strap.
(gas hissing)
Here.
Put it around my waist.
What are you about to do?
Strap in and do something
that you've been trying
to stop me from doing for years.
What?
Now, give me a push
with everything you got.
Are you crazy?
You want to die?
(yelling)
Patton!
ANNA: No!
(g*nsh*t)
Patton, you okay?
Turn them damn valves off,
I will be.
(gasps)
(hissing stops)
GREGORIO:
You're not hurt?
Nah, nothing broken.
I'm good.
Guess all that paragliding
paid off.
Stuck the landing.
PATTON:
Well, sort of.
(chuckling)
You really are crazy,
you know that?
PRIDE:
Yeah, well...
we've, uh, known that
a long, long time.
PATTON:
Uh-huh. That's right.
I ain't crazy, I'm colorful.
Triple P to the rescue.
(all laughing)
(Pride groans playfully)
(doorbell chiming)
Hmm?
(sighs)
(elevator bell dings)
You were thinking about
pretending
you weren't home, weren't you?
Well, I thought about it,
but then I remembered my
van was parked out front.
Knew I didn't have a chance.
(laughs)
Want a drink?
A drink?
It's a little early,
isn't it?
(scoffs) This is
New Orleans, baby.
No, thanks, I'm fine.
I just thought I'd stop
by on my way to work.
I wanted to let you know
that I'm taking your advice.
I'm gonna try to
salvage my project.
All right.
Now you're talking, Anna.
Good for you.
And I think I can talk Krista
into sticking with it, too,
now that the charges
have been dropped.
See, it's all working out.
It is working out.
I'm glad we finally had
that talk, Patton.
I just wish it could have
happened six years sooner.
I wasn't much
of a talker back then.
Or a listener.
Good thing, though,
or you wouldn't have Claudia.
And you wouldn't have
all these people
who obviously care
a lot about you, too.
(motor buzzing)
Yeah!
Hey, Patton.
How are you?
Living the dream, Marlene.
Living the dream.
You want to go up?
Hell yeah.
But, I have
a question first.
I was wondering if
maybe you'd like
to go out to dinner
with me sometime.
I'd like that.
All right.
That makes two of us.
(chuckles)
But first,
strap me in, Marlene.
'Cause Triple P
is ready to fly.
(both chuckling)
and laughing)
(marching band playing)
State's gonna crush 'em.
I still can't believe
you got tickets.
Promised you I would, son.
Just took a little longer
than I hoped.
Come on.
Come on!
We're okay, Dad.
Don't worry about it.
It's my fault.
We should have left earlier.
Dad, really, it's okay.
Dad?
No!
Dad! Dad! Dad!
(g*n cocks)
What are you doing?!
No, stop!
Hey!
Dad!
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ How, how, how, how ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ You gotta come on. ♪
LASALLE: sh**t's a gunner's
mate out of Belle Chasse, King.
Witnesses say he just started
sh**ting for no reason.
All went down pretty fast.
Sebastian.
How's the boy?
He's still in shock,
poor guy.
LASALLE: No. Doc's here
doing her prelim now.
We'll canvass the scene,
see you when you get here.
Pride and Gregorio
are on their way.
Yeah, well,
so is the boy's mom.
I didn't even really know
what to say to him, you know?
It's not really something
they go over in training.
Yeah. It's the toughest
part of the job,
talking to survivors
and loved ones.
Best thing we can do
is find some answers
and figure out
what happened.
Yeah, well, what happened
seems pretty clear.
I mean, his dad just lost it
and snapped.
Any idea what
triggered it?
Not enough to make him
do what he did.
Eddie, his son, said that he
was agitated by the traffic
and then just
started sh**ting.
Well, that doesn't
make sense.
People just don't
suddenly snap
and start sh**ting
for no reason.
Based on the amount
of blood loss,
I'd say at least one of
the security guard's b*ll*ts
severed Mr. Ridley's aorta.
Died instantly?
Yeah.
Lucky he's the only one who did,
sh**ting like that
in a crowded area.
You know what caused it?
Meds, hallucinogens, alcohol?
There's no obvious outward sign.
I'll run the tox screen
when I get back.
However,
there is one
curious thing.
It's a recent incision,
still healing.
Could indicate Mr. Ridley had
some kind of brain surgery.
I'll know more when
I get him on my table.
(phone chirps)
LASALLE:
Oh, man.
Everything all right?
King just texted.
He and Gregorio are taking
a detour to Ochsner Medical.
Wait, what? Why?
Patton's been in an accident.
I'm okay. It's
no big deal.
(gasps)
Aye, ya.
I just misjudged the landing
a little, that's all.
Landing? What landing, Patton?
What were you doing?
Okay. Doctor wants you
back in a week or so,
to get the stitches removed.
I'll go get your
discharge papers.
Thank you.
GREGORIO:
Hello.
Somebody want to tell me
what's going on?
You might as well tell her
before she kicks your butt.
That's exactly what I'm afraid's
gonna happen if I do tell her.
Tell me what?
Every once in a while,
I like to do
a little paragliding.
Paragliding?
Wait. You mean like with the
parachute when you drop
from the sky? You're
kidding me. He's kidding.
See, that's why I
didn't want to tell her.
Bound to find out
sooner or later.
Wait. And you're
okay with this?
Are you two out of your minds?
You could have gotten k*lled.
Relax. Okay?
Relax?
Look, I've been doing stuff
like this my whole life.
I ain't gonna stop now
'cause I use a chair.
I know what I'm doing.
Yeah, clearly. Do me a favor,
talk some sense
into him, please.
Lost that battle years ago.
Ugh.
Still, neither of us are
as young as we used to be.
Might want to consider that,
if nothing else.
PATTON:
Oh, boy.
Hey, Patton.
Marlene.
Sorry. I just wanted
to make sure you're okay.
I was worried about you.
Marlene Bell, Tammy Gregorio,
Dwayne Pride.
These are my coworkers.
Hey.
MARLENE: Hello.
PATTON: Marlene runs the paragliding business.
She probably worried she's about
to lose her best customer.
That's not true,
and you know it.
Don't worry.
I'm gonna be up and flying
in no time.
Oh, that's a great idea.
Maybe next time you'll crack
that thick skull of yours open.
Just her way of caring.
She's from New York. (phone chimes)
Yeah. Well, it doesn't mean
she's not making sense.
Just saying. Oh,
I got to get back
to the squad room, catch up
on the case. Are you good?
Absolutely. Let's get to work.
No, no, no.
You're gonna go home and
get some rest, Patton.
Doctor's orders.
Mine, too.
Nice to meet you.
You, too.
(scoffs)
How's Patton doing?
Is he okay?
Don't even start with me.
She's upset.
She didn't know that Patton
was a paraglider.
Oh, yeah. But he doesn't
just paraglide.
He asked me to go bungee jumping
with him once.
Yeah. But I was like,
“How about instead of that,
I just, you know, stay alive?”
Okay, what's the deal?
Why does he do this?
SEBASTIAN: Honestly,
I-I think it's really cool.
For him, at least,
you know?
He-he won't let
the chair hold him back.
No, but there's got to be
something more to it
than that because he said he's
been doing it his whole life.
So most people thrill-seek
for fun, some to run.
I mean, why does Patton do it?
It's probably better if we stick
to our dead sailor first.
PRIDE: Yeah.
Just got off the phone
with his Navy shrink.
Any idea what
made him snap?
Said he suffered from PTSS,
but he said he's been
making remarkable progress
for a while now.
Even volunteered
for research studies
to help those
afflicted by it.
Well, something had
to have triggered him
to go off like that.
Question is: what?
Doc Wade might have
found the answer.
So it turns out that Ridley did,
in fact, have brain surgery
not too long ago, but it wasn't
to fix something,
it was to implant something.
What is that?
I think that it's
a neural interface.
Yeah. Okay, so follow me
on this, all right?
Elon Musk, Google, Apple,
they've all been
upping their research
into wizard hats,
as they're known.
Blending brains and computers.
It's pretty cutting-edge stuff.
Pretty creepy, too.
What's it supposed to do?
Well, I think that this one
was designed to stimulate
targeted areas
of the brain
with electrical pulses.
Kind of like what they've
been trying to do recently
to control Parkinson's
or epilepsy.
Or PTSS?
Yeah. I think
this could be the research study
that he was involved with.
A little zap
to the limbic center
when anger or depression hits
could just stabilize the subject
without the messy side effects
of pharmaceuticals.
Still, messing
with people's brains is
a slippery slope.
Especially if something goes wrong.
It's hard to believe that's
not what triggered things.
Yeah, which means we need to
find out who put that thing
in his head now.
Well, one step
ahead of you.
So, there's only one lab
in all of Louisiana
that's got pre-market approval
from the FDA
to carry out
this type of research.
BioResearch Institute
of New Orleans.
PRIDE:
All right.
You and I are gonna
pay them a visit.
Chris, you and Gregorio find out
anything and everything you can
about the institute.
Oh, hey, wait, we're just
going to a lab, right?
I don't need to bring my g*n.
Well, if you're sure that
the sailor's death
was an accident.
I'm gonna bring my g*n.
(trolley bell ringing)
Dr. Yoon?
These are federal agents.
They're here to see you.
They say it's important.
Uh...
Anna.
Dwayne.
Oh, I've got this, thanks.
It's been so long.
Too long.
Thought you were still
at Naval Research.
I was, that is until DoD
approved my project.
Which, I'm assuming,
is why you're here.
I heard about Gabriel,
we're trying to figure out
what happened.
Uh...
Sorry.
Forensic Agent Lund,
he works with me.
Dr. Anna Yoon.
Hi. Nice to meet you.
Hi.
Uh, where do I know
your name from?
Anna used to be married
to Patton.
SEBASTIAN:
Oh. Okay, yeah.
That-- okay.
That Anna Yoon.
Yup, one and the same.
Anyway...
the implant is yours?
The entire project is mine.
Excuse me, Anna,
but, uh, Max thinks
he might've found something.
Okay, I'll be
right there, thanks.
That's Dr. Lyons,
he's chief surgeon
of the clinical trial.
What do you think went wrong?
That's the thing,
we don't know.
Here, come, follow me.
It's not exactly a new science.
Deep brain stimulation
has been used for years
without any problems.
SEBASTIAN:
Well, except, and, you know,
correct me if I'm wrong,
that was before you were
implanting devices
directly into
people's brains.
Well, that's the point
of a clinical trial.
In success, DBS
allows us to modulate
overly aggressive
and violent behavior
so that we can regulate and
calm the patient immediately.
No disrespect,
but controlling people's brains
from a computer...
We are not controlling,
we are just monitoring;
giving low-level stimuli
when necessary.
This could be the biggest
breakthrough in mental health
in years, Dwayne,
especially for vets.
Which is why the DoD
is so excited about it.
MAX:
Dr. Yoon?
I think we might
have a problem.
Wait, is that Gabriel Ridley?
MAX:
Yeah. Right before he died.
That's impossible.
Why, what is it?
That's Ridley's
prefrontal cortex, right?
The amygdala? It's where
aggressive behavior forms.
Except it's intensified
instead of reduced.
How did that happen?
Who did this, Max?
Nobody from here. I...
I think we've been hacked.
All right!
Triple P is in the house
and ready to rock.
Aren't you supposed to
be resting?
Oh, come on, I ain't a resting
kind of guy. Besides,
Pride texted me, said he needed
me to trace down a hacker,
so let's get the show
on the road.
King happen to mention
the hacking involves
one of your ex-wives?
Oh, no, which one? Theresa?
Uh, no.
Jasmine?
Afraid not.
Anna?
I'm out of here.
Where you going?
Nah, I ain't doing this.
I know Pride didn't do me that.
Check this out, BioResearch
turned down three competitors
in the last year alone who
offered millions of dollars
to buy the DBS project.
Well, I'm not surprised,
especially with all
the heavy hitters
Sebastian said that are
interested in these wizard hats,
or whatever it is
they call them.
Cute name, scary technology.
You got that right.
I mean, hacking into cars
and computers is one thing,
but now brains?
Hey, you think one
of the competitors
didn't take no for an answer?
Like, maybe they tried
to sabotage the project?
Well, all the more reason for us
to try and trace the hack,
see where it leads.
Problem is,
we can deep-dive into company
records all we want, but...
Without Patton's help,
we're grasping at straws.
- He's full of surprises, isn't he?
- Patton?
He likes to keep
his private life private.
Doesn't really talk
about it much.
No, he doesn't talk
about it at all.
I've been working here
for, what, over a year now.
I've never heard about these
crazy stunts and ex-wives.
I mean, that's
just... weird.
Yeah.
It's understandable though.
Tough times Patton went through
when he and Anna divorced.
What's it been?
Uh, about six years now?
Six years. That's when Patton
had his accident, right?
Became paralyzed?
Yeah, like I said, tough times.
Fortunately for P,
Pride gave him a fresh start.
He joined NCIS
and he's never looked back.
Yeah, well, never looking back
is one thing.
Completely avoiding it
is a whole different deal.
I mean, you saw how
fast he took off
at just the mention
of Anna's name.
Something's
still going on there.
Well, hopefully King
can talk him through it,
'cause we need Patton
to find this hacker.
(beeping)
Oh, good, you guys are there.
I think I found something.
Like what, a prop
from Back to the Future?
Oh, right. I totally forgot.
Although, actually,
you know, Doc Brown
is sort of a personal hero
of mine.
No, uh, Anna was about
to show me a virtual demo
on how DBS works,
but, more importantly,
I think I found a suspect.
Lieutenant Krista Vreeland.
She was a test subject here,
until a couple weeks ago,
when she suddenly just
quit the trial.
Anna said she was
pretty pissed, too.
Did she say why?
Only that she thought
the treatment
wasn't working for her.
She started acting erratically
and then
just refused to come back.
You thinking maybe
a grudge?
That sounds like a good
enough motive for me.
We'll check it out.
Hey, Sebastian, good work.
Keep digging, but
don't fry your brain.
Too late. Just kidding.
I hope.
(elevator bell dings)
(Patton grunting softly)
Not gonna lie.
I wasn't sure you'd
even buzz me up.
I figured if I didn't,
you'd keep dogging me.
And I don't have time
for no lecture.
Should you be lifting weights?
I shouldn't be doing a lot of
things, according to most folks,
but that's not gonna keep me
from doing what I do.
I heard that you were...
pretty upset when you
found out about Anna
being involved in the case.
You should have told me, so I
wouldn't be caught off guard.
I didn't want to tell you
in a text.
And I had no idea you'd
be in such a hurry
to get back into
the office, either.
You call, I'm there.
You know that.
Patton,
it's me, okay?
Let's just talk about this.
Pride,
I don't want to talk,
especially about her.
Not now, not ever.
And I'd think you'd know that
better than anybody!
I do. But I also know that,
sooner or later,
you're gonna need
to talk about it
for your own sake.
But that's not why I'm here.
I need you on this case.
A young boy lost
his father yesterday
because somebody hacked
into Anna's project,
and you're the only one
who can help find out
who might have done it
and why.
I'm sorry.
I know this is hard for you.
And I wouldn't be asking
if I had any other choice,
but I don't think I can
do it without you.
Sometimes it sucks
being so good at what I do.
(Patton scoffs)
Let me hit the shower.
(indistinct chatter)
Lieutenant Vreeland?
Special Agents Lasalle
and Gregorio.
Will you stop the treadmill
for us, please?
What's this about?
(treadmill beeps)
We're NCIS,
Lieutenant.
When we say stop,
you stop.
Besides,
he said “please.”
I'm sorry, it's just when
I get my adrenaline going...
I take my exercise
very seriously, that's all.
Yeah, well, we
take the m*rder
of a sailor very seriously
as well.
m*rder? I don't
understand.
Step over here, please.
The DBS clinical trial--
why did you quit?
How do you know
about that?
LASALLE: Just answer
the question.
Hey, look, we're not trying
to piss you off, Lieutenant.
We just want some answers,
all right?
So take a deep breath
and tell us
what you know.
I didn't want to quit.
Frankly, DBS was the best thing
that ever happened to me
after... this.
Okay. So why did you
quit the trial?
Because of Max.
He's a tech specialist
at BioResearch.
We started dating,
and then I broke it off,
and he didn't like that.
Okay, so what does that
have to do with...
Max started posting terrible
things about me online,
making me look like a slut.
He was trying
to piss me off.
But not just with
the posts, either--
with that thing that
they put in my head.
What do you mean?
The implant?
Are you saying that he used it
to somehow manipulate you?
I know he was.
I don't deny I have
anger issues. Okay?
But nothing close to the rage
I felt every time
he posted about me.
I can't explain it,
but it was like a switch
had gone off,
and I could barely control it.
That's why I quit
the program.
And that's why I'm getting
this thing taken out
as soon as possible.
Okay.
Well, you can go, for now.
Thanks.
(sighs)
What do you think?
Think she sounds more
like victim than suspect.
Yeah. Which means
it's possible
this Max guy's trying
to do the same thing
to the lieutenant
he did to our sailor.
Pretty good way
to sabotage the program.
Plus, two deaths
are better than one.
PRIDE: All right,
we're at the institute now.
I'll talk to Max. Meanwhile,
you and Chris find out
everything you can about him,
especially a motive.
They might be onto something.
Oh, good, then let's go.
Wait, wait,
wait, wait, no.
Hold on, hold on, you're
not going anywhere.
Need proof on whoever's
doing the hacking.
Only you can get it.
Okay, all right, I'm good.
You sure?
Absolutely. Let's do this.
Okay, 'cause
here she comes.
What? Where?
God, she is beautiful.
Damn her!
Not about Anna,
it's about the case.
Right, it's about the case.
Hello, Patton.
How are you doing?
I'm just here for the case.
I-I mean,
that's not what I mean.
I mean, it is what I mean,
but... (sighs)
Anna, you look great.
Thank you.
Um, where's
the mainframe?
I got a hacker
to catch.
Oh, uh, your associate,
Sebastian,
is working on it upstairs
with Dr. Lyons.
The elevator's
over there.
Okay, well, that's
the way I'm headed.
Excuse me.
He's still mad at me,
isn't he?
I don't know.
And not for me to say.
I think you just did.
Listen, we, um...
might have a suspect.
Krista?
Your tech specialist--
Max Cahill.
Max? Are you sure?
- Is he here?
- Actually, no.
He called in sick.
Pride, I think you better
get up here fast.
ANNA: What's wrong?
We're locked out.
Wait a minute,
that's impossible.
Well, we tried to identify
the IP address of the hacker.
We used data analytics...
PATTON: That was
your first mistake.
Probably what triggered
the reaction.
What reaction?
PATTON: From the hacker.
He knows we're
looking for him,
so he sent a virus to infect
the entire system.
And now we can't monitor
or control
any of our test patients.
PRIDE: Hold on.
How many more are there?
Five.
PATTON:
Which potentially means
five walking time bombs.
Where are we
with Max Cahill?
Uh, nowhere good,
I'm afraid.
Put a BOLO out,
but so far, there's
no sign of him.
Did you try tracking
his car or his cell?
Tapped into the GPS
on both.
They're either inoperable
or they've both been disabled.
Which could mean Cahill
doesn't want to be found.
Still, what's his motive?
I get possibly one: to hurt
the lieutenant for jilting him,
but why Gabriel Ridley?
This might be why.
Three weeks ago, Max supposedly
got a research grant
for grand
from a group called
the Elmshorn Foundation.
A grant for what?
That's the thing--
I can't find out.
There is no record of the
organization even existing.
You thinking maybe
it's a payoff
by somebody wanting Max
to sabotage Anna's project?
It would certainly
explain why he att*cked
both the lieutenant
and Ridley.
And why he locked out
the institute,
put all their other
patients at risk.
One's still at risk
for sure.
Just got off the phone
with Sebastian.
He and Dr. Lyons
were able to contact
every other test patient
and bring them in.
All except for
Lieutenant Vreeland.
They can't find her anywhere.
No Max, no Krista--
that can't be good.
PRIDE:
Keep looking for Max,
and keep trying to figure out
where that money
really came from.
You're gonna try
and find Krista?
Hopefully before Max does.
Come on, Christopher, let's go.
Fill in Patton and Anna
when they get here.
Uh, what do you mean?
Wait, Th-they're coming here?
Well, the institute computers
were compromised,
so Patton wants to try
and take back control
with his own gear.
With Anna? Like,
are they getting along?
Too soon to tell.
GREGORIO:
Okay.
I don't need that drama.
I'm busy.
(horn honks, tires screeching)
ANNA: You're gonna get us
both k*lled.
Will you please slow down?
(horn honking)
ANNA: Watch out!
For God sakes, please.
Not to worry, Triple P
is completely in control.
I see you're still referring
to yourself in third person
with that stupid nickname.
Wait, hold on, you used to
like that stupid nickname.
You said it was
one of my lovable quirks.
I never said that.
You must be confusing me
with someone else.
I ain't been with
nobody else since you.
You just not remembering right.
I remember you drive
like a maniac.
What happened to your arm?
Oh, you don't even want to know.
(tires screeching)
Patton!
We're here.
(engine turns off)
Oh, boy.
MARLENE:
Hey, Patton!
Hey, Marlene.
Hey.
I was passing by.
I knew you worked here,
so I thought
I'd drop your gear off.
Um...
How's the arm?
Good enough to go paragliding
again soon, I hope.
Paragliding? Really?
Is that how you hurt your arm?
Unbelievable.
Ex-wife, enough said.
(clears throat)
Thank you.
Oh, hey.
You must be Dr. Yoon.
I'm Agent Gregorio, Tammy.
Anna, nice to meet you.
You, too.
Where's Patton?
- Well, uh...
- Follow me.
Let's get to work.
No need to explain.
I've got an ex, too.
Yeah? Any tips?
Yeah.
Well, I just arrested mine
and threw his sorry ass in jail,
so probably not.
(chuckles)
Is he, uh, doing okay?
Patton?
Are you kidding?
Yeah, he's great.
Like one big happy family.
I'm so glad to hear that.
Yeah.
So his office is that way?
Straight through the courtyard,
can't miss it.
Thanks.
Wish me luck.
(chuckles)
Lieutenant Vreeland,
federal agents.
(quietly):
Chris, take the back.
Clear.
LASALLE: Looks like the place
has been ransacked.
More like trashed
than ransacked.
Too many broken things.
Yeah, somebody had to be
pretty out of control
to do this much damage.
Think it has to do
with her implant?
Fits the profile, unfortunately.
Especially if somebody's
trying to do to her
what they did to Ridley.
LASALLE:
Man, I don't get it.
I don't care how much so-called
potential this thing has,
messing with people's minds
is just wrong.
That's what they said
about heart transplants
when they came out;
now, look at all the folks
it's helped.
Progress isn't
always pretty.
Yeah, well, not pretty's
one thing,
(keys rattle)
but dangerous is another.
King, might be her cell.
Looks like she got a text
from Max an hour ago.
“Please let me apologize.”
Well, it doesn't exactly
sound like
somebody trying to hurt her.
LASALLE:
Doesn't mean the lieutenant
doesn't want to hurt him,
though.
Maybe Max's
cyberbullying went too far
for her.
Well, it doesn't make sense.
If Max is behind all this,
why taunt her,
then trigger the DBS
to make her violent,
and then ask to meet?
LASALLE:
Yeah, putting himself
in harm's way,
it doesn't add up.
Either way, we got to find her
and stop her
before it's too late.
Man, I done tried everything.
Whoever locked you out
the project,
they know what they're doing.
Well, it has to be Max, he's the
one who programmed the software.
Got to be a compiler backdoor.
He has to have a remote way in
if he's trying to hurt people.
You ever change
your default password?
I assume you change
your passwords regularly
like I taught you to.
Yeah, just not every week.
Wait, I never said
“every week.”
Maybe every other week.
Your first password,
do you even remember it?
“Claudia .”
Who's that? I don't remember
no Claudia being in your family.
Claudia's my daughter.
“ / ” is her birthday.
Whoa.
Okay.
I didn't know.
I mean, you know,
'cause you're not
wearing a ring.
Yeah, well, I'm not married.
Not anymore, anyway.
I hope I'm a better mother
than I was a wife.
True that.
What is that supposed to mean?
Nothing, never mind.
No, you said it,
I want to know what
you meant by that.
It didn't mean anything.
Fine, just bury your head in
the sand like you always do.
Wait, whoa, say what?,
Or, better yet,
why don't you go skydiving
or-or paragliding,
or why don't you race your boat
too damn fast?
See? That's cold. I thought
we didn't want to go there.
No, you don't want to go there.
You never want to go there.
You just want to
keep blaming me
'cause it's easier
than looking at yourself
in the mirror.
I don't want to talk about it!
You never want to talk about it.
That's the problem!
That's our problem.
You never wanted to
talk about anything.
You just want to keep
running, and denying,
and blaming everything on me,
but it's not fair.
I'm not the one
who put you in the chair,
you did.
Sorry to interrupt.
Uh, but Pride needs you, Patton.
PRIDE: Patton, you get into
the DBS program yet?
I'm still trying.
Running out of time here.
Well, I would've been in by now
if I didn't have these
few distractions.
(Patton typing)
I'm in. What do you need?
I need you to shut it down.
Krista's about to meet Max
at a coffee shop
in the Quarter,
and we have to get to her
before she does
something she regrets.
Krista.
Somebody's triggering her limbic
system, it's off the charts.
What does that mean?
It means you have to
shut it down, fast!
Or she's gonna hurt somebody.
(siren wailing)
(siren chirps, stops)
(woman screaming)
Get out of the way!
Out of the way!
NCIS, don't move.
It's Max.
What have I done?
(indistinct radio chatter)
LASALLE:
How is she?
Still doesn't remember
what happened.
Doesn't even remember
coming here to meet Max
in the first place.
(siren chirps)
How is that possible?
Blackout, maybe,
blinded by rage.
Krista says it's
happened before.
Well, it doesn't look
good for her, King.
It's gonna be hard to prove
that someone triggered her
to be violent,
especially if that somebody
turns out to be
the victim.
Unless it wasn't Max
who triggered her.
Like you said before,
doesn't add up.
It's too neat.
Max taunted her,
I know, but if all he was
really trying to do
was sabotage Anna's project...
You think someone's
trying to set them both up?
Hoping to make Max
look like the fall guy
so we'd stop
investigating?
I think we need to
find that out.
Blunt force trauma.
I'd say at least three or four
strikes and powerful ones, too.
I found skull fragments
deep in the corpus callosum
of his brain.
That sounds pretty violent.
Very. And, yes,
overstimulating anybody's
limbic region,
even artificially,
could make someone
strong enough to do this.
LASALLE:
Doesn't exactly let
Lieutenant Vreeland
off the hook, does it?
No, but this might.
I just checked the m*rder w*apon
for prints, didn't find any.
You mean you didn't find
the lieutenant's?
No, I mean I didn't find
anyone's prints. Nada, nothing.
There's clearly blood where
there should be fingerprints,
but instead of loops and whorls,
all I found
was trace evidence of latex.
k*ller was wearing gloves.
But Krista wasn't.
SEBASTIAN: Right, plus,
the size and shape
of the blood spatter
on the lieutenant's clothes
doesn't match the downward force
she would've had to use
to hit Max with.
So you are certain
she's not the k*ller.
%.
That means Dwayne was right,
Lieutenant Vreeland
was being set up.
Which means so is Max.
Question is: by who?
SEBASTIAN: Hopefully
Patton's found something.
Hey.
You okay?
Yeah, yeah, of course.
I'm still trying to
backtrace the hacker.
So far, looks like
all roads lead to Max.
Doesn't mean somebody didn't
set him up, though, right?
Like Pride thinks?
Yeah, well, it's
a pretty elaborate setup
if somebody did.
Expensive, too,
if that same someone
planted grand
in Max's bank account
to make it look even worse for him.
Yeah.
You know what?
I'm gonna see if I can trace it.
No, I got it.
Don't worry, it's no problem.
Patton?
Can you stop?
I'm not gonna pretend
that I didn't hear
what you and Anna
were arguing about.
Obviously,
she's pretty pissed at me.
I can't say I blame her.
No, but you can
talk to her.
Come on, you know
how long it took
before I finally faced my ex,
figured out what I'd been
running from all those years.
Only wish I'd done it sooner.
Gregorio,
it's easier said than done.
No, I know, baby,
but I'm telling you,
now that I'm on
the other side of it,
I feel... free.
And it might be freeing
for Anna, too.
How much did you
overhear anyway?
Oh, not a lot.
Just enough to know that I don't
want you to get hurt anymore.
And I'm not just
talking about your arm.
I got Max, you
go get Anna.
Get out of here.
Don't be scared.
(gasps, sighs)
Patton...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean
to scare you.
That happens a lot.
These tires are not
as noisy as footsteps.
What are you doing here?
I'm not exactly sure.
I thought we should talk.
Now is not a good time.
Why not? I mean...
What are you doing?
Packing up.
Dr. Lyons and I decided
to shut down
the project for good.
What? I mean,
if I find out
who sabotaged you...
It doesn't matter.
Even if you catch
whoever did this,
they still violated every
single safety protocol
that we had.
People got k*lled.
And this project was supposed
to help people, not hurt them.
I'm sorry, Anna.
It's not your fault.
Yes, actually, it is.
You were right when you said
I've been blaming you,
and I have been all along.
And... I'm wrong for that.
I guess I just didn't want
to admit it.
I shouldn't have said the things
that I said that night.
Yeah, you should have.
I just didn't want to hear it.
So I did what I always do
when I don't want to deal--
I ran.
I had way too much
to drink,
I drove that stupid boat
too fast
trying to get away
from it all,
and... here I am.
Here we are.
Patton...
It's okay, Anna.
It-- no, it really is.
I'm good.
My life is good.
Do you know...
how many times I've
relived that night?
Thinking if only we
had never fought...
No, Anna.
As far as I'm concerned,
I'm lucky to even
still be alive
to do what I do--
help people.
Like you always tried to do.
I was just a boy
when my mother died.
I didn't want to deal
with that.
I didn't know how.
All you ever did was
tell me I needed to.
Now I get it.
Better late than never, huh?
Does that mean no
more paragliding?
Hey, girl, come on.
Don't go getting greedy now.
(chuckles)
Just take the apology,
will you?
(laughing)
I'm sorry for everything, Anna.
I truly am.
For blaming you,
for everything
I put you through,
for what happened to us...
All of it.
Thank you.
Now, get out of my way.
I got to find out
who's behind this
and save your project,
(Anna laughing)
whether you like it or not.
I think I know where
Max's research grant
supposedly came from.
Well, I hope it leads
to a suspect,
'cause we don't have jack.
So, when I couldn't find
anything on the foundation,
I did a forensic track on
where the money came from.
Ran into nothing but firewalls.
The same ones Patton
kept running into
when he was looking for the hacker.
Well, it makes sense.
- Probably the same person behind both.
- Exactly.
Which means probably
the same digital M.O.
So I started looking
for some connection
to Anna's project files.
I found about , of them.
So, what,
you're saying the
money that ended up
in Max's account
came from Anna?
Or from her partner,
Dr. Lyons?
Got to be Dr. Lyons.
LASALLE: Well, why would he want
to sabotage
their own project?
Unless he was trying to
get it away from Anna
to sell it for the millions
that she turned down.
Well, if that's true,
and Lyons figures out
we know he set Max up...
Anna could be in danger.
Where is she?
With Patton, at the institute.
PRIDE: All right, get Patton
on the phone. Let's go.
Now that I know the back door
that they used,
I should be able to
backtrace the IP address
from your project's
mainframe.
(phone ringing)
PRIDE: Patton...
Hello?
Not now, Pride.
I'm hot on the trail of...
PRIDE:
Listen to me, Patton.
You're in danger.
(Anna gasps)
PRIDE: What's happening?
Nothing good.
(glass shatters)
ANNA: What was that?
I don't know, stay here.
(g*nshots)
PATTON: Get back!
(Anna yells)
(siren wailing)
Still can't get through
to Patton's cell.
No answer at the institute,
either.
GREGORIO: He'd obviously pick up
if he wasn't in trouble.
Find out how close NOPD is.
(g*nshots)
(gas hissing)
(whispering):
Are you okay?
No, I'm not okay.
I'm scared.
In all fairness,
you scare easily.
Not funny.
I don't understand.
How does k*lling us
help Caleb get away with this?
(gas hissing)
What's that sound?
Stay here.
Where are you going?
Patton.
(hissing continues)
(whispering): I think he's
trying to blow up the laboratory
to make it look like
we died in an accident.
You know, I got an idea.
Get the orange strap.
(gas hissing)
Here.
Put it around my waist.
What are you about to do?
Strap in and do something
that you've been trying
to stop me from doing for years.
What?
Now, give me a push
with everything you got.
Are you crazy?
You want to die?
(yelling)
Patton!
ANNA: No!
(g*nsh*t)
Patton, you okay?
Turn them damn valves off,
I will be.
(gasps)
(hissing stops)
GREGORIO:
You're not hurt?
Nah, nothing broken.
I'm good.
Guess all that paragliding
paid off.
Stuck the landing.
PATTON:
Well, sort of.
(chuckling)
You really are crazy,
you know that?
PRIDE:
Yeah, well...
we've, uh, known that
a long, long time.
PATTON:
Uh-huh. That's right.
I ain't crazy, I'm colorful.
Triple P to the rescue.
(all laughing)
(Pride groans playfully)
(doorbell chiming)
Hmm?
(sighs)
(elevator bell dings)
You were thinking about
pretending
you weren't home, weren't you?
Well, I thought about it,
but then I remembered my
van was parked out front.
Knew I didn't have a chance.
(laughs)
Want a drink?
A drink?
It's a little early,
isn't it?
(scoffs) This is
New Orleans, baby.
No, thanks, I'm fine.
I just thought I'd stop
by on my way to work.
I wanted to let you know
that I'm taking your advice.
I'm gonna try to
salvage my project.
All right.
Now you're talking, Anna.
Good for you.
And I think I can talk Krista
into sticking with it, too,
now that the charges
have been dropped.
See, it's all working out.
It is working out.
I'm glad we finally had
that talk, Patton.
I just wish it could have
happened six years sooner.
I wasn't much
of a talker back then.
Or a listener.
Good thing, though,
or you wouldn't have Claudia.
And you wouldn't have
all these people
who obviously care
a lot about you, too.
(motor buzzing)
Yeah!
Hey, Patton.
How are you?
Living the dream, Marlene.
Living the dream.
You want to go up?
Hell yeah.
But, I have
a question first.
I was wondering if
maybe you'd like
to go out to dinner
with me sometime.
I'd like that.
All right.
That makes two of us.
(chuckles)
But first,
strap me in, Marlene.
'Cause Triple P
is ready to fly.
(both chuckling)