Faking It (NCIS)

Infobox Television episode | Title = Faking It
Colour =
Series = NCIS
Season = 4
Episode = 4


Airdate = October 10, 2006
Production = 4x04
Writer = Shane Brennan
Director = Thomas J. Wright
Guests = Muse Watson as former NIS Agent Mike Franks Albie Selznick as Marty Allen
Episode list = Episode chronology
Prev = Singled Out
Next = Dead and Unburied

"Faking It" is the 74^th episode of the drama television series "NCIS".

Plot

The episode begins with a Russian-speaking man driving and talking on his mobile phone who is stopped by the police. When they see a colt in his car, they arrest him. Shortly afterwards a car crashes into the police man's car. The driver is dead and has written "NCIS" with his blood before dying. This calls NCIS on the scene who set out to investigate. They find the body and think it to be an easy case. While Ziva tries to interrogate the suspect, Abby shows Gibbs what she found out, about the dead Marines call to 911 and the name of the suspect, who is also wanted by Homeland Security. Ducky meanwhile explains that the bullet fired is not in the body nor there is an exit wound. Without a bullet, NCIS can't match it to the gun.
DiNozzo matches the suspect to a case in 1991, called "Operation Sunburst", whose files were taken by the CIA. He also finds out that the agent working on the case back then was Mike Franks, Gibbs' former teamleader. Gibbs calls him in Mexico to enquire about the operation. Mike tells him that there was another Russian involved back then. Ducky, at the same time with help from Abby, gets an idea where the bullet could be. The suspect in custody has to be transferred to Homeland Security because NCIS cannot charge him with anything without a bullet. However, with Franks' help, Gibbs manages to keep him in custody for now. Ducky afterwards tells him where the bullet went...into the stomach. Since the victim lived a few minutes after being shot he most likely vomited it. The marine was on foot when he was shot and the bullet therefore has to be around the place he was shot. Ziva and McGee are dispatched to find it while Tony's job is to protect Mike from the suspect's friend. Ziva and McGee, after some hard work, manage to find the bullet, while Tony fails to protect Mike and is knocked unconscious. When he re-awakes he does not remember what happened. Shortly thereafter, Mike is seen talking to the suspect's friend to strike a deal with him, offering to exchange incriminating evidence for $500,000. NCIS finds out where the deal is to be struck and rushes in, with Gibbs killing a brute who was about to shoot at Mike. Mike, it turns out, struck the deal only to lure the suspect out. He then shoots him in cold-blood. As Mike returns to Mexico, the episode ends with Gibbs listening to the evidence tape that Franks was using as such a bargaining chip. It turns out to be just a music recording.