Chained (NCIS)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Chained
Colour =
Series = NCIS
Season = 2
Episode = 10


Airdate = 14 December 2004
Production = 2x10
Writer = Frank Military
Director = Thomas J. Wright
Guests =
Season list = Infobox NCIS season 2 episode list
Prev = Forced Entry
Next = Black Water

"Chained" is the 10^th episode of the second season of the television series "NCIS".

Plot

The episode starts out on a prison bus at night, with two prisoners in the back. The bus driver apparently has a heart attack, and one of the prisoners strangles the guard and they escape. The criminal, Jeffery White, is handcuffed to the other prisoner, who is revealed to be Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

The next morning Gibbs and Cait drive to the parked bus, and it is revealed the death of both driver and guard was a trick to make Jeffery White believe he had escaped, and so reveal the location of $3 million dollars worth of Iraqi antiquities to Tony. McGee has been left at NCIS headquarters, and is forced to deal with the Deputary Secretary of State who is monitoring the investigation and throughout the episode keeps calling him for information.

The investigation is put in danger when both Tony and Jeffery fall into river, destroying the GPS chip in Tony's shoe. Gibbs plants a GPS in a car parked next to a caravan, and he and Cait wait as Tony and Jeffery switch clothes and steal the car, and so continue to follow.

Jeffery mentions he has a friend nearby, and as Tony attempts to call him Jeffery grabs the wheel and they have a minor accident. The motorcyclist ahead of them stops, and Tony tricks him into looking for his dog 'Kate' (greatly annoying the real Cait when Tony describes her as a Shih Tzu, a small, annoying dog with long brown or black hair); they steal his motorbike and escape. Gibbs and Kate drive by the driver later, and he tell them about the motorbike.

Abby, having lost Tony, goes over the footage of the robbery for clues and notices that the thief was barehanded, and so she will be able to fingerprint.

Jeffery calls Blaine on a payphone, and warns him he's brought a friend. Tony discreetly hides a badge in the coin slot. They drive to Blaine's hunting lodge, and he cuts them free although he is hostile towards Tony.

Abby has run the prints, and she and McGee call Gibbs. Blaine Harris is an alias, and the main they are looking for's real name is Billy Collins, who is wanted for three murders in Seattle; their throats were cut from behind. Tony at the cabin is given a room, and uneasily falls asleep while Blaine sits outside his room.

The next day, Gibbs finds the badge and calls McGee to run a trace on the phone. McGee explains the troubles with the Deputy Secretary, and Gibbs tells McGee to tell her to 'Stick it'.

Tony wakes up, and Jeffery tells him that he and Blaine argued about him, and that he appears to have taken the motorbike and left in the middle of the night. He then explains about the stolen antiquities, and how there was a buyer from Japan waiting to meet them, but Blaine has gone to get all the money himself. He says he 'can't face Blaine alone', and wants Tony to help him. Meanwhile, McGee traces the phone calls, and tells Kate and Gibbs about the hunting lodge.

As they are leaving, Jeffery tells Tony how his dad "used to beat the crap out of him", and that parents are supposed to protect you, not harm you, Tony tells Jeffery his father was too drunk to hurt him, and they drive towards Lynchburg for the meeting.

McGee is called yet again by the Deputy Secretary. He tells her that she is stopping him doing his job, and as Tony is with Jeffery White he is technically still in custody. He then tells her to stick it and hangs up, and receives a great approval from watching technicians.

Gibbs and Cait find the cabin, but it is empty. In the backyard they find the motorbike, and Blaine's dead body. His throat has been cut. They find on his body a note that directs them to a Wallmart in Lynchburg.

McGee finds the Wallmart, and police are sent but find nothing. Gibbs correctly deduces that this was a misdirect, but is interrupted by a prank call. Abby traces the number to Blaine's cellphone, and uses its GPS to find Tony's location. However, before they get a close hit, Jeffery catches Tony and he is forced to turn the phone off.

Tony and Jeffery arrive at the drop site, and the Japanese buyer is waiting. Jeffery takes out a gun and tells Tony to 'watch his back'. Tony confesses he is a federal agent, and offers to cut Jeffery a deal. Jeffery tells Tony he suspected he might have been, and so that was why he caused the car crash and made them fall in the river. He pulls out a knife from under the seat, while telling Tony he really liked him.

Abby gives Gibbs the location, and they come to the lot just as the Japanese buyer is getting out of the car. Cait apprehends him, while Gibbs goes around to Jeffery's car. He opens the door, and sees that Tony has shot Jeffery dead. Tony is without triumph, however, confessing how he had liked Jeffery.

Trivia

* Sasha Alexander, the actress who plays Cait, although present does not speak until the tenth minute of the episode.