A murder near Camp Pendleton leads Gibbs and the team to a suburban mall in San Diego, where Gibbs takes matters into his own hands. Jackson Gibbs pays Franks an unexpected visit.

Still grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, Gibbs helps the team work a case involving a missing girl. The moment that irrevocably changed Gibbs' life is revealed.

Gibbs and the team investigate the case of a Navy priest who was killed in the confessional booth and may have been targeted by mistake. Meanwhile, Randy shows Gibbs the ropes of working a protective detail while struggling with a personal situation.

The case of a missing woman who disappeared after a night of clubbing with a Navy seaman takes the team to Mexico, where they learn of a possible connection to Gibbs' past.