Swan Song

While chasing the Port to Port Killer, NCIS is placed on high alert when evidence comes to light that he has infiltrated the Navy Yard. They learn that his latest victim survived because somebody intervened and lost an eye in the process: the team's on-again, off-again enemy, Trent Kort. Kort names the Port to Port Killer as Lt. Jonas Cobb (Kerr Smith), the first member of a CIA assassination team who cracked under inhumane training. Kort was sent to locate Cobb and eliminate him. As the NCIS team close in on Cobb, they suffer a personal tragedy when Mike Franks is killed after attempting to apprehend him. With Cobb injured, armed and unaccounted for, Gibbs confronts Leon Vance over his decisions in recent weeks. Vance admits that the decision to put E.J. Barrett in charge of the case came from higher up. Gibbs realizes that Cobb identifies with him, and is likely targeting E.J. The episode ends with E.J. ignoring Vance's orders and attempting to apprehend Cobb. However, Cobb ambushes E.J. and they both get into a struggle, which E.J. begins to slowly lose.