Marine Sergeant Patricia Moreno is found dead and temporary replacement Agent Susan Grady joins McGee and Tony in the investigation.
After they find and arrest the killer, the team discovers that their false identities were leaked from a women's shelter in Afghanistan.
It is revealed through flashbacks that Franks attempted to recruit Gibbs to help him smuggle six Afghan refugees into the United States.
Later, he finds out that the same six refugees were killed in a bomb attack due to his inaction, motivating him to rescue the Afghan women in the present.
In August 2013 it was announced that Muse Watson would reprise his role as Mike Franks, and executive producer Gary Glasberg described his return as "a really emotional storyline for Gibbs".