In a national forest near Washington, DC, a young couple find the body of a Navy lieutenant commander in his dress-blue uniform; Gibbs and company investigate; on a rock nearby Tony finds a single word written in the victim's blood. The Metro PD finds the victim's abandoned car in Washington. Ducky finds that the shooter used ammunition of an unusual type, Gibbs and McGee talk with a specialty publisher, and Tony and Ziva find the body of an FBI agent, so Fornell enters the picture. The publisher leaves the country, then Gibbs and Fornell speak with the author of a mysterious book, who tells them about the contents. Tony, McGee, and Ziva arrive at a self-store room in time to see two stars and a couple of helpers get blown up; the admiral recovers well enough to go home, and he gives Gibbs and Fornell a lead; they pursue it, but Abby says to hold the phone, then she directs them to the real killer, and they nail him.