Gibbs is in Mexico, held captive by Paloma Reynosa, head of the Reynosa cartel and the daughter of Pedro Hernandez, the dealer Gibbs killed decades earlier.

Lt. J.P. Dean, once Colonel Bell’s right hand man, was the one who captured Gibbs outside of Franks' home and handed him over to Reynosa.

Alejandro Rivera, of the Justice Department in Mexico, is Paloma Reynosa’s brother and corrupt.

They both want Gibbs to suffer in different ways for killing their father. Alejandro wants to put him on trial for murder in a Mexican court and is awaiting Abby’s report on her findings.

They threaten Gibbs that if he doesn’t do as they say they are going to keep him alive to see all his loved ones suffer.

Vance sends the team to Mexico to retrieve the bodies from the massacre outside Frank’s house and when Ziva and Tony arrive, out walks Gibbs from the cargo hold.

Tony and Ziva suspect that Gibbs is in danger after he mentions Rule #40: "If it seems someone is out to get you, they are." Is Gibbs really free or is he being tested?

A gun fight erupts between Lt. Dean and NCIS when his plane arrives in Virginia and he fails to surrender. Dean is ultimately killed.

Gibbs goes to the evidence locker and secretly retrieves a package from one of the crates used to store the bodies.

A test to become a drug runner for the cartel?

In the end, Vance enlists Tony to go to Mexico to hunt down Alejandro only to be stopped by Franks, who wants to finish the job.

M. Alison Hart prevents Abby’s file, which identifies Gibbs as the sniper that killed Pedro Hernandez, from being sent to Rivera.

Gibbs is forced to re-evaluate his rules, even writing a new one: #51: Sometimes, you're wrong.