A researcher forgets his keys and goes back, discoves that his lab is being robbed, and gets stabbed by the burglar. Kilbride thinks that Callen has too much on his plate and asks Sam to serve as acting supervisor of OSP when the admiral leaves town. Rountree tells Fatima that he's concerned about his future. The team gets called in to investigate that stabbing of Dr. Darryl Howard, a Navy Reservist. The fear is that chemicals were stolen by domestic terrorists to produce a bomb. Howard's ex says he had started calling her about what she thought were paranoid delusions of someone following him. Arjun Sethi, Howard's assistant, says that moths and pesticides are missing from the lab, along with his hard drive. Fatima determines that two chemical companies significantly lost sales after Howard criticized their pesticides. Sam's theory is that one of them arranged for the break-in at Howard's lab. The heckler at Howard's most recent lecture does P.R. for GenBioSys. Graham informs Kensi and Deeks that Howard changed his stance on GenBioSys's chemical, which is why she attempted to discredit him. Sam and Rountree discover three armed men abducting Howard's colleague Claire Winchester. Rountree wounds one, who gets run down while trying to escape. Tom Fields, a DOD technology officer, explains the genetically modified moths were the thieves' targets, that could be used in biowarfare. Arjun had access to Howard's research. He's receiving payments from New Origin, notorious for idea theft. Sam and Rountree corner Arjun. New Origin plans to fly Winchester out of Santa Monica to Shanghai. The team cuts off the SUV then Fatima electronically disables it, rescuing Winchester and the moths. Deeks and Kensi resolve to go on regular dates. Kilbride passes on the envelope that Hetty had left for him to Sam.