The NCIS team surveys the damage and casualties from the terrorist bombing while Ducky recovers from his heart attack. SecNav Jarvis issues the command to proceed with extreme prejudice in locating Harper Dearing, who sees through the sting operation to capture him by bombing the FBI SWAT team. Understanding that Dearing has nothing left to lose after the death of his son, Gibbs invokes a "poke the bear" strategy to incite Dearing to be on the offensive rather than defensive side. After Dearing calls Gibbs, the team traces the call only to find a car that explodes with the charred remains of a body inside, a halfway match for Dearing's DNA. An incredulous Gibbs arranges a meeting with Dearing's sister-in-law who reveals information that leads Gibbs to ascertain that the DNA match was due to Dearing's use of his brother's remains as a decoy. When NCIS and FBI members track Dearing's whereabouts to an old farmhouse but don't find him there, Gibbs tells Vance that he expects Dearing to be waiting for him at the house Evan grew up in. When Gibbs confronts Dearing at the house, the two men discuss Evan's death until Dearing reaches for his gun, prompting Gibbs to swiftly take him down with his knife.