A dead Marine's day job at a government think tank lead's Gibbs and the NCIS into the life of a 12 year old prodigy named Angela. After they meet Krista Dalton, the facilities coordinator at the Sattler Institute, the mutilated body of Lance Corporal Lozado leads them to a former acquaintance in a local street gang. McGee follows the paper trail to find out that Angela's work could be worth thousands. Ultimately, they find that her artwork could conceal a secret worth killing over. They have to protect the girl and find out what ties her, a dead marine, and a plot to sell US military secrets before its too late.