The clock on the wall showed exactly seven AM when Tony and Ziva arrived at their respective desks. Not two minutes later, Special Agent Timothy McGee arrived with a tray containing three coffees and a Latte which be began distributing. As he looked up at Senior Agent Leroy Gibbs descending the stairs, his phone rang. " Boss, we've got a dead Sailor at a club downtown." "Well" Gibbs barked as he retrieved his weapon from it's drawer, "grab your gear people!"

Minutes later the team arrived at a club downtown in a not too desirable neighborhood. The body was lying face up in an alley behind a pile of overstuffed trash bags. From the smell, it was hard to determine which attracted the flies, the body or the garbage, or both. Medical Examiner Dr. Donald Mallard arrived and knelt down beside the body. McGee had been going through the victims pockets and said "Boss, this is-was, Seaman Apprentice Francis Balance. Looks like somebody bashed his head in, and it doesn't look like robbery. There is almost two hundred in cash here, and a bunch of credit cards." Upon examining the body, Dr. Mallard said "Judging from the wedge shape of the wound, and the splinters, I would say the poor lad was hit with a piece of lumber. Possibly a two by four. Although I don't know why they call them two by fours, since they are essentially one and three quarters by three and three quarters." Gibbs asked "Got a time of death Duck?" The good doctor looked up after he inserted a thermometer to get a liver temperature. "I would say between five and six hours ago Jethro. As for cause of death, massive head trauma seems to be the case, but I'll know more when I can do a more thorough examination. Mr. Palmer, let's get Seaman Balance loaded." McGee had been looking around. He bent over and picked up a piece of wood about thee feet long. "Boss, I may have found the two by four." He held it up showing all the blood on one edge. Gibbs took a look. "Bag it and tag it Mcgee." Gibbs then sent Tony and Ziva to see if there was any security tape footage that might be helpful, and to interview the manager, and any employees they could find.

Tony clicked the remote, and the photo of a young man in Navy blues appeared on the squad room's plasma screen. "Meet Seaman Apprentice Francis Balance, age 19. Born and raised in Chase City, Virginia, the second son of an insurance salesman and a history teacher. Young Balance joined the Navy right out of high school, and was serving aboard the Bataan as a supply clerk. Both his supervisor, and his CO said he was a straight arrow who was friendly, did his job, and stayed out of trouble." Gibbs stepped closer to the screen. "For someone who avoided trouble, what was he doing in that part of town at that hour?" DiNozzo threw up his hands-"No one knows boss. He and his buddies were in a pool hall down on K street having a few beers. They say Balance stepped outside to get some air, and never came back. They didn't know where he went, or how."