When a naval officer mysteriously dies in the ‘90s, Gibbs and the team travel to the small dust-blown town of Serenity, Calif., where they encounter secret-harboring residents, an uncooperative sheriff and an investigation that will reverberate for decades.

The team investigates the murder of a Marine who had recently been picked for a classified mission; Wheeler's personal life is upended; Lala is thrown by unexpected news from Vera.