A former navy seal, convicted of murdering his wife and the cable guy, escapes from Fort Leavenworth. The seal has always protested his innocence. His son, is being looked after by his in-laws and Kate is ordered to stand watch over the little boy, in case his father tries to contact him. Blindsided by Curtin, Kate is left trussed up while a father spends precious moments with his son. Kate gets her own back by injuring Curtin whilst he is escaping from his son's bedroom. Curtin goes on the run and Jethro decides on another tack to solve the case.

Gibbs orders a reinvestigation of Curtin's case and brings back the prosecution and defence attorneys to help the team go through the evidence.

A breakthrough in the case proves that Curtin was innocent all along and that his wife was having an affair. The real murderer is uncovered, but Curtin is still out there closing in on his late-wife's lover. He is finally captured in a sting operation where Kate takes the place of the 'other woman'.