S16·E12 The Last Link

Episode recap

Task: Write a 280-380 word episode recap for NCIS S16E12 (The Last Link).
Constraint 1: Use ONLY verifiable facts from the provided SYNOPSIS and SOURCES.
Constraint 2: No invented/guessed titles, names, dates, counts, awards, ratings, etc.
Constraint 3: No dialogue, scene order, or plot events not explicitly present.
Constraint 4: Original, neutral, encyclopedic prose in plain text.
Constraint 5: No markdown, no asterisks, no headings, no bullet points.
Constraint 6: Length must be 280-380 words.
Synopsis: An old family friend, Army Corporal John Sydney, beseeches Gibbs to join him on a road trip to search for a missing military I.D. bracelet. Also, a Navy Lieutenant in NCIS protective custody is poisoned by an infamous drug dealer.
Sources:
[1] NCIS (2003) TV-14, Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure.
[2] Created by Donald P. Bellisario, Don McGill. Cast includes Sean Murray, David McCallum, Mark Harmon, Brian Dietzen. Team investigates crimes connected to US Navy and Marines Corps personnel and families.
[3] Cast & Crew info.
[4] Origin info (JAG pilot).
[5] Cast info (Sean Murray, Brian Dietzen, Rocky Carroll).
Episode Title: The Last Link (from prompt).
Episode Number: Season 16, Episode 12 (from prompt).
Plot Point A: Army Corporal John Sydney, an old family friend, asks Gibbs to go on a road trip to find a missing military I.D. bracelet.
Plot Point B: A Navy Lieutenant in NCIS protective custody is poisoned by an infamous drug dealer.
Series Context: NCIS follows a team of special agents investigating criminal cases connected to the US Navy and Marines Corps personnel and their families.
Drafting attempt 1:
In the NCIS episode titled The Last Link, which is the twelfth episode of the sixteenth season, two primary storylines unfold. The first storyline involves Gibbs and an old family friend named Army Corporal John Sydney. John Sydney beseeches Gibbs to join him on a road trip. The purpose of this road trip is to search for a missing military I.D. bracelet. The second storyline concerns a Navy Lieutenant who is currently in NCIS protective custody. During this period of custody, the Navy Lieutenant is poisoned by an infamous drug dealer. This episode is part of the NCIS series, which was created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill. The series follows a team of special agents as they investigate criminal cases that are connected to the US Navy and Marines Corps personnel and