'NCIS' Season 14 episode 9 spoilers: Team serves and protects a public official; another supporting character is thrust into the limelight in ‘Pay to Play’

After a brief hiatus, “NCIS” returns this week with another episode that will keep it viewers on the edge of their seats. Similar to the previous installment, Season 14 Episode 9 gives a supporting character a chance to shine. This time, “Pay to Play” focuses on NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll).

In the upcoming run, Vance oversees temporary protection detail of a public official under threat as the NCIS team handles another crucial case. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” alum Mary Stuart Masterson has signed up as guest star to play the role of Congresswoman Jenna Flemming, who finds herself in grave danger.

She joins other “NCIS” cast members who will also be featured on the Dec. 6 episode, including Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Alexandra “Alex” Quinn’s (Jennifer Esposito), Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham), Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), Dr Donald Mallard (David McCallum), Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), Nicholas “Nick” Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and MI6 Officer Clayton Reeves (Duane Henry).

Spoiler alert! This update contains more "NCIS” Season 14 spoilers. Read on at your own risk if you have not watched the latest episode.

TV Guide reports that Tuesday’s installment centres on the NCIS team’s investigation of a series of escalating threats against a prominent politician. As the crew works to find who’s terrorising a congresswoman, Director Vance is tasked to oversee temporary protection detail.

CBS posted a sneak peek of “NCIS” Season 14 Episode 9. In one of the trailers, Gibbs finds a dead body floating in a pool with a tag that reads, “Flemming, you’re next.” He and Torres also head to a lab full of dead rats. “This is exactly how a zombie movie starts,” Torres comments. Speaking of Torres, he seems to have a growing rivalry with Reeves to win over Abby. In one scene, both men fight to give Abby refreshments, much to her amusement.

“Pay to Play” is directed by Arvin Brown and written by Cindi Hemingway. Spoiler TV reports that “NCIS” Season 14 Episode 9 also features guest stars Laurie Perkins (Ciera Payton), Tommy Savas (Max Sanders), Angelo Tiffe (Jed Hamilton), Jeff Griggs (Peter Alden), June Schreiner (Amy Barrett), Michael Canavan (Retired Navy Admiral Thomas Garscott), Mary Anne McGarry (Fern Robbins), Katherine Disque (Mary Barrett), Tom Costello (Nathan Roberts), David Lengel (Carlton Laymer) and Brad Grunberg (Big Ed).

Find out what happens next on “NCIS” Season 14, which airs in the US on CBS every Tuesday, 8/7c. It also airs on Channel Ten in Australia.