"_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "Mama." "_" "It's okay." "There are people looking for us." "They're gonna find us." "All of us." "Oh, God." "Maybe if I don't look at it, it'll go away." "Yeah, welcome to hell week." "Oh, I mean, we've seen worse than a Congressional budget justification lately, but yeah, not fun." "Sorry." "How are you doing with the whole..." "Guy I was dating getting poisoned by some nefarious agent still at large?" " Yeah." " Not great." "But thanks for asking." "Hey, do we know anything more about the arms smuggling thing he was investigating?" "Jim Fox has submitted to a full investigation of his finances to help the FBI and CIA determine who was paying his retainer." "Beyond that, we're still in the dark." "But bending toward the happier glow of our annual budget justification, ladies and gentlemen." "Good morning, everyone." "Good morning." "Who's ready to take refuge in the comfort of numbers?" "Pretty cold comfort." "As you've seen, we're looking at some major reductions this year." "This year?" "More so than in previous years." "Still spreading the ample wealth of the world's largest economy on peace and prosperity." "In anticipation of the congressional belt-tightening imposed on many departments." "Not as much as ours." "Sorry, but almost a billion less for international peacekeeping efforts?" "And how many new fighter jets is Defense getting?" "The new Congress is making efficiency its top priority." "Yeah, at the expense of a fully funded arms control and international security program." "It's punishment; they didn't want Dalton, you did, and this is how they're gonna make us pay." "Before we go full conspiracy theory, can we just focus on making our case to Congress?" "Uh, ma'am, FBI Director Doherty is requesting a meeting." "Uh, tell him I've got some time this afternoon." "Ma'am, FBI Director Doherty is on his way up." "FBI's Hostage Rescue Team has been coordinating a crackdown on human trafficking in Central Asia for about six months." "We're just about ready to go in, but Kyrgyzstan isn't cooperating." "That new president, Nogoyev." "He's not playing ball with the crackdown, I'm guessing?" "According to him, they've got human trafficking under control." "Has he read the latest report?" "The child trafficking is appalling, seems their police force is in on it, it's like staring into an abyss." "There may be an angle that's useful." "Yesterday, CYBERCOM intercepted some files in transit, originating in Kyrgyzstan." "We found this." "I'm an American." "I like basketball, drawing and children." "I take care of kids through my church." "That's Lara Cramer?" "I-I barely recognize her." "Almost a year in captivity." "This video is a sales tool for potential buyers." "Probably Islamic radicals in Syria." "Which means she might not be in Kyrgyzstan much longer." "If she hasn't been sold already." "So we're hoping that President Nogoyev, a guy who seems unbothered by child trafficking, will somehow be moved by one kidnapped American aid worker?" "He's motivated by ego." "If he gets the chance to play a role in the heroic capture of an internationally renowned victim, he may be more cooperative with the FBI." "Let me see what I can do." "Isn't Nogoyev the Russian lapdog who outlawed free press on the first day?" "And made his mother's birthday a national holiday." "Well, that would totally work on my mom." "They're looking for more foreign investment." "We could subsidize their cotton production, invest in agricultural infrastructure." "Canada tried to invest in a gold mine a few years ago, they're still tied up in legal battles." "Yeah, this guy isn't into delayed gratification." "Then I'm guessing police supervision to help with rampant corruption isn't gonna do it?" "What about the oil pipeline through India," "Pakistan and Afghanistan?" "With Russia paying less for oil, he might want in on that." "Yeah, that's..." "That's something." "Keep thinking on that." "Nadine." "...and children." "I take care of kids through my church." "Well." "At least she's alive." "Barely." "The FBI hasn't even shown it to her family yet." "Well, the family was threatening to sue the FBI over not paying Lara's ransom, so I'm not surprised they're being careful." "I remember you were a, uh, liaison to the parents during the negotiation." "Right, of course." "I'll call them right away." "The FBI couldn't pinpoint a location." "There's a chance she may be gone by the time Hostage Rescue gets there." "Obviously, we don't want to... get their hopes up." "Yeah." "Two VFF scouts ambushed me here, about 500 yards outside the compound." "Were they expecting you?" "Well, it's hard to tell with the bullets flying." "Special Surveillance Group reports increased defensive weaponry around the perimeter." "They are definitely readying for something." "It's time to go in and end this operation." "We'll have to hope the element of surprise will give our team the upper hand." "I don't know." "They've got a high-capacity bomb, they've been stockpiling ammo..." "Not saying it's ideal, but at this point, we're out of moves." "We just got to get Conroy out of there alive." "President Nogoyev, let me be direct." "The United States needs your help." "This investigation into human trafficking is a crucial undertaking between the United States and the nations of Central Asia." "And without your cooperation, the horror of women and children being captured and sold into prostitution and forced labor will continue unchecked." "Madam Secretary, what you fail to understand is that Kyrgyzstan is not like the rest of Central Asia." "We are nomads." "We take care of ourselves." "And we have never submitted to any authoritarian regimes." "Except for the Soviet Union." "Of course, Mr. President." "And to honor Kyrgyzstan's fierce, independent spirit, we're prepared to offer you an opportunity to strengthen your economy by joining the I.A.P. pipeline." "We have deal for oil with Russia." "We do not need your pipeline." "If I may point out, President Nogoyev..." "Kazakhstan." "They have much trafficking." "Not Kyrgyzstan." "Does he think we're talking about the wrong country?" "We have a great deal of evidence to the contrary," "Mr. President." "I'd like also to mention a very high-profile captive who's been located within your borders." "Do you know Chronicles of Ashkenar?" "Uh..." "The fantasy book series?" "Yeah!" "They are the greatest." "You have seen movies?" "With this girl, uh, Ashley Whittaker?" "I saw the first one with my son." ""Tonight we dream, tomorrow we slay."" "Tomorrow's my birthday." "Hmm?" "Happy birthday, Mr. President." "I have big party." "I invite Ashley Whittaker." "I offer her a lot of money, but... she cannot come." "Because a travel advisory to Kyrgyzstan." "I am sad." "He is sad without Ashley." "Um..." "Perhaps, if the president did more to prevent sex trafficking in Kyrgyzstan, young actresses might be more open to his invitations." "I accept." "We will work on this investigation." "And Ashley comes." "Ashley comes." ""Tomorrow we slay."" "Wha..." "What just happened?" "I believe we just made a deal to convince an actress to go to a despot's birthday party in Central Asia so that we can combat human trafficking." "And we thought this was just gonna be the boring budget day." " Mm." " Tomorrow we slay." "Oh." " Hello." " Hey, hey." "That was late for a budget day." "Yeah, well, it turned into a kind of different day.." " Hi." " Mm." "Hi, baby." "How are you feeling?" "Oh, pretty good." "I was just enjoying my dinner." " Ooh." " Jason made, uh... spaghetti." "Spaghetti." "Oh." "Uh, ooh." " Jace." " Yeah?" "What can you tell me about Ashley Whittaker?" "I mean..." "Uh... potential for Emma Watson - level credibility coming off a Y.A. series as confirmed by recent casting in a Coen Brothers movie." "He didn't even have to think about that." "Celebrity news." "It's in the air." "It's like fungus spores you breathe and then you get giant warts on your brain." "Okay." "Nothing to do with how she looks in a space suit." "Chronicles of Ashkenar is a future dystopia." "There aren't even any space suits." "I knew that." "See?" "So, why your interest in Ashley Whittaker?" "Let's just say she might be able to help us avoid an actual future dystopia." "Hey, guys." "Um, do you think that this is too short?" " Oh, my God." " It's kind of short." " Did you make that?" " That's very short." "It's for the Spring Fling." "I'm going full Edie Sedgwick." "Oh, you are." "So, did you get asked?" "I asked someone, actually." "Thad Newton." " Wow." "Good for you." "Yeah." " Good for you." " Thad Newton." " What?" "Uh, Senator Newton's son, right?" "Um, the Foreign Relations Committee." "Oh, God, do you think his mom made him say yes?" " No." "Oh, would you..." " Well, there's got to be some explanation." " Jason." "Seriously." " Why do you have to be a jerk?" " Come on." "He's like some champion swimmer Abercrombie model." "I'm just being honest about market value." " I did not make the system." " You know what?" "It's fine." "Stay home in your layer of superiority." "Yeah, if only." "Piper asked me to go and I had to say yes." " I knew she liked him." " Oh, that's great." "I knew that." "Note that I'm saying nothing about how Piper's clearly above your class." "Yeah, just like how I'm saying nothing about this "dress."" " Like, right..." " Shut up." "Come on." "You don't even go to Westmore anymore." "Why are you coming?" "Uh, last I checked, there's no border security at a school dance." "How old were you when you stopped fighting with your siblings?" "I'll let you know." "Am I worried about Thad Newton?" "Not as worried as I am about Piper." "Well, Piper's cool, right?" "Maybe a little too "cool" for Jace, huh?" "Oh, come on." "You weren't too cool for me." "Once I got past your desert boots." "My d... well, how about that for a boot?" "How's the Pinot?" "Oh, baby, you heard Sir Ben." "Need to protect your voice." "Shakespeare is very demanding." "Hot water and lemon." "Thank you so much for taking time out of your rehearsal schedule." "Well, it isn't every day we get a call from the State Department." "We are certainly intrigued." "I'm sorry, can I just say, A Horse for Tally?" "Cried my eyes out." "Oh, my God, you're so sweet." " Thank you." " Yeah." "I-I might have missed that one, but I'm definitely a fan." "Yeah, as it turns out, so is President Kenatbek Nogoyev of Kyrgyzstan." "Oh, how nice." "We understand that he invited Ashley to his birthday celebration in Bishkek." "Well, Ashley gets a lot of invitations." "Of course." "We're looking to improve diplomatic relations in the region and thought as a cultural exchange, we might be able to lift the travel advisory for the sake of a meeting." "Uh, Mom, that's the guy..." "He invited me awhile ago, but I just can't associate myself with the human rights situation there." "It is good to know that you're interested in human rights, Ashley, because we would like to offer you the opportunity to serve your country on an important mission." "What it would involve, actually, is accepting President Nogoyev's birthday invitation." "And by doing that, you'd make it possible for international law enforcement to accomplish a very important mission in Central Asia." "You keep saying "mission."" "What's the mission?" "Unfortunately, we-we wouldn't be able to share the details with you." "But Ashley would have full protection, of course." "Protection from what?" "Is this terrorism related?" "Again, we do need to protect the secrecy of the mission." "But what we can say is Ashley could be a part of a really big story." "And in the meantime, you can guarantee a total media blackout?" "As much as that's possible." "I read somewhere that a school of piranha can digest an entire human body in seconds." "You know what's faster?" "The Internet." "One image from one cell phone gets leaked, and Ashley's the dumb actress who went to the dictator's birthday party." "Did you see what that did to Hilary Swank?" "Sorry, we can't risk it." "Oh, shoot, look, there's paparazzi outside." "Excuse me." "May we use a rear exit, please?" "We have to get back to rehearsal." "If we could just follow up..." "Thanks so much, you guys." "Come see The Tempest." "Oh, we'll see the tempest." "As soon as I call Nadine." "Hello?" " Henry, it's me." " Ian." "Where are you?" "I'm at the Silverglen Mall." "They sent me on a supply run." "I got about an hour." "Can you come meet me?" "Am I gonna get shot again?" "I'm sorry about that." "I'll explain it when you get here." "There are hundreds of people around." "I'm alone, and I don't have much time." "Just come." "Please." "Hey." "Mo, I just got a call from Ian." "He's on a supply run." "He wants to meet." "He called?" "Sounds like there's a lot going on." "I'm bringing him in." "Are you kidding me?" "You can barely walk." "I mean, what if it's a trap?" "Then send backup." "The Silverglen Mall." "And tell Marguerite this raid needs to happen." "Now." "You got rope-a-doped by the momager." "Does M Sec know?" "She's in a meeting with Nadine." "Inducements for actors is apparently not my strong suit." "I still think the President's Fitness Council is worth a shot." "Guys, this is Hollywood." "I mean, the best we got is a state dinner sitting next to a hot Canadian PM." "You think that would work?" "Um..." "Hey." "You're back." "Great." "Can I call Nogoyev?" "Ashley's mother had a lot of questions, none of which we could answer." "Guys, FBI's been calling all morning." "I got to get Kyrgyzstan on board." "Tell 'em it's their Argo." "Find something to do." "She cares about human rights." "But the mom doesn't want to put her daughter's career at risk." "Not to mention her life." "We didn't exactly step up for Lara Cramer." "Hang on." "That could be an angle we could play." "You don't look as bad as I thought." "You want to tell me why those guys used me for target practice?" "They took me off guard duty." "There was no way to get word to you before the meet." "But they think you were some dumbass hunter, so we're still good." "No, we're not." "I'm bringing you in." "It was one screw up." "I ran a tox screen." "You tested positive for DMT." "What?" "It's a psychedelic compound." "Now, look, I don't know if you're taking it or they're dosing you, but, either way, you're compromised." "I'm fully functional." "And I'm onto something big." "Just give me one more day, okay?" "Ian, the FBI is raiding the compound right now." " It's over." " No." " It's over." " No, no..." "The elders are off-site!" "Hold on, hold on." "Hey, Mo." "Hey." "We're at the compound." "You taking any fire?" "They were definitely expecting us." "But no casualties." "There's no drone and there is no bomb." " Are you with Conroy?" " Yeah." "Ask him where they put the bomb." "Mo, I got to call you back." "What happened?" "What the hell?" "Wait, wait, you can't think..." "Did your guys get Ian?" "He's in custody, but I need you to pull over right now, Henry." "No." "I got to get farther out." "I can get you a team, but..." "I like basketball and children." "I take care of kids through my church." "How did you get this?" "I'm sorry, that's classified." "Of course." "Can you at least tell me where she is?" "Well, unfortunately, the file doesn't pinpoint an exact location." "I can tell you only that it came out of Kyrgyzstan." "Kyrgyzstan?" "Kyr..." "You see how she mentioned her church when they're about to sell her off to ISIS?" "That's my girl." "How's Bob?" "Thought we might see him today." "His heart's not good." "I'm not gonna get his hopes up if we're just gonna let her slip away again." "Diane, uh, while you're here," "I actually have a small favor to ask you." "Madam Secretary, you remember Diane Cramer." " Hello." " Hi, Diane." "Diane, this is Jeri Whittaker and, of course," "Ashley Whittaker." "My daughter is a big fan." "Very nice to meet you." "Well, I think your daughter is just amazing." "I wish she could hear you say that." "I was just explaining to Mrs. Cramer," "Ashley, we hope that you'll join us on a mission to help other girls like her daughter." "So is it like a hostage situation?" "We can't go into too much detail, but I wanted you to meet a mother whose daughter was taken by the criminals we're trying to stop." "They can't tell us anything." "I know the feeling." "Security clearances are frustrating." "I worked in Intelligence." "There were a lot of times I wanted to tell people things that I couldn't, not even my family." "But I didn't, because security is a bond of trust." "And I hope you know, Ashley, that we would protect you with that same bond of trust." "We appreciate all the effort you're going to." "And I am so sorry for your daughter." "She's a beautiful person who doesn't deserve what happened to her." "But you understand," "I have to protect my girl, too." "Of course we understand." "Uh, can I just say..." "Part of me will never forgive these people for not paying Lara's ransom." "But another part knows they did what they had to to make sure these monsters don't take someone else's daughter." "I appreciate that." "But baiting sex traffickers by sending in my daughter..." "That's how you get them." "They're saying they'll protect me." "I want to go." "I want to go." "It happened just outside of Groveton around 2:15 this afternoon." "Residents as far as Rose Hill said they felt the explosion as a truck, loaded with a deadly bomb, drove into a field, where it exploded." "I-I'm watching it right now." "What the hell happened?" "Believe it or not, it was damage control." "Henry." "I know, but I can't defend a situation where I had no choice." "Then you need to find a new situation." "Babe." "Can you explain to me why the ethics professor... the injured ethics professor... is the guy driving the truck with the bomb in it?" "Believe me, if I had had any other option," "I would've taken it." "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." "Really?" "I mean, you didn't, you didn't re-injure something?" "I promise I'm just the same slightly lame guy that you saw this morning." "The mission's not in such great shape, though." "They raided the compound, but we missed some key members." "How's your asset?" "Let's just say it's gonna be an interesting debrief tomorrow." "The kids are here, I should go." "Hey." "Tell them no drinking." "Not one drop," "I mean it." "Except for you," "Jack Ryan." "You should probably drink." "Yeah, I'm already on that." "I love you, babe." "Will you tell him" " wearing sneakers to a formal event isn't" " They're fine." " even close to as cool as he thinks it is?" " They're fine." "I'm a little more concerned about the dress." " Exactly." "Right?" " What's wrong with my dress?" "Well, it's cold outside." "Dad, it's an homage to André Courrèges." "It's not gonna keep you warm, Noodle." "You could... just wear a sweater or something." "Absolutely not." "Master Newton has arrived." "Hey, Thad." " Hey." " Come in." "You look awesome." "Thanks." "Cool dress." "Thanks." "I made it." "Oh, wow." "Um, come meet my dad." " You must be Thad." " Nice to meet you, Mr. McCord." "Looks like you hit a tough slope." "More like a tough Prius, actually." "How did you get here," " by the way?" " Oh." "I drove." "It's my Range Rover right out front." "Oh, nice." "Uh, do you mind if I see your driver's license, please?" "Sure." "Thanks, buddy." "Okay, you're all set." " You guys have a nice time." " Thanks." "Noodle, coat." "That would be Piper." "Her rideshare is here." "You want her to come in so you can scan her ID, you know, make sure it's...?" " You know what?" " Yeah?" "No?" "No?" "That's what I thought, right." "Good." "How's it going?" "Is Kyrgyzstan cooperating with the raids?" "It seems like it." "Nothing on our screens, but we heard they busted some brothels and raided two houses in Tajikistan." "Not exactly the massive crackdown we were hoping for." "Several Uzbek mafia leaders are on the run." "We're tracking them to the checkpoint at the border." " Any word on Lara Cramer?" " Nothing yet." "In happier news," "I have no idea how President Nogoyev's birthday party is going because there's zero mention of it online." "20 bucks says Nogoyev got an ice sculpture of himself." "And watch himself melt?" "Well, it looks like they're approaching the checkpoint." "These are the mafia bosses?" "Yeah, in the SUVs." "What's that?" "What are we seeing?" "Bishkek police," " it looks like." " They're blocking the operation." "Mafia must have paid them off." "Blake?" " I'm calling Director Doherty." " No, no, no, no, no!" " Wait." "Wait." "What are they doing?" " No!" "No!" "No!" " The police are letting them get away?" " Unbelievable." "You know what?" "Forget Doherty." " I want President Nogoyev." " Uh, ma'am..." "I don't care about his stupid birthday party." "No." "Ma'am, you'll be putting" "Ashley at risk." "We have to wait until she's gone." "And you let him?" "Her mom's the secretary of state." "What was I supposed to do?" "You can't take a picture of somebody's state-issued ID." "That's, like, a an invasion of your civil rights." "Whatever." "If I was her dad, I'd be paranoid, too." "You should have shown him all those crazy texts she sent you." "What's with that dress?" "I know, man." "Like, who wears something like that?" "It's, like, dude, let me work for it." "Okay, so, the embassy in Bishkek promises they will either get Ashley safely on a plane, or to the embassy." "On a plane." "Please." "Well, for what it's worth, both NGOs think the president had nothing to do with the police interference." "At least not directly." "Let me guess." "He's shocked to hear there's gambling in Casablanca." "They just got a house in Kyrgyzstan." "Major trafficking site." "Oh." "So?" "Ma'am, the house was empty." "Looks like they got there too late." "They're tracking a truck that left the site about an hour ago." "They think it has the girls in it." "Probably too much to hope that Lara's in there." " Where's the driver?" " I don't know." "It's just been idling there." "Probably got tipped like everybody else and took off." "Well, at least we'll rescue whoever is inside." "Hi." "What happened?" "You okay?" "There was a, uh... a truck." "It was full of girls." "They suffocated." "Oh, babe." "That, uh... that girl..." "That missionary that was kidnapped last year..." "Lara Cramer." "Did she...?" "Yeah." "Ugh." "I have a headache from that driver's cologne." "Sorry you didn't get date raped." "What?" "Nothing." "Thad Newton's a jerk." "You're-you're lucky he ditched you." "He didn't ditch me." "I ditched him." "Did he say something about me?" "Wait." "Why did you ditch him?" "Never mind." "What did he say?" "Nothing." "Just... dumb guy stuff about how much you wanted him, and-and something about your dress." "What age do we live in?" "I-I can't ask a guy out without getting dragged to some room?" "Wait." "What?" "!" "What did he do?" "He kept trying to get me into Julia Hursky's room with him." "When I finally told him to stop, he... he got all mad." "Where do they even get these ideas?" "Well... he said you sent him a bunch of texts or something." "So, you talked to him?" "No." "I-I was in the bathroom." "And you said nothing?" "Come on." "You heard Mom." "He's a senator's kid." "I can't do..." " No." "Don't even." " You know what?" "Last time I wanted to punch somebody for saying stuff about Stevie, Dad told me "no"!" " So..." " Well, he was wrong." "He's an ethics professor!" "Who's not a girl!" "I'm not saying punch him, but say something." "Guys like Thad are everywhere, but guys like you are the reason they get away with it every day." "Daisy?" "Was there any offer to negotiate for Lara's release before she was killed?" "Lara died along with 43 other victims in a tragic accident." "Uh, as I said, there was no prior contact." "Daisy, this morning, actress Ashley Whittaker tweeted that she "played a crucial part" in the raid on several brothels in Kyrgyzstan." "Can you elaborate?" "Ashley Whittaker participated in a diplomatic exchange as part of an agreement with President Nogoyev of Kyrgyzstan." " But..." " Will Ashley Whittaker be honored for her bravery?" "I think you're losing sight of the story here." "The brave men and women of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team," "Delta Force and several NGOs liberated hundreds of victims of human trafficking in five countries." "Asiya Dominjon," "Zarrin Burkhanov, Sholah Karimov and many other girls you've never heard of are alive." "That doesn't diminish the loss of Ashley Whittaker." "No." "Not Ashley." "Ashley's fine." "I meant Lara." "It doesn't diminish the loss of Lara Cramer." "That's my statement." "Thanks, everybody." "Tell me again how you got to the mall." "When I heard they were making a supply run," "I volunteered, hoping we could meet." "And whose truck was it?" "Some guy named Reed." "You didn't think to look in the back?" "Look, I-I just wanted to get out of there before somebody changed their mind." "The two elders..." "Abbott and Slattery... where are they?" "I don't know." "They-they were talking about meeting with this doctor." "Um..." "Sanders or Saunders." "What does this doctor do?" "Is that where they got the DMT?" " I don't know." " When you had these visions," " what did you think was happening?" " Like I said, uh, fever, sleep deprivation, but I was able to push through that." "I was in control." "Except they sent you to a shopping mall with a bomb in the back of your truck." "Were you in control then, Ian?" "No, no." "They played me." "And they almost... made me a suicide bomber... that's on me." "But, look, I-I know you can't trust me, but I'm telling you this was just the beginning." "Of what?" "I don't know." "But-but you have to stop it before it happens." "Good morning, ma'am." "Morning, Nadine." "I-I'm sorry." "I didn't get through your budget memo." "Frankly, I'm surprised I was able to write it." "I think this morning we're all gonna have to compartmentalize." "Yes." "Well, um, about that." "News coverage of Lara Cramer may include" " some passionate remarks by Daisy..." " I saw." "from this morning's conference." "She mentioned some of the victims by name." "Ma'am, I'm so sorry." "What happened?" "They started circling the story about how Ashley Whittaker was the real hero and I lost it." "All right." "We'll deal at the fallout, uh, from that later, but where's Blake?" "Uh, he left a message he was running late." "Blake's running late?" "Yes, ma'am." "Let's try to focus." "This morning's budget memo reflects some last minute changes before our hearing this afternoon." "Senator McDowell is going to be challenging our international adoption program." "On what grounds?" "His office didn't say." "But we'll be ready for any and all attacks." "But why?" "Why should we have to defend a program that provides a home for street kids in India?" "Senator McDowell ran his campaign on fiscal responsibility, so I'm guessing that he'll challenge our program on the grounds that it diverts funds..." "Jay?" "I worked with his chief of staff." "He's not doing this." "Stop." "You can't go there." "Why not?" "None of this is easy today." "But we have a budget to pass, and we need to pull it together and fight for a lot of programs that matter." "Do they?" "Does any of this matter?" "All our big meetings and political positioning, is any of it gonna save one person who shouldn't die today?" "We're still questioning VFF members, but I think we got something good from Conroy." "And you trust him?" "I do." "Group leaders have been meeting with a doctor named Sanders, or Saunders." "We looked everywhere, private clinics, hospitals." "It's just too big of an area, too common of a name." "But when forensics came back from the gear that was seized during the raid, we found this." "Chemical, radiological, explosives." "We also ran for bio." "We found trace amounts of low pathogenic avian influenza." " How bad is that?" " So far, limited to birds." "But that sent us into another direction with the name, and we got this." "Bill Zanner." "Microbiologist, Division of Select Agents and Toxins of the CDC." "These guys work with the worst of the worst." "Zanner's specialty is viral genetic mutation, specifically tracking how LPAI becomes HPAI." "High pathogenic avian influenza." "Extremely contagious." "Extremely deadly." "He's been working in an off-radar lab in Oregon, until he started posting this really crazy conspiracy stuff on the Web, and then the CDC targeted him for investigation." "He disappeared before we could even get into it, and less than a month after he had left, they'd noticed some avian flu missing from his lab." "Now, this never happens at the CDC, and it's basically impossible..." "Unless you're someone with a high clearance." "He's been off the grid ever since." "I think he's our guy." "So we've got key members of the VFF still at large, possibly working in conjunction with the guy most qualified to create some biological nightmare, which he may already have in his possession?" "I'm so worried about that test." "Um, guys, I'll see you later, okay?" " Yeah, bye." " Bye." " Bye." "What are you doing here?" "Hi." "Uh, no." " I was just fixing something." " Oh, my God, Jason." "Come here, come here." "What did you do?" "I was standing up for you." "Just like you said;" "it's what you wanted." "What is that supposed to say?" "What?" "It says "slut-shamer."" "That's what Piper called him when I told her about it, so I... you know." "You realize that by calling him a slut-shamer, you're saying that I'm a slut." "Well, you know what?" "That's an okay thing to be, because sexuality is power, which threatens the patriarchy." " So..." " I get that Piper's got you woke," " but I wasn't being a slut at all." " Well..." " What the hell?" " Run." "Run, run." "Hey, Thad." "Diane." "Hi." "It's Nadine from the State Department." "Hi." "Um, I-I just wanted to reach out to extend our deepest condolences for your loss of Lara." "No." "There you are." "I-I couldn't find anybody." "Oh, ma'am." "I-I'm so sorry I was late." "No, no." "Don't worry about it." "I just wanted to let you all know the good news." "Foreign Relations Committee passed the State Authorization Bill in record time." " That's great." " Yeah." "That's excellent news." "Yeah." "Senator McDowell backed down off the international adoption program." "There's still gonna be a few cuts, but everything's getting reduced, so..." "I'll work on a press release." "This is a win, guys." "Nadine." "I just got off the phone with Diane Cramer." "That must have been hard." "Uh-huh." "Could I ask you to come into my office?" "And then bring the team with you, will you, please?" "We've all seen the worst of humanity in this job." "Political executions, stonings, kids getting shot." "So I guess I'm wondering why this is the one that's doing us in." "Ma'am, I've not been myself." " I apologize about the press conference." " I know I've not been functioning." "Stop." "I'm not calling anybody out or taking anybody to task." "I'm..." "I'm really asking." "Well..." "I'll say it." "Those reporters were right." "They thought we blew it, and we did." "You saw those SUVs disappear into the shadows, and they got away with it." "And we just watched." "I get that." "I-I really do, but..." "I make binders about clean water and global food shortages, and I track phone calls, and I stay five steps ahead of a very busy person." "And when people ask what I do," "I say I'm saving the world one binder at a time." "But..." "I don't know, maybe I'm just making binders." "It's the abyss." "We can dance around it." "We can call it something else and pretend it's not there, but it is there." "Look, when you came here, you broke a lot of rules." "And things got done." "And now, to go back to bureaucracy and budget cuts, while-while stuff like that happens..." "I want to slay dragons, ma'am, not play whack-a-mole with evil." "Sometimes making evil have to duck and find another hole is the best we're gonna do." "Somebody sent me this after one of the terrorist attacks." "It's a poem called "Good Bones" by Maggie Smith." "The last part of it goes:" ""Life is short and the world is at least half terrible," ""and for every kind stranger," ""there is one who would break you," ""though I keep this from my children." ""I am trying to sell them the world." ""Any decent realtor, walking you through a real hellhole," ""chirps on about good bones:" "This place could be beautiful, right?"" ""You could make this place beautiful."" "Then Thad goes," ""But I'm a dude, I can't be a slut."" "Did you get Piper to explain it to him?" "Oh, Jason doesn't need Piper." "Tell him what you said." "Oh." "Uh, it might have been something like, uh, "your objectification" ""of femininity has an expiration date," ""pal, and that date might be today."" "Well, at least you gave yourself an out." "And then he goes to wipe it off and the paint is damaged." "Oh, you should have seen his face." "It was like I cut Samson's hair." "He was like, he was like, "Oh, my God." "What am I gonna tell my dad?"" "And then Dean Ward shows up and she goes, "You're trespassing on school grounds." "We're gonna fill out a police report for damaged property."" "This is getting a little bit less funny." "Wait, wait, wait, wait." "But then, but then she gets us inside, and we lay out, like, the whole thing to her, and, um, she kind of..." "like, she went, like, uh..." " How-how did she do it?" " Oh." ""Well, Thaddeus Newton had it coming to him." "Better that it happened sooner rather than later."" " Yes, total pass." " She did not." "Score one against the patriarchy." "I don't know what got into Dean Ward." " It was amazing." " It was an absolute moment of glory."