"Previously on Madam Secretary..." "We're in therapy so we can work through it." "We're in therapy because I can't accept what happened to Dmitri, and what's still happening to his sister." "Images show the I-8 district of Islamabad, where Jibral Disah is said to be sheltered, to be a highly exposed residential area." "We'll give Murphy Station a diplomatic cover." "Conrad wants you guys working from inside the embassy, and that's what's gonna let me sleep at night." "The embassy is under an evacuation order." "JSOC is ready to initiate render safe, Mr. President." "I'd like to wait until all of our citizens are out of danger." "I appreciate that, Mr. President." "But securing over 100 nuclear warheads in a fallen regime, with ties to multiple jihadist groups, has to take precedence." "I didn't travel halfway around the world to get on a chopper the moment we have Disah in our sights." "Have you looked outside?" "This city is falling apart." "Which is the perfect cover we need to get this done." "This is finishing the job we came here to do... to kill Jibral Disah." "Elizabeth..." "CENTCOM just received a coded e-mail from Murphy Station." "They got a hit on" "Jibral Disah's location and decided to stay in Islamabad." "Please, tell me they have a Marine detail." "Things are fluid." "We're trying to reach them." "Yeah... me, too." "Two hours ago, I was at a pancake social in Dixville Notch, charming party insiders, when the guy at the syrup bar tells me Pakistan is imploding." "Thanks for making it back so quickly." "Mr. President..." "Mr. Jackson, welcome back." "You're all needed in the Situation Room." "Another slow day at the office." "Prime Minister Khoosat was unfit to lead the people of Pakistan, and the people rightly took to the streets to demonstrate..." "What's going on?" "Abedi just declared himself the new Prime Minister of Pakistan." "Does he have the military behind him?" "Unclear." "Though it's totally clear that he's in league with Hizb Al-Shahid." "Let the Chief of the Army Staff and his principal officers know that the United States does not recognize Abedi, and they would be wise to do the same." "Where are we on wrapping up their nuclear weapons, Admiral?" "Special Operation Forces out of Afghanistan and Qatar are en route." "Before they breach Pakistani airspace, CYBERCOM'll be paving the road." "We already killed most of the power grid and all comms." "Still working on jamming their surface-to-air missile capabilities." "But just in case, we're bringing in every available drone to clean up any bumps along the way." "Then what?" "Pakistan's 110 nuclear weapons are stored in 12 bunkers, scattered all over the country." "We'll be handling the seven in the northern half that account for 68 bombs." "The Russians will be taking the five bunkers in the south." "However, far as we can tell, the Russians haven't launched any units yet." "I can reach out to Minister Avdonin about that." "How long do we expect all this to take?" "Assuming our Intel on bunker locations is good, six hours till taillights over the border." "Mr. President, I have Murphy Station on the line, sir." "Put them on speaker, Colonel." "Give us your status, Murphy." "En route to Islamabad's I-8 district." "If our Intel is right, we should be staking out Jibral Disah's location in about 30 minutes." "Hey, it's Elizabeth." "McCord." "Hey." "You should know we've initiated an operation to secure all of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, so... most of their power grid's down." "We'll be coming in pretty heavy, with Russian Special Forces joining in." "Copy that." "Get it done and get out." "Murphy Station, could you, uh, could you give us a second?" "Mr. President, there are riots raging throughout Islamabad." "I, uh..." "I'm questioning the wisdom of leaving three high value assets to take out this terrorist, in a rapidly deteriorating situation, while we have bigger fish to fry." "You want to abort the Disah mission." "As much as I would love to light that son of a bitch up, render safe has to be our priority." "Elizabeth?" "I think we should back Murphy Station's play, sir." "Walk and chew gum at the same time, it is then." "Let's get it done." "All of it." "Yes, sir." "Maybe she's sick of you." "Ma'am." "It's Allison." "She says it's an emergency." "Ali, baby, what's going on?" "Are you okay?" "You didn't sign the New York trip permission slip." "So you're not bleeding out on the street somewhere?" "I left it on the coffee maker last night." "Well, I ended up staying at work all night." "Oh, yeah, that'll fly with Dean Ward." "Quaker education is all about personal responsibility." "You know Richard Nixon was a Quaker." "Just saying." "If it's not signed by 3:00, I'll be stuck in study hall while all of my friends are seeing Hamilton." "Oh, Hamilton, well..." "I'll have Blake take care of it." "But listen, no more saying that it's an emergency unless there are paramedics or SWAT teams involved." "I love you, baby." "What am I taking care of?" "Appeasing a fascist Quaker." "Minister Avdonin, thanks for coming, but a phone call would have sufficed." "I wanted to tell you in person that Russia has decided to back Abedi as prime minister." "You can't be serious." "Madam Secretary..." "Of course you're serious." "But..." "Abedi?" "Who basically murdered the legitimate prime minister and is in bed with the worst terrorists on Earth?" "That guy?" "Pakistan has a long history of cooperating" " with jihadist groups." " But none of them ever set off a dirty bomb inside the United States." "We will never get behind anybody associated with Hizb Al-Shahid." "That's..." "Oh, my God." "You're backing out of render safe." "We agreed to it before Abedi took power." "Abedi hasn't taken power, and it is absurd to think that he could hold that country together." "Our intelligence agencies have already seen fissures in the Pakistani military." "Are those the same intelligence agencies that were so sure Russia hacked Air Force One?" "Konstantin, our joint render safe plan has been in place for years, and it's happening now." "You can't just back out of it like it's an annoying dinner party." "I should let you go." "There's nothing more to discuss." "Hello." "You okay?" "I'm..." "I'm okay, I'm..." "I'm..." "Yeah." "I'm..." "We got this." "Seriously, don't worry." "I believe you." "Look, I-I don't want to hang up, Henry, but I-I just found out the Russians are bailing on us, and I've got to brief POTUS." "Wait, don't hang up." "Go." "Just hold on." "Look, I know I wasn't marrying a couch potato and..." "I don't know how to say this." "I..." "I love you, so don't die on me, okay?" "Copy that." "And I love you." "Now I gotta go, too." "Yeah, the two-story one with the blue trim." "SUVs out front." "They could be out of there pretty quick, if they had to." "Son of a bitch is in there." "I can feel the dark side of the Force." "Well, we wait until we see him." "I'll call for a drone." "Or a droid." "President Salnikov won't budge." "We're on our own." "So what does that look like, Admiral?" "Five more sites, hundreds of miles apart." "It'll extend the mission to closer to ten hours." "Can't we move faster by destroying the bombs?" "Yes, sir, transporting the warheads is the most time-consuming part." "We can switch to disarming them, removing the nuclear material, and then hitting the bunkers with drones." "It'll save two hours, more or less." "It's noisy... and messy." "Certainly be more casualties." "And it'll look a hell of a lot more like an invasion." "All of the above, and it'll stretch our drone capacity, but it'll get the job done." "Do it, Admiral." "Sir." "Where are we with Murphy Station?" "We should've grabbed some food." "While the embassy was being overrun?" "That's a good idea." "How long would it have taken to stop and get some take-out or something?" "Guys, guys, front door open." "Any of them Disah?" "I don't see him, damn it." "Come on, come on, come on." "Long black coat in the back." "Yep, I'm confirming." "It's him." "Murphy Station to Reaper One." "Requesting strike at 4-3-S-C-T-2-8." "Two SUVs." "Over." "Copy, Murphy Station." "Reaper One incoming, rendezvous three minutes." "What the hell happened to the one I requested to be standing by an hour ago?" "!" "Over." "Pulling double duty." "Just under three minutes." "Incoming." "The phone's not with them." " What?" " It's not moving." "It's still in the house." "No time, Reaper One, losing our eyes." "We need a strike right now, damn it." "Over." "Copy." "Two and a half minutes." "Incoming." "I'm gonna kill this guy." " We gotta follow them or we'll lose them." " No." " Three minutes, they'll be gone." " But at least..." "They'll make us in three seconds." "Then we'll keep our distance." "Whatever happened to finishing the damn job?" "Stay the hell back." "Far as you can." "You gotta be kidding me with this drone." "Hasn't been three minutes." "There's a car behind us." "Heavy fire!" "Reaper One, taking fire!" "Another car right behind us." "We need a strike immediately." "Immediately!" "Look out!" "Disah mission complete." "You guys okay?" "Never better." "Fine." "Night Stalker, Murphy Station here." "Firecracker hit." "We need exfil." "Over." "Copy, Murphy." "We might want to keep moving." "We need a ride now!" "Over!" "Copy, Murphy." "Nearest bird is an hour out." "Let's go." "Copy." "Looking for cover." "Out." "Go, go, go." "Apparently, we're not the prettiest girl at the dance." "We got an hour to kill." "Jose, you're bleeding." "Let's see." "You're shot." "Good news is... missed your heart." "Here." "Get this on." "Needs the pressure." "God...!" " Can you keep going?" " Yeah, we good?" "As long as the adrenaline." " Let's go." " Okay." "Our render safe unit in Kohat took more fire than expected, which held..." "You're telling me they killed Jibral Disah, the most wanted terrorist on Earth, and JSOC doesn't have anybody available to pick these guys up?" "If there were, ma'am, I can assure you..." "We would've already made the call." "Bess, Murphy Station is our top priority." "It sounds like Jose Campos needs surgery." "We're making sure medical personnel are part of the exfil team." "In the meantime, they're seeking cover." "Do we even know where?" "Set up back there." "All right, I'll check for medical supplies." "Okay." "A hideout with food..." "now we're talking." "Put it down!" "Put the gun down!" "Put the gun down!" "Shoot him, Henry!" "Shoot him!" "Where's the gun?" "I got it, I got it." "Keep quiet." " Anyone hit?" " Be quiet." "No." "No thanks to Hamlet McCord here." "Sit down." "Stay right there." "Tell him we're not gonna hurt him." "Why the hell not?" "He could've killed us!" "Just tell him!" "Tell him we're here to help." "We just want to go home safely to our families." "Does he understand?" "Any word on Henry?" "No, ma'am." "Sorry." "And, uh, given how much is on your mind, I feel silly even bringing this up..." "Alison's permission slip." "Yeah." "No problem." "We got to walk and chew gum, POTUS's orders." "Okay." "See?" "Walking and chewing gum." "We got this." "Well, I'm glad you feel that way, because the Chinese foreign minister has requested a meeting." "He and every other Security Council member." "They want to yell at us for breaking Pakistan." "Yes, but, uh," "Minister Chen has been particularly insistent." "Well, China shares a border with Pakistan." "I get it, but not today." "I have got to shut my eyes for a few minutes, or I might accidentally impose sanctions on Canada." "He's in my office, isn't he?" "I really have to work on saying no to powerful people." "I'm a powerful people pleaser." "We all have things we have to work on, Blake." "Minister Chen!" "What a surprise." "Madam Secretary." "My government is gravely concerned about your incursion in Pakistan." "Yes, I heard your president's blanket condemnation: "A scourge!" "A diabolical scourge on the region."" "I'm guessing that something got lost in translation, but you're here to clarify, aren't you?" "We do, indeed, condemn your hostile and destabilizing actions in the harshest possible terms." "However, unofficially, I am here to ask how China can help." "Well, it... would have to involve a time machine." "You know we've been trying to bring China into our Pakistan render safe plan for years now." "You have an expression:" ""Better late than never."" "I prefer, "Timing is everything."" "May I ask how the operation is going?" "We have secured the weapons at 11 of their 12 bunkers." "We're facing less resistance as we go, probably because" "Abedi's grip on the military is fracturing." "This is our intelligence assessment, as well." "Great superpower minds..." "If all goes according to plan, we should be done within the hour." "Well, if it doesn't, we'll be taking you up on your offer to help, which is very much appreciated." "Thank you, Elizabeth." "You bet." "Oh... my God." "Oh, my God." "Ma'am, you're needed in the Situation Room." "Sorry, still no word on Henry." "Thanks, Blake." "Mm-hmm." "JSOC team's landing at Petaro." "Home of the last of the Pakistani nukes." "I have an update on Murphy Station." "They're holed up in the back room of a grocery store in the northeast quadrant of the I-8 district." "Our exfil unit is 20 minutes out." "Night Owl, someone got here before us." "We have multiple Pakistani army dead, security barriers smashed, and it looks like the cold room has been breached." "Copy." "How about the heavy bags?" "Entering cold room." "They're gone." "The heavy bags are not here, sir." "How many were supposed to be there, Admiral?" "Six tactical nuclear warheads." "So, they're small... and easily transportable." "And very well may have fallen into the hands of terrorists." "Hizb Al-Shahid is now a caliphate armed with nuclear weapons." "This is God's will." "It is God's will to bring the infidels to their knees and exterminate them." "These nuclear bombs will rain fire on your cities and bring death to millions." "There is no refuge for the unbelievers." "Those who do not turn to the one, true God, will perish in flames." "God is mer..." "Damn thing'll probably get more views than the kid biting his brother's finger." "It was Hizb Al-Shahid's plan all along." "Cozy up to the world's most unstable nuclear power, foment chaos, then steal their warheads." "China offered their help earlier, so I've just reached out to Minister Chen to seal their border." "I'm also reaching out to Afghanistan," "India, and even Iran to do the same." "CENTCOM is scrambling to quarantine the Pakistani coast." "Our entire military and IC is focused on closing the circle on them, fast." "And I'm having my staff coordinate with ISN." "See if they can game out HS's plans for the bombs." "God help us if any of them make it out of Pakistan." "My official statement is that" "I don't yet have an official statement, Evan." "Yeah, you bet that's a tautology, like you being up your own ass." "How's the official statement coming?" "Is it insensitive to say it feels harder than render safe?" "Make sure it sounds like it is not a hostile takeover." "Even though it kind of is a hostile takeover?" "A top-secret one with the whole world watching." "Oh, so, your classic non-denial denial." " More denial-denial." " Wait, isn't denial-denial an acknowledgment?" "Without actually acknowledging." "So, not lying, but not really truthing either." "And definitely nothing about loose nukes." "Even though there's a video." "Okay, so, one deluxe denial-denial, hold the nukes, side of truth." "Like that." "So, if I'm Hizb Al-Shahid, where am I hiding those warheads?" "It's a big country, Jay." "Yes, but this is Petaro, where the warheads were taken about two hours ago, so they can't be more than a couple hundred miles from there, meaning they are somewhere... in here." "That's over 100,000 square miles." "Okay." "Uh, so, Karachi is a city of about 24 million." "A lot of other villages, some desert, coast." "Where in here would you want to hide six tactical nuclear bombs?" "I have absolutely no idea, but I do know if these terrorists have a bomb, they'll want to use it." "Really, Walter?" "You think?" "I mean, I get that we're looking for a needle in a haystack, but I have this crazy suspicion that pessimism, sarcasm and utter defeatism aren't gonna help stop the greatest threat to our way of life" "we've ever encountered, so, if that's all you got, you should go... but I'm a father now, and if these bombs make it here and, God forbid, they, "rain fire on our cities" "and bring death to millions," I at least want to know that" "I did everything we could to stop it, even when it was hard and seemed hopeless." "That's very moving, Jay." "But I repeat:" "If Hizb Al-Shahid terrorists have a bomb, they'll want to use it, and that is an idea we can actually work with." "We can?" "Do you know how to detonate a nuclear weapon?" "Now, there's... no red button, no plunger." "They're not manufactured by the ACME Corporation." "Without authorization codes from the Pakistani Prime Minister, you'll need to rewire the firing set without activating the bomb's penalty system." "You'll need to remove the airburst fuse without exposing yourself to a lethal dose of alpha radiation." "Do you know how many people in Pakistan can actually do that?" "No." "Fourteen." "There are only 14 nuclear scientists with the expertise to turn a nuclear warhead into anything remotely useful to a non-state actor." "So, if we can figure out if one of these scientists is in cahoots with Hizb Al-Shahid, then we might be able to track him to the bombs." "Huh." "I don't want my children to be vaporized any more than you want yours to, Jay." "Our air force is prepared to send aerial surveillance along the Afghan border." "We'll take it." "But it's the quarantine of Pakistan's coast where we could really use some quick backup." "Our ships can only go so fast." "I'll bring this to Li immediately." "Russell Jackson would like a word." "Thanks, Ming." "I gotta go." "Any idea what it's about?" "Uh, no, but I just heard from Dean Ward's office, and there's been a slight hiccup with Alison's permission slip." "How slight?" "Well, apparently, a student recently managed to Photoshop his dad's signature on a truancy notice, prompting Dean Ward to change official policy, now requiring original parent signatures on all student forms." "I signed the form, Blake." "I'm not hearing the hiccup." "Turns out I was not aware of the new policy, and I e-mailed it in." " Ah..." " And now it's too late to messenger the form over by the deadline at the end of the school day, and I-I really..." "I am so sorry..." "All right." "It's okay." "It's okay." "You just have to call Dean Ward." "Tell her I am personally asking for an exception to this rule." "I mean, I would do it, but, you know, things are so crazy around here, and given our history..." "I don't trust myself to be polite, so... you have to do it." "I will make the call, ma'am." "I don't like the look of this." "Murphy Station's exfil team got bogged down in small arms fire as they rolled into Islamabad." "Pakistani military?" "Warring factions in their ranks, apparently, or rioters, or God knows what else." "So now what?" "Well, there's a, uh, cricket field two miles north of Murphy's current location." "We should be able to put a chopper down." "And the three of them are just supposed to hoof it there?" "Parker thinks, if they keep a low profile, they should be able to get through the streets." "With Jose bleeding out?" "Oh, my God." "We never should have let them stay." "Elizabeth..." "No, no, you were right." "No." "I wasn't." "Look, imagine how much worse this would all be if Jibral Disah was still alive." "Say what you want about the evil bastard, he was a brilliant tactician." "I like our odds of finding those warheads a hell of a lot better with him out of the picture." "Okay, Jose." "Thanks." "Good?" "We gotta try to move." "You think you can stand up, pal?" "Screw this." "Let's go." "Okay." "Okay." " No, there's no way." " Yeah, just lean backwards." "There you go." "Well, we don't have a plan B." "You guys go." "Out of the question." "We're staying together." "Marines crap." "Jane, cancel the exfil." "Ah, the phone's dead." "Hey, Henry..." "Come on." "Look, I think his lung's collapsing." "We need to blow it back up." "How do... how..." "Needle thoracostomy." "It's basically a-a needle with a valve on the end." "You jam it into the lung, and it gives you relief for a little while." "You know how to do that?" "Well... field ops get basic medical training." "I could try." "Uh, we need a chest compression needle." "Any hospital should have one." "Okay, I'll go." "Wh... you really think you can make it to a hospital?" "I don't know." "It was your idea." "Yeah, well, I'm just thinking out loud." "Look, even if you made it, an American showing up at a hospital when half the country's out there chanting "Death to America,"" "they'd string you up to the nearest lamppost." "Look, maybe I could Jerry-rig a needle and valve with a pen or something." "Maybe he could go." "The guy we tied up to a chair at gunpoint?" "Look, I gave him something to drink, he didn't spit it back in my face." "He's seen Jose suffering, maybe he has compassion." "He'll know where a hospital is, and he's not going to get strung up on a lamppost." "From where I stand, it checks off a lot of boxes." "We'll need the guy with the failing lung to translate." "Let's not waste any time." "I just heard from the DNI himself, about the last Pakistani scientist..." "Sadozai." "He's in Tehran... visiting family." "That's comforting." "So much for your theory." "No, it's not a theory, Jay." "It may not be one of these men, but Hizb Al-Shahid has a competent hand tending to those warheads." "Okay, so what other countries with nuclear programs could they possibly have recruited someone from?" "Uh, certainly not India." "Russia?" "Mm-mm." "Moldova?" "Hizb Al-Shahid bribed that Moldovan nuclear inspector to help steal uranium for their dirty bomb." "At the time, you said that looking for him would be a dead end, that we should focus on the end buyer, and you were right." "Did you ever catch up with him?" "No." "Last I heard, we gave his name to Interpol." "Here we go." "Iancu Balan." "Former chief nuclear inspector at the Rajlyan Power Plant in Tiraspol." "He's already working with Hizb Al-Shahid." "Would he have the expertise you're talking about?" "Yeah." "I think he would." "And I think I know how to find him." "Iancu Balan?" "He grew up in Moscow and was trained at the Kurchatov Institute." "We assume your government sent him to Moldova." "Of course, you weren't counting on him going rogue." "We know you keep close tabs on your nuclear scientists." "We want everything you've got on this one." "We might be willing to share intelligence, if the price is right." "Really?" "Um... actually, can you guys, uh, give Minister Avdonin and me the room... please?" "Do you remember the last time we spoke?" "You were telling me how Abedi was going to ascend to the throne of Pakistan, and everything was going to be great?" "Yeah." "We certainly overestimated" "Abedi's viability." "Well, that's one way of putting it." "Here's another:" "Your rainbow and unicorn assessment of Abedi aside, you pulled out of render safe, and now Hizb Al-Shahid has six nuclear weapons putting a significant portion of humanity at risk." "You want something from us, Madam Secretary," "I'd simply like something in return." "Releasing Peter Buckley to us, for instance." "Peter Buckley." "One of the most notorious spies to ever sell U.S. secrets to your government?" "Sure." "We'll gladly ship him to Russia." "In a box." "But never while he's still breathing." "I expect the dossier on Balan within the hour." "Okay." "Let's get started." "What did you find, Oliver?" "Iancu Balan was last seen three months ago, leaving Rajlyan Power Plant in Tiraspol." "We all know about the uranium he stole and gave to Hizb Al-Shahid." "But Russian GRU shared that he visited his brother in Moscow eleven months ago." "During that visit, he was invited to meet with Russian officials at his old stomping ground, the Kurchatov Institute." "Russian agents took that opportunity to upload a privileged access rootkit onto his laptop." "And you can access it?" "I've turned it on remotely, and fired up its wireless router." "If the power's down in Pakistan, how are you going to find it?" "He who shutteth down the grid can selectively turn it back on." "With your permission, Mr. President." "Do whatever you need to." "Ah, boom." "Or, should I say, ping... uh, off a cell tower in Gadani." "That's here, near the coast." "They're trying to get the bombs out by boat." "Well, or maybe our naval quarantine with the Chinese is making them reconsider." "Can you give us parameters, Oliver?" "Yes, sir." "I can narrow it down to 12 square miles." "I'll send the area directly to CENTCOM." "Let's move every available asset into that region." "Yes, sir." "Pray to God that we're not too late." "It's been too long." "We have to start planning for if he doesn't come back." "If he doesn't come back, I'll go." "Henry." "Hey." "We're getting you help." "Yeah, sure." "You and I both know that shopkeeper's probably home shtooping his wife." "Listen." "I'm a lapsed Catholic." "I know it's hard to believe." "I'm sure the Almighty has seen worse." "I haven't been to church since 9/11." "Got busy... and maybe a little pissed off." "God can take it." "I still want to hedge my bet." "Give me my last rites, buddy." "You're not dying." "I know." "I'm a model of good health." "But just in case." "Only a priest can give the sacrament of last rites." "Oh, come on, altar boy." "Can you just perform some prayer for the sick?" "Can you do that, please?" "It'll be enough for me to be at peace." "Lord and Father, Almighty and Eternal God, by your blessings give us strength and support in our frailty." "Turn with kindness toward this your servant." "Free him from all illness and... um... free him from all illness and..." "Oh, hell..." "Are you sorry for your sins?" "Yeah." "What is he saying?" "Jose, ask who he is." "He says you need doctor." "You a doctor?" "Yeah." "Come on." "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "Target neutralized." "Moving to secure warheads." "Hey, hey." "What?" "Oh." "We got the nukes." "All six of them." "What about...?" "The SEAL team will reach" "Murphy Station's rendezvous point in five minutes." "Okay, okay." "Spartan Six landing at rendezvous point." "Copy, Spartan." "Any sign of Murphy Station?" "Over." "Negative, Night Owl." "Shots fired!" "Damn it." "We're good." "Gunfire nearby, not directed at us." "Copy." "They'll wait ten minutes, then pull up stakes." "There's movement about 60 yards away." "Approaching." "Can you confirm it's Murphy Station?" "Over." "Affirmative, Night Owl." "We have eyes on Murphy Station." "Full set." "Making contact, preparing for extract." "Got them." "Congratulations, Murphy Station, on a job well done." "Thank you, Mr. President." "I'm here with the Secretary of State and the rest of the NSC." "We're all looking forward to you coming home." "Thank you, sir." "I think I'm gonna take some of my vacation days." "I look forward to being a couch potato for a while." "Well deserved, Henry." "I should address the nation." "Well, it never gets old." "I'll set it up." "Uh, tell Henry I'll buy him a drink when he gets back." "Well, I think you can buy me one, too." "Blake." "Hey." "Sir." "Listen, will you, uh, find out if Minister Avdonin is still in town?" "Okay?" "Of course." "What?" "Ma'am, I did everything I could to get Dean Ward on the phone, and when I say everything, I mean..." "Short of sending a special envoy, got it." "Yes, uh, finally, her assistant, Marigold, got back to me." "She said it was a settled issue." "She said that?" ""Settled issue"?" "Those exact words." "They're playing on a loop in my head." "Put a pin in Minister Avdonin and find me Dean Ward." "Get her on the phone?" "No, find out where she is." "Right now?" "Dean Ward, what a coincidence." "Madam Secretary." "I didn't know you went here." "I don't." "That was a joke." "I was hoping to talk to you about the 11th grade field trip." "I believe my assistant, Marigold," " spoke to your assistant." " I heard." " "Settled issue."" " That's right." "Here's the thing." "Alison really has her heart set on this trip, and, well, she shouldn't be left behind just because I messed up." " Madam Secretary..." " No, please, just let me say my piece." "Now I don't know if you noticed, but it's been pretty hectic the last couple of days in the world, and, well," "I haven't focused too much on my kids, which I promised wouldn't happen when I took this job, but who am I kidding, right?" "But not being present for them is different than completely letting them down, so I-I-I'm throwing myself at your mercy here." "When my assistant said it was a settled issue," "Madam Secretary..." "Really?" "You're sticking with "settled issue"?" "Fine, what's it gonna take to get Alison on that bus?" "You want dinner with the president?" "I don't know, Air Force One more your thing?" "What are we talking about here?" "'Cause I got to tell you, I have dealt with brutal dictators that were more flexible, and, frankly, just a little bit more likable than you." "Are you finished?" "Depends on your answer." "When I told my assistant Marigold to tell your assistant that it was a settled issue it was because Alison had come to my office and very politely and respectfully requested an extra day to turn in her signed permission slip, which I granted." "Really?" "Making it a settled issue." "Good evening, Secretary McCord." "Do you need a chaperone?" "No, thank you." "If you need any help getting in somewhere..." "No, we're fine." "It was nice to see you." "Jibral Disah will no longer be able to attack the United States." "The swift justice Hizb Al-Shahid's leader met sends a clear message to what's left of his terrorist organization and anyone else who would seek to do us harm." "Wherever you're hiding, we will find you." "Minister Avdonin." "Thanks for coming out." "How could I say no to toasting success?" "Listen, I know things got heated in my office, but it's the end result that matters." "GRU's Intel was vital to finding the last of the bombs." "Can I get you anything, Madam Secretary?" "Single malt, neat." "Thanks." "I have two boys and a little girl." "I'll sleep better because of all of our efforts." "Boy, can I ever appreciate that." "Cheers." "Na Zdorovie." "And I appreciate the renewed good will between us, especially given I'm about to ask you for a favor." "There's a young, Russian woman in prison, in Moscow, on a hooliganism charge." "I'd like to see her released." "Talia Petrova." "What does the United States have to gain by freeing this girl?" "It's a matter of... personal significance." "Maybe now you will consider a trade for Peter Buckley." "Okay." "You're a good soldier for your president... but Talia Petrova is an innocent girl and Peter Buckley is a high value spy." "Come on, Konstantin." "Then perhaps we can sweeten the deal with the release of an American spy." "Are you interested in Talia's brother?" "Dmitri Petrov?" "Mm-hmm." "He's dead." "What if he isn't?"