"You are being watched." "The government has a secret system." "Ripped By mstoll" "A machine that spies on you every hour of every day." "I designed the machine to detect acts of terror, but it sees everything." "Violent crimes involving ordinary people." "The government considers these people irrelevant." "We don't." "Hunted by the authorities, we work in secret." "You will never find us." "But victim or perpetrator, if your number's up, we'll find you." "You won't believe what The Swede has been doing." "Going to the therapy." "How much does the therapist know?" "Are you resting comfortably?" "Yes." "But I should tell you that I don't really believe in hypnotism." "The act of hypnosis is freewill." "For me to proceed, your mind must grant the permission." "Will it work on me the first time?" "Most of my clients experience results in three to five sessions." "So we'll work on your anxiety and paranoia gradually." "See, Mr. Wren, hypnosis is merely relaxation combined with imagery." "You experience it every night as you drift asleep, focus on a book, or miss your exit on the FDR." "Ready?" " I think so, yes." "Then let's begin." "Please pick up the tablet beside you, and choose an image that speaks to your emotion." "Oh, this one." "I want you to close your eyes and form a mental picture of that image." "Picture the birds, the field." "Then one by one, picture them as they fly away." "Focus on your breathing." "One bird departs." "And as each one goes, your relaxation increases and you continue to feel calmer and more at rest." "For 200 bucks an hour, Finch," "I hope you get more than an expensive nap." "I want to take you back to a place in your life where you were safe and comfortable." "Can you think of that place, Mr. Wren?" "My childhood bedroom." "Now, I want you to think of all the ways it made you feel safe." "Picture it clear as day." "What color were the walls?" "Hayden Price, certified hypnotherapist to the Upper East Side." "Does he do birthday parties'?" "It's not that kind of hypnotism, Mr. Reese." "He caters to wealthy businessmen and Socialites." "Anger management, smoking cessation, that sort of thing." "Or so you might think, if you didn't know that the office was rented on a short-term lease, and that his certification doesn't come from any association I can find." "During the therapy, I became attuned to the kind of questions that Hayden was asking." "A color that's favorable to you?" "Blue." "The name of a childhood pet?" "Scout." "He was phishing." "Getting answers to your security questions." "My bank account was suddenly signed up for a recurring automatic donation to the nonprofit called "The American Cancer Coalition Fund."" "I'd be willing to wager that Hayden's name is on that nonprofit." "So, unless he's moonlighting as a samaritan," "I'd say we're dealing with a con artist and a very clever thief." "So why'd you even play along, Finch?" "I told Hayden what he wanted to hear." "I didn't even have a pet as a child." "But when I went to bluejack his phone, it was blocked." "Someone had already jacked it, perhaps someone who's out to get him." "And his clients would be the best place to start" "I'll contact Shaw for back-up, but first I need to look in on our houseguest." "As before, Ms. Groves, Mr. Reese is upstairs with an unhealthy number of firearms." "Please don't try to run." "Honestly, Harold, locking me up'?" "I admit that the accommodations are not ideal." "But your confinement is for your own good." "Harold, your machine called me." "An event that I haven't fully reasoned out." "But your unpredictability, your willingness to hurl others make you as dangerous as ever." "You can't fight the future." "I'll bring you some new books." "I get it." "You wonder why it won't talk to you like it talks to me." "Don't be jealous, Harold." "Morn still loves us both." "When bluejacking Hayden didn't work," "I sent him a basket of pastries as a thank you." "Bugged, of course." "I'm just so angry with her, I could kill her." "And those feelings will dissipate as you feel calmer, Mr. Sykes." "Tell me about your mother." "Speak her name, out loud." "Her full name." "MEW" " Mary Shackford Sykes." " Very good." "That's a start." "It seems therapy has helped, Sven." "I haven't been able to sleep this well in months." "And do you still believe you're surrounded by phonies?" "Sadly, yes." "But thanks to you, I'm able to push past, to rediscover the quality and craft of my antique business, search for the meaning in my work." "Sounds like Hayden isn't a half-bad therapist after all." "A lot of patients today?" "Anybody weird?" "Wall-to-wall mommy issues." "Mm." "Enough to make a man want to smoke." "Or under-sleep or over-eat or... or?" "Who's the girl, Finch?" "Her name is Natalie Boal." "She works at an art gallery downtown." "She started coming to Hayden for therapy a little over a year ago." "It's more than therapy now." "Ugh, look at that." "He isn't working her, he's in love." "And if she's making those eyes at him," "I bet she doesn't know about his criminal side." "Someday, no more patients." "No more psychoses." "No more snooty art buyers." "Just you and me." "We just go to the airport..." "Jet off to some corner of the world." "Right." "With what money, again?" "Let me worry about that." "And when I get enough, it's just you and me and paradise." "Hayden's on the move, Finch." "According to his schedule, he doesn't have any more appointments today." "So where is he going so fast'?" " There you go." " Thank you." "So, is everything in order?" "Relax." "There's nothing to worry over." "The exchange rates are in your favor." "I started as a teller at that SL, you know?" "Fifteen years I put in, and then they tell me I need to take a pay cut." "So I decided they owed me a pay raise." "Here's my 50,000 dollars, Mr. Russell." "Where's yours?" "Outstanding." "Let's proceed." "I'm so gonna shoot this punk." "Something's not right." "We're meeting your contact here?" "It's quiet up here, and far from nosy thieves looking for cash." "No." "The only thief here is you." "Detective Decker, NYPD." "Fraud Investigation." "Hands up, sucker." "Sucker'?" "I can only guess what he got you for, pal." "He feed you that line of crap about the exchange rates?" "And you, pass me that briefcase very slowly." "Not today." "Oh, God." "Mr. Reese, Ms. Shaw, why aren't you intervening?" "Wait for it." "Is he gone?" "With his tail between his legs." "Whoa." "We really hooked that fish for 20 G's?" "Sure did." "20?" "I thought it was 50." "Here's your half." "Now let's get the hell out of here before somebody calls the real cops." "Who isn't Hayden ripping off?" "This guy's good." "I can watch you nursing that coffee for just so long." "You should know I called, to check in on you, Joss." "Well, parking tickets and purse snatchers aren't exactly a challenge after my old job, Mr. Quinn." "Alonzo, please." "The last time we met, you said you had suspicions about my godson's murder." "I tried working a few leads, but Cal's department file was sealed." "There is a chance here that the organization HR could be involved." "HR'?" "I thought HR was disbanded." "The feds just scattered the roaches." "It's sometimes hard to get 'em all." "Maybe I can get the Mayor involved, open doors for you at One PP." "I wouldn't wanna put you in that kind of position, Mr. Quinn." "I'll take my chances on this one solo." "All right." "I'm sorry, my shift is starting, and I have a rookie partner to pick up." "Saddled you with a rookie, huh?" "Goes with the parking tickets and purse snatchers." "Thanks for the coffee." "Despite Hayden's criminality and his malfeasant theatrics," "I still think it's more likely that someone is out to get him than the other way around." "Someone who bluejacked his phone." "Maybe one of his clients is on to his scam." "Hayden may have conned any number of people, and all it takes is one easy mark with ties to a gang or organized crime, so we don't have a moment to waste." "If you and Ms. Shaw could visit some of his more irascible clients," "I'll text you their names and addresses on my way." " On your way to where?" " Back to therapy." "Mr. Wren, when I snap my fingers, you will come totally out of your resting state feeling refreshed and relieved after our conversation." "So how did it go this time'?" "Quite well." "You're making very solid progress, Mr. Wren." "But sadly, our time is up for the day." "You really are very good at this, Mr. Price." "I'm so glad that I was referred to you." "Where did you receive your training'?" "The Barringer Hypnosis Institute." " Oh, here in New York?" " Of Tarzana, California." "I don't believe I know it." "What brought you all the way out here?" "You know, I'm usually the one asking the questions, Mr. Wren." "Who was it you said referred you to me again?" "Oh, look at that." "You're right." "Our time is up for the day." "Hey, kid, come here." "Yes, sir." "Terney says you've been keeping an eye on Carter." "Yes, sir." "Willing to step up, get your hands dirty?" "What does that mean'?" "Well, we're having trouble with a money launderer." "Guy messed up big." "But we need him to finish one more job." "Then you pull his card, dig a hole." "Rest in peace." "Who's the guy?" "The target?" "Come on, kid." "We're taking a field trip." "And we're selling the soccer ball." "And I have your bid at 300,000 dollars." "Now 310,000." "310,000 right here." "Three hundred, twenty-thousand." "Hey, what are we doing here?" "That's your guy." "His name is Sven." "He's an antique dealer down in The Village." "We call him "The Swede."" " So, what's your story?" " You first." "I'm following an HR lead." "They wanna whack a Swedish antique dealer for screwing up their money laundering." "That's funny." "I'm on a con man therapist who happens to have a Swedish antique dealer as a patient." "I'll pretend that makes sense." "I think my con man might be after your Swede and his laundered money." "Well, if that's HR's money, your con man is in for a world of hurt." "I'll stick with the con man, keep him out of trouble." "I'll stick with the antique dealer, see where he leads." "We are going once." "We are going twice." "Fair warning on this 1911 Honus Wagner baseball card." "Is sold, right here." "Number 103 for 900,000 dollars." "Tomorrow, you're gonna punch that guy's ticket." "Well, what do you know?" "What's the Swede's therapist doing here?" "Hey, Finch, we need to find out why everyone's so interested in The Swede." "So Hayden's patient is an antiques dealer, and he spent a million dollars on a baseball card?" "And then tossed it into some cabinet like it was junk." "I watched him do it." "It's all very strange." "And what business does an antique dealer have laundering HR's money in the first place?" "And why do they want him dead now?" "Turns out The Swede wasn't going to a real therapist." "He was spilling his guts to a con man." "We'll do a two for one special and take out the therapist also." "I love that." "You know, that dinner was such a surprise." "I had a lovely time." "That's not the only surprise." "Let's do it, Nat." "Let's take our trip." "Just go to the airport and pick our destination." " Come with me?" " Hayde, are you serious?" "What about our jobs, our lives?" "They'll be here for us when we get back." "I wanna be impulsive." "I wanna whisk away the girl I love." "Yes. of course." "When do we leave?" "That's the other surprise." "Now." "Well, tomorrow." "I need to do a few things." "Pick you up in the AM'?" "I'll pack fast." "Finch, our con man's blowing the country fast." "Somethings up." "Oh, my God." "Wait, wait, wait, wait." "Who the hell are you?" "The night watch." "Who are these guys?" "The cops." "The real cops." "What the hell is going on?" "We were gonna ask you the same thing, Hayden." "I just spoke with Detective Carter." "She identified the badge numbers you gave me as HR." "She's positive." "What's the deal, con man?" "Look." "Someone just turned my office into Swiss cheese, and my girlfriend is waiting for me." "If she goes back to my place or to my office"" "I spoke to Natalie a half an hour ago." "I explained to her how I was your new assistant and I needed to stash her in a motel until you'd visit her." "Slight lie." "But nothing on a par with you, Hayden." "That's funny coming from you, Mr. Wren." "We know you've been scamming your patients, and we know you've had your eye on a Mr. Vanger, the antique dealer." "Did you know he was a money launderer for HR?" "I've heard of HR, but I swear," "I didn't know the money was theirs." "Who'd you think you were grifting'?" "Sven came into my office a couple of months ago." "He was a chain smoker who had millions bouncing around in his accounts." "It would have been an easy score." "Look what happened." "I didn't sign up for real bullets." "I'm done with this con and I'm out of here." " Where's Natalie?" " Nice try." "You're staying put." "What don't you get about "Done"?" "Look." "You want me out of town?" "I'm out of town." "But I can't go without her." "See, she's the only honest thing left about me." "I have to try and hold on to that." "Detective, have you found out how the antique dealer is connected to HR's money laundering?" "GARTER"." "Fm meeting my source now." "You haven't touched your wine, Joss." " You're off duty." " I'm always on duty." "Have you heard a word I said?" "What do you think about the money being laundered?" "I heard every word." "And the money's just HR's skim off the Russians." "A percentage kicked back to your friends in blue for turning a blind eye to the Yogorov business." "Please, try the Brunello di Montalcino." "The finish is quite exquisite." "What I don't understand is what HR wants with an antique business." "Clean money." "See, HR doesn't want blood-soaked bills from the Russians." "They want their cut in ones and zeroes, to transfer into their 401 Ks, offshore accounts." "So, the antique dealer cycles the dirty Russian money into his own accounts and waits for instructions." "Then he heads to the auction house, where he's told to bid on a certain high-priced item, an item auctioned off by a seller representing HR." "Our next item up for bid is lot number 426." "An extremely rare baseball signed by all of the 1927 New York Yankees, including Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth." "Informally named, "Murderer's Row Ball."" "I'd like to start the bidding at two million dollars." "I got a bid for two million dollars." "Four-point-four million dollars." "Where?" "Four-point-four in the front going once, twice." "Sold right here, four-point-four million dollars." "Thank you." "The Swede bids the highest, and all of that dirty money is deposited into HR's coffers, squeaky clean and laundered, and ready for digital distribution." "But I don't get it." "They haven't laundered the money." "They've just bought an overpriced baseball." "All the items HR auctions off may have been appraised for millions of dollars, but they're really just fugazis, fakes, worthless junk." "So HR gets Russian money for nothing?" "It's a perfect system, till someone on the outside knows about it." "So if your con man thinks he can swoop in and take a piece of HR's business, he better watch his back." "Who do you always meet in there?" "None of your business." "Carter, I've been thinking." "That antique dealer, I can't just kill someone." "When I got involved with HR, I didn't think..." "No, you didn't think." "You just looked the other way." "I can't do that anymore." "And you're the only person I've got on my side right now." "I'm not on your side." "But I'm also not letting a homicide happen under my watch." "So, tomorrow, you're calling in sick." "I am?" "Yeah, see you just got a new job." "Tomorrow, you're Simmons's shadow." "Wherever he goes, you go." "Whoever he meets with, you get pictures of." "See, we just tapped into their piggy bank." "Now I wanna know who's running the bank." "What is going on'?" "Where have you been'?" "Who is that creepy guy?" "Natalie, I'm so sorry." "I get a call from your office telling me to come to some hotel, and you don't show up." "It's okay." "You need to take a breath." "The more you breathe, the calmer you'll be." "Do not hypno-talk me." "I'm not hypno-talking you." "I'm saying, be calm..." "I'm not one of your patients." "I know that." "I know that." "You have to tell me..." "Finch, you ever notice how much of our job is like babysitting?" "Well, it's more than that today." "I don't think Hayden's told us the whole story of his con." "I'm going over Hayden's hard drive, what I downloaded of it before he zapped it, and I'm finding emails addressed to Sven Vanger, the antique dealer." "Hayden may have elicited his email password while he was under hypnosis." "It appears that Hayden duplicated an email that Sven had received but not yet read." "And he altered it in the process." "And what did the email say?" "The email is from an anonymous address, regarding an auction that took place today." "In it, Vanger was instructed to bid on lot 424, but Hayden redrafted it, instructing him to bid on lot 426." "Perhaps you should ask Hayden why." "He went out the window." "Finch, Hayden used his girlfriend and gave us all the slip." "I'm sorry." "I'm about to close." "No, Sven, you're already closed." "Who are you with, the Russians or the police?" "I have nothing left for you." "I'm not with either." "But I do need something, answers." "I'm not your doormat." "Why don't you drop that before you hurt yourself, Sven?" "Give it to me." "Why is it every time you call me, I know to bring a firearm?" "But he was such a good therapist." "Hey, Dragon Tattoo, he's also a con man who stole from you." "Not stealing from me, stealing from them." "He should not be doing that." "How'd you even get into this mess?" "Seven months ago, I got in trouble with the customs here in New York." "A cop named Simmons came and said he could make the charges go away if I helped them launder cash for a few Russian associates of theirs." "At first, it was just a few hundred thousand each month." "Then it became more and more, millions." "I got rid of the last cash today." "On lot 426'?" " How did you know about that?" " Hayden played you." "He switched out your emails, and made you bid on the wrong item today." "Then what did I purchase?" "A real ball, signed by the real 1927 Yankees, really worth four-point-four million." "That was a hell of a season." "Where's the ball, Sven?" "It's gone." "I sold it for five dollars." "They're going to kill me." "I gotta get out of this city immediately!" "Too late." "You're a marked man." "Close your eyes." "This stuff burns." "So we're faking crime scenes now'?" "A long way from your days back at the Eighth." "Might wanna spread it out." " Arterial spray is more erratic." " Will you let me work?" "Going for a kind of a hollow-point special kind of motif." " There." " Congratulations." "You've just died and been reborn." "Now, take your new life, and get the hell out of New York." " Yeah'?" " Hey, rookie," "I need you to hold off on the antique dealer." "Something went wrong at the auction house." "We didn't get our money." "Sir, there's a small problem." "Just heard from my source in HR," "Simmons knows they get ripped off." "All this baseball stuff, you should've called me in sooner." "I'm kind of a Mets fan, though." "Somewhere in the city, your soda kid's walking around with a zillion-dollar baseball in his pocket." "With HR looking for the ball." "And the young man has no idea." "Let's hope he don't play catch." "Hey, kiddo, you got something for me?" "I can't believe Hayden would use his girlfriend as an excuse to escape." "I can." "A baseball worth four million would be a motivational force." "He doesn't care who he steps on to get away with it either." "Exactly." "He still has to get away, but he won't go without Natalie." "As you and I well know, sometimes necessity and desire can conflict." "Hayden's still in the city." "He's too smart to use his own phone." "So how do we track him?" "We don't." "We track Natalie." "Hayden's calling her right now." "Nat, please, I'm sorry." "I've done things that I'm not proud of, but I love you." "Can you trust me on that?" "I wanna know what's going on right now." "That's a little complicated, Nat." " Wait." "Where are you?" " I'm going home." "Did you think I was gonna sit in that hotel room after you went out the window?" "No, honey, you can't go there." " It's not safe for you." "Really?" "How would I even know'?" "Look, Hayden, I love you." "But I deserve the truth, or else I'm done." "I'm a criminal and a thief." "But I'm done with that life." "I secured a score that will ensure our future." "The kind of score that would let us pick our destination." "If you meet me outside my old office in one hour, then we can fly to any corner of the world like we planned." "And I'll tell you everything." "Stop loving me or even hate me, but please hear me out." "I'll be there." "I didn't wanna worry you." "I'm cleanin' up this mess." "You say The Swede bought the baseball?" "That's what the logs at the auction house said." "But without him, it's gonna be a little tough to track him." "That idiot bought a real autographed ball worth four-point-four million dollars, and we had a rookie kill him before we found out what he did with it?" "Maybe the rookie should be handling your end of things." "At least he follows through." "But you said there was a con man involved." " Yeah." " Find him." "Shake him till the damn ball falls out." "And tell me you have at least one lead." "When we tapped his phone, we found out about the con man's little girlfriend." "It seems the guy's in love." "He ain't going anywhere without her." "Make it right, Simmons." "I got two loves, my money and this city." "Mess with either, I mess right back." "Hey, lover boy." "What'd you expect?" "I'm a crook." "He's my expert." "What, you don't trust me'?" "Like you said, you're a crook." "I don't know about expert, but it looks pretty damn real." "I have a buyer lined up." "I'll split it with you, 50/50." "450/40?" " Not a half bad deal, huh?" "Will you at least let me call Natalie before you kill me or arrest me or put me in a well in your basement?" "You have 30 seconds." "Sorry to disappoint, con man." "Seems the NYPD isn't bad at phone traces." "I found your girl in 20 minutes." " I'll give you the ball." "It's yours." " Don't be noble." "There's only criminals on this line." "But I'll take the ball, just the same." "You meet me in front of the auction house in 20 minutes." " How bad is it?" " They'll kill her." "These people, for this much money?" "So what are you gonna do to stop them?" "I'm scum." "I get it." "But Natalia..." "My ultimate con, my final trick was gonna be actually turning into the guy that she fell in love with." "I'll give it all away to save her life." "Will you help me?" "This is how it goes." "Rookie stays outside with the girl." "Terney, take the con man inside, verify the ball is real." "I'm not taking any more chances with this clown." "Why do I have to go inside?" "Because that's what you were just told." "Once we confirm the ball is the real deal," "Laskey takes the girl, puts a double tap in her head." "Questions?" "Boss, she doesn't know anything." "Why don't we just let her go'?" "Do I look like I'm taking suggestions from rookies today?" "No, sir." "The ball?" "The girl." "I wanna talk to Natalie." "You're going inside first." "One thing you can trust about a thief is he'll always be a thief." "I'm so sorry." "Call me when there's money and bodies." "Laskey." "You were right, Carter." "They would never let her go." "Make it look good." "Remember, the aim shouldn't be to hurt him, just incapacitate him a little." "Also, watch your knuckles." "I've punched a lot of guys." "So have I." "Let's get you to safety." "We've been through this already, it's real." "You think I'd be standing here if it wasn't?" " We'll see." " I'll know in a minute." "I need a microscope to know for sure, but the texture appears accurate." "There is, however, a problem." "What?" "See this?" "Babe Ruth's signature?" "Yeah." "What about it?" "It's in felt-tip pen." "Those didn't exist when Babe Ruth was alive." "This ball is a fake." "You give us a fake?" "You give us a fake?" "You wanna die'?" "I swear, that is the real ball." "The real ball costs four million dollars." "The fake is just gonna cost you a bullet, con man." "Why would I lie'?" "You have to believe me." "We can figure this out." "Where is the real ball?" "Terney." "Ow!" "So where's the real ball'?" "I have no idea." "I thought this was the real ball." "Forget that." "Where's Natalie?" "I put her in a cab, told her to go somewhere safe." "This is Natalie." "Nat, where are you?" "Are you okay?" "Oh, I'm better than okay." "You see, that antique dealer," "Sven was his name, well, he may have been your big score, but you were my big whale, from the moment I met you." "You played me?" "Why steal millions from criminals when you can date the thief and take it off him?" "Keep the change." "Of course, things did get a bit hairy with those corrupt cops, but you always did know how to show a girl a good time, Hayden." "Where will you go'?" "Oh, go find an airport, maybe just pick a destination." "Isn't that the dream come true?" "You know, I really did love you." "Well, if you love something, set it free." "I'm ruined." "Maybe it's time you went on the straight and narrow." "You'll live longer." "I hear hypnotherapists are in pretty high demand these days." "You know, I do have a thriving practice to rebuild." "I'm gonna need a new office with a few less bullet holes." "My advice?" "Rebuild in another city." "Detective Terney, I can't help but notice you're not carrying a ball." "The ball the con man brought was a fake." "The guy with the suit showed up, rolled Laskey and our guys, and then got away with the con man and his girl." "Do you have any idea what's at stake here?" "You go find that screw-up Laskey and you scour this city until you find that bail." "Simmons, I'm not the rookie." "Don't talk to me like one." "If you don't find that ball, then it's gonna be a four million dollar funeral for the both of you." "Now go." "I was just turning out the lights for the evening," "Ms. Groves, and I remembered that" "I had promised to bring you some new reading material." "A peace offering, Harold?" "Is that what you've brought'?" "I really think if you could just see things my way, and not consider this..." "Imprisonment?" "Is there any other way to consider it?" "This truly is for your own good, Ms. Groves." "I mean that when I say it." "This synchronistic relationship that you've developed with the machine, it can't be..." "I worry about you." "You've misunderstood the situation." "You shouldn't worry about me." "I'm worried about you, Harold." "You can't stop what's coming, and neither can I." "But we have the opportunity to understand things when they finally change." "The future is coming." "You started it... and I'll finish it." "You missed me." "Leave a message." "Laskey, I'm outside your place." "We have a lot of work to do." "Come on." "I stuck to the guy like glue." "This is everyone Simmons met with." "Thanks, kid." "You did all right." "But you should know, it'll get harder out there." "After these last few days, things are gonna heat up." "So you need to be prepared." "Oh." "When I got involved with HR," "I thought it was about loyalty." "I was wrong." "It's about murder and greed." "Well, ain't that cozy." "I should've known she'd turn you, rookie." "The first time I saw you, I knew you were weak." "So let me tell you how the world works now, kid." "We kill her or they kill us." "Thai decision is gonna be your last, Terney." "No!" "Laskey'?" "That much blood, and you'll be dead in a minute, maybe two." "Make 'em count." "Who do you and Simmons report to'?" "Who calls the shots?" "Is the answer in these pictures, huh?" "Last chance, Terney!" "Be a cop!" "Ripped By mstoll"