05x07 - Brink of the Clouds

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Covert Affairs..

How much did you see?

I-I saw you and a woman exiting a coat closet...

Whatever she costs, it's not worth it.

Surprise.

Come in.

Natasha's at your apartment?

She's wanted by the FBI.

Everyone in the Chicago facility at the time of detonation has d*ed.

And that guy you're interested in?

Threw some lines in the water, and I got a bite.

We know the money came from Kredit Krepost, a private bank in Paris.

It's run by Ivan Kravec.

I'll send news on Ivan.

Sweep team said he's gonna live.

Well, as part of my investigation into Chicago, I've been looking at your friend, Annie.

There's some stuff from her recent past that seems pretty suspicious.

You have been hiding something ever since you got back.

Now, I want the truth.

I have a heart condition, myocarditis.

Langley doesn't know.

Well, they would kick you out if they did.

Why did you change my medical record?

I always choose you, even if it means hiding your medical condition from the agency, which could get me fired.

Hi, I'm picking up a refill that my doctor called in for Lisa Morton.

You got your insurance card with you, hon?

I don't have insurance right now--I'm just gonna pay out of pocket.

Well, I need to see some identification, miss...

Morton.

[Paper rustling]

These things aren't cheap.

Are you sure you need this many right now?

I'm just following doctor's orders.

Is cash okay?

Thank you.

[Cell phone rings]

[Ringing]

Joan.

Ivan Kravec finally talked.

I'm just leaving the interrogation site now.

I need you to meet me at the DPD.

I can be there in an hour.

What did he give us?

Everything.

I never pegged you for a greasy spoon type of gal, but you were right-- that is the best grilled cheese in the city.

All right, what is going on?

I know I'm a fascinating conversationalist, but you haven't said more than two words the entire time we were here.

I just have a lot going on at work, that's all.

Is this about what you were telling me earlier, how you're looking into Annie?

I know you guys are friends, so it puts me in an awkward position.

Awkward, why? Did you find something?

Did you know that she has a medical condition?

No.

Have you noticed any changes in her behavior since she's come back?

No, but what does-- what does this have to do with your investigation into the Chicago att*ck?

I just found something while I was doing my research, and I can't ignore it.

I don't know the specifics of the condition, whatever it is.

But it's serious enough for her to hide it.

Well, if it were that serious, wouldn't the agency already know about it?

The agency has a vested interest in keeping their operatives in the field.

They don't know, because they're not as motivated as I am to dig as deep as I am.

Would you tell me what kind of digging you've been doing?

That would be a violation of security protocol.

Look...I know Annie.

It just doesn't sound like her.

Who else knows about this anyway?

Nobody.

I'm just gathering up my evidence before I report it.

I wanted to tell you first.

Well, I appreciate that.

And I know you're just doing your job, and I think it's great that you're being so thorough.

But if you come up with anything more concrete, would you call me before sounding the alarm?

Yes. Thank you for understanding.

You're a great guy, Auggie.

Aw...

You know that?

[Cell phone rings]

Phone: Incoming call, office.

Hold that thought.

Phone: Incom--

Yeah.

I'll be right there.

Tash, it's me.

I just need to grab something, and then I got to go back to work.

Tash?

Tash?

This isn't funny.

sh*t.

Call Tash.

Phone: Dialing Tash.

[Phone trills]

[Cell phone rings]

You're home.

Yeah, I'm home.

I thought you were out with that girl again.

I have to go.

Where were you?

Did you sleep with her?

Tash, I told you, I'm trying to do damage control.

She is a thr*at to people at the agency.

She could have you thrown in jail if she found out about you.

Where were you just now?

We ran out of coffee.

And I'm sick of using your shampoo.

I don't want to smell like a pine tree.

You don't want to smell like a pine tree.

Tash, I can pick things up for you.

But you know how dangerous it is for you to be outside.

What if someone spotted you?

I only went two blocks.

And I planned my whole route.

I know how to avoid security cameras.

It's an unnecessary risk.

Look, I just don't want to lose you again, that's it.

Then maybe you should try a little harder to keep me around.

We will find a way to get your immunity.

I promise.

But right now, I...

I have to get in to work.

You're never off the clock, are you?

I'll be back before you know it.

Ivan held up well under questioning, but ultimately, he saw the benefit of opening up.

Oh, I'm sure we made a very persuasive argument.

He admitted to buying CIA intel, using an account with his name on it.

But he was working for someone else.

Someone in the FSB?

That was our original expectation as well.

But no.

It's Faruq Tabrizi, head of the terror cell responsible for the hotel bombing in Istanbul last year.

He's becoming a major player throughout the Middle East.

But we've never had a visual on the guy, never known his real identity, until tonight.

Who is he?

Faruq Tabrizi is actually Nathan Mueller.

Mueller?

Not only is he an American citizen, but he's also one of us.

He's CIA.

♪ Covert Affairs 05x07 ♪
Brink of the Clouds
Original Air Date on August 5, 2014

Mueller worked for eleven years as a high level operative throughout the Middle East.

I remember studying him at the farm. He was impressive.

Did you know him?

No, not personally. But Auggie did. We served together on some paramilitary missions back in '05.

I remember something about him going off the grid a few years back. Do we have any clarity on that?

He was deep cover in Azerbaijan.

Then one day, out of the blue, he cut ties with his handlers, disappears.

Agency's been trying to track him down ever since.

And around that same time, Tabrizi started showing up.

In addition to the Istanbul hotel bombing, he's responsible for su1c1de att*cks in tehran, Doha, and Beirut.

Ivan says Mueller asked him to drain down his account and put the money onto prepaid cash cards like these, which he then transferred to a Russian courier, the same guy you saw him talking to in the embassy.

That means the courier is en route to Mueller with the cards. Flight records show he landed in Azerbaijan six hours ago.

That's right. So we have to act quickly.

Annie, you're gonna follow him down--Joan and I are gonna work on a game plan.

Okay.

Hey, Auggie.

How well did you know Mueller?

Back then, I knew him well.

What was he like?

Smart, driven, independent as hell. Definitely a lone wolf, although that's not exactly unusual among the best field operatives.

Hey, by the way.

How careful have you covered your tracks, health-wise?

Auggie, my career is at stake.

[Whispering]

I'm beyond careful. Why?

NCTC's digging pretty deep on everything.

I just want to make sure you're covered.

Focus on your mission for now.

Annie, we need to get you on a plane as soon as possible.

But there's one more thing I should mention first.

I was told that an operative needed a security team in the field, but that couldn't possibly be you, could it?

Because you only work alone.

Except when the powers that be consider it risky enough to saddle me with backup.

Joan Campbell will fully brief you in the DPD.

How soon can you have a team assembled?

Well, we could have wheels up in two, three hours, max.

You've got 45 minutes.

Okay. I'll head up the unit myself.

That's not necessary.

I'm sure you've got plenty of capable operatives.

True. But I don't think it's a coincidence that our paths keep crossing.

This wasn't my idea.

I realize that. But I thought that I earned your trust in Paris.

I appreciate what you did for me with Ivan, and I trust your abilities in the field.

And off the field?

There is no off the field.

44 minutes and counting.

This is where the courier's bus was headed.

Communities around here are pretty tight-knit.

If a foreigner passed through, then they'd be talking about it.

We need to split up.

[Goat bleating]

This region's been controlled by warlords for centuries.

They're not gonna volunteer information.

Not without a little monetary incentive.

Deep pockets make you an easy mark.

People will sell you whatever lies you're willing to pay for.

You got a better idea?

A teahouse is like a mob front in Jersey.

I say we bypass the associates and go straight to the boss.

How do you propose we do that?

Sometimes the best solution is the most obvious.

Excuse me, uh...

I'm looking for a Russian man who passed through here some time in the last 24 hours.

Look familiar?

I was hoping maybe your boss could help me.

I thought that you were supposed to be an expert in languages.

Yeah, well, you know how many dialects they speak around here?

Besides, I was trying to make a scene.

Well, I think you succeeded in doing that.

You, come.

[Speaking native language]

I hear you're looking for the Russian.

Yes. I take it you've seen him.

I have.

It's not safe to travel through these parts with valuables, you know.

Where is he now?

I slit his throat.

He was asking the wrong questions.

What questions are those?

He was looking for...

Faruq Tabrizi.

Just like you are.

What do you want with Tabrizi?

He's an intruder here.

We're not here on business, like the Russian.

We're here to take Tabrizi down.

In that case...

I won't stop you.

Where can we find him?

He and his men move around a lot.

But I've heard rumors lately that he's in the goy dere.

Goy dere... - It's something the northern Azeri people say, not my dialect.

But it means "The Blue Valley."

Where is that?

The lowlands east of here are known for their blue Puschkinia flowers in the spring.

I can send one of my men to guide you if you want.

Thank you.

Oh, if you do find him, you'd better put a b*llet in his head.

Ivan's intelligence proved to be reliable.

The courier was, in fact, en route to Nathan Mueller with the cash cards.

What do we know about Mueller's location?

According to Annie's source, he may be hiding in a remote valley, but the situation's extremely volatile.

The goal is still capture and extraction, but we should be prepared for all options moving forward.

You want me to contact CTC and NSC?

Yeah. Start working on securing their approvals.

Thank you, everyone.

Legal called back, and your 9:00 a.m. got pushed to noon tomorrow.

Also, there's a little snafu at the Russian embassy.

One of the diplomats was arrested with a call girl.

He'll be fine. He's got immunity.

Thanks for the update.

Joan.

Calder, we both know who this woman is.

I told you, Joan, I'm past all that.

Are you?

Yeah. I appreciate your concern, I do.

And I'm sorry she got arrested, but it's not my problem.

I'm glad to hear that. I think you dodged a b*llet.

Keep me posted on those approvals.

Will do.

So this is the blue valley.

It could take weeks to search an area this size.

We don't have weeks. Mueller could move again before that.

Then we're gonna need a hell of a lot more boots on the ground.

This area isn't deserted.

There's farmers and shepherds here.

It's not the ideal place for someone looking to hide in the shadows.

What are you thinking?

Hasad said Tabrizi was in the goy dere, but he admitted that wasn't his native dialect.

Goy means blue, but it also means sky.

So maybe we're looking in the wrong place.

Is there a valley past that mountain?

What's beyond those peaks?

Valley, yes.

No one go. Too dangerous.

Can you take us there?

No.

Hasad said you'd help us find Tabrizi.

Okay, forget the guided tour.

Maybe you can take us to the base of the mountain and tell us the best way up.

I guess those deep pockets do come in handy.

Well, sometimes the best option is the most obvious.

Auggie.

Tony.

How's it going?

It's good to see you. Long time.

How are things at the state department?

Uh, pretty good. It's a little... little dry, though, you know?

It's not like the old days, out in the field.

Yeah, that's why I called you.

I wanted to talk to you about Nate Mueller.

Mueller?

What happened? He come back in?

Believe me, I'd tell you if I could.

I know how close you guys used to be.

Yeah, he saved my ass back in Kandahar and Darcheli.

What do you want to know?

You remember when he went deep cover a couple years ago?

Something was...off with him.

He was under a lot of stress.

He was always under stress. That was the job.

But it never seemed to get to him before.

He was tough.

Yeah, exactly.

So he wouldn't just go off the grid for nothing, right?

His wife left him.

He had a kind of... breakdown after that.

He never said anything.

He hid it from the agency.

I mean, hell, wouldn't you?

Yeah.

He didn't want to get pulled from the field.

Yeah.

He threw himself back in twice as hard afterward.

Beyond that, who knows what happened?

Do you really think losing his wife was enough to radicalize him?

May have been enough to open the door.

I think he blamed the Agency for his relationship problems.

That explains why he cut ties.

And the more he pushed people away, the less connected he was to his old life.

Eventually, he may have just crossed a line he couldn't uncross.

We have miles to go, so I'll call you if we find anything.

Yeah.

Scout.

[Heartbeat thumping]

[Gasping]

You okay?

Yeah, I'm good.

What do you need?

sh*t.

What do you need?

I got it.

sh*t!

Must have been crushed during your fight.

Uh-huh.

Everything all right?

Yeah, yeah, it's good. Just check the perimeter.

Just give us a moment.

[Gasping, breathing hard]

Okay. Here, here, here.

You ready?

Yeah.

[Breathing hard]

[Breathing slows down]

You know, I was reading some new studies where they're using corticosteroids to... reduce inflammation in myocarditis.

I mean, it's not a cure-all, but it sounded promising.

You've been researching my heart condition?

Well, after Venezuela, I did some reading up, yeah.

They're still in the testing phases, but... the results are promising.

Thank you.

Sure.

So what do you think happened to Nathan Mueller?

He lost his way.

He was always a lone wolf.

Maybe he didn't...

Even realize he'd strayed too far until it was too late to turn back.

We should go.

[Cell phone rings]

Phone: Incoming call.

Hayley. Hayley.

Hey, what's up?

Myocarditis. Ever heard of it?

Excuse me?

It's a heart condition.

Annie has it.

I have no idea how she has managed her symptoms, but it's dangerous for her to be in the field.

You have evidence to back this up?

Yes. Honestly, Auggie, I feel bad for her, but she lied.

Yeah.

If she were selling secrets or working missions off-book, by all means, I'd say blow the whistle.

But something personal like this, is it really that black and white?

So you're saying look the other way.

I trust Annie.

And if you trust me enough to tell me about this, my gut says you're conflicted on what to do.

Look, the CIA might prefer not to know, but I have been tasked by the DNI's office to report what I find, so my job is on the line.

I get that.

I do.

But Annie has been working her ass off trying to find who's behind the Chicago att*ck.

And ultimately, your investigation is about answering the same questions.

It seems like derailing her right now only gets in the way of what you both want.

Well, I am in the middle of analyzing the rest of the data.

It might not hurt to refocus my investigation into other areas, at least for now.

I think you're doing the right thing.

I need to go.

Coffee in the morning?

Sure.

Call you later.

Got an update for Calder.

I'm sorry.

He's out of the office.

Do you know when he'll be back?

I don't.

But as soon as he checks back in, I'll let him know you stopped by.

Yeah, please do.

Thanks, Darryl. I owe you.

Can't say I'm surprised to see you.

I guess word travels pretty fast in your circles.

I thought you said you knew how to be discreet.

And I was, when I was being deposed by the DNI's office.

But being discreet doesn't mean there's no risk involved in what I do.

You were looking at up to two years of possible jail time.

That would've never happened.

This was just a little slap on the wrist.

Slap on the wrist?

You know how many strings I had to pull to keep this off your record?

I never asked you to do that.

I was trying to help you.

No, you're trying to help yourself.

You know what? I'm done.

I'm sick of waiting for the other shoe to drop with you.

And yet you're the one who just can't seem to stay away.

Good luck, Calder. But don't call me again.

Taxi!

There.

To the left, just below that Ridge.

That's got to be them.

We have to get closer to get a positive I.D.

Whoa.

There could be more scouts down there.

We'll meet back here once we get a visual.

Roger that, boss.

Looks like they're packing up.

If we wanna make a move, now's the time to do it.

That's him. That's him.

Yeah, that's Mueller.

A breakdown?

Was this before he was working deep cover in Azerbaijan?

Yeah. Essentially a year before he broke ties with us.

I made a few calls.

I got my hands on some redacted files.

Should we loop Calder in on this stuff?

Um, I'm told he had some important business to take care of outside of the office.

You can continue on.

One of Mueller's assets from that time, a guy he was supposedly turning, was k*lled last year in the Beirut att*ck.

He was wearing the vest.

He sent his former asset out on a su1c1de mission?

I don't think he turned that asset.

I think that asset turned him.

So he was radicalized while he was still in the field, which is why he left the Agency.

Yeah.

I think Mueller was vulnerable after his wife left him.

He distanced himself from everyone in his life.

[Sighs]

Well, thanks, Auggie.

This strengthens our case against him.

Joan, Auggie, what's the latest on the Mueller situation?

Auggie's just connected some dots in Mueller's history.

I have operative Walker on the line.

I'll patch her through.

Annie, what did you find?

I have a positive I.D.

On Mueller--we've got eyes on the encampment.

And how many guys are with him?

That's the problem. 15, maybe 20.

We don't have the kind of manpower to engage an extraction.

What kind of weapons are you seeing?

Kalashnikovs, PKs, some RPG launchers.

Plus, he's packing up camp.

We could follow him, but it's dicey.

We don't know how many scouts he has.

This could be our last chance to engage and contact.

It's time to move forward with our termination plan.

We're gonna issue a drone strike.

Calder, we don't know with certainty that he's planning another att*ck.

But given Mueller's history and the close call we had in Dar es Salaam, we have enough evidence to believe that he poses an imminent thr*at.

I've secured CTC and NSC approvals, and the White House has signed off.

How quickly can we have a Reaper there?

CTC already has one on standby out of Incirlik.

It can be there in 30 minutes.

Okay.

Annie, unless we hear from you again, the drone strike is a go.

Copy that.

We'd better get to the command room.

You, too, Auggie. You should be there for this.

[Whispering]

They're sending in a Reaper to take out the encampment in 30 minutes.

We should head back up the mountain, resume our position with the rest of the team.

Let's hope that Mueller doesn't get too far before then.

Yeah.

No move, no move.

g*ns.

Go.

American m*llitary support is on its way.

It's gonna be here--- uhh!

Go, go.

Okay.

Okay, okay.

How much time do we have?

Seven minutes and 13 seconds.

Any chance Langley's gonna wait to hear from you before they strike?

The plan was to move forward unless I called back.

Well, that's unfortunate.

[Speaking native language]

I'd like to speak with our guests alone.

Bruce.

Sir.

You have visual on the target?

Not yet.

What's our ETA?

We're six minutes out.

Your strike package.

Let's get the UAV command center on the line.

Has anyone double-checked Annie's GPS signal to make sure she's out of the blast radius?

Looks like her phone lost service 20 minutes ago, but that's not unusual in those mountains.

Her last known location was well out of range.

Why don't you stand over here.

Yeah.

We don't get too many visitors way up here.

It's hard to find.

So I'm gonna make the next part easy.

Nathan, listen to me.

There is a Reaper on its way here to take out this entire camp.

Everybody here is gonna be dead in a matter of minutes.

If you let me use my cell phone, I can call Langley and have them hold off.

But we don't have much time.

I want you to explain to the world how the American government glorifies its own crimes, and sends people like you out here to commit state-sponsored acts of terrorism.

Who wants to go first?

How about the big-sh*t CEO of McQuaid Security?

It's over, Nathan. You're not gonna win this time.

Read the statement.

Go to hell.

I don't think you're gonna like the other option.

Visualizing position of the target.

Stand by.

The target is within m*ssile range.

2 minutes, 38 seconds to target.

Any update on Annie's coordinates?

No, nothing.

I'll go.

A volunteer.

Go ahead, introduce yourself, read the statement.

My name is Annie Walker.

I studied the work you did at the CIA.

I used to admire you.

Of course you did. They told you I was a hero.

Auggie Anderson told me that.

Read the statement.

We're ready, sir.

We just need your official go order to fire the missiles.

Go.

Target is locked.

Missiles are launched. 1 minute, 48 seconds to target.

Nathan, what happened to you?

I was like you once.

True believer.

They say blow up a bridge, you blow it up.

Forget about the women going to market that die in the blast.

They say go pick up some 15-year-old kid, because hemight be a messenger for a t*rror1st.

So you bring that kid in, and you listen to his screams while they t*rture him.

You were fighting for the greater good.

You're a piece on a chess board, just like every person you've ever k*lled for them.

Except by the time you figure it out, you're too screwed up and broken to be with anyone anymore.

Now you read the statement, or your family's gonna watch you die on YouTube.

Why did you k*ll 12 CIA officers in Chicago?

You people don't understand anything, do you?

Wait.

[Engines approaching]

I hear it.

Call Langley. Get them stop it.

My men don't deserve to die.

Do you agree to surrender?

Never. Are you willing to sacrifice your own life to end mine?

Leave Mueller. We got to get outta here now.

Let's move!

Ten seconds to impact.

[Engines approaching]

Target has been neutralized.

Good work, everyone.

I'm sorry that we lost Mueller.

You made it out of there okay.

That's the important thing.

Did you manage to grab anything from the compound before the missiles hit?

Yeah, a laptop, a video camera, and a notebook.

When are you getting back?

We're taking McQuaid's jet tonight.

But we have to make a stop first.

I'm glad you're coming home.

Me too.

[Knock at door]

Hey. Got a minute?

Hey. Of course.

You know, I never got a chance to thank you for all your hard work over the past 24 hours.

We all deserve some rest.

But you should be very proud.

Thank you.

Look, I-I got to be honest with you about something.

I could have used a little more help from you out there.

I trusted your capabilities, Joan.

And I had some time-sensitive business to attend to.

I realize you've been trying to compartmentalize your life, but it's affecting your ability to do your job.

And around here, that kind of thing doesn't go unnoticed.

Hey. I saw you walking up.

Long night at the office, huh?

You have no idea.

But it is over, and I am all yours for the rest of the day.

Come on-- I'm leaving, Auggie.

You're leaving?

Why?

You know why.

Because of Hayley?

'Cause that's not real, Tash.

Yeah, well, it looked pretty real to me.

I hacked into the traffic cameras outside the restaurant where you had your date the other day.

She's pretty, in a type- bureaucrat kind of way.

Why did you do that?

I had to see for myself.

I wanted to be with you, Auggie, but not like this.

This--this is temporary.

It's stressful, 'cause you're stuck inside.

But we will figure out a way to make this work.

Fine, then come with me right now, and let's make this work someplace else.

You don't even have to jump off a train this time.

You just have to walk away.

Tash, I can't just walk away, not now. Not now, not then, not ever.

There's always something more important than me.

No.

Good-bye, Auggie.

No, wait, please. Hey, come on.

Look, it's not that simple. It's not.

I'm sorry, but I have to go.

Tash.

Thank you again. You're always welcome here.

You want something to drink?

No, thanks.

Listen, all that stuff that Mueller said up there?

That was bullshit.

I know.

No, I want you to hear this.

Mueller said he was broken.

Now, what separates you from Mueller is that when you're broken, you still have the strength to do the right thing...

Even when it's hard, even when it hurts, even when it comes at a personal cost.

No one can tell you how to feel, but...

I can tell you, you don't have to be alone.

Maybe I'll have that drink.

[Cell phone rings]

[Ringing continues]

Roger.

Auggie, there's something you need to know.

What is it?

We need to talk about Nathan Mueller.

What do you know about Mueller?

Look, I still have some sources I need to follow up with, so I'll call you again when I piece it all together, but...

There's a lot you don't know, Auggie.

It's not over yet.

[Click]

Rog-