01x05 - In the Light

All episode transcripts for this TV show, "Covert Affairs". Aired: July 2010 to December 2014.*
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A young CIA trainee with linguistic skills, Annie Walker, is sent into the field to work for the DPD (Domestic Protection Division). Auggie Anderson is a blind tech operative, and is Walker's guide in her new life in the CIA. Walker's cover story is that she works at the Smithsonian Museum.
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01x05 - In the Light

Post by bunniefuu »

Oh, Annie, you shouldn't have.

I graduated from lunch duty to coffee runs.

It's cold.

Well, I had to deliver ten cups.

Couldn't you deliver mine first?

I thought we were friends.

Which is why I can give you cold coffee and not worry about getting fired.

[Chuckles] I have a present for you.

Just came in.

Video, text, camera, data storage, all freshly CIA encrypted.

Ooh.

Uh-uh.

Trade you for your old one.

No complaints from me. This thing is pretty sweet.

Whoa!

Careful.

What is it?

I got a fast track here.

Armed shipment bound for the U.S.

Three surface-to-air missiles.

Our Johannesburg station believes they went out of Richards bay last week hidden onboard a container ship, so they're gonna be here in the next 24 to 48 hours.

What ship?

We don't have it.

Destination city?

We don't have that.

What do we have?

The shipper was Hasaan Waleed.

The bribes I had to make were, um, more expensive than I originally estimated.

We agreed on $100,000. Not $150,000.

I need $50,000 more.

[g*nsh*t]

[Grunts]

How about you?

Is $100,000 enough?

Good.

I expect to be in the United States tomorrow.

We have Sams coming into the U.S.

We don't know the city.

The shipper is Hasaan Waleed, but we don't know where he is.

Any more from Jo'burg?

No.

Security cameras at Richards bay were conveniently shut down for four hours.

Every boat in the port's log is accounted for, so clearly this is off the book.

And humint?

Southern Africa station's pretty thin these days.

This is a world. Renowned arms dealer we're talking about and we can't get any bodies on him?

We could end. Around with the AIVD in Amsterdam.

We might have an in.

All right.

I could use some support.

Kelting, you're with Jai.

Anyone stateside?

Rumors of some contacts with the Sudanese expat community in new York, but that was five years ago.

And who's early in camp?

Kimmer, but he's new.

Angle just transferred back from Khartoum.

Who else have we got?

McCauley.

Who else?

Nobody else ever had his connections.

All right, Annie...

Track down McCauley, see if he'll play ball.

You're new.

Maybe you'll have a sh*t.

Why did Jones say I might have a sh*t because I'm new?

McCauley is Christopher McCauley.

He was a deep-cover officer for 15 years.

Knew everyone important that had anything to do with east Africa.

One of his old contacts might know something about Hasaan's movements, but McCauley retired five years ago.

Why do I feel like I'm still missing something?

Well, when I say he retired, I mean he had a nervous breakdown, quit the CIA, moved to middle-of-nowhere, Virginia, and hasn't contacted us since.

I can actually hear you frowning.

On a scale of none to a lot, how many people have tried to bring him in?

Almost every senior person in that room.

So this is basically a fool's errand?

You could think of it more of a hazing ritual if it makes you feel better.

Sorry. Busy day.

Thanks, fellas.

Keeping the old man waiting, huh?

Bit of a power play?

You're still in your raincoat, dad.

You just walked through the door yourself.

You caught me.

You know you actually have to put that on?

Protocol.

There should be special badges for people who ran the place for ten years.

Dad, they are dedicating the new ops center to you in two days.

You expect new badges too?

What makes you think I expect anything, son?

I'm just happy to be here.

Henry Wilcox, love the new beard.

Arthur, good to see you.

Been a long time since you invited me over.

Well, not since your retirement party, I would think.

Henry Wilcox is here and he's talking to Arthur.

Where?

Your 8:00.

What the heck was that?

If anyone's going to be sucked in by his evil vortex, I'd prefer it be you.

Oh, thanks.

I'm nothing, if t cautious.

Got to love they're gonna dedicate our shiny new center to someone with a lot of dirt on his hands.

You sound like you're channeling Liza Hearne.

Well, when you're the former DCS and your most notable stat is that you ran more dark ops than anyone since the cold w*r, there's gonna be some commentary.

Hey, you know the story about Henry and Jai's mom, right?

No.

Well, she was his asset when he was stationed in India.

Her cover was blown.

Henry married her.

They became the Romeo and Juliet of the agency.

That's romantic.

It was until he left her for a younger woman and then it just became a cliché.

Don't you think you're being a little harsh?

I'm being easy.

Remember, we are referring to the man who is affectionately known by half the press as "the prince of darkness."

I'm assuming by the sudden silence and the stiletto in my shin, Jai has joined us.

My favorite was always "satan's little helper."

Has such a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Well...

I'm off to do anything else.

What's your father doing here?

Going over details of the dedication.

Aka, making Arthur's life as much of a hell as possible.

Mm.

Can I buy you a cup of coffee?

Regale you with stories of Henry the terrible?

I think I would need alcohol to hear those stories.

Perfect.

Allen's tavern after work.

Are you asking me on a date?

Trust me.

If I was asking you out on a date, you'd know it.

And our first date will not be at Allen's tavern.

What makes you think we're gonna have a first date?

You're the one who brought up dating.

I just brought up drinks.

I have some work to do.

Don't you have some work to do?

Enjoy that ride out to McCauley's.

[Tire pops]

Whoa.

[Sighs]

[Dogs barking]

[Dogs growling]

Holly, Holden, down.

[Dogs growl and bark]

You want to get off my property?

Mr. McCauley, my name is Annie Walker.

I'm from... Langley.

We need your help.

Is there somewhere we could go and talk?

Get off my property.

Well, I have a flat tire.

Well, then I hope you have a spare.

Joan, Dutch intelligence came through.

The guard who works the entrance gate at Richards bay turned out to be Hasaan's cousin-in-law.

Well, now we know why they chose Jo'burg.

They turned him.

He's family and we got to him?

Money's thicker than blood.

According to our friendly snitch, Hasaan arrived with the weapons before the shipyard opened.

When the Sudanese left, they were short four men and three crates.

Hasaan was one of the missing men.

He's coming in with the weapons?

Unless we can figure out which ship he's on, we are gonna lose one of the world's most notorious arms dealers inside the United States.

[Intriguing music]

[dogs growl]

Hey.

You're ridgebacks.

You're not dobermans.

[Chuckles]

[Sighs]

Least I can turn two dogs.

[Whistling]

Mr. McCauley!

[Continues whistling]

Nice place.

I like the whole recluse-in-the-woods motif.

And your dogs are sweet.

I can't help you.

Can't or won't?

Both.

How'd you know I was from Langley?

With that suit on, you got to either be from the CIA or you're out here trying to sell me insurance.

I'm guessing you're new.

They always send the newbies out here to try.

You're a little older, so...

I'm assuming they brought you in for your language skills instead of recruiting you straight out of school.

We have a weapons shipment.

How nice for you.

This is important.

It's always important.

Who taught you that?

Whatever your personal feelings about the CIA, this is bigger.

It's a greater good.

You want me to tell you how many crimes have been perpetrated in the name of the greater good?

Who gets to decide what's greater?

What's good?

You? Langley?

You feel that mud on your feet right now?

That's the only kind of mud I like feeling.

I'll take a pass on the other kind.

What is the other kind?

Ask Henry Wilcox.

Take the end...

Wrap it around the main line three times.

Where did you learn about fly fishing?

Summers in Montana with my cousins.

I spent summers on a m*llitary base.

m*llitary brat?

When I finished school, I wanted to just pick a place and go there 'cause I wanted to, not 'cause my father got stationed there.

I wanted to make my own choices for once.

Be the master of my own destiny.

That sounds pretty dumb.

[Chuckles]

No.

Why are you here?

Kind of for the same reasons.

[Horn honks]

Hello, my friend.

I- I-I did not expect to see you again so soon.

Or ever... I would imagine.

What are you doing in my house?

Where is...

Hasaan Waleed?

Last chance.

Where is...Hasaan Waleed?

Stop staring at him.

How do... how do you know I'm staring?

Because you haven't responded to any of my clever remarks since he walked in ten minutes ago.

Now since when are you so interested in Henry Wilcox?

Or is it Jai?

I'm sh**ting you a dirty look right now.

[Chuckles]

So do you think it was wise to come back from London at the personal request of Arthur Campbell?

Why do you always feel the need to give me career advice after the fact?

It isn't advice.

It's criticism.

McCauley said, "talk to Henry Wilcox."

Yes, but he meant it in a "go screw yourself" kind of way.

I'm gonna do it.

Of ourse you are and I'm gonna sit here all alone by myself.

Ah, please.

There will be a girl here before I cross the bar.

[Scoffs]

Hi.

Hi.

Thought I'd take you up on your invitation from earlier.

Annie, um, this is my father Henry Wilcox.

Dad, Annie Walker.

It's a real pleasure to meet you.

Miss Walker.

What's your pleasure?

Scotch.

[Giggling]

You disapprove of me.

No, I don't.

Yes, you do.

It's okay.

Everyone disapproves of me, present company included.

You all think everything is black and white, good versus evil.

That's why you joined up, right?

Take down the bad guys.

Better than letting the bad guys win.

Precisely.

And sometimes, to make that happen... you got to get in the mud.

We're all in the mud, miss Walker...

Even if we don't want to admit it.

Sometimes we have to do things we don't want people to see.

If you can't live with that...

Leave.

You think that's why people leave?

Some.

But not if they made it past the first few years.

Why do they leave after that?

Money or love.

Well, that's it?

Oh, there are a million different reasons, but, uh, almost all of them, when you really get past the excuses and the anger...

People leave for money...

Or love.

What are you doing here?

Putting career advancement over my personal life.

Plus, she couldn't remember the name of the last book she read and even I have standards.

Want to talk about it?

You may not know this about me, but I'm an excellent listener.

Is that so?

It's in my file.

How do you feel about what we do?

Hmm.

I mean, I know that manipulating people for information is pretty much my job description, but it always makes me feel... dirty?

Tell me it's worth it.

Tell me what "it" is and I'll tell you if it's worth it.

I read McCauley's file and based on what he said today, I might have something I can use.

Worth it.

It'd be a huge get for you to bring somebody like McCauley in.

We don't always get to have everything nice and shiny and clean, but we are talking about keeping weapons out of the hands of t*rrorists here.

Henry Wilcox said we're in the mud, all of us, whether we want to admit it or not.

Does that bother you?

I'd like two know how dirty I'm gonna get.

[Wind chimes jingle]

[Knock on door]

[Sighs]

You know, tenacity might get you points at work, but not with me.

I want to talk to you about Vanessa Sinclair.

Everything about you screams "go away," but I think it's all an act.

You have those big dogs to scare people, but really they're just sweethearts.

You didn't train 'em to be vicious.

I bet this shotgun isn't even loaded.

Okay, it is.

Vanessa Sinclair worked for Henry Wilcox's Albion group.

Most of their work was compartmented, so I'm guessing it was dark ops.

It doesn't say anything in your files.

Just that you and she both met in Khartoum when you were young.

But every vacation you took for 20 years was within 10 miles of where she was operating.

And the Walworth county fair happens every summer in Wisconsin.

Vanessa was from lake Geneva, which is about...

Five miles from the fairground.

She buy you that hat?

I know what it's like to hang on to a memory.

So that's how you knew how to tie the rapala knot yesterday.

Did you love him?

The person who taught you how to do that?

Very much.

Hmm.

Vanessa d*ed in the Sudan five years ago.

You left the agency soon after that.

Did you love her?

Very much.

You feel like the agency took her away.

But the agency didn't k*ll her.

The inquiry into her death resulted in a name: Hasaan Waleed.

I know.

What does it matter?

He's coming to the States.

If you help us, if you talk to your old contacts, we might be able to find him.

If you don't want to do it for the greater good, then do it for yourself.

For Vanessa.

You think that's gonna bring me closure?

I don't know about that.

But...I know staying up here in the woods all alone is not gonna solve anything.

[Chuckles]

You're good, Annie Walker.

You're good.

You're talented enough to go very far in this business...

And foolish enough to want to.

She got him.

She's good.

She reminds me of someone.

Oh, yeah? Yourself?

You.

Two requests from McCauley.

He says he needs to go to new York to talk to his contact.

Who is it?

Still won't tell us.

Once a spy, always a spy.

Who you gonna send with him?

He says he won't go without Walker.

I tried to convince him that Devon would be better, but he's insistent.

So send her, but send Jai with her.

Second request, says he needs 250k.

He hasn't talked to his asset in over three years, but thinks if he has money to offer, he can make it work.

Well, tell him to make $100,000 work.

We're in a recession.

And track the money.

Oh, okay, you already thought of that.

How about dinner at 8:00?

Did you already think of that too?
[Knock on door]

Henry Wilcox is here.

Where?

At the front gate.

He's not on your schedule, but he said he needs to talk to you.

Bet he wants to complain about where the podium's gonna be for the dedication.

Play nice.

Dinner at 8:00.

If you're lucky.

Get him in here and find out what he wants.

I got a meeting.

No, you don't.

Yes, I do.

Hello, Arthur.

Sorry you kept me waiting.

I always liked this view.

What are you doing here, Henry?

It has come to my attention that one of the cases you're working on right now involves Hasaan Waleed.

Who told you that?

If you give Hasaan to the FBI instead of turning him, he'll disappear into a long legal battle.

Did Jai tell you?

Jai won't tell me what he had for breakfast.

You're not paying attention, Arthur.

We can use Hasaan, but not if he's behind bars.

What can I do, Henry?

Hasaan is coming here. It's a federal takedown.

It's the law.

And cut the crap.

You didn't drive all the way out here and sit with my secretary for an hour so you could lecture me on the difference in our perspectives.

There are some stories it will do no one any good to have out in the open.

Whoa! That's a lot of money.

Exactly why we don't want it to go any place we can't find it.

Where's the tracker?

Look at one of the bills.

There's a polycarbonate strip on every bill Uncle Sam issues.

To the world, the strips on these bills look just like every other U.S. treasury note.

But instead?

These have an rafid strip in them.

It's a radio signal.

Because we have 1,000 of them all close together, we get a strong signal, but there's nothing to find if anybody goes looking for a tracker.

Basically it's a virtually undetectable bug.

When are you gonna start tracing it?

You're walking out of the DPD with $100,000 in taxpayer money.

We're tracking it now.

You see him?

If I haven't told you who it is yet, what makes you think I'm gonna tell you now?

It was worth a sh*t.

Your father's an assh*le.

I'm a big believer in justice.

In my opinion, Henry Wilcox and Hasaan should both be in prison.

They can rot there together.

No argument?

Not from me.

No, no, no, no. You stay here.

What?

Yeah, I'm not gonna risk you and secret Agent man here scaring away my contact.

That wasn't the plan.

Yeah, well, it is now.

Take it or leave it.

This is absurd.

I'm not even sure who his contact is yet.

Well, we're about to find out.

You were recording everything that went on in that market and Christopher didn't notice?

Whoever his contact is is on this video.

Talk to me, Annie.

I'm sending you an encrypted video right now.

I have three possibilities for a Sudanese national.

You think you can scare me up some I.D.S?

Nicely done. We're on it.

You really think your father belongs in prison?

Not really.

But I wasn't gonna pick a fight with our operative just then.

Your father's quite a guy.

That's a tactful way to put it.

Is that why you spent five years overseas and never did a rotation stateside?

Have you been reading my file?

Checking up on me?

A copy of it might have gone around the female operatives when you first showed up.

And what else did you find out?

Your mother is a neurosurgeon from Mumbai and you're a junior national squash player.

You like lattes.

My coffee preference was in my file?

No.

Baristas talk.

He still has the case.

Five years is too long.

I didn't get anything.

Well, what'd he say?

That he didn't trust me.

I'm sorry.

Now excuse me.

Too much coffee.

Dead end here.

We have the case. We're heading back.

Didn't Christopher seem really calm?

Shouldn't he have been more upset after all he said about justice and how he felt about Vanessa?

[Sighs]

He's gone.

Theories?

He stole the money himself.

Just got paid and ran.

Or he bought the information from his contact and cut us out of the loop.

Either way, he played us.

You let him go in alone?

He's a trained orative, Joan.

He wouldn't go in any other way.

If his contact's the one who has the money, maybe he sold Christopher information we could use.

Maybe he'll sell it again.

We're not gonna get another 100k.

Maybe we don't have to.

They've stopped.

Got a visual.

Recognize him from the market.

His name is Sadiq Misa.

He owns the restaurant.

Our FBI detail, he thinks it's a front.

Money laundering.

GPS coming to your phone.

Northwest corner of the building off the alley.

Probably an office.

Target seems unaware.

Place is practically empty.

Okay, you're a go for recon and recovery, but please try to get in and out without incident.

Remind me to call you next time I'm locked out of my house.

Has some cracks in the brick here.

Sadiq's been multitasking.

What?

Hi.

We'd like to know exactly what you told the man in the market and you can keep this very handsome bag.

Just give us the information, Sadiq.

We'll walk right out of here.

Maybe make a quick call.

Tip off the DEA.

So the NSC Andromeda docks at the Brooklyn shipyard an hour from now.

I've got an FBI task force standing by.

All I need is your go ahead.

What?

We'll do this takedown, but without the feds.

Get a special ops team set up.

Arthur, we can't do that.

It's outside of our jurisdiction.

The FBI are ready to go.

They're just waiting for a location.

They don't get that from us.

I cleared this with the director of national intelligence.

The only people who'll be at this takedown are our people.

What's going on?

Just set up the ops team.

Understood.

Our orders are to head back to Virginia.

What about McCauley?

If Christopher finds Hasaan, he's gonna try and k*ll him.

[Sighs]

What are you doing?

I'm going to the shipyard.

Christopher wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for me.

You're not responsible for him.

You can go to Langley if you want.

I'm going to Brooklyn.

Do we have eyes?

Just ears.

Shipyard's CCTV is locked off.

Can't give us the coverage we need.

I got a report of unidentified persons on the scene.

Description sounds like Annie and Jai.

What are they doing there?

Team leader says there's a third and he's armed.

That must be McCauley.

I suggest you go away, Annie.

You played me.

[Chuckles]

Like you played me.

I mean, wasn't this your idea?

Vengeance for Vanessa.

My idea was for justice.

Oh, really?

Justice for whom?

This isn't your fight.

The FBI is coming.

They will take him down.

Hasaan will be behind bars forever.

That'll never happen, honey.

Hasaan's not who you think he is.

He's an arms dealer.

Who got his start with CIA funding and CIA weapons, who k*lled one of our own when she went to work for him.

Vanessa.

Yeah.

She went to bring him weapons and money.

But he k*lled her.

And we... we kept working with him until he turned on us.

Annie, they don't want to arrest him.

They want to turn him back and leave him out there.

Activity on the ship.

Okay, we've got a positive I.D. Of Hasaan.

Tell them to move in quietly. We need him alive.

Team lead, move in.

Keep it down. Keep him alive.

I'm gonna move.

We won't have your back.

Don't do this.

Thank you.

[g*nsh*t]

sh*t fired.

Move in! Move in!

Hasaan's down.

[g*nf*re]

The order was to take him alive.

Who fired?

Why don't I have an answer yet?

Who fired that sh*t?

Team lead, I need an answer now.

[Grunts]

U.S. made.

The same weapons we sold to him.

How are you feeling about standing in the mud now?

We owe an incalculable debt to those that have gone before us and we're proud to stand on their shoulders and Usher in a new era.

One that is marked with a new sense of transparency, openness, honesty, and the successful gathering of intelligence to help protect this great nation.

I'm pleased to dedicate this new ops center to my friend and predecessor Henry Wilcox.

[Applause] Congratulations, Henry.

Thank you, sir.

Hi. [sighs]

She sighs.

What's wrong?

Mission accomplished.

Greater good wins out again.

I'm proud to follow in my father's footsteps.

Keep that family legacy of service here at the CIA intact.

What a blowhard.

He's as bad as his father.

No, he isn't.

You're defending him?

I think he's just trying to figure this place out like the rest of us.

You knew the weapons were ours, didn't you?

That's why you had me cut the FBI out of the loop.

And don't tell me it's need-to-know...

Because if you want this relationship to continue, trust me...

You need me to know.

Hmm.

Hasaan used to be an asset.

He was feeding us information in exchange for money and supplies.

He and his bosses built their entire operation with CIA funding and support, then he turned on us.

We sent an operative, Vanessa Sinclair, to deliver a shipment of arms.

He k*lled her, then used the weapons that we'd given him to build a terror cell.

And you knew this?

Oh, not till Henry Wilcox sat in my office and told me.

If Hasaan had been arrested by the feds and all this came to light, can't you just see the headlines?

"CIA arms t*rror1st cell."

But that was Henry, not you.

Oh, I never would have survived if this had gotten out.

I was here when Henry started the op.

So were you.

I understand.

This didn't end the way I wanted it to.

I wanted Hasaan behind bars.

But Ben Mercer didn't.

♪ things return ♪
♪you've come back ♪
♪with your body and mine♪
♪raised up♪
♪it's good to see♪
♪you once more♪
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