03x15 - Quicksand

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Covert Affairs...

Major James Wylde.

You lost something very valuable in combat, son.

You can join us on the next tour of Operation Proper Exit.

You'd be a great inspiration to your fellow warriors.

Call Petersburg Prison and tell them I want to sit down with Henry Wilcox as soon as possible.

Just give me one good reason to trust you right now.

The question is, can you use me to complete your mission?

You doctored the photos of al Masri, not Mossad.

I'm giving you one last chance to save our friendship.

You didn't tell me that you needed to know where Khalid was so that you could drop a m*ssile on him.

Now tell me again about the woman who approached you.

Her name is Annie Walker.

So, if you throw out all the obvious mismatches-- wrong age, wrong ethnicity, wrong sex-- plus, all the people who've returned back to America accounted for, that's only 43 possible aliases Megan could have traveled under.

I've been going on and on about this, haven't I?

I don't know. What day is it again?

[Both chuckle]

Sorry. You asked me here 'cause you obviously want to talk about something.

What makes you think I want to talk to you about something?

'Cause we have been talking about coming here for a hang and a chat since the day I got back from Russia.

Oh, yeah.

So here we are, finally.

What's on your mind?

I, uh...

[Clears throat]

I'm deploying to Iraq tomorrow.

Operation Proper Exit-- they've assigned me as a battle buddy to PFC Pete Downey.

He's from Smyrna, Delaware-- post-traumatic stress.

Now, I know what you're thinking.

"Battle buddy" sounds like we're going on a field trip to the science museum.

But that's what they call it, so...

You're leaving tomorrow for Iraq?

Yeah, sorry. The timing's not great.

Joan's out of the office and...

When did you find out about this?

Ten days ago.

This has all happened so fast, and you've been literally running for your life.

It hasn't been easy trying to find the right time to tell you.

No, that doesn't matter.

It's great.

I think you will definitely get something out of it.

Yeah, well, I'm just serving when called upon.

It's a quick trip.

Regardless, it's a journey.

And every journey should begin with a toast.

What toast do you give to a deploying soldier?

[Chuckles]

You can say anything you like, just not "break a leg."

Okay, why don't we just go with...

"Good luck, battle buddy"?

[Telephone rings]

Yeah.

Can we talk?

Is that you, Barber?

Uh, yeah.

This isn't exactly discreet.

Oh, okay.

[Telephone hangs up]

So, um, remember the other day when you asked me to keep a lookout for any hits on Megan Carr?

Yeah.

They found her body in a hotel room in Luxembourg, strangled.

Is this a list of her personal effects?

Yeah, according to the morgue, just a carry-on suitcase, wallet, credit cards, a couple bracelets.

And a flash drive.

Yeah.

What do you think's on it?

I don't know.

But there's always something on a flash drive, right?

Have they notified her family yet?

Uh, just a sister, and they can't reach her.

Thanks, Barber.

You know, you can call me Eric.

That's my first name.

We've been working together awhile.

Hey, Eric.

Yeah?

You know how to make a fake I.D.?

[Chuckles]

I went to prep school, so...

Yeah, I can make a fake I.D.

[Airplane engine rumbling, tires screech]

Name of deceased?

Megan Carr.

[Keys clacking]

Relative?

My sister.

My condolences.

Thank you.

Uh, do you have any identification?

We were expecting you tomorrow.

I know. I caught an earlier flight.

[Keys clacking]

Far table.

I was also told I could pick up Megan's personal effects.

I'll get them for you when we complete the paperwork.

Thank you.

[Clipboard clatters]

Are you sure this is the right--

Hello?

[Elevator bell dings]

[Elevator doors open, footsteps approaching]

[Silenced g*nshots]

[Vehicle approaches]

[Tires screech]

I need assistance abroad--

Luxembourg, the Kirchberg Plateau.

Hello, Miss Walker.

What kind of assistance?

I've been targeted.

I need an immediate extraction.

Let me initiate an action plan.

I'll have an extraction point within the half hour.

Linda, I just had a tranq dart sh*t at my head.

They're trying to take me hostage.

I'll call you back as soon as I have more information.

Normally Auggie would walk me through this right here on the phone.

Yes, well, I am not Auggie.

And if I'm going to get you out of there, which I am, I can't talk to you at the same time.

But it is gonna take a half hour.

[Car engine revs]

[Cell phone beeps]

[Cell phone vibrates]

Hey. What a pleasant surprise.

Given our last conversation, I wasn't expecting to hear from you, maybe ever.

Well, I didn't expect to be fleeing Luxembourg City.

What's, uh, your best bet for a way out of here?

What's going on?

Khalid's men are after me.

How do you know?

It was reported that Megan Carr was k*lled.

It was a trap.

[Sighs]

Now I need to find the best way out of there.

Well, the airports, train, and bus stations are no good.

I know. I'm in a car.

Take the E25 south to Metz, but don't cross the border there.

Take surface streets into France.

There'll be little-to-no border presence there.

Once at Metz, grab a train to Zurich.

I'll wait for you here. I think you know where.

I just need to know how to get out of Luxembourg, Eyal.

[Object clatters loudly]

[Ignition squeals]

[Engine turning]

[Shouting in Dutch]

[Tires squeal]

[Tires screech]

[Crash, glass shatters]

[Engine revs]

[Can You Save Me? By Apple Trees and Tangerines]

♪ Covert Affairs 03x15 ♪
Quicksand
Original Air Date on November 13, 2012

♪ Can you save me ♪
♪ from this nothing I've become? ♪
♪ It's just something that I've done ♪
♪ I never meant to cause you worry ♪
♪ Don't you blame me ♪
♪ for this nothing I've become ♪
♪ it's just something that I've done ♪
♪ I never meant to show you my mistakes ♪

You all right, battle buddy?

You haven't said more than two words this entire trip.

I'm fine, man.

Strike that.

Five words.

Present arms!

You know what hasn't changed a bit?

The smell-- sweat and sand.

Gas fumes.

Baghdad perfume.

Soldiers...

You are officially back in theater.

The fact that you are wearing the uniform again should tell you that.

We move as a team, and we are responsible for the men on our left and our right.

Warriors...

Welcome back.

Hey, Downey...

Lieutenant Wade is giving an in-progress debrief on Operation New Dawn in the Ohio tent at 1700 hours.

You want to hit it?

I'm good.

All right.

How about getting a bite at the mess hall?

They ruin a great pot roast.

I'm just whipped, all right?

Gonna crash early tonight.

You're a day early, Arthur.

My release party isn't until wednesday.

Oh, I'm still trying to figure out how there's any release party at all.

You don't buy "time reduced for good behavior"?

No. I think it has something to do with Zamir Gerson.

Gerson personally signed off and confirmed the location of the training compounds we targeted.

Tell me, why does the Minister of Agriculture sign off on intelligence matters?

You'd have to ask Gerson.

No, I'm asking you.

Seeing how the two of you belonged to the same eating club together at Princeton.

The glorious Tiger Inn... always in the right.

We droned the wrong site, Henry.

What the hell did you do?

Time moves slowly in here, Arthur.

It forced me to think about my legacy.

Maybe it was Jai's death.

Maybe it was the words of your boy Auggie Anderson.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about making things right, about father emulating son.

All you need to know for now is that the drone strike was not a failure.

You made the right call.

Not a failure?

Why do you think my sentence was commuted?

And if you're troubled about using Khalid as bait, don't be.

He and his old man, Omar, are dirtier than dirt-- always have been.

State just can't get off the oil train.

Guard!

Don't worry.

You'll come up smelling like a rose, Arthur.

I've been assured.

You'll see.

[Keypad beeping]

[Elevator bell dings]

[Door creaks]

[Door closes]

Eyal?

[Sighs]

I wasn't sure you were coming.

I tried to reach you.

I dumped my phone. I didn't want anyone tracking me.

Listen, I contacted a cobbler I know.

He'll have a nice clean passport by noon today-- get you on a plane back home.

I'm not going home, not yet.

You told me the last time we were in Zurich, it doesn't matter if I can trust you or not.

It only matters if I can use you to complete my mission.

What are you proposing?

Khalid tried to take me alive.

As long as he's after me, I'm not ever gonna feel safe.

I have to get to him before he gets to me.

Can I use you?

Use me.

Tranq dart.

Yeah.

They went to a lot of trouble to set up that trap at the morgue.

And I fell right for it.

Oh.

Megan probably I.D.'d you to Khalid.

Or Cole did.

Who knows?

What I'm trying to figure out is, why does he want me alive?

Maybe he wants to say he's sorry for all the trouble he's causing, in person.

How many men did he have after you?

At least three that I engaged with.

But there were more.

Hmm.

That's a lot of salary to pay for a man who's gone into hiding, plus food and drink and a roof over his head, and who knows how much in hush money to keep his location a secret.

We checked. All Khalid's accounts are frozen.

He cannot move money electronically.

I know. Why do you think I'm in Zurich?

You're not the only one who's got unfinished business with Khalid Ansari.

Put yourself in Khalid's shoes.

You're a fugitive on the run.

It's very difficult to communicate with anyone.

You have no access to money.

Who do you reach out to?

Daddy.

Omar Ansari.

I arrived here last Tuesday, started my surveillance.

He's here on business, finalizing a deal with the Chinese.

He's very meticulous about his movements, watchful.

You can tell that he knows something about countersurveillance.

What are you saying?

I'm saying he's behaving like a man who's got something to hide.

Last Thursday, 9:00 a.m. on the dot, I get a call from my contact at Credit Suisse.

Tells me Omar's requested a sum of cash--

50,000 Euros in various denominations, all unmarked bills.

Three hours later, he enters Club au Lac for lunch, with a satchel of money.

An hour after that, he comes out by himself, enters his car-- no satchel.

So he must be transferring the funds to Khalid through a courier.

But you didn't see who he passed it to.

No. Too many people going in and out, too many ways to hide it.

Are you sure the handoff's gonna go down again at Club au Lac?

Positive. We have to get eyes in there.

But even my assets can't get in.

The security's too tight?

Not for club members.

50,000 is not gonna last Khalid very long.

About a week.

Today is Thursday.

It's 9:00 a.m. on the dot.

[Cell phone ringing]

One thing you got to love about the Swiss-- they're all so punctual.

Another 50,000?

250,000 this time.

His expenses are going up.

Or he's going deeper into hiding.

We might never get this chance again.

All right, come on. My car is parked out back.

Where are we going?

To collect our club dues.

All of you have been here before--

Hero's highway, the pathway to the medevac area.

All wounded soldiers pass through here on their way out of battle.

This is your opportunity to hold your heads high and make the proper exit you were previously denied.

[Applause]

You're up, warrior.

Downey!

I got this, Major.

Mary.

[Applause continues]

Pete, you okay?

This was, uh, my wife's idea.

Said she saw something about it on TV and thought it'd be good for me.

Well, clearly she cares about you.

Well, she's had divorce papers drawn up and ready to be signed for over a year now.

Says that I'm not the same man she married.

No sh*t.

If she hasn't signed them, she must still have hope.

They gave this to me two years after I got back.

Said they changed the eligibility requirements, so now concussions are now worthy of a Purple Heart.

Well... the problem is my lieutenant d*ed that day in Fallujah, trying to drag me off the b*ttlefield.

I bumped my head, and I get a medal.

I don't deserve to wear it.

You know who else feels that kind of guilt?

Me... and every other guy that's gotten that damn thing since the m*llitary schemed it up in 1782.

That Purple Heart means you are both very lucky and very unlucky.

It's a hell of a club.

Hey, battle trauma is real, Pete.

And because you earned that, you don't have to worry about what anybody else thinks.

You don't even have to wear it.

It's just a thing.

Well, who anointed you my personal pope, hmm?

'Cause I don't need your permission to feel anything.

And I don't need someone on my wing trying to fix me.

Hey, I'm not trying to fix you.

Bullshit!

I mean, what, is this whole Captain America 2.0 routine, this blind but battle-tested yet better than ever, is this supposed to inspire me?

Hmm?

Two words, sir... epic fail.

[Entrance bell chimes]

Eyal.

Noah.

It's been a long time.

Not long enough.

Yeah, well, it's a time-sensitive mission, and I need your assistance.

All right, how much?

A hundred thousand in clean diamonds.

Steep.

Okay, let me talk to Rivka, get her approval.

It's even too time-sensitive for that.

You taught me the protocols.

You know I cannot give you that without authorization.

What are you doing?

You're a sayan.

You're an assistant to Israel. I need your assistance.

It doesn't work this way. You know that.

I will tell you how it works.

Okay... get out of my shop now. Go. Go now.

Really?

Yes, really.

[Screams, cries]

Don't make me ask you again.

That's enough.

So much for laying low.

What happened?

I didn't have time to be polite.

We need to get that money so we can pay off the club manager.

I'm not talking about your methods.

You didn't want him to call Tel Aviv.

Are you on the outs with Rivka?

Did you get suspended?

I quit Mossad.

You quit Mossad?

[Sighs]

I knew it.

I knew they would make you take the fall for them.

Don't read too much into it.

I wanted to hunt Khalid down and k*ll him.

And they already completed their mission.

Just call it creative differences.

Eyal.

It was time anyway.

Eyal.

I'm sorry.

I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you.

I don't need your compassion right now, Annie.

What I need is money.

Where are we gonna get 100,000 euro?

I'm not even supposed to be here.

I don't know.

But if we don't get our eyes on that pass, we may never get to Khalid.

[Line rings]

Hello?

Joan.

Annie?

I'm in Zurich...

With Eyal.

I need a favor.

What is it?

I need 100,000 Euros in cash by noon my time.

That's less than an hour from now.

I know it's a lot to ask, but I didn't know who else to call.

[Sighs] You want to tell me what the money's for?

Surveillance access.

You're gonna need to give me more than that.

Read me in, Annie.

Megan Carr was reported dead with a flash drive found in her possession.

I got on the first plane to Luxembourg to investigate.

Hey, Midge?

Yes?

Where's the DNA analysis from the al-Masri drone strike?

Well, that's it on your desk, sir.

This is just the top sheet.

That's all they sent.

Well, call forensics and tell them I want every ounce of data from that site.

I don't care how raw or seemingly meaningless it is.

Sir, we just got a call from the Hill.

The Senate hearings have been canceled.

Did they say why?

They said they were satisfied with their inquiry and thanked you for your cooperation.

Will you still be needing that DNA data?

Yes, even more so now.

Window's closing.

I know how to tell time, Eyal.

I-I-I'm just saying.

Think Joan will come through?

I hope so.

It's our only sh*t.

Remember when we were holed up in here before?

Of course I remember.

How did the stitches heal?

There's no scar. You want to see?

Oh, yeah.

Maybe I should have become a doctor.

I've had a few scars since then.

Well, I hope the one between us can heal.

[Knock at door]

Guten tag!

Compliments of Mrs. Campbell.

Thank you.

[Plastic rustling]

We gonna open it this time?

[Briefcase locks open]

[Sighs]

[Chuckles]

There's Omar... like clockwork.

[Car engine turns off]

Good afternoon, sir.

Good afternoon.

[Car door closes]

How are you?

Let's go.

You know, the, uh-- the dining room's for men only.

Well, you still need someone to keep an eye on the door.

Oh, come on, Annie.

We already know that Khalid put a contract on you.

Who's to say that the courier wouldn't recognize you?

Maybe he even told his dad.

You know I'm going with you, no matter what you say.

Once we spot the courier, how are we gonna maintain the tail?

Ya tush-- Hebrew for "mosquito."

Lidocaine tipped, so you don't feel the bite.

There's two of them, one for each of us.

Inside is a GPS tracker the size of a grain of rice.

If we do our job right...

The light should turn from yellow to red.

And we follow the courier all the way to Khalid.

Got to find Omar, watch him do the handoff, and let the mosquito bite.

Good afternoon, sir, madame. Welcome to the Club au Lac.

Thank you. Would you check this for us, please.

Of course, sir. My pleasure.

It's in very good hands.

Enjoy.

Thank you.

Thank you.

[Speaking Swiss german]

[Chair scrapes on floor]

[Speaking Swiss german]

[Chair scrapes on floor]

Thank you for joining me. I despise eating alone.

It makes me so self-conscious.

I know how you feel.

George Yiokas.

Omar Ansari.

Please, sit down.

Thank you.

Downey!

[Cane bangs on barrel]

A little help.

You can probably tell I hate those three words.

My shrink says I have control issues.

You have a shrink?

Had.

Wasn't my idea either.

Mandated by my boss after I smashed a beer bottle over some dude's head.

If this is boring you at all or I'm over-sharing here...

No, man, we're cool.

No one else understands this place, not unless they've been here.

Yeah.

You know, I find it impossible to try to explain to someone what it's like when that b*mb goes off...

You know, that--that sense that everything is slipping away from you.

You know the feeling.

After the blast, I was lying there-- total darkness, sitting duck for sn*pers, but there was this kid.

He sat with me and talked to me about his new soccer ball until the Medevac Unit arrived.

I'll tell you what, if that kid wasn't there, I don't get a Purple Heart.

I thought you said you don't need a medal to tell you anything.

This was supposed to be about you.

[Chuckles]

You seem very familiar to me.

Have I seen you in the club before?

No. No.

I'm only here for a day or two on business.

Your club was generous enough to extend me guest privileges for the day.

Mm.

It's lovely, by the way.

Ah, it all depends on the company.

To tell the truth, I have a standing lunch date here with my son every Thursday for the past 11 years-- whenever we're both in town, of course-- right here at this table.

And your son couldn't make it?

Unfortunately...

I'm growing accustomed to him letting me down.

I've built so much for him, yet he seems incapable of claiming his rightful place.

[Cell phone chimes]

Pardon me.

Highly against club policy.

They're going to kick me out of here one of these days.

[Whispers indistinctly]

[Both speaking Swiss german]

So let's try to figure this out, shall we?

I'm sorry--what's that?

How I know you.

[Chuckles nervously]

[Cell phone vibrates]

Ah, madame.

[Both speaking Swiss german]

Megan.

Annie.

What are you doing here?

I could ask you the same question.

You're here to arrest me?

I don't have the power to do that... not even at home.

What I want to know is, where are you going with the bag?

Don't play dumb, Megan.

You're an intelligent woman.

It's one of the things I like best about you.

Well, I suppose the intelligent thing to do would be to tell you that I'm here under duress, that Khalid kidnapped me out of that safe house, and now he's threatening to k*ll me if I don't do what he says.

That's what you want to hear?

Is that a...

Yeah.

Khalid proposed two days ago.

There's a body in a morgue in Luxembourg that's supposed to be you.

That's your future as soon as you're deemed unnecessary.

Khalid has found me far more necessary than you ever did.

Since the CIA ripped my life away, Khalid is the one that stepped in to fill the void, to offer me a future.

The only future you have with a dangerous man is more danger.

I know that firsthand.

Well, I'll take my chances with Khalid.

You're right.

What do you mean I'm right?

It's your life.

And it's your decision.

Good-bye, Megan.

Good luck.

[Device beeps]

Did you find the courier?

I wasn't sure you got my message.

It wasn't the waiter that was the courier.

It was Megan.

Megan?

But you still managed to...

Well played, Annie Walker.

[g*nshots in distance]

Go! Go!

[Engine revs, tires squeal]

Come on, we got to go.

[Distant siren wailing]

Annie!

Gentlemen...

We are now entering Tikrit.

This city is still undergoing a slow transition, so we're in, we're out.

Stick to the cone zone.

Sir.

Pretty quiet, huh?

Just the way you remember it, right?

Not exactly.

Do you see a doctors street?

It's the next street over.

Let's go there.

I'm sorry, Captain. That's outside the zone.

Come on, private, what kind of sightseeing guide are you?

All right, then... this way.

You sure this is the right place-- the Plaza just off of Doctors Street?

Doctors Street, yes.

Doesn't sound like I remember.

Well, if someone didn't tell you, you'd never know a b*mb went off here.

Everything's back in place.

Looks that way, sir.

[Soccer ball scraping ground]

Shukran.

Think that could have been the kid who talked to you?

[Children shouting in distance]

I think they all could have been.

Nothing.

I mean, don't get me wrong.

There's 250,000 untraceable Euros in here, but no leads to get us to Khalid.

His guys must have clocked us and then had Megan k*lled.

She was in love.

She was never gonna listen to me.

It wasn't your fault.

I know that.

She had a chance to get herself out-- more than one.

She refused my help.

There's nothing I can do about that.

What?

No, no, nothing.

No, I agree with everything you say.

It's just...

I've never heard you talk like this before.

Yeah, well, I didn't feel like this before.

But I've learned a lot since the last time we were here.

Not everybody can be saved.

That's not my job.

Please tell me you didn't take everything I said back at West Virginia to heart?

Your empathy is... one of your greatest talents.

Don't ever lose it.

You never know when you might need it.

[Vehicles approaching]

Did you hear that?

They know we're here.

We're five stories up. There's no way out of here.

No, we can climb down to the next balcony.

Okay.

Eyal!

Eyal!

What are you doing?

There's still one way out of this.

Down! Down!

Where is the girl?

Talk!

[Snaps fingers]

Where is she?

[Bugle call plays]

♪ ♪

Pete, let's go, buddy.

We miss our ride, they're gonna recommission us in a flash.

We'll be peeling potatoes for a year.

No, my voice does not sound different.

[Laughs]

No, I think you're hearing things.

Yeah.

I don't know--it must be the connection, 'cause...

Hey, listen, uh, I'm gonna call you as soon as we land.

Yeah, me too.

[Cell phone beeps]

Well, that was the missus.

I kind of got that.

Yeah, she said she's gonna make me some crab cakes when I get back.

Damn, she makes some good crab cakes.

Hey, man, you should come visit some time, you know, maybe in the spring.

Careful what you ask for.

I can eat a lot of crab cakes.

We doing this or what?

Ready if you are.

[Helicopter blades whirring]

[Bells tolling]

[Cell phone ringing]

[Sighs]

[Ringing continues]

Hello?