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Leverage Main | When Darkness Falls

2x15 The Maltese Falcon Job
[Boston]

(police cars speeding through the streets)

Dispatcher: Reports of an explosion at the Belbridge Port Authority. Both Homeland Security and the FBI assure us this is not a terrorist act. Be on the lookout for a black Town Car, the suspects are considered armed and dangerous.


[Beneath Bridge]

(a black Town Car rolls to a stop and the team gets out)

Eliot: The Mayor's a federal witness? Federal?

Tara: Every badge in a hundred miles is lookin' for us.

Hardison (checking phone): Guys, they are ripping through Nate and Tara's cover stories. All their financials are blown. So look, until I know what they know, no credit cards, no debit cards, no ATMs, nothing that can be traced back to us. OK? Cash in hand only.

Parker: Keeps getting better and better.

Nate: The Mayor's not innocent. He cut a deal with the Feds because he's guilty. And he's got somebody working on the outside.

Tara: Back at the warehouse he admitted he has an accomplice.

Eliot: Do we scatter or stay?

Nate: No, we scatter. We give the Mayor and his partner time to cover their tracks to, uh, get away with murder. Literally.

Parker: We can't get anything done out here on the street. We need a hiding place.

Hardison: Guys, look when I contacted to the FBI team leader, I put a worm in the operating system on the SIM card in her phone.

Eliot: Hardison... geek spiral.

Hardison: We can listen to what they say. Look. (pushes button on phone)

Nevins (on phone): No, not a safe house. Interpol wants Culpepper someplace off our system. We're taking him to the Governor Hotel.

Nate: OK, that's it. That's where we're gonna hole up.

Tara: The Governor Hotel?

Nate: Yeah.

Tara: The hotel crawling with FBI?

Eliot: FBI and Interpol.

Nate: Yeah, you know, it's the one place in Boston they won't be lookin' for us. Come on, we just gotta get there first.


[Governor Hotel Hallway]

(Parker and Tara look around a corner to see a man knocking on a door down the hall, holding a tray of food)

Man: Room service.

Tara: All right. Three, maybe four empty rooms on this floor.

Parker: I steal that master key, he's gonna notice it's missing pretty fast.

Tara: All right, Parker, I need you to do a lift.

Eliot: She just said she...

Tara: Not the key. Just a towel.

(man comes out of the room to see Tara standing in the hall wearing only a towel)

Tara: Excuse me.

Man: Hmm?

Tara: Oh, thank God! I just stepped out to get the paper and then my door closed behind me and I tried to find a house phone, but you guys don't have those anymore. (drops towel) Oops.

Man: Uh...

(Eliot and Parker look down the hall, then at each other, then down the hall)


[Hotel Room]

(knock on door, Tara answers wearing only a towel to find Hardison and Nate outside. They enter the room)

Nate: Mm-hm. Did I, uh... miss something?

Parker: She was naked.

(Tara goes into the bathroom to dress)

Hardison: In-room checkout. (sits down on bed with keyboard) OK, look, this means that I have access to the hotel's billing computers. It's a big ol' backdoor in every hotel room in America. (hacks system) As of right now, we've been here for a week, and our reservations are good for another week, courtesy of this man's platinum card, Mr. Ogden Shields, who has spent a lot of time in the adult section of pay-per-view. I mean, did he even leave the room?

Parker: In-de-panties Day?

Nate: Hardison, I need background on all the Mayor's business partners, and all his little shell companies.

Hardison: You want background checks? On this? A TV?

Nate: Yeah.

Hardison: Yeah, I'll have Super Mario and Dig Dug get right on that.

Nate: Guns. Anything having to do with guns.

Eliot: All right, I'm gonna go get some keys made. I'm goin' to the gym. Make sure I can charge stuff on the room.

Hardison: I gotcha.

(women moaning on TV)

Parker: Wow, she really wants that car clean.

Hardison: That’s-that's enough of that.


[Lobby]

(Parker bumps into one of the guests)

Parker: Oh! Excuse me.

Guest: That's all right.

(Parker passes they key to Eliot, who approaches the desk)

Eliot: Hello. I was down at the gym...

Clerk: Ah, the fitness spa. Isn't the zen steam garden divine?

Eliot: Yeah. Delicious. Listen, I was down in the gym and I went back up to my room and, uh, my key didn't work.

Clerk: Oh, no problem. Do you have any ID?

Eliot: Who carries their ID to the gym, bro?

Clerk: True.

Eliot: Listen, Ogden Shields, room 1104

Clerk: Here you go, Mr. Shields. (typing keys) Let me reformat that card for ya.

(Sterling, Nevins, Culpepper and other FBI agents walk in the door. Nate sees them

Nate: Parker, Eliot meet me outside. Tara, Hardison, stay in your room.


[Hotel Room]

Nate: Door closed.

Hardison: Why?


[Lobby]

Nate: Sterling.

(Nate turns to walk out. At the desk, Eliot turns to look across the room)


[FBI Hotel Room]

(Sterling hold up his Interpol badge)

Culpepper: Sterling?

Sterling: Yes, like the machine gun, not the engine. You've been a very bad boy today.

Culpepper: No. No. I did everything I was supposed to. Please, Agent Nevins, tell him.

Nevins: The Mayor's been a cooperating witness.

Sterling: A snitch? World loves a snitch.

Nevins: I will not have you talking to my witness like that.

Sterling: Before you finish that thought, let's review, shall we? You allowed multiple suspects to escape from a warehouse completely surrounded by FBI agents before they got away with $250,000 of FBI bribe money. And they got away in your car.

(Sterling takes her arm and escorts her from the room)


[Hallway]

(two agents are standing by the door)

Sterling: You sure he's safe here?

Nevins: You wanna tell me why that's any of your business?

(Sterling and Nevins walk a little bit down the hallway)

Sterling: Because during the course of my first investigation for Interpol, the city of Belbridge drifted into my vision. Your little operation came up. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw Nathan Ford (hands Nevins a picture) in the FBI case files.

Nevins: Nathan? No. His name's Lionel Gitt.

Sterling (takes the photo back): That's adorable. Tell you what. I'll have my people give you everything you need to know about Nathan Ford and his crew, and you give me everything you have on a man named Tony Kadjic.


[Hotel Room]

Hardison: All right, guys, this is Tony Kadjic. He started out as a smuggler in Albania. He left a lot of competitors in shallow graves.


[Exterior Street]

Hardison: He's been indicted for murder eight times in four different countries with zero convictions.


[Hotel Room]

Tara: His shipping company looks semi-legit. He's tied to governments in the 'Stans, Central America. He's got a batch of big government contracts including some for US security forces.


[Exterior Street]

Nate: Why do we care about him?

Hardison: 'Cause he's big on the surplus weapons market.

Eliot: That's just a polite way of saying arms dealer.

Tara: His specialty's buying cheap guns from—


[Hotel Room]

Tara: --Third World countries and reselling 'em.

Nate: OK, well, you know, I mean, this tracks. Uh... So the mayor grifts the 911 money that’s meant to improve security at the ports.


[Exterior Street]

Nate: That, along with crooked cops, makes the Belbridge Ports a perfect place for Tony Kadjic to run his guns in and out of the country.

Parker: Interpol must be chasing down the gunrunning.

Nate: Don't worry about Sterling.

Eliot: Did you just say, "Don't worry about Sterling?"

Nate: Yeah, don't worry about Sterling. What you don't think I can beat Sterling?

Eliot: I think in the last six months, Nate, I've heard you talk about beating the Triads, beating the Russians. All right? Maggie's boyfriend. Huh? How'd that work out? We all said that meet was a bad idea, right? But you got a taste for taking down this Mayor and you can't resist.

Nate: You wanna walk away? Walk away.

Eliot: I'm not walkin' away. It's not my job. My job is to get your back. And, Nate, I'm gonna do it. All the way down. But I need you to do your job.

Nate: And what's that?

Parker: Be Nathan Ford. Be the person we came back for.


[Hotel Room]

Nate: Listen, guys, I'm trying to figure out why a group of very rich, very powerful men are—


[Exterior Street]

Nate: -tryin' to take out a good, decent cop. Now, are you gonna stick with me on this? Is that enough?

Eliot: Yeah.

(Parker nods)


[Hotel Room]

Hardison: Us too.


[Exterior Street]

Nate: Good. Tony Kadjic—

Nate: --is the one who pulled the trigger. I wanna know exactly what he's up to, and where he is.


[Hotel Room]

Hardison: And how do you propose we do that?


[Exterior Street]

Nate: Let's go steal a mayor.


[Hotel Room]

(Eliot holds up the piece of paper taken from Bonanno’s house that reads ‘Maltese Falcon’)

Eliot: That's still bugging me, man.

Nate: You guys on the move?

Hardison: Both headin' out now.


[Lobby]

Nate: And the mayor?

Hardison: According to the room service charges--


[Hotel Room]

Hardison (looks at monitor): --looks like the mayor's taking the edge off captivity with many, many tiny bottles of vodka.

(Eliot loads a heavy trunk onto a cart)


[Hallway]

(Parker, dressed as a maid and pushing a cart, approaches the FBI agents. She grabs several bottles of vodka and tries to enter, but they stop her)

Agent: Ooh, sorry, ma'am?

Parker: Ooh! But, uh, I have mini-bar.

Culpepper (opens door): Gimme. (grabs bottles)

Parker: Ooh!

(Parker winks at the agents and pushes the cart away)


[FBI Hotel Room]

(Culpepper downs the little bottles quickly, then falls on the bed and passes out)


[Lobby]

(Nate sees Sterling walk in)

Nate: Oh, great. Look who's back.

Sterling (on phone): This is Sterling. I'm on my way up.

Man: Target secured.

(Nate begins following Sterling)

Nate: You help Tara and Parker. I'm gonna stall Sterling.

Hardison: How?

Nate: I'm thinking.

(Sterling gets into an elevator. Nate heads up the stairs, stopping at every floor to push the elevator button. Sterling begins to get irritated when the elevator stops at every floor but never sees Nate, who gets progressively more tired as they go upward)


[Hallway]

(Sterling gets off on the 14th floor. Behind him, Eliot pushes his cart into the elevator. Sterling glances at him but the door closes before he can get a good look. Sterling approaches the door the FBI agents are guarding)

Bob: Agent Nevins says you're to have full access.

(Sterling walks into the room and the door closes)

Bob: All right.

(Sterling comes out of the room)

Sterling: Name's Bob, right?

Bob: Yes, sir.

Sterling: You been here the whole time, Bob?

Bob: Yes, sir.

Sterling: And nobody's gone in or out of here, Bob?

Bob: No, sir.

Sterling: Then would you mind explaining (yelling) where the hell the Mayor is?

Bob: Uh...


[FBI Hotel Room]

(Sterling shows the agents into the room to find it clean and no one inside)


[Flashback]

(Parker moves to the door next to the one the agents are guarding and knock on the door)

Parker: Housekeeping!

(she goes inside, pulling her cart in behind her. Once in the room, she finds Tara and Hardison in the window. Hardison is tangled in his line, and Tara is trying to help him)

Hardison: Ow. That's... Stop. Hey, I got this. Stop. I don't need help.

Tara: Clearly you do.

Hardison: I got this. I got this. Go

(Parker uses her key on the adjoining room to get into Culpepper’s room

Tara: Yeah. I'll go. (walks away)


[Hallway]

(Sterling walks out of the room and pauses)

Sterling: Eliot Spencer.


[Hotel Lobby]

(Sterling is going over security tapes with the clerk. He sees Eliot placing the large trunk into a taxi)

Sterling: There! That's it. The trunk. The mayor's in the trunk. Find it.

Bob: I'm running down the taxi license.

Sterling: Yeah. Have the state troopers set up road blocks on every highway in and out of the city.

Bob: You got it. (walks away)

Sterling: Thanks for making it interesting, Nate.

(Sterling’s phone rings, he answers it)


[Hotel Room]

(Nate and Eliot watch Sterling on the monitor

Nate: Where's luggage going?

Eliot: Nashua, New Hampshire.

Nate: OK.

(Hardison and Tara are setting the room up to look exactly like the room they’d kidnapped Culpepper from, using a picture as reference)

Nate: OK. Just like the picture. Make sure it looks exactly like his room.


[Flashback]

(Parker enters Culpepper’s room followed by Tara and Hardison. Tara snaps pictures, Parker gathers everything on the bed, and Hardison loads it in the cart)


[Hotel Room]

(Nate slaps Culpepper’s face to wake him up)

Culpepper: Huh? (sees Nate) Ah!

Nate: Your Honor? Chair.

(Hardison pulls Culpepper up and throws him in a chair)

Culpepper: Where are the agents? Where are the agents? There should be two FBI agents standing at the door.

(Eliot walks in with Parker thrown over his shoulder)

Nate: Did you have to?

Eliot: She saw our faces.

Nate: OK. Yeah, put her in the tub with the others.

(Eliot takes her into the bathroom)

Nate: Mr. Joshua, get to work. We don't have much time.

Culpepper: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please, please don't kill me.

Nate: What did you think? Huh? A guy that throws around the kinda money I do that I'm not connected?

Culpepper: I didn't know that...

Nate: What? What? That you could just throw me to the Feds?

Culpepper: Look, I... I had to. It was... It was nothing personal. I had to protect...

Nate: What?

(Culpepper hesitates. Nate turns the chair around and Hardison comes at him with a rope)

Culpepper: The guns, the guns, the guns! Look, I'll cut you in, OK? It's a sweet deal. The cops are in on the payroll. And the Feds, they just turn their heads. It's foolproof.

Nate: How, huh? How do the Feds look the other way?

Culpepper: I wear a wire. OK? I help the FBI get other mayors and congressmen and they… they don't bother with Tony's shipping business. OK? So, Tony said to give 'em you. OK? To give you to the Feds. OK? And then, then the heat would be off, Mr. Gitt? It was, it was just business. OK?

Nate: Yeah, just business. Yeah. OK. I'd like to meet Tony.

Culpepper: Well, we... I-I don't... I don't know where he is. OK? I'll get him on the phone. I can get him on the phone for you. If you'd like me to get him on the phone, I can do that...

(Nate turns the chair again and Hardison moves in)

Culpepper: OK. All right! All right! All right, he's here. OK?

Nate: Where is he? Where is he?

Culpepper: He's down at the docks! OK? He's on the boat. We just got a shipment in. And we got some buyers who are inspecting the guns.

Nate: Thank you very much. See that wasn't so difficult was it? OK.

(Nate snaps his fingers at Eliot and turns Culpepper’s chair.)

Culpepper: No! No, no!

(Eliot hits Culpepper, knocking him out)

Tara (walking in): All right, FBI's cleared the building.

(Parker walks out of bathroom)

Tara: So we kidnapped a mayor. I hope you realize that even if we pull this off, we're gonna get out of the city with nothing but the clothes on our backs.

Nate: Yeah. OK. So, uh, Kadjic has a shipment at the docks. Uh, Hardison, stash the Mayor somewhere else and, uh... See what you can dig up.

Hardison: If I can access the security cameras at the port, maybe the facial recognition can find Kadjic.

Nate: Yeah. Eliot, Parker, Tara, do a physical sweep of the docks. (walks toward the door)

Eliot: Where are you going?

(Nate leaves, Eliot looks at Tara)

Eliot: Where's he goin'?


[Stairway]

(Tara is sitting on the steps making a phone call)

Tara: This is Tara. Yeah. (speaks Russian for a moment) Listen, I need a favor. I need you to get me in touch with someone. Yeah, I wanna make a deal. With Tony Kadjic.


[Leverage Headquarters]

(Nate enters and begins going through the desk frantically, searching for something. Sterling comes down the stairs holding a picture frame)

Sterling: Oh, Nate. You're not like them. You couldn't take the risk that you'd never come back here. Not without picking up a few things.

(Sterling holds up the frame to reveal a picture that Nate’s son drew. Across the room, Nevins and another agent come out of a door. Sterling sets the frame down on the desk)

Sterling: You're nicked.

(Nate is sitting at the table while the others loom around him. Sterling slides a glass down the table and Nate catches it)

Nevins: Where's my witness?

Sterling: Do you know why you screwed up, Nate? (puts a flask on the desk) You forgot who you are. It was always only a matter of time before this Robin Hood fantasy of yours brought you here. To this end.

(Nate pours alcohol into the glass)

Nate: You're gonna lecture me on who the good guys and bad guys are? The FBI here is protecting a corrupt mayor, and the guy you want, Tony Kadjic? Giving him a free pass.

Sterling: Is this true, Agent Nevins?

(Nate drinks from the flask)

Nevins: As far as we can tell, Mr. Kadjic hasn't broken any American laws, and as a favor to a protected witness, we do not harass his business associate.

Nate: Kadjic shot up a state policeman.

Nevins: You have proof of that?

Nate: Oh, please.

Nevins: No. The mayor's brought us a dozen good cases. I made the right call.

Sterling: Well, it's out of your hands now. I have plenty of proof against Tony Kadjic. Shipping manifests, forged customs documents. And against you, Nate. Photos of you setting the bribe with the Mayor, tape of you talking about the bribe, photos of your team in their adorable little costumes, all sitting in a secure FBI locker, awaiting my next irrevocable phone call.

Nate: What are you waiting for?

Sterling: The only thing I don't have is Tony Kadjic himself.

Nate: That must be very disappointing.

Sterling: So, I'm gonna make you a deal. You find Kadjic, tie him to the guns, I'll give you a free pass. Just this once, you get to walk away with your record wiped clean.

Nate: My team?

Sterling: They go down. Every last one of 'em. They deserve to go down. They're criminals, Nate. Thieves. So that's the deal. You bring me Kadjic and the guns, and I cut you and you alone loose. Because at the end of the day you're always right. You're not a thief. This is your second chance.

(Sterling picks up the flask and walks away)


[Docks]

Parker: This is hopeless. And it smells.

Eliot: How many ships left on the list?

Parker: Only a hundred.

Eliot: Sweet.

Parker: Yeah.

Tara: This is hopeless.

Parker: And it smells.

Tara: Yes. Like old clown shoes.

Parker: Briny despair.

Eliot: Well, maybe Hardison... (looking at something) Hey.

Parker: What?

Eliot: He's Italian.

Parker: Huh?

(Eliot pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and looks at it)

Eliot: Bonanno's Italian.

(Eliot puts the paper back in his pocket and walks off)

Tara: So, now he's walking off?

Parker: Yep. (They follow) Sparky, slow down.


[Interior Helicopter]

(Sophie’s phone rings, she answers)

Sophie: Nate?


[Leverage Headquarters]

(Nate is sitting on the couch, looking at his son’s drawing and a glass of alcohol)

Sophie: Nate?

Nate: Sophie, it's me. I-I screwed up. Uh...

Sophie: Nate?


[Interior Helicopter]

Sophie: Nate? Is that you? I-I can't hear you!


[Leverage Headquarters]

Nate: Yeah. No. I... I, uh... Listen, I need you to come back. Um... I need you. Uh, I need you.


[Interior Helicopter]

Sophie: No, no, no. Speak up. I'm traveling and...


[Leverage Headquarters]

Nate: Not the team. Me. For me. Not for a con. I just... Listen, I... I don't know who I am anymore, Sophie. And, ah... When, when I was chasing you and everything and we were doing cons, I knew who I was, but not anymore. As crazy as this sounds, I need you to tell me, tell me when I'm goin' too far. I mean, it just... It gets out of control and I just don't know who I am and, and you've always been... .y compass. And, you know, I care about you more than yo-you'll ever know, because I lo... I lo...


[Interior Helicopter]

Sophie: I can't hear you! What a rubbish signal.


[Leverage Headquarters]

Nate: Soph?

(phone disconnects)

Sophie: Hey. Hey!

(Nate puts his earpiece back in)

Nate: Hardison. It's safe. It's all clear in my apartment. I want you to stash the mayor in a closet and—


[Hotel Room]

Nate: --get the team over here.

Hardison: You got a plan?


[Leverage Headquarters]

Nate: Yes, I do. One that's gonna take care of everybody.

(later, Nate is sitting on the stairs while the others are gathered in the seating area, looking at the plans of a ship)

Nate: Is it possible?

Hardison: I'll need Eliot, and to buy some new supplies, and maybe five hours, plus I need to hack into the cargo shipping system at the docks.

Nate: What about the money?

Hardison: It's on short notice, but...

Nate: Use my accounts.

Hardison: That'll clean you out.

Nate: Use 'em. And what about you guys on your end?

Parker: I don't think we can make it in through the main entrance, (walks around the table to look at plans) so I think we need to go up, and then make it down through from the roof.

Nate: But you can do it.

Tara: Sure, it's not our part of the scam that's impossible.

Parker: No, it's everything else.

Tara: Yeah, definitely that. But our part, no.

Nate: All right, well, I'm gonna set up the meet with Kadjic.

Eliot: No. No. I said I knew where the weapons were. I don't know if Kadjic's gonna be there.

Nate: Well, then we're gonna have to lure Kadjic to the weapons. I mean, the whole plan depends on our ability to confirm Kadjic and the weapons being in the same place at the same time.


[Docks]

(Nate is walking with Eliot, who is tying his hair back)

Nate: Everybody ready?


[Container]

(an unconscious Culpepper is tied in a chair)

Hardison: Yeah, but remember, once you're on that ship, all that metal's gonna mess with reception. I won't be able to reach you once you're below decks.


[FBI Offices]

(Tara is pushing Parker in a wheelchair)

Tara: OK. We're all set.

Nate: How do you know which one?


[Docks]

Eliot: Liberian registry, Italian ship.

Nate: Bonanno's Italian.

Eliot: Exactly. Il Falcone Maltese.


[FBI Offices]

(Tara tries to push Parker through the metal detectors, but they go off)

Guard: I'm sorry, ladies, you can't go through here...

Guard 2: Where ya goin', ma'am?

Tara: I'm just taking my sister to the insurance company on the tenth floor.

Guard 2: All right, right through there.

Tara: Oh, thank you so much. Thank you.


[Ship Deck]

(Eliot approaches two men from behind)

Eliot: Ding-dong, we're home.

(Eliot knocks one man down, then the other.

Man: Don't move!

(many men move into the area, pointing guns at Eliot and Nate)

Man 2: Hold it!

Man: Stay right where you are.

(more men reach the deck, all with guns)

Nate: OK. OK. Why don't you tell Tony Kadjic that the guy he sold to the Feds (opens bag of money) is here to have a little chat with him?

(men escort Nate and Eliot down the deck of the boat and up a ladder onto another part of the ship)

Nate: What are you doing?

Eliot: Countin' all the guys with guns.

Nate: How many?

Eliot: A lot.


[FBI Building Roof]

(Tara takes climbing equipment from the oxygen tank strapped to the wheelchair)

Tara: There's no chance of just goin' in and trusting the fake IDs, huh?

Parker: Don't worry. No one's ever died going in through an air duct.

Tara: Oh, this is comforting.

Parker: I mean, worst case, you slip and fall. Break your legs. Lay there for days, scratching on the metal. It's like a long, metal coffin with wind. (excited) Let's go!

(Parker runs across the roof)


[Container]

(Hardison nudges Culpepper to wake him up)

Hardison: Oi. Hey.

(Hardison pulls the duct tape from Culpepper’s mouth, waking him)

Hardison: Now, you said you'd call Kadjic, if we ask nicely? (holds up phone) That's just what you're goin' to do. But when you call, I need you to be scared for your life. Can you be scared, boyo?

(Hardison raises a drill and hits the trigger several times)

Culpepper: Yes. Yes, I... I can scared. I can be scared.


[Ship Deck]

(Kadjic escorts buyers to a ladder and gestures for them to go down it)

Kadjic: Thank you very much. I will be with you momentarily. Please, after you. Follow this gentleman.

(guards escort Nate and Eliot toward Kadjic)

Eliot: Look, man, we got Kadjic, all right? Let's just call...

Nate: No. Not enough. We need Kadjic and the guns.

Kadjic: Well, Mr. Gitt.

Nate: Oh, you know my name.

Kadjic: Well, I think we're past pretending otherwise. Hmm?

(Nate opens his bag of money)

Kadjic: What is this for?

Nate: Well, it's an apology.

Kadjic: What for?

Nate: For what's about to happen.


[Container]

Culpepper (to phone): Call Kadjic.

(phone dials Kadjic’s number)


[Ship Deck]

(Kadjic’s phone rings, he answers)

Kadjic: Hello?


[Container]

Culpepper: Tony! Tony! (sobbing) Do whatever they say, please? They killed my FBI handlers. They murdered them—


[Ship Deck]

Culpepper: --and they cut them into pieces and put 'em—


[Container]

Culpepper: --in a bathtub. Into a hotel bathtub!


[Ship Deck]

Kadjic (to Nate): Is this true?

Nate: To be fair, he did most the cutting.

Eliot: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Nate: You work hard.


[Container]

Culpepper: Please!

(Hardison starts up the drill again and Culpepper screams)


[Ship Deck]

(the screaming continues for a moment before the call ends)

Nate: That's what we do to people who lie to us.

Kadjic: You just killed my partner.

Nate: You need new partners.

(Kadjic laughs)


[FBI Office]

(the sound of rappelling comes from a closet door)

Tara: Ow! God!

(Tara stumbles out of the close, showing Parker behind her)



[Ship Deck]

(Kadjic escorts Nate and Eliot across the deck)

Kadjic: You're lucky. I was going to leave tonight. Some of my buyers insist on seeing my goods in person.

Nate: Still counting?

Eliot: I'm still countin'.


[FBI Office]

(in the closet, Parker plugs a flash drive into a server)

Parker: Try it, Hardison, you're in.


[Container]

Hardison (typing on laptop): Transferring the files and wiping the originals.


[FBI Office]

Hardison: And it looks like each case has an—


[Container]

Hardison: --evidence box associated with it.


[Ship Hold]

(Kadjic walks down a ladder, followed by Nate and Eliot. He gestures toward one of the guards)

Kadjic: Two.

(the guard nods and readies his weapon. Kadjic walks toward where the other buyers are gathered. Nate pulls back a tarp to see a crate filled with guns. He picks up a hand grenade)

Nate (to Eliot): All right, make the call.

(Eliot holds up his phone to show that he has no signal)

Nate: All right, we gotta get you topside. (louder) Mr. Kadjic.

Kadjic: Hmm?

Nate: Just a moment? Please?

Kadjic: Yes.

Nate: Uh...

Kadjic: Talk.

Nate: Can we speak in private?

Kadjic: Of course. (to guards) Gentlemen, it's OK. Thank you. Go look after the buyers.

Nate: Yeah. So, you know, you had a good run with the Mayor, but, uh, yeah, he was too small for you. You know, the work I do, with the ballparks and the malls, that's where the action is. (hands Kadjic the bag of money)

Kadjic: Money laundering?

Nate: Uh, you know, that's... that's a very small word. I, uh... Listen, do you have any idea how much dirty money you can hide in a $30 million government-financed boondoggle?

(Eliot backs away from the guards and moves off into the ship)

Nate: I mean, I don't just clean your money, I put it to work, you know, in the land deals and the construction and the concessions and everything. Wherever there's a buck to be made, I squeeze a quarter out of the take. You know, most guys, you know, you give 'em dirty money and everything, they give you back, hey, some of it. But you give me dirty money, I give it back to you clean.

Kadjic: All of it?

Nate: Yeah, of course, all of it. Yeah. Plus, a bonus ten percent on the top for letting me use it on my end.

Kadjic: Hmm.


[Container]

(Hardison typing on laptop)


[FBI Evidence Room]

(Tara hesitates in doorway)

Hardison: Case number 1435.

(Tara approaches desk)

Agent: Can I help you?

Tara: Case 1435.

Agent (checks computer): That's Box K-46. Nobody's allowed to take anything from that case. You need the approval of your field officer, Nevins.

Tara: Oh, I'm not taking anything out. (places envelope on counter) I'm entering evidence in. Here's my form. (hands him form)

Agent: Oh, that's different. Paperwork and everything, huh?

(Tara walks away as the Agent moves into the lock up and places the envelope into the box)

Agent: You know you can tell Nevins when you see her she's owed me 20 bucks for so long it's... (turns around to see that Tara is gone) Huh. Why stay and talk to the evidence guy? What's he got to say?


[Ship Hold]

Nate: That's why I was so upset when you kicked me over to the Feds. I mean, you shouldn't have been framing me. You should be using me.

You understand, we have to be careful now.

Kadjic: You know, we have Interpol. We've had the local state police, everything.

Nate: Yeah. How'd you deal with it?

Kadjic: Well, you know, Interpol, the FBI keeps them off our backs. Or at least they did, until you got rid of their informant. And the state police, well, I had handled myself.


[Container]

(facial recognition program continuing to run)

Computer: Match identified.

Hardison (bending over keyboard): Damn, you finally found something, half-pint?

Computer: Security photo taken 6:30am today.

Hardison (straightens): Parker? Parker? Answer me, Parker. Please, answer me. Damn!

(Hardison runs from the container. The monitor shows Tara talking to Kadjic. Culpepper bends over his phone, still sitting on a crate)

Culpepper: Call Kadjic!


[FBI Building Roof]

Hardison: Parker, where are you?

Parker: Sorry, had a buzz from the alarm system, I couldn't hear a... thing. What?

(Parker’s face hardens and she heads for Tara, who is putting the rappelling gear back in the oxygen tank)

Tara: Parker, what's wrong?

(Parker grabs Tara by the throat and pushes her back until she is leaning over the edge of the building)



[Ship Hold]

(Kadjic’s phone rings)

Kadjic: Excuse me, sir. (moves away to answer phone) Hello. I'm sorry, I can't hear you. Who's this? Who?

(Kadjic hangs up hesitates a long moment. He pulls his gun and turns to aim it at Nate, realizing that Eliot is missing)

Kadjic (to guards): Find the other one. Find the other one!

Man: Go. Go.

Kadjic: Find him right away. (picks up intercom) Bridge? Take us out past the 12-mile mark. We have to dump a few things.


[Bridge]

(captain moves dials and levers, beginning the process of getting the ship moving)


[Equipment Room]

(Eliot is holding his phone, looking for a signal when he is hit in the face with a gun. Two men hold him up by the arms)

Man: I have him. Yeah. (into radio) What do we do with this one?


[Ship Hold]

Kadjic: You just kill him.

(men with guns move forward and aim at Nate. Kadjic lowers his weapon)

Kadjic: Now, I guess I will show you how I deal with people who lie to me.


[Container]

(Culpepper struggles to get himself untied)


[FBI Building Roof]

Tara: You're really strong.

Parker: Yeah. I hang from buildings with my fingertips.

Tara: It's not what you think. I was setting up a meeting!

Parker: Actually, that was exactly what I was thinking. Bye now.

Tara: Not for myself.


[Ship Hold]

[Kadjic points his gun at Nate once more)

Sophie: No, no, no, Tony, this won't do at all. Will it?

(Nate turns to look at Sophie, hiding his surprise)

Kadjic: Ms. Kroy, this is of no concern to you. Thank you.

Sophie: Well, it is my concern. You don't really think I'm gonna do business with someone who starts blasting away in the middle of a meeting, do you? You don't even know who this bloke works for.

(Kadjik cocks his weapon and prepares to fire)

Sophie: Listen, I don't have a problem with you taking care of this, just, you know, just wait 'til me and the other buyers are off the ship before you start getting messy. I don't wanna be charged as an accessory.


[Bridge]

(gauges begin to show alarms)

Captain (into intercom): Mr. Kadjic…


[Ship Hold]

Captain: …there's something wrong with the engines.

Kadjic: Lock him up. Take him away. Lock him up now!

(Nate turns to look at Sophie)

Kadjic: Hurry, get out of here! Hey.

Man: Come on, move. Move. (pushes Nate)

Kadjic: Ms. Kroy, I apologize.

Sophie: Glad we understand each other.


[Equipment Room]

(Eliot, his hands tied, is being led to some stairs by two goons.)

Man: I'll get the hatch.

(one man moves ahead of Eliot while the other stays behind him. When Eliot doesn’t follow the first man up the stairs, the second pushes him)

Man 2: Come on.

Eliot: Thirteen.

(Eliot and the second man struggle, sending gunfire rifling across the ceiling before the second man is knocked down. The first man comes back and kicks Eliot in the face. Eliot kicks him in return)

Eliot: Come here!

(Eliot swings his hands across the first man’s face, knocking him back)

Eliot: Twelve.

(Eliot knocks the first man out)

Eliot: Eleven.

(Eliot starts up the stairs, but hears someone else coming and waits around a corner. After a brief struggle, he knocks this man out as well and breaks the zip ties on his wrist)

Eliot: Ten. (heads up the stairs)


[Interior Car]

Tara: All she asked was that I report back to her every now and then. Are we sure this is the fastest way?

Parker: Yeah, look. (looking at car GPS) There's no traffic this way. So, you were spying on us.

Tara: I was not spying. I was an early warning system. Sophie just, she was worried Nate might go off the rails. So, if it ever looked like he was spinning out of control, I was supposed to call and let Sophie lay in a backup plan just in case.

Parker: Yeah. Why not us?

Tara: Because you were too likely to forgive him.

Parker: I suppose gettin’ busted by the FBI and trying to bring down arms dealers while kidnapping a mayor does qualify as out of control.

Tara: So, anyway, I used my contacts to get Sophie set up as a buyer for the guns. You know... You actually had me worried for a second that you were gonna drop me.

Parker (laughs): That is silly.


[Bridge]

(the Captain continues to try and get the ship moving)

Kadjic: Just get us out of this harbor.

Captain: I can't. Someone sabotaged all the electronics in the engine system.

Kadjic: What the hell is going on here?


[Below Decks]

(Hardison is carrying a large monkey wrench and smiling. He hears noises and goes to investigate, seeing Eliot starting up a ladder)

Hardison: Hey. It took you long enough.

Eliot: What?

(Eliot starts toward Hardison, but a man points a gun to his head)

Man: Freeze.

(Eliot grabs the gun and knocks the man out)

Eliot: One.

Hardison: What?

Eliot: Where's Nate?

Hardison: I don't know, man. All this metal's messing with the signals.

(Sophie walks past through a break in the machinery)

Eliot: Huh?

Hardison: Huh?

(Eliot and Hardison run to investigate)

Eliot and Hardison: Sophie?

Sophie (turns to look at them): Took you long enough. Come on.

(Eliot and Hardison look at each other, then follow her)


[Canister]

(Culpepper manages to get himself untied and runs from the canister, only to find himself at the docks near Kadjic’s ship)

Culpepper: Oh no. Oh, oh geez. (runs toward the ship) No! No! Tony!


[Below decks]

(Nate is in a room handcuffed to the table. Outside the room is the sound of a struggle. The door opens and a man falls to the floor. Eliot enters the room, breathing hard)

Eliot: Zero.

(Eliot bends to find the key to Nate’s handcuffs while Hardison keeps watch. Eliot unlocks the handcuffs and they exit the room, Eliot and Hardison walking past Sophie)

Nate: Soph. You came back.

Sophie: Well... You needed me. Come on. Can't leave a job half finished.

(Sophie walks away and Nate follows her)


[Bridge]

Kadjic: I don't want any excuses, OK? Please.

(Culpepper enters the bridge, breathing hard)

Culpepper: Oh, oh, thank God!

Kadjic: What the hell are you doing here?

Culpepper: I don't know.

(Eliot and Hardison run to the door and close it)

Kadjic: What is going on here? (runs to the door) Hey. Hey, hey, hey. What are you doin' to me? No.

(Hardison snaps a paddle lock on the door. At the other side of the bridge, Nate works to close the door. Kadjic pulls a gun)

Kadjic: Oh, my God.

(Kadjic fires at Nate, who finally gets the door closed)


[Ship Deck]

(Nate bends to put a paddle lock on the door)

Sophie: Nate, come on. Let's go.

(Sophie walks away. Nate straightens painfully, holding his side)


[Bridge]

(Kadjic tries to open the door, but can’t. He yells at Nate through the window)

Kadjic: You chose the wrong man, my friend!


[Ship Deck]

(the team gathers together. Parker hugs Sophie)

Sophie: Ooh. Parker touching.

Parker: Kinda, yeah.

(police sirens can be heard)

Tara: Listen, I hate to cut goodbyes short, but they're playing my song.

Eliot: Keep out of trouble.

Hardison: Or, if you wanna get in trouble again...

Tara: So, we're...

Sophie: Oh, we're even. Absolutely.

(Tara nods and heads away)

Nate: Hey. You gonna be all right on your own?

Tara: What do you think? (leaves)

Eliot: There's not that many ways out of here.

Sophie: Eliot, when I arrange a rescue, I do it properly.

(a helicopter lands on the docks near the ship. The team heads down the stairs, but Nate hesitates, looking down at the blood on his hand from his side. He goes down the ladder to join the team on the lower deck.)

Sterling: Bravo.

(the team is surrounded by FBI agents with guns)

Nevins: Nobody move!

Sterling: So... (coming down a ladder) Where is Tony Kadjic?

Nate: He's locked in the bridge, and the guns are stored in boxes in the hold.

Sterling: I'm glad to see you kept your end of the deal, Nate.

(Nate nods and moves to the rail, his hand beneath his jacket holding his side. He fastens the handcuff to the rail)

Nate: Yes, Sterling, we have a deal.

Hardison: Nate, what are you doing?

Sterling: Stop messing around. Thirty seconds, there'll be another dozen guns on the deck.

(Eliot moves forward to stay between the team and the FBI agents)

Nate: You have any idea what's going on right now, Sterling? There's a fire in the FBI evidence room.


[FBI Evidence Room]

(fire flashes through the box Tara’s package had been added to)


[Ship Deck]

Hardison: And Hardison wiped the servers of all the evidence.

Sterling: Where are you going with this?

Nate: I've destroyed all the evidence the FBI has on Culpepper and Kadjic. You have no photos, no tapes, you don't have anything. You don't have a case on anybody, unless you arrest me. And only me.

Sophie: Nate?

Nate: I agree to turn state's evidence. I testify to what Kadjic told me, how he put the hit on Bonanno. Hell, I'll even give you Bonanno's evidence against the gunrunning.

Eliot: Nate, I can take these guys.

Hardison: It's just ten more yards to the chopper, man.

Nate: Listen, guys. I got you into this mess. This is the only way to get you out. And I can feel you thinking, Sterling, and don't, don't bother. And if you touch one of them, the deal is off. Nevins loses two years of work and your first case with Interpol.

Sterling: So, you're my case or I have no case.

Nate: Exactly.

Sterling: We'll call it a draw, then.

Nevins: No, (raises her gun) we do not take this deal.

Sterling (pushes her gun down): Take one more step, I'll shoot you myself.

(Nevins moves away, talking on radio)

Nevins: All teams move in. Target is in custody. All teams move in.

Nate: Come here.

(the team moves closer to him)

Nate: You guys are the most honorable people I have ever met in my life. You've become my family. My only family. I won't forget that. (looks at Eliot) Now get 'em on the chopper. Please. Now!

Eliot: Let's go.

(Eliot nudges Parker and she reluctantly heads for the gangplank. Eliot touches Hardison’s arm)

Eliot: Let's go, man.

(Hardison walks away. Eliot hesitates a moment, shaking his head, then follows the others, hesitating at the top of the gangplank near Sterling)

Sophie: Nate?

Nate: What?

(she just looks at him, about to cry. He leans closer)

Nate: Come here.

(Nate kisses Sophie for a long moment before she pulls away, crying)

Sophie: You call me. You tell me you need me, so you can do this?

(Sophie slaps Nate and walks toward Eliot, going down the gangplank. Eliot looks at Sterling and follows her)

Eliot: Watch your back, Sterling.

(Nate pulls his hand from his jacket and looks at the blood. Sterling sees it and walks over as Nate slumps to the deck)

Nevins: Where is our aerial support?

Sterling: He's bleeding. Get an ambulance here.

(Sophie and Eliot get on the helicopter, Eliot hesitating one last time before getting in)

Agent: Who the hell is this guy?

Sterling: I don't know.

Nate: My name's Nate Ford, and I am a thief.

(more sirens are heard. Nate begins laughing as the helicopter lifts off and more police cars and agents arrive, surrounding Nate and the dock. Nate watches the helicopter fly away)

The End

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