Leverage Transcripts derived from the closed captions available online and formated by slaysvamps. Feel free to download and share, but please give credit and a link back to me here.
Leverage Main | When Darkness Falls

4x07 The Grave Danger Job
(cell phone rings. Faint light shows Hardison lying down in a suit)

Javier (on phone): Wakey, wakey.

Hardison: Where am I?

Javier: Well, see for yourself.

(Hardison uses the phone light to shine around and see that he is within a coffin. He begins to freak out)

Hardison: No. No. N-o-o-o-o-o!

(the camera pans upward to show that Hardison is buried in a cemetery)


[Wickett Funeral Home]

(Linton, Mass, two weeks earlier)

Mr. Newton: Our father trusted you!

Darlene: Please, lower your voices. You're not the only people here.

(mourners walk by toward the viewing rooms)

Ms. Newton: He gave you everything he had, and you stole it.

Mr. Newton: We're going to the police.

Darlene: Let's just discuss this in my office. I'm sure we can resolve everything. Please, just, just follow me.


[Office]

(Darlene enters the office with the Newtons)

Gideon: Mother, is everything okay?

Darlene: Gideon, Emery, dearest, there seems to be some confusion with this contract. Would you please straighten things out? (walks out)

Mr. Newton: I want to see my father's paperwork.

Gideon: Of course, Mr. Newton. (punches Mr. Newton in the stomach)

Mr. Newton: Ohh!

(Emery walks over to Ms. Newton to keep her back)

Ms. Newton: What are you doing?!

Gideon: Walk away. (punches Mr. Newton again)

Ms. Newton: Stop it!

Gideon: Forget about the money. (pushes Mr. Newton away) If we see you two here again, you'll wish we let you off this easy.


[McRory’s Bar]

Ms. Newton: My father died last month, pancreatic cancer. They found it at stage four, so...

Nate: I'm sorry.

Ms. Newton: At least we know he's at peace now. Pop wanted to make sure that my brother and I were taken care of after he was gone, so he made his funeral arrangements in advance with Darlene Wickett. He gave her $15,000.

Nate: The funeral business is very expensive.

Ms. Newton: But after my father died, Darlene told us that she had no record of the money, that she'd never even heard of my father.

Nate: So it's a breach of contract.

Ms. Newton: There is no contract, Mr. Ford.

Nate: What do you mean there's no contract?

Ms. Newton: Pop was in the middle of chemo when he met Darlene. She took advantage of his illness. And we can't afford to hire a lawyer. We had to run our credit cards up at another funeral home to bury pop.

Nate: Okay, listen, I am gonna do everything I can to get your father's money back.

Ms. Newton: Thank you, Mr. Ford, but it's not about the money. This was pop's final gift. He wanted to protect us. Darlene took that away. (gets up and leaves)

Nate: Parker, what are you doing here?

Parker (moves to one side behind Nate): How does she know that, Nate? That her father's at peace?

Nate: Faith. Faith, Parker.


[Leverage HQ]

(Parker stands at the window eatin cereal as Nate manipulates files on the computer and Sophie enters)

Sophie: What's up with Parker?

Nate: It's Parker. You're gonna love this. The Wicketts are embezzling money from the dying and the grieving. It's the oldest grift in the book.

Sophie: And the cruelest. Even I never ran that one, it's tacky.

Nate: Now, the Wicketts have operated all over the country. Our records show funeral licenses from three different states, but for the last five years, they've been here in Massachusetts.

Sophie: Why has no one reported them to the police?

Nate: Well, they have, but, uh, she has bulletproof aliases for all the states she's worked in. Now, the records that we found show that the Wicketts have stolen $500,000.

Sophie: Where's the money?

Nate: Well, it's not in any bank. Credit-card records show that she has recently bought a wall safe, which is this right here.

Parker (turns from window): Oh. (looks at plans on monitors) Ooh, Murphy-Beyer, model PRK-11-21. Nice. Okay, she's a horrible human being, but she's got solid taste in home security.

(Eliot and Hardison enter the room)

Hardison: These dust mites are just gonna eat me alive.

Eliot (throws blueprints to Nate): That's the blueprints from town hall, and the last time I go into a basement with this guy.

Hardison: I already got the photos over here. (puts blueprints on monitors)

Eliot: That's the Wickett funeral home. It's a two-story house. You got your embalming room in the basement. You got your viewing chambers and your office on the first floor.

Hardison: And bingo, private living quarters on the second. They live and work there.

Nate: Okay. So, funeral homes are busiest on the weekends. It's the easiest time to kind of blend in with the mourners.

Hardison: Um... I'm sorry. What, Nate?

Nate: Okay, guys, we are gonna go steal a funeral.


[Main Viewing Room]

(Darlene is greeting mourners while Nate and Sophie wait to view a body)

Sophie: There she is, the perfect hostess.

Nate: Right on schedule. Hardison, heading your way.


[Darlene’s Office]

Hardison: Sophie, I hate it when you make me wear these dang cufflinks.

Sophie: Hardison, everybody owns a good suit—


[Main Viewing Room]

Sophie: --but only the rich own a good pair of cufflinks. Darlene is gonna know that.


[Darlene’s Office]

Darlene (enters room): You must be Mr. Delacroix. I'm Darlene Wickett. Thank you for waiting.

Hardison: Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Wickett. My great auntie, she, uh, she passed last evening. Mm. And there are some staff, they spoke very highly of you. Now, I must admit I'm... (looks around) I'm a bit lost.

Darlene: Oh, Mr. Delacroix. (gestures for him to sit) Let us help you say goodbye. (takes Hardison’s hand and sees his cuff links) You focus on healing during this difficult time, and my sons and I can take care of everything else. (moves over to her desk)


[Body Cooler]

(a black body bag is lying on a table. It begins to move then Parker unzips it and sits up)

Parker: Chilly.

(Parker opens the door of the cooler and looks into the embalming room)


[Main Viewing Room]

Nate: Parker, anything on the metal detector?

Parker: Three floors, one wall safe.


[Embalming Room]

Parker: Sounds like a challenge to me. (begins scanning the walls)


[Darlene’s Office]

(Hardison sits by the fireplace while Darlene fills out paperwork at her desk)


[Embalming Room]

Parker: Ew! Just stepped in something squishy.


[Darlene’s Office]

(Hardison gags and covers it with a cough)

Parker: How come I had to go to the embalming room, anyway?


[Funeral Home Lobby]

Eliot: It's 'cause Hardison's too scared to get in the body bag.


[Darlene’s Office]

Hardison (to comm): Hey, claustrophobia is a very serious condition. I got a note from my doctor. You want to see it?


[Main Viewing Room]

Nate: Eliot, where are you?


[Funeral Home Lobby]

Eliot: I'm fashionably late to an ex-con's funeral. I'm gonna check the room for a safe.


[Side Viewing Room]

(Eliot, dressed like a crook, walks into one of the viewing rooms to find it full of cops)

Eliot: It's not ex-cons, it's cops. It's a lots of cops. Hardison.


[Darlene’s Office]

Hardison: I-I-I guess they must have switched the schedule.

Eliot: You guess?


[Side Viewing Room]

Eliot (to cops): I got caught up at the, uh, drug sting down in Dorchester, and I wasn't able to get home and change clothes.

(Eliot crosses himself and one of the officers comes forward to hand him a flask)

Eliot: Hey. Thanks, man.

Cop: Yeah.

Eliot: Hardison, when I see you, I'm gonna hit you so hard, your ancestors hurt. (drinks from flask)


[Darlene’s Office]

Darlene: We have something for everyone here, but I believe I have just the casket for you. (leads him to one side and opens curtains) This is the admiral, solid-planked cherry wood with a hand-polish finish. (opens casket) Imperial satin, tuxedo fold with matching pillow. (touches satin) Here. (pulls Hardison over to the casket) Here. Here.

Hardison: No, I'm --

Darlene: Yeah. Just... feel how soft.

Hardison (touches pillow with one finger): I touched it.

Darlene: This is my favorite part. (closes casket and opens hatch on lid) A keepsake nook for letters and mementos (pulls letter and compass from the compartment) to journey with your loved one to their final resting place.

Hardison: It's very exquisite. It's very, very nice, very final.

Darlene: This is the exact model I buried my own mother in.


[Main Viewing Room]

Nate: Nice touch about her mother.

Sophie: Yeah, isn't it? Especially since the old dear is alive and kicking in Dallas.

Nate: Hmm.

(Nate and Sophie finally reach the casket. Sophie looks over to see the widow sitting with her hand on the thigh of the man next to her)

Sophie: Tart. (looks at body) Aww, he seemed sweet, deserved better.

Nate: Parker, Eliot, you find anything?


[Embalming Room]

Parker: Zip, zero, nil, nada, nothing.


[Funeral Home Lobby]

Eliot: This room's clear. I got nothing.


[Main Viewing Room]

(Nate and Sophie move toward the back of the viewing room to sit down)

Sophie: Grifters keep their cash close. Parker, check out Darlene's bedroom upstairs.


[Funeral Home Lobby]

Eliot: There's only one staircase that leads to the top floor, and the no-neck brothers are blocking the way. Parker, I don't know how you're gonna end up --

Darlene: Gideon, Emery, it's feeling a little warm in here. Could you go down in the basement and fiddle with the air conditioner?

(Gideon moves downstairs and Darlene walks away)

Eliot: Hey, excuse me? There's a bunch of kids outside, tagging cars.

(Emery heads out the door)

Eliot: You should go, but you should -- you should bring -- Bring your friend with you. Parker, get out of there now.


[Main Viewing Room]

Nate: Parker, are you clear?


[Exterior Building]

Nate: Parker?

(Parker is making her way across the side of the building, walking door and window lintels)

Parker: A little busy here, Nate. I didn't have time to grab my gear.

(Parker’s fingers slip on a window ledge and she falls, catching herself on the lintel of a window below)


[Main Viewing Room]

(Sophie looks over to see Parker dangling outside a window)

Sophie: Bloody hell!

(the entire room looks at Sophie)

Nate: Well, what -- what are you all looking at? (stands up) D-don't look at her like that. I think we're all thinking the same thing. (moves toward the casket) "Bloody hell, why did he have to die?!"

Sophie: Move, Parker. Move.

Nate: But, you know, the-the fact is he-he did. And, and do you know what, I'm sure there are some very valuable lessons that we can learn from his life.

(Parker is still dangling outside the window. Sophie begins to cry, keeping the crowd’s attention)

Sophie: Our cousin, he taught me the value of...

Nate: It's okay.

Sophie: Hard work.

Nate: And he taught me how important it was to just take time to play.

Sophie: Play.

Nate: Yeah, he-he reminded me of that all the time.

(Parker is still dangling outside the window)

Nate: You know, never, never met such a dedicated baseball fan. You know, in fact, he told me that he wasn't going to die until the Red Sox won the World Series. Well, poor guy had to wait 86 years. But they-they won, and-and he died.


[Exterior Building]

(Parker swings upward and begins to climb the outside of the building once more)


[Main Viewing Room]

Sophie: Before we go, one last thing. He taught me to be patient. He-he didn't meet his soul mate until late in life, but, wow, was she worth the wait...

(the widow removes her hand from the man’s leg)

Nate: Wow.

Sophie: As beautiful as she is faithful.

Nate: In short, he led a good life and was a good man.

Sophie: We’re better for having known him.

Nate: And I'm gonna spend the rest of my days being be more like cousin...

Sophie: Adam.

Nate: Adam. More like cousin Adam. I hope we all will.

(Nate begins to clap and the rest of the mourners do as well)


[Exterior Building]

(Parker opens an upstairs window and climbs inside)


[Bedroom]

Parker: Never plan a heist in a building with so many windows.

(Parker uses the metal detector to look through the room, in cabinets and under the bed, where she finds an envelope with Social Security cards attached)

Parker: But where's the money?


[Main Viewing Room]

Nate: Parker, you find anything?


[Bedroom]

Parker: Uh, looks like identity forms from Darlene's deceased customers. (pulls passports from the envelope) Got social security numbers, dates of birth.


[Main Viewing Room]

Sophie: Darlene's stealing identities?

Nate: Okay, Darlene is running two scams at once.

Sophie: Ooh, she's good. Horrible, clearly, but skilled.

Nate: Hardison, scrap the back story we prepared. Tell her this instead.


[Darlene’s Office]

Darlene: Did the late Mrs. Delacroix have a life-insurance policy or pension plan? Are there any institutions of that nature that will need to be notified of her passing?

Hardison: Uh, no. No, nothing, nothing like that, not even a will. Great auntie Mae, she emigrated here from Haiti as a little girl. She worked cleaning houses. She, she never even had enough to open a savings account.


[Funeral Home Lobby]

(Eliot is sitting in a chair watching as Javier comes in and sends a text on his phone before moving further into the building. Eliot follows)


[Darlene’s Office]

(Darlene gets a text and looks at her phone)

Darlene: Um, will you please excuse me for a moment? (grabs an envelope)

Hardison: Certainly.

(Darlene exits the room)

Hardison: Darlene’s on the move.


[Basement]

(Javier comes down the stairs and Eliot follows carefully, peeking around the corner and watching in a reflection as Javier and Darlene talk)

Eliot: She's got a meeting.

Nate: With who?

Eliot: I don't know. 5'10", shaved head, rough around the edges. He's definitely not a mourner.

Javier: Just one?

Darlene: Slow month.

(Javier hands Darlene an envelope)

Darlene: Feels like $6,000. I'll have another one for you. Haitian immigrant, proper citizenship, no insurance, no pension, she's perfect.

Javier: We'll run a background check, make sure the identity's totally clean.

Darlene: Javier, trust me. It's flawless.

Eliot: It's a hand-off, Nate, deceased-client paperwork in exchange for cash from some dude named Javier.

Nate: Okay, guys, change of plans.


[Main Viewing Room]

Nate: Darlene is running a second scam on top of the first, so we are gonna run a third. Let's go.


[Leverage HQ]

Nate: When someone dies, they leave behind financial ties, Social security, life insurance, all the things that a relative would need an official death certificate to get access to.

Sophie: But Darlene's cherry-picking deceased clients who don't have any of these things, I mean, people that, that wouldn't miss a death certificate if it wasn't issued.

Parker: I hate her.

Nate: Now, instead of Darlene submitting the official documents to the city, what's she's doing is she is stealing their identities and selling them for a profit.

Hardison: Well, Javier, he's the broker. He sells the I.D.s on the black market.

Eliot: Yeah, this guy looks a little rough to be in the identity-scam business. There's more to it than this.

Parker: So, what's the plan, Nate?

Nate: Okay, so what we are gonna con her for all she's got.


[Exterior Park]

(Parker is sitting on the rail of a gazebo and Sophie joins her)

Sophie: Everything all right, Parker?

Parker: I can't stop thinking about the Newtons. Nate said that they had faith that their father was at peace, but it's not enough. How do you do it?

Sophie: Do what?

Parker: How do you… care? You know, when you know that people, people that you like, that, someday, they'll die?

Sophie: You know, Parker, we never really talk about it, but if you lost someone when you were just a child, then you might put up walls to make sure that you never got hurt again. Trust me, this life is not worth living without the people that make us want to tear down those walls. The thrill of vulnerability, the danger of opening your heart, it makes us feel alive.

Parker: I feel alive when I'm jumping off a building.

Sophie: Well, maybe that's why they call it falling in love.


[Exterior Wickett Funeral Home]

(Hardison is eating a wrap and looking at the funeral home)

Hardison: I'm in position. Sophie, you're up.

(Hardison sets aside his wrap and picks up a camera, pointing it at the funeral home)


[Darlene’s Office]

Darlene (answering phone): Good morning. Wickett funeral home.


[Leverage HQ]

Sophie: Oh, Mrs. Wickett, this is Marjorie Evans.


[Darlene’s Office]

Sophie: I live a few doors down from you.

Darlene: Um, yes, Marjorie. How can I help you?


[Leverage HQ]

Sophie: Mrs. Wickett, I'm sorry to bother you so early.


[Darlene’s Office]

Sophie: There's a man outside your house, and I think he's taking pictures.


[Funeral Home Lobby]

(Gideon and Emery come down the stairs in wife beaters and boxers as Darlene approaches the front door)

Gideon: Ma, come on. It's early.

(Darlene looks out the window)

Gideon: What's wrong?

Darlene: Is that Mr. Delacroix?

(Gideon looks out the window as well, both seeing Hardison taking pictures of the house)

Darlene: Go get the car.


[Restaurant]

(Hardison gets out of his parked car and Darlene watches him enter the restaurant as she drives by. A few minutes later Darlene enters the restaurant wearing a hat and sits at the counter)

Nate: This had better be important enough to interrupt my breakfast.

Hardison: Mr. Cooperson, I-I know you think that the Wickett funeral home is a good buyout, but I-I really don't think you should make an offer on it.

(Waitress gives Nate his bill)

Nate: Thank you. (pulls wallet from jacket) I don't understand what happened. I mean, it was a slam dunk. (gives waitress a credit card to pay for the bill)

Hardison: Look, yesterday, I went over there, pretended to be a customer, like you told me to, right?

(Waitress returns to the counter with Nate’s credit card)

Hardison: And I found out the Wickett family is running a side business of identity theft.

(Waitress runs the credit card through the machine and sets it on the counter before walking away)

Hardison: Yesterday, I overheard Darlene talking to the guy she sells identities to. Now, today, I went over there to get a picture of him, but he didn't show.

Nate: Hmm.

Hardison: Maybe we should turn them in?

(Darlene does a web search on the name from the credit card and finds a site for “Constant Memories” with Nate and Hardison’s pictures)

Nate: I don't know. Um, let me figure it out. Why don't you go back to the office?

(Hardison gets up and walks out of the restaurant. The waitress returns Nate’s card to him)

Nate: Thank you.

Waitress: You're welcome.

(Nate signs the slip and gets up, heading out the door as Darlene’s sons block the way)

Nate: Okay, great. (turns to see Darlene) You're, uh, you're Darlene Wickett, aren't you?

Darlene: You spy on me in my own home? I'm gonna have you locked up.

Nate: Oh, come on. Do you think the police will give a damn when they hear the words "Identity theft"? I don't think so. I'm small potatoes next to you, lady.

Darlene: You don't know anything.

Nate: I know enough. Nark on me, I will nark on you, and we'll both go to jail.

Darlene: Let's take this outside.

Nate: Okay.


[Exterior Restaurant]

Darlene: Well, isn't this a pretty picture? Why are we even fighting? We're in the same line of business.

Nate: Y-you're wrong.

Darlene: I am? Back in the day, I used to hang around funeral homes, called myself a psychic. Easy pickings. I'd steer those widows all the way down the street into my parlor. Didn't take me long to realize that there was an even better scam right there in front of me. We bribe ministers to send their flock to our open doors, and then we nickel-and-dime them on everything from bad coffee to parking spaces.

Nate: What are you getting at?

Darlene: You keep quiet about what you know, and I'll make you a very rich man. Two and a half million people die every year in this country, and your company buries half of them. I'd like you to sell me a few.

Nate: You don't understand. Now, I-I personally have not brought in any acquisition in weeks, so my bosses, they already have me on probation.

Darlene: Probation? Then you've got nothing to lose, now, do you, honey?

Nate: How much money did you say?

Darlene: I didn’t. How many clean names can you get me?

Nate: Well, I mean, it's not gonna be easy. You know, th-th-they're gonna notice any large discrepancies in the database.

Darlene: Start small, 1,000.

Nate: Oh, no, no, no. But 100, I could do 100. You know, but, uh, I, uh, I would want cash.

Darlene: I'll give you $500,000 for those names.

Nate: Yeah, uh, okay. Um, I'll have those identity documents for you this afternoon.

Darlene: Good.


[Darlene’s Office]

Darlene (on phone): I'm about to make you a very happy man, Javier.


[Javier’s Shop]

Javier: How the hell did you get so many?

Darlene: Do you want them or not?

Javier: Yeah, all of them. I'll be by tonight.


[Darlene’s Office]

Darlene: Make sure you bring a little extra cash. $6,000 a name isn't gonna cut it anymore.


[Javier’s Shop]

Javier: Is that so?


[Darlene’s Office]

Darlene: I'm raising my price to $10,000. (hangs up) Start packing. We're gonna make more money in one day than this family has ever seen.


[Javier’s Shop]

Javier: Bruja.

(men in the background are cutting apart cars. Another man has a stack of packages on a table, filled with drugs)

Javier (in Spanish): How’s our inventory?

Goon (in Spanish): Doesn’t look good.

(Javier touches some of the drug and brings it to his mouth)

Goon (in Spanish): Enrique and his men have a new shipment ready for us. They’re stuck at the motel in Juarez until we get them new IDs.

Javier (in Spanish): Very good. Tell Enrique to get ready to come to America. (grabs a gun) Let’s go for a ride.


[Darlene’s Office]

(Gideon is kneeling before the fireplace, pulling money from inside of it when Emery leads Nate and Hardison into the room)

Nate (to Hardison): Well, there you go. Fireproof chimney, blocked the metal detectors.

(Gideon puts the money into a bag and Darlene enters the room)

Darlene: Gentlemen.

Nate: Hello.

Darlene: $500,000, as promised.

Nate: Fantastic.

Darlene: The identities now, please?

Nate: Oh, yes, (takes an envelope from Hardison) the identities. (hands envelope to Darlene)

Darlene: Thank you.

Nate: Sure.

(Javier knocks on the door frame, his Goon is standing behind him)

Darlene: Javier, what are you doing?

Javier: Are those the identities you mentioned? $10,000 a pop?

Darlene: Yes, Javier. We agreed to meet later.

Javier: Oh, that won't be necessary. See, I've decided not to pay for them. Just hand 'em over.

Darlene: Javier, we had a deal.

Goon: Deal's off, chica.

(Darlene and her sons run from the room, slamming the door. The goon follows)

Javier: So sorry I crashed your party. You must be Darlene's source. Now, see, I knew she couldn't have gotten those identities herself.

(Hardison pushes the bag of money under a chair with his foot)

Nate: H-here's the thing, whatever's going on here is between you and Darlene, okay? It has nothing to do with us.

Goon: They're gone, boss. They took the envelope.

Javier: That's okay. Let them go. I think that our new friends here can get us some more.

Nate: Yes. Yes, of course we can get you more. I mean, yeah, sure. We don't have anything on us right now, but maybe, you know, why don't you let us go and we will --

Javier (pulls a gun and points it at Nate): See, though, how do I know you'll come back?

Nate: Oh.

Javier: Why don't I take some collateral, make sure you stick to your promise?

Nate: What collateral?

(Goon hits Nate in the face, knocking him out)

(some time later)

Eliot: Nate! Nate! Nate!

Nate: What?

Eliot: Look at me. Are you all right?

Nate: Yeah.

Eliot (helping him): Get up slow.

Nate: Ahh.

Eliot: I heard it go bad over the comms. But by the time I got here, everybody cleared out.

Nate: Where's Hardison?

(Eliot shakes his head and they look around the room)

Nate: Hardison? Hardison!

(Nate pulls the bag of money from beneath the chair. Eliot looks over and sees a knife in the ruins of a vase of flowers. He picks it up and studies it)

Eliot: Hey. (tosses knife to Nate) Los soldados, Mexican drug cartel. They move cocaine across the border into the U.S.

Nate: That's what Javier is using Darlene's, uh, stolen identities for. Got it. Okay.

(Nate looks over and sees the coffin missing, and tries to get to his feet)

Nate: Ohh.


[Interior Coffin]

(cell phone rings. Faint light shows Hardison lying down in a suit

Javier (on phone): Wakey, wakey.

Hardison: Where am I?

Javier: Well, see for yourself.

Javier: Well, see for yourself.

(Hardison uses the phone light to shine around and see that he is within a coffin)

Javier: Listen. Listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once. You use this phone to call your friend. Tell him to bring the identity documents to the baseball diamond on the corner of Sycamore and 3rd. You tell him to place the envelope under home base. Once I have the documents…


[Cemetery]

Javier: …then we can talk. That is, if you're still alive.



[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison looks around the coffin)


[Leverage HQ]

(Sophie and Parker are near the table filling an envelope as Nate and Eliot enter the room)

Nate: … keep harping on it.

Eliot: I said take me with you.

Nate: Yeah, I know. Stop it.

Eliot: I said I'd be there for backup.

Nate: Will you stop with the "I told you so"? We got to find Hardison. Same as before?

Sophie: Uh-huh. Same as before. (hands him the envelope)

Nate: All right.

(Parker’s phone rings, the number shows up as unknown)

Parker: Hello?


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Hello? P-Parker? Parker.


[Leverage HQ]

Parker: Guys. Hardison, where are you?


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Um, I think, I think I'm in one of Darlene's coffins.


[Leverage HQ]

Hardison: I-I don't, I don't have my earbud. I think Javier took it.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Um, he-he left me a phone, but it's, it's old-school. There's no GPS, so you can't track me.


[Leverage HQ]

Nate: Okay, Hardison, listen. Uh, now, Javier must have wanted you to contact us to arrange a trade.


[Interior Coffin]

Nate: Did you get his number?

Hardison: Yeah, yeah. Texting it right now.


[Leverage HQ]

Eliot: Look, if you still have reception, then you can't be buried that deep, if you're buried at all.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: I-I don't know where I am.


[Leverage HQ]

Eliot (to Nate): 30 minutes' of oxygen in that box, Nate.

Nate: Okay, Hardison, listen to me. The important thing is to stay calm. We are going to find you.

Sophie: Why not just give Javier the fake identities? They're of no value.

Nate: It wouldn't work. Uh, Hardison, just hold on one second. (mutes phone)


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: P-Parker? Nate? Somebody? Some--


[Leverage HQ]

Nate: No, Javier will let Hardison suffocate just to, you know, tie up that loose end. No, no. We have to, we have to find Hardison first, and then we'll deal with Javier. The cartel left 20 minutes ago. Now, they have a coffin in the backseat. They're definitely not gonna go above the speed limit. Take it off the mute.

(Parker takes the phone off mute)

Nate: Hardison, uh, you're definitely, uh, uh, buried, uh—


[Interior Coffin]

Nate: --in the radius of the funeral home. We're gonna check it out right now.


[Leverage HQ]

(team walks over to the computer and monitors, Nate pulling up a map of the area around the funeral home)

Eliot: There's over four dozen areas of open field there, Golf courses, playgrounds, you name it. But it's broad daylight. Javier's not gonna bury a casket in a soccer field. Hardison's in a cemetery. You got open graves, back hoes.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: I'm where? Oh, sweet mother mercy.


[Leverage HQ]

(Nate highlights the cemeteries in the radius of the funeral home)

Eliot: Which one?


[Interior Coffin]

Eliot: All right, Hardison, listen, we need your help in tracking. Can you smell anything? Do, do you have pressure in your ears?

Hardison: Wait, wait. It's water. It's wa-- it's -- it's -- it's water. It's water. Do you hear that? Can -- can you -- can you –


[Leverage HQ]

Hardison: Can you hear that's water? It's, it's like it's all around me.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: It's like it just turned on, like a switch or something.


[Leverage HQ]

Hardison: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Okay, it just, it turned off. You heard that, right?


[Leverage HQ]

Eliot: Sprinklers, he ain't that deep.

Nate: You know what else I bet he can hear?


[Restaurant]

(police and ambulance pull up outside, officers and paramedics rushing inside)

Cop: Where is he?

Waitress: Where-where's who?

Cop: The guy with the gun?

Paramedic: There's no guy with a gun. It's a guy with a heart attack. You called about a heart attack.

Cop: Dispatch said a gun.

Waitress: I didn't call anybody!

(Outside, the police car and ambulance pull away. The officers and paramedics turn to look)


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison reaches down by his leg for a set of car keys but he can’t quite reach them. He uses the rose lying on his chest to hook on them and bring them up. He opens a nail file on the key chain and looks at it)


[Interior Police Car]

(Eliot is driving and the siren rings out)

Nate: Okay, Parker, have Hardison tell us as soon as he can hear sirens.


[Interior Coffin]

Parker: Hardison?

Hardison: Par... Parker?

Parker: Hard...

Hardison: Parker? Parker?

(Hardison begins to tear at the coffin liner above his head with the nail file)

Parker: Hardison, can you hear me?


[Interior Ambulance]

(Sophie is driving and a slightly different siren is heard)

Parker: Hardison? Sophie, he's losing it. He needs you.

Sophie: Parker, listen to me. You've spent a disproportionate amount of your life in air ducts. You, more than anyone, know how to control your breathing. He doesn't need me, he needs you.

(Parker climbs into the back of the ambulance)

Hardison: Parker? Parker?

Parker: Hardison? Hardison.


[Interior Coffin]

Parker: Okay, Hardison, I need you to calm down. Listen to me.


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: Okay, take a deep breath in.


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison takes a deep breath)


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: Okay, good. Now let it out.


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison lets the breath out as tears leak from his eyes)

Parker: Okay, c-come on. Come on. You got to do this with me, okay?


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: Okay, here we go. Let's do this together, okay? Deep breath in. (takes a breath)


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison takes a breath)

Parker: Deep breath out.

(Hardison breathes out and continues to breathe with Parker)

Parker: Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Good.


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: Deep breath in. Deep breath out.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Good. Okay, good.


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: There you go.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Parker, don't, don't get off the phone. Please, I-I don't want to be alone again.


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: I'm not getting off this phone until we get you out of there, okay?


[Interior Police Car]

Nate: Okay, this is it. Old Glenport Cemetery. Make a right.


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: Okay, Hardison, can you hear anything?


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: No, no, nothing.

Parker: Okay, stay calm.


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: You're doing great. You're doing great.


[Interior Police Car]

Nate: One down, three to go.


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Wait, w-wait, wait-wait! I hear something. I hear something.


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: Okay, good. Is it- I-Is it an ambulance or a police car?


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Ambulance! Ambulance!


[Interior Ambulance]

Parker: He's here! He's here. Stoneshire Cemetery!

Nate: Okay, we're on our way.

Parker: We're on our way.


[Interior Coffin]

Parker: Hang in there. We're close. We're right here.


[Interior Police Car]

Nate (dials phone and turns off siren): Let's see what Javier is up to.


[Back of Cemetery]

Javier: Did you make the drop-off yet? Where are the identity documents?


[Interior Police Car]

(Nate hangs up the phone)


[Back of Cemetery]

Javier: Hello?


[Interior Police Car]

Eliot: Why did you just do that?

Nate: I wanted to see if I could hear the ambulance siren. I could. Sophie, Javier is watching over Hardison. Now, go to the back of the cemetery. We'll distract him.

Eliot: This will be interesting.


[Back of Cemetery]

(Nate pulls up in the police car and gets out)

Javier: Where the hell did you get that car?

Nate: It's a rental.

Javier: How did you find us?

Nate: You leave the rest of your guys at the drop, waiting to kill me?

Javier: I want my documents.

Nate (moves his jacket to show the envelope): I want my colleague.

(Goon pulls a small machine gun and points it at Nate)

Nate: Oh, hmm. Eliot.

Javier: What the hell's an Eliot?

(Eliot comes out from around the SUV and grabs the Goon’s hand, taking the gun and knocking him back. Nate elbows Javier in the face, knocking him against the SUV. Eliot hits the goon in the face, knocking him back more before emptying the gun. He catches the bullet and throws the gun down on the ground)


[Front of Cemetery]

(Sophie and Parker run toward a group of headstones, carrying shovels)

Sophie: Look for a grave with fresh dirt on it!

(they look around to see three graves nearby with fresh dirt on them)

Parker: We don't have time to dig them all.

Sophie: All right. Look for clues Footprints, anything.


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison continues to dig at the top of the casket]

Hardison: P-Parker.


[Back of Cemetery]

(Javier pushes away from the SUV and picks up the gun, pushing a fresh clip into the handle)

Javier: No more Mr. Nice Guy. Want some?

(Eliot dodges the Goon’s knife, blocking each thrust. He picks up a shovel and uses the blade to block several thrusts before breaking the handle just above the blade)


[Front of Cemetery]

(Parker runs toward one of the fresh graves)


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison knocks on the lid of the casket, then digs at it with the nail file)


[Front of Cemetery]

(Parker begins to dig at one of the graves)

Parker: Hardison. Hardison!


[Interior Coffin]

(the note and compass from the compartment fall onto Hardison’s chest. He looks at the compass and sees it swinging wildly)

Hardison: Parker. Parker. Parker, stop.


[Front of Cemetery]

Hardison: Stop.

(Parker stops digging)


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: You're standing right above me, Parker. Just...


[Front of Cemetery]

Hardison: Do you have that—


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: --m-metal detector I gave you?


[Front of Cemetery]

Parker: Yeah, why?


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison: Just, just dig.


[Front of Cemetery]

Parker (shoveling at the dirt on the grave): Sophie! He's over here!

Sophie (runs over to start digging): Hardison.

Parker: Dig!

(Sophie looks up to see Nate running in their direction, and Javier stepping out behind him, holding the gun)

Sophie: Nate, behind you!

(Parker and Sophie dive behind headstones as Javier fires the machine gun toward them. Nate joins Sophie behind a headstone)


[Interior Coffin]

Hardison (hearing gunfire): Guys? Guys?


[Front of Cemetery]

Sophie: What do we do?

Nate: Working on it.

(Javier continues to fire, hitting the headstones)

Parker: You guys go that way, I go this way!

Nate: No, no, get down!

Sophie: No, Parker!

(Parker dives to the side, doing a cartwheel to avoid being shot)


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison begins gasping for breath, clearly running out of air)


[Back of Cemetery]

(Eliot dodges several blows and elbows the Goon in the back. The Goon swings again and Eliot hits him in the face with the shovel handle.


[Front of Cemetery]

Parker: Hardison.

Hardison: I can’t—

Parker: Hardison, if you can hear me, take a deep breath, as deep as you can, and hold it.


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison takes a deep breath and puts his hand over his mouth)

Parker: I know you can do this.


[Front of Cemetery]

(Parker does a round off and a tumble, then dashes behind a tree as Javier continues to fire at her)

Parker: Hardison. Hardison!


[Interior Coffin]

Parker: You have to make it through this... Because...


[Front of Cemetery]

Parker: Because you're my friend, and I need you. Do you hear me, Alec? I need you!


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison closes his eyes and struggles not to cry, or breathe)


[Front of Cemetery]

(Parker makes a dash from behind the tree and Javier prepares to fire. Nate dives at Javier and pushes him down, the gun goes flying. Nate hits Javier on the side of the head and runs toward the grave Hardison is buried in. Sophie rushes forward and picks up the gun)


[Back of Cemetery]

(Eliot hits the Goon with the shovel handle, then hits him again, knocking him down)


[Front of Cemetery]

Parker: Hardison! (grabs the gun from Sophie and stands over the grave) Move to your left.


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison rolls to his left)


[Front of Cemetery]

(Parker uses the machine gun to shoot holes in the top of the casket)


[Interior Coffin]

(Hardison looks at the light shining in and takes a deep breath)


[Front of Cemetery]

Sophie (crouches near the casket): Nate.

(Eliot runs up and helps Nate open the casket and pull Hardison out)

Nate: Hey, welcome to the land of the living.

(Eliot and Hardison embrace)

Eliot: Never do that again, man. Don't do that again.

Hardison: Cool. I won't.

(Hardison turns and hugs Nate)

Nate: All right.

(Parker watches, tears in her eyes, as Hardison turns and hugs Sophie. Hardison looks at Parker. They look at each other for a long moment before she turns away)


[McRory’s Pub]

Nate (pushes an envelope toward Ms. Newton): Your father's money and a little extra to take care of those credit-card fees. Now, we're working on finding Darlene's other victims so we can return their money, as well.

Ms. Newton: But this is incredible. I don't know how we could ever thank you.

Nate: What you did was amazing. I mean, if you hadn't come to us for help, uh, the Wicketts would have continued hurting other people. Your father would be very proud of you. You just keep living that life. That's thanks enough.

Ms. Newton: What about Darlene?


[Professional Licensing Board, Jasper, Florida]

Clerk (looking at forms): All right. Well, these funeral-director licenses all seem in order, Mrs. Jackson. I'll go ahead and get these processed. (walks away)

Darlene (to her sons): Cheer up. We've been through worse.

(Clerk sits down in her office and runs the names through the computer. At the desk, a cop comes in and walks over to the counter, looking at the receptionist who glances at Darlene and her sons pointedly. The cop, flanked by two other officers, turns in their direction)

Cop: Ma'am? Would you come with us, please.

Darlene: Excuse me? What is this about?


[Flashback]

(Parker kneels by the bed looking at the identification forms she found beneath it)

Parker: What do you want me to do with these?

Nate: The Wicketts need new identities each time they go on the run. Those are them. Get a copy.

(Parker takes pictures of all of the forms. Later, Sophie mails an envelope to the Office of State Coroner for Massachusetts marked ‘Official Documents Death Certificates’)


[Professional Licensing Board, Jasper, Florida]

Clerk: So, you're Emily Jackson?

Darlene: Of course I am.

Clerk: Well, sweetheart, according to the computer, you died five years ago in Massachusetts.


[McRory’s Pub]

Nate: Oh, uh, we've taken care of Darlene.

(Ms. Newton smiles and walks away)


[Leverage HQ]

So Javier got away with those identities?

Nate: Yep. Just as planned.


[Flashback]

(Sophie puts a list of identities into an envelope and hands it to Nate)

Sophie: Same as before.

Nate: All right.

(in the cemetery, Nate tackles Javier, sending the gun flying. Nate lets the envelope fall to the ground as he gets up. Javier sees the envelope and grabs it before getting up and running away)


[Leverage HQ]

Hardison: Now, with those forged identities, he's probably back in Mexico getting ready to move drugs up north.

Nate: Now, do you think he had any idea that your earbud was GPS-trackable?

Hardison: Probablemente, no.

Nate: No.

(Hardison hits a few keys and the monitors show his earbud at the border of Texas and Mexico. He pulls up the image from a traffic cam and gets the license plate from the semi that Javier is riding in. He then sends the plate image to Homeland Security with a high priority)

Hardison: Put me in a coffin. Here it comes to you. Got something for you. Boom. Evidence. Get it, get it, get it, get it.

Nate: Is that really necessary?

Hardison: The man put me in a coffin, Nate. A damn coffin.

Nate: That's true.


[Mexican Border]

(Police have the semi pulled over and are looking through the boxes in the back, finding packages of drugs)

Cop: Mm-hmm. Ain't corn.

(Cop 2 walks around the side of the vehicle where Javier and his men are leaning against the side, watched over by two other officers, one of which is holding a gun, the other of which is cuffing the prisoners)

Cop 2 (to Javier): Welcome to Texas.

Cop 3: Right here, above your head.


[McRory’s Pub]

(Parker is sitting on the bar holding the compass from the casket when Hardison walks into the room, leaning against the bar next to her)

Hardison: I-I never would have made it through that without you. You know that, right, Parker?

Parker: Oh, that's not true. Anyone can learn to hold their breath.

(Hardison leans in and gives her a lingering kiss to the cheek)

Hardison: Thanks for not hanging up the phone.

Parker: Yeah.

(Parker wipes away her tears as Hardison walks toward the back room. He pauses in the doorway to look back at her before continuing away. She smiles through her tears)

The End

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