Alias s01e18 Episode Script

Masquerade

My name is Sydney Bristow.
Seven years ago, I was recruited by a secret branch of the CIA called SD-6.
I was sworn to secrecy, but I couldn't keep it from my fiancé, and when the head of SD-6 found out, he had him killed.
That's when I learned the truth.
SD-6 is not part of the CIA.
I'd been working for the very people I thought I was fighting against.
So I went to the only place that could help me take them down.
Now I'm a double agent for the CIA, where my handler is a man named Michael Vaughn.
Only one other person knows the truth about what I do.
Another double agent inside SD-6.
Someone I hardly know.
My father.
VAUGHN: There's an FBI tribunal flying in from D.
C.
They're gonna question Sydney about the prophecy and decide what the next move is.
- It was just a question.
- It was an accusation.
You are questioning my honor, my loyalty.
Based on a prophecy written in a book that you wouldn't have if it weren't for me.
Look at this.
"This woman will have had her effect never having seen the beauty of Mt.
Subasio.
" According to Rambaldi, the subject of this prophecy will have never seen Mt.
Subasio.
Meaning if Sydney were to go there and see it She couldn't be the woman Rambaldi was talking about.
I thought that made sense.
We'll have to extract her.
The plane is ready to take you to Italy.
You need to go now.
Dad, I just drove a car into the ocean.
I knew the police were waiting for me.
I used the air from the tires.
I was underwater for 1 0 minutes before I started to swim.
And as that car started to fill with water, I knew what my mother had done in the same situation.
Sydney.
Mom's alive.
I know it.
Agent King.
- Agent Utley, please.
- Who's speaking? Tell him it's about a fugitive the FBI has been looking for.
The fugitive is me.
[Thunder rumbling.]
I don't know how to thank you for helping me.
Don't thank me.
Devlin said the FBI's focusing their investigation where it should have been all along.
Instead of persecuting you, they should have been searching for your mother.
But they were convinced she was dead.
No.
While you were in Italy, I did something I've never done before.
I violated the CIA's trust.
I broke into Langley's classified archives.
I pulled the operational file on your mother to see if I could find anything that might prove your intuition correct.
Apparently, after her accident, an internal commission was formed to assess the damage she'd done to United States Intelligence.
The commission was comprised of people I'd worked with, but one name stood out in particular.
20 years ago, back at the CIA, you were on a commission that investigated Laura's death.
When I heard that, I couldn't imagine why you never told me, unless the commission discovered something it didn't want me to know about.
Laura didn't die in the accident, did she? Given my state at the time, they thought it best that I wasn't told.
They don't know what happened to her, where she went.
She could still be in this country, for all they know.
Dad I'm gonna find her.
I have to.
Searching for that woman will accomplish nothing.
No good can come from it.
I need to know where she is.
- We don't know if she's alive.
- I know.
It doesn't change what she did.
Do you expect her to say "I'm sorry"? I don't know what to expect.
You better know exactly what to expect! What could she ever say that would satisfy you? SYDNEY: I have this memory of my father.
I was maybe 5 years old.
We were camping with my mother.
I broke my leg.
And he picked me up and carried me miles back to the car.
I remember looking up at him and thinking he was the strongest man in the world.
Seeing him there in the car looking so damaged.
I'd never seen him like that.
The idea that I want to find my mother scares him.
Well, I don't exactly have a neutral point of view on the subject of your mother, but your father's got a point.
And maybe I'm being reckless or selfish or masochistic.
But if my mother is alive, then I just have to know that.
Can you help me get everything the CIA's got on her? Actually, I can't.
All information concerning her has been classified by the FBI, including her connection to Rambaldi.
Dozens of agents must be looking for her.
And they're not gonna let me be part of that operation.
Sydney, I know you need help, but this time, I just don't have it to give.
I'm sorry.
SYDNEY: Please apologize to Emily if I woke her.
SLOANE: No, it's all right.
Emily is used to the phone ringing in the middle of the night.
You've been avoiding me.
When I found out that my mother might still be alive, I just needed some time to sort it out.
I understand.
And now you want to know how I could have hidden the truth from you.
No.
I don't want an explanation.
I came here because I need you to help me find her.
Mmm.
Sydney.
How much do you remember about the year after you were told that your mother died? I remember just feeling disconnected from everything.
My father was away on business for most of that year.
No.
Your father spent six months in solitary in a federal prison.
He was suspected of being in collusion with Laura.
The FBI almost tried him for treason, and even though he was eventually vindicated, the damage was done, and he began to unravel.
Unravel.
He drank.
He started taking unnecessary risks.
You know the father he was to you all those years.
He took a long time to fully recover.
I was under direct orders from the DCI not to let him know that Laura had survived.
Unfortunately, that also required lying to you.
Well, now that I know the truth, I am removing myself from active duty until I find out what happened to her.
And I am in no position to allow you to go off on what appears to be a rogue operation that would compromise the Agency.
Every day you send me out on operations that could compromise this agency, but as long as it's for SD-6, the risk is acceptable.
It is time that SD-6 took a risk for me.
A daughter has a right to know her mother.
I'll help you find her.
We are not putting chocolate chips in the pancakes.
Oh, I got news for you.
Yes, we are.
Hey, guys.
- Hey.
- Oh, you still live here? I know.
Did that finance seminar take a week? If you have any questions about tax shelters, I'm your girl.
What are you guys doing? Francie's gonna take me to look for a tuxedo.
- Yeah? - For the awards thing.
Can we come? Not a chance in hell.
He's too embarrassed.
We're definitely coming.
Oh, my God.
What happened to your arm? Oh.
On the flight back from Seattle, this guy hit me with his carryon pulling it from the overhead.
- Oh.
- Are these chocolate chips? Thank you.
Thank you very much.
SLOANE: We've identified Alexander Khasinau as the person referred to in underground intelligence circles as "The Man.
" He controls more assets than the Russian mafia, and thanks to his old Cold War connections, he has the legitimacy of a fledgling government.
Hi.
Sorry I'm late.
And sorry that I have hives.
And, see, I'm developing a dermal pigmentation capsule, and, you know, not quite right react.
You know never mind.
It should be gone in a couple hours.
Excuse me.
For the last five years, we've had two deep-cover agents in the Russian embassy in Vienna.
One of them is this man.
Kyle Wexler.
We've received a priority-one communiqué from Wexler indicating that Khasinau has just converted $250 million worth of assets into cash.
We need to know what he's spending that money on.
He did manage to include that he's acquired evidence of Khasinau's transactions, which he's encoded onto a microchip.
He's scheduled a brush pass Saturday at the embassy.
They're holding their annual Maslenitsa celebration, and we've arranged for you to attend.
I can't focus on active duty Khasinau has become this agency's top priority.
He'll become yours as well.
What I have to do can't wait.
I understand how you feel.
I don't understand what Khasinau has to do with my mother.
He has everything to do with your mother.
He was her superior.
When you identified Khasinau as "The Man," I recalled his name from your mother's investigation.
I thought, "This has to be a coincidence.
" I did some checking.
He was her superior, back in his days at the KGB.
This is the only clue I have to offer you.
Get the microchip.
The more we find out about Khasinau, the closer you get to your mother.
Sydney.
I saw you leave Sloane's office.
I was planning on telling you.
You've asked Sloane to help you find your mother.
I thought you'd know not to ask Sloane for a favor.
You'll spend more time than you care to paying it back.
What choice do I have? You can choose not to go.
Dad, Khasinau was mom's superior.
May I have this dance? With pleasure.
I'd like to talk to you.
[Speaking French.]
Of course, Jack.
What's on your mind? Interesting development about Khasinau.
I see.
So you spoke to Sydney.
You have every right to be angry, but I was under orders to keep the findings confidential.
That I understand.
What I don't understand is why you agreed to help Sydney find her mother without consulting me.
She was gonna pursue this with or without our blessing.
She'll only find disappointment.
That depends on what she's expecting.
You are different people, Jack.
Are you sure this isn't affecting you? I assure you, my concern is only for Sydney.
Yeah.
Your assurances notwithstanding, I think it would be best if you took a break from active duty.
Just, what, a few days to clear your head.
I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Sydney alone right now.
If she were your daughter, I'm sure you'd understand.
You should know by now that my interest is in protecting Sydney.
It's always been my pleasure to fill in for you when you were indisposed.
- You ready? - Ready.
MARSHALL: These earrings are gonna make you look radiant, and I mean that literally, because once you activate them, they will emit a infrared pulse invisible to the naked eye.
Thanks to our high-visibility brush passes, the agent you're meeting will know to wear I.
R.
-capable contacts, and that's how he'll I.
D.
You.
[Beeping.]
Excuse me.
May I cut in? Of course.
But I should warn you she likes to lead.
That's good.
Maybe I'll learn something new.
Listen to me carefully.
Wexler's dead.
We can't stay here.
It's a matter of time before my cover's blown.
- Who are you? - Wexler's partner.
That's my ring you feel on your neck.
It's a jet injector for a neutrotoxin.
I can give you the old bona fides.
How do I know this isn't a setup? Credit Dauphine is SD-6's front company.
Marshall runs the op-tech division, and Sloane is a humorless son of a bitch.
Dixon, change of plans.
Wexler's dead.
He may have talked.
I'm going for the microchip.
Copy that.
I'll have the car brought around front.
Is that ring you're wearing Marshall's? I was bluffing.
Were you recruited out of college? - Yes.
- Which? Berkeley.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
[Man speaking indistinctly on walkie-talkie.]
[Russian accent.]
This is a restricted area.
Hey.
How you been? I can't believe it's you.
Yeah.
What are we doing here? Wexler was undercover when he was compromised.
The ambassador's on Khasinau's payroll.
So is embassy security.
Khasinau ships everything through the embassy so he doesn't have to deal with custom inspections.
God, it's Wexler.
The ambassador did not know he had the chip.
He stashed it someplace.
Or he swallowed it.
Yeah.
Okay, what [Silenced gunshots.]
Sydney, abort.
They knew we were coming.
They'll be looking for you.
We need another minute.
We almost have the microchip.
Aw, damn it, his stomach's empty.
It could be lodged in his esophagus.
You want to give me a hand here and spread? - Little bit wider.
- Okay.
So, you been good, generally? - Yeah, you know work.
- Yeah.
There it is.
You see it? Got it.
Whoa! Get in.
I'm not gonna ask.
Dixon.
Noah? Let's go, let's go.
I'm not real anxious to see Sloane's face when he hears we had to pull Noah out.
What choice did we have? Do me a favor, Syd.
Tread carefully here.
Until he's debriefed, I wouldn't get too friendly.
It's ancient history.
It was five years ago.
Does anybody have change for 1 00 rubles? A lady back in coach is about to kill me.
I was gonna stretch my legs.
- Really? - Yeah.
Thanks.
No problem.
Hi.
Hi.
I should get some sleep.
Syd, if you're mad, that's fine.
I understand.
You don't want to talk, it's okay.
You don't have to be polite.
I want you to know I'm not mad anymore, and I don't think you should be.
- You're not mad? - Mnh-mnh.
What do you have to be mad about? I understand it must have been hard for you when I left, but you didn't put up a fight.
What kind of fight was I supposed to put up? I waited for six hours for you.
- You didn't even call.
- I didn't know you were leaving.
Sloane told me you had been transferred abroad.
I wrote you.
I wrote.
What? I told you to meet me in San Pedro.
I never got a letter.
I didn't send you a letter.
I encoded a message in a junk e-mail.
You should have been able to pick it up from the subject.
I always set my computer to filter out junk E-mail.
SLOANE: This constitutes a major setback.
By extracting Agent Hicks, you've squandered a 5-year investment.
Come on, Sloane.
It's not her fault.
Your investment was burned.
If they didn't get me out, the exact same thing would have happened to me.
The fact that we even got the microchip means he didn't die in vain.
I'll listen to your report after you've been evaluated by Security Section.
Dixon, would you escort Agent Hicks to McCullough? Now, I have done you a favor, Sydney.
So should the need ever arise I'm sure that I can count on you to return it.
In '97, I was admitted as a graduate student to the Moscow Institute for International Relations.
Worked as a courier for the Russian embassy in Baghdad, was on the visa desk at the consulate in Cape Town.
In November of 2001, I was put on as an attaché at the Viennese embassy and given a low-level clearance.
While you were under alias as a member of the Russian Diplomatic Corps, were you approached by any other agency for recruitment? Yes.
Which agency? K-Directorate.
Did you accept their offer? Yes, I did.
They're listening to this conversation right now.
Please answer the question truthfully.
Of course not.
Why did you volunteer for prolonged undercover assignment to begin with? I fail to see how my motives are relevant.
My reasons are my own.
Unfortunately, Agent Hicks, they are not.
Okay, um [Clears throat.]
Because I was in love.
And I was afraid to admit that to myself.
I saw that as being a sign of weakness in this work.
So I left.
The only reason that I am able to speak about that now is that I've had five years to regret my mistake.
May I have the name of the person to whom you are referring? Absolutely not.
You are aware that I have the authority to take steps that will compel you to answer.
Yes, I am, and I am also aware that the only other agent anywhere near Khasinau is dead, which makes me somewhat of a valued commodity.
I suggest we keep the questions limited to subjects that SD-6 really needs to know about.
Besides, where I come from, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell.
Our station chief in Vienna got your dead drop.
I'm sorry you had a rough time at the embassy.
If anything turns up on the microchip, I'll let you know.
The agent you extracted.
Noah Hicks.
You mentioned him in the initial background report you wrote when you first made contact with the CIA.
We met when I was a trainee.
We actually dated for a while.
Really.
We kept it under the radar.
SD-6 discourages fraternization among agents.
So does the CIA.
There's one more thing.
Do you know where your father's been lately? I talked to him an hour ago.
Why? Kretchmer's left two call signals for a meet, but we haven't received confirmation yet.
Club soda, please.
How'd you find me? Your car was still parked in your garage.
I thought you might've walked somewhere close.
It's the fifth place I looked.
- Mike, can I get the check? - Yeah, sure.
Dad, it's 2:00 in the afternoon.
What are you doing here? I think you might want to talk to someone.
Noted.
Six months ago, I wasn't I didn't even know how to talk to you.
But now I feel like At least I feel like I can come to you and say What's happening between us, Sydney, is temporary.
I'm not suggesting the person you talk to should be me.
It shouldn't be.
But the CIA has counselors.
You should see one of them.
Sydney, you are responsible for no one but yourself.
It's not irrational for me to be worried about you! Please keep your voice down.
I didn't think you'd listen to my advice.
So I made it official.
I came here to pass along an order from Devlin.
You're going to see a counselor for trauma evaluation.
Hey, Syd.
I'm sorry you had to come down.
It's my fault.
Really.
We're uploading the microchip.
There's 1 0,000 files.
1 4 different languages.
Linguistics needs all the help they can get.
- So you're cleared.
- Yeah.
You survived the debriefing.
Yes, I did.
You know, and I forgot how much I missed McCullough.
Let's get started.
Walk inside Gets noticed Fears conspire They won't go away And I know So, how long are you planning on staying? I'm not exactly sure.
It's somewhat complicated.
Why? Long story.
I remember when you had just got back from endurance training before you were sent out as a field op, and you came back, and you had this incredible glow.
And I remember Yeah, you did.
I remember thinking, "Man, this girl's really having fun.
" I remember being worried about that because I knew one day you would not feel that way.
That you were not aware of what you were getting yourself into.
You thought I'd get myself killed.
Maybe.
Is that why you left? No.
No.
Well, you were right about one thing.
I'm not having fun anymore.
WILL: We're gonna be late.
FRANCIE: I can't find my jacket.
I don't want to miss the previews.
All right, I'm just going to borrow one of Syd's.
Do you think I bought the right tux? Yeah, for the amount of money you wanted to spend.
What's that supposed to mean? What? Didn't Syd say she went to Seattle? Yeah.
So? Why is there a return ticket from Italy in her pocket? It's probably from another trip.
It's dated last week.
Why wouldn't she tell us about a trip to Italy? SLOANE: What you are looking at is the schematic of a Westbury 23 supercomputer.
It's capable of making 500 trillion calculations per sec.
Khasinau bought two of them.
What for? These computers are ideal for simulating theoretical engineering designs.
If Khasinau has acquired enough Rambaldi artifacts, he may be able to assemble these artifacts correctly and extrapolate what missing pieces remain from the overall design.
And that's why you need to steal the data core.
How are you? Um [Chuckles.]
May I? - Sure.
- Thank you.
Thanks to the microchip, we have an image of the data core, and, trust me, this core hard-core.
It's a photorefractive crystal cube.
It acts like a sponge.
This has got enough capacity to serve as a backup archive for both computers, but the problem is that in order for this little puppy to work, it's gotta be kept in a chamber halfway to absolute zero.
It is cold enough to freeze your skin to stone in under a minute.
Even if a millimeter of it is exposed.
In addition, Khasinau's computer complex in Arkhangelsk is a mile underground.
The surrounding forests are patrolled by private security forces.
I would like to point out that, given this high level of security, it is likely that Khasinau is using it as his primary archive.
Account numbers, old contacts, every agent who's ever worked for him.
This is a 2- person operation.
You've been on assignment a long time.
I'll go.
I know the area pretty well.
I did a lot of recon there.
Well, Noah's right.
We need every advantage on this one.
You leave in an hour.
- My feet hurt! - Yep.
- Can we stop? - Nope.
I gotta take my boots off.
You take 'em off, your foot will swell up.
- [Shouting in Russian.]
- Hey, hey, hey! We're Americans! We're Americans! - Okay.
Whoa! - We're Americans! You were speculating that perhaps Sydney's desire to find her mother could be interpreted as criticism of you as a father.
I suppose it's understandable.
Much like a normal family after a divorce, when parental jealousy is stirred over a child's affection.
And how would you define a "normal" family? I suppose it's one in which the family members aren't under orders to lie to each other.
I see what you're getting at.
Maybe there's no such thing as a "normal" family.
Well, okay, Mr.
Bristow.
I guess we can call it a day.
I prefer Jack.
One more thing, Jack.
I don't believe a word you've said to me over this past hour.
Don't get me wrong.
I think you're a master.
You have all your subconscious tells under control.
You're smart enough to struggle with words, but I think you told me what I wanted to hear so you could get out of my office as quickly as possible.
I also think that someone so skilled at deception is in danger of deceiving himself.
I am going to recommend that you see me once a week.
You haven't got a clue what's required to lead the kind of life I lead, to maintain a balance between two lives and protect my daughter in the process.
The kind of person who does that, the kind of person I have to be, is not the kind of person who would come in here and talk to you.
Well, then, I guess we're making some progress.
See you next week.
Is there any chance we can contact the American embassy? What were you taking pictures of? Just the scenery, I swear.
Why don't you just take the film and give her back the camera? It was just the scenery.
Keys.
Hey.
Let's go.
Come on.
[Speaking Russian.]
Move, move, move.
Let's go, Syd.
I'm disengaging the core.
I'm in.
Don't forget to keep that core temperature constant.
You must keep the core temperature constant.
Got it.
How we doing? Almost there.
Got it.
[Alarm blaring.]
[Breathing heavily.]
Noah, I'm freezing.
Syd, hang on.
The system is in lockdown.
Come on, wake up.
Wake up.
Syd, wake up.
Come on.
Good girl, come on.
Good.
Come on.
Up, up, up.
Up, up, up, up.
[Shouts.]
Come on, move.
Syd, come on, baby.
Move, move, move.
It's just weird.
I don't know.
Italy.
What if she met somebody on one of her business trips? Why would she keep that secret? Maybe she doesn't want to talk about it, or she's embarrassed.
Oh, come on, why? What? The bruise.
What if he's beating her? Are you kidding? Sydney would never put up with that.
Maybe she's sleeping with her boss.
Sloane? No.
No.
Should we forget we even found the ticket? You think she's in trouble.
When she gets back from Where did she say she went? San Francisco.
Which I'm sure she did.
I think we're just blowing this out of proportion.
There's an explanation.
We'll ask her when she gets back from San Francisco.
Did you get through? Yeah.
It was almost impossible to get a signal, but we got an extraction set at 0800.
That's six hours.
Yeah.
We should prepare in case Khasinau's men show up.
The floorboards in the corner over there lift up.
This safe house has saved me a couple of times.
What would be great right now is a fire in that fireplace.
[Gun clicks.]
I heard a chopper making rounds.
If it's thermal-equipped, it'll pick up the heat.
What were you looking for in that database, anyway? It's a long story.
Well, we've got six hours, so that's good.
I was looking for information about my mother.
Your mother.
A lot's happened since you left.
And I want to fill you in, but I don't know if I feel comfortable doing that yet.
Right.
You're still mad.
No.
Feel the fever coming You're shaking and twitching You can scratch all over But that won't stop you itching When you left and you just disappeared It was a kick in the stomach.
And I carried that around for a long time.
You were the last person that I ever wanted to see again.
Ever.
And you were the only person that I ever wanted to see again.
Can you feel A little love? Dream on Dream on Can you feel A little love? Wait.
Can you feel A little love? Dream on Dream on Dream on Dream on Dream on Dream on
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