Covert Affairs s02e16 Episode Script

Letter Never Sent

I'm Parker.
The Peace Corps is incredibly selective.
Eritrea? Can you just be happy for me? This is my father, Henry Wilcox.
Leaking confidential information to Liza Hearn? You think blowing your whistle is going to gain you favor in the Agency? I learned from the best.
So if I wanted specialized weapons training Consider it approved.
Sweet ride.
I still think it would be safer if you took the rideshare.
Caught red-handed.
Your landlord said you'd be up here.
Huh.
I had a feeling she was keeping tabs on me.
I'm not even going to ask why you're behind the wheel of a '67 Vette.
And she knows her cars.
Dad was a car buff.
Well, then, you know that the '67 is the last great American sports car.
In '68, new regulations came in that greatly reduced performance.
Still doesn't answer my question.
I loved Corvettes as a kid.
Always wanted one.
I finally saved up enough scratch to buy this one in 2007, right before I left for Iraq.
And you held onto it.
And you cannot beat the sound.
Mmm, 435 horses.
Why do I smell ficus? You said you'd take care of my plant while I was on vacation, remember? A ficus is a tree.
Not this one.
Have a good vacation.
You deserve it.
Thanks.
Now put on your seatbelt before you hurt someone.
As you know, with a change in position at the CIA comes a routine polygraph.
Took you guys a while.
CIA bureaucracy never ceases to amaze.
Huh.
"Office of Special Projects.
" What is that? Is that part of the polygraph? Your name is Jai Wilcox? Yes.
You came back from a post in London to work with Arthur Campbell on Operation Lynx? Yes.
Standard surveillance op? Yes.
Friend of yours? Let's continue.
Hey.
I'm off to Stockholm.
I came to say goodbye.
I will bring you back some meatballs.
They won't be as good as Chez Danielle, but better than IKEA, though.
Nothing? Tough room.
My life is not perfect, okay? Danielle, what's wrong? Michael What did he do? I called him to ask about his absences from work, and he told me that he's had two marital indiscretions in the past year.
Oh, Danielle "Indiscretion" is the chicken-shit way of saying you boinked your fat assistant.
I'm sorry.
I've just been poring over this date book, trying to figure out how it happened.
Don't beat yourself up over it.
I feel like everyone in my life has been lying to me about huge things.
I won't go to Stockholm.
Oh, no.
You said yourself you haven't had a vacation since you started working at the Agency.
Well, why don't you go with me? No, I have miles.
Plus, Chloe and Katia are at Mom's.
You need to get away.
And I could use a good wingman.
Why do we only get spontaneous when bad things happen to us? Nature abhors a vacuum.
So intellectual.
No, I read it in the in-flight magazine.
Michael.
Are you going to answer it? No.
I'm on vacation.
Hey, do you remember Little Magnus from when we lived on the base near Karlsborg? "First crush" Little Magnus? More like "first kiss" Little Magnus.
It was the go-go '80s.
Apparently.
Anyway, I texted him.
You texted him? Right before we got on the flight.
He's on Facebook.
What's he doing now? He runs a flower shop.
Oh, that sounds Iike Little Magnus.
I know.
He loved flowers.
Danielle? Annie? Little Magnus.
It's so nice to see you.
It's been so long.
Too long.
It's so good to see you.
Well Let's get your bags.
Yeah, I've got a solarium, and I've got a sailboat at our family cottage, "Krontorp.
" But didn't Danielle mention that? No, she didn't.
I think they lost my bag.
On SAS? Maybe it's a sign from above.
A chance to start fresh.
Or maybe they just put it on the wrong plane.
We'll fill out the form and they'll deliver it to you.
In the meantime, I will take you girls shopping.
We can go to all the latest boutiques in Stockholm.
Yeah.
Maybe a glass of wine by the Nybrokajen? Of course.
I'll go and grab the car and I'll meet you girls on the curbside.
Shall I take your bag? Please.
We'll be there with bells on.
Okay.
Just take it easy, okay? I don't need a babysitter.
No, you need an overprotective younger sister.
Be right there.
Auggie? Working late, huh? Actually, my day's just getting started.
How's the vacation? Huh.
I have a feeling it's not a vacation anymore.
Well, the Agency wouldn't be asking if it wasn't time-sensitive.
AII right.
What's the mission? We need you to courier an eyes-only envelope to the Tre Kronor gala at the Waterfront Congress Centre this afternoon.
That's a tough ticket.
See? There are perks to the job.
What's in the envelope? Eyes-only isn't just for my benefit.
Are you ready to go? Yeah.
I guess.
Are you ready? Great.
I'll text you the details on our asset's location.
You need to pick up the envelope from him.
You'll deliver it to your contact at the Waterfront Congress Centre.
And no aquavit until after you hand off the envelope.
You are definitely cramping my vacation.
Uh, Danielle? I have to do a quick thing for work.
Don't they know you're just on vacation? Tell them no.
Danielle.
Yeah, it's okay.
I mean, we can still go.
Yeah.
Have fun working.
Petr has been expecting you.
Hello? The port brings in how many kroner, and we pay how many in taxes.
But the plant operations can't bring us a ladder? You want something done, you have to do it yourself.
Yes? I suppose so.
Yes.
So also thinks the CIA.
That's why they send you.
Anyway.
Your package is here.
Anything else I should know? As long as you're here, take a day or two to relax.
You CIA people, you come in and zip out.
Stockholm's a beautiful city.
It's not all work.
Believe me.
That is the idea.
Oh.
Not bad for a fellow former sailor.
A little hard work.
A lot of good luck.
Look at that leather.
I can't get budgeted for an Aeron chair, even with a doctor's note.
Did you come here to bitch about furniture? No.
Do you know of an Operation Lynx? Who's talking about it? Well, apparently, a routine polygraph was failed, which led to a GCO inquest into this particular operation.
Whose polygraph? Jai Wilcox.
Are you vulnerable? You could say I'm vulnerable.
Then, I'd suggest you try and get out in front of this.
Thanks, Eric.
I owe you one.
I was surprised to get your phone call, Auggie.
Yeah, I didn't think I'd be back here.
So what made you change your mind? Well, being unable to see.
Well, the last MRI we did was shortly after your injuries.
So it's possible some of the cranial swelling has gone down.
From there, we can assess If any of the new stem cell approaches may be appropriate.
Yeah.
That's why I'm here.
Auggie, the MRI can only determine if you're a viable candidate.
AII right? There's a long way to go from here.
Then let's get started.
Annie Walker.
Yeah.
Annie.
Danielle, what are you doing here? Oh, well, Magnus' company did the flowers for this event.
Hi, Annie.
Hi.
What are you doing here? I'm meeting a work colleague.
Where did you get the dress? Oh, well, since Magnus and I were going shopping anyway, he took me to this amazing department store, La Croix.
And he insisted on paying.
Do you want a drink? Um, sure.
Champagne? She looks amazing.
Yeah.
What a nice surprise to see Danielle after so long.
Yeah.
It was a surprise, I'm sure.
Yeah, a welcome one.
You know, the Swedish women today, they're always trying so hard to be something that they're not.
But Danielle.
She's so comfortable with herself.
She always has been.
Magnus, what are you saying? I'm saying that sometimes things can take a long time, but if they were meant to be, they will happen.
Magnus.
Did Danielle tell you she was married? No.
In six months of emailing, she She never mentioned that.
Six months? Yeah, on and off.
I mean, she never said she was married.
Danielle has been going through a strange time.
I'm sure she wasn't thinking clearly.
I actually think I have to go.
No, you don't have to go.
Yeah, I have to deal with some flower things.
I see they forgot to bring the liljekonvaljs.
Well, fantastic.
You can't get that in America.
Hello.
Oh, hi.
It's good to see you again.
We've never actually met, but okay.
Would you like to join me for a coffee? Coffee? I'm ordering cocktails.
I was wondering if you would Iike to join me for a coffee.
Um, no, thanks.
Excuse me.
That was creepy.
What happened? This good-Iooking guy with a flower in his lapel came up to me and kept asking me to go for coffee.
Danielle, where is the guy? Can you point him out to me? Hey, wait.
Where is Magnus? He had a work emergency.
He had a flower emergency? They forgot the liljekonvaljs.
Can you get Show me the guy that came up and talked to you? This is so typical.
You told him to go, didn't you? Honestly, I did not tell him.
I did tell him you were married, which apparently you neglected to in six months of emailing.
Okay, you can Iook at me with all the judgment you want, but my life was falling apart.
So I reached out to an old friend, and it felt good.
I'm sorry if it makes me a terrible person.
I would have talked to you about it, but you weren't around.
It doesn't make you a terrible person.
Look, I have to go outside and make a work phone call.
Wait.
Aren't we in the middle of a conversation-slash-argument? Yes, but can't that just wait a minute? Just wait here.
It must be nice to have a job that's so important it can get you out of any argument.
Hey, just, wait.
Danielle.
Auggie? Hey.
Are we ready for some aquavit? I failed to liaise with my contact.
What, he didn't show? Not exactly, Danielle was at the event and the contact mistook her for me.
Wait.
What was your sister doing there? I'm on vacation.
Or I thought I was.
Where is your contact now? Off radar.
What's the protocol? For this? There is no protocol.
I can take a lap back through the event and try and find my contact.
Annie, that is not a good idea.
Missions either go as planned or they're scrapped.
Well, maybe it was just a misunderstanding.
Or it could have been something more.
We can't take that risk.
Okay.
I missed the handoff.
What do I do with the package? It's a return to sender.
You need to leave the event.
Go back to Petr.
He's a good guy.
He knows the local players and the ground rules.
Wait for further instructions.
Okay.
I've learned that Jai has been called in by an inquest board for a program I created three years ago called Lynx.
Never heard of it.
That was intentional.
Highly compartmentalized.
A joint effort with MI6 to wiretap terror cells in the UK and America.
So what's the problem? I sought outside Iegal counsel during the inception phase.
Including Geena.
I wanted you to hear it from me first in case this gets out.
There are a lot of lawyers in D.
C.
, and you had to consult your ex-wife? It was a judgment call.
As was not telling me.
When were you going to tell me that you were called in front of the GCO inquest board? Yes.
I know everything.
I don't suppose you realize the opportunity you've created for yourself.
More scrutiny? That's an opportunity? You have the ear of the General Counsel.
Play your cards right, and you can get rid of a major obstacle in your way.
You want me to sell out Arthur.
Operation Lynx was his call.
You were just following orders.
We both had a hand in it.
I wouldn't defend the man who called you in from London station and then let you twist after Ben Mercer came into the fold.
I'm doing fine now.
Your Office of Special Projects is a vanity title, at best.
You need to entrench yourself in a job that has a spine.
The inquest board will ask some questions about your allegiances.
Any sympathy for Arthur will be seen as weakness, and you will be marched out along with him.
I don't have any sympathy for Arthur.
Good.
Keep your composure, and pretty soon I'll be back in as DCS.
Look arrogant.
Say nothing of importance.
That should be easy for you.
I have work to do.
Goodbye.
Auggie? Annie, a janitor at the Waterfront Congress Hotel just found your contact dead in a stairwell.
What's your 20? I'm at Petr's.
He's dead, too.
Killed.
Tell me what you see.
Uh Looks like he was going for his emergency sidearm.
And his secretary was dragged in here, too.
You need to leave.
The place is trashed.
There are still guns and cash in the safe.
Whoever was here was looking for something specific.
Most likely your envelope.
Listen to me.
Stockholm is too hot.
You're going to need to leave.
What about Danielle? Where is she? I I don't know.
We had an argument.
Annie, if she had any contact with the killer, she's in danger, too.
Okay.
I've got to go find her.
I'm going to text you your exit strategy.
Go.
Danielle? Hi.
I'm staying in room 429.
Uh, I'm looking for Danielle Brooks.
She might be under the last name Walker.
She's tall and blonde.
I know that's not very rare in Sweden.
Oh, here she is.
Where have you been? Where were you? Oh.
I was in the business center, using the computer to email the girls.
We have to go right now.
Oh, God.
No.
Danielle.
I am tired of your apologies and directives.
Danielle, listen.
I can't even pretend to know what it's Iike to be in your shoes.
You are going through an incredibly tough situation with grace and poise.
And I am not trying to be bossy, but we need to go right now.
Can you stop for a minute to explain what's going on? We're leaving Stockholm.
As in leaving, leaving? Yeah.
Why aren't we going to the airport? It's too predictable.
We'll go to the train station and go west to Oslo.
We'll fly out from there.
Don't be nervous.
This is already awkward.
It would be more awkward if Arthur actually knew this was happening.
What is it with you two and secrecy? Right.
You're both CIA.
Well, you used to be one of us.
I also used to be married to Arthur.
Who consulted you on an operation called Lynx.
Is that what this is about? It is.
You want to know what we talked about? We talked about you, Joan.
Me? Mmm-hmm.
Arthur was concerned if any blowback from Operation Lynx could land on you.
He thinks you have a stellar career ahead at the Agency and beyond.
A career in politics.
A Senate bid, perhaps.
He didn't want to jeopardize that.
It's true, Joan.
I hope the CIA hasn't made you that paranoid.
It has.
But I believe you.
Thank you.
So what's it like being out of the Agency? As you well know, the Agency wasn't a great period in my life.
Yeah.
I'm sorry about that.
Don't be.
My life is infinitely better than it was back then.
My decisions are my own.
I've found a good place.
Well, thank you.
Take care.
Hello, August.
Jai.
How's the second floor treating you? Do you know what an elevator pitch is? Yeah.
Talking points that can be outlined quickly.
Well, here's mine.
Everybody knows about the inquest.
Arthur likes you and respects you.
And he is a good and decent man.
If you disregard that and try to get him fired, your career will tank.
I'm comfortable with my decisions.
I hope you are.
Because you are systematically alienating everyone in this building.
Elevator pitch concluded.
What is it? Do you see all the cops? Well, that's a good thing, right? No.
Train security in Sweden is privatized.
They're here Iooking for someone.
Us? Maybe.
Why? Because my life is complicated.
Hey, look.
There's that creepy guy I met at the party.
Turn it off.
I know.
It's Michael.
Hey.
Just stick close to my hip.
Please? Talk to me, Annie.
What do you see? Cops.
Lots and lots of cops.
I ID'd the guy that contacted Danielle.
He was confabbing with the Polisen officers.
So he's connected.
Yeah.
What about a heli extraction? The Swedish government won't allow it.
Well, I'm running out of options, here.
I could re-route an American trawler in the Baltic.
You're a genius.
No, I'm just a guy with a bunch of phones and computers.
You're doing the heavy lifting on this one.
Do I detect a hint of modesty? Not a chance.
Hang in there, Walker.
Who were you talking to? A coworker from the Agency.
We're in good hands.
I need you to call Little Magnus.
I don't think he wants to talk to me.
Tell him it's a flower emergency.
I'm glad Magnus is so understanding, but I still don't understand why I had to call him.
Magnus has a boat at his cottage in Torhamn, remember? We can use it to sail into the Baltic and rendezvous with an extraction team.
How much danger are we in? The real answer, which may scare you more than calm you, is I don't know what's going on.
Or how much danger we're in.
I don't care if the cod are running closer to the Kaliningrad Oblast.
I need a trawler off of Torhamn.
Okay, I'll call your boss.
Auggie, there's a Dr.
Kessle on one.
Yeah.
I'll take him.
Close the door.
Dr.
Kessle Auggie.
Anything? Our MRI results came in.
I'm sorry to say you are not a suitable candidate for the experimental therapies at this time.
Okay.
Thanks.
I'm very sorry, Auggie.
Okay, then.
Auggie.
I've got to go.
Get me Northstar Marine's general manager ASAP.
Thank you for talking with us.
I don't believe I had a choice.
But before we begin, I'd like to make a statement on a separate issue.
I think you'll find it of some interest.
Go ahead.
My name is Jai Wilcox.
I am the son of Henry Wilcox, former DCS and current leak of information to the reporter, Liza Hearn.
I will now outline my father's involvement in the leak scandal, and provide to the board a comprehensive timeline as fully as I can.
Was it Jai? Let me finish my round.
It always goes in when the pressure is off.
You don't have to worry.
We're off the grid here.
The nearest neighbor is, Iike, half a tank of gas away.
And with the fuel prices here, we don't see much of him.
Can we sail? Into that storm? I wouldn't recommend it.
When can we go? Well, the weather changes kind of quickly here.
So I guess we'd be okay in a couple of hours.
Okay, then, we'll wait.
Come on.
Auggie.
Any updates? Yeah, I got some Intel on Annie's package.
It's a task order on Nils Crofft.
He used to contract for us.
Black ops.
Then he turned.
We were trying to get to him before he did any more damage.
Apparently, we were too late.
Well, now he knows Annie can ID him.
What's Annie's status? Water evac.
We have a trawler waiting on the Baltic.
A last-ditch play.
You like the tea? Oh, it's good.
Yeah? It's called "Soderblandning.
" It's a good Swedish tea.
Well, I for one think it's lovely to live out in the country like this.
Mmm.
Well, you know, it can get a bit Ionely sometimes.
Well, I guess I better go and check on the boat.
I can have the mainsails rigged in 10 minutes.
I didn't tell him to leave.
He left on his own.
The trawler is going to pick us up off Hammarora Island.
There's a backup at Gotland, but my tech op is pretty on it.
Well, it must be nice to have an Auggie in your life.
An Auggie? It's Auggie, right? Who you talk to? I may not be a spy like you, but your voice changes a little when you talk to him.
It It does? Yeah.
Have some more tea.
I can understand what Magnus was talking about.
There is kind of a romance in the isolation here.
Like the fact that there are no street addresses.
I had to write the name of the cottage, "Krontorp," on my lost luggage form.
You put "Krontorp" on the luggage form? Yeah.
Well, I thought there was a chance that Magnus and I would come out here.
I know I wasn't thinking clearly.
We need to move.
He's here.
I'm scared.
It's okay.
How do you stay so calm? In moments like this, I think of you and the girls.
Stay close.
Run.
Run to the boat.
Do not look back, no matter what.
Are you okay? What happened? It's over.
So.
Thank you.
For what? You held my fate in your hands and you chose to do the right thing.
It speaks volumes.
It's funny.
Being constantly underestimated.
I was being complimentary.
You think I did this out of some deep-seeded morality.
Where this talk would be my cherished reward.
Don't you get it? I failed the polygraph on purpose.
What is your purpose? Everyone knows about the inquest.
How I chose the ethical path over the preservation of my own father.
I finally got rid of the stink of nepotism.
And soon, I'll be going after Joan's job.
And if you step in to defend her, that stink will be back on you.
And you'll both be gone, and I'll be running the DPD.
Thanks for the scotch.
They're from Michael.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
I think you should move back in.
I'd love to.
Where can a girl get a ficus around here? About the ficus What? Don't give a live plant to a blind guy.
Sorry.
It's okay.
You okay? Uh Rough couple of days.
You? Rough couple of days.
I heard.
I'm sorry, Annie, but your life is going to change, inside the Agency and out.
I can still feel the recoil of the gun the acid smell of the bullet and the echo.
Time stops.
You know, you don't have to go through this alone.
The Agency has people you can talk to.
The person I want to talk to is you.
Well, how fortuitous, because I have something I wanted to talk to you about, too.
Another mission? Not exactly.
You're giving me your car? I'm moving on.
And you needed some cheering up.
Knowing how fast you like to drive, this ought to do it.
Well, what do you say we take her for a spin? Oh.
Actually, I have a plane to catch.
Where to? I'm going to Africa.
I'm going to look somebody in the eye, so to speak, and say what I need to say.
Uh Whoever it is, I hope they hear you.
I know she will.
Well, you know you want to drive it, so drive it.
I can literally hear you smiling.
Any tips? Give her all you've got, Walker.
She can take it.

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