Nikita s03e11 Episode Script

Black Badge

Naomi Ceaver here to see Director Kendrick.
I'm sorry.
Name's not on the list.
Tell him it's about Greenbriar.
Have a seat.
Sir, I can't.
I have something this time.
Let me guess: More random, unsourced atmospherics about a covert spy program pulling jobs all over the world.
Not atmospherics, sir.
- Tweets? - Proof, sir.
It was in my mailbox this morning.
Detailed after-action reports.
It could only have come from inside the Division.
That's what I've heard it's called.
After-action reports, huh? What was the action? Assassinations.
Sanctioned by Senator Madeline Pierce.
The late senator, killed in a car bomb.
Yes.
I remember.
I'll parse through it, get back to you.
In the meantime, let's keep this between you and me.
Good work.
We've got a problem.
Well, an ambitious young analyst just stumbled past her security clearance.
She's gonna be asking questions none of us want answered.
Sound familiar, Mr.
Fletcher? This is history repeating itself.
It's the path to destruction.
Come on, Birkhoff, it's just four missions the President wants us to look into.
Yeah, then it's five, then six.
Look, you go down to Ops and tell all them that instead of shutting this place down and earning their freedom, they're just gonna have to shine it on a little bit longer for Uncle Sam.
That's why we are going to take on the risk ourselves, without involving the rest of Division.
Speak for yourself, sister.
Birkhoff, suck up.
These are not Percy's side jobs.
These are not illegal.
Division is illegal.
It always has been.
If the President wanted constitutionally approved spy missions, she'd use the CIA.
Guys, this stuff can wait.
We've got an exposure alert.
See what I mean? Closed briefing, Where's Alex? Offduty with Sean.
Call them both.
This concerns him too.
When are you gonna tell me what this means? Is that what we do now, tell each other all of our stories? I'll tell you anything you want to know.
Maybe later.
That might be a while.
I deploy in two weeks.
Deploy? You're going back to the SEALs? I never really left.
I was on special leave.
That term is up.
Hey.
What? I don't know, I guess I just Guess I just thought since we were together-- I was gonna join you back at Division? Hey.
I dedicated my whole life to being a SEAL.
I can't just walk away from that.
It's who I am.
Yeah.
This has nothing to do with us.
Guess who.
Amanda's just made her latest move, an attack designed to expose Division while leaving no trace back to her.
Wait, Amanda? I thought this was about some analyst at the CIA.
Naomi Ceaver.
She's just a pawn.
Got a flash drive dead-dropped in her mailbox this morning.
With information about my mother? With information that could have only come from the Black Box.
- Amanda.
- Naomi said she thought she saw someone watching her, but it was a man, not a woman.
All right, what exactly is on this flash drive? Ten digital files, unredacted, linking former Senator Madeline Pierce to a secret black Ops unit called Division.
Why would Amanda leak this? If she wanted to expose us, she could just send the entire Black Box to The New York Times.
Why peel off a couple of files and filter it through the CIA? Where the hell are these damn files? Why are we not looking at them right now? Morgan Kendrick's got the flash drives.
We just gotta figure out pickup.
I guess you guys never heard of email down here? We can't risk sending Black Box files on the web.
Amanda knows that.
She knows that we have to send someone to pick it up.
We can't just waltz into the CIA.
It'd have to be done discreetly and-- Kendrick.
That's her move.
She's going after Kendrick.
- Kendrick? - He's the only person at the CIA who knows about Division.
He's committed to keeping it a secret.
He wouldn't just send some random agent out to deliver it.
It would have to be him.
Amanda targeting the Director of the CIA? That's a little crazy, even for her.
Amanda targeting our closest ally in the government-- it's not so crazy.
We need to get those files.
We will.
And if Amanda makes a move at the drop, we'll be ready for her.
The Director's a busy man.
High-profile.
We can arrange the drop during his normal schedule, under the nose of his own security team.
Tomorrow he's got an 0900 at the federal courthouse.
Nikita will run point.
On his way into the building, Kendrick will stop by the coffee cart and drop the drive into the tip jar.
We'll have undercover assets on every corner, scanning every possible threat in a three-block radius.
Counter-snipers on the surrounding rooftops will own the sightlines.
No person or vehicle gets within range of Kendrick without us having the drop on them first.
All units, be on alert.
Yeah.
Your mother was a good woman, Sean.
She didn't deserve to die.
Ryan.
Ryan.
I can't-- I can't tell what we missed.
We didn't miss anything.
Our screen was airtight.
This was an inside job.
We couldn't have protected against it.
Street cams.
We need to scrub them, erase any trace we were there.
We know who did this, and we can't tell the authorities that we know because they'll ask how we know and who the hell we are.
Psychological torture.
Amanda's specialty.
I agree.
She called me just before the strike to gloat.
The whole team's back? Where's Nikita? She's in medical.
Just cuts and bruises.
She's with Michael.
How the hell did this happen? - Working on that.
- Uh, guys? Looks like someone's already accessed the traffic cam servers around the bomb site.
FBI.
They're already checking.
No, before that.
This is a hack.
We've already been deleted from the scene.
Not all of us.
What the hell? That's not me.
I was in the truck.
Amanda grafted your face onto some other guy's body.
It's a digital mask.
We pulled the same gag on her last year in Moscow.
Payback.
You have to erase this.
This is bad.
And getting worse.
Shadowbot's been monitoring the FBI investigation.
Turns out a cellular call pinged off the local tower at 9:02 on the dot, the exact time of detonation.
The number is registered to Lieutenant Commander Sean Pierce.
Amanda called me.
I didn't call out.
She cloned your number and put you at the scene of the crime so you can't say your phone was stolen.
She's framing you for the assassination.
You did well, Mr.
Toyon.
I'm impressed.
Didn't tell me how loud that was gonna be.
You here to pay me? I am.
Who the hell is this guy? Clearly the same height and weight as Sean, selected for that reason.
Look, just see if you can pick him up on some of the other cameras, huh? I mean, she can't have hacked them all, right? Whoa, hey, dude, give me some space, please.
Ryan.
I'm sorry.
Kendrick was a friend.
And it hurts.
Yeah.
He gave the eulogy at my funeral.
I can't even go to his.
We're gonna make her pay.
Gotta be really careful in here.
System is swarming with Feds right now.
We don't have time for careful.
The Feds will not stop until they hang somebody for this, so we need to deliver them the guy behind the mask and write a cover story to match.
Turn Amanda's frame back on to her accomplice.
I can't do that unless we I.
D.
him.
Can't I.
D.
him, 'cause no one's seen his face.
One person might have.
The CIA analyst.
She said she saw a shady guy at the end of her street the day the drive was dropped off.
- Could be the same guy.
- Could be.
How do we find out? We ask her to describe him.
You want to make contact with a conspiracy theorist who's digging into Division? I made contact with you.
If this woman is anything like me, she's scared out of her mind right now.
I'm not gonna tell her I'm Division.
I'll approach as FBI.
It's gonna be hard to get you a Black Badge with all this heat going on.
I don't need it to get into Quantico.
I just need an icebreaker.
This could be our only lead to clear Sean.
Sources speaking under the condition of anonymity have named a person of interest in the public bombing: Lieutenant Commander Sean Pierce.
Authorities are seeking Pierce for immediate questioning in the matter.
Well, you wanted me here at Division.
I'm gonna get you out of this.
I promise.
You are a part of the family, like it or not.
I never signed up for this.
So technically, I'm on my own.
No way.
Not while I'm here.
Authorities are seeking Pierce for immediate questioning-- Naomi Ceaver? Special Agent Margaret Bishop, FBI.
I.
D.
Just got a couple questions for you, Naomi.
It shouldn't take too long.
Sorry about that.
I guess I'm a little on edge.
Totally understand.
You knew Morgan Kendrick pretty well.
Professionally.
He appreciated the value of a good analyst.
His secretary says that you were one of the last people to meet with him.
It wasn't a meeting.
I was dropping off some files for my section chief.
Oh, right.
You're on the Russia desk.
Mmhmm.
People in your office say that you have other interests.
Other interests? Conspiracy theories, shadow governments.
They say that you think that the Gates House attack was not the work of a domestic terrorist.
That's just a crazy theory.
Oh, I don't know.
Madeline Pierce survived that attack, but they got to her in the end, didn't they? You think that was a covert Black Ops group, operating within the government? I know that look.
That's the look I get at the Bureau when I spin my crazy theories.
Oh, no, I-I was just noticing-- Oh, this.
Yeah, this was last week.
Disagreement with a fugitive.
Look, Naomi, I don't wanna take up any more of your time.
I mean, my co-workers think it's a waste of time to be here talking to you anyway.
I gave Director Kendrick some files.
What? They were about Senator Pierce and her involvement in covert missions.
You're not wasting your time.
How did you get these files? They showed up in my mailbox.
- So you don't have a source.
- No.
But the day I found them, there was a man I had never seen before watching me from down the street.
Can you describe him? No, not really.
He was like a blend of all my brother's old roommates, kinda faceless.
But if you saw him again, you'd know? Yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Why? Let me try out one of my crazy theories, okay? I'll get back to you.
Thank you for your time.
Nice gun, by the way.
Thanks I think.
No, Pierce doesn't have a tracker.
He was never an official-- We are extending every resource, sir.
The second we find him, we'll bring him in.
That was Danforth, calling from the White House.
You could have at least told him that you think I didn't do it.
He's not worried about you.
He's worried about Division.
What? This investigation is raising questions that can't be un-asked, especially concerning your whereabouts during your leave.
I was all over the world on missions with you guys.
Exactly.
That's what Amanda wanted to begin with: Expose Division and watch us squirm.
And if Division gets exposed, she gets to watch us die or go to prison.
Okay, so we don't have a counterattack ready, but we need to make a move right now.
You're right.
You have to turn yourself in.
What? Just as a stopgap measure to buy time while we continue to find Amanda's accomplice and clear your name.
So he has to say he's guilty? No.
He turns himself over for questioning, just as any innocent man would do.
And what if they try to pin it on him? Without motive? Won't work.
We can't do this.
Sean isn't like us.
He has a record, a reputation, a career that he has spent his entire life building.
Not if I stay in the shadows.
Hey, come on, I'm on every news channel, Alex.
They've raided my apartment.
They're questioning my sisters, my teammates.
I mean, my reputation's already tarnished.
The longer I stay hidden, the guiltier I look.
You're actually thinking about going through with this? I'm innocent, remember? I got a whole secret agency trying to prove that.
And I believe if I take the heat off of them, they'll return the favor.
We will.
Sean.
I'm the guy you're looking for.
Freeze! - Get down on the ground! - Cuff him.
Reports from witnesses in the federal building indicate that Sean Pierce willingly surrendered himself.
How could you do this? This is exactly what Amanda wants.
- We didn't have a choice.
- Of course you did.
Nikita, they have no motive.
Amanda's planning something, trust me.
Look, it's not like we're sitting on our hands.
We're actively building the cover story to frame Amanda's accomplice.
We're building a cover story that paints the accomplice as a lone nutjob obsessed with Madeline Pierce conspiracies.
Once we find him, we plant it in his residence.
It'll explain why he went to such great lengths to frame the senator's son.
Bam.
That's what I'm talking about.
It's not exactly retina display, but I got a long lens shot from a liquor store.
It looks like he tossed his phone.
Somebody screwed the pooch.
Without gloves on.
Let's get a team down there, see if we can lift prints.
Fastest way to convince the Feds they got the wrong guy-- give 'em the right one.
Mr.
Pierce, you wanted to talk to us.
That's why I came in.
So far, you haven't said anything.
Sir, I have answered all your questions.
Not really.
I mean, you haven't explained why you left the SEALs or where you spend your days or where you were the afternoon that Director Kendrick was murdered.
I told you I was at my apartment, taking a nap.
Can anybody substantiate that? Not really.
Can anyone refute it? Fresh from the trash.
Let's see what we got here.
Ellis Toyon, convicted of-- grand theft auto? Just out on parole.
Not exactly top rung talent.
That's not like Amanda.
Take your breaks where you get 'em.
Well, let's try and confirm.
- Ceaver.
- Naomi.
Special Agent Bishop.
I'm sending a photo to your phone.
- That's him.
- You're sure? I'm sure.
I remember those eyes.
Who is he? You'll know when I know.
Thank you for picking up.
Wait.
How do I get in touch with you? I'll get in touch with you.
Because I called the Bureau, and they transferred me to your voice mail.
But when I contacted a supervisor at Hoover, he didn't have you on file.
I'm not working out of the D.
C.
office.
I'm liaising from Quantico.
Got it.
Which Division? What What are you getting at? It's just that That Black Ops group you mentioned? One of my theories is that they operate by impersonating other agencies, moving invisibly through the bureaucracy in order to cover their tracks.
It's a process known as Black Badging.
I'm familiar with the concept.
But can you imagine the amount of logistical support it would take to maintain that level of deception? Would have to have an entire floor of computer experts working around the clock.
Right.
Not very likely.
Look, Naomi, I think our focus should be on getting the real bad guys.
You're right.
I agree.
Girl is pushing it.
Our good friend Ellis may not have a reliable address, but he does have a new credit card with a charge for Chinese takeout one hour ago.
I got the delivery address.
Let's see if he wants dessert.
I know that smell.
- Amanda.
- Yeah.
She cleaned him.
Ugh.
Oh, God.
Just one question, Nikita.
Do you really think I'd have my operative drop his phone in the trash for you to find? Oh, this is what we're calling an operative nowadays? Well, when you don't have the best, you take what's available.
I taught you that, remember? What are you trying to teach us now? That every operative is disposable? Alex, how nice to hear your voice.
I think you're beginning to see that running Division is difficult work, work that requires hard choices, hard sacrifice.
First Michael's hand, now Sean's life.
Sean is a decorated soldier, and he's innocent.
Without motive, they can't charge him.
Very good.
So the problem is how we establish motive.
Turns out Sean was ordered to see a Navy psychiatrist after his mother's death.
The loss, combined with latent P.
T.
S.
D.
caused increasing levels of paranoia.
The doctor was meticulous.
He took copious notes on his digital recorder.
The notes prove Sean believed his mother was assassinated by the CIA in retaliation for reducing their funding.
So he plotted his revenge-- a car bomb for the director of the CIA, the same way they killed his mother.
Poetic justice.
So, Nikita, you did the right thing by throwing Sean to the FBI.
These are the sacrifices we make to protect Division.
Oh, and yes, Alex, the lesson is that every operative is disposable.
Sean Pierce, you have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you by the state.
Patient identifies two previous episodes of paranoia, the initial incident following the murder of his mother.
Voice stress analyzer registers well above normal.
Amanda was holding a gun to his head.
Gun that killed the doctor was a SOCOM .
45.
Weapon of choice for Navy SEALs.
There's gotta be a way we can scrub this.
It's too late for that.
What can they charge him with? Treason, domestic terrorism.
You're talking death penalty.
There's nothing we can do? There is.
We can do what we do best.
We take Sean from the law, and we bring him to Division The way I was brought in.
First, we gotta kill him.
Okay.
We have a twofold problem: Fake Sean's death and extract him.
Ideas? Well, faking his suicide won't work.
Can't hang himself in an interrogation room.
And slipping him poison will raise too many questions.
What about a "don't look, don't touch" gag.
I hacked their forensic lab's inventory.
There's a Russian informant who died of polonium poisoning currently on ice in the basement.
He's scheduled to be picked up by the CDC next week.
No one wants to be near radiation.
Don't look.
Don't touch.
That solves extraction.
Now for the other problem.
There's a third problem-- Sean.
Once he goes through this, there's no turning back.
We're making a decision without knowing it's what he really wants.
Briefing him in the middle of the FBI beehive is difficult.
Tenth floor is too hot to use a cover.
Yeah, and this ain't like Hong Kong when you were in holding and Sean played your lawyer.
What if we use a real lawyer? Alex, can you get in touch with Sean's sisters? Excuse me.
So sorry.
Anytime.
Mr.
Pierce? Thomas Leonard.
I've been retained by your sisters to represent you.
Take 'em off.
I'm sure you don't wanna be accused of obstructing attorney-client privileges.
Anytime now would suffice.
Thank you.
Quite the bind you're in.
Glad you noticed.
From your sisters.
They specifically asked that I have first word with you before reading it.
They said they want you to have the best legal counsel possible, the Alpha team, on your side.
Birkhoff, where are we with Sean? He's reading.
We're holding our breath.
My sisters sent this? Come on, man, first word.
First word of every sentence.
Article 134, it's right there in front of you.
What's article 134? Military violation.
Self-injury with intent to avoid service.
I'm not sure I'd get that.
That's 'cause you were never a SEAL.
Come on, man, the address is even wrong.
It's a dead giveaway.
I think I understand.
Good, because I couldn't make much sense of it.
They need to know if you agree.
We're on our way up.
Excuse me.
Could you point my in the direction of Special Agent Will Arnold? Mm, bullpen, near holding.
Is this a difficult decision? Yeah.
- Will Arnold.
- Yeah? Naomi Ceaver, CIA.
I need clearance to speak with Sean Pierce.
Well, stand in line.
You're gonna need higher clearance than that.
All due respect, sir, something much bigger is going on here.
Excuse me? Sean Pierce is just the tip of the iceberg, and he is not acting alone.
I have reason to believe there are other conspirators out there.
What is she doing here? Earning her Fletcher badge.
How's the kit? It's ready.
It's up to Sean now.
Sean? Sean, if you don't give me an answer, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to leave.
No.
No, no, no.
I think I've made up my mind.
Good.
And what shall I tell your sisters? Don't talk about my sisters.
Leave my sisters out of this! He's going for it.
Hey, hey! Aah! No, no.
Don't--don't do it.
Come on.
Don't.
Don't.
Stop! Aah! Get a medic.
Get a medic, go! Excuse me.
Put pressure on it.
Keep pressure on it.
He's losing blood.
We're gonna stop that right now.
Damn it! What's going on? He's reacting badly to the coagulant.
There's something wrong with the Defib.
Get him down to forensics.
I want a full autopsy by tomorrow morning.
I wanna know what went wrong here.
Excuse me.
Sean Pierce is dead.
You saw him die? He shot himself.
They tried to revive him, but he flatlined.
It may have been an allergic reaction to something in the med kit.
Get down to the forensics lab.
- Why? - He's not dead.
Nikita's trying to extract him.
Get down there.
Look, I have to maintain my cover.
What do you expect me to do? Kill Sean Pierce.
Again.
We're shipping out the glow stick.
The irradiated Russian? He's CDC's problem now.
Where is he? In containment.
I thought that was scheduled for Monday.
Well, you're welcome to hang on to him.
Might as well make room for the new guy.
This corpse is technically a biohazard, so we're gonna need full protection.
Which one of you would like to suit up? Real? Fine.
I'll wear the pajamas.
He's gonna be fine, but we have to get his vitals up right now.
Birkhoff, we're ready.
Okay.
Is he hooked up? He is now.
All right.
Start with the first vial, the blue one.
That's ethylmodine to counteract the toxin you gave him.
Two ccs.
Two ccs, got it.
Not a drop more.
This is a very delicate cocktail.
Too much too fast, we'll lose him for real.
Sonya, I'm moving the tag.
Due to an unfortunate paperwork snafu, the FBI has just shipped the wrong body to the CDC.
What are you doing? Naomi.
Stop right there.
And you, get away from him.
Sorry.
I can't do that.
Naomi, we're not your enemy.
Put the gun down, please.
Oh, this? It's not for you.
Stay with Sean! Gogol? One Black Badge deserves another.
How long? Five years in.
Birkhoff, he's seizing! Okay.
That last vial, how much did you get into him? I don't think any! He has no pulse.
All right.
Listen, Alex.
Focus.
He needs the rest of that cocktail.
You're in a med lab.
They gotta have the goods in there somewhere.
Nice shoes, actually.
Oh, thanks-- Come on.
Birkhoff, how much again? Two ccs.
- How fast? - Just keep it steady.
I'll count you down.
Go.
One Seven, eight.
That's it, stop.
That's enough.
Hey, Sonya, we need to add a Jane Doe to the forensics manifest.
Hey.
Mm.
Hey.
Try not to move too much.
It takes a while for that cocktail to wear off.
My sisters.
I have to call them.
You can't.
Why? Did they get hurt? What happened? They think you're dead, Sean.
The whole world thinks you're dead-- the FBI, the Navy.
Your funeral is on Wednesday.
This is insane.
I know.
This was your choice.
I fought so this could be your choice.
So to the world, I died a criminal? A traitor? When a new recruit wakes up in Division, they're told that their old life is over.
But they're offered a chance at a new one.
Maybe this new one can be something better.
I swore that when you and I took over Division that no new recruits would make the roster.
And I swore we wouldn't do any outside missions for the government.
But now with Kendrick gone, we've lost our buffer zone.
What do you mean? Kendrick was helping me get Danforth off our backs.
He was gonna shoulder some of the cases that were earmarked for us.
Now we gotta do 'em all.
Great.
So Birkhoff's right-- this is history repeating itself? This place is gonna keep running whether we want it to or not? What's wrong with that? Look Division is as good or as bad as the people running it.
We can do it right this time.
Division's always been illegal, like its agents.
Percy and Amanda would never admit that because we were the elite.
We were the best of the best.
Anything less wouldn't do.
If an agent was exposed on a mission, they were canceled.
If they got injured too badly, they were put down.
And if they formed relationships Amanda would never forgive that.
But you do.
And the people around here would take you over her any day.
Me, on the other hand Pure evil.
Oh, yeah, evil.
To the core.
Yeah, Percy's got nothing on you.
Nothing.
And your office, it's so much more intimidating without all those bronze bucking broncos.

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