Rubicon s01e05 Episode Script
Connect the Dots
Anything on those seven names? What are you doing here, ed? Helping you.
What about the names? There's only one name that concerns us Donald Bloom.
Does that mean anything to you? Who is he? He's ex-cia.
Black ops.
Anything else? Ed, are you all right? I'm fine invigorated, nose to the wind.
Donald Bloom he passed through Houston six times in the last year.
Why? I don't know.
I do know that two days ago, he flew from Nigeria, via brussels, to jfk.
He's in New York? Possibly, or he could be just about anywhere by now, including Houston.
Check the white papers.
You have access now.
The white papers anything to do with Houston, Texas.
Right.
Connect the dots.
Check the white papers.
(indistinct conversation) Sorry.
Uh, good morning.
Uh (Indistinct conversation) (Knocking) You and the rest of the team leaders have been ordered to attend Mrs.
spangler's annual charity event.
This year she's supporting "children's rights now.
" Maggie has all the information.
Please donate $250 each.
I can't afford $250.
Sure you can.
Sublingual herbs.
I have the immune system of a hydra.
What's your read on Tanya? I haven't given her much thought.
Am I missing something? She seems off.
Off? How? A plethora of late nights bleeding into morning.
Right.
Free-spirited type.
Free spirits can get too free with their spirits.
(Wry laugh) Then you have security risk, performance degradation Never forget the stakes.
I don't.
She's your responsibility; She is not your peer.
Right.
I'll talk to her.
You missed a button.
White papers.
(Beeping) Go ahead.
Make a left when you walk through the door.
(Beep, click) hi.
Uh, it's empty.
That's impossible.
Well, there's nothing in it.
Everything gets scanned.
Someone walked off with it? Well, I don't think it walked off all by itself.
(Line ringing) Mcnaughton, please.
Yuri popovich isn't breaking bread with George boeck because they're on the same amateur soccer team.
Well, we traded Tanya's firstborn to the bnd forverything they had on George, but since it's all in German, weon't have it till the end of the day.
So Yuri? It seems like Yuri is branching out from arms into drugs, specifically afghani heroin.
He's paying the uzbeks to keep the wheels greased, and dea thinks he's taken over an overland route.
Will: Well It's all a logical move for a Russian gangster, but it still doesn't explain what he's doing in Sofia with George boeck.
Tanya? Any ideas? (Clears throat) Who cares about Yuri? (Clears throat) Um, we knoexactly who and what Yuri is.
He's a criminal.
His business is crime, not terroris and George We don't know what the hell , other than what miles has dug up, which is: He's too rich and tocarel to be playing footsie th a rscrew Yuri.
Er.
We should put all our focus on geoe.
It's, um (Clears throat) We shoAll George,r focus all the time, 100%.
And if, while we're focused on George, Yuri sells a nuclear bo to oma bin laden? Are u prepared to live wi that? Re.
Yes.
Write it up.
Your analysis, wte it up why we should go all George, all the time.
I just gave you my analysis.
You gave me a speech, so if we're ing to make the move to all George, I think you should go upstairs and convince spangler.
You you want me to pitch spangler? Will, don't you think we suld work this as a team? It's Tanya's idea.
Let her take the credit.
Unle you were just blowing sure.
.
Happy to dit.
You are very well diversified.
Your investments in al estate energy are especially strong.
Stocks are down, obously, but rebnding.
Tom stayed away from the mortgage boo - wise man.
But I do think you should divest yourself of mrq alternatives.
Why? It's a bad investment, a real mey-loser.
Tom wanted me toave it.
As an asset.
It's notn asset unless it's sold.
Sell mrq? Yes.
Katherine, don't worry.
This represents a miniscule frtion of yo total worth.
Then I'll come to no harm if I keep it.
Anything else? No, that's it.
Why did Tom leave me mrq? James (Over phone): uh, mrq I-I've never heard of it.
Tom had a lot of play in over-the-counter ocks.
Jamarnold says it's uh, mrq I-I'a bad investment.
It.
Why would Tom leave me a bad investment two days before he kills himself? I have no idea, but if Arnold says it's a bad investment, it's a bad investment.
Just get rid of it.
Donald Bloom, please.
Donald Bloom, please.
Donald Bloom.
B-l-l b-l-o-o-m.
You sure? How about don Bloom? (Doorbell rings) Hey, will.
Ed.
Come on in.
Might want to get out of the way.
It's a large pepperoni and mushroom.
Uh-huh.
He's here, all right.
Who is? Bloom.
He's in New York City.
He's staying at the Waldorf.
How the hell do you know that? I made some phone calls.
Did you call every hotel in the city? I got lucky.
I started from "z.
" What's he look like? (Grunts) I've never seen him before.
There's beer in the fridge.
One thing I can tell you, he's confident.
He's staying under his own name.
A little bit of hubris.
A chink in the armor.
The ancient greeks believed hubris comes about when men think they can behave like gods.
It's what we do.
It's in our nature.
And it destroys us.
I found four white papers relating to Houston in the api library.
One of 'em was written by David.
And somebody stole it.
Stolen? Mm.
This keeps circling back to api.
Mm.
What are you going to do next? Follow Bloom.
See where he leads me.
What do you want me to do? Wait.
Teacher of mine used to say our job was to find the dots, then connect the dots, then understand the dots.
We're still looking for the dots, and my sitting here in this house isn't gonna help us find much of anything.
The dots are out there in the world, or in the bits and pieces of information; the thousands of signs and symbols that we can pull out of raw data.
A man waiting for a bus in caracas.
A woman buying vegetables in an algerian market.
Teenagers fornicating in a liverpool basement.
What's the connection? What's the narrative? (Horns honking, crowd chatter) Excuse me.
Uh, can you take a picture for us? Just right there.
Thank you.
Come on.
it's good to see you.
Good to see you.
So Thanks for the gig.
Glad to help.
Your man is a little testy.
My man's a little brilliant.
Well, he's got us running around the globe stitching together this very complicated operation that's You troll your side of the River, I'll troll mine.
Got it.
You look good.
Nah, I'm fat.
No, yore not.
Yeah, I am.
Plus, my back hurts, and my knees crack every time I stand up, and My hair.
I started losing my hair a couple years ago.
I was in Finland.
I thought it was the water.
It wasn't.
You alone these days? Yeah.
Yeah, I find it simplifies things.
You? Various delights.
Lucky you.
Yeah, I generally have to pay for my pleasures.
You know, I want to tell you that sometimes, uh late at night, when I'm alone, feeling sorry for myself, I think of you And those, well, the old days in beirut.
I even have a photograph somewhere of you sitting on a balcony, sipping a cup of coffee.
Great big grin on your face.
We were killing people, Donny.
Yeah.
That was half the fun.
What is it? This conversation doesn't leave the room.
Of course not.
I, uh I need you to tell me everything you know about kale ingram.
Well, uh What do you mean? I know he's former CIA, worked at api a long time.
I think he's an ops guy, recruited by spangler.
What else? I don't know.
Um I think he's from Ohio.
I know he has family there.
What about David? Has he ever said anything about David? What do you mean? Will, what's wrong? Hmm? Did something happen? No.
I don't know.
Will, tell me, please.
I can't.
It's complicated.
(Knocking on door) Are you sure the David hadas loose ends have been neatly tied up? You know something I don't? I do not.
Yes.
Loose ends have been nicely tied up.
Thank you.
You, um Lined up the team leaders for my wife's charity event? Every last one of them.
You're coming, too, aren't you? Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
(Laughs) Miriam will be pleased.
Forgive her.
After all, she has to put up with me.
Yes.
With organized crime, except in a tangential way, to fill in an operational weakness.
Except in the balkans.
Right.
But that was part of a large scale military conflict.
Um (Papers shuffling) Well, uh, George boeck, on the other hand, is the critical element in the equation, and the kind of financial linchpin that U.
S.
intelligence has traditionally ignored in favor of operational players.
He represents You can't call the guy a linchpin on the basis of one photograph.
Well, that's not the only Linchpin equals hypothesis.
You got bubkes for proof.
Just don't call him a linchpin.
George boeck is a well-educated, westernized muslim with the right profile and resources to play the kind of pivotal role in a sophisticated Speculation.
Miles: Look, Tanya, I hate George, but even I'm not convinced.
Should I even bother to finish? Strip down your argument to the basics.
Build out from there.
Go ahead.
From the beginning.
(Sighs) (Whirring) No.
What? Whatever it is, no.
How long have we known each other? Too long.
It'll be five years this October.
That's a substantial friendship, hal.
My name's not hal.
Who introduced you to your wife? You didn't introduce us.
You just happened to be standing next to her in the cafeteria.
I took you by the shoulders, planted you in front of her, and said, "talk to her.
" Hmm? All right.
What's up? I need an agency-wide cross-reference search.
The whole database? Whole database.
(Clears throat) Who or what? Donald Bloom.
And kale ingram.
(Computer chiming) (Chirp) Huh.
What is it? It's some kind of CIA case file number.
And it's got the highest security rating.
Can you open it? The minute I open it, they'll know.
They'll be an automatic trace.
Do you want that? Thanks.
(Footsteps approaching) (Sighs) Sorry.
You looking for me? I was No.
Just coming up to clear my head.
I'll leave you to it.
You let grant and miles slaughter me.
You think spangler's gonna be any easier? You're setting me up to fail.
All right, if-if you don't think you can handle this, let me I didn't say that.
No.
I just I think you're right.
I think George is the nexus of something big, and-and, and-and focusing on him is gonna get us somewhere.
Would it have killed you to say that in the room? There's two types of fear.
There's the type that makes us work harder, that-that drives us; We dig deeper.
There's the kind that makes my heart come up in my throat and it makes me at the cost of my own sanity look for answers, because, damn me to hell, I-I can't let up in this one.
That's good fear.
The bad fear is the kind that makes us stop working.
Paralyzes us.
Makes us stay in bed all day and hide.
Bad fear doesn't make you a bad person.
It just means you shouldn't be working here.
(Doorbell buzzes) (Doorbell buzzes) (Doorknob squeaks) (Door squeaking) Ed? Hey, ed? Ed: Be right there.
(Ed clears his throat, sniffles, grunts) What is all this? (Chuckles) Dots connected, my friend.
Dots connected.
The synopsis of the synopsis.
Donald Bloom worked for the CIA.
The CIA launched an operation in June of 1983 to assassinate hezbollah leaders and financiers.
This was in retaliation for hezbollah's suicide bombing of the marine barracks in beirut, one week earlier.
The go-code to begin the operation was a crossword puzzle published in various international newspapers and written by me.
Bloom traveled from Nigeria to jfk a mere three days ago.
Bloom has recently spent an inordinate amount of time in Houston, so, among other things, we can now place Bloom in the middle East and in Houston and in Nigeria.
What do they all have in common? Oil.
If the 1983 code was for assassinations, and Bloom was an assassin, then we can deduce that, very soon, Bloom is going assassinate someone in either Nigeria or Houston, who has something to do with oil.
Oh, by the way, is it a coincidence that Bloom flew into jfk? Ed, maybe we should just call it a night.
Ah, no, no, no, I'm not finished.
The crossword puzzles you found have to contain go-codes ordering one or more assassinations.
That just stands to reason Ed Which brings us back to Nigeria, beirut, Houston and the CIA.
Jfk was assassinated in Dallas, of course, but still, that's Texas, another oil-rich region, and even though beirut has no oil, it sits in the middle of an oil-rich region, and is, in fact, the banking capital of the aforementioned oil-rich region.
Ed, we g the wrong Donald Bloom.
What? It's not him.
He's not the guy in the picture.
I checked it out.
He's an 18-year-old, an engineering student from Oregon.
There's no oil in Oregon.
No, there isn't.
So here's what we're going to do.
We are going to stand down, because we have both gone way overboard.
And it ends right here.
Tonight.
You hear me? You understand me? Ed? (Sighs) David was my best friend.
I know.
(Voice breaking): best friend Traditionally, islamo-fascist networks have not allied with organized crime, except in a tangential way, to fill in an operational weakness.
Except in the balkans.
Right.
But that was part of a large scale military conflict.
Um (Papers shuffling) Well, uh, George boeck, on the other hand, is the critical element in the equation, and the kind of financial linchpin that U.
S.
intelligence has traditionally ignored in favor of operational players.
He represents You can't call the guy a linchpin on the basis of one photograph.
Well, that's not the only Linchpin equals hypothesis.
You got bubkes for proof.
Just don't call him a linchpin.
George boeck is a well-educated, westernized muslim with the right profile and resources to play the kind of pivotal role in a sophisticated Speculation.
Miles: Look, Tanya, I hate George, but even I'm not convinced.
Should I even bother to finish? Strip down your argument to the basics.
Build out from there.
Go ahead.
From the beginning.
(Sighs) (Whirring) No.
What? Whatever it is, no.
How long have we known each other? Too long.
It'll be five years this October.
That's a substantial friendship, hal.
My name's not hal.
Who introduced you to your wife? You didn't introduce us.
You just happened to be standing next to her in the cafeteria.
I took you by the shoulders, planted you in front of her, and said, "talk to her.
" Hmm? All right.
What's up? I need an agency-wide cross-reference search.
The whole database? Whole database.
(Clears throat) Who or what? Donald Bloom.
And kale ingram.
(Computer chiming) (Chirp) Huh.
What is it? It's some kind of CIA case file number.
And it's got the highest security rating.
Can you open it? The minute I open it, they'll know.
They'll be an automatic trace.
Do you want that? Thanks.
(Footsteps approaching) (Sighs) Sorry.
You looking for me? I was No.
Just coming up to clear my head.
I'll leave you to it.
You let grant and miles slaughter me.
You think spangler's gonna be any easier? You're setting me up to fail.
All right, if-if you don't think you can handle this, let me I didn't say that.
No.
I just I think you're right.
I think George is the nexus of something big, and-and, and-and focusing on him is gonna get us somewhere.
Would it have killed you to say that in the room? There's two types of fear.
There's the type that makes us work harder, that-that drives us; We dig deeper.
There's the kind that makes my heart come up in my throat and it makes me at the cost of my own sanity look for answers, because, damn me to hell, I-I can't let up in this one.
That's good fear.
The bad fear is the kind that makes us stop working.
Paralyzes us.
Makes us stay in bed all day and hide.
Bad fear doesn't make you a bad person.
It just means you shouldn't be working here.
(Doorbell buzzes) (Doorbell buzzes) (Doorknob squeaks) (Door squeaking) Ed? Hey, ed? Ed: Be right there.
(Ed clears his throat, sniffles, grunts) What is all this? (Chuckles) Dots connected, my friend.
Dots connected.
The synopsis of the synopsis.
Donald Bloom worked for the CIA.
The CIA launched an operation in June of 1983 to assassinate hezbollah leaders and financiers.
This was in retaliation for hezbollah's suicide bombing of the marine barracks in beirut, one week earlier.
The go-code to begin the operation was a crossword puzzle published in various international newspapers and written by me.
Bloom traveled from Nigeria to jfk a mere three days ago.
Bloom has recently spent an inordinate amount of time in Houston, so, among other things, we can now place Bloom in the middle East and in Houston and in Nigeria.
What do they all have in common? Oil.
If the 1983 code was for assassinations, and Bloom was an assassin, then we can deduce that, very soon, Bloom is going assassinate someone in either Nigeria or Houston, who has something to do with oil.
Oh, by the way, is it a coincidence that Bloom flew into jfk? Ed, maybe we should just call it a night.
Ah, no, no, no, I'm not finished.
The crossword puzzles you found have to contain go-codes ordering one or more assassinations.
That just stands to reason Ed Which brings us back to Nigeria, beirut, Houston and the CIA.
Jfk was assassinated in Dallas, of course, but still, that's Texas, another oil-rich region, and even though beirut has no oil, it sits in the middle of an oil-rich region, and is, in fact, the banking capital of the aforementioned oil-rich region.
Ed, we g the wrong Donald Bloom.
What? It's not him.
He's not the guy in the picture.
I checked it out.
He's an 18-year-old, an engineering student from Oregon.
There's no oil in Oregon.
No, there isn't.
So here's what we're going to do.
We are going to stand down, because we have both gone way overboard.
And it ends right here.
Tonight.
You hear me? You understand me? Ed? (Sighs) David was my best friend.
I know.
(Voice breaking): best friend (Crying): In the world.
(Sobbing) Oh.
I'm sorry.
Please.
Thank you.
Vodka on the rocks.
Can you make that two? Bartender: Yes.
Thank you.
Whew.
Social lubricant.
How do I justify the ones I drink alone? Oh, I call those oxygen.
Oh.
I'll remember that.
Katherine rhumor.
Will travers.
Will.
(Indistinct conversation, jazz playing) (Slow jazz playing) Spangler: Remember the Maine, James.
We have no choice.
If we don't do it, who who will? Will.
Will (Laughs) Come in, come in.
(Quiet laugh) I'd like you to meet two of my oldest and dearest friends.
James Wheeler, r.
C.
Gilbert, Hmm? Hi, will.
Will.
Hi.
Spangler: Will is one of the sharpest tools in my toolbox.
(Laughs) Don't know what I'd do without him.
You enjoying the party? Very much.
Thank you.
Mm.
Liar.
(Laughs) If you see my wife, tell her I love her, Hmm? It was nice meeting you.
(Jazz playing) Sorry I'm late for the shindig, truxton.
As long as you leave a donation.
With my love for Miriam.
(Sighs) (Sighs) The squalls have been shipped.
They'll be on-site in a week.
God bless you and your Harvard doctorate.
Give the man a drink.
(Classical music playing) Music, merriment what more could one ask for? Donald Bloom is an old friend of mine.
Donald Bloom? You saw us having lunch.
Oh, right.
Sorry, I di I didn't mean to intrude.
You didn't.
You scurried away.
I don't know why, I I was embarrassed for some reason.
You just happened to be in that restaurant.
I like the prawns.
I strongly suggest you stick to the analysis side of things.
I would hate to see you involved in any mayhem.
(Classical piece ends; Applause and cheering) George boeck is a rich man with an impeccable reputation.
It is implausible to believe that he has become involved with a known organized crime figure simply for financial gain.
This suggests his motivation is either ideological or emotional.
Either one ought to concern us.
This man is educated, well-traveled, and sympathetic to the cause, uh, exactly the kind of semi-westernized muslim mm-mm-mm! Who has proven Proven most, um Lethal in the past.
He has the means and he has the connections.
Simply put, he is exactly the sort of figure al qaeda ought to recruit.
This leaves only two possibilities: Either we have identified him before they have or we're already one step behind.
Done.
Sir? Drop Yuri, go all-out for George.
What's the next step? His son's wedding in three days.
We need full audio and video surveillance.
I'll call NSA.
Kale, you take point and get them the, the, the Sigint.
Sigint they need, Hmm? Thank you.
(Rock music playing in distance) (Music continues) Alright.
Alright.
What have you got? Will: We are going to stand down because we have both gone way overboard, and it ends right here.
Tonight.
When was this? Last night.
Concentrate on Katherine rhumor.
(Children shouting playfully) (intercom beeps) Woman (Over p.
A.
): Kyle, pick up line four.
It's about the button.
Good afternoon.
Hello.
Uh, I'm Katherine rhumor.
Who's in charge here? Uh, I am.
Uh Mrs.
rhumor.
Hi.
Hi.
What can I do for you? Uh, can I have a word with you in my husband's office? Of course.
Uh, this way.
Appreciate it.
What's your name? Harold almyer.
This it? Well, yeah, he, uh, he didn't come here much.
I only saw him once or twice.
(Intercom beeps) Woman (Over p.
A.
): Joey, your wife is on the phone.
Joey, please pick up.
Your wife is on the phone line one.
Uh, what exactly does mrq alternatives do? We make clothes we used to make clothes not very successfully, I'm afraid.
I, uh, I think I'd like to be alone.
Of course.
I'll be right outside.
(Intercom beeps) (Indistinct announcement over p.
A.
) Please pick up on line two.
(Announcement continues over intercom) Y, Harold? Do you have the combination for this lock? Um, I'm sorry, that's Mr.
rhumor's private files.
I don't know the combination.
You got it.
How'd you know? Anniversary.
Thank you, Harold.
(Knocking) Enter.
You ever wonder what life was like before electricity? Just us and the elements.
So much darkness.
So many shadows.
Dispelled with the flick of a switch.
Tanya did well.
She's a good analyst.
(Sighs) This just arrived from mi-5.
One of their surveillance outfits in amman.
The fellow there with George is ashtad madari, the main money man for iranian intelligence.
He supplies hezbollah and other terrorist groups with the means for their nastiness.
Seems like your girl was way ahead of the curve.
Mm-hmm.
I'm gonna have to put her name on the list for the next round of drug tests.
(Wry laugh) As you see fit.
(Sighs) You find out what George is up to, will, before it's too late.
Good night.
(clattering)
What about the names? There's only one name that concerns us Donald Bloom.
Does that mean anything to you? Who is he? He's ex-cia.
Black ops.
Anything else? Ed, are you all right? I'm fine invigorated, nose to the wind.
Donald Bloom he passed through Houston six times in the last year.
Why? I don't know.
I do know that two days ago, he flew from Nigeria, via brussels, to jfk.
He's in New York? Possibly, or he could be just about anywhere by now, including Houston.
Check the white papers.
You have access now.
The white papers anything to do with Houston, Texas.
Right.
Connect the dots.
Check the white papers.
(indistinct conversation) Sorry.
Uh, good morning.
Uh (Indistinct conversation) (Knocking) You and the rest of the team leaders have been ordered to attend Mrs.
spangler's annual charity event.
This year she's supporting "children's rights now.
" Maggie has all the information.
Please donate $250 each.
I can't afford $250.
Sure you can.
Sublingual herbs.
I have the immune system of a hydra.
What's your read on Tanya? I haven't given her much thought.
Am I missing something? She seems off.
Off? How? A plethora of late nights bleeding into morning.
Right.
Free-spirited type.
Free spirits can get too free with their spirits.
(Wry laugh) Then you have security risk, performance degradation Never forget the stakes.
I don't.
She's your responsibility; She is not your peer.
Right.
I'll talk to her.
You missed a button.
White papers.
(Beeping) Go ahead.
Make a left when you walk through the door.
(Beep, click) hi.
Uh, it's empty.
That's impossible.
Well, there's nothing in it.
Everything gets scanned.
Someone walked off with it? Well, I don't think it walked off all by itself.
(Line ringing) Mcnaughton, please.
Yuri popovich isn't breaking bread with George boeck because they're on the same amateur soccer team.
Well, we traded Tanya's firstborn to the bnd forverything they had on George, but since it's all in German, weon't have it till the end of the day.
So Yuri? It seems like Yuri is branching out from arms into drugs, specifically afghani heroin.
He's paying the uzbeks to keep the wheels greased, and dea thinks he's taken over an overland route.
Will: Well It's all a logical move for a Russian gangster, but it still doesn't explain what he's doing in Sofia with George boeck.
Tanya? Any ideas? (Clears throat) Who cares about Yuri? (Clears throat) Um, we knoexactly who and what Yuri is.
He's a criminal.
His business is crime, not terroris and George We don't know what the hell , other than what miles has dug up, which is: He's too rich and tocarel to be playing footsie th a rscrew Yuri.
Er.
We should put all our focus on geoe.
It's, um (Clears throat) We shoAll George,r focus all the time, 100%.
And if, while we're focused on George, Yuri sells a nuclear bo to oma bin laden? Are u prepared to live wi that? Re.
Yes.
Write it up.
Your analysis, wte it up why we should go all George, all the time.
I just gave you my analysis.
You gave me a speech, so if we're ing to make the move to all George, I think you should go upstairs and convince spangler.
You you want me to pitch spangler? Will, don't you think we suld work this as a team? It's Tanya's idea.
Let her take the credit.
Unle you were just blowing sure.
.
Happy to dit.
You are very well diversified.
Your investments in al estate energy are especially strong.
Stocks are down, obously, but rebnding.
Tom stayed away from the mortgage boo - wise man.
But I do think you should divest yourself of mrq alternatives.
Why? It's a bad investment, a real mey-loser.
Tom wanted me toave it.
As an asset.
It's notn asset unless it's sold.
Sell mrq? Yes.
Katherine, don't worry.
This represents a miniscule frtion of yo total worth.
Then I'll come to no harm if I keep it.
Anything else? No, that's it.
Why did Tom leave me mrq? James (Over phone): uh, mrq I-I've never heard of it.
Tom had a lot of play in over-the-counter ocks.
Jamarnold says it's uh, mrq I-I'a bad investment.
It.
Why would Tom leave me a bad investment two days before he kills himself? I have no idea, but if Arnold says it's a bad investment, it's a bad investment.
Just get rid of it.
Donald Bloom, please.
Donald Bloom, please.
Donald Bloom.
B-l-l b-l-o-o-m.
You sure? How about don Bloom? (Doorbell rings) Hey, will.
Ed.
Come on in.
Might want to get out of the way.
It's a large pepperoni and mushroom.
Uh-huh.
He's here, all right.
Who is? Bloom.
He's in New York City.
He's staying at the Waldorf.
How the hell do you know that? I made some phone calls.
Did you call every hotel in the city? I got lucky.
I started from "z.
" What's he look like? (Grunts) I've never seen him before.
There's beer in the fridge.
One thing I can tell you, he's confident.
He's staying under his own name.
A little bit of hubris.
A chink in the armor.
The ancient greeks believed hubris comes about when men think they can behave like gods.
It's what we do.
It's in our nature.
And it destroys us.
I found four white papers relating to Houston in the api library.
One of 'em was written by David.
And somebody stole it.
Stolen? Mm.
This keeps circling back to api.
Mm.
What are you going to do next? Follow Bloom.
See where he leads me.
What do you want me to do? Wait.
Teacher of mine used to say our job was to find the dots, then connect the dots, then understand the dots.
We're still looking for the dots, and my sitting here in this house isn't gonna help us find much of anything.
The dots are out there in the world, or in the bits and pieces of information; the thousands of signs and symbols that we can pull out of raw data.
A man waiting for a bus in caracas.
A woman buying vegetables in an algerian market.
Teenagers fornicating in a liverpool basement.
What's the connection? What's the narrative? (Horns honking, crowd chatter) Excuse me.
Uh, can you take a picture for us? Just right there.
Thank you.
Come on.
it's good to see you.
Good to see you.
So Thanks for the gig.
Glad to help.
Your man is a little testy.
My man's a little brilliant.
Well, he's got us running around the globe stitching together this very complicated operation that's You troll your side of the River, I'll troll mine.
Got it.
You look good.
Nah, I'm fat.
No, yore not.
Yeah, I am.
Plus, my back hurts, and my knees crack every time I stand up, and My hair.
I started losing my hair a couple years ago.
I was in Finland.
I thought it was the water.
It wasn't.
You alone these days? Yeah.
Yeah, I find it simplifies things.
You? Various delights.
Lucky you.
Yeah, I generally have to pay for my pleasures.
You know, I want to tell you that sometimes, uh late at night, when I'm alone, feeling sorry for myself, I think of you And those, well, the old days in beirut.
I even have a photograph somewhere of you sitting on a balcony, sipping a cup of coffee.
Great big grin on your face.
We were killing people, Donny.
Yeah.
That was half the fun.
What is it? This conversation doesn't leave the room.
Of course not.
I, uh I need you to tell me everything you know about kale ingram.
Well, uh What do you mean? I know he's former CIA, worked at api a long time.
I think he's an ops guy, recruited by spangler.
What else? I don't know.
Um I think he's from Ohio.
I know he has family there.
What about David? Has he ever said anything about David? What do you mean? Will, what's wrong? Hmm? Did something happen? No.
I don't know.
Will, tell me, please.
I can't.
It's complicated.
(Knocking on door) Are you sure the David hadas loose ends have been neatly tied up? You know something I don't? I do not.
Yes.
Loose ends have been nicely tied up.
Thank you.
You, um Lined up the team leaders for my wife's charity event? Every last one of them.
You're coming, too, aren't you? Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
(Laughs) Miriam will be pleased.
Forgive her.
After all, she has to put up with me.
Yes.
With organized crime, except in a tangential way, to fill in an operational weakness.
Except in the balkans.
Right.
But that was part of a large scale military conflict.
Um (Papers shuffling) Well, uh, George boeck, on the other hand, is the critical element in the equation, and the kind of financial linchpin that U.
S.
intelligence has traditionally ignored in favor of operational players.
He represents You can't call the guy a linchpin on the basis of one photograph.
Well, that's not the only Linchpin equals hypothesis.
You got bubkes for proof.
Just don't call him a linchpin.
George boeck is a well-educated, westernized muslim with the right profile and resources to play the kind of pivotal role in a sophisticated Speculation.
Miles: Look, Tanya, I hate George, but even I'm not convinced.
Should I even bother to finish? Strip down your argument to the basics.
Build out from there.
Go ahead.
From the beginning.
(Sighs) (Whirring) No.
What? Whatever it is, no.
How long have we known each other? Too long.
It'll be five years this October.
That's a substantial friendship, hal.
My name's not hal.
Who introduced you to your wife? You didn't introduce us.
You just happened to be standing next to her in the cafeteria.
I took you by the shoulders, planted you in front of her, and said, "talk to her.
" Hmm? All right.
What's up? I need an agency-wide cross-reference search.
The whole database? Whole database.
(Clears throat) Who or what? Donald Bloom.
And kale ingram.
(Computer chiming) (Chirp) Huh.
What is it? It's some kind of CIA case file number.
And it's got the highest security rating.
Can you open it? The minute I open it, they'll know.
They'll be an automatic trace.
Do you want that? Thanks.
(Footsteps approaching) (Sighs) Sorry.
You looking for me? I was No.
Just coming up to clear my head.
I'll leave you to it.
You let grant and miles slaughter me.
You think spangler's gonna be any easier? You're setting me up to fail.
All right, if-if you don't think you can handle this, let me I didn't say that.
No.
I just I think you're right.
I think George is the nexus of something big, and-and, and-and focusing on him is gonna get us somewhere.
Would it have killed you to say that in the room? There's two types of fear.
There's the type that makes us work harder, that-that drives us; We dig deeper.
There's the kind that makes my heart come up in my throat and it makes me at the cost of my own sanity look for answers, because, damn me to hell, I-I can't let up in this one.
That's good fear.
The bad fear is the kind that makes us stop working.
Paralyzes us.
Makes us stay in bed all day and hide.
Bad fear doesn't make you a bad person.
It just means you shouldn't be working here.
(Doorbell buzzes) (Doorbell buzzes) (Doorknob squeaks) (Door squeaking) Ed? Hey, ed? Ed: Be right there.
(Ed clears his throat, sniffles, grunts) What is all this? (Chuckles) Dots connected, my friend.
Dots connected.
The synopsis of the synopsis.
Donald Bloom worked for the CIA.
The CIA launched an operation in June of 1983 to assassinate hezbollah leaders and financiers.
This was in retaliation for hezbollah's suicide bombing of the marine barracks in beirut, one week earlier.
The go-code to begin the operation was a crossword puzzle published in various international newspapers and written by me.
Bloom traveled from Nigeria to jfk a mere three days ago.
Bloom has recently spent an inordinate amount of time in Houston, so, among other things, we can now place Bloom in the middle East and in Houston and in Nigeria.
What do they all have in common? Oil.
If the 1983 code was for assassinations, and Bloom was an assassin, then we can deduce that, very soon, Bloom is going assassinate someone in either Nigeria or Houston, who has something to do with oil.
Oh, by the way, is it a coincidence that Bloom flew into jfk? Ed, maybe we should just call it a night.
Ah, no, no, no, I'm not finished.
The crossword puzzles you found have to contain go-codes ordering one or more assassinations.
That just stands to reason Ed Which brings us back to Nigeria, beirut, Houston and the CIA.
Jfk was assassinated in Dallas, of course, but still, that's Texas, another oil-rich region, and even though beirut has no oil, it sits in the middle of an oil-rich region, and is, in fact, the banking capital of the aforementioned oil-rich region.
Ed, we g the wrong Donald Bloom.
What? It's not him.
He's not the guy in the picture.
I checked it out.
He's an 18-year-old, an engineering student from Oregon.
There's no oil in Oregon.
No, there isn't.
So here's what we're going to do.
We are going to stand down, because we have both gone way overboard.
And it ends right here.
Tonight.
You hear me? You understand me? Ed? (Sighs) David was my best friend.
I know.
(Voice breaking): best friend Traditionally, islamo-fascist networks have not allied with organized crime, except in a tangential way, to fill in an operational weakness.
Except in the balkans.
Right.
But that was part of a large scale military conflict.
Um (Papers shuffling) Well, uh, George boeck, on the other hand, is the critical element in the equation, and the kind of financial linchpin that U.
S.
intelligence has traditionally ignored in favor of operational players.
He represents You can't call the guy a linchpin on the basis of one photograph.
Well, that's not the only Linchpin equals hypothesis.
You got bubkes for proof.
Just don't call him a linchpin.
George boeck is a well-educated, westernized muslim with the right profile and resources to play the kind of pivotal role in a sophisticated Speculation.
Miles: Look, Tanya, I hate George, but even I'm not convinced.
Should I even bother to finish? Strip down your argument to the basics.
Build out from there.
Go ahead.
From the beginning.
(Sighs) (Whirring) No.
What? Whatever it is, no.
How long have we known each other? Too long.
It'll be five years this October.
That's a substantial friendship, hal.
My name's not hal.
Who introduced you to your wife? You didn't introduce us.
You just happened to be standing next to her in the cafeteria.
I took you by the shoulders, planted you in front of her, and said, "talk to her.
" Hmm? All right.
What's up? I need an agency-wide cross-reference search.
The whole database? Whole database.
(Clears throat) Who or what? Donald Bloom.
And kale ingram.
(Computer chiming) (Chirp) Huh.
What is it? It's some kind of CIA case file number.
And it's got the highest security rating.
Can you open it? The minute I open it, they'll know.
They'll be an automatic trace.
Do you want that? Thanks.
(Footsteps approaching) (Sighs) Sorry.
You looking for me? I was No.
Just coming up to clear my head.
I'll leave you to it.
You let grant and miles slaughter me.
You think spangler's gonna be any easier? You're setting me up to fail.
All right, if-if you don't think you can handle this, let me I didn't say that.
No.
I just I think you're right.
I think George is the nexus of something big, and-and, and-and focusing on him is gonna get us somewhere.
Would it have killed you to say that in the room? There's two types of fear.
There's the type that makes us work harder, that-that drives us; We dig deeper.
There's the kind that makes my heart come up in my throat and it makes me at the cost of my own sanity look for answers, because, damn me to hell, I-I can't let up in this one.
That's good fear.
The bad fear is the kind that makes us stop working.
Paralyzes us.
Makes us stay in bed all day and hide.
Bad fear doesn't make you a bad person.
It just means you shouldn't be working here.
(Doorbell buzzes) (Doorbell buzzes) (Doorknob squeaks) (Door squeaking) Ed? Hey, ed? Ed: Be right there.
(Ed clears his throat, sniffles, grunts) What is all this? (Chuckles) Dots connected, my friend.
Dots connected.
The synopsis of the synopsis.
Donald Bloom worked for the CIA.
The CIA launched an operation in June of 1983 to assassinate hezbollah leaders and financiers.
This was in retaliation for hezbollah's suicide bombing of the marine barracks in beirut, one week earlier.
The go-code to begin the operation was a crossword puzzle published in various international newspapers and written by me.
Bloom traveled from Nigeria to jfk a mere three days ago.
Bloom has recently spent an inordinate amount of time in Houston, so, among other things, we can now place Bloom in the middle East and in Houston and in Nigeria.
What do they all have in common? Oil.
If the 1983 code was for assassinations, and Bloom was an assassin, then we can deduce that, very soon, Bloom is going assassinate someone in either Nigeria or Houston, who has something to do with oil.
Oh, by the way, is it a coincidence that Bloom flew into jfk? Ed, maybe we should just call it a night.
Ah, no, no, no, I'm not finished.
The crossword puzzles you found have to contain go-codes ordering one or more assassinations.
That just stands to reason Ed Which brings us back to Nigeria, beirut, Houston and the CIA.
Jfk was assassinated in Dallas, of course, but still, that's Texas, another oil-rich region, and even though beirut has no oil, it sits in the middle of an oil-rich region, and is, in fact, the banking capital of the aforementioned oil-rich region.
Ed, we g the wrong Donald Bloom.
What? It's not him.
He's not the guy in the picture.
I checked it out.
He's an 18-year-old, an engineering student from Oregon.
There's no oil in Oregon.
No, there isn't.
So here's what we're going to do.
We are going to stand down, because we have both gone way overboard.
And it ends right here.
Tonight.
You hear me? You understand me? Ed? (Sighs) David was my best friend.
I know.
(Voice breaking): best friend (Crying): In the world.
(Sobbing) Oh.
I'm sorry.
Please.
Thank you.
Vodka on the rocks.
Can you make that two? Bartender: Yes.
Thank you.
Whew.
Social lubricant.
How do I justify the ones I drink alone? Oh, I call those oxygen.
Oh.
I'll remember that.
Katherine rhumor.
Will travers.
Will.
(Indistinct conversation, jazz playing) (Slow jazz playing) Spangler: Remember the Maine, James.
We have no choice.
If we don't do it, who who will? Will.
Will (Laughs) Come in, come in.
(Quiet laugh) I'd like you to meet two of my oldest and dearest friends.
James Wheeler, r.
C.
Gilbert, Hmm? Hi, will.
Will.
Hi.
Spangler: Will is one of the sharpest tools in my toolbox.
(Laughs) Don't know what I'd do without him.
You enjoying the party? Very much.
Thank you.
Mm.
Liar.
(Laughs) If you see my wife, tell her I love her, Hmm? It was nice meeting you.
(Jazz playing) Sorry I'm late for the shindig, truxton.
As long as you leave a donation.
With my love for Miriam.
(Sighs) (Sighs) The squalls have been shipped.
They'll be on-site in a week.
God bless you and your Harvard doctorate.
Give the man a drink.
(Classical music playing) Music, merriment what more could one ask for? Donald Bloom is an old friend of mine.
Donald Bloom? You saw us having lunch.
Oh, right.
Sorry, I di I didn't mean to intrude.
You didn't.
You scurried away.
I don't know why, I I was embarrassed for some reason.
You just happened to be in that restaurant.
I like the prawns.
I strongly suggest you stick to the analysis side of things.
I would hate to see you involved in any mayhem.
(Classical piece ends; Applause and cheering) George boeck is a rich man with an impeccable reputation.
It is implausible to believe that he has become involved with a known organized crime figure simply for financial gain.
This suggests his motivation is either ideological or emotional.
Either one ought to concern us.
This man is educated, well-traveled, and sympathetic to the cause, uh, exactly the kind of semi-westernized muslim mm-mm-mm! Who has proven Proven most, um Lethal in the past.
He has the means and he has the connections.
Simply put, he is exactly the sort of figure al qaeda ought to recruit.
This leaves only two possibilities: Either we have identified him before they have or we're already one step behind.
Done.
Sir? Drop Yuri, go all-out for George.
What's the next step? His son's wedding in three days.
We need full audio and video surveillance.
I'll call NSA.
Kale, you take point and get them the, the, the Sigint.
Sigint they need, Hmm? Thank you.
(Rock music playing in distance) (Music continues) Alright.
Alright.
What have you got? Will: We are going to stand down because we have both gone way overboard, and it ends right here.
Tonight.
When was this? Last night.
Concentrate on Katherine rhumor.
(Children shouting playfully) (intercom beeps) Woman (Over p.
A.
): Kyle, pick up line four.
It's about the button.
Good afternoon.
Hello.
Uh, I'm Katherine rhumor.
Who's in charge here? Uh, I am.
Uh Mrs.
rhumor.
Hi.
Hi.
What can I do for you? Uh, can I have a word with you in my husband's office? Of course.
Uh, this way.
Appreciate it.
What's your name? Harold almyer.
This it? Well, yeah, he, uh, he didn't come here much.
I only saw him once or twice.
(Intercom beeps) Woman (Over p.
A.
): Joey, your wife is on the phone.
Joey, please pick up.
Your wife is on the phone line one.
Uh, what exactly does mrq alternatives do? We make clothes we used to make clothes not very successfully, I'm afraid.
I, uh, I think I'd like to be alone.
Of course.
I'll be right outside.
(Intercom beeps) (Indistinct announcement over p.
A.
) Please pick up on line two.
(Announcement continues over intercom) Y, Harold? Do you have the combination for this lock? Um, I'm sorry, that's Mr.
rhumor's private files.
I don't know the combination.
You got it.
How'd you know? Anniversary.
Thank you, Harold.
(Knocking) Enter.
You ever wonder what life was like before electricity? Just us and the elements.
So much darkness.
So many shadows.
Dispelled with the flick of a switch.
Tanya did well.
She's a good analyst.
(Sighs) This just arrived from mi-5.
One of their surveillance outfits in amman.
The fellow there with George is ashtad madari, the main money man for iranian intelligence.
He supplies hezbollah and other terrorist groups with the means for their nastiness.
Seems like your girl was way ahead of the curve.
Mm-hmm.
I'm gonna have to put her name on the list for the next round of drug tests.
(Wry laugh) As you see fit.
(Sighs) You find out what George is up to, will, before it's too late.
Good night.
(clattering)