Covert Affairs s03e01 Episode Script

Good morning, Washington, D.
C.
Looks like a 30% chance of rain, but I wouldn't cancel those Fourth of July barbecue plans yet.
Coming up I'm going to clean this up.
Later.
Now, Fourth of July cupcakes for the office.
Uh, they're Disgusting? I'm sorry.
No good deed.
You're working on the Fourth of July.
Isn't that enough? Well, it will have to be.
Not necessarily.
You had that little faith? If yours had been good, you never would have known about these.
You are the best mother a sister could ever have.
And on that note, take an umbrella.
It's supposed to rain today.
You went from mother to smother in two seconds flat.
Happy Fourth.
Jo Malone grapefruit.
And red velvet cake? And velvet cupcakes.
Ah.
Bet you didn't get those in Eritrea.
Actually, the food was pretty good.
I like it spicy.
These are cool.
Where did you get North Korean flags? Har.
Mmm.
Did you make these? In the kitchen at Please give Danielle my compliments.
Busted.
Whoa.
Every person that works in this building works here because they're a patriot.
Throw in Independence Day? It's overload.
Hey, Annie.
Do you have that HTP on Peru? It's on your desk.
Thank you.
And the NCH? DIA fast-tracked it to NORAD, CC'ing DHS.
It's on your desk, as well.
Thanks.
Fashionably late, and always fashionable.
Nice suit.
I have an opportunity for you.
A break that no one at the Agency ever gave to me.
This from a guy whose dad used to run the place.
Maybe this was a mistake.
Hey, I'm kidding.
Come on.
We can't joke around anymore? Not about this.
Why couldn't we meet at Langley? Because this is about Langley.
They tell you on your first day to buy into the system.
That all the protocols are there to protect you.
That is bullshit, Annie.
What's going on, Jai? Okay.
We can't do this here.
Come with me and you'll find out why.
Okay.
I didn't want a tuna melt, anyway.
I'll drive.
Okay.
Miss? Your umbrella.
Oh.
Thanks.
Auggie, how are you holding up? I was better yesterday.
You and me both.
The explosion is being spun as an auto recall issue.
The DCI has put me on the trilateral commission looking into Jai's death.
You're going to have your hands full with that.
Jai wasn't exactly going out of his way to make friends.
We've got a job for you.
In happier days, I would have quipped that I already have a job.
Jai's Office of Special Projects.
You're taking it over.
Yes, sir.
I'm sure Jai's people have a deep need to be of use after a trauma like this.
You're a little left of the mark, soldier.
Sir? I need you to try and find out what got Jai killed.
Comb over his case work.
Scrutinize his staff.
If there's anything unusual Flag it, tag it, bring it to the panel? Bring it to me.
Sir, may I speak freely? Of course.
As a fellow military man, you must understand the difficulties of leading a group much less having a secret agenda within that group.
This is going to be Tough.
Deal with it.
You're a spy.
Act like one.
Somebody killed Jai.
I want to know how and why.
Before it happens again.
And that is what will have to be done again.
So, call Hoover.
They may have somebody.
Joan? Yeah.
What can I do to help? Annie, you've been through so much, and contributed a great deal.
As you move forward, I want you to remember that.
You're placing me on leave? You're being reassigned.
Where? Someone from DS will reach out to you in the next Why? I know it seems capricious, but around here, movement is progress.
I want to thank you for your service.
Annie, you're wanted in Polygraph.
They think I had something to do with this? I'm sure it's just routine.
Good luck, Annie.
And you were leaving the diner with Mr.
Wilcox.
Yes.
But you forgot your umbrella.
Yes, I went back and got it from the waitress.
You, you asked me that before.
Did it rain on the day in question? No.
You had known Mr.
Wilcox for two years.
Yep.
Jai was my friend.
Would you classify your relationship with Mr.
Wilcox as friendly? I just said he was my friend.
And on the way out of the diner, you forgot your umbrella.
Are you going to keep asking me that? Yes or no, please.
Yes.
No.
Up.
Down.
I don't have any answers.
I only have questions.
Like why am I being treated like a suspect? Why am I being transferred? Why am I sitting here and listening to this shit? Where are you going? Are you accusing me of killing my friend? I am asking you questions about the relevant facts.
You're on a witch-hunt.
Okay.
That's enough.
I'm ending this.
She was violating Section B-30.
I don't really care.
Polygraph's over.
Uh, who are you? I'm Lena Smith.
I'm your new boss.
You've had a rough couple of days.
Let's go get a drink.
How many operatives do you think can do what you do? Go into the field.
Turn assets.
Stay cool in real danger.
Use a weapon.
Use it to kill.
Not many.
And of those, how many of them are women? Even less.
So, here's my pitch.
I think you were being underutilized at the DPD.
I'm just doing what I signed on for.
I don't believe you believe that.
It's what you're supposed to say, but it's bullshit.
You seem to know a lot about me.
Not in a creepy way, but yeah.
I know it was pretty hard to go through what you went through.
With all due respect, I don't think you know how I'm feeling.
Nairobi, '98.
I was a young officer, younger than you, when that bomb went off in the embassy.
I know that terrible feeling of being knocked down by a wall of heat.
And that burning smell that you can't quite label and you can't quite kick.
So, because of that, I work for you now.
No, you work with me.
You take risks in the field, I treat you as an equal.
One of Langley's double standards that does not exist in my division, is a false hierarchy.
Are there others? Yeah.
For example, male operatives are encouraged to sleep with assets for intel.
Females? Mmm, not so much.
They're worried we get too emotional.
No one ever put it that way before.
That's because you're a woman.
What's this? That's a level 16 pass code.
I want you to do high security clearance on a person of interest named Simon Fischer.
We'll meet tomorrow and chat about it.
You got it? Got it.
I know you've only known the DPD.
But there's other ways of doing things.
You'll see.
Hey! Want some dinner? No, I'm good.
I just I wanted to give this back to you and say thank you.
Oh, no problem.
It didn't even rain, though.
Thanks.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Easy.
Blind guy with a black eye is not as funny as it sounds.
Sorry.
I'm just nervous.
First day on the new job.
Trade you.
Do you know Lena Smith? I know she was the youngest person to ever win the Intelligence Cross.
I know they built an entire division around her after she brought home Operation Mountain Eagle.
I've heard of that.
Lena did that? Yep.
And Operation Tunguska, Operation Gemini, and who knows how many others above our clearance.
Those were big wins.
Lena only does big wins.
Face it, Annie Walker.
You've graduated.
I told you I was nervous before.
I'm more nervous now.
Watch your six.
Lena's ops can find a way to get kind of banged up.
You're not worried about me, are you, Auggie? I worry about a lot of things.
Global warming.
The Cubs' playoff hopes.
The state of my old Corvette.
But you? Never.
How is it going in Jai's old office? Do you think it was about one of his missions? Do his guys know anything? Annie.
It's not your fault.
You know that.
When does it stop? The ringing in your ears.
It's going to take a long time.
You won't realize it, but one of these days, it will just be gone.
I promise.
Thanks.
Your Corvette is fine, by the way.
- It better be.
- Hmm! Morning, Annie.
Oh, good morning.
Atrium level.
Office 1124-A.
You're going to work for Lena Smith.
Do you know her? I know her.
Trust your instincts, Annie.
They've gotten you this far.
You found us.
I did.
Don't worry about Johnny.
He just got back from Kabul.
Oh.
That's a long trip.
Where should I set up my desk? Lesson one.
No desks for operatives.
Operatives should be operating.
Coming in here as little as possible.
I know I do.
Come.
So, I'm guessing you've heard all the wild stories about this place.
They're all true.
I encourage results.
If you have a question, ask.
Otherwise, act.
I need these in five.
Yeah.
Oh, and quick order of business.
Don't discuss with your former co-workers what we do in this place.
This building likes to gossip.
Oh.
Okay.
So, Simon Fischer.
What did you find out? Venture capitalist.
Cambridge educated.
A bon vivant.
Born in Russia, he moved to the UK, as a boy, when his parents made a high profile defection to reclaim the family fortune.
Mmm-hmm.
Father died, mother took him around the world.
Translation? His mother was a spy for the KGB.
So, espionage is literally in his blood.
You found patriotism and went to the Farm, he was born on the Farm.
What a way to grow up.
Fantastic, right? Well, his kill patterns suggest he may have trained with FSB Vympel force.
Uh, the SEAL Team Six of Russia.
His kill patterns? Mmm-hmm.
We wouldn't be looking into him if he wasn't extremely dangerous.
Also, Simon has purchased major parcels of land in the Ourika Valley in West Africa.
He tried to hide the transactions behind financial firewalls and shell corporations.
But it's him.
Which brings us to the heart of the matter.
Russia has been buying up land in poor countries all around the world.
They've tripled their military budget in the last year.
New money.
No morals.
It concerns us.
No wonder.
I noticed an uptick in memos on Russia Desk.
This building was financed by the Cold War.
The New Russia is making sure we're still making payments on the mortgage.
So, what is the mission? Hey, you tell me.
See, here, we work problems together.
We frame up missions together.
What do you want to do? I want to meet him.
I thought you might suggest that.
Bollocks.
What the hell are you doing? Are you all right? You didn't see me? Your brake lights didn't go on.
Yeah.
Well, I braked.
Is this a rental? Yeah.
Yeah.
That's Marrakech for you.
Hey, are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm just I'm fine.
You're not fine.
Let's get you some water.
What about the cars? I have people that will take care of that.
Come on.
The Smithsonian always has me on the road.
What about you? I don't know anything about you, what do you do? I have my fingers in a number of pies.
Dann immer geradeaus.
Guidebooks.
They're not for me.
They're predictable and safe.
Safe doesn't interest me.
When I was a boy, my father left us.
Died, actually.
My mother packed me up and took me on a world tour.
For how long? Years.
We'd spend at least a month at every place, sometimes six.
My mother homeschooled me on the road.
What better education than learning about the world while seeing it? She sounds like quite a woman.
Mmm.
So, whip it out.
Excuse me? I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
You're on.
So, Smithsonian workers don't get issued diplomatic passports.
No.
British Museum employees do.
You're just stalling.
Come on.
Myanmar.
Got it.
Nigeria? Try all of Western Africa.
Impressive.
Easter Island.
Try the back page.
Hmm.
I may have met my match, Annie Walker.
Oh, you definitely have.
Have you been to the, uh, Ourika Valley? Mmm-hmm.
South of here.
Towards the Atlas Mountains.
Yeah, I hear it's beautiful.
It is.
I was going to go there until you crashed my car.
Oh, so, I ruined your vacation.
You said it, not me.
All right.
Well, how about this.
Let's meet up at 3:00, I'll take you out there.
Where should we meet? Jamaa el Fna? There's a cafe on the southern end.
There's, like, 15 cafes.
I'll find you.
Arthur, you're killing me.
I can't move forward on Portugal until I get your signature.
Oh, you're not here about Portugal.
You're here about Auggie.
Okay, fine.
You took my best tech op without even a courtesy call, and I had to find out from Support.
Auggie is critical to the continuity of OSP.
There are a lot of good managers in this building.
I find it hard to believe Auggie was the only one who could do the job.
I don't need your permission to make operational changes, Joan.
Well, that's lovely, Arthur.
Nights at home, you say we're a team.
That I'm your most trusted counsel.
But you pull rank when the shit goes down.
We're in a crisis.
And I have operatives.
People that I have mentored, developed, cared about.
Who are now scattered all over this building, and in their places are strangers.
You are one of the most talented people here.
You're going to right this ship.
You know that.
I didn't come here as a wife seeking comfort.
I came here as a manager wanting an explanation.
Oh, I think you came for both.
As your husband, I'm saying you can handle this.
And as your boss, I'm telling you my decision is final.
Annie.
You know this isn't the DPD.
I'm not Joan.
You don't have to feel obligated to check in.
Okay.
But, I need to run a passport.
Normally, I'd have my tech op do it, but I didn't know who to call.
You saw Simon's passport? Yeah.
Although I had to show him mine to get it.
Well, text the ID number to me.
I'll run it.
But anything he willingly showed you is probably a forgery.
Anything else? Yeah, we were approached by a couple of German tourists at a cafe.
It had the feeling of protocol.
What did they make of you? It's hard to say.
Multiple players on the ground is a red flag.
And I need a sweep drive.
A sweep drive? Why? Simon has a computer tablet that I think I can gain access to.
It might have intel on the real estate he's buying.
I get that.
But your long-term connection with Simon, is much more important than any short term TECHINT.
I think I can do both.
Okay.
Sweep drive it is.
Head to the Marrakech Souk.
I know a guy.
I'll text you the details.
Good work, Annie.
Hollman.
Yeah.
I'm going to need all the OSP case files, active cables, and mission reports.
Well, we'll get you what we can, but it's not going to be easy.
What do you mean? OSP was a paperless office, but not in the environmental sense.
Jai wanted everything off book.
Any files that did come through here had a complex encryption code.
All right, ballpark.
How many active Operations are we talking about? Eight? Ten? More like 50.
Z Please, sit.
Hi.
Okay.
You know you've been dying to talk to me, so here's your chance.
I want to bounce something off of you.
Auggie, now's not a really great time.
No, it's not.
I can hear it in your voice.
What's going on? Uh, I'm just winded from running.
Jogging.
Are you sure there's nothing I can help you with? No.
I've got to go.
Okay, but call me back when you can.
Okay, bye.
Annie.
Abdul get you what you needed? Yeah, he did, but, um Simon's late for our meeting.
And I was tailed in the souk by the two German tourists we saw earlier.
They had guns.
They moved like professionals.
Putting protocol aside, what do you feel? I'd like to play this out.
I think I can make it work.
Then, make it work.
Okay.
Thanks.
I'm a ridiculous cliche.
Beyond late.
I'm so sorry.
That's okay.
I just got here.
You weren't at the cafe.
You said you'd find me.
Desert wildflowers.
The car is just around the corner.
They fixed it that fast? Bought a new one.
Don't worry.
I mean, it was time.
I wasn't worried.
Got to love that new car smell.
Pardon the boarding house reach.
Okay.
Buckle up.
You like to drive fast.
I like to drive, period.
I did Paris Dakar.
Did you win? I finished.
I finished.
Have a date.
Moroccan style.
They replace the pit with an almond.
The dates are halawi.
That means "beauty" in Arabic.
In fact, in ancient times, only females of spectacular beauty were allowed to eat this particular date.
Women such as yourself.
Bullshit.
Halawi means "sweet".
You're full of surprises, aren't you? Oh, now you're just rubbing it in.
Hey.
Figured I'd make some space for the new guy.
There will never be a new guy.
Just the person who isn't you.
Speaking of me.
Do you see my backup external hard drive? Hmm, I don't know what that looks like.
Neither do I, really.
Actually, it's the backup to my backup.
Still doesn't help me.
Well, there is a number on it that I need, now that I'm at OSP.
For a lawyer.
Well, General Counsel's office extension is 6970.
Outside Langley.
Normally, people seek outside counsel when they've done something wrong.
True.
But Jai was a complicated guy.
And now, I'm sitting at his desk.
I want to make sure I'm going into this thing with my eyes open, pardon the pun.
I know someone.
I can give you a name.
You're a Syrah woman, right? Expect a bottle.
Aren't we going to the Ourika Valley? I have a different place in mind.
What? An oasis.
Nobody knows about it.
This is better.
Don't you trust me? It's just up here.
Follow me.
I have to say, if you asked me last week I certainly didn't see myself in a place like this.
And yet, you requested to come to a place like this.
Even for someone who doesn't like guidebooks, it's an odd choice.
Is it? I feel alive out here.
A tiny spring flowing out of the Atlas Mountains, feeds water to this place.
Some years, it dries up.
And so does the life out here.
You know a lot about this place.
About this land.
I should.
I own it.
You own it? Forty thousand acres.
Everything you can see.
What are you going to do with it? Nothing.
That's the point.
It's going to be a preserve.
Does this really work on women? What? This, "I'm rich, but it's okay, because I have a heart of gold" angle? It's working on you, isn't it? I'm going to go to the car and get another bottle of water.
Can I get you anything? I could use some water.
Okay, I'll be right back.
We have to go now! Sandstorm.
We're not going to be able to outrun it.
We'll ride out the storm here.
Give me your scarf.
Huh? Give me your scarf.
Sand will get in the exhaust system.
I know that.
How do you know that? Summers in Tucson.
Clever.
There's a difference between venture capital and museum work.
It's the hotel.
What, this old shack? I'm going to take a shower.
Scrape some of the desert off.
Make yourself at home.
Thanks.
Begin in Mali, where new sanctions have been imposed by meddling West African states, following a coup led by a regiment of Malian forces, who have gained control of half of the nation, including the northern cities, Kidal, Gahl, and Timbuktu.
Critics of the sanctions have pointed out that the government will run out of money within a number of weeks.
A scenario that would be devastating to the general population.
Moving to West Africa.
Rival militias continue to clash in Tripoli and other major Libyan cities.
As the new government struggles in their attempt to make it lasting, following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.
The Libyan Prime Minister has called for a ceasefire, and has assured all rival camps that they will have a voice in the new government.
Annie.
What are you doing? Coming to join me? Or were you heading out? I could stay a little while.
Next, we turn to Marrakech, Morocco, where two German tourists were found dead yesterday.
At this time, local authorities have not found a credible lead.
Moroccan security services are working closely with the German government to ascertain what might have befallen Mr.
And Mrs.
Schalke.
But a spokesperson for the Moroccan government has stated that the deaths were an unfortunate, isolated incident.
Hey, somebody look into that one.
Two German tourists killed in Marrakech.
No suspects.
Dollars to donuts they were spies.
Wouldn't doubt it.
I found some coded files in Jai's vault.
It's not a traditional cipher.
Well, it's a start.
Including the northern cities, Kidal, Gahl, and Timbuktu.