Burn Notice s03e07 Episode Script

My name is Michael Westen.
I used to be a spy until We got a burn notice on you.
You're blacklisted.
When you're burned, you've got nothing no cash, no credit, no job history.
You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in.
Where am I? Miami.
You do whatever work comes your way.
You rely on anyone who's still talking to you.
A trigger-happy ex-girlfriend Should we shoot them? An old friend who used to inform on you to the FBI You know spies a bunch of bitchy little girls.
Family, too Hey, is that your mom again? If you're desperate.
Someone needs your help, Michael.
Bottom line as long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere.
Spies aren't much into nightclubs.
In a career where hearing loss is a serious operational concern and crowds of strangers have to be constantly monitored, they just don't seem like much fun.
I'm just saying you live above the club.
Aren't you curious? You can hear the music through the floor.
Sam's got beer in the fridge.
Knock yourself out.
We're just back there.
You know, it's not the same when no one's watching.
Uh, the line to the club's out there.
I'm here for you.
Excuse me? Excuse me.
This is for you.
It's rejuvenating body lotion.
A gift from a friend.
I can apply itif you'd like.
That won't be necessary.
Who's this friend giving you rejuvenating body lotion? He's not a friend.
He's a recruiter.
Oh, Strickler.
I can apply it if you want.
Training a covert operative takes years and costs a lot of money.
In theory, it's all for the taxpayers who pay the bills.
In practice, it's worth a lot on the open market.
And when something's that valuable, there's always someone trying to sell it.
Oh, you didn't like the lotion.
It's organic.
Best money can buy.
You know, I'm all set with lotion right now.
Like I told you before, I'm not interested in your money.
This isn't about money.
Did you even look at the lotion? It's 40% aloe vera.
They say it's great for burns.
Want a mimosa? So, uh, it's all about the burn notice with you, isn't it? Well, I might be able to help out with that.
How's that? With moisturizer? Remember that NSA logistics guy who got caught up in the Panamanian banking scandal a couple years back? Rings a bell.
Should have ended his career.
But he had a second chance because of a conversation he had with the right person on a ski lift in Aspen.
I know, 'cause I was there.
If we were working together, I'd be there for you, too.
As your mercenary? No, I'm not interested.
As a friend.
Friends do each other favors.
Listen, Michael, we all know what's at the top of your Christmas list.
Work with me, I can deliver that list to Santa himself.
Spies hate drop-in visits.
Any questionable contact has to be reported to superiors.
A process that involves hours of paperwork and uncomfortable questions.
If you're a questionable contact, that gives you some leverage.
If you know where a spy operates, even a guy running a lowly import/export cover business Diego! You can make someone's life miserable.
What are you doing here? What? I can't just drop by and say hi to my favorite "point of contact"? I thought it was clear last time we spoke, if anyone from the intelligence community has anything to share, I'll call you.
I know, I know, I know.
I need a favor.
I'm already doing you a favor by not calling the police.
Another favor, then.
There's a name I need you to check out Tom Strickler.
He offered to help out with this whole burn notice thing.
I need you to find out if he's a guy who can make things happen.
Maybe you should Google him or go find someone who cares.
See? Now you have to care.
I let the local Homeland Security office know that I was dropping by and leaving that document there.
I'll check in later.
You don't even know this Strickler.
What makes you think he has this kind of clout? Well, that's what I need to figure out.
Can we talk about something else? No.
I'm cooking at my place.
I get to choose the topic of conversation.
You seriously think he's gonna wave his magic spy wand and get you back in? It's a little more complicated than that, Fi.
Well, in my experience, if something seems too good to be true, it's best to shoot it, just in case.
One way or another, I need to check him out.
If he's half as connected as he claimed, I need to know.
You're not actually considering his offer? Michael, the guy is sleazy Fi.
Don't change the subject.
I want to know Were you expecting a guest? If you want to stay alive, you have to be able to recognize the signs of a break-in.
The most skilled operative in the world won't last long if he walks into an ambush carrying a box of cereal.
When a target is cornered, the best strategy is to flush them into a choke point, where they have two options surrender, or be shot.
Drop it! Of course, if your target turns out to be it changes the tactical response somewhat.
Hey, all right.
Easy, easy, easy, easy.
Look, man, I'm sorry! I was just gonna borrow it, I swear! Yeah, you "borrow"a cup of sugar.
You don't borrow a gun.
I'm sorry.
I'm gonna have to call your parents.
You don't understand, man! I have to You have to what? Look, just just let me go, man.
I will when you answer me.
I I have to kill my stepdad.
You're gonna have to tell us your mom's name at some point, unless you plan on living here.
I don't recommend it.
I can only cook a few things, and the air-conditioning's iffy.
Tell you what, why don't we start with what's going on? Look, you wouldn't understand.
You want to shoot your stepdad.
I'm guessing he did more than make you go to bed early.
He's trying to take me and my brother away from my mother, and nobody's helping.
You know, she's done everything she could.
I saw her taking gun oil and cleaning stuff out of her car.
I figured she had a gun.
You thought you'd take care of the problem yourself? Even if you could reassemble a colt m1911 and fire it, what happens after you shoot him? Did you have a plan to dispose of the body? You're not thinking.
Fi.
I'll make you a deal.
You tell us who your mom is, and we'll see if we can help you.
All right? So, Mikey, we're doing domestic disputes now? Is that a good idea? I mean, isn't this more of like a counselor-type thing? It sounds a little more serious.
Yeah, but aren't you supposed to be checking out this Strickler guy? You got bigger fish to fry.
I told the kid I would help.
You want to sit this one out, you can.
No, no, no.
I get it.
Little kid, abusive dad.
Kind of hits home.
So I'll give you that one.
But when the time comes to rescue a bunch of rich women trapped in a brewery, you better step up.
So she's in there with Fiona? Yeah, the idea was that she'd feel more comfortable talking to a woman.
I'm not sure if Fi counts, Mike.
I appreciate the offer, but there's nothing you can do.
The custody hearing's in a week.
Erik's taking the son we had together, Danny, and Joey, too, to punish me for leaving.
Why do you think he'll get custody? 'Cause Erik's connected.
What does he do? He's a businessman.
He's into politics, too boards, commissions, mostly around the port of Miami.
That all there is to it? Well, his brother Quinn's a gangster.
Smuggling mostly.
The only reason Erik married me and had Danny was because Quinn wanted him to look more respectable.
And then a few months after we were married, he turned violent.
Didn't you call the police? Yeah, a few times.
So he he got smarter about how he did things, and he stopped leaving marks.
But when he started on the kids, I left, and I have spent every dime I have fighting for custody.
And I guess Joey tried to help.
I'm sorry.
I I think that I think I'm wasting your time.
Where can we find him? Seriously, what can you do that the police can't? You'd be surprised.
So, Mikey, I asked around.
Stuffed shirt over there is Erik Luna.
He's on every local political board with an extra chair.
He's a big deal down at the docks.
I guess he even owns part of this golf club.
He's a sorry excuse for a man, but he's got a lot of friends.
How about that? How about that? Nice shot, right? That was good.
The guy that worries me, though he's at the bar, gray suit.
That's his brother, Quinn.
He built this little empire.
He does all the heavy lifting.
But none of it means anything without Erik's pretty face and clean record, so he's a little protective.
The guy behind the guy.
You got it.
Mike, I don't know.
This is a tough one.
Between Erik's connections and Quinn's muscle, these guys are damn near untouchable.
We'll have to drive his happy little family apart.
You up for it? Absolutely.
He's smacking his wife and kids around.
I'll plant a five iron in his freaking skull if it'll help.
It's really okay staying with you? It's just so sudden.
It's more than okay.
Honest, I heard the situation, and I insisted.
And don't you feel bad, all right? You're doing what's necessary for your family.
Trust me, honey.
I've been there.
It just seems so crazy.
Do you really think they can do anything? For two little boys who are being knocked around by their father, Michael would take on the chinese army, honey.
April.
Michael and Sam checked out Erik and his brother.
Did he and Quinn have any issues something they disagreed about? Something he hid? Anything we can use to drive them apart? Well, there were things, but April, if we're gonna solve your problem, you need to work with us.
Okay, Erik has a side business, and when I found out, he was furious.
He said he'd kill me if I told his brother.
Good.
We can use this.
There aren't any records! If you go to the police, he's just gonna It's not for the police.
We need to give Erik a good reason to skip town and miss the custody hearing.
But we need to keep Quinn on the sidelines.
Erik will never know.
Just tell me about the business.
Well, I got to say, Erik Luna's got a nice little scam going.
The best that I can tell, he takes stuff that gets seized at the docks, sells it, and pockets the profits.
Luxury cars, mostly.
Pulls them from holding before they get processed so there's no paper trail.
And, of course, every transaction is anonymous.
So if I showed up as an unsatisfied customer Well, he'd never know the difference.
Hey, Joey.
Uh, can I talk to you? Sure.
Uh, Mike, I'm gonna go put together a name and a game for you.
So, what are you doing? I'm turning a cellphone into a listening device so I can keep tabs on your stepdad.
How do you learn to do this stuff? A sort of special school.
Hard to explain.
You want to give me a hand? You see that see that wire? I want you to take these and hold it right there.
All righty.
I I think my mom is starting to get her hopes up.
Don't worry.
We're not gonna let her down.
So you really think you can make this guy run? I know I can.
It's gonna be my pleasure.
When you're undercover, you often fight your emotions.
If the operation demands that you be a target's best friend, you do it, no matter what you're feeling.
Excuse me, sir.
But there are times emotions can help sell a cover I.
D.
If hitting a guy reinforces your cover Can I help you? You give it all you got.
Erik Luna, you are a hard man to find.
You know that? Who the hell are you?! I bought a car from you a car which nearly got me killed.
Is everything okay, Mr.
Luna? Yes.
I'm fine.
You want to try knocking next time? J just close the door.
What are you talking about? Who are you? The name's Peter.
I bought a lot us from you a while back.
One day, it disappears, replaced by a note which informed me that I'm a dead man.
I go home.
My house is torched.
Next day, I'm nearly killed in a drive-by.
All of which made me curious to know where the hell did you get that car from! That was an anonymous sale.
You're not even supposed to be here.
Let's just say I was motivated to find you.
That was a mistake.
You need to leave.
I'm trying to stay a step ahead of a death squad.
I need my money back.
Even if I wanted to give you that money, you think I carry that kind of cash around? Didn't anyone ever tell you the customer is always right?! You've got one day.
You'd better watch out, because if they're after me, you can be damn sure they're after you.
I got a call from Erik this morning.
He was yelling.
It's natural for him to be upset.
He has a problem.
For once, he can't run to his big brother.
Do you really think he's gonna leave town before the custody hearing? Oh, he will, 'cause if he doesn't, I'm gonna take a claw hammer to his Um, yes.
I think he'll leave.
It's just that on the phone, he he sounded more angry than scared.
Well, that's about to change.
is controlling their environment.
All the conversations in the world won't have the same impact as turning off the right light at the right time.
If you want to kill a streetlight without the mess and inconvenience of breaking into the pole with a cutting torch, you need to access the circuit breaker.
Connect lines from the breakers to an exposed cellphone wire, and with a quick call, you can short the circuits.
A similar trick can be used to temporarily disable a car.
It doesn't take much to trip a few electronic safety mechanisms and make a vehicle impossible to start.
If you want to make sure you're the only one making calls, a $100 cellphone jammer will block all signals in a one-block radius.
You have no idea how painful it was to be under that car and not wire it to explode.
If Erik's car blows up a week before his custody hearing, they'll be a lot of eyes on April.
We need him running, not bleeding.
Well, technically, you can run and bleed.
Hey, gang.
We got firearms, and we got snacks.
When you want to create fear, it's best to keep it simple.
The same things people are afraid of as kids scare them when they're adults.
Fear of the dark, for example.
Fear of being alone.
And above all, fear of the unknown.
I'll go collect the toys.
Yeah.
This is Pete.
It's Erik Luna.
We need to talk.
Damn right we do.
No, no, no, no, no.
That bitch can get the kids one weekend a month a and one holiday a year.
That's it! I don't c You're the lawyer.
Just figure it out.
If she doesn't sign, she'll never see those brats.
I got enough stuff to deal with.
Just do the paperwork and force it down her throat.
Do you have my money? No.
I, uh What did I say? Was I unclear? Hey, whoever tried to kill you came after me, too.
Didn't I tell you? Now, stop playing games.
I need my money to get out of town.
Look, Pete, I can't give you the money, but I am gonna help you.
We're gonna help each other.
We're gonna find out who did this.
Are you crazy? Find him how? We take what you know, we put it with what I know, and we track him down! There is no "we.
" You want to stay, you want to die, fine.
I'm out of here.
Wait, wait, no! You can't go anywhere.
Look, I had no problem till you showed up.
I showed up because you sold me a car that belonged to a psychopath! That's my point, okay? We are in this together.
We'll fix this together! We will fix this when we disappear.
We're not running.
No, I I got stuff to answer to here.
I got a life here.
You'll get your money when we figure out the problem.
Hey, Mikey, how'd it go? He's scared, but not ready to run yet.
He wants to team up, see who's after him.
Well, I guess we're gonna have to make him regret that decision.
Yeah.
We'll let him stew for the night.
I want to see what Diego's doing with the name "Tom Strickler.
" Oh, yeah, listen.
By the way, I got ahold of my buddy who works for the phone company.
He's gonna pull his cherry picker in front of the hangar and take a 2-hour lunch.
That's all I need.
And that's all I need.
With today's powerful encryption, it's usually a waste of time trying to decipher coded communication.
Tap the data stream of even a low-level spy, and you're just going to get incomprehensible garbage.
Just because it's garbage doesn't mean it's worthless, though.
A network analyzer can tell you how much information someone's accessing and how encoded it is.
If someone starts using heavy-duty crypto and changing their security protocol, you know you've touched a nerve.
And sometimes, that's enough to tell you what you need to know.
Yeah.
Pete? It's Erik.
They're here.
They're outside my office.
What are you talking about? Who's there? I saw some blue car drive by the club like three times.
I think it's the people that took a shot at me.
Blue car? What kind? I don't know.
Like a like a Plymouth or Chevy or something.
You stay inside.
You stay there.
You don't move until I get there.
Michael, I was just gonna call you.
Erik attacked April at work.
Mom, where's Joey? Joey? Uh, he went out back.
He's very upset, Michael.
Look out into the garage.
Did he take your car? I need to know right now.
It's gone.
What, you think Joey took the car? Let's hope that's all he took.
Put it down.
Put it down.
Stop right there and back up.
Back up! This is a mistake.
The mistake was letting you help, okay? You only made it worse.
Erik went after your mother because he's scared.
What we're doing is working.
You just need to give it a little more time.
Look, we don't have time.
Joey before my dad died, he made me promise that I would protect my mother, and I'm not gonna let him down.
This is not what he meant.
You didn't know my father! No, but I know that shotgun.
You know it's just loaded with bird shot? It's got a range of about 14 feet.
The only damage you're gonna do to Erik from here make his ears hurt.
And you see that plug right there? That means it can only get off two shots at a time.
Let go! You see your mom hurt, and you want to help.
I get it.
Joey, but not like this.
Listen to me.
Right now, Erik Luna is sitting in that parking lot, about to wet himself.
Do you want to help me put him over the edge? Get back in my mom's car and drive out of here as fast as you can.
Burn some rubber.
Make some noise.
And then I want you to meet me over on 5th street.
Can you do that? Yeah.
Hey, don't get caught, all right? I don't want to have to explain why I let a 13-year-old drive a car.
Now go.
Did you see it?! It just came God! You idiot, running around here with that hand cannon.
You scared him off.
That was our one chance.
I can't take this anymore.
It's too much.
I'm with you.
Let's get out of town until it blows over.
That's not an option.
That is the only option! No! I'll get us some help.
What, you're gonna go to your brother? No.
What are you, crazy? I'm not asking him.
He is not getting involved.
I'll I'll ask around.
What, are you gonna ask some knucklehead off the street to fix this? No.
If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right.
I know some people.
Oh, man! That's Quinn's car.
Uh, I got to go.
I don't care the cost.
Make the call.
You okay? Yeah.
I'm fine.
Look, I'm sorry.
I I just got We'll talk about it later.
Wait.
Who are you calling? Remember that bug that you helped me make? Well, now we're gonna do some listening.
Quinn, l let me just explain.
Councilman Ryan's wife saw you run through the parking lot with a gun! This guy is itching for any excuse to back out of our deal, and you do something so stupid Let me just tell you what really happened.
I was taking the gun to my car.
It slipped, okay? I I picked it up.
Are you using again? What? No.
God, no! We had a good thing going here.
Yeah.
I don't mind doing the dirty work while you golf with your fancy little friends, as long as you keep your nose clean.
You fall apart, Erik, and I swear to God No, Quinn, just I swear I'm fine.
Really? You better be.
'Cause if you're not Get yourself cleaned up.
Get the door.
And, Erik, no more episodes.
That's awesome! He's totally freaking out.
I told you it was gonna work.
But you got to promise me from now on you will stay at my mom's until we're done.
I I promise.
When you push someone to the point of desperation, there's always a chance they'll go looking for help, which could be a problem unless you're the one providing the help.
Mr.
Carson.
And you are, uh, Mr.
Luna? Yeah.
Who are you? Peace of mind, Mr.
Luna.
That's what you're looking for, isn't it? We need this done as quick as possible.
So you think you can find this guy? I'm sure we can.
Mr.
Carson filled us in on everything, including yesterday's incident.
Nothing we can't handle.
So, uh, how much are we talking? $40, 000 to start, $40, 000 to finish.
But th that's crazy.
$50, 000 total.
Th that's as high as I go.
Sweet dreams, gentlemen.
Wait, wait! Fine.
I want to be there when you take him out.
I want to see his face.
Naturally.
We'll be in touch when we find him.
You're negotiating?! What, do you think you're buying a used car?! They walked away, what were you gonna do? This doesn't work, we got two options run or die.
Oh, man, I thought that guy was gonna blow the deal there.
I was walking back to the car as slow as I could.
It worked.
I made it clear if the expert assassins fail that he'd better head for the Hills.
And fail we will.
And I got a perfect spot for it down in Hallendale.
Buddy of mine was a navy chaplain, and he started a homeless outreach program.
But he's in Guatemala now, so we got the place free and clear.
Then let's finish this.
The sooner April and her boys don't have to worry about Luna, the better.
If you want the appearance of a gunshot without actually dying, you need to create a high-powered burst of blood.
A bottle cap packed with a bit of plastic explosive does the trick nicely.
Rig a few remote charges to create the sound of a firearm, and you've got everything you need.
Looks like we're good to go.
Yes, Mr.
Luna.
I believe we've found the person that's been trying to kill you.
Morning.
So, where is he? He's in there.
We scouted last night.
Looks like we got your shooter, plus two support guys.
H how'd you find him so fast? The car you sold to Mr.
Carson could only have come from two factories in Italy.
That led us to the name of the original buyer.
Some guy named Chuck Finley, if that means anything to you.
The blue car you saw stolen from this neighborhood a few days back.
And that place was rented a week ago in cash by Mr.
Chuck Finley.
I told you these guys were good.
So we will hit them around the back, through the alley.
Easy-peasy.
Getting a target to do what you want requires a delicate touch.
Sometimes you're a bully, and sometimes you're a friend.
You two wait here.
You come in after to confirm the kill.
We'll all be at the beach before noon.
Don't look so nervous, boys.
They're sitting ducks in there.
It'll be over in seconds.
You have to know when to give the target help and comfort and when to take it away.
Get back.
Where are they? Where are they?! Run! Nice fall, Shakespeare.
Oh, you should talk.
You look like you got shot by a bow and arrow.
You don't know what you're talking about! A 9-mil at this range? Guys, guys, guys, the point is, I'm pretty sure Erik is planning on missing his next custody hearing.
Let's clean up and get out of here.
When you work as a spy, follow-through is crucial.
Even the best-executed plan can fall apart.
God damn it! Zip! You don't score if you spike the ball before you're in the end zone.
Quinn.
What are you doing? I have to go.
Somebody's trying to kill me.
I have to get out of town.
What? Who? I don't know.
I don't know.
I've never seen him! I can't stop him! I I What are you talking about?! You're not leaving town! You don't understand.
I understand you're acting like a lunatic.
What makes you think that somebody's trying to kill you? I don't think! I know! Hey, hey, our business depends on you.
You don't get to leave town.
But I saw three people killed this morning! Three people? Where? Down i in Hallendale.
Listen to me! Now, you pull it together.
I'm gonna get my guys down here, and we're gonna find out what the hell you are talking about.
All right?! Okay.
What's up, Sam? We got a problem.
Quinn got to Erik before he could run.
They're headed back to Hallendale.
Not good.
I know.
We got to do something now.
Hang on, Fi.
How much time do we have? Well, with drive time, about a half an hour.
Why? What are you thinking? You got an idea? Remember Moscow, '99? Colonel Prokov the one with the drinking problem? Wait.
You want to pull that here? Mike, that took, like, weeks of prep, to do that in a half an hour Not much choice, Sam.
When a plan goes wrong, you have two basic options.
The first is to accept failure and abort the mission.
That works best when you have the resources and time to remove personnel from the field.
When you don't have resources and time, you're left with option two.
Get back in there and salvage the situation any way you can.
I'm all for a gunfight, Michael, but this could be suicide.
She's right, mike.
If it doesn't work, you're gonna be here alone with Quinn's guys and all their guns.
Guess it'll have to work, then.
There's a long tradition in spycraft of making enemy assets appear unreliable.
Make a loyal operative look like a traitor, for example, and if you're lucky, your enemies take him out for you.
Better than making an enemy look disloyal is making him look insane.
It takes some doing, but when you pull it off, it's more devastating than a bullet.
Sir how much for that apron and hat? And the cross, too.
They were right there.
There's nothing here, Quinn.
No blood, no shells, nothing.
You're sure this is the spot? They must have moved the bodies.
Oh, moved the bodies and cleaned up the blood? It's like it's like before the drive-by.
Drive-by? Yeah, at the club.
They they turned off all all the lights, and then my phone wouldn't work, the car doesn't start.
Then everything goes right back on! I I wanted to tell you, Quinn, but I couldn't.
You got to believe me! Well, you're making it real hard, Erik.
They're here! They're here! They're they're right up the block.
Show me.
They're right there Yeah, we, uh we shouldn't.
W what if they're in there? If they're in there, we'll be fine.
May I help you? You? I I saw I saw you die.
Oh, no.
Erik, has it gotten worse? Wait.
You know my brother? You must be Quinn.
He's talked about you.
I'm Father Peter.
Our Lady of Grace charities.
N no! Quinn, t that's not that's Pete! He's one of them! I saw him killed! I do outreach for the homeless.
I saw Erik on the street one night in a in a daze.
I tried to help him.
No! He's lying! Quinn I said shut your mouth! Don't be too hard on him.
Has he been talking about the killers? You you said there were killers.
He sees assassins everywhere, and now he claims to be hiring killers of his own to go after the other killers.
I've tried to help him.
You're a liar! Get off! It's all right, Erik.
Your mind is sick.
I know your pain.
You're gonna get me killed! Enough! Get off! Get him out! You're gonna get me killed.
Outside.
Outside! It's not Erik's fault.
He needs help and care.
H he's lying to you, Quinn! Come on! Enough! You got to believe me! I'm not! It's him! He's one of the killers, too! Yeah, they're in this together! He sells pineapple, Erik.
She's one of them, too! Look! She's one of them! Please, come on! Just tell them! Please.
Tell them, please.
Get up.
No! Get him in the car now! Now! I don't want to go in the car, no.
I am so sorry.
He's lucky to have you for a brother.
He he just winked! Inside! You're not a priest! It's official.
With Erik locked up in a mental facility, the judge had to give me full custody.
We're gonna stay with my cousin for a few months until we can get back on track.
Well, this might help.
It was Erik's.
$40, 000.
I I don't know how to thank you.
You saved our lives.
You gonna be all right? I I don't know.
I guess.
Think my mom thinks I'm some sort of delinquent.
I knew a kid once who had it rough growing up.
Almost as bad as you.
And what happened to him? He got a job doing a lot of the same stuff that got him into trouble when he was a kid.
He, uh he turned out all right.
So you're saying I should eat a lot of yogurt? Can't hurt.
Well, it sounds like losing Erik put a big dent in Quinn Luna's business.
The cops are looking into him.
Better than he deserves.
Mike, you've been quiet all day.
Want a beer? Mike, beer? Come on.
It's low-calorie, if that makes a difference.
What? I'm watching my weight.
I should go.
I need to follow upon that Strickler business.
You want some company? No.
It's just this in-and-out thing.
I'll be fine.
Have fun.
Looks like you won't be needing this.
Put it down.
You know, Michael, spying on a government employee with top-secret clearance is a serious crime.
If asking nicely worked, I wouldn't have to.
So, find out anything about Strickler? Care to share? Thanks to you dropping that name, I spent the last four days dealing with reporting procedures for six different U.
S.
Intelligence outfits, including one I didn't know existed.
That's in between the calls, e-mails, meetings.
Find out anything good? One more question, and you go from being the burned spy I hate to the anonymous burglar I shot.
I've got a career to think about here.
I just needed to know how connected Strickler is.
I'm pretty sure you just answered my question.
You know your champagnes, Michael? Bollinger blanc de noirs.
It's my "new friend" champagne.
Don't pop the cork just yet.
Okay, well, we both know you checked my references, and we both know that I have the access you need.
Really, the only question is whether we can figure out a mutually beneficial relationship.
I help you, you help me.
So what do you say we make this a take-it-or-leave-it moment? I'm not sure what I'd be taking.
A job, for starters.
You're perfect for it.
Say yes, and I start the ball rolling today, and you're on your way back to being a respectable citizen again.
Say no, you'll never hear from me again.
What's the job? I can't give you the details just yet, but it won't offend your sensibilities.
Trust me.
So, in or out? As a spy, you often have to do things you don't like for people you don't trust.
You don't always get to choose who you do business with.
When the devil himself is offering the thing you want most, sometimes you dance with the devil.
I'm in.