Opens with stock footage of Washington, DC at night. Pan to a wall (presumably at Langley) with five pointed stars engraved in it with the heading: "In honor of those members of the Central Intelligence Agency who gave their lives in the service of their country" As the camera pans down, we see what appears to be a workman who is just finishing engraving or cleaning one of the stars. From the side, we see Vaughn, dressed in a black suit, approach the wall, watching the workman's progress. As he watches, we hear a voice that we assume is a memory playing inside of Vaughn's head:
VOICE: On behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency, a grateful nation thanks you for your father's sacrifice. This star on the wall is in some ways too small a gesture. The workman finishes, picks up his work bag and walks away as Vaughn walks over to stand in front of the star the workman was working on, as if perhaps it's the one that belongs to his father. The voice in his memory continues to speak as he stares at the star.
VOICE: Bill Vaughn dedicated his life in service and commitment for his country. His death in the line of duty is a tragedy for his loving wife and his young son. At this point, Vaughn leans closer to the wall, as if he notices something amiss with his father's star. He reaches forward and touches inside the crevice created by the carving, and his finger comes away covered in black grime. He looks over his shoulder to ensure he is alone and not watched, then he reaches into a back pocket and pulls out a large pocket knife. He opens it and starts trying to scrape the black gunk out of the star's carving. As he sees more gunk come out of the hole, Vaughn starts to dig and stab at the hole. Plaster starts coming away from the wall as Vaughn's movements become stronger, almost frenzied. The star has been completely mutilated as Vaughn digs a larger and larger hole in the wall behind it. Franticly, the camera cuts between the hole getting larger and Vaughn digging and yanking at the wall until the whole is large enough for his entire face. He stops to look inside the hole...and an arm pops out of the hole and starts to strangle him. Smash cut to Vaughn sitting upright in bed, breathing heavily as he wakes from an obvious nightmare. After a moment, he lays back in bed again. We see Sydney still asleep beside him. He looks at her for a moment, but doesn't wake her. Then he stares off at the ceiling, trying to get a grip on his rattled emotions.
Cut to YAKUTIA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, SIBERIA (daytime stock footage of power plant). Cut to the interior, where an unconscious man is being dragged up a set of metal stairs by two other men. The man is dragged into a room and dropped on the floor, watched by two other men outside the chamber, which has a plexiglass window facing the room. The unconscious man is shot in the neck with a drug and the man dressed in a lab coat like a coctor motions for the two men to leave the room.
DOCTOR (in Russian): Go, get out of the chamber. The men leave and the door to the room shuts tight behind them.
DOCTOR (in Russian over intercom): Bring the reactor online.
Cut to a person in a radiation suit, who pulls a nuclear fuel rod out of its holder and places it in the reactor chamber. Cut back to the doctor, who pushes a button on the console in front of him. A recorded message in a female voice says in Russian:
VOICE: Thirty seconds. The camera pans to a computer screen in the console that says "Nightingale" as part of its title. Cut to man in room, now beginning to awaken. The doctor and the 2nd man watch as the man begins to stir and stand up. The man is dressed as if possibly in a prisoner's uniform.
MAN (in Russian): What is this? What is this?
Cut to the console as we see it charging up. The doctor pushes another button. Behind the man in the room, some kind of nuclear coil is exposed.
VOICE (in Russian): Twenty seconds. The man goes over to look at the coil and his fear and confusion are palpable.
MAN (in Russian): What... The doctor and the 2nd man watch and then the doctor pushes another button. The room is now illuminated in red and the secondary coil begins to glow. (It also emits sounds that remind me of the Rambaldi device from "Firebomb")
MAN (in Russian): Somebody...Can you hear me? What is this? The doctor and 2nd man watch in silence. The man continues to babble as the voice counts down,
VOICE (in Russian): Three. Two. One. There is a series of very bright lights that emit from the coil and the man screams in pain (again, reminiscent of the "Firebomb" device). As we watch, the man's face almost writhes beneath his skin, transforming his appearance grotesquely. He has become a monster of his former self and blood is dripping from his ears, then his mouth as his fist makes squishing sounds as he pounds against the glass. DOCTOR (in Russian to 2nd man): I think you understand the power of Nightingale. The 2nd man cannot quite watch as the man inside the room continues to mutate into something almost unrecognizable as a human, groaning and pounding against the glass until he slides downward, dead. DOCTOR (in Russian to 2nd man): Your investment should prove to be quite lucrative.
Cut to stock footage of beachfront near Syd's place. Cut to Vaughn, dressed in work shirt, sitting at the breakfast bar reading the newspaper. Syd walks up to him from inside the kitchen area and pours him a cup of coffee.
SYDNEY: Did you see the front page? Vaughn reaches over and plops it down in front of Sydney.
VAUGHN: Yeah...here you go.
SYDNEY: Thank you. Sydney pours herself a cup of coffee and opens up the paper to read, standing on the inside of the breakfast bar. VAUGHN (not looking up from his newspaper): (sigh) So, Laughton called me back from CIA Archives... Sydney looks up in surprise.
SYDNEY: About Nightingale?
VAUGHN: Yeah.
SYDNEY: When?
VAUGHN: Yesterday morning.
SYDNEY: Why didn't you tell me?
VAUGHN: I was going to...he, uh...didn't find anything. Sydney's face registers the disappointment in Vaughn's voice. Encouragingly, she replies,
SYDNEY: We'll keep looking. Vaughn half smiles and looks back to his newspaper for a moment, then abruptly gets up instead.
VAUGHN: I should get dressed. Sydney watches Vaughn thoughtfully for a moment before following him into the bedroom. Cut to Vaughn, who is looking through what is obviously his own drawer in Sydney's dresser.
SYDNEY: There could be a hundred reasons your father didn't register "Nightingale" with the CIA...
VAUGHN: Yeah, I know... (turns toward Sydney) Uh, listen...have you seen my jacket anywhere? Sydney looks for Vaughn's jacket.
SYDNEY: I mean, it's a setback, but...there are people we can talk to... VAUGHN (turning away from the dresser. He seems flustered, a bit out of sorts): No. No, there aren't. Sydney hands Vaughn his jacket. He immediately starts looking around again.
VAUGHN: Keys...Where the hell are my keys...? SYDNEY (fetching his keys from the bedside table): We could bring it to APO...They might be able to help us track...
Cut to Vaughn, putting his jacket on and straightening the collar.
VAUGHN (cutting Sydney off): We're not bringing this to APO. The last thing I want is Sloane knowing I was investigating my father's death and him using that against me.
SYDNEY (tossing Vaughn his keys): We don't know your father's dead.
VAUGHN: Yeah...at this point I do.
SYDNEY: After all the progress you've made, how can you just...?
VAUGHN (cutting Sydney off): "How can I just..." what!? What have I got? Some...journals in his handwriting that shouldn't even exist? And a word? One word. Nightingale. What the hell does that even mean? Some random woman mentioned it to me... I would have been better off asking for the goose that layed golden eggs.
SYDNEY (quietly firm): It wasn't some "random woman"...She was the woman who raised Nadia. Vaughn looks away and pinches his nose in frustration.
SYDNEY: I wanna get to the bottom of this as badly as you do. We always thought my mother killed your father...but what if we were wrong? What if there was some other plan? Vaughn, looking a bit calmer now, gives Sydney just a ghost of a smile.
Cut to the APO sign, then cut to Jack, sitting in front of a laptop in his office inside APO. He looks up as there is a knock and Sydney enters.
SYDNEY: Do you have a minute?
JACK: Certainly. Sydney walks in and stands in front of the desk.
SYDNEY: I need to ask a favor. I was wondering if I could use your Level 6 clearance to look at some files.
JACK (puzzled, a bit wary): In reference to what?
SYDNEY: They're not for me...it's...They're for Vaughn, actually.
JACK: I see. Sydney sits down in a chair in front of Jack's desk.
SYDNEY: A month ago...Vaughn found a journal that belonged to his father. The entries ended in 1982. Mom killed Bill Vaughn in '79, but we authenticated the handwriting...
JACK: That proves nothing. Counterfitters are experts at graphoanalysis.
SYDNEY: I know, but it doesn't explain "Nightingale".
JACK (looks confused): What's...Nightingale?
SYDNEY: We don't know. Vaughn followed a lead in the journal that took him to a woman in Lisbon who knew all about Vaughn's dad...that he rescued Nadia when she was a baby. She said that shortly after that, he left looking for Nightingale. I mean, it could be a codename; it could be an operation... Jack looks down, troubled.
SYDNEY: I know I'm asking for a lot... Jack looks up at Sydney.
SYDNEY: ...but I understand what Vaughn's going through...
JACK: You also know how dangerous that search can be.
SYDNEY: Yeah, I do. Jack looks down and types into his computer, enabling his level 6 clearance. He stands up to make room for her in front of the computer. She stands also.
SYDNEY (in almost a whisper): Thank you.
JACK: I appreciate you...trusting me with this. Seems like we haven't really talked since...
SYDNEY (cutting in): ...Mom died.
JACK: Feel free to come to me...anytime. Sydney turns and watches Jack as he walks toward the door to his office. In the doorway, he stops and looks at her before leaving. Sydney sits down at Jack's desk and types in the word "Nightingale" in the search box.
Cut to Vaughn and Dixon dressed in protective boxing equipment as they spar in what appears to be a gym area built into APO. As Dixon sees Sydney coming, he puts up his hands to signal they stop. To Vaughn, he says, pointing behind him to Sydney (who is holding a file folder),
DIXON: Looks like you have an audience...
SYDNEY (smiling): Not bad.
Cut to Vaughn opening a file. Inside, we see a picture of the doctor from the Nightingale experiment from the beginning of the episode.
SYDNEY: Nightingale is the brainchild of a Josef Vlatczko, Russian emigre we recruited into DARPA. He vanished 25 years ago after running tests on human subjects.
VAUGHN: Nice guy.
SYDNEY: When he left, he took all the records of Nightingale with him. That's why you couldn't find anything; DARPA had to cover up the security breach.
VAUGHN: So, if we find Latczko, we might find something about my Dad. Sydney reaches over and flips to another portion of the folder. There is the photo of the 2nd man that watched the Nightingale experiment from the beginning of the show.
SYDNEY: Hans Deitrich, German money launderer. Last year, he started branching out into higher risk investments, mainly new weapon systems. He funneled over a million Euros into an encrypted bank account labeled Nachtigall...Nightingale. Vaughn looks up at Sydney.
SYDNEY: Deitrich's office is in Munich. He runs a beer hall on the ground floor. IF we can get to his records, we might be able to find a lead...something on Latczko...who knows? Vaughn smiles softly at Sydney, obviously impressed.
VAUGHN: Syd, how'd you get all this?
SYDNEY: (pauses nervously) My dad.
VAUGHN (surprised, not happy): What?
SYDNEY: He has clearance...we...
VAUGHN (cutting Sydney off): Did you tell him everything?
SYDNEY: I had to. Vaughn looks away unhappily.
Cut to Sloane sitting at his desk in his office. He looks up as his door slides open. It's Jack.
SLOANE: How much do they know?
JACK: Uncertain. Apparently there were journals we couldn't account for.
SLOANE: Hmm...Well, I should shut them down.
JACK: We could turn this to our advantage; let Sydney and Vaughn obtain intelligence for us...
SLOANE: I see...And you have no problem with that?
JACK: Of course I do. But given our current obstacles...they might provide a lead we couldn't get on our own.
SLOANE: All right, Jack; give them a long leash. But just so we're clear...we cannot afford to be compromised...not even by your daughter.
JACK: It won't come to that. Jack and Sloane stare at each other tensely for a moment before Jack turns and leaves, Sloane staring after him.
CUT TO BLACK
Now is the time in Alias when we dance! Open to someone reading a magazine at Sydney's breakfast bar. The camera pans up to show us it's Weiss as we see Vaughn emerge from Sydney's bedroom with both hands full of luggage. As he walks by Weiss, he deadpans,
VAUGHN: No, I'm fine, thanks. Don't help.
WEISS: Aww, boo hoo. I'm gonna go up north and drink wine for two days while my friends stay here and work.
VAUGHN: It's called 'accumulated vacation', man. You use it or lose it. Vaughn puts the bags down on the steps leading up to the front door. Sydney and Nadia enter from Sydney's bedroom.
SYDNEY (to Nadia): So, you'll water the plants, right?
NADIA: I've got it.
SYDNEY: And you'll send out the...?
NADIA: Sydney, go. Have a good time.
WEISS: You know what? We could actually drive up and meet you guys... Vaughn puts an affectionate arm around Sydney's shoulder and makes the "I don't know..." face at Weiss.
VAUGHN: Um...
SYDNEY (rescuing him): We're busy.
VAUGHN: Yeah.
WEISS: You gotta eat...one meal. VAUGHN (slighly suggestively as he pulls Sydney into a closer embrace): That's what room service is for...
NADIA: Don't mind him. Have fun.
WEISS: I mean...we're crazy...this weekend anyway...we've got plans...you know, we're doing the...um...there's that, uh... Sydney looks back at Weiss with an amused smile.
NADIA: Yeah.
M(U)NICH
Cut to daytime stock photo of Munich. Cut to a number of establishing scenes inside the beer hall, including waitresses dressed in blonde wigs and traditional German dresses. Traditional beer hall oompa music is playing. Camera pans across the crowded room to stop on a table in the back of the hall. We focus on the man in the photo, who is drinking beer.
VAUGHN (off screen): That's Deitrich.
Cut to Sydney and Vaughn at a table in the front of the beer hall. Vaughn is facing toward the back and Sydney is looking at Deitrich in her make up mirror while pretending to apply lipstick.
SYDNEY: He's with his bodyguards. The man on the right is Deitrich's second in command, Kron Gulav. This is gonna be fun...(puts makeup away) No toys from Marshall...Cell phones instead of comms...
VAUGHN (half disbelief): Yeah, now all we have to do is get Deitrich alone...convince him to show us his files on Nightingale...
Cut to Deitrich as one of the waitresses reaches across his table to remove his glass. He grabs her hand and kisses it before letting her get away. Cut back to Sydney, who watched that scene in her mirror.
SYDNEY: I can get him alone.
Vaughn smiles.
Cut to Sydney walking into a back room in the beer hall. It appears to be a dressing room of some kind with rows of lockers. Sydney walks down the row, trying to open one of the lockers.
WOMAN (off screen, in German): Can I help you? Sydney slowly turns. It's one of the waitresses.
SYDNEY (in German): Where are the uniforms? I start today, I was told there'd be spares here. The woman walks up to Sydney.
WOMAN (in German): Are you Klaus' cousin?
SYDNEY: Ya. The woman slaps Sydney across the face.
WOMAN (angrily, in German): I think there's something you need to say to me. Sydney, with a hand held to her face, looks up at the woman. Cut to the beer hall as a waitress hands Deitrich a check. Vaughn dials his cell phone. Cut to the woman, knocked out on the floor, still in her dress but her wig is gone.
SYDNEY (answering phone off screen): Yeah.
VAUGHN: They're getting the check. They're almost out the door. SYDNEY (braiding her wig, dressed in another dress): Okay, okay, I'm almost there. Vaughn hangs up as he watches Deitrich sign the slip and hand it to a waitress. Vaughn turns to see Sydney walk by with a beer stein on a tray, headed toward Deitrich. Sydney, giving Deitrich the eye, places the beer down in front of him.
DEITRICH (in German): We've already paid.
SYDNEY (in German): Compliments of a friend.
DEITRICH (in German): Who?
SYDNEY (in German): Me. They stare at each other for a moment, then, with a ghost of a smile, Deitrich holds out his hand to her. She puts her hand in his.
DEITRICH (in German): What is your name?
SYDNEY: Olga. (pause) (in German): Come with me. Deitrich gets up and starts to walk off with Sydney. Cut to Vaughn, whose phone is ringing. Confused, he looks at it and then answers it.
VAUGHN: Yeah?
Cut to Eric, back at Syd's place.
WEISS: Hey man, I got a quick question... VAUGHN (watching Sydney walking away with Deitrich): Eric, this is a really bad time...
WEISS: Where are you? Is that a party?
VAUGHN (watching Sydney tensely): Look, I'm gonna have to call you back.
WEISS (teasing): Romantic getaway's goin' that good, huh? VAUGHN (as Sydney walks by with Deitrich): Braids, fishnets...it's pretty spectacular.
WEISS: Somebody's gettin' lucky tonight...(amused) Byyyyeeeee! Vaughn hangs up. Sydney and Deitrich enter his private office. Sydney is still carrying her tray under her arm. Deitrich walks up to her and says suggestively,
DEITRICH (in German): So, what God smiled at me and sent you my way? Sydney smiles as if flattered.
SYDNEY (in German): Mr. Deitrich...Surely you do this with all the girls.
DEITRICH (in German): It's been known to happen. He leans toward Sydney as if to kiss her. Sydney grabs him by the lapels of his jacket and launches him over the top of his desk to land in his chair behind it. She slides her leg across the desk to lodge the heel of her shoe into his throat.
SYDNEY: Where do you keep your financial records?
DEITRICH: What?
SYDNEY: Your business files; where do you keep them? DEITRICH (struggling to breathe against the pressure of Sydney's foot): God...they're on my computer! SYDNEY (sliding her foot higher, so that the heel is right over Deitrich's jugular.): Show me or I'll break your neck.
DEITRICH: I will! He reaches over and types one-handed a password on his computer.
DEITRICH: Please...don't hurt me... Sydney kicks him in the side of the head, knocking him out. She finds the "Nightingale" file, goes to open it...but it requires another password. Cut to Deitrich's 2nd in command, who is beginning to look antsy that his boss has been gone so long. Vaughn speed dials' Sydney's number.
VAUGHN: The guys down here are getting pretty antsy... How's it going?
SYDNEY: Give me 30 seconds...
GULAV (in German): Let's go get Deitrich. Vaughn gets up and moves to intercept. Stepping in front of them, he says with a thick Italian accent,
VAUGHN: Hier Gulav...Ignacio Maldini, Europol liaison, Organized Crime unit. Gulav sighs impatiently.
VAUGHN: We've recieved complaints...
GULAV: Take it up with our lawyers... Starts to walk by Vaughn. Vaughn puts a staying hand on his shoulder.
VAUGHN: We have. And unless you want my entire office down here tomorrow, you'll listen to me.
Cut to Sydney, removing the exterior hard drive and getting up from behind Deitrich's desk. A man walks in, surprising her.
MAN (in German): What are you doing here?
SYDNEY (in German): I'm Klaus' cousin. He asked me to come back here.
MAN ( in German): I'm Klaus. Sydney reacts for a split second, then smashes Klaus in the face with the hard drive and then again against the side of his head, knocking him out. She takes off out of Deitrich's office in a run.
Cut to Vaughn, still tying up Deitrich's men. VAUGHN:...Low wages, no overtime, rampant sexual harassment...
GULAV: (scoffing) What!? Sexual harassment? At that moment, Sydney bursts out of the back area to slide down the length of the main bar. Vaughn uses the distraction to punch Gulav in the face. Sydney turns herself mid slide and kicks Gulav in the face, knocking him out, then grabs a beer stein and crashes it on the 2nd bodyguard's head, knocking him out, too. Vaughn takes out a 3rd guard. Vaughn pulls open the front door and holds it open for Sydney. She turns to the watching crowd and says,
SYDNEY: Auf wiedersen. The crowd in the bar cheers.
LOS AN(G)ELES
Nighttime establishing shot of LA skyline. Cut to Sydney and Vaughn in her bedroom, trying to hack into Deitrich's hard drive.
VAUGHN: Okay, try it now. Sydney types in Deitrich's main password, and is able to pull up at file heading that says "Nachtigall", but the rest is encrypted.
SYDNEY: It's there. It's encrypted. It's gonna take a while...
VAUGHN: Yeah. Well, as long as it's in there. Vaughn's phone rings.
VAUGHN: Hello?
VOICE (unknown male voice): Say it's Weiss.
VAUGHN (confused): What?
VOICE: Tell your girlfriend that it's Weiss...if you wanna know about your father. Vaughn pauses for a second and then mouths "It's Weiss" at Sydney. Sydney nods and goes back to working with the hard drive. Vaughn turns on the end of the bed so his back is to her.
VOICE: You got lucky in Munich, but Nightingale won't answer your questions. Only I can. Sherwood Library, UCLA Campus. Get there in an hour. The library will be closed, but the side door will be open.
VAUGHN (covering): Uh...yeah, you know what? I'll see if I can.
VOICE: What I have is for you alone. If you tell your girlfriend, she'll be dead by the time you come back. (hangs up)
VAUGHN (covering): All right...I'll talk to you later. (hangs up)
SYDNEY: What's going on?
VAUGHN: Uh, nothing. He just, uh, wanted to grab a burger.
SYDNEY: Well, you should go. I'll work on this. Besides, if Weiss gets suspicious...
VAUGHN: Yeah. Yeah, okay. He gets up, grabs his coat.
VAUGHN: You want anything? SYDNEY (not looking up from her work): No, thanks. I'll grab something later.
VAUGHN: I won't be long. Vaughn walks over and kisses Sydney on the forehead.
SYDNEY: Take your time.
VAUGHN: Bye. Vaughn starts to walk out.
SYDNEY: Tell Weiss I said hi.
VAUGHN: I will. He stops in the doorway of the room, ostensibly to put on his coat, but really he's watching Sydney, nervous about what he's about to do. He walks away.
Cut to exterior of the library. Cut to Vaughn, inside the library and walking down the stacks. His cell phone rings.
VAUGHN: Yeah.
VOICE: Through The Looking Glass. The illustrated edition. Looking annoyed, Vaughn hangs up his phone and heads through the entrance to the children's part of the library. (An interesting detail is as he's walking down the aisle where the book is, behind him is a sculpture of the Cheshire cat from the movie version of Alice in Wonderland.) Vaughn finds the book and pulls it off the shelf. He opens it up to find a space in the middle cut out of the pages. Inside is a syringe with a blue ribbon rolled around it. Unrolling it, we see it reads, "Inject Me".
VAUGHN (in disbelief): You've gotta be kidding me.
Cut to Vaughn as he drops the book into a trashcan, preparing to leave. His phone rings again. Annoyed, he answers it.
VAUGHN: Listen, if you think I'm gonna inject myself, you're out of your mind.
VOICE: If I wanted you dead, I could kill you right now. You wanna know about your father? I'll give you two minutes to do the right thing. Vaughn hangs up the phone and looks around and then looks back at the trash can where he threw the book away. Cut to Vaughn entering a darkened reading area in the children's library. He sits down, places the book next to him. He wipes his mouth nervously, then opens the book to again reveal the syringe. He looks at it, then rubs his face furiously with his hands, as if warring within himself what he wants to do. He looks over at the syringe again...puts his head in his hands again...then grabs the syringe, rips off the ribbon and the cover and injects the substance into his arm.
CUT TO BLACK
Open to establishing night shot of LA.
JACK (voiceover): I traced Sydney and Vaughn's movement. They went to Munich.
Cut to Sloane's reaction.
SLOANE: What did they find?
JACK: Undetermined at this point.
SLOANE: Jack, the plan was to let Sydney and Vaughn open doors we couldn't go through and to pull them back if they got too far. I don't see much here in the way of containment.
JACK: We have an option. I can go to Sydney, engender her trust, convince her to bring the case to APO.
SLOANE: Hmm. No. She's too intuitive. Considering your relationship, she'll see right through you...through us.
JACK: No, she won't. I know exactly how to approach her.
Cut to Sydney, sitting cross legged on her bed, still working on breaking into the Nightingale file. Her telephone rings. She answers.
SYDNEY: Hello?
JACK: It's me.
SYDNEY (surprised): Dad. Hi.
JACK: I uh, realize this is short notice, but...I was wondering if you would join me at Micelli's this evening?
SYDNEY (stunned): Um...
JACK: Is it...bad timing?
SYDNEY: Uh, no...I
JACK (trying to sound nonchalant): Hey...I was just...hoping you'd be free for dinner.
SYDNEY: (pauses) I'll meet you there in 30 minutes.
JACK: See you there. Sydney looks at the phone and then hangs up. She goes back to her work with the computer. She unlocks the file and information, schematics, etc. pop up on the screen.
Cut to a close up of two limp hands. The camera trails up the person's seated body. It's Vaughn. He appears unconscious and his face is covered in sweat. He begins to come to, breathing heavily. It appears that he tries to move, but finds that he can't. (Note: This appears to be the same neurotoxin the Covenant doctor used on Sydney when they forced her to watch her funeral) Cut to a shadowy figure in the doorway of the darkened room.
VOICE: Mr. Vaughn... Cut back to Vaughn, who is still trying to move, but other than moving his eyes and a bit of a grimace on his face, nothing else is moving. The man steps forward. It's a black man in his 30's...someone we've never seen before.
MAN: Welcome back. (appears amused by Vaughn's struggle). Don't worry; it's temporary. He walks over and sits down next to Vaughn on the bench seat.
MAN: The paralysis should wear off in about...(checks his watch) four minutes 20 seconds. Might sting a little...you know, the re-entry.
VAUGHN (barely above a whisper): Who are you?
MAN: A man that could tell you about your father. But first...what I want. That intel you stole from Deitrich will lead you to Nightingale. What I'm interested in is the transforming coil inside of Nightingale.
VAUGHN (struggling to speak): Are you out of your mind?
MAN (snorts): I'm not the one that injected myself with an unknown substance. (pause) So, now that we've established your desperation...it's a matter of how far you're willing to go.
VAUGHN: Why should I believe anything you say?
MAN: Philip Burke. (leans closer to Vaughn) B. U. R. K. E.
VAUGHN: Who's that? The man stands up.
MAN: You look him up. And when you're done, you contact me. (holds up a business card, then tucks it under Vaughn's arm.) One time only. Make it count. The man pats Vaughn on the side of the arm and then walks out. Cut back to Vaughn's hands. His fingers are starting to move. Cut to watching Vaughn's feet as he stumbles out into the main part of the library. Obviously, the neurotoxin is still wearing off.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Cut to a nighttime establishing shot of LA. Cut to Jack, standing as Sydney approaches the table.
JACK: Thanks for coming. Sydney clears her throat and then sits down at the table.
JACK: I took the liberty of ordering a bottle of Pignot Noir. SYDNEY (pleasantly surprised as he pours her a glass): Okay.
JACK (smiling softly): You look...very nice.
SYDNEY: Thank you.
JACK: So...(lifting his glass)
SYDNEY (lifting her glass also): Yes...
(Note: It doesn't appear that either one actually takes a drink here)
JACK: Everything...okay?
SYDNEY: It's fine.
JACK (putting down his glass): How's your investigation going? Vaughn's father...
SYDNEY (puts down her glass): It's complicated, actually.
JACK: You found something.
SYDNEY: The intel on the hard drive makes it seem like...Nightingale is an active project.
JACK: Active?
SYDNEY: Vlatczko is running it out of an abandoned nuclear reactor in Siberia. He's jury-rigged enough power to drive what he needs.
JACK: For what purpose?
SYDNEY: I'm not sure exactly, but the experiments are molecular, they're...altering human DNA. There was a list of over a dozen human test subjects. All of them died. There's mention of the genetic markers AD9, but I don't know what it all means.
JACK (takes a drink from his glass): Sydney, you have to bring this to APO.
SYDNEY: Not until I talk to Vaughn.
JACK: Vaughn doesn't know that people may be dying because of it. I gave you level 6 clearance because I trusted you. I'm asking you to trust me now. Bring this to APO. If you really want to find answers, use the resources that APO can provide. Sydney looks away in thought. She looks torn.
JACK: You have to discuss this with Vaughn first; I respect that. But the longer you keep this off-book, the worse this will look for both of you. The only way to proceed is honestly...above-board. Promise me you'll tell Vaughn that.
SYDNEY (nodding): I promise. Jack nods.
Cut to Jack sitting in Sloane's office.
SLOANE: She told you this?
JACK: Yes.
SLOANE (seems impressed): Hmm. For 20 years, Josef Vlatczko's been off the grid. Now we find him through Sydney, of all people. (pauses, smiling, then sits down next to Jack). Well, I have to hand it to you, Jack...I never thought that you'd be capable of exploiting your own daughter. I certainly couldn't do that. (switching topics) I could have a strike team on the ground in Siberina in 72 hours. JACK (his voice belying his annoyance): That's a foolish course of action.
SLOANE: Vlatczko's our strongest lead to Yelena Derevko. With this intel, we need to act quickly.
JACK: Sydney cannot know that I've betrayed her confidence. We wait for her to bring this in.
SLOANE: And if she doesn't?
JACK: She will. I asked her to. When she does, we'll draw up an ops plan requiring me to go along on the mission. Once there, I'll interrogate Vlatczko without Sydney or Vaughn knowing.
SLOANE: If our assumption is correct, Vlatczko's communicating with Yelena. Once you've completed the interrogation, he needs to be eliminated.
JACK: It's a little extreme, don't you think?
SLOANE: No, I consider it a necessary precaution. He could alert Yelena to our agenda. Or even worse...he could talk to Sydney...which would be a disaster, unless, of course, you want to destroy everything we've worked for. Off Jack's troubled look, we
CUT TO BLACK
Pan sideways to Vaughn seated in front of his computer at APO. He types the name BURKE, PHILLIP into the search engine. The engine searches and then pulls up a file with photo that says: Phillip Burke, Status: Killed in Action, Date: 10/21/79, Report: Phillip Burke killed in Laos. CIA Agent: 00231545.
VAUGHN (reading aloud to himself): Phillip Burke, killed in Laos...10/21/79. This information sinks in, and then Vaughn begins typing furiously. Cut to a printed report with Phillip Burke's photo attached.
VAUGHN (voice over): They're identical. His name's Phillip Burke.
Cut to Vaughn, standing beside Sydney, sitting on a couch in her living room looking through the report.
VAUGHN: CIA Black Ops agent killed in Laos the exact same date my father was killed. The autopsy report showed that Burke was shot with a Makarov pistol, the exact same make and model your mother used to kill my father. And there's more. Vaughn pulls out a small envelope and removes a set of dental X-rays and hands them to Sydney.
VAUGHN: Dental records. The ones on the left are Burke's, the set on the right are my father's. Sydney studies them and realizes they're the same.
SYDNEY: Oh, my God...
VAUGHN: I mean, we've always thought your mother killed my father...but what if she killed Phillip Burke instead? Sydney thinks about it for a second, then asks,
SYDNEY: How would the CIA...how would anyone...
VAUGHN (cutting her off): Maybe the CIA didn't know and someone wanted the world to think Bill Vaughn died and replaced him with Phillip Burke. Sydney thinks for another moment, then asks,
SYDNEY: Vaughn, where did you get this information?
VAUGHN: That phone call from before. It wasn't Weiss. I went to see a guy named Roberts. I made a deal with him because he said he had information about my father. Sydney lets that sink in, then stands abruptly, upset.
SYDNEY: I can't believe you didn't tell me.
VAUGHN: Syd, he said he'd only talk if I came alone.
SYDNEY: I don't care; what you did was crazy!
VAUGHN: Yeah, and it paid off! This guy knows more and he'll tell me.
SYDNEY: In return for what? (crosses her arms across her chest)
VAUGHN: He wants me to give him Nightingale. Some...transformer coil.
SYDNEY (upset): We don't even know what Nightingale is yet and you want to just hand it over!?
VAUGHN: We're just gonna shut down the testing, we're not handing over the entire program...just a part of it. Syd, we do missions like this all the time!
SYDNEY: Not on our own; not rogue. Vaughn looks away. After a moment, Sydney continues,
SYDNEY: My father wants us to bring this in to APO. Vaughn turns to look at her, and his annoyance is clear in his voice,
VAUGHN (not a question): You talked to him again. Sydney nods once in semi-defiance.
VAUGHN: Yeah, well your father and Sloane will never let me keep technology like this for myself. And besides, I don't trust them. I don't trust anybody...except you.
SYDNEY: Then what do you suggest?
VAUGHN: We come clean at APO like your father wants. We drop a mission that will get us Nightingale...then we run a countermission.
SYDNEY: Like the old days.
VAUGHN: Our stated goal is to retrieve the coil...
SYDNEY: ...but instead, we keep it for ourselves.
VAUGHN: The only problem is, there's no way we can make a duplicate. We won't have time to make a fake one...
SYDNEY: ...so we have a Plan B. Vaughn nods.
Cut to daytime view of LA via helicopter.
SLOANE (voiceover): We need to retrieve the coil and shut down Nightingale.
Cut to briefing room of APO. Sloane, Jack, Marshall, Vaughn, and Sydney are present.
SLOANE: Assuming you got to the facility undetected, what then?
SYDNEY: Once inside, Vaughn and I will split up. I'll recover the coil while Vaughn takes care of security.
VAUGHN: Now, each door in the facility is keycode operated, but Vlatczko operates out of the security station here, so I'll subdue him, I'll override all the locking mechanisms. That should get Sydney into the control room where the coil's held.
JACK: What configuration did you say the reactor was running?
VAUGHN: RBMK.
JACK: Then you'll need two people to retrieve the coil: One to ensure the reactor stays in standby mode while the other enters the test chamber to grab the coil.
MARSHALL: Yeah...that's right!
SLOANE: That means you're missing one man to override security.
JACK: Then...I'll join the team. As third man, I'll access the security system while you and Vaughn recover the coil. Once the mission is complete, we can bring Vlatczko back for questioning.
SYDNEY: If we need a third man, Dixon is more than capable...
SLOANE: Actually, Jack's experience will serve you well...unless there's something about this mission that you haven't told me.
Sloane looks from Vaughn to Sydney, who both stone-cold bluff him.
VAUGHN: No, sounds good.
CUT TO BLACK
SIBE( R ) IA
Outside the power plant, Sydney, Vaughn and Jack approach a grate covering the exit to a ventilation shaft. Vaughn unscrews the bolts with an electric drill and removes the cover.
SYDNEY: Home plate, we're in.
MARSHALL: Copy 5x5; Phoenix standing by. Sloane stands watching and listening over Marshall's shoulder.
Cut to Syd, Vaughn, and Jack entering the access and walking through the ventilation tunnel. They come around a corner and take out two guards with tranq guns. They go around another corner and take out another guard just coming up the stairs.
JACK: Going ahead to the security room.
SYDNEY: We'll meet you back here with the coil. Jack continues down the corridor; Syd and Vaughn climb some stairs leading to the control room. Cut to Jack turning a corner. He looks up and nonchalantly fires his tranq gun. As he walks by the camera, we see the body of the person he tranqued fall to the floor from above him. Cut back to Syd and Vaughn taking out guards on their way to the control room. Just as Syd and Vaughn are detected on the security cameras, Jack enters the security room, tranquing the guard and coming up to Vlatczko.
JACK: The more you cooperate, the less pain you'll endure. Sit down. Sit down! Vlatczko complies. Jack hits buttons on a console in front of him.
JACK: Shutting down security.
SLOANE: Jack, are you with Dr. Vlatczo?
JACK: Yes, he's been subdued. (switches comms on) Shotgun, Phoenix...unlocking the door to the control room now.
VAUGHN: Copy; almost there.
Cut to Syd and Vaughn bursting into the control room and tranquing two scientists.
VAUGHN: Okay, Marshall...We're at the control panels.
MARSHALL: Is the reactor online?
SYDNEY: Negative. I can see the transformer inside now.
MARSHALL: Right. Open up the containment shield. That's where the coil is.
SYDNEY: Copy. Vaughn hits a button and the shield over the coil lowers.
MARSHALL: Now, release the lock to the test chamber. Vaughn hits another button and the chamber door slides open.
SYDNEY: We've got the chamber opened. I'm going in. Sydney enters the chamber.
SYDNEY: Dismantling the pressure shield now. Sydney starts cutting a hole in the top of the device to remove the coil.
SYDNEY: This will take a couple minutes.
Cut to Jack and Dr. Vlatczko.
JACK: I need information, and I need it very quickly.
VLATCZKO: I don't know what you're talking about. Jack whacks him across the face.
JACK: I know about Nightingale.
VLATCZKO: If you know about Nightingale, what else can I possibly tell you?
JACK: The location of Yelena Derevko.
VLATCZKO: Yelena?
JACK (menacing): Tell me where she is.
VLATCZKO: I don't know. Jack hits him across the face again.
Cut to Sydney, who almost has a complete hole through the pressure shield.
SYDNEY: Ready to remove the coil. Sydney lifts off the piece she cut out.
Cut to Jack and Vlatczko.
JACK: Where is Yelena?
VLATCZKO: I told you, I don't know!
JACK: You worked for her. You've been in contact. You couldn't have set this up without her help.
VLATCZKO: It was years ago.
JACK: I don't have time for this. Jack shoots Vlatczko in the thigh. Cut back to Vaughn, monitoring from the control room, when a guard comes in, firing a machine gun at him. He ducks to the side and jumps behind the control panel, which is hailed with bullets and starts to spark. Behind him, the door to the test chamber starts to slide shut. Sydney hears it and runs for it, but not in time; she's locked in. Vaughn takes out the guard, but the damage is done. The control panel is fried. The reactor starts to come online.
RECORDED VOICE (in Russian): Sixty seconds. Sydney tries to pull the door open, but it won't budge.
SYDNEY: Vaughn!
VAUGHN: Syd, the controls are fried.
SYDNEY: Can you get me out of here?
Cut to Jack and Vlatczko. Jack still has his gun pointed at him.
JACK: Tell me where she is!
VLATCZKO: I don't know!
VAUGHN: Home base. The reactor's coming online, it's coming online now!
MARSHALL: Vaughn, bypass the nuclear fusion switch. It's on the panel under the main controls.
VAUGHN (to Sydney): I have to run a bypass! Vaughn gets under the panel and runs the bypass.
RECORDED VOICE (in Russian): Thirty seconds. The reactor coil begins to light up in preparation for activation. Sydney pulls at the door and looks helplessly through the glass at Vaughn, and
CUT TO BLACK
Back to Sydney still in the chamber trying to pull the door open, then cut to Marshall.
MARSHALL: Okay, is there an ethernet port next to the motherboard?
VAUGHN: Yeah.
MARSHALL: Okay, plug it in there. (typing furiously on his keyboard) That should give me access to...(his computer connects to the one at the plant) Okay, nice. That's it. (to Sloane) I'm on the server. Vaughn, use the blue and yellow wire together to open the door. He wires it and then says to Sydney,
VAUGHN: Okay, Syd...try the door now.
SYDNEY: Still locked! Vaughn!
VAUGHN: Marshall, I can't bypass the door. Sydney's in the room with the reactor.
Cut to Jack listening to this on his comms. Cut back to Vaughn.
VAUGHN: Is there another way to shut down the core!?
MARSHALL: Only if you remove the fuel rods.
Cut to Jack. His face shows he's obviously torn. Then, he shoots and kills Vlatczko and bolts out of the room and down the corridor.
JACK: Marshall, I'm headed toward the core.
MARSHALL: No! No! No! Do not do that! Exposure to that amount of radiation can kill you, okay? I can slow down the countdown and buy enough time to corrupt the reactor or mainframe. Just give me some time.
RECORDED VOICE (in Russian): Twenty seconds. Vaughn spies the machine gun the now dead guard was using and picks it up.
VAUGHN: Take cover! Vaughn shoots at the glass between him and her, but it's bulletproof. Cut to Jack, running up to the room where the fuel rods are. He tries to enter via the keypad, but it doesn't work.
MARSHALL: No, Mr. Bristow... I see what you're doing. Don't go in there. I've almost got it; I can keep the reactor from coming online...I can!
SYDNEY (to Vaughn): It's um...getting a little warm in here...
VAUGHN: Hang on! I'm working on it! Jack takes apart the keypad to try to hotwire it.
RECORDED VOICE (in Russian): Ten seconds.
VAUGHN: Marshall, come on!
MARSHALL: Okay, almost there, almost there, almost there...got it, the countdown's slowing down. Jack has gotten the panel off and is trying to short the wires. The countdown continues (slower) and we bounce back from Vaughn's worried face to Jack trying to break into the fuel rod room. Cut to Marshall on his computer.
MARSHALL (typing furiously): Work some magic! Work some magic! Work some magic! Work some magic! Work some magic! Countdown goes from three to two. Cut from Vaughn's stricken face to Sydney still trying in vain to open the door. Cut to Jack, who has just gotten the access light for the door to go green. Cut back to Vaughn, staring in horror at the coil and then in anguish at Sydney. Sydney braces herself against activation. As the countown gets past two, everything stops. The light on the coil goes out and the regular lights come back up.
VAUGHN: Marshall, what happened? MARSHALL (reading from his computer screen): Total system shutdown due to core corruption...I did it.
Cut to Vaughn's relieved look at Sydney that Sydney returns.
MARSHALL (joyous): We did it! We... Marshall launches himself into a very surprised Slaone's arms to hug him in glee. SLOANE (pulling Marshall off of him): All right, Marshall...Marshall...just free Sydney, would you?
MARSHALL: Right! Sorry...um, system's in reset; that should be a problem (types a few keys), and...free at last.
Cut to Vaughn running toward Sydney in the hallway. Sydney is carrying the coil.
VAUGHN: Sydney! (He grasps Sydney by both shoulders as if steadying her) You okay?
SYDNEY: Yeah, I'm fine. (She hands Vaughn the coil.) Plan B. Vaughn shakes his head in almost disgust.
VAUGHN: Ah, I hate this. Sydney takes a deep breath and steels herself.
SYDNEY: Vaughn...are you sure? Vaughn's face softens and Sydney looks at him almost as if to say, "What?" He reaches forward and pulls her to him, kissing her passionately. As he pulls away, he tells her softly,
VAUGHN: I love you. Sydney smiles a bit and answers in a soft, almost a playful tone,
SYDNEY: Yeah? (pause) Still? Vaughn smiles and nods slightly, then steels himself and then punches Sydney really hard across the face. Sydney drops to the floor with a grunt. Vaughn grimaces after making contact as if it hurt him to hit her. She gets back up; her lip is bleeding and she's breathing hard in reaction to the pain. She gives him a little glance almost as if to say, "Nice punch."
SYDNEY: Remember what you promised... VAUGHN (strained, as if he hates to see Sydney in pain): I'll let you know when I get there. SYDNEY (gingerly touching the side of her face): 'Kay. Sydney turns and watches as Vaughn runs off with the coil. Cut to Jack running up the stairs toward Sydney.
JACK: Sydney! Sydney runs straight into her father's arms.
SYDNEY: I couldn't stop him... Sydney pulls out of Jack's embrace to look him in the face.
SYDNEY: It was Vaughn... he took the coil. Sydney protects the tender side of her face with her hand for effect.
SYDNEY: I couldn't stop him, Dad. He pulls her back into his arms. His face says he clearly doesn't believe her story.
Cut to daytime shot of LA skyline. Cut to Jack and Sloane in Sloane's office.
SLOANE: Well, I don't understand this. Vaughn assaulted Sydney and stole the coil?
JACK: Yes.
SLOANE: And you believe her?
JACK (shaking his head no): Vaughn wouldn't go against us without reason. From his father's journals to this...rash action... Someone must be feeding him information...a third party we're not aware of.
SLOANE: Yeah, well obviously this complicates our situation.
JACK (annoyed): Yes, I imagine this must be quite upsetting to you, Arvin. My not anticipating Sydney and Vaughn's deceit might be greater than your own...
SLOANE (lets that go): Have you thought about how we're going to deal with this... Jack doesn't answer. He appears a bit dazed.
SLOANE: Jack? JACK (as if waking from a daydream): Hmmm?
SLOANE: Are you all right?
JACK: Fine. Just tired. Sloane's face clearly says he's not buying that.
JACK: I'll work up some options on retrieving Vaughn and the coil. He stands up and leaves Sloane's office. Sloane watches him leave, and appears to be concerned over Jack's strange behavior. Cut and then pan to Sydney sitting at her dining table, reading the newspaper, eating a sandwich and drinking some milk. She hears a ringing and looks over toward the breakfast bar, where her cell phone sits. She picks it up and her display says she has a new message. She presses on the screen and reveals an email from Vaughn. It says, "I'm okay. Wish me luck..." Sydney smiles softly and then looks worried. Cut to Jack, walking swiftly through APO toward the exit. Marshall chases after him.
MARSHALL: Uh, Mr. Bristow...Mr. Bristow! Jack does not slow down at all, but Marshall finally catches up to him.
MARSHALL: Hi. Listen, I uh, ran the diagnostics on the core reactor shutdown... You remember the...Marshall saves the day, and uh...
JACK (cutting him off): Marshall, this is not the time.
MARSHALL: Yeah, but I re-ran security protocols and I checked them and rechecked them twice, believe me, because I couldn't quite understand... JACK (cutting him off again, impatient): Marshall, what is it!? They've reached the hallway leading out into the subway.
MARSHALL: I didn't shut down that reactor at all!
JACK: That's impossible.
MARSHALL: No it isn't! The printouts! Listen, it is physically impossible for me to shut down that reactor from a remote location. I mean, given it's particular status, they would have to be shut down manually, but that's impossible, too, because that would mean that someone...that...that's... (realizing the truth and is horrified) He looks up at Jack with such awe and horror.
MARSHALL: I mean, you... The only way it could happen is if...(choked up) you went into the reactor yourself. Jack's face is stoic as usual, but it's clear he's not denying it. Gravely, he says,
JACK: It was my daughter's life. Marshall's face is just a picture of grief and utter sadness. The elevator arrives and Jack gets on it, with Marshall just staring after him. Just before the doors shut in front of him, Jack says,
JACK: Between. Us. Marshall nods, and the doors close.
Plan: A: Vaughn; Q: Who disappears with the coil to learn more about his father? A: Nightingale; Q: What is the name of the molecular weapons system located in a nuclear reactor in Siberia? A: Sloane; Q: Who and Jack know about Nightingale? A: Elena Derevko; Q: Who is Nightingale connected to? A: the information; Q: What does Vaughn bring to APO? A: a mysterious stranger; Q: Who meets with Vaughn in the UCLA library? A: the Nightingale's coil; Q: What does the mysterious stranger promise Vaughn in exchange for information about his father? A: the Nightingale facility; Q: Where do Vaughn, Sydney and Jack travel to shut down the Nightingale weapon? A: the Nightingale device; Q: What is Sydney trapped in the room with? A: Marshall; Q: Who discovers what Jack did? A: three different locations; Q: How many times did Jack, Vaughn and Marshall try to free Sydney? A: harmful radiation; Q: What does Jack expose himself to when he shuts down the nuclear core? A: Sydney's help; Q: What helps Vaughn disappear with the coil? A: Jack's secret; Q: What does Marshall swear to keep? Summary: While searching for Vaughn's father, Vaughn and Sydney discover that Nightingale is a molecular weapons system located in a nuclear reactor in Siberia. Sloane and Jack know about Nightingale and its connection to Elena Derevko. The duo later use Sydney to have Vaughn bring the information to APO and thus make it an official mission. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger meets with Vaughn in the UCLA library and promises answers about his father in exchange for the Nightingale's coil. Vaughn, Sydney and Jack travel to the Nightingale facility to shut it down and retrieve the coil from the weapon, however, Sydney becomes trapped in the room with the Nightingale device. Jack, Vaughn and Marshall attempt from three different locations to free her, which ultimately leads to Jack shutting down the nuclear core manually exposing himself to harmful radiation. With Sydney's help, Vaughn disappears with the coil to learn more of his father. Marshall later discovers what Jack did, but swears to keep Jack's secret.