Sydney and Dixon are sent to Las Vegas to gather information from a K-Directorate agent who has ties to the group that attacked and nearly destroyed SD-6. Meanwhile, Sydney accidentally discovers some shocking news about Francie's fiancé, Charlie, who recently had had a real affair with another woman. Will begins his journey to discover what SD-6 really is, and Jack continues to try to be more of a father to Sydney when he helps her decide whether or not to continue with graduate school.
(Hong Kong. Outside Tyno-Chem Engineering, a man runs out, covered in blood, yelling in Chinese. He's been shot. A young blond man carrying a massive gun calmly walks out behind him. People scream and run. The young man pauses and stares at the man. He falls to the ground. The young man shoots him twice. He falls to the ground.) (SD-6 conference room with Sloane, Jack, Dixon, Sydney and Marshall.) SLOANE: You're looking at surveillance footage taken from outside Tyno-Chem Engineering, which, as you know, is the front company for FTL headquarters. You may recognize the man on the ground as Quan Li-- SYDNEY: Wait, wait, wait. Quan Li was assassinated? DIXON: The head of FTL? SLOANE: Yes. His entire security detail was ambushed inside the building, leaving Li utterly defenseless. SYDNEY: Have you I.D.d the shooter? SLOANE: His face didn't appear in any of our databases. DIXON: He doesn't seem to mind being photographed. SLOANE: This young man led a commando unit into FTL headquarters at precisely the same time we were attacked here. The objective was the same. They were there to steal a Rambaldi artifact. JACK: Their agent roster was compromised. Their entire network crumbled within hours of the attack. DIXON: What you're saying is... FTL no longer exists? (Jack nods.) MARSHALL: Um... sorry, stupid question, but, uh, since FTL is--sorry, was an enemy for, like, ever, shouldn't we be drinking champagne? JACK: Someone had the means to launch a unilateral attack on us and FTL. And we haven't got a clue who's responsible. SLOANE: In addition, they now have what seems to be the most significant collection of Rambaldi artifacts in the world. They may, in fact, have enough to uncover what Rambaldi was ultimately working on before we do. MARSHALL: Oh. Yeah, that does suck. JACK: This new enemy isn't stopping there. Our assets in Vladivostock intercepted a communique last night. A group claiming responsibility for the two attacks has contacted K-Directorate. They've proposed a meeting later this week to disucss the sharing of Rambaldi technology. SLOANE: This man's name is Brandon Dahlgren. He lives year-round in a penthouse at the Regal Casino. He's a go-between for K-Directorate. Dahlgren is expecting to receive a phone call detailing the time and location of this meeting. This is information that we need. Dixon, you're on point for this one. Sydney, you're on comms. JACK: (to Dixon) You're going in as Darian Buchanan. He's a delegate for the Jamaican parliament who plans to visit Las Vegas next week. As soon as we know that he's actually en route, you'll go in posing as Buchanan. You'll be flagged as a VIP so you can gamble in the casino's private gaming suite where Dahlgren regularly plays. That's where you'll plant the bug. Marshall's making one that matches a ring Dahlgren wears. SLOANE: Be prepared to leave as soon as we get word that Buchanan's plane is in the air. That's it. (Everyone gets up to leave.) SLOANE: Sydney, stay a minute. (Everyone else leaves.) SYDNEY: Everything okay? SLOANE: That's funny. I was about to ask you the same question. Listen... I don't mean to pry, but I had a conversation with your father about your mother. He told you that she was KGB. I'm sorry. SYDNEY: It's okay. SLOANE: I want to tell you again how much I appreciate your service to SD-6 during the incident last week. Every person here owes you their life. SYDNEY: How's the finger? SLOANE: Um... well... I'm told it's going to heal nicely. Thank you. Shall we? (They walk out. Everyone is gathered around, clapping and smiling in honor of Sydney. She looks at them. Dixon and everyone is beaming with pride. Sloane smiles at Sydney.) SYDNEY: (voice over) I felt sick. All those people standing there, patriots, believing they work for the U.S. government. None of them realizing the information they gather is only being used by heartless men like Arvin Sloane for an organization that would trade their lives for a profit in a heartbeat. (Bus. Sydney and Vaughn in an empty car.) SYDNEY: I just wanted to rip his finger right off again. (Vaughn chuckles.) SYDNEY: Does that make me a bad person? VAUGHN: No. That might have blown your cover. SYDNEY: You think? VAUGHN: Yeah. Look, you'll tag Dahlgren in Vegahs. When SD-6 gets more specifics about the meeting, we'll figure out what our next move is. SYDNEY: Did the guy from your offic end up reporting you? VAUGHN: Haladki? Yeah, he did. But Devlin only slapped me on the wrist. Even though going into SD-6 without clearance wasn't exactly constitutional. (Sydney rubs her jaw and winces.) VAUGHN: I was kind of hoping he'd get nailed for snitching but I guess we kind of broke even on this one. Are you okay? SYDNEY: It's nothing. I'm just a little bruised. VAUGHN: Oh. You can't really tell. SYDNEY: That's because I'm wearing, like, a pound of cover-up. (They lock eyes and then look away.) (SD-6. Sydney walks with Jack.) JACK: We just heard from our surveillance team in Jamaica. Buchanan's pilot's been called to the airstrip. It could indicate he'll be off the ground by the end of the day. You should be ready to leave late this afternoon. SYDNEY: That's fine. I just have to swing by school. JACK: How uh... how's that going? SYDNEY: School? Good. JACK: Okay. (He starts to leave.) SYDNEY: Actually... um, since you're asking... I've gone from thinking that my mother was a literature professor to finding out that she was KGB. I'm sure when you found that out, you must have felt as lost as I do. (Jack looks around.) SYDNEY: Last week, I was ready to leave SD-6 but maybe I was focused on the wrong place. I think maybe I only went to grad school because Mom did. She was a teacher, so I always thought that was something I wanted to do. But now that I know it was just her cover, and thta it didn't mean anything to her... I'm thinking I should just drop it. (He looks down.) SYDNEY: Dad? JACK: Yes. Um... I understand. I just, um... I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask. SYDNEY: Oh. Okay. I should go. (She gets her things and leaves.) (Sydney's house. Knock on the door. She puts down her suitcase and opens it.) WILL: Hey. SYDNEY: Hey. So, I actually have two tape recorders. WILL: Oh, you are the best. Let me tell you something. I don't know, mine just died. (He picks one of them up. Sydney stares at his neck, shocked.) WILL: Oh, this is great. SYDNEY: What is that? WILL: What? SYDNEY: Is that a hickey? WILL: No, is it-- (He looks in a nearby mirror.) WILL: Oh, my God. I have to go to a meeting-- SYDNEY: Wait, you know what? I actually have cover-up. (She starts looking for it.) WILL: Do you have enough? SYDNEY: Yeah, I've got enough. (She starts dabbing it on Will's neck.) WILL: It's very embarrassing. SYDNEY: What, the fact that I saw it or just that it's there at all? WILL: Look at it. I feel like I'm 15 years old. SYDNEY: That's about the age of your intern. WILL: When I said 15, I knew you were going-- SYDNEY: Did the Clinton administration teach you nothing? WILL: Whoa. I'm not married, I can date-- SYDNEY: Don't start defending your thing with Jenny. She's not in your league and you know it. WILL: Who's in my league? What league? Show me a league and I'll buy a ticket, I'll go to the meetings and I will try and find those people. Where are they? (They stop and laugh.) WILL: Is it good? SYDNEY: Yeah. (She stares at him.) WILL: What? SYDNEY: Nothing. (Francie and Charlie enter.) FRANCIE: Okay, the next time Charlie and I go to breakfast with our parents, remind me that mimosas are verboten. SYDNEY: Oh, God, today was the big brunch. WILL: They didn't get along? FRANCIE: Oh, we wish. They got along so well, they're going on vacation together! SYDNEY: Ew. FRANCIE: Yeah. WILL: What's wrong with that? That's nice. FRANCIE: Nice? That is the makings of a disaster. They're going away without us and they're going to plan the whole wedding. What's in the bag and where are you off to this time? SYDNEY: Vegas. FRANCIE: Vegas! What was I just saying? Where should we go? CHARLIE: After that brunch, Vegas isn't far enough. FRANCIE: I'm serious. Baby, that's our cue. We could just go tonight. SYDNEY: W-w-wait. This is not a vacation for me. There's this public relations conference and-- FRANCIE: Sydney, we don't need you to babysit. SYDNEY: What I mean is I'd want to hang out with you guys. Just wait a week. We'll all go together. FRANCIE: All right, I guess. Ugh, that breakfast blew. SYDNEY: You'll tell me about it later, okay? I got to go to school. WILL: You know what? I got to go, too. CHARLIE: Oh, hey. Hey, I got a gig Thursday and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind putting up some fliers on campus for me? SYDNEY: Yeah, do I get ten per cent? CHARLIE: Sure, I'll just give you that dollar now. Hey, do you want to help put some up, too? WILL: Uh, my meeting's at a prison. CHARLIE: You never know. WILL: Take care, man. CHARLIE: All right, Will. (Prison.) WILL: I'm surprised you wanted to meet with me, especially so soon. DAVID: Look, I spent eight years in this place, living in fear of what these people might do to my daughter, to Kelly, so... you know, you come in here and you start asking me questions about SD-6... I just wasn't prepared. WILL: I understand. DAVID: But Kelly came to me. She told me she met you, about her conversation with Robert, about her going away. And I can't spend another eight years like this. I need to talk. WILL: Is Kelly safe? 'Cause I'm not going to do the story otherwise. DAVID: Hey, I'm her father. Neither would I. Yeah, she's been sent away, she's out of the country. Cost me nearly everything I have left but, uh... but she's safe. WILL: Okay, so who are they? I mean... what do they do? What the hell is SD-6? DAVID: All right. I'm going to tell you what I know but first there's something you have to do. (Lobby of a building. Will stands in front of a receptionist's desk. He smiles.) WILL: Hey. RECEPTIONIST: Hi. WILL: Hi, I'm Will Tippin. I'm here to interview Mr. Glasner. DAVID: (voice over) You have to contact a company called O.T. Technologies and tell them you want to interview their CEO. His name is Larry Glasner. (Prison.) WILL: Why would I want to interview Mr. Glasner? DAVID: You don't. But you got to get into the building. See, I used to work there and before my trial I did something illegal but really smart. See, I knew there were people that wanted to use my encryption software and that someone was going to use it for no good. So I wrote a subroutine in the program that would send a tag to a dedicated server. WILL: I don't really know the technical jargon, you're going to have to-- DAVID: It's like a digital guestbook. Anybody that uses the program would unknowingly sign n. You see, I wanted to make sure there was a trail in case I ever wanted to pursue the people that were setting me up. WILL: So there's a list of people that used your program, right? DAVID: Right. And it should be on a server in the computer room at O.T. Tech. (Lobby at O.T. Tech. Will gets up and walks to the receptionist.) DAVID: (voice over) Once you get into the building, you're going to tell them that you want to use the restroom. WILL: Excuse me. Can you tell me where the restroom is, please? DAVID: (voice over) Three doors past the bathroom in the first floor is the door to the computer room. (Will walks down a hall, looking over his shoulder. He gets to a door that's marked Server 3.) DAVID: (voice over) The pass code is 4747. (Will punches it in and goes inside. He sets up his laptop and starts typing.) DAVID: (voice over) Once you're in, you're going to log on to the system. I'll give you all the system codes. You're going to search for a file called Dolphin. Download it. (Will finds it and starts downloading.) DAVID: (voice over) That's the one. That's our road map. That's going to lead us to SD-6. (Sydney meets with her professor in his office. He sorts through a stack of graded papers for hers.) PROFESSOR: Your paper had the unlucky distinction of being the last one I graded. SYDNEY: I didn't come here for the paper. I've decided to leave the program and I need your signature to drop the course. PROFESSOR: Why? SYDNEY: I've been just wearing myself too thin, trying to finish the program and do my job. And you were so right when you said that work was getting in the way here. But the fact is... I'm not sure I want to be a teacher anymore. PROFESSOR: Sydney... you're one of the best students I've ever had. That's it. That's my pep talk. But I urge you, think about it a little more before you make your final decision. (He gives her her paper and walks out. She got an A.) (Sydney is putting up fliers for Charlie's gig. A pretty young girl stops and looks.) STELLA: Oh, my God! SYDNEY: What? STELLA: I didn't know Charlie was a singer. SYDNEY: You know Charlie? STELLA: Yeah, unfortunately. You were in British Authors Before 1800. SYDNEY: Oh. Yeah. STELLA: That was a good class. Stella Campbell. SYDNEY: Sydney Bristow. Why do you say "unfortunately"? STELLA: Oh, I don't know, it was nothing. We went out for a few months and he was just a jerk when he ended it. Nothing. He's just a guy. SYDNEY: How long ago? STELLA: Just, like, a few months ago. SYDNEY: A few months?! STELLA: Yeah. Why? SYDNEY: Because he's... he's engaged to a friend of mine! Charlie Bernard - are you sure it's him? STELLA: How long has he been engaged? SYDNEY: How long did you two go out? STELLA: Just a few months. SYDNEY: A few months! STELLA: What a pig. God, it figures. Who's your friend? Rachel, that blond girl? 'Cause I thought something was going on with her. SYDNEY: No, my friend is someone else. STELLA: Oh. Listen, you know what? I just really need to learn how to keep my mouth shut. I'll see you around. SYDNEY: Okay. (Vegas. Sydney and Dixon are walking to the casino, Dixon is wearing a dreadlocked wig. Sydney talks on her cell to Will.) SYDNEY: Will, I don't know what to do. WILL: Are you sure it's the same Charlie? SYDNEY: Yes, and Francie is going to be devastated. WILL: This just... this just doesn't make any sense. I mean, I don't understand. Who the hell lives a double life like that? Seriously. SYDNEY: There are people. WILL: Yeah, I guess. SYDNEY: How am I going to tell her? WILL: Um, okay, okay, okay. Let me make a suggestion. Yeah. Make sure she's sitting down and make sure she is very drunk. Yeah, you got to get her sauced because this is really going to hurt. SYDNEY: It is going to hurt. I'll call you later. WILL: Okay. (She hangs up.) DIXON: Can you focus? SYDNEY: We're traied to see the details, to read people in situations, to look at clues and red flags... I started to think I was getting pretty good at it and turns out my best friend's fiance is a cheat. DIXON: Out of the blue? SYDNEY: I guess, in retrospect, there were signs. But he could be so sweet to her, you know? DIXON: I don't have to lecture to you about people's capacity to keep secrets. SYDNEY: I'll be in touch as soon as I'm in the casino's database. The transmitter's hot. Marshall says this is an exact replica of Dahlgren's ring. DIXON: Exact will be nice. Thanks and good luck. SYDNEY: You, too. (Casino entrance. Sydney walks up the stairs but a guard stops her.) GUARD: Miss, this entrance is for employees only. SYDNEY: Oh, sorry. I just started on Friday. (She shows them a badge and opens up her coat to reveal her costume.) GUARD: My mistake. (She goes inside. On the casino floor, she comes out dressed in the waitress's slinky silver outfit.) SYDNEY: I'm in. (Casino. Sydney walks through the casino floor and spots Charlie and Francie, arm and arm.) SYDNEY: Oh, my God. DIXON: Syd, what's wrong? SYDNEY: You're not going to believe it. Francie and Charlie are here. DIXON: Did they see you? SYDNEY: No. DIXON: Just make sure they don't. (Sydney walks to an employees only door, slides a card through, and walks in. She runs down a hall.) DIXON: How far off are you? SYDNEY: Give me two minutes. (She puts something on the door that unlocks it. A guard is walking down the hall. She quickly goes inside the surveillance room.) (Flashback to Marshall briefing Sydney.) MARSHALL: So, you want to hack into a casino. Well, do you remember how tight security was in that Siberian silo a couple of years ago? Cakewalk compared to Vegas. I mean, casino security is like an onion. It's layer after layer after layer and the more that you peel back, the more you want to cry. Face recognition, video surveillance. The only way to get inside the system is to splice directly into one of the fiber optic cables but any interruption in the feed will alert security. Except the one thing nobody has but you is me and I... have this. Now this is a razor prism. It will cut directly into any fiber optic cable. Plus it will allow you total access without interrupting the data system. (She clamps the prism on a cable and starts typing on her latpop. Subject search for Darian Buchanan. She accesses the file and uploads the new image. She replaces the real Buchanan's picture with a pcutre of Dixon.) SYDNEY: Okay, Dixon, go. (Dixon walks in the casino. In the control room, the security camera spots him and does a scan. They ID him as Buchanan - VIP recognized, parliamentary delegate, republic of Jamaica.) CONTROL GUY: Sir, Mr. Buchanan has arrived. (The manager and Dixon walk through the casino and pass Francie and Charlie.) MANAGER: Mr. Buchanan, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. DIXON: Likewise. MANAGER: We weren't expecting you until tomorrow. DIXON: Yes, I know. I came ahead of the delegates to win back the money I lost last year. Do I suspect the U.S. senate hosts these conferences so that we will lose our shirts? (Chuckles.) MANAGER: Well, perhaps you will be more comfortable in our private gaming suite. DIXON: Oh, how kind. Yes, thank you. [SCENE_BREAK] (Francie and Charlie are at a table. Francie's on her cell phone.) FRANCIE: Syd, hey, we're in Vegas, we're here! What hotel are you in? Give me a call on my cell phone as soon as you get this message. Where the hell are you? I'll talk to you soon! CASINO: Number nine! We have a winner! CHARLIE: Ha! We just got here and we're up a hundred bucks! All right, all right! FRANCIE: Was coming to Vegas the greatest idea or what? Hey, check it out. There's a wedding chapel. CHARLIE: Aw, come on. FRANCIE: Why not? I mean, just think about it. Just us. No parents. No hassle. (Manager and Dixon are walking to the suite.) MANAGER: I understand you have a line of credit with us. Would you like to draw down on it? DIXON: Yes, man. I usually start out with a half a million. I feel lucky today. (Sydney watches on her laptop.) SYDNEY: Okay, Dahlgren is at the back poker table. (Dixon walks up to the back poker table.) DIXON: May I join you? DAHLGREN: Yeah, sure. MANAGER: Good luck, sir. DIXON: Thank you. DEALER: The card is 5-card draw, sir. Pot limit. The minimum bet is five thousand. (They take their cards. Sydney watches and spots Dahlgren's hand.) SYDNEY: Okay, Dahlgren's got a pair of jacks and an ace kicker. DIXON: I always start off modestly. It leaves me room to get out of hand. Fifty thousand. (He throws down fifty thousand dollars in chips. The other two men who were playing chuckle.) MAN1: I'm out. MAN2: Too much. (Dixon takes a card.) DEALER: Bets, please. DIXON: In case you're wondering, I draw an inside straight. A hundred and twenty thousand. (He throws donw the chips. Dahlgren puts down his cards.) DAHLGREN: Not my hand. DIXON: Hmmm. (He turns over his cards. He had nothing. Dixon chuckles.) DIXON: Americans. Them really gullible. (The other two men leave.) DIXON: Good evening. (Sydney scans the various camers and sees that at the wedding chapel, Francie and Charlie are there.) SYDNEY: Francie, what are you doing? Oh, no, no, no, no. Please, no. Dixon, listen. Hold on the switch. Play a few more hands, let him get to know your poker face. If this is okay, if I can go radio silent for two minutes, clear your throat. (Pause. Dixon clears his throat.) SYDNEY: Going radio silent. (She runs out.) (Chapel.) MINISTER: Thank you kindly. Now, if you'll just sign the bride and groom's registry. (Sydney walks up.) SYDNEY: Hey. FRANCIE: Hey! SYDNEY: I was just finishing my meeting across the casino and I saw you guys. What are you doing here? FRANCIE: Oh, I know we made a deal but I bought the tickets anyway-- SYDNEY: No, I mean, what are you doing here? Are you... are you guys getting married? FRANCIE: I know it sounds crazy, but-- SYDNEY: No, no, I totally get it. FRANCIE: I called you. Will you be our witness? SYDNEY: I just need to talk to Charlie privately for two seconds. FRANCIE: Okay... (Down the hall.) CHARLIE: What's up? SYDNEY: I met a friend of yours today. CHARLIE: Who? SYDNEY: Stella Campbell. (Charlie stops.) CHARLIE: So... how's Stella doing? SYDNEY: Does Francie know anything about your relationship with her? (He doesn't say anything.) SYDNEY: You and I are friends, Charlie, so you know I have nothing against you goin ginto this, but I swear to God, if you marry Francie without telling her what you've been up to, I will kill you. CHARLIE: Sydney-- SYDNEY: No discussion. You don't tell her, and I will. Got it? CHARLIE: Yeah. Yeah, I got it. SYDNEY: Tell Francie I had to get back to work. I'll call her later. (In the gaming suite.) DEALER: Number of cards, please. DIXON: Give me two cards, man. DAHLGREN: What the hell? I'm out ofhere after this. I'll take three. DIXON: My friend, the night's still young. DAHLGREN: The night began eighty-six thousand ago, my friend. (Chapel. Charlie gets back from his talk.) FRANCIE: Hey, what's wrong? Where's Sydney? CHARLIE: Fran, we got to talk. (In the casino, Sydney walks in between the slot machines and tears off her coat. The manager is standing nearby and gets a call.) MANAGER: Yeah? VOICE: Sir, we have a problem. (Chapel, continuing.) CHARLIE: We can't get married like this. FRANCIE: Why not? CHARLIE: 'Cause I want to do it write with all our friends and family there. Don't you? (Gaming suite.) DAHLGREN: I'll see your ten and raise fifteen which is all the chips I have left. DIXON: I see your raise and to show you that I'm not a greedy man, I will raise you something personal. (He gets out a diamond lighter from his jacket pocket.) DIXON: This is a gift from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. DAHLGREN: I got this watch. DIXON: I have a watch. But I don't have no ring. (Sydney runs down the hallway, trying to make it back to the surveillance room.) DAHLGREN: My fraternity ring? It's not worth anything. DIXON: If it's worth something to you, it's worth something to me. (Sydney sits behind the laptop.) SYDNEY: Dixon, I'm back! (Dahlgren takes off the ring and throws it down.) DAHLGREN: Screw it. This is my last hand anyway. (Sydney watches.) SYDNEY: Oh, no. Dahlgren's got a flush. You're going to lose. You got to make the switch now. (Dixon takes out the transmitter copy of the ring and hides it between his fingers. He puts down his cards and starts to take the chips.) DIXON: Three wise men. (Dahlgren stops him.) DAHLGREN: A flush. (With his hand over the pot, Dixon switches the fraternity rings.) DIXON: Thanks for a good game, man. (Dahlgren puts the transmitter ring on, oblivious. Sydney spots the manager coming with two security guards.) SYDNEY: Dixon, something's wrong. The floor manager's coming to your suite with security. (The manager approaches Dixon.) MANAGER: Sir, I have an urgent message for you. Will you follow me outside please? DIXON: Yes, of course. (In the hallway, the guards throw Dixon up against the wall.) DIXON: Hold on! What is the meaning of this? MANAGER: Your attache just called. Apparently, you're stuck in Jamaica. DIXON: I suppose there are worse places to be stuck. (Sydney runs in.) SYDNEY: Dixon! (Dixon knees the manager in the stomach, he falls. Sydney takes a platter from a nearby cart and smashes it against the head of a security guard and then punches him. Dixon punches one of the guards and snaps his chin back. They run out.) (Los Angeles, back at Sydney's house, Sydney and Francie sit on the sofa to chat.) FRANCIE: Okay, so we're down three hundred dollars and I kept looking around for you, hoping you'd show up and give us some luck. SYDNEY: Uh-huh. FRANCIE: Thank God you didn't because this huge lady with yellow hair sits right next to me, like, from heaven. And all of a sudden, we're on a huge streak! SYDNEY: How much did you win? FRANCIE: Two thousand dollars. SYDNEY: Wow! FRANCIE: And look what he bought me! Isn't it pretty? (She shows off a gold bracelet.) SYDNEY: Yeah, it's really sweet. FRANCIE: What did you say to Charlie about not getting married? SYDNEY: What did he tell you that I said? FRANCIE: He didn't. I mean, I just wanted to thank you. You know me, Miss Spontaneous. I totally would've regretted getting married there. It was stupid. SYDNEY: I don't know how to say this without it being horrible... but I ran into this girl on campus who said that she had an affair with Charlie two months ago. Francie, I am so sorry. FRANCIE: What are you talking about? Who is this girl? SYDNEY: Her name was Stella. I don't know. FRANCIE: So you don't even know her. SYDNEY: No, I don't. FRANCIE: Well, that's so like you to believe what a stranger has to say about Charlie. SYDNEY: Wait. I like Charlie. FRANCIE: No, you don't! Not really! SYDNEY: Francie, when have I ever said or done anything-- FRANCIE: You have NOT been supportive of us getting married AT ALL! SYDNEY: I think I have been very-- FRANCIE: You don't even know this girl! SYDNEY: I'm not making this up. FRANCIE: Is this what you told Charlie in Vegas? SYDNEY: Yes. And he didn't deny it. FRANCIE: He didn't admit it though, did he? SYDNEY: No. He didn't. FRANCIE: You know, Sydney, there are lots of things that we haven't said to each other. SYDNEY: Like what? FRANCIE: Like I knew you didn't like Charlie when you didn't show up that day to look at wedding dresses! SYDNEY: Francie, that was only about work and you know it. FRANCIE: I'm so sick of your stupid bank job! God! Ever since you started working there you've been elitist and private and distant! SYDNEY: Francie... FRANCIE: God! Yeah, you've let me live here and that's fine but you and I were closer when I lived with Charlie which is probably where I should have stayed! I don't even know who you are anymore and I don't want to. (She walks out.) (Will's newspaper office. Sydney and Will talk.) WILL: That is tough. SYDNEY: It was more than tough, it was revealing. Not just about Charlie but about us. WILL: What do you mean? I'ts more than just Francie and Charlie? SYDNEY: I don't know if she's going to be my friend after that. WILL: Syd, look, you just gave her, like, the worst news of her life. I mean, how do you expect her to react? SYDNEY: Yeah, I guess. (pause) How many more hickeys have you got? WILL: (whispers) Shut up. SYDNEY: Just asking. (Her cell phone rings.) WILL: You know, I got to do an interview, anyway. Listen, it's going to be fine. I'll call you later. You know your way out? SYDNEY: Yeah. (Will smiles and walks out.) SYDNEY: Hello? JACK: It's me. Your trip to Vegas was a success, I just thought you should know. SYDNEY: Well, that's good. JACK: We intercepted the phone call to Dahlgren off the transmitter you planted. Linguistics is translating it now. SYDNEY: Well, is there anything I can do? JACK: If you have the time I'd like you to meet me somewhere. (Carousel. Jack and Sydney walk up.) SYDNEY: So, why are we at a carousel? JACK: You always loved this spot. Your mother and I used to bring you here. I had just been transferred to the Los Angeles field office. You were two years old. We'd watch you go around on the carousel and talk about our day, the future. And sometimes, foolishly, my work at the C.I.A. I never imagined that our conversations were being passed along to the KGB. I haven't been back to this park in twenty years. SYDNEY: Why did you bring me here now? JACK: When you asked me the other day about school, I couldn't help you. I... I'm out of practice when it comes to, uh... personal matters. SYDNEY: Dad, I'm in no rush. JACK: Believing your mother was a professor may have influenced you somewhat but the decision to go back to school was yours. And I'd trust that. I think that, uh, if you stick with it... you could become the kind of teacher your students will always remember. SYDNEY: Thank you. (They turn and watch the carousel go round and round.) (SD-6 with Jack, Sloane, Dixon and Sydney.) SLOANE: Linguistics successfully decoded the phone call but we still don't know the mystery agency or who's behind it. Learning that information and getting a visual I.D. of The Man is our top priority. I'm tired of referring to him as The Man. I want to know who he is. JACK: The meeting with K-Directorate is scheduled to take place twenty hours from now in an office building in Moscow. Your mission is to surveill the meeting in hopes of obtaining information that leads us to The Man. (Observatory. Sydney and Vaughn stand near the railing, looking straight ahead.) VAUGHN: This is a flash memory card. It's compatible with the fiber optic camera you'll be using in the K-Directorate meeting. On your flight home, just leave it on the plane. Seat pocket 15C. One of our agents will pick it up. SYDNEY: 15C. VAUGHN: Yeah. Last week, when you talked about quitting SD-6-- SYDNEY: I was being naive. VAUGHN: No, but, um, what you said about wanting to go to a hockey game... wanting me to be part of your life... I, uh, I think I wasn't clear about something. (pause) That it would be nice to be in public with you, to actually get to look at you. Grab a pizza or go to a hockey game. I-I just... I wasn't clear that I would really like that, too. (Pause. He smiles shyly.) VAUGHN: Good luck in Russia. (Sydney drinks wine in front of the fireplace, staring at the drop/add form for American Literature. The door opens and in walks Francie.) SYDNEY: Hey. FRANCIE: Hey. SYDNEY: Where have you been? FRANCIE: Three movies. Charlie told me everything. I think... everything. You were right. (Sobbing, she sits down.) SYDNEY: Oh... sweetie. I'm so sorry. FRANCIE: I feel so stupid, and I'm so sorry that I said all of those things to you. SYDNEY: It's okay. (She hugs her.) SYDNEY: You know I'm on your side, right? FRANCIE: Thank God... (Francie spots the form on the table.) FRANCIE: You're dropping a class? SYDNEY: No. (She throws it in the fire.) SYDNEY: No. (Moscow. Two vans drive up. A guard smokes at the door of the building. Up above, Sydney is up above him, sliding across a wire that's connected from the two buildings. She gets closer tothe building where the K-Directorate people will be meeting. Dixon sits in a van down below.) DIXON: How's it hanging, Syd? SYDNEY: Very funny. (She keeps sliding until she gets closer. Tires screech. Dixon watches from the van.) DIXON: We're on. They're heading toward the building now. (Two vans pull up to a stop. Sydney presses a button and the wire loosens. She's lowered to the side of the building and hangs outside the window, pressing her heels against the building.) SYDNEY: The fiber optic camera is hot. DIXON: Okay, Syd, we're live. SYDNEY: Okay, going for audio. (She clamps on the microphone to the windowsill and watches. The shooter from Hong Kong enters - Mr. Sark. A few goons walk in and sit across the table from Sark.) SARK: Gentlemen, welcome. I'm Mr. Sark, director of operations. (He motions for them to sit down.) SARK: On behalf of my employer-- IVANKOV: Who is your employer? Certainly, he doesn't expect us to continue referring to him as The Man. SARK: I'm afraid my employer's identity will have to remain confidential for now. IVANKOV: This is no way to being a negotiation. SARK: My employer sends his apologies, comrade Ivankov, and has authorized me to detail our proposal, with your approval. IVANKOV: You seem young for such responsibility. SARK: My employer's officer is simple. We will transfer one hundred million dollars into your Caymen Shell account, number A6112B. (Dixon watches Sydney's camera angle from the van.) DIXON: Sydney, that isn't a K-Directorate representative. It's Ilyich Ivankov, the head of K-Directorate. IVANKOV: How did you know that number? SARK: In exchange, will give us the Rambaldi manuscript you recently acquired in Argentina and whatever analysis you amde of its content. IVANKOV: A hundred million. That's quite an opening offer. SARK: It is a final offer. IVANKOV: We both know the Rambaldi manuscript is priceless, therefore it is not for sale. SARK: I've been authorized to tell you that this offer expires in sixty seconds. IVANKOV: (laughs) Is this a joke? SARK: Fifty-five seconds. IVANKOV: You tell your employer, if he ever wastes my time like this again, our next meeting will not be so cordial. (He starts to get up. Sark nods at his goon. The goon shoots Ivankov twice and then shoots one of their goons. Two of K-Directorate's men are left alive, their hands up in protest.) SARK: Congratulations, comrade Kessar. You have just inherited control of the indestructible K-Directorate. You've also inherited what I hope is, by now, a very siimple decision. The offer still stands. Unfortunately you only have twenty seconds left to decide. KESSAR: We... we have an agreement. SARK: My employer will be so pleased. (Sydney hangs on and grabs at the building with her feet. A piece of the building falls off and lands by the guard down below. He shouts at her and starts shooting.) DIXON: Sydney! (Everyone inside the meeting hears the gunshots and sees Sydney thrashing about on the wire. They start shooting. The guard down below tries to get a shot, shooting constantly as Sydney moves around on the wire.) DIXON: Sydney!
The Coup