Hey. Sorry about all the confusion. I didn't want to say too much on the phone, you know?
That's always a good idea. So, what's up, my friend?
What are we doing here?
My boss is getting suspicious, which, of course, is making me nervous, so... I think it's best if I step aside. Before something bad happens. But we already paid you. I know. I'll give the money back. No problem. I need a few days, though, I-- I have to sell my car. Sure, that's your call.
TORINO: Hey, thanks for getting over here so fast. What do we got? DOA, Cher Wilkins. Female, white, 32. Recovered her wallet, and her keys are still in the ignition, so I'm guessing it wasn't a robbery. Three shots to the back. Find any casings?
Naw, the killer-- or more likely the killers, they policed up their brass. What makes you think that there was more than one?
Two sets of tracks right next to the body. Huh. Well, looks like after they shot her, they got close enough to make sure that she was dead.
It's not really much to go on, but I'll send them over to ERT for analysis. In case you need me. Yeah. [exhales] Still in her uniform.
Cher was a good kid, but if I'm being honest, I was getting a little suspicious of her. Suspicious of what? She was always broke. Then a few days ago, she rolls up in a brand-new Mustang. Said her father just died, came into money. You weren't buying it? No, not for a second. Whenever some broke employee starts flashing lots of cash, it always means the same thing. They're waving drug mules through the security line.
All right, so Cher Wilkins, 32, single, no kids, lived in Queens. Been working for TSA for the last three years. What else do we know? Background check is clean. No priors, not even a jaywalking ticket. Mm-hmm. What about her family?
Supervisor said her dad died recently, left her some dough. Is that true?
Last known address for her father is Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And he's very much alive-- he posted about his daughter's murder 12 minutes ago. Okay, so the supervisor was right. She was lying about where she got the money for that car. Used Mustang was purchased four days ago with cash. $46,345 to be exact. Huh, that is a lot of cheddar for a TSA agent to be throwing around. So maybe the supervisor was right. Kid got caught up in the drug game. How are we doing with the vehicle's GPS? Need to find out where Wilkins spent time the last few days. Besides going to work and the industrial park where she was killed, the only other place she went to was this restaurant in Queens. Sumac House, it's a Mediterranean joint. There's nothing suspicious about liking Mediterranean food. Yeah, but she went there three times on the day of the murder and four other times over the past three days. No one likes Mediterranean food that much. So maybe this restaurant is a front for a drug trafficking ring, huh?
All right, throw it up. Start digging the financials, permits. All right eyes up, party people. Anyone got anything on this Mediterranean joint in Queens called Sumac House?
Don't be shy. Hey Elise, call Nina and OA, tell them to cancel their lunch plans.
Hey. Hey. Thanks for picking me up. Sure thing.
Those your friends?
Ex-teammates. We were deployed together in Afghanistan.
This looks good.
Thank you. It looks like Lebanese food, or Egyptian, I'm guessing. The menu seemed to have a little bit of everything, so I tried to take it easy on you. Well thank you. [chuckles]
[quietly] So, the, uh...
guy at the bar, according to the JOC, is the owner.
He seems on edge. And they have security cameras everywhere. Mm.
Wanna tell me the story behind the string?
Today is the 10th anniversary of my friend's death. He died in Afghanistan. His name is Tom. Tom Keller. I'm so sorry. So once a year, me and a few army buddies, we get together, we go to the cemetery, pay our respects, and then we grab breakfast, and we tie a string around our finger as a way to make sure that we never forget.
To Tom, then.
Something up?
Just looks like... someone I used to know.
Guessing you weren't a big fan of this person.
Um... I wasn't.
I'll be right back.
Hey. What was that about?
I was just following a hunch. I need to get a closer look. I think he got nervous and ran out the back door. Look, I don't want to pry, but now that you're following people into bathrooms, I need to ask you what the hell is going on?
The guy in that restaurant resembled a man named Tamir Hazara. They called him "the rat." He's a high-level target of ours from Afghanistan, and my squad spent about 14 months pursuing him. And you think he's here in New York now? What, that he's somehow a part of the TSA agent's murder? I don't know, but I had this feeling in my gut that it was him, that it was Tamir. It had to be him. Okay, or maybe it was just some patron who was dining and dashing-- Look, I-- I know what I saw. I know what I felt.
I know what I felt.
Tamir Hazara. Okay, I see the resemblance, but I... He could've had plastic surgery, changed his features. It's the best way to avoid all the facial recognition software out there. Dude, that's a good plan, but Tamir is dead. He was killed in a drone strike three years ago outside of Kabul. Yeah, it's possible, but... Possible?
Yeah, the State Department records aren't exactly foolproof. I have a friend in Intel. I'll reach out to him. Hey, who's this?
Someone OA was chasing over in Afghanistan. Connected to the current case?
Well, he's dead. Okay. [quietly] Can you talk?
Yeah. What's up?
Well, just between us, I think that OA might be struggling a little bit right now. Oh, really. Because of the sarin gas exposure. No, uh... today, when we were doing recon at the Mediterranean restaurant he shared with me that it was the anniversary of his army buddy's death. Not sure how he died, but it seemed pretty traumatic. I know this partnership is new. You want me to talk to him? No. No, no, no. I got it. You know, he's strong and focused. I just felt like you should know. Yeah. Okay, good. I'll keep an eye on it. So, did you find anything interesting at the restaurant? No, not really. We got techs putting up pole cams outside just in case, but we searched the victim's apartment, found 10 grand in cash and a laptop. Ian's scrubbing it for evidence now. So maybe we'll get lucky. Finger's crossed.
All right. Found a few encrypted messages from a guy calling himself "BALLER22." It looks like he sent our victim 50K to wave a man in a red puffer jacket through airport security yesterday. Okay, so the supervisor's hunch was correct. Wilkins was playing ball. And I found a message from Wilkins to that same person. "Got a problem. Boss is suspicious. Need to discuss." BALLER22 responds, "Okay, let's meet where we met last time." So it looks like ol' BALLER22 is our shooter. I mean, at the very least, he's the one who lured Wilkins to the industrial park that night. Can we track BALLER's IP address?
Negative, he used a dozen different VPNs. No way to trace them back to the source. Okay, let's pull up some airport video, see if we can ID this dude in the red puffer jacket. Yeah.
Okay. This is from yesterday,
There is Wilkins.
And there's the dude with the red puffer. Yeah, nice and easy. Wilkins waves them through, dope goes unnoticed.
All right Elise let's run facial rec.
Name is Jorge Cissneros. 37, lives in Brooklyn. He's on probation for a car theft but has no prior drug arrests. All right, let's find his last known address and bring him in. Right.
Tiff and I will cover the back. Sounds good.
Hey, you ever talk to your Intel buddy? Yeah. It lined up with what the Red Notice said-- claims that Tamir's DNA was recovered at the site of a drone strike in Afghanistan. Claims?
I'm a skeptic, what can I say?
Yeah, I get that. You know, at some point, you got to take "Yes" for an answer, though. He's dead, and that is a good thing.
[knocks on door] FBI, open up! Looks like no one's home.
FBI, we are looking for a Jorge Cissneros.
Hey, no answer up front. Any movement back there?
Negative.
Hey, check it out. That's Cissneros.
Yup.
Okay, guys, we have eyes on Cissneros. He just crossed the street, he's headed towards us now. Jorge!
man: [grunts] You okay?
Jorge, relax. Hey, you're coming with us, pal.
What's up?
I'll be right back.
Excuse me-- What the hell?
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else.
Hey, what's going on?
I thought that was Tamir. Same build, same hair.
Who's Tamir?
He's a terrorist I saw at the restaurant today. A guy he thought was Tamir. No, it was him.
So we've got video of Wilkins waving you through security.
So?
So Wilkins is dead. And we know that she was working with drug traffickers, so you can drop this babe in the woods routine. We're not buying it. Look, I'm on probation. I don't want to get violated. If you cooperate, we'll see what we can do.
And if you don't, we will take you back down to probation, which means you will go back to jail. You know, the good news is that by the time you get out, we'll be ready to indict you on federal drug trafficking charges, so you have that going for you.
All I know is is that some guy paid me to take a backpack of dope to Chicago the other day. It was heroin, I think. What do you mean, "You think"? He said it was, but I didn't look--the bag was zip tied. It wasn't an option. What'd you do with the backpack once you got to Chicago?
I dropped it in the trashcan outside the airport. Who's this guy that paid you to do the drop?
Some guy I met at a restaurant. He started talking, and one thing led to another. Restaurant called Sumac House?
Yeah. How'd you know?
Is that him? Yeah, that's him. What's his name? I don't know. But he promised me 5 grand and said I had no chance of getting busted, because they had a TSA chick in their pocket. How many runs have you made? One. I swear. I haven't even been paid yet. I'm supposed to meet that dude tomorrow at the restaurant to collect my cash.
Jem Polat, born in Istanbul, but spent most of his teenage years in Syria. He came to the US two years ago. He's here on a temporary visa. Financial records show that he opened the restaurant last year. No criminal record or Interpol flags, either. All right, so Polat is a drug dealer, has a TSA agent in his pocket. Day before she gets shot, she tells somebody she's got a problem, and her boss gets suspicious. And she meets with BALLER22 and tells him about her suspicious supervisor. And then BALLER22 shoots her three times in the back. Right. Question is, who is BALLER22?
I'm guessing it's Polat. Right. It makes sense. But now we need to prove it. Copy that.
You just show up like nothing happened, okay?
Business as usual--you are there to collect your cash and get on with your day. Try and get him to say something incriminating. Okay, cool. I'll just try and get him to talk. But don't push too hard. 'Cause he'll smell it from a mile away. Nina. I'll be right back.
[quietly] Okay, look, I know that it seems unlikely, but if the guy that I saw near Cissneros' place really was Tamir, then Polat is going to know that he was arrested and that he's wearing a wire. You grabbed the guy. It wasn't him. I know, I know, but-- Look, you told me that Tamir was a terrorist, right? Not a drug dealer. So why would he be involved with Cissneros or Polat?
I don't know. But for some reason I-- OA, you confirmed with your army buddy that Tamir was dead. They found his DNA at the site of the drone strike.
It was him at the restaurant, Nina. It was Tamir.
Okay? It's been years, his face has changed, he could have had surgery, but I remember his eyes.
Do you know who this is?
You've never seen him before?
No. We know that Polat has a partner, and we think that it is this guy. His name is Tamir Hazara. You've never seen him at the restaurant, near your place, with Polat, anything? No, never. Don't lie to me Jorge. I'm not. I've never seen him. I am trying to help you, bro. Because if Tamir knows that you were involved, he's going to know you're wearing a wire. Do you understand what I'm saying-- OA.
I'm sorry. Let's do it.
Come on, let's go.
Remember, money first so that he doesn't get suspicious. Got it.
And at some point, not right away, make sure to ask about the partner.
There were two sets of footprints at the crime scene. If Polat didn't pull the trigger, means the other guy probably did. Yeah, I get that, but I don't want to confuse him. He says one wrong thing in there and Polat's going to shut him down. Yeah.
Sit, order something. You never know who's watching. Just bring me whatever. I just wanna get paid. Take the damn menu. Those cameras aren't for show. If a cop reviews them, this needs to look like a normal interaction.
Chicken kebab. Hmm. Perfect. Did you drop off the package?
In Chicago, like I said?
Yeah, in the trash can. Just like you said. Your guy on that side didn't get it?
No. Because the package was empty. What?
We needed to make sure we could trust you. He said "We." Press for the partner's name. Who's we?
My partner.
Where's he at?
Doesn't matter. Doesn't concern you. Of course it concerns me. I'd like to know who I'm working for. Trust is a two-way street.
[quietly] Here. Take the money, eat the kebab, and stop asking so many questions.
Yeah careful. Don't push too hard.
I have another job for you if you're interested. Yeah, sure.
When is it?
This afternoon.
Same routine, same destination. The TSA girl who waved me through, she got shot-- I saw her on the news. It doesn't matter. We have a new guy.
Meet me here, 3:30. I will have a plane ticket and a backpack waiting for you. Look... [sniffs] I'm not a drug dealer. I'm just trying to make some easy money. So I just wanna be sure that I'm not going to get busted going through that security. I told you... it's all set. I don't wanna end up with a bullet in my head.
As long as you do what we ask... you don't need to worry.
Tell him that you want to meet his partner. Look him in the eye. Get a read on him. I trust you... because I can see you, because I can read your eyes. If it's possible, I'd like to do the same with your partner. Look into his eyes, and-- and be sure that I can trust him.
You don't want to meet my partner. Trust me on that, Jorge.
Are you in or out?
Agree and get the hell out of there. I'm good. I'll be back in a few hours.
Polat seemed to acknowledge he had something to do with the TSA agent's death, but he didn't quite confess. Seemed to?
Cissneros was expressing his concern about the TSA agent's murder, said he didn't want to wind up with a bullet in his head, to which Polat responded, "If you do what we ask, you'll be okay." It's not exactly a denial. You're right. But not enough for arrest or a warrant. Mm-mm. All right, here's what we do. Have Cissneros agree to the new drug run, follow him through the TSA line and into the terminal. Wait--but what does that get us? The identity of the new TSA agent on Polat's payroll. Right, we arrest him. Get him to cooperate. Maybe he knows something about the murder. Yep. All right. Good luck. It's sealed with a zip tie. If the client in Chicago sees that you've opened it, you get nothing. Understand? Not a problem. Don't want to know what's in it anyway. Means I can pass a polygraph test in case I get busted. You're not going to get busted. The new TSA agent will see you in that red jacket and wave you through the line. Your flight leaves in three hours. Get there early.
Don't miss it.
JFK. You got it.
Let's see what we're dealing with.
Oh, damn. "Oh, damn" is right. I'm gonna back away slowly.
We got a situation. It's not drugs. This backpack has a bomb inside it.
Six blocks of Semtex with a barometric trigger connected to a 7.4-volt battery. Packed with bearings for maximum damage. The trigger was set to go off when the plane hit a certain altitude. We are definitely dealing with a terrorist. Look, guys, I know that he is supposed to be dead and all, but Tamir used Semtex initiated with 7.4-volt batteries all the time in Afghanistan.
I'll call the JOC. Update Isobel and Jubal, see how they want to play it.
FBI. Everybody stay calm and keep your hands where we can see them. [patrons exclaiming, murmuring]
Polat, put your hands in the air, now.
Suspect is on the move! Polat, freeze!
Jem Polat, hands behind your back. You're under arrest.
Suspect is in custody. It's a 9-mill. Could be our murder weapon.
Hey, so prints came back on our guy. His name is not Jem Polat. It is Abdul Al-Halil. He's Afghani. Must've assumed or bought the real Polat's identity. The State Department Intel says as a child, he took up arms against the Russians in the Soviet-Afghan War. And then once they got chased out of the country, he turned his attention on the American troops. And now that we're no longer in Afghanistan, he has brought the fight to us. Something like that, yeah. Explains why he'd want to blow up a plane stateside. Makes a big statement. Do the Intel agencies have a list of associates?
Yes, and Tamir Hazara is not one of them. They also made it clear that he is dead. I get it, but Intel is not a perfect science.
Well, State Department and CIA have both reconfirmed his death, so they may not be perfect, but we are going to proceed as if the Intel is correct.
Okay?
Either way, Polat has a partner out there, who was most likely involved in the shooting and the attempted bombing, so... we should probably find that guy. [clears throat] Agreed. So go talk to our new guest. Get some answers.
How many more bombs are there?
I don't know what you're talking about. You're already looking at life in prison if you do not cooperate. So you might as well talk. You can get your anti-American talking points on record. I don't have talking points. I love America. Who doesn't?
Please don't play stupid, okay?
The time for games is over. We know that you are Afghani and that your name is Al-Halil. We scrubbed the laptop we found in your restaurant's back office. We found the text between you and Wilkins. Then make your case and leave me alone.
Who killed Wilkins, you?
I own a restaurant. I'm not a killer. So your partner shot her. That's what you're saying. I don't have a partner. Sure you do. We found two sets of footprints at the murder scene, one belonging to you... and the other belonging to your partner.
Tamir Hazara.
I don't know anyone by that name. I think you do.
I'm not a traitor. No, sir, you are a coward. Trying to blow up a plane full of civilians, innocent people.
And how many innocent Afghani civilians did your army kill?
Thousands. So don't talk to me about killing innocent civilians. Where is he?! Where is Tamir?! I want my lawyer, now.
[quietly] Enough, OA. Walk away. He invoked his right to counsel.
Hey, what the hell was that?
We needed answers. Yeah, and we got some. You saw his eyes when I mentioned Tamir, right?
Okay. I think you need to talk to somebody, okay?
OA, this obsession that you have with Tamir, it's unhealthy, and it's affecting our case. Okay, I know it might be hard for people like you to understand this, Nina, but not everybody that went to war came back with PTSD or needs therapy.
Okay?
Hey, ballistics came back on the gun that Polat was carrying. It is not a match to the one that killed Wilkins, so... Well, that doesn't mean he's not the shooter. He could have used a different gun. Yeah, but it-- it does mean we do not have enough to arrest him for killing Wilkins. Well, we have time to build that case. Right now, we need to determine if there's another bomb out there. The flight Cissneros was supposed to take doesn't leave for another hour and a half, so let's focus on that. More specifically, the new TSA agent. You know what, I'll grab Cissneros' backpack and plane ticket from evidence right away. Good. Okay, scrub every piece of footage. I need to know if this man was in the restaurant.
There he is. Stop the feed.
That's him. Okay, punch in on his face.
And then take that image and scrub every street pod and security cam in the immediate area. You got it.
That was Jubal. Okay, Ian, I need you to focus on this for me, okay? I need you to follow this man as far as you can. Every traffic cam, bus cam, whatever you need to do, I need you to do it right now. Do you understand?
Yeah.
Thank you.
All right, Scola, it looks like there's three TSA agents on shift at that checkpoint. Any of them giving you the eye?
[quietly] Uh...negative. They all seem pretty focused on their screens.
Sir, a boarding pass?
Follow me. Yup.
[quietly] It's the victim's supervisor.
Mr. Reynolds. You're under arrest. Don't make a scene, and come with us. [stammering] No, n-no. Please don't do this. You're gonna get them killed. Who's going to be killed?
They have my wife and my kid. They said they'd kill them if I didn't do this.
All right, folks. We have two innocent people being held by a terrorist, one that we have no clear ID on. So where we are on the phone used to send that hostage picture? It's a burner, but it's been shut off since sending that photo to Reynolds. Right. So dead end. Hey, Kelly, Reynolds said his wife and kid disappeared on the way to school. Let's figure out what route they would have taken and start pulling footage-- see if we can get eyes on this abduction. On it. Hey. - Jubal. I know where Tamir's staying. What are you talking about? Where are you?
I'm at Jem Polat's restaurant, and the security cam footage here shows the two of them interacting. It gave me a better glimpse of him. It is him, Jubal, and I'm guessing that he's the one holding on to the hostages. All right, hold on. [quietly] Well, he sounds pretty certain, but by all accounts, this guy's supposed to be dead, and OA has had a rough go lately.
Yeah, I know. He's been under a lot of stress. OA, why don't you come back to the office, and we'll talk about everything?
With all due respect, Isobel, there is no time for that. I need to head over there. I have to follow my gut on this one. The address is 254 Industrial Way. Please have the others meet me over there.
All right. Get the team out there. Whether he is right or not, he needs our help. Yes, ma'am.
We're here, buddy. You all right?
I'm good, guys. You ready?
Hey, any sign of Tamir?
No. Means we're gonna have to make entry.
[overlapping yelling] We have an agent down. We need an ambulance ASAP.
Hey, everybody, get back!
Get back, get back! [gunfire continues] Fall back! Be advised, we have an active shooter. Notify the ambulance to stay wide. We'll bring the wounded to them. Back up, or she dies! [panting] It's Tamir.
Your gut was right. Sorry I doubted you. He's been to the window several times. Always with the woman or the kid as a human shield. Right. All right. Well, the hostage negotiator is on their way. No, he's not gonna surrender. What, you think he'll kill himself and the hostages? He's going to try and escape. He will lay a trap, wire the building to explode the second we make entry. How is he going to escape? We have this place surrounded. No, no, no. He's called "the rat" for a reason. His M.O. is always having a way out. In Kabul, if he didn't have one, he would dig a tunnel. Well, this isn't Kabul.
We got eyes inside. Filament camera fed through the ventilation system. Uh-huh. Yeah, I'm not buying that he's digging a tunnel there. I mean, this guy's trapped.
Listen. Tamir Hazara is not going to choose a hideout without an escape plan, okay?
How long would it take to get the sewer schematics of the area?
On it.
OA, Nina, can you hear me?
He is on the move. Watch yourselves. [voice scrambled] ...hear me?
...move...
Jubal, it looks like Tamir has accessed the sewer system, and we have lost contact with OA and Nina. Okay, copy that. I mean, we've got all possible egresses covered on street level.
Hostages secured. No sign of Tamir. OA, it means he's down there with you. [radio static]
[gunshot] [man groans]
Wife and kid are okay considering everything they've been through. That's good to hear. OA was right about Tamir wiring the place. Bomb squad had to diffuse all six access points. Enough Semtex to level the building. All right, well... things turned out okay, I guess, considering.
And hopefully Omar got some closure.
Hey. You okay?
Yeah. The ballistic report came back on Tamir's gun. Looks like it was the one used to shoot Wilkins.
I'm sorry. It's okay, you don't need to apologize.
I appreciate that, but... stress is a tricky thing, you know?
It hides for years and years and...
One day it'll just bite you in the ass.
Yeah.
I'm always here if you need to talk, okay?
I appreciate that.
[softly] Hey, Doc. Good to see you again, Omar. Been a while. It has. It has, um... I was doing pretty good. I really thought I was all better. Didn't think we were going to have to talk again.
It's been a tough few days.
[wolf howls] sic swells]