Previously on "The Company You Keep..."
How long have you been sober?
Two years, three weeks, one day.
Why did you leave the way you did?
Maybe you should ask your father about that.
_
Connor's in the air in two hours.
Which is why I figured we'd follow him to the airport.
If I feel any hint of your investigation continuing,
I will expose your family for the frauds you really are.
If you come work for me as my asset,
I'll protect your family while you help me protect mine.
This Aaron Blenner painting was recently purchased
by a man named Grigory Abramoff.
I want it.
Painting's in the truck.
That is the location of $2 million
worth of unregistered firearms.
This guy right here is Brad Wilford.
Daphne wants in on the gun trade.
You want the Maguire throne.
I help you get it, you and I are truly square.
A little to the left.
No, Seamus, your left.
You're doing great work, Seamus.
You called?
I want your help delivering that painting to Brad Wilford.
You want me to return the painting that we just stole?
Well, you said you wanted to prove your worth, Charlie.
Call UPS.
Or better yet, have Seamus do it.
Ouch.
It's above his pay grade.
What I need is an invitation to Pine Grove.
What's Pine Grove?
The Davos of the defense industry,
an ultra-exclusive conference where the 1% of the 1%
set the national security agenda behind closed doors.
Jesus, can't rich people get normal hobbies like the rest of us?
Why does Daphne want to go to Pine Grove?
Brad Wilford will be a featured speaker there.
I want to convince him to sell his weapons to me.
But I need Brad to see me as a businesswoman,
not just another criminal.
I need to get my asset into Pine Grove.
You turned an asset? Who?
For their safety, it's need-to-know.
Now, this requires a light touch.
If Daphne suspects anything, she'll cut them out.
This guest list is a who's who of D. C.
They're all on a first-name basis.
How do you plan to infiltrate a place like that?
With a cover you can't vet.
Your name is Brook Stern Jr.
You're retired from the government and now
consult for a weapons manufacturer,
which is a universal code for ex-CIA.
You realize you're asking me to help a drug cartel
get into weapons trafficking?
The ends justify the means.
Is that how the CIA justifies the secret assassinations
and regime changes?
Let's run it back.
Half the attendees will be from the intelligence community,
so your asset better have their cover down pat.
Brook Stern Jr., Yale, class of 2003.
I was in Panama.
Cómo estás usted?
Soy Brook Stern.
Bien.
Hey, you ever seen a Moldovan catfish?
I pulled one out of the Prut.
It was the size of a golden retriever.
- Favorite restaurant? - La Sarkis.
- Everyone gets the scallops. It's a thing. - It's a thing.
Skeleton Key, Yale's infamous secret society.
Any member will recognize it.
Your objective
is to figure out the details of Daphne's plan...
her arrangement with Brad Wilford,
and how and where she's moving arms.
Security at Pine Grove is intense.
Anti-surveillance measures in place.
I want you to wear these at all times.
I'll be listening in.
So that's it?
Meaning what?
Well, last week, you said you loved me.
Last week, you were a bartender.
I'm still a bartender.
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Nice to see you all.
Hey, don't make this harder than it is.
We're CIA informants, son.
You know what the CIA did to Lydia's husband?
It was the cops, Mom. He was an arsonist.
You should have asked us first.
Look, obviously this situation is not ideal,
but big picture... for once, Charlie's love life
may solve our problems.
Thank you.
Are you taking his side?
Sure, Pop. Whatever you say.
- Be safe. - Yeah.
See you guys in a couple days.
So what? So I'm the bad guy now?
I'm on your side, babe.
You OK?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Whatever I did, I'm sorry.
I asked Simon about the night he left,
and I mean, it's probably BS, but...
What did he tell you?
Nothing. He said I should talk to you.
Pop, what don't I know?
I was in town visiting that weekend.
You were working late that night bartending
at that place down in Soho.
And... when I got home...
I found Simon passed out,
high out of his mind.
And that's when I heard her.
Ollie.
I found her in the bathtub.
The water was freezing.
Her lips, they... they were blue.
I got her out of the tub.
I warmed her up. I put her to bed.
When Simon woke up, I told him that you'd given him enough chances
and that he could screw up his own life,
but there was no way that I was going to let him put you and Ollie in danger.
- She could have drowned. - I know.
So I gave him an ultimatum to get clean or else.
Or else what?
Or else I'd kill him.
And what, he believed you?
I put a loaded pistol to his temple, so...
yeah, he did.
You should have told me. Why didn't you tell me?
You would have called him, and then he would have talked
- his way back into your life. - But if I'd known,
I wouldn't have spent the last ten years
wondering why he gave up on us, on me,
after I gave him chance after chance.
That's why I did it. I did what you couldn't.
_
If someone told me a month ago that we'd be heading
to a West Virginia resort together,
I would have said they're insane.
You're telling me.
I've got to admit, I'm impressed, Charlie.
Sorry, Brook.
Why don't I have a cover?
You've got two Ivy League degrees.
You do not need a cover.
And we're business partners?
Yeah.
I'll play along.
_
You weren't lying about the security.
Charlie, there you are.
Yeah, I'm here.
It's a really nice room.
You guys are living the high life.
Speak for yourself.
Since I have to stay out of Daphne's sight,
my accommodations are a little more rustic.
So Daphne's meeting Wilford in 15 minutes.
Stick to her like a shadow.
Aye-aye, captain.
Does Brad know where to meet?
He knows.
_
Where do you think you're going?
Being partners is just a cover.
Daphne Finch.
At last, we meet.
Where's Grigory?
Oh, he's enjoying a one-way red-eye back to Mother Russia.
Turns out illegal arms dealing
was a violation of his A-1 visa.
So what is this, some kind of shakedown?
Brad, no. Come on, have a drink.
Yes, ma'am.
Blackmail is so short-term.
I like to work long-term.
OK, I'm listening.
Your company produces the M2010 sniper rifle.
With my capital and shipping routes,
we could move ten times what Grigory was able to handle.
Let me break this down.
For every 100 rifles American Armory makes,
maybe 3 can disappear.
Chalk it up to quality control, or factory rejects, et cetera.
But any more than that
and people way above me start asking questions.
Now, I... I like money,
but I prefer staying out of prison.
Good luck to you, Ms. Finch.
Every year thousands of weapons
made for and by the U. S. Of A
end up in the hands of our enemies.
But what if we could stop it?
I have three words for you...
end use monitoring.
With just a slight change to our existing manufacturing,
we can outfit our military with weapons
that could be deactivated if they fall into the wrong hands.
Any updates?
Nope. She ditched me.
Get her to open up to you.
You're good at getting women to trust you.
Yeah.
What can I get you, sir?
Two mojitos, please.
I don't actually like mojitos.
I was just messing with your sister.
Excuse me, could we swap those out for two Negronis?
Thank you.
I love Negronis.
I know.
You know, a great Negroni, it's all in the orange peel.
- Is that right? - Yeah.
Of all the gin joints in the world...
What are you doing here, Hill?
I could ask you the same.
I'm running countersurveillance.
There's a lot of foreign nationals who'd love to infiltrate this place.
Saw the guest list.
We were told to give Daphne Finch a wide berth.
I assume that's your doing?
I can neither confirm nor deny.
All right.
You should swing by for a drink later.
You talked to Leo.
You could have killed her.
You could have killed her, our daughter.
I know.
Once I came to, once your...
father told me what had happened,
told me what I did...
Everything changed for me.
So what, you just...
you just walk away and never look back?
Leaving was the only way that I could guarantee
that I could never hurt her again.
Your father was right, Bird. I didn't deserve you.
If it hadn't been for him, I would have never left.
You and Ollie were the best parts of my life.
I spent the last ten years wondering what was wrong with me,
trying to figure out what was so awful about me
that you could just leave us like that.
I am so sorry.
I wish I could have made that call sooner, but I had to be
damn sure
that I was sober for good before I could ever even think about reaching out.
But I want to know our daughter.
I just want to be some small part of Ollie's life.
So you going to tell me what happened with Brad?
I mean, we're here.
It's a no-go.
He can only siphon off a small number
of the M2010 rifles they produce.
OK. So we help Brad get more rifles.
OK. And how do we do that?
We create the supply, right?
We figure out how to get the top brass at American Armory
to discontinue the M2010.
Well, that would give Brad a surplus
he'd be happy to unload.
But what would make the CEO of a weapons company
want to stop manufacturing a profitable weapon?
The key to getting someone to say yes
is to understand what it is they want.
People want one of three things...
money, power, or respect.
Henry Scoals, CEO of American Armory,
grew up the son of a truck driver and homemaker
in rural Pennsylvania.
We play to his working-class roots
- to butter him up. - Is this seat taken?
I can do that.
A 14-karat gold face mask.
Excuse me.
Do people still drink beer here?
We have a Belgian white, an imperial stout,
- and a seasonal... - You know what?
Whatever is cheapest.
Make it two.
Then once you got him talking, you just drop the lure in the water.
Cheers, Henry.
As a kid, did you always dream of running
the world's biggest gun manufacturer?
Hell, no.
I wanted to build colonies on Mars.
All right.
But when you grew up clipping coupons,
it's hard to say no to the biggest paycheck.
A science geek at heart.
You ever think of investing in new gun technology?
No. As much as I'd love to,
arms manufacturing
is all about risk mitigation.
It's always about the bottom line, isn't it?
That's the truth.
So it's money that drives him.
Scoals is open to pivoting his production line.
He's just not comfortable taking the financial risk.
So we take the decision out of his hands, get someone else to foot the bill.
We need him.
Congressman Eisenberg, chair of the defense subcommittee for appropriations.
They determine the DOD's budget.
Get the DOD to open their purse strings.
Yeah, well, good luck getting five minutes with him.
This is a room full of defense contractors.
He's basically prom king.
Not him.
The husband.
Come on.
Sorry about that. Sorry.
Hey, you... you've got to swing from the shoulder.
- Theo's been telling me that for years. - I've been telling him that for years.
See?
- Tennis? - Pickleball.
Oh, we were just talking about that.
Doubles? Tomorrow?
- Come on. - All right. How's 10:00?
- Sounds great. - See you there.
No one runs for Congress for the money.
No, he wants respect.
So defense appropriation. Were you military?
Oh, no.
Don't tell anyone. He's a pacifist.
I offer a balanced perspective.
It's like, how many weapons do we need?
The more we make, the more wars pop up all over the globe.
OK. So what about end use monitoring weapons?
- Remote control guns? - I've heard of them.
I mean, it could slow down conflicts armed with illegal weapons.
Well, change doesn't happen overnight.
No, but it does start with proper funding.
Even if hypothetically I support the concept,
I don't have that kind of political capital to spend.
Well, there's no oversight on earmarks.
What? It's true.
10, 5, 2.
That's game.
- Nice game. - Good game.
- Thanks. - Good job.
I see it now. You're going to be the new face of modern warfare.
You could be the Jimmy Carter of the military industrial complex.
- Indeed. - Thanks, guys.
- Good game. - Yeah.
Yeah, so subcommittee meets next week. We will see what we can do.
We got him.
So your father told me about your fight.
Fight?
Pop screwed up, and I called him on it.
Yeah, that's what your father calls a fight.
Look, I get that he was just trying to protect us.
But, you know,
he had no right to keep it from me all these years.
He should have told me.
Oh, damn it.
Here, let me do that.
You know, when your dad got back from New York,
we talked a lot about what to do, OK?
But I got to tell you, Bird,
I was really happy when he sent Simon packing.
You know, it was a clean break.
And we could spare you the pain of knowing
what almost happened that night.
I know, but sometimes
the stories that we tell ourselves to fill in the cracks of what happened are...
you know, they hurt worse than the truth.
Yeah.
We thought we were protecting you, but...
Of course, you wouldn't know anything about keeping your kid in the dark
in order to protect them, right?
So what do you think?
I think you are conniving and manipulative.
I meant about the nails.
You think it's optimism or masochism
that led us into this line of work?
Actually, I used to think that the job found me.
That my particular brand of idealism, duty, and rebellion
somehow made me the perfect recruit.
"The Company" definitely has a type.
Now what do you think?
I think I liked the idea that there was right and wrong, good and evil.
It's a comforting idea.
If we're chasing down the bad guys,
then we must be the good guys, right?
But what if they're only the bad guys because we're chasing them?
So Scoals is ready to make the weapon.
Congress is going to show up with the cash.
All we got to do is get the Department of Defense
to award a contract to American Armory to produce a rifle,
and we're set.
The under secretary of defense was my professor at Columbia.
- No kidding. - No kidding. He loved me.
And he happens to be speaking tomorrow in the Oak Room.
I'll invite him to dinner,
convince him how necessary end use tracking weapons are
to the future of American military supremacy.
To getting you what you want.
I'm just glad somebody finally gets it.
So how did you get into our line of work?
Two generations of my family tailored suits for wiseguys.
Collar Bar.
That's where we got the name. It was my grandfather's shop.
- OK. - Yeah.
And your dad?
Steelworker till '95.
The job dried up, pension along with it.
Oh, that's rough.
Yeah. They needed money.
And grifting just kind of fit perfect.
I mean, the way he saw it,
so long as the guy above him was cheating him out of what was his,
it's only fair to do the same right back.
I get that.
You know, this is about the most committed relationship I've ever had.
No boyfriend?
It's kind of tough in our line of work, no?
Yeah.
Yeah, I was seeing someone.
- Got bored? - No.
No, she broke my heart.
So money, power, respect.
Which one are you going for?
Nice try, Charlie.
But I'm not the mark.
_
The Green Revolution is being throttled by access to cobalt.
75% of cobalt is stuck in high-conflict regions like the Congo.
The future depends on resolution
and empowering these individual states.
Thank you, Under Secretary Bridges.
Mr. Bridges, so good to see you again.
- Do I know you? - Daphne Finch.
I was in your global collaboration seminar at Columbia.
Class of '09.
Lucky you.
Always good to see a Bonesman who still respects the pin.
Brook Stern.
- First time in Pine Grove? - It is.
I'll make sure you get an invitation to tonight's event.
Great.
Nice to see you again.
I worked my ass off.
Published a paper on biotech in the Global South
that that man called game-changing.
But me, he doesn't remember.
It's you, pale, male, and fake Yale that gets the respect.
Is it fair? No.
It'd be disappointing if it wasn't so utterly predictable.
Maybe.
Would something like this have stopped you in the past?
Growing up, my...
my mom took a second job as a janitor.
Night shift. And...
when our neighbor couldn't look after me, she used to wake me up and take me with her.
One of my first memories is lying on this blanket
on the floor of this fancy office building bathroom
watching my mom scrub toilets.
It's humbling watching our parents
go through tough moments, isn't it?
You know, right now with my dad...
he's got dementia.
I'm sorry.
I was finishing my undergrad when she told me she had cancer.
I deferred a year.
Doctors had a treatment plan, and maybe...
maybe it might have worked if she'd been able to afford health insurance.
I thought if I was there I could do something,
but it didn't matter. I just watched her waste away.
She didn't see me graduate.
I really wish I could have given her that.
I'm sure she would have been proud.
Patrick showed up at the funeral,
told me he was my dad, offered to pay for my MBA.
I saw an opportunity,
and I took it.
Mr. Stern?
You asked me what I want, Charlie...
money, power, or respect.
I want it all.
_
Let's go get it.
Meeting with an asset in the field.
That is a risky move, Officer Hill.
We need to talk.
The man you're meeting tonight, Dalton Bridges...
he's ex-CIA.
So if there are any weak spots in your cover, he's going to know.
Anything you can tell me about him?
That he's a Boy Scout?
Look, that's not really useful information.
You'll figure something out.
OK. OK.
Hey.
That story you told Daphne about your parents...
was it true or just a way to get her to talk?
Both.
You know, there's a lot of things I've wanted to tell you too.
Me too.
Guess our comms got too close.
Yeah.
Be careful, Charlie.
I'll do my best.
Diaz, get in here.
Better be important.
Someone is running surveillance at the conference.
We've got to pinpoint the source.
Come on.
Stern, you made it.
- Thank you for the invite. - Skip the formalities.
Where were you stationed?
Here we go.
That obvious?
Must be losing my edge.
Panama.
Then a stretch in Moldova.
Interesting.
You a La Sarkis or an Il Forno's man?
Oh, Il Forno.
I don't trust the seafood in a landlocked nation.
Smart.
Good.
I've had my moments.
Hey, it's me.
Be right there.
- Hey. - What's up?
We picked up an unauthorized bug at Pine Grove.
That's ballsy.
We have to check everyone.
Hate to ask, but could we take a look in your room?
Yeah. Come right in.
So any guesses who it might be?
It's not you, right?
Vik, come on.
- Good? - All clear.
I just have to give you a quick once over. Protocol.
Of course. Have at it.
All right. Wish me luck.
They're just the leaders of the free world. How bad could it be?
Let's go.
What brings you to Pine Grove?
Consulting?
My client has me checking out end use tracking technology.
You know, keep the guns in the hands of the good guys.
The end of war.
How noble.
I think Wall Street just lost a few points hearing us talk about it.
How many more?
We've located the signal.
It's coming from a lodge deep on the edge of the property.
Rich people.
Let's hope they've still got their clothes on.
All of these politicians wringing their hands
on MSNBC about ending the civil war in the DRC.
I mean, where do they think the cobalt that powers
their smartphones comes from?
Without the cover of conflict,
we'd lose all access to the mines.
Wait. What happened to "the future depends on resolution?"
We all know that's just spin.
This is a safe space, Stern.
I've got some contacts down there
doing some work to support the war.
I'm listening.
Got the infrastructure, short on arms.
Now, if things were to shift to trackable weapons in your current contracts,
then maybe some of the existing supply could end up in the right hands,
help ensure that conflict doesn't end any time soon.
So what do I have to do to make this happen?
Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen.
FBI.
I have to check everyone, ma'am.
Put your arms out to the side, please.
Are you carrying any weapons?
Pull that out and put it on the table, please.
- What's your name? - Brook Stern Jr.
Clear.
You're a lucky man.
Oh, there you are.
Before we got so rudely interrupted last night,
there was something you wanted to ask me for?
A DOD contract for American Armory.
Done.
Send my assistant the details.
I will.
Some of us have to make the world go round, right?
That we do.
- Safe travels. - You too.
Won't Brad be pleased?
You know, once Connor's out of the picture,
I'll need someone I can trust.
Flattered, but I prefer my own bed to a federal penitentiary.
We just went legit.
Doesn't make it right.
Oh, I forgot.
Saint Charlie, the Robin Hood of Baltimore.
Considering the hole you just dug yourself out of,
I thought you'd enjoy a little profit sharing.
Could help your dad buy a few more comfortable years.
I'm just here to pick up Ollie.
Listen...
I just wanted to thank you.
Thank me?
I'm the one who wanted to shoot you, remember?
Rings a bell.
I'm sorry for all the pain that I caused.
I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, so...
Step nine?
That's the one.
OK, then. You're welcome.
But when you're down at Lucky's licking your ice cream cone,
I want you to keep something in mind.
The owner's a regular here,
and if you so much as smoke a candy cigarette,
I'll get a call.
Am I clear?
Yeah.
_
Thanks, Bird.
Did you tell him?
Every word, just like you said.
Thanks, Pop.
Yeah, it's open.
Your stuff's on the table.
That was, close out there.
Yeah.
You almost blew your whole operation.
It's a good thing you had a friend.
You didn't seem to mind spending the weekend with Daphne.
At your request.
Hey, when you were in the woods, were you out there to save your operation or save me?
The operation.
Right.
I'll be in touch when we know our next move.
Yeah, OK.
Hey, Emma.
Your comms.
Right.
Hello?
It's Singh.
Everything OK?
I just got grilled for six hours.
A lot of questions about why we came up empty-handed.
What did you say?
Nothing, but that's the last time.
Whatever it is you're up to,
you're coloring way outside the lines.
And I don't like being used.
- Vik, I wasn't using you. - Save it.
I just hope that asset of yours is worth it.
Me too.
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