script Vo écrit par Billy
Linchpin ( Pandora 2/2)
INT. BECKETT’S UNMARKED - DAY]
[Beckett’s car plunges into the river.]
CASTLE
This door won’t open.
BECKETT
Yeah, mine won’t either. I think the crash bent the frame.
[Castle attempts to break the window with his hands.]
CASTLE
We need something to break the glass.
BECKETT
My gun.
[The car begins filling with water.]
BECKETT
Castle, I can’t…I can’t find it. I—I think it got knocked out when we got hit. Help me look for it.
[Castle removes his seatbelt. Beckett tries to unbuckle hers, but it won’t budge.]
BECKETT
I’m stuck.
CASTLE
What do you mean, you’re stuck?
BECKETT
I mean, my belt is jammed and the seat won’t move.
[They both try to tug at the seatbelt, but it won’t budge.]
CASTLE
Okay, what about a knife? Do you have a knife?
BECKETT
Yeah…in the trunk.
[Beckett and Castle look down for a moment at the water seeping into the car beneath them as the car continues to sink.]
BECKETT
Okay, look, we’re running out of time. I need you to see if you can find that gun, and we’ll just shoot the belt off.
[Castle reaches under the chair.]
CASTLE
I can’t feel it.
BECKETT
Castle…
CASTLE
Okay, hang on. Hang on.
[Castle grabs a flashlight.]
CASTLE
Just stay here.
[Castle inhales deeply and dives under the water now filling the back seat. He searches under Beckett’s seat. He sees the gun and tries to grab it, but it’s stuck between some of the seat wires. Beckett grabs the wheel as she begins to panic alone in the front seat as the water rises up to her waist. Unable to get the gun free in time, Castle rises back to the surface in the car.]
CASTLE
I found it.
[Beckett desperately tries to remove her belt again. Castle takes another breath and goes back for the gun. He struggles to pull it free as Beckett struggles with her seatbelt. Beckett stops and listens for Castle, but can’t see or hear him.]
BECKETT
Castle?
[Beckett puts her hand out toward Castle’s seat under the water and feels nothing.]
BECKETT (panicked)
Castle?!
[Beckett sits alone for a moment as the water continues to rise. She tries to use her elbow to break the window, but it doesn’t work. She struggles with her belt, but can’t get free. She lifts her chin up to gasp for air above the waterline just before she is completely submerged. With nothing left to do, she grabs the wheel and holds her breath. Her hand relaxes on the wheel and floats in the car. Gunshots fire in the car as it sinks, the last few shots blow out the back window and the scene fades to black.]
--
[ EXT. PIER 32 - NIGHT]
[Beckett stands alone looking out at the river. Her hair is still wet, but she’s wearing dry police clothes. The pier is filled with cops.]
CASTLE
I guess the good thing about having your daughter at crime scenes is she can bring your dry clothes.
[Castle hands Beckett a cup of coffee.]
BECKETT
Thanks. Am, um…thanks.
CASTLE
You’d have done the same for me.
BECKETT
Yeah. Probably. (chuckles) I’m just glad you found my gun.
CASTLE (chuckles)
That whole, uh, sinking car thing – much cooler in movies than it is in real life.
BECKETT
And for the record, I prefer watching spy thrillers to being in them.
ESPOSITO
So…tell me…how can your victim look like Nelson Blakely when he supposedly died ten years ago?
BECKETT
Yeah, I…
CASTLE
Yeah, weird, isn’t it?
ESPOSITO
Yeah. Weird. Fake deaths, car in the water—don’t you think now is a good time to tell us what the hell is going on?
CASTLE
Uh…
BECKETT
I’m sorry, Javi. It’s classified.
ESPOSITO
I was Special Forces. I used to eat classified for breakfast. And yet Writer Boy can know? Okay. I’ll be over there with Harbor Patrol, trying to figure out how to get your unit out of the drink.
[Esposito starts to leave and pauses.]
ESPOSITO
I’m glad you’re okay.
[Esposito leaves.]
BECKETT
Thank you.
ESPOSITO
Mm-hmm.
CASTLE
“Writer Boy”? So you think our shooter was Gage?
BECKETT
Yeah. I think he’s getting rid of anyone that could expose his rogue operations.
CASTLE
Well, he’s doing a pretty good job. We still have no idea what Pandora is.
BECKETT
Well, we know that Blakely was afraid, and we know that he was working on something that was big enough to threaten the future of this country.
CASTLE
We just don’t know what the hell he was working on.
BECKETT
There’s gotta be a clue somewhere in his life. Maybe there’s something on the body that’ll tell us.
ALEXIS
No. We checked. There was nothing in his pockets.
LANIE
But the way they were turned out makes me think someone went through and emptied them.
CASTLE
Gage.
BECKETT
Ryan, get some teams to search the building.
RYAN
What are we looking for?
BECKETT
I don’t know, but he brought us here for a reason. Lanie, see what you can find on him—dental, scars, prints, tattoos, anything that might tell us--
[Tires squeal as a black car pulls up to the scene. Sophia and her agents step out of the car. Castle and Beckett approach her.]
SOPHIA TURNER
He’s dead.
CASTLE
Yeah. Look, I can explain.
SOPHIA TURNER
Get in the car.
[Castle’s expression turns shamefaced and he follows her meekly. Another agent motions to Beckett and she follows. Alexis and Lanie watch with surprise and confusion.]
--
[ INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT]
SOPHIA TURNER
What the hell did you think you were doing?
CASTLE
What you wanted, finding Blakely.
SOPHIA TURNER
You cracked his code and you didn’t even think to notify me?
BECKETT
Look, in Castle’s defense, it was a long shot, and he didn’t want to waste your time if he was wrong. And we were bringing the guy in—
SOPHIA TURNER
When he was killed in your custody.
MARTIN DANBERG
What were you doing at the docks?
CASTLE
He asked us to take him there.
SOPHIA TURNER
Why?
BECKETT
We don’t know.
SOPHIA TURNER
Well, did you learn anything?
CASTLE
Yes. He was hired to analyze the United States for vulnerabilities. He said he found a weakness in our economy - and unexpected linchpin – that, if someone went after it, would start the dominos falling.
SOPHIA TURNER
Falling toward what?
BECKETT
The end of our country as we know it.
CASTLE
So what’s our next move?
SOPHIA TURNER
There is no next move. Not for you two. It was a mistake bringing you into the loop. You know, I really thought—I really thought you had changed. But you know what? You are the same reckless, immature, self-centered jackass that you always were, and you put this investigation at risk.
CASTLE
Look, I’m sorry—
SOPHIA TURNER
You’re sorry? We are on the verge of the next 9/11 or worse. This isn’t one of your damn books, Rick. This is real life, and when things go bad, you can’t just rewrite the ending like you did with us.
[Beckett takes note of those last words.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Get them both out of here.
--
[ INT. PRECINCT, ELEVATOR - NIGHT]
[Castle stands there sullenly.]
BECKETT
So…you slept with her.
CASTLE
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I slept with her.
BECKETT
Have there been others?
CASTLE
Women?
BECKETT
Muses.
CASTLE
No. Why?
[The elevator dings as it opens.]
BECKETT
I just wanted to see how big the club was. That’s all. Hey, guys, what do you got?
CASTLE
Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. First off, there is no club. And second, we’re off the case if you recall.
BECKETT
We’re off their case. I still have a murder to solve.
CASTLE
Where your chief suspect is smack-dab in the middle of a CIA operation.
BECKETT
I don’t care what he’s in the middle of. Thomas Gage killed three people. One of them was in my custody. He locked us in a trunk, and then he sent my cruiser to the bottom of the Hudson.
CASTLE
Gage is a trained covert operative. There’s no way you can catch him.
BECKETT
Yeah, I can, if I figure out where he was going. We find out what Blakely was working on, we find the linchpin. We find the linchpin, we find Gage.
[Beckett realizes she’s standing at the wrong desk? She walks over to hers.]
BECKETT
Anything on the warehouse?
RYAN
Yeah, right after you guys left, the feds showed up and shut us down.
ESPOSITO
But we did find something on your vic Nelson Blakely.
[Esposito hands Beckett a piece of paper.]
ESPOSITO
His prints came back as a Scott McGregor from Long Island City.
RYAN
Problem is, McGregor seems to only exist on paper. We can’t find any trace of him in the real world.
BECKETT
Did you guys send units to the listed address?
RYAN
Yeah, and the family living there had never heard of him, and no one recognized his photo.
BECKETT
Well, someone must have known him.
CASTLE
Someone did. He plays chess. That’s not a solo sport.
BECKETT
I thought you were off the case.
CASTLE
Well, you heard what Sophia said. I’m a reckless, immature, self-centered jackass. If you’re stubborn enough to keep going, I’m stupid enough to go with you.
BECKETT
All right, you guys canvass all of the chess parks in the city.
[The phone rings.]
BECKETT
Let’s see if we can dig up some of his opponents. (answers phone) Beckett. (listens) What? What do you mean the body never arrived?
--
[ INT. PRECINCT, AUTOPSY - NIGHT]
LANIE
They intercepted it at transport. Apparently, they had a court order.
[Lanie hands Beckett the court order.]
CASTLE
That’s impossible. How could they get a court order that fast?
BECKETT
I don’t know. Maybe you should ask your girlfriend.
LANIE
Girlfriend?
CASTLE
Yes, okay. We slept together.
[Alexis appears in the background.]
CASTLE
It was a long time ago. What’s the big deal?
BECKETT
There is no “big deal”. Sleep with whoever you want. The more the merrier.
ALEXIS
Ahem. I have those, uh, toxicology reports you wanted.
[Castle closes his eyes and Beckett has an "oops" expression.]
LANIE
Oh, yes. Just set ‘em there, sweetie. Thank you.
[Alexis crosses her arms.]
--
[ INT. CASTLE LOFT - NIGHT]
CASTLE
So, enjoying your new internship?
ALEXIS
Well, I’m learning a lot.
CASTLE
Too much, I think.
ALEXIS
And I thought the dead bodies were going to be the grossest part.
CASTLE
Funny. Good night.
ALEXIS
So, who was Beckett talking about?
CASTLE
None of your business. Now go to bed.
ALEXIS
The woman at the docks, who is she?
CASTLE
Nobody. Now go to bed.
ALEXIS
I saw the way you looked at her. She’s not nobody.
CASTLE
Well, it doesn’t matter who she is because I am never going to see her again. Now go to bed.
ALEXIS
You know, if you’re going to keep secrets from me, I might start keeping secrets from you, too.
CASTLE
At your age, I’m thinking that might be a good idea.
[Castle sighs and drops his keys on the table. He’s startled by Sophia sitting on his bed reading the Derrick Storm graphic novel.]
CASTLE
Sophia.
SOPHIA TURNER
Hello, Rick.
[OPENING TITLES]
--
[INT. CASTLE LOFT - NIGHT]
CASTLE
The—um… How—what are you—how did—how did you get in here?
SOPHIA TURNER
I’m CIA. So, they’re turning them into graphic novels now?
CASTLE
Yeah. Um…the first one did well, so they’re gonna do another.
SOPHIA TURNER
So, what do you think? She look like me?
[Sophia turns the book around. Clara Strike is wielding a gun with a bloodstain on her pink lingerie-type dress.]
CASTLE
Uh… what are you doing here?
SOPHIA TURNER (sigh)
You’re going after Gage, aren’t you?
CASTLE
No. We’re off the case, remember?
SOPHIA TURNER
Mm. You used to be a better liar.
CASTLE
Yeah.
SOPHIA TURNER
I know you’ve been looking into Blakely’s aliases. It’s okay, Rick. I don’t mind. In fact, I want you on this case.
CASTLE
But—
SOPHIA TURNER
I know what I said, but I also know what’s at stake. Bringing you and Beckett on board was not a popular decision, and after what happened with Blakely, I had to make a stand. But I know what kind of asset you can be. I know you’ll just keep digging no matter what I say. It’s your nature. You need to know how the story ends.
[Sophia turns on Castle’s TV/computer screen. It has Beckett’s conspiracy file pulled up.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Like with her. Does she know about this?
CASTLE
Well, that’s…
[Castle sighs and turns of the screen.]
SOPHIA TURNER
You always did like playing with dynamite. Just be careful it doesn’t blow up in your face.
CASTLE
She’s different.
SOPHIA TURNER
Is she? Or do you just think she is? I heard you hit the same dead end with Blakely as we did. I thought you might be able to try this.
[Sophia pulls a folded piece of paper out of her bra and hands it to Castle.]
SOPHIA TURNER
It’s what Blakely was looking for at the pier. We found it in a go bag with plane tickets, cash, and some fake IDs.
[Castle opens the note.]
CASTLE
Account numbers?
SOPHIA TURNER
All from domestic banks. And since Blakely was a U.S. citizen--
CASTLE
You’re prohibited from looking into them.
SOPHIA TURNER
But you guys aren’t. And those accounts may contain clues as to who hired him. And assuming you still want to know how the story ends…
[Castle tucks the note in his jacket.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Just keep me in the loop this time. And, Rick…try not to get killed. I’m still quite fond of you.
[Sophia leaves.]
--
[INT. PRECINCT, BULLPEN - MORNING]
[Castle puts Beckett’s coffee on her desk where she’s working.]
CASTLE
Where are the boys?
BECKETT
They’re canvassing chess parks, looking for anyone that knew Blakely.
CASTLE
And why aren’t you with them?
BECKETT
Because my car is at the bottom of the Hudson, and Gates won’t issue me another one until I write up an incident report, which I can’t do because this case is classified.
[Castle chuckles.]
BECKETT
What?
CASTLE
Nothing. It’s just, that a perfect example of a linchpin. This case might go unsolved all because you don’t have access to a car.
BECKETT
Don’t make me shoot you.
CASTLE
Well, if you shoot me, who’s gonna help you follow this lead?
[Castle pulls out the note that Sophia gave him.]
CASTLE
Blakely’s bank account information. It’s what he was going for on the pier. If we can track his money--
BECKETT
Where did you get that?
[Castle pauses.]
CASTLE
Sophia. She came to my place last night.
[Beckett smiles and nods.]
CASTLE
Not like that.
BECKETT
No, of course. So then what happened to “Reckless, immature, self-centered jackass”?
CASTLE
She was posturing for her colleagues.
BECKETT
Mm-hmm.
CASTLE
Beckett, it’s a lead. She wants us on the case.
[Beckett takes the note.]
--
[ EXT. PARK - DAY]
RYAN
What do you think this is about, huh?
ESPOSITO
It smells like an intelligence op.
RYAN
CIA, NSA, DHS?
ESPOSITO
Same letters, different alphabet. I had some buddies from the service volunteer for intelligence ops.
RYAN
Yeah, how’d they like it?
ESPOSITO
They all died.
[Ryan sighs. They approach some chess players.]
ESPOSITO
Hey, guys. You recognize this man?
CHESS PLAYER
Matter of fact, I do.
--
[EXT. PARK, CHESS TABLE - DAY]
CHESS PLAYER
Uh, he comes to the park two or three times a week, looks for games.
RYAN
What do you know about him?
CHESS PLAYER
He’s a crazy chess player. Makes some weird moves, like sacrificing his queen just to see what happens. He always wins, though.
ESPOSITO
Do you know his name?
CHESS PLAYER
Scott or something like that. But i—if you want to know about this guy, you should talk to Jani.
ESPOSITO
Jani? Who’s Jani?
CHESS PLAYER
Another player. Him and your guy…been spending a lot of time together lately.
--
[ INT. PRECINCT, BULLPEN - DAY]
BECKETT (hangs up)
So, Blakely had over two million dollars in six accounts, and none of them under his real name. Deposits were made by nonprofits, aid groups, environmental organizations.
CASTLE
So, if those were his secret consulting accounts, it’s possible that one of those payments was for operation Pandora.
BECKETT
Exactly. These two. Deposits of half a million dollars each. This one was from three months ago, and this one was from a week ago.
CASTLE
His start and finish payments.
BECKETT
Mm-hmm. Both from offshore accounts. But they’re closed. It’s a dead end.
[Esposito enters.]
ESPOSITO (chuckles)
Yo. We may have a lead on Blakely. Guy in the park said he’s been spending time with this man—
[Esposito hands Beckett a photo.]
ESPOSITO
Janacek Spivey, two time national chess champion, now an economics professor at the School of International Affairs.
BECKETT
An economics professor?
CASTLE
You think it’s related?
ESPOSITO
Well, I don’t know if this helps, but the guy is also an advisor to the IMF, the U.N. Economics Council, and the Congressional Finance Committee.
--
[ INT. PRECINCT, INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY]
[Beckett slaps a photo of Blakely on the table.]
JANACEK SPIVEY
Yeah, that’s him. But he said his name was McGregor, not Blakely.
BECKETT
What do you know about him?
JANACEK SPIVEY
Um, he was a hell of a chess player. Uh, it seemed like he knew every move I was gonna make before I made it.
BECKETT
No, I mean…personally.
JANACEK SPIVEY
He never really talked about his personal life.
RYAN
Witnesses said you spent a lot of time talking. What about?
JANACEK SPIVEY
Economic theory. When he found out what I did, he had a million questions.
BECKETT
What kind of questions?
JANACEK SPIVEY
About world economic forces, historic socioeconomic models. There were times it seemed like he knew more than I did. He was quite the hobbyist.
BECKETT
Oh, he was more than just a hobbyist. Did he focus on anything in specific?
JANACEK SPIVEY
Uh, not that I remember. Though he was very concerned with the U.S. economy.
RYAN
And he never mentioned any family or friends?
JANACEK SPIVEY
No.
RYAN
Anywhere he might have shopped? Anything that might indicate where he lived?
JANACEK SPIVEY
No. B—but I think he lived in Union Square.
BECKETT
And what makes you say that?
JANACEK SPIVEY
After one of our walks, uh, I discovered I’d left my chess set in the park. And on my way back, I saw him head into a building there.
BECKETT
Do you think you can identify that building for us?
JANACEK SPIVEY
I think so.
[Beckett turns to Ryan.]
BECKETT (whisper)
I gotta borrow your car.
--
[ INT. BLAKELY’S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY]
LANDLORD
Uh, yeah, this is his place right here. But he said his name was Finley, not Blakely or McGregor.
[The landlord unlocks the door for Beckett and Castle.]
BECKETT
Thanks.
CASTLE
What are we looking for?
BECKETT
Papers, computers, phone records, bills – anything that’ll help us figure out what he was up to.
[Castle opens a door and closes it again.]
CASTLE
Beckett.
[Beckett turns.]
CASTLE
I think I found it.
[Castle opens the door again and they step into a room with papers stuck to all the walls and a web of string, connecting the papers with little notes.]
BECKETT
What the hell?
[The notes read: “Taiwan Bank and Trust falls”, “Economic embargo”, “CH3 – CH2 – H2C = O1 = C = 0”, “Taiwan and Chinese subs collide”]
WOMAN (Radio V.O.)
In London today, chaos reigned…
[Castle reads one of the notes.]
CASTLE
“Tax riots.”
BECKETT
“European economic collapse.”
CASTLE
“Iran invades Iraq!”
BECKETT
“Syria moves on Israel.”
CASTLE
“U.S. commits troops to Taiwan.”
BECKETT
“U.S. commits troops to Middle East.” “Russia moves on eastern Europe.”
[Castle stands stunned as he sees another note.]
BECKETT
What kind of an outcome was this linchpin supposed to create?
[Castle nods to the note he’s reading.]
CASTLE
End of our country as we know it. Third World War.
[The note reads, “Linchpin outcome – WWIII – August 2017 – U.S. Surrenders (Est. 27 million casualties)”]
[, INT. BLAKELEY’S APARTMENT – DAY]
BECKETT
This can’t be real. No one can predict all of this.
CASTLE
Maybe not, but a bunch of people smarter than us think he can. He was killed to cover it up.
BLAKELY (V.O.)
I found an alarming vulnerability…
[Castle notices something.]
CASTLE
Over here.
[Flashbacks of Blakely’s final words and murder.]
BLAKELY (V.O.)
…a linchpin that was tied to the economy that would cause crisis and devastation beyond anything we'd ever seen. The dominos would just never stop falling.
BECKETT
Who is she?
[Castle takes the photo off the wall.]
CASTLE
I don’t know, but this is it.
[Castle hands Beckett the photo of a young Chinese girl in a school uniform with ‘“Pandora”]
Linchpin’ taped on it.]
CASTLE
She’s the linchpin. The first domino to fall that…leads to war.
BLAKELY (V.O.)
I gave them the blueprint that will bring about the end of our country as we know it.
[In the center of all the strings is a note that reads, “Linchpin killer revealed”. Castle reaches for his phone.]
CASTLE
I have to call them. They have to know.
THOMA GAGE
Put the phone down.
[Gage cocks a gun at them.]
BECKETT
Gage?
THOMA GAGE
Put the phone down now.
[Castle puts the phone in his pocket.]
THOMA GAGE
Now run.
BECKETT
What?
THOMA GAGE
Run!
[A grenade smashes through the window and they run out of the room. Gage shoves them out of the way and closes the door and the grenade goes off, blowing the door off its hinges. Someone starts firing at them from outside and they crouch down as they rush out of the apartment. They duck into the hallway.]
CASTLE
I thought you were the bad guy.
THOMA GAGE
If I were the bad guy, you’d be dead by now. This way.
BECKETT
No, my car is out front.
THOMA GAGE
They’re watching your car. You go that way, and you’ll die.
CASTLE
Who’s out there? Who are they?
THOMA GAGE
You can have answers or you can live. Your choice.
[Gage heads down the hallway. Beckett and Castle look at each other and jump up to follow him out.]
--
[EXT. BLAKELY’S APARMENT BUILDING - DAY]
[A scope checks the area. The shooter realizes they’re gone and takes off. ]
--
[ INT. GAGE’S GETAWAY VAN - DAY]
[Beckett and Castle crouch in the back as Gage drives.]
THOMA GAGE
Stay down!
CASTLE
We need to call our CIA contact. We need to tell them what’s going on.
[Gage points his gun at them.]
THOMA GAGE
No calls.
[Gage pulls into an underground parking structure and stops.]
BECKETT
Where are we?
THOMA GAGE
Someplace safe, but we don’t have much time, all right? I’ve been on the grid, I’ve heard the chatter. Whatever this is, it’s going down tomorrow. Now, you got to Blakely’s before me. Who’s the target?
BECKETT
Why did you kill Blakely and McGrath?
THOMA GAGE
I didn’t.
[Beckett points her gun at Gage.]
THOMA GAGE
Come on. You really want me to take that gun away from you again? We don’t have the time.
CASTLE
Make time.
[Gage sighs.]
THOMA GAGE
Look, as an asset, you have to develop certain survival skills, all right? Chief of which is the ability to know something’s wrong without knowing why. It’s always something small – a static pop on your safe house phone, a slight delay in authorization using your credit cards, or the almost imperceptible pauses in conversations with your handler. Something’s wrong, and if you don’t figure out what, you’re not gonna survive the week. Now, someone is trying to send this world spiraling towards war, and they want me to take the fall, but neither of those things are gonna happen. Now, I need you to tell me what the name of the target is.
CASTLE
Look, let me call my CIA contact. She can help us.
THOMA GAGE
No. Everything indicated that Pandora’s being funded by military industrial concerns linked with Eastern Europe. They can’t pull of this operation, all right, not without help from the inside. Detective, don’t you get it? My own people are setting me up. And they’re not gonna stop until I’m dead, because I’m the diversion. Okay, if everyone’s trying to stop me, then no one--
BECKETT
Then no one’s trying to stop Pandora.
THOMA GAGE
No one but me. Now, I’m gonna ask you one last time, who’s the target?
[The doors open and Sophia is standing there with a bunch of armed agents.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Hello, Thomas.
[ INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, TECH ROOM - DAY]
MARTIN DANBERG
It’s the oldest intelligence con job in the book—create a crisis so you can ride in just in time to save the day.
SOPHIA TURNER
Gage was playing you. He wanted you to think that he was the good guy. He needed your trust.
BECKETT
Yeah, but then why did he ask us who the linchpin was? Shouldn’t he have known?
SOPHIA TURNER
He was protecting his op. He was ascertaining how much we knew before he killed you.
CASTLE
Well, if you’re right, and the attack on us was staged, then he can’t be working alone. Gage must have a partner.
SOPHIA TURNER
Which means it’s not over.
CIA TECH GIRL
Fire crews were unable to contain the blaze in Blakely’s apartment. All of his research is gone.
[Sophia hands the tech the photo of the little girl.]
SOPHIA TURNER
I want you to run this through every facial rec database we have. I want to know who she is and I want to know how the hell a ten-year-old girl could be the first domino in the march toward war.
[The tech takes the photo and leaves and Sophia turns to another agent.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Where’s Gage?
MARTIN DANBERG
In the tank.
--
[INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, THE TANK - DAY]
[Sophia interrogates Gage while Beckett and Castle watch in the tech observation room.]
SOPHIA TURNER
You know that guy you threw out the window—Gary Harper? He was a friend.
THOMA GAGE
Then you shouldn’t have sent him for me.
SOPHIA TURNER
You know, we’ve met before. In Berlin, the Mannheim business. You were there at the drop-off with the Spaniard. You were good. So who are you working for now? Who’s the girl? Who’s the linchpin?
THOMA GAGE
Who put me in the cold? Who set me up?
SOPHIA TURNER
So you think there’s someone inside the CIA—a mole, a traitor? Is that what you think? You know, I think you could be right. And I think it’s you.
THOMA GAGE
You’re making a mistake.
SOPHIA TURNER
No, you and your partner are making a mistake.
THOMA GAGE
I don’t have a partner. The guy out there, the one that killed McGrath and Blakely and drove your friends into the water, the one carrying out operation Pandora, he’s not with me. I saw him at the docks, the way he moved. He’s with you. He’s CIA.
[Sophia smiles and exits without a word.]
--
[INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, TECH OBSERVATION ROOM - DAY]
BECKETT
Are you sure he’s lying? He’s not expressing any of the physiological traits.
MARTIN DANBERG
He’s trained to lie without betraying himself. He wants to divide us, make us suspicious of each other. Trust me, there’s no mole but him.
CASTLE
What if you’re wrong? What if he’s telling the truth?
SOPHIA TURNER
That is immaterial. Right now, there is someone else out there, who is preparing to go through with Pandora, and that girl is the key. We need to find her.
--
[ INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, TECH ROOM - DAY]
CIA TECH GIRL
Still negative on all databases.
SOPHIA TURNER
She’s a foreign national. She might not be in any of ours.
CASTLE
What about her school uniform? Can you identify her through that?
CIA TECH GIRL
We tried. There’s not enough of the crest visible to identify it.
BECKETT
Do you really buy this? That killing a little girl could lead to the collapse of the United States? I mean, if just seems crazy.
SOPHIA TURNER
Yeah, well, so did Blakely’s first linchpin. They asked him to develop a nonnuclear military strategy that would bring down the Soviet Union. Turns out, all we had to do was outspend them.
[Sophia sighs.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Need to take another run at Gage. Looks like he’s all we’ve got.
--
[INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, THE TANK - DAY]
[The door opens. Gage’s head is tilted back, his mouth hanging open. Sophia and Martin rush forward. Gage has been shot in the head.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Put us on lockdown. No one leaves or enters the facility.
[Martin exits to carry out her orders. Beckett examines the body.]
BECKETT
Contact burns. He was shot point-blank.
CASTLE
How is it that nobody heard the shot?
SOPHIA TURNER
The room is soundproof. The real question is…how come nobody saw?
--
[ INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, TECH ROOM - DAY]
CIA TECH GUY
Someone hacked the video stream.
CASTLE
How is that possible? You’re the CIA. You have the most secure computers in the world.
SOPHIA TURNER
It’s possible because Gage was right. There’s a mole in the CIA, and he’s in this unit.
MARTIN DANBERG
Facility’s locked down. All personnel have been accounted for.
BECKETT
How many people had access to that room?
SOPHIA TURNER
Eighteen.
CIA TECH GIRL
Ma’am, I’ve isolated the subroutine used to doctor the video. It was embedded in a software worm to escape detection.
MARTIN DANBERG
Then there’s no way to tell where it came from.
CIA TECH GIRL
I may be able to use a reductive logarithm to isolate the pathway it took through the system. It might tell us where it was loaded.
MARTIN DANBERG
You can do that?
CIA TECH GIRL
I can try.
SOPHIA TURNER
Do it.
CASTLE (low)
Wow. I got no idea what they’re talking about, but this is very exciting.
CIA TECH GIRL
There it is. Starting the trace.
[The trace finishes.]
CIA TECH GIRL
Got it. That’s the terminal address where the virus was uploaded.
SOPHIA TURNER
Whose is it?
[The tech pulls up the personnel photos.]
CIA TECH GIRL
Agent Tran’s.
AGENT TRAHN
What? No. There’s been a mistake.
[Every agent in the room draws their gun on Tran.]
MARTIN DANBERG
Get your hands where I can see them. Get down on the ground now! Do it now! Down now!
CIA TECH GIRL
Wait! It’s a decoy. The hacker piggybacked the I.P. It’s not Tran.
SOPHIA TURNER
Then who is it?
CIA TECH GIRL
Whoever uploaded it used Tran’s terminal I.P. to hide their ID. They’re good, but I’m better. I’ve isolated the user’s pass code. I’m de-encrypting now.
[The de-encrypting finishes.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Run a personnel match.
[Martin’s photo pops.]
SOPHIA TURNER (whisper)
Martin?
MARTIN DANBERG
No, Soph. I’m loyal. You know I’m loyal!
SOPHIA TURNER
Then put the gun down.
[Everyone has their guns aimed at Martin, including Beckett.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Put it down!
MARTIN DANBERG
Okay. All right, okay.
[Martin reaches over and grabs another tech girl.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Martin!
CIA TECH GIRL 2
No!
MARTIN DANBERG
You shoot, she dies. Everyone, back up now.
SOPHIA TURNER
Martin, don’t. Don’t do it.
MARTIN DANBERG
Back up now! Back—back up now! Hit it.
[The tech puts her hand on the scanner to call the elevator.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Martin, don’t.
[The elevator opens.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Martin, don’t! Martin. Put the gun down, Martin.
MARTIN DANBERG
Thanks, but I’d rather live.
[Martin holds the tech at gunpoint as the elevator closes.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Shut the elevator down.
CIA TECH GUY
I’m in. Stand by. I’m bringing it back down.
[Everyone points their guns at the elevator. The doors open, but the only one there is the tech girl rolling on the floor.]
--
[NT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, BRIEFING ROOM - DAY]
CASTLE
There’s no way you could’ve known.
SOPHIA TURNER
No? When we first got wind of Pandora, Danberg was the one who found all the connections. He was the one who traced it to Gage, all so we wouldn’t get too close to him. He even tried to convince me to get rid of you two. And worst of all, he may not be working alone.
BECKETT
The implications of Pandora are huge. I don’t understand how one of our own would actually want to plunge the country or the world into war.
SOPHIA TURNER
Money, ideology-- none of it makes any sense.
CASTLE
Well, the motives don’t matter. All that matters is stopping Pandora. Gage said he picked up chatter. He said it’s going down tomorrow.
SOPHIA TURNER
We’ve heard the same thing, which means we don’t have any time. We have to find her.
BECKETT
Well, there’s gotta be something that we missed, some detail that’ll help us figure out who she is.
[Castle picks up the photo of the little girl.]
SOPHIA TURNER
We’re run it through every database we have. We have looked through everything.
CASTLE
Not everything. You guys maintain a topographical survey of the earth, right?
SOPHIA TURNER
Yeah. Why?
CASTLE
So, don’t search for the girl. Run the mountains.
[Castle points at the mountain in the background of the photo.]
If we know where she’s from, we can narrow down our search.
SOPHIA TURNER
You are a genius.
[Sophia takes the photo and kisses Castle on the cheek. Castle smirks as she exits.]
--
[INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, TECH ROOM - DAY]
BECKETT
How long will this take?
SOPHIA TURNER (sigh)
It’s a big world. We’ve pulled anything arid and everything above and below 60 degrees latitude, but they’re estimating it could take 32 hours.
CASTLE
Sounds like a long night. I’ll get some coffees.
[Castle walks off and Sophia turns to Beckett.]
SOPHIA TURNER
He was always thoughtful.
BECKETT
You like him.
SOPHIA TURNER
I did. Once.
BECKETT
So, what happened? If you don’t mind my asking.
SOPHIA TURNER (exhales)
Well, um… Well, you ever…meet someone and—and have that…intense attraction right away… You know, that tension?
[Beckett nods.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Well, we fought it for months, and then…and then we just couldn’t stand it anymore. (soft chuckle) But afterward i—it was like, that tension was all we…had really, and without it, all we were left with was that… Well, those things that drove us crazy about each other. I mean, you know how he can be.
BECKETT
Yeah. Yeah, I do.
SOPHIA TURNER
Sometimes I wish we had never slept together…had kept that longing.
[Castle returns with three coffee mugs.]
CASTLE
Even your coffee mugs say “CIA”. That is so cool.
SOPHIA TURNER
Well, we save the world, maybe I’ll let you keep one.
CASTLE (chuckle)
Incentive.
[They toast their mugs.]
--
[ INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, TECH ROOM - DAY]
[The CIA techs drift off in their chairs as they wait for the topographical search to finish. It beeps when it finds a match and the tech wakes and bolts for the phone when he realizes the search completed.]
CIA TECH GUY
Uh, the topography matches terrain in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, just outside the city of Hangzhou.
CASTLE
That’s near Shanghai.
SOPHIA TURNER
Pull up all school uniform insignias from that region.
[The tech starts.]
BECKETT
Wait. Right there on the top right corner. They’re the same color.
SOPHIA TURNER
Shanghai #12 girl’s school. Do they have a website?
CIA TECH GUY
It’s password protected. Picking the lock now.
SOPHIA TURNER
Hack into their photo archives and run facial rec. Bring up the captions and compare.
Got her. Mia Ganghong.
SOPHIA TURNER
What do we know about her?
CIA TECH GUY
Uh, not much. Just that she’s the daughter of Xiang and Biyu Ganghong.
SOPHIA TURNER
Xiang Ganghong?
BECKETT
Who’s Xiang Ganghong?
SOPHIA TURNER
He’s a Chinese businessman with close ties to the finance minister and members of the ruling party.
BECKETT
Well, why is his daughter targeted?
SOPHIA TURNER
Xiang is a kingmaker. He’s extremely influential in shaping his government’s economic policy. He made his fortune selling Chinese military hardware, sometimes to our enemies, but we left him alone because he was supportive of China’s purchase of U.S. debt. Now, if someone were to take out Xiang, not that much would change. But if his daughter were killed in a botched assassination attempt and the Chinese were able to trace it back to the U.S. government?
CASTLE
The trail that led to Gage.
SOPHIA TURNER
It’s conceivable that Xiang could use his considerable influence to singlehandedly end China’s purchase of the U.S. debt.
BECKETT
This country runs on deficit spending. If—if we can’t borrow money--
CASTLE
We couldn’t meet our obligations, the government would shut down.
SOPHIA TURNER
Austerity measures would be imposed. We’d lose our ability to deploy our military around the world.
BECKETT
And then with the U.S. neutralized, our enemies would be able to explore their interests unchecked.
SOPHIA TURNER
That’s right. And there would be an explosion of regional conflicts, any one of which could send us toward global war.
BECKETT
A war that we might not even be able to win.
CASTLE
One domino knocked down, the entire world changes.
AGENT JONES
We’ve located Xiang. He and a Chinese delegation just landed at JFK and hour ago.
SOPHIA TURNER
He’s here?
AGENT JONES
For a U.N. trade conference at the McKinley building. They’re on their way there now. And, ma’am, his daughter’s with him.
--
[ INT. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - DAY]
[They head out.]
BECKETT
If we call it in, I can get a protective detail waiting.
SOPHIA TURNER
You think your cops are gonna be able to stop CIA-trained operatives? They’d just end up dead. Besides, if word of this gets out, it could spark an international incident of epic proportions. We need to clean up the mess, not make one.
CASTLE
We and what army? You said we couldn’t trust the others because they could be working with Danberg.
[They enter the elevator.]
SOPHIA TURNER
This is not the only CIA station in New York. I’ve got another field team on its way. You seal it up until you hear from me. No calls going in or out. I’m not taking any chances.
AGENT JONES
Yes, ma’am.
[The elevator doors close.]
--
[35:26, INT. ENCLOSED PARKING STRUCTURE - DAY]
[Tires squeal as Sophia, Beckett, and Castle pull into an enclosed garage and step out of the car.]
SOPHIA TURNER
Agent Corrigan, Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle. Where’s the delegation?
AGENT CORRIGAN
Five minutes away.
SOPHIA TURNER
We in position?
AGENT CORRIGAN
We have teams in the lobby and spotters across the street.
BECKETT
What about Danberg?
AGENT CORRIGAN
The guard IDed him as having entered the building 45 minutes ago. We have crews in place authorized to take him out, but we still haven’t identified his partner.
SOPHIA TURNER
Whatever happens, keep the girl alive. Do you understand me?
AGENT CORRIGAN
Yes, ma’am.
[They walk around another corner.]
CASTLE
Where are we going?
AGENT CORRIGAN
This way.
[They enter a large empty space with a shiny blue floor.]
CASTLE
What are we doing down here? Shouldn’t we be headed for the lobby?
[Sophia pulls a gun on them from behind. Beckett draws her gun on Sophia.]
BECKETT
Castle.
SOPHIA TURNER
Sorry.
[Agent Corrigan puts a gun to the back of Beckett’s head, then takes her gun at points at Beckett and Castle.]
CASTLE
What are you doing?
BECKETT
Danberg wasn’t the mole, was he? You are.
SOPHIA TURNER
Go kill the girl. I’ll take care of these two.
[Corrigan smirks and leaves.]
CASTLE
It was you this whole time?
SOPHIA TURNER
I’m afraid so.
--
[A limo pulls up outside the building.]
--
[ INT. ENCLOSED PARKING STRUCTURE - DAY]
CASTLE
Then why bring us here? Why not just leave us at the facility?
SOPHIA TURNER
Because you just don’t stop. You need to know the story, the whole story. And if something doesn’t add up, you just don’t let go. Why do you think I brought you inside? I was protecting the op.
BECKETT
Like you were trying to protect the operation when you killed Blakely and McGrath?
CASTLE
You set up Gage.
SOPHIA TURNER
Well, for the linchpin to work, the Chinese have to blame the U.S. government. The operation has to trace back to the CIA.
CASTLE
And when you needed to cover your tracks, you killed him. So then you needed someone else. You needed Danberg. Sophia…World War III? Why?
SOPHIA TURNER
Let’s just say, there are certain parties who will pay anything to reshape the world.
--
[Xiang steps out of the limo.]
--
[ INT. ENCLOSED PARKING STRUCTURE - DAY]
CASTLE
I don’t buy it. The Sophia I know wouldn’t sell out her country, not for money, not for anything.
SOPHIA TURNER
Mwuahahaha. Well, that’s one thing you got wrong, Rick. (speaking in Russian) This was never my country. On your knees right now. Both of you.
[Sophia kicks the back of Beckett’s knees to make her drop.]
SOPHIA TURNER
BECKETT
You’re never gonna get away with this.
SOPHIA TURNER
Of course I will. I’ll just tell them how we all tried to stop it and couldn’t, and the two of you were killed in the process, by Danberg, of course. Don’t worry. I’ll make it sound heroic. (to Castle) Your father will be very proud.
[Beckett looks at Castle and Castle look up at Sophia in surprise.]
CASTLE
My father?
SOPHIA TURNER
Well, you don’t think you gained special access to the CIA back then because of your charm.
[Castle processes this new info.]
SOPHIA TURNER
You really don’t know, do you? I guess you never will.
[Sophia aims to shoot Castle and Beckett turns to try to stop it.]
BECKETT
No!
[A gunshot fires. Sophia drops. Danberg runs past.]
MARTIN DANBERG
Come on. It’s just us, and we’re out of time.
[Beckett runs off with Danberg while Castle remains stunned on his knees.]
--
[ Xiang and his family walk toward the building entrance. Corrigan waits for them inside. Beckett and Danberg run through a tunnel. The family enters and Corrigan starts to move toward them. He draws his gun and approaches them from behind. He’s about to aim when Beckett tackles him to the ground.]
BECKETT
Are you okay? He’s fine.
[The family turns to see what just happened and they play it like an accidental run in.]
MARTIN DANBERG
He’s good.
BECKETT
Are you all right? Yeah, maybe we should go out.
[The family turns and passes through security. Beckett and Danberg escort Corrigan out in cuffs.]
--
[40:10, INT. PRECINCT, BULLPEN - EVENING]
[Esposito and Ryan watch Danberg talking with Beckett and Castle in another room.]
ESPOSITO
So, what do you think this was all about?
RYAN
They didn’t tell you?
ESPOSITO
What? Th—
RYAN
Huh.
[Ryan walks off, pretending like he knows.]
ESPOSITO
Th—they told you?
[Esposito follows him.]
--
[ INT. PRECINCT, CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY]
MARTIN DANBERG
Once she turned me out, it didn’t take long to put the pieces together, but all I could do was watch and wait for her to make her move.
CASTLE
Hard to believe she was a traitor. It was all an act.
MARTIN DANBERG
Langley thinks she may have been a former KGB sleeper set adrift when the Soviet Union broke up. Stayed with the company because she had nowhere else to go.
CASTLE
Till a better offer came along.
BECKETT
Did you ever find out who she was working for, who was behind Pandora?
MARTIN DANBERG
No, and even if I did, I couldn’t tell you.
CASTLE
Agent Danberg…Sophia said something, something about my father being in the CIA. Would you know anything about that?
MARTIN DANBERG
I’m afraid I don’t. Sorry. Oh, uh, Detective Beckett. Here.
[Danberg hold up some keys.]
MARTIN DANBERG
I had our guys, uh, take care of your car.
BECKETT
You pulled my car out of the river?
MARTIN DANBERG
Yep. I think you will find it better than new.
BECKETT
Thank you.
MARTIN DANBERG
It’s the least that we could do. Take care.
[Danberg exits.]
CASTLE
You think she was telling the truth about my father? I mean, that…would explain why he completely disappeared.
BECKETT
I…I think that Sophia told a lot of lies.
[Castle nods.]
BECKETT
Must be tough, finding out that she’s a traitor, especially after you based Clara Strike on her and all.
CASTLE
Hmm. Well…Clara started off as Sophia, but…she ended up being more like you, you know—smart, fierce, kind. I think that’s one of the reasons I was drawn to you…as a muse. You think Dr. Blakeley was right…about the linchpin? Do you think we actually saved the world?
BECKETT
I think that we saved a little girl’s life, and that’s enough for me.
[Castle nods. They exit the conference room and walk through the bullpen together. Beckett affectionately bumps Castle’s arm with hers.]
