In the evening. Reacher, Tamara and Jacob visit Russell in Reacher Season 4 episode 3. Reacher gives the cat to Russell. He tells him that he needs the information of Nolan Cahill. He’s John Sampson’s chief of staff. Jacob’s sister shot herself on the train. Nolan was on that train. The CIA kidnapped people because of it.
Russell says it’s a tragedy. But it’s also a story. Jacob contacts Ben. He fails. He’s furious to kick the box. Reacher wants to fire Jacob. He thinks he’s a burden. Tamara goes against it. Because Jacob is a cop. They need an ally when they don’t know who their enemies are. But Reacher insists. He wants to call Lila after knowing she lied.
Russell gets the information that Cahill served on the same Delta Team as Sampson. He was Sampson’s commanding officer. He’s got more medals than the Olympics. He knows a lot. Reacher decides to go to confront the guy. But Tamara says the guy won’t talk. Jacob says they will make him talk. He mentions the guy killed the girl and kidnapped Ben.
Someone is approaching the house. Russell turns on the surveillance. Reacher sees the CIA backup squad from the black site. Russell realizes that he was the one who made those guys find them. He says he posted something on 4Chan after Reacher and his people abandoned him. He said he picked up a drive on the train. It had Anna Merrick’s name on the side and military records on it.
Reacher finds out that another group of people arrives. The one with the bruise showed up at Lila’s hotel. He thinks it’s not a good thing. The group kills the CIA. They’re not friends. They cut the power. Reacher says they’ll use a standard protocol search, until they find them. He asks Russell if he has any weapons. Russell only has five cans of wasp spray.
Reacher asks Russell to give it to him. He asks Jacob to take the fire extinguisher. Russell puts the cat into a box. Reacher says that they can use the cat to send signal so that Tamara can shoot. The signal is screaming.
Reacher goes downstairs through the window. He attacks the enemy with the chopsticks. Tamara hears the signal. She and Russell attack the enemies in the house at the same time. There’s an enemy still alive. Reacher drags the guy to the parking lot. He asks him who’s his boss. But the guy says he needs a doctor. Jacob gets angry. He tries to shoot the guy.
Tamara takes Jacob aside. She tells him that he should stay calm. He won’t know where Ben is if he kills the guy. The guy dies. Reacher gets the address from the guy’s pocket. He calls Lila. He asks her to leave the hotel. Because their friend has the address of the hotel.
Russell and the team are in the car. Russell asks Tamara to drive faster. But Reacher says they need to make a stop in town. They’re on the run, they need cash. Russell discovers that a van is tailing them. He guesses they’re being tailed. Tamara asks him if he has another skin under the Plumber sign. He says they need a new car because those guys have the make and model. Jacob reminds Russell that they’re wanted by the CIA. So they cannot go to rent a car. Tamara knows a place. They will arrive within two hours.
Tamara takes them team members to visit Cyrus. But he doesn’t want to see her. He says he and Docherty cut a deal. He gets her dirt on those boys from Norristown, she leaves him alone. She says Docherty made the deal, not her. She came to make a deal with some punks. She’s interested in his SUV. She knows he stole it. If he doesn’t give the car to her, she will take him to her police station.
He knows she would arrest him if she wants to do that. She realizes that she should try another way. She lights a cloth, and she tries to burn the car. He doesn’t want the car he likes being burned. He says it’s very expensive. She offers it again that her Windstar for his Highlander. He agrees. He asks her to put it out. She asks him for some plates from a car that’s properly registered. She points at the Jetta.
He rejects it. Because it’s his sister’s car. Rayona will kill him. But the rag is burning the car. Those bad guys leave. Cyrus gets the cat. He calls him Pancake. Reacher gets a new car. Russell says he likes the car. Cyrus is a good person. So he will be nice to the cat.
Reacher gets a call from Lila. She tells him that she and her family moved to a new hotel. He wants to have a talk with her. She offers to meet in the park. But he wants to meet her at a place that’s crowded and quiet enough. Not loud bars. She offers to go to the bowling alley. He agrees. He tries to hang up. She stops him. She thanks him.
Reacher explains it to Tamara that they need some information from Lila to confront Cahill. Cahill is a powerful guy with D.C. connections. He cannot show up and try to intimidate him. He decides to drop her and others. But she worries that there will be more mercs following Lila. He needs backup. He points out that he didn’t use backup at the hotel. Jacob disagrees. Because he was there with Reacher. Reacher points out that Jacob passed out in the hallway.
Russell tells Reacher that he won’t find a woman in the city easily. But Reacher says Lila stands out. She’s a smoke show. Tamara realizes why Reacher wants to meet Lila alone. He explains it to her that he knows Lila lied. If he visits her with two cops, she won’t speak. Tamara asks Reacher to drop her at the police station. She has a job.
Tamara and Jacob go to the police station. Shaun teases her that she’s the Halley’s comet. She talks back and she asks him about Anna’s case. He doesn’t want to help her. Because she refused to work with him. And the Feds took the case. The cop reports to Shaun that Anna’s car was stolen at 6th and Carpenter. Tamara takes her people to leave the police station.
Reacher goes to the bowling alley. Lila and her people are there. She thanks him for helping them. He says it’s the last time if she doesn’t tell him the truth. He knows Sampson isn’t her father. She says she’s a reporter. Amisha isn’t her mother. The two are hired protection. She’s here to expose the secrets of the monst powerful government on earth. She made the bruises herself so she could get to Sampson.
She feels sorry. But she needs the information his his hand. She’s scared. A woman died. Men came after her. He wants to know the story. He eats the fries. She says Amisha and Sampson didn’t have an affair, but they’re connected in another way. When Amisha and her husband were still students in Indonesia, they were concerned with the growing influence of the military under a man named General Putra. So, they had rallies. And soon after that, the whole entire group was illegally incarcerated. Putra committed atrocities. Amisha listened as her husband was brutally beaten and killed in a cell next to hers.
And then she was beaten within an inch of her own life. Putra and his soldiers were trained by an American Delta Force specialist. The specialist was John Sampson. That’s why he was in Indonesia. To teach Putra’s soldiers advanced military tactics. The very tactics that were used against the civilians Putra tortured and killed.
Reacher asks Lila about Nolan Cahill. She says he was Sampson’s commanding officer in Indonesia. He was on the train the night Anna died. Lila figures it out that the guy went there to stop Anna from giving the drive to her, getting the story to her.
Lila thinks the public deserves to know the truth. Anna agreed to help after knowing what happened to Amisha. This is why she wanted to give the drive to Lila. Because she appreciated what’s at stake. Reacher thinks Anna appreciated stealing government records is a federal crime. But she says Anna is a patriot. They believed Sampson cannot take the White House. She has to get this story out. She needs his help. It’s for Amisha, her husband and all the people killed. For Anna. That drive has the proof connecting Sampson to all of this. He says he will find the drive. But he will decide what to do after he checks the drive.
A guy shows up. Reacher tells Lila that the Big Red Machine found them. She was followed. She needs to hire a new bodyguard. He says he will make those guys regret. But the guy doesn’t think so when he kidnaps Lila with a gun. He threatens that he will kill the girl if guns not on the table. Lila’s bodyguard puts his gun on the table.
The Big Red Machine tries to take away Reacher and Lila. But Reacher attacks those guys. He fights a guy outside the bowling alley. Lila saves him before he’s killed. He mentions he told her to leave. She claims that she couldn’t abandon him. He says they have to go. If he gets caught in the system, the CIA will find him.
Jacob and Russell find Anna’s car. They find Bear Creek pass in the car. Jacob reveals Anna never cleaned out her trunk from last winter. So her winter jacket would have been here. Tamara asks Jacob if she knows why his sister wore a winter jacket and got on the subway. He doesn’t know. She figures it out that if Anna left the house without a coat, wearing one wasn’t part of her plan. It became part of the plan after she got in the car.
Russell says none of this is logical. Jacob tells Tamara that he was supposed to go with Anna and Ben to Bear Creek. But he cancelled last minute so he could reinsulate his garage. He’s never gonna get to do anything with them again. At least his garage is warm. She tells him that only good people would blame themselves after their families left. But it doesn’t help him, and it’s not gonna help finding who did all this.
Russell find phone mount on dash. He guesses Anna used her cell to navigate. But Tamara says there was no phone found on Anna at the subway station. He guesses whoever searched must have taken it. Jacob discovers a work badge in the car. Tamara points out that they found Anna’s work badge at her house. Russell says whole point of those things is security, getting into federal property. They don’t give out extras.
Tamara asks Jacob if Anna ever mentioned a second job or working someplace new. He says no. She sees Feds. They have to leave. Jacob puts something into his pocket. Russell reminds Jacob that he tainted chain of custody. If that badge leads to anything, he will never get a conviction. Jacob says Federal government takes over a suicide. CIA kidnaps them. The Reds try to kill them. He doesn’t care for the chain of custody. He wants to find out what his sister died over.
At the hotel, Reacher cleans his wound in the room. Lila knocks at the door. He opens the door. She shows up with the new clothes. She says she bought it from the supermarket. He asks her about Amisha. She says she and the guards are in for the night. No injuries. They got away clean. She’s scared. People are trying to hurt her again. It’s bringing back a lot of bad memories.
She thanks him for forgiving her. She says she didn’t want to lie to him. But he thinks she did. That’s why she said a specific set of words in a specific way at a specific time. To tell a lie. But he has got a firm principle to forgive liars who save him from getting brained in an alley. But she still wishes she didn’t have to be deceptive. Getting to the truth, getting the story out, it just required she not tell the truth. That was the cost. He asks her is the cost worth it? They could’ve been killed back there at that bowling alley or at the hotel.
She says she doesn’t run away from danger. She thinks he’s so as well. He says he’s a 250-pound former soldier. She’s a 110-pound reporter, and her security’s average at best. Maybe she should take Amisha and go back home. She refuses to do that. She says what they’re trying to do here, it’s bigger than just her and Amisha. And she agrees. They came here for information, and the last person to have that information was in the city. They won’t leave even if they will be killed.
Lila mentions she told Reacher that she’s not a person who runs. She knows he feels guilty for not saving Anna. The poor woman looked him in the eyes, confused, petrified, broken, and he couldn’t do anything. She asks him who does he think’s more responsible? The man who said a few words to Anna on the subway or the reporter who put her there?
She volunteers to get his back. She takes over the cloth from him. He notices the bracelet she’s wearing. She reveals her mother gave her the bracelet when she was 16. She was a real journalist. Died in action in Indonesia. She’s why she’s a reporter. The bracelet is all she has of her. Two seeds in each box, supposed to be them always together. Each box a different stage of their lives. And she tells people it’s just a regular charm bracelet. Lila kisses Reacher. They sleep together.
Russell and Jacob return to the police station. Russell says he doesn’t want to do such a thing with his laptop. But Jacob doesn’t care for it at all. Russell tells Jacob that he may record CIA sites, use burners, live off the grid, but all it’s legal. Taking his sister’s badge from a crime scene? That’s federal evidence tampering. Jacob asks Russell to leave. He tells him that he doesn’t have to be here. But Russell won’t leave. He asks Jacob if he wants to know why he only write for online publications now?
Because, a year ago, he was working a banking scandal that implicated the Fed and a lot of the powers that be, including his own newspaper, who he discovered had been sitting on the story for years. When the watches essentially work for the watched, he doesn’t stand a chance. They not only fired him, they discredited him, humiliated him, called him a crackpot, planted insane conspiracy theory documents on his laptop, manipulated his expense reports, make it look like that he was stealing. Made his father doubt him. So he needs to be here.
Russell has been treated unfairly in the past. So he seeks justice. This is why he was very sensitive when Jacob stole the badge. In his mind, if they don’t do good things, nobody will do that. The world will be filled with evil. This is not what he wants to see. He has watched Reacher team. He knows Reacher is a good man who has a brave heart to go against evil forces. It’s the first time that he thinks he lives like a human being. He thinks he finds the right group.
Tamara shows up. She gives the evidence to Russell. She says fraud raided a fake ID ring a few weeks ago. It should work. He takes out Anna’s badge from Jacob. He checks the badge with his laptop. He sees Level Eight clearance. He mentions Jacob’s sister was an HR clerk. He asks Jacob why is she doing with Level Eight clearance? Jacob is confused as well. Tamara points out that at least they know where they’re going to next. Shaun shows up. He sees the badge. He realizes that the badge was in the car. She tells him that he should leave no matter what he saw. He says he sees stolen evidence.
She denies it. She tells him that he’s wrong. He asks her if she’s gonna intimidated him. He says he won’t report her. He’s not a fool as well. This is a federal case. He’s not her. He doesn’t ruin his future for something not important. So he will tell what he saw if he’s questioned. She asks him to go back to his desk. He walks away. Tamara asks Russell and Jacob to pack their stuff. They have to leave the police station.
Tamara supports Jacob even if she knows what he did isn’t right. But she has her own reasons. She wants to find the truth with a good way. But she faces numerous obstacles. So she chooses to ignore the badge. But his colleague Shaun cannot pretend that he didn’t see it. He won’t betray her. But he’s the man who gets salary from the police station. He cannot promise he won’t do something to hurt her. She doesn’t care for it. She knows what she does is right.
At the hotel, Reacher and Lila complete their job in the bed. He’s getting dressed. She thinks he’s going to flee so that she turns on the light. He explains it to her that he didn’t want to wake her. He doesn’t always sneak out in the middle of the night, but he has a drive ahead of him. He wants to go to Baltimore. He wants to get there first thing in the morning. Gives him two and a half hours tops. Sampson is there. After what she told him, there’s more they need to discuss. She asks him to come back safe. She doesn’t want anyone else she dragged into this getting hurt. He leaves the room.
Lila becomes gentle after she slept with Reacher. She’s the little bird who relies on this man. She’s not a lonely fighter anymore. I worry that her fighting spirit will be gone. Fortunately, Reacher knows what he wants even if he just got the girl. He doesn’t take the beauty to flee. He chooses to confront Sampson. Because a lot of people died because of the guy. He needs justice.
Tamara, Jacob and Russell arrive at the factory. Tamara wonders why Anna came to the place. She takes a look at Jacob.
Reacher arrives at the hotel in Baltimore. He sees Springfield who’s talking with a woman. Springfield takes care of Reacher. He tells him that Sampson was wondering when he’d see him again. He tries to take him into the elevator. But Reacher doesn’t get in the elevator. Springfield has to stop the doors of the elevator. He asks Reacher if he will come. Reacher mentions Springfield said he was going to meet Sampson, but he talked to federal flunkies. He worries that he will be fooled again. Springfield tells Reacher that he will know the truth as long as he gets on the elevator. Reacher isn’t a coward so that he gets on the elevator.
Springfield takes Reacher into Sampson’s room. Sampson shakes hands with Reacher. Elspeth asks Reacher if he wants breakfast. He says he never turns down a meal. So she lets him sit down. She says there’s a poached egg and a coup of fruit. She hasn’t touched it. Sampson guesses Reacher came down here because he feels there’s information he wants, or he has information to share.
Reacher tries to tell something to Sampson. But he takes a look at Elspeth. Sampson mentions he told Reacher that he and his wife have no secrets between them. Reacher wants to know about Sampson’s involvement with General Putra. He tortured and slaughtered a number of political dissidents in Indonesia. His source tells him that he was trained by Delta force, led by him. He’d say he knows the general’s name, and he was involved in his atrocities. He’s awfully calm for a man being accused of what could be war crimes. Sampson tells Reacher that his source only got part of the story right. Yes, he was in Indonesia with Delta Force in 1998, and he met Putra. He didn’t much like him. Their mission was top secret, and it reminds so. But what he can disclose is that he has never tortured or killed civilians.
He has never assisted in torturing or killing civilians. If he’s trying to get a rise out of him, it won’t work. Simply because he’s telling the truth. Reacher asks Sampson why he didn’t tell him all this the first time they met? Sampson asks Reacher does he typically offer up details of his top secret military operations when a stranger asks? Reacher agrees with what Sampson said. He asks him if there anything he can tell him that he’s not? Sampson says nothing.
SEE ALSO: Reacher Season 4 Episode 2 Recap
So Reacher asks Sampson about his chief of staff. Elspeth knows what Reacher meant is Cahill. Sampson asks Reacher what the guy did. Reacher says that night Anna killed herself, there were four witnesses on the train, but only three were interviewed by police. One ran away. It was Cahill. Sampson doesn’t believe that his friend would do that. But Reacher says he saw the guy. Sampson says if Cahill was on that train, he would’ve told him. Reacher says seems people have a habit of leaving out important details from the discussion around here. He wants to go to ask the guy with Sampson. Sampson agrees.
On the roof, Reacher and Sampson find Cahill. The guy is drinking. He looks troubled by something. Sampson tells Cahill that they need to speak. Cahill realizes that things never stay hidden. Whatever people try to hide, it always comes out. Reacher asks Cahill why was he on the subway with Anna Merrick the night she died? Did he take her jump drive? Cahill tells Sampson that he would’ve made a good president. He apologizes to him. He jumps off the roof. He falls on the car. Springfield goes to call a doctor.