The Maltese Falcon Job - Recap

As the police move in on the harbor, the team takes refuge on a street and realizes that they're in serious trouble. Alec warns that they can't use any credit cards or otherwise give away their location. They tap into the FBI communications and learn that the FBI is securing Culpepper at the Governor Hotel. Nate says that they're heading there since it's the last place the FBI will look for them.

At the hotel, Tara strips and dons a towel to distract the bellhop, and then convince him to let her into an empty room. Once inside, Alec taps into the computer billing system and sets them up for the room. Nate starts drinking again and then demands information on all of Culpepper's business partners. Eliot goes to the gym to get some keys made while Parker checks out the former guest's adult movie selections.

In the lobby, Parker steals a key and slips it to Eliot, who claims to the clerk that his key doesn't work. As he cons the clerk into remaking the key, he spots Sterling comes in with Culpepper and warns the others. Sterling then goes to see Culpepper and the FBI agent, Nevins. He notes that Nevins screwed things up and insists on pursuing the investigation. He identifies Nate from a surveillance photo and offers information on Nate in exchange for her information on Tony Kadjic.

Alec identifies Kadjic as a major arms dealer who buys cheap guns from third world nations and resells them. They figure that Culpepper used the embezzled money from the harbor security systems to buy the guns, and then Kadjic uses the harbor to smuggle the guns. When Nate insists that he can defeat Culpepper, Eliot points out that he's obsessed with beating the opposition and can't resist. He says that he'll stay with Nate, but Nate needs to get his head straight. Parker agrees, and Nate asks if they'll stay with him to find out why Kadjic had Bonnano shot. They agree and Nate says they need to steal a mayor.

The team moves into position and Alec confirms that Culpepper is drinking heavily from the room wet bar. Eliot wonders what the "Maltese Falcon" note he discovered in Bonnano's files means. Parker goes in, disguised as a French maid, and provides Culpepper with refills for the wet bar. He immediately drinks them and then passes out from the drugs the team put in them. Meanwhile, Nate spots Sterling in the lobby. When Sterling takes the elevator, Nate runs ahead of him and hits the up button at each floor, slowing him down. He soon runs out of breath and is barely able to keep ahead of the elevator. Sterling finally gets to Culpepper's floor, passing Eliot as he moves a luggage cart and seeing him from the rear without recognizing him. He goes inside to Culpepper's room and discovers that the mayor has disappeared and the FBI agents have no idea what's happened to him. They're unaware that Parker came in as a housemaid while Tara and Alec dropped down through the window.

Spencer reviews the footage and sees Eliot smuggling the unconscious Culpepper out in a trunk. He orders a roadblock and appreciates the fact that Nate is making things interesting. He's unaware that the team has taken Culpepper to their room. They then make their room look like Culpepper's room and wake the mayor up. Eliot comes in, carrying Parker and claiming that she's dead to make their story convincing, and takes her into the bathroom where he claims the other dead FBI agents are located. Nate claims he's going to kill Culpepper for betraying him. When Alec threatens to strangle him, Culpepper explains that he's smuggling guns and the police are on the payroll. The Feds look the other way because Culpepper helps them catch other crooked politicians and don't examine him. Kadjic told Culpepper to betray Nate to take the heat off of their arms dealing operation. Culpepper admits that they have a shipment in at the docks and buyers are coming in to inspect the weapons. Eliot knocks out Culpepper and Tara confirms that the FBI have left the building to set up the roadblocks. Nate has Alec stash Culpepper and then use the cameras at the docks to spot Kadjic while Eliot and Parker search on foot. Nate then leaves without saying anything.

Tara calls someone in private and asks them to set her up with Kadjic so she can make a deal.

Nate goes to the apartment and searches through his desk. Sterling comes down and shows him the picture Nate's son drew. He knew Nate would come back for it. Nevins and her man come in and Sterling tells him that he's under arrest.

Nevins demands to know where her witness is, and Sterling points out that eventually Nate's Robin Hood attitude would get him arrested. When Nate explains that Kadjic shot Bonnano, Sterling is interested but Nevins says they have no evidence against him and hasn't broken any American laws. However, Sterling wants Nate to find Kadjic and tie him to the guns, in return for a chance to walk away. However, the rest of the team will have to go down. Sterling points out that Nate isn't a thief and this is his second chance.

Parker and Eliot search for the guns and Tara arrives. Eliot realizes that Kadjic is Italian and heads for a ship, but doesn't explain why.

Nate calls Sophie and admits that he screwed up. She's in a helicopter and can't make out what he's saying. He asks her to come back because he needs her as a compass in his life. Nate says he needs her more than she'll ever know and tries to say he loves her, but Sophie loses the signal. Nate then calls Alec and tells him that the apartment is clear and he needs to get the team over there after stashing the mayor.

When the team meets at the apartment, they examine plans of Kadjic's ship and Alec says that he can get the money. Nate tells him to use his money, even though it will clear him out. He plans to meet with Kadjic and confirm the arms dealer is there with the weapons.

Tara goes to an insurance company in the same building as FBI headquarters, with Parker as her ailing sister in a wheelchair. They let her in past the metal detectors. Meanwhile, Eliot and Nate go aboard the ship and Eliot explains that the "Maltese Falcon" note referred to the ship: the Falcone Maltese, He knocks out the guards. However, more men arrive and capture them at gunpoint. Nate tells them to notify Kadjic he's there to have a chat and flashes his money.

Tara and Parker get to the roof and prepare to drop down through the air vent. Meanwhile, Alec wakes up the unconscious Culpepper and produces a drill, and tells him to act scared.

Kadjic is meeting with his buyers when Nate and Eliot are brought in. The guns aren't there, and they need Kadjic with the guns. Nate says the money is an apology for what's going to happen next. Alec has Culpepper call Kadjic and says that Nate's team killed the FBI agents. As the sounds of the drill go over the cell phone, Alec shuts off the phone and Nate says that Kadjic needs new partners.

Parker and Tara break into the FBI field office and tap into the computers so Alec can access the systems, wipe the files, and transfer the originals.

In the hold of the ship, Nate and Eliot examine Kadjic's weapons. Once they've confirmed they are there, Nate tells Eliot to make the call to Nevins. However, the metal interferes with the transmission. Nate asks to talk to Kadjic in private and explains that he launders money through real estate deals. Meanwhile, Eliot slips away to get topside and make the call.

Alec directs Tara, disguised as a FBI agent, to the evidence room and the proper box of evidence. She gives the FBI agent something to put in the evidence box and then leaves.

Kadjic warns that the FBI and Interpol are probing around their operation, and Nate gets him to admit that he had Bonnano shot.

Alec examines the surveillance footage and discovers that Tara met with Kadjic. He tries to call Parker and runs outside, and Culpepper calls Kadjic. Alec gets hold of Parker on her ear bud and tells her about Tara. The thief grabs Tara by the throat and dangles her over the ledge.

Kadjic gets Culpepper's call and realizes he's been played. He draws a gun on Nate and tells his men to find Eliot. Kadjic then orders the captain to take the ship out so they can dump Nate and Eliot. Kadjic's men find Eliot and knock him out, and Kadjic tells them to kill him. He then prepares to shoot Nate.

Tara tries to talk her way out of what's going on, but Parker isn't convinced… until she explains she was setting up a meeting for someone else.

Sophie arrives… as Kadjic's buyer. She suggests that he wait until she's off the ship to kill Nate. Meanwhile, the ship shuts down and the captain reports that something is wrong with the engines. Kadjic has his men lock Nate up and then apologizes to Sophie.

Kadjic's men take Eliot up to the deck. He finishes counting how many men there are and then attacks his guards, counting off as he takes them down.

Parker and Tara drive for the docks, and Tara explains that she was there to make sure Nate didn't go out of control. She used her contacts to set Sophie up as a buyer for the guns.

The captain tells Kadjic that someone has sabotaged the ship's electronic systems. They are unaware that Alec is below decks. He finds Eliot, who takes out another guard. They hear footsteps and find Sophie. She tells them to come along.

Culpepper frees himself and discovers that he's in a cargo compartment on the freighter.

Eliot fights his way to Nate and frees him. As they go, Nate asks Sophie why she came back. She explains that he needed her, and they need to finish the job.

Culpepper finds Kadjic on the bridge. Alec, Nate, and Eliot lock them in and leave, as Kadjic fires a shot at Nate. They meet Parker and Tara as they leave and Parker embraces a surprised Sophie. Tara says she has to leave and Sophie assures her that they're even. As she goes, Nate wonders if she'll be okay on her own and Tara assures him he will be. With the police closing in, Sophie says that she's arranged a proper rescue. A helicopter lands on the ship and the rest of the team go to meet it. They are unaware that Nate is wounded from Kadjic's shot.

Sterling and the FBI arrive and confirm that Kadjic is locked up. Sterling congratulates Nate on keeping his end of the deal. Nate admits they have a deal, but then says that there's a fire in the FBI evidence room. Alec wiped the servers of all the evidence on Kadjic and Culpepper. Sterling has nothing, unless they arrest him alone. He'll turn state's evidence to Kadjic confessing to Bonnano's attack. Nate tells the team he got them into this mess and he has to get them out. If Sterling goes after the team, Nate refuses to testify. Sterling agrees and overrides Nevins when she disagrees.

Nate tells the team that they're the most honorable people he's ever met, and have become his only family. He promises not to forget that, and then tells Sophie to get them onto the chopper to make their escape. As the others leave, Nate kisses Sophie and she wonders why he called her just to see him captured. She slaps him and walks away, unaware that Nate is wounded. As they leave, Nate collapses and Sterling calls an ambulance. The FBI wonders who Nate is, and Sterling admits that he doesn't know. Nate just smiles, and says that he's a thief. Nevins' reinforcements arrive as the team makes good their escape.

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