Sam: All right. We're ready when you are.
Helen: Should I cover my hair?
Sam: What do you think?
Sheila: Ah, it's not gonna make a difference to them,
and it'll probably just alienate people over here.
( clears throat ) Now? You ready?
( inhales )
My name is Helen Sterling
and my son Andrew Sterling is a journalist.
I am not supposed to be saying this to you
but I have money for you.
I'm in the process of transferring to you
everything I have in the world.
I'm begging you.
Sheila: I'm sorry.
-Oh, no. -Sheila: No, no, no, you're fine.
Just, just be yourself.
Myself doesn't make videos.
Sam: You know what, the eye line is off anyway.
-Let's pretend these are right underneath you. -( camera beeps )
( wind blowing )
( wind chimes tinkling )
( pager beeps )
( telephone ringing )
( indistinct chatter )
( monitors beeping )
( indistinct announcement over PA )
Helen: All right, you'll feel some tickles now.
A little cold.
( answering machine beeps )
Hi, you've reached the assistant special agent in-charge Eric Walsh.
Please leave a message. If it's an emergency, please dial 0 for assistance.
Helen: Agent Walsh, this is Helen Sterling.
I wanted to follow up because I haven't heard from you in,
I don't know, I guess, it's been a week now.
Sorry, I missed your call. My phone was charging.
I have it with me now.
Could you call me back, whenever? It doesn't matter what time.
It's Helen Sterling.
Um, it keeps going to voicemail,
so I guess you're out of the office today.
If you check this, will you please let me know?
I tried dialing 0, by the way, but the operator
didn't know who to transfer me to, so...
Okay, just, will you call me back?
( indistinct chatter )
( monitor beeping )
Helen: Good evening, Millie!
I've got your antibiotic for you.
( whirring )
( groans softly )
Here you go.
That's good.
Hey.
Can you finish up in here and meet me outside, please?
Mmm-hmm.
What's up?
-You have a visitor. - Me?
Yeah, a young woman, Sheila, I think.
Sheila.
You know it's not a good time to have personal visits, Helen.
She's in 438.
I'll see what she wants.
Make it quick. You know we're in the middle of an audit.
Helen: Right, boss.
( woman retches and coughs )
( toilet flushes )
Merry Christmas!
You sounded terrible in there!
Do not eat sushi in Lebanon, trust me.
How long has it been this way?
It started, like, that last week I was there,
so like, I don't know, two weeks.
And of course you don't have any kind of insurance?
Welcome to the freelance economy.
Yeah. Lie down.
Okay.
Andy and I could both win Pulitzers
and still not make enough money to even have to file taxes.
Well, I offered to pay Andy's insurance.
But oh, no. He's too stubborn.
Too short-sighted.
Well, I finally heard back from my friend at the Red Cross.
No luck there.
But there is someone else.
Yeah, well, let's not talk about this now, okay?
Helen, I'm worried.
I feel like you keeping this all quiet
is just making it harder on you.
It's kinda making it harder on all of us.
Sorry, I'll be right back.
( groans )
Oh, shit!
( retching )
- Hey. - Hey.
( indistinct chatter )
( beeps )
( beeping )
( siren wailing in distance )
Here, this is for you.
Take these now, and then two a day for ten days.
And next time,
if there is a next time, don't just show up.
Call me first.
I'm not getting you in trouble, am I?
I can handle it.
So who was the person that you were saying,
-not the Red Cross, but somebody? - Yeah.
I was finally able to get the number of Leo Spencer's mother.
She's not the easiest person to talk to, but...
Please call her.
I know they told you that you can't tell anyone.
But Charlotte can help.
I'll think about it.
Leo is part of that same club that Andy and I are in.
So we helped Charlotte when Leo was in trouble.
Andy never mentioned a club.
It's a really amazing group of people.
So everyone pools their resources together online.
So you know where's safe to go, where to eat,
contacts, translators, stuff like that.
It's called the Viper Club.
( chuckles )
"The Viper Club"?
Yeah, well...
I didn't come up with the name.
Can I just stay here for like...
- Ten minutes. - Okay.
( siren wailing in distance )
Yeah!
( players cheering )
( players chanting )
( sighs )
( monitors beeping )
What's up?
Helen: Can you cover for me?
I thought I could power through,
but I'm burnt out. This is my third double this week.
Helen... ( sighs )
I know, I know, I know.
But I took Carmelyn's because it was her birthday...
Hmm.
-I'll cover for you. - ( whispers ) Thank you.
- Can you please get some rest? - Yes.
( car lock chirps )
( bus engine starts )
Wait!
( sighs )
Step on the yellow line.
( mouse clicking )
( man speaking indistinctly )
Agent Walsh: What brings you all the way down to the city, Miss Sterling?
They sent me an e-mail.
Fantastic, they finally wrote to you directly.
We have to pass this along to our Intelligence Analysts...
But we'll respond to it today.
I understand your sense of urgency,
but this is not going to happen today.
No, it's going to happen today.
I mean, my...
They reached out,
that means my son's still alive.
It's not up to me. There's a protocol we have to follow.
An internal report has to be generated.
What does that mean?
Helen,
there are a lot of people involved.
And of course, we need access
-to your e-mail accounts... - Oh, sure.
So we can see where the e-mail might have been sent from.
Okay. And, um, I took off from work today
so I can help you with this.
I'm sorry.
Nobody asked you to do that.
Nobody "asked" me?
Nobody asked me...
-This is my child. - I know this is upsetting,
but we don't know who we're dealing with yet.
Even the State Department
is struggling to get information,
and they already have people over there.
This is a delicate process.
We don't have time for delicate.
We're going to get Andy home, Helen.
You just have to trust the process.
I'm not leaving here until we respond.
Let me see what's possible.
( indistinct chatter )
( inaudible )
Agent Walsh: Can I have a water, please?
I'm fine. What did he say?
( exhales )
I'm going to forward you a recommended response
which you will put into your own words.
Send it to me. We'll approve it
and then you send it to them.
When?
Soon.
How soon?
We need to control the pace of communication.
Now, this might sound counter-intuitive,
but in our experience with terrorist organizations,
we've found that it's best to take things slowly.
You haven't told anybody, right?
No.
Agent Walsh: Good. Keep it that way.
One more thing.
Money cannot exchange hands.
That's illegal.
Helen: What?
Well, how do we get him back then? What's the plan?
Agent Walsh: I know this is hard,
but we're going to take it one step at a time.
Helen: You didn't answer me.
Agent Walsh: I promise you, this is our top priority.
( line ringing )
You've reached the voicemail of Charlotte Spencer.
Please leave a message at the tone.
( tone beeps )
Um, Charlotte, hi. This is Helen.
I'm sorry to keep missing you.
I'm Sheila's friend from the club.
( exhales )
I really need some advice.
Um...
So if you have a moment, I'd appreciate you returning my call.
Thank you.
( beeps )
( choir singing )
Waitress: Can I get you anything?
Helen: Uh, water, please.
Still or sparkling?
Tap's good, uh, no ice, please.
-Charlotte: Helen. - Charlotte.
( Charlotte sighs )
Let me be the first to say, with total conviction,
that I actually do know what you're going through.
Charlotte: First off, I invited you to meet me here,
so I absolutely insist on treating you.
-Oh, that's not necessary... - I said I insist.
I'm sure you're used to getting your way.
Well, I have been told I'm difficult to refuse.
-( chuckles ) - Good afternoon, ladies.
Afternoon.
We will have the Afternoon Tea Service
and two glasses of champagne.
Waitress: Very good, madam.
Just because we're meeting for tea
doesn't mean we can't drink champagne.
( chuckles softly )
So, how are you holding up?
( inhales deeply )
Honestly, I'm not sure.
-He's been gone... Andy, yes? - Yes, Andy.
He was taken how long ago?
Uh, we lost contact with him,
two and a half months Friday.
Who else is in the loop?
Sheila. Now, you.
But Sheila tells me you've been in touch with the FBI?
Oh, yes. Yeah.
And they've been utterly useless.
Well, they're very nice guys.
Well, that's part of the problem.
-You think so? - Well, yes. They talk nice.
But they don't do anything
unless they're absolutely forced.
Ladies.
( opera music plays )
-Shall I pour the tea? - No.
- Enjoy. - Thank you.
To the safe return of your son.
Thank you.
To Andy.
Can I ask you a personal question?
Sure.
Why haven't you reached out more?
They told me not to tell anybody.
- Who, the FBI? - Yeah.
Oh, that's so stupid.
Well, they said his life would be in danger.
Well, I'm sorry, Helen.
( inhales )
If they think they can manipulate you, they will.
I realize that.
I'm sorry.
This brings it all back to when Leo was taken.
I guess I have some unresolved anger.
( chuckles dryly )
How is Leo?
Good days and bad days.
He's teaching Media Studies at Stanford.
By the way, I looked at some of Andy's videos online.
They're really very impressive.
I... I haven't watched them.
You should. It's really very powerful.
You know, all the bombs going off
and being shot at and everything, I just...
I can't.
I feel the same way about Leo's work.
When he was a student, he talked about journalism
like it was a sacred calling.
I was so proud of him. I encouraged him.
Then when he shipped himself off to Kandahar,
I'd wished we had canceled our subscription to the Times years ago.
( chuckles )
I don't really know where Andy gets it.
Well, aren't you an emergency room nurse?
So?
You don't see the parallels?
No, I don't put my life on the line.
I have to ask you.
How did you get him back?
Hmm. Certainly not by being quiet about it.
Who'd you talk to?
We have friends who have friends. ( exhales )
Yeah, I don't have those kind of friends.
Well, you don't know unless you ask.
Nobody I know has that kind of money.
What kind of money?
( softly ) Ransom money.
We didn't pay a ransom to release Leo.
Did the military go in?
No, no, they don't do that.
( chuckles )
I feel like you're telling me to read between the lines,
but I don't even see the lines, so I don't get it.
Well,
there's a balance to be struck
between asserting yourself
and coming on too strong.
Okay.
( inhales )
I have to admit, I sometimes wonder
if I would have done better
had I been more anonymous myself.
What does that mean?
Well, the more people who know, the more false leads you get.
The more e-mails,
from Pakistan, Qatar,
telling you that for $10,000 in Bitcoin
they can give you the GPS coordinates
of where the terrorist is keeping your son.
And maybe they can. Maybe they do know.
So you have to deal with the consequences of your decision.
Do you scrape together enough money to spread around some
dubious Middle Eastern bribery network?
Or,
do you just decide to swallow the awful thought
that maybe you could have done something more?
( siren wailing in distance )
Can I ask you something?
Excuse me. Excuse me, I have a question.
I may be, uh, wiring a large sum of money
to another country, and I...
How do you do that from here?
Oh, no I already saw this form online.
And what it says is that, uh,
if you want to transfer over $10,000 internationally,
you have to get some kind of permission,
so that's why I'm here.
To ask you for permission.
Where's the money going?
Let's say, um, Syria.
Could you send a large amount of money to Syria?
S-Y-R-I-A.
Nope.
Turkey?
Call the number on the form.
No, look, how much could I send to Turkey?
- Next in line, please. - No, not next in line.
I asked you a fucking question.
-Can I... Can I... - Oh.
-The bedrooms? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Water pressure's really strong.
Helen: Can we list it for a little bit more?
realtor: Well, it's what the market will hold.
I mean,
it may even be a teardown.
Can we do it without a sign on the lawn?
Not if you want it to sell.
( sighs )
Look, Miss Sterling, you told me you wanted to sell this urgently.
( scribbling )
( birds chirping )
reporter: ( on TV ) Significant turn of events today,
as the last Islamic stronghold of Syria,
the city of Abu Kamal has been liberated.
You're seeing photos here from the area
where government forces report that militias from
both Syria and Iran have joined forces.
( TV turns off )
Oh, thank you, sweetie.
-( siren wailing ) - ( indistinct radio chatter )
-Do you know where my daughter is? - ( monitor beeping )
-What's your daughter's name? - The name's Kayla.
-Her name's Kayla? - Yes.
She went in the ambulance before me.
-Well, we're gonna find her. - Okay.
We're gonna find her. Let's see here.
I let her go in the ambulance without me.
Right. Well, that's the right thing to do.
We're going to find her. Sit down.
nurse: Anybody call anesthesia?
paramedic: Multiple gunshot wounds. Coming in.
man 1: ( on radio ) We have seven victims, expecting multiple traumas.
man 2: We need more ambulances.
Reza: Please. Please.
Please!
nurse: BP is a 100 over 70.
-Reza: Tell me the damn... -Yes.
We need to intubate immediately.
nurse 2: Has anyone tried to contact any of their parents?
girl: He just walked in and just started shooting.
He's not gonna make it, Reza.
Carmelyn: Helen.
-( woman crying ) - ( monitors beeping )
( beeping intensifies )
( indistinct radio chatter )
Reza, call it.
I'm the doctor.
Dr. Rahimi, there are other patients that need you.
( baby crying )
Time of death, 2:33.
Michelle, cross-check and get it to the OR.
( Reza crying )
It's time.
- Get cleaned up. - ( sniffles )
( exhales )
Jerry, can I just take a minute?
( breathes deeply )
( whispers ) I'm sorry.
What are you going to say to the family?
I don't know.
You've got to be clear.
You've got to be strong.
This is the worst news they're ever going to hear,
and nothing you can say is going to make it better.
Be clear, be strong.
Practice on me.
Um...
I... I regret to inform you...
No, stop. It's not about you and your regret.
Be clear. Be strong.
Your son didn't make it.
We did everything we could.
I'm so very sorry for your loss.
Good.
Do it just like that.
I'm looking for the parents of...
Your son didn't make it.
He died. We did everything we could...
What are you saying? What are you talking about?
You didn't do anything!
( sobbing ) You didn't do anything!
( woman continues sobbing )
( rain pattering )
( seat belt unlocks )
( faint scraping )
( Andy sighs )
( clattering )
Eighty kinds of oil at the Hannaford's now,
this is the only one that's any good.
But I love the way they've remodeled.
It looks really great. Right?
It's a consumer's paradise.
They throw away more food in a day than I saw in a month in Kabul.
Well, they do donate a lot of it to the group home.
They're very good with the community that way.
It's good PR that costs them nothing.
reporter: ( on radio ) ...killed at least 40 people
and wounded dozens more...
( radio turns off )
You don't want to hear it?
Not secondhand.
Okay, why are you so angry?
I'm not angry, Mom.
I'm frustrated.
-I'm totally useless here. - ( scoffs )
Baby, you're not useless.
I don't want to hurt your feelings,
but there's no way you can understand what I'm going through.
Well, how can I understand it when you don't talk to me
and you keep it all locked inside you?
( sighs deeply )
It's not enough for me here.
It's never been.
This life...
This way of living.
I'm suffocating.
Well...
Maybe it's time for you to get your own place.
Oh! Where?
Downtown Oneonta?
So I can be close to the action?
Another meth-head arrested
and I get the front page article in the Daily Star?
( scoffs )
Oh, you always looked down on everyone and everything here.
Right? You're so much better than everybody
and I'm just stupid and I can't understand
'cause I'm just dumb!
Damn it, you want this to be about you!
I'm not your partner, Mom.
I love you,
but I'm sick of feeling responsible for you
every time I make a decision.
Oh, please. Make a decision.
I would love for you to make a decision as a grown-up!
Go ahead. And just don't drag me into your drama.
I have made a decision.
I'm going back.
( rain pattering )
Helen: You know what I'm confused about... And maybe I'm wrong,
but I thought that you would be a lot more used to violence,
coming from Iran.
- Iran? - Yeah.
No. They arrest you for having a gun.
Really?
Right. Yeah.
Anyone in the mood for some day-old cake?
I'll pass.
( Keesha chuckles )
Helen, um...
Is Andy coming home for Christmas?
January.
You want me to cover Christmas shift?
Mmm, am I that obvious?
You got it, boss, but you owe me.
Thank you.
All right, I'm going in.
-( Keesha coughs ) - ( cell phone chimes )
Reza: Oh, hold on. Wait for me.
( Reza sighs )
- ( monitors beeping ) - ( ventilator hissing )
Good morning, Amy.
How is your arm today?
Jeez, I keep forgetting I got shot.
Arm's fine.
Kayla is stable.
Maybe you want to get some rest.
Am I on some kind of painkillers or something?
It's weird, 'cause I can't feel anything.
I mean, like, anything.
Reza: Amy, how's your shoulder?
It's fine. I think you should check on my daughter.
I'm trying. If I could just...
Amy, why don't you come with me,
we'll get a cup of coffee
and let Dr. Rahimi do his tests.
( indistinct announcements over PA )
Dr. Rahimi's a good doctor.
I can't even understand what he's saying.
Well, I'm going to tell you something that I probably shouldn't,
and that is that he has been spending
more time with Kayla than any of this other patients.
I'm sorry. Uh, we need you right away, Helen.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Um, I'll take a rain check on the coffee,
and I'll find you and explain to you
everything we're doing with Kayla, okay?
- Okay, Helen. - Okay.
Cafeteria's on the third floor.
-What's up? - Auditor's on the way.
I need to get the snacks and coffee out of the break room.
-All of our snacks? - Yes, it's a mess in there.
Can you please sign off the check sheets?
Yeah. Oh, shit. I thought I had. I'm sorry.
It's okay. All right. Thanks, Helen.
Helen: Good morning, Kayla.
It's December 5th. Can you hear me?
( cell phone chimes )
Helen: I just sent it to you. Did you get it?
That number can't be right.
They can't expect me to raise $20 million.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yes, I understand.
( sighs )
( exhales )
Mom, I can't do this.
( grunts )
Pauline: Would you like some coffee?
I'm good. Thanks.
( footsteps approaching )
Thank you for coming in, Miss Sterling.
I hope it's not too much trouble.
Oh, not at all. I've been trying to see you for a while now.
And actually, I have an appointment right across the plaza.
So you're going to be seeing the FBI?
Yeah. Right after this.
You guys don't talk to each other?
Is there anything we should know?
Yeah, I got an e-mail.
Now, I know it's illegal to pay any ransom,
but I was thinking,
what about a prisoner exchange?
I know that a soldier that went AWOL
and got captured, that's what you guys did there,
a prisoner exchange, right?
Dulaney: Apples and oranges. Military and civilians.
It's entirely different when you're sent over there with a uniform.
Oh. How is it different, exactly?
Well, as I'm sure, the FBI told you,
they consider this to be a criminal investigation.
-Right. - Businessmen, tourists,
they're over there on their own volition.
Whereas with men and women who are serving our country,
different rules and practices apply.
But Andy was serving our country.
He just wasn't in a uniform.
I mean, he wasn't there on vacation.
Andrew was in a place he should not have been.
A lot of people think the military shouldn't be in that place.
Let's not debate politics.
It's not politics.
It's my son,
who is an American citizen.
Isn't it your job to protect American citizens abroad?
That is a part of my job, yes.
My heart goes out to you,
as it does to your boy,
and every other person in a conflict zone,
whether they volunteered,
or whether they found themselves in a situation
they were not adequately prepared for.
He's been a journalist for 15 years. He was prepared.
-Then he knew the risks. - Yes.
And I'm sure he wouldn't want to risk other lives
on a military operation
that wasn't even guaranteed to bring him home.
Those people have families, too.
So you feel it was Andy's fault that he got captured,
and you won't risk sending your people in to help him?
I hope you don't think I'm suggesting that.
It sounds like it. What are you doing?
Okay, look, this is a very complicated process,
and it needs to be handled by people that understand the region.
Helen: Right. Well, who is that, then?
I don't want to disparage the FBI,
but I do know from experience
what is effective and what is not.
Then what is effective? What is the plan?
What are you gonna do?
Unfortunately, Miss Sterling, that information
is classified.
I'm his mother.
You can rest assured
knowing that we're doing all that we can.
Now, maybe it would help us all
if you were to tell us what progress the FBI has made.
You know what? You can fucking ask them yourself.
Agent Walsh: So, State Department.
What did you guys talk about over there?
Helen: Can't you guys just talk to each other?
Maybe I should take things into my own hands.
Be careful with that.
Oh, okay. I'll shut up and let the grown-ups handle everything.
That's not what I meant.
You are a crucial part of this investigation.
Yeah. Lying to everyone I know has been vital to this investigation.
It's keeping Andy alive.
So...
You want me to negotiate the price of my son's life
down further and further on your behalf,
even though you have no intention of paying it?
For what? Just to see how low they'll go?
There's a science to negotiating, Helen.
We study it.
The longer we stay in communication with them,
the more we understand who we're dealing with
and what they really want.
It's been three months. What have you learned?
You have to trust us.
What do you think I've been doing all this time,
while you guys just play cat and mouse with those fuckers?
I swear to Christ, if something happens to my child,
because you're waiting to sign off on some form...
This is the response we recommend.
Where it says Proof of Life,
you have to be very personal, very specific.
It has to be a question only you would know to ask,
and an answer only he could answer.
( sighs )
I don't wanna fight.
You can smile.
-( chuckles ) - ( camera shutter clicks )
( keys clacking )
Sam: Come on, Louganis, what you got?
- What you got? - ( man exclaims )
- ( water splashes ) - Oh! Oh, God!
Oh, you ready? You ready?
Oh, my lord!
How do you excuse that?
Because I am not burning this.
Of course it's in focus.
Now if you were operating, I don't know
it'd be much more questionable to me.
Okay, all right, come here.
This is my best friend, Sam.
Say hello to the civilians.
- Hello. Hello, civilians. - ( chuckles )
Andy: I love this man.
He's taught me everything worth knowing.
Sam: Oh, then you're in trouble, man.
( whooping )
woman: We are here, having fun!
( keys clacking )
Andy: Classes have been officially suspended here
in the city of Homs,
but every day, kids still gather in the schoolyard for games.
( conversing in Arabic )
( singing in Arabic )
( explosion )
( people screaming )
( men speak Arabic )
man: Allahu Akbar!
( explosion )
( woman speaking Arabic )
( baby cries )
Andy: As you can see,
these attacks make no distinction between civilian
and military targets.
Forty percent of the casualties here are, like Yana,
children under the age of 12.
And the children who survive
have lost their friends, their school,
and their faith
that the most powerful country in the world
will come to protect them.
Yeah. Charlotte? Charlotte, this is Helen.
I...
I'm overwhelmed. I would appreciate you returning my call.
All right, Kayla, I'm going to be filling in for your mom tonight.
With The Sea of Knowledge.
"Now, it may be hard to imagine it,
"but this land was once so barren,
"it was called the Kingdom of Salt.
"The lush green hills that we walk today were once so dry
"and cracked that trees could not grow here.
"No visitors had dared enter the Kingdom,
"for it was said terrible monsters roamed the land.
"But it was also said that on the other side..."
Helen.
Let's talk in my office.
( telephone ringing )
( indistinct chatter )
Helen, sit.
This isn't Helen's fault.
I forgot to sign the order.
It's both of you.
It's her access code and your name is on the paper,
and there's no patient name, and now,
the antibiotic count is short in the middle of an audit.
It's not Dr. Rahimi's fault.
It was Andy's ex-girlfriend, and she didn't have insurance.
We're two quarters away from shutting down an entire wing, Helen.
Well, I didn't become a nurse to make a profit for a hospital.
Don't do that. Do not make this personal,
it's not like you.
We're not in the miracles business.
It's only luck and procedure.
And the minute you start falling in love with the patients,
and reading to the patients,
making exceptions to the procedures, you lose trust.
Are you okay, Helen? Is there something going on with you?
I'm fine.
( telephone rings )
Keesha: Keesha Thompson.
Helen: And some soup, Mary. Thanks.
Here you go, Helen.
Thank you.
Sam: I'm here because I was told you were overwhelmed.
Look, I worked in the same region as Andy
just before he was taken.
I would have called first,
but Sheila said privacy is important to you.
( whispering ) Yeah, so you show up at my place of work?
( sighs )
It's not right that they're forcing you
to keep this all to yourself.
Look, I don't want to endanger him any further.
Well, secrecy isn't going to help him.
We need the media and public outrage to help us.
You need to go public with this.
The FBI explained to me...
I'm sure they told you a lot of things,
but we don't think Andy would want you
to trust the FBI to handle this.
When Leo was taken, they sent in the FBI at first...
What... They sent in the FBI for Leo?
Yes.
And it would have been comical if it wasn't so utterly fucked up.
People get seen talking with huge Americans with buzz cuts,
and two weeks later, there's a local translator
getting beheaded on a video.
- On a video? - Yes.
They make movies of this shit.
As a warning to anyone who's thinking about aiding the infidels.
So you've spoken with Charlotte Spencer?
Yeah, I helped get the money across the border
for Leo's release.
She didn't pay ransom.
They all pay ransom.
Would you fucking keep your voice down?
I wanted to get those cochlear implants,
but I can't afford them.
I know. I guess I could've picked
something less loud to take pictures of.
Yeah, you could have picked a job that wouldn't ruin your hearing
and put your life in danger.
Well...
For better or worse, I have my people already.
And Andy is one of them.
We don't have a union.
We don't have a news organization
providing a security detail.
We don't have major networks insuring us.
We have to be our own network.
We have each other.
I'm here for Andy the same way Andy would find my dad
if something happened to me.
Now I know you've been told to keep this all quiet,
and that you're not allowed to pay a dime.
But there's only one thing these assholes respond to,
and it's money.
So if you want,
we can connect you with people who won't rip you off.
I'll fly over there myself.
( sirens wailing in distance )
( doorbell rings )
( speaks Arabic )
- Hello. - Hi.
- Thank you. - Come on in.
Thanks so much.
( speaks Arabic )
Sam: Hey, you made it!
-Helen, you want a beer? - No, thanks.
Charlotte: I'll take it, Sam.
( sighs )
Great house. Beautiful.
Ah, thank you.
It was my grandfather's, originally.
Oh.
( continues speaking Arabic )
Maybe I could use the ladies' room?
Sure. It's up the stairs.
You make a left at the painting of the dancers.
Oh, thanks.
( Sheila speaking Arabic )
( continues speaking Arabic )
Charlotte: We knew it wouldn't be easy.
Sam: She's gonna need a lot more prep.
This is not her world, Charlotte.
Charlotte: She is who she is, Sam.
I'm not going to give her elocution lessons.
Sam: Well, we better do something fast,
before they move him again and we have no one to talk to.
Charlotte: Sure. Will you help me carry these, please?
( laughs sarcastically ) Making jokes like that, I'm gonna hire you.
( in British accent ) Would you like your tea and crumpets at the usual hour?
Of course.
How is this going to work, exactly?
Who's responsible for what?
With Leo, there was a fundraising team
and the team that delivered the money abroad.
Charlotte should obviously take the lead on fundraising.
You really think you're going to be able
to raise $20 million?
Well, Loic's people will help us negotiate it down.
I have been working with the FBI already
-to help negotiate it down. - No. No.
I told you, those fuckers are just trying to...
-I don't want to hear it. -Can we keep this civil please, Sam?
Leo's not-for-profit account is still open.
We can wire the money from there.
No, we can't.
My contact at The Wall Street Journal just told me
the Feds set up a whole new set of SWIFT protocols
to try to crack down on money laundering to terrorists.
Not-for-profits are specifically being monitored.
Apparently, there is a way around it.
It's sketchy, but it is invisible.
By sketchy, you mean illegal?
-Sheila: Helen, you know... - The less you know the better.
Helen, I promised you we will keep you protected.
Charlotte: They're not geniuses,
and they're not saints. They're just people. Like you and me.
Like you, you mean.
What am I supposed to say to them?
Well, there isn't a script.
You'll need to improvize.
Maybe I should have taken elocution lessons.
So what did you say to them when Leo was taken?
I told them they were part of an elite group of people
I had chosen.
That their actions now would be anonymous,
but that history would make them heroes.
( soft music playing )
Charlotte tells me you're from upstate.
Oneonta.
My son went to Cornell.
Great school.
It's no Harvard,
but he's done well enough for himself.
Will: Did you keep Andy local,
send him to Cornell as well?
No, Wayne State on a scholarship.
Ah.
David's son is also a journalist.
Oh.
He's the Metro Editor for the Washington Post.
Oh. Nice.
Will: So, is Leo enjoying Stanford?
Charlotte: He loves teaching. Chris was just out
to see him deliver a lecture for the Knight Fellowship.
Will: Give them both our regards.
So, you ready to put the squeeze on?
( clears throat )
My son Andy is a journalist.
Well, you know that.
And, uh...
Right now, he's, uh, in a serious situation.
I would be in San Francisco myself right now
if it wasn't very serious.
Right, it's very serious.
I sent you the link to Andy's work.
You've seen his videos, yes?
Incredible stuff.
There are only a handful of people
doing the kind of work that Andy is doing
in the world.
But he is unaffiliated,
right, Helen?
He doesn't work for a major news organization.
Well, they don't go in there.
Maybe that's for a good reason.
Charlotte: Well, when we approached you for help with Leo,
your commitment to journalism was total.
You and Chris are our friends, Charlotte.
And Helen is our friend.
Chris and I have committed to a 100,000 each
to secure Andy's release.
In order to have the right to have an opinion,
I need people like Andy and Leo
over there, to inform me what is actually happening
in the most dangerous places in the world.
( David clears throat )
Who else is involved?
Well, Helen has been very discreet.
You are the first.
I can commit to 25.
Twenty-five.
Fifty. All right, let's call that a start.
Thank you.
The Feds have set up a whole new set of SWIFT protocols,
so we will not be using the nonprofit this time.
On Monday, you'll get an invoice
from Dudek, Roley, and Esser.
A retainer. Good idea.
So are you and Chris going to be spending time in Aspen this season?
Charlotte: Well, that was originally the plan.
But as it turns out, Leo has a whole set of lectures...
-David: A-ha! - ...during that time.
So I would very much like to be there for that.
David: Yes, he's such a busy man.
- ( Charlotte laughs ) - Excuse me, gentlemen.
I have to catch my bus.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
- ( horns blaring ) - ( siren wailing )
Well, it wasn't as much as we expected,
but it's a good start.
I hate myself for being so angry with Andy
for putting us all through this,
but I just can't help it. I'm sorry,
but I'm furious.
Begging strangers for money.
It's just...
It's not who I am.
It was about six months after Leo got home.
In the middle of the night, Chris's phone rang.
I used to be able to sleep through anything
but ever since Leo was taken...
So I was up, so I went into Leo's room,
sat on the end of his bed
like I used to do when he was a little boy,
and I reached over,
and he was gone.
I panicked.
I ran through the house turning on all the lights.
I ran back into his room,
turned on the light, and I saw that his window was open.
So I ran outside to the backyard,
and there he was.
He was sound asleep on the frozen ground.
I looked at him for a minute.
I went back inside. I made some coffee.
Cooked some eggs.
( sighs ) You just carry on.
Making believe.
Make believe that everything's all right.
It's what mothers do.
"He pushed his boat into the water
and pulled himself onto the deck.
For the first time, Prince Henry
was headed into the open sea."
( sniffles )
"Prince Henry took a ladle from his bucket
and filled the Salt King's stone chalice."
- Amy: Hi. - Amy.
How was she last night?
Well, there hasn't been
any change for a long time.
That's good, right?
You want me to be honest with you?
Yeah, I wish somebody would be.
You can, um...
You can keep her ventilated for as long as you want.
You don't think that she's going to make it?
Okay.
When, um...
You and Joey and Kayla came in,
we knew right away that Joey wasn't going to make it.
And I tried to convince his parents
to donate his organs,
which seems
really cold, but,
I've had to watch a lot of kids die,
some of them...
Some of them can't be helped.
But there are other times they die because
they need a lung or a kidney...
So you want me to donate her organs?
-You want me to unplug her? - No.
You don't... I'm not saying that.
You don't... You can keep her on the ventilator
for as long as you want.
All I'm saying is,
what happened to you and Joey and Kayla
was meaningless.
It didn't happen for a reason,
it didn't happen because it was God's plan,
or because it happened for the best.
It was just stupid,
and senseless.
But...
When you're dealt a shitty hand,
what you do with it
doesn't have to be.
( sniffles )
Carmelyn: I pray for her every day.
Helen: I'm sure her mother appreciates that.
You don't pray?
No. Not for a very long time.
( coughs )
( cell phone chimes )
( breathes deeply )
That's it! Three.
( upbeat music playing )
Four. Give me your energy!
Five. Six.
Two more. Seven.
Eight. Here, two.
Your tricep!
And one, two, three, four.
Here comes...
( static crackles )
Andy: Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
And welcome to episode one of the wilderness series.
The Nurse in her natural habitat.
Always approach carefully,
especially if the Wild Nurse has not had her coffee yet.
The Wild Nurse stirs.
Andy? What are you doing with that thing?
Andy: The Wild Nurse is awakening.
Helen: Give me that camera.
I'm not even dressed yet.
Andy: Sorry.
Helen: There, how does that feel?
( chuckles )
We'll be right back.
Helen: ( laughs ) Oh, no.
How do you turn this thing off?
Right here.
-( music resumes ) - woman: Peck ups! Two,
roll to the front! Warm up your legs.
Uh!
Uh! Uh!
Start breathing, uh, inhale.
Down.
Tilt.
( call alert plays over computer )
- Helen? - Yes, Loic.
- Helen? - How was he, Loic?
Hello? Helen?
Yes. Can you see me?
Fuck.
( mouse clicking )
( alert plays )
I'm sorry. The connection is terrible.
I understand, but I didn't hear. How is he?
He was the strongest man.
- Was? "Was"? - Is.
Is.
Is the strongest I ever meet.
( speaks French )
( in English ) Forgive me, my English...
- It's okay. - Andy tries to teach, but...
- Hopeless. - Is he hurt?
I have to say yes
and no to that.
We are beaten.
Andy does not break.
Ever.
Never complain, never show fear.
Always hope.
How did you see him? Were you in the same cell together?
( Loic sighs )
Uh...
They move us.
But, um...
Always the foreigners are in one room,
and the Arabs in other rooms.
Much better for us in a way because...
( breathes heavily )
They have no limits with the Arabic prisoners.
With us they kick, they punch,
but there's no clamp with us,
no car battery...
It is a kind of torture to listen to torture.
( breathing heavily )
But Andy
is always reminding us
we are protected more,
we have value, because we are foreigners.
Well, Andy's gift has always been
to be able to see the bright spot in the crappiest situation.
Andy never loses hope, Helen.
Every day,
he kneels
and says a little morning prayer,
quiet to himself.
Then he rolls the bed up,
makes a space to sit,
very clean and tidy.
While the rest of us, we just leave the mats.
But Andy
starts the morning like this,
every morning since he arrived.
So eventually, we all start folding the mats, too.
Well, that must have started over there,
because you should see the way his room looks at home.
( both laugh )
That's what I'm going to do. As soon as I get him back,
I'm going to make him clean up all his shit.
You will see him again, Helen.
He is going to make it.
They paid the money to release me
and Andy
is worth 100 of me.
( choir singing )
Eric: Hey. What can I get you?
I'm fine.
- You sure? - Yeah, I'm good.
Oh.
So, congratulations.
On the proof of life.
That was days ago.
Andy is alive. There's still hope.
Can I ask you something? A-L-M.
Your proof of life question.
What was carved into the tree.
What does A-L-M stand for?
Greta Remelli.
Vanessa Marzullo. Do you know them?
-I... - Or Nicholas Henin.
Pierre Torres. Edouard Elias.
Loic Dejan.
Are they friends of Andy's?
No. They're hostages.
They were hostages. They're home now.
You know why they're home.
I know why they're home.
They're home because their governments...
-Helen, we've talked... - Do not interrupt me, please.
They're home because their governments paid the ransom.
Did you think if we met outside the office
I'd have something different to tell you about this?
Will you talk to me like a human being for once, Eric?
Helen,
you know what happens once we pay out one ransom?
We create a market.
American lives gain a very public monetary value,
and that value increases over time.
It stops becoming political.
It starts becoming a business.
These guys call themselves the Islamic State
or the New Caliphate,
or whatever name will sound badass
to some angry 16-year-old on Twitter.
But they're really just the mafia.
But the French pay.
The Italians pay.
Not a single European government
has admitted to paying a ransom
to a terrorist organization.
Well, they don't shout it from the rooftops, but they pay
and you know damn well they pay.
I don't. I don't know who's been telling you that,
but I have no idea how they got them out of there.
Right.
Payment made to a terrorist organization
is illegal. I need to reiterate that.
Do you think that at this point in my life,
I'm afraid of a jail sentence?
Not just you, Helen.
Anyone and everyone
who assists you in any way.
You'll send them to jail, too.
( Reza exhales sharply )
Do you send any of your paycheck home to Iran?
No. It's difficult with the sanctions.
Oh.
Is Christmas important in your family?
Was when my kid was little.
Do you have kids?
( laughs ) No.
No. But seven sisters.
- Oh, God. - ( both laugh )
Oh, that explains so much.
( both chuckle )
Ah. You know,
I miss the noise,
the gatherings,
the food. Oh!
You know the hardest thing to get used to, coming to America,
is the silence.
Hmm.
You must miss your son.
I do.
He's a journalist, right?
Yes, he is.
Where is he now?
To be honest, I don't know.
Ooh, ooh. That's a boy.
Let's hear that breath now.
Okay, take it easy.
Take it easy.
Okay, that sounded better.
( monitors beeping )
Sienna, we're gonna do a quick blood pressure.
( man speaking indistinctly on TV )
Okay.
newscaster: Now let's get right to the breaking news.
The United States and five Arab allies,
they carry out waves of airstrikes
against terror targets across Syria.
The Pentagon calls them "very successful",
but cautions this is only the beginning.
The strikes sparked a major new escalation
of what could be a long war against ISIS...
( sighs )
Good morning, Kayla.
Today is December 26th.
She can't hear you.
-( monitors beeping ) - ( ventilator hissing )
Kayla, can you hear me?
It's part of the test.
I've been talking to her all night.
I know, sweetie. But you know how the routine goes.
We have to follow protocol.
You're hurting her.
Did she wince?
Talk to her, Amy. Talk to her.
Kayla. Kayla, can you hear me?
Helen: Take her hand. Reza: Kayla, can you hear us?
Amy: Baby, if you can hear me...
If you can hear us, squeeze my hand.
Kayla if you can hear us, squeeze our hand, okay?
( gasps )
-Oh! - ( laughs ) Kayla!
( cell phone chiming )
Sam: Did you seen the news about Syria?
I saw that they were bombing.
Did something happen to Andy?
We've heard through some of our people that he might be moved, or traded...
-( gasps ) -...and we're back to square one.
I want you to come back with me to Charlotte's.
It's not just that Andy could be moved,
okay? Arabic Twitter has been on fire for the last 12 hours,
saying that they're going to get revenge,
set an example, or whatever.
There have been images, Helen.
It's bad.
I've been there for a while and these posts are very, very ugly.
What kind of posts?
You don't want to know.
Helen, we have to make a video.
You need to go public, and we need to do it now.
What is a video going to do?
We need publicity,
we need money,
and we need to buy a little more time.
Sheila: We're going to be going very wide with this,
but we're going to do it in a way that lets us control the narrative.
Our friends are all journalists,
they know how to make a story trend.
I promise you,
they'll tell it our way.
Okay.
( cell phone chimes )
- Oh, thank you. - Here.
I'm ready when you are.
Do you think I should cover my hair?
I don't think it's going to make a difference to them,
and it's probably just going to alienate people over here.
Okay.
Now? You ready?
"I'm not supposed to be saying this to you. But I have money for you.
"I'm in the process of transferring everything I have in the world..."
Oh, wait a minute, everything in the world to you.
Sheila: Oh, you're fine.
- I'm sorry. - Just...
You know what, the eye line is off anyway.
We need to put these right under. Can I see what that looks like?
"I'm not supposed to be saying this to you.
"I have money for you. I'm in the process of tran"sferring to you
"everything I have in the world.
"I'm begging you."
Sheila: Don't worry about it. Don't worry.
I hate on-camera work, too, it's the worst.
Oh, this is not going to work.
This isn't going to work.
Do you need to read it?
You mean memorize it?
No, I mean, it doesn't need to be perfect.
It just needs to be you.
Okay, give it to me. Let me look at it.
Can I move? I'm not comfortable here.
Sam: Yeah, you can go wherever you want. Sheila: Yeah, yeah.
( Sam clears throat )
( reads softly )
- ( Sam clears throat ) - Sheila: How's that?
Yeah, let's see.
-Okay. - ( whispers ) Yeah.
My name is Helen Sterling.
My son Andrew Sterling is a journalist.
I'm not supposed to be saying this to you,
but I have money for you.
I'm begging you.
Please,
don't hurt my son.
You...
You say that you want millions.
I'm no one.
I'm an old lady.
I'm a mother,
just like your mothers.
I am going to give you
every penny
that I can get my hands on.
I'm not even asking you to release him.
Just
don't hurt him.
Please.
Don't hurt my boy.
-Okay. - ( camera beeps )
-I think we got it. - Sheila: Yeah.
That was great. That was perfect.
Thank you.
- ( sighs ) Thank you, guys. - Yeah.
It was great.
( cell phone chimes )
( exhales )
( cell phone chiming )
( cell phone chimes )
( cell phone chiming repeatedly )
Helen, sorry.
Sorry to bug you.
The video is up.
I was dreaming about Andy.
I dream about him all the time.
Come out back. It's been snowing.
It's so pretty.
Thanks.
( lighter clicking )
CNN, Al Jazeera, and BBC have all picked it up.
Can you guys explain something to me?
You know Andy better than I do.
Come on, Helen.
No, you do. Both of you do.
'Cause you know who Andy is now.
People don't change as much as they think they do.
I don't know. I mean,
Andy always hated war.
Violence of any kind, he was super-sensitive to it,
from the time he was a little kid.
You know, when the first Gulf War...
He got sent home from school
because he organized
a pacifist sit-in.
( chuckles ) He told me about that
when he found out my family was from Iraq.
I thought he was lying just to sleep with me.
Well, it worked, didn't it?
( both chuckle )
No, he wasn't lying.
He organized a pacifist sit-in
- of one. - ( all chuckle )
The Andy I know
wouldn't willingly go off to war.
But your Andy, he went.
And went back again and again. Had to go back.
That Andy is a stranger to me.
I don't know about that.
He was still a bright-eyed pinko pacifist
the last time I checked.
He's just doing something different with his idealism now.
Okay.
That is enough of that shit.
( grunts )
Helen: Hell, no.
Sheila: What? Sam: You wanna go?
-Sheila: Yeah. This is war! - You wanna fuckin' go?
( laughs )
Sheila: One! Sam: Oh!
Sheila: Wait for it. Wait for it!
- Oh! - Yeah!
That was right on my dick!
Two on one, huh?
Oh!
I got you!
( groans )
A-ha!
Get you!
My hearing aid! My hearing aid!
Stop, stop! I can't find the other one.
-Helen: All right, all right, all right. - I think it's right...
-It's right here! - Sheila: Oh!
Right here. Right fucking here.
-Helen: You fight dirty. - I play to win!
Yeah!
Ah!
( panting )
-Oh, look out! - ( Helen screams )
Help, help, help!
Sheila: Put her down!
( all laughing )
I'm begging you.
Please
don't hurt my son.
You...
( Reza imitates motor whirring )
( laughs )
-Oh, Helen. I'm so... - Dr. Rahimi,
I think Dr. Hauser needed you to assist.
Thanks, Helen.
Good morning, Kayla.
You getting ready to walk, huh?
Amy: Kayla, you remember Helen.
We saw her on TV.
How was your appetite this morning?
Hmm?
Clean plate club.
Good work!
I'm just going to take your pulse.
Hey, Kayla.
Helen's got a lot of other patients.
No, it's all right. I'll come back.
Maybe after she finishes her PT.
Helen.
I'm really sorry. If there's anything...
I'll be back in a jiffy.
I should've told you.
Folks from Channel Two, they were asking about you,
but I told them you were off all week.
You didn't have to do that.
Keesha: You've been through enough.
Thank you, Keesha.
We're here for you, Helen.
Helen, whatever you need.
We've got your back.
( chuckles )
( siren wailing in distance )
( Sheila speaking Arabic )
( Sam speaking Arabic )
( cell phones ringing )
( cell phone chiming )
Sam: ( in English ) And 50,000 from Loic's friends.
Charlotte: Helen.
David and Will finally came through. $100,000 each.
( Sheila speaking Arabic )
( speaking Italian )
( in English ) Two hundred thousand from the Italians.
- Helen: Two hundred? - ( Sam speaks Arabic )
( in English ) Sheila, what's the address for the law office in Milan?
Helen,
it's Tom Hellman.
Helen: Who?
The owner of the Hawks. He wants to speak to you personally.
Hello, this is Helen.
Yes, Mr. Hellman.
Oh, okay, Tom.
Well, that's very generous of you, sir.
Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
( cell phone beeps )
He gave us $800,000.
-( laughs ) - Sheila: Holy shit!
( Charlotte clapping )
-( doorbell rings ) - Oh, Helen.
Charlotte: That must be the food.
( all chattering excitedly )
Charlotte: We still have a lot more to do, but we're on our way, everybody.
-Sheila: Just like that, $800,000. - Yeah...
Okay. So we're at two-and-a-half, I think.
Two-and-a-half? All right if we get to four today,
-we're in good shape. - Okay.
You want me to drive for a while?
Why don't you get some sleep?
We did it.
We're getting there.
Sam: I have a flight tomorrow night.
Helen: Where are you going?
Istanbul.
-Helen... -I'm not allowing you to use Andy as an excuse
to kill yourself, sorry.
That's not what I'm doing.
Think of your father.
Why don't you trust me?
You treat me like a child.
Maybe I can't understand everything,
but I'm not an idiot.
All right, all right.
( sighs )
This is obviously just between us.
We are hiding in plain sight.
The money that we've raised is going through an international law firm
that Charlotte's connected to.
Say, you want to donate 100 grand
to Andy's cause, and you live in London.
You write a check to their London office
and you pay 100 grand for legal services.
No one looks at law firms for money laundering,
and even if they did, it'd be too late,
because the money goes from there
to a dozen different shell companies.
British Virgin Islands, Bahamas,
places you can wire large amounts of money
to and from without being detected.
And then you wire that to the Mid-East?
Mmm. Mostly Europe.
There are 15 different banks
that the money is being wired to,
and 15 private security guards
who are going to drive it to Istanbul.
Every single one of these guys, I have met
and vetted.
I want to bring Andy home.
This time next week,
he will be sitting here.
- Okay. - Okay.
( whispers ) Okay.
( train horn blowing in distance )
Hey.
( chuckles )
( fireworks exploding on TV )
( lively music playing )
No, no, no. I get first dibs.
I trained him.
Keesha: Okay, fine.
You know, my last resident gave me a Godiva Sampler
when he finished his rotation.
He was an underachiever.
You really need to open up a restaurant.
No, he does not. We need Dr. Rahimi
right here.
Reza: Thank you, Helen.
( indistinct chatter )
Of course.
He can cook, he's a doctor. Keesha...
What are you waiting for?
( laughing )
You better call dibs.
Here you go. For the toast.
Oh, for the toast.
The toast.
-Well... - ( knocking on table )
To Kayla.
Going home for the New Year.
To Kayla. Miracles do happen.
all: Kayla!
Um, I hope you guys are praying for a miracle tonight.
Two hours before the annual bloodbath
begins anew.
Oh. Oh, you hear that?
Come on, boss. Put that down.
One last dance before the madness begins.
Right.
Carmelyn: Let me... Let me show you.
( all exclaiming )
Helen.
It's an honor to be trained by you.
My pleasure.
( inaudible )
( Keesha whooping )
( Reza laughs )
Chef Reza!
( laughs )
Oh, guys, it's almost time.
Five minutes before midnight.
Let's go, lets go.
There she is.
-We're going to miss it. - No, you know what? Go ahead.
I gotta get the hats and the horns.
-That's what... - Keesha: Hurry up!
I am, I am, I am.
-Helen: Okay. - ( cell phone vibrating )
( blows raspberry )
So do you want the big hat or the crown?
Helen. Stay a minute, please.
-( cell phone vibrates ) - What's up?
Don't go out there.
Just go sit down. Please. Helen.
Helen!
Keesha: Helen, please!
( gasps softly )
Mom, look, I'm doing it!