Dallas 2.0:Sessions:20191130
Nathan sends a bill for $9900 to Alabon. A week later he receives a check for that amount signed by "Sabrina Bowers."
Ms Smith has Nathan check out her husband's finances. Smith has $200,000 in an account in the Cayman Islands, and Nathan has his computer expert Lucy Buckner and his technical expert Jethro Boone tracing it back. Ms Smith plans to file for divorce on April 26.
On April 22, Special Agent Clint Burnett of the FBI has just closed a big case, but rather than take a break he goes looking for a cold case to solve. He hears of a possible domestic eco-terrorist group, L.E.S., that popped up seven months ago distributing a crudely-printed pamphlet reading, in part, "Earth is in danger, we need to be LES." The investigation is assigned to Agent Glen Michael of the Dallas FBI office, who is glad to let Clint help, but he says there had been nothing from LES for the past five months and he thinks it might have been just a college prank.
On April 24 Ms Smith meets with Nathan, who tells her that Mr Smith is hiding a lot of money. "I think he's mixed up with something dangerous," Nathan tells her, and advises her to pack up and leave, talk to her lawyer, and file for divorce right away. He adds, "Don't ignore any feelings you have of trouble or danger."
Nathan looks in on Jethro, who has been analyzing a "data collection and storage device" taken from Alabon. Jethro says it might also contain a transmitter and "hidden buttons," and he's afraid that if the device is turned on it will self-destruct. Nathan wants to be present when it's turned on.
On Thursday, April 25, Seymour "Buddy" Yates, a "minor VP" with IBM, is sitting in a bar talking Rangers baseball. In his rambling conversation he reveals that his brother Todd had "linked" him to L.E.S. which has "links" to ELF [Environmental Liberation Front]. Yates thinks ELF has gotten more radical lately. Clint joins in, talking about "all the environmental damage they're doing, building the new stadium." Yates: "Aw, you sound like my brother." Clint: "He sounds like a good guy." Yates: "Tell that to the FBI! They pulled me in to discuss my brother, who I haven't talked to in more than a year. He'd probably blow up the new stadium." Upset, Yates pays his bar tab and leaves. Clint follows him but Yates just goes home. Clint wants to put a tracker on Yates' car but knows he would need a warrant to do so.
During the Royal Ale Festival weekend at Scarborough Faire, Kef has been sensing "apprehension" from the visitors. Edith Matthews, who requests a reading, will be attending Fright Fest at the DFW Hyatt next weekend and asks "Will I meet Bruce Campbell?" Edith is nervous about something, and in finally calming her down Kef gets her to admit she was going to sink $10,000 into "an ecological firm" called Planetary Investments. Kef immediately tells her it's fake, a bad choice, and wrong.
Clint tracks Todd Yates to New Orleans. At a sleazy bar on the waterfront he finds a drunk who looks somewhat like Buddy Yates. The drunk is guzzling cheap whiskey and complaining about everything from the weather to the environment. The bartender nudges him, "Hey, Todd, there's a sucker over there." Todd staggers over to Clint, plops down a wrinkled pamphlet, and claims "I'm an eco-warrior!" He can't remember the name of his contact, but he asserts "there's something going on in Dallas." "Why aren't you there?" "It's gonna happen in May or maybe June." "What's happening?" "I dunno..." He claims the group kicked him out because he doesn't have the stomach to commit violence. Clint plies Todd with more whiskey, and Todd eventually gives Clint six names before passing out.
On Wednesday, May 1, Kef's friend Ellen Parker invites her to go to Poor David's Pub. It's crowded, which makes Kef uneasy, but the music is good. At a nearby table Kef notices Edith Matthews sitting with two other women; one of the latter is in "severe emotional trauma" and has experienced violence. They leave in a blue Impala.
Also on May 1, Nathan goes to the tech section of his office, switches to hypervision, and examines the device, which seems inert. Jethro hooks the device up. Immediately it begins glowing in IR and UV. Jethro says, "The self-destruct kicked in fast, but I can start analyzing the remaining components. I'll need 6-8 months. Two months if I work on it exclusively." Nathan: "Do I look stupid to you? You don't know what it does, and in two months you can tell me 'something' but you don't know what. Scan everything, put it in a box, ship it to Alabon with a note that says 'Returning.' And we'll move on to something else. But I'm very disappointed. Jethro is apologetic, saying he's largely self-taught.
Nathan checks with Lucy who has "opened a small window into a sophisticated system, downloaded something, and will analyze." Nathan: "These people are coming back. They won't be gentle this time. I need to be prepared. They will try to kill me. I don't like to run but we need to protect -- me. Lucy, let me know when you find something."
Nathan finds Orley and tells him, "The device will be shipped back. Jethro says it's fried but I believe they can still use it to monitor us. I'm going to my office to sulk."
Nathan glances over some other clients' recent requests. Sobert wants an in-depth background on a Dallas-based actor named Lyle Harris Winters who is being considered for a part in an action movie. Wellington wants information on two companies, Planetary Investments and Plus Time Securities. Nathan assigns Karen Lomas to check out the actor and Stanley Hammer to investigate the companies.
Clint gets an alert that Lyle Harris Winters is the subject of a background check from Karen Lomas of Rahl Investigation & Security. Winters is a Dallas-area actor who is sympathetic to E.L.F. but not active. He is acquainted with Donovan Gillespie who is in federal prison.
Karen tells Nathan that Winters has been investigated for "domestic terrorism." "Eco-terrorism," Nathan corrects her. "Send your report to Sobert."
Stan, on the other hand, has nothing by the end of the day. Nathan sarcastically asks him "Do you need help?" and then assigns Karen to assist him since "she already finished her task."
Nathan has Orley move the artifacts to a storage unit (in Orley's name).
Clint speaks with Donovan Gillespie, who says, "I've said too much already." "What's happening in May?" "Couple of guys said they would 'make an impact.' I don't trust cops. I didn't kill anybody and I'll get out quick." "Terrorism could put you away for a long time. Give me something actionable and I'll talk to the prosecutor." (Gillespie had set off a bomb at some corporation.) Gillespie refuses to talk. Clint: "Enjoy your time in the pen. Don't drop the soap."
Clint goes looking for Winters, who is on the move in Fort Worth, but always seems to be one step behind him.
Kef dreams that on the front page of Friday's Dallas Morning News is a photo of a car with its front end smashed in. The article reads that on Thursday night two people, a man and a woman, were killed on I-45 when their car ran into the back of a stopped 18-wheeler. Kef realizes the car is the blue Impala she had seen leaving Poor David's Pub. She checks with Ellen who knows one of the women Edith Matthews was with, Elva Rodman of Ennis. Kef calls and leaves a message. She then calls Orley and has him run the plates on the Impala. The car is registered to Dauphine Hancock of Waxahachie.
Clint follows Winters, who is driving on I-820. Winters goes to a residence on the northwest side of Fort Worth where he has a "rendezvous" with two other men and a woman. Around 8:30am the four leave the house; Winters gets into his car and drives toward Dallas.
Orley tells Nathan about the call from Kef. Edith Matthews is 26, single, and works in Waxahachie as an administrative assistant. Among her Facebook friends are two men, Juan Fontana and Jerry Anderson.
Clint gets an alert regarding an inquiry on Juan Fontana, who is an E.L.F. sympathizer.
Nathan and Orley drive to Waxahachie and Orley puts a tracker on Edith's car. They go to the office where Dauphine Hancock works. She is 25, attractive with shoulder-length light brown hair. Nathan tells her they're investigating the theft and recovery of three 1920s artifacts. She has known Edith for two years. No, she won't be meeting her tonight; "I have other plans." She's never been to Washington DC. Nathan asks her to come look at the artifacts tomorrow. She eventually says she has a date with Juan and will be picking him up at 8:30pm to go to Dallas (she gets off work at 5pm). "Maybe I can convince him to look at those artifacts, too." Nathan suggests sending an Uber for Juan and having Dauphine and Edith look at the artifacts. "I have pictures, but looking at them won't suffice. The artifacts are unique, and coveted. When you're in their presence, you'll understand." Nathan offers to pay for an expensive dinner. Dauphine gives him her business card with her phone number and address written on the back.
Clinton Burnett calls Rahl Investigation and asks to speak to the person in charge. "I'm a Special Agent with the FBI, anti-terrorism task force. Your office searched on two subjects of a current investigation, Juan Fontana and Lyle Harris Winters. If you have contact with either one, let me know where they're at and who they're interacting with." Nathan replies, "We do this for money."
Clint has lunch at a certain restaurant where Winters is his waiter. Clint has the pamphlet on the table; Winters notices it but hides his reaction. Winters admits, "Yes, I have been exposed to L.E.S. It was not a pleasant experience." Clint: "Your buddy Donovan says 'hi.' He misses your coffee." "He is a dangerous man. L.E.S., Winters claims, believes in 'population reduction.' At that point Clint lays his FBI badge on the table. Winters has heard Juan Fontana's name from Donovan Gillespie. Winters never attended any meetings because their 'population reduction' idea is 'crazy.' Gillespie referred to a "boss" but not by name. Winters promises to call Clint if either Juan or Donovan contact him.
Nathan goes to Edith's place of work and persuades her to come look at the artifacts. She will do so tonight, as she has no plans. She doesn't want Nathan to buy her dinner; she wants the equivalent in cash instead.
Nathan tells Orley to bring the artifacts to the office at 3pm. "Take precautions in case the office is being watched."
Clint reviews some of the other names he got from Todd Yates. Paige Marlette had been arrested at a protest in Baltimore; she now lives in Oklahoma City. Shane Miller lives in Texarkana.
Ellen Parker insists on taking Kef somewhere. She finally decides to tour the old mansions in Waxahachie. "Some of them are haunted."
Orley reports "a Fed watching the office." Nathan: "Put up the white noise screen."
Clint recognizes Juan Fontana getting out of an Uber.
At 7pm Nathan shows Edith, Juan, and Dauphine the three artifacts (ticker-tape machine, flatiron, cigar tin). None have any reaction, and Nathan's hypervision shows they are still "off." They have never seen them before. Nathan will pay for their dinner at Del Frisco's.
Nathan: "Juan, I think you have a problem. I got a call from an FBI agent about you. The real problem -- he's outside. Since I brought you down here, I owe you a service -- so you can go out the back door. But do you want to run?"
Clint sees an older car pull up. A man gets out with an automatic weapon. Another car goes around back. Clint calls Glen Michael to come back him up. Then he calls Rahl Investigations where he speaks with Sara to advise them not to leave the building because there's a hit squad outside.
Nathan gets a call from Detective Mike Dallas. Black-and-whites have been scrambled. Nathan replies, "If you can come and save us, that'd be nice."
Juan Fontana says that L.E.S. (which stands for Lighten Earth's Stresses) is after him because he refuses to do what they intend, which is "kill a lot of people." They are going to strike at one of three venues this weekend: Mayfest in Fort Worth, Fright Fest at the DFW Hyatt, or Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie. Nathan: "If I was going to 'kill a lot of people,' I wouldn't start in a spread-out place like Dallas. So why Scarborough Faire?" Fontana: "L.E.S. has people working for them there. I was going to go to Fright Fest; they expect eight to ten thousand people."
Nathan frisks Fontana, finding a small automatic and a knife strapped to his calf. Sara sweeps him and finds a pocket watch with a tracker in it. Fontana insists, "Dauphine isn't involved."
"Is there a problem, officer?" Clint notices the passenger is holding an Uzi. He orders them, "Out of the car, put your hands on your heads." He collects the Uzi and has the men hauled off to Central.
Clint calls Nathan to tell him "Send down Juan Fontana. DPD and FBI are waiting. Thank you for your cooperation."
Nathan offers to call a lawyer for Juan; "They sent four people to kill you." He calls a law firm, Howell & Cheshire. Then he escorts Juan downstairs.
Nathan Rahl and Clinton Burnett finally meet. Clint is 6'3", 220 pounds, with brown hair and blue-green eyes.
Clint takes Fontana into protective custody and asks Nathan to write out a statement. Nathan tells Fontana, "I wish you luck."
Nathan: "How did you know to come here?" Clint: "You were the only connection I had to him. I thought you were harboring a terrorist."
Nathan phones Kef to get her caught up, then takes the artifacts to a secure storage place.
Clint questions Fontana, who says he thought LES would be more 'activist' than ELF. He says the 'mastermind' is known as Enoch.
One of the four men in the hit squad admits they were after Juan Fontana but that it was 'a personal matter,' then he lawyers up. Two of the others give some names.
Thursday: Kef has a vision. She is in the lobby of the DFW Hyatt. There is an atmosphere of unease and tension, and a strange smell in the air. She has a 9mm in her right hand and a smartphone in her left. The lobby is dimly lit and the bodies of police officers are scattered around the floor. Some of them had shot each other. Orley is slumped against a wall near the elevators, his weapon on the floor; he is breathing with difficulty, his left hand pressed against a bleeding wound. She trots toward the stairwell. A clock with a bullet hole in it has stopped at 10:45pm. She knows that it is late Friday/early Saturday. She hears screams from the mezzanine level. She hurries upstairs to a large ballroom. The clock here reads 2:00am. There was a firefight here with lots of civilians involved. Against one wall is a makeshift altar; a teenage boy lies upon it, bleeding. Through a door to her right Nathan comes in and says, "We've got it mostly contained. A few escaped out toward the highway." Kef replies, "People are hallucinating and shooting each other." Nathan: "Did you see where they went with the book?" Kef: "Heading to the roof."
As Kef and Nathan turn to go upstairs, they are joined by a male and female FBI agent. On the roof are several hundred people fighting. Standing on a high point is a man with a crudely-made book in one hand, jabbering nonsense. The man moves to the edge of the roof. Kef has been wounded and knows she has had to reload her weapon several times. The FBI man is struck from the side and slams into the man with the book. Nathan is knocked into the man from the other side. The book pops up into the air. Kef shoots the man, then grabs at the book, but it falls over the side of the building.
Kef wakes up sweating. It is Friday morning. She calls Nathan and describes her dream.
Nathan calls Orley. "We have to save the world again. They're using some kind of gas to make people kill each other, so bring gas masks."
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