Setting: Los Angeles-CIA Operations Center. An op tech tracking the Bristows mission on satellite imagery detects trouble and rushes over to Vaughn's desk. Vaughn is on a phone call.
Vaughn: Of course. Of course. Absolutely.
Op Tech: Mr. Vaughn.
Vaughn: Yes, sir.
[Vaughn motions the op tech to wait]
Op Tech: Mr. Vaughn!
Vaughn: Yes, sir. As soon as we find out.
Op Tech: Mr. Vaughn, the necklace has been deactivated.
Vaughn: I'll have to call you back.
[he hangs up]
Vaughn: When?
Op Tech: Just now.
Vaughn: You've confirmed this?
Op Tech: Yes. Satellite imagery detects combat.
Vaughn: Combat?
[The scene briefly reverts back to India where the Bristows have been ambushed enroute to the rebel base. Their CIA contact has been killed. The Bristows are exchanging gunfire with the PRF rebels and the necklace has exploded. The scene then returns to the ops center. Vaughn and the op tech closely monitor the satellite imagery when the explosion is detected.]
Vaughn: What just happened?
Op Tec: It's over
Vaughn: Can you tell if there are any survivors?
Op Tech: Not with this bird
Vaughn: (looking worried and frustrated) We need new satellites!
[Vaughn immediately tracks down Kendall]
Kendall: Even if they survived, sending in a team is out of the question.
Vaughn: Why? They are on an authorized mission.
Kendall: Clandestine mission! If we start scouring the countryside, the Indian government is going to figure out that the Pakistani-supported rebels in Azad Kashmir have acquired nuclear weapons. They're going to launch preemptive strikes and the Pakistans are going to retaliate, and I am going to get called in front of half a dozen congressional committees demanding to know why we screwed up. So the only thing we're interested in right now is how to make this problem disappear. I want an options paper from you in two hours.
Vaughn: (being persistent) And after that, I would like to look quietly for the Bristows myself.
Kendall: Nuclear weapons. . . . . . nuclear.
Vaughn: I understand that.
Kendall: I shouldn't have to redefine your priorities for you.
Vaughn: Obviously. I just don't think we should cut them loose.
Kendall: Alive or dead, the mission failed. So if the Bristows are out there, they are on their own.
[Vaughn hangs his head as Kendall walks away. Vaughn' colleague, Craig, approaches him and hands him a piece of paper]
Craig: Hey man, check this out.
[The paper is an intercepted top secret communication indicating that the nuclear warheads are "prepped" and will be "activated" the following day at 1700 hours]
Craig: Nothing like more bad news, huh?
[The agent walks away. A panicked look appears on Vaughn's face]

Setting: Alternating between the CIA Ops Center and a Srinigar marketplace-After surviving the ambush and hiking through the night, the Bristows have arrived at a public marketplace. The Bristows meet their CIA contact in a tent so as to acquire the necessary equipment to penetrate the rebel base. Sydney makes a secure call to Vaughn.
Vaughn: (speaking on a headset) Hello.
Sydney: (speaking on a sat phone) Hi, I am on a secure line.
[Vaughn takes a deep breath and is visibly relieved and elated to hear her voice]
Vaughn: Sydney, we saw the blast. What happened?
Sydney: I'll fill you in later but we were compromised.
Vaughn: I am so glad you are okay. What about your parents?
Sydney: You know, some people go miniature golfing with their parents. We go to India and look for nukes.
Vaughn: Listen Sydney, we intercepted a communication. The rebels are planning to activate the nukes tomorrow at 1700 hours.
Sydney: Activate how?
Vaughn: We don't know?
Sydney: Deployed, donate?
Vaughn: Activate. That's the word they used. Now it may mean delivery, maybe detonation, we don't know. But we have to assume the worst since they got the control codes from SD-6.
Sydney: And I got the control codes for SD-6, which means I can deactivate the nukes.
Vaughn: If you get there in time.
[The scene reverts back to India where the Bristows, dressed in Indian attire and equipped with minimal gear, have driven to the outskirts of the rebel base. Upon approaching the rear side of the facility, the Bristows navigate a minefield as they make their way toward a sewerage tunnel. The scene then switches to Sloane's office where Sark informs him that he has spoken to Cuvee and plans are in place to activate the nuclear cores. Sloane then takes a private call from Emily's presumed abductor, who demands one million dollars in bearer bonds and threatens to contact the Alliance if Sloane does not cooperate.]

Setting: Los Angeles-CIA Operations Center. Kendall is walking, with Vaughn following close behind.
Kendall: Call the Bristows and tell them to pull out immediately.
Vaughn: I have no way of initiating. Why?
Kendall: The Indians found out that Pakistani rebels acquired nukes. They're launching air strikes in 24 hours.
Vaughn: What? We have to get them to back off!
Kendall: We're trying but they're angry that we knew about the nukes and kept it from them. They're insisting on going forward.
Vaughn: Let me make a personal appeal.
Kendall: Everybody is working on this already. State, NSC, DOD.
Vaughn: Look, you're probably going to say no to this but I want to go to India. I was stationed there for two years. I have relationships….
Kendall: Go.
Vaughn: (surprised that Kendall agreed so easily) Go?
Kendall: I'll have a military aircraft waiting. This is totally back channel.
Vaughn: (appearing somewhat suspicious of Kendall) You're just going to. . . . . . .are you trying to get rid of me?
[Kendall grins, pats Vaughn on the shoulder and walks away. Vaughn leaves for his trip]
[Back in India, the Bristows have successfully infiltrated the rebel base without detection and proceed to look for the nuclear cores. The scene reverts to London where Sloane explains to the Alliance members that he is being blackmailed and suggests that they deliver the bonds to the blackmailer with a tracer. The Alliance members agree to it. Sloane makes the delivery as instructed with Marshall electronically tracking the briefcase containing the bonds. They lose the trace on the briefcase, then Sloane receives photographs showing Emily with a bullet to the temple.]

Setting: an office at an Indian military airbase. Vaughn appeals to an army general to halt the impending air strikes.
General: Mr. Vaughn, good to see you again. But I'm afraid you came a long for nothing.
Vaughn: General, we have people at the PRF base right now stealing the nukes.
General: And if it fails, we'll be the Pakistanis' first target.
Vaughn: They won't fail.
General: You can't guarantee that.
Vaughn: General, if you launch those air strikes now, you will be killing some of our best assets.
General: Mr. Vaughn, your government knew the rebels acquired the suitcase nukes. Still they said nothing. They put our whole country at risk.
Vaughn: At least delay a few hours till we get our people out.
General: I'm sorry. The airstrike goes as planned.
[Vaughn drops his head in disappointment]
General: You look more like your father every time I see you, you know that it.
[The general begins to walk out]
Vaughn: My father wrote about you. . . . . .in his journal. He wrote that he trusted you and respected you, and that is why I came such a long way!
General: I cannot call off the strike. But I will give you a head start.
Vaughn: Meaning what?
General: Meaning a chopper and a pilot. But if you are going to try and rescue your friends, you are doing so at your own risk.

Setting: India-an airborne helicopter. Vaughn is sitting in the back communicating with the pilot via headset. He leans slightly out of the helicopter.
Vaughn: Can't this thing go any faster?
Pilot: This is it. We're going against the wind.
[Vaughn looks panicked]

Setting: The rebel base in Kashmir. Airstrikes have been launched against the facility. The Bristows are escaping the building with the nuclear cores and an ancient flower in their possession. As they run out of the building, a helicopter approaches. Sydney looks at the helicopter to see someone waving them in.
Sydney: It's Vaughn!
[Sydney smiles as the Bristows run to the helicopter. Vaughn jumps out to let them in.]
Jack: (to Vaughn) We've got the cores. Tell them to call off the air strikes!
Vaughn: (speaking through his headset) This is Agent Vaughn. Abort the air strikes! I repeat, abort the air strikes!
Vaughn and the Bristows escape safely.

Setting: Los Angeles-CIA Operations Center. Sydney approaches Vaughn at a desk.
Sydney: Hi
Vaughn: Hey.
[Vaughn smiles and stands up]
Sydney: Any word on the flower?
Vaughn: Preliminary analysis indicates that it's anywhere from 400 to 600 years old.
[Sydney gives him a surprised look]
Vaughn: Like I said, preliminary. (Pause) Oh. . . .
[Vaughn reaches down to his desk, picks up some tickets, grins at them and hands them to Sydney. Sydney smiles and looks curiously at the tickets]
Sydney: What's this?
[Vaughn continues smiling at her. Sydney glances at the tickets and then looks up at Vaughn and smiles]

Ending Scene: L.A.-A miniature golf course. Sydney, Will, and Francie are playing a game of miniature golf. The camera pans backward. From a distance, Vaughn smiles and briefly watches them play then walks away.


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