š“ Script 10:7 The Freelancer, Part 2 (ā 145)
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NBCās series The Blacklist starring James Spader and Megan Boone
Series created by: Jon Bokenkamp
Program air date: 4/9/2023 in the US (9pm Central/Chicago Time)
Script Permalink: https://wp.me/pDKwi-eos
EntertainmentWeekly Recap: https://tinyurl.com/35nw8zcf
š¹ TuneFind: https://tinyurl.com/yc73bdfx
IMDb (Internet Movie Database): https://tinyurl.com/2xwxkt6z
Source: Raw Script from OurBoard: http://bit.ly/3EsoREs [ dump of captioning ]
STATUS: ā Pending ā Rough ā Preliminary š“ FINAL
STATUS: š« Pending š Rough š Preliminary ī Final
Last updated: 4/11/2023 at 7:30pm CT [ Central/Chicago time ]
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Directed by: Cort Hessler
Written by: Sam Christopher
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SERIES STARS:
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Raymond āRedā Reddington ā James Spader
Donald Ressler ā Diego Klattenhoff
Harold Cooper ā Harry Lennix
Siya Malik ā Anya Banerjee
Dembe Zuma ā Hisham Tawfiq
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GUEST STARS:
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Jonathan Pritchard ā Mackenzie Astin
Herbie Hambright ā Alex Brightman
Kimberly ā Christina Jacqueline Calph
Timothy ā Neal Davidson
Group Leader ā Benny Elledge
Uniformed Cop ā Asha Etchison
Nelson ā Ryan Farrell
Keith Perry (Pushy photographer) ā Kristopher Kling
Zhang Wei ā Kenneth Lee
Fire Chief ā Mike Masters
NTSB Agent ā DeLance Minefree
Sven Hollufson ā Carsten Norgaard
Terminal Manager ā Jerry D OāDonnell
Rogelio ā Gerardo Rodriguez
Soledad ā Nancy Rodriguez
Maria ā Miranda RoldĆ”n
Alban Veseli (The Freelancer) ā Daniel Sauli
Tearful Woman ā Stacey Scotte
Amber ā Isabella Werber
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š“ Script 10:7 The Freelancer, Part 2
Brief (Where weāre at):
Redās mentor and long-time friend, Robert Vesco (Blacklister #8), is dead, killed by Wujing (Blacklister #84), who was sicced on Red by Marvin Gerard (Blacklister #80) as a final act of revenge against Red. Red had given Marvin a choice between committing suicide or facing Redās wrath for arranging the murder of Elizabeth Keen, whom Red had loved dearly and to whom Red had hoped to bequeath his criminal empire. Marvin informed Wujing that Red had an immunity deal with the federal government and had been systematically handing over criminals, like Wujing, to the FBI. With advice from Marvin, Wujing broke out of prison and is the process of gathering together other criminals Red had turned over in order to expose Redās arrangement with the FBI. Wujing turned to Dr Laken Perillos (Blacklister #70), who had perfected the art of medical torture to get her subjects to confess. Wujingās henchmen captured Dembe, and Perillos tried to turn her dark magic to get him to tell her about the Reddington task force, but with no success.
At the same time, Vesco, a superb con man, convinced Wujing he had turned against Red and was on Wujingās side, but when he saw that it was Dembe who was being tortured almost to death, he managed to alert Red by leaving his live cell phone at the torture site. When Ressler and Sima arrived, the miscreants had seen them coming and had fled, but they found Dembe in cardiac arrest and almost dead. They were able to save him, but Wujingās men found Vescoās cell phone where he had dropped it, and they let Wujing know that must have been how the FBI had been alerted. So the jig was up and Vesco was killed, but he had managed to save Dembe. Now Wujing will have to figure out another way to find out enough about the Reddington task force to expose its existence and make its continued effectiveness impossible.
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For S10 Episode 10:7 The Freelancer, Part 2: šÆ EW Recap ¤ š
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[ A port ]
[ MLCKās ā« āSweet Revengeā plays ]
[ ⬠Go to Full Lyrics ] or [ ⪠Tap square below to play ⪠]
[ A man wearing a baseball cap and a jacket labeled USCG (United States Coast Guard) enters the engine room of a ferry boat. He puts down a back duffel bag and takes out protective gear, a high end ventilator mask and thick rubber gloves. He takes out a liquid vial from a cold storage container. He attaches the vial to a sprayer and sprays the liquid along a metal seam, where it immediately begins to bubble and corrode ]
āŖ Iām counting bones of your casualties āŖ
āŖ You dig up demons like a sweet addiction āŖ
āŖ Feeding me fear so you can take control āŖ
āŖ Youāre gonna crumble, crumble, mm-hmm āŖ
āŖ Donāt you see youāre drowning in your gold? āŖ
āŖ Heavy ego weighing down your throat āŖ
āŖ And now the cracks are creepinā up your tower āŖ
āŖ Youāll crumble, crumble, mm-hmm āŖ
[ The man is Alban Veseli, The Freelancer. Veseli is notorious for hiding assassinations behind mass casualty events that he personally orchestrates. He removes the control from a pressure valve and the dial shows the pressure rising ]
āŖ Playinā God with that facade āŖ
āŖ Wonāt get you your Camelot āŖ
āŖ Paybackās hanging in the air āŖ
āŖ Payback for your wicked lies āŖ
āŖ Storm clouds rollinā in up high āŖ
āŖ Singe and scorch the crimson sky āŖ
āŖ Paybackās hanging in the air āŖ
āŖ Payback for your wicked lies āŖ
āŖ Tick tock, tick tock āŖ
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[ šHorn blowing ] [ Seagulls crying ]
[ Once outside, Veseli walks briskly along the pier away from the ferry boat. The Terminal Manager runs after him calling out ]
Terminal Manager: Excuse me. Sir? Hey! Hey, wait a minute! Can you stop? I need to talk to you!
[ Veseli tries to walk on, but the Terminal Managerās persistence makes him stop to face him ]
Terminal Manager: So, howād we look? Pass inspection?
Veseli: Flying colors. No infractions.
Terminal Manager: All right. So weāre good to go? I gotta start loading if weāre gonna make our departure. Gotta lotta chop out there today. Always feel bad for the schmuck whoās gotta clean the head after a bumpy ride. [ Chuckles ]
Veseli: You go ahead and get those people on board. Wouldnāt want anyone to miss the ferry.
[ Veseli turns and walks away ]
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
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[ The kitchen at Harold Cooperās home. Red has shown up with a brown paper bag, which he sets on the table ]
Red: I brought some treats for Agnes. Youāll never guess where I got them. The New Jersey Turnpike. A diabolically inhumane and utterly demoralizing length of road that surprisingly strings together an intriguing collection of, eh, travel plazas ā rest stops ā each of which is named after a historical dead person somehow associated with Jersey, from Walt Whitman, who frankly, I would associate more with New York ā To Vince Lombardi, who I believe everyone would associate with Green Bay, Wisconsin. They have gummy snakes three feet long.
Cooper: You drove yourself from New York this morning to tour the New Jersey rest stops?
Red: Last night, but yes. It was a welcome addition to the itinerary. I had an early meeting about a construction project. But Iām finding I prefer being under my own steam. On the way back, Iām stopping for a ride on the tallest roller coaster in North America. Iām scared to death.
Cooper: I was sorry to hear about Robert Vesco. I know you two were close.
Red: Too close, Iām afraid. Robert was fond of saying that he taught me everything I know. But he didnāt ever really know the half of who or what I am. It was a terrible mistake bringing him deeper into my world. And, tragically, he was the one to pay the price for it.
Cooper: He did save Dembeās life.
Red: Yes, he did do that. And thatās a fine legacy. But Iāll miss him, and itās entirely my fault. Usually is. How is Dembe feeling?
Cooper: Heās back to work. I told him he could take more time.
[ Redās cellphone ringingāØ]
Cooper: But the FBI doctors cleared him, and he said heād rather work than not.
Red: Excuse me. [ Talking on phone ] Good morning. [ To Cooper ] Turn on the local news, Harold.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
Red: [ On phone ] But why am I only hearing about this now?
[ Cooper pulls up the local news on a tablet computer ]
Reporter on tv: As details continue to emergeā
Red: [ On phone ] I see. Iāll follow up with you about this later.
[ Cooper and Red both look at the breaking news headline: āFerry Sinks in Baltimore Harbor. Dozens Presumed Deadā ]
Cooper: My God. What happened?
Red: Alban Veseli happened.
Cooper: The Freelancer? You think heās responsible for this?
Red: After Wujing broke Veseli out of custody, I told my associate to put his invisible army of service industry troops on alert. A deckhand working on a tender ship by the piers reported seeing a man matching Veseliās description near the ferry terminal ā hours ago. Iām only sorry the tip didnāt come in sooner.
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[ The Post Office war room ] [ Veseliās photo and rap sheet are displayed overhead ]
Cooper: Hereās someone who needs no introduction ā The Freelancer, AKA Alban Veseli. Weāve seen how Veseli hides the identity of assassination targets by taking them out in large-scale disasters. Sacrificing dozens or even hundreds of lives to kill a single individual. NTSB is reporting 35 passengers and 7 crew members dead in Baltimore Harbor this morning.
Ressler: Weāve already taken this guy out, twice. Whatās it gonna take for us to keep him down?
Cooper: Reddington believes this event is tied directly to Wujingās plan to expose the task forceās connection to him.
Dembe: That would explain why Wujing went to extreme lengths to break Veseli out of custody.
Cooper: Who was The Freelancer targeting by sinking that ferry? And how does the death of that target help Wujing? Whatās his end game here? These are questions we need to answer.
Ressler: Do we have any leads on the target?
Siya: I sent you all copies of the passenger manifest and pulled a few notable victims that have been identified already. David Broderick, South Baltimore city council. Sarah Miller, on parole for counterfeiting. And Wade Han, over a dozen arrests for weapons trafficking and assault.
Ressler: Do any of these people have a connection to Reddington?
Dembe: I donāt recognize any of them. Or anyone else on the passenger manifest.
Cooper: Agent Malik, keep digging into possible targets. Ressler, Dembe, head to the docks. Look for anything that might help us find Veseli. Iāll notify the NTSB that youāre on your way.
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[ Seagulls crying ] [ Indistinct conversations ]
[ Ressler and Dembe push through the crowd and duck under the police tape ] [ Men pass by lugging a body bag ]
Ressler: Excuse me. Excuse me. Hey, how you doing? FBI. Thank you.
[ Woman gasping ]
Dembe: Are you okay, maāam? Did you know someone on board?
Tearful Woman: Uh, Joanie Wilson, my daughter. She commutes on the ferry. Sheās not answering her phone.
Dembe: Thereās a Red Cross volunteer inside. Theyāre handling all inquiries for concerned family members.
Tearful Woman: Oh, thank you.
[ A pushy photographer has pushed forward ]
Dembe: Show some courtesy and respect. There are people here in pain.
Pushy photographer: Sorry, man. My bad.
[ Still, the photographer snaps Dembeās photo ] [ Camera shutter clicks ā½ ]
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[ An NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) Agent is talking with Ressler ]
NTSB Agent: Itās too early to determine exact cause. But before the ferry went down, the captain reported a loud noise from a rupture in the engine room. It may have jeopardized the integrity of the hull.
Ressler: Whatās the likelihood of something like that ever happening?
NTSB Agent: I donāt know. Weāll know more after the investigation. There is something weird, though.
Ressler: Iām all ears.
NTSB Agent: According to the terminal manager, the ship received a clean safety inspection from a marine inspector for the Coast Guard.
Dembe: Would that inspector have access to the engine room?
NTSB Agent: Yeah, sure. The engine roomās one of the primary areas of focus when it comes to safety.
Terminal Manager: Nobody else by the waterline, got it? Keep the dock clear. We still have bodies in the water.
Dembe: Excuse me, sir. Can we speak with you? Weāre with the FBI.
Terminal Manager: Of course, whatever you need.
Ressler: NTSB said youāre the one who dealt with the Coast Guard inspector this morning. Was there an inspection scheduled for today?
Terminal Manager: Well, no. But thatās not unusual. Coast Guard inspections are usually a surprise.
Dembe: Did anyone accompany the inspector while he was on the ferry?
Terminal Manager: Thereās no need. They know their way around the vessels.
Dembe: So he was alone in the engine room.
Terminal Manager: I guess. Unless there were crew members present. Why? What are you thinking?
[ Ressler holds up a photo of Alban Veseli, the Freelancer ]
Ressler: Was this the guy you met with?
Terminal Manager: Yeah, thatās him.
Dembe: Where exactly did you speak with him? On board?
Terminal Manager: No. Right on the dock. He was throwing away his gloves.
[ He points to a trash can ]
Ressler: Thank you. [ To Dembe ] Hey.
[ Ressler leads Dembe to the trash can and pulls out the work gloves. He takes a whiff ]
Ressler: Oof! Some kind of chemical on this. We gotta get this analyzed. Fast.
Dembe: Our forensics team is already overloaded with all the evidence coming in from the ferry and the victims.
Ressler: You know who we could call? What about Reddingtonās pal? What was his name? Harry? Herbie. He came through in the past. And he was quick. As long as thereās no foosball tournament.
Dembe: Foosball?
Ressler: Iāll tell you about it later. Let me get in touch with Cooper, see if he canāt approve Herbie coming in today. We gotta get this analyzed immediately.
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[ A car radio plays in an SUV in which Wujingās right hand man Zhang Wei rides with a crew of Chinese national ā and Alban Veseli ]
Radio announcer: ⦠marine tragedy. 43 passengers and crew have been confirmed dead at this time, with several still unaccounted for.
Zhang Wei: Wujing is very pleased.
Alban Veseli: Well, heās gonna love what I have planned next.
[ Dramatic music plays ]
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[ Jazz music plays ] [ The residence of Rogelioās family. Rogelio runs a wide-reaching informal intelligence network of service workers in hotels, restaurants and transportation that will keep an eye open for anyone Red is looking for. Rogelio has a large family, now busily working with piles of linens and sewing machines, in addition to various computer screens ]
[ Woman humming ] [ Conversing in Spanish ]
Woman: Gracias. Okay.
Rogelio: Gracias..
[ Knocks ā½ ā½ ā½ ā½ ā½ on door ]
ā Papi, get the door.
Rogelio: Ay.
[ He opens the door ]
Rogelio: Raymond!
Red: Hello, Rogelio. Oh, Iām interrupting, lo siento.
Rogelio: No, no, no, of course not. Itās an honor to have you.
Red: Youāve got quite the operation going here.
Rogelio: After so many years of washing sheets, I saw some room for improvement. Oh, feel this. Soft as a lamb, durable too, like nothing else on the market.
[ Red feels the fabric ]
Red: Oh, my. That is nice. You must be putting in a tremendous amount of time and effort into this project.
Rogelio: [ Nodding ] Mm-hmm.
Red: That explains it.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
Rogelio: [ Speaking Spanish to family ]
[ The family leaves ]
Rogelio: Explains what?
Red: I needed you to reach out to me the moment Alban Veseli was spotted. But I didnāt hear from you until after a dozen bodies had washed ashore, because your head is filled with Egyptian cotton.
Rogelio: Raymond, I called you the second that tip came iā
Red: Rogelio, I need the full attention of you and every maid, bellhop, and busboy on your payroll.
Rogelio: Iāll triple the reward. Iāllā Iāll stay up all night and make sure everyoneās on alert.
Red: Well, about that. I actually have a second request. I need to stay in town until I sort this out. That wouldnāt be a pull-out, would it? As a possible investor, Iād love a chance to test these sheets. [ Chuckles ]
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[ A meeting of NA (Narcotics Anonymous) ]
Team Leader: I am very proud to say that one of us is celebrating a year sober today. Donald, why donāt you come up here?
[ Applause šš» ]
[ Ressler gets up, reluctantly ]
Team Leader: Congratulations.
Ressler: Thank you.
Team Leader: Want to say something? Go ahead.
Ressler: [ Sighs ] Thank you. I mean, I really wouldnāt be here without everyone in this room. I used to think that going it alone made me stronger. But thatās not true. No, not in here, not out there. No, real strength comes from accepting that youāre ā accepting that youāre weak ā and that itās okay to ask for help.
[ Applause šš» ]
[ A dejected looking young man sits in the back ]
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[ At the refreshment table ]
Team Leader: Powerful words, Donald.
Ressler: Please donāt ever make me do that again.
Team Leader: [ Chuckles ] You know, thereās a lot of people that need help. You ever, uh, you ever thought about becoming a sponsor?
Ressler: Sponsor? No. No, thatās a big step.
Team Leader: So is a year sober. I think youāre ready. You, uh, you see that guy over there? Youāre in similar lines of work. You know better than anyone how hard it is to stay clean in this town ā in a high-stress job, where everythingās a secret.
Ressler: I donāt talk about my work here.
Team Leader: I know, butā Iāve been leading meetings in D.C. for a long time. Thereās a ā look. You have it, so does he. I think you could help each other.
Ressler: [ Sighs ] Can I think about it?
Team Leader: Of course, take your time. Weāll talk about it next meeting, alright?
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[ The yellow elevator doors to the Post Office black site open. Siya steps out with Herbie Hambright, Redās forensics whiz. He is giddy ]
Herbie: Where are we right now? Those were some crazy cool security protocols. I gotta be honest, when I saw those blackout goggles, I was like, āWhoa!ā I mean, this is like the modern-day bag over the head like in the movies, right? Except I get to go home and kiss Holly, make faces at Sueā right? I get to go home, right?
Siya: [ Trying to be patient ] You do.
[ Herbie steps forward into the war room, lined with banks of overhead displays and computer consoles ]
Herbie: Whoa! Whoa, this isā What is this?
Ressler: Hey, Herbie. Thanks for helping us out.
Herbie: I know you. We spoke on the phone. Donald, right?
Ressler: Agent Ressler.
Herbie: Andā And my man Dembe. Youāre part of all this? That is so cool. Howās it feel to be on the straight and narrow?
[ Herbie previously knew Dembe from when he worked for Red ]
Dembe: It doesnāt feel straight or narrow.
Siya: Herbie, why donāt I show you the lab? We need to find out how that ferry was sabotaged.
Herbie: Yeah, my Laminar Hood at home is just not big enough for the job. You know how it is.
[ To Ressler ] Did Red set this up?
Dembe: The fewer questions, the better, Mr. Hambright.
Herbie: Wait a minute. Is this a black site? I figured it out, right? Which means that you guys are ā dramatic pause ā CIA.
Ressler: No.
Herbie: Oh, okay. NSA.
Siya: Come on, Herbie. Redās really anxious for those results.
Herbie: NGA? NRO? I know this canāt be NCIS. Iāve watched that for years. Itās nothing like this.
[ Siya leads Herbie to a workstation ]
Herbie: Here?
Siya: Yeah. Right here.
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[ At Rogelioās house, a child paces outside the bathroom. Red steps out ]
Red: [ Calls out ] Bathroomās free.
[ The child dashes inside ]
Red: [ Chuckles at the girl ]
Soledad: I see you found my robe.
Red: Oh, yes. Iām so sorry. I hope you donāt mind. It was either this or young Teoās, which nobody wants to see me in. But Iām terribly sorry. Iāll replace it immediately.
Soledad: Donāt be silly. It looks very nice. Just make yourself at home. I need to help Ita. She got up early to make you arepas.
Red: Aww! Gracias. [ Kisses his hand ]
Soledad: [ Chuckles ] I think she has a crush on you.
Red: Not half as much as I have on her. You two keep spoiling me, Iāll have to extend my visit.
Soledad: Careful, day two is when Abuelita really makes her move.
Red: Ha! I canāt wait.
Soledad: [ Chuckles ]
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[ The Post Office; the task force is gathered around Herbieās workstation ]
Herbie: All right, so I ran a whole bunch of tests on your glove. The noxious fumes come from a bacteria ā Leptospirillum ferricomedentis.
Ressler: Is it dangerous? I put my nose pretty close to that thing.
Herbie: No, as long as it didnāt touch your skin, youāre okay. Itās not an infectious agent. Ferrum, āiron.ā Comedentis, ādevouring.ā āIron devouring.ā And if anything, the name undersells it. One swab could eat through a nail in under an hour. Normally, itās used for industrial cleanup, but it could also weaken the tensile strength of a shipās hull. If one were so inclined.
Cooper: So The Freelancer rigged the engine to blow, but he wanted to make sure it would punch a hole in the ship.
Dembe: How would he get this bacteria?
Herbie: Itās heavily regulated and super rare. But I tracked down the lab that bio-engineers it.
Siya: I called the lab, and last week they sold a vial to the Appalachian Defense Alliance, supposedly for cleaning up mining waste.
Cooper: Supposedly?
Siya: The Appalachian Alliance doesnāt exist except on paper. But their bank account seemed real enough. So I made a call and requisitioned their transaction history.
Ressler: [ Reading ] Gas masks, tools, flammable solvents, everything needed to punch a hole in that ship.
Herbie: Uh, yeah, except thereās only one problem. Can you spot it? Can you? I did.
Siya: The solvents. Look at theā
Herbie: Itās the timestamps. Yeah, they were purchased yesterday afternoon.
Dembe: After the ferry explosion.
Ressler: So The Freelancerās planning another high body count somewhere?
Cooper: Thank you for your help today, Mr. Hambright. But maybe itās time for Agent Malik to escort you backā
Herbie: Iāmā Iām all right. Iām good. I could stay until you, you know, get this guy. Iām pretty invested now. And I have a sitter till 6:00, soā
Cooper: Oh, okay. Fine. I suppose if weāre facing an arson attack somewhere in the city, we gotta use everything we can.
Herbie: Uh, but, if itās all right ā is there, like, a snack room or something where I could get a drink? Just like a soda, some chips. Iāve only had applesauce today.
Cooper: Yes. Agent Malik can show you the way.
Herbie: Oh, cool, great.
[ Siya grimaces ]
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[ Rogelioās home. The large family, and Red, are gathered for dinner ]
Red: Mmm.
[ Abuelita, the grandmother, slides the pan of arepa toward Red ]
Red: Oh, no, no, no, no. Gracias, Abuelita. I couldnāt eat another bite, even though it is the best arepa I have ever tasted.
Abuelita: Ohh.
Red: Gracias.
[ Door slams ]
Red: [ Chuckles ]
Rogelio: Raymond.
Red: Ah! Excuse me.
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[ Red walks to talk to Rogelio in the living room ]
Rogelio: [ Low voice ] Thereās gonna be another attack. Right here, in downtown D.C.
Red: How do you know this?
Rogelio: I just left the housekeeper from the Broadhurst Hotel, who saw a man who looked exactly like Veseli go into a room. She brought him an extra towel to be sure, and he gave her some cash. Told her to take an early lunch and donāt come back to work today.
Red: Well, we couldnāt ask for a more detailed tip than that, could we?
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[ The Post Office ] [ Cooperās cellphone ringsāØ]
Cooper: Reddington, Iām here with the team. Weāve got a situation.
Red: Yes, you do. The Freelancer is at the Broadhurst Hotel, and heās planning another attack imminently. What exactly, I canāt say.
Cooper: We can. We need to call D.C. Fire Department. Tell them we got a suspected arson, they need to send engines immediately. Iāll scramble EMS and Metro PD. Ressler, Zuma, get to that hotel. Malik, stay on the ferry manifest. And, uhā look after our guest.
Siya: Oh, I justā
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[ šØ Sirens wailing šØ ] [ Police radio chatter ] [ Smoke pours out of an upper floor window ]
Dembe: FBI. We need to speak to whoeverās in charge here.
Uniformed Cop: Fire Chief set up a command post across the street in the lobby of that building. I think heās over there right now.
Dembe: Thank you.
[ Camera shutter clicking ā½ ā½ ā½ ā½ ]
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[ Ressler and Dembe approach the Fire Chief ]
Ressler: Excuse me. Agents Ressler, Zuma, FBI.
Fire Chief: Oh, they were lucky. If you hadnāt called when you did, we would have lost the entire 9th floor and everyone on it. But everyoneās accounted for.
Dembe: Is that where the fire started? Apparently.
Fire Chief: The point of origin was a housekeeping closet. Something flammable in there, probably cleaning supplies, chemicals.
Ressler: What about the guests who were evacuated? Can we speak with them?
Fire Chief: Iāve got the guests cordoned off in the bullpen while we take statements. Anybody you want to talk to?
Dembe: Letās start with everybody on the 9th floor.
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[ Ressler and Dembe interview various guests ]
Can you think of any reason someone might want to cause you harm?
Kimberly: Me? No. No, of course not.
Nelson: Actually, uh, wellā
Kimberly: What? You think someone would want to harm me?
Nelson: No, I think someone might want to harm me. Iāve got bookies.
Kimberly: Well, you also have a wife.
Nelson: They donāt need to know that.
Kimberly: Well, now they do. Wait. So, are you saying that you think someone set that fire on purpose?
āā
Timothy: I donāt know. What?
Dembe: Sorry, you donāt know whether youāre in Washington for business or pleasure?
Timothy: Uhā Oh, no. Yeah. Yeah, business, definitely. But, uh, s-some pleasure, too. You know? [ Chuckles ]
[ Dembe rolls his eyes ]
Ressler: What exactly do you do for work?
āā
Amber: Oh, me? Iā I work at a bank. I know you canāt speculate, but if you suspect this was arson, you should really look at the manager. Iā I watch a lot of true crime documentaries. And there was this one, where this girl went missingā
āā
Nelson: The press outsideā I canātā I donāt want to be onā on the news orā or in the papers, especially anything that might be shown in the, uh, theā the Richmond area.
Dembe: Sir, is that where your wife lives?
Nelson: Wife? Psst, I donātā
āā
Ressler: What kind of information do you have access to at your bank? Anything sensitive, confidential?
Amber: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. My co-worker Emily, I was the first person she told when she got pregnant. And I didnāt tell anyone. I told my dentist, but, I meanā
Dembe: I think we meant anything that might be related to illegal activity.
āā
Timothy: Iām sorry, guys. My brain just really, like, canāt right now. Youāre really intense with the badges and the questions.
Dembe: Heās high.
Ressler: As a kite.
āā
Nelson: Are we almost done? I-I was supposed to be out of here hours ago, and I justā
Kimberly: You want to leave now? Weāre being interrogated by the FBI.
Nelson: Well, I mean, if they need anything else, Iāll give them myā my card, okay? Justā And isā is there another way out of here, you know, away from theā cameras. I justā [ Sighs ] You know what? Uh, I-I canāt find my cards.
Dembe: Uh, itās okay. We have your names. I think weāre all set.
Ressler: Weāll reach out if thereās anything else we need.
Nelson: Yeah, I-I donāt want my name in the paper. Um, either of our names.
Kimberly: [ Scoffs ]
Dembe: Okay.
Dembe: Okay. Thank you, sir.
Kimberly: [ Under breath ] Seriously?
[ Ressler and Dembe leave ]
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[ Rogelioās home. He is there with Red and Maria, the housekeeper who gave Rogelio the tip that there would be a fire at the Broadhurst Hotel. She appears nervous and fearful ]
Rogelio: We have your payment for the tip. But we just have a few questions to ask you first.
Red: Maria, please, have a seat.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
Red: Maria, Rogelio and I are business associates. And our business relies on information ā accurate information. Information that peopleās lives depend on. So you can imagine my surprise when you turned up with this individualās entire story wrapped up in a nice, neat bow.
Maria: [ Sobs ] Please, mister, Iā I-I have two babies.
Red: Maria, the man Rogelio asked you to look for ā did you find him, or did he find you?
Maria: He came to me ā when I arrived on the floor ā in the hallway. He promised me $10,000 if I told Rogelio exactly what he said.
Red: Go home to your children.
Maria: [ Breathing shakily ]
[ Maria gets up and hurries toward the door ]
Red: Maria. Youāre forgetting something.
[ Maria had forgotten the envelope on the table, the money from Red for her ātip.ā She returns to take the money, the hurries away ]
[ Rogelio pulls up a chair ]
Rogelio: [ Low Voice ] Raymond. Youāre paying her for betraying us?
Red: We offered Maria money in exchange for information. She may have fed us the who, what, and where on someone elseās orders. But the why she just gave us? Thatās something to pay for. And maybe a new stroller for good measure. You realize this all started with that picture of us.
Rogelio: You think? Ah, that was years ago. And nobody really saw that.
Red: I donāt know. We were both there. Together. [ Sighs ] Would you give me a moment?
[ Dialing tones ā¢ā¢ā¢ ā¢ā¢ā¢ā¢ ]
āā
[ Dembeās cellphone ringsāØ]
Dembe: Raymond.
Red: Have you identified a target at the hotel?
Dembe: Not yet.
Red: How about the ferry?
Dembe: Nothing yet there either.
Red: Iām not surprised. The source who led us to the hotel came to Rogelio on the instructions of The Freelancer himself.
Dembe: The Freelancer gave the tip? Why would Veseli notify us of his own attack? Because this was never about the attack. It was about our response. Wujing has been looking for proof of my relationship with the FBI. If The Freelancer feeds my network information and the FBI intervenes before they have cause, then Wujing establishes a causal link between my world and yours. The only question is how he intends to prove it.
Dembe: I might have an answer to that.
Ā
[ Dembe sits down with Red at Rogelioās ]
Dembe: This footage came from an outside CCTV camera on the same block as the hotel. Look. This one. All the other stringers are taking photos of the action, but this guyās cameraās pointed directly at us. And look at this. He was the first photographer to arrive. Four minutes before we notified the fire department. And this same guy was at the site of the ferry incident. I thought he might have snapped a photo of me, but it was so chaotic, I couldnāt be certain. Malik and Ressler are trying to get an ID on him now. Raymond, I canāt shake a feeling. We know this man from somewhere.
Red: Yeah, we do. Heās the same photographer that took that picture of us six years ago.
Dembe: That photo? It canāt be.
Red: [ Chuckles ] Remember, Rogelio was there, too? Alban Veseli is paying Rogelioās people to pass tips to me and then sending this photographer to the incident sites to capture your team responding. Confirmation of what Wujing has been searching for ā evidence of my relationship with the FBI.
Dembe: Do you think he has all the evidence he needs?
Red: [ Chuckles ] Well, you know, thereās scarcely a rule I havenāt broken in my life, Dembe. But there is one even I wonāt trifle with, the Rule of Three. Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Three Little Pigs, the three-paragraph persuasive essay. Three is the smallest number of any elements that firmly establishes a pattern in the human mind. And these photos illustrate the story Wujing is attempting to tell about me.
Dembe: Which means The Freelancer is planning another attack.
Red: And Wujingās personal paparazzo is going to lead you there.
Ā
[ The Post Office war room ]
Siya: According to the local press corps office, his name is Keith Perry. Heās a local photojournalist who covers everything from inaugurations to the Maryland Little League state championship. Heāll even snap an occasional celebrity to testify to Congress about a pet project of the month.
Dembe: He snapped a photo of Raymond several years ago that ran in a small daily rag.
Cooper: How come no one told us about this before?
Dembe: It wasnāt a big deal. The clearest face was Rogelioās. Perry only got the back of Raymondās head. But now, Raymond believes The Freelancer is planning another attack and Keith Perry will no doubt be there to capture when we arrive on the scene.
Cooper: We need to find Perry. Immediately.
Ressler: We sent uniforms to his apartment, but he wasnāt there. Heās not answering the phone number listed with the press corps, either.
Cooper: Reach out to every level of law enforcement. I want every eyeball within a hundred square miles looking for this guy. Finding him is our best way of preventing further loss of life.
Herbie: Uh, excuse me. Sorry. Uh, hey.
Cooper: You have something to offer, Mr. Hambright?
[ Herbie quickly finishes some chips and his soda ]
Ressler: Oh, take your time. No rush.
Herbie: Look, um, I know this isnāt exactly my area of expertise.
Cooper: What is it, Herbie?
Herbie: Itās this. See this. Can you zoom in?
[ Beeping š
š
š
]
Herbie: That hardware is made by Novall.
Siya: Novall?
Herbie: Yeah, itās a wireless cloud adapter. It uploads every photo you take to the cloud in real time. Super useful if you take hundreds of pictures a day. Which I do ā of Sue. Man, they say that kids change every single day, but you donāt really start noticing that until you look at pictures. Oh! That reminds me. Would you guys mind giving my Instagram a little follow? Itās @AGirlNamedSue222. Siya? You thinking about it?
Cooper: Back to Novall.
Siya: You think Perry was connecting to Novall while taking these pictures?
Herbie: Yeah. I mean, if the cameraās on, heās connect and transmitting. Instant upload, thatās the plus.
Cooper: Malik, get a subpoena. We need access to his photo storage, now.
Ā
[ Resslerās office ] [ Knocking ā½ ā½ ]
Dembe: I noticed the chip in there.
Ressler: [ Groans ]
Dembe: I realized it must be, what?
Ressler: A year.
Dembe: Congratulations. Thatās a major accomplishment.
Ressler: Thatās what everyone keeps telling me, yeah.
Dembe: Oh. Sick of hearing it?
Ressler: Once was enough. Okay, okay. Uhā NA wants me to sponsor someone.
Dembe: Are you gonna do it?
Ressler: Iām not sure. Some days, I canāt even help myself. How am I supposed to help someone else?
Dembe: Maybe thatās the point. Iāve never known you not to be of service when you can be.
Ressler: [ Sighs ]
[ Siya appears at the door ]
Siya: Subpoena came through.
Ā
[ The war room ]
Siya: Novall was able to identify the account and give us access. This is Perryās live photostream.
Dembe: Weāre in every photo.
Ressler: Okay, this is getting creepy.
Herbie: Ooh, look. Heās uploading more photos ā right now, as we speak.
Ressler: But where is this?
Cooper: Looks like an apartment building. Can we identify which one?
Siya: I canāt see any street signs.
Ressler: Are there any active emergency calls?
Dembe: Checking with EMS now. Nothing.
Herbie: Look at the differences in the photos. Heās taking test shots. Heās playing around with the F-stop and shutter speed.
Dembe: The Freelancer must have sent him. This may be the location of the third attack that Raymond predicted. It fits the pattern.
Cooper: Malik, can we get a more specific location?
Siya: Almost. Iām zeroing in on the hotspot heās using to transmit. Okay ā Got it. Laurel Vistas. Itās in Arlington. 12 stories, 16 units per floor.
Cooper: That could mean dozens, if not hundreds of victims. The Freelancerās gonna cause a building collapse.
Ā
[ Dramatic music plays ] [ At the Laurel Vistas apartment building ]
[ A janitor wheels a cart. Alban Veseli (The Freelancer) comes up behind him and injects him in the neck. The janitor falls to the floor. Veseli takes his keys. He opens a power box ]
Ā
[ Cooper talks to Ressler, Dembe and Siya who are in an SUV driven by Ressler ]
Cooper: Iāve been in contact with the City Plannerās office in Arlington. Laurel Vistas is an 80-year-old property thatās had 7 different owners in the last 10 years alone.
āā
[ Again, Veseli removes a vial of a liquid corrosive agent from a super-cooled casing ]
āā
Cooper: Itās racked up more code violations in that period then I have time to read out. But several involve water damage near a retaining wall in the basement that backs onto the Potomac Aquifer.
Ressler: That water could take out the whole building.
Cooper: You need to get down there. And Malik, youāre on Perry.
āā
[ At the apartment building, Veseli works on a mechanical cabinet ] [ Air hissing ]
āā
[ The SUV driven by Resslerā”ļøscreechesā”ļøto a stop in front of the Laurel Vistas building ] [ Ressler and Dembe jump out and run inside; Siya is behind them by a few steps ~ she hears: ]
[ Camera shutter clicking ā½ ā½ ā½ ]
Siya: Hey! Stop!
[ Siya chases and trips the photographer and he falls ]
Siya: Mr. Perry. Waiting for the perfect shot? Or just waiting for us?
Keith Perry: What? What do you mean?
Siya: Letās go, shutterbug.
Ā
[ Veseli sprays the metal-weakening solution on the metal work supporting the apartment building ] [ Sizzling ] [ Veseli cuts wires. A timer begins a countdown ] [ Ressler and Dembe locate Veseli ]
Ressler: Show me your hands!
Veseli: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Iām unarmed. How ābout a horse trade, huh?
[ Ressler holsters his gun to handcuff Veseli ]
Veseli: I show you how to undo the damage Iāve just done, and you let meā
[ Veseli spins around ] [ ā”ļø š¤ ā¼ļø Fist š Fight ā¼ļø š¤ ā”ļø] [ Ressler prevails ]
Dembe: Heās alive. But out cold.
Ressler: Uh, mayday ā Weāve got bigger problems over here. You smell gas?
Dembe: Looks like the chemical ate through the main gas line.
āā
[ Cooperās line ringing āļø ]
Cooper: Whatās the update?
Dembe: [ On phone ] The Freelancerās unconscious and in custody. We have one civilian down, and a live incendiary device.
Ressler: Iām willing to bet when this timer goes off, itāll overload the fuse box.
Veseli: [ Coughs ]
Ressler: Gonna be a shower of sparks. [ Mimics explosion š¢ ]
[ The timer is down to 29 seconds ]
Cooper: Agent Malik is working with Arlington County Police to evacuate the building. If youāre down there when the wall goes, youāll drown under tons of mud and silt. You need to leave, now.
Ressler: No, thereās not enough time to get everyone out.
Dembe: Then weāre not going anywhere.
[ Cell disconnects ā½ ]
āā
Dembe: I donāt know which wire to pull. Any one of them could set it off.
[ 16 seconds remain ]
Ressler: What if we cut the main power?
[ Ressler grabs the emergency hatchet and smashes the mechanical box (ā¼ļøSMASHā¼ļø) ]
[ ā ā ā ā ā ā ]
Ressler: No power, no sparks, noā [ Mimics explosionš¢ ]
Dembe: Better than any idea Iāve got.
Veseli: [ Coughs šØ ]
[ Unnoticed, Veseli has gotten to his feet ]
Ressler: Letās hope this works.
Veseli: [ Coughing šØ ]
[ Ressler strikes the box again (ā¼ļøSMASHā¼ļø) ]
[ Beeping š
š
š
š
š
š
]
[ Alarm šØ blaring ]
Veseli: [ Coughing šØ ]
Ressler: All right. No power, no sparks. Weāre good.
[ Dembe turns around ]
Dembe: No. Weāre not.
[ Veseli is gone ]
Ā
[ Ressler and Dembe exit the building, coughing šØ ]
[ Dembeās cellphone ringsāØ]
[ Both coughing šØ ]
Red: Rogelio just got a tip ā the collapse of an apartment building in Arlington.
Dembe: [ On phone ] Yes, we got it.
Red: Is everyone safe?
Dembe: For now.
Red: Good.
Dembe: But Veseli got away.
Red: That is not so good.
Ā
[ An interrogation room at the Post Office. Photographer Keith Perry talks to Siya and Ressler ]
Keith Perry: It started with a photo. Six or seven years ago, I was covering this reception at a hotel near Dupont. A big fundraiser thing. I was getting nothing shots, so I went around to the back of the building. Thought I could get someone sneaking in, sneaking out. I see someone standing on the curb over by the loading dock. I swear to God, itās Raymond Reddington ā talking with this Latino guy. But before I could get my camera ready and snapping, Reddington steps into the street, ducks into a waiting car, and is gone. [ Chuckles lightly ] I get aā a blurry pic of the back of his head. I couldnāt sell the damn thing anywhere. Nobody would believe me that it was Reddington. I got one outlet to pay me for it. Tabloid. Even they speculated. God, if I couldāve just proved it, it wouldāve been one helluva payday. Then, all of a sudden, a few months ago, someone shows at my door and wants to know about the photograph. Said he worked for somebody. Umā Wu-something.
[ Siya and Ressler exchange glances ]
Keith Perry: They wanted to know about the photo and who the guy with Reddington was. Then they said they wanted me to take some new photos.
Ā
[ Rogelioās home ] [ Red is packing a bag. Rogelio walks in with a covered plastic dish ]
Rogelio: You really canāt stay for dinner?
Red: Sadly, itās time for me to head back to New York.
Rogelio: Soledadās paella is legendary. It has a cult following. And itās not nearly as good reheated.
Red: Iāll be the judge of that. Rogelio, please tell your lovely wife that her hospitality, much like her paella, is unrivaled. Yours as well. Your sheets are truly the finest I have ever slept on. I have the utmost faith in your new business endeavor.
Rogelio: I hope youāll give us an endorsement when the time comes.
Red: [ Laughs ]
Rogelio: You can be in our first commercial.
Red: Wouldnāt that be something? But the least I can do is invest. Tell me how much you need.
Rogelio: Ah, that ā Thatās generous, Raymond. But no, thank you.
Red: A hundred thousand?
Rogelio: You donāt understand. Iā I donāt need you to invest. Working for you, Iāve grown my intelligence network from the city to the region to the entire country. Iāve built a nice nest egg. So, Iām using it to help pay for my dream.
Red: Youāre evolving, my friend. You donāt need me anymore.
Rogelio: Raymond, no, Iād never dare say that. Yeah, I owe you. Everything. I just donāt need you for this.
Red: Well, the day you do need an investor or a spokesman who happens to be on the most wanted list, click your heels and there Iāll be. In the meantime, I need two sets of those sheets. Queen size.
Rogelio: Claro. You got it, amigo.
Ā
[ Resslerās next NA meeting. He talks to the guy the Team Leader pointed out to him. His name is Jonathan Pritchard ]
Ressler: Hey. You, uh, nauseous?
[ Ressler offers him a cup ]
Jonathan Pritchard: Yeah, thanks.
Ressler: Yeah, the first weekās the hardest. Feels like your, uh, bloodās on fire?
Pritchard: Yeah, and your veins might explode.
Ressler: Mm-hmm.
Pritchard: At least, at this point, Iām praying they do. [ Chuckles ]
Ressler: How many days are you?
Pritchard: Uh, four. Uh, four and a half.
Ressler: Mm. Donāt knock the half. Itās an accomplishment. I know it doesnāt seem like it at this point, but it is.
[ Offers his hand ] Donald.
Pritchard: Jonathan.
[ They shake hands ]
Ā
[ Cooperās kitchen. Red is visiting ]
Red: How did Mr. Hambright work out for you today?
Cooper: Heās actually proven to be quite useful. More than once.
Red: Quite a character, isnāt he?
Cooper: [ Chuckles ] To say the least. Youāre headed back up the turnpike?
Red: Iāve got that coaster to ride. Listen, I told Agnes that saltwater taffy will be the order of the day on my next jaunt through the Garden State. So beware, Iāll be bringing her a bundle.
Cooper: Maybe she could share it with the boy sheās got a crush on at school.
Red: Agnes has a young suitor?
Cooper: Sheās only told Charlene. Iām still waiting for her to come to me with the news.
Red: I admire the relationship youāve built with her. Fatherhood isnāt for the faint of heart.
Cooper: Some days I find myself wondering ifā if everything else is worth it. The job. The Blacklist. How much it takes me away from her. I miss that little girl every moment Iām not with her.
Red: Yeah. And I hate to tell you, but weāre not getting any younger, Harold.
Cooper: No, weāre not. And it seems like every time we stop a threat, it just begets three more.
Red: Itās a disastrous domino effect. Taking down Marvin Gerard sets in motion a chain of events that eventually sinks a ferry.
Cooper: And The Freelancer is still out there. Do you think he has anything else planned for us?
Red: I havenāt the foggiest. Wujing has gotten what he wanted.
Cooper: He did, didnāt he? Itās the one thing I havenāt been able to stop thinking about.
Red: What?
Cooper: Photographs of the task force. Concrete evidence. Now that Wujing has them, whatās he planning to do with them?
[ Red puts on his fedora, straightens the brim ]
Red: Time will tell.
[ Red turns, slaps Cooper and the back and heads out ]
Ā
[ Three months earlier ]
[ A bar. Zhang Wei, Wujingās right hand man is at the bar, along with a man named Sven Hollufson. He is a member of the group of Nordic operatives previously led by Henrick Fisker. Marvin Gerard hired the Fisker Army to attack Red when he was with a group of his associates at a remote hunting lodge. Red and Dembe survived, thanks to the FBI, but Redās associates were slaughtered. Red handed Fisker himself over to the FBI ]
Zhang Wei: Thank you for agreeing to meet. I was surprised when you wanted it to be here. And without protection.
Sven Hollufson: I wouldnāt say that.
[ Clears throat ] [ Several of Hollufsonās operatives make their presense known ]
Zhang Wei: I see. You have the high ground.
Hollufson: What do you want?
Zhang Wei: My employer is interested in hiring your ā team ā to remove a common threat. I donāt have to tell you anything about Raymond Reddington you donāt already know.
Hollufson: [ Laughs ] Reddington.
Zhang Wei: It is my understanding that Marvin Gerard contracted your forces to take out Reddington as part of their war last year.
Hollufson: Yeah. And now our colleague, Henrick Fisker, is rotting in a CIA black site.
Zhang Wei: Hm. What if I told you that those two things ā Raymond Reddington still alive and your brother-in-arms in custody, were directly related?
Hollufson: [ Sighs ] Iām listening.
Zhang Wei: Reddington has an immunity agreement and a covert FBI task force that does his bidding and allows him to grow his empire with impunity.
Hollufson: I donāt believe you!
Zhang Wei: What if I can prove it?
Hollufson: Show me proof, and then weāll talk.
Ā
[ Present day ]
[ Zhang Wei and Sven Hollufson meet again ]
Zhang Wei: We fed three tips to part of Reddingtonās intelligence network, and three times his federal pack hounds showed up to investigate before they were declared a crime.
[ Zhang Wei lays out photos taken by Keith Perry ]
Zhang Wei: Agent Donald Ressler, FBI. Agent Dembe Zuma, FBI. Agent Siya Malik, a curveball, is actually MI6.
Hollufson: Interesting. Hm.
Zhang Wei: To say the least. So, does this satisfy your requirement for proof? What do you think?
Sven Hollufson: I think you should tell your employer that we are very, very expensive.
Ā
āāā 10:7 Freelancer, Part 2
Ā
For S10 Episode 10:7 The Freelancer, Part 2: šÆ EW Recap ¤ š
Photo Gallery ¤ š¹ Music Videos ¤ š Script link: https://wp.me/pDKwi-eos [ āyou are hereā ]
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š“ Episode Songs
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ā« ā Check Tunefind for any additional music for this episode
ā« Sweet Revenge
By MLCKāŖ Iām down in bones of your casualties
You dig up demons like a sweet addiction
Feeding me fear so you can take control, youāre gonna crumble, crumble
Mhm
Donāt you see youāre drowning in your gold?
Heavy eagle weighing down your throat
And now the cracks are breedin up your tower, you crumble, crumble
MhmāŖ Playinā God with that facade, wonāt get you your Camelot
Amen take it in the air
Payback for your wicked lies
Storm clouds rollinā in the high
Singes scorch the crimson sky
Amen take it in the air
Payback for your wicked lies!āŖ Tick tock, tick tock, time is up
Big talk, big talk, I see it cominā
Cominā for ya[Chorus;]
āŖ Just a little bit of sweet revenge
Gotta love a little punishment
Whoa ohhh oh oh ohh
Itās cominā cominā
Just a little bit of sweet revenge
Gotta love a little punishment
Whoa ohhh oh oh ohh
Itās cominā cominā!āŖ The diamond chandeliers are crashing down
You hide from wreckage on your hands and knees
Feels good to see you beg and plead, as you stumble, stumble
Mhm
I watch you struggle as I stand aside
Fallinā faster with that heavy pride
You know I wonāt be there to catch you, as you stumble, stumbleāŖ Playinā God with that facade, wonāt get you your Camelot
Amen take it in the air
Payback for your wicked lies
Storm clouds rollinā in the high
Singes scorch the crimson sky
Amen take it in the air
Payback for your wicked lies!š¹ Return to where this song occurs in script above
Lyrics: https://tinyurl.com/j6fp5dcm
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Hb7RXiLGcSo
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š“ General
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ā Script 10:7 The Freelancer, Pt 2 https://wp.me/pDKwi-eos Status: īFINALī @NBCBlacklist #TheBlacklist My site: BlacklistDCd.com https://twitter.com/BlacklistDCd/status/1645948135934504960?s=20/photo/1
ā Easy-Search Scripts updated thru Episode 10:7 The Freelancer, Pt 2 https://wp.me/pDKwi-e2T#freelancer2 #TheBlacklist @NBCBlacklist My site: BlacklistDCd.com https://twitter.com/BlacklistDCd/status/1646148022965764096?s=20/photo/1
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