Designated Survivor

- Previously on "Designated Survivor"... - Gun!

No!

Several bullet fragments lodged in your chest.

We need to operate as soon as possible.

Sir, you're now the acting president of the United States.

They found the shooter. They're waiting for you at Command Ops.

President Kirkman would have wanted to take him alive.

That's a mistake. Give the order. Shoot to kill.

Execute.

Target neutralized.

Mr. Atwood, your son will be safe

as long as you do everything I tell you to do.

Hannah Wells? That's who they have in custody? Find out what she knows.

And if the president wants answers, I'll give them to one person.

The president himself.

Clear the floor!

I understand you have some things

you want to tell me about Peter MacLeish.

Yes, sir. I do.

MacLeish was hiding in a bomb shelter?

Moments before the explosion,

there was a 34-second gap in the broadcast feed.

He knew exactly when to leave his seat.

He was involved from the very beginning.

What a monster.

The man who shot him, MacLeish knew him?

Yes. They served together in Afghanistan.

Former CIA operative Nestor Lozano, code name "Catalan."

Sir, I don't have all the pieces, but I did feel I had enough to go

to Speaker Hookstraten before MacLeish was confirmed.

Damn right you did. What exactly happened there?

I was attacked on the way to the hearing.

I was on my way to meet Speaker Hookstraten

at the Rayburn Building.

Someone T-boned my car, tried to strangle me.

I got away, but he took my file.

Luckily, Agent Ritter was able to secure another copy from the agency.

I feel so stupid.

MacLeish fooled everyone, sir.

Not her. She saw right through him.

Mr. Vice President.

- Seth, I thought you'd be at the hospital. - Just got back.

- How is he? - Recovering rapidly.

The president should be back in the residence by the end of the week.

Great news.

Speaking of news, sir, we noticed your team...

uh, that your team scheduled a press conference for later today.

Yeah, I think the people need reassurance

that their country remains in capable hands

with President Kirkman in charge. - It's an admirable sentiment.

Just, uh, curious about the timing.

Perhaps we could take a look at your remarks.

It's handled. Thank you, Seth. Thank you.

So, MacLeish was working with Al-Sakar.

Al-Sakar isn't behind the bombing.

I beg your pardon?

When I interviewed Majid Nassar, he told me

that he took responsibility for the attack

in order to divert us from the real conspirators.

Well, if it wasn't Al-Sakar...

I mean, MacLeish couldn't have done this on his own.

- Who is he working with? - We don't know yet.

Charles Langdon is involved.

President Richmond's Chief of Staff? I thought he died in the bombing.

I can personally verify that he survived the explosion.

I saw him myself. In fact, he's hiding out in some...

- Hey. - I'm sorry.

Agent Wells, this is my wife, Alex.

- Pleased to meet you. - Ma'am.

Please continue.

Respectfully, sir, this information is only for you and your security team.

- Agent Wells, I promise you... - No, no, it's okay, Tom.

I'll come back.

I assure you that wasn't necessary.

- Mike, please... - I'm sorry, Mr. President,

but I have to agree with Agent Wells.

The First Lady isn't a part of your security team.

She doesn't have code-word clearance.

She knows about the threat assessment...

And that was a mistake, sir.

You didn't say that at the time.

I'm saying it now.

Mr. President, we're dealing with a conspiracy

that's so deep, so dangerous that nobody's safe.

And not only is sharing information

with outside personnel a threat to national security.

It also puts the people you confide in at risk.

Sir, you need to tighten your circle.

Okay.

What do we do now?

I want MacLeish in custody as soon as possible.

Ordinarily, I'd say we consult with the Attorney General.

But we don't have an Attorney General.

I know someone we can trust. Can I reach out to him?

Okay, good.

I've got an office you could use.

We can get you in and out through covert access

and maintain your cover story you're still in police custody.

- You need to stay in the shadows. - Okay.

I want you to come back to me with a plan on how to get MacLeish.

The son of a bitch is gonna pay.

You can't stop him?

The vice president has the authority to schedule his own press conferences.

Hey, what's this about a MacLeish press conference?

The vice president has the authority to schedule

- his own press... - I understand that, but why now?

You'd have to take that up with MacLeish.

I'd like to, but I have a laundry list of action items from POTUS.

- When did you speak to him? - About an hour ago.

No, he didn't say why you were looking into the phone calls I made

2 1/2 years ago. And, frankly, I didn't think it was the right time to ask.

- Keep me posted, all right? - Am I missing something here?

Anyone?

Why me?

Because you're a former U.S. attorney.

You're a man of absolute integrity.

And right now, the president needs a legal advisor who's above reproach.

What you're asking is just a little above my pay grade.

Well, it's above all of our pay grades.

What we're talking about is completely unprecedented.

But the president needs counsel,

and I might have already told him that we can count on you.

So... can we?

Well, when you sweet-talk a guy like that, how can I refuse?

Through these past weeks, President Kirkman

has shown himself to be a leader we can trust,

a leader who has the virtue and strength

to keep this nation united, and I couldn't be more thrilled

to be welcoming him back to the helm.

The assassination attempt and the Capitol bombing

were attacks on the very foundations

of this democratic republic, and they failed...

- Did you know about this? - Seth gave me a heads-up.

- Time and time again... - Wow...

He's got some nerve going out on his own like that.

Woven together through common values.

I'd like to thank the brave law-enforcement officers

who brought the...

I need to go back to the White House.

Yeah, well, you'll be out of here soon enough.

No. I mean now. I can't just sit here.

Tom, you just got shot. You are lucky to be alive.

Alex, the people that are behind this are still out there.

There's a traitor in the White House. I'm not gonna find them by just sitting here.

Okay, Tom, I need to tell you something.

What?

Minutes before you got shot, Emily found out that it was Aaron

- who made that call to the Pentagon. - What?

Why the hell is Emily

talking to you about stuff like this? Why didn't she come to me?

This is the first opportunity that we've had.

And with regards to Aaron,

there has to be some kind of explanation.

I mean, any number of people could have asked him to make that call.

Okay, but we have to consider the possibility that it is him.

Fine, then I'll talk to him, confront him with the evidence,

- and he can explain himself. - You can't.

Tom, you yourself said just the other day we can't trust anyone.

I watched Aaron fight tooth and nail to protect and secure my presidency.

I know. I know.

If Aaron is involved with the terrorist - if -

and you confront him and you show him your hand,

you're putting yourself at even more risk.

It's not exactly like I can freeze him out until I get to the bottom of this.

I need his help.

But there has to be a way to keep him at arm's length

without arousing suspicion.

This is unbelievable.

I mean, the resources involved and the planning...

a conspiracy that reaches all the way to the vice president.

I'm sorry I doubted you.

It's not just the Bureau. The whole country owes you a great debt.

Thank you, sir.

Unfortunately, this isn't enough.

What? Why?

It's one thing to know MacLeish is guilty. It's another one to nail him for it.

What more do we need? I have the photos.

- I have the... - You're talking about accusing

the vice president of the United States

of being involved in one of the greatest crimes in history.

We need direct evidence tying him to the conspiracy.

We don't even have enough to detain him, much less make him sweat.

Then we find grounds. We... We get someone

to apply the heat, and we flush him out.

Who?

The gunman was our best bet.

He's dead.

MacLeish has other partners.

Right. I thought you said you didn't have a lead on her.

I don't. But Jason Atwood might.

Jason.

Hannah.

Leave us now. Thank you.

I had them turned off.

No eyes, no ears, just you and me.

It's good to see you.

How... How are you? What happened to you?

It's nothing. I'm okay.

How are you?

How's my family? How's Luke?