Death Benefit

You are being watched.

The government has a secret system,

a machine that spies on you, every hour of every day.

I designed the Machine to detect acts of terror,

but it sees everything...

Violent crimes involving ordinary people.

The government considers these people irrelevant.

We don't.

Hunted by the authorities, we work in secret.

You will never find us.

But victim or perpetrator,

if your number's up, we'll find you.

The leaked black budget report reveals several classified

military intelligence programs,

with code names like Chalk Eagle and Tractor Rose.

A program designated Northern Lights has...

Northern Lights has a budget far outstripping any other program.

Classified as "operation support

for counterterrorism activities,"

the details are scarce.

Some have speculated that it may be related

to the surveillance of American citizens.

If so, what does that mean for our privacy?

Media got a hold of the program name,

which means your old boss Control just lost it.

Bitch tried to kill me.

Nice to see her head on the chopping block for change.

Anyone connected to the Machine will be burying evidence

six feet down.

Could put the program in jeopardy.

Government can't put the Machine back in the box.

We're still getting our numbers, so the lights are on.

Let's go.

Morning. You guys have the pancakes?

Try the banana chocolate chip... amazing.

What?

No small talk? All right, fine by me.

You have the product?

What's it look like?

You got the money?

One million. We have a deal?

You got it, man.

That fast, huh?

Couldn't even wait to get back to the hotel to count it?

See, Ray, your partner's already picked out a house in Hawaii.

So as soon as you turn your back, he's gonna put two in your head

- and keep all the money for himself. - But guess what, Julio.

Ray here put a down payment on a yacht,

told your girl he'd show her the world.

Five-hundred thousand buys a lot. But a million?

Both of you would take out your partner for that.

- Oh, you little son of a... - Sorry, guys. Deals off.

Sweet dreams, boys.

Fusco can clean this up.

Twenty years in lockup ought to keep 'em from killing each other.

See? Business as usual. Even if the government's program's on ice,

the Machine is still spitting out numbers.

You know Finch, even without Northern Lights,

his machine will find a way to maintain national security.

Really? Well, then who's handling the relevant threats?

- Root. - Hey, kids.

- You miss me between drug deals? - Yeah

I miss you like I miss an intestinal parasite.

I love your similes.

Hop on, Shaw.

We've got a relevant number in Alaska.

We're gonna steal a jet.

Does sound kind of fun.

Send me a postcard.

Turn that frown upside down, Lurch.

You're going on vacation too.

Harold's about to call from DC. He needs your help.

Mr. Reese, I'm afraid our services are required

in the nation's capital.

I heard. On my way.

Finch?

This'll work.

Oh, good, you're here. Sorry, got tied up at the library.

I'm happy to see that you've come prepared for a long haul.

Dare I hope that you've packed something other than weaponry?

There's some trip wire to booby-trap the room door.

And a toothbrush.

Oral hygiene is something, I suppose.

You got a number here in DC.?

It would seem so.

My investigation into Vigilance's activities

will have to wait.

Well, Root is getting the relevant numbers now.

Shaw is with her.

We're entering uncharted territory,

tasked with both relevant and irrelevant numbers.

Already stretched pretty thin, Finch.

And at the worst possible time.

Just when Decima is determined to make Samaritan operational.

Maybe the timing's not a coincidence.

I fear that it may be connected.

These are strange times,

and the threat of Samaritan should not be underestimated.

How do you know it's not already up and running?

Because we'd be dead, Mr. Reese.

The Machine is a shield. It protects lives.

I designed it with safeguards to prevent it being abused

as an agent of destruction.

Samaritan is an open system, a sword.

If it gains access to the government's feeds,

there will be no checks on its power. There will be no limits

to the knowledge possessed by the person controlling it.

Decima would definitely use it to hunt down its enemies.

And as confidants of the Machine,

you and I would be at the top of the list.

So maybe the Machine is trying to protect us.

No, I built it to protect everyone, one number at a time.

- Oh, my. - What?

That's Roger McCourt.

Our new number is a United States congressman?

From Illinois.

Six terms in Congress.

Current ranking minority member of the Pivotal House Rules Committee.

The rules committee controls the flow of legislation,

spurring it forward or stopping it altogether.

If he has that much power, he'll have plenty of enemies.

Given their activities in Washington recently,

Vigilance would have to be a suspect.

However, McCourt's been an outspoken opponent of government surveillance.

Could Decima want him dead?

Perhaps.

But killing a congressman would seem too flashy for them.

Nobody likes the government these days.

Any disgruntled citizen could be the assassin.

We have to get to the Capitol.

You call this music?

Finch? Are you okay?

I'm fine.

Can we put the screeching cat out of its misery?

It's not feline. It's Verdi.

There's a performance of ll Trovatore

at the Kennedy Center that I 'd like to catch.

Next time you can be the disc jockey. We'll listen to whatever you like.

Well, maybe next time I'll just sing for you.

I do a great Ring cycle, you know.

I think I'll skip your Brunhilde.

Suit yourself.

Looks like our congressman is in danger

of catching lobbyist disease.

It's gonna be difficult to get ears on McCourt.

His aide handles all phone activity.

McCourt doesn't want the government eavesdropping on him?

Congressmen know better than anyone

that their employer could be listening.

We'll have to get close to him, narrow down the list of threats.

The Capitol police detail won't let anyone near him.

Congressmen are eligible for Secret Service protection

in the event of additional risk.

No one's made an attempt on his life yet.

The congressman doesn't even know the danger he's in.

Get down!

He knows now. Drive, Finch.

I have to tell you, Mr. Reese, I don't approve of this strategy.

You're the one who said you couldn't make an alias

that would pass Secret Service muster.

I said I didn't have time, I didn't know you were gonna steal

the identity of an actual Secret Service agent.

I'm just borrowing it. Relax.

Order some room service.

Perhaps I will when you tell me what you've done

with the real Agent Abbott.

He's resting comfortably in a motel room near the airport.

Define "comfortably."

Gotta go, Finch.

The rules committee is meeting in ten minutes.

You have your Journal interview at 11:30.

Then lunch at Ocean Grill with Cynthia Carol from Privacy First

to discuss your anti-surveillance initiative.

- Good morning, Leslie. - Good morning, Congressman.

Who's this?

This is Agent Abbott, Secret Service. He's been assigned to you.

- Because of the shooting? - Oh, sorry.

I was thinking more about the business ahead of me today

rather than behind.

Where you from, Abbott?

He's from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tulsa, sir.

Tulsa, Oklahoma. Good people, salt of the earth.

And for tonight, tickets to the Verdi opera at the Kennedy Center.

Do I have to go to this? This sounds like screeching cats.

- You promised your wife. - I could shoot you in the leg, sir.

Pardon me?

Might get you out of the opera.

You know, Duran here, he always wanted to be Secret Service.

Isn't that right, Duran?

At one time, sir.

Well, if you show Abbott some love here,

maybe he'll put in a good word for you.

Oh, and we can dispense with the stoplights today, okay?

McCourt!

Dunphy. You should've called first. My office is slammed this morning.

Is this about the airline contract?

- They're trying to stick it to us, Mac. - Yeah.

Now I'm hearing you might be taking their side instead of the union's?

Dunphy, Dunphy.