02x20 - Honor Among Thieves

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Baltimore Maryland Let's go.

F. B. I., Behavioral Analysis Unit Quantico, Virginia Excuse me, agent.

I need to speak to Agent Prentiss and one of her superiors.

Uh, she's in a briefing.

Yes, well, it's extremely important.

Mother?

I found my father's car last night when I took out the garbage.

The door was open, and his bag was on the ground, but he was gone.

Gone?

He's been kidnapped.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Have you been to the police?

They came directly to me.

As I think you can understand, agent, they don't easily trust the authorities.

There are protocols, Ambassador Prentiss, the local police.

There's an FBI office in Baltimore.

Yes, but you do handle kidnapping cases, don't you?

Yes. - The B. A. U.?

I'm--it is your mandate.

Yes, when necessary.

Mrs. Chernus' brother, Natalya's uncle, worked for me at the embassy in the Ukraine.

Be that as it may, there are channels these cases must go through, and if our particular expertise is required..

(speaking in Russian)

Please.

We don't have time.

It's just not something that's up to us.

I told you they wouldn't help.

Mama.

Officials are the same everywhere.

Please. It's already 8:15 in the morning.

The kidnappers left a note demanding $100,000 be wired to a bank account in Moscow by noon today.

That's less than 4 hours.

They say if we don't, they'll send another...

Piece every 6 hours after.

Another piece?

Criminal Minds S02E20---

"Honor Among Thieves"

An old russian proverb reminds us, "There can be no good without evil."

Where are you taking that?

We need to process it.

Nyet. Pazhalusta...

She wants his wedding ring.

Please, let us hold the cooler.

It'll be here if you need it.

Agent, it's fine for now. You can leave it.

Yes, sir.

This note's in russian.

I need to know the exact text.

"Wire $100,000 to nadka bank account, "number 155293846729 by tomorrow noon.

"If you don't-- if you don't, you'll receive "another body piece then and every 6 hours after."

That's it exactly?

Exactly. I'll never forget it.

There's no personalization, no salutation?

It's not addressed to anyone?

Your father's name isn't mentioned specifically?

No.

That's odd.

Most ransom notes are personalized.

Frightens the families to know that they've been specifically chosen, watched for a time.

It doesn't even say not to call the police.

Russian expats don't have the greatest experience with their home government.

They tend not to trust officials.

Well, there's another reason they aren't worried.

According to the note, they aren't planning on contacting them again.

It's completely self-contained.

They expect their instructions to be followed.

We don't have $100,000.

They seem to think that you do.

Garcia, can you get any information on the account?

I'm already checking.

The account number does seem to correspond with that bank.

Can you get the account holder's name?

I have no idea how russian banks store their data, how their servers are structured.

We'd have to call the bank directly.

No way.

There's no way a russian bank is gonna give information on personal accounts.

Well, I could try to go through the embassy in Moscow.

Wh--and say what? The FBI is looking for information on russian citizens' bank accounts?

I mean, if we were lucky, we'd spend the next 6 years drowning in red tape.

I can make some calls.

I may still have some friends in the eastern countries.

That would be a great help, Ambassador.

If you'll excuse me.

We don't have much time.

We need a division of labor.

Um, morgan, somebody needs to go to the Chernus house in baltimore in case they are contacted again.

We got it.

I wanna be there.

That's a good idea.

Are you fluent enough to stay with the mother until we get a translator up here?

I'm passable.

Then Mrs. Chernus should stay with us.

I'll meet with Agent Cramer in Baltimore...

Ok.

See if he has similar open cases.

Baltimore Maryland We're landing already?

25-minute flight.

Never knew 25 minutes could feel so long.

And 3 hours could feel so short.

She doesn't look scared.

She looks determined.

She's a tough girl.

When we get to the house, take her inside.

Profile the rooms while you profile her.

What am I lookin' for?

Anything that helps.

Can I get you something, Mrs. Chernus?

Water?

Thanks.

Your mother's got feelers out.

She's confident she can get results.

Well, if anybody can, it's Ambassador Prentiss.

How's she doing?

How would you be?

Right.

Uh, Agent Cramer is meeting Gideon and Reid at the Chernus house.

This is the translator. I've already briefed her.

Will you introduce her to Mrs. Chernus?

Come on.

Right this way.

Thank god.

I'm really not very good at russian.

Oh. Uh, if it would be all right, I would like to go help my mother.

All right.

Keep me up to date.

Baltimore Maryland Agent Gideon.

Long time, no see.

Agent Cramer.

Remember Dr. Reid?

Absolutely.

Been briefed on the case?

Didn't need to be.

Been working these mutilation kidnappings for over a year.

Really?

Yeah, and I got zipped.

No one cooperates.

Families don't.

The witnesses don't.

Hell, even the victims aren't talking.

I must have a dozen guys walking around with missing ring fingers.

Why?

'Cause we're dealing with criminals.

Obviously.

Not just the kidnappers, genius.

I'm talkin' about the victims, too.

These are russian criminals kidnapping other russian criminals.

Are you sure?

It's the russian mob.

These guys are bold, efficient.

There's no regard for leaving evidence, and let me guess.

In the note, there's no warning not to go to the police.

There's a clear assumption that they won't.

So you think the chernus family's involved in organized crime.

Well, these guys are ruthless, but they don't normally kidnap civilians.

They target people they know have money they snuck into the country-- other mobsters, other criminals.

They won't go the police, because they have something to hide themselves.

Only, this family did come to us.

And they don't have any money.

Well, they all say that.

Get garcia on the horn.

Your friendly neighbourhood oracle of all things knowable and unknowable at your service.

Garcia, I need you to do a background search on the entire chernus family.

The victims?

Yeah, get us everything you can on them-- financial records, employment, immigration status.

We need that as soon as possible.

I know. I know.

We're on the clock.

I will compile and reconnect forthwith, junior G-man. Oracle out.

Junior G-man?

If the chernuses are hiding anything, Garcia'll get it to us.

Alright.

Why are they just standing around?

Natalya, that's the head of the local office out there.

It wouldn't do us any good to go running around without any information.

What kind of information do you need?

Sometimes that's not clear until we actually find it.

Just the three of you living here?

I had 2 brothers, but they d*ed of diphtheria when we were children.

I'm sorry.

It was a long time ago.

Andrei was 4. Sergei was 6.

I was 5.

That must have been terrible.

It was hard on my parents.

Uh, what's that circle over there to the right?

The Obochek.

It's a pooled monetary fund the groups use for bribes and other types of support.

And where does that money come from?

Nobody really knows.

I'd guess it comes from any number of sources, above and below.

It really is just an open pool of cash that any Pakhan can use almost without question.

Excuse me. Cramer.

Penelope Garcia from Quantico.

Put her through.

What do you have, Garcia?

Ok, finding information on this man not as easy as you think.

Arseny Lysowsky, born 1940 in Dolgoprudniy.

Seems to be a lifelong criminal.

I have no employment records of him at all.

Married Katya Fulenko in 1960.

She d*ed 2 years later.

He served 23 years in 4 remote prisons in perm.

That's a remote region of the northern Ural mountains, for those of you playing the home game.

He seems to be in America legally and I have searched every nook and cranny of the Chernuses' lives and I have found nothing even remotely untoward.

They're law-abiding, taxpaying american citizens.

Thank you, Garcia.

Vory v zakone.

The thieves code.

Breaking any of those tenets is punishable by death.

"Forsake all relatives, mother, father, brother, sister."

"Not have a family of his own."

"No wife. No children."

Family makes you vulnerable.

Lysowsky owns a restaurant called little kiev.

Well, you're not gonna find too many civilians eating there.

But it doesn't say anything in here about helping a nonthief.

No, sir.

Well, why would he offer to help the chernuses?

Well, the chernuses are probably fellow criminals.

Why--why do you kidnap the father, and then you offer to help get him back?

If I understand this man, it ju-- just doesn't make any sense.

Where would he be right now?

Probably where he always is, in little kiev restaurant.

Anything?

Her contacts fell through.

Really?

Apparently she's not infallible.

Was there something else?

No. Uh, I just wish there was something more we could be doing for this family.

We still have over an hour.

Yeah.

Are you hungry?I can make something.

Oh, no. No.

Thanks. I'm fine.

I guess I'm like my mother.

When she's upset, she cooks.

Heh. Really?

Yeah, mine does, too. I think that's just a, uh, mom thing.

Where is your mother?

Chicago.

That's where I'm from.

I'm from Dolgoprudniy, just north of Moscow.

You expecting someone?

No.

It's uri.

Lives down the street.

Go ahead.

A man said to give this to you.

What?

He said you needed it right away.

Get in the house. Get in the house.

Welcome to little kiev.

These tattoos are like books on their skin gives their whole life story.

Well, these guys are nothing if not dedicated.

This all the information you have on additional kidnappings?

Like I said, no one cooperates.

Most of those pictures, the guys with the missing ring fingers we had to take 'em from surveillance vehicles even when we confronted them and asked them about the obviously fresh wounds, none of 'em would talk.

Vory v zakone.

So they're all criminals?

They were kidnapped, and they aren't dead.

So they're payin'.

Gideon.

They didn't wait, man.

What?

They didn't wait until noon.

What are you talkin' about?

A kid just came to the door, and he had-- they cut off Mr. Chernus' ear.

But the--they got more than an hour left.

They had the kid deliver it in a box with a handwritten note and it says, "we now want $500,000, and you have until 1:00."

Raised the ransom.

Why? Why?

Well, it also says, "say hello to the fbi."

Ok.

What do you want me to do?

Let hotch know what happened.

Where's natalya?

In the bathroom, and she's hysterical.

Let her know we're gonna bring her father home.

Are we?

Yes.

They didn't wait?

They cut off his ear.

They increased the ransom to half a million.

How much money do they think the Chernuses have?

Agent cramer, I'm gonna have to ask you to wait outside while we talk to lysowsky.

Why?

He knows you.

He deals with you on a regular basis.

You're someone he needs to save face with.

I don't want him posturing.

Natalya.

Listen, I know it feels like it may be too late but gideon thinks we may be onto something.

Natalya. Natalya?

Damn!

There is nothing for you here.

No, it's all--it's all right, alexander.

Allow the gentlemen in.

Would you like something to eat?

This borscht is exquisite.

It's my mother's old country recipe.

Didn't you forsake all your relatives when you swore the thieves code?

I didn't forsake her recipes.

Borscht?

No, thanks.

I'd love a taste.

You know, you should take some home.

You will not regret.

We need to talk, arseny.

We are on a first-name basis?

I still don't even know who you are.

I think I understand something about this.

You have a problem.

Thank you.

I do?

That's why you came to the chernuses' house this morning.

I went there to offer my help.

There's no reason I can see for a man like you to help a family like the chernuses.

Man like me?

4 watchtowers and a convict signifies a stay in prison.

Each one of those crosses represents an individual sentence.

23 years in prison in the ural mountains...

Doesn't breed a compassionate friend.

You think you know russian prison life?

I know human behavior.

You haven't where you've gotten in this organization by rching out to civilian families in need.

No, sir. You have a problem, arseny.

Someone in your organization's out of control.

You may know american behavior...

But you don't understand us.

Don't forget your borscht on the way out.

If anyone in odessa learns you have a maverick you lose everything.

Good-bye.

They might even k*ll you.

I am in control.

You know tattoos?

Then you'll know what this means.

You're a thief in law, the boss.

In my world, there is no such a thing as a control problem.

There is controlled... and there is dead.

Mr. Lysowsky...you said you could help me.

Don't you already have help?

I made a mistake.

I talked to my father on the phone.

He's fine.

What?

Thank you for coming, but I don't need your help.

Has something happened?

Yes. The kidnappers didn't wait until noon.

They cut off Mr. Chernus' ear and sent it to his daughter.

Oh, god.

Is he-- no. We don't think so.

But they've given us a new deadline and increased the ransom demand.

You still think I enjoy all of this?

Are they still instructed to wire the money to the same bank in moscow?

Yes. I think so.

Something your computer expert said this morning about if she understood how russian banks hold their data she could get information about account holders.

Right.

After you left, I called gregor back.

He made some calls, gave me this.

He said she would understand it.

Natalya!

Natalya, wait a minute!

Natalya!

What are we doin'?

We're just gonna let her go with him?

What choice do we have, man?

Oh, so what?

What, we get on a plane, we go home and pretend none of this happened?

We have a victim who claims the crime never occurred.

No. We have a daughter of a victim who claims the crime never occurred.

Well, if she says that she talks to him and he's ok, then what proof do we have it even happened?

The body parts.

Where's the ear?

Natalya's got it.

J. J.

Yeah, morgan.

Look in the cooler.

Mrs. Chernus, I need to look inside the cooler.

What?

It's for morgan.

Tell her I-I'm not gonna take anything.

I just need to look inside.

The finger's gone, too.

Natalya. Natalya!

She's not here, and the garbage was never taken out.

What?

When hotch first talked to her, he said she noticed her father's car in the driveway when she took the garbage out.

Right.

Garbage can in the kitchen is completely full.

She never took it out.

She lied.

She could halfway to dogo-wherever by now.

Dolgoprudniy?

Yeah.

It's the town she's from in russia.

Isn't that where lysowsky's from?

It's bread crumbs.

I'm sorry.

It's a set of address strings and passwords a path. See?

I'm jumping from site to site, country to country and each time I get a cursor I put in the next address and password.

It's the equivalent of bread crumbs to hansel and gretel.

What is that?

It's downloading the structure of nadka bank's server to me.

Are you kidding?

Whoever gave these instructions is really good.

So you can get the account information noW.

If I can figure this out.

So we have a daughter who lied about how she discovered the crime none of the missing body parts to prove anything actually happened and a generic ransom note that mentions no names.

So what are we sayin'?

Natalya was a part of this.

How did I not see this comin'?

How could any of us, man?

She sought us out.

We were so blinded by the fact that she trusted us that we never considered not trusting her.

I'm in.

You're kidding.

It's a pretty archaic system once the parameters are understood.

Account number, please?

Ok.

155293846729.

Why?

Why would she even bring us into this?

Yeah. What?

You're sure?

Ok. Thanks.

Garcia just got into the bank's system.

Somebody wired $500,000 into the account 10 minutes ago.

Who wired it?

She didn't say where it came from, but the name on the account is lyov fulenko.

She says that's Lysowsky's wife's maiden name, fulenko.

Why did she need to bring us in?

'Cause she needed to put pressure on the other victim.

Other victim?

Money. 500,000.

It's all here.

You see, old man.

I told you they'd pay money.

We're finished.

Yes, fyodor.

We are finished.

Mr. Gorban, I'm not gonna ask you anything official.

Just have a simple question.

I don't have anything to say.

You were kidnapped once, Mr. Gorban?

When the men kidnapped you, who paid your ransom?

Mr. Gorban, your house, the way you're dressed, you don't have any tattoos--you're not a criminal.

No.

Well, how could your family have paid a ransom for you?

Was arseny lysowsky, wasn't it?

Thanks, mr. Gorban.

Paid the ransom already.

Paid all the ransoms.

SiT.

Are they gonna k*ll mr. Chernus?

No.

Why are you paying these ransoms?

What's goin' on here?

I think I know.

The account is in the name of lyov fulenko.

Lyov's a man's name, a son's name.

Vory v zakone.

Never have a family of your own.

No wife. No children.

"Lyov." You know what it means?

Time's up, old man.

No.

Na-natalya?

When we started this a year ago, we agreed there would be no witnesses.

Where we're going, witnesses won't matter.

No, my love. That is sloppy.

If he tells my father who did this, everything we've done will fall.

He'll hunt us down.

Let me say good-bye to him.

I'm sorry, papa.

I couldn't do it anymore...

Living in that house with my brothers hanging over everything...

The--the sadness and the struggle.

You brought us here so we could have things and we have nothinG.

We're nothing. I need more.

I'm gonna go away, gonna live my life happy.

I'm sorry.

I knew when the first man was taken.

I knew who had done it.

No one else would be so bold and so stupid.

Tell me where mr. Chernus is.

At first, it didn't mean much.

It was a way of letting him earn his own money.

I could afford it.

It came from the fund, and...

No one questions the use of the fund.

Where is he?

What else could I do?

I couldn't admit that I wasn't blessing the kidnappings.

I couldn't even admit that my son existed.

Chernus will be home in a few minutes.

You should be there.

He's going to need medical attention.

Go. Go.

What are you gonna do?

Vory v zakonE.

We take care of our own troubles.

I'll wait outside.

Put the Kn*fe down, lyov.

It's time to pay.

"Happy families are all alike.

Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Leo tolstoY.

We got him.

Mr. Chernus is safe now.

Oh. Good.

We couldn't've done it without you.

Ah. Well, I'm sure that isn't true.

Agent hotchner wanted me to say thank you for him.

Well, tell him I'm glad I could help.

Anyway, I thought you would wanna know how it all came out.

It was nice to feel needed again.

What--what did you say?

Well, I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but...

I am an ambassador without an assignment.

You--you've been without assignments before.

Yeah, but never for this long, and one does begin to wonder.

What? Did I say something wrong?

I don't think I've ever seen you doubt yourself before.

I doubt myself all the time, Emily.

It's just not showing it.

That's what being a diplomat's all about.

Would you like to go to dinner?

My treat?

Definitely.

Yeah.

Yeah. Think I would.