First Person POV (Kaira)
Of all the damn things that could've happened, this had to be one of them. Parker brought a damn FBI agent into our bar. And he was the FBI agent that we ran into not only in Los Angeles, but in Boston. Luckily I wasn't in the bar when Parker came in with Todd McSweeten. But you bet your ass I was running down to look into the bar with Nate and Parker.
"No, no. Parker, you do not bring an FBI agent into our bar." Nate told Parker.
"Especially one who knows who we are." I pointed out, trying to not yell.
"No, our cover's not blown. McSweeten still thinks I'm Special Agent Hagen." Parker said.
"Who agreed to help him break into Portland FBI last night." Nate pointed.
"What the hell were you thinking?" I asked Parker.
"I'm doing this because he needs us." Parker explained.
"So do the victims of Oliver Schmidt's Ponzi scheme. I've been planning that takedown for months, all right? I-I-I don't have time for this." Nate argued.
"Nate, he's about to lose his father." Parker revealed.
And now I can't be angry.
"Please, just go talk to him with Kaira. For me." Parker begged us.
We all looked back at McSweeten at the bar. Nate and I went behind the bar and got McSweeten a drink, and I got one for myself. McSweeten told us a bit about his dad.
"Pancreatic cancer. Doctors said we're out of options and I could take him home, so that's what I did." McSweeten explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Nate said.
"I'm sorry to hear that." I said apologetically.
"Agent Hagen says you're a profiler who's helped the FBI solve impossible cases, and you're also a profiler specializing in undercover work." McSweeten said.
I am relieved that our covers weren't blown.
"I take it you got one involving your father." Nate realized.
"My dad was an FBI Agent here in Portland for over 40 years. He took a lot of bad guys off the streets, but none of that is gonna end up in his obituary because of the one that got away. Before my father dies, help me do one thing for him. Help me bring D.B Cooper to justice." McSweeten said.
I tried to hide my shock. D.B freaking Cooper. Nate and I talked with McSweeten a bit, then we walked out. I could tell Nate was reluctant to take this case. Once we got through the doors, I stopped him.
"You don't want to do this, do you?" I asked Nate, getting snippy.
"Kaira, we don't have time to do this." Nate argued.
"Yeah, we do. Look, McSweeten's dad doesn't have a lot of time left. Let's help him before he goes." I argued. I go to walk away, upset, when Nate stopped me.
"What's this really about, kiddo?" Nate asked me.
I scoffed.
"This is about you keeping secrets again. We all agreed we wouldn't do that anymore, especially when it involves this team." I argued.
"It doesn't affect the team." Nate assured me.
"Does it? Cause your stunt with Eliot at Congress suggests otherwise." I got loud.
I calmed down.
"Look, I'm not asking you to tell me what it is, Nate, but you have to someday. And if it involves the team, please don't let it get in the way of the job." I compromised.
Nate just nodded.
"I want to help McSweeten." I told Nate.
"Kaira-" Nate was about to argue.
"No. We are helping McSweeten. He's about to lose his dad, Nathan. And he's never asked us for anything. Let's just do this one thing. Please." I begged Nate.
He agreed.
I left and we met back up at HQ. Hardison had the information about D.B Cooper's heist. We were at the table. Eliot by me, Nate standing behind his chair, Parker and Hardison next to each other, then Sophie at the end, standing. Nate told the team the job.
"Wait. The number-one unsolved mystery in the history of American crime - that's our new job?" Hardison questioned. "No, our job is to take down Oliver Schmidt. This is just a detour. Sophie?" Nate explained.
Sophie walked up to the screen.
"It's 1971, the day before Thanksgiving. A 727 takes off from Portland bound for Seattle. It is hijacked by this man, a passenger who goes by the name of Dan Cooper." Sophie explained.
"Wait. I thought his name was D.B Cooper?" Parker questioned.
"That was misheard by a reporter at the scene, and then it was repeated until it became gospel." Hardison explained.
I just kinda chuckled at how offended Sophie looked.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your swooning. Go on and swoon." Hardison told Sophie.
"He shows the stewardess what appears to be a bomb. He demands $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. He gets them. Then he does something no one expects. Somewhere over the Cascades, which is near to where we are now. He jumps, and he just - he disappears forever." Sophie explained, fangirling.
"Sophie, just real quick - you had a poster of D.B over your bed when you was, like 15. Tell the truth - you did, didn't you?" Hardison questioned Sophie.
"So what? What if I did?" Sophie said.
"Don't tell me you made out with the damn poster, Sophie." I commented.
"Wait. Let me save us a little trouble here, okay? The guy jumped from 10,000 feet, yeah, but it was seven below zero. He's in a 1971 parachute. He jumped in bad weather over dense woods. He didn't survive. Case closed." Eliot pointed.
"Wait, there was no body ever found? Okay, that only happens when someone is actually alive." I added.
"All right, this is - this is probably just a, you know, a waste of time." Nate said.
"What?!" Parker and I both questioned.
"But I promised that we try. So, I'm gonna go talk to McSweeten's dad, and, Hardison, you're gonna follow up on the old case file." Nate ordered.
"The old case file that Parker stole?" Hardison questioned.
"Yeah." Nate said.
"The one that's, like, 80 volumes long?" Hardison continued.
Eliot was laughing.
"Don't worry. I got you some help." Parker said.
"And I'm helping. And if it'll make you feel better, I'll force Eliot to help." I said.
Hardison smiled as Eliot stumbled, causing me to chuckle.
"Sorry, babe." I patted his back.
A bit later, Hardison and I went downstairs to meet with McSweeten Sr.'s old partner, Steve Reynolds. We met him at the entrance at the bar.
"Mr. Reynolds." Hardison went to shake his hand.
"Special Agent Thomas?" Reynolds shook Hardison's hand.
"You can call me Alan. This isn't a Bureau matter." Hardison said.
I went to shake his hand.
"And Special Agent David?" Reynolds shook my hand.
"Please, call me Sarah." I gave a small smile.
"Call me Steve." Reynolds said.
We started walking.
"I was Peter McSweeten's partner on the Cooper case." Reynolds explained.
"Well, we're gonna be working with Mr. Dalworth here. He's a private consultant." Hardison introduced Nate, who was sitting at the bar.
"Well… anything for Perer, but, uh, you should know this wasn't just a case for me. It was personal. My, um, late wife was a stewardess on the plane." Reynolds said.
I felt bad for the man.
"I'm so sorry to hear that." I said apologetically.
"Oh. Wow. Well, then, you're the right man to ask. It seems everyone has a theory about Cooper. What's yours?" Nate asked Reynolds.
"About a year after Cooper vanished, Richard McCoy hijacks a plane out of Denver, gets caught, sentenced to 45 years. Some time later, he makes a gun out of dental paste and breaks through the prison gates in a garbage truck. Dies in a gunfight with the FBI. There's a fella in Florida, a Duane Weber, admitted to being Cooper on his death bed in 1995. You want a theory? Take your pick." Reynolds said.
I took him upstairs as we started working.
Third Person POV
Nate and McSweeten went to Peter's house to talk to him. Peter was reading "The Odyssey of Homer". McSweeten said he'd be back soon, and Peter said goodbye. Nate introduced himself as Nick Dalworth. Peter and Nate started talking about the case. Peter said about being in different criminal's heads every day, which Nate responded, saying if he said he didn't leave it all at the office, he'd be lying. Peter then told him a story.
The day before Thanksgiving, 1971. It was his first day as Chief of the Seattle Office. He was saying goodbye to the people in the Portland office. Peter was the type to give compassion, not only to the victims, but to the perpetrators. On the flight, Copper handed Stephanie Ritter a note, and she became his connection to them. And that everything they know about Cooper, they got from Stephanie. That's when Stephanie read the note, and Peter went to the airport. Only Stephanie and the two-man flight crew knew what was happening. Peter had asked about he demands, which was $200,000, a refueling truck to meet the plane in Seattle, and four parachutes.
Peter went to the Seattle office, and was told an assault team was ready to take the hijacker out. Peter told Felton, to radio the pilot and tell the hijacker to release all passengers, and he'd get his demands. Felton questioned McSweeten's intentions. Peter thought the chutes were a bluff, and he was gonna land. Felton asked how he knew that, and Peter said it was the same way he knew the bomb's a fake. Cooper let the passengers go, only keeping Stephanie, the pilot, and copilot. Stephanie opened the door to the plane and McSweeten promised to get her out of this safe. The pilot told them that Cooper wanted to fly to Mexico City, at 10,000 feet, and the flaps at 15 degrees.
Peter guessed he was gonna end up in Reno, and used math to figure that out. Felton questioned what it was based on, and Peter said his 55 combat missions in Korea. Stephanie said that someone opened the door to the plane, and by the time they got to Reno, Cooper was gone. Stephanie described Cooper to the sketch artist. And after that, Peter was transferred back to Portland, and it basically was a demotion. Then D.B Cooper became a folk hero.
First Person POV (Kaira)
Hardison, Reynolds, and I had been going over the files and records. And we found something, so we called Nate.
"Yeah, uh, yeah, what do you got?" Nate asked us over the phone.
"Records of a farm mortgage held by a Daniel Cooper. It got paid off in 1972." Reynolds said.
"The IRS flagged it, but since agencies didn't share info back then, it was never forwarded to the FBI." Hardison added.
"And even better, he was army airborne. A paratrooper. And his last known residence is in Portland." I finished off the news.
"Sophie's en route. I'll keep you posted." Hardison said.
We hung up.
Third Person POV
Peter recognized the look on Nate's face. D.B Cooper had gotten to Nate, and Peter knew Nate wasn't gonna rest. Peter then said how finding D.B Cooper became his reason to be on the Earth. And on Christmas Eve, things changed.
Even Todd wanted D.B Cooper because of how much Peter wanted it. Peter went to Stephanie's house, asking for an I.D. Stephanie said she wasn't sure. Then Stephanie introduced Peter to Steve Reynolds, her husband.
Steve thanked Peter for helping Stephanie. Then after some talking about how the world was changing, Peter offered Steve a job in the FBI, and became his partner.
First Person POV (Kaira)
I was at the table in the office with Steve. Hardison came into the room.
"Hey, Steve. Did you ever think that you would end up in the FBI?" Hardison asked.
Steve sat down and chuckled.
"Well… after what I went through in the war?" Steve chuckled at the memory.
"I never thought I'd live this long. You know, it's fair to say that the day that Peter McSweeten knocked on my door, he saved my life." Steve said.
I smile a bit because I know exactly what that's like. Having someone come into your life that saves you, gives you a new purpose in life. That person was Nathan Ford.
Third Person POV
Peter was still telling his story to Nate. Years and suspects went by. And there was a break in the case. A family had found cash from the ransom washed up on a riverbank. After that, everything changed. Pete realized that he may never find D.B Cooper, but that doesn't mean he and Steve couldn't do some good. And they took over the cold case unit.
Nate then got a call from Sophie. She was at Daniel Cooper's grave. He died in 1968, three years before the hijacking. Another dead end. Sophie then told Nate that Cooper died abroad in Vietnam, which is why Hardison and Kaira couldn't find a death certificate and reiterated it was three years before the hijacking. Nate then dialed Hardison.
First Person POV (Kaira)
You know, the more I look into D.B Cooper's hijacking, the more I realized was wrong with the case. Our only D.B Cooper lead was a literal dead end. And the more I realized what was wrong, the more I realized that we may never figure out who D.B Cooper was.
And he was getting to me. He was this mystery that I needed to solve. Why he did it, what happened to him, how did he just vanish out of thin air, all these questions were clouding my mind. And I know Eliot isn't with me right now, but solving this impossible puzzle with Hardison and Steve, I was having fun.
Hardison went to grab a file from the stack in the other room, and I was at the board with Steve. While I wasn't vibrating just yet from the amount of coffee I drank, I was getting close. I could hear Eliot's voice in my head telling me to drink some water. So I was drinking from my water bottle. I sat the bottle on the table and walked back over to the board, which had some information on it. I was looking at the board, trying to figure out the most complicated puzzle in history, and I caught Steve looking at me. I had my left hand on my face, trying to think.
"You married, Sarah?" Steve asked, and I saw he was looking at my wedding band.
"Yeah, three years now." I chuckled, putting my hands in my jeans pockets.
"He's currently working another case." I explained.
Steve smiled slightly.
"I can tell he's a lucky guy." Steve said.
I chuckled again.
"Oh, I'm the lucky one, believe me. I don't where I'd be without Eliot." I said, smiling a tad.
"You Army?" Steve asked me.
"Yeah. Well, used to. Joined when was 19. That's actually when I met Eliot." I smiled, remembering that day.
"He changed your life." Steve realized.
"He did. I can't imagine losing someone like that." I looked at Steve.
"I know you loved Stephanie, and I know she loved you. I'm so sorry." I said, apologetically. Steve just nodded and we went back to work.
That's when the phone rang again, and Hardison came in.
"Yeah, Hardison. What else did you find in the case file?" Nate asked over the phone.
"It's not what's in here. It's what's missing. There's no DNA evidence, even though they pulled hairs and fibers from the hijacker's clothing." Hardison explained, walking over to the table and setting the file on the table.
Steve and I walked over.
"You know, I retired before that stuff became important, but I know where it must be stored. The crime lab." Steve explained.
Third Person POV
McSweeten and Parker went to get the file. Well, more like Parker went to get it while McSweeten was in the van. Nate was still at Peter's house. He asked Peter if he had any regrets about the case. Peter's only one was that Todd had a hard time growing up in the shadow of D.B Cooper.
Turns out, there was another break in the case. Michael Novak had came forward, saying the composite sketch might've been wrong. Eight years after the fact. Then Peter got another call from Todd. Peter left, leaving Steve to do the interview. Peter drove to where Todd was as asked him what happened. Todd told him that a bunch of kids asked him to borrow his bike to find a lost dog, and ended up stealing his bike.
Todd asked why this always happened to him. Peter had told him that every day he chased bad guys, some worse than others. And pretty soon you see everyone the same. It was easier, as you wouldn't get used. Todd said he wouldn't find any lost dogs. Peter told Todd it wasn't a weakness to see the good in people and trust. Peter still believed that, as the people he arrested were humans, and something drove them over the edge. He also believed in redemption. Even Cooper.
Peter asked Nate if he believed that. Nate said he didn't, but he wished he did. Peter said he was worried about Todd. Nate caught on that Peter was worried that the hunt for Cooper might change Todd. Peter said that sons would avenge their fathers defeats, and Nate caught onto the Odysseus connection.
Peter told Nate that he didn't have to find D.B Cooper, he was gone in the darkness, but make sure Todd didn't follow him. It was nighttime already. Nate said it was getting late. They said goodbye and Nate left.
First Person POV (Kaira)
After getting barely any sleep thinking about the D.B Cooper case, early in the morning we were back in the office looking through stuff. And I got coffee for us all. I was helping Nate look through files, and Parker was helping Hardison at another table. Hardison walked over.
"Hey. What's in the DNA file?" Nate asked Hardison.
"The DNA never made it to the main case file because it was contaminated by the investigating team. Everybody's DNA is in there - Cooper's, Reynolds', McSweeten's, the lab techs'." Hardison explained.
"Yeah, I was afraid of that. That's what happens sometimes with old cases when they predate modern forensics." Nate pointed out.
"Great, so we're back at square one." I groaned.
"No, I prefer "back to the drawing board". It's more hopeful." Nate said.
I then heard Parker's phone going off.
"It's McSweeten." Parker said, walking towards us a bit as she answered the phone.
"Hi." Parker answered the phone.
"Hey-" Parker's face dropped after that as she listened for a minute.
"Yeah. I'm sorry. Okay." Parker hung up the phone.
It didn't take much to figure out what had happened. Nate walked around the table and I stood by Hardison.
"His dad died last night." Parker said, upset.
Tears filled my eyes and I know I'm gonna cry. And the only thing my body is wanting me to do is hide. So I leave and go up to the stairs. I start crying into my hands. And I still feel horrible. Then in between my sobs, I hear the stairs creek. I look up and see Hardison and Parker. They sit on each side of me. Hardison on my right, Parker on my left. I just lean into Hardison and start crying in his shoulder, and I feel Parker rubbing circles on my back.
"We got you." Hardison said, barely above a whisper.
"It's okay." Parker's voice was soft.
After a few minutes, I do start feeling better. I sit back up, and Hardison and Parker make sure I'm okay before they went back down the steps. I just sit there, thinking. I then hear more creaking, and I look to see it's Nate. He comes up beside me.
"You okay, kiddo?" Nate asked me, keeping his voice soft.
"You know, Nathan, I-I never got to say goodbye to my dad, or my mom." I wipe the tears off my face and exhale.
"The day it happened, I had gotten up late by accident and I barely had any time left before the bus came. Dad was waking up and my mom was rushing to get breakfast ready for me and dad, and my lunch. And I was rushing to get to the bus on time, so after I wolfed down the waffles she made for breakfast, I grabbed my lunchbox and left. Dad was coming down the stairs as I was leaving. I said "I love you" as I ran out the door, but I never said goodbye. I mean, what kid does that?" I started getting upset again, and Nate just held me.
"You were just a kid, Kaira. It's not your fault." Nate assured me.
I sit up and calm myself down again. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, Nathan." I apologized.
"It's okay, kiddo." Nate said, his hand still on my back.
"I'm scared that I'm not gonna be able to say goodbye to you, Nate. I don't know what plans you have, but I know one day, you're gonna leave. I mean, you can't do this forever. But I'm scared that I'm not gonna have the chance to say goodbye to my dad again." I told Nate.
He wrapped his arm around me and I snuggled into his shoulder and tears startewd forming again.
"It's okay, kiddo. It's okay." Nate said.
He stayed there for a minute. After a bit, we met with McSweeten and Steve in the bar. Nate was behind the bar, pouring us shots. I was sitting beside Parker, then MCSweeten, then Steve, then Hardison.
"We should be drinking coffee. Dad loved his coffee." McSweeten said, chuckling lightly.
"Yeah. He'd let it get ice cold and top it off all day long. Drove me crazy." Steve laughed.
I can't help but smile a bit.
"What else do you remember about him?" Parker asked.
"Well, he was a hell of a shot." Steve said.
"Yeah, but a terrible driver." McSweeten chuckled.
Steve laughed.
"That's true. One time, we're in this high speed chase, and he plows us right into this restaurant dumpster. Pow! What a mess! So we get out of the car, we're looking at damage, and this girl comes running up to us and says somebody attacked her and that maybe she thought he was the CIA or one of the Russians. She's tripping on acid. She's a runaway. So I'm ready to hand her over to the paramedics. Peter's got her in the backseat of the car. "Take us to him," he tells her. We found the guy! He's in the bus station! And the next day, he takes us to the woods where he's buried three other runaways. I say to Peter, "Hey. This girl, she was-she was strung out. She was ranting. I mean, how did you know?" He said "All I heard was that she was afraid." So…" Steve got done with his story, somber.
He raised the glass.
"Here's to Peter McSweeten. Who couldn't drive a lick." Steve toasted.
We all raised our glasses and down the alcohol.
"I want to thank you again for trying. From now on, the hunt for D.B Cooper is on me." McSweeten said.
I catch that look in Nate's eye. The look in his eye when he has an idea. He leaves the bar, and I follow. I watch as she looks at the sketch. I then hear Parker's footsteps.
"What are you doing?" Parker asked.
"Working." Nate said.
He walked up to the sketch on the sceen.
"You hear what McSweeten said back there? This was gonna be his fight now?" Nate walked back over to the table.
"I'm not gonna let that happen." Nate promised, looking at Parker.
After I don't know how long, Nate, Hardison, and I weren't getting any leads. I sat at the table, bowl of cereal on the table, coffee right next to his. Papers and files filled the table. The screen was filled with D.B Cooper's sketch. In front was the clear board, which had more papers on it. Nate and Hardison were both pacing, thinking.
"Michael Novak was a 10-year-old passenger on the plane when he told Steve Reynolds that D.B Coooper looked different than the sketch." Nate pointed out.
"Yeah, but he only remembered after eight years. And he saw him for all of, what, 10 seconds? The stewardess - she was on the flight, sitting next to him for five hours straight. She studied every inch of his face." Hardison said.
"Guys, seeing things can bring back memories. Maybe he saw something and he remembered the face he saw. And trauma also blocks memory sometimes too. And maybe it's possible the stewardess misremembered Cooper's face." I pointed out.
"What do we know about this case? What do we know about this case? I mean, we don't have a suspect. We have hundreds of suspects. We don't even know if he survived the jump, right? The only thing that we have for certain - we have this sketch. This sketch that was provided by the stewardess's description. That's the only thing that no one has ever questioned." Nate said, pacing with Hardison.
Nate stopped and looked at the sketch, his mind going. He pushed the board out of the way. I walked up beside Nate as we all looked at the screen.
"Where was the stewardess sitting when the FBI interviewed her?" Nate asked.
Hardison pulled up the map of the plane.
"On the plane. Why?" Hardison questioned.
"And what was the in-flight magazine?" Nate asked.
Hardison went behind to his laptop and pulled it up.
"Sky Class." Hardison said.
"Show me the back cover." Nate said.
Hardison found the back cover, a magazine in the back of the seat.
"Enlarge." Nate said.
The photo of an ad for cigarettes. But I very quickly realized that the face of the guy on the ad looked like D.B Cooper.
"Hardison, pull up the sketch, please." I said.
Hardison did.
"Son of a bitch." I muttered.
Nate and I faced Hardison, who was confused.
"Now, why would she lie?" Hardison asked.
I ended up going to bed because I was exhausted, and couldn't think straight. So, when I woke up, Nate wasn't there.
Third Person POV
Nate drove to Steve's place and rang the doorbell. Steve let him in, saying he wanted to ask some questions. He picked up the picture of Stephanie, saying she was beautiful. Steve said he missed her, saying she'd been gone 10 years. He then left to get tea he was brewing.
As Steve left, Nate asked questions. First, he figured out that Steve and Stephanie got married in 1972. Then Nate turned around to see Steve holding a gun and a briefcase. Then McSweeten came in, wondering what "Uncle Steve" was doing. Steve knew that Nate knew. That Steve Reynolds was D.B Cooper. Nate then asked Steve to tell them the real story of D.B Cooper. Steve said he'd been carrying it around for a long time.
Everything had started out how the original story went. Steve handed Stephanie the note and asked for a bourbon and water. He put on his persona, asking Stephanie if she was scared, she was, and thought he was crazy. She did. He took off the glasses and hat and asked again if she thought he was crazy. He explained to her that he wasn't doing this because he wanted to, but because he made a promise. Stephanie asked who.
He showed her the dog tags of P.F.C Daniel Cooper, a friend who had died in his hands. He told him that he was gonna take care of his family, and that's what he was gonna do. Stephanie said she didn't want to die. She then said that the ring she was wearing was for show to keep the drunks away, saying she wanted to get married and have kids. Steve said he wasn't gonna hurt her, or anyone. He asked if she believed him. She did. Stephanie asked what he wanted her to do. He asked for another bourbon and water. Then there was a knock on the plane. He told to to tell them that if they tried anything, he'd set the bomb off. Stephanie agreed.
Then later, when the aft doors opened, Stephanie caught him trying to leave. He warned her to stay back. Stephanie was yelling, saying he wouldn't make it. Steve said there was only one way to find out. Stephanie said that maybe it should've been him instead of his friend, and it didn't matter. He then caught her before she fell. She told him not to do this. Steve asked why she cared. She didn't know.
Steve helped her up, promising to see her again. And he kept his promise when he showed up at her door. They shared a soft kiss. They got married and were happy. And that Christmas when Peter showed up, Stephanie told him to leave, and she didn't want to lose him. Steve assured her she wouldn't, and to be cool. After the talk, Stephanie wondered why Steve didn't leave. He didn't know, and wanted to see his face. He thought Peter was taunting him by offering a job. Stephanie pointed out he might be telling the truth, wondering why Peter would come to their home like that, adding that Steve could run now, and it didn't make sense.
Steve wondered if she was serious that Peter wanted his help to find D.B Cooper. Stephanie said yes, and that he should. Steve pointed out that he was D.B Cooper, which Stephanie pointed out was why it was perfect. If he was right, then they already knew who he was, and it was only a matter of time before they caught him.
But if Stephanie was right, they would never find D.B Cooper. Steve questioned again, asking Stephanie if she thought he should do it. Stephanie said he was gonna have to be at the top of his game, one slip up and it was over. Everyone at the house was now sitting down, processing everything.
"How'd you figure out he was D.B Cooper?" McSweeten asked Nate.
"Daniel Cooper died in the TET offensive. And it wasn't that hard to figure out that Steve was in his unit, and there was another reason that the physical evidence was contaminated by the investigating team." Nate pointed out.
"What about the money?" McSweeten asked.
"It paid for a dairy farm Dan Cooper's family. Buried some in the woods… in case I got caught. That's what the campers found." Steve explained.
"You know, there's one thing that I just couldn't-couldn't quite figure out. The kid witness on the plane. Novak. Now, you interviewed him. How'd you fool him?" Nate asked.
"Well, years of lying taught me one thing. Look someone dead in the eye." Steve said.
He stood and looked at McSweeten.
"Your dad was like a brother to me. Nothing will ever change that." Steve said, holding out his hands to be cuffed.
McSweeten put the cuffs on Steve and escorted him out. McSweeten put Steve in the back of the car. Then Nate stopped him. McSweeten said he was a criminal and belonged in jail. Nate asked if that's what he wanted, and McSweeten said yes, and it was what his father wanted for than anything else. Nate then told McSweeten that his dad had a gift that he believed was passed onto him. He said Peter could see goodness in people. And because he did, he did bring D.B Cooper to justice.
McSweeten then let Steve go and went to his place, grabbing the book and the Christmas list from when he was a kid. Later that night, at the bar, Nate told McSweeten he did the right thing. McSweeten asked if Peter knew. Nate told McSweeten that his dad knew that Steve Reynolds deserved a second chance, and asked if that was enough. McSweeten said yes, and offered Nate the book. Nate declined the Oddysey book, but McSweeten insisted, saying he helped ended the odyssey for his dad. He left.
Sophie walked in, hoping it meant Nate wasn't going back out to sea. Nate asked Sophie if she could choose someone from "The Odyssey" who most resembled him, who it was. Sophie said the hero, Odysseus. A cunning warrior, and master of disguise, and it means trouble in Greek. Nate said he was like a siren. Sophie knew what he meant, saying he sung the songs that lured sailors to their death. Nate said it wasn't just any song. Sophie said no, the song that offers their deepest desire. Nate said that when they first started this thing they do, he said the team knew what they could do, but he knew what all they could do together. That was his talent.
And Sophie pointed out that now he offered people like Oliver Schmidt their desires to destroy them. Nate said that once you spend most of your time inside the minds of bad people, looking for their weaknesses and flaws, it's all you see in everyone. Sophie said that wasn't what happened to Peter McSweeten. Nate said that Peter McSweeten wasn't Jimmy Ford's son. Sophie asked what Nate wanted to do. Nate said he wanted to build something.