Along Came a Spider Page #3

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What do you see?

I see...

No, I mean about me.

What do you see about me?

That's why you're here,

isn't it?

Size me up. Evaluate

your primary material witness?

I see that you're about

to start an argument.

I need to help get her back.

What makes you think

I want a partner?

- You don't. I can understand that.

- That's right.

- No, you can't.

- Can I tell you why I don't care?

Shoot.

Look, when I was

assigned to Cathedral,

it was a job

I didn't want.

It's a far cry from working

rope lines or flying Air Force One,

but I have been there

for three years.

I have been responsible

for Megan for three years.

And that little girl means

more to me than even a partner.

Can you understand that?

I suppose so.

Even if I say no, you'll probably

follow me around wherever I go.

So, if it's a choice between

having you as a partner...

or as a stalker, I guess I'll

take my chances with a partner.

Thank you.

The student drop-off is there.

That's my morning post.

Students sign in. Cameras are

there, there, there and there.

Motions sensors

all around the periphery.

Foolproof way to keep

the kooks out.

Exactly. We were always looking

in the wrong direction.

- Which door did he go out?

- Uh, that one there.

It's a straight shot

to his parking space.

Let's go in.

- His classroom.

- Mm-hmm.

He was teaching how everything

on the Internet is connected.

Alex, you got a sec?

Sure.

Listen, I think turf wars

are a total waste of time.

If I was out of line

last night, I apologize.

Don't. I've been there.

- Anything you need, let me know.

- Sure, Mac.

[Agent Hickley] Dr. Cross,

you might want to see this.

- This was Megan's desk?

- Yeah.

- What are you doing?

- Scoping GIFs.

Graphic Interchange Formats.

They're all Stego-encrypted.

Somewhere among the billions of

zeros and ones making this image...

- is a string of text.

- I know about this.

It's the cutting-edge method

of passing notes in class.

It's driving the teachers nuts.

How long before

you can access it?

Try never.

You don't crack Stego

without a password.

Would you take me

to his office?

Oh, when you find Soneji,

ask him for the password.

He planted a monitoring virus

on the girl's hard drive.

Every keystroke Megan hit,

Soneji was recording it.

[Computer Beeping]

Good move, Jezz.

Angling for a position

with the D.C.P.D. I like that.

Dr. Cross,

Agent Ben Devine.

Agent Devine is security

systems supervisor.

Well, for now.

We're going to be thrown

to the wolves,

as soon as they find

Megan Rose dead in a ditch.

Now what makes you so sure

that's what's going to happen?

Me getting fired

or the girl in a ditch?

Sorry.

I'm having

a pessimistic day.

Tell me,

Soneji, did he... did he ever show

any interest in what you do?

How you do it?

The man never talked to me.

I never talked to him.

Well, thanks

for your time.

- Hello.

- [Thunderclap]

What?

What do you think

that is?

- An empty frame.

- Mm-hmm.

Otherwise known as...

[Jezzie]

A missing picture.

[Chattering]

[Hickley]

You onto something?

Our missing picture.

Mm-hmm.

Our Mr. Soneji

has a sense of humor.

He didn't just kidnap a little girl,

he turned it into a game.

[Whispering]

Okay.

Let's see what you know,

Mr. Lindbergh.

- My, my.

- What do you got?

Dr. Cross isn't

in cyberspace anymore.

You're at a live site,

looking through a video camera.

Those arrows down there

move it.

Where are we?

I would guess

we're in Soneji's home.

Now we're supposed to

find out where that is.

[Woman]

Oliver MacArthur's office.

Yeah, it's me. Hold on.

How about the files?

- There... on the wall.

- There's a...

Can you zoom in there?

- [MacArthur] "Jonathan... M"...

- [Jezzie] "E"...

- [Jezzie] "M-E"...

- [Hickley] "L "?

You can't move that around,

can you? It's stationary.

[Alex] No, there's something

somewhere else, I guarantee that.

- [Hickley] Right there.

- [All] There.

- [Hickley] You can...

- [Agent] Focus.

- Bingo.

- [Hickley] M-E-R...

[Agent]

"Merc"...

"Mercusio.

M- E-R-C-U-S-l-O. "

- "Fourteen... thirty-two... "

- [All] "Thirty-five... "

- Granville.

- Gary Soneji is also known as...

Mercusio, Jonathan,

Well done, Alex.

[Sighs]

[Agent] In, in, in!

[Continues, Indistinct]

Eyes open!

- There.

- [Agents Talking, Indistinct]

[Footsteps Running Upstairs]

[Agent]

Not until we get the go-ahead.

His surveillance

was better than ours.

He's been at this

for years.

Imagine the patience,

the dedication.

You sound like

an admirer.

Well, he's...

he's like a spider.

And I happen to

like spiders.

[Agent] He had

an elaborate setup here, boss.

Want to see how he

stayed clean at school?

It laminates a plastic veneer

over your hands.

Look at this.

It's foam rubber. Looks like he

was wearing prosthetic appliances.

I understand the Secret Service

are being cautious tonight.

There is speculation that a full

investigation is under way into...

[Boat Horn Honks]

[Man #2 On TV] Yes, Kevin,

one of the Secret Service agents...

[TV Off]

Evening.

What's the problem?

Help! Help me!

You've got a rule 21 problem...

no running lights.

Again. I just replaced

the fuses yesterday.

Help! Help!

Sir, no running lights.

You're gonna have to follow us in.

Help!

Please, help me!

Well, let me see what I can do

with the fuse box.

Hold on. Hold on.

I'm in here! Help me!

I'm in here, help!

Help! Help!

How's that?

Thanks a lot, fellas.

Help!

Help me, please!

[Sobbing]

Help me, please!

Help me!

"And before the hood

was pulled over his head,

"he bragged

to his executioner,

"They think that when I die,

the case will die.

"They think it will be

like a book I close.

"But the book,

it will never close."'

Soneji was quoting the final words

of Richard Bruno Hauptman.

I'm sorry.

I don't follow.

of Charles Lindbergh,

America's greatest hero,

was kidnapped.

When Bruno Hauptman was arrested,

what followed became known as...

"the crime of the century. "

I believe that Soneji

wants to do the same thing.

You think we're dealing

with a copycat.

Something like that.

Dr. Cross...

what does he want

from you?

He's brought me in

and left this trail...

because he wants me to make sure

that he's properly appreciated.

But in order for him

to achieve this...

he has to kill Megan.

No, no,

not necessarily.

The death of the Lindbergh baby

was accidental.

Nevertheless, it's critical

that we pull his strings.

The more we make him

a living legend,

the more likely he is

to keep Megan alive.

[Man] Dr. Cross,

you've been brought into this case,

what can you tell us

about Gary Soneji?

I can tell you that Soneji

is very determined,

obviously highly capable and we

consider him a serious adversary.

[Reporter]

What about Megan Rose?

[Cross] Megan Rose

is Gary Soneji's ace.

As long as he has her,

he's in control.

[Clattering]

Sir, would you assign

as many agents to this case...

if she wasn't

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