Eichhorst looks at the stump of his left hand and then cauterizes it in a fire.
The Past
During World War II, Ukranian soldier Sergei Fetrovsky huddles in a trench and listens to the bullets and the screams of the soldiers. He and his friend Alexei Boiko make a pact that they will survive the war and meet with each other. A shell hits nearby, knocking them both out.
The next morning, Alexei wakes Sergei up. German soldiers arrive above them and order them to surrender, and the Russian soldiers have no choice but to surrender.
Now
Vasiliy drives Abraham through the streets and explains what happened in Central Park the previous night. He says that it was a bloodbath, and Abraham warns that they can't defeat an enemy that regenerates itself every few days. The old man again explains his plan to confine the Master in a box lined with silver and lead. Vasiliy admits that after the slaughter in Central Park, he doesn't know if the city will make it and Abraham advises him to have faith.
At the lab, Eph and Dutch show Quinlan his research into the strigoi communication patterns. Eph introduces Dutch to Quinlan, and explains that if they dissect the creatures then they can work how out how they communicate... and disrupt it. Quinlan says that the Lumen refers to the "silent voice of the Master," and Eph says that they need the black box from the plane that the Master used to arrive in NYC. He and Dutch are surprised when Quinlan immediately agrees to travel to the airfield outside the containment zone.
Abraham tells Vasiliy that they're going to meet with another pawnbroker to get his silver. Vasiliy suddenly turns around and says that his parents live nearby, and he wants to check on them. He drives to the home and the two men go inside. There is blood on the floors and a strigoi charges out. Abraham kills it with his sword cane and Vasiliy realizes that it's his parents' next-door neighbor. The two men enter the Fet apartment and find the place torn apart. Vasiliy's parents are dead on the bed, dead of suicide, and Abraham confirms that they were infected and killed themselves rather than turn into strigoi
At the Stoneheart penthouse, Nurse Carla checks Eldritch. He admits that he's beyond physicians, just as Eldritch's new head of security Sean Duncan arrives and says that the Aurora Cutlass has docked successfully. He hands over the manifest and Eldritch says that he never signed the manifest. Eldritch tells Duncan that it's a forgery and orders Carla to take him to his car so that they can go to the ship.
Eph, Dutch, and Quinlan drive to the checkpoint and the guard confirms that Eph knows what he's doing. Another guard sees Quinlan and Eph flashes his badge to get them through.
Vasiliy and Abraham arrive at the pawnshop and Abraham says that the silver he's looking for wouldn't have been picked over by looters. They go downstairs and find the vault door, and Vasiliy rigs it with explosives. As he waits, Abraham asks what came between Vasiliy and Sergei. Vasiliy says that Sergei was a stubborn man and Vasiliy never lived up to his expectations. They had a fight six years ago and haven't talked since. Vasiliy lights the fuse and they take cover upstairs. The exterminator explains that he broke the silence and warned Sergei to get out of the city, but Sergei didn't listen to him. The two men go downstairs and Abraham says that Sergei took the soldier's way out and spared Vasiliy the horror of releasing him. They enter the vault and find the silver that Abraham needs.
Eph drives through the streets filled with corpses and criminals. When one man threatens the young girl of a family, Dutch has Eph pull over and runs over. Eph joins her and they force off against the five thugs. Quinlan kills several of them and Dutch and Eph finish off the rest, and the family quickly drives off. The half-breed tells Dutch to stay inside the vehicle from now on and licks the blood off of his blade.
Eldritch, Carla, and Duncan arrive at the Aurora Cutlass and the guards refuse to let Eldritch aboard. The man in charge, Cyrus Minow, says that the captain has ordered that no one is to come aboard and the captain isn't there. Duncan warns Eldritch that he didn't bring reinforcements, and Eldritch tells Cyrus not to let anything on or off before leaving.
Eph and the others drive to JFK and make their way through the terminal. The doctor admits that he might have stopped the outbreak if he had listened but Abraham, but now Abraham doesn't want to talk to him. Dutch tells him that he might have to make the first move.
Eichhorst goes to Eldritch's penthouse and says that he knows Eldritch visited the Aurora Cutlass. Eldritch points out that he paved the way for everything, including the ship, and Eichhorst warns him not to overestimate his role as a servant. When Eldritch insists that he answers to no one, Eichhorst tells him that his responsibility is complete. Eldritch figures that the Master won't fulfill his promise of eternal life to Eldritch, and wonders why he's still alive. He figures that Eichhorst is vexed that he's untouchable, and figures that the Master still has a plan for him. Eldritch notices Eichhorst is missing his name, but Eichhorst merely smiles and tells him to enjoy the fall of first NYC and then the world. Once he leaves, Eldritch calls Duncan and tells him to get the manpower they need to take the ship.
Later, Duncan and his men drive to the ship with Eldritch. They board the ship and find the crew dead of broken necks. When Duncan and his people search the hold, they find nothing.
The Past
At a concentration camp in Eastern Poland, Sergei tells Alexei to keep working. Alexei complains that his hands are frostbite, and Sergei gives wraps them and tells him to think of home in his mind. Eichhorst steps out and says that he needs men for specialized nature and they will be provided with better clothing. Sergei volunteers himself and Alexei, and Eichhorst inspects the two of them. He asks if Alexei will be able to fulfill his duties, and Sergei says that they will. Eichhorst tells him to make sure that Alexei is up to the task or he will pay for his failure, and Sergei agrees.
Eichhorst leads the men to a mass grave where the weak and inform are gathered. He says that they must be weeded out, calls a man forward, and gives him a gun. He tells the man to shoot a prisoner in the head, and the man refuses. Eichhorst calls Sergei forward and gives him the gun, and gives him the same order. Sergei aims the gun but then says that he can't do it. Eichhorst tells him to shoot or he'll shoot Alexei, and Sergei says that they're not fit after all. When Eichhorst tells his men to kill all of the prisoners and Sergei and Alexei as well, Sergei asks for the gun and kills the prisoner. Eichhorst kills Alexei anyway and tells Sergei that he chose wisely but slowly. He has Sergei put Alexei into the pit and walks away.
Now
As Abraham melts down the silver, Vasiliy says that his grandfather Sergei also shot himself because he couldn't live with killing his friend. He explains that Sergei was a Holocaust collaborator, killing Jews in the concentration camps. It was the shame of the family, and Vasiliy's father never spoke of it. He became an academic and hated Vasiliy being an exterminator: someone who kills for a living. Abraham says that the war caused many atrocities and assures Vasiliy that his father made the right decision even if it wasn't the easy decision. He tells Vasiliy that he must do for his father what he couldn't do for his: forgive him. Vasiliy wonders what good his forgiveness does, and Abraham tells him that it will set himself free.
Eph, Dutch, and Quinlan go to the hangar and find some alcohol. Continuing their search, Dutch finds a cabinet and opens it. The black box is inside and they take it out, just as they hear gunshots. Quinlan is busy shooting strigoi, and they walk out with what they came for.
That night, Vasiliy and Abraham meet with Eldritch. Eldritch admits that he hasn't found out who the Master's new host is. However, he tells Abraham about the Aurora Cutlass and its cargo of immense importance to the Master. Eldritch explains that the Master claimed the cargo and he doesn't have the strength to pursue the matter further. He insists that he and Abraham share the same gold and asks for the white. Abraham gives him a single dose and says that Eldritch has a long way to go before he receives the formula. The billionaire takes the dose and Abraham warns that its initial effect is traumatic. Eldritch assures Abraham that he won't regret what he's done and Duncan takes him away.
Once Eldritch leaves, Vasiliy wonders what was on the ship. Abraham figures that the Master made an accord with one of the three European Ancients to bring him to America and help finish the job.
When Eldritch returns to his penthouse, he tells Carla to administer the white. She reluctantly does it despite her misgivings, and Eldritch moans in pain and collapses to the floor. Carla is unable to find a pulse, and discovers that Eldritch's eyes are bleeding. He suddenly jerks away and Carla runs off, and Eldritch stands up on his own and realizes that his health is restored.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 10, 2016