In Kansas, scientist Jared irradiates wheat seeds. Geneticist Laurel Taylor comes up behind Jared and complains that he's working on a Sunday. Joussef K. of Orambaq calls and asks what the final experiment shows, and Jared says that it's more deadly than he hoped, and he had help as he glances over at Laurel. Laurel secretly listens in on the call and Joussef tells Jared that he wants to use the virus before the wheat season ends so Jared must return immediately. Jared sees Laurel listening in and sets the phone down, then goes over to her. Laurel says that he lied to her about handing their work over to the university. They struggle and start a fire, and Jared shoves Laurel back onto the pointed end of a metal rack. The door of the laser irradiation chamber opens and Jared grabs the Petri dish of seeds. Laurel slams the door shut, trapping Jared in the chamber. She dies and the laser goes off, burning Jared.
Jim gets his briefing from an attendant at the San Francisco Zoo. He's informed that Joussef is the Minister of Science and Development in Orambaq. He's a terrorist who is trying to impress his superiors with his plan. Jared, Joussef's protégé, developed a genetic virus capable of destroying a nation's wheat supply. The protégé came to the U.S. for the advanced technology and obtained Laurel's help. A laboratory fire left Jared disfigured, and he's now recovering in a DC hospital after plastic surgery. The team must destroy the virus in Orambaq.
At the apartment, Jim tells the others about Jared's plan. They found the contaminated seeds in his hands after the fire. The virus makes wheat seeds vulnerable to UV light and thus sunlight. Grant alters a photo of Laurel and Jared, substituting Shannon. Jim explains that they have to get into Jared's laboratory in Orambaq and eliminate all of the contaminated seeds. The lab is in the middle of a military compound, but Nicholas says that they can have Joussef let them in. Joussef is on his way to the U.S. to get Jared out of the hospital. The IMF has kept Laurel's death a secret so that he'll think Shannon is Jared's lover.
At the DC Memorial Hospital, Grant anesthetizes Jared and puts a microcamera in the frames of the glasses Nicholas will be using, and it has a transmission life of four hours. The lenses also let Grant send Nicholas text messages. Joussef arrives early and Max takes out Jared on a gurney. Nicholas takes Jared's place, bandages on his face, and Grant poses as his surgeon. He tells Joussef that he rebuilt "Jared's" face and his speech may be affected. Joussef insists on taking Jared with him and finds Shannon at Nicholas' bedside. Nicholas embraces Joussef and introduces Shannon as Laurel. He says that Shannon saved his life and can be trusted. Joussef warns that he needs to use the discovery immediately due to political pressure. Nicholas tells him that he can duplicate his work at his lab in Orambaq, and the bandages will be off in 24 hours. He insists on taking Shannon with them, saying that her knowledge in genetics is vital. Nicholas assures her that he'll get medical attention if necessary, and tells Shannon that she'll be there to help. Joussef has no choice but to agree.
The next day in Orambaq, Joussef takes Nicholas and Shannon to the military compound with the lab. Meanwhile, Jim and Max arrive at a nearby closed shop where Grant is already set up.
Shannon removes the bandages, revealing Nicholas' "new" face after the plastic surgery. Joussef demands to know who Nicholas is, and Nicholas insists that he's Jared. Shannon directs him to the mirror, and Nicholas puts on his glasses and stares at his "new" face. Nicholas plays out discovering that he has a new face, telling Joussef that the doctors had to rebuild it. Shannon plays along with Nicholas, and Joussef leaves, apparently satisfied. Before he goes, he says that the compound is impregnable and no one can get in or out.
Nicholas and Shannon go for a walk and send images of the compound via the eyeglass camera.
That night, Joussef meets with the couple and Shannon pleads fatigue. Nicholas goes with her and Joussef takes the coffee cup that Nicholas was using. In the bedroom, Nicholas removes the fake fingertips that Grant made from Jared's fingers.
At the safe house, the three agents spot heating equipment and figure that it leads to the lab. There are also water pipes for the sprinkler system and a tank of high-octane fuel. Jim tells Max to take a closer look at it in the morning. There's a truck nearby, and Grant figures out how they can get in.
The next day, a soldier drives the truck with grain and comes across Grant, sprawled on the road. Grant tranqs the soldier, Max joins him, they drag the soldier out of sight, and Grant takes the man's place while Max crawls in the back and hides beneath the grain. They enter the compound and the head soldier, Mukhta Demir, repeatedly jabs a pitchfork into the grain. Satisfied, he tells the soldiers to let Grant through. As Grant dumps the grain, Max gets out clutching at his leg where Mukhta grazed him, and says that he'll look for a way into the lab.
As Grant drives out, he fakes engine trouble. He tells Mukhta that he'll need help to push it clear, and Mukhta insists that Grant pushes along with the soldiers while he steers. Grant slips away, gets to a computer, and takes the disk with the personnel file. He then returns to the truck and continues pushing until it's clear, and then drives away.
Joussef, Nicholas, and Shannon enter the lab. Mukhta joins them and Grant feeds Nicholas Mukhta's name. They explain that Nicholas is Jared and Grant sends him the name of the technician, Ismahan Farad. He introduces Shannon to Ismahan and Ismahan merely glares at her. The irradiation chamber lights goes off, and Nicholas stares at it. Joussef asks if there's something wrong, and Nicholas says that he was in it the last time he saw a similar one. Ismahan asks Shannon if she's Nicholas' lover, and says that twelve months ago it was her business and possibly it will be again.
Nicholas, Joussef, Ismahan, and Mukhta go off to inspect the wheat Mukhta has been growing. Once they leave Shannon alone, she radios Jim. Jim tells her to substitute the phony seeds that they've prepared for the real ones, and Grant warns that there's 130 seconds between radiation bursts. Shannon enters the chamber to make the switch.
As Nicholas and Joussef admire the wheat, Ismahan goes back to the lab. Nicholas sees her and sends the camera transmission to Grant, who warns Shannon. Shannon makes the switch, and Ismahan notices that the chamber door is open and closes it without seeing Shannon hiding inside. Once Ismahan leaves, Shannon discovers that she can't get out.
Grant sends Nicholas a message that Shannon is trapped. He fakes a migraine and goes to the lab with Joussef. Nicholas asks for painkillers, and when Joussef goes to get them, Ismahan comes in. Nicholas sets a Bunsen burner underneath the chamber wiring then rejoins Joussef and Ismahan. The wiring burns out, taking out the power, and Nicholas opens the chamber under cover of the darkness. Shannon slips out and joins them, and Jim figures that they have to destroy Jared's research while Max sets up the lab's destruction.
Max goes to the fuel tank and realizes that it's close to the sprinkler water pipes.
Nicholas erases the computer with Jared's research.
Joussef meets with General Hakim and says that there have been unavoidable delays. Hakim warns that they have no sympathy for failure, and Joussef says that America will be on its knees in a matter of weeks.
Max knocks out a soldier on guard.
Nicholas tells Joussef that they need a week to recreate the work lost in Kansas. Joussef demands that they be ready in a day, and threatens to kill Shannon if Nicholas doesn't succeed.
Max takes the fuel hose and puts it into a sprinkler pipe.
Ismahan discovers that the research files have been erased. She tells Joussef that Nicholas and Shannon are responsible, and Joussef tells her to carry out their plan with the seeds that he thinks they still have. He orders Ismahan to get the seeds out of the irradiation chamber, which is on a countdown to the next cycle. Joussef seals her in and says that safeguarding the records was her duty. He walks off as the radiation cycle counts down, gets two soldiers, and confronts Nicholas and Shannon in Nicholas' bedroom. He says that he checked the computer and figures that Nicholas has sold his discovery to their enemies for money. Joussef calls in the soldiers and has them arrest Nicholas and Shannon for treason.
That night, Max goes into the wheat-growing room to test the timing device for the sprinkler system. Mukhta comes in and he hides below the catwalk before they can see him. Once Mukhta leaves, Max climbs back up and Mukhta comes in, gun drawn. Max kicks the gun out of his hand and the two men fight. Mukhta knocks the remote out of Max's pocket and then steps on it, and Max manages to knock him over the railing where Mukhta falls to his death. Max almost falls over the railing as well but manages to pull himself up. Once Max confirms that the remote is destroyed, he radios Grant and says the timing device is destroyed. Jim has him get a bucket from the lab to rig a timing device.
Nicholas is handcuffed to the bed in his room, and asks a soldier to bring him his eyeglasses. The soldier obliges and Grant realizes that his teammates are arrested... just as they planned.
Joussef takes Shannon to his office and slaps her, saying that she has to testify against Nicholas or she'll die with him.
Max gets the bucket, ties it to a support in the tiled roof, and runs a wire from the bucket to the sprinkler trigger. He then opens the valve so that the gasoline slowly fills the bucket.
Come morning, a car arrives to take Nicholas and Shannon to the people's court. Hakim and his tribunal are serving as the judges, and Joussef charges Nicholas with treason. Hakim warns Joussef to be careful or he'll find himself before the tribunal as well. Jim arrives posing as a lawyer for Amnesty International, and says that he's there as Shannon's attorney. Joussef insists that Shannon is a witness against Nicholas, and Jim asks Nicholas if he requires representation. Nicholas agrees and Hakim says to let them talk.
Grant sneaks into the compound and knocks out a guard.
After conferring with Nicholas, Jim calls Joussef to the stand. Joussef says that Nicholas sold out to the Americans, and Jim asks if Joussef sold out as well. Jim then calls Shannon, who testifies that she didn't help Nicholas destroy the research. She acknowledges that Nicholas is guilty, and Nicholas dramatically confesses. He says that Joussef ordered him to destroy the research so that Orambaq could never have it. Joussef insists that he was going to destroy their enemies, but Nicholas says that he sold out to their enemies and Jim asks Joussef if he was going to destroy the research facility.
The bucket fills to the point where it falls, breaking the electrical wiring. The sparks set off the fuel, starting a fire.
Hakim tells Joussef that he's guilty. The lab explodes, shaking the courtroom and seemingly proving Nicholas' claim. Hakim has everyone placed under arrest, unaware that Max has taken the place of one of the soldiers. The team watches as the soldiers drive off with Joussef.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 4, 2018