The Oligarch's Daughter

Arkady and Polina show Tatyana and Paul their apartment. Arkady not only renovated the place but also bought the neighboring unit and enlarged it. Although tastefully decorated in neutral tones with an eye toward minimalism, the apartment now seems overly luxurious. Tatyana is thrilled, and Paul is confused by her reaction. He assumed that she liked simplicity and wanted distance from her oligarch father.

Paul copies the contents of the flash drive that he downloaded at the storage facility before he gives it to Addison. It contains information about Phantom, the mysterious project he read about in the files at the storage facility. However, it is encrypted, so he cannot read it.

Paul goes to lunch with Chad, and Chad confesses that he’s worried for his life. He thinks that Mr. Frost suspects him of something, and Chad feels unsafe. Later, Arkady invites Paul and Tatyana out on his yacht. Tatyana is delighted at the invitation, and Paul once again wonders about her transformation.

Paul gives the flash drive containing the encrypted information about Phantom to Addison and asks him what it might be. The FBI isn’t sure, but the working theory is that it’s a code word for the source of Arkady’s funds. Addison tells Paul to take pictures of the yacht’s manifest, and Paul hesitantly agrees.

Arkady’s yacht is like a floating palace. There are two swimming pools and enough space for more than 100 staff. Paul is nervous, and Tatyana asks him if anything is going on with him. She says that she has perceived a change in his behavior and says that their relationship has become colder. As they get dressed for dinner, Paul hopes that no one will search his laptop while they are out.

Dinner is an over-the-top, sumptuous affair with multiple courses and expensive wine. Arkady brags that his yacht cost half a billion dollars. Ilya, the man seated next to Paul, used to work for Arkady. He seems nervous and leaves without eating. Paul gets up to use the restroom and finds Berzin and a few other security guards exiting his suite. His blood runs cold.

Paul explores the boat, stunned by its ostentation.

Paul locates the captain’s cabin and quietly photographs the ship’s manifest for Addison. He runs into Polina and is surprised when she flirts with him. This is a new development, and he doesn’t like it. He disentangles himself from her probing hands and rushes back to his suite. On his way, he sees Ilya on a stretcher; he is being loaded into a helicopter.

The next morning, Paul observes Tatyana speaking with Berzin. He doesn’t interrupt, but when he asks her about it later, she is evasive and refuses to provide any details. A call from Arkady interrupts their conversation. He says that he would like to speak to Paul.

When Paul gets to Arkady’s suite, he finds Berzin there, too. Berzin questions Paul about the security breach, accusing him of breaking into the building and the firm’s digital files. Paul angrily denies it. Arkady informs Paul that Berzin is sure that Paul is guilty; however, Arkady remains unconvinced. However, if he does find out that Paul is a “spy,” Arkady assures Paul that he will be punished.

Paul returns to his suite in a panic and relates his conversation with Arkady and Berzin to Tatyana. She already knows all the details about her father’s suspicion and Berzin’s accusation. Nervously, Paul asks her what she believes. Flatly, she informs him that he must have figured out by now that she is “a Galkin.”

When Paul and Tatyana return to their apartment, it is clear that someone was there in their absence. They even left the lights on and moved a few objects around to make their presence obvious—they clearly wanted Paul to know that they had been there.

Paul receives a voicemail from Chad, who has been accused of accessing secret files. Mr. Frost claimed to have a video of him entering the building. Now, Chad fears for his life. He adds that he saw a security team in Paul’s office and cautions him not to go to work the next day. Paul calls back, but Chad doesn’t answer.

Paul feels guilty. He’d worn a disguise to enter the building, but he now realizes that he must have looked just like Chad. The baseball cap, vest, and other elements of his disguise look like Chad’s typical clothing. Mr. Frost calls Paul and curtly tells him to come straight to his office. However, Addison texts Paul, asking him not to go into work. He asks Paul to meet Addison immediately, and Paul quickly leaves the apartment. When he meets up with Addison, Addison informs him that Chad was fatally struck by a car that morning.

Addison tells Paul that Paul was about to be questioned by Berzin and Mr. Frost at work. Fearing for his life, Paul asks if he will be able to enter the witness protection program. Addison frowns dubiously and explains that there is a lengthy process to determine eligibility and that it will take time. He’s not sure if Paul would qualify, and he’s not even sure if they have a solid case against Arkady. At any rate, he notes, it is likely that Paul will have to testify against Arkady if they do have a case. He introduces Paul to his superior, Geraldine Dempsey, a polished, suit-clad woman.

Geraldine is a Russia expert with the CIA. She asks Paul to share his story. He relates the history of his relationship with the Galkin family, piece by piece. Calmly, she adds several details that he’d omitted. She also knows that he kept a copy of several of the files he stole, and she insists that he delete them. Paul tries to negotiate: He tells her that he will delete all his copies if she can guarantee him a spot in witness protection. She replies that she’ll see what she can do. However, it is clear to Paul that he cannot expect help from the FBI or CIA.

A few weeks ago, Paul visited his uncle Thomas’s long-term care facility. One of the patients was a comatose man named Grant Anderson. Paul quickly found the facility’s filing cabinet and photographed Grant’s information. He obtained a PO box in Grant’s name and ordered a new ID and social security number. At the time, he was still hoping to become part of the FBI’s official witness protection program, but he wanted another option in case he was forced to disappear on his own.

Paul returns to his apartment to find Berzin sitting next to Tatyana on the sofa. He explains that he needs to speak with Paul. Tatyana is vaping and seems flustered. She brings in tea and biscuits, already prepared, from the kitchen. This strikes Paul as odd: The Russian custom is to pour tea at the table. Berzin encourages Paul to drink his tea before it gets cold. Suspicious, Paul offers a biscuit to Tatyana’s dog. Tatyana screams and yanks the dog away. Paul immediately stands up.

Paul runs from the apartment. He calls Addison, but he doesn’t pick up. He makes his way back to the office where he met Addison earlier. He is horrified to discover Addison and several other agents lying in a pool of their own blood. Hearing sirens, he flees.

Paul calls Stephanie Trombley, an agent who works with Addison whom he met a few times. She is in a state of panic. She tells him that it was likely GRU, the Russian intelligence agency, who took out the FBI agents. Paul is stunned: This means that Arkady was able to arrange for GRU agents to murder an entire FBI team, in the United States. He hails a cab and directs the driver to Port Authority.

Paul leaves his cellphone in the cab. He is sure that Arkady and Berzin are tracking it. He has already purchased a bus ticket to Chicago, Illinois, and a one-way ticket from Chicago to Quito, Ecuador. He also left behind a book on Ecuador for them to find.

When he arrives at Port Authority, he enlists the help of an unhoused man to buy him a burner phone and a one-way bus ticket to Albany, paying him handsomely for his work.

In the present, Stephen says that he knew Paul’s father, Stanley, first in Vietnam; afterward, they both moved off the grid. He even knows that Paul’s father is currently camped out near the tiny hamlet of Austin, Pennsylvania. Paul learns that there is a vast network of men who live nomadically and maintain a loose connection with one another. They hide in the woods all over the United States and have given up their former lives out of a hatred for government and organized society. Stephen is impressed that Paul managed to live for five years under an assumed name. Paul tells him that he is trying to get to Lenox, Massachusetts, and Stephen tells Paul that he will help him.

Paul is headed to the home of Ambassador Gilette, his college friend’s father. He is a well-connected man, and Paul believes that he can help. In college, Paul helped Gilette’s son, JR, navigate a difficult bout of depression, and his father was grateful.

Gilette now lives in an estate in the woods, and Paul approaches as quickly and quietly as he can. He must take the man by surprise or risk Gilette calling the FBI. When he arrives, Gilette tells him that he thought “Arkady’s goons” killed him. After questioning Paul about college details that only he would know, he welcomes him in.

Paul tells Gilette his story and then asks if he is familiar with Phantom. Paul explains that he has a flash drive with encrypted information about whatever Phantom is. At first, Gilette says no. Paul adds that there seems to be a warrant for his arrest and he does not know why. Then, Gilette makes a call, and Paul is horrified to hear him use Paul’s name.

When Gilette puts down the phone, he explains that Paul is wanted for stealing national security secrets. Paul thinks back to his conversation with Geraldine, during which she had urged him to erase or turn over all the copies he’d made of the information he collected for the FBI. Puzzled, he asks Gilette why that information would be considered “national security” secrets. Gilette reveals that Phantom is actually a CIA project. He advises Paul to leave the flash drive with him, but Paul declines. He is stunned and can’t understand why Arkady would have information on a CIA operation. Gilette recommends that Paul seek out Philip Horgan, a former operative who might be able to help. Paul realizes that although Gilette might not want to harm Paul, he hasn’t actually helped him either. As he hears the noise of approaching helicopters, Paul runs as quickly as he can from the house.

Paul travels back to a transit hub outside of Boston. He rents a jeep and drives to Philip’s house. He has impressive security and even unleashes his Doberman on Paul, but his manner changes when Paul mentions Phantom. At that point, Philip asks who Paul is and invites him in.

Philip explains that Phantom was a black-ops unit within the CIA that often used outside (Russian) agents to run operations that were illegal under US law. Philip used to work for Geraldine Dempsey, whom Paul met. He alleges that Geraldine and Phantom were behind the massacre of Addison and his group of agents. Paul doesn’t understand why the CIA would have done such a thing, and Philip speculates that Geraldine ordered the hit to protect the Phantom program. Paul and Addison had unwittingly uncovered information about the top-secret operation that Geraldine wanted kept quiet.

When Paul leaves Philip’s house, he sees a police cruiser parked at the end of the driveway. He is sure that the police wouldn’t be involved in the FBI or CIA’s operations, so he wonders what is going on. When the officer exits his vehicle, Paul recognizes him: He is one of Berzin’s men. Paul leaps into the jeep and begins to drive away. However, Berzin fires several shots, and one hits Paul in the shoulder. Berzin manages to leap in front of the jeep, and Paul hits him. He does not stop to see whether or not he killed the man.

The pain in Paul’s shoulder intensifies as he drives, but he presses on. Outside of Austin, Pennsylvania, he follows Stephen’s instructions to find his father: He is to enter the nearby woods on one of the trails, find a “landmark,” and wait. Through a vast network of walkie talkies, Stephen has communicated about Paul to his father. He follows Stephen’s instructions, and after a while, a man emerges from the woods and takes Paul to his father.

Stanley lives in a tiny lean-to deep in the woods. He expertly dresses Paul’s wound, removing the bullet. Paul fills his father in on the last six years of his life. When Stanley has removed the bullet, he informs his son that it’s a Hornady round, the same kind the FBI uses. Whoever shot him was either with the FBI or had been supplied by them.

Paul rents a motel room in Austin and shows his father the contents of the flash drive. His father is familiar with the encryption and knows of software that can decode it. However, to do so, they’ll need help. One of Stanley’s former students teaches at Carnegie Mellon and can help them.

The next day, they head to see him. On the way, Paul thanks Stanley for removing the bullet. However, he asks his father why he hadn’t taken that kind of care of his mother when she was dying of cancer. Stanley shocks Paul by sharing that she’d refused care and didn’t want Paul to know, lest he try to convince her to seek treatment.

With the aid of Stanley’s old student Moss Sweetwater, they break the encryption. What they find is a chain of emails going back many years between Geraldine Dempsey and Arkady Galkin. Now, Paul understands why Geraldine was so worried about Paul having made copies of everything he found. The writing is mostly in Russian, and Paul can understand very little of it. Suddenly, they hear pounding on the door. The men outside identify themselves as FBI agents.

Before the agents enter, Moss Sweetwater shows Paul and Stanley a second door in his office. It opens into a conference room. From there, he explains how they can get outside without using any of the building’s main hallways. The two men quietly make their way out of the building without being detected.

As Paul and Stanley attempt to get away from the campus, the FBI close in on them. An agent identifies himself and tells them to stop. Stanley tells Paul to run. Stanley tells the FBI officer that he’ll surrender, but then he pulls out his weapon. The officer shoots, and Stanley falls to the ground. Stunned, Paul runs as fast as he can. His father knew that the agent would have fired on anyone who pulled his gun first. He sacrificed himself to buy time for Paul. Still reeling from the shock, Paul steals a car and gets out of the area as quickly as possible.

Paul places a call to the local police and finds out that there is a $500,000 reward for his capture.

Paul knows that he has to get in touch with Agent Trombley, the only person at the FBI whom he can trust. She was the last agent he spoke to after Addison was killed. He hopes that she can help him. They meet at a Chipotle restaurant, and she remarks on how amazing it is that he is still alive. He wants answers and asks her to fill in the missing details. She explains that after the FBI massacre, Geraldine’s unit, Phantom, was shut down. They methodically erased all records of their unauthorized operations. Paul was a loose end. Once Geraldine was aware that Paul was still alive, she likely ordered him killed.

Trombley further explains that Berzin had always been a CIA asset. Additionally, the CIA had also funneled billions of dollars into Arkady’s firm: The “secret” Irish investor with a Russian named hadn’t really existed. She’d been fabricated to make it seem like the payments were coming from the Kremlin. In reality, it was US government money. Geraldine should have never authorized such a scheme. Paul asks Trombley to help him take down Geraldine. She doesn’t think this will be possible: Paul’s files will not be enough. They would need Geraldine on tape saying that she authorized the FBI massacre. Paul thinks that he can get her to do it. He asks for Trombley’s help, and she agrees.

Paul goes to see Tatyana. She is living in a small house on a naval base outside of Norfolk, Virginia, and her father lives with her. Both look much older, even though it has only been five years since Paul saw them. Tatyana is teary-eyed and emotional when she sees Paul. She claims that Berzin had only wanted to sedate him and that she hadn’t tried to poison Paul. Arkady enters the room, smiling.

Arkady and Paul sit outside to talk. Arkady admits that he was a CIA asset for decades. He admits that all his startup capital came from the CIA. Paul is sure now that Ludmilla herself was an undercover American asset; he thinks that when she recruited Arkady for Kremlin work, she was actually recruiting him for the CIA. He asks Arkady about this, but Arkady just shrugs as if it doesn’t matter. Paul asks if Arkady will contact Geraldine Dempsey, and he agrees to do so.

Arkady meets Geraldine at a safe house. There is an emergency contact procedure that Arkady, even though he is no longer an asset, knows how to activate. Paul hides in the house, out of view. Geraldine arrives with a security guard and asks Arkady what is going on. Trombley and her team have placed microphones in the house, and Paul is hoping to get Geraldine to admit her guilt on tape. Instead, she discovers Paul. She, her guard, Arkady, and Paul all walk out into the woods to talk.

Geraldine explains that Phantom was an ambitious operation to guarantee the US government access, through Arkady, to all the Kremlin’s major decisions before they became public knowledge. After the CIA’s initial investment, the project was self-funded through Arkady’s firm. Geraldine claims that she was forced to authorize the hit on Addison and his agents because they were about to blow the lid on Phantom and it was too important for national security. Arkady is angry with her for insinuating that he was merely a pawn of the government for the entirety of his career, and he draws his weapon. Geraldine’s security guard draws his gun, too, but then takes umbrage with Geraldine’s assertion that the sacrificed FBI agents deserved to die. The guard shoots Geraldine and then shoots Arkady. Arkady dies, and Trombley emerges with a group of agents who handcuff the bleeding Geraldine and lead her away. Unbeknownst to Geraldine, Paul also had a microphone in his sock. Everything she said was recorded.

Both Arkady and Stanley are buried. Tatyana shows up at Stanley’s funeral, and she and Paul reconnect. She moves into his farmhouse, and they resume their life together, albeit with less money. Trombley visits Paul to let him know that Geraldine will be punished for “going rogue.” Paul knows that she had the tacit approval of the head of the CIA but says nothing. Trombley instructs him never to speak about any of his experiences or what he discovered, and he readily agrees. The charges against him have been dropped, and he is free to resume his life with Tatyana.