Handlung

When Russ is kidnapped, Mac and the team must break out a previously murderous psychopath, now pacifist, from prison to help find him. Also, while on the run, Mac and Desi are forced to confront their relationship issues.

The remnants of Codex abduct Russ to force a trade for Eric Andrews, who they need so they can get back something vital that Codex lost in their last confrontation with Phoenix. Eric is a killer who has been imprisoned, and is now a pacifist. Mac and Desi have to break him out of prison while repairing their own broken relationship.—Gislef

In Lake Arrowhead, CA, Mac, Riley, and other gazer out watching a lunar eclipse. Riley tells Mac that it's good to see him happy for once, and Mac admits that the last year against Codex and losing his surviving family was tough. He says that things finally feel right, and the two of them start to kiss while watching a brunette woman with "the package" in the gazing party.

Riley accesses her concealed laptop, while Mac runs surveillance on the brunette, Josephine Trammell. She's a known Central Asian arms dealer, and Russ, Bozer, and Desi are in position nearby disguised as park employees. Russ gets snarky on the comms, and Matty mutes them. Bozer tells Russ that Matty has been testing since she sent him to handle arms committee, and Desi tells her teammates that it doesn't bother her that Mac and Riley are on a fake date, because Riley has to be in range to accept Trammell's upload.

Bozer asks Desi if she and Mac have kissed since he gassed her and went to Codex, and Desi unconvincingly notes that the pandemic put a damper on their kissing. She refuses to discuss it, and Mac sees a man sit down next to Trammell and make the drop of a flash drive. She runs the upload on a tablet, and Riley intercepts it. It's the schematic for a suitcase nuke, and Riley loses the signal.

Mac pulls Riley down into a clinch, as Trammell looks around and then walks off. Mac and Riley go after her, while Matty tells the others to block the road. While Mac takes his telescope with him, the three others set up a roadblock. Trammell gets into her car and drives off, and Mac and Riley pursue her in their car. The arms dealer turns her car around and comes at the duo's car, goes past them, and heads for the road block.

Mac grabs the telescope, "Morty", puts a flare and a fire extinguisher in it, and uses the telescope as a makeshift grenade launcher to fire the fire extinguisher through Trammell's car's rear window. She pulls to a stop just ahead of the road block, and Desi drags Trammell out and tosses the flash drive with the schematic to Russ. Russ insists that it's theoretical, and a shot rings out and kills Trammell.

Later at Mac's house, Mac and Bozer are in the kitchen. They see Desi and Riley out on the patio, chatting and laughing together, and Mac complains that Desi can make time with Riley but can't go on a date with him. Bozer asks Mac if he asked Desi out, and Mac admits that he hasn't. His friend tells him that he needs to fix it, and runs out to help their teammates with the BBQ grill.

Mac talks to Desi privately and they make awkward conversation. Mac finally asks Desi out for a drink and a proper date, while Riley tells Bozer that she's okay with Mac and Desi together. Desi comes over and asks where the buns are, and they're not waiting for Russ.

Russ is driving to Mac's house, and singing along with the song on the CD player. He spots a black SUV coming up behind him, and calls Mac to tell him that he has a tail. Mac tells the others, while Russ tries to lose the SUV. It speeds up to follow him, and the team hear Russ' car crash over the telephone.

When the team gets there, they find Russ' wrecked car but no sign of Russ. Russ' phone rings, and when Mac answers it a scrambled voice tells him that Russ is safe... for now. They'll return him if the team brings them USMC-1856707, and gives them two hours to deliver. Matty confirms that the USMC # is a dog tag number, and belongs to Eric Andrews, a US Marine. Eric gained a reputation for killing with a chain in Vietnam, and the US government ignored him when he came home, until he killed the American attaché and his family in Thailand. He's been locked up ever since the government sent agents into the forest where Andrews hid out.

Desi and Mac head to the prison where Eric is being held, and Mac remembers how the last time he drove off, he talked with his father. He suggests that they go fishing after they solve the case, and Desi tell him that he'll have to do better. Matty has put Phoenix under lock out, so Riley and Bozer are at Russ' private hangar working. The FBI has denied Matty's request to release Eric, and Riley has been unable to trace the kidnapper's message. She has to wait until they make contact again.

Matty says that they can still talk to Eric. At the prison in Victorville, Mac and Desi go into maximum security, and Mac goes into Eric's cell. Eric finally thanks Mac for his patience to finish his meditation, and quotes the Buddha. He talks about how the voice that drives men to evil is their own, and then asks why Mac is there. Mac explains the situation, and Eric says that he has never met Russ.

Bozer confirms by remote that Eric is telling the truth, and Eric says that no one wants him free. Mac asks him if he wants to be free, and Eric says that it's in everyone's best interest for him not to release him. Before Mac goes, he mixes Eric's paints with other chemicals, turning it into chloroform. As Eric passes out, Desi knocks out the guard. Mac and Desi take the unconscious Eric out on a cart, and Riley remotely sets off the alarms.

Mac and Desi talk into a supply closet, and Desi reveals a doorway out. As they drive away in their SUV, Eric wakes up and Mac takes a photo of him to send to Bozer to prove they have him. Riley tells them to lay low, and Eric begs Mac to take him back to jail before he loses resisting the urge to kill him. He insists that he doesn't know who took Russ or why they want him. Mac says that they believe him but doesn't care, and Desi says that Mac is good at knocking people unconscious. When Mac wonders if she didn't forgive him and that's why he turns down his date offers, Desi says that she did forgive him. Eric listens and figures Mac betrayed Desi, and warns that betrayal is difficult to forgive. Eric offers Desi a Buddhist mantra to deal with her inner rage, and she isn't interested and tells them both to shut up.

In a hidden room, a hooded man films Russ reading a pre-written statement confirming that he's still alive, and if they don't deliver Eric then they'll watch Eric dies. Riley sends Mac's photo of a free Eric and runs a trace.

In the SUV, Eric asks Mac to take him back to the prison. The kidnappers send their response, and Bozer passes it on to Mac. It's at an abandoned auto repair plant, and Mac and Desi have less than an hour to get Eric there. Riley recovers a piece from the recording camera's buffer, and it shows her Roman. She tells Mac and Desi, and they figure Codex is involved in Russ' kidnapping. Eric has no idea who Leland with Codex is.

At the hanger, Riley discovers that Eric's commanding officer in Vietnam was Leland. They show Leland's photo to Eric, and he confirms that Leland was his CO in Vietnam. Ten years later he contacted Eric and wanted him to join Codex, but Eric refused. Eric hasn't seen Leland since he was arrested, and Eric figures that Leland needed his "skill set". Since innocents were refused, Eric turned down Leland's offer so Leland did it and pinned the killings on Eric.

In the room, Roman unhoods Russ and shows him a video of Leland. Leland greets Russ, and Russ warns Roman that Leland is known for killing his employees once they've outlived their usefulness. Roman isn't interested, and Leland tells Russ that Gwen had a scepter on her when she blew herself up. They didn't find it in the wreckage, so he figures Phoenix has it. When Russ says that he doesn't know what it is, Roman prepares to torture him with a car battery and wires.

Bozer confirms that FBI agents are moving in on Mac and Desi, and Matty figures the signal they're tracking is coming from Eric. Eric says that the FBI had him get a root canal a few years back, and says that he didn't say anything because he wants to get back into FBI custody before he does something he regrets.

Mac has Desi drive to a pawn shop. While Mac goes in, Eric tells Desi that he used to be like her: holding in all of his anger. He figures Mac has deeply hurt Desi, and she has to let out her anger. He says that he's angry at them for taking him out, and fearful of his urge to strangle them. Once he's released his emotions, Eric asks Desi to do the same. Desi does so, saying that Eric's "crackerjack quotes" are so irritating she wants to carve the tracker out of Eric's tooth with Mac's knife.

Mac comes out of the pawn shop with gold chains and a stereo. He takes Eric out of the SUV and creates a jammer out of the stereo to override the RIF signal in Eric's tooth. He puts the jammer on the chains to keep it near Eric, and they get Eric back in. The FBI lose the signal but one of their cars approaches them on a random sweep.

Mac and Desi get Eric back in the SUV, and when the car comes by Mac kisses Desi to conceal their faces. Once the agents drive past, Mac apologizes and Desi tells him to take her out to dinner first after they get rid of Eric and rescue Russ. When they look in the SUV, they discover that Eric has escaped out the other side.

The two agents chase after the escaping Eric, arguing about which one of them let Eric get away.

Roman tortures Russ, as Leland looks on via video. Russ refuses to give them any information, and laughs and says that they can't do anything even if they get the scepter. Leland says that to save Russ' life, his teammates are bringing someone "dear to him". He can retrieve the scepter wherever they've hidden it. Roman shows Russ a picture of a woman, and Russ promises to gut both of them if they touch her. Leland points out that it will still be too late for the woman, and Russ says that the Department of the Defense has the scepter in a secure vault. When he's done, Leland thanks him for telling the truth.

Eric runs into a construction site with a live wire, and Mac tells him to stop. He tells Eric not to pick up his feet, and Eric says that he'll do it if they don't promise to take him back to prison. Mac assures him that they're not giving a "weapon" to Codex like Eric, but Eric doesn't trust them since they kidnapped him.

Eric figures that Mac cares more about stopping Codex then saving Russ, and Desi agrees. He figures Mac would betray him, since he betrays the woman he loves. Mac agrees, saying that in pursuing Codex he lost his way and did anything to defeat them. He admits that he loves Desi, and says that Eric taught him that the most lost of souls can find their way back to his life. Mac asks for the chance to prove he won't make the same mistake twice.

Mac uses metal panels to create a path to disrupt the charge and let Eric walk away from the live wires. He tells Eric to prove he's a new man by coming with them and helping Russ survive. Desi promises that she won't make any more death threats, and Eric walks across the metal panels and joins them. They take him to the SUV and drive to the plant to make the exchange.

Inside the plant, the trio find Roman waiting with Russ. Eric isn't thrilled that Leland didn't come there for the exchange, and Roman sends Russ over while the agents send Eric to Roman. As he pushes Eric along, Mac turns off the jammer.

Bozer confirms that the FBI have picked up Eric's chip and are heading to the plant. Roman dangles a chain from his hand, like Eric used to kill in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Riley checks the old Thailand video and confirms that Eric was there and committed the murders, and he lied when he said Leland framed him.

Roman welcomes Eric home as a "brother" and holds out Eric's chain weapon.

Bozer warns Mac over the comms, just as the Codex soldiers emerge from hiding and shoot at everyone. Roman is hit and goes down, and Mac gets Eric to cover. Once they're hidden, Mac asks Eric what happened in Thailand. Eric runs off, and Mac goes after him. He tackles Eric, who admits that he worked with Leland to kill the attaché, but he didn't agree to kill the man's wife and children. Eric says that he won't be blinded again, and insists that he won't make the same mistake twice as Desi and Russ join them while returning fire.

Mac mixes water with paint and electrifies it with a car battery, creating a smoke screen. He then takes the chains off of Eric and asks him to buy them a few minutes until the FBI arrive. Eric warns that if he does it, he may not come back, but Mac says that if he doesn't they may not make it.

Eric and Desi attack the shooters, and Eric gets his chain from where Roman dropped it. The FBI agents arrive and arrest the shooters still on their feet, and Mac finds Eric. He tells Eric that he will take him back to prison, but Eric drops the tracker that he pulled out of his own tooth and tells Mac that he tried to change but the war always rages on. Eric disappears into the smoke, and the FBI arrest Mac before he can pursue the prisoner.

Later back at the hangar, Russ secures Mac and Desi's release from custody and they all meet. Matty confirms that they didn't recover Eric, but he isn't with Codex. As far as Leland, Russ says that they have the scepter. When the world shut down during the pandemic, the DoD sent everything to the vault but afterward, Russ had it transferred back. Russ shows the team the scepter, and he activates it revealing that it digitally holds every Codex file and financial records, dating back hundreds of years. Without it, Leland can't reform Codex.

Russ says that Leland is still out there, but he can't bring back Codex without the scepter. Matty signs off, and Russ thanks the team for risking their lives to save him. He says that they should leave Mac and Desi to discuss their date. Riley tells Mac not to screw it up again, and once they're alone Desi admits that she wants to give Mac a second chance. She says that she's afraid that she might lose Mac again, and he shows her the compass and admits that he was lost... and Desi guided him back home. They smiles and start to kiss, but Desi tells Mac that she wants dinner first.