Hey. Excuse me. I'm Paul Capra. I'm here to see Christina.
Oh, right this way, Mr. Capra. She's expecting you.
- Paul. - Hey, Christina.
Hi. It's good to see you.
- Yeah, you too. - Can I get you anything?
Nah. I grabbed some breakfast on the way down.
- Okay. Have a seat. - All right. Thank you.
I asked you down here because I spoke to D-Trip and the D.N.C.
We'd like you to run for Peter's seat.
As you probably know,
the election's been set for the first week of February.
You want me to run?
With your stature in the community,
your grass roots organizing experience...
Christina, hold on.
I know it's a lot to consider.
It's only been a month.
Well, we still have to govern, Paul.
I thought you asked me down here
because you wanted to talk or something.
I do. About the election.
I mean about Peter.
How come you didn't go to the funeral?
I couldn't.
How you been holding up?
I'm all right. It's been hard keeping the office on track.
Jesus. Screw the office.
What about you?
You're allowed to grieve, Christina.
Paul...
there are 600,000 people counting on us.
I can't let my feelings get in the way of that.
Will you hear me out about running for Peter's seat?
Well, you've passed the vetting process with flying colors.
- Is there anything we might have missed? - No, sir.
Tell me about your experience
as the chair of the oversight reform committee.
It's been very rewarding.
What are the biggest challenges you've had to face?
Partisanship.
Well, I suppose a room filled with 435 big egos
isn't the most hospitable place for oversight.
Do you want to be Vice President, Tabitha?
It would be a great honor, sir.
We'll be in touch.
- That's all? - Mm-hmm.
- For the time being. - Thank you, Mr. President.
We have to cross her off.
I agree. She could put a crack addict to sleep.
Then what is she doing on the goddamn list?
Tabitha's a very gifted legislator.
I don't want people who make sense on paper.
I need at least one viable option.
The two of you created this list and have proceeded to cross off every name you've put on it.
It's just a first pass, sir. We need time to fully vet all...
Jim is gonna win this thing in Pennsylvania, and we're no closer
to naming his replacement than we were a month ago.
Let us take another crack at it and give you a few more names to consider.
- I just want one name. - We'll have something for you by tomorrow morning.
Thank you, Mr. President.
He's ready to say yes to anything.
Yeah, for this to work, I don't think you can be there. Not when I first mention it.
I agree. You bring it up in your morning brief,
and when I show up, I'll act surprised.
Assuming he's open to the idea.
Look, all we have to do tomorrow is plant the notion in his head.
I'm sure you'll be persuasive.
Hello?
- Mr. Capra? - Yeah. Who's this?
Janine Skorsky from Slugline.
We spoke when I wrote the piece
about Congressman Russo's passing.
I'm done giving interviews about Peter, okay?
He was a troubled guy. End of story.
This is not about his death.
I'm calling you because my sources at the D Triple C
are telling me that you might be running for his seat.
I'm not talking about that.
But you did have a meeting this morning
with Christina Gallagher, correct?
I'm driving right now. I really shouldn't be on the phone.
If you do run, I would like to know about your involvement
in the closing of the Philadelphia shipyard.
That decision was made in Washington.
The association wasn't consulted.
Forgive me. I find that hard to believe.
I read all of the transcripts from the brac commission.
Congressman Russo didn't give any testimony.
So are you saying that he didn't consult with you once before you...
somebody was strong-arming him, okay? It was politics.
Do you know who would've pressured him?
Look, I don't know. He just said people up the food chain.
Did he say anything more specific about...
you know what? There's traffic. I gotta go.
Mr. Capra, I would...
Should I be prepared to do press?
If he's amenable.
What do you think our chances are?
Better than 50-50, if I had to say.
We won't announce until after Matthews wins, though.
I hate to admit it, but I'm nervous.
So am I.
It's just the last time, we found ourselves...
that's my fear too.
All right. You call me, either way.
In no more than nine hours.
Linda's been in there far too long.
If the President takes this much convincing, it doesn't bode well.
I can feel it... his hesitation on the other side of that door.
I know it's pointless to worry until I know what cards I'm holding.
Perhaps he just got interrupted by some...
He wants to tap Raymond Tusk.
- What? - He thinks it's a bold idea.
It's an idiotic idea. The man's never held public office.
That's one of the things the President said he likes about him.
The President wants to nominate a multibillionaire in a struggling economy?
- He'll alienate half the country. - Which is exactly what I said,
but he made it very clear he does not want me to fight him on this.
- So you didn't mention me at all? - I never had the chance.
His mind was made up before I could say a word.
Well, we have to unmake it.
Well, you can try, but if you do,
my guess is he's gonna cut you out of the process altogether.
He seemed adamant.
We should go in there.
- Mr. President. - Morning, Frank.
Will you give us a few minutes, Linda?
Of course.
Linda fill you in?
I think Raymond Tusk
is an exciting, bold idea.
Well, I'm glad you agree. Linda didn't think so.
He's a proven businessman. Brilliant, but down-to-earth.
Do you know him personally?
I met him briefly once at a fund-raiser.
Last night when I called him was the first time we had a meaningful conversation.
Did he seem open to the idea?
I sensed a good deal of reluctance.
He wanted a few days to consider.
Well, good. That gives us time to start vetting him.
He's clean. I had him vetted last year
when I was considering him for secretary of the treasury.
And did he say why he's reluctant?
No. Didn't give a reason. Just wanted to mull it over.
I want to send someone to St. Louis to speak to him in person,
convince him to accept the nomination.
And who are you thinking about?
I'd send Linda, but there's so much work for her to do here,
and, well, she can be abrasive at times.
Yeah, she can be a bit tough.
I want someone with gravitas.
Birch is a possibility, but he's not always been our strongest ally.
I'm not sure I would trust Bob with something like this.
I would be happy to go myself, sir.
I can use a light touch and give him the respect he deserves.
Good. I'll let his people know you're coming.
- Thank you, Mr. President. - Thank you, Frank.
Tell me, Francis.
It's good we were prepared for anything.
I have to fly to St. Louis tonight.
"Somebody was strong-arming him,"
and when I asked him who, he said, quote,
- "people up the food chain." - It's Washington.
Congressmen get strong-armed all the time.
My gut says it was Frank Underwood.
He had nothing to do with Russo before the shipyard closing,
and then suddenly he's propping him up?
That doesn't mean he was...
Let's cut the bullshit once and for all, Zoe.
I know he's been feeding you your stories.
I don't want to screw you over, but I'm not gonna stop digging on this.
I won't say he was a source.
But you do know each other.
Show me your notes, and I'll talk to him.
These are the notes from the Capra call.
And these are the transcripts from the brac hearing.
When they got to the Philadelphia shipyard, Russo doesn't say anything.
That's fine.
Yeah, I would just put both of them in that file.
Claire, I just got a call from the P.R. office at Sancorp
saying they wanted to send a film crew to take footage
of our filtration project in Botswana.
Right. They're just using that for promotional material.
Sancorp fought us on the watershed bill.
They helped us get the filters out of South Sudan.
I thought that was the state department.
No. You remember Remy Danton?
You met him in your office
right after you started working here.
- The lobbyist. - I asked him for his help.
We're just returning the favor, that's all.
Claire, they're against everything we stand for.
It's harmless. They'll send the video
to a few of their investors and make some commercials.
This makes me very uncomfortable... the idea...
they are sending the film crew, Gillian,
so please work with them on that.
One of my colleagues is looking into Peter Russo.
The assumption is you strong-armed him into closing the shipyard.
Where does your colleague get their information?
I don't know.
Allocating the D.O.D. budget is always a free-for-all.
Did you pressure him?
There were certain people that were gonna benefit
from the base closing sooner rather than later.
I didn't strong-arm Peter.
I advised him to trade in a losing hand for a winning one.
How did he stand to win?
He made allies out of enemies.
That's a very valuable thing in Congress.
I wish I could give you something juicier,
but the shipyard closing was just politics as usual.
I assume your colleague is Ms. Skorsky.
Does she know we're talking?
No. Of course not.
Be in touch.
More than you ever wanted to know about Raymond Alan Tusk...
the companies he controls, political contributions.
A GQ article entitled "Backwoods billionaire"
is about his humble midwestern lifestyle.
- Jesus. - There's also a copy
of the financial disclosure requirements and details of the blind trust.
I think the trust is where you want to focus.
Could Linda be behind all this?
To what end?
To get you out of town for a few days
while they continue the search without your interference.
The President has no reason to mistrust me.
Unless Linda told him you want the vice presidency.
No. She's in way too deep.
We misjudged her on the secretary of state nomination.
That was different. She blindsided me.
Now she knows my eyes are wide open.
Do you want the gaffney bag or regular business?
Regular business. Tusk can dress down if he wants to,
but I'm representing the White House.
Oh, and get Walter Doyle onto Tusk.
- Let's see if we can dig up anything. - I'll call him right now.
And keep your eye on Janine Skorsky while I'm away.
She's been prying into Russo.
- What does she know? - She knows the right questions to ask.
I want to make sure she doesn't get the right answers.
I'm on it.
McCuddin.
What was that?
Mccuddin Air Force Base.
Brac hearing.
Was there on April 12th.
David Rasmussen stepped down less than a week later.
Womack takes his place. So maybe...
Wait. Slow down.
McCuddin is in his district.
Is that the shipyard thing?
Janine, call me back.
I think it was Womack who pressured Russo.
Russo was probably just earning a favor he could cash in later.
I'm around.
Did you ever have to fight her to kill a story?
- Janine? - Yeah. When she worked for you.
Only when I knew she was wrong.
She's trying to draw up this whole conspiracy thing
with Russo and Frank Underwood and the whole shipyard closing.
But I'm pretty sure she's wrong.
Pretty sure isn't the same as certain.
- No. I am certain. - How do you know?
- I have sources. - Underwood?
No.
No. Never mind. I'll figure it out.
- Mrs. Tusk? - Jean, please.
You must be Frank. Come in.
So nice to meet you.
The guest room is this way.
It is very kind of you to have invited me to stay here.
Why waste the taxpayers' money on a hotel
when we have a perfectly good bed?
Well, both they and I are very grateful.
I'm sorry Raymond isn't awake to greet you.
- He goes to bed at... - I know he's an early riser.
I understand.
Would you like a wake-up knock?
No. I have an alarm on my phone.
Sleep tight.
Thank you so much.
I would say good morning, but it's the middle of the night.
- It's a pleasure to meet you. - And you too.
Was I making too much noise?
No. I smelled bacon.
Here.
Coffee? Booze?
At 2:00 A.M., you can go either way.
Just water for now.
It's filtered. Your wife would approve.
You ever been to St. Louis before?
Just the airport.
What do you think so far?
Well, I've only seen your neighborhood
and whatever I could see out the window on the interstate.
Good enough. It's all pretty much the same.
Excuse me.
Listen, um, I still haven't showered.
My mind is on China here.
Uh, what do you say you get a few more zs
and we try this again in a few hours with our clothes on?
Sounds like a plan.
Meet me at my office at 9:30.
I'll have a driver pick you up.
Can I ask why you do that?
- Do what? - Tap your ring like that.
I've seen you do it on TV. Two taps every time
you get up from a table or leave a lectern.
Something my father taught me.
It's meant to harden your knuckles
so you don't break them if you get into a fight.
It also has the added benefit of knocking on wood.
My father believed that success
is a mixture of preparation and luck.
Tapping the table kills both birds with one stone.
Your father was a peach farmer?
Yes, he was. Not a very successful one.
- Lack of preparation or lack of luck? - Lack of both.
He was better at giving advice than following it.
Hmm.
Miss? Miss, your card.
Thank you.
Ms. Gallagher, my name's Janine Skorsky. I'm a reporter at Slugline.
- I wrote the profile on Congressman... - I remember.
- Do you have a minute? - If this is about Peter, I...
No. It's about Paul Capra.
We know that he might be running for Congressman Russo's old seat.
I can't comment on that.
We're just trying to do some background
on the shipyard closing last April.
Listen, I just want to eat my breakfast.
We have sources that are saying that the Congressman
was being pressured by someone to not fight the closure.
- Who? - That's what I'm trying to figure out.
This is completely off the record, I promise you.
- Hi, Christina. - Doug, hi.
- How you holding up? - I'm okay.
I'm... I'm good.
I saw you sitting over here. You mind if I...
No. Please.
Ms. Skorsky, right?
I believe we spoke a few times when you used to work at the herald.
Whenever I could get past
the press office gauntlet to you.
- We do like to run a tight ship. - Mm.
So what brings you to the capitol?
I was just asking Ms. Gallagher who's running
to fill the vacant seat in Pennsylvania's 1st.
Well, the honest answer is we don't know.
Thank you for your time, Ms. Gallagher.
Anyone starts harassing you
with questions you don't want to answer,
you let me know.
I'll handle them.
You got enough on your plate right now.
Thanks, Doug. I appreciate that.
Hang in there, okay?
Yes.
Ah.
Uganda, Peru,
Nepal, Indonesia...
Nicaragua.
Well, you are quite the well traveled man.
No. I'm the man who stays at home.
Jean brought those back for me.
- Mr. Tusk, I am... - First names.
After all, we have broken bacon together.
We can safely assume that we're familiar.
Raymond, I realize that you are a very busy man,
so I'm gonna cut right to the chase.
The President sincerely would like you
to become the next Vice President.
That part I already knew.
And I'm here to convince you to say yes.
Another thing I already knew.
Well, I don't know that I can tell you anything you don't already know.
But perhaps you can tell me what your hesitation is.
Speak.
Yes.
Now, I understand you might have some concerns
about the financial disclosures leading...
Speak.
No.
I have eight people representing me
at eight simultaneous meetings
in six time zones right now.
I sit here and answer their questions,
provided they come in the form
of a single yes or no proposition.
Well, then, let me give that a try.
Would you like to be the Vice President?
Yes or no?
Hold on a minute.
I am very sorry.
Let me have 20 minutes to wrap up these meetings.
And then what do you say we get out of the office
and away from this damn phone?
Meet me at my car.
Betty can tell you where it's parked.
Go ahead.
He's deflecting.
What I can't tell is whether it's because
he's inclined to say no or wants to be wooed to say yes.
Either way, I'll have to ease him into the conversation,
not be so blunt.
This trip may take longer than I thought.
We've looked through all the file cabinets.
They're not on his computer?
Not with the Congressman's handwritten notes.
All right. I'll check his office.
Ah.
There is a comfort to these woods.
Like they're my backyard.
Well, they are my backyard, in a way. I own them.
How much land?
Six thousand acres.
You think I could get a tour of your fulton plant while I'm in town?
If you'd like.
But I don't know why you'd want to be there
when you could be out here.
I've never seen a nuclear plant.
Not much to see.
Steel, concrete, a lot of steam.
The President hasn't exactly been
a big supporter of nuclear power.
Is that, uh, part of your hesitation...
that fear that the administration...
He's just being savvy.
Nuclear energy is a tough sell after Japan.
But it's the only option we have right now
that doesn't completely trash the planet.
The argument against nuclear power is an emotional one.
And you don't make decisions based on emotion.
Decisions based on emotion aren't decisions at all.
They're instincts,
which can be of value.
The rational and the irrational complement each other.
Individually, they're far less powerful.
And which category do your thoughts
on the vice presidency fall into?
Do you hear that song?
It's a hermit thrush.
Can't see him.
"Solitary, the thrush..."
"The hermit, withdrawn to himself,
avoiding the settlements,
sings by himself a song."
- Do you know the poem? - No, I don't.
It's Walt Whitman.
It's about the death of Abraham Lincoln.
He's over there somewhere.
Yes, I know the damn poem.
We studied it at the Sentinel.
I said to my Professor, "why mourn the death
of Presidents, or anyone for that matter?
The dead can't hear us."
And he asked me if I believed in heaven.
I said no.
And then he asked if I had no faith in God.
I said, "you have it wrong.
It's God who has no faith in us."
Deeper into the woods.
I think you're being paranoid.
He came up right after I sat down. It was creepy.
- I'm telling you, it was womack. - Is that what Underwood said?
He didn't name names. But who else?
What's the big deal? Congressmen trade favors.
One of these congressmen committed suicide.
I think you're stretching here, Janine. To try and connect...
I have gone after big fish before.
I know what it feels like to be watched.
Underwood's education bill went to the floor
just three days after womack became majority leader.
You leaked the education bill. And then there was the Kern article.
- Those were two completely different stories. - Wait. What was the guy?
Uh, what was his name? He's the one who told
that Kern wrote the article for the school paper.
- Roy Kapeniak. - You should go talk to him.
- There's no link. - Except you.
Underwood's been using you, Zoe.
Don't you want to know why?
Hi.
Remy Danton's on line two.
He says it's important.
- Hello, Remy. - Hey, Claire.
I got a call from the P.R. team at Sancorp.
They said Gillian Cole isn't being cooperative.
Hasn't gotten back to them, you mean?
No. Told them point-blank she doesn't want the film crew there.
I'm looking at an e-mail. She wrote that they would be
disruptive to the project and local community.
Is that her, or is that coming from you?
No. I made it very clear that I wanted her to work with them.
Well, it seems like she's doing the opposite.
I will speak to her,
and then I'll sort things out with the P.R. team personally.
- Thank you, Claire. - You bet.
Is Gillian at lunch?
She didn't come in yet today. She's not feeling well.
Let me know when she gets here.
- What time is your flight? - 6:40.
We should get going. There's gonna be traffic.
Almost ready.
I've been thinking.
The, uh, older man you were with.
Was it Underwood?
So, what this is really about is covering your own ass.
- That is not true. - You don't want anybody to know you were sleeping with him.
Not exactly objective reporting, is it?
Don't fucking lecture me on journalistic ethics.
How many of the stories you brought me at the herald were because you were...
I'm not gonna have this conversation.
Fine. Maybe you should take a cab to the airport.
Don't punish me for being honest.
You haven't been honest. I had to ask.
- And you still haven't given me a straight answer. - Yes.
It was him.
I... I don't know if I can do this, Zoe.
- Do what? - You fucked a Congressman to get ahead.
I'm not the first person to ever do something like that, Lucas.
But I'm not sleeping with those other people, am I?
What, so you just hate me now?
No. I probably love you.
That's the fucking problem.
Let's go. I'm parked illegally.
So I hear you went stomping through the woods today.
We did, and then Raymond was kind enough
to arrange a tour of the fulton plant.
And I'm sure you were wondering,
"when is this old fool gonna get around to brass tacks?"
I'm here to simply answer questions.
I figured that you would make up your mind when you're ready.
There are two minds here.
We know all about the blind trust.
Does it concern either of you?
The words "blind" and "trust"
are not among my favorites in the English language.
But I have no problem with it in theory.
Not managing our assets for a few years
could unburden us from a great deal of stress.
Well, then, what does your reluctance stem from?
Why do you think the President wants me?
Well, I can't speak on his behalf, but if I were to...
Aren't you here to do just that... speak on his behalf?
If I were to speculate, I think the President would prob...
Speculation is a poor form of investment
and an equally poor form of politics.
Tell me what you know.
I don't know what you mean.
Well, what do you think I should do?
You, personally, Frank Underwood?
My opinion isn't what matters here.
It does to me. Should I do it? Yes or no?
Well, there's a great number of things to consider...
And I'm sure you've considered them all.
Yes or no, Frank?
No, I will not answer that question.
- Because you think I shouldn't. - Because it's not relevant.
All right, then. Let me ask you another way.
- Would you take the job? - It hasn't been offered to me.
What if it were?
I have a distaste for hypotheticals
just the same as you have a distaste for speculation.
All right, all right.
That's enough business for now. We can discuss it more tomorrow.
Oh!
Get in. Get in there, Bruce.
Sorry. Sorry to bother you, ma'am.
Um, I'm looking for Roy Kapeniak.
I thought his trailer was over here. Am I in the right place?
You're in the right place a month ago.
He got evicted.
He was shootin' off his gun too much in the yard.
- Do you know where I can find him? - Why?
I'm a relative. His... his niece.
Skipped town is what I heard.
Had a girl livin' with him. Maybe she knows.
- Name was Echo. - Echo?
That's what she went by, at least.
Works at the titty bar over on 40.
- Highway 40? - Mm.
Across from the Burger King.
Okay. Thank you.
- Girls get in free. - Oh.
- I'm looking for Echo. - Who?
Echo.
Roy was a fucking wacko.
I was stupid to live with him as long as I did.
- Do you know where he is now? - I don't know, and I don't care.
He ever talk about the article I wrote?
All the time. He had it framed.
Bet it's still in the trailer if it's not in a junkyard right now.
Did he say why he called me?
- Did he ever tell you? - I was there.
- Where? - When the guy showed up.
Who?
I won't name names.
Fuck Roy Kapeniak.
You don't owe him shit.
Some guy who said he was a Congressman.
Was it...
Him?
No.
He was younger, tall,
not much hair, pretty good-looking.
- Yeah, that was him. - You're absolutely sure?
He brought bourbon, blow, stayed the whole night.
The whole thing was his idea.
What, to say that Kern wrote the editorial?
That guy didn't write anything. It was all Roy.
Okay, look, I know I said that I wouldn't name names,
and I won't if that's what you want.
But you could be famous overnight.
- Talk shows, TV, the whole country... - No way.
You wouldn't have to dance anymore. You could do whatever you want.
Don't use my fucking name, okay? I already said more than I should have.
- Stamper, it's midnight. - Two things, boss.
First, Janine Skorsky ambushed Christina this morning.
I intercepted her before she could ask too much.
- Should we be worried? - I can keep this contained, sir.
- I just wanted you to know. - All right. What's the other thing?
Doyle came back with his research.
I just e-mailed it to you.
The President told you he and Tusk didn't know each other, right?
Yeah. He said they met once, I think, at a fund-raiser.
That would appear to be a lie.
All right. I have it in front of me now.
Doyle catalogued all the instances he could find
in which the two of them were in the same city at the same time.
Items in red are events that they both attended.
And he found something else.
Back in Walker's private sector days,
he was the C.E.O. of Pioneer Airlines.
Guess who owned a third of the stock when it was sold to united?
Raymond Tusk.
My guess is that he and Walker know each other quite well.
All right. Let me look this over. I'll call you back.
I'm being played.
But why?
- Did I wake you again? - No.
I'd like to talk.
Give me a moment.
Carolina Parakeet.
You're wrong, but you're close.
This is the Sun Conure.
They look very similar,
but the Carolina Parakeet is extinct.
Was killed off because it was considered a pest.
Interesting species, though.
Voracious appetite.
And he was poison. Cats who ate him died.
This bird is not the only thing you've misidentified
since you've been in St. Louis.
You and Walker are old friends.
I wasn't sent here to vet you.
Very good.
Tell me why I am here, then.
So I can vet you.
For the vice presidency?
The President values my advice, and he tends to follow it.
Like when I advised him not to make you Secretary of State.
That was very bad advice.
Yes, it was.
One of the larger mistakes I've made,
and I very rarely make mistakes of any size.
You've proven yourself to be quite difficult.
Kern, the teachers' strike, now Matthews.
You attribute all that to me?
If I had to guess.
A smart man once said to me that speculation is a poor form of politics.
Why don't you stick to what you know, Raymond?
What I know is you are extremely effective
at what you set your mind to.
That is valuable to me,
and I've already told Garrett that it could be valuable to him...
somebody at his side with one foot in the executive branch
and one in the legislative.
He is very open to the idea.
My turn to speculate.
Your recommendation...
comes at a price.
Fact.
I have something that you want.
You have something that I want.
Have I said something amusing?
Oh, I've just sat too many times on your side of the table
not to enjoy the irony of finding myself on this side of it.
Would you like to hear what I want?
I don't shackle myself to people I don't know.
What I want is one favor.
One and only one.
Which is?
I need to be certain you'll grant it
before I'll take the risk of being more specific.
A blank check.
Of sorts.
You would never grant anyone a blank check.
No. But I'm not sitting on that side of the table.
We still believe in handshakes where I come from.
Do they still mean anything in Washington?
- Who are you calling? - Car service to get me to the airport.
Frank,
I will tell the President that I want until Friday
to think things over before I make my recommendation.
Let me know if you change your mind.
And let me arrange the car for you.
Hi. I'd like to arrange a car, please.
- How are you feeling? - Better than yesterday.
But I might take off early if, uh, the nausea comes back.
I find it interesting that you stay home the day after you blow off the sancorp people.
You weren't feeling sick, Gillian.
I find it extremely offensive that you'd accuse me of hiding behind my pregnancy.
You knew what I wanted.
The Botswana project is mine.
Under my umbrella, using money I raised.
You promised me autonomy.
Um, excuse us for a moment, please.
I promised to empower you. That's not the same thing
as you doing as you choose without consulting me.
I'm not gonna allow a project I've put almost three years of my life into...
your project wouldn't be happening if it weren't for sancorp.
I didn't ask for their help.
How about consulting me before you struck a deal?
Let's get something very clear.
I run the organization. You work for it.
Our agreement is an affiliation, Claire.
- Worldwell isn't your vassal. - Yes, it is, entirely,
if we're going to be blunt about it.
That's not what you proposed six months ago.
It's what you signed up for when you signed the contract.
There was a good faith understanding that...
And you dissolved that good faith by disobeying me.
- Disobeying you? - Yes.
I threaten you, don't I?
Nothing about you threatens me.
But maybe you should take a leave of absence.
Are you firing me?
That's up to you, but right now you should leave.
Did you get her on record?
No. She wouldn't talk to me otherwise.
We need hard proof that Underwood was behind it.
This whole thing is making me really nervous.
That you'll be exposed?
Not that.
It's Francis.
If this really goes as deep as we think, and he's already watching you...
- You think he's dangerous? - I know he is.
Then that's why we have to keep going.
He crushes people...
- Hey, Callum. - Hey.
Look, if you weren't afraid, you wouldn't be doing your job.
The only articles that I have ever written
that truly mattered scared the shit out of me.
We need to know about anything that might've happened with Russo.
Something Underwood could have held over him.
We have to go back to Christina Gallagher,
see if she'll give us something.
It can't be me. If I go back for a second time...
I'll do it.
You honestly had no idea that the President and Tusk were close?
He never showed up once on any call sheet,
phone log or schedule during the campaign or since we've been in office.
I'd love to believe you, Linda, but I'm finding it very difficult.
What would I gain by keeping you in the dark?
I am as shocked as you are, Frank.
Well, don't let on that you know.
- Of course not. - What's the President saying?
He wants to meet with you Tuesday to get your report on Tusk.
- That's a farce. - Should I come up with a reason to delay the meeting?
- No. Maybe we'll learn something. What time? - 2:00 P.M.
All right. I'll be there. Thank you, Linda.
- We have one week. - To accomplish what exactly?
To force Tusk's hand. He wants me beholden to him? No.
We have to make him come crawling to me.
What's his weakness?
His fortune.
Wouldn't you say that's his strength?
Not if it's slipping away.
- How do you make 40 billion disappear overnight? - We can't.
But maybe we can create the illusion that it's in danger.
The brief you gave me on his assets.
How much of his total net worth is... in nuclear power?
About a third. Sixteen reactors here in the states, 37 worldwide.
Well, that's what we hit him with.
We go after his nuclear interests.
Even so, he's got 25 billion in other investments.
Doug, this is a man who built his fortune from nothing.
The money doesn't mean anything to him.
It's what it represents.
- Which is what? - His life's work.
Get Remy Danton on the phone. Set up a meeting as quickly as you can.
You got it.
Tusk understands the difference between power and money.
That's precisely what makes him dangerous.
He doesn't measure his wealth in private jets but purchased souls.
I've worked too hard to get within arm's reach of the prize
only to have my hand cut off just before I seize it.
Zoe Barnes, here to see Christina Gallagher.
I'm sorry. I don't see an appointment.
Oh, there must be a mistake. I have an 11:30.
One second.
My name is Zoe Barnes.
I work at Slugline. You spoke to my colleague Janine Skorsky.
- Miss... - Oh, we're fine, thanks.
You can't just come in here...
there are things you don't know about Peter.
- I wrote the article about Roy Kapeniak. - Please leave. Right now.
It was Peter who convinced him to talk to me.
What? I don't... I don't understand.
- Why would he... - Somebody pressured him to do it.
The night of January 24th. That's when he went to speak to Kapeniak.
Do you remember anything strange around the time of the inauguration?
- Anything that could have been held over him? - No, I don't.
If he was mixed up in things that in any way contributed to his suicide,
wouldn't you want to know?
I'm not trying to cause you any more pain.
I just want the truth.
And you deserve that more than anyone.
- What was the date? - The 24th of January.
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