JAG (1995–2005): Season 4, Episode 4 - Going After Francesca - full transcript

FRANCESCA: How many
naval legal service offices

are there in the world, papa?

Uh... 15.

Ah, and of those 15,
how did you decide to visit

the office in Gaeta
for your inspection?

I hadn't been here in a while.

Are you aware, Admiral,

that your only daughter,
lives in Milano...

A city which can be
reached from Gaeta

in three hours on
the autostrada?

(both laugh)



What do they call it

when a witness does not
answer the question, papa?

Nonresponsive, daughter.

Nonresponsive. This
is what you are, papa.

You are nonresponsive.

We both know that you arranged

this inspection to visit me.

Harm and Mac are
here for a court-martial.

Oh, oh, really?

An American Navy warrant officer

named Ray Dillard
stole five Stinger missiles

to sell to Afghanistan.

It's a case with profound
diplomatic implications.

(sailors laughing)



I like your hair very much.

This will just take a minute.

Stand at attention!

What ship are you from, sailor?

Hmm? Huh?

Show me an ID card.

(yelling in Italian)

Papa!

Papa! Francesca!

Papa!

(yelling in Italian)

♪ ♪

Admiral Chegwidden?

Sergente Giovanni Cade.

Is there any word
of my daughter?

No, sir.

We found the VW van

abandoned six blocks from here.

Three eyewitnesses
saw the kidnappers

get out of the
van with the girl.

They got into a burnt
orange Mercedes

with a dent in the
left front bumper

and they drove away.

Was Francesca hurt?

She did not seem to be.

Thank God.

Perhaps the men who took
her were American sailors

with a grudge
against you, Admiral.

No, no, no,

they weren't Americans
and they weren't sailors.

Wrong shoes, wrong
haircuts, no IDs,

They knew who we
were and how I'd react.

They were waiting
for us, Sergeant.

RABB: Francesca's stepfather

Vittorio Paretti, is
a very wealthy man.

Maybe they grabbed
her for ransom.

In Italy, that is always
possible, Major.

Sir, maybe we should
go to the hospital.

I'm fine, Lieutenant.

I want to talk to Dillard.

Admiral, if I may ask,
who is this Dillard?

I'm representing Chief
Warrant Officer Dillard

in a court-martial.

He's on trial for
stealing stinger missiles

and attempting to sell
them to Afghanistan.

Major's the
prosecuting attorney.

So you think that the Afghanis

have taken the
Admiral's daughter

to trade in exchange
for this warrant officer's

silence or his freedom?

Most definitely a possibility.

That's the only possibility.

(whistle blowing)

Sir, this is Chief
Warrant Officer Dillard.

At ease.

RABB: Gunner, the
Admiral would like to ask you

some questions. Yes, sir.

Before he can do that,
you will need to waive

your Article 31 rights
against self-incrimination.

What's your advice, Commander?

The Admiral wants
to ask you questions

concerning the disappearance

of his daughter Francesca.

If you admit guilt or complicity

in her abduction,

that makes you an
accessory to kidnapping,

so...

my advice to you would
be to invoke those rights.

I'll grant him immunity.

On all charges, sir?

Just on new offenses discovered

if he helps secure the
release of Francesca.

Who took my daughter?

I swear, sir, I don't know.

You can safely answer
the question, gunner.

I just did, sir.

I'm asking you again.
Who took my daughter?

Why are you sure
I'm a part of this, sir?

Because, you have
the most to gain.

No, sir. The Afghan rebels do.

If they want to
insure my silence

and they took Francesca,

they've secured a
bargaining chip, sir.

Who's your contact
in Afghanistan?

Lieutenant, um, go
down to the wardroom

and get me a cup of decaf.

Yes, sir.

Decaf?

Sugar, non-dairy creamer.

(door opens, shuts)

Gunner... you may want
to rethink that position.

The Admiral's offer of immunity

is in your best interest.

Let me consider my options, sir.

Save the Admiral's daughter,

you're looking at a lot
less prison time, gunner.

I hope you get your
daughter back, Admiral.

I really do.

You'd better pray I do.

You handled that
well, Commander.

You're fully within your rights

to file a motion for
unlawful command influence.

I'd prefer not to do that, sir.

It's not about preference.

It's about duty.

No one, including myself,
is above the rule of the law.

Admiral. I had
them make it fresh.

I don't drink decaf.

Thanks, Bud.

I should have been
able to protect her.

Sir, you had no way of knowing

what was going to happen.

Let me ask you
something, Lieutenant.

What's more important:

Dressing down
a couple of sailors

or spending time
with my daughter?

Admiral, you can't
blame yourself, sir.

Where are you going, sir?

Into the past.

Francesca told me
you were in Italy,

but I did not expect
to see you, A.J.

Or is it "Admiral"?

Marcella, may we
speak in private, please?

(speaking Italian)

Si.

(sighs)

You can do no wrong
in my daughter's eyes,

but don't think that

you can suddenly show up here

and expect to
be part of her life.

Uh... Marcella, Francesca
has been abducted.

When? This morning, in Gaeta.

Why did you wait to tell me?

Your husband was
notified four hours ago.

Vittorio said nothing.

You were with her?

I believe the kidnapping
may be related to...

a court-martial that
begins tomorrow.

She's my daughter, A.J.

She's mine!

I kept her safe for 26 years,

and now you come here
and in one day, she's gone?!

That's what I hated
about you... the violence.

Leave your trail of
blood behind you!

I was a Navy SEAL.

It's dirty work.

You knew that when
you married me.

No. I knew that you looked
splendid in your dress whites

and that you had a good heart.

Vietnam changed you.

It changed everybody.

MAN: You are
Francesca's Admiral?

I'm her father. Of course.

Vittorio Paretti.

Have you any word of her?

No.

No one has contacted me.

We can talk in my study.

(grandfather clock bell tolling)

Do you know what this is about?

I think it has something to do

with the theft of
stinger missiles.

I see.

I have contacted my bankers.

There is a million dollars
cash waiting, day or night.

I am willing to give everything
I have to get her back.

Are you willing to do the same?

The kidnappers
may want something

the United States
government is unwilling to give.

I didn't ask about the
government, Admiral.

I asked about you.

What are you willing to give?

CADE: On my way
out in the ship's launch,

it occurred to me...

Nothing has changed
here in 2,000 years,

not since Cicero was in Gaeta.

Celeberrium et
plenissimunn navium.

I'll explain it to you.

"Very famous, full of ships."

They teach Italian naval
history at the academy.

Bravo.

I spoke with
Francesca's father...

Stepfather.

At his office in Naples
again this morning.

No one has approached him.

There is no ransom demand.

It's not about money, Sergeant.

I'm confused, Commander.

No offer by the Afghan rebels

to trade Francesca
Paretti's life

for Warrant Officer Dillard's
freedom from prosecution.

Not yet.

Then why was Signorina
Paretti abducted?

Writing about the
world of high fashion

does not make
Francesca dangerous.

Well, that seems
to be the question.

Who knew you were
in Gaeta, Admiral?

Who knew what your
plans with Francesca were?

It had to be someone
close to you... or to her.

Just what are you
saying, Sergeant?

I have only questions,
Major MacKenzie...

not answers.

Buon giorno.

What the hell is
it with that guy?

He's just doing his job, sir.

Well, it loses something
in the translation.

(phone ringing)

Wardroom. Lieutenant Roberts.

Admiral, it's for you.

It's Mrs. Paretti.

CHEGWIDDEN: Marcella?

Uh, um...

sure.

Uh, sure. Say, uh...

say, about an hour?

Yeah, it'll be fine.

Okay. Bye.

Commander, I want
you and the Lieutenant

to personally escort Dillard

from the Belknap
to the courtroom.

Yes, sir.

Do not let him
out of your sight.

Major, once he's
in the courtroom

I want you to nail
his ass to the wall.

It'd be my pleasure, sir.

How do I get out of this, sir?

Help us find
Francesca's kidnappers.

It's covered under

attorney-client
privilege, gunner.

Maybe we can work something
out on the other charges.

Commander...

I don't know

who took her or what they want.

You have to believe me.

Well, I believe you're between
a rock and a hard place, gunner.

You may not know who
the kidnappers are for sure,

but you do possess information
that could lead us to them.

Help me find a way out of this.

I can probably get you a
reduced sentence, all right,

but you're going to have to take

some responsibility
for what you did.

♪ ♪

Buon giorno.

Buon giorno.

I asked you to come here
to beg your forgiveness.

I am sorry.

No need.

Allow me my guilt, A.J.

An occasional
confession, you know

is good for the soul.

It cleanses.

I, um...

I know that you love
Francesca as much as I do

and that you did everything
possible to protect her

and that you would do anything

to get her back.

Well, maybe, uh, maybe
we should start over.

(chuckles softly)

It's a little late
for that, A.J.

I, um, I meant this visit.

(sighs)

Marcella, I... I
want you to tell me

everything you know
about Francesca...

Who her friends are,
how she spends her time...

is there any reason
someone might have taken her

or want to hurt her?

Um, is there a man in her life?

Yes.

Well, at least there was

until she broke up
with him a year ago,

but, uh, I never met her lover.

And she never said
anything to you about him?

Francesca keeps
things to herself.

In that way, she
reminds me of you.

(chuckles)

(sighs)

Marcella, I need you to take me

to Francesca's
apartment in Milan.

I need to see how she lives.

Va bene.

Sergio!

Grazie.

You've done very well
for yourself, Marcella.

So have you, Admiral.

MacKENZIE: The
prosecution will prove

that Chief Warrant
Officer Raymond Dillard,

in his capacity

as Ordnance Officer
for the Sixth Fleet,

is guilty of the following
violations of the UCMJ...

Article 121: The wrongful
taking of five stinger missiles

which were military property;

Article 108: The attempted
sale of the stinger missiles

to a foreign power... In
this case, Afghan rebels;

Article 106-Alpha: Espionage,

by providing the
above-stated weapons.

Your Honor, may I
confer with my client, sir?

Briefly.

The prosecution has
you dead to rights, gunner.

My job is to assure the
best outcome possible

considering the circumstances.

I can delay the proceedings

if you want to try
for a plea bargain.

How do we know
the offer's still open?

Your Honor, I need to
confer with trial counsel, sir.

Make it quick, Counselor.

Thank you.

(whispers): You still
open to a plea bargain?

Now's the best
time to get a deal...

Before I nail his
butt to the wall.

You want to try to make a deal?

Not just yet, sir.

Let's see how
today goes in court.

MARCELLA: She took
this apartment a year ago.

I didn't approve.

How did you know
that would be there?

I didn't.

Then why did you go
right for the drawer?

Well, years ago, I, uh,
defended a navy chief

who was a safecracker
in civilian life.

One time he told me,
"whatever you want to know

"get's hidden right here...
Combination to a safe, uh...

phone number of your
husband's mistress, uh..."

Or a photograph that you
don't want anyone to see.

Yeah. (speaks Italian)

Looks like she's
got your temper.

I remember it when you
tore my picture in half.

(sighs)

I don't know his name.

Francesca met him at university.

He was a history major

and the love of her life.

Why didn't she bring him home?

She thought that Vittorio and I

would not approve of him.

Why?

I don't know, A.J.

Her friends were always
welcome at our house.

Her diary.

Why did she stop seeing him?

Francesca said
that they had, um...

oh, I don't know.

How do you say
it in English? Uh...

um... irresponsible difference.

Irreconcilable?

Yes. I'm sorry.

My English is a little rusty.

My Italian is a little rusty.

Okay.

"Today was the fall showing
of Paulo D'affil-meyer.

"His creations were
raw-edged as usual.

So tensile, so, uh..."

What is the word?

"muscular.

"Tomorrow, I drive to Gaeta to
spend the day with my father...

"my real father, the Admiral...

"not the man who raised
me and gave me his name.

I love them both."

"I have a deep connection
to my American father.

"That surprises me.

"I have only known
him a few years

"but I feel I have
known him all my life.

That's the way I
felt about Luscino.

"The year I spent in his arms

"was the happiest
time of my life.

Leaving him broke my heart.

I wonder if it was like
that for my mother.

"I sometimes wonder

"why the Admiral and my mother

"ended their marriage
so early and abruptly.

"They are a good fit.

I know my mother
still cares for him."

You never found another wife?

No.

I cured you of marriage, eh?

Pretty much.

I sometimes wonder
what would have happened

if I had stayed with you.

Oh, you'd be, um... living
in a cabin in the woods,

married to man who's never home.

Not much difference
than the way it is now.

Really? My house would
fit in your... front hallway.

( chuckles)

Vittorio!

( speaking Italian)

( speaking Italian)

Oh, I'm-I'm so sorry.

Did you find out anything?

I know only what you
know, perhaps less.

Signor Paretti, I ask
your wife's permission

to look through
Francesca's apartment.

And what'd you find?

There is nothing of
interest here, Vittorio,

at least not for now.

Just mostly notes, uh,

Francesca made
of the fall fashions.

She brings her
work home with her.

I wonder what else
she brings home.

He is a stupid and
loathsome man.

Tell him to get
out of this house.

Sparice.

Don't make this harder
than it has to be, Francesca.

End it now, Luscino.

I can't, Francesca.

It's gone to far.

There has been too much killing.

There's a lot at
stake, Francesca.

( sighs)

What do you want from me?

I'm trading you

for a truckload of oranges.

I won't hurt you.

What you are doing

to my family is wrong.

No one needs to die, Francesca,

not if everyone
does as they are told

and that includes you.

If you try to leave this cabin,

I cannot guarantee your safety

or that of your family.

Stay here...

and you will see them again.

You have my word.

RABB: Well, you had
your day in court, gunner,

so what do you think?

Get in touch with
Major MacKenzie.

I'll give her the name
of the middlemen in Italy

and the buyers in Afghanistan.

That's a wise choice, gunner.

( sighs) Why'd you do it?

Love...

Love?

That's why I did it.

I met Leila sitting on the steps
of the San Giovanni a Mare.

How did you
contact the Afghanis?

Leila is Afghani.

She put me in touch
with their embassy.

How did you arrange to
have the missiles stolen?

Embassy contact put me in touch

with an Italian middleman.

The missiles were stolen
while they were being off-loaded

from a freighter
transporting from the States.

RABB: Gun!

RABB: Ray!

Ray! Damn it! Ray, help me.

Help me find Francesca.

Who stole the weapons, Ray?

Who stole them?

Luscino... Antinori.

Ray!

( gasping)

( phone ringing)

( speaking Italian)

( bird calling)

♪ ♪

Francesca.

I will kill you, Luscino.

( removes gun clip)

It's not in your nature,

Francesca.

You are kind, gentle.

You've changed.

So have you.

You're right.

I don't mind killing now.

Not even you if I have to.

The shooter's name
was Angelo Marchetti.

He has no known ties

with any Afghan or
Italian terrorist groups.

Admiral, right now, none
of this makes any sense.

Maybe it does, ma'am.

Explain, Lieutenant.

Well, it's like a puzzle.

You know, if you look at
it one way, you see a cat.

If you turn it around,
you see a dog.

The... point?

Well, maybe we've been
looking so hard at the cat

that we've missed the dog.

Very enlightening, Dr. Dolittle.

What I mean, sir, is that

perhaps your
daughter's kidnapping

is a matter of coincidence
rather that causality.

( phone rings)

I need sleep.

He's starting to make sense.

There are a lot of
unanswered questions, sir.

Dillard swears he didn't know

who kidnapped Francesca.

Still no ransom demands.

There were never any demands

for his release from
the Afghan rebels,

and his killer was an
Italian motor scooter driver.

And who the hell
is Luscino Antinori?

My daughter's lover.

ROBERTS: Thank you,
sir. That was Mr. Webb.

CIA intel says that

the stinger missiles
never got into Afghanistan.

Get in contact with the
Sixth Fleet Commander.

Alert him to the
change in status

of Chief Warrant
Officer Dillard.

Uh... he's dead, sir.

Not a lot gets by you,
does it, Lieutenant?

Talk to Sergeant Cade.

See what he knows. Admiral...

That'll be all.

Yes, sir.

Uh... you have
something to say, Major?

Uh... no, sir.

I-I, uh... I thought maybe

you would want
someone to talk to.

What, precisely,
would we talk about?

May I speak freely, sir?

Seems like you're
bound and determined to.

Well, I-I know
that this is, um...

difficult for you,
and I thought maybe

a friendly shoulder to cry on?

This isn't going
very well, is it, sir?

You have a gift for the
understatement, Major.

Just forget about this?

Already have.

Close the hatch on your way out.

Yes, sir.

( sighs)

Thanks, Sarah.

RABB: Sergeant, you've
known all along that Francesca

was not kidnapped by
the Afghans, haven't you?

I've only had, uh...

my suspicions.

So why not tell us?

Because, uh...

I didn't know if I
could trust the Admiral.

My boss is a two-star Admiral

the Judge Advocate General
of the United States Navy.

He's also Francesca's father.

I didn't know if
that would, uh...

impair his judgment.

Angelo Marchetti,
the Vespa driver

who killed Chief
Warrant Officer Dillard

and, uh, Luscino Antinori...

what do these two
men have in common?

They are both members

of the camorra...
Organized crime.

The gunman was a
person of little consequence.

He just followed orders.

Luscino Antinori was his capo.

So Dillard was
killed to silence him.

Antinori stole the
stinger missiles.

I would like to say yes.

Any thought to
bringing Antinori in

and asking him a few questions?

Well, it's not that easy.

He disappeared the
day Francesca was taken.

What does Luscino have to do

with Francesca's disappearance?

There is history of bad blood

between the Parettis
and the Antinoris.

A year go, Francesca's
uncle, Franco Paretti

killed Luscino's father.

In revenge, Luscino
killed Franco.

So this is about
a mafia vendetta.

Franco's death
changed Vittorio Paretti.

For the first time,

he takes a place in
the family business

and vows to avenge
his brother's death.

CIA intel indicates

that these stingers
are still here in Italy.

Hmm. The latest trouble
between the two families

began three weeks ago,

when Vittorio Paretti hijacked
one of Antinori's trucks.

It had a cargo of
Algerian oranges...

or so the manifest said.

I think maybe Paretti stole
the missiles from Antinori.

CHEGWIDDEN: Where's Vittorio?

MARCELLA: He's out
of town on business.

CHEGWIDDEN: Where?

I didn't ask. He didn't say.

That is our arrangement.

What do you know about
this man you're married to?

What any wife
knows about the man

she's been living
with for 20 years.

Damn it, Marcella,

we are talking about
our daughter's life.

I don't know anything, A.J.

I made sure I didn't.

I don't know about Franco,

I don't know about Vittorio,

and I don't know about
the family business.

But you had your suspicions.

Vittorio has been a
good husband to me.

He's been a good
father to your daughter.

This man, Luscino Antinori,

who our daughter was seeing?

Nothing wrong with him,

except he killed a
couple of people.

( sighs)

A.J.

Vittorio got a
telephone call yesterday.

He left shortly after.

I think maybe it was
about Francesca.

Would you wait a moment?

You will need this.

This is why you left me.

Yes.

And now everything
has come full circle.

Still, I don't know
why, when I left you

you did not come after me.

You wanted that?

I don't know what I wanted.

I never stopped loving you.

Someday, I will tell you

about the nights
that I cried over you...

listening for your footsteps.

CHEGWIDDEN: Lieutenant, get me

the Sixth Fleet Commander.

Aye, sir.

You were right, Lieutenant.

I was?

Thank you, sir.

Com, this is Lieutenant J.G.
Roberts, aboard with JAG.

I need a secure line
to the Sixth Fleet C.O.

For the Admiral

ASAP.

Uh, what was I right about, sir?

It was a dog instead of a cat.

Uh, Admiral Chegwidden

for Admiral Evans.

Sixth Fleet Commander, sir.

Harry. A.J.

I got a problem I
need your help with.

I need you to authorize
an EP-3 overfly

in the region of Umbria,

near the town of Monte
Santa Maria Tiberina.

Also, I may need to request

the Italian government send
in their GIS special forces.

Absolutely, Harry, I'll
keep you in the loop.

You got it.

Sergeant, what can I do for you?

I come to offer my service.

Well, we got things
pretty much under control.

Eh... Monte Santa
Maria Tiberina.

About 20 miles from Spoleto.

There's a pretty Romanesque
church in the town square.

Well, not that it matters.

Si. That's a winding,
two-lane road

leading in.

Eagle Two to Delta Charlie
One approaching ordnance.

Delta Charlie One
to Eagle Two...

Roger that. You
are clear to proceed.

There are three
best possibilities

at Monte Santa Maria Tiberina.

Ah. That is

the Mercedes.

RABB: There's a
dent in the front fender.

WOMAN: Infrared imaging
indicates the presence of four humans.

I need to see this

on a higher resolution.

It'll take a few
minutes in the lab, sir.

Do it.

Very impressive, Admiral.

In Gaeta, we still
go house to house

knocking on doors, eh?

CHEGWIDDEN: Hell, we
may still have to do that.

That was Major MacKenzie.

The Italian defense ministry
is convening a special session

in order to discuss deploying

the Groupe
Interventional Special.

The meeting starts in
approximately 93 minutes.

Stay on top of it.

Once they authorize
that GIS team,

coordinate their
efforts with the Major.

Rabb, you're with me.

CADE: You don't know what
you're up against, Admiral.

La Cosa Nostra has
been in Italy 500 years

and they will be here 500 more.

Well, not all of them.

WOMAN: Here's your
high-resolution blow-up, Admiral.

CHEGWIDDEN: This
is my daughter's scarf.

So this has got to be
where they're holding her.

Names?

Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden.

Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb.

Purpose, sir?

Rapid fire qualification,
small arms.

How long you going to
keep the weapons, sir?

Chief, with any luck,
we'll have them back

in the morning.

What weapons do you need?

Two nine-millimeter Beretta
semiautomatic pistols.

How many rounds, Admiral?

150 rounds,

semi-jacketed hollow point.

Eight extra magazines.

Two M-590 A-1 shotguns

with speed-feed stocks.

Purpose?

We want to hone our skills
on the skeet range, Chief.

What exactly are
you hunting, sir?

50 Rounds of double-ought
buck and another 50 rounds

of sabot slugs.

A slug round is for
short-range hunting, Admiral.

It'd stop a Buick.

It's really not
appropriate for skeet.

Humor me, chief... just
every once in a while

I like to blow the
hell out of something.

I know the feeling, sir.

That's a hell of
a lot of firepower

for a lawyer, Commander.

Obviously you've never seen him

in the courtroom.

(chuckles)

(cocking gun)

RABB: That's Antinori's truck.

That's Paretti.

He must have the
stinger missiles with him.

CHEGWIDDEN: He's going
to trade them for Francesca.

(shooting)

(man speaking Italian)

(conversing in Italian)

How do you want
to play this, Admiral?

I'm going in.

You wait for the GIS team.

That's your plan?

Sir.

You got a better one?

Well...

We both go in.

It worked for us before.

You don't have to do this.

The hell I don't, sir.

Well, by my last count,

we're about to violate

at least seven
separate provisions

of the Status-of-Forces
Agreement with Italy.

Hell, you better call me A.J.

All right, A.J.

Let's do it.

I'll take the far side.

Yes, sir.

(bird squawking)

(speaks Italian)

(firing)

( groans)

(grunting)

Papa!

Admiral.

Papa, help!

Sir, how do we know

she didn't go with
Luscino willingly?

How well do you really know her?

Can you trust her?

With my life.

ANTINORI: I will guarantee
your safety, Admiral!

(cocking gun) Well, I sure
the hell won't guarantee yours.

(cocks gun) Freeze!

Put down your weapons.
That's not going to happen.

Put down your weapons,

or she's going to
be buried right here.

Now!

Papa, please.

Now move where I can see you.

Let her go, Luscino.

Leave her here.

CADE: Antinori.

(gasps) Papa!

ANTINORI: Francesca,
no! Don't do it, Antinori.

Put it down!

ANTINORI: No.

Papa, your leg.

Put it down, Antinori.

Put it down!

( gunshot)

( grunts)

I knew you would

come for me, Papa.

He's dead.

Are you hurt?

FRANCESCA: I will
never be the same again.

Admiral...

you all right, sir?

It's time to go home.

♪ ♪