Rita is at a bar when Phillips approaches her and suggests they leave together; Rita agrees and willingly goes with him. Meanwhile, Avery continues her research. She gets an anonymous call from Nigel, who tells her: “Governments are good at cleaning up messes. If I were you, I’d find out all I could about a company called Hygeia. I’d follow the money” (273). After she ends the call with Nigel, Avery asks Agent Lee if his team has made any progress on finding Betty. They haven’t. Agent Lee urges Avery once again to let him into what she knows: “If she [Betty] had some knowledge from Homeland Security that would make her a target for foul play, now’s the time to tell me, Avery. I can help” (275). Avery, still not trusting Agent Lee, refuses.

Avery learns that the justice ingested an unregistered pharmaceutical compound designed to induce a coma. The doctors, unfamiliar with the drug, don’t know if the coma is reversible. Avery gets a message from Nigel, passing on the information that Betty sent him. The documentation Betty obtained includes proof that the US government paid hundreds of millions to Hygeia. Jared, Noah, Ling, and Avery discuss the proof, Jared realizing, “If the [GenWorks-Advar] merger succeeds, the president’s archenemy,