Airdate: Wednesday.23.March.2005
The Orphan

It's 1992. A man sneaks into a Buenos Aires orphanage in the middle of the
night and tries to kidnap one of the girls. A young Nadia resists him and
escapes.

Vaughn shares his father's journal with Sydney. He asks her for access to
the Operational Archives. Later, Vaughn decodes an address in Lisbon that
may help reveal the mystery of his father's life.

At APO, Sloane says that the Belorussian Institute of Science had developed
a next gen optical component called the Amplifying Glass, which can boost a
laser pulse. It can enable a CD player's laser to shoot a plane from the
sky or slice a tank in half. A Jakarta faction has employed Cesar Martinez,
an Argentine resident, to acquire it for them. Nadia knows him - they were
once partners in crime.

Nadia reports that Martinez is a freelancer, and he earned his reputation
with the execution of former Argentine intelligence officer, Roberto Fox.
Their mission is to outfox Martinez and obtain the Amplifying Glass at a
party held in the Minsk Institute of Science. As the team leaves the room,
Nadia admits to Sydney that she knows Martinez.

A blonde Sydney arrives at an elegant party in the Institute of Science. She
charms an architect, whose Blackberry holds the building's blue prints and
project files. After scanning his PDA with Marshall's help, Syd waits for
Nadia, who has stolen a key from one of the scientists.

Later, Nadia spots Cesar Martinez. Nadia again flashes back to her teenage
years. She's crying in the corner of a jail cell. Roberto Fox recruits her
to work in espionage for the government. Nadia consults the headmistress of
the orphanage, who encourages her to take the job. At the party, gunmen
open fire as Martinez follows Sydney's path.

In the lab, Syd cracks the safe and retrieves the Amplifying Glass. When
Martinez and his thugs enter, Syd surrenders the Glass. Martinez asks
Sydney who she works for. Nadia arrives and says, "She works with me." He
spares their lives.

Back at APO, Sloane reprimands Nadia for not sharing her past regarding
Martinez. Nadia insists she can get the Glass back from Martinez. She
doesn't tell them that she actually worked with Martinez under Roberto's
tutelage.

In Buenos Aires, Nadia sits at an outdoor restaurant while Sydney and Weiss
observe from a van. Martinez arrives and agrees to sell the Glass to Nadia
on the condition that she accompany him back to his office without backup.
Nadia agrees despite Syd's reservations.

Martinez asks Nadia if she still thinks about Roberto Fox. Nadia recalls
finding her dying partner, who says that Roberto Fox is a criminal who had
them steal government intelligence. Nadia thought she'd been working for
the Argentine government.

Nadia admits to killing Fox and says she'd do it again. Martinez levels a
gun at her. She hits him and turns the table, now aiming it at him. Sydney
arrives with Weiss. Nadia tells them that the Amplifying Glass is in the
safe and Weiss takes Martinez away. Sydney and Nadia embrace.

In Lisbon, Vaughn rings the door of the address mentioned in his father's
journal. The door opens to reveal Nadia's headmistress at the orphanage!
She says the only time she met Vaughn's father was when he came to her,
covered in blood with a baby in his arms -- the baby was Nadia. Pressed for
further details the headmistress says she heard his father mention one
particular word during a phone conversation -- "Nightingale."