In a suit and sunglasses, Michael approaches O'Neill and two of his men at an outdoor bar. He does this by noisily dragging a metal-legged chair over to their table across the concrete, setting everyone's teeth on edge. You know, just to break the ice. O'Neill wants his men to get rid of him, but stops when Michael says, "This is the planning committee for the Glenanne wake, right?" O'Neill calls his boys off, and Michael pulls out a little digital recorder. He plays back a conversation of Sean and Fi discussing leaving town. Michael says he's an arms dealer who employs (but clearly doesn't trust) Fi, and he's able to hand her over to O'Neill at any time. O'Neill chuckles that he'll buy Michael a "mighty fine drink" if he can do that now, but Michael says that if Fi vanishes, someone will need to fill in for her. Someone like O'Neill. O'Neill isn't interested in the deal. "I found her once. I'll find her again." Michael gets up, leaves a fake business card for "Paul Smith," sucks down a shot, and walks away with some kind of Celtic-sounding farewell. Nice touch. By the way, Paul Blackthorne's Irish accent isn't flawless either, but it's a lot better than that of his fellow Brit who is a regular on this show.

Over at Madeline's, Michael is cleaning a gun on Madeline's table (it actually looks like the same weapon he brought back to Fi earlier) while Sam makes himself lunch and they try to think of a backup plan in case O'Neill doesn't bite. There's a knock on the door and Madeline goes to answer it, thinking it's the realtor again. "Butch, Sundance, cool it," she snarks at them, even though "Butch" isn't loading up anything but a sandwich. But when she answers, it's Strickler, carrying a zip-up folder. "Can Michael come out and play?" he smarms. Sam signals to Madeline to clear out of the room (oddly, she does without protest) as Strickler says he's delivering Michael's study guide. He hands over a few pages, and Michael looks at it for only a second before asking with quiet incredulity, "You want me to say I worked a job helping a Somali warlord?" "Somali businessman," Strickler says. He explains all the reasons the CIA will buy it, "plus it helps me set up a little side project I have here in Miami." Which of course he's not about to share with Michael. However, the "businessman" is prepared to vouch for Michael, "for a price, which I will pay." Michael's not down with this at all. "I'm not clearing my name by getting in bed with a murderer." Did Michael get to pick his jobs back when he was a real spy? He only got to do the ones he agreed with? No wonder he wants Back In. He goes back to cleaning the gun as Strickler tells him to grow up. "You're just replacing one lie with another, and this lie washes you clean." He says it's about getting Michael his job back, not telling the truth, and is kind of willfully if unwisely oblivious to the fact that while he's been talking, Michael has finished reassembling that gun he's been cleaning. On his way out, Strickler adds, "And please tell your mom sorry about the drapes. They look better in the catalog, honestly." Rather than following Strickler to the door so he can slam his head in it, Michael takes a cell phone call from O'Neill, wanting to meet. He's changed his mind, apparently.