Michael and Paul show up outside Paul's place, which the Russians do indeed have staked out so tightly that Michael and Paul can just get out of the car and discuss Michael's metaphysical future right there on the street. Of course Paul says that Michael reminds him of himself when he was younger, and warns him that eventually you start just collecting ghosts. Michael remarks that Paul doesn't seem all that haunted. "Rum helps," Paul explains. "A lot." So does sleepwalking through your performance. But on to the issue of how to get into Paul's place. Michael opens the trunk to reveal their buddy Alexi tied up, wearing explosives and not much else. That'll be the diversion while Paul gets the file. Sucks to be Alexi, man.

Michael somehow gets Alexi on his knees out on the street without anyone noticing, and calls out Vitali and his other guy. "I'm Michael Westen," he tells Vitali. "Yeah, that one," he adds, seeing Vitali's reaction. Michael wants Vitali and his team to leave town. Vitali draws on Michael, saying that if he kills Michael Westen, he becomes a Russian hero. Michael breaks the news, (because apparently Vitali is blind and was going to shoot at the sound of Michael's voice) that Alexi is loaded down with enough C4 to kill them all, and Michael's holding the detonator with a dead man's switch, which means Alexi will explode if Michael gets shot. "No more Alexi, no more Vitali, no more...that guy." The Russians put down their guns, and Vitali tell Michael he's next after Paul. Michael takes off, having bought himself and Paul the few minutes it's going to take Vitali to defuse Alexi. But at least there are no bystanders, passersby, or anyone else at all to distract them, because you'd think one of them might have had something to say about a bunch of guys in suits having a standoff over another guy in his underwear and a bomb in the middle of the street.

Michael drives around to the back of Paul's place, but Paul isn't coming out, so Michael has to come in. He finds Paul trying to crack his own safe because he forgot the combo after having too many drinks last night. Michael takes over, using the sound method, which involves duct-taping headphone speakers to safe's door to amplify the sounds of the tumblers. Because they've got nothing but time for this. I mean, they already moved the safe across the room, they can't just throw it into the Charger and crack it at their leisure? Finally Michael gets it open and hands the file inside to Paul, who can't believe he forgot the day his mother died. They hear the Russians outside, and Paul wants to go out shooting. Which he does, while Michael bustles him into the Charger and they drive off. Poor Paul still hasn't gotten to kill any Russians, and he's not very happy about it.