After Matheson is found dead, the hacker, identifying herself as “Root”, admits to Finch that she had him killed to tie up loose ends. Root acknowledges Finch, by name, as a worthy adversary.

Reese, Finch, and Shaw work to save the life of a sailor named Jack Salazar who is inadvertently caught up in a diamond smuggling operation run by a team of Force Recon Marines. Shaw gets used to being a member of the team, although her propensity for violent solutions worries Finch.

Reese receives a mysterious code from the Machine via the pay phone. He cracks the code to yield the SSN of accountant Leon Tao . Reese rescues Tao, who stole money from a business he learned was a front for the Aryan Brotherhood.

Control holds Harold, Shaw and Arthur captive. She orders Shaw killed, but Root enters, guns blazing, and frees the trio. Root herself is shot and captured by Control, who tortures her, demanding access to the Machine. Control destroys the hearing in Root’s right ear and threatens to make her completely deaf and blind.