- The Leverage team takes on a greedy riverboat casino owner, before he can bulldoze the homes of longtime New Orleans natives for his planned expansion.
- The team take on a crooked Louisiana former congressman who is working to have neighborhood residents forced out so he can use their land to build his casino complex. To stop him, the team have to rob his casino vault of all his money and bankrupt him so he can't get his gambling license.—Gislef
- A New Orleans home owner, Lenore Petitpas, is at home when Jake arrives and tells her that she's being evicted, and the bank sold her loan. She says that they did receive notification, but it said the new owners couldn't kick her out. Jake tells her there's a clause in the loan, and the new owners are exercising the loan to kick her out. Lenore's granddaughter, Ava, comes up to complain Jake is a thug. She pulls a shotgun on Jake, and, unimpressed, he says that he'll be back and threatens Ava.
Jake goes to his car where his boss, Austin Chaudry, is waiting. He tells Austin that Lenore will be evicted, and they drive off.
At the restaurant, Parker is wearing a suit covered with bells and training Breana how to pickpocket. Breana insists that the test is impossible, Sophie leaves to do "client intake" with Harry, and goes to meet with Lenore at the latter's house. Harry goes over the paperwork and confirms that Breana forged the clause so it appears Lenore put up the house as collateral, letting him foreclose on Lenore. Sophie admires the homemade dresses Lenore has made for her family, and Lenore goes to get her sketchbook. Ava tells Sophie that the neighbors have been driven out, and isn't interest in selling out. As Sophie and Harry leave, Sophie compliments Harry on how well he did.
At the restaurant, Breana reports to the team that their opposition is using a shell company, and the papers on the house were never filed. No one is impressed with her work to find out a shell company is involved, and the fact she didn't follow the money all the way. Harry figures whoever is foreclosing has someone in city hall, and Breana says she'll check it out but might have to crash the whole city's computers. Sophie says that they'll go old school and walks upstairs. Eliot and Parker put their fingers to their noses, and Breana and Harry don't get the joke.
At the City Hall Bureau of Records, Sophie and Harry go in and Breana directs them to the one employee who is living above his means. The two teammates go into the office of Billy Barnes and Harry blurts out that they're married. Sophie plays along and says she wants to determine what assets Harry is hiding, and Barnes looks them up on his computer but doesn't find anything. Sophie gets a glance at Barnes' laptop, while Harry overacts. Sophie matches him and storms out, and Harry goes after her and they talk about their marriages and divorces.
Sophie leaves her phone behind, and Breana uses it to clone Barnes' phone as he calls Austin, a former Congressman. Breana refuses to call Hardison for help, and she and Parker listen in as Austin tells Breana that they'll take possession in a week and then all Barnes has to do is count his money. Breana confirms who Austin is and reports to the rest of the team, and determines that he owns a riverboat casino, the 'Mississippi Pearl'. Breana boasts that she stole a thumb drive from Harry' briefcase, and discovers that Parker stole it from her.
Breana confirms that Austen has put everything he has into the casino, which has expanded onto land. If he fails to build his complex, he loses his license and goes bankrupt. Lloyd Van Winkle, with the Gaming Commission, decides if Austin gets the license, and Harry's firm dealt with him and Van Winkle is honest. Because of that, Austin will have to get his license legitimately and Sophie figures the team will have to stop Austin from doing that. Breana suggest they get Austin on a misdemeanor, and the others point out that Austin has connection that would make any misdemeanor disappear. Sophie figures they'll have to rob the casino's vault, and the team go over the casino plans.
Eliot applies for a job with the casino, while the others figure they have to meet with Van Winkle and convince Austin they're competing for his license. Harry has a membership at VAN WINKLE's gun club, where Austin meets with him, while Parker flirts with VAN WINKLE using a flowchart Hardison made for her. When Austin approaches Parker and VAN WINKLE, VAN WINKLE declines and Parker makes sure Austin hears her say they'll talk more about gaming licenses at a party later. Parker then talks to Harry about how her party, and how a nearby Sophie is planning it. Once Parker and Sophie leave, Austin approaches Harry, who tells him Parker's cover story and how she's planning to build a casino complex, and Austin asks Harry to introduce him to Parker.
Eliot interviews with Dennis, the head of casino security, He notices that Dennis used to be with the police and says he was as well, and Breana feeds Eliot information when Dennis asks him questions about where he was stationed. Eliot takes it from there, making it convincing.
Harry takes Austin over to Parker, who Sophie is arguing with and threatening to walk if Parker doesn't pay her what she promised. Once Sophie walks off, Austin offers Parker some "friendly competition" skeet shooting. As they shoot clay pigeons, Austin tells Parker that Louisiana doesn't have any spare gambling licenses. Harry shoots rigger clay pigeons for Austin so he misses, and Parker says a license might be opening up. Austin tells Jake to follow Sophie.
Dennis hires Elliot and shows him around, including the private team wearing suits that handles the casino money. Later, Eliot tells the team what he's seen and Breana suggests they don't need to follow the money but just be the money. The next day, Austin pulls up to Sophie on the street and invites her to join him, and she does. Meanwhile, Breana goes into the Pearl and puts down some money, and Parker briefs Breana over the comms on how to infiltrate.
Sophie goes for a walk along the river with Austin, and she says that she brings in big spenders for Parker's parties. She talks about how Parker plans to get the license through bribery, and Austin complains about his parents couldn't afford the bribes they needed to start a hotel. He vows that no one will stop him from building his "empire", and everyone will know his name. Austin suggests that Sophie bring Parker big spender--"whales"--to him.
Dennis shows Eliot the surveillance room, and tells him not to push the big red emergency button that seals the vault. There are no cameras in the vault, but in the counting room that is the only way in our out of the vault. Eliot secretly plants an electronic device on the cameras, letting Parker at the restaurant tap into the CCTVs. The money Breana is spending is marked with ID tape so they can follow it into the vault, and a guard shuts down the sensors around "the world's largest pearl" on display to clean it. Breana tells Parker and wants to steal it. Parker resists temptation and tells Breana to stay on mission, bur Breana approaches the pearl and Parker and Eliot both see her approaching the display. The head of security grabs Breana before she can grab the pearl, and Eliot gets there and takes Breana into custody. He then sends her to the restaurant.
At the restaurant, Parker complains that Breana didn't follow her orders. The others tells Breana to wait for her chance, and Sophie tells Breana that they might recognize her face so she's back in the food truck. The others figure they have ten minutes between shifts to crack the vault and grab the money, and get off the boat.
Harry finds Breana outside, and he asks her what she wants. She wants the world to stop sucking, and doesn't believe in hope. Harry tells Breana that she really has to be part of the team.
Later, Breana and Sophie time Parker hiding money underneath her dress. Once Breana leaves, Sophie tells Parker that they have to help Breana grow, and Sophie figures Parker needs a bigger dress.
That night, everyone is gambling at the Pearl. Parker comes in with a big white hoop dress that Lenore made for her. She sits down at a table to play, and Sophie is with Austin and tells him that she invited Parker so Parker could see all the "whales" lose. Eliot and Dennis are in the surveillance room watching the counting room, and Eliot gets Dennis out on a pretense for their "window". Breana loops the empty hallway footage Parker recorded earlier, and Parker excuses herself from VAN WINKLE, saying she has a "personal bodily function" to perform and it could take hours.
Three of the "whales" start winning big, thanks to them and the dealer being plants that are former friends of Nate, that Sophie brought in. Austin notices and goes over. Meanwhile, Eliot and Parker go into the counting room, knocking out the guard, and Parker easily safecracks the vault door. There's more money in there then will fit under the dress, and Eliot tells from a tattoo on the unconscious guard that the men in suits are Russian mob.
Sophie realizes that Austin is laundering money for the Russians , to finance his empire plans. Jake is the employee, protecting money for a Russian oligarch. She wants to regroup, but Breana comes up with an idea. The plants keep winning, and Austin assures Jake that it's fine. He goes over to the bar to order a drink, and Jake warns him not to lose Dmitri's money.
Breana assures everyone her plan will work, and Parker tells the team to "trust the newbie". Eliot follows Breana's instructions and goes through some heavily patrolled areas to get what they need. Jake calls the unconscious vault guard on the radio but gets no response, while Parker takes off her dress. Sophie sees Jake leave and tells Eliot to hurry, and Eliot gets a laundry cart. He knocks out more guards with nitrogen tanks and life jackets that he has in the cart, then unloads them in the boiler room. Dennis finds him and wonders what he's doing, and Eliot tells him that the guys in suits are Russian mafia. Dennis gets punches unconscious by another arriving guard, and Eliot knocks the guard out and makes sure Dennis okay.
Jake goes to the camera room, trying to reach the guard on the radio, and find the tapping device. Once he disconnect it, Jake sees the screens showing Eliot in the counting room. He also sees the unconscious guards scattered around the ship. Meanwhile, Sophie and Austin watch the plants win, and Sophie tries to dismiss it as a hot streak. Jake calls Austin and tells him that they have thieves in their vault, and Austin tells Jake to call the cops. The Russian hits the emergency seal button, trapping Parker and Eliot inside.
Jake rejoins Austin in the casino and they wait for the police. Austin tells Sophie to make sure the plants start losing and leaves with Jake, and Sophie signals the plants to cash out while she tries to raise Parker and Eliot on the comms. Austin and Jake go to the vault with the police and open the door, and find the vault empty with no one inside. Going back to the casino, Austin sees the plants cashing out and tells Sophie to stop them. VAN WINKLE is with Sophie and asks Austin if there's something wrong. The former congressman insists that there isn't, and Sophie loudly says the plants won $2 million. VAN WINKLE wonders if Austin can pay out, and Austin assures him that he can. He then accuses Sophie of setting the whole thing up, and tells the arriving police. Sophie asks Austin if he knew his casino ran a rigged game, in front of VAN WINKLE, and VAN WINKLE offers the police his office's assistance. Sophie smugly tells Austin that the Russians won't be happy with him, tell Austin that now everyone will know his name, and walks off. Jake takes Austin to see Dmitri.
As Sophie walks out, she hears Dennis telling a detective that the men in suits are Russian mob. She sees that the pearl is missing from the display case, while the police discover that the counting room floor is soaked. Earlier on Breana's instructions, Eliot and Parker sealed off the vault's air vents, filled the room with nitrogen from the tanks, then cut a hole in the floor and pushed the money through. The river current swept the money on the life jackets away, and then they dove in and followed it to shore. The others pick them, up and Parker tells Breana that she did a good job.
The next day, Sophie and Harry give the deeds, free and clear, to Ava and Lenore. Sophie assures the family that they've done the same for any neighbors still in the area, and anyone who got forced out will get fair compensation. Harry has also got the whole neighborhood historical status so no one can tear the houses down.
Back at the restaurant, Eliot calls Dennis and assures him he'll help him pass the entrance exam to the police force. He tells Breana that he doesn't make friends, and is furious when Parker eats the carrot cake Dennis sent him. After Eliot leaves, Breana asks Parker why she decided to trust her on the boat. Parker says that Hardison wrote to trust the person in the van on one of his flowcharts, and they both wish Hardison was there. Parker assures Breana that they have her and she's glad the girl is there. Breana wants to learn everything and take on the bad guy, and Parker says that Hardison trust Breana with Parker and she doesn't want the girl to come to harm. Breana says that she grew up in the world like it is and she's not scared, and Parker tells Breana that training starts tomorrow, tosses Breana the pearl, and leaves.
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