9. Do or Die

Complete story — includes the ending

A flashback to the early 1960s depicts Palmer seeking a position within his estranged wealthy father's corporation. Mr. O'Neil rebuffs his illegitimate son and offers Palmer a $10,000 check to sever their ties. Bitter and dejected, Palmer invests the money into building his own corporation, naming it Stoneheart as a nod to his uncaring, cold-hearted father. In the present, the NYPD leave New York; a few captains stay behind with Justine Feraldo. Fet goes to warn Eph and Dutch that the police have left and the city will fall within two days. Dutch and Eph opt to stay and continue working on their invention. The device works, disrupting attacking strigois' communication ability and rendering them inert. Gus and Angel come to the aid of Feraldo, Captain Kowalski, and the remaining NYPD captains as strigoi attack their vehicle in the street. All are killed except Gus, who escapes to safety. Quinlan survived Eichhorst's attack on the Ancients and regroups with Setrakian and Fet. Eph and Dutch have brought the device, claiming it will incapacitate the Master. Fet, however, wants Eph to leave. Meanwhile, Palmer and his security team locate the Aurora Cutlass cargo and capture Sanjay Desai. The crate contains a nuclear bomb, one of two that Eichhorst had smuggled from Russia by way of Egypt. Eichhorst used one bomb to destroy the ancients. Palmer confiscates the remaining weapon and lures Eichhorst into a trap where he and his team brutally shoot him. Severely wounded, Eichhorst leaps down the elevator shaft, his fate unknown. With limited time before the Master learns what happened, Palmer must immediately meet with Setrakian.