The latest episode of The Blacklist opens with Senator Panabaker addressing a crowd, with her security detail keeping watch. Suddenly, her guards spot a boy in a black jacket and search his pockets, but find nothing. Cooper, present as a civilian to support his old friend, witnesses the commotion. Amidst the chaos, someone alerts the group that the boy is carrying a gun. Cooper instinctively pushes Panabaker to safety, but unfortunately, one of the unarmed security guards is shot.
Later, Cooper meets with Red, who takes him to an old bathhouse. Cooper comments on the dilapidated state of the building, wondering if Red actually lives there. Red then brings up the incident with Panabaker, as well as other thefts of radios and guns by a group called the Four Guns. He explains that they are skilled pickpockets who carefully plan their moves to manipulate their targets, and that they may have been behind the attack on Panabaker. Red believes they will try again, and suggests that a thief may be needed to catch the assassin.
Cooper reviews the case with the task force at the bureau, informing them that Red believes the pickpockets were involved in the attack on Panabaker. He suggests that tracking them down may lead them to the shooter.
Later, Cooper meets with Panabaker and offers to repay his debt to her by finding the shooter. The shooter is then shown removing their silicone mask.
Meanwhile, Red is investigating books with a gold emblem made from arsenic. These books are kept under lock and key. In prison, Robert Vesco receives a package from an inmate, courtesy of Raymond Reddington. The package contains a copy of "Oliver Twist" with a note from Red. Despite finding the note cryptic, Vesco keeps the book.
The gun used to shoot Panabaker's security is discovered in a trash bin with smudged prints, except for half of a thumbprint. Red calls in someone who can identify the print, which belongs to Quinton Dodd, also known as The Hook, The Mechanic, The Claw, and so on. Dodd is known for his obsession with expensive watches. Ressler goes undercover at a luxury watch event and Dodd takes the bait, attempting to pickpocket Ressler's watch. However, Dodd soon finds himself in handcuffs and realizes the watch is a fake.
In custody, Dodd insists that he follows the rules and that they won't find his prints on the gun. He's confident that the most he'll get is a year in lockup since he's very smart. Cooper informs Panabaker about the pickpockets, but she doesn't believe it. Nonetheless, Cooper insists that Ressler accompany her in public from now on.
Meanwhile, Red interrogates Dodd and asks him to read him. Although Dodd does so impressively, Red reveals that he missed something in his back pocket - a photo of people who mean a lot to him, including Panabaker. Teddy then enters and Red accuses him of trying to steal from him, threatening to sever his hand. Teddy shows off his tools and suggests a clean way to sever a limb. Under pressure, Dodd finally talks, revealing that he and his team were conducting a job when a security guard ambushed them with footage of their activities. The guard frightened Dodd, and they went along with his plan to avoid being outed.
The task force follows Dodd’s lead to an address and discovers a photo of the assassin with former President Diaz on the wall. They identify the assassin as Lucas Roth, a retired Secret Service agent who left his job a year before he had to. Meanwhile, Vesco suffers from breathing problems in prison.
During a speech by Panabaker, Roth pulls the fire alarm and attempts to kidnap her. Ressler suspects a setup and realizes that Roth's actual target is Special Agent Strickland, not Panabaker. After a search, Panabaker pulls a gun on Roth, who plays a recording that incriminates Strickland. Panabaker shoots Roth, and Cooper and Ressler arrive to take both Roth and Strickland into custody.
Red meets Dodd and his team at the hospital and helps them to release Vesco. They make their way down to the ground floor where Red is waiting in a Hearst. Vesco is hesitant to get in, but Red convinces him to come along by telling him that he is a free man now.
Strickland is in custody with Ressler and finally confesses to his wrongdoing. He claims that Panabaker is not fit to run for office. Meanwhile, Roth staged the fire alarm to expose Strickland.
Cooper finds Panabaker in her office in tears. She tells him that she couldn't let fear hold her back. Cooper informs her that she is being hailed as "Cynthia Sixth Shooter" in the news, and they celebrate with a toast.
Red is on a plane with Vesco, who asks if he is a guest or a prisoner. Vesco then asks what Red has up his sleeve. Red surprises him with another gift, a copy of "Treasure Island."
