Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Whether you're in Moscow, Tehran, or Miami, club girls are a good source of information. Men say things to a beautiful woman. They give out phone numbers, hotel keys. They let down their guard. Getting information from a club girl means buying drinks. It's not a problem with an operational slush fund. It's a big problem if you're spending cash scrounged from your mom's purse.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Go after a group of people directly, and they pull together and they get stronger. Taking out a tight-knit group is about making them turn on each other. Plant the seeds of distrust and watch them grow. Of course, sowing seeds of distrust is harder when nobody trusts you.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Eavesdropping and field work go hand-in-hand. You wanna know what your target is saying and what he's typing into his computer, but technology can't work miracles. Bugs don't plant themselves. The fact is, even the fanciest equipment usually needs good help from a good, old-fashioned crowbar.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Often the best way to get intel is to provoke action, set people in motion. Pros know better, but they usually have to work with a few amateurs, and they panic. So you beat the bushes a little and see what flies out. Once your frightened amateur leads you to the pros, the work begins.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
When you work solo it's about prepping the ground. Home court advantage counts for a lot. You never know what's going to happen. You prepare for everything. Most bad guys expect you to just sit there and wait for them like those are the rules or something.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Powerful people don't like being pushed around. You can never quite predict what they're going to do, or have their washed out Special Forces security guys do. Point is, blackmail is a little like owning a pit bull. It might protect you, or it might bite your hand off. That's why it pays to make sure you know what they're thinking, and that means eavesdropping.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Cracking an old school safe is pretty tough, but modern high-tech security makes it much easier. Thing is, nobody wipes off a fingerprint scanner after they use it, so what's left on the scanner nine times out of ten is a fingerprint.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Sleep through an aerial bombing or two, and noise isn't an issue. You just need some privacy and a bed. In a pinch, you can lose the bed. But the privacy's important for projects like this one. With everyone x-raying and chemical testing their mail these days, a box of wire and pipe and batteries sprinkled with chemical fertilizer is a great attention getter.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
My mom would have been a great NSA communications operative. Drop me in the middle of the Gobi Desert. Bury me in a goddamn cave on the moon. And somehow, she'd find a way to call me and ask me for a favor.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
When you're being watched, what you need is contrast: a background that will make the surveillance stand out. An FBI field office is full of guys in their forties. At most South Beach business hotels, it would be tough to tell which middle-aged white guy was watching you, so you stay in the place where everyone is a Jell-o shot away from alcohol poisoning. If you see someone who can walk a straight line, that's the fed.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Most people would be thrilled to be dumped in Miami. Sadly, I am not most people. Spend a few years as a covert operative and a sunny beach just looks like a vulnerable tactical position with no decent cover. I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit.
Sam Axe, Burn Notice
When I was a kid I adopted a dog that I found. He had these big eyes and I used to rub his belly and I thought we had something special... right up until he bit a chunk out of me, I'll show you the scar if you'd like. I wouldn't
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Sam and I worked because she was like me. She didn't mind that my job was lying to people. She loved it, she did the same thing. It made being with her easy. And then I met you. It was - it was different. It was never easy. You knew a part of me she never did. And I left her, because you don't marry someone when you love somebody else.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Working covert ops, you learn to exploit weaknesses. You manipulate greed, fear, pride, to make people do what you want. But when you're dealing with true believers, those weaknesses aren't there. All you can do is help or get out of the way.
Sam Axe, Burn Notice
Come on Mikey. When was the last time you did what regular people do? Don't be afraid, I'll be right there with you. Fifty yard line, third row, beer in big plastic cups.
Madeline Westen, Burn Notice
Fiona is a wonderful girl; but it's not meant to be. I just worry about you, that's all. I don't want to give up the idea that you'll find someone. I want you to have a family of your own. It's not about me, it's about you. Life is hard if you have to live it alone and having kids just makes the ride more fun.
Sam Axe, Burn Notice
You know the difference between big fish and little fish? When big fish get caught they get cooked, eaten. When little fish get caught they get thrown back in the lake to swim away; unless, they piss of Mr. Fisherman. I'm offering you a chance to swim away... it's better for both of us really... cause if you don't accept it, ooh, it's a lot of paperwork for me and a dark little room for you.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
He's an importer, he sells to your competition. I put him out of business and it's a win for both of us. AND, if you don't do what I want, I will rain Hell down upon you until one of us is dead and I'm really, really good at raining down Hell.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
When you work in intelligence, you get used to the idea that some information is worth risking everything for. You sign up for the lifestyle, or the chance to serve your country, or the millions of frequent-flier miles. But finally, it all comes down to putting your ass on the line to learn something.
Michael Westen, Burn Notice
Even the most careful spy leaves a trail that could get them burned. A patriot making illicit deals for his government looks a lot like a traitor, making black-market sales for his wallet. Somebody upstairs gets the wrong idea, and suddenly you're burned, and out of a job.
