The task force travels to the United States, planning to go through with the exchange of the Death Note for Sayu. As Soichiro arrives at the airport, he is intercepted by one of the kidnappers, who directs him to board a different flight from the one planned. Aizawa reports this to Light, who tells him to allow this. The plane's pilot is in league with the kidnappers and veers off his route, telling air traffic control that he is making a brief detour to drop off a passenger.
The plane lands in the desert, and Soichiro is let off. Mello contacts him and an underground base is revealed. Soichiro enters and finds Sayu being held by one of the kidnappers. Light is starting to panic that things are getting out of control, and considers killing Sayu, but concludes that he couldn't blame her death on Kira. The kidnapper demands a test of the Death Note, using it to kill a fellow mafia member who had sold drugs behind their back. He then takes the Death Note and releases Sayu. Light contacts Near, and orders him to track the kidnapper as he escapes via helicopter. Near is annoyed, but attempts to do so. However, the Death Note is actually loaded onto a missile that cannot be tracked. Rod Ross blows up the helicopter, killing the pilot for his past failures.
Mello then has the Death Note used to kill most of the SPK, leaving Near and a few others alive. Near contacts Light and reprimands him for handing over the notebook. He tells him that he suspects Mello is behind the kidnapping, and agrees to share information with the task force.
This episode provides examples of:
- Bad Boss: Rod Ross has two of his men executed in this episode, one for selling drugs behind his back and one for failure.
- Caged Bird Metaphor: In the scene where Light asks Misa to accompany him to LA so he can "use [her] eyes," she is framed with a chattering caged bird in the background representing the way she is being unwittingly controlled and endangered by Light.
- Enemy Mine: Light resorts to asking Near for help to stop Mello from getting away with the notebook.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Ryuk tells Light not to take his anger out on Misa after the failure of his plan.
- Gambit Pileup: Light tries to come up with a way to stop the trade, while Near plans to seize the Death Note himself if it's revovered.
- Out-Gambitted: Both Light and Near fail to stop Mello from getting the notebook.
