Making an Honest Buck

Buck Meltsner is wearing a wire. He's gone undercover for NSA agent Jason Whittaker, swiping a used tissue from the McCallums' bathroom to prove that wealthy Malcolm McCallum is stealing government secrets - even though Malcolm's stepson Brayden is Buck's best friend. But when the DNA comes back clean, Buck confesses what he's already figured out: the real spy is Brayden's mother, Gina. When the FBI pounds on the door, Gina pulls a gun... and Buck outsmarts her with a fake sniper dot and a wall smeared with epoxy. The arrest saves the case but costs Buck his friend, as Brayden and the whole school brand him a snitch. Still, Buck doesn't regret doing the right thing - and a surprise plane ticket to Odyssey means old friends are waiting.

Found on Keep It Together Album 76 · 6 episodes

The run See every episode

0975 Naughty or Nice At the Whit's End Christmas party, an anonymous gift exchange goes off the rails when mysterious presents, a threatening note, and a car key nobody can explain turn the celebration into a night of amateur detective work.

1 of 3 0976 The Rydell Realizations When a stranger's tearful story moves young genius Morrie Rydell to an act of kindness, it lands him in a police interrogation room accused of a quarter-million-dollar cyber theft.

2 of 3 0977 The Rydell Realizations When a boy genius is framed for a quarter-million-dollar computer theft, his friends at Whit's End race a six-week trial clock to unravel a charming stranger's scheme.

3 of 3 0978 The Rydell Realizations A young hacker's search for the woman who framed him forces him to confront the fact that the trap she set was built from his own past mistakes.

0979 Right Notes, Wrong Key A lonely former pop star gets a second chance in the spotlight - if she's willing to keep bending the truth to stay there.

1 of 2 0980 Making an Honest Buck Newly transplanted to a big school and sidelined by an embarrassing injury, Buck Meltsner is recruited for a secret mission that means befriending a classmate under false pretenses.

2 of 2 0981 Making an Honest Buck A boy working undercover for a federal investigation must weigh loyalty to his best friend against exposing the truth hidden inside that friend's family.

0982 The Ark's the Thing Two young directors clash over whether their Vacation Bible School play about Noah's ark should teach hard facts or stir big feelings - until an inquisitive cast member's questions force them to rethink what the story is really about.

0983 One Last Treasure Hunt On her twelfth birthday, a girl receives one final treasure hunt planned by her late father, and each clue brings her closer to a truth she's been afraid to face.

1 of 3 0984 Running the Race A skeptical teenager who thinks commitment and contentment are "a bunch of hooey" is sent into the Imagination Station to live scenes from the early life of Olympic runner Eric Liddell.

2 of 3 0985 Running the Race A gifted Scottish runner with an unorthodox style faces the choice of a lifetime when his deepest conviction collides with his shot at Olympic glory.

3 of 3 0986 Running the Race A skeptical teen steps into the life of Olympic champion Eric Liddell to discover whether trading fame for a missionary's life in war-torn China was a waste - or the greatest race he ever ran.

0987 Quiet as a Smouse Three kids must track down their elusive fourth teammate - the only one who knows the password to their contest entry - before their audio drama plays, following a trail of his strange errands across town.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 1 more roles

1 supporting role

Brayden Grayson Smith

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Kathy Buchanan Writer · Director Nathan Hoobler Producer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

Buck Meltsner is deep undercover. He has agreed to help NSA agent Jason Whittaker gather evidence against Malcolm McCallum, a wealthy businessman suspected of stealing government secrets, by befriending Malcolm's stepson Brayden and getting invited to their house. Now, wearing a hidden microphone and earpiece, Buck slips upstairs into the McCallums' huge master bathroom to find something carrying Malcolm's DNA. The spotless room offers nothing, and Buck barely hides in time when Malcolm himself comes up for allergy pills and takes a mysterious phone call about a delivery he needs soon. After Malcolm leaves, Buck grabs the tissue Malcolm blew his nose into and rejoins Brayden, covering his absence with a story about trying the leg press machine. Brayden, who has never even been inside his private stepfather's office, thanks Buck for encouraging him to connect with Malcolm, and the two keep working on a model truck for a school presentation.

At home, Buck can't stop staring at the bagged tissue. Brayden is the best friend he has, and Jason confirms that if Malcolm is convicted, the family will lose everything. Jason admits that thwarting evil can still hurt good people, but says the best anyone can do is seek God's wisdom through prayer and Scripture. Buck's guilt only deepens when Brayden excitedly reports that Malcolm came to his baseball game, promised Orioles tickets, and planned an anniversary trip, making them feel like a real family at last. Seeking advice, Buck poses a hypothetical to his friend Jules Kendall, who assumes he's criticizing her own treatment of Bridget and tells him to forget everyone else, because "If I don't look out for myself, no one will."

Then Jason brings stunning news: the DNA doesn't match. Malcolm isn't the spy. Buck hurries off to Brayden's game, but Jason notices something troubling - Buck didn't look surprised. The next day Buck brings Brayden a slushy and quietly keeps the used straw. After his talk with Jules convinces him there must be more to life than self-interest, Buck calls Jason and confesses, "I haven't been completely honest with you." Buck has pieced together the truth: Brayden's mother, Gina, once took a call from someone named Stella, the DNA in the case was found at Stella Watson Industries, and Gina was conveniently out of town when the crime occurred. She has been funneling money and shipments through her husband's company all along. Since Brayden is her son, his straw provides the DNA evidence the FBI needs.

When agents pound on the McCallums' door with a warrant, Gina pulls a gun. Refusing to hold her own family hostage, she sends Brayden and Malcolm out the back but keeps Buck, insisting she only broke the law to give her son everything he wanted. Buck answers that what Brayden really wants is a stable family. Then he tricks her, claiming a sniper's red dot is on her forehead and urging her to press against the wall - where he has smeared epoxy from the model room. Stuck fast, Gina can only sputter as Buck calmly opens the front door for the FBI.

The victory costs him dearly. Brayden figures out the straw, realizes who turned his mother in, and explodes: "You ruined my life, Buck!" Soon the whole school is calling Buck a snitch. Still, Buck tells his mom, Katrina, that he doesn't regret doing the right thing - and that Jules helped him decide, by showing him who he doesn't want to be. Katrina is proud of him, and she and Eugene surprise him with a plane ticket to Odyssey for fall break, where he can see Jules and his old friends. Buck smiles: "Not bad for a train wreck, I guess."