Steal (2026) s01e05 Episode Script

- [moody music playing]
- [leaves rustling]
[gun clicks]
[doorknob rattles]
- Start talking.
- [Luke] Okay. Look.
I know you haven't been paid yet.
I have 5 million.
Help me escape,
and we split it two ways.
[breath trembling]
Two and a half million's not gonna cut it.
Not when I can wait here
another day or two.
So what? Wait here
with people that don't trust you?
Hey, but And like I said,
who's to say you're even gonna get paid?
Maybe you're just waiting here
to get bumped off? Or nicked?
At least with me,
you know it's guaranteed.
Okay, for 5 million.
5 million.
You're never gonna give me all your money.
I'd have to kill you.
I'm not offering you my 5 million.
[chuckles]
Zara?
You take her money,
and you get your revenge.
[brooding music playing]
Zara?
How about we go for a walk?
[cawing]
Bastards won't let us vape inside.
It's part of the reason
we're meeting out here.
It's the only reason, actually.
They make me put this
through the scanner every time I leave,
hence the signing in and out.
Takes ten minutes, all in all.
I try to make the most of every trip.
Look, Zara, we've been following you.
We know that you're involved.
We know that you've been
running a sub rosa investigation
with DCI Rhys Covaci.
That you have valuable info
no one else has.
Zara, listen.
We're your best option.
We want the same things.
Do we?
Well, you want things
to go back to normal. Your old life.
That's what we want.
We keep things ticking over
so everyone can wake up in the morning
and not have to worry
about riots, terrorist attacks.
The financial system's buckling
'cause a pension heist
caused a collapse in confidence.
So, please,
tell us what you know.
- Or what?
- Or we're fucking MI5.
We can kill you
and make it look like a stroke.
Or like you got stabbed in a mugging,
or just plain old suicide.
- I want a deal.
- Oh, no. You're not in a position--
I think someone else
was involved at Lochmill.
Someone high up.
Maybe the person who organised it all.
Who is it?
I don't know yet.
- Fuck's sake.
- But I'm working on it.
Just give me a day or two.
And in return,
I wanna to stay out of prison
and keep my money.
Yeah. No, we don't do
get-out-of-jail-free cards.
But what I can offer you
is a new identity.
New name, new passport,
new history, new future.
What's the catch?
Well, firstly,
you can't stay in the country.
Secondly, what you give us
can't be chicken feed.
And thirdly, give it to us alone.
Not to your, uh,
boyfriend in the police.
He's not my boyfriend.
And what the fuck is your problem
with the police, anyway?
What if it turns out the money
was stolen by one of Britain's enemies?
The police don't care about that.
They'll follow this wherever it goes.
That's their job.
But for us, we find the narrative going
somewhere that might destabilise things,
well, we steer it in a different direction
as gently as we can.
And if an innocent policeman
gets thrown under the bus so be it.
[Joanna] He's a gambling addict.
- [apprehensive music playing]
- Did you know that? Fucking massive debts.
The kind you'd do anything to pay off.
You get what I mean?
That's not what's happening.
Oh, right. You thought
you were playing him?
No. No, no, no.
You're in the big league now.
It's about the end game.
And the million different ways
you might not survive it.
So find the insider.
And pick a team.
The fuck-up gambler
who's after your money,
or us.
[mobile phone ringing]
[pulsing music playing]
[automated voice] Hi, it's Zara.
Please leave a message.
[car lock beeps]
[newscaster] Earlier today, Gould-Symmons
issued a statement to the press
reiterating that the company
had nothing to do with the heist.
In the wake of this statement,
the chancellor of the Exchequer
held a press conference
where they tried to offer reassurance
to those affected by the heist.
So, do you think this will do anything
to provide the reassurance
that they're after?
I noticed the chancellor didn't say
that a bailout has been agreed upon
or how big it will be.
We could be talking pennies on the pound.
Why was the money moved
to Gould's accounts?
Who knows? Who's behind it all?
Who knows?
What's the point?
All together now, who knows?
As everyone but Britain's police
tries to answer these questions,
the country's favourite arms dealer
insists that he did nothing wrong,
for those dodgy
British Virgin Island accounts,
for paying bribes to psychopath dictators
in return for promises
-to buy weapons of mass destruction.
- [doorbell dings]
[Rhys] Fuck.
How'd you get my address?
You left your driver's licence
in the car the other night.
You can't be here.
How big of a problem is your gambling?
What?
- How much debt are you in?
- Why do you think I'm in debt?
The poker playing, risk taking.
I mean, it makes sense
there'd be damage, right?
Why do you care?
Zara,
I'm not interested in your money.
I'm not playing you.
- But you are in debt.
- Yes.
- How much?
- [sighs]
Just under 100 grand,
and I have a week to pay it off.
Or what?
Or it gets sold on from someone I know
to people I don't even wanna think about.
If I gave you the money,
would you take it?
- Yeah.
- So you were lying before
- when you said you weren't after my money?
- No.
I'm in debt.
That is not why I'm doing this.
I'm doing this because I don't
like being pushed around.
- I need to know what is going on--
- I don't believe you.
There's something else.
[scoffs softly]
[sighs]
All I've got is my job, Zara.
If I lose it,
I'll have nothing but poker tables.
And I don't know where I'll end up.
That's why I'm doing this.
Save myself from myself.
That is the entire
honest to God genuine truth.
[pensive music playing]
You believe me now?
Yeah.
[Rhys] Good.
- [fridge rattles]
- [bottles clanking]
[bottle cap snaps open]
[drink sloshing]
Cheers.
I'm I'm sorry about just now.
I just
I overthink things, and
I'm [chuckles]
I'm sorry if I'm doing your head in.
You're not.
I'm glad you came round.
Really?
Yeah.
God knows why,
but I like spending time with you.
[both breathing heavily]
[birds chirping in distance]
- I'll just Should I make--
- I just wanted to say
Tea?
[mobile phone rings]
What is it?
It's the fingerprint lab.
They sent over some possible matches.
Have a look through.
- I'll put the kettle on.
- Yeah.
[intriguing music playing]
[Rhys] Nothing's changed, okay?
Just go to work, run risk reports
till I figure out who's behind it all.
And stay safe.
Anything happens, call me.
I'm here in Westminster
as we await the arrival of Andrew Bains
for a press conference,
the sudden announcement
of which, I must say,
left all of us
political correspondents scrambling.
It comes in the wake
of the revelations published
- in today's Times
- What's going on?
[Ellie] There's been another leak.
The money's turned up
in some dodgy offshore accounts
linked to a family trust
set up by the chancellor.
You're shitting me.
[reporter on TV] What do you have
to say about these allegations?
[reporters on TV speaking indistinctly]
I'll, erm I'll be giving a statement
in due course.
- [reporters on TV speaking indistinctly]
- [suspenseful music playing]
Number ten have yet to deny
the truth of the claims
We've been informed that the chancellor
will be making a statement later
[continues indistinctly]
[softly] I need to talk
to you about something.
[in normal voice] You've been running
Risk Modelling Software.
Like, all of yesterday?
Maybe keyed up
half a dozen simulations?
- Maybe.
- You're not on the Risk team.
What you playing at?
Look, it's all these re-balancing trades.
I need to run risk reports.
And half the office is on leave,
so I'm just taking the initiative.
Okay.
Well, every time you run a simulation,
the app generates millions of regressions.
- I know how it works, Wayne.
- Which means you've been
locking up the server.
- Oh.
- [Wayne] Yeah. "Oh."
Yeah, no one else can run anything.
I was getting complaints all yesterday
until I figured out what was going on.
Okay. Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know.
Leave the Risk Modelling Server
to the Risk Modelling Team.
- Well, could I just run a few little--
- [chuckles] No.
- [doorknob rattles]
- Stick to what you're good at.
Sending other people's pensions
to tax havens
and destabilising the world economy.
[sighs]
Wayne.
How did you know
I was running risk simulation?
I looked in the log.
What log?
Well, every time the simulations run,
the server logs the details.
Okay, so where can I find the logs?
Well, there's a menu item in the toolbar.
Yeah, it's got the word,
uh, "Logs",
- you know?
- [softly] Okay.
- [in normal voice] Okay, cool.
- But why are you asking?
No, no reason.
[tense music playing]
[breath trembling]
[softly] 17th December.
17th December.
[in normal voice] Milo.
Fucking Milo.
[softly] I know it was you.
MI5 will be sending Fitch
to interview the chancellor.
- Darren, you're going with him.
- Uh
- Nichols will arrange it.
- What?
Find out if there's a link
between the chancellor and Gould-Symmons.
And in the meantime,
what are you gonna be doing?
Co-ordinating.
- Go.
- Okay.
[Ellie] What was that about?
This has to stay between us.
He's one of the thieves.
Even if we do manage to find this guy,
how are we gonna explain how we found him?
And Zara Dunne? For fuck's sake.
- How are you gonna justify that?
- I'll figure something out.
- Brilliant strategy, Rhys.
- What choice do I have?
I'm backed into a corner.
I took a chance on an outside shot
and it came through.
- We don't know that yet.
- That's why I'm asking for your help.
We could have him in custody
by the end of the day.
We? Wait, you don't think
we should, like, tell people?
Maybe get some help taking down
a highly-trained, armed gang?
We say anything to anyone,
MI5 swoop in.
We find him, we nick him,
we leak his name to the press.
That is the only way it doesn't get
taken away from us. This is it.
This is our play.
What's his bio?
Morgan Trahern, 48 years old.
One conviction for armed robbery.
Released three years ago.
Then there's vagrancy, affray, assault.
Then drops off the grid.
He's got an ex-wife
locked up in Foston Hall,
and a daughter
in a care home in London Fields.
And you know you wanna come talk to her.
Fuck off, Milo.
I saw the risk report.
You moved the investments into cash
so that they could all be nicked.
You left a paper trail
[softly] this bloody wide.
We run risk reports all the time.
It was just a coincidence.
[in normal voice] Okay. Fine.
I'll just take it to the cops.
- That's not gonna do any--
- Just fucking admit it.
It was you. You organised it all,
you set it up, and then you roped
me and Luke into it.
- [chuckles]
- Wha
What's so funny?
Nothing.
You didn't rope me and Luke into it.
You and Luke were in it together.
- You two roped me into it.
- Zara,
I didn't organise anything, okay?
They recruited me.
I recruited Luke.
Then we got you involved.
That's how it happened.
So so you're not
the person behind it all?
No.
- [suspenseful music playing]
- I I don't even know who that is.
I've never met them.
They contacted me online.
They're just words on a screen.
There's another bloody layer.
[sighs]
Look, I need to know who they are.
I need to get in touch with them
because I am in some
serious shit, Milo. Okay?
The police and MI5
both think I'm involved,
- and they are pressuring me.
- MI5?
Yeah. They abducted me on my lunch break.
Just tell me what you know,
or I'm giving them your name.
- What? You can't.
- I can.
All right.
I might have something.
You don't mention me
to MI5 or the cops. Deal?
What have you got?
They gave me a number
to call in case of an emergency.
I've saved it to a burner phone.
I give you the phone,
you never mention my name to anyone.
Deal?
Deal.
Where's the phone?
It's at home.
Okay, let's go. Now.
All right. Fuck.
[doorbell rings]
Jenna, we're looking for your dad.
We're just wondering
if you've spoken to him recently.
We think he might be in trouble,
- and we wanna help him.
- [police siren wailing in distance]
He called me,
like,
few months ago.
Jenna, this is super important, okay?
Did he talk about himself?
Where he was,
what he was up to?
No.
And he called you on your mobile phone?
Erm, have you got the call
saved in your call history?
[keys jangle]
[rattles]
What?
You live here?
Yeah.
- What?
- [scoffs]
Didn't I see this in the tape?
Maybe.
Yeah. I don't know.
My mum bought it for me. Moving-in gift.
Do you want a drink or something?
I don't fucking get it.
You're loaded. Why do you even
bother coming to work,
let alone getting involved in a heist?
Well, I've got a mortgage.
I've gotta pay for this place.
How much did they pay you?
Well, they must have offered you
a shitload to make it worth your while.
- Does it matter?
- [can snaps open]
How much?
- [scoffs] This is ridicu--
- How much?
Twenty.
All right?
Twenty million?
No, 20 avocados. What the fuck?
How much did they offer you?
- A hundred grand.
- [chuckles]
Sorry.
Well, why'd you do it?
[sighs] Oh. I figured
it was worth the risk.
Okay? I'm a risk analyst.
It's a good gamble.
I need money, Zara.
Pay for this place. Quit my job.
Do you think I wanna be stuck
in those boring meetings
with Cartwright
for the rest of my life? No.
I want to retire by the time I'm 35
and not bullshit retirement either.
- [chancellor] There'll be no time for
- I want to escape.
And escape means money.
called this press conference
to address the allegations
that appeared in the press.
- Sure you don't want a drink?
- [Zara] Just the phone.
[chancellor] Before we get started,
just a note on
The mobile number Morgan
called his daughter from
was only ever used once.
Sim was bought in a newsagent's in Didcot
about ten minutes prior.
That's the exact opposite side of London
to where the Luke Selborn
abduction car was dumped.
- So?
- So you don't dump the abduction car
near where you're hiding.
You dump it on the other side of the city.
You think they might still be
hiding out in Didcot?
It's too small. It'd be noticed.
But all that countryside around Didcot?
That's where I'd hide out.
We need to get hold of number plate data.
We need to do it without
Fitch finding out.
We make a bulk request.
Bury the real lead in
with a bunch of fakes.
[chancellor] I was as much a victim
in this as Sir Toby Gould.
Why have you got pepper spray?
Oh, it's just temporary till I get my gun.
You're getting a gun?
Yeah, got it off the dark web.
Y You don't have a weapon?
No.
Should I?
But these are scary people
we're dealing with.
Look what they did to Luke.
You can have the pepper spray if you want.
I got a load of them--
You know where Luke is?
What they've done with him?
No.
I swear.
What about all this stuff?
Toby Gould and the chancellor?
No fucking clue.
They sold it to me as a theft.
But this
I mean, this isn't just a heist any more.
This is something else.
[chancellor]
A number of years ago, when my
There's nothing on it apart from
a single number saved to the memory.
[Zara] PIN?
Six, nine, six, nine.
[chancellor] trust and its connected
accounts, on the belief
[Milo] What are you gonna do with it?
[Zara] Give it to the police.
All right.
I'm taking the rest of the day off.
You should, um, go back to the office.
It'll look less dodgy.
[tense music playing]
What? What is it?
They said they needed me
to verify Luke's information.
Okay.
They already had two people.
You and Luke.
How the fuck didn't I see this till now?
[Milo] I don't understand.
Why was I dragged into this?
[scoffs]
I don't know what you're on about.
Well, I clearly wasn't roped into it
to verify Luke's data,
so I must have been picked
for another reason.
And the only other reason that I can
think of is that they needed a fall guy.
That was my job, wasn't it?
To take the blame.
That's why I was roped into this, right?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Well, start talking, Milo,
or I call the thieves
and tell them you just sold them out.
And then I go to MI5
and tell them where I got the phone from.
No. No fucking way. You wouldn't.
I just need to move my finger
a centimetre, Milo,
and you can kiss
your early retirement goodbye.
No, fuck off. Please.
Please.
[tense music playing]
We were both in on it.
Okay? Me and Luke, we both knew
they were coming in with guns.
- But we didn't tell you because--
- Wait, he knew?
Luke knew it wasn't going to be a hack?
He didn't know how much
they were stealing or from who.
But, yes, he knew they were
coming in with guns.
We didn't tell you because
we knew you wouldn't go along with it.
And then Luke just fucking lost it.
Even though he knew, he crumbled
as soon as he saw the guns.
But that's a good thing, right?
Because now he's the fall guy.
Why did you get me involved?
It wasn't us.
It was the thieves.
They wanted a third person,
someone low down the ladder.
They asked for profiles
of everyone in the back office.
Personalities, life stories, psychology.
We gave them our impressions of everyone.
And they picked you.
Why?
I don't know.
[sighs]
I just had a theory, that's all.
I mean, Luke and I both did.
Go on.
Well, we thought,
and don't get emotional here.
They plant evidence.
You were the one behind it all.
The inside woman, like you said.
Then they kill you,
make it look like suicide.
And maybe people will buy it.
You know, because of who you are.
Who I am?
Well, dead-end job.
Life going nowhere, get wasted
every weekend just to cope with it.
I mean, scratch the surface,
you're like the biggest
mess in the office.
You're the ideal candidate
for someone desperate enough
to be involved in a heist.
I mean, they didn't say that exactly.
It was, kind of, implied.
So I was dragged into this because
I'm the biggest mess in the office?
What about Sue?
I'm worse than Sue?
You came into work that one time
with vomit on your jacket.
It wasn't my vomit!
[sighs]
You're not a happy person, Zara.
I mean, you pretend you are,
but you're not.
Everyone can see it.
You know, the good time,
always joking around,
couldn't care less thing.
No one's buying it.
Not really.
Makes total sense.
That's all I'm good for.
The person who gets killed,
so some privileged fucking idiot
who's already loaded
can retire before they're 35.
- Zara, it's not like that.
- And what's it like, Milo?
Look, you've just had an outside
perspective on how you're perceived.
That's a blessing.
Radical candour leads to growth.
Kaizen, the Japanese concept of--
I was happy being me.
No, Zara.
You weren't.
[smacks lips]
I'm going.
- Zara, I didn't mean--
- No, no, no. It's good. It's good.
Radical candour, right?
New perspective, growth.
All these years,
I thought I was one person.
Turns out everyone else thought
I was someone completely different.
A dickhead. All this time
I've been coming to work naked,
and I was the only one who didn't see it.
But you're You're gonna keep
my name out of it, right?
I'm gonna do the right thing, Milo.
I'm not emotional.
[sighs]
- [dramatic music playing]
- [train rumbling]
[breath trembling]
[mobile phone vibrating]
[train approaching]
[car door opens]
Got a match on the number plates.
Range Rover.
It got tagged by a camera on the edge
of the abduction vehicle black spot.
What's it a match to?
[Rhys] The same Range Rover got tagged
driving into Didcot
an hour before Morgan called his daughter.
What's the route?
Coming from somewhere southwest.
Drop off the system here.
Next camera's here.
This is it.
It's one of these farms. Has to be.
- This is them.
- [chuckles]
We fucking got 'em.
[dramatic music playing]
[indistinct conversation]
[car door opens]
[car door shuts]
They've gone out. We're leaving.
Now?
Yes! Fucking now!
Move!
[breathes shakily]
Oh, my [voice shaking]
What the fuck!
[breath trembling]
What did you do?
This is what you asked for.
No turning back now.
Let's go.
[sinister music playing]
[Sniper] Run!
[Sniper] Get in.
[bag thudding]
[tense music playing]
[panting]
[grunting]
[opens car door]
I figured out who the head
of the Lochmill part of the operation is.
They gave me this number
on condition I didn't name them.
Mmm.
And this helps me how?
Well, the thieves gave it to them.
It's a number to call
in case of emergency,
and I figured with you being MI5 and all,
you could use the number to get
a location on the thieves and then
Check it.
This is what's officially
known as "The Works".
You can take this to practically any
country in the world and start a new life.
If it turns out that
the location is bollocks,
then every document in here
gets red flagged.
We arrest you under anti-terrorism laws,
and you can kiss your rights goodbye.
Understand?
You've got 24 hours to leave the country,
and you're not allowed
to talk to anyone before you go.
Just for the record,
why did you pick us over Rhys?
Needed a new identity.
The old one wasn't what I thought it was.
When you find the person
who is behind it all
will you let me know who it was?
No.
Then I hope you kill them all.
And Luke.
[car door shuts]
[tense music playing]
Hello?
Mum, it's me.
I want to do a deal.
[Glasses] What the fuck is going on?
Morgan's taken Luke.
We need to leave.
Where's the cold wallet?
Where are the codes?
[softly] Fuck's sake.
[chuckles softly]
Uh.
No funny business.
No funny business.
[Haley] That's a good start.
[sighs deeply]
[chiming softly]
[beeps]
What the fuck?
[laptop beeps]
[Haley] What? What is it?
Balance is wiped, saying it's corrupted.
What did you do to it?
Nothing.
Well, then why is it saying
it's corrupted? Why is it saying
the balance is zero?
[scoffs] I don't know. It's a mistake.
Just try it again.
Did you try to hack into it?
- [scoffs] Don't be stupid.
- You did. You fucking did.
I wouldn't even know how to do that.
So what about one of your mates?
You rope any of them into this?
[scoffs]
You try and hack into it,
it wipes the balance.
It wipes the fucking balance, Mum.
[chair scraping]
No, no, no, no, no, no!
Out of the way. Let me try that cable.
The cable or something.
[Haley grunting]
[groans] Come on.
- [keys clacking]
- [laptop beeps]
[Haley groans]
Do something.
- [keys clacking]
- [Haley groans loudly]
[Haley] No!
[breathing heavily] Do something!
- [grunts]
- [Haley yells]
You just had to get the better of me,
- didn't you?
- [Haley] No. No!
Try and hack into it
and take all the money for yourself.
No, trying to get--
And now we've got nothing!
[Haley breathing heavily]
I've been through all this for nothing!
But there's fucking millions on there!
- [Haley groaning]
- [smashes]
The money isn't there any more,
Mum.
It's all just wires and plastic.
Please, try it again.
Come on, try it again.
[Haley yelling] Wait!
Zara!
- Zara!
- [keys clacking]
[crying softly]
[suspenseful music playing]
[engine shuts off]
Who'd you tell?
- What?
- Place has already been raided, Ellie.
Who'd you tell?
[scoffs]
You think I sold you out?
Yeah, someone did.
I've been with you all day, Rhys.
Why don't we go and find out who it was?
[car door opens]
[man] Looks like you got here
half an hour too late.
You've caught them?
No. They'd all cleared out
by the time we arrived.
Someone must have warned them.
Don't look at us.
How did you find the place?
And don't say anonymous tip-off.
Anonymous tip-off.
How about you?
Best go and ask your girlfriend.
[Ellie] Zara?
[man] I've let Nichols know about you
and your lead suspect.
You'd better get back to London
so we can suspend you.
You picked the wrong team, Ellie.
[camera shutter clicking]
[indistinct chatter]
[car door opens]
- Rhys--
- I already know.
- [keys jangling]
- [door opens]
[fridge door opens]
- [fridge door closes]
- [can opens]
So?
MI5 offered me a new life
in a different country.
And I had to take it, Rhys.
I found out earlier today
why I got roped into all this and
I don't want to be that person any more.
And I'm sorry you got caught up in that.
Is that it?
[objects rattling]
I got paid five million pounds in crypto.
It's all on there.
I wanted to give you some.
What?
You need the money.
I figured you could use it
to pay off your debts.
What, you thought you could buy me?
Give me some money,
so you feel better about yourself?
Not exactly, n--
[Rhys, softly] Oh.
You're tying up loose ends.
And I'm a loose end.
Right?
You want to jet off to a new life.
You need to make sure
there's no evidence left lying around.
So throw Rhys a bit of money
for his gambling habit.
Maybe he won't grass you up.
The fingerprint, the vial, the warehouse.
Luke's flat, the crypto.
You are unbelievable.
Maybe I will grass you up,
just to piss you off.
Don't be a dick, Rhys.
I've been suspended, Zara.
I'm gonna lose my job because of you.
So go on.
How much is that worth?
How much were you thinking would cover it?
How much do you--
It wasn't an actual question!
[scoffs]
Don't worry, Zara.
You've ruined my life.
But I'm not gonna grass you up.
- How do I know?
- You don't.
It's gonna be hanging over you. Always.
Have fun wherever the fuck
you've bought a ticket to.
You said last night, if I offered you
the money, you would take it.
You were testing the waters.
No, that's not what I was doing.
Is everything with you just a play?
- [Zara] No, Rhys, I--
- How about sleeping with me?
Why did you do that?
In case you needed to blackmail me?
- Or just to get me onside?
- Oh, fuck you!
[dramatic music playing]
- I told you I don't want your money.
- It is your money!
You lent it to me for the hotel.
We were just using each other, right?
[door opens]
[door closes]
[women vocalising]
[lock clicks]
[dramatic music rises]
[Zara gasps]
[music ends]
[closing theme music playing]
[theme music ends]