Berlin Station (2016) s03e03 Episode Script

The Old Lie

1 KIRSCH: Previously on "Berlin Station" - You want to sit down? - Do you see that? - Henrik? - Halos.
Okay! DOCTOR: Henrik Viiding passed of cardiac arrest.
The Russians are already making a move.
Little green men in Estonia.
Spetsnaz.
No doubt.
The Russians are already here.
VALERIE: Daniel reported that he saw a train full of men on a defunct line, no markings.
No uniforms, no fingerprints, either.
Tallinn's infested with Spetsnaz.
You don't really think someone was trying to break into your apartment.
Yeah, of course I do.
What, trying to get the hair sample? Which I had already dropped off at the lab.
Um, Maret Yankova? Did I say that right? Yes.
Need some quotes for a tribute piece on Henrik Viiding.
I heard you were his favorite waitress.
[MAN SPEAKING ESTONIAN.]
[ALL CHANTING "HENRIK!".]
What the hell?! Rafael Torres.
I'm here to look after you.
[GUNSHOT.]
I warned them.
TORRES: Tonight was just the starting gun.
I got a solid lead.
Some kid who's been huffing rocket fuel from the silo complex showed me a way in.
Give me 12 hours in the dark, and I'll call you by 10:00 a.
m.
SOP.
[WOMAN SINGING IN FRENCH.]
[SINGING STOPS, DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING.]
[GASPS.]
[SIGHS.]
[DAVID BOWIE'S "I'M AFRAID OF AMERICANS" PLAYS.]
Johnny's in America, low techs at the wheel I'm afraid of Americans I'm afraid of the world I'm afraid I can't help it I'm afraid I can't I'm afraid of Americans I'm afraid of the world I'm afraid I can't help it I'm afraid I can't I'm afraid of Americans Next flight out lays over in Oslo.
You'll be in Berlin soon.
Why would I go to Berlin? Call "Aaron" when you land.
He's the first number on your phone.
Someone will meet you there.
Am I still in danger? Last night, you said I wasn't the target.
You weren't.
But fake news stirred things up.
They could take you out and just blame it on an angry citizen.
I'm not the sort to run and hide.
You're a digital nomad, aren't you? You can fight from anywhere.
[ DIAL TONE.]
[ DIALING.]
[CELLPHONE RINGS.]
- Kirsch.
APRIL: Tell me you've heard from him.
- No, I haven't.
- You're not worried? Hey, Daniel knows how to handle himself in the field, and he told me he was going dark.
So you haven't tried to call him? I picked up the phone to call him a dozen times, but it's against fucking protocol, so we're just gonna have to sit and wait.
I'll see you in a minute.
[RECEIVER CLICKS.]
Hey.
How's it going? Hi.
It's going well.
Um, just trying to get through to my apartment.
Oh, I'm sorry.
You new to the building? Yes, I'm new.
Oh, welcome.
I'm Robert.
Hi, Robert.
Nice to meet you.
I'm Nina.
Nice to meet you, too.
[ CELLPHONE BEEPING.]
KIRSCH: Hey, did you get Sofia out? Valerie wants her as a counter measure.
She's about to board.
Did you get my sitrep on the shooting? Yeah, I got it.
It makes no fucking sense.
- Why'd your sniper miss? - He meant to.
Those rounds hit exactly where he intended.
Well, that clears it up.
Come on, Torres.
Even after you took Sofia off the board, he had tons of targets.
I know this guy.
He uses the new Russian rig, the ORSIS T-5000.
It's his fucking girlfriend.
From 500 yards, he can pick which eye.
Centennial crowd was at 550.
This wasn't a kill shot.
This was a starter's gun to a civil war.
Easy, hotshot.
I'll be the analyst.
You be the action figure.
So you probably don't want to hear what I thought about your sitrep on foxglove and Henrik's death? He was poisoned.
What of it? I saw some pretty purple flowers at the waitress's apartment.
Yeah, made her real nervous when I saw them.
No.
Shit, I fucking knew it.
She was steeping it in his tea.
Motherfucker.
Wait a minute.
How'd you know what foxglove looks like? I got my sources.
Just because I can't out-fight you does not mean I can't out-think you.
Oh, you really are some kind of an asshole, aren't you? I'll follow up with the waitress.
If we can tie her to Henrik's death, find out who she was working for, Russia's showing her hand.
Wait, wait, wait a minute.
Torres, have you heard from Daniel? No.
Why would I? No, nothing.
Never mind.
Uh, I got to go.
We'll talk later.
[BALLET MUSIC PLAYS.]
[TEACHER SPEAKS GERMAN.]
[GIRLS SPEAK INDISTINCTLY.]
[MUSIC STOPS.]
Romy, your mother would be so proud.
Let's try it together.
Nice! All right, darling.
Come on.
Let's go home.
Excuse me.
Let's ask before we rummage through the fridge.
It's fine, Romy.
- Mom.
- Yes? Why didn't you tell me Auntie Val knows ballet? What doesn't Auntie Val know? She's been painfully multi-talented from birth.
Well, that's interesting.
You've only known me since college.
How do you know I wasn't a hideously clumsy child? Because you were not.
No, you're right.
I was fucking adorable.
- Hey.
- Oh, whoops.
Shit.
Romy, you didn't hear any of that.
[LAUGHS.]
Come on.
Sorry.
I'm not used to being around kids.
Thank you so much for letting us stay here.
Of course.
Save your Euros.
You're always welcome here.
- You know that.
- Thank you.
REPORTER: demonstrations are already underway here in Tallinn, and local authorities are struggling KIRSCH: Then they detonated Sama Kaart and fake newsed it to blame Sofia, saying she's trying to fuck the ethnic Russian population.
And they blamed the ethnic Russians for shooting up Centennial.
Look, I know that they're on the playbook, but unlike Ukraine, Estonia is a member of NATO with a tripwire-force in-country.
So if civil unrest gives Russia any reason to invade, they will.
They absolutely will spill NATO blood, and that's very risky.
They're already imposing martial law and curfews, cranking that burner up to high.
I'm telling you, civil war may be inevitable - no matter what we - Something's wrong.
10:00 a.
m.
, no Daniel.
Maybe he's just running late.
No, he's never late for a check-in.
I have the last known coordinates.
He is now officially out of contact and he's officially missing, so failsafe in two hours.
We don't have two hours.
Protocol is there for a reason, Robert.
Operatives go dark in hostile territory all the time.
You know that.
This isn't just hostile territory, Valerie.
It's a fucking hybrid war, I'm telling you.
Trust me, I've seen these guys.
Please, let's take this to Langley now.
With what exactly? Because all we have right now is raw intel.
We need analysis.
There is no room to misread Russia here.
None at all.
I'm Daniel's handler.
I've been with him, tracking his mission, his check-ins, how he sounds and feels, and ever since we got off the phone yesterday, I've had a voice telling me that something's wrong.
There.
That.
You hear that? Reasoned intuition, Valerie.
Don't they teach us to listen to that voice? Yes, they do.
And I am.
All right, failsafe in one hour.
April, do everything you can.
Look into every option as far as getting Daniel home.
Got it.
By the way, Dove and I are going to his father's lab tonight.
Adeyemi likes me, but, uh, tonight we'll see if he trusts me.
Okay, what's going on with Dove? We were at the cafe the other day and there was a guy that kept staring at us.
Dove said he didn't know who he was, but he did seem scared, and he doesn't scare easy.
Okay, well, we always knew that there might be other interested parties.
Do a threat assessment and just stay on top of it.
Mm.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
On the list? Kirsch.
Robert Kirsch, with a "K.
" Robert.
Jesus, you finally made it.
What do you mean finally? I see you once a week.
How is it, though? How are you? How's How's Chateau de Steven? It's haunted.
- What? - I'm I'm serious.
It's haunted.
I hear noises, I hear footsteps.
No, no, no, no.
- That's for the hoi polloi.
- I'm thirsty.
Come on.
Come on.
German for "frost.
" I bought the vineyard next door.
What are you talking about? Come here, come here.
So this is all you? Steven, Jesus.
Look, okay.
[SIGHS.]
Germany's second-largest energy company is about to offer me a job to vet one of their Russian partners.
They're gonna put me in charge of their global portfolio.
- Goddamn.
- Yeah.
Six months ago, you fucking despised the private sector.
I had to find my place, and now I got "fuck you" money.
And believe me, there's a lot more where that came from.
Oh, here comes the sales pitch.
No, listen.
My My - No.
- My offer is still on the ta - Come on.
- No.
Robert, join me.
Let's get the band back together.
You know the best part? You don't have to run anything up a flagpole either.
I don't have to beg for resources or kowtow to D.
C.
My intel gets things done.
Well, I could get used to that.
Times have changed.
It's not about nations anymore.
So, what's your take on Estonia? Why ask me? I heard you and Daniel were just there.
- Oh, really? - Mm-hmm.
Who the fuck told you that? How come you didn't bring him with you? I thought you might.
No, he's still there.
He's dealing with something.
Okay, Estonia.
That's the Kremlin's favorite dog whistle.
- How so? - [SIGHS.]
Economy's flat, sanctions are hurting, natives are restless, so what better time? Let's resurrect the Soviet Empire.
So, Kremlin stirs the pot in Estonia.
The West does its usual headless chicken thing with chest thumping and empty threats and uniting the Russian people against the evil foreigner.
And in the meantime, the oligarchs buy out the government and they rape the economy.
It's Russia.
It's, uh, it's run by a career KGB officer whose motto is "deny, distract, and counterattack.
" I mean, there's always a deeper game here.
- What about SUPO? - Mm.
- Huh? - Mnh-mnh.
The Finns know the Russians best.
What do they say? No, we're not exactly high on their Christmas list this year.
- Oh.
- I can't get a fucking call returned.
I'll return your calls.
- Oh.
- I will.
- God.
- Especially if we're in the same office.
I'll always return your calls.
No.
- Final answer.
- [GLASSES CLINK.]
We're currently combing through intel.
Robert just got back yesterday.
We still have an operative in the field.
Thanks for the update.
I can't say you provided any particular insight beyond a series of unfortunate events which may or may not involve Russia.
Oh, I-I-I understand that, Jason.
But everything's moving very quickly, so I really just wanted to keep you up to speed.
I have something else for you, Valerie.
Unless Estonia's all you can handle.
[SCOFFS.]
No, please.
What do you know about Gilbert Dorn? Gilbert Dorn? Um, same as everyone.
Legend put out to pasture.
Saw and did it all during the Cold War.
Cast a pretty long shadow at Berlin Station.
He never left.
Retired in Berlin.
Did not know that.
Let me guess, he's writing a book.
Worse podcast.
Been at it a few months.
Last week, he went on about a real story about the fall of the wall.
Fiction, of course.
Really.
He's embarrassing himself more than anyone.
He's been drinking.
And the Agency is concerned for his welfare, got it.
Um, wouldn't it just be cleaner to give this to a company lawyer? We're way beyond lawyers.
But I've been told 40 years merits at least a courtesy call.
I will be sure to deliver that message.
Thank you, Jason.
Ladies and gentlemen, Joshua Russell's "The Spear" a master work previously part of the collection of King George V, and I'm going to start the bidding here at 480,000 Euros.
That's 480,000 Euros.
480,000.
490,000 Euros.
490,000.
500,000 Euros.
Well, this beats a brush pass in a dark alley.
Thought you wouldn't mind meeting here.
Someone's passing off fakes? Or international money laundering.
Those of you following online You know, we have a lot of these transactions flowing through the U.
S.
bank system, so if you ever need my help Thank you.
In exchange for what? Have you been following Estonia? We are aware of the situation, yes.
Would you agree that it's serious? The level of seriousness depends on the level of proof.
The unrest is growing and of course Russia is involved.
I know for America, this is all new and exciting, but in Europe, we're more used to it.
From what I've seen, it's Article 5 serious.
An attack on Estonia is an attack on America? Are you speaking on behalf of the United States government? I realize that our policies have been unpredictable at times.
[SCOFFS.]
More like backpfeifengesicht "A face in need of a good punch.
" Esther, we've been through a lot together, and we've certainly had our differences, but I have always been straight with you, and that's why I'm coming to you, because I really want to line up support for what might be coming to Estonia.
Personally, I agree.
Russia should rise above everything.
But you're not the only one with noise above you.
Russia literally keeps the lights on in Germany.
Half of our energy comes from them.
I will do what I can to help, but you will have to take the lead.
Yes.
Going three times.
Sold at 700,000 Euros.
Thank you, Yuki.
I'm glad the channels are open.
Let's keep talking.
How's Daniel? He's fine.
Last I heard, he's out in the field.
Yeah, yesterday he left me a voicemail.
He sounded distressed.
Really? In what way? It was personal, about his past.
Hmm.
What time was that? - Mid-afternoon.
Why? - No.
No reason.
You have never in your life spoken for no reason.
Talk soon.
starts right now.
[PEOPLE SHOUTING.]
[ENGINE REVVING.]
[CROWD SHOUTING.]
[ENGINE REVS.]
[CROWD CHANTING.]
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
[SCREAMING.]
[ SCREAMING.]
KIRSCH: Wait.
Wait, wait, wait.
I want it I need to How do you fucking rewind this thing? Go back.
Go back.
That part.
There.
Stop.
That's the waitress who poisoned Henrik.
No fucking way it's an accident she was there.
Russians got to her first.
Well, got to give them credit.
They're willing to tear down their monuments and kill their own people in order to sell a story.
Yeah, plus the waitress makes a very pretty murder for the cause.
She also ties up a loose end.
Torres saw foxglove at her flat.
He was headed over there today to try to connect her to Henrik's murder.
They're moving fast.
By the time we get proof of one thing, they're blowing up something else.
So the Russians have stirred up the masses.
That does not mean they can get past NATO tripwire for us.
I think it does.
The tripwire activates against foreign invaders.
NATO can't intervene on internal politics, even violence.
Russia just keeps yanking the chain until the hate machine runs all by itself.
The fire appears to spontaneously ignite from within.
At some point, the ethnic Russians invite Russia in to be the protector and the invaders become the peacekeepers.
Goodbye, Estonia.
Okay, fuck protocol.
Let's get Daniel back here.
April, let's hear the options.
APRIL: Diplomatic channels.
Official notice to Estonian government, check local police and hospitals.
Done and done.
Skip to night action.
Exfil hot extraction.
The FBI's hostage rescue team is busy in Africa, but JSOC can send a SEAL team down on the ground in Estonia in maybe 10 hours.
No, plus plus two days to clear it through Langley and SOCOM.
Bureaucracy will be a fucking nightmare.
I can be there in four hours, Valerie.
No.
I need you here, Robert.
You'll point the search for Daniel.
Let's get Torres into this.
Reach out, and you'll be his handler.
Okay.
Two GPS trackback markers.
Daniel sent the first yesterday afternoon when he reached the rail line near Turba.
Second ping came 12 hours ago as he was preparing to enter a suspect tunnel complex.
Well, Torres' people, Special Activities, they live and breathe "no man left behind.
" They'll track Daniel down.
Where are you going? Favor for Langley.
We're gonna need it.
Mine-sniffing dolphins trained by DARPA.
Right.
Let's rewind just a bit, maybe give some historic context for the uninitiated.
Berlin Wall falls, Iron Curtain rises.
Capitalism wins.
Except for those that risked their lives to make that happen.
We're forgotten.
G.
D.
, our resident retired chip-on-his-shoulder, free-talking spook with more nuggets too fucking crazy not to be true.
Go back to those dolphins.
So, we wanted to pump in Michael Jackson, Big Macs, and blue jeans, hook the Soviets before they changed their minds.
Bush Sr.
, he turns to the Agency and we turned to Diver.
Full circle with Diver again.
Surely he's a composite of characters from over the years.
As far as you know.
Anyway, long story short, Diver trades a pod of DARPA-trained mine-sniffing dolphins for the Russian negotiating strategy at the '89 Malta Summit.
And guess what we lied.
We went and rolled out NATO right up to Russia's Baltic doorstep Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.
Russia has a long memory, and they're still really pissed off about it.
Quite a story.
Boy, haven't heard that voice in years.
It's gotten rougher.
And less discreet.
Agency says that he's jeopardizing his pension.
That bad, huh? Mm.
Um, I suppose I could try.
He was your mentor? And my boss.
Then we were friends.
Dorn was a swashbuckling, um, le Carré type, and I was a Well, you worked with me.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, the Agency would consider it a favor.
Yeah, favor's still the coin of the realm.
Okay.
I'll do my best.
Speaking of which, I hear Berlin Station got lucky with their new COS.
Yeah, well-oiled machine.
I must confess to a bit of, uh, paternal pride.
In me? You are not old enough, sir.
Oh, yeah.
But there's one thing I don't get.
You were always itching to get out from behind the desk and into the action.
Well, I guess that placing my people in with the right mission is where I need to be.
- Okay.
- Yeah, speaking of my people, I heard this rumor that you were trying to poach him before he settled on Tokyo.
You really think I'd go behind your back? Oh.
[CELLPHONE BEEPING.]
What is it? Estonia? Daniel? Haven't heard from him yet? No, I haven't.
Okay, well, don't sweat it till you have to.
This job's already hard enough.
Thank you for Dorn.
I'll let you know how he takes it.
Okay.
Bye.
[GUN COCKS.]
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
[SIGHS.]
Gilbert Dorn.
It's been a dog's age.
Um, it's my fault entirely.
And after all these years.
I'm glad it's you.
Oh.
Wow.
Wow.
This is, uh, quite a trove you have here.
The maid was a spy, so I fired her.
Are you here to kill me? Yeah, after I have my drink.
You always had an oblique sense of humor, you.
Hey, I know that one.
Is that Ulaanbaatar? - What dog? - What dog? Oh, my God, you kept that? That is impressive.
What else do you have? Oh, now this this looks way too boring for the menagerie.
That is our proof of WMDs in Iraq.
- That was you? - Mm-hmm.
Cut it myself from an old tennis-ball machine.
[LAUGHS.]
Oh, my God, the stories, the stories.
So, I hear you've been dabbling in new technologies.
[CHUCKLES.]
I knew you didn't come for the nickel tour.
They're just stories, Steven.
Gil, come on.
We both know that every third or fourth yarn you spin is true.
Now, you knew the deal when you signed up.
Is that what they told you to tell me? An honest bargain? No, it's just me.
Guy who made the same bargain.
Except you sold out.
Just look at you.
Your fancy fucking suit.
You and I are nothing alike.
I was 26 years old when I made that bargain.
And you've done incredible things.
You got to play a part in history.
I am history, goddamn it.
What did I get for it? They won't even let you keep the medal.
Now, that's just self-pity.
Really? Well, I'm done keeping secrets.
I'm too old and I don't give a damn.
- Gil.
- Everything I did for my country, nobody knew.
They didn't even bother to thank me.
Okay.
Um, Gil, thank you for your service.
Uh, now shut the fuck up.
Or what? [SIGHS.]
Okay, I'll I'll put it in a language you understand.
You shut up, or the next player that comes for a drink, he won't be so, uh, nostalgic or interested in all this, and he won't fucking knock.
[SIGHS.]
"If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood, my friend, you would not tell with such zest to children ardent for some desperate glory, the old lie.
" Come on, Gil.
Jesus.
Help me out here.
It's good to see you, Gil.
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
[SIGHS.]
[TELEPHONE RINGS.]
Kirsch.
Talk to me.
I found something.
Photo's on the way.
You might want to brace yourself.
Valerie! Oh, dear God.
What am I looking at? TORRES: Ground zero at Miller's last known coordinates.
Teeth are too smashed and broken for I.
D.
, skin's too far gone for any prints or scars, but I found a passport.
You're on site.
What's your assessment? That him? - Yes and no.
- Jesus Christ.
It's classic Spetsnaz mindfuck.
There's evidence for and against a positive I.
D.
Messes with your fucking head either way.
Yeah.
We waste days on I.
D.
instead of countering.
We can't call the authorities.
Let Torres extract the body.
No.
Without a positive I.
D.
in the field, it's too risky, and Torres is already out on a limb.
Okay.
Torres.
Do not, I repeat, do not move the body.
Just get out of there now.
Copy that.
I'll start the paperwork.
Right.
Thank you.
[SIGHS.]
Fuck that.
[PEN CLICKS.]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
- Be nice.
- [PANEL BEEPING.]
Shit.
Dad? We brought you dinner.
Hello, you two.
I bring good beer, good food, and the company of a beautiful woman.
I'm tempted greatly, but I'm in the middle of something.
[SCOFFS.]
Dad, please don't embarrass me.
- Let us in.
- I'm sorry.
We shouldn't have come.
You know you're always welcome in my home, April.
Maybe a rematch this weekend, hmm? The board is set.
Thanks.
I'll think about it.
- Fuck him.
- Now, don't say that.
I don't mean it like that.
It's just I'm sick of his shit.
He tells people my mom and sisters went to America to be with relatives, but the truth, I think my mom just wanted to be seen, listened to.
And when he gets in the zone being Mr.
Fucking Genius, the whole world disappears.
Well, you can't see it, but he cares about you.
It's why he's working so hard.
I shouldn't fault his focus.
What he's doing is gonna be amazing.
Thought you said he was done.
He's mastered the underlying tech, but there are more applications, potential For what? You never wanted to go to America, be back with the rest of your family? We applied for visas.
Not happening.
There's no special category for scientists? Yeah, but there's a more important category.
"Shithole country.
" [CHUCKLES.]
Would you miss me? [CHUCKLES.]
Give me a minute.
I'll be back.
What the fuck are you doing here? I'm here for something.
Hey! Hey! Leave him alone! Leave him alone! You don't want to get involved in this.
Try me.
Your time is running out.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY.]
[GLASS SHATTERS.]
Come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
[POUNDING ON DOOR.]
Can you help me? - Geez.
- [GROANS.]
Dove, Dove, look at you.
What have you done? I swear to God.
Are you okay? - Yes, I'm fine.
- All right.
There's some tape under the under the sink.
I've got you.
I've got you.
Look at you.
- What happened? - There was a guy.
They were talking, and then he just started pounding him.
And he knew his name.
Trouble, it has a way of finding my son.
They are like old friends.
It's okay, April, you go.
I'll take care of him.
- [WEAKLY.]
I'm fine.
- What? - I'm fine.
- What have you done, hmm? April.
Thank you.
[GUN COCKS.]
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
Uh, his middle name what's his middle name? How the fuck do I not know it? Adam.
It's Adam.
[LOCK DISENGAGES.]
[RUSSIAN RADIO CHATTER.]
[GRUNTING.]
[MAN SHOUTS.]
[WHISTLE BLOWING.]
[MEN SHOUTING IN RUSSIAN.]
[SHOUTING IN RUSSIAN.]
[SHOUTING IN RUSSIAN.]
[ENGINES REVVING.]
[GUNSHOTS.]
[MACHINE-GUN FIRE.]

Previous EpisodeNext Episode