Spooks s06e06 Episode Script

The Courier

We are years away from full nuclear capacity.
I work for a group called Yalta.
I need eyes and ears on the Grid.
You're joking.
You mean you want me to be a traitor.
We can't trust her.
We've got to treat her like a mole.
Ana, my darling, you're a mole for the British Government.
Open the door! Somebody's trying to kill you! This morning the man whose life we saved assured me Iran was years from full nuclear capability.
Ana! Turns out it's more like hours.
What d'you want me to do with her, Adam? Iran wanted nuclear triggers, so we thought, "They'll get 'em anyway.
" America's arming Iran? No, we're selling them a set of blueprints that has an error.
The blueprints that were sold today, my husband found out they were fake.
- Go on.
- My country just obtained a real firing set.
We are now a nuclear power.
Ros.
Harry's told Bakhshi.
We've agreed to let him prepare his own cover story.
Fine.
Ros, I should never have put you in that position, or Ana.
We all cross boundaries.
It goes with the territory.
I probably said a lot of strange things last night but if one of them was "Thanks", I meant it.
Iran is joining the atomic club.
The Home Secretary will need reliable intelligence.
We know the Iranians are racing to enable triggers for the missiles they've bought.
They're surrounded by US carriers in the Gulf.
- Harry, I - The blueprints we intercepted were fakes.
Our asset confirms Iran has sourced working circuit boards.
Plug and play.
A fully-armed nuclear adversary.
This source of yours, did he give us anything else? She.
Ana Bakhshi, wife of the Iranian Special Consul.
She won't be giving us anything now.
Ana died whilst trying to kill my officer.
Adam Carter, her handler.
Cloak and dagger, honey traps.
Didn't they tell you? The Berlin Wall came down.
- 6 heard nothing.
Ana gave us everything.
- And the rest.
She slipped something in Adam's drink, and left him to die.
Not my idea of foreplay.
She told us the circuit boards fly today, from London.
Today? They must have known the blueprints were a decoy.
Is Bob right? Is the leak on our side? Do I have to ask you to search the Grid? My agency's requesting guarantees you'll ground all flights to Tehran to ensure those triggers don't leave the UK.
I trust you are one step ahead and will be co-operating with our American friends.
Gentlemen.
So three airlines leave for Tehran today.
Persepolis Charter 1430, British Intercontinental 1505, DLG 1650, with a stop in Frankfurt.
Where's Bakhshi's brother? He must be first in line for the real set of blueprints.
We're all over him.
If he bought some crisps, we'd know it.
- They must be using a new courier.
- Harry? If Iran goes nuclear, Israel will escalate the standoff and America will be forced into a pre-emptive strike.
The Joint Intelligence Committee seem to think that we here in Section D have a mole.
They'll be conducting a full sweep of the Grid.
The Joint Intelligence Committee seem to think that we here in Section D have a mole.
Get me the head of the Airports Authority.
We hold the flights on the ground until we find our target.
I wouldn't do that, Harry.
We've just received an anonymous e-mail.
Fifty litres of dimethylmercury are waiting to be released in your water supply.
Unless the courier with the circuit boards reaches Tehran safely we will activate the device.
Any attempt to disarm it will be monitored.
Nobody outside this room knows we know about the circuit boards.
Fifty litres.
That's enough to take out an entire city.
Whoever the poisoner is, he knows what he's doing.
He knows what we're doing.
We can't confront the courier, or he'll send a signal to release the poison.
We let all aircraft take off as usual, but we track everyone flying to Tehran while we locate and neutralise the poison.
Malcolm, what do we have? Colourless liquid neurotoxin.
A gram is enough to kill a million people.
A scientist spilled a drop on her protective glove.
Within 15 seconds it had penetrated the latex.
Once it crossed the blood-brain barrier, she began to suffer ataxia, blurred vision.
They found 80 times the toxic levels in her bloodstream.
She never woke up.
If they're monitoring the target, we can't involve the police.
Can we contain the contamination? If it's in a single location, a closed system.
- If not? - Dip a thermos of cyanide into one.
No one would notice for days.
There are 10,000 miles of mains in London.
- The first flight leaves in three hours.
- You know how to charm 6.
I'll hit Interpol.
Red flags, recent movements, unusual financial transactions If Ana knew about the real circuit board, it'd be from her husband.
You seduced her, we used her.
Bakhshi feels betrayed.
Nothing he says or thinks will advance our cause.
Before we go after the triggers, we have to find the mercury.
I've been instructed by the Home Office Counter-surveillance sweep? Bug extermination? You'll have to patch all mobiles through to landlines.
- It's all yours.
- Right, come on, this way.
You spies, you love your mystery.
I'm guessing that Yalta are behind the real circuit boards? You're being too modest.
We couldn't possibly have set this up without you.
Iran could become a nuclear power within 24 hours.
I agreed to help you stabilise international diplomacy, not fuel war.
Nobody wants that.
There are voices in Washington who fear Iran's power and want her resources.
If we help Iran withstand American tyranny, we can break their dominance.
Nagasaki, My Lai, Guantánamo.
What's next, hm? Harry's having the Grid swept for bugs.
There are two left, one in his office.
- If they find them - If they find them you'll be no more use to us, or to Harry.
Harry! Adam's patching through from a secure line.
He says it's urgent.
- Where is he? - Sounds like a restaurant.
Oh! Well thanks.
- Can I have a mineral water, please? - Sure.
How is Ana? She has had to return to Tehran.
Her uncle died.
That's Bakhshi.
Sly as ever.
- Why are they speaking Russian? - Something about the blueprints.
- The "kooryeram" What's the word? - Courier.
is British.
- So we know the target.
How many leaving have UK passports? Fifty-two.
Come on, Adam.
Very nice of you.
So do you often send champagne to strangers? - Well, it may be the first time.
- Really? Every British passenger has been cleared for security.
No red flags.
- Bakhshi could plant them on someone.
- He must know we can track them.
He knows we can't do a thing unless we find the dimethylmercury.
OK, this is what Bakhshi says.
"The American soldiers doctored blueprints.
"They thought they could force our hand.
" "How did you find out?" "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
" He says, "We have working circuits now.
"Our man flies today.
What an irony the courier should be British!" He replies, "If the Americans challenge you, "Russia will respond with equal force.
" Armageddon.
No leads on the mercury or the passengers.
It's 52 British travellers with no security records.
Not 6, CIA, Interpol or the police.
The Persepolis flight leaves in two hours.
- Bakhshi must know about the mercury.
- I've checked all his phone records.
- If he's involved, he's got another handset.
- Then let's get that handset.
- Ow! Damn! - I'm sorry.
Oh.
Ah - Just twisted my ankle.
- I'm terribly sorry.
- You sure you're OK? - Yeah, thank you.
- How's your Russian? - I forbade you to follow him.
No, you forbade me to get caught.
Get to the airport.
It's a British courier.
We need to make sure everyone boards safely.
- Then what? - We're working on it.
With three planes, I'll be tossing a coin.
You better send me a bag and a passport.
We're tracking a device.
It has to arrive safely.
It's some kind of electronics.
Could be as small as a pack of cards.
I don't care if a bag's ticking.
Tag it and let it through.
Everything gets on that plane.
We're downloading Bakhshi's phone records.
Let's hope it's there.
JTAC advise we shut off water to the Southeast.
This is Jo calling from Section D.
How long before the download's complete? Let me know - Progress? - We have to tell Bakhshi about Ana.
- What would that gain us? - He can stop the triggers and the mercury.
He's in no fit state to decide.
Harry, please.
We have to tell him she's alive.
We have to make him see sense.
You fired a shot to make Adam believe Ana was dead.
Help him break her spell, you said.
I agreed to hold Ana in a safe house until we'd secured the circuit boards.
That way, Bakhshi would never know that she'd told us about the real set.
Unless you've got better intelligence, sounds like a solid plan.
Find the poison, Ros.
Bakhshi had a second phone.
We copied the SIM.
Everyone he called, everyone they called.
If he's behind the mercury, it's in there.
Better start dialling.
- The flight leaves in 30 minutes.
- Do we let Adam fly? - Any leads from the phone? - We've only just got it.
If it's the wrong one, you take the next.
- And if that's the wrong one? - My passport's on my desk.
Just a minute.
All remaining passengers flying on Persepolis Charter Flight 772, the gate is now closing.
Would passenger Tennant go to Gate 42.
Adam, the Russian word, we were wrong.
It's not courier, it's carrier.
It's not a British passport, it's a British flight.
British Intercontinental 1505.
as we can.
Jo's still working on the water.
We'd better get Malcolm to Heathrow.
What's the worst on the mercury? If we fail to prevent it, mass evacuation, panic, hundreds dead, economic chaos.
We tasked you to track a simple bit of electronics to a Third World country for a rocket they can hardly afford to build.
Now you've put the lives of half the city under threat.
- How close are we? - We don't know where the device is yet.
- David's left the country today? - This is the dental nurse.
It's been six months since your last appointment.
Excellent.
Let me check the diary.
Have you fixed the screens in row 28? Any more moaning, I'll kill someone.
Whatever happened to a good old-fashioned book? - OK.
Can you have a look at it? - I can't fix it, sir.
Fine.
Just get back to the terminal.
Tell the carrier that the aircraft has failed safety.
- Airport Security need to know.
- Why? Flame arresters are disabled.
I've got bare wires hanging over 6,000 gallons ofjet A.
The flame arresters have been smashed.
Both engines.
- Can she fly without them? - There's nothing to protect the fuel vapour.
If she flies through an electrical storm she's a sitting duck.
- Spare aircraft? - Not unless we delay.
No delay.
Bakhshi will know.
He'll release the poison.
Arming Iran, after everything we've been fighting for.
Just let me find them.
I won't move until I know the poison's safe.
Tell the engineers to report the fault when the plane returns.
I'm boarding now.
Don't tell me bringing down that aircraft in a fireball over Europe was your scheme.
We crippled three planes to keep the circuit boards here safe.
You're condemning 84 passengers by letting them take off.
It leaves on time or this city faces mass evacuation.
The slightest cock-up causes a delay, Bakhshi will know we're stalling.
Think global, Harry.
You already lost one empire.
I can't hold.
You need to get your manager on the phone now.
Ros, I've got something.
This is the Security Service.
We need the name of the person who called you at 6.
54.
Bakhshi's contact placed an emergency call to the Health and Safety Office.
Yeah, I'm sending over our access code.
Please just read the call log.
An engineer reported an exposed mains feed.
Wouldn't work until it was made safe.
Electrics? Where did you say the fault was? Molden House.
Do you have any idea what that amount of dimethylmercury could do? I deliver information, not poison.
Bakhshi's using the threat to guarantee the safe arrival of the triggers.
- Just tell me who the courier is.
- That hardly matters.
If you stop Iran from getting the circuits, they'll buy them from someone tomorrow.
Think big, Ros.
Bigger than Harry, at least.
What I'm doing for you is treason.
Harry knows there's a mole.
Are you afraid of him? Or afraid of a world where Section D answers to Hogan, and America tramples over the rest of us? You think this is a pissing contest.
Real people are gonna die today, people who did not sign up for your crusade.
Excuse me Listen, Malcolm.
The only Paul Astol who worked for Health and Safety died.
Somebody used his ID to get into Molden House.
I need to get past their security.
I'm on my way.
Good afternoon, sir.
Excuse me.
- Hey, darling.
Missing you already.
- Everyone's boarded now.
81 are cleared.
Mostly Iran nationals.
Plus the usual run of businessmen, IT warriors and oil jackals.
Three remaining have red flags.
Nicolas Faures, advisor to the French nuclear programme.
He was carpeted.
Anastasya Poselskaya, ex-FSB.
No known employer, but she's hiding 12 grand a month in cash.
And Ebrahim Jannati.
Iranian passport, no available records.
- Nothing? - No.
We're waiting on the seat numbers.
I'm sorry, sir, but all phones must be switched off.
Don't dally, darling.
I'll be in the air before you know it.
All the baggage in the hold has been X-rayed.
If the circuit boards are on that flight, they're in there with you.
Is the water still shut off? Jo's on her way.
Harry says you are not to make a move until she's clear.
We know where the mercury is.
Just sit tight.
- Tell me when you're safe and sound.
- I'll find a way.
We can remove personal equipment if you contravene the safety regulations.
I'll call you when I get the seating plan.
Good luck darling.
Excuse me, sir All bags must be stowed for take-off.
Give me the bag, and I will stow it for you.
- Are security still on the jetway? - Excuse me Could you please sit down, sir? We will take care of this.
He'll get thrown off This person's phone is switched off.
Please try again later.
British Intercontinental 434 cleared for take-off.
Cleared for take-off, British Intercontinental 434.
Adam's in the air waiting on our all-clear.
We can't contact the control room.
Whoever set the mercury'll be watching it.
- There's a loading bay round the back.
- Go quietly.
The plant may be bugged.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking.
We are now cruising at 41,000 feet.
Weather ahead looks good, and we should be arriving on time at Imam Khomeini.
We are crossing over the Channel, and the cabin crew will be serving drinks shortly.
I do hope you relax, sit back and enjoy the flight.
We shall be passing over Would you like red or white with your meal, sir? I'd stick to water.
Very dehydrating, all this flying.
I'm expecting a message in the cockpit.
Our ground staff patched a private channel to the handset in the galley.
No news yet.
In case things get bumpy.
All bags must be I'm sorry, I'm just looking for a pen.
It's here somewhere.
Careful.
Someone's been here.
There could be a tripwire.
Could be a contact, magnet, or a metal strip.
I've got it.
- Are we all right back here? - Excuse me, sir, would you like a drink? Vodka and tonic, orange juice Must be a cut-out.
I'll have to try and short it.
Chop the voltage.
Now, easy does it.
Even fingertips can pass current.
I should have been a surgeon.
How are we looking? I'm there.
We're home and dry.
It's a trap.
It's a trigger.
They must have reversed the switch.
- Are you in? - Yes, but they set a trip.
- Has the poison been released? - I don't know but something's wrong! - Don't they train you new girls? - I usually do First.
Proper plates.
This is chicken.
I requested a vegetarian meal.
I'm so sorry, sir.
Fetch you one in a minute.
It's just gone nuts! There's been an industrial leak! - Pressure failure on two main risers! - In English! - It must have ruptured.
- Show me.
Pressure should be five minimum.
Where are the pipes? How do we get to them? This building runs 300 feet underground.
We pump water up from the reservoir.
Danger.
Danger.
Contamination alert.
Danger.
Contamination alert.
What's the pump output on 7 and 9? What kind of poison is it? The water cannot reach the mains supply.
There's enough dimethylmercury in the system to kill everyone between Canterbury and Reading.
We need to close down every valve.
What's the diameter? Sixty centimetres.
I could reroute it through the holding tanks, I could loop it round the oxidisers.
Over three metres per second.
350 metres.
We have just under two minutes.
But it all leads to the mains.
I routed it myself.
I wrote the software.
You designed an entire pumping station with no way to shut it down? We balance the supply.
We lift it into the system.
- You pump it? - From the underground repository.
Gravity, man! Where's the mains feeding? Electricity, not water! God, I'm so sorry.
- Oh! You stupid prick! - Oh, God! I'm so sorry! Forgive me! - I don't forgive you, asshole! - I'm sorry! I don't believe I did that.
I'm such an idiot.
I can't believe I did that.
You prick! Excuse me, could I get out, please? - You'll catch the signal? - Yeah, with any luck.
Forty seconds! Wood is a good insulator, right? None better.
Any news from the station? No.
We have another problem.
Met Office says there's a storm building over Southern Turkey, pretty severe.
Without those flame arresters, a bolt of lightning could ignite the tanks.
I'm trying to contact Adam.
Everyone we red-flagged is clean.
- What do we tell Harry? - We can't act till the poison's secure.
It has to be.
There's two hours until we land.
We checked all 84 passengers.
- Eighty-five.
- What? No, Connie confirmed it.
I counted them three times.
There are 85 passengers on board.
- Have you seen the landing cards? - Sorry, I haven't.
- Sorry, not feeling very well.
- I can't find the landing cards.
That happened to me last month on the way to Moscow.
We'll have to make a list.
- It's falling, back to the reservoir.
- Is it sealed? So long as those pumps are dead, it's going nowhere.
Contained.
Where's the aircraft? We need them to turn round.
Turkey.
I'll tell Adam he can tear that aircraft apart.
He may not need to.
I'm gonna do a little interrogation of my own.
Ladies and gentlemen, I apologise requested to collect all your passports now prior to our arrival in Imam Khomeini.
No ice.
You never know what's in the water.
Four million lives for a circuit board? I don't know what you mean.
I serve the wishes of my country.
War.
Is that what your country wishes, Darius? Your government just authorised 70 billion pounds for a new Trident missile system, more than my country's entire foreign reserve.
You call it defence.
Why should we not too? This is the Captain speaking.
We are experiencing some turbulence at this level.
We have to remain at this level till we are outside Eurocontrol and clear to climb.
So for your own safety, please remain seated until the seat belt light switches off.
Oh, shit.
You know that any attempt to arm Iran now will be seen as provocation.
The stakes are too high.
without being listed on the manifest? - We've found our man.
- Don't do anything too hasty.
He could still trigger the mercury.
There's nothing from Harry? Your officer seduced my wife.
He poisoned her loyalty to her country, and to me.
You sent Carter and you knew what he would do, because you dared not come to me yourself.
Well I'm here now.
You can talk to Ana yourself.
Find out what really happened.
- Ana, my love.
Are you safe? - Darling.
- Are you hurt? - I'm OK now.
They wouldn't let me talk to anyone.
European airspace.
I always wanted to see Tehran.
Preferably not through the bars of an interrogation cell.
Tell us where the circuit boards are, and you can finish the conversation.
I am a diplomat, Harry, not a terrorist.
Excuse me.
I think they mixed them all up.
- Simon Tennant.
I got yours.
- Thanks.
Hope this isn't the taste of things to come.
I hear business in Tehran is a comedy of errors? Our embassies are used to sorting out this kind of mess.
Have you been there a lot? A colleague represents my business there.
I managed to get a room at the Esteghlal on Pastoran, but I hear mixed reports.
- Should I keep looking around or? - You're not in Kansas any more.
The Esteghlal is fine.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing considerable turbulence.
Please remain in your seat with your seat belt fastened Excuse me.
It's him.
We'll find a way to get the circuit boards.
- If we don't fall out of the sky first.
- Are you a nervous flyer? We're sitting over 2,000 gallons of unshielded fuel.
Without the flame arresters this thing isn't a plane, it's a bomb.
It's certainly one way of dealing with the triggers.
All I know is the triggers fly today on a British aircraft.
Perhaps they have arrived already.
Perhaps you know more than me.
What d'you mean, you can't get in touch with the aircraft? Try the pilot.
He has to land immediately.
His fuel could blow if he doesn't get out of that storm.
British Intercontinental 434, this is Elazig Tower.
Turn heading 045 degrees.
This will be radar vector for the ILS 23 - Connie.
- At last.
The water's safe.
Do what you have to, to get the triggers.
They found it.
We're clear.
- I need to search your bag.
- I'm warning you Put your hands where I can see them.
Oh, sit down! I'm American.
You've got the wrong guy.
Yeah, right.
You've never been to Tehran.
The Esteghlal is the only hotel where an American would stay.
It's not on Pastoran! Aagh! Aaah! Just stay down! Stay down! - You all right? - Yeah.
Move! Go to the back of the plane.
Everybody just stay calm.
Just stay calm.
- Stay calm, everyone.
Stay in your seat.
- Excuse me.
Stay seated.
We'll make sure you're safe.
In Iran, they'll lock it down.
Why hasn't Harry authorised the pilot to turn back? I don't know.
It's got to be in the laptop.
- Hey! - Sit down, everybody! You need to turn this aircraft around! You'll receive orders from Traffic Control.
Connie? The courier is Frank Lowell.
You have to authorise the pilot to turn back.
I did.
Open channels, emergency codes.
I'll try again.
You must not proceed to Tehran! - Why won't they land? - They won't divert if they suspect a hijack.
Listen to me! You have to land this aircraft now! I am not prepared to negotiate with terrorists! Please! Stay in your seats! - How long till we cross into Iraq? - Any time now.
They've authorised the pilots to turn back.
Calm down, ladies and gentlemen.
Please sit down in your seats.
They're entering Iraqi airspace in Could you all please sit down in your seats? Calm down.
Thank you, sir.
We're not turning.
At least they won't get the triggers.
The flight is refusing to divert.
They're on course for Tehran.
- Who's the pilot? - Alan Patrick.
I cleared him.
They'll enter Iraqi airspace in 90 seconds.
Ros, we have one more chance to get you back.
I need you to get your phone and switch your Bluetooth on.
- Text in the following number.
- OK.
Get everybody seated safely.
Everybody take your seats and fasten your seat belts.
Sit down and fasten your seat belts.
You should have five seconds.
Could you all fasten your seat belts? Sir? Sir, sit down.
Now.
Seat belt on.
I set a charge to take out the fuel pumps.
You said we might have to force a landing.
It must have ruptured the fuselage.
The pressure loss won't harm them if they get down fast enough.
Mayday, mayday.
This is British Intercontinental 434.
Initiating descent.
Diverting to Elazig Airport for emergency landing.
British Intercontinental 434, this is Elazig Tower.
We acknowledge your mayday, and you are cleared for Elazig.
You'll remain on my frequency till you're down.
Elazig.
NATO base.
Get me the Commander.
I want the courier to be interrogated by Section D only.
- Do we have a name? - Frank Lowell, travelling as an American.
I told Hogan repeatedly, US passports are too easy to fake.
- Harry, how's the global village? - We forced the flight down at Elazig.
- Need my help to clean up the mess? - Your mess.
The courier carrying the circuit boards had an American passport, Frank Lowell.
Harry, Lowell's ours.
We put him on in case Adam screwed up.
You got the wrong guy.
We have successfully executed an emergency landing into Elazig Airbase.
I ask you to be patient whilst we wait for the ground staff to give the all-clear.
Then we can disembark.
Harry, Lowell's dead but we destroyed the circuit boards.
Lowell's CIA.
The only thing you destroyed was our relationship with the US.
I need you to find out why the pilot disobeyed clear orders to turn back.
Stop the pilot! I'm a member of the British security services! That man has a trigger for a nuclear warhead in his bag! Look, I'm with the British security services.
My name is Adam Carter.
- Your passport says Simon Tennant.
- I'm with the British security services! Ros! Ros! They swapped bags! Ros! Ros! The bag! They're in the bag! - Harry.
- Ros, it's the pilot.
I have them.
- How did Bakhshi get to him? - He has no links to Iran.
No red flags.
We've no idea who he's playing for.
Give me that bag! Give me the bag! - Miss, get off the floor.
- What are you doing? Please, give them back to me.
Harry.
Harry, he's clean.
It's not here.
bags! They swapped bags! They're in the bag! They changed! Stop that Jeep! Stop that Jeep! Ros destroyed two.
Eight grand, those transmitters.
- Found the last one in Pearce's office.
- Does he know? We can't afford to burn Ros, not yet.
For decades we've had the ultimate deterrent.
Now they have it too.
The time for aggression is over, Bob.
We have to move to appeasement.
- How do we do that? - Television.
All three politicians have bodyguards in the studio.
We'll be in the audience.
Tonight's question is whether Islamic power is taking over the planet and to what extent Western governments are timidly letting it happen.
Something's not right here.
That man's not who he says he is.
Do not cut transmission! If you cut transmission, I'm gonna shoot her! Adam, stop him!
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