"Harry, I want to retire." "I'm too old for this." "Then go home, Malcolm." "Go and rest." " Sarah Caulfield." " Libby McCall's replacement?" "If you're the new broom, sweep away the rubbish." " Where's the uranium?" " I won't tell you." " There is a woman who also knows." " She doesn't know." "'Sometimes it's the pain of others that can make people break.'" "Get in the car!" "What have you done with my family?" " Your husband and the boy will die." " Harry!" " I can't." " Please!" "The uranium will make a dirty bomb and kill thousands of children." "I can only see mine in front of me." "Killing the child will be for no purpose because I won't tell you if you do or if you don't." " Kill the man." " No!" "Oh, God!" "God!" "(Man) This is all your fault, Harry!" " The boy." "Your..." " Nico." " Yes." " His aunt came to take him home." " But you're the..." " No, I'm not." "I'm not anything, Harry." " But George was your husband." " We were never formally married." "There was no ceremony." "We talked about it." " Laughed about who we wouldn't invite." " Couldn't you go back?" "What kind of a welcome party do you think they'd throw for me?" "You would have let him die." " I'm not asking for forgiveness, Ruth." " What, then?" "I came to tell you that..." "I will sort something out for you." " "Sort something out"." " On your status in this country." "You have a knighthood and I'm dead." "There's our status." "If you need work..." " Oh, God!" " Ruth, I'm trying!" "I'm... trying." "With all my limitations, which you know better than anybody." "Yes." "Well, thanks for that." "Thanks for trying." "'Welcome, children, to Western Sands and our presentation on energy." "'Britain used to have its own gas from the North Sea, 'but when that ran out we had to buy it from other countries." "'We get our gas in two forms - 'either through pipelines from Europe and Scandinavia, 'or in liquefied form on tankers from countries like Qatar.'" "They look SO bored." "Beats school." "'... gas goes straight to your homes or fuels the turbines... '" "(Phone beeps)" "'... which is why this new plant is also helping to save the Earth... '" "(Alarm)" "What the hell's going on?" "!" "'... so you can be sure your future is safe with us.'" "'Please evacuate by the nearest exit." "'Please evacuate by the nearest exit." "(Message repeats)" "'The explosion that rocked the Western Sands processing plant 'has raised serious questions about Britain's energy suppliers." "'The Home Secretary has said not to panic 'and alternative supplies are on hand." "There were no reported casualties 'and the emergency services are assessing the damage.'" "See that American on "Newsnight"?" "Said Britain wasn't worth investing in." "I pay very little attention to the rentier class, Ros." "Ah, good." " Home Secretary." " Ms Myers." "The blast at Western Sands was not terror-related." "It was an accident." "In spite of those claiming responsibility." "Our whole energy policy is based on importing gas supplies." "The plant will be closed for six months." "We only have enough gas for 20% of our power station needs." " We have to increase piped supply." " Norway?" "Harry loves the Norwegians." "The Christmas tree." "I make no apologies for appreciating the stability of their energy supply." "They already supply most of it to us." "They can't meet such a big increase." " The Russians?" " Impossible." "Their demands are not just financial." "That leaves Tazbekstan." " Christ." "The Tazbeks." " We have little choice." "The Tazbeks are already in London." " They have a new government." " They came to power in a coup and drop their opponents into boiling water." " They might just be on to something." " How soon before we see the impact?" "Reserves won't last a week." "That must be kept from the press." "Without a quick deal, the immediate future is both very dark and very cold." "No lights on that tree this year, Harry." " Spoken to Ruth?" " We have a gas crisis." " I can't believe they let that happen." " Bloody disgraceful not to have reserves." " Hey, Jo, wait up!" " (Horn)" "Tariq, are you OK?" " Have you got a death wish?" " Came out of nowhere." "You look all right." "Unlike your bike." "That's my social life sorted for the next two weeks." "Come on." "I want to walk in with somebody on my first day." " What is that?" " Malcolm's replacement." "Jo's been showing him the ropes." "Lighten up, Ros." "Lose the T-shirt." "It's not the NME Awards." "OK, Rustam Urazov is the Tazbek Trade and Industry Secretary." "A headache." "From now on his code name will be..." "Thumper." "We have intelligence that he'll spice up his visit by taking out this woman." "Bibi Saparova." "Exiled poet from a Tazbek family he waged a vendetta against." " Why?" " They're everything he's not." "Educated, liberal, arty and half-Russian." "Thumper hates Russians, full stop." "Her father was imprisoned and tortured." "Mother killed herself, sister murdered." "Bibi is the missing head in his trophy cabinet." "Also the bloody nuisance organising protests at the Tazbeks' hotel." "Good-looking exiled poet, goes down well in Hampstead." "I'm not having her disrupt these talks." "How did she even know where it was?" "She might be a pain, but letting him wipe out his enemies here is going a bit far." "So let's keep Bibi out of the picture." "I want to know everywhere she goes." "Nothing gets in the way of their signature on that document." "Thank you so much for coming." "We are so pleased to see you." "(Speaks Russian)" "My Prime Minister, he does not speak such good English." "Thank you for translating." "Please congratulate him on his new job." "A big step up from the cotton factory." "This is Eliza McFarlane, my assistant." "She will be your point of contact." " Hello." " I'm happiest around a beautiful woman." "You speak very good English, Mr Urazov." "It is still the language of the world, no?" "I know that your banks are kept afloat by the state, you don't make anything and the Polish plumbers have gone home, but while the English language survives..." "We are marginally better off than Tazbekstan?" " Yeah." "Who is this?" " This is Sir Harry Pearce." "Stalks the corridors of power spreading good cheer." "Yes, Sir Harry, a sense of humour is very important in a time of crisis." "And you really do have a crisis." "I think the fact that we need your gas is not something we will try to conceal." "The Russians would much rather we did a deal with them." "Except they will demand every first-born British child in return." "We'd certainly rather deal with more reasonable people, like yourselves." "You know what they say about my enemy's enemy, Mr Home Secretary." "You know, they did have some protestors at our hotel." "I was surprised at this." "We'll find you a better hotel." "Why, do you not have the Tower of London to throw your troublemakers in any more?" "Using it for our football team after the World Cup." "Ahh, football." "If only everything was so simple." "Look, I'm sorry about our deal with the uranium." "I was overruled." "Very ungrateful of Harry, but I'm glad he didn't send Ros this time." "I'm glad you're not holding a grudge." "I didn't say that, but I'm the Agency's liaison officer, so here we are." "Liaising." "So what was it you wanted to liaise about?" "Word is you've secretly flown in a delegation from Tazbekstan" " for an energy deal." " We were aiming for low-key." " We don't like that regime." " Wow." "A lecture from the Americans about ethical trade policy." "We're the good guys now." "Why not the Russians?" "They'll screw us on price." "The Trade Secretary is a rapist and a murderer." " We know all about his past." " Watch him." "One of our assets tells us he has plans for an old enemy here." " Visual on Bibi." "Over to you, Echo Four." " Copy that." "'She's going back to the internet café." "Comms are up.'" " Hello." " Bibi, thank you so much for coming." "Please..." "How come we couldn't meet at your house?" "I am certain Ml5 have me bugged." "My wife teases me, says I'm paranoid." "Just because you're paranoid..." " What did you want to talk to me about?" " I have it from a very good source that Rustam Urazov is going to try to kill you while he is here." "You may not get much protection from the British state." "I also hear we're going to call for the lifting of the EU weapons embargo against Tazbekstan in return for their gas." " Where's he getting this from?" " Do we have an ID?" "Thanks." "Matthew Plowden." "Freelance journalist." "You should think about lowering your profile." "He's destroyed my family." "I have nothing left to lose." " Your life?" " I'm not frightened any more." "You're brave." "I'm not frightened, but that isn't the same as brave." "It's a disgrace that we roll out the red carpet to these murderers, but I'll make sure everybody knows." "He could cause us some real problems." " Thank you for your help." " I'm only doing what's right." " Bye." " Goodbye." "'Visual on Bibi." "Heading west on Clement Street.'" " She's picked up a tail." " Description?" "'White male, blue jacket.'" " You take the journalist." "I'll get Bibi." " 'On Drummond." "Tail still with her." "'He's closing on her, Alpha One." "'This looks like a hit.'" " Are you all right?" " I'm a nurse." "I'll deal with it." "Tell me who you're working for." "Go near Bibi again and I'll bring my people next time." " Can I have a word?" " Who are you?" " A quick chat in the Diary Room." " Why are you harassing me?" "They'll die of envy at the New Statesman." "You've had a file on me for years." "You can tell your wife she was wrong." "It was only your last conversation." "I just want to talk to you." " We'll talk over there if you don't mind." " All right." "Watch out for snipers." "Nobody wants to cosy up to the Tazbeks, but the energy situation is dire." "Not as dire as their human rights record." "But who cares if there's cheap gas?" "If our power stations stop running, people will die." "People who matter will die, you mean." "British people, as opposed to foreign people." "My job description means I only have to worry about British deaths, Mr Plowden." "I'm advising you not to interfere any further in this matter." "Or I'll get a midnight knock on the door?" "No, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs call during office hours." "Hopefully, it'll be a real charmless jobsworth." "So who's been feeding you your information on Tazbekstan?" " Reveal my source to Ml5?" "Of course(!" ")" " OK." "Good time to organise your receipts." "And every single income statement." "I shall be posting this conversation on my blog as soon as I get inside." "Bloody internet!" "You know he's going to kill her." "Bibi Saparova." "I want to know where Plowden gets his information, I want Bibi to shut up" " and I want leverage over the Tazbeks." " We have things here that they don't." "Giving them up for... gas offends my sense of national dignity." "The gas running out will lead to more deaths than any terror attack so far." "No campaigning journalist nor poet is going to threaten our energy security while you and I have anything to do with it." "Agreed?" "Absolutely." "So who was tailing Bibi?" "Tazbek hit team?" "Looks like they were trying to abduct her, I'm assuming to deliver to Thumper." " Well, we can't let that happen." " Have you seen Harry's mood recently?" "He'd see protecting Bibi as a luxury the nation can't afford." "Harry's always troubled." "He chooses his frown with his tie." "No, this is different." "He still hasn't resolved the situation with Ruth and until he does he'll take an even grimmer view of anyone" " who gets in the way than I do." " Can't be that bad." "'The Government has described as "malicious tittle-tattle"" "'rumours that it'll call for the lifting of an EU arms embargo." "'Matthew Plowden told this programme that the Tazbek human rights record 'won't go away "just because we messed up our energy policy and need gas."'" " Bloody hell!" " What is it?" "Some awkward squad MP is putting down an Early Day Motion about the deal." "Saying what?" "A concern for human rights in any agreement." "This is that journalist, isn't it?" "I know every time he logs in to that internet café." "Why does he log in there?" "To feel all Woodward and Bernstein?" "Even though it's miles easier for us." "Keep a close eye on him." "I want to know who told him about the arms sanctions." " I'm guessing it was an online friend." " Find out who it is." "Jo, can you go and visit Bibi and keep her quiet before she gets herself killed?" "Try and persuade her to take a long holiday until this is concluded." "Sure." "(Doorbell)" " Miss Saparova?" " Yes." "I'm Gaby Fuller from the Met." "Can I have a word?" "Yes." "Thank you." "You could be at risk if you continue to campaign against Rustam Urazov here." " Britain's new best friend." " I'm trying to help you." " I need justice." " I understand..." " You understand nothing." " (Banging)" "Boys from the estate." "They sometimes do this because they know I live alone." "But if you keep following Urazov around, your life will be at risk." "And if he had killed every member of your family?" "Would you just shut up and go away?" "We're running on empty now, Harry." " A few days at best." " What will you do?" "Start with a programme of rolling power cuts, 3-5 hours." " It's been costed?" " Billions off the economy." " The deal is going ahead?" " Slowly." "But it's our last hope now." "The Tazbeks can sense our desperation and have started to up their demands." "'Time's running out." "We must take the initiative,' so I want to know what they say outside the negotiations." " We're looking into possibilities." " Strip joints, basically." "Taking one for the team there, Lucas?" "We know they use the strip club for RR, we know it's a Mafia haunt, so it's likely the hit man's there." "OK, I'll check out the possibility of fitting listening devices." "(Techno dance music)" "Tariq's good with the tech stuff." "He got a camera into my watch." " Yes, we've got it now." " The hit man is Gosguly Garadanow." " Old army buddy of Thumper." " We'll know him as Flopsy." " He was tailing Bibi." " I think he's lining something else up." "Thumper had Plowden's newspaper." "I said to shut him up." "We're Ml5, not the Stoke Newington Green Party!" " I'd like us to play dirty sometimes." " Thumper is." " He thinks he can do what he likes." " Up to a point he's right." " I'll lean on Plowden a lot harder." " Threaten his career and livelihood." " That works on soft media types." " Shall I speak to Thumper?" " You advise the Home Secretary." " He knows what I am." "All right." "But very, very delicately, Ros." "Let me be absolutely clear." "Our energy security trumps everything." " You might want to look at this." " What?" "The lip-reading software has given us a translation from the Russian." "Coded." "They're talking in euphemisms." "Because of Plowden's press campaign they're taking him out." "Where is he?" " I'm tracking his mobile." " I'm playing it through CCTV feeds." " Do it quicker!" " He's going to the internet café." "Bibi?" " They're picking off their targets." " Lucas, Plowden's back in the café." " Keep a visual on him." "Will do." "He's..." "Hold on a minute." "Flopsy's in the café!" "Get him out of there now!" "Warn him!" "'Lucas, you're too late.'" "Do you have any plans for tonight?" " Do you?" " I'm not really one for the nightlife." " You're worried for me, no?" " Why do you say that?" "The way your eyes keep looking to the door." "You think the Russians will send somebody after me?" "It's a distinct possibility, yes." "I like to think it is because you have, em..." "What is the expression you have?" "You have taken a shine to me." "I'm married." "You know..." "I did hear about the journalist that was killed." " The one spreading lies about me." " Yes." "And his widow is saying that it was the British security services?" "We don't usually kill troublesome journalists." "Yeah." "Not everybody has the freedoms we have in my country." "You don't have carte blanche, Mr Urazov." "Why?" "What will you do?" "Send us home?" "And say you no longer need our gas?" "Of course I know I don't have carte blanche." " Good." " But I also expect you not to pay too much attentions to my business activities at such a... delicate time in the talks." "I must take them out." "Entertain them." "Find them girls." "Would you like any additional security?" "Don't you worry about the Russians." "We know them a lot better than you do." "Good evening." "Plowden was a British citizen." "He painted a massive target on himself." "Sometimes you get a Press Award, sometimes not." "The person who had him killed is openly gloating about it!" " It'll be Bibi next." " I know and I have told Thumper that he does not have carte blanche." " It's the price of keeping him onboard." " The price keeps going up." "Without Tazbek gas, we'll pay a higher price." "Bibi is not a British citizen." " Harry?" " The Tazbeks have started to stall." "We need their gas." "We do not need more obstacles." "Are you saying Bibi is a price worth paying and we look the other way?" "Operational matters are down to you, but I do not want the talks jeopardised." "I want to hear what the Tazbeks are saying." "These are your priorities, not some bloody poet who ignores every warning we give her!" "Er, can I have a word?" "I posted a few things online to suggest that Plowden was still alive." " To carry on drawing in his contacts." " Any response?" "Only one I couldn't hack into." "Violet Franklin." "Heavily encrypted for a social networking site." "But once I'd hijacked his status, I got the location from which she posted." "The American Embassy." "Nice work, Tariq." "I'll set up a meet." " You fed the journalist." " Franklin was my favourite President." " Violet?" " I just like the name and the flower." " Why did you do it?" " A lesson for you for double-crossing me." "I made it hard to catch me, but not impossible." "I like our meetings." " Urazov had him killed." " Now you know what you're dealing with." "All this because you're pissed off?" " You're playing out a grudge?" " I could never do this unsanctioned." "Nobody wants your sordid little deal to go through." "We totally agree" " with the Russians." " Ah, well, that's good to know." "The world's gone bipolar again." "You think the Russians will allow a hardline, nationalist regime to flourish in Tazbekstan?" " Sarah..." " And cosy up to Iran and China?" "You stay out of this." "If you interfere again, I will..." ""...do such things and they shall be the terrors of the Earth"(!" ")" "Come on, Lucas." "Stay." "Let's talk." "Hey, don't ignore a friend's request." "'With great regret I inform the House that the rolling power cuts 'will be from three to five hours." "'I cannot pretend there is an early solution to the problem that faces us, 'although I can promise that we are pursuing every option available to us 'and I hope to have good news shortly.'" "The Tazbeks are stalling." "These power cuts weaken our position." " We're over a barrel." " How do we square this circle?" "(Home Secretary) 'Cuts could begin within 48 hours.'" "OK, let's start by giving Harry what he wants." " Get the intelligence on the Tazbeks." " I'll get back to the club." " Tariq thinks he can bug it." " And Bibi?" "Look, Jo, I am sick of hearing about her." "If you want to make her your cause célèbre, go ahead, but you definitely do not have my blessing and I definitely do not want to hear another word about it." "Understand?" "Right." "Matthew Plowden was a really good man." "He cared about a country it is fashionable to joke about." "We tried to warn him, Bibi." "Just like we're warning you." "And?" "Do you feel proud?" "That Urazov is able to do this on your soil?" " This isn't so straightforward." " We need the gas right now." "I'm trying to protect you, Bibi, but you must lower your profile." "No." "Stop being so stubborn!" "It's as if you want to be his victim." "I'm already his victim." "My sister's name was Altyn." "It means golden." "And she was..." "the golden girl in our family." "She's beautiful." "Urazov had her for a week." "Raped." "Tortured." "Raped again." "More torture." "You can't imagine such things." "Then she was killed." "And her broken body was left at our doorstep." "I found it." "I know that feeling." "My name's Jo Portman and I work for Ml5." "And I won't let him hurt you." "Thanks for coming." "How's it all going?" ""How's it all going?"" "Well, the gas negotiations are underway." "I saw the Home Secretary on TV." "We're in a very bad place right now." "The hidden price for our salvation is that we have to turn away while a rapist and murderer picks off his opponents on our soil." " Harry okayed that?" " Harry's not himself right now." "What do you want from me?" "Talk to Harry." "Isn't that a rather insulting idea to Harry?" "You think he decides based on his emotional state of mind?" "You can put across a different perspective." " It doesn't always work, believe you me." " He's hurting." " About what happened." " And I'm not?" "I lost my family, my home..." "Harry wasn't the one who lost them for you." "He did the right thing." " Maybe he's doing the right thing now." " No... this is different." "But he's locked into thinking it's the same." "And you want me to explain that?" "We've missed you, Ruth." "We've missed you badly, but no one more than Harry." "We shouldn't sacrifice this girl, no matter how bad the crisis." "Please talk to him." "We need to talk." "I'm glad you said that." "I'm sorry." "I blamed you for what happened." "It wasn't fair." "I'm sorry, too, Ruth." "I'm sorry for everything, really." "Truly sorry." "'More trouble for the Government today 'as the Home Secretary admits that the gas shortages are more serious." "'The Opposition has accused him of misleading the House of Commons 'and taunted the Government as empty and exhausted." "'Health experts warn that the death toll could reach the high thousands 'as homes lose heat and light.'" "Turning to the Tazbeks was a bitter pill, but one we were prepared to swallow because we thought we'd get cheap gas." "You said it was a formality." "What's the obstacle?" "The smarmy little shyster's new demands." " He being?" " Urazov, of course." "He's following his own agenda." "Why aren't you finding out what that is?" " I think he has several agendas." " We can't end up with nothing." "In 36 hours, the lights go out." "Makes the banking crisis look like a walk in the park, if we don't sort it, fast." "(Whispers) What's the time, Mr Wolf?" " That is unbelievably clear reception." " You'll have a chance with this one." " Excellent." "Well done." " I'm lucky." "I love my job so..." "Good." "If you want to keep it, lose the T-shirt." "I've got Thumper in view." "(Speaking in Russian)" "Speak in English." "I don't want my delegation to understand." "Say, you want girl, huh?" "What?" "Some Moldovan peasant girl just off a truck?" "No, before I leave I pluck myself an English rose." "'How are the negotiations going?" "'" "If my Prime Minister had his way, we'd sign tomorrow." " And you?" " The British are arrogant." "'I like to make them squirm, right up to the last moment.'" "The journalist was not a problem." "Good." "You will be well paid." "But you know the real prize, yeah?" "The last Saparova." "Take your time with her." "And bring me something for my home movie collection." " (Static)" " What's happening?" "(Speaks Russian)" "(Distortion)" "(Urazov) 'You know you should come home soon.'" " Things are going to get interesting." " When it all starts, I'll come home." "That bastard sitting alone over there." "He is Russian, you think?" "Lucas, they're discussing your presence!" "Duck out of there fast!" "So... there will be war back home?" "There will be... conflict with our autonomous region." "Six months maybe before they force us to stop fighting." "Then, in that time, 'people like you will make a lot of money, kill a lot of peasant trash,'" " enjoy their wives and daughters..." " And when we stop?" "Then I will become Prime Minister, a man of peace and reconstruction." "And all the international aid will flow into all the right places." " The Russians?" " One must always watch the Russians." "They also want our gas." "'But they will be pragmatic in the end, 'now we have friends in European Union.'" "He's a Central Asian Hitler in the making." "It'll be a bloody horrible mess, paramilitaries, looting, raping, massacres on both sides." "I underestimated him and made the wrong call on Saparova." "We still need their gas." "Then we take him out." "We take out the Tazbek visiting Trade and Industry Secretary?" " Or it's Plan A, let him kill the girl." " I prefer not to play off the back foot." "He's the fly in the ointment." "He's stalling the negotiations to obtain maximum advantage for his war." "The Tazbeks would have signed 48 hours ago without him in the way." "We could still get our gas supplies and stop the carnage he wants." "It can't be seen to be us." "Not by the Tazbeks or our Government." "The delegation refused our protection." "That's true." "Thumper told me they could deal with the Russians." "Well, if we obviously had nothing to do with it, why would they blame us?" " It's very risky." " (Ros) No, it's brilliant." "You'd have to explain there would be consequences, though, if done properly." " You know what I'm thinking, then." " I have a fairly good idea, yes." "There will be a trial afterwards." "There would have to be, I'm afraid." "And prison." "Maybe 10 years." "You already knew what my answer would be." " She agreed?" " She'll take the punishment to kill him." "She has a great motive." "Everyone will think the FSB helped." "She'll say anything we want." "No comeback on us." "It won't be easy." "How do we set the honey trap and get him in a different room?" "The English rose." "Jo just about falls into that category." " Cheers(!" ")" " No worries." "Fine." "We need eyes on the corridor to watch for bodyguards." "Worth breaking him in?" "Got to learn to multitask." "Young, scruffy, minimum wage written across his forehead." "Perfect." "Good day." " How are the negotiations?" " As well as can be expected." "These things always take longer." "I do hope you're not playing games with us." "Oh, you still don't want to play games." "What a shame!" "On that subject, there's a young lady across the bar making eyes at you." " Not my type." " No?" "Sexy blonde in a bar?" "Has Moscow all over it." "You think?" "She's heading for Room 627." "And I assure you, Mr Urazov, the only Russian in Camilla Hamilton Blyth's DNA would likely be Romanov and pre-date 1917." "And we like to keep our guests..." "comfortable." "This is, uh very generous." "Thank you." "They're in the room." "'(Ros) Copy that.'" "Take your dress off." "Leave everything else on." "Then..." "What are you doing?" "!" "Bibi..." "Trap's sprung." " When shots are fired, I'll let you know." " Copy that." "What are you doing?" "Listen, Bibi..." "Bibi... this is crazy." "You can't do this." "Bibi..." "Please." "I can't do it." "OK..." " I can't kill somebody." " Just give it to me, eh?" "For your sister." "Miserable whores!" "Shots fired, Alpha One." "Send in the clowns." "(Sirens)" "(Jo) 'No..." "No, please don't.'" " Something's wrong." "Jo's in trouble." " (Another shot)" "More shooting." "Something's wrong." "So we start rumours that she was being manipulated by the FSB." " That's already been put to the Tazbeks." " They're not blaming us?" "Why would they?" "They knew what Thumper was like with the ladies." " He told the bodyguards to stay away." " Their PM is anxious to sign and get home before he meets a similar fate." "Well done, everybody." "Looks like we have our deal." "Awful news about the shooting of their chief negotiator." "Manipulated by the Russians." "Indeed." "I'd like to welcome everybody here." "Our Foreign Secretary would have liked to attend, but he has unfortunately been caught up in the latest Middle East..." " Who sent them the photos?" " Must be Russians." "A photograph of Jo with Bibi in the house." "How did they get that?" "Play for time." "Insist they're forgeries." "The Tazbeks will have had them checked out." "How did they get you in the flat?" " The kids at the window." " I need justice." "The boys from the estate." " What?" " Kids from the estate, hassling Bibi." " They came banging on the window." " I bet they're not there now." " FSB watching Bibi." " So how do we get out of this one?" " We'll have to go to the Americans." " There's no Atlantic gas pipeline." "They can broker a deal." "The Russians are our only option." "A great big Cossack boot over our throat." " We can't negotiate with them." " Get the Americans to go on our behalf." " With what?" " Our intelligence." " The Tazbeks are planning a war." " They probably suspect that." "But they don't know the details." "We'll have to gild the lily." "The Russians will never settle for that." "No, but we can get the ball rolling with the suggestion of something." "All right." "I'll go and talk to Sarah Caulfield, see what they say at least." "Here we are." "Hey, Lucas." "My boss." "Samuel Walker." "Given the hard task of keeping an eye on this one." " I don't envy you." " Hey, enough of the compliments." " So we've spoken to the Russians." " Thank you." "And?" "Urazov was an audacious gamble." "Shame it backfired." "They, like us, are not unhappy, so you haven't lost any friends." " And our offer?" " They like it and are keen to talk." "You can have gas tomorrow at a similar price to the Tazbeks." "A small mark-up because you did hurt their feelings." " They're very sensitive that way." " As always, the devil's in the detail." "They have one further requirement." " And what would that be?" " They want the Tazbek Prime Minister." "What?" "He leaves on a secret flight." "They want details of that flight." "What?" "They're going to shoot his plane down?" "No, but they are going to explain to him what will happen if he continues to follow an agenda they consider hostile." " Hijack his plane, force it to land?" " As I say, the devil is in the detail." "I'd leave that part to the Russians." "We've had our backs to the wall." "You and the Russians played us the whole time." "Hey, you did the world a great favour." "You did the right thing." "Everybody's happy." "Now you have gas and we don't have Urazov." "And we're all working together." "It's like Yalta all over again!" "(Bibi) 'Dear Miss Portman," "'I'm sorry I couldn't get to know you better." "'I think in a different world we might have even been friends, 'but the sorrow in my heart is too great for me to continue now." "'I wanted you to know, however, 'that I appreciate your efforts on my behalf." "Thank you." "'Bibi.'" "(Phone rings)" "Harry?" " You went and spoke to Ruth, didn't you?" " Yes." "What did you hope to achieve by that?" "I thought you were wrong on Bibi." "There are some lines we should not cross." "In my opinion." "You were right." "I didn't think it through properly." "She should come back to us." " If you talked to her..." " She's extremely fond of you." "She thinks we need more people like you." "I can try and sort the logistics with the Home Secretary, but if you continue to meet her..." "I'm happy to try." "Good." "Don't go behind my back again, though." " Or I'll deport you to Tazbekstan." " Understood." "'The energy crisis may have eased slightly with reports of an unexpected deal 'agreed with the Russians to provide emergency short-term supplies." "'Ministers have dismissed Opposition claims of chaos in government 'with the Prime Minister saying he'd get on with the economic recovery.'" " Is it done?" " The Russians forced the plane to land." "They can be very persuasive." "A plague on both their houses." "We have to look after ourselves now." "People have every right to be angry." "We've let too much slide through our fingers." "Things will look better in a year." "And a lot of people who would have died will now not die." "It's breathtakingly simple sometimes." "Mm." "Doesn't always feel that way." "I have to talk to you about something that's not simple at all." "Do you remember Ruth Evershed?" "I've never seen London look so pretty." "Well, the gas is flowing again and we're laying in proper reserves this time." "The lights don't stay on by themselves." "You've got to work hard at keeping a society going." "I didn't see that one coming." "So what happens now?" "Now?" "In the next few hours." "I was presumptuous enough to book a hotel room when you asked to meet me." " That was presumptuous." " I understand codes." "It's my job, really." " Which hotel?" " Claridge's." "Good choice." "My favourite." "We'll take separate cabs." "Probably nobody's watching, but it will add to the occasion." "OK." "What's the room number?" "I forget." "Just ask for Violet Franklin." "Not often we see you at this time of night." "Must be important." "Think you're being bugged here?" "Spies listening to spies?" "What are you worried about?" " I've been approached." " By whom?" " An American contact." " Name?" "I can't." "Somebody high up." "He had great concerns about a plot to challenge the world order as we know it." " A plot as in..." " No specifics." "He talked about divisions in Intelligence and a high-level meeting in Switzerland." "I think he wanted me to warn somebody." "So here I am." "Warning the somebody that I trust most." " We'll look into it." " My contact is not prone to exaggeration." "Whatever that meeting was about, whoever was involved, he made it sound very big." "He was scared, Harry." " Ros, what's going on?" " A security breach." "At least five of them." "Heavily armed." "Everybody, down on your knees!" "On your knees!" "Everybody!" " They grabbed the Bendorf Group?" " And Ros." "On the floor!" "This camera is your confession booth." "Every Pentagon skeleton is being paraded for public consumption!" " We had nothing to do with this!" " If you can't deal with it, we will." " Storming would be suicide." " I'm ordering you." "Help me." "CO19 have arrived." "Moving in." "'What about Ros?" "She's still down there, Ruth.'"