Original subtitles

Note that down.

We found her an hour ago.

Delaunay.

What's the monk doing here?

He was found praying next to the body.

He won't talk. He says he's bound to secrecy by God.

Oh yeah?

- I'm going to question him anyway. - Not here, Niémans!

We'll take him to the station.

Any signs of injuries?

Not really. But there is a needle mark here.

- She was injected with something? - Perhaps.

The toxicology results will tell us for sure.

Call us as soon as you have them.

- We should've acted sooner. - Don't start. I'll inform the parents.

Let's go, Camille.

Camille! Come on.

THE CRIMSON RIVERS

SONGS OF DARKNESS: PART II

If the monk did this, then I'm the Pope's son.

Niémans, I'm telling you, it's Messonnier's doing.

The mayor's daughter has the same profile as the others.

- She must be a virgin, too. - That doesn't prove it's him.

He's in town every time it happens!

- Goddammit! - Weren't the others found alive?

Yes, but something must've gone wrong this time.

An overdose or fear that she'd talk.

OK. I'll deal with Brother Antoine, and then we'll pay the band a visit.

Harel's given her blessing, let's make the most of it.

REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE

- What are you doing? - Going with you.

No, go and see the technician. See what he's found on that hard drive.

Why won't you talk, Brother Antoine?

Not even to me?

Did you kill that girl?

Yes or no?

I don't think so.

But you know things. That's what's worrying you, right?

Right, Brother Antoine?

What were you doing in the dunes?

That's a weird time to take a walk. Did you see the killers?

I'm talking to you, Brother Antoine! Did you see them? Do you know them?

What's that?

I can't hear you.

- Speak up. - The Vatican!

Call the Vatican!

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. We must warn them!

You know nothing!

Nothing at all!

You know nothing.

You're lucky you're a man of the cloth.

THE BIBLE AND MUSIC

- How did it go? - Average.

We searched the hard drive for Brother Guillaume's recent emails.

The content had been deleted, but we found the recipient.

Geneviève Barak Haïm.

The author of your book about music and the Bible.

- She lives 20 km away. - All right, let's go.

That's the house there.

Hello, madam. Commissioner Niémans and Lieutenant Delaunay.

We're from the judicial police. Are you Mrs Barak Haïm?

Yes, that's me. Come with me, away from the smoke.

I just learned of Brother Jean's death.

Who told you?

Brother Antoine.

You don't seem particularly shocked.

Hanging must be a terrible way to die.

For Brother Guillaume, that's another story.

It's terrifying.

But I've spent much of my life in Israel.

Violence has always been part of my life.

Why did you decide to come here a year ago?

Because of the monastery library.

It contains essential documents for my next book.

What was your relationship with Jean and Guillaume?

They consulted me for help with their research.

After my essay on cantillation in the Old Testament.

Are you familiar with my work?

I've skimmed over your book The Bible and Music.

But I'd like you to summarise it for me.

The Bible was initially a book of songs.

The Levites, in the Temple in Jerusalem,

sang each verse following certain accents.

Signs written above the words that are known in Hebrew as te'amim.

I see them as musical notes.

For 2,000 years, no one deciphered them.

But you managed it?

I'll remain modest and say that my work is ongoing.

What's the link to Jean and Guillaume?

They believed certain notes contained a hidden message from God.

And that this message lived on in the canticles of the Middle Ages.

Each group of notes corresponds to a group of letters.

Very simple, provided you have the code.

So, together, these groups of notes

would make up a coded message?

That's what they believed.

Why would they tattoo them on their hands?

I think they felt watched.

You think this could've got them killed?

Our work is important, of course.

But to kill people over some musical notes?

Either way, their theory had no solid basis.

Guillaume deleted your recent emails. What were they about?

They were about tessitura, quarter tones...

I'd be happy to forward them to you, but I doubt they'd make much sense.

She knows more than she lets on.

If she did, she'd surely freak out and spill everything.

I looked into her past.

She's seen two Arab-Israeli wars.

She was also close to the Israeli army and infiltrated Lebanon in 2006.

- Trust me, she doesn't scare easily. - So?

So, I think she's in over her head, and we should keep an eye on her.

-Yes? - Hello. It's Didier, the coroner.

I'll put you on speaker. I'm with Camille.

So, it seems the girl died of heart failure.

Any signs of violence or sexual intercourse?

No, she's a virgin. The cause may have been the injected substance.

I should have the toxicology results within 2 hours.

Call us when you know, OK?

He's a good guy, that one.

Right, let's go shake up the band.

What does BHP stand for?

"Béton Haute Performance". A concrete used in nuclear reactors.

What's that got to do with their music?

No idea. They play bass-heavy underground rock.

It's pretty dark, apocalyptic stuff.

Did you look into the other band members?

Philippe Olivet, the sample guy,

did time for drug trafficking and violence.

The drummer and bassist are former punks, also with records.

And now they're snatching virgins and killing monks?

Let's see.

I warn you, Messonnier's an arsehole.

I bet I can give him a run for his money.

That's nice.

What are you doing?

- I should call my lawyer, right? - That won't be necessary.

We're all friends here.

What the hell's going on? We can't even leave the goddamn hotel!

The body of a teenage girl was found this morning. She was at your gig.

- Recognise her? - There are so many, it's hard to say!

I don't give a shit.

You don't give a shit, huh?

You don't give a shit?

You son of a bitch!

She was 17!

17!

She was drugged! Like all the others who come to your shit show.

Fuck.

Get up.

Get up!

This has nothing to do with me. I've already been cleared.

Do you recognise this?

Do you recognise this?

Two dead monks had this melody tattooed on their hand.

Why the hell should I care?

I didn't do anything.

This has nothing to do with me.

What is that?

- It's our sign. - Whose sign?

Let's just say we share certain values.

Certain...

beliefs.

How many of you are there?

"My name is legion, for we are many."

I've met some weirdos in my time...

For now, we'll search your rooms and take your phones.

Well, move your arse, we won't be here long.

What did you say? I'll take my sweet time.

You're not going anywhere. I decide when you can leave.

Arsehole.

Nice performance.

What was that, "My name is legion, for we are many"?

It's a passage from a gospel.

Jesus performs an exorcism on a man, and that's his response.

They are the devil's words.

Check if any of the other monks have that hand tattoo.

- They may be next. - We should've checked that sooner.

And research the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Vatican police force. Tell me what you find, OK?

OK.

- You again. - I just couldn't stay away.

We're going back to the library.

Ready?

Niémans?

There are no other tattoos in the monastery.

But quite a few monks come from elsewhere to use the library.

It'll be hard to find them all, but some may be tattooed.

- Tattooed by who? - No idea.

I looked into the Congregration for the Doctrine of the Faith.

They deal with confidentiality breaches, paedophilia, exorcisms.

Both our dead monks wrote to them.

- Did you contact them? - Lots of leads, but all dead ends.

A liaison officer in Rome said it was classified information.

OK.

Well, let's find an empty room and call Harel over, all right?

If she wants us to share everything, we will.

I revisited Barak Haïm's book and Jean-Louis' writing on the topic.

He believed some early Christians had received revelations from God.

Rather than writing these down, they hid them in sacred songs.

In short, they invented a code to translate text into music.

Jean-Louis was convinced that these coded messages

had existed for centuries, spreading subliminal messages.

Once identified, it was just a matter of decoding them.

- Is that what Barak Haïm's working on? - Yes. That's why she came here.

OK. But why all the murders?

Maybe a different religious group wants to recover or destroy the texts.

Our monks felt threatened.

They chose to burn their hands rather than reveal the message.

- What's the link to Messonnier? - I don't know.

It's true he doesn't look like your regular churchgoer.

But he may be part of a Satanic cult or something.

The mayor's daughter who we found in the dunes,

- what's the link there? - There might not be one.

Have they found anything at the BHP's hotel?

No, not yet.

We checked their alibi, they spent the night at a bar with fans.

That leaves Brother Antoine. We're on it.

He didn't do it. He's out of his mind.

He's either a witness or he found the body.

- So why won't he talk? - He's afraid.

Shall we go back to Barak Haïm?

She's covered in blood on the floor!

They wanted the code to decipher the messages.

I'll comb all the monasteries in the region.

We need to know if any more tattoos exist.

These guys aren't finished yet.

This couldn't have been BHP. They've been under surveillance all day.

It's not just the band.

There are others in their group.

-Yes. - Niémans?

- You have the results? - Not exactly.

- But there's something weird. - What?

Well...

If it's what I think it is, the implications are fairly terrifying.

- I'll meet you here. -OK.

What the hell is going on?

- You don't notice anything? - Tell us, Didier.

There's no livor mortis.

A few hours after death, blood comes out of the vessels,

causing the skin to turn red, then purple.

And that hasn't happened?

No, because there's not enough blood in the body.

How is that possible?

They didn't give something to her.

They took something away. At least 3 or 4 litres of blood.

She died of hypovolaemia or exsanguination.

Are you sure about this?

I've checked all the organs. The tissues are all bloodless.

- Was she alive when they drained her? - Indeed.

They let the heart pump until the very end.

It took less than half an hour.

The other girls all said they felt weak when they were found.

Now we know why.

- Have there been others? - Yes.

Well, either this one lost more blood, or she was weaker than the others.

Her heart gave in.

What are you doing this afternoon?

- Working. - Good.

My men are waiting outside. There's another body.

Another young girl? A monk?

You'll see.

I need that little guy with the glasses.

- Brother Stéphane? - Yeah, find me Brother Stéphane.

See if he's found anything on the sword and the snake.

I'll take care of old stick-up-his-arse, Father Anselme.

I'm starting to think you're to blame for all these bodies, Father.

No. I don't see how...

Jean and Guillaume had discovered something important, and you knew.

The research, the tattoos, the contact with Barak Haïm.

There's no way you missed all that.

- There were rumours. - Yeah?

It looks like a lot more than rumours.

Last month, Guillaume asked me how to contact the Vatican.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

- Did he say why? - No, but I remembered his past.

I thought it was just a relapse. He must have thought he was possessed.

Jean and Guillaume had identified ancient melodies

they believed carried "divine messages".

With the help of Barak Haïm, they decoded these messages.

That's why they were afraid.

Now we have some fanatics who want to recover or destroy the secrets.

Lord Almighty...

Could this mess be somehow connected to the blood of young girls?

Absolutely not.

I'll leave you to your prayers.

- Brother Stéphane's found something. - I looked through some of our books.

It's the sign of an ancient group. Monk soldiers from the Middle Ages.

Historians named them after one of the first Merovingian kings.

The Merovech Sect.

- What's your point? - These monks had a particularity.

They were all musicians.

This was rare, as only the voice was...

Get to the point, my little Stéphane.

Did they use music to spread secret messages?

I don't know. That wasn't mentioned.

But this is important:

the Merovians, as they call themselves,

are still active today, but...

apparently they've gone to the other side.

They've become Satanists. And very aggressive ones, it seems.

I contacted St Etienne prison.

Messonnier and Olivet,

the guy with the neck tattoo, both served time there.

They started spreading Satanic messages in jail.

Good work, Stéphane.

- Thanks for the help. - You're welcome.

The band called a lawyer.

He called off the surveillance. We've got nothing on them.

What are you doing?

Last night at the BHP gig, I put a tracker on their van.

You know that's against procedure, Camille?

- You're the one who taught me. - True, but...

They're 10 km away.

I like working with you, Camille.

Because I ignore procedure?

No. It was important to me that you joined me in this squad.

- Good evening. - Good evening.

Do you know a Philippe Olivet and Marc Messonnier?

They're not here right now.

- They must have left for dinner. - Where?

I don't know. We have no restaurant.

The easiest thing would be for you to give me the keys.

I don't know if I'm allowed.

I say you're allowed. Give us the keys, sir.

OK.

It's that way. First floor, room 24.

- Camille, are you OK? - It's Messonnier.

Shit!

Shit!

Come on!

You need an X-ray. You may have a head injury.

I don't have time.

If it's a subdural haematoma, it could cause intracranial pressure.

- That would be very bad news. - I'll be fine. Thank you, doctor.

Good night.

Good night.

- Have you found the BHP van? - Not yet.

- Anything at the motel? - No, also nothing.

You don't understand. These guys are sick.

They'll keep him alive as a hostage to ensure their escape.

What are you doing?

I stuck a GPS beacon on the BHP van, but I can't find a signal.

Are you serious?

What?

Oh, nothing. It's just illegal.

- Is that a problem? - No, not at all.

This thing is pissing me off.

- I might have something else. - What?

I ran Brother Antoine's prints and DNA through the main database.

His real name is Patrick Vergela.

He got 9 years for first-degree rape of minors.

He spent 5 in St Etienne.

- Same prison as Messonnier. - Exactly. That's where they met.

This connects Messonnier to the monks.

- Why didn't you say earlier? - I had other shit to do.

Oh, and he used to be a tattoo artist.

- I'll kill the bastard. - Delaunay!

This is no time for stunts, OK?

We'll question him together and calmly.

Don't play dumb, Vergela. Where's Messonnier?

- I don't know. - He has Niémans.

- If anything happens to him, I swear... - I had nothing to do with this!

I haven't done anything.

Did you tattoo their hands?

Yes.

I used to be a tattoo artist.

Very good. You did a great job.

Have you tattooed others?

About twenty in one year.

It was Brother Guillaume's idea.

Waiting for the melodies to be decoded,

some of us kept the secret safe in the palm of our hands.

And Mrs Barak Haïm found the code?

Yes. And it wasn't a message from God.

It was a message from the devil!

The commandments were all terrible. They were profanations.

- Incitements to sin! - Get to the point.

That's when we realised the truth.

Over the centuries,

the devil has been infiltrating God's melodies.

Defiling His words!

Brother Guillaume...

He tried to warn the Holy See.

But no one from the Vatican answered.

And you told Messonnier, correct?

Messonnier...

He's been blackmailing me since he got out of prison.

Threatening to reveal my past to Father Anselme.

The verses were my only bargaining chip.

What does Messonnier want with these verses?

They are the words of his Master.

The words of the devil.

They want to write a Black Bible.

Satan's gospel!

Brother Guillaume chose to burn his hand rather than disclose its secret.

And Brother Jean did the same.

Messonnier killed them in a fit of rage.

So they tortured Barak Haïm to get the translated songs

and find the other monks.

- Why do they kidnap young girls? - I don't know.

- What are "virgin saints"? - I don't know.

What happened to the mayor's daughter last night?

I saw some men with the girl,

and I hid.

When they left,

she was dead.

Sick bastards.

She was already dead.

Harel.

I've found them.

I think we're going to have a lot of fun.

I want you to understand who we are.

I don't give a shit, you hear me?

Come here. Come here!

We're going to offer you to the devil!

This is a vital moment.

You are witnessing something very special.

Get up!

Get up!

Look at my proud soldiers.

Look at them!

It's your time.

The Intervention Squad is on its way.

Copy that. Coordinates are on Delaunay's phone.

There are bunkers on the beach.

Let's go.

Welcome to the front line, Delaunay.

Shall we sweep the outside, then go in?

Yes.

All clear.

- Don't move, arsehole! Stay still! - Wait! Look who I found.

Quiet!

We'll bleed them both.

Bring them over here!

Bring them to me.

We are on our way to greatness.

We have the secret verses.

And we will write our new bible

with the blood of virgins!

I should've killed you.

OK. This way.

OK.

We're going to unleash the forces of evil!

And finally create our gospel.

On the ground!

Don't move!

Get on the ground!

- On the ground. - Get down on the ground!

Don't move!

On the ground! Stay down!

Are you OK?

It's good to see you again.

I'm getting too old for this shit.

Subtitles by MehrAzar