Original subtitles

'Russian leaders reacted to the announcement of US plans

'to place missile defence bases in eastern Poland.'

The world is on the edge of an abyss.

I need you to meet a contact in Moscow.

I had to plant the package. This is too important to lose.

Connie is the mole. She is a Russian mole.

Almost made it. Almost?

We remain at a state of heightened alert, ready for imminent Russian reprisals.

Then we need to deal with this.

"Tiresias wakes 3pm tomorrow."

What the hell is Tiresias?

RUSSIAN RADIO TALK

RUSSIAN RADIO TALK CONTINUES

RUSSIAN RADIO TALK CONTINUES

We have a serious problem.

What's this?

Tiresias.

METAL DETECTOR BEEPS

DETECTOR BEEPS RAPIDLY

GEIGER COUNTER CLICKS

Sugarhorse is an MI5 operation in place for 20 years.

It was designed to warn us of any forthcoming Russian attack on Britain.

We've just ascertained that the Russians have an equivalent operation

but it's bigger and better.

For perhaps 25 years, the Kremlin has had a network

of sleepers, high-level assets, in place throughout the United Kingdom.

The Russians call this operation Tiresias. "Tiresias wakes."

Exactly how big is this?

It's everywhere. All political parties, civil service,

police service, armed forces, security service, M15 and 6.

All of them infiltrated? How is that possible? It was there, all the time

Everything we ever did, everything we gave. This was waiting.

Operation Tiresias, like a node of cancer, biding its time.

There could be hundreds of sleepers, motivated by greed,

ideology, hatred, all unknown, even to each other.

And now Tiresias wakes. What does that mean?

Tiresias has a single purpose - to wait until activated,

and then cripple the United Kingdom.

What kind of attack can we anticipate?

We don't know but we're about to find out.

Tiresias wakes at 3pm today.

That's it. That's all we've got.

The fact is, if the Russian's have sleepers spread that wide and buried that deep,

we have no way of knowing who we can trust.

If we sound the alarm, we let Tiresias know we're on to it.

If that happens, best case - they change their plan.

Worst case - they bring things forward. Which is why we need Connie.

She's a traitor. She knew the day was coming

when her cover would be blown and she'll have prepared,

stashing intelligence gathered from various Russian operations including Tiresias.

We need a way inside Tiresias, quickly. She's our best hope.

But Connie's in custody, awaiting due process.

Given the circumstances, we have to assume Tiresias will be watching her. No choice.

We make it look like the Russians took her. Where is she?

Awaiting transportation to Nemworth Interrogation Unit.

She knows what goes on at Nemworth. She'll cooperate. OK.

Do it. Pick her up. I'll meet you later at Ottawa Bravo.

Home Secretary?

I know you.

George Redman. Counter-espionage.

Ms James, I'm here as a courtesy - to inform you that the service

is determined to prosecute you to the full extent of the law.

You'll be charged with treason...

And the murder of Ben Kaplan, yes.

But first, you'll be transferring me to Nemworth for interrogation.

Can I finish my tea? I'm sorry. No.

SPEAKS RUSSIAN:

Harry, I think you've yet

to meet Marina Connolly.

US Defence and Intelligence Liaison.

Congratulations and welcome to London. Thank you.

Sir Harry, isn't it? Just Harry.

Harry, I hope we can work together

to improve the relationship between our two intelligence communities.

In the spirit of which, Marina... Absolutely. This meeting is by way of a heads-up.

Today the Russians will call an extraordinary session of the UN Security Council,

where they will announce that, in 1996, a portable nuclear device went missing

from an American Air Force base in England and has since fallen into the hands of terrorists.

The American response would be? Come on, gentleman, we all know this is an absolute crock.

The Russians, in your view, stand to gain...?

What they want - they want America gone by any means necessary,

so they discredit the US military presence on European soil,

force us to withdraw.

So, you're assuring me, without equivocation,

that there is no such missing weapon?

Categorically. What we're talking about here, back in the day,

the KGB call 'dezinformatsia'.

Disinformation and it's gonna cause trouble.

So don't let them capitalise on it.

Just don't let them.

'American tactical nuclear weapons,'

stolen from British bases? Unlikely.

Tactical nuclear weapon is the holy grail of international terrorism.

Such a prize would lead to chatter. There's been no such chatter.

So...best guess?

Misdirection.

Russians make a big noise over here, we all look towards the noise.

But we're looking the wrong way. What do you know?

What do I know?

As yet, not enough.

I urgently need you to establish what Russia's going to pull out of its hat. Of course.

I'll be in contact.

SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN

MI5.

LAUGHTER

Tiresias.

A seer,

condemned by Dante to spend all eternity with his head twisted round.

A prophet who could only look backwards.

I'm tired of the dance, Connie.

What do you want? Somewhere temperate.

Too much heat is intolerable. It dulls the wits.

New Zealand sounds nice. I'll see what I can do.

I thought the dancing had stopped. Don't see, just do.

Alternatively, I could always break your fingers one by one. You don't have the balls.

You don't think so?

Judging by the way you snatched me, this is a black op.

Which means you don't trust MI5.

Which means you've grasped the scale of Tiresias, and you're very frightened. So don't be coy.

What do you have for us?

All of it. All of it?

I've had 25 years to put it together, Ros.

On and off, bits and bobs, here and there.

And of course, all the motivation in the world.

You know what I want in return.

I spent eight years in a Russian cell.

Eight years! Because I stayed loyal to my country.

I still chew it over, when I'm lying awake at 3am,

wondering was it worth it?

But, yeah. It was.

Because I look at you, with all your brilliance

and all your treachery,

and I see everything that I've ever fought against.

Your situation is more precarious than you realised,

so stop pressing buttons and give us something.

Threats don't work with a person who has nothing to lose.

Oh, you're too ingenious to think that I'm threatening you.

I'm offering you a simple choice.

Help us or don't.

I'll leave you to compute the implication.

Has Tiresias gone live? We believe so.

Then have you checked the number stations?

PHONE RINGS

Malcolm, do we still check the number stations?

GCHQ does, yes, as a matter of course.

But it's years since they broadcast anything germane.

Check them. Tread lightly. No-one should know you're looking. Get back to me as soon as you can.

I've never heard of number stations.

They're a curio, a hangover from the old days.

They're codes broadcast daily on civilian radio frequencies.

Snippets of music, random words, number combinations,

meaningless to anybody except the recipient.

All you need to pick them up is a short wave radio.

They've been repeating the same 20 or 30 messages since, the mid-'80s.

Hang on... What?

That's a new one.

What is "rain from heaven"?

A ticket to New Zealand,

a new identity, protection.

"Rain from heaven", Connie. What is it?

If it's big and you give us it, you'll get what you want.

And protection from the Russians. I'll need it. It's yours.

Because one is familiar with the benefits of Russian hospitality. What is it, Connie?

What is rain from heaven?

When the KGB knew the Soviet Empire was falling,

it put in place certain contingencies.

One of them, rain from heaven, involved secreting portable nuclear devices around the United Kingdom

for use in future deployment.

I beg your pardon? Portable nuclear bombs.

Whatever happened in Russia, whoever was running it, the KGB knew

they could strike with devastating force at the heart of Britain.

With a nuclear weapon?

All they had to do was broadcast the right code to the right sleeper.

Rain from heaven is the "go" code for a nuclear attack on London.

If the sleeper received the "go" code this morning,

you have a matter of hours before tens of millions of people are annihilated. How many hours?

We have till 3pm.

Even if we could evacuate London in time... It's not possible.

9 or 10 million. It'll take days.

If we sound the alarm, the panic alone could kill thousands.

We need to locate this device without signalling to Tiresias

that we know of its existence. For that I need to hear the number station broadcast. No.

Have you have any idea what time it is?

Tick, tick... TICK.

MOBILE VIBRATES

RUSSIAN RADIO TALK

Each sleeper is assigned a six-digit reference.

250025.

Finland red, Egypt white is a status code.

Followed by a time and location modifier.

It's twice blest? This is a specific instruction to a specific sleeper

to place the bomb in a specific place to detonate at a specific time.

I happen to know "rain from heaven" is a nuclear suitcase bomb

because that's the kind of thing one finds hard to forget. And the rest?

I don't have it all memorised. It's written down and stashed.

Your insurance policy. We all need an exit plan.

The Tiresias dossier is mine. Where is it?

Dead drop. London Bridge. Where?

Oh, most amusing. Get me there, give me what I want,

and I'll give you the whole of Tiresias,

I'll give you every Russian spy in London,

and I'll tell you who is going to detonate a tactical nuclear weapon and where.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Do you think the Russians don't know you've got me?

Do you think I haven't let them know where every safe house is?

SILENT

He's speaking Russian.

MOTORBIKE APPROACHES

TYRES SCREECH

DOG BARKS

GUN SHOT

AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE

Run! Go! Go!

AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE CONTINUES

We need to split up. Rendezvous at Catherine Wheel Alley.

How many? Six, heavily packed.

Maybe more on the way. Malcolm?

We've got some exigent circumstances developing.

Exactly how exigent? On a scale of what? I need an escape route.

That could be tricky. Six heavily- armed moving in from our east. A kill-squad.

Harry, it's a maze. There's half a dozen ways they could cut you off.

So where do we go?

Move, Harry, move!

Keep heading west via Brushfield Street. It's heavily populated. That will afford the best cover.

'Do you copy?'

Harry?

Well, bring them back! Yeah, I'm trying!

Stop. I'm gonna send in CO19, special forces, anyone.

Harry said "no". Sod him.

Look, CO19, the police, special forces, anyone,

they could, in complete ignorance, be taking orders from Tiresias.

DISTANT SIRENS

We need to cross London to get the Tiresias dossier.

If we do that, we need someone to act on that intelligence.

We're not going to stop this from happening

if you're not back on the grid.

We'll be fine. All we need to do is cross London. How hard can that be?

They'll have people listening in.

Keep comms to a minimum and watch the rooftops.

Don't worry, I've got another route in mind. Good luck.

HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN

HE PLAYS THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

CLOCK TICKS

HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN

Hmm, Harry Pearce.

RECORDER PLAYS

RADIO NOISE

HE SIGHS

WHIRRING, BOOT POPS OPEN

Anything yet?

No news. They're maintaining comms silence.

Let's hope comms silence is all it is.

They were in Spitalfields.

They need to get to London Bridge, nearly a mile away. What's their likely route?

It's the City, the highest density of CCTV cameras in London.

Above or underground, they'll be under constant surveillance. Of the two?

They should go for the tube station.

Crowd cover and the possibility of changing route at the last minute.

Our comms won't work underground. They're alone.

You trained them. I trained Connie, too.

Well, if anyone's going to survive, it's that treacherous cow.

I need to speak to the Home Secretary. The moment you have anything... The moment.

Does "rain from heaven" mean anything to you?

Should it?

The Russians are mounting an attack on London

using a tactical nuclear device, which the Kremlin will then claim

was stolen from a US base within the UK.

Their thinking being, that after such a catastrophe,

Europeans will no longer tolerate US installations on their soil.

How long does it take to evacuate Parliament?

10-12 minutes.

There's a drill, a regular drill.

Then at 2.45 this afternoon,

you'll receive a call from me, or one of my officers.

If that call comes, you must evacuate the Government

and the Royal Family into their deep-level shelters.

There will be no time for a public warning.

NEWS REPORT: 'Unprecedented scenes at the United Nations today,

'when a Russian delegation accused the US of failing to report

'the loss of several tactical nuclear weapons

'from an American air force base in southern England.

'Russia claims the devices may have fallen into the hands

'of terrorist organisations.

'The Government has been quick to deny the allegations

'that any weapons have gone missing in Britain.'

'Contrary to what the media would apparently prefer to believe,

'communications between British and American intelligent services

'are second to none.

'However vivid and newsworthy it is, there is no substance whatsoever,

'to Russia's bizarre and irresponsible accusation.'

Well, where is he? He'll be here.

We haven't got time for this. He'll be here!

Why did you do it?

Why do you think?

People usually turn traitor for fanaticism, or reward.

I can't imagine either applies to you.

No neither did.

After Gorbachev, the humiliation of the Soviets,

we were expected to watch... While America became a global hyper-power.

No wonder they called it Tiresias. I'm no friend of the Russians.

You just hate America?

No, I just hate imbalance. You and I both think the same, Ros.

Always have done. It's why you hate me.

Not because I'm a spy. Because you're looking in a mirror.

Did you lose the eyeball? If I did, not for long. We need to move.

They'll be watching the station. They're watching everything.

BULLET FLIES

TRAFFIC NOISE

This way.

London's riddled with disused tunnels.

We can use them to get to London Bridge undetected.

ELECTRIC CRACKLE

That way. How bad is it?

It's fine. It missed all the important stuff. I'll live.

Don't speak too soon.

That's live.

SHE TALKS RUSSIAN

BOTH TALK RUSSIAN

HE WHISTLES

THEY TALK RUSSIAN

Shit!

Whose idea was this? I forget.

ELECTRIC CRACKLE

Leave it alone! Leave it alone!

It's fine. We don't want your stuff. We just want to pass.

It's not your stuff, it's mine. Leave it alone! Here, take my watch.

Leave it alone. Whatever.

Move.

This is the service tunnel we need.

It'll take us directly to London Bridge.

THEY TALK RUSSIAN

Malcolm?

Nothing yet. Right, well we're not going to stand around here

and wait for this to happen.

The FSB came after us in numbers. Their orders were to assassinate Connie and the rest of us.

But do you think they know what's about to happen?

Do you think they know about "rain from heaven"?

An operation of this magnitude would be classified above Top Secret.

Well above even a Station Head's security clearance.

But the FSB are here in London with us.

They have families, people they love.

Can we arrange a parlez?

The handshake protocols change weekly.

Can you access them without alerting anyone?

I shouldn't be able to. But you can. Of course I can.

What are you planning? Truth or dare.

I need to have a chips down conversation with Viktor Sarkisiian.

I've contacted the Russians using the emergency handshake. I've got a car waiting for you.

Harry, you're walking directly into the arms

of people who want you dead.

Then I'll try my best to be charming.

God, then we're in trouble. Hmm. Come back.

Malcolm, I know I can rely on you. Some things change, that never will.

Good luck.

CONNIE PUFFS AND PANTS

What time is it?

Half past.

You're not going to make it.

Your best chance of survival might be... Might be what?

To go deeper. You'd do that, would you? Burrow down here like a rat?

Like a mole.

And wait for Central London to be annihilated? Yes.

And here's you with no love for Russia.

What happens if they're waiting for us when we surface at London Bridge?

Do they know where the dead drop is? Of course not.

That dossier is my insurance. Why would I let them see it?

They seem to know everything else. Do you think I want this to happen?

A nuclear weapon in London?

I am what I am, but I've done more for this country than you'll ever know.

You ever hear of Bridget Driscoll? Should I have?

First person ever to be run over and killed by a car.

She was a daughter, a wife, a mother.

But all that's faded away now.

All Bridget Driscoll is, is a single moment.

Whatever you've done for this country Connie, it's gone. What's lost can never be found.

Agh! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!

GUN SHOT RINGS OUT

What would you do if you were them?

Send in a runner. So would I. Move!

What are you doing?

This circle represents a 1.5 mile blast zone from central London.

All buildings within will be destroyed, all life extinguished.

It's incredible, we have no more protection now than we did then.

'..To the ground. This is what is called fallout.

'So these are the two dangers.

'First heat and blast which is followed by fallout.

'The heat and blast is so severe that it can kill

'and can destroy buildings for up to five miles from the explosion.

'Start looking now for materials for your fallout room and inner refuge.

'Here is a list of things and some ideas to use.

'Bricks, concrete blocks, bags or boxes filled with earth or sand.

'If you cannot get hold of sandbags...'

Do you realise your kill-squad is trying to hit my officers

before they can prevent a nuclear weapon from being detonated in London?

In an hours time, tens of thousands of people will be dead.

If your officers succeed in killing mine, you will have succeede

in nothing except killing yourself and your family.

Your country, your own country is about to kill you, Viktor,

and I'm here alone to tell you that.

If I'm lying... Well, keep me, ship me to Russia.

If the best you can hope for from this operation is Connie James,

I'm a much bigger prize. The FSB can do with me whatever it is it does with people like me.

Viktor, look at me! We're short of time.

If I'm lying, what's the worst that can happen?

You can make a gift of me to your superiors - a senior British intelligence officer.

If I'm not lying, your children have less than an hour to live.

OK.

OK.

I believe you, Harry.

They've gone underground.

The old Tube tunnels.

Communication is impossible so I need to know their destination.

Where are they headed?

Harry, come on.

You came to me for help, so accept it.

What is their destination?

Get me a map.

BELL TOLLS

Service tunnels will take you to the surface, that way.

What are you gonna do? Beretta 9 mil, standard NATO issue.

Two rounds expended. I'll draw them off to the platform.

THEY SPEAK RUSSIAN

GUNSHOT

Shit!

PHONE

SPEAKS RUSSIAN

Da?

It's your lucky day.

Which one is it?

This one.

It's fine.

It's fine. They're here to help.

How nice. What's the code?

34590X/Falls The Shadow.

It's all here. Every sleeper they've got. The bomber?

2-5-0-0-2-5. The bomber's name is Walter Crane.

The bomb's at Grosvenor Square.

Wait. By the time you've mobilized the Broken Arrow Unit, it'll be too late.

Even if they arrive in time, which they won't, they're dealing with

a Cold War weapon they've never experienced and don't know how to work. Bring it to me, I'll do it.

What? I'll do it.

Have you got anyone in Grosvenor Square?

It's the American Embassy. We practically live there.

Bring us the bomb. Are you insane?

No time to do anything else.

Bring us the bomb, we take it underground.

If the bomb detonates, we lose central London but we minimise radioactive fallout.

And I need a working light and a tool kit.

And a bottle of gin.

PHONE

'Mr Home Secretary. This is MI5, Section D.

'Harry Pearce told you to expect a call.

'This is that call.

'You know what to do.'

Very well. I'm sorry, sir, but you do need to hurry.

Yes. Of course. I... Good luck.

And to you.

Anyone you need to call?

Well.

Mum'll be watching A Place In The Sun

and waiting for Countdown. She loves Countdown.

Why spoil it, eh?

This is the Home Secretary.

I'm invoking protocol Landslide.

That's right, Landslide.

Now.

TANNOY: 'The major incident alert has been activated.

'Please make your way to your designated deep-level shelter.

'The major incident alert has been activated.

'Please make your way to your designated deep-level shelter.

'The major incident alert has been activated...'

Come on, Harry.

Nervous?

Should I be?

Right.

You should both leave.

Hurry up, please.

I thought you weren't nervous. I'm not. Fine. Stay.

Connie? This isn't an improvised explosive device cooked up by some halfwit undergraduate.

There are fail-safes and back-ups.

By cutting that wire, I've initiated a secondary countdown.

A conventional explosive would go off in less than two minutes.

If I haven't removed the uranium, it will cause a chain reaction and a nuclear explosion.

I need to remove the shell from the central housing

and separate the two isotopes.

When I do that,

the bomb cannot reach critical mass and will no longer be nuclear.

It will, however, go up in my face.

The bomb kills whoever disarms it, so go, please.

Both of you.

No.

What you've lost can sometimes be found, Lucas.

I remove the uranium.

It's just a bomb.

I'm not scared of bombs.

Connie.

Oh, Lucas.

At 3am, when you can't sleep and the nightmares come, who do you blame for what happened to you?

Eight years in a Russian hell? Who do you blame?

I blame Harry.

Then it's time to let it go. It wasn't Harry's fault.

Who was it, Connie? Who sold me out?

You have 10 seconds. Who was it?

Nine seconds. I need to know.

Eight seconds. Just say it!

Leave now.

It was me, always me.

I need a Broken Arrow Unit with full Hazmat Containment with probable radiation leakage.

London Bridge.

You OK?

They'll never know.

No. And that's a good thing, Lucas. You know it is.

I need to talk to Harry.

SPEED DIAL TONES, RINGING TONE

Harry?

Has anyone made contact with him?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd