Original subtitles

Two more pounds, please, Governor. Keep it.

Mr Drake.

Pymar, special branch.

It happened a week ago, day after you left for France.

We tried to contact you at your hotel, but apparently you'd moved on. Yes, yes,

the hotel was not satisfactory. You should have left a forwarding address, sir.

Of course, you being who you are, we were moved in straight away.

No question of arson.

Quite accidental. We've searched it thoroughly.

We found this under the floorboards. Fortunately, the fire hadn't reached there.

It is yours, sir?

Yes, sir. Thank you.

Rapworth, sir. Rapworth?

Uh-huh. Mr Manson wants you there right away, sir. Oh, what the devil does he want?

Tell him I'll come along right after the security meeting. Uh, no.

Right away, sir.

Those are the orders, sir.

Orders?

I give the orders around here. Yeah, well, this

is above your head, sir. The very top, actually.

Gotta take you in, sir.

You mean you're arresting me? Well,

we'd rather you looked upon it as a friendly escort, sir. Yeah. Right.

Er, no.

No, Carson.

Thank you.

What are we supposed to do now?

Wait. What for?

Until he comes back.

What makes you think he's coming back?

I don't believe it.

Andy Drake?

I don't believe it. You mean you can't, you don't want to. I mean,

it was a shock to us all, George, but the evidence, I mean, the transmitter,

the papers, the codes, it's undeniable.

I mean, you've got to face up to it, George, as we've had to.

Andy Drake is the biggest, most treacherous double agent since Philby.

And he was your man.

You put him in. Oh, for God's sake, Manton, he was screened a dozen times.

He had the same clearance rating we give to the Prime Minister.

The evidence suggests he's been working more than 15 years for the Chinese.

The Chinese?

The Russians aren't involved, then.

How long has Drake been running the show?

Since Cowley. He took over from Cowley.

Ah, yes, Cowley.

Before your time?

A bit.

Wily old fox.

He still does extremely well at home.

Home is different.

Home is thuggery and violence most of the time.

Home lacks subtlety.

I want Drake.

Not for what he can tell us about the British Secret Service, not just that.

But for what he can tell us about our yellow friends.

When are you taking your leave?

Tomorrow.

I've cancelled it.

Howley.

He put Drake in, didn't he?

I'll bet he's a worried man.

Can I see him?

Drake, if I can see him, talk to him. Oh, come on, George.

You not only know the rules, you made them.

Collusion?

Anyway, isn't he a special branch fouled up, eager

to enhance their reputation? Straight arrest.

I'm afraid so, yes.

Drake's on remand in Bedford Prison.

Judges, rules, lawyers, everything.

He's under British law now, outside ours.

But we needed him under wraps for a couple of weeks at least. Yes, I know that,

George, but it isn't possible now.

It'll hit the papers within an hour,

and then we'll have no chance to interrogate him properly. This is a foul-up.

But I'm here, and under arrest, I presume. Of the house variety, George.

We'd like you to report in here every day for... For questioning.

Just for a little chat. I see. And you need

my passport, too. No, you already have it.

I'm sorry, George. Yes, yes, Tully, I know. I made the rules.

It's just a formality, George.

Oh, come on, Manton, you know as well as I

do that mud sticks, the mud of association.

If we could have had Drake alone, kept him under

wraps for a week or two... It's not to be.

Too bloody right.

If Drake isn't delivered properly,

then I can look forward to remaining mud-splattered for the rest of my life.

Which one of you got my passport?

Er, I, er... You didn't break the desk lock?

No, no, sir. I found a key.

That desk's an antique. Cost me a fortune.

I was very careful. No care less, both of you.

If it was a passport grab, you knew it was a vital arrest,

yet you didn't put the cuffs on me.

Damn slack.

I appreciate it, though.

My place.

It isn't a bribe, Doyle.

I'm under house arrest now, on my honour.

Always thought you had a lot of that, sir.

Why, thank you, Woody.

Cheers. Don't know what it's all about, sir. Drake, I suppose.

Why are you involved?

Yeah, you left the service years ago.

You never leave the service, Bodie. Not completely, totally.

Your mistakes always follow you. Is that what Drake was?

Your mistake.

And that's what you're going to help me find out.

I am formally requesting permission to mount an operation

to free Drake within the next few days. Next few days?

But security will be at its tightest, then.

The British law is on our side.

Drake has been remanded into custody.

In order to satisfy the law,

he must be produced for further remands until the case against him is complete.

He will be transported from prison to court several times.

Getting him out of the country will be a bit difficult.

That is the beauty.

He is not our man.

We do not have to repatriate him.

I don't lead him out of the country.

Just in my hands, in some quiet place, for as long as it takes.

Years, perhaps.

There is another urgency.

Whatever Drake knows will be more valuable now

Every day that passes erodes that value.

The British will retaliate.

Against the Chinese.

Drake will be freed by his masters, the Chinese.

Clever. I have permission.

You will have to lean heavily on our number one for information. Of course.

I put it to the committee tonight. You have your answer tomorrow.

Thank you. But I know they'll pose the question,

would such an operation put our number one at risk?

You know as well as I do,

having a man within British security is of more value than a dozen drakes.

I shall be relying on him for inside information, of course. Oh, simple traceback.

If there were.

I too know the value of number one.

I will not move until the whole plan has been vetted by you, the committee.

Very well.

Tomorrow, then.

I shall of course advise my client of his rights, Mr Manton.

That he has the right to remain silent, yes.

I'm deeply concerned with the security of this country, Miss Ryan.

Put yourself in my place.

No, Mr Manton.

Put yourself in his place.

My only concern is and can only be justice for my client.

Despite the fact... Despite, Mr Mantle.

Hello, Freddie. Drake.

I'll tell you first. You don't have to answer any of my questions.

Well, let's try it anyway, shall we?

Mr Drake... There's no harm in trying.

Your holiday in France... Irrelevant.

Any charges brought against my client are alleged to have taken place in Britain.

We'll try it, eh?

Yes, my holiday in France. Well, you know the score there, Freddie.

Had the operation just two months ago, my elbow. You, uh,

want to feel the steel pin?

Went to France to recuperate.

You booked into a hotel, then you checked out

and went somewhere else entirely different.

Well, you moved on to Nice, uh, following the sun. Anyway,

the first hotel didn't measure up.

You didn't give an address. You didn't follow procedure.

Procedure?

When a fellow's on holiday.

Now, let me ask you a question.

George Cowley, how's he taking it?

Hello, hello, hello.

Evening, all.

Hey, listen, how do you ever do anything in

these outfits? You'll be surprised, mate.

All right, let's get it over with, then, eh?

Synchronise your watch.

Eh? Somebody might want to ask you the time. My God, look at the afternoon.

Ah, Melissa.

George, how are you? Fine, fine. Come on in.

And yourself?

Surviving.

Overworked, of course. What are you for? The usual?

A double with exactly twice as much more on it?

Luxury these days.

My wife insists I cut down on it.

May become drink-reliant.

She must have been listening to the broadcast from the House of Commons.

The swinish herd. A radio hee-haw, someone called it.

Or a jocular, for a man whose career may be a whisper away from ruin.

If it happens, it won't be a whisper,

but a shout from the headlines on all the rooftops.

Sit you down.

Andy Drake.

All regarded him as just a bureaucrat.

Good man, but not like you, George.

No fire.

Andy Drake.

I never thought he had it in him.

It's in everyone, Minister. It just needs the right key to unlock it.

I'm worried about you, George.

This business.

I just hope you're taking the right precautions.

Oh, you sound like a wee lassie behind the pub on a Saturday night.

Very jocular.

It's my neck on the line. And though I despise myself for it, the tension,

the gamble, the chance to...

As I said, Minister, it's in everyone.

A bit of a tear away in everyone.

Looking for a man to push you, he ducked in your doorway.

I suppose no-one's seen a Chinaman come in, have they?

Roy, empty out your pockets, all of you.

On that table, then line up facing the wall.

You know, wall-earner, everything out.

Wallets, handbags, knives.

I'm looking for a pusher.

Drugs, you understand?

So just cooperate nicely. Sooner it's done, sooner we'll be gone.

Hey, we'll be late. We'll be late in the morning. Get over there.

I must be off, George. Thanks for the drink.

Sir, if I were you, I'd keep a low profile. You mean pull my hat down?

I know it's just house arrest, sir, but, well, Manton is a stickler for detail.

There could be a man watching the place.

Good luck, George.

Thank you, sir.

Saved our hides, mate.

We've been playing close there to cut us to pieces. The Chinese are like that.

They respect authority. Is that one of the sayings

of Mao, is it? Oh, I know. It's experience.

I used to walk a beat down Chinatown. Got to know him quite well.

Birds as well.

Oh, yeah, especially the birds.

Never had a Chinese bird.

Macaulay.

One Chinese takeaway?

With lots of rice.

Oh, yeah.

Lots of that.

Excellent.

Well, hold the order till tomorrow for me.

Tomorrow.

Looks like you got yourself a room, mate. MUSIC

Gawky.

Yes.

Yes.

We are to present our plan to snatch Drake.

They will probably transfer you from prison to prison.

And the Rman proceedings, always a different court.

That's procedure. That's policy in these cases.

Scared they might make an attempt to snatch me, to disappear me?

Oi!

OK? Yes, sir. Except I'm out of rice.

Take the cuffs off him. Eh? The cuffs! The cuffs!

Take them off! OK. Do you speak English?

Do you speak English?

Better than your Chinese.

What did you grab them with?

Two packets, uncut.

Two packets, uncut.

Makes you a pusher.

That makes what, Doyle?

Oh, say, about three years, sir. Three years hard.

For this.

Okay.

Stand up, sunshine.

What do you want?

That's better.

You stay home and close to a phone where we can reach you.

Three days at the most, then we'll call you.

I don't understand.

But you understand that we're letting you off the hook.

You could be facing a three-year stretch.

Yes.

Then go home and stay by the phone.

Gunkai!

I know you've got to deliver me to Rapworth for interrogation.

Gunkai.

You first met in Edinburgh, at the festival.

A recital of Bach?

Not just Bach. There was also Beethoven, Chopin, and some Prokofiev.

Prokofiev's not my style.

Not enough melody.

It was Lord Ainsworth who made the introduction.

No.

He hadn't been elevated to the peerage at that time.

He was still Sir Geoffrey Ainsworth. Later you dined at the Brecon rooms. No.

That first evening we just had drinks together in the Brecon rooms.

We dined on the Thursday following at Sir Geoffrey's home.

This is a farce.

George frames these questions. How could we ever trip him up?

Assuming that there is anything to trip up, Tully. I'm sorry, George.

You know what I mean. Look,

I think the best thing is for you two to put your heads together,

throw aside anything I might have established in the past,

and come up with something new.

I'll see you here again tomorrow at 10.30, right? Right.

Oh, no, please. No need for protocol, gentlemen.

After all, you are in charge these days, and I am your prisoner.

Be clever. Tricky.

I'm very anxious for you to prove me innocent.

Home, sir?

Yes, your home, Bodie.

I've just heard from number one.

Drake will be moved around a bit.

Prison to prison.

But?

But at all times, he can provide us with roots.

A full itinerary. Good.

Get these off straight away.

Meroff and Secor? Reinforcements of a very special kind.

We cannot move without them.

Oh, it's all right, Bodhi, it's for me.

I could hardly have it delivered to my place, could I?

Not while I'm under suspicion someone might make something of it.

Friends in low places, Bodhi, essential part of our business.

A present from Sergeant Mackay.

That bastard. No, that's not fair. I happen to know his father rather well.

It's the thought of that SAS monster Mackay breaking into my flat.

He didn't break in. I gave him a key.

Grenades.

Aye. With all due respect, sir,

I'm sure I'm not entirely happy about anyone having the key to my flat.

I mean, what if you were to come in unexpectedly while I was in the... doing...

well, anything, you know.

I'd be very discreet, Bodhi, I promise you.

I'd wait until you were finished, well, doing whatever you were doing.

I think Mackay must have left this for you, Bodie.

It was in Amsterdam, wasn't it, that he beat you in the judo championship?

I was ill. Oh, I don't know, sir. It might not be that.

It might be some kind of bouquet.

I mean, you never can tell these days, you know.

Now, stop it, you two. This is a serious business.

Done, Grenade. Aye.

I thought they were restricted, home office permission only.

Yeah, that's why I had to smuggle them.

The stun grenade, aptly named. Yeah, knockout. Incapacitates, but doesn't kill.

That's what we'll be using.

The ultimate Mickey Finn.

The next move was in the red corner.

Right.

Get yourself some food, and then some rest, and stay out of sight.

Well?

They look Chinese, enough? By the time I've finished with them, they'll be Chinese.

And when we make the snatch, they'll be seen.

That's imperative. Which will lead a subtle

trail of evidence pointing towards Peking.

Drake will be snatched back by the men he betrayed his country for.

Oh, yes, I can see it might work. Might.

It will work.

You haven't mentioned number one. He's protected. He is giving us the information,

the means of snatching Drake.

If they trace back... I have built in a fail-safe there.

Ryan.

Sarah Ryan, Drake's counsel. She played right into our hands.

Everywhere Drake goes, she has to know.

It's perfect. I don't like that.

British citizen? She's Irish.

And who's to say which side the Irish are on now, or what they might be up to?

The IRA, it's another way of confusing the issue.

It is essential that we move soon.

I'll study these.

Let you have my decision as soon as possible.

He's got that crafty look on him, hasn't he?

Ah, good day, gentlemen.

Sorry I'm a wee bit late. Oh, that doesn't matter.

The traffic these days. It wasn't the traffic.

Can we reverse the process for a moment?

Me questioning you.

Sit down, Tully.

You too, Manton. Now look here, George.

Sir Frederick Manton.

Has quite a ring to it, don't you think?

I'm outside of this organization now. Oh, I know, nobody ever leaves the service,

but undeniably, I now control CI5, and that's a new mob altogether.

Now, you chaps aren't quite prepared to go all the way and ask for my suspension.

You're not that sure of yourselves.

So, I've got a lot of muscle and a lot of expertise,

and I command as much loyalty as I ever did here.

We're poised and ready to spring Andy Drake.

George.

No, Tully, just keep listening and looking.

He would be seen in the area.

Chinese.

It would be attributed, blamed on the Chinese, I promise you.

And there would be no casualties either.

My boys would use stun grenades.

But they're... Restricted, yes, I know,

and that would point even more towards the yellow peril.

It would happen between prison and whichever

court Drake is taken to for his next remand.

And that's why I need your help.

I need details of the route, the place I'll make the snatch.

George, you can't be serious.

Deadly.

And my motives are selfish, too.

Drake's treachery has tainted me, and there's only one way I can ever get clear.

George, we trust you implicitly. Ah, but you've still got to interrogate me.

And at the end of it, what?

Not proven.

And that's as bad as guilty as far as the record books are concerned.

Drake and I would be under the same umbrella forever.

My only way out, and let's face it, your only way out,

is Drake alone somewhere under wraps for as long as we need him.

Drake subjected to our methods of interrogation.

We'd milk him dry and clear me in the process.

I'll use CI5 to snatch him, deliver him into your tender hands,

and the rest of the world will think he's living it up in Peking.

Well, Tully?

It's madness. Anything that succeeds in this business usually is.

Nanton?

I see the virtues, George.

Ah. But I agree with Tully. It's madness.

Let me play my ace.

Their embassy this morning.

Ah, just two KGB replacements.

But look at their faces.

Asiatic Russians.

And to the Western eyes, near as damn it, Chinese.

If we don't do this, the Russians will. They're planning it, I'm sure of it.

George, if we agree to this...

After we've done with Drake, what then? What happens to him?

He would never be seen again.

You understand, we can never be directly involved in any of this.

All I need from you are details of Drake's movements.

My boys will do the rest. And if it's a foul-up?

If it fails, George, it will be my failure, mine alone.

I take full responsibility and carry the cannon to instant retirement.

And what about your boys?

If you go, they fall with you.

Then that would be their hard luck, wouldn't it?

Nothing says we have to mount an op with a controller who's under house arrest.

Nothing in the rules that says that.

I looked.

Well, there's nothing that says we can't, either.

Eh?

I looked as well.

There's green light all the way. Let's go.

Helps, I agree, but not enough.

There could be a grain of suspicion against our man, and one grain is too much.

I'm sorry. I know you have your responsibilities, but I also have mine.

But surely... You look at the specifics.

I must look at the overall.

It's a good plan. It's an excellent plan.

But...

Ideally, I'm sorry.

Of course, if there should be a change in circumstances... There may well be.

Urgent from number one.

Beautiful, beautiful, Ivan. It's unbelievable. It's an opportunity.

We will let Cowley do our job for us.

Let him snatch Drake, and then we'll snatch from the snatchers.

The Americans have a phrase, egg on the face.

I never really appreciated it until now.

No, cheers.

More after, eh?

Since we are drinking to the British.

Cowling is already under suspicion, and this, if

he goes through with it, we'll seal his guilt.

They'll say... They'll say he was springing his friend, his comrade in treachery.

You will be taken to court tomorrow for further remand.

They won't tell me which court yet.

But I think they're being honest when they say that even they don't know.

But don't worry. The minute they move you from here,

they have by law to call me and let me know.

You won't be spirited away to some dark cellar, Mr. Drake.

We called your home. You didn't answer. Oh, gee.

Well, you have found me now. Right.

No, wearing uniform this time, eh?

Oh, that's because we're here as friends.

Best of friends.

If anything should happen to us, guess who'd be the first to get his neck broken?

Come on.

At least let me finish this hand.

Now.

Oh, hang on, Doyle. Can't drag a man away from his poker game.

Not when he's finessing on two kings and a jack.

It's all just so much gobbledygook to me.

Well, it can never be absolutely clear-cut.

Just a Foreign Office interpretation of Russian policy.

A gleaning from notes here, remarks there.

But is it the clean, cold wind of detente, or just the breeze before the storm?

Anybody's guess.

Yours?

My guess would be just... a guess.

Nevertheless, I'd value it more highly than most.

I think Moscow are genuinely seeking calm.

I don't think they'd sanction anything extroverted this time.

And if they were forced to?

In that case, there'd be conditions.

The strong hand in the velvet glove.

Very thick velvet.

No casualties?

If possible.

But it is just my opinion, George.

I wouldn't want you to stake your career on it. My career?

I'll take a chance on that.

It's lives I'm gambling with.

Do you want to tell me more?

I'd like to.

But I don't intend telling you anything at all.

I owe you that.

I hope you know what you're doing, George.

So do I.

It's agreed.

One proviso.

Cowley's men are agents. Home agents may be, but agents just the same.

We want no cause for retaliation. It must be a bloodless coup.

Is that all?

Don't worry.

Cowley even contributed an idea for that, too.

Stung us.

Tanya? Right, yes, I understand.

Drake will be on remand at Hammersmith.

Hammersmith? They'll be moving in ten minutes. Prison van escort. Afterward,

he'll be transferred to Cheltenham.

Route C. Route C. Uh-huh.

Nice stretch of open country there.

That's where we'll make the snatch. Right.

Aren't you going to wish me luck, gentlemen? With what,

George? As far as we know, you're just going home.

Yes?

Yes.

Map.

To Cheltenham.

Yes, yes, yes, I have it.

Take care of the Rhine woman.

It's underway.

Not yet.

Special escort to Cheltenham.

CI5?

Yeah, we'll be leading. You follow the van. Right.

Anti-jam device. I want for you two, locked into our frequency, OK?

One's enough, isn't it? No, we want everyone to stay in touch.

Are we expecting trouble?

Oh, you know us.

We always expect trouble.

Poor bastards.

Oh, it's just a headache.

Just like a hand-over. Yeah, without the pleasure of drinking.

Better than dead, though, innit? Yeah.

Should I look outside here? Yeah.

I could interrogate Drake, of course.

Of course. Given the time at our disposal, there is no doubt I could do it.

No doubt. But, number one, with his special knowledge,

it will save a great deal of time.

There's been a hitch.

Drake, his lawyer didn't turn up.

Yeah, thanks. Great. Doesn't feel right.

Mounting an op against our own.

Ours not to reason why, mate. Yeah, well, I have been.

Snatched Drake, hold him away for questioning as long as it takes. Yeah. Well,

they're going to release him to talk, aren't they?

Well...

Accessories to murder, mate, that's what we are.

Either that or magnificent bloody Patriot.

Oh, here we go.

Now. Now.

I don't know what's happening.

We saw something up the road, and...

Here.

Easy.

That's it.

Easy.

Right, right.

Easy, easy now.

Breathe deep.

Slowly, slowly.

It feels good.

Here, here.

Oh, a failure, sir.

I'm sorry.

Oh, don't be, don't be.

It was perfect, quite perfect. We failed, but then

we always had to. Come on, can you get up?

Take it easy now. That's it.

Okay.

Good.

Tell Number One I'll pick him up at a rendezvous in ten minutes.

Have one on me.

Right.

Yes.

Thank you.

I understand.

Drake's been snatched. Yeah, I've just heard.

Well, there's no sense hanging around here. Let's wait till we have him, Carly.

I don't get it. Exactly.

If you had got it, if I had told you, you would have behaved differently.

And the KGB boys are cute, too experienced. But they smashed Drake.

I'm glad to say they have.

You wanted it. Aye.

So he wouldn't be around to talk about you.

That kind of double think. You might have made a good man for the service, too.

I've advanced a triple think.

What the hell are you up to?

Locating Drake.

They won't dare risk transporting him far, 30, 40 miles at most.

And Pymar's transmitter is good for a hundred.

Drake's bot?

Since his operation a few months ago, he inserted

a pin in his elbow, but no ordinary pin.

Just a minute. How long have you been planning this? A long time.

A very damn long time.

Planning what?

A man trap.

Cowley to Pomar, come in.

Have you got any bearings yet?

Piemonte Cowley, 155 degrees west, 55, 53 degrees north.

A house.

Right, got it. Do you know the area?

Not too well. Well, you're about to.

Meet me the road north of the house, right? Okay. Out.

Who the hell's Pymar?

Friend of mine from Special Branch.

He set the ball rolling by arresting Drake.

Thank God.

You sprung with it.

Gorky, so you're going to debrief me personally?

No, I shall merely be an observer.

You will be debriefed by an old friend.

Gorky's car just went past two men.

Ivan?

Not slim enough. Your man, do you think? Oh, it has to be. It's got to be.

My God, Pymar, it's working. Damn fast, too. They're

not letting any grass grow. How would I?

I'm gambling on it.

Get your hands on the man you want,

but always assume that he might be snatched

back. So work fast. Get on with it. How far?

Less than a mile.

We'll walk it from here. Come on.

The woman. Well, I'm preparing Mr. Drake.

He's in there.

No, the man I want is in there.

Minimum of force.

No shooting unless we absolutely have to, and then no kill wounds.

We could go in with our hands tied. Minimum of force.

Right.

Let's not rush it.

We'll split up and then...

It's the rhyme woman. Damn, damn! Don't believe her walking about, are they?

Bodie, Doyle, but quietly.

And no blood.

A few moments, then it's all yours.

I'm assuming, yeah.

Interrogation of Andrew Drake.

Real one.

Day one.

Manton.

I'm glad to say I lost a bet with myself.

I thought it was Tully.

So did Andy here. Is he okay?

Yeah, seems like it, sir.

Drake, treat him gently. He's a very brave man and a very loyal one. A set-up.

A baited trap, and you obligingly sprung it.

You and your number one here.

We knew there was a number one, but not who.

So we drew you out, and here you are. Cowley. Mr. Cowley!

You better round up your thugs and go.

A lot of explaining for you to do when you get back home.

Safe trip, Tavares.

All right, Pymar, all right. Someone spoke to me, but I don't see anyone.

That's right, Pymar, no one at all.

No cuffs, no formal arrest, just somewhere quiet in the country, eh, Manton?

Somewhere like this, where we can talk and talk for hours, months.

Years, even.

Take him.

Hi, Ma.

No!

Manton! Halt!

Manton!

He couldn't have told us anything, Andy.

It was our organization he was milking, not theirs.

And along the way, he was responsible for more than a dozen men. Good men.

Friends.

Sir?

Aye?

You put these stun grenades in their mines, sold them hard. Yeah,

I suppose you made them come for you. Yeah.

I had you both covered. I'm a very good shot. Yeah, I saw that. Nevertheless,

what if something had gone wrong?

Oh, in that case, I would have arranged a nice headstone for the two of you.

Out of my own pocket, of course. Yes.

Permission to make an observation, sir?

Eh? You're a ruthless old bastard.

Not so much of the old, sonny.