The Game (2014) s01e01 Episode Script

I'll give you information about my missions, about my tradecraft, but nothing about the people I work with.
I won't endanger anyone.
Then why are you defecting? For that? So what did she tell you this traitor? Details, that's all.
She was just a chef working for the embassy.
And I recruited her.
I approached her.
Say goodbye.
You and the traitor will be debriefed separately.
It's a trap.
Run.
I need to go.
Happy New Year 2016 - New Year, New Color ;-) Report from Katia M, secretary to Oleg Dornin - Soviet Trade Envoy.
Questioned in character for 11 hours but did not retrieve any notable intel.
Instead have obtained pictures of appointments diary covering January and February 1972.
Also enclosed are copies of family photographs.
Registry currently cross-referencing in case any subjects are persons of interest.
Report ends.
And let me tell you, I worshipped that man.
But confidence is on the floor.
And in our game, insecurity can cost lives.
Now, my chief concern, my only concern, is what's best for the department, the country, the memory of that once great man.
Now Call for you, Mr Waterhouse.
Wait! Now, some have suggested that I take the reins.
I All I can say is, the thought's never occurred to me.
It's not my mother, is it? The strategic arms limitation talks continue in Helsinki.
However, proceedings were delayed today when the US delegation refused to attend the morning session after hearing reports that the USSR had in fact stepped up production of antiballistic missiles instead of freezing it.
Domestic news.
As the miners' strike enters its fifth week, power cuts and other restrictions are being introduced across the country.
Here's a report from our correspondent, Martin Bell.
The first effect of the emergency will be seen in the darkening of city centres.
In fact, it's already started Sarah, do you need this one? Signs at Piccadilly were not illuminated tonight All yours.
With me.
From then it becomes an offence to use electricity for advertising or floodlighting.
The penalty for such an offence - a £ 100 fine, or three months in jail, or both.
The emergency regulations will also relieve the electricity authorities of their responsibility to maintain uninterrupted supplies.
So they'll be able to economise where they have to and to keep the power flowing where it's needed.
What was she talking to you about? - What? - Her.
Sarah.
Daddy's girl.
What was she saying? Nothing.
She was watching the news.
I went in to watch it with her.
Thick as thieves, you two.
So, Arkady Malinov.
Since '62 he's been a lecturer at Reading University, for his sins.
Pure as the driven, so we thought, until today, when he drinks a bath full of vodka and punches a policeman.
But once in custody, he lets it be known that he is in fact Colonel Arkady blah-blah of the Committee for State Security and wishes to parley.
So, we've released him, told him to roll up at the Olympic Hotel in Earls Court later today.
There, he shall have the dubious pleasure of being debriefed by you.
- Why me? - 0h, don't look at me.
No, it was Daddy's idea.
After that fiasco in Poland, I was lobbying for you to get your P45.
That is what they call it, isn't it? We had to give up three of our most prized catches to get you back.
I mean, what were you even doing there? I was following up on a possible defection.
Well, we are a merciful bunch apparently, hence this chance to redeem yourself.
Look, chances are he just wants to defect, so convince him to stay on the Kremlin's payroll and work for us.
Take Alan with you.
He'll be your ears.
Chin up! It'll make a nice change from bedding secretaries and forgotten wives, no? So, Joe How do you like to spend your free time? Are you a member of a team or club? Maybe you enjoy more solitary pursuits, like model-making or canoeing? As you know, small talk isn't my strong suit, so actually Sarah thought that a list of prepared topics might help.
Erm "Mutual friends.
" Bit sticky.
"Politics.
" Bit of a minefield.
"Sport.
" Gosh, no.
"Leisure activities" is all I have.
It's fine.
Let's talk about work.
Thank you.
Right! That's one in the lamp, one in the showerhead in the bathroom.
I need to check the levels.
When I tap on the wall, you say something.
Like what? - 0h, anything.
A nursery rhyme.
- I don't know any.
Everyone knows a nursery rhyme.
Frère Jacques? Pease Pudding Hot? Yesterday Upon The Stair.
I know that one.
Capital.
Yesterday upon the stair I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today I wish that man would go away.
More? Is that not enough? We should have worked out a code.
Does one knock mean yes? He's here.
Just you? Yes, but who listens? - How long have we got? - An hour.
You understand we cannot discuss payment until your debrief has been completed - this takes about six months - and your product assessed.
Colonel? Yeah.
Though, of course, our rates of pay increase if you stay in situ and help us gather intel on a more regular basis.
Yes, this is what I want.
I am going to work for Ml5.
Well, that's very nice of you.
So, you know the drill.
We'll start with your name and rank, then move on to - your war record.
- There is no time.
I have information about a major KGB operation about to take place on United Kingdom soil.
It has been named Operation Glass.
What are the objectives of this operation? I don't know.
Well, how many people does it involve? I don't know.
Why is it called Operation Glass? I do not know.
So, exactly which bit of this plan that you know nothing about has offended you so much that you want to betray your country? Years from now, the story of British and Soviet espionage will be divided into before and after this moment.
Before and after Operation Glass.
They are going to tear everything down.
At this point, I paused the interview.
I needed to speak to Bobby.
I asked Alan to baby-sit Arkady and went downstairs to phone the Fray.
For product of this quality, Arkady wanted £10,000 and a new identity.
I said, not a penny more than 5,000, and a new identity would only be provided if the veracity of this operation were proven.
He grumbled a bit, but seemed generally satisfied and told me everything he knows about Operation Glass.
I have a name.
As time goes on, I will have more.
Each a retired or inactive agent.
A British citizen.
Each name come with an instruction, just for them.
I will approach them and give them their task.
How are you given the names? A dead letter drop.
The men's toilets in Boston Manor Park.
I know to pick it up because they put advert in Classified Ads in The Times.
It say, "Cousin Andrew, please visit us.
" Who's the first agent? David Hexton.
He used to work in, er, Ministry of Agriculture.
You still haven't told me why you're turning.
Why am I turning? I want to be a capitalist.
I want to read The Times and see the Oxford and Cambridge boat race.
I want my children to go to Eton.
You should know more about this plan.
What aren't you telling me? Understand this.
Operation Glass is a jigsaw.
No-one sees all the pieces.
But all the world will see the finished picture.
"A jigsaw"? I mean, "planned in the shadows.
" What is he talking about? I hate it when they try to be enigmatic.
In terms of why, this new desire for a Western life - something about it doesn't sit quite right.
But as for why now, it's as I said - years of being ignored, denied significant operational responsibility, he's lost loyalty to the cause.
Yes, but this Operation Glass, if it succeeds, if it's real, - won't that reflect well on him? - I see what Joe's getting at.
Arkady is only a postman, and he knows it.
He's finally been invited to the top table and he's just dishing out the soup.
If he wrecks the whole thing, he's in control.
He's important, perhaps for the first time in his career.
It all sounds damn fishy to me.
I mean, he's broken enough legs to make Colonel in the KGB, but he's going to turn his back on the whole lot because he fancies a trip to Harrods.
I Daddy, some sense, I implore you.
- What is David Hexton doing now? - Er We've had shadows on him since I spoke to Arkady.
We're logging his movements, anyone he speaks to, but we won't engage until you give us the go-ahead.
I shall need to speak to the Home Secretary first, convince him to loosen the purse strings.
Daddy, am I to take it you believe in this quote-unquote "plan"? We are ancient nations, we both want this war to end.
Eventually, one of us would find a way to break the stalemate.
But the warrior who lifts his arm for the killer blow leaves his heart exposed.
Bloody miners! Yes, ignoring it may well be a risk, but so is ploughing money and manpower into what might turn out to be a wild goose chase.
5 have had some notable fumbles of late.
One more and you'll be out on your ear, and I'll be shuffled off to, Christ, I don't know, Agriculture or something.
No, to release funds of those kinds, I am going to need more than the ramblings of some KGB also-ran.
You're right, Home Secretary, of course.
We've allowed our imaginations to get the better of us.
No, I'm sure the chances of this plan being as catastrophic as Comrade Arkady implies, such as giving Kalashnikovs to the trades union, say, are slim, to say the least.
Minister, I shall say adieu.
I go out through here, yes? Er, no, no, let's let's not be hasty.
We mustn't let, erm prudence compromise security.
Perhaps there's a, er, a middle ground we could explore? What if I were to assemble a small committee of, er, trusted officers to go through the list ourselves, off the books, so to speak? So, should it turn out to be a Moscow trick Then we have kept wastage to a minimum.
And we could put it through our books as, er, "training".
That's a little dishonest, don't you think? Said the politician to the spy.
Hm Working? On a Sunday?! No.
Er Yes, erm, a bit of a breakthrough at work.
Netted a big fish.
It's all very hush-hush, but all hands to the pump.
Do they appreciate you, my darling? Shall I talk to them again? No! God, no.
Ha-ha No, they're cock-a-hoop with me.
Really.
Full of praise.
No, this, erm Daddy's formed a special committee.
Asked for me personally.
Oh! This could be the beginning.
I think so, too.
My Hercules.
You'll bring glory to our name once more.
Hm Won't you? Mother, really! You are too much! Now, I will not stand for this.
You'll do as you're bloody well told, darling.
Moscow will give the names of the agents to Arkady one by one via a dead letter drop.
The first is David Hexton.
By now, Arkady will have activated him and passed on instructions.
Now, does any of this tally with any whispers we've heard? - Well, funny you should ask.
- Right, OK, before Sarah Three months ago I was approached by an old agent of mine.
Colin Blakefield.
He had reason to believe that Moscow was preparing a major operation.
I passed this information to Bobby, but he didn't think it was important enough to follow up.
I dismissed it because Colin's product is so notoriously unreliable.
If he told me the sky was blue, I'd go outside and check.
Well, it turns out the sky is blue.
Joe you debriefed Arkady, you're inclined to believe him? The only time that I thought Arkady was actually lying to me was when I asked him why he was turning.
He moved the ashtray and placed it between us.
Liars often place objects between themselves and the person they're talking to.
I want to read The Times and see the Oxford and Cambridge boat race.
But you believe the operation is real? And regardless of his motivations, you believe Arkady is genuinely switching sides? Yes.
I'm sorry, I don't mean to, er I'm I'm right in saying that you don't know actually what Operation Glass is do you? Can I just ask who this chap is? Sorry, it's just we haven't been introduced.
Unless I missed it? Did you all introduce yourselves while I was padlocking my bike? This is Detective Constable Jim Fenchurch from Special Branch.
Jim will be joining us as our police liaison.
Jim, this is Bobby Waterhouse, Head of Counter-Espionage here at the Fray.
Sarah Montag, his deputy, but also what we like to call a reflector.
She has a genius for deducing motives and intentions.
You said "the Fray".
- Well, what's the Fray? - Where we find ourselves now.
The central offices of Ml5.
Alan, her husband - one of our nosy parkers, in charge of bugs and wire-taps.
And Joe Lambe - a man of, er, obscure and formidable talents.
And of course, Wendy, on loan from the nannies.
So, Jim, you were saying? Yeah, you don't actually know what it is you're investigating.
This isn't a conventional war, Jim.
The objectives, even our own, are unclear and ever-changing.
Do the Soviets want to oppress us? Without question.
But how? Will they invade us? Will they raze us to the ground with a nuclear strike? Or will they infiltrate and destabilise us from the inside? We don't know.
It is a war of variables and unknowns, and all we can do is watch, surmise and react.
Bobby, talk to everyone in your legendary address book.
Alan, I want you to go through every inch of recorded conversation flagging the word "glass".
Joe, take Jim, contact David, find out what his instructions are and attempt to get him into bed with us.
Wendy Uh-uh.
That must be wonderful, being able to read people's body language, like having X-ray vision.
It's terrible.
Joe.
A quick word.
Erm, I'm worried about Daddy.
We all know his tenure has been, shall we say, lacklustre? One more cock-up, he'll be getting his clock, which will be heartbreaking, blah-blah, but may be a blessing.
Put the old dog out of his misery.
I mean, the business with the Chinese dancer People gossip.
It's ghastly, but that's people for you.
Now what to do? Perhaps you could keep an eye on him.
Talk to him, see what's going on in that once great noggin.
And report back to you.
Someone has to mind the shop.
The old man is losing his grip.
I'm not the right man for this.
- But Daddy trusts you.
- Which is why I'm not the - Forget it.
- This is no time for sentiment, Joe.
We must look to the future.
It's just a game, Bobby.
And this is why.
I didn't ask for this assignment.
I want to make that clear.
I don't agree with you.
You don't agree with us Why is he called "Daddy"? It's childish.
What's his real name? No-one knows.
What do you mean you don't agree with us? I'm not impressed by this world.
- You're arrogant.
- Ooh Well, not you.
You.
- Yeah.
- You think you're above the law.
I think this is a conversation for another time.
- I'm not impressed.
- Yeah, yeah.
You might have mentioned that.
Right, I need you to get us in there.
I don't have any jurisdiction.
After that, just stand there.
Be stoic.
What you've been doing.
Be unimpressed.
And my name's Henderson.
I thought it was Lambe.
It is.
It just isn't here.
Who am I? You're you.
David Hexton? I'm Detective Constable James Fenchurch.
This is Mr Henderson.
We'd like to talk to you.
Oh, thank God.
Thank God.
I want to make it absolutely I've had no contact, no dealings with with Russia for years.
I thought it was over.
I thought they'd forgotten me.
I want to make that absolutely clear.
Until yesterday, - when one of their agents approached you.
- Yes, yes, that's That's right.
What did he give you? It's encrypted in the same code I used when I was when I worked for them.
- What does it say? An address, a flat in Marylebone.
Underneath it is the name of a letting agent.
The instruction is to go to them and to lease that flat.
And? - That's it.
- That's it? Lease a flat? Yeah.
So, you've done that already? Yesterday.
Straight away.
What are you supposed to do with these now? The man who approached you yesterday, are you meant to give them to him? No, he, er, said he was just a messenger.
Someone's coming to pick them up today.
I thought you were them.
Right, when they come, this is what you say.
You tell them that the estate agent still hasn't given you the keys, you're picking them up this evening.
We need to get into that flat first.
Tell them to meet you there tonight at 9pm, no earlier, to hand over the keys.
Have you got that? But you'll be there instead.
No, we'll be there as well.
You'll give them the keys.
You'll act as if nothing's wrong.
- I thought you'd come to help me.
- By the way, Operation Glass, does that mean anything to you? Ye No.
Perhaps someone mentioned it when you were working with the Soviets? Never.
Look, about tonight, I really Why did you do it? Betray your country? I'm curious.
Look, I only worked for the Ministry of Agriculture.
I couldn't give them anything I don't know, crucial.
It's my wife.
She's East German.
The Soviets allowed her to emigrate in exchange for information.
I did it for her.
I did it to be with her.
9pm.
Don't forget.
So that's it? That's it.
He's a criminal.
Well, once this is over, feel free to arrest him.
So you're exploiting him, then abandoning him.
Oh, that's even worse.
Let's take the stairs.
- Who is it? - Them.
The KGB?! Sh! They're here.
You are joking?! Welcome to Ml5.
- Hello, David.
You are alone? - Yes.
- It is done? - Yes, yes.
But the, er the, er the thing is, the letting agent hasn't given me the keys yet.
I'm, er, picking them up this evening.
So I thought I could meet you there and hand them over.
About nine o'clock? You're not lying to me, are you? 0f course not.
Is there anything else? It's just my wife's due back from work any minute.
No, no, no, no.
See you later.
That's it.
Er, I'm sorry, I can't do this.
I can't can't go through with it.
I'd fall apart, I know it.
I'd, um, say the wrong thing.
No! No! Get off me! Couldn't someone pose as the letting agent, say, or even? Shut up.
You passed information to a hostile government.
Harmless infor Crop yields, the efficiency of certain fertilisers.
A regime that might be about to put our entire country under siege, you told them how much food we have.
You told them how to make chemical weaponry.
You're going to do this.
You are going to serve the country you betrayed or I'll make sure your wife gets deported and you spend the rest of your life in prison.
Is that clear? What? David, this is an opportunity.
Not just to repay your debt, but to be a hero.
To be a soldier.
To fight for something greater than us.
I'll see you tonight.
Listen, a Scouser goes to a prostitute.
And she says to him, "Do you fancy a blow job?" He says, "I don't know.
Will it affect me dole money?" So, Paddy, right, Paddy gets arrested for rape.
And they put him in a line-up with ten other blokes and they escort this woman in and Paddy yells out, "That's her! I'd recognise her anywhere!" Listen, two monkeys in a bath So, what have you got? So I ask around the immigrant clubs.
I hate those places, full of foreigners.
I speak to Sergei.
He's the caretaker.
"Sergei, what do you know about a Moscow hood, "ruthless bastard, "peels apples?" And he goes pale and he says, "You mean Odin?" - 0din? - Hm.
Anyway, then he get all scared and he says, "Shut up.
"What do I know about Russian hoods? Leave me alone.
" This is all I get.
But listen to Kitty.
I got a bad feeling about this.
When Sergei talk about this Odin he scared.
I'm saying, "Be careful.
" You're too beautiful to die.
- Goodbye, Kitty.
- Goodbye.
Why are you putting the microphone there? Oh, er, because it's where we'd stand.
It's the door window.
Why this flat? I don't understand.
What's so special about this flat? Erm, do we have a coffin to put David in when he's shot by the KGB? To put his dead body in? It's humour.
To lighten lighten the mood.
OK.
You'll be fine.
Stay calm.
Remember, we're just down the corridor.
The man that came to your flat this morning, one of them peeled an apple with a knife.
Do you remember? Yeah.
If he's one of the men you let in, I want you to say "I almost bought some vodka, but I thought it was a bit of a cliche.
" Say it over there by the microphone.
- What?! - I almost bought some vodka, but I thought it was a bit of a cliche.
I almost bought some vodka, but I thought it was a bit of a cliche.
if If it's the man who peeled the apple.
It's quite a walk.
Three floors up.
Multiple movements in the corridor.
The door's opening.
David has moved to the centre of the room.
Two men have entered behind him.
One heavy-set, the other lithe.
There's no sound of the impact of their shoes on the floor just the creak of the boards.
So they're wearing rubber soles.
The heavy one is still in front of the door.
This is excellent, David.
You've done very well.
I can't hear what they're saying.
Do Do you want something to drink? I, almost, erm almost bought some vodka, but I thought it was a bit of a cliche.
The other one's crossing quickly to the window.
He's closing the blinds.
Why's he closing the blinds? What's going on? What's he saying? Jesus Ch Shit! Stay here.
Right.
- Do you think he's all right? - I doubt it.
You just hit him with a plank.
Come on.
It's not him.
It's not who? Joe? Hey.
You go that way.
Hey, how come you get the gun? Joe.
Joe? Hello, Joe.
Drop the gun or I'll shoot.
If you do, the muscles in my arm will spasm, I'll pull the trigger and your friend will die very messily.
Let us try to avoid that.
- Joe, don't shoot.
Joe - Sh.
If you wanted to shoot him, you would have done it by now.
You never had any problem shooting an unarmed woman.
She was a traitor.
Which reminds me.
What do they know about you? They know everything.
Liar.
Joe, when you imagine this moment, as I'm sure you have, what happens? I kill you.
Then what are you waiting for? If he dies, you can say he was caught in the crossfire.
No-one will know.
Come on, Joe.
Joe, please Please.
Goodbye, Joe.
This must be hard.
But don't worry.
Soon everything will become clear.
Oh, shit.
No! Yulia! Yulia! Yulia! No! Bad show.
The geese fly south in winter.
Ah, yes.
But the gander is, erm The The gander tends to What? "The gander"? And their eggs are most plentiful when the Please stop.
This is painful.
I heard what happened.
Oh, my love.
I'm fine.
Joe and that Jim chap engaged.
I'm ashamed to say, I hid.
I'd have been furious if you hadn't.
I want to have the conversation.
- 0h, Sarah.
- Not that one.
The Marconi one.
Someone died tonight.
Yards away from you.
All I'm saying is, with your skills you could walk Straight into somewhere like Marconi.
Is this really about my safety? You're destined for great things.
And a husband who tinkers with wires and microphones is hardly Is that why you think I want you to get a different job? To make you more suitable for me? People talk, Sarah.
Because they don't understand us.
Not in this world.
Come on.
Best-case scenario Moscow don't know Arkady has turned.
They think David approached us directly.
And that's why they killed him.
From Joe's report, he clearly didn't want to be part of any operation ours or theirs, so it's not hard to imagine.
I want Arkady taken into protective custody.
He can be debriefed later.
Just get him out of harm's way.
Wait.
Let's think about this.
Moscow will know Arkady won't have used his real name with David, any more than we would.
You think Moscow want to keep Arkady as a go-between? If this operation is as top secret as we've been told, they won't want to risk bringing more people in.
We just won't know for sure until they contact Arkady with the next name.
Or his body is washed up on a beach.
There is another possible explanation as to why they killed David.
We have a mole.
Not just in Ml5, but in this group.
In this room.
Joe, Daddy, Bobby, Alan, Wendy, Jim or myself.
One of us told Moscow about this.
The signal has been given.
Another name has been left for Arkady in the dead letter drop.
If Moscow know he's working for us, it'll be a trap.
They'll be waiting for him.
I say get Arkady into a safe house, wait for Moscow's next move.
Except Moscow's next move could be the Red Army marching down The Mall.
Daddy, we need a decision.
We continue.
We assume Moscow don't know about Arkady.
We assume there is no mole.
We let Arkady collect the next name.
We endanger the few to protect the many.
Come.
The agent that was killed in Poland, I'd allowed our relationship to become unprofessional.
She was killed by the same man that David Hexton met at the flat.
David was scared unreliable and vulnerable.
In my eagerness to expose this man I convinced him to participate in the operation that killed him.
If I reassign you, will you abandon your search for this man? - No.
- Then our objectives are the same.
Find him and you find the truth of Operation Glass.
You know what I was doing in Poland.
Yes, you were attempting to infiltrate the Soviet security service.
Your cover was that of a disaffected Ml5 officer.
Once you had gained their trust, the plan was to relay intel back to us and feed them prepared misinformation.
But that's not true.
Really?! Hm? That's what it says in your file.
I should know.
I wrote it.
Why? Hm? Why save me? Oh It's not quite as altruistic as it might seem.
This second chance I've given you will pass unremarked - we are Englishmen after all - but I know it will not be forgotten.
Could I rely on you never to betray a country? Perhaps not.
Could I rely on you never to betray me? Yes.
I believe I could.
I'm sorry, Joe.
I have to trust someone, and I've decided it's you.
So, now that we are both suitably embarrassed I shall bid you good night.
I understand now after I saw what they did to David.
I still don't think there's anything impressive or romantic about this.
But I now see you're necessary.
If the mission is all that this is about.
Who was the girl? I forget.
This is an opportunity for you to be a soldier.
To be a hero.
To fight for something greater than us.
Would I be safe? Trust me.
Kitty? Kitty? Kitty? Kitty? Kitty? Oh, my God.
Sh! Sh! Sh! Don't speak.
Don't speak.
I'll get help.
Why you do this to me, beautiful? What? They said you ordered it.
What are you saying? You lied to me, Joe.
You're a traitor.
I'm so sorry.
We joined the game for different reasons.
And whether you stay loyal or you betray everything, - only you know why.
- You are putting your personal agenda ahead of the mission.
That has nothing to do with it! Erm, I'm just going to pop that there for a moment.
All right, all right! All right, I'll talk, I'll talk! My God! Operation Glass is a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the UK.
I know exactly where your loyalties lie.
Happy New Year 2016 - New Year, New Color ;-)