The Agency (2024) s01e05 Episode Script

Rat Trap

1
[MARTIAN] Here she was,
fighting for the survival
of her people.
[OSMAN] I have one role here.
To guarantee the secrecy of these talks.
- We got a situation.
- [BOSKO] I've got the U.S.
and Belarus ambassadors trying to avert
- a major diplomatic incident.
- [HENRY] Maybe they want to
start a negotiation here.
If they do have Coyote,
they'll allude to it.
The one at the far end
of the table
he's our guy.
If you lose something
and you really want it back,
maybe it's worth more than face value.
Line's open.
[BOSKO] How do we know he's legit?
He knew what we want.
Ready? Your mission just started.
[REZA] Are you familiar with
distributed acoustic sensing?
You think you could explain
the technology?
- At an event tonight?
- Sure.
[REZA] I'll pick you up.
I'd like to see you outside work.
I don't think this is a good idea.
[MARTIAN]
I apologize and I would like
for us to try and make
a fresh start.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

"Love is Blindness"
by Jack White ♪
Love is blindness ♪
I don't want to see ♪
Won't you wrap the night ♪
Around me ♪
Oh, my heart ♪
Love is blindness ♪
Blindness ♪
Love is blindness ♪
I don't want to see ♪
Won't you wrap the night ♪
Around me, yeah ♪
Oh ♪
My love ♪
Love is blindness ♪
Oh, love is blindness ♪
Blindness ♪
[BLAKE] So, who's Paul Lewis?
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Can you say something about him?
[PENSIVE MUSIC]

What was your relationship?
I don't have one.
- But Paul was you.
- Yes, he was.
Was he never real to you?
Oh, Paul was real.
Paul really taught
English Literature in Addis.
He really gave theater workshops
and held night readings at a local bar.
People knew Paul. Liked Paul.
Till the political situation heated up
and the international crowd
began to leave.
[TYPING]
And then?
Paul moved to Jordan
to take a better teaching post
and disappeared.
Paul Lewis arrived as an English teacher
in Amman from January 2023.
Remained for three months.
Flew to Paris.
That's all I have.
[MARTIAN] Cover stories,
legends
They're like a windshield.
They protect against bugs flying at us.
But anything hard enough,
moving fast enough
smashes clean through.
[PHONE CHIMES]
Whoever made the call
knows we can trace it no matter what.
How long will that take?
[SIMON] Trace a foreign hidden call?
I mean, international authorizations,
satellite issues, it could take, uh
This can't be slow.
Do an unauthorized trace.
Do the paperwork if it leads anywhere.
We need a code name for the target.
Maybe, uh, something to do with bikes?
Armstrong.
- Armstrong?
- [SIMON] Yeah, as in Lance.
Don't spend all day on this.
Sooner or later these things
all end up in the dumpster.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Henry wants to meet up with you.
[HENRY]
We need to be more aggressive.
Langley's putting pressure on.
I'm drawing blanks.
It's driving me nuts.
I-I I'm-I'm watching CNN,
I thought I saw Coyote
on a news report about the Tokyo Metro.
[MARTIAN] I wish he was.
We need a break.
So we make one.
We could get on the ground.
Get into his apartment.
Talk to coworkers,
dig up a left-field lead.
Belarusian security forces
will have tossed the place.
Yeah, but they might have
missed something.
They don't know Coyote like I know him.
If we can protect intel
on even one of the five live
operations Coyote was privy to,
- it's worth the risk.
- Owen, you leave today.
[HENRY] They'll be expecting us.
Should I travel under my own
name or should I use a cover?
What cover?
I'm, I could
[MARTIAN] You aren't trained
to operate under a legend.
It's not a hat you can take on and off.
Use your name.
Then he's legit.
- And Owen?
- Mm-hmm?
Be careful.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[KNOCKING]
Come in.
Hello.
Please. Have a seat.
[SIGHS]
I need to say something
about last night.
Oh.
It's a long time
since I've felt so humiliated.
What you said about your father.
- Listen, I-I d
- I felt pathetic.
Honestly, it's okay.
I hope you'll forgive me.
Forgive what?
So
can we
consider this resolved?
I mean
you'll take no further action?
Nothing happened.
Thank you.
Hi.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]

[KEYPAD BEEPS]
[LOCK CLICKS]
[LOCK CLICKS]
[TROLLEY BELL CLANGING OUTSIDE]
[SNIFFLES, COUGHS]
[WATER RUNNING]
[BLOWING]
[SOAP SQUISHES]
[WATER STOPS RUNNING]

[CAT GROWLS]
[HISSES]
[SIGHS]
[HENRY] A what?
A fucking cat. I know Coyote.
There's no way I miss
him having an entire cat.
[HENRY] I'm trying and failing
to muster any excitement
at this discovery.
You don't think it's significant?
Only if it meows where Coyote is.
No, I don't think
it's significant.
[LINE CLICKS]
Hello?
Hello?
Shit.
[POPPY] You didn't have
to buy me a new phone as well.
[MARTIAN] Yeah, I did.
Got to be some sort of silver lining
to having divorced parents.
Mm.
The compensation of overcompensation.
It's a concept me and my fellow products
of broken homes are familiar with.
Guilt breeds birthday presents.
So, we're pretty okay with it.
- Oh, you are?
- Yeah.
It's one of the only things that we
actually agree with and support.
[SPITS]
I know what happened with your
mother and I was tough for you.
It's not like you were around loads
when you were married, so I
kind of just got on with it.
It might go late,
so don't wait up.
So who's going on this date, then?
You or "Paul"?
Don't screw around.
Okay. Sorry.
It's a business thing.
[SNORTS] Yeah, hence
the matte clay hair wax.
Hey.
[CHUCKLES]
Well
just remember to be yourself.
["WEAK IN YOUR LIGHT"
BY NATION OF LANGUAGE ]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Come on in and sit beside me ♪
Where the waters collide ♪
Bathin' me in the iris ♪
Of your widening eyes ♪
I was afraid you wouldn't come.
I called ten times.
You didn't answer.
Something so bright
and blessed ♪
That I'm all but crushed ♪
You daughter she lives here?
Stoke Newington, with her mother.
But she's seeing me a bit more.
What's she like?
She's a genius
and she's beautiful.
And she's got absolutely
no idea that she's either.
Does she have a boyfriend? A girlfriend?
I'm ashamed to say I don't know.
I'm not sure she'd tell me the truth.
Why?
She's private.
A chip off the block.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
How does she find the whole thing?
You, as a dad.
[OSMAN] Samia.
I am Osman. Uh, I'm a colleague.
This is
Paul.
[OSMAN] I was walking
through Covent Garden.
I, uh, felt like a drink, I
I come in here, who do I see?
Should I fetch another glass?
Thanks. I'm not staying.
Thank you.
So, how do you guys know each other?
It's been a while.
Can you remember, Samia?
Been a few years now.
Several.
So, you met in Ethiopia? Sudan?
When I was working
in Addis as a teacher.
Were you there long?
Six years.
Ah.
As you can see, Osman.
It's so great when
Americans are interested
in our region.
In learning about and
protecting our culture.
[LAUGHS] I'm kidding.
- I'm being rude.
- [CHUCKLES]
- [TAPS TABLE]
- I won't intrude any further.
Enjoy your dinner.
It's so nice to meet you, uh, Paul.
I hope to see you again.
That was Osman.
He's a colleague.
Did he say he was a teacher?
Uh, he's a teacher.
Ancient Nile Valley art.
So, he accompanies you to lectures,
the ones you don't go to?
Can we change the subject?
No.
Okay. Let's order.
He was just being polite,
making conversation.
- He asked questions like a cop.
- Like you, you mean.
You really want to know?
- About Osman?
- Fuck Osman.
About me.
About what I'm really
doing here in London.
It had nothing to do with you.
But if Osman showed up here,
now it does.
Tell me.
If I tell you it's crossing a line.
My life will be in danger.
How? Why?
When I tell you you'll understand.
Do you still want to know?
Don't say another word.
I won't ask any more questions.
For an hour or two, can we just pretend?
Pretend to be like we were before?
No Osman, I'll leave here,
go to reception,
get a room upstairs.
You-you can sit here and think it over.
Take all the time you need.
Join me if you want to.
But if you don't,
I understand.
I don't need to think about it.
[HEARTFELT MUSIC]

[WOMAN] And what did you think?
I'd thought she was in London
because someone was onto
what I'd been doing in Ethiopia.
But Sami wasn't a threat to me.
I was a threat to her.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[KEYS JINGLE]
[EXCLAIMS]
- [SPEAKS RUSSIAN]
- Who are you?
What the hell are you doing here?
I am a friend of Piotr's. Who are you?
He's my boss.
Mr. Rybak left his keys on his desk
the night he disappeared.
Started staying here a few days later.
- Suitcase is yours?
- Mm-hmm.
I have a boyfriend
and we had a fight and
since Piotr was not here,
you know, I thought
I could just
Please don't tell anyone, okay?
So the cat's yours, too?
Oh, you've seen her? Where is she?
I have no idea.
You know, I haven't gotten your name.
Oh, sorry. Eva.
- Eva.
- And you?
John. Jonathan.
John.
You know, Eva, I'm not so sure
it's cool that you're here.
Did you feed her yet?
Did I feed your cat for you?
Yeah, she must be starving.
Are you hungry?
I can We have some food here
and some beer, if you're interested.
I can cook you something, you know?
I cook you something
to say sorry for scaring you
and you don't tell Mr. Rybak
that I'm here.
Deal?
[CHUCKLES] Uh
[CHUCKLES]
[TYPING]
Do you speak a bit of Farsi?
I'm learning.
So you know your colors?
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
I had the same nanny from age two to 12.
My Nosheen.
She's Iranian.
Huh?
- Julia.
- Julia.
[CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC]

Icy calm, don't make a fuss.
W-What do you mean?
Wait, what did I do?
I'm supposed to Wait, w
Stop. Where are you taking me?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[SCRIBBLING]
[TENSE MUSIC]



[ENGINE STARTS]
- [CAR DOORS CLOSES]
- [ENGINE STARTS]


Who are you?
What's happening?
You know Dr. Mortazevi?
I work with him.
And how long have you worked for him?
Three weeks. Uh
So, you work for him?
With him.
I'm-I'm a PhD stu
Stop fucking us around!
Mortazevi is not a seismologist.
He works for the intelligence wing
of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
We had a look at your passport.
It's good.
Printed by a government.
Nice.
Just not Spain.
[CUFFS RATTLE SOFTLY]
Spying
is against the law in this country.
You and your boss?
You're looking at 14 years apiece.
The IRG is a terror organization,
which means I can hold you here
for two whole weeks without charge.
Just you and me.
Reza works
at the London School of Sciences
at the Institute of Geophysics
[GASPS]
[SIMON] The phone that sent
the message is here.
31 Ulitsa Bratskaya.
[PHONE VIBRATING]
Hello?
Owen. How's Minsk?
Oh. Hey, buddy. Good morning.
Minsk
Minsk is fine.
Tell Henry
that I solved the cat mystery.
Listen. 31 Ulitsa Bratskaya.
Ring any bells?
31 Ulitsa Bratskaya?
Yeah, it's a kebab place.
One of the dead drops Coyote
and I used when we went secure.
Why?
Coyote's leaking information.
Is the bad news.
The good news is whoever's
selling the bike is for real.
They're close enough to Coyote
to know what he's giving up.
All right, if Coyote's leaking,
Owen's not safe where he is.
Let's call him back.
[DIAL TONE DRONES]
Yeah?
It's Bosko.
Hello, sir.
Uh, how can I help you?
What's going on?
Code Bravo.
Stay in Coyote's apartment.
Do not leave.
Just wait there
for the dry cleaners
to come and escort you
to the airport.
Whoa, h Uh, hold on, ho
What the fuck? What's happening?
A cell phone sent us an SMS
from the same address
as Coyote's dead drop.
Whoever's holding him
knows he works for us.
He must be talking.
They will be watching.
Do not leave the apartment.
Just stay right there.
And most important,
don't trust anyone
or let anyone near you
who hasn't been certified clean.
Understand?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

- Uh
- Hi.
- Morning.
- Morning.
- Coffee?
- Mm-hmm.
Everything okay?
Just Okay. L-Look,
- look, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
- [EXCLAIMING]
- Okay.
- [SHRIEKS]
John! John,
- open the fucking door!
- [BANGING ON DOOR]
Open the door!
What the fuck are you doing?
John!
[SHOUTING IN RUSSIAN]
Let me out!
John!
[GRUNTING]
What are you doing?!
What are you doing?
Would you please open the door?
John! John!
- [BANGING ON DOOR]
- Please open the door!
Just open the door for a second.
Please tell me what is going on.
Please, John.
[SIGHS]
Please, can I call my family?
This yours?
What's the code?
3-0-0-7-9-8.
Ah, your birthday. Cunning.
Let's see.
Three new messages.
Tim.
"You home? Can I come over?"
Timmy a boyfriend?
What about Reza?
You fucking him as well?
Why don't you ask him?
- You want a fucking? Huh?
- [WHIMPERING]
Huh? Is that it?
You want fucking, huh?
Okay, how about we FaceTime Tim and Reza
and we can get some beers
and we can have us a good fucking time?
Huh? Yeah, I didn't hear you say no.
[SNIFFLES] Please, no.
- No.
- I'll take that as a yes.
[GASPS]
- [DOOR OPENS]
- [WAILS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[CLIVE] Ibrahim Al Reida Dalaga,
Sudanese businessman,
first cousin of General Hemedti.
Conducts clan business
in Europe and the Middle East.
Playboy. House in Monaco, yacht.
Uh, what's the context of all of this?
- That's classified.
- My bad.
Uh, it's just one thing
this building isn't ours
and it has no direct
or obvious link to the Sudan.
- Whose is it?
- We're checking.
So far, not Iran's, Saudi's, Qatar.
We're tracing ownership to shell
co's in the Virgin Islands.
What does your gut say?
My guess, talk to China desk.
[PHONE VIBRATES]
- Yeah?
- [EVA] I'm begging you, please
open the door. Seriously.
Please. Please!
- Help! Help!
- Gimme the piece,
- Jason Bourne.
- Help! I'm in here!
- [BANGING]
- Please open the door.
I'm in the closet! Please! Please, open!
[EVA] John, John.
What is going on?
I don't understand. John.
Uh, John
[AMELIA] 73 Kensington Park Gardens
belongs to Eric Zheng Huang.
He owns a ton of tech firms,
including three start-ups
here in London.
His businesses all check out.
He's fairly legit.
But he must be connected. Who to?
His companies will have made him
a POI for the Brits.
- I can call them.
- No. I can do that.
Thank you.
[ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC]

I was in a race.
The clock was ticking.
The winner would be
whoever could identify
their real opponent first.
The loser would
only know they'd lost
when they felt the exit wound.
The manuscript had been opened.
That's what I wanted.
I wanted them in there
to search Paul Lewis' life
and find he had nothing to hide.
That Paul Lewis
was a former teacher
who threw it all in to write a mediocre,
unpublishable novel.
And that Samia Zahir
is incapable of betraying
state secrets.
Time would tell
if they swallowed the bait.
If the trap worked.
[PERCUSSIVE MUSIC]

[LOCKS CLICK]
[GRUNTS]
[GRUNTING]
Okay. Take five.
So, how to fight like Paul Lewis.
You're a trained fighter,
Paul Lewis is a supply teacher.
University lecturer.
Okay. How to get my ass kicked.
You're just an ordinary guy
who gets jumped for no reason.
So, what's my opening move?
Number one: panic.
Beg. Shit your pants.
Uh-uh. No, you don't.
Pain's part of it.
[GRUNTS]
Only arms in self-defense.
Walk into my lefts,
duck my rights.
[PANTING]
Stop.
[TRAINER] Protect your organs.
Do as little as possible.
Feel yourself drifting out,
give in to it.
It'll hurt less.
And they'll stop sooner.
[CHAIR THUDS]
So, you speak Farsi.
I'm tired.
I am tired.
Tell me the truth
and we all get to go home.
Now, where the fuck
did you pick up Farsi?
- Huh?
- I'm hungry.
Has no one come for me?
Whoa.
Who might come for you?
- People must be looking for me.
- People?
What people? People you work for?
Your real bosses?
They could save you, you know.
Fuck you, you fucking asshole.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]

- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
- [TV PLAYING INDISTINCTLY]
[SPEAKING RUSSIAN]


[DOORS CLOSE]
[DOORS OPEN]
[CHUCKLES]
Whoa. What happened to you?
Would you believe I got mugged?
No.
They took my wallet
and jacket for some reason.
- How many of them were there?
- I didn't see.
I got knocked unconscious
from behind and robbed.
You didn't see them? You?
No. I did not.
I'm fine, by the way.
Thank you for asking.
Well, she almost cracked last night.
Started asking why
no one had come for her.
Even when they say Reza's a spy,
she gave nothing away.
She's good.
Edward agrees.
Says he pushed her there.
Have you been to the police?
When I get a minute.
I was in A and E all night.
So?
B+. Call it.
Want this open?
Uh, no. Close it, please.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[DOOR CLOSES]
Congratulations.
You passed.
Drink this.
No bullshit. You did good.
[SNIFFLES]
So, do you like your job?
I mean, is it satisfying work?
What's a good day at the office for you?
I am sorry, if it helps.
I'm tougher than I look.
That much I know.
There's a lot about me you don't.
Are you flirting with me?
After I tied you to a chair
and punched you for two days?
I go running at Burgess Park
most nights after work.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]

[OWEN] I'm sorry, what was the question?
Oh. I-I mean,
I just had limited information
so I-I did what I thought was
Gimme, gimme. [GRUNTS]
Come on, baby. I will make you sing.
And she was there when you guys called.
What was she even doing there?
[OWEN] She had a key.
She was squatting at his place.
We had a few drinks
and ended up in bed together.
Mistake, I know. First time downrange.
It won't happen again.
And you stuffed her into a closet.
I panicked. I thought she might
be a counter team operative.
She was in bed. You were armed.
S-So you had sex with
and then roughed up a secretary?
I think I'd like
to have a therapy session
to help process all this.
I will pencil that in.
[DOOR OPENS]
What happened to you?
The mirror in Coyote's apartment
someone'd written "Valhalla" on it.
- Yeah.
- And it wasn't you.
- No.
- And the girl wouldn't even know
the word or what it might mean.
No.
Next time, reach out.
Call in. Someone could have
- talked you down.
- [HENRY] Next time?
What about the drugs you found?
- Um
- [BLAKE] Small amount
of marijuana, Valium,
Xanax, some antidepressants.
Those were all prescribed.
Holy shit. Who by?
Coyote was seeing a psychiatrist.
We didn't know.
Owen, I think I'm not alone in saying
this is the most mishandled,
questionable,
sloppiest mission it's ever been
my misfortune to debrief.
But you may have just found
the hole in the boat.
[SOMBER MUSIC]

Ah.
You came.
I didn't think you would.
You should be more careful
what you tell people.
[BOTH PANTING]
Okay.
Come on.
Come on
Nothing at all.
[SNIFFS]
No metadata.
Hmm? No photos.
No phone contacts. Fine.
[THUMP]
[SIGHS]
[SNIFFS]
Okay
Yes.
["HOME TOWN" BY WITCH ]

["HOME TOWN" CONTINUES]
Ah.
Try it. Then be rude.
For king and country.
Mm.
So this is what you call a bachelor pad?
Well, what the fuck's that?
I didn't have you down as an arty type,
an aesthete.
- You like it?
- [CHUCKLES]
Well
Oh, this is just
a company turnkey, isn't it?
I mean, are those books even real?
What's this?
Pop quiz.
[SIGHS] And there was me thinking
this was just mates catching up.
Eric Zheng Huang.
[MARTIAN] What do you know about him?
Self-made man of the People's Republic.
Made his fortune in tech services.
Mansion in Billionaires' Row,
castle in Scotland.
Plays polo, real tennis.
Don't you love the Chinese?
Enthusiasts.
He's also close to Xi Jinping.
Why is he in London?
Business. Politics.
Best bagpipe teachers.
He's got Middle Eastern
and African links.
Knows some of the exiled
opposition members.
The committee sometimes
use him as an errand boy
to pass messages around.
What type of messages?
You remember when you lot
were trying to get the Gulf
to sign up to some Arab League
against Iran?
The Chinese brokered a deal
between Iran and the Saudis
and our entire plan fell apart.
Huang was middleman.
Got both sides together for some
hush-hush chin-wag.
Conflabs. Tête-à-têtes.
We were left in the dark.
Look, I know you're never gonna
tell me what all this is about,
so I won't ask.
Cheers. Enjoy your bourbon.
Do I have to?

[MARTIAN] I finally saw
the size of the stakes
in the game I'd been dealt into.
China was trying to broker
a secret deal in the Sudan
and exert control
over an entire region.
Anyone who threatened this deal
before it was done,
anyone who exposed
the people involved
or Beijing's
secret involvement
would immediately
be neutralized.
[MUSIC STOPS]
[TENSE MUSIC]

I have a problem.
Yeah, we all got 'em.
I need to get rid of someone.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Have you seen the file on you?
I don't need to. I was there.
Well, you don't need my help.
I can do it.
I can't make it disappear.
Not in this city.
You've got some balls on you.
I'll give you that.
You should learn Chinese.
Give you a real job.
Make you a hero of the Republic.
I'm not a bin man.
Tell me the whole story,
maybe we'll talk.

[MARTIAN] I needed
to use everything I had.
Every trick, dodge, subterfuge.
I needed every maneuver,
feint, bluff.
I had to make lies real
or people would die.


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