Strike Back s01e06 Episode Script

Afghanistan - Part 2

Where's Mike and Keith? He has bullet fragments lodged in his brain.
If we try to remove them we may do more harm than good.
What went wrong? The blokes won't work with you.
Sir, I'd rather resign.
You beauty! Your mission is to locate and extract Gerald Baxter.
Josef Mohammed.
Tom Wallace.
I've seen the photos.
Gerald Baxter was captured alone.
They're going to kill him.
Move! Mr Sharq.
(COLLINSON) Maybe what we have is a new-breed warlord.
Tea? "I'll give you the two men.
" "I'm sure my people will be interested in doing a deal.
" (COLLINSON) 'Even better than an arms dealer.
' (BAXTER) 'Twice, Mr Wallace, you saved my life.
Twice.
' 'My real name is Josef Mohammed.
' '.
.
British special forces operate' (SHARQ) 'In tribal lands nothing is what it seems.
' Josef's thinking No, I'm not playing this game any more.
Sharq is using you, Gerry.
And when he's finished, you'll be history.
I told you already, I'm not Gerry! The administration would like the British government to make a formal apology to the families of the dead Marines, coupled with a generous financial offer.
Despite the fact the CIA put Baxter into Afghanistan knowing he was mentally unstable, you want us to take the blame.
Plus we make sure Porter and Baxter keep quiet? (CLEARS THROAT) Porter and Baxter are responsible for the deaths of two US special forces personnel.
What? What are you talking about? The fate of Porter and Baxter is not a situation over which you have any influence.
What do you know, Frank? Where are they? ISAF Command and Control in the Helmand Province.
Do you know where it is? I forget.
Can I phone a friend? Don't, Tommy.
Where is it? Tell him or I'll pull the trigger.
No chance.
You can't be serious, Gerry.
Come on.
Computer genius.
Software Einstein.
Josuf has a belief system, as I do, as do my men.
Which is why we will win this war.
Whereas your people, you only care about your children.
Soaps.
And soccer.
And so it goes on, the killing, the friendly fire, until one day we will win the hearts and minds of your people.
They will rouse themselves and they will cry, "Bring our troops back home.
" Peace .
.
with honour.
I'm terribly sorry.
But go fuck yourself.
(GUN CLICKS) (CRIES OUT) ISAF Command and Control please.
Like I said Wait.
Double the odds, another round.
Go on, a second bullet.
What? Come on, Gerry, let's really see how much you mean to your Messiah.
How many students have you taught, eh? Why is he risking your life? Think about it.
You're obsolete, you prick.
No, no, no, Josuf.
Not you.
Him.
You are not obsolete.
If you pull that trigger, Gerry, I'm not like those sleeping people in your daughter's picture.
I'm dead, do you understand? It's not just a few keystrokes on a computer now.
'Sharq's using you.
' Time to come home.
Gerry.
Gerry Baxter.
You bastard.
(GUN CLICKS EMPTY) Move! (SOLDIERS SHOUT) Oh, bugger.
Take cover! (SIREN) (NURSE) Steve, can you hear me? Steve.
Mr Andrews.
Steve, can you hear me? Cardiac arrythmia.
I need the defribilator.
Adrenalin! Clear.
Clear.
Steve Andrews.
I remember them bringing him in straight from Iraq.
A bullet lodged in his brain.
Seven years in a coma.
A relief to his family in many ways.
And his friend, John Porter.
'You took the fall, John.
Collinson was with you.
' Two men are dead and one is brain damaged so they can't answer my questions.
Tell me, John, what happened on that stairwell? The post mortem.
I'd like it carried out this afternoon.
What's the matter? What are you doing? I need to make a call.
What? I'm taking you in.
Fuck, you're taking me nowhere.
Give me the phone.
These wheels are mine.
Get out now.
Come on, you've got a bucket of a Jeep, one bullet and a chronic case of bipolar daftnesss.
How far do you think you're going to get? The Americans want you dead, the Taliban want you dead, Sharq wants you dead.
I'm your least worst option.
Behave yourself, it's not a toy.
Fuck you.
Give me that phone.
Come on, seriously, time to come home.
The British will crucify me.
Not necessarily.
The CIA knew you had PTSD when they sent you there.
I can persuade my lot to do a deal.
Yeah, right.
I mean it.
You just need something to offer them.
Come on, Gerry.
Think.
What have you got to bargain with? Mate, this is the end of the line.
"I'll give you the two men.
" "I'm sure my people will be interested in doing a deal.
" Sharq just did a deal with the Americans.
They're going to exchange you and me for arms and intelligence.
OK? Yeah.
That should do it.
Gerry, give me the phone.
(DIALS) "Incoming call, secure line seven.
" "Patching it through.
" Porter? Got it in one.
Where the hell have you been? "I've got Baxter, I'm bringing him in.
" Baxter is CIA.
Ex-CIA.
He's coming in voluntarily.
He wants to do a deal.
OK, listen to me.
This is not going to work unless you guys are prepared to make it work.
There are two things I need.
Three things.
No, four things.
I need immunity from prosecution, unconditional protection for me and my family, financial security and a nice big house in Morningside with a garden and a granny flat for the wife's ma.
Five things.
Baxter was being run by a bloke called Zahir Sharq.
He was doing a deal with the Americans after intelligence for the both of us.
(COLLINSON) "Tell Baxter we'll protect him and negotiate.
" Where are you? Pakistan, about 30 clicks south of the Helmand border.
We can't make an armed incursion into Taliban-controlled Pakistan.
The extraction team can pick you up on the Afghan side.
Can you make it back across? We can do that.
"The Americans will kill you if they catch you.
Watch your backs.
" OK, Porter, window is 1400 to 1600 hours, Primary RV, five clicks north of junction B11 on the Lashkar Gah Quetta highway.
Thanks, Danni.
Let's go.
John, are you still there? Yeah.
John, Steve Andrews passed away.
"Steve's dead, John.
He's dead.
" I'm going after the bullet.
Do you understand? I'm chasing the bullet.
"I'm going to prove who killed Steve.
" Layla.
What's going on? I need you to do something for me.
What's happening? Are we cool? Yeah.
Fella.
Cheers, mate.
Let's get some of this inside you.
I'm his best mate.
You alright? Yeah, let's go.
Porter has made contact.
He's got Baxter.
My offer still stands, Frank.
I'm not in the business of humiliation.
Porter and Baxter divulge nothing publicly but the blame for the dead marines rests squarely on the shoulders of the US government.
What if we don't agree? Come on, Frank.
The CIA are responsible for sending Baxter into the field and killing your own marines.
JF Kennedy was shot by aliens from Area 46, hired by the CIA - Putting the interest of the CIA before the interests of the American people and the international coalition.
I know it all.
You're talking to an insurgent leader called Zahir Sharq.
Trading the lives of Porter and Baxter, two British citizens, for arms and intelligence.
We'll get back to you about this, Hugh.
Where are we, Tommy? Heading west.
I don't like this.
You sure this is the way? Doesn't feel right.
What in the name of the wee man is this? Women with guns.
(WOMEN SHOUT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Alright, love, don't get your burkah in a twist.
I'm putting it down.
The Daleks have got us, Tommy.
What is she saying? She wants you to get your phone out.
What? (THEY CONTINUE TO SHOUT) What? She wants you to text the name Ayesha to 9332.
Afghan Star.
Their version of the X Factor.
They want you to vote for their favourite.
I don't believe this.
No shit.
This lot can't vote for anything without cheating.
Alright, look, Ayesha, see? Send.
What now? Sisters want the motor.
(BOTH SHOUT) Wait! Stop! I hope she gets voted off! (WOMEN CHANT "AYESHA") You know what, I love this fucking country.
Did that just happen, Tom? I think it did, Gerry.
Oh, no.
(GERRY SINGS LOUDLY) Give it a rest.
Bollocks! (GERRY CONTINUES TO SING) Shut it.
They've got to be here somewhere.
Keep looking.
Update, please.
Are we ready with the extraction team? Do we have a position on our targets? Good morning, Hugh.
Frank.
Is this a social call? Or are you here to do a deal? We're taking Porter and Baxter into US custody.
Your instructions are to give us their rendezvous point.
Sorry, Frank.
I can't do that.
We're on the same side, Hugh.
Yeah.
We're talking to Zahir Sharq.
Yeah, we're using Porter and Baxter as bargaining chips.
Why? Because the administration believes that Sharq will one day emerge as the most influential insurgent leader in Afghanistan.
The administration believes that Sharq will one day pull the strings in Kabul.
The administration believes Sharq is a man they can do businees with.
Because the administration believes that a relationship with Sharq is the road map to a credible withdrawal from the war.
And what the administration believes today is British government policy tomorrow.
So you remember this to yourself, Gerald Baxter, John Porter, you do not fuck with the big boys! Junction B11.
Lashkar Gah Quetta highway.
When? We're on.
Layla.
You've got the ballistics report.
I've also dug out the internal SAS inquiry into the Kenneth Bratton extraction.
Porter is innocent.
Isn't he? What the hell do you think you're playing at, giving - The Americans are playing a bigger game.
If they need to debrief - Debrief them? They're going to kill them and you know it.
You want Porter dead, don't you? Don't be ridiculous.
Why would I want Porter dead? To save your own skin in a last desperate attempt to bury the truth about what happened in Basra now you think Porter is the only loose end.
What? Steve Andrews passed away.
Ballistics report on the bullet removed from his brain came from a Heckler and Kock UMP.
Inquiry into the Bratton extraction, armourer's report.
It was the gun Porter gave to you.
Steve Andrews, Mike Reilly, Keith Finn.
You killed them, Major Collinson.
Now, I can't reach Porter.
But you can.
Get there before the extraction team.
Warn him his life is endangered.
Otherwise .
.
sir .
.
I take this upstairs.
(PILOT) "ETA 1200, Major Collinson.
" (BAXTER) All them secrets .
.
make your head cave in.
Need to open up a bit.
Talk about your issues.
And end up like you? Fucking Tonto of Pakistan.
You get some bad news then, Tommy? Huh? Your phone call yesterday.
How did you know it was bad news? Come on.
You can't kid a kidder, Tommy.
"This is Collinson.
How are we looking?" "Bang on time, boss.
" It's the rendezvous point there.
Yeah.
Cheers.
Let's go.
(COMPUTER BEEPS) I got some information for you, Mr Sharq.
We need to tie up some loose ends.
"It's being dealt with.
" Good.
Got kids, Tommy? Yeah, I've got a daughter.
She's 17.
Leaving home.
See much of her? How old is your daughter? She'll be nine now.
Don't see much of her.
Shit! Don't move, don't move, don't move your feet.
Shit.
AP mines.
A minefield? Yeah, right in the bloody middle.
OK.
OK, Gerry.
In my footsteps.
Exactly in my footsteps.
There's nowhere I'd rather be, brother.
Fuck.
My mate Steve, he died.
What? That was the bad news.
I'm sorry.
People think that I killed him.
Did you? No.
Maybe it could have been different.
How do you mean? I I didn't do what I was trained to do.
I thought you lot were all supposed to be stone cold killing machines.
It's not that simple.
(YELLS) Don't move, stay there, don't move.
Oh, God.
Don't move your foot.
OK.
(Shit.
) Oh, God.
I'm going to die.
Stay still.
No, you're not.
Stay still.
I can't do it.
Just very carefully, very carefully .
.
just move your foot away.
I can't.
Yes, you can.
Think about everything that you've got to live for.
Think about your wife.
Think about your daughter.
Think about what kind of dad you're going to be when you go home.
Because you have to go home.
Jesus Christ, Tommy.
At least you've got a home to go home to.
What have I got? I've got fucking nothing.
Listen to me.
Look at me.
Look at me.
Listen.
My little girl can't even look me in the eye.
Because she thinks that I killed three of my mates.
But I didn't do it.
And I have to prove that I didn't do it.
You see, I thought that one day my mate Steve was going to wake up (SOBS) He didn't fucking wake OK.
Alright.
Don't give up on me, Tommy.
Alright? Pray for me.
Don't be like me, Tommy.
Don't let your past destroy you.
It's not worth it.
Made it, Gerry.
Thanks, Tommy.
It's John.
Porter.
Well, this is a fine bromance.
(RAPID GUNFIRE) No! No! (DIALS PHONE) (PHONE RINGS) Hello? "Layla.
" John.
Baxter's dead, the RV was compromised.
It was Collinson.
What? Collinson sold you out.
I've got the ballistics report.
The bullet that killed Steve came from Collinson's gun.
"He's on his way out to you, John.
" "John.
" John? Shit.
What now? Where are you, John? John? (DIALS PHONE) (PHONE RINGS) Yes.
Baxter is dead.
Your fault.
John, I tried.
You didn't try hard enough.
I've spoken to Layla.
We need to talk.
OK.
Where are you? John.
This is all a bit theatrical, isn't it? It's not smart, John.
The Americans are after you.
You're a dead man out here.
What do I have to lose? Seven years I've lived with it.
Thinking that I was somehow responsible for killing Mike and Keith.
And now Steve.
Everyone blaming me.
The regiment .
.
the families Seven years.
I know about the ballistics report.
For Christ's sake, Hugh.
It's over.
This will come out.
Disgrace to the uniform.
Criminal trial.
Wrath of the victims' families.
The sick feeling in your stomach when you realise that your own family have lost all respect for you.
Listen to me.
I don't want revenge.
I just want you to admit - I'm admitting to nothing.
Hugh, we've got the bullet fragments.
From your weapon, John.
Your own weapon.
The weapon that I gave to you.
Really? I don't remember that.
I don't remember you giving me a weapon.
Do you have witnesses, John? I don't think so.
Hugh, this is over.
No, John, nothing is ever over.
Do you really think this would stand up in a court of law? Hard evidence? You don't have anything.
So it's a question of character, isn't it? Your word against mine.
Major Hugh Collinson, head of Section 20, British Military Intelligence.
Decorated war hero.
John Porter.
Pensioned out of the regiment.
Found wanting under pressure.
Major Hugh Collinson, family man.
And you love your daughter so much.
Don't you fucking - You're out here pursuing a personal vendetta against me.
You don't get it, do you, John? It's not what you are.
It's what you appear to be.
Fuck off! (GUNSHOT) Tell me, tell me! We'd got the hostage out and we were heading back to the roof.
Tell me! The men were still pinned down on the ground floor.
All hell was breaking loose.
I was I was scared.
And then And then I saw the boy.
'He was standing holding a weapon.
' And I just froze.
'And then just as I had him in my sights' I was I was about to take the shot and then there was .
.
a sound, movement to my left.
'I just' I just opened fire.
I just opened .
.
fire.
Opened fire.
Steve.
(SOBS) And then afterwards I had a chance to come clean and I didn't take it.
One moment, one decision.
My whole My whole life.
Your Your whole life.
I'm sorry, John.
It's OK.
It's buried.
It's buried.
(MACHINE-GUN FIRE) Who came with you? No-one.
What have we got? Rover.
.
762 on the back.
I'll get to the Jeep.
I'll cover you.
On my count.
Standing by.
One.
Two.
Three.
Go! John! Get back.
Shit.
I'm not gonna make it, John.
I'm not leaving without you.
Go.
Go home.
No.
Get to the Jeep, John.
Hurry.
Cover me.
I'll try.
Ready.
Go.
Go on! (MACHINE-GUN FIRE CONTINUES) (SHARQ) 'Collinson is dead.
' "Porter escaped.
" Thank you.
Your cooperation won't be forgotten.
The administration is keen to progress a relationship.
Let me assure you, John Porter will be neutralised.
(COMMS) "Scramble Delta Force elimination team.
" "Target heading west north-west on Lashkar Gah Quuetta highway.
" "Intelligence input, name, John Porter.
" "Rogue British special forces.
" "Designated clear and present threat.
" "Psychological profile assessment, resourceful, tenacious, possibly obsessive compulsive.
" "Projected intentions, he may be headed for Iran, headed for Iran.
"
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