Blood & Treasure (2019) s02e04 Episode Script

1
My name is Danny McNamara.
I used to work for the FBI.
And I'm Lexi Vaziri.
I used to be a thief.
Excuse me, a master thief.
We're back on the hunt after the Vatican
was attacked by a mysterious group
led by someone who calls
himself the Great Khan.
He's looking for an ancient Mongolian
artifact called the Spirit Banner.
Also known as the Soul of Genghis Khan.
And they're leaving
a path of destruction
in their wake to get their hands on it.
So, it looks like it's
up to us to stop them
by finding the Banner.
Before they do.
Previously on Blood & Treasure
I can find you the Banner.
And who do we talk to?
Former member of the Night Devils,
Andrei Levchenko.
My grandfather told me
that Stalin would appropriate
the strangest antiquities
and send them somewhere
far away to be studied.
You know where the Banner went.
Have you ever heard
of the forbidden zone?
It's a remote region in
Mongolia rumored to be
the burial place of Genghis Khan.
Like America's Area 51.
Claudine. Claudine!
I'm going with you to Mongolia,
and I will draw him out and kill him.
Chuck, we're on the same side here.
You want justice for the
people he's murdered?
Let's work together.
You think
that everyone in your life
is bound to let you down
or-or betray you,
and you cannot wait for me
to prove you right.
It was Claudine's.
It's beautiful.
I told her I loved her
every hour of every day,
and yet I did not say it enough.
You must tell each other
every minute of your love.
Oh, definitely.
You know, every couple has their
own way of speaking their feelings.
There is love, and there is not love.
Um, no.
You can have the feelings
without expressing them.
When one of you loses
the other, you will see.
He invades my country,
kills my Claudine.
And yet no one can
find this Great Khan?
Levchenko. Trust me, we
want him as much as you do.
Just take us to the secret Soviet base.
We'll find the Spirit Banner he's after.
We'll catch the Great Khan.
We are beyond where modern
technology can reach us now.
This is it.
The forbidden zone.
The Mongolians
declared this land sacred.
Legend says
it's the final resting place
of Genghis Khan himself.
No outsiders allowed
under penalty of death.
Just the spot for a
super secret Soviet base.
And a huge insult to the locals
for Russia to have built here.
Come on, the Mongols started it.
What? My grandfather told me stories
about the Khans trying to invade Russia,
- but we fought them back.
- The Battle of Kalka River.
A Russian victory, except it was a trap.
The Khan's army faked retreat,
and when the Russians gave chase,
the Mongols were
there to slaughter them.
You think all Russians are fools?
We all know every
culture tells its own lies.
Remember,
I need you alive. They don't.
Maybe less history
lectures that piss off
the angry motorcycle
gang bent on revenge.
Hmm. Okay?
Let's all merrily press on, shall we?
That pendant was
worth £200,000 at least.
It was his last connection to her.
Not a great sign of his mental state.
I can't even imagine
what I would do if I lost you.
Let's just not.
So,
lead the way to the base.
What?
You said your grandfather
brought you here.
Yes, he brought me here.
Then he pointed at the mountains
and said the base is somewhere up there.
If I knew how to get to the base itself,
I wouldn't need you, genius.
Girl, you're with me ♪
No matter where I go now ♪
You're not adding enough water.
No water in a Manhattan.
There is when Shaw makes them.
If he wants me to cover,
I'm running an honest bar.
Where is he, anyway?
He's helping me with a job.
Some light undercover work.
He needs the break.
He was super bummed out
because the CIA lady said
he was the loser of his family.
Hey, she didn't use the word "loser."
How'd you hear what the CIA lady said?
You put your ear up to the vent,
you can hear everything in this place.
Is it true
he can't go back to America?
I hope so.
I need this place.
Don't you have a home or something?
My living situation is complicated.
Well, he's not lying.
I'm his uncle, and my sister is crazy.
Want to talk about it?
You're really embracing
this "being a bartender" thing.
You know, it's great.
It's like being a priest
but with a lot more booze.
All right, the exact
same amount of booze.
Trouble, Padre?
Yeah.
I think this might be our
not-so-secret CIA friend reaching out.
How'd you two leave things?
Kate suspects that the Great Khan's
plan is connected to the Vatican.
She wants me to help her figure out how.
Well, I know that park. Nice and quiet.
Perfect place for a meet.
Congrats on becoming a CIA asset.
Uh, no. We are having a conversation.
She knows you're here.
If she wanted to talk,
she'd come to you.
She doesn't think it's safe.
Is
Is it not safe?
Look, she probably thinks
this place is being watched,
so she wants to meet you somewhere else
to give you something.
- Give me something?
- Mm-hmm.
Like microfilm?
Chuck, you live in a
world where people text.
Right. We're way past microfilm.
Should I I should I
should text her back, right?
Should Are there
emojis for this kind of thing?
- First rule of the spy game is
- Yeah?
don't involve other people.
Goes nicely with my first rule,
don't get involved with spies.
Hardwick, you've got a visitor.
May I have a word, Mr. Hardwick?
The truth is we don't
normally get many visitors.
Although I'm happy to say
that's taken a delightful turn
ever since a new kingpin
calling himself the Great Khan
started stirring up the pot.
I've come to offer you a job.
Look, I don't mean to be rude.
Maybe you've noticed
I'm otherwise engaged.
Possibly for the
rest of my natural life.
Do you accept my offer of employment?
Uh
Yeah.
Yeah, I do. I accept. Whatever. Why not?
Oh, my God.
This is like a genuine prison break.
What are you gonna do?
Like, march me right out the front door?
Not exactly.
Can you find this base or not?
You are the so-called expert.
Okay. Okay, I, uh, think I got an idea.
I just need an antenna.
- Hey!
- We need him to find the base.
He needs an antenna.
Problem solved.
Whatever he does next,
I advise you to make it successful.
Here. Thanks.
You seem fairly confident.
I'm assuming you have a good plan?
I have a plan.
We'll see if it's a good one.
During the Cold War,
the Soviets would
broadcast coded messages
from secret outposts like this one.
They were powered to
broadcast on their own
for a hundred years in the event
of a nuclear war.
Ham operators call them Ghost Signals.
Shortwave radios can still pick them up
if we're close enough to the source.
Well, that Russian is still
very angry about his car.
Well, I didn't tell you
to tear off the antenna.
Well, excuse me for answering
to your needs so quickly.
Won't happen again next time.
Particularly if we die out here.
Okay.
Just give it a minute, okay?
And voilà.
See, he found it.
Never doubted you for a minute.
We follow this right to the base.
Thank God for the
paranoia of a nuclear war.
Okay, let's go.
- How's your Russian?
- Pretty rusty.
But I think he said
we'll soon be joining
his wife, Claudine.
Maybe it's Russian slang.
On the off chance it's not,
first chance we get to
escape with the Banner?
We're taking it.
Stop!
Why are we stopping?
Are you lost?
He say your signal is weak.
His signal is fine.
Hey.
- Your signal's fine, right?
- Yes.
We're stopping because of these.
Mongolian deer stones.
Some of these could date
back to the Bronze Age.
We can't drive through.
Hey! This is sacred ground!
Sacred to Mongolians, not to Russians.
Maybe I just run you over,
keep the Banner for myself.
Gentlemen, you would not
have gotten this far without him,
- and you know it.
- You want the Banner?
You want the Khan?
You run me over, you get nothing.
A hike will do my aching heart good.
So, how does it feel
to be with a man who
declares his love for stones
more than he does for you?
- Help me put this back.
- Okay.
I don't care if he's grieving.
- He is a jackass.
- Yeah.
- Who is he to judge us?
- Just because we don't
word vomit those three magical words.
Please, we're people of action.
Whenever you say it, bad things happen.
- People betray you.
- Or die.
- Every time.
- Every time.
American!
I found the base!
This guy
What does that say?
"Semenovodcheskaja Stantsyia."
It means "Seed House."
This does not look promising.
I disagree.
Seeds bear fruit.
I don't want fruit. I want the Banner.
Lovely day.
So, are you, like, a go-between?
Like, you're gonna tell
me where to go next?
Was I supposed to get a code word?
I never got a code word.
You don't speak English.
You are not a spy.
You are just a nice old man having
his day in the park ruined
by a crazy, babbling foreigner.
That seems correct.
Good job, Chuck.
You're early.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I was just, uh,
clearing that innocent bystander.
I knew you'd come by yourself.
Eyes forward.
What are you doing here?
Are you in danger?
Wait, are Am I in danger?
Chuck, please just shut up and listen.
Whatever the Great Khan
stole from the Vatican,
it was connected to the
trail of the Spirit Banner.
Found something you need to see.
Did you
Did you put a code in
the crossword puzzle?
There's a thumb drive in the newspaper.
Oh, okay.
How would I have time
- to print up an entire?
- Right, I
- I made a terrible mistake.
- You're right. No.
You're right. It's
That was a dumb idea.
I can't access the places
you can at the Vatican.
It's up to you to find out what the
letter on the thumb drive means.
All right.
But you have to understand, Chuck.
Once you go down this path,
there's no turning back.
Whatever we find.
You've chosen a side now.
Yeah.
I understand.
Okay.
I'll reach out again soon.
Gonna need this.
Oh.
I know why the Russians
lost the Cold War.
They spent all their money on
paintings of Stalin everywhere.
Russians do not lose wars
because we never stop fighting them.
The Banner.
It did come here.
So where is it, then?
What kind of military base is this?
This isn't a military base.
It's a lab.
Why build a botanical
lab all the way out here?
Soviet scientists were
fighting a losing war
against crop failure
and famine, helped along
by their own failed experiments.
Growing and protecting food
became a matter of national security.
While millions of
Russians starved to death.
Led by so-called experts like you.
The problem started because of Stalin,
best friend of your grandfather.
Hey, Daniel?
We've got a banner to find
and yet another creepy room to explore.
Delightful.
This clearly wasn't
just a botanical lab.
Yeah, when their crop genetics failed,
the Soviets turned to all
kinds of pseudoscience.
They had no idea what was even possible.
We have always done
what it takes to survive.
These scientists wanted
more than just to survive.
The Banner was in the picture.
It was here.
Now there's nothing
left here but garbage!
Look, we can find where it went.
If they transported something
this important anywhere else,
the records would show it.
Did you find the Banner?
Banner. Sorry, which banner was that?
I take it you two didn't come together.
Must be my guardian angel, then.
Get up.
Let's go for a little stroll, shall we?
Levchenko,
translate this for me.
Please.
Something about
animal experiments. I don't know.
What about this man?
What does it say he was doing
- with the Banner?
- Uh
Nothing. No, no.
No, this is all about hair.
What do you mean, hair?
Horsehair?
Yes. Why?
The Spirit Banners were made
out of the hair of the favorite
horse of the man who carried it.
It says they clipped some of the hair
from the Banner looking
for elements of a man.
Someone they call Temuüjin.
That's Genghis Khan's birth name.
After that, uh, it's all about
some kind of code.
Cracking the life code.
Something like this.
It's what they used to call DNA.
Scientists were just starting
to understand that in the '60s.
That's why the Banner was here.
They were trying to capture
the original Khan's genetic material.
Found him outside.
Tracking us.
He wasn't the only one.
Someone else is out there.
I don't think they're with the Khan.
Well, one threat to our
lives at a time, I guess.
You're welcome.
Who is he?
He works for the Great Khan.
Are you the one who killed my Claudine?
Wait! We need him alive.
He could have information on the Khan.
He'll speak faster after
I blow out his kneecaps.
There is nothing you can
do to me that would be worse
than what the Great Khan
would if I betrayed him.
Check his pockets.
Tell me what the Khan is planning.
Why does he want the Spirit Banner?
When he gets the Soul, you'll see.
He'll He'll bring
the world to its knees.
It's too late for you.
The Khan's men are coming.
That doesn't sound very welcoming.
Let them come. We are ready.
We'll be outnumbered and outgunned.
No, we know the layout of the base.
They don't.
We draw them in,
let them think they've
caught us off guard.
Then we use the bottlenecks of the base
to turn their numbers against them.
We've got fertilizer, gasoline.
Yeah. We can do this.
Hey. You want any
of your guys to survive,
you've got to listen to me.
If only to avenge my Claudine.
Give him a gun.
Let's get ready.
Am I dead?
As a matter of fact, you are.
You were beaten unrecognizable.
Body burned.
Thrown into an incinerator.
A quick disposal of any evidence
from the worst prison
riot in Ireland's history.
It'll be a week before they
realize what's happened.
What do you want with me?
Mr. Hardwick,
I want to put you to work.
Thank you.
Gin and tonic.
London dry, of course.
Cheers.
I-I don't know what to say.
Thank you. Uh
Well, you've obviously
done your homework on me.
It's just I, uh
I know next to nothing
about you, so, um
Thank you.
It strikes me you were
able to break me out
of a maximum security prison
in broad daylight
that's no mean feat
while somebody killed
my father in another.
So, one might be inclined to think
that his job offer wasn't
as well received as mine.
Considering the day before
you broke me out of prison,
I got a visit from a certain
Danny McNamara and Lexi Vaziri
inquiring about the
Soul of Genghis Khan,
can I assume that that's
what you want me to find?
Very good.
- Please.
- Thank you.
Unfortunately,
you led them to Russia.
Now they have the upper hand.
I gave them incomplete information.
Don't worry, I can
handle Danny and Lexi.
Last time you faced them, they beat you.
Not really.
They'd certainly have got
nowhere near Cleopatra
if it wasn't for me.
They've now entered Mongolia.
The forbidden zone.
My men followed them there.
Oh, dear.
My thoughts and prayers to
your men and their families.
I once offered a lot of money
to some top-notch mercenaries
to search out that
area, for the Banner.
Only I never had to pay anyone
because they never returned.
Then it will serve as a grave
for McNamara and Vaziri.
Not necessarily.
They're quite a
formidable pair, those two.
I wouldn't underestimate
them if I were you.
Well, for now, rest.
And enjoy yourself.
Thank you.
A Khan shares his fortunes
with those loyal to him.
But failure is met with death.
No need for threats.
I'm your man.
Oh, no.
Here.
Hey.
Look, I don't want to jinx us,
- but I really
- I know.
We're not dying today.
Now!
Stick to the plan!
Don't! It's a trap!
Stay back!
Everybody back.
Get down.
We can't stay here.
I'll draw their fire. You
find another way out.
Do it! Go!
Go. Get Danny.
- I'll hold them off for you.
- You're a sitting duck.
My future is gone,
but you still have yours.
Danny!
Danny!
- Oh, God.
- Oh.
I thought you were dead.
I thought you were dead.
- Come here.
- Yeah.
I love you.
We're surrounded.
I love you, too.
Uh, Danny?
Our situation
does not seem to have improved.
Lexi, drop the gun.
- I feel like I should.
- Mm-hmm.
And yet
If they wanted to kill us,
we'd already be dead.
Fair point.
Okay.
Here.
I saw one of these guys back at the lab.
Hopefully, he got that
we're not with them.
I think that's his way of
saying we're free to go,
but don't come back.
Great.
Works for me.
Thanks.
You didn't want to get
involved in spy stuff before
I definitely don't want to now.
No freebie.
Since when?
Since you called my mother crazy.
All right.
- Just tell me.
- Thank you.
This is from Kate.
This is a letter to the
CIA from the 1960s.
It's about the next
steps in something called
- Operation Temuüjin.
- Mm-hmm.
And look. "The Spirit Banner
"is in the hands of A.G.
"They will handle future operations."
And the whole thing is stamped
with the coat of arms of the Holy See.
Somebody high up inside
the Vatican sent this letter.
A.G.? Who's that?
I have no idea.
Maybe it's the name of
somebody who knows
why the Vatican was attacked.
Someone who's hiding what's going on.
I've given my life to this church,
and they could be lying
about why my friends were killed
and why I almost was.
Chuck, I used to be a cop.
A good one.
It was the only thing
I ever wanted to be.
For a while, I looked the other
way when I saw corruption.
Figured it's not my problem,
I just keep my head down.
And I saw how the rot spread.
How the good ones turned bad,
how the bad ones got promoted.
So, eventually, I quit.
Well, so, you're saying I
should leave the priesthood?
I'm saying organizations
rot from the inside out,
- and good people try to stop it.
- Exactly.
That's why I got to do something.
I didn't mean it as a challenge, Chuck.
I meant it as a warning.
Because the good people
don't always win out.
Sometimes they get
ground up and spit out,
and everything else
just goes on as normal.
Dude, that's so cynical.
Well, you just keep
doing your priest thing,
I'll do my P.I. thing.
What if I keep asking questions
and I don't like the answers?
You're a pretty good bartender.
By the way,
I meant what I said back there.
So did I.
Levchenko was a nutter,
but he was right.
It does change things.
Well, get used to hearing it more.
Well, let's
Spread it out a bit.
We don't have to go overboard.
Yeah. Yeah, we don't
want to be that couple.
Nah.
They've been watching all along.
All right.
You get the credit for that one.
Come on. Let's go
before they reconsider.
Yeah, I'll get the truck started.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I gather from that
expression that I was right
about the body count
in the forbidden zone.
Do I also glean
that Danny and Lexi
somehow managed to survive?
Yeah.
Yeah, they're lucky like that.
Maybe you'd like some
help adjusting your strategy.
I know you think yourself
very clever, Mr. Hardwick.
Always holding your
cards close to your chest.
But those cards cannot be played
if I slit your throat.
- Go on!
- Uh
Now, convince me why I shouldn't.
Actually, if
If I could just have a
little space to recall?
No? Okay, then. Fine.
Uh, well, the man who hired me
to search for your Banner a
while back is a rich financier.
Arthur Chen.
You got the same interests.
He's obsessed with the Great Khan.
Fact is, my trail went cold,
and he went quiet. I
I always thought that
perhaps he found it.
- Where is this man?
- Hong Kong.
And you withheld this from your friends?
Danny and Lexi didn't ask,
so I didn't tell them.
I'd say the information I've
just given you earns my keep.
I've just put you ahead of the game.
This is no game.
You know, I found something interesting
in the seed house before
I was almost blown up.
And that is what?
It's the Stalin Prize for
science and engineering
awarded to our Khan DNA scientist,
Dr. Vladis Orlov.
Looks like the Banner
project was all him.
- And?
- Oh, it got me thinking.
We've assumed the Banner
only had symbolic value,
but it had scientific
value to the Soviets.
They wanted it to get
the DNA of Genghis Khan.
But why?
I don't know.
But we have got to get the Banner first.
Ah.
Right. Then let's go.