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[unapologetic pedant]

Line from Star Cops episode 4 -

"Goddammit! I don't wanna talk to a PR graphic. Connect me to a human being. Now!"

Ahead of the curve. Sadly.

[HawkMan]

s2e2 cont

( Herr Linke)

Burnside's secretary Diane tells him she's seen a memo from Willie requesting a transfer to mission planning, so it looks like his last job after all.
Back in Brussels the police are moving in on an apartment building where Boolan and his terrorist group are hiding. A brief gun battle, but the police win out, the group are led away, Herr Linke ecstatic.
HL: " we got them all Willie, with drugs , guns the lot"
Caine ; " where's Wellingham?"
HL; "not there, don't worry we'll start again there"
At the country house the phone rings , one of the gang picks it up, sounds thrilled and puts the receiver down.
" Sir Geoffrey you can go, you're free we'll take you back to town?
Wellingham is perplexed,
" just who are you!?"
" Oh just think of us as eccentric millionaires"

At HQ London Peele marches into Burnside's office spitting blood. Previously he refused Neil's request to send both Sandbaggers to Brussels.
Peele " sorry Neil, what happens if another mission comes up, and both sandbaggers are away. Anyway would you insist on both going if it didn't involve Wellingham?"
But Burnside ignores the order and sends them anyway, and when Peele finds out,
P " Why did you disobey a direct order!?...you're back to your old ways, cheating lying double dealing to get your own way. Well your annual report is overdue and you'll understand if it is somewhat less than flattering"
Burnside flies to Brussels and makes for the Hilton.
In the room, Willie is fuming , Herr Linke promises his GSG9 unit will work on finding Wellingham, he leaves, but finds Burnside blocking his way.
Burnside " Before you go Herr Linke I have a little theory for you. The GSG9's reputation lives or dies by capturing German terrorists. You knew the Boolan group were in Brussels but the Belgian police were unwilling to act, as they had no idea where Boolan was and no criminal act had been committed on Belgium soil. So you kidnap Wellingham yourself, put pressure on the Belgians with a senior British diplomat involved then release a false ransom demand, insuring NATO countries put pressure on the Belgians. Am I warm Herr Linke ?"
HL " it was necessary"
B " what about his wife, at home worried out of her mind"
HL " and the future wives who'll become widows if these people aren't stopped"
B " you play rough, Herr Linke"
HL:" Your Sir Geoffrey was released an hour ago and is being driven back to his hotel. And here Mr Burnside is a list I was going to leave at reception for you.....all Iraqi terrorists currently operational in London. Your MI5 will appreciate it. Good day sir "
Linke leaves , Burnside sort of impressed. And Willie?
Caine " I'll stay, at least until Mike is ready for sandbagger #1 duty"
B: "I'm relieved., so you can explain to deputy chief Peele"
C;" explain what?"
B: " what the hell are you doing in the Hilton!!"

Edited March 27 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

S2 E3 DECISION BY COMMITTEE 

Burnside is in deputy Peele's office having his annual report read out to him. Not pleasant reading. Peele has recommend Burnside is promoted "in normal course", which as Burnside says is the kiss of death. Other contemporary officers have early promotion recommendations. Peele explains it's because of Neil's tendency to run a one man band, treating the other directors and his masters as irritants and fools.
Peele " these days it's decision by committee. Proper consultation upwards. Change your ways and I'll change my report. You can't carry on being deceitful to your masters"
Burnside " I'd accept that, but there's a fine line between that and showing initiative"
Meanwhile in Sri Lanka, Colombo, Willie Caine is boarding a plane after a mission along with CIA operative Karen Milner who is based in London as number 2 to Geoff Ross.
Karen Milner.

The plane takes off and is hijacked by Iraqi terrorists getting back at Britain for imprisoning Iraqi colleagues of theirs. On board is CDS and CGS, two important civil servants , The chief of the defence staff and the general staff. CGS will be executed at 1800, CDS at 2000, Turkish time, which is where the plane was ordered to fly to, Istanbul. At midnight the terrorists have said they'll blow up the plane.
The British Government is dead against deals with terrorists, as this will encourage other hijackings and the Turks will not allow SAS to mount an Entebbe style raid, they believe it's on their soil and they will deal with it. They don't want a foreign power to be seen to help them.
Will Caine die? Both C and Peele believe the government will stand firm, no rescue. Even Wellingham at the F.O. sees no hope despite Burnside pleading to be allowed to send the SAS , approval could be given by Wellingham over the head of C.
W: " I'm sorry Neil, can't approve any double dealing on this. I notice you're arguing for the life of Caine and Karen Milner, but not CDS or CGS"
Burnside: " I don't know them"
W: "exactly, and the Prime Minister doesn't know Caine"

 

Burnside has a crazy plan to use the SPT, special projects team as a force to raid the plane. He discusses this with Mike Wallace Sandbagger #2.
B" you've done the SAS course Mike, how many men do you need to mount a raid on a 747?"
Mike;" 30 sir"
B:" 30!!?"
M:" Yes sir , two waves of attackers , drivers to ferry passengers away quickly, two men on each mobile stairs at each of the three entrances to the plane. Are we using SAS sir?"
B; " I'm trying, but if not I'll send in the SPT"
M: " But they're not trained for this Sir"
B: " the SPT are mine, the SAS aren't. It takes four hours to get from here to Istanbul, so you have four hours to train them!"
Colonel Ben Gaynes head of the SPT is in Burnside 's office.
B: " get your team to RAF Northolt, I'm sending you in "
Gaynes: " to do what?"
B: " a raid"
G : " send us to Moscow blow up a few bridges, or start a riot, or sink a Russian ship in harbour, no problem. But we can't attack a plane , we're not the SAS. I'm responsible for the lives of my men, we can't do it"
B: " what you're saying is that you're good at the exercises buy not the real thing?"
G: " that's unfair Neil"
B: " it's unfair that CDS and CGS will be executed and the whole plane will be blown up at midnight. Now mobilise your team"
Gaynes storms out , and straight up to Peele's office. Burnside orders Diane, his secretary to follow him to the lift to see where he goes.
Diane " he went up to the sixth" That's management suite.
Burnside " I should blame him , but I can't" In Peel's office.
G " sir, please give me the order not to mobilise my team without your express permission. I can admire Neil Burnside, I really do, but my responsibility is my team"
Peele (sighing) "what's he up to?"
G " he's trying to rescue his man, and I don't blame him"
Gaynes spills the beans, so that plan comes to nought, and time is running out...

On the plane the terrorists have the passengers in silence. There's three of them, two blokes and a woman, fully armed. Karen and Willie are in nearby seats to each other. They have made eye contact. Karen gets up from her seat pretending to need the toilet, passes Willie's seat and drops a note into his hand, a plan perhaps.

Back at the foreign office Burnside makes a final plea to Wellingham.
W: " whatever the government does in a hijacking it can be accused of doing the wrong thing, so safest is to do nothing and hope it all blows over"
B: " because the Turks won't let in the SAS"
W: " No, the Turks have got nowhere in negotiations with these Iraqis. Mainly because they won't talk"
B " are you saying the Turks would let in the SAS!?"
W: " Yes, but the government won't back a raid in case it goes wrong. It could be disastrous politically"
B: " so the argument turns on what's good for the government"
W: " does it ever turn on anything else?"
B: " with a loophole to blame the Turks"
On the plane it's 1800, one terrorist comes over to a seated passenger , it's CGS, Chief of the General staff,
" Sir Thomas Putney, Stand in the aisle, kneel down"
Karen Milner acts like a distressed hysterical woman running forward screaming. That's Willie's cue he stands and fires his gun, Karen swings round and takes another terrorist out, the third runs in.

Willie fires, we end up with three dead terrorists and a grateful load of passengers.
Back at HQ Willie returns, Burnside lies to him, as he told Geoff Ross earlier,
" if Willie believed I wouldn't pull strings , put my job on the line to save him, as I believed of my Director when I was a Sandbagger, it would affect him in future missions, he'd never believe in me again"
Willie enters Burnside's office,
W; " what was the plan?"
B " if CGS had been executed at six the SAS would have been in the air two minutes later, you needn't have worried"
C " I wasn't worried, I knew you'd never let me down"
If only he knew. Peele comes in , congratulating Willie, afterwards Peele turns to Burnside.
P " I felt obliged to tell C of your attempted manipulation of the SPT"
B " Proves a point for me"
P " how!?"
B " decision by committee failed, the cabinet , the most powerful committee failed to come up with a solution, and two agents using their initiative won the day"

Edited March 27 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

S2 E4 A QUESTION OF LOYALTY 
A complex tale starts in Warsaw. Sandbagger #2 Mike Wallace is waiting to pick up defector, Mottica, an expert in particle beam technology, a real bonus for SIS to persuade this guy to work for the British. But Mottica doesn't show up, so Wallace returns to the SIS office in Warsaw, doubling of course as something else, to speak to senior SIS man Wheatley, head of the Polish branch of SIS .
Wheatley " can't understand it, Mottica was ok when we checked him last night"
Wallace explodes with anger,
" you checked him! You leave a defector alone 24 hrs before pick up.Mottica was probably under suspicion and you've led the Poles right to him"
W "we were careful, we drove halfway round Warsaw before checking him"
Wallace. " I don't care if you rowed up and down the Vistula"
Mike decides to try again, and goes to Mottica's flat, but no sign of Mottica, but signs of a struggle. On leaving the flat he runs into the Polish secret service, who provides him with a plane ticket and tells him to get out on the next flight.
Back at HQ Burnside is raged,
B " you blew it Mike, Mottica is in jail Wheatly's told us you went back to rectify the situation armed and ran into the Poles"
W " true ,but Wheatley and his number 2 Sherborne ran a check on Mottica last night. If Mottica had been fingered by the Poles it was SIS to blame and I wanted to rectify things"
Deputy Matthew Peele simply refuses to believe Wheatley would have done such an idiotic thing and suspends Wallace while investigations continue. Burnside says he'll quit immediately if that happens. They go to see C.

'C' agrees Wallace can continue, but as Neil has backed him so vociferously, if the investigation goes against Wallace then Burnside will be fired too.
Phew. And that's just one plot in this episode, the other is in Sweden concerning a potential double agent in SIS.

Peele is going to Warsaw to speak to Wheatley, Burnside is not hopeful and thinks Peele will obviously believe the senior SIS man over Wallace, Peele is slightly put out by this
" Don't forget Neil I was trained in interrogation techniques"
Meantime a problem in Sweden. Pat Bishop, dynamic thrusting, brilliant SIS man is under suspicion of being turned by the Russians. He is the #2 in Stockholm SIS to #1 man Harry Madison, who has evidence that Bishop is secretly meeting British businessman Litman who in turn is infatuated with Swedish girl Gustafson a known KGB agent..Bishop and Litman are meeting in parks, passing envelopes, and Litman is passing it on to Gustafson who in turn is linked to Moscow. Burnside sends Wallace, as much as anything to prove his loyalty and faith to Wallace.
In a coded message from Stockholm Wallace confirms that it's a straight A to B to C route and then on to D ,Moscow. Burnside wonders why B is involved at all, why not A to C , Bishop to Gustafson, and more importantly what is travelling along the route. Burnside goes to see mate Geoff Ross to see if he can borrow Karen Milner to support Mike in Stockholm.
Ross agrees on condition Neil briefs Karen over dinner.
Ross " just helping you out old buddy, you need to relax more"
Burnside reluctantly agrees.
The dinner doesn't go well,
Burnside. " I have a potential double agent in Stockholm, my #2 sandbagger might be fired, and I'm taking you to dinner because I'm undermanned and Geoff forced me to"
Karen " what are you drinking , coke or vinegar?"

Next morning in a phone call Burnside is told the CIA won't let Karen go to Stockholm.
" B!TCH!" says Burnside slamming down the phone.
Willie "not her fault boss if Washington says no"
B " use your head Willie, little Miss Muffet went back to Geoff and said no to the assignment. I'm sending you"
Willie and Mike in Stockholm, one follows Litman the other Bishop. Litman keeps a meeting in the park but Bishop fails to show. The question is what alerted Bishop, does he know he's under suspicion?
Karen has followed Burnside on his lunch break to Westminster Bridge, they talk.
Karen is interested in the outcome and knows Willie is in Sweden. She claims she wanted to go, but genuinely the CIA in Washington refused, and pointedly she says, " Geoff would not be happy me talking to you. Think on that"
Burnside pieces it together and tells C.
" I think Bishop is a CIA agent. I don't mean he's switched, but CIA recruited, an attempt by them to infiltrate SIS, Bishop was using Litman to put distance between himself and Gustafson. One day he could be deputy chief, he's that good, then all that UK eyes only material becomes US/UK eyes"

C " so what is Bishop feeding Gustafson?"
B " fake CIA information backed by genuine SIS goodies to authenticate himself"
C " it's incredible. What can we do?. We need the special relationship, we can't risk that just to show them how clever we are. But he must be stopped. Are positive about all this?"
B " sure, Karen Milner gave me a clue. She said Ross wouldn't like her talking to me about it. Ross must have queried Washington about Karen not being allowed to help us, and they told him about Bishop. What we must do is find a reason to fire Bishop without alerting the Americans that we know who he really is"
Burnside checks up Bishop's file and gets an angle.
An awkward conversation with Ross, at CIA LONDON office ,
Burnside" we know Bishop was born Canadian, studied in the States, then returned to Canada to join their civil service. Now Canada is desperate to join the big league of intelligence, it all fits. It'll be too embarrassing to accuse the Canadians , so we'll ask Bishop to go quietly, put it down to experience"
Ross " er.. thanks Neil for telling me"
Brilliant bit of acting here by Bob Sherman, that above line said in a way that conveys that Ross knows that Neil knows the truth and Neil is telling his buddy without actually saying it.
Meantime, back to our original thread. Peele in Warsaw being wined and dined by slimy Wheatly and given a tour of the city. Peele apparently agreeing with Wheatley and his disparaging remarks about the dreadful Burnside.
On return Peele summons Neil to his office,
" I've no doubt at all Wheatley was lying about the check on Mottica. The man is desperate for promotion and will sell out his own grandmother let alone Wallace..Wallace is cleared"
Finally in Burnside's office ,
Willie " It took a lot of guts for Karen to tell you that , it wasn't exactly selling her agent out, but it gave SIS a chance. Nice to think any CIA agent would care "
Burnside " she's a stupid b####. Put sentiment above her job"
Willie " Jesus!! Why are you saying that. I wonder how much of you died in Berlin last year. Why do you resent Karen Milner?"
B " Because she's still alive!"

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

S2 E5 IT COULDN'T HAPPEN HERE
In West Virginia USA, a Senator Heron riding on his horse on his ranch, dismounts at the house , greeted by his wife. A shot rings out. A sniper's bullet, Heron.assassinated.
In London Ross and Burnside discuss the shooting
Ross " of course it was the FBI, just as they got King and JFK. Heron was publishing a paper recommending curtailment of secret service powers.Maybe they didn't actually pull the trigger, but I bet they paid for the service"
Burnside "makes you wonder, when or if a service, like the FBI, CIA or even us are justified in taking a life without orders to safeguard the country. Well thank God it couldn't happen here"
In a snowy Germany ,SIS minor employee Joan Wyatt is on holiday with a George Stratford-Baker, a cabinet politician . Their car crashes into a tree, Joan in the passenger seat dies, but Stratford -Baker groggily gets out, pulls her body across to the drivers seat, and then scarpers.
Burnside hears about this, and starts the investigation. The German police report states that Joan wasn't driving, the positioning of the drivers chair meant Joan couldn't have reached the pedals. Someone abandoned her. A little digging up gossip in her office reveals she had an important man friend in government. Going through her belongings in Germany a photo of Stratford -Baker is discovered. Burnside is puzzled, Joan was single as is Stratford -Baker, so why should he abandon her in the hope no one would know of his connection with her.
Meantime Willie and Mike have been asked by the US president to liaise with American secret service at senator Heron's funeral.
Ross to Burnside. " typical! The president doesn't trust the FBI and we in the CIA get tarnished as well..Any idea what they'll be doing?"
B " Willie will bodyguard the new senator replacing Heron , Donald O'Shea"
Ross " tough assignment"

Burnside asks Ross to find any information on Stratford -Baker.
The following day,
Ross " Investigation into him coughed up a whole load of nastiness..Joined the communist party after university, wrote several papers on social revolution, went to Moscow made contact with a known KGB agent. Then suddenly nothing , a complete change. Went into the army, then politics. Now with your boys Stateside and Stratford -Baker away, I got Karen here to do over his posh flat"
Karen Milner " under the sink I found a secret compartment with micro dotting equipment , in the desk hidden under some newspapers was a letter from your C to the admiralty about British ships and planned visits to Russian harbours"
Burnside" from Joan Wyatt I presume, helping her boyfriends career"
Ross " looks like you got a KGB sympathizer at least in your cabinet."
What can be done?

Burnside tells C his findings.
C " don't move against Stratford -Baker Neil, you could be in deep water,and I might not be here to save you"
B " why sir"
C " even C's have to retire sometime "
In Virginia the funeral of Heron takes place. Willie gives O'Shea specific instructions about getting out the limo and staying close to him, but the Senator doesn't listen, steps away and toward the crowd and a sniper gets him.
Willie and the doomed O'Shea.

Meantime C, Wellingham and Burnside are at the F O.
Burnside" you can't tell me the prime minister knows he has a KGB agent in his cabinet and ignores it!?"
W " he's done exactly that for years. No one has ever seen Stratford -Baker pass anything to any agent, so the PM chooses to ignore it. If he sacked him and it all came out, he'd have to go too"
C " Have to give up everything he has ever worked for all his career"
B " do you mind if I contact Stratford - Baker, privately, try to scare him off?"
W " I've suddenly gone deaf, what about you James?"
C " what was that Geoffrey?"
Burnside intercepts S-B in Hyde park.

B " I'm Joan Wyatt 's boss. I'm investigating why a British cabinet minister abandoned her body after smashing his car into a tree "
SB " where was this?"
B " Germany"
SB " perhaps you should speak to the German police"
B " try that again and I'll smash you into a tree"
SB " perhaps I should call the British police now"
B " do that, and I'll tell them about a cabinet minister with KGB connections. A micro dotting set up under his kitchen sink"
SB " people have the strangest hobbies"
B " and a letter from C in your desk"
SB " yes it's amazing what I get sent anonymously."

B " we'll also tell the PM"
SB " the PM knows the security services hate me because I'm so forthright about them "
B " and the newspapers"
SB " the papers have had so called stories about me for twenty years. Now can I go? Without being smashed into a tree. Nice to chatter"
Burnside recorded that conversation and plays it back to Wellingham
W " leave it alone Neil, he's not worth risking your career"
B " that's what deputy Peele said when I played it to him"
W " take note , you and Peele Will have to get on soon , C has angina and will soon leave. The thought of Stratford -Baker becoming PM fills me with dread though. I wonder what the FBI or CIA would do?"
B " mmm, yes , and I told Ross it couldn't happen here"
Willie Caine is back full of remorse for not saving O'shea, and is up to speed on the Stratford -Baker situation.
C " let me do it. I know you want to"
B " Stratford -Baker is passing through Singapore next month and head of station Lim owes us a favour"
Caine " Lim has good people, he'll help us , however we do it"
Burnside. " your trouble Willie, you have no sense of occasion. There can be only one way we do it....car crash!"
An interesting story, made in1979 when Britain had a labour government. Now Jeremy Corbyn is now about 70, so he would have been about 30 in '79, and already noticeable in the labour movement. I wonder....the actor playing Stratford -Baker isn't like as Corbyn was then, but a younger version of what he looks like now! 

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

S2 E6 OPERATION KINGMAKER 

C , James Greenlee has a heart attack, is in hospital and isn't coming back. A new C must be appointed. The Foreign Secretary will make the final decision, but Wellingham's recommendation will be crucial.
Caine " I tell you who it might be. John Tower-Gibbs. An SIS man with good connections, previously head of station at Bonn and Washington, now on the powerful Intelligence Committee"
Burnside" yes I forgot about him, I'm sure he hasn't forgotten me. If he became C he'll probably transfer me to Antarctica"
C " argument you had when you were a Sandbagger ?"
B " yep, damn! I'd rather have Peele, at least we can handle him"
Later in Burnside's office with both Willie and Mike,
B " this is an unofficial job, but I want as much professionalism from from you as if it was a normal assignment. A man named Tower -Gibbs is in the running to be the new C, it's important to me he doesn't get it, so we'll put an obstacle or two in his way and give a boost to Peele. Willie get over to the F.O. find out discreetly what Wellingham is into at present, if there's something we can use, I'll invite Peele to dinner this evening with Wellingham and coach Peele on it on the way over in the taxi, without him realising of course. Mike find out all you can about Tower-Gibbs, dig in security archives in the basement"
Mike Wallace. " what am I looking for sir?"
B " preferably that in his youth he did a bank job and blew away an old lady! Failing that any misdemeanor we could use"
There's going to be another change of personnel, Diane , Neil's trusty secretary announces she's leaving to get married.She personally found her replacement though, Marianne Straker, a girl who works in security archives, the only one brave enough to volunteer for the job of Burnside's gofer/secretary.
All these manoeuvrings of course a sackable offence, if Burnside gets caught.

• 

Peele saunters into Burnside's office looking perky and in good spirits.
P " ah Neil, I was thinking, perhaps we ought to try and get on better, how about dinner at my club tonight?"
B " okay Sir, perhaps I can call Wellingham to join us"
P " fine, that would be wonderful , I'll pay"
B " presentationally I think I better pay, in case Wellingham thinks you're angling for a new job"
P " the new C? Hadn't crossed my mind!"
B " but it would have crossed Wellingham's"
P " okay Neil, I'll leave it to you"
After Peele leaves Willie comes in.
B" Peele just invited me to dinner ostensibly to bury the hatchet"
W " sounds unlikely"
B " I suggested inviting Wellingham, Peele almost wet himself at the thought"
W " ah, if he really wanted to bury the hatchet he wouldn't want Wellingham there"
Willie reveals he found out that Wellingham is worried about Malta, in respect of Russian manoeuvrings in the Mediterranean.
B " okay I think I can teach that to Peele, if I speak slowly enough"
W " Wellingham will know what you're up to "
B " of course! But he is evil enough to come along for the sheer hell of it"
Mike comes up trumps too, apparently Tower-Gibbs first posting in Denmark ended abruptly after three months, he was sent home in disgrace. The new secretary impresses on her first day by revealing her knowledge of top secret files in the archive section, apparently Tower -Gibbs had an affair with a Danish politician's wife. Burnside ecstatic with developments. In the taxi that evening with Peele,
B " sir you must be as worried as I am about Malta?"
P " in what way?"

B " if the Russians topple Mintoff in Malta they get their hands on the Med"
P " and if they take over Portsmouth they get their hands on the English Channel, but it won't happen"
B " I'm disappointed you feel like that sir, Wellingham doesn't agree"
Peele's ears p rick up, " oh Wellingham, I see"
Sure enough at dinner Peele pipes up with " of course Sir Geoffrey we must keep tabs on Malta the Russians have their eye on that"
W " how perceptive of you Matthew"
Burnside can hardly contain a little smile. Things are going well.
The next day outside HQ as Burnside enters the building John Tower-Gibbs is leaving.
TG " Burnside, funny I was talking about you last night with Sir Geoffrey Wellingham"
B " I thought I felt my ears burning"
TG " well they wouldn't have burnt for very long, you're not exactly what I call a lasting topic of conversation"
B " funny, haven't heard anyone talking about you in years, I thought you were dead"
TG " you'll find I'm very much alive, good day to you"

In Burnside's office Willie Caine is waiting.
B " just bumped into Tower-Gibbs outside, we exchanged unpleasantries, I waited a moment or two to see if he'd get run down, never a bus around when you need one"
Edward Tyler the intelligence director comes in.
T " you wanted to see me Neil?"
B " that paper on Finlandization you're doing?"
W " on what!!?"
T " Russian and Finnish joint military manoeuvres. The Scandinavians, including some in the Finnish parliament getting jumpy"
B " because of the Northern flank?"
T " right. We think it's Russian psychological warfare "
B "aimed at who?"
T " Norway, over the disputed sovereignty on Spitsbergen Island. Russians giving a warning "
B " yes, well can you give me the paper, I want to hand it to Ross"
T " the CIA! whatever for?"
B " John Tower Gibbs, who may be our next C"
T " very likely I think"
B " he's done a paper suggesting we loosen our relationship with the CIA"
T " yes I've seen it, his arguments are persuasive"
B " they always are, but if the CIA can present the paper as theirs to the F.O..."
T " I'll have a lot of unhappy staff"
B " I'm trying to save the special relationship"
T " okay Neil, but you owe me, big time"
At the CIA headquarters Geoff Ross reads the paper.
R " okay Neil I'll get it typed out, after translating it to proper American English"
B " anything on Tower-Gibbs?"
R " I checked for you old buddy, he spent two years in Washington, nothing, not even a parking ticket. He complained a lot about the sloppy CIA, but that's it. In other words he was a right royal pain in the a rse but nothing else"

 

Last edited: Oct 17, 2021

 

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Next day in Wellingham 's office,
W " I was impressed with Peele, I still think Tower-Gibbs would be a good C"
Burnside" yes, pity about Copenhagen"
W " what about it"
B " there's a rumour that Tower Gibbs can't return there because of a dalliance with a politician 's wife"
W " and you want Peele because you can control him?"
B " no no, you'll find Peele is a lot tougher these days, with a mind of his own"
W " okay Neil, I have no objection to Peele, and he is the deputy"
B " exactly, good for morale in the service if he is promoted to top job"
W " okay.But are you sure? Once my recommendation goes upwards there's no turning back"
Burnside returns to HQ triumphant " the king is dead long live the king!"
Caine hands Burnside a letter from Peele , " I hope you realise what you've just done"
Burnside reads it " I'LL KILL HIM"
Burnside bursts into Peele's office waving the letter,
B " I want you to withdraw this"
P " that's no way to address me!" Peele in smug mode.
B " you're no more in favour of SIS merging with MI5 than I am"
P " if I have the good fortune to be named the new C I want to leave my mark. I'm aware they'll be opposition to the proposal but it would streamline the organization pool expertise"
B " it would destroy 70 years of hard work, create divisions inside one organization instead of rivalry between two, the Kremlin would declare you a hero of Russia!" Burnside storms out.

At the F.O,
Wellingham " this had better be important Neil, I had to cancel a meeting for this chat"
Burnside" I've made a mistake sir ,Peele can't handle being C, the thought of it is making him power drunk. "
W " I told you once my recommendation went upwards that's it, now you want me to make a fool of myself"
B " I think you ought to know, no one knows about Tower-Gibbs in Copenhagen I got that from a security file, and I found out about your interest in Malta and coached Peele on it, and there's a proposal on its way to you from Peele advocating the merger of SIS and MI5"
W " what you're saying is that through your double dealing and meddling you've saddled the service with the wrong man. And Tower-Gibbs would make the better C?"
B " I admit it Sir"
W " then remember that, the decision to appoint Tower-Gibbs was made at noon today"
B " I don't understand sir"
W " as it's a day for honesty I'll tell you this. I knew about Copenhagen because Tower-Gibbs admitted it to me personally, and I was suspicious of Peele as soon as Malta came up at dinner. But I wasn't sure, so I wanted to test Peele to make sure. So I telephoned Peele, now what is the single most outrageous thing to suggest to any SIS man, a merger with MI5,so I told him I'm in favour, which I'm not, and you told me he had a mind of his own"
B " you told him to write the proposal?"
W " he probably started writing it while still on the phone. But to avoid any damage I told him to send the original to me and copies to you and D Int,
my copy is in the wastepaper basket, I suggest you accord a similar fate to yours."
B " do you want my resignation sir?"
W " and save you from suffering under Tower -Gibbs. No, serves you right. Two things before you go Neil, one I've played this game longer than you, don't forget it in future, and two, if you try this again you will be looking for a new job"
Burnside totally out manoeuvred by Wellingham leaves, not a happy man.

A chastened Burnside leaves the building and walks straight into Tower -Gibbs.
TG " well well Burnside, I want to see you 10.30 tomorrow morning, in C's office"
B " oh what a pity I'll be out visiting James Greenlee in hospital"
TG " not exactly your usual image,flowers at the bedside"
B " I'm practicing. I hope one day to lay a wreathe for you!!"
TG (shouting) " Burnside, from tomorrow that sort of remark will cost you your job"
B " thanks for the warning, awfully decent of you"

 

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

           SERIES 3

S3E1 ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE (in depth)

 

Edward Tyler, Intelligence director pops his head into Burnside's office.
Ty " spare thirty seconds Neil"
B " for the intelligence director a whole minute "
Ty " the intelligence director is on the horns of a somewhat unusual dilemma. You're still friends with Geoff Ross?"
B " yes , as a matter of fact we're having lunch together "
Ty " his wife is currently the subject of an MI5 investigation"
B " what?!"
Ty " according to my contact it's an official investigation, I can't get at the reason "
B " if the CIA find out the wife of their station chief ..."
Ty " I know but 5 wouldn't move against her without some good reason "
B " what the hell is she supposed to have done? Borrowed a copy of Karl Marx from the library"
Ty " I share your reservations about 5 and your respect for the CIA, but Neil you mustn't alert Ross, our loyalty must be to the British firm "
B " okay thanks Edward "
Ty " what she like, Jenny Ross?"
B " perfectly normal as for as I know "
Ty " then 5 must know something you don't "
Sandbaggers Willie Caine and Mike Wallace enter, Burnside brings them up to speed on revelations just given.
B " quite rightly D Int has asked us not to move against 5 in favour of the CIA"
Willie " except the CIA is much more valuable to us than 5"
Mike " the special relationship "
B " exactly, so we need to know what's happening before we decide which way to jump. Willie pick her up, follow her"
W " okay I don't think she'll recognize me"
B " remember 5 are sitting in on this"
W " yes, I better not be seen in more than one location "
B " if she moves, radio in and Mike can take over "
Willie leaves, Mike Wallace Sandbagger no.2 stays behind,
M " sir I have a friend in MI5"
B " oh?"
M " we meet occasionally, for a drink and exchange gossip, I could arrange to meet him for a drink see what I can find out"
B " okay Mike, but be careful "
Willie trails Jenny Ross to a park where she meets a tall man, thirties, moustache, suave and smart suited. They walk hand in hand and end up in a restaurant for lunch.
After lunch they go separate ways, Willie follows the man , but loses him as the guy unexpectedly runs across road dodging traffic and jumps on a bus.
Roy Marsden is Burnside

Burnside goes to the Foreign Office to speak to Sir Geoffrey Wellingham, Permanent Under Secretary and his ex father in law. Recently proposals have been put forward to close the Caribbean station of SIS to reduce costs. Neil of course isn't happy.
W " how you getting on with the Caribbean problem?"
B " I'm not, but this cost cutting is a trend we must reverse "
W " difficult, there's no money in the kitty, the government are committed to reducing public spending"
B " if we keep cutting back we'll lose standing in the intelligence community and have nothing to trade with the Americans "
W " now , I have a problem, a little less well defined but interesting nevertheless "
B " go on"
W" last night at dinner my opposite number in the Home Office was trying to pump me without making it obvious and failed dismally "
B " what did he want to know? "
W " all about but the special relationship with the CIA. Question is for whom was he doing the pumping? "
B " MI5, something's going on. 5 are taking an unusual amount of interest in the CIA"
W " to what end"
B " as of yet I don't know"
W " Home Office shouldn't have anything to do with the CIA, they meddle at the first opportunity, I want it stopped Neil, I won't have the Home Office empire building at our expense"
Alan Mcnaughton is Wellingham.

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Willie reports back to Burnside .
Willie " Jenny Ross has a feller, booked at the restaurant as Trevor D'Arcy, rich good looking, sickening. I tried to follow him but he shook me, deliberately or not I don't know. But if he's trained..."
B " D'Arcy may be working for the KGB, gets Jenny into bed, a camera carrying comrade behind the curtains, and Geoff gets to buy the negatives"
W " if he refuses the photos get published Geoff has to resign. Classic KGB they can't lose, at best they get choice CIA material at worst disrupt CIA London get a good man moved"
B " assuming D'Arcy's KGB"
W " what else could he be?"
B " innocent playboy who has pulled a married woman who just happens to be CIA officer's wife"
W " then why are 5 involved "
B "mmm, that's a point, presumably 5 will let D'Arcy get Jenny into bed, then rescue her"
W "put the CIA in 5's debt, makes sense. If 5 are keeping tabs on Jenny or D'Arcy they're good, I couldn't spot them"
B " that doesn't mean anything, they could be using lots of men, working shifts, could take them days "
W " that's the expensive way, meaning D'Arcy is a big fish"
B " it doesn't look good does it "
Ray Lonnen is Willie Caine.

In C' s office: C is the chief of SIS, and not a fan of Burnside, he has recently taken over the role, and is clearly not going to be as accommodating as the previous incumbent. C , John Tower Gibbs and Neil have history.
C "how long does it take you to reply to a letter from the foreign office?"
B " the Caribbean station?"
C " I expect a reply from you within 24 hours "
B " I can give you a holding reply, but the truth is the proposal should have been resisted "
C " it was, by the deputy chief, but he was sent to the Foreign Office meeting badly briefed by his directors "
B " he was briefed not to accept an operational penalty "
C " because your directorate is sacrosanct?"
B " it should be"
C " I'll give you another 24 hours to reply with your constructive ideas for savings, but not a second more. I refuse to look incompetent because of your indecision "
B "it's time you forgot about Bonn sir, it was a disagreement between a Sandbagger and a station chief with no relevance now"
C " you think I bare a grudge?"
B " I know you do"
C " and that's the only reason your work can be criticised ?"
B " I'm not saying that, but if we don't get on the service will suffer"
C "or I could get rid of you"
B " that's the easy way out sir"
C " I agree, so let me put the record straight, your conduct in Bonn could have caused a diplomatic incident and cost me my job as Station chief "
B." But it didn't and I won"
C " that time yes, but next time you put the service at stake we may not be as fortunate. So I intend to keep a close eye on you Burnside until you prove that you've earned my trust or I've exploded the myth and laid you bare for the cowboy I believe you are."
B " may I ask a question sir?"
C " go on"
B " why do you appear to have a preoccupation with safety, it must be very uncomfortable for you in a business like ours "
C " it's never occurred to you that those that play safe live to fight another day?"
B " or seldom get to the battle"
C " that encapsulates the difference in our philosophies "
B " I believe it does sir"
C " unfortunately for you I'm the general here, and this particular army marches to my tune. You have now less than 24 hours to decide on your tactics for the Caribbean campaign "
B " sir"
Dennis Burgess is C.

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Intelligence director Edward Tyler enters Burnside's office.
T " how you doing with the Caribbean problem. You're not going to propose cuts in my directorate I hope"
B ( laughs) " no of course not, I was thinking of closing the Abidjan station "
T " Abidjan?"
B " Ivory Coast "
T " yeah, but we don't have a station in Abidjan "
B " you and I know that but does the Foreign Secretary or the new C"
T " you'll never get away with it!"
B " I don't know, we stall them for a week or two, activate a station in Abidjan then agree to shut it"
T " won't work, Foreign Office approval needed to activate a station."
B " we'll omit them from the application letter"
T " there's an ambassador there, as soon as our lot moved in he'll be firing off signals wanting to know what the hell was going on "
B " well, let's set up independently of the embassy "
T " they'll still find out, when the closure proposals came through they'll want his views, you know how painfully polite the Foreign Office is "
B " there must be somewhere there isn't an ambassador "
T " even if there is, there's no savings in closing a mythical station "
B " I'm not interested in their savings, they'll only spend it on dole money for layabouts "
T " you'd make Atilla the Hun look like a socialist "
B " well does this country want an intelligence service or not"
T " good question, but the answer isn't to close a non existent station, we'll be bowled out and on the dole queue ourselves "
Tyler leaves Mike comes back,
B " how was your drink with your friend "
M " I may be paranoid but I got the distinct impression I was being fed information "
B " go on"
M " I was just about to steer the conversation when he volunteered, quote, into a very interesting surveillance job can't tell you what it is , end quote. And when I joked he was probably targeting us he said, no but you're not that far off"
B " is he normally so forthcoming"
M " no he's not"
B " okay thanks Mike"
Michael Cashman (right) is Mike Wallace.

Burnside's secretary Marianne has delved into the rules regarding closing SIS station . No station can close if it more than 1000 miles from an established " theatre of operations or other station", she has a large map spread out over her desk, Burnside measures the distances from Kingston, unfortunately Kingston can be closed as it's 850 or so miles from Caracas.
Marianne " ironically when we moved it from Nassau to Kingston we moved it within 1000 miles of Caracas, pity we can't quietly move it back"
B " hmm, can't move Kingston no"
At the foreign office,
Wellingham " shift Caracas?! how does one shift the capital city of Venezuela?"
B " on paper"
W " proceed slowly Neil for my benefit"
Burnside relates the rule about closing stations.
B " we'll do a paper saying Caracas is further south, 1020 miles, no that's too pat, 1018 miles "
W " and hope no one checks?!!"
B " why should they check? If our argument is based around a distance we're going to make sure it's an accurate one"
W " but it's a lie"
B " it's an arithmetical error, my calculator needs new batteries"
W " someone here will bowl it out"
B " not if its got your signature on it "
W " but it won't come to me"
B "officially no, but we'll send the original to the foreign secretary with a covering note to you, suggesting you advise the minister to think of something else"
W "I'm not keen"
B " well I wasn't keen to investigate 5 just because you don't get on with your opposite number in the Home Office"
W " oh yes, how's that coming?"
B "Geoff Ross's wife Jenny is having an affair with a Trevor D'Arcy who may be an intelligence agent, 5 know about it and we presume will move in, and rescue her putting CIA in 5's debt."
W " before or after the photographs"
B " good question but we need to stop it before it gets that far"
W " I'd be grateful "
B " how grateful? "
W " .....by 1018 miles"

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Geoff Ross and Neil meet for a lunchtime rendezvous at a steakhouse restaurant.
R " I need a favour Neil"
B " well I didn't have to be taken for lunch"
R " yeah, but it's kind of personal. I think I'm under surveillance, and I don't think it's the Russians "
B " are you sure?"
R " yeah pretty sure, you dont know anything about it?"
B " er..no. how's Jenny"
R " huh"
B " what does that mean?"
R " she's fed up with things in general and me in particular "
B " well you better do something about it"
R " you know what the hours are like in this job, I come home..."
B " and fall asleep in your chair"
R " you got it brother"
B " are things really rough between you"
R " they're not good, sure it'll all work out"
B " hope so"
Bob Sherman is Ross.

That evening Neil meets deputy chief, his immediate boss, Matthew Peele in a Chinese restaurant .
B " evening sir:
P " may I join you"
B " please do sir"
P " have you ordered ?"
B " no, I always have the same thing"
P " that's a pity I was stationed in Hong Kong as you know , bit of an expert in Chinese food"
B " well don't embarrass them by ordering in Cantonese, most of them were probably born and brought up here"
P " oh yes I know"
B " sir, do you have any views on MI5's attitude to the special relationship "
P " with the CIA?"
B " yes sir"
P " in what way?"
B " are they jealous of our free exchange of information for example"
P" oh I'm sure, they don't have the same with the FBI, not to the same extent at least "
B " so if possible they might try to replace us in American affections"
P " that won't be easy for them to replace us, essentially MI5 and the CIA are in different fields of operation."
B " but with enough overlap to make it worthwhile, ..... for MI5"
P " what are you getting at?"
B " there's the odd whisper that 5 are on the move, and it may have something to do with the CIA"
P " now Neil , you mustn't countermove. I don't want their DG coming to C to remind him that SIS has no jurisdiction in the UK"
B " that won't happen "
P " meaning you won't countermove"
B " meaning I won't get caught "
Jerome Willis is Peele.

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Back at HQ the next day ,Willie and Neil in D Ops (Neil) office.
W "Jenny and D'Arcy are stuck into lunch at the posh Parkway Towers, Mike is with them. D'Arcy's trying to chat her into bed, hotel room , she's resisted so far , but I don't think she will for much longer. Now I spotted some joker there, he left so I followed him, and guess where, the American embassy "
B " then what the hells going on!?"
W " if the joker is American he's new to me"
B " what do you mean if"
W " could be 5 pulling us away, their man knows I'm following him, he strolls into the embassy and asks about a visa"
B " except we think 5 are advertising their involvement "
W " right so assume he is American "
B " does that mean Geoff knows about Jenny"
W " not necessarily, if the embassy got a tip about Jenny they might bring in an outsider, save embarrassing Geoff "
B " I wish we knew who D'Arcy is"
W " 5 must know "
B " any evidence of them again?"
W " nope, I don't think they're sitting in"
B " they must be! How else can they rescue her, they need to keep up with developments"
W " if that's what they're doing"
Burnside paces the room anxious,
B " Ross hasn't had much field experience, if he spotted his tail did they show themselves deliberately?"
W " why would they do that"
B " don't know, but I can't get rid of the feeling we're being set up and why should 5 leak their business to us?"
W " it can only be to force us to do what we're doing"
B "which forces us to operate in the UK, 5 never allow us that, I mean I can buy the fact Tyler getting information from a contact, but Tyler and Mike, the same information, two different sources. Too many people are volunteering too much."
W " but why should we be set up?"
B " huh....don't know "
W " I think 5 have got to be conning us for some reason "
B " yes"
W " what are we going to do?"
B " if it looks like D'Arcy is going to get her into bed, I think we should step in and blow it"
W " jeez , you do that and 5 will squeal like stuck pigs"
B " so let them, if 5 have an operation involving the CIA they should tell us."
W " they did, via Tyler and Mike "
B " oh yeah, that's a point...damn "
W " shouldn't we tell Geoff"
B " you mean if he doesn't know already"
W "well if he does and knows we're involved he won't be best pleased we haven't told him anything. Come on let's pull out, we were only in it to protect him, looks like his own people are there now"
B " okay, haven't we enough to occupy us without bothering about what 5 and the CIA are getting up to"
The other problem hopefully dealt with, Neil tells Willie ,
B " we've done the big bluff, saying Kingston is more than 1000 miles from Caracas. The focus is the position of Kingston not Caracas"
W " I see , you get them concentrating on Kingston they take Caracas for granted"
Burnside suddenly looks astonished, Willie knows what he's thinking,
W " yes , I dismissed it as ridiculous too"
B " but we have taken CIA for granted and concentrated on 5"
W " but it makes no more sense the other way round"

B " it would make sense if we forgot Ross is a friend "
W " was Jenny CIA?"
B " My god yes, that's where he met her"
W " hard to believe he'd use his own wife"
B " depends what's at stake, how far he thinks he needs to take it"
W " and D'Arcy? "
B ( into phone) " Edward sorry to interrupt your lunch, can I come up, bring Willie"
T " er..I'll come to you"
B " thanks" ( puts phone down), I'm not sure I want to go down this road, I might not like where it ends up"
Tyler, Intelligence Director comes in,
B " does the name Trevor D'Arcy mean anything?"
T "I hope you've not been digging Neil"
B " we've been digging alright but probably in the wrong direction I suspect. D'Arcy is 5 isn't he?"
T " He's my contact in 5. He gave me the tip. He's your opposite number in 5 , operations director!"
B " two days of chasing our tail and all we had to do was go along the corridor"
W "except we thought he was KGB"
T " KGB?"
B " it's a long story, I'll explain if you can get me a meeting with him"
T " he'll be at lunch now "
B " oh he's at lunch alright, we even know where"
T " off the record "
B " that'll do"
Peter Laird is Tyler.

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Tyler arranges a meet in Hyde Park between D'Arcy and Neil.
D " do you mind if we stroll, I have a large and expensive meal to walk off"
They walk through the park.
Burnside " up to an hour ago I thought 5 were targeting the CIA"
D " That's what you were meant to think"
B " any reason?"
D " given the special relationship between you and the CIA and the unspecial relationship between you and us, if we told you the CIA were targeting us , you'd probably have said good luck to the CIA. By the same token when we let on we were targeting your American friends we knew you'd be outraged and take action"
B " what did you want us to do?"
D " tell Ross his wife was having an affair and 5 were onto it. He'd know his targeting operation had been rumbled, and he'll have to pull out and we know he'd have no time to start another"
B " so what's it all about?"
D " a retired U.S. general in England has a rather strong attraction for small boys. Yes unsavoury isn't it? The KGB have pictures to prove it, and said general has been dishing out our secrets to pay them off.
The President has said previously rather unfortunately what a fine upstanding chap and friend the general is, and the CIA bless them are rather fond of the current President and the President wants it all hushed up"
B " and you won't play ball"
D " normally we would, greater good and all that. But this chap is a child molester and we think should be put away"
B " Ross must be insane!"
D " counterattack against me, quite, but with el presidente breathing down his neck he didn't have a choice, so one day Jenny Chapman, she called herself comes into my life, I never suspected she was CIA.You thought I was KGB, I thought she was, did some checking on her, got a nasty surprise."
B " why did Ross use his wife not some regular CIA officer ?"
D " yeah, I wondered about that. I imagine it was to keep the whole sorry business on a strict need to know basis. You know the CIA and leaks"
B " the whole affair could be in someone's memoirs next week"
D " quite, also it was a touch of Ross genius, Jenny is a housewife, talks like a housewife. She played it magnificently , played me magnificently "
B " shying off when you suggested bed, why didn't you tell her the game was up there and then?"
D "well up to yesterday there was a lot of secret haggling about the fate of the general and we had no idea how long they would go on for, we were afraid of closing Ross's operation against me in case he started up another operation elsewhere but with more success."
B " and yesterday?"

D " the Americans were told to bite on the bullet because we're going to do the general "
B" that's when you involved SIS"
D " we wanted you to bring it out in the open with Ross, scare him off, knowing he couldn't start anything else."
B " a face saving exercise all round"
D " well not exactly , if we let it be known Ross's little operation was doomed from the start, acrimony and embarrassment all round, and we desperately want to be buddies with the CIA"
B " at the expense of good old SIS"
D " all in a good cause"
B " not a lot of honour in our business "
D " honour is for them that can afford it"
B " How early did you get onto it?"
D " not after I had become extremely excited I can tell you. Tonight is the night, I'm supposed to go around to her place for an evening of bliss"
B " attended by a CIA photographer "
D " no I think the whole thing is to be more official, the police are called in and I'm accused of rape"
B " in court they name you as an MI5 officer"
D " or I drop the charges against the general and they drop them against me"
B " there was some CIA joker at the restaurant today"
D " not CIA , FBI, I spotted him, the President I believe personally gave the operation to the CIA, I imagine he was there in the hope Jenny would blow it, prove a point for him"
B " talk about weaving a web!"
D " name of the game, makes the world go round"
B " makes our world go round, presumably you'd like me to play my part and call off Ross"
D " I'd be obliged, soon please, I'm due to be raped at eight o'clock "
B "how would it have gone , PUS to PUS?"
D " home office to foreign office, we don't talk to the White House, bad form. I believe the good Sir Geoffrey was asked to give you a compass heading as it were, point you in the right direction "
B " without telling me the truth "
D "we never tell anyone the truth, bad form too."
John Steiner is D'Arcy.

Edited March 28 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Burnside has an awkward conversation with Ross in his office.
B " you're targeting 5"
R " why would I do that?
B " I don't know or care , you can burn down their headquarters as far as I'm concerned, but I object to being used by you"
R " what did I do?"
B " you told me you were being followed, rubbish, you wouldn't recognise a tail if it wrapped itself around your neck. And all that nonsense about hearing one of them speak English, to point me in the direction of 5"
R " you're crazy"
B " crazy to believe you , waste my sympathy on you"
R " what sympathy "
B " you told me things were rough between you and Jenny, but you used your own wife in the operation, and you were using me so if anything came of your targeting operation I could give evidence that Jenny was dissatisfied with the marriage and might well have been wooed away from you by an MI5 officer "
R " did you talk to 5?"
B " I don't talk to 5 (a lie), and as of now I don't talk to you"
R " two questions, first are you sure 5 haven't connected the operation with the CIA?"
B " I'm sure" (a lie)
R " second, how the hell did you get onto it?"
B " through my concern for you, I ran a check on Jenny just in case your marriage was falling apart and I could help" ( another lie).
R " sorry Neil..."
Burnside has blatantly lied there, Tyler's tip off got him onto it, but if he can make Ross feel more ashamed, good! Might be useful in future if he wants any CIA favours. Also he would rather the CIA , particularly Ross didn't feel they owed 5 anything.

In C's office ; C is by a map on the wall with a ruler in his hand when Neil comes in
B " sir?"
C " the Kingston station will stay open the Foreign Office accepted our arguments"
B " that's good sir"
C hands Burnside the ruler,
C " that's to assist you in your future measuring of maps. I said I'd be keeping a close eye on you. If you tell me the sun is shining I'll take a look out of the window before I believe you. And don't let this victory encourage you , you have no monopoly in deviousness"
B " that's something I've just learned sir"

[HawkMan]

S3 E2 TO HELL WITH JUSTICE ( in depth)

The intelligence director Edward Tyler enters Neil Burnside's office in Central London HQ of SIS.
T " just popped in tell you I'm off to Malta, feel like a few days holiday on the firm."
B " visiting the station?" ( station- SIS office usually masquerading as a normal business).
T " for five minutes yes. Anything I can bring back for you."
B " no just have a good time, give my regards to Len Sheppard and erm.."
T " Bernie Tyndall"
Tyler leaves as Willie Caine , Sandbagger number 1, top field agent comes in,
W " I hear Tyler's off to Malta, holiday?"
B " supposedly"
W " because of that #### up on the Singapore deal"
B " wasn't much of a #### up, still first mistake I've ever known him make"
W " ah..it'll be alright "
B " hope so"
Tyler arrives at sunny Malta and is met by car by Len Sheppard, SIS no. 2 man in Malta.
L" welcome to Malta sir....hotel sir?"
T " yes, the Venetia, just need some sleep"
L " that's what we thought sir, Bernie says we won't expect you to visit us for a day or two sir"
T " thanks Len"
Len drops Tyler off at the hotel and drives off. A minute later he notices Tyler"s raincoat on the back seat, so he turns round and drives back to the Venetia. As Len turns up, Tyler is walking out the hotel arm in arm with a blonde haired young lady.
Some time later Len returns to SIS office to see Bernie Tyndall at his desk working.
T " you're late"
L " has Tyler been in touch"
T " no, ( alarmed) wasn't he at the airport?"
L " yes, I took him to his hotel, then I had to go back ,his raincoat in my car, and found him walking out of the hotel with an extremely dolly bird. So I let him go, then made enquiries and Tyler and dolly bird have adjacent rooms that she booked!"
T " nationality "
L " German "
T " of which persuasion?"
L " East German passport but that could mean anything, name of Margerita Muller, point is Bernie why didn't he tell me, he knows we're not going to pass judgement if he wants to screw around, unless he has something to hide"
T " I don't want to send a signal to London, you better get there personally to report to Burnside "
L " I'm booked on a flight first thing tomorrow "
T " well done, you see if it goes in a signal it'll be official, Burnside will want to deal with this".
Mark Eden is Tyndall

Next day Len is in Burnside's office, and tells him everything.
L " no doubt it was prearranged. He's not a mug, he knows the rules ,have her checked out, or prove that she's already been checked out"
B " what's she like?"
L " I'd crawl back to Malta for her, over broken glass "
B " just what the KGB would use, okay
thanks Len, a Sandbagger might be on the flight back to Malta with you"
L " yes sir any actions required from us "
B " just normal surveillance, nothing that could alert Tyler.
John Alkin is Len Sheppard

Roy Marsden is Burnside.

Willie Caine passes Len in corridor outside, and enters office.
W " just seen Len Sheppard, what's he doing here"
Burnside tells Willie the latest developments.
Burnside. " I know if Tyler's gone over it'll make Philby seem like Snow White"
Willie " oh god it'll mean an assassination. We couldn't let the intelligence director come to trial, it'll destroy our credibility for fifty years. You've got to report this get a sandbagger out there"
B " I know it's stupid but I'm reluctant to throw Tyler to the wolves until I'm certain "
W " yeah, that's stupid"
B " he's done favours for us in the past"
W " that's irrelevant now"
B " it's not! There are times here when D ints and D ops have spent more time fighting each other than taking on the KGB"
W " look, he's failed to report her to the station and broken every rule in the book. He's either mad or he's doubling, either way you must report it"
Burnside doesn't report it, wants to deal privately with this because,
B " he hasn't reported to the station, so even if he's just being stupid over a woman it'll be enough to finish him. Security would have landed a big fish and they'll fry it".
W " his own fault "
B " you and Mike get out there find out what he's doing"
W " okay I won't say no to a few days in the sun. A simple watch on Tyler"
B " no, shut it off Willie"
W " so you do think he'll jump"
B " I don't know what to think"
W " I can't shut the island off on my own, I'll need Mike"
B " you want me to send both sandbaggers without approval?!"
W " afraid so , Mike and Shepherd can keep a watch on Tyler, give me freedom to move around"
B "okay if you hurry you'll make the 12 from Heathrow, Len Shepherd will be on it, he'll give all the details"
Ray Lonnen is Willie Caine.

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

At the Foreign Office Burnside meets Sir Geoffrey Wellingham, under secretary to the Foreign Secretary, and Neil's ex father in law.
Burnside" I've come to you for advice sir, but it must be off the record. I'm telling you rather than Peele or C"
Wellingham" couldn't you get advice from them?"
B " yes but they'd be obliged to take action on this , where as it wouldn't be your immediate concern"
W " I'm intrigued enough to be foolish, go on"
B " I have to accept the possibility that Edward Tyler may be doubling, he's in Malta with a German girl"
W " Tyler?!!if he is it'll sink everyone. Tyler must have seen twice as much classified material as anyone else in HQ, and he'll have retained all of it. Are you sure it couldn't just be innocent, a stolen week of bliss"
B " then why not tell the station, it avoids just this sort of speculation . And anyway, Tyler adores his wife and I don't think he'd go astray"
W " marriages are seldom what they seem. If it is the KGB wouldn't it be to their advantage to keep Tyler where he is in SIS"
B " yes, that's what I'm counting on, the whole thing is inexplicable otherwise "
W " but so is Tyler's behaviour. Neil, find out what he's doing and if he's doubling make a recommendation to assassinate"
B " I'd rather go it alone sir, if I can extricate him from a simple mess over a woman I'll have saved a good officer , but if its sinister the sandbaggers can take him out privately. Then there's little chance of a leak later on . No one will ever know"
W " not even C?, supposing you extricate him from this with nothing more than egg on his face, the service will be saved, and you could afford to report it"
B " but Tyler would still have to go"
W " precisely, and if you have any one person as a rival in the promotion stakes..."
B " as much as I'd like to get ahead of Tyler I'd prefer someone I can work with "
W " quality of life being greater than the glory "
B " exactly "
W " very well but if it all goes wrong and the egg ends up on your face"
B " you'll solve the problem by cutting off my head"
W " and carrying it around Westminster on a pole"
Alan Macnaughtan is Wellingham.

Back at HQ.
Burnside is in the office of Matthew Peele, deputy chief.
P " you're sending the Sandbaggers where?"
B" Malta"
P " why?"
B " Edward Tyler is there, and we've heard a whisper the KGB are there too. Just a bit of protection in case they try a snatch"
P "a snatch?! Since when has the KGB been snatching SIS officers? Anyway I haven't seen a signal go out to Malta warning Tyler"
B " the sandbaggers will warn him "
P " oh I see, you're hoping the KGB will delay things until the sandbaggers get there"
B " they're there now"
P " in which case they must have left this building five hours ago, and it didn't take you five hours to walk from the fifth floor to the sixth. Recall them, that's an order"
B " the sandbaggers have a job to do, I'd rather not tell you what "
P " what's that supposed to mean?"
B " you'd rather not know "
P (shouts)" IN OTHER WORDS AN ILLEGAL OPERATION "
B " It's got Wellingham's unofficial blessing "
P " So, now you're clearing SIS business with your former father in law"
B " I've cleared it with the Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign Office "
P " WELL NOW CLEAR IT WITH ME"
B " I don't want C to know"
P " because C's tough on you, won't let you have your own way"
B " because it could effect Edward 's career"
P " how?"
B" Tyler's met up with a German girl "
P ( blowing out cheeks) "did he report her to the station? "
B " no, and the Sandbaggers are there to see if it's anything sinister"
P " and if it is sinister?"
B " they'll deal with it. By assassination"
P " you cant! Not without approval"
B " I'll take full responsibility."
P " then there's no need to involve me"
B "sir?"
P " if it is an indiscretion on Tyler's part, I'll turn a blind eye. But if you're going to assassinate without approval.."
B " to save the service"
P " even so,no point both of us going to the wall, what I'm saying is if you can deal with it quietly fine. But if it all goes wrong, this conversation never took place, and Neil, don't lie to me in future"
B " I didn't want to involve you Sir, which is what you want"
P " that doesn't affect the principle of it, I've a right to know what's going on "
Geoff Ross, head CIA guy in London operating out of the embassy and friend of Neil, meet at Neil's flat,  Geoff carrying a box of chocolates.

R," it was going to be flowers, but the neighbours might talk. Just a peace offering after our misunderstanding."( last episode)

Burnside seems over his anger at Ross at cooks himself and Geoff breakfast.

R" what is your director of intelligence doing in Malta nibbling the ear of a KGB lady?"
B " are you sure"
R " didn't you know?"
B " I was told she was German "
R " East German passport, not that it makes a hell of a lot of difference "
B "what I don't understand is why he's being so indiscreet, or why if he's defecting hasn't he jumped already, find out for definite who she is Geoff"
R " I'll do what I can, I'll check with Langley ( CIA HQ)"
A real crisis for SIS, and it'll get worse when C finds out.

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

The chief of SIS is John Tower-Gibbs aka "C" A man with no liking for Burnside, who doesn't like Neil's bending the rules approach.
In C's office,
C " where are the sandbaggers?"
B " in Malta sir, backing the station"
C " special operation? "
B " not as such "
C "who authorised their detachment?"
B "I did sir"
C "am I not right in assuming they need my authorisation or that of the deputy chief"
B "I was going to brief the deputy sir, I didn't want to bother you"
C " you're such an accomplished liar I almost find myself believing you. Why didn't you tell me my intelligence director is a major security risk or worse?"
B " we're not sure he is a security risk sir, major or otherwise "
C " any officer of mine who uses service time and money to see a woman abroad is a security risk, he lied to me to get his holiday, he hasn't reported the woman to the station"
B " all of which is very untypical behaviour from the best Intelligence Director we've had in years"
C " I suppose I should be encouraged to see loyalty in someone as selfish as you, but your loyalty is misplaced"
B " I'm not being loyal just careful. If it turns out Tyler is being stupid over a woman you can rap his knuckles, but if he's doubling the sandbaggers are there to deal with it"
C " by which you mean assassination?"
B "made to look like an accident sir"
C " I don't know why but your arrogance never ceases to amaze me. What gives you the power of life and death when you know the Prime Minister's approval is needed for assassination"
B "surely you see the logic sir, if the intelligence director of all people is a double agent, your resignation will be the first of many"
C " oh you're protecting me!"
B " no Sir, the service, and not just its future but its survival"
C " SIS has no warrant for murder"
B " if the sandbaggers get caught they won't embarrass the government"
C " that's not the issue"
B " then what is the issue Sir?"
C " the service has no power to assassinate without clearance"
B " ah right, you want a trial , another Philby!"
C " NO!! nor do I want a service operating outside the rules"
B " there are no rules in this game"
C " yes there are ,rules designed to stop us crossing a line, one side we act for the government, the other side, despite the government."
B " well let's say our game doesn't necessitate their rigid application "
C " it does while I'm C."
B "I was taught that rules were for the obedience of fools and guidance of wise men"
C " that was the old SIS, it's gone for good and time you realised that. Now the sandbaggers are to keep up their surveillance of Tyler until they know what he's doing then intercept him and bring him home "
B " and if he won't come?"
C " then they may use whatever force is necessary to restrain him, and we'll put him on board a private jet in a trunk if need be "
Denis Burgess is " C"

[HawkMan]

Burnside storms into Peele's office,
B "why did you tell C? You're the world's number one yardarm clearer aren't you. It wasn't enough I would have taken the blame, but you had to go snivelling to C"
P " on second thoughts I felt C had a right to know "
B " well, it may have won you a few points but it has lost us our intelligence director "
P " I had hoped C would be more forgiving "
B " how could he be when you brought it officially to his attention "
P " I was worried about an assassination"
B " it may not come to it. Anyway you were more concerned about yourself."
P " don't be insubordinate or you'll be the next to go"
B "There's a lot I have to live with but selling out isn't one of them"
P " what do you mean!?"
B " God save the pension and the knighthood to hell with justice "
Burnside storms out of office.
Jerome Willis is Peele

At the foreign office;
Wellingham " I think C is wrong, Tyler should be assassinated to save the service, but if he took it to Downing Street .."
B " you'd back him "
W " I can't be seen to condone an unofficial assassination, they'd fire me too. I'm willing to see the PM myself, go over C's head"
B " no thanks sir, if the PM said no I'd be in even worse trouble , and anyway I don't think I can hang about while its being debated in Downing Street "
W " so what will you do?"
B " send the Sandbaggers away and do the job myself "
W " will you be able to"
B " it's not that long ago I was a Sandbagger"
W " I meant....Tyler and you ...are quite close aren't you?"
B " I'll manage"
W " you'll be taking a chance assassinating without any form of approval "
B " better chance than Tyler's got and it'll be the best thing for the service and the country sir"
W " how will you explain your absence from the office?"
B " day's illness "
W " risky"
B " not as risky as assassinating without approval"

Geoff Ross turns up at Neil's flat early in the morning.
R " girl identified Valentina Kaselliev KGB, Langley's not sure what's going on, could be you targeting comrade Kaselliev"
B " how about telling Langley that is exactly what we're doing "
R " ah c'mon Neil, the planners have got to be told "
B " how do you make a list of everything Tyler's seen in the last 30 years, it'll take another 30 to compile it. You owe us a favour Geoff"
R " not that big"
B " yes you do, because if you don't help us SIS will be finished and the backlash could destroy the CIA"
R " Tyler will come to trial and Langley will read all about it in the papers"
B " no they won't because Tyler isn't coming back"
R " an accident?"
B " yes, and we'll report it as such to you"
R " and I thought C hated your guts"
B " he does"
R " if you blow it, it really is the end of the line"
Bob Sherman is Geoff Ross. "

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Later that morning Burnside enters his office passing his secretary Marianne Straker.
B " I'm not here today, I'm off sick must have left the phone off the hook"
M " right sir"
B " but in reality I'm going to Malta"
M " and no one must know?"
B " no..if you need to contract me don't do it through the ops room do it from here. I'll be staying at the hotel Verdalla"
Unfortunately in walks C , so secret plans scuppered, but.....
C " Burnside I want you to fly to Malta this morning. "
B " sir?!"
C " you're to take personal charge over there, now vitally there must be nothing that will embarrass our government with the Maltese "
B " we know who the girl is sir , definitely KGB"
C " then we'll both go to Downing Street straight away. "
B " we've always been allowed to assassinate before in self defense, that is what this'll be"
C " bring him home, we'll accept the consequences , is that clear?"
B " sir"
Sue Holderness is Marianne.

Burnside flies to Malta and is met by Mike Wallace sandbagger 2 by car, they drive off.
M ( to walkie talkie) " come in badger this is bunny"
W( voice) " this is badger over"
M " what is your location over"
W " St George park over"
M " roger bunny out, still in central Valletta sir"
B ( withered look) " who allocated the call signs?"
M " Willie sir, I think he reads nursery rhymes in bed "
They arrive at park, and outside gates meet Willie.
W " he's inside with the girl now"
B " anyone looked for any dangerous locations "
M " I did sir, on the south side of the island clifftops rocky terrain easy for anyone to fall"
B " okay you two get lost , meet me back at the hotel"
W " what's going on?"
B " I'm under orders from C not to assassinate, but pressure from Ross to assassinate and I had to agree to keep the CIA out of it, and I can't ask you two to put your careers at risk, so I'll do it myself "
W" to hell with that, if they fire you they can fire me too"
M " and me, I don't want to stay if you two go"
B " don't be stupid Mike, I'm doing this to save the service, and it needs the special section which is you two"
W " boss is right so get going, I'll be with you in 5 minutes "
Mike reluctantly leaves.
B " you too Willie"
W " get stuffed "
B " you won't feel like such a hero when you're out of a job "
W "maybe, but now I've got a job, I'm head of the special section and you're muscling in on my mission "
B " okay wait here, if Tyler slips me stop him, let the girl go"
Michael Cashman is Mike Wallace.
 bed "

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Burnside approaches the couple sitting on a bench.
The girl notices Burnside and goes to leave.
B " bad luck comrade you can't win them all. You'll never get him back to Moscow now"
Girl " is that what you think this is all about". She leaves
Glynis Barber is Kaselliev,
Peter Laird is Tyler.

B " don't run Edward, Willie is outside the entrance"
E " I'm too tired to run. I've been running for 23 years Neil"
B " want to tell me about it?"
E " I had just finished training in '57 posted to Moscow, met a beautiful girl, I loved her, I'd have done anything for her, in the end I did. I needed the money, to buy things for her , hold her. The KGB had photos of the handovers "
B " and when did she disappear?"
E " not long after, just as soon as they had enough on me"
B " why didn't you report it to your head of station?"
E " and started out on life with a stretch in prison, easier said than done "
B " they might have allowed you to triple "
E " I was young but not that young, even then I knew a triple agent had no friends, no trust from anyone, no future "
B " up till a couple of days ago you had a very definite future, you'd have been C one day"
E " I know, higher I progressed in the organisation more it tore me apart "
B " tell me , why did they want you to defect with that future a possibility "
E " oh they didn't, in the old days when I was very afraid I'd give them anything I could lay my hands on. Recently of course I've been giving them less and less. They realised my heart wasn't in it anymore, they decided to cut their losses. Great headlines in Pravda ' Intelligence Director
SIS defects', they've been biting their nails
at my delaying tactics. They want me to live in Moscow. "
B " so why didn't you go"
E " I'd miss Annie too much "
B " we couldn't have held her, she'd be free to join you"
E " Annie ? After what I'd done, betrayed her, the country, the service, she'd have despised me , it would have broken her heart and she would have hated me for it. I felt trapped, I just didn't know what to do"
B " the raincoat left in Sheppard's car?"
E " that was the SIS man in me, just left it on impulse, didn't want the KGB to have it all their own way"
B " you were hoping we'd make your mind up for you. You wanted to be caught"
E " maybe, but now it's an assassination isn't it? Made to look like an accident? I know Willie will do a good job"
B " not Willie, me!"
E " you! I'm sorry Neil "

B " so am I, I wished you'd got away"
E " where to, I've told I've been running for 23 years, suddenly there doesn't seem to be any point , no where to run to,
I've often thought that suicide might be a way out. Trouble is I love Annie, I couldn't bear the thought that she might think I committed suicide because I was unhappy with her. Perhaps she could be told it was a heart attack?"
Tyler pops a pill into his mouth.
E " cyanide, one bite"
B " spit it out for God's sake. C was right I was wrong. He wanted you spared but I argued for assassination."
E ( laughs) " no more than I expected, what I didn't expect is that you'd be making the hit. I owe you more than that"
B " come on I'll take you home"
E " No Neil, let's end it civilised, now walk away from me, and when you're at a distance not to be connected to me. Bye "
B " thanks for making it easy for me"
E " my last service for SIS, goodbye Neil"
Burnside walks away, turns back to look, Tyler is slumped on the park bench dead.
Later,
Willie and Burnside at the side of the hotel pool in their suits "
B" what crime did Tyler actually commit?
something we never ask ourselves, what code did he break"
W " and who says the punishment fits the crime"
B " yes, I thought about that, the reasons he should have lived, the contributions he could have made"
W " perhaps that's what C meant?"
B " maybe and I thought he was being soft and stupid "
W " perhaps you're right too"
B" when you consider it was one mistake 23 years ago "
W " lot of mistakes since"
B " yes but it was the initial one that put him on the treadmill "
W " took a cyanide pill to get him off."
Holiday makers are having fun at the pool, a close by lady jumps in, splashing the two of them.
W " fancy a swim?"
B " don't tell me you're wearing your trunks "
W " I live in hope as the actress said to the bishop "
B (standing and smiling)" I hope you drown "

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

S3 E3 UNUSUAL APPROACH 
Peele and Wellingham are in Rhodes at a conference. C believes Burnside could do with a holiday and sends him to Rhodes too as a bodyguard. This infuriates Neil who believes C hates his guts and would put him up against a wall and cheerfully drive a bus at it. But he has to go.

Geoff Ross sees this as an opportunity to screw SIS, with Willie Caine acting as temporary Director of Operations he asks Willie for a big favour. The CIA have a man injured in Russia, in a southern coastal town , Ross tells Willie the guy is Bob Cheever, a guy who saved Burnside's life in Vietnam. Willie is not too keen as the last sandbagger sent into Russia never came back,( Jake Landy s01e03), but he gets advice from C. Ross has been authorized to offer SIS, a blank cheque for the rescue, whatever they want from the CIA.
Willie " the reason I've taken this as far as you sir, is because it involves Cheever, who saved Mr Burnside in Vietnam"
C " I see, you wouldn't like Mr Burnside to come back to discover you had done nothing to repay the debt. But if I turned it down?"
W " yes sir, I believe the CIA have passed it to us because it's so dodgy. And wish to avoid the likelihood of two CIA officers lost in Russia"
C " but passed with an enormous carrot, this blank cheque business"
W " but if I'm caught..."
C " you? Wallace will have to go, at present he is our only sandbagger. You are D Ops"
W "it's because of Cheever I'm prepared to have a go. But it would be unfair to offload it onto Wallace"
C " are you saying you lack confidence in him, because if you are he has no place in Special Section and we'll get rid of him"
W " no he's a fine officer"
C " okay, brief Wallace and get the CIA input from Ross"
Meantime in Rhodes Burnside, Peele and Wellingham are poolside at their hotel. They have been warned off getting too friendly with the bevvy of bikini clad beauties, the KGB are on the prowl with their agents , females, looking to target conference delegates.

Ross has provided the false passport and clothes for Cheever and Mike Wallace is sent to Russia, but Willie comes up with a brainwave,
W " why not send you in from the north?"
Mike " the north? there's a thousand miles of Russia to the north"
W " so nothing to a plane, you fly down to Kraznadow thirty miles from Sakumi where Cheever is, take a hire car. And bring Cheever out the same way"
Ross " he's injured"
C " so ,Mike will clean him up bandage him. The Russians will never expect this route"
Later in Willie's or more accurately Burnside's office,
Ross, " got to play the smart guy yes! Not satisfied with doing Burnside's job"
W " I told you ,we played it straight last time, it cost us a sandbagger"
R " Jesus Christ!! God knows what the folks back home will say when I tell them"
W " good, perhaps they can do the job, we don't want it"
R " well Willie when your little scheme goes haywire we're going to have a CIA operative on Russian tv admitting he was sent in to kill a General"
W " Mike will get him out"
R " he'd better"
W " or what?"
R " don't play tough with me Willie, if you were that tough you'd be doing the job yourself"
W ( to secretary) Marianne " please escort Mr Ross out, he's leaving now"
Its only after Mike has long left and so too Ross , that Willie looks in detail at Cheever's description and details that Ross provided. They don't match the Bob Cheever that Willie knows.
C " so Ross must have got the idea of using SIS after realising that Mr Burnside wasn't going to be here?"
W " yes, he had no idea I had met Cheever three years ago here in London, before Ross's time. He used Cheever's name to put pressure on us to do the job"
C " in a word Caine, we've been suckered,"
W " I know sir"
C " my fault, I shouldn't have let D Ops go. Everything going ok?"
W " well everything is going fine, the papers passed inspection at Moscow and Kraznadow, Wallace should make contact in Sakumi on time. All we don't know is who he'll find there. It is also possible Sir that they're letting him through because he'll lead them to Cheever or whoever"
C " is that possible?"
W " can't be ruled out Sir"

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

In Rhodes Burnside by the pool , when a lady climbs out and introduces herself. She's Christina Stratos, apparently on holiday.

Burnside amused that the KGB are putting this girl up against him. Two can play at that game. He claims he is happily married, with two kids, ideal blackmail victim..

The next day the two of them go sightseeing together, Burnside playing the husband willing to go astray.

After sharing a meal she suggests her room here in the hotel.
Christina " room 321. if you will give me five minutes to get ready"
B " I can give you the whole night.....comrade. I'm not married or have children. You've targeted the wrong man"
Meantime, in a twist it IS Cheever in the bolthole, injured, shot in the shoulder.
Mike pulls a gun as soon as he enters the flat,
M " hands up, who are you?"
Ch " Bob Cheever, I knew your Neil Burnside pretty well , we had a tough time together in Nam"
M " who is the CIA man in London?"
Ch " Geoff Ross"
M " description?"
Ch " mid thirties, a bit scruffy"
M " okay you're Cheever, so why would the CIA give me a set of bogus papers and passport"

Ch "the clothes you got will fit me, but the passport is of a different guy ,yes, so if you got through , OK, and I'll use my own passport, but if not and the Russians found the passport they'd sure as hell be looking for a guy who wasn't me. And when your capture came through they'd send Bill or Hank from across the border to get me in the confusion of your arrest"
M " hell I was expected to get caught"
Ch " well that's a little harsh, let's say your arrival is a bonus, it's nothing new giving one agent a dummy run to clear the path for another"
M " no wonder Ross wasn't best pleased I came in from the north"
Ch " the north? Perhaps you're right, maybe he was expecting you to get caught. We'll make it son, and I'll screw the company on your behalf"
A little Ross concocted scheme.
Mike and Cheever arrive by car at a roadblock, Russian soldiers approach. Mike hands them a brown envelope with the passports in. The soldiers start giggling and pass the envelope around laughing. Mike , in French apologises and hands another envelope over. The soldiers check the passports and wave them through.
Cheever opens the first envelope and sees porno pictures.
Ch " son you are a genius "
M " it was Sandbagger one's idea. How's the shoulder, will you be able to get by at the airport "
Ch " yeah, so long as they don't ask me to tap dance "
At HQ,
C " Ross mustn't get away with this Caine"
W " he won't sir, time to recall Mr Burnside sir?"
Burnside packing his suitcase happy to be going , leaving Peele and Wellingham for a further few days in Rhodes. No need to worry about the KGB, local SIS man Philip Skinner tells Burnside,
" we're in the clear they're going for the Dutch"
B " a KGB beauty had a go at me though"
S "surprised she had the chance with Christina keeping you busy"
B ( with a sinking feeling) " who is she?
S " Greek intelligence, she's on holiday"
B " I see". Burnside smiles ruefully at the missed opportunity.
At the poolside Burnside says his goodbyes to Peele and Wellingham, Christina Stratos brushes passed in a huff.
P " hello Neil, you've not been forcing your attention on her I hope"
B " as a matter of fact she spent the time talking about you"
P " me?"
B " yes sir , seems she prefers the more mature man"
Wellingham " I wonder if she has a sister?"
B " or a mother!"

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

S3 E4 MY NAME IS ANNA WISEMAN

Burnside in a Brussels park meets English woman Anna Wiseman.
B "confirmed?"
AW " confirmed"
B " how long?"
AW " Doctor said under a year"
B " I'm sorry. Still want to go through with it?"
AW " yes , if my life is to have any meaning I must"
B " I'll be in touch"

Back in HQ London, C is away at a conference so Peele is in charge. Burnside is quite happy with this , it's easier to hoodwink him than C.
B " does the name Anna Wiseman mean anything to you Willie?
W " wasn't she secretary to Peele's predecessor, sacked five years ago for a misdemeanor"
B " yes, well one day she came to see me, said she wanted to be a sleeper, and asked how to go about it. Firstly I told her to leave here, preferably by being fired, she did, one week later she was gone. She disappeared to the continent, ended up in NATO HQ secretarial work. Recently she contacted me again, she has convinced a Russian named Theodore Solidovnekov that's she's in love with him, and wants to live in Moscow when he retires in two weeks."
W " so green light for her apparent defection"
B " yes, but I'm in the market for something plausible to sell to Peele"
W " you mean she doesn't know what she wants to do!?"
B " she knows exactly, and I approve"
W " so you're telling her to do one thing and Peele that she's doing something else"
B " I've no choice, if I tell him the truth he's bound to veto it"
C "what's her speciality?"
B " languages"
C " how about Gagzina, the KGB finishing school, if she could get in there, sow discontent among the students"
B " yes I think Peele would go for that"
Burnside has explained it all to Peele in his office.
P " Gagzina, her target, hmmm, can she get in there?"
B " we know the KGB put defectors to work. Her language skills would be useful to them, get her to teach the students about the English way of life"
P " presumably she'll need a meal ticket or the Russians will get suspicious"
B " she suggests a NATO document rated official secret"
P " we'll have to get their permission"
B " that's not possible sir"
P " are you suggesting she steals a NATO document. We're skating on thin ice Neil. Leave it with me, I'll think about it overnight, give you my verdict in the morning"

The next morning it's bad news,
Peele " sorry Neil I've decided to cancel the operation. I've discussed it with the intelligence director and he agrees with me, she is 53, by the time she ends up anywhere we can use her she'll be too old. Also I'm not prepared to sanction the theft of a NATO document and that's final"
B " she gave up a career in SIS, worked her way into NATO, because she believes this is how she can best contribute, and now we say " oh sorry changed our minds', and all that dedication goes to waste"
P " sorry Neil, but she totally untrained to withstand interrogation, if the KGB rumble her we'll have front page headlines in Pravda, ' UK plant spy ', undermine our standing in NATO"
B " she believes she can still use that to our advantage. On trial she would speak out on the treatment of dissidents in Russia"
P " (shouts) I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THAT HOBBY HORSE, SIS have no brief in the area of dissidents. If you think making sympathetic noises about dissidents is going to make any difference.."
B " I'm talking about arming dissident movements, the Polish free army, the Czech peoples army, the Russians aren't afraid of our military strength, its collapse will come from within"
P " I'm sorry Neil, this operation must stop. Contact her and cancel, clear?"
B " clear sir"

 

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

Back in his office.
Willie " did you by any chance tell Tyler of her plans to be a sleeper?"
B " yes, so what?"
W " at a time when he was handing over stuff to the Russians as fast as he could. So her cover is blown already"
B " yes, I just wanted to see if it occurred to you, because if it didn't it was unlikely it would occur to anyone else "
W " so she's going there with her cover blown already and with no training to withstand interrogation"
B " she knows that, she wants a trial,imprisonment, and she even wants psychiatric treatment"
W " she needs it!"
B " she has cancer, less than a year to live. She plans to stand up publicly and speak out at her trial about the dissident movement and to inspire dissidents everywhere. I think it could be an invaluable a tool, if she can start rumblings behind the iron curtain, we don't know where it could end up"
W " surely she didn't know she had cancer when she first approached you "
B " no at first she just wanted to be a sleeper, the cancer is a recent development "
W " if there's so much to gain why not tell Peele the truth, show your hand"
B " he has a blind spot, he feels SIS has no duty to back the dissident movement"
Burnside picks up the phone to sandbagger #2 " Mike come up"
B " I'm going ahead with the plan privately. We have to make her defection spectacular to make waves in Russia. I'm sending Mike because he's a better shot"
W " whoa, you're going to knock her over"
B " not quite"
W " a near miss?"
B "yes"
W " you're going too far now"
B " it'll. work I'm sure"

Mike isn' thappy and tells Willie in the privacy of the Sandbaggers office.
M " I'm being Muggins again aren't I? Doing the dirty work"
W " if you want to argue the toss "
M " I just wish I was told the truth. The jobs unofficial isn't it?"
W " makes no difference if the jobs been authorised or not, if you get caught, tough, you're on your own"
W " if it's any comfort to you, you were chosen because you're the better shot, make you feel happier ?"

(Mike waiting to shoot Anna Wiseman)

After briefing Mike is sent to Brussels. The next day as arranged, Anna knows what's coming, she is walking arm in arm with Theodore, her supposed boyfriend, out of her block of flats into a waiting car sent by the Russian embassy , Mike in the block opposite with a telescopic rifle fires, first shot gets her in the shoulder, second goes harmlessly in and out of the car ,exactly as planned.

The car speeds off to the airport. Anna gets away with Theodore., her coat covering the blood-soaked shoulder, and onto an aeroflot flight to Moscow.
C has returned and Peele explains his actions. Burnside enters with a cassette tape and gives it to C.
C " I hope for your sake Burnside that those shots in Brussels weren't fired from one of our men"
B " ah no sir, we would not have missed"
C "what's on the tape?"
B " it's Anna Wiseman's statement, she said we can play it on the BBC world service if we think it'll be useful. It's an impressive document " C places it in his tape player . They all listen.
" my name is Anna Wiseman, by the time you're listening to this I will have been arrested and charged with crimes against Russia. This was always my intention......to the people who labour under the communist regime, listen to that voice that speaks from the heart. The voice that cries for freedom, whisper it to your children from an early age. Don't let the flame die, that innate desire to be free.......to the leaders of Russia I say this, listen to the people standing day after day in a queue with their grievances at the Central Committee, these people whose revolution you claim to perpetuate, listen to them or you will be swept away from power......finally I speak to you the people of the West. Your freedom is a precious gift, if you do not guard it well you will lose it, use your vote, otherwise you will yourselves be slaves one day to a regime that accepts no criticism of itself and will suffer under the yolk of repression as the people of Russia suffer now...remember me . My name is Anna Wiseman."

Edited March 29 by HawkMan

[HawkMan]

S3 E5 SOMETIMES WE PLAY DIRTY TOO 
Robert Banks is a successful British business man, rich , self made, who runs ACI, a company involved in high tech equipment, selling mostly to Eastern Europe. In fact very few westerners had more access to sensitive areas behind the iron curtain than him. Not that the communists particularly wanted him , but they bought a lot of ACI goods and needed him to do deals with. Banks out of loyalty or devilment worked on the side for JIB, Joint Intelligence Bureau, a European wide intelligence gathering service. Whenever Banks noticed something that he thought might interest JIB he'd pass it on. And now he is dead! Smashed to pieces in a car crash. The head of JIB, Morris in London asks to see Burnside.
M " we're not happy Neil, something is fishy. Robert was such a likeable man friends everywhere, yet he goes to a party alone, leaves alone at 2 in the morning, and crashes into of all immovable things a tree"
Burnside. " even if the Russians didn't suspect his JIB activity I bet the Czechs did, how long had he been living in Prague?"
M " about four years, the Czech authorities are being unduly helpful, sending the body back quickly and not even asking compensation for a smashed telephone kiosk, which is unusual"
In C's office,
C " you want an autopsy? you don't think it is Banks do you?"
B " well I think we ought to make sure. And I'd like to send a sandbagger sir"
C " okay, if you're not completely satisfied after the autopsy, and if you think it's worth whatever it costs the taxpayer, then a sandbagger may go to Prague"
The autopsy confirms the cause of death, hurled through a windscreen at fast speed, but the body is no more than 30, and Banks is 45. Willie Caine is despatched. Willie in Prague at ACI HQ meets Banks's PA, a British girl, Linda, who knew about his JIB sideline, also tells Willie of a Marouska Horochova, a Czech girl having an affair with Banks. Interrogation of the guy who threw the party by Willie leads to an obvious conclusion. The guy speaks in broken English.
Yannik " the body all broken, head all damage from windscreen"
W " how did you identify the body"
Y " from ring on finger, also clothes he wore from party"
It seems Banks is still alive. Willie of course says nothing to anyone, any of the ACI employees could be Czech secret police. The hunt for Banks starts.

Mrs Banks is in England, she came back two days before the car crash to put the couples children in a new boarding school. Burnside has checking done on Mrs Banks and puzzled at why she's booked to go back to Prague on a flight when her husband 's body is in England. He calls at the family home.
Willie has reported about Marouska Horochova and Geoff Ross has info for Burnside,
R " we know all about her, they say every woman is sitting on a fortune, she's been cashing in on hers"
B " she's KGB?"
R " not exactly, Czech SSD,not that it makes much difference"
Armed with all this Burnside confronts Mrs Banks.
B " My name is Burnside, ACI legal department, my condolences"
MB " really Mr Burnside I'm no fool, the only Burnside in ACI is female. So lets not play games. You're JIB I presume?"

B " erm..yes. Why are you flying back to Prague when your husbands body is here?"
MB " Didn't it occur to you as strange Robert had that accident when I had left to put our children in their new school"
B " you know about Marouska?"
MB " yes , at first she met Robert occasionally, then later she was at all ACI functions, I knew what would happen, Robert in a way is very naive gentle man, he fell for her"
B " you know she's secret police"
MB " oh yes, Robert did too, but gradually she turned him as you would say in your business. To be frank Mr Burnside I don't believe Robert is dead, and neither do you"
B " why are you returning to Prague?"
MB " I'll offer Robert a divorce, if he and Morouska leave Czechoslovakia and live in the west, if he refuses I'll kill her!"
B " do you have any photos of Robert with Marouska in them?"
MB " oh yes, she's in most of the photos of ACI functions"
B " then I believe I can save you a journey"
MB " you see Robert doesn't see it as defecting, just living with the woman he loves"
Back at HQ Burnside gets in touch with the the photographic department,he has a job for them.

 

Willie goes to the embassy to collect the envelope Burnside has sent him. An envelope of touched up photos. Linda has let slip that ACI own a flat that Banks had used as a love nest with Marouska. Willie waits until she has left, then he enters, the door unlocked. Banks is there alive and well.

Banks " let me say one thing, make it absolutely clear, I'm not going back and you can't make me. The woman I'm in love with can't leave Czechoslovakia, it's that simple"
W " you know she's secret police?"
Bk " yes she told me, I used to work for JIB, two sides of the same dirty coin"
W " surely you don't think the SSD have gone to all this trouble so you can shack up with one of their agents. Grow up Mr Banks"
Bk " there's no catch"
W " I'll tell you why they want you, because of what you know, stuff you don't even realise you know, like hardware ACI don't sell to the communists . You mustn't underestimate yourself, that's why they made it so easy for you. Will you carry on living here?"
Bk " no , Marouska says we can get a bigger flat, her people will provide it"
Willie smiles, this guy's naivety is unbelievable.
W " I wouldn't bother , as soon as Marouska has squeezed you dry she'll move on"
Bk " what the devil do you mean?"
W " you're not the first"
Bk " first what?"
W " idealist ,sucker, you choose the name. There have been others before you. Do you like looking at dirty pictures?"
Bk " no, I don't"
W " you'll love these. You're not cleared to know who these people are of course, this first one with Marouska is a general " Banks looks at the photos one by one, all important people having sex with a girl, the photos touched up , with Marouska's face on all of them.
W " this one with Marouska was an ambassador, this one a cabinet minister in Belgium, this one a foursome, don't know who the other girl with Marouska is though. Of course once the KGB got ahold of these their careers were finished, all of them"
Banks literally blubs.

Bk " oh my god! What can I do where can I go?"
W " you're not going anywhere Mr Banks except back to England with me"

Edited March 29 by HawkMan