CAST LIST

SYNOPSIS

Inside the new (and not yet complete or renamed) Bureau of Weapons, Beckett is checking with his only member of support staff, the ever-helpful Alex, on when the building work will be complete. Jan interrupts him, concerned that Ros is still nowhere to be seen. Beckett admits his friend is less than keen to lose her independence by working for Jan, but the Director of the Bureau insists that the threesome’s individuality and unorthodox approach are safe and are EXACTLY what’s needed to do the Bureau’s work, both against enemies of the State and the State itself… Ed is still in hospital, set in plaster from the shoulders down. The plaster has been signed by a multitude of nurses, all of whom Beckett observes have left him their telephone numbers… Even Ros and Beckett’s presence at his bedside can do nothing to lift Ed’s depression: filled with pins and plates and facing the prospect of prolonged physiotherapy the young man is uncharacteristically disconsolate. All he can think of is the need to find Kitty McHaig and exact revenge. However he makes it clear he is keen to accept Jan’s offer even from his hospital bed, something that Beckett still finds hard to believe as he expected Ed to be the problem and not Ros. But as Ed points out, risking life and limb without a safety net can quickly lose its appeal. As he leaves Beckett walks ahead of a tearful and distraught Ros, who obviously cannot stand the sight of her friend in pain and depression. Without thinking, a by now equally emotional Beckett takes Ros and holds her for comfort...

At a secret location Kitty McHaig is being "paid" by her agent for her latest batch of commissions: not with cash but with high value Bearer Bonds. Keenly aware she needs to disappear perhaps for good into anonymity, she has made her agent research an alternative identity for her to assume. The Dutchess of Fortezza (with an English Mother and an Italian father, both dead) is about to arrive in the country to sell her mother’s ancestral home. The woman is perfect for Kitty’s plan, and as her Agent now knows too much for his own good he is quickly disposed of. A less than enthusiastic Zak is told to deal with the dead body, which prompts Kitty to wonder how loyal her accomplice might actually be. She instructs Ben to place a bug on him… Meanwhile Channing pays a visit on Ros at home, bringing her a gift in a small green box. It’s not jewellery but the keys to a wildly expensive sports car to celebrate a licensing deal in the Far East…but Ros refuses the gift despite Channing’s protestations. The whole scene is witnessed from a distance by Beckett, whose jealousy and disappointment at Ros’ new "partner" is rapidly increasing.

At Kitty’s hideaway Zak is hacking into Kitty’s bank: instead of accessing her own account Kitty instructs Zak to open a new account as the Dutchess of Fortezza, and to transfer all her cash to this new account whilst closing her old one. The computer prompts Zak for a new pass code: seven letters and a number. Kitty moves him aside as she types a new code, leaving Zak to finish the procedure. The Bank’s computer asks him if he wishes to accept the code: greed gets the better of the young man and he types in and confirms his own pass code. Meanwhile Channing shows Ros all he has found on Kitty McHaig’s business dealings in public: and something he has obtained by more devious means. It details the sale of many of Kitty’s "creations" to the military for legitimate defense use: the Battlewagon is used in real life to clear minefields and makes the artist a tidy profit. Ros surmises that if she could discover where Kitty banked it would then simply be a case of following the money to her… Ed meanwhile in his last evening before his cast is removed sits and watches an Australian soap on TV, unaware he is about to receive an unusual visitor. A now-shaven Zak makes his way into Ed’s room, and as an amazed Kitty and Ben listen via Zak’s bug he explains he has had enough and wants out from Kitty’s control. He writes the now changed passcode to Kitty’s bank account on Ed’s cast and effectively sets Ed up as bait. Without the code and only the username Kitty cannot get at her funds, and without the username Ed has no way of stopping Kitty getting to her money if she gets to him first. Kitty (knowing where Ed is recovering) sets off in pursuit, as Zak uses the distraction to make a run for it. Ed in the meantime has to find a way of getting himself out of his cast a little earlier than he had intended: claiming to his doctor he’s dropped a scalpel down his cast… Zak has not been quick enough to leave and it is not long before Ben is in hot pursuit, with Kitty looking for Ed. With the cast off, Ed tries to remember as many of the names and numbers on the cast in red ink as he can, before giving the cast to his female doctor and making her promise to deliver it to Beckett and Ros. Zak finds a way out of the hospital (as an ambulance driver) but Ed is not so lucky.. and Kitty gets at least one of her men.

Arriving at the hospital soon after Ed’s abduction, Ros initially seems more concerned at Beckett’s absence earlier that day. Willing Ros to concentrate on Ed’s plight Beckett asks how much money Kitty is worth and from what: as she tells Beckett about the defence contracts Ros speculates on how desperate Kitty might be if in danger of losing everything… as Ed is regaining consciousness in a large opulent room. Hours later Ros storms into Bureau Two’s offices: confronted by Alex she demands to see Beckett, and storms in on him and Jan in discussion. Upset and angry that Beckett is even talking to Jan, Ros is not easily calmed, especially when Jan lets Beckett’s financial problems out of the bag…unable to see why Beckett couldn’t ask her for help Ros fails to pick up the initial significance of Beckett’s continued presence at the Bureau. Aware that the Code Red status the Bureau will give them will allow access to Kitty’s defence file from the Government, and Beckett knows with Jan’s help he has a real chance of finding his friend and getting to Kitty. With this kind of enticement Ros is soon on the case: with the details of Kitty’s bank account it’s a matter of moments before Ros has hacked into the Bank’s computer and is asked for a passcode: seven letters and 4 numbers. Checking Ed’s cast neither Ros nor Beckett spot such a combination: and it’s Alex (a great deal more than just a file clerk) who identifies Miranda 2001 as Zak’s new code. But without the user name the code is useless, so it is time to pay a call to the bank itself.

Ed is awake and aware of his surroundings: a massive empty country house, where Kitty intends to hold him prisoner until he relinquishes her precious passcode. Having eliminated all the other "women" on the cast Ed has a rough idea of the code, but can’t be sure. What he can be sure of is Kitty will go to any means to take it from him: the house is all part of her plan. It belongs to the Duchess, who Kitty intends to "remove" from public life and replace. Once she has done so the house will be sold and she’ll move away to a life of complete anonymity…if Ed will give her the code. Beckett meanwhile has managed to get Ros to join the Bureau, much to Jan’s approval…but needs a vital signature to ensure he can order what he wants without any problems. He doesn’t exactly get the signature through proper channels, but manages to escape before Jan realises she’s been had. Outside Alex and Ros wait in the sports car, and the three head to Kitty’s Bank, which although technically offshore has a front office not far from the Bureau itself. Beckett rings ahead and arranges for a packet to be delivered to the bank’s Managing Director: which will be delivered by Alex, who in reality will enter to set off an electromagnetic pulse inside the bank, allowing Ros and Beckett outside to scan and create a three dimensional image of the bank and where the information is stored. Concerned that the young clerk may not be able to handle the job, it soon becomes apparent her technical knowledge is considerable…and she is far from unaware of what’s involved…

Ed is becoming frustrated, and time is running out. He paces around his "prison" trying to find a way out, but his weakness from the accident is a problem: until he finds a secret door…Kitty meanwhile records a fake message to a non-working phone. Hoping Ed will try and call his friends to pass on the passcode Kitty intends to trap the Australian into revealing it unwittingly. Ed is deep within the building, looking for a way out: but with little success, as Kitty and Ben get ready to hunt him down. Alex meanwhile is inside the bank, as Ros and Beckett set up their equipment to send the pulse. Alex does her job, but Ros soon realises that the Bank is far from an easy target: the scan shows up 7 levels of security, which under normal circumstances would take her a month to crack. Listening to Ros and Beckett’s amazement and upset at their plan’s failure, Alex uses her initiative and asks the Doorman before she leaves to use the Powder Room, "borrowing" a jacket on the way there… As Ros and Beckett pack away they hear with some considerable amazement Alex, now transformed into "Ros Henderson" brashly talking her way into the Bank and into the pocket of Gallerne, Director. Fooling everyone "Ros" manages to get to the nerve centre of the Bank’s operation and to the master passcode machine: with the Managing Director smelling fresh money Alex asks to open her account immediately. Allowing her to log on with her own choice of passcode Alex uses Miranda 2001, and locks up the system. As the Director is the only person allowed to know both the user name and the passcode of each client it is he who then has to unfreeze the system, and a watchful Alex watches his fingers as he types in the Duchess of Fortezza…returning with the data both Ros and Beckett are strangely silent…. as Kitty and Ben open a packing crate containing a nasty looking gun, and Kitty begins her pursuit. Ed finds the "dummy" phone as Kitty sends Ben to intercept the Duchess: but isn’t fooled for long. When Kitty returns to the ‘phone Ed has left a message for her.

The Duchess arrives and Ben meets her, but Ros and Beckett have got there first, and easily overpower Kitty’s henchman. The game of cat and mouse begins in earnest at the house, with Kitty locating Ed’s presence using a metal detector! The gun is armed with Kitty’s own exploding shells, the first of which fails to hit its target. Ed heads for and reaches the roof: but Kitty is waiting for him and a fight ensues. Ros and Beckett arrive and use Ros’ car to pull off the front door, whist Ed falls from roof and finds his only holding place is some scaffolding, erected over some roof repairs. As his grip loosens Kitty tries to force him off but Beckett’s arrival changes her plans, and she flees whilst first Beckett and then Ros help to pull their friend to safety. Kitty uses the "diversion" to steal Ros’ car and try to make a run for it: however, Ros isn’t going to allow Kitty to steal Channing’s gift to her and plans to use Kitty’s own gun to blow out a tyre. Unaware of the shell’s explosive nature she shoots and takes out a great deal more than a tyre…

Back at the Bureau Ed finally gets to meet Alex for the first time: and although he likes what he sees, Alex is less than impressed. Ros is installed in her "office" surrounded by the best equipment the Bureau’s money can buy. It’s a difficult ‘phone call she has to make to Channing about her car, but Beckett is more than pleased with the outcome…