CAST LIST

SYNOPSIS

The Bank of England’s Technical Operations Centre receives an unexpected visitor: Simon Holt is making his first visit to the building, and passes through a number of rigorous security checks…including a body scanner which Holt sets off with an inhaler. Making his way up to the fifth floor the Security Chief asks his assistant who the new man is: he explains that Holt has come from the currency printers to pick up a design disc. Suspicious the Chief knows that if a new man is coming his photograph is faxed ahead of him for confirmation: he makes his subordinate phone the printers for confirmation. Holt arrives at a vault and uses a joint key with another guard to open the Bank’s vault and access the print disc. By now Security have confirmed that the real Mr. Holt is in fact away for a week, and the alarm is sounded. Stopping the lift, "Holt" is trapped with two guards: he uses his inhaler (actually filled with stun gas) to knock out the guards and then quickly disables the lift’s camera. As the Head of Security brings the lift to the ground and opens the doors manually he discovers to his horror that both the courier and the print disc have gone, and that "Holt" has left them an explosive parting gift…

Posing as journalists, Ros and Beckett watch the government’s Finance Minister introduce Ethan Rockridge to the press. An attractive and charismatic man, he demonstrates a non-working prototype of the Holo-imager and the principle behind it. Beckett quizzes Rockridge on the possibility of another machine, but Ethan is adamant that the Bank holds the only working model. Unconvinced, Beckett goes off for a look around the building for himself, leaving Ros to keep Rockridge talking: a task not difficult as Ros has an obvious interest in the charismatic entrepreneur. She seizes the opportunity and catches the eye of Rockridge himself… Beckett meanwhile finds his way into the Hologram Design Lab. At the press reception, Rockridge catches up with Ros, but before he can talk to her at length the Finance Minister calls him away. Beckett meanwhile is using his charm to attempt to elicit information from Tricia, the pretty young lab technician responsible for polishing the lenses on the Bank’s Holo-imager. When Beckett presses her on the number of lenses she has produced Tricia quickly calls Security, and Beckett is unceremoniously ejected from the Lab: on his way out he passes not only Rockridge and the Finance Minister, but also Ros. About to leave, Rockridge presses Ros for a dinner date (and the chance for a great story to boot) and although initially reticent, she accepts…

Ros is having dinner with Rockridge, and loving every minute of her time with a man who’s love for electronics is every bit as great as her own, and who’s collection of gadgets includes the very first laptop computer. Ros admits that Rockridge has been an inspiration to her: and Ethan in turn admits that he knows who Ros really is, and is similarly impressed by her abilities. He also know why she is watching him, and what Beckett was looking for earlier in the day. Despite all this he still asks Ros to have dinner, which she agrees to do. Beckett meanwhile is receiving news of Ros’ dinner date from Ed and Alex, and is less than impressed with her latest choice of men. Ed and Alex have followed Drake and North to Synchroscan Printers, where it is apparent that Drake was expected. Beckett begins to try and find the truth about Drake whilst he instructs Ed and Alex to stop the printing, at any cost. Ros meanwhile is eating a sumptuous meal with Rockridge, talking about opportunities and survival in business, and how important his first patent was in securing his place in the business community. Ed has broken into the printers: using a registration number supplied by Alex to ascertain that person’s position in the company and which ‘phone line to hack. Arriving at the gate Alex claims to be called by Gibson, the night manager, to fix a hydraulic press. When the Gatekeeper ‘phones Gibson it is Ed that answers and gets Alex inside….and paves the way for Beckett to follow. Inside the printing is well underway, and as Alex and Ed enter in protective suits it doesn’t take long to isolate the Holo-imager, and to disable it. With an important piece of the machine in his pocket Ed and Alex make a run for it, as North notices the �0 notes no longer have holograms imprinted on them. The real Mr. Gibson is also leaving the printers, and the Doorman tells him about his consultant visitor for the first time… Drake is incensed that the printing process has stopped, that a piece of the imager has been stolen and that there are two intruders in the plant. He instructs Gibson to find the intruders and North to pack the already printed money up for transportation away.

Beckett meanwhile (with Jan’s help) is breaking into the Cabinet files on Drake, proving they have been tampered with. It transpires that Drake worked for the Patent Office, a fact that does not make an immediate connection for Beckett… Ros is about to leave, convinced Rockridge is on the level. Rockridge then makes her a very attractive offer, to work for him and to do what she enjoys most: design and making a difference…but before they can discuss the matter more Rockridge is called away and leaves Ros pondering her future. Beckett has made the connection between Rockridge, North and Drake: Drake passed patents for both the designers, and Beckett suggests that Drake is bribing the pair for their "help". Jan is keen to know who in the Cabinet was responsible for the deletion of Drake’s record, a fact Beckett too is keen to ascertain. Ros too has found the real truth behind Rockridge’s wealth by stumbling on Drake and Ethan in conversation. Drake sees an opportunity to use Ros as a hostage, taking both her and Rockridge back to Synchroscan to repair the Holo-imager.

At the plant North loads a lorry with boxes of money, a lorry Ed and Alex are determined to stop. Rockridge fixes the Holo-imager for Drake, hoping this will repay his "debt" to the patent officer. However Drake is not prepared to stop "using" Rockridge until he is as rich as him, and orders Ethan to kill Ros to prove his loyalty. He explains his position to Ros: it was Drake who provided him the vital jump over his competitors with a patent ahead of another company who had also developed a hologram for credit cards. With the invention of the Holo-imager Drake decided it was time for Ethan to pay back his favour, or Drake would expose the fraud. Ros reminds him it is never too late to change, and urges him to help her in defeating North and Drake. As Drake hears a gunshot and assumes Rockridge has been good to his word, Ethan walks away from Ros, who now looks at the millionaire in yet another light. Jan and Beckett make a midnight call to the Finance Minister’s office, and accuse him of tampering with Drake’s file. Forced to admit he carried out the tampering at Rockridge’s instruction, Jan predicts a sudden end to his ministerial career. Both Beckett and Jan are impressed at each other’s performance over the exposure of the Minister, but Beckett still has the task of stopping Drake and Rockridge. Ed and Alex are in the thick of it, and together are able to overpower Gibson the night manager. Rockridge meanwhile is acting as a diversion for Ros as she attempts to shut down the print disk master: however, the plan falls flat and after a scuffle Drake holds both Ethan and Ros at gunpoint. Beckett is well on the way to help his colleagues, and smashes through the Synchroscan car park barrier to get into the plant….

Hiding the print manager, Ed and Alex see North making the final adjustments to the truck prior to departure. Alex suggests sabotaging the truck with a penknife: Ed laughs and decides to attack the opening mechanism that North has just used to raise the shutter doors. However Ed is less than successful as he is shot at and the door mechanism is then destroyed by North to prevent it being used to close he shutter. Beckett arrives inside the plant to see Ros and Ethan being held at gunpoint: creating diversion he allows Ros to lunge at Drake, but she is unable to grab his gun. A fight between Drake and Rockridge ends with Ethan being fatally wounded: trying to stop Drake from escaping Beckett is thrown onto the money-cutting conveyer belt and knocked unconscious. Coming to just inches from the money-cutting blades Beckett screams for Ros to help him, but she initially doesn’t hear his cries: when she does it takes seconds to eject the print disc and save him from the blades. As Drake and North make a run for it in the money truck Ed tries to manually close the doors, but it is Alex’s penknife which saves the day. Having cut the truck’s hydraulics, Alex’s quick thinking takes control of the lorry away from North and sends it careering into an explosive store of acetone…and creates an impromptu shower of money.

Back at the Bureau Alex is unimpressed with Ros’ holiday snaps, which seem to show only the cricket and nothing else. Ed is unimpressed with the official line on Rockridge’s "death" and feels the Bureau is covering up the truth. And finally Beckett is allowed a credit card, but with a modest limit Ros is happy to increase, to help out a "friend"…