CAST LIST

SYNOPSIS

Beckett is leading a Task Force team to intercept a number of known fugitives, holed-up in a deserted quarry. However, the only inhabitant of the factory knows the team are moving to intercept him, and is making plans to leave before they arrive. With Ros at the wheel the Task Force leader is having trouble keeping up, and Alex is having trouble with motion sickness. As the mystery man sets a bomb in the wastebasket and moves the last of his equipment off a desk, a CD-ROM falls to the ground and rolls into a floor grating. Unaware of its loss, the man packs his van and leaves as Beckett and the team arrive. As the Task Force enters the building it becomes clear they have arrived too late, and a comment from Alex confirms this is not the first time the Team have failed to apprehend their quarry. As Ed spots the bomb in the wastebasket, Ros catches sight of the dropped disc and manages to free it from the grate with only seconds left before the bomb explodes, decimating the building…

The next day at the Bureau their elusive target is identified: Eric Hammer, who has successfully attacked four government weapons dumps in so many months. It seems amazing to Jan that Hammer knew the team was coming: the Bureau has only recently taken over investigation of the attacks from SSD, and it seems that not only have they a gunrunner to catch, but there is also a mole to find. Ros is obviously frustrated at her inability to translate the data on the disc she found at the scene: so much so she refuses a call from Channing and almost bites Ed’s head off… Her efforts are about to be halted as a man and a woman enter the Bureau… Ed asks to look at the disc, which Ros is trying to decrypt: it has a label and a code: BJL/1215 that Ed thinks could be significant. Ros admits that the level of encryption on the disk will take her at least 25 years to crack even with the Bureau’s computer power, and they need to find another way to crack the code. As the team discusses the situation the man and the woman enter the Bureau’s office. Both Jan and Beckett recognise the man as Reinhold, a Special Services Division Field operative. Beckett however doesn’t know his partner who identifies herself as Carla Davis, a Grade 5 Field Agent. Both have orders to search the Bureau’s office and to impound any materials they feel are appropriate… Jan is decidedly angry, knowing SSD are working outside their remit. The Head of the Special Services Division has personally ordered the search, going over Jan’s head to do so. Knowing the semi-official status of Ros, Ed and Beckett and their unorthodox methods, plus their failure to capture Hammer the previous evening, SSD suspects Hammer’s escape is the Bureau’s fault as is the leak of information. Ros is angry at her equipment being tampered with: Beckett suspects the whole thing is simply a bureaucratic cock-up. Ros however is not going to stop and watch any more of the proceedings and despite Davis’ protests Jan insists that Ros is allowed to go home.

Trying Channing on her mobile and failing to contact him, Ros opens her front door to find her flat decimated. Someone has been looking for something and has destroyed Ros’ home in so doing. Beckett is not far behind her and is appalled to find Ros sat amongst the chaos, surmising it must be Reinhold and Davis’ fault, and that the real reason for searching the Bureau is to find the disk Ros recovered. Ros can’t understand why the pair simply didn’t ask for the disk, and that if the information contained on it is so important, maybe it would be safer to simply hide the disk somewhere until the heat dies down. Beckett agrees and Ros offers to do so, then to meet Beckett back at the Bureau. Before he leaves Beckett offers to help Ros clear up the mess, but she is fine on her own, and grateful for Beckett’s concern and reassurance. Phoning Channing again she demands that his secretary get him to the ‘phone… Outside the Bureau, Davis and Reinhold are discussing honeymoon destinations: actually it is only Davis who seems interested in the pairs’ impending marriage. Reinhold is more interest in the return of Ros: as she gets out of her off-roader Reinhold arrests her for a breach of the Official Secrets Act, and despite her protests she is bundled into the agents car and driven away. Blindfolded and held under duress, Ros descends into the bowels of a mystery building with the two SSD agents in attendance…where she is forced into a cell and made to change into prison clothing.

The "evidence" that is supposed to prove Ros is working with Hammer arrives at the Bureau, and an enraged Beckett dismisses it all (including video evidence of Ros and Hammer) as rubbish. Jan is aware of Beckett’s personal involvement and his fierce loyalty to his friend, but is also aware of the number of people who would like to see Beckett’s team and Jan shut down for good. The only way to prove Ros’ innocence is to decode the information on the disk: however, there is only one person capable of doing that within the Bureau. She is locked in a cell and finally released, only to be marched into another room, without windows, where Davis is waiting for her. Given no opportunity to ask any questions herself Ros is subjected to Davis’ aggressive interrogation: concerning her past activities, and Davis’ belief she is working for foreign powers… Jan and Beckett have traveled to SSD HQ, where a "diplomatic" Beckett almost rips the head off a subordinate in his wish to see Ros. However, the new Head of SSD cannot and will not allow either Beckett or Jan (who technically outranks him) to see her, believing her totally guilty of the charges against her. Jan realises the only way they will get Ros out of her "prison" is to identify the true mole who is protecting Hammer, and suggests to Beckett this would be the best route to direct his energies. The questioning of Ros is continuing: Davis asks about Roland Blatty, Jean-Daniel…all pointless questioning in Ros’ eyes. Davis pushes Ros almost to breaking point, and is interrupted by her partner Reinhold, who deliberately takes a more sympathetic line of questioning. The whole interrogation is being recorded and watched by the SSD Chief (Gage) who is joined by Carla as her partner takes over and who congratulates her on a good start to the proceedings. It becomes clear that however long it will take, the SSD chief is determined to get he "truth" out of Ros…

Ed and Alex are back at the Bureau, feeling useless and desperately needing something to do to help Ros. Alex suggests that maybe going back to the disc itself could help, and although they have no way of decrypting the information contained on it decide to try and remember what was on the disc’s label and whether it is of significance. Ed remembers the initials on the disk (BJL) because they match those of his first girlfriend: Alex supplies the number (1215) as she is reminded by the Bureau’s clock. With the code from the disk as a starting point Alex prepares to check it against every database at the Bureau’s disposal. Reinhold meanwhile has almost driven Ros into the ground, finally getting her to mention the computer disk she almost lost her life retrieving. Reinhold claims the data contained therein will prove she is a traitor, and that it is in her best interests to tell him where it is hidden. If not, she is likely to spend the rest of her life in jail… Ed and Alex have been working all eveningt: Alex has found a link with the disk label and a company called Beresford Jardine, who manufacture computer security systems for the Government. Ed has proved that the tape of Ros and Hammer is a fake, and Beckett has a bike ready to send the proof over to Jan…whilst Ros is rudely awoken for another round of questioning. It is by now apparent to Gage that something a little more subtle is needed to "crack" Ros’ resolve, as Davis leaves her in tears … Alex and Ed have arrived at Beresford Jardine, where amongst piles of ancient files and papers the Archive Manager searches for the code BJL/1215, which it appears is a contract to supply locks for the Navy in 1821. Thinking the search is fruitless Ed is about to leave when the Archivist wonders whether the code is in fact a Second Series contract, as after 999,999 contracts the codes were reset to zero. In another part of the factory, in high-tech holding area, the old man opens a coded filing cabinet and pulls out a box of CD’s for Ed and Alex to examine: one of which is missing…

Gage decides to approach Ros in his own way, and enters her interrogation cell to talk to her. She appears to be asleep, but as Gage goes to wake her Ros hits him and makes a run for it. However, her "escape" is anticipated: and with a bug in her shoe Gage hopes she will lead Reinhold and Davis to the missing disk. Breaking out of SSD is easy for Ros, but her problems once she escapes are far from over. Beckett is unaware of Ros’ unscheduled exit, and is relieved to hear Ed and Alex have struck gold with the contents of BJL/1215: which details the security setups for the arms dumps that Hammer has raided. With all the security details it has been blissfully easy for Hammer to break in and steal what he wanted. Ed also points out that it was only a matter of hours after the disk went missing that SSD were investigating it’s disappearance, leading Beckett to surmise that the traitor is inside SSD itself. Reinhold and Davis are tracking Ros, but discover that the fugitive and her shoes are not now in the same place. Ros has made it to Channing’s home, and it is not long before Beckett and Ed drive out to see her. Beckett is still unaware that Ros and Channing are living together, but it doesn’t take him long to work the new living arrangement out. And with the confiscated items from the Bureau’s office it doesn’t take long for Davis to make a connection between Ros and Channing either…

Ros finds the hidden disk amongst Channing’s CD collection: Beckett informs her (once he’s sent Channing out of the room) that the disk has a security feature which will identify the last person to have read the disk. Ros has the information she needs to decode it, but not the Equipment. Ed and Beckett are set to leave and bring Ros what she wants when SSD arrive en mass. Ed takes Ros to the roof to get her away from her pursuers, whilst Beckett and Channing prepare to repel borders. However their resistance is very short lived and with them both out cold Davis and Reinhold direct a group of SSD operatives to find Ros. She is already on the roof with Ed, and despite interference from an SSD agent the pair manage to get to the ground and away from the house. Holed up in a disused factory Ros knows with the correct decryption algorithm it will only be a matter of time before the disk’s code can be cracked. However a concerned Channing is set to ruin her and Ed’s plans of remaining secret by arriving to check on her welfare, in an off roader with an SSD bug attached. Using Ed and Channing in an attempt to throw SSD off the scent almost woks, but Reinhold decides to investigate the position Channing originally stopped at, believing it will be where Ros is hiding out. Ros has cracked the code, and sees from the disk that one arms dump (code named JS6) remains untouched. However she has no need to identify the traitor, as the traitor himself has come to find Ros. Gage has been working with Hammer all along, and knew that if Ros decoded the disk his cover would be blown: therefore Ros was the perfect setup to blame the leak of information on. However Reinhold (who has just arrived) has heard the truth too, and Gage is forced to kill him. About to shoot Ros he is distracted by Davis’ arrival, which allows Ros to escape. Gage is quick to blame the death of Davis’ fiancé’s on Henderson…

Ros is on the run, relentlessly pursued by a bitter and revengeful Davis: able to briefly ‘phone Beckett Ros gives him details of Gage’s duplicity, but Davis is not far behind. Stealing a car from an unsuspecting birdwatcher Ros drives to JS6 with Beckett, Ed and Alex not far behind. The arms dump is defended by what is claimed to be an impenetrable Slalom defense system: Ros however makes light work of the defenses and easily deactivates it. Inside the dump Gage and Hammer are loading the final items of their itinerary ready for dispatch: Ros threatens to blow them all up with a grenade, a threat which Davis takes as the act of a desperate woman, still not aware that her superior is the traitor. However it doesn’t take long for Carla to work out the truth, and she is shot by her boss whom also tries to eliminate Ros and fails. Ros helps the wounded SSD officer away as Ed, Beckett and Alex arrive, and split up in their search for Gage and Hammer. It doesn’t take long for Alex and Ed to disable Hammer, and Beckett soon has Gage clamped in a missile forklift. Beckett is overjoyed to be reunited with Ros, who is keen to improve the security at JS6 at the earliest opportunity…

Back at Channing’s, the businessman has an offer for the now fully recovered Ros. Scared of the risks she has been taking, and having just merged his company with a large American organisation he tells Ros he will be forced to move to the United States, and he hopes she will consider joining him there as the Head of his Research Department…