CAST LIST

SYNOPSIS

At the canal boat, which now acts as Nick Beckett’s home, The Bureau Director is rudely awakened at a quarter to six for a 7.30am briefing. Neither Ros nor Ed is particularly pleased at the early start, though it seems Ed is not having a good couple of days. He and Alex finally managed to arrange a date the night before, which by the little information Ros is able to glean went anything but well. Quizzing Jan for the reason behind the early start, the foursome are faced with a woman who is most definitely not the Jan they knew the night before (and who is the same woman who had stood in on the old Jan’s meeting with the Executive the day before). Asking what has happened to their Jan the new Jan informs them she has no idea of her whereabouts, or indeed why she has been reassigned. Alex confirms that when she first worked for the Bureau under Roland Blatty, he too reported to a Jan, who was also only a codename. The new Jan informs then that whatever happens their priority must be to resolve Jan’s last case, involving Lance, the head of the Central Vetting Office. The old Jan was convinced he was responsible for a steady stream of leaks of Government information. The evidence against Lance will need to be presented to the National Security Executive in 8 hours time, and the body of evidence collected to that point is currently safely stored at the Data Storage Agency. However it is not as simple as walking in and collecting the disc, as the new Jan believes there is someone on the inside at the DSA who could try and destroy it if the Bureau acted openly. The team will be forced to break into the Government building and steal the disc instead…

The old Jan meanwhile is a prisoner, held hostage by Lance’s two henchmen: who are keen to get their hands on something that only Jan has. However Jan ill not tell them what they want to know. The team meanwhile is planning their entry into the DSA: Ed thinks his best route is under the building through a service tunnel. Alex is unimpressed with his claims, and Ros asks her what it was that has so obviously upset her. It transpires that Ed spent their date either chatting up other women, playing with the restaurant band or telling jokes to the other diners, but at no point was he actually himself. Beckett interrupts the conversation and gets his team going, as jhe is about to leave his office ‘phone rings. Taking the call, he is concerned at what he is told and tells his colleagues he will catch them up. At the DSA Ros starts the team’s plan: finding an employee of the Agency who’s away on business, Ros gets Alex to deposit a parcel for his attention at the DSA reception. Ed stands by at his entry point, and once the parcel is safely inside the building Ros activates it’s contents: a pulse emitter, which immediately scrambles the building’s security systems. With the cameras deactivated, Ed is able to enter the Service Tunnel and make his way into the building. Beckett meanwhile contacts Ros, telling her his ‘phone call was from Sir Anthony Fairchild who has been unable to contact Jan since her "reassignment". Ros is immediately concerned, as she knows the two are close. Beckett is off to investigate further, as Ed reaches the data store where Jan’s disc is kept. 719C42 is the disk Ed is looking for, and as he begins to make a copy the Security Chief upstairs begins to suspect that the systems failure is deliberate. Opening Tate’s parcel he destroys the pulse emitter and decides to use surprise as a weapon against his intruder… Alex notices the cameras are back on line, but as Ed hears no alarms he is not concerned: with seconds to spare he copies the disc and makes his exit ahead of the security guards, leaving the same way he entered…

Beckett arrives at Fairchild’s mansion, and immediately asks after his daughter Julia. She is bearing up well after her kidnapping: however it is not her welfare that Fairchild is concerned about. Alone in his home without bugs to worry about Fairchild asks about his friend’s whereabouts, for he is completely unaware of her reassignment. Beckett is beginning to worry too, but without even knowing where she lives, and only knowing her real first name as Barbara, he has no idea of where to start looking for her. Fairchild is convinced something is amiss, and offers to take Beckett to Barbara’s flat. Barbara herself is still trapped with only one kidnapper watching: she takes an opportunity to try and break out of her prison using a well-placed cosmetic mirror and a precise kick, but is unable to get out of the building before Decker recovers. The other kidnapper and Lance are at Barbara’s flat, looking not for evidence but a small plastic keycard. Beckett and Fairchild arrive moments later, and ring the doorbell hoping for an answer. Fairchild admits that once he had a key but not any longer, forcing Beckett to break into the flat (which has been ransacked). Inside as Fairchild picks up a picture of his daughter from the floor and places it next to a picture of himself Beckett hears movement: bursting into the bedroom the pair find it is only Barbara’s cat. However, Lance has doubled back and as he leaves takes a shot at Fairchild, hitting him in the shoulder. Loathed to leave him Beckett gives chase but Lance gets away: Fairchild has bound his own wound and Beckett is convinced that Lance has decided to get to Barbara’s evidence before she can use it to convict him. He now also begins to doubt the facts that the new "Jan" has told him…

Lance pays a visit to Jan, and triumphantly shows her what he has been looking for all along: a black credit card, with two chips imbedded in its surface. This is the Alpha Card: with the addition of the Beta Card and a numeric keycode Lance can access and remove all of the Bureau’s funds. Realising his days are numbered, with or without Jan’s evidence Lance has decided with his partner to use the Bureau’s not insubstantial wealth as a Retirement Fund. However, Jan knows Lance has only the Alpha Card: however, Lance’s partner is soon to have the other information within her grasp. For as Ros is about to decode the data from Jan’s disk with Ed at her side the new Jan arrives and bluntly tells her to hand over the disk. Outside the office Alex hears Ros get upset at Jan’s tone and refuse, only to have Jan pull a gun on her and Ed and take the disk by force. Outside, Alex tries to confuse matters by killing the lights, but this only makes for more carnage and damage. However Ros, Ed and Alex are unhurt: and thanks to Ed’s quick thinking at the DSA Ros has at least part of a copy of the file Jan was so interested in to look at. Ed admits it’s now clear who Lance’s partner is… Barbara is still on the lookout for a way out of her prison: sending her guard away Jan attacks him on his return with a rape alarm and a fire extinguisher, knocking him out cold. Stealing his coat and his keys, she avoids Decker on his return and uses a cradle to make her way down the side of the building. With the pair in close pursuit Jan makes it outside and a game of cat and mouse begins across a deserted concourse. Making it to a row of parked cars Jan stops for breath, and as her captors go one way she is able to make her escape.

Finding a working terminal Ed identifies the new Jan as Elaine Harman, an ex Director of Communications and in a perfect position to take The old Jan’s job. Beckett returns to his houseboat, unaware he has an unexpected visitor already on board. Jan has borrowed some of Beckett’s clothes and quickly gets him up to speed on the situation. The disk Ros, Ed and Alex stole from the DSA contains the numeric keycode needed to access the Bureau’s money. It also has information on which member of the Cabinet currently holds the Beta keycard, which Jan needs if she is going to access any sizable amount of money. Ros is attempting to salvage some of the details from Ed’s abortive copy of Jan’s master disk: whilst they wait for the details Jan and Beckett talk. Beckett is unhappy living on the barge, but does so because it’s rent free: his money problems are continuing, but as Jan reminds him, there is more to life than money. Jan talks of friends and family as being far more important, and Beckett presses her for details of her relationship with Sir Anthony. However Jan changes the subject, and before Beckett can press her further Ros calls him with the details of the Beta Card Register. The card is currently in the hands of none other than Sir Anthony Fairchild, which sets Jan into something of a fluster. Knowing that "Tony" is useless with security Jan urges Ros to get Alex and Ed over to Fairchild’s home to check on him. Realising Beckett’s address is in the files that Harman now has access to she then suggests it is time for them both to leave. As they do so Decker and his friend arrive, armed with a rather lethal line in weaponry. It is now Jan and Beckett who are on the run…

Sir Anthony is at home involved in his cabinet work. When his secretary fails to answer the ‘phone and he goes to do so himself he is confronted by Harman and Lance, who are determined to extract the Beta keycard from him at any cost. As Ed and Alex arrive the pair are already leaving, with the Beta card in their possession: Sir Anthony is unhurt, but urges Alex and Ed to stop them from stealing the Bureau’s money. Beckett and Jan are still on the run, and Beckett is beginning to worry whether Jan is fit enough to keep up with him. Jan refuses Beckett’s help, and tells him of a special number she has that when ‘phoned guarantees response at the highest level. Phoning the National Security Agency it is soon clear that Jan’s access codes have been invalidated, and the pair have to make a speedy exit from the phone booth they are using as their pursuers blow it up… Seeking shelter in a warehouse it becomes clear to Jan and Beckett’s hunters they have gone to ground. Ed meanwhile is trying to convince the Manager of the Consolidating Clearing Bank that Harman and Lance are about to visit and that they should not be allowed access to any of the Bureau’s money. However the Manager (Spring) fails to believe or accept Ed’s story without any kind of firm assurance from Ed of it’s validity. It is up to Ros, Alex and Ed to go it alone…but Fairchild is still concerned for Jan and her whereabouts. Alex knows she will be safe with Beckett...

Beckett and Jan are again talking about Fairchild, and the opera trips he takes with Jan. Jan admits that she met Fairchild at the opera in Sydney in 1973, and that he had asked her to marry him…but her career had come first. Beckett works out that Julia must have been born around the same time, and wonders whether Jan really is simply her Godmother: but his musings are interrupted by an explosion, and the chase is on again. At Consolidated Clearing, Harman and Lance have arrived to collect their money, whilst Jan uses the direct approach to distract the two kidnappers whilst Beckett attacks them from behind. It’s left to the DOI to ensure the pair are finally out cold, and Beckett is suitably impressed with Jan’s ability to deal with her pursuers. Harman and Lance are almost ready to collect their cash, but Lance has overlooked one critical factor: the Security key needed to unlock the money case. As Ed, Alex and Ros arrive Harman takes Spring as a hostage and heads for the stairs: as Lance tries to escape with the cash Ros activates the security system on the cases. This sends a shock through Lance’s hands, which disables him enough for Ed to get to him. Ros heads for Harman as Alex lends a hand to Ed’s cause and traps Lance in a leg lock. Ros meanwhile tracks down Harman, and with Spring’s help soon has her disabled.

Beckett and Jan head back to Jan’s flat, and Beckett presses his superior to tell him if she really is Julia’s mother. Jan admits she isn’t and that it was a colleague of hers who was happy to give up her career who finally married Sir Anthony. Jan’s moment with the Minister has passed, with both of them happy to concentrate on their careers. The setting up of Bureau Two for Jan is the crowning achievement of her life, and all she wants to finish her day is to relax away from it. As the money is returned to the Bank Ed looks forward to getting their old "Jan" back in : a handcuffed Harman says they won’t have the chance to do so…at Jan’s flat there is a bomb, activated by a movement sensor. Jan informs Beckett the evidence against Lance is hidden on a microchip on her cat Wagner’s collar: as Beckett gets on his hands and knees to search for the cat he spots the bomb and the pair sprint out of the flat before it explodes… Lucky to be alive, Jan and Beckett hug each other with relief, unaware that Ros and Ed have arrived. As Ros looks on Beckett makes no attempt to release from the embrace…

Jan and Fairchild are walked to Jan’s National Security Executive briefing by Beckett, who informs the Director of Intelligence that Bureau Two is almost 100% operational. As Beckett leaves and the pair enters, Fairchild asks Jan if they can give the opera a miss that week…and then springs a surprise on his friend. Harman’s departure has left a space on the NSE, and Jan is wanted to fill it. At the Bureau Alex and Ed continue their debate about Ed’s personality, and Alex decides it can be summed up with the computing term WYSIWYG: what you see is what you get. Alex now has to decide if what Ed is what she wants. Ros and Beckett share a quiet drink and Ros admits she’d always considered Jan and Fairchild an item, but knew Jan would tell them only if she wanted to. Ros thinks Jan is still in love with him too: there is no-one else in her life and she regrets the chance she missed first time round. Beckett agrees that sometimes a missed opportunity can affect a person for the rest of their lives: and it’s only as Ros leaves that he realises that perhaps Ros feels that this could be what is about to happen between herself and Beckett…