Slow Horses

Why is it taking so long to get our system back online?

There'll be reasons.

Well, that's rather defeatist, isn't it?

We're supposed to be impregnable.

I have three questions.

How, why, what the living fuck is next? And no answers.

Afraid heads are gonna have to roll.

Fuck.

Why is there a countdown?

It just appeared. We don't know why. Not the best answer.

Well, it's not an answer.

Isn't there some kind of anti… anti virus software

that you can use, or maybe like a backdoor patch?

I don't think shouting out random words

you found at the bottom of emails is going to help.

Thanks.

Okay, okay, Duncan. What about a reboot?

What, you mean turn it off and on again?

No.

Unless that would work. If we do that, would that be any good at all?

You can't turn it off. They can't do anything right now.

Claude, why don't we give them some space?

You should never have inputted that code she gave you.

You should never have let her leave the building.

I was only trying to stop Libyan terrorists

from rampaging through the fucking capital.

She wanted you to let her go.

What are you talking about? She… she was terrified.

I had to convince her. I…

When ho allowed her to access the database,

she stole your file, Claude.

She played you. You've been profiled. You've been honey-trapped.

You and me both, bro.

You didn't stand a chance.

She's a female me. That's why I fell in love with her.

Okay, good news, bad news.

There is a way to reverse whatever they've done…

Great.

…but not before the countdown ends.

I'm so embarrassed for you.

- Sir. - Yeah?

The Libyan ambassador's on line one.

In his own time. I only made the call fucking hours ago.

Thank you.

- Ambassador. - Mr. Whelan.

My sincere apologies on behalf of the Libyan government.

I have just been made aware that a dissident group of security operatives

are responsible for the terrible events

of the last few days.

Yes, well, I'm sure that we can trust you

to do your very best to help us find them.

You can speak to one of them now.

What, sorry?

This is the vulnerable young woman you spoke to earlier.

Remember? You were right.

I am stronger than I thought,

with reserves of strength I was not even aware of.

Who the hell are you really?

Someone who grew up in a country ruined by your arrogant intervention.

You left us with years of horror.

Nothing can justify your slaughter of 11 people.

I need to speak to someone in authority.

Guess what? You're speaking to the head of MI5.

Yes, I know.

You kept telling me when I was a trembling girl

you were trying to impress.

And since then, we shut down your computer system

and humiliated your leadership.

Yeah, I guess we could say we blinded our enemies.

Put Diana Taverner on.

Taverner.

Unless you give in to our demands,

when the countdown on your screen ends,

the final item on the destabilization strategy…

You know, the one created by you and inflicted on many of your colonies…

Will be carried out.

What are your demands?

£100 million.

Compensation for years of lost oil revenues

to be paid into a Cayman island trust called albion holdings.

Which is a fraction of what we are owed.

Call me when you have it.

Relax. You'll get out when we're paid.

Bye.

They want 100 million before that countdown ends,

or they will carry out the remaining action on their list.

What's the last action on the list?

Attack a place of worship.

Right. But it's-it's Sunday morning.

Jesus fucking Christ. How are we gonna find them?

Diana.

We lost Tara.

You knew she'd play whelan, didn't you?

I had my suspicions.

Which were confirmed once I read his file.

His psych profile screams "daddy savior complex."

I'd have given you a call, but I thought you'd enjoy watching him

make a complete and utter fucking tit of himself.

They issued any demands yet?

She just called from the embassy.

Free passage and 100 million in lost oil revenue.

Well, they might have a point about our behavior,

but they trousered most of their oil money

and spent the change keeping their people down.

They've crashed our systems and given us an hour, which ends at 10:06.

Otherwise they attack a place of worship.

Sunday morning.

They've timed it well.

I guess you're just gonna have to pay the money.

Ma'am.

There are around 2,000 churches across London.

If you add in mosques, synagogues, temples and multifaith centers,

we're looking at over 5,000 potential targets.

Yes, but muslims don't worship on a Sunday.

I'm right in thinking that, aren't I?

Well, I'm sikh.

Well let's assume it's churches, shall we?

High-value targets. St. Paul's, westminster Abbey.

They already have protection.

If we throw everything at St. Paul's, and the attack happens elsewhere,

it'll look like we were rushing to protect the landmarks rather than the people.

Okay. We shut 'em all down.

And how are we gonna get people to stay away from every London church

in the next 40 minutes? There'll be absolute chaos.

Call in the met.

We don't have enough armed police.

Okay, then we call in the army.

In 40 minutes?

Ma'am, the treasury have verified

the Cayman island trust where the money's to be paid.

It's linked to this company.

Jesus Christ. Right. Get him in.

- He's already on his way. - Keep him out of sight.

I'm sorry, why are we checking where they want the money sent?

We're not gonna pay it.

I think we should have the option.

You need to call the pm now. Get it cleared.

Give in to terror? He won't hear of it.

Well, then, you are looking at a second abbotsfield.

Send the dogs down to the Libyan embassy.

If this goes without bloodshed, we shall escort her and her team to the airport.

If it goes the other way, I want them to be ready to storm the building.

Shouldn't we be, you know, doing things,

like trying to track the Libyans or-or-or roddy's girlfriend?

She's at the Libyan embassy.

What, so it was a state-sanctioned op?

No, I doubt that.

She forced her way in there 'cause she knows

that we can't go in and drag her out.

That grandpa?

No. Yes. How did you know that?

Well, if it was of operational relevance, you would've taken it,

and you've got no personal life so it must be him.

H-How's he doing, by the way?

Not great, no.

He's picking up on what's happening from the news,

but he's getting it slightly jumbled.

- Don't say anything. - About what?

About him getting confused, okay?

I know that you two had your differences, but just leave it there.

He was the sharpest mind in the building. After me.

Now you're gonna say something horrible.

Something unutterably vile about him

being an embarrassing shadow of his former self.

I don't have to. You just said it for me.

- This isn't helping. - I... what are we going to do?

And don't say, "nothing."

There's nothing to do.

These guys are bloody good and they're fucking ruthless.

The park can't protect every church in London.

Well, then they will have to pay the money.

- And what happens if they don't? - Then there'd be a massacre.

At a random church in London?

- This is a nightmare. - Maybe not that random.

There is one place of worship I can think of.

Although, it would only occur to a complete and utter fucking psychopath.

You think he knows which one?

Shit.

Wait, w-where are they going?

Abbotsfield.

Abbotsfi… there's already been an attack at abbotsfield.

Which they are commemorating at a multifaith center shortly.

You can't just say shit like that and then just sit there and do nothing.

I'm not doing nothing. I'm sending my best agents.

And you.

May I ask why I've been summoned here

then made to wait on the stairs like a member of staff?

When you came to visit me the other night,

you mentioned a group of disaffected Libyans wanting compensation

for lost oil revenues.

As of now, we have 25 minutes to pay up 100 million

to stop a Libyan group from attacking a church.

I have no knowledge of any of this.

It's an extremely fractured country,

and in my limited experience, every fucker you meet is on the take.

The people you're dealing with may be part of a completely separate group.

The payment has to go to an offshore trust where you are a director.

In that case, fuck, shit, bugger and yes, it seems it is the same people.

I will never do business in the middle east again.

They love to haggle,