Spy Game (2001) - full transcript
CIA operative Nathan Muir (Redford) is on the brink of retirement when he finds out that his protege Tom Bishop (Pitt) has been arrested in China for espionage. No stranger to the machinations of the CIA's top echelon, Muir hones all his skills and irreverent manner in order to find a way to free Bishop. As he embarks on his mission to free Bishop, Muir recalls how he recruited and trained the young rookie, at that time a sergeant in Vietnam, their turbulent times together as operatives and the woman who threatened their friendship.
SUBTITLES EDITED BY POWAQUATSI
Inject me first. Show them it's safe.
You'll feel better in an hour.
Faster, faster, they're coming...
He's dead.
Everyone out.
Go back and finish the innoculations.
You've got ten minutes
to fix the electrical.
Ten minutes, do you hear me?
You got, maybe, seven minutes.
This is taking too long...
I think we found the problem.
Six minutes.
Almost got one of the fuses fixed.
Thirty seconds.
Get out now.
Papers...
You...
Come with me.
Stop the ambulance now.
HONG KONG, CHINA
WASHINGTON, D.C.
It's Duncan.
What are you doing at home?
Jogging.
How long does it take you
to get to work?
- Harry, what time is it there?
- How long?
Thirty, forty minutes. Why?
I'll give you 25 minutes
before I transmit.
If you want to see the cable
before they do, you'd better hustle.
U.S. EMBASSY HONG KONG
- Duncan.
- What the hell is going on, Harry?
Read the cable.
If I'm walking into a shit storm, I've got
to know which way the wind's blowing.
- Boy Scout is in trouble.
- What kind of trouble?
Where are you calling from?
Are you in your car?
Are you out of your fucking mind?
He's a big boy.
He can take care of himself.
You call me from secure
when you get there.
C.I.A. HEADQUARTERS
LANGLEY, VIRGINIA
Sorry, sir. You'll need to come
to the desk with me, please.
Mr. Muir.
Duty roster has you checking out
tonight. Just a reminder:
On your way out,
we need you to sign
out your ID, card key, parking pass.
It's a date.
- You got a cable from Hong Kong?
- You check the Operations Center?
I go up there,
Nyland will want to collect that $100
I owe him from the 'Skins game.
Come on, Henry. Pull it off
the mainframe, will you? My last day.
Gladys.
Cubans are in the drawer on the left.
If these walls could talk, huh?
All this history, I envy you.
Well, bag your job.
You can be just like me.
No, really.
The debt this country owes you guys.
Are we dancing with your hand on
my ass, or will you make your move?
- You ran an agent named Bishop.
- Tom Bishop. Yeah. How is he?
- We'd like to take a look at his files.
- You try Records?
Of course, we have his main files.
It was your personals.
- What do you want to know?
- We'll have yours downloaded in an hour.
That should give us all we need.
For now, I'll just take your files.
Grab yourself a seat
and make yourself comfortable.
It will take me a while to dig them up.
Call my office as soon as
you have them. ASAP.
Muir, good luck with the retirement.
The director sent this down.
Actually looks like he signed it himself.
Harker said I'm supposed to collect
all your files on Tom Bishop.
Finally get to use
one of these burn bags.
Hold this till you hear otherwise.
You didn't see what I put in there.
Are we feeling a little paranoid
on our last day?
When did Noah build the Ark, Gladys?
Before the rain. Before the rain.
Hey, Billy, you got my $100?
Harker said to bring this file.
Can you buzz me through?
No, I can't, sir. I'll make sure he gets it.
As for the trade negotiations
in the Far East...
...negotiators have been working
with the Chinese in an effort...
...to streamline proceedings, preparing
for the President's trip next week.
In other world news,
now that the Cold War is finally over...
...Berliners are proclaiming a new era,
here where Soviet and US tanks...
...faced each other
in the darkest days of the...
- Is this it?
- It's all I could find.
Packed, misplaced, you know how it is.
Moving day and all.
It's probably mostly up here anyway.
Old school, you know?
Step this way.
Sit down here, please, Mr. Muir.
Jesus, Aiken, how long has it been?
This task force have a name?
This is a tough one, Troy.
- I'm going to see you later.
- You got it, Cy.
Good to see you. Thanks for coming.
For the record, we've been joined
by Nathan Muir, Near East ops.
We're in the process
of dealing with a fairly specific...
...international flap.
We brought you in here as a stopgap.
Fill in a few holes for us.
So, I'm like the little Dutch boy?
Yeah, we just need you to be
a team player on this one, Muir.
Why is that funny?
Every time my coach told me that,
I knew I was about to get benched.
Due to the nature of this task force,
there will be certain information...
...which you don't need to know.
A week ago,
Tom Bishop disappeared in Hong Kong.
Last night he turned up
outside Shanghai.
He's been arrested for espionage.
We're working up a complete profile
based on relevant personal histories...
...and op records.
This has to be handled with kid gloves.
How long does the President
have to claim him?
- Twenty-four hours.
- Starting when?
As of now, Nathan.
8:02 am
Bishop has been classified
as a common criminal...
...and will be executed at 8:00
tomorrow morning, our time.
What about the press?
Why not leak it and throw the spotlight
on China, and buy us some time?
We need the press on this
like we need a third tit.
You using the other two?
We don't want outside influences
to limit our options.
What was Bishop doing in China?
He was with an operation for Duncan.
- Was?
- Yes.
Until he took matters
into his own hands.
- Where are they holding him?
- I'm sorry, Nathan.
It would be nice to know
what gaps are filled.
I've only got 10 fingers here.
Guess it's kind of tough timing.
A week before the President's road trip.
You guys afraid there will be
a congressional hearing?
That's why we're transcribing
and videotaping, right?
Are you gonna want me to testify?
Absolutely not.
You met Bishop in Vietnam, right?
Yeah.
Spring of '75.
Hue had just fallen.
Danang would go in a couple of days.
I had flown in country
to get an ARVIN sniper...
...who'd been with us
throughout the Phoenix program.
He was a heavy-hitter named Bihn.
DANANG: U.S. FIREBASE APRIL '75
I've got some bad news for you, sir.
- He's dead.
- Dead?
Just before dawn.
Caught a mortar round with his teeth.
Got anybody else?
There's a staff sergeant,
but he's
nowhere near Bihn's 40 confirmed.
- How many has he got?
- Three kills.
- Christ, and that's the best you've got?
- He's a fine shot, sir.
- Where is he?
- He's right over there.
- In the back?
- Yeah.
There is another guy, 20 kills,
but he's at least two days away.
- Confirm that.
- Yes, sir.
- Why is he over there?
- They live separate from the others.
Cook their own food. Gook food.
The smell is awful, sir.
Not to the enemy.
Send him in.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir?
- Bishop?
- That's correct, sir.
- Where are you from?
- Hemet, California, sir.
Here, have a seat.
You didn't get to be a marksman
putting food on your mama's table.
No, we have a Safeway back home.
- Where did you learn to shoot?
- Boy Scouts, sir.
- Are you kidding me?
- No, sir.
- When did you get pulled in?
- I volunteered, sir.
He came across as an idealistic type.
You know, a little bit of an attitude.
Starts out trying to see what he's
made of. Ends up disliking the view.
- Who was the target, Muir?
- General Hun Chea.
- He's Laotian?
- Yeah. Unofficial enemy.
Code name: Red Shirt.
He's responsible for the western flank
of the Saigon offensive.
- And his name is...
- Don't need a name, sir.
You don't need it or you don't want it?
Yeah, I'll do it, sir.
The target will be at a location...
...21 clicks away,
tomorrow morning at 0900.
It's a high-powered meet-and-greet
with the Vietcong.
- Will he be alone?
- He sometimes travels with an entourage.
"Bit of an entourage"?
Red Shirt located.
- Do you have in sight?
- Red Shirt confirmed.
Niner-eight-zero to gate.
One-zero-zero-five to table.
Wind:
Five miles left.
Target in sight.
Bravo Six, Bravo Six. Delta Two. Over.
- Go, Delta Two.
- We have target in sight, but no shot.
- Say it again?
- No shot. Helo's obstructing target.
NVA doesn't have air support.
Position in jeopardy.
Our position is compromised. Over.
Say it again. Over.
- We're still a go.
- We have no go.
- Clear.
- Don't take the shot.
- See if you can get them back.
- Delta Two, Delta Two.
Move.
Come on.
Delta Two, Bravo Six, over.
Sorry about your men, Captain.
You want to make another pass, sir?
Hold it! Go back again!
Hell of an ad for the Boy Scouts.
Did you have a presidential finding
authorizing those kills?
I don't believe we've met.
- Who are you?
- Dr. William Byars.
National Security Council.
Was there a finding, Muir?
We were in a place
we weren't supposed to be...
...assassinating a general
from a country we weren't at war with.
We weren't officially at war
with North Vietnam either...
Is that a no?
Come on, guys. We're on the clock.
The President admits Bishop is ours,
denies he's a spy.
We put out the fires
and negotiate a deal.
Unless I'm missing something.
This'll just take a second.
Stop recording. Stop tape.
Your secretary's got your wife
on the line. She says it's urgent.
Go ahead. You want to take it outside?
No, I'll take it in here. That's fine.
Got your message.
You want me to start a fire yet?
Right.
This'll just take a second.
Right.
Tell you what.
Why don't you hold that reservation...
...and we may still be able to use it.
You might just. As we speak,
there are three guys
rummaging through everything
I spent a week packing.
If there were any instances
of personal dysfunction...
...emotional or psychological,
it could be helpful.
- It's insubstantial.
- Right.
- Okay.
- A presidential finding of no importance.
- You still there?
- Yeah.
So he was an assassin, recruited to kill.
Sounds good. Bye-bye.
Sorry.
Wife's planning a retirement dinner.
"Assassin"?
- I think I just figured it out.
- The Bishop files.
- Where?
- My office. Closet.
- lt'll just take a second.
- I'll send a security officer down.
You guys have better things to do
than to rummage through my office.
Right, Chuck?
He's on his way down.
You were right.
It rained.
- What about these?
- Burn them.
- What is this about?
- Money.
Free trade. Microchips. Toaster ovens.
And what does that
have to do with you?
Nothing.
Get me Digger Gibson's number.
Shit!
Agency's looking for a reason
to let the Chinese kill Tom Bishop.
12:40pm
What Operation are you working for?
What's your connection
with the prisoner?
Who hired you?
They shut down my secure line.
Last day and all.
- Can I use yours?
- Well...
- I'm sorry, it's classified. Do you mind?
- Right.
So, sir, you and Muir
came up together, right?
- How well do you know him?
- No one knows Nathan, not really.
- Do you trust him?
- He's a man who got the job done.
Is he on the job now?
Office of Security, Hong Kong.
At this morning, a call originated
from station to Muir's home.
- He knew about Bishop before he got
here? - He played dumb. This is Harker.
I need confirmation on all calls
in and out of Nathan Muir's office.
Gee, I'm hungry.
- Hong Kong Herald.
- Digger Gibson, please.
One moment, sir.
- Hello.
- Gibby, old boy.
Nathan! To what do I owe this honor?
You still have contacts at CNN?
- I got something for you.
- Talk to me.
How about, "CIA operative
caught in the act of espionage"?
- Can you get that on the air?
- That won't be easy.
Come on, Gibby.
That's never stopped you before.
- Give me 30 minutes.
- Yeah.
I remember seeing something about
Bishop in my South American box...
...but it wasn't there.
Those op files downloaded yet?
Let's go with this.
Bishop's recruitment.
Yeah. Well, back then,
recruitment took time.
Bishop was evacuated
with the last of them on April 30.
And that gave me a month
to do my homework.
I talked to his neighbors,
his teachers, his mom...
...scoutmaster.
I pulled his dad's record
from the Pentagon.
And then started to move some pieces
around the board.
And my plan was to
isolate and alienate.
WEST GERMANY 1976
And I had his C.O. give him
just menial duties...
...with non-English speaking
personnel.
And I kept him in limbo about even
the possibility of going home.
And then I watched and waited.
This consignment is a misdirect.
It needs to go to the military H.Q.
in Mannheim. You understand?
I don't understand you.
- Fuck.
- Then, in December...
...when I didn't think he could take
anymore, I made the move.
There she is!
Sorry, sir. It's Bishop.
Sergeant Bishop.
- Oh, Christ. Of course!
- Hi.
Sandy, this is Tom Bishop.
It's Tom, right?
- Yes, sir. Tom, sir.
- How are you?
- Sandy?
- My second wife.
Second wife?
He asked me why I was in Berlin,
and I said I was a military
liaison of sorts.
- It's good to hear an American voice
again. - I'll bet.
- What are you doing for Christmas?
- No plans.
- Central Intelligence?
- Train you as an agent.
You'd be working for me,
mostly undercover.
- In Europe?
- Wherever the action is.
And if I preferred just to go home?
That's okay. It's fine.
I can make arrangements
for you to end your tour in San Diego.
In which case, I'll presume you'll forget
we ever had this conversation.
Look, it's your choice.
The next day,
we started his tradecraft.
Technology gets better every day,
and that's fine.
Most of the time,
all you need is a stick of gum,
a pocketknife and a smile.
That's disappointing.
Today we're going to be discussing
a radio set.
Not just any radio set,
but a Russian radio set.
Every building, every room,
every situation is a snapshot.
I'm sitting here talking to you, I'm also
checking the room,
memorizing it.
The people, what they're wearing.
Then I ask: "What's wrong with
this picture? Anything suspect?"
You got to see it, assess it, and then
dismiss most of it without thinking.
- Without thinking?
- Like breathing.
You breathe, don't you?
Always carry cigarettes and a lighter.
It's a great icebreaker.
Listen, but I want your concentration
to be on something different,
so you don't react. Understand?
- When do I get my first assignment?
- When I decide you're ready.
- What is your name?
- Michael Sandville.
The suit in the kitchen.
- Threat?
- Wait, how'd you see that?
- See that apartment building?
- Yeah.
Know anyone who lives there?
Within five minutes, I want to see you
standing on one of those balconies.
Come on.
- Did you serve in Vietnam?
- No, I did not.
- Favourite colour?
- Why don't we discuss it over coffee?
- You just lost 10 seconds.
Solicit information from someone.
Gladly.
Guy reading the menu.
Don't look at him.
- He wasn't reading the menu.
- He's not reading at all. Threat?
Only to the hostess.
You gave her four pieces
of personal information...
...for one dubious, impersonal fact.
Just finding out
where she got that dress.
Where you from?
When's your birthday?
You know everything about me.
I don't know a thing about you.
What did you tell her?
You're straight. You're engaged.
Tomorrow is your girl's birthday,
and you have no taste
in women's fashion.
What if she were an asset? You told
her four lies that now have to be true.
- I thought spies drank martinis.
- Scotch. Never less than 12 years old.
Is that right?
Agency rules?
My rules.
So, what else?
What else do I need to know?
Put away some money
so you can die someplace warm.
And don't ever touch it.
Not for anyone, ever.
Is that it?
Don't ever risk your life
or your career for an asset.
If it comes down to you or them,
send flowers.
He was a natural.
He could take an East German
who'd just come over the wall...
...look him in the eye,
and ask him to go back...
...to the place
he'd just fled and spy for us.
He got so good, he could close
in an afternoon
and send the guy out
with a smile.
Let me get this straight. You allowed
a contract agent to develop assets?
He was that good.
I thought he'd be a fine case officer.
Let's get on with it. I'd like to hear what
you can offer about Operation Rodeo.
- "Rodeo"?
- The Cathcart affair?
Hold transcription. Hold tape.
I'll be right back.
This would go a lot faster
if you'd tell me something about the op.
What's it called? "Sideshow"?
What about it?
How did you get this information?
Just stuff we learn in the field.
Sorry about that.
Okay, where were we?
I think we were talking
about Operation Rodeo. Right, Chuck?
You're on.
My East German contacts...
...discovered that we had
an unidentified mole in the embassy.
And we had the Ambassador
in our cross hairs...
...until some information leaked
when he was out the country.
So that just left one possibility.
- Ann!
- Hello.
- Ann Cathcart.
- Yeah.
Bishop was involved in a small
but integral part of the operation...
...going east to bring across an East
German functionary named Schmidt.
- Ready?
- Yeah.
Fuck!
Your passport is in the glove box.
Spill some vodka on your coat.
If they stop us, don't say a word.
Remember, you're drunk.
And where is Mrs. Muir?
Patricia left me, Ann.
She filed for divorce.
I'm so sorry, Nathan. How is it
I always say the wrong things?
Patricia?
Yeah, my third wife.
My God,
how many wives have you had?
Four. You want to hear
about them or Bishop?
- You see that gentleman?
- Yeah.
He's the Ambassador.
Why don't you go say hello to him?
Your scotch is older than she is.
Am I supposed to feel bad about that?
They know.
- They have my family already. I know it.
- They'd have stopped us by now if so.
Tomorrow, your wife and kids
will be safe in Munich.
- I have to make a stop.
- What?
A scheduled stop. It's okay.
For a phone call.
They'll follow you. They'll hear you!
Frederick, it's all taken care of.
If they ask, tell them I got sick.
Why don't we go outside?
I'm sure we won't be missed.
I wish I could.
I have to stay near the phone.
Working on a Saturday night?
Are you bringing someone across?
- Yes?
- Vodka did me in, I'm coming home.
- Throw out the bottle.
- Repeat?
- Throw out the bottle.
- They know.
They don't fucking know. They'll be
waiting. Drop close to checkpoint.
- Negative. We're coming across.
- No! That's an order.
They are coming.
You have to let him go.
They will kill him!
Good evening.
Where is he?
Let's go... just a couple of drunks.
Change of plans, Frederick.
You will drive me across,
just as you said.
If I do that, they'll kill us both.
This way we still have a chance.
You liar.
This way you still have a chance.
I can't help you.
- Get out of the car.
- I will not get out of this car.
- Get out of the car!
- I will not get out!
Please. My wife. My children.
I can't help you.
Nathan, what happened?
What went wrong?
- Nothing.
- Nothing?
Actually, one thing.
Don't ever question me again. Ever.
- What?
- I give an order, you take it.
Don't ask why. Those 10 seconds on
the phone could have blown the op.
- The op was bringing Schmidt across.
- It was to set up Cathcart.
And your end had to look legit.
- Are you telling me Schmidt was bait?
- Yes.
Nathan, they executed him
on a shitty cellar floor!
And it could have been you.
About Schmidt...
...he told the Russians last week
he had a contact.
An American he could use.
Don't tell me that!
You didn't look in his eye!
He was an asset.
Don't tell me that!
He was your asset.
Somebody you used for information.
Jesus Christ! You don't trade
these people like baseball cards!
- It's not a fucking game!
- Yes, it is.
That's exactly what it is. And it's no kid's
game, either, but a whole other game.
And it's serious, and it's dangerous,
and it's not one you want to lose.
Nathan, we killed this man.
We used him, and we killed him.
Okay, help me understand this one.
Nathan, what are we doing here?
Don't bullshit me
about the greater good.
That's exactly what it's about.
Because what we do is,
unfortunately,
very necessary.
If you can't sacrifice scum like Schmidt
for those that only want their freedom...
...then you better take a hard look
at your chosen profession.
It doesn't get any easier.
You want to walk?
Walk.
You should've told me about the op.
You used me.
I did. Listen to this,
because this is important.
If you'd pulled a stunt there and
got nabbed,
I wouldn't come after you.
You go off the reservation,
I will not come after you.
- Fuck your rules, Nathan.
- Okay.
But tonight they saved your life.
Can we have the relevant files
on Ann Cathcart, please?
Ann Cathcart's body was found...
...in the lobby of a cheap hotel
in East Germany...
...just two months after she defected.
Beaten to death.
VoPos never solved the case.
- Bishop was in Berlin when this
happened. - We were both in Berlin.
Do you recall Bishop's reaction
to Ann Cathcart's death?
Motive and opportunity.
You should leave here knowing that we're
looking into every possible scenario.
What's Sideshow?
You don't need to know.
Why are you trying to burn Bishop?
Troy?
Hold transcription. Hold video.
Sideshow was a bugging op.
Listening to government offices
in eastern China.
The trade talks?
You're afraid the cookie jar lid
is gonna shut on our hand?
Come on, guys. The Chinese need trade
status more than we need to give it.
That's not necessarily so.
Twenty-four hours after capture,
Bishop is allowed to start talking.
That gives you 10, 12 hours to make a
trade. Now, come on, you're on the clock.
2:10 pm
EXECUTION 8:00 am
He doesn't know anything.
Bishop wasn't on Sideshow.
He wasn't working for us.
He was arrested during a rescue
attempt at a prison
outside Su Chou.
Who was he after?
Don't know.
Get off me!
For more on this late-breaking story,
we go live to Hong Kong.
It's just been confirmed that the
Chinese claim to have arrested...
...an American operative of the CIA.
While the State Department remains
quiet, sources say that...
...the individual, working out
of the American consulate here...
...was captured in an act of espionage.
If confirmed, this comes at a bad time
for an administration...
...which is in trade negotiations
with China.
The U.S. government is in the process
of negotiating for his release.
We are so fucked.
...the situation as it develops.
This is Frank Nall, live in Hong Kong.
Guess that limits our options.
I want to know what you have to say
about this, and I want it on the record.
When I was a kid, I used to spend
summers on my uncle's farm.
He had this plow horse
that he used to work with every day.
And he really loved that plow horse.
One summer, she came up lame.
Could barely stand.
The vet offered to put her down.
You know what my uncle said?
No, Muir, what did he say?
"Why would I ask somebody else
to kill a horse that belonged to me?"
Get me Peter Brody at the FCC.
I don't care, just get him.
Looks like Bishop's gonna be okay.
Good.
What about the flag?
Keep it. To remember me.
You know where to store this stuff?
Yeah. What do I do with the storage key?
If I need it, I'll send for it.
Send you a postcard.
- From where?
- Not a chance.
You'd show up and try to clean the
place, and scare the native girls away.
I wish.
I'll be working for Andy Unger
down the hall.
You're gonna miss it.
You know that, don't you?
Thank you.
Have a nice day. Thank you.
More on this late-breaking story,
we go live to Hong Kong.
In a late-breaking development
of the incident reported earlier...
...rumors that Tom Bishop,
an alleged CIA operative...
...had been captured in an act of
espionage now appears to be a hoax.
Tom Bishop died 14 months ago.
While the CIA
has made no official comment...
...sources close to the Agency have
confirmed Bishop's death late last year.
The story is due to an overzealous
member of the Chinese government...
...who leaked the false information...
...in the hopes of undermining
the current U.S. trade negotiations.
This is Frank Nall, live in Hong Kong.
3:30 pm
Told you, you'd miss it.
Who do you trust
in Military Intelligence?
I co-signed Martha
Rayburn's car loan.
Listen, Gladys,
I got to buy some time here.
I'm gonna need the imagery analysis
for a military prison near Su Chou.
And if you use the phones,
don't use these.
Any chance
I could lose my job over this?
Good. I didn't want to work
for Andy Unger anyway.
I know who it is.
I know who Bishop was after.
- Well, so do we.
- But do you know why?
If anybody knew the back-story,
it would...
It would make a congressional hearing
really worth watching.
And, by the way,
that's not in the op reports.
Muir, you're not cleared to be in here.
Relax, if I didn't have clearance,
how did I get in?
Where's this report?
The people on the seventh floor
are pretty disappointed
it hasn't arrived yet.
Hold on.
What report?
You were at the briefing.
I'm talking about Tom Bishop.
Bishop went rogue.
They were gonna pull him out
until somebody up there...
...I won't say who, said that your dept.
claimed there weren't enough resources.
Who said that?
I can buy some time
while you pull this thing together.
Operation Sideshow,
that's near the prison, right?
Near Su Chou.
China. Come on.
Any air support?
Shit, this is probably Folger.
Yes.
Penghu Islands.
Commander Wiley's outfit.
Forty minutes from Su Chou prison.
Thank you.
Hey, I'm having a little retirement
dinner party tonight.
Services library. Say, 7:00?
Sure.
You know, I didn't know you liked me.
What was that all about?
What did Muir want?
We were just talking.
- What about?
- His party.
I don't think you're invited.
It's me.
Where are you?
First floor coffee shop.
Talk to me.
Imagery Analysis.
They've got every angle on the prison
you could want, collecting dust.
Gladys, get me whatever they have.
I'll have to go through Folger's office.
I'm aware of that. I need info on an outfit
of ours in the Penghu Islands.
Commander Wiley's outfit.
Muir?
Muir, wait up!
And call Kappler in the map room.
Tell him my party's canceled.
Your party?
We need you upstairs a bit longer.
What's that?
I said we're gonna need you upstairs
a bit longer.
You've got something in your teeth.
Harker says you might care to
enlighten us on information...
...that's not in your op reports?
I just want to help out.
Is it relevant to the issue at hand?
I know who Bishop was after.
Elizabeth Hadley.
Pull up what we have on Hadley.
Yeah, it was a tip-of-the-sword deal
out of Beirut.
Intended to be clean and efficient
in a place that was anything but.
By '85, the place was a nightmare.
BEIRUT '85
...the surrounding areas
into a new round of bitter fighting.
Sheik Salameh was our target.
He ran a large terrorist faction
that had taken out
many American targets,
at least one of the embassy bombings...
...that left 212 people dead,
mostly civilians.
An assassination was not an option.
He needed to appear to die
of natural causes...
...to avoid violent repercussions
and even more bloodshed.
His base of operations was Cyprus.
We knew that he was
extremely dangerous and paranoid.
He was planning a trip to Beirut
to see the family doctor.
I sent Bishop in a couple of months
ahead of me to make contacts...
...and get within striking distance
of the sheik.
I set him up at the Commodore.
You know, where all the flacks
and the expatriates stayed.
His cover was as a photojournalist.
He was talented. Had a good eye.
Probably had a photography merit
badge stuffed in a drawer at home.
It wasn't that much different
from Nam, actually.
So it wasn't long
before he was right at home.
It took him seven weeks...
...but Bishop found a way
to get to the sheik.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Thanks.
Yeah, tobacco, see, cigarettes.
Back up. Stay out of my way.
It's for the children, for God's sake!
Turn it off!
Fine.
Okay, calm down. Calm down!
Come on, quiet, guys.
Bishop delivered a consignment of
medical supplies to the refugee camp.
He'd arranged a deal
with a new contact
to get closer to the sheik's doctor.
Take the antibiotics and the morphine
straight into the hospital.
The rest of the stuff, the hypos,
bandages, take it into storage, okay?
Fuck.
What happened to the kid over here?
He was trying to take The Hill.
It's in the north end of the camp.
If they make it, they're in a safe zone...
...where they can get
medical supplies and food.
Of course, they've got to make it back.
There we go, honey.
I'd like to come back
and do a story on the doc.
- I could get something published for you.
- For me?
Let the world know
what's going on here.
I don't know, Terry.
Maybe we can work something out.
Bishop did a "day in the life"
spread on the doctor
that got printed in the Times.
Why don't you take a look at it?
So with that relationship intact,
things looked good.
It's good.
Then again, this was Beirut.
We didn't know when the doctor
would give the sheik his physical...
...but it was our one and
only opportunity to take him out.
I didn't have the usual time
to butter him up...
...which means we needed twice
the sex with half the foreplay.
- Hello?
- Muir has arrived.
Can you get over here soon?
- Right. Okay.
- Good.
All right.
Israeli troops moving in
to the Bekáa Valley.
- Where in the Bekáa?
- South end.
- Where in the Bek?a?
- South end.
My God, it's 5:30. With the roadblocks,
you won't get there till noon.
Yeah, so the shots won't be so pretty.
All right, I'm up. What's so important?
It's a new day.
- It's too early, you psycho. What is it?
- The Sheik Ali Salameh.
He's moving.
- How?
- Speedboat from Cyprus.
He's booked the top floor of the
Neb?a apartments for two weeks.
My God, you're hideous.
Why do you even bother?
I missed you, too.
You want flowers at 5:00 a.m.?
Flowers would be nice,
but I'll settle for breakfast.
I got a good spot.
Taught the guy to make migas.
Migas? A Mexican restaurant
in Beirut? I'm impressed.
Suddenly,
Mexican doesn't sound so good to me.
Better be the best damn breakfast
I ever had.
Delicious. You'll love it.
We have to get to the end of the alley.
You're gonna make a beautiful corpse.
Happy birthday, Nathan.
You know, Langley has seven
different birth dates for you?
They're all wrong.
Believe me, it wasn't easy.
KGB, Mossad, also wrong.
Fortunately, I was well-trained.
Tom, I'm speechless.
Where did you find this in Beirut?
Beirut? Diplomatic pouch,
overnight from London.
Got a new racket here.
Operation Dinner Out.
"Dinner Out"?
Dinner Out. I'll remember that.
Here we go.
How we doing?
The sheik's scheduled for a physical.
I made contact with his doctor,
who's also his cousin.
Sounds right.
The doctor's name is Ahmad.
He works
in a refugee camp south of town.
I got to him through an aid worker.
Blonde or brunette?
- I didn't say he was a she.
- Is she cute?
Just someone
I used to get into the camp.
She gonna be any further use to us?
Not to "us."
Another piece of nasty business.
Langley wants a backup.
They want me to liaise
with the Lebanese militia, just in case.
Nathan, those guys are cowboys.
No. Not an option.
All the more reason to make sure
we do it our way.
You're 10 minutes late.
Nathan, we're okay. I just got hung up.
- Look, we got zero room for error here.
- You're right.
You're right. Won't happen again.
Good to see you.
- How are you, sir?
- Great, thanks.
I have a friend
you'd be interested in speaking with.
- You good on time?
- Okay.
Doctor.
- How are you?
- Fine, thanks. May I?
Please.
It's official business, a bit unpleasant,
but something I think you ought to see.
The doctor's father had been
a politician, a diplomat of some note...
...and he and his wife had died a couple of
years back from CO2 asphyxiation.
We have reason to believe that your
parents' death was not accidental.
Are you saying they were murdered?
We know who did it. I wanted to give you
a chance to do something about this.
Something I think would serve
both of our interests.
I'm sorry.
It's like he wanted me to know.
What I did know was
that if we weren't careful...
...she was gonna cause the whole thing
to come crashing down around us.
Good, yeah.
He's been with her every night.
Scotch.
- What? What's wrong?
- Nothing.
Excuse me, sir?
You see the gentleman at the bar?
Would you get him a double
of your cheapest scotch?
- Who is it?
- He's this guy
from the embassy. He
helped me out with a passport problem.
Excuse me. The gentleman here
offered you a scotch.
Good guy. A really good guy.
- Terry? It's Terry, right?
- That's right.
Good to see you again, Nathan.
I was saying how you helped me
with that passport problem.
Elizabeth Hadley, Nathan Muir.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
You probably don't know
he mentioned you at the embassy.
He said he'd met a beautiful girl
and wanted to extend his stay.
That's got to be you, right?
Well, you never know.
- You want to join us?
- Maybe just for a minute.
I don't want to be a third wheel.
What brings you to
this part of the world?
I'm with an international
aid organisation.
How do you keep track of it all?
"It all"?
I haven't been here that long,
but it seems nobody trusts anybody.
Seventeen sects
all claiming their birthright here.
- Do you have a favourite?
- Our organisation is neutral.
God, that must be nice. Being neutral.
Never having to take sides.
Sleeping like a baby.
- That's a simplistic way to look...
- Don't defend me.
What?
No, she's right.
So how do you sleep, Elizabeth?
Actually, I don't.
It's the shelling. I can't quite get used
to it, you know. All night.
More effective that way. Families at
home, greater chance of casualties.
Then quite a lot of these shells seem to
come from the sea, from warships.
Funny. Now that I think about it.
The bombs, guns, bullets, tanks, they
all come from somewhere else, too.
China, Syria, Iraq, Iran, the U.S.
This place is like 31 Flavors.
Something for everyone.
Bad day at the office, Nathan?
You're right. I apologize.
You're kind enough
to invite me to your table...
...and I start talking politics off the bat.
- I guess that's the curse of the job.
- Must be.
So, Elizabeth, do you miss London?
It must be tough
not being able to return.
- That doesn't concern you.
- What are you saying?
I don't know if she's mentioned
that she's not welcome at home.
Her parents won't talk to her, her
brother and sisters think she's crazy.
- She's a fanatic.
- Stop it.
This is ridiculous.
You just met this guy, right?
No, please don't.
Please stay with your friend.
Shit!
- What are you doing?
- What you should have done. Homework.
- Nathan, she set us up with Ahmad.
- Yeah? So she's just an asset?
Did it ever occur to you
she might see you as an asset?
Yes, it did, and I'm telling you,
you're wrong.
How did you two meet?
Did you mark her,
or was it the other way around?
Did she get you to do her
any favours?
Nathan, you're out of line.
Drop it. It's under control.
How about him? Rajiq Nabih.
You got him under control? Hezbollah.
She uses him to finance her camp,
and he uses her for God knows what.
Now tell me I'm wrong, Tom.
Tell me you knew about him.
I don't know
what the fuck you're doing.
My personal life is my business.
You stay out of it!
Like heck.
Sure, "Terry,"
I'll stay out of your personal life.
Am I getting played here?
- Jesus, you're such a...
- Am I getting played?
You accuse me of lying to you?
- What is it?
- Do you want the truth?
Well, fine. I'm a fixer. A fanatic.
How do you think I move so freely?
I make deals, provide introductions,
anything to help the people I work with.
And as much as I'd like to deny it,
sometimes, most times...
...those introductions
have consequences.
Why can't you go home?
Why can't you go home?
- Why?
- I...
- Why?
- I was involved...
...with a human rights group in London.
We bombed a building owned by China.
It was supposed to be empty. It wasn't.
And I have to live with that.
Fine. That's me. What about you?
You can start small. Your name.
You know my name.
- Your name.
- Terry.
Tell me your real name, please.
Jesus, you're pathetic.
She had worked both ends
against the middle for so long...
...the middle decided to give up
and go home.
The Chinese, of course,
had serious problems with her.
A lot of little ones, one big one.
The London bombings
killed the premier's nephew.
They don't forget that kind of thing.
How well did you know Hadley?
Our paths crossed. That's about it.
What was Bishop's reaction to this?
Didn't bring it up.
So, neither did I.
I'm gonna try to get us some work
in South America.
You ever been to Argentina?
- You okay?
- Yes, I am okay.
Okay.
Half a drop of this on the skin,
he'll be dead in 12 hours.
You will use this stethoscope.
You will take the cap off,
hold it to his chest to check his heart...
...then place the cap back on.
Don't brush against it.
- Got it?
- Yeah.
That's it.
Tell me.
- Is it hard?
- Is what hard?
To take a life?
The sheik wants me to come at noon...
...on Friday.
Which was just four, long days away.
Intelligence showed us
that he was planning a major attack...
...on the civilian sector of West Beirut.
We were on the clock,
and we knew this was our only chance.
It was imperative
that everything went according to plan.
Bishop baby-sat the doctor...
...and the rest of us tried not to watch
the water boil.
And, to satisfy Langley,
I met with the Lebanese militia...
...who were more than just a little
excited about even the possibility...
...of putting their bomb squad
into action against the sheik...
...in case the plan
with the doctor failed.
The militia was purely a backup.
Not a real option.
And then there was the waiting.
That's the worst part.
Gives you too much time
to consider, "What if? "
My name is Tom.
And then on Thursday...
...the day before the sheik's physical...
...the Druze and the Party of God
started a street war in South Beirut.
The sheik got antsy,
and the water boiled over.
- Tom Bishop on the phone.
- Yeah?
The sheik wants him there
within the hour.
- Here we go.
- Nathan, the doc is not with me.
Where is he?
The Amal retaliated,
shelling the Palestinian camp.
- You let him go?
- Nathan!
- You let her take him?
- I'm on my way now.
The Lebanese militia isn't an option.
If the sheik gets away,
we're dead in the water.
No, I can get him there! Just trust me.
Get out of the way!
Ahmad, it's time.
I'm sorry, we've got to go now.
Fuck! Move!
- Hello.
- It's Muir. Where are we?
Looks like they're packing up to go.
Move!
And?
Could be an hour, or 10 minutes.
Get out of the way!
Ahmad! Go! Move!
Get out of the way!
Hello.
Repeat...0420. Okay.
Okay, good luck, Ahmad.
- Ahmad, we got to go. You okay?
- Yes.
Thank you.
The destruction was a little more
extensive than anyone anticipated.
Our Lebanese friends were insecure
about this being their first big mission.
So they packed the car with enough
Semtex to blow up half of Beirut.
It was a tough deal,
but I figured Bishop could handle it.
I didn't see him until a week later...
...when we were scheduled
to fly out of there to Karachi.
That was the last time I saw him.
Happy?
7 4 casualties,
an entire apartment block leveled...
...one dead terrorist.
Yeah, happy.
We have some fucked-up barometer
for success, don't we?
Let's take a walk.
I'm not going with you.
I hooked up with another op.
Probably for the best.
Is this about her?
Make sure you're doing it
for the right reasons, Tom.
Yeah, I'm done with your reasons,
Nathan. I'm done with you.
I'm not ending up like you.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Lizzy?
Yes?
I'm on my way.
I'm going to brief the White House.
We'll finish this up at 0700 tomorrow.
- The files you requested, sir.
- Thank you.
Wait! You can't go in there!
I'll get back to you.
It's all right.
- You can't do this.
- I'm due at the White House.
He's one of ours.
Troy?
Do you remember when we could tell
the good guys from the bad guys?
All this...
was about something, wasn't it?
Yes.
5: 42 pm
Yeah, yeah.
Forgot my smokes.
I'll get them, sir.
You're aware
this is now a non-smoking facility, sir?
Feels good to break a rule now and then.
LONDON: STOCK EXCHANGE
- Good morning. Thomas Quinn.
- Mitch Alford, please. Nathan Muir.
- One moment, please.
Mitch, I got Nathan Muir on the line.
Do you want to take it? Thanks.
Hey, Nathan, what can I do for you?
Who's this?
- She was his wife.
- This guy and his fucking wives.
She stayed in Korea while he did
two tours in South America.
His second op with Harry Duncan
was real sensitive shit.
Muir worked with Duncan?
Bishop worked for both of them.
Liquidate everything, Mitch.
Stocks, T- bills, money markets,
the works.
- Let's discuss this.
- No. I don't care about penalties.
- I want access to it now.
- Nathan, "save for a rainy day"?
I know what I'm doing.
Wire- transfer the balance
to this account:
1-7-1-2-4-4-8-2-9-2.
- First Maritime of Grand Cayman.
- Grand Cayman?
That's it. Thanks, Mitch.
9:22 pm
This is Harker.
Find out if there were any calls
made to Hong Kong since this morning.
The whole building.
- Hi.
- Hi there.
I mislaid my pass.
- I'll look upstairs.
- No problem.
Get a load of this.
What?
He consolidated
his international trading account.
He did what?
Sent them to a bank in Grand Cayman.
- Get me his account balance.
- Right.
U.S. EMBASSY HONG KONG
- Yeah?
- Harry? It's Muir.
Here's the list of the Hong Kong calls
you requested.
Embassy.
That's his cell phone.
Hong Kong Herald.
That's Andrew Unger's fucking office.
You still have contact with that official
at the power company?
Yeah. Yeah, Deng. Why?
Yeah, this is Harker.
I'll hold.
Where can I fax you
that's under the radar?
Kowloon Marriott.
Look, what the hell's going on here, Muir?
- You got to trust me on this, Harry.
- And why should I trust you?
You recommended Boy Scout
to me in the first place.
Call me on my cell.
- What's going on, Unger?
- I'm looking for my badge.
I don't understand. It's always...
11:03pm
- Where's Muir?
- Looks like he's gone for the day, sir.
What?
How much longer?
Print them out and send them up.
- Yeah.
- What now?
Did you get my fax?
Yes. I see an op
requiring three months of prep.
Bishop prepped it
before he piggybacked Sideshow.
So, what, we gonna ask him for help?
He's gonna be dead in six hours.
He's got a friend on the inside.
Check the roster for Sideshow.
Well, I'll be damned.
Tran.
He's got all the schematics
for the prison.
So what do we need Deng for?
Thirty minutes to complete blackout
at Su Chou.
- And, Harry?
- Yeah.
Get me bottom dollar.
2:55 am
Yeah.
Deng wants 500,000 yuan
- for the power-out in Su Chou.
- No way.
Tell him $100 K, and I'll pay in dollars.
- $100,000 U.S. dollars?
- No way. That's not enough.
$300,000 U.S.
Well, he won't risk it for less
than $300,000, but he will take dollars.
Five years ago,
it would have cost $20,000.
Five years ago,
Deng wouldn't have had to bribe
ten employees, two supervisors...
...a local politician,
all of whom stand
to lose their lives if they get caught.
Come on, Muir,
it's not like it was your money.
Tell him $282,000 in a Grand Cayman
account, and that's it.
$282,000?
Okay, okay, it's a deal.
Okay, it's a done deal.
Good morning, Gladys.
If the wife calls, tell her I'll be upstairs.
- Good morning, gentlemen.
- Director Wilson.
Good morning.
Have a seat.
I found some extra stuff on Bishop.
7:04 am
I don't think it's relevant,
but if you want to see it...
Harker, you want to go ahead?
There are a couple of things
that need to be cleared up.
- About Bishop?
- No, about you, Muir.
About the past 24 hours.
Mr. Muir has been working against us
from the start.
What are you talking about?
I've done nothing but cooperate.
Cooperate?
Have I withheld anything?
The fact that Harry Duncan
tipped you off to Bishop's situation...
...before you even arrived yesterday.
Yet you chose to play dumb
with us. Why?
Then maybe you'd like to tell us
about the calls you placed to Duncan...
...from Andrew Unger's office last night.
- Harry Duncan's a friend.
- Aren't they all?
- We were discussing a personal matter.
- Harry Duncan's gone missing.
Well, good for Harry.
He deserves some time away.
With your $282,000?
Muir transferred that amount
to a Grand Cayman account yesterday.
As of an hour ago, it's gone.
You want to accuse me of something?
Accuse me.
Maybe the payoff went to Digby Gibson
when you tipped off the press.
- Troy?
- Leave Digger out of this.
His paper is a front.
He's Ml6's man in Hong Kong.
Anything else, Harker?
Yes, sir. Yesterday, lmagery Analysis
delivered a file requested by Muir's
secretary to your office.
Did you receive that file, sir?
- I don't remember seeing it.
- It was returned at 0300 this morning.
All right, give it to me.
Thank you.
Is this China?
Muir?
I believe it is, sir,
and it would behoove Mr. Muir...
...to tell us exactly what $282,000
has bought him there.
Muir?
It's kind of difficult to explain.
I think you'd better tell us everything.
I've been using company resources
for personal benefit.
For the past year,
I've been routing one of our satellites...
...over some retirement property
that I'm thinking about buying.
What the hell is that?
Harker, let me see that.
Because of the weather patterns
and the erosion occurring...
...along the coastline of the beaches
and the fact that it's my life savings...
...I just wanted to be sure.
Sorry.
I believe I'll sit in for the rest of this.
Aiken, where did you leave off
yesterday?
Beirut, sir.
We still don't know how Hadley
wound up in a Chinese prison.
Should we go off the record with this?
No, let's just get on with this.
After the bombing,
Hadley was a concern,
not only to Middle East ops
but to Bishop's life.
So, I brokered a trade
with the Chinese government...
...using Hadley in exchange for a U.S.
diplomat convicted of espionage.
She was flown to a high-security
prison near Su Chou, eastern China.
Her place was cleared out
and a letter saying...
...they were through was forged
and left for Bishop to find.
It appears you underestimated
Bishop's feelings for her.
Yeah, I underestimated.
And you took it upon yourself to do
this deal, and you were alone in this?
Yeah. Just me.
Muir's secretary is on the phone.
Your secretary's on the phone. Line 1 .
- Yeah?
- I've got Commander Wiley.
Okay, connect us.
U.S. MILITARY BASE
80 MILES WEST OF SU CHOU
Commander Wiley, sir. Package
received. What's the verdict?
- We're on for tonight.
- Roger, sir, I understand.
Operation Dinner Out is a go. Confirm?
Correct. Dinner Out is a go.
Thumbs up!
"Dinner out is a go"?
Hell of a way to speak to your wife.
Why do you think
they keep dumping him?
7:17 am
How did Bishop
find out where she was?
Couldn't have been too hard.
Small world, people talk.
A white face
in a Chinese prison stands out.
He's well-trained.
I should've known he'd find out.
- Any other questions?
- Yeah, one.
If you'd known he was going after her,
would you have told us?
SU CHOU PRISON
7: 42 am
Do we edit the transcript or let it stand?
The Agency can't be responsible for
some crazy thing Bishop did on his own.
I'm sorry about Bishop.
So am I.
- We done here?
- Non-disclosure agreement.
Aren't you gonna read it?
- Read it 1,000 times.
- Aiken,
would you escort Mr. Muir
from the building?
- Dinner with his wife?
- Sir.
Why?
- He said he had four wives.
- I'm changing phones.
- There was one in Germany.
- His first wife was Korean.
- And Peggy. That's three.
- He was only married once.
This is Blackhawk 1.
We're inbound.
- Operation Dinner Out accomplished.
- What did you say?
Nothing.
Just that we're on our way home, sir.
- No, operation what?
- Dinner Out, sir.
Who are the others?
Here it is. Patricia Lemour,
Sandra Harris and Peggy Dye.
All agents or civilian assets.
- They were all cover wives.
- And who was he talking to?
There's been an incident in China.
SUBTITLES EDITED BY POWAQUATSI