Strike Back (2010–2018): Season 1, Episode 1 - Iraq: Part One - full transcript

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

- What's this?
- It's the ***

♪♪♪

- This one looks like you.
- What?

- ***
- Cheers, mate.

***, right?

- Tell me about it.
- Yeah.

Gentlemen, do I have your attention?

Kenneth Bratton.

Senior executive of the British
armament firm ATAT Systems



was kidnapped from his Baghdad hotel room
two weeks ago.

But we're not sure whether it's
the Republican Guard behind the kidnapping,

or militant ***

- So we don't know if we're dealing with
military or terrorists. - Correct.

Understood?

Understood?

Yes, sir.

So when you go in, treat
all and any *** as hostile.

No exceptions.

Captain Collinson from
the Military Intelligence speaks Arab.

and has embedded contacts in the facility.

So he will accompany you
in the extraction and operate signals.

So what intel do we have on Bratton's *** location?

We've identified this safe house
in an apartment block in Bazra City.



Eyewitness saw a hostage we believe to be
Bratton taken into the building 2 days ago.

- How reliable is this intel?
- A local source.

I'd stake my life on him.

All our lives.

John, you'll command the operation,

Unlike military bombardment
we'll begin within the next 24 hours.

So let's get Bratton out before
he becomes collateral damage.

Here. Take mine.

♪♪♪

Mission window from draw
to extraction is 5 minutes.

- Thanks. - All other hostage
evacuation protocols are standard.

- ***
- Good hunting, boys.

See you back for breakfast.

- Gentlemen, welcome to the ***

- Landing 60 seconds.
- Get position.

Landing in 6..5..4..3..2..1.

Go, go, go.

Move, move.

Let's call in for backup.

- Kenneth Bratton?
- Yes.

- Keep quiet and do what I say, and you'll
get out of here alive. - On your feet.

Move.

- Grenade!
- Down!

- Go, go, go!
- We got ***

Shoot him! Go!
Shoot him!

What's the hold up?

It's ok.

It's ok.

John, what's going on over there?

John, for Christ's sake.

♪♪♪

Fuck! Get Bratton out of here.

You've been hit, John. Go!

Call ***

- ***
- There you go, fella.

♪♪♪

- Yeah, right.
- ***

*** with hostage. Get down, down, down!

Let's go.

"John, we need covering fire
to assist."

"Repeat, need covering fire."

Get him out, immediate evac.
On my way.

Fuck.

Shit.

"Need immediate evac assist."

"Evac assist."

Cannot phone location.

Repeat, cannot phone location.

(ALL TALK ARABIC)

"Collinson, will you get down here?"
On my way.

I haven't got a magazine.
Me too.

Let's get out of here, now.
With you.

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

(SPEAKS ARABIC)

Fuck. Steve, Steve!

Porter!

Where are the other men?

Collinson, where's Mike and Keane?

Fuck.
They're dead!

Porter! Porter!

(SHOUTING IN ARABIC)

Go, go!

(RADIO COMMS)

Two men dead.

What the fuck went wrong, Sergeant?

As we returned to the roof
we were intercepted by two,

maybe three units
of Republican Guard.

Mike, Steve -
Porter, this was your command.

It was the kid, wasn't it?

What fucking kid?

There was a...

The men holding Bratton used
this boy as a suicide bomber.

Porter put him out of action.

You shot him?

He had a dead man's trigger,
I couldn't shoot him.

Couldn't?

Or wouldn't?

Porter disarmed the bomb, sir, and
knocked the boy unconscious, but...

But what?

When I returned to the stairwell
he was standing, holding a weapon.

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

'When he saw me, he ran.'

'But from where he was standing,

he had a perfect firing position
on all three of the men.

Fuck. Steve, Steve!

'I only had time to recover Steve

before the Iraqi guards -
Alright, alright.

Thank you, Collinson. Dismissed.

A clean head shot would have stopped
the reflex release on the button.

You should have killed him, John.

John, I...

John, it wasn't your fault.

What did he say to me?

(STAMMERS)
The kid. The boy that I hit.

What exactly did he say to me?

(SPEAKS ARABIC)

It's an Arabic saying.

"I lay my life for your sake."

It's a debt of honour.

He owes you his life.

Thank you.

(NEWS REPORT) "This was how the end
of an era was heralded."

"The American marines leaving.
After three weeks of war

scenes of jubilation have replaced
fighting and bombing."

"They used to chant for Saddam,

now they are pledging their loyalty
to George W Bush."

"Politicians are beginning to ask
whether the danger was exaggerated,

the intelligence flawed."

"Despite repeated assurances
by the prime minister"

that WMDs will be found in Iraq,

firm evidence of Saddam Hussein's
supposed arsenal

"of chemical and biological weapons
has yet to be found."

Daddy.
Lexie, sweetheart.

Missed you so much.

Careful. I've got metal pins
in that shoulder.

We've been into RHQ every day,
they didn't know where you were,

then they did,
but not how badly hurt.

Home now, though, aren't I?

"It may also be an indication
that the feared threat"

of chemical or biological
retaliation

"may not be as serious
as we'd been led to believe."

"Katie Dartmouth in southern Iraq."

Let's get some of this inside you.

I'm sorry, you are?

I'm his best mate.

So, how's he doing, Doc?

He has bullet fragments
lodged in his brain.

If we try to remove them
we may do more harm than good.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Come in.

Sergeant, I've discussed the
pertinent points of the operation

with the CO.

Do you have anything to say
in defence of your actions?

No, sir, no defence.
That's to your credit.

Hat off, Sergeant.

I'm sorry, mate.

The blokes won't work with you.

I wouldn't work with me.

The boss wants to do this
on medical grounds.

Have you returned to unit.

Sir, I'd rather resign.

'The army can still use you.'

As a bean counter?

'You beat the clock, John.'

'Be grateful for that.'

How is she?
How do you think?

She's worried she's going
to have to leave all her friends.

Didn't you tell her
I was staying local?

She's ten years old.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

You know this flat's only for
a little while, don't you?

Budge up.

I'm going to get another job.

Then we'll find somewhere
really nice to live.

But you'll be gone again.

'I'm not going anywhere.'

Promise.

(Promise.)

'I know you're a busy man,
Mr Bratton.'

'So I'll get straight to the point.'

'I'm no longer serving in the army

as a result of injuries
sustained in combat.'

And for the past six years
I've served in various -

John, please, you don't need
to sell yourself to me.

I am hearing about a number of
lucrative opportunities in Iraq.

Private security contractors.

I was thinking of something
closer to home.

Look, John, I mean no disrespect,

but all of our recruits
have academic qualifications.

I may have some driving work.

Office security.

Two of my best mates died for you.

Another's crippled for life.

John, please.

Fuck!

Come one step closer
and I will take you down.

'I'll get on the phone,
there'll be something else.'

There was something else
in the army.

I'm trying.
Today, that was trying, was it?

Listen. Listen.

My mum said that she'll have me
and Lexie for a bit.

But we've got the flat.

Just till you get yourself straight.

Yeah?

It's easier that way, isn't it?

I will make this better.

For all of us.

I know you will.

"Major combat operations in Iraq
have ended."

"In the Battle of Iraq,

the United States and our allies
have prevailed."

"(CHEERING / APPLAUSE)"

(KATIE) Seven years
after the invasion,

seven years of bloody occupation,

and the battle for Iraq
is yet to be won.

Life in the streets appears
at least to continue peacefully,

but an undercurrent of violence
hides just beneath the surface.

With the US pull-out scheduled
for the end of the year,

many Iraqis I've spoken to
are worried.

They believe that
hard-line sectarian groups

are preparing to take advantage of
the void created by withdrawal.

Just last month in this market,
a bomb attack...

Erm... a bomb attack...
Cut.

Sorry.
What's up?

You OK? Do it again.

(SPEAKS ARABIC)

OK, bye.

This doesn't feel right.

What do you mean?
I've seen this guy.

It's the boy from the market.

(RAISED VOICES)

(SHE PROTESTS IN ARABIC)

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

(SCREAMS) No, no!

Please!

Sir.

A British TV journalist
has just been abducted near Basra.

Shit. You know who this is,
don't you?

Yeah, we're trying to establish
if her kidnap

is incidental or directly related
to her father.

Any contact?
Not yet.

All we know is that Katie was
abducted 17 kilometres from Basra

near a town called Al Harith.
It's a Sunni district.

Predominantly.

Her film crew were killed on sight.
There were no witnesses.

"Katie Dartmouth
has been reported missing..."

Any means of tracking her?

No. Her mobile was destroyed
so we can't use that.

But she did have the presence of
mind to take a photo with her phone

and SMS it to her office.

Given the time the
picture was taken,

we're pretty certain
it's one of her abductors.

Her producer wants to know
if he can release it to the press.

(WHISPERS)

Sir?

Sir?

Yes, erm... No, hold off.

At least until we've sent it to
Iraqi intelligence and police. OK.

See if they can identify him
before we open it to the public.

"We go live to Patrick
Dartmouth, Katie's father,

and former foreign minister."

"This is very sudden and shocking
news. Katie always knew..."

< Sir? Line one.

(ON PHONE) "Hugh."
Yes, sir.

"Get over here now."

"Please excuse me."

We set up Section 20
for exactly this kind

of politically delicate incident.

Thanks, Hugh.

Major Collinson heads up the unit.

Sir Patrick.

With Hugh's experience in the field
and specialist Arabic knowledge,

he's uniquely placed
to resolve this situation.

If you find Katie, what can you do?

Section 20 works closely
with UK Special forces.

Once we have a location,
we can start implementing a rescue.

We've got a team on standby. They
can be in Iraq within eight hours.

It's the last resort, sir.

Would an offer of money help?

Not until they make contact.
No, sir.

(CLEARS THROAT)

But we do have a promising lead.

A photograph your daughter took
of one of her abductors.

Clever girl.

So far, Iraqi intelligence
haven't been able to identify him.

I suggest we let the networks
broadcast this image.

Might throw up a local witness.
Offer a reward.

I'm not sure that's the best -
Just do it.

Of course, sir.

(CAR BLEEPS)

(ENGINE STARTS)

(PHONE RINGS)

"Hello?"

It's me.

"I promised I'd call. Is she there?"
Hold on, John.

It's your dad.

You hardly see him.

Hello.
"How are you, Lexi?"

It's Alex.

Listen, I'm gonna change my shifts.

See if I can come up next weekend.

I'm kind of busy next weekend.

Alright then. Well, another weekend.

We can do something together,
just you and me - (HANGS UP PHONE)

(TV) "..Mobile phone
photographed this image

of a policeman approaching
what investigators believe to be

"the vehicle she was in."

"British intelligence authorities
have confirmed that this is likely"

to be the face
of one of her abductors,

"disguised in an Iraqi
police uniform."

"British security forces
believe this photograph,"

taken on Miss Dartmouth's
mobile phone,

"could be one of her abductors."

"It's thought that Katie herself
must have managed to forward

the image to her London office
at the time of the abduction."

Police and intelligence authorities
are asking anyone who thinks

"they might have information
to contact the relevant services."

(DOOR OPENS)

(SOBBING)

(SPEAKS IN ARABIC)

Salam.

I hope you are here
for only a short time.

And then you will go home.

May I have some water, please?

Of course. You are our guest.

(SPEAKS IN ARABIC)

After we have quenched your thirst,

there is something
you must do for us.

Sir, we've just picked up
a Webcast.

It was uploaded
less than ten minutes ago.

Put it up on the big screen.

(ARABIC MUSIC)

(SPEAKS IN ARABIC)

"We demand the release of our
brother, Mohammed Jassim Ali."

"Unless this holy warrior
is freed..."

..the hostage will be executed...

..at one minute after midnight
on Jumu'ah." That's their Sabbath.

Rewind the tape. Get me a profile
on Mohammed Jassim Ali.

Stop. Check the date on the paper.

Mohammed Jassim Ali is currently
being held in Bellmarsh Prison

under anti-terrorism laws.

They're calling themselves
"Sword of Islam."

What do we know about them?
I'll get a full history.

Trace that IP address,
find out where they're sending from.

Already tracing, sir.

We've got until midnight Friday.

Seven days.

I don't care who you say you are,
you're not coming beyond this point.

Layla, please.

I'm sorry, sir.
The security guard thinks-

It's OK, we're old comrades. John.

Please.

It's just here.

It's him, isn't it?

It looks like him, I grant you.

Come on, the age fits.

He'd be 17/18 by now,
living in that area.

Can't be ten miles
from the Bratton location.

There's been years of war,
thousands of young men have scars.

He is proof of a connection.
With what?

Between Katie's kidnapping
and Bratton's.

Alright, look.

Remember him?
Colonel Hakim Al Naziri.

Former head of security
in Saddam's secret police.

I saw him that night
commanding the attack.

You saw him, John. No-one else.
He was there.

Naziri was never picked up
after the invasion.

Look.

He's suspected of masterminding a
series of attacks on British forces.

Not to mention financing
Baathist Sunni groups,

including the one
this man belongs to.

The man these people are demanding
is released from Bellmarsh.

Where are you going with all this?

If Naziri is Sword of Islam,

they might still be using
the original safe house in Basra.

It's been seven years, John.

Just get me to the safe house.

I can infiltrate the group.

Maybe even get to Scarface.
John...

Look!

Just... let me find him.

Let me find him.

And then you can send in the lads.

You remember what he said to me
that night, don't you?

(SPEAKS IN ARABIC)

I lay my life for your sake.

He owes me.

No matter what he did
to Mike and Keith and Steve,

he owes ME a debt of honour.

John, you can't...

..seriously expect me to entertain
this half-baked notion

to satisfy your need for -
I'm not talking about revenge.

I was going to say atonement.

This won't bring them back, John.

But it could get you killed.

Or is that exactly what you want?

(DOOR OPENS)

(SPEAKS IN ARABIC)

Why are you doing this to me?

You are your father's daughter.

He isn't even a minister any more.

200,000 Iraqis died
since the invasion.

And I've always reported the truth.

Always.
Yes.

But your father helped spread
British and American lies.

(SPEAKS IN ARABIC)

(DOOR LOCKS)

Sword of Islam
is a Sunni militant group

responsible for a string of bombings
in the Basra area.

Given what we know
about their modus operandi,

the time of the Webcast
and the location of the kidnap,

we believe Katie is being held

somewhere within
this region in southern Iraq.

This must be an area
the size of Wales.

We're trying to pinpoint her
or at least narrow the window

by locating the IP address
of the Webcast.

Shouldn't we have that traced by now?

Yes, but the Webcast was routed
by dozens of servers.

Unfortunately because
we only have one upload,

we can't analyse the back scatter.

So they've been clever?
Very.

Anything else?

Anything at all?

There is one possibility.

Go on.

A former special forces operative
believes there's a connection

between the man Katie Dartmouth
photographed during her abduction

and the Bratton extraction in 2003.

He thinks he may be able
to utilise Scarface as an asset,

but it's a very long shot.

Well, long-shot or not, use him.

Thank you.

Morning, Peter.
Morning, sir.

You didn't think it worth mentioning
that Porter's been off active duty

for eight years, has borderline
post-traumatic stress disorder,

a ten percent weakness in one arm,

and what effectively amounts
to a dishonourable discharge.

Layla, we have nothing.

Tell Porter he's been reactivated.

(Jesus Christ.)

(BIRDS CHIRP)

(GUNSHOTS)

(DENTIST'S DRILL)

(WOMAN) Have a look at the cards
and tell me what they remind you of.

A vagina.

(GUNSHOTS)

A vagina.

Er...

A vagina.

(GUNSHOTS)

I'll work harder.
I'm not going to blow this.

Chances are this is all academic.

Katie's dad has kicked up
enough of a fuss in Westminster

for the Prime Minister
to authorise an offer via the Swiss.

They have a go-between apparently.

A ransom?
Yeah.

It's all deniable, of course.

But Katie goes free
and Ali stays inside.

Hakim is not just some insurgent.
He's a strategist.

Hakim Al Naziri. Your pet theory.

For which there's absolutely
zero evidence.

But if I'm right,
and Hakim has joined the zealots,

that ransom could be a provocation.

Thank you, Porter.
I'll put that in a memo.

(KNOCK AT DOOR)

How are you feeling this evening,
Sergeant?

Absolutely bloody knackered,
Sergeant.

Well, getting a body into shape in
a matter of days... it's gonna hurt.

Are you saying I'm not in shape?
No, no. I'm...

Erm, how is your tooth?
Sore.

I know. The tracker is like having
a very uncomfortable filling.

But we need to know where you are
at all times.

You could have just asked
for my mobile number.

Here's something for the pain.

There's a good boy.
Oh, I'm a very good boy.

Well, then I think...
you probably...

..deserve a bit of a treat,
don't you?

(SPEAKING IN ARABIC)

If only there was another way.

Forgive me.

No. No. No!

No! No!

Sir, they are responding
to the ransom offer.

(ARABIC MUSIC)

(SCREAMING) (HUGH) Oh fuck.

No. No.

(SPEAKING IN ARABIC)

"The British do not believe
we are committed to our cause."

"They think we crave...
their blood money."

No! No!

(SCREAMS)

Jesus Christ.

(PHONE RINGS)

Yes?

I'll tell him right away.

They fucked up,
it was a live Webcast.

So we can track their IP address?
Pinpoint the location?

Yes. 24 hours max.
Get yourself back to Hereford.

I want the team airborne to Basra
and ready to move

the moment we get a location.
I'm on it.

Priority task.
Standby for IP address.

We've got the bastards.

We'll take a C-130
to Basra Air Station.

Ferguson's group
will be designated Alpha Team.

We'll be deployed in a standby
at the US base in Basra,

to be used only in the event
of contact

between Alpha Team and Scarface.

So, I get to be B Team.

I think you're lucky to be
that far up the alphabet.

I'd settle for an R
and you can call me Romeo.

Oh yes, the nurse. Danni is
a special operative for Section 20.

Her remit includes honey traps and
so forth. She was assigned to you

after the psychologist diagnosed
mission limiting self-esteem issues.

Compounded by a fixation
on physical and sexual inadequacy.

In layman's team, you needed a shag.

You're driving.

Hello, lads.

..Location is 35 clicks
around Basra,

possibly up to the north-west.
Then once we've...

Do you need something, Porter?

No. No, I was just wondering
if you might need my services.

We're kind of having a private
operational discussion here, pal.

Sorry, mate.

Listen, I need a favour
from someone in the motor pool.

Anybody got any connections?
Yeah, this way.

Thanks.

(BLEEPING)

Sir, we have a location. Al Khalifa.

Put it on the screen, Sergeant.

Coordinates 30 degrees,
50 minutes, .50 north.

47 degrees, 31 minutes, .46 east.

Call Layla. Prepare Alpha Team.

See you later. They found her.
35 clicks from Basra.

(RADIO) "This is 2-8 Alpha.
Crossing now, over."

Time to target, 17 seconds.

> Confirm.
Final line crossed at 19-17.

(FURGUSON) "We are on the start line.
Good to go at your command."

They are in position, sir.
It's your call.

I've done a terrible thing to you.

But consider the blood of ours
that has been spilt.

Is it worth less than yours?

(FURGUSON) "We're good to go, sir."

Let's do it.

Go, go, go.
"Roger that, moving now."

"Found target. 2-8 Alfa landing now."

Go, go, go.

Get out! Troops disembarking.

Keep it tight, guys.

"Alpha Team entering building now."

We will change your dressing.
We will treat you with respect.

But if your government
does not set our brother free,

we will kill you.

Steady, lads. Steady.

There's a door ahead.

"Approaching door now."

"OK, blow it."

(GUNSHOTS)

Go, go, go!

"There's someone here."
"Katie? Miss Dartmouth?"

Katie?

(BLEEPING)
(Shit.)

(EXPLOSION)

> Repeat, lost comms, sir.

Alpha Team, come in.
Layla, we just lost signal.

> Alpha Team, please respond.
Layla, what just happened?

Alpha Team, this is section 20.
Lieutenant, report!

Oh my God, Fergie!

"The entire building
has just gone up, sir."

"I can't see them."

"I can't see Alpha Team."

(SPEAKS IN ARABIC)

(HUGH) "John, where are you going
with all this?"

If Naziri is Sword of Islam,

they might still be using
the original safe house in Basra.

"Just get me to the safe house."

"I can infiltrate the group."

"Maybe even get to Scarface."

(GUNSHOTS)

(GUNSHOTS)

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