Strike Back (2010–2018): Season 1, Episode 6 - Afghanistan: Part Two - full transcript

Porter is sent to Afghanistan to find a computer hacker who has cracked the British army's missile guidance codes. The hacker has successfully found a way to redirect missiles to strike American forces.

Where's Mike and Keith?

He has bullet fragments
lodged in his brain.

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

What went wrong?
The blokes won't work with you.

Sir, I'd rather resign.

You beauty!

Your mission is to locate
and extract Gerald Baxter.

Josef Mohammed.
Tom Wallace.

I've seen the photos.

Gerald Baxter was captured alone.

They're going to kill him.



Move!

Mr Sharq.

(COLLINSON) Maybe what we have
is a new-breed warlord.

Tea?

"I'll give you the two men."

"I'm sure my people will be
interested in doing a deal."

(COLLINSON)
'Even better than an arms dealer.'

(BAXTER) 'Twice, Mr Wallace,
you saved my life. Twice.'

'My real name is Josef Mohammed.'

'..British special forces
operate...'

(SHARQ) 'In tribal lands
nothing is what it seems.'

Josef's thinking...

No, I'm not playing
this game any more.

Sharq is using you, Gerry.



And when he's finished,
you'll be history.

I told you already, I'm not Gerry!

The administration would like
the British government

to make a formal apology to
the families of the dead Marines,

coupled with a generous
financial offer.

Despite the fact the CIA put Baxter
into Afghanistan

knowing he was mentally unstable,
you want us to take the blame.

Plus we make sure Porter
and Baxter keep quiet?

(CLEARS THROAT)

Porter and Baxter
are responsible for the deaths

of two US special forces personnel.

What? What are you talking about?

The fate of Porter and Baxter

is not a situation over which
you have any influence.

What do you know, Frank?
Where are they?

ISAF Command and Control
in the Helmand Province.

Do you know where it is?

I forget.

Can I phone a friend?

Don't, Tommy.

Where is it?

Tell him or I'll pull the trigger.
No chance.

You can't be serious, Gerry.
Come on.

Computer genius. Software Einstein.

Josuf has a belief system,
as I do, as do my men.

Which is why we will win this war.

Whereas your people, you only care
about your children.

Soaps.

And soccer.

And so it goes on,
the killing, the friendly fire,

until one day we will win the
hearts and minds of your people.

They will rouse themselves
and they will cry,

"Bring our troops back home."

Peace...

..with honour.

I'm terribly sorry.

But go fuck yourself.

(GUN CLICKS)
(CRIES OUT)

ISAF Command and Control please.

Like I said...

Wait.

Double the odds, another round.
Go on, a second bullet.

What?

Come on, Gerry, let's really see
how much you mean to your Messiah.

How many students
have you taught, eh?

Why is he risking your life?

Think about it.

You're obsolete, you prick.

No, no, no, Josuf.

Not you. Him.

You are not obsolete.

If you pull that trigger, Gerry,

I'm not like those sleeping people
in your daughter's picture.

I'm dead, do you understand?

It's not just a few keystrokes
on a computer now.

'Sharq's using you.'

Time to come home.

Gerry.

Gerry Baxter.

You bastard.

(GUN CLICKS EMPTY)

Move!

(SOLDIERS SHOUT)

Oh, bugger.
Take cover!

(SIREN)

(NURSE) Steve, can you hear me?

Steve. Mr Andrews.
Steve, can you hear me?

Cardiac arrythmia.
I need the defribilator.

Adrenalin!

Clear.

Clear.

Steve Andrews. I remember them
bringing him in straight from Iraq.

A bullet lodged in his brain.

Seven years in a coma.

A relief to his family in many ways.

And his friend, John Porter.

'You took the fall, John.
Collinson was with you.'

Two men are dead
and one is brain damaged

so they can't answer my questions.

Tell me, John,
what happened on that stairwell?

The post mortem.

I'd like it carried out
this afternoon.

What's the matter?
What are you doing?

I need to make a call.

What?
I'm taking you in.

Fuck, you're taking me nowhere.

Give me the phone.
These wheels are mine. Get out now.

Come on, you've got
a bucket of a Jeep, one bullet

and a chronic case
of bipolar daftnesss.

How far do you think
you're going to get?

The Americans want you dead,
the Taliban want you dead,

Sharq wants you dead.
I'm your least worst option.

Behave yourself, it's not a toy.

Fuck you.
Give me that phone.

Come on, seriously,
time to come home.

The British will crucify me.
Not necessarily.

The CIA knew you had PTSD
when they sent you there.

I can persuade my lot to do a deal.
Yeah, right.

I mean it. You just need
something to offer them.

Come on, Gerry. Think.

What have you got to bargain with?

Mate, this is the end of the line.

"I'll give you the two men."

"I'm sure my people will be
interested in doing a deal."

Sharq just did a deal
with the Americans.

They're going to exchange
you and me for arms

and intelligence. OK?

Yeah. That should do it.

Gerry, give me the phone.

(DIALS)

"Incoming call, secure line seven."
"Patching it through."

Porter?
Got it in one.

Where the hell have you been? "I've
got Baxter, I'm bringing him in."

Baxter is CIA.
Ex-CIA.

He's coming in voluntarily.
He wants to do a deal.

OK, listen to me.

This is not going to work unless you
guys are prepared to make it work.

There are two things I need.

Three things. No, four things.

I need immunity from prosecution,

unconditional protection
for me and my family,

financial security and
a nice big house in Morningside

with a garden and a granny flat
for the wife's ma. Five things.

Baxter was being run
by a bloke called Zahir Sharq.

He was doing a deal
with the Americans

after intelligence
for the both of us.

(COLLINSON) "Tell Baxter
we'll protect him and negotiate."

Where are you? Pakistan, about 30
clicks south of the Helmand border.

We can't make an armed incursion
into Taliban-controlled Pakistan.

The extraction team can pick you up
on the Afghan side.

Can you make it back across?
We can do that.

"The Americans will kill you if
they catch you. Watch your backs."

OK, Porter, window is 1400
to 1600 hours, Primary RV,

five clicks north of junction B11
on the Lashkar Gah Quetta highway.

Thanks, Danni.

Let's go.

John, are you still there?
Yeah.

John, Steve Andrews passed away.

"Steve's dead, John. He's dead."

I'm going after the bullet.
Do you understand?

I'm chasing the bullet.

"I'm going to prove
who killed Steve."

Layla.

What's going on?

I need you to do something for me.

What's happening? Are we cool?

Yeah.

Fella.
Cheers, mate.

Let's get some of this inside you.
I'm his best mate.

You alright?

Yeah, let's go.

Porter has made contact.

He's got Baxter.

My offer still stands, Frank.

I'm not in the business
of humiliation.

Porter and Baxter divulge
nothing publicly

but the blame for the dead marines
rests squarely on the shoulders

of the US government.

What if we don't agree?
Come on, Frank.

The CIA are responsible for sending
Baxter into the field

and killing your own marines.

JF Kennedy was shot by aliens from
Area 46, hired by the CIA -

Putting the interest of the CIA
before the interests

of the American people
and the international coalition.

I know it all.

You're talking to an insurgent
leader called Zahir Sharq.

Trading the lives of Porter and
Baxter, two British citizens,

for arms and intelligence.

We'll get back to you about this,
Hugh.

Where are we, Tommy?
Heading west.

I don't like this.
You sure this is the way?

Doesn't feel right.

What in the name of the wee man
is this?

Women with guns.

(WOMEN SHOUT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Alright, love, don't get your burkah
in a twist. I'm putting it down.

The Daleks have got us, Tommy.

What is she saying?
She wants you to get your phone out.

What?

(THEY CONTINUE TO SHOUT)

What?

She wants you to text
the name Ayesha to 9332.

Afghan Star.

Their version of the X Factor.

They want you to vote
for their favourite.

I don't believe this.
No shit.

This lot can't vote for anything
without cheating.

Alright, look, Ayesha, see? Send.

What now?

Sisters want the motor.

(BOTH SHOUT) Wait! Stop!

I hope she gets voted off!

(WOMEN CHANT "AYESHA")

You know what,
I love this fucking country.

Did that just happen, Tom?
I think it did, Gerry.

Oh, no.

(GERRY SINGS LOUDLY)

Give it a rest.

Bollocks!

(GERRY CONTINUES TO SING)

Shut it.

They've got to be here somewhere.
Keep looking.

Update, please.

Are we ready with
the extraction team?

Do we have a position
on our targets?

Good morning, Hugh.

Frank.

Is this a social call?

Or are you here to do a deal?

We're taking Porter and Baxter
into US custody.

Your instructions are to give us
their rendezvous point.

Sorry, Frank.

I can't do that.

We're on the same side, Hugh.

Yeah.

We're talking to Zahir Sharq.

Yeah, we're using Porter and
Baxter as bargaining chips. Why?

Because the administration believes
that Sharq will one day emerge

as the most influential
insurgent leader in Afghanistan.

The administration believes
that Sharq will one day

pull the strings in Kabul.

The administration believes Sharq
is a man they can do businees with.

Because the administration believes
that a relationship with Sharq

is the road map to a credible
withdrawal from the war.

And what the administration
believes today

is British government policy
tomorrow.

So you remember this to yourself,
Gerald Baxter, John Porter,

you do not fuck with the big boys!

Junction B11.

Lashkar Gah Quetta highway.

When?

1400 hours.

We're on.

Layla.

You've got the ballistics report.

I've also dug out
the internal SAS inquiry

into the Kenneth Bratton extraction.

Porter is innocent.

Isn't he?

What the hell do you think
you're playing at, giving -

The Americans are playing
a bigger game.

If they need to debrief -
Debrief them?

They're going to kill them
and you know it.

You want Porter dead, don't you?
Don't be ridiculous.

Why would I want Porter dead?
To save your own skin

in a last desperate attempt
to bury the truth

about what happened in Basra now you
think Porter is the only loose end.

What?

Steve Andrews passed away.

Ballistics report on the bullet
removed from his brain

came from a Heckler and Kock UMP.

Inquiry into the Bratton extraction,
armourer's report.

It was the gun Porter gave to you.

Steve Andrews,
Mike Reilly, Keith Finn.

You killed them, Major Collinson.

Now, I can't reach Porter.

But you can.

Get there before
the extraction team.

Warn him his life is endangered.
Otherwise...

..sir...

..I take this upstairs.

(PILOT) "ETA 1200, Major Collinson."

(BAXTER) All them secrets...

..make your head cave in.
Need to open up a bit.

Talk about your issues.

And end up like you?
Fucking Tonto of Pakistan.

You get some bad news then, Tommy?
Huh?

Your phone call yesterday.

How did you know it was bad news?
Come on.

You can't kid a kidder, Tommy.

"This is Collinson.
How are we looking?"

"Bang on time, boss."

It's the rendezvous point there.

Yeah.

Cheers.

Let's go.

(COMPUTER BEEPS)

I got some information for you,
Mr Sharq.

We need to tie up some loose ends.

"It's being dealt with."

Good.

Got kids, Tommy?

Yeah, I've got a daughter.

She's... 17.

Leaving home.

See much of her?

How old is your daughter?

She'll be nine now.

Don't see much of her.

Shit! Don't move, don't move,
don't move your feet.

Shit.

AP mines.

A minefield?
Yeah, right in the bloody middle.

OK.

OK, Gerry.

In my footsteps.
Exactly in my footsteps.

There's nowhere I'd rather be,
brother.

Fuck.

My mate Steve, he died.

What?

That was the bad news.

I'm sorry.

People think that I killed him.

Did you?
No.

Maybe it could have been different.

How do you mean?
I...

I didn't do what I was trained to do.

I thought you lot were all supposed
to be stone cold killing machines.

It's not that simple.

(YELLS)

Don't move, stay there, don't move.

Oh, God.
Don't move your foot.

OK.

(Shit.)

Oh, God. I'm going to die.
Stay still. No, you're not.

Stay still.
I can't do it.

Just very carefully,
very carefully...

..just move your foot away.
I can't. Yes, you can.

Think about everything
that you've got to live for.

Think about your wife.
Think about your daughter.

Think about what kind of dad
you're going to be when you go home.

Because you have to go home.
Jesus Christ, Tommy.

At least you've got a home
to go home to.

What have I got?

I've got fucking nothing.

Listen to me. Look at me.

Look at me. Listen.

My little girl
can't even look me in the eye.

Because she thinks that I killed
three of my mates.

But I didn't do it.

And I have to prove
that I didn't do it.

You see, I thought that one day my
mate Steve was going to wake up...

(SOBS)

He didn't fucking wake...

OK. Alright.

Don't give up on me, Tommy.

Alright?

Pray for me.

Don't be like me, Tommy.

Don't let your past destroy you.

It's not worth it.

Made it, Gerry.

Thanks, Tommy.

It's John.

Porter.

Well, this is a fine bromance.

(RAPID GUNFIRE)

No!

No!

(DIALS PHONE)

(PHONE RINGS)

Hello?
"Layla."

John. Baxter's dead,
the RV was compromised.

It was Collinson.
What?

Collinson sold you out.
I've got the ballistics report.

The bullet that killed Steve
came from Collinson's gun.

"He's on his way out to you, John."

"John."

John? Shit.

What now?

Where are you, John?

John?

(DIALS PHONE)

(PHONE RINGS)

Yes.

Baxter is dead.

Your fault.

John, I tried.
You didn't try hard enough.

I've spoken to Layla.

We need to talk.

OK.

Where are you?

John.

This is all a bit theatrical,
isn't it?

It's not smart, John.

The Americans are after you.

You're a dead man out here.

What do I have to lose?

Seven years I've lived with it.

Thinking that I was
somehow responsible

for killing Mike and Keith.

And now Steve.

Everyone blaming me. The regiment...

..the families...

Seven years.

I know about the ballistics report.

For Christ's sake, Hugh.

It's over.

This will come out.

Disgrace to the uniform.

Criminal trial.

Wrath of the victims' families.

The sick feeling in your stomach

when you realise that your own family
have lost all respect for you.

Listen to me.

I don't want revenge.

I just want you to admit -
I'm admitting to nothing.

Hugh, we've got the bullet fragments.

From your weapon, John.

Your own weapon.

The weapon that I gave to you.
Really?

I don't remember that.

I don't remember
you giving me a weapon.

Do you have witnesses, John?
I don't think so.

Hugh, this is over.

No, John, nothing is ever over.

Do you really think this would
stand up in a court of law?

Hard evidence?
You don't have anything.

So it's a question of character,
isn't it?

Your word against mine.

Major Hugh Collinson,
head of Section 20,

British Military Intelligence.

Decorated war hero.

John Porter.

Pensioned out of the regiment.

Found wanting under pressure.

Major Hugh Collinson, family man.

And you love your daughter so much.
Don't you fucking -

You're out here pursuing
a personal vendetta against me.

You don't get it, do you, John?

It's not what you are.

It's what you appear to be.

Fuck off!
(GUNSHOT)

Tell me, tell me!

We'd got the hostage out

and we were heading back
to the roof.

Tell me!

The men were still pinned down
on the ground floor.

All hell was breaking loose.
I was... I was scared.

And then...

And then I saw the boy.

'He was standing holding a weapon.'

And I just froze.

'And then just as I had him
in my sights...'

I was... I was about to take
the shot and then there was...

..a sound, movement to my left.

'I just...'

I just opened fire.

I just opened...

..fire.

Opened fire.

Steve.

(SOBS)

And then afterwards I had a chance
to come clean and I didn't take it.

One moment, one... decision.

My whole... My whole life.

Your... Your whole life.

I'm sorry, John.

It's OK.

It's buried.

It's buried.

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

Who came with you?
No-one.

What have we got?
Rover. .762 on the back.

I'll get to the Jeep.
I'll cover you.

On my count.
Standing by.

One.

Two.

Three. Go!

John!

Get back.

Shit.

I'm not gonna make it, John.
I'm not leaving without you.

Go. Go home.
No.

Get to the Jeep, John. Hurry.

Cover me.

I'll try.

Ready.

Go.

Go on!

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE CONTINUES)

(SHARQ) 'Collinson is dead.'

"Porter escaped."
Thank you.

Your cooperation won't be forgotten.

The administration is keen
to progress a relationship.

Let me assure you,
John Porter will be neutralised.

(COMMS) "Scramble Delta Force
elimination team."

"Target heading west north-west
on Lashkar Gah Quuetta highway."

"Intelligence input,
name, John Porter."

"Rogue British special forces."

"Designated
clear and present threat."

"Psychological profile assessment,
resourceful, tenacious,

possibly obsessive compulsive."

"Projected intentions, he may be
headed for Iran, headed for Iran."

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