Lubyanka Briefing

(Hudson receives a call from Black)

Hudson: Hudson

Black: We've finished analyzing that mainframe that Bell, Mason, and Woods brought back from Yamantau

Hudson: And?

Black: Perseus was looking for the names of sleeper agents Dragovich used in '68

Hudson: Give us those names. We'll get Adler's team to track them down

Black: Perseus erased them

Hudson: Fuck me

Black: There's only one place you're going to find that information now. The Lubyanka Building

Hudson: What, KGB Headquarters? Why didn't Perseus get them there himself?

Black: I don't know. Maybe he's operating without authorization

Hudson: I'll let Adler know. But we're gonna do this the right way, or we're not gonna do it at all.

(At the CIA safehouse...)

Lazar: Just got word. Belikov is back in Moscow. Mason and Woods are just wrapping up their strike mission

Adler: You guys know the plan. Bell, you're with me. Park, Lazar, be ready for exfil

Hudson: Are you taking him into the KGB with you? Are you crazy? Wait for Mason or Woods to return

Adler: I don't need Mason or Woods. I need Bell. He's got the skills we need

Hudson: Are you enjoying this? You're risking the entire operation unnecessarily

Adler: It's not unnecessary, it's calculated

Hudson: Just understand that if you botch this, we can't get those names. It's over

(As Hudson walks away, Adler looks over at Bell)

Adler: I know you can do this. Hudson just doesn't trust anyone he can't control

Sims: Still picking up errant noise?

Park: Yes, sometimes the audio is unintelligible

Sims: Alright. I'll do some digging. Oh, that new enlarger came in. I set it up in the dark room for you

(Sims starts performing maintenance on a vehicle as Park speaks with Lazar, who is inspecting a revolver)

Park: Curious. Does the name Madam Shell mean anything to you?

Lazar: Hmm... Sounds familiar...

Park: There's intel crisscrossing ARPANET that her body washed up along the Pedieos River in Cyprus

Lazar: Huh, is that so...

Park: And her head two kilometers downstream. Reports estimate her death around August of last year. Of all places, you were on an assignment in Cyprus last summer. A coincidence, wouldn't you say?

Lazar: Our line of work is full of coincidences

Park: MI6 was keen on finding her. A rogue double-agent gone dark for several years. I suppose she must have exposed herself somehow to the CIA

Lazar: Leave behind a trail of heads? Bound to get attention

Park: I worked with Madam Shell for three years. Closely. I trusted her. But the moment I began to suspect something... she knew. I was able to fight her off, but she left me with this parting gift

(Park reveals her neck scar)

Lazar: Oof. That's a dirty cut

Park: Quite... So, imagine my surprise when I read these reports. Madam Shell - body washed up on one bank, head on the other. Ironic, wouldn't you say?

Lazar: I'd call it... poetic justice

(Lazar walks off before Park calls him)

Park: Lazar. Thank you

Lazar: ... For what?

(Park walks over to the darkroom while Lazar sits on a crate near Sims)

Bell: Hudson

Hudson: Have you come to convince me that you should be headlining this operation?

Bell: My service speaks for itself. Years in the field and in intelligence. I used to be a KGB agent. I know their secrets, their methods

Hudson: Is that right?... Well, at least you're not hiding behind Adler, I'll grant you that. But by my estimation there are better operations for this job. Why don't you stop wasting my time?

Bell: Why don't you tell me why you really have such reservations?

Hudson: The long and short of it is that you're the wrong person for this op. I hope you prove me 110% wrong on this

Bell: So where would that leave me?

Hudson: Either as Adler's most trusted ally... or as cannon fodder

Bell: I'll take my leave now

Hudson: An excellent proposition

(Bell walks over to Adler)

Adler: What's on your mind?

Bell: Do you think I'm the right man for the job?

Adler: If there was ever an operation suited to your skillset, it's this one. I handle the talking, you get us those names. Every government has a weakness. In this case, the weakness is the KGB placing too much trust in one of their own

(Adler takes a puff of his cigarette)

Bell: So... How did you get the scar?

(Adler deadpans and gestures to his face)

Adler: Scar? You mean this? Is it noticeable?

(Adler shrugs)

Adler: You know what they say about kids falling in with a bad crowd? Let's just say I fell in with the worst part of the bad crowd. The girl wasn't worth it. Believe me

Bell: Gotcha

Adler: So how did you lose the arm?

Bell: Explosion. Blew it right off. Now I've got this... thing

(Bell moves his metal hand around)

Bell: Talk later

Adler: Okay

(Bell comes across Helen Park in the darkroom)

Park: Bell? I didn't expect to see you back here

Bell: If you'd rather be alone I can leave

Park: No, it's quite alright. Is there something you needed?

Bell: First thing's first. Any special MI6 advice for walking into the hornet's nest?

Park: Less is more. Less talking, less interaction, less commotion. Blend in. It's the last place they'll expect an intrusion, so you'll have that to your advantage. Pretty much everything else is at your disadvantage

Bell: Less is more... Got it

Park: Lazar and I will be coordinating infil and exfil. We've had to move mountains to fashion an untraceable route to Lubyanka Square. I'll make sure that goes off without a hitch. Getting you out, however, is another headache entirely

(Bell looks at the pictures, looking at the film Park is developing in the dark room)

Park: I've requested updated aerial surveillance reconnaissance to aid in planning your escape route. I don't want to run into any unknowns. Our path out of the Soviet Union will be anything but conventional

Bell: Hudson doesn't seem to have any faith in me whatsoever

Park: Hudson has his biases. There are people he will never trust, and certain people he trusts impeccably. It just so happens you fall into the former category. I wouldn't dwell on it

Bell: I don't imagine he was enthusiastic about working with an MI6 agent

Park: Hudson was leery about commingling with other intelligence agencies. But after President Reagan greenlit Adler's operation, he fell in line like a good little American patriot

(Bell looks at Park's scar on her neck, seeing that the scarf is off)

Bell: That scar... Must've been a painful cut

Park: You don't know the half of if... It's not exactly something I'm proud of, Bell. The scar represents... a moment of naivety in my life. I'm not keen on broadcasting it

Bell: It adds character. A testament to your strength

Park: I believe there are better ways to embellish one's character. But in our line of work, it's often more important to diminish the impression we leave on people. It doesn't look... ugly, does it?

Bell: No. If anything, it highlights your beauty

(Park smiles)

Park: Aww. Being cheeky, are we, Bell?

Bell: I'll leave you to your work

Park: I'll be here if you need me

(Bell walks out. Sims is working on a car while Lazar stands by with the tools)

Lazar: Time to break out your Russian, Bell

Bell: The Lubyanka building... Ever been?

Lazar: Hell no. KGB headquarters? Just between you and me-

Sims: And me

Lazar: And Sims... I hope I never get closer than pulling up in a car and picking you up. This has every chance of going tits down

Sims: "Up", man. "Tits up".

Lazar: "Up", "down". What's the difference?

(Lazar shrugs)

Lazar: You're ex KGB, right? You ever been in there?

Bell: I... I think so. But... I can't remember... Why can't I remember?

(Bell grows and pounds his fist on a table)

Bell: Fuck! Why can't I remember anything important?!

Lazar: Woah woah woah! Sorry! I shouldn't even ask you things like that. It was a different life. Better left forgotten

Bell: It's fine. We'll talk later

Lazar: Yup. It's a long way to Moscow