Scene by scene The Sandbaggers s03e02 To Hell With Justice.

[michaellevenson]

We have a dedicated Sandbaggers section on IMDF, where I go over briefly all the episodes, here I'll expand an episode, in some detail.
Background:
1970's spy drama in the Callan mould. This series deals with a fictional mi6 , known as SIS.
Roy Marsden stars as Neil Burnside, Director of Operations, and follows his scheming lying cold hearted ways he thrusts his agents into the theatre of espionage.
Link Sandbaggers threads below.
https://www.imdforums.com/forums/the-sandbaggers.423/

 

[michaellevenson]

The intelligence director Edward Tyler enters Neil Burnside's office in Central London HQ of SIS.
T " just popped in tell you I'm off to Malta, feel like a few days holiday on the firm."
B " visiting the station?" ( station- SIS office usually masquerading as a normal business).
T " for five minutes yes. Anything I can bring back for you."
B " no just have a good time, give my regards to Len Sheppard and erm.."
T " Bernie Tyndall"
Tyler leaves as Willie Caine , Sandbagger number 1, top field agent comes in,
W " I hear Tyler's off to Malta, holiday?"
B " supposedly"
W " because of that cock up on the Singapore deal"
B " wasn't much of a cock up, still first mistake I've ever known him make"
W " ah..it'll be alright "
B " hope so"
Tyler arrives at sunny Malta and is met by car by Len Sheppard, SIS no. 2 man in Malta.
L" welcome to Malta sir....hotel sir?"
T " yes, the Venetia, just need some sleep"
L " that's what we thought sir, Bernie says we won't expect you to visit us for a day or two sir"
T " thanks Len"
Len drops Tyler off at the hotel and drives off. A minute later he notices Tyler"s raincoat on the back seat, so he turns round and drives back to the Venetia. As Len turns up, Tyler is walking out the hotel arm in arm with a blonde haired young lady.
Some time later Len returns to SIS office to see Bernie Tyndall at his desk working.
T " you're late"
L " has Tyler been in touch"
T " no, ( alarmed) wasn't he at the airport?"
L " yes, I took him to his hotel, then I had to go back and found him walking out of the hotel with an extremely dolly bird. So I let him go, then made enquiries and Tyler and dolly bird have adjacent rooms that she booked!"
T " nationality "
L " German "
T " of which persuasion?"
L " East German passport but that could mean anything, name of Margerita Muller, point is Bernie why didn't he tell me, he knows we're not going to pass judgement if he wants to screw around, unless he has something to hide"
T " I don't want to send a signal to London, you better get there personally to report to Burnside "
L " I'm booked on a flight first thing tomorrow "
T " well done, you see if it goes in a signal it'll be official, Burnside will want to deal with this".
Mark Eden is Tyndall

Next day Len is in Burnside's office, and tells him everything.
L " no doubt it was prearranged. He's not a mug, he knows the rules ,have her checked out, or prove that she's already been checked out"
B " what's she like?"
L " I'd crawl back to Malta for her, over broken glass "
B " just what the KGB would use, okay
thanks Len, a Sandbagger might be on the flight back to Malta with you"
L " yes sir any actions required from us "
B " just normal surveillance, nothing that could alert Tyler.
John Alkin is Len Sheppard


Roy Marsden is Neil Burnside.

Willie Caine passes Len in corridor outside, and enters office.
W " just seen Len Sheppard, what's he doing here"
Burnside tells Willie the latest developments.
Burnside. " I know if Tyler's gone over it'll make Philby seem like Snow White"
Willie " oh god it'll mean an assassination. We couldn't let the intelligence director come to trial, it'll destroy our credibility for fifty years. You've got to report this get a sandbagger out there"
B " I know it's stupid but I'm reluctant to throw Tyler to the wolves until I'm certain "
W " yeah, that's stupid"
B " he's done favours for us in the past"
W " that's irrelevant now"
B " it's not! There are times here when D ints and D ops have spent more time fighting each other than taking on the KGB"
W " look, he's failed to report her to the station and broken every rule in the book. He's either mad or he's doubling, either way you must report it"
Burnside doesn't report it, wants to deal privately with this because,
B " he hasn't reported to the station, so even if he's just being stupid over a woman it'll be enough to finish him. Security would have landed a big fish and they'll fry it".
W " his own fault "
B " you and Mike get out there find out what he's doing"
W " okay I won't say no to a few days in the sun. A simple watch on Tyler"
B " no, shut it off Willie"
W " so you do think he'll jump"
B " I don't know what to think"
W " I can't shut the island off on my own, I'll need Mike"
B " you want me to send both sandbaggers without approval?!"
W " afraid so , Mike and Shepherd can keep a watch on Tyler, give me freedom to move around"
B "okay if you hurry you'll make the 12 from Heathrow, Len Shepherd will be on it, he'll give all the details"
Ray Lonnen is Willie Caine.


At the Foreign Office Burnside meets Sir Geoffrey Wellingham, under secretary to the Foreign Secretary, and Neil's ex father in law.
Burnside" I've come to you for advice sir, but it must be off the record. I'm telling you rather than Peele or C"
Wellingham" couldn't you get advice from them?"
B " yes but they'd be obliged to take action on this , where as it wouldn't be your immediate concern"
W " I'm intrigued enough to be foolish, go on"
B " I have to accept the possibility that Edward Tyler may be doubling, he's in Malta with a German girl"
W " Tyler?!!if he is it'll sink everyone. Tyler must have seen twice as much classified material as anyone else in HQ, and he'll have retained all of it. Are you sure it couldn't just be innocent, a stolen week of bliss"
B " then why not tell the station, it avoids just this sort of speculation . And anyway, Tyler adores his wife and I don't think he'd go astray"
W " marriages are seldom what they seem. If it is the KGB wouldn't it be to their advantage to keep Tyler where he is in SIS"
B " yes, that's what I'm counting on, the whole thing is inexplicable otherwise "
W " but so is Tyler's behaviour. Neil, find out what he's doing and if he's doubling make a recommendation to assassinate"
B " I'd rather go it alone sir, if I can extricate him from a simple mess over a woman I'll have saved a good officer , but if its sinister the sandbaggers can take him out privately. Then there's little chance of a leak later on . No one will ever know"
W " not even C?, supposing you extricate him from this with nothing more than egg on his face, the service will be saved, and you could afford to report it"
B " but Tyler would still have to go"
W " precisely, and if you have any one person as a rival in the promotion stakes..."
B " as much as I'd like to get ahead of Tyler I'd prefer someone I can work with "
W " quality of life being greater than the glory "
B " exactly "
W " very well but if it all goes wrong and the egg ends up on your face"
B " you'll solve the problem by cutting off my head"
W " and carrying it around Westminster on a pole"
Alan Macnaughtan is Wellingham.


Back at HQ.
Burnside is in the office of Matthew Peele, deputy chief.
P " you're sending the Sandbaggers where?"
B" Malta"
P " why?"
B " Edward Tyler is there, and we've heard a whisper the KGB are there too. Just a bit of protection in case they try a snatch"
P "a snatch?! Since when has the KGB been snatching SIS officers? Anyway I haven't seen a signal go out to Malta warning Tyler"
B " the sandbaggers will warn him "
P " oh I see, you're hoping the KGB will delay things until the sandbaggers get there"
B " they're there now"
P " in which case they must have left this building five hours ago, and it didn't take you five hours to walk from the fifth floor to the sixth. Recall them, that's an order"
B " the sandbaggers have a job to do, I'd rather not tell you what "
P " what's that supposed to mean?"
B " you'd rather not know "
P (shouts)" IN OTHER WORDS AN ILLEGAL OPERATION "
B " It's got Wellingham's unofficial blessing "
P " So, now you're clearing SIS business with your former father in law"
B " I've cleared it with the Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign Office "
P " WELL NOW CLEAR IT WITH ME"
B " I don't want C to know"
P " because C's tough on you, won't let you have your own way"
B " because it could effect Edward 's career"
P " how?"
B" Tyler's met up with a German girl "
P ( blowing out cheeks) "did he report her to the station? "
B " no, and the Sandbaggers are there to see if it's anything sinister "
P " and if it is sinister?"
B " they'll deal with it. By assassination"
P " you cant! Not without approval"
B " I'll take full responsibility."
P " then there's no need to involve me"
B "sir?"
P " if it is an indiscretion on Tyler's part, I'll turn a blind eye. But if you're going to assassinate without approval.."
B " to save the service"
P " even so,no point both of us going to the wall, what I'm saying is if you can deal with it quietly fine. But if it all goes wrong, this conversation never took place, and Neil, don't lie to me in future"
B " I didn't want to involve you Sir, which is what you want"
P " that doesn't affect the principle of it, I've a right to know what's going on "
Geoff Ross, head CIA guy in London operating out of the embassy and friend of Neil, meet at the local McDonald's, their usual haunt.
R" what is your director of intelligence doing in Malta nibbling the ear of a KGB lady?"
B " are you sure"
R " didn't you know?"
B " I was told she was German "
R " East German passport, not that it makes a hell of a lot of difference "
B "what I don't understand is why he's being so indiscreet, or why if he's defecting hasn't he jumped already, find out for definite who she is Geoff"
R " I'll do what I can, I'll check with Langley ( CIA HQ)"
A real crisis for SIS, and it'll get worse when C finds out.

 

[michaellevenson]

The chief of SIS is John Tower-Gibbs aka "C" A man with no liking for Burnside, who doesn't like Neil's bending the rules approach.
In C's office,
C " where are the sandbaggers?"
B " in Malta sir, backing the station"
C " special operation? "
B " not as such "
C "who authorised their detachment?"
B "I did sir"
C "am I not right in assuming they need my authorisation or that of the deputy chief"
B "I was going to brief the deputy sir, I didn't want to bother you"
C " you're such an accomplished liar I almost find myself believing you. Why didn't you tell me my intelligence director is a major security risk or worse?"
B " we're not sure he is a security risk sir, major or otherwise "
C " any officer of mine who uses service time and money to see a woman abroad is a security risk, he lied to me to get his holiday, he hasn't reported the woman to the station"
B " all of which is very untypical behaviour from the best Intelligence Director we've had in years"
C " I suppose I should be encouraged to see loyalty in someone as selfish as you, but your loyalty is misplaced"
B " I'm not being loyal just careful. If it turns out Tyler is being stupid over a woman you can rap his knuckles, but if he's doubling the sandbaggers are there to deal with it"
C " by which you mean assassination?"
B "made to look like an accident sir"
C " I don't know why but your arrogance never ceases to amaze me. What gives you the power of life and death when you know the Prime Minister's approval is needed for assassination"
B "surely you see the logic sir, if the intelligence director of all people is a double agent, your resignation will be the first of many"
C " oh you're protecting me!"
B " no Sir, the service, and not just its future but its survival"
C " SIS has no warrant for murder"
B " if the sandbaggers get caught they won't embarrass the government"
C " that's not the issue"
B " then what is the issue Sir?"
C " the service has no power to assassinate without clearance"
B " ah right, you want a trial , another Philby!"
C " NO!! nor do I want a service operating outside the rules"
B " there are no rules in this game"
C " yes there are ,rules designed to stop us crossing a line, one side we act for the government, the other side, despite the government."
B " well let's say our game doesn't necessitate their rigid application "
C " it does while I'm C."
B "I was taught that rules were for the obedience of fools and guidance of wise men"
C " that was the old SIS, it's gone for good and time you realised that. Now the sandbaggers are to keep up their surveillance of Tyler until they know what he's doing then intercept him and bring him home "
B " and if he won't come?"
C " then they may use whatever force is necessary to restrain him, and we'll put him on board a private jet in a trunk if need be "
Denis Burgess is " C"

 

[michaellevenson]

Burnside storms into Peele's office,
B "why did you tell C? You're the world's number one yardarm clearer aren't you. It wasn't enough I would have taken the blame, but you had to go snivelling to C"
P " on second thoughts I felt C had a right to know "
B " well, it may have won you a few points but it has lost us our intelligence director "
P " I had hoped C would be more forgiving "
B " how could he be when you brought it officially to his attention "
P " I was worried about an assassination"
B " it may not come to it. Anyway you were more concerned about yourself."
P " don't be insubordinate or you'll be the next to go"
B "There's a lot I have to live with but selling out isn't one of them"
P " what do you mean!?"
B " God save the pension and the knighthood to hell with justice "
Burnside storms out of office.
( Jerome Willis is Peele)


At the foreign office;
Wellingham " I think C is wrong, Tyler should be assassinated to save the service, but if he took it to Downing Street .."
B " you'd back him "
W " I can't be seen to condone an unofficial assassination, they'd fire me too. I'm willing to see the PM myself, go over C's head"
B " no thanks sir, if the PM said no I'd be in even worse trouble , and anyway I don't think I can hang about while its being debated in Downing Street "
W " so what will you do?"
B " send the Sandbaggers away and do the job myself "
W " will you be able to"
B " it's not that long ago I was a Sandbagger"
W " I meant....Tyler and you ...are quite close aren't you?"
B " I'll manage"
W " you'll be taking a chance assassinating without any form of approval "
B " better chance than Tyler's got and it'll be the best thing for the service and the country sir"
W " how will you explain your absence from the office?"
B " day's illness "
W " risky"
B " not as risky as assassinating without approval "

 

[michaellevenson]

Geoff Ross turns up at Neil's flat early in the morning.
R " girl identified Valentina Kaselliev KGB, Langley's not sure what's going on, could be you targeting comrade Kaselliev"
B " how about telling Langley that is exactly what we're doing "
R " ah c'mon Neil, the planners have got to be told "
B " how do you make a list of everything Tyler's seen in the last 30 years, it'll take another 30 to compile it. You owe us a favour Geoff"
R " not that big"
B " yes you do, because if you don't help us SIS will be finished and the backlash could destroy the CIA"
R " Tyler will come to trial and Langley will read all about it in the papers"
B " no they won't because Tyler isn't coming back"
R " an accident?"
B " yes, and we'll report it as such to you"
R " and I thought C hated your guts"
B " he does"
R " if you blow it, it really is the end of the line"
Bob Sherman is Geoff Ross.

 

[michaellevenson]

Later that morning Burnside enters his office passing his secretary Marianne Straker.
B " I'm not here today, I'm off sick must have left the phone off the hook"
M " right sir"
B " but in reality I'm going to Malta"
M " and no one must know?"
B " no..if you need to contract me don't do it through the ops room do it from here. I'll be staying at the hotel Verdalla"
Unfortunately in walks C , so secret plans scuppered, but.....
C " Burnside I want you to fly to Malta this morning. "
B " sir?!"
C " you're to take personal charge over there, now vitally there must be nothing that will embarrass our government with the Maltese "
B " we know who the girl is sir , definitely KGB"
C " then we'll both go to Downing Street straight away. "
B " we've always been allowed to assassinate before in self defense, that is what this'll be"
C " bring him home, we'll accept the consequences , is that clear?"
B " sir"
Sue Holderness is Marianne.

 

[michaellevenson]

Burnside flies to Malta and is met by Mike Wallace sandbagger 2 by car, they drive off.
M ( to walkie talkie) " come in badger this is bunny"
W( voice) " this is badger over"
M " what is your location over"
W " St George park over"
M " roger bunny out, still in central Valletta sir"
B ( withered look) " who allocated the call signs?"
M " Willie sir, I think he reads nursery rhymes in bed "
They arrive at park, and outside gates meet Willie.
W " he's inside with the girl now"
B " anyone looked for any dangerous locations "
M " I did sir, on the south side of the island clifftops rocky terrain easy for anyone to fall"
B " okay you two get lost , meet me back at the hotel"
W " what's going on?"
B " I'm under orders from C not to assassinate, but pressure from Ross to assassinate and I had to agree to keep the CIA out of it, and I can't ask you two to put your careers at risk, so I'll do it myself "
W" to hell with that, if they fire you they can fire me too"
M " and me, I don't want to stay if you two go"
B " don't be stupid Mike, I'm doing this to save the service, and it needs the special section which is you two"
W " boss is right so get going, I'll be with you in 5 minutes "
Mike reluctantly leaves.
B " you too Willie"
W " get stuffed "
B " you won't feel like such a hero when you're out of a job "
W "maybe, but now I've got a job, I'm head of the special section and you're muscling in on my mission "
B " okay wait here, if Tyler slips me stop him, let the girl go"
Michael Cashman is Mike Wallace.

 

[michaellevenson]

Burnside approaches the couple sitting on a bench.
The girl notices Burnside and goes to leave.
B " bad luck comrade you can't win them all. You'll never get him back to Moscow now"
Girl " is that what you think this is all about". She leaves
Glynis Barber is Kaselliev

Peter Laird is Tyler

B " don't run Edward, Willie is outside the entrance"
E " I'm too tired to run. I've been running for 23 years Neil"
B " want to tell me about it?"
E " I had just finished training in '57 posted to Moscow, met a beautiful girl, I loved her, I'd have done anything for her, in the end I did. I needed the money, to buy things for her , hold her. The KGB had photos of the handovers "
B " and when did she disappear?"
E " not long after, just as soon as they had enough on me"
B " why didn't you report it to your head of station?"
E " and started out on life with a stretch in prison, easier said than done "
B " they might have allowed you to triple "
E " I was young but not that young, even then I knew a triple agent had no friends, no trust from anyone, no future "
B " up till a couple of days ago you had a very definite future, you'd have been C one day"
E " I know, higher I progressed in the organisation more it tore me apart "
B " tell me , why did they want you to defect with that future a possibility "
E " oh they didn't, in the old days when I was very afraid I'd give them anything I could lay my hands on. Recently of course I've been giving them less and less. They realised my heart wasn't in it anymore, they decided to cut their losses. Great headlines in Pravda ' Intelligence Director
SIS defects', they've been biting their nails
at my delaying tactics. They want me to live in Moscow. "
B " so why didn't you go"
E " I'd miss Annie too much "
B " we couldn't have held her, she'd be free to join you"
E " Annie ? After what I'd done, betrayed her, the country, the service, she'd have despised me , it would have broken her heart and she would have hated me for it. I felt trapped, I just didn't know what to do"
B " the raincoat left in Sheppard's car?"
E " that was the SIS man in me, just left it on impulse, didn't want the KGB to have it all their own way"
B " you were hoping we'd make your mind up for you. You wanted to be caught"
E " maybe, but now it's an assassination isn't it? Made to look like an accident? I know Willie will do a good job"
B " not Willie, me!"
E " you! I'm sorry Neil "
B " so am I, I wished you'd got away"
E " where to, I've told I've been running for 23 years, suddenly there doesn't seem to be any point , no where to run to,
I've often thought that suicide might be a way out. Trouble is I love Annie, I couldn't bear the thought that she might think I committed suicide because I was unhappy with her. Perhaps she could be told it was a heart attack?"
Tyler pops a pill into his mouth.
E " cyanide, one bite"
B " spit it out for God's sake. C was right I was wrong. He wanted you spared but I argued for assassination."
E ( laughs) " no more than I expected, what I didn't expect is that you'd be making the hit. I owe you more than that"
B " come on I'll take you home"
E " No Neil, let's end it civilised, now walk away from me, and when you're at a distance not to be connected to me. Bye "
B " thanks for making it easy for me"
E " my last service for SIS, goodbye Neil"
Burnside walks away, turns back to look, Tyler is slumped on the park bench dead.
Later,
Willie and Burnside at the side of the hotel pool in their suits "
B" what crime did Tyler actually commit?
something we never ask ourselves, what code did he break "
W " and who says the punishment fits the crime"
B " yes, I thought about that, the reasons he should have lived, the contributions he could have made "
W " perhaps that's what C meant?"
B " maybe and I thought he was being soft and stupid "
W " perhaps you're right too"
B" when you consider it was one mistake 23 years ago "
W " lot of mistakes since"
B " yes but it was the initial one that put him on the treadmill "
W " took a cyanide pill to get him off."
Holiday makers are having fun at the pool, a close by lady jumps in, splashing the two of them.
W " fancy a swim?"
B " don't tell me you're wearing your trunks "
W " I live in hope as the actress said to the bishop "
B (standing and smiling)" I hope you drown "
THE END