CHARACTERS AND EVENTS IN THIS SERIES ARE COMPLETELY FICTIONAL,
ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL PERSONS OR EVENTS IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.
THE BUREAU
No, that goes next to the bed.
Thank you.
Anything else?
No, I think we're done.
What's Editions du Gouvernail?
It's a publishing house.
We're leaving.
So, to sum up,
you've discovered informal talks between Bashar al-Assad and the opposition
have been taking place in Paris, under the aegis of the Russians.
Yes.
So what you're saying is we're harbouring Syrian opposition,
who we support,
who we are financing, and with whom we speak every day
and they haven't told us they're negotiating with the enemy.
That's more or less it.
What do you discuss with each other?
What do you talk about?
You see each other nearly every day. What for?
So we'll have an informant on the ground.
Yes.
You're going to recruit within French territory.
You, not Internal Security? - Yes.
And you want my consent. - Yes.
You don't have it.
OK.
Who is the informant?
It can't be easy to cheat on your husband in Syria.
She knows what she wants.
She takes risks.
That's an advantage for us. - Yes, but it's not relevant here.
Did she not try to contact you to let you know she was in Paris?
There was no way for her to contact me.
But you ran into each other at the Musée du Quai Branly.
Yes, I was with my daughter.
We went to see an exhibition on the Incas, then we went for lunch at Cafe Branly.
And Nadia was there.
What was she doing there?
Meeting the museum's curators is part of her cover,
but, knowing her, she was probably there for pleasure.
Do operatives often run into people they knew under their alias?
It's very rare. But it has happened before.
And is there an established protocol for when it happens?
Not really, no.
We gently close off communications.
Gently?
It depends on the situation, but the rule is don't arouse suspicion.
So with Nadia El Mansour...
I was to see her at least once more for lunch, which is what we did three days later.
And that's when she told you about the negotiations.
And you weren't surprised?
I'm just a French teacher to her.
But she did betray a state secret without much encouragement.
Is that why you think we could recruit her?
We didn't lie to each other.
We lied to others, but not to each other.
She was lying to her husband, but you were lying to her.
I was under an alias.
Of course.
Is she still in love with you?
Yes.
Is that why you think you could convince her?
Yes, I think that will help our case.
Why do you think she's still in love with you? Did she say so?
No, but you can feel those sorts of things.
Hey, how long are we going to wait for him?
Go and see.
They say he's not there any more.
He's not there?
Did we miss him come out?
It seems so.
It is a real publishing house.
Look.
An Aberration.
Captain Sigal.
Gallic Tales.
A Novel.
Have a seat, Mr Kerbouche.
You've received a bank transfer of 250,000 euros
from a bank in Switzerland.
Did you know about it?
Who sent me this transfer?
A company called Algeria Invest Corporation.
We created it two days ago.
When?
This morning.
I called you straight away.
It's a very large sum and we need to declare the transfer.
Can we refuse it?
No, the money is already in your account.
Tell me, do we have the number of the account that made the transfer?
Yes, we do.
Let's send the transfer back to them, then.
As you wish.
It's good sound quality.
It's from the banker's computer. Luckily it was on.
What are we waiting for?
The message got through. Now we wait for a reply.
I wanted to let you know. It seems important.
Do you think she was serious when she said that?
I mean, was it a conversation between lovers,
or did she really think that?
I think she was serious.
And do you think she's capable of leaving her husband for you?
Maybe one day she'll ask to leave with me, and if I say yes, maybe she'll follow me.
Would you take her with you?
If my mission was over? - Yes.
If that was an option, yes.
Anything else?
No. - See you tomorrow, then.
See you tomorrow, Marie-Jeanne.
Marina.
Reza wants to see us.
And he's in a mood.
Jérôme's on sick leave for ten days.
He won't be able to come with me to the Oslo conference.
I need an overview of Australasian seismic forces.
Photos, assessments, reports...
When do you need it by?
Yesterday.
Fanny, can you stay, please?
Do you think he'll take her to Iran?
She's very bright and she has the same expertise as Jérôme.
They've been working together for six months.
What are you going to do?
I'm going to wait outside her door one rainy evening
and stab her in the back.
I'll do the same as in Iran.
Spend time with her, get her to talk, become her best friend
to see where I can strike.
If that's what you want.
It's the Berthauds'.
This is it.
Hello! You've reached...
Jean Pierre... - Paul...
Anémone... - And Sarah...
Berthaud.
We're away, but...
It's the uncle.
Hello?
Mr Jean François Lefebvre? - Speaking.
I'm a friend of Paul's.
Paul? Paul who? My nephew?
Yes, exactly. Your nephew. - Right. And?
What's that one?
It's the speaker linked to my computer.
Doctor Gaudin's surgery.
I'd like to speak to Doctor Gaudin, please.
This is General Kerbouche.
It's very important.
Please hold, I'll see if he's available.
Tell Guillaume Debailly to get down here.
Mr Kerbouche? Gaudin speaking.
Hello, Mr Gaudin.
Thank you for speaking with me.
I wanted to let you know I'm coming to Paris tomorrow.
I wanted to know if I could come and see you.
I don't believe there's an appointment scheduled.
Yes, you called me the other day and we agreed to meet,
but you were very busy.
You were waiting for me to confirm. - Did I call you?
Your surgery did.
I could come tomorrow around 12:00 p.m. If you like.
I'm sorry, my schedule is full.
I hope you'll find the time to meet me.
Could you send a car to the airport?
What do you mean? I don't understand.
Ask for Mr Benarfa.
Mr Kerbouche, I think there may have been a mix-up.
That way there'll be no confusion.
Mr Benarfa.
You'll take the necessary measures, I'm sure. Thank you.
He guessed we'd listen in on the doctor's line.
Well played.
How do we get him from the airport tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.?
He feels ill, a doctor comes, he's put in an ambulance.
No, it's too much.
He follows a customs officer and leaves by the back?
Try Grandpa in a taxi, then change to a delivery van at the swap spot.
Let's keep it simple, OK? - Right.
Did you not have lunch?
I did.
Have you decided to become very fat?
When I'm stressed I eat.
Don't you?
I become anorexic.
Some people get dandruff.
I know.
It's all over your shoulders.
What do you think about all this?
Malotru? - Yes.
Nothing.
I believe in fate.
I don't believe in coincidence.
That's what makes our job so complicated.
Don't you believe in fate?
The man who trained me used to say
in our job nothing is down to fate, just fuck-ups.
Guillaume.
I think you recruiting Nadia El Mansour is a mistake.
Why, when I'm the only person who can?
And the only person who shouldn't.
Your opinion is important. And yes, this is a delicate matter.
I must take everything into account
and yes, my relationship with Nadia is a double-edged sword.
You should speak to Mag.
OK.
Enemies everywhere.
Inside, outside.
They multiply.
Your allies. Your enemies' allies. The screen must never come down.
You can't trust anything or anyone at any time.
Never again...
Never again think you're safe.
Record your message.
You've reached Paul Lefebvre.
I'm unavailable. Please leave a message after the beep.
You might think in a situation like that you could get confused, make a mistake,
that you don't really know who you are.
But I wasn't confused.
I knew who I was.
I knew I was Paul Lefebvre.
Let's take a break.
You shouldn't play this game here. The stakes are too high.
What game?
I know your tricks.
You hide the truth with the truth.
The problem, Guillaume, is that you needed to be Paul Lefebvre
and you still need to be.
You've always fantasised that I have alias syndrome.
I know you're often in denial, but you need to wake up.
You're under arrest. - Observation.
Yes, observation.
At the end of which you risk spending the rest of your life in prison.
What exactly are you here for?
Haven't you guessed?
I'm the real lie detector.
Don't get me wrong, I'm only here for one thing,
to tell them at what point you're lying to yourself.
Don't get too excited because
I also have this.
And macroseismic forces are very boring.
This data is all over the place. I don't know where he got it from.
Do you want some wine?
Fuck, yes.
I don't know why Reza's so excited about Oslo.
Nobody cares about Oslo, do they?
He's not in Europe for long and wants to go to all the symposiums
so he's remembered.
Did he ask you to go with him?
To Oslo? Yes.
Are you going?
Of course.
I'm sorry. He's asked us to do this together, but I'm going with him.
You're taking Jérôme's place in his heart.
What would you do if he asked you to go with him?
To Oslo?
No, if he offered you Iran.
Has he asked you?
What would you do?
I don't know. He doesn't take women anyway.
But if he did.
He's asked you.
You want me to help you decide? - No, I want to know what you'd do.
I think I'd go.
You'd go?
It's an opportunity.
It's an interesting area.
I like travelling.
What about you?
He won't ask me.
But if he did.
I don't know.
Drink while you can, then!
To seismic faults.
To you.
Help.
Don't you find it shitty?
Constantly being tested.
Waiting for someone to pick you.
Waiting to know if you're staying or going.
And at our age.
Always having to prove you're good.
That you're worth it.
That they're right to bet on you.
Yes.
It just never stops.
I feel like I'm all alone.
I can't do it.
You put yourself under too much pressure.
No.
It's not me.
I don't put pressure on me.
It's France.
France?
I'm not here for seismology, in case you want to know.
What are you here for?
Reza's pretty eyes?
Do you want me to tell you why I'm here?
I'm...
Wait.
Are you OK?
Yeah.
I drank too much.
Have you been sick?
Nearly.
You'd better go.
I'm not going to leave you like this.
Come out.
I'm not going to leave you on your own. Come out.
Feeling better?
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
I'm not good with alcohol. I'm so embarrassed.
Stop it.
You're going to tell everyone I'm an alcoholic.
No, I'll tell everyone you can't hold your drink.
I know the difference.
My mother's an alcoholic.
No. - She is.
A real one.
Discreet. Undetectable.
She's been quietly boozing away for 20 years.
Morning until night.
Nobody knows that.
What everyone does know, apart from my mother,
is my father's been cheating on her for 25 years.
Everyone knows about that.
Family, friends, neighbours.
Everyone knows.
And she can't see it.
Christine Ben Soussan.
A woman she knows well.
She's not really a friend, but she could be.
She knows.
Maybe that's why she drinks.
No, I promise you. She drinks so she doesn't see it and it works.
Sometimes I think I should talk to her about it,
but shit, I don't know.
Can you see me telling her,
'Mum, Dad's been cheating on you for 25 years'?
It's complicated.
I feel better.
Yeah?
Hello.
You OK? - Yes.
Did you find the bike shop?
No, I'll go on Monday.
You know about El Mansour, right?
Yeah, we brought Paul Lefebvre back to life.
Of course.
It's crazy, right? - Yes.
Now I know why he asked me to do that research.
Research on what?
On her.
When?
A few weeks ago.
Come in.
How's your report going?
Do you need any help?
To recruit someone, you need to really understand them.
I know. Everything's fine.
I have everything I need.
What's on your mind?
Nadia El Mansour or Guillaume Debailly?
I don't know Nadia El Mansour as well as you do now.
So it's Malotru who's worrying you?
Malotru...
How do you think he's been since he came back to Paris?
We're not in contact as much, of course, since he got back.
Is it something you miss? - Why would I?
You watched over him for six years and you can no longer do that.
Yes, but that's what happens. That's...
That's the job.
It's an odd coincidence that they should meet again in Paris.
Mrs El Mansour and Debailly. Don't you think?
Yes.
Was he very in love with her?
Yes, he never made a secret of it.
Could he have found out she's getting divorced?
She's getting divorced? - Yes.
I don't know how he could know.
Maybe she told him.
She had no way of contacting him.
Are you sure? - Yes.
OK.
Good luck.
You OK?
No.
Still dealing with fuck-ups?
Yes.
General Kerbouche.
Are you Mr Vincent? - A pleasure.
I like people who are quick to understand, even when it's complicated.
Are you ready to make me an offer?
I don't know what you're selling.
Information.
I'm always ready to pay for information as long as it's reliable.
Rachid Benarfa, 38 years old.
Investment Manager.
Also known by the alias Cyclone.
He gave them his code name.
Where is he?
That's part of what I'm selling.
I need proof he's still alive.
He is alive. For the moment at least.
For at least another four or five days.
I need proof.
I can't give you any.
What's your role in this?
Spy.
I'm giving you information.
I have my own networks.
They are very effective.
You...
You know nothing about this situation.
You don't even know where to look.
I
am your compass.
Stop your little game.
I'm here even though everyone thinks I'm at the doctor's.
You're filming me, recording me. You have me.
If you disappoint me, I'll take my little secrets home.
Is that what you want?
What do you want?
On February 11th 1992
at the Boughezoul barracks.
You have some recordings. I want them now.
I thought he wanted money.
It might take some time.
I'll wait.
OK.
We agree.
Thank you.
Your information now.
Patience.
We can play it now if you wish. - No, not yet.
Play the beginning.
Your Benarfa is not a reliable guy.
Depressed, on medication.
Frankly,
I hope you have others who are tougher.
He was arrested a few weeks ago while inebriated.
He was taken to the police station
where he began to mouth off.
He began yelling.
'I'm a French agent and I've betrayed my country.'
The police don't take him seriously.
For them he's just
another drunkard.
But one of the policemen has a cousin who works for Algerian Intelligence,
in the Department for Infiltration and Security Manipulation.
He rings his cousin.
He tells him about this drunkard who says he's a French spy.
His cousin arrives.
He listens to Benarfa.
And he decides to remove him from the police station.
He uses one of the many underground tunnels
which link some government buildings.
And he takes him to his boss.
And that's where your friend Benarfa's luck runs out.
And that's where your luck ran out, too.
The DGSE's.
The cousin's boss
is General Lefkir.
A real psychopath.
He's a hard man.
He's a schemer.
Brought up on KGB methods, like me.
What does Lefkir do with this Frenchman who falls into his lap?
Does he sell him to you?
Does he give him back to you?
No.
Lefkir has an agent in a certain Salafist group.
Sahel Islamic State.
To lend him credibility, he gives him your poor Benarfa as a present.
His agent has organised a fake kidnapping.
He'll deliver Cyclone to the Salafists.
A French agent.
Think about it.
Where is Benarfa now?
For the moment, he's in Lefkir's hands.
The handover is due to take place in four or five days.
If you want your agent back,
you don't have much time left.
After that he will be executed.
And the pictures will go viral through the suburbs of Paris.
I'll organise a meeting with the Director of Operations straight away.
Kada Benchiha.
Head of the Armed Islamic Group in the West in 1991.
And the other one?
We don't know. An officer from Algerian Intelligence Services.
He has a lisp. - Who?
Benchiha? - No, the other one.
Is it done?
It took longer than expected. She managed to escape.
And believe me, she's a fast runner!
She can shout and she can run!
But it's done now.
And the body?
Where is it?
Somewhere no one will ever go looking.
Good.
You have a funny way of treating your friends, Colonel.
What friends?
Isn't Kerbouche, the husband, your friend?
When we make war, we have no friends.
Why didn't you ask us to deal with him?
It would have been simpler.
No.
To destroy that snake,
it's his wife we had to eliminate.
Did your men leave the letter in his house?
Yes.
He'll think she left him.
Some more tea, Colonel?
Always.
It's cool that he gave you the keys.
Yeah.
Are you sure he won't come home? - I told you, he's on an assignment.
An assignment.
That's what they call the things they do abroad.
Is he a spy or something? - No, he works for a minister.
I don't know if it's internal or external.
I think it's internal.
And so,
he leaves you the flat.
Cool.
Shit, did you hear that?
Yeah.
Shit, it's your dad! - It can't be!
Dad?
Dad.
There's someone in the flat.
Yes, I'm alone.
I know, I wanted to work here.
Dad, someone's got in!
OK.
Yeah, OK.
I know, I should have told you.
Yes, I'm alone.
It's someone who's come to get some things for my dad.
Hello?
He didn't know you were here.
What about me? - No.
Excuse us, mademoiselle.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, young man.
Shit.
Who the hell are they? - I told you, my dad's colleagues.
They came to pick some things up.
Shit, that was stressful.
You were so cute with your vase.
Everything we found in Debailly's name.
Some documents, a few personal items.
We're covered if anyone comes snooping.
The only problem is we couldn't clean up,
or do the ironing.
Your daughter mustn't go there any more.
She won't. - OK.
Can I have a word?
Do you recognise them? - Yes.
They're the sources I found in Syria.
What will you tell them when they're arrested?
Why do you want them arrested?
Yes, you'd tell them, 'I was in love.
'I'm sorry, I was enjoying things too much.'
When they're facing execution, what will you say to them?
That's what the rules are for.
It's to protect them.
When we break the rules, we're not scared of being caught,
we're scared of putting our sources in danger.
Of getting them killed.
Why are you panicking, Marie-Jeanne?
There's no need for this drama.
Even if we fail, I don't see where your catastrophe scenario fits in.
You're not scared for them.
You don't care. They're too far away.
I know them.
I found them, I spent time with them. So no, they're not far away.
If Paul Lefebvre's cover is blown, they'll be executed.
Your death wishes are beginning to worry me.
You're doing this
because Paul Lefebvre's cover is probably already blown, right?
What? - It's to protect your own arse.
I feel dirty when I hear you lie like this.
Marie-Jeanne.
If I fall, she falls with me.
Who?
Nadia.
They suspect Paul Lefebvre is a French operative.
They're going to accuse her of sleeping with a French agent.
They will arrest her for high treason.
Then they'll torture her.
To find out everything she knows.
Then they'll execute her.
All because I loved her.
Yes, it's disgusting.
Lover, traitor and executioner.
It's disgusting.
I'm much dirtier than you are.
But I don't have time for self-pity.
I have to save her.
And the only way to save her
is for Paul Lefebvre to exist.
For him to be so present, they can't suspect him
of being anything other than a French teacher.
If I disappear, they'll continue to investigate.
They have to go to my place,
go through my documents,
follow me in the streets every day.
It has to be completely watertight.
If there are cracks, Nadia's finished.
I have to use all the department's resources to do this.
And they will only let me if we recruit Nadia.
So if you want to trip me up, fine.
Wait until she's recruited and protected.
Then you can tell the truth. I'll be the only one paying for it.
You're very good.
It's the first time I've been disgusted to see someone so good.
Your file.
General Lefkir can't act behind the Algerian authorities' backs.
He can have a child behind their backs,
but he can't bring it up without them,
if you'll forgive such an image.
He's in charge of anti-terrorism.
We think he's a madman.
The Algerians think so, too.
But he's their madman.
He's important to them. - So?
So you won't be able to speak with him.
It seems to me you have two options,
organise an operation to free Cyclone,
or negotiate with the Algerian authorities who will deny knowing anything.
Charming.
Do we have any personal information?
That could help?
He lost two children when his village was massacred.
He takes cocaine.
He has shares in several companies in the energy sector.
He's rich, he doesn't need money. He doesn't have a wife.
And he has a lisp.
Why have you brought me here?
What are we doing here?
Hello, sir. We're friends of Fanny.
Fanny hasn't lived here for some time.
Yes, we'd like to surprise her for her birthday.
We need to speak to her mother. Is she in? It's a girl thing.
Yes, of course.
Don't worry, I'll wake her up.
Darling?
Some people would like to talk to you.
They're friends of Fanny.
Excuse me. I was sleeping.
They want to surprise Fanny.
They say it's a girl thing.
Well, I'll leave you to talk.
Thank you.
Madam, we're sorry to barge in like this but we need to talk to you.
Are you not Fanny's friends?
We have something important to tell you regarding your husband.
No, can I talk to you for a moment?
Mrs Meyer, we're part of an evangelical movement
for women's rights.
We've been working in this area for several years.
Our mission is to identify and report
all the many wrongs, done to our sister citizens.
We believe that it's better to tell the truth than to remain silent.
But why have you come to see me?
Mrs Meyer, having collected full and consistent evidence,
we are sorry to tell you that your husband has been unfaithful to you
for a number of years.
Twenty-five years, in fact.
Would you like to know the identity of your husband's mistress?
No.
She's a younger woman. Her name is Christine.
Christine what?
Ben Soussan.
Be brave.
Be brave, and don't forget
it's better to suffer for the truth than be happy with a lie.
What's going on?
I'm sorry.
You have two circles.
The first is for friends, the second is for targets.
Those two circles must never mix.
Friends are friends.
You can make friends with your targets but they are not friends.
Which means
you can destroy their lives in one minute.
Free of emotion.
You don't like them, you don't feel sorry for them.
They can like you.
The need to like you.
But for you, they are your prey.
This Fanny.
When she comes to your house, when you have a drink with her,
when she shares her family life or sex life with you,
when she helps you off your bathroom floor,
she's still your prey.
This girl was your enemy.
You were beginning to grow fond of her.
Anyone could have used her to put pressure on you.
Never grow attached to your targets.
And here's some advice for your mission.
Don't get attached to anyone. Ever.
From: Jacques Léglise-Costa Training Programme Coordinator
Dear madam, I would like to discuss your situation
regarding Training Course W110-116.
Please call me as soon as possible.
You need to go and see him.
You think?
They will ask you to justify your absences.
What will you tell them?
That I was very busy with the museums,
setting up the future school of cultural heritage.
They'll say you didn't need to sign up for this training course
because it has nothing to do with your work.
Find something else.
I asked a colleague to record the lessons and to give me a copy every night.
OK.
That's good.
Mr Léglise-Costa's office. - Hello.
I'd like to confirm my meeting with Mr Léglise-Costa.
This is Nadia El Mansour. - Yes.
Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., is that right? - Yes.
Fine, that's noted. Thank you for calling.
She's just confirmed.
Let Mag, Malotru and Internal Security know.
Would you like one?
I've just come out of the underground.
She's here.
Best go next door. - Yes.
Guillaume.
What do you think? Do you think she'll accept?
I hope so.
I've just gone past the chemist's.
I'm going inside.
I'm at reception.
Hello. - Hello.
I have a meeting with Mr Léglise-Costa.
Yes, on the third floor, this way.
I don't have a mic.
I'm just coming down the passage.
JACQUES LÉGLISE-COSTA TRAINING PROGRAMME COORDINATOR