(ENGINE HUMS) (HEAVY FOOTFALLS) (CHILDREN CHATTER, LAUGH) (WHISTLE TRILLS) (EERIE MUSIC) (TENSE MUSIC) I still can't believe Dad didn't kill you for doing that. Bloody hell, midget, you shouldn't creep up on people. Did it hurt? Not really. Can I have one? Just go away. Mum and Dad are gonna go mental if you keep bunking off. (TENSE MUSIC) (MUSIC CONTINUES) (SINISTER MUSIC) (TENSE MUSIC) (UNSETTLING MUSIC) (BRAKES WHINE) (THUD!) (GASPS, SOBS) (GIRL SCREAMS, DOOR SLAMS) (MUSIC SWELLS) (THUD!) (MAN SPEAKS GERMAN) (SIREN WAILS) Please... help me. English. Can you tell me your name, please? Miss? Is there someone we can call for you? (BREATHES RAGGEDLY) Sophie... Giroux. Sophie Giroux. Who's that? Your mother? Your sister? Who is Sophie Giroux? We will try and find her. Can you please tell me your name? (BREATHES SHAKILY) (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (HAUNTING MUSIC) # Oh my love, # we pray each day. # May you come home # and be OK. # For now, we wait # for you, for you # to come home. Captions by Starsha Samarasinghe. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2017 (WOMAN SPEAKS GERMAN) Would anybody like to hazard a translation? (LAUGHTER) 'None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.' (SOFT CONVERSATION) Von Goethe's most famous work is Faust, which is about a man who sells his soul to the devil in search of power (KNOCKING ON DOOR) Uh,... turn your books to chapter three, please, and start reading. What's the matter? I'll finish your lesson Gemma. Don't worry. Mrs Webster, my name's Sergeant Eve Stone. I'm with the military police, 5th Investigating Company. My name is Jorn Lenhart, I'm with the German police. I'm sorry. I'm not really sure how to say this. Well, is` is it Sam? Is he OK? A young woman walked into Eckhausen yesterday and collapsed on Lindenstrasse. She was taken to Hannover Hospital, where she was operated on overnight. She's stable now. I don't underst` She says her name is Alice Webster. (HIGH-PITCHED DRONING) What did you say? (TENSE MUSIC) (MUSIC ONLY, NO AUDIO) (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) (MUSIC SWELLS) (MUSIC CUTS OUT) (BOXES RATTLE) (MAN SPEAKS FRENCH) If I can't give us honey, I can at least bring firewood. Well, you tried, my love. And failed. So fail again, fail better` Ai! Or simply adapt. (SPEAKS FRENCH) (SPEAKS FRENCH) I will get the rest of the wood. Well, it's` it's been almost a year since Chalons du Bois, you know, Sitting around here. (SPEAKS FRENCH) (SIGHS HEAVILY) (POIGNANT MUSIC) They performed surgery last night. Another few hours without treatment, she would have died. She had a ruptured appendix. The surgery has left her tired. She's still recovering from the anaesthetic. (SOFT, HAUNTING MUSIC) (EXHALES SOFTLY) SOFTLY: Dad? Look at you. My little girl. It's so bright in here. Alice, love. Mum? 11 years we've waited. I can't believe it. You haven't changed, Mum. Neither of you. (SNIFFS) I remember when you did that. In your bedroom. We were so angry, weren't we? And then the next week, you weren't there any more. And I kept thinking, 'What an awful waste of time ` to argue over something so meaningless.' I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. You don't have to say anything. You're here now, and that's all that matters, OK? Hey, Alice. Is that you, midget? I'm not any more. I'd like to be on my own now. This is... It's too much. OK. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. We'll be right outside, OK? We'll be just outside that door if you need anything. (UNSETTLING MUSIC) What's happened to her, Sam? Where the hell has she been? 1 (TREES CREAK) (SOMBRE MUSIC) (RINGBACK BURRS) (BEEP!) Allo, oui? Hi. Is that Julien Baptiste? Yes, it is. My name's Sergeant Eve Stone. I'm with the military police stationed at the garrison at Eckhausen, Germany. Do you know the name Alice Webster? Er, the British girl? She was abducted 2003, no? Yesterday,... she came back. She walked right into the middle of the town square. There's a name she mentioned when the paramedics asked who they could call. She said the name Sophie Giroux. Excuse me? S` Sophie Giroux? I know this all happened 11, 12 years ago, but you were the lead detective on her abduction. We don't know how long it's gonna be until she's well enough to talk, so I was hoping, in the meantime, maybe you might like to review original case files and see if there was a link between the two girls. Do you think the same person who took her also took Alice? We think it's likely, yes. Which would mean there is a chance we could find Sophie. Look, I'm retired now, but, uh, I will help you. I will` Let me look at my files and see what I can learn. Thanks for your time, Monsieur Baptiste. And how is she, the girl? (SIGHS) Alive. (BREATHES SHAKILY) (GASPS, PANTS) (POIGNANT MUSIC) (POIGNANT MUSIC CONTINUES) (SIGHS) (MUSIC SWELLS) (LIVELY MUSIC) (HUBBUB) I think this is for me. Mr Paptees? No, it's Baptiste, but, uh, it's not important. You are? Bagir. Bagir. The car is this way, Mr Paptees. How far to Kirkuk? About one or two hours, maybe. You must know, Kirkuk is no place for tourists. I'm no tourist. (LIVELY, TENSE MUSIC) (RADIO PLAYS INDISTINCTLY) Sam? Sam, it's nearly 9. Yeah. You can't be late. I know. Matthew's gonna go and visit Alice this afternoon. I thought maybe we could all go. I'll try. Mm. Well, don't strain yourself (!) (CAR HORN HONKS) (LOUD MUSIC POUNDS OUTSIDE) (RAP MUSIC POUNDS) You should talk to him. For all the good it'll do. (RAP MUSIC CONTINUES) (ENGINE REVS) (RATTLING, SQUEAKING) (FOOTSTEPS APPROACH) And how are you sleeping? Yeah, I'm fine. (MAN YELLS COMMANDS OUTSIDE) I don't know what I'm expected to do. You're not expected to do anything, Sam. I am, though, aren't I? Why else would you be with the head doctor? You want me to talk about Alice and` and all that. Not unless you want to. I shouldn't have done what I did, all right? It was a mistake. But all this modified assessment crap is just a waste of time. You know, three days a week stuck behind a desk. No, I need to be back with the regiment. That's not going to happen, Sam, until I've cleared you. You know that. I don't want to talk about it. Why not? (LIGHT, LIVELY MUSIC) Monsieur Baptiste. It's OK. Mr Anderssen? Stefan's fine. Well, then, call me Julien, please. Thank you for meeting me. I'm not the one who travelled over a thousand miles to be here. Monsieur Baptiste` Julien. Julien, I'm not quite sure why you wanted to meet me. You didn't give much away in your email. Can we go inside? I am not used to the heat. I'm looking for someone. What's this about? Two girls kept prisoner in a basement for more than 10 years. Sophie Giroux and Alice Webster. I must find this man. I need to track him down. So what's this got to do with me here? I need to find someone to drive me from here to Azwai. Crossing the border into Iraq is a pretty good way to get yourself killed. Says the man who has done it many times. You have done your research. Of course. I read your articles. I admire your writing and, uh, your courage. Julien, please understand` I must find this man. Look, I choose what risks I take. I do not take them lightly, but when I do, they're mine alone. You're married, right? You have a family? Yes. What do I tell them if you don't come back? How do I explain that I risked taking someone with no experience of the region, with no real planning, into the Iraqi desert right between two groups of people whose sole ambition in this life is to kill one another? You could tell them you had two choices ` to do nothing, or to do something. I could go home. You could go home. The people involved in the conflict, they could all decide to go home and forget their troubles, but they don't. They continue to walk towards the storm, to plant apple trees whilst the world burns down around them. So to do nothing, to do something? What choice is that? It's no choice at all. (SIGHS) I'm sorry. Contrary to what you might think about me, risks are the last thing I wanna take. I` I really am sorry. I'm going to Azwai ` with your help or without it. Thank you for your time. (HORNS HONK, ENGINES HUM) Aram Askari. I won't take you, but Askari is a fixer the Reuters guys swear by. He runs a place called Sunshine Travel. They have an office right by the citadel. You can't miss it. I've never worked with him. My guys are out of the country, so I can't vouch if he's any good myself. Aram Askari. Mm-hm. Thank you. Hello? Celia, mon amour. (SIGHS SHAKILY) Celia? Are you calling to say that you've made a mistake and you're getting back on that plane? Je t'en prie, mon coeur, s'il te plait. Are you? I must see this through. I must find the man who took those girls. Tu sais combien c'est important pour moi. Then we don't have anything to talk about. Celia, please. (SIGHS) (CHILDREN SHOUT, DOG BARKS IN DISTANCE) (SIGHS) (INDISTINCT CHATTER, TYPEWRITER CLACKS) (KNOCKS) Aram Askari? Aram is out on a tour. I am Yardil. Well, I was told to ask for Mr Askari. He's my brother. We own this place together. Perhaps I can help? I wish to travel to Azwai. 'Tis not safe... but can be done. $5000. $5000? This is non-negotiable. I have only dinars. The border guards will only look the other way for dollars. There's a bank not far from here. You turn right, it's a few hundred metres down. When do we leave? It is just you and I? We can leave this afternoon. 1 (RAP MUSIC PLAYS) (ALL RAP IN GERMAN) Are you going to share that? Sorry. When's he coming? He's 15 minutes late. Drug dealers do not keep to a schedule, Matty. Jesus. Oi! Where d'you think you're goin'? Where you goin'? Come on! Where you goin'? (CAR STARTS) Where the hell are you goin'? Come on! Open the door! Bitch! (CELL PHONE RINGS) Hey, Matthew, uh, it's just Mum. Uh, we... We're gonna go and see your sister this afternoon, and, uh, I` I know you usually go on your own, but,... well, thought it might be nice to all go together if you're... Let me know what you think. All right, bye. Bye. (BEEP!) (MOUSE PAD CLICKS) (UNSETTLING MUSIC) (MOUSE PAD CLICKS) (MUSIC INTENSIFIES) After the van stopped, he opened the door and he put a bag over my head. It was a` a` a dark... plastic bag. I couldn't see. I` I couldn't breathe. Every time I screamed, I sucked the... plastic into my throat. He put me... over his shoulder and he carried me. I felt him tie my hands behind my back. He told me, 'If you do what I say, I'll take you back to your mum and dad.' And this was the man who kept you? And he spoke in English? Did he have an accent? Yes, he's German. Did you ever see his face? Can you describe him? I said, 'Please, take me home.' He told me to stop crying, but I couldn't. So he hit me. Love, you can stop this whenever you want. He` He hit me twice. And then he pulled down my skirt and that was the first time that he raped me. He hugged me after. Just put both of his arms around me. And he stroked my hair. He told me he'd always be my first. (EXHALES) (SNIFFLES) (LOUD BANGING) (CRIES) (SOBS) (UNSETTLING, DRONING MUSIC) Alice, when the paramedics picked you up you mentioned Sophie Giroux. You were asking for her. I don't remember. Do you have any idea where she might be right now? (EXHALES) She was so weak. He hadn't fed her in ages. I promised that I'd come back for her. Sophie. (EERIE PIANO MUSIC) (MUSIC CONTINUES) (OVERLAPPING CONVERSATIONS) Guten Morgen. Sprechen sie Englisch? Mm-hm. I'm looking for Alice Webster. I have no patient in that name. Please spell for me. Uh, I think I've made a mistake here. Forgive me. Thank you. (OVERLAPPING CONVERSATIONS) Sorry to intrude. This is Karla Becker. She's a clinical psychologist here in Hannover. The doctors contacted me when they heard the nature of this case. I'll be providing the counselling your daughter will need. I'll speak with her every day. It will take time; we cannot rush such a thing. But... there is something you should know. The doctors performing the appendectomy, they found stretch marks. And there are other clear indications that your daughter has given birth. No. No, no, no. No. (TENSE MUSIC) (MUSIC CONTINUES) (MUSIC INTENSIFIES) (THUD!) (RAPID SCRUBBING) (PANTS) (SIGHS) (BREATHES DEEPLY) You head back to camp and brief the brigadier. I need to organise a thorough debrief later today. Excuse me. Bonjour. Are you Sergeant Stone? Who's asking? Julien Baptiste. How far along are you? Seven months, I would guess. Eight. I think it's a girl, no? What are you doing here? I thought you were retired. The receptionist, uh, had no record of Alice Webster. And since I see no journalists, I must presume the girl's return has been kept secret. The last thing that girl needs is any more stress. Of course. But there's only so long the flow of police into this hospital can go unremarked upon. Look, I wish nothing but peace for the girl. I asked you to look into the Giroux case file, not come out to Germany. I'm only asking to speak with her. She's too unwell to have more people questioning her. But she has spoken, no? She did confirm she was held captive with Sophie Giroux. Sophie? Where were they kept? They were moved around. All Alice remembers is being in the forest. She walked hours till she found the road. Where, exactly, she's not sure. Was there a yellow van mentioned in Alice's abduction? That was the only clue we had in Sophie's case. Baptiste, I've said enough already. Look, I don't want to interfere with your investigation, but I made the parents of Sophie Giroux a promise. (SIGHS) There is no one who knows that case better than I. You looked me up, Sergeant. You know who I am and what I've done. Let me help. I appreciate you making the trip, but it's not necessary. Go home, Mr Baptiste. (MACHINE BEEPS) 4700, 4800, 4900, 5000. Thank you. You're welcome. Pardon. (CAR HORNS HONK, ENGINES WHIRR) (CHATTER) (SINISTER MUSIC) (TENSE MUSIC) (MUSIC CONTINUES) (OVERLAPPING CONVERSATIONS) (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) (METAL CLATTERS) (PANTS) (PANTS) (PIPE CLATTERS) (CONVERSATIONS OVERLAP) 1 (MOUSE PAD CLICKS) (CAR DRIVES OFF) (DOOR SLAMS) Are we going, then? Oh, well, great, you're coming. Uh, Dad isn't back yet. So? Well, I th` I just thought we could all go together. Do you want to go see Alice? I'm here. Let's go. Well... (HEAVY BREATHING, GRUNTING) (BOTH GRUNT, GASP) (GRUNTS) I can't keep coming round. Then don't. Maybe we should get a hotel next time. Sure. You know, it'd just be easier, that's all. (SIGHS) (CELL PHONE VIBRATES) You should go. Yeah, I'm gonna go shower first. (CELL PHONE VIBRATES) (SIGHS) (SNIFFLES) (SOMBRE MUSIC) (CLANGING) (SOMBRE MUSIC) (SOLEMN MUSIC) (BIRDSONG) (SOLEMN MUSIC) (MUSIC SWELLS) (SPEAKS ARABIC) So, you have the money? I do. But first, I want you to do something for me. Pick up the phone and call your brother. From what I can tell, he runs an honest business here. You should apologise for muddying his good name by trying to rob me. What are you talking about? You send me to the bank to withdraw a large amount of money and moments later I'm being followed? You think all of us as thieves? I'm simply saying things as I see them. Take your money. Take your damn money and get out of my office. If you were followed, it wasn't by me or anybody I know. So whatever you're mixed up in, I want no part of it. Get out! Go! Go! (SIGHS) (CAR ENGINE RUMBLES) Well, aren't you coming down? No. Sorry. Do you see the way he looks at me? He's still not forgiven me. Well, he hasn't forgiven himself. Come on, Sam. I'm sorry. (CELL PHONE RINGS) Hey. Mrs Webster, I said I'd call when I arrived. Do you really think you're gonna find something out there? Well, I wouldn't have come if I didn't. No, I know. (SIGHS) Look, I want to believe you. It's just hard. Are you still doing what I asked, with the photographs? Yeah, when I can. If my family knew what I was doing, they'd think I'd lost my mind. But, yeah, I am. You have not lost your mind, Mrs Webster. Do you ever feel like your family are... slipping away from you? All the time. We feel that way only because we want to hold them so close. (TENSE MUSIC) I haven't forgotten, Alice. I haven't forgotten what I promised you. (UNSETTLING MUSIC) (BELL DINGS) Monsieur Baptiste. How did it go? I was followed when I went to the bank. (SIGHS) Someone hoping to steal from me. I thought, perhaps, I was set up, but now I'm not so sure. I usually like to try and think the best of people. The trouble is... people continue to disappoint me. (LAUGHS) I'll do it. I'll take you to Azwai. What changed your mind? I thought about what you said, and you were right. I'm here to file stories, and you, Monsieur Baptiste, you have a... well, you have a habit of finding them. If I didn't follow you, I wouldn't be doing my job. Well, then, that's why I like to put my faith in people. Good. Give me a couple of weeks to put it together. It has to be sooner. How soon? Tomorrow morning. No, no, no. I need to` I need to ask for the best route, find out where the troops are, get a good fixer. I may not have weeks. I have a brain tumour. You're looking at a... dying man. I'm sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't put it there. Can you take me tomorrow? OK, um, let me make some calls. First, though, who exactly is this man we're looking for? A former solider. Daniel Reed. Henry Reed was a solider, yes, but a father first. He leaves behind his son Daniel, who followed him into the service. We'll never know why Henry took his own life, but we can remember the good he did. (HUSHED CHATTER) 1 We need to get her some clothes. She's coming home with us tonight. Tonight? Well, that's` There's no rush, love. I mean, we can stay here. As lo` as long as you need. What I need is to come home. I've spoken to the doctors. It's fine. It's just an appendix operation, routine. One night is easily enough. Sam, she needs help. Other help that we can't give her. Shrinks will come to us every day. You know, she's made up her mind. She's given the police everything they need. She needs to be somewhere safe. She's been through enough. It's time she came home. Where she belongs. The photofit is being sent to every single police station in Germany, it will be with every newspaper by the evening edition. And we're not issuing Alice Webster's name along with it, are we? What do you take us for, Major Gettrick? If we're gonna keep Alice Webster's identity withheld as long as possible, we need a consistent strategy. Your department deals with local politics, community relations, not abductions. Alice Webster's identity will break at some point. That's inevitable. We can spare her and her family the intrusion for as long as possible if we work together. Now, this photofit, I have over 5000 men and women in this garrison ready to help. Thank you, Brigadier. I have support from Hannover. The matter is in hand. You were here, weren't you, When the girl was taken? You were a detective on the case. Yes. Then you saw how it shook this whole damn place. And I watched as Army and Polizei butted heads time and again over who was bloody in charge. Let us not forget that while we argue, Sophie Giroux is still out there somewhere. And you and I, now, we're in a position to do something about this. (SIGHS) You're right, Brigadier. You're right. With your help, we can begin the search immediately. OK, then. You think he means it? About working together? He can be a stubborn bastard, Engel, but he's got his head screwed on. He knows how important a case like this is. You should really be on leave by now, not stuck in the middle of something like this. I'm fine, Dad. I know. But your sister would have killed me for not at least saying it. Have you told her? I will. Dad` I will. It's my job to worry about you, remember? Not the other way around. (DOOR OPENS, SHUTS) (TENSE MUSIC) ALL CALL OUT: Sophie! (RISING DRAMATIC MUSIC) (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES) (MUSIC SWELLS) I'll, uh... I'll put the kettle on. I understand you don't` you don't want... The doctor said... Well, they` They that said there were signs that you'd had a baby. I don't know what you're talking about. Do you want something to eat or...? No, I'm tired. (SOMBRE MUSIC) We kept all your things. Every Christmas, we wrote you a letter to` well, to wherever you were ` letting you know what we were doing that year. Well, they're here, if you want them. It is OK if I` if I give you a hug? Of course you can. Night, love. Mum? Yeah? Night. Night-night. (SOMBRE MUSIC) (SOMBRE MUSIC) (UNSETTLING, WHIRRING MUSIC) (BIRDSONG) BAPTISTE: When Alice Webster returned, I remember, people, they said, 'Finally, she is free. 'Free.' As a bird, you know? I never understood that saying. People think birds are these free creatures flying around without a care in the world. And yet they build their nests high up in the trees to protect themselves from predators. Nobody is free in this world. (EERIE, THUDDING MUSIC) That girl who came back... after all those years kept in a basement,... (EERIE MUSIC CONTINUES) ...she wasn't free when she left that place. She was still a prisoner. (TENSE MUSIC) But, most importantly, I believe,... that girl... was not Alice Webster. (MENACING MUSIC) Captions by Starsha Samarasinghe. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2017