The Front Line

This programme contains strong language.

Joe Yumba, native of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Applied for political asylum, citing "fear of persecution from warring rebel factions".

Currently living in a hostel.

-Do you have any African friends in Ireland?

-No.

Do you know a man called Erasmus?

He's from the Congo too.

I don't know him.

-You don't know him?

-No. I don't.

Erasmus is a gangster.

A pimp. A drug dealer.

You've been here for over a year.

You're both from the Congo.

You don't look like someone who uses drugs.

Soon it'll be West Africans who control the drug trade in this city.

Men like you.

And men like Erasmus.

Men who've sat where you're sitting, and told me the same thing.

They know nothing and no-one.

Married with one child.

Whereabouts of wife and child unknown at this time.

We think they're both in London.

-Give him his card.

-You're bound by law to carry this at all times.

That piece of plastic means you have leave to stay in this country, where you are bound by the laws

of the state and the governing laws of the European Union.

Just like the rest of us.

You also have leave to seek employment.

Do you understand?

I do.

Thank you.

MAN COUGHS

COUGHING CONTINUES

MAN SHOUTS IN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

MAN SOBS

'You have leave to stay in this country, where you are bound

'by the laws of the state and governing laws of the European Union.

'Just like the rest of us.'

BURGLAR ALARM

-False alarm.

-It's OK, everybody. It's a false alarm.

Sorry about the noise.

We'll have it sorted in a minute.

-It is the vault.

-My dear Lord.

That's far enough.

-How long you worked here, Joe?

-One month.

Any training? Army, police?

Just what the company taught me. Three-day training course.

-How do you find the job?

-I'm happy to have a job.

Good. That's all I need.

Take care of yourself.

Black bastard.

Hello. For you. It's all there.

Thanks.

Can I ask who's calling? One moment, please. Popping out for a smoke.

Cover for me?

Since you started working here Joe, we haven't been robbed once.

So you can relax.

Hello, Joe.

Do you mind if we speak alone?

Is something wrong?

You know these people?

We're bringing them over on a family reunification visa.

They arrive in the country tonight.

It's been a long time, hasn't it?

Well, I'll, um... I'll leave you to it.

Nice to meet you, Kala.

You be a good boy and do what your mum and dad tell you, OK?

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Shh.

HE SPEAKS AFRICAN LANGUAGE

WOMAN SCREAMS

It's a dream! It's a dream.

It's a dream, it's a dream.

Shh, shh...

Apples, oranges, bananas and pears!

Apples, oranges, bananas and pears!

Lovely pears! Apples, oranges, bananas and pears!

Apples, oranges, bananas and pears!

HUBBUB

You wind it up and it jump around like a real frog.

You like it?

-Do you mind?

-Sure, no problem.

It's beautiful.

Will you say my prayers with me?

What do you pray for?

I pray that the bad men won't find us.

Are there bad men in this country?

Yes, there are.

-Will they come for us?

-No. I won't let them.

-You promise?

-I promise.

I'll always be here for you.

Both of us.

We'll always be here for you.

You carry those you love...

in here.

Like your favourite music.

You carry it in your head.

Remember that, and no-one can hurt you.

Ever.

See you, Joe.

TYRES SQUEAL

Get the door open! Get in!

Any moves, I'll put you down. Down hard.

Understand?

Do you understand?!

Yes.

One...

two...

three.

Enough fuckin' photos!

Sorry 'bout me brother.

Our ma did her best for us.

Look how we turned out.

Ah...

Can I ask you a personal question?

Have you ever had a knitting needle inserted into the urethra of your phallus?

Some men

derive intense pleasure from inserting objects into the penis

during arousal.

They have to start small,

and then work their way up through progressively larger objects,

until,

after some time and toughening of the inner flesh,

they can insert a lubricant-covered knitting needle...

all the way in.

Not the most flattering portrait.

You look good in uniform.

Hm?

HE LAUGHS

Here's the thing.

Inside that building is something that we want.

And you're gonna help us get it.

Now...

why should you help us?

I've a family meself.

A little girl.

If anything were to happen to her,

Jesus, I would go mental.

Is it the same with you? The same attachment? I mean,

life is cheap where you come from, right?

This is how it's gonna be.

Tomorrow, you go to work as normal.

But tomorrow night, at midnight at the bank, you're gonna kill the alarms,

disable the cameras, open the back door and get us into the vault.

We don't care how you do it.

Do you know what these are?

Don't suppose you've ever needed them.

Interesting thing about these pills is...

when you're forced to take enough of them, you've an erection whether you want one or not.

Stripped naked and tied to a chair, you feel very vulnerable.

And when the needle is heated...

Do as I say and you can have your family back, but...

you go to the cops...

What effect, force-fed to an eight-year-old, do you suppose these pills'll have?

HE LAUGHS

Do as I say.

You go the cops...

Midnight. Get it done.

Whoo!

HE VOMITS

He was throwing up? Is that what you said?

That's what it looked like.

Did you see him get into the van?

No, we came it across it just before he got out.

-You're absolutely certain?

-It was him. I'm positive.

What business do you have with Eddie Gilroy?

We know you were with him, Joe.

And this man?

Ever seen this man's face?

Let's be clear about the situation here.

By fraternizing with known criminals, you have endangered your asylum status.

We have good grounds to rescind that status and send you home.

You and your family.

Back to the Congo.

How does that sound to you?

Two men were murdered last week.

We know this man was responsible.

What were you doing with him?

You need to tell us, Joe.

Leave us alone, please.

You stay silent and we have to assume the worst -

that you're an associate of a known scumbag,

and a possible accessory to murder.

I've done nothing wrong.

I don't know nothing about this man's business or any murders.

My family's waiting for me.

You're free to go.

IMPLEMENT TURNS IN LOCK

Shh, we're not gonna hurt you.

We was watching when he bought you this.

Cheap shite.

SHE CRIES OUT

Aaaah! Ah!

Ah!

Jesus, what did they do to you?

Animals.

Are there bad men in this country?

Yes, there are.

Will they come for us?

No. I won't let them.

-You promise?

-The needle's heated...

I promise.

ALARM TONE

ALARM OFF

What the hell do you think you're doing?

I knew it! Don't you come near me.

It's not what you think.

Don't! Don't! I have a family. I have a family!

-Why are you spying on me?

-I'm not spying, I swear to God.

I've been living here the last few weeks.

I swear to God, there are no sensors here, they don't move around!

No-one knows!

My wife kicked me out. I have nowhere else to go.

Please! Please, don't hurt me.

I don't understand.

The police! I mean...

-Surely, if you explain your wife and son have been kidnapped...

-Explain?

I can't take that chance.

This way, there is a chance.

-When will they be here?

-Five minutes.

Oh...

No, no! Let me out!

-Let me out of here!

-Oh, God...

Listen to me! Listen to me.

If you do this, you will have the blood of my family on your hands.

-I'm sorry...

-Don't do this.

Don't do it!

BANGING ON DOOR

Mikey!

I'm sorry.

Mikey!

Stay out of my way.

You alone?

Yes.

Cameras?

They are all off.

Where are they?

-This goes to plan, you'll have your wife and kid back first thing in the morning.

-In the morning?

No, no. Tonight.

You don't get a say in this.

My game, my rules. Understand?

Now lead the way.

Lead the way!

Stay here, fat boy.

I'm impressed.

The code.

Together.

Three, two, one.

Turn.

Which one, Eddie?

Number 20L.

Here we go.

No, no, up here. Up here.

Come on. Come on!

Oh, yeah!

-Pull it out.

-Come to daddy.

Frankie wasn't lying! Two million euro in bearer bonds.

Right, get to work. Do the rest of them.

Two million euro bearer bonds. It's all there.

Come on! Get that one. Whoo!

Hit it!

Oh, yes, look at this!

Wait a minute, wait.

Where's he gone to?

Who's that?

What the fuck?

Jesus Christ!

I think I killed him.

Plank!

Where the fuck are ya?

We're rich! We're rich!

-Pack up. We're leaving.

-What?

-Now.

-Shit! Plank?

-Is he dead?

-Plank!

-He's fucking dead.

-Shut up, you!

-Plank...

-Dead.

You hear me? Your family's dead!

-It's all right, Eddie!

-Fucking dead!

-He's all right!

-Come on, come on.

-Broken nose!

-Shut the fuck up, Anton.

GUN COCKS

Drop the gun.

And the bag. Just your bag.

Throw it to me.

We still have your wife and kid.

When you bring them to me, I'll hand this over.

I want them back.

Nothing else.

You keep the rest. Hey!

All right, all right.

No. Bring them to me.

Go.

Now!

Go!

You're crazier than I am.

In the mornin'. Like I said.

Nobody's going anywhere.

I'll bring them to you in the mornin'.

We'll see how sharp he is after he's been up all night.

Whoo!

THEY LAUGH

They're gone.

Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ!

Hey.

Hey!

It's not finished yet.

Holy Mother of God.

When they see this,

it's over.

We can't hide the damage, that's for sure.

But we can delay them finding it.

I haven't emptied bins the last 17 years

without picking up a few pointers on how things work around here.

You see that?

That's a time lock.

-Who else was in the vault last night?

-No-one.

Someone must've touched it, it's on. It can only be set from inside.

Don't look at us.

ALARM BLARES

Check the bloody alarms.

Joe, there's a phone call for you.

-Hello?

-'Are ya having a party there, Joe? Someone here wants to talk to you.

-'Hello?'

-Daniel!

-ALARM STOPS

-Hello? Are you OK?

'Yes.'

I'm coming for you.

-I'm coming to take you home.

-'We should meet.'

-I'm ready.

-'I'm getting fond of these two.

'She's a beauty, isn't she?

'And the kid?

'City centre.

'Henry Street.

'11:30. Alone.' HE HANGS UP

Hello, it's me.

How are you?

Oh, no, no, nothing.

We haven't spoken in a while, that's all.

Units responding to an alarm call at the European Capital Bank.

That's the bank Joe works at, right?

I'm sorry, I have to go.

-What's going on?

-False alarm. It's nothing.

The vault's down this way, sir.

-Problem here?

-We're locked out of the vault. Can't get in.

-Locked out?

-The time lock slipped.

These things don't slip.

-Someone's reset it.

-What's in there?

The whole bank. Everything.

-Is there some kind of problem? I'm the manager.

-Joe.

You wait two hours, and hand this to Detective Harbison, you hear me?

-Only Harbison.

-Two hours. Harbison. I hear ya.

POLICE SIRENS BLARE

Just bring your family back. Go.

Go on!

I'm sure he's there. The door's wide open.

Mikey, are you outside?

Get in there. Get in!

Mr Yumba! Joe!

In pursuit on St Mary Street.

How long before we get this thing open?

Done.

Ah!

Ai!

Oi! You've no business cuttin' through here.

Watch where you're fuckin' going.

-Excuse me.

-I didn't hear you say sorry, darkie.

That's right, Charlo.

Oh, Jesus.

-Just listen.

-Where are they?

Say nothing, just listen.

Here's what you're gonna do.

Look down the street, the blue van.

You give me the bag, I'll bring your family across. It's that simple.

Where's Daniel? I don't see Daniel.

Look up and see who's at the window.

Hand me the bag, you can walk in there and collect your kid.

Couldn't be simpler.

-Oi! Nigger!

-What the fuck?

I'm gonna fucking kill you, you black bastard!

-Back off.

-Get the fuck!

Listen, pal, you've no idea what you're walking into. You're making a very big mistake.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Black jacket, grey hoodie, bloody nose.

Argh!

Gun! Gun!

Put down the gun!

Stop him!

Daniel!

Daniel!

-Is everything all right, sir? Can I help you?

-A little boy. My little boy, have you seen him?

No. No, I haven't. I'm sorry.

Daniel!

Daniel!

Daniel!

Hold it right there!

POLICE SIRENS BLARE

I understand what you've been through, Kala.

But we need your help if we're to find your son.

Joe isn't your husband...

is he?

Tell me the truth.

If you tell me, I can help you.

If he lied, then I'm done.

Save your compassion for the 9 o'clock news.

If he lied, I'm betting there's a good reason he did.

I've no doubt. Everyone of them's got a good reason to lie.

But we can't be taken in by any of it.

You wanna know this man's story? Stick around. We'll find him.

And when we do, you'll see what kind of a man he is.

If you don't speak, we'll be forced to review your asylum status.

You know what that means, don't you?

I can help you.

Daniel.

Are you his mother?

His mother's dead.

Who is Joe, Kala?

Tell us who he really is.

Are you afraid, Kala?

Are you afraid of him?

What did he do to you, Kala?

What happened to you in Africa?

SHE SPEAKS AFRICAN LANGUAGE

It's OK.

It'll be all right. It'll be all right.

See that she's OK.

Even if she said where she was from, at least we could make the connection.

I'm from the Lendu tribe.

I come from a little village in the north east of Congo.

I lived there with my husband, his parents and our two children.

War came to our land in springtime.

It didn't touch us, where we lived.

We never thought it would.

Rumours and terrible stories soon came to us.

We were very afraid.

Many people left the land...

but we couldn't.

We had nowhere to go.

The Hema militia came to kill us

in the first week of April.

We took the children and hide in the fields.

The men stayed...

-The men stayed to fight and...

-SHE FALTERS

The men stayed to fight and hold them back.

But it was useless. There were too many.

We...We saw...

With axes, spears and knives, they butchered every one of the men who stayed to protect us...

and then they came and chased us down.

They kill our children in the fields...

and dragged us down to the village.

For two days and two nights, our screaming filled the air.

Terrible...

Terrible screamings.

And then the screaming stopped.

The Lendu militia came, but it was too late.

Everybody was...

Everybody was already dead.

Everybody except Daniel and I.

They slit my throat and I fell into darkness.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Joe.

He saved me, and he saved Daniel too.

Did Joe live in your village?

Yes.

He lived...

among us, but he was not one of us.

He told us he was a musician. Was he lying?

Tell us, Kala.

-Tell us what you know.

-I can't.

Is Joe a bad man, Kala?

No, he's a good man.

I love him.

Then you can help him.

He's in real danger.

Daniel too.

Will you at least tell us who he is?

I promised him I would never tell.

There is another man.

Also from the Congo.

Erasmus.

He knows the real Joe.

SHIP'S HORN

SHIP'S HORN

We're the new Europe, my friend.

No-one can touch us.

What can you do to a people who have already been to hell?

You respected the blade once.

You will again when I bring the boy to you.

You recognise these men?

Find where they are, you'll find your boy.

Until then, I'll fix you somewhere to live.

-I'll bring the boy to you.

-No.

Tell me where he is.

That's all I need to know.

I bring him home myself.

PHONE

Yes?

'Who is this?'

Let me speak to Erasmus.

'What about Joe? You know him?'

RADIO: 'The search widened today for the gang behind the robbery

'at the European Capital bank, on Dublin's Marian Road.

'Garda are anxious to speak to the guard at the branch, Mr Joe Yumba.

'Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact their local garda station.

'House prices are set to rise again...'

HE BARKS

Hello, gorgeous.

Want to see something gorgeous?

SMACK

RAPID BREATHING

Where are my fucking clothes?

You'll be sorry, you hear me? You don't know who you're fucking with.

Whoever you fuckers are, you'll be sorry!

Who's there? Who are you? Who's there?

Just let me go now and we'll forget the whole thing, all right?

I don't know you. Just let me go now and we'll forget every...

Shh.

Where's the boy?

What boy?

Where is he?

Me fucking brother. He's mental, he'll fucking kill me!

If I tell you, he'll kill me!

I won't kill you. No.

If you don't give me an address,

I'm going to keep you alive so I can do...far worse things to you.

Please let me go. Please...

These little pills,

designed to bring such pleasure.

But in your twisted hands...

Such an inventive use for them.

I have my own methods, my own tools.

But yours...

Very impressive.

Not bad for a white boy.

What is it that makes a man?

Is it the head? The heart?

Something else?

Please...

No! No!

HE SCREAMS

Fucking believe it!

You bastard! You break my fuckin' nose, will ya?!

Check the bag!

Where's my fucking brother?

How'd you find us?

Eddie, not here.

Where is Daniel?

-Eddie!

-Inside!

Daniel.

It's all there.

-LAUGHTER

-That'll be fucking nice!

Whoo!

Daniel.

It's all here, Eddie. Come and see it.

Giving you a rough ride, is he?

He's OK.

Should have been here when his wife walked out.

That was a barrel of laughs.

-He's separated?

-A few months, yeah.

-You know the story?

-No.

No-one told you?

Told me what?

Lost his kid.

His son.

Four years old.

Knocked down on the road outside his house. Killed.

-My God.

-Tough, yeah.

Only child.

Guess it's hard to hold a marriage together after something like that.

The Congo is not like any place you've ever been.

I have seen things...

you people could not even imagine in your worst nightmares.

Killing.

Killing.

Killing.

Did you take part in the killing?

Yes.

Get someone from Justice down here.

Yeah, you bring them down. You bring them all down.

You all learn something.

So...

tell us.

Two tribes.

Hema and Lendu.

The Hema militia came and killed my people.

Cut them, burned them.

I am Lendu.

We kill too.

We kill plenty.

Got to.

And Joe? What about Joe?

I found him in his village.

We arrived after the Hema,

when the clay had turned to red mud and run with blood, flowing over our toes.

Joe was barely alive,

tied to a chair

among all the dead people.

'They beat him.'

'Cut him.'

'And made him watch.'

'He watched as they...

'hunted down and set about butchering them all.

'Old, young,

'women, children.

'All of them, butchered.

'And worse.

'And they made Joe...

'watch it all.'

We saved him.

He breathes now.

But he died that day.

The man we lifted from that chair is a ghost.

I brought you some music.

I don't want to hear it.

For me.

Close your eyes.

Close your eyes and listen.

Are they going to kill us?

I'll protect you.

'You want to know who Joe really is?'

Tell us.

He's a priest.

A priest?

Father Joseph.

He was a man of peace, a good man.

A leader that tried to bring our tribes together.

Tried to make us all put down our weapons.

We freed Joe from that chair.

The Hema were still there when we freed him.

Drunk on blood and killing.

We slaughtered every last one of them.

Father Joseph,

he could not believe in a God after what he had seen.

'When he stood from the chair, it was with a poisoned heart he now saw the world.

'And every man in it.

'Father Joseph spared no-one.

'It frightened many to see what this good man had become.

'But it only made me sad.

'I knew then, for sure, what I'd always only guessed -

'that, regardless of the man, the demon lies in all of us.

Waiting...

just beneath the skin.

'Waiting to avenge.'

AFRICAN CHILDREN SING

GUNSHOTS

Death comes to all who embrace it.

But it would not come to him.

Thank you.

You promised you'd never leave me.

Go inside.

Go.

Daniel!

Daniel! Daniel!

Daniel! How are you?

Shit.

-Shit!

-He's long gone.

Daniel, you know where he is, don't you?

HELICOPTER HOVERS

Clear!

RADIO: 'We request immediate medical assistance.

'I repeat, immediate medical assistance.'

Sir, go ahead. I'll take these lads from here.

Get everybody out as quickly as possible.

Excuse me, ma'am. I need you to come with me.

And you, ma'am.

You found me.

I guess you know everything now.

I know you're a priest.

Yesterday I was a priest.

A priest in a village full of smiling, happy people.

And now I'm here.

Thousands of miles away and an ocean of blood separating me from that time.

I don't know what happened.

I don't understand it.

I tried to stop it.

I tried to bring peace.

But I couldn't.

Instead, I brought death.

And in the end, I...

too, became a killer.

I tried to stop the killing.

I tried.

But I couldn't.

They all died because of me.

I tried to save them.

But I could only save two.

That was all.

Only two.

From so many.

Don't do this.

I don't know the horror you've lived through.

But I know loss.

I know guilt.

We're the ones still living, right?

Come on, Joe.

Joe. Joe!

Ambulance! Get me an ambulance!

-Daniel, no.

-It's all right. Come on, son.

He has a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

We have an obvious entry wound and small exit wound.

He's lost a lot of blood.

Does it hurt?

No. It doesn't.

Daniel?

The music.

I hear it, too.

I'm sorry, son. We need to go.

Clear the way, please. Moving out, thank you!

Thank you folks, let's go. Clear, clear, clear.

Line set up. Set up the line.

-We're losing him.

-Clear!

One, two, three, four.

FLATLINE TONE

CHILDREN SING

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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