Donovan was heading up the op, which concerned kidnapping one of many “gradual horses”, Standish (Saskia Reeves, Luther), and threaten to kill her if one of many different gradual horses, Cartwright (Jack Lowden, Dunkirk) broke into MI5 HQ and retrieved the Prime Minister’s vetting file. As soon as Cartwright had accomplished this, the official Chieftain plan was to launch Standish unhurt and reveal the entire thing had been a safety take a look at, however as a substitute Donovan goes rogue.
At Taverner’s suggestion, he refuses to launch Standish, kidnaps one other Chieftain employee, and tells MI5 he’ll kill them each until they let him entry the brand new MI5 archive facility so he can view one thing referred to as The Gray Books, that are primarily an inventory of unlikely conspiracy theories that solely nutters would wish to entry.
When he acquired contained in the constructing, the plan was that he’d be capable to discover the Footprint file as a substitute, as Taverner had made certain it was there.
What Was Judd’s Involvement within the Tiger Group Op?
To get Donovan contained in the archive facility, Taverner wanted to persuade the powers that be – aka House Secretary Peter Judd (Samuel West, Van Helsing) – to authorise the Tiger Group op. She satisfied Judd for 2 superb causes: firstly, she suggests they use his mate’s firm Chieftain (through which he had a monetary stake) to run the op, and in the event that they’re profitable he has a great excuse to pay Chieftain (ahem, and himself) an enormous sum of cash to behave as a safety consultancy agency for MI5, and enhance their defences.
Secondly, it could embarrass his adversary Tierney, and at last give him the higher hand over her, and MI5 itself.
Sadly for Judd, he didn’t find out about Taverner and Donovan’s plan, which might destroy Chieftain’s – and his – fame solely.
