The Numbers Station

4-9-3-1.

4-3-1-9.

0-7-7-4.

7-3-4-1.

7-4-4.

7-5-7-5.

get that?

I got it.

to the radio the other day,

Radio 2, NPR Radio

or something...

Uh-huh.

There's some f***ing guy,

scientist or something.

Real sick bastard.

You listening?

Avidly.

Says he measured

out the remains,

the cremated

remains of a dead man.

Measured out the, uh, minerals

left behind, you know?

The iron phosphates, the...

Whatever it is we're made up of.

Says he added it all up

to the cost of $4.40.

You believe that?

Yeah, I guess so.

$4.40.

Burnt down man's worth less

than a f***ing Big Mac,

all you can say

is "I guess so"?

Says give this poor bastard

what he's got coming.

Authentic?

Yeah.

Ten minutes.

Start the count.

on the newcomer, Rainer...

Can I get you something?

Two shots. Scotch.

on the game?

Nah, spread's terrible.

Here. One

for the road.

No, thanks. Been

sober for three years.

Interesting career.

You do something long enough.

You close your eyes, you just can't

think of doing something else.

They found your accounts.

Where'd you spend it?

Look, man, I just wanted to start over.

Quit the Agency.

Have your drink.

It could have been anybody

walk through your door.

Yeah. But

it was you.

Go clean up your mess.

Three minutes.

Start the count.

please, God.

Why did you do that?

Why? Why did

you do that?

Why did you do that?

Have you lost

your f***ing mind?

She's just a kid.

Jesus Christ.

The f***, Emerson?

No loose ends.

been out in the field?

It should say

there, in the file.

I want to hear what you say.

A long time.

I didn't know you smoked.

When did you start?

Right after I quit drinking.

Why did you stop drinking?

I was a drunk.

What would you say is

your current disposition?

How do I feel?

How do you feel about the girl?

She asked a very good question.

Which was?

Why?

Well, that's a question

that needs to be asked.

We are not sociopaths.

We're vulnerable to qualms of

conscience like anyone else.

We face these decisions every

day, and we vote up or down.

Like everything else,

it has all been distilled

down to zeros and ones.

They have asked for me to

describe your emotional state

in as detailed

a manner as possible.

To determine whether you are

fit to remain in the field.

I hate that it had

to turn out this way.

Me taking care of the girl,

me taking care of the police.

What you need, what

we're willing to offer,

is a change of pace.

We have a station

for you to look after.

Blackleg Miner.

One of the smaller terminals.

England?

Yeah.

Far the f*** out,

middle of nowhere.

Old American Army base.

Officially it doesn't exist.

Unofficially, it's used to broadcast

numbers to our European field agents.

How long?

Until your head is right.

You'll be babysitting

a broadcaster.

Civilian, right?

Yeah, cryptology specialist.

And one of the very few people who

can process code at this level.

You and another team, alternating shifts.

Three days each.

You keep the station safe,

you keep the code safe.

Whatever it takes.

Okay.

Do the job, Emerson.

I don't wanna look like an ass for

sticking my neck out on this one.

'Cause I've got nothing left, nothing

to keep you from the wolves.

4-5-5.

broadcast come through.

the authorities.

You do that.

Wanna hear my latest theory?

Sure.

We're coordinating troop

movements in Afghanistan.

Long-term

tactical formations.

Yeah.

Illegal missions unsanctioned by the

UN, that's why it's all hush-hush.

It's good, right?

Yeah.

some sort of awful experiment.

Stuff two people in

a box, see how long

it takes for one of

us to kill the other.

Ah, give me something.

We're up two hours

early next shift.

You guys been waiting long?

No, you're good.

Good shift?

Yeah.

Got to catch up on sitting alone

for 70 hours. It was nice.

You know, my contract's up pretty soon.

I was thinking of re-upping.

Nothing else you'd rather do?

No.

I was recruited by a

software company in college.

The kind that

makes apps for phones.

What's wrong?

Pay is no good?

No, it was great, actually.

Obscene, to be honest with you.

Why didn't you do it, then?

I don't know. I don't know, I guess

I just felt like it was silly,

it wasn't really that

important, you know?

I guess I like the idea

of serving my country.

Even if I don't know

exactly what it is I do.

What about you? You never

wanted to do anything else?

There comes a time when you

do a thing long enough,

you can't really

imagine doing

anything else, you know?

So, if I stay here, I'm

stuck with you forever?

Yes. Be careful

what you wish for.

it again, aren't you?

What?

You have that

look that you get.

What look?

You're squinting one eye as if

you're taking aim with a gun.

You're gonna be late.

It's horrifying.

I'm sure you're

great fun at parties.

Seriously, you don't

have to think about

killing everyone

that you ever meet.

I don't.

Okay.

So, just for fun, what would

happen if I wasn't here on Monday?

horrible train accident?

No. Train's here.

I'm just not on it.

It wouldn't be fun.

Come on, what would happen?

I'd have to make a phone call.

You'd have to

make a phone call?

I would make a phone call.

No fun.

Company man.

Hi.

How you doing?

Good.

You should have seen

your face back there.

What?

When I didn't get off

the train right away,

you looked like you were about

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