Episode 4 of "Prime Target" unfolds with an harrowing scene: Dr. Nathoo, beaten and left for dead in the streets, his blood mingling with the relentless rain. Clearly, he has stumbled upon forbidden secrets, oblivious to Andrea's incoming call as she prepares to depart for Iraq.
In parallel, Edward and Taylah ponder their next steps, weighing their options meticulously. Edward opts to visit Kaplar, where he is given a comprehensive tour and insights into their operations. The facility is awash with cameras, documenting every move. It's not long before fate brings him face-to-face with Stephen once more, leading him to decide to join their ranks. However, when Edward showcases his mathematical prowess, Stephen's reaction to the algebraic sequences hints at concealed truths. Sensing something amiss, Edward embarks on a covert research mission, utilizing their computers despite the omnipresent surveillance and recording systems, in search of a link between Safiya and Mallinder. Surprising revelations ensue: Robert, who has been on Kaplar's payroll for three decades, might be intricately involved in Safiya's demise. Accessing their digital archive seems to be the only path to uncovering the truth, yet this proves to be a formidable challenge.
Meanwhile, at the NSA, Alex undergoes a grilling session with his superior, who inquisitively delves into Taylah's connection with Syracuse and Mallinder. Upon realizing the nexus, Alex's boss is convinced that Taylah will eventually come forward. And indeed, she does. Taylah reaches out to Jane Torres, catching them off guard about her whereabouts, seemingly oblivious to any searches at airports, ferries, or other transport hubs. Her revelation that she is in London evokes genuine astonishment.
In Baghdad, Andrea lands and is greeted by Akram, who delicately discloses Nathoo's "illness." To divert her attention, he reveals a hidden chamber, leaving Andrea awestruck by its beauty, despite the scaffolding and artificial lighting. However, this serene beauty swiftly transforms into a grim reality as she ascends the stairs and discovers men inside Nathoo's room – and the doctor, lifeless.
The following day, Ed sets his sights once more on Kaplar, where fate leads him to bump into his neighbor, Nikki. Unbeknownst to him initially, Nikki holds the key to the archive, yet she has been subtly steered clear of delving into specific research avenues, notably prime numbers. It doesn't escape his notice for long that this enigmatic turn of events is intertwined with Bayt al-Hikmah. That very afternoon, he fills Taylah in on his startling discovery. The concealed subterranean chamber, adorned with equations pertinent to prime numbers, could very well hold the master key to unraveling it all.
Upon his return to Kaplar, Ed finds himself prowling around Nikki's workspace with renewed vigor. Intriguingly, Nikki keeps her archive login credentials jotted down on a key-card within easy reach in her cubicle. Ed, swift-witted, commits them to memory and bides his time until the coast is clear. With Taylah by his side via phone, they form an unstoppable duo, tackling the archive together. Taylah, a coding virtuoso, beams a sequence of codes his way, effectively bypassing the security barriers.
Stepping into the archive's sanctum, Ed unearths crucial details about Safiya, who inked a contract in the same year as Mallinder. Though her work has been meticulously erased, surveillance footage of her still lingers. Ed, a novice in the art of screenshot capture, finds himself reliant on Taylah's remote guidance. When Taylah lays eyes on the snapshot, the pieces fall into place—it's undeniably linked to the Syracuse project.
As Poppy, Ed's manager, catches a glimpse of his clandestine activities, he dashes out of the building like a bat out of hell. In a mad scramble, they tidy up any loose ends at their place. En route, Taylah dials Jane, relaying their predicament and the peril of involving the authorities, considering Syracuse's meticulous plotting. However, upon ending the call, a chilling revelation dawns—Jane has been playing them all along, murmuring under her breath, "They're further ahead than I thought." Oh dear, the tables have turned!
