Critical Event Summary E02
 

Flashback 2004:
Louie (47) drives down a Swedish highway. It's early summer, and next to him sits Anna (15), arms crossed and a grim expression on her heavily made-up face. The tension in the car is palpable until Anna mutters, “I don’t want to be here.” Louie responds sharply, “Neither do I. Guess we’re even.” Through sparse dialogue, we learn that Anna's mother, unable to cope with her increasingly erratic behavior in the U.S., has sent her to stay with her uncle in Sweden for a while.

They arrive at Louie’s cabin, instantly recognizable from Episode 1, though it appears 20 years younger, freshly painted and well-maintained. Anna is horrified as she takes in the place that is now supposed to be her home. The first few days are tense. Anna is sullen and defiant, her attitude filling every corner of the small space. One evening, over a quiet dinner, she begins asking questions about Louie and his brother—her father. Louie shares what little he can, and the ice between them slowly begins to melt. Anna then slowly grows curious about Louie’s past in Denmark, which he evades with half-answers. She begins to piece together that her uncle was likely involved in crime before walking away from that life.

During the summer, Louie spends his time building a hunting blind in a secluded spot in the forest, while Anna either lounges in the sun nearby or occasionally lends a hand. Once it’s finished, they name it “Anna’s Nook,” and it becomes exactly that—a cozy retreat she fills with blankets, pillows, books, and comic magazines. It transforms into her sanctuary.

Anna has finally started to feel at ease, finding comfort in her time with Louie and the quiet rhythm of life in the forest. But summer draws to a close and it’s time for her to return to the U.S. On the day of her departure, Anna retreats to the hunting blind, curling up among her pillows and blankets, refusing to leave. Louie stands below, his voice firm yet tinged with regret as he calls for her. When she doesn’t respond, he climbs up and gently leads her down.
Tears stream down Anna’s face as she reluctantly descends, her steps heavy with heartbreak. Louie remains steady but resolute, opening the car door and guiding her inside. As they drive away, Anna gazes out at the forest she’s leaving behind, silently drying her tears.

Present: 

Louie’s unease is palpable as they return to Copenhagen, a city he had hoped to leave behind forever. "We need to find out what your husband was involved in," he tells Anna. To uncover the truth, Louie decides to contact Zlatko, an old associate from his days in the Copenhagen underworld.

Zlatko, a stout and imposing Eastern European, meets them in an abandoned warehouse near the harbor. Startled to see Louie after so many years, he agrees to dig into Jonas’s affairs. Before they leave, Zlatko provides them with the address of Mette, a mutual acquaintance from their past, suggesting they could stay under the radar at her remote farm.

Mette, a chain-smoking ex-con with intricate tattoos sprawled across half her face, takes them in at her farm in Jutland with a gruff but genuine warmth. She offers the barn as a temporary refuge.

The following morning, while they’re having breakfast, Louie receives a call from Zlatko. He shares the only lead he’s uncovered so far: Jonas’s troubles may be connected to an Icelandic organization. Zlatko promises to dig deeper and update them as soon as he has more information.

Meanwhile, a news broadcast on Mette’s old TV catches Anna’s attention. The report details the recent murders in Stockholm, speculating about a connection to an ex convict in Denmark, who is to be considered armed and dangerous. It doesn’t take long for Anna to realize they’re talking about Louie.

Louie turns off the TV and, avoiding the topic, suggests they should immediately investigate one of the coordinates to uncover what might be buried there to gain some leverage. Overwhelmed by the revelations and the escalating danger, Anna storms out of the house, needing space to process everything. Louie immediately follows, calling after her.

Louie urges Anna to stay focused—they need to figure out what’s going on. But Anna lashes out on him, her voice trembling as she insists she doesn’t even know him. "I can’t do this," she says, panic rising with each word. "I need to get out of here. I need to go to the police—for my baby’s sake” But Louie remains firm, his tone steady but urgent. What makes her think they couldn't get to her through the police? And besides, lawe enforcement just discovered a body burnt to a crisp on his property, shot with a bullet from his rifle. He insists their best chance is to gather more information first. 

The tension boils over as the argument escalates. Anna, her voice sharp with years of resentment, accuses Louie of abandoning her as a child. Louie, steady but visibly regretful, meets her anger with quiet determination. "I won’t abandon you this time," he says.

Together, they follow the coordinates to a remote glade in Mols Bjerge National Park. After some digging, they unearth a suitcase.

Inside, they find hundreds of zip-lock bags filled with a yellow, crystal-like powder—at least ten kilos. But what is it? It’s not cocaine or MDMA. Even Louie, with all his experience, can’t identify the substance. The truth begins to take shape: Jonas wasn’t just a pharmaceutical chemist—he was running a dangerous side operation. Instead of selling the drugs outright, he planned to sell the locations of hidden stashes.

After some consideration—and a failed attempt to contact the buyers using the hitman’s phone—Louie makes a critical mistake: he threatens them, revealing that he knows they’re part of an Icelandic organization. Realizing the danger they’re now in, Louie concludes that their best move is to involve Zlatko in the mess. He can have the stash and remaining coordinates if he also deals with the forces that be. “He’d be interested,” Louie explains. “And it’d be an easy way to offload the problem.”

Back at Mette’s, they prepare to leave for Copenhagen. While Anna packs their belongings, Louie heads to the farmhouse to say goodbye. But the moment he steps through the door, he finds himself staring down the barrel of Mette’s gun.

Mette now holds all the power. Louie’s attempts to negotiate are futile; she remains cold and resolute. With a crushing debt looming over her, turning them in is her only chance at survival. Then it clicks—Zlatko had betrayed them, tipping off the Icelandic organization and striking a deal with Mette to seal their fate.

When Mette enters the barn with Louie at gunpoint, panic grips Anna. Mette orders her to place the suitcase on the floor. As Anna obeys, Louie suddenly lunges at Mette. The blow knocks her off balance, but she fires a shot, and Louie collapses into a pool of blood, clutching his side as his breaths grow shallow and fade.

With Louie incapacitated, Mette turns her gun on Anna. But Louie, summoning the last of his strength, pulls a knife from his ankle sheath and slices her achilles tendon. Chaos erupts and while he manages to deal a fatal stab to Mette, she, in turn, unloads her entire clip on him. 

An oppressive stillness hangs over the carnage of the barn— pools of blood expanding from the lifeless bodies of Louie's and Mette's across the dusty floor boards. Anna, frozen in horror, is jolted back to reality by the low rumble of an approaching car. She scrambles beneath the floorboards as two men burst into the barn, guns drawn. Moments later, Eirikur strides in, sharp-suited and exuding cold authority, followed by Zlatko, visibly out of his depth.

The men, unfazed by the carnage, seize the suitcase and conduct a quick search for Anna. Finding nothing, Eirikur asks Zlatko how "the old man knew about Iceland". But the question is rhetorical - before Zlatko has a chance to make up an explanation, Eirikur orders his execution with a cold flick of his hand. A gunshot echoes, and Zlatko’s body crumples to the floor. He makes a brief phone call, revealing his ability to monitor for Anna through Nordic law enforcement before he utters a simple two-word order to his men: 

"Burn it", and flames soon engulf the barn.

Beneath the floorboards, Anna must lay still till the she hears the men driving off. The heat intensifying as smoke seeps through the cracks above her. Anna starts to crawls frantically. She twists and turns, blindly feeling her way through the maze of beams and dirt, like a trapped rat searching for an exit. Her heart pounds as flames crackle overhead, the oppressive air choking her lungs and stinging her eyes.

Finally, she finds a narrow gap and claws her way out, tumbling onto the cool earth behind the barn. Soot-covered and trembling, she gulps in fresh air, her chest heaving as relief washes over her.

As she lies there, soot-covered and trembling, Anna tries to calm her racing heart. Each breath comes in shallow gasps, her body aching from the escape. The weight of everything she’s endured threatens to pull her under, but as she closes her eyes, searching for a shred of strength, she feels it—a sudden flutter deep within her womb.
The tiny kick jolts her, cutting through the fog of fear and exhaustion. It’s as if her baby is reminding her that she’s not alone, that there’s something worth fighting for.

Later that evening, Anna boards a ferry bound for Norway. She stands alone on the deck, the wind whipping through her freshly cut and colored hair. In her hands is the list of remaining coordinates. She studies it carefully, committing each location to memory before tossing the paper into the sea.

She doesn’t know what lies ahead, but one thing is certain: she will endure.

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END OF EPISODE 2​​​​​​