Sacrifice, Loyalty & Courage Lay at the End of 'The Tower: Gallowstree Lane'

Season 3 of The Tower concludes with a tense, thrilling episode in which Operation Perseus finally gets underway. However, first, there is the little matter of Tia’s kidnapping, which concluded last week’s installment. DS Sarah Collins is sent to Loretta’s, traumatized by Kingfisher’s brutal home invasion. Worse, Ryan, already in trouble, has disappeared with Shakiel, and Loretta is terrified of what that might mean. Sarah checks CCTV for footage (gone), so she calls DI Kieran Shaw, head of Operation Perseus, to tell him the latest update. He jumps to the worst-case scenario: Ryan and Tia dead due to her department’s inability to arrest Kingfisher. Sarah listens stoically as if it’s nothing she hasn’t thought of herself.

It’s the early morning of the handover, during which Shakiel will trade cash and drugs for weapons and solidify his position as the most powerful gang leader in the area. He’s appointed Steve as his driver for the event, and Shakiel, all business, tells Steve there’s no time for coffee before forcing him to leave his phone behind, which is not a good sign. Meanwhile, Ryan left the apartment where he was hiding, watching what was unfolding on the streets at a cafe, and Lizzie, who was manning the CCTV screens, noticed the bike outside.

He follows on his bicycle as Shakiel and Steve, initially parked opposite the cafe, drive off to the handover, followed by an exchange of cars, putting Steve and Shakiel in a black BMW with a trunk full of weapons. Kieran and his team wait for the moment to strike.