The Girl Who Played With Fire

Bublanski and Modig cover the events thus far, connecting Lundin to the attack at Lundagatan, Mimmi’s kidnapping, and the blond giant. They do not understand how Lisbeth took down the bikers or why she took some of Bjurman’s files herself. Neither thinks that Lisbeth killed Dag, Mia, or Bjurman.

The blond giant waits anxiously for Lundin, noting his fear of darkness and solitude. He flees when he sees a news report about the incident at Bjurman’s cabin.

Blomkvist convinces Palmgren that he is Lisbeth’s friend, and Palmgren details Lisbeth’s childhood. Zala met Agneta, Lisbeth’s mother, in 1977, and they had twins: Lisbeth and Camilla. Zala was absent most of the time but would show up on occasion to beat Agneta and have sex with her. Agneta changed her name to Salander because it is similar to Zalachenko. Zala ignored his daughters completely. Blomkvist assumes that the lack of police or social support was due to Sapo covering for Zala’s crimes. When Lisbeth was 12 years old (in 1991), she stabbed Zala multiple times to stop his abuse. Bjorck covered up this event, too. Months later, Zala returned, knocked Agneta unconscious, and laughed at Lisbeth. Lisbeth poured gasoline over him while he was in his car and then lit him on fire. This incident led to her being put in a psychiatric hospital.

Lisbeth reviews Bjurman’s files and figures out how Bjorck, Zala, and Teleborian had covered up Zala’s abuses. Because the paramedics focused on Zala, Agneta suffered permanent brain damage. Lisbeth is furious, and she assumes that Bjurman turned to Zala to handle Lisbeth, leading to his death. She decides to find the blond giant and follow him to Zala.

Faste spends the day in a bar. Bublanski reassigns him to the warehouse, but Faste is determined to catch Lisbeth.

Palmgren laments that he trusted Teleborian while Lisbeth was at St. Stefan’s. Blomkvist thinks that Bjorck relied on Teleborian’s reports to keep Lisbeth locked away, and he understands Lisbeth’s refusal to talk to authority figures. Palmgren says that Lisbeth is different, noting her memory and intelligence, and they agree that she can be violent.

Lisbeth is furious at the news that Mimmi and Paolo were injured, and the news reports that Lisbeth was in a “shoot-out” with Hell’s Angels bikers. Ekstrom’s hard drive shows that Bublanski is pushing away from the idea of Lisbeth as a suspect, while Armansky’s shows that Armansky wants Milton Security to represent Lisbeth in court.

Bohman, Fraklund, and Armansky meet to investigate alternative suspects in Dag’s, Mia’s, and Bjurman’s murders.

Lisbeth feels terrible about implicating Mimmi and is reminded that she also wanted to protect Agneta. She checks Blomkvist’s laptop and sees an urgent message demanding contact. Lisbeth responds, “Thank you for being my friend” (437), refusing to admit that she is in love with Blomkvist. She hacks Milton Security to secure a car and obscure security cameras and then packs Mace, a taser, and Nieminen’s gun. She backs up her hard drive on the Internet and destroys her laptop before heading to the Milton Security garage.

Blomkvist finds Lisbeth’s message and knows that she is doing something reckless. He finds her keys from her bag outside Lundagatan and notes a PO box key. Blomkvist finds Lisbeth’s mail, including a letter from a lawyer confirming the purchase of her Fiskargatan apartment.

Lisbeth threatens the attendant at a car rental agency with Nieminen’s gun, asking him to log into the shop computer and get into a closet. Lisbeth finds the car that the giant rented, along with an ID identifying him as Ronald Niedermann. There is no address, but there is a PO box in Goteborg. Lisbeth consoles the shop attendant and drives to Goteborg.

Blomkvist finds Lisbeth’s apartment and enters, but an alarm goes off. Lisbeth gets a notification on her phone. Blomkvist guesses the passcode, 9277, or “Wasp,” which surprises Lisbeth. She checks the cameras and sees Blomkvist but decides that her secrets are no longer important.

Paolo meets Berger and Eriksson and shares information he found on Ronald Niedermann. Niedermann was a boxer for a time in Hamburg, and he has congenital analgesia, meaning that he cannot feel pain.

Blomkvist marvels at Lisbeth’s huge, empty apartment and feels the urge to hug her. He reads her files and finds the DVD of Bjurman assaulting her. Blomkvist realizes that the DVD was Lisbeth’s ammunition against Bjurman, who turned to Zalachenko to get rid of Lisbeth. Niedermann must have killed Bjurman, Dag, and Mia to cover up for Zala, and Lisbeth is now hunting Niedermann and Zala.

Palmgren calls Armansky and demands to meet him that night.

Eriksson calls with information on Niedermann, who works for KAB Imports AB, a company owned by Karl Axel Bodin in Gosseberga, northeast of Goteborg. Blomkvist knows that Lisbeth is heading to Goteborg, but he goes to Millennium first. He tells Berger and Eriksson everything he knows about Zalachenko, Lisbeth, and Niedermann, which they struggle to understand. He leaves for Goteborg.

Lisbeth watches the Goteborg PO box until a young man opens it, and then she follows him in her car.

Blomkvist brings Sandstrom’s gun from Lisbeth’s apartment and drives to Goteborg. He calls Bublanski to tell him that Niedermann is the killer and is working for Zalachenko, adding that Berger has documentation proving it. Blomkvist calls Annika to fill her in on Lisbeth’s situation and retain her as counsel, and then he calls Palmgren.

Lisbeth watches the house at Gosseberga Farm, owned by K. A. Bodin, from the woods nearby.

Blomkvist takes a train to Goteborg.

Lisbeth sees Niedermann and Zalachenko go outside to get firewood and go back inside. She loads her gun and approaches the house, but she stops when she realizes how Fermat solved his theorem.

Lisbeth approaches the house and hears Zala and Niedermann talking. She is disturbed by the lack of security and reflects that she has lived half her life in fear of Zalachenko. She swings open a door and finds the room empty. Suddenly, Niedermann attacks her from behind. They tussle, and Lisbeth loses the gun. Zalachenko enters, sits in a chair, and points a gun at Lisbeth. Niedermann leaves.

Zala reveals that the farm is covered in motion sensors, which alerted them to Lisbeth’s approach. He calls Lisbeth and Agneta “whores,” which upsets Lisbeth. Zala asks about Bjurman, whom he calls an idiot, but Lisbeth does not answer. Zala explains that Niedermann is Lisbeth’s half-brother, one of many, and that he has been Zala’s arms and legs for years after Lisbeth’s firebomb caused Zala to have a disability. Zala admits that Niedermann killed Bjurman, Dag, and Mia, and Lisbeth realizes that she was the link between them.

Lisbeth tells Zala that the police, Millennium, and Milton Security know about Gosseberga, but Zala does not believe her. Zala plans to kill Lisbeth and take Niedermann out of the country so that Lisbeth will take the blame for the murders. Niedermann returns, and all three walk out onto the farm.

Niedermann leads them to a grave dug in the forest. Lisbeth claims that their conversation has been broadcast on the Internet, tossing a device to Zala. When Niedermann and Zala look at the device, Lisbeth throws dirt in Niedermann’s eyes and swings a nearby shovel, cutting into Niedermann’s hand. Lisbeth tries to flee, but Zala shoots her in the hip, shoulder, and head. Lisbeth goes down, and Niedermann puts her in the grave.

Zala watches Niedermann fill the grave and marvels at how close Lisbeth came to escaping.

Blomkvist drives toward Gosseberga.

Modig and Bublanski agree to interview Bjorck.

Berger tells her husband about Svenska Morgon-Posten.

Palmgren tells Lisbeth’s history to Armansky.

Mimmi wakes up in the hospital and talks about the fight with Paolo.

Lisbeth wakes up in pain and realizes that she is buried alive. She gradually shifts the dirt around her and starts digging toward the surface.

Lisbeth frees herself but struggles to move. She emerges outside Zalachenko’s farmhouse and checks a woodshed.

Zala hears the woodshed open and sees the door ajar, but he assumes that Niedermann forgot to close the door properly.

Lisbeth pauses by the barn, hoping to find gasoline, but she hears Zala approaching.

Blomkvist takes a wrong turn and backtracks.

When Zala turns on the light in the barn, Lisbeth swings an axe that lodges in his face, making him scream in pain.

Niedermann hears the scream and runs outside.

Lisbeth hits Zala in the knee with the axe, toppling him to the ground. She struggles to grasp the axe and must sit down. She sees Zala’s .22 caliber pistol and realizes that the small caliber is what allowed her to live.

Niedermann reaches the barn and hallucinates that Lisbeth is a lizard creature breathing fire. She fires the pistol at him, and Niedermann runs away.

Lisbeth staggers to the house and calls Blomkvist, leaving him a message when he does not pick up. She examines her wounds and tries to lie down, knowing that Niedermann or Zala might come back.

Niedermann calms down and realizes that Lisbeth must be alive. He debates going back to save Zala or leaving, noting how Zalachenko changed after Bjurman’s request. Lisbeth’s name had made Zala reckless, and Niedermann decides to steal a car and drive away.

Lisbeth realizes that she is unable to control her situation for the first time in her life. She starts to fall asleep, thinking of Mimmi, and realizes that she does not care if she dies.

Niedermann stops Blomkvist’s car, and Blomkvist emerges with a gun pointed at Niedermann. Blomkvist orders Niedermann to lie down, and then he ties Niedermann’s arms with a belt and straps his body to a road sign. Niedermann does not answer Blomkvist’s questions, so Blomkvist continues toward the farm.

Blomkvist finds Gosseberga and locates Zalachenko in the barn, severely injured.

Blomkvist finds Lisbeth in the house, and she wakes up for a moment to acknowledge him. Blomkvist calls emergency services.