Doug Patteson

London, England, 2008. Some of the most distinguished experts on the work of Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) gather at the National Gallery to examine a painting known as Salvator Mundi; an event that turns out to be the first act of one of the most fascinating stories in the history of art.

They passed intelligence, intercepted communications, stole blueprints and mapped targets. But ultimately they drove the deep-seated paranoia and distrust that would forever change the course of history.

Assassinations, even of the most treacherous dictator, can shake a nation's confidence, launch wars, or end them. Now, we go behind closed doors to meet the rebels, counter-revolutionaries, and intelligence operatives tasked with these takedowns.