"THE SIEGE" Screenplay by Lawrence Wright, Menno Meyjes and Edward Zwick Story by Lawrence Wright 1998 SHOOTING DRAFT FADE IN: EXT. TYRE, LEBANON - DAY A coast road. Date palms. Burnt-out hulks that once were Russian T-54 TANKS have long ago been left to rust in the sun. A 4-door MERCEDES hurtles down the ancient road. DEVEREAUX (V.O.) We're online for exactly two minutes. A SATELLITE VIEW Of the same scene. A grainy IMAGE of the car, and some distance away, a moving cluster of animals. They are: HERD OF SHEEP As seen at ground level. Two SHEPHERDS goad them forward. In the distance, the MERCEDES approaches. FLASH CUT -- NEWS FOOTAGE (STOCK) U.S. Army medics and rescue workers frantically sift through the rubble of a collapsed barracks. CNN REPORTS (V.O.) "...the single worst casualty in the history of American military --" BACK TO -- THE COAST ROAD The Mercedes barrels down the road, doing at least 80 mph. THE SATELLITE VIEW Shows that the car is fast approaching the point where the herd of sheep are about to cross the road. FLASH CUT -- NEWS FOOTAGE (STOCK) Amidst the rubble, the dead are zipped into body bags. CNN REPORTS (V.O.) "-- the truck, carrying high explosives is believed to have hit the barracks -- BACK TO -- THE COAST ROAD The driver of the Mercedes hits his horn but doesn't slow down. In addition to the driver and a bodyguard, an OLD MAN WITH A HENNAED BEARD, a turban, and sunglasses sits in back. THE SATELLITE VIEW As the Mercedes closes with the sheep: DEVEREAUX (V.O.) Slow down. BACK TO -- THE COAST ROAD As if on command, the Mercedes finally slows as the sheep move lazily across the road. FLASH CUT -- NEWS FOOTAGE (STOCK) President Clinton addresses reporters in the White House. PRESIDENT CLINTON "To any lengths, anywhere in the world, to bring these people to justice." BACK TO -- THE COAST ROAD Inside the Mercedes, they watch as the Shepherd urinates and the sheep mill about in the middle of the road. The driver rolls down his window to scream in Arabic at: THE POOR SHEPHERD Who hurries to button his fly. It is only as we look closer that we see the silenced muzzle of: COLT COMMANDO RIFLE Protruding from the sleeve of his jhallabah. And then: THE HERD OF SHEEP Fill the frame, blocking our view of the Mercedes, and for a moment, all we can HEAR is their gentle bleating. But as they clear frame, we can see that: THE MERCEDES Has been turned into an abattoir, its windshield shattered and bloody. The driver slumps over the steering wheel, the bodyguard is half out of the window. And in the distance: WITH A MAGICIAN'S ALACRITY One Shepherd pulls a BLACK HOOD over the Sheik's head while the other injects him with a HYPODERMIC. The first Shepherd activates a SATCHEL CHARGE and swings it into the Mercedes while the second straps the Sheik into a HARNESS... A BALLOON self-inflates and hurtles aloft, pulling a cable attached to the Sheik's harness. AN MC-130 COMBAT TALON AIRCRAFT Its "Whiskers" in the nose of the aircraft snag the cable without slowing and roars off, the Sheik dangling unconscious beneath -- just as the satchel charges EXPLODE the Mercedes. THE SATELLITE VIEW Records impassively for a moment, then breaks up into static. DEVEREAUX Gotcha. IN A SAFE HOUSE -- SOMETIME LATER A pale, diminished Sheik sits at a steelcase table. A STEEL COT and a STEEL TOILET. Closed-circuit cameras in the corner. Opposite him: the man, whose voice we have only heard: GENERAL WILLIAM DEVEREAUX -- and though he wears a civilian suit, his bearing betrays his pedigree. His considerable charm and habitual skepticism are as much a product of self-discipline as his close-order drill. DEVEREAUX Nobody knows you're here. Not your people. Not even my President. You'll die here alone and be buried unknown -- barring some miracle. The SHEIK speaks a few words in Arabic. DEVEREAUX -- God? GOD? (looks at him) What you eat. Whether you eat. Sleep. Pain. Absence of pain. I decide. I make the day and the night. Even the way you got here -- a hand that reached down from the sky? (looks at him) God? I am your new God. DISSOLVE TO: INT. MOSQUE - DAWN A MUEZZIN climbs a spiral staircase, enters a turret-like room, CLICKS ON a microphone and CHANTS the call to prayer. MUEZZIN Allahuh Akbar... HUNDREDS OF BELIEVERS prostrate themselves on prayer rugs. At the door, hundreds of SHOES are lined up, work boots, expensive loafers, a range of social classes represented. ON THE STREET Shopkeepers pause to kneel and pray. In Arab homes, parents and children do the same. And as we PULL BACK from: THE MINARET Of the Mosque, we DISCOVER not an Arab city, but instead the unmistakable skyline of: DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN The World Trade Ctr, Wall Street, The Federal building. IN THE FBI SITUATION ROOM Two AGENTS hurry through the bullpen. TINA OSU, 32, sharp, and FRANK HADDAD, Lebanese with an insouciant grin. TINA Brooklyn South issued a code blue less than two minutes ago. They think hostages are involved. FRANK Black-and-whites on the scene? TINA Setting up a perimeter now. FRANK Residence or business? TINA A bus. Sequence omitted from original script. THE 99 BUS -- SEEN FROM ABOVE Surrounded by a phalanx of Black-and-Whites. BACK TO -- THE SITUATION ROOM They have been joined by Anthony Hubbard, the ASAC. HUB SWAT? FRANK On the way. HUB Negotiator? TINA Rolling. HUB Bomb squad? THE 99 BUS The BOMB SQUAD approaches. We SEE terrified PASSENGERS inside. BACK TO -- HUB AND FRANK, EXITING THE FEDERAL BUILDING HUB How soon can we get there --? FRANK In this traffic, maybe tomorrow. BACK TO -- THE 99 BUS As a police TECHIE inserts a dentist's mirror through a drilled hole in the bus's door, the L.E.D. begins to BLINK and the passengers SCREAM and dive for cover. An EXPLOSION. BACK TO -- HUB AND FRANK, IN THE CAR Frank is listening to a cell phone. FRANK Oh, fuck. It just blew. BACK TO -- THE 99 BUS The doors hang off their hinges. As the PASSENGERS tumble off, we SEE they are covered in BLUE PAINT. BACK TO -- HUB AND FRANK, IN THE CAR HUB -- What?! FRANK -- That's what they're telling me. HUB -- And nobody's hurt? Frank nods. Hubs closes his eyes in gratitude. HUB Thank God. CUT TO: THE JOINT FBI/NYPD TERRORISM TASK FORCE - FEDERAL BLDG They're listening to a tape-recording, altered by a VO-CORDER: TAPED VOICE -- our first and last warning. As the MESSAGE continues, we PAN the faces: MIKE JOHANNSON, squad supervisor, and DANNY SUSSMAN, representing NYPD. TAPED VOICE We expect our demand to be met. There will be no negotiation. That is all. TINA Demand for what? You hear any demand? MIKE You sure this is all they got? SUSSMAN That's it. FRANK Maybe it's performance art. Sussman shoots him a look. Clearly Haddad enjoys pushing his buttons. Finally, Hub stands up. HUB -- Okay. Blue paint. Voice-altering technology -- FRANK -- available from The Sharper Image catalogue. SUSSMAN Last I looked they weren't offering exploding paint bombs. HUB Still, the rhetoric sounds political. Militia? TINA Not their style. HUB Frank --? FRANK Jihad isn't known for their sense of humor, and Hamas is raising so much money here, why queer their deal? TINA Anyway, isn't Green the color of Islam, not blue? FRANK -- And, excuse me, but why do we immediately assume they're Arabs? HUB I want a composite of the suspects in circulation by the end of business today. Tina, you cross-check it against the mainframe. Mike, have you got the lab analysis on the paint? MIKE Not yet... HUB -- See if any was sold in quantity the last month. Danny -- Tina's phone buzzes. She picks it up as Hub keeps going: HUB -- find out what stop these guys got on the bus, maybe there's a witness. FRANK Hub... I think we're all eager to give up our weekends on this. It just occurs to me, has anybody even committed a crime here? I mean, assault with a deadly color? Hub deals with Haddad's irreverence by ignoring it. HUB Here's what I don't like. They know explosives. They know our response time. They put in a call and walk. A young agent, FRED DARIUS, hands Hub a piece of paper: FRED Excuse me, sir. I think you should see this. Came in on the Fax. Only two words are written: "RELEASE HIM." HUB Release him? Him who? Who are we holding? TINA Marv Albert? SUSSMAN McVeigh? Sheik what's-his-name from the Trade Center. FRANK -- Omar Abdel Rahman... asshole. FRED The Hamas guy got released in April. FRANK Under protest. HUB (looks at the fax) Why be coy about it? SUSSMAN You think it's phony? TINA (covering the phone) Hub, somebody's flashing a government badge over at the warehouse where they're working on the bus. Our tech guys want to know if we're cooperating with any other agencies on this thing. Off Hub's look, we: CUT TO: AN OLD WAREHOUSE IN BROOKLYN - DUSK Hub and Haddad join AGENT FLOYD ROSE, a tall Black man. AGENT ROSE -- She's looking for wiring signatures on the device and asking for copies of any latent prints we've managed to lift. HUB -- Agency? AGENT ROSE Smells like it. Turns out she's also been talking to some of the passengers. THEY OPEN THE DOOR In the klieg lights -- THE BUS. Men in white coats dust every inch and generally behave as if investigating a crashed UFO. In their midst, a young WOMAN, midwestern pretty in a serious suit. She looks up as Hub enters. HUB Hi. WOMAN Hi, there. HUB Special Agent Anthony Hubbard. FBI. WOMAN Oh, shit, I've been trying to liaise with you all day. My name is Elise Kraft, National Security Council. She offers her hand. Hub doesn't take it yet. HUB -- And you've been trying to "liaise" with me all day? Did you think of trying the phone book, Elise? We have fourteen lines, that's not counting the unlisted ones. ELISE (still holds out hand) Hi, I'm Elise Kraft, National Security Council. Finally, he takes her hand. And doesn't let go. HUB And I'm Colin Powell. What exactly do you people want with my bus. She tries to take her hand away, but he tightens his grip. ELISE We're all on the same team here, Agent Hubbard. HUB Who exactly is "we" on this particular team, Elise? ELISE It's never the question that's indiscreet, only the answer. He smiles. She smiles back. Convinced she's charmed him. HUB Tell you what, you send me an official inter-agency request for cooperation on this and I'll give you copies of everything we come up with. Otherwise, get your ass on out of here before you contaminate my crime scene any more than you already have. ELISE There's no reason to be nasty. HUB You think this is nasty? (smiles) In case you haven't heard. The CIA has no charter to operate domestically. Which puts you in violation of federal law. ELISE Not according to the Cooperation Agreement, Special Order 12333 -- I suggest you reread the paragraph on sharing information. I happen to be well within my authority. HUB Special Order 12333 refers to domestic terrorism. You got something you want to "share" with me? (he waits... but no answer is forthcoming) Us being teammates and all? ELISE (holds up a clipboard) Unfortunately, not yet. But as soon as I do, I'll -- HUB -- get back to me, yeah, I know. (takes the clipboard from her hands) Here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna have a couple my "teammates" here escort you back to wherever you came from. And then I'm gonna go back to the office and wait for that official cooperation request. Okay by you? ELISE Swell. HUB Nice meeting you, Elise. Is that Elise with an "E" or an "A"? ELISE Nice meeting you, too, Special Agent Hubbard. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE Hub watches as Elise is led away by two AGENTS. Agent Rose stands nearby. HUB Tail her. NICE LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT In Frank Haddad's home. The Haddad's are celebrating the day FRANK JR. has finished reading the Holy Koran. FRANK JR (O.S.) (in Arabic) "In the Name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of Men, the King of Men." Frank's TEACHER offers the final benediction. Those who are Muslim cover their face with their palms. TEACHER (in Arabic) "Make me know that which I have become ignorant of; and make me recite it in the hours of the night and the day; and make it an argument for me O Thou Sustainer of all the worlds!" Ameen! ALL Ameen. Later -- The guests mingle, eat pastries and drink sweet tea. TINA ...Nice, wasn't it? HUB Very. TINA (after a moment) You ever gonna stop by, pick up your things? Nearby, Mike and Danny observe them. DANNY -- He doing her? MIKE Some detective you are. They stopped. FRED Really? I wonder if she likes white guys. DANNY I wonder if she likes bald guys. Hub, meanwhile, congratulates Frank's wife, NAJIBA. HUB You must be so proud... NAJIBA Small children, small worries. Big children -- FRANK -- big orthodontia bills. Someday, you'll understand. And then Frank notices Hub's DRIVER standing in the doorway. FRANK Where we going? HUB You're staying with your family. I'm back in the morning. CUT TO: Sequence omitted from original script. Sequence omitted from original script. (ALREADY SHOT) INT. HUB'S OFFICE - EARLY MORNING Hub is looking at surveillance photos of Elise. Frank enters. FRANK You sleep here? (Hub smiles, but doesn't look up) Immigration called. A SMALL GREEN ROOM -- AS SEEN THROUGH A TWO-WAY MIRROR Hub and Frank watch a dark-skinned MAN being questioned by a uniformed OFFICIAL. An INS Supervisor shows them a false- bottomed suitcase stuffed with money. INS OFFICIAL -- all in small bills. So we figure, smurf, right? Then I think, considering the gentleman's nationality, plus where he's been recently, we better call Frank. FRANK -- who's trying to score points with his boss, bigtime. HUB Has he broken any laws? INS OFFICIAL No, sir. He's twenty bucks under the $10,000 limit. FRANK (pulls out a $20 bill) Not anymore. IN THE ROOM The official hopes volume breaks the language barrier. UNIFORMED OFFICIAL ...so, Kahlil, you're saying this is an INHERITANCE? Somebody DIED and you're bringing them the MONEY? The dark-skinned man is trying to keep up: KAHLIL No, no... dhouri. BEHIND THE MIRROR FRANK ...He means, "dowry." HUB Check out his neck. Small puckered SCARS. The INS guy looks confused. FRANK The tabac. (mimics putting out a cigarette on his arm) Sssssss... The territories. HUB (thinks a moment) Put him in play. CUT TO: THE VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY Hub and Frank in a rental CONTOUR, tail Khalil, in a cab: HUB (on the phone) -- on the Van Wyck... No, not yet. (to Frank) -- What are we in? FRANK A '97 Contour. On my Visa. (watches Khalil) Back home, the security services'd be up this guy's ass with a poker, but what do we do, we let him go. HUB (still on the phone) ...Six teams on the ground, at least... well, pull 'em off the UN... (to Haddad) Stay back... FRANK Not my first date, Hub. (the TAXI changes lanes) He's taking the BQE. Looks like it's Brooklyn. HUB (still on the phone) I want husbands and wives, I want baby carriages, and no Brooks Brothers. FRANK You're micro-managing. HUB (still on the phone) -- And find me a judge I can work with. We want sound on this guy... damn'... I'm losing you... (raises his voice) And bring us a radio. FRANK I get reimbursed for this, right? CUT TO: ATLANTIC AVENUE - BROOKLYN The Third World. Teeming, roiling, Kinshasha meets Beirut meets Tel Aviv meets Moscow. Hand-written shop signs in Arabic and Hebrew, boom boxes throbbing out "Oum Khatoum," the latest neo-Palestinian techno-rock. KHALIL pays the taxi driver and starts off on foot. Hub's CONTOUR pulls over a safe distance behind and waits. An AGENT passes by and slips a WALKIE-TALKIE through the open window. MAN CARRYING GROCERIES Falls in behind Khalil, who ducks into a storefront, where WE CAN SEE him buying a Coca Cola and a Baby Ruth bar. IN THE CONTOUR FRANK (notes the purchase) Twelve bucks in Gaza. HUB America's the place to be if you're a terrorist. (on the walkie-talkie) Fred's hovering. Patsy, take over... A WOMAN WITH A STROLLER replaces the man carrying groceries. HUB ...Tell her to watch out for reflections. FRANK (hands him the phone) I got the Judge. HUB (on the phone) ...Good morning, Sir. How're things in the Second Circuit this morning...? ...I hear you... Listen, Judge, we're in a kind of situation here... KHALIL is on the move again. HUB (on the phone) Hold on, will ya, Judge? (into walkie-talkie) Is he talking to somebody, who's he talking to? Are we getting film? FROM A GREAT DISTANCE An AGENT with a TELEPHOTO snaps a picture of Khalil, who has paused to chat with a PALESTINIAN of patrician good-looks. HUB (covering the phone) -- Frank? FRANK Don't know him. If we were allowed to get sound on them, we'd know him. The walkie-talkie CRACKLES TO LIFE, confirming the photos. HUB (covering the radio) ...What's that? No, Judge, not yet we're not... but we have reason to believe he may be involved with -- (covers the phone again; keys the radio) Damnit Tommy! (to Frank) He's overacting! Tell him -- (back to the phone) Sorry, Judge... No... I just -- FRANK He's making him. Shit. Fuck. He's -- Khalil has a sixth sense from a lifetime on the West Bank. All of a sudden, he BREAKS INTO A RUN. HUB (keys radio) Go, go, go!!! All units -- He slams the car into gear and PEELS OUT into traffic. SIX SURVEILLANCE TEAMS In various guises, break cover and SPRINT after Khalil, who shifts into overdrive. Cars SCREECH to avoid flattening him. Hub's CONTOUR pulls into traffic and finds his way blocked by a narrow passage between double-parked cars. He goes for it, SCRAPING his way between them. FRANK Christ! HUB (on the phone) Judge, I'm gonna have to call you back... KHALIL SPRINTS Into an open-air MARKET, KNOCKING DOWN veiled WOMEN with bags of fruit and vegetables. He VAULTS over stalls. The CONTOUR scrapes PARKED CARS as it swerves into an alley, desperately trying to cut off Khalil's escape route. FRANK Shit --! I didn't take the insurance. A SOCCER BALL bounces into Hub's peripheral vision, followed by TWO BOYS. HUB SLAMS THE CONTOUR INTO THE WALL To avoid killing the two boys. Hub gets out of the car and continues the pursuit on foot. He's gaining on Khalil, when: A VAN Bears down on Khalil, its doors sliding open as TWO PAIRS OF HANDS reach out and ANOTHER MAN appears out of nowhere and BODYCHECKS Khalil into the van and jumps in after him. HUB What the --? The van BURNS RUBBER and DISAPPEARS into traffic. MINUTES LATER -- An impromptu huddle in the alley. AGENTS gather in a circle as RADIOS SQUELCH and HELICOPTERS circle above. FRED They just found the van. Doesn't look like they're gonna find any prints. The Agent who took the pictures pulls a color xerox-type PHOTO from a digital printer in his car. Hub looks at the picture of Khalil and the good-looking Palestinian. HUB Run him down, bring him in. Fred hands a cell phone to Hub. FRED Floyd Rose. HUB Go, Floyd. As he listens, the first trace of a smile graces Hub's face. CUT TO: AN ORDINARY HOUSE In an ordinary neighborhood. Hub sits in an UNMARKED CAR. Agent Rose climbs into the front seat. AGENT ROSE I've got two in the Plymouth, at least three inside, and see that guy walking his dog...? He did his business about an hour ago and they're still walking. IN ANOTHER CAR -- DANNY I had a dog like that once. FRANK It's not his dog, numbnuts. They're spies. DANNY The dog works for the CIA? Their radio CRACKLES to life. It's Hub. HUB (V.O.) (over the radio) All units report in turn. We HEAR "Unit 1 is good to go," "Unit 2, we're ready to rock." HUB Let's roll. THE MAN WALKING THE DOG Is suddenly double-teamed by TWO AGENTS. AGENT - MIKE Federal Agents. Hands behind your back -- A third AGENT throws his jacket over the dog. TWO UNMARKED CARS Fishtail across the quiet street, boxing in the Plymouth as an AGENT from the sidewalk thrusts a 12-gauge Remington Pump in through the driver's window. AGENT - FRED -- Keep 'em where we can see 'em, thank you very much. THE DOOR TO THE HOUSE Is BLOWN-IN by a specially-designed SHOTGUN. Two MEN, eating take-out are surprised by Frank and Tina, their guns drawn. FRANK Hi, guys, I expect you know the drill. Hub continues warily from one empty room to the next. A stairway leads downstairs. As Hub starts cautiously down, muted VOICES can be heard. Reaching the bottom, he sees: KHALIL Sitting in a chair. Behind him stands one of FREELANCERS from the warehouse. And opposite him, in a barca-lounger: ELISE KRAFT -- Somehow amidst the normalcy of the furnished basement is a palpable feeling of menace. As Hub shows himself, one of the Freelancers points a Glock .9 at his head. Hub just stares him down. ELISE Ralph, spare us. The freelancer lowers the gun. Hub looks at Khalil, whose face is badly bruised. ELISE I never touched him. HUB Really? I'm taking him into custody just the same. ELISE What are you going to charge him with? Jaywalking? (Hub stares at her) I don't suppose we could just have a little chat with him here first? HUB Not in this lifetime. ELISE You know, Hub... may I call you Hub? If you guys hadn't blown the surveillance, we'd have been able to follow the money. What do you think, Khalil, you would have led us right to your friends, wouldn't you? Khalil averts his eyes from any contact with her. HUB What friends --? What have you got for me, Elise?... Enlighten me. (she stonewalls) Tell me now or tell me downtown. Still nothing. Hub calls out to his agents. HUB Get this guy out of here and book him. As the other agents approach Khalil: ELISE One phone call and he's mine again. You know the number. I have -- HUB You have "the right to remain silent," you have "the right to an attorney. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law -- " ELISE (overlapping him) Oh, come on... Do you have any idea what you're starting here, the kind of shitstorm you're about to -- HUB (overiding her) -- Kidnapping. Obstruction of Justice. Assault. As he heads out of the room, he says to a waiting Agent. HUB Cuff her. CUT TO: HUB'S UNMARKED CAR Elise sits, handcuffed, alone in the back seat. Up front, Frank is driving with Hub beside him. FRANK So, Elise... You okay back there, you don't get carsick or anything? Those handcuffs too tight --? ELISE Shouf mountains, right? Shiite or Sunni? FRANK Wow. You're really good. (to Hub) She's really good. HUB You ready to tell us what's going on here, Elise --? Was the paintbomb a warning? ELISE (to Haddad) American University of Beirut? I was there from '79 to 82. FRANK (a look to Hub) No shit? ELISE My father taught Economics. Henry Kraft? HUB Is there a terrorist cell operating in this city that we are unaware of? ELISE (ignoring him; to Haddad) Such a tragedy. Growing up in that city was... paradise. Like an exotic Paris, wasn't it, Frank --? HUB You ever been in Rikers, Elise? You know what happens in there? Elise looks at him, utterly unfazed by the threat. ELISE ...Yum. Frank's BEEPER goes off. As they look at one another, we: CUT TO: ABOUT A MILLION COP CARS Red lights flashing, have sealed off a Brooklyn Street. On the rooftops SWAT teams are already deploying. SHARPSHOOTERS politely insinuate themselves into the surrounding family APARTMENTS and take up firing POSITIONS. THE 87 BUS Stands alone in the middle of the street. Through a Marksman's SCOPE we SEE the terrified passengers forced to stand, catch glimpses of the TERRORISTS, obscured by the hostages. Hub confers with the NYPD officer-in-charge. NYPD OFFICER -- definitely Arab-types, only this time they're still in there... HUB Any communication at all? NYPD OFFICER Nope. It's weird they're just in there. HUB Get the frequency of the driver's radio and patch it through to this number. We need two lines. Frank, get a negotiator out here. NYPD OFFICER #2 Sir, they've got kids in there. We count six. This rocks Hub for a moment but he covers it well. HUB That gives us something to work with. BACK AT THE CAR Elise leans forward as Hub opens the driver's door. ELISE What's happening out there... Hub takes off his jacket, folds it carefully on the seat. ELISE They've taken another bus, haven't they? Talk to me... HUB Oh, now you want to talk. You want to be my friend, is that it? ELISE Listen, these guys are the real deal. HUB How do you know? She just looks at him. HUB Is there a terrorist cell operating in Brooklyn? ELISE (a long moment) Yes. HUB Was the blue paint a warning? ELISE Yes. And I'm afraid this time they'll blow the bus. HUB If they wanted to blow the bus then why haven't they blown the bus --? ELISE I... don't know. He starts away. ELISE Agent Hubbard. Please. Maybe I can help. A COMMAND POST Has been hastily improvised behind a SWAT van. FRANK The driver's name is Larry Kaiser. He says they've got explosives strapped to their chests, they got automatic weapons, and they're speaking Arabic. HUB Where the hell's the negotiator? FRANK Tunnel's got twenty minute delays and they're working on both bridges. HUB (to the cop) What else did he say about the device? Did he describe it at all? Anything about a button, or a cord, or... THE FIRST ENG TRUCK Pulls up and raises its satellite dish. ELISE (almost involuntary) Oh, God. Frank turns to look at her. She is suddenly pale. ELISE (as it dawns on her) ...They're not here to negotiate. FRANK Meaning? ELISE They were waiting for the cameras. Hub is deep in conversation with the cops. Frank interrupts. FRANK -- Hub... Hub looks up. Frank nods for Elise to repeat what she said. ELISE They're want the newsies here. They want everybody watching. Hub and Frank look at each other. Can this be true? ELISE You've got the shooters in place? FRANK -- So? ELISE Use 'em. HUB What? ELISE Kill 'em now. They just look at her. ELISE It's lose-lose any way you play it... Do you want to lose little or lose big? The NYPD officer has been listening: NYPD OFFICER I got the marksmen on the com -- They're looking for a clean shot. As the Policeman waits for a response on his radio, two more NEWS VANS pull up. The MEDIA CIRCUS has come to town: reporters breathlessly offer their live, on-the-scene reports. Hub and Elise stare at one another. NYPD OFFICER Shooter says they've got the passengers all standing in the aisles. He says, no go. Hub can see the dread in Elise's eyes. As the seconds tick away, TWO NEWS HELICOPTER jockey for position above. HUB (to the cops) We have rules of engagement we're gonna follow here, folks, so put the safeties back on your weapons. (looks at Elise) Nobody's killing anybody until we see what's what. He grabs the phone. HUB (on the phone) Larry, this is Agent Hubbard of the FBI, I'll be negotiating our way out of this. Let me talk to one of them... I know... I know. You just hang in there, Larry... No, don't worry, I've got somebody here who can translate. He looks over at Frank, who's listening on another cell. HUB (on the phone) Sir, -- My name is Anthony Hubbard. I don't have any authority to make deals, or respond to demands. I just want to find out if you need anything in there? If any of the passengers are in need of medical attention? He waits as Frank translates. Hub covers the mouthpiece. HUB -- Frank? FRANK I don't know if they understand. HUB (on the phone) Sir, is there anything you want to say to me? That I can tell my people here? FRANK The guy's just breathing into the phone, maybe they're not even Arabs. HUB (on the phone) I get the feeling you don't want to talk, but will you listen --? ...Whatever grievance you have, whatever quarrel -- surely it doesn't involve these children -- Still no response. HUB (on the phone) So I'm gonna ask you to... please... let... the... children go. No response -- then suddenly, the bus doors HISS OPEN And six bewildered, ashen-faced CHILDREN step out before the doors HISS closed behind them. As Hub and a couple of the cops hurry out from behind the barricades to help the children cross the NO-MAN'S LAND to safety, a smattering of APPLAUSE breaks out among the cops. Elise tries to hold back tears. FRANK Okay, here we go... HUB (on the phone) Thank you, sir. I appreciate that gesture, I really do. The best way to get what you want in these situations is to show yourself to be reasonable. As you've just done. (Haddad translates) Now we've got some more to talk about... Elise watches as the news cameras zoom in. HUB (on the phone) I am unarmed, as you can see. So I propose... You let the rest of the passengers go, and I take their place... That way, there's no pizza deliveries or bathroom breaks to worry about -- and all these -- (indicates SWAT teams) -- people... will disappear. Frank shakes his head, don't do this. Hub's look says translate it. Frank does it. They all wait. HUB (on the phone) I'm gonna take your silence to mean you're considering my offer -- Elise looks at Frank, she can't help but admire his bravery. HUB How about we just start with a few of the elderly people you got on there. It's got to be hard for the older folks to be standing all this time. Hub looks back at Frank. Still no response. AND THEN THE BUS DOORS HISS OPEN AGAIN. A few elderly PASSENGERS start down the steps. HUB (on the phone) Thank you, sir. Now let's just let these -- THE EXPLOSION OF THE BUS Hurls Hub backwards as: ALL SOUND FADES OUT To be replaced by a high-end, almost electronic WHITE NOISE. SHRAPNEL Imbeds itself into car doors, bus benches, doorways as every WINDOW in a three-block radius is SHATTERED... RED BLOOD Replaces blue paint in a horrific shower. HUB Fights for consciousness. AGENTS Rush to his side to see if he is alright -- but WE CANNOT HEAR them. Though their mouths move it is only the WHITE NOISE that overwhelms us -- as we realize that Hub has been momentarily DEAFENED by the blast. When at last Hub manages to speak, his words are MUFFLED and INDISTINCT -- as if the playback heads of a tape recorder needed to be cleaned. HUB I'm... alright. I'm -- Frank Haddad bends down close and we can lip-read him saying, "Just hang in there, buddy. . ." HUB -- okay... Just let me -- And then he leans over to VOMIT in the street. THE SOUND OF SIRENS Slowly bleeds in through the white noise -- mercifully for us, and for Hub, who wipes his mouth and looks up, realizing that his HEARING is coming back. He reaches for Frank's outstretched hand and stands, albeit woozily. HUB Is anybody -- But the look in Frank's eyes says it all. THE DEVASTATION Is numbing. IMAGES we associate with other countries. And then he sees Elise. Her face is cut and bleeding, but as their eyes meet, her look is one of absolute compassion. HARD CUT TO: MORE THAN A HUNDRED AGENTS Crowded into the now-overflowing BULLPEN. In absolute denial of his physical condition, Hub paces like a caged animal. HUB -- every trap, every hole. I want to rumble every mosque, every community center, every student organization that's ever said an unkind word. I want the heat turned up under all our assets, all our informers, every snitch gets twisted inside out. And put some money out on the street -- Arab community hates these people as much as we do. They'll help. (turns to Mike) Have you got positive ID on -- MIKE Hub, we don't have positive ID on anybody. HUB We need more hands. Fred -- FRED I'm on it. He picks up a phone and begins requesting Agent transfers. HUB I want to talk to Khalil. TINA He's down the hall. Now she picks up a phone and adds to the cacophony. HUB -- Conferences with DC at 9:00, 12:00, 4:00 and 9:00. Call your families, find a sleeping bag, nobody leaves this office until we have a strand to pull. Oklahoma City, people. The first twenty-four hours are the only twenty-four hours.. And I don't want to see anybody walking. TEN MINUTES LATER - OUTSIDE A HOLDING CELL Hub and Frank watch Khalil through a VIDEO MONITOR. The bruises on Khalil's face have deepened. HUB Doctor seen him? TINA He's on his way up. HUB Got a cigarette --? TINA You don't smoke. Hub pockets the pack of cigarettes and walks into: THE CELL Frank hangs back in the doorway. Hub pulls up a chair, turns it backwards, and sits down very close to Khalil. HUB Ten thousand dollars. Frank translates. Khalil pretends not to understand. HUB Khalil. I want to talk about the money. Again Frank translates. And again, Khalil looks blank. HUB Okay... Hub reaches into his pocket and casually takes out the pack of cigarettes. Khalil's eyes widen. Hub smiles at him. At the SOUND of the match lighting, SWEAT begins to bead on Khalil's forehead. Hub takes his time LIGHTING the cigarette -- drawing deep so the tip turns bright red. Khalil unconsciously RECOILS in his chair. HUB (to Frank, re: Khalil) Doesn't like second hand smoke. Hub turns back to Khalil, casually gesturing with his cigarette. Khalil almost jumps out of his skin. HUB You ready to talk about money? Frank hasn't even begun to translate before Khalil begins SPEED-RAPPING in Arabic. FRANK (translating) ...He says he loves America and only wanted to get away from the security services at home. Tears stream down Khalil's face. He kneels at Hub's feet. FRANK (still translating) ...He says he's sorry but he didn't know he was doing something bad. His cousin introduced him to a man who promised him two hundred dollars for his dowry if he'd bring the suitcase to an address in Brooklyn. (to Hub) He's a cut-out. OUTSIDE THE ROOM -- LATER Hub hands Tina back the pack of cigarettes. HUB Nasty habit. (to Danny) 3830 Flatbush Avenue. FLASH CUT -- A SWAT TEAM Bursts into an empty apartment. On the floor, a fax machine continuously sending the message: "RELEASE HIM." BACK TO -- HUB HUB We want every rental agreement from every landlord in Brooklyn. Hotels, motels, flophouses... (to the other agents) It's cash, guys. They're the only ones in America using cash. TWO HOURS LATER -- The room is dark. A TECHNICIAN operates an overhead PROJECTOR. TECHNICIAN This is a spectograph of the semtex used in the bomb. Look at the benzene spike. This is the genuine article. (another slide) Now... this one's from the barracks in Dhahran. As you can see, the signature is identical. TWO HOURS LATER -- A COMPUTER TECHIE (WHITNEY) is cross-referencing data. DIGITAL PICTURES of suspected terrorists scroll past. A surveillance PHOTO of Ahmed bin Talal. The ruined army barracks. HUB -- ask it if they've ever hit buses? The techie types in a few commands: IMAGES of destroyed BUSES file past. Tel Aviv. Jerusalem. Beirut. None a match. WHITNEY -- not according to the mainframe. TWO HOURS LATER -- The BOMB SCENE now resembles an archeological dig. Floodlights on stanchions. Forensic EXPERTS, on their hands and knees, use BLACK LIGHT and brushes to search for latent prints. Different color STRING divides the site into a grid. HUB -- with a Q-tip. Bone shards, hair, fingernails -- Nearby, Danny and Mike observe Hub's intensity. DANNY -- He's way over his head. FRANK Shut the fuck up and go give somebody a parking ticket. TWO HOURS LATER -- In THE LAB. A FINGERPRINT EXPERT sifts through a plastic bag of fingertips and teeth. Scans each into a computer. FINGERPRINT EXPERT Not yet. Sequence omitted from original script. TWO HOURS LATER -- Hub is STARING AT THE TV SETS which are all REPLAYING the terrible incident, over and over again. TV SOUND BITE "-- Today; Tel Aviv has come to Brooklyn. The question... is why." Finally, he turns away so no one will see. His eyes are hot with the emotion. WHITNEY You okay? The Fingerprint techie races in, sparing Hub a response. FINGERPRINT EXPERT Got one! TWO HOURS LATER -- Hub and Tina address twenty agents. HUB Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the late Ali Waziri. He projects a PHOTO of the dead Terrorist onto the wall. HUB Tina talked to the Israelis and traced this sucker to a group operating out of Ramallah. That's the West Bank, not the West Side for those of you just joining us from Nebraska. A few appreciative CHUCKLES. They're all exhausted. This is the first good news in a bitch of a day. TINA Okay, we've pulled his landing card and his I-94. So now we know he came in three days ago, out of Frankfurt -- She points to where: A TIME-LINE has been created out of colored strips beneath a bank of silent TV monitors. TINA What we need now is to fill in the time between his arrival and the incident. All known associations, and most of all, we need an address. TWO HOURS LATER -- The TIME-LINE is progressing. PHONE TECHNICIANS add tie-lines, dedicated fax lines, wats lines and scrambled lines. Cable everywhere. Danny and Frank pore over Ali Waziri's I-94. FRANK IAP66. What's IAP66? DANNY Hold on, hold on, I'm looking it up -- FRANK -- Today, Danny... DANNY Wait, wait -- Here we go. Student Visa, J-1. Hub has been pacing, nearby. HUB Where's the original --? DANNY In his passport. FRANK Which is... vaporized. HUB Where's the copy? FRANK At the point of issuance. Could be the American Consulate in Tel Aviv. The American Consulate in Amman, Cairo, Alexandria, Riyadh -- all an easy drive from the West Bank -- Hub suddenly had to fight off a wave of nausea and dizziness. HUB What time is it --? DANNY Three-fifteen. P.M. (off Hub's blank look) When's the last time you ate? Fred Darius, the young agent, appears. FRED Sir. They want you in the lab. THROUGH A POWERFUL ELECTRON MICROSCOPE Hub peers through the eyepiece at a MAGNIFIED STRAND of fiber. FIBER EXPERT (V.O.) Pure, unadulterated, Egyptian cotton. FRED You're saying they're Egyptian? FIBER EXPERT No. No... I'm just saying -- See... HUB -- It's what they use for funerals. The guy was wearing a shroud. He looks at Frank. It's just as Elise said. The real deal. HUB Let's see if she's ready to talk. A HOLDING CELL Elise sits quietly with the stillness of those who have been there before. Hub enters. HUB I thought one phone call and you were out of here. ELISE I didn't make the call. HUB Why not? She just looks at him, entirely neutral. ELISE Are you alright --? HUB Just some tinnitus in my left ear -- They look across the professional chasm that divides them. HUB I need to know what I don't know. ELISE Life's too short. But there's a hint of some thawing in her tone. HUB You hungry? ELISE We ordering in --? CUT TO: Sequence omitted from original script. IN A DOWNTOWN DELI Hub and Elise sit, eating corned beef sandwiches. ELISE -- The funeral shroud is the final step in the ritual of self- purification. First a fast, then -- HUB -- the washing of the body, then the shroud. I saw it on Sixty Minutes. Tell me something I don't know. She pauses, always gauging how much to reveal. And when. ELISE ...Last March in Iraq, we identified the man we believe responsible for bombing the army barracks last year. In August, he went to Lebanon. Where he was... extracted. HUB Extracted? Extracted by whom? (she just looks at him) I see. ELISE His name is Sheik Ahmed bin Talal. He's Iraqi. And something of a religious leader. HUB With something of a devoted following? (she nods) ...Okay, I can understand why we might not want to publicize the fact that our government's in the kidnapping business, but why not tell us? ELISE He's still being... debriefed. They're not ready to go public with charges. HUB What else you got on his followers. ELISE Clearly, they're committed. HUB Meaning? ELISE In this game, the most committed wins. HUB So they'll just keep coming until we release him. ELISE Unless we match their commitment with our own. HUB What about talking to this sheik? ELISE You don't think they've got guys talking to the sheik? Except the sheik isn't talking. HUB So who's giving the orders? How do they coordinate, pick their targets? ELISE Believe me, we've put every resource we've got onto that very question. (puts down her fork) Otherwise... we wait. HUB We wait. She looks at him. For one brief moment the mask drops away. ELISE If there's anybody on earth who knows how you feel, it's me. But you've got to let it go. Those people were dead the minute they got on the bus. Frank Haddad appears, making his way toward their table. FRANK Sorry, boss. Hello, Elise. Mmmm, is that pastrami? (tastes it; then with his mouth full) Oh, yeah, we made the guy in the picture. Sequence omitted from original script. CUT TO: A CAFE Where Students sit inside and SMOKE, then SMOKE some more. FRANK (V.O.) My people. The last of the unambivalent smokers. (shakes his head) Monsters. The toughest motherfucker in Bed-Stuy is a muffin compared to some of these guys. They watch as SAMIR gets his bill from the waiter. FRANK His name's Samir Nazhde. Teaches Arab Studies at Brooklyn College. He sponsored Ail Waziri's student visa. And dig this -- his brother blew up a movie theatre in Tel Aviv. ELISE You might consider leaving him alone. HUB Why would I consider doing that --? In the cafe, Samir counts cash to leave on the table. ELISE Play him like a cop and haul him in now and get your arrest, or tag him and let him lead you to the really big fish. FRANK (an arabic curse) You're fishing and he's getting visas for bombers. ELISE You ever heard of catch and release? FRANK Yes, and he's on the next plane for Tunis. Hub looks at Elise. Samir is leaving -- it's now or never. HUB Take him down. FRANK (keys his radio) Go. THREE AGENTS brace Samir politely but firmly, and lead him to their car. Samir slides into the back seat next to Elise. In the REARVIEW MIRROR, Hub watches as a look seems to pass between them. Then again, it may not have happened. FRANK Samir Nazhde, my name is Frank Haddad, I'm a Federal Agent. We have reason to believe you are an accessory to the bombing of Bus 87. SAMIR Are you crazy --? FRANK You are an associate of Ali Waziri. SAMIR Who? I know no one by that name. Elise is looking out the window, seemingly oblivious. FRANK You got him a student visa. SAMIR I sign these applications as a matter of course, hundreds of them. Everyone wants to come to the land of opportunity and Baywatch. Elise tries to keep a smile off her face. Hub clocks this. FRANK You spent two years in Israeli jails during the Intifada. SAMIR The only ones who didn't were women like you. Frank BACKHANDS him across the mouth. Samir says something in Arabic to Frank, who responds in kind. HUB Frank -- FRANK Sorry. Family matter. (to Samir) You're going downtown, my friend. SAMIR You cannot hold me. I know my rights. I watch American television. FRANK Defrauding the INS is a Federal Offense. (hands Samir to waiting agents) Reservation for one, please. CUT TO: CTF HEADQUARTERS - LATER They enter the BULLPEN. It's well past midnight. People are sacked-out in sleeping bags while others continue working. ELISE Club Fed. Frank leans over Danny Sussman, who has fallen asleep, face down on his desk, and sings in a lovely brogue: FRANK (singing) "Oh, Danny-boy, the perps, the perps, are call-ing... (as he awakens) We need a search warrant on Samir... HUB Frank, c'mere a sec. I want to show you something. He leads Frank into another CUBICLE. Perched on nearby desk, Elise is dialing a phone, she stops to watch them: HUB (quietly) Frank, you ever hit a prisoner again I'll have your badge. FRANK -- Someday I will tell you what those people did to my village in '71. Hub waits for him to calm down. HUB (touches his arm) Okay. But right now, act as if I'm capable of saying something funny... Now, let's go see about that warrant. As they walk back, Hub says to Danny: HUB Find me a Judge who'll play ball this time. And set up a polygraph for Samir. ELISE I still don't understand why we're tipping our hand with him -- FRANK What's there to tip? HUB You're just trying to protect your asset. (to Elise, pointedly:) Aren't you, Elise --? He's your Joe, your asset. He's working for you, you're his case officer -- right? How should she respond? How thin should she slice it? ELISE ...Sometimes... in addition to being a nationality, being a Palestinian is also a... profession. A lucrative one. HUB Meaning, he's your Joe. ELISE Mine. Yours. The Israelis. The Saudis. At one time or another, everybody in the Middle East has slept with everybody else. FRANK So you're saying... you sleep around? ELISE Only professionally. HUB So we share him. ELISE No. HUB (to Frank) -- Call INS, find out his status and start deportation proceedings. ELISE I can't let you do that. HUB Oh, you can't let me do that. What precisely is your involvement with these people. ELISE (sighs, then:) Samir's been a very important... project of mine for some time... I'm the only one he'll deal with. He's very well-connected -- and extremely high-strung. HUB ...Call the judge. ELISE (looks at Frank) How easy is it to get inside, Frank? How good are your sources in the mosques? How many people you got in Hamas --? Franks shakes his head, ruefully. She's right. ELISE No surveillance. I've seen your deft touch. HUB Daily reports. We tap his phone. ELISE And I get to see the transcripts. HUB Fair enough. ELISE And I run him. HUB We share him. ELISE He can't know we're talking. HUB Then don't tell him. ELISE Done. HUB (to Frank) Let him fly. (back to her) But we better start seeing product. She nods. A deal. For now. HUB Any more surprises for me? ELISE Not tonight. HUB Then I'm going home to get some things. FRANK I'll have somebody drive you. HUB I'll grab a cab. And he's gone. Frank turns to Elise: FRANK Elise. I'm really high strung, too. She just smiles and walks away. OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL BUILDING -- MOMENTS LATER Not many people around. Hub stands on the corner. A TAXI cruises up. On duty. Available. He slows long enough to see that Hub is black and passes right by. AT A RED LIGHT The taxi driver stops just long enough for Hub to slam his SHIELD on the windshield. IN THE TAXI Hub sits in back, hurtling into the night. The driver's ID identifies him as ABDUL HASSAM. Hub shakes his head. IN THE SHOWER As the hot SPRAY hits him, he runs his hands through his hair and feels the BITS OF SHATTERED GLASS. Dried blood runs off in rivulets from his hands. Not his own. He leans against the shower wall, closes his eyes. CUT TO: ELISE -- BRUTALLY SLAPPED ACROSS THE FACE We are in her apartment. Samir looms over her. SAMIR You let him HIT ME --!! You cannot care about me and let such things happen! ELISE Next time don't be such a smart ass -- SAMIR Sometimes I hate you just because you are so American. It makes me want to hurt you. I think about fucking you and hurting you. Elise can taste the blood in her mouth -- but it's the price she's come to accept. In a heartbeat, it's all business. ELISE -- You want to fuck me? Then work with me. SAMIR Don't tell me what I have to do. ELISE No? Do we really want to have this conversation again? Do we --? Something quietly ominous in her tone. He lowers his eyes. And like a sailboat, Elise changes tack. Strokes his arm. ELISE I need you to help me. I need you to be strong. As you have always been strong. For both of us. -- Samir? Look at me... BACK TO HUB -- WHO AWAKENS IN THE DARKNESS He's fallen asleep in a chair. In his lap is a pile of visa applications. His BEEPER goes off. He rouses himself. BACK TO ELISE -- ROUGHLY TURNED OVER IN BED BY SAMIR Sex without any shred of tenderness. As Samir kisses the back of her neck, we SEE in her eyes the thousand-yard stare. BACK TO HUB -- ON THE STREET In the doorway of an apartment building, Frank hands Hub a styrofoam cup of coffee. It's a ritual between them. BACK TO ELISE -- LYING IN BED AS SAMIR SMOKES SAMIR -- Some people just cannot live in the camps. For my brother, it was already like dying. The only thing he lives for is movies. He sits up in bed, reaching for another cigarette. SAMIR -- And then some sheik tells him that, to die for Allah is beautiful. If he does this thing, our parents will be taken care of, and he will live on in Paradise with seventy virgins. Seventy. (sighs) And my brother, he needs to believe it very much, so he straps ten sticks of dynamite to his chest and goes to the movies... (a rueful laugh) And I become a VIP. It is very confusing. ELISE -- So who are you afraid of betraying? You know these people. They bomb, they maim. Do they represent the Palestine you want to build? (looks at him) They're using you. SAMIR You are using me, too! Everybody uses the Palestinians! We are the whores of the Middle East! (looks at her) You make reports about our little talks --? What about fucking me? ELISE I had to get special permission for that. As he stands up, naked, and goes to the window, we SEE: THE SAME IMAGE Seen again, FROM MUCH FARTHER AWAY by Hub who stands on a ROOFTOP across the way, watching through 10×50 BINOCULARS. Frank stands beside him. FRANK Beats cable. Sequence omitted from original script. Sequence omitted from original script. Sequence omitted from original script. Sequence omitted from original script. THE FEDERAL BUILDING -- NEXT MORNING Hub heads for his office, his SECRETARY nods inside. Someone is waiting. It's Devereaux, in a civilian suit. DEVEREAUX Hi. I understand they call you Hub. HUB I know who you are, General. DEVEREAUX (offering his hand) Bill Devereaux. HUB I served in the -- DEVEREAUX 82nd Airborne, I know. Same time I was running the -- HUB -- 173rd. Put me through school. DEVEREAUX God. Duty. Honor. Country. Where on Capitol Hill, Wall Street, or Hollywood would you find one man who's even paused over one of those words in the last ten years? Hub is unsure why he's audience to such a command performance. HUB What, uh, brings you here, General?... Can I get you some coffee? DEVEREAUX You want me to get to the point. The President's concerned. He's worried that -- have you met him by any chance? HUB No, sir, I haven't. I know -- reading the papers -- terrorism's a real concern for him. And your job is to -- DEVEREAUX -- With all the affection for the man I can tell you he doesn't know fuckall about terrorism, or the Mideast, that I don't put on his cue cards. What he's expert in is his own survival. You get my meaning? HUB I didn't guess you came all this way for a cup of coffee. DEVEREAUX Agent Hubbard -- you look like you think I'm here to take your baby away! HUB With all respect for your expertise, sir. We're on track here. DEVEREAUX Which is what I said to the President -- the Army is not some big green police department. Stick with the man on the ground. HUB I appreciate your support. DEVEREAUX You're sure you're not chasing your own tail, though? Hub considers for a moment, then: HUB What do you know about Sheik Ahmed Bin Talal? DEVEREAUX Old news. HUB Maybe not. We've received two communications -- from the bombers to "Release Him." DEVEREAUX We can't release him. HUB I know our stated policy is not to negotiate with terrorists, but -- DEVEREAUX Hub, we can't release him because we don't have him. We never had him. And besides that, he's dead. HUB The CIA says -- DEVEREAUX The CIA? The CIA couldn't predict the fall of the Berlin Wall until bricks were hitting them in the head. (resuming) The Libyans snatched the Sheik -- some sectarian Muslim thing -- I'll explain it next time you have a free week. They killed him. Qaddafi put out disinformation that it was us... Who was your source on this? HUB Elise Kraft. DEVEREAUX ...A woman will never know the Middle East. You're talking about a culture that keeps its women slipcovered. Elise Kraft can't tell a Sheik from the prophylactic of the same name. HUB I appreciate the heads up. Devereaux rises, offers his hand. As they shake, Elise sticks her head in the door without knocking. ELISE Hub, we've got Judge Frankel in -- (as Devereaux turns around) Oh. Hello, General. DEVEREAUX Please, don't let me -- ELISE (to Hub) Sorry. That tip on the landlord looks solid. The judge will see us right away. DEVEREAUX Sounds like I should get out of your way. We're there if you need us. (at the door; to Elise) Your father well, Elise? ELISE As can be expected. How's Maggie? DEVEREAUX Top of her game. (heads out) Well, go get 'em. And he's gone. Elise turns to Hub. ELISE Making new friends. HUB How's your lip --? She looks at Hub -- and now she knows that he knows. She brazens it out: ELISE So... you like to watch --? HUB No. Just learning about commitment. ELISE It's a full contact sport. CUT TO: JUDGE'S CHAMBERS -- DOWNTOWN Judge Frankel, 60, puts down his sandwich and wipes his hands. JUDGE FRANKEL -- You're telling me that just because some Brooklyn landlord tips you off that he's been paid in cash, you have the right to call in the cavalry -- ! Hub, as far as I know, paying cash is not yet a crime in this country. HUB You're not hearing me. This Khalil was carrying cash for -- JUDGE FRANKEL -- You've observed him giving cash to -- HUB ... No, but -- JUDGE FRANKEL -- But you have hard evidence linking this apartment to the people that blew up bus 87 --? Elise sits quietly beside Frank, observing Hub's trials. HUB I know we'll turn up trace elements of semtex, chemicals... something. JUDGE FRANKEL And when you do, you'll get your warrant. HUB What about as a feasibility study? JUDGE FRANKEL Meaning? HUB We enter first, take a look, then fill out the warrant. JUDGE FRANKEL Tell me the difference between that and breaking-and-entering? HUB We're the good guys. JUDGE FRANKEL Not good enough. HUB What is good enough, Judge? Another bus? A school, maybe. These things come in waves. JUDGE FRANKEL Waves mean nothing to me; there's been a wave of violent crime committed by black people in this city for the past twenty years, but if you came to me with a plan to put all black people behind bars as a preventative measure I'd send you packing. There's a price to be paid for living in a free society -- HUB -- and not in cash I guarantee it. Hub catches Elise's eye -- "we're out of here." THE STAIRCASE OF A TENEMENT Elise and Hub climb seemingly endless FLIGHTS OF STAIRS. ELISE -- Not two Judges from now, not two HOURS from now, not two MINUTES from now. These guys could split any SECOND and you've lost your best shot at -- HUB Frank's working another warrant -- ELISE You don't understand, they're pros! From the age of twelve they've been dodging people like you, people better than you. HUB You mean people like you? ELISE -- no matter how sparkling your record is, no matter how terrified you are to fail -- Finally he stops, turns on her: HUB It's... against... the... law. ELISE -- Just because you went to night school, or filled out the back of a matchbook or whatever you did to get a law degree doesn't make you Sir Thomas More. HUB Just because you talk the talk doesn't make you an expert. And just because you read my file doesn't make you an expert on me. ELISE You're gonna lose them and they're gonna do another horrible -- HUB -- You think I want to lose them. Where do you get off talking that shit. (controls himself...) If I don't take 'em down properly they'll be on the street two hours from now. I could find dynamite, semtex, plutonium and a book of matches in there and unless I've got the right warrant it's all inadmissible ELISE They've also got a warrant. A warrant from God. They're ready to die! And your quaint laws don't mean shit to these people. HUB My quaint laws? Last I checked you were an American citizen. And these happen to be the only laws we got. (turns on her) Look, I'm just a cop, okay, and I'm real sorry the cold war's over, and you Masters of the Universe got nothing going on over there in Afghanistan or Iraq or wherever -- but you're just not in the Middle East anymore... ELISE Oh, really...? They reach the top of the stairs where Frank is waiting. He dangles a piece of paper -- the warrant -- and grins. IN THE SAME SQUALID APARTMENT BUILDING -- LATER Hub looks through the surveillance equipment focused on an apartment across the street -- paper shades drawn. Wearing a set of HEADPHONES, Elise listens intently to the Arabic conversation. ELISE They're discussing how hard it is to find a decent cup of coffee over here. (hands headset to Frank) I make out three voices. What do you have on the infrared? FRANK Three sounds right. If we had microwave we'd know for sure. The CIA's got microwave, how come we don't have microwave. Hub, meanwhile is question a Syrian Landlord. LANDLORD -- three of them. All day long they watch tv. And eat pizza. Nothing but pizza, pizza, pizza... Hub looks over at Frank. They've got a way in. CUT TO: Sequence omitted from original script. Sequence omitted from original script. DARK HALLWAY -- DAY Mike Johannson, carrying two PIZZAS, knocks on a door. IN THE SHADOWS BELOW Hub, Frank, and a small army of AGENTS lock and load. A YOUNG ARAB Opens the door to the length of a chain and hands Mike a twenty-dollar bill. MIKE You want change, right --? YOUNG ARAB No. MIKE You gonna open the door, or what --? The Arab motions, leave them on the ground. MIKE Jesus, didn't ya hear crime's down seven-percent... Muttering, he sets the pizza down and heads downstairs. After a moment we HEAR the chain pulled and the door open. IN THE APARTMENT The Young Arab sets the pizza on an orange crate. Two other YOUNG ARABS in the next room barely take their eyes off the rerun of "Hunter." But as the young Arab opens the box: A STUN GRENADE Hidden within, EXPLODES with a blinding FLASH, knocking him to the ground. THE APARTMENT DOOR Is blown in as armed AGENTS rush in, Hub leading the way. FBI AGENTS (English and Arabic) FBI --! Lie down on the floor with your hands behind your back --! THE TWO OTHER YOUNG ARABS, HOWEVER -- Have not been affected. Not only were they in the next room, but also their eyes were averted from the FLASH. THEY COME UP FIRING But only get off half a clip each before they are CUT DOWN by a fusillade of FBI return-fire. ON THE GROUND The Young Arab, momentarily disoriented, stumbles to his feet, only to be confronted by six armed agents -- all aiming at his chest. FRANK Drop your weapon! The terrorist puts his gun to his mouth and PULLS THE TRIGGER. A STILLNESS As the CORDITE drifts lazily toward the ceiling, Hub calls out from behind the table: HUB What about the others? See if we can get a pulse -- Other Agents scurry in to hover over the inert BODIES. FRED Terminal. MIKE Same here. ELISE (softly) Gone. Hub picks himself up in time to see Elise, kneeling beside the body of the Young Arab, her hand on his boyish chest. MIKE We got semtex, we got detcord, same stuff as the bus, the whole enchilada... A few WHOOPS and high-fives as the adrenaline rush of the firefight abates. Frank opens the remaining box. FRANK Anybody like anchovies --? Then from across the room, Hub kneels beside an ominous- looking DEVICE. A claymore mine. HUB Goddamn it. GODDAMN IT. FRANK What --? HUB It didn't fire. They had it rigged to the door and it didn't fire. Frank stares at the lethal booby-trap. Hub shakes his head. HUB We're too old to be lucky, Frank. CUT TO: A DOWNTOWN BAR -- LATER THAT NIGHT Where Mike and Tina are dancing their asses off. Around them, other AGENTS from the takedown laugh and drink. AT A NEARBY TABLE Hub and Elise sit, watch them cut loose. ELISE (sips her drink) My first boyfriend was Palestinian. My father liked to say, they seduce you with their suffering. A WAITRESS brings her another drink. ELISE You ever been over there --? (he shakes his head, no) ...The courtesy with which they welcome you into their homes. And the people, these incredibly... warm people in this... austere land. HUB But you work against them. ELISE Only the crazies. I tend to be suspicious of all true believers. (looks at him) Present company included. HUB So I'm a fanatic. ELISE Let's just say you don't seem the ambivalent type. HUB Is that right? ELISE So why're are you a fed? HUB That's what my nephew keeps asking me. "Why you with The Man, Unc?" ELISE ...Well? What'd you tell him? HUB You read my file. You tell me. ELISE Let's see... Catholic school. Captain of this, president of that. Hard work, fair play, make a difference, change the system from within. Rah. Rah. Rah. HUB That was in my file? ELISE ...Tell me I'm wrong. He studies her for a moment. ELISE ...What --? HUB You believe in anything, Elise --? ELISE Like what, for instance? HUB How about right and wrong? ELISE It's easy to choose between right and wrong. What's hard is choosing the wrong that's more right. I just want to make it all... a little... better. (finishes her drink) Ignore me. I'm shitfaced. Frank appears to lean over their table. FRANK So am I --! Hey, Elise... tell us about being a spook? Ever meet Aldrich Ames? Weren't you at the Bay of Pigs? ELISE You were in charge of Waco, right -- ? Or was that Ruby Ridge? FRANK The Shah of Iran, Noriega, I love the way you guys predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union. ELISE Yeah, yeah, yeah... And J. Edgar Hoover wore a dress. She laughs and stands up to dance: ELISE What do you say, Hub...? Peace? But as he grudgingly stands up, a BALLAD comes on. They stand there awkwardly. Finally, he takes her into his arms. ELISE This feels like high school. HUB -- only my prom date wasn't packing a gun. ELISE Mine's a 9 mm. How big is yours? HUB Two inches. From the ground. (laughing, they dance closer) So what's the latest from Samir. I want a list of every visa he sponsored. ELISE Not sure he'll do it. HUB I once knew this undercover guy, started to care so much about his source -- ELISE -- Samir's a source. Period. HUB Have you considered that he might also be in bed with the other side? ELISE Samir in bed with them? That would too much to wish for. HUB You're so confident. ELISE Only in bed. Tina watches them. She rolls her eyes at Frank. And then: THE GROUND SHAKES A low RUMBLE as the light FLICKERS and the chandelier sways. FRANK Whoa... What do they put in these drinks --? TINA They got earthquakes in Manhattan? But Elise is not too drunk to make her way to the door. Hub joins her. Already, in the distance, the WAILING OF SIRENS. IN THE TOWN CAR -- SPEEDING UPTOWN ON MADISON AVE Blue light FLASHING. Hub, Elise and Frank sit grimly silent. TRAFFIC Is snarled and gridlocked at 40th. Finally, they can take it no longer and step out into a chorus of HONKING HORNS. THEY BEGIN TO RUN Past the frustrated drivers. Turning the corner at 41st where: SMOKE BILLOWS From the New Victory Theatre -- where a gala benefit is taking place. GIRL IN A PRADA GOWN Walks toward CAMERA. She's stunning. From the jeweled clutchbag to the tasteful necklace, everything is perfect, except: HER RIGHT ARM IS MISSING And now we SEE: THE BLACK-AND-WHITES Haphazardly pulled-up over the steps and the FIRETRUCKS already unspooling their hoses. Cops, Firemen, EMT's. Everybody's SCREAMING. Hub and Elise race past. MAN IN BLACK TIE Sits, weeping quietly beneath the once proud stone lions. THE FEW SURVIVORS Their faces cut and bleeding, stumble around, disoriented. As Hub and Elise continue toward a SOUND we have never heard before in this country. A kind of keening. A NYPD SERGEANT is the senior OFFICER on the scene. Hub shows his shield to the man who appears a bit shell-shocked. NYPD SERGEANT -- fucking bastards waited 'til intermission. Everybody standing around... Oh, Jesus... GLASS crunching underfoot, they can only watch as horribly disfigured BODIES are carried out. A NEWS REPORTER shoves a microphone in Hub's face. NEWS REPORTER Is it true the governor was attending tonight's benefit --? HUB I don't know. NEWS REPORTER Who it is I'm speaking to --? Hub ignores the reporter. He sees that Elise is already tearing off part of her skirt to bandage a SOCIETY MATRON. He takes off his coat and goes to work beside her. CUT TO: A DARKENED AIRPLANE Hub sits alone. PILOT (O.S.) Folks, as you can probably tell, we have begun our descent into Washington's National airport. THE HIGH-PITCHED WHISTLING SOUND IS HEARD AGAIN Hub reaches up to his DAMAGED EARS. As anyone who's ever flown with a sinus problem knows, the pain is excruciating. STEWARDESS -- You alright? But we can only LIP-READ her question. He's sweating now. Over this, we HEAR: ARMY GENERAL (V.O.) Either we answer this threat quickly and convincingly or next week there'll be a hundred more all over the world. Sequence omitted from original script. ON CAPITOL HILL -- LATER THAT DAY As Hub climbs the steps toward the gleaming dome, the debate continues within: CONGRESSMAN MARSHALL (V.O.) Sounds great, General, except why can't we find out who's behind it -- ? IN THE ROTUNDA LIBRARY A strategy session chaired by General Devereaux. Sleeves rolled up, silver coffee service. Staff members abound. FBI DIRECTOR These sects are organized so you need a kill to your credit to get inside. It makes undercover operations impossible. What that leaves us is... we're working on it. SENATOR WRIGHT How about who's behind who's behind this? CIA DIRECTOR Libya. Iraq. Iran. Possibly Syria. CHIEF OF STAFF Ask a question. Get an atlas. SENATOR WRIGHT All I know is that we must respond. CHIEF OF STAFF Respond, sure. But how? SENATOR WRIGHT Find out who it is and bomb the shit out of them. CHIEF OF STAFF And if we can't find out --? The question hangs in the air. CONGRESSMAN MARSHALL Look it keeps escalating. First a bus, then the theatre. What's next? SENATOR WRIGHT Anything but leadership. DEVEREAUX With all respect, Senator, why don't we just stipulate that the President is a dumb son of a bitch so we can all get down to business. An icebreaker. Everyone laughs. CONGRESSMAN MARSHALL (V.O.) What about sending in the Guard? ATTORNEY GENERAL (V.O.) The National Guard are trained for riot control not counter-terrorism. SENATOR WRIGHT The Army then. I've seen the contingency plans. ATTORNEY GENERAL It's settled legal doctrine, posse comitatus, that the Army not be turned against our own people. SENATOR WRIGHT Even if that's what our own people are asking for, three to one? SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE If the President is willing to declare a State of Emergency -- SENATOR WRIGHT President Lincoln declared martial law in 1862. He suspended -- ATTORNEY GENERAL -- which the Supreme Court later found un-constitutional. Ex parte Milligan. CONGRESSMAN MARSHALL And I've got an election in November. Ex-United States Congressman. CHIEF OF STAFF Guys, guys, the President lost a lot of friends last night -- CONGRESSMAN MARSHALL Not to mention six points in the polls. CHIEF OF STAFF -- And his plane lands in two hours. We owe it to him to have a consensus. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE You don't fight a junkyard dog with ASPCA rules. What you do is take the leash of