Air Force One Page #22

V.P. CHANDLER

Please, Mr. President. You're going

to get yourself killed. Is that your

solution?

MARSHALL:

Freeing Stravanavitch is gonna get

tens of thousands killed. I can't

live with that.

(somewhat resigned)

I'm not royalty. I'm an elected

official and the integrity of the

office of the President is infinitely

more important than the man who holds

that office.

(beat)

We don't negotitate. Not as long as

I'm President. Is that understood?

A long silence, then...

YES SIR. CHANDLER

MARSHALL:

flow, is there a rescue operation

under way or not?

Lee shakes his head at Chandler, signalling "don't tell."

LEE:

He's not on a secure line.

MARSHAlj Whoever said that, shut up. Walter, are you there?

DEAN:

I'm here, Mr. President.

MARSHALL:

Where's the cavalry?

DEAN:

We can't do anything until that plane

lands. And when it does land, sir,

it's going to be in hostile *

territory. To be perfectly honest,

we don't know what the hell to do.

It's going to take a miracle to figure this one out.

A long beat. We hold on Marshall's determined face.

MARSHALL:

I'll see what I can do.

INT. GALLEY.

Serge comes across Bazylev. Checks for any sign of life.

Stone cold dead. He looks around and grips his gun a little

tighter as he backs out of the room.

INT. MAIN CABIN.

Serge closes the stair access panel to the baggage deck.

Sealing Marshall off.

INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT

Serge comes trotting up the stairs and collects new clips.

SERGE:

Bazylev is dead.

Korshunov swallows hard...

AND THE:

SERGE:

Trapped On the baggage deck. Let me

go finish him.

KORSHUNOV:

No. He has the advantage down there.

Bring me a hostage. A woman.

INT. FORWARD BAGGAGE HOLD.

Marshall sees that the stairway hatch has been sealed.

INT. LOWER GALLEY - NIGHT

Marshall hits the button for the dumbwaiter. The dumbwaiter

begins to descend then snags on the service cart. Its motor

grind to a halt. Marshall slumps dQwn. His hopes dashed.

Nothing to do now but wait.

INT. MAIN CONFERENCE ROOM.

Serge looks over the crowd of hostages like a bouncer at a

hip dance club. His eyes fall on Maria Mitchell.

SERGE:

You. Come with me.

INT. LOWER GALLEY.

Marshall, seated on the floor. The cabinet next to him is

stacked with packs of complimentary cigarettes, all with the

seal of the President.

MARSHALL:

What the hell...

He opens up a pack and puts the cigarette in his mouth. He

snags one of the Presidential lighters, tries to light it

several times but it only sparks. XC shakes it. It's out of

tial. He tosses it aside and reaches for a book of matches,

but he FREEZES in mid-reach. A thought occurs to him.

MARSHALL:

(murmuring)

Out of fuel.

INT. FORWARD BAGAGE HOLD - NIGHT

Marshall, lacking a screwdriver, levers open the hatch to

the Avionics compartment with the barrel of his gun.

RUT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT - NIGHT

Marshall sees the stacks of panels, piping, Wiring,

electronics.

MARSHALL:

Come on, where are you...

He searches up and down.

INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT

Serge leads Maria Mitchell up the stairway. Korshunov nods.

KORSHUNOV:

Ms. Mitchell. Hello again.

Maria is scared, she says nothing. She looks over to the

First Lady and Alice.

ROSE:

Maria.

Korshunov switches on the airplane's P.A.

KORSHUNOV:

* Please tell me

your name.

MITCHELL:

(frightened)

Maria... Maria Mitchell.

KORSHUNOV:

And what is it you do, Ms. Mitchell.

Maria Mitchell's voice echos over throughout Air Force One.

INT. AVIONICS COMPARTMENT.

Marshall halts his search to listen.

MITCHELL (V.0.)

I'm responsible for Press Relations

for the Flight Office.

KORSHUNOV (V.0.)

How are your fellow hostages feeling,

Ms. Mitchell?

MITCHELL:

Scared. We're scared.

INT. MISSION COMMUNICATIONS CENTER - NIGHT

Rose cradles Alice, both of them looking away, as Korshunov

raises his gun, pointing it at Mitchell.

KORSHUNOV:

And why are you scared?

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