Circle of Treason Page #22

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As Wiser then jumps in and the van rolls away, the whole

thing having taken seconds...

INT. WAREHOUSE - LATER - NIGHT

At long plywood tables set up on wooden horses, a SPECIAL

RESPONSE TEAM in overalls, masks and surgical gloves sift

through the garbage from the house.

Jeanne and Sandy wait with Wiser, watching as the trash is

evaluated and re-bagged for return to the container. Several

COMPUTER PRINTER RIBBONS are unearthed.

WISER:

Speed it up people, we need it back

before sunrise.

Sandy glances at her watch. It’s nearly 4AM.

FBI AGENT:

Wait.

An older agent has spoken to a specialist who’s about to

return a pile of refuse to the garbage bag. Sandy and Jeanne

come over to see what he has seen.

Almost invisible among the empty liquor bottles, fashion

magazines, catalogs, and clothing sale tags - a SCRAP OF TORN

YELLOW PAPER.

The specialist tweezers it out, examines it so that we now

see two words written on the reverse: ‘TO MEET.’

WISER:

Keep going. Get those bags

reopened. Look for yellow paper.

A shift in the room now, the specialists energized. Jeanne

and Sandy exchange a glance. Everyone gathers round as more

scraps of yellow paper are found... three... five... six

pieces in total. Another tech assembles them on the table -

it’s a POST-IT NOTE.

117.

As Sandy and Jeanne come closer to read it

INT. FBI FIELD OFFICE - BUZZARD POINT - DAY

-a photograph of the reassembled note.

‘I AM READY TO MEET / AT B ON 1 OCT. / I CANNOT READ / NORTH

13-19 SEPT. / IF YOU WILL / MEET AT B ON 1 OCT. / PLS SIGNAL

NORTH W... / OF 20 SEPT TO CONFI... / NO MESSAGE AT PIPE. /

IF YOU CANNOT MEET / 1 OCT, SIGNAL NORTH AFTER / 27 SEPT WITH

MESSAGE AT PIPE.’

It’s studied by Bryant, in his eleventh floor office with

Jeanne, Sandy and Wiser.

JEANNE:

It’s a reference to an upcoming

meeting, probably in Bogota. North

is a signal site. Pipe is likely a

dead drop.

BRYANT:

(to Wiser)

How’d you get it?

SANDY:

Does it matter? It’s direct

contact with the KGB!

BRYANT:

(to Wiser)

I haven’t had coffee yet, I’m a

little fuzzy. It looks like you

got it from his trash. What am I

supposed to call that?

WISER:

A spectacular piece of

insubordination.

Bryant, a beat, returns the photograph to Wiser, his

expression unreadable.

BRYANT:

We don’t know what’s on the ribbons

yet. Nobody at the lab is read-in,

we’ll have to wait to push it

through.

Sandy deflates visibly, glancing to Jeanne. After a moment.

JEANNE:

Do you have a mirror in your purse?

118.

SANDY:

What?

JEANNE:

And a couple pencils.

TIME CUT TO:

The computer ribbons, from a daisy wheel printer, are sat on

Bryant’s desk. As Bryant and Wiser look on, at first

perplexed and faintly amused, then intrigued, Jeanne inserts

a pencil through the spool and rewinds the ribbons by hand.

JEANNE (CONT’D)

My eyes aren’t what they used to

be, can you help me out?

Sandy, holding the mirror where Jeanne indicates, under the

computer ribbon as Jeanne slowly un-spools it, is able, with

difficulty, to read words printed on the ribbon in reverse:

SANDY:

(reading)

‘My dear friends...’

INT. AMES HOUSE - STUDY - EARLY MORNING (6 A.M.)

We’re close on a calendar on Rick’s desk which gives the date

as Monday February 21 - President’s Day. Rick, in his robe,

eyes it as he ejects a disk from his computer. We hear...

SANDY (V.O.)

‘All is well with me and I have

recovered somewhat from my earlier

period of pessimism and anxiety...’

EXT. ROY ROGERS - TYSON’S CORNER - EARLY MORNING

An FBI SWAT TEAM assemble in the parking lot of a Roy Rogers

off Tyson’s Corner. Wiser steps out of his car and confers

briefly with agents DELL SPRY, RUDY GUERIN, and MIKE DONNER

by their CHEVROLET SEDAN.

SANDY (V.O.)

‘My security situation is

unchanged... that is to say, I have

no indications of any problems...’

INT. AMES HOUSE - BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

Rick is packing for his trip. His own voice takes over...

119.

RICK (V.O.)

‘My family is well and my wife has

accommodated herself to

understanding what I am doing in a

very supportive way...’

As he regards the sleeping Rosario, Rick’s facade cracks

momentarily. Maybe he tears up. Maybe it’s a half-smile

that has no relation to amusement. But there is a glimpse of

pain, gone as quickly as it registered.

RICK (V.O.)

‘...You have probably heard a bit

about me by now from your - and now

my - colleagues in the M.B.R.F.’

He checks his passport and slips it into his flight case,

copies of his Black Sea proposal already inside. He zips the

bag shut and takes one last look at his wife in bed.

RICK (V.O.)

‘...Until we meet.’

Rick goes out, shutting the door.

INT. GRIMES HOUSE - EARLY MORNING

Gary, having woken alone, comes downstairs to find Sandy in

the hallway, about to leave for work.

GARY:

It’s a holiday, for Christ sake.

They look at each other. Gary briefly considers and discards

the idea of further argument, then starts back upstairs.

SANDY:

Hey, Grimes?

Gary turns...

SANDY (CONT’D)

Watch the news, okay?

INT. AMES HOUSE - MORNING

Rick watches his son eating cereal seriously at the kitchen

counter. He makes a face and the five-year-old Paul giggles.

PAUL:

Do you have to go?

120.

RICK:

Well, it’s an important meeting

with the M.B.R.F.

PAUL:

I don’t know what that is.

RICK:

They’re a security service. They

used to be the KGB.

This, of course, means nothing to Paul. But he nods gravely.

PAUL:

When are you coming back?

RICK:

(pause)

Soon.

PAUL:

I’ll miss you.

RICK:

I’m going to miss you, too.

The phone rings. Rick tousles his son’s hair as he answers.

RICK (CONT’D)

(into phone)

Rick Ames.

INT. CIA - COUNTERNARCOTICS CENTER (NHB) - MORNING

Dave Edger, on the phone in his office. He looks nervous and

tries to keep it from showing in his voice

EDGER:

Rick? Hey, sorry to bother you on

the holiday. I’ve got a cable here

regarding the trip.

RICK (O.S.)

(over phone)

Yeah, what is it?

And Edger just freezes. Another angle on the room reveals

Jeanne and Sandy, silently encouraging him to continue.

EDGER:

I don’t want to say on the phone.

Think you could come in and take a

look at it?

121.

Sandy and Jeanne wait, listening to a long silence, before:

RICK (O.S.)

(over phone)

Sure. I’ll be right over.

INT. AMES HOUSE - CONTINUED

Slowly, Rick hangs up the phone. Thinking.

INT. CIA - COUNTERNARCOTICS CENTER (NHB) - CONTINUED

Edger sits back, breathes deeply. Jeanne pats his shoulder,

a tiny, though for her uncustomary, gesture to let him know

he did well.

SANDY:

They better hurry up with that

warrant.

EXT. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE - ALEXANDRIA - MORNING

Wiser waits with a young assistant U.S. Attorney, MARK

HULKOWER, in Wiser’s 1991 TAURUS. They’re parked outside the

handsome red brick courthouse.

Another car pulls up and they climb out to meet it.

INT. FBI SAFE HOUSE - MORNING

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