Kill the Messenger Page #6

you know, get

your perspective before we weigh in here.

About what?

Well, the CIA's response to you for one.

Well, there isn't one really, is there?

Still nothing?

Not a single source? I mean

...at this point,

I'll take anybody who takes home

a check from the CIA. Anyone.

They're a secretive organization,

Jerry. I mean, that's what they do.

They're secretive. They don't talk.

Well, at least the Washington

Post isn't saying we got

all our facts wrong.

Because they're not.

But what the Post is saying is that

we're just here to attest to the moral

purity of the Central

Intelligence Agency.

Gary, Walter Zuckerman is a living legend.

Yeah, who thinks his job

is to defend the CIA.

He used to work for them.

He was a media intern for

god's sakes. Am I crazy?

I mean reading this stuff

is like reading Pravda circa 1953,

you guys. I mean,

what am I missing here?

Gary, cards on the table.

We got a call from Corporate this morning.

They are getting a little nervous.

And so we're just going to take a beat,

step back,

look at the big picture

on behalf of the paper.

We don't want to print anything else

until we get our ducks in a row, ok?

And we're keeping you in the loop.

No big deal

- Gary, can I talk to you for a second?

- Yeah.

I just got a call.

NBC's cancelling their segment on the

story. They're not gonna run it.

And you're not going to believe this,

but we've heard

the Washington Post is going

to say you're an active

part of Ricky Ross' defense...

...that your involvement verges

on complicity and that

you and Ricky Ross are telling

this fairy tale together.

- It's not funny.

- Come on.

- It's funny.

- No, our careers could be on the line.

Look, we drew blood.

They're going to say anything.

Would you?

What?

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.

You think I'd make some sh*t up?

No.

- You're my editor.

- I know.

It's my name on this story but it's

your name on that damn door.

Don't forget that.

Right there.

It's Rich Kline.

It's Gary Webb.

Really?

Ok.

Hello?

What's happening here, Rich?

The only people you have in your story...

...is the former Director of the CIA,

the current Director

of the CIA and - guess who -

...a bunch of CIA officials.

Are you following up on anything

I wrote or are you

just talking to the CIA?

I can't be talking to you.

Why?

I don't know. I'm sorry.

Son of a b*tch.

What the f***.

Hey!

What the hell you doing?

I can see you!

Son of a b*tch

Son of a b*tch!

I saw him and I chased

him down the goddamned street.

Ok, so then you tried to shoot the guy.

I fired a warning shot.

I have a family to protect.

Did he try to break in?

No. He was at the back of my car.

He wasn't trying to steal it.

I don't know what the hell he was

doing but he was there.

See his fingerprints or some sh*t.

He was messing with it,

I don't know what he was doing.

What are you doing?

Do you have any reason to believe

your family's in danger, Mr. Webb?

No.

No.

Dad!

What is that?

That's Ian.

You can't - put that sh*t down.

Hey dad! Dad!

All these people just came down and

are looking through all your sh*t!

Can I help you?

You can't be in here.

- It's a crime scene.

- It's not a crime scene.

Excuse me, this is my house

- what are you doing?

Who the f*** are you?

Hey, will you put this down?

This is my sh*t! This is my house!

Get the f*** out!

Get the f*** out of here!

Ian, anybody comes down here,

hit them with that.

I see you!

I know you had a hard night

last night but I need to warn you...

before you come into work

tomorrow that the next week

or so is going to be rough.

Now Dateline thinks you lied to

them so they're coming after you.

And so is Nightline,

and every other major that

hasn't had their shot yet.

Well, the story's tight.

It's not perfect.

Well, Jerry put the brakes on.

I need to keep going.

I'm not done, Anna.

And I need you to protect me so

I can finish what we started.

It's not the story now.

This is about you.

The New York Times gave us a courtesy call.

They went into everything.

Every closet and corner of your life.

Every speeding ticket, every bar fight,

every libel suit

That's gossip, that's not news.

And now Jerry's talking

about you working out of the

Cupertino office for a while.

Jerry's out of his mind.

That's not happening.

Hey bud, come on in.

That's not a good idea.

Ian, go to your room.

What is this?

They found out about that woman?

The woman in Cleveland,

at the Plain Dealer.

Yeah? And?

Why didn't you tell us the whole story?

What the f***.

Look, who I do or what the f*** I do in my life

is not your concern, you understand that?

- This is between my wife and I, god -

- Excuse me.

It's between my wife and I,

goddammit it's not your f***ing concern.

You can take any man's life,

put in under a microscope.

You can dissect it, turn a simple

man's life into a circus sideshow,

you know that.

What about the rest of me?

Can we focus on that?

Dad, what happened in Cleveland?

Come on.

There's no such thing as

a little mistake, Ian.

One wrong turn and you're lost.

- Keep turning trying to get back-

- You sound like a writer, writing.

I'm asking my father

what happened in Cleveland.

I screwed up.

Who was it?

A reporter in the newsroom.

What was her name?

- Why does that matter?

- It matters to me.

Barbara.

Did you love her?

No.

Do you love mom?

I love your mother.

You, your brother, your sister,

your mother...

You're everything to me.

You're all I got.

I couldn't stand losing that.

What happened to her?

She committed suicide.

That's really shitty.

Yeah it was.

Is that why we left Ohio?

Because you ran away?

Yeah, we needed a fresh start.

God, I'm really disappointed in you.

Mom's amazing.

We don't have a choice, Gary.

This is the only option

on the table right now.

Good for you to get out

of the line of fire for a beat.

You can cool off, pop out

some easy human interest stuff.

Dad, what's in Cupertino?

It's the paper's bureau for losers.

Where I won't get in trouble.

Or so they think.

Maybe just don't go, Daddy.

I know. But honey, Daddy's

got to go to work.

We've got the house to pay for

and all these school clothes.

You guys are growing like weeds.

Look after them.

You guys be good.

Photos. Your old records.

- Some of Christine's drawings.

- Ok.

That kind of thing.

I hate this.

I know.

I don't want to be alone.

I'm no good at it, you know that.

Maybe some time apart will be a good thing.

Well, it's got to be.

Ok.

I love you, daddy.

- Bye.

- Love you too.

Love you, daddy!

I was told that the

Police Department is having trouble

keeping the troopers' horses healthy...

Yeah, I hear it was bowel trouble?

Constipation.

I have you on record as working

in Nicaragua with John Cullen

and Barry Reid between '81 and '85.

Yeah, I worked with Reid,

but I don't know Cullen.

You got any contact info for Reid?

Last I heard he was in New Orleans.

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