Midnight Express Page #3

SUSAN:

(picking up the

real fear in his

voice)

What is it? . . . Billy?

BILLY:

(a fierce whisper,

panic)

For Christ's sake, just GET on the

plane, okay!

His tone stuns her; never before has he spoken to her like

that. A LOOK between them; he has his glasses off now.

She's not a stupid girl by any means and realizes something

is very wrong and for the both of them, she'd best do

exactly as he says. And fast. She moves OUT OF SHOT.

BILLY, crouched low in the aisle starts to work fast, his

finger:
shaking reaching into his sweater starting to work

the TAPE loose from around his chest; looking from under

the bench. Still quite a bit of commotion as passengers

are exiting. BUT THEN:

BILLY P.O.V. - UNIFORMED LEGS coming slowly down Isle

Towards him. The muzzle of An M-l RIFLE tapping loosely

Against the side of the kneecap.

PAN WITH and MOVE UP as TURKISH MILITARY LIEUTENANT comes

into view, intersecting outgoing PASSENGERS, eyes casually

coming to rest on:

BILLY looks up from his kneeling position on floor; his

sweater rolled back down; he indicates the passport in his

hand. "Just found it" expression.

MOVE to the LIEUTENANT not necessarily suspecting anything,

but with a customary insolence reserved for young vagrant-

types, he stretches his rifle arms length with one hand

and gently prods Billy up with the tip of the muzzle placed

under his chin. MOVE BACK to the OFFICER, bringing the

rifle back to his side, indicating Billy get off the bus

with the others. All in silence.

CUT:

BILLY among a group of MALE PASSENGERS funnelling into two

lines that pass on either side of a wooden inspection table.

Thirty TURKISH SOLDIERS with rifles ring the area. It is

open, vast, no place to run or hide. The only apparent

hope is to melt into their regular jostling patterns of

the passengers impatiently waiting.

TWO PLAINCLOTHESMEN (Police) are on each side of the table,

body-searching the male passengers alternately.

SUSAN is in a similar set-up twenty yards away, with FEMALE

ATTENDANTS doing the searching. She glances at Billy as

she undergoes search. She is cleared, passes on, towards

the ramp of the plane.

BILLY, his sunglasses off, smoothly melts among the male

PASSENGERS pulling some books from his shoulder bag. Glides

to the head of the line. MOVE TO:

The FIRST OFFICER patting down a PASSENGER, his back

partially turned to Billy. MOVE AROUND bringing him into

foreground as:

BILLY skirts him in the background, camouflaged among two

other conversing PASSENGERS waiting for the SECOND OFFICER

who now appears in foreground on the lateral TRACK; he is

busy with another passenger. In passing him, Billy replaces

the books in his shoulder bag as though he had already

been searched by the first officer,

Tension. FOLLOW BILLY as he approaches the boarding ramp.

BILLY P.O.V. - SUSAN at the top of the ramp waiting.

Smiling STEWARDESSES. Pan America. Haven.

BILLY - FOOT rising off Turkish soil onto ramp.

TURKISH HAND lightly touching Billy's elbow, then grasping

the ARM.

TURK (OFF)

Just a minute!

BILLY his eyes flattening.

SUSAN in LONG SHOT, reacting.

BILLY turns trying to seem casual; he confronts the SECOND

OFFICER face to face and gestures towards the:

FIRST OFFICER who happens to glance at them.

SECOND:

Nebu? Did you search him?

FIRST OFFICER:

(frowns)

No!

SECOND OFFICER tightens his grip on BILLY, angry, and pulls

him back to the TABLE. MOVE with them. The officer has

been lied to; in addition he is young, inexperienced, about

eighteen.

SECOND OFFICER:

(grunts a command, makes a gesture)

BILLY, comprehending, spreads his arms. The OFFICER pats

him down carefully, brushing against his armpits. Precisely

in the area where we saw the hashish. But incredibly he

doesn't notice, continuing to work his way down the hips

and legs.

CLOSE BILLY eyes on the sky behind the OFFICER, praying

silently for a break.

TURKISH FINGERS moving up the inside of his legs, onto his

belly, touching the hard bulge below the navel. But again

not noticing.

BILLY in limbo, SOUND of his heartbeat.

SECOND OFFICER pausing, his fingers around Billy's chest,

about to let it go, then:

PLACES HIS HAND suddenly flat on Billy's heart.

OFFICER, sensing the accelerated Heartbeat, stares at:

BILLY whose eyes jump, startled by this technique.

FINGERS like excited spiders quickly run back up into the

armpit area. STOP - right on the packets.

TURKISH EYES SWIVEL to BILLY EYES CLOSE. Frozen moment.

Then, sudden blur of movement at the edge of frame.

SECOND OFFICER jumping back, grabbing his pistol from his

holster, crouching on one knee, aiming the gun barrel at

BILLY, hand shaking. He is terrified.

SECOND OFFICER:

(screaming)

Bomb! He's got a bomb!

AMERICAN PASSENGERS scream and the deck all around.

AMERICAN PASSENGER

Bomb! Bomb!

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