Miss Sloane Page #14

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Elizabeth turns back to Posner, a wistful sadness lingering

behind her tired eyes.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)

Neither side cares for the merits of

their argument; they just happen to

spout it because it suits their

position in the world.

(MORE)

61.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)

They’d switch in a heartbeat if a

millionaire lost everything, or a

broke socialist won the lottery, or

better still, earned a fortune by

their own hand. People have no real

ideology. All their political

proclamations are governed solely by

self-interest.

POSNER:

That would include you?

ELIZABETH:

Behind all of my conscious brain’s

grandstanding, I would think so. I

don’t know why, but part of me wishes

I hadn’t ever realized that.

A meaningful silence overtakes the room. They both gaze upon

the dusking sun. Finally:

POSNER:

Happy birthday, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth gently swivels her neck to face him. Takes in his

sincere expression. A touch flattered he knew of the occasion.

ELIZABETH:

Thank you, Daniel.

She returns her rueful stare to the high-powered world

sprawled out beyond the glass. And softly exhales.

FADE TO BLACK:

EXT. K STREET - DAY - PAST

SUPER:
4 MONTHS PRIOR

Elizabeth marches down the sidewalk towards Peterson Wyatt’s

office and unloads into her cell phone. Rodolfo Schmidt busts

a lung to catch up to her.

ELIZABETH (INTO PHONE)

Gunshot victims cost the American

taxpayer $12 billion a year. That’s

$32 per gun in circulation. Now get

your house in order.

She hangs up.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

Liz Sloane, making a stand for the

taxpayer, even from the left.

ELIZABETH:

Come off it. Heaton-Harris might get

three guns out of the hands of three

psychopaths, but the gun injury horse

has long bolted.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

Was it ever in the stable?

62.

ELIZABETH:

What’s up?

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

David Badgley, Senator from Michigan.

Came out in support months ago, but

he just gave a quote saying now he

wants to “wait and see”. His PAC

received twenty-five grand from the

Gun Lobby two weeks ago.

ELIZABETH:

A one-eighty.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

“Wait and see” were his words, so

it’s really more like a ninety.

ELIZABETH:

We have him on celluloid pledging his

support?

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

Bang to rights.

ELIZABETH:

So we’ll just have to make him feel

it. Grand unveiling - you coming?

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

I have a con-call.

ELIZABETH:

Make them wait.

(glimmer in eye)

You’ll want to see this.

They enter the modern, glassy office building.

INT. PETERSON WYATT - STRATEGY ROOM - DAY - PAST

The team sit around the table, and flip through tabbed binders

of documents, which contain sample AD BANNERS, PHONE PITCH

SCRIPTS, and verification materials.

CLARA:

Alex, these are... Good!

ALEX:

They’re burrowing insidiously into

your brains as you read.

LAUREN:

Hold on, the numbers are wrong. The

House delegations, Florida has 27

ELIZABETH:

We’re not going to Florida.

CYNTHIA:

What?

ELIZABETH:

Florida’s out.

63.

CYNTHIA:

But you said, we’re gonna swing

Florida, isn’t that what this is-

ALEX:

Turn to Tab Twelve, please.

They do. Team members remove an ENVELOPE, and take out what

appear to be photos. Faces go blank.

CYNTHIA:

I don’t have anything at Tab Twelve-

Cynthia peers over at Brian’s photos - long distance shots, a

telephoto lens -Cynthia meets Connors on a park bench.

Rodolfo is already on the phone:

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

Security, we’re in C1, get in here.

Lock down Cynthia Green’s office,

secure her files and hard drives, and

escort her off the premises.

He hangs up. To Cynthia:

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

Your Blackberry, now.

Cynthia is speechless. Rodolfo HAMMERS his fist on tempered

glass.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

NOW!

Cynthia fumbles her Blackberry onto the table.

SECURITY GUARDS enter.

CYNTHIA:

He offered me a partnership track...

ELIZABETH:

Good luck with that.

Cynthia is escorted out of the room. Rodolfo tosses the photos

onto the table in front of Elizabeth, and follows them out.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

(to Elizabeth; exiting)

We’ll talk later.

BRIAN:

The whole Florida thing was a ruse?

ELIZABETH:

I’m not that optimistic. But the Gun

Lobby just bought a cabal of

Floridian Congressmen they owned all

along, while we’re about to emerge

from left field and sweep Colorado

before they can figure out what hole

they just got screwed in.

64.

CLARA:

We’re taking this to Colorado?

ELIZABETH:

You have tonight to re-write your

pitches. Get to it.

The entire team SCRAMBLES - half of them turn straight to

Ross, and ask for stats and info.

ROSS:

Eeeuuuugggghhh.

INT. REMOVAL VAN - DAY - PAST

The inside of a van has been transformed into a mobile

surveillance unit. Elizabeth introduces Rodolfo to BIG SAM and

LITTLE SAM, who sit at home with high-end equipment.

ELIZABETH:

Meet my unofficial support team.

BIG SAM:

Hi. Call me Big Sam.

LITTLE SAM:

Little Sam.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

I’d introduce myself, but judging by

this set-up, you may already know me

very well.

BIG SAM:

There are six of us, four are out on

assignment.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

And you’re ex..?

BIG SAM:

NSA.

ELIZABETH:

So Badgley’s flip-flopping. In my

experience, the quickest way to bring

him in line is to mine for sordid

details and let him know we’re in

possession of them.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

What exactly are you gentlemen

capable of?

LITTLE SAM:

Standard 24-hour audio and video

surveillance, cell phone and online

account hacking, financial

transactions, location tracking, and,

with our latest tech, close-quarters

audio, anytime, any place.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

How’d you manage that one?

65.

LITTLE SAM:

You know the expression ‘a fly on the

wall’? We’re not that small yet,

but...

Little Sam reaches for a plastic container for a small pet,

perhaps a lizard or a gerbil. He pulls out a COCKROACH.

LITTLE SAM:

Meet the cutting edge in

eavesdropping.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

It’s a cockroach.

BIG SAM:

Yes. It can be retro-fitted as a

cybernetic robo-roach with this.

Big Sam holds up a tiny ‘electronic backpack’.

BIG SAM:

We glue electrodes to the legs,

perforate its thorax, and we can

control its movement remotely.

ELIZABETH:

Don’t call PETA, Schmidt.

LITTLE SAM:

Incorporated into the backpack is a

class A listening device. Gone are

the days of manual bugging. These

guys can crawl under doors, into

crevices, bags, cars, undetected.

They can go without food for weeks

and still be mobile.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

My God...

ELIZABETH:

If there’s anything in his life worth

excavating, these guys won’t take

long to get it.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

It’s mind-boggling, ingenious, and

completely unacceptable.

ELIZABETH:

Booooo.

RODOLFO SCHMIDT:

You’re talking about blackmailing a

member of Congress, and I won’t

entertain it.

ELIZABETH:

You’re only here because I figured

you might say that.

Rodolfo regards her. Is she testing his ethics?

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