Mission: Impossible Page #18

In the communications room, tempers are running a little

high. KITTRIDGE is on his feet, berating his staff.

KITTRIDGE:

Think, for Christ's sake, you guys are

mired in detail, open your minds, it's

gotta be staring us in the face! What

does Ethan Hunt want?!

BARNES:

Same thing he wanted in Prague! Same

thing he's always wanted! The NOC list!

KITTRIDGE:

Okay!

Now it's coming together in KITTRIDGE'S mind and a horrible

thought occurs to him.

KITTRIDGE (CONT'D)

And where is the list vulnerable?

There is nervous silence for a moment. Behind KITTRIDGE, on

the other side of the room, the phone starts to ring.

An AGENT gets up to answer it as a creeping fear pervades the

room.

KITTRIDGE (CONT'D)

(joking)

Other than here.

Nervous laughter goes around the table. It fades. On the

other side of the room, the AGENT who answered the phone

turns, receiver in hand, face ashen.

He holds the phone out to KITTRIDGE, terrified, the bearer of

extremely bad news.

They all turn slowly and look at him. He holds the phone out

to KITTRIDGE, shaking slightly.

AGENT:

It's for you.

KITTRIDGE:

Kittridge, yup?

CUT TO:

EXT. VIRGINIA ROAD - DAY

It may be a HUMAN SCREAM or it may be a SIREN'S WAIL but it

echoes over the forest as a lone fire truck ROARS away from

the headquarters building, making its escape.

INT. FIRE TRUCK - MOVING - DAY

LUTHER, KRIEGER, CLAIRE and ETHAN, the victorious team, are

in the truck's cab. They exchange looks of massive relief.

But no one speaks. LUTHER, in particular, looks heavily

troubled by what they've just done.

ETHAN looks at CLAIRE, who is jammed into the seat next to

him. She drops her head on his shoulder, exhausted.

KRIEGER, in the driver's seat literally and figuratively.

ETHAN just looks straight ahead and to CLAIRE.

CUT TO:

INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - DAY

The TECHNICIAN who discovered the theft of the list sits at

one end of the now-empty conference table in the

communications room. KITTRIDGE sits in a chair beside,

staring gravely at him.

He gets up and walks to the door, where HARRY BARNES hovers.

KITTRIDGE lowers his voice, it's barely audible.

KITTRIDGE (CONT'D)

(to Barnes)

You and I know about this -- and that's

where it stops. Understand? It never happened.

BARNES:

What about him...?

He gestures to the TECHNICIAN, who watches them anxiously.

KITTRIDGE:

I want him manning a radar tower in

Alaska by the end of the day. Just mail

him his clothes.

He leaves. Barnes turns to the TECHNICIAN, who looks up at

him anxiously.

CUT TO:

EXT. LONDON - NIGHT

Night. This street is a row of nondescript hotels, one after

the other, with anonymous names like "Hotel Pomeroy," "Hotel

Vincent," and "Hotel Berridge."

LONDON:

INT. LONDON SAFE HOUSE - NIGHT

This barely furnished flat is as nondescript as the row of

buildings it's in. ETHAN hurriedly digs through an overnight

bag until he finds what he's looking for -- the now-battered

bible he's used to contact Max. He flips through the pages

and crosses the room to his laptop, which is powered up and

waiting on the tiny desk.

LUTHER, alone in a chair across the room. is seriously

preoccupied. KRIEGER is sprawled-on a ratty sofa, hoisting a

lager and watching CNN.

CLAIRE is at the window staring out, anxious.

KRIEGER glances over the back of the sofa at ETHAN.

KRIEGER:

You contacting your buyer?

(no answer)

Ethan?

From the desk, ETHAN glances up. Then goes back to the

computer. KRIEGER continues to glare over the sofa back.

KRIEGER (CONT'D)

Ethan? Oh, 'scuse me Mr. Hunt?

ETHAN ignores him, working. His computer jams with static as

it connects to a BBS. The screen blinks and displays the

familiar Bible group service through which he's contacted

Max. When it asks him which chapter and verse for the

posting, ETHAN flicks through the Bible, looking for the next

code. He begins to type.

MAX -- Now might be an excellent time

to interpret Scripture face to face.

Meet on TGV, noon tomorrow. Take

seat 27. Bring our mutual friend

Job.

KRIEGER suddenly appears over his shoulder and knocks bible

out of Ethan's hands to the floor.

KRIEGER:

You're not going to any meeting without me.

ETHAN:

My contact is extremely shy.

He goes back to the computer, his finger hovering over the

"ENTER" button.

LUTHER and CLAIRE watch this growing conflict closely. ETHAN

sighs and stands up. KRIEGER pulls out the blue disk he took

from ETHAN in the computer room and waves it in front of him.

KRIEGER:

I don't think you're in any position to

give orders, do you? Not while I'm

holding this.

CLAIRE:

Krieger.

KRIEGER:

Stay out of this.

OR:

Lachez - moi

OR:

T'agueue

ETHAN:

Don't you mean this?

He reaches into his briefcase and pulls out an identical

disk. He puts it back in his jacket pocket.

KRIEGER stares for a second.

KRIEGER:

That's not it. That's not the list.

ETHAN:

What's the matter, you don't know this

trick?

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