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Something about his revelation unsettles her.

LIZ:

Why are you telling me this? These

personal details.

CRIS:

I don’t know. You asked and...I

guess I felt like you’d understand.

Tears well up in her eyes.

lIZ

I do.

Cris looks at her with sympathy.

lIZ

I can’t either. Have kids.

Cris comforts her. She looks up into his eyes expectantly.

Fighting the pull, he looks away for a moment to see where

this is going - then glances back at her, almost dizzy.

CRIS:

That was incredible.

LiZ

What was?

CRIS:

This.

He kisses her with a quiet intensity that quickly ignites.

Their lovemaking unfolds as it would be experienced by Cris.

Effect before cause. The pleasure, then the gesture that

elicits it.

Cris explores her body until she sighs, then snapsback and

goes directly to the sweet spot. He strings together a

perfect melody of shudders and moans, without striking any

false notes along the way.

Moments are superimposed, diaphonous, played against each

other in counterpoint.

49.

Visual harmonics, elastically out-of-sync. Rising to a

crescendo. Until all the futures resolve into a single now.

DISSOLVE TO:

AFTERWARDS - nIGHT

Floating in bed. Her head on his chest. His eyes open, sadly

content, like he wishes he could stop time here forever. Like

he’s afraid it will all disappear if he takes his eyes off

her.

LIZ:

That was...I’ve never...

Cris forces himself to look away into the distance.

int. WISDOM’S OFFICE / federal facility - night

Wisdom, exhausted, quietly confers with a cadre of ANALYSTS

AND OPERATIVES. Their voices are confident, but their body

language betrays their pessimism.

expert 1

We sent the payload to Livermore,

and by measuring the cesium

degradation, they’ve identified the

reactor in Smerlensk that it came

from.

expert 2

Washington has our birds tracking

for that radiation signature in key

cities.

Ferris slips in and takes an empty chair.

wisdom

What do we know about the

explosive?

Expert 3

Our lab downstairs is still

studying the C-4 sample. It’s

Czech, but we haven’t nailed down

the batch.

Wisdom rubs his forehead, distraught.

WISDOM:

So basically we’ve got nothing.

No one disagrees.

50.

WISDOM:

You’re failing your country,

people. You’re not trying hard

enough.

(looks around the table)

Do you understand what I’m saying?

Do you understand what I expect

from you?

The staff exchange uncertain glances.

WisDOM

TWIST ARMS! CRACK HEADS! BREAK THE

F***IN’ LAW! BUT DON’T LET THIS

HAPPEN!

He has blown them wide-eyed.

WISDOM:

(suddenly calm)

Are there any questions?

INT. WISDOM’S apartment - NIGHT

Ferris and Wisdom are in night gear, getting ready for bed.

She sees that he’s disheartened.

FERRIS:

You know you’re very sexy when

you’re ruthless.

WISDOM:

We’re groping in the dark.

FERRIS:

My guy’s got a flashlight. We just

need to bring him in.

Wisdom doesn’t have the energy to fight her any more.

WISDOM:

I’ll see if Baines can spare some

manpower.

She’s gracious in victory.

FERRIs

You’re all the manpower I need.

51.

Int. Liz’s house - bedroom - morning

Head on pillow, Liz buds from sleep. Reaches out. Cris is

gone. Her eyes open, fearful.

INT. LIZ’S KITCHEN - MORNING

She rushes in, looking for Cris. - He’s not there.

She hears CLANKING from the laundry room.

On the floor, Cris sits next to the heater, which lies in

pieces. He tries to adjust the remaining apparatus.

LIZ:

What the hell are you doing?

CRIS:

You said it was broken.

LIZ:

Well, you’re not leaving till it’s

fixed, I’ll tell you that.

He smiles archly.

crIS

I’m afraid that could take a while.

Now she understands his strategy.

LIZ:

As long as it’s done right.

Int. HOMELAND SECURITY - workshop - day

Ferris enters the area where weapons are stored and where

mechanics build whatever the department needs. She interrupts

Baines as he gives instructions to some MP's. These are his

guys who get priority over the civilian Protective Service

Police.

FeRRIS

Did Wisdom talk to you?

BaiNES

(grudging)

What do you need?

FERRIS:

This one first.

52.

She hands him a sketch. He studies it, perplexed.

BAINES:

What is it?

FERRIS:

A trap for somebody who can see the

future.

BAINES:

If you say so.

FERRIS:

And then these.

She hands him more sketches.

Int. Liz’s fifth grade class - day

Liz stands before a map of the Native American tribes of the

Lake Tahoe region.

LIZ:

And what was the main staple of

their diet?

SMARTIE PANTS busts a button to get called on. Instead, Liz

points to a SHY GIRL.

shy girl

Trout.

LIZ:

From the lake?

SHY GIRL:

No. From the rivers.

LIZ:

Right. And the Washo were so

jealous of their fishing grounds

that when other Native Americans

came to trade for dried fish, they

were only permitted to remain one

night.

Liz notices that her students are distracted and giggling.

She turns to see Cris standing in the doorway, holding a box.

Embarrassed, she blushes.

LIz

I’ll be right back.

53.

Liz pulls Cris into the hall, out of sight of the kids.

LIZ:

What are you doing here?

CrIS

(beaming)

I brought ice cream sandwiches for

everybody.

LIZ:

Ice cream sandwiches? Do you have

any idea how much fat they have in

them? Don’t you see how overweight

half of them are?

CRIS:

(crestfallen)

I - I didn’t think of it. - I

thought you’d be happy to see me.

LIZ:

Well next time exercise a little

forethought, okay?

He’s speechless.

CRIS:

Do you want me to leave these

somewhere?

LIZ:

No.

CRIS:

All right then. I’ll just go.

Seeing his doleful expression, Liz can’t help smiling. She

glances up and down the hall, then kisses him lasciviously on

the lips.

LIZ:

Put a few in the freezer. I love

ice cream sandwiches.

With a mischievous grin, she ducks back into class, leaving

Cris reeling, but exhilarated.

54.

int. CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Liz and Cris stuff their mouths with lo mein. She sets down

her chopsticks, picks up a red pencil and industriously

resumes marking up a stack of papers.

LIZ:

You have been such a bad influence.

I’m gonna be up all night grading

papers.

Cris watches, bored.

CRIS:

I’ve got a better idea. Run away

with me to the South Pacific.

LIZ:

Funny. We’ve only known each other

a week.

CRIS:

But we’re going to be happy

together for the rest of our lives.

Really, I peeked.

She picks up the chopsticks and takes another bite.

LIZ:

I think you’re serious.

CRIS:

Deadly.

She muses, tempted.

CRIS:

Let’s go pack your bags. We’ll

leave tonight.

LIZ:

And what’ll we do for money?

CRIS:

Don’t worry. That’s always been

easy for me.

She gets lost in the fantasy. He can almost taste the

fulfilmment of his dreams.

LIZ:

This is ridiculous.

55.

CRIS:

Why?

LIZ:

Well, first of all, it’s the middle

of the school year.

CRIS:

They’ll replace you.

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