Scorpio

(CATS MEOWING)

You should let those cats out

once in a while.

Outside they couldn't survive.

They were bred for degeneracy.

Like a whore.

There's harder work.

When?

In a week.

- (CATS MEOWING DISTANTLY)

- (OBJECT CLATTERING)

DEBRIEFER:
Here is a film

of Colonel Saran Zim, President of Eritrea,

as he steps from the plane, bringing him

to Paris from the Middle East

on the first leg of his tour

of the NATO countries.

Zim was met by French foreign minister,

Pierre Croyez,

and minister of state, Jacques Cassente.

Russian advisers attached to Zim

accompanied him

even on this mission to the West.

A strong security force

surrounded the dapper colonel

as he made his way toward the podium.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

- (GUNSHOT)

- This is the moment.

An assassins gun fires,

causing panic on the tarmac.

As one of the special police falls,

ministers and officials run for cover.

Another shot kills Zim's bodyguard,

Emilio Rocca.

Lights used to floodlight the area

were spun round to illuminate

a nearby hangar.

From the roof, bursts of fire

from an automatic rifle.

Police returning fire,

run to surround the hangar,

leaving Zim and his entourage

mooing for coven.

Two more police died in the ensuing battle.

DEBRIEFER:
While police

were distracted by the rooftop assassin,

another shot from the darkness

of the airport

and Salan Zim fails dead.

Here is an action replay of the moment,

as Colonel Satan Zim of Eritrea

meets death from an unknown assassin.

Meantime, French police

shot and mortally wounded

the young Arab whose fire from the roof

had killed four men.

He carried papers identifying him

as Yusef Belabar, a student from Eritrea,

a member of the extreme

left-wing Soldiers of Revolution group.

Already in Eritrea,

government forces have raided

the of fices of 17 left-wing...

JEAN:
Do you ever count the dead, Cross?

CROSS:
You're beautiful, Jean,

but sometimes you have

the bad breath of priests.

- Did you see the opposition?

- I saw him.

What's Zharkov doing on the plane?

CROSS:
How many times

you been out with me?

JEAN:
Six, maybe seven.

CROSS:
You're good, Jean.

Better than good.

You're smart, you understand.

But that still leaves you

a contract button man,

necessary only because the CIA

doesn't hold with doing its own killing.

Washington.

Does the boy go into your report?

He's the headliner.

Why did he want to kill Zim?

Nosy, aren't you?

Good evening, Madame.

Bonsoir, monsieur.

Monsieur.

Boy saw Zim as a fascist, a brutal pig,

a tool of American imperialism.

He wanted a crack at him.

I bought him a ticket.

If he had got him?

Mademoiselle, s'il vous plait.

You'd have picked up

your money with no sweat.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Merci.

If Zim was America's man, why kill him?

For your education?

Zim dead at the hands of the left

serves his government and mine

better than Zim alive.

But it's not his death that's important.

It's who appeared to have

killed him that counts.

CROSS:
One more thing for your education.

The more a man tells you,

the more dangerous you become to him.

And the more dangerous you become,

the shorter the options on your future.

(CHATTER ON AIRPORT P.A.)

- Your sister still work at Air France?

- Uh-huh.

Is she meeting you?

JEAN:
She doesn't know I'm here.

Sarah's picking me up in a car.

Can I give you a lift?

I thought the rules said

we were strangers from here on in.

They bend.

No, thanks. Say hello to Sarah for me.

I will.

- He still in there?

- Upstairs bedroom.

See you fellas in the morning, eh?

Right.

CLERK:
The President Harding Suite.

Some I know like lo touch

both walls of a room.

They need security. Would you believe it?

Harding used to play cards up here

with his oil friends.

I was a bellboy then. I was no more than 10.

People used to tip big in those days.

Thank you, sir. Oh, here, kitty.

Leave the cat.

Yes, sir.

You, uh, need anything, sir?

Action, you know?

A little black to change your luck?

(PURRING)

(DOOR OPENS)

(SARAH LAUGHS QUIETLY)

You frighten a guy.

I woke up and for a moment

I thought you were still away,

and I'd just dreamed you were back.

You smell of me.

Remember the story of Madagascar Ho?

A little man who dreamed of Madagascar.

Never got further than the 3rd Avenue El.

We should have run in 1945.

Where?

CROSS:
Today's Saturday, isn't it?

SARAH:
Yes, all day.

CROSS:
Heck still go down to the cottage

on weekends?

Yeah. He and Helen left

Tuesday for a couple of weeks.

They asked us down.

Their boy go, too?

No. He's at UCLA now.

He only comes home once or twice a year.

He sees Heck as being in the enemy camp.

He's right.

You're gonna tell him?

I'm gonna tell him today.

McLeod's not gonna have a good morning.

He'll handle it.

He'll feed it into his computer

for the proper reaction.

Maybe we should just go,

you know, like the Arabs, and not...

And not tell McLeod.

You start to run,

everyone wants to know why.

Then they make up the answers

to their own questions.

I thought I just saw someone

in Helen's kitchen.

You did.

Us?

You know the Agency.

They like to keep an eye on things.

(KNOCKING)

(KNOCKING)

MAN:
Mr. McLeod would like to see you.

Sorry. Afraid I must insist.

With what were you going to insist,

Mr. Filchock?

We named you well.

You're a perfect Scorpio.

You have a penchant

for intrigue and violence.

Don't limit your action. Read palms.

Maybe my character will improve.

Orion boasted he would kill

all the animals on the earth.

So the goddesses Diana and Latona

created the scorpion to slay the hunter.

You and McLeod make two nice goddesses.

Tell Diana I've got my day planned.

Cross came back.

You were to kill him in Paris.

Remember everything?

Just in case.

I remember.

I can't see him. He's got out and run.

Oh, Jesus!

Joy.

Joy, baby. A C-note?

My mother's dead, man,

so who do I have to kill?

You know the Lord's Prayer?

McLeod?

McLeod, McLeod.

How bad does he want me?

All the way.

He say why?

Where's your partner?

He's hurt. He's back in the car.

Go! a radio in it?

You ever been in the field?

But you've seen the survival kit.

You know what this is?

It's the happy pill.

It's the "kiss the mortgage goodbye pill.

So long, brother of mine.

You've got 30 seconds to live.

Miami, single.

You got nothing smaller, mister?

What's the matter? Business slow?

New York, single. What time does it leave?

You're sure?

What? Are you here for laughs? I'm sure.

Taxi.

Just drive on ahead.

Thanks.

- Anne.

- ANNE:
Who is it?

- C'est moi?

- Jean!

(DOOR BUZZES)

Right.

Hello, Cross.

Hello, Pick.

I need help.

I need the dust Close the door.

What are you doing in Washington?

Missing my sister.

Sure.

She's lecturing.

She'll be back soon. Had breakfast?

Mm-hmm.

Here, give me those.

White for your sister

and red for your love. Hungry?

Coffee only.

Where are you living now?

Paris.

Do you still have the same apartment?

Yes.

(CHATTER ON RADIO)

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