Shadow Conspiracy

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

WOMAN ON TELEPHONE:

Mr Pochenko. go ahead. please.

MAN:
Bobby. I must see you right away!

MAN 2:
Hey. Professor! What's up?

Don't tell me - your study group

of conspiracy nuts

finally figured out who killed JFK. right?

Bobby. you were never

so disrespectful

when you were my student.

I MUST see you immediately.

I'll have Janet schedule a dinner.

It'd be great to catch up with you.

This is not backburner. Bobby.

I have to see you today!

When can you meet me?

You got a problem. tell me now

and I vvill take care of it.

This is not something

I can discuss on an unsecure phone.

Alright. Professor. I'll be home by 10:00.

You come by then

and we'll talk about it. alright?

I'll be there.

I just wish we had more proof.

These names. the surveillance data

are just fragments.

You just have to convince Bishop.

If he knows where to look.

God!

I'm terrified.

Very good. Neil. Keep searching.

(PUCCINI'S 'NESSUN DORMA'

PLAYS:

(Puppies whimper)

(COMPUTER BEEPS AND RATTLES )

(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER )

MAN:
I could take off!

MAN 2:
Bobby. get off your ass!

Yeah. free shot! Here we go!

Nice shot! Watch the back door. man.

You. Bobby! It's all you!

Oh. no. no. I got it! Oh. yeah!

Let's go. let's go. let's go!

Here we go. here we go!

(MOBILE PHONE RINGS)

Time out. gentlemen.

Time out?

Bishop.

Don't tell me.

Alright. I'm on my way.

Yo. Bobby. Think your man could hook

the brothers up with some jobs?

I'll run it past him.

Soon as your contract

with the Bullets expires.

F***in' Bobby Bishop!

See you guys next Saturday.

Who'd have ever thought?

Thanks. guys!

You're welcome. Mr Bishop.

Sorry to bust up your day with this.

I finally get my jump shot back

and you call me in? What's up?

The redoubtable Bobby Bishop

not in the know?

That'll be the day.

Let me guess - you've seen

his draft of Monday's speech

and it's a little more than we expected?

"A little more" is hardly

the expression I would use.

Papers are gonna kill us.

Everybody's inside. Let's go.

(People chatter)

Hello. everyone. Mr Vice President.

Alan.

Bobby.

James.

Robert!

Morning. Robert.

Charles.

Bobby. he's been up there all day

working on that speech.

He wants change - big change.

Yes. but what he wants is radical.

Too far-reaching.

It's gonna scare the hell

out of the financial markets.

He wants to freeze all government

contracts - not only that...

Make massive Defense cuts.

MAN:
We're talking about millions

of people out of work overnight.

WOMAN:
You know What that will do

to the stock exchange.

MAN:
The man has created

an agenda for disaster.

It's far too much for the country

to handle all at once.

Not to mention a PR nightmare.

Since he won the election.

he's not listening to anybody.

It's as though

he were suddenly unaccountable.

He refuses to recognise

that change like this

has to be made step-by-step.

otherwise we'll be eaten alive

before we can get the American

public to understand and accept it.

And a draft of the speech

was leaked to the Herald'.

Who's writing the story?

Amanda Givens.

The perennial pain in the ass.

Certainly a persistent thorn in our sides.

Where is he now?

In the Office.

But he asked not to be disturbed

before dinner.

Well. I think I'd better go disturb him.

(Sighs) Bobby's the only one

who can get through to him.

Screw them.

These gutless bureaucrats.

They think this will bury the Party.

Do you agree?

Well. it is pretty risky.

A move this radical could send

the markets tumbling.

You don't know that.

Well. it could be.

But even if they drop.

It'll only be temporary.

My bet is in the long run

they'll be twice as strong.

Bobby. in my first term.

I listened to the experts.

I didn't rock the boat.

Well, I'm not gonna Wait any longer.

You don't have to convince me.

But you'll have a hell of a time

getting it through Congress.

I only have four years left.

If Congress doesn't like it.

there'll be a hell of a fight.

If I fail. I've failed trying.

Do I have to remind you

who helped draft this speech. Bobby?

I guess you're a little more daring

when you're 14 points behind

on the campaign trail

and half a bottle of Scotch

under your belt.

I just found out the story's

been leaked to the 'Herald'.

And with that much lead time.

There's a good chance

your opponents will massacre you

before you even get your ideas out.

Let me kill the story for now.

You can't sneak up on the enemy

when they know you're coming.

So how long do you Want me

to delay this speech?

Just a couple of days. sir. That's all.

Alright.

Good. I'll let them know.

Well?

He's agreed to reconsider for now.

Think you'll be able

to kill the story?

The Herald' goes to press in two hours.

The damage is done.

Well. like you said. sir.

we do have two hours.

That's not enough time.

It is for me. unless you'd rather

keep me here arguing about it.

Your boy is a confident

little prick. isn't he?

A prick? Really.

I find it so difficult

to distinguish between the...

...pricks and everyone else

around here.

Sir.

'Washington Herald'?

I have Senator Joseph Powers

calling for Amanda Givens.

MAN ON PHONE:
Uh. Miss Givens

is out on assignment.

Hold. please.

Bobby. she's out on assignment.

You Wore that tie yesterday.

That was yesterday.

Does she no longer keep

her appointments

with United States senators?

This is an outrage.

Well. I'm sorry. sir.

but Amanda Givens is out of the office.

She's interviewing Congressman Page.

She's got Nate Page. that f***ing

snake. Grab his file. please.

You tell Miss Givens

we are extremely disappointed.

I'll tell her. sir.

Here we go.

I can smell it from here.

Get the press office

to call a conference at 6:45.

I want all the national

correspondents there.

I want the works.

6:
45 is way too close.

The Herald' runs at 8:00.

Plenty of time. Make damn sure

Amanda Givens is there.

Alright. alright. I'm going.

WOMAN:
Congressman Page's office.

May I help you?

(Speaks with German accent)

Ja. this is Dr Schmenke.

It is imperative that I talk

to the Congressman immediately.

He's in Committee Room 1312.

Danke!

WOMAN:
Robert Bishop's office.

Bobby Bishop. please.

This is Yuri Pochenko calling.

Mr Bishop's unavailable.

He'll be back this evening.

Please! I must speak with him

immediately.

It cannot Wait until tonight.

Please! It is a matter of life or death.

I'm sorry. Professor.

When he returns.

I'll let him know you called.

(TONE DRONES)

Congressman Page.

What a coincidence.

Coincidence? Oh. I sincerely

doubt that. Mr Bishop.

Monday's speech?

I don't know quite what you're

talking about. Mr Bishop.

No idea.

Then I guess you're also unaware

of an additional base closure I'm

submitting to the Pentagon on Monday.

It happens to be in your district -

another coincidence. I suppose.

Yeah, 30,000 jobs is a career-buster

if I ever saw one.

You can't intimidate me. Mr Bishop.

Well. it's your choice. Congressman.

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