The Missing Page #4

THE MISSING II EP 1 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 20/07/16 14.

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STEFAN (CONT’D)

I’m sorry, but I don’t know whatyou want from me here.

JULIEN:

I am looking for someone who candrive me from here to Azwya.

STEFAN:

(loaded)

Across an active warzone?

JULIEN:

I understand the risks. I just needsomebody to help me across theborder and who knows the land...

STEFAN:

(cutting in)

In case you hadn’t checked theforeign office website recently,

crossing the border into Iraq is agood way to get yourself killed.

JULIEN:

Says the man who has done it manytimes.

STEFAN:

That’s different. I was embedded

with the peshmerga...

JULIEN:

Not when you interviewed al-Rahami.

STEFAN:

You’ve done your research.

JULIEN:

Of course. I read your articles. Iadmire your writing. And your

courage...

STEFAN:

Julien, please understand...

JULIEN:

(firmly)

I must find this man.

STEFAN:

Listen, I choose what risks I take.

I don’t take them lightly, and whenI do - they’re mine alone.

(sighing)

You’re married, right? Have afamily?

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Julien nods.

STEFAN (CONT’D)

And what will I tell them if you

don’t come back? How do I explain

that I risked taking someone with

no experience of this region, with

no real planning, into the Iraqi

desert, right between two groups of

people whose sole ambition in this

life is to kill one another?

Julien looks at him - steely determination in his eye.

JULIEN:

You will tell them you had two

choices. To do nothing. Or to do

something. What choice is that? To

find this monster behind these

unspeakable crimes, it could mean

saving another child... It is

bigger than myself. So - in this

respect - it is not a risk. It is a

responsibility.

(beat)

I could go home. You could go home.

The persons involved in the

conflicts which you write about so

eloquently could all decide to go

home and forget their troubles. But

they do not. They continue to walk

towards the storm. To plant apple

trees whilst the world burns down

around them. To do nothing.... Or

to do something. It is no choice at

all.

Stefan looks at him, hating that he’s having to say this

STEFAN:

I’m sorry. But contrary to what you

might think about me, risks are the

last thing I want to take.

(beat; sincere)

I really am sorry.

Julien nods, understanding. As he stands -

JULIEN:

I am going to Azwya. With your

help, or without it. Thank you for

your time.

He turns and heads towards the exit. Stefan watches him,

torn.

THE MISSING II EP 1 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 20/07/16 16.

22 EXT. QISHLA PLAZA HOTEL - DAY 16 (PRESENT DAY) 22

JULIEN steps out once more into the baking sun, and thenoise of the traffic. He pulls out an old paper map and isconsulting it thoughtfully when STEFAN appears at his side.

STEFAN:

Aran Askari.

Julien turns, surprised to see Stefan.

STEFAN (CONT’D)

I won’t take you... but Askari’s a

fixer the Reuters guys swear by. He

runs a place called Sunshine

Travel. The office is right by the

Citadel, you can’t miss it. I’ve

never worked with him - my guy’s

out of the country - so I can’t

vouch he’s any good myself.

JULIEN:

Aran Askari.

STEFAN:

Just be careful. The Kurds have a

proverb - “the foreign person is

blind and the killed person has no

chance”.

JULIEN:

What does that mean?

Stefan smiles.

STEFAN:

I have no idea. But it sounds good.

JULIEN:

Well, I am not blind, and we are

not dead yet.

Julien smiles and nods, he shakes Stefan’s hand and then

hails a passing taxi.

23 EXT. SAM AND GEMMA’S HOUSE - DAY 16 (PRESENT DAY) 23

CAPTION:
Eckhausen, Germany.

The building doesn’t look any different today than it did in2014. It’s the season that speaks of the change. No longershrouded in snow, the place is now bathed in sunshine.

THE MISSING II EP 1 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 20/07/16 16A.

24

INT. SAM AND GEMMA’S HOUSE. MAIN BEDROOM - DAY 16 24

(PRESENT DAY)

There’s just enough room here for the bed, the wardrobes anda small dressing table.

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We are looking at the bed side-on, and though the curtainsare half-shut, a thick shard of light floods through thewindow, silhouetting a figure. We hear the door open and avoice off-camera

GEMMA (O.C.)

Sam...

The figure doesn’t move. Louder this time

GEMMA (O.C.) (CONT’D)

It’s gone nine...

The figure stirs and opens his eyes. SAM. He looks like he’saged 20 years. He’s sporting an unruly stubble and his eyesare sunken. The way he and Gemma speak to each other is coldand detached. Devoid of feeling. A completely differentcouple to the one we met in 2014. Sam doesn’t turn around tolook at her once during the whole scene.

SAM:

Right.

He sits up, and looks out the window. We reveal GEMMA stoodin the doorway. Time hasn’t been as hard on her - or atleast, she’s made more effort to hide it. Her once-long hairhas been cropped short, and she’s doing everything she canto hold it together. Even if it all feels somewhat forced.

GEMMA:

You can’t be late.

SAM:

(irritated)

Yeah, yeah, I know.

A pause.

GEMMA:

Matthew’s going to visit Alice this

afternoon. We should all go

together.

Sam sighs. A long deep sigh.

SAM:

I don’t know. I’ll try.

GEMMA:

Right. Don’t strain yourself or

anything.

Sam thinks about replying - but bites his tongue. He stands,

moving over to a chest of drawers in the corner by thewindow. He pulls off his T-shirt and we see

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-the ugly red welts all over his skin. The scars of burnmarks, stretching from his neck right down to the small ofhis back, and the backs of his arms. Burns that weren’t

there in 2014.

The sound of a door slamming down the hallway, and the soundof feet pounding down the stairs, out of the house. At thesame time we hear, from outside, loud metal music. Sam looks

outside

POV - a car pulls up. Two large, well-built German twins

(ULF and AXEL) are sat in a golf GTI, smoking. MATTHEW

emerges from the house. Looking pale and hardened. His hairshorter and more severe than in 2014. He heads towards the

car, lighting up a cigarette, and climbs in. As he does, heglances up at the window - at Sam. Then he says something toone of the twins and they laugh, speeding off down the road.

Sam turns to see Gemma’s joined him at the window, watchingMatthew disappear into the distance.

GEMMA (CONT’D)

You should talk to him.

SAM:

For all the good it’ll do.

Gemma sighs and turns, walking out of the room. We stay onSam - hating the tension in the household, but not knowingwhat he can do about it.

25 EXT. MILITARY CAMP - DAY 16 (PRESENT DAY) 25

SAM drives through a checkpoint onto the military camp.

26 EXT. BUILDING W9 - DAY 16 (PRESENT DAY) 26

We’re on the Army base. Row after row of neatly-orderedidentical whitewashed buildings. Building W9 looks much likethe others, an anonymous white structure. There’s a paradesquare outside, and nearby a sign announcing this is thehome of the 7th Medical Regiment. A car pulls up and parks,

and SAM emerges, wearing his Captain’s uniform. Over whichwe hear

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