The Runner Page #5

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didn't fall too far.

You really think you're better

than me, don't you?

No, I don't.

But I'm nothing like you.

Hey there. You're up early.

I had a dream about you.

Really?

We were in high school together.

But we looked the same.

Middle-aged high-schoolers.

I was asking you to the prom

or something, I don't remember exactly.

You were nervous and blushing,

and I gave you one hell of a kiss.

Did we go to prom together?

I don't know. You sped off crying.

That sounds about right.

Listen, what would you think about

coming down here for a few days to visit?

- Come on.

- Shoes off, please.

I want my damned pancakes.

- Watch your mouth.

- Yeah, shut up, Robbie.

How about this weekend?

This weekend?

This weekend's good.

Okay, I got to run.

I will call you later.

Okay.

Colin!

Colin!

At 7:
00 a.m. I get a call

from Gail Dixon with the GCCF.

She's in Feinberg's office.

She tells me BP admires the work

the foundation is doing

and has decided to give us

a $3.5 million grant.

Three million

for existing clients' claims,

and the remainder

for their bankruptcy needs.

- This right here is too good to be true.

- That's what I thought.

So I get to the office,

I log into the donation account, the money

is there. The numbers match up.

But why us? There's got to be ten

other organizations just like ours.

- Publicity?

- Exactly. So if you're BP,

why associate yourself

with a disgraced politician?

Muddles the story.

But this barely touches on the scandal.

Do you want to send back the money?

Hell, no.

I poked around with a BP publicist.

She didn't know

who authorized the grant,

but she thought it would ignite a wave

of funding, which makes sense.

I mean, the GCCF's been hit

with a ton of criticism.

Yeah, okay. Then why start with me?

Who knows? Who cares? Just be thankful.

This is a blessing for your foundation

and your image.

And I know the press

have taken their shots,

but you are coming off of this a winner.

All right, enough about work.

So, what's the plan?

Are you hungry?

Client of mine's having

a barbecue in Grand Isle.

- The fishing village?

- Yeah, the fishing village.

Who do you think my clients are?

Only kind of seafood

won't kill you these days.

You got your potatos,

you got your corns,

little bit of crab oil, some garlic,

then you got your Cajun spices,

and God help you if you

get this in your eyeball.

And once you get it smoking real good,

then you know you got yourself a boil.

You married quite the chef, huh?

No, there ain't a man in Louisiana

don't know how to cook.

- Oh, she got a mouth on her.

- What? It's true.

Y'all want a beer?

You have a soda or something?

- What, you don't drink?

- Trying not to.

Oh. Me, too.

Can I tell you something?

Sure.

- I think you got a bum deal.

- Lay...

I mean, you got that

son of a b*tch Senator Owens

sleeping with hookers.

He keeps getting elected.

You, you cheated on your wife.

Big f***ing deal.

I mean, people are broke,

sick with the dispersants,

you're the only one down here

doing a goddamn thing for us.

Can I help you with those drinks?

Sure.

That lady of yours,

she's something else.

No, no. We just work together, Hal.

I heard you was

rattling cages over at BP.

Looks like we're in business.

I think more like

we ain't out of business yet.

You done good, Congressman.

In breaking news, yet another scandal

is sending shockwaves

through our nation's capital.

This one involving two-term

Republican Senator Tom Owens

of Louisiana who was detained

by federal agents late last night.

On Saturday morning FBI agents raided

Senator Owens' Washington, D.C.

and Metairie homes

as part of an ongoing corruption probe.

Sources familiar with the investigation said

investigators are looking into whether Owens

- used his influence in business dealings.

- Yeah?

- Who?

- No formal charges have been filed against me.

We don't know the extent or the precise

nature of this investigation,

but I am cooperating

with the authorities fully and...

3:
00 p.m. works. Uh-huh.

Who was that?

Mark will just be a minute.

Can I get you something to drink?

No, thanks, I'm fine.

Hello.

Sorry, honey.

No, you cannot go

to the Kanye concert alone.

Janie is not an adult.

160,000 cash. That's what the Feds

found in the attic

of Owens' Georgetown home.

Your stepfather can take you.

He's cool. He's hip.

Okay, pumpkin. All right, love you.

My daughter is 14.

What else do you know about Tom Owens?

I know that he took a bribe

from a Florida businessman.

- Tom's going to resign?

- No.

The investigation could take 18 months,

and if Owens decides

to fight, which he will,

a conviction could take years.

What's the problem, then? Tom may not be in

the party, but he supports your interests.

It's not Owens I'm worried about.

It's Chris Wilcox.

He's going to beat him.

- You know I can't win.

- Really?

Well, our polls

are telling us differently.

Seems the public would be

receptive to your running.

You just need the right spin

and a machine to spin it.

You authorized that grant.

Being one of BP's most influential

shareholders has its perks.

So you had them donate

$3.5 million into my foundation

to test the waters for a Senate run?

What's it to them?

Who's going to finance the campaign? BP?

No. I am.

We need someone from Louisiana

fighting for our side.

And you think it makes

a hell of a story,

Colin Pryce, working to bridge

the gap between BP

and all the hardworking folks

of Louisiana.

This goes way beyond BP.

This is about the entire industry.

This is about protecting investments.

The next few years,

every major oil and gas company

will be spending

more and more token money

on alternative energy and safe drilling.

Billions of ad dollars will be spent

to cleanse their images.

And we'll make sure that

you're in the center of it all.

A hero.

But you're not just asking me

to change my energy position.

You're asking me to turn my back

on the claims process.

Look at it this way,

if it's not you,

we'll find someone else.

Chris Wilcox is not going to win.

You can bet on that.

What makes you think I'd do this?

You're standing here.

You want to know how I rationalize it?

I ask myself,

would I rather that claims money

be in the hands of a bunch

of podunk fishermen

or invested back into the economy

by a corporation who's been creating jobs

down here since before I was born.

As for a moratorium,

that is just not

economically sound for anyone.

Thank you for your time.

You know what I always found

most interesting about politicians

is that they're so blinded

by delusions of grandeur

that they forget who they really are.

In your case, the only thing anyone

is going to remember about you

is that you f***ed a fisherman's wife.

Most people won't even remember that.

You're going to need

someone like me, Colin.

I know.

I know what you're thinking.

It's really not my place.

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