The Siege Page #4

ELISE:

Ralph, spare us.

The freelancer lowers the gun. Hub looks at Khalil, whose

face is badly bruised.

ELISE:

I never touched him.

HUB:

Really? I'm taking him into custody

just the same.

ELISE:

What are you going to charge him

with? Jaywalking?

(Hub stares at her)

I don't suppose we could just have a

little chat with him here first?

HUB:

Not in this lifetime.

ELISE:

You know, Hub... may I call you Hub?

If you guys hadn't blown the

surveillance, we'd have been able to

follow the money. What do you think,

Khalil, you would have led us right

to your friends, wouldn't you?

Khalil averts his eyes from any contact with her.

HUB:

What friends --? What have you got

for me, Elise?... Enlighten me.

(she stonewalls)

Tell me now or tell me downtown.

Still nothing. Hub calls out to his agents.

HUB:

Get this guy out of here and book

him.

As the other agents approach Khalil:

ELISE:

One phone call and he's mine again.

You know the number. I have --

HUB:

You have "the right to remain silent,"

you have "the right to an attorney.

Anything you say can and will be

held against you in a court of law --

"

ELISE:

(overlapping him)

Oh, come on... Do you have any idea

what you're starting here, the kind

of shitstorm you're about to --

HUB:

(overiding her)

-- Kidnapping. Obstruction of Justice.

Assault.

As he heads out of the room, he says to a waiting Agent.

HUB:

Cuff her.

CUT TO:

HUB'S UNMARKED CAR

Elise sits, handcuffed, alone in the back seat. Up front,

Frank is driving with Hub beside him.

FRANK:

So, Elise... You okay back there,

you don't get carsick or anything?

Those handcuffs too tight --?

ELISE:

Shouf mountains, right? Shiite or

Sunni?

FRANK:

Wow. You're really good.

(to Hub)

She's really good.

HUB:

You ready to tell us what's going on

here, Elise --? Was the paintbomb a

warning?

ELISE:

(to Haddad)

American University of Beirut? I was

there from '79 to 82.

FRANK:

(a look to Hub)

No sh*t?

ELISE:

My father taught Economics. Henry

Kraft?

HUB:

Is there a terrorist cell operating

in this city that we are unaware of?

ELISE:

(ignoring him; to

Haddad)

Such a tragedy. Growing up in that

city was... paradise. Like an exotic

Paris, wasn't it, Frank --?

HUB:

You ever been in Rikers, Elise? You

know what happens in there?

Elise looks at him, utterly unfazed by the threat.

ELISE:

...Yum.

Frank's BEEPER goes off. As they look at one another, we:

CUT TO:

ABOUT A MILLION COP CARS

Red lights flashing, have sealed off a Brooklyn Street. On

the rooftops SWAT teams are already deploying.

SHARPSHOOTERS politely insinuate themselves into the

surrounding family APARTMENTS and take up firing POSITIONS.

THE 87 BUS

Stands alone in the middle of the street. Through a Marksman's

SCOPE we SEE the terrified passengers forced to stand, catch

glimpses of the TERRORISTS, obscured by the hostages.

Hub confers with the NYPD officer-in-charge.

NYPD OFFICER:

-- definitely Arab-types, only this

time they're still in there...

HUB:

Any communication at all?

NYPD OFFICER:

Nope. It's weird they're just in

there.

HUB:

Get the frequency of the driver's

radio and patch it through to this

number. We need two lines. Frank,

get a negotiator out here.

NYPD OFFICER #2

Sir, they've got kids in there. We

count six.

This rocks Hub for a moment but he covers it well.

HUB:

That gives us something to work with.

BACK AT THE CAR:

Elise leans forward as Hub opens the driver's door.

ELISE:

What's happening out there...

Hub takes off his jacket, folds it carefully on the seat.

ELISE:

They've taken another bus, haven't

they? Talk to me...

HUB:

Oh, now you want to talk. You want

to be my friend, is that it?

ELISE:

Listen, these guys are the real deal.

HUB:

How do you know?

She just looks at him.

HUB:

Is there a terrorist cell operating

in Brooklyn?

ELISE:

(a long moment)

Yes.

HUB:

Was the blue paint a warning?

ELISE:

Yes. And I'm afraid this time they'll

blow the bus.

HUB:

If they wanted to blow the bus then

why haven't they blown the bus --?

ELISE:

I... don't know.

He starts away.

ELISE:

Agent Hubbard. Please. Maybe I can

help.

A COMMAND POST:

Has been hastily improvised behind a SWAT van.

FRANK:

The driver's name is Larry Kaiser.

He says they've got explosives

strapped to their chests, they got

automatic weapons, and they're

speaking Arabic.

HUB:

Where the hell's the negotiator?

FRANK:

Tunnel's got twenty minute delays

and they're working on both bridges.

HUB:

(to the cop)

What else did he say about the device?

Did he describe it at all? Anything

about a button, or a cord, or...

THE FIRST ENG TRUCK

Pulls up and raises its satellite dish.

ELISE:

(almost involuntary)

Oh, God.

Frank turns to look at her. She is suddenly pale.

ELISE:

(as it dawns on her)

...They're not here to negotiate.

FRANK:

Meaning?

ELISE:

They were waiting for the cameras.

Hub is deep in conversation with the cops. Frank interrupts.

FRANK:

-- Hub...

Hub looks up. Frank nods for Elise to repeat what she said.

ELISE:

They're want the newsies here. They

want everybody watching.

Hub and Frank look at each other. Can this be true?

ELISE:

You've got the shooters in place?

FRANK:

-- So?

ELISE:

Use 'em.

HUB:

What?

ELISE:

Kill 'em now.

They just look at her.

ELISE:

It's lose-lose any way you play it...

Do you want to lose little or lose

big?

The NYPD officer has been listening:

NYPD OFFICER:

I got the marksmen on the com --

They're looking for a clean shot.

As the Policeman waits for a response on his radio, two more

NEWS VANS pull up. The MEDIA CIRCUS has come to town:

reporters breathlessly offer their live, on-the-scene reports.

Hub and Elise stare at one another.

NYPD OFFICER:

Shooter says they've got the

passengers all standing in the aisles.

He says, no go.

Hub can see the dread in Elise's eyes. As the seconds tick

away, TWO NEWS HELICOPTER jockey for position above.

HUB:

(to the cops)

We have rules of engagement we're

gonna follow here, folks, so put the

safeties back on your weapons.

(looks at Elise)

Nobody's killing anybody until we

see what's what.

He grabs the phone.

HUB:

(on the phone)

Larry, this is Agent Hubbard of the

FBI, I'll be negotiating our way out

of this. Let me talk to one of them...

I know... I know. You just hang in

there, Larry... No, don't worry,

I've got somebody here who can

translate.

He looks over at Frank, who's listening on another cell.

HUB:

(on the phone)

Sir, -- My name is Anthony Hubbard.

I don't have any authority to make

deals, or respond to demands. I just

want to find out if you need anything

in there? If any of the passengers

are in need of medical attention?

He waits as Frank translates. Hub covers the mouthpiece.

HUB:

-- Frank?

FRANK:

I don't know if they understand.

HUB:

(on the phone)

Sir, is there anything you want to

say to me? That I can tell my people

here?

FRANK:

The guy's just breathing into the

phone, maybe they're not even Arabs.

HUB:

(on the phone)

I get the feeling you don't want to

talk, but will you listen --?

...Whatever grievance you have,

whatever quarrel -- surely it doesn't

involve these children --

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