The Siege Page #5

Still no response.

HUB:

(on the phone)

So I'm gonna ask you to... please...

let... the... children go.

No response -- then suddenly, the bus doors HISS OPEN

And six bewildered, ashen-faced CHILDREN step out before the

doors HISS closed behind them. As Hub and a couple of the

cops hurry out from behind the barricades to help the children

cross the NO-MAN'S LAND to safety, a smattering of APPLAUSE

breaks out among the cops. Elise tries to hold back tears.

FRANK:

Okay, here we go...

HUB:

(on the phone)

Thank you, sir. I appreciate that

gesture, I really do. The best way

to get what you want in these

situations is to show yourself to be

reasonable. As you've just done.

(Haddad translates)

Now we've got some more to talk

about...

Elise watches as the news cameras zoom in.

HUB:

(on the phone)

I am unarmed, as you can see. So I

propose... You let the rest of the

passengers go, and I take their

place... That way, there's no pizza

deliveries or bathroom breaks to

worry about -- and all these --

(indicates SWAT teams)

-- people... will disappear.

Frank shakes his head, don't do this. Hub's look says

translate it. Frank does it. They all wait.

HUB:

(on the phone)

I'm gonna take your silence to mean

you're considering my offer --

Elise looks at Frank, she can't help but admire his bravery.

HUB:

How about we just start with a few

of the elderly people you got on

there. It's got to be hard for the

older folks to be standing all this

time.

Hub looks back at Frank. Still no response.

AND THEN THE BUS DOORS HISS OPEN AGAIN. A few elderly

PASSENGERS start down the steps.

HUB:

(on the phone)

Thank you, sir. Now let's just let

these --

THE EXPLOSION OF THE BUS

Hurls Hub backwards as:

ALL SOUND FADES OUT

To be replaced by a high-end, almost electronic WHITE NOISE.

SHRAPNEL:

Imbeds itself into car doors, bus benches, doorways as every

WINDOW in a three-block radius is SHATTERED...

RED BLOOD:

Replaces blue paint in a horrific shower.

HUB:

Fights for consciousness.

AGENTS:

Rush to his side to see if he is alright -- but WE CANNOT

HEAR them. Though their mouths move it is only the WHITE

NOISE that overwhelms us -- as we realize that Hub has been

momentarily DEAFENED by the blast.

When at last Hub manages to speak, his words are MUFFLED and

INDISTINCT -- as if the playback heads of a tape recorder

needed to be cleaned.

HUB:

I'm... alright. I'm --

Frank Haddad bends down close and we can lip-read him saying,

"Just hang in there, buddy. . ."

HUB:

-- okay... Just let me --

And then he leans over to VOMIT in the street.

THE SOUND OF SIRENS

Slowly bleeds in through the white noise -- mercifully for

us, and for Hub, who wipes his mouth and looks up, realizing

that his HEARING is coming back. He reaches for Frank's

outstretched hand and stands, albeit woozily.

HUB:

Is anybody --

But the look in Frank's eyes says it all.

THE DEVASTATION:

Is numbing. IMAGES we associate with other countries. And

then he sees Elise. Her face is cut and bleeding, but as

their eyes meet, her look is one of absolute compassion.

HARD CUT TO:

MORE THAN A HUNDRED AGENTS

Crowded into the now-overflowing BULLPEN. In absolute denial

of his physical condition, Hub paces like a caged animal.

HUB:

-- every trap, every hole. I want to

rumble every mosque, every community

center, every student organization

that's ever said an unkind word. I

want the heat turned up under all

our assets, all our informers, every

snitch gets twisted inside out. And

put some money out on the street --

Arab community hates these people as

much as we do. They'll help.

(turns to Mike)

Have you got positive ID on --

MIKE:

Hub, we don't have positive ID on

anybody.

HUB:

We need more hands. Fred --

FRED:

I'm on it.

He picks up a phone and begins requesting Agent transfers.

HUB:

I want to talk to Khalil.

TINA:

He's down the hall.

Now she picks up a phone and adds to the cacophony.

HUB:

-- Conferences with DC at 9:00, 12:00,

4:
00 and 9:00. Call your families,

find a sleeping bag, nobody leaves

this office until we have a strand

to pull. Oklahoma City, people. The

first twenty-four hours are the only

twenty-four hours.. And I don't want

to see anybody walking.

TEN MINUTES LATER - OUTSIDE A HOLDING CELL

Hub and Frank watch Khalil through a VIDEO MONITOR. The

bruises on Khalil's face have deepened.

HUB:

Doctor seen him?

TINA:

He's on his way up.

HUB:

Got a cigarette --?

TINA:

You don't smoke.

Hub pockets the pack of cigarettes and walks into:

THE CELL:

Frank hangs back in the doorway. Hub pulls up a chair, turns

it backwards, and sits down very close to Khalil.

HUB:

Ten thousand dollars.

Frank translates. Khalil pretends not to understand.

HUB:

Khalil. I want to talk about the

money.

Again Frank translates. And again, Khalil looks blank.

HUB:

Okay...

Hub reaches into his pocket and casually takes out the pack

of cigarettes. Khalil's eyes widen. Hub smiles at him. At

the SOUND of the match lighting, SWEAT begins to bead on

Khalil's forehead. Hub takes his time LIGHTING the cigarette --

drawing deep so the tip turns bright red. Khalil unconsciously

RECOILS in his chair.

HUB:

(to Frank, re:
Khalil)

Doesn't like second hand smoke.

Hub turns back to Khalil, casually gesturing with his

cigarette. Khalil almost jumps out of his skin.

HUB:

You ready to talk about money?

Frank hasn't even begun to translate before Khalil begins

SPEED-RAPPING in Arabic.

FRANK:

(translating)

...He says he loves America and only

wanted to get away from the security

services at home.

Tears stream down Khalil's face. He kneels at Hub's feet.

FRANK:

(still translating)

...He says he's sorry but he didn't

know he was doing something bad. His

cousin introduced him to a man who

promised him two hundred dollars for

his dowry if he'd bring the suitcase

to an address in Brooklyn.

(to Hub)

He's a cut-out.

OUTSIDE THE ROOM -- LATER

Hub hands Tina back the pack of cigarettes.

HUB:

Nasty habit.

(to Danny)

3830 Flatbush Avenue.

FLASH CUT -- A SWAT TEAM

Bursts into an empty apartment. On the floor, a fax machine

continuously sending the message: "RELEASE HIM."

BACK TO -- HUB

HUB:

We want every rental agreement from

every landlord in Brooklyn. Hotels,

motels, flophouses...

(to the other agents)

It's cash, guys. They're the only

ones in America using cash.

TWO HOURS LATER --

The room is dark. A TECHNICIAN operates an overhead PROJECTOR.

TECHNICIAN:

This is a spectograph of the semtex

used in the bomb. Look at the benzene

spike. This is the genuine article.

(another slide)

Now... this one's from the barracks

in Dhahran. As you can see, the

signature is identical.

TWO HOURS LATER --

A COMPUTER TECHIE (WHITNEY) is cross-referencing data. DIGITAL

PICTURES of suspected terrorists scroll past. A surveillance

PHOTO of Ahmed bin Talal. The ruined army barracks.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes