Thirteen Days Page #9

Kenny waits at the elevator. Scotty saunters up behind him.

He sizes Kenny up, clears his throat. Kenny turns around.

RESTON:

There are major rail disruptions in the

South, two airborne divisions are on

alert. That exercise is an invasion.

KENNY:

Well, you know how Bobby has it in for

the State of Mississippi.

RESTON:

This is about Cuba.

Kenny freezes, then explodes.

KENNY:

Cuba? You're f***ing crazy. We are not

invading Cuba. Nobody gives a rat's ass

about Cuba. Not now, not ever.

If you print something like that, all

you're going to do is inflame the

situation. Nobody talks to a**holes who

inflame situations. A**holes like that

can find themselves cut out of the loop.

Reston is taken aback. Stung silence for a beat. Kenny's

response is far louder than any "yes." Now Kenny realizes

it.

RESTON:

You've never threatened me before.

And Kenny looks away, upset, but when he turns back to

Reston, all that's there is his poker face. The elevator

arrives.

RESTON (CONT'D)

All right. I'm not going to print

anything until I have another source.

But I promise you, I'll get one.

Kenny boards the elevator. The doors shut on Scotty.

INT. ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

Kenny closes his eyes, sags against the wall, hating himself.

INT. KENNY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Kenny enters his hotel room. An Assistant waits with the

phone, hands it straight to Kenny.

KENNY:

(to Assistant)

Tell Pierre I need to talk to him.

(to phone)

Bobby?

INT. OUTER ROOM - GEORGE BALL'S OFFICE - NIGHT

EXCOM files past Bobby out of George Ball's conference room.

BOBBY:

Bring him back.

EXT. STREET OUTSIDE SHERATON-BLACKSTONE HOTEL - DAY

SUPER:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH. DAY 5

The President emerges from the hotel, a HAT on his head. The

Press and a CROWD surge forward, crying out for the

President's attention. Kenny slides into the limo first as

the President waves to the crowd.

Salinger waits on the sidewalk, and after the limo pulls

away, the Press pushes in on him. Pierre's face is pale -

he's just been told everything.

SALINGER:

The President has a cold. He is

cancelling the remainder of this trip

and is returning to Washington on the

advice of his doctor.

INT. WHITE HOUSE MANSION - OVAL ROOM - DAY

The White House Oval ROOM: opulent, filled with priceless art

and furniture, but cramped. EXCOM members crowd around the

center coffee table and the President. Kenny stands behind

him with Bobby. Rusk rises from his seat, formal.

RUSK:

Mr. President, our deliberations have

led us to the conclusion that, for the

moment, a blockade of offensive weapons

to Cuba is our best option. But we'll

still need a strong showing of support

from the Organization of American States

to give us an umbrella of legitimacy.

At long last... Kenny looks at Bobby, relieved. They've

bought time to find a settlement. Bobby smiles a small

smile:
what were you so worried about?

MCNAMARA:

A blockade is technically an act of war,

therefore we recommend calling the

action a quarantine.

McNamara folder in hand, opens it, SMASH CUTTING US TO:

EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN - DAY

A SOVIET FREIGHTER churning its way south.

MCNAMARA (V.O.)

There are between 20 and 30 Soviet ships

underway to Cuba at this time.

The CAMERA races along its side, discovering TARPULINED

OBJECTS on deck, and on its stack, the RED HAMMER AND SICKLE.

MCNAMARA (V.O.) (CONT'D)

800 miles out, the navy will stop them,

board, and any vessels containing

weapons will be turned back.

CUT TO:

The Destroyer U.S.S. JOHN R. PIERCE putting out to sea,

SAILORS racing over its deck, through hatches to its 5-inch

gun turrets. The ship races by, AMERICAN FLAG streaming from

its stern distaff, FILLING THE SCREEN, WIPING TO:

INT. WHITE HOUSE MANSION - OVAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The President. He listens, looks over the briefing papers as

McNamara continues. Everyone watches the President.

MCNAMARA:

A quarantine prevents more missiles from

reaching Cuba, but it doesn't remove the

ones already there. It gives the

Soviets a chance to pull back without

war. If they refuse to remove the

missiles before they're operational, we

retain the option to strike or invade.

BOBBY:

We believe that a surprise attack would

be counter to what the United States

stands for. We believe that an attack

leaves us no room for maneuver, and the

inevitable Soviet response will force us

into a war we do not want. A war that,

this time, will really end all war.

MCCONE:

Mr. President, there are still those of

us who believe we should proceed with

the strikes. With the blockade, we lose

strategic surprise and we run the risk

of a first strike if the Soviets decide

they have to use the missiles or lose

them.

The President gazes from one expectant face to another. But

he himself remains unreadable.

THE PRESIDENT:

Quarantine or air strike.

Adlai clears his throat. Everyone looks over at him. He

stares down at his clasped hands for a beat. He's anguished

about what he's going to say.

ADLAI:

There is a third option. With either

course we undertake the risk of nuclear

war. It seems to me maybe one of us in

here should be a coward.

He smiles weakly, but gets no response from anyone.

ADLAI (CONT'D)

So I guess I'll be. Our third choice is

to cut a deal. We trade Guantanamo and

our missiles in Turkey, get them to pull

their missiles out. We employ a back

channel, attribute the idea to U Thant.

U Thant then raises it at the U.N.

Adlai looks for support around the room, but meets only stony

gazes. From McCone and General Taylor, contempt. Dead

silence for a long, long beat.

Kenny's heart goes out to Stevenson as he watches the man

commit political suicide. Even Sorensen, standing behind

him, unconsciously moves away. At last the President speaks.

THE PRESIDENT:

I don't think that's possible, Adlai.

(beat, to the room)

I will be asking the networks for air

time Monday night. I have not yet made

my final decision. We will announce our

course of action then. I want to thank

you all for your advice, gentlemen.

EXT. TRUMAN BALCONY - DAY

Kenny, Bobby, and the President lean on the railing of the

Truman Balcony, stare out at the city.

BOBBY:

Goddman Stevenson. Jesus. Peace at any

price. You'd think nobody learned

anything from World War Two.

THE PRESIDENT:

Somebody had to say it. I respect Adlai

for having the guts to risk looking like

an appeaser.

BOBBY:

We have to pull him. He's not going to

be able to handle the Soviets in front

of the U.N. Zorin will eat him alive.

THE PRESIDENT:

We've got bigger problems right now.

KENNY:

We have to try the blockades. It

probably won't work. It may just be

delaying the inevitable. But we can't

just go to war without trying not to.

THE PRESIDENT:

I don't know. I don't know.

He stares out at the Ellipse where a little-league football

game sweeps across the grass, the shouts and screams of the

CHILDREN, so alive, floating to them on the wind.

EXT. PATIO - JIM ROWE'S HOUSE - NIGHT

A crowded D.C. party spills out of Jim Rowe's house onto his

patio. Kenny steps INTO FRAME. He looks at the PARTYGOERS,

the Washington social set. He stands out, oppressed by the

knowledge he's unable to share. He takes a stiff drink.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes