Traffic Page #10

Workers break down the party under the watchful eye of the

party planner. The neighborhood is quiet. There is a

telephone repair van parked up the street.

INT. VAN - NIGHT

Castro and Gordon have visual and audio equipment trained on

the Ayala home. They both wear headsets.

GORDON'S POV:
the blinds covering Helena's study glowing

peacefully.

CASTRO:

They're whispering. I can't hear

them, but I know it. I smell

conspiracy. I feel the lie vibrating

out of the home.

GORDON:

She ain't in on it.

CASTRO:

I have dreams about this, actual

dreams about busting the top people,

the rich people, the white people.

GORDON:

I'm telling you, she doesn't know

sh*t.

CASTRO:

She knows Arnie Metzger.

GORDON:

So does half of San Diego.

CASTRO:

You want to make a wager on this?

INT. STUDY - NIGHT

The music is still playing. Helena looks numb. She motions

Arnie to her. He leans in.

HELENA:

If all our assets are frozen and our

"sales force" has scattered... How

am I supposed to survive? I'm giving

birth in three months. How do I get

through this?

ARNIE:

You're gonna get through it, but the

first thing we do is get Michael

Adler to represent Carl. We get

Adler and we beat this thing.

HELENA:

How much do I pay him?

ARNIE:

I suspect he'll accept his payment

in publicity.

CUT TO:

EXT. WAKEFIELD HOUSE - NIGHT

A large, well-maintained Colonial on Mockingbird Valley Road,

an upper-middle class neighborhood in the wealthy East End

of Cincinnati. Leaves fall on the Saab wagon in the driveway.

INT. ROBERT'S STUDY - NIGHT

Robert is looking at Caroline and he's not happy. Barbara

is there, at a neutral distance from both of them.

ROBERT:

Caroline? How well did you know

this boy who overdosed?

She looks up beseechingly.

CAROLINE:

He didn't hang around us. He's like

one of those hippie kids. I'm not

part of that group. It was a party

in all these rooms. His girlfriend

who I barely know was completely

hysterical... He's blue, he's

puking... We didn't want to get in

trouble, but what were we supposed

to do?

(beat)

I mean, what would you have done if

you had been us?

BARBARA:

How well do you know this boy, Seth,

who was driving? You know the police

have charged him with a DUI and

possession of marijuana.

CAROLINE:

He's a friend. He's also like the

only one who was dealing with the

situation. He'd definitely had a

few beers, but it's not like he wanted

to drive. We didn't know what else

to do.

(beat)

It wasn't my pot.

She searches her parents' faces. It has been a convincing

performance and she expects victory.

ROBERT:

Okay, honey. We understand. You're

mother and I have to talk.

Caroline is confused by this reaction.

BARBARA:

Honey, we'd like to talk alone.

Caroline stands abruptly --

CAROLINE:

Like always.

Caroline leaves the study and shuts the door harder than

necessary.

Robert and Barbara look at each other, raising their eyebrows

and breathing deeply --

ROBERT:

I think she's lying.

BARBARA:

Me, too.

ROBERT:

(reaching a decision)

We'll ground her, clip her wings a

bit. School and scheduled activities

and that's it until further notice.

This has to be handled delicately.

Dan Kelly, in the District Attorney's

office, will probably help us out,

quietly. Christ, this could be

embarrassing.

BARBARA:

Honey, this is difficult, but we've

all had our moments. I tried --

ROBERT:

Stop. You experimented in college.

I don't want to hear about that.

BARBARA:

Should we take the quotes off

experiment and call it what it is?

ROBERT:

This is different.

BARBARA:

Why?

ROBERT:

To begin with, she's only sixteen

years-old.

BARBARA:

I think she has to find out for

herself, on her own. We have to

allow her space --

ROBERT:

Space for what? To O.D. like that

other kid? I will not send the

message that this type of behavior

is okay with her parents. Because

it isn't. Correct?

BARBARA:

We don't want to push her away.

These are growing experiences.

Robert looks at his wife, then it dawns on him.

ROBERT:

How long have you known about this?

No response.

ROBERT:

(yelling)

How long have you known?

BARBARA:

Six months. I found some marijuana,

that's all. And a little pipe about

two inches long. I talked with her.

She said her friends smoked pot and

drank --

ROBERT:

Explain to me how you could think

that I shouldn't know about this.

Explain to me how this wouldn't be

relevant to me. As a parent.

BARBARA:

She asked me not to.

He leaves the room.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT

Robert is in the hallway, at Caroline's door. He opens it

and we get BLASTED WITH MUSIC.

Caroline is sitting in a rocking chair with headphones on.

She faces the window and moves back and forth, back and forth.

Robert calls her name, but the SOUNDTRACK is drowning him

out.

He calls again, this time apparently loud enough for her to

hear. She takes the headphones off - the MUSIC stops - and

turns to look at him. Or rather, she looks right through

him, as though he didn't exist. Robert is so taken aback by

the coldness of her gaze that he doesn't speak.

She turns away from him and puts the headphones back on.

CUT TO:

EXT. MILITARY BASE - MEXICO - DAY

Javier and Salazar walk across the base. Salazar is feeling

ebullient and it shows.

SALAZAR:

You watch and learn. I earn his

trust. Then more pain. Then I appear

with kindness. Within a week he

will follow me around like a dog.

JAVIER:

But will he be house-trained?

SALAZAR:

When he loves me like a father, he

will never tell anyone he was here.

He will freely give the names of his

superiors. Then we get them and

they too will give us names. And

eventually somebody will get us to

Juan Obregon and the cartel will

fall.

They enter the barracks.

INT. CELL - MEXICAN MILITARY BASE - DAY

It's pitch black in the cell. There's a human in here, but

we can't see him.

Suddenly the door is thrown open and light floods in,

illuminating a very broken Francisco Flores.

The figure of Commander Salazar fills the doorway.

SALAZAR:

This is shameful. A disgrace.

Francisco Flores --

Francisco cowers in the corners --

SALAZAR:

It's all right, son. It's all right.

Salazar is here. You're among

gentlemen, now. This shameful

treatment will stop immediately.

(calling out)

Guard!

A GUARD appears in the doorway. Francisco is spooked.

SALAZAR:

I want to know who is responsible

for this treatment.

GUARD:

Yes, sir!

SALAZAR:

We aren't barbarians.

GUARD:

Yes, sir!

SALAZAR:

Bring this man a change of good

clothes. Has he eaten?

GUARD:

I don't know, sir.

SALAZAR:

(to Francisco)

You will dine with me from now on.

Francisco moves closer to Salazar already feeling safe in

his presence.

CUT TO:

INT. COURTHOUSE, SAN DIEGO - DAY

A packed courthouse. Carl is at the defense table. He

doesn't look at Helena who sits in the gallery next to Arnie

Metzger.

The PROSECUTOR is finishing his argument --

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