Traffic Page #14

They wait in a line in the narrow, poorly lit corridor. At

the end of the hall a hatch in a door slides back and the

drugstore is open. People buy and leave.

Seth and Caroline approach. In the hatch is a hardened

dealer, 20's, named SKETCH, which is tattooed on his forearm.

He checks out Caroline's body.

SETH:

Caroline, give me your money.

She hands over her money to Seth who pays and gets the drugs:

gram baggies of rock stamped with a scorpion and "911," and

wax-paper bindles of heroin, also labeled, "911."

Caroline has been watching the transaction. Sketch makes

slow eye contact with Caroline. After a beat --

SKETCH:

Goodbye... Caroline.

Seth and Caroline make their way out of the building.

SETH:

(under his breath)

Yeah, right.

EXT. BUILDING - DAY

Seth and Caroline hold hands as they hurry down the steps.

The lookout speaks without moving his lips.

STREET DEALER:

Now, get the f*** out of here.

Caroline stops suddenly. She pulls Seth to her and kisses

him hard. There's no better moment than the one right after

scoring before you start using.

EXT. VILLA ELAINE - DAY

A flophouse of the seediest variety: wino in the doorway,

prostitute taking care of business, everyone fresh out of

institutions and graveyards.

INT. VILLA ELAINE - DAY

They approach the front desk which is behind six inches of

glass.

SETH:

We'd like room 205.

DESKMAN:

Then you hand me twenty-eight dollars.

INT. ROOM 205 - VILLA ELAINE - DAY

They enter and the light bulb goes out. Seth fumbles his

way to the mini-fridge, which he opens, throwing feeble light

across the floor.

They check out the decrepit room: the sloping mattress, the

black and white television bolted to the bureau. The mini-

fridge. Caroline bounces on the bed. They are teenagers.

Seth prepares the drugs by the light of the mini-fridge.

SETH:

I love this place.

Seth dumps the drugs on the bedside table. From other pockets

he extracts aluminum foil, lighter, tube. She trails away

watching him fix the first hit.

SETH:

Did Courtney Love play Nancy in Syd

and Nancy?

CAROLINE:

I think so. If she didn't she should

have.

(checks her watch)

I've only got maybe an hour. Then

volleyball practice is over and I

have to be home.

SETH:

Why? Nobody's there.

He prepares the first hit. She does it and lies back. He

does one.

CAROLINE:

(blowing out the hit)

The maid... They ask her what time I

get back. She spies for them.

Seth starts kissing her. They try to get into it, but both

of them are thinking about the drugs.

CAROLINE:

I wish we could stay here. Just be

here forever and ever. Make it a

little home.

She leans over to snort a tiny line of heroin.

SETH:

I want to have sex and do a hit right

as we're coming.

Caroline's distracted by the line she's snorting. After a

while...

CAROLINE:

Okay.

Seth begins undoing her jeans.

CUT TO:

INT. EPIC BUNKER LOBBY - DAY

SUPERTITLE:
EL PASO, TEXAS

Robert and Sheridan listen to the official tour of the EPIC

center delivered by the SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE, 40, a sincere

weight-lifter with a sincere crew-cut.

SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE

...Over 200 DEA field agents, a budget

of almost 100 million dollars and

state of the art communications

equipment make the El Paso Information

Center the Drug Enforcement

Administration's flagship for the

21st century.

INT. EPIC BUNKER CAFETERIA - DAY

A huge lunchroom. Long plastic institutional tables and

agents minding their own business,

Robert, Sheridan, and their Epic Guide walk through. They

pass a wall of black and white head shots --

ROBERT:

Who are these guys?

SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE

Agents who died in the field.

EXT. BINOCULAR POV - DAY

of large mansion with manicured grounds. The back lawn is

filled with children, balloons, a merry-go-round, and pony

rides. It's a sumptuous children's birthday party.

SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE

That house, that you see from the

DEA headquarters, belonged to Porfirio

Madrigal -- the Lord of the Skies,

largest trafficker in Mexico.

ANGLE ON ROBERT:

looking through the binoculars.

ROBERT:

He died in a liposuction surgery,

right?

SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE

Right. Now it's used by somebody

from the Juarez Cartel, one of his

lieutenants... Who knows?

(beat)

Every damn day there's birthday party.

At first I thought they must have

three hundred children, then I

realized they're taunting us. Three

miles away and we can't touch them.

Ha, ha, ha.

BINOCULAR POV:
a child running in circles holding a clutch

of colored balloons.

ROBERT:

Who do we interface with on their

side?

SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE

What do you mean?

ROBERT:

I mean, who runs interdiction on the

Mexico side?

SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE

I don't know. I don't think there's

any one person.

(thinks)

See the problem is the Juarez cartel

owns everything and everybody, all

the property on the Mexican side,

sometimes all the property on both

sides. Warehouses, transportation,

even tunnels. It's very organized.

EXT. TRAMAC - DAY

Robert, walking with purpose, leads his group to their plane.

INT. MILITARY JET - DAY

Robert and Sheridan and several DEA, Law Enforcement, and

Military Officials. It's a nice plane, used for important

people and Robert has the best seat.

ROBERT:

I want everyone thinking out the box

for a second. What are we gonna do

about Mexico?

(silence)

Come on, guys. Out of the box.

The men on the plane just stare at him. Finally the REP

FROM DEA leans forward.

REP FROM DEA:

Unlimited funds?

ROBERT:

Unlimited.

REP FROM DEA:

From a DEA standpoint we need a vetted

task force and matching funds. And

cut the red tape on getting them

equipment and training.

Robert turns to the others.

ROBERT:

Come on. I want to hear from

everyone:
FBI. Customs. Treatment.

Is there anyone from treatment on

this plane?

(no one answers)

Then I want an answer for why there

isn't anyone from treatment.

(beat)

Look, we know we have to bust one of

these cartels, Juarez or Tijuana,

not just as a symbol, but hell yes,

also as a symbol - they are symbols -

and there's nothing wrong with sending

a message. That's why when Carlos

Ayala hired Michael Adler lead

defense, I flew Ben Williams to San

Diego to prosecute. Because he's

the best we have, he's our symbol

that we're serious about putting the

top people away.

(beat)

So, as of right now, this flight

only, consider the dam on new ideas

thrown open.

Still, no one else says anything. They watch Robert

impassively.

ROBERT:

If I'm not mistaken, we got DEA,

Pentagon, U.S. Attorneys office,

about a billion dollars of budget

right here. So what are you people

waiting for?

CUT TO:

OMITTED:

EXT. SAN DIEGO OFFICE BUILDING - DAY

Establishing shot of a tall glass building in the downtown

skyline of San Diego.

INT. ARNIE METZGER'S OFFICE - DAY

Helena and Arnie enter his office. The furniture is sleek

mid-century modern, and the view of the harbor is

extraordinary.

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