Wag the Dog Page #13

PASSENGER:

...what are you talking about... What does that mean

now, are you nuts...?

THE PASSENGER MOVES UP IN TURN TO TAKE THE PHONE, HE DIALS.

PASSENGER:

(INTO PHONE)

Hello, Honey.... NO. I'm safe. In about an hour.

Have you got Grandma and the kids in...? Well, where

am I talking to you? Well, who has the Shotgun? Go

Down in the Basement. Well, get the long cord, and...

isn't there a jack down there... Well, move, the

canned goods, and...

THE LINE BREAN AND AMES ARE IN MOVES FORWARD, PAST THE MAN ON THE TELEPHONE.

TIGHT ON AMES AND BREAN, AS THEY MOVE FORWARD, THEY SPEAK UNDER THEIR BREATH.

AMES:

(SHAKING HIS HEAD)

...hell of a price for the country to pay.

BREAN:

...take a long view.

AMES:

...what's the Long View?

BREAN:

Your guy gets four more years in Washington... ...it's

only Nine More Days.

AMES:

Yes. That's true. But...

BREAN:

(SMILES)

Wilfred. We've got work to do...

THE LINE THEY ARE IN STOPS. BREAN LOOKS UP.

ANGLE, HIS P.O.V.

A LINE OF SERVICEMEN, ARMED WITH SUBMACHINE GUNS, STANDS BARRING THE ARRIVING

PASSENGERS AN EXIT. THE PASSENGERS ARE HERDED INTO LINES, TO GO THROUGH

MAKESHIFT BARRICADES, AND METAL DETECTORS.

ANGLE:

BREAN, AND ANOTHER PASSENGER.

BREAN:

...what the hell's this all about, d'you think?

PASSENGER:

...small price to pay, pal...

HE APES THE PRESIDENT, WHO'S SAID THAT EARLIER.

BREAN LOOKS UP, AS AMES, ACCOMPANIED BY AN ARMY MAJOR, PASSES THROUGH

LINE AND APPROACHES BREAN, BECKONING.

INT SUBURBAN MALL NIGHT.

BREAN, AND AMES, AND TWO SECRET SERVICE TYPES, WALKING THROUGH THE MALL.

BREAN GLANCES AT A FOODSTORE, WHERE WE SEE A LONG LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING TO BE

ADMITTED, AND A VAST LINE INSIDE, AT THE CHECK OUT COUNTER, THEIR CARTS PILED

HIGH, THE SHELVES BEHIND THEM DENUDED.

THEY PASS BY A SHOESTORE, CLOSED, A PLYWOOD SCREEN IN FRONT, COVERED BY A

SIGN:
SOON TO REOPEN UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. BREAN FOLLOWS AMES, INTO THE

STORE.

INT SHOESTORE NIGHT. MANY YOUNG STAFFERS. A VAST SIGN READS: DAYS TIL

ELECTION 8. % IN FAVOR?

THE STAFFERS STAND IMMOBILE, AS BREAN, AMES, AND THE SECRET SERVICE TYPES

ENTER. ON A TELEVISION, UNWATCHED BEHIND THEM. A FOREST SCENE, A SQUAD OF

SERVICEMEN IN WOODLAND CAMO, LOOKING DOWN AT A RIVER, THEIR LEADER SPEAKING

SOFTLY INTO A MICROPHONE.

LEADER:

...scared. Sure we're scared. But th'fella said the

trick is not minding that it hurts. N'Ill tell you one

thing:
They might get into the U.S.A., but they'll

have to get in over Mrs. Kelly's son...

(HE TAPS HIMSELF ON THE CEEST)

THE SCREEN GOES TO A SCENE OF SUPERMARKET LOOTING IN AN INNER CITY. A STAND-

UP COMMENTATOR SPEAKS.

COMMENTATOR:

...dead and fifteen wounded in these first hours of the

War. They are not, they are not The Enemy, they are

people, like You and Me, a different kind of Victim of

Albanian Aggression, but Victims Nonetheless...

ANGLE:

BREAN, GIVEN THE TOUR BY AMES.

AMES:

Telexes to the major...

HE IS SHUSSHED BY A YOUNG AIDE, STANDING, HIS EAR TO A PHONE. ON THE TV WE

SEE THE DECK OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, AND A REPORTER SPEAKING, AS PLANES TAKE

OFF.

REPORTER:

Missions into Albanian Airspace. Missions to Kill or

Die. American Men, and, yes, and women, in the prime

of their lives, but never closer to death, while...

ANGLE, ON BREAN, AS HE TURNS TO LOOK AT ANOTHER SCREEN. ON THAT TV SCREEN WE

SEE A SOB-SISTER TYPE

SOB SISTER REPORTER TYPE

...fighting, yes, but fighting for what?

THE SCREEN IS FILLED WITH THE PHOTO OF THE YOUNG ALBANIAN WOMAN, WHO IS NOW

HOLDING TWO CATS.

SOB SISTER REPORTER TYPE

For this. For this. For Freedom, for safety -- yes,

theirs and ours.

BREAN HEARS A WHOOSH, AND TURNS TO LOOK BACK AT THE SCREEN OF THE JETS TAKING

OFF.

TV SCREEN, WITH JETS.

ANNOUNCER:

(VO)

The sound of Freedom? Yes, Perhaps the sound of

Death... but....

BREAN LOOKING AT THE SCREEN, BEHIND HIM HE HEARS A VAST CHEER, HE TURNS.

THE AIDE WITH THE PHONE TO HIS EAR HAS PICKED UP A PIECE OF CHALK, AND IS

WRITING, ON THE % IN FAVOR SLATE THE FIGURE 71%.

THE AIDES ARE CHEERING, AND SLAPPING EACH OTHER ON THE BACK.

INT, IMPROVISED OFFICE, IN THE SHOE STOCKROOM. NIGHT.

A STOCKROOM LINED WTTH SHOEBOXES, IN IT A DESK, TWO CHAIRS, A TELEVISION.

AMES ENTERS, OPENS THE DESK AND TAKES OUT A BOTTLE. HE HANDS IT TO BREAN,

WHO ENTERS AFTER HIM. ON THE WALL IS ANOTHER SET OF SIGNS, READING DAYS TILL

ELECTION 8, AND % IN FAVOR WHICH AMES NOW FILLS IN 71. AMES PICKS UP A SHEAF

OF PAPERS FROM THE DESK.

AMES:

New York Times, Wash Post, Detroit Register, San Diego

BEE, all in emission. No mention of the Girlscout.

None.

BREAN:

Eight Days To Go

(HE GESTURES AT THE CALENDER)

AMES:

I live for midnight, when I can tear another of those

suckers off. Watcha got for me?

BREAN:

Big Bird touches down when?

AMES:

We're bring'n im in tomorrow, five AM.

BREAN:

Anything at the Airport?

AMES:

Press thought "no," whaddaya think...?

BREAN:

(NODS)

I think, here's what I think: S'it gonna rain...?

(HE CHECKS A NOTEBOOK)

AMES:

(YELLING)

Gimme the weather for tomorrow morning, five A.M.

Andrews...

BREAN:

(CHECKING HIS NOTEBOOK)

An Albanian, a young Albanian Girl.

AN AIDE APPEARS WITH A TEARSHEET. AMES READS IT.

AMES:

No rain.

BREAN:

(SHRUGS, NONETHELESS)

A young Albanian Girl, dressed in their...

HE GESTURES, MEANING, "WHATEVER THEY WEAR, YOU FIGURE IT OUT..." AMES NODS TO

THE AIDE, WHO BEGINS SCRIBBLING IN A PAD.

BREAN:

And carrying.

(HE GESTURES, MEANING, LOOK IT UP)

The National Flower of Albania, something..... Now Is

it some Festival? Some Harvest Festival, something...

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