THE LOOMING TOWER

Episode 1:

"Now it begins..."

Story by

Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney & Lawrence Wright

Teleplay by

Dan Futterman

Based on the book:

"The Looming Tower"

By

Lawrence Wright

FIRST DRAFT
February 20, 2016
OVER BLACK: March 31, 2003

FADE IN:

CLOSE ON: ALI SOUFAN (32 years old, Lebanese-American,

wearing an off-the rack dark blue suit and tie.) He stands
waiting in a marble hallway. HOLD ON him for long beat.

We HEAR heavy wooden doors being opened in front of him.

ON SCREEN: 9/11 Commission

INT. LARGE, FORMAL HEARING ROOM - DAY/CONTINUOUS

ALI’S POV: walking through the doors into the hearing room.
He’s led by a COURT OFFICER to a witness table. In front of
him, on a raised dais, sits a PANEL of nine men, one woman.

The namecards in front of the two older white men in the

middle read: “THOMAS H. KEAN”; “LEE H. HAMILTON”.

Behind them, a banner on the wall: “National Commission on

Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States”.

Ali raises his right hand. KEAN (68, former moderate

Republican governor) speaks in his odd mix of Kennedy clan
and central Jersey, tossed with a mild speech impediment.

KEAN
Do you swear or affirm to tell the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth?

ALI
I do.

KEAN
Please be seated.
(Ali sits)
Would you state your name and place
of employment for the record.

ALI
Special Agent Ali Soufan. Federal
Bureau of Investigation.

KEAN
Date of birth.

ALI
July 8th, 1971.
 2.

KEAN
Place of birth.

ALI
Hammoud Hospital. Sidon, Lebanon.

Now we recognize the faint accent in Ali’s speech. Beat, as

that information hangs in the room for a moment.

KEAN
Agent Soufan. Why does the CIA hate
you so much?

Some surprise in the room at the bluntness of the question.

Ali takes a moment deciding how to respond.

ALI
I think you'd have to ask them that
question, sir. Hate is a strong word.

HAMILTON
You testified before the Joint
Inquiry that the CIA withheld
intelligence from the FBI on
multiple occasions. Intelligence
that would have prevented the
attacks on September 11th.

HAMILTON (72, former conservative Democratic congressman from

Indiana) has a good working relationship with KEAN as co-
chair of the Commission.

ALI
I believe I also testified that they
withheld information from the INS
and the State Department.

HAMILTON
What you're saying is contrary to
CIA testimony.

ALI
(simple)
All right.

HAMILTON
So you're telling us they've lied
to this commission.

KEAN
Perhaps we've identified the source
of their hatred. That was easy.

Some scattered titters. Ali doesn’t react to the joke.

 3.

ALI
I don't know exactly what you've been
told, sir. We can go through each
specific statement, if you wish. But I
can say this: if members of the CIA
testified that the Agency properly
shared information with the Bureau in
the manner in which they are, by law,
directed to share that information -
then you’ve been lied to.

Beat.

KEAN
Let’s start from the beginning.

ALI
Yes, sir.

KEAN
When were you brought into the
Bureau’s division of the Joint
Terrorism Task Force?

ALI
1998. I was a recent recruit in the
New York Office. The late John
O’Neill asked me to join him and
his I-49 squad.

Whenever Ali speaks about his former boss and mentor, we can
sense his reverence and love, as well as his grief.

ALI (CONT’D)
At the time, there were repeated
warnings we were going to be
attacked, but no one was listening.
John O’Neill was one of the few
people in this country who was
willing to listen. By the middle of
that year, the warnings were coming
one right after another...

I/E. TOYOTA OFF-ROAD VEHICLE/AFGHANISTAN - LATE AFTERNOON

ON SCREEN: 1998. Hindu Kush, Afghanistan

POV FROM THE BACK SEAT of a beaten-up 4-wheel drive as it

bounces on a dirt road in the Afghan mountains:
EGYPTIAN DRIVER; and next to him in the passenger seat, a
Yemeni bodyguard, ABU JANDAL (27, al Qaeda Chief of Security).
 4.

Abu Jandal’s CELL PHONE rings. He answers, has a brief exchange

in Arabic. HANGS UP, turns to look directly into CAMERA -

ABU JANDAL
(accented English)
Now we take you to the Sheikh.

The driver TURNS sharply up a dirt road heading towards the

top of the mountain.

CUT to see from whose POV we’ve been watching: JOHN MILLER
(38, ABC News reporter, in a brand new safari jacket) sits
next to his PRODUCER in the back seat. A TEENAGED AL QAEDA
MEMBER is seated on the jump-seat, aiming his old AKM MACHINE
GUN directly at them. With every bump, Miller has to avoid
getting slammed in the face with the barrel of the gun.
He looks deeply out of place in this rugged country.

EXT. AL QAEDA TRAINING ENCAMPMENT/AFGHANISTAN - EVENING

AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI (50 but looks older, Egyptian, spectacled

and chunky - Usama bin Laden’s right hand man) is ordering 30
LOCAL AFGHAN TRIBESMEN with Soviet-era AK-47 assault rifles
into two lines. He’s giving orders in Arabic while the
tribesmen speak Pashto, so it’s fairly chaotic, with a lot of
pointing and shouting.

KHALLAD (19 years old, Yemeni, al Qaeda member with ONE LEG
and a METAL PROSTHESIS) is handing cash payments to the
various tribesmen.

Through it all, a YOUNG MALE ASSISTANT is combing and darkening

Zawahiri’s beard... the cameras will arrive soon...

Abu Jandal’s vehicle pulls up in a cloud of dust and Zawahiri

NUDGES away his groomer.

Miller is out, followed by the TEENAGER with the machine gun.

Miller extends his hand to Zawahiri. Miller’s producer is
HANDED a CRAPPY HOME-VIDEO CAMERA by the YOUNG ASSISTANT.

MILLER
Dr. al-Zawahiri, John Miller, ABC
News, thank you for having us.

Zawahiri speaks very good English. He’s also cast an

immediate and calculated placidity over himself in order to
appear statesman-like and in control -

ZAWAHIRI
It is our pleasure. As-salaam
alaykum.
 5.

MILLER
Right, yes... and to you too...
(eyes the guns warily)
Doctor, please - I appreciate your
security concerns, but we really
need our news cameras back.

ZAWAHIRI
They are being inspected.

MILLER
I understand. I do. But we’re going
to need to record the interview on
high-quality video for broadcast --
(looking around the camp)
- And if we could figure out some b-
roll set-ups - something to intercut
with --

ZAWAHIRI
(knows exactly what b-roll is)
Mr. Miller of ABC News. This is not
like Sam Donaldson walking in the
Rose Garden with Bill Clinton. Mr.
bin Laden is a very important man.

MILLER
(beat)
Ah.

And then Usama bin Laden’s Toyota SUV is arriving in the camp.

ABU JANDAL trots over and stands next to the SUV facing
outward, holding his 9mm Makarov pistol.

From the front passenger seat emerges ALI MOHAMMED (46,

Egyptian, 6’1” and 200 lbs; we’ll learn a lot more about him
later), holding a pistol. He makes a show of scanning the
area. Then he NODS to Abu Jandal, who opens the backseat
door... and then the tribesmen are FIRING THEIR RIFLES in the
air and cheering loudly (they’ve been paid, after all) and
Miller’s PRODUCER is videotaping with the crappy camera.

(Actual ABC NEWS footage:) UBL gets out of the SUV and walks
in between the lines of tribesmen, shyly acknowledging the
loving gunshots and cheers. The Sheikh behaves as if he
doesn’t notice the CAMERA filming him, and he proceeds right
past Zawahiri without a look.

(Back to our filmed footage): Miller’s PRODUCER, videotaping,

follows UBL into a nearby tent. So does everyone else.
 6.

John Miller is left standing outside with Zawahiri, who makes

every effort to mask his hurt at the lack of acknowledgement from
UBL, and the very pronounced shift in attention to his boss.

ZAWAHIRI
(polite; stiff)
There. You have your b-roll.

He walks into the tent.

INT. TENT/AFGHANISTAN - NIGHT/TEN MINUTES LATER

Interview (using real footage of UBL) is intercut with actor

playing John Miller (they’ve got the NEWS CAMERAS back)...

MILLER
Mr. Bin Laden, you’ve issued a
fatwa calling on Muslims to kill
Americans where they can, when they
can. Is that directed at all
Americans? The American military?
Just the Americans in Saudi Arabia?

A translator repeats the question for UBL in Arabic, then:

USING REAL FOOTAGE OF UBL:

UBL
(in Arabic)
Praise be to Allah...

(NOTE: As UBL answers, we will note several things in the

background of his shot:

He sits in front of a WALL MAP OF AFRICA; we also see TWO MEN

off to the side of him, watching. They are MOHAMED AL-OWHALI
and “JIHAD ALI” AZZAM; we will see them again later.)

WE WILL CUT ONCE OR TWICE MORE BETWEEN MILLER AND UBL, and
then, on one of the cuts back to UBL, the CAMERA pulls back
to show that we’re now watching the interview on a SMALL
PORTABLE TV, which sits on a government-issue desk...

INT. NY FBI OFFICE - NIGHT/TWO WEEKS LATER

HEAR the sound of typing as the CAMERA moves from the

PORTABLE TV to show a MAN’S HANDS typing on an ARABIC
KEYBOARD. (The English language keyboard has been unplugged
and pushed to the side...)

CAMERA keeps moving/turning to show ARABIC words unfurling on

the COMPUTER SCREEN next to the TV...
 7.

THEN, we see who’s typing:

ALI SOUFAN (27 years old), deep in concentration, watches the

interview - now playing some weeks later on ABC NEWS. He types
what Arabic he can hear through the voiceover translation.

Behind him, the vast floor of government desks and cubicles is

EMPTY. He’s the only one here this late at night. Except...
far off across the floor, we can see a LIGHT ON IN AN OFFICE -

INT. JOHN O’NEILL’S OFFICE/NY FBI - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

JOHN O’NEILL (46, tall, black hair slicked back, pinky ring)
stands staring at his large flat-screen TV. He’s intent,
motionless. The UBL interview continues to play.

O’Neill wears a black, double-breasted Burberry suit,

lavender shirt, violet tie and pocket square. His is an
expensively appointed office - polished wood, stainless
steel, mauve carpet - no government issue furniture here.

(At some point we may notice on his coffee table a book about
tulips: The Flower that Drives Men Wild. But, for now...)

O’Neill’s eyes ZERO IN on TWO FIGURES in the background,

behind UBL - their faces blurred out. Why are they blurred?
Who did that?

INT. NY FBI OFFICE/ALI SOUFAN’S DESK - NIGHT/MINUTES LATER

TV now on MUTE (the interview is over), Ali’s looking at

THREE PRINTED-OUT SHEETS of Arabic text, side-by-side on his
desk. He highlights several key lines.

Behind him, a tall figure is weaving his way through the

cubicles until he’s directly behind Ali -

O’NEILL
How the background checks coming?

Ali’s startled, turns to see O’Neill, whose voice and

demeanor most closely resemble a South Jersey mafia don. Ali
picks up a tall stack of folders on the side of his desk -

ALI
Fine - they’re - fine - I mean, I
finished...
(he stands, confused, and
holds them out, offering -)
Do you want -?
 8.

O’NEILL
You’re Ali Soufan.

ALI
Yes. I am... Hello, sir, it’s -

O’NEILL
You wrote the memo on bin Laden. In
your free time.

Ali can’t tell if this is a good thing or not -

ALI
I always finish my work first, but
I thought -

O’NEILL
(walking past him, toward
the elevators)
Get your coat. We’re going to dinner.

Ali, stunned, puts the stack of folders down and grabs his
jacket.

INT. ELAINE’S/UPPER EAST SIDE - NIGHT

The famous watering hole. Bustling.

As soon as he walks in (with Ali trailing behind) O’Neill’s

met with greetings from the bar, and with a huge kiss from
ELAINE KAUFMAN (68), zaftig proprietress and NY fixture.

ELAINE
Look what the cat dragged in.

O’NEILL
Hello, beautiful.

ELAINE
Feels like forever.

O’NEILL
24 hours will do that.

ELAINE
When you miss someone you miss
someone.
(calling out to the waiter
by the bar)
Dougie! Bring Johnny his drink!

Over the bar, silently playing on TV, is Bernard Shaw on CNN

reporting on Bill Clinton and Monicagate.
 9.

INT. ELAINE’S - NIGHT/FIVE MINUTES LATER

Corner table. O’Neill’s seated facing the door, as he always

does - both as a way of surveying the room for important
faces, and as a habitual security measure. He’s got his
Chivas and water with a twist. Ali’s across from him, waiting
for his drink. We pick them up mid-conversation -

O’NEILL
You applied to the Bureau on a dare?

ALI
My fraternity brothers thought it
would be funny if a Muslim who drank
heavily in college sent in a resume.

Ali’s Dewars on ice is delivered.

ALI (CONT’D)
Thank you.
(back to O’Neill)
We weren’t sure which one would
disqualify me more. The alcohol or
the Islam. We had a pool whether
I’d get in or not.

O’NEILL
You put money in the pot?

ALI
(nods)
I lost.

O’NEILL
(holds up his glass)
Here’s to losing.

ALI
That was the only time in my life I
was okay with it.

O’NEILL
Let’s hope it’s the last time you do.

They drink. O’Neill crosses his legs and Ali sees, just above
the slip-on Gucci loafers - and over the semi-transparent
socks - an ANKLE HOLSTER with a small pistol: a mini-Glock.

O’NEILL (CONT’D)
Tell me what you thought of the
interview tonight.
 10.

ALI
Honestly?
(then)
I think it's the third warning.
First there was the ‘96 declaration
of jihad, then the February fatwa,
and now bin Laden's going straight
to the American people.

O’NEILL
Why three times?

ALI
There’s this an unauthenticated
hadith -
(off O’Neill’s slight headshake)
- the sayings of the Prophet
Mohammed. This one is in dispute -
some think he said it, some don’t.
But it says, roughly: “Many snakes
are evil spirits; when you see such a
snake in your house, you should warn
it three times. If it returns, you
must kill it, for it is a devil.”

O’NEILL
UBL’s warning the snake to get out
of his house.

ALI
Telling America to get out of the
Middle East. Out of Saudi Arabia,
in particular.

O’NEILL
You think that’s why he agreed to
do the interview?

ALI
Bin Laden is a master propagandist.
He used Miller’s interview to
appear strong by directly
threatening the United States as he
looked an American in the eye.

O’Neill nods, thinking, looking past Ali. Beat. Then -

O’NEILL
(loud)
So you think John Miller got used?

Ali’s confused by the change in tone, but before he can

answer, O’NEILL IS UP and GREETING JOHN MILLER and pulling
him into a bear hug -
 11.

O’NEILL (CONT’D)
Hey, I’m glad you could make it --
(turning)
John Miller, meet Agent Ali Soufan.
He was just talking about you.

Ali’s now standing, completely speechless. He had no idea

Miller had been invited.

Miller is old friends with O’Neill - he understands the

hazing that’s going on and plays along, looking at Ali -

MILLER
You think I got used?

ALI
Sir - I assure you, I - that - that
is not actually what --

O’Neill laughs, clapping Ali on the back -

O’NEILL
Okay, okay, calm down. Sit. Both of
you, sit. Can’t we all just get
along?

MILLER
(as they sit, to Ali)
Did he just quote Rodney King?

O’NEILL
Dougie! Glenlivet and rocks for
Miller. And another round.
(sitting, to Miller)
So, world traveler, how was it?

MILLER
Total luxury. The Ritz-Taliban
Mountain Resort. Dirt beds, hard
wool blankets. Those guys know how
to throw a party.

O’NEILL
Well, you deserve the best.

Miller’s drink is delivered.

O’NEILL (CONT’D)
Salut. Welcome home.

MILLER
Salut.

Ali’s watching these two old friends enjoy each other.

 12.

O’NEILL
It was a good piece you put
together.

MILLER
The network kept making me cut it
down. All anyone wants to hear about
is Monica’s cum-stained dress.

O’NEILL
I don’t get it. I’ve cum on a lot
of dresses and nobody ever wants to
hear about those.

MILLER
(laughs)
Show me the dress and I’ll do the
reporting.

O’NEILL
(leans in, suddenly serious)
Lemme ask you something. Who were
the two guys blacked-out in the
background of your interview?

MILLER
No idea. Ayman al-Zawahiri - you
know who he is -
(O’Neill NODS)
- he insisted they get scrubbed
before he’d hand over the tapes.

O’Neill glances at Ali, then back at Miller.

O’NEILL
Why those two guys?

MILLER
Don’t know.

Beat. O’Neill sits back in his chair. Raises his eyebrows -

O’NEILL
Maybe you did get used.

PRELAP: Placido Domingo starts to sing Puccini’s tenor aria

“E lucevan le stelle” from Tosca.

EXT. RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN/CROWDED SIDE STREET - NIGHT

“E lucevan le stelle” continues on the soundtrack.

 13.

CAMERA tracks behind JIHAD ALI as he weaves through a densely

populated side street. Mopeds, diesel cars, donkey-carts
fight for space as pedestrians walk in and out of traffic.
JIHAD ALI is carrying a SMALL PAPER BAG. He turns to enter a
CHEAP ROOMING HOUSE...

INT. CHEAP ROOMING HOUSE/RAWALPINDI - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

“E lucevan le stelle” on the soundtrack.

CAMERA follows Jihad Ali as he walks quickly past the

scratched plexiglass window behind which a very old FRONT
DESK CLERK sleeps. He mounts the stairs.

INT. CHEAP ROOMING HOUSE/DECREPIT ROOM - NIGHT/MOMENTS LATER

“E lucevan le stelle” on the soundtrack.

Jihad Ali enters the room. MOHAMED AL-OWHALI stands at the

cruddy sink, just finishing CUTTING HIS OWN HAIR with a
scissors in the mirror.

Owhali hands Jihad Ali the SCISSORS, takes the PAPER BAG.
Owhali removes an ELECTRIC CLIPPER.

OWHALI
Haza zein wallah.

Owhali turns it on, starts shaving off his beard in the

mirror. Jihad Ali, next to him, begins to cut his own hair.

INT. CIA/HALLWAY - NIGHT

“E lucevan le stelle” continues on the soundtrack.

CAMERA tracks quickly behind a RED-HAIRED WOMAN in her late

twenties as she runs down a CARPETED HALLWAY - dark wood
paneling and expensive art on the walls. SHE’S CARRYING A
PACKAGE. She turns down a stairwell -

INT. CIA/HALLWAY/LOWER FLOOR - MOMENTS LATER

MUSIC continues...

CAMERA follows RED-HEAD as she emerges from the stairs and

runs down a tiled hallway on a less fancy LOWER FLOOR. She
stops at an UNMARKED DOOR, touches her KEYCARD to a scanner.
The door opens. She ENTERS -
 14.

INT. ALEC STATION/CIA - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

MUSIC continues...

CAMERA follows RED-HEAD hustling through a warren of empty

cubicles to an office on the far side of the room. KNOCKS
quickly, enters.

INT. SCHMIDT’S OFFICE/ALEC STATION - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

MUSIC continues...

MARTIN SCHMIDT (48, bearded, spectacled, burly and

professorial - always believes he’s by far the smartest in
the room) looks up from his lamplit desk to see:

The red-head, MICHELLE FRANCES (28, smart, profoundly

ambitious) holding up a package: a SECURE DIPLOMATIC POUCH.

MICHELLE FRANCES
We got the hard drive.

SCHMIDT
(smiles slightly)
Good girl.

We may or may not notice the PHOTO on Schmidt’s desk of him,

his wife, and two little daughters.

PRELAP: A PHONE RINGING as heard through a cell phone...

INT. EAST VILLAGE APARTMENT BUILDING/LOBBY AND STAIRWELL -

LATE NIGHT

O’Neill’s on his CELL as he comes through the outside door to

the building. He’s just called someone and we HEAR the phone
ringing through his cell. He holds a bouquet of YELLOW ROSES.

“E lucevan le stelle” continues, though now it’s MUFFLED, as

if it’s coming from one of the apartments in the building.

WE HEAR, through O’Neill’s cell, someone answer:

FITZGERALD (ON PHONE)

Fitzgerald.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

You’re the only other person in the
Justice Department who actually
works for a living.
 15.

INTERCUT with PATRICK FITZGERALD (38, Assistant U.S. Attorney

for the Southern District) in his office, working late --

FITZGERALD (ON PHONE)

You call what you do working? I’m
sitting at my desk. How about you?

O’NEILL
It’s all work. Whether you’re
getting drunk doing it or not.

FITZGERALD
I went into the wrong end of the
business. So what’s going on, John?

As O’Neill mounts the stairs:

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

You see the interview tonight? I
call Louie Freeh afterwards, he’s
tucked in bed with his cell phone
off. What the fuck is that?

FITZGERALD
I suppose he’s trying to sleep.
Tell me what I can do for you.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

I’m sick of waiting for the Sisters
to hand over information. We ask
and we ask and they give us shit.
We gotta starting acting on our
own.

FITZGERALD (ON PHONE)

You need an indictment to act on
your own, John.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

I know that. Tell me what I gotta
give you to get one?

FITZGERALD (ON PHONE)

You tie UBL to something concrete.
Anything. Karachi Consulate attack,
Khobar Towers. You get me anything,
no matter how thin, I promise I’ll
get you an indictment.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

You’re a good man, Patrick. Go home
and get some sleep.
 16.

FITZGERALD (ON PHONE)

You too.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

I’m working on it.

He HANGS UP as he UNLOCKS and enters -

INT. LIZ’S LOFT APARTMENT/EAST VILLAGE - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

We realize the source of the music we’ve been hearing all

this while: the STEREO in the living room, playing the vinyl
album of Domingo singing Tosca.

LIZ EGAN (35, sly, stylish, Brooklyn College Professor of

Medieval Studies), sits on the other side of the boho-chic
floor-through, on a stool at the slate kitchen island
counter. She in front of a bottle of white wine and a stack
of essays, still dressed in work clothes - a skirt and
blouse. She looks up -

O’Neill smiles, turning on the charm. (We will come to learn

that O’Neill can, and does, switch moods on a dime.)

O’NEILL
You’re playing our song.

LIZ
Is this our song?

O’NEILL
You making love to Puccini with
somebody else these days?

LIZ
A few guys. Mostly Freshmen.

O’NEILL
(coming towards her)
At least they’re learning something
useful.

LIZ
They’re certainly not learning
anything else. If I have to read
another Beowulf essay cribbed from
frigging Cliffs Notes I’m gonna
kill somebody.

He spins her stool towards him, hikes her skirt a bit and
pulls her close to him.
 17.

O’NEILL
Don’t do that. ‘Cause then I’d have
to arrest you.

LIZ
Ooh. Is that a promise?

He puts the YELLOW ROSES on the counter.

LIZ (CONT’D)
Aren’t you sweet.

O’NEILL
(leans in, kissing behind her
ear, nuzzling her neck)
Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the
roote...

LIZ
(closing her eyes)
...That’s good - The Jesuits taught
you well...

O’NEILL
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour -

LIZ
(stroking his hair as he
nuzzles her)
- That’s so good... That’s Chaucer,
but it’s good...
(he kisses her neck)
Is that a gun in your pocket or you
just happy to see me?

O’NEILL
(still kissing)
You know I keep my firearm on my ankle.

LIZ
Then that’s one long firearm.

He picks her up as she wraps her legs around him and carries
her toward the couch.

LIZ (CONT’D)
How was your day, baby?

O’NEILL
Just trying catch some bad guys. If
I can only figure out who they are.
 18.

LIZ
I’m rooting for you, Sheriff...

As he lays on top of her --

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE.

INT. 9/11 COMMISSION HEARING ROOM - DAY

Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton WHISPER, conferring with each other.
We’re back with Ali Soufan in Commission testimony.

KEAN
Agent Soufan. Can you tell us the
first time you became aware that
the CIA was withholding information
from your unit?

ALI
The FBI had two agents assigned to
Alec Station - the bin Laden unit
of the CIA. They were supposed to
be informed of intelligence so they
could report back to John O’Neill.
In the summer of 1998, Alec Station
came into possession of a hard
drive from a clandestine cell in
Eastern Europe...

INT. ALEC STATION/GLASS-WINDOWED CONFERENCE ROOM - VERY EARLY

MORNING

Schmidt is standing next to Michelle Frances, both bent over

a computer screen as Michelle scrolls through the attached
HARD DRIVE, scanning the ARABIC SCRIPT -

ALI (V.O.) (CONT’D)

... Martin Schmidt refused to share
that intelligence.

Michelle points at an Arabic phrase on the screen.

MICHELLE
Tirana.

Schmidt NODS. Behind them, at the conference table, are 10

other FEMALE AGENTS, poring over printed documents of Arabic
script, as well as grainy, PRINTED PHOTOS of various men.
 19.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)
You know our boys have been keeping
an eye on the Albanian cell.

SCHMIDT
Indeed I do...

Schmidt places a PIN in TIRANA, ALBANIA on a LARGE WORLD MAP

attached to the wall. There are SCORES OF OTHER PINS. Several
of them in AFRICA.

ALI (V.O.) (CONT’D)

On that hard drive were lists of al
Qaeda operatives and more than 50
potential targets.

As Schmidt places the pin, Michelle glances out through the

interior windows at the rest of the Alec Station office:

Her POV: VINCE STUART (35, FBI, Irish-Italian, dresses and

talks like John O’Neill, his boss and idol) and TONI-ANN
MARINACCIO (32, FBI, Italian-American, tough) are coming
across the office towards them.

MICHELLE FRANCES
(to Schmidt)
Professor. The retarded twins.

Schmidt looks over. Immediately, to everyone -

SCHMIDT
Shut it down. Close up shop.

Michelle TURNS OFF the computer and CLOSES the venetian

blinds as the rest of the women shut their folders, turn
their printed photos face down on the table.

Schmidt comes out of the conference room. He shuts the door

behind him.

VINCE
What you going over in there, Martin?

SCHMIDT
Whatever we may or may not be
examining is entirely none of your
business.

TONI-ANN
Sir. The way this works is you show
us what you got and then we discuss
if it’s our business.
 20.

SCHMIDT
(utterly non-committal)
Mmm.

He moves not one inch. If there’s one thing that lights Toni-
Ann’s fuse, it’s being dismissed. She does her best to
control herself -

TONI-ANN
Okay. We’re flying back to New York
this morning. John O’Neill is gonna
want to know what you’re looking at.

SCHMIDT
I see.
(beat)
Fuck John O’Neill.

He walks back in the conference room and shuts the door.

INT. NY FBI OFFICE/I-49 CONFERENCE ROOM - LATE MORNING

Twelve agents around a large table. O’Neill is coming around

the final stretch, doing what he does to start every meeting:
shaking each agent’s hand -- which most find collegial and
endearing, but one in particular (BOB CHESNEY, the veteran)
finds a waste of time, and like a blatant attempt on
O’Neill’s part to extract tangible signs of respect and love.
(All true, but it’s also endearing.)

The most important of these agents (our principals) are the

ones he’s greeting on this last stretch of table: DUFF GORDON
(former top gun); KATHLEEN SHAUGHNESSY (early 30's, Queens
native, daughter of NY cop); FLOYD BENNET (African-American,
NY State Police SWAT team); BOB CHESNEY (55, pot-bellied FBI
veteran with a bushy mustache, nicknamed Grumpy Santa).

We should notice, on one of the walls, a PHOTO TREE of al

Qaeda, with UBL and Zawahiri at the top, and various PHOTOS
and NAMES descending from there. Many spots are BLANK, or
just have a NAME and no PHOTO. Some spots have two or more
names (a GIVEN NAME plus one or two ALIASES). It’s far less
complete than the Alec Station wall -

O’NEILL
(shaking his hand)
Duff, good morning.

DUFF
Boss.

O’NEILL
How’s your wife?
 21.

DUFF
Hangin in there, thanks.

O’NEILL
(shaking her hand)
Kathy, you’re a sight for sore eyes.

KATHY
Glad to be of service.

O’NEILL
(shaking Bob’s)
Bobby.

Bob Chesney leans over to KISS John’s pinky ring -

CHESNEY
Godfather.

O’NEILL
(pulls his hand away)
Suck me, asshole.
(moves to Floyd Bennet)
Floyd, how are you?

FLOYD
(shaking)
I’m good, sir. Good morning.

O’NEILL
(to everyone)
Does anybody know how many Arabic
speakers there are in the Bureau?

O’Neill arrives behind Ali Soufan, placing his hands on his

shoulders.

O’NEILL (CONT’D)
Anybody?

A moment, then Ali speaks quietly, looking down at the table -

ALI
Eight -

O’NEILL
Eight!
(looks at Ali)
Do you know the answer to every
question I have?

ALI
(earnest)
No sir, I’m sure that --
 22.

O’NEILL
(it was rhetorical)
- Eight Arabic speakers when we’ve
just had war declared on us by al
Qaeda. That’s how serious our
government takes this threat. Well,
fuck them - now we’ve got one of
the eight --

The door opens - VINCE and TONI-ANN walk in -

TONI-ANN
Sorry boss, shuttle was delayed.

BOB CHESNEY
Kiss the ring.

O’NEILL
Suck me, Bobby.
(as Vince and Toni-Ann head
to their seats)
What’s happening in the Manson
Family?

VINCE
It is freakin weird that it’s all
women and one bearded guy, right?
I’m glad it’s not just me.
(notices Ali, suspicious)
Who’s this?

O’NEILL
Your newest colleague, Ali Soufan.
He can answer absolutely any
questions you have.

VINCE
(confused)
All right. Welcome.

TONI-ANN
How you doing, Ollie?

ALI
Ali.

TONI-ANN
That’s what I said.

ALI
Yes, all right. Well - I’m very
well, it’s nice to meet --
 23.

O’NEILL
- Okay, everybody shut up.
What’s going on in Langley?

TONI-ANN
You’re not gonna like it, but they got
intel they’re not sharing.

She’s right: O’Neill doesn’t like it. He tries to stay calm.

O’NEILL
Tell me what you know.

TONI-ANN
As far as we could gather, they got
their hands on a hard drive. We
think it might be from the
operation they ran last month with
the national police in Azerbaijan.
We know they picked up Ahmad Salama
Mabruk - head of the al Qaeda cell -
(she points to his photo on
the wall)
- and renditioned him to Cairo.
It’s probably his computer.

O’NEILL
You didn’t find out what’s on it.

TONI-ANN
Schmidt closed us out -

O’NEILL
(closes his eyes)
- Goddamnit -

VINCE
- He gave us the Heisman. Wouldn’t
even let us in the room where they
were going through the hard drive.

O’NEILL
Fuck that motherfucker... Fuck.
Fuck him --

He sweeps the phone off the table, crashing it into the wall.

VINCE
Interesting, he said the same thing
about you.

O’NEILL
Did you see anything?
 24.

VINCE
All I caught was him and the
redhead putting some pins in a map.
I think I saw one go in Albania.

O’NEILL
In Albania?

VINCE
Tirana.

And now O’Neill turns on a dime and is all business, making

plans, proactive, done throwing a fit over Schmidt (for now):

O’NEILL
Okay. Okay. We’re done waiting for
the Sisters to cough up intelligence.
Fitzgerald’ll ram through an
indictment on UBL so we can start
acting on our own. We just gotta give
him something. He’ll make it work.
Bobby, what’ve you got? Anything. Old
leads, stale bullshit...

BOB CHESNEY
(considering; he shrugs)
You remember Wadih el-Hage - used to
be UBL's secretary in Sudan, now
lives in Nairobi? We think he broke
with him a while back so it’s
probably a dead end -

O’NEILL
- Get on the first plane to Kenya.
I want whatever you can find.
(to Shaughnessy)
Kathy. I need you in Azerbaijan.

KATHY
Boss, I’m from Queens. I don’t even
have a passport.

O’NEILL
Call State and get one today. Then
get your ass to Baku. I want a copy
of that computer.

INT. EMIRATES AIRLINES FLIGHT (ISLAMABAD TO NAIROBI) - NIGHT

A refreshment cart comes down the aisle of this half-empty

flight. The FLIGHT ATTENDANT is dressed in long sleeves, with
her hair covered. She quietly says “miah mueba'a?” (”bottled
water?”) to the few passengers who are awake.
 25.

Mohamed al-Owhali sits on the aisle staring forward; Jihad

Ali sleeps next to him. As the flight attendant passes...

FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Miah mueba’a?

Owhali shakes his head once, willing himself not to look at

her.... But, as she passes, he GLANCES QUICKLY, and sees,
beneath her long fitted skirt, the bottom of her legs in
sheer stockings. Astonished, ashamed, he stares straight
ahead once again, his heart slamming in his chest -

PRELAP: NBC’s “Today” theme music...

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C./VARIOUS - MORNING/ESTABLISHING

SOUNDTRACK: NBC’s “Today” theme music...

- Congressional staffers streaming into the side entrance to

the Capitol.

SOUNDTRACK: “Today” hosts Matt Lauer and Katie Couric welcome

the audience...

- Tourists on the Mall.

WE HEAT MATT LAUER on “Today”...

MATT LAUER (ON TV) (V.O.)

In late breaking news last night,
Monica Lewinsky’s lawyers have
reached an agreement with Special
Prosecutor Kenneth Starr...

- A COFFEE SHOP NEAR the Mall: secretaries, government

lawyers, aides line the counter, eating eggs and drinking
coffee. ON THE TV MOUNTED ON THE WALL: Matt Lauer on “Today”:

MATT LAUER (ON TV)

...Ms. Lewinsky will receive full
immunity in exchange for her
testimony before a Grand Jury...

EXT. PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE/OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE - MORNING

D.C. Police chat casually with each other as they watch

tourists walk along the street in front of the White House.

PRELAP:
 26.

CLARKE (O.S.)
Thank you for making yourselves
available once again --

INT. RICHARD CLARKE’S OFFICE/WHITE HOUSE - DAY

RICHARD CLARKE (48 but looks older: ghostly pale, white hair,
asexual demeanor, like a benevolent, neutered vampire) is the
“Counter-terrorism Tsar” of the Clinton administration.

Every week, counter-terrorism personnel from CIA, FBI, DIA (US

Army Gen. Patrick M. Hughes, in uniform), DEA, NSA (USAF Lt.
Gen. Kenneth Minihan, in uniform) convene in his office.
O’Neill is there. Schmidt too.

CLARKE
- Thanks especially to those who
travel in.
(a nod to O’Neill)
John.

SCHMIDT
(lame joke)
I come all the way across the
river.

CLARKE
You do. And the American people owe
you a debt of gratitude.

O’Neill can barely look at Schmidt.

CLARKE (CONT’D)
Let’s get status updates before
moving ahead.
(looks at Hughes)
General.

The DIA director hands over to Clarke a small stack of typed

reports, stamped CLASSIFIED. Each report is several pages.
Clarke takes one for himself and passes the rest on.

GENERAL HUGHES
Details of continuing ops are there
for you to read. The headliner is
our continued readiness in Senegal
for evacuations from Guinea-Bissau
if the military coup spills over.

CLARKE
Good. Good. Thank you, General.
(Schmidt)
Martin?
 27.

SCHMIDT
Nothing new this week.

Schmidt has no notes. No folder to bring others’ notes back

with him. He’s here because he has to be. Then he’ll go do
his work back in Langley. In private.

O’Neill can’t help himself -

O’NEILL
- You have nothing new.

SCHMIDT
That is what I said, John.

O’NEILL
You think I’m a complete moron?

SCHMIDT
Are you interested in an answer to
that question --

O’NEILL
- Can I remind you of NSD Directive
30, signed by President Reagan. And
PDD-24 and PRD-44 signed by
President Clinton --

SCHMIDT
- I thank you for the memories --

O’NEILL
- It’s not your choice whether you
share intelligence. You’re required
to share it with the FBI and
everyone else in this room --

SCHMIDT
(ignoring O’Neill, to Clarke)
- I have nothing new, Richard -

O’NEILL
(continues over him)
- What’s going on in Albania, Marty?
You got a hard drive from Ahmad
Salama Mabruk which mentions
Albania. Where is Mabruk? Why hasn’t
the FBI had a chance to question
him? What’s on his hard drive?
(no response)
You’ve got a stash of intel that
you refuse to share with my agents.
 28.

The calmer Schmidt is, the angrier O’Neill will get; Schmidt
both knows and enjoys this, immensely.

SCHMIDT
If we were in possession of such a
computer - and I’m not confirming
that we are - it would be a foreign
intelligence matter, not a law
enforcement matter.

O’NEILL
So you do have the hard drive.

SCHMIDT
I don’t know what leads you --

O’NEILL
- How would you know if it’s a law
enforcement matter or a foreign
intelligence matter if you haven’t
looked at the hard drive?

SCHMIDT
(his ego won’t let him stay
entirely calm)
If we did have any intelligence
whatsoever, we would need to
confirm its validity. We'd need to
go through and decide how best to
use it, before you do what you
always do: start arresting people
around the globe and putting them
on trial - before you go and blow a
possible gold mine of information
and render it entirely, wholly,
utterly useless. So - no - I’m not
prepared to say one way or another--

O’NEILL
- How about you take a deep fucking
breath and get yourself prepared --

CLARKE
- Okay, let’s calm down for --

O’NEILL
- I don’t want to calm down. Did any
of you watch tv the other night?
(pointing directly to Schmidt)
(MORE)
 29.

O’NEILL (CONT'D)
If one American is killed because
of information you kept secret --
when I get my hands on that hard
drive - and I will get my hands on
it - I will shove it so far up your
asshole you’ll be combing shit
outta your pompous fucking beard --

CLARKE
All right. Enough. John, sit down.
After the meeting, Martin will go
back to Alec and go through what
he’s got with his team --

O’NEILL
- The goddamn point of these meetings is
to share what we’ve got from our teams
and work together. We might need to alert
our allies to watchlist names, we...

O’Neill STOPS. And just like that, on a dime, he’s done

discussing it. He speaks calmly -

O’NEILL (CONT’D)
You know what, gentlemen? You can all
go fuck yourselves. Have a good
meeting. I need to do some actual work.

He walks out the door, slams it behind him. Schmidt looks

satisfied - he’s won this particular battle.

END OF ACT TWO.

EXT. POLICE JEEP/OUTSKIRTS OF NAIROBI/MOVING - DAY

A KENYA POLICE jeep kicks up a cloud of dust as it whizzes

past playing children, stray dogs, old motorbikes.

I/E. POLICE JEEP/OUTSKIRTS OF NAIROBI/MOVING - CONTINUOUS

Chesney’s in the back seat, driven by two UNIFORMED POLICEMEN,

as they motor along this rutted road outside the city center.
Bob speaks loudly to be heard, leaning forward -

BOB CHESNEY
He’s got some charity called “Help
Africa People”, whatever that
means. You ever heard of it?
(shaking heads from the front
seat is all he gets)
And we think he’s still got this
American wife.
(MORE)
 30.

BOB CHESNEY (CONT'D)

(checks his notes)
April Brightsky Ray. If she’s
there, I can do the talking.

They stop suddenly outside a cinder-block wall with a gate.

A dog barks loudly inside the wall.

KENYAN POLICEMAN
(turns to him)
Sir. You will talk either way. This
is as far as we go.

EXT. EL-HAGE’S HOUSE - DAY/MOMENTS LATER

Chesney gets out of the jeep, shuts the door behind him. He
lumbers stiffly to the gate, sweating in his coat and tie.

The top of the cinder-block wall is lined with broken glass.

He looks through the gate: a dirt yard with a skinny German
Shepherd tied up to a post, barking his head off. Chesney
pushes the gate open slightly and the dog goes wild,
straining against its rope. Chesney unclips his holster, in
case the rope breaks, and gives the dog a wide berth as he
makes his way toward the open, dark front doorway.

AMERICAN WOMAN/VOICE (O.S.)

What you doing in my yard?

Chesney looks over to see an OBESE AMERICAN WOMAN wearing

black hijab (headscarf) and jibab (neck-to-toe robe) coming
towards him, sweaty and angry.

AMERICAN WOMAN/APRIL
Who invited you here?

Chesney keeps one eye on her and one eye on the dog, who’s
barking madly -

BOB CHESNEY
Are you April Brightsky Ray?

AMERICAN WOMAN/APRIL
You’re damn right I am.

BOB CHESNEY
(pulls out his badge)
Robert Chesney, United States FBI.

Chesney removes a paper from his coat pocket, holds it up for

her to see, still watching the rabid dog -
 31.

BOB CHESNEY (CONT’D)

I have a warrant to inspect the
home of Wadih el-Hage and April
Brightsky Ray.

Several small, unwashed children have gathered at the doorway

to the house, peering out. (There are six total).

BOB CHESNEY (CONT’D)

Is your husband here?

APRIL
Business trip.

BOB CHESNEY
I need to look around inside.

APRIL
What if I say no?

BOB CHESNEY
I’m afraid I’d have to go in anyway.

APRIL
What if I decide to untie that dog?

BOB CHESNEY
(trying to defuse)
Well, I’m more of a cat person
myself, so, I’m concerned. If I get
frightened, I might have to shoot
him. And I wouldn’t want to do that
in front of your children.

Beat, as she stares at him. Dog still barking and frothing.

BOB CHESNEY (CONT’D)

You ever thought about a cat instead?

APRIL
Go the hell on in. Just make it quick.

Chesney won’t allow a suspect to walk behind him -

BOB CHESNEY
Please, after you.

As he follows her into the house, April keeps on ranting,

pushing her children out of the way -
 32.

INT. EL-HAGE’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

APRIL
You gotta come all the way to Africa
just to get up in our business. We’re
good people - I got kids to take care
of, my daily housework to do --

Chesney looks around: it’s completely filthy. Food and dirty

clothes are everywhere; flies swarm in the corners.

APRIL (CONT’D)
- dinner to prepare, and we’re just
trying to do some good work, some
charity work, help people out --

BOB CHESNEY
- This is the charity you run with
your husband? Help Africa People?

APRIL
(turning on him; sharp and defensive)
Don’t go getting on me about that
name. I told the old man it don’t
make no sense.

BOB CHESNEY
I think it’s a perfectly good name -

Chesney opens and closes kitchen cabinets falling off the

walls, moving about the house, trying to breathe through his
mouth because of the smell, and keeping the conversation going
to distract April from the fact that he’s invading her home -

BOB CHESNEY (CONT’D)

- Of course, if you do decide you
want to fix the grammar, I’d suggest
you have some decent choices. Two,
really...
(moves out of the kitchen
and down the hall)
...You could add a comma. That way
it’d be more of an exhortation, an
encouragement: Help Africa, people!

He peers in the kids’ room: six dirty mattresses, stained

clothes everywhere, decides to move on, April following -

BOB CHESNEY (CONT’D)

Or you could simply add an ‘n’.
Help African People. That’s
probably more of what you’re going
for anyway, am I right?
 33.

Approaching the larger bedroom, we HEAR a MAN’S VOICE from

the front door, high-pitched, with a thick Lebanese accent:

MAN’S VOICE/WADIH EL HAGE (O.S.)

Hello?! Hello?!
(coming down the hall)
What are you doing in my house?
Alone with my wife in my house?

BOB CHESNEY
Mr. Wadih el-Hage?

This short, skinny man with a withered arm is outweighed by

his wife by at least a factor of three.

WADIH EL HAGE
Who are you in my house?

BOB CHESNEY
(holds out warrant)
Robert Chesney, FBI. I have a
warrant to inspect your home.

As el Hage takes the warrant, Chesney takes the opportunity

to move into the bedroom to look around.

WADIH EL HAGE
Why must you come to harass my
family? I am a businessman. I am a
charity worker -

BOB CHESNEY
- We were just talking about that -

WADIH EL HAGE
- I have done nothing wrong.

BOB CHESNEY
(looking through stray
papers on a bookshelf)
You used to be the personal
secretary to Mr. Usama bin Laden.
Is that correct?

WADIH EL HAGE
Many years ago. No longer.

BOB CHESNEY
You ever speak with him now? On the
phone?

WADIH EL HAGE
Never. I would not know how to
reach him.
 34.

BOB CHESNEY
Email?

WADIH EL HAGE
No. Never email.
(pointed)
Afghanistan does not have A-O-L.

BOB CHESNEY
I see.

Opens closet door. Stuffed to the brim with clothes and junk.

BOB CHESNEY (CONT’D)

But you did work for him.

WADIH EL HAGE
Many years ago. So many. A very
long time.

Chesney sees an OLD DESKTOP COMPUTER STUFFED on the top

shelf. Beat.

BOB CHESNEY
Did you do work for him on that computer?

INT. LIZ’S APARTMENT/EAST VILLAGE - NIGHT

Liz, in work clothes, is at the kitchen island counter

putting together a tray of LASAGNA. She’s got salad as well.
OPERA plays softly in background. She’s on the phone:

LIZ (ON PHONE)

- The one night this week I’m able to
get home in time to make us dinner...

INTERCUT WITH (the rest of the call will go back and forth):

EXT. GEORGETOWN (WASHINGTON D.C.) STREET - NIGHT/SAME TIME

CLOSE ON: John O’Neill as he walks quickly down a brick-

sidewalked, residential street, cell phone to his ear:

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

I’m sorry, Lizzie.

LIZ (ON PHONE)

It’s too bad ‘cause I’m making your
favorite.
 35.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

Not the lasagna with the ground
veal -

LIZ (ON PHONE)

You’re missing out...

He opens the outside door (with his own key) to a 3-story

townhouse, converted to an apartment on each floor.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

You’re breaking my heart. Listen,
it’s my loss. I just had a terrible
day here and I gotta stick around
and try to make things right.

LIZ (ON PHONE)

I’m sorry, baby. You want to talk
about it?

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

(mounting the stairs)
You know I’d love to but I can’t.
Classified. Can’t talk about it.

LIZ (ON PHONE)

You sure?

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

I wish I could. It would help to be
able to talk to you. You’re so
smart about these things.

LIZ (ON PHONE)

Any chance you can make the last
shuttle out? Come and wake me up?

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

No. I’m gonna take the first one
out in the morning. Head straight
to the office from the Laguardia.

He reaches the landing. Faintly, we can HEAR Etta James

singing “The Very Thought of You” from somewhere in the
building.

LIZ (ON PHONE)

All right. Go catch some bad guys.
I’ll talk to you tomorrow, baby. I
love you.

O’NEILL (ON CELL)

Love you too.
 36.

He hangs up.

The CAMERA has widened enough for us to see O’Neill’s got a

set of keys out and is opening the door to the second floor
apartment. He’s also holding a bouquet of PURPLE IRISES.

INT. SHERI’S APARTMENT - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

O’Neill comes through the door into the kitchen area and we
HEAR Etta James coming from the boom box on the counter.
(Where the NY apartment was modern/boho-chic; this is
decidedly Laura Ashley: cozy with floral prints and pastels.)

O’Neill ducks his head around the corner to see SHERI (38,
bleached blond hair; in exercise clothes; perhaps not a
genius, but about as sweet as can be), putting the finishing
touches on setting the small dinner table near the window.
She didn’t hear him come in. He watches her for a moment.

O’NEILL
You’re playing our song.

Sheri STARTLES.

SHERI
Oh my god! Oh god, Johnny, you
scared me...

She talks rapidly, pinging from one subject to the next -

SHERI (CONT’D)
Wait, no! Don’t look at me, I
didn’t get a chance to shower yet.
Oh, look, you sweetheart, look at
the flowers you brought -

O’NEILL
Come and get ‘em, darling...

SHERI
Okay, I’m gonna come over there and
I’m gonna take them, cuz I want to
put them in a vase cuz they’re so
beautiful and I don’t want them to
die. But you can’t touch me cuz I
just came from aerobics and I’m
disgusting and I need a shower. Okay?

O’NEILL
I hear you.

SHERI
Okay?
 37.

O’NEILL
Whatever you want.

SHERI
Okay?

O’NEILL
You tell me what you want, I do it.

She’s walking towards him slowly, holding her hand out.

SHERI
All right, now. Don’t get fresh with me.

O’NEILL
When am I ever fresh?

SHERI
When are you not?
(she’s getting closer)
Hold them out.

O’NEILL
(arm barely extended)
I am holding them out.

SHERI
Hold them out to me.

O’NEILL
I am holding them out.

She reaches for them and he grabs her, pulls her to him as
she squeals -

SHERI
You promised! No, Johnny, I’m
disgusting.

He holds her as he kisses her neck -

O’NEILL
You are. You’re disgusting.

She kisses him hungrily on the lips.

SHERI
You’re disgusting.

O’NEILL
You disgust me.

They’re kissing each other passionately -

 38.

SHERI
You disgust me too.

END OF ACT THREE.

INT. U.S. EMBASSY/NAIROBI/SECOND FLOOR - DAY

Bustling. Bob Chesney sits in a waiting area on the second

floor of the U.S. Embassy, el-Hage’s DESKTOP COMPUTER on his
lap. He watches the hallway teeming with kids running around
(children of the Kenyan support staff), secretaries laughing
with each other or talking on the phone, Kenyans applying for
visas -- so much color and life and energy.

DEB FLETCHER (O.S.)

Robert Chesney?

Chesney hadn’t noticed anyone approach. A middle-aged,

attractive AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN stands in front of him.
She’s maybe 48 years-old, smart, capable, and... yes...
pretty attractive. He gets to his feet.

BOB CHESNEY
Hi. Bob. Call me Bob. Yes, hi.

DEB FLETCHER
Deb Fletcher, Chief of Station.

She extends her hand, but Bob can’t shake - he’s got both
hands around the computer -

BOB CHESNEY
Umm...

DEB FLETCHER
What you got there? Is that from an
archeological dig?

BOB CHESNEY
Ha. I know, it’s an ancient one. Yah.
Big. I hope I can still turn it on.

DEB FLETCHER
Well...

She can’t shake his hand so she gives him a little HIP-CHECK,
bumping her hip lightly into his.

DEB FLETCHER (CONT’D)

Hi.

BOB CHESNEY
Hi there.
 39.

Silence. Bob swallows. He can’t tell: is she flirting with

him? Is that even a possibility?

DEB FLETCHER
Can I help you carry that?

BOB CHESNEY
Oh no. No no no. I can handle it.
Yah. I’ll, uh - I can do this.

DEB FLETCHER
All right, macho-man. Come on this
way.

As they make their way down the busy hall, kids run past,
workers nod to Debbie -

BOB CHESNEY
I didn’t notice you come over. I
was watching, well, all of this -

DEB FLETCHER
Yeah, it can get a little crazy in
here.

BOB CHESNEY
No, I meant... It’s nice. Lively.

DEB FLETCHER
It is nice. People are in and out
of here all day. Lots of folks
bring their kids. As you can see.
(re: the big windows to the street)
I’m not crazy about how exposed we
are.

BOB CHESNEY
To the street.

DEB FLETCHER
Yeah. The Ambassador’s complained
about it, but... there’s a part of
me that also likes it. All the
light. And not being cut off. Why
come someplace if you can’t be
involved with the folks there,
right? Be a part of the life. Get
to know people. Know what I mean?

She stops in front of a door and looks at him. Now he really

can’t tell. Is she flirting? God, he hopes she’s flirting.
 40.

BOB CHESNEY
Right. Super-important to get
involved with people.

DEB FLETCHER
I’m glad you think so, Bob Chesney.
(unlocks, opens door)
You can work in here. There’s a
secure phone line for when you need
to call HQ.

BOB CHESNEY
Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank
you.

DEB FLETCHER
You come find me when you’re done.
I’m one floor up.

She smiles and walks off. He watches her go. Man, she really
is pretty. Bob mutters to himself as he walks into the room.

BOB CHESNEY
“Super-important to get involved
with people”... You’re such an
idiot, Bob.

EXT. U.S. EMBASSY/NAIROBI - SAME TIME/LATE AFTERNOON

A shot of the embassy from the opposite side of the street:

vehicles passing in front, pedestrians walking...

CLICK. The SHOT FREEZES, as if it’s been snapped by a camera.

CLICK. Another PHOTO.

Now we see who’s taking the pictures: ALI MOHAMMED (whom we

last saw in Afghanistan, guarding UBL).

Ali Mohammed lets his camera hang from his neck. He looks at
a GUIDE BOOK MAP, as if he’s a tourist. He walks several feet
down the block, then turns and snaps another PHOTO of the
EMBASSY.

INT. RUNDOWN WAREHOUSE/NAIROBI - EVENING

CLOSE ON: an electric drill removes a bolt from under the

back seat of a vehicle.

PULL BACK as the back seat is removed from a BROWN TOYOTA

CARGO VAN by Mohamed al-Owhali and Jihad Ali.
 41.

We’re in an empty warehouse in a rundown neighborhood of

Nairobi. Behind them, another man, AHMED THE GERMAN (28,
Egyptian, but with lighter hair, thus his nickname) is
removing the back seat from ANOTHER VAN.

Off to the side, a fourth man, SALEH (30), carefully stacks

wooden crates (loaded with TNT and aluminum powder) and metal
cannisters (of aluminum nitrate) next to a work table laden
with TOOLS and COILS of ELECTRICAL WIRE.

EXT. U.S. EMBASSY/NAIROBI - NIGHT INTO MORNING/VARIOUS

CLICK. CLICK... PHOTOS of the U.S. Embassy taken from

different vantage points throughout the night.

CLICK... A PHOTO of the Embassy at DAWN, peaceful and quiet;

then ANOTHER at MORNING RUSH HOUR: very busy again.

PRELAP: sound of KNOCKING on a DOOR...

INT. JOHN O’NEILL’S OFFICE/NY FBI - EVENING

O’Neill’s at his desk going through some written reports -

O’NEILL
Yeah.

JOHN’S SECRETARY/MARGIE
Sir. A call for you on the secure
line.

O’NEILL
Put it through.

A separate (SECURE) phone on O’Neill’s desk rings. He answers -

O’NEILL (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

O’Neill.

BOB CHESNEY (OVER PHONE)

John. I’ve been up all night going
through el-Hage’s computer.

INTERCUT: Chesney in the SCIF (secure room) at the Embassy:

Bob’s got a flotilla of empty styrofoam coffee cups, diet

coke cans and potato chip bags on the table, along with the
computer...
 42.

BOB CHESNEY (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

You know my Arabic’s basically non-
existent, but there seems to be some
training material that got sent to
Aidid’s men in Somalia in ‘92 or
‘93, before Black Hawk Down. Maybe
some funding too -

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

- That’s perfect -

BOB CHESNEY (ON PHONE)

- You’ll have to get the new guy,
Soufan, to go through it all -

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

- Fitzgerald’ll make it work.
Whatever’s there -

BOB CHESNEY (ON PHONE)

- And there’s something else...

He moves the MOUSE to click on a document. A PHOTO comes up

on the screen -

BOB CHESNEY (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

...There’s a lot of photos on here,
probably for forging papers -
passports and whatnot - but one of
them, I’ll bet my life, is
Zawahiri’s brother, Muhammed al-
Zawahiri -

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

- Oh, Bobby, I could fuck you right
now -

BOB CHESNEY (ON PHONE)

- You know he runs the Albania cell -

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

- Out of Tirana. You’re a beautiful
man. Pouch it to me here, share the
intel with the Sisters, and come on
home. You done good, Bobby -

BOB CHESNEY (ON PHONE)

(good-natured)
- Oh, suck me.

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

Whatever you want, I’m here for
you.
 43.

BOB CHESNEY (ON PHONE)

Fuck you.

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

Fuck you too.

EXT. U.S. EMBASSY/NAIROBI/GUARD GATE - DAY/SAME TIME

A LIBYAN MAN (Anas al-Liby, 34) with a LARGE SCAR on his left
cheek, approaches the guard house to the parking lot. VIEW
FROM ACROSS THE STREET: Al-Liby walks up to the guard house,
speaks to the guard, who motions him to step aside as the
Guard reaches under the counter to presses a button, lifting
the GATE ARM to let a CAR in. Al-Liby observes this as we
observe him from across the street. CLICK. Another PHOTO.

INT. RICHARD CLARKE’S OFFICE/WHITE HOUSE - EVENING

Clarke has just PICKED UP the SECURE PHONE on his desk -

CLARKE (ON PHONE)

John, what’s up?

O’NEILL (OVER PHONE)

You gotta level with me. Is the
Agency making a move in Tirana?

INTERCUT WITH: O’Neill in his OFFICE. Clarke hesitates.

O’NEILL (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

Fitzgerald’s about to get me an
indictment on UBL. I’ve got a
computer that belongs to his Sudan
secretary that has passport photos
of Mohammed al-Zawahiri. If
something’s going down in Tirana, I
need an agent there.

On Clarke, at his desk, listening --

EXT. MOUSTACHE CAFE/BEDFORD ST./WEST VILLAGE - EVENING

SHOT FROM ACROSS THE STREET: We see Ali Soufan and a pretty,
blond young woman, Heather, seated at a table by the window.

ALI
How’re the kids? It’s special ed
students you teach, yeah?

HEATHER
Wait. How did you know that?
 44.

INT. MOUSTACHE CAFE - EVENING

A lovely Lebanese restaurant on one of the most picturesque

West Village blocks.

ALI
FBI. I do a background check on
anyone I go on a date with.

He’s said this straight-faced, and as Heather stares at him,

trying to figure out if he’s kidding, and also how many dates
he generally goes on -

OMAR
Ali - !

The owner of Moustache is coming over with puffed-up pita

bread, olive oil, olives, and a big smile on his face.

OMAR (CONT’D)
- You finally visit me again!
(as he places the dishes on
the table, to Heather:)
He use to practically live here,
now I cry every day because he
don’t come here no more.

ALI
Hi, Omar. I’m sorry I’ve been so
busy at work -

Omar hugs him roughly, more a friendly headlock than hug -

OMAR
No excuses -
(then he’s immediately gracious
with a hand out to Heather)
Welcome to Moustache, young lady,
my name is Omar -

ALI
- I’m sorry, this --

OMAR
- too late. Let the lady speak.

HEATHER
(smiles)
Hello, Omar. It’s nice to meet you.
I’m Heather. Anything else you need
to know about me, though, ask him.
He’s got a whole dossier.
 45.

OMAR
Ah. He turn on the charms already,
has he?
(then)
I bring wine. On the house. White?

HEATHER
That would be lovely. Thank you.

ALI
Thanks, Omar.

As Omar leaves, he gives Ali a cautionary “Don’t fuck this

up” look. Beat. Ali turns back to Heather.

HEATHER
He’s nice.

ALI
He is. He’s been like a second
father to me since I moved to New
York.
(then, speaking too quickly)
Look, I didn’t mean to freak you
out. I was trying to make a joke. A
bad joke. Jason told me about you
when he gave me your number. And I
really do appreciate you coming out
tonight after I had to cancel the
first time. Things have been crazy
at work since I started on --

His WORK CELL PHONE RINGS. Beat. It RINGS AGAIN.

HEATHER
You gonna -

ALI
- I’m sorry -

Ali looks at the screen: it’s John O’Neill.

ALI (CONT’D) HEATHER

- I have to - - Go ahead.

ALI (ON CELL)

Hi, boss.

O’NEILL (OVER PHONE)

You’re going to Albania.

ALI (ON CELL)

(beat)
Okay... Uh - when?
 46.

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

Now.

INTERCUT WITH O’NEILL ON THE PHONE IN HIS OFFICE -

O’NEILL (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

The next flight to Frankfurt -
ninety minutes. You transfer from
there to Tirana.

Ali glances at Heather. Crap.

O’NEILL (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

The Sisters are raiding Muhammed al-
Zawahiri’s cell there. Pack your
9mm. They’ll give you a combat
weapon when they pick you up. Now
listen to me - this is the real
deal. Make sure you lay eyes on any
evidence they seize. If it’s in
Arabic, I need you reading it. But
most important: be careful. When
you land, do not go into the
terminal building. Stay on the
tarmac. As long as it takes. You’ll
be picked up. You hear me?

ALI (ON CELL)

Yes, sir.

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

Stay on the tarmac. Wait till they
come for you.

O’Neill HANGS UP. Ali HANGS UP. He looks at Heather. Beat.

ALI
Umm...

HEATHER
Don’t tell me...

ALI
I am so sorry -

HEATHER
- You have to go. Okay, then.

They both stand.

ALI
I really --

Omar comes over with two glasses of wine.

 47.

ALI (CONT’D)
Omar, I apologize, I have to leave.

Heather starts to gather her things.

OMAR
Heather. Please, sit. We’ll have a glass
of wine, yes? Then I get you a taxi.

HEATHER
(a moment; she takes a
breath; then she nods)
All right. Thank you.

Omar turns to Ali. Serious -

OMAR
Be safe. Come home soon, inshallah.

ALI
(nods; then, to Heather)
I apologize. I’ll call you.

He rushes out and down the block. Omar sits across from
Heather. Offers her the olives.

OMAR
Please...
(re the pita)
And the bread. Poke it and the
steam come out.

She takes her fork and pops the puffed-up pita. Delicious-
smelling steam escapes...

OMAR (CONT’D)
Yes?

HEATHER
(succumbing)
Beautiful.

OMAR
Ali Soufan is a good man. He come
here alone four times each week the
first year he live in New York. I
believe he was looking for
someplace to speak Arabic, and to
feel more at home.
(then)
Please... consider giving him
another chance.

He holds up his glass to her.

 48.

OMAR (CONT’D)
Fee sahitkum. To your health.

Heather smiles and clinks his glass. They sip.

EXT. TARMAC/TIRANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ALBANIA - EVENING

Ali holds his small overnight bag on the tarmac, alone. He’s
ten or twenty yards from the moveable stairs still attached
to the ADRIA AIRWAYS plane. All the rest of the passengers
and flight crew have walked into the decrepit TERMINAL
BUILDING, across the single runway. Several moments, then a
STRAY DOG trots over behind him and starts barking.

Ali turns away to see an ARMED ALBANIAN GUARD, carrying an AK-

47, walking towards him, across the runway. The Guard SPEAKS to
Ali IN ALBANIAN. Ali shakes his head - he doesn’t understand.

ARMED ALBANIAN GUARD

(in English)
You must go into terminal building.

ALI
Thank you, sir, but I’ll wait here.

Beat.

ARMED ALBANIAN GUARD

Now. Go into terminal building.

ALI
I’m being picked up, sir. So I’ll
wait here. But thank you.

The GUARD gets on his walkie. Now Ali can see more ARMED
GUARDS emerge from a far building and head towards him.
They’re driving one of those airport vehicles that’s
somewhere between a golf cart and a jeep. But it has a
machine gun mounted on the hood. And they’re all ARMED.

Fuck. Ali doesn’t know what to do. They’re getting closer.

Suddenly, from way across the tarmac, a BLACK SUV with tinted
windows screeches through a break in the fence and SPEEDS
towards them. It skids to a stop right in front of Ali. The
rear side door opens.

AMERICAN VOICE
Get in.

ALI
(wary; he can’t see in)
Who are you?
 49.

AMERICAN VOICE/SPECIAL OP
If you’re Soufan, we’re your ride.
Get your ass in the car.

That’s good enough for Ali -- he gets in the back seat and
they screech off, before he’s even got the door closed.

INT. BLACK SUV/TIRANA/DRIVING - CONTINUOUS

Ali’s in the back seat next to one CIA SPECIAL OP. Two others
are in the front. The one next to Ali hands him an M4 ASSAULT
CARBINE (lighter version of an M16), and a bulletproof vest.

SPECIAL OP
Welcome to Albania. You used one of
those before?

ALI
Something similar. In training.

They fall in line behind another BLACK SUV, racing away from
the airport, towards the city of Tirana.

SPECIAL OP
Same deal as the M16, just smaller.
Clip, release, trigger. Aim dead
center. Our orders are capture not
kill, but if you’re threatened, you
take em out.

ALI
I think I’m here mostly for
support. And to get my eyes on the
evidence afterwards.

SPECIAL OP
Whatever you say.

INT. SCHMIDT’S OFFICE/ALEC STATION - LATE NIGHT

Schmidt’s at his desk, reading a classified report in a pool

of lamplight. A KNOCK, then the door opens.

MICHELLE
Professor. The boys in the field
are en route. Rendition plan
remains the same?

SCHMIDT
They’re EIJ. Egypt wants them,
Egypt gets them.
 50.

MICHELLE
Yes, sir.

SCHMIDT
(a slight smile)
Send them to Cairo in the morning --

MICHELLE
- get your answers by the afternoon.

SCHMIDT
I like how you think, Michelle.

MICHELLE
We’re of one mind, Professor.

She smiles, then leaves, gently closing the door behind her.
(And, yes, if you were wondering: this is flirtation in Alec
Station. And, yes, flirtation around the topic of torture in
foreign countries is, to those who share that proclivity, a
turn-on. And, yes, that rumor that you heard is true: the
actual people upon whom these two characters are based are
now married. To each other.)

EXT. RESIDENTIAL CUL-DE-SAC, OUTSKIRTS OF TIRANA - NIGHT

The two BLACK SUVs stop at the entrance to a cul-de-sac;

they’re still on the commercial street. EIGHT MEN (Ali, plus
four CIA SPECIAL OPS and THREE ALBANIAN SECRET POLICE) emerge
quickly from the vehicles. They run towards a small, two-
story house with attached garage near the end of the
residential street, fanning out around it.

Ali ends up in the walkway between the target house and the
neighbor’s concrete garden wall. Guarding the SIDE DOOR in
case anyone comes out.

TWO OPS/POLICE are by the front door; TWO by the back door;
THREE by the garage door. Silence. Then:

SPECIAL OP
(by the front door)
Go.

INT. TARGET HOUSE/KITCHEN - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

An EGYPTIAN FAMILY eats dinner at the kitchen table.

The doors come crashing in, with the CIA and Albanian police
SHOUTING in Arabic and Albanian to “GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR”.
 51.

The mother covers her two little children with her body, as
they shriek and cry. The EGYPTIAN MAN turns over the table
races up the back stairs to the second floor -

INT. ATTACHED GARAGE - NIGHT/SAME TIME

CIA and ALBANIAN POLICE are yelling at the THREE EGYPTIAN MEN
inside to get on the floor, hands out from their bodies...

There’s bomb-making material inside the garage: drums of

chemicals; wiring; batteries --

EXT. TARGET HOUSE/SIDE DOOR - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

Ali’s ready by the side door - he can hear the shouting from
inside the house -- suddenly there’s a huge CRACK above him
as a man comes crashing through the upstairs window. Glass
rains down on Ali. A man hurled himself through the window
and over the concrete wall. Ali scrabbles over the wall --

EXT. NEIGHBOR’S YARD - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

Ali lands in the dirt of the neighbor’s yard. He sees the

EGYPTIAN MAN vaulting the rear garden wall and takes off
after him. As Ali hurtles over the rear wall, SPECIAL OP
leaps out the side window of the suspect house, lands and
rolls in the yard --

EXT. BACK ALLEY/TIRANA - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

Ali’s over the rear wall and sprinting down the alley that
leads to the COMMERCIAL STREET. He yells in Arabic at the
EGYPTIAN MAN to STOP...

The MAN makes a right down a side alley that runs parallel to
the commercial street. Ali tears after him, racing around the
corner. As he turns into the alley, he sees: it’s EMPTY.

EXT. SIDE ALLEY/TIRANA - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

Ali slows, trotting down the alley, M4 pointing up but ready.

He looks from side to side, squinting into the shadows,
desperate not to be ambushed. He’s in the alley behind the
businesses on the commercial street. He’s breathing heavily,
nervous -- then he SEES the rear door of a business still
swinging slightly on its hinges --
 52.

INT. LAUNDROMAT/TIRANA - NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

Ali kicks open the rear door and enters, M4 ready. Shouts -

ALI
United States FBI.

Silence. There are only TWO OLD WOMEN in this fluorescent-lit

laundromat. One has stopped folding clothes at a table on the
left. The other slowly CLOSES THE DOOR to a wall-mounted
WASHING MACHINE on the right while looking at him.

He continues through the store, to the glass front door. He’s

about to go through it when he notices that people are
walking on the street, calm. As if nothing has happened.

He turns around. Looks at the old woman at the washing

machine. She’s looking straight at him. She hasn’t started
the washer. Beat. Slowly, she puts a coin in the machine.
Beat. They’re staring at each other. She slowly reaches up,
still staring at Ali, and pushes the START button.

We HEAR the WATER start to gush into the machine...

Then - muffled yelling and banging from inside the washing

machine --

ALI (CONT’D)
Back away! Back away from the
machine!

Ali approaches as she backs away, M4 out.

SPECIAL OP (O.S.)
Soufan! Are you in there?

ALI
Yah.

Special Op comes through the back door, machine gun out. To

the women --

SPECIAL OP
(in Albanian)
Get down on the floor! Sit!

They sit. There’s still banging and yelling from inside the
washing machine, which has started its first cycle, beginning
to turn --

SPECIAL OP (CONT’D)
(to Ali)
Cover me. I’m gonna open it up.
 53.

Ali stays where he is - keeps his machine gun trained on the

washing machine. Special Op hits the button and pulls open
the door. Water floods onto the floor as the EGYPTIAN MAN
coughs and gasps for air, completely soaked.

EXT. TARGET HOUSE - NIGHT/SEVERAL MINUTES LATER

Ali and Special Op trot up the cul-de-sac, each holding an

arm of the handcuffed Egyptian.

Both BLACK SUVs are in the driveway of the house now, along
with an ALBANIAN POLICE VAN. The garage door is OPEN.

The THREE SUSPECTS are being led out, handcuffed, canvas bags
over their heads. They’re shoved into the back of one of the
SUVs. At the same time, materials from the garage are placed
in the back of the POLICE VAN: batteries, tools, wires...

Special Op shoves the Egyptian in the back of the SUV, along

with the others --

ALI
Where you taking them?

SPECIAL OP
Away.
(slams the door shut; to
driver:)
Go.

ALI
(the SUV pulls out)
Where?
(no answer)
Where are you taking them?

SPECIAL OP
Away.

END OF ACT FOUR.

INT. JOHN O’NEILL’S OFFICE/NY FBI - DAY

OVER BLACK: a PHONE RINGING. FADE IN as John answers his

SECURE LINE -

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

O’Neill.

ALI (OVER PHONE)

(hear his voice through the
receiver, speaking quickly)
(MORE)
 54.

ALI (OVER PHONE) (CONT'D)

Boss I’m not on a secure line, I’m
sorry, they shut down the Embassy so
I couldn’t get one, but I picked a
random payphone so I should be good -

INTERCUT: ALI in a PHONE BOOTH by the TIRANE RIVER. Dawn.

ALI (ON PHONE) (CONT’D)

- at least for a quick conversation,
are you okay with that?

O’NEILL (ON PHONE)

Tell me what’s going on.

ALI
We raided the house last night,
arrested four individuals - none of
them Zawahiri - confiscated
explosives and batteries and wiring,
but the Sisters took the suspects
immediately, wouldn’t tell me where
they were going - I finally got it
out of one of them they were being
flown to Egypt. I looked through the
house and there was no written
material, no computers, so I’ve got
no information to pass to you -

O’NEILL
- That’s okay -

ALI
- I’m sorry boss, I let you down -

O’NEILL
- Ali. Stop. Take a breath. You
didn’t let me down. This was one of
Ayman Zawahiri’s biggest cells. They
were clearly planning to hit
something - probably the Embassy. The
Agency takes them to Cairo to let the
police stick electrodes in their ass.
It’s bullshit, it’s wrong, there’s
nothing we can do about it. But - the
good news - maybe Tirana was the most
urgent warning the Agency found on
Mabruk’s hard drive. Let’s hope so.
You did good.

ALI
Okay. Okay. Thank you, sir.

O’NEILL
Thank you, son. Come on home.
 55.

INT. RUNDOWN WAREHOUSE/NAIROBI - NIGHT

The one-legged KHALLAD works the camera as Jihad Ali films

his martyrdom video. Mohamed al-Owhali and Ahmed the German
wait their turn --

JIHAD ALI (TO CAMERA)

(in Arabic)
...I am grateful to Allah for the
opportunity to fulfill my mission
in this life - to perform jihad, in
his name. I am going to paradise,
inshallah. I am going home...

INT. TAXICAB/ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - EVENING

John O’Neill’s in the back of an Atlantic City taxi, gazing out

the window, driving into a lower middle-class section of town.

INT. TENT/AFGHANISTAN - NIGHT

Ayman al-Zawahiri is speaking into a video-camera. We can see

that he is personally angry, though very controlled --

ZAWAHIRI (TO CAMERA)

... To America, I can say that your
message has been received. And the
response, with the help of Allah,
will be written in a language you
will understand, and will be
delivered directly to your home --

EXT. O’NEILL HOUSE/ATLANTIC CITY - EVENING

O’Neill stands on the sidewalk as the taxi pulls away behind

him. He’s looking at:

An aluminum-sided house fronted by a small, scrubby yard.

O’NEILL’S WIFE, Christine (45, long-suffering), comes out

onto the porch. Behind her, a TEENAGE BOY (16) and YOUNGER
SISTER (9) peer through the screen door. Beat.

CHRISTINE
Welcome home.

EXT. RUNDOWN WAREHOUSE/NAIROBI - NIGHT

Mohamed al-Owhali makes sure the wiring is properly connected

to a large BATTERY in the back of a VAN. It is.
 56.

He shuts the rear doors. Ahmed the German drives the VAN out
of the warehouse and turns onto the dark, quiet street --

INT. O’NEILL HOUSE/DINING ROOM/ATLANTIC CITY - NIGHT

John O’Neill and his family eat a silent dinner.

EXT. HIGHWAY/TANZANIA/DRIVING - EARLY MORNING

Ahmed the German sees the sign for DAR ES SALAAM and steers
his VAN onto the exit toward the capital city.

EXT. DOWNTOWN NAIROBI STREETS/DRIVING - MORNING

Mohammed al-Owhali is in the passenger seat as Jihad Ali

drives their VAN through the crowded streets of Nairobi. We
can hear the call to prayer from various mosques.

INT. BEDROOM/O’NEILL HOUSE - NIGHT

John O’Neill tucks his daughter into bed and kisses her head.

O’NEILL
Sleep well, beautiful.

He walks out the door, shutting it behind him.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY/O’NEILL HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

O’Neill turns from the bedroom to see Christine, on the

landing at the top of the stairs. They look at each other.
Though she knows the answer, she asks anyway --

CHRISTINE
You staying the night?

Beat. O’Neill shakes his head.

O’NEILL
(gently)
No.

EXT. NAIROBI EMBASSY - MORNING/10:30AM

Jihad Ali steers the VAN into the Embassy driveway, stops ten
feet in front of the GATE ARM by the GUARDHOUSE. He honks the
horn, signaling for the Guard to lift the gate.
 57.

The Guard just looks at him, confused: Why is he not driving

forward to show his ID? Jihad Ali honks again. Nothing.

Owhali jumps out of the passenger seat, comes around the car.

OWHALI
Open gate! Open gate!

Owhali is carrying something. He holds it up. It’s a STUN

GRENADE.

OWHALI (CONT’D)
Open gate!

The Guard shuts the window to the Guardhouse, picks up the

phone. Owhali THROWS the grenade over the gate, towards the
Embassy. It EXPLODES LOUDLY in a flash of BRIGHT LIGHT.

AND THEN.... Owhali panics. The gate arm is still down. He

turns and begins to run back toward the street...

BEHIND HIM, the VAN EXPLODES MASSIVELY. Owhali’s thrown

violently to the ground.

EXT. TANZANIA EMBASSY/DAR ES SALAAM - MORNING/10:38AM

Jihad Ali pulls his VAN into the parking lot driveway of the
US EMBASSY. A large WATER TANKER TRUCK is blocking access to
the building. He can’t get around it. He looks at his watch.

NOW SHOT FROM ACROSS THE STREET: Jihad Ali’s VAN EXPLODES.

EXT. N.J. MEADOWLANDS - LATE NIGHT/3:50AM/ESTABLISHING

An AMTRAK TRAIN zips through the grassy, industrial

swamplands of Northern New Jersey.

INT. AMTRAK TRAIN - LATE NIGHT/CONTINUOUS

John O’Neill sleeps sitting up in his chair. The car is empty

except for him. His cell phone RINGS. He wakes, answers.

O’NEILL (INTO PHONE)

O’Neill.

CLARKE (OVER PHONE)

John, It’s Richard Clarke. I have
bad news.
 58.

INT. BEDROOM/ALI SOUFAN’S APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT

Ali sleeps, jet-lagged, dead to the world. His cell on the

bedside table RINGS. It RINGS again. He answers -

ALI (INTO PHONE)

Yes - hello --

O’NEILL (OVER PHONE)

Ali. Turn on your television.

INT. LIVING ROOM/ALI’S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER

Ali, still on the phone with O’Neill, watches the CNN

COVERAGE of the bombings. The images are horrific.

The front of the building has collapsed. Many, including

Americans, are dead. Hundreds more are severely injured.

O’NEILL (OVER PHONE)

I’m gonna need you in the office.
I’m on my way in.

ALI (INTO PHONE)

Yes, boss. I’ll meet you there.

But he doesn’t move. Just watches the horror on TV with the

phone still to his ear.

INTERCUT TO: O’Neill in his seat on the train. He hasn’t hung

up either. Beat.

O’NEILL (INTO PHONE)

Now it begins...

EXT. N.J. MEADOWLANDS - LATE NIGHT/SAME TIME

O’Neill’s train hurtles towards the Manhattan skyline - the

high spike of the Empire State building glimmering against
the dark sky; the valley of the West Village, and then the
rise downtown, with the two rectangular towers of the World
Trade Center standing like sentries.

As O'Neill's train plunges into the tunnel --

THE SCREEN GOES BLACK.