Traffic Script

Screenplay by Stephen Gaghan

EXT. COLUMBUS, OHIO - DAY

The state capital of Ohio.  It's an impressive building for

a city this size.

SUPERTITLE: COLUMBUS, OHIO - STATE CAPITAL

INT. OHIO STATE SUPREME COURT - DAY

In chambers striving for august, JUSTICES listen to a lawyer

MR. RODMAN, argue his case before the highest court in Ohio.

Mr. Rodman enjoys the sound of his own voice.

MR. RODMAN

This informant, paid by the police,

using taxpayers dollars to continue

his felony drug habit, was the link

which allowed police to raid a

private farm.  A working farm.  A

farm where honest Americans make

their living.

One particular justice, ROBERT WAKEFIELD, younger than the

others, is clearly bemused by this performance.

MR. RODMAN (CONT'D)

The government, in its haste, has

employed an army of criminals whose

allegiance to the truth is, at

best, questionable --

Judge Wakefield interrupts --

ROBERT

Mr. Rodman...it's too bad your

client didn't show as much sense in

choosing what he planted as he did

in choosing his attorney...

A polite chuckle from the justices --

ROBERT (CONT'D)

Lately the only variation I'm

hearing in your argument is the

name of the client.  And you can

sit there all day arguing the ins

and outs of Illinois v. Gates, but

you aren't going to convince me

that this country has not sanctioned

the use of anonymous informants.

(MORE)

2.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

(beat)

Furthermore, there is no sacred

protection of property rights in

the United Sates.  When you make

the decision to have marijuana on

your farm, whether it's one joint

or an acre of plants, your property

can be seized and your property can

be sold.

MR. RODMAN

I'm sorry the court finds my

argument repetitious.

ROBERT

Mr. Rodman, may I offer a piece of

advice?  The next time you argue

this point before this court,

regardless of my whereabouts, I

recommend you have something up

your sleeve other than your arm.

INT. ROBERT'S CHAMBERS - DAY

The office is marble and dark wood.  A young CLERK, black,

29, enters carrying an oddly-shaped gift.  They both look at

it.

CLERK

What do you think it is?

ROBERT

Depends who it's from.

CLERK

(reading the card)

Your friends at Warren, Putnam and

Hudson.

ROBERT

You can learn a lot about somebody

from this stuff.  Three categories:

you like me, you hate me, you want

something from me.

(re: the elaborate box)

Definitely third category.

CLERK

What would a law firm want from the

new drug Czar?

ROBERT

Depends on the state.

3.

CLERK

(checks)

Arizona.

ROBERT

Medicinal marijuana initiative.

(beat)

Or am I being cynical?

They both laugh.  Robert reaches up and pulls a bottle of

Scotch from a shelf.  He pours a couple of fingers in two

glasses.

CLERK

Maybe there's a book in it.

The clerk takes one of the glasses.

ROBERT

Not by me.

They toast and drink.

EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY

Robert exits, trailed by a small group of reporters.  He

gets into a car being driven by two security TYPES.

INT. AIRPLANE - DAY

Robert sits in a business class window seat.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

An expensive hotel.  Robert Wakefield stands at the window,

looking at the view of our nation's capital.

SUPERTITLE: WASHINGTON D.C.

ON THE TABLE

the remnants of a meal.  It was a steak and a small caesar

salad.  The wine glass is half-empty.

ANOTHER ANGLE ON ROBERT

in front of the mirror now, trying on a dark, tasteful jacket.

CLOSER

On Robert in the same position, only now we are in HIS HOME.

It's daytime, and his wife BARBARA is helping him into this

same jacket.  As her hands dust the lint off his shoulders

we MATCH CUT TO:

4.

ROBERT

in the hotel rooms, making the same motions.  Satisfied, he

straightens, then turns to look at himself.

OMITTED

ANGLE ON ROBERT

back at the hotel room window now.  Reaches to the table and

lifts the wine glass.

CUT TO:

EXT. DIRT ROAD - DAY

This is the middle of nowhere.  Scrub cactus and dust and a

heartless sun.

SUPERTITLE: MEXICO - TWENTY MILES SOUTHWEST OF TIJUANA.

A broken down-looking Police Sedan is parked on the side of

the road.  It seems abandoned except there are TWO MEN inside.

INT. POLICE SEDAN - DAY

Two Mexican men, State Police officers, JAVIER RODRIGUEZ,

30's, and MANUEL "MANOLO" SANCHEZ, 20's, wearing jeans,

knock-off Polo shirts, and cowboy boots, wait patiently in

the car.

JAVIER

I had that dream again.

A long pause.

MANOLO

Which one?

Another long pause.

JAVIER

Where my mother's suffocating.

They continue to wait until there is the sound of a JET

ENGINE.  It grows LOUDER as it approaches.

EXT. THE POLICE SEDAN - DAY

The shadow of a large plane crosses the desert floor.  Then,

an old DC-3 flies fifty feet above the Police Sedan.

5.

INT. POLICE SEDAN - DAY

They watch the plane disappear over a small rise in the

desert.  They look at each other and wait some more.

EXT. MEXICAN DESERT - LATER

From the direction of the landing strip, a moving van

lumbers down the road, two TEENAGERS in the cab.

INT. POLICE SEDAN - DAY

Javi and Manolo watch the moving van approach.  Javi reaches

under the seat and picks up a bubble flasher.  He rolls down

the window and plants it on the roof.  He flips the switch.

Nothing happens.  He jiggles the wire and the siren BURPS

and the light flashes.  Manolo and Javi step from the car,

smiling.

EXT. MEXICAN DESERT - DAY

The moving van slows to a stop.  Javi approaches.  The

DRIVER unhurriedly rolls down the window.

DRIVER

Is there a problem?

JAVIER

No.  There's no problem.

The driver hesitates a confused beat then reaches for his

wallet.

DRIVER

Okay.  I see.  How much do you want?

The driver pulls a wad of bills.  Javi shakes his head.

DRIVER (CONT'D)

You want more than this?

Javi shakes his head.  The driver exchanges a look with his

partner.

DRIVER (CONT'D)

You want something else?

Javi smiles.  The driver gets out and walks to the back of

the truck.  He opens the rear door.  There are neatly-

stacked crates marked with a SCORPION logo and "911."  He

reaches into one of them and pulls out a tightly-sealed

package also with the scorpion stamped on it.  He turns to

see Javi with his gun drawn.

6.

Manolo, at the passenger side, has also drawn his gun and is

motioning the partner to move to the back of the truck.

JAVIER

Drop the package.  Put your hands

behind your head.  You're under

arrest.

The driver hesitates.  He starts to comply then looks at

Javi and Manolo.

DRIVER

I don't understand.  I think there

must be some mistake.

JAVIER

No, there's no mistake.

Javi motions to Manolo who cuffs both teenagers.  The driver

begins spewing OBSCENITIES under his breath.  Javi puts the

driver in the front of the Shadow.  Manolo follows in the

moving van.

OMITTED

OMITTED

EXT. DIRT ROAD - MEXICO - LATER

The truck follows the Shadow down a desert road.

Suddenly, from behind, four armored SUV's with tinted

windows appear, closing fast.

The SUV's force both vehicles off the road where they pull

to a stop.  A long beat as hot wind blows desert detritus

past the truck.

Finally, the SUV doors open and FEDERAL POLICE OFFICERS

surround them like a SWAT team.

The passenger door of the lead SUV opens and GENERAL ARTURO

SALAZAR, 50's, a squat, powerful presence in a perfectly

pressed uniform gets out and approaches Javi.

SALAZAR

(to Javier)

What's your name?

JAVIER

Javier Rodriguez.

7.

SALAZAR

Well, Javier Rodriguez, you've done

a very good job, but we'll take

care of it from here.

Javier stares into the implacable reflection of his

sunglasses.  In the distance, the DC-3 takes off and ROARS

over their heads.

SALAZAR (CONT'D)

We've been following these Narco-

trafficantes for some time but had

not been able to bring them to

justice.

(to his men)

Put the prisoners in the car.

Impound the truck.

The men follow Salazar's orders.

SALAZAR (CONT'D)

(to Javi)

One question.  How did you find

about this?

JAVIER

An informant.

SALAZAR

What is the name of your informant?

JAVIER

(beat)

It was an anonymous tip.

Salazar looks at Javi a beat.

SALAZAR

(to his men)

For a State Police officer, you're

very well informed.  Let's go.

MOMENTS LATER

Javi and Manolo watch the convoy of vehicles drive away.

Javier lights a cigarette.

MANOLO

Wasn't that General Salazar?

JAVIER

Yeah.

8.

MANOLO

What's he doing up here?

JAVIER

I don't know.  Something.

They start for their car.

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

EXT. DEL MAR SELF-STORAGE - DAY

SUPERTITLE: SAN DIEGO

Two men, RAY CASTRO, 30's, proud, ambitious, and MONTEL

GORDON, 40's, suspicious of everyone including himself and

always, always the smartest guy in the room, walk from a

Lincoln Towncar toward a dumpy office.  Castro is talking

under his breath --

CASTRO

No telltales.  Nothing to read.

Not touching my face.  Not even

blinking.  No giveaways.

(beat)

How're you feeling?

GORDON

(keyed up)

I feel good.

CASTRO

No more pissant basin league

bullshit for us, hunh?

GORDON

Nope.

Castro stretches his arms, swings them around.

CASTRO

Limbering up, gonna stay loose,

keep it all together.  Take this

motherfucker down.

They reach the door to the office.  Gordon looks at Castro,

then turns the handle.

CASTRO (CONT'D)

Showtime.

9.

INT. OFFICE, DEL MAR SELF-STORAGE - DAY

It's a cluttered, rundown working office unusual only in the

extent of its ordinariness.  A SECRETARY goes about her

business like a somnambulist.  CLERKS shuffle and file.

Castro switches into Spanish --

CASTRO

(in Spanish)

Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen.

We're looking for Eduardo Ruiz.  We

have a two o'clock appointment.

INT. OFFICE, DEL MAR SELF-STORAGE - LATER

In a back alcove, Castro and Gordon sit across a cheap table

from EDUARDO RUIZ, 40's, an entrepreneur in an expensive

suit and bad hairpiece.  They are waiting.

RUIZ

You ever buy a quarter ton?  Not

many people have.

Another "businessman" enters from another door and whispers

in Ruiz's ear, then leaves again.

RUIZ (CONT'D)

So, it's worth the wait, right?

What can I do?  Rent a Huey?  Have

an airlift?  It's not like you can

put it in a condom up some mule's

asshole, right?  How many peasants

would that take?  A line stretching

from here to Mexico City --

GORDON

Nobody said shit, Eduardo --

One of Ruiz's hands dips under the desk where we see a

handgun is holstered on the underside.

RUIZ

Relax.  We're waiting, that's it.

CASTRO

Hey, you want to hear a joke?  I

got a joke.  Why do women wear

makeup and perfume?

GORDON

Chill out --

10.

CASTRO

It's a funny fuckin' joke and it's

quick.  Why do women wear makeup

and perfume?

RUIZ

I don't know.

CASTRO

'Cause they're ugly and they stink.

Castro laughs uproariously.

INT. DEA SURVEILLANCE SPACE - DAY

ON FUZZY SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Castro laughing.  Ruiz politely

smiling, one of his hands hidden by the table.

GORDON

Man, you never been close enough to

a woman to know how she smells.

DEA AGENT (V.O.)

What's his hand doing?  Watch his

hand.  Anybody?  I don't like the

hand.

IN THE OFFICE

The room is filled with crappy surveillance equipment.  DEA

AGENTS, in DEA logo'd outerwear, jiggle a monitor fuzzily

displaying the view from another hidden camera: Gordon and

Ruiz around the cheap table.

DEA AGENT

This is ridiculous this fucking

thing.

(taps monitor)

Look at this shit -- the first

television transmission.  I had

better shit when I was the AV guy

at junior high, swear-to-God.

ANOTHER DEA AGENT

Come on, Castro, pay attention.

Watch his damn hands.

ON THE MONITOR

Another "businessman" enters the office and whispers in

Ruiz's ear.

RUIZ (ON MONITOR)

Soon.

11.

Another AGENT peers out a window through binoculars.  HIS

POV: the exterior of the office where Castro, Gordon, and

Ruiz talk.

EXT. DEL MAR SELF-STORAGE, SAN DIEGO - DAY

A BLUE VAN makes a slow turn into the parking lot.

EXT. ROOF - DAY

TWO FBI AGENTS, in jackets reading "FBI," hide on an opposing

roof.  They look through high-powered binoculars.  Binocular

POV: the BLUE VAN turning into the plaza.

FBI AGENT #2

All right, here we go.  The blue van.

His binocular POV detects three unmarked cars discreetly

following the van.

FBI AGENT #2 (CONT'D)

Three unmarked vehicles.

(picks up walkie)

Three unmarked vehicles accompanying.

The unmarked cars split up and one turns into the parking

lot of a fast-food restaurant.  The other circles around the

back of a building.

FBI AGENT #2 (CONT'D)

It's local.  Local or Customs.  Oh,

man, I don't know.  Looks like the

cavalry.

FBI AGENT

This is our show.  Ah, man.  I

don't want to share this one.

INT. OFFICE, DEL MAR SELF-STORAGE - CONTINUOUS

Through the window Ruiz, Gordon and Castro watch the van

disappear into the bay of a storage unit.  A man is pulling

down the door behind it when three unmarked squad cars ROAR

into the lot, surrounding the unit, officers exit the cars

with their guns drawn --

Gordon and Castro stare in disbelief.

Ruiz FIRES the gun under the desk which hits Gordon full in

the chest, knocking him backwards.

Ruiz's men run into the room pulling guns.

12.

Castro dives and pulls his weapon, firing at Ruiz's men,

hitting both of them.  Ruiz bolts through another door.

Castro pursues, talking into his shirt collar --

CASTRO

Agent down.  Repeat, agent down.

Gordon gets slowly to his feet, shaking off the blast to his

Kevlar, and runs after them.

EXT. DEL MAR SELF-STORAGE - DAY

The DEA are shooting at the men inside the storage unit who

are shooting back.

From all over the stake-out location, DEA AGENTS emerge

firing their weapons.  An equal number of FBI AGENTS emerge

firing in return.  Nobody was aware of the other's presence.

It's CHAOS, a clusterfuck of law-enforcement zeal with three

competing sets of good guys shouting through BULL-HORNS,

GUNSHOTS and SCREAMING.

Ruiz breaks through the corner of the lot, cutting between

two buildings.  Castro emerges and chases him.

EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY

Ruiz runs out the back of the storage company.  He cuts

between parked cars, heading for The Fun Zone, a kiddie

restaurant.

INT. THE FUN ZONE - DAY

Castro enters The Fun Zone.  There's a cardboard cutout of

SPASTIC JACK, a beloved comedy figure who looks like a

rabbit version of Jar Jar Binks, promoting the "Special

Edition" glass: "Collect All Four."  There's an enclosure

filled with colored plastic balls.

The restaurant is empty except for a CLOWN filling out a

time card.  The clown stands.

CLOWN

Hey dudes, we're not open yet.

Castro makes a motion for him to be quiet and keeps moving

toward the room of colored balls.

Gordon enters the restaurant and follows him.  An ANIMATRONIC

BAND starts to play a SONG.

Gordon sees a half-hidden foot buried underneath the plastic

balls at the far end of the room.

13.

He takes careful aim and FIRES.

Ruiz SCREAMS and sits up.  Castro pounces on him, disarming

him, and roughing him up.

EXT. THE FUN ZONE - DAY

Castro and Gordon shove Ruiz into the sunlight.  They wait

while their eyes adjust.

RUIZ

Take me to the hospital.  I'm

bleeding to death.

Castro shoves him forward.

ACROSS THE PARKING LOT

DEA has opened the back of the van where a quarter-ton of

cocaine is spilling out onto the pavement.

CUT TO:

INT. GUEST HOUSE - AFTERNOON

A bong hit is expelled into the air.  In the living room of

a comfortable, preppy guest house, private school TEENAGERS

party and hang-out: cigarettes in ashtrays, beer and bong on

the coffee table, loud MUSIC.

SUPERTITLE: CINCINNATI, OHIO

The TV is on with the sound off.  The curtains are closed.

The four boys wear school blazers with their ties pulled

askew, the three girls' clothing are also identical.  Some

sit on couches, some on the floor.  They are stoned.

One intense-looking boy, SETH ABRAHAMS, 17, wild curly hair

and the attitude of a young Coleridge, and a girl, CAROLINE

WAKEFIELD, 16, really sixteen which means she looks about

12, pretty and flirtatiously irreverent, sit at a desk in

front of a Powerbook G-3 playing an on-line trivia game.

Seth speaks rapidly and precisely.

SETH

Father of Greek tragedy?  Anyone?

Okay, Aeschylus it is.

(hits keys)

His trilogy?  The Oresteia.  I mean

this is beautiful, can anyone stop

the Seth Machine?

(MORE)

14.

SETH (CONT'D)

(hits keys)

Score.  Thank you.  Madmax from

Omaha we own you.  And Tragedy is

closed out.

Seth leans over and snorts a line of coke from a mirror.  He

hands it to Caroline who effortlessly does one.

CAROLINE

Entertainment.  The Susan Lucci

section or Banal Love Songs of the

Nineties?

Seth looks at her.  He has a crush.

SETH

Banal Love Songs it is.

(hits keys)

Hey, you wanna try something?

She nods.  They both take a swig of beer.  He takes her hand

pulling her past the stoned people on the couch --

IN THE KITCHEN

Seth takes out a box of baking soda.  He tears off a square

of aluminum foil.  He takes out a spoon.  Caroline watches

as he dumps a small amount of cocaine into the spoon.  He

adds a pinch of baking soda.  He puts in a few drops of

water.  Stirs it around with the heel of a lighter.  Then

holds the flame under the spoon.

CAROLINE

What are you doing?

SETH

(concentrating)

Just watch.

He watches the substance in the spoon as it swirls and

bubbles, then separates... He pours the most viscous part

onto the aluminum foil, making four separate little puddles.

He quickly dismantles a ballpoint pen, making a straw.  He

hands it to Caroline.

SETH (CONT'D)

Inhale the smoke and hold it.

CAROLINE

What is this, like freebase?

15.

SETH

Not like.  It is.

He lights the flame under the aluminum foil.  The puddle

crackles and pops, then starts to smoke --

SETH (CONT'D)

Go...  Go!

There's a rush of thick grey smoke.  Caroline catches most

of it.

SETH (CONT'D)

Hold it.

She pulls it in deeper and holds... Suddenly her expression

changes... Her eyes lose their focus, her face slackens, an

almost sexual response.  Seth is watching her intensely.

SETH (CONT'D)

See... Now, you see.

Caroline slumps back against the counter.  Seth moves

against her, kissing her, running his hands over her breasts

and body.  She stares over his shoulder, holding it as long

as she can.

Finally she exhales --

CAROLINE

More.

The cloud of grey smoke from her lungs fills the room.

CUT TO:

INT. WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - DAY

The White House CHIEF OF STAFF meets with Robert Wakefield.

The Chief of Staff has the floor; he always has the floor.

This is a man you do not want to disappoint.

CHIEF OF STAFF

Until you officially take over the

office of National Drug Control

Policy, under no circumstances

should you speak to the press

unprotected, without going through

this office or having someone in

the room.  There are a lot of

interests in this town and, right

now, they're all scared of you.

(MORE)

16.

CHIEF OF STAFF (CONT'D)

The reason they're scared of

you...technically, you have veto

power over their budgets.  So think

about that: FBI, CIA, DEA, CUSTOMS,

TREASURY, ATF, DEFENSE, IRS, Radio

Shack and the DMV, they're all

gonna want to speak to you.  And

that's the good news... You'll also

be meeting Senators and Congressman,

each with a specially prepared

question.  Their question is

designed for one thing: to make

them look smart.  If you lecture

them, they won't think you respect

them.  If you respond with utter

humility, they will.  Remember,

this is about your respect for

them, and the President's respect

for them.  Speaking of which, as

soon as he gets back from Russia

and China, we'll get you in there

for some face-time, let the two of

you catch up.

(beat)

It'd probably be a good idea for

you to meet your predecessor.  I'll

have Jeff Sheridan take you over.

Also, four weeks from today you

will give your first official press

conference.  In it you will outline

the President's strategy for

winning the war on drugs.

(beat)

Okay, anything else?

ROBERT

I'll be sure to let you know.

INT. EXECUTIVE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C. - DAY

Robert makes his way through a warren of hallways in the

endless corridors of the Old Executive Building alongside

JEFF SHERIDAN, 35, an enthusiastic government employee who

has found his place.

SHERIDAN

I just want to be clear about one

thing.  I used to work for him, but

now I work for you.  I'm not a

partisan person, I'm an issue

person.

(MORE)

17.

SHERIDAN (CONT'D)

In the next few weeks, if you allow

me, we'll get you well-versed on an

incredible array of issues.  The

most important of which, in my

opinion, being Mexico.  I know

everybody that you're gonna meet.

It's important that they like you.

It's not important that they like

me.  That's why I can help protect

you.

ROBERT

Like you protected Landry?

SHERIDAN

I see where you're going wit that,

but if I could just say something,

which is basically that a guy like

Landry is so autocratic he doesn't

know how to let himself be helped;

it's a point of pride to take every

bullet, no matter who fired it, or

whether it was even aimed at him,

which personally I think it very

self-defeating.  Now, don't get me

wrong, he's a man of enormous

integrity, but there's a political

component to this job that the

General just didn't have any

patience for.

INT. OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY - DAY

Robert and Sheridan enter the office of outgoing Drug Czar,

GENERAL RALPH LANDRY, 60's, buzz-cut, professional soldier

with a sense of humor.

Landry is putting some personal items in a box.

GENERAL LANDRY

Jeff, you want to excuse us for a

minute?

Sheridan nods and leaves.

GENERAL LANDRY (CONT'D)

(bemused, off

Sheridan's exit)

Functionaries.  Nice people, the

Schedule C's.  About twelve graduate

degrees apiece, but it seems

sometimes all they do is start

rumors.

18.

Robert and Landry shake hands.

ROBERT

You've done a fine job here, Sir.

The Office of National Drug Control

Policy is in better shape than when

you found it.

Landry tries to determine whether Robert believes this.  He

looks around the office as if the policy is hiding somewhere.

GENERAL LANDRY

I'm not sure I made the slightest

difference.

(wistful)

I tried...  I really did.

ROBERT

There are a lot of encouraging

statistics.  The work's just

started, but I intend to see it

through.  You've got my word on that.

GENERAL LANDRY

You're here for two years, three

maximum.  What'd they promise you?

Court appointment?  What?  District?

Appeals?

(checks Robert's reaction)

Not Supreme... Supreme?

ROBERT

I've come in to do a tough job and

that's what I'm going to focus on.

General Landry SIGHS.

GENERAL LANDRY

When Kruschev was forced out, he

sat down and wrote two letters and

handed them to his successor.  He

said "When you get into a situation

you can't get out of, open the

first letter and you'll be saved.

And when you get into another

situation you can't get out of,

open the second."  Soon enough this

guy found himself in a tight place.

So he opened the first letter.  It

said, "Blame everything on me."  So

he blamed the old guy and it worked

like a charm.

(MORE)

19.

GENERAL LANDRY (CONT'D)

(beat)

He got into another situation he

couldn't get out of, so he opened

the second letter, which read, "Sit

down and write two letters."

They stare at each other a beat.  Then Landry smiles.

CUT TO:

EXT. MANOLO'S STREET, MEXICO - DAY

A cinderblock house.  Kids and dogs in the street.  A face

we recognize as Manolo's peers out of a curtain into the

street.

INT. MANOLO'S KITCHEN - DAY

The ceiling is stained, the floor sags.  A cheap radio plays.

Manolo is at the door.  Javi sits at a dinette table.

He talks to Manolo but watches Manolo's wife, ANNA, 20's, a

nice-looking, ostensibly demure young woman, as she moves

around the kitchen.

JAVIER

Relax.  If they were going to kill

us they would have done it in the

desert.

MANOLO

They wouldn't do it in front of all

these people.  They'd send someone

later, when we're alone.

Manolo tenses, and throws open the window.

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

(yelling out the window)

Away from the car.  Now!

MANOLO'S POV out the window as KIDS play in the car, sitting

behind the wheel.

JAVIER

Even if that were true, they're not

going to come to your house where

you're waiting for them.

ANNA

He's right.  They'll do it when

you're walking somewhere, make it

look like street crime.

20.

MANOLO

Shut your fucking mouth.  Nobody's

talking to you.

Anna sets a cup of coffee in front of Javi and stares at him.

INT. POLICE SEDAN - DAY

Javi and Manolo cruise through the streets of Tijuana.

JAVIER

If you want her to stay out of it,

then stop telling her everything.

You should learn how to keep a

secret.

MANOLO

She's nosy.  She hears me on the

telephone.

JAVIER

Anyway, I don't think we'll ever

see them again.  Everything's back

to normal.

EXT. TIJUANA STREET - DAY

Tourist hell.  A cacophony of street venders, panhandlers,

and vehicular traffic.  Javier and Manolo are speaking with

a flustered young American TOURIST COUPLE.

TOURIST WOMAN

You're a police officer.  Aren't

you going to take a report or

something?  Don't you want to know

what kind of car it is?

TOURIST MAN

It's a Brown Ford Explorer --

TOURIST WOMAN

It was right here.  It's been

stolen.  I want to file a report.

MANOLO

Please.  Filing a report will not

help you find your car.

JAVIER

The police won't find your car.

TOURIST WOMAN

But you're the police.

21.

Javier pulls out a note pad and scribbles a number.

JAVIER

Call this man, he'll find your car

for you.

TOURIST MAN

I don't get it --

TOURIST WOMAN

How will this guy know who has our

car?

JAVIER

The police will tell him.

There's a beat of confusion.

TOURIST MAN

Why will they tell him but they

won't tell us?

TOURIST WOMAN

(getting it)

Because we pay him, stupid.

(to Javier)

Right?  And he pays the police.

And then our car appears.

JAVIER

Yes.  Better than filling out

forms, right?

The man reaches in his wallet and offers Javier a twenty.

Javi waves him off.

Javier and Manolo walk back to their squad car when two

SUV's come to a stop in front of them.

Javier and Manolo exchange a look.  The doors SLAM and

FOOTSTEPS approach.

OFFICER (O.S.)

Javier Rodriguez.

CUT TO:

EXT. LA JOLLA GOLF AND TENNIS CLUB - DAY

A ladies luncheon in the Nancy Reagan Dining Room overlooking

a putting green.  The bejewelled WIVES of successful men

yammer at one another around tables with rich flower

centerpieces.

22.

SUPERTITLE: LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA, JUST OUTSIDE SAN DIEGO

One wife, HELENA AYALA, 32, ex-model, with a sweetness and

intelligence that almost contradicts her beauty, stares out

the window at a small BOY, 5, using a putter as tall as he

is.  Helena is six months pregnant and radiant.

A waiter brings Helena's starter course.  Her friends, NAN

DOBBS, early 40's, post Junior League, a little tipsy,

STEWIE and ALEX, same League, watch her --

NAN

Duck salad?

HELENA

Mmm.

Nan can't believe it.

NAN

Helena, you never order duck salad.

HELENA

Well, that's true.  I don't.

(re: her belly)

I think someone else is asking for

it.

NAN

Well, he's got good taste.  Isn't

it the most wonderful thing you

ever tasted?  I mean ever.

HELENA

It's delicious --

STEWIE

They're the most marvelous little

creatures.  Canard.  They fly,

swim, walk.  And so cute with their

babies marching along behind.

NAN

Looking for a nice sauce ala orange.

Everyone laughs.  Helena is by far the youngest in her crowd.

ALEX

It's a very fatty bird.  All that

winter insulation.  Just like me.

NAN

You mean all breast, just like you.

23.

ALEX

You're bad --

NAN

(singsong)

Jealous, that's all --

HELENA

I've heard... I can't remember

where... That it's full of that

good kind of fat, the kind you're

supposed to eat --

STEWIE

Unsaturated fat --

TWO WOMEN IN UNISON

Polyunsaturated.

HELENA

And now there's a good cholesterol

and bad cholesterol.  Everything

they tell you completely changes

every other week.  I don't know why

they think we should listen at all.

NAN

What I know is ducks, as cute as

they are, were designed by God to

be eaten.

Nan reaches for a taste and the other women lean forward

also, a sea of inanity swirling around Helena's salad.

EXT. COUNTRY CLUB PARKING LOT - DAY

Helena buckles her little boy, DAVID, 5, into the front seat

of her Mercedes.  He won't let go of his putter.

HELENA

I'll put this in the back.

DAVID

No --

HELENA

All the professionals keep them in

the trunk.

DAVID

Not Tiger Woods.

24.

HELENA

Especially Tiger Woods.

(sharing a secret)

... Actually, he keeps his on the

back seat.

She pulls the putter away from the reluctant boy and sets it

on the back seat.

EXT. HOTEL - DAY

A modern high-rise on the waterfront playground of San Diego.

Helena passes the hotel in her car.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

A standard room looking out at the water which is dotted

with sailboats and cruise ships.  The bed is covered with

hi-tech surveillance equipment.

The equipment salesman, LONNIE, 40's, who makes a fetish of

gadgetry, explains the finer points of operation to FRANCISCO

"FRANKIE" FLORES, 30's, sallow, watery-eyed, in expensive

clothes.

LONNIE

Gates, Myrhvold, Bezos.  I sell to

all those guys.  Why?  Because the

technology to intrude has reached

the masses.  Your competitor, your

ex-spouse, adversaries, stalkers,

they're at the local electronics

store right now, and they're gonna

be intruding on you not only

through your telephone, but your

fax, cell phone, pager, cable TV,

Musak, windows, walls, air

conditioning ventilation, modem,

and internet connection.

He walks over to the bed and the sexy equipment --

LONNIE (CONT'D)

Nobody has these babies, no way,

not the shiznit.

Frederico picks up a piece of equipment.

FRANCISCO

I want to intercept cell phone

calls, digital and analog.  And

locate the source of the call.  I

need databasing capability, to

cross-reference calls and numbers.

25.

Lonnie lovingly picks up a laptop computer with a sleek

device attached to it --

LONNIE

Your Cellular Secretary, friend

across all the digital wireless

spread spectrum.

(beat)

So, Francisco, what do you do?  You

a PI?  Private security?

Francisco looks at Lonnie coldly.

FRANCISCO

Assassin.

LONNIE

(not missing a beat)

Assassin, okay.  Let's get you

started in surveillance.

EXT. GEORGETOWN BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

The house takes up most of one of the nicest blocks.  PEOPLE

enter and party VOICES drift out.

SUPERTITLE: GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON, D.C.

INT. GEORGETOWN BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

A power cocktail party in full swing.  This is where most of

the business in Washington gets done.

Robert, scotch in hand, listens to a smug PHARMACEUTICAL

LOBBYIST explain the world.

PHARMACEUTICAL LOBBYIST

We in the legal drug business, and

I mean Merck, Pfizer, the rest of

my very powerful clients, realize

this isn't a war with a traditional

winner and loser, but an organism

at war with itself, whose weapons

of mass destruction happen to be

intoxicants.  And if you want a

body count look no further than

alcohol which racks up 80,000 kills

a year.  Cocaine manages a measly

2,000.  Same for Heroin.  But, the

big daddy is Big Tobacco which

kills 380,000 each year, which, by

the war, is more people than have

been killed by all the illegal

drugs in the last century.

26.

ROBERT

(faking it)

That's very interesting.

The lobbyist smiles.  Robert sips his drink.

ANOTHER ANGLE ON ROBERT

in another room.  Listening to STAN, overweight advocate for

the United States Council of Chambers of Commerce.

STAN

It's time, Robert, to choke some

honesty out of these rural

legislators; get'em to fess up that

it's pretty much Prisons or Casinos

in terms of their choices for

economic growth.

ANOTHER ANGLE ON ROBERT

listening to ETHAN, earnest advocate of harm reduction.

ETHAN

What's the difference between

Prozac and Ecstacy, you ask?  One's

a mattress and the other's a

trampoline.  Molecules don't have

morality.  Really, think about it:

some molecule changes the way a

serotonin re-uptake inhibitor

works, it's not suddenly a bad

molecule; it's just a molecule.  My

theory: America has a real fear of

short, intense experiences.

Robert turns away --

ROBERT

(under his breath)

Like you.

ANOTHER ROOM

Robert at the bar getting another scotch.  A secretive man,

TIM, 40's, nerdy, sidles up beside him and whispers furtively

in his ear.

27.

TIM

(whispering)

Chemicals?  Some say problems,

others say solution.  Imagine a

cloud that when it rains prohibits

the growth of poppies or takes the

THC out of marijuana.  Imagine a

pill that eliminates any

psychological craving, from Dilaudid

to Dove Bars.  Law enforcement

hasn't let science sit on the

sidelines.  Addiction is no more

relevant than polio or the Black

Plague.

Tim slips away into the crowd.  Robert moves away from the

bar.

ANOTHER ROOM

An argument is breaking out between an ECONOMIST and an

UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE with Robert as the audience.

ECONOMIST

(to the undersecretary)

You're not battling traffickers or

dealers, but a market, and the

market contains a paradox: if you

arrest traffickers, you raise

prices, and you also raise profits,

which brings more traffickers into

the business.

UNDERSECRETARY

(to the Economist)

Back in the real world, we're

talking about Mexico and not John

Maynard Keynes.  We will spend 18

billion dollars this year on this

"war," and the question on the

table every year is do we certify

Mexico as an ally or not?

Another man, RUSH PHILLIPS, a middle-aged powerbroker,

overhears, then joins and Robert is encircled.

RUSH PHILLIPS

You want to make a difference, hit

the users. You don't jeopardize our

financial markets by some

hypocritical stance on drug

consumption.  We're snorting it,

why penalize Mexico for supplying it?

28.

UNDERSECRETARY

Mexico, don't talk to me about

Mexico --

ECONOMIST

It's the stick of law enforcement

that creates the carrot of huge

profits... That's economic truth --

RUSH PHILLIPS

Addicts don't vote; they don't have

PACs; they don't spend soft money,

that's political truth --

UNDERSECRETARY

We're locking them up and

consumption is falling --

ECONOMIST

The price of coke and heroin has

dropped and purity has increased.

All this law enforcement has

achieved is kids can get better

stuff, cheaper.  In economic terms,

you can forget it; this is not a

winnable war.

RUSH PHILLIPS

Christ, you want to decertify

somebody, take Pakistan or Columbia.

We don't need them for anything.

ECONOMIST

If you manage to seize an

inconceivable 50 percent of all

drugs coming into this country,

you'll still raise the price of

coke and heroin less than 3 percent

which won't affect drug use at all.

RUSH PHILLIPS

Why are we calling this a war at

all?  You don't declare war on your

own people.  Addiction is a little

worm that gnaws a house apart from

the inside.

MICHAEL ADLER, about Robert's age, and as successful, but in

a different way, approaches, catching Robert's eye through

the arguing demagogues.

29.

UNDERSECRETARY

We need Mexico for these reasons:

number one -- Defense; two --

Trade; three -- Tourism; then, way

on down the line, comes Drugs.  The

President knows this.  Why's he

holding everybody's feet to the fire?

MICHAEL

(solemn)

Mr. Wakefield, there's a situation

that needs your attention right away.

Robert looks at Michael, squints, looks closer, then follows.

RUSH PHILLIPS

(oblivious)

One in sixteen Americans is of

Mexican descent.  Mexico our third

largest trading partner...

ANGLE ON ROBERT AND MICHAEL

on the back porch.

ROBERT

You're looking pretty good for an

old guy.

MICHAEL

My work keeps me young.

ROBERT

Which part, getting terrorists

loose on bail or freeing convicted

murderers on technicalities?

MICHAEL

The worst serial killer in history -

who?  Gacy - right?  Killed forty

two people.  Our government killed

fifty thousand in Vietnam and lied

about it every day.

ROBERT

Michael, you represent drug dealers,

not civil libertarians.

MICHAEL

We kidnapped Noriega out of Panama.

Is that covered in your Constitution?

Because it isn't in mine.

30.

ROBERT

Noriega is a criminal.

MICHAEL

Noriega was head of a sovereign

nation who made the mistake of

doing business with the U.S.

Government.  So, no, I don't have a

problem waking up every day and

fighting our government, fighting

people like you, trying to keep

this system a little bit honest.

ROBERT

(amused)

Last I read your clients were

chopping people up with chainsaws

and delivering illegal narcotics

into this country.

MICHAEL

I hope when you were on the bench,

Judge Wakefield, you didn't handle

the presumption of innocence in the

same fashion.

ROBERT

If I ever return to the bench,

Counselor Adler, I hope I have the

pleasure of hearing your arguments.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM, SAN DIEGO - DAY

Eduardo Ruiz lies in a hospital bed, handcuffed to the

railing.  His bandaged foot is held aloft by a sling and a

tube drains the wound.  He is tugging on the handcuffs as

Castro and Gordon enter the room.

GORDON

You planning on going somewhere,

Eduardo?  You don't like it here?

This is the best situation you're

going to have for a long, long time.

RUIZ

I am a legitimate business.  Fishing

boats.  Tuna.  Check it out.  Tax

records, everything --

GORDON

Listen you motherfucker, you tried

to kill me with a fucking cannon.

31.

RUIZ

You can't visit me here.  I want my

lawyer.

GORDON

The amount of coke we got on you

means capital punishment in some

states.

CASTRO

Move 'em to Texas, fry 'em up.

GORDON

We got you on tape making the deal.

We got you bragging about the

quality.  We got you bragging about

your business.  We got you.

A NURSE appears in the doorway.  Gordon goes to the door and

shuts it in her face.

GORDON (CONT'D)

One chance here, Eduardo.  Make us

believe you got a boss.  No boss,

it's all on you.

RUIZ

It's a death sentence.  I'll never

make it to the trial.

GORDON

We can protect you.

Ruiz looks at them in disbelief.

CASTRO

Who do you work for?

RUIZ

This is coercion.

GORDON

That's a big word for a fisherman.

CASTRO

Who do you work for?

Gordon and Ruiz stare at each other.

RUIZ

I know another word... Immunity.

CUT TO:

32.

EXT. AYALA HOME - LA JOLLA - DAY

A starter castle high in the hills near Mount Soledad, an

exclusive neighborhood with views of the ocean.  Joggers jog

to the SOUNDS of tennis and Jacuzzis gurgling, and lawn care

equipment operated by Mexicans.

Behind the Ayala gate we see David playing with his golf

club on the lush lawn.

Workers set-up the party under the direction of a

professional party planner.

A BMW 740il with tinted windows pulls into the driveway.

DAVID

Daddy!

The window lowers and we see CARL AYALA, 40's, handsome,

charismatic, second generation American, in expensive,

conservative clothes, covering his cell phone as he greets

his kids.

CARL

Hello.  Hello.

He goes back to his phone call, pulling around to the garage.

David goes back to his game.

INT. AYALA DINING ROOM - DAY

There are MAIDS in the house and a COOK in the kitchen.  The

large rooms are filled with fine art.

Helena Ayala sits at the dining room table with plans, bills

and receipts spread before her.  Carl enters and paces

around the room, continuing his cell phone conversation.

CARL

(into phone)

I'm sorry, Jonas.  I don't care if

that is the price you have gotten

in order countries.

Helena watches her husband pace as he talks.  He can't help

it, but a portion of this call is theatrical, for an

audience's benefit, which in this instance happens to be his

wife.  Helena's expression of annoyance resets itself into

love.

33.

CARL (CONT'D)

This is America, a different

country.  I am Carl, a different

man.  So you see, everything about

our situation is different and I

believe the pricing will be

different, too.

(beat, listens)

You're a reasonable man... So take

the weekend to think about it.

Carl clicks off the phone, turns to Helena.

CARL (CONT'D)

Every day with this guy is like

starting all over again.

Carl winds down and finally becomes present in the room with

his wife.  He looks at her.  She looks back.

CARL (CONT'D)

Hi.

HELENA

Hi.

CARL

What's up?

HELENA

Just watching you.

CARL

I got that.  How was your day?

She pushes the topiary away from her.  Suddenly, she seems

tired.  Carl comes over and puts his hand on her pregnant

belly.

CARL (CONT'D)

You all right?

HELENA

I keep feeling like I'm forgetting

something.

Her husband watches her, then wraps his arms around her.

EXT. AYALA HOME - DAY

Carl and Helena step out on the front porch of their home

and watch David play with his golf putter.

OUTSIDE THEIR GATE

34.

An unmarked police car rolls up and stops behind the wall.

Another arrives and another and another.  OFFICERS in DEA

jackets exit the cars.

There is MURMURING, then SILENCE.

Helena slowly turns to look at her husband.  He doesn't look

at her.

HELENA

David, come inside --

Suddenly, POLICE and DEA enter the front yard.  Gordon and

Castro enter the yard and move quickly up the drive to Carl.

CARL

What is this?  What is going on?

GORDON

Mr. Ayala?

CARL

That's right.

GORDON

You're under arrest for violation

of Federal Narcotics laws.

Gordon and Castro spin him, cuff him, and without emotion

begin pulling him from his yard.  David is trying to get to

his father.  In a kind of shock.  Helena trails after him.

Castro drags Carl into the street toward the open door of

the cruiser.  He pushes him down into the backseat.

GORDON (CONT'D)

We have a warrant to search your

home, Mrs. Ayala.

Gordon hits the side of the cruiser and it pulls away.  Carl

looks at his wife through the window.

Gordon and Castro head up the driveway toward her house.

Helena is left standing in the street.  NEIGHBORS, who have

appeared in front yards and at the ends of driveways, stare

at her with suspicion.  David approaches and holds onto her

leg.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

35.

INT. SALAZAR'S HEADQUARTERS - ANTEROOM - DAY

Javi and Manolo wait in Salazar's anteroom.  A ceiling fan

swirls the air.  After a moment the door opens and an AIDE

motions to them.  They stand.

AIDE

(to Manolo)

Not you.  You.

Javi goes into the room.

INT. SALAZAR'S OFFICE - DAY

The office is Spartan and military.  Salazar and Javi sit

facing each other.  Salazar looks at a piece of paper.

SALAZAR

Javier Rodriguez.  Twenty-nine

years-old.  Graduated from

Montessori school.  Five years as a

beat cop in TJ.  Three years with

the State Police.  Parents died

four years ago in their apartment

from carbon monoxide poisoning

because they could not afford to

fix their gas heater.  Your sister

works in a Maquiladora in Juarez,

making designer blue-jeans.  On the

police force three years, you

currently make 316 dollars a month.

Salazar crumples the piece of paper and tosses it in the

trash.

SALAZAR (CONT'D)

That's your past.  I want to talk

about your future.  Would you be

willing to do something for me?

JAVIER

If I can.

SALAZAR

I'm trying to bust the Tijuana

Cartel.

JAVIER

What is it you want me to do?

SALAZAR

A small thing.  Nothing really.

Javier thinks about this.

36.

JAVIER

Does this offer include my partner?

SALAZAR

Only if he can be trusted.

JAVIER

He'll do what I say.

Salazar slides a folder across the desk.  Javier opens it

and sees a black and white surveillance photo of the

informant.

SALAZAR

His name is Francisco Flores.  He

is a killer and gun smuggler for

the Tijuana cartel.  I need to

speak with him.  I need you to find

him and bring him to me so that I

can speak with him.

INT. POLICE SEDAN - DAY

Manolo faces Javier.

MANOLO

This is fucking crazy.  Instead of

killing us, he sends us on a

suicide mission.  Do you know who

Frankie Flowers is?  He's a psycho-

cokehead-hitman.  A faggot.  He's

killed fucking who knows how many

people.  You'd need half the force

to get close to him.  And you can't

get their help because he lives in

fucking San Diego.

JAVIER

Then I guess I'm going by myself.

CUT TO:

INT. AIRPLANE - DAY

Robert Wakefield sits in business class.  He twists the cap

off a mini-bottle of bourbon and pours it over a cup of ice.

He empties a second bottle into the cup, then swirls it

around on the ice.  He takes a sip.

INT. AIRPORT GATE - DAY

Robert exits with his briefcase and hanging bag, two SECURITY

MEN trailing him.  He sees Barbara and Caroline, his wife

and daughter, waiting by the their station wagon.  They wave.

37.

INT. CAR - DAY

On the way home from the airport.  Caroline drives carefully

with Barbara in the front seat and Robert in back.

ROBERT

What's it like?

(thinks)

Imagine you're being accosted by a

swarm of beggars in the heart of

Calcutta, except the beggars are

wearing $1500 suits and they don't

say "please" or "thank you."

CAROLINE

What about legalizing everything?

Has anybody talked about that?

ROBERT

Fine -- legalization.  Okay,

forgetting all of our international

trade agreements, legalize

everything today.  The Government

inserts itself into all drug

transactions.  The U.S. becomes a

giant pharmacy.  Our borders are

mobbed, lines of people from here

to Europe wanting to smoke, snort

and shoot themselves into oblivion.

BARBARA

(lightly)

Like a Grateful Dead Concert.

ROBERT

Drugs begin pouring out of America

into every other country in the

world.  Canada is completely

overwhelmed.

CAROLINE

What if every country legalized at

the same time?

ROBERT

(smiles)

Somehow, I don't see that happening.

INT. WAKEFIELD DINING ROOM - EVENING

From the hallway we see Robert and Barbara and Caroline

having dinner.  A family tableau.  We hear Barbara talking,

the murmur of the days events.

38.

In the room, Barbara continues her dinner table thoughts.

Robert has a good deal of reading material stacked on the

table.

BARBARA

So you know we put the case before

the arbitration panel, none of whom

had any expertise.  Superfund is

just one of those words.  People

stop paying attention.

ROBERT

That's frustrating.

BARBARA

It's so frustrating.

There is wine on the table and Caroline is allowed a glass.

Her parents watch her take a responsible sip.

CAROLINE

(to Robert)

Did you meet the President?

BARBARA

Honey, your father knows the

President.

ROBERT

As it happens, the President of the

United States, my new boss, the

leader of the free world, has me

penciled in for some "face time".

CAROLINE

Will we get invited to the White

House?

ROBERT

I don't know.

CAROLINE

How long's the job?

ROBERT

It's a presidential appointment

so... until I quit or get fired.

BARBARA

Czar for life, just like a real czar.

CAROLINE

That makes mom the Czarina.  I'm a

Czarette.  Like Anastasia.

39.

Caroline thinks about this.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

None of my friends can fucking

believe my dad is the actual Drug

Czar.

BARBARA

Caroline --

CAROLINE

Sorry, but I mean, come on.

Robert doesn't know if she's putting him down.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

It's great, daddy.  It's just

amazing, that's all.

They all look at each other.  Caroline sips her wine.

CUT TO:

INT. SAN DIEGO JAIL - DAY

In the intake area of a busy San Diego precinct, Helena sits

on a bench and regroups.  Detectives move past her.

Handcuffed criminals are separated, bagged and tagged.

A beautifully dressed man, ARNIE METZGER, 30's, super-

lawyer, knows everyone from the top of the system to the

bottom, slick but likable, smart and ruthless, too, separates

himself from a DETECTIVE he's gladhanding and approaches

Helena.

ARNIE

Helena, I'm so sorry --

HELENA

Arnie, thank God.

Metzger sits, giving her a hug.

HELENA (CONT'D)

Can you please tell me what on

earth is going on?

Arnie looks at her as if to say, "do you really not know?"

Then, he speaks quietly with his hand in front of his mouth.

ARNIE

I understand.  You're upset.  You

want to know what's going on.

That's good.

40.

HELENA

Why are you talking like that?

ARNIE

Listen to me carefully.  First of

all, Carl isn't here.  DEA's got

him and they'll hang on to him

until arraignment, which will

probably be tomorrow.  So here

you're wasting your time.  Are you

with me?

He checks to see if this is registering.

ARNIE (CONT'D)

Good.  From now on I want you to

expect that every word you utter

will be tape-recorded, that the

movement of your lips is being read.

Got it?

HELENA

Arnie, this is crazy.

He makes eye contact with her.

ARNIE

Got it?

(she slowly nods)

Good.  Do not discuss anything over

the telephone.  Do not talk to the

neighbors.  Stay out of your yard.

HELENA

What is he being charged with?

ARNIE

I don't know, but under no

circumstances would I talk about it

here.  I want you to go home and

relax the best you can.  Continue

your life as if nothing has happened.

That is very important.

HELENA

Arnie, I feel like Alice stepping

through the looking glass.

ARNIE

That's a very apt analogy, Helena.

Now, go home and be with your

children.

41.

EXT. BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY

Helena exits.  Her expression is set as she drives.  She

turns a corner in the shopping district, passing

JAVIER AND MANOLO

who are walking down the street.  Tourists, drunk Marines

and the homeless piss away another day.

We follow them into a bar with blackened windows and a

discrete sign.

INT. BAR - DAY

This is a place where men come to meet men.  And it's

already lively even at this early hour.  Javier and Manolo

find a seat and wait.

LATER

Javi is working on his second beer when he seems to recognize

somebody.

ACROSS THE ROOM

Francisco "Frankie" Flowers has entered the bar.  Javi

watches him circulate through the room then settle at the

bar.  Javier finishes his beer, rises, and takes the empty

seat next to Francisco.  Manolo watches.

Very quickly Javi strikes up a conversation.  We don't hear

what they're saying but it doesn't matter because Francisco

clearly likes Javi.

Off Francisco's anticipatory smile --

OMITTED

OMITTED

EXT. MILITARY BASE - MEXICO - DAY

The back of a blue van opens and a blindfolded Francisco

falls onto the ground.

Surrounding him are Javi and Salazar, who watch as two of

Salazar's MEN drag Francisco away toward an abandoned

mission-style building.

SALAZAR

(clearly pleased with Javi)

I'm curious how you did this with

such economy.

42.

JAVIER

Everybody has a weakness.

CUT TO:

EXT. SOMEBODY'S PARENTS' MANSION, CINCINNATI - NIGHT

With its old-growth trees and manipulated shrubbery, the

large house is shrouded in the mystery of well-heeled

suburbia.  It is very late.

INT. SOMEBODY'S PARENTS' MANSION - NIGHT

Somebody's parents are out of town and the house feels empty.

Big empty rooms with expensive furniture nobody sits on.

Faint MUSIC echoes through the house.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

High ceilings of a 1930's kitchen.  Vodka bottles and

cranberry juice and limes are spilled across a counter.  ON

THE RHODES AGAIN by Morcheeba plays from a jam-box on a

counter.

Maybe ten TEENAGERS are partying hard in this kitchen.  It's

weird and disassociated, people wandering in and out,

playing with kitchen utensils, heavily fucked up.

There are drugs on a mirror on the eat-in table.  Caroline

and Seth and two friends sit around this table.  VANESSA,

16, almost pretty, is hitting a freebase pipe and holds the

hit.  FUCKED-UP BOWMAN, 17, super-preppy with a wan, Baby

Huey face, takes a slug of vodka.

They are jittery, sweaty, tweaked, fucked-up --

CAROLINE

All I'm saying, what I'm saying, is

it never seems like anybody ever

says anything that matters to them,

like we all look at each other and

nod with responses we've been

trained to make, not real responses,

just social conventions, phony,

fake smiles, surface bullshit... I

mean, we're all smart and do we

have any idea what each other are

like, really like?  Do I know what

Seth's afraid of, or Vanessa, or

fucked-up Bowman?

Everyone looks at Fucked-up Bowman who grinds his jaw

appreciatively --

43.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

... Probably, but do I ever say

this stuff, just say, "hey, I'm

uncomfortable in this crowd, I

don't know what the fuck I'm doing,

either?  I know you're afraid and

it's okay --"

Seth's words come quickly, they're riffing, totally in sync,

totally wired --

SETH

We act like we have all the answers

and we're totally invincible like

our parents seem and their parents

before them and it's fucking

bullshit --

Fucked-up Bowman takes another slug of vodka and almost pukes.

FUCKED-UP BOWMAN

For instance --

SETH

For instance I know you jack-off

thinking about Caroline even though

you're supposedly "in love" with

Vanessa.  Whatever the fuck that

means?

(a digression)

I mean, what is that convention,

anyway?  We're all these random

collections of self-interest, and

then we just decide that now we're

two people walking along --

Caroline expels a hit of rock cocaine --

CAROLINE

And Vanessa doesn't think she's

pretty so she does all these weird

fucking diets which is totally

about self-esteem.  And she's

beautiful.

(beat)

And that's not even fair.  Because

listen to me.  I'm fucking lying

right now.  This is exactly what

I'm talking about... I'm supposedly

talking about you, making some big

point about you, and it's really

about me.

(MORE)

44.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

So I should talk about me, not you,

not even the universal "you..."

(takes a beat)

Okay.  Okay, I'm worried I'm not

really smart or that I'm not nearly

as smart as people think I am, or

that my parents' expectations have

been way too high since I was five,

I mean who knows they're going to

Harvard when they're five, not that

I'm blaming them for anything

because everything's great, and I

may not even get in, but we all

feel this shit and we never

acknowledge it and if we can't

acknowledge it to the people we

care the most about then who will

we ever say it too and what kind of

life will that be?

They all look at each other with love.  This is an adventure

and they're having a connection --

FUCKED-UP BOWMAN

I jack-off thinking about Seth.

Everybody I know does.

Bowman does another huge hit of freebase.

CAROLINE

(disgusted)

Ach, that's what I'm talking about.

Sarcasm.  Always fucking sarcasm.

You're afraid and you think if you

admit it people will think you're

weak or won't like you --

SETH

We live our lives by these unspoken

rules that are handed to us.

They all look at each other, vibrating with the moment --

VANESSA

Let's be different --

FUCKED-UP BOWMAN

I can't feel my hands.

Bowman looks around, squinting, confused.  He's chalk white.

FUCKED-UP BOWMAN (CONT'D)

I'm serious --

45.

Suddenly, he clutches his chest and begins to twitch.  Puke

and foam come from his mouth.  He seizes and falls from the

chair.  Vanessa SCREAMS.

Seth and Caroline push the table aside to get a better look.

Other people in the kitchen slowly take notice.

VANESSA

He's blue.  He isn't breathing --

CAROLINE

Is he breathing?

Bowman's eyes have rolled back in his head.

SETH

What do we do?  Okay.  Fucked-up

Bowman's turning blue.  Doctor.  We

need a doctor.

VANESSA

Your dad's a doctor.  Call him --

SETH

He's a research doctor.  You're

dad's a doctor, too --

VANESSA

What kind of research?

SETH

Mapping the fucking pig genome.

We'll call your dad, he's a

neurosurgeon --

VANESSA

It's three a.m.  I'm not supposed

to be here.  I snuck out --

CAROLINE

Are you kidding...  I'm staying

with you --

SETH

He's gonna fucking die right here

on the kitchen floor --

ANOTHER KID

He can't.  My parents are in

Barbados --

OMITTED

46.

EXT. SUBURBAN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ENTRANCE - NIGHT

The Taurus wagon races up to the emergency room of Suburban

Hospital.  The back door opens and Bowman tumbles out onto

the wheelchair ramp under the fluorescent lights.

The car screeches around the circle --

ACROSS THE PARKING LOT

TWO OFFICERS in a police car see the body tumble out of the

car.

The cop car wheels around and cuts off the egress of the

Taurus wagon --

INT. FORD TAURUS WAGON - NIGHT

Seth is behind the wheel.  Caroline and Vanessa are in the

back.  They stare out at the cops getting out of the cruiser.

SETH

Nobody has anything on them, right?

CUT TO:

OMITTED

INT. TORTURE ROOM - BARRACKS - DAY

Francisco is strapped naked into a chair.  Duct tape covers

his mouth.  His face is bruised and swollen.  A cruel

TORTURER talks to him calmly while dumping chili powder into

a container of soda water.

TORTURER

We know Tijuana Cartel gunmen

killed our chief of intelligence,

Francisco.  We know you killed

police commanders in Tijuana and

Mexico City.  Why do you resist?

He approaches Francisco and begins shaking up the soda water.

He rips the tape off his mouth.

FRANCISCO

My father is rich.  He'll pay you.

TORTURER

Not the correct answer, my friend.

The torturer puts another strip of duct tape across

Francisco's mouth.

47.

TORTURER (CONT'D)

We know that you went after the

neighbor of General Salazar, a

simple alfalfa farmer.  His grand-

daughter was shot.  This is stupid

behavior, Francisco.

Francisco starts to squirm and whimper.  The torturer closes

one of Francisco's nostrils and sprays the pepper-laced

water into the other nostril.

It's like a bomb went off in Francisco's brain.  He SCREAMS

and passes out.  Blood and mucous oozes out of his nose.

INT. BARRACKS - MEXICAN MILITARY BASE - DAY

Javier stands guard outside a door, listening  to the

strangulated SCREAMS of Francisco.  He's sickened.

ACROSS THE COURTYARD

Manolo ignores Francisco's CRIES, while shooting the shit

with several of Salazar's MEN, who laugh appreciatively at

something he's said.

CUT TO:

EXT. AYALA HOME, SAN DIEGO - NIGHT

Valet parkers in uniform work the driveway.  The party is

ablaze and there are lights in the trees.  A Lester Lanin-

like band plays a STANDARD that drifts across the grounds.

EXT. AYALA HOME - NIGHT

A conservative monied crowd mingles.  Helena is talking with

a GROUP of rich people who include her friends, Nan, Stewie

and Alex, from the country-club, and their HUSBANDS.

STEWIE

This is fabulous, Helena.  What a

turnout.

HELENA

Thank you so much, but I had a lot

of help.

Helena circles away.  As Helena leaves, the women speak

their minds --

NAN

It's a turnout because it's a

spectacle.  Can you imagine?

48.

ALEX

I've met her husband, as nice as

they come.

STEWIE

It teaches me a valuable lesson...

(re: the nice house)

Apparently crime pays.

NAN

Silly, you knew that already.

ON THE STAGE

The band stops playing and steps aside as a man in a tuxedo

takes the microphone.  Behind the band is a huge "A.L.A. -

Adult Literacy Advocates" Banner.

TUXEDO

Hello. Thank you.  Thank you all. I

have the results of the silent

auction...

CUT TO:

INT. JUVENILE DETENTION, CINCINNATI - HOLDING CELL - MORNING

Caroline Wakefield lies on a bench in a grey-walled holding

cell.  She wears paper slippers and her belt has been

removed.  Even youth can't disguise her hangover.

INT. SOCIAL WORKER OFFICE - MORNING

Caroline is perched on the edge of her chair.  Across the

desk from her is a tired SOCIAL WORKER, 40's, who has been

assigned Caroline's case and is giving her the "exit"

interview.

SOCIAL WORKER

... How old are you?

CAROLINE

Sixteen

SOCIAL WORKER

Live with your parents?

CAROLINE

Yes.

SOCIAL WORKER

Parents still together?

49.

CAROLINE

Yes.

SOCIAL WORKER

Do you work?

CAROLINE

I volunteer.  I read to blind

people.  One day a week for two

hours.

SOCIAL WORKER

In school?

CAROLINE

Cincinnati Country Day.

The Social worker looks up from her questionnaire and sees

Caroline for the first time.

SOCIAL WORKER

Private?

CAROLINE

Yeah.

SOCIAL WORKER

How are your grades?

CAROLINE

I'm third in my class.

SOCIAL WORKER

What's that mean?

CAROLINE

I get A's.  All A's.

SOCIAL WORKER

You do?  What else you do?

CAROLINE

(her college resume)

I'm a National Merit Finalist.  I'm

on the Hi-Q team and the Math team.

I'm in the Spanish Club.  I'm a

Thespian.  I'm Vice-President of my

class.  I'm on the volleyball team.

The social worker pushes the forms she's filling out away

and looks again at Caroline --

50.

SOCIAL WORKER

You wanna tell me what you're doing

here, Caroline?

INT. JUVENILE DETENTION - MORNING

A cold institutional lobby with hard plastic chairs and bad

lighting.  Government workers move behind thick glass

windows with tiny mesh screens cut into them for talking.

Barbara Wakefield sits on one of the uncomfortable chairs.

She's alone and has been crying.  There's the sound of

heavily locked doors OPENING and Caroline appears.

Barbara stands and wraps Caroline in her arms.

BARBARA

Oh, honey.  Are you all right?

Caroline begins to cry into her mother's chest.

EXT. JUVI JAIL - MORNING

It's an early morning as Barbara Wakefield escorts her

daughter from the bland government building.

CAROLINE

Did you tell Dad?

BARBARA

Not yet.

CAROLINE

Are you going to?

BARBARA

I don't know.

CAROLINE

Is this bad for him?

BARBARA

What do you think?

The streets are deserted.  Their Saab wagon sits forlornly

under grey skies in an uncovered public parking lot.

CUT TO:

INT. DAVID'S ROOM - NIGHT

Helena slips into David's room and quietly watches him sleep.

51.

INT. STUDY - LATER

Still wearing her evening gown, Helena collapses into a

chair, exhausted.  A TAP at the door startles her.

It's Arnie Metzger, who goes to the bar and pours himself a

strong one.  They sit opposite each other and neither speaks

for a while.

HELENA

(quietly)

I am on the board of my son's

school.  I had a fundraiser for

A.L.V. in my front yard.  I have a

right to know if my husband is a

legitimate businessman.

ARNIE

Of course he is.  I've known him

for twenty years and he doesn't

jaywalk...

Helena is relieved, but she's not looking at Arnie and when

she does she sees him shaking his head in a very definitive,

"No."

Arnie stands and continues talking as he walks to the

windows and shuts the blinds one by one.

ARNIE (CONT'D)

... Carl is a very important member

of this community and when we're

through suing the police and the

district attorney and the DEA,

they'll have to rename the public

parks for your husband.

The blinds are closed.  Arnie crosses to Helena and talks

very softly in her ear.  She's a beautiful woman and Arnie

manages to make this act seem both practical and

inappropriate.

ARNIE (CONT'D)

(whispering)

Your husband is very good at his

job...

Helena leans back and looks at Arnie.  He whispers more --

ARNIE (CONT'D)

Which is smuggling illegal drugs

into this country.

52.

EXT. AYALA HOME - NIGHT

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

shit.

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?

53.

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.

54.

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 --

55.

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 (CONT'D)

(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 --

56.

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.

(MORE)

57.

SALAZAR (CONT'D)

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 (CONT'D)

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.

58.

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 --

PROSECUTOR

This is a man who heads a large

criminal organization with

international contacts we can only

begin to understand.  Our case

against him is very strong.  He is

not a flight risk.  His flight is

assured.  The people ask that your

honor denies bail.

The prosecutor sits.  Carl's defense lawyer, MICHAEL ADLER,

from the Georgetown party, stands and speaks.

ADLER

My client is no more a flight risk

than your Honor or the able

prosecutor.  He is a pillar of his

community, a family man with a wife

and child in La Jolla, the community

where he has made his home for over

twenty years.  As our defense will

quickly show, my client is guilty

of nothing more than being a handy

target for an admitted criminal.

Therefore we ask that you release

Carl Ayala on his own recognizance.

Adler sits.  The JUDGE makes a quick decision.

JUDGE

I'm gonna deny bail.

The judge SLAMS his gavel.  The crowd is on its feet.  Carl

tries to get a glimpse of Helena.  They make eye contact.

Reporters from the press gallery are yelling for Helena.

Arnie ushers her away.

59.

EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY

Adler, Arnie, and Helena push through a crowd toward her car.

There are several reporters there who ask questions --

REPORTER

Mrs. Ayala, were you aware your

husband is the largest cocaine

smuggler in America?

ADLER

Alleged, people, alleged.

Helena gets into her car and slams the door.  Adler faces

the reporters.

REPORTER #2

Mrs. Ayala is it true your husband

has ordered a hit on Eduardo Ruiz?

Adler is in a role he relishes.  Helena drives away.  We

move up to Gordon, who is watching from the hotel window

across the street.  He speaks into a walkie-talkie, and a

car down below pulls out to follow Helena.

ADLER

Carl Ayala sits on the board of the

Children's Hospital.  He is heavily

involved with Adult Literacy.  He

has a small boy and another child

on the way.  If you spread this

kind of innuendo, you can expect

legal recourse.  Are we clear on

this point?

CUT TO:

INT. GOVERNMENT BUILDING - EARLY MORNING

The marble government corridors are empty.  No one is in yet.

One office has lights on.

INT. A.D.A. KELLY'S OFFICE - EARLY MORNING

Robert Wakefield talks with an Assistant District Attorney,

DAN KELLY, 40's.

ROBERT

I appreciate you coming in so early.

60.

A.D.A. KELLY

Judge Wakefield, it's an honor to

handle it for you.  Consider it

gone away.  She's a minor; it

probably would've expunged on her

18th birthday anyway.

ROBERT

Still, this was a sensitive issue

for me and I wanted to thank you

personally.

A.D.A. KELLY

Like I said, open container, P.I.,

Misdemeanor possession.  Easy to

make it disappear.  For you, poof,

it's gone.

A.D.A. Kelly thinks a moment, then tries for tact.

A.D.A. KELLY (CONT'D)

One thing bothers me...  That kid

they dropped off had coke and

heroin in him.  Serious amounts.

He's lucky he lived.  So I gotta

ask: what's your daughter on?

ROBERT

I don't know what you mean.

A.D.A. KELLY

I mean, did you ask her?  What kind

of drugs has she tried?

Robert is silent for a beat.

ROBERT

I... I don't really know.

A.D.A. KELLY

Is she in any kind of therapy...

professional help?

ROBERT

No, of course not.  She's one of

the top students at her school.

A.D.A. KELLY

Well, I hope it stays that way.

INT. ROBERT'S CAR - EARLY MORNING

Robert in his car, thinking.  The streets are empty.  He

picks up the cell phone.

61.

ROBERT

(into phone)

It's Robert.  Wipe your schedule

clean for the next three days.  I'm

tired of talking to experts who

never set foot outside the beltway.

It's time to see the front lines.

INT. CAROLINE WAKEFIELD'S BATHROOM - MORNING

Caroline sits on the toilet in her private bathroom.  She's

not going to the bathroom, it's a seat and she's wearing her

pajamas.  She's reading a magazine.  The exhaust fan is on.

There are pictures of her and her friends on the walls:

goofy pictures from camp, from school, a collage she's made

with cutouts from magazine pictures and copy.

On the sink next to her is a little square of well-charred

aluminum foil; she's done many hits.  She leans over and

picks up a small piece of crack cocaine from a small pile in

her soap dish.  She drops it on a clean place on the foil.

She picks up a lighter and the tube of a ball point pen

she's turned into a straw.

She heats the bottom of the foil.  The crack "crackles."

She chases the smoke across the foil.  A huge hit.  She

leans her head back, her eyes roll back, she tries to focus

on the magazine, on anything, she stares up at the ceiling.

She holds it as long as she can then blows it toward the

exhaust fan.

Caroline looks at her watch.  It's 7:20.  She stands

suddenly, unsteadily.  She looks at herself in the mirror.

She's really high and indecisive.  She looks around wildly.

She sees the shower.  She turns it on.  She drops her pajamas.

She goes back to the foil and hits another piece of the

rock, taking another really big hit.  She crushes the foil

and flushes it down the toilet.  She hops in the shower.

IN THE SHOWER

The water streams over her face.  After a long beat she

finally exhales the smoke of the hit through the water and

steam.  She's in ecstacy.

It's almost time to leave for school.

CUT TO:

62.

EXT. LA JOLLA PLAYGROUND - DAY

Helena reads a book, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, and

keeps an eye on David, who is playing on the monkey bars.

ACROSS THE ROAD at a careful distance is the ubiquitous

telephone repair van.  On the roof a parabolic mike swivels

around.

INT. TELEPHONE REPAIR VAN - DAY

Castro and Gordon watch Helena via a small surveillance

monitor.

GORDON

You should see little Montel play.

Little Montel is the next Maradona.

CASTRO

Maradona is a cokehead.  Hand of

God, my ass.  We're wasting our

time here.

GORDON

He won.  He was a winner.  That

bothers you.

CASTRO

Winners don't do coke.  Or haven't

you been reading the bumper stickers?

Gordon looks at the monitor --

GORDON

What do we have here?

ON THE MONITOR:

David kicking a soccer ball with an older strange man,

TIGRILLO, Latino, 40's, fit and tough looking.

The man is very good.  He juggles the ball and bounces it

off his head and David follows him away from the center of

the playground.

EXT. PLAYGROUND - CONTINUOUS

Helena notices David moving away while playing with the man.

She follows, then begins to jog after them.

HELENA

David, come back here this minute.

David!

63.

As she closes distance the man stops juggling the ball and

abruptly picks up David and begins swinging him around by

his arms.  David is having fun as Helena approaches.

HELENA (CONT'D)

David --

DAVID

We're playing!

The strange man swings David up so that he's under his arm.

STRANGE MAN

Yeah, this is fun.

HELENA

Please put down my son.

The man holds David.

STRANGE MAN

Shouldn't let your kid wander off

with strangers.

HELENA

Thank you.  That's a valuable

lesson.  David, come on.

The strange man holds David tighter so that he's no longer

having fun.  He begins to wriggle --

STRANGE MAN

Mrs. Ayala --

This gets her attention --

STRANGE MAN (CONT'D)

Your husband owes a lot of money.

Enough that snapping this kid's

neck wouldn't nearly cover it.

David begins to cry.  Helena looks around wildly for help.

STRANGE MAN (CONT'D)

You better come up with it in a

hurry or your kid is going to

disappear, and he won't turn up

until the evening news.

He drops David who runs to his mother.

STRANGE MAN (CONT'D)

You get exactly one warning.

64.

The strange man moves away across the field.

STRANGE MAN (CONT'D)

The first payment is three million

dollars.

He continues walking away.

INT. TELEPHONE REPAIR VAN - DAY

Gordon and Castro stare with rapt attention.

GORDON

Are you getting this on tape?

CASTRO

I love my job.  I love it.  The

next time I'm having a bad day you

gotta remind me of right now and

I'll get over it.

CUT TO:

EXT. BARRACKS - NIGHT

Javier and Manolo stand guard outside the front door of the

dining hall.  Javi smokes a cigarette.

MANOLO

A group of us are going out tonight.

JAVIER

Who?

MANOLO

Guzman, Tomas, Esteban --

JAVIER

Your new friends.

MANOLO

Yeah.  It should be fun.  You wanna

come?

JAVIER

Not this time.

INT. DINING HALL - BARRACKS - NIGHT

Francisco and Salazar eat at a beautifully set table.  They

are waited on by military officers who serve perfect flan at

the end of the meal.

65.

FRANCISCO

In my home I have B&W speakers.  I

recently purchased a compact disc

burner.  I can make my own cd's,

with whatever music I like, as if I

bought them at the store, only I

don't have to pay these crazy prices.

SALAZAR

We have much in common.  We both

attended school in the United

States, and both of our fathers are

engineers.

FRANCISCO

I got into stereo equipment when I

was a kid.  Some people don't

notice the difference but it is

very important to me.

SALAZAR

Of course it is.  Have some more

wine.

A soldier pours another glass of red for Francisco.

SALAZAR (CONT'D)

Now, Francisco, my friend... I must

know where these men are who killed

my captains.  Not where they were

last week, but where they are

today, and better still, tomorrow.

You are clever.  You can predict

where they will be, can't you?

Francisco begins to weep.

Salazar slides a pad of paper toward Francisco who slowly

begins writing.

EXT. TIJUANA NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

Manolo and Javier pound on the front door of an apartment.

A MAN opens the door and they grab him.

EXT. TIJUANA STREETS - DAY

A MAN walks down the street.  Two SUV's pull up in front of

him.  He starts to run.  Salazar's men jump out and chase him.

Francisco is in the backseat of one of the SUV's, watching.

66.

EXT. TIJUANA - DAY

An SUV pulls up to a curb.

INT. SUV - DAY

Javier and Manolo and Francisco sit in the SUV.  Francisco

is weeping.

FRANCISCO

I can't go home.  I don't want to

go.  Please don't make me.

He looks beseechingly at them.

JAVIER

It's not our decision.

FRANCISCO

I'll be killed.

JAVIER

Stop complaining.  Nobody knows

what you've been up to.

They push him out of the SUV.

CUT TO:

INT. SAN DIEGO JAIL - DAY

Castro and Gordon sit with Eduardo Ruiz in a conference room.

They are recording his statements.

RUIZ

Carlos, I mean Carl, started out in

the family connection business:

real estate in Tijuana, fishing

boats out of Ensenada, hydroponic

raspberries.  He met up with the

Obregon brothers of the Tijuana

Cartel who were interested in two

things: entering society and using

his fishing boats.

GORDON

So you pay off our customs officials?

67.

RUIZ

In Mexico law enforcement is an

entrepreneurial activity, this is

not so true for the USA.

(condescending)

Using regression analysis we made a

study of the customs lanes at the

border and calculated the odds of a

search.  The odds are not high, and

we found variables that reduce the

odds.  We hire drivers with nothing

to lose.  Then we throw a lot of

product at the problem.  Some get

stopped.  Enough get through.  It's

not difficult.

CASTRO

You'd think he wasn't sitting here

facing life in prison.

RUIZ

This has worked for years and it

will continue to work for years.

NAFTA makes everything more

difficult for you.  The border is

disappearing.

(pointing at them)

You people are like those Japanese

soldiers left behind on deserted

islands who think that World War II

is still going on.

(with total disdain)

Let me be the first to  tell you,

your government surrendered this

war a long time ago.

GORDON

(to Castro)

This attitude's not gonna help him

any, is it?

RUIZ

I got greedy.  I decided to bring a

little in on my own and somebody

tipped you off.  That was my

mistake.  Carl would never be so

stupid.

GORDON

He hired you.  That was a mistake.

68.

RUIZ

Carl and I were friends from

childhood.  He was loyal, that's

not a mistake.

EXT. TIJUANA - SAN DIEGO BORDER CROSSING - DAY

Car after car, an unending multi-lane stream of vehicles

moving into the U.S.  Any of these cars could be carrying

drugs.

INT. CUSTOMS CONTROL BOOTH - DAY

On an elevated walkway, this booth commands a view of

everything.  Robert and Sheridan listen to an OFFICIAL give

the spiel.

OFFICIAL

The busiest land border crossing in

the world.  Over forty-one thousand

vehicles per day, twenty-two

thousand pedestrians on foot.  I

think we do a pretty good job but

we know a lot of drugs are still

getting through.

ROBERT

Any idea how much?

OFFICIAL

I've read official estimates but I

wouldn't bet my house on them.

I've heard the entire cocaine

supply for the United States can

fit into four tractor-trailers.

(gestures to the traffic)

At least a half-dozen of those cars

right out there are carrying a load

of dope, with drivers employed by

people who don't give a damn if

they're caught or not.

ROBERT

What do you look for?

OFFICIAL

We ask questions and measure the

answers.  When something doesn't

ring true, a fact that doesn't make

sense, a slight hesitation, then

it's off to secondary for a closer

look.  Before NAFTA we had about

1.9 million trucks a year.

(MORE)

69.

OFFICIAL (CONT'D)

Now it's almost double.  Pretty

soon there'll be Mexican truck

companies that will have as much

freedom in crossing the border as

American truck companies.

ROBERT

Any way we can do it better?

OFFICIAL

Sure.  More money in intelligence

on their side of the border.  So we

have a better idea who we're

looking for.  More dogs.  More

people.  Supposed to be getting

some giant x-ray machines to run

the trucks through.  Outside of

martial law that's about the best

you're gonna do.

(beat)

But, I should tell you, there are

two things that really have us on

edge right now.

(beat)

In the last six months seizures

have tripled, even though we're

pulling over the same number of

cars.  What does that tell you?

ROBERT

That triple the amount of stuff is

going through.

OFFICIAL

Right.  But, that's not the biggest

problem.  One of our Intel officers

picked up information from DEA that

traffickers have come up with a

process, a chemical process, to

turn coke into something else.  It

doesn't smell like coke.  It

doesn't look like coke.  And what's

worse, it doesn't react to field

test.  It could be anything.  Maybe

it's already happening.  I mean,

how would we know?

Robert looks out at the border activity.  It's anarchy.

CUT TO:

70.

INT. AYALA STUDY - AFTERNOON

Helena is on the floor surrounded by papers.  She's made

piles of certain things: articles of incorporation,

shipping/transfer documentation, bank statements, credit

card statements.  She holds a telephone to her ear --

HELENA

(to phone)

Yes, hi Jenny, account number 4168

2245 3173... I need a cash advance.

Helena walks into her kitchen.  It's serene in the afternoon

light.  She fixes ice-cold lemonade and fills two plastic

cups.

HELENA (CONT'D)

What's the largest amount I can get?

(listens)

Okay, I guess that'll have to do.

Helena hangs up the phone.  She takes the two cups of

lemonade to the front door and steps outside.

EXT. AYALA HOME - AFTERNOON

Helena carries the cups down the driveway.  She presses a

button and the gates swing open.

INT. TELEPHONE REPAIR VAN - AFTERNOON

Gordon and Castro listen to their headsets.  Suddenly --

VOICE (O.S.)

(over their headsets)

Okay.  She's coming out.  She's

leaving her property.  Okay, she

seems to be heading for the van!

She is approaching the van!

Castro and Gordon looks at each other.

GORDON

What do we do?

CASTRO

I don't know.

There's a KNOCKING at the door of the van.

GORDON

What do you think she wants?

71.

CASTRO

She's your girlfriend.  Open it,

talk about your kids.

Gordon opens the door.  Helena is standing there with the

lemonade.

HELENA

I so hope I didn't startle you.  I

thought you might like some cold

lemonade.

GORDON

Uh... Thank you.

She hands the cups to him.  Helena gathers herself.

HELENA

I know this is a difficult situation

and you're only doing your jobs.  I

don't bear you any ill-will, but I

do have a small favor to ask.

CASTRO

You want to ask us a favor?

HELENA

A man threatened my children.

These charges have attracted a lot

of attention and it seems to be

bringing all the nut-jobs out of

the nut jar.

(beat)

Would you keep an eye out for

anything out of the ordinary.  I

don't know what else to do.

GORDON

Of course, we will.

HELENA

Thank you.

They shut the door to the van and sit for a moment.

CASTRO

It's probably poisoned.

Gordon takes a big sip of his.

GORDON

It's good.  Not too sweet.

CUT TO:

72.

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

EXT. TIJUANA STREET - MORNING

This is a questionable neighborhood pushed up against the

edge of poverty.

Anna hurries across the street.

EXT. JAVI'S APARTMENT BUILDING - MORNING

Anna walks up the stairs of a rundown building.  She passes

two PROSTITUTES loitering in the stairwell.

She knocks on a door and Javi, half-dressed for work,

answers.  He's surprised to see her.

JAVIER

Anna.  What's wrong?  What do you

want?

ANNA

I can't find Manolo.

JAVIER

He's not here.

ANNA

He never came home last night.  Was

he with you?

JAVIER

No.

He lets her into the apartment.

INT. JAVI'S APARTMENT - MORNING

A small, clean room with a partition for the sleeping area.

ANNA

I'm worried.  Last time he was out

late, I went through his clothes

while he was asleep.

She pulls out a plastic packet with the scorpion insignia

and 911 stamped on it.

Javier thinks a beat.

73.

JAVIER

I'll find him.

EXT. ALLEY - TIJUANA - DAY

Javi slams Manolo against the side of building.

JAVIER

What the fuck are you doing?

You're supposed to be at work.

Look at you.

Manolo is sweaty and crazy-eyed.

MANOLO

It's no problem.  I was just with

everybody we work with.

JAVIER

Oh, really.  General Salazar was

there?

MANOLO

No, but a lot of other people.  You

should come.  You should come out

with us.

JAVIER

Go home.  Get cleaned up.  Get to

work.  Salazar is heading down to

Mexico City next week and I'm not

getting left behind.  Don't fuck

this up.

CUT TO:

EXT. COFFEE KIOSK - TIJUANA - DAY

Javi buys a cup of coffee.  He turns.  Two men, who will

come to be known as AGENT HUGHES and AGENT JOHNSON, are

standing close.  Agent Hughes speaks without looking at him.

HUGHES

The word going around is you're not

that happy in your work.

(beat)

Maybe we can help.

Hughes sticks a business card in Javi's pocket.  Javi

watches them walk away.  It's all done so smoothly and

quickly, it's over before Javi even knows what happened.

74.

EXT. WEST END - CINCINNATI - DAY

It's the bad part of urban Cincinnati in the daylight:

projects and blighted row houses.  Seth and Caroline walk

with a slouched, alert air.  In their mind's eye they are

prep-school gangsters following a familiar route.

SETH

You know my dad takes eight red

cold pills every day?  He and my

mom have cocktail hour every night,

from six to seven, set your clock,

two bourbons --

CAROLINE

Maybe we could show up and smoke a

little rock with them to unwind --

SETH

Yeah, then some dope to take the

edge off at the end of a long day.

CAROLINE

Have you done your homework, honey?

SETH

Yes, mom --

CAROLINE

Then here's a little bump.

They turn down a street with a lot of activity on it.

SETH

Drugs weren't even a problem until

a hundred years ago when the white

men in power declared them a

problem.  Opiates.  But, who was

using 'em?  Chinese immigrants.

Slave labor.  And the darkies up in

the inner cities dancing to them

evil rhythms of ju-ju music.

People on the fringe.  Artists.

Decadent rich people.  And who got

scared?  White men in power.  Who's

scared today?  White men in power.

If J.P. Morgan and John D.

Rockefeller ever admitted using,

it'd be a whole different story.

TWO YOUNG STREET DEALERS fall in step with them.  One talks

without moving his lips --

75.

STREET DEALER

What you want?

SETH

911, and the come down.

One dealer hurries ahead toward the doorway of a falling-

down building.

STREET DEALER

How much?

SETH

Two hundred of C, hundred of the

other.

The dealer looks them over.  He looks behind them down the

street.

CAROLINE

Come on... We've been here before.

STREET DEALER

Then, let's see your money.

Seth and Caroline are suspicious.  They carefully show money

they both have in their front right pockets.  The dealer

feints like he might grab it.

STREET DEALER (CONT'D)

Up the steps.  You the experts.

You know what to do.

They hurry up the steps into the dingy brownstone.

INT. ROW HOUSE - DAY

They step into the narrow foyer between the outer door and

the inner door.  There are three other PEOPLE waiting

nervously.  An older JUNKIE shoots them a crazy look --

JUNKIE

What are you two, about twelve?

CAROLINE

Fuck off.

They wait.  Finally, the first dealer appears in the inner

door and lets them through.

76.

INT. FIRST FLOOR CORRIDOR - DAY

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 fuck 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.

77.

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 (CONT'D)

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 (CONT'D)

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.

78.

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.

79.

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.

80.

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.

(MORE)

81.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

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 (CONT'D)

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.

ARNIE

On a clear day you can see Mexico

City.

Arnie stands very close to Helena and looks at her profile.

ARNIE (CONT'D)

This place is swept twice a day.  I

learned that in Miami in '85.  Then

the U.S. shut down the whole

Caribbean, but it's a big game of

wack-a-mole.  Knock it down in

Miami, it pops up here.  And San

Diego is so much more relaxing.

HELENA

Arnie, I need money.  Somebody

threatened my children.  They want

a first payment of three million

dollars.

82.

ARNIE

Helena, if I had it I would give it

to you, but I don't have that kind

of money.

HELENA

Arnie, help me.  Doesn't anyone owe

us money?

ARNIE

Yes, I told you before, there are

people who owe you money but

they're not paying.  There's too

much heat on Carl.

HELENA

Please.  Tell me who Carl sells to.

Arnie thinks.

ARNIE

Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you.

You do not want to come into

contact with these people.  Only

Carl knows who they are.  That's

his real asset.  Ruiz doesn't know

them.  They don't know Ruiz.

Church and State.

HELENA

What about legitimate businesses?

We own a construction concern, real

estate --

ARNIE

Laundromats for the washing of

money.  Unfortunately, Carl had

only one successful business.

HELENA

Don't you have some good news?

Isn't there something positive you

could say.

There isn't.  Helena looks Arnie in the eyes.

HELENA (CONT'D)

(vulnerable)

Sometimes I wonder what I'll do if

Carl doesn't get out.  I'm not very

adept at being on my own.  I've

always had a man in my life.  Always.

83.

ARNIE

I remember when I first met you:

little Helen Watts from the wrong

side of somewhere.  I had a feeling

even then that your survival

instincts were pretty well honed.

HELENA

I'm glad you think so, but I'm

picturing a debt-ridden, thirty-two

year-old mother whose ex-husband is

being compared to Pablo Escobar.

(beat)

And I'm wondering who would want to

be with someone like that?

It takes a great effort for Arnie not to answer.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

INT. ARMORED SUV - MEXICO - DAY

Javier and Manolo ride through a nice neighborhood in Mexico

City.  Javi isn't familiar with the roads and drives

cautiously.

A young lady, ROSARIO, early 20's, sexy and vulnerable,

rides in the back of the SUV.

ROSARIO

You two don't like me, do you?

Manolo laughs and looks her up and down.  Javi watches her

in the rearview mirror.

JAVIER

We don't have an opinion on you.

ROSARIO

(to Javi)

Maybe it's because I'm getting an

apartment nicer than anything

you'll ever see in your life?

84.

Javi says nothing.

ROSARIO (CONT'D)

(re: the neighborhood)

I can't believe the old man kept

his promise.

JAVIER

The General is a man of his word.

ROSARIO

They will say anything to get what

they want, but then you remind

them, it's always tomorrow,

tomorrow, tomorrow.

(beat)

Occupational hazard, I guess.

Javi just looks at her in the rearview mirror.

ROSARIO (CONT'D)

His friend is giving us the

apartment so it's not like he paid.

It's more like a favor.

Javier pulls the SUV to the curb in front of a beautiful

colonial-style apartment complex in the verdant neighborhood.

EXT. VERDANT NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

Birds are chirping.  Javi waits in the car as Manolo takes

the young lady's bags from the vehicle and carries them up

the walkway to the arched doorway.  He knocks on the heavy

wooden door.

ROSARIO

You don't have the keys.  Oh that's

perfect.  Are you an idiot?

Manolo knocks again.  They wait a long beat.

MANOLO

There's supposed to be someone here

to let you in.

Finally, the door swings open and a BODYGUARD is standing

there.  Rosario SQUEALS and sweeps past him into the vast

space.  The bodyguard motions for Manolo to put the bags

inside the door.

Manolo sets the bags down and sees another MAN standing a

few feet away.  The man wears sunglasses.  His complexion is

strange and his neck is bandaged.

85.

The body guard escorts Manolo back outside where he hears

Rosario's happy LAUGHTER drifting down from an upstairs

window.

INT. SUV - DAY

Manolo gets into the truck.  He's shaken by what he's just

seen.

MANOLO

Madrigal's alive.

JAVIER

What?

MANOLO

Porfirio Madrigal is not dead.  I

just saw him.

A long beat as Javier considers this.

JAVIER

This is why Salazar is so interested

in cleaning up Tijuana.  Madrigal,

who's supposed to be dead, owns him.

And Madrigal is making a move on

Juan Obregon.

Javier calmly drives away.

MANOLO

Javi!  Come on.  Don't pull this

you don't care bullshit.  This is

incredible information.  It must be.

Javi --

JAVIER

We keep our mouths shut.

CUT TO:

INT. BARBARA'S CAR - NIGHT

Barbara drives Robert home from the airport.  There's a

sense they've been silent for a while.

ROBERT

I think we may have found our

Mexican Drug Czar.  It's this

General, Salazar.  At least I'll

have somebody on the other side I

can talk to.

86.

BARBARA

Does this mean you're going to be

gone more?

A long silence.

ROBERT

Possibly.

Another silence.

BARBARA

You might want to pencil in a

little face-time with your daughter.

ROBERT

Barbara --

BARBARA

Because I'm at the edge of my

capabilities, Robert.

ROBERT

The first thing we have to do is

present a unified front.

BARBARA

If you start in on the war metaphors

I'm going to drive this car into a

fucking telephone pole.

ROBERT

Look, I'm as worried as you are --

BARBARA

No, I don't think so.  Leave me

alone, give me money.  That's what

I get from our daughter.  She has a

way of shutting me out that seems

very familiar.

ROBERT

Yeah, well, she has a way of self-

medicating that probably seems

familiar, too.

She looks at him, stung.

BARBARA

I'm not the one who has to have

three scotches just to walk in the

door and say hello.

87.

ROBERT

I have a drink before dinner to

take the edge off my day.  That's

different.

BARBARA

Oh, it is?

ROBERT

Yeah, because the alternative is to

be bored to death.

EXT. WAKEFIELD HOUSE - NIGHT

He car pulls into the driveway.  Robert gets out.  Barbara

doesn't.  He looks back at her.

BARBARA

Why don't you go in and tell your

daughter how bored you are.

She puts the car in reverse and drives away.  He stands for

a moment, steaming.

INT. WAKEFIELD HOUSE - NIGHT

Robert Wakefield steps inside his home.    It's very QUIET.

He checks the mail on the hall table.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT

Robert walks down the hallway.  He steps into Caroline's

bedroom.

INT. CAROLINE WAKEFIELD'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Robert stands outside her closed bathroom door.

There is nothing, then from the other side of the door, the

faint sound of a lighter CLICKING.  AGAIN and AGAIN, then a

COUGH.

INT. CAROLINE WAKEFIELD'S BATHROOM - NIGHT

Caroline sits on the toilet.  Glamour Magazine on her lap.

She's wild-eyed and paranoid.  The exhaust fan is running.

The aluminum foil is on the sink.  The last little bit of

heroin in a wax-paper bundle sits beside it.

She's listening hard for any SOUND in the house.  What she's

wondering is if someone is outside the door listening.

She puts a piece of crack on the foil and listens hard once

more before lighting it.  She does the hit.

88.

And seems to feel better.

Suddenly there's a POUNDING on the door.  The VOICE of her

father muffled through the solid wood.

ROBERT (V.O.)

(muffled by the door)

Caroline.  Open this door

immediately.

Caroline is up like a shot.  She looks around.  The POUNDING

on the door gets stronger.

She crumples the foil and drops it in the toilet.

The bathroom door SOUNDS like it's about to cave inward.

CAROLINE

(faking the best she can)

Who is it?  I'm going to the

bathroom.

She's coping now, full parallel process mode: she dumps the

last heroin on the back of her hand and snorts it, checking

her nose in the mirror as she reaches for a can of air

freshener which she sprays into the air.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

One minute.

She takes the remaining crack, lighters, tubes, little

smudgy druggy bits of paraphernalia and carefully places it

all in a hiding place above the bathroom cabinet.

She pauses a beat, then opens the door, and tries to brush

by her father while avoiding his eyes.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

Excuse me --

Robert grabs her by the arms.  He pushes her against the

wall and looks at her pupils.  He looks at her fingernails.

The blister on her thumb from working the lighter is red and

irritated.

ROBERT

You're not going anywhere, young

lady.

She stands there; she's very high.

Robert sniffs the air.  He throws open cabinets, searching

for drugs.  He sees the smudge mark on the counter left by

the charred aluminum foil.

89.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

Where is it?  Where are the drugs?

(yelling)

Where are they?

CAROLINE

Fuck you.  I wasn't doing anything.

You're like the Gestapo.

Robert KICKS the cabinets.

ROBERT

Fuck me?  Oh, okay.  Fuck me.  Fuck

you.

Robert is losing it.  He throws stuff around the bathroom

and then, for the first time, looks up.  He sees the long

light in the box atop the medicine cabinet and it dawns on

him.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

I'm going to ask you one time to

tell me the truth so that I can

help you.

She just stares.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

Okay, young lady, that's it.

CAROLINE

Like I give a fuck.

Robert reaches above the medicine cabinet and pulls out a

charred spoon.  It confuses him.  He throws it into the sink.

He pulls out another spoon.  He pulls out crumpled bindles,

rolled up, encrusted dollar bills, exhausted lighters, a

pill bottle, an empty pint of vodka.

The detritus of drug addiction keeps on coming, filling up

the sink.  Robert stares at it, the amount and complexity

has him momentarily baffled.

ROBERT

What is wrong with you?  What?

(beat)

You're going away.  You're getting

help somewhere.

CAROLINE

You can't make me.

90.

ROBERT

Oh, yes I can.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

INT.  - SAN DIEGO - DAY

Javier drinks toward downtown.  He's sipping a Burger King

soft-drink.  On the seat next to him is a shopping bag from

Target.  He takes an exit.  Javier pulls into the underground

parking lot of a fancy office tower.

INT. POLICE SEDAN - DAY

Javi drives down to the third floor underground.  He pulls

into a parking spot next to a white sedan.  He slides open

the cargo door of his van.

The cargo door of the sedan opens.  Javi quickly gets into

the sedan.

INT. SEDAN - DAY

Special Agents Hughes and Johnson welcome Javi.

JAVIER

Where are we going?

Hughes sticks out his hand.

HUGHES

Special Agent Hughes, Drug

Enforcement Administration of the

United States.

JAVIER

(ignoring the niceties)

Where are you taking me?

The agents exchange a look.

JOHNSON

Somewhere safe.

JAVIER

Where?

91.

JOHNSON

A place we have, that we know is

protected.

JAVIER

No.

HUGHES

It's really safe.

JAVIER

Not for me.

JOHNSON

Okay.  Where would you like to go?

EXT. SWIMMING POOL - HOTEL - DAY

Javi and Agents Johnson and Hughes stand in the middle of

the shallow end of a large swimming pool.  KIDS in waterwings

splash nearby.

JAVIER

It's important that we work together.

Mexico.  America.  One hand washing

the other.

JOHNSON

We agree.

JAVIER

So... maybe you tell me about your

informants in our operations.

JOHNSON

(confused by this)

We thought maybe you'd have that

kind of information for us.

JAVIER

(feigning surprise)

This is a very different proposition.

Johnson and Hughes exchange a glance.

JOHNSON

We pay for that kind of information.

A fat kid in an inner-tube floats behind them.

JOHNSON (CONT'D)

Is that what you're talking about,

Javier?

92.

Javi makes eye contact with one agent, then the other.

JAVIER

Ten years ago Tijuana had no drug

problem.  Now it is epidemic.

(beat)

Ten years ago America takes a

hammer to Pablo Escobar, a hammer

to the Miami drug trade, and you

allowed everything to move to my

country.  You dumped the problem at

our feet.  Now, drug use is epidemic.

Now, the treatment centers are full

and get no state money.  They

survive on donations and what they

get for building doghouses to sell

to the U.S.

(beat)

We need lights for the parks so

kids can play at night.  So they

can play baseball.  So it's safe.

Everybody likes parks.  Everybody

likes baseball.

(beat)

What I'm talking about is I would

like to see somebody take an

interest in Tijuana.  That's what

I'm talking about.

Javi starts to get out of the pool.

HUGHES

Javi, You want to come see us

again, you're going on the box.  No

more of this water-wing bullshit.

INT. PARKING GARAGE - DAY

Javier gets out of the DEA sedan and back into his.  He

drives away.

INT. SEDAN - DAY

Agents Hughes turns to Agent Johnson.

JOHNSON

You wanna tell me what the hell

that was all about?

HUGHES

He's got something.  We just have

to be patient.

CUT TO:

93.

INT. JAIL VISITATION ROOM - DAY

Helena and Carl each hold a telephone receiver as they stare

at each other through a thick pane of meshed glass.  Helena

is barely holding it together.  It's hard for Carl to see

her like this.  After a beat --

CARL

How's David?

HELENA

How's David? How's David? He's

terrific, Carl.

CARL

Helena --

HELENA

We watched his father get dragged

away by federal agents.  I don't

even know how to begin to tell him

where you are or when you're coming

back... Or if you're coming back.

She can't even look at him.

CARL

(beat)

We'll get through this, I promise.

I'll make it up to you --

HELENA

(snapping)

How?  Supportive letters from

prison while I'm being kicked out

of our home?

(beat)

Do you have any idea what is

happening out here?  Our credit

cards are maxed.  The people at the

bank, you should see their faces

when I walk in there.  I have a

letter from the government telling

me that anything I sell from our

house will be taken against an

income tax lien.  Our friends are

behaving like the crowd at a public

hanging.  Nobody will help us.

Nobody will take us in.  Nobody

wants anything to do with us.  So

tell me, Carl, how you're gonna

make it up to me.

(MORE)

94.

HELENA (CONT'D)

(losing it)

Tell me again how we'll get through

this, and maybe while you're at it

you can put your hand up against

the glass so we can have a tender

moment of connection.

CARL

Helena --

HELENA

Tell me what to do, Carl.  I need

guidance, not a fucking platitude.

(beat)

I'm not bringing a child into the

kind of life I grew up with.  I

won't do it.  I want our life back.

Carl looks at his wife as if he is trying to weigh her.  He

thinks, then leans forward --

CARLOS

I built our house and I don't want

to lose it.  Every stone, every

brick, every board.

(carefully)

My business... That would take a

lot of private study...

(he blinks)

That you don't have time for.  I

suggest you look into the Coronel...

(he blinks again)

Into selling it.  If you can

stomach it, you should look into it.

That painting is very valuable.

HELENA

I don't understand.

CARLOS

Look into the Coronel; otherwise,

there is nothing to do.

CUT TO:

EXT. SERENITY OAKS - DAY

A peaceful wooded campus with a unobtrusive sign reading,

"Serenity Oaks Treatment Facility."

95.

INT. MEETING ROOM - SERENITY OAKS - DAY

There are sayings on the wall: "Easy Does It;" "Let Go and

Let God;" "Turn it over;" "One Day at a Time..." "H.A.L.T. --

Hungry?  Angry?  Lonely?  Tired?"

Caroline, wearing a thick, woolly sweater, and the other

PATIENTS sit around on beat-up couches and chairs in a loose

circle.  It's a mixed BUNCH: trucker meth-head, rocker dope-

fiend, yuppie crack-head, fat, thin, rich, middle-class, and

all white.  Caroline is the youngest.

MARTY, 40's, an overweight alcoholic, finishes his "share."

MARTY

... So it was my birthday an my ex-

wife was getting remarried and I

was in some church basement telling

a bunch of strangers how it was a

good day because I didn't have to

eat out of a dumpster.  That was

enough to send me out on big one.

(beat)

I've been thinking a lot about the

first step: that I came to believe

I was powerless over alcohol and

that my life had become unmanageable.

(beat)

See my disease tells me I don't

have a disease.  That I'm fine.

That it's my birthday and I can

have one little drink, then one

little line, then one little

Valium, then two more fat lines,

then two more 10 mil Valium... Six

months later I wake up in a sober

living house in Philly.  And I'm

from Dallas, people.

(beat)

It's a disease -- an allergy of the

body and an obsession of the mind.

I know that now.  So my name's

Marty and today I'm a grateful

recovering alcoholic who didn't eat

out of a dumpster.  Thanks.

And Marty looks to Caroline who didn't relate to one word he

said.

96.

CAROLINE

(slowly, very nervous)

Hi.  I'm Caroline.  I'm not sure

I'm an alcoholic.

(beat)

I mean I don't really like to drink.

For someone my age it's so much

easier to get drugs than beer.  I

don't know, this is really weird

and I'm really nervous...

People in the room nod encouragingly.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

I guess I'm angry.  I mean I think

I'm really angry about a lot of

stuff, but I don't know what exactly.

She blushes, and stares out the window.

CUT TO:

INT. AYALA LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON

Helena follows an ART APPRAISER through her formal living

room as he inspects paintings and makes notations.  He is

very excited and moves quickly from one to the next.

ART APPRAISER

Tamayo.  Carrington.  A simply

wonderful collection of Mexican

Modern.  Give me three months.  I

know several collectors in South

America, very discreet.

HELENA

I don't have three months.

ART APPRAISER

It takes time to find the proper

collection.

HELENA

How much will you give me in cash?

Today.

The appraiser taps out some numbers on a calculator and

shows the figure to Helena.

HELENA (CONT'D)

You must be joking.  That's a

fraction of their value.

97.

ART APPRAISER

I'm sorry, but that is the figure I

can get today.

Helena turns her back.  She walks to a window and looks out,

then surveys the contents of her beautiful home.

HELENA

(snapping)

Get out.  Get out of my house.

Helena turns and sees David in the doorway.  She goes to him.

HELENA (CONT'D)

It's all right.  We're have a

disagreement, that's all.

The art appraiser passes them on his way out.

INT. AYALA MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Helena wakes up in the middle of the night with a start.

Her eyes are wide open.  She has had a thought --

She climbs out of bed and quickly puts on a robe.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Helena walks quickly and quietly down the hallway.  She

passes David's room.  She opens a door at the end of the

hall --

INT. CARL'S PRIVATE STUDY - CONTINUOUS

Helena enters the room.  She hits a desk lamp and we're in a

very comfortable and masculine upstairs study: bookshelves

holding hundreds of art books; comfortable chairs; MacIntosh

stereo; discreet flatscreen HD TV.

Helena stares at a painting on one of the bookshelves.  It

is "Boy with a Hoop," a small portrait by Rafael Colonel.

She goes to it and looks from different angles.  She reaches

out and jiggles the oil.  Nothing happens.  She looks behind

the painting at the backing.

She notices that one corner is not glued down.  She picks up

a letter opener and pries the paper back.  An envelope slips

out.

Inside the envelope: neat, thin strips of paper dense with

information in a miniscule type and a magnetic key card.

CUT TO:

98.

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

INT.  HELICOPTER - DAY

Robert and Sheridan ride in the back of the chopper.  Each

looks out his own window.

A newspaper on the seat between them shows a front page

photo of General Salazar, exultant, and the headline reads

in Spanish, "Salazar Named Chief of Anti-Narcotics

Operations."

EXT. MEXICO CITY - DAY

Establishing shot of a military helicopter landing on the

roof of an office building in downtown Mexico City.

INT. HEADQUARTERS, FEADS, - MEXICO CITY - DAY

Robert Wakefield and General Salazar stroll through the new

headquarters where boxes are still being unpacked.  Javier

and Sheridan trail along behind them.

SALAZAR

I recruited the best men in Mexico

for my task force and put them

through a rigorous screening

process.  Not only physical, but

also psychological.

ROBERT

I'd like to bring you up to

Washington, walk you around our

side of things, and share some of

the information we've been able to

develop on your cartels.

SALAZAR

That would be very helpful to me.

(beat)

Also, I received the offer from DEA

and the FBI to train some of my men

at Quantico.  I think this will be

extremely useful, a good way for us

to absorb some of your methods.

INT. SALAZAR'S I.N.C.D. OFFICE - DAY

The office hasn't been decorated yet.

99.

SALAZAR

I've been too busy to completely

settle in.

Salazar proffers a chair and they sit next to each other

like Brezhnev and Nixon.  PHOTOGRAPHS begin SNAPPING pictures.

After a few moments, Salazar waves them away, and they lower

their cameras and leave.

ROBERT

You've been making very good

progress against the Tijuana cartel.

SALAZAR

Yes, I am confident that Juan

Obregon will be taken into custody

before the end of the year.  But,

you must understand that it is very

difficult because of corruption in

the police force.  We get a tip

that he is one place, then we get

there and he is already gone,

having been warned by someone on

our side.

ROBERT

Hopefully the exchange of training

methods and information between our

countries will help with this

problem.

SALAZAR

Yes, I hope so as well.

ROBERT

Let me ask you a related question.

We've talked about the supply side,

but what about demand?  What is

your policy for treating addiction?

SALAZAR

Addicts treat themselves... they

overdose and then there's one less

to worry about.

Robert cannot respond.

CUT TO:

EXT. SERENITY OAKS - WALKWAY - DAY

Caroline ambles alone down a walkway at the treatment

facility.

100.

She looks through the trees that surround facility and

notices cars going by.

CUT TO:

INT. LOW-RENT HOTEL - DAY

Gordon and another DEA AGENT escort Ruiz up the stairs of a

large, older hotel.

RUIZ

This is ridiculous.  Why is there

no elevator?

GORDON

When the DEA gets into the narcotics

business, then we'll stay at the

Four Seasons.

They walk down a hotel hallway.  Two more AGENTS stand

outside Room 407.  Gordon opens the door and they enter.

INT. SUITE OF CHEAP HOTEL ROOMS - DAY

There are more AGENTS inside and old food and coffee

containers.  Gordon gives Ruiz a tour.  There are several

rooms.  A bored Castro sits at a table staring at a Scrabble

board.

CASTRO

Eddie, how you like your new home?

I hope you hate it as much as I do.

Ruiz looks around with disgust.  He's accustomed to finer

places.  He goes to a window and looks out.

RUIZ'S POV: of the Federal Court building not far away.

RUIZ

This is not what my lawyers

negotiated.

Gordon pours himself a cup of coffee.

GORDON

Fuck your lawyers.  You aren't

getting any cappuccino or Biscotti

either.

INT. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE - DAY

A packed, tense courtroom listens to testimony from a

government witness, FRANK, 50's, very matter-of-fact and

truthful.

101.

FRANK

He first came to me in January.

That would've been nineteen eight-

seven.  He wanted to rent warehouse

space along the harbor.  I didn't

ask too many questions; I'm a

businessman also.

INT. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE - DAY

Another witness, MRS. BERRY, 40's, pedantic on the stand --

MRS. BERRY

I told Mr. Ayala there were

irregularities in his tax return.

And I couldn't represent him unless

we could explain this...

INT. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE - DAY

SHEILA, 38, a mousy secretary, is on the stand.  Carlos sits

at the defendant's table listening raptly.  Gordon and

Castro sit in the back watching Helena who pays close

attention to the witness --

SHEILA

I was the company secretary from

1991 to 1994.  I supposedly worked

for all six companies.  But... they

weren't... I mean, it was just one

empty office with a desk and a

telephone.  We never sold anything

the whole time I was there.

Sometimes people came and got paid.

I don't really know what we did.

PROSECUTOR

Did Mr. Ayala say where the money

came from?

SHEILA

No, and I didn't ask.

PROSECUTOR

Where do you think it came from?

Carl's lawyer, Adler, is on his feet --

KAUFMAN

This speculation --

102.

PROSECUTOR

I'll rephrase.  Did you feel like

you were engaged in a legal

enterprise?

Sheila is reluctant to answer.

SHEILA

No, not really.

Helena catches Carl's eye and they share a grim moment.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

INT. CARL'S UPSTAIRS STUDY - DAY

Helena sits at Carl's office desk.  On the desk in front of

her are the lists she found and an encrypted cell phone.

Helena picks up the phone.  Her hands are shaking.  She is

crying as she dials.  A voice on the other end answers.

FRANCISCO (V.O.)

Who is this?

Helena gathers her courage, then...

HELENA

A friend... of Carlos Ayala.

There is a long pause.

FRANCISCO (V.O.)

Yes.

HELENA

I'm on a special phone, may I speak

freely?

FRANCISCO (V.O.)

You may speak.

HELENA

I have a job for you and I don't

have much time.

103.

EXT. BOTANICAL GARDEN - DAY

Helena watches David look at the wide variety of plants and

flowers.  All around them a GROUP of 3rd graders, in

identical T-shirts, enjoy a field trip.

FRANCISCO (V.O.)

I love this place.  Don't turn

around.

Behind her Francisco Flores takes a photo with an instant

camera.

FRANCISCO (CONT'D)

You were followed by the police,

but they won't hear us over the

children.  I want to use a bomb.

HELENA

You're kidding.  Can't you shoot

him or something?

FRANCISCO

I don't really like guns.  You

shoot someone in the head three

times and some doctor will keep

them alive.

HELENA

When will you do it?

FRANCISCO

I don't know.  Eduardo Ruiz is the

only real witness against Carl.

The security is very tight.  There

may not be a way.

HELENA

There's always a way.  If people

get to the Pope or the President,

you can get to him.

Francisco laughs.

FRANCISCO

Careful... You're sounding like

your husband, Mrs. Ayala.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

OMITTED

104.

INT. JAVI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Anna sits in the living room, staring.  She appears too

upset to speak.  The apartment is cleaner.  There have been

other changes.  There's a new rug.

JAVIER

What?  What is it?

ANNA

It's very hard for me to come and

tell you this.

Javier just watches her.

ANNA (CONT'D)

It's Manolo.  He's going to do

something stupid.  I'm worried that

he'll get himself killed.

He keeps watching.

ANNA (CONT'D)

He's saying he's going to talk to

the Americans.  Become an informer.

He says they pay a lot of money.

JAVIER

Why does he need money?

ANNA

He has debts.  He has gambling

debts.  He owes a lot of money.

JAVIER

How much?

ANNA

Nine thousand dollars.

A long beat.

JAVIER

What is he planning on telling them?

ANNA

Well, you know, he's going to say

about Madrigal... and Salazar.

Javier just looks at her.

CUT TO:

105.

INT. ROBERT'S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON - DAY

Robert is on the telephone, listening.  He is not happy.

Sheridan watches him.

ROBERT

(into phone)

Nobody saw her leave?

(beat)

Yes... I understand.

He hangs up.  He stands and reaches for his jacket.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

I have to go.  I have to go home.

INT. WAKEFIELD KITCHEN - NIGHT

Robert and Barbara sit at the kitchen table.

BARBARA

Should we bring the police into this?

ROBERT

No, not yet.

EXT. WEST END STREETS - DAY

Robert drives through the streets in his Cadillac DeVille.

INT. DEVILLE - DAY

Robert rides in glum silence.  He looks at passersby who are

almost all black and almost all stare back at the white man

in his Cadillac.

A group of young men stare threateningly as he rolls past.

On the street, in the lee of a Brownstone staircase, a deal

is going down.

ROBERT AND SETH ABRAHMS - DAY

sit in a coffee shop.

SETH

(genuinely surprised)

She's not at that place you sent her?

ROBERT

She snuck away.  And we haven't

seen her.  She hasn't come home.

106.

SETH

Oh, man --

ROBERT

She hasn't called you?

SETH

I tried to talk to her when she was

up there, but they wouldn't put me

through.

(beat)

I'm surprised she hasn't called.

ANOTHER ANGLE ON ROBERT IN THE CAR - DAY

He turns a corner and is suddenly in a drive-thru drug

market.  Dealers, HUSTLERS, run at the windows from both

sides, signaling.

HUSTLERS

What you want?  Rock?  Rock?  Hey,

what you want?

ROBERT AND SETH - DAY

in the coffee shop.

ROBERT

Can you tell me anything?  Do you

have any ideas?

SETH

I don't know what to say.

ROBERT

I'm not the police.  I don't care

about experimentation.  She's a kid.

I'm worried to death.

SETH

You won't say anything to my parents?

ROBERT

I don't give a fuck about your

parents --

SETH

We sometimes went downtown to score.

ROBERT

What?

107.

SETH

The West End.  We buy it off the

streets.

(beat)

I can stop, you know, and she can't.

Two people, really similar, we can

talk about anything, but for me

it's like a weekend thing, then I

get my shit together, and for her

it's different --

ROBERT

You don't know what the hell you're

talking about.  You're a cocky

seventeen year-old and you don't

have a clue what the stakes are.

You don't know the value of the

life you've yet to throw away.  And

neither does she.

ROBERT IN HIS CAR - DAY

It is surrounded.  Robert stares.  A face presses up against

the window.

FACE

(through the window)

What do you want?

ROBERT

(through the window)

What do you mean, what do I want?

FACE

Rock or dope, man?

ROBERT

I don't want anything.

ROBERT AND SETH

SETH

Hey man, I'm sorry.  I'm just

trying to help.

ROBERT

You want to help?  Stay the fuck

away from her.

ROBERT IN HIS CAR

ROBERT (CONT'D)

I'm looking for my daughter.

108.

The dealer looks at him with disgust, turns his back, and

waves everyone else away.

Robert slams his fist against the steering wheel.  He slams

it again and again.  He stops and pulls away, just as

AT THE INTERSECTION

behind Robert's car, Caroline crosses the street toward

Sketch's house.

INT. SKETCH'S BEDROOM - DAY

A single candle lights the room.  Caroline is underneath

Sketch the drug dealer.  He is pounding away.  As she

clutches his back and holds on, her expression is both

surprised and druggy, and SOUNDS escape her mouth that she

wouldn't believe she could make.

There's a KNOCK on the door.  Sketch continues his business.

The KNOCKING is more insistent.  Finally, he stops and gets

up and goes to the door.  Caroline lies back.  She's in a

bed with black sheets in a room with nothing else in it but

a dresser and some duffle bags.

Sketch opens the door --

SKETCH

What the fuck do you want?

SOMEBODY outside says something.  Sketch walks over to a

duffle bag and extracts some product.  Caroline's eyes are

glued to it as Sketch hands it through the door.  Sketch

sees her staring at the drugs.

He comes back to bed.

SKETCH (CONT'D)

You want some of that?

Caroline nods.

SKETCH (CONT'D)

What you gonna do to get some of

that?

CAROLINE

Please --

SKETCH

What you gonna do?

She turns her back to him, pouting.  He laughs.

109.

SKETCH (CONT'D)

Maybe a taste.

He reaches over beside the bed where there is a small tray.

On the tray is a rig, spoon, several powders, and an eye

dropper.  He pulls the candle over and rapidly fixes a

speedball.  He pulls the fluid into the neck of the syringe

and holds it up the light.  It has Caroline transfixed.

SKETCH (CONT'D)

Feed this to you like a little bird.

He squirts the tiniest amount of fluid into the air.  It

arcs in the candlelight.

CAROLINE

Don't --

SKETCH

You want this?

She nods.

SKETCH (CONT'D)

This is the Express train.  Baby

turnin' pro and getting down in a

big, big hole.

Her concentration is entirely, hypnotically focused on the

syringe.

Sketch moves the syringe toward her lips.

SKETCH (CONT'D)

Kiss it.  Kiss your new mommy hello.

Caroline moves her mouth toward the side of the syringe, her

lips part.

Sketch pulls the sheet back, exposing her legs.  He grips

one powerful hand around her ankle and squeezes... Veins

stand out on her foot.

He slides the needle into the largest vein and slowly

depresses the plunger.

Caroline watches, then her head tilts back, then forward,

she GROANS, sexually and slumps against the pillows, her

eyes half-open, her lips twitching.

Sketch puts the rig back on the tray, then admires Caroline's

beauty for a second before starting to fuck her again.

CUT TO:

110.

EXT. HOTEL - DAY

Gordon and Castro and two other AGENTS escort Ruiz out of

the hotel and usher him into a waiting cruiser.

They pull out in a caravan and move through the streets

toward the courthouse.

EXT. COURTHOUSE PARKING LOT - DAY

The cruiser pulls into a fenced and gated parking lot.

Gordon, Castro and Ruiz, walking with a limp, cross to the

building entrance.

As they push inside, Francisco Flores, in a conservative

grey suit passes them going outside.

The parking lot is empty of people.  The guards at the gate

talk about something distracting.

Francisco passes by the cruiser and drops his keys.  Kneeling

down he extracts a small, powerful, magnetized bomb from his

jacket.  He attaches it to the underside of the vehicle,

stands and walks toward the guard gate.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

The court is filled to capacity.  Helena and Metzger watch

from the gallery.

The JUDGE bangs his gavel.  Adler is on his feet.

ADLER

Your honor, it has come to our

attention that your honor, while in

private practice, previously

represented the town of Seal Beach

in their stop-work suit against the

Police Department of Seal Beach.

We believe this disqualifies you

from hearing this case and we

therefore move for a temporary

suspension while this is

investigated.

The judge is surprised to hear this.

JUDGE

Mr. Adler, this is a most unusual

motion.

111.

ADLER

Nonetheless, your honor, we feel

that our client deserves every

fairness afforded under the law.

JUDGE

If this is in any way designed to

delay the testimony of Eduardo

Ruiz...

The judge considers.

JUDGE (CONT'D)

We'll recess until 9:00 am Monday

morning.  And I'll see counsel in

chambers.

He slams the gavel down again.

EXT. COURTHOUSE - DAY

Gordon, Castro, other AGENTS and Ruiz come down the rear

steps of the courthouse and walk across the street toward

the parking lot.

CASTRO

Remember when we sat on that mob

guy, that chef, for like six months?

GORDON

Oh, man, I've never eaten so good

in my life.

(to Ruiz)

Why don't you develop a useful skill?

CASTRO

Yeah, like turning into a beautiful

woman.

They reach the car.

RUIZ

Would you mind if today we walked?

It's one block.  I could use the

fresh air.

OMITTED

INT. FRANCISCO'S CAR - CONTINUOUS

Across the street, Francisco, encrypted cell phone to his

ear, watches from his own car as Gordon, Castro, and Ruiz

stand by their car without getting in, then walk away from

the car.

112.

FRANCISCO

(into phone)

They're not getting into the car.

What are they doing?  They're

walking right at me.

The men start across the street toward Francisco.

INT. HELENA'S CAR - DAY

Helena drives her car through downtown San Diego.

HELENA

(into phone)

You've got a gun.  Get out of the

car and shoot him in the head.

INT. FRANCISCO'S CAR - DAY

Francisco watches Ruiz and the agents walk up the street

toward him.

FRANCISCO

(into phone)

They're going to walk right past me.

HELENA (V.O.)

What are you?  A mouse?  Get out of

the car and do it.  This is your

chance.

Francisco watches the three men walk past his car.  He makes

a decision and opens his door.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Francisco steps from the car and mingles in with OTHER

PEOPLE walking along the sidewalk.  He follows them for few

yards, picking his moment.

He closes the distance to Gordon, Castro and Ruiz, pulling a

pistol from inside his jacket.  He takes careful aim from

twelve feet away and is about to shoot Ruiz when a bullet

hole appears in his chest.  He staggers, trying to squeeze

the trigger,

Francisco fires the gun once, wildly --

A TOURIST SCREAMS --

Gordon and Castro and Ruiz turn --

Francisco is looking down at the widening red splotch in the

center of his shirt, uncertain of what has happened --

113.

Gordon shoves Ruiz down into a doorway and fires three quick

shots --

Francisco spins around and drops on his face in the street.

Citizens run in all directions fearing a psychopath with an

NRA card coming off a bad week of day-trading --

Gordon and Castro with Ruiz beneath them scan the streets.

CASTRO

Stay here.  I'll get the car.

Castro runs down the street for the court parking lot.

Other AGENTS are running toward Gordon and Ruiz.

INT. OFFICE BUILDING WINDOW - CONTINUOUS

The STRANGE MAN who threatened Helena's children packs a

high-caliber rifle and scope into a briefcase.

He snaps the case shut and quickly exits the room.  We

notice a man on the floor with a bullet hole in his head

next to the open door.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Agents surround Ruiz.

Gordon walks to the body of Francisco lying face down in the

gutter.  He turns him over with his shoe and sees his face.

GORDON

(to the other agents)

I saw this guy at the courthouse.

(beat)

The car --

Gordon takes off running, yelling for Castro.

EXT. COURT PARKING LOT - DAY

Castro has reached the car and gets in.

Gordon appears at the gate of the lot --

GORDON

(yelling)

No --

INT. CRUISER - DAY

Castro turns the ignition exactly at the moment he sees

Gordon yelling and waving his arms --

114.

EXT. COURT PARKING LOT - DAY

The cruiser EXPLODES.

Gordon hits the pavement.  Parts of the car begin raining

down around him.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

INT. SIDEWALK CAFE - SAN DIEGO - DAY

A fire truck and paramedic unit WHIZZES by.  Manolo sits at

an outdoor cafe table, waiting.  He can't help looking

around at the attractive people, but he's also nervous.

Suddenly two MEN, recognizable as Salazar's OFFICERS from

the desert drug bust, sitting at a nearby table, rise and

move to Manolo's table.

MAN #1

Manolo, how are you?

They take seats uncomfortably close to Manolo.

MAN #2

Manolo, have we interrupted?

You're looking around like you're

expecting someone.

MANOLO

No.  I'm looking for the waiter.  I

want to order.

MAN #1

What are you gonna have?

MANOLO

A steak.

MAN #1

Well, if you like steak, we know a

much better place.  We'll take you

there.

MANOLO

That's okay, really.

They each take Manolo by an arm.

MAN #2

Manolo, we should really be going

now, before it gets too crowded.

115.

INT. SUV - DAY

We're looking through the windshield as we approach the

Mexican border.  As the car slows, we pan to follow the

border official as he looks in briefly and waves us through.

We continue to pan to reveal Manolo in the backseat sitting

beside Man #2.

INT. SUV - DAY

We're in the desert.  There's nothing in any directions.

Javi is implacable.  Manolo understands what is happening.

MANOLO

I was going to feed them wrong

information.  Feed them lies to ...

it was for...

The men say nothing.  After a beat --

MANOLO (CONT'D)

Don't tell Anna I died like this.

Tell her it was something else.

Tell her it was official business.

Tell her that I died doing something

honorable.  Please, tell her that

for me...

EXT. DESERT - DAY

Javi and Manolo stand next to two freshly dug graves.

MAN #1

Turn around.

Javi hesitates before turning.  We're on Javi as we hear the

GUNSHOT.  Javi doesn't flinch.  Manolo's body falls into the

grave.

Javi stands there, waiting.

MAN #1 (CONT'D)

You got anything you want to say?

Javi shakes his head.  Finally, another GUNSHOT.  After a

beat, a hand reaches out of Javi's shoulder.

MAN #1 (CONT'D)

Sorry about that... we had to be

sure.

They walk back to the SUV.

116.

SOMEBODY ELSE

Are you sure you don't have anything

to tell us?

Javi says nothing, doesn't even acknowledge them.  We hear a

GUNSHOT.

CUT TO:

INT. AYALA HOME - DAY

Arnie Metzger is in Helena's living room.  The stereo is

loudly playing MOZART.

ARNIE

That was a stupid thing you did.

Incredibly stupid.

HELENA

I tried, Arnie.  And, I will

continue to try.

ARNIE

Have you gone crazy?  You are not

Carl.  You aren't as good as Carl.

(beat)

They are moving the trial to a high

security location.  The press has

gone berserk.  The jury will be

influenced.  Stay out of things.

Let us try to win the case.

HELENA

That is going to be rather difficult

when all the evidence is against us.

Helena steps closer to Arnie, close enough that her breasts

are almost touching his chest.

ARNIE

Helena, please.  This is out of

your hands.

HELENA

(softly)

I know I made things worse.  I know

that and I'm sorry, but Arnie I

need something from you.  Something

only you can help me with.

Helena looks searchingly into his eyes.

ARNIE

Helena --

117.

HELENA

I need an introduction to the

Obregon Brothers.

ARNIE

I can't do that.

Helena leans closer to him.

HELENA

I figured out what Carl was up to

and I need your help.  Will you

help me?

CUT TO:

EXT. LABORATORY RESEARCH FACILITIES - DAY

An establishing shot of a hi-tech company within shooting

distance of the Salk Institute.

INT. LAB FACILITY - DAY

This is a professional chemical lab that can be rented by

the month.  Long tables of lab and computer equipment.

Nobody has been here in a while.  There are toys - plastic

dolls, frisbees, hula hoops - on many of the tables.

Helena lets herself into the room.  She scans ledgers. She

looks over the equipment.

She picks up a twelve-inch high plastic Spastic Jack action

figure and a can labeled "solvent" and hurries from the lab.

CUT TO:

EXT. WEST END - CINCINNATI - NIGHT

Robert drives through the streets, searching for Caroline.

He doesn't find her.

INT. WAKEFIELD HOUSE - NIGHT

Barbara is waiting in the living room.  Robert enters.  He

shakes his head then stands silently for a beat.

ROBERT

About the other night, I'm sorry.

BARBARA

Me, too.

118.

ROBERT

God, I don't get it.  Are we

supposed to say to ourselves, be

prepared to lose her, be prepared

to lose our child?

(beat)

Why does this happen to someone?

How does it happen?

BARBARA

I don't know.

INT. CAROLINE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Robert is standing in the middle of her room.  He's not sure

what he's looking for.  Everywhere he looks: her personal

things, beloved objects from more innocent times, pictures.

Within moments a legitimate desire to connect with his

daughter has escalated into a search for clues.  He opens

her drawers, dumps little boxes, pulls things off of shelves.

He becomes increasingly unhinged, flinging things around her

room.  He tosses a stack of magazines.  A fashion magazine,

airborne, discharges some contents: a lighter, a plastic

tube and a piece of folded aluminum foil fluttering to the

ground.

Robert stares at the foil on the carpet.  It's charred on

the outside.  He picks it up.  And unfolds it.  There's a

dried milky white substance.

He picks up the tube and lighter and stares at them.  Then,

somewhat tentatively, he puts the tube in his mouth.  He

holds the lighter under the foil, then heats the milky

substance which turns translucent and disappears in a cloud

of smoke.  Robert sucks all of it in.

He waits a long time then exhales.  His eyes shut.  The tube

drops from his mouth.  He staggers and, overwhelmed by the

sensations, sits on the bed.  The lighter and foil fall from

his hands.

A moment later he opens his eyes and doesn't seem to know

where he is.  He looks at the room, confused.  He stumbles

to the door and shuts it firmly behind him.

CUT TO:

INT. MANOLO'S HOUSE - DAY

Anna is weeping.  Javier sits next to her.  He puts his arm

around her and she leans her head against his shoulder.

119.

INT. JAVIER'S SUV - DAY

Javi drives through the streets of Tijuana.  He brakes for a

stop sign and watches, trance-like, the pedestrians crossing

in front of him.  As the intersection clears he remains still.

A HONK from behind brings him back and he pulls forward

passing Helena Ayala who crosses going the opposite direction.

We stay with her.

EXT. TIJUANA - DAY

Helena walks down a nightlife street that is tawdry and

stale in the midday sun.

OMITTED

INT. CLUB PLATINUM - DAY

A shrewd Obregon Lieutenant, JUAN MARQUEZ, 40, sits at a

table opposite Helena.  The Strange Man who both threatened

Helena's child and executed Francisco sits in another chair.

MARQUEZ

Mrs. Ayala.  Thank you for coming.

I am Juan Marquez, I work for Mr.

Obregon.  I believe you know my

associate, "Tigrillo," the Little

Tiger.

Helena nods to Tigrillo --

HELENA

Yes, he threatened to kill my five

year-old son.

(beat)

I was under the impression I would

be meeting Juan Obregon.

MARQUEZ

No, this is not possible.  And I

thank you for coming down here,

though I suspect it's been a

pointless journey.

HELENA

Why do you say that, Mr. Marquez?

MARQUEZ

I hear these stories.  Your husband

in jail.  His business in chaos.

Various people fighting over the

scraps.

120.

HELENA

My husband is the victim of an

informer in your organization, not

ours.

MARQUEZ

That is not true, Mrs. Ayala.  Your

route is compromised.  Perhaps it

is time for me to deal with other

distributors in California.

HELENA

I don't think you're going to do

that.

MARQUEZ

You don't?  Listen to this woman in

a man's world, a very violent world.

HELENA

There are plenty of other suppliers

in Mexico.

MARQUEZ

But not in whose interest it is to

help you out of debt.

Helena reaches into her bag and pulls out the Spastic Jack

action figure.  She puts it on the desk.

HELENA

My husband had been working on

something he called, The Project

for the Children.  Are you aware of

this?

MARQUEZ

I don't know.  Perhaps I remember

something.

HELENA

We have the ability to change the

color, odor, and physical property

of cocaine.

MARQUEZ

You want to smuggle narcotics in Mr.

Espastico Jacobo.  That's nothing

new.

HELENA

Not in...

Juan Marquez is confused.

121.

HELENA (CONT'D)

This doll is cocaine.

Juan picks up Spastic Jack and looks at him.  He bangs it on

the desk.

HELENA (CONT'D)

Every part, from his ears to his

accessory belt, is high-impact,

pressure-molded cocaine.  Odorless.

Undetectable by dogs.  Undetectable

by anyone.

MARQUEZ

I don't believe you.

She takes out the "solvent" and puts it on his desk.

HELENA

Get a bowl.

INT. CLUB PLATINUM - OFFICE - LATER

Spastic Jack is slowly dissolving in a bowl of solvent.

Only his shoulders, head, and ridiculous ears remain above

the quicksand of milky glop.

Helena holds a mirror under the desk lamp.  She is drying

the paste.  She puts the mirror on the desk.  A white

substance has coagulated there.

HELENA

Try it.

Juan takes out a razor blade and chops the dried substance

into two white powder lines.  He hands a silver straw to

Helena.

MARQUEZ

You first.

HELENA

I'm six months pregnant.  I won't

do it.

MARQUEZ

Fine, then we don't have deal.

HELENA

Fine, then we don't have a deal.

She stands.  He watches her a beat, then smiles.

122.

MARQUEZ

Okay, okay.

He leans down and quickly snorts a line.  After a beat.

MARQUEZ (CONT'D)

That's good coke.

HELENA

It should be... It's yours.

(beat)

I want our debt forgiven.  I want

to be the exclusive distributor of

Obregon Brothers Cocaine for the

United States.  And I want the

principle witness against my

husband, Eduardo Ruiz, killed.

MARQUEZ

Perhaps... Perhaps... I'm afraid I

must first ask you to pass a test.

I asked the same of your husband

and he succeeded with flying colors.

Helena waits.  Juan Marquez reaches in his desk and pulls

out a quarter kilo of cocaine.  He pushes it across the desk.

MARQUEZ (CONT'D)

Take this back with you.  Deliver

it safely to Tigrillo in San Diego

and we have a deal.

HELENA

That's crazy.  My husband is on

trial for smuggling.

MARQUEZ

Exactly, and this is how I know I'm

not getting into business with the

U.S. Government.

She puts the quarter key in her bag and stands.

HELENA

You will help me with my other

problem.

MARQUEZ

Deliver that safely to Tigrillo in

San Diego.  And we have a deal.

Tigrillo escorts her out of the room.

123.

INT. CLUB PLATINUM - DAY

Helena follows Tigrillo.  As they pass the restrooms she

signals that she has to stop.

INT. CLUB PLATINUM - LADIES' ROOM - DAY

Helena goes into a stall.  She extracts the cocaine from her

handbag.

She looks at it, trying to figure out where it goes.  She

hikes up her skirt.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Javier is hooked up to a polygraph machine watched closely

by a POLYGRAPH OPERATOR.  Hughes and Johnson watch as Javi

talks into a tape recorder on the table.

JAVIER

... And I have the electronic

serial numbers for their cellular

phones.  They change them every

twenty-four hours but I have a

contact at MexTel who can get me

the new ESNs within twelve.

Javi finishes talking and sits back.  Agent Hughes shuts off

the tape recorder and looks at the polygraph operator who

nods approval.  Hughes and Johnson exchange a look.  They

are dumbstruck.

HUGHES

That's good shit.

124.

JAVIER

Now that you have what you want,

let's talk about how I get what I

want.

JOHNSON

Oh, don't worry, Javier, you're not

gonna have any problems there.

HUGHES

I want to take a minute and talk

about what type of precautions

you're taking to protect yourself.

When Salazar and Madrigal go down,

they might send someone to see you.

JAVIER

You worry about getting me the

things that I want.  I'll worry

about myself.

There's a beat.  Javier seems discomfited.  The two agents

notice this and exchange looks.

JOHNSON

You should feel good about this.

JAVIER

I feel like a traitor.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

OMITTED

EXT. BORDER CROSSING AUTOMOBILE CHECKPOINT - DAY

Javi goes into Mexico.  Pan over to Helena's Mercedes.

INT. HELENA'S CAR - DAY

She inches the car forward towards the officer who selects

vehicles for inspection.  The car ahead of her passes

through and speeds away.  The OFFICER flags Helena and

directs her into the search facility.

EXT. CUSTOMS SEARCH BAY - DAY

Helena pulls into a search bay.

A CUSTOMS OFFICER watches Helena lower her window.

125.

CUSTOMS OFFICER

Please step from the car, Ma'am.

HELENA

I'm in a hurry --

CUSTOMS OFFICER

Step from the car, Ma'am.  This

won't take long from your day.

Helena gets out of her car.

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - CUSTOMS CHECKPOINT - DAY

There is a bank of video monitors showing the scenes all

over the facility.

ON THE MONITOR: Helena's car is on a lift three feet off the

ground.  Officers pour over the inside and undercarriage of

the Mercedes.

Nearby, A GERMAN SHEPHERD sniffs at the items that have been

removed from the car: bags, spare tire, cd boxes.

EXT. CUSTOMS SEARCH BAY - DAY

Customs OFFICERS approach Helena --

OFFICER

Ma'am, we have to ask you to come

with us.

She follows them toward the Customs building.

INT. STRIP SEARCH ROOM - DAY

A FEMALE CUSTOMS INSPECTOR accompanied by a female

SUPERVISORY INSPECTOR leads Helena into a sterile room where

there is no place to hide anything.

CUSTOMS MATRON

Ma'am, we have reason to believe

you may have illegal drugs hidden

beneath your clothing.  I need to

conduct a pat down search.

Supervisory Inspector Haig will

witness the search.

HELENA

You've got to be kidding me.  I'm

pregnant.  What if I refuse?

126.

CUSTOMS MATRON

This pamphlet explains the law and

your rights under it.  You're

welcome to read it first.  It says

we have the authority to conduct

this search.  Would you like to

read it first or shall we proceed?

EXT. FUNERAL SERVICE - DAY

Hundreds of DEA AGENTS, spouses, others stand around a grave

in a leafy cemetery in working class San Diego.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

The funeral is over and people are filing back to the cars.

Gordon walks away from the service when he is approached by

a mourning LUCINDA CASTRO, the mother of the deceased.

MRS. CASTRO

Montel... Oh, Montel.

Gordon hugs her.

MRS. CASTRO (CONT'D)

You know how much he cared about

you.  You do, don't you?

GORDON

Yes.

MRS. CASTRO

I know if he could have it back

somehow, he wouldn't do it

differently or have it any other

way.  He wouldn't.  He loved his job.

Another AGENT hustles toward him from the other direction,

the direction of the cars.

AGENT

Excuse me, Agent Gordon.  Mrs.

Castro.

(to Gordon)

Helena Ayala left Club Platinum in

Tijuana.  The Obregon Brothers'

place.  They stopped her at the

border but she was clean.  She's in

San Diego now.

Gordon runs for his car.

CUT TO:

127.

INT. ARNIE METZGER'S OFFICE - DAY

Arnie sits in his office, spacing out, admiring his view

when an ASSISTANT shows Helena in.  As soon as the door

shuts --

HELENA

Did you get it?

ARNIE

What are you thinking, calling me

at home with a message like that?

You've compromised me and our

relationship --

Helena sits confidently on his couch.

HELENA

(making fun of Arnie)

The place is swept twice a day.  I

learned that down in Miami in '85...

(hard)

Arnie.  I'm the housewife.  I

belong to the most exclusive

country club in La Jolla that

accepts Latinos.  Until recently, I

believed my husband imported

hydroponic strawberries, which I

donated at the school fair.

Arnie reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out a quarter-

kilo baggy identical to the one Juan Obregon gave her in

Tijuana.

HELENA (CONT'D)

It's the same stuff?  From the

rainy day stash?

ARNIE

It's the same.  What happened to

what they gave you?

Helena puts the bag in her purse.

HELENA

I'm desperate, but I'm not stupid.

I flushed it in the bathroom of

their godawful nightclub.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

128.

INT. ROBERT AND BARBARA'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

Robert sleeps in his clothes on top of the covers.  Barbara

is asleep beside him.  The phone rings.  Robert answers.

Barbara watches.

ROBERT

Hello.

SHERIDAN (V.O.)

I'm sorry... Did I wake you?

Robert looks at Barbara and shakes his head.  She gets up.

ROBERT

No, it's all right.

There's a beat.

SHERIDAN (V.O.)

Salazar's been taken down.  He was

working for Porfirio Madrigal.

ROBERT

What?  I thought Madrigal was dead.

I thought it was verified.

SHERIDAN (V.O.)

Apparently not.  Look, it's a shit

storm here right now.  When are you

coming back?

(beat)

I don't know what to tell people

any more.

ROBERT

I'll get there as soon as I can.

SHERIDAN (V.O.)

If we're moving the press

conference, we need to do it now.

(beat)

Are you all right?

BARBARA (V.O.)

Robert.

The tone in Barbara's voice causes him to look up.  She

holds an empty jewelry box.

ROBERT

(to Sheridan)

I have to call you back.

129.

INT. DINING ROOM - EARLY MORNING

The drawers and cabinets are open.  Barbara and Robert

assess what is missing.

BARBARA

The silver wedding cup.

INT. LIVING ROOM - EARLY MORNING

Robert looks at their home entertainment center.  Barbara

enters this room.

BARBARA

My Leica's gone.

ROBERT

So's the video camera.

BARBARA

At least she's alive.

Robert turns for the door.

BARBARA (CONT'D)

Where are you going?

ROBERT

She'll be at a pawn shop in an hour.

Ten minutes after that she'll be at

her dealer's.  If I find him, maybe

I find her.

INT. CLASSROOM - CINCINNATI COUNTRY DAY - DAY

The bored children of privilege, wearing their blazers or

uniform grey skirts, stare at a TEACHER behind a desk.

The door opens and Robert enters.  He finds Seth Abrahms in

the back of the class and walks straight to him.  Robert

grabs a fistful of shirt and tie.

SETH

Hey man, what are you doing?

TEACHER (O.S.)

Excuse me?  Excuse me?

Robert yanks Seth out of his seat.  The teacher is

approaching.

ROBERT

Seth has to be excused.  He's going

on a field trip.

130.

INT. THE FUN ZONE - DAY

Helena watches David play a video game.  They have finished

their lunch, a mess of pizza rinds.

HELENA

Come on.  Time to go.

The CLOWN tries to catch their attention with some mime, but

they ignore him.

EXT. THE FUN ZONE - DAY

Helena and David are pushing out the door.  The man walking

the other way past them is Tigrillo from the Tijuana cartel.

As they pass --

HELENA

(under her breath)

Women's room, stall two.

(loud)

Should we stop for ice-cream?

DAVID

Yeah!

Tigrillo disappears into the restaurant.

As Helena pulls out of the Fun Zone parking lot, an unmarked

DEA cruiser falls in behind her.

CUT TO:

INT. ROBERT'S CAR - DAY

Robert and Seth are parked across the street from Sketch's

building.  They watch people, mostly white people, get what

they need.

SETH

I don't know, maybe we missed her.

ROBERT

I can't believe you used to bring

my daughter here, to this place.

SETH

Hey man, back the fuck up.  To this

place.  What's that shit?

(MORE)

131.

SETH (CONT'D)

Right now, all over this country, a

hundred thousand white people from

the suburbs are driving around

downtown asking every black person

they see, You got any drugs?  You

know where I can get drugs?  What

kind of effect you think this has

on the psyche of a black person, on

their possibilities?  If you sent a

hundred thousand black people into

your neighborhood, Indian Hills,

and they asked every white person

they saw, hey, you got any drugs?,

within a day, your friends and

their kids would be selling.  It's

market forces, man.  The product's

marked up three hundred percent.

You can go out on the street and

make five hundred bucks in two

hours and then do whatever you want

for the rest of the day.  You think

white people would still be going

to law school?

There's a beat.

ROBERT

You're starting to piss me off.

Get out of the car.

Robert and Seth get our of the car and walk across the street.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY

Robert and Seth stand in the dim, dingy hallway.  A JUNKIE

leaves.

SETH

You're gonna get me killed.

Robert shoves Seth toward the door.  Seth knocks.  The door

opens a crack and Sketch's face appears.

SKETCH

What do you want?

Robert moves around Seth.

ROBERT

I'm looking for my daughter,

Caroline.  She comes here.

132.

SKETCH

This is a business.  Get the fuck

outta here.

ROBERT

I need to find my daughter.  I'll

pay you.

Sketch pulls a gun and shoves it against Robert's cheek.

SKETCH

Who the fuck do you think you are?

Where the fuck do you think you are?

Why the fuck do you think I

shouldn't just put you in a dumpster?

ROBERT

I have money --

SKETCH

I got money.

ROBERT

I'll pay you a thousand dollars.  I

have it in my wallet.

SKETCH

I want your money, I'll take your

money.

ROBERT

Just tell me where she is.

Sketch pushes Robert back into the hall.  Sketch sees Seth

lurking there.

SKETCH

(to Seth)

Don't do that shit again.

Sketch slams the door in their face.

SETH

Great.  What a good idea.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Seth and Robert walk to the car.

SETH

Man, I'm telling you.  Don't do

this vigilante thing.  Either the

cops find her or she'll call you.

I promise.

133.

Robert looks at him, carefully.

CUT TO:

EXT. MANOLO'S HOUSE - DAY

Javier KNOCKS on the front door.  There is no answer.  The

shades are drawn.  The house is darkened.

JAVIER

(calling out)

Anna.  Anna, please.  Let me in.

He KNOCKS again.

JAVIER (CONT'D)

Come on.  You can't stay locked in

your house all day.

Finally, the door cracks open.  Anna has clearly not been

out of the house since the last time we saw her.

INT. MANOLO'S HOUSE - DAY

Javier sits opposite Anna.

JAVIER

I know this is a tragedy, but you

have to realize that good has come

out of it.

She looks at him.

JAVIER (CONT'D)

If Manolo hadn't gone and told them

what he did then Salazar and

Madrigal would never have been

brought to justice.  He did a great

thing for Tijuana.  He did a great

thing for Mexico.

ANNA

I want to believe you.  I really do.

JAVIER

You will believe me, because it's

true.

EXT. SKETCH'S APARTMENT - DAY

Seth walks up the steps and into the building.  A beat later

he reappears and continues down the street.

134.

Robert emerges from across the street and follows at a

guarded distance.

EXT. STREETS - DAY

Seth walks along the seedy neighborhood street.  He

approaches the Villa Elaine.  He turns up the steps and

disappears inside.

Robert follows him.

INT. VILLA ELAINE HALLWAY - DAY

Robert ascends the stairs.  As he enters the hallway he sees

Seth pounding on one of the doors.

SETH

Open the door.  Open the fucking

door, man.

A MAN'S VOICE comes from the other side of the door.

MUFFLED VOICE

Go away!

Robert closes the distance.  Seth pounds harder.

SETH

I know she's in there.  Let me talk

to her.

MUFFLED VOICE

I don't know what you're talking

about.  Go away!

Robert reaches the door.  Seth sees him.

SETH

I know she's in there.

Robert kicks the door in.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Robert sees a middle-aged JOHN in his underwear and a dress

shirt.

JOHN

Hey, I haven't touched her --

Caroline is passed out on the bed.  Robert goes to her as

the John scrambles for his clothes.

She stirs and sees him --

135.

CAROLINE

(really out of it)

Hi, Daddy.

INT. ROBERT'S CAR - DAY

Caroline rides in the passenger seat.  She's come out of her

stupor and is now filled with ebullience.

CAROLINE

It's gonna be great...  I mean, I'm

okay and all, because, see, I met a

guy, he's in this pretty famous

band and...

(gets up confessional courage)

They've invited me to write lyrics

for them, I'm gonna be able to do

that and maybe sing, too... not at

first, but later.

Caroline gets lost in her grandiose vision.  Robert looks

over at her as she drifts off into a nod.  A moment later

she's awake and rambling again.

CAROLINE (CONT'D)

(sounding completely crazy)

I've been doing research for the

school paper, that's what I've been

doing, like on assignment kind-of,

I've seen some stuff you wouldn't

believe, but I'm gonna write it all

down into lyrics.  They think I'm

really good, everybody says so,

what do you think?

Robert fights back tears.  He reaches over and takes his

daughter's hand.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

OMITTED

136.

OMITTED

INT. CLUB PLATINUM OFFICE - DAY

Juan Marquez sits across the desk from Javi.  Tigrillo and

PABLO, 30's, are also in the meeting.

MARQUEZ

Salazar and Madrigal are no longer

with us.

(beat)

A feat none of these people could

get accomplished.

Juan nods toward Pablo and Tigrillo.

MARQUEZ (CONT'D)

You're going to be made the Special

Assistant to the new drug Czar,

which makes you a very valuable law

enforcement officer.

(beat)

I hope you like to travel because

we have plans for Juarez and El

Paso, Nogales, Sinaloa, Jalisco,

Michoacan...

Javi just stares at him for a long moment, then looks off.

CUT TO:

INT. ROBERT'S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON - DAY

Robert on the telephone.

ROBERT

(into phone)

How was she?

INT. BARBARA'S OFFICE - DAY

A cramped, messy office at the Environmental Protection

Agency.  Barbara is on the phone.

BARBARA

(into phone)

I'm really not sure.  She seemed to

recognize it wasn't Serenity Oaks.

It's a pretty hard-core facility,

but at least we know where she is.

(beat)

Maybe it's what she needs now.

137.

INTERCUT ROBERT IN HIS OFFICE

He holds the phone and doesn't say anything.

CUT TO:

INT. COURTROOM - EARLY MORNING

The court is searched carefully by a phalanx of OFFICERS.

Metal Detectors are checked.  Bomb sniffing German Shepherds

are led through the space.

INT. HOTEL SUITE - MORNING

The agents are unkempt and everyone is tired.  Ruiz moves

through a cluttered room in a bathrobe with a cup of coffee.

An agent shows him a morning paper --

AGENT

Big day.

(shows picture in paper)

You're a star.

Ruiz walks over and sits across from Gordon, switching off

the radio show he's listening to.  Gordon looks up from his

paper.

GORDON

Go shower.  You smell.

There is a KNOCK on the front door.  An AGENT goes to

answer --

AGENT

Who is it?

SOMEBODY (V.O.)

(through the door)

The Mafia.  I've got his breakfast.

The agent opens the door and is handed a breakfast tray.  He

puts the food in front of Ruiz who uncovers the sausage and

eggs.

An agent walking by tries to take a bite of sausage.  Ruiz

stabs it with a fork --

RUIZ

Fuck off.

Gordon watches the interchange --

138.

GORDON

Where's the love gone, Eddie?

You'll be testifying for at least

ten days.  What if we stop feeding

you?

Ruiz begins to eat hungrily.

RUIZ

You expect me to be grateful for

spending the rest of my life

looking over my shoulder.

GORDON

That thought makes me feel awful.

Ruiz pushes eggs into a piece of toast.

RUIZ

Can't you for a second imagine none

of this had happened?  That my

drugs had gone through.  What would

have been the harm?  A few people

get high who are getting high

anyway.  Your partner is still

alive.  We avoid having breakfast

together.  Don't you see this means

nothing?  That your whole life is

pointless?

GORDON

You're breaking my heart.

RUIZ

The worst thing about you, Monty,

is you realize the futility of what

you're doing and you do it anyway.

I wish you could see how transparent

you are.

(disgusted)

This food tastes like shit.

GORDON

So go shower already.

RUIZ

You only got to me because you were

tipped off by the Juarez Cartel,

who's trying to break into Tijuana.

You're helping them.

(beat)

You work for a drug dealer too,

Monty.

139.

Ruiz stands and heads for the bathroom.

GORDON

(yelling after him)

And shave.  You better look nice

and believable for the jury.

Ruiz disappears into the bathroom and slams the door behind

him.

GORDON (CONT'D)

(to another agent)

It's like having another wife.

The agent laughs.  There's another KNOCK on the door.

GORDON (CONT'D)

Who is it?

SOMEBODY ELSE (V.O.)

(though the door)

Breakfast.

Gordon and the agent look at each other.

SOMEBODY ELSE (V.O. CONT'D) (CONT'D)

Hurry up.  It's getting cold.

Gordon moves to the side of the door and pulls his gun.  The

other agent opens the door.

A MAN with a breakfast tray enters.  Gordon puts the gun to

the side of his head.

MAN WITH TRAY

I'm on your side.  God, you're jumpy.

Gordon is momentarily confused, then goes for the bathroom

door.

GORDON

Call an ambulance.  Hurry.

Gordon tries the bathroom door.  It's stuck.  He gets it

open a crack.  There's a body against the other side.  He

shoves.

INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ruiz is on the floor in convulsions.

140.

GORDON

(yelling)

Call the ambulance.

(to Ruiz)

Don't die on me.  You will not die

on me.  Do you hear me?  Don't you

die on me.

Ruiz's convulsions get worse, his claw-like fingers scratch

across the tile.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

INT. COURTROOM - SAN DIEGO - DAY

The court is packed.  Helena and Arnie watch from the

gallery.  The judge is at the bench.

The prosecutor rises --

PROSECUTOR

Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of

the jury...  Because of the sudden

death of Eduardo Ruiz, the people

have decided that at this point we

cannot continue our case against

Carl Ayala.

The court ERUPTS.  Reporters scatter.  Helena cheers.

CUT TO:

OMITTED

INT. WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - DAY

Robert Wakefield enters the office of the Chief of Staff,

who looks up from what he's doing, which is reading Robert's

report, and is already mid-sentence.

CHIEF OF STAFF

Yeah, hi --

(waves Robert to a chair)

So I've got a copy of your speech

here...

(glances down, still reading)

It's fantastic... So, Robert, my

genuine thanks.  You're my choice

and you're gonna be great.  The

President is sorry he hasn't been

able to spend more time with you.

(MORE)

141.

CHIEF OF STAFF (CONT'D)

After the press conference he wants

to really sit down.

(an afterthought)

Oh, I got to the Post, too.  Don't

worry about that thing with your

daughter, it's not news; they're

willing to treat it as a family

matter, a personal matter.

(off Robert's stare)

Look, even if it came out, we'd

turn it into a qualification, I've

been in the trenches of this Drug

War, I have seen the face of the

enemy, etcetera.

Robert just stares at him.

CUT TO:

INT. JAIL CELL - DAY

General Salazar sits in the same grimy cell that housed

Francisco Flores.  He is sweating and his breathing is

labored.  A DOCTOR enters and gives him an injection,

explaining that it will calm him down.

EXT. DESERT OUTSIDE TIJUANA - DAY

It's a reprise of the earlier desert bust... a landing strip

in the middle of nowhere, a plane landing, SUV's approaching.

This time Javi is at the wheel of one of them.  News crews

are trailing behind him.

EXT. DESERT AIRSTRIP - LATER

Javi and Special Agent Hughes stand next to a giant mound of

seized cocaine, the same cocaine, in fact, Javi held briefly

at the beginning.  The same teenagers from the pickup truck

have been arrested.  The news crews get everything.

JAVIER

(to the press)

This seizure is one of the largest

seizures in Mexican history...  It

represents the first bilateral

effort of the American DEA and the

Mexican I.N.C.D.

INT. JAIL CELL - DAY

General Salazar lies on his side, eyes and mouth open.  He

is dead.  Javier looks at him through the doorway.

142.

JAVIER (V.O. CONT'D)

Today I'm very proud to announce

that Mexico, with the help of our

American partners, is finally

winning the war against narcotics

trafficking.

The PRESS begins shouting questions --

CUT TO:

OMITTED

INT. HEADQUARTERS, I.N.C.D. - MEXICO - DAY

Robert and Javi walk through the headquarters, a nondescript

government building.

Robert extracts photographs of the bust from a manila

envelope.  The crates of cocaine are clearly marked "911."

ROBERT

The cocaine brand, 911, is an East

Coast brand, a Juarez Cartel brand,

and you must know it usually comes

through into El Paso?

JAVIER

I'm aware of that.

ROBERT

So what's it doing in Tijuana?

Javi looks Robert Wakefield squarely in the eye.  He shrugs.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

Let me ask you a hypothetical

question: if Salazar worked for

Madrigal and the Juaraz cartel, and

he went out of power, would it mean

the Juarez Cartel is losing

influence?

JAVIER

It could mean that, yes.

ROBERT

That would probably mean the

Tijuana Cartel is gaining power?

JAVIER

It's possible.

143.

ROBERT

Is it possible to have a Drug Czar

in Mexico who isn't connected in

some war to one of the cartels?

Javi thinks along time before answering.

JAVIER

Yeah, it's possible... if you're

prepared to die.

CUT TO:

EXT. AYALA FRONT YARD - AFTERNOON

An outdoor party is going on.  Children and adults arrive

and mingle.  Caterers work the barbecue grill.  Waiters

serve food and drink on the rolling lawn.

Helena circles through the crowd greeting friends.  She

looks past her tree line and up the street where a telephone

repair van is parked.  She turns back toward her guests.

Somebody has raised a cup and everyone is CHEERING.

Helena drinks with her guests, then walks inside her house.

AT THE FRONT GATE

Montel Gordon walks through the gate and up the drive.  He

grabs a drink off the tray of a passing waiter.  He appears

drunk.

Montel follows Helena into the house.

INT. CARL'S PRIVATE STUDY - AFTERNOON

Carl hears the CHEERING outside and the sound of LAUGHTER.

He makes a cellular telephone call.

INT. ARNIE METZGER'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

Arnie is in his office and answers the cell phone --

CARLOS (V.O.)

It's Saturday, Arnie.  You work too

hard.

ARNIE

Carl, I'm running late.  I'm coming

right now --

Behind Arnie in the office there is a movement of SHADOW.

144.

INT. CARL'S PRIVATE STUDY - AFTERNOON

Carl stands at the window looking at his guests while he

talks on the phone --

CARLOS

Don't bother.

ARNIE (V.O.)

What?

CARLOS

So Arnie, when were you going to

tell me about the 3 million dollars

we got in from San Francisco two

days after I got arrested?

ARNIE (V.O.)

I was just waiting for the right

time.

CARLOS

And you didn't feel like you could

trust my wife with this news?

ARNIE (V.O.)

I just didn't want to take a chance.

I didn't want to risk it.  It could

have been frozen along with

everything else.

CARLOS

You had it all figured out.  You

move into my house.  You raise my

kids.  You sleep with my wife.  It

was a good plane, Arnie.

ARNIE (V.O.)

Carl, that's insane.

CARLOS

So my wife is lying?

ARNIE (V.O.)

Carl, think about it, if I was

trying to rip you off, I would have

left town after Ruiz was killed.  I

wouldn't sit next to you in court

listening to the dismissal.

On the front lawn CHILDREN are lined up for the ice-cream

sundae bar that is being tended by a WAITER.

145.

CARLOS

Arnie, do think there's a difference

between a reason and an excuse,

because I don't think there is.

ARNIE (V.O.)

Carl --

CARLOS

Goodbye Arnie.

INT. ARNIE METZGER'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

Arnie turns around and there are TWO MEN in his office.

INT. CARL'S PRIVATE STUDY - AFTERNOON

Carl hears MUFFLED GUNSHOTS over the phone.  He hangs up and

turns from the window.  Helena is standing there.

HELENA

Who was that?

CARLOS

Arnie.  He's not going to be able

to make the barbecue.

Carl and Helena share an embrace and a kiss.

HELENA

Come downstairs.  Everyone is

waiting.

Carl and Helena turn to leave the room and Montel Gordon is

standing in the doorway with his glass of champagne.

GORDON

Hello, Helena.  What a great party.

CARLOS

Who are you?

GORDON

Nobody.  I'm a nobody who arrested

you, but your wife is a murderer.

Gordon takes a sip of his drink.  Two SECURITY OFFICERS

appear in the doorway behind him.

SECURITY OFFICER

Hey, you can't be in here.

GORDON

I'm a cop.

146.

SECURITY OFFICER

I don't care.

HELENA

(to the guards)

Throw him out of here.

The security officers grab Gordon.  There is a scuffle.

Gordon falls to the floor by the window.  They are wrestling.

As they wrestle, Gordon reaches out and, unnoticed, affixes

TINY LISTENING DEVICE underneath the desk.

He continues to struggle with the guards.  Helena and Carlos

start from the room.

GORDON

(calling out)

You didn't win, Helena.  You lost

everything.  Tell your children a

nice bedtime story...  How you

killed my partner.

EXT. AYALA FRONT YARD - AFTERNOON

The guests watch as the guards eject Gordon from the premises.

Near the gate David has stopped playing to watch the action.

Then he goes back to playing with his toy: a Spastic Jack

figure.

CUT TO:

EXT. VERDANT NEIGHBORHOOD - MEXICO CITY - DAY

Javi and his convoy of armored SUV's pull up in front of the

beautiful house where earlier he deposited Rosario, Salazar's

former mistress.

Javier opens the front door and Rosario greets him by

throwing her arms around his neck.  They disappear inside.

CUT TO:

INT. WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROOM - DAY

The PRESS SECRETARY stands at the familiar podium addressing

the White House Press Corps.

Robert Wakefield stands to one side with Chief of Staff, his

lawyers, Sheridan and General Landry.

147.

PRESS SECRETARY

... a sterling reputation and close

friend of the President, recently

confirmed into The Office of

National Drug Control Policy... our

new Drug Czar, Robert Hudson

Wakefield.

Applause from the assembled PRESS.  The Press Secretary

signals and Robert walks to the podium.  He looks back to

the Chief of Staff; he stares out at the expectant faces and

television lights and camera flashes.

ROBERT

(reading his prepared speech)

The War on Drugs is a war on our

nation's most precious resource...

our children.  Sixty-eight million

children have been targeted by

those who perpetrate this war and

protecting those children must be

priority number one.

(beat)

There has been progress and there

have been failures, but where we

have fallen short I see not a

problem but an opportunity.

Robert is becoming increasingly uneasy.  He glances at the

Chief of Staff who bores into him.  He looks again at his

speech.  With great effort he continues.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

An opportunity to correct the

mistakes of the past while laying a

solid foundation for the future.

(a long, uncomfortable

beat)

This takes not only new ideas, but

perseverance.  This takes not only

resources, but courage.  This takes

not only government, but families.

Robert stops again as though the words are choking him.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

I've... I've outlined a ten-point

plan, representing a new bilateral

effort...

He can't finish.  Everyone stares at Robert.  The crowd of

reporters senses something is wrong.

148.

ROBERT (CONT'D)

I can't do this.

(beat)

If there is a War on Drugs then our

own families have become the enemy.

How can you wage war on your own

family?

He walks out of the room.  The crowd waits, expecting him to

return.

Robert walks down a corridor and out of the White House.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

A beautiful spring morning.  He walks down to Pennsylvania

Avenue.  He hails a cab and gets in.  The cab pulls away.

INT. CHURCH BASEMENT - DAY

A twelve step meeting is in progress.  Caroline shares from

her seat.

CAROLINE

On the good days I feel like I get

it, like it all makes sense.  I can

stay in the moment.  I don't have

to control everything in the future.

And I believe everything is going

to work out fine.

(beat)

On the bad days, I just want to

grab the phone and start dialing

numbers.  I want to pull my hair

and run through the streets

screaming.

(beat)

But, thanks to the people I've met

in these rooms, people like Margaret

and Jim and Sarah, people who've

taught me how to listen, I'm pretty

sure I'll make it through today.

Caroline is finished sharing.

VOICE (O.S.)

Would you like to share?

We pan over to reveal Robert and Barbara sitting next to

Caroline.

149.

ROBERT

My name is Robert.  This is my

wife, Barbara.  We're Caroline's

parents.  We're just hear to listen.

CUT TO:

OMIT.

EXT. AYALA HOME - NIGHT

The house is dark and silent.  The van is parked up the

street.

INT. VAN - NIGHT

Gordon listens through a headset, his expression set.

CARLOS (V.O.)

(over a listening device)

We're back up and running.

Completely untouchable.  Completely.

CUT TO:

EXT. BASEBALL FIELD - TIJUANA - DAY

A bank of lights CRANKS on.  Then ANOTHER and ANOTHER.

In a wider shot we see an illuminated baseball field where a

children's pickup game is in progress.

In the crowd, Javi serenely watches the game.

THE END