Rush Hour

Joy puts the gum in her mouth. She tries to push it over her mic, but her hair is in the way. She shakes her head; some hair strands remain, but she covers the mic just as the Gardeners' noise reaches a CRESCENDO...

All three sound meters sit pinned to zero. The yellow light stops flashing.

Sam, sweating, looks at his mother and sister... and starts laughing. They join him: a celebration for a small victory.

INT. WHITE HOUSE – CONFERENCE ROOM – DUSK

The clock on the wall reads 7:13, eastern time. The President, still on Air Force One, APPEARS on the VIDEO LINK. Cut the tension in the room with a knife? You'd need a chainsaw.

PRESIDENT
(thru video link)

So what the hell does "Kipchak" mean?

INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

Uh, it's a code name... for weapons using the Yersinia Pestis bacillus...

He really doesn't want to be the one telling the President about this.

INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

(continuing)

Kipchaks were Asian nomads. In 1347 they attacked a Genoese fort, and catapulted infected corpses over the walls. The Genoese who survived carried the disease back to Europe... and it killed half the population.

PRESIDENT

(thru video link)

Get to the goddamn point, Major.

The Intelligence Officer looks at the CIA Chief.

CIA CHIEF

Seems the missile is armed with a warhead carrying the Pneumonic Plague.

The President goes nuts.

PRESIDENT

(thru video link)

The Black Plague?! Every time I talk to you fuckin' guys it gets worse! What happened to this "limited retaliation" shit?

SECRETARY OF STATE

The North Koreans insist the missile carries a conventional payload. They say we're trying to trick them into aborting the attack.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

Especially since the uplink from our Op in P'yòngyang was unencrypted.

CIA CHIEF

We think one of the Hard-liners switched the warhead without the Premier's knowledge. But he's not about to take our word for it, and he's too weak to risk the humiliation of backing down.

PRESIDENT

(incredulous; thru video link)

They use a biological weapon on American soil, they have to know we'll respond!

SECRETARY OF STATE

Maybe they don't think we got the guts. Maybe they want a war, 'cause they think they can whip us, like what happened in 'Nam. Look who we're dealing with: a teetering, outlaw regime, and inside it, some wild-ass renegades working their screwy agenda!

PRESIDENT

(thru video link)

What the hell are we doing in L.A.?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

We've deployed Marines from Pendleton and Twenty-Nine Palms, Army from Ft. Irwin, put 'em in protective suits, but it's 40 minutes before they're on the ground.

PRESIDENT

(thru video link)

All right. Assuming the worst... What'll happen?

The Intelligence Officer demonstrates with another of his COMPUTER GRAPHICS.

INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
The warhead vents the plague bacteria above the target area, infecting about 50,000 people. First symptoms are vomiting, lymph nodes become swollen; temperature rises to 105°. Victims turn deep purple from lung hemorrhaging, usually die the same day.

(beat)

There are treatments – streptomycin and tetracyclines – but we'd be overwhelmed by the numbers and ist extreme contagiousness.

CIA CHIEF

We could have 500,000 infected in a week, who knows how many after that.

Long beat as everyone tries to contemplate the unthinkable.

PRESIDENT

(thru video link)

I'm gonna toast those fuckers! Have the Summit leaders been warned?

FBI CHIEF

Yes, sir... no one's landing in L.A. 'til we give the all-clear.

PRESIDENT

(thru video link)

And you're sure it's safe if we can get 'em to destroy the missile in flight?

INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

The bacteria can't survive the heat of an explosion.

CIA CHIEF

I suggest none of this go any further – not even to the agents working to find the family. Word leaks out to a city of 12 million people there's rocket full of the Plague coming at 'em, you'll create a panic of biblical proportions.

INT. NORTH KOREAN CONSULATE – SURVEILLANCE ROOM – DAY

Everyone is painfully on edge. Ambassador Han paces. The FBI agents are on a phone or a radio, working leads.

Colonel Lee mutters something to Ambassador Han in Korean.

CARSON

Say what?

COLONEL LEE

Perhaps someone will decide it is foolish to incur the wrath of North Korea.

CARSON

(crosses to Colonel Lee)

Yeah, the U.S. is behind the whole thing. And we're knocking our heads, trying to find your people, just for show.

WALTHER

Carson...

CARSON

Let's grab a few beers, kick back 'til five o'clock rolls by. Then maybe we can have a war over it. I think that's a great idea, seeing as how you fuckers have needed your clocks cleaned for fifty years now!

COLONEL LEE

(gets up)

Why wait until five?

Ambassador Han and Walther keep Carson and Colonel Lee from going at each other.

MIRANDA

Pete!

(sotto)

Christ, you're self-indulgent! There's nothing but anger and cynicism left inside you, so they're all you can express any more. No wonder everyone in the Bureau thinks you're such a nutcase!

CARSON

Hey, I'm not the only one with a rep around the office... "Dr. Knoll-It-All."

MIRANDA

(hurt)

You've been dying to tell me that...

She walks away. Carson immediately regrets saying it.

CARSON

Miranda...

(to himself)

Shit.

EXT. STREETS OF LOS ANGELES – VARIOUS ANGLES – DAY

LAPD cruisers squeeze through the crowded streets, fanning out through the various parties around town. COPS walk through the crowds with copies of the picture Javal faxed, and photos of the Han family and Lisa.

EXT. SKY OVER PACIFIC OCEAN – DAY

The red-tipped cruise missile, flying at 550 MPH, 400 feet above the water, streaks toward its distant target.

INT. NORTH KOREAN CONSULATE – SURVEILLANCE ROOM – DAY

Robbins is still working the phone.

ROBBINS

(into phone)

... Yeah, Peerless Auto Security... fine... get your manager...

He puts the receiver down, hits the speakerbox button and the mute button. He crosses to Dave's desk to grab some papers.

We can hear the CONVERSATION at the alarm shop:

INSTALLER #1 (V.O.)

(thru speakerbox; muffled)

Tell Jerry, pick up line one!

INT. AUTO SECURITY SHOP – DAY

A group of young INSTALLERS horse around as they outfit luxury cars with security systems, high-end audio components, etc.

INSTALLER #2
Jerry's outta here!

INSTALLER #1

Some cop's asking if we sold a bunch of Peerless parts.

INSTALLER #2

Talk to Javal!

INSTALLER #1

Javal's off today.

INSTALLER #3

Dude's off a lot.

INT. NORTH KOREAN CONSULATE – SURVEILLANCE ROOM – DAY

INSTALLER #4 (V.O.)

(thru speakerbox)

He's used to it – fuckin' Frenchies get the whole summer off.

INSTALLER #2 (V.O.)

(thru speakerbox)

Man's Canadian, dickweeds!

INSTALLER #1 (V.O.)

(thru speakerbox)

You're gonna have to call back on Monday...

Carson rushes over to the phone. To the others in the room:

CARSON

Everyone shut up!

(into phone)

Guy on vacation, the Canadian –

INSTALLER #1 (V.O.)

(thru speakerbox)

– Yeah, Javal...

CARSON

(into phone)

Six foot, sandy hair, spooky eyes?

INSTALLER #1 (V.O.)

(thru speakerbox; laughs)

Zombie Eyes! You know the man?

Carson and Miranda look at each other. Bingo!
 

CARSON

(into phone)

I need a full name, address, anything you got!

INSTALLER #1 (V.O.)

(thru speakerbox)

Paul Javal... hang on, we'll look it up... This an immigration thing? Shit, he's our best installer.

NEW ANGLE

One of the Korean Espionage Agents answers a RINGING phone on Colonel Lee's desk, listens, then hits the hold button.

ESPIONAGE AGENT

Inspector Carson, extension 666...

CARSON

That's appropriate...

(to Dave)

In 30 seconds you're gonna give me Paul Javal's shoe size.

Carson hurries over, grabs the phone. We SEE him punch the button for x666.

CARSON
(continuing; into phone)

Carson...

EXT. FEDERAL BUILDING, WESTWOOD – ESTABLISHING – DAY

EDWARDS (V.O.)

Edwards, Sound Lab...

INT. FBI SOUND LAB – DAY

EDWARDS, headphones around his neck, sits in front of a wall of audio analysis equipment.

CARSON (V.O.)

(thru phone)

Whatta you got?

EDWARDS

(into phone)

Ambient background sound is normal city stuff, but there's a distinct echo pattern. Your people are in or near a high-rise that's at least eight floors tall. And there are other high-rises nearby.

CARSON (V.O.)

(thru phone)

How high up are they?
 

EDWARDS

(into phone)

No way to extrapolate that from the sample you gave us.

(refers to notes)

One more thing: There's an emergency siren approaching at 17 seconds into the second call, passing the location at 33.5 seconds.

INT. NORTH KOREAN CONSULATE – SURVEILLANCE ROOM – DAY

Carson hangs up the phone.

CARSON

Okay – high-rises in our search area. Eight stories or higher.

MIRANDA

Downtown, Century City, Westwood corridor, Museum Row, Mid-Wilshire... North of Sunset Strip there's a few...

CARSON

Sabatini! What about that billboard?

SABATINI

Nothing yet! Everyone's left their goddamn offices already!

CARSON

(to Robbins)

LAPD will have a record of all emergency vehicles running Code 3 at 9:32 AM. Get their starting point and their destination.

MIRANDA

And have them narrow their foot-searches to areas around high-rises.

CARSON

(to Dave)

Where's that fuckin' address?!

DAVE

I'm still holdin'!

Meanwhile, we hear the high-pitched whine as Dave's MODEM connects with another computer. Dave's fingers fly across the keyboard, and in a moment, a PICTURE of Javal appears: hair longer, bearded... but the eyes are unmistakable.

DAVE
(continuing)

He's on our hit parade. Interpol passed us his records when he entered the country.

(reads)

French by birth... looks like a total scumbag.

SABATINI

Isn't that redundant?

DAVE

(reads from computer)

Raised in Quebec. Moved to Europe; served some short stretches, petty shit... arrested for kidnapping, no conviction. Did four years in France for blowing bank vaults. Moved to U.S. last year. Clean since then.

CARSON

Get his Driver's License number; Social; bank accounts; charge cards; club memberships... find out what movies he rented. Get whoever's closest to the Auto Shop to get in there, interview everybody.

MIRANDA

This sure was a ballsy move for a car-alarm installer.

CARSON

Hey, he watched the news... Everyone knows the U.S. will do anything to avoid trouble with a mad-dog country.

They turn, noticing that Ambassador Han has overheard.

MIRANDA

Ambassador –

CARSON

– Quit apologizing for me!

MIRANDA

Quit giving me reasons to!

AMBASSADOR HAN

(to Carson)

On occasion, my wife has been known to kick my ankle under the table.

Miranda gives Carson a "your turn to be gracious" look.

CARSON

Sounds like her aim's a little low.

Not exactly what Miranda was hoping for. Dave hands Carson a piece of paper.

DAVE

Address, according to the Auto Shop.

CARSON

(looks at paper)

Apartment 1060! He's in a high-rise! Sabatini – you're with us.

(off Robbins' disappointed look)

She's got the field experience.

Carson and Miranda grab their jackets, then she stops.

MIRANDA

There still could be accomplices. If there are, they'll hear us in the helicopter.

Carson looks again at the address...

CARSON

There's a TV station a couple blocks away. We'll land on their pad.

(to Robbins)

K-EYE. Clear it with 'em. Have a SWAT team assemble, but tell 'em to hang back unless we need 'em.

EXT. OSAKA, JAPAN – ESTABLISHING – DAY

SUPER: "Osaka. Western Japan."

INT. OSAKA APARTMENT – DAY

In the tiny bedroom of a wheelchair-bound JAPANESE TEENAGER, computers and HAM RADIO equipment are stacked everywhere.

He turns on a tape recorder. We hear a faint, crackling VOICE: