The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)


The web's largest
movie script resource!

Search IMSDb

Alphabetical
# A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N O P Q
R S T U V W X Y Z

Genre
Action Adventure Animation
Comedy Crime Drama
Family Fantasy Film-Noir
Horror Musical Mystery
Romance Sci-Fi Short
Thriller War Western

Sponsor

TV Transcripts
Futurama
Seinfeld
South Park
Stargate SG-1
Lost
The 4400

International
French scripts

Latest Comments



ALL SCRIPTS





Traffic by Stephen Gaghan


                              "TRAFFIC"

                                  By

                            Stephen Gaghan

                  Based on the miniseries "Traffik"

                                  By

                             Simon Moore



	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
		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
		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.
			(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.

				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:

	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.

	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
		You want more than this?

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

				DRIVER
		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.

	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.

				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
		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
			(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.

				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
		Showtime.

	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
		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 --

				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.

	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
		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
		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.

	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.

	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?
			(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
		Inhale the smoke and hold it.

				CAROLINE
		What is this, like freebase?

				SETH
		Not like.  It is.

	He lights the flame under the aluminum foil.  The puddle 
	crackles and pops, then starts to smoke --

				SETH
		Go...  Go!

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

				SETH
		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
		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.  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.  
		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 with 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
			(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.

	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.
			(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
			(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.

				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.

	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.

	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.

				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.

				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
		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.

	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 way, is more people than have 
		been killed by all the illegal drugs 
		in the last century.

				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.

				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?

				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.

				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.

				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.

				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
		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:

	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.

				CARL
		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
		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
		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
		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

	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
		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

	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
		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.

				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.

	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.

	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.

	Caroline thinks about this.

				CAROLINE
		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
		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.

	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
		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.

				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
		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.

	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.

				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 --

				CAROLINE
		...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.  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
		I'm serious --

	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

	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.

				TORTURER
		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?

				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?

				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 --

				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.

	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
		...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
			(whispering)
		Your husband is very good at his 
		job...

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

				ARNIE
		Which is smuggling illegal drugs 
		into this country.

	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?

				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.

				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 --

				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
			(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 --

				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.  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
		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.

				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.

	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.

				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
		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.

				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:

	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!

	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
		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
		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
		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
		You get exactly one warning.

	The strange man moves away across the field.

				STRANGE MAN
		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.

				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
		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.

	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?

				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.

				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.  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:

	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
		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?

				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:

	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.

				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.

	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 --

				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
		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.

	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.

				DESKMAN
		Then you hand me twenty-eight dollars.

	INT. ROOM 205 - VILLA ELAINE - DAY

	They enter and the light bulb goes out.  Seth fumbles his 
	way to the mini-fridge, which he opens, throwing feeble light 
	across the floor.

	They check out the decrepit room: the sloping mattress, the 
	black and white television bolted to the bureau.  The mini- 
	fridge.  Caroline bounces on the bed.  They are teenagers.

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

				SETH
		I love this place.

	Seth dumps the drugs on the bedside table.  From other pockets 
	he extracts aluminum foil, lighter, tube.  She trails away 
	watching him fix the first hit.

				SETH
		Did Courtney Love play Nancy in Syd 
		and Nancy?

				CAROLINE
		I think so.  If she didn't she should 
		have.
			(checks her watch)
		I've only got maybe an hour.  Then 
		volleyball practice is over and I 
		have to be home.

				SETH
		Why?  Nobody's there.

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

				CAROLINE
			(blowing out the hit)
		The maid... They ask her what time I 
		get back.  She spies for them.

	Seth starts kissing her.  They try to get into it, but both 
	of them are thinking about the drugs.

				CAROLINE
		I wish we could stay here.  Just be 
		here forever and ever.  Make it a 
		little home.

	She leans over to snort a tiny line of heroin.

				SETH
		I want to have sex and do a hit right 
		as we're coming.

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

				CAROLINE
		Okay.

	Seth begins undoing her jeans.

							CUT TO:

	INT. EPIC BUNKER LOBBY - DAY

	SUPERTITLE: EL PASO, TEXAS

	Robert and Sheridan listen to the official tour of the EPIC 
	center delivered by the SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE, 40, a sincere 
	weight-lifter with a sincere crew-cut.

				SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE
		...Over 200 DEA field agents, a budget 
		of almost 100 million dollars and 
		state of the art communications 
		equipment make the El Paso Information 
		Center the Drug Enforcement 
		Administration's flagship for the 
		21st century.

	INT. EPIC BUNKER CAFETERIA - DAY

	A huge lunchroom.  Long plastic institutional tables and 
	agents minding their own business,

	Robert, Sheridan, and their Epic Guide walk through.  They 
	pass a wall of black and white head shots --

				ROBERT
		Who are these guys?

				SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE
		Agents who died in the field.

	EXT. BINOCULAR POV - DAY

	of large mansion with manicured grounds.  The back lawn is 
	filled with children, balloons, a merry-go-round, and pony 
	rides.  It's a sumptuous children's birthday party.

				SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE
		That house, that you see from the 
		DEA headquarters, belonged to Porfirio 
		Madrigal -- the Lord of the Skies, 
		largest trafficker in Mexico.

	ANGLE ON ROBERT

	looking through the binoculars.

				ROBERT
		He died in a liposuction surgery, 
		right?

				SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE
		Right.  Now it's used by somebody 
		from the Juarez Cartel, one of his 
		lieutenants...  Who knows?
			(beat)
		Every damn day there's birthday party.  
		At first I thought they must have 
		three hundred children, then I 
		realized they're taunting us.  Three 
		miles away and we can't touch them.  
		Ha, ha, ha.

	BINOCULAR POV: a child running in circles holding a clutch 
	of colored balloons.

				ROBERT
		Who do we interface with on their 
		side?

				SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE
		What do you mean?

				ROBERT
		I mean, who runs interdiction on the 
		Mexico side?

				SPECIAL-AGENT-IN-CHARGE
		I don't know.  I don't think there's 
		any one person.
			(thinks)
		See the problem is the Juarez cartel 
		owns everything and everybody, all 
		the property on the Mexican side, 
		sometimes all the property on both 
		sides.  Warehouses, transportation, 
		even tunnels.  It's very organized.

	EXT. TRAMAC - DAY

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

	INT. MILITARY JET - DAY

	Robert and Sheridan and several DEA, Law Enforcement, and 
	Military Officials.  It's a nice plane, used for important 
	people and Robert has the best seat.

				ROBERT
		I want everyone thinking out the box 
		for a second.  What are we gonna do 
		about Mexico?
			(silence)
		Come on, guys.  Out of the box.

	The men on the plane just stare at him.  Finally the REP 
	FROM DEA leans forward.

				REP FROM DEA
		Unlimited funds?

				ROBERT
		Unlimited.

				REP FROM DEA
		From a DEA standpoint we need a vetted 
		task force and matching funds.  And 
		cut the red tape on getting them 
		equipment and training.

	Robert turns to the others.

				ROBERT
		Come on.  I want to hear from 
		everyone: FBI.  Customs.  Treatment.
		Is there anyone from treatment on 
		this plane?
			(no one answers)
		Then I want an answer for why there 
		isn't anyone from treatment.
			(beat)
		Look, we know we have to bust one of 
		these cartels, Juarez or Tijuana, 
		not just as a symbol, but hell yes, 
		also as a symbol - they are symbols - 
		and there's nothing wrong with sending 
		a message.  That's why when Carlos 
		Ayala hired Michael Adler lead 
		defense, I flew Ben Williams to San 
		Diego to prosecute.  Because he's 
		the best we have, he's our symbol 
		that we're serious about putting the 
		top people away.
			(beat)
		So, as of right now, this flight 
		only, consider the dam on new ideas 
		thrown open.

	Still, no one else says anything.  They watch Robert 
	impassively.

				ROBERT
		If I'm not mistaken, we got DEA, 
		Pentagon, U.S. Attorneys office, 
		about a billion dollars of budget 
		right here.  So what are you people 
		waiting for?

							CUT TO:

	OMITTED

	EXT. SAN DIEGO OFFICE BUILDING - DAY

	Establishing shot of a tall glass building in the downtown 
	skyline of San Diego.

	INT. ARNIE METZGER'S OFFICE - DAY

	Helena and Arnie enter his office.  The furniture is sleek 
	mid-century modern, and the view of the harbor is 
	extraordinary.

				ARNIE
		On a clear day you can see Mexico 
		City.

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

				ARNIE
		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.

				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
			(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.

				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?

	Javi says nothing.

				ROSARIO
			(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
		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.

	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.

				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.

				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.

	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
		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
		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.

				ROBERT
		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
		I'm going to ask you one time to 
		tell me the truth so that I can help 
		you.

	She just stares.

				ROBERT
		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.

				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?

				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
		Is that what you're talking about, 
		Javier?

	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:

	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.
			(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."

	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.

				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
		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
		You must be joking.  That's a fraction 
		of their value.

				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
		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:

	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.

				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.  PHOTOGRAPHERS 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.

	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.

				FRANK
		He first came to me in January.  
		That would've been nineteen eighty- 
		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 --

				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.

	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
		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

	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
		It's Manolo.  He's going to do 
		something stupid.  I'm worried that 
		he'll get himself killed.

	He keeps watching.

				ANNA
		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:

	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
		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.

				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?

				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
		I'm looking for my daughter.

	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
		You want some of that?

	Caroline nods.

				SKETCH
		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.

				SKETCH
		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
		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
		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
		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:

	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.

				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
		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.

				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 --

	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 --

	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.

	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
		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
		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
		Sorry about that... we had to be 
		sure.

	They walk back to the SUV.

				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 --

				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.

				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.

	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.

				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.

				HELENA
		This doll is cocaine.

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

				HELENA
		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.

				MARQUEZ
		Okay, okay.

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

				MARQUEZ
		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
		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.

	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.

				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.

				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?

				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
		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:

	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
		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

	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.

	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
		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.

	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?  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.

				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.

	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
		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
		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.

	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 --

				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
			(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

	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
		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.

	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 --

				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.

	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
			(to another agent)
		It's like having another wife.

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

				GORDON
		Who is it?

				SOMEBODY ELSE (V.O.)
			(though the door)
		Breakfast.

	Gordon and the agent look at each other.

				SOMEBODY ELSE
		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.

				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.  
		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.

				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
		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.

				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.

	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 plan, 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.

				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.

				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.

				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
		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
		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.

				ROBERT
		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.

				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



Traffic



Writers :   Stephen Gaghan
Genres :   Crime  Drama  Thriller


User Comments







Index    |    Submit    |    Link to IMSDb    |    Disclaimer    |    Privacy policy    |    Contact