Sow the Wind 1 Draft3 20.01.09

8/9/2019 Sow the Wind 1 Draft3 20.01.09

1/85

SOW THE WIND

Part I of II

Low Hanging Fruit

By

Richard Knight

Richard Knight 2009


2/85

EXT. ROBERTS BACK GARDEN - DAY

Sizzle. ROBERT (55) is cooking sausages on a barbeque. Thesun beats down on a lazy Sunday afternoon in the Englishsummer.

In the distance, church bells ringing.

EXT. CRICKET PITCH - SAME TIME

A cricket ball is bowled with a lazy-spin action. Thebatsman fends the ball well.

Overhead, a 747 JUMBO JET begins its final descent intoHEATHROW. Its landing gear is lowered.

EXT. RIVER THAMES - DAY

Rowers scull along the Thames, the surface of the wateralive with dancing insects and puffs of dandelion.

EXT. RIVERSIDE PUB - DAY

A MAN walks from a pub with a tray of drinks, headingtowards his friends table.

EXT. HOUNSLOW SEMI - SAME TIME

Young Asian children, AMIR (11) and CHOUDHARY (9) areplaying cricket with their friends SUNI (11) and MAL(11).

AMIR bowls, the ball hits the wickets, a bread crate.

AMIROut!

CHOUDHARY, batting, isnt keen to leave the crease.

EXT. ROBERTS GARDEN - MOMENTS LATER

A fly buzzes over the raw meat ROBERT is yet to put on theBBQ. ROBERT pokes at the cooking sausages. Roberts wifeYVONNE (48) slides over and tops up his wine glass.

ROBERTAlmost there.

ROBERT swipes at the fly.


3/85

2.

EXT. CRICKET PITCH - SAME TIME

The sweep of a CRICKET BAT as the ball is sent to theboundary. A ripple of applause from the crowd.

In the distance, the 747 JUMBO JET is on final approach to

Heathrow.

The church bells finally fall silent. A skylark can be heardsinging in the heat haze.

If this was a concert, this would be the pause after tuningup, that moment when the orchestra ready their instrumentsand the conductor raises his baton. And then..

WHOOSH!!

A SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE streaks upwards from beneath thejumbo jet ..and.. ..MISSES the aeroplane.. ..and.. partially

explodes with a hiss in the air.

Some cricket spectators see the missile. They stand up.

SPECTATORWhat the..?

Other people start to turn and look in the direction of theplane, shielding their eyes against the sun. A STREAK OFSMOKE in the sky marks the path of the missile.

EXT. ROBERTS GARDEN - SAME TIME

ROBERT deftly flips burgers on the BBQ.

YVONNEOh God, Robert!

ROBERT turns, from his POV, the smoke from the missilearcing into the sky. He runs towards the house.

EXT. RIVERSIDE PUB - SAME TIME

The MAN with the tray of drinks sees the missile, and dropsthe tray. CRASHING of glasses to the ground.


4/85

3.

INT. SEJADS CAR - INDUSTRIAL AREA

Three men, MOHAMMED (18), SEJAD (19) and GEE (34) are in asilver Toyota saloon parked on a back road in an industrialestate. SEJAD in the driving seat, MOHAMMED in the frontpassenger seat. In the back seat.. ..GEE lowers a ROCKETLAUNCHER from the sunroof and sits back down.

GEEDrive!

The car screeches away.

EXT. HOUNSLOW SEMI - MOMENTS LATER

Children AMIR, CHOUDHARY, SUNI and MAL are still playingcricket. CHOUDHARY refuses to leave the crease. AMIR iswrestling the cricket bat from his grasp.

AMIRYoure out Choudhary.

CHOUDHARYI want another go!

AMIRYou should have played it moredefensive.

Then..WHUMP!!

The unexploded MISSILE CASING smashes through the roof of an

old garden shed, smashing it to pieces.

AMIRFuckin hell..

INT. ROBERTS HOUSE - STUDY

ROBERT races into his study, home to an array of hi-techequipment, and switches on his computer screens.

INT. MI5 OPS ROOM - SAME TIME

A quiet day in the world of homeland security. Agents BILLY(28) and FIONA (35) are sitting in the comfy chairs playingthe board game "Risk." Lower ranked employees monitorvarious screens.

A telephone rings. Desk staff member DARREN (30) answers.

(CONTINUED)


5/85

CONTINUED: 4.

DARRENHello Ritzys.

(beat)What?

Then another phone rings, then another, and another. BILLY

and FIONA stop their game.

BILLYIts a fuckin Sunday!

FIONA(sarcastic)

Ah bless, why cant they attackMonday to Friday like normal humanbeings?

BILLY heads to the desks.

BILLYDont touch the game.

FIONADont need to Benito. Yourescrewed already.


AMIR, CHOUDHARY, SUNI and MAL gather around the shed and theSPENT MISSILE CASE. Lying amongst old chairs and electricalequipment, paint pots etc. It is still smoking.

SUNIWhat is it?

CHOUDHARY reaches out to touch it.

AMIRDont touch it!

CHOUDHARY does touch the hot casing, BURNING his hand. Hejumps back, screaming. Their father, TARIQ (40), comes tothe door of the house.

TARIQWhats going on?

AMIR(to Suni)

Didnt I tell him not to touch it?

SUNI nods in agreement.


6/85

5.

EXT. POLICE HELIPAD - SAME TIME

Two POLICE HELICOPTERS make for the skies.


BILLY and FIONA stand at the bank of screens. ROBERT isfeatured on one of them, standing in his study.

ROBERTIt was a SAM, fired close range.

BILLYAt what?

ROBERTA British Airways 747. I saw it.

BILLYNo shit.

ROBERTGet Charlie and all spare units andget out there.

FIONAWheres there?

ROBERTHounslow, about a mile east of theairport. And get onto the plods

pronto. I want everything theyvegot and I want it as it happens.

FIONAYes Sir.

BILLYWhere did it come down?

ROBERTGround every single plane inBritish airspace.

BILLYBut..

ROBERTDo it right now.

(CONTINUED)


7/85

CONTINUED: 6.

BILLY..where did it crash?

BILLY reaches for the phone and dials.

ROBERT

It didnt - they missed.

BILLYJesus.

ROBERTIll be in in 25 minutes.

BILLYDialling.. and Sir..?

ROBERTYes?

BILLYYou might want to lose the apron.

(into phone)This is the Ritzy, we haveourselves a situation.

ROBERT, on the screen, looks down.

We now see that he is still wearing his BBQ apron, which isin the style of a FRENCH MAID.

INT. SEJADS CAR - MOMENTS LATER

SEJAD, MOHAMMED and GEE drive away from Hounslow.

MOHAMMED(to Gee)

It didnt go off!

GEE smiles, giving nothing away. They see POLICE CARS racingtowards them, blue lights flashing.

SEJADInshallah.

MOHAMMEDShitting shit.

GEE lowers the rocket launcher out of sight and leansforward between the seats. Cool.

(CONTINUED)


8/85

CONTINUED: 7.

GEEJust drive, yeah?

SEJADI cant do this.

The POLICE CARS go sailing past them in the oppositedirection. GEE watches them go, smiles.

GEE takes a tissue from the ORNATE BOX on the parcel shelfand uses it to clean the rocket launcher.

GEE(to Sejad)

Got any dhal at the flat? I couldjust go for a nice bowl of dhal.

SEJAD looks across to MOHAMMED, who is this psycho?

EXT. HOUNSLOW/HEATHROW AREA - DAY

Complete overkill as police stream to the Hounslow andHeathrow area, locking the whole place down.

An armour plated van arrives at a junction, ARMED POLICEdisembark.

Overhead, at least two helicopters buzz the area. AnAMBULANCE, blue lights flashing, is allowed through by thepolice.


The same AMBULANCE arrives at the Hounslow Semi. ThePARAMEDICS head into the back garden where CHOUDHARY iscrying with his hand in a bowl of water.

TARIQ, AMIR, SUNI and MAL all stand nearby.

As they attend to CHOUDHARYS burn, the PARAMEDICS see theSTILL SMOULDERING MISSILE CASING.

INT. MI5 OPS ROOM - 25 MINUTES LATER

On one of the screens, footage of the Heathrow area on BBCNEWS 24 "BREAKING NEWS" MISSILE ATTACK ON 747.

ROBERT breezes into the OPS ROOM and puts on a headset.BILLY is co-ordinating the response with DARREN and otherlower ranked agents.

(CONTINUED)


9/85

CONTINUED: 8.

Phones still ringing like crazy.

ROBERTHit me..

BILLY points an electronic map on a screen.

BILLYThis entire area on total lockdown.

ROBERTGood work.

BILLYEvery airport this side of Berlinis fully grounded.. except forCharles de Gaulle.

ROBERT

(exasperated)The French...

BILLYGod love em. And theyve found themissile.

ROBERTWhere?

BILLY refers to the map.

BILLY

Zion Road.

ROBERTGet the met office on the phone. Iwant wind speeds, directions.

BILLYAlready happening.

ROBERTSo get on to ballistics, WalterAllen, find out what it was andwhere it was launched.

BILLY(smug)

On his way there already.

ROBERTAlright, dont get too cocky ehBilly, if you were that bloody good

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)


10/85

CONTINUED: 9.

ROBERT (contd)we wouldnt be dealing with thismess would we?

DARRENRobert, Jeremy on the phone.

ROBERTYep, to me.

(into his headset)Minister..

ROBERTS gaze moves down to the game of "Risk."

ROBERT(contd, into phone)

Ill be over in an hour with a fullbriefing.

(beat)

Yes minister..(beat)

No minister..

ROBERT appraises the situation of the "Risk" game, shakinghis head at how one sided it is.

On the game: the only country in Europe still held by Billy(playing blue) is England. Every other country is red(Fiona).

ROBERT(contd, into phone, as to a

simpleton)Well we are on top of it now, Sowhy dont you pop over to Whitehalland Ill give you a full briefingin an hour.

He ends the call.

ROBERT(contd, to himself)

Muppet.(to Billy)

..and get France on the phone, tellthem to close their bloody airport!


11/85

10.

EXT. HOUNSLOW SEMI - LATER

Tariqs street has been sealed off. A BOMB DISPOSAL SQUADare parked up.

FIONA arrives and greets ballistics expert WALTER ALLEN

(60), who has just arrived too.

TARIQ and his sons AMIR and CHOUDHARY, who now has a bandageon his hand, stand behind the cordon.

WALTER walks calmly past the cordon, followed by FIONA.

ARMED POLICEMANBack behind the line, Sir!

The Armed Policeman is stopped from intervening by theraised hand of his superior.

WALTERFor Petes sake - if it didntexplode up there, its hardly goingto explode now.

EXT. HOUNSLOW SEMI - BACK GARDEN - MOMENTS LATER

WALTER and FIONA stand looking at the missile nestledamongst the remains of Tariqs shed.

WALTERIts an AX250 surface to air

missile, practically antique.

FIONAWhere has it come from?

WALTEROriginally Russia, or should I saythe Union of Soviet SocialistRepublics as it then was - ah butdo you mean where was it fired fromtoday?

Yes she does.

WALTER (CONTD)Give me a minute or two.

He opens his laptop and dons his reading glasses.

(CONTINUED)


12/85

CONTINUED: 11.

WALTER (CONTD)There are figures for trajectoriesand so forth, and we cancross-reference with the eyewitness reports..

At this point several BOMB SQUAD MEMBERS, fully dressed inmassive bomb disposal suits walk cautiously round the sideof the house.

WALTER stares over the top of his half moons, shaking hishead with incredulity.

WALTER (CONTD)And what have you lot come as,extreme beekeepers?

FIONA grins.

EXT. HOUNSLOW SEMI - STREET - MOMENTS LATER

FIONA heads back to her car, on the phone to ROBERT.

POLICE on the road are doing RANDOM STOPS of vehicles.

FIONA(into phone)

Freeport Industrial Estate, headingthere now.


ROBERT is at the bank of screens, speaking with Fiona viahis headset.

ROBERTFreeport Industrial Estate.

DARREN at the desk keys the name in.

On the screen - Freeport Industrial Estate appears on themap, overhead pic, like Google Earth but better defined.

ROBERT (CONTD)But thats..

FIONA (PHONE VO)..inside the Control Zone, I know.

(CONTINUED)


13/85

CONTINUED: 12.

ROBERTRight. Nothing goes in or out ofthere until we get to the bottom ofthis.

EXT. HOUNSLOW SEMI/STREET - SAME TIME

FIONAS side of the call.

FIONAYes Sir. And Sir? Walter IDd it asan AX250.

(beat)Russian.

FIONA ends the call.

As she heads to her car she notices the POLICE doing their

VEHICLE STOPS.

All of the vehicles stopped have ASIAN DRIVERS, FAMILIES,CHILDREN, looking afraid. Car boots open, menacing patrolsof ARMED POLICE, questions, suspicions.

FIONA(to Police)

Do you want to try stopping somewhite people too?

An ARMED POLICEMAN rounds on her. Prejudice dials turned upto eleven.

ARMED POLICEMANWhat for?

EXT. FREEPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE - DAY

FIONA drives her CAR, followed by TWO POLICE CARS. She stopsat the entrance to a short road of industrial buildings andexits her car.

She sees.. on the ground, tyre marks made by a fastlyaccelerating car.

She is joined by SERGEANT ERIC SMITH (51) and PC SLATER(29), MET police.

FIONA points to the tyre marks.

(CONTINUED)


14/85

CONTINUED: 13.

SERGEANT ERIC SMITHMight just be kids. Saturday nightan all..

FIONAMaybe, maybe not.

FIONA walks down the length of the cul-de-sac, pointing atall of the CCTV cameras on the industrial buildings.

FIONAI want that, that, that and that.As far back as their records go.

PC SLATER(aside, to Sgt Smith)

Who the fuck is she?

Too loud, FIONA has heard. She rounds on PC SLATER.

FIONA"She" is the woman wholl have youin the dole queue first thingMonday morning if you dont takeyour dick out of your hand andstart doing your job.

PC SLATERWhat?

FIONA(urgent)

Get rid of them.

PC SLATERWho?

FIONAThem!

She points to the end of the cul-de-sac, where about TWENTYPAPARAZZI are already in position, lenses poised.

At the far end of the industrial estate, tied to a chainlink fence, is a big banner reading "No to Terminal 5, no to3rd Runway"

FIONA looks up in the air, trying to imagine a jumbo jetflying overhead.

FIONA(contd to Sgt Smith)

Where do you find them, Eric?

(CONTINUED)


15/85

CONTINUED: 14.

SERGEANT SMITHYou know what its like, we take inall the waifs and strays thesedays.

FIONA

Well I want your waifs and straysto go through this place with afine tooth comb.

SERGEANT SMITHYes Maam.

INT. HOME OFFICE - DAY - HALF AN HOUR LATER

A plush office. ROBERT enters the room where Home SecretaryJEREMY WALKER (50, a bit of a Boris) and king of spin PETERBARBER (45, a lot of a Campbell) are seated.

On a big TELEVISION, images of the BREAKING NEWS, mute,"HEATHROW TERRORIST ATTACK" - "NATION ON FULL ALERT"

JEREMYAh Robert.

ROBERTMinister.

They shake.

JEREMY

You know Peter?

ROBERT(icily)

Weve met.

ROBERT sits.

JEREMYDo you want to tell me what thebloody hell is going on?

ROBERTWell..

PETERQuick as you like, they want him inthe studio in two minutes.

(CONTINUED)


16/85

CONTINUED: 15.

ROBERTAt precisely two minutes past twoan AX250 surface to air missile wasfired from an industrial estate inHounslow towards British Airwaysflight 242 from Hong Kong, whichwas on its final approach to

Heathrow. Not only did the missilemiss its intended target but italso failed to explode, and theshell case landed in a garden halfa mile away.

JEREMY(slightly excited)

And then did it blow..?

ROBERTNo.

PETERIt was launched from inside thecontrol zone?

ROBERTYes it was.

JEREMYWhats the control zone?

The minister is clearly unaware of certain key things.

PETER

(to Robert)Hes new.

(to Jeremy)The control zone is a net of highsurveillance around the Airport, inforce precisely to prevent thissort of thing from happening.

(beat)At any given time there are atleast twenty teams in the area.

ROBERTTwelve.

PETEROnly twelve now?

ROBERTDont look at me, you lot set thebudgets.

(CONTINUED)


17/85

CONTINUED: 16.

JEREMYThe control zone failed? Shit.

PETERDont worry, just focus on thetwelve teams we have, not the eightwe no longer have.

(beat)What next?

ROBERTWe work with the plods, the Police,gather all of the cctv footage,sweep the missile for DNA, throw itall in the mix and see what comesout the other side.

JEREMYWeve been very lucky.

PETERAny idea where it came from?

ROBERTRussia.

JEREMYRussia? Shit! Relations are bad butwould they really stoop so low?

ROBERT raises his eyebrows.

PETER

(to Robert)Sorry.

(firm, to Jeremy)I know its a Sunday, HomeSecretary, but put your brain in,please.

(beat)The missile is merely of Russianorigin. Did you say an AX250? Neverheard of it.

ROBERTDiscontinued 1978, Ukrainianspecial edition.

PETERProbably a throwback to the war inAfghanistan, picked up by theMujahadeen. Which gives yourterrorist an Afghan connection.

(CONTINUED)


18/85

CONTINUED: 17.

ROBERTGood work Sherlock.

JEREMYWhich narrows it down to..

PETER(shrugs)..everybody.

ROBERTWelcome to my world.

There is a knock at the door, its POLLY (24), assistant.

POLLYReady for you in the studio, Sir.

JEREMY

Shit.

JEREMY stands up. PETER stands too, and picks a piece offluff from Jeremys jacket.

PETERYoull be fine.

EXT. FREEPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE - DAY

FIONA watches the team of POLICE sweeping the industrialestate for clues.

She takes her ID wallet out of her pocket and opens it.

There is the photograph of her, and then the wallet opensone more fold.

Behind her picture, a photograph of LAWRENCE (8), her son.He is on a beach, somewhere.

EXT. SHORT RENT FLAT - GARAGE - DAY

MOHAMMED and GEE get out of SEJADS car. SEJAD parks it in alock-up garage by their flat in Greenford. An anonymousurban area.

SEJAD exits his car. GEE heads towards the flat. SEJAD andMOHAMMED exchange unhappy glances.


19/85

18.

INT. HOME OFFICE - MINUTES LATER

ROBERT and PETER stand by the plasma screen TELEVISION.

PETERDont suppose youve time for a..?

ROBERT nods, yes he does. PETER pours a whisky and turns thesound up on the TV.

On the screen: Home Secretary JEREMY WALKER.

NEWSREADER (OFF)Are we right in assuming themissile was fired from inside thespecial Heathrow control zone?

JEREMY (ON TV)That is our understanding.

NEWSREADER (OFF)Is this the zone thats supposed tostop terrorist attacks on lowflying planes?

JEREMY (ON TV)Thats right, at any one time thereare as many as twelve teams ofoperatives patrolling the controlzone.

PETER

Good boy.

ROBERT sips his whisky, watching with a little incredulity.

PETER(to Robert)

Total idiot I know.

ROBERTBut such a winning smile.

JEREMY (ON TV)(smiling)

The operation to catch theseterrorists will be swift..


20/85

19.

INT. SHORT RENT FLAT - GREENFORD - SAME TIME

SEJAD, MOHAMMED and GEE are in the lounge watching the newson TV, JEREMY WALKER is still being interviewed.

GEE has his lap-top open. He is printing something.

JEREMY (on TV)Their sheer audacity will be theirundoing. Im confident that wellidentify them in a matter of days,hours even.

SEJAD and MOHAMMED look at each other. GEE sees theirdiscomfort.

GEEHes just bullshitting.

MOHAMMED

Gee..

SEJADWe want out.

A pause. Tension.

GEEYou want out? Ok.

Whew, relief between SEJAD and MOHAMMED, that was easy.

On the PRINTER, a PHOTOGRAPH printing. Remember this.

We only see the leading edge of it, a park, somewhere.

INT. MI5 MEETING ROOM - EVENING

ROBERT is in a debriefing session with FIONA and BILLY.

ROBERTBilly?

BILLYWeve got John Carter from specialbranch plus hangers on, StellaMoran from MI6 and some foreignoffice gimps all in tomorrow at 8amsharp. Pete Barber wants in oneverything.

(CONTINUED)


21/85

CONTINUED: 20.

ROBERTOf course.

BILLYImagine who wed get if it hadactually hit the plane.

ROBERTHit, miss. It all amounts to thesame thing. Fiona?

FIONACharlies trawling through thenight with an army of cops, mainlythe CCTV and number plate cameras.

ROBERTAny DNA on the casing?

FIONA

Wont know until tomorrow.

ROBERTRight then team, we should call ita night. Tomorrow the real hardwork starts.

BILLY leaves. FIONA lingers, packing away her file.

FIONAI think you ought to know I wantout.

ROBERTIts not a good time for games.

FIONAI mean it. Im sick of it.

ROBERTWhat do you want to do, spend moretime with your family?

FIONAOh spare me the histrionics. Im a

ball busting bitch and whatever Ido Ill always end up thrashing theshit out of weak and feeble men.

ROBERTSo youre already in exactly theright line of work.

ROBERT begins to leave.

(CONTINUED)


22/85

CONTINUED: 21.

FIONAI do miss him, Robert.

ROBERTAlright, well, I tell you what,lets get this mess cleared up, and

then you take a month off. Fly outand see your boy.

FIONAHuh, fly?

ROBERTIts still the safest way totravel. Itll be even safer afterthis little episode. For a whileanyway.

FIONA

I dont know.

ROBERTThats the difference with me,Fiona. My family are all right herein this office, its all of you, mylittle boys and girls, that makethe job bearable.

FIONAYou are so full of crap.

ROBERT

Yes I am. Come on.

They leave. Seconds later, Robert returns and switches thelights off.

ROBERT (CONTD)Better do our bit to save theplanet eh?

Darkness.

INT. SHORT RENT FLAT - BATHROOM - SAME TIME

Starting in darkness, GEE switches on the bathroom light andstands in front of the mirror.

He washes his hands thoroughly. Is there blood on them?

He then takes a pair of scissors and cuts away at his beard.


23/85

22.

EXT. STREET NEAR BILLYS HOUSE - NIGHT

BILLY cycles along the street. He is wearing a Palestiniankeffiyeh (black and white patterned scarf) across his faceto shield against pollution.

He stops at a darkened area near to an alley. From hisRUCKSACK he takes a BRIEFCASE.

Quick change. He takes his keffiyeh off, revealing a cheapshirt and tie combo underneath.

He puts the keffiyeh and his empty rucksack into thebriefcase. The final touch is a photo id reading "NaxosCommunications" with his name on it, which he hangs roundhis neck. Billy pushes his bike towards home.

INT. BILLYS HOUSE - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER

BILLY enters his home.

BILLYIm home!

Billys Mum, Carla answers

CARLA (OFF)Is that you, love?

BILLY(to himself)

I dont know, I lose track.

INT. BILLYS HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT

BILLY sits for a late meal with his Mum, CARLA, Dad PARVEENand sister, RUTH.

RUTH is asthmatic. She wears a MASK and has a VENTILATIONUNIT next to her. The family eat.

CARLAGood day?

BILLYOk.

CARLADid you see the news?

(CONTINUED)


24/85

CONTINUED: 23.

BILLYYeah.

PARVEENBloody Muslims.

CARLA(to Billy)Hanish phoned.

(beat)Hes just got a maintenancecontract, guess who with?

A bleep bleep of an alarm sounds, its Ruths ventilationcylinder, it needs changing.

CARLA(to Parveen)

Change her thing, love.

BILLY(to Carla)

Who?

PARVEENWhy dont they just blow up eachother?

PARVEEN stands up, heads to the pantry.

CARLANASA. Isnt that amazing?

Bleep bleep. RUTHS breathing gets more laboured.

CARLA (CONTD)He says if you fancy a careerchange theres lots of work inFlorida at the moment.

BILLYIm alright where I am, Mum.

PARVEENWheres the new one?

Bleep bleep.

CARLAOn the shelf.

(CONTINUED)


25/85

CONTINUED: 24.

PARVEENBloody isnt.

CARLABloody is. And less of theswearing, you.

RUTHS breathing gets heavier, more panicked.

CARLA (CONTD)You dont want to work in networksupport all your life, surely?

PARVEENIm telling you its not here.

Bleep bleep. CARLA heads to the pantry.

BILLY

Im happy where I am, Mum. Dontkeep going on.

CARLA finds the cylinder, she heads to RUTH and starts tochange the unit.

CARLA(to Parveen)

What are you like? Useless.

The alarm stops. BILLY stares at his asthmatic sister. Shestares back. Smiles, and shrugs. Family, eh - whatya gonnado? BILLY smiles too.

INT. ROBERTS HOUSE - NIGHT

ROBERT gets into his house. His wife YVONNE is waiting forhim in her nightwear. She hands him a glass of wine.

YVONNEI saved you a sausage.

He takes his jacket off and sits down.

YVONNE sits behind him on the sofa, wraps her legs aroundhim and kisses his neck. More caring than sexual.

ROBERTS gaze drifts down to a pile of YACHTING MAGAZINESunderneath the coffee table.

ROBERTYou dont have to.

(CONTINUED)


26/85

CONTINUED: 25.

YVONNEI know.

She rubs the tension of the day from his neck.

ROBERT

Youre too good to me.

YVONNEI am.

ROBERTIm going to be a bit..

YVONNE..busy? Just try to relax whenyoure here then eh?

He closes his eyes.

INT. FIONAS OFFICE - NIGHT

FIONA sits in her office. Turning away from her computer,she picks up the phone.

The phone has a monitor function which is switched to the"DISABLE" setting. She dials. The phone is answered by awoman.

WOMAN (ON PHONE)Bonsoir?

A pause. FIONA, confused, switches the phone monitor to"ENABLE." A red light flashes on the console.

FIONAHello.. is Michael there please?

(double beat)Hello?

WOMAN (ON PHONE)Sorry, hes out.

FIONAAnd Lawrence..?

WOMAN (ON PHONE)Out too. With Michael.

FIONAAnd you are..?

(CONTINUED)


27/85

CONTINUED: 26.

WOMAN (ON PHONE)Im Marie. The.. house sitter.

FIONAOK Marie, if you could tell themFiona called, that would be great.

WOMAN/MARIE (ON PHONE)Ok, I will, bye.

And the line clicks dead. On Fiona, in thought.

INT. SHORT RENT FLAT - LOUNGE - NIGHT

The TV is on silent, more news of the attack. Footage isPASSENGERS STRANDED AT HEATHROW.

In the half-light of the room, the outlines of MOHAMMED

slumped in a chair, and SEJAD on the floor.

Both quite still. Dead to the World.

In the background, GEE quietly exits the flat.

INT. LOCK-UP GARAGE - NIGHT

GEE unrolls a patterned mat behind Sejads silver Toyota.Only now do we see that, clean shaven, he is WHITE.

He kneels down on the mat. Praying..?

No. Swapping the number plates on the car.

EXT. FREEPORT IND ESTATE - CCTV FOOTAGE - DAY

This is fairly low-grade CCTV footage of Freeport IndustrialEstate. In the frame, Sejads silver Toyota. GEE, beardedface mostly hidden behind the rocket launcher, standing upin the sunroof.

Then that wonderful moment where the peace is shattered asthe missile is fired.

GEE sits back down in the car, the Toyota screeches away.The footage is paused.

JEREMY WALKER (OFF)Good grief.


28/85

27.

INT. MI5 BRIEFING ROOM - DAY - SAME TIME

The freeze frame of the footage on a TV screen. MI5 legmanCHARLIE ARCHER (55) has the remote.

In the room are ROBERT, BILLY, FIONA, king of spin PETER

BARBER, MI6 supremo STELLA MORAN (45) and head of specialbranch JOHN CARTER (45).

Home Secretary JEREMY WALKER heads the table. A few otherforeign office people are in attendance too.

ROBERTThanks Charlie. How shall we playthis? Questions from the floor?

CHARLIEFire away.

PETER BARBEREasy one first. Who are they?

CHARLIEWe dont know.

PETERI assume youve got the numberplate?

CHARLIEYes.

PETERAnd?

CHARLIEIts fake.

FIONAAnything else of interest on theCCTV?

CHARLIESome lines of enquiry. Ill showyou the edited highlights later.

FIONAOk.

PETERHas anyone claimed responsibility?

(CONTINUED)


29/85

CONTINUED: 28.

JEREMYWe know who it is, surely?

CHARLIETheyve yet to claim it. Stella?

STELLANo word from our end. They mightnot wish to shout about it, seeingas they missed.

JEREMYBut look at the chaos.

JOHN CARTER(to Stella)

What are you doing your end?

STELLA

Putting out feelers in all theusual places. Checking for anyunusual movements.

PETERLooking for needles in haystacksthen?

STELLAYes, rather.

JOHN CARTERThe needles are always there in the

end.

STELLABut the haystack grows by the day.

FIONAWere checking immigration forrecent arrivals.

STELLAWell work with you on that.

FIONAThanks.

BILLYMy question is.. how did they miss?

CHARLIEAntiquated kit.

(CONTINUED)


30/85


31/85

CONTINUED: 30.

JEREMYYes!

JOHN CARTERThere we are, instant results.

MAXThats not all. He works at..Heathrow.

BILLYJesus.

INT. HEATHROW AIRPORT - DAY

We follow an ASIAN MAN through the airport, we dont see hisface.

On the departure board, every flight CANCELLED.

MAX (V.O)Thats how we idd him so fast. Yerman works in maintenance.

ASIAN MAN passes DELAYED PASSENGERS seated on the floor.

PETER (V.O)Maintenance?

He swipes a pass card at a door which reads "staff only."

EXT. HEATHROW AIRPORT - DAY - SAME TIME

An armoured van screeches to a halt outside the terminal. Ateam of ARMOURED POLICE jump out and head inside.

MAX (V.OYes and mostly, get this, baggagehandling.

BILLY (V.O)Youre kidding.

MAX (V.O)I wish I was.


32/85

31.

INT. HEATHROW AIRPORT - STAFF TOILETS - DAY

ASIAN MAN enters a toilet cubicle. We still do not see hisface. Trousers down. And sits.

INT. MI5 MEETING ROOM - AS BEFORE

Everything as before.

MAXWeve sent a unit down to pick himup.

JOHN CARTER(smug)

Excellent. Can we get some coffeesin here please?

A SERVING PERSON jumps to it.

INT. HEATHROW AIRPORT - TOILET CUBICLE

ASIAN MAN seated on the toilet. Staying with him in thecubicle, we hear noises the other side of the door. The mantilts his head to listen.

CHARLIE (V.O)Who is he then?

Then.. SLAM!! The toilet door is ripped open, ASIAN MAN is

dragged out, pants round his ankles, and pushed prone byARMED POLICE. About SIX GUNS trained on his head, as..

MAX (V.O)Tariq Hussain, of 65 Zion Road,Hounslow.

ROBERT & FIONA (V.O)Zion Road?

Only at this point do we finally get a clean reveal of ASIANMANS face. It is the same TARIQ from the Hounslow Semi atthe start of the story.

INT. MI5 BRIEFING ROOM - AS BEFORE

Everything as before.

(CONTINUED)


33/85

CONTINUED: 32.

STELLAYou sound as if you know it?

FIONAWe do, as should they.

She means the police.

Blank face on JOHN CARTER.

CHARLIESir, Zion Road is where the missilefell.

FIONAOn Tariq Hussains shed.

STELLAAhh.. perhaps that explains the

DNA?

And now a look of realisation on John Carter.

JOHN CARTERShit. Max, call them off, call themoff now!

Max goes for his phone.

INT. HEATHROW AIRPORT - SAME TIME

TARIQ is led through the terminal by the ARMED POLICE.

MAX (V.O)It might be too late.

It is. Various PAPARAZZI start to notice TARIQ. Cameraflashes and general chaos.

An ARMED POLICEMAN answers his phone.

INT. MI5 BRIEFING ROOM - AS BEFORE

MAX snaps his phone shut.

MAXTheyre bringing him in.

JOHN CARTER sits with his head buried in his hands.

(CONTINUED)


34/85

CONTINUED: 33.

PETER BARBEREverything we do is in the publiceye. Everything.

JEREMY WALKERWhats the matter? Have we arrested

the wrong chap?

All eyes to Jeremy. Hes so far behind in this that no-onecan bother to answer. JOHN CARTER looks to Max for help.

MAXLet me explain, Sir.

MAX walks over to JEREMY. Their conversation peels off.

STELLASo were back to square one.

BILLYOr square minus fifty-one.

PETER BARBERLets start again then. I wantproper police work and I want allof you, all of you, to talk to eachother but most importantly to me,before doing anything. Understand?

JOHN CARTERYes Peter.

John is gutted though, at his teams error.

STELLAOh look on the bright side John, atleast you didnt shoot this one.

INT. SHORT RENT FLAT - DAY

On SEJAD, still motionless on the floor in the lounge. Thecurtains are opened.

On SEJADS EYES, OPENING. He is not dead.

MOHAMMED works the curtains, light streams in

MOHAMMEDGet up Sejad, we cant stay here.

On the TV: The cctv footage of FREEPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE.

(CONTINUED)


35/85

CONTINUED: 34.

SEJADLook!

He reaches for the remote, turns the sound up.

MOHAMMED

They already played it six times.

NEWSREADER (OFF)This is the terrifying moment whenterrorists fired at a BritishAirways 747 in broad daylightyesterday.

Whoosh, the missile firing.

SEJADIts us! Thats sick.

On the TV - HEATHROW AIRPORT, TARIQ being led away.

NEWSREADER (OFF)And in what initially appears to bea spectacular blunder, a few hoursago Police arrested HeathrowAirport employee Tariq Hussain,whos garden the missile landed in.

SEJADWhos he?

MOHAMMED

Innocent bystander. Come on.

NEWSREADER (OFF)The blunder came after DNA on themissile was identified asHussains.

Mohammed turns the TV off.

SEJADWheres Gee?

MOHAMMEDGone. He left our stuff.

SEJADAll of it?

MOHAMMEDYes!

(CONTINUED)


36/85

CONTINUED: 35.

SEJADSo its over then?

MOHAMMEDI think so. He took the car.

SEJADShit!

MOHAMMEDI dont think it matters Sejad.

SEJADIm gonna get killed.

MOHAMMEDJust keep your head down, and yourmouth shut.

SEJADSo now what?

MOHAMMEDLets get out of here for a start.

SEJAD rises, they start to empty the flat.

SEJADI cant believe he took the car.

MOHAMMEDYou can get another car now, easy.

The car is the only evidencetheyve got, remember?

EXT. CAR BREAKERS YARD - DAY

GEE watches as the SILVER TOYOTA is lowered into a CARCRUSHER, and pulverised out of existence.

INT. MI5 REVIEW ROOM - DAY

CHARLIE sits with FIONA, reviewing the CCTV highlights fromFreeport Industrial Estate.

On the TV: FREEPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE - SEVERAL DAYS AGO. Asilver car is parked at the end of the estate.

Three white men are standing by it, one with binoculars andone with a telescope.

(CONTINUED)


37/85

CONTINUED: 36.

CHARLIESo theres these three.

FIONAYou know them?

CHARLIEJames Green, Darren Parker and AdamBall. Plane spotters. Not exactlyAl Qaeda material, but werebringing them in anyway.

FIONAWhat constitutes Al Qaeda materialthen?

CHARLIEYou know what Im on about. Theyget on our tits to be honest, plane

spotters. Give us several scares ayear.

FIONAGood job its the preserve of thewhite working class then.

CHARLIEYeah. Are you taking the mick?

FIONAWith you Charlie, never.

The CCTV footage jumps again. FREEPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE -SEVERAL NIGHTS AGO.

A red Nissan Micra parks at the end of the estate. TwoHOODED FIGURES emerge and attach the banner we saw earlierto the chain link fence. "No to Terminal 5, no to 3rdRunway"

CHARLIEThen youve got these two.Eco-warriors. Not on our menu.

FIONAWhere are we with the car?

CHARLIENowhere really. There was onestolen in Southall a few weeks ago,but its unlikely.

(CONTINUED)


38/85

CONTINUED: 37.

FIONASouthall?

CHARLIENow whos jumping to conclusions?

FIONASilver?

CHARLIEYeah.

FIONAThey wouldnt be so thick as to usea nicked car.

CHARLIEExactly, but Im sending Eric andthat other idiot. Were looking

into all the sales of Carinas tolikely punters but Im not all thatoptimistic. If theyre any goodtheyll have covered their tracks.

EXT. CAR BREAKERS YARD - DAY

GEE, carrying an army kit bag, walks out of the BreakersYard. There is a big sign on the gate of the yard - "AllCars Recycled Here"

INT. IMRANS HOUSE - DAY

Starting on a TV SCREEN, more news. Footage of AscotRacecourse. Aston reads - "ROYAL ASCOT - RACES CANCELLED"

NEWSREADER (OFF)This afternoons racing at RoyalAscot was cancelled after courseofficials found a suspect packageinside a toilet at the maingrandstand. Bomb disposal expertswere called and the standevacuated. The package was laterfound to be a box of race cardsleft by an employee. Police say theincident only goes to show theimportance of remaining vigilant atthis time.

Off the TV to reveal that we are in a TERRACED HOUSE INSOUTHALL.

(CONTINUED)


39/85

CONTINUED: 38.

IMRAN (60) is drinking tea with some other old men. Thedoorbell rings.

IMRAN switches the volume down on the TV. Imrans wife,NARINDA (45) has answered the door. She enters the room.

NARINDA (TO IMRAN)Its the police, about the car.

IMRANFinally!

He walks towards the door.

IMRAN (CONTD)(to the men)

I phone the police about threeweeks ago and finally they sendsomeone round. I bet if it was a

white persons car stolen theydhave made a lot more..

And we cut to Imrans POV; two police cars in the street,blue lights flashing.

Five cops, two of them armed. SERGEANT ERIC SMITH and PCSLATER on the doorstep. Chaos.

IMRAN (CONTD)..fuss.

ERIC

Imran Ahmed? Inside please.

EXT. SOUTHALL - IMRANS STREET - SAME TIME

At the end of Imrans Street, SEJAD walks round the corner,carrying a rucksack.

From his POV; The police cars as before. ERIC and PC SLATERentering Imrans House.

SEJAD sees this, backs slowly away, and then runs off.

INT. IMRANS HOUSE - DAY

SERGEANT ERIC SMITH and PC SLATER sit with IMRAN and hiswife NARINDA.

(CONTINUED)


40/85

CONTINUED: 39.

IMRAN (V.O)I woke up the other morning and ithad gone.

ERICWhere was it parked?

IMRANOutside.. on the street.

ERICDo you think they broke in to it?

IMRANHow should I know?

PC SLATERAny broken glass on the street?

IMRANNo.

PC SLATERSo thats a no then.

ERICWhere was the key?

IMRANThe key..?

Imran stops himself, thinks. Looks at NARINDA. At this point

we drift onto a PHOTOGRAPH on the sideboard, of SEJAD incricket whites, bat in hand.

IMRAN (CONTD)It was on the stairs, at least, Ithink it was.

ERICCould you see it from the door?

IMRANYes, definitely.

But he doesnt sound too sure.

ERICThat could be it, you should keepyour keys out of sight.

ERIC and PC SLATER stand to leave.

(CONTINUED)


41/85

CONTINUED: 40.

ERIC (CONTD)Thats all for now. Well keep youposted. In the meantime, if you canthink of anything that might beimportant, give me a call.

IMRAN

Yes, I will, thank you.

They leave.

EXT. IMRANS HOUSE - SOUTHALL STREET - DAY

ERIC gets into PC SLATERS CAR. Eric on the phone.

ERIC(into phone)

I think its worth putting somecover on this one.

(beat)I dont know, youll just have totrust me on it.

(beat)Bye.

He hangs up. PC SLATER looks across at him.

ERICWhat?

PC SLATERHe only had his car nicked.

ERICWhen youve nothing to go on, yougo on anything youve got.

PC SLATERHe phoned us though, remember?

ERICI know but when we were in there, amoment passed between him and hiswife. I couldnt work out what it

was but it was definitely there.

PC SLATERWell I didnt see it.

ERICNo, no you didnt.

PC SLATER drives off.


42/85

41.

INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY

Plane Spotter ADAM BALL (45) is sitting in the interrogationroom. FIONA and BILLY are working him.

FIONA

You know why youre here?

ADAMYes, its regarding TK-321otherwise known as Ruby of TheSkies, otherwise known as BA flight242 but previously in service asflight 2445, 361, 284 and.. B28, Ithink that takes it as far back as95.

BILLY(sotto)

Jesus.

ADAMIf you let me get my notes I can goback further if you like?

FIONAThat wont be necessary.

BILLYMr Ball - how often do you hangaround Heathrow Airport?

ADAMIt aint hanging around.. itsimportant record keeping.

BILLY and FIONA exchange looks, whats the point of this?

FIONAWhere were you on Sunday?

ADAMWe was at the stand just off the A4Bath Road, waiting for the Belugawith James, Sid, Mary and I thinkher lad John was there too, Iforget.

FIONAThe Beluga?

(CONTINUED)


43/85

CONTINUED: 42.

ADAMIts the new A220 Airbus,specifically built with a largeaerodynamic fuselage which..

BILLY

(interrupting)We so dont need to know.

ADAMWe saw the rocket!

FIONAYou and half of London. What elsedo you know?

ADAMNothing.

BILLYSeen any radicals?

ADAMWhat? Pakis?

FIONAYou cant say that.

BILLYWell?

ADAM

No Pakis, we seen them protestorssome days. We hates them though,cause who dont want anotherrunway? They must be mad.

BILLY, bored, ramps things up.

BILLYMr Ball, you love planes very muchyes?

ADAM nods.

BILLY (CONTD)(a bit manic)

So wouldnt you just love to pluckone clean out of the air? Bring itdown to the gutter and take it hometo your mum?

(CONTINUED)


44/85

CONTINUED: 43.

ADAMNo!

BILLY gets right in ADAMS face.

BILLY

Would have made you famous!

ADAMYoure scaring me now!

A pause. FIONA turns to BILLY shaking her head - BILLYsmiles, just his bit of fun.

BILLY makes a slash sign across his throat, cut thispointless interview here.

INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

This is more like it. Sitting in the interrogation room isRadical Cleric DR WASIM AL AKAWI. He speaks very goodEnglish.

BILLY and FIONA are joined by ROBERT.

WASIMBefore we start Id like tocongratulate the brothers on agreat act of vengeance against theImperialist oppressors.

BILLYThey missed, Wasim.

WASIMIt is Gods will.

BILLYHow did they miss?


BILLYNot a very good shot though werethey, your brothers?


(CONTINUED)


45/85

CONTINUED: 44.

BILLYIs that all youre going to say,"it is Gods Will?"

Silence.

BILLYWhere were you on Sunday?

WASIMYou know where I was.

BILLYDo I?

WASIMYes. You have a team of watchersfollowing my every move.

A look between BILLY and ROBERT, this is true.

ROBERTWho are they Wasim?

WASIMThey are glorious martyrs who willbe welcomed soon into Paradise.

BILLYEven though they couldnt hit abarn door with a pea shooter.

WASIMAny act of aggression against theapostate is to be warmly regarded.

FIONA is fed up with this.

FIONAWasim I have a few generalquestions for you about theapostate and the oppression.

WASIM mimes pulling a veil over his head, showing hisdistaste at Fionas style of dress, angering her further.

FIONA (CONTD)Is it not true that you arecurrently living at 26 VictoriaRoad, Finsbury Park. Whilstlanguishing here in your country ofchoice you are currently claiminghousing benefit and living

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)


46/85

CONTINUED: 45.

FIONA (CONTD) (contd)allowances totalling 450 a week,whilst at the same time preachingand seeking to destroy this verystate.


FIONAWell in my book its called bitingthe hand that feeds.

ROBERTIll ask you again Mr Al Akawi, whoare these people?

But FIONA hasnt finished. She interrupts.

FIONAThe other thing that gets me isyour attire, never mind my attire.

BILLYFiona..

FIONA..no Billy. He sits there preachingagainst the "forces of oppression"in his brand new cheap shittrainers, which were no doubt madein a Chinese Sweat Shop by a highly

oppressed workforce. The hypocrisydisgusts me.

WASIMThey are not brothers.

FIONABollocks, theres 50 millionMuslims in China, most of them shaton by the Han on a daily basis, butyoure happy to contribute to theiroppression for the sake of your biglazy feet. Why dont you go thereand save all of them? Because youknow youd get fuckin murderedwithin ten minutes of being there!Youre nothing but a hypocrite, anda stupid one at that.

She storms out, slamming the door.

(CONTINUED)


47/85

CONTINUED: 46.

WASIMCan I go now?

BILLYErm..no.

INT. MI5 - FIONAS OFFICE - DAY

ROBERT sits in Fionas Office. FIONA at her laptop.

FIONAI tried to warn you.

ROBERTYes you did.

FIONAI dont know why we bother with new

legislation. Forty-two days? Wealready have all the law we need tohold maniacs like that, its calledthe Mental Health Act.

ROBERTFiona..

FIONAHe should be sectioned.

ROBERT sits back, FIONA stays at her laptop. A pause.

ROBERTIm looking forward to Cowes Week.

FIONAItll probably be cancelled.

ROBERTHave you ever been?

FIONANo.

ROBERTI try to go every year. Theressomething tremendously tranquilabout being under sail. Beat thefuel crisis and go wherever thewind so happens to take you.

(CONTINUED)


48/85

CONTINUED: 47.

FIONAIm starting to curse the wind thatblew me here.

ROBERTI can see that. You know it doesnt

do to get too principled in ourline of work. You of all peopleshould know that.

They are interrupted here by king of spin PETE BARBER.

PETER(to Robert)

They said youd be here. Who thehell is Wasim Al Akawi?

ROBERT is about to speak. FIONA gets in first.

FIONAWasim Al Akawi is a nobody, A tinylittle fish. Born 1976 in Northoltto wealthy parents, father alocally regarded pharmacist andIll spare you the Mercedes drivingstereotypes. Privately educated atDeanswood where he was subject toroutine bullying in the playgroundthereby fostering a long heldresentment of "the system" - hiswords. Obtained a third classhonours degree from Durham in

chemistry during which time he wasa vocal if somewhat misguidedmember of the Universitys IslamicSociety. Disappeared off our radarfor two years 2004-2005 when it iswidely suspected he was in bothSaudi Arabia and Pakistan, a beliefsubsequently confirmed by hisresurfacing at Riyadh airport on26th January 2006. Returned to theUK radicalised later that yearliving first off his fathershandouts and later, once hed gothis act together, off the verysystem he seeks to annihilate. Onewife, Syreeta and at the lastcount, six children. Knownassociates - the Kilburn Mosquecrowd, but most of our localextremists have disowned him afterseeing his radical bullshit for

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)


49/85

CONTINUED: 48.

FIONA (contd)what it is. Unfortunately, we haveyet to reach the same conclusions.

PETERIs that all?

FIONAThats all.

PETERHe sounds perfect. Put a team onhis group.

ROBERTWeve already had three teams onthem since February.

PETER

And?

ROBERTWhat she said. Hes clean as awhistle.

PETERWell hold him then, as long as wecan.

FIONAUnder what? Scapegoat legislation?

PETERWhat is this? MI-facetious? Just doit, OK?

PETER leaves.

FIONAWhat the fuck gives him the rightto wander round our building likehe owns the place? Wheres hisremit?

PETER returns, hes heard this.

PETER(to Robert)

Oh yes, pre Newsnight briefingplease, the Home Office at 20.30.

(CONTINUED)


50/85

CONTINUED: 49.

ROBERTIm there Peter.

PETER(to Fiona)

Media relations, Fiona. One of themany things they failed to teach

you in Spy School, along withinterrogation technique, it seems.

PETER leaves. For good this time.

ROBERTYou know, I cant save you from thelikes of him.

FIONAIm not asking you to. Not at all.

FIONAS attention wanders to a drawing on her desk, it has

been drawn by her son Lawrence, it is of some people with abig mountain in the background.

ROBERTI just want you to know that I willbe in a position to accept yourresignation. Operationally I thinkwere covered.

FIONAWell thats marvellous.

ROBERTHave you got the dailies?

FIONAPrinting them now, but I have towarn you, its all a little on thethin side.

INT. HOME SECRETARYS OFFICE - NIGHT

Home secretary JEREMY WALKER rests in a MAKE-UP CHAIR as twoMAKE-UP LADIES fuss around him.

PETE BARBER, MI6 supremo STELLA MORAN and head of policeJOHN CARTER are also in attendance. ROBERT enters.

JEREMYHere he is, the man who knew toomuch.

JEREMY takes a sip of coffee.

(CONTINUED)


51/85

CONTINUED: 50.

ROBERTHome Secretary.

ROBERT sits with JOHN and STELLA. JEREMY isnt happy.

JEREMY

Could I get some sugar please? Iknow Im sweet already but..

A SERVING PERSON clicks two tabs of artificial sweetenerinto JEREMYS coffee.

JEREMY (CONTD)What the hell is that?

SERVING PERSONSweet and low, Sir.

JEREMY

Dear me. No, it wont do. Find somereal sugar boy, what happened tostandards? I dont know, we turnour backs for five minutes and theworld slips one step further intoall out anarchy.

ROBERT looks to JOHN - this is not going to be fun.

INT. HOME SECRETARYS OFFICE - NIGHT

A few minutes later, JEREMY WALKER sits with PETE BARBER,

ROBERT, STELLA MORAN and JOHN CARTER.

JEREMYOK, whats hot, whats not?

STELLAGlobally, six different groups haveclaimed responsibility for theattack. Weve yet to find concreteproof that links any of them to it.

JEREMYJohn?

JOHN CARTERBetween ourselves and Robert wehave a total of sixty fourdifferent radicals and groups underpermanent surveillance. Theres arenewed chatter, thats for sure,but so far none of our work has got

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)


52/85

CONTINUED: 51.

JOHN CARTER (contd)us any closer to identifying whowas behind the attack.

JEREMYRobert?

ROBERTJohns right - were pursuingmultiple lines of enquiry, we havenew people deep inside the seats ofradical Islam.

JEREMYI think its for the best that Idont know about that.

PETERAbsolutely, the less you know, the

better.

JEREMY casts a sharp glance to PETER, thats actually reallyquite insulting. Jeremy lets it pass.

JEREMYWhich brings us to Wasim Al Aka..whats his name?

ROBERTWasim Al Akawi.

PETER

Hes our focus this evening.

JOHNBut Pete - Akawis done no wrong.

PETERTheres no smoke without fire.Besides, the Americans want toextradite him over an incident inMiami back in 99.

JOHN CARTERNo they dont!

PETERYes they do, as of half an hour agoAkawis promoted to the top oftheir most wanted list.

(CONTINUED)


53/85


54/85

53.

INT. FIONAS OFFICE - NIGHT

FIONA sits at her desk. She is replaying the telephone callshe taped previously (scene 35). On the recording:

WOMAN (RECORDED)

Bonsoir?

FIONA (RECORDED)Hello.. is Michael there please?

(beat)Hello?

WOMAN (RECORDED)Sorry, hes out.

FIONA replays this section, super loud. Replayed loud, inthe gap between Fionas "Hello" and the womans reply wehear, faint but audible:

MICHAEL (RECORDED)(whispering)

Were not here!

On FIONA, slightly tearful. She stops the recording.

FIONAIve had enough of this.

She is comforted by a large pair of hands on her shoulders.CHARLIE.

CHARLIEDont worry about it.

FIONADont worry?!

CHARLIEHes moving on. People do.

Fiona jumps the recording forward to the Woman saying:

WOMAN (RECORDED)Im Marie. The house sitter.

She rewinds and plays this sentence several times. CHARLIEleans over her and presses "Stop."

He stays leaning over her. Caresses her shoulders.

(CONTINUED)


55/85

CONTINUED: 54.

FIONABarbers a wanker.

CHARLIEYes he is.

FIONAHes such a misogynist.

CHARLIEYou shouldnt worry about him. Tryto focus on whats important.

Fiona stares at Lawrences drawings.

FIONAI am.

INT. BILLYS HOUSE - NIGHT

BILLY sits with Mum CARLA, Dad PARVEEN and sister RUTH. RUTHhas her mask off, but shes still wheezy.

CARLAShes had a better day today,havent you love?

RUTHYes Mum.

Newsnight plays on the TV, BILLY turns up the volume. On the

TV - NEWSNIGHT, and home secretary JEREMY WALKER - a repriseof an earlier moment.

JEREMYThe operation to catch theseterrorists will be swift. Theirsheer audacity will be theirundoing. Im confident that wellidentify them in a matter of days,hours even.

CUT TO:

On the TV - THE NEWSNIGHT STUDIO, and this time live, withJEREMY WALKER, in a different suit.

NEWSCASTERHome Secretary, that was yourinterview in the moments followingthe attack. Now here we are threedays later - I take it were well

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)


56/85

CONTINUED: 55.

NEWSCASTER (contd)on our way to identifying theattackers?

JEREMYThat is correct Clive. Im pleasedto announce that we have a key

suspect in police custody.

NEWSCASTERDr Wasim Al Akawi?

PARVEEN (OFF)Might have known.

BILLY (OFF)He didnt do it.

PARVEEN (OFF)What do you know? Course he bloody

did.

JEREMYIm sure you know Im not in aposition to name names.

INT. ROBERTS HOUSE - NIGHT

ROBERT sits with his wife YVONNE watching Newsnight. Shesits on the floor between his legs as he reads one of hisyachting magazines. On the TV:

NEWSCASTERIs it not true that Dr Akawi has inthe last few hours been the subjectof an extradition request by theAmericans, in connection with afailed bombing attempt at Miamiairport in July 1999?

JEREMYThat would appear to be the case,yes.

NEWSCASTERBusiness Leaders are calling forthe re-opening of Heathrow as soonas possible. By all accounts thisincident has cost the economy manymillions of pounds a day. How soondo you think before things canreturn to normal?

(CONTINUED)


57/85

CONTINUED: 56.

JEREMYWell Im glad you asked thatquestion Clive, because I can alsoannounce that Heathrow Airport willre-open in a limited capacitytomorrow morning.

NEWSCASTERThank you Home Secretary, Im surethat news will be welcomed by thecountry. Do you have any idea whatmeasures will be in place toprotect the public from furtherterrorist outrage?

Click. YVONNE switches the TV off. Back in her and ROBERTSlounge.

YVONNE

Well thats good love. Thingsgetting back to normal.

ROBERTWhatever normal is.

YVONNEIm off up, you coming?

EXT. WHITEHALL STREET - NIGHT

GEE, with his army kit bag on his back, CYCLES along a

street.

He stops outside a large building, removes an ENVELOPE fromhis bag and posts it through a letter box.

INT. GOVERNMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

Inside the building, a NIGHT SECURITY GUARD sees theenvelope come through the letter box.

The guard walks over to the door, and picks up the envelope.

INT. ROBERTS HOUSE BEDROOM - NIGHT

Close on ROBERT, he wakes slowly. Slowly we realise what haswoken him up.

His MOBILE PHONE, quietly ringing.

(CONTINUED)


58/85

CONTINUED: 57.

As YVONNE stirs, ROBERT looks at the bedside alarm. 3.09am.He answers the phone.

ROBERTHello..?

VOICE ON PHONECome in please Robert, right away.

INT. MI5 MEETING ROOM - NIGHT 4AM

Bleary eyed staff sit around drinking coffee. Its stillvery early.

ROBERT, FIONA, CHARLIE and a few others are present. BILLYarrives, clearly annoyed.

BILLY

What the fuck..?

ROBERTSit down Billy, and Ill show you.

BILLYIt had better be good.

CHARLIEIt is.

BILLY sits. FIONA hands him a coffee.

ROBERT opens the ENVELOPE posted by GEE earlier. He takesout the contents, some PHOTOGRAPHS. He passes thephotographs to the team.

On one of the PHOTOGRAPHS; this is the photograph GEE wasprinting out in the flat back in scene 29.

All we saw of the photograph last time was one side of it, aleafy park. Now we see the photograph in its entirety.

It is a trophy shot taken on the Mall. In the photograph,SEJADS SILVER TOYOTA with the boot open.

Standing each side of the boot, facing camera and grinning,are SEJAD and MOHAMMED. In the open boot of the car - SIXSURFACE TO AIR MISSILES.

In the background - BUCKINGHAM PALACE.

(CONTINUED)


59/85

CONTINUED: 58.

On the other PHOTOGRAPHS - pictures of SEJAD, MOHAMMED andthe car boot full of rockets outside other prominentlandmarks. THE LONDON EYE, ST PAULS CATHEDRAL, TRAFALGARSQUARE.

BILLY

Jesus H Christ, now theyre justtaking the piss.

FIONAWhere did they come from?

ROBERTDelivered an hour ago. To theministry of Transport.

FIONATransport?

CHARLIEAs good a place as any. And fewerquestions to answer than if theyddropped them here.

BILLYThese are dynamite.

ROBERTWell theyre out in the open now.Hows the ids?

CHARLIE

Weve never seen them before.

FIONASo theyre no associates of AlAkawi. What about the courier?

ROBERTThe CCTV is on its way. Some blokeon a bike.

FIONAAny chance of a reg?

ROBERTA push bike.

FIONAOh.

(CONTINUED)


60/85

CONTINUED: 59.

ROBERTOne things for sure, we need tokeep a lid on this.

BILLYImagine the scrum if this got out.

INT. MI5 MEETING ROOM - LATER

On a TV screen, CCTV footage of GEE cycling away from theMinistry of Transport.

Its very dark, hes just a shadow on a bike. ROBERT, FIONA,BILLY and CHARLIE watch the screen.

FIONARefreshingly inconclusive.

BILLYTook the words out of my mouth.

King of spin PETER BARBER enters.

PETERGentlemen, Fiona. We have aproblem.

With a big heave, PETER hefts a big pile of NEWSPAPERS ontothe table.

They are all running with one or other of the PHOTOGRAPHS,

splashed across the front page.

DAILY MAIL - "FACES OF TERROR" THE SUN - "FIND THESE MEN!!"THE GUARDIAN - "TERRORISTS REVEALED" THE MIRROR - "THEYREHERE" THE STAR - "PANIC ON THE STREETS" THE EXPRESS - "WHERENEXT?"

ROBERTAh.

BILLYFuckin hell.

PETERTell me that you know these men?

CHARLIEAs of now theyre still unknowns.

(CONTINUED)


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CONTINUED: 60.

FIONAClearly this will change.

PETERToo right it will. Im off to wakeJeremy.

(he heads for the door)Get ready to reap the whirlwind.

EXT. LONDON STREETS - DAY

So begins a MELTDOWN MONTAGE. POLICE CARS drive down aLondon Street, blue lights flashing.

NEWSREADER (V.O)As Britain took a step closer tocomplete meltdown the number ofracist reprisals has risen to

fifteen.

EXT. MOSQUE - DAY

Three WHITE SKINHEADS being led away from the vicinity of amosque by POLICE.

NEWSREADER (V.O)Meanwhile the entire Royal Familyhave been evacuated to a secretlocation. Police are following manyhundreds of leads claiming to

identify the men in thephotographs.

INT. POLICE STATION - HOLDING ROOM

Around 20 ASIAN MEN who all look a little like Sejad andMohammed are being watched over by POLICE.

NEWSREADER (V.O)Doubts as to the authenticity ofthe snaps have been assuaged byforensic reports that prove theyare real, but quite how theattackers managed to photograph acar full of rockets in broaddaylight is still underinvestigation.


62/85

61.

EXT. LONDON EYE - DAY

Outside the LONDON EYE - a sign reads "CLOSED UNTIL FURTHERNOTICE"

NEWSREADER (V.O)

Many national sporting events facecancellation this Summer and VisitBritain are reporting a 75 percentdrop in the numbers of overseasvisitors arriving to our shores.

EXT. HOTELS - EVENING

A line of hotels, all of them advertising "VACANCIES"

NEWSREADER (V.O)After opening last week for just

two hours, Heathrow and all otherairports remain closed. Economistsfear the terror-induced slowdowncould lead the country into furtherrecession.

EXT. LONDON STREETS - NIGHT

A NEWS REPORTER vox pops a MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC on a streetin London.

PUBLIC

I was supposed to be meeting acouple of friends for a beer butIm heading home early.

REPORTERWhy?

PUBLICI just, well, I dont feel safe onthe streets after dark, what withall this paranoia.

REPORTERWhat do you think of the rumours ofan eleven oclock curfew beingimplemented in our towns andcities?

PUBLICWell, I aint gonna be out thereso, yeah, good idea I reckon.

(CONTINUED)


63/85

CONTINUED: 62.

The REPORTER turns to camera.

REPORTERIm not sure civil liberties groupswill feel the same way, but thereyou go Clive. The mood on thestreet is one of great fear.

Assuming the terrorists fired oneof the missiles at flight 242, thequestion is, where are the otherfive rockets and where or when willthey be deployed?

INT. MI5 OPERATIONS ROOM - NIGHT

The room is a hive of activity. FIONA at one desk, BILLY atanother.

PETER BARBER and ROBERT walk in. On one of the screens, one

of the PHOTOGRAPHS.

PETERSo..?

ROBERTPositive ID on that one.

We follow Roberts point to MOHAMMED.

PETERGood.

ROBERTMohammed Akhbar Akawi, RegencyRoad, Barnsley.

PETERNot another home-grown?

ROBERT nods, yes.

PETER (CONTD)No relation to Wasim Al Akawi?

FIONA is grinning.

ROBERTNone whatsoever.

PETER(to Fiona)

And this is amusing how?

(CONTINUED)


64/85


65/85

CONTINUED: 64.

PETERYou certainly are Fiona.

(to Robert)What about the other one?

We focus on the PHOTOGRAPH, and SEJAD.

ROBERTWorking on him. Not a knownassociate of Mohammed.

PETERWork faster, we need to re-openthis country for business as soonas we can.

BILLYIts likely that hes beingharboured by his community.

PETERSo stick a reward on his head.Start at a million and work up fromthere.

EXT. BILLYS HOUSE - NIGHT

A figure cycles down a street and stops outside a house.Gee? No - BILLY arriving home. He enters his house.

INT. BILLYS HOUSE - NIGHT

BILLY enters the kitchen where his supper is on the table.RUTH has no asthma mask on again.

CARLAAnother long day! What happened ourkid?

BILLYThe network went down.

CARLAI didnt hear you leave.

RUTHI did. Five oclock in the morning.

BILLY(mock joking)

You spying on me?

(CONTINUED)


66/85

CONTINUED: 65.

CARLAFive oclock? Billy, thats so outof order. I hope youre not in anytrouble or anything.

BILLY

No Mum.

PARVEENHe should get himself a proper job.

RUTHDad..

PARVEENIm only saying.

BILLY(to Ruth)

Youre looking better.

RUTHI feel better somehow.

CARLAHey, you know Hanish is doing theNASA job, guess what? Theyve allhad to be security checked, can youbelieve it?

PARVEENOf course he can, its the way of

the world isnt it?

CARLAOur son getting clearance by theCIA, amazing isnt it?

BILLYYes Mum.

But of course its chicken feed to Billy. When hes notlooking, RUTH steals a roast potato from his plate, andstuffs it in her mouth, causing a small bout of wheezing.

BILLY (CONTD)What?

RUTH(mouth full)

Nothing.


67/85

66.

EXT. IMRANS HOUSE - BACK YARD - NIGHT

SEJAD, in the shadows, jumps over the wall into IMRANS BACKYARD, clattering the bins.

SEJAD makes his way to the back door and lets himself in.

INT. IMRANS HOUSE - NIGHT - CONTD ACTION

SEJAD eases in through the back door, in near darkness.

As he tiptoes into the kitchen, click, the light is switchedon.

SEJAD, very wild-eyed, blinks at the light. Across thekitchen, his FATHER, IMRAN, stands by the light switch.

IMRAN

Son, youre in big trouble.

INT. IMRANS HOUSE - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER

SEJAD and IMRAN sit at the kitchen table. Sejads rucksackis on the table. It is full of money.

IMRANIt was you who took the car.

SEJADYes.

IMRANWhere is it?

SEJADGone.

IMRANIve seen it all over the news,Sejad! What have you got involvedin? I warned you about this sort ofbusiness.

SEJADIts not like that.

IMRANWhat about all this money? Wherehas it come from Sejad?

(CONTINUED)


68/85

CONTINUED: 67.

SEJADI earned it, fair and square!

IMRANYou bloody idiot.

SEJADYoure not gonna turn me in areyou?

Their conversation is interrupted by the pop of breakingglass.

Into the kitchen drops a canister of tear gas. A POLICETEAM, clad all in black, appear at the windows.

SEJADHelp me, Dad, please!

But IMRAN can do nothing as the POLICE stream in.

INT. TOP SECURITY POLICE AREA - NIGHT

SEJAD sits in a Police Cell. CHARLIE and FIONA stare at himthrough the small viewing window.

CHARLIESejad Ahmed. 15 Empire St Southall.

FIONAHow did they get him?

CHARLIEYou can thank Eric Smith for thatwhen you see him. He decided toorder a team to look at Imran.

FIONAThe guy who had the Toyota nicked?

Another POLICEMAN walks into SEJADS CELL with a prayer matand a copy of the Koran.

CHARLIEThats his son.

FIONASo they were that careless.

CHARLIEOr brazen.

(CONTINUED)


69/85

CONTINUED: 68.

The POLICEMAN walks out of the cell still carrying theprayer mat and Koran.

POLICEMANHe doesnt want them.

CHARLIEOh. Got it memorised has he?

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

SEJAD sits with BILLY and ROBERT. Behind a one way glassscreen, FIONA and CHARLIE.

On the table in front of SEJAD, his RUCKSACK full of money.

ROBERTHello Sejad.

SEJADHi.

ROBERTI take it you know why youre here.

SEJADYes.

ROBERTWe need to know where Mohammed is.

SEJADI dont know.

BILLYWe think you do.

SEJADI think I dont.

(beat)Hes probably gone back up north.

BILLYHow do you think he got up there?

SEJADErm, drove?

ROBERTWhat does he drive?

(CONTINUED)


70/85

CONTINUED: 69.

SEJADA Nissan micra, red - V reg Ithink.

Behind the glass, a flicker of memory from CHARLIE here.

CHARLIE

Excuse me.

He leaves.

BILLYSo.. whats with the money?

SEJADThe money?

BILLYLook at it, Sejad. Fifty thousandpounds.

The money spills out of the top of the rucksack.

SEJADThats payment.

ROBERTWhat for?

SEJADPutting up with all this hassle.

INT. POLICE STATION - OFFICE

CHARLIE enters his office, digs around and finds CCTVfootage marked "Freeport Industrial Estate."

He loads the footage into a machine. Also in the office,another policeman is on a phone.

POLICEMAN (INTO PHONE)The APB is now for a red NissanMicra, Reg..Victor.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - AS BEFORE

SEJAD sits with ROBERT and BILLY.

ROBERTSejad, you refused the Koranearlier.

(CONTINUED)


71/85

CONTINUED: 70.

SEJADYes.

BILLYYou Hafiz already?

(Hafiz = the name for those who have memorised the Koran)

SEJADNo.

ROBERTSo why refuse your book?

SEJADIt aint my book.

ROBERTExcuse me?

SEJADWhat do you want to know? I aintreligious ok?

BILLYThis is something of a surprise.

SEJADNo shit.

CHARLIE enters the room, carrying a TV.

CHARLIESorry, I just think we all ought tohave a look at this.

He sets the TV on a table. On the TV SCREEN - CCTV footageof FREEPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. Night time.

A Red Nissan Micra arrives and two hooded figures get out ofthe car and pin a banner to the chain link fence. "No toTerminal 5, no to 3rd Runway"

CHARLIE(to Sejad)

Am I right in thinking thats youand Mohammed?

SEJAD says nothing, but his raised eyebrows indicate "yes."


72/85

71.

INT. MI5 OFFICES - NIGHT

PETE BARBER is with ROBERT, FIONA and BILLY.

PETERWell, well done Charlie.

FIONA smiles, basking a little in the reflected praise.

PETER (CONTDHow long can we hold him?

ROBERTWell, theres no question of notgetting an extension.

PETERI dont understand the banner.

BILLY

Neither do we.

FIONAIm not sure its a Jihadi attack.

PETEROh come off it darling, who elsecould it be?

FIONAPlease, dont darling me.

ROBERT

She may be right Peter. Sejadrefused the Koran.

PETERHes bluffing.

ROBERTMaybe, but hes not a mosqueregular either.

Peter thumps his chest.

PETERThats because its here in hisheart, oozing up to here androtting his tiny little brain.

ROBERTLets just hold him and wait forthe other one to turn up.

(CONTINUED)


73/85

CONTINUED: 72.

PETERWhenever that turns out to be.

EXT. BARNSLEY BEAUTY SPOT - NIGHT

Two cars are parked at a leafy beauty spot. Two people kiss

passionately up against the Mondeo.

A police car approaches, it flashes its blue lights once.The cheating couple break their embrace.

MANShit!

The Police Car enters the car park to turn round. In theopposite corner, a RED NISSAN MICRA is parked.

TWO POLICEMEN get out of the patrol car, totally ignore thecouple and head towards the red Micra.

They cautiously open the passenger door to reveal.. MOHAMMEDcrouched and shivering in the foot-well of the car.

THE POLICE immediately radio for back up.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

MOHAMMED now sits in the Interrogation Room, with FIONA,BILLY and ROBERT.

ROBERT

Mr Akawi you were found with fortynine thousand pounds and a planeticket to Dubai.

FIONAWas it your intention to flee toDubai?

MOHAMMED nods, yes.

BILLYI can see a flaw in your plan.

FIONAAll the planes are grounded.

BILLYThanks to your missile attack forsome strange reason no planes areflying.

(CONTINUED)


74/85

CONTINUED: 73.

FIONAYou really didnt think thisthrough did you?

Robert hands Mohammed a copy of the rocket photographs.

ROBERT

What do you make of these?

MOHAMMEDThey shouldnt have been put in thepaper.

BILLYWhy let them get taken then?

MOHAMMEDFor the money.

ROBERT

Who took them?

BILLYWho took the pictures, Mo?

MOHAMMEDGee.

ROBERTDid Gee give you the money?

MOHAMMEDYes.

FIONAWhy did you put up a banner in theindustrial estate?

MOHAMMEDHe told us to.

FIONAWho?

MOHAMMED

Gee.

BILLYWhere is Gee now?

MOHAMMEDI dont know. But can you do me afavour?

(CONTINUED)


75/85


76/85

CONTINUED: 75.

ROBERTNo - the entire religious fanaticangle, thats been the diversion.These kids have been stirred bynothing other than money.

FIONAI think we need to find the brainsof the outfit.

BILLYThe mysterious Gee.

FIONAOn his bike, somewhere.

The penny totally drops with Robert..

ROBERT

Yes, because, you know, I think weshould consider the possibility ofGee being an Eco-Terrorist.

BILLYA what?

ROBERTEco-terrorist.

BILLYNot a Jihadi?

ROBERTGet the Environment Agency on thephone, please.

BILLYWhy?

ROBERTWhy? Everythings "why?" Just do itplease.

(beat)I want some figures.

Billy reaches for the phone.

BILLYTheyre going to love this.

Robert shakes his head at Billys cheek.


77/85

76.

INT. MI5 BRIEFING ROOM - LATER

ROBERT presents his findings to PETER BARBER, Home SecretaryJEREMY WALKER, with JOHN CARTER from the Police, FIONA,BILLY and CHARLIE present too.

ROBERT uses the TV to illustrate his points.

On the TV, the CCTV FOOTAGE of the banner being put up inFREEPORT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE "No to terminal 5, no to 3rdRunway"

ROBERTThe banner goes up in FreeportIndustrial Estate two nights priorto the attack. We find the launchsite and the Worlds media gets aninfinite number of photographs ofthe place. Only, theyre not just

photographing the estate, theyrephotographing the banner. Thebanner is publicity, for theecowarrior movement. What happensnext? The airport stays closed moreor less permanently for the entiretime, along with every otherairport in Western Europe for awhile. Next, our man Gee releasesphotographs designed to causemaximum panic among the nation.Tourist numbers fall to more orless zero, and we embark on a

fruitless search of every religiousnut and radical between here andIslamabad. This is why ourintelligence failed. We werelooking in the wrong place.

JEREMYSo what did he achieve?

ROBERTWhat he achieved is this..

ROBERT flicks his remote to reveal a graph on the TV, thegraph on the screen shows a downward trajectory.

ROBERT (CONTD)The least amount of air pollutionover Central London for 34 years.

Crucially, we see BILLYS REACTION here.

(CONTINUED)


78/85

CONTINUED: 77.

He cant hide a degree of pleasure. This is why his sisterRuth feels less asthmatic, the air is cleaner.

ROBERT clicks the remote, another downward graph.

ROBERT (CONTD)

The loss of some two hundred andtwenty eight thousand air miles,amounting to a saving of thirtyfive million tons of carbondioxide.

ROBERT clicks the graph once again, yet another graph.

ROBERT (CONTD)A reduction in hotel bed use in thecapital amounting to approximately100,000 room nights, saving sixmillion tons of CO2 in terms of

lighting, taxi use and the like,and three million litres of water.Total cost to the economy of onefailed missile attack plus a fewracy photographs, two point fivebillion pounds.

BILLYJesus.

JEREMYWow.

PETERHes an eco-warrior?

ROBERTYes.

PETERMaybe he meant to miss?

ROBERTIts a theory.

JEREMYSo his other five rockets are not areal threat?

ROBERTCan you afford to take that risk?

A glance between PETER and JEREMY, no they cant.

(CONTINUED)


79/85

CONTINUED: 78.

PETERSo where is he now?

ROBERTStill at large. Sejad and Mohammedare helping us build a picture, but

it seems he may have specificallychosen them for their intellectualdeficiencies.

BILLYTheyre trying, bless, but theyrenot much help.

JEREMYI dont understand.

FIONATheyre thick as pig shit Home

Secretary. Mohammed bought himselfa plane ticket out of here, notrealising his actions would groundall of the planes.

JEREMYI see.

PETERWhat a shocking grasp of cause andeffect. He could almost be apolitician.

FIONAOr a king of spin.

JEREMYWhat route forward then?

ROBERTWe stay on high alert, and followup the leads.

EXT. NEWSAGENTS - DAY

On the news stand, the papers run with a Photo-Fit of Geewith his beard.

DAILY MAIL - "The New Face of Terror" THE SUN - "Find thisman" THE STAR - "Rocket Man" THE INDEPENDENT - "Fresh Appealas Eco-Warrior Revealed" POLICE CARS pass the stand.


80/85

79.

EXT. GREENFORD FLAT - DAY

The POLICE CARS arrive outside the short rent flat inGreenford, the one hired by Gee earlier.

INT. SHORT RENT FLAT GREENFORD - DAY

Inside the Short Rent Flat, POLICE gather whatever evidencethey can, emptying the bin etc.

INT. SHORT RENT FLAT - BATHROOM - DAY

CHARLIE stands alone in the bathroom of the flat, as otherPOLICE keep searching.

CHARLIE looks at himself in the mirror. Thinking.

He looks down at the sink and finds a tide mark of foam. Heputs his hands in the plug hole, and lifts up a matted bunchof long dark hairs.

INT. MI5 OPERATIONS ROOM - DAY

FIONA marches into the operations room. DARREN is at thescreens.

FIONALose the beard.

DARREN strokes his stubble.

FIONA (CONTD)Not you, idiot. Him.

She refers to the photo-fit of Gee which is on one of thescreens.

FIONA (CONTD)Charlies got some DNA too, wellget him sooner or later.

EXT. UNIVERSITY BIKE SHEDS - DAY

GEE places his bike in a bike rack. We pull out to revealthe rack is enormous, there are hundreds of bikes.

GEE walks off, army kit bag on his shoulder.


81/85

80.

INT. POLICE LAB - LATER

DNA chromatography in action, meniscus lines rising anddepositing lines on the indicator paper.

INT MI5 BRIEFING ROOM - LATER STILL

ROBERT in a final briefing. JEREMY WALKER and PETE BARBERonly.

ROBERTWe have a positive ID.

The TV screen flicks to an image of A CLEAN SHAVEN GEE.

ROBERT (CONTD)Georgi Romanov. Otherwise known asGee.

JEREMYErm Robert - hes white.

ROBERTYes, yes he is. Hes the son ofConstantine Romanov.

PETERThe oil magnate?

ROBERTThe same. He fell out with hisfamily several years ago. His ownradical path, if you can call itthat, came from a gap year inSiberia where he witnessed firsthand the effects of global warming.

PETERSo what youre saying is - hesSwampy - with a rocket launcher.

ROBERTOh hes potentially dangerous,absolutely.

JEREMYAnd white.

ROBERTYes. If by that observation youmean he doesnt fit into an easy tofollow demographic, I couldntagree more.

(CONTINUED)


82/85

CONTINUED: 81.

JEREMYWe must catch him, before hestrikes again.

ROBERTYes we must. But, thats going to

take a whole new rethink ofstrategy. Now if youll excuse me.

ROBERT leaves.

INT. MI5 FIONAS OFFICE - DAY

FIONA is packing her stuff into boxes. ROBERT enters.

ROBERTYou dont have to do this.

FIONAI actually want to.

ROBERTThe likes of Pete Barber wont bearound forever you know.

FIONAYes they will. If not him thenanother, younger, thicker PeteBarber.

ROBERT

So now what? Off to write yourrevealing memoir?

FIONASomething like that.

ROBERTSo long as I come across as thedashing rugged boss with his fingeron the pulse.

FIONANo Robert, no memoir.

She continues to pack.

ROBERTIm pretty useless at goodbyes.

(CONTINUED)


83/85


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83.

EXT. HOME OFFICE - NIGHT

This is what is playing on Newsnight. Home Secretary JEREMYWALKER standing outside the Home Office reading a preparedstatement.

JEREMYI can confirm that the ringleaderof the failed attack on flight 242from Hong Kong was Georgi Romanov.

JOURNALISTThe son of Constantine Romanov?

JEREMYThat is correct.

JOURNALISTIs it your intention to deport the

Romanov family?

JEREMYNo. The Romanovs are great friendsof Britain. They have entirelydisowned Georgi and everything hestands for, repeatedly and overmany years.

JOURNALISTAre we any closer to catching him?

JEREMY

At the moment no. The two othersuspects are assisting with ourenquiries but Georgis locationremains unknown.

JOURNALISTSo what you are saying then, HomeSecretary, is that amongst us therewalks, and I do mean walks, a verywealthy white man, with a bag fullof rockets and a chip on hisshoulder?

A pause while JEREMY gathers himself. And the look on hisface is one of fear and dejection.

JEREMYThat would appear to be the case,yes.


85/85

84.

And the cameras flash wildly as JEREMY steps down from theplinth looking like a very broken, defeated Home Secretary.And click.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

GEE has clicked the remote to switch off the TV. He sits onthe bed polishing the ROCKET LAUNCHER, surrounded by thefive remaining rockets.

A picture of brooding menace.

END OF PART ONE.

Documents

Sow the Wind 1 Draft3 20.01.09