FADE IN:
ON AN AMERICAN FLAG
So close it's but a few stripes of red & white, rippling, thrashing against the encroaching darkness.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
Every morning I wake up and discover a nation that is less free. We’ve been sold out. To the Chinese, to Wall Street, to the bureaucratic thugs.
EXT. INTERSTATE CLOVERLEAF - NIGHT
From high above, we watch as thousands of cars whisk by.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
How did we let this happen? Are we not a great nation? Land of the free! Home of the brave!
INT. FACTORY - ROBOTIC ASSEMBLY LINE
With every sentence his plea becomes more impassioned, verging on the melodramatic.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
We all know Washington is corrupt. And yet every year we let them steal more of our money. We let them tell us what to eat, what to buy, what we should think. People! Wake up!
EXT. METROPOLITAN AIRPORT - NIGHT
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
For 17 years I’ve been with Radio Liberty Network. I've never seen it this bad. If you're out there, I beg, I beg, listen here.
EXT. FARM – NIGHT
Giant harvesters work vast fields.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
You always have a choice. Remember that. It's what made this country great, regular folks making hard choices.
EXT. LOS ANGLES SKYLINE – NIGHT
Helicopters buzz about.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
George Washington was a farmer. Rosa Parks an ordinary citizen.
EXT. WIND FARM - NIGHT
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
Abraham Lincoln born into a log cabin. Many doubted him. But he knew the simple enduring truth that right makes might.
MONTAGE - AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE
-- GREAT PLAINS - NIGHT -- A massive train thunders by.
-- FACTORY FARM -- We pass row after row of tightly caged chickens.
-- SEWAGE PLANT -- Pipes the size of trucks empty into vast pools.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
Within each of us, as individuals created by God, we know what is right. Remember how bravely our forefathers choose the virtuous path. I urge you, for sake of your children, do as they did, be today’s hero.
EXT. AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLIGHT DECK – NIGHT
CAPTAIN JOHN HU, 32, looks out onto the dark night. He puts on his helmet and turns to the flight deck.
It's an awesome sight - the full exercise of a Nimtz class nuclear aircraft carrier - sailors, flight crews, planes and munitions synchronized to perfect order.
Captain Hu climbs to the cockpit of his F35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER. It's aligned to the runway, armed and readied.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
Remember the creed of the Founders. Liberty. Liberty at all cost, liberty however turbulent however ferocious the waters – liberty - that is our God given path.
The cockpit closes. Sailors clear.
And - in but seconds - we're airborne - blasting into the skies above.
NEWS PERSONALITY (V.O.)
That is what we choose, it is our ultimate only end. Liberty! Liberty or death!
The fighter banks left. Down below, her flight deck a lit, the USS George Washington steams forward.
Then, a WHOSH --
Multiple MISSILES narrowing in --
And IMPACT. Massive explosions along her hull; man and metal turn to dust.
FADE OUT
TITLE OVER BLACK: "Washington - 11:48 Zulu Time"
INT. WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ROOM
EMILY, 32, pretty, in stylish suit, sits at a large table. She's surrounded by paper, reports and notes.
VIGGO GOMEZ, the Secretary of State, mid-sixties, enters.
VIGGO GOMEZ
Another late night?
EMILY
You’ve seen the polls?
VIGGO GOMEZ
Yeah, well, we can't expect too much of the American people can we?
By the way, I heard the good news. Congratulations.
EMILY
Thanks.
VIGGO GOMEZ
How long is the President going to give you for maternity?
EMILY
If things stay like this? None.
Viggo gives a wry smile.
VIGGO GOMEZ
No one said governing was easy. I hope your husband will finally be moving down here?
EMILY
Yeah actually, he just got a transfer to the Capitol Police.
VIGGO GOMEZ
Good, good. Well, I’ll see you in conference?
EMILY
7:20 sharp.
Viggo turns. We follow him as he gaily walks down a corridor to -
INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - WATCH FLOOR
The Watch Floor is a beautiful, stately room overflowing with computers and large displays. A couple middle-aged WATCH FLOOR OPERATORS sit at high-tech computer terminals.
A panel of LED displays reads "6:55 Washington, 6:55 President, 11:55 Zulu, 15:55 Baghdad, 17:12 Kabul." Another reads "Green Normal".
Viggo approaches his assistant, ETHAN, who stands by a printer.
VIGGO GOMEZ
Everything set?
ETHAN
Almost.
TIFFANY RAO, fit for a woman in her fifties, enters:
TIFFANY RAO
You’re here early.
VIGGO GOMEZ
Tell me about it.
TIFFANY RAO
If you have a few minutes I’d love to go over tomorrow’s agenda with you.
VIGGO GOMEZ
Of course. Just give me a few, network is down at State, can’t get anything printed.
TIFFANY RAO
Technology...
INT. SERVER FARM - NIGHT
The facility is huge, of such enormous scale and so utterly organized it's inhuman. Shipping containers are stacked two high as far as the eye can see. At each container, vast compendiums of cables and HVAC tubing rise out to join rivers of yet more cabling.
A few containers down, we focus in on a misplaced sticker. It, in cute joyful text, reads: "InfoSearch: Tomorrow's Internet Today."
INT. SERVER FARM - CONTROL ROOM
The room is cluttered yet functional, teeming in technology and tools - computers, cabling, instruments, etc. Two techs, MATT BROWN and RICHARD HU, fresh out of college, sit at ease.
Matt leans back in his chair. He lightly strums a guitar.
MATT
Think you're gonna go to Carolyn’s party?
RICHARD
Yeah. Probably. You?
MATT
Yeah think so. She’s cool.
RICHARD
Yeah.
MATT
You know she plays the drums?
RICHARD
No I didn't.
MATT
Yeah, we were talking about starting a band.
RICHARD
Oh cool. You should.
Richard returns to his laptop. Matt picks a tune on his guitar.
It's a simple, quiet moment.
Center-room, we notice a large monitor which displays dozens of network statistics in simple, utilitarian script.
ON THE MONITOR:
It's mostly static, a decimal changes here and there. In the upper right corner the time reads 03:02:32. We watch as seconds tick by. 33... 34... 35... 36...
Still nothing. Then, some numbers begin to change...
Faster, faster yet, values rapidly oscillating...
ON MATT:
He notices the monitor. He stops picking at the guitar.
MATT
Richard, look at the CDP.
Richard pauses.
RICHARD
What the?
Matt drops his guitar and races to a computer terminal.
INT. FORT MEADE - OPERATIONS CENTER
The room is the definition of state-of-the-art high tech. Rows of numerous computer terminals face three large projected displays. A large American flag adorns the wall next to the seals of US Cyber Command, US Strategic Command, the NSA and the FBI.
Most the terminals are occupied, primarily by SOLDIERS dressed in fatigues with a few suited representatives of the national agencies sprinkled in. Forefront, sits LT. JOHN BOHL, slight, 25, with hipster glasses.
COLONEL BILL CODY, commander of the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade, marches in. He's wholly confident with a cowboy's swagger and the boots and hat to match.
Lt. Bohl gets up to address the Colonel.
LT. JOHN BOHL
Colonel. You'll want to see this. Unusual latency on SIPRNet.
COL. BILL CODY
No shit, fucking sipper has been shitty all fucking week.
LT. JOHN BOHL
Yes sir. I’ve been analyzing it and I think I’ve found a pattern, and the pattern, it corresponds to the router failures we’ve been experiencing.
The Colonel gives him a blank stare.
LT. JOHN BOHL
Sir, well, what I think is that we’ve been probably infiltrated and that probably our networks are about to be catastrophically impaired.
COL. BILL CODY
You probably think? Lieutenant?
LT. JOHN BOHL
Yes sir. See, the worms we discovered last week -
COL. BILL CODY
The credit card skimmers?
LT. JOHN BOHL
Well, sir, yes. But with due respect, sir, they got it wrong. I sandboxed a few infected computers and observed evidence suggesting the latency has been caused by the hijacked CPUs. The credit card skimming, it was a cover.
The Colonel gives Bohl a hard look, like it's the first time he's ever done so.
LT. JOHN BOHL
And sir, if we're seeing it here, the civilian nets have likely probably been entirely inundated. They have the upper ground.
COL. BILL CODY
Enemy has the upper ground. That so? You realize your entire career is on the line here?
LT. JOHN BOHL
Yes sir.
COL. BILL CODY
And you want to proceed?
LT. JOHN BOHL
Yes sir.
The Colonel pauses. But he likes this - a man who leads balls-first.
COL. BILL CODY
Okay. What do you need?
EXT. SOUTH CHINA SEA – NIGHT
An emergency lifesaver floats by, USS George Washington printed on its side. It’s quiet. A solemn scene. Nothing but mangled debris bobbing.
A Navy ship cuts through the dark waves, shinning a bright light on the remains, seeking any survivors.
We listen in on a phone conversation between two officers:
ADMIRAL FINLEY (V.O.)
Admiral Finley.
NAVY AIDE (V.O.)
Sir, it's confirmed. It was a missile strike.
ADMIRAL FINLEY (V.O.)
Christ. Who’s saying this?
NAVY AIDE (V.O.)
Sir, we have an airman here, was with the 115th, Captain John Hu.
ADMIRAL FINLEY (V.O)
I’d like to speak to him.
INT. F35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER – NIGHT
CAPTAIN JOHN HU
Sir?
ADMIRAL FINLEY (V.O.)
Captain, describe to me exactly what happened.
CAPTAIN JOHN HU
Sir, I had just taken off. ATC had directed me to turn by 95 degrees. As I banked left, I registered missiles approaching the GW, then four explosions along her starboard hull.
ADMIRAL FINLEY (V.O.)
And you’re sure of this?
CAPTAIN JOHN HU
Yes sir.
ADMIRAL FINLEY (V.O.)
Jesus. Jesus! Where are you?
CAPTAIN JOHN HU
Sir, we’ve been directed to land at Kadena.
ADMIRAL FINLEY (V.O.)
Very well. God speed Captain, God speed.
(to someone else, off mic)
Where the hell is Washington? Get me Washington!
INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM – WATCH FLOOR
Viggo, Rao and Ethan converse over an agenda -
TIFFANY RAO
The President wants this to be the top of the news cycle. All hands on deck, whatever you need.
In the background, a phone rings.
ON THE WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR:
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR
(into phone)
White House.
The operator is a military man, the definition of professional.
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR
The USS George Washington?
And yet, he comes to an expression of absolute apprehension.
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR
Yes sir.
He puts the phone down. Looks up:
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR
Ms Rao, ma'am, there's been a missile attack on the USS George Washington.
The room comes to a pregnant silence. This is history.
INT. SERVER FARM - CONTROL ROOM
The tenor is now frenzied: Alarms sound, lights flash.
Matt types into a command prompt. Richard mirrors.
MATT
I’ve tried everything.
RICHARD
Still locked out.
MATT
Lacking admin privileges?
RICHARD
Like someone has hijacked the whole system. It doesn’t make sense.
MATT
If we’ve been compromised -
RICHARD
Then, essentially, whole internet has been hacked. What’s protocol?
MATT
There isn’t any.
Matt shakes his head in disbelief.
MATT
I mean, we disconnect. Unplug.
RICHARD
Unplug what?
MATT
Everything. I'll start. You call home?
Richard nods. Matt jumps up and grabs one of a half dozen scooters. He flies out the door.
RICHARD
Computer: Call Spring View.
Richard continues to type at his terminal as we hear a beep of acknowledgment and the familiar ring of a phone. Through an interior window, we see Matt flying into the abyss of the warehouse.
PHONE OPERATOR (O.S.)
Spring View.
RICHARD
Hey! This is uh Richard out at Oregon Center. We've got a problem.
PHONE OPERATOR (O.S.)
A problem?
RICHARD
Yeah, big problem. The whole system, it’s like the whole system has been subverted. We’re crashing, Oregon Center is going offline. Oregon is going offline.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
A husband and wife, white, mid-sixties, soundly sleep. We're inching towards them, getting closer, closer. The bedroom is stately, decorated with old paintings.
We're still inching towards the bed.
It's serene. Quiet. Too quiet.
Suddenly, a door opens. Tiffany runs in.
TIFFANY RAO
Mr. President. Mr. President.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
Yeah
TIFFANY RAO
Sir. The George Washington - it's been sunk.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
The George Washington.
TIFFANY RAO
Yes Sir. The USS George Washington. Nuclear aircraft carrier is, was in the South China Sea.
The FIRST LADY, worried, sits up.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
When?
TIFFANY RAO
Twelve minutes ago.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
What do we know?
TIFFANY RAO
Not much. Bill was.. Hysterical.
Emily, telephone in hand, runs in.
EMILY
Sir. I've got Finnley. He's requesting we set DEFCON 2.
All eyes turn to the President. He nods.
INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - WATCH FLOOR
The room has turned to complete CHAOS. Personnel running to terminals, phones ringing, people anxiously yelling...
VIGGO GOMEZ
(to Ethan)
Call State. China desk, Japan -
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR
(into phone)
We need all available personnel.
VIGGO GOMEZ
And I want - What's his name? - CIA liaison, blond –
ETHAN
Jason Wells -
VIGGO GOMEZ
Right. Get him.
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR #2
(into phone)
No sir I don't have him.
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR #3
The President just set DEFCON 2
WATCH FLOOR OPERATOR #2
Secretary Gomez, Pacific Command on 4.
VIGGO GOMEZ
I’ll take it in the conference room.
INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - CORRIDOR
We follow Viggo --
More personnel surging in --
INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - CONFERENCE ROOM
VIGGO GOMEZ
(into phone)
This is Viggo.
(beat)
What! You’re sure? Chinese missiles?!
INT. FORT MEADE - OPERATIONS CENTER
Lt. Bohl sits at his console working over a section of code. He takes a gulp of Diet Coke.
LT. JOHN BOHL
Herrera what you got?
At additional terminals, SGT. HERRERA and SGT. WOO, young twenties, work.
SGT. HERRERA
Uh, sir, I don't know...
LT. JOHN BOHL
Just tell me what you got.
SGT. HERRERA
You seen the activity over socket 34?
Bohl pushes back in his chair, scooting over to Herrera.
LT. JOHN BOHL
4300 kilobytes... Shut it down.
SGT. HERRERA
Sir?
Bohl grabs his keyboard and enters a few commands.
LT. JOHN BOHL
Woo, tell me what's happening!
SGT. WOO
Processing cycles just jumped.
LT. JOHN BOHL
Which CPUs?
SGT. WOO
All of them! All the sandboxed CPUs - wait, it just stopped.
LT. JOHN BOHL
Oh wow - it's finding a new route - it found a new route! Herrera - take apart those packets! We need to know exactly what and how it's communicating.
COL. BILL CODY
Lieutenant?
LT. JOHN BOHL
Sir, it's impressive. We're attempting to take it apart but it's clever, real clever. It appears to be utilizing multiple zero-day exploits, jumps across platforms through every hoop we can throw at it I mean it's -
Interrupting, a SOILDER runs to the Colonel, phone in hand:
SOILDER
Sir, Command.
COL. BILL CODY
(into phone)
Colonel Bill Cody.
(beat)
Yes sir.
(beat)
I understand sir.
He hands the receiver back to the soilder.
COL. BILL CODY
President just ordered all forces to DEFCON 2.
LT. JOHN BOHL
That can’t be coincidental. This intrusion is the first wave of a cyberattack.
COL. BILL CODY
You're sure? You're sure this isn't another a Ukrainian worm?
LT. JOHN BOHL
Sir, you know these are impossible source 100%. But to attribute this to a crime ring, I mean, this is one of the most elegant pieces of code I've ever seen.
INT. MILITARILY HQ – KIEV, UKRAINE – DAY
The small office is dingy, old Soviet construction, falling apart at the seams.
JACEK, in uniform, stares intently ahead at an old late-nineties CRT computer monitor, absent mindedly drinking coffee, wholly focused on the computer.
Next to Jacek sits ANDRIJ, mid thirties. Also wholly occupied, but with a game of solitaire.
JACEK
(in Ukrainian)
Andrij!
Andrij pays no attention.
JACEK
Hey Andrij, they’re paying out $300 a day. That’s quadruple the normal rate.
Andrij gives him but a quick look.
JACEK
We could trace this. Give it to that FBI agent?
Still nothing.
JACEK
It’s what he was looking for. Hey, we make the Americans happy we might get new computers...
ANDRIJ
What was his name?
JACEK
Madden? John Madden?
INT. DINER - NEW YORK - DAY
AGENT JOHN MADDOW, 41, sits at a classic lunch counter, coffee and bagel in hand.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE, early thirties, smartly dressed, enters. She quickly scans the room, spots Maddow and approaches.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Special Agent Maddow?
AGENT MADDOW
Yeah, John Maddow.
He extends his hand.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Pleasure. I'm Ramona.
AGENT MADDOW
You're a friend of Jack's?
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Colleague, yeah. Look, I'm going to cut to the chase. You know those firebombings, last week, up in Harlem?
AGENT MADDOW
Where they found the traces of ammonium nitrate?
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Yeah, well, needless to say NYPD is shitting their pants. Ammonium nitrate plus car garages, sounds like a genuine recipe for car bombs.
Maddow gives her a concerned nod. She pulls out a manila envelope, spreading 8x10 photos across the counter.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
They did manage to recover some fingerprints. Ran them to Interpol and came back with five hits. Recognize anyone?
Maddow combs through the images. A WAITRESS approaches.
WAITRESS
Would you like anything?
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Just a black coffee, thanks.
(to Maddow)
According to Homeland none of them are in the country. Haven't been seen in a decade!
AGENT MADDOW
I'm sorry, but uh, who are you? I mean, who are you with?
She gives him a quizzical look.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
I'm a reporter. New York Journal. What did Jack tell you?
AGENT MADDOW
That a pretty girl wanted to meet me.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
You're what, forty one? Divorced?
He holds back -
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Could you be more of a stereotype?
AGENT MADDOW
Well, I'm not exactly the average cop. I mean, I spend all my time indoors, on computers.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Right. Cyber Division... Tell me, you recognize any of them?
AGENT MADDOW
Sure. Well, these four, all Ukrainian Mafia, high up.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
And what do you think they're doing in New York playing with ammonium nitrate?
AGENT MADDOW
I don't know - I do computers - but they're a sophisticated operation. Human trafficking, drugs, financial fraud, you name it. Back in Ukraine they've got teams 30, 40, 60 strong, just coding computer intrusions. I mean, they're big. Professional.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
I've been working this beat eight years. On organized crime, your team is the only one to have successfully brought indictments against Ukrainians in Ukraine.
She pulls out a business card and hands it to him.
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Detective Darren Webb. You should call him; he's the lead investigator with the NYPD.
AGENT MADDOW
Why are you telling me this?
RAMONA NEWHOUSE
Simple. I scratch your back, and you are going to scratch mine.
He picks up the card. Looks at it. Looks at Ramona.
She gives him a nice smile...
INT. ONE POLICE PLAZA – ARMORY
NYPD EMERGENCY SERVICE UNIT OFFICERS prep for a tactical operation, assembling automatic rifles, putting on Kevlar suits and helmets. Make no mistake, these are some serious men and things are about to get very very serious.
An old-style clamshell cellphone rings. DETECTIVE WEBB, clearly a different breed, more brains than brawn, answers:
DETECTIVE WEBB
(into phone)
Webb.
(beat)
You're with the FBI?
(more)
While listening, Webb lets his eyes wander over the armory's walls. Painted, sits the shield of the NYPD and the words ‘New York’s Finest’.
DETECTIVE WEBB
Look, we're about to run a warrant. Can I call you back?
(beat)
Good. I'll speak to you then.
Webb snaps shut his mobile. He turns to a locker and grabs Kevlar body armor. For just a second, he pauses and looks back. New York’s Finest. That’s who he is.
INT. SERVER FARM - CONTROL ROOM
Matt and Richard lounge on office rolly-chairs in front of a teleconferencing unit. Splitscreen, DEMETRI, mid-forties, an engineer, and MARY, a business executive, sit opposite.
RICHARD
I don't think you understand, we lost all capability. Like the entire system had been hijacked.
DEMETRI
(via video conference)
Uh-huh. We're just not seeing it. It's not reflected in the logs. How long did the power spike last?
MARY
(via video conference)
And you both observed the purported failure?
MATT
Yeah, everything peaked, everything was red-lining. We had to take the system offline.
DEMETRI
And you said the system didn't recognize your credentials?
RICHARD
Yeah, nothing worked.
DEMETRI
That's odd.
MATT
Yes. It was odd; that's why we took Oregon offline.
Richard
May I ask, were we isolated? Did anyone else report anything?
DEMETRI
Actually, other centers did have power fluctuations -
MARY
But they worked through the problem, remained online and are currently functioning.
An awkward pause.
RICHARD
Okay, but uh before plugging back in, shouldn't we figure out what happened?
MARY
We will. But first, more to the point, it's 9AM Eastern. If Oregon isn't back online by 8a Pacific, we won't be able to meet demand.
MATT
So you're telling us to go online and watch what happens.
DEMETRI
We'll be monitoring on our end, of course.
MARY
How long will you need?
RICHARD
Half hour?
MARY
Good. Do it in fifteen.
Matt and Richard exchange a look. They're not used to corporate steeping on toes.
INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - CONFERENCE ROOM
President Ramsey sits at the head of the NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. Rao, Gomez and others are also seated. Some chairs are yet empty. Aides dash about.
Three large monitors on the far wall contain talking heads, including a DIA ANALYST who speaks:
VIGGO GOMEZ
Why are we so certain this was a Chinese strike?
DIA ANALYST
Sir, given the missiles’ trajectory and their profile. These missiles were highly advanced, fast and radar evading. Only a few actors can field tech like that.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
So what we're looking at is a Chinese preemptive strike?
DIA ANALYST
Well Mr. President it's odd - The USS Kitty Hawk is less than 200 miles from the South China Sea. China, without doubt, has the capability to take out both carriers. So why, in a preemptive strike situation, you'd so obviously take out one but not both... It's lunacy, sir. You're inviting a strong counterattack.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
So what then?
DIA ANALYST
Well, we’re working on it. Best intelligence suggests a rogue Chinese general. He’s trying to force our hand, create a war to pursue his nationalist agenda.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
Do we have a name?
The CIA DIRECTOR, fifties, US Army alum, responds:
CIA DIRECTOR
Sir, NSA intercepted classified Chinese transmissions two hours ago ordering the mobilization of the 41st and 42nd Group Armies. In addition the Second Artillery was ordered to highest level of readiness. The authorization came from a General Ting.
President Ramsey is the classic stoic president.
He shows little reaction.
EXT. QUEENS - DAY
A YOUNG FAMILY walks down a quiet avenue. In the distance stands the outline of Manhattan.
They turn, hearing the sirens of a POLICE CONVOY.
It blows through a stoplight and the family exchanges a worried glance. The force of a dozen squad cars, ESU truck and an ambulance is an intimidating sight.
INT. / EXT. DETECTIVE'S CAR - QUEENS - CONT'D
Detective Webb sits shotgun. A UNIFORMED OFFICER drives.
DET. WEBB
(into cell phone)
What's our situation?
INT. / EXT. UNDERCOVER POLICE CAR - WAREHOUSE
A PLAINS-CLOTHED OFFICER replies into a bluetooth earpiece:
PLAINS-CLOTHED OFFICER
Real quiet. No one in or out.
INTERCUT with Det. Webb.
DET. WEBB
Have we got any intel yet, any idea what's inside?
PLAINS-CLOTHED OFFICER
No sir. There're no windows. Neighbors know nothing. Walls are too thick for infrared.
INT. / EXT. DETECTIVE'S CAR - QUEENS
Webb shakes his head - he doesn't like this situation.
DET. WEBB
We go.
(picks up radio)
Franks?
ESU OFFICER (O.S.)
(through radio, filtered)
Sir?
DET. WEBB
We're running Chicago.
INT. ESU TRUCK
ESU OFFICER
Yes sir.
The truck is lined with the heavily armed NYPD ESU officers. They listen to Webb.
DET. WEBB (O.S.)
(over radio)
We don't have any time to waste. Homeland confirmed it - there's chatter of an imminent terrorist attack. We're going in. Expect anything. Expect the worst.
INT. MILITARILY HQ - KIEV - DAY
JACEK
(in Ukrainian)
Look at this.
Andrij continues to play solitaire.
JACEK
This post is only two weeks old. They're looking for specialists in aviation and automotive sub-controllers...
Jacek gets further immersed.
JACEK
I think this really is something. I've never seen anything like this before.
ANDRIJ
Ach. But you know the Americans, so difficult. Overbearing and pompous and -
JACEK
Whoa. Check this out, I'm on this private forum and a poster wrote, The OP is a liar and a cheat. They respect nothing; they will only use you. Beware.' The thread is 93 posts long, total flamewar...
ANDRIJ
Who was the poster?
JACEK
User name is Bananas89.
ANDRIJ
Bananas89? I think I know him -
Andrij flips screens on his computer and searches.
ANDRIJ
Yeah, the Americans wanted him. He cracked the copyright protection used on Blu-Rays. FBI flew out a whole team.
JACEK
What happened?
ANDRIJ
Never found him.
JACEK
The FBI couldn't find him??
ANDRIJ
Maybe he found a few friends.
JACEK
Like, bought a few friends??
ANDRIJ
...
JACEK
Can we find him?
ANDRIJ
I think I have an email. I'll send a message.
INT. WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM - CONFERENCE ROOM
ADMIRAL FINNLEY, highly decorated, sits center on the teleconferencing screen, 'PACIFIC COMMAND' superimposed under him.
ADMIRAL FINNLEY
(via videoconference)
Mr. President, given the recent intelligence, I am highly concerned. I think it's time we consider all options.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
Go on.
ADMIRAL FINNLEY
Sir, General Ting is very powerful within the Chinese command structure. He commands some 90,000 soldiers. Sir, more worrisome is that 2nd Artillery is responsible for strategic nuclear ordinance. They have the capability to strike American soil and entirely annihilate our Pacific allies, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, gone.
The room turns pin-drop quiet.
ADMIRAL FINNLEY
Now, we have the capability to quickly mobilize a force that could preemptively debilitate Chinese nuclear capabilities. I suggest we consider that.
They all hesitate to respond.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
What do we know about this General Ting? Would he actually use nuclear weapons?
CIA DIRECTOR
Well, sir, three years ago he said, and I quote, 'if foreign invaders attempt to disturb our territorial integrity I will take the war to their homeland, I will leave their cities in ruins.'
VIGGO GOMEZ
That's a fairly bellicose statement.
PRESIDENT RAMSEY
(To Viggo)
Have we gotten any response from Beijing?
VIGGO GOMEZ
No sir, last cables from the embassy came through 27 hours ago. We've been trying to contact other consular personal. No response. It's like China has disconnected.
TIFFANY RAO
What about the Chinese ambassador?
VIGGO GOMEZ
Says he knows nothing. We're trying the emergency phone lines. Beijing isn't picking up.
A pregnant pause...
INT. / EXT. UNDERCOVER POLICE CAR - WAREHOUSE
POLICE DISPATCHER (O.S.)
(over the radio, filtered)
Thirty seconds.
The plains-clothed officer turns the ignition of his car.
POLICE DISPATCHER (O.S.)
Twenty.
He shifts gears, puts his hands on the steering wheel.
EXT. WAREHOUSE
It's quiet sunny day.
The warehouse is plain, nondescript.
The road is wide and devoid of traffic.
THEN:
Sirens blaring, in quick, classic, militaristic SWAT style, NYPD units attack the warehouse:
- SQUAD CARS descend upon the entrance.
- OFFICERS jump out wielding handguns and rifles.
- In perfect precision, ESU OFFICERS disembark the truck, forming up a quick column.
- The forward officer has a battering ram, and BAM the door is busted open.
- And the police column enters, rifles leveled, readied.
INT. WAREHOUSE
We follow them in --
It's confusing, chaotic --
Pitch black but for the gun-mounted lights --