Swanbeck stands looking out the window. Noisy crowds from the
festival provide a constant walla, and during the sequence, the
first effigies are lit, and smoke and flame provide a vivid
beckground thru the briefing room's windows. ~
Festival’ pain in the Honoring
sa ass.
saints by setting ‘em on fire.
(turning, to Ethan)
Sit Gown, sit down.
Ethan sits.
SWANBECK (cont ’d) :
Lets you know what they think of saints, doesn’t it? Damn near set me on fire on
my way over here. As if I haven’t been
burned encugh today.
A moment where it’s impossible to tell which wa the wind is
going to blow between these two. Then, civilly.
SWANBECK (cont ’d)
Sorry I barged in on your vacation.
UTHAN :
Sorry I didn’t let you know where I.was.
SWANBECK .
Don’t be. Wouldn’t be a wacation if you did.
ETHAN
Well. You’re sorry and I’m sorry.
\
REVISED - 7/15/99 - PINK #3 23.
CONTINUES: - 42
S#ANSECK
Why did you phrase it like that?
ETHAN
Like what?
SWANDECK
*You’re sorry and I’m sorry.’
ETHAN
You gotta be kidding.
Swanbeck turns to his computer and begins play on a DVD, and
projected onto a computer screen staring back at Ethan is:
VLADDCR NEKHORVICH ‘42
NEKHORVICH
(with exaggerated brio)
Well, Dmitri! how are you?.. -
Nekhorvich pauses as if waiting for a reply. Ethan smiles.
ETHAN
.-I’m fine..and you?
NEKRORVICH
I‘m fine.. Ethan laughs.
ETHAN
T'm fine and you’re fine.. With Ethan simultaneously whispering:
NEXKAORVICH
I’m fine too.. I'm fine and you're fine - do
you remember, dear friend, how you got
Sergei ang X to repeat those lines from Dp.
Strangelove and we gave you the name of that
silly Soviet Premier because we didn’t know
your name?..In those days, you not only
saved our lives, you saved our sanity. ‘Now,
then Dmitri - we have thie little problem’;
Every search for a hero mst begin with
something that every hero requires: a
villain. Therefore, in a cearch for our
hero, Bellerophon, we created a monster
a. I beg you, Dmitri, come to Sydney
and accompany me to Atlanta immediately.
However we travel, I mst arrive at ny
Gestination, within 20 hours of departure.
Forgive this fanciful explanation, but for
now prudence dictates that I cammnicate
nothing but the § gravest urgency.
(MORE)
-
REVISED - 5/10/99 = GOLDENROD. 24.
CONTINUED: 42
NEKHORVICH (cont'd)
I fear I can entrust this to no one but
you, Dmitri. As we say, ‘I’m sorry and
you're sorry’.. °
Swanbeck stops the DVD.
SWANBECK
Let ma ask you something. You have any
idea what the hell he’s talking about?
Ethan smiles.
ETHAN
An idea, yeah.
SWANBECK
Like?
“ Y¥THAN
Bike it’s a good idea to pick him up in a
hurry. And a bad idea to fly him ona
commercial carrier. So lat’s get on vith
it. He still in Sydney?
SWANBECK .
Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich is dead. So is his Colleague, Gradski, but that happened
tet earlier. we had Bekhorvich on a flight
from Sydney that crashed in the
Ethan sits back, heavily.
SWARBECK (cont'd)
—— Bunt, are you listening?..
Slowly looking up:
STHAM
If he didn’t vant to go anywhere without ma, how did you get him on that flight?
SRANBECK
You were there.
Swanbeck clears his throat. He turns back to the computer and
punches in: MI6SION DOUBLES IMAGE. File opens to computer scans
o£ AMBROSE, SEAN, and HUNT, ETHAN, the computer scanning and
coupearing their features, millimeter by millimeter, stat by stat,
as the computer then imposes, with the help of the physiognony
scan, Ethan’s face on Ambrose: hence, mission Gouble image.
ETHAN
slowly looks up to Swanbeck.
(ocwermarrent
REVISED - 5/10/99 - GOLDENROD 25.
Swanbeck
ebscured
SWANSECK
When I couldn’t find you, I had to replace
you. Sean Anhrose wag tha obvious choice.
He doubled you, wnat? Two, three tines?
ETreAN
twice.
SWANBECK
What dia you think of hin?
ETuAN
You know we had reservations about each
other. Isn’t it a little late in the day
to be asking me that?
SWANBECK
Not necessarily.
shows Ethan a photo of an airline Captain.
SWANBECK (cont’d)
Airline records list Captain Marold Macintosh as the pilot for Flt 2207. As fax as the media and all governnental agencies are concerned, Captain Macintosh died on the flight, but in fact he nissed it. He did, however make the next flight - in cargo, stuffed into a rather euall suitcase considering his size.
Another photo of an open suitcase, the body in it partially
by a ring of police and customs officers.
SWANBECK (cont ’d)
Someone on that flight planned an operation desi te down the plane and make it look an accident. Someone sxillful enough to bring the whole thing off without a hitch but - they don’t always get your luggage on the plane, even .- when you fly first class.
ETRAMN
So there's one thing we know Ambrose doesn’t.
SWANBECK
Then you do think it was Ambrose.
Ethan barely nods.
ECO}; CTITTEN A
REVISED - 5/12/99 - BUFE 26.
SWANBECK (cont ’d)
And you're not surprised.
Ethan gives Swanbeck a look. |
ETSAN
Whatever Nekborvich was carrying Sean wanted and be wanted to conceal the fact that he took it.
SWANBECK
Enough to kill Nekhorvich and two hundred innocent passengers? °
Ethan sniles.
ETHAN
Sean feele he hasn’t done the job onless he leaves a lor of hats on tbe ground.
The question is why? What was was this
Chimera Nekhorvich was: carrying?
Ethan rises and moves to the window.
PTR
Right now only Ambrose knows that.
In any case, *ve to recover Chimera
and bring i¢ sot
ETHAN ;
nm order to do that, I’ve get to fi
out how he plans to make money with it.
al
SWANBECK
ght. In fact since the plane went Gown our banking sources have confirmed ea marked increase in the stock piling of eash in terrorists accounts.
e
‘
rh
‘Terrorists?’ -
(CERF TITTON |)
ETHAN
Yeah, mission, should I choose to accept it - ia to find. Sean Ambroee, figure out what he got’ fran Nekhorvich, and what he plans te do with it, or putting it another way how he plans to make money with it.
SWANBECK
You don’t think there’s sama underlying principle involved?
REVISED - 4/19/99 - BLUE 26A—
on
REVISED - 5/10/99 - GOLDENROD 27.
CONTINUED: (4) 42
SWANBECK
Well you know Nekhorvich’s history.
You're the one who got hia out of the
Soviet Union was it was still in the bio-
weapon business.
ETHAN
Tf that’s what you’re thinking Ambrose would have set up a bidding situation with any number of buyers before he got on the plane. Locating him in time to stop something like that -
SWANBECK
- is where Mise Hall comes in.
ETHAN
(blindsided) . Excuse me?
SWANSECK
Miss Hall and Ambrose had a relationship which he tock very seriously. She walked away and he’s been wanting her back ever since. We believe she’s our surest and quickest way of locating hin.
ETHAN
(acidly)
And then vhat?.
SWANBECK
Then make sure she continues to see hin. Gets him to confide in her and report to
You.
ETHAN
You made it sound as if I was recruiting her for her skills as a thief.
SWANBECK
Well, then I misled you. Or you made the wrong assumption. Either way we're asking her to resume a prior relationship, not do anything she hasn’t already done. Voluntarily, I might add.
2THAN
She‘s got no training for this kind of
thing.
IPOWIVTNIT TET
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CONTINUED: (5) £2
SWANBECK .
Go to bed with a man and lie to him? She’s a woman. She’s. got all the training she needs.
Ethan’s anger flashes but he does his best to contain, it:
ETHAN
I ‘don’t think I can get her to do it. ..
SWANBECK
You mean it'll be difficult.
ETHAN
Very.
.. SWANBECK
Well it’s not mission difficult, Hunt.
It’s mission impossible. Difficult should
be a walk in the park for you. If you can
think of a quicker way to get to Ambrose,
you’re welcome to try. Oh, by the way, you
might want to take a look at these..if you
have any further qualms about getting her
to do the job.
-.- Be pulls out a little Minolta digital camera (identicat-to the
one in Nekhorvich’s bag at airport security). Swanbeck sets it on
the table. Ethan picks up the tiny camera and puts it to his eye.