PERMANENT INTERESTS - FINALE EPISODE
Ssssssssmokin’….
EXT. CHARLES DE GAULLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY
In dazzling sunlight, an Air France 747 lands.
INT. TERMINAL - CUSTOMS EXIT
A CHAUFFEUR holds a sign: "ANNE HAMILTON - CNS"
Anne sees the sign and walks over to the chauffeur.
ANNE
That's me.
CHAUFFEUR
Bonjour, Mademoiselle. Monsieur Fremont sent me to meet you.
He leads them out of the terminal.
INT. CNS PARIS OFFICE - DAY
George turns from the window and answers his RINGING phone.
INT. BILL MAINES' OFFICE - AMERICAN EMBASSY - DAY
Maines holds a sheet of paper, the phone's on speaker.
MAINES
George. Bill Maines here. Thought you might like to hear this before it goes out over the wire: The President regrets to announce the death of Charles William Sims, III. Mr. Sims was returning from a conference in Mexico City when the plane in which he was a passenger crashed in a storm...
EXT. CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT - DAY
A Citroen limousine pulls onto the expressway towards Paris.
MAINES (V.O. - Cont)
... Mr. Sims, a member of the President's personal staff, is survived by his wife, Marie, and --
GEORGE (V.O.)
No good, Bill. I'd hold onto that fairy tale 'til you see Anne's feed.
INT. MAINES' OFFICE - AMERICAN EMBASSY - DAY
Maines sits back in his chair with a thoughtful look.
MAINES
What do you mean, George?
EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY
The Citroen limousine speeds along past TRAFFIC.
GEORGE (V.O.)
What'd you used to call it back in the bad old days: "termination with extreme prejudice?" And this story - every thriller novelist has taken a whack at doing it: "International terrorists get hold of The Bomb." It's yesterday's news, since the only ones who actually try are con men dumb enough to put uranium in their briefcases. When the German police grab them, it's no big deal...
INT. CITROEN LIMO - MOVING - DAY
Anne and David in back. Anne works on her laptop computer, oblivious to all else.
GEORGE (Cont - V.O.)
... But this con man was Ed Wilson. He really did have his hands on nuclear weapons, and a former KGB agent set up and killed deal and dealer. The word is assassination, Bill.
(angry)
Goddamnit! The good guys don't commit murder.
MAINES (V.O.)
Are you really that naive? Would you rather the Nazis got The Bomb? Sometimes, the end does justify the means. I don't think Joe Six-pack would thank you for scaring him with just how close he came to nuclear annihilation.
GEORGE (V.O.)
That's what the courts are for.
MAINES (V.O.)
Laws are like spiders' webs: if anything small falls in they ensnare it, but large things break through too easily and escape.
GEORGE (V.O.)
Spare me the lecture.
Anne finishes, turns to David with a smile.
ANNE
How's this sound? "Permanent Interests: Anatomy of an Arms Deal."
DAVID
Pretentious enough for an Emmy and a Pulitzer.
She grins, leans over, kisses him.
INT. MAINES' OFFICE - DAY
He switches off the speakerphone, stares out the window a moment, then picks up the receiver and dials a number.
EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY
The Citroen limo pulls off the main highway, onto a side road, purrs toward the gas station ahead and stops.
INT. LIMO
Anne looks up, surprised.
ANNE
Why are we stopping here?
The Chauffeur looks over at her as he opens the door.
CHAUFFEUR
Monsieur Fremont instructed me to notify him when I had you safely out of the airport.
EXT. GAS STATION - DAY
The Chauffeur heads to a phone booth at the corner of the building. He steps in, picks up the phone, but looks out the window toward the rear of the building.
CHAUFFEUR'S POV
A black Mercedes with mirrored windows sits out of sight from the front of the gas station. The driver's window is half open. A moment, then the window glides closed.
INT. CITROEN LIMO
Anne saves the file on her computer as David looks out the window...
DAVID'S POV
The Chauffeur, back to the Citroen, nods at the signal from the Mercedes...PAN AROUND - the station is deserted...then to the front seat and...
THE CAR PHONE IN ITS CRADLE...
DAVID
Get out! Get out!
He grabs the door handle, pushes her...
CHAUFFEUR'S POV
The rear car door opens...
ECU - CHAUFFEUR'S HAND - A small black box, his thumb on the red button.
THE LIMO EXPLODES IN A GASOLINE FIREBALL!
TWO BODIES are thrown through the air to the ground.
THE CHAUFFEUR
pulls off cap and coat and walks around the building toward the Mercedes. Howard Lewis emerges from the driver's door.
HOWARD
Good job.
The Chauffeur smiles and opens the rear door for Howard as he tosses cap and coat inside the front and climbs in.
EXT. BURNING CITROEN LIMO - LOW POV
The Mercedes comes around from behind the station and stops.
POV THROUGH DARKENED WINDOW
The two bodies sprawled on the pavement next to the car.
HOWARD (O.S.)
Close. They almost had us.
CLOSE ON ANNE
Her eyes flutter open...
ANNE'S POV - The rear window glides down - Vic's face in the open car window!
VIC
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, Howard.
The rear window glides up as the car accelerates away.
FLAMES CRACKLE as Anne - face smoke-blackened, clothes smoking - stirs and rises painfully to her knees.
HER POV - The computer, still in one piece, lies on the pavement nearby...then she sees David, unmoving...
ANNE
DAVID!
She crawls over to him, cradles his limp head, wipes the soot from his closed eyes...
ANNE
(at the heavens)
NO!!!!!!!!!
FADE TO BLACK…
FADE BACK IN
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - PARIS - EVENING
Frumpy pajamas and robe can't hide the bandages and bruises on Anne as, propped up in bed, she works at her damaged laptop despite one heavily-bandaged hand.
ANNE
Bingo!
Her exclamation wakes George, who was dozing on a chair in the corner.
GEORGE
Huh? Shouldn't you be getting some rest?
ANNE
Remember when John Cameron Swayze used to do those ads: "Timex - it takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'"?
(gestures at the laptop)
Maybe I could pick up a few dollars with a testimonial. Think Compaq would spring for it?
GEORGE
I think the docs should have another look at that bump on your head.
A DOCTOR comes into the room.
DOCTOR
He is awake, mademoiselle. You can see him for a few minutes.
George stands.
DOCTOR
Just the one.
Anne's out of bed like a shot, but is still woozy enough that the Doctor has to steady her.
ANNE
I'm all right.
The Doctor lets her go, and she leaves the room more slowly.
INT. DAVID'S ROOM - HOSPITAL
Anne stands against the door looking at David, who looks like the "Mummy."
He finally senses she's there and turns his head toward her.
ANNE
Hi. You saved my life.
He manages a smile.
DAVID
That's what knights in shining armor are for.
(winces in pain)
I think I took one of your nine lives.
ANNE
(smiles)
As many as you need.
She goes to him, and they hug as best they can.
DAVID
I've been thinking about what happened...
ANNE
I came to at the car in time to see Vic drive away.
DAVID
It doesn't make sense.
ANNE
There never were any warheads.
DAVID
(shakes his head)
You're no nuclear physicist. All those screens and dials looked pretty real to me.
ANNE
Special effects. Fontaine was right about the shadow world, nothing is what it seems.
David coughs, and Anne gives him some water.
DAVID
You're going to be in serious trouble if you run with this.
ANNE
What about Charlie and Harry? They're dead.
DAVID
When I was in the Corps, they figured any operation with fifteen percent casualties was a success if they achieved the objective. When they put on that spin, your viewers will yell three cheers for our side. Especially if they ever leak who the other side was.
Anne can't believe she's hearing this from David.
ANNE
They tried to kill us!
DAVID
Permanent interests.
ANNE
How can you be so cynical?
DAVID
Face it. They gave us what we wanted to hear.
ANNE
Too bad we can't prove the guy was Helmut Lang.
She kisses him, then starts for the door...
DAVID
Not so fast.
She turns as he rolls to the side, reaches in the drawer of the nightstand, takes something out and hands it to her.
The diamond-studded hawk-talon ring.
DAVID
Last time it was a swastika, this time a hawk talon. Who knows what it will be the next time?
ANNE
Will there be a next time?
DAVID
Like Fontaine told you, two world wars solved nothing.
She stares at David.
INT. BILL MAINES' OFFICE - AMERICAN EMBASSY - DAY
Vic, wearing a pinstripe Savile Row suit, sits on the edge of the desk. Howard Lewis sits on the leather couch. Maines leans back in his chair.
All eyes are on the TV in the bookcase...
THEIR POV - THE TV
Anne's as stylish as possible under the circumstances, makeup over her bruises.
ANNE
... So, do the terrorists know today not to mess with the nuclear powers? Is the threat of nuclear destruction as far behind us as we think? All I know for sure is a friend is dead and--
Maines takes the remote and zaps the volume off.
HOWARD
So tell me fast, Bill. What kinda schmucks are we?
Maines smiles and breaks out a VERY expensive bottle of single malt scotch.
Howard's eyes light up as Maines pours amber liquid into three crystal snifters and hands them around.
VIC
Tomorrow, the Kremlin will announce the arrest of two former Red Army officers and the president of the All-Russia Soccer Foundation in Ekaterinburg for conspiracy to sell nuclear weapons.
HOWARD
(smiles)
And no mention of the boys from Berlin.
They all nod solemnly and down their drinks.
Maines reaches in his desk drawer and takes out a small rectangular package.
ON-SCREEN - Anne talks, but no one hears as...
MAINES
(unwraps the package)
We were also successful in the Cook Islands...
He pushes a gold bar stamped with the Nazi Eagle across the desk top to them.
INT. CNS STUDIO
Anne unhooks her microphone and walks past the cameras to where George stands.
GEORGE
Congratulations.
ANNE
Maybe. There's still this.
She pulls out Lang's ring and hands it to George.
GEORGE
Without confirmation, this is just an expensive bauble.
ANNE
The confirmation's in some sub-basement in Washington.
GEORGE
(shrugs)
How can we really know what goes on in the dark?
ANNE
We can only try to keep the lights on.
(kisses his cheek)
I've got an early dinner date with David: weak tea, dry toast, lime jello... maybe a little red wine if I'm lucky and don't get caught.
George laughs as she leaves.
INT. HALLWAY - HOSPITAL - DAVID'S ROOM - LATER
Anne carries flowers. She opens the door, and stops when she sees a man in a doctor's coat, back to her, bent over David...
ANNE
Oh, I can do that...
The man turns. It's Vic! Anne drops the flowers, but, before she can scream, Vic's hand is an iron clamp over her mouth and nose!
VIC
Shh, shh, shh. You'll wake him. Blink your eyes twice if you agree to be quiet or you'll pass out soon.
Anne does, and Vic releases her. She gasps for breath.
VIC
That's better.
ANNE
You tried to kill us.
VIC
(shakes his head)
That was business. Nothing personal. It's over now. You're safe. From me.
ANNE
What are you doing here?
Vic points to a bottle of real Russian vodka, a tin of caviar, and a showy bunch of flowers on the chair.
VIC
Like I said, it's over.
Vic takes her hand and kisses it. He turns to the door.
ANNE
Who are you?
VIC
(turns back)
I told you.
ANNE
You told me nothing.
VIC
I'm just a guy who appreciates flowers, good food, a clear dawn and a fiery sunset.
ANNE
It was a set-up from start to finish. Charlie Sims, Ed Wilson...us.
David groans and shifts position.
VIC
Gotta run.
(smiles chillingly)
You really ought to write novels, Anne.
Vic walks out the door as David wakes.
DAVID
Who was that?
She goes to the door and looks out.
HER POV - Up the hall, nothing; down the hall, nothing.
Anne turns back to the room.
ANNE
Just a phantom.
David looks puzzled. Anne goes over and kisses him.
CLOSE ON - The Nazi Eagle, stamped on a bar of gold.
PULL BACK - to see the top row of a pallet-load of gold bars, glittering under bright overhead lights in a huge vault. Each bar has the Nazi Eagle stamped on it.
PULL BACK FURTHER - to see "FEDERAL RESERVE BANK - NEW YORK" stenciled on a canvas cover as TWO WORKERS pull it over the pallet, making it as anonymous as all the others around it.
PULL BACK FURTHER - as the vault doors close, taking us to...
BLACKOUT.
- THE END -
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Substack really needs a WOW emoji. That was excellent TC.
Wow! I’m going to read this again over the weekend. Brilliant writing. Best line: “Laws are like spiders' webs: if anything small falls in they ensnare it, but large things break through too easily and escape.” Thanks.