HOSTAGES

Pilot Written by Alon Aranya Based on the Yetzira Ivrit and Channel 10, Israeli series "Bnei Aruba" created by Omri Givon and Rotem Shamir STUDIO DRAFT March 23, 2012 Page 2 ACT ONE EXT. RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ALLEYWAY - ANACOSTIA, DC - SUNRISE One of the worst neighborhoods in DC. Rows of overpopulated, run down residential ghetto blocks. FBI Agent DUNCAN CARLISLE, 30s, chiseled, handsome face with a weight to his stare that suggests hes seen too much by now, walks through a narrow cracked alleyway. Hip hop music blares from an undetected apartment. The far end of the alleyway is closed off by several SWAT vans. GUY CAMPBELL, mid 20s, the lanky rising star in the FBI Hostage Rescue Team exits the building, holding a portable monitor. He looks up at Duncan - a look filled with admiration, the kind reserved for a role model and mentor. DUNCAN Do we have a visual? GUY Be up in a sec, boss. Morning. Guy looks up from the monitor. Duncan is gone. INT. HALLWAY - DAY A dim narrow corridor with peeling, stained wallpaper, the atmosphere evokes a foul stench. Guy catches up with Duncan. GUY Two male locals were spotted in a stolen vehicle. Officers pursued them to apartment two Charlie. They got at least one hostage in there. Congressman Boltons nephew, Carl, Junior at Georgetown. DUNCAN Bolton couldnt find a proper fraternity for his nephew? GUY PR stunt. Bolton gets to brag about his nephew living within his means in this god awful neighborhood.

(looks at his monitor) Pictures up. Its rated R. CLOSE ON MONITOR: dark and dingy one bedroom. A male in his 20s holds a hostage at gun point. Hard to make out their faces. Duncan stares into the monitor and gives a slight frown. Page 3 Duncan looks up and sees the SWAT leader, GAINES (Just turned 40, you want him on your side) at the end of the hallway in position with his team. Duncan nods at him, but Gaines returns the greeting with his middle finger high in the air. GUY (CONTD) He hates when we crash his party... DUNCAN Hell get over it when he sees his face all over the evening news with Bolton and his nephew by his side. Duncan throws Gaines an air kiss as he approaches apt 2C. His team close behind. He knocks. Nothing. DUNCAN (CONTD) My name is Carlisle, Im with the FBI. Id like to come in, alone. I just want to talk. Im unarmed. Silence. Duncan holds the door knob, feeling it out. DUNCAN (CONTD) If you open the door, we could talk. Just me and you. A few more beats of silence and then, the long awaited sound of a door being unlocked. Duncan slips in. INT. APARTMENT - DAY A dark, dingy one bedroom. The Captor is skinny, his eyes searching, scanning nervously, holds a gun to the hostages head. The hostage appears to be slightly older. Duncan does a slow 360 to show hes clean. The captor sweats profusely as he stares at Duncan. Something in his eyes seems lost, wrong. The hostage looks down in shame, hopeless. DUNCAN There are more cops than rats outside. You stole a car, youre not a killer. Let me help you. The captor looks away, bewildered. DUNCAN (CONTD) Tell me what you want. Ill try... CAPTOR A car in the back alley...if you

come after me, hes dead... 2. Page 4 Duncan notices the first few rays of sun penetrating the apartment. He shoots another look at the hostage. Something shiny sticks out from his jeans pocket. Looks like a knife. A quick last look at the nervous captor - Somethings off... DUNCAN Let me discuss this with my supervisor. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Duncan walks over to Guy whos ready to go in from the back door. He still has the monitor with a visual on the apartment. GUY (cant help himself) Please instruct the customer that your supervisor cant override store policy: all sales are final! Duncan smiles. He loves this kid. Its the closest thing hes had for a young brother. DUNCAN Check your monitor. The image is upside down. Off Guys confusion as he checks his monitor... INT. APARTMENT - DAY Duncan slowly approaches the captor and hostage. DUNCAN So... we thought about it, but we decided to turn down your request. Cold sweat covers the captors pale face, his trembling hand points the gun at the hostage. Duncan notices the hostage scanning the room nervously. They lock eyes, there is danger in his look. Duncan turns back to the captor. DUNCAN (CONTD) Go ahead, kill him. Its one less witness to interview. Less paperwork, you know...? SUDDENLY the hostage brandishes the knife from his pocket and rushes Duncan. Duncan is quicker, he pulls a gun and shoots the hostage in his groin, he goes down. The captor drops his gun and throws his hands in the air. 3. Page 5

CAPTOR Please dont shoot, its not me, he threatened... Jasmine... BOOM, the bedroom door flies open as it comes off its hinges and knocks Duncan down. He loses his gun. Another CAPTOR appears holding JASMINE at gunpoint. He then aims his gun at Duncan. Jasmine wriggles out of the captors grip and runs to the back room where Guy appears gun drawn. Guy holds his fire. The captor turns and shoots in their direction, missing Jasmine, but successfully hitting Guys gun which flies out of his hand. Guy is exposed, face to face with the captor. GUY Its over! Nobody has to die. CAPTOR Fuck you!! The captor points his gun at Guy, ready to shoot when Duncan fires two shots killing the assailant. Duncan approaches Guy. GUY Sorry, couldnt take the shot... DUNCAN You wouldve killed her. (off Guys disappointment) Cheer up, youre well trained, just not ready to be my supervisor. Get some rest. Youll need it. Duncan and Guy exchange a knowing look. Guy leaves and Duncan turns to Congressman Boltons nephew, CARL (our faux captor), who sits in the corner shaken. Jasmine at his side. CARL (emotional) ...Jasmine... he was going to kill her... make me watch... Duncan wraps his arm around his shoulder. DUNCAN Your uncle will be very proud of you, Carl. But maybe its time you got yourself into some debt. Live a few blocks out of your means. Off Carl taking it all in... 4. Page 6 INT. GEORGE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL OR - DAY CLOSE ON WET HAND: It shakes lightly. We open up to see: DR. ELLEN SANDERS, 40s, a cold perfectionist with an earthy

appeal stares at her shaking hand in the midst of the scrubbing process. She makes a fist and releases it a few times. The shaking slowly fades away. DELIA, the overzealous, fully scrubbed, resident surgeon, surprises her from behind. She swallows the last piece of chocolate truffle. DELIA Patients in. Two gun shots to the groin through and through with a diminished pulse. ELLEN Lets get the bleeding under control. Delia follows Ellen into the OR. INT. OPERATION ROOM - LATER Ellens in the midst of operating on the faux hostage Duncan shot. She could do this work blindfolded in her sleep. At her side, Delia and AARON, 20s, a clever brat whos almost done with his residency. Ellen works on a bleeding vessel... ELLEN Suction! A nurse jumps in to clear the blood. ELLEN (CONTD) Got it! That should do the trick. But more blood is coming out. Much more. Loud beeps! DELIA Were losing him. ELLEN I need a lot more suction... The nurses cant get rid of the blood. It just keeps coming. ELLEN (CONT'D) Come on, wheres that other vessel... Aaron? AARON How come I always get the hard questions? 5. Page 7 DELIA Pressures dropping. ELLEN Aaron!! A fierce teacher, Ellens relentless with her students. AARON Looks like an abdominal injury to that vessel. You wont be able to

reach the bleeding from here. ELLEN Delia, where am I cutting? Delias quick to mark the spot. Ellen proceeds to make a cut above the groin. The beeping intensifies. ELLEN (CONTD) Here we go... I see it now, got it! DELIA Pressures up. Hes stabilizing. Poor guy, they really went to work on him. AARON (imitating Delia) Its so unfair, so what if he almost killed the nephew of a Congressman and a few cops... DOUGLAS STONE, the Hospital director, appears frantic in the OR window and motions for Ellen. She shakes her head no. Stone quickly writes something on a blank clipboard and holds it up to the window. It reads: NOW! ELLEN Jesus, Stones going nuts outside. You two finish repairing these vessels. No fighting, theres plenty of work for both of you. INT. HOSPITAL DIRECTORS OFFICE - DAY Ellen walks in. Stone is there with a room full of men dressed in black suits. STONE Come in, Ellen. Close the door. One of the men, JOHN WALLER, offers Ellen a handshake. 6. Page 8 WALLER Agent Waller, Secret Service. Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Sanders. Ellen shakes his hand and sits down. The men study her in an awkward silence. WALLER (CONTD) The President is leaving to Europe next week. He wants to go ahead with the surgery tomorrow morning at 10am. We need your team here at 6am to secure them. Ellen slips her right hand into the side pocket of her coat.

ELLEN Of course. May I ask why the surgery was moved up? I mean it was scheduled for next month and... WALLER That information is not pertinent to your work, Dr. Sanders. STONE I think Dr. Sanders was... ELLEN Inquiring if the Presidents condition has changed since his last check up, does, I believe, Mr. Waller, pertain pretty significantly to my work. WALLER The Presidents condition has remained consistent. Off Ellen still trying to sort it out. INT. CROWDED HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY Ellen exits the elevator and strides down the hall. She gets a call on her cell. ELLEN Hi, Danni. DANNI (O.S.) (emotional) Mom, do you have a sec? 7. Page 9 ELLEN Of course, whats wrong, sweetie? Ellen obliviously walks by a fairly young, and perhaps too handsome JANITOR, who eyes her suspiciously. DANNI I think I need to break up with Chad... ELLEN Why? What happened...? Ellen stops when she sees the door to her office wide open. She never leaves her door unlocked! ELLEN (CONTD) Danni? DANNI (O.S.) (chocking on her tears) Yeah...?

ELLEN Just tell me whats going on... Ellen turns around and spots the janitor walking away. ELLEN (CONTD) (loud) Excuse me! The janitor steps into the elevator. He exchanges a quick look with Ellen as the elevator doors close. ELLEN (CONTD) Sorry, honey, are you there? Danni? (line is dead) Damn it! She attempts to dial back. Signals lost. Frustrated, Ellens attention turns back to the open office door. INT. OFFICE - DAY Ellen looks around to see if anything was stolen. She scans the room - everything seems to be in tact. She sits behind her desk, looks up and freezes. Her photo frames are photoless. The photos are gone. ELLEN This is Dr. Sanders. I need security up at my office... 8. Page 10 Ellen hangs up and we push up from her troubled expression to reveal a mini security camera perched on the top bookshelf, hiding between medical journals. EXT. RUN DOWN DC RESIDENTIAL STREET - DAY A loud, polluting old pick up truck rumbles down the street. It turns into a driveway and crashes into the garage door. MAN (O.S.) Oops... I/E PICK UP - DAY The driver, DOMINIC, burly African American, walking tattoo gallery in his late 30s, and his passenger MIA WYLE, 20s, beautiful eyes you can get lost in, cant stop laughing. Theyre drunk. He grabs Mia for a kiss... MIA Wait! Not here... Behind Mias captivating eyes, theres something dark and mysterious. I/E CAR - DAY The handsome Janitor from the hospital sits in a parked car across the street. He watches Dominic leading Mia into the house as he grabs her ass. The Janitor makes a call.

JANITOR They just went in. Hurry up... INT. HOUSE - DAY Dominic has a one track mind. He paws at Mia. MIA First, show me the guns... my boss will kill me if I dont get them... DOMINIC ...Right in here... Mia follows Dominic into his bedroom. He pulls out a large metal case and opens it. Inside there are a dozen hand guns with silencers. Dominic hands one to Mia. She makes sure the serial numbers have been erased and hands it back to Dominic. MIA Ill take all of them. Dominic loads the gun and points it at Mia. 9. Page 11 DOMINIC Lets just make sure you aint no cop... MIA Dont be stupid. You know Im cool. Dominic pushes her on the bed. DOMINIC I dont trust anyone, unless I check them inside out. Before Mia can make a move, Dominic whips out a set of handcuffs. Mia is quick to react, smiling as she rips open his shirt MIA Lose the cuffs. Trust me, you want my hands free. Mia kisses him. They shed their clothes in lusty haste. EXT. HOUSE - DAY ALEX VARTAN, late 30s, rough around the edges, stares at Mia and Dominic through a side window. He then easily breaks into the house from the side door. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Alex follows the sound of moaning and heads for the bedroom. INT. BEDROOM - DAY Dominic rips Mias panties off, he is about to lay on top of her when he is suddenly yanked backwards by Alex. He drags Dominic out of the bedroom. Dominic struggles against Alexs iron hold, but pulls a knife and stabs Alex in the upper leg.

A surprised Alex reacts by shooting Dominic in the groin. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Dominic groans in pain. ALEX Youre right. No point of living like that... Alex finishes him off with a shot to the forehead. He pulls the knife from his leg as he winces in pain. 10. Page 12 INT. BEDROOM - DAY Alex walks in and stares at a naked Mia getting dressed. MIA Whatre you looking at? I almost got fucked! What took you so long? Alex grabs Mias face. ALEX Looked like you were hoping Id be late. Mia grabs Alexs face. MIA Fuck you! He was going to cuff me to the bed. She holds the cuffs up in her other hand. Alex seems convinced enough to let her go. The tension lingers. I/E UNMARKED BLACK VAN - DAY Mia and Alex stare at Dominics house from a parked van across the street. They seem detached. He looks much older than her, more like from a different generation. Perhaps the father figure appeal has worn off. Alex takes a sip from a small bottle of whisky, then looks at Mia. Strokes her hair. Her mind seems to be drifting. ALEX What? MIA Nothing... thinking about Beliz... ALEX Almost there, baby. One more job and were out of here forever. MIA Are you sure you want to do this? ALEX We already are... Mia looks at the metal gun case in the back seat as they drive away.

END OF ACT ONE 11. Page 13 ACT TWO EXT. NATIONAL MALL - DAY Were back to FBI Agent Duncan Carlisle (from the opening scene), who walks under the rows of Cherry Blossoms holding a child sized backpack. He turns around and sees SAWYER, 5 years old, a gorgeous child, meandering slowly behind him. DUNCAN Sawyer, can you please walk with daddy? Sawyer shakes her head and stops walking. Duncan surrenders and walks back to her. DUNCAN (CONTD) Come on, Soy-Soy, dont you want to see grandpa? (Off Sawyers defiant look) Sweetie I packed you a bunch of nice dresses. SAWYER I dont want them. I want my red Sponge Bob dress! Sawyer starts crying. Duncan gets on his knees. SAWYER (CONTD) I miss mommy. I want to go see her today! DUNCAN I miss mommy too. I promise well go see her next week. Okay? (desperate to change the topic) Did you know mommy and I met right here? See those trees right there? Theyre your mothers favorite in the whole world. Sawyer finally notices the glorious Cherry Blossom trees. DUNCAN (CONTD) Arent they beautiful? Theyre called Cherry Blossom trees. They come from Japan. SAWYER (opening up) How did they get here?

12. Page 14 DUNCAN The People of Japan donated three thousand of them, as a gift, to the People of the United States. SAWYER Thats a lot of trees... What did we get them? (Off Duncan hesitation) Daddy, we need to get them a gift! BURTON DAILY, 60s, an aging warrior with plenty of game left in him sneaks behind Sawyer. He covers Sawyers eyes with one hand and pulls out a large lollypop in the other. He takes away his hand and Sawyer sees the lollypop. SAWYER (CONTD) Grandpa! Sawyer jumps in his arms. She loves this man and clearly rocks his world. SAWYER (CONTD) Can we go see a movie? BURTON Extra large popcorn? Burton high fives her. Then lets her down. SAWYER Can I go see the cherry blossom? DUNCAN Of course, sweetie. Sawyer leaves Duncan and Burton alone. They dont need to pretend anymore. BURTON Any change in her condition? Duncan shakes his head. Dire expression. They lock eyes. A tense silence. Burton puts his hand on Duncans shoulder. ON SAWYER She finds a fallen blossom branch on the ground and makes a beeline to Burton and Duncan to brag. She sees Burton hugging Duncan. The men notice her staring. SAWYER Is everything okay, daddy? 13. Page 15 Duncan embraces Sawyer and doesnt let go. DUNCAN

I love you, Soy-Soy... SAWYER (imitating Duncan) I love you, Soy-Soy... They laugh at each other. It is their goodbye ritual. Duncan chokes back a sob as he watches Sawyer and Burton walk away. CLOSE ON SKATEBOARD Travelling at a serious rate. We open up to see another board next to it - both picking up speed. We open more to see: INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY JAKE SANDERS, 13, he has a cute baby-face, which hides the little monster that lurks within and KEVIN BURNS, his best buddy, whos got a cool facade but lacks guts. They zoom down the empty hallway on their skateboards. Jake points down the hall where GAVIN, a slender, gangsta wannabe leaves a classroom plugged into his ipod. Jake and Kevin come at him from behind. Just as they near Gavin he turns around, but its too late - WHAM! A double swing from the storm riders - Ouch! Gavin goes down. Jake snatches Gavins backpack, opens it and pulls out a paper bag. He tosses the backpack on the floor and they continue their run down the hallway. INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE PRINCIPLES OFFICE - DAY Jake and Kevin sit together awaiting the Principle. Theyre being watched by BETTY, the heavy set assistant who chews on a big piece of bubble-gum. A birthday balloon is attached to her desk. KEVIN Were so screwed... JAKE At least we got our shit back. I rather deal with the principle than have to explain to Nico why we dont have his money. KEVIN Easy for you to say. I never told you to get five Ounces... 14. Page 16 JAKE Quit bitching. You sold a whole ounce as soon as we got the stuff. BRIAN SANDERS, late 40s, thinning hairline, the unassuming geeky Principle of Hardy Middle School, Georgetown appears in front of them. Hes not happy.

BETTY Mr. Sanders, theyre upgrading the network, so computers are down. BRIAN How long? BETTY The technician that was here said they should be done in a few hours. Oh, and thanks for the balloon. Youre too nice. BRIAN Happy Birthday, Betty! Smirks spread all over Jake and Kevins faces until Brian points to his office. INT. HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL, GEORGETOWN PRINCIPLES OFFICE - DAY The boys try to avoid any eye contact with Brian, who studies their expressions. JAKE It was an accident. He just happened to walk out of class at the wrong time. KEVIN We really couldnt see him coming. BRIAN An accident. Thats what Gavin said on his way to the ER for a handfull of stitches under his lip. This accident could have been prevented if you boys simply followed the rules. Its not the first time youre riding your skateboards in the hallways... JAKE We made a mistake. ... KEVIN We wont do it again. Really. 15. Page 17 BRIAN (CONTD) Easy for you to say now, but last time you were caught, I had you write a five page paper on school safety guidelines. Brian pulls out the papers and hands them to the boys. BRIAN (CONT'D)

Luckily, I saved them. Theyre actually well written. So this time around you will learn them by heart while youre suspended from school for the next 48 hours. I expect you to present your papers orally, word for word. Dont want you to forget the rules again... The boys fall back in their seats, disenchanted. BRIAN (CONTD) Because if you do, you will need to find yourselves another school next year. Though I doubt youll find one that allows you to skate through its hallways. Dismissed! The boys eyes widen in shock. They get up to leave. BRIAN (CONTD) Kevin, your mothers on her way to pick you up. KEVIN Great... Kevin leaves, but Jake hovers impatiently near Brians desk. BRIAN Youve crossed the line this time. Youre leaving me no options... JAKE Sorry, Dad... BRIAN It has to stop! I need you to make a real effort or I will have to transfer you to another school. JAKE You werent kidding about that? 16. Page 18 Brian goes back to the paperwork on his desk. Hes not yielding. Jake walks away defeated. We push up to reveal another hidden security camera above a book shelf. INT. SANDERS HOME - DAY Ellen walks into the all too quiet Circa 1900 brick home with a vast open living room and French doors that open to a garden. ELLEN Danni? Are you here? Ellen walks up the stairs.

ELLEN (CONTD) Hello? Is anyone home? She hears someone coughing and vomiting in the bathroom. She knocks on the door. ELLEN (CONTD) Honey, are you okay? The sound of a toilet flushing, then DANNI SANDERS 17, a beautiful and intense teenage diva, comes out looking a bit pale. DANNI I think I ate something. ELLEN You should lie down. Ill make you some tea. DANNI Im fine! ELLEN Youre pale. You need to lie down. Lets get your temperature... DANNI Take a break, Dr. Sanders. I dont make an appointment. ELLEN Im sorry I couldnt talk before, sweetie, someone broke into my office... but at least I got off early today... (Dannis not impressed) Do you want to talk about Chad? 17. Page 19 DANNI Dont worry about it. Im gonna go lie down. ELLEN You sure youre okay? Danni nods. Ellen kisses her forehead. Dannis too cool for all this attention. Shes out of there. ELLEN (CONTD) Wheres Barkley? Is he over at Garys? DANNI (O.S.) I havent seen him since the cable guy was here. ELLEN

Why was the cable guy here? DANNI (O.S.) I dont know ask Dad. INT. HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY Jake empties his locker into his backpack. TREVI, 16, sexy vampire red nail polish, the gorgeous, older chick at school you have a crush on, comes up behind Jake and startles him. Shes also a few inches taller. TREVI Scared of me? JAKE No! Jakes fixated on her cleavage. TREVI Hey! We still on for tonight? JAKE Check it out, Sour Diesel. Jake carefully pulls out the paper bag he snatched from Gavin. Inside several zip-lock bags of top notch weed. TREVI Sweet... She gives him a long kiss on the lips and runs off. Kevin sees them flirting from around the corner. 18. Page 20 EXT. HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL PARKING LOT - DAY Jake and Kevin walk out of the school entrance towards the parking lot. Jake sees a Volvo station pulling into the lot. JAKE (cant help himself) Your mom looks pretty pissed, dude. KEVIN Shut up... The Volvo comes to a grinding halt next to the boys. The driver, JANE BURNS, late 30s, attractive, yuppie, well kept, pops her head out the window. Shes pissed alright. JANE Wait until your father hears about what you did! KEVIN Like he gives a shit. JANE Get in the car! JAKE Youll be fine...

KEVIN See you online, bro. Kevin jumps into the passengers seat as Brian exits the school building and approaches. JANE Mr. Sanders, Im really sorry about this. I promise you Tom and I are taking this very seriously. BRIAN Thank you, Jane. JANE Ill see you tomorrow. BRIAN Yes, of course. See you, then. Jane pulls out. Brian appears fixated on her for a quick sec. Jake notices. Was he checking her out? 19. Page 21 I/E UNMARKED VAN - DAY Alex and Mia scope out the school and parking lot entrance. Alex taps her on the shoulder and they both watch Brian pulling out of the lot in a Jeep Cherokee with Jake at his side. Mia finishes attaching a silencer to a hand gun. Alex and Mia follow them. ALEX (into his cell) On our way. I/E UNMARKED VAN - DAY From behind, we see two men sit in a parked van overlooking an alleyway behind a house. MAN Copy that. We have eyes on the back entrance of the house. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET, GEORGETOWN - DAY Brians Jeep Cherokee drives down the leafy street it pulls into the driveway. Brian and Jake get out and walk to the house. Alex and Mias unmarked van parks across the street. ALEX We have eyes on the front entrance. WE PULL UP to reveal the Sanders home from above. There are two unmarked vans one at each entrance of the house. END OF ACT TWO 20. Page 22

ACT THREE INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT Ellen prepares a Pesto Risotto dish while watching a press conference with Congressman Bolton, Carl, his nephew and Gaines, discussing the hostage situation on TV. Brian and Jake walk in. Jake throws his backpack on the living room sofa. BRIAN Jake! Jake reluctantly goes back and picks up his stuff. Brian appears surprised to see Ellen. BRIAN (CONTD) Hi, I didnt know you were... ELLEN I left you a message. BRIAN Sorry, I forgot to check my voice mail. Youre probably exhausted. Let me make dinner. ELLEN Are you kidding? Ive been dreaming about making Risotto. I finally had time to get fresh Pesto from A Litteris... Jake walks past Ellen and up the stairs. ELLEN (CONTD) Excuse me? Ellen motions him to come back down. Jake knows its Ellens turn to grill about his actions at school. He slowly approaches, defeated, only to see Ellen opening her arms for a hug. Jake embraces her as he exchanges a look with his father. Brian hasnt told her. JAKE Hey, mom. Were you fired? ELLEN No. I got off early. JAKE Congrats! Barkley!! Come here, boy! (no response) Wheres Barkley? 21. Page 23 ELLEN Probably at Garys house. Jake disappears up the stairs. Ellen turns to Brian, he gives

her a sour look. ELLEN (CONTD) What? INT. JAKES BEDROOM - NIGHT Three different types of sneakers are scattered on the floor, a T-shirt hangs off a computer monitor. Jake throws his stuff on the bed then carefully removes the front panel of the beds base. He takes out a safe box, punches in a code and opens it. Inside, there are several bags of weed, a few cash rolls, a flick knife and an extra cell phone. Jake turns on the cell and dials a number. NICO (O.S.) You did good today. I cant have that punk stealing my weed. You got the rest of my money? JAKE Yeah, Ill see you in an hour. Jake hangs up and quickly puts the phone back in the safe. INT. KITCHEN - DAY Ellens working on her Risotto as Brian paces the kitchen. BRIAN Maybe it was a mistake to move him to Hardy. Its making my job a nightmare. ELLEN Consider that its also a nightmare being the Principles son... BRIAN Exactly my point! ELLEN If we move him to another school, he will feel like he failed us. BRIAN Easy for you to say... ELLEN What is that supposed to mean? 22. Page 24 Brian doesnt answer. A tense silence between them. Ellen looks for something, opening and closing cabinets. Brian pulls out the pasta strainer for her. He then hands her a few serving forks. Theyve done this a million times, with or without love. ELLEN (CONTD) Thanks. So why was the cable guy

here today? BRIAN What cable guy? Danni descends the stairs. DANNI Moms cooking? Is it Thanksgiving already? BRIAN Hey, watch your mouth, young lady. DANNI Sorry, Jesus, whats up with you? BRIAN Your brother was suspended from school today. DANNI Shock-horror! ELLEN Danni! DANNI Hes a brat, deal with it, mom! DANNI (CONTD) (She tastes the Risotto) Mmmm... yummy... cant you show dad how to make this? ELLEN I can teach you... DANNI Funny. Im off to Chads to study. ELLEN I want us to have dinner together. 23. Page 25 DANNI Next time, let us know in advance. Was great catching up. Danni rushes out as Jake runs down attempting a beeline to the door. Ellen blocks his path. JAKE Mom, somethings up with Barkley. ELLEN You should be much more worried about how much trouble youre in. Now go get Barkley and then you and I will have a long talk. Got it? Jake barely nods and runs out. Brian appears frustrated.

ELLEN (CONTD) Dont worry, Ill talk to him. BRIAN Every few months you have a conversation with him and let him off the hook, but then youre not around the following day or the day after that to deal with the consequences of his actions. ELLEN Damn it, Brian, Im here right now! And youre giving me a hard time for trying to help our son. BRIAN He needs to be punished. He needs to learn the hard way. Theres nothing wrong with that. ELLEN He also needs to be heard! Youre not listening to him. BRIAN Im not listening? Then why dont you cut back your hours at work like you promised and do the listening yourself... ELLEN Are we seriously going to have this conversation now? 24. Page 26 BRIAN Just tell me when? When does that part of you spending more time at home come? A year from now? Two years? Five years? Ellen cant do this anymore. She goes back to her Risotto. ELLEN (doesnt look at Brian) Can we talk about Jake? BRIAN Can I have an answer, first? ELLEN Dinner will be ready in ten! Ellen opens the fridge and hides behind the door. She takes a deep breath, then some fresh spinach and turns back to face

Brian but hes in the living room reading the Post. Hes Given up. Again. INT. UNMARKED BLACK VAN - NIGHT Mia is busy loading cartridges into the guns. Alex sees Danni walking away from the house. He dials a number. ALEX We have a problem, the girl left the house. INT. UNMARKED WHITE VAN - NIGHT From the back, we see the men take notice of GARY, the 60 year old retired, gay, widowed neighbor and a huge Ellen fan, enter the Sanders home through the backyard. MAN I got the neighbor coming in from the back. Make sure you have eyes on the girl at all times. INT. VAN - NIGHT Alex hangs up and turns to Mia. ALEX Follow her! Mia cocks her gun and attempts to exit the van. ALEX (CONTD) Hey! 25. Page 27 Mia looks back at him. They share a tense moment. ALEX (CONTD) Almost forgot this... Alex tosses her a red striped black mask. Mia smiles, then bolts out of the van. Alex switches on a portable monitor. It displays a split screen with multiple frames of Danni and Jakes empty rooms, the kitchen and living room where Brian and Ellen continue to share the same space in silence. INT. KITCHEN / LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Ellen tastes from her Risotto. Brian finishes texting on his phone in the living room. Cold silence. Then a knock on the door. Ellen rushes to open. Its Gary. GARY (effeminate) Darling, I can smell your Pesto Risotto a mile a way. ELLEN (still trying to shake off the fight with Brian) Hey you, come in...

GARY Just for a quick sec. Are you okay babycakes? ELLEN Tired. Sit down, Ill feed you. GARY Cant. Big night out with the boys. Oh, hi Brian, how are you? BRIAN Gary... Awkward silence. Gary picks up on the tension. Jake comes back in. JAKE Gary, did you see Barkley today? GARY Sorry, sweetie. Its the first day in weeks he didnt poop in my backyard. BRIAN Go to your room, now! 26. Page 28 Jake runs upstairs. Gary decides to wrap it up. GARY Anyway, remember those African Petunias I ordered ages ago, well theyre finally delivering them tomorrow. Theyre giving me an extra dozen to make up for the terrible service. Do you want them? (Off Ellens silence) Ill do all the planting, dont worry. ELLEN Youre an angel. Brians annoyed. He grabs the remote and turns on the TV. An image of the President is on screen. NEWS ANCHOR The President is scheduled to undergo surgery tomorrow morning... Ellen and Gary are drawn to the news report. Brian looks at Ellen with a bewildered expression. Ellen realizes Brian has yet to hear her message about the operation. Gary gets it. GARY Gotta run! See you later, kids.

Gary rushes out. Ellen switches the TV off. BRIAN Why didnt you tell me its tomorrow morning? ELLEN I just found out today. Secret Service policy... I called you, remember? Ellen prepares a plate of Risotto. BRIAN Let me clean up in the kitchen. You should get some rest. ELLEN Sure could use a long shower. BRIAN And Ill take Danni to her soccer game tomorrow morning, so dont worry about that. 27. Page 29 ELLEN (clearly forgot about it) Okay, yeah, thanks. BRIAN Im playing poker tonight. I didnt know youd be around. If you need me to stay... ELLEN All I wanted was for all of us to have dinner together. Bon Appetite! Ellen hands him the Risotto plate and heads upstairs. I/E UNMARKED WHITE VAN - NIGHT The two men put on face-masks. Theyre masks are black, one has a WHITE stripe on top and the other a BLUE one (we will refer to them as WHITE and BLUE for now). They nod at each other, then grab their guns and exit the van. EXT. BACKYARD GATE - NIGHT White and Blue approach a small gate that leads into the Sanders backyard. White pulls out a key that matches the lock and easily opens it. They enter and split up as they disappear into the bushes. EXT. BACKYARD / POOL AREA - NIGHT WHITE emerges from the bushes. He makes his way around the pool and heads over to a side path to the right of the house. Clearly he knows his way around this place.

EXT. SIDE PATH - NIGHT White walks along the side of the house and reaches a basement window. Though the window appears to be locked, White slides it open and slips into the basement. Did he know it was unlocked? INT. DRUGSTORE - NIGHT Danni is standing in line waiting to pay. She seems anxious. She looks around to make sure theres nobody she knows in the vicinity. Mia follows her from one of the aisles, posing as a shopper. Dannis phone rings. She picks up. DANNI Hey... 28. Page 30 CHAD (O.S.) Where are you? Jessie and Meghan are on their way... DANNI I thought we were studying tonight... CHAD (O.S.) Im not your tutor, you know. DANNI But I have a math test... CHAD (O.S.) But we never hang out anymore... Danni pays at the cashier as her eyes become teary. DANNI I just cant tonight, okay? CHAD (O.S.) Did you hook up with someone else? Danni hangs up. The sales associate shoots her a look. Danni throws a polite smile, shoves the purchased items in her bag and rushes out. Mia follows her at a safe distance. I/E VAN - NIGHT In the back of the van, Alex stares at his digital monitor where Jake is seen in his room glued to his iPad. An antsy Brian gets up and quickly makes his way upstairs. MIA (O.S.) The girl is a few blocks away... WHITE (O.S.) Copy that. Moving into position. Alex continues to track the operation through the monitor as he throws on a silver striped, black face mask and exits the van (we will continue to call him ALEX even though hell be

wearing a face mask in the house and his identity is hidden from the hostages) EXT. GEORGETOWN RESIDENTIAL STREET - NIGHT Mia follows Danni at a safe distance. Danni slows her pace as she nears the house. She hears something, turns around to look. Nobody. She takes a deep breath and goes in. 29. Page 31 Mia appears from one of the driveways and makes her way towards the Sanders home. She adjusts her earpiece, then pulls a small remote control device. She punches a few buttons and the main gate opens. She slips in and heads over to the garage door which is slightly open. Just enough for Mia to slip under it. INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT Danni scurries to her room. Slams the door shut and blasts hip hop music on her stereo. INT. GARAGE - NIGHT Mia pulls out her red striped face mask and puts it on (we will continue to call her MIA just like ALEX). She reveals a small mic under her sleeve. MIA Im in. ALEX (O.S.) Roger that. Youre clear. She carefully opens the door that leads to the house. INT. STAIRWELL - NIGHT She reaches a side staircase (not the main staircase that leads to the living room). Mia checks to see that its clear and creeps up the stairs. When she reaches the second floor, she takes cover behind a wall. ALEX (O.S.) Hold there. I have the father walking up the west staircase. Mia carefully watches Brian walk into the master bedroom. She continues down the hallway, loud music blares from Dannis room. She heads straight into the bathroom adjacent to Dannis room. She knows this place by heart. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Ellens dozing off on the bed, trying to relax, but Brian walks in. She wakes up and heads into the bathroom. BRIAN Good luck tomorrow. ELLEN Thanks.

30. Page 32 BRIAN We should talk to Jake, the two of us, after the surgery. (Off Ellens nod) Theyre going through a lot. Most days I can hardly keep up myself... ELLEN Look, maybe we should get some help around the house... its too much for you to... BRIAN Dont worry about the house, or me. Were fine. Its the kids that need you, Ellen. I cant cover for you indefinitely. Hes given voice to her deepest fear and shame. And it's sucking the life out of Ellen. She slips into the bathroom, locks the door. Anything to escape. INT. JAKES ROOM - NIGHT Jake sits on the window ledge, smoking a joint. Hes careful about keeping the smoke outside the window. A full plate of Risotto rests next to him untouched. He cell rings. JAKE Dude, I took a few hits from the Sour Diesel... crazy shit... so whats the verdict? KEVIN (O.S.) Grounded for a month. No laptop, iPad and iPhone. Thank God Nico got us these extra phones. You? JAKE Waiting to talk to my mother. Whatever... Im off to pay Nico, then to Trevis... KEVIN (O.S.) I cant believe youre going on a date after you got suspended from school. I thought youre supposed to get hit twice as hard being the judges son. How do you do that? Jake hears a noise in the bushes. 31.

Page 33 JAKE Ill call you later, bro. (yells) Barkley! Jake puts out the joint and bolts out of his room. EXT. BACKYARD - NIGHT Jake makes his way towards the bushes. JAKE Barkley! Where are you, boy? Jake scans the area. His phone rings. He looks at the caller ID and smiles. JAKE (CONTD) Hey, you, sorry Im late I... TREVI (O.S.) Heard you were suspended... Jake hears another noise coming out of the bushes. TREVI (O.S.) (CONTD) Thats totally hot... JAKE Im heading over now! Jake hangs up as he nears the bushes. He freezes when he sees Barkleys rear leg. JAKE (CONTD) Barkley! Jake pushes in and sees Barkley laying unconscious on the ground. Before Jake can get to Barkley, BLUE yanks him over to a darkened corner of the yard. INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT Danni enters and sits on the toilet seat. Her bag strapped on her shoulder. She takes a deep breath, trying to control an impending panic attack. A knock on the door shakes her even more. BRIAN (O.S.) Danni? You in there? Im leaving... DANNI Okay... bye... 32. Page 34 A dark figure, behind the shower door, appears in the side mirror. Its Mia. Her eyes on Danni. Danni waits for Brian to walk away then pulls out a couple of pregnancy tests from her bag. She shoves one of them back in her bag and opens the other. She holds the HPT in her hand and stares at it.

She gets a text message: Did you hang up on me? Danni replies: Will call you later! Another text from Chad: Dont bother! Danni rolls her eyes, then slides the test tube underneath to pee on the stick. After a few seconds she pulls it out. Before she has a chance to look at it, a noise from the outside startles her. She reaches for the door to make sure its locked, but Mia grabs her from behind and covers her mouth. Danni loses the HPT in the towel basket. Never seeing the test result. Dannis eyes fill with fear. She tries resisting to no avail. INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT Ellen finishes blow-drying her hair. A knock on the door. ELLEN Ill be out in a minute. (off another louder knock) I said Ill be right out! Brian? Ellen walks out of the bathroom and sees Brian sitting motionless on the bed with WHITE holding a gun to his head. Before Ellen can react, her mouth is covered by Alex. She barely resists. Within seconds husband and wife are face down and helpless on the floor. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT The entire Sanders family sits together on the living room carpet, hands cuffed and mouths gagged. Fear is evident in their eyes. The four captors are scattered in the living room, guns pointed at the family. WHITE lowers his gun and stands in front of the family. His eyes piercing from the face-mask eye holes and meet Ellens gaze. A tense, silent exchange. SMASH TO BLACK: END OF ACT THREE 33. Page 35 ACT FOUR INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT The Sanders family are fixated on WHITE standing in front of them. WHITE Im not going to repeat myself, so I suggest you listen carefully. We have no desire to hurt you. We have only one goal here. Once we achieve it, we will leave. Dont try to be heroes, these guns are real.

Dannis eyes are tear swollen. Brian tries to talk. Alex removes the mouth gag, his gun pointed at Brian. BRIAN What do you want from us? WHITE It doesnt concern you. All you need to do is follow our orders. BRIAN What does that supposed to mean? WHITE motions Alex to pull Brian to the side. WHITE (whispers in Brians ear) This is not a Q & A, Mr. Sanders! (Off Brians pale face) Now, tell your family that everything is going to be alright. Brian appears dumbfounded as he stares at WHITE in shock. WHITE (CONTD) Now, Brian! Brian turns to his family, but cant look them in the eyes. BRIAN Its going to be alright guys, Danni, Jake, listen to what I say, were going to be okay. Far from convincing, but everyone plays along. 34. Page 36 INT. UTILITY ROOM - NIGHT BLUE and Mia beeline to the utility box, clearly they know its precise location. They work together to open the box and dismantle the security system. Blue pulls out a memory card and puts it in his bag. BLUE Its like we were never here. MIA Id like to hear that in 24 hours. BLUE disconnects a few cables inside the box. BLUE Done. MIA Im impressed. Then a flashing yellow light goes off from inside the box. MIA (CONTD) Whats that? BLUE

Thats a problem. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Mia and Blue rush into the living room, but before they can tell their colleagues about the problem, the land line rings. The captors and hostages exchange a few quick looks. A few more rings, then White motions Ellen to pick up. Alex unties Ellen and removes her mouth gag. She picks up. ELLEN Hello...? CLAIRE (O.S.) Hi, this is Claire from Security Capitol. Who am I speaking with? ELLEN Ellen... Ellen Sanders. CLAIRE (O.S.) Good evening Ms. Sanders, do you have the password for the account? Ellen stalls, as if shes trying to remember it. Alex points his gun at her. 35. Page 37 CLAIRE (O.S.) (CONTD) Ms. Sanders, are you still there? ELLEN The code is Ringo Star. CLAIRE (O.S.) Okay... Ellen disconnects. Alex keeps his gun pointed at her. WHITE I thought we had an understanding. ELLEN We do... WHITE Then why are you lying? The phone rings again. Ellens face turns pale. WHITE (CONTD) Lets try this again. You really dont want to get it wrong this time around. Ellen picks up. ELLEN Hello? CLAIRE (O.S.) Ms. Sanders, its Clair from Security Capitol. The password you

gave me is wrong. ELLEN Im sorry, try... Jupiter 89. CLAIRE (O.S.) Yes, that works, thank you. ELLEN Sorry about that, Cheeky, our dog, must have set the alarm off. CLAIRE (O.S.) As long as youre safe, Ms. Sanders, thats whats important. ELLEN Thank you, good night. 36. Page 38 Ellen hangs up. WHITE studies her, decides to move on. INT. SECURITY CAPITOL CUSTOMER CENTER - NIGHT A plain long space packed with Office Depot furniture to match. A row of customer care reps sit in front of monitors. One of them is CLAIRE. Petite red head, full of energy. She looks up from her monitor and flags down a supervisor. SUPERVISOR What is it, Claire? CLAIRE The alarm went off at the Sanders residence. 1264 Congress Road. First Ms. Sanders got the password wrong, then she called the dog Cheeky. Claire points to the Sanders account page that displays a list of residents in the house including the dog, Barkley. SUPERVISOR Thats not short for Barkley. CLAIRE I dont think so. SUPERVISOR Its probably nothing. Ill send out a patrol car. Good job, Claire. Off a smiling Claire... INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Mia walks around the family of hostages collecting their cell phones. Jake checks his text messages, most of them are from Trevi. He attempts to text her back, but Mia snatches up the phone. Danni holds on to her bag hoping shell be forgotten. She stares down and sees Mias boots in front of her. She

looks up at her with desperation. Mia motions her to hand over the bag. DANNI Please, I need it, theres nothing valuable in there. You already have my phone... Mia points her gun at Danni who in return breaks down crying. Danni looks to Ellen for help. 37. Page 39 ELLEN Honey, its fine, give them your bag. They wont touch your stuff. (off a disappointed Danni) Danni, please... Danni surrenders her bag with the unused home pregnancy test inside. Her nightmare continues. EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT The Capitol Security patrol car pulls in next to the entrance gate. We see the driver from the back leaving the car and ringing the buzzer. INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT The intercom ring startles everyone. WHITE moves to the door and looks at the monitor where the patrol driver is seen. He motions for Ellen. BRIAN Leave her alone. Ill deal with it. Alex points his gun at Brians face. ALEX If we wanted your help, we wouldve asked for it. Sit down! Brian backs down. Ellen slowly walks over to WHITE. WHITE What is he doing here? ELLEN I dont know. You heard me giving them the right information. WHITE gives her a long suspicious look, then... WHITE Are you sure about that, Dr. Sanders? Ellens terrified, but keeps up her game, attempting to outsmart WHITE. ELLEN Its probably best if I answer,

dont you think? 38. Page 40 EXT. ENTRANCE GATE - NIGHT The drivers about to give up when the gate opens for him. I/E HOUSE ENTRANCE DOOR - NIGHT The driver rings the doorbell. Ellen opens the door halfway. From inside the house we see the drivers face for the first time. Its the JANITOR that Ellen saw at the hospital. ELLEN Good evening, is there a problem? The driver gives her a long silent look, then pulls out a brown envelope and hands it to her. She locks eyes on him. QUICK FLASH - Ellens at the hospital with her eyes on the handsome janitor in the elevator. BACK TO PRESENT Ellens fixated on the driver. ELLEN You were in my office... The driver walks away as he communicates on his radio. DRIVER 1264 Congress is clear. WHITE pulls Ellen back in. She glances at the envelope. WHITE Open it! Ellen opens the envelope and pulls out a stack of photos. WHITE (CONTD) Look at them! She flips through them. Its photos of Ellen and her family, including Barkley in his doghouse which has his name on it. WHITE (CONTD) Im sure youre well aware that your dogs name is not cheeky. ELLEN You took these from my office. 39. Page 41 WHITE Do you understand now, Dr. Sanders? If you continue to test us, we will destroy your life. (yells out) Barkley! Come here, boy! At first it sounds like an evil joke, but then, BARKLEY runs

inside. Jake jumps at him. JAKE Barkley, Barkley! Blue orders Jake to sit down, but lets him hold Barkley. Ellen shoves the envelope with the photos into her pocket as a tear escapes one of her eyes. Shes been outsmarted! WHITE Dr. Sanders, I need you to come upstairs with me. Brian gets up, again. WHITE (CONTD) Is there a problem, Mr. Sanders? BRIAN If you want something from my family you will have to talk to me! WHITE Thats not possible, Mr. Sanders. BRIAN You are not going upstairs with my wife, alone. WHITE Mr. Sanders, if we wanted to hurt your wife, we would have done so by now. ELLEN Brian! I can handle it. Please, stay here with the kids. Brian sits down as Ellen walks up the stairs with WHITE. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT WHITE and Ellen enter the room and share a long, tense silent moment. Ellens thoughts run wild. 40. Page 42 WHITE Please, have a seat. Ellen slowly takes a seat, her eyes on WHITE. WHITE (CONTD) Dr. Sanders, may I call you Ellen? (off her nod) How much do you love your family, Ellen? ELLEN What kind of a question is that? WHITE Truth is, you never really know how

much you love your family until their lives are on the line. ELLEN What do you want from us? WHITE From you, Dr. Sanders. Tomorrow morning you will be operating on the President. (off Ellens silent nod) The President will die tomorrow during the operation. ELLEN What? What are you talking about? What does that have to do with my family? WHITE Tomorrow morning youre going to kill the President of the United States when you operate on him. Or else, we will kill your family. (off Ellen shaking her head) Do you see how its all related? ELLEN I cant... WHITE Im afraid youll have to do better than that, Ellen, or youll be burying your husband and kids the day after tomorrow... 41. Page 43 ELLEN (snaps at him) I cant just kill the President of the United States. Its impossible! WHITE Relax! I wouldnt be going through all this trouble unless I knew it could be done. ELLEN How exactly? WHITE Thats not important right now. What I need is for you to help your

family get through this. ELLEN What am I supposed to tell them? WHITE Nothing. They cant know anything. ELLEN My husband knows about the operation. He probably figured it out by now. WHITE You will deny it. Im sure youve lied to your husband before. Ellens too frozen to answer. Clearly these guys are not after the diamonds her mother left her. WHITE (CONTD) Take a deep breath, then go back to your family. They need you, Ellen. ELLEN Who are you? White walks away. Ellens still confused, trying to decipher it all. Her hopeless expression suggests there may be no other way out of this mess but to comply. OFF Ellen, in way over her head... END OF ACT FOUR 42. Page 44 ACT FIVE INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Ellen walks into the living room escorted by WHITE. Brian and the kids look to her. Ellen keeps a cool facade, yet she is obviously tense. She takes a seat next to Brian and forces a quick smile. BRIAN What happened? What did they say? Ellen tries that smile again. Needs more work. DANNI Mom? JAKE Are we going to be okay? Mom! BLUE motions for Jake to keep quiet. Ellen cant find any words. All she has is a blank expression. Danni starts crying. ELLEN Danni, its going to be alright. JAKE

What do they want? ELLEN It doesnt matter, sweetie. Im fine and so will you be if we cooperate with them. Okay? BRIAN Jake, just let us handle this. We need you and your sister to be there for each other right now. Can you do that? Danni and Jake nod. Brian motions WHITE to approach. BRIAN (CONTD) Id like a few moments alone with my wife. Look at her... shes... I dont know if you have a family, but Im asking you to allow me to support my wife. WHITE (Clearly Brian touched a nerve) 43. (MORE) Page 45 You have five minutes. In the kitchen. Dont do anything stupid. BRIAN Thank you. (turns to his family) Guys, I need to talk to your mother alone in the kitchen for a few minutes. Were right over there, were not going anywhere. Okay? Danni appears antsy. She starts fidgeting and then gets up. DANNI Sorry, I need to go... Mia motions her to go upstairs. Ellen and Brian go to the kitchen. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Danni heads towards her bathroom, Mia follows, gun drawn. As she nears the bathroom, Alex comes out of the adjacent bedroom and beats her to the punch, walking straight into Dannis bathroom. DANNI Excuse me? I was going to use the bathroom?

ALEX Use the other one! DANNI What happened to ladies first? Alex slams the door shut in her face. Danni turns to Mia. DANNI (CONTD) I can wait. I like to use my bathroom. MIA Lets go! Danni reluctantly heads down the hallway to use her parents bathroom. INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT Alex tends to the stab wound Dominic gave him. He replaces a blood soaked bandage with a fresh one. He winces in pain as he wraps the gash, pulls out a few pain killers and downs them without a sip of water. 44. WHITE (CONT'D) Page 46 INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT Ellen and Brian huddle, still keeping an eye on Jake. They talk in whispers, cautious not to be overheard. BRIAN Its about the operation, isnt it? ELLEN Im sorry, I cant tell you. BRIAN Thats ridiculous. You need to tell me, Ellen. ELLEN Theres nothing you can do about it, Brian. If I tell you they will kill us all. Ellen looks him in the eyes... BRIAN ...The President. They want to get to him... ELLEN Brian, dont try anything stupid. They know everything. BRIAN Who are they? ELLEN Brian!

Brian turns to see Alex standing behind him. INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Danni strides in with Mia close behind. She passes by her parents but cant look them in the eyes. ELLEN Honey? Is everything alright? Danni nods and takes a seat next to Jake. The Sanders are all in the living room. JAKE Excuse me, Im starving. As you know, we missed dinner. Do you mind if I grab some Risotto? 45. Page 47 WHITE Get some for your sister. DANNI Im not hungry. Jake walks into the kitchen and serves himself Risotto. He looks up to make sure nobody is watching and then proceeds to spill Risotto all over himself by mistake. JAKE Shit! Jake comes out from behind the counter covered with Pesto Risotto. WHITE Take him upstairs to change. Jake walks up with BLUE. This family refuses to sit together in one space more than a few seconds at a time. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Jakes in his room changing. A knock on the door. BLUE (O.S.) Lets go, kid. JAKE Just a sec, please. Jake opens his secret safe box and grabs his second cell. He turns it on and texts Trevi back: family emergency. Will call you tomorrow. Just then BLUE storms in and sees Jake in front of the open safe box. Jake manages to hide the cellphone in his pocket. Blue points his gun at Jake. He approaches the safe and pulls out the cash and weed. BLUE Arent you too young to be doing this?

JAKE I dont think youre in a position to judge. Blue turns his gun at Jake. BLUE Careful, son. 46. Page 48 JAKE Just take it. I wont tell. BLUE smiles at Jake, then puts everything back in the safe box and locks it. He points his gun at Jake, ordering him to leave the room. Jake walks away defeated. INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT BLUE watches Jake go downstairs and join his family in the living room. Mia walks upstairs looking for Alex and bumps into Blue. Alex walks out of a room down the hall and sees them. BLUE You okay? MIA Im fine as long as you dont set off the alarm again. BLUE Touche! Let me know if you need anything. MIA You know I will... Mia turns and is startled when she sees Alex standing there. Blue walks down to the living room. MIA (CONT'D) Hows your leg? ALEX Its fine. MIA You should have it checked. Alex grabs her arm painfully tight. Whispers in her ear. ALEX And you should cut the small talk. INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Alex and Mia walk back down to the living room as the Sanders family prepares to call it a night. White whispers in Alexs ear, then motions Blue to join him upstairs. 47.

Page 49 INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT WHITE and BLUE walk into the room. They lock the door, then WHITE removes his face mask and reveals his true identity: FBI AGENT DUNCAN CARLISLE, the hostage rescue team leader.(We will refer to him as Duncan from now on at all times / with or without face mask) DUNCAN Do we have a visual on the house? BLUE removes his mask and is revealed to be GUY CAMPBELL, Duncans protegee in the FBI Hostage rescue team. (Will refer to him as GUY). GUY Should be up and running in a few. He takes a seat at his work station: a long table with several computer monitors displaying surveillance camera frames of the entire house. Duncan sits next to him. They share a moment. DUNCAN Everything else in order? GUY Turns out the kid is dealing pot. Keeps his stash in his room. DUNCAN Is he going to be a problem? GUY Juvenile. Ill keep an eye on the little man. Here we go, pictures up, should be PG-13... Duncan and Guy turn to the monitors and Guy zooms in on the living room frame where the Sanders family now lie next to each other. Ellen kisses her kids good-night. She sleeps on one side of them Brian sleeps on the other. END OF ACT FIVE 48. Page 50 ACT SIX EXT. SANDERS HOUSE - DAY The sun rises above this peaceful Cul-de-sac street. A Gardner unloads a leaf blower from his truck. A couple in their 40s jog past him. All seem so normal except... INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY Ellen stares at a masked Duncan, he holds a small vial filled with clear liquid. Guy (blue striped mask on) is manning several laptops in the room.

DUNCAN Roughly five minutes after the liquid is absorbed in the blood, you can expect to see a reaction. ELLEN What kind of reaction? DUNCAN His system will start crashing. Just follow regular CPR procedures. Nothing you do will save him. Ellen is appalled by Duncans casual manner. He makes it sound so easy. ELLEN Whats in the vial? DUNCAN Thats none of your concern. It wont show up in an autopsy. ELLEN You expect me to believe that? DUNCAN Its in my best interest not to leave any traces behind. (looks Ellen in the eyes) If you do this exactly as I tell you, I promise you, by tomorrow night, Ill be nothing more than a fading nightmare. ELLEN It all sounds so simple, except of course for the fact that Ill be killing the President of the United States. 49. Page 51 Duncan opens a bottle of Advil which has a secret bottom compartment. He hides the vial in there and hands it to her. DUNCAN If it helps, dont think of it as killing the President, think of it as saving your family. Duncan hands Ellen a cell phone. DUNCAN (CONTD) Needles to say it cant make outgoing calls. Lets hope I dont have to call this number. And one

more thing, Ellen... Duncan points over to Guy whos done setting up the monitors. Ellen looks closely at them. Dozens of frames from various locations in the hospital; the parking lot, Ellens office, the OR and every hospital hallway. DUNCAN (CONTD) We have every inch of your mission on camera, so trying to outsmart us would be quite... stupid. Ellen is stunned at the level of surveillance. Its Big Brother with a death warrant. INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY Danni and Jake wake up. Brian is upright siting on the sofa. Mia and Alex guard them. JAKE Wheres Mom? BRIAN Upstairs. Shell be back in a few minutes, dont worry. Danni sits up. She looks pale, sick. DANNI Excuse me? Alex turns to her as do the family members. DANNI (CONTD) I really need to go to the bathroom. Like right now. 50. Page 52 BRIAN Honey, are you okay? Let me help you... Alex steps in and pulls Danni up a bit too aggressively. Brian gets in his face. BRIAN (CONTD) Get your hands off her! Alex keeps his grip on Danni and points his gun at Brian. ALEX Sit down! BRIAN Not until you let go of her. Alex lets go of Danni and pins Brian to the wall. ALEX If you ever move again without my permission, it will be the last time you ever do. Got it?

Duncan rushes in after hearing the commotion, and motions Alex step to step away from Brian. DANNI Excuse me? I really need to go... BRIAN Hes not going with her alone. DUNCAN Ill take her, Mr. Sanders. Now please sit down and relax. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Danni nears the bathroom door. Duncan blocks her way. DUNCAN Are you okay? Danni looks terribly pale, cold sweat - not good. She slips past Duncan and locks the door behind her. INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT Danni rummages through the towel basket and pulls out the lost home pregnancy test. She looks at it and freezes. 51. Page 53 Her nausea takes over and she covers her mouth with her hand then sticks her head over the toilet and throws up. The mystery is over. The girl is pregnant. She continues to hold the home pregnancy test in her hand. A knock on the door. Dannis coughing it all out. Another loud knock. DUNCAN (O.S.) Lets go! Danni cant move. Duncan breaks the door open. He sees Danni bent over the toilet, retching, with the home pregnancy test in her hand. He gets it. DANNI Please dont tell... DUNCAN Its none of my business. Danni starts crying. Duncan looks to make sure theyre alone. DANNI My boyfriend doesnt know... DUNCAN Look, in less than 24 hours, this will all be over... Duncan hands her a tissue. Danni lifts her head and cleans her face. She stands up and looks in Duncans eyes. DUNCAN (CONTD) Take a few more minutes.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY Ellen exits her bedroom and slowly walks by Dannis bathroom as she hears Dannis coughing. INT. BATHROOM - DAY Danni and Duncans intimate moment is broken with... ELLEN (O.S.) Danni! Danni looks at the home pregnancy test in her hand. She looks around trying to find a safe place to hide it. Finally Duncan reaches out and offers to take it from her. She hands it to him as Ellen bursts in. 52. Page 54 ELLEN (CONTD) Danni, are you okay? DANNI (O.S.) Im fine, mom. ELLEN Why are you in here with my daughter alone? DANNI Mom, he was trying to help. I think I have a stomach virus. Ellen goes into auto mode, checking Dannis pulse and fever. ELLEN Shes dehydrating. She needs plenty of liquids. Now! DUNCAN Ill take care of it. You need to get ready. Ellen strokes Dannis hair with her hand and looks her in the eyes. Dannis eyes fill with tears. Ellen embraces her. ELLEN Dont worry, baby. Youre just overstressed. Try and rest. Ellen leaves them behind as she exits in emotional agony. INT. MASTER BEDROOM BATHROOM - DAY Ellen locks the door. She looks around and eyes the glass medicine cabinet door. She grabs a few hand towels and opens the glass cabinet door. She holds the towel on both sides of the glass door and elbows it a few times. She carefully removes the towels to reveal shards of broken glass. A few prescription bottles fall from the cabinet on to the floor. Ellen puts down the towels and grabs a large, sharp piece of glass. She stares at it, then at herself, in the mirror. She

moves the broken glass from her right hand to her left. She holds out her trembling right hand and aims the piece of glass at it with her left hand. Can she hurt herself? It may save the President, but it may also kill her family and her career. Good idea, impossible to execute. She drops the glass, unable to do it, slides down the wall and slumps on the floor. 53. Page 55 Everything finally comes crashing down and Ellen sobs. She pulls herself together and the prescription bottles on the floor catch her attention. She grabs the medication bottle and stares at it. Then we see something click in her head. A decision. Maybe a plan. INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY A composed Ellen descends the stairs and takes a seat next to her family. ELLEN Im leaving... Brian sits up, trying to digest. He turns to Duncan and motions for a moment with his wife in the kitchen. Almost a routine by now. Duncan approves. INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Ellen and Brian enter with Alex close behind. BRIAN Do you mind? Id like a moment alone with my wife. Alex steps away giving them some space. BRIAN (CONTD) Dont do it. Do you really think they would kill us? ELLEN Yes! BRIAN How do you know they wont kill us after you complete the mission? ELLEN I dont. BRIAN So why help them kill the President? ELLEN Youre going in circles and I have an operation to get to. Ellen goes to leave, Brian grabs her.

BRIAN Youre making a mistake. 54. Page 56 ELLEN Maybe, but at least it will be the last mistake I ever make. Please try to keep our kids alive while Im gone. Ellen walks back to the living room. INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Duncan and Alex await at the entrance door. Ellen reaches for Danni, pulls her into a hug. Jake joins in. Brian feels like a stranger looking at them. ELLEN You and I need to have a long conversation when I get back. JAKE I know. Jake finally looks her in the eyes. They have a short lived real moment. ELLEN Can you help your father and sister while Im gone? Jake nods as he becomes emotional. Ellen turns to Danni. ELLEN (CONTD) Honey, I know what you must be going through, but dont worry, well get through this together. Danni looks her in the eyes. Does Ellen know? Ellen kisses her kids, then gives Brian a hug and slowly walks to the entrance door. SUDDENLY, Brian runs to her. All guns pointed at him. DUNCAN Sit down! BRIAN No! This is crazy, Im not going to let her do this. Danni and Jake get up and move closer. Mia and Guy turn their guns at them. ELLEN Danni, Jake, sit down, now! 55. Page 57

JAKE We want to know where youre going. DUNCAN Were out of time. Brian, take your kids upstairs, now! BRIAN Ellen, youll never forgive yourself, dont go! DANNI Mom? Ellen is on the verge of breaking down but holds it together. Alex motions for Mia and Guy to take the kids upstairs. They grab Danni and Jake and drag them away kicking and screaming. Brian tries to go after them but is stopped by Alex. BRIAN If something happens to my kids, I will kill you! Alexs eyes are filled with rage. DUNCAN I realize youre under a lot of pressure, Brian, but you need... BRIAN You want to kill us? Come on, lets see if you have the balls. Alex pulls out his gun and shoots at Brian three times, intentionally missing him. Brian flinches and falls to his knees. Alex kicks him in the face. Brian goes down. DUNCAN Thats enough! Ellen rushes to help Brian. DUNCAN (CONTD) Ellen, Im sorry you had to see this, but you need to leave right now. You have my word that I will honor our agreement. ELLEN All I have left is your word. I hope you are half the gentleman my husband is. (whispers in Brians ear) Im sorry... 56. Page 58 Ellen opens the door, the bright sunlight washes her face as she leaves. Duncan helps Brian up and moves him to the sofa.

DUNCAN It doesnt have to be this way, Brian. BRIAN Youll never get away with it. Alex comes in and places a few photos on the coffee table. They are pictures of Jane and Brian having sex in a hotel. Brian is deflated. DUNCAN Everyone has a weak spot, Brian. Its what makes us human. Youre not much of a Poker player, are you? Duncan holds up Brains phone, taunting him. DUNCAN (CONTD) You really should erase texts to your lover, Brian. (to Alex) Bring the kids back. EXT. DRIVEWAY - DAY Ellen walks slowly to her car, she looks around for someone, anyone to stall her. She pauses for another long moment, hoping, maybe Gary will come by? Finally she relents and gets into her car. INT. CAR - DAY Ellen puts her seat belt on, then stares in the rear view mirror and sees Danni and Jake joining Brian in the living room. At least theyre together. Will she ever see them again? HOLD ON ELLENS FACE: looking at her family, tears rising again, feels trapped but, we can sense shes determined to do whatever it takes to save her family. She takes a deep breath and starts the car. SMASH TO BLACK END OF PILOT 57.