EXT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            As the U-2 turns, far, far below, emerging from the clouds,

            barely visible, rises a CONTRAIL.  It arcs lazily toward us.

            A beat, and then another CONTRAIL. 

 

            Then ANOTHER.  The anti-aircraft missiles creating them are

            too small to be seen with the naked eye.

 

            INT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            The cockpit is a cacophony¹ of alarms and lights, the horizon

            outside tilted².  Anderson's breath comes fast, rasping as he

            does his strains going into the high-g turn.

 

            He looks out the cockpit window, finds the first SA-2 missile

            in pursuit only several thousand feet below him now.  He

            waits. Waits.  Waits, still in the turn.  The black head of

            the missile now visible.

 

            He puts the plane over, rolling out into an opposite bank.

 

            EXT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            The spy plane's long flimsy wings weren't made for

            dogfighting.  They BEND terribly in the rollout.  And then

            the first missile STREAKS³ past, tries to correct its miss,

            but can't and vanishes into the distance at a 90-degree

            angle.

 

            INT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            Anderson's breath comes faster and faster as the second

            missile rises up, now visible.  He puts the throttle⁴ as far

            as it goes, trying to outrun death.  Every second is a tenth

            of a mile, and every mile shortens the missile's life span.

 

            The rising missile drafts aft, closing on the U-2 from

            behind.

 

            EXT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            The second missile's contrail rises up behind the plane,

            levels off, and closes on it at a tremendous rate.

 

            The third missile rises up in the far distance behind the

            second.

 

            The second missile races up on the U-2, closer, right behind

            it, can't miss.  Then at a hundred yards, the contrail

            suddenly peters out, and the missile, out of fuel, drops

            away.

 

            But the third missile closes.

 

            INT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            Anderson glances out the window, sees the spent missiles fall

            away, and spots the third missile still seeking him aft.

            Hand pinning the throttle forward, he prays under his breath.

 

            EXT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            The third SA-2 rides its billowing column of exhaust straight

            for the tail of the U-2.  This one is not out of fuel.

 

            INT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            Major Anderson opens his eyes.  He stares out the window at

            the glorious wonder of cloud and sea and earth below.

 

            EXT. U-2 - CONTINUOUS

 

            And the missile looms⁵.  We have time to realize it's almost

            as big as the plane itself before it SHEARS⁶ right into the U

            2's tail and EXPLODES in a BLINDING FLASH.

 

            INT. HALL OUTSIDE BUNDY'S OFFICE - DAY

 

            Kenny, jogging down the hall, hears form an open door.

 

                                BUNDY (O.S.)

                      Kenny!

 

            Kenny goes over to the threshold.  Inside the office Bundy

            stands up from behind his desk, grave.  And Kenny knows.

 

            INT. CABINET ROOM - DAY

 

            All of EXCOM is there except for Bundy.  Kenny sits behind

            the President, deeply distraught over Major Anderson.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Does this attack on our plane represent

                      a definitive⁷, intentional⁸ escalation⁹ on

                      the part of the Soviets¹¹?

 

                                GENERAL TAYLOR

                      The Soviets are in control of the SAMs.

                      It's hard to believe with their

                      centralized command structure that it

                      could be an accidental launch.

 

                                MCCONE

                      Mr. President, taken with the events of

                      the past few hours, I believe this

                      confirms our worst fears.  We're now

                      dealing¹² with a hard-line Soviet¹⁰

                      government, perhaps with Khruschev as a

                      puppet head, perhaps not.

 

            In the silence, Kenny reads the faces around the room.

            They're convinced by McCone's pronouncement.  Kenny's not.

 

                                KENNY

                      It could be a mistake.

 

            McCone gives him a get-serious look.  But Kenny presses on.

 

                                KENNY (CONT'D)

                      We need to be positive before we react.

 

            Bundy enters the room.  Everyone looks up.  He stands there

            in the doorway¹³, his face tight.

 

            Kenny sags¹⁴ in his chair.  Bundy, of course, has more bad

            news, and they all know it.  A hopeless beat.  The President

            just stares at Bundy, unable to ask.  Bundy nods, affirming

            what everyone is thinking.

 

                                BUNDY

                      A U-2 on a routine air-sampling mission

                      over Siberia got lost and penetrated¹⁵

                      Soviet airspace.  The Soviets scrambled¹⁶

                      MIGs in pursuit, thinking it was a

                      bomber¹⁷.  It got out okay.  Somebody

                      forgot to cancel the mission.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Goddammitt.  There's always some

                      sonofabitch who doesn't get the word.

                      All we need is the Soviets thinking

                      we're bombing them.

                          (facetious)

                      Anybody else?

 

            The humor falls on a cold audience.

 

                                GENERAL TAYLOR

                      Mr. President, our pilots are in danger.

                      We must order punitive¹⁸ airstrikes

                      against the SAM site that shot down

                      Major Anderson per our rules of

                      engagement.

 

            And finally the moment Kenny has dreaded¹⁹ all this time has

            come to pass.  He looks at Bobby, then at the President.  The

            President stares at the cup of coffee in his hands, as if

            trying to read the Fates' design in it.  A long beat, and

            everyone holds their breath.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      No.  I want confirmation²⁰ there wasn't

                      some sort of accident first.

 

            LeMay clears his throat.  Everyone looks at him, expecting

            him to scream or jump up and down.

 

                                LEMAY

                      I think that's a good idea, Mr.

                      President.  It'll be safer for my boys

                      to get those SAMs on Monday when we get

                      the rest of the bastards²¹.  I can wait a

                      day and a half.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Very well, then.

 

            But he says it without any belief in the words, realizing

            they're being tied fast to the train tracks of war.

 

            INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - DAY

 

            Alone in his office, shattered, Kenny stares out the window,

            viewing the distant Ellipse through a gap in the trees.  Kids

            are out there playing football.  He glances at his watch, and

            grabs his jacket.

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