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 cacophony of alarms and lights, the horizon
outside tilted. 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 STREAKS 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 throttle 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 looms. We have time to realize it's almost
as big as the plane itself before it SHEARS 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 definitive, intentional escalation on
the part of the Soviets?
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
dealing with a hard-line Soviet
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 doorway, his face tight.
Kenny sags 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 penetrated
Soviet airspace. The Soviets scrambled
MIGs in pursuit, thinking it was a
bomber. 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 punitive airstrikes
against the SAM site that shot down
Major Anderson per our rules of
engagement.
And finally the moment Kenny has dreaded 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 confirmation 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 bastards. 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.