Truth Page #6

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EXT. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY -- DAY

COLONEL CHARLES stands in full dress uniform at the funeral

of a VETERAN as a flag is laid over a coffin. OVER THIS:

MARY (O.S.)

Colonel Roger Charles, worked Abu

Ghraib for us. Naval Academy grad.

Two tours in Vietnam, then the

Pentagon. When he's not working for

us, he's trying to get better armor

for combat troops in Iraq.

JOSH:

Who else?

INT. S.M.U. CLASSROOM -- DAY

LUCY SCOTT lectures a class of journalism students...

MARY (O.S.)

Since Dana's on maternity leave, I'd

like Lucy Scott to run point. She's

a CBS veteran, journalism professor

in Dallas.

INT. JOSH HOWARD'S OFFICE -- DAY

MURPHY:

What about this man... Mike Smith?

INT. CRESCENT COURT HOTEL -- DALLAS, TEXAS -- NIGHT

A posh COCKTAIL PARTY. A long haired shaggy guy stands by a

huge potted plant, feeding rum-and-cokes to a clearly drunk

actor. Pad and pen out. This is MIKE SMITH (20's).

MARY (O.S.)

Mikey cut his teeth working for Molly

Ivins and was a researcher for us on

(MORE)

17.

MARY (O.S.) (CONT'D)

this in 2000. Last I heard, he was

working as a stringer for People.com,

sneaking into cocktail parties to

find out who's sleeping with who...

SMITH:

When you say "sport-f***ing", do you

mean he's, like, putting it to her

for fun, or that he's actively

attempting to compete at it?

There is a TAP on his shoulder. A BURLY SECURITY GUARD.

BURLY SECURITY GUARD

Sir, we have to ask you to leave.

SMITH:

Listen, I appreciate where you're

coming from, you have your job to

do, but I am protected by my First

Amendment rights, so, you know,

respectfully, go f*** yourself.

The Security Guard rolls his eyes and looks to his goons.

BURLY SECURITY GUARD

The hard way.

EXT. CRESCENT COURT HOTEL -- NIGHT

Onlookers scatters as the goons BODILY CARRY a SCREAMING

Mike Smith out the front door of the hotel:

SMITH:

A free press is all that stands

between you roided out motherfuckers

and anarchy! At-tic-a! At-tic-a!

As they toss him into a FOUNTAIN...

INT. JOSH HOWARD'S OFFICE -- DAY

Back to the scene. Mary gives them a smile.

MARY:

It's a crack team. Trust me.

18.

INT. CBS NEWS DALLAS -- LOBBY -- MORNING

A small two story building. Mary walks toward the staircase.

Smith sits on the stairs. Rumpled clothes and hair.

SMITH:

You really gonna do it this time?

Your evil corporate overlords will

let you?

MARY:

Good to see you too, Mikey.

SMITH:

I hear Heyward's talking about closing

foreign bureaus, moving in more of a

bullshit "infotainment" direction.

MARY:

Where'd you hear that?

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