3:35 a.m.
CUT TO: INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - HALLWAY - NIGHT
There is an unusual crowding in the White House hallways at this time of night. There are numbers of staffers walking. Among them, we see Toby coming in the Roosevelt Room.
CUT TO: INT. THE WHITE HOUSE PORTICO - NIGHT
President Bartlet, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, walks towards the Oval Office. He passes by a Secret Service Agent, who whispers to the mike on his wrist.
AGENT Eagle’s by.
CUT TO: INT. THE ROOSEVELT ROOM - NIGHT
Leo and Josh are with several military officers.
JOSH So they’ll be in position in two hours?
OFFICER 1 And they’d be booked up by a second carrier group plus the F-14s off the George Washington and the Carlston.
LEO How long before an estimated B.D.A.?
OFFICER 2 Ten minutes.
AGENT [walks up from behind Leo] The President’s waiting.
LEO Excuse me, gentlemen. [heads for the door]
JOSH Leo, do you need me?
LEO No.
Leo leaves. We see Toby and Sam looking on in the other end of the room.
CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT
The President is leaning on his desk.
Leo comes in and walks slowly toward him.
LEO Mr. President, Morris Tolliver is dead.
LEO [cont.] An airforce transport carrying Morris, 12 other doctors, 42 support staff, and a crew of five to a teaching hospital in Amman exploded in midair about 150 miles north of Tartus.
What was first thought to be a mechanical failure was then claimed by a fundamentalist group
after a keyhole satellite sent back a record of a heat stream coming from what’s called an F.I.M. 92, which is a shoulder-mounted surface-to-air missile launcher. In the last 90 minutes or so that’s been debunked as well.
Hard intelligence is telling us the order came from the Syrian defense ministry. Baker and Lennox are on their way from the Pentagon, and Brodie’s in the Situation Room preparing for your briefing.
Bartlet takes a moment before he speaks.
BARTLET What time is it?
LEO It’s 10:38 in Damascus.
BARTLET Where is the Syrian ambassador?
LEO He’s at his residence on a secure phone line.
BARTLET Tel Aviv and London?
LEO State’s waiting for your word.
BARTLET Alright, uh… [big sigh] I’m gonna call Morris’ wife now. I’ll meet you in the Situation Room.
LEO Yes, sir. [heads for the door]
BARTLET Leo?
BARTLET I am not frightened.
I’m gonna blow them off the face of the earth with the fury of God’s own thunder.
[beat] Get the commanders.
A look of concern is on Leo’s face. He slowly turns around, opens the door and leaves. From the portico, we see Bartlet walking around behind his desk. He sits on his chair and lets out a big sigh. He then picks up the phone and makes the call.
