"Boy, this place is great." "You know what we ought to do?" "We ought to stop and have a waterfront cookout." "Did you ever take a marshmallow and roast it on a frank, and then dip it in chilli sauce" "Come on, isn't there anything you ever think about besides food?" "Yeah." "But I'm certainly not gonna discuss that with an angel." "Well, I'm sorry." "The boss has got us on a tight schedule on this one." "Work, work, work." "Whatever happened to that "on the seventh day he rested" thing?" "Hey, Mark, do me a favour, pull over up ahead, will you?" "You changed your mind about the cookout, I knew you would." "Knew you would." "Here we go." "This is great." "Listen, Jonathan, you pick a spot." "I'll head down to that little market and pick up the goodies." "Jonathan." "Easy, take it easy, I'm not going to hurt you." "Take it easy, you're okay." "What's wrong with him?" "I don't know." "It doesn't look like he got hung up in telephone wires or anything." "No, no." "Something else is happening here." "He's dead." "You all right, buddy?" "Jonathan." "Mark, I want to spend some time here in Rose Beach." "I thought we were late for an assignment." "I don't care, there's work we have to do here." "Jonathan, the boss gave us a job." "He's expecting us to get it done." "How's he going to feel, you suddenly turning renegade?" "Please, this is important to me." "As a favour." "Please." "How do you say no to an angel?" "All right, for a little while." "But, mind you, it's against my better judgement." "Thanks." "Look, I want you to get a job at the Drake plant." "While working there, see what you can find out about toxic waste dumping." "Some cookout, huh?" "Yeah." "Excuse me." "I've just been hired, I'm supposed to report to the foreman." " I took a wrong turn somewhere." " Don't worry." "It happens to newcomers." "I'm going your way." " Come on." " Oh, thanks." "I'm Mark Gordon." " Rita Travers." " What do you do around here?" "I'm Mr. Drake's administrative assistant." "Sounds important." "Does "glorified gal Friday" sound more down to earth?" "Six fun-filled years of it." "I've been up for promotion for four." " So, what's jamming up the works?" " Just too good at my job." "Never could find anyone to replace me." "Why don't you go to another company?" "There is no other company." "Drake's the only industry in the area." "Don't get me wrong." "Mr. Drake's terrific." "I love working for him." "Speak of the devil, there he is now." "The one in the white lab coat is Donald Feeney, our industrial engineer." "Oh, the foreman's office is straight up those stairs, first door on the right." " Welcome aboard." " Thanks for the help." "What happened to the birds, mister?" "Not quite sure." "Look, I'm a stranger around here." "You kids know the Drake plant?" "Sure." "Our folks work there." "My dad, Burt Morgan." "He's been on the line for two years." "My mother's Mr. Drake's assistant." "She knows that place inside out." "Rita Travers." "Thank you." "Rita Travers." "I'll keep that in mind." "What you gonna do with all the birds, mister?" "First, I'm gonna let Rose Beach know they passed on." "Then, I'm gonna try to find out why." "Why do you care?" "You're not from around here." "No, but these birds are." "Well, anything we can do to help, mister?" "Sure." "First thing you gotta do is stop calling me mister." "Call me Jonathan." " Rita." " Inspector Thomas." "How's everything?" "Drake in?" "I'm on official business." "I don't see you down here." "Well, squeeze me in." "I've got a time bomb ticking here, and it's about to go off." "This plant could be history as of today." "But why?" "What's going on?" " Clayton." "Great to see you." " Gotta talk to you, Horton." " Now." " Come on in." "Yeah, we manufacture parts for all kinds of high-tech industries." "You'll be working on the line with me." " Welcome aboard." " I got a feeling you like it here." "After a year out of work over in Coulton, I'm thankful to have a job." "Got a new baby on the way." " Good." "Congratulations." " Thanks." "What are you hoping for, a boy or a girl?" "Oh, already got a boy." "Kind of like a girl this time." "But, you know, if it's healthy, I'm happy." "Yeah, I know what you mean." "You know, a big factory like this, there must be a lot of chemical dumping going on." "No, not that I know of." ""Tetrachloroethylene." What is this stuff?" "It's just a cleaner." "We use it to scrub the grease off the boards." "Then it goes right down the drain, right?" "Hey, pal, why all the questions?" "You some kind of EPA spy or something?" "No, no, no." "I saw a dying seagull on my way into town." "Got me thinking, you know?" "Well, that's got nothing to do with our plant." "Besides, there's plenty of birds around here." "One more or less isn't gonna mean much." "Yeah, I suppose so." "That's us, let's hit it." " Wanna grab a beer after work?" " Sounds good." "You see, all these figures belong over here." "I can't wait to tell that at the next board meeting." " How about lunch next week?" " Anytime, just give me a ring." "You got it." "I'll be right back." "What was all the ruckus about?" "You know Clayton." "Making mountains out of mole hills is his speciality." "But he said the plant would close." "What does that mean?" "Only that he's full of more hot air than usual." "I don't see what the city health department sees in him." "Well, I gotta go." "I'm meeting my wife at the racket club." " But I wanted to ask" " If I'm late, she'll go on a shopping spree out of vengeance." "Women." "Don't ever try to figure them out." "I'll do my best to steer clear of them." ""Drake Industries is charged with excessive environmental abuses in the matter of groundwater contamination of Rose Beach and environs."" "Hey, gather around." "Birds of a feather flock together, you know what they say?" "Now, you've heard of the birdman of Alcatraz." "I want you to look, now here's the birdman of Rose Beach!" "Hey, you know where a 500 pound canary sleeps?" "Anywhere he wants to." "Now listen closely, my friends as I dazzle you with my impressions of your favourite feathered friends." "Can you get this one?" "Hey." "Let me have one of those." " Yes, sir." " You got it." "You're old bluebird, yes, the bluebird of happiness." "Not too happy when he's not feeling well, though." "How about this one?" "Yes, indeed, if you said cardinal, you were right." "If you said bishop, you were wrong." "And how about this beautiful bird--?" " Son, what's going on?" " Oh, hi, Dad." "I'm just helping that guy, Jonathan." "Let me have that." "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the hawk, the hawk." "I'm not getting much response here." "Maybe I'll turn down the bird call" "What are you trying to do, son?" "Shut us down?" "Give me those." " Now, just go on home." " But Pa..." "Just go home." "Security?" "There's a lunatic down there in front of the plant." "Are you sleeping down there?" "Call the police and get rid of him." "Doing a little early spring house cleaning, my dear?" "I know I wasn't supposed to see that, Mr. Drake." "But I have now, and..." "Well, I wanna know what it means." "According to that report, we've been dumping hazardous chemicals right into the sewer system, they may be coming to the surface." "Rita, I love the passionate way you do things, but you really can't believe everything you read, especially when it comes from someone like Clayton Thomas." "Are you saying the report is false?" "No, there's a fragment of truth to it." "But we dealt with these problem six, no, eight months ago." "We changed our solvents to a non- toxic compound at great expense to us." "Right now, we're totally shipshape, believe me." "Then, why did you write him a cheque for $10,000, Mr. Drake?" "I never thought you'd stoop to go through my accounts." "I don't have to explain myself to you." "I hate to say it, sir, but this time you do." "To me, and the people of Rose Beach." "Alright." "Alright, I did write that cheque." "But I promise you there is nothing valid in that report." "It's just business as usual." "Confidentially, it was Clayton's semi-annual payment." " For what?" " For simply existing." "Payoffs to government agencies are something you have to do to keep the wheels turning smoothly." " I dislike it as much as anyone." " Then the report is true?" "No, absolutely not." "He knew we dealt with those problems months ago." "We did it discreetly so as not to alarm the community." "He wanted to let the cat out of the bag because I was a little bit late with my payment." "My God." "Yes, it is upsetting, isn't it?" "Rita, you've got to stop being so naïve." "Because this is the way things get done." "Look, I was raised here." "I care about these people." "Do you really think I would do anything to harm them?" " No." " Well then, let it drop." "Because to reveal this now would cause an unnecessary panic." "Trust me." "Trust me, Rita, will you?" "Attagirl." "I bet you're wondering who I am and what I'm doing here." "You're wondering that, aren't you?" "Well, I've been elected by the birds of Rose Beach to be their spokesman." "They wanted to speak for themselves, but they couldn't." "You know why?" "Because they're dead." "They're dead." "And these are only the beginning." "I'm talking about ground water contamination." "And the source of that contamination is Drake Technologies." "Why don't you fly back to your nest, you kook." "There's nothing wrong with our plant." "There's a lot wrong with this plant." "And these birds are only the beginning." "Only the beginning." "The weak are always the first to die." "Small animal, birds..." "And your babies." "And then your elderly." "It's contamination that's killing them, and where's it going to stop?" "Or has it started with you already?" "Look at you, all looking at me like I'm a fool." "Why worry about this, huh?" "Worry about the important things, worry about the bomb." "Oh, we're going to be killed by the bomb!" "Well, let me tell you none of you are going to die from the bomb." "You'll be dead long before that because you're killing yourselves." "Because, day in and day out, you contaminate the planet you live on." "You're going to kill yourselves." "And the plant that you work for," "Drake Technologies is part of that murder!" "Alright, this is private property." "It's time to fly south." "Well, you were right, you made the front page." "Yeah, let me see." "Three hundred bucks to bail you out." "You know, I'm flat broke." "You alright, buddy?" "You look a little green behind the gills." "No, I'm fine." "The ravages of being a jailbird, I guess." "Well, excuse me for not busting a gut." "I mean, the sight of that paper took all the yuks I had." "Mark, the people have to know." "Jonathan, if Drake closes, what about the people who work there?" "They've all got families." "I know that." "But I'm trying to prevent them from being like those other towns where the birth defect rate is three times normal." "I want to stop that from happening here." "If it isn't too late." "Please keep digging at that plant." "I need your help." "Okay." "Okay." "You don't know anything about this birdman." "What makes you so sure he's telling the truth?" "I don't know, Mom." "It's just a feeling." "I trust him." "Well, I trust Mr. Drake." "And he assures me that the plant is clean." "But Mom, whatever happened to those gulls" "Has nothing to do with the plant." "Eric, do you have any idea what would happen to this town if the plant closed down?" "That would be a real disaster." "For everyone." "Look, I'm all for your caring about wildlife." "All I ask is that you do it responsibly." "And stay way from strange characters, like that birdman." "Okay?" "I better go to school." "Good morning, Rita." "Mr. Drake!" "You're here early." "Well, I wanted to talk to you before the day got underway." " I've got something for you." " What is it?" "It's a confidential, independent study Dr. Feeney conducted last month regarding how Drake Technologies rates in environmental areas." "As you'll see, we come up smelling like roses." "I had him send it up, because, well, I want to put to rest any lingering doubt you may have." "Thank you, I appreciate this very much." "Good." "You take your time with it." "You'll find it's full of a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo, but you'll get the gist of it, I'm sure." "This means a lot to me, I..." "What is it?" "You seem upset?" "It's Eric." "We had a bit of a run-in." "He's really upset about this spate of dead birds." "I am too." "I'm sure they're flying in from somewhere." "We're not the only plant in the state." "I know." "Say, there is one other thing too." "Considering the astute way you handled yourself yesterday," "I was forced to face the fact that I've been holding you back long enough." "How does vice president in charge of Public Relations sound to you?" "Well, it" "Oh, my God." " Good." "It sounds very good." " Well, good." "Because that's your next job." "Come with me, come on." "Here we go, right this way, Madame vice president." "And here we are." "I haven't bothered to furnish it." "I thought you'd like to decorate it yourself." "After all, it's your own private office." " Do you like it?" " Like it?" "I've dreamed about this for years." "Well, your dream's come true." "Thank you, Mr. Drake." "Wait till I tell Eric." "Hey, how's it going?" "What is this, you've been avoiding me like the plague all day." "News travels fast in a town this size." "I know you bailed out that crazy birdman." "So?" "Whose side are you on, anyway?" "Hey, he's a good guy." "He's just doing what he thinks is right." "Oh, yeah?" "Is it right for him to be telling my kid that his old man is working at a place that's breaking the law?" "He's got no proof, mind you." "Jonathan wouldn't say anything unless it were true." "Oh, come on." "He's just another one of those looney do-gooders, bleeding over a few birds." "Does he have a family to support?" "Does he?" " No." " Well, I do." "He can afford to be an idealist." "I'm a realist." "I've got no choice." "Nice picture." "Always did like birds." "What do you want?" "I just wanted to congratulate you on your promotion." "Thanks." "Now, are you going to get out or do I have to call Security?" "All right." "Your son told me you were a good listener." "I hope you don't make him out to be a liar." "All right." "You've got two minutes." "I'll just take one." "I've been checking all the waterways in the area." "I'm certain Drake has been dumping chemicals into the system." "And now it's resurfacing, seeping into the ground water supply." "That's impossible." "I have just read the latest documented scientific reports." "Come on, what documented scientific reports?" "The ones from Dr. Feeney?" "Drake's chief industrial engineer?" "Slight conflict of interest." "His recent raise would seem to heighten that conflict, wouldn't you say?" "How do you know all that?" "I just know." "Well, even if he did get a raise, so what?" "Dr. Feeney is above reproach." "I don't believe there's anything to your allegations, so if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave." "Certainly." "Good luck with your new office." "It's a nice view." "It's wonderful to be able to see the water." "I wouldn't swim in it, though." "Jonathan, help me." "Richie, he's real sick." " What's the matter, pal?" " I don't know." "I found a couple of dead birds at Brighton Pond." "I got them out, started feeling real sick." "I told you never to touch those birds unless you had gloves on." "I know, but you don't wear them." "Here, let me see your hands." "How long have you had that rash?" "I just got it." "Oh, God, I think I'm going to be sick." "It's alright, just let it on out." "That's it." "Oh, God, what's happening to me?" "Come on, I'll get you to the doctor." "Come on." "That should do it." "I'll get started on the ad campaign first thing tomorrow." "It's your project." "You handle it." " Mr. Drake." " Yes?" "I just heard some awful news." "What is it, Amanda?" "Well, apparently that bird fella is in our emergency room with a couple of kids." " And" " And what?" "Spit it out, Amanda." "He says one of them is contaminated." "Oh, my God." "Eric." "Eric." " Are you all right?" " Yeah, Mom." "But Richie, he got real sick." "It's a local allergic reaction and nothing more." "The vomiting might be part of the allergic response." "But the symptoms have abated." "He's fine now." "I don't get it, Dr. Dan." "Richie's never been allergic to anything." "What's going on here?" "Richie brought me a dead bird from Brighton Pond." "He put his hands in the contaminated water." "The rash and vomiting started after that." "Every time there's trouble, you're right in the thick of it." "Hey, Dad, it's not his fault." "He told us not to touch anything." "I just forgot." "Look, I've checked all the waterways in this area." "They're contaminated." "It may even be in the drinking water." "I've had enough of your irresponsible rabble-rousing." "If you're not out of here in ten seconds, I'll have you arrested." "Look, can we hold off on the fighting?" "I just wanna know exactly what is wrong with my kid." "It could be any one of a hundred things." "A reaction to an insect bite, a chemical allergy." "The corticosteroid salve I prescribed will take care of the rash." "Please don't worry." "Richie will be fine." "What's going on here?" "You put salve on my kid, but you don't know what's wrong with him?" "There's nothing to worry about." "Bull." "My kid is sick." "That's something to worry about, doctor." "You've got kids, too." "It could just as easily have been Eric as Richie." "Mr. Drake," "I wanna believe there's nothing wrong here in Rose Beach." "I just hope nobody has to die before you find out what's really going on." "Come on, son." "Let's go home." "He could be right." "Someone may have to die before they'll do something." " Hello." " Mr. Egan." "I have told you never, never to call me at my home." "I know that, sir, but something has happened since the board meeting." "What is it?" "That troublemaker I mentioned." "He's becoming a real problem." "Well, how close is he?" "He's too close." "Something's gonna have to be done." "And soon." "Alright, alright, I'll handle it." "Hi, birdie." "Thought we'd come by and clip off your wings." "Folks around here are getting tired of you, bird-freak." "We want you out." "I'm not leaving." "Boys, I think this little canary needs some encouragement." "So, what do you say now, birdie?" "I'm not leaving Rose Beach." "Tell your boss." "We don't have a boss." "We do this for fun." "Jonathan, you ought to see" "Alright, you." "Come on." "Come on." "Come on." "Come on, come on, you want some more?" "Come on, let's go." "Hey." "That was very impressive." "I just wish you would have gotten here sooner" "We're getting out of here, we're getting out of here tonight." "I can't go yet." "If the boss wanted you here, he would have given you the stuff." "I'm telling you, man, it's a sign." "Now we gotta get out of here." "Tomorrow." "I'll go tomorrow." "Hey, bird brain, you better get out of here, they'll throw you in the clink again." "Hey, pal, I'm talking to you." "Hey." "Hey." "Oh, my God." "He's dead." "Somebody call the police." "Jonathan." "Jonathan." "I told you, buddy." "I told you we should have gone." "Oh, God, why?" "Why?" "Is this finally enough to get you people to wake up?" "My God, don't you see?" "It wasn't just toxic waste that killed him." "It was ignorance and it was greed." "All he wanted, all he wanted in the world was to keep your water from being poisoned." "He wanted you all to just stand up and fight." "He wasn't just talking about your jobs," "He was talking about your lives." "This man..." "I told you those gauges were showing unusually high readings of toxic discharge." "That birdman knew that." "Why he let himself get contaminated, I'll never know." "Who cares why?" "He's out of our hair." "All we've gotta do is tough it through the press attention, and everything will get back to normal." "Are you crazy?" "There's gonna be an autopsy." "When they cut that guy open, what do you think they're gonna find?" "Sugarplums?" "Or evidence of toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons?" "When that's out, the Fed's will be all over us." "There's not gonna be an autopsy." "No autopsy?" "Why?" "Because I'm gonna take care of it, okay?" "Don, one more thing." "You keep your mouth shut." "You've got a good two years in the Federal penitentiary if you don't." "Make it quick." "And now, a special news release, from the city morgue." "Shirley Stark, what's happening down there?" "Phil, the most astonishing turn of events." "The morgue has apparently been broken into, and the body of the mysterious birdman is missing." "No one has any clue as to its whereabouts." "Now the authorities aren't releasing any information at this time." "We have tried to contact Drake Technologies, but they have no comment at the moment." "They do say they will hold a news conference tomorrow morning." "So we hope to have more information for you then." "Now, back to regular programming." "Come on, quickly, this way." " Helma said you were in Sai Wan." " Now, for heaven's sake, leave here." " Hi." " Hello." "I'm sorry about your friend." "I liked him." "He had guts." " Did you see the news last night?" " Yes." "Then you know they took his body." "Drake and his friends, so there couldn't be an autopsy." "You don't know that." "Yes, I do." "And so do you." "But you don't have to worry, they're not gonna catch them." "Guys like Drake don't ever get caught." "He and his flunkies will talk their way out of it." "And you know what that means?" "That means that my friend will have died for nothing." "Nothing." "In five, four, three, two, one." "Good morning." "I'm Shirley Stark, and I'm here at Drake Technologies, speaking with the company president, Horton Drake, as well as Dr. Donald Feeney." "Now, gentlemen, last night the body of Jonathan Smith, known as the birdman, disappeared from the city morgue." "Accusations have been levelled that he died of toxic waste contamination emanating from this plant." "Shirley, there is absolutely no connection between that death and our plant." "We are a clean operation, operating well within the EPA guidelines." "Doctor, do you agree with that?" "Yes." "Yes, wholeheartedly." "And I have documented studies to offer as proof." "Then what do you make of the bizarre disappearance of the birdman's body?" "Sabotage, pure and simple sabotage." "My guess is that some radical ecological group stole the body to avoid an autopsy, because they know that it would reveal the truth that this birdman did not die of chemical poisoning." "We are the ones who wanted an autopsy." "We demanded it, because we knew we'd be vindicated." "We're innocent." "And everyone here knows it." "Wait." " I have something to say." " Give her the mic." "I'm Rita Travers, vice president of Public Relations at Drake." "I have in my possession a secret report that documents Jonathan Smith's allegations." "This woman is not authorised to speak for the company." "She was fired as an incompetent, and she's simply trying to get revenge." "I was told that the problems in this report had been dealt with." "I believed it, but I now know that it was a lie." "Toxic chemicals are being dumped at this plant, right into the sewer system." "And for some time now, they've been seeping up to the surface, contaminating our ground water." "We're slowly being poisoned." "This is a pack of lies." "The birds are just the tip of the iceberg, the first to go." "Look, I'm no expert, but do we have to wait until our kids get leukaemia?" "Until our mothers have miscarriages, our men go sterile?" "Let's not wait for a body count." "Let's not have another Love Canal." "Jonathan Smith died for us." "He tried to help us, now he's dead, let's make that death mean something." "Will our jobs count if we're killing ourselves and our families?" "Please!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Clean up the plant!" "Well, you got it done, buddy." "You got it done." "Hey, how about that cookout?" "Cute, Jonathan." "Really cute."