"(telephone ringing)" " (answering machine beeps)" " Johnny's voice:" "Sorry I can't pick up." "I decided to take a vacation while work was being done on my house." "Leave a message." "Anything, John?" "John?" " John, can you hear me?" " I can hear you, but I can't help you." "Like I said, it doesn't always work." "Or as he should have said, "It never works."" "That's fine, John." "Let's just move on to the next item and retarget." "Retarget?" "Right, okay." "I'm going to retarget right now." "Woman:" "This is what we get for recruiting from the tabloids." "Halsey wants new blood." "He thinks the program's at risk." "If anything's at risk, it's his job." "And guess who won't save it." "Again, John, all we want you to do is describe the current location of the agent that lighter belongs to and what he or she is doing there." "Man:" "Start with anything that comes to mind, John." "I'd love to, but nothing does." " Maybe it's, you know, stage-fright." " Maybe it's, you know, a scam." "Either way, we're done." "Listen, John, I'm afraid this isn't working out." "Look, I told you before we started, I can't just touch anything and get a vision because somebody's keeping score." "Car keys, where did I leave my damn car keys?" "Somebody looking for these?" "(monitors squealing)" " Agent Stone?" " Man:" "John?" "Call 911 in Connecticut, get an ambulance" " to 827 Franklin Street in Cos Cob." " That's my father's house." "He just had a heart attack." "Don't think, just call!" "Now!" "Stone:" "Thank God he's going to be okay." " Call me if his condition changes." " Man:" "Nice work, John." " Man:" "What did they say?" " The paramedics... they used a lytic agent to open up his coronary arteries." "He's going to be okay." "Man:" "Harriet, it's time for John to meet Colonel Halsey." "Stone's voice:" "We're a tiny part of a huge intelligence operation." "And to be honest, not a whole lot of people in the agency like to acknowledge we even exist." "But we've been around for quite awhile, because they need us when conventional means aren't getting the job done." "So no phone booth?" "I was hoping for a phone booth." "Maybe a cone of silence?" "We've heard all the jokes." "But if you actually come up with something new, by all means share." "Johnny:" "No windows either, I see." "The inner building is completely self-contained... separate power grid and com lines." "We need them." "(machinery beeping)" "Welcome to the War." "(theme music playing)" "* Oooh *" "* Fall in love, fall in love, fall in love *" "* Fall in love... *" "* Feel no shame for what you are *" "* Feel no shame for what you are *" "* Feel no shame for what you are... *" "* Fall in love, fall in love *" "* Fall in love. *" "Stone:" "We call this the War Room, but it's just an information way station." "The information we develop here is only a small piece of the overall intelligence picture." "We back up our results with hard data from satellites and intercepts before we send anything to command." "Or if it's deemed actionable, it's relayed to forward military bases, carriers supporting long-range recon and strike teams." "Man through radio:" "One of the outer tunnels." " It's cooler in here." " Johnny:" "What's that?" "Stone:" "The Tank, built with active audio-screening materials, suspended to prevent any intercept of vibrations which may result from voices, machinery or electronic media." "Our "Cone of Silence."" "They must have reinforced the walls since my last..." " Who's in there now?" " Major Granowitz, our senior viewer." "...much more sophisticated than Tora Bora." "You could drop 1,000 pounders on them all day and barely rattle their teacups." "What about a tactical nuclear device?" " What about the target, Reg?" " Sorry, I'm not sensing him right now." "They might have moved him, maybe to a new part of the complex" " I haven't discovered yet." " We're spinning our wheels." "What if he's right about the target?" "If the Mujahideen-i-Khalq shelter him..." "They're arms smugglers." "They don't want the heat." "Besides, there is no other intel to support his Iran theory." "Guys, you want to have a private talk, maybe you should turn off the goddamn intercom first, huh?" "For Christ's sake, Frank." "I've got the three blind mice coming in to review the entire program." "If I don't have something to show them..." "All right." "Tell Reg that he's... earned a break, and take him out of the rotation." "I think maybe it's time for... a new perspective." "Frank:" "Take a break, Reg." "John Smith, Colonel Burt Halsey." " Colonel." " You're a psychometric?" "Touch-enabled cognitive episodes, visions, with full-spectrum real-time feedback." "I've never heard it put quite that way before, but yeah." "We like to think that we trade in science here, Mr. Smith." "And you could also say that I am somewhat of an enthusiast." "I've been rated with some psychic ability of my own." "Nothing in your league, of course." "Now your last encounter with the agency, that Grissom business, you irritated some of my colleagues but you sure impressed the hell out of me." "I know that you are not familiar with our protocols, but I'm gambling that if we can work together," " we might achieve some amazing results." " I will do my best, sir." "It might help if I knew exactly what I came here to do, though." "That would not be a good idea." "We call that "front loading."" "If we tell you too much in advance, it can skew the results of your sessions." "All right?" "What do you say?" "You ready to get your feet wet?" "I am." "What are these for?" "Some remote viewers find drawing helps focus their impressions." "I'm not an artist." "I try drawing a horse," " it looks like a beagle." " Then don't focus on it." "Let a different part of your mind take over," " as if you're doodling." " Doodling with my dead zone." "Consider this a chance to get acquainted with our process." "The first set of items are to ground you in the general theater we're targeting." "Begin when you're ready." "(beeping)" "(explosion)" "This is from a bomb." "A smart bomb, I guess." "Don't guess, John, just tell us what you see." "Let us interpret." "US soldiers getting off a transport plane." "A firefight, as seen through this." "Enough warm up." "Cut to the chase." "John, I want you to open the cylinder." "(men speaking Arabic)" "(explosion)" "I'm in a cave." "It's being bombed." "There are soldiers..." "Arab soldiers are evacuating." "I'll be goddamned." "Right out of the box." "Now they're helping another man who's buried under the debris." "Is he alive?" "No." "John, can you describe him?" "He's wearing the same clothing." "He's just a kid." " Barely out of his teens." " Are you positive?" "I'm looking right at him." "Okay, John." "That's enough for today." "(speaks Arabic)" " (continues speaking Arabic)" " What the hell?" " John?" " Fighters evacuating someone." "He's tall." "I can't see his face, he's surrounded by bodyguards shielding him." "People, keep it down." "We're working here." "I see one of the guards' faces." "The blast knocked his sunglasses off." "The cave collapsed." " Still say you're not an artist?" " I don't remember picking up the pen." "There's been a persistent theory, one that you may have laid to rest, that our target died during the Tora Bora campaign." " Can we call him by his name?" " I'm afraid that I can't confirm or deny the identity of our target." "Like we said, the less you know, the less you'll be influenced." " Influenced by what?" " Media images, popular beliefs," " even your own preconceptions." " My visions are not subjective." "You've had a big first day, John." "Settle in." "We'll get at it tomorrow." "This way, John." "(speaking Arabic)" "(classical piano music playing)" "Company." "Reg, Sylvia, Monty, meet John Smith." "You can wait here while I check on your room." "We have a very firm rule:" "No comparing notes on current ops." "Hey." "So, who's the Hunter Thompson fan?" "Guilty as charged." "I take it you approve of the maestro's work?" "Yeah, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,"" ""Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail"... fear and loathing in general." "In that case, welcome to the asylum." "Since you've got my mug, you could fill it up." "No decaf, no milk, no sugar, no apologies." " Johnny:" "Tarot cards?" " It's just a hobby I picked up." " Monty, we have a guest." " Mm-mm." "It's amazing detail, Monty." "Wouldn't it help you to put those glasses on?" "I only need them when I'm in the Tank." "Sometimes I have trouble reading signs or making out faces during my viewing sessions." "I guess I have lousy remote vision." "Pick a card." "Let Madame Sylvia read your fortune." "The weight." "So much weight." "Like you're carrying the world on your shoulders." "Like you've got to save us, all of us." "Limited empathic ability, just enough to help out in this line of work and make family reunions particularly hellish." " I'm impressed." " Reg:" "No, you're not." "And neither are we." "Look... it's Reg, right?" "I don't know what I've done to offend you..." " Ted Williams." " Excuse me?" "You're the kid with the hot bat they've brought up from the minors to save the team." "So tell us, what's your average?" "How often are your visions on the money?" "Or on target, to use local parlance." "Well, gentlemen, they don't always tell the whole truth, at least right away." " But they've never lied to me either." " Never?" "(whistles)" "Even Williams, he only hit.406 his best year." "Sylvia, they're ready for you." "John, you're with me." "It was great meeting everyone here." "Care to cut it?" "The star?" "Enjoy your 15 minutes, cowboy." "Stone:" "Be it ever so humble." "Looks like a motel room without windows." "No satellite or cable either, though you can borrow a movie downstairs." " Halsey's fond of Westerns." " Sounds about right." " Is there a phone?" " (chuckles)" "And don't even try to use your cell." "The facility's shielded." "Tomorrow's schedule." "Breakfast is at 0600." "0700, orientation;" "0900, physical, followed by psychiatric evaluation." "(phone rings)" "Johnny's voice:" "Sorry I can't pick up." "I'm taking a vacation while work was being done on my house." "Leave a message." " (beeps)" " Bruce:" "Yo, what vacation?" "Where?" "And why couldn't you take a brother with you?" "Halsey:" "General, Colonel Halsey." "We have a new asset here who seems to have tapped into a solid lead." "We need Central Command to ship us the rest of the artifacts from Tora Bora ASAP." "Stone:" "We identified the man you saw as a mid-level Al Qaeda official." "New targeting materials were obtained to help you locate him." "Halsey:" "Find out where he is now." "It may lead us to our primary target." "You've got the ball, son." "Let's see you run with it." "(muezzin chanting over PA)" "(traditional Arabic music playing)" "Jesus H, look at him go." "Stone:" "John." "Can you describe your location?" "It's a street... a market street in a town or a city." "Stone:" "Landmarks?" "No." "None that I can see anyway." "There's our man." "He's got new sunglasses and he shaved his beard." "But it's definitely him." "Where did he go?" "I'm in some kind of makeshift living area in a warehouse or factory." "Sunglasses just came in." "Two other guys look like guards." "Halsey:" "Sounds like a safehouse." "(conversing in Arabic)" "A fourth man just came out of another room wearing a stethoscope." "(continue conversing in Arabic)" "They've got some big device." "Sunglasses brought plastic tubing that Stethoscope's trying to attach to it." "Stone:" "Tubing?" "Try describing the device." "It's about chest high and a foot deep." "It's got a little monitor screen on the top left... and two rows of controls next to it." "Jesus, if that's not a bomb, then what the hell is it?" "I've got an idea." "He went into another room and shut the door." "I can't see inside." "Maybe because Sunglasses never went in there." "I'm losing it." " I'm losing it." " It's okay, John." "Let it go." "John, is that the device you saw?" "Looks just like it." " What is it?" " Stone:" "A portable dialysis unit." "Our target is known to have kidney disease." "Halsey:" "We're in the process of trying to nail down the geography so that conventional intel sources can confirm..." " How soon?" " We're pushing our man hard, General." "He's new at this." "General:" "Intel from the interrogation seems to support your man's story." "So there's new urgency to this." "We can't expect the target to sit still for long." "(speaks Arabic)" "It's definitely a Pashtu dialect." "Show me where they speak it." "Stone:" "Eastern Afghanistan..." "pretty damn unlikely." "Northwestern Pakistan, more likely." "John, I need more details... clothing." "What are the people wearing?" "There seems to be a strict dress code where the women are concerned." "Most are wearing things that completely cover..." " Burkas?" " Yeah, there you go." "Any particular color or colors?" "Mostly blue." "What about the men?" "A lot of long shirts and robes." "And these shawls... gray mostly, with red and green patterned borders." "Red and green, red and green..." ""Shawls and blankets with red and green margin patterns, a signature product of Kaghan and Swat valleys... sold in Peshawar and in village markets throughout..." "Northwestern Pakistan..." "the tribal areas." "What about weapons, John?" "AKs, mostly." "And if you're old enough to ride a bike, you're old enough to own a gun." "Barrels up or barrels down?" "How they wear their weapons helps us distinguish one tribal clan from another." "Johnny:" "Barrels down." " They're also wearing bandoliers." " Good, but we're just starting." "We need to know everything about that street and the people on it... what they eat... what they drink... preferred currency... how they greet each other... prevalence of technology... every bit of merchandise that's for sale... each detail helps us focus... gives us new data we can use..." "to bring us even closer." "Get this to Central Command." "I'll authorize the recon." "And get us more satellite time." "Officer via radio:" "Bodhi's down, Bodhi's down." "Air boss:" "Turn him around and prep his ship for a TARPS run." "Got a recon request, highest priority." "Is this the street?" "Halsey:" "It's the strongest intel we've received so far." "Have you had a chance to review the material we posted to the secure VPO?" "I have." "I know you believe in the program, Colonel." "For the rest of us, it's not always so easy." " Is this your new man?" " John Smith, Senator." "You think you found our target, Mr. Smith?" "I've never been told exactly who the target is." "We all know who it is." "You find him or not?" "I never actually saw him." "He has seen known associates of his, and medical evidence." "His description of the village has been verified by satellite and aerial recon." "And we have independent intelligence obtained from captured Al Qaeda sources that indicate the target has been seen in this region recently." " That's actionable intelligence." " I agree." "We act now or we risk losing him, like we did with the predator incident last year." "I sure as hell am not going to tell that to the President." "Independent intelligence seems to support you, Mr. Smith... hard as it is to believe." " Did you ever serve?" " No, sir." "Well, I have, long time ago." "But some things never change." "Right now, there's this bunch of guys." "They're well trained, the best of the best, but they're a little nervous." "Not that they show it." "It's just the way it is before a mission." "And we're going to be sending them on that mission, Mr. Smith." "And that makes their lives... our responsibility..." "yours and mine." "Very well..." "I vote to authorize." "Operation Prime Target is a go." "We HALO drop to a point.3 klicks north of the target area, switch to indigenous clothing," " then obtain local transport." " Is this another recon, Sarge?" "Snatch and grab." "Army'd hate for you to get bored, Finster." " Who's the target?" " There's a rumor I can't discuss." "But we'll get our final orders on the drop plane." " Hooah!" " (all repeat)" "Well, if it isn't our bright, shining star!" " I couldn't sleep." " No one does before a major op." "All that emotion..." "I'm afraid to even walk around out there." " So nothing's happened yet?" " Monty:" "Don't worry." "If it happens, you'll hear about it." "Monty and Sylvia:" "Whoa!" "Sylvia:" "The first time is rough." "You get used to it." " I hope I never do." " Every officer feels the same when he sends men into combat." "At least the good ones." "But I'm not an officer." "Officers talk about actionable intelligence." "This operation is moving forward, and I have never even seen the target." "Have you?" "Have any of you?" "It's against their rules to compare notes." "But this mission is based on circumstantial evidence and assumptions." "I've never seen the target." " What if I'm wrong?" " Monty:" "We've all been wrong." "If we'd been right, you wouldn't be here." "I suppose the "good" officers call the casualties "acceptable losses," right?" "Until the next "actionable intelligence"?" "And so it goes." "You know what?" "I've only had these abilities for two years." "So it's all still too new to me." "So you guys are going to have to teach me how to tune out the faces of the kids who die... and their parents." "And even their future lives that I have seen that they'll never get to live... because of my "actionable intelligence."" "You know what?" "If comparing notes might save one or two or 10 lives... on both sides today..." "I say maybe the rules don't matter that much." "Show me your sketches, John." " What are you doing?" "We can't..." " What?" "They'll put it on our records?" "We're all they've got." "Show me your sketches." "Monty, put your glasses on." "I don't want to hear this." "It's a violation of every protocol..." " Screw protocol, Harriet." " Reg, Monty, Sylvia, me... no confirmed sightings of the target." "Different locations, same props:" "Locked doors, medical equipment, recognizable Al Qaeda figures..." "Traceable cell phone transmissions... like we've all seen different productions of the same play." "Target may still be in the confirmed location." " A decoy..." " We always consider designed to attract surveillance." " You don't know that." "Give me a chance to find out before it's too late to stop this mission." "(rooster crows)" "(muezzin chants over PA)" "(speaks Arabic)" "Looks like they're packing up." "I still can't get inside." "Empty." "It's empty." "There's no evidence of the target." "Explosives everywhere." "The room is booby-trapped." "This is Colonel Halsey." "Get me Central Command, Bagram airfield." "I can hear them." "They're inside the building." "Central Command." "Go ahead." "Get them out of here!" "Get them out of here!" "Stand by, John." "We're in communications with Central Command." "What do you mean, how do I know?" "I've got a man on the ground!" "Also, we have reason to believe that the status of strike team Tiger 6 is in jeopardy." "The building might contain explosives." "The target may have evacuated." "Or he might have been a decoy!" "Officer via radio:" "Tiger 6, abort mission and withdraw to rally point niner, niner, niner." "Over." " We just penetrated the perimeter." " Abort mission now!" "Roger." "You heard the man." "Niner, niner, niner." "Let's go!" "Tiger 6 to Wizard, we are under attack!" "Cannot get to our vehicle." "I'm not sure we can get there either." "They made it out of the building, but they're taking heavy fire!" " I can spot the enemy positions." " We have an open line." "Just tell us what we need to tell them." "Man:" "Communications relay is standing by." "Four fighters above the loudspeakers on the westside roofs." "Enemy position..." "westside roofs." "A grenade launcher..." "about to fire!" "Command radio:" "Westside roofs, RPG team!" "Soldier:" "Move, move, move!" "Damn it, we've got a sniper." "Wizard, we're cut off from our fallback exits, caught in the crossfire!" "Two major threats!" "Heavy machine-gun 30 meters down the north-facing alley." " Radio: 30 meters down the alley." " Take it out!" "The sniper fire's coming from a roof about 200 meters due east." "Radio:" "Sniper position, 200 meters due east." "I got him." " Where's this intel coming from?" " Who the hell cares?" "As long as it gets us out of here." "There's another exit." "An alley in the northeast corner blocked by a corrugated metal wall." "Look for the green awning." "Radio:" "Northeast corner behind the green awning." "Finster, there." "Make a hole!" "Stay down, stay down!" "Move!" "Move!" "Go, go, go, go!" "Forward, 1:00." "Head's up, go!" "Take cover." "Joseph, forward!" "Go, go!" "Radio:" "Roger, Tiger 6." "Black Hawk 3 is on its way to the extraction point." "Tiger 6:" "Roger that." "Black Hawk is standing by." "(helicopter overhead)" "Johnny, we hardly knew ye." "You sure you won't reconsider?" "Harriet had me pegged." "I'm not company material." "Stone:" "I wasn't being fair." " With proper training..." " It's not about the training." "It's about having the right temperament for this work." "A wise philosopher once said, "A man's got to know his own limitations."" " Which philosopher was that?" " Clint Eastwood, in "Magnum Force."" "Actually, maybe that was "Sudden Impact."" "At least this way the colonel has someone to blame for this little fiasco." " Which is fine by me." " Stone:" "John... you gave a few young men their futures back today." "No, we did." "All of us." "Nobody around here would have given it a second thought." "Except for the new kid, Teddy Ballgame." "(Johnny chuckles)" "Sylvia:" "A souvenir." "An awful lot of weight on those shoulders." "You know where to find us if you need us." "I may just take you up on that offer." "John... my father, I talked with him today." "Thank you." "If you ever need a favor..." "Stay in touch." "(theme music playing)" " No... no!" " Yes... yes!" "You're grounded!"