þÿ<html> <head> <title>"Flightplan," by Peter Dowling; and Billy Ray</title> </head> <body> <pre> FLIGHTPLAN by Peter Dowling Revisions By Larry Cohen Terry Hayes Current Revisions By Billy Ray First Polish April 30, 2004 FADE IN: ...on KYLE SHERIN - who sits, numb... INT. SUBWAY - CHARLOTTENBURG STATION - NIGHT She's 35, pretty in a glamourless way. If you'd met her six days ago you would have found her bright, focused, together. But that was then. Tonight she sits on a bench in a DESERTED SUBWAY STATION, with a thousand-mile stare in her eyes. In the distance we hear an approaching SUBWAY TRAIN. The train grows louder, pulling towards this platform now, screeching noisily. Then it stops. A PRE-RECORDED voice tells us, <i>in German</i>, that this is Charlottenburg. The train sits... But Kyle doesn't rise, doesn't react at all. Staring, until: DAVID (O.S.) Honey? She turns. DAVID SHERIN stands a foot away. He's forty, handsome, kind. Her husband. She smiles, comforted. KYLE Oh. He extends a hand to her, leads her to the train. She's carrying an umbrella. They board, the train's only passengers. Must be late night. The doors shut. The train pulls away. We FOLLOW IT into darkness... as we <u>BEGIN INTERCUT</u>: INTERCUT WITH/INT. BERLIN MORTUARY - EVENING (FLASHBACK) We're over Kyle's shoulder as she enters the Viewing Room of a MORTUARY. A grim-looking MORTUARY DIRECTOR awaits. Beside the Mortuary Director is an <u>open casket</u>. We don't see yet who's inside. Kyle stands stiffly, eyeing that CASKET from across the room, her face a mixture of pain and dread. In her hand is that same umbrella. MORTUARY DIRECTOR Frau Sherin? INTERCUT WITH/INT. SAVIGNYPLATZ STATION - NIGHT Doors HISS shut. The train pulls away, leaving David and Kyle in this otherwise empty station. It's subterranean, vast. Looks like an Escher etching. David and Kyle climb stairs, disappearing from view. We hear their footsteps trail off. CONTINUE INTERCUT: INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK) Kyle stands with that Mortuary Director - and the casket. MORTUARY DIRECTOR (in German) Would you like a moment of privacy... before the casket is sealed? That threw her. But she thinks she's supposed to say yes, so: KYLE Okay. Mortuary Director nods, backing out, which leaves Kyle alone in here with the still-unseen body. CONTINUE INTERCUT: EXT. STREET - CHARLOTTENBURG, BERLIN - NIGHT Kyle's head rests on David's shoulder as they walk. It's a cold night; steam fogs their breath. The 20's-style buildings around us glimmer with frost and ice. CONTINUE INTERCUT: INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK) Kyle eyes her shoetops, the curtains... anything except what's inside that casket... until it's all just too much. She hurries to the door. CONTINUE INTERCUT: EXT. STREET - CHARLOTTENBURG - NIGHT Kyle and David's walk comes to an end at this APARTMENT BUILDING in Charlottenburg. David reaches for the door. But Kyle pauses, eyeing something: A row of large PLANTER POTS have been cemented into this street, to keep drivers from speeding. The pots are full of soil, with bare frozen trees rising from them. But <i>one of the pots has been badly damaged</i>. Chunks of it are missing, much of its soil too - as if something had smashed into it at high speed. Kyle eyes it. Then she glances up to this building's ROOFTOP, <u>six stories above us</u>. Quite a drop. CONTINUE INTERCUT: INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK) Kyle opens the door. The Mortuary Director stands here. KYLE Danke. Mortuary Director takes that to mean "I've said my goodbyes, thank you for the privacy." He nods. CONTINUE INTERCUT: INT. KYLE'S APT. BUILDING - LOBBY - NIGHT It's an old building, no elevator. David heads up the stairs. KYLE David? David turns. Kyle's at the door. KYLE (CONT'D) Could we just... sit in the courtyard for a minute? Just a minute. David smiles warmly. Kyle seems so vulnerable tonight - denying her would be impossible. DAVID Sure. INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK) Mortuary Director stands beside the open casket. MORTUARY DIRECTOR (IN GERMAN) You need to enter your code now. KYLE (IN GERMAN) Is that really necessary? MORTUARY DIRECTOR (IN GERMAN) I'm afraid so. International Law forbids the repatriation of an unsecured casket. EXT. APARTMENT - COURTYARD - NIGHT Kyle and David step out to a COURTYARD which is surrounded on all sides by the six stories of this rectangular building. A bench sits out here. Behind it is a bare tree, home to a few blackbirds. David brushes some snow off the bench. Kyle's about to sit when a SOUND jars her: those BLACKBIRDS, flying noisily away. She watches them as they go... INT. MORTUARY - EVENING (RESUMING FLASHBACK) Kyle stands, immobile, as the Mortuary Director <i>closes the casket</i>, and <u>we get our first glimpse of who's inside</u>: ...a 40 year-old man. <b>David</b>. His face heavily made-up. MORTUARY DIRECTOR (IN GERMAN) We did all we could. But there was some trauma, to the head. Kyle tightens... The casket SHUTS... and David is gone. EXT. APARTMENT - COURTYARD - NIGHT Kyle stands, very much alone, that same umbrella in her hand. No company. No David. A single set of footprints in the snow lead to this bench. Her eyes begin to moisten, but it might be from the stinging cold - hard to say. She shuts them. CONTINUE INTERCUT: INT. MORTUARY - EVENING - (RESUMING FLASHBACK) There's an ELECTRONIC LOCK on the now-closed CASKET, awaiting input from her. It's blinking green. MORTUARY DIRECTOR Your code, bitte. Kyle shakes her head, making herself function... enters six digits into the electronic lock... until the lock blinks red. <u>END INTERCUT</u>. INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Darkness, pierced by a single lamp. We see MOVING BOXES, lots of them, in rows on a Living Room floor. High ceilings, large radiators beneath the windows, hardwood underfoot. ...and ten huge FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS, relegated to a corner. And an answering machine with "27 Messages" on it. INT. KYLE'S APT. ENTRY/FRONT DOOR - SAME (NIGHT) A woman lingers by the front door, tears in her eyes. She is KAROLINA - 50, Polish, a nanny. Kyle is a few feet away. The feeling couldn't be more somber. KYLE It's not impossible, Karolina. I've already made a few calls. KAROLINA Thank you. KYLE There are working Visas. The State Department issues them. Karolina tries to smile, but she clearly believes that this is the last time she'll ever see Kyle again. KYLE (CONT'D) She's so attached to you. Karolina sniffs back a tear. KAROLINA I am... I'm so sorry. I... KYLE I can reach you at your brother's, right? Karolina nods. The moment hangs. She steps out. KAROLINA Please. Try to sleep tonight. Their eyes lock. Kyle smiles thinly. Karolina goes. Kyle pauses a moment, then shuts the door. INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT - DEN - LATER NIGHT This was an office just a few days ago. A desk is strewn with files, notepads, books - all of it regarding Rudyard Kipling. Five boxes marked "David's Research" wait. But they're <u>empty</u>. Kyle sits on the floor, her back against a bare wall... wearing that thousand-mile stare again. Just can't move. JULIA (O.S.) Mommy? That was the voice of a little girl. Kyle doesn't react. JULIA (O.S., CONT'D) Mommy? Now Kyle turns, as if awakening from a dream. JULIA, 4, stands in the doorway, wearing pajamas. In her hand is a one-armed chenille teddy-bear named Harry. JULIA (CONT'D) Everything's in boxes. Kyle tries to smile, but the effort is obvious. JULIA (CONT'D) Is Daddy in one of them? That cut right through Kyle. KYLE No, sweetheart... INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT - JULIA'S BEDROOM - LATER NIGHT Kyle, still dressed, lies beside Julia as the child sleeps. A carousel-nightlight throws moving reflections across the walls: horses and cows and cherubs, chasing one another against pale blue wallpaper. Kyle, wide awake, eyes them. More MOVING BOXES in here. Everything has been packed except an outfit for tomorrow: (jacket, tights, boots, etc.) The curtains are open. Kyle rises, careful not to awaken Julia, and crosses to them. She reaches for the curtains, then notices something, through the window: TWO MEN, visible across this building's courtyard. They seem to be <i>looking from their third story window into this one.</i> They're Middle-Eastern. Persian. Maybe Turkish - but staring right at us. Kyle shuts the curtains. A beat. She turns to go, then turns back - just has to look through those curtains again. She peeks out. Shutters have now been drawn where the Persian-looking men were standing only seconds ago. Odd... INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT - MASTER BATHROOM - CONTINUING Kyle turns on a light, and crosses to a tiny make-up bag on the counter. She opens it, and pulls out a bottle of PRESCRIPTION PILLS. Klonepin. For anxiety. She swallows two and leaves without looking in the mirror... INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NEXT DAY - (3 P.M.) The apartment's empty. Sheets cover pieces of furniture. Those floral arrangements remain unclaimed on the floor. We hear the sounds of a WINTER STORM outside. Whipping wind. INT. JULIA'S ROOM - SAME Stripped bed, bare dressed, nothing else. The boxes are gone. INT. DAVID'S OFFICE - SAME "David's Research" remains unpacked, the boxes empty. Through the window we now see the WINTER STORM raging out there. INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - STAIRS - SAME (3 P.M.) Kyle, bundled for weather, trudges down stairs carrying THREE HUGE SUITCASES, heavy as hell. Her eyes are red from lack of sleep; her head feels foggy. Behind her we hear a sound: THUMP, THUMP, THUMP - its source unknown to us. Kyle continues on, almost sleepwalking. INT. KYLE'S APT. BLDG. - SECOND FLOOR LANDING - CONTINUING She hits a TIMER SWITCH on a hallway light. It brightens. Again we hear the THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. Kyle turns. ...as Julia rounds a corner, half a flight of steps above Kyle, emerging from shadow. Julia is carrying her BACKPACK, which is hitting each step. Hence the thump, thump, thump. KYLE Doin' okay, Jules? Julia mumbles an "uh-huh." KYLE (CONT'D) Almost there, Sweetheart. INT. KYLE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - LOBBY - MOMENTS LATER At last, they're down the steps. Kyle releases the suitcases; feeling her arms relax. Julia reaches the last step and drops her pack, sighing exaggeratedly. Kyle finds that pretty cute. Kyle turns, heads for the door, but: JULIA Mommy? Kyle looks back, and realizes that <u>Julia isn't following</u>. The kid has frozen in her tracks, right by the stairs. JULIA (CONT'D) I don't wanna go out there. We can't tell what's scaring Julia so. Through lobby doors we see that huge SNOWSTORM. And a waiting car. And a DRIVER. And that badly-damaged PLANTER POT. Kyle's eyes soften. KYLE It's okay, Honey. I promise. JULIA I don't wanna go out there. I'm scared. Kyle pauses, eyeing her little girl... KYLE What if I hid you? Would that be okay? (Julia doesn't understand) On my shoulder, under my coat... JULIA The whole way? KYLE Whole way. Julia thinks about it... then nods. EXT. KYLE'S STREET - HIGH ANGLE - CONTINUING We are across the street, at rooftop height, as Kyle carries Julia, hidden under that overcoat, to the car. The buildings on this block surround them like walls in a room. INT. THE CAR - CONTINUING Kyle straps Julia into a CARSEAT. Behind them, their Driver shuts the trunk. KYLE Hey, look what I brought. Kyle pulls two GROOVY GIRL DOLLS from her bag. KYLE (CONT'D) They're your favorite ones, right? JULIA They're okay. Kyle shrugs, humbled. The Driver starts the car; it pulls away. Kyle's head turns as that cracked PLANTER POT passes by, almost close enough to touch. FADE TO BLACK ...and come back in on a HIGH-ANGLE of the <u>Berlin Airport</u>. EXT. BERLIN AIRPORT - HIGH ANGLE - ESTABLISHING Dense clouds, heavy snow... and not a single flight taking off or landing. From up here the stillness almost makes the airport look like a photograph. INT. BERLIN AIRPORT - TERMINAL - 4 P.M. We're tight on a HUGE BOARD listing DEPARTURES and ARRIVALS. Every listed flight has been delayed or cancelled. Kyle stares at the board. Her PAN-WORLD flight to JFK has been pushed until 7 p.m. That worries her. Around her we see frazzled travellers, long lines, swelling counters - and all of it watched over by SOLDIERS, armed and grim. Welcome to Post 9/11 travel. A LADY passes by, carrying a LEASH. At the other end of the leash is not a dog but her two CHILDREN. That gets Kyle's attention. She turns, to point it out to Julia... ...But Julia's not beside her. KYLE Julia? Kyle swivels quickly, eyes darting. She sees strangers, couples, foreigners, adults. But nobody kid-sized. Travellers pass by her, obscuring her view. A small panic flutters through her... She turns again: There's Julia, over by a MAGAZINE/SUNDRIES STAND, staring at a rack of candy, holding Harry the one-armed teddy-bear. Kyle lets out a sigh, surprised by how panicked she'd felt. INT. BERLIN TERMINAL - MAGAZINE STAND - CONTINUING Kyle hurries over, pushing the "Smart-Cart" bearing her three huge suitcases. KYLE (firmly) Julia. Julia turns, recognizing the "mad" tone in Kyle's voice. KYLE (CONT'D) What'd I tell you about wandering away from me in a public place? JULIA I was hungry. KYLE Doesn't matter. You scared me to de-- (stops herself) You got me really worried. JULIA Sorry, mom. She meant it. Kyle softens. KYLE It's okay. What kinda snack do you want? INT. AIRPORT - BAGGAGE HANDLING - 5 P.M. Darkness. A rattling sound. Then we emerge into light. ...as Kyle's THREE SUITCASES come off a conveyor belt. A TURKISH BAGGAGE WORKER puts them on another belt, heading for an X-RAY MACHINE. (Every piece passes through it.) More soldiers patrol down here. Bomb-sniffing DOGS too. INT. TERMINAL - APPROACHING METAL DETECTOR - 5 P.M. Kyle stands, bleary-eyed, in a line approaching a METAL DETECTOR. Beside her, Julia eats a muesli bar and sips some juice, her BACKPACK on her back. The chatter around them is about cancelled flights, airport closures, weather. And security, of course. Kyle's eyes close, for just a second. She shakes herself awake again. Above is another DEPARTURES/ARRIVALS board: Pan World 83 to JFK just got pushed again. <b>7:30 p.m</b>. Shit. They reach the front of the line. INT. TERMINAL - AT THE METAL DETECTOR - CONTINUING Julia's got that backpack. Kyle has a soft-sided computer bag, and their bag of snacks from that sundries stand. KYLE (CONT'D) Put your bag on the belt, Honey. (Julia hesitates) Don't worry. It'll come out the other side. Mommy's bag goes through too. Julia will send the backpack through, but not with Harry inside. She pulls the bear out. Kyle looks to the METAL DETECTOR GUARD: "Is it okay?" The Guard shrugs. Julia passes through. No beep. She kisses Harry, then notices the TV-sized X-RAY MONITOR on which she can see the x-ray of her own backpack. Pretty neat... METAL DETECTOR GUARD #2 (IN GERMAN) Please turn on any electrical devices. Kyle nods, opens up her carry-on. Inside is her LAP-TOP. But she's also got her overcoat, and a pullover. And all of Julia's cold-weather gear. This might take a minute or two. KYLE Stay where I can see you, Jules. Behind Kyle is a SENEGALESE WOMAN, roughly sixty, waiting patiently with a small child. KYLE (IN GERMAN) (to Senegalese Lady) You can go ahead, if you want. The Senegalese Woman smiles, nodding to the CHILD to go ahead. They pass toward the metal detector as Kyle steps aside, turning on her lap-top for the Guard. The Guard nods, satisfied. Kyle shuts down her lap-top, sends her carry-on through, and passes through the metal detector. ...where she BEEPS. Great. METAL DETECTOR GUARD #1 (IN GERMAN) This way, please. Kyle looks to Julia, who remains transfixed by the x-ray screen. Kyle heads for a row of chairs nearby. KYLE It's just a second, Honey. They have to check something. Julia shrugs, happily watching the x-ray of another carry-on bag as it passes through. METAL DETECTOR GUARD #1 Shoes off, please. The inspection begins, that Guard's WAND being waved over Kyle and all her clothing. She slips out of her shoes. To Kyle's right are TWO LIBYAN MEN, also being searched. The GUARDS seem a bit more curious about these guys. INT. TERMINAL - DEPARTURE GATE - 7:15 P.M. Kyle stands at a window. Outside, framed by the blowing snow, is an AIRJET: an enormous beast, bigger by far than a 747. Various tarmac vehicles service it, dwarfed by its size. JULIA (O.S.) It's so big. Julia's by Kyle's side, her nose pressed against the glass. KYLE The biggest. JULIA What kind is it, mom? KYLE An Airjet. Brand new. JULIA Did you make it? KYLE Just some of its systems. Then Julia sees something that makes her four year-old eyes go wide: two GROUNDS CREW GUYS on the wing of this giant plane, fueling it. They're 30 feet off the ground. JULIA What if they fall? KYLE Don't worry. They're not gonna fall. JULIA But they could... Kyle gets the inference. She squeezes Julia's hand. Then she hears a P.A. VOICE behind them announcing that it's PRE- BOARDING TIME. "Passagiere mit Kleinkindern," etc. KYLE That's us. Got your ticket? (Julia taps her backpack) Let's go. They head for the jetway, a few passengers ahead of them. CUT TO: INT. AIRJET - MAIN DECK - LEFT AISLE - NIGHT We're tight on a "Welcome to Airjet!" video. In it, <i>faces of every ethnicity morph into one another</i> as they tell us about the multi-national teamwork that made this plane possible. "Enjoy your flight" in 25 different languages. We PULL BACK... taking in <u>the 370 seats on this Main Deck</u>, all EMPTY now. The Airjet is a monster. Unfueled it weighs 626,000 pounds. 17 galleys. 17 lavatories. Huge. Vast. With that "welcome to Airjet!" Video playing on every seatback. ...and we've only seen <i>half</i> of it yet. We CRANE UP... <u>through</u> <u>the ceiling of the Main Deck</u>, into: INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - LEFT AISLE - CONTINUING ...now we're in the UPPER DECK, which boasts <i>another</i> 210 seats: 96 Business, 114 Coach - all of them EMPTY, all of them playing that same "Welcome to Airjet!" video. We PUSH IN... as Kyle emerges from a STAIRWAY connecting the two decks, with Julia over her shoulder. They're the first two passengers to board. It's like being the only two people in the Superdome. Kyle finds Row 24, and gestures to 24A, the window seat. KYLE That's your seat, Sweetie. Julia slips into it, dwarfed by it, as Kyle pulls items from Julia's BACKPACK: the muesli, the orange juice carton, some Dr. Seuss books, the Groovy-Girls dolls. Then, thinking better of it, Kyle puts the dolls back into the backpack, and throws the backpack into the overhead bin, beside her own carry-on. Other voices begin to filter in now - more families with children. The voices of one family grow nearer to us: APPROACHING BOY I'm taking the window. APPROACHING GIRL <u>I'm</u> taking it. That's a ten year-old American kid and his sister, who are on their way down this aisle, parents in tow. They continue: APPROACHING BOY Dad said. APPROACHING GIRL Did not. He said you had the <u>aisle</u>. APPROACHING BOY Shut up. APPROACHING GIRL You shut up. THEIR FATHER Both of you shut up! Let's call this bunch the LOUD FAMILY. The boy is named RHETT. His eight year-old sister is BRITTANY. Mom and Dad will be known to us as MR. and MRS. LOUD. Kyle, seated in 24B now, eyes the Lauds as they near us... RHETT ("APPROACHING BOY") I had the middle the whole way here. BRITTANY ("APPROACHING GIRL") Did not. We switched over Greenland. MRS. LOUD Bobbbb... MR. LOUD Awright, kids. You heard your mom. Meanwhile, Julia spots something on the floor, something shiny - it's a kid's TOY, an airplane, three inches long. Julia slips out of her seat and grabs it, as: RHETT You don't even know where Greenland is. BRITTANY Dadddddd. Maybe they'll go right past us. Ten rows away would be nice. MR. LOUD Okay. We're Row 23. Now how're we gonna work this out? Rhett dives for the window seat in Row 23, <u>directly in front </u> <u>of Julia's seat</u>. BRITTANY Daddddddd! MR. LOUD That's nice, Rhett. Very big- brotherly of you. RHETT Why's she get everything all the time? Eight hours with this bunch... Great. The Louds settle in. Kyle looks down at Julia, who remains on the floor, playing with that toy airplane now: KYLE Want some juice, Sweetie? JULIA No, thanks. Kyle sits back, sighs. We're on board. We're leaving Berlin. It's going to be okay. INT. AIRJET - MAIN DECK - MINUTES LATER 280 PASSENGERS are on this deck now: Germans, Czechs, Poles, Americans, Asians, settling in. The back five rows are empty. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 24 - SAME There are roughly 120 PEOPLE filling this deck's 210 seats, leaving the back ten rows of this deck completely EMPTY. The TWO LIBYAN MEN Kyle saw at the metal detector settle into Row 17. Two other MIDDLE-EASTERN MEN take seats in Row 16. Kyle notices them, then judges herself for doing so. Julia is still at Kyle's feet, having made a "FORT" down here from a blanket and two pillows. She plays with her bear and that little toy airplane. One row up, Rhett and Brittany begin SLAPPING EACH OTHER with their in-flight magazines. BRITTANY Stop it! RHETT I'm not doing anything. MRS. LOUD Bob... MR. LOUD (at the kids) Have a heart, okay? You know how Mom feels about airplanes. A beat. They look pretty sheepish. RHETT/BRITTANY Sorry, Mom. 24C, beside Kyle, remains empty. Across the aisle, seat 24-D is also empty, but one row back, in 25-D, is a stocky guy in an ugly sweater. This is GENE CARSON, 45, American. Carson eyes the Loud kids, then waves over a Flight Attendant (STEFAN, 28, German.) CARSON Got two questions for you: What're the movies? And how loud do these headphones go? That was Carson's way of joking with Kyle about the nightmare family in the next row. Kyle grins, getting it. STEFAN Never quite loud enough. Stefan continues down the aisle... just as Rhett gets one last slap in on Brittany. Carson sighs. looks to Kyle. CARSON Those back rows are starting to look pretty attractive. Kyle breathes out a smile, noting the ten empty rows. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - COACH GALLEY #1 - SAME Stefan enters, greeting MIKE, ESTELLA, and FIONA - three more Flight Attendants. STEFAN Could be some high-maintenance in Row 23. ESTELLA I heard them. MIKE The people two planes <u>away</u> heard them. Knowing laughs all around... but Fiona's smile is a bit thin. MIKE (CONT'D) (re: Fiona) Hey. Somebody tell the new kid - it's okay to laugh about the passengers. ESTELLA Honey, it's okay to <u>hate</u> the passengers. The Flight Attendants laugh. Estella nudges Fiona and she relaxes a bit, laughing. INT. AIRJET - FLIGHT DECK - SAME Captain MARCUS RICH, (42, English, all-business), and Co- Pilot WALTHER KAUFMAN, (blond, German, friendlier.) RICH They just shut down Frankfurt. KAUFMAN Thank God we aren't going to Frankfurt. RICH We may not be going <u>anywhere</u>. Kaufman nods knowingly. Then a blast of DE-ICING SOLUTION shoots out at them from a CREW on a motorized cherry-picker. EXT. TARMAC - APRON - SAME The cherry-picker moves the DE-ICING CREW in their haz-mat winter gear, toward the wing. Below, CARTS bring LUGGAGE to a BELT LOADER which feeds the luggage into the Airjet's holds. INT. UPPER DECK - ROW 23/24 - SAME <u>Stefan passes by</u>, doing a head count, as we hear: RICH (THRU P.A. SYSTEM) Good evening, Ladies and Gentleman, this is your Captain speaking. We've just received clearance to push away from the gate. Should be off the ground shortly. Mrs. Loud tightens. Her husband strokes her hand. Stefan adds them to his headcount, then breezes by Kyle's row - where Julia continues to play on the floor, inside her "fort." Just then, a loud SOUND - coming from outside Julia's window, nearly sends Mrs. Loud out of her seat. MRS. LOUD Bob? Bob? What was that?! It was a sheet of ICE, sliding off the wing. Julia pops up from her fort to find that DE-ICING CREW, at work. MR. LOUD (O.S.) I dunno, Honey. But I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Julia looks to Kyle, who leans in: KYLE They have to knock the ice off the wings, or the plane's too heavy. That was good enough for Julia... but Mrs. Loud didn't hear it, and she's looking pretty anxious. JULIA You should tell her, mom. KYLE Huh? JULIA Maybe if you told her about your job she'd feel safer. Kyle pauses, touched. For a fleeting moment it's almost possible to forget the tragedy that just floored them both, only days ago. Then a huge reminder rolls toward them... It's a FORKLIFT, approaching the Airjet, bearing a single piece of cargo: <u>David's CASKET</u>. The forklift nears the forward hold of this Airjet, then vanishes from our view. Julia's face just drops. That's her dad in there. Kyle sighs. KYLE You just sleep, Sweetheart. When you wake up we'll be somewhere else. JULIA Daddy too? KYLE Yeah. Daddy too. Julia looks out her window, lost. Then she steams that window up with her breath, and <u>draws a </u> <u>little heart in the steam, with her finger</u>. A tiny, clumsy heart. Kyle's too touched to speak. Julia rests her head against Kyle's shoulder. Kyle covers her with that overcoat again. EXT. BERLIN AIRPORT - RUNWAY - NIGHT The Airjet thunders down the runway, visibility near zero. INT. AIRJET - MAIN DECK - SAME We DOLLY DOWN THE AISLE as the plane rumbles. Some passengers read, or listen to music. Some are already asleep. Then the nose rises powerfully, into that heavy weather, and we detect the signs of strain on some faces. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 23/24 - CONTINUING Mrs. Loud is just about hyperventilating with fear - mumbling about the climb's being too steep. That makes Julia a bit uptight, so: KYLE Hey, how'd ya like to have a whole row to yourself? JULIA Huh? KYLE Last couple rows are empty. We could take a couple seats each. Would ya like that? Julia half-smiles. Kyle gives her a confident grin. We HOLD on them for a moment, as the plane continues its climb. That orange juice carton trembles on an empty seat... Then we DESCEND... <u>through the floor of this cabin</u>... ...into the Main Deck, then <u>through <i>its</i> floor</u>, into: INT. AIRJET - FORWARD HOLD - SAME We're in the belly of the plane now, <u>mid-takeoff</u>. This hold is 60 yards deep, 25 yards wide, seven feet high, packed tight with LD-3's (LUGGAGE BINS, five-feet tall, five feet wide, eighteen abreast.) We DOLLY THROUGH the hold, finding row after row of them. Then we find a Mercedes sedan, on a pallet, protected by a metal superstructure. Then another row of square bins... ...then the casket, wedged between that last row of luggage bins and the FORWARD WALL of this hold. Like everything else down here, the casket is shuddering from all these RPMs as the Airjet makes its climb... FADE TO BLACK... ...and come in on Kyle, sound asleep. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 35 - TWO HOURS LATER Kyle sleeps across four middle seats in <u>Row 35</u>, back of the plane, no one else within five rows of her. She stirs a bit, awakening, turns toward Julia. But Julia's not in 35-A. There's a mussed blanket on the seat. But no Julia. Hmmm... Kyle cranes her neck to look down the aisle. Most of coach is asleep. Light flickers from video screens: movies, sitcoms, soccer broadcasts. Some passengers work on laptops. Some read. But we don't see Julia among them. She must've returned to their original seats. Of course. Kyle rises and heads down the aisle, unalarmed. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 24 - CONTINUING Kyle nears their original seats. Row 24. KYLE Sorry, Honey. Mommy fell asl-- Kyle stops herself, mid-word. Julia's not <i>here</i> either. That's odd. Still not alarming, but odd. Where the hell is she? Kyle begins to scan the plane, as: CARSON (O.S.) Ever seen this movie? Kyle turns. Here's Carson, in 25-D, watching a movie. KYLE No. CARSON Not too funny. 'Course, when you're at 35,000 feet you can't just up and walk out of the theatre, can ya? KYLE Did you happen to see a little girl go by here? CARSON No. Sure didn't. KYLE My daughter. (Carson shrugs) How long've we been flying? CARSON Two hours. A little more maybe. Kyle heads up the aisle, reminding herself that it's only in parks and malls where losing a kid can be dangerous... INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - LEFT AISLE - CONTINUING On the Coach bulkhead, a screen shows us an animated plane trekking across the Atlantic, with data reading: <b>"Air speed 634 mph, Altitude 43,400 feet, Time to Destination 5h 12m."</b> There are two LAVATORIES at Row 17. Both lavatory doors are closed, but only one has its "OCCUPIED" light lit. Kyle looks inside the vacant one. No Julia. Kyle waits... as that "Occupied" light turns off on the other lavatory. Now <u>this</u> door opens. ...and a WOMAN emerges. Damn. Kyle turns, looks over the whole Coach cabin. No sign of Julia. Kyle moves aside a blue curtain, entering: INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - BUSINESS CLASS - CONTINUING It's nice up here. Sleeper seats, plenty of wine. We see the door leading to the Flight Deck up ahead. Fiona serves chateaubriand and plastic knives. She notes Kyle. FIONA Can I help you? KYLE I'm looking for my daughter. FIONA There's a girl in the galley, talking to some of the crew. could that be her? Instant relief on Kyle's face. KYLE Yes. Thank you. Kyle heads for the Forward Business Galley, chiding herself for having worried. ... as <u>the Loud daughter</u>, Brittany, emerges from the Galley, carrying some peanuts. Kyle sags, turns to Fiona: KYLE No. She's <u>four</u>. My daughter. FIONA Oh. Sorry. She hasn't been up here. Kyle nods a thank you, then checks the Galley anyway. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - BUSINESS - AISLE - CONTINUING Fiona serves another tray to a passenger. Kyle walks down the opposite aisle now. KYLE She has long hair. Probably carrying a chenille teddy bear with one arm. FIONA What's she carrying with the other arm? KYLE No, the bear. It only has-- Kyle stops herself - just realized Fiona was making a joke. She breathes out a laugh, well aware that she must look pretty silly just now. KYLE (CONT'D) Probably just found some other kids to play with. Fiona smiles warmly. INT. AIRJET - MAIN DECK - RIGHT AISLE - MOMENTS LATER Kyle's on the MAIN DECK now, scanning the cabin with an unease that's beginning to grow. Up ahead, two Flight Attendants, Mike and ANNA, serve Coach-meals from a CART. Kyle's in their way. And they're in hers. Mild turbulence makes some mini-bottles clink. Then a sharper jolt hits. ANNA I'm sorry, Ma'am. Would you mind using the other aisle? KYLE I'm looking for my daughter. ANNA Well, she can't have gone too far. In other words, "This meal-cart isn't moving. <u>You</u> are." KYLE I'll go around. Anna smiles, "Good thinking." Kyle backs away. INT. AIRJET - MAIN DECK - REAR GALLEY - MOMENTS LATER Kyle checks row after row, pausing at empty seats, any "hiding places" a four year-old might find appealing... until she's made it all the way back to this GALLEY. She looks under a counter, even looks in a CABINET - all the while reminding herself: <i>Relax. She's obviously fine...</i> But where is she? Four more lavatories back here. Kyle opens the first. Nothing. Then the second. No little girl... Ten rows up, unbeknownst to Kyle, <u>Anna just caught a glimpse </u> <u>of her</u>: the lady with the "missing" daughter, throwing open lavatory doors. Anna looks to Mike. Kyle closes the fourth lavatory door - also empty. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - LEFT AISLE - CONTINUING Kyle emerges from the AFT STAIRS now, into the Upper Deck. She checks Row 35 again, where they'd fallen asleep. She even looks under that blanket. There's Harry, the one-armed bear. But no Julia. That's weird. Julia wouldn't go <i>anywhere</i> without Harry. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 24 - SAME Kyle's walk, her eyes, her hands, they're all projecting the irrational fear that's now taking root. But she's convinced herself that when she gets to Row 24, she'll find Julia back where she ought to be. Kyle arrives. 24-A, once again, remains empty. KYLE (it just blurts out) Shit! That got the attention of the lady one row back, in 25-B. She's German, 50's. Her name's CLAUDIA. CLAUDIA (mild German accent) Is something wrong? KYLE I can't find my daughter. (Claudia shrugs) Did you happen to see her by any chance? Walking by? CLAUDIA I don't think so. How old is she? KYLE She's four. CLAUDIA I never saw her. Kyle spins around to look up the aisle, her movements growing a bit more pronounced now. No little girl in sight. Kyle throws the teddy-bear on to the seat, hard. Then: STEFAN (O.S.) Can I help you, Ma'am? Kyle turns. Here's <u>Stefan</u>. (We met him earlier.) Kyle sighs. She needs an ally just now... SMASH CUT TO: ...Stefan, lifting a P.A. PHONE to his lips. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - FORWARD GALLEY -MOMENTS LATER Stefan can't quite believe he's saying this, but: STEFAN (INTO P.A. PHONE) Ladies and Gentleman, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've got a "first" to report. Kyle and Fiona stand beside Stefan, their eyes scanning Business... as <u>Stefan addresses the entire plane</u>: STEFAN (INTO P.A. PHONE, CONT'D) Seems our Airjet is big enough to lose a child in. That drew some light laughter from a few passengers. We TRACK DOWN the right aisle of this deck as Stefan continues: STEFAN (O.S., THRU P.A., CONT'D) Her name's Julia, age four. She's wearing a white t-shirt and a red cardigan sweater. If she's anywhere near you, or perhaps playing with one of your kids, please ring the call button now. We've got an anxious mom up here. Thank you. INT. AIRJET - COCKPIT - SAME Captain Rich and his Co-Pilot Kaufman are hearing the announcement as well. STEFAN (O.S., THRU P.A., CONT'D) Once again, her name's Julia. Stefan now begins to repeat the same speech, <u>in German</u>. KAUFMAN All children should have to wear a cowbell. Rich smiles, entirely unconcerned. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - FORWARD GALLEY - RESUMING 580 tiny LED LIGHTS fill a PANEL, each one corresponding to the "Call" button on each of this plane's seats. Kyle and Fiona stare at the panel. Beside them, Stefan finishes his announcement in German, then looks to the LED panel, certain that someone's going to answer the call. Nothing. Not a single light pops on. KYLE Someone must've seen her. Fiona's more puzzled than worried. After all, the kid has to be somewhere. Estella appears, dropping off a meal-cart. ESTELLA Anybody check downstairs? STEFAN (re: Kyle) We both did. She's not there. Kyle looks down the aisles... Passengers block her view. KYLE We hafta start searching the plane. I don't know how to organize that... ESTELLA Ma'am, I'm sure she's fine. There's no need to-- KYLE No. She's not herself right now. She's just been through something. Can we turn on the seatbelt sign? ESTELLA Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Ms.--? KYLE Sherin. ESTELLA Ms. Sherin. I'm sure she's-- KYLE There are nine closets on this plane. Seven up, two down. None of them have been checked. There're also seventeen galleys, and the crew quarters, and the holds. She has to be somewhere. I just need the aisles clear so I can look. That drew some uncomfortable looks. ESTELLA Tell you what: let's go back to your seat. I'll ask the Captain if he can step away from the Flight Deck. Kyle eyes her: <i>are you bullshitting me?</i> Estella eyes Kyle right back: <i>am I going to have a problem with you?</i> Kyle doesn't want to appear irrational, so she nods. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 24 - MINUTES LATER Kyle sits on the ARMREST of her seat. Waiting, trying to keep her nerves still. It's been ten minutes. Fiona stands here, a uniformed babysitter. It's awkward. FIONA (to fill the void:) Are you in the airline business? KYLE What? FIONA You seem to know aircraft design. KYLE I work for Airjet. Mechanical engineer. FIONA Based in Berlin? KYLE Look, I know you're just trying to keep me calm. But the problem here is not that I'm anxious. The problem is that my daughter is missing and nobody can tell me where the hell she is. Okay? That put Fiona off; it also got Carson's attention - he looks up from his movie, discreetly. The Louds too. Kyle sighs, switching gears a bit: KYLE (CONT'D) (softer) I'm sorry. Do you have kids? FIONA Do nieces count? KYLE Almost. They actually share a near-laugh. It breaks the tension. FIONA They <u>hate</u> playing hide-and-seek with me because I <u>always</u> find them. So fear not. Fiona smiles; it's encouraging. Rhett and Brittany are now officially snooping, facing Kyle, so: KYLE (to the Louds:) Did any of you see my little girl? MR. LOUD You're the one they made the announcement about? KYLE Yes. MR. LOUD I didn't even know you had a kid with you. (at Mrs. Loud) Did you, Honey? MRS. LOUD Sorry, I didn't. What's she look like? KYLE You saw her, before. Four years old, dark hair in a ponytail. Mrs. Loud shrugs, looks to her kids. KYLE (CONT'D) Maybe you guys could help me look for her. RHETT Cool. BRITTANY Awesome! I'm <u>so</u> bored. MR. LOUD Sorry. No. RHETT Dadddddd... BRITTANY She's lost. MR. LOUD We're in a <u>tube</u>. How lost could she be? Turn around. The kids turn around. The engines drone. Kyle sits, trying to be calm... FIONA I'm sure the Captain will be here any minute. Kyle nods, then catches a glimpse of something, in the corner of her eye. She turns. It's <u>Stefan</u>, emerging from the aft section - with a deeply uneasy look on his face. And a piece of paper in his hand. Kyle tightens, instantly; something about Stefan's expression, a look that says <i>I've got something troubling to report but I don't know quite how to report it.</i> Kyle begins to imagine the worst: Julia's dead, Julia's been sucked into a jet... She pushes past Fiona and into the aisle, making a bee-line for Stefan. We DOLLY WITH KYLE as she marches past row after row, until she reaches Stefan, right around Row 30. KYLE What's wrong? What's happened? STEFAN I'm sorry. I need to speak to the Captain first. KYLE If it has something to do with my daughter you need to speak to <u>me</u>. That was <u>way</u> too loud. Stefan looks to Fiona, then: STEFAN Come with me. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - CORRIDOR - MOMENTS LATER Stefan, Kyle, and Fiona crowd into a corridor, lavatories on either side of them. It's the only "privacy" possible. KYLE Okay. What is it? Stefan pauses, desperately uncomfortable. STEFAN Ms. Sherin. I don't know how to-- KYLE Is she all right? Did something happen to her? STEFAN Ms. Sherin. KYLE What. Say it. (Stefan can't) <u>Say it</u>. STEFAN Ma'am... I don't think she's here. Kyle pauses. Fiona too. That didn't make sense. KYLE What're you talking about? STEFAN I looked at the manifest. She isn't on it. KYLE I don't understand. STEFAN There's no record of her having been on board. Huh? Fiona looks to Kyle... STEFAN (CONT'D) The manifest lists 24-A as "unoccupied" and I did the headcount myself. I checked each seat. KYLE So you missed one, she was hiding under a blanket. (to Fiona) What's that got to do with finding her <u>now</u>? Fiona doesn't know how to react. She looks to Stefan. STEFAN I also contacted the departure gate, in Berlin. (bracing himself) Ma'am, they say they never checked a Julia Sherin on to this plane. KYLE She was with me. They checked us on together. An awkward beat. Stefan obviously thinks Kyle is nuts. KYLE (CONT'D) Would you like to see her boarding pass? STEFAN If you wouldn't mind. Seething, Kyle reaches into her jacket... and pulls out a boarding pass. A <u>single</u> boarding pass. Not two. One. It says "Sherin, Kyle" on it. Wait a minute... She checks her pocket again. Checks three other pockets. Checks her pants pockets... as Stefan looks to Fiona. KYLE I had it, right in this pocket. They were right here when I fell asleep, both boarding passes. Now Kyle's both spooked and livid. She wheels around, angrily heading back toward her seat. They follow. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - ROW 24 - MOMENTS LATER Kyle arrives at her original seat, opening the OVERHEAD BIN above her. This ought to shut Stefan up. Instead, Kyle simply pales. FIONA Ms. Sherin...? Kyle stands perfectly still, staring at that open bin. Her carry-on is inside. <i>But Julia's backpack is missing.</i> KYLE Her backpack is gone. Fiona looks inside the bin - Stefan too - unalarmed. KYLE (CONT'D) She couldn't've reached up here by herself; she's not tall enough. (can barely say it:) Somebody has her. STEFAN Ms. Sherin, that's quite an assumption. I don't-- KYLE How else did her stuff disappear? Can you think of another way? Fiona's growing more uneasy about all this; too many people are watching. And Kyle's starting to look a bit unglued. KYLE (CONT'D) I have to see the Captain. STEFAN I can ask him, Ma'am, but I can't guarantee that he'll-- KYLE There are people who like to do things to little girls. <i>Sick people.</i> You know that. Stefan wasn't prepared for that one. Neither was Fiona. KYLE (CONT'D) <u>I wanna see the Captain</u>. ...and Kyle decides: <i>These people aren't going to help me.</i> So she brushes past them, <u>making a bee-line for the Flight Deck</u>. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - TRACKING KYLE - CONTINUING We TRACK KYLE... as Stefan tries to keep up with her. STEFAN Ms. Sherin, if you'll return to your seat I'll let the Captain know you want to see him. KYLE (keeps going) I'll tell him myself. STEFAN It is against regulations for you to-- <u>Kyle stops</u>. Turns. Stares right through the guy. Then: KYLE Somebody has my daughter. Do you understand that? Stefan just about stammers, clearly overwhelmed. Kyle turns and heads into: INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - BUSINESS CLASS - CONTINUING Kyle heads for the Flight Deck door. The Attendants up here eye her, wondering what she's doing. But no one looks alarmed. ...until they realize that she's heading for the cockpit. ESTELLA What're you...? ... but Kyle just blew <u>past</u> Estella, nearing the COCKPIT DOOR. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - COCKPIT DOOR - CONTINUING It's sealed, grenade-proof. <u>Kyle knocks on it</u>. KYLE (CONT'D) Captain? (knocks again) Captain? I have to speak to-- THUD. In a flash, <u>Kyle finds herself hurled up against that </u> <u>door, her face pressed hard into it</u>. <i>Somebody just tackled her.</i> And that somebody is right behind her now, yanking an arm back like a cop would do it. UNIDENTIFIED TACKLER (O.S.) Ms. Sherin, I'm sorry I had to do that. But your behavior was constituting a threat to the safety of this aircraft. KYLE (muffled) I need to see the-- UNIDENTIFIED TACKLER I'm an Air Marshall. Can I let you go? KYLE I'm not a threat to the-- UNIDENTIFIED TACKLER Can I let you go? KYLE Yes. "Tackler" backs away... which is when Kyle learns the identity of this guy, our flight's <i>Air Marshall</i>... <u>Carson</u>, who's been one row away since take-off. Kyle can't believe it. CARSON ("UNIDENTIFIED TACKLER") Gene Carson. Are you hurt? Behind Carson, SIX FLIGHT ATTENDANTS now stare at Kyle... KYLE I just wanna talk to the Captain. CARSON I understand. But that's <u>his</u> call, not yours. (to the door, loud:) All clear, Captain. Now the cockpit door opens, and Captain Rich emerges, sizing things up for himself. Kyle tries not to sag. INT. AIRJET - UPPER DECK - GALLEY #2 - MOMENTS LATER We're TIGHT on JULIA'S PASSPORT. Rich eyes it, flanked by Carson, Stefan, and Fiona. In his other hand is Stefan's passenger manifest. RICH The departure gate had no record of her? STEFAN No, Sir. I had them double-check. RICH And there's no boarding pass? KYLE There was. It was taken from me. Rich considers that, eyeing Julia's passport again. KYLE (CONT'D) (at Stefan) Did you tell him about the bear? Stefan shakes his head, embarrassed for Kyle. RICH Bear? KYLE Her teddy-bear. It was under the blanket, where she'd been sleeping. She wouldn't've walked away without it. Oh. Rich turns to Kyle, reluctantly having to ask this: RICH Have you had anything to drink on this flight, Ms. Sherin? (Kyle hated that) Anything alcoholic at all? KYLE No. RICH Are you under any medication right now? KYLE I have a few sleeping pills with me like every other passenger on board. She pauses, weighing whether or not to trust him... then: KYLE (CONT'D) I'm also carrying Klonepin. They're for anxiety. I took two this morning. RICH I see. How long have you been on them? KYLE I'm not "on" them. RICH How long? Kyle eyes him, cold as hell. Fuck this guy: KYLE I filled the prescription last week. That's when <i>my husband died.</i> My daughter and I are taking his body back to Long Island for the burial. Silence, just like that. The tenor of things just changed... especially for Rich. He eyes Kyle, more softly now. STEFAN There is a c