1. The Interrogator
first 5 pages of
an original screenplay by
Chuck Loch
14314 Summertime Lane
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 559-2331 home/office
(310) 713-5480 cell
chuck9@sbcglobal.net
WGAw Registered Number: 919620

2. FADE IN:
EXT. LIBERTY ISLAND DAY
SCAFFOLDING covers the STATUE OF LIBERTY.
Temporary TRUCK RAMPS bridge the STAR-SHAPED RAMPARTS of
Fort Wood and lead up to the statue's base.
TRUCKS, CRANES, and WORKERS perform a posted "Scheduled Cleaning"
of the world's most revered shrine to freedom.
DOCKSIDE
A FERRY BOAT docks. PASSENGERS pour out, including a group
of laughing SCHOOL CHILDREN. JAKE OHNO, 22, a student teacher,
shepherds them along while talking on a cell phone.
A boy and a girl run ahead. RYAN, 10, pulls the pigtails of
JENNIFER, 10, like they're the reins of a horse.
Jake covers his cell phone with his free hand.
JAKE
Ryan, leave Jennifer alone.
Eight clean-cut SWARTHY MALE PASSENGERS in their 20s, who could
be Italian, Greek, or middle eastern, disembark last. They all
wear SPORTS CLOTHES emblazoned with "Visit America First."
While other Passengers stream toward the tourist lines to
visit the Statue, this group strolls onto the huge
NORTH LAWN
At the sound of a LIGHT PLANE MOTOR, the Swarthy Males look
up and see a TWIN ENGINE CESSNA approaching low across the
Bay from the west.
At the same time, a BARGE carrying a single TRACTOR TRAILER,
veers toward the island from its course up the Hudson.
The Cessna swoops low over the lawn and drops two large SHOCK-
PROOF WEAPONS CASES.
The Swarthy Males sprint to the cases, pop them open, and
remove a mini-arsenal of AUTOMATIC WEAPONS and GRENADES.
VARIOUS GUARD STATIONS
The Armed Passengers sprint to separate GUARD SHACKS and
PARK POLICE STATIONS, spraying their OCCUPANTS with bullets.
Out-of-shape GUARDS kill two of the Armed Passengers.
Park visitors panic. Children, teachers, families and other
tourists CRY OUT as they scatter in all directions.

3. 2.
Jake wrangles his students against the sheltering NORTH
RAMPARTS WALL of the Fort.
GUARD POST ON THE OBSERVATION DECK IN THE CROWN
The GUARD, 45, pulls a LEVER. The DOORS TO THE DECK slide
shut. He punches a RED BUTTON on a RADIO MICROPHONE marked
"For Emergency Use Only." His DESK CALENDAR reads "June 14."
GUARD
Mayday. Mayday. We're under siege.
Officers down. Need assistance.
Officers down.
MUSEUM
Two of the Armed Passengers race to the slowly closing metal
DOORS OF THE LIBERTY MUSEUM in the base of the Statue. They
BLAST the doors off their hinges with grenades.
DOCKSIDE
The barge docks. The tractor trailer, at full throttle, races
off the barge toward a truck ramp over the
EAST RAMPART
The tractor trailer climbs the ramp, which collapses behind
the truck as it drives off the top.
The truck hangs a ninety degree turn toward the Museum and,
at full throttle, crashes through its doorless doorway.
DOCKSIDE
All is quiet except for the distant sounds of children CRYING
and the WHIPPING OF THE WIND. The quiet is broken by the sharp
WHUP, WHUP, WHUP of SKYCATCHER ASSAULT HELICOPTERS streaming
toward the island from all directions.
INT. COCKPIT OF LEAD SKYCATCHER CONTINUOUS
The PILOT, 32, cranks his RADIO to a new frequency.
PILOT
We're coming in. Do you read me?
STATIC answers him. The back of the Statue's crown looms up
and fills the windshield.
A BRIGHT YELLOW FLASH EXPLODES through the cockpit.
EXT. LIBERTY ISLAND CONTINUOUS
DOCKSIDE

4. 3.
An EAR-SHATTERING BLAST disintegrates the Statue's base and
sends a BALL OF FIRE rolling up its back dissolving the
Skycatcher in flames.
MOS
Fighting the hurricane force winds from the explosion, Jake
throws his arms around several students and pins them to the
wall, shielding them and their silent screams with his body.
The Statue topples forward, its scaffolding on fire, breaking
up as it falls, burying the North Ramparts Wall of the Fort,
and all those sheltered against it, in flames and debris.
NORTH LAWN
The Statue's smoking torch and head lie face down embedded
in the grass. Burned and crushed BODIES and PIECES OF BODIES
litter the ground.
END MOS
EXT. SONORAN DESERT DAY
A Greyhound bus barrels down a two-lane highway and disappears
into a passing dust storm.
INT. BUS DAY
DAWN STRONG, 21, a beauty in jeans and a short-sleeve shirt,
sits curled up beside a window. She wears a simple inexpensive
ENGAGEMENT RING on one hand and a FLAG PIN on her collar.
Through the window she watches the dry storm rage across the
flat desert landscape and evaporate at the feet of a faraway
chain of mountains.
Somewhere in the back of the bus, A RADIO IS TUNED QUICKLY
past cowboy songs and country preachers to Willie Nelson's
version of "Always On My Mind."
Dawn reaches into a SMALL SUITCASE on the seat next to her
and retrieves a hand-held CASSETTE PLAYER.
She lifts the player to one ear, brushing an earring out of
the way.
Jake's voice talks to her from the player. The sound's not
the best quality. It's a copy of an answering machine message.

5. 4.
JAKE (O.S.)
Hi Honey. We're just getting off the
ferry so I can't talk long. I'm sorry
for last night and I'm calling to
see if you're still mad. C'mon you
know I love you.
(muffled)
Ryan, leave Jennifer alone.
The bus slows. Through its windows, Dawn watches stores and
shops pass by.
The bus makes a slow turn into the rear of the Fort Chirahuaca
bus station and stops in an unloading slot.
BUS DRIVER (CONT'D)
Here you are, folks, Fort Chirahuaca.
INT. BUS STATION DAY
The SOUNDS of BANDS PLAYING and CROWDS CHEERING greet the
passengers as they shuffle off the bus.
Dawn totes her suitcase over to an "Information" desk manned
by a 50-something sun-weathered ATTENDANT.
DAWN
How do I get to the base?
ATTENDANT
The recruit bus goes out in the
morning.
DAWN
I want to go now. Where can I get a
taxi?
EXT. STREET DAY
Dawn pushes her way out the front door and into the CROWD on
the sidewalk.
MEN and CHILDREN wear tank tops or go shirtless in the heat.
Other folks are dressed in red, white, and blue, or other
patriotic themes.
All watch HIGH SCHOOL BANDS and MILITARY UNITS marching by.
GAUDY, POMPOUSLY PATRIOTIC FLOATS and HAND-HELD SIGNS announce
the "Fort Chirahuaca Annual Fourth of July Parade," "Never
forget 9/11 and 6/14," and "Stop Terrorism."

6. 5.
Some show stylized posterizations of the Statue of Liberty's
head and torch lying face down embedded in the ground.
Dawn fights her way block by block through the Crowd.
She darts across the street in front of a BAND playing "Stars
and Stripes Forever."
She turns the corner and finds herself
surrounded by PEACE DEMONSTRATORS.
The biggest and burliest DEMONSTRATOR, 21, carries a sign
urging the U.S. to "Get Out of Afghanistan."
He notices Dawn's flag pin and blocks her way with the sign.
DEMONSTRATOR
Are you with us or against us?
DAWN
Excuse me? I'm trying to get a taxi.
DEMONSTRATOR
I'm trying to stop a war. Whose side
are you on?
She grabs the sign and throws it on the ground.
DAWN
I don't have time for this bullshit.
The Demonstrator steps closer. They're nose-to-nose.
DEMONSTRATOR
Peace, sister. Killing innocent
civilians in Afghanistan ain't right.
Dawn looks past him, sees a TAXI STAND, then looks him
squarely in the eye.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Get out of my way.
Dawn swings her suitcase at him and charges across the sign
toward the stand.
DAWN (CONT'D)
You God-damn traitor.