Scene 5

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INT. FBI GENERAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE - DAY

An exotic office. Regular furniture mixed with oriental decor and ornaments.

Meet FBI Director STEPHEN VINCENT. Around sixty, short-cropped dark hair, slim. Serene expression and manner. A diplomat, above all. An ex-hippie turned public servant, he believes the establishment's job is to serve the people.

He talks with Jason Todd. On his desk, a book on meditation.

STEPHEN VINCENT: We're in an awkward situation. The government wants to cut our budget next year. By 20%.

JASON TODD: Surely, there are other departments that need to cut their expenses.

STEPHEN VINCENT: The White House has a special interest in ours.

JASON TODD: Why?

STEPHEN VINCENT: Come on, Jason. You know quite well why the unit was set up: to improve the FBI's image, after all the excesses of the War on Terror.

JASON TODD: I wouldn't call pin-point military action against our enemies an excess, sir.

STEPHEN VINCENT: Even the incident on Farragut square?

JASON TODD: We arrested a terrorist there.

STEPHEN VINCENT: An eleven-year-old child.

JASON TODD: He was reading the Koran, sir. In a loud voice.

STEPHEN VINCENT: For his homework!

PETER BOLSOM: The country needs us, sir. More than ever.

STEPHEN VINCENT: The country needs calm. So the FBI... right now, we're rather a cause for concern in Washington.

PETER BOLSOM: Why?

STEPHEN VINCENT: The attention and all the resources we get make other departments rather jealous. The political cost is too great. My sources in Congress tell me the president is looking for an opportunity to bring us down to size. We must be ultra-efficient this year, ok? Cut expenses. No matter what.

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