(non-descript office at the edge of the city limits of Manhattan, KS)
The EMAW Council leader crosses over to a cabinet and picks up a pack of cigarettes, others are gathered in the room, one figure in the shadows of the dimly lit room.
The leader turns and offers Willard a cigarette from the
pack.
Leader
(to Willard)
Do you want a cigarette?
WILLARD
No thank you, sir.
COLONEL
(pointing at man lingering in the shadowy background)
Captain, have you ever seen this
gentleman before?
WILLARD
No, sir. Not personally.
Leader
You've worked a lot on your own,
haven't you, Captain?
WILLARD
Yes, sir, I have.
COLONEL
Your report specifies counter coaching operations in multiple states and countries
WILLARD
I'm not presently disposed to
discuss those operations, sir.
There is a pause as the leader lights his cigarette, then
moves to the sofa. He bends down and picks up a dossier,
looks at it.
COLONEL
Did you not work for the coach eliminators in FIFA
Corps?
WILLARD
(pause)
No, sir.
Leader
Did you not terminate a Brazilian soccer
coach in San Paulo on 1 December 2009?
Willard doesn't answer.
Leader
Captain?
WILLARD
Sir, I am unaware of any such
activity or operation, nor would I
be disposed to discuss an operation,
if it did in fact exist, sir.
A pause. Willard is tired and confused and hung over, but
he is handling himself well. The leader rises.
Leader
I thought we'd have a bit of lunch
while we talked. I hope you brought
a good appetite, Captain.
Willard gets up and moves towards the dining table with
the Leader and a man, presumably BSAC. They sit down.
Leader
I noticed that you have a bad hand
there. Are you wounded?
WILLARD
Had a little fishing accident on an excursion with Benji
Leader
Fishing with Benji?
WILLARD
Yes, sir.
Leader
But you're feeling fit? You're
ready for duty?
WILLARD
Yes. Very much so, sir.
The food is being passed around.
Leader
Well, let's see what we have here.
Roast beef, and usually it's not
bad.
(to a man, presumably BSAC)
Try some, Pass it around.
To save a little time, we might
pass both ways.
(to Willard)
Captain, I don't know how you feel
about this shrimp, but if you eat
it, you'll never have to prove
your courage in any other way.
Another co council leader, who is not eating with them, walks to the
table, holding a small photo.
Leader
(to Willard)
Captain, you've heard of oscar Weber?
He shows the photo to Willard.
(Black and White Photo of Weber)
WILLARD
Yes, sir. I've heard the name.
The Leader accidentally drops the dossier. Papers, photos,
etc., scatter all over the floor. The papers had different university logos on them. He stoops down to pick
them up.
Other EMAW Council Leader
Jesus...P5 Conference b-ball coach
Leader (looking at other council member)
would you play that tape,
for the captain, please?
(to Willard)
Listen to it carefully, Captain.
The Co-Leader moves to a tape recorder and turns it on.
MALE VOICE (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
28th December '14, Sector F-O-O-D"
. There were a lot of things that could have happened.
Sometimes everything goes against you and it was just one of those games and it is disappointing to take
Leader
These were monitored out of
Manhattan. It's been verified as
Weber's voice.
All the men, including Willard, listen in wonder.
Weber (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
I did not see how that happened and the ball bounced their way. We won a game two years ago in the same scenario, so there is not much you can say. It was just disappointing.
MALE VOICE (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
"Transmission 11, received '14,
December 31, , Sector
F-O-O-D".
Weber (ON TAPE) (V.O.)
Obviously another heartbreaker for us, but give our kids credit.
The TAPE is TURNED OFF.
Leader
oscar Weber was one of the most
outstanding mid major basketball coaches around, but his
methods, became...unsound. Unsound.
Co Council Leader
Now he's out there running another P5 team into the ground with his recruits, he's murdered . . .
WILLARD
I don't follow sir. Murdered who, murdered what?
Co-Leader
Weber is murdering the men's basketball program at Kansas State
Leader
Well, you see, Willard, in this
business, men sometimes are in over there heads. Every man
has got a breaking point. You
have and I have them. oscar Weber
has reached his. And, very
obviously, he cannot handle the job
Willard looks from the co-leader to the leader to BSAC who is
leaning in from the shadows. They are intensely interested in his response,
which they want to be "yes."
WILLARD
(carefully)
Yes, sir. Very much so, sir.
Obviously In over his head.
The three men pull back, satisfied.
Co-Leader
Your mission is to proceed to Men's basketball offices at Kansas State University by whatever means available using whatever assets you find available or can obtain and to terminate Weber as head coach of Kansas State Basketball.
WILLARD
(to Leader)
Terminate...Weber?
Leader
He's over there operating without
any true major conference program abilities, with no sense of direction
BSAC
Terminate with extreme prejudice.
The civilian hands Willard a cigarette, and lights it for
him.
Co_leader
You understand, Captain, that this
mission does not exist, nor will
it ever exist.
