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passengers all start to wake. The plane trembles some as it hits the turbulent air. Through the windows, we see the sun is starting to rise.
    Helen looks over her shoulder at Brady, sitting three rows back on the other side of the aisle. He, too, looks pale, shaken. He mops his sweaty face with a handkerchief, then notices Helen looking at him. He flashes her a weak thumbs-up.
    INT. AIRPORT
    Helen is talking on her cell phone, holding her hand against her other ear so she can hear better.
    HELEN
    ... I'm sorry, could you say that again? ... Okay ... Right, I'll tell him ... What time?
    (she looks at her watch)
    ... Sure ... Thank you, sir.
    Brady walks up with two coffees and two individually-wrapped muffins. Helen snaps her phone shut.
    BRADY
    (handing her a coffee and a muffin)
    For you. All they had was poppyseed. If it makes you feel better, they're mostly preservatives--completely negates any nutritious content.
    HELEN
    Thanks.
    BRADY
    What's the word from Washington?
    HELEN
    Well, my phone kept breaking up, but what I got wasn't good. You know that terrorist thing they fed to the press?
    BRADY
    (through a mouthful of muffin)
    Uh huh.
    HELEN
    I guess there was some kind of assassination attempt on the Syrian ambassador. They think it could be in response to the attack on Larry Johnson.
    BRADY
    Oh, shit. How are the Syrians taking it?
    HELEN
    Not good. There's rioting outside the U.S. embassy in Damascus. They're calling in the Army to secure the place.
    BRADY
    Why don't they admit they made it up, or call it a false lead or something?
    HELEN
    It's too late for that. If they back out now, how's it going to look? "Gee, sorry we almost got your ambassador killed." They're not going to retract the terrorist story until we've put the Johnson thing to bed, so they can put whatever spin on it they have to.
    BRADY
    Then let's get moving.
    HELEN
    Wait ... there's something else.
    BRADY
    Hm?
    HELEN
    Those magician guys, your snitches ... somebody killed them.
    BRADY
    What? Both of them?
    HELEN
    Both of them.
    BRADY
    Aww, man. I guess that was bound to happen one of these days, they rip off the wrong guy and end up shot in an alley or--
    HELEN
    Their heads were out off. The bodies were dumped on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
    BRADY
    Jesus Christ ! Who the fuck would do something like that?
    HELEN
    I guess you're supposed to find that out when we get done with this.
    Brady just stands there, stunned.
    HELEN
    Come on, one case at a time.
    She grabs his arm and leads him away.
    CUT TO:
    EXT. ROUTE 7, OHIO - DAY
    Route 7 traverses a particularly drab section of the already flat and featureless terrain that is Ohio--mile after mile of cornfields, mom-and-pop gas stations, and farmhouses one hard shove away from falling down.
    INT. CAR - DAY
    Helen driving, Brady in the passenger's seat looking sullen.
    HELEN
    You always this chatty?
    (no response from Brady)
    Look, are you okay? You seem to be taking this snitch thing kind of hard. You weren't...
    BRADY
    (after waiting for Helen to finish her sentence)
    Weren't what?
    HELEN
    You know. There wasn't something ... going on with you three, was there?
    Brady looks at Helen to see if she's serious. Helen holds a straight face as long as she can, then cracks a smile.
    BRADY
    Oh, fuck off, just fuck right off.
    HELEN
    Seriously, you going to be okay?
    BRADY
    Yeah, I'm going to be okay. Back in Detroit, It seemed like weird shit would happen all the time. I mean really weird shit. I learned that the more out of hand things get, the more important it is to just put your head down and treat it like any other situation. That's the only way to work through the really weird shit.
    HELEN
    (pointing out the windshield)
    Hey, do you see that?
    Brady's eyes follow where Helen is pointing. With the flatness of the land, they can see miles in the distance. Ahead, apparently on this same road, is a house.
    BRADY
    It's a house.
    HELEN
    It's a yellow house.
    Brady squints at the house.
    BRADY
    What, our