Nearby, a YOUNG PILOT tinkers with a $300,000 spy camera.

                                YOUNG PILOT

                      Uhhh... yup.  Think so.

            Suddenly, the door opens and a pale DUTY SERGEANT enters.

                                DUTY SERGEANT

                      Sir...telephone, sir.

            INT. DUTY OFFICE - DAY

            Ecker enters, marches over to the phone.  All the SOLDIERS in

            the room stare at him.  Ecker wiggles his cigar to a corner

            of his mouth, picks up, styling.

                                ECKER

                      VFP-62, Fightin' Photo, here.  But what

                      we really want to do is direct.

                                                       INTERCUT CALL TO:

            INT. WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD - CONTINUOUS

            Margaret works her magic.

                                MARGARET

                      This is the White House Operator.  Hold

                      for the President.

            INT. DUTY OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

            Ecker blinks, becomes a mild lamb.

                                ECKER

                      Oh shit.

            INT. WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD - CONTINUOUS

                                MARGARET

                      Honey, you don't know what shit is.

            BEGIN INTERCUT

            INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

            Kenny, sitting on his desk, taps his fingers, looks at the

            phone.  He's kept Ecker on hold long enough - and picks up.

                                KENNY

                      Commander, my name is Ken O'Donnell.

                      Special Assistant to the President.

                                                       INTERCUT CALL TO:

            INT. DUTY OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

            Ecker exhales.  It's not the President, but Ecker is so

            shaken up it might as well be.

                                ECKER

                      Yes, sir.

                                KENNY (O.S.)

                      The President has instructed me to pass

                      along an order to you.

                          (beat)

                      You are not to get shot down.

            Did he hear right?

                                ECKER

                      Uh... we'll do our best, sir.

            INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

                                KENNY

                      I don't think you understand me

                      correctly.  You are not to get shot down

                      under any circumstances.  Whatever

                      happens up there, you were not shot at.

                      Mechanical failures are fine; crashing

                      into mountains, fine.  But you and your

                      men are not to be shot at, fired at,

                      launched upon.

            INT. DUTY OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

            Ecker sits down in a chair, sobered.

                                ECKER

                      Excuse me, sir, what's going on here?

            INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

            Kenny stands, drops the hard nose bullshit.

                                KENNY

                      Commander, if you are fired upon, the

                      President will be forced to attack the

                      sites that fire on you.  He doesn't want

                      to have to do that.  It's very important

                      that he doesn't, or things could go very

                      badly out of control.