Two security guards ambling along the vast main concourse of Sunnyside Shopping Mall. Uniform, name badge, walkie-talkie, peak cap. They are CONNOR, late 20s, number one crop and goatee; and HAYLEY, 25, not bad looking for a security guard. They think they’re the business, more US Law Enforcement officers than retail security. They pass beneath a huge banner poster hanging from above, ‘We Are Londoners,’ with the ‘We’ ‘Are’ and ‘one’ picked out in red. The Shopping Centre’s own radio station, Sunnyside FM, heard over.
2. INT. SUNNYSIDE SHOPPING CENTRE. DAY.
Currys. See CONNOR and HAYLEY ambling through the TVs. We notice that CONNOR is watching an an attractive woman as she looks at refrigerators. HAYLEY clocks this and mutters under her breath.
On all the TVs, THE HOME SECRETARY is giving a press conference. CONNOR is pretending to watch one of the televisions, a wide-screen plasma, when in fact he is looking just over the top of it at the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN. We cut between CONNOR staring, the TV and THE HOME SECRETARY, and the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN.
THE HOME SECRETARY on the TV
Britain is now facing the most sustained period of severe
threat since the end of the Second World War. From a new
breed of ruthless and unconstrained international terrorists.
Sometimes we may have to modify our freedoms in order
to prevent their abuse by those who would destroy our
world.
3. INT. SUNNYSIDE SHOPPING CENTRE. DAY.
CONNOR and HAYLEY following the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN, who carries a handbag and a Currys carrier bag, in the main concourse of the Shopping Mall.
4. INT. SUNNYSIDE SHOPPING CENTRE. DAY.
CONNOR and HAYLEY go up to the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN.
CONNOR
(With effortless ease and poise) Excuse me, madam ..
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
Yes?
With HAYLEY beside him, he leads the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN to the side of the concourse, an exit door (‘Staff only’) nearby.
CONNOR
Could I see inside your bag, please?
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
Excuse me?
CONNOR
If you could just open your carrier bag for me?
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
Why?
HAYLEY
It’s purely routine, ma’am.
The ATTRACTIVE WOMAN hesitates.
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
(Opening her carrier bag) Alright.
HAYLEY
Vigilance is our watchword. The moment we think
the problem’s gone away is the moment they’ve won.
CONNOR
(Taking the carrier bag and looking inside) Okay ..
He puts the bag on the ground and ferrets around while the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN begins to lose her patience.
CONNOR
Looks fine. (He hands the carrier bag back to her)
Could I see your handbag, please?
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
(Affronted) What?
CONNOR
Your handbag, please.
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
You’re joking, aren’t you? Why?
HAYLEY
We are in the middle of a war, I'm afraid to say.
There's no two ways about it.
They say they will not stop until they have
wiped us off the face of the earth.
The ATTRACTIVE WOMAN looks at them, weighing up her options. She decides.
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
(Under her breath) Fuck’s sake.
The ATTRACTIVE WOMAN hands over her handbag and HAYLEY goes through it. There’s not much - a purse, keys, tissue, car park ticket, lipstick - she hands the lipstick to CONNOR. HAYLEY takes the purse, opens it and looks inside. CONNOR opens the lipstick, checking to see it's not a small explosive device, twists it up, turns it back, puts the lid on. The ATTRACTIVE WOMAN is now getting angry.
HAYLEY
Okay, Miss Church, I’m going to ask you to accompany us
through here so we’re ..
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
This is a wind-up right? Give me my things back ...
But CONNOR and HAYLEY are ushering her through doors marked ’Staff only’ even as she is protesting.
5. INT. SUNNYSIDE SHOPPNG CENTRE. DAY.
A white featureless corridor leading off the central mall. The doors have swung shut behind them.
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
I want to know what the fuck is going on!
HAYLEY
It’s routine security .. nothing to worry about.
CONNOR
(Handing the lipstick to HAYLEY) That's fine.
HAYLEY puts the lipstick carefully back in the purse which she puts back in the handbag, and gives it back to the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN. At last, thinks the ATTRACTIVE WOMAN, it’s over now.
HAYLEY
Could I ask you to lift up your top?
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
(Unbelieving) What?
HAYLEY
(Firm, authoritative) If I could just ask you to lift
your top up for me, please.
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
(Shaking her head in disbelief) Right, that's it. I've
had enough of this. You two are fucking out of order ..
CONNOR
It's for all our sakes ...
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN
(She turns to go through the doors) Fucking perverts ..
(Over her shoulder) I'm gonna report this to the police.
CONNOR
It’s for all our safety ...
The ATTRACTIVE WOMAN is gone. She has stormed out of the staff doors. A moment. CONNOR and HAYLEY lean against the walls of the corridor, opposite each other. They've been rumbled. CONNOR blows out.
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