The Orient Express
OUTLINE
With Uri and Alexander on board, the train cross the channel to pick Najwa up in Paris.
She board the 01:00 flight from Dubai first class last minute.
Everybody is chasing everybody.
They end up in Venice.
Uri will confront Alexander about his attempts to neutralize Carla...
Upset about the news, Najwa will mediate...
Mossad won't be on board, only US operatives tipped by IRN.
How does Uri learns of Alexander's presence on the train? Through Zvi?
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TRAIN WAGON, CALAIS
GARE DE L'EST, PARIS
Najwa wears a red hijab as she walks out of a taxi in front the Gare de l'Est and enters the station. She looks around and notices the ticket counter where she addresses the SNCF agent in pretty good French.
-L'Orient-Express pour Venise?
The agent replies with a typical Parisian demeanor.
-Les billet pour L'Orient Express c'est en agence mademoiselle.
-Merci, non je rejoint mon mari à bord... J'amerais savoir sur quelle voie s'il vous plait.
-Ben y faut regarder les tableaux alors.
The agent reluctantly looks at his screen as Najwa smiles at him.
-Voie 6 à 21h44.
-Merci...
She walks away then turns around towards the agent.
-Ah si, une dernière information, les trains en provenance de Berlin, il arrivent ici?
-Non l'Allemagne c'est à la Gare du Nord madame.
-Et c'est loin?
-En sortant de la gare vous tournez à droite et montez la balustrade de la rue d'Alsace puis à gauche sur la rue de Dunkerque... 10 minutes.
-C'est très gentils monsieur.
-Je vous en prie.
BETWEEN GARE DE L'EST AND GARE DU NORD, PARIS
Najwa pulls down her veil to fix her headphones and plugs them to her phone as she walks up an external staircase leading to Rue d'Alsace. She scrolls down the song list until she hits David Bowie's Helden. As she wanders the street, she stops in front of a bookstore and notices the covers of an Argentinean comic book l'Eternaute, which leads her to think of Borges, Anne Frank and her missing father... When she notices a cheap hotel up the street, she wonders if that's where she was conceived. Her minds continues meandering until she gets in front of the Gare du Nord but an incoming SMS interrupts her inner journey.
-WAY
-GARE DU NORD
-IT'S GARE DE L'EST!
-I KNOW. CU IN 10 ;)
-RUN NAJWA RUN
ALEXANDER & NAJWA'S COMPARTMENT, ORIENT EXPRESS, LEAVING PARIS
Najwa leans on Alexander as she stares out the window.
-Why are so so moody Naj...
-Just Paris... Takes me back.
-I thought it was your first time here.
-That's where my parents made me... You know...
-Not in Budapest?
-My mother only told me bits of the story. My father was a French Canadian kid wayfaring throughout Europe and they met in Berlin, I think. Then they came here. To Paris. Just for one day... One night. The only thing I have from him is a poem he wrote to my mother... That night. It ends with For ever and ever... They never met again.
-Did she tell you his name?
-It was signed Axel... I think he was even younger than her...
Najwa grabs Alexander's neck and kisses him.
-See... I'm not looking for my father!
CARLA'S GRANDPARENTS FARM, MITTELLAND, SWITZERLAND
Both grandparents are sitting at the kitchen table staring at Carla who is contemplating a plate of roesti. They smile at her silently.
-Eat Johanna... You need to get strong my little girl.
Carla gently rests her hand on her grandmother's arm.
-Grosi... I'm not Johanna... I am Carla...
Carla's grandmother stares outside then looks back at Carla who smiles at both her grandparents lovingly.
-Grospapi, how many cows do you still keep?
-One... Schakal... She's a loaner... doesn't want to die...
-Do you still milk her?
-Every morning... and every night... Schakal...
The grandmother smiles at Carla again.
-Eat Johanna... Eat.
EXTERIOR, CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNE, THREE HOURS EAST OF PARIS
The Orient Express crosses the French countryside, traversing space and time. Its thick white smoke lightens the nightly sky. Najwa stares out through the foggy window as Alexander sleeps, leaning on her shoulder.
RESTAURANT WAGON, ORIENT EXPRESS
A man sitting at the bar of the restaurant wagon sips on a lager reading his SMS. It's Uri. The barman, a black man with a Jamaican accent looks at him from the edge of the counter.
-Quiet night Sir. Still working... or matters of the heart?
Uri, smirks but doesn't answer.
-Another half? On the house.
Uri raises his eyes away from his phone, empties his glass then slides it towards the barman.
-Why not... Thank you.
The barman fills up Uri's glass and foam spills over the edge.
Uri notices the barman's clumsiness.
-Vibrations!
-Yes.
The barman looks at the beer barrel under the bar before topping Uri's glass.
-I better check the pressure. Here you go.
-Thanks.
The train slows down. Uri looks out the window trying to figure out where they are.
-Do you know where we are?
The barman pulls a curtain behind the bar's window and notices the station's name plate.
-Troyes... I guess.
-You've done this journey before?
-No. This is my first trip. They called me in last minute to sub for the night guy who was incapacitated. I come from the hotel business. Same company.
CARLA'S GRANDPARENTS FARM, MITTELLAND, SWITZERLAND
Night has fallen over the Swiss Alps and Carla silently exits her grandparents farmhouse seeking a better phone signal. She reaches the summer stable and enters quietly as a lone cow appears to be sleeping.
As she notice signal bars on her phone, she is surprised by a loud moo. She approaches the cow which stares at her before launching another moo.
-Schakal... It's ok my baby... Shakal, what kind of a name for a cow my sweaty...
The cow continues to moo...
-What's going on... You want me to milk you...
Carla grabs a stainless steel bucket and kneels down under the cow to milk it as a tone signals an entering SMS. She set her phone on the floor to read the message as she starts massaging the cow's teats.
-ON BOARD ORIENT-EXPRESS WITH GERONIMOFF
Carla continues to milk the cow, perplex about the meaning and origin of the message.
RESTAURANT WAGON, ORIENT EXPRESS
Uri gets the barman to drink as he suspects him of being US intelligence on Nikitin's trail. Barman slowly looses his Jamaican accent as he uses more and more American slang words... The two men seize each other and use parabolas to discuss field ops.
The train is stopped at the Troyes station as the barman is leaning down behind the counter adjusting the pressure knob on the beer barrel.
-Bloody thing is ass backwards.
-Don't worry... A little foam is no big deal. Just gets a little flat.
-What you mean?
-You're not a beer drinker right?
The barman stands back up wiping his hands.
-Not much, obviously... Not much.
Uri's phone's screen lights up with a new SMS.
-WHO ARE YOU?
-Sorry, I gotta answer that.
-So, matters of the heart.
-Matters of the past.
Uri types back.
-YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL.
At the same moment, both men notice the scarlet veil of a woman disembarking on the platform through the door leading to the other car.
-Hope she knows this is only a pit stop.
Says the barman looking at his watch.
-What time does it leave?
The barman looks at a work schedule posted behind the bar.
-Seven minutes.
-Time for a cigarette... You're joining me?
-Thanks. I'm gonna chill here. Get things in order before breakfast.
TROYES STATION PLATFORM
Uri walks out of the train and lights up. He looks around trying to find the scarlet scarf woman but the platform is deserted.
He grabs his phone and starts typing as he notices Najwa wearing her hijab, boarding the train through the next wagon's entrance.
OUTSIDE CARLA'S GRANDPARENT'S FARM, MITTELLAND
Carla opens the trunk of a new Fiat 500 that she borrowed from Franziska as her phone buzz.
-WILL BE NEAR U SHORTLY. WANNA HOOK UP?
-AWAY FROM HOME NOW. TELL ME WHERE. AM DRIVING AROUND.
ALEXANDER & NAJWA'S COMPARTMENT, ORIENT EXPRESS, TROYES
Alexander is not in as Najwa enters their compartment. She grabs her iPad and sits down as she hears a bell signaling the imminent departure.
RESTAURANT WAGON, ORIENT EXPRESS, LEAVING TROYES
As Uri gets back into the restaurant wagon, he notices Alexander sitting at the counter right where he was previously sitting. The barman looks at him getting in.
-Think I figured it out. Wanna try a last one.
Looking at Nikitin, waiving a beer glass.
-Sir, on the house, we're testing the pressure?
-No thanks, another vodka please.
Uri sits two seats apart from Alexander.
-All the way to Venice?
-Is there another option?
The barman serve the beer and vodka.
-Well, I guess you could leave at any stop.
Looking at Uri.
-By the way did this lady get back on in time?
-Yes, I saw her getting back on further down.
Uri looks towards Alexander.
-You travel alone?
-No, yourself?
-Yes.
-Venice as well!
-Not to sure, I might get off as we enter Switzerland.
The barman interjects.
-Sirens of the Alps.
-In a way...
-So matters of the heart.
Alexander slides his glass towards the barman for a refill. Uri continues addressing Alexander.
-You've visited?
-No... I'm a seaman. Not that interested in landlocked places.
Uri stays silent looking down at his beer then addresses Nikitin in Russian.
-Well that's good. Make sure it remains that way.
Alexander looks at the barman who raises his hands as if not concerned or aware about what Uri just mumbled. Alexander slides his glass for more.
-Time for vodka... Please pour the man a shot.
To Uri in Russian.
-So I guess you're the mysterious cyclist...
....
Alexander looks up at an incoming SMS from Najwa.
-WAY
He puts the phone back into his pocket.
-As we are here talking man to man, this was not my call. The ones who called it are out. You're on the wrong track.
-We're all on a different track. Just make sure yours doesn't intersects with mine again.
-And yours with mine and we'll be fine.
Alexander empties his glass, drops a 50 Euro bill on the counter and stands up.
-Well gentlemen, it was a pleasure...
Alexander exits the restaurant wagon towards his car.
Uri looks at the barman.
-So, you got what you wanted?
-What do you mean?
-You know what I mean.
-How did you guess? The foam?
-The foam, the new job, the fake Jamaican accent, the Yankee slang coming out.
-You, what was all this about?
-Personal story.
-Matters of the heart.