The Brink

_

_

_

_

How bad is this politically?

You absolutely did nothing wrong, Mr. President.

- No, sir. - Zaman was there. The intel said so.

- Yes, sir. - Israel confirmed it.

It was the right call. Of course it was.

Even knowing we were going to miss,

I would still recommend we do the strike again.

I agree. Yes, sir.

It shows resolve. Don't fuck with our friends in Tel Aviv.

Stay sharp!

Yes, I understand.

I will not let these girls out of my sight.

I trusted you.

You fucked me.

I'm trying to save you.

Please, Alex, stop pretending you care.

I do care. This is the best thing for everyone.

This is the best thing for you and Walter Larson,

and the goddamn United fucking States.

The goddamn fucking United States brings clean water into your homes.

We bring medicine to you people...

Did you just really say "you people"?

- Did I? - Yeah.

Is there a problem with "you people"?

I mean, you can call my people "you people." We don't mind.

Come on, Rafiq, I'm the good guy.

Oh, you're the good guy.

What about that $200,000 tip that Raja gave you

for risking my family's lives?

You gonna use all those Grover Clevelands to build me a well?

You know what? I think I deserve a little gratuity for making sure

that your farmers don't die of malaria and waxy eye disease.

It's the worst of all the eye diseases.

We don't need you to solve our waxy eye problems.

We need you to get out of our country and leave us alone.

When we leave you alone,

we get the Taliban and 9-11.

You supported Osama, in the '80s!

He was your creation, just like Zaman.

Okay, well, now I'm trying to make up for all that.

How? By risking these girls' lives so that they become targets

for every crazed militant who wants to make a name for himself?

Now you're overreacting.

You're a patronizing little shit.

You boys appreciate Shakespeare?

Sir, yes, sir.

Romeo y Julietas.

Cuban.

These are not a reward for getting your asses shot down.

I'm just glad you're alive to smoke them.

Oh, thank you, sir.

And, Tilson, CENTCOM was kind enough to set up a video chat

with your family back home.

I'll leave you to it. Make it quick.

We got to get shot down more often.

So tell us more about this little plan that you have

where you lie about everything to everyone.

Gail tells me there's a Dunkin' Donuts in San Diego.

Maybe you could bring up some Boston Kremes and a Coolatta

when you come to LA pretending you don't have a third child.

Seriously?

- What the fuck's wrong with you? - What the fuck were you thinking?

Um...

I'm going to give you a little privacy here.

_

_

_

_

_

Mr. President, Zaman was in custody.

Raja was in control.

We achieved the most delicate transition in modern diplomacy, a bloodless coup.

But why bother

when you can just drop a bomb down his goddamn chimney?

That's actually And after you took out Zaman, what came next?

Vehement denials that we did anything wrong.

I mean, was there a plan

or are we just freeballing it?

Like we did in Iraq, Syria, Libya?

Because then we know what happens next.

Rival factions emerge. Civil war breaks out.

Total fucking chaos.

These people tend to prefer chaos.

Yeah, but Iraq didn't have nukes.

What happens when extremists swallow up a nuclear state?

We work to install a friendly dictator.

Who eventually turns against us, then needs to be removed.

Why mess with something that works?

Oh, Christ! Am I in Oz? What the fuck? Jesus!

Mr. President,

we need to think very carefully about our next move.

I've already decided our next move.

I'm ordering the evacuation of our embassy.

You what?

What about the Pakistani school girls?

I say we take them, too. Get them onto US soil.

If we leave those girls behind and Zaman comes to their rescue,

he'll parade them all over TV and now he's a big hero.

You put those girls on a chopper, they're hostages.

You're just throwing fuel on the fire.

We can't give Zaman the win. Put the girls on a chopper.

Christ! Can't anyone in this room see

more than three feet in front of their fucking face?

Except for you, of course, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Let's go, girls!

Just wait for Raja, okay?

He'll get the girls safely back to their families.

- Raja's dead. - What?

Mm, yeah. We got him good. Zaman's alive, so we gotta go.

Evac order just came in from the president.

It looks like the Lord is finally pulling this place back down to hell.

"And it shall come as destruction from the Almighty."

Evacuated to where, sir?

Afghanistan. Bagram Air Force Base.

These Marines are gonna take the girls to the helipad.

Let's go, now!

Sir, Bagram is a clearing house for torture and rendition.

Ten years ago. They've cleaned it up since then.

What? They cannot make us go.

These girls need to be back home with their families,

not held prisoner at a US Army base.

Prisoner! No, no, no, no! More like guests.

They'll be well taken care of. It'll just be a few days.

- Move! Come on! - I'll talk to Walter.

The girls will be fine. Don't worry!

Buddy, you got to know, this is not the outcome I anticipated!

I am not your buddy. I am not your friend.

I am not your driver.

I don't ever want to talk to you again.

- I realize you're upset. - No!

I'm done with your banter! I'm done with your jokes!

Fuck you!

I'm pregnant and you were going to leave me alone for three days a week?

- And every other Saturday. - What about when we get married?

I thought you wanted to fix our marriage!

And what fucked up Mormon universe are you living in

where you think you can have two wives you just bounce back and forth from?

- Yeah, say something! - Anything that makes sense!

Okay, fine!

Ashley, I love you. I never stopped loving you.

I want to move back in with you and the kids.

Gail, I don't love you. I'm sorry.

I can't start another family.

I will be there for Atticus or Petunia or whatever you want to call this kid,

but the romantic side of us? It's over.

Fuck you, Zeke. Really.

And fuck you.

Well...

What do you say, Ash?

Did you get that care package I sent?

Yeah, but I haven't opened it up yet.

I sent you a ton of Provigil,

and some of that buffalo jerky that you like.

Sell the pills, make a little cash,

and then we can start talking about how to save

this fucked up relationship.

Okay. Thank you...

_

_

_

_

_

_

What the fuck was that?

"And it shall come as destruction from the Almighty."

At zero-nine-two-three hours, Echo Time,

USGS has confirmed a seismic event registering five-point-one

at a Pakistani military installation.

Zaman's forces attempted to launch

an intercontinental nuclear ballistic missile.

It failed...

and detonated underground.

Good God.

Mr. President, it's time.

We're out of options.

I agree.

Gentlemen,

Operation Infinite Wisdom begins now.

You should all take note that I do this with a heavy heart.

Infinite Wisdom? What the hell is that?

I'm not seeing any infinite wisdom here.

Operation Infinite Wisdom,

in which the gods cease to be benevolent,

in which the full bicep of the American military machine

flexes its... bicep.

This is full-scale war against a nuclear-armed state.

Yes, sir. We've been gaming this one out since the '90s.

Jesus.

Are you... You're actually drooling.

He's... He's actually drooling.

The full resources of the US Fifth Fleet.

The biggest show of American air power since North Vietnam.

Every military base...

Everywhere they could hide a nuclear weapon will be neutralized.

We will completely remove their ability to wage war.