Leverage

Chapter One The Nigerian Job

Hotel Bar]
(Nate is sitting at a hotel bar, drinking)

Bartender: I checked. Airport shuttle's in 15 minutes.

( Dubenich approaches Nate)
Dubenich: I'm sorry Mr. Ford, sorry, I know who you are I've, uh, excuse me. I've read all about you. I know for example that-that when you found that stolen Monet painting in Florence you probably saved your Insurance Company what 20-25 million dollars. Then there was that identity theft thing and you saved your insurance company I don't even know how many millions of dollars but I just know that when you needed them... What happened to your family is the kind of thing--

Nate (slams glass down): You know that part of the conversation where I punch you in the neck nine or ten times? We're coming up on that pretty quick.

Dubenich: I just want to offer you a job.

Nate: What do you got?

Dubenich: Do you know anything about airplane design?

Nate: I could give it a shot, you know, you give me a pencil and one of those little rulers.

Dubenich: Somebody stole my airplane designs.

Nate: Oh, I see and you'd like me to find them right?

Dubenich: No. I know where they are. I want you to steal them back.

(Nate looks at him in surprise)

[Exterior Pierson Aviation]

(Eliot, Parker, Hardison and Nate meet in front of building. Nate waits while the others walk across the street before turning and walking away)

[Unfinished Office]

(Nate puts a table down in an unfinished room, then places a laptop on it and looks at the building across the street)

[Hotel Bar]

Nate: You're sure Pierson stole your designs?

Dubenich: Look, my engineer goes missing, he disappears with all my files and then one week later Pierson announces an identical project. Come on.

Nate: I don't know. Stealing them back, it seems like a stupid risk, there are other ways...

Dubenich: Listen. Listen to me. At the end of this month I have a shareholder's meeting Mr. Ford. I've spent, already, five years, 100 million dollars on R&D. If I go to that meeting with nothing to show for it? Then I am dead.

(Dubenich opens a folder and passes it across the table)

Dubenich: I'm serious. Look, look at the people I've already hired. Do you recognize any of these names?

Nate (going through file): Uh, yeah, I've chased all of them at one time or anoth-- Parker? You have Parker?

Dubenich: Is there somebody better?

Nate: No, but Parker is insane.

Dubenich: Which is why I need you.

Nate (laughs): No. I'm not a thief. (closes file)

Dubenich: Thieves I got. What I need is one honest man to watch them.

[Unfinished Office]

(Nate sets up a projector which shines blueprints of a building on the wall)

[Hotel Bar]

Dubenich: Are you in?

Nate: It's not going to work, these people you hired they all have the same rep. They work alone, they always work alone, there's no exceptions and there's no way they're going to work for you.