THE STAGE 32 LOGLINES

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FOR THE GREATER GOOD

FOR THE GREATER GOOD
By Colin Guest

GENRE: Thriller
LOGLINE:

Using toys to avenge his brother's death may sounds strange, but to Jeff Stone, a CIA black ops specialist, his method guarantees death to those involved

SYNOPSIS:

JEFF STONE, a top CIA black ops specialist receives a call from LEO MARTENS, his boss. It ‘says, ‘Call me.’ Jeff does and is shocked to learn his brother MARK had disappeared shortly after arriving in Yemen. Unlike Jeff, Mark works undercover for the CIA, while acting as a news reporter. Jeff flies to Sanna, the capital of Yemen, and goes to a CIA safe house run by a Yemeni couple. From them, Jeff learns the secret police had arrested an American, who later reportedly hung himself. After Jeff informs Leo of this, he arranges for him to meet a contact named Peter. When they meet, Peter confirms Mark is dead. He also informs Jeff that Leo thinks due to the situation in Yemen, a regime change is in order. Jeff is shocked. After the CIA Noriega incident in Panama, the American Government said they would never do this sort of thing again. However, with Jeff there, who had done this sort of thing before, Leo thinks the time is right.

After Peter takes Jeff to see Asraf, a friend of his, Jeff is convinced he should act. Therefore, for the greater good of the Yemeni people, and to avenge his brother, Jeff decides to assassinate Tala Zaid, the self-proclaimed president. He asks, Asraf if he can obtain a list of the locations where Zaid will be giving speeches to his followers.

While waiting for this, in an attempt to distance himself

from any involvement with the American government, Jeff leaves the safe house. As a tourist, he rents a car, drives to another part of Yemen, and books into a hotel. Once he has worked out a plan that he feels sure will be successful, Jeff returns to Sanna.

Wearing a disguise, he then sets out to purchase the various items he requires. Jeff first rents a garage and then buys a pickup truck. Next, he finds a shop selling toy drones that are an essential part of his plan. When Jeff buys one, he explains to the shopkeeper that it’s a present for his son’s graduation. He takes it to his garage and suspends it above the garage door.

On his return to the shop, Jeff tells the storekeeper that he has decided to organize a drone race as part of his son's present, so buys two more drones. Once he has the other two drones hanging with the first, Jeff sets out to purchase the other major items he requires. These include two laser designators, plus some high explosives.

After he receives details from Asraf of the locations where Zaid will give speeches, Jeff chooses two possible target areas. He also finds places to set up the designators that will light up the target location. With this part of the operation done, Jeff returns to his garage and starts work on the two smaller drones. After delicate and time-consuming work, the toy drones are now deadly weapons. For another major part in his plan, Jeff finds a shop that makes banners, and orders one to his design.

Once made, Jeff fits it to the larger drone. With work on the drones completed, Jeff buys a second-hand video camera. By the time he has completed alterations, it is now a control unit for the three drones. After checking it out in his garage with the drones and designators, all worked as planned. Jeff finds a suitable place to hide the two smaller drones that he later leaves there, ready for lift-off. Jeff places one designator disguised as a light fitting in a window box at a café close to where Zaid will speak. The other designator he installs at a garage, overlooking the target area.

On the day of Talal Zaid's speech, Jeff drives his pickup to a quiet area. In the back, under the canvas cover, is the drone carrying the banner. He parks and removes the cover from the drone and switches it on, then walks away.

With everything set, Jeff joins the crowds, waiting to hear Zaid’s speech.

When the people start cheering at something Zaid says, Jeff operates his video camera control unit and sends the large drone into the sky. As the banner unrolls behind it and the crowd reads its message, We love our president, they point and cheer. During all the noise they make, Jeff sends the two attack drones on their way.

Although one is seen, it is too late for Zaid’s guards to prevent it from releasing a series of miniature rockets. When the other drone also releases its rockets, the result is a series of fiery explosions. The stage is set on fire, with Zaid dead, along with several officials and some guards. Amongst all the confusion, Jeff joins the crowds, running away from what looks like a war zone. After he presses a button on the camcorder and his truck blows up, it causes even more panic. Jeff slips into an alley and changes out of his disguise. Along with the video camera fitted with an incendiary device, he drops everything into a rubbish bin. This bursts into flames shortly after he rejoins the panic-stricken crowds. Using his cell phone, Jeff detonates the explosive device left in his garage. With this done, once the acid capsules inside the designators dissolve, there will be nothing left for the authorities to find who was behind the assassination.

With his mission complete, Jeff then returns home to America.

FOR THE GREATER GOOD

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