CHICANE

In rural Romania, mutual strangers JAX BITHESEA (38 - British) and CORAL CROSS (33 - American) try to assassinate a man codenamed the WHITE RABBIT at the same time. The kill fails because they get in each other’s way. They both report back to their superiors DOMINIC PALAESTRAE (40s) and TALAKO ANTIMAN (51) in London and Washington respectively. Stressed conversation reveals the mandate to succeed in taking the White Rabbit out asap. Next day: Jax and Coral try to shoot the White Rabbit as he is escorted by Interpol minders into an SUV convoy that will take him to an airport and from there to Vienna, where the White Rabbit will testify in front of UN officials. They fail again, and head off in pursuit together, bickering. The Interpol SUV convoy is attacked before Jax and Coral catch up with it by a man called SARSEN and thugs. Sarsen abducts the White Rabbit and demands a ransom against the threat of delivering him to the UN in Vienna the next day. This sends shock waves through Dominic and Talako’s worlds. The mandate remains to prevent the White Rabbit testifying in Vienna – but why? Sensing treachery in their superiors, Jax and Coral grab the White Rabbit back from Sarsen. At gunpoint, the White Rabbit tells Jax in private the identity of ‘Judas’: the intel vendor he intends to testify against. Jax’ agenda now changes to protecting the White Rabbit so he can testify. He fakes the White rabbit’s assassination – aware that ‘London’ and ‘Washington’ are watching via surveillance glasses Jax and Coral are obliged to wear. Jaz puts his surveillance glasses in the trash. Coral’s agenda remains taking the White Rabbit out because she doesn’t yet know Judas’ identity. Now pursued by police and aware that their ‘colleagues’ in the US and UK secret services will be on their way to make sure the White Rabbit is indeed dead, Jax tells Coral who Judas is. He persuades her to go rogue too, so that Judas is brought down. Dominic and Talako become increasingly stressed. Guilt haunts one of them and exhorts them both to more forceful action. Jax and Coral get the White Rabbit to a hotel, where they are attacked by covert forces hell bent on taking them all out (because Dominic and/or Talako are aware the White Rabbit is still alive and Jax and Coral have gone rogue). The trio survives. They ‘acquire’ a special forces Eurocopter to fly the White Rabbit to Vienna in. They are attacked by other choppers – one of which is sent to destroy them and the other of which is sent to protect them; but which is which?. They barely make it to Vienna, where the White Rabbit testifies against Talako, who is charged and arrested for treason. By now, haemophiliac Jax is all but dead from blood loss, and Coral is mortally wounded. Days later in hospital, Dominic tells Jax he rejects Jax’ resignation. A debrief ensues, after which Jax visits Coral in her ward. It took all this, but Jax and Coral, Britain and America, are now firm friends – or more. It’s a Special Relationship...