Mitch Leary quotes from In the Line of Fire (1993)

Mitch Leary

What did happen to you that day? Only one agent reacted to the gunfire, and you were closer to Kennedy than he was. You must have looked up at the window of the Texas Book Depository, but you didn't react. Late at night, when the demons come, do you see the rifle coming out of that window, or do you see Kennedy's head being blown apart? If you'd reacted to that first shot, could you have gotten there in time to stop the big bullet? And if you had - that could've been your head being blown apart. Do you wish you'd succeeded, Frank? Or is life too precious?

Mitch Leary

Do you know how easily I could kill you, Frank? Do you know how many times I watched you go in and out of that apartment? You are still alive because I have allowed you to live so you show me some GODDAMN RESPECT! [slams phone down]

Mitch Leary

Frank?

Frank Horrigan

Yeah?

Mitch Leary

Frank Horrigan, the Secret Service agent?

Frank Horrigan

Yeah, what'd I win?

Mitch Leary

My God, that really was you in my apartment this afternoon!

Frank Horrigan

McCrawley?

Mitch Leary

Why not call me Booth?

Frank Horrigan

Why not Oswald?

Mitch Leary

Because Booth had flair, panache - a leap to the stage after he shot Lincoln.

Mitch Leary

What's kept you in the game all these years?

Frank Horrigan

Why don't we get together and have a drink? We could talk about that.

Mitch Leary

Oh, I'd love to, but I think the less you know about me the better.

Frank Horrigan

Oh, why?

Mitch Leary

Because I'm planning to kill the President.

Frank Horrigan

Oh, now you shouldn't have gone and said that. It's a federal offense to threaten the President. You could go to jail, even if you don't mean it.

Mitch Leary

I mean it all right. John F. Kennedy said all someone needs is a willingness to trade his life for the President's, right?

Frank Horrigan

That's right.

Mitch Leary

I'm willing.

Mitch Leary

The irony is so thick you could choke on it.

Frank Horrigan

There's no ****in' irony, Mitch.

Mitch Leary

Think, Frank. Think. The same government that trained me to kill trained you to protect. Yet now you want to kill me while up on that roof I protected you. They're gonna write books about us, Frank.

Mitch Leary

Watching the President, I - I couldn't help wondering why a man like you would risk his life to save a man like that. You have such a strange job - I can't decide if it's heroic or absurd.

Frank Horrigan

Now, why would a man like you want to risk his life to kill a man like that?

Mitch Leary

Don't you have a psychological profile on me yet?

Frank Horrigan

I don't put a lot of stock in them.

Mitch Leary

Nor do I. A man's actions don't equal the sum of his psychological parts. Doesn't work that way.

Frank Horrigan

Just how does it work?

Mitch Leary

It doesn't work, Frank. God doesn't punish the wicked and reward the righteous. Everyone dies. Some die because they deserve to; others die simply because they come from Minneapolis. It's random and it's meaningless.

Frank Horrigan

Well, if none of this means anything... why kill the President?

Mitch Leary

To punctuate the dreariness.

Frank Horrigan

It sounds to me like you need to get yourself laid.

Mitch Leary

You're the same as me. Name one thing in your life that has any meaning.

Frank Horrigan

I play the piano.

Mitch Leary

That's not enough.

Frank Horrigan

How do you know? Do you play?

Mitch Leary

I've seen you in your bar alone. There's no cause left worth fighting for. All we have is the game. I'm on offense. You're on defense.

Frank Horrigan

When do we start playing the game?

Mitch Leary

The clock's ticking.

Mitch Leary

Frank, you of all people, I want you to understand because we both USED to think this country was a very special place...

Frank Horrigan

You don't know what I used to think!

Mitch Leary

Oh, but you know about me? Do you have any idea what I've done for God and country? Some pretty **** HORRIBLE things! I don't even remember who I was before they sunk their claws into me!

Frank Horrigan

They made you into a real monster, right?

Mitch Leary

That's right and now they want to destroy me because we can't have monsters roaming the quiet countryside, now can we?

Frank Horrigan

What do you see when you're in the dark, and the demons come?

Mitch Leary

I see you, Frank. I see you standing over the grave of another dead president.

Frank Horrigan

That's not going to happen. I'm onto you.

Mitch Leary

Forget it, Frank. I am willing to trade my life for his. I am smart, and I am willing, and that is all it takes. That president is coming home from California in a box.

Frank Horrigan

Where in California?

Mitch Leary

Uh, the address? Come on, Frank. I'll keep you in the game, but I'm not going to throw it for you.

Frank Horrigan

I want you to give yourself up.

Mitch Leary

So I can live a long and fruitful life?

Frank Horrigan

We can work something out.

Mitch Leary

**** you. Don't **** lie to me. I have a rendezvous with death, and so does the President, and so do you if you get too close.

Frank Horrigan

You have a rendezvous with my ass, mother****er!

Mitch Leary

Frank. Do you know how easily I could kill you, Frank? Do you know how many times I've watched you go in and out of that apartment? You're alive because I have allowed you to live. So you show me some goddamn respect!

Mitch Leary

So, you have the guts, Frank. You took the bullet.

Frank Horrigan

I broke my damn ribs.

Mitch Leary

Sorry. I wasn't aiming at you.
...

Mitch Leary

A bulletproof vest is cheating a bit. Otherwise, you played a good game.

Frank Horrigan

It's no game, Leary. I was doing my job. What are we gonna do now?

Mitch Leary

Do you believe in the nobility of suicide?

Frank Horrigan

No. But if you wanna blow your goddamn head off, go ahead, be my guest.

Mitch Leary

Nicely put, except I don't want to leave this miserable world alone.

Frank Horrigan

Take my hand. If you don't, you'll die.

Mitch Leary

You want to save me, Frank?

Frank Horrigan

To be completely fair and honest with you, no. But it's my job.

Mitch Leary

Do you believe in the nobility of suicide?

Frank Horrigan

No. But if you wanna blow your goddamn head off, go ahead, be my guest.

Mitch Leary

Nicely put, except I don't want to leave this miserable world alone.

Lilly Raines

West tower, do you have a shot?

Negative, too dark. Target unclear.

Leary

It's better to die with a friend, don't you think Frank?

Horrigan

A friend? You're a damn killer, you sick bastard.

Leary

Don't talk to me like that! I saved your life. You owe me.

Horrigan

I don't owe you shit.

Leary

I was always honest and fair with you.

Horrigan

Go ahead and shoot. Go ahead. [the other agents hear him on the ground floor]

Agent Chavez

It's Frank. [to people reacting at the audio] Quiet! Quiet!

Horrigan

Come on, dammit.

Raines

Frank are you talking to me?

Horrigan

Well, what are you waiting for?

Leary

What am I waiting for? I'm waiting for you to show me some goddamn gratitude. [aims pistol as Horrigan moves back] Without me, you'd still just be another sad-eyed, piano-playing drunk. I brought you into this game. I let you keep up with me. I made you a goddamn hero today.

Horrigan

You didn't make me anything.

Leary

I redeemed your pathetic, shitty life.

Horrigan

I just did my job. You're the one with the **** pathetic life. Go ahead and shoot, dammit.

Raines

They can't see inside. If they fire, you'll be hit.

Leary

I want you to thank me first, Frank.

Horrigan

Shut up and shoot.

Raines

All right, Frank.

Leary

All right, Frank.

Raines

Shooters, standby to fire. Wait for my command.

Leary

Sleep well, my friend.

Horrigan

Just one thing: Aim high.

Leary

What?

Raines

Aim high.

Horrigan

NOW!

Raines

Fire!

Leary

You bastard! [snipers shoot]