CODE OF SILENCE
Written by
Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack, Mike Gray & John Mason
Story by
Michael Butler & Dennis Shryack
SHOOTING DRAFT
1985
EXT. CHICAGO - NIGHT TO DAWN
Thundering north through the glass canyons of the Loop, the
elevated train SCREECHES through the city awakening. As it
races north across the river past ancient factories giving
way to high rise splendor, lights glistening against the
dawn, we see the complex business of bringing a city to life
in the morning.
On the Near North Side an assortment of revelers are winding
up their night on the town.
The pressmen loiter outside the Tribune loading docks, and
fishing boats are outbound through the Chicago River locks.
A streetsweeping crew moves through the Fulton Market,
Chicago's central meat and produce distribution center.
At the Merchandise Mart platform the elevated train picks up
two old cleaning ladies wearing babushkas.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
The el train RUMBLES north past the aging tenements of Uptown
into the Belmont Avenue Station.
And down below, a garbage truck is slowly working its way up
the alley. A garbage man in city overalls WHISTLES to the
driver and the truck stops. He rolls a can to the grinding
jaw as the driver sits, tense and alert, scanning the street.
There's something odd about this driver. And the garbage man
too, for that matter.
EXT. EL PLATFORM - DAY
SPIDER, a nervous looking black man, steps out onto the
platform. As the train pulls away we see him reach into his
shirt pocket and CLICKS his ball point pen a couple of times.
He WHISPERS into it. It is a concealed radio transmitter.
SPIDER
Say, hey, Cub fans, I hope to hell
y'all down there cause we got a big
game today.
He heads for the stairs and the street below.
INT. TRUCK CAB - DAY
The truck cab is equipped with a police radio. The driver,
RICH DONATO, adjusts the volume. Over the SPEAKER, HEAVY
WITH STATIC, we can hear the SOUND of the RECEDING EL TRAIN.
SPIDER (V.O.)
(from radio)
The school bus be waitin.
Donato motions for the garbage man.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
EDDIE CUSACK jumps up on the truck's running board and sticks
his head in. On the seat beside Donato is a sledgehammer and
a sawed off automatic rifle. The two men stare at each other
as they concentrate on the CRACKLING RADIO.
SPIDER (V.O.)
(from radio)
S'happenin, Doc?
DOC (V.O.)
(from radio)
Hey, I got it all right here, my
man. Jus be waitin on you.
SPIDER (V.O.)
(from radio)
We ain't got far to go.
EXT. EL STATION - DAY
DOC is at the wheel of a late model Cadillac. Spider gets in
and they pull slowly away from the curb.
EXT. EL STATION - DAY
At the corner in a beat up Pontiac are officers MUSIC and
BRENNAN. The two rough looking detectives follow Doc's car
through half closed eyes.
They also HEAR Spider's TRANSMITTER. The quality of the
reception improves as Spider and his antennae clear the steel
support structure of the el platform.
DOC (V.O.)
(from radio)
This early bird shit just ain't my
style.
SPIDER (V.O.)
(from radio)
Dig it. Too close to real work for
me.
Doc and Spider talk in a nervous false bravado.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Eddie nods to Donato who grabs a walkie-talkie from the seat.
DONATO
(to walkie-talkie)
O.K. Home Team. Ready in the bullpen.
MUSIC (V.O.)
(from radio)
Copy Shortstop. Double play. We're
with him now.
SPOTTER (V.O.)
(from radio)
Center's in.
SILENCE. Eddie looks at Donato.
EDDIE
Where's Cragie?
EXT. CEMETERY - DAY
Two cops are against the wall separating the cemetery from
the El. CRAGIE, a weathered twenty-five year veteran; and
NICK KOSALAS, the new kid on the team. Cragie sits on a crate
with a styrofoam cup of coffee.
Kosalas is trying to maneuver his cup lid off, and still
hold on to his walkie-talkie.
DONATO (V.O.)
(from radio)
Talk to me left field.
KOSALAS
(to mike)
Ready sir. Left Field in position.
Cragie pulls a pint of whiskey from his pocket and sweetens
his coffee with a healthy shot. He notices Kosalas, who has
set down the thermos and is nervously moving from leg to
leg.
CRAGIE
Have a shot, kid. A little nerve
tonic.
KOSALAS
What's the matter with you?
Cragie grins and raises his cup to drink. His hand shakes
and he has to steady it with the other.
The RADIO CRACKLES.
SPOTTER (V.O.)
(from radio)
O.K., guys, runner on first base.
INT. SPOTTER APARTMENT - DAY
A spotter, KOBAS, covers the scene from an abandoned building
across the street.
KOBAS
(to walkie-talkie)
Just turning on Paulina.
EDDIE (V.O.)
(from radio)
Double Play, you got him in sight?
MUSIC (V.O.)
(from radio)
Yeah, we got the on him. He's headin
for the alley.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Eddie wrestles another garbage can into the truck's hopper
as Doc's car cruises slowly past.
Eddie and Spider LOCK EYES for a split second.
The car moves on and stops at the far end of the alley. The
lights switch off. After a moment, Spider and Doc leave the
car and check out the scene. Doc carries a satchel.
DOC (V.O.)
(from radio)
I say nice and simple now.
SPIDER (V.O.)
(from radio)
We real cool, Doc. We're frosty. We
jus' doin' a little business, you
know? Ain't no big thing.
The two men slip into the back gate of an old tenement. They
pass through a gangway to the front of the building, and
climb the front stairs.
Though we can no longer see them, we HEAR a DOOR OPENING, a
GREETING in Spanish, and FEET FOUNDING up the steps.
The garbage truck GRINDS forward and halts again. Eddie comes
up to the cab. He is wearing a gun under his overalls. He
and Donato listen on the RADIO to the CONVERSATION coming
from inside the building.
INT. COMACHO FRONT STAIRS - DAY
A muscular Latino, POMPAS COMACHO, leads Spider and Doc down
the paint-peeling corridor. The SOUND of BABIES CRYING and
FAMILIES WAKING gives a sense of teeming humanity behind
every door.
The Latino knocks at a door heavily fortified with burglar
bars. The door opens. The bars are unlocked.
SPIDER
How y'all doin?
VOICE (V.O.)
(from within)
It's O.K. O.K. Como esta?
Pompas leaves the two men and heads down the stairs toward
the front door.
INT. COMACHO APARTMENT - DAY
Doc and Spider enter. They're patted down.
A sleepy eyed Latino woman comes to stand in the bedroom
doorway. VICTOR COMACHO barks at her in Spanish, and she
disappears into the bedroom.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Eddie stands on the running board of the truck with Donato
at the wheel. They listen to the RADIO.
DOC (V.O.)
(from radio)
Hey, man, we're clean, huh. We ain't
fools.
SPIDER (V.O.)
You do that real nice, Pancho. what
say we get married.
Eddie tosses a soiled Rubic's Cube into Donato's lap.
EDDIE
Found you a present.
DONATO
Shit, those things will fuck up your
mind.
EXT. CEMETERY - DAY
Cragie is watching over the wall with his binoculars. He
looks back at Kosalas, who is hopping from foot to foot.
CRAGIE
If you gotta take a leak, do it now.
KOSALAS
I can't go wading in with my shlong
flapping in the wind.
CRAGIE
Sure you can. It's called diversionary
tactics.
Cragie laughs and swigs straight from the bottle. The RADIO
CRACKLES.
BRENNAN (V.O.)
(from radio)
What's going on in the ballpark?
DONATO (V.O.)
(from radio)
Don't get froggy. Wait for the green
light.
EXT. COMACHO STREET - DAY
A painter's van passes Brennan's Pontiac and parks in front
of the building half way up the block.
INT. BRENNAN'S CAR - DAY
Music doesn't like this.
MUSIC
What the hell is this cat up to?
BRENNAN
Going to work asshole. What do you
think.
MUSIC
At this hour.
BRENNAN
They got a hardass for a boss. Like
us.
EXT. COMACHO STREET - DAY
As Music and Brennan watch from their car, the four painters
get out of their truck, unpack their ladders and tools, and
begin to carry their equipment into the building next door
to the stakeout.
INT. COMACHO APARTMENT - DAY
The room is small and bare. A selling den. VICTOR COMACHO
and TWO COUSINS, all young and vicious, are sitting around a
formica table with the two buyers, Doc and Spider. The
Comachos are heavily armed. There is plenty of tension all
around, but Doc seems a little more nervous than the rest.
This is an enormous buy. Doc has placed a bowling satchel
full of bundled $20's, $50's, and $100's on the table. Victor
is counting it rapidly.
SPIDER
This be better than jukin' Seven-
Elevens, huh Victor?
VICTOR
(to cousins in Spanish)
This one's got some balls, huh?
(to Spider)
I don't juke anybody.
Victor nods and one of the cousins brings in half a dozen
brick-sized bundles of cocaine from the next room.
Doc slices into one of the bags and with the tip of his knife
he drops a bit into a glass vial. He adds clear liquid with
an eye dropper and it instantly turns purple.
DOC
I say, awright. The royal colors.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Eddie's eyes scan the scene as he sorts through a garbage
can with a stick.
INT. PAINTER'S HALLWAY - DAY
The painters carry their equipment down the long corridor
and enter a vacant apartment.
A door opens in the corridor, and a naked toddler steps out.
A Latino teenager comes out to retrieve the child. He sees
the backs of the painters, and carries the toddler back
inside.
INT. PAINTER'S APARTMENT - DAY
The painters are not what they seem. Working quickly,
silently, they open their tool kits and lay out their
hardware: machine guns and automatics.
TONY LUNA, a barrel-chested Italian mobster is running the
show and it's well rehearsed. His boys, GUS, VITO, and EENIE
move like oiled machinery.
Vito turns on a radio to a Latino station to cover the SOUND
of their preparations. They remove the whole window from its
frame. Then they rest a wide plank on the window ledge.
Three feet away is the window of the adjacent building and
silhouetted against the shade we can SEE the drug deal.
Luna'ys check their weapons.
They put on painters' masks and goggles.
LUNA
Okay, by the numbers.
He puts on his goggles.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Over the IDLING ENGINE of the garbage truck, Eddie and Donato
HEAR the deal going down on the RADIO.
EDDIE
(to walkie-talkie)
Everybody on your toes.
MUSIC (V.O.)
(from radio)
Their Right Field's Clear. Those
painters are out of the way.
EDDIE
(to walkie-talkie)
What the hell you talking about?
MUSIC (V.O.)
(from radio)
We got a painting crew of painters
just went in the building next door.
Eddie looks at Donato.
EDDIE
Painters? That building's gonna be
condemned!
Like a coiled spring, Eddie leaps from the truck and runs
for the rear gate, gun in hand.
EDDIE
(shouts)
Play Ball! Play-fucking-ball!
DONATO
(to mike)
Home Team! We're goin in! Move it!
Move it!
INT. PAINTER'S APARTMENT - DAY
Tony and his men face the window across the gangway. Two of
them hold sawed off double barreled shotguns. Tony counts it
down, and they all fire as one.
One GIANT BLAST tears into the window. It disintegrates.
The four men toss aside their empty guns, and grab other
guns.
EXT. GANGWAY - DAY
Eddie HEARS THE GUNFIRE and hits the wall. He sees the glass
showering down around him. He vaults over the backyard fence
and head for the porch stairs.
EXT. CEMETERY - DAY
Kosalas is finally pissing against the wall.
KOSALAS
I knew it.
Cragie is using the crate to climb the wall. He is up and
over, and falls to the ground on the other side. He's still
trying to get to his feet when Kosalas comes over.
They start running, yanking their guns out.
INT. COMACHO APARTMENT - DAY
Doc and Spider are blown backwards in their chairs. One of
the cousins has fallen across the piles of money and drugs.
Victor and the other cousin are slumped on the floor. The
woman in the bedroom is screaming.
Through the jagged glass around the window frame, Tony's
boys shove a broad plank.
EXT. GANGWAY - DAY
Three floors up, we see the "painters" rush across the gangway
to the other building.
EXT. COMACHO BACK STAIRS - DAY
EFREN COMACHO, the heavyweight guarding the back door, is
distracted by the SHOUTS and GUNFIRE upstairs. Eddie crashes
through the door and Efren spins just in time to meet Eddie's
blurring attack.
The struggle on the landing is brief. Efren's size is no
match for Eddie's speed and power. With a grunt he sags to
the floor.
Eddie leaps over him and bounds up the steps.
EXT. COMACHO STREET - DAY
Brennan, Music and Kobas are now on their way, using parked
cars to cover their advance toward the front door of the
Comacho building.
EXT. COMACHO BACK STAIRS - DAY
Eddie passes the second floor landing and takes a quick look
up the porch stairs. The door to the second floor apartment
starts to open behind him. He spins and kicks it.
There stands a terrified old woman looking up the barrel of
his gun.
EDDIE
(shouts)
Police! No se mueve!
He spins and bounds up the stairway.
INT. COMACHO APARTMENT - DAY
The woman is huddled in a corner, still screaming. Tony comes
to stand over her, and coldly shoots her. Then he rips off
his mask and goggles as his boys clear the bodies and scoop
up the drugs and money from the table.
Victor Comacho lies slumped against the wall, one side of
his face and one shoulder bloodied. He appears dead, eyes
open. But then he blinks once.
INT. COMACHO BACK STAIRS - DAY
Eddie has entered the rear of the apartment. He moves
cautiously forward.
INT. COMACHO APARTMENT - DAY
Tony and his partners start back over the gangway to the
other building. Vito is bringing up the rear.
Suddenly Victor Comacho comes to life. He gets off A BURST
with his AUTOMATIC. Vito catches it in the back.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Donato is moving down the gangway when Vito's body -- followed
by the scaffold plank -- falls from the sky and CRASHES into
the pavement right in front of him.
INT. COMACHO APARTMENT - DAY
Eddie jumps into the living room doorway, gun drawn, and
takes in the carnage. He kicks the gun out of Victor's hand,
and bounds to the shattered bay window and looks down in
time to SEE --
EXT. GANGWAY - DAY
Donato jumps over the broken body, running through the gangway
toward the front of the building.
DONATO
They're goin out the front!
INT. COMACHO APARTMENT - DAY
The bridge to the other building is gone, but there is a
large drainpipe running down the outside of the building.
Eddie climbs out on the shattered window sill, and stretches
for the pipe. The pipe is just out of reach. Pushing off
from the ledge, he jumps for the drainpipe, grabbing it on
his way down.
EXT. DRAINPIPE - DAY
As he slides down three stories.
INT. PAINTER'S HALLWAY - DAY
The painters run down the stairs toward the front of the
building.
EXT. COMACHO STREET - DAY
Music, Brennan, and Kobas rush the front door of the Comacho's
building, and enter.
EXT. GANGWAY - DAY
Eddie lands on his feet and heads for the front.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
Cragie and Kosalas brace themselves on each side of the rear
door to the Painters' building. Cragie is white with fear.
Kosalas kicks in the door. They enter.
EXT. COMACHO STREET - DAY
At the front of the building Donato emerges from the
passageway and he's met by a HAIL of GUNFIRE. He jumps back
and takes a more cautious look.
Tony Luna and Gus make a run for the van. Donato steps out
from between the two buildings and raises his gun.
But he hasn't seen Eenie, just coming out of the building
next door.
Eenie fires and Donato goes down, wounded in the foot. But
before Eenie can get off another shot --
-- Eddie leaps from the gangway and drops Eenie with a BURST
from his AUTOMATIC.
EXT. COMACHO STREET - DAY
Luna pulls out PEELING RUBBER, but he's nearly surrounded.
squad cars have pulled in blocking both ends of the street.
Another squad car screeches to a halt and both officers jump
out and start firing.
Luna hits the fender of the squad car head on, knocking both
officers to the ground. He spins the van around with cops
FIRING from every angle, jumps the curb, and roars past the
roadblock on the sidewalk with pedestrians leaping in all
directions.
INT. PAINTERS' BACK STAIRS - DAY
Heart pounding, Cragie leads Kosalas blindly up the darkened
steps.
INT. PAINTER'S HALL - DAY
A door opens behind Cragie. He whirls and FIRES into the
darkness.
The riddled body of a Mexican teenager, eyes wide with shock,
pitches into the hall.
Kosalas, down the hallway, hugs the wall, petrified.
KOSALAS
Cragie?!
CRAGIE
It's O.K. I got the sonovabitch.
Kosalas creeps ahead, gun drawn, just in time to see Cragie
pull a small handgun from his pocket and lay it in the boys
hand.
Cragie looks up at Kosalas and their eyes meet.
EXT. COMACHO STREET - DAY
Luna's van, it's windshield shot out, takes the first corner
on two wheels. Behind him the police scramble for their blue
and whites. Half way down the block, the van lurches into an
alley.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
The van hurtles down the alley, splashing through puddles
past the loading docks of a packing company. Parked along
one side of the end of the alley is a meat truck from the
opening montage. A loading ramp leads to the gaping rear
doors.
The thieves have done their homework. The Luna gang slams up
the ramp into the rear of the meat truck.
A bee fy compatriot in a blood stained butcher's smock pulls
several sides of beef along the rail and into the truck.
With the van concealed, the line of police cars ROAR splashing
by.
INT. PAINTER'S HALL - DAY
Cragie, kneeling over the body, looks at Kosalas eyeball to
eyeball.
SCREAMS come from within the boy's apartment.
CRAGIE
(yelling into the
apartment)
Police! Stay where you are!
They HEAR FOOTSTEPS pounding up the front stairs. Cragie and
Kosalas look up.
Eddie appears at the front of the hall, gun drawn. He sees
the boy on the hallway floor.
He approaches cautiously, taking in the body, the gun, Cragie
sitting against the wall, and the distraught Kosalas who
stands transfixed by the dead kid. Eddie goes to Kosalas.
EDDIE
Take it easy, Kosalas.
CRAGIE
The kid didn't dust him. I did.
Eddie looks at Cragie.
CRAGIE
Him or me, Sarge.
(pause)
The kid saw the whole thing.
Both Eddie and Cragie look at Kosalas.
CRAGIE
Tell him, Nick.
It almost sounds like an order.
Kosalas looks like he's going to be sick.
KOSALAS
(softly)
Yeah, that's how it went down.
EDDIE
(pause)
Stay here.
(to Cragie)
Take care of your partner.
Eddie walks away.
EXT. GANGWAY - DAY
The gangway is now filled with squad cars, ambulances, and
cops.
As the paramedics walk Victor Comacho to the ambulance,
bloody, bandaged, but very much alive, he and Eddie LOCK
EYES for a brief instant.
Several ferocious looking Comacho relatives have been allowed
inside the police lines. One of them steps close to Victor.
VICTOR
(to relative)
Call Luis.
The lab technicians arrive.
The throng of streetwise punks and horrified commuters are
across a roped off area.
KOBAS
Get these people back out of here,
wouldja.
INT. PAINTER'S HALL - DAY
Kosalas and Cragie are still with the body. The corridor is
blocked off by uniformed patrolmen.
Kosalas is shakey. Cragie is tries to calm him down.
CRAGIE
Look, it's no big thing, Kid. A
friggin' dog and pony show. Some
dumb ass questions by dumb ass
bureaucrats. "When's the last time
you were at the range?" Crap like
that.
KOSALAS
Look. It was a fuckin' accident. Why
can't you just be --
CRAGIE
(stiffens)
You born yesterday?! These ain't
cops. They'll roast our ass just
cause we carry a badge. Both of us.
(menacing)
We stick together on this, kid. We're
partners, right?
Kosalas nods.
EXT. GANGWAY - DAY
Donato sits on the ground as two paramedics work on his foot.
Eddie crouches beside him as one medic cuts away Donato's
ankle boot.
DONATO
Aw man, don't do that. You know how
much these things cost?
He gasps as they draw the boot off. Donato grabs for Eddie's
hand, and squeezes against the pain.
DONATO
Eddie. Scam this. A bait shop. Worms,
minnows. Don't even need real worms.
Storage problem. Got those rubber
ones, you know?
EDDIE
Yeah, what about the winter?
DONATO
We winter in Florida. Rubber neck
the beach bunnies. Aw, look at that.
Ruined my brand new fence climbers.
Hand made in Italy.
Someone points Eddie out to Partida, an attractive, no-
nonsense woman, who heads for him. Donato sees Partida coming.
DONATO
Oh, fuck, Partida. I'm gonna tell
her you shot me.
The resentment the other cops feel against Partida is readily
apparent.
PARTIDA
Cusack. You were in charge here?
EDDIE
Does it look like it?
Partida looks at the covered body nearby.
PARTIDA
(to Donato)
And you were a principal in one of
the shootings?
Eddie nods.
DONATO
OW! A goddamn Dr. Jekyll!
Eddie smiles at Donato, who with his good foot, kicks at the
medic bandaging the wound.
PARTIDA
Where's the officer who was involved
in the other shooting?
EDDIE
(pointing)
Third floor rear.
As Partida heads for the building, another suited civilian
comes over to meet her. The civilian escorts a Mexican
grandmother.
The old lady is agitated, jabbering in Spanish and pointing
at the cops.
Eddie sees this, and then is pulled away as he helps one of
the medics lift Donato and carry him to the ambulance.
Eddie helps Donato into the ambulance.
EDDIE
Catch you later, Hopalong.
INT. HEADQUARTERS - DAY
The two Comacho lookouts who survived the raid, Efren and
Pompas, have been brought in for questioning. The
interrogation is taking place in a small room.
Officers Brennan and Music are here with Eddie.
The Comachos sit silent as stones.
MUSIC
(to Efren)
You know that, Efren. When your big
bad brother Luis gets the word, your
ass is freeze dried and fried.
Efren stares ahead. Music looks at Eddie who is fiddling
with the Rubic's Cube, to little success.
Brennan takes Music's place. He kicks Pompas' chair hard.
BRENNAN
Talk you hemorrhoid!
POMPAS
(in Spanish)
Your mother fucks dogs in the street.
BRENNAN
You wanna tune-up? Hey Sarge, you
know why a Comacho's like a cue-ball?
Cause the harder you hit 'em, the
better their English gets.
It's not a joke, but a threat. Pompas spits at Brennan.
Brennan is enraged, but Eddie pushes him back with a hand.
Eddie faces the Comachos.
EDDIE
We're jerking off here.
Eddie goes out the door.
INT. HEADQUARTERS HALL - DAY
As Eddie emerges, he bumps into the Camacho's lawyer SANCHEZ;
thirty-eight, well dressed, smooth as silk.
Sanchez sees the tableau in the room. As Cusack walks down
the hall the attorney follows him.
SANCHEZ
Let's cut the shit, Cusack.
Eddie ignores him.
SANCHEZ
Option 1: you can send em downtown.
If Judge Collins didn't get laid
last night, you can probably get him
to arraign my clients for loitering
in their own hallway. He'll set bail.
I'll take care of it. Option 2:
release them here and now and we'll
call it a day.
(pause)
Up to you.
EDDIE
I like to see you earn your money.
Sanchez backs off. We follow Eddie down the hall.
INT. KATES' OFFICE - DAY
The head of Area Four, COMMANDER KATES, is grilling Cragie
and Kosalas.
CRAGIE
We come up the back stairs. We start
cleanin' the hallway when the deceased
pops out of a doorway with a 25
automatic. I tell him to drop it,
but he's comin. We had no choice.
Kosalas here saw the whole thing.
Kates turns to Kosalas.
KATES
Did you?
Kosalas looks haggard.
KOSALAS
I was on another doorway...
KATES
But you saw the action?
KOSALAS
I saw him fall.
KATES
And the kid was armed?
KOSALAS
That's the way it went down.
KATES
And you saw the weapon?
KOSALAS
(nods)
Yes sir. I saw it in his hand.
KATES
O.K.
(signs document)
Cragie, you'll be assigned to
headquarters until the hearing --
CRAGIE
Hearing? Who called for a hearing?
The little fuck tried to shoot me in
the back!
Eddie enters. Kates looks up from his desk.
KATES
Ms. Partida --
CRAGIE
That piece of shit!
KATES
Shut-up, Cragie.
(pause)
Partida has demanded a formal hearing.
You will be under oath so the
department will provide you with a
lawyer unless you've got your own.
(stands)
An OPS Review Board member is waiting
to talk to you. Doesn't sound like
you got anything to worry about.
Cragie gets up. Kosalas, sitting through this interview in
stunned silence stands also.
KATES
Kosalas, you work with Cusack until
this is over.
KOSALAS
Yes sir.
Kosalas and Cragie exit.
EDDIE
I ain't got no time to nursmaid a
rookie. I don't need a partner.
KATES
(explodes)
Your right! You don't need a partner!
You need a goddamn keeper!
(slams fist on desk)
Jesus Christ! How do I explain this
one upstairs?
(stands)
We gave you 600 man-hours, you took
a month planning the damn thing, and
what have you got to show for it?
Nine bodies? A dead informant? One
of my best men shot! For Christ's
sake!
(stares at ceiling)
You're going to have me back on a
beat busting perverts in the park.
Kates sits, sighs, suddenly tired.
EDDIE
We got a bigger problem. These
Comachos aren't gonna take this lying
down. The animals are out of the
cages.
KATES
Just what I need. A goddman war.
Eddie turns to leave.
KATES
Keep track of this business with
Cragie?
EDDIE
Yeah.
The PHONE RINGS.
KATES
I'll deal with upstairs.
Eddie starts to leave again. Kates picks up the phone, and
puts a hand over the mouthpiece.
KATES
Just get me some answers, huh.
EDDIE
That's my job.
Eddie exits.
INT. HEADQUARTERS OFFICE - DAY
Kosalas, without an attorney, is being interviewed by Partida.
A court stenographer is silently typing.
PARTIDA
...you have the right to remain
silent. You have the right to have
an attorney present at all times.
Anything you say may be used against
you in a court of law...
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY
Eddie and Kosalas are parked on an airport access road,
watching private planes land and take off. Eddie's car, a
five-year old Chevy, is wreckage. The quarter panels are
rusted, the radio antenna is a coathanger, and when Kosalas
pushes a tape into the cassette player, the windshield wipers
start moving.
Kosalas pops the cassette out, the windshield wipers stop;
he throws the cassette into the glove compartment. But now
he can't get the door to stay closed.
EDDIE
I'm going to have to fix that.
Eddie has to shout to be heard over the sound of an airplane
passing directly overhead.
Eddie glances at Kosalas who looks uncomfortable.
EDDIE
You know, it's kind of interesting.
That 16 year old in the hallway with
the gun? Partida told me he doesn't
have a record. The kid's never been
arrested.
KOSALAS
Yeah, well, you know, if you read
the papers, cops only shoot honor
students. Sole support of the family
and all that.
EXT. AIRPORT - DAY
The airport bristles with corporate jets departing and
arriving.
TOWER (V.O.)
...Lear 9 Lima Kilo number 2 for
landing -- wind south 20, altimeter
two-niner-niner-two...
And now comes a mystery jet, wearing no company colors,
banking in over Lake Point Tower and WHISTLING low over the
Planetarium to a touchdown.
The white Learjet taxis to a halt at the far end of the field
as an undistinguished Buick rolls down the ramp to meet it.
Eddie and Kosalas stand by their car, parked across the runway
from the Learjet.
The jet's engines shut down, the door opens, and a grim but
handsome man emerges. LUIS COMACHO, a cruel and uncompromising
survivor, has arrived. With him is an incredibly beautiful
exotic woman.
He is met by Pompas and Efren Comacho, the two lookouts who
survived the raid. And Victor Comacho, who was wounded in
the raid, is here with his shoulder bandaged.
EXT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY
From where Eddie and Kosalas are standing it is impossible
to hear the conversation at the Learjet, but it is clear
that Luis Comacho is upset. They see Luis slap Pompas and
Efren. Then he grabs Victor by both arms, ignoring his wound,
and screams at him.
KOSALAS
Nice fellow this Luis Comacho. Donato
says they call him the Angel-of-Death.
Victor grimaces, in great pain, and his knees buckle.
EDDIE
Real sweetheart.
INT. LUNA'S HOUSE - DAY
In the dining room DIANA LUNA, a pretty 19 year old, helps
her 80 year old grandmother THERESA decorate a "HAPPY
BIRTHDAY" banner, some red and green crepe paper.
MOLLY LUNA (O.S.)
Now?
DIANA
No!
Diana and her grandmother grin at each other. They are done.
Theresa stands back to admire their work.
MOLLY (O.S.)
Now?
DIANA
Mama!
A PHONE RINGS
DIANA
Daddy, would you get that!
Diana rushes into the kitchen and comes right out with a
birthday cake, and sets it on the table next to some presents.
THERESA
Bella.
Diana goes to the stairs where her mother sits with her hands
over her eyes.
DIANA
Keep 'em closed now.
She leads her mother to the dining room.
DIANA
O.K., open 'em.
MOLLY LUNA opens her eyes. Theresa and Diana beam. Diana
kisses her mother who almost cries.
DIANA
Happy birthday, momma.
THERESA
(in Italian)
Happy birthday, Molly.
Diana hands Molly a card from the table. Molly starts to
open it.
Tony Luna burst in from another room.
TONY LUNA
Molly! Pack me a bag! Quick! Ok?
C'mon I'm in a hurry!
Molly heads for the stairs, leaving behind the half opened
card.
MOLLY
But Tony, why...?
TONY LUNA
Business! C'mon, move. Do what I
tell you!
Molly goes upstairs. Diana is pissed.
DIANA
Don't do it, momma! Make him pack
his own bag.
TONY LUNA
I ain't got time to put up with your
bullshit today.
Tony goes to the phone, dials, gets a busy signal, and slams
it down.
Theresa sits down watching sadly.
Diana goes to stand in front of her father.
DIANA
Listen goddammit! It's momma's
birthday! She deserves better'n this!
Tony sorts through the closet looking for a jacket.
Gamiani comes in puffing with a clumsily wrapped present
under his arm.
GAMIANI
Hey, Tony. What's shaking? Sorry I'm
late. I got stuck on Wacker. Some
spook...
TONY LUNA
Victor Comacho is alive.
GAMIANI
Oh sweet Jesus.
Diana is really angry at her father ignoring her.
DIANA
You can't go now.
TONY LUNA
Shut up!
He slaps her. She slaps him back, turns, grabs her purse,
and runs out.
Tony watches her go and turns to Gamiani.
TONY LUNA
Put someone on the house. And you
keep an eye on her.
He nods out the door.
GAMIANI
You got it, Tony. What about your
uncle?
TONY LUNA
What Felix don't know doesn't hurt
him.
Molly comes down with the bag. Tony takes it from her and
starts out the door. Suddenly he turns back, snatches
Gamiani's present from his hands, and thrust it at his wife.
TONY LUNA
Here. Happy birthday.
Tony rushes out the door. Gamiani goes to the phone.
Molly is left alone in the doorway.
EXT. EDDIE'S STREET - DAY
Eddie parks in front of his apartment building, leaves the
car, and enters the building.
INT. EDDIE'S HALL - DAY
Dead on his feet, Eddie reaches the top of the stairs and an
object comes flying at him out of the shadows. ODELL, a slim
10 year old black kid, fakes a series of karate kicks at
Eddie.
ODELL
Bow to your master!
EDDIE
Later, Odell. It's been a rough one.
ODELL
Y' tellin me! We all seen it on the
TV!
WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)
Odell!
EDDIE
Bow to your master.
Odell takes off.
EDDIE
Hey, Odell. Here, make yourself crazy.
The kid stops, and Eddie tosses him the Rubic's Cube.
Eddie nears his apartment, we hear a MALE VOICE SINGING.
INT. EDDIE'S APARTMENT - DAY
The door is ajar. Eddie lives in a modest apartment. FRED
PIRELLI, a great bear of a man, 65, sings at the top of his
lungs. He is bent over the space heater, tearing it apart.
PIRELLI
You look like shit.
EDDIE
Thanks, pal.
PIRELLI
They had a shot on the tube of you
guys comin' out in front of the
building. How's Donato?
Eddie collapses on the sofa.
EDDIE
Pissed cause he lost a shoe.
(pause)
Luis Comacho is in town.
PIRELLI
He'll collect himself some scalps
before this one's over. Your answering
machine is on the fritz again. Some
woman with a fantastic voice was
callin' about comin' over this weekend
ta help you with somthin', and then
the tape went nuts.
EDDIE
Want somthin' to drink?
PIRELLI
Does the Pope shit in the woods? Is
a bear Catholic?
ODELL
Me too.
Odell shows in the doorway. Eddie gets up and the kid tosses
him the Rubic's Cube -- all done.
Eddie looks at it, and the kid goes into the kitchen.
EDDIE
I hate smart ass kids.
Odell laughs.
PIRELLI
Gonna get down in the 30's tonight.
Your pilot light is out.
Eddie tosses the Cube into the waste basket and opens the
refrigerator.
EDDIE
I've been told that more than once.
PIRELLI
(seriously)
So, who you figure pulled out the
rug? Gypsies? Mob?
Eddie comes back into the living room, hands a beer and a
soda to Odell, and flops back on the sofa with his own beer.
EDDIE
Somebody knew what they were doin'.
They blew the top off an anthill.
Pirelli reaches for his drink and Odell hands him the soda.
Pirelli grabs the beer before Odell can drink and switches.
PIRELLI
I'd figure the Mob but Scalese ain't
that stupid.
(pause)
Hah! Sombody put the valve in
backwards.
Pirelli and Odell turn to Eddie who tries to look innocent --
but fails. Eddie purposefully studies the answering machine
on the coffee table in front of him.
WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)
Odell! I ain't calling you again!
ODELL
Later, fellas.
Pirelli finishes with the heater, and gets up.
PIRELLI
There. Heat.
EDDIE
What was the Cubs final score?
PIRELLI
8 to 1.
Eddie punches a button on the answering machine. It spews
tape across the table.
PIRELLI
Machines just don't like you.
Pirelli grabs the machine, unplugs it, and carries it out
the door toward his own apartment.
EDDIE
Maybe I don't like machines.
EXT. SOLDIER FIELD - DAY
The machine in question looks like a miniature tank. This is
the "Prowler," a robot anti-terrorist vehicle that is being
maneuvered around various obstacles in a demonstration for
the city's law enforcement agencies.
The "Prowler" is amazingly agile. And its BULLHORN VOICE
breaks everybody up.
VOICE
(from speaker)
Arretez! Halten Zie! Stop! Do not
move! No se mueve!...
The machine's three video eyes, searching the crowd
independently, give it the appearance of an extra-industrial
bug. One camera is mounted on a telescoping mast which extends
to give it the perspective of a giraffe. The thing seems
almost alive.
Commander Kates is here, leading a contingent of departmental
brass. With them are several dozen officers and a gaggle of
city councilmen.
The Prowler is being put through its paces by the FACTORY
ENGINEER. He controls the machine with a pistol-grip device
that looks like a small TV camera.
ENGINEER
...After the gyros are locked, any
movement of the hand controller is
duplicated by the 'Prowler.'
He turns his hand to the right and the Prowler, 50 yards
away, sweeps its turret to the right, aiming the twin 30
calibre machineguns at the politicians. They move aside.
ENGINEER
This simple control system means
that even semi-skilled employees can
operate the unit with a minimum of
training. As they say, "Even a child
can operate it."
Standing with Chief Kates, Eddie watches the demonstration
with contempt. Kates turns to him.
KATES
He's talking about you, Cusack. Pay
attention. You're all gonna have to
be qualified on this. It's the future.
EDDIE
Just what the world needs, another
gun without a brain.
KATES
You're looking at the perfect cop.
The damn thing follows orders.
Eddie has seen enough.
EDDIE
I got better things to do than play
with toys.
Kates is about to say something when the demonstrator
interrupts.
ENGINEER
If the Commander will pick someone
to try and elude 'Prowler,' we can
show how our various target
acquisition systems function.
Kates points to Eddie, and smiles.
Instantly the turret sweeps the horizon and locks on Eddie
as he walks across the astro turf.
CLOSE-UP of the Prowler's hand controller.
The MONITOR SCREEN shows the crosshairs on the back of Eddie's
head. ON THE SCREEN the digital readout says: LOCKED AND
TRACKING.
MACHINE
(from speaker)
Bang. You're dead.
Eddie keeps walking, seemingly oblivious to the Prowler.
Suddenly he whirls and ducks behind a wall out of the
Prowler's sight.
He pops up with his gun pointed at the Prowler's controller.
EDDIE
Drop it.
The controller, scared shitless, drops the hand control.
The Prowler dies -- the plug pulled.
Eddie smiles at Kates, and exits.
INT. MORGUE VIEWING ROOM - DAY
The curtain is drawn back from the viewing window and the
Comachos SEE the bodies of their cousins. Luis is here with
Pompas, Efren, and Victor. Their attorney, Sanchez, has joined
them. They are speaking Spanish.
SANCHEZ
(subtitle)
A war does no good for any of us. It
can only make what is bad worse.
Luis says nothing. He looks through the window at the bodies.
Finally he speaks.
LUIS
(subtitle)
Get them out of here. Fix them up. I
want them to be beautiful for their
mother.
He kisses his fingertips and touches the glass.
LUIS
(subtitle)
I promise you, my brothers, there
will be blood for blood.
Sanchez sighs.
INT. MORGUE HALL - DAY
Luis Comacho storms out of the room into the corridor followed
by the others.
Eddie and Kosalas are just entering. Victor spots Eddie and
turns to Luis.
VICTOR
(subtitles)
This is the cop.
The Comachos slow down. The two groups survey each other --
Luis, hatred oozing from his eyes. And Eddie, without slowing,
looks the vicious Colombian over with cool contempt.
Eddie walks by.
LUIS
How much did they pay you to set up
my brothers, Pig.
Eddie freezes, makes a slow turn, and meets Luis' eyes.
Suddenly Eddie moves, faster than anyone else can react to,
and he has Luis pinned to the wall, choking him.
EDDIE
Stay off my streets, asshole. Or
I'll bite your head off, and shit in
your neck.
He releases Luis just as quickly, and turns to walk out,
Kosalas backing with him, hand on gun.
Luis gets some air back, and starts to scream.
LUIS
(subtitle)
You're meat cop! Dead meat!
The other Comachos have to restrain him.
INT. MORGUE EXAMINING ROOM - DAY
Retired detective HANK FLANNIGAN runs the high-tech morgue
where the bodies are stacked on trays like bakery buns.
Flannigan, a trim, bespectacled Mr. Clean, clicks his false
teeth between thoughts.
The body on the exotic lab table is the gunman Eddie shot
during the raid. Eddie is here to confirm the identification.
His new partner, Kosalas, is with him, very uncomfortable in
this setting.
FLANNIGAN
Eenie Verona is the gentleman's name.
(looks down)
You did a hell of a job on him.
EDDIE
I was motivated.
Flannigan has already pulled Verona's record. He hands it to
Eddie who passes it on to Kosalas without looking at it.
Kosalas concentrates on the file, uneasy with the dead.
FLANNIGAN
Know him?
EDDIE
He's a punk. Punk thief. Booster.
FLANNIGAN
Looks like he graduated.
EDDIE
He had a brother-in-law. They were
tight. Served time together.
Ganelli..., Gagleone...
KOSALAS
Gamiani.
Eddie looks at Kosalas who glances up from the report
triumphantly.
FLANNIGAN
If I was you, I'd sit on him.
KOSALAS
You figure he's connected?
Eddie just smiles.
FLANNIGAN
Looks like you're gonna be busy,
Cusack. Uh, you gonna be using those
Cubs' tickets?
Eddie reaches into his pocket, and tosses a ticket to
Flannigan who grins.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - NIGHT
Eddie and Kosalas cruise the Rush Street area at night. They
search the neon lit crowds on the sidewalks for a glimpse of
Lou Gamiani.
EXT. GAMIANI'S STREET - DAY
On a tree-shaded block of classic brownstones, the unmarked
car is parked at the corner.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY
Eddie is at the wheel wearing a sportscoat and sweater,
scanning the sports page. Kosalas is nervous and chatty,
bubbling. He's still reading the records from the morgue.
KOSALAS
This Ganiani's a swinger, huh?
EDDIE
He's just makin' up for the time he
spent in the joint.
EXT. GAMIANI'S STREET - DAY
LOU GAMIANI, 55, Italian, and huge, comes out the front door
of a brownstone, and gives a perfunctory kiss to his aging
"Playmate", who stands in the doorway in a housecoat. Gamiani
comes down the steps, and jumps into a car.
In the car with Gamiani, a fat man, TITO, is at the wheel.
They pull into the street passing the unmarked car.
EXT. NORTH SIDE STREET - DAY
Trailing Gamiani and his partner through the North Side
neighborhoods, they wind up in Lincoln Park.
With considerable skill Kosalas and Eddie manage to stick to
them undetected.
EXT. PARK - DAY
Gamiani and Tito park by the botanical gardens and stroll
past the fields of flowers into the zoo. Eddie and Kosalas
follow.
KOSALAS
Now what? They selling protection to
the bears?
EDDIE
Relax kid.
EXT. CHILDREN'S ZOO - DAY
Strolling among the baby elephants and fuzzy rabbits, the
two heavies could not be more out of place. Tito has a racing
form. Lou, tall enough to see over heads, looks like a loose
gorilla on the prowl. He is searching for somebody.
Surrounding the incubators filled with hatching chicks is a
cluster of schoolchildren.
They are having a ball.
Eddie has noticed DIANA, a lovely 19 year old who is in charge
of the children.
And she has noticed Gamiani. She's visibly upset.
KOSALAS (V.O.)
What's this? Kinda young for that
old fart ain't she?
EDDIE (V.O.)
Just watch, kid. Learn.
Diana leaves the children with the zoo lecturer.
DIANA
Be back in a minute.
She crosses to the two goons and looks up at Gamiani.
DIANA
What do you want?
LOU
Your Papa worries about you.
DIANA
Get out of here, Lou. Leave me alone.
Gamiani shrugs, his pal Tito seems embarrassed, but they
don't move.
INT. GORILLA HOUSE - DAY
The CHILDREN SCREAM, and LULU, the half-ton baboon flies
into frame, swinging down from the artificial branches of an
iron tree in the three story central cage. The children clutch
at Diana in delightful terror. The gorilla, inches away,
kisses the thick glass that separates them.
Lulu swings to the upper branches and sits, arms crossed,
staring eyeball-to-eyeball at her human counterpart, Gamiani.
Tito eats popcorn.
Eddie and Kosalas walk behind a mother and child, each holding
a balloon.
EXT. LIBRARY - DAY
Diana is on the front steps of the library saying good-bye
to two of the children from the zoo. She hands them over to
their mothers, and goes up the steps into the building.
Gamiani and Tito pull over and park down the street.
Eddie comes around the corner, and follows her in.
INT. LIBRARY HALL - DAY
The sign on the door tells us this is the city's Special
Education Program office. Diana enters the office and confers
briefly with another staff member.
INT. LIBRARY HALL - DAY
Through the open door of the Special Education Program office,
Eddie observes Diana chatting with her co-workers.
INT. READING ROOM - DAY
Eddie follows as Diana walks through the great hall past
long tables and out the other door.
EXT. LIBRARY - DAY
Diana comes down the steps, wading through the swarm of
homebound commuters, and catches a cab.
And head and shoulders above the crowd, scanning the tops of
heads, is Lou Gamiani.
Tito comes around the corner in his car, and pulls up to the
curb. Gamiani jumps in, and they take off after Diana's cab.
Eddie and Kosalas follow in Eddie's car.
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
Diana enters an apartment building.
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
By the time Diana exits it is dark. She is with a friend,
and both are in some kind of Halloween costume. They catch a
cab.
EXT. PARTY STREET - NIGHT
The taxi stops in front of an ancient brick loft building.
Diana and her friend get out and hit the buzzer at an unmarked
door. The door opens and they disappears inside.
Gamiani's car cruises past. It pulls up at the corner and
it's lights switch off.
Eddie's car pulls up. Eddie hops out. Kosalas slides behind
the wheel.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - NIGHT
Eddie leans down to the open drivers window.
EDDIE
Hold here a second.
Eddie goes to the back of the car, and Kosalas follows him
in the rearview mirror, losing sight when Eddie pops open
the trunk.
Kosalas watches the party goers enter the building.
There is a tapping at the window.
Eddie has donned a baseball uniform, matching cap, and now
carries a baseball bat with a pair of cleats hanging from
it.
EDDIE
Keep with Gamiani.
Eddie tosses the keys back to Kosalas, and heads to the
building. Kosalas calls to him.
KOSALAS
Bang a few for me.
INT. PARTY STAIRS - NIGHT
In the darkened stairway Eddie joins a group of outrageously
dressed characters. The door at the top of the stairs bursts
open on a punk-funk art student Halloween party.
INT. PARTY - NIGHT
A hundred people are jammed into the studio. It feels like
the Star Wars Saloon. The LIVE MUSICIANS match the look of
the party. The costumes are outrageous. Everyone is dancing.
Eddie looks the place over. He spots Diana.
Eddie walks over to her, grabbing a drink along the way. He
sidles up to Diana.
EDDIE
Wanna play ball?
She looks him over taking in the outfit, the bat.
DIANA
Are you pitching?
EDDIE
Some people say I've got a pretty
good inside curve.
DIANA
I don't know. You look strictly minor
league.
She smiles.
EDDIE
I'm Eddie.
DIANA
I make it Eddie-The-Cop.
EDDIE
You've had a lot of experience with
cops?
DIANA
All bad.
She is angry now, and walks away from him.
Eddie watches her go, and is about to follow. He sets his
drink down, and turns to find a girl, luscious as hell,
dressed like a Frederick's wet dream, making eyes at him.
She takes his bat, and gives it a long, lascivious lick.
EDDIE
You'll get slivers.
He walks by her.
INT. PARTY BACK ROOM - NIGHT
Eddie steps over and around an assortment of wasted witches
and gooned out goblins snorting lines on the coffee table to
get to Diana who is tensely by herself.
He grabs her purse.
DIANA
Hey, what the hell do you think you're
doing?
EDDIE
I thought you knew all about cops.
You don't put anything up your nose
do you?
Eddie searches Diana's purse. He find her drivers license.
EDDIE
Diana Luna?
(pause)
You're Tony Luna's daughter?
He drops the license into the purse and hands it back to
her. She stares him in the eye defiantly.
DIANA
I don't know where he is, and I don't
really give a shit.
(tired)
When are you people going to realize
I don't have anything to do with my
father.
Eddie tries to give her his card.
EDDIE
For when you need a friend.
She won't take it.
DIANA
I've got all the friends I want.
Eddie puts the card into her purse.
EDDIE
But do you have all the friends you
need?
She walks away angrily. Eddie watches her leave, and then
steps over a few of the wasted witches to get to the phone
on the drug laden coffee table. He dials.
EDDIE
(to phone)
This is Sergeant Cusack. I want a
team to cover a house on the southwest
side.
(pause)
L-U-N-A, Anthony.
(pause)
Yeah. Crazy Tony Luna. I don't think
he's around, but if he shows up bring
him in.
The dope-smoking party-goers stare at this cop in shock. One
of the ladies tries to casually cover the cocaine with a
magazine. Eddie hangs up the phone, and pushes past them to
the door.
EDDIE
(nods)
Catch you later.
He is out the door.
INT. GYM - DAY
Several plainclothes officers, some of them women, stand on
either side of the door with their backs to the wall, guns
at the ready. One of the men reaches out and POUNDS on the
door.
OFFICER
Police! Open up!
They rush the door and SMASH it, SHOUTING and scrambling
into the apartment.
KOBAS (V.O.)
(from bullhorn)
Awright awright hold it.
The instructor, Kobas, walks in criticizing their style.
KOBAS
For Christ's sake! You tryin to get
your partner killed, Jackson?
This is not the real thing; only practice.
CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL --
INT. GYM - DAY
The apartment is only a mockup set in the corner of this
vast skylit city warehouse. Runners race around the track at
the perimeter.
On the wall are large photos and diagrams of the Prowler.
Below the photos are sign-up sheets for the required training
sessions.
In another corner is the weight room, the ring, and the
workout area. Eddie is here, working out, sparring with a
partner who has large padded mits on each hand.
INT. LOCKER ROOM - DAY
Brennan and a couple of buddies approach Kosalas as he ties
his gym shoes. Brennan is carrying a petition. He hands it
to Kosalas and looks around the room. He spots another cop.
Cragie is in the background putting on his jacket.
BRENNAN
(shouts across the
room)
Hey, Mahoney. I want you to help me
get some signatures on this letter
for Cragie.
Brennan looks down at Kosalas who is hesitating. Kosalas
looks back at Cragie. There eyes meet. He signs.
Cragie comes by and slaps him on the back.
CRAGIE
Way to go, partner.
INT. GYM - DAY
We see Music talking to several cops working out the exercise
machines, and getting signatures on Cragie's petition.
INT. GYM - DAY
Eddie gives his sparring partner, Howard, a furious series
of blows, driving him back. They are kickboxing.
HOWARD
Let's try the mitts for awhile.
Eddie nods. He sees Cragie cross the gym and exit. As Cragie
goes out, Donato comes in on crutches. Everybody shouts a
greeting.
Eddie sits down to change gloves, and take his footpads off.
DONATO
Say, partner.
EDDIE
How ya doing, Richie?
DONATO
Swinging. How's this? Two G's, we
get a sausage and beef stand stand
outside Wrigley Field. You pass the
beef, I take the cash. Free games. I
got a contact downtown.
EDDIE
How you gonna watch the game if you're
hawking sandwiches?
DONATO
Never thought of that. TV? Hey, I
tell you about this nurse I met?
Talk about physical therapy.
The sparring partner returns, and Eddie goes back to practice.
DONATO
She's got this friend just dying to
meet you. Intensive care.
Eddie grins.
Brennan comes up to Donato, and hands him the petition. Donato
signs quickly.
DONATO
(to Eddie)
Later, partner.
Eddie nods to him, concentrating on the sparring.
BRENNAN
Hey, Cusack. How about taking the
gloves off long enough to sign this
for Cragie.
EDDIE
This about the hearing?
BRENNAN
You bet.
EDDIE
I pass.
BRENNAN
(angry)
What the fuck's the matter with you?
EDDIE
He's burnt, Brennan, and you know
it. He was a good cop, but he ain't
now.
PUNCH! Eddie hits the mit so hard that Howard is knocked
back a couple of steps.
BRENNAN
Get off your high horse, Cusack. He
made a couple of mistakes, OK. The
guy was a hero. What the fuck does a
bunch of civilians know about comin'
up some shithouse stairway day after
day, scared outta your shorts.
PUNCH! With a whirling kick, Eddie knocks the mit right out
of the Howard's hand, and across the gym.
Eddie turns to face Brennan, nose to nose.
EDDIE
We're all scared, Brennan. Cragie
should have been off the street a
long time ago. He's gonna hurt
somebody else with his bullshit.
Maybe even you.
Eddie goes back to punching. Brennan storms out.
EXT. LATIN STREET - DAY
A funeral cortege makes it's way sedately down the street
past the Comacho owned pool hall. Two hearses, a flower car,
a limo, and several other cars with funeral stickers on their
windshields pass bye. The slain Comacho cousins from the
raid are being escorted to the cemetery.
Luis Comacho is in the limo along with the woman from the
airport.
INT. BRENNAN'S CAR - DAY
Brennan and Music are following the procession. Brennan is
on the radio.
MUSIC
(to mike)
The funeral director says they plan
on cruisin right past luna's house.
EXT. LUNA'S STREET - DAY
Tito, one of Tony Luna's bodyguards, watches from the steps
of Luna's porch as a procession of cars follows the hearses
slowly up the street.
At the end of the block, an old man is selling produce to
the neighborhood housewives off the tailgate of his truck.
They watch the procession in wonder.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY
The cortege passes the unmarked car down the block from Tony's
house. Eddie is watching. Kosalas is with him.
KOSALAS
(to radio)
They're wastin' the show. Tony's not
even in town.
EDDIE
He'll get the word.
Across the street, WE SEE another bodyguard joint Tito on
the front steps. They stand, arms folded, watching the
procession.
INT. LIMO - DAY
Luis Comacho takes a flower and tosses it out the window as
he cruises past the two goons. Their EYES LOCK. Tito walks
up and grinds the flower into the ground with his shoe.
EXT. LUNA'S STREET - DAY
Brennan and Music bring up the rear in their ummarked car.
INT. LUNA'S HOUSE - DAY
Tito, the body guard, picks up the phone.
EXT. LAKE - DAY
At the pay phone next to a lakeside bait shop, Tony Luna is
getting the word. He's worried.
LUNA
(to phone)
What the fuck are you talkin about?
Nobody's gonna touch nothin. Just
stay put.
(pause)
I give a shit about their fuckin
parade?
A floozy slides up next to him, and he puts an arm around
her waist.
LUNA
(to phone)
They wanna throw flowers we can fix
it so they're pushing up daisys.
He laughs. The girl joins in like she's supposed to.
EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
A tan Dodge rolls over the rutted scrapyard roadway, bouncing
toward the immense old warehouse along the river's edge. The
city seems to have abandoned this remote industrial area;
giant grain elevators, rusting freighters and vast scrapyards
surround us.
INT. POMPAS' CAR - DAY
Pompas and Efren Comacho drive through the gate and enter
the warehouse as the door opens for them.
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
The car halts in the vast empty chamber. It is quickly
surrounded by members of the Comacho family. They begin to
unload the car. The trunk is filled with cases of heavy
ammunition.
At the back of the warehouse, other Comachos are test firing
their weapons.
INT. LUIS' OFFICE
Luis is directing things as they are preparing for battle.
The weaponry spread on the table is astonishing.
EXT. HARBOR - DAY
Eddie's beat up Chevy is parked beyond the line of yachts
toward the end of the pier. Eddie gets out of the car. Kosalas
looks worried.
KOSALAS
I can back you up.
EDDIE
Stay by the radio.
Eddie walks to the 75 foot steel cruiser tied to the end of
the pier.
Eddie walks up the gangplank.
EXT. YACHT - DAY
An ape in a suit, ROCCO, appears.
ROCCO
What the hell you doin' here? Off,
asshole.
Rocco goes for Eddie. A couple of quick blows and Rocco is
in the water. Eddie continues up the gangway to the rear of
the boat.
EXT. YACHT - DAY
Eddie finds FELIX (THE RAIL) SCALESE sitting on a chaise
lounge, reading. A beautiful girl lays on her stomach on a
deck pad typing at a personal computer terminal.
Scalese looks up at Eddie. He is momentarily discombobulated,
but recovers.
SCALESE
(referring to computer)
The modern age's answer to the crystal
ball. Marvelous. If you know how to
read it.
(pause)
Listen. If you have some extra cash,
buy oranges. The price is low, and I
can promise you the threatened
trucking strike will be avoided.
EDDIE
We talking about a bribe, Scalese?
SCALESE
It's a prediction.
Another beautiful bikinied girl comes by and gives Scalese a
tall cool drink.
SCALESE
No. I wouldn't try to bribe Eddie
Cusack.
He drops the name with a smile. Eddie doesn't react.
SCALESE
You're incorruptible. Untarnished. I
hear they call you stainless steel
on the street. Me, I think you're a
fuckin' pain in the ass.
EDDIE
Thanks.
SCALESE
(frowning)
It's not a compliment.
EDDIE
I'm looking for your nephew.
SCALESE
Tony? Forget it. Tony Luna's none of
your business.
EDDIE
Wrong. Tony just made himself my
business.
SCALESE
No he didn't. We take care of our
own. Just like the cops. Just like
the Comachos. You understand.
Eddie sits down next to Scalese and looks him in the eye.
EDDIE
He shit on my turf, old man. And I'm
going to nail him and anybody else
tied to him. You understand, Felix?
SCALESE
(with cool rage)
Nobody threatens Felix Scalese.
EDDIE
(softly)
It's not a threat. It's a prediction.
On the shore, Kosalas is honking the car horn to get Eddie's
attention. Eddie rises.
EDDIE
There's a shitstorm coming. You better
get yourself a good umbrella.
The girl at the computer terminal watches him leave.
EXT. YACHT - DAY
Eddie walks by as Rocco, soaking wet, is pulling himself
from the water. Eddie pushes him into the water again.
Kosalas is still sounding the HORN.
EXT. HARBOR - DAY
Eddie runs toward the car.
EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY
A body lies in the flowers in the service area next to the
giant greenhouse. Several unmarked cars and two blue and
whites are parked in the dirt drive as Eddie and Kosalas
pull up. The cops have roped off the area. Music and Brennan
are there.
Eddie looks at the body as Music comes over.
MUSIC
Tony Luna's bagman.
Kosalas looks at the body.
MUSIC
They call that a Columbian necktie.
Kosalas winces.
MUSIC
They found the manager of Tony's
restaurant hanging from a hook in
his kitchen. Looked like someone
tried to carve a canoe out of him.
Tony's used car lot on Ashland is
burning as we speak. The head salesman
is a fried zuccini.
KOSALAS
Oh Jesus. It's starting.
Eddie stands to one side.
EDDIE
Let's go.
EXT. LUNA'S STREET - DAY
A kid on a bike makes his way up the quiet tree-lined street,
tossing newspapers onto the porches of the block.
Around the corner at the end of the block, the produce truck
starts slowly forward. As it turns onto Luna's block, a car
pulls up behind it and stops, blocking the street.
The produce truck parks at the curb in front of the Luna
house. A neighbor from across the street approaches. The
front door of Luna's house opens, and Tito emerges, helping
Tony's aged mother down the steps to buy vegetables.
INT. PRODUCE TRUCK - DAY
On the floor near the wheelwell is the dead produce man.
EXT. LUNA'S STREET - DAY
The rear doors of the produce truck swing open. The neighbor,
Tito, and Tony's mother are instantly killed.
From outside three Comachos enter the open front door of the
Luna house. We hear the SOUND of MUFFLED GUNFIRE from inside.
INT. LUNA'S HOUSE - DAY
Bits and pieces. A Shattered orange juice container. Eggs
cooking on the stove. A woman's vanity.
On the floor; a woman's legs, a housecoat, slippers. A
silhouette of a Comacho in the hallway RAKING one of Tony's
guards.
A family photo on the mantle which includes Diana and her
father is BLASTED to bits.
EXT. LUNA'S BACK YARD - DAY
One of Tony's men tries to escape through the back of the
house. He is pursued by a Comacho who guns him down.
EXT. LUNA'S STREET - DAY
Luis Comacho sits in a car in the next block surveying the
scene. The cousins are walking briskly out. They jump in a
car and drive off.
INT. LUIS' CAR - DAY
Luis nods to his driver. They pull away.
EXT. LUNA'S STREET - DAY
The street is QUIET again. Next door, a neighbor, wearing
only his underpants and carrying an old pistol, stands
trembling in disbelief.
EXT. LAKE - DAY
Pines reflect in the dappled lake as Tony Luna rows slowly
for shore. He ties up at the dock. He's taking his tackle
out of the boat when one of his boys comes running down to
the dock.
We cannot hear the conversation but we can see Tony drop the
tackle box and we can hear his SCREAM echo across the water.
EXT. EDDIE'S STREET - DAY
Eddie runs down the rear stairs to Kosalas' unmarked car. He
opens the driver's door, pushes Kosalas across the seat, and
gets behind the wheel. He PEELS OUT.
INT. UNMARKED CAR - DAY
KOSALAS
Music's at the scene.
Eddie picks up the mike.
EDDIE
(to mike)
Was there a girl? Late teens. Reddish
hair.
MUSIC (V.O.)
(on radio)
Two male caucasians, two female. One
mid-to-late forties. The other a
grandmother.
With the SIREN full out, LEANING ON the HORN, he simply puts
his foot on the floor and sends the car into a four wheel
drift that slides into a neat U-turn.
EXT. LIBRARY - DAY
Eddie leaves the car running, and burst through the main
entrance flashing his badge at the stunned security guards.
INT. LIBRARY - DAY
Eddie races through the corridors and reading rooms searching,
Kosalas arriving at his heels.
INT. LIBRARY - DAY
Gamiani tells Diana about her mother and grandmother.
INT. LIBRARY - DAY
Three Comachos; Pompas, Efren, and ANGEL, search for Diana.
EXT. LIBRARY - DAY
Lou Gamiani emerges from the building with Diana. She is
terrified.
He checks out the scene, then descends the crowded steps and
crosses the street, keeping a sharp lookout.
EXT. FLOWER SHOP - DAY
Luis and Victor Comacho loiter by the outdoor flower stand
next to the library. They watch the activity on the library
steps.
EXT. LIBRARY - DAY
Distracted for an instant by a cluster of conventioneers,
Lou fails to notice the two Comachos who have fallen in step
behind them. He goes down with a gasp, almost silently, a
knife sticking from his back. A Comacho grabs Diana's arm.
She jabs him in the eyes, and runs.
Diana disappears into the crowd.
Hysterical citizens scatter in all directions. A woman stands
in horror unable to keep from looking at Gamiani's body lying
on the sidewalk. She SCREAMS.
Eddie and Kosalas come crashing out of the entrance of the
museum.
The girl isn't here.
Eddie spots a commotion at the end of the block, under the
el station.
He dashes down the steps and across the street with traffic
screeching to a halt.
Kosalas flags down a blue and white, and barks for backup,
then tears out after Eddie.
EXT. WABASH AVENUE - DAY
In the shadow of the el tracks, Diana runs for her life,
racing north on Wabash through crowds of shoppers with the
Comachos moving relentlessly a half block behind.
Opposite Marshall Field's, she abruptly cuts across traffic
and runs into an alley between the giant men's and women's
stores.
With terror in her eyes, Diana runs, searching frantically
for a guard, a policeman, somebody with a gun. But the
Comachos are closing in on her.
She dives through a revolving door into the building.
INT. DEPARTMENT STORE - DAY
Diana runs past the perfume displays, notions, and lingerie,
and out the Randolph Street exit.
EXT. RANDOLPH STREET - DAY
Two Camachos, who stayed on the street, spot her as she
leaves.
Racing through the alley, Eddie spots them running in the
next block.
EXT. LAKE STREET - DAY
Running east on Lake Street, she glances over her shoulder.
She doesn't see them. She ducks into the alley. But the
Comachos round the corner just in time to catch a glimpse of
her.
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
This alley leads to the lower level of Michigan Avenue. She
turns back to find the exit blocked by the Comachos. She
flees downward.
INT. LOWER MICHIGAN - DAY
The green flourescents of the "Emerald City" give a deathly
cast to the underground street as Diana rounds the corner,
and collapses against the wall. Her heart pounding like a
frightened deer, she has run as far as she can.
Pompas Comacho and two of his colleagues come racing around
the corner. They spot her crouched against the wall.
She starts to SCREAM but Angel grabs her by the collar and
pulls her up to his face and she stops, wide-eyed with terror
as he touches her throat with his knife.
POMPAS
Come on, Chika. We gonna have some
fun. You gonna take us to your father.
We hear a loud metallic CLICK. We see the barrel of a huge
revolver. They wheel to see Eddie crouched, gun drawn, in
the alley entrance.
EDDIE
Pompas, you're getting to be a fucking
pain in the ass.
The boys put their hands up, but Eddie doesn't see the third,
SAMO, coming up behind him.
Angel grabs Diana by the hair, shielding himself, and starts
backing up the stairs that lead to the street.
EDDIE
Let her go, pooch.
Samo jumps Eddie, and the gun goes flying. It hits the
pavement and bounces off the high curb into the street.
In a staggering blur Eddie takes out the Comachos, kicking
the last one end over end. But Angel and the girl have
disappeared to the street above.
Eddie retrieves his gun and runs up the steps.
EXT. STATE LAKE EL STATION - DAY
With a knife at her side, Angel Comacho leads Diana up the
steps of the old el station. They pass through the turnstyle
out onto the platform just as the train pulls to in. Angel
forces her onto the train.
Eddie comes pounding up the steps and onto the platform just
in time to stop the closing train door with his foot.
INT. EL TRAIN - DAY
Eddie wedges his way aboard and the train pulls out. The
passengers looks at him like he's crazy.
Eddie works his way through the cars toward the rear.
Angel spots him. Knife still in hand, he pulls Diana from
car to car past the terrified passengers until finally he is
cornered at the end of the train. Angel searches frantically
for a way out.
Eddie enters. Diana sees him.
ANGEL
Another step, and I take her head
off.
EDDIE
You don't have the balls.
Eddie takes another step.
Diana slams her elbow into Angel's groin, and breaks free.
Angel jumps back. He breaks open the rear door and climbs
out.
EXT. EL TRAIN - DAY
Angel climbs up the back of the car onto the roof.
Eddie's right behind him.
The spectacular pursuit from car to car on the roof of the
speeding el train is witnessed by startled second-floor
secretaries whose desks look directly out at the roof of the
passing cars.
VERY HIGH ANGLE
Angel and Eddie's figures appear as specks, roaring through
the canyon of skyscrapers.
ON TRAIN ROOF
A low bridge forces both men to hug the roof of the train.
Eddie recovers first and grabs Angel, pulling him down. They
roll from side to side on the roof, nearly slipping over the
side. With a desperate shove, Angel breaks free. Eddie points
his gun at him. The train is now over the Chicago River.
Angel dives into the water.
Eddie reholsters his gun and dives in after him.
INT. EL TRAIN - DAY
We see Diana's looking out the window of the train. She
follows Eddie's decent with her eyes.
EXT. RIVER - DAY
Dozens of startled pedestrians line the bridge railing as
Eddie swims toward Angel, bobbing in the middle of the stream.
A hotdogger in a speedboat is racing up the river and Angel
is directly in his path. The skipper, showing off for his
passengers, doesn't notice him until he hears the sickening
THUNK under the keel. The boat's wake is suddenly red with
blood.
EXT. RIVER BANK - DAY
Eddie is helped from the water by a couple of passersby.
He stands there, soaking wet, looking around.
A crowd is gathering. We hear SIRENS in the background. Then
he spots her.
Diana is standing on the bridge watching him.
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
Eddie walks to Diana, and she folds into his arms. He holds
her a second.
EXT. LAGOON - DAY
Eddie, now in dry clothes, and Diana walk along the lagoon.
They talk, argue, and she sits on a bench and cries. Eddie
comforts her.
DIANA
Where are you taking me?
EDDIE
Downtown first. Then I'm gonna place
you in protective custody.
DIANA
The hell you are!
EDDIE
You'll be safe --
DIANA
I'll take my chances.
NOTE: Ad lib dialogue throughout scene for possible later
use.
NOTE: Radio newscast describing the Luna killings can be
mixed with the above dialogue.
INT. EDDIE'S HALL - NIGHT
Eddie and Diana climb the stairs.
INT. PIRELLI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
The DOORBELL buzzes repeatedly.
PIRELLI
(shouts)
Keep your goddamn pants on!
Pirelli, padding across the floor in his shorts, looks like
a bear called out of hibernation. He has a service revolver
in his hand. He peers through the peep hole, then unbolts
the door.
PIRELLI
This your idea of a social call?
Eddie enters with Diana.
EDDIE
Fred Pirelli, this is Diana. Diana
Luna.
Pirelli reacts to the name.
Diana is in a daze, close to shock.
Pirelli takes her and leads her to the couch.
PIRELLI
C'mon, kid. Let's get you off your
feet.
Eddie motions him aside.
EDDIE
Can you put her up till I find her
old man?
PIRELLI
Does a bear...?
EDDIE
Am I putting you on the spot?
PIRELLI
I spent 30 years on the spot. What
ever you need.
Eddie starts to go, and Diana reacts, suddenly frightened.
DIANA
Eddie?
EDDIE
I'll be right across the hall. I'm
just gonna clean up.
He leaves.
INT. EDDIE'S APARTMENT
Eddie falls fully clothed onto the mattress. The PHONE RINGS.
He rolls over in disbelief, staring at the ceiling.
It RINGS, and RINGS again and again and again. He finally
picks it up.
INT. TAVERN - NIGHT
This is the after-hours watering hole for the police force
and half the cops we've seen so far, including Cragie, are
clustered at the bar or playing darts at the back of the
room. There are a half a dozen women there also. Three of
them are cops.
Kosalas is here too. He's been drinking. He leans against
the wall talking on the pay phone by the men's room.
KOSALAS
(to phone)
Say, Eddie. Why don' you come by and
tip a few?
(pause)
Cause I gotta talk to you.
(pause)
Yeah, I know. But we gotta talk.
(pause)
Please.
(pause)
Yeah, at Mike's.
He hangs up and heads back to his table, passing Officer
Music at the bar.
MUSIC
You oughta crash, man. You had a
helluva day.
EXT. TAVERN - NIGHT
Two tough looking guys are watching the entrance to the bar
from a car parked across the street. We can HEAR the NOISE
from the BAR.
FIRST HOOD
Love it, Flash. Gonna be a slide.
Easy in, easy out.
SECOND HOOD
Just a quick and dirty?
FIRST HOOD
Yeah, yeah, nothin to it. You know
the drill.
They check their weapons.
INT. TAVERN - NIGHT
Everybody but Kosalas is having a good time. Donato, flanked
by two girls, foot up on a chair, entertains a small crowd.
DONATO
He picks her up on Forty-third, and
he's takin' in. She says, "Say, baby.
Ain't no need for goin' downtown."
An' she pulls back her skirt. So the
dumb shit climbs in the back an'
takes a piece...
(starts to chuckle)
...an' leaves the keys in the front
and locks the two of 'em in the squad.
And he hasta kick out the window
see, an' she starts screamin', "Rape!
Rape!" An' they charge him with rape
an' every other fuckin' thing in the
book. Internal Affairs is gonna give
him a kayak and a lantern an' put
him out in the lake.
A group laughs at the story. There is a stillness at the
front door. One of the hoods from outside steps in. He wears
a leather coat.
The heads at the bar turn.
He walks the length of the bar and enters the john. He is
obviously out of place in this saloon. Nobody has both hands
on the bar.
The front door opens. The other hood steps in, walks up to
the bar, and orders.
SECOND HOOD
Bartender. Gimme a black russian and
a Courvoisier.
The First Hood comes out of the bathroom and walks up to the
bar. Suddenly he whips a sawed-off shotgun from under his
coat.
FIRST HOOD
(bellows)
Yo! Get your hands up motherfuckers.
This is a ho --
THIRTY HAMMERS CLICK. Thirty guns are drawn.
The room is frozen. Only the JUKEBOX makes a sound. The two
hoods, eyes fixed on the array of iron pointed at them, can't
even swallow. Finally...
SECOND HOOD
(to partner)
You stupid motherfucker.
The cops swarm the hoods and in an instant they are on the
floor being cuffed and roughly handled. Kosalas is at the
end of the bar, frozen, his gun still in his holster.
EXT. TAVERN - NIGHT
Eddie gets out of his car and heads for the front door.
INT. TAVERN - NIGHT
The place is in an uproar -- everybody doubled up with
LAUGHTER -- as the two luckless hoods, handcuffed together,
are lying on the filthy tavern floor under a table. They
continue to berate each other.
Eddie enters.
SECOND HOOD
My old lady tol' me you was fucked
up in the head. Do I listen? Piece o
cake, you say. Snap, you say. Nothin
to it, you say.
COP
Shut up over there.
Donato spots Eddie and calls to him.
DONATO
Eddie! Partner! Meet Ruthie. Dental
Hygienist. She's oral.
Ruthie giggles.
DONATO
And this is... Marlene. She works
for a proctologist.
Marlene swats at him.
DONATO
Siddown, partner. I got a proposition
for you.
EDDIE
Not now, Donato.
DONATO
O.K. O.K. But just let me plant two
words in your brain. Alligator
farming.
Eddie shakes his head and walks to the back of the room where
Kosalas sits hunched over a drink, the only man in the room
not laughing. He looks up whens Eddie pulls over a chair.
KOSALAS
Beer?
Eddie nods, and Kosalas signals the waitress. There is a
long beat at Kosalas fidgets and Eddie waits.
KOSALAS
Looks like I'm caught between the
rock and the hard place, Sarge.
Eddie just looks at him.
KOSALAS
You know I really wanted to be a
good cop, but... shit. It's hard
enough sometimes just to stay alive.
Comes so easy to you. You got all
the fuckin' answers. Me, I'm still
tryin' to find the questions.
Eddie is still silent. Kosalas takes a swig of his beer, and
finally blurts is out.
KOSALAS
Cragie planted the gun on the kid.
Just wasted him, and then I... I
don't know what to do about the
hearing tomorrow...
EDDIE
Tell the truth.
KOSALAS
See. It's all so nothin' for you. If
I talk straight every cop on the
force will shit on me. If I don't...
Cragie gets away with murder.
EDDIE
And the chance to do it again. Next
time he might take away a cop. That
make any difference?
KOSALAS
He's my partner.
EDDIE
Your partner's selling you out,
Kosalas. He kills an unarmed kid,
and now he's risking your ass to
save his own.
KOSALAS
It was a mistake.
EDDIE
It cost an innocent kid his life.
KOSALAS
I know that! I KNOW THAT!
He is too loud, and attracts attention.
KOSALAS
(softly)
Jesus. I see that kid's face every
time I close my eyes.
EDDIE
Tell 'em like it is, Nick. I'll back
you up.
Eddie gets up and walks away.
INT. TAVERN - NIGHT
The two amateur holdup men are being hustled out to the paddy
wagon as Eddie heads for the door. Someone grabs his arm.
It's Cragie, a little drunk.
CRAGIE
Nice to see you out with the boys
for a change, Sarge.
EDDIE
Hello, Cragie.
CRAGIE
They tell me my Sergeant wouldn't
sign for me. You want to tell me
why?
EDDIE
You know why.
CRAGIE
No. Tell me.
EDDIE
(gently)
You were a good cop for a lot of
years. You've passed your limit now
Cragie.
CRAGIE
Fuck you. Where do you get off?
EDDIE
Right about here.
Eddie walks out the door.
INT. EDDIE'S HALL - NIGHT
Eddie buzzes the door. Pirelli opens it. He lets Eddie in,
scans the hall, and closes it.
INT. PIRELLI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Pirelli sets down his gun, and pours Eddie a cup of coffee.
PIRELLI
She's havin' a bad night. Gave her a
shot of brandy. Maybe she'll sleep.
EDDIE
Giving liquor to a minor, Pirelli?
He turns to leave.
EDDIE
I'll be back right after the hearing
tomorrow, and you can get some sleep
then.
INT. PIRELLI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Eddie cracks the door and peeks in. Diana sits on the bed, a
lonely forlorn figure.
She looks at Eddie, and tries a smile that fails.
Eddie walks over to sit on the bed next to her.
She falls apart, and lies down, on the verge of crying,
collapsing so that her head rest in Eddie's lap.
They are quiet like that for a moment, she curled into a
ball, Eddie stroking her hair.
DIANA
What do you do when you don't have
anyone?
EDDIE
You find someone.
She looks up at him.
DIANA
Could you... Hold me for a while?
Eddie lays on the bed beside her. She curls up in his arms,
and closes her eyes. Eddie's eyes remain open.
INT. HEARING ROOM - DAY
The Civilian Review Board is in the Office of Professional
Standards. The panel consists of eight civilians. It is a
real cross-section of the city of Chicago. Leon Partida chairs
the proceedings. We recognize several faces from the opening
bust.
An old Mexican woman is on the stand facing the panel. Cragie
sits at a table with his representative, facing the officials.
A female panel member is questioning the old woman.
MALE PANEL MEMBER
How far were you standing from where
your grandson was shot, Mrs. Murillio?
The question must be TRANSLATED by a bumbling clerk, the old
woman answers in Spanish, then the answer is translated.
CLERK
In the next doorway. Four meters.
The room is packed. In addition to the police officers,
character witnesses, and friends of the dead kid, there are
a dozen reporters.
Eddie enters and looks over the scene. He nods to Donato,
sitting at the rail with his foot propped up.
DONATO
How you doin', Sarge?
EDDIE
What's the score?
DONATO
(nods toward witness)
Kid's grandmother says Cragie threw
down the pistola.
Eddie takes a seat. Officer Cragie is called back to the
witness stand.
PARTIDA
(to steno)
Officer Cragie has already been sworn.
(pause)
Officer Cragie, you have heard Mrs.
Murillio's testimony --
CRAGIE
Yes, sir.
Cragie is neat as a pin, humble, cooperative to a fault.
PARTIDA
You have heard her tell this panel
that she saw you lay the gun in her
grandson's hand.
He feigns compassion.
CRAGIE
I'm not saying the woman would make
this up. But there's no way she could
have seen anything from where she
was standing in a hallway that dark.
(pause)
Like you said, she's the boy's
grandmother.
PARTIDA
If it was dark, Officer, how were
you sure Vega had a gun?
CRAGIE
We were lucky. There was a glint of
light, a reflection comin off the
barrel of the weapon.
EXT. EDDIE'S ALLEY - DAY
A carload of Comachos, including Luis, cruises down the street
and parks in the alley next to Eddie's building.
INT. OPS HALL - DAY
The hearing is in recess and the hall is filled with smokers
and coffee drinkers.
Eddie is getting a BUSY SIGNAL on the pay phone.
Donato approaches.
DONATO
You think he'll get a pass?
EDDIE
You heard it all. What do you think?
DONATO
If the hearing was over I'd have to
put my money on the old lady.
(smiles)
But Kosalas's next. My bet's on
Cragie.
EDDIE
The kid may surprise you.
Eddie dials the number again. Still a busy signal.
INT. PIRELLI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Pirelli has Eddie's answering machine plugged in, and is
tinkering with the insides.
Diana comes into the living room, toweling her wet hair,
just out of the shower, but in her street clothes.
INT. HEARING ROOM - DAY
Kosalas is on the witness stand.
PARTIDA
And right after you heard Officer
Cragie's gun discharge, what did you
do then?
KOSALAS
I immediately advanced down the hall.
PARTIDA
And what did you see?
KOSALAS
The deceased, Vega, lying on the
floor. Officer Cragie was checking
his vital signs.
PARTIDA
What happened then?
KOSALAS
We recovered a .25 calibre automatic
from the teenager's right hand.
PARTIDA
Did you see that weapon in Vega's
hand before Officer Cragie fired?
KOSALAS
Yes, sir.
Cragie leans back.
A ripple is felt in the crowd. The reaction of the boy's
relatives, delayed by translation, is one of outrage.
PARTIDA
No more questions.
As Kosalas steps down he keeps his eyes on the floor ahead
of him avoiding eye contact.
Eddie leans back in his seat. A couple of people get up and
head for the door.
Eddie gets to his feet and heads for the door. Partida hits
the gavel.
PARTIDA
I'd like to now call Sergeant Cusack.
Eddie halts with his hand on the knob.
INT. PIRELLI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Pirelli works on the answering machine, but the phone is
reconnected. Diana is looking at photographs on the wall.
DIANA
You made that uniform look good.
Pirelli looks up.
PIRELLI
That good looking gorilla next to me
is Eddie's father. Better than good
cop. Killed in the line of duty.
'71.
(pause)
Another cop shot him. An accident.
He goes back to the machine.
INT. EDDIE'S HALL - DAY
The Comachos come up the stairs, led by Luis. They stop at
Eddie's door. They pull out their guns, and kick the door
in.
Across the hall, Pirelli's door opens, and Pirelli, holding
his pistol steps into the hall.
The Comachos turn and fire, blasting Pirelli back into his
apartment.
Through the open door we see Diana dash across the living
room.
INT. PIRELLI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Luis and his men burst in.
Diana runs for the phone.
A Comacho takes it from her and rips it from the wall.
Diana is caught by two Comachos.
INT. HEARING ROOM - DAY
Eddie is on the witness stand.
EDDIE
I can't comment on that. It was over
before I got there.
PARTIDA
You are his superior officer, are
you not?
EDDIE
Cragie's in my unit, yes.
PARTIDA
Did you give the men their various
assignments?
EDDIE
I did.
PARTIDA
Did you request that officer Cragie
be on your TAC team?
EDDIE
No, I didn't.
Partida lifts a document from the table.
PARTIDA
Sergeant... I have here a department
document dated 24 September, of last
year. It is a request by you, to
your superiors, to have Officer Cragie
transferred to another unit. Are you
familiar with this document?
EDDIE
Yes.
The room listens to every word.
PARTIDA
Why did you request his transfer?
EDDIE
Maybe 30 years is too long for anyone
to look at the city's guts, Mr.
Partida.
PARTIDA
What happened to this request?
EDDIE
It was denied.
Partida lifts another document.
PARTIDA
This is a letter of support for
Officer Cragie.
(hands it to him)
Everyone in his unit signed it but
you.
(pause)
Why?
Eddie glances over the letter and hands it back.
EDDIE
I don't agree with what it says.
PARTIDA
Are you saying you do not believe
Officer Cragie is fit to work the
streets of Chicago?
EDDIE
That's what I'm saying.
INT. OPS HALL - DAY
The reporters are clustered around Eddie as he emerges but
he walks past them back to the pay phone. He puts in a quarter
and dials. Frowns.
The cops in the corridor are passing the word about Eddie's
testimony, discussing it in little clusters. Their appearance
is frightening. Eddie dials another number.
EDDIE
(to phone)
I just dialed 348-6610, and I get
this funny buzz. Check the line for
me? Thanks.
Cragie, backed up by a couple of buddies, comes up to him.
BRENNAN
Seems to me the man's got his tongue
stuck to his asshole, Cragie.
CRAGIE
Hey, that don't bother him. He's the
fuckin White Knight.
(to Eddie)
You wanna take on the whole world by
yourself? Now you're gonna get your
chance, Sarge.
They walk down the hall.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
(from phone)
Sorry, sir, that number seems to be
out of service. I've reported it.
Eddie drops the phone.
INT. OPS HALL - DAY
Eddie races down the hallway past hostile clusters of former
friends.
EXT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY
Roaring north on the boulevard without regard to traffic,
Eddie speeds toward his house in his rattling Chevy.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY
Eddie rockets through the red lights LEANING on his HORN.
INT. EDDIE'S HALL - DAY
Eddie runs up the stairs, and slows when he sees Odell. The
boy is sitting on the floor, head in his hands, crying.
Just past Odell, several uniformed policemen are standing
over Pirelli's body. They step back as Eddie approaches.
COP
He was a friend of yours wasn't he?
EDDIE
Yeah.
INT. PIRELLI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Eddie hurries to the bedroom and back. He rushes out of the
apartment.
EXT. EDDIE'S STREET - DAY
Eddie runs for the Chevy and peels away from the curb.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - DAY
Eddie is on the radio, speeding west on Diversey Parkway.
EDDIE
(to mike)
Squad, this is 1462. I need a backup.
Have 64 and 63 from TAC 4 meet me at
the billiard parlor on 18th near
Halsted. Questioning suspects.
EXT. BRENNAN'S CAR - DAY
Music is standing on a streetcorner talking to a couple of
hookers.
Down the street, Brennan waits in their unmarked car.
INT. BRENNAN'S CAR - DAY
DISPATCH (V.O.)
(from speaker)
1463 and 1464, Unit 1462 requesting
assistance at the poolroom on 18th
Street near Halsted. Questioning a
suspect.
Brennan picks up the mike.
BRENNAN
(to mike)
Ten-four, Dispatch. Unit 1463
responding.
Music returns to the car and gets in.
BRENNAN
I could use a cup of coffee.
EXT. POOL HALL - DAY
Eddie squeals to a stop, hops out of the car, starts for the
pool hall.
Eddie enters the poolhall.
INT. POOL HALL - DAY
The place is busy. Everybody in sight is either mean or ugly.
Eddie enters and a dozen pair of eyes are on him.
The pool players not connected with this confrontation take
one look at him, hang up their cues, and split.
Eddie heads for the back of the room. A pair of heavyweights
fall in behind him. One of them grabs Eddie.
HEAVY
Hey, you ain't got no business back
there.
EDDIE
I want your opinion I'll beat it out
of you.
Eddie spins with deadly precision and catches them in mid-
step and they go down like gut-shot rhinos.
He heads for the rear hallway and everybody clears a path.
He steps up to the door in back and kicks it in.
INT. POOL HALL BACK ROOM - DAY
A startled Camacho, DEGAS, looks up, straw in hand with a
line of coke on a mirror on his desk.
EDDIE
Where is Luis?
DEGAS
Get the hell out of here.
Eddie grabs Degas by the hair and starts slamming his face
into the mirror which shatters with every blow.
EDDIE
Talk to me, Degas, or I'll hit you
with so many lefts you're gonna beg
for a right.
He holds up Degas' head to look him in the eye. Blood and
cocaine stain the man's face.
DEGAS
He's coming here. He's on his way.
Eddie lifts the head once and gives Degas one punch in the
face that sends him ass over teakettle across the floor.
INT. POLICE COMMUNICATIONS ROOM - DAY
Beneath the lighted map of Area 4, the police dispatcher
trying to raise Eddie's backup.
DISPATCHER
We need a verification on a back-up
for Unit 1462...
The dispatcher at the next panel overhears the call.
SECOND DISPATCHER
1462. That's Cusack, right?
First dispatcher nods.
SECOND DISPATCHER
Good luck finding a backup for that
character.
INT. POOL HALL - DAY
Eddie opens the door and emerges from the back room. A dozen
Comacho goons have gathered. Behind them are another two
dozen hostile spectators. But no sign of the backup.
He pulls out his gun. The remaining innocent bystanders split
for the exit. Eddie walks forward into the room. The Comachos
and their soldiers stand around him. Several have guns.
Eddie keeps them under the point of his gun. He gets to the
door and has to turn his back on it to keep the gang in his
sights.
A gun is pressed into Eddie's back. He drops his gun.
Luis kicks Eddie across the room. Eddie lands at the feet of
the gang.
LUIS
Take him apart.
Eddie springs to his feet, and in the same motion decks his
nearest attacker. The battle is on. Hardwood pool cues crack
around him.
The first four or five never get a chance to lay a finger on
him. Battered and broken, they litter the billiard tables
and floor. But Eddie is outnumbered 20 to 1.
INT. TAVERN - DAY
Cragie and Kosalas sit at the bar. The TV is off, and the
few customers pay attention to the police monitor.
DISPATCHER (V.O.)
(from radio)
...request verification for backup
for unit 1462. Patrol 47, are you in
the area.
OFFICER (V.O.)
(from radio)
Squad. 47. We're having vehicular
problems. Not able to respond.
Cragie smiles. Kosalas looks ashamed.
EXT. SQUAD CAR - DAY
Two uniformed police sit in a cruiser.
DISPATCHER (V.O.)
(from radio)
...need backup at 18th and Halstead...
One cop turns to the other.
COP
Fuck him.
INT. POOL HALL - DAY
Coming at Eddie now from all sides, the Comachos wear into
him. Finally they begin to connect. Blind-sided, he goes
down and they are on him like jackals.
They drag him to the top of the rear stairs, and kick him
down to the alley.
It seems like they are about to finish him off when suddenly
all is quiet. The crowd parts. Eddie looks up through swollen
eyes to see Luis Comacho standing above him, cool as ice.
Luis reaches down and pulls Eddie's head up by the ear.
LUIS
The sun comes up. You give me Luna,
or the girl dies -- slow.
Luis kicks him in the face.
EXT. POOL HALL ALLEY - NIGHT
Eddie opens a bloody eye and looks over his surroundings.
He's alone. He moves, a joint at a time, checking himself
out.
Staggering to his feet, he opens a spiggot on the wall. He
lets the cold water wash over his head.
INT. POOL HALL - NIGHT
Donato hobbles through the deserted pool hall, his pistol in
his hand.
EXT. POOL HALL ALLEY - NIGHT
Donato comes out the back door of the poolhall, and finds
Eddie sitting on his haunches and resting against a wall
between two garbage cans.
DONATO
I would have been here, Sarge. They
kept it from me.
EDDIE
You're Ok, Hopalong.
Donato holsters his gun, and helps Eddie to his feet.
DONATO
Listen, I'm havin' a drink with this
friend of mine, name of Mickie. She
works on a computer over in the
Federal Building, FBI. I got here as
soon as I heard.
EDDIE
They got Diana Luna.
DONATO
That's what I'm tryin' to tell ya.
Mickie told me she read on the wire
Tony Luna's comin' into Union Station
at ten tonight.
Eddie runs down the alley toward his car.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - NIGHT
Eddie's car pulls up. He gets out and runs inside.
INT. TRAIN STATION - NIGHT
A train sits at the platform. Tony Luna is walking down the
platform.
INT. TRAIN STATION - NIGHT
Eddie runs through the cavernous lobby.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - NIGHT
Eddie arrives in time to see Tony step into a waiting Cadillac
that immediately takes off.
Eddie races up the ramp to his car.
EXT. UNION STATION - NIGHT
Eddie jumps into his car, and roars away in pursuit of the
Cadillac.
EXT. CADILLAC - NIGHT
Tony settles in, and then sees Scalese sitting calmly in the
back seat.
TONY LUNA
(surprised)
Hello, Felix.
SCALESE
Hello, Tony.
Tony moves for his gun. The hood next to Tony relieves him
of his gun, using his own for persuasion.
SCALESE
(sighs)
You see, Tony. You make no sense.
You start a war... Waste people...
Money... You're like a kid, Tony.
You're a bad boy.
Tony is scared. The driver spots something in the rearview
mirror.
EXT. LOOP - NIGHT
The Cadillac rockets through the empty orange-lighted canyons
of the financial district, with Eddie in hot pursuit.
EXT. UPPER WACKER - NIGHT
Roaring north on Wacker past an astonished group in front of
the Civic Opera House, the Cadillac drops out of sight on
the down-ramp to Lower Wacker.
EXT. LOWER WACKER - NIGHT
This bi-level street is as different as night and day. The
lower level's eerie green lights make us feel like we're
under water. Iron girders and concrete pillars support the
street above.
LOW WIDE ANGLE
The Cadillac races through this vast man-made cavern, past
the sub-level loading docks and service entrances of
skyscrapers above. City work crews and all night commercial
deliveries dot both the upper and lower levels of the chase.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - NIGHT
Eddie is gaining in the battered Chevy. The Cadillac rockets
up the next ramp to the street level.
EXT. UPPER WACKER - NIGHT
The Cadillac zooms up from below, crosses the intersection,
and immediately takes the next down-ramp. Eddie flies up
from below, briefly airborne, barreling after them into the
tunnel.
EXT. LOWER WACKER - NIGHT
A block later the Cadillac heads topside again. Eddie takes
a gamble and goes straight ahead.
At the next down-ramp, the Cadillac descends and Tony's boys
find themselves doing 70 knots side by side with Eddie in
the other lane.
In the narrow concrete tunnel, the two cars battle each other
like bulls in a chute, each one trying to cut the other off,
bouncing from each other into the walls and back again.
INT. CADILLAC - NIGHT
The goon next to Luna is trying to get a shot off at Eddie.
SCALESE
This sonovabitch is crazy!
Tony sees his chance and he lunges for the gun. In the
struggle, the gun goes off and drills Rocco, the driver,
through the side of the head.
EXT. LOWER WACKER - NIGHT
The Cadillac ROARS out of control, its dead driver's foot
pressing the accelerator to the floor. Scalese, in the front
seat, tries to grab the wheel.
Eddie is all over the road trying to avoid them. The river
and the curve are ahead.
Scalese's car hits the median at high speed, rolls, and slides
SCREAMING into a concrete pillar and EXPLODES.
Eddie stands on the brakes as his car slides alongside the
flaming wreckage.
INT. EDDIE'S CAR - NIGHT
Eddie's car is on fire now, and the doors have been rammed
shut. He kicks the window out on the passenger side.
EXT. LOWER WACKER - NIGHT
Eddie runs for his life. The explosion knocks him to his
knees.
He gets up and moves away, looking back at Luna's and
Scalese's spectacular funeral pyre.
EXT. LOWER WACKER - NIGHT
The fire engines and police cars are arriving from every
direction.
With the flames still lighting his face, Eddie is making a
call.
EDDIE
You tell Luis I got Tony Luna for
him. Get me a time and place.
INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
Diana is in bad shape. She is tied up. Numb with terror she
listens, not comprehending, as the Comachos discuss their
plans for her in Spanish.
Luis comes over to her, and with his knife begins cutting
off part of her clothes.
LUIS
Your cop friend is smart. Too smart
and he dies. Then I take care of you
personally.
EXT. LOWER WACKER - NIGHT
Eddie's car is totally ablaze. He walks past the streaming
hoses and slips into a parked blue and white, it's mars lights
still flashing. He roars off.
INT. GYM - NIGHT
The giant door opens, and a lone blue and white pulls in and
parks.
The place is deserted except for the duty officer who sits
in his tiny office watching television with his half-naked
girlfriend.
Eddie enters silently, glances into the duty office, and
heads to the other end of the large hall.
In the background we see the practice apartment set, the
boxing ring, and several special task force undercover
vehicles seen before.
INT. LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT
Eddie opens his locker and takes out his sawed-off automatic
shotgun. He checks the action. He loads it. He fills a duffle
bag with ammo and drops in another gun. He closes the locker
and heads out.
INT. GYM - NIGHT
The duty officer is still occupied. Eddie eases past him and
checks the key-board at the desk. He finds what he's looking
for. He lifts a set of keys from the hook.
EXT. GYM - NIGHT
From inside, we hear the SOUND of a TRUCK STARTING.
EXT. EXPRESSWAY - DAY
This city garbage van, an immense blue semi-trailer, is moving
south on the Dan Ryan at incredible speed, pushing traffic
out of the way like a battleship slicing through Sunday
boaters.
Eddie is at the wheel.
EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
Among the dockside ruins of the old facility, Luis carefully
checks his snipers and lookouts. Shouting in Spanish, he
directs them into position.
From the distance we see a signal from the Comacho stationed
at the top of a huge grain elevator overlooking the Calumet
Harbor.
INT. GYM - DAY
Kosalas enters. The place is in chaos. He joins the crowd
gathered in the center of the facility. Brennan and Cragie
are here. So is Music. Commander Kates has just arrived.
KATES
What the hell is goin on?
BRENNAN
Cusack made off with a truckload of
armour.
MUSIC
(shakes his head)
He's a fucking one man army now.
CRAGIE
What'd I tell ya. The sonofabitch is
crazy.
Kosalas wanders through the wreckage. He is stunned. He is
starting to wake up.
KATES
OK, everybody. No more games. Where's
Cusack.
The men all look at him silently.
Kosalas turns on them.
KOSALAS
I can't swallow this shit! Eddie
Cusack's out there takin' on the
world by himself. And you fuckin'
heros are gonna sit on your goddamn
asses!
He is mad and loud.
CRAGIE
Cool it kid.
KOSALAS
Don't you fuckin' tell me to cool
it. I won't cool it. I'm not going
to fuckin' lie for you any more.
(to Kates)
I lied, Commander. He laid a gun on
that kid. I saw the whole thing.
CRAGIE
You little fuckin' bastard!
Cragie jumps at Kosalas, but Kosalas is ready for him, and
braces Cragie against the wall.
With one hand Kosalas slams Cragie again, and reaches down
with his free hand, lifting Cragie's pants leg and extracting
a drop-gun from it's concealed holster.
KOSALAS
What's this for partner? Your next
fuck up?
Kates steps in and separates them.
KATES
(to the others)
Get someone in the air. We're gonna
find Cusack.
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
Diana, now hanging from her wrists like a slab of beef, is
guarded by a couple of Luis' boys, eyeing her hungrily.
Luis enters.
LUIS
(subtitles)
Take off the gag. I want them to
hear her.
EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
Luis scans the daybreak sky. He and Efren take up positions.
Above them and around them, every line of fire is covered.
EXT. GRAIN ELEVATOR - DAY
From the lookout's POV atop the towering grain elevator, WE
SEE several garbage trucks moving in and out of an adjacent
dump.
One of them seems familiar to us.
INT. TRUCK CAB - DAY
Eddie's eyes search the harbour as he maneuvers slowly
alongside a rusting freighter. He stops and gets out.
EXT. GRAIN ELEVATOR - DAY
Eddie opens the rear of the truck and lowers a ramp.
EDDIE
Here we go partner.
He picks up his gun and a duffle bag from the cab and heads
out.
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
The Comachos are ready and waiting. Luis walks through the
middle of the vast empty plant toward the front, checking on
his troops one last time.
EXT. DOCK - DAY
Against the grotesque shapes of the surrounding scrapyards,
Eddie moves quickly from one concealment to the next, crouched
low, advancing on the abandoned factory at the end of the
dock.
He lays down his duffle and pulls out a Halliburton case. He
opens it.
EXT. GRAIN ELEVATOR - DAY
From inside the garbage truck WE HEAR an ENGINE STARTING. It
REVS a couple of times. And from within the container
compartment of the truck emerges the Prowler. It clatters
down the ramp.
EXT. GRAIN ELEVATOR - DAY
The lookout spots the Prowler moving down the dock. He can't
believe his eyes.
He sights on the machine and FIRES.
And in the distance, the Prowler senses the insult and
immediately turns its camera eye up to him.
The lookout FIRES again. Immediately, the turret swivels and
the twin MACHINEGUNS ROAR.
It's a long way down.
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
The SOUND of MACHINEGUN FIRE from outside galvanizes the
Comachos. Luis runs through the long building toward the
front with half a dozen of his men, all SHOUTING.
EXT. DOCK - DAY
Eddies eyes watch the miniature monitor of the Prowler's
hand controller. On the monitor WE CAN SEE the Comachos
running out in the front of the factory from the camera on
top of the Prowler.
Eddie gets up and moves toward the factory. He looks up at
several high broken windows.
EXT. DOCK - DAY
The Prowler is having a field day. It's electronic sensors
trace the source of every hostile shot and immediately return
a withering stream of hot lead that chews the surrounding
scenery -- and several Comachos -- to pieces.
But Eddie has not figured out how to control the Prowler's
BULLHORN VOICE command system. It continues to BARK ORDERS
to the dead hoodlums in three languages.
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
Luis runs through the empty plant toward the office screaming
to Diana's guards.
LUIS
(subtitles)
Now! Do it now! Kill her!
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
Diana, tied to the chair, is momentarily alone as the guards
rush out to the floor of the factory to see what's happening.
The two guards, their guns flying from their hands, are
hammered back into the room by Eddie who blasts through the
door after them.
Diana is petrified.
INT. SQUAD CAR - DAY
Kosalas and Kates are in the same car. Kosalas is driving.
DISPATCHER (V.O.)
(from radio)
...Harbor Patrol reports gunfire and
explosions in the vicinity of Calumet
Harbor...
KATES
That's Cusack.
Kosalas spins the wheel into a U-turn.
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
The "Prowler" rolls around the corner, its brutal turret
bristling with firepower. It is driving Luis and the other
stupefied Comachos further back into the building.
Eddie guides his deadly partner with the hand controller.
The Comachos dive for cover and spray the miniature tank
with AUTOMATIC FIRE. But they are no match. Two continuous
streams of hot lead chew up the place, splintering the loading
dock and the catwalk hiding places and disintegrating the
structure, churning the Comachos to hamburger.
COMACHO SHOT RINGS OUT
Eddie goes down and the Prowler hand controller falls to the
ground, shattered.
The Prowler goes berserk, SPRAYING DEATH in a 360 degree
circle until all the ammo is gone.
Then SILENCE.
Eddie touches the blood on the side of his leg. It's not
serious.
It appears everyone is out of ammunition. But a few Comachos
are still hidden in the factory.
Eddie is after them like a tiger. Victor, shoulder still
bandaged, never has a chance. He goes down, battered and
broken.
But Luis has crept up behind Eddie. He jumps over a steel
plate. He's going for Diana, a long knife in his hand.
Eddie reaches for a reload. Puts it in his magnum. Aims, and
blows Luis away just as he reaches for Diana.
INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
Across the littered battlefield, Eddie escorts Diana toward
the light streaming through the factory entrance. He takes
off his jacket and wraps it around Diana's shoulders.
EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
The pier is crawling with cops with more arriving every
second.
A fire boat is extinguishing the blaze set by the Prowler's
incendiary ammunition.
The bodies of the Comachos lying everywhere astound the
arriving "Home Team."
Officer Kosalas screeches to a halt and jumps from his car.
Brennan and Music are running down the dock. Donato, a cast
on his leg, hobbles after them.
EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY
Emergency vehicles are arriving, and more squad cars, paddy
wagons, and fire engines.
Eddie walks by the cops toward an ambulance, now carrying
Diana. Kates calls out after him.
KATES
Hey, Cusack!
Eddie stops, slowly turns around.
There is a long pause.
KATES
I'm glad you don't follow orders.
Eddie hands Diana over to the waiting medics, who put her in
the ambulance.
We pull back further and further until we see the rest of
the Home Team. The ambulance, carrying Diana, pulls away
with it's lights flashing.
Eddie walks down the pier alone.
THE END
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