HEAT
by
Michael Mann
FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY
REVISED DRAFT
March 3, 1994
Converted to PDF by SCREENTALK
www.screentalk.org
EXT. CEDARS-SINAI - WIDE - DAY
A monolith with alienating foregrounds. A bus pulls in on
Beverly. NEIL McCAULEY and a nurse get off. Neil carries
a paper bag and wears white pants like a hospital attendant.
Neil is an ice-cold professional: very big, very tough.
At 42 his short black hair is graying. He spent eight
years in McNeil and three in San Quentin. He got out and
hit the street in 1987. Four of the McNeil years were
spent in the hole. Neil's voice is street, but his language
is precise like an engineer's. He's very careful and very
good. Neil runs a professional crew that pulls down high
line, high number scores and does it anyway the score has
to be taken down: if on the prowl (a burglary), that's
fine; if they have to go in strong (armed), that's fine
too. And if you get in their way, that's got to be your
problem. His lifestyle is obsessively functional. There's
no steady woman or any encumbrance. Neil McCauley keeps
it so there's nothing he couldn't walk from in 30 seconds
flat.
ANGLE
Right now, he enters the big double doors and pulls a white
intern's coat from his paper bag.
CUT TO:
INT. CEDARS-SINAI CORRIDOR - TRAVELING TWO SHOT - DAY
We DOLLY on Neil as he crosses through the long crowded
corridor. Patients, nurses, interns and doctors pass by.
A P.A. broadcasts occasional messages.
PROFILE
Nail crosses under an "EMERGENCY" sign and keeps going
towards the exit doors.
TRAVELING - FRONTAL
Neil APPROACHES THE CAMERA. From the other direction two
ambulance attendants wheel an old man under oxygen and
pass by Neil.
CUT TO:
WIDE REAR SHOT
Without breaking his stride from the moment he got off the
bus, Neil exits through the doors, examines four ambulances
parked in the slots, climbs into one and drives off. Maybe
he's stolen it. We don't know.
CUT TO:
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EXT. R & C CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES - ON CHRIS - DAY
CHRIS SHIHERLIS crosses past stacks of gravel and cement
with a white-coated BLACK CLERK. Chris wears a hard hat
over a mongol cut, Levi's, black boots and a sleeveless
sweat shirt and carries on one shoulder a 150 lb., red,
Milwaukee Tool Company case. He looks like a construction
worker by day who by night hits L.A's slams, jams and raves.
He's 29, from Austin, Texas. Chris is also a highline
pro: a boxman who knows five ways to open any safe made.
Right now he's buying a hollow core drill. He and McCauley
were cellmates in San Quentin Penitentiary from 1984 to
1987. Chris hit the streets in 1988. He's a hot dog and
spends money as fast as he makes it. Right now, he and
the Clerk exit to the sales counter.
CUT TO:
EXT. SALES COUNTER - TWO SHOT
As they approach, the Clerk goes behind it.
CLERK
What you working on?
CHRIS
Drillin' some post holes into
concrete ...
CLERK
(re: toolcase)
With that you can ream solid
steel. Check, charge, or cash?
CHRIS
Cash. Put "Jack's Fencing" on
the receipt.
CLERK
$788. 30
Chris pays; Clerk writes receipt.
CLERK
(continuing)
...that a good racket? I ought
to get out from behind this
counter...
CHRIS
(takes receipt)
Yeah.
(beat)
Take it easy.
He leaves with the heavy red case.
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INT. "TOYS 'R' US STORE" - ON CERRITO - DAY
MICHAEL CERRITO - at 40 - is looking at a doll house.
He's a wide, thick, coarse-featured big man. Sicilian
from Sunnyside, he's spent 15 years in Attica, Joliet and
Marion penitentiaries. He's strictly a "cowboy": his
natural inclination towards a score is "...get the guns
and let's go." He's been off smack and everything else
for five years. He's clean and sober. He's the nicest
guy on the block and a loving father. If you get in his
way, he'll kill you as soon as look at you. If you asked
him about the contradictions, he wouldn't know what you
were talking about.
CLOSE OR DOLL HOUSE DETAILS
It's 3 x 6 and two feet high. Miniature room sets are
inside. Cerrito's thick fingers close the door. He picks
it up. WIDEN. He crosses to a counter and MIDDLE-AGED
CLERK.
CERRITO
Wrap this here up.
CLERK
Yessir. You're going to have a
happy little girl.
CERRITO
Two. I got two girls.
CLERK
That's nice.
CERRITO
Yeah. And gimme those three
masks there.
Clerk takes down Clark Gable, Three-eyed Monster, and
Beautiful Lady, full-head rubber masks.
CERRITO
(continuing)
Gimme Donald Duck, too
CLERK
(does and laughs)
A little early for Halloween?
CERRITO
Yeah. Halloween's coming early
this year. What do I owe you?
CUT TO:
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INT. CONDOMINIUM - A HAND - MORNING
Slides across the back of JUSTINE'S thigh.
JUSTINE'S AND HANNA'S FACES
She is 29, auburn, languorous, her eyes are closed and she
makes love with her husband, VINCENT HANNA. Pressing her
face to his, their hair intertwined... It's morning. We
are in an expensive condominium.
WIDE
The two bodies locked into the rhythms of their love-making,
twisted in white sheets. OFF SCREEN a shower runs.
CUT TO:
INT. SHOWER - HANNA
Is in it. The water streams off his body. The glass is
misted. He turns off only the hot and breathes fast in
the cold spray. OFF SCREEN a cigarette lighter CLICKS.
CUT TO:
BEDROOM - JUSTINE
smoking, still under the white sheets, watches Hanna dress.
JUSTINE
... taking me out to breakfast?
HANNA
(looks at watch)
Can't. Bosko's waiting..
LAUREN
(passing door)
Hi Vincent. Mom, where's my
barrettes?
LAUREN, Justine's daughter, is 15 and tall and anxious.
HANNA
Hi, sweetie.
JUSTINE
I saw them on the kitchen
(to Hanna)
Want me to make coffee?
HANNA
(to Lauren in other
room)
No school today?
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LAUREN (O.S.)
Daddy's picking me up! We're
going to see the new site and
then shopping and lunch.
(beat)
They're not on the table.
JUSTINE
Then I don't know...
(to Hanna)
He's already half an hour late.
HANNA
He gonna show? Or the son of a
bitch gonna stand her up like
last time?
Hanna clips a 2" .38 in his waistband. Justine shrugs and
shakes her head.
JUSTINE
(starting out of
bed)
Want the coffee?
HANNA
I'm out of time...
He leaves.
JUSTINE
Falls back on the pillow,
disappointed. It's as if she'd
been stood-up. The bed sheet
falls half off of her. She's
exposed, vulnerable. She looks
out the window, occluded by light
muslin, away from us and exhales.
CUT TO:
INT. MACARTHUR PARK, MEN'S ROOM - ON WAINGRO - DAY
Bare-chested washing at a sink. WAINGRO'S 27. He sports
prison tattoos including an Aryan Brotherhood swastika
covering his abdomen. He's a graduate of the "gladiator
academies," Chino and Tracy.
He's dressed in Army and Navy Store gray workman's clothes.
He combs his long hair straight back off his round forehead.
Now he tucks his shirt in and puts on wrap around shades.
CUT TO:
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EXT. MACARTHUR PARK - WAINGRO
Waits. His shell jacket is in a tight roll under his arm.
Then a garbage truck - a Dempsey Dumpster (the kind with a
power forklift on the front) - pulls up.
CUT TO:
INT. TRUCK - WIDE - DAY
Michael Cerrito is the driver.
CERRITO
You Waingro?
WAINGRO
Yeah.
He climbs in. Cerrito pulls out. Waingro - delayed -
offers his hand. Cerrito has to wait until he finishes
his gear change to shake it. The timing's a little weird.
WAINGRO
(continuing loud)
You're Cerrito huh?
(pause)
What kinda guy is this Neil?
CERRITO
(loud)
Okay.
Just do like he says. Exactly... like ... he ... says.
They have to talk loudly over the clapped-out ENGINE'S
NOISE.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEY - ON GARBAGE TRUCK - DAY
It's ABRUPTLY QUIET. The truck's parked. The two men sit
idly. Waingro finishes take-out coffee and tosses the
empty.
INT. TRUCK - CERRITO
Lights a cigarette. Belatedly, he offers one to Waingro.
Waingro lights up. The two men relax under the swirls of
blue smoke.
WAINGRO
You guys always work together?
CERRITO
All the time.
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WAINGRO
Real tight crew, huh?
CERRITO
That's right.
Awkward pause.
WAINGRO
This works good, maybe I could
go again?
Cerrito looks at Waingro. He wants to protect his
concentration.
CERRITO
Yeah. Stop talking, slick...
It ends the conversation. Waingro drums his fingernails
on the dash. He's anxious.
CUT TO:
CHEVY TOWTRUCK - ON TOWNER - DAY
TOWNER'S a sloppy, nondescript man in his 40's. He slouches
behind the wheel. A Bearcat 210 Scanner is under the dash
and a walkie-talkie on the seat. As in the garbage truck,
it's quiet and he waits. Then:
NEIL (V.O.)
(radio filter)
You ready if I need you?
TOWNER
(into radio; low)
Yeah.
NEIL (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Got their air?
TOWNER
Yeah.
At a low level we HEAR POLICE CALLS.
CUT TO:
INT. AMBULANCE - TWO SHOT - DAY
Chris and Neil are sitting in the front seat of the
ambulance Neil drove away from the hospital.
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RADIO ANNOUNCER
(radio filter)
...Daddio's jazz patio on KDCA.
Brought to you this fine day,
which is A-okay, by Twister.
Hey, mister, go out and buy a
bottle of that
Twister...Wiiiiiine...
NEIL
Turn it off.
Chris turns it OFF. A little anxiety develops.
CUT TO:
INT. GARBAGE TRUCK - TWO SHOT - DAY
CERRITO
(checks watch)
Time.
Waingro stubs out his cigarette in nervous jabs. Cerrito
pulls from a paper bag two of the rubber masks he bought
and surgical gloves. He and Waingro put them on quickly.
Cerrito has the monster mask three eyes and a twisted mouth.
Waingro is a beautiful woman. Their movements now are
very fast. Cerrito pulls the truck out of the alley.
CERRITO'S POV:
As we approach the street an armored truck passes by. We
fall in behind. At this point we realize these men are
going to pull down an armed robbery of this armored truck.
But, we turn LEFT. The armored truck went straight. Then
we turn RIGHT. However we SEE the armored truck again.
It turned left. Our paths will intersect at 90 degrees.
Meanwhile:
CUT TO:
INT. AMBULANCE - ON NEIL - DAY
He checks the chamber and then inserts into the grip of
his 9mm. Browning a 14-shot clip. Chris works the slide
of a Remington 810, 12-gauge shotgun and puts on a welder's
helmet. Neil pulls on the rubber mask of Donald Duck and
slings a stopwatch on a string around his neck.
CHRIS
Their response time?
NEIL
Two minutes, fifty seconds.
CUT TO:
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EXT. STREET - WIDE ON AMBULANCE + STREET BEHIND IT
The lumbering armored truck approaches...
NEIL (V.O.)
(calm)
We ought to be down the chute
into the escape route in 2:20.
(beat; breath)
Here we go...
CUT TO:
INT. ARMORED TRUCK - DRIVER'S POV: APPROACHING AMBULANCE -
DAY
With FLASHERS going. Suddenly it pulls diagonally across
the narrow street, as if trying a three point turn: Driver
of the armored truck slams on his brakes.
CUT TO:
INT. GARBAGE TRUCK - CERRITO'S POV: ARMORED TRUCK IN
PROFILE - DAY
We're accelerating at it.
CERRITO'S FOOT
punches the accelerator.
FRONTAL: GARBAGE TRUCK
a prehistoric beast charging at us.
CERRITO'S POV: JAMMING
at the armored truck.
COLLISION
We SLAM into it,
WIDE: ARMORED TRUCK
knocked onto its side, crushes against a wall.
CUT TO:
INT. ARMORED CAR - DRIVER - DAY
Stunned, pinned inside. Their world is sideways. It rains
desposit slips. GUARD ONE grabs the radio mike:
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GUARD #1
(into mike)
211! We're being taken down!
EXT. ALLEY - ON REAR OF ARMORED TRUCK
Neil, Chris, Cerrito and Waingro are on the move...
INT. CHEVY APACHE PICKUP - TOWNER - DAY
Listens to his BEARCAT POLICE SCANNER,
DISPATCHER (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Car 74, what's your ETA to the
211 in progress Hoover and 14th?
Over.
CAR 74 (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Car 74. Three minutes. Over.
DISPATCHER (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Car 74. Take it. Car 37, you're
back-up. Car...
TOWNER
(into radio to Neil)
There's the call. Three minutes.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - VEIL
With his radio earpiece starts a CHRONOMETER with a LOUD
CLICK.
ARMORED TRUCK - CHRIS
in a welder's mask with the hollow core drill drives the
10" diameter bit into the truck's armored plating. Neil
looks at his stopwatch.
WATCH:
28, 29, 30, 31, 32...
CLOSE - DRILL BIT
SCREAMING of metal as the hollow-core bit tears through
steel.
SHOTS
Neil with his Browning. Cerrito has an AR15 with its stock
collapsed. Waingro has a 9mm. Beretta.
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CHRIS
The bit has cut a 10" circle into the side through the
armored plating. Now Chris heaves the drill aside, steps
away, swings up his shotgun as...
CERRITO
swings a sledgehammer at the 10" disc. It falls inside
as.
NEIL
pulls the pin and tosses a grenade into the hole. It
EXPLODES and pours smoke.
NEIL
(yelling after it)
Next one blows you up! Out!
Now...
(beat;'shouts)
Now!
INT. ARMORED CAR - GUARD ONE
Coughing. His mask doesn't work. He lurches for the
door...
EXT. STREET - ARMORED CAR
Door crashes down, opens, Guard One falls out. Then GUARD
TWO. The DRIVER comes out his door. Cerrito grabs him.
Neil handles the two Guards.
NEIL
Up against the wall!
He yanks their guns away - his 9mm. At the back of each
man's head in turn.
THE DRIVER
tries to twist away as a reflex. Cerrito cracks him in
the face with the AR15, driving him to the wall.
WIDE: CERRITO + WAINGRO
cover the three. Neil moves into the Armored Truck to
join Chris who's already inside, ripping it apart,
searching. We see him disregard cash.
NEIL'S STOPWATCH
1:12.
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NEIL
(to Chris)
8o seconds left. Move it.
WAINGRO
behind the Beautiful Lady mask: trying hard to do good.
His gun jumps from Guard to Guard to Guard.
NEIL
looks at Waingro. WIDEN. Waingro's aware of Neil's
scrutiny.
WAINGRO
(to Guard Two)
Flatten - up against it! Higher!
He slaps the back of Guard Two's head with the gun barrel.
GUARD TWO
(a big, boastful
man, quietly)
...you didn't have that gun..
WAINGRO
What?!
CERRITO
(cuts in; cool)
That's true, slick, cause you're
a real tough guy. But he has
the gun. And me, too. So shut
the fuck up.
WIDE
Neil and Chris emerge from the van with one manila envelope.
NEIL
Move out!
(checks watch)
38 seconds left!
WIDE: WAINGRO
It's like Waingro can't hear. He's fixated with Guard
Two. Guard Two turns and looks at him arrogantly - more
concerned with his masculine pride than his safety. He's
a stupid man.
WAINGRO'S POV: VERY WIDE
Things happen slowly.
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WAINGRO (O.S.)
(quietly)
...hadda mouth off? In front of
them?
Waingro's arm points out at the man - with the gun at the
end - and FIRES.
ANGLE
Guard Two is blown up against the wall. Driver moves...
NEIL
leaving, spins.
DRIVER
reaching for a two-inch hammerless .38 back-up tucked in
his boot. As he brings it up...
NEIL'S 9MM. BROWNING
FIRES TWO HAMMERED-ON SHOTS.
CERRITO'S AR15
covers Guard One. Guard One stares at the men in the masks.
Once killing begins, he knows what will happen. Cerrito
looks at Neil...
NEIL
angry; nods.
CERRITO
kills Guard One with THREE SHOTS.
ON AMBULANCE
Neil literally throws Waingro into the back.
INT. AMBULANCE - ON CERRITO - DAY driving, lays rubber
down the alley. ON NEIL at watch.
NEIL
(disgusted)
Ten. Nine.
(tosses the watch;
into walkie-talkie
to Towner)
Blew the margin. Here we come.
CUT TO:
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INT. WHITE CHEVY APACHE TOWTRUCK - ON TOWNER - DAY
We HEAR police dispatcher on the Bearcat scanner.
TOWNER
(into radio)
One on your tail.
NEIL
(V.O.)
Here we come.
Towner drops the walkie-talkie out the window. He's
fastened a professional racing harness.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - REAR SHOT ON AMBULANCE - DAY
Skidding right into another side street.
REVERSE: BLACK + WHITE
in Code 3 scraping between the garbage truck and wall -
roars TO CAMERA. One cop already has his shotgun up.
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDE STREET - WIDE: AMBULANCE - DAY
Left down the street with FLASHERS going.
WIDE PROFILE: AMBULANCE
Streaks THROUGH THE FRAME. HOLD and SEE the Chevy towtruck
with Towner.
TOWNER
guns the engine.
BLACK + WHITE
bounces around the corner, the rear end comes out, skidding
left. Towner floors the towtruck. We SEE it's heavy front
bumper RAM the police car sideways.
EXT. GAS STATION - BLACK + WHITE
Is SMASHED SIDEWAYS into the station, careens off two cars
filling up...
ANGLE
... plows through a rack of pumps, takes out the air and
water reservoirs and wraps itself around a lamppost.
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Towner's towtruck's gone.
CUT TO:
EXT. RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREET - AMBULANCE - DAY
Pulls in and parks. Everyone abandons it, leaving masks,
rubber gloves, equipment, outer clothing inside. They
cross to a Chevrolet Caprice. They climb in. They pull
out.
CUT TO:
EXT. GAS STATION - WIDE - DAY
One cop has a cut forehead, tries to stand. Two more black
and whites pull in - flashers going. The driver staggers
out from behind the wheel and tries to shake clarity into
his head. He sits on the pavement.
CUT TO:
EXT. LAX PARKING LOT - WIDE BETWEEN THE CARS - DAY
Planes ROAR overhead in landings or takeoffs. Yellow vapor
lamps glare. It's gaudy with lights. Neil and a man named
NATE are parked next to each other facing opposite
directions. Nate's 50 - an ex-prize fighter with his nose
all over his face in a silver Mercedes. His big muscles
have gone to flab. He wears a yellow rayon shirt. He's
deeply tanned and pock-narked.
Nate functions as a middleman and fence for Neil. All
calls from people who want to contact Neil come to Nate.
Right now he examines the manila envelope from the armored
truck. Neil's in a Lincoln Town car, gray suit, white
shirt, no tie.
CLOSE: ENVELOPE
contains 80 x $20,000 negotiable Treasury Certificates.
Nate's counting.
NATE
A million, six at 40 cents onna
dollar's 640. Here's a hundred
forty thou front money. Get you
the rest, 2-3 days.
WIDE - FROM THE FRONT
Nate gives a large envelope to Neil.
NATE
What happened out there?
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NEIL
I don't want to talk about it.
NATE
(re-examining
securities)
Wait a minute.
NEIL
What's the matter?
NATE
(laughs)
You know who these belong to?
NEIL
(takes manila
envelope)
"Malibu Securities ...
NATE
You know John Van Zant?
NEIL
No.
NATE
Malibu Securities is a brokerage
he controls. Planned
bankruptcies, made out during
the S&L's, money laundering...
Nate pulls T.C.'s.
NATE
(continuing; laughs)
You ripped off his Treasury
Certificates.
NEIL
So what?
He's got insurance.
NATE
That's the point. On top of
collecting his insurance, maybe
he wants to buy back his bonds.
From him I can get you 60 cents
on the dollar instead of 40.
Means an extra 320 to you.
NEIL
Try it on.
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NATE
You know Cezar Kelso?
NEIL
By reputation.
NATE
He's got this score he's putting
out and wants you to look at.
NEIL
What do I need look at his score
for? I got my own.
NATE
He said you'll get near eight
figures. Very clean.
NEIL
(beat; then:)
9:00a.M. tomorrow.
NATE
Take it easy.
Neil starts the car. Nate pulls away in his Mercedes.
WIDE
an L1011 ROARS overhead. Neil pulls out.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEY - WIDE ON PAVEMENT - DAY
We're looking at chalk outlines of the bodies of Guard one
and Driver from the armored truck. The pavement is
bloodstained. Bright lights illuminate the crime scene.
HANNA (O.S.)
Where's the ambulance?
HEINZ (O.S.)
They dumped it four blocks from
here...
WIDEN TO REVEAL Hanna who we now identify as a police
lieutenant of detectives. He's just arrived. The alley's
been roped off with sawhorses labeled "crime area." The
armored truck with the holed side is still there. One of
Hanna's crew, DRUCKER, a black intelligence analyst and
technician at 45, was already there. A uniformed SGT.
HEINZ was there first and by procedure took command. It's
his crime scene.
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HEINZ
Masks, guns, radios - all left
behind. No prints.
HANNA
What about the crash, the white
towtruck.
Two more of Hanna's crew arrive in an unmarked car and
join him: CASALS - bald at 30 and wiry; BOSKO - a huge,
oversized man.
HEINZ
Hasn't turned up. Got a witness:
janitor next door.
HANNA
I.D. anybody? Plate?
Description?
HEINZ
Shhaaapes ...
(beat)
One big. One thin. He heard
it...
Guy's nearly blind.
HANNA
(re: body outlines)
What about them?
DRUCKER
According to the janitor, he...
(Guard Two outline)
Started mouthing off to one of
the gunmen.
HANNA
Oh, that was smart.
DRUCKER
I figure the other went for...
(points)
... that gun when the shooting
started. One guy called a guard
"slick."
HANNA
"Slick?"
DRUCKER
Yeah. And they ignored the loose
cash.
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HANNA
'Cause they had no time, cause
they knew our response time,
cause they were on our air.
HEINZ
You recognize their m.o.?
HANNA
Yeah. Their m.o. is that they
are good. Once it escalated
into a Murder One beef for all
of them after they killed the
first two, they popped guard
number three 'cause it didn't
rake any difference anymore, so
why leave a living witness?
Drop of a hat? They'll rock and
roll. Also: the way they went
into the side indicates they are
equipped to go in on the prowl.
So also start looking for recent
highline burgularies that have
'mystified' us.
(to Drucker)
Run the "slick" bit to the FBI
and see what it kicks out.
DRUCKER
I called it in already.
HANNA
(to Casals)
Split the fences. I'll take
Cuzomano and Torena. You take
the East side. Go through the
tapes of who we been listening
to.
(to Drucker)
Hang in with Forensics on all
physical evidence.
(to Bosko)
How'd they know the route of the
van and what it was carrying?
Does Gage print the day's routes?
What do they do with the
printouts? Who collects their
trash? Run makes on all their
middlemanagement. Did someone
give this score up?
(beat)
Check the three guards. See if
one of them was a tipster.
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BOSKO
What's the vibe: home-grown or
out-of-town?
HANNA
Out-of-town. Frankly, I hope
they are scoring once and passing
through. And I doubt it.
HEINZ
This going to stay in Area?
HANNA
This look like boosters working
the local Seven Eleven to you?
It goes to Major Crime.
(to his crew)
Go to work.
They move toward the Forensic Unit, scraping tire rubber
and measuring distances as we
CUT TO:
INT. EARLY 60'S COFFEE SHOP - WIDE - NIGHT
It's 1963 futuristic: flagstone and rubber plants. Most
of the patrons are night people: pimps, hookers, customers,
disintegrating couples, etc. We PAN AROUND the interior
and settle on a booth by a window. In the booth are Chris
and Cerrito on one side and Waingro alone.
WAINGRO
Anybody want some pie?
CERRITO
looks at Waingro, sips his coffee, and looks away again
Waingro is nervous.
CHRIS
sees something in the parking lot.
DOOR - NEIL
enters, crosses to the booth, slides in across from Waingro.
CLOSE
The four men huddle together and talk in a whisper. Neil
pulls out three yellow envelopes, presumably full of money.
Neil will talk about Waingro in the third person as if he
inanimate.
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NEIL
(whispered)
This is a partial split, but I
took out of ours - every - to
make up...
(Waingro's)
...his full end. Because I want
to settle him up and get rid of
this jagoff right now.
Cerrito and Chris looks at Waingro.
CERRITO
Okay.
Chris nods. Waingro's speechless. Neil flips him an
envelope.
NEIL
(whispering)
Fuck off.
Waingro doesn't move.
WAINGRO
(whispered; tense)
I had to dust him!
Neil grabs the back of Waingro's neck, slams the side of
his face onto the table top and flicks the middle finger
of his left against waingro's temple. Neil could kill
him.
NEIL
(whispered)
Electricity and chemicals a little
fucked up?
(flick)
You a shooter? Speed? What?
Flick. Cerrito looks around the coffee shop: it's quiet.
NEIL
(continuing;
whispered)
You didn't have to. Now we got
extra heat off a clean score.
Waingro does nothing. Neil shoves him into the corner of
the booth. Plates fall. All three get up and walk out.
CUT TO:
EXT. COFFEE SHOP, REAR PARKING LOT - WIDE - NIGHT
Neil, Cerrito and Chris cross past cars.
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 22.
ANGLE - WAINGRO
whines, cries and charges into Neil's shoulder from behind
and spins him around, wanting to explain to him. This
time:
NEIL
knees Waingro in the stomach. Waingro folds over. Neil
slams both open palms on Waingro's ears and knees him in
the face. Waingro sprawls over a car hood and falls off.
CLOSER - NEIL
kicks Waingro in the side driving him between cars where
it is more secluded while Cerrito and Chris casually look
a-round and back away to cover him because they know Neil
is going to kill him now. As Neil draws his .45 ...
CERRITO
(low)
Hold it.
Neil looks. Across the street cruises a black and white.
He watches it pass. His attention goes back to Waingro.
As his .45 comes up.
CLOSER: NEIL
turning, mildly surprised.
NEIL'S POV: NOTHING
Waingro's disappeared.
WIDER: NEIL
searches under cars, carefully. Nothing.
HIGH + WIDE
Waingro's gone. Neil with Cerrito and Chris following
scan the spaces and shadows as they back out of the large
parking lot.
CUT TO:
INT. SHIHERLIS APARTMENT - ON CHARLENE - NIGHT
CHARLENE - twenty-six, in skin-tight black pants and black
hair. They're on their way out. The apartment is heavy
on computer games, video gear, appliances and children's
furniture. Re: envelope:
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 23.
CHARLENE
(counts the money)
Where's the rest?
CHRIS
That's it.
CHARLENE
Eight thousand dollars? You
gotta be kidding me!
Chris enters from the bedroom. While buttoning a shirt,
he's mostly oblivious. It frustrates the hell out of
Charlene.
CHRIS
(off-handed)
I squared the bookies and we had
to pay off some guy and were
short to start 'cause the rest
is comin', in a coupla days. So
don't sweat it.
(checks watch)
We're late.
Slips on a boot.
CHARLENE
Listen to me. "As The World
Turns" can get interrupted with
a news flash of you splattered
all over the street ...
Pulls on boot two.
CHARLENE
(continuing; running
on)
I can get sent up on an accessory
beef. Your son, Dominick, winds
up in a home. For $8,000?
(voice breaks)
Honey, for $8,000, it ain't worth
the risk. Risk versus reward?
Baby?
CHRIS
Don't worry about money. Neil's
got...
(checks watch)
Hey, if we're goin', let's go.
CHARLENE
Where's the club you were going
to open?
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CHRIS
Here comes the "showgirl with a
future" bit.
CHARLEJ
Shut up! I left for a good thing.
(beat)
Why am I even talking to you? I
can't talk to you. All you are
is a child growin' older...
CHRIS
The hell's that mean?
CHARLENE
It means we're not making forward
progress like real adults and
you won't listen.
CHRIS
I told you: me and Neil got
planned ...
CHARLENE
"Me and Neil." I'm married to
you, now. This isn't the fucking
joint.
CHRIS
Don't mouth off to me!
CHARLENE
(screams)
I want out of here!
CHRIS
(shouts)
Well there's the fucking door!
(opens it)
Only leave Dominick, the bank
book and the car keys on the
kitchen table!
CHARLENE
You can keep that other crap!
But Dominick goes with me.
Chris shoves her up against the wall.
CHRIS
(suddenly low)
I'll find ya and kill you, you
bitch, wherever you are - you
ever try to take Dominick away
from me.
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He means it. She knows it. He takes the car keys and
goes. She's frozen to the spot.
CUT TO:
EXT. CERRITO'S BUNGALOW - WIDE - NIGHT
A modest West L.A. bungalow that's been remodeled beyond
neighborhood values. A 1990 Coupe de Ville's in the drive.
Cerrito pulls his black '93 Eldorado up behind it. A
NEIGHBOR shuts off his sprinkler. Cerrito gets out and
pulls the wrapped up doll house out of the trunk.
ANITA (O.S.)
(to Michael)
Daddy, daddy!
WIDEN TO INCLUDE ANITA CERRITO (7) running up with LINDA
CERRITO (9) not far behind. She jumps into her dad's arms.
CUT TO:
INT. CERRITO HOUSE - ON CERRITO - DAY
Entering: home theater system, Hawaiian art prints in
lacquer frames.
ELAINE CERRITO - a dark, heavy-set woman who was dynamite
at 25 and still sensual at 40 - enters from kitchen and
kisses cerrito.
ELAINE
Hungry?
CERRITO
Starving.
ELAINE
(searching)
You okay?
CERRITO
(nods; gives her
envelope)
Put this away.
ANITA
(whispers)
Daddy, what's in the box?
She exits to kitchen. Cerrito sits down and pulls Anita
onto his lap.
CERRITO
What do you care?
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They start shouting: c'mon c'mon. Elaine enters with her
class of red wine.
CERRITO
(continuing)
Open it up.
They run out. He whispers to Elaine who sits on the side
of his chair and drapes an arm across his shoulder. Michael
Cerrito is a family man and the nicest guy on the block.
CUT TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND GARAGE, ENTRANCE - A RECTANGLE OF NIGHT
SKY - NIGHT
Then Neil's Town Car enters down the ramp and passes
through. It's deserted and quiet.
CUT TO:
EXT. GARAGE - ON NEIL - NIGHT
Driving away in his personal car, an Eldorado in black.
CUT TO:
EXT. SANTA MONICA 3RD STREET - ON NEIL - NIGHT
It's almost deserted. Neil enters from Arizona Avenue.
He's alone. It's windy. The collar of his gray suit is
up, the lapels are closed over his white shirt.
CUT TO:
INT. HENESSEY AND INGALLS BOOKSTORE - NEIL - NIGHT
Looks at a large book in the Engineering section. He
specifically flips back and forth between full-color plates
of electronic micrographs of different kinds of steel.
EADY (0. C.)
Help you with something?
NEIL
(looks)
No thanks.
WIDEN TO INCLUDE EADY TSE - 28, 5'8". Chinese, long black
hair to her waist. Her face is high cheek-boned and
intelligent. She wears a gray corduroy smock over a
turtleneck shirt and jeans. She speaks English in American
vernacular with only the slightest trace of an accent.
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NEIL
(continuing)
You closing in a few minutes?
Eady leans back against the book case.
EADY
Yeah.
(yawns)
Excuse me.
(beat)
You interested in metals?
NEIL
(alert)
No.
(lies)
It's the color reproduction of
these plates...
EADY
We have a first edition of
Kandinsky's Theory of Color with
hand pulled lithographic prints
bound in. Would you like see
it?
NEIL
Sure.
Crossing store.
EADY
I see you in here before.
NEIL
You're open late. Not many open
this late.
(beat)
What's your name?
Holds out hand.
EADY
Eady. Eady Tse. What's yours?
NEIL
(lies)
Bukowski. Neil Bukowski.
He holds onto her hand and stares down into her face.
They both smile. She laughs and looks away first. They
continue to a rear locked case.
CUT TO:
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INT. HANNA'S CAR TRAVELLING - HANNA - NIGHT
Floating through the green xenon nightgown, hits a stored
number in his cellular phone's memory.
CASALS (V.O.)
M. C. U.
HANNA
(cuts in)
Bobby, it's me.
CASALS (V.O.)
Boss, whoever's fencing the Bearer
Bonds is either highline or out-
of-town. Everyone's talking
about it. No one knows about
it.
(beat)
Schwartz went through the indexes
on recent surveillance tapes?
No armored cars. No witnesses
on who stole the ambulance.
HANNA
Albert Torena call me back?
CASALS (V.O.)
No.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA CONDOMINIUM - HANNA - NIGHT
Lets himself in the door. He's beat. He throws his coat
at the chair.
INT. KITCHEN - STOVE
The dried-out remains of dinner. Hanna roots around, grabs
a lamb chop, forgets the rest and goes into the living
room. INT. HANNA LIVING ROOM - JUSTINE sees Hanna, goes
back to book.
HANNA
Hi.
JUSTINE
Where have you been?
HANNA
Work. Harvey show or'd Lauren
get stood up again?
JUSTINE
He didn't even call her.
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HANNA
What an asshole. She okay?
JUSTINE
She's been in her room all day
and won't talk. So "no," she's
not okay. And neither am I.
(even tempered)
If I try to create something
like a mood between us you back
away. I made a great dinner for
us. That was four hours ago.
(beat)
At least get yourself a plate...
HANNA
There's three dead bodies in an
alley off Adams.
(beat)
I'm really sorry the lamb got
overcooked.
Justine looks at him, elegantly rises, exits into the
bedroom and closes the door.
HANNA
Looking after her is tired.
Very tired. He doesn't know why
he said what he did. He regrets
it. So he turns on his TV to
watch the news and his eyes glaze
over.
CUT TO:
INT. DINER - GRILLMAN - NIGHT
Flips eggs, bastes, and covers them. The grill is all
quilted steel and immaculate. At the other end of the
counter a waiter reads a paper.
NEIL AND EADY
on stools.
EADY
What do you do?
NEIL
(looks at her, then
away)
Swimming pools. Institutional.
Schools, State, counties. I'm
on the sales end.
(MORE)
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NEIL (CONT'D)
(to Grillman)
Let me have another coffee.
(beat)
You like selling books?
EADY
(simply)
Yeah. Especially fine art books.
I study them.
NEIL
Yeah? Like what?
A little hesitant, Eady drinks her coffee.
NEIL
(continuing)
Tell me.
EADY
There's a Skira edition of
Delacroix charcoal sketches, I
like...
NEIL
What else?
EADY
Asian art work.
CUT TO:
EXT. EADY'S HOUSE, BALCONY - NEIL + EADY - NIGHT
The house is high in the hill's over sunset. They stare
down at the City - like an ocean of small lights. From
the previous scene we HEAR:
EADY (V.O.)
The plates are mezzotints. They
evoke a feeling Japanese painters
called "sabi". They believed
there were eight scenes of
transcendental loneliness. They
painted them over and over again.
One is a flock of geese hovering
over a field. There's always
mist. It's painted just as the
leader touches down.
Pause. They drink scotch in highball glasses.
NEIL
City of lights.
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EADY
Yeah.
NEIL
I flew over the arctic once at
40,000 feet. The moonlight was
blue on all the snow. It felt
like that.
There's a long pause. Then:
EADY
Do you travel a lot?
NEIL
Yeah.
EADY
Are you lonely?
NEIL
I'm alone. Not lonely.
He pulls her closer. A pre-dawn red band cracks the
horizon.
NEIL
(continuing)
You?
EADY
I get lonely.
His hands hold her face as he looks into her eyes and she
moves to him.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. BEDROOM - WHITE - NIGHT
Fills the screen as we PAN ALONG the drapery of sheets to
Neil's wide-awake eyes. Next to him Eady's asleep.
DISSOLVE TO:
SAME - HIGH ANGLE OVER NEIL ONTO EADY - LATER
Neil is dressed now. He stands at the foot of the bed
looking at Eady.
DISSOLVE TO:
NEIL'S HAND
enters with a glass of water wrapped in a paper napkin and
sets it on the bedside table.
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It's odd: a convict's meticulousness. He moves the covers
up to her chin. There is to his touch, tenderness, as if
they were longtime lovers.
We realize what we are seeing is the emotionality Neil
McCauley keeps in the closet.
DISSOLVE TO:
HIGH + WIDE
Neil is gone. He paused for that moment before he left,
as if to engrave her image in his memory.
CUT TO:
INT. ALBERT TORENA'S APARTMENT - ALBERT TORENA - DAY
Answers the door. Daylight floods in past the silhouette
of Hanna who shoves Torena in the chest, knocking him into
the apartment. Hanna, following him in...
HANNA
You were supposed to get back to
me last night. So where the
fuck were you, Albert?
ALBERT
I couldn't break free, man!
HANNA
I oughta violate your ass right
now.
ALBERT
I was all night hitting up Los
vatos like one of those flamenco
matador guys. Cuttin' in real
smooth. Generating leads and
shit. I'm a dancer, man!
ALBERT TORENA'S an anorexic Latino fence. Hanna scans the
apartment. Religious objects crowd the mantle. Fourteen
stolen tv's in packing cases in the dining room.
HANNA
You're a bust-out speed freak
jackin' metamphetamine again.
(beat)
I'm in a hurry.
ALBERT
You talk to my brother, Raoul.
He meet you tonight at...
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HANNA
No. Right now.
ALBERT
I implore him, man. But he say
"no."
(beat)
He in Phoenix. Tonight's the
best I can do for you. The Zebra
on Crenshaw. Eleven o'clock.
HANNA
You be there, too.
ALBERT
Mon, I go
HANNA
Be there!
Hanna leaves.
INT - TRAILER - CEZAR KELSO - DAY
CEZAR
I picked you out to pitch it to
first, but don't think you're
the only action in town and I'm
giving it away. 'Cause I'm not.
CUT TO:
WIDEN TO INCLUDE NEIL - who doesn't say anything. CEZAR
KELSO'S a large crippled man in a wheelchair.
NEIL
What is it?
CEZAR
A bank. On Thursdays it gets
cash deposits for distribution
to other branches. The branches
have to buttress their cash
accounts to handle Friday payroll
checks from a Toyota and Nissan
plant, a steel mill and two
refineries. One day a week,
Thursday, the main branch carries
the full whack.
NEIL
You want a $100,000 advance,
against a full 101. Why?
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CEZAR
'Cause I can get it. 'Cause
this is the best thing I seen in
three years. 'Cause a screw-up
makes 10 percent of nothin' equal
nothin'. And 'cause those are
the terms and they ain't
negotiable.
NEIL
On the prowl or strong?
CEZAR
Strong. Through the front door.
During the day.
NEIL
How many guys?
CEZAR
Four. Three plus a driver.
NEIL
That's not a $100,000 worth
anything. You're giving me an
address to what's strictly a
cowboy score: "Get the guns and
let's go!" We smash, grab and
boogie while they hit the alarm.
CEZAR
Three alarms. And that's why
the price. 'Cause you chop-in
through the roof the night before
on the prowl and bypass 'em. I
got circuit diagrams, blue prints,
the works. So yeah, they hit
the alarms, but nothing gonna
happen.
NEIL
Do I have to kill people?
CEZAR
I doubt it. Two men have the
two keys to open the box.
NEIL
Full architectural, plumbing and
electric, camera placements?
CEZAR
All of it.
NEIL
What do you estimate?
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CEZAR
Eight point, one. Eight point,
two million dollars.
That gives Neil pause. Kelso gets satisfaction from Neil's
reaction to the amount. Then:
CEZAR
(continuing)
Where's Nate?
NEIL
He hadda make a call.
(beat)
You're on.
(rising)
Here's five grand earnest money.
You get the rest after lunch.
They shake hands.
CUT TO:
EXT. TRAILER COURT, PAY PHONE - NATE - DAY
NATE
Look, Van Zant. Nobody knew the
merch was yours or they would
have respected it. Be that as
it may: now you get 100% from
the insurance company and you're
even, plus you can get the bonds
back for 60 cents onna dollar.
You make an additional 40%.
Your operation doesn't skip a
beat, and everybody's making
out.
CUT TO:
INT. MALIBU SECURITIES, VAN ZANT OFFICE - VAN ZANT - DAY
On the phone to Nate. There's green forest and blue water
dioramas inset into wood-panelled walls.
VAN ZANT
(into phone)
Sure. You got a deal.
NATE (0. S.)
(phone filter)
Good. Cause there's no percentage
in everybody getting their
underwear in a twist over this.
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VAN ZANT
(into phone)
Absolutely. You have your man
call me to set the meet.
NATE (O.S.)
(phone filter)
Usually I'm the mailman.
VAN ZANT
(into phone)
I don't want to involve extra
people. What the fuck do I want
all kinds of people meeting each
other for?
NATE (O.S.)
(phone filter)
Okay.
VAN ZANT
(into phone)
Nice talking to you...
(click)
Van Zant hangs up. He's a tall
avuncular man with a flabby belly
and Arrow shirts: an accountant.
HUGH BENNY, a very large juice
collector, is in the office.
HUGH
(incredulous)
You gonna deal with these people?
VAN ZANT
So word hits the streets it's
okay to steal my stuff? I'm
gonna kill the sonsa-bitches.
CUT TO:
EXT. KELSO TRAILER COURT - NEIL - DAY
Entering from Kelso's trailer, meets Nate halfway to the
car. Walking and talking:
NEIL
I bought it.
NATE
What I tell you?
NEIL
The bonds?
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NATE
We're on. You call him
tomorrow...
(gives slip paper)
... and set a meet.
NEIL
How is he?
NATE
Very cool. He's a businessman.
They walk to their cars and leave.
CUT TO:
INT. LILLIAN'S CAR - LILLIAN AND BREEDAN - DAY
Pull into Robert's Coffee Shop in Culver City. BREEDAN at
29 he's an ex-Eight Trey Hoover Street Crip with lots of
scars who just did five years in San Quentin and is
straightening up. He's gangster clean and pressed and
it's there in his body movements and eyes.
LILLIAN
Here it is.
(kisses him)
You okay?
BREEDAN
Don 't worry, baby. Gonna do
good.
She laughs and drives away.
CUT TO:
INT. ROBERT'S COFFEE SHOP, KITCHEN - BREEDAN - DAY
Enters the kitchen. The manager is SOLENKO - large with
gray features, smallpox scars and thinning hair. He's
forty-five. NOISE OF DISHWASHER, P.A., POTS CLATTERING.
Solenko throws orders together and plates onto the metal
counter for waitress to pick up. They shout over the
RACKET.
BREEDAN
(has to shout)
I'm Breedan. You Solenko?
SOLENKO
(shouts)
Yeah. Fucking hillbilly grill
ran didn't show. Been here since
4:30. You know this kinda
operation?
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BREEDAN
(shouts)
The grill. Yeah.
SOLENKO
(shouts)
Grill? Empty the garbage, mopout
the toilets. You gimme a hard
time, I'll find something to
violate you back and blow your
parole.
(beat)
You kick back 25% of your salary
to me under the table. Grierson
your parole officer? Right?
BREEDAN
(shouts OVER NOISE)
Yeah.
SOLENKO
(shouts back)
Check it out. Change in the
back. Hurry up.
At this point we don't know what David Breedan's doing in
this picture.
CUT TO:
INT. XYZ DISCOUNT APPLIANCES BACK OFFICE - JOE CUZOMANO -
DAY
Hears a buzzer and looks up. His eyes go to a video
monitor.
VIDEO MONITOR: HANNA
among the racks and tv sets playing the sane soap.
HANNA (0 .S.)
(filtered)
Cuzomano. Open up.
Joe pushes a button. The electric lock is released.
CUZOMANO is a 300-pound fat man.
HANNA
Whaddaya hear, whaddaya say?.
CUZOMANO
Hiya, Vincent. About what?
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HANNA
About this crew that knocked
down three guards yesterday and
took a Gates Armored truck.
Bearer Bonds. Start making calls.
Cuzomano starts punching numbers into his phone.
CUZOMANO
(into phone)
It's Cuzomano. Get me Francis.
(while we're waiting)
How'd I hear about this?
HANNA
Ridin' the airwaves. On every
news channel. Turn on a fucking
radio!
(pause)
Try to broker the Bonds. Make
some money. Then you'll shift
into Flip-o-matic and tell me
who they are. And what they are
doing next.
CUZOMANO
(Francis is on the
line)
Hey, Francis!
(Francis answers)
That score went down yesterday?
(beat)
Yeah, I'm lookin' to handle all
or a piece of the merch. All I
got are yo-yo's. One brings me
a container of Armani suits? He
didn't know they were knockoffs.
Schmuck stole knockoffs. They
should make stupidity a felony.
(beat)
You hear who they been downed
to?
Cuzomano gets an answer. He shakes his head "no" to Hanna.
Hanna's out the door. Cuzomano breathes easier.
CUT TO:
EXT. NEIL'S APARTMENT BUILDING - WIDE - DAY
The Camaro slides soundlessly down Wilshire and into the
underground garage of a high-rise, green glass steel.
CUT TO:
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INT. NEIL'S - APARTMENT - NEIL - DAY
Enters. It's white and barren. A TV SET in one corner on
the floor PLAYS a MUTE GAME SHOW. Chris is rolled up in a
blanket in front of it. The apartment is lived in by one
man. It tells us Neil's personal life is a blank.
NEIL
comes out of the bedroom with a pillow. He yanks Christ
shoes off. Neil punches a number. RINGING. Then:
CHARLENE (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Hello?
NEIL
(into phone)
Chris is here. I called so you
shouldn't worry. What's wrong?
CUT TO:
INT. SHIHERLIS BEDROOM - CLOSE ON CHARLENE IN BED - DAY
Charlene rubs sleep from her eyes. Switches hands on the
phone.
CHARLENE
(into phone; wary)
Husband and wife stuff. That's
all.
NEIL (V.O.)
(phone filter)
He can sleep it off here.
CHARLENE
(into phone)
Thanks, Neil.
She hangs up and closes her eyes. She hates his guts.
CUT TO:
INT. NEIL'S APARTMENT, KITCHEN - CHRIS - DAY
Is hung over. Neil brings coffee to a Formica table.
Chris's shirt from last night is ripped and his lip's cut.
He looks like hell. Neil puts his Browning on the table.
NEIL
What happened to you?
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CHRIS
When you going to get some
furniture?
NEIL
When I get around to it.
CHRIS
My mouth tastes like a sewer.
Chris crosses to the sink and turns the dish sprayer onto
his face and the back of his neck.
CHRIS
(continuing; comes
down)
Charlene's going to leave me.
Big pause.
NEIL
(quietly)
Why?
CHRIS
There ain't no steaks in the
freezer.
NEIL
With everything we been taking?
CHRIS
Last trip to Vegas and the
Superbowl took care of that.
When you gonna get an old lady?
NEIL
When I get around to it. You
got something else on the side?
CHRIS
Nothing regular.
NEIL
(quiet)
She got another man?
CHRIS
No.
NEIL
(quietly)
You sure?
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CHRIS
(rising)
Yeah, I'm sure.
NEIL
Jimmy - whatsisname - Bohunk, in
the joint used to say: "On the
street you wanna be makin' roves,
you don't put anything in your
life you can't walk out on in 30
seconds flat if you spot heat
around the corner."
CHRIS
Jimmy Banghart. And to hell
with Jimmy Banghart.
(beat)
I'd rather go ten rounds with
Jesus Christ than fuck with her.
But she and Dominick save my
life, man; everyday. Everyday...
NEIL
So?
CHRIS
So.
Their feelings and understanding run deep. Chris is
committed to making it work.
NEIL
Taking delivery from Van Zant on
the rest of the armored car cash.
I gotta drop a deposit on Kelso.
He's got a bank score.
CHRIS
What about the platinum? It's
ready to fall ...
NEIL
That goes, too. Meet me at the
coffee shop at noon. I got stuff
to do...
Neil slips his Browning back into his waistband.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - MARCIANO - DAY
MARCIANO is Las Vegas sharp at 48: a tall, tanned,
ponytailed, middle-aged hustler and sucker for a young
chick. His phone is ringing. He answers it.
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 43.
MARCIANO
(into phone)
Hello?
INT. SHIHERLIS BEDROOM - CHARLENE - DAY
Drinking coffee, speeding.
CHARLENE
(into phone)
Alan.
MARCIANO (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Hey!
CHARLENE
(into phone)
I've had it with him. I've had
it. Can you get us out of here?
MARCIANO
(into phone)
Absolutely. I got a coupla orders
to write. Meet you at 12.
EXT. HAMBURGER STAND - CLOSE NEIL - DAY
On phone.
EADY (V. 0.)
(after a pause;
phone filter)
Hello?
NEIL
How you doing?
CUT TO:
INT. EADY'S HOUSE - EADY - DAY
In an ink-stained smock.
EADY
(into phone)
Neil. I wondered when you'd
call.
NEIL (V.O.)
(phone filter)
I been real busy.
EADY
(into phone)
Good.
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NEIL (V..O.)
(phone filter)
Can I see you?
EADY
(into phone)
I was worried... was just...
(uncomfortable)
...the one night. You know?
NEIL (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Not for me it wasn't.
EADY
(into phone)
Me either.
NEIL (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Tonight. I'll pick you up at
work.
She hangs up. He wonders about doing this, puts it aside.
CUT TO:
EXT. HAMBURGER STAND, PHONE BOOTH - NEIL
Takes a deep breath. Maybe he's not sure of what he's
into. It passes. He crosses the counter.
Across the street is the Hiawatha Motel in 40's stucco and
desert pastels and Charlene's yellow El Dorado parked next
to a Lexus in front of Room 18.
NEIL
(to Cook)
Change for a dollar?
COOK
There you go, honey.
NEIL DIALS
TELEPHONIST (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Malibu Securities.
NEIL
(into phone)
Yeah. Van Zant.
Suddenly Neil turns because he sees.
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NEIL'S POV: ALAN MARCIANO
leaves Room 18, waves goodbye to Charlene and crosses to
Lexus.
VAN ZAPT (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Yes?
NEIL
(into phone)
About the merchandise. What's
the story?
In the b.g. Marciano pulls away.
VAN ZANT (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Give me your number and somebody
will call you right back from a
different line to set the meet.
NEIL
(into phone)
333-6089.
He hangs up. He waits. The PHONE RINGS. He answers. He
says nothing. He nods. He hangs up. He crosses the street
lot to the Motel.
EXT. ROOM 18 - WIDE
Neil knocks.
CHARLENE (O.S.)
Yes?
NEIL
Open up.
She does. She closes her eyes, resigned to doom. He walks
past her into the room.
CUT TO:
INT. ROOM 18 - WIDE - DAY
One unmade bed. Neil looks.At the tacky interior. He
crosses to the bathroom and turns on the water. He advances
on Charlene who's backing up.- She falls over a waste can.
NEIL
Who was that guy?
CHARLENE
I won't tell you.
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NEIL
Listen...
Neil kicks the waste can out of the way. It clatters across
the room.
NEIL
(continuing)
We got to know who he is!
CHARLENE
Nobody, Neil! A liquor wholesaler
from Las Vegas. Alan Marciano.
NEIL
What he tell you? How connected
he is? Get you a spot in a show?
CHARLENE
I figured it out for myself!
Neil closes in.
NEIL
Chris is gonna straighten it up
with you. And you ...
CHARLENE
It's too late! I'm sick of it!
I'm sick of you.
NEIL
I'm not part of your situation!
Charlene gets attentive. She's backed into the corner and
can't get any smaller.
NEIL
(continuing)
Not anymore. And Chris has got
two big jobs back-to-bick. You
will give Chris this shot.
(beat)
After that, he fucks up, then
okay.
(beat)
I will finance setting you up,
separate, myself. Dominick will
go with you. And my word counts.
But right now he is puttin' it
all on the line. So for the
three of you, you are goin', to
give Chris one more shot.
Neil grabs the whole lower part of her face in one hand.
His face is inches from hers.
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NEIL
(continuing; quietly)
Now that is what it is gonna be
.
Charlene hesitates; then acquiesces.
CHARLENE
(quietly)
All right.
Neil leaves.
EXT. CRENSHAW BLVD. - HANNA'S CAR - NIGHT,
Weaves through traffic. Horns BLARE.
CUT TO:
EXT. ZEBRA CLUB - DOORMAN - NIGHT
A muscular black man named ALPHONSE has his back to us at
the rear delivery entrance to a mall awash with Korean
neon.
HANNA (O.S.)
Gimme all your money!
Hanna's jammed two fingers in his back. Alphonse spins;
sees it's Hanna.
ALPHONSE
Cuz, one day you get coldblasted
with that shit.
HANNA
Ain't gonna be you, mo-fo.
ALPHONSE
(low)
Homeboys talkin' about it.
Nothin' solid. Just B-boy jive
'bout outta-towners. Crew's
from outta town. I hear
something; I drop a dime.
HANNA
You holdin'?
Alphonse flips Hanna a small vial of coke.
ALPHONSE
Onna house.
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Filtering up from downstairs comes 80dB of Jane's
Addiction's cover of "Sympathy for the Devil".
CUT TO:
INT. FREIGHT ELEVATOR - HANNA - NIGHT
Descending alone uses a small, black, carbon steel sheath
knife to take two hits from the vial. He shakes off the
initial blast, pockets the vial, the doors open, Jane's
Addiction's LOUDER. We're ...
INT. ZEBRA - HANNA
Crosses through the mostly black, affluent crowd of players,
gangsters, dopesters, models and security in business suits
openly carrying and wearing headset radios. Hanna crosses
through like he owns the place, gestures to the bartender
and slides into...
INT. BOOTH - RAOUL TORENA
HANNA
What do you got?
RAOUL
(conspiratorial)
This crew's ripping Porsches out
of Orange County. Horrell, Piper
and Voight. They're working in
the back of a trim shop on Irvine.
Somebody was to pay him a visit
this weekend, they'd find a
metallic blue Turbo...
RAOUL TORENA, Albert's brother, is a thirty-five-year-old
with crew-cut black hair and a Varri Uomo sport jacket.
WIDEN To INCLUDE Hanna.
HANNA
...lookin' for me to rid you of
your competition?
RAOUL
I'm a good citizen.
HANNA
You got something to say, or
what?
RAOUL
Mi carnal: if I tell you what I
got to tell you, how do I know
you gonna do what the fuck I
just told you I need to get done?
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Hanna's gaze drifts up into Raoul's eyes: it's deadly.
ALBERT
(alarmed)
Raoul, Hanna do what he say!
That's why I reached for you..
Hanna jerks Raoul by the front of his Verri Uomo which is
being destroyed in Hanna's fists.
HANNA
I'm not your 'carnal, you little
motherfucker.
(beat)
And you 'know' 'cause I say so...
after I hear what you got to
tell me!
RAOUL
Okay! Okay...
Hanna throws him back against the bench.
RAOUL
(continuing)
This is valuable shit! I could
get killed telling you this shit!
Low, flat and deadly:
HANNA
You can get killed ... walking
down the street...
RAOUL
(whisper)
A dude I knew in McNeil's been
out a couple, three years.
HANNA
Yeah?
RAOUL
He's an action junkie. If he'd
said nothin', I'd a thought
nothin'. But he goes on and on
into extra overtime on how he
ain't been do-in' nothin' and
then I know this cat's got
something goin' down...
Raoul leans back in the booth, nods his head, proud of
this pearl of information. Hanna looks at Albert like
he's crazy.
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HANNA
(to Albert)
What's wrong with you? You drag
me here to waste my time like
this?
(to Raoul)
You saw a guy on the street...
who's an ex-con?
RAOUL
Yeah.
HANNA
...what do you expect for that?
A Junior G-Man badge?
RAOUL
You gonna make the call on the
Porsches?
HANNA
Are you kidding?
Hanna gets up to leave.
RAOUL
I'm telling you this slick is
double-duty! A real doubleblank
mo-fo.
HANNA
What?
RAOUL
Huh ... ?
HANNA
You said "slick."
RAOUL
Yeah, that's what he calls people.
"Slick."
Hanna plays it low key. Hanna sits back down.
HANNA
Tell me about him...
RAOUL
(thinks)
Six feet, built. Lotta jailhouse
tattoos. Peacock right here.
Probably was a shooter once Heavy
time: Attica, Marion, could do a
nickel or dine standing on his
(MORE)
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RAOUL (CONT'D)
ear. He's in C-block two days,
and in the shower some Muslim
comes up into his face and he
cuts the guy a new opening for a
colostomy bag and goes back to
shampooing his hair...
(laughs)
HANNA
(leans in)
What's his ... name..
RAOUL
(easy)
Cerrito. Michael Cerrito.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR - HANNA - NIGHT
On the phone. The back side of downtown is a wall of light
moving past as ...
BOSKO (V.O.)
(filter)
Jacket's two inches thick. 38
busts since 1976.
INT. LAPD, MCU OFFICE - BOSKO - NIGHT
Hanna's on the speaker phone. Casals enters.
BOSKO
(into phone;
continuing)
Two for murder one. Eleven for
armed robbery. Three convictions.
Two out of a three year beef in
Attica. Three years in
Statesville. Five years in
Riker's Island off a knock-back
to involuntary manslaughter
Narcotics record. Methadone
treatment. Two kids. Wife's
named Elaine. Strictly a cowboy.
HANNA (V.O.)
Who else have I got?
SCHWARTZ
Drucker, Casals and me, boss
HANNA (V.O.)
Bob, get on the house.
(MORE)
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HANNA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
24 hour surveillance, title
search, the works. Drucker and
Casals bug the car and whatever
else we need, remembering it
won't be evidentiary.
(beat)
When he moves or sits - like in
a restaurant.
INTERCUT WITH:
Bosko answers another phone, puts that line on "hold" as...
HANNA (V.O.)
(continuing)
I want pictures of who he moves
and sits with. Then run makes
on them and their cars. They
got jackets? I want to see who
they move and they sit with and
give them the same treatment.
(beat)
Bosko. Work the neighborhood.
Tail the wife. Look for a drop
that could garage a work car and
tools. That's it.
BOSKO
(re: phone)
Richie the Medical Examiner's
holding.
HANNA
(into phone)
Conference him in.
(clicks)
Yeah? Richie?
RICHIE (V.O.)
Vincent, can you fall by a crime
scene on the strip? I think I
got another one.
"Sympathy for the Devil" gets LOUDER and washes across
onto...
CUT TO:
EXT. SUNSET. BOULEVARD MOTEL AND ALLEY - NIGHT
Neon under the vapor lamps. O.S. the cacophony of horns
and sirens. Pimps and hookers crowd the background. A
crime scene area near the garbage cans is roped off. An
ambulance, black-and-whites, a Medical Examiner's van clog
the alley.
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CRANE DOWN as Hanna's car pulls in and he approaches the
Medical Examiner, RICHIE, 25-35, black, diamond earring,
gray lab coat.
RICHIE
(to Hanna)
Here's how we found her.
POLAROID - BLACK PROSTITUTE
in a nightgown, folded over the lip of a garbage can at
the waist. She's a pitiful rag doll. Someone killed her
and then threw her away.
HANNA
is too controlled. Anger's underneath.
HANNA
How old?
RICHIE
Sixteen, seventeen.
HANNA
How'd she die, Richie?
RICHIE
Blunt instrument. Cerebral
hematoma.
HANNA
Who are they?
THEIR POV: HEAVYSET BLACK WOMAN
and two stunned young boys. She's crying and arguing with
two uniformed LAPD trying to hold her back. One LAPD is a
black woman. The heavyset woman doesn't really know what
happened yet except it's bad.
RICHIE (O.S.)
(low)
The family.
HANNA (O.S.)
What the hell are they doin'
here?
RICHIE + HANNA
RICHIE
(low; shrugs)
It's fucked up. Somebody inside
knew the girl and called the
family.
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Now Richie bends over the body bag on the ground and unzips
it. We don't see the dead girl. We only see Hanna. A
third uniformed officer in the background spins away.
HANNA
Oh, this is nice.
RICHIE
I wanted you to see this 'cause
I got a feeling it's serial and
gonna end up in your court.
HANNA
Homicide getting anywhere?
RICHIE
Nowhere.
Hanna rises. The mother's arguing with the man cop because
she wants to see. Horror and hysteria blossoming through
shock. She pushes the uniformed cop of the way. Hanna
goes to try to help. They grapple.
MOTHER
(reaches out)
Baby! Where's my baby.!
Anguish. It's a mess. The woman collapsing into Hanna's
arms. For one moment Hanna's eyes lock onto hers. He
freezes. One doesn't forget the look he sees in her eyes.
CUT TO:
EXT. DRIVE-IN THEATER - CAPRICE WORK CAR - DAY
driven by Neil to camera appears and disappears up and
down the earthwork ramps. We don't know what he's doing
in one the last drive-in theaters in California at high
noon.
WIDE FROM THE REAR
The white screen reveals its cracks and patches.
CLOSE ON ENTRANCE
A yellow full size Dodge pickup with darkened windows
enters. It hesitates and then slowly drives toward Neil -
up and the ramps between the speaker poles.
ON DODGE PICK UP
circling wide and coming up almost parallel to the Caprice.
As the driver pulls to a stop we see an envelope on the
da...
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NEIL
You keep your hands in sight! I
tell you what to do, how to do
it.
DRIVER
Yessir. I'm just the delivery
boy.
REAR SHOTS
Of the two vehicles. Out of the
covered bed of the pick-up a
small man slowly slips out.
MAN
crawls under the pick-up and Neil's car and emerges on the
passenger side behind Neil's rear wheel in Neil's blind
spot. He inches towards the window. He carries a 15-shot
Colt .22 Woodsman with a huge silencer. He is totally
relaxed and professional.
NEIL
concentrates on the driver, who's calm.
NEIL
Now, with your right hand only:
throw the envelope in my back
seat.
DRIVER
Starts to reach for the envelope and tosses it into Neil's
car.
NEIL
sees his eyes dart. Neil glances at his right rear view
mirror.
NEIL'S POV: MAN
with the silenced .22.
WIDE FROM THE FRONT
Neil floors the Caprice and it catapults and bucks over
rows of ramps.
REAR SHOT - MAN
pumps SHOTS into the rear of the Caprice.
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INT. CAPRICE - NEIL
Jerks out his 9mm Browning as .22 SLUGS DRILL precise HOLES
THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD.
EXT. DRIVE-IN - VERY WIDE
Neil throws the Caprice through a skidding 180 degree turn
and accelerates toward the man who moves back towards the
Dodge pickup for cover.
INT. PICKUP - DRIVER
Panics now. The Dodge takes off, abandoning the man with
the .22.
INT. CAPRICE - NEIL'S POV: SKY-GROUND
PITCH BACK AND FORTH, UP AND DOWN. The Man runs, turns,
stands, and FIRES.
EXT. DRIVE-IN - PROFILE: CAPRICE AND ABANDONED GUNMAN
Who FIRES until the Caprice smashes into him.
INT. CAPRICE - NEIL
Skids around to a stop and bails out.
EXT. DRIVE-IN - DODGE PICKUP
Accelerating to the exit lane, kicking up billows of dust.
INT. PICK-UP - DRIVER'S POV - CLEAR EXIT
Until Cerrito and Chris fold out from either side of the
exit gate with shotguns. They FIRE:
CUT TO:
EXT. DRIVE-IN - WIDE
The windshield is blown out and the Driver's half into the
back seat. The car rolls over onto its side. Cerrito
FIRES into the exposed gas tank. It BLOWS UP.
NEIL
approaches the fallen Gunman and with the 9mm. Browning
at his temple, kicks away the .22.
GUNMAN
(coughs blood)
Can I Make it?
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Neil looks at his smashed, twisted body and bleeding mouth
He's choking to death. Neil shakes his head "no."
NEIL
You're all done, pal.
GUNMAN
Do it.
He closes his eyes.
NEIL
aims. FIRES ONCE.
VERY WIDE FROM THE TOP OF THE DRIVE-IN SCREEN - SUNSET
The whole landscape. Neil with the gun heavy at the end
of his arm walks from the Gunman to the Caprice. Chris
and Cerrito - like duck hunters - cradle their shotguns
and cross to a Lincoln away from the burning pickup.
CUT TO:
INT. MALIBU SECURITIES, VAN ZANT OFFICE - VAN ZANT - NIGHT
Phone rings. Occupied, he casually answers.
NEIL (O.S.)
John Van Zant?
VAN ZANT
Yeah. Who's this?
NEIL (O.S.)
Neil McCauley.
Van Zant reacts, racing, trying to cover.
VAN ZANT
This kid I sent to straighten
you up on the money... didn't
call. Is ... uh... everything
alright?
NEIL
(laid back)
Tell you what: keep the money.
VAN ZANT
What?
NEIL
(slow)
"... keep ... the ... money."
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VAN ZANT
(fast)
It's a lot of money! What are
you doing?
NEIL
(slow)
What am I doin' I'm talking into
an empty telephone.
VAN ZANT
I don't understand.
NEIL
(matter of fact)
'Cause there is a dead man on
the other end of this line...
Neil hangs up. Hugh Benny has entered. Van Zant looks at
the phone, then Hugh:
VAN ZANT
(shouts)
Who are these people? Huh?!
CUT TO:
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT, PHONE BOOTH - NEIL - NIGHT
Is re-dialing.
KELSO (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Yeah?
NEIL
(into phone)
You got a clean line?
CUT TO:
INT. KELSO TRAILER - CEZAR KELSO - NIGHT
In his wheelchair. He checks a meter attached to his
telephone wire.
KELSO
(into phone)
Yeah.
NEIL (V.O.)
(Phone filter) I got a delay
dropping the $50,000.
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KELSO
(into phone)
You don't have a delay. What
you don't have is a deal.
(beat)
Swing by and collect your envelope
sometime. Goodbye.
Starts to hang up.
NEIL (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Wait a minute, pal-o!!
Kelso does.
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - NEIL
NEIL
(into phone)
You're going to wait for me for
a week. I'll buy a week with
the five. It's above and beyond
the fifty and if I wash, you
keep it.
(beat)
You're going to wait for me 'cause
you want me to take it down.
You know it's got better odds
with me in.
(pause)
Now do we have an understanding?
KELSO (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Seven days.
CLICK.
WIDE ON ROUND TABLE
Michael and Elaine Cerrito, Chris and Charlene, Towner and
his wife ANNA - a striking black woman we'll see later -
sit around the table and sing "Happy Anniversary" to the
tune of "Happy Birthday" as a Chinese waiter brings Elaine
and Michael Cerrito a cake; Neil returns.
VOICES
...Happy anniversary to you.
Happy anniversary dear Michael
and Elaine. Happy anniversary
to you.
Everyone applauds and laughs and raises glasses of plum
wine except Cerrito who drinks club soda. Elaine and
Michael blow out the candles.
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The skeleton of a steamed sea bass is in the center of the
table.
CUT TO:
INT. MEN'S ROOM OF CHINESE RESTAURANT - CLOSE ON FAUCET -
NIGHT
It's a LOUD TORRENT - TILT UP TO THREE SHOT: Neil, Cerrito
and Chris are clustered around the sink. The water runs
seemingly aimlessly. It also would drown out a bug.
NEIL
(loud over water)
We'll down platinum through Nate.
The deal is 72% of today's quote
on the Bourse in the New York
Times.
CERRITO
(loud over water)
You got the black boxes for the
alarms?
CHRIS
(loud over water)
Yeah. Towner delivered. They're
in the drop.
NEIL
(loud over water)
We pass by couple times tomorrow
afternoon. Check nothing strange
in the neighborhood. Tomorrow
night: we take it down. You set
on the rear door.
CHRIS
(loud over water)
I'm going to punch it...
(beat)
What do we do about Van Zant?
NEIL
(loud over water)
Kill him...after the score.
CHRIS
(loud)
Kelso?
NEIL
(loud)
We'll use Nate's advance off the
platinum when I down the merch
to pay Kelso for the bank package.
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Neil turns off the water and they leave.
CUT TO:
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - PLUM WINE AT TABLE - LATER
Elaine drinks. WIDEN. Michael whispers in her ear. She
smiles. Then she laughs and drapes an arm around his neck
and plants a kiss that almost knocks him over. The party,
winding down. Everyone luxuriates in the afterglow.
CHARLENE AND CHRIS
sedate, comfortable, each in separate thoughts.
CHRIS
(quietly)
You okay?
CHARLENE
I'm fine.
CHRIS
(arm around her)
Makin' it happen this time...
CHARLENE
I hope so. I really hope so.
They're close for this moment: the afterglow of the dinner.
NEIL
looks at Charlene.
CHARLENE
sees and holds his look and then her attention shifts to
Elaine.
NEIL
checks his watch. Waiter approaches Neil with the bill.
MICHAEL
(to Neil)
Hey!
CHRIS
Let me have it!
NEIL
(smiles)
I got it.
CUT TO:
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EXT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - NEIL - NIGHT
And everyone else exits from the restaurant, say their
goodbyes and go to their cars: Neil's Lincoln, Chris's
Seville, Cerrito's Sedan de Ville, Towner to a restored El
Camino. WE HEAR: BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.
HANNA (O.S.)
A goddamn convention.
We HEAR a soft FILM ADVANCE and SHUTTER.
CASALS (O.S.)
Who's "slick?"
PULL BACK TO REVEAL REAR SHOTS of Hanna, Drucker, Casals
and a surveillance team on the roof across the street behind
some neon.
DRUCKER
Cerrito, the wide one. He's
hugged twice. One if he finds
it behind the wheel wall. The
back-up's in the firewall. We
got their plates.
CASALS
Yeah.
DRUCKER
One with the hair is Shiherlis.
Got a revolving tail and a tap
on the house phone.
HANNA
(re Neil)
Who's the big guy?
DRUCKER
First time we're seeing him.
Hanna rolls away from his line of sight and says to his
men:
HANNA
Next time this crew scores?
When they walk in that door?
They will get the surprise of a
lifetime.
CUT TO:
EXT. EADY'S HOUSE, DECK - TWO SHOT - NIGHT
Neil's shirt's open. Eady's in a terry robe. They've
made love. It's late. They're awake. After a moment:
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NEIL
(holds her close:
looks at her face)
Come away with me.
EADY
What?
(surprised)
Where?
NEIL
New Zealand.
EADY
When?
NEIL
Soon.
EADY
You're kidding.
NEIL
What's stopping you? What's
here?
EADY
(laughs)
I don't know you.
NEIL
What's to know?
EADY
Are you married?
NEIL
(laughs)
Why?
EADY
Way you come and go.
NEIL
I deal with state officials.
County. Weird hours. A lot of
traveling, entertaining.
(beat)
The last thing I am is married.
There's a pause, then:
EADY
You don't know me at all, Neil...
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NEIL
I know enough.
EADY
My father wanted me to marry
someone in Taipei. It was like
I was a piece of furniture: "Go
be his wife." After I left he
won't talk to me. Because I
went on my own. I can't let
people tell roe what to do again.
And that trust comes from knowing
someone over time.
(avoids Neil)
This is hard between us for me.
Because I like you very much.
Neil looks right into Eady's face.
NEIL
I have to leave. Come away with
me.
(beat)
No one will ever tell you what
to do... You'll never lose
yourself with me.
She believes him. So do we.
CUT TO:
INT. SOUTH LA BREA MOTEL - CLOSE ON HOOKER - NIGHT
She's a BLACK PROSTITUTE - all of 18. She looks bored and
chews gum as she puts on a rayon Japanese Kimono and exits.
ANGLE ON BED - WAINGRO
sits on the edge of the rumpled bed in his Jeans. He wears
a neck brace. His face is still swollen and bruised from
Neil's beating. His belt isn't buckled. He's in a daze.
O.S. we HEAR a TOILET FLUSH. Prostitute returns. Waingro
looks over at her:
PROSTITUTE
(tired)
Hey, baby.
WAINGRO
Showed you a good time? Huh?
PROSTITUTE
Oh, yeah. You fly. You cool.
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WAINGRO
Don't lie to me. I can always
tell when people lie to me.
PROSTITUTE
I ain't lyin'! You a hot dog.
You a cowboy. You hung like a
horse and this was the monster
fuck of my young life.
(pause)
Now I gotta get my ass streetside.
WAINGRO
You don't have a truth-telling
style.
PROSTITUTE
The fuck's wrong with you?
Waingro winds up and cracks the girl. She knocks over a
cheap lamp and bounces off a wall.
PROSTITUTE
on her stomach on the floor, dazed. Waingro kicks her and
throws a small table at her. It smashes apart.
WAINGRO
(shouts)
You think I'm some john? I'm a
stone killer! I'm a sky-blue
bad ass, bitch!
CUT TO:
INT. MIRACLE MILE BAR - ON WAINGRO - NIGHT
At the bar drinking alone. The logs of an Asian girl dance
Most patrons are Korean. BARTENDER approaches.
BARTENDER
(tired smile)
Once again?
WAINGRO
(feeling good now)
Sure, good buddy. Set it up.
BARTENDER
pours and Waingro knocks it back, watches the Asian dancer
and pops a five and a ten to him across the bar.
WAINGRO
I'm looking to get into something.
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BARTENDER
(smiles)
Yeah? Where you been?
WAINGRO
Chino, Tracy. I'm a cowboy,
heavy-hitter. Billy Ricketts
said to come see you.
Bartender writes on a cocktail napkin.
BARTENDER
Go see this guy. This guy always
putting guys on.
Waingro flips the Bartender a $20.
WAINGRO
Thanks.
Another woman takes Waingro's eyes. He spins around on
his bar stool and grabs her arm as she passes. Big smile.
Its...
LILLIAN
Breedan's woman. She, too, is a dancer and her shift's
over. She's wearing a raincoat over tights and a sweatshirt
She jerks her arm away.
LILLIAN
(heavy)
Get your fucking hand off my
arm!
Waingro backs way off and shrugs. Lillian leaves.
CUT TO:
INT. LILLIAN'S CAR - LILLIAN - NIGHT
Down the Strip. The RADIO is on.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Hey, hey!
(beat)
...there, old aware ones, and
you, too, my fair ones. When
tears are falling like rain the
groove is strictly Col-trane...
Lillian turns right up into the driveway and pulls into
Robert's Coffee Shop.
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She asks Solenko who's behind the cash register something,
then leaves, heading across the street to...
CUT TO:
INT. NARROW POLYNESIAN BAR - BREEDAN - NIGHT
A back corner, loaded, looks up.
BREEDAN
Hey!
LILLIAN (O.S.)
Let's go, baby.
Big drunk smile. She helps him up and supports his weight.
CUT TO:
EXT. POLYNESIAN BAR, TWO SHOT - NIGHT
It's later. Breedan's been sick. Now he's sober. They
sit near trash barrels under a huge plaster half shell,
fishing nets and blue lights.
BREEDAN
I got any left?
LILLIAN
There's other paychecks. You
blow it off. It's worth it,
baby, cause you mess with that
man and you be violated right
back to San Quentin. So you got
to handle it 'til we get you a
different job.
BREEDAN
(energy)
Yeah. That motherfucker ain't
invented the hard time this
gangster can't handle!.
(crashes)
Why you stickin' with me, Lillian?
Why?
Lillian stares right at him.
LILLIAN
'Cause I'm proud of you. Proud
you my man.
BREEDAN
(cracks up)
Proud of me?
(MORE)
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BREEDAN (CONT'D)
(beat)
What you proud of me for?
LILLIAN
(beat)
Come on home.
Breedan puts one arm around her waist and they strenuously
rise.
CUT TO:
EXT. EMA PRECIOUS METALS, REAR - WIDE ON ALLEY - NIGHT
Nothing. Hold. Then the Pontiac work car cruises the
alley. It's dark, but we recognize Cerrito driving with
Neil in the passenger seat. Pontiac does not slow down at
ERA, keeps going to the end of the block and turns left.
CUT TO:
INT. EMA PRECIOUS METALS, INC. - HANNA - NIGHT
Staked out inside. With him are Schwartz, Casals, Bosko
and two uniformed policemen: BRUCE and BERRYMAN.
Bruce rearranges himself. Hanna shoots him a lock. He
stops fidgeting. Hanna looks at wall clock: 10:30p.M.
EXT. EMA PRECIOUS METALS, REAR ALLEY - PONTIAC
Cruises the alley a second time. Again, it doesn't stop.
CUT TO:
EXT. ADJACENT ROOFTOP - CAPT. JACKSON - NIGHT
And a ten man SWAT Team are spread out across roofs. The
men wear flack vests and carry an array of shotguns and
assault rifles and shotguns. Everybody Is still. CAPT.
JACKSON uses a periscope to see over the edge:
JACKSON'S POV: ALLEY
Abandoned.
INT. EMA - HANNA'S STAKE-OUT
BRUCE
(into radio)
Okay.
(to Hanna)
Captain Jackson wants to know
what's goin' on.
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HANNA
(into his radio)
Nothing. Clear the air.
He clicks off makes a drinking motion to...
HANNA
...who shakes his head "no." He puts a finger over his
lips meaning silence. Hanna looks at the clock. It's
12:03 a.m. Hanna takes a deep breath. He closes and opens
his eyes. They wait.
EXT. ALLEY - WIDE ON ALLEY - LATER
Nothing. Then the Pontiac with its lights off rolls
forward. Chris gets out with a salesman's sample case and
pads down the five steps to the rear entry of the jewelry
store. Chris is in a black suit and sneakers. There are
surgical gloves on his hands. The others stay in the car.
TIGHTER: CHRIS
assembles a heavy lock punch from the black case. It's
formidable. He nods.
CERRITO
in lineman's gear is out of the car and he quickly climbs
the telephone pole like an experienced lineman. The
telephone pole is next to the roof upon which Jackson and
the SWAT Team are staked-out.
TOP OF POLE - CERRITO
arrives. He's 18 inches away from 11 cops. Team nor
Cerrito are aware of each other.
INT. EMA, INC. - HANNA
Neither the SWAT moves his head to ease the strain: A
hearing aid receiver's in hit ear. He looks at his men.
The clock says 1:10 a.m.
Casals, leg convulses. Bruce is the worst. He writhes
with cramped muscles. Bosko's bulk doesn't move.
HANNA
gestures for Bruce to quiet down.
EXT. ALLEY - CERRITO
Maneuvers past P.G.E. gear and opens the GTE junction box.
He hangs a small suitcase over the door with three black
boxes and six alligator clips and starts searching for
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pairs of colored wires and bridging the jewelry store's
alarm circuits.
EXT. ROOF - JACKSON
Doesn't know Cerrito is there. He hears BREATHING. He's
curious. He raises his head over the edge and his eyes go
wide. WIDEN. He's inches from the back of Cerrito's head.
Cerrito twists and turns and jerks back in effort - almost
touching Jackson. Cerrito's too absorbed to sense Jackson's
presence. Jackson carefully closes his eyes and sinks
down.
EXT. EMA, INC., REAR ENTRANCE - CHRIS
He gets a nod from Cerrito. He slams the lock punch with
a cut down sledge hammer.
ECU: DOOR
A I" circle is punched into the steel lock mechanism next
to the cylinder, exposing electrical wiring and magnetic
tumblers and "gates."
ECU: CHRIS' FINGERS
like a cardiac surgeon's, have a balletic grace as they
manipulate the tumblers so the groove cut in each one lines
up. As they do, a bar of metal called the "fence" falls
into the channel created by the lined-up gates, unlocking
the mechanism.
WIDE: CHRIS
touches the door. It swings - soundlessly - open on its
hinges. Surprisingly, they now pack up. Neil, Chris and
Cerrito climb into the Pontiac and drive away. The door
was left wide open.
EXT. ROOF - JACKSON
JACKSON
(into walkie-talkie)
Where'd...they...go?
INT. EMA, INC. - ON HANNA
HANNA
(pissed; into mike)
Fell back to see if the alarm
bypasses held. If they did,
they'll be back. Stay the fuck
off the radio!
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INT. EMA, BASEMENT - WIDE ON VAULT DOOR
Nothing. It's black. Then there's light. Neil's entered.
He illuminates the vault with his penlight.
CHRIS
sets up a heavy drill and tapes a template with drill points
marked to the door.
INT. EMA, INC. - BRUCE
Is in agony. His muscles are cramped - he rolls on the
floor trying to control himself. His head inches up, drops
back.
HANNA
calms Bruce with hand gestures.
WIDE
The clock says 2:00 a.m.
HANNA
(tense whisper)
Quiet! !
Bruce starts shaking, violently. He twists. His belt
buckle hits the floor. There is the smallest TAP. Hanna
closes his eyes.
INT. BASEMENT - NEIL
Looks up at the ceiling. Down at the floor. He thinks.
Pause. This is the first tire we've heard them speak in
this sequence.
NEIL
(he decides; whispers)
...We walk.
CHRIS
(tense whisper; re:
the box)
I'm 60 seconds away. It's a rat
or something.
NEIL
(whispers)
It is not an animal sound. We
are out of here.
CHRIS
(tense whisper)
We need the cash!!
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NEIL
(tense whisper;
already going)
We walk!! Now.
No argument. Chris puts down his equipment.
They strip off and drop their surgical gloves. Chris tosses
his shop coat on the floor. Both unpin the lapels of what
is revealed to be dark suits with shirts underneath. They
abandon everything. They walk out the back door and keep
going.
EXT. ROOFTOP - ON JACKSON
JACKSON
(into radio;
whispered)
They're leaving. Why are they
leaving?!
ROOFTOP POV: WIDE ON ALLEY BELOW
Neil and Chris enter, approach the Pontiac with Cerrito
behind the wheel.
JACKSON (O.S.)
(radio filter;
whispered)
I can take 'em, now!
HANNA (V.O.)
(radio filter;
whispered)
Let 'em go.
INT. EMA, INC. - HANNA
JACKSON (V.O.)
(radio filter)
At least we got 'em on a...
For the first time in the last seven minutes we hear a
normal voice. Its LOUD.
HANNA
(cuts him off; into
radio)
Let em go. We got nothing! Not
even a burglary. They didn't
fucking steal anything yet.
Don't you get it? All we've
got's breaking and entry.
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EXT. ROOFTOP POV: ON ALLEY BELOW
Neil and Chris are in the Pontiac. Jackson's men are
poised.
JACKSON (V.O.)
(radio filter)
I'm not letting them walk!
HANNA
The fuck you aren't! That's
exactly what you are gonna do.
It's my investigation. And my
authority supersedes your rank!
And I am not settling for some
chicken shit misdemeanor!
Cerrito pulls away. At the end he turns on his headlights,
signals like a good driver, and turns right.
INT. EMA, INC., FIRST FLOOR - WIDE
Manna snaps off the radio.
HANNA
Back to work.
Then he pitches the radio in a line drive at Bruce, barely
missing his head.
RADIO
SMASHES into pieces.
CUT TO:
EXT. GENERAL LIQUORS, LAS VEGAS - WIDE - DAY
A "Las Vegas Police Department" car pulls to the curb.
Hanna and Schwartz get out and cross the crabgrass, dirt,
and debris-filled forecourt to a cheaply constructed wood
and glass one-story building.
CUT TO:
MARCIAN0'S OFFICE - MARCIANO - DAY
Hangs up the phone. We HEAR the DOOR OPEN.
MARCIANO
(rising; big smile)
What can I do for you guys?
Ignores his hand and shoves him
back into his office chair with
an open hand.
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CLOSER
Hanna rips open Marciano's desk drawer finds a gun, unloads
it, throws it on the floor, finds a small tape recorder,
pops the tape out and tosses it to Schwartz. Then he
flashes a badge at Marciano.
MARCIANO
L.A.P.D. Who the hell you think
you're pushing around? You got
no jurisdiction and I know people
here!
SCHWARTZ
Who? The fucking Tooth Fairy!
So what?
HANNA
You go back to Newark on a New
Jersey warrant for smuggling
cigarettes up from North Carolina
three years ago or you go to
work for us. Cut and dried.
That...is...it.
MARCIANO
Oh, my God...
HANNA
Charlene Shiherlis.
MARCIANO
Who?
SCHWARTZ
"Who?" The stranger you been
talkin' dirty to on the telephone
every day for the last month.
MARCIANO
You can't tie me to her!
HANNA
Who has to. You're onna plane
to New Jersey, jagoff.
MARCIANO
Oh, man...
(to himself)
Why did I get mixed up with that
bitch?
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HANNA
(sits down)
'Cause she's got a great ass and
you goT your head all the way up
it.
MARCIANO
(defeated)
So?
HANNA
So it's no big thing. I don't
even want her. You can have
her, after. I want her husband
and all his buddies; that's all.
And you're gonna help.
CUT TO:
INT. ROBERT'S COFFEE SHOP - NEIL + CHRIS - DAY
in a booth next to the window. Out the window is morning
traffic on Beverly Boulevard. Empty coffee cups say they've
been there a while. They lean close and talk low. Neil's
explosive behind it.
NEIL
LAPD? The G? What? Where the
hell did this heat come from?
CHRIS
Maybe it's only the EMA score,
not us.
NEIL
(low)
Wake up!
(beat)
Assume they got our phones, our
houses bugged, I beepers on all
the cars. We got major problems..
Where's Cerrito?
Neil looks over at the cook behind the high counter and
recognizes him.
NEIL'S POV: DAVID BREEDAN
NEIL (O.S.)
Recognize the cook?
CHRIS
No.
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NEIL
D Block. San Q. Did a nickel on
armed robbery.
INT. KITCHEN - BREEDAN
Grim, cold, working his ass off on five breakfast orders
simultaneously.
NEIL (O.S.)
Hey, David. How you doing?
Breedan turns, recognizes Neil and warms as if the sun
rose.
BREEDAN
Hey, Homeboy! All right!
(flips eggs; checks
orders)
How bout you?
NEIL
(sits on counter)
Gettin' by. You okay?
BREEDAN
(embarrassed; re:
job)
Yeah. Temporary. Know what I
mean?
Neil looks out and sees Cerrito.
NEIL
Sure. See you around.
INT. RESTAURANT - ON BOOTH
Neil slides in.
NEIL
(to Cerrito)
What took you so long?
CERRITO
(low)
My car. Bugs. Two of 'em.
Count 'em. One in the wheel
well. Second behind the fire
wall. Night of the party? I
dropped Elaine and swung by EMA
to check out the junction box...
He doesn't have to say anymore.
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CHRIS
Without the platinum how do we
buy the bank score?
NEIL
I cash in T-bills to pay-off
Kelso. That's not our problem.
CERRITO
What the hell happened to Van
Zant and our 750?
NEIL
With the heat we got, you wanna
play World War Two in the streets
with Van Zant?
CERRITO
Van Zant gets a pass?!
NEIL
Fuck Van Zant. I got more
motivation to whack him than you
do. He is a luxury. Our problem
is: jam and take the bank or
split.
(beat)
And I mean right fucking now.
Do not go home, pack, nothing.
Thirty seconds from now we are
on the road. Gone.
No answer. Chris and Cerrito are thinking.
CHRIS
For me, the bank's worth the
stretch. I say accept the risk,
stay.
NEIL
Michael?
CERRITO
(quietly)
I roll with you. Whatever...
NEIL
(quietly)
Not on this one, Michael. On
this one you make up your own
mind.
CERRITO
(he can't)
...you figure this the best thing
to do?
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NEIL
I got some plans. To go away
after. So for me, it's worth
the stretch.
Chris is surprised.
NEIL
(continuing)
But, Elaine takes good care of
you. You got plenty put away.
T. Bonds; real estate. If I
were you, I'd be smart and cut
loose of this.
CERRITO
thinks. The he shrugs, laughs:
CERRITO
Hey. To me the action's half
the juice anyway. I'm in.
NEIL
All right. All right.
CUT TO:
EXT. WILIMINGTON OIL FIELDS - OIL PUMP - DAY
WIDEN. It's a desolate area - empty space. Off in the
distance is a manufacturing plant and a billboard. PAN
LEFT and HOLD on Cerrito's Coupe de Ville. It pulls down
the dirt access road, lurching up and down on its soft
shocks, and raising billows of tan dust. It stops. Neil -
in a gray chamois jacket over a black T-shirt - gets out.
He hasn't shaved in a couple of days. Chris and Michael
Cerrito get out the left side. They walk TO CAMERA and:
CERRITO
That the place?
NEIL
Yeah. You see how the road leads
back around?
CERRITO
Yeah.
NEIL
That's the escape route...
VERY LONG SHOT: NEIL, CERRITO AND CHRIS
the three men point. Chris draws a map. Then they climb
back into the sky-blue Cadillac and drive away.
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SCHWARTZ (O.S.)
This is it.
PULL BACK and REVEAL Schwartz with binoculars and Casals
with earphones. They had been surveilling Neil and Cerrito.
There's a tape recorder with a directional microphone in a
parabolic dish.
CASALS
I know. Let's go!
WIDER
The two men run back from their observation position to an
unmarked car parked a hundred yards behind.
CUT TO:
SAME SCENE - WIDE - LATER - SUNSET
It's later. The CAMERA PANS the empty, desolate landscape
of oil pumps, dirt roads and a solitary billboard.
HANNA (O.S.)
What are they taking down out
here?
PULL BACK to REVEAL Hanna, Schwartz, Casals and Bosko.
Hanna looks through binoculars.
CASALS
They were looking at something
southwest...
HANNA
What's's that down there?
CASALS
An auto parts company. They're
going to knock over a payroll?
SCHWARTZ
The company only pays by check.
HANNA
Maybe they're gonna steal the
hub caps ...
O.S. we HEAR a CLICK.
HANNA
(continuing)
A billboard. Oil pumps. What
the hell's goin' on?
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SCHWARTZ
That's what we were trying to
figure.
ANGLE ON HANNA
Recognition dawns.
HANNA
I got an idea what they're looking
at. You know what they're looking
at?
Hanna turns his back on the rest of the detectives and a
big smile dawns upon his face. He raises his arms out
wide. Hanna turns in one direction, then another. Schwartz
doesn't understand.
HANNA
(continuing; to
Schwartz)
Is that guy something; or is
that guy something? I mean, you
gotta give this crew credit.
They are so fucking good...
(beat)
Know what he's looking at?
VERY TIGHT ON HANNA IN 3/4 REAR SHOT
The image vibrates. Hanna says more. We don't hear it.
We HEAR a CAMERA SHUTTER CLICK. The IMAGE FOCUSES and
DEFOCUSES. Another CLICK.
HANNA
Us. The L.A.P.D. The Police
Department. We just got made...
Hanna laughs.
EXT. KNOLL - L.S. HANNA - TWILIGHT
Pull back to reveal he's being surveilled by Neil. He's
been photographing Hanna with a black Nikon on a tripod
with a 1300Mm Questar Reflector lens. Neil's made his
tail. The recce in the blue Cadillac was bait. Neil half
returns Hanna's smile. He climbs into the Caprice. Cerrito
roars off, leaving a cloud of dust which billows into mauve
against the deep sky.
CUT TO:
EXT. KELSO'S TRAILER - WIDE - NIGHT
Neil comes out with Nate. Kelso moves in his Wheelchair
and closes the door.
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They cross to Nate's Buick and get in. Neil carries a
large, black sample case.
CUT TO:
INT. NATE'S MERCEDES - TWO SHOT - TRAVELING - DAY
Vapor lights glide past. Neil examines circuit diagrams
and architectural blueprints of the bank. Next he unfolds
a pasted-together 180 degree view of the street.
NATE
Worth it?
NEIL
(impressed)
There's enough circuit diagrams
and blueprints here to build the
bank.
(beat)
It's terrific.
Neil puts the materials back in the case and snaps it shut.
Next, Nate hands Neil a thick envelope. Inside are the
pictures Neil took of Hanna and xeroxes of Hanna's
employment records.
NATE
His name is Hanna; first name,
Vincent. I smeared this sergeant
in vice five yards. Hanna's all
over you. He's a hot dog.
Lieutenant in major Crimes Unit.
He's taken down some heavy crews.
Blew away Frankie Yonder in
Chicago and he was a fucking
maniac. Was working Narcotics
before that. He's good, Neil.
Dedicated. Divorced three times.
Current wife's Justine. He's
why the extra heat.
(pause)
Vice sergeant says Hanna likes
you. Thinks you're some kind of
'star.' 'You do this sharp, you
do that sharp. Look how sharp
this guy is to figure that.'
Neil laughs.
NATE
(continuing)
Funny as a heart attack.
(pause)
With this guy and this much heat,
you should pass on the bank.
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NEIL
I've had heat before.
NATE
That's not the point.
NEIL
This one's worth the stretch
NATE
You sure?
NEIL
I'm sure. Drop me at the garage.
CUT TO:
INT. VAN ZANT OFFICE - ON VAN ZANT - DAY
He's checking a computer print-out against a ledger sheet.
He looks like he's been sleeping in his clothes. His door
opens. He's startled.
HUGH BENNY
in an iridescent gold suit no tie - sticks his head in.
He breaks the ankles of people who - for the most part -
work for a living and have fallen behind on a juice loan.
He looks the part.
HUGH
Hear from him yet?
VAN ZANT
Not a thing.
HUGH
Maybe he went away.
VAN ZANT
(sarcastic)
Yeah. Sure.
(beat)
Not hearing bothers me more...
(an afterthought)
Where's this guy?
Hugh gestures down the corridor.
WAINGRO
enters.
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HUGH
(re Waingro)
This guy here...we put him on.
Turns out he knows McCauley.
WAINGRO
Waingro. My name's Waingro.
(smiles)
VAN ZANT
I been living in this office day
and night. What's with your
friend?
WAINGRO
I know all about how he thinks.
We took some major scores
together. He's probably busy
right now. But he's real
thorough. He won't forget you...
VAN ZANT
(wry)
That's reassuring.
WAINGRO
Yeah, I got some moves I could
make here, that could be a big
help to you...
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA CONDO - HANNA - 6:OO P.M.
enters. he's beat. He enters kitchen.
INT. KITCHEN - WIDE
It's a mess with dirty dishes stacked in the sink.
HANNA
Justine?
No answer.
INT. JUSTINE'S BATHROOM - JUSTINE
Putting on makeup. She's dressed up: short black dress,
fish net stockings.
HANNA
Where we going?
No answer. Hanna gets it.
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HANNA
(continuing; acid)
Where are you going?
JUSTINE
Out.
Hanna leaves. Then Justine looks at where he stood. Her
cold demeanor cracks, then reassembles and she lights a
roach, takes a hit, dumps it in the toilet and finishes
her makeup.
INT. KITCHEN - HANNA
starts cleaning dishes in the sink. A DOOR CLOSES (O.S.).
He pumps Liquid Vel. It suds. Hanna picks up a plate to
wash it. He looks at it. Pauses. Then he SMASHES the
plate into the piles of dirty dishes and rests on his
forearms.
CUT TO:
EXT. 405 - TRAFFIC - NIGHT
under the flight path near LAX. We CRANE DOWN and pick up
Neil's Town Car.
CUT TO:
INT. TOWN CAR - NEIL - NIGHT
driving, looks into the rear mirror. FLASHERS hit his car
and a spotlight waves him over. He checks for helicopters.
There are none.
NEIL'S POV: ONE UNMARKED POLICE CAR
This is a routine stop. It's early evening, rush hour.
NEIL
slips his 9mm. Browning under his thigh and pulls over.
EXT. 405 SHOULDER - WIDE
Both cars pull onto the shoulder. Out of the unmarked
police car walks Vincent Hanna in jeans and a sweatshirt.
He approaches Neil's car.
NEIL
watches Hanna approach, wary. He didn't expect this to
happen.
HANNA
You know I'm on you. Let's talk.
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 85.
NEIL
(beat; then)
Sure. Buy me a cup of coffee.
Hanna crosses back to his car.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOOD STAND - HANNA + NEIL - NIGHT
at a table. Headlights stream by to and from the airport:
business people, families going on vacations, people living
normal lives who have never used guns to kill people, never
experienced physical violence, some who have never been
stolen from and never steal. Surrounded on all sides by
this flow of normalcy:
HANNA
Seven years in San Quentin. In
the hole for three. McNeil before
that.
NEIL
Yeah.
HANNA
Was McNeil as tough as they say?
NEIL
You looking to become a
penologist?
HANNA
You looking to go back? I chased
some crews, the guys were lookin'
to fuck up and get busted back.
NEIL
You must have worked some dipshit
crews.
HANNA
I worked all kinds.
NEIL
(pause)
You see me doing thrill-seeker
liquor store holdups with a "Born
to Lose" tattoo on my chest?
HANNA
No, I do not.
NEIL
Right. And I...
(MORE)
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 86.
NEIL (CONT'D)
(low threat)
I am never going back.
The adversarial intensity is eye-to-eye.
HANNA
Then don't take down scores.
NEIL
I do what I do best. I take
scores. You do what you do best
trying to stop guys like me.
(shrugs)
HANNA
You never wanted a normal-type
life?
NEIL
What the fuck is that? Barbecues
and ballgames?
HANNA
That's part of it.
NEIL
That's nice. That your life?
HANNA
No. My wife spends half her
time on the couch. My
stepdaughter's got problems 'cause
her real father's a world class
asshole. And every moment I
got, I'm chasing guys like you.
NEIL
A man told me once: you want to
make moves? Don't keep anything
in your life you're not willing
to walk out on in 30 seconds
flat if you feel the heat around
the corner.
(pause)
So if you're chasing me and you
gotta move when I move, how do
you expect to keep a family?
HANNA
What are you, a monk?
NEIL
No.
(pause)
I got a woman.
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HANNA
What do you tell her?
NEIL
She thinks I sell swimming pools.
HANNA
And if you spot me around the
corner. You gonna walk out on
her? Leave her flat? Like that?
Not even say goodbye?
NEIL
That's the discipline.
HANNA
What you're left with is pretty
empty.
NEIL
Yeah?
(beat)
Then maybe you and me, we should
both go do somethin' else, pal.
HANNA
I don't know how to do anything
else.
NEIL
(the shared
confession)
...neither do I.
HANNA
And I don't much want to.
NEIL
Neither do I.
Both of these guys look at each other and recognize the
mutuality of their condition. Hanna's light laughter:
HANNA
We're sitting here like a coupla
regular fellas. You do what you
do. I do what I gotta do. What
happens if I am there and I got
to put you away?
(pause)
I won't like it. But, if it's
between you and some poor bastard
whose wife you're going to make
into a widow, brother, you are
gonna go down. 'Cause you don't
(MORE)
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HANNA (CONT'D)
have to be there. You coulda
gone and been a... a mailman.
NEIL
There's a flip side to that coin.
What if you got me boxed in and
I gotta put you down?
(beat)
'Cause no matter what, you will
not get in my way.
(beat)
But now that we been face to
face, I would not feel good about
that. But I won't hesitate.
Not for one second.
HANNA
(smiles)
Maybe it'll happen that way. Or
who knows ...
NEIL
...maybe we'll never see each
other again.
They look at each other for a moment. Neil's wry smile.
HANNA
(to waitress)
Can we have the bill.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S OFFICE - HANNA - NIGHT
entering.
DRUCKER
They dumped us!
HANNA
What?
DRUCKER
They dumped us.
HANNA
I was just with him!
DRUCKER
With who?
HANNA
Whattaya mean, "they dumped us"?!
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 89.
DRUCKER
Chris slipped his tail. And
Chris doesn't talk about jobs
with Charlene so there's nothing
for Marciano to get from her.
HANNA
(to Casals)
Cerrito?
CASALS
Disappeared. No calls to the
house. Not home.
HANNA
Locators on their cars?!
CASALS
(painful)
Cerrito dumped his on a UPS van.
Surveillance tailed a UPS van to
Oxnard.
Hanna picks up phone to call someone.
HANNA
(shouts)
They dumped all our tails?!!
CASALS
Yeah.
All at the same time. About nine p.m.
HANNA
(shouts)
I had coffee with McCauley half
an hour ago. What happened?
CASALS
Our tail saw you. McCauley pulled
into a car wash. Car came out.
He didn't.
Hanna's got no one to call. He throws the phone at the
wall.
HANNA
Does anybody have Any idea where
the fuck these people are at?
'Cause whatever they are gonna
do, they are doing it right now!
No one does.
CUT TO:
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 90.
EXT. ALLEY - WIDE - NIGHT 1:00A.M.
We see nothing. The alley is black. We HEAR a BUZZ.
ZOOM IN to a figure in black - almost invisible. The BUZZ
becomes an intense TEARING SOUND. At the end of the ZOOM
we realize it's Neil.
NEIL
(whispers)
Got it. it's eighteen inches
in.
CHRIS
opens his satchel and takes out a voltmeter.
CUT TO:
INT. BANK - UPPER STORAGE ROOM - WIDE - NIGHT
It's deserted and unlit. We HEAR the SCRAPING NOISE of
Neil and Chris working. SLOWLY ZOOM INTO the upper corner
near the ceiling: A row of large fuse boxes. We ZOOM INTO
the center one. A sign: "Lighting and Alarm Systems"
CUT TO:
INT. ROBERT'S COFFEE SHOP - ON NEIL - DAY
He, Cerrito and Chris sit in a back booth. No one says
anything and they wait. There's the monotonous drone of
MUSAK. Neil watches the cook behind the high counter.
ANGLE ON KITCHEN - BREEDAN
Sees Neil and nods. Neil waves.
NEIL
Where the hell's Towner? I wanted
to pass by early. I want to
check the slot for the work car.
Chris looks at the wall clock: 12:30.
SOLENKO
crosses to CASHIER - an old lady with red lipstick.
SOLENKO
(re: Neil, Chris
and Cerrito)
How long those guys been sitting
back there?
CASHIER
Hour or so...
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SOLENKO
(crossing to grill)
They think this a hotel?
SOLENKO'S POV: OF NEIL, CHRIS AND CERRITO
in the booth. They're tense. Solenko doesn't know he
ought not to want to mess with them.
SOLENKO (O.S.)
(tough)
Twenty minutes, then I toss their
asses out of here.
INT. KITCHEN - BREEDAN - DAY
flips six eggs on the grill, throws frozen French fries in
the oil, turns bacon, flips pancakes and dumps eight pieces
of bread in the toaster. Solenko enters.
BREEDAN
(without turning)
You spell me? I didn't take my
break yet ...
SOLENKO
That spic, Cisco Kid, whatever,
didn't show. After the lunch
rush, haul out the garbage and
mop the back. Take your break
later.
Breedan takes it out on the toaster handles - banging down
each one.
BOOTH - CERRITO
on his fifth coffee, looks up.
CERRITO
Here he is.
TOWNER
crosses through and joins them. He's tense.
TOWNER
Hey! I'm out! I can't go.
NEIL
What are you talking about?
TOWNER
Anna's got a perforated appendix.
We took her to the hospital.
(MORE)
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 92.
TOWNER (CONT'D)
They're operating right now.
It's a mess. I got to get back
there...
NEIL
What the hell I do for a driver?!
TOWNER
Look, I got her sister there,
waiting at the hospital. I came
over 'cause I didn't want to
talk on the phone.
(continuing: rises)
I got to get back. Last thing
I'd do is let you down, Neil...
NEIL
What do you call this? Backing
me up?
TOWNER
(tense; angry)
I waited too long trying to get
past today! So now maybe she
got peritonitis.
(beat)
I got to be there...
He leaves.
CHRIS
What the fuck do we do now?
In answer, Neil rises and goes back into the restaurant
kitchen.
INT. KITCHEN - TWO SHOT - DAY
Neil enters. Breedan turns.
NEIL
Here comes your second chance
for a change of luck...
BREEDAN
Yeah?
NEIL
Need a driver. Remember the
drill?
BREEDAN
Yeah. When?
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NEIL
To-day.
BREEDAN
(looks at Solenko)
You're on.
NEIL
Out back in five.
Neil leaves. Breedan rips off his apron. Eggs are burning
on the grill. The toast is smoking - clouds billow.
Sprinklers come on. Breedan couldn't care less.
SOLENKO
races in.
BREEDAN
rolls his apron into a ball and throws it away.
SOLENKO
(shouts)
Where the fuck you going?
Breedan throws Solenko out of the way. Solenko slips and
falls into the wet mess on the floor.
CUT TO:
INT. TOWNER'S HOUSE KITCHEN - TOWNER'S PICKUP - DAY
approaches, parks. He cuts the engine. FOOTSTEPS. Then
Towner enters his living room.
WAINGRO (O.S.)
They buy it?
WAINGRO
is revealed leaning against the door jam to the rear
bedroom. He straightens his clothes. A baseball bat rests
against the wall.
TOWNER
Yeah.
WAINGRO
(buddy-buddy)
I got to hand it to you, sport.
You're slick, pal smart how you
handled all this. On the ball.
Yeah.
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He winks. Hugh Benny (from Van Zant's office) rests against
a bamboo bar with a 9mm. Beretta in his waistband.
TOWNER
(wry)
Thanks. Where's Anna?
WAINGRO
She's resting. It's going down
anyway? On schedule?
TOWNER
That's right.
WAINGRO
(to Hugh)
Make the call.
Hugh crosses to the phone.
TOWNER
Where's she?
WAINGRO
I dunno.
TOWNER
Know what happens when Neil finds
out? To both of us?
WAINGRO
I know what's gonna happen.
Nothing's gonna happen. 'Cause I
got it master minded. I got it
jammed. This is solid. Take it
from the kid.
TOWNER
You hope.
(pause)
What do you mean, you don't know
where she is?
Towner looks at Hugh.
HUGH
dialing the phone - stares at Towner with a blank look.
TOWNER
Fear blossoms. He races to the bathroom off the kitchen
from which Waingro entered.
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 95.
TOWNER
(screams)
Anna?
WAINGRO
(following; to his
back)
...showing her a good time.
We see Anna's arm on the floor. Waingro's picked up the
baseball bat he rested against the door jamb.
CUT TO:
EXT. FIRST COMMERCIAL BANK OF WILMINGTON - TRAVELING PAST
ENTRANCE - DAY
We PAN to HOLD IT. The entrance is on the street. The
parking lot is on the side.
NEIL (O.S.)
There's the slot.
PULL BACK to REVEAL we're SHOOTING from inside a Mercury
station wagon. Breedan drives. By now we're WIDE all the
way from behind the rear seat. Cerrito and Chris sit in
the rear. Ahead, cones block parking in one slot.
BREEDAN
Looks right. Come out the door,
your angle takes you into the
car. Don't have to run around
the doors. You want them open?
NEIL
No. 'Cause time is not a problem.
And I want nothing to look weird.
BREEDAN
Po-lice response time?
NEIL
There is none.
BREEDAN
Why?
CHRIS
Cause we bypassed all the alarms
last night.
(continuing)
For you this whole gig is a slow
cruise down Hawthorne...
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Cerrito hands out women's stockings. The men rip open the
packages and start to roll them up.
CUT TO:
INT. DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, HANNA'S OFFICE - BURGLARY
DETECTIVE - DAY
named HARRY DIETER - crosses through the corridor, taking
his tine - stopping for water and the candy bar machines -
enroute to Hanna's office.
CUT TO:
INT. MERCURY WAGON - CERRITO - DAY
Breedan at the curb on a residential street off Hawthorne
in view of the bank. Cerrito from a paper bag hands out
three H & K model 53 small machine-guns and gives Breedan
a .45 and two extra clips.
CLOSE SHOTS
Neil, Chris and Cerrito wear their stubby weapons concealed
under nylon shell jackets on shoulder straps. They shove
into place the curved clips, and release the top bolts,
jacking the first rounds into chambers.
NEIL
checks his watch.
NEIL
(with finality)
Drop us in the slot. Let's take
it down.
The Mercury wagon pulls from the curb.
CERRITO
checks and he re-checks his gun.
BREEDAN
drives. Cool. Unharrassed. His own ran, performing the
simple and critical task of driving a station wagon and
obeying perfectly every single rule of the California
Vehicle Code.
EXT. - HAWTHORNE AVENUE - MERCURY
APPROACHES CAMERA. Breedan puts on the left turn signal
and for the sign. Hawthorne is crowded with housewives,
women and kids and commercial traffic.
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There's a Safeway down from them with afternoon shoppers
and newspaper racks.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA OFFICE - DIETER - DAY
enters.
DIETER
(casual)
Hey, Casals. I got this tip
phoned in about this bank. It
mean anything to you?
Casals, bored, looks at the paper and explodes out of his
chair. Running for Hanna's desk:
CASALS
(shouts)
Vincent! Vincent!
WIDE
Hanna comes up, coffee in his
hand.
CASALS
Commercial Bank! Wilmington!
2:50!
They look up at clock.
THEIR POV: IT'S 2:43.
WIDE
Hanna spills his coffee and runs out without his coat.
Casals, Bosko and Schwartz follow.
CUT TO:
INT. HENESSEY AND INGALLS, STOCKROOM - CLOSE ON EADY - DAY
unpacking a box of new books. A RADIO DRONES in the
background.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
(radio filter;
strident)
This is L.A.'s all news, 24-hour,
around the clock coverage of the
day's local, national and
international news, sports,
finance and weather, brought to
you by ...
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Eady has crossed to the RADIO and now turns it OFF.
CUT TO:
INT. APARTMENT - DOMINICK - DAY
rolls on the white rug. WIDEN. Charlene holds out her
finger and Dominick grips it like a monkey and she pulls
him up.
ANGLE
She crosses and turns an the TV without volume. A
newscaster appears. Charlene turns her back on the TV.
On all fours, she advances on Dominick. He shrieks and
laughs and crawls away.
CUT TO:
INT. BANK - ON STREET DOOR - DAY
Neil and Chris enter the street door. Chris lingers by
the guard. He reads a Rosicrucian handout. They smile at
each other. Neil approaches the window of teller JOHN
FISKE.
ON SIDE DOOR
Cerrito enters and hesitates to tie his shoe near Guard
FRANK MAGID.
NEIL
in line, waits: an old lady finishes and leaves.
JOHN
(to Neil)
Hi!
NEIL
Hi!
Can I borrow your pen, John?
JOHN
(smiles)
Sure thing!
John reaches into the side jacket pocket.
NEIL
pulls his stocking mask down over his face. He reaches
over the counter and grabs smiling John Fiske's lapels and
yanks him over the counter top and throws him across the
floor. Meanwhile:
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CERRITO
Say, Frank...?
Magid turns. Cerrito saps him expertly on the right
shoulder, paralyzing his gun arm, spins him and swipes the
sap across his neck. Meanwhile:
CHRIS
has smashed Guard One in the stomach with the H & X -
doubling him up. Now he braces him against the wall,
disarms and handcuffs him. He jerks on his stocking mask.
WIDE - THE BANK
There are two FEMALE TELLERS and four CUSTOMERS. Neil
moves toward the bank Officers at their desks, specifically,
while bringing up his H & K.
NEIL
(very nicely)
Ladies and gentlemen! We are
holding up this bank.
(continuing)
We want to hurt nobody. You do
exactly like we say and you come
away okay. We're here for the
bank's money, not your money...
TIMMONS
with Neil approaching, frantically stomps the alarm button
under his desk.
NEIL
...you people behind the windows:
the salaries this bank pays aren't
big enough to take risks for, so
think of your take-home pay before
you risk your life.
FACES
of Tellers and customers. Scared, but Neil's monologue
holds their attention. Throughout he's approaching Timmons.
NEIL
(to customers -
like a commercial)
...don't forget your money is
insured by the Federal Government.
You're not going to lose a penny.
Relax and you'll get through
this okay.
(MORE)
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NEIL (CONT'D)
(nice)
Any of the ladies feel ill or
anybody with heart trouble wants
to sit down, go right ahead.
He smiles.
NEIL
reaches Timmons.
NEIL
(smiles)
The key.
TIMMONS
What key?
Neil slams a punch into Timmons' face in calculated contrast
to his friendliness. It's an object lesson to customers
of the result of disobeying. Timmons flips backwards over
his chair.
NEIL
hauls him up, rips open his white shirt and pulls the key
an a lariat off his neck.
NEIL
Don't touch your face. Let it
bleed.
The white shirt is already splattered with blood. Customers
watch. They do not want this to happen to them.
CERRITO
pulls a straight razor and leans over Guard Magid. He
slits his pants leg and pocket open and extracts the other
key and it.
PAN 0N KEY
through the air and is caught by Chris. throws Timmons'
key. PAN it to Chris.
CHRIS
spins the ring handle for five seconds. The massive round
vault door opens. It reveals a second, rectangular door.
CERRITO
handcuffs Magid. handcuffs Timmons to his chair.
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 101.
INT. VAULT
Chris inserts both keys, turns them simultaneously and the
second massive door opens inward.
LOW ANGLE: STEEL INNER SANCTUM
Inside is the four-wheel cart and the two large canvas
bags of money. WIDEN TO REVEAL Neil is there as well and
opens the Hefty Garbage bag while Chris whips out an Exacto
blade and slices the canvas bags open to check the contents.
THE CANVAS BAG
disemboweled, spills money. Lots of it. Chris loads both
into two Hefty bags Neil holds open.
NEIL
tosses one on his shoulder like a sailor's duffle bag, his
machine-gun in front...
CUT TO:
EXT. BANK - WIDE FROM FRONT - DAY
Cerrito exited the bank via the side door and now moves
quickly TO CAMERA up the side - his stocking mask off -
his H & K low, concealed.
NEIL
exits the bank through the front door TO CAMERA. The
sidewalk is crowded with school kids now and housewives.
No one pays attention as Neil tosses the first bag to
Cerrito...
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S CAR - HANNA, SCHWARTZ + BOSKO - DAY
racing in and out through the Hawthorne Boulevard traffic
to get past cars. Drucker and casals follow in a second
car. No sirens. Schwartz drives. The bank is seen 200
yards ahead..
SCHWARTZ
Too many people. This isn't how
to handle it
(shouts)
Vincent! Fuck this crew! Let
'em go!
CLOSE: HANNA
has to decide.
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 102.
HANNA'S POV: CERRITO'S
dumped the FIRST BAG in the station wagon and Neil's
reentering the bank for the SECOND BAG.
HANNA
as car pulls in.
HANNA
(to Bosko)
Left flanking fire. street.
He made the decision.
CUT TO:
EXT. BANK AND STATION WAGON - CERRITO - DAY
awaiting bag number two. Breedan - calm and alert - IDLES
THE ENGINE in Drive while braking with his left foot.
PROFILE:
NEIL
coming out with the second bag. Chris follows - backwards
covering the interior. Neil avoids a lady pushing a
supermarket shopping cart, looks up and SEES:
NEIL'S POV: HANNA + SCHWARTZ
entering rapidly but surreptitiously 50 yards down the
sidewalk. Bosko's moving 90 degrees to the right, crossing
the street. There would be no, there was no, and there
never is any, warning. Neil Hanna and Schwartz with 12-
gauges OPEN FIRE. World War III ERUPTS. Now we hear
distant POLICE SIRENS.
CHRIS
is hit in the neck.
NEIL'S
FIRING 3-SHOT BURSTS that blow up Schwartz and a lamppost
and hit a woman who falls over her shopping cart, shrieking.
Hanna's behind the lamppost.
BOSKO
across the street with his AR-180, opens up on the station
wagon which takes HITS. A BLACK AND WHITE slides sideways
and COP #1 with a shotgun runs across the street hollering
at kids who stop and stare and drop school books.
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COP # 1
Drop! Drop down!
CERRITO
over the station wagon roof FIRES a BURST at Bosko, then
swings onto Cop #1 and fires, killing him. Cerrito jumps
into the wagon.
THE STREET - WIDE: A BUS
The driver panics and slams on his brakes and his bus full
of people stalls in the combat zone between Bosko and the
wagon.
BOSKO (O.S.)
(screams)
Get the bus out of here..
NEIL
shielded by the green bag of money which has taken hits,
FIRES at Hanna and backs to Chris.
HANNA
pulls Schwartz to cover.
CHRIS
dazed - holding his bleeding neck while Neil FIRES into
the parking lot...
PARKING LOT
...hitting Casals getting out of his car. Casals sits
down as if stunned.
MAN
pulling his car out of the lot ducks behind the wheel and
crashes it into a parked car.
EXT. BANK - CERRITO
CERRITO
(to Neil)
C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!
Neil can't rake it through the incoming FIRE from Hanna
and Cop #2 to the station wagon and Cerrito and knows it.
NEIL
(to Breedan and
Cerrito)
Go!! Go!!
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ON STATION WAGON
Breedan floors it.
HANNA
re-emerges, kneels and PUMPS SHOTS into the station wagon.
BOSKO
rounds the bus with the AR-180 and OPENS UP
STATION WAGON
draws everyone's FIRE. Breedan ducks and pilots it through
the gauntlet.
NEIL
has taken off down the sidewalk, supporting Chris. TIGHTEN.
He runs in among crowds of civilians. He knocks over a
man, breaks through. People are screaming, staring,
shocked.
INT. STATION WAGON - BREEDAN
getting BLOWN APART by Hanna, Bosko, and Cop #2 falls over
the wheel and then is thrown back.
EXT. STREET - STATION WAGON
tires are BLOWN OUT.
It spins across the street on steel rims and crashes
sideways into a parked car on the east side of Hawthorne.
INT. STATION WAGON - CERRITO
shot three times, holds his abdomen and bails, returning
FIRE. Breedan, like a rag doll is half over into the rear
seat and still being hit by more rounds. We HOLD on David
Breedan. He's dead.
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDE STREET - CERRITO
east up a side street past people who stand on their lawns
and stare - traumatized.
WIDER
Bosko and Cop #3 chase Cerrito. Cerrito FIRES a long BURST.
They can't fire back because of the people.
CUT TO:
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EXT. SAFEWAY - TRACKING NEIL + CHRIS - DAY
and the money - running, skipping and dodging past all
manner of pedestrians, newspaper coin boxes, fruit vendors
and parking meters. People dodge, scream and fall down.
It's chaos.
TRACKING HANNA
a half block behind, chasing Neil - pushing through the
same people.
HANNA
(shouts at
pedestrians)
Get down! Get down
EXT. SAFEWAY PARKING LOT - NEIL + CHRIS
Neil - supporting Chris - throws a lady, who was getting
out, back into her Olds Cutlass. He dumps Chris and the
money in the back seat and turns on Hanna.
NEIL
extends the collapsible stock braces on the roof for
accuracy and FIRES over the roof of other cars and through
people at Hanna closing in 5o yards away.
CUT TO:
EXT. SAFEWAY - HANNA + CIVILIANS
who panic. SHOOTING. Windows EXPLODE. A lady holds her
ears and shrieks. A newspaper coin box SHATTERS. A man's
bag of groceries explode milk and eggs everywhere. He
goes down.
HANNA
doesn't have a clear shot and drops, dragging people down
with him.
NEIL
behind the wheel - burns rubber pulling out of the lot
over curbstones and through a fence into the alley.
EXT. ALLEY - WIDE
Suddenly Neil drives very normally and jerks the lady
upright next to him like a wife. He drives away.
HANNA
runs to the alley - pulling his radio:
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 106.
HANNA
(into radio)
This is Hanna!
(no response; shakes
it)
Come in...
No response. Dead batteries. He throws the radio at the
Safeway wall: SMASH. And runs up the alley. Meanwhile:
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDE STREET - WIDE - DAY
Cerrito runs TO CAMERA through kids playing in a front
yard, looking over his shoulder at Drucker and Bosko who
can't fire because of the kids.
CERRITO
up a girl out of the yard.
CERRITO
(nice)
C'mere, honey.
She's the same age as his own daughters. He holds her to
his chest with one arm as a shield against Drucker and
Bosko. He FIRES a wild THREE SHOT BURST running up the
sidewalk. Meanwhile:
EXT. ALLEY - HANNA
emerges, cuts right. He brings up his 9mm. Smith and
Wesson. He slows. He stops. Hear his BREATHING. WIDEN
and PAN AROUND. Cerrito is running right at Hanna and
doesn't see him.
OVER HANNA'S SHOULDER: CERRITO'S
attention on Drucker and Bosko. Cerrito FIRES. The little
girl sees Hanna because he's aiming the 9mm. directly at
her with both hands. She stares into his eyes.
CERRITO
turns, sees Hanna. He starts swinging around the H & K on
its shoulder strap..
HANNA
FIRES ONCE.
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WIDE - CERRITO
is hit dead center in the forehead and topples backwards
like a felled oak. The little girl falls half on and off
his dead chest, screaming.
WIDE - HANNA, DRUCKER + BOSKO
get to Cerrito simultaneously. Bosko pulls the girl up
and turns her away.
BOSKO
takes the girl and folds her into his bear-like chest. He
carries her off. He holds onto her and wraps his jacket
around her. Tears stream down his face.
HANNA
standing there in the center of the mess: bodies, disabled
vehicles, people, shouting, SIRENS arriving, etc.
CUT TO:
INT. DR. BOB'S DOG AND CAT HOSPITAL SURGERY - CHRIS - DAY
is unconscious on the table. BOB, a veterinarian of 55 in
a white coat and bald head, works on him. DOGS BARK O.S.
from the kennels.
A CLAMP CLATTERS into the bowl. Chris moans in a dry rasp
and convulses. Bob motions to Neil to hold Chris'
shoulders.
NEIL
holds Chris down.
BOB (O.S.)
Bottom tray.
With one hand Neil gives Bob a tray of syringes.
WIDE - THE SURGERY
Bob's back obscures a series of injections into Chris'
neck and shoulder.
It's a veterinarian surgery and the metal table Chris is
an is for holding down dogs. Long leather straps aren't
buckled. There's pictures of cocker spaniels on the walls.
Spent syringes CLATTER into pans.
CUT TO:
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INT. DR. BOB'S OFFICE - DR. BOB - DAY
washes his hands in the sink. Neil sits on his desk. A
tv plays news footage from Bosnia.
DOC
Blood loss and shock and he'll
have a lot of pain in the shoulder
and back, but I'll give you
quarter-grain phials of morphine.
Subcutaneous injections.
NEIL
(nods)
What's the bottom line?
DR. BOB
Missed the carotid artery by
millimeters. There is mostly
tissue damage. And the collar a
bone's smashed. Can he rest
awhile?
NEIL
Six, seven hours. What do I owe
you?
News coverage switches to scenes from the robbery with the
commentator in a window.
DR. BOB
It's got to be twenty thou.
NEIL
What is this?
DR. BOB
You're number one with a bullet
on the six o'clock news. It's
at least double the risk. So
I'm doubling my price.
Neil opens a shopping bag and stacks packets of bills.
News coverage switches to sports and weather.
NEIL
You're wrong. It's four times
the risk. 'Cause something happens
to him, I'm coming back for you.
And I'm double the worst trouble
you ever had.
Bob looks at Neil's eyes and believes it.
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INT. SURGERY - CHRIS - DAY
on his stomach, breathing heavily.
NEIL
I'll be back for you.
CHRIS
(a little dazed;
rasp)
Charlene? Get her out!
NEIL
First, I got to know if our escape
route got ratted-out along with
everything else.
CHRIS
(rasps)
Who...
NEIL
Who wasn't around Towner.
Chris hacks, coughs; Neil helps him spit into a steel pan.
CUT TO:
EXT. HAWTHORNE - WIDE - SUNSET
It's the taped-off crime scene where Michael Cerrito
dropped. News media are all over. Spectators mill.
Emergency vehicles FLASHERS spin. Motorcycle cops re-route
traffic.
ANGLE
The battered Mercury wagon is still in situ, being dusted
by two TECHNICIANS for prints. We HEAR a car pull in o.S.
and.
ELAINE (O.S.)
(screaming; shouting)
Get out of my way!
(shrieks; sobs)
Michael. Michael. Michael.
Michael!!!
ELAINE CERRITO
knocks over a Uniformed Cop and runs down the sidewalk to
the chalked outline of Cerrito's body on the cement and
lawn.
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CLOSER
Another cop moves to stop her. She dodges him. Disheveled,
screaming, hysterical - she throws herself on the bloodied
ground Michael Cerrito died upon and clutches at the outline
drawing of his body and blood stains as if it were him.
NEWS CAMERAMAN
with lights moves in and tapes her. A Police woman tries
to help Elaine up. Elaine bats her away.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROBERT'S COFFEE SHOP - ON LILLIAN - NIGHT
enters from the coffee shop and crosses the street TO
CAMERA.
CUT TO:
INT. POLYNESIAN BAR, DOOR LILLIAN - NIGHT
enters. A TV mounted high in the corner BROADCASTS the
news with the SOUND OFF. A Man in a motorcycle jacket
plays the pinball machine. It CLICKS, bells RING, lights
FLASH.
LILLIAN
crosses to the bar and leans over.
LILLIAN
Say, bartender... ?
BARTENDER
rings up a sale, changing a $20.
BARTENDER
In a minute, lady.
Lillian waits. Behind and above her the Newscaster cuts
from Last coast storms to coverage of the bank robbery
aftermath: bullet holes in windows, Cerrito's body,
Breedan's body, etc.
LILLIAN
sees none of it. Then: impatient:
LILLIAN
(shouts to Bartender)
You seen that fella I pulled out
of here the other night? Big
fella with a beard?
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More robbery aftermath plays across the screen.
BARTENDER
at end of bar. Finishes with the customer. On his way to
Lillian he turns up the TV volume.
TV ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
...dead were Michael T. Cerrito,
Caucasian male and the driver,
an unidentified black male in
his early 30's, who died enroute
to St. Vincent's Hospital...
As the bartender reaches her - WIDEN TO INCLUDE Lillian.
She stares at the television - stunned - at seeing David's
face on the paramedic stretcher in a FREEZE FRAME.
BARTENDER
(to Lillian)
What can I get you, ma'am?
(she says nothing)
Lady, you okay.
She stares at the TV and holds onto the deep polished grain
of the bar.
CUT TO:
INT. SHIHERLIS APARTMENT - WIDE - NIGHT
Charlene ignores Dominick playing at her feet as she watches
the news coverage of the bank robbery with her hand over
the mouth.
CHARLENE
rises, picks up Dominick, crosses to the phone. She punches
11 digits. We HEAR the phone RING on the other end.
MARCIANO (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Yeah.
CHARLENE
(into phone)
Harry? If you want me, Come
right down and get me and Dominick
out.
MARCIANO (V.O.)
(phone filter; eager)
Sugar. I'll catch the 8 o'clock
and rent a car. I'll be there
at your place in two hours.
(MORE)
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MARCIANO (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Get packed. Okay? I'll be right
there.
Charlene hangs up. The PHONE RINGS again. She doesn't
answer.
CUT TO:
INT. TOWN CAR - NEIL - NIGHT
on the phone. No answer. He hangs up.
CUT TO:
INT. MARCIANO HOME - MARCIANO - NIGHT
WIDEN TO INCLUDE Las Vegas uniformed Cop and a
PLAINCLOTHESMAN who's risen put of his seat. A tape
recorder's attached to the telephone.
PLAINCLOTHESMAN
Let's get you on that plane.
CUT TO:
EXT. TOWNER'S HOUSE - ESTABLISHING - NIGHT
The white frame house with one palm tree in front on the
hilltop overlooking downtown L.A. No lights are on. It's
sinister.
CUT TO:
INT. TOWNER LIVING ROOM - ON WINDOW - NIGHT
It's gray muslin drapes blow in TO CAMERA on the night
wind. SLOWLY we TRACK LEFT into the draperies and shadows.
it's eerie. Suddenly a face is there. It's Neil, flattened
against the wall, his .45 in his hand.
WIDE
Neil FLASHES his penlight around the room. Nothing.
INT. TOWNER BEDROOM - DOOR
It opens silently. Neil's cautious, sweeping his .45 into
the corners, clearing them. He looks around. There's a
wallet with money and scattered clothes. It means they
haven't split.
INT. TOWNER KITCHEN - LOW
Neil - cautiously - enters. Nothing. O.S. we HEAR WATER
RUNNING from another room. TIGHTEN.
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Neil works his way to the SOUND. He crosses to the bathroom
off the kitchen.
INT. TOWNER BATHROOM - ON NEIL
through the crack in the door. He starts to push it open.
Something blocks it. The water SOUNDS are LOUDER. Neil
shines his light INTO CAMERA.
NEIL'S POV: WIDE - ON THE FLOOR
Towner is near death, beaten to a pulp. Something or
someone is in the shower stall. Blood's all over.
ANOTHER ANGLE
Neil uses his penlight. He puts a towel under Towner's
head. Towner's face - against the white octagonal tile
floor - is a mess. He opens his eyes. TILT UP to Neil.
NEIL
Who?
TOWNER
(whispers)
Made me...Anna...?
Neil crosses to the shower stall and looks in. He comes
back to Towner.
NEIL
(grim)
She's dead...
(beat)
So's Cerrito and Breedan...the
guy who stood in...for you.
(beat)
Who did this...?
TOWNER
(whispers)
They had Anna.
NEIL
(Softly)
Who?
TOWNER
Waingro.
NEIL
Waingro? On his own?
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TOWNER
(whispers)
Uh-uh. For someone. The other
worked for...said...
Coughs and shakes his head. He doesn't remember the name.
Neil thinks. Then:
NEIL
Van Zant?
Towner nods his head.
NEIL
(continuing)
You sure?
TOWNER
(nods; whispers)
Uh-huh.
NEIL
You say anything about our exit?
Our out?
TOWNER
(whispers)
...don't remember. I...
NEIL
C ' mon!
TOWNER
(implores; whispers)
Neil...Neil...I don't think so.
Neil can't get a straight answer.
NEIL
(low)
The house clean?
Towner nods.
NEIL
(continuing; rising)
I'll call the medics.
PAN RIGHT with Neil. He turns off the water in the sink
and leaves.
CUT TO:
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EXT. PUBLIC PHONE IN GAS STATION - NEIL - NIGHT
The freeway's nearby. Traffic ZOOMS past. It's all
concrete, public toilets, and green vapor lights.
NEIL
(quietly; into phone)
...Nate.
NATE (V.O.)
You on a cellular?
NEIL
(into phone)
No.
NATE (V. 0. )
(phone filter)
A brick house on Swallow Drive
in Bel Air.
NEIL
(quietly; into phone)
Next: Waingro. Okay?
NATE (V.O.)
(phone filter)
You got the time...?
NEIL
(into phone)
I'll make time.
(beat)
I need a new "out" laid on.
NATE (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Do you know it's blown?
NEIL
(into phone)
How can I trust it?
Hangs up. Neil drops another quarter and dials again.
After a moment.
EADY (V. 0.)
(phone filter)
Hello?
NEIL
(into phone)
Things are screwed up. You're
not flying out after me. We go
together.
(MORE)
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NEIL (CONT'D)
You and me got to straighten
something up first. I'll be by
later.
EADY (V. 0.)
(phone filter)
What's wrong? Neil?
Neil hangs up.
CUT TO:
EXT. VAN ZANT HOUSE, FRONT DOOR - WIDE - NIGHT
Neil enters directly from the front door and RINGS the
bell. It's a $3,000,000, 70's modern. Neil puts his finger
over the peephole. After a few moments:
CUT TO:
INT. HOUSE - VAN ZANT - NIGHT
can't see. Tries light switch. Nothing. He puts his ear
to the door to hear if someone's there.
VKN ZANT (O.S.)
Who is it?
No answer.
EXT. HOUSE - NEIL
kicks the door in.
INT. HOUSE - VAN ZANT
goes flying back.
NEIL
is four feet away. The big .45 Automatic is aimed into
the center of Van Zant's chest.
NEIL
Waingro. Where is he?
VAN ZANT
(shouts)
How the hell should I know?
Neil pulls the trigger: TWO LOUD SHOTS blow Van Zant back
into his foyer. He slides 15 feet across the highly
polished black and white tiled floor. Neil walks away.
CUT TO:
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EXT. L.A. CENTRAL MARKET PARKING LOT - WIDE - NIGHT
Porters wheel huge loads of fruits and vegetables and sides
of beef. Massive semi's pull through the lot.
NEIL (O.S.)
How much?
NATE
$165,000.
NEIL (O.S.)
That's a rip-off.
ZOOM onto cars parked side by side facing opposite
directions: Neil's Lincoln and Nate's Cadillac. They talk
car-to-car.
NATE
You want a good getaway and you're
hot with a big score in your
pocket. You're a media event.
What the fuck do you expect?
NEIL
What do I get for those dollars?
NATE
You end up in Ireland with good
papers and plastic.
NEIL
Via what?
NATE
Lear jet to Vancouver. Then
commercial to Reykjavik; then
Dublin.
NEIL
Reliable?
NATE
For those bucks? 100 per cent.
I got the plastic on me. The
passports will be on the plane.
Who's the third?
NEIL
A girl. With her own papers.
(takes cards)
What are these good for?
NATE
Forty-five to sixty days.
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NEIL
How soon?
NATE
Twenty-four hours.
NEIL
Make it twelve.
NATE
You're going for an important
ride. If they say twenty-four
for it to be right, then it's
twenty-four!
NEIL
You checked all around?
NATE
All around.
(beat)
You and I go way back, kiddo, I
bought you the best.
Neil says nothing. Then:
NEIL
Where's the pick-up?
NATE
Santa Monica Airport. They're a
legit operation. I won't have
details until tomorrow morning.
He hands over a small briefcase.
NATE
(Continuing)
What is it?
NEIL
Kelso's share. Ten per cent.
$400,000. That's less the 50
advance. The other bag was with
Cerrito.
CUT TO:
INT. LAPD CORRIDOR - ON HANNA, DRUCKER + FARINA - HAND
HELD
They're moving fast down the corridor. Hanna is throwing
everything into motion.
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HANNA
(to Farina)
You stick with the Charlene
Shiherlis piece.
FARINA
Marciano's on a plane in here
from, Las Vegas to pick her up.
We got a house I set..
HANNA
Maybe Chris or Neil will come
for her. Frankly, I doubt it.
(to Drucker;
continuing)
You work Neil's transport from
here on the phones.
DRUCKER
McCauley's gotta be gone. He
hadda have a getaway planned.
HANNA
And now he's gotta get a new
one! Would you trust it after
this afternoon?
(beat)
Someone, somewhere's agenting it
for him. That's a main track.
We got Shiherlis setting up.
That's a main track. I want
more.
FARINA
How much time we got?
Hanna turns toward a door.
HANNA
Eight, ten, twelve hours. For
him to set up a new out. After
that? He's gone. Bam! Bye-
bye.
Hanna exits through the door.
CUT TO:
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - WIDE - NIGHT
Hanna and Drucker enter. Bosko's there with HARRY DIETER
the burglary cop who gave Casals the tip on the bank job.
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HANNA
(to Bosko; sarcastic)
He's the burglary cop with the
"terrific tip?"
BOSKO
Yeah.
DIETER
Who are you?
HANNA
Hanna. Where'd it come from?
DIETER
(defensive)
I got my informants. Just like
you got...
Hanna kicks a chair out of the way and bounces Dieter up
against the wall. Bosko starts to restrain him.
HANNA
(explodes)
I got Schwartz. Dead. Casals
got no liver. He's dying. Don't
come on to me with "confidential
source" crap!
He slams Dieter into the wall.
DIETER
(shouts)
Hugh. Hugh Benny. He gives me
tips...!
Hanna's gone. Bosko follows.
CUT TO:
INT. HUGH BENNY'S APARTMENT -FRONT DOOR - NIGHT
HOLD. Then it EXPLODES off its top binges and hangs
disabled. Hanna comes through with the cut down sledge
hammer. He's backed up by Bosko and Berryman - another
middle-aged heavyweight - with a regulation 12-gauge.
REVERSE - LIVING ROOM - HUGH BENNY
himself a heavyweight, races across the room for the rear.
Hanna tackles him.
BOSKO
hauls Hugh up, kicking, punching and bouncing him off the
walls. Hugh swings at Bosko.
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Bosko knocks it aside, and spins him to Hanna. Hanna throws
him into the bathroom.
INT. BATHROOM - BENNY
crashing in. Hanna throws him through the shower door
into the bath tub. Hugh's cut.
HANNA
(shouts)
Who ratted-out McCauley? C'mon!
Who? You?
CUT TO:
EXT. MARINA DEL RAY CONDOS - NIGHT
Farina gets out of an unmarked car with Charlene Shiherlis
and a sleeping Dominick and they cross into the building.
It's a rough cedar, two-story studio. A second car empties
four cops - including Cop $4 and Cop #5 - carrying flack
vests and M-16's. As they confer about positioning...
CUT TO:
INT. SECOND FLOOR APARTMENT - CHARLENE - FIGHT
enters and sees Marciano already there. Surprised:
CHARLENE
(screams)
Whose side are you on?
MARCIANO
I'm on yours.
CHARLENE
You slimy piece of shit. What a
joke.
MARCIANO
You told me you want out from
under? You're scared to death
of Neil. You wanted out? This
is out!
CHARLENE
What's your end?
MARCIANO
You dump broad! How'd I get
into this?
FARINA
Hey, hey! Go easy on the lady!
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MARCIANO
(surprised)
Huh?
FARINA
You heard me. She had a rough
ride.
(beat)
Go mix her a drink. Cabinet
above the sink.
MARCIANO
Fuck her.
FARINA
Get the fuck in there!
Marciano does. Charlene seems to soften and relax and
take satisfaction at Marciano's put-down.
FARINA
(continuing; soft)
He's right. And you know it.
You think you'd be betraying
Chris?
CHARLENE
(right to his face)
Yes.
FARINA
Well, you're right. You would
be. But if you don't betray
Chris, you betray Dominick.
Because he becomes an orphan
when you go to prison as an
accessory 'cause you got no living
parents to take him. Then he
ends up state-raised and fucked
for life. Your son Dominick's
innocent. He didn't choose a
life like that. Chris did.
Charlene rises and crosses to a bedroom and looks in the
door - presumably at Dominick.
FARINA
(continuing)
Give up Chris. You get off clean.
Do it for your kid.
Charlene sits - shell-shocked - dressed in black with white
face and red lipstick. Marciano re-enters with a drink
for her. Charlene looks towards the bedroom containing
Dominick, then nods her head "yes." Farina dials a number.
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FARINA
(continuing; into
cellular phone)
Vincent. It's me. We're set
here. She'll make the call.
Charlene dials a number into the regular phone. Then:
CHARLENE
(into phone)
I'm going to give you an address
of where I'm staying. Could you
get it to Chris?
CUT TO:
INT. HUGH BENNY'S APARTMENT - HANNA - FIGHT
HANNA
(into phone)
Okay.
He hangs up. Redials Drucker. In the b.g. Hugh Benny is
handcuffed, soaking wet and half-conscious on the floor.
Berryman watches him.
DRUCKER (O.S.)
M. C. U.
HANNA
(into phone)
It's me. Tracks back to this
union guy, Van Zant. He had
some beef with Neil. Neil already
settled it. Van Zant got dead
earlier tonight.
(pause)
Now Hugh Benny has reformed his
wayward life and become a born-
again good citizen. So, he's
revealed the key player is this
cowboy Waingro. Used to be part
of Neil's crew. Waingro committed
a double murder today on Towner,
a driver, and his old lady.
(pause)
Meanwhile Waingro's checked into
the Airport Hyatt House under
"Jamieson." Maybe Neil will make
a move on him, but not likely.
(pause)
Get the word to bailbondsmen,
bookies, snitches in County,
etc. where Waingro is. And get
a team down there to set it up.
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DRUCKER (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Want me to do it?
HANNA
(into phone)
No. You stay on who's agenting
Neil's getaway. What have you
got?
DRUCKER (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Nothing yet.
Hanna hangs up.
HANNA
(to Berryman)
He's here. He's still here. I
can feel it.
BERRYMAN
For how long?
HANNA
Eight, ten hours max.
CUT TO:
INT. EADY'S HOUSE - EADY - NIGHT
was in bed. Now she answers the door. The bamboo shades
are partly raised revealing the L.A. basin - the city of
light. She wears a red and black Japanese kimono. Neil
McCauley enters. Eady stares at him as he crosses to the
fridge and drinks from a bottle of club soda.
EADY
(quietly)
What did you do?
(re TV)
Was that you?
NEIL
It's what I don't do.
(beat)
I don't sell swimming pools. It
would have been okay. You would
have flown out after. You didn't
need to do a thing. Now I'm
jammed. We got to go together.
Because we get dropped in a place
and then I decide: New Zealand
or Brazil or Tunisia, whatever.
I can't leave a string back here
to where I am.
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EADY
(confused)
What.
He realizes he's way ahead of her.
NEIL
I rob and steal for a living.
Do you understand?
EADY
(amazed)
You killed people?
NEIL
If they got in the way. Yes.
It's their problem.
EADY
The woman on the grass...where
her husband got shot..
NEIL
Elaine Cerrito.
(pause)
Michael Cerrito's wife. Michael
was my friend. He knew the risks.
He didn't have to be there. He
coulda been a...been a mailman.
(he stops)
EADY
I don't believe it.
NEIL
Believe it.
She stares at him.
NEIL
(continuing)
Eady. Get packed. Get dressed.
Let's go.
Eady runs out the door.
CUT TO:
EXT. HILLSIDE - WIDE - NIGHT
Eady - in her black and red kimono - tears up the steep
hillside of golden fountain grass TO CAMERA from her house
on the side of the hill. We HEAR her BREATHING.
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NEIL
(after her)
Eady! !
ANOTHER ANGLE
She keeps going. Neil catches her and she falls into the
grass.
CLOSE - TWO SHOT
EADY
(explosively
hysterical)
Why you do this to me! What I
do to you?!
NEIL
Shut up!
She does. She goes totally blank. Neil picks her up.
CUT TO:
INT. EADY'S HOUSE - WIDE - DAY
It's morning. Eady's affect is flat, robotic.
NEIL
(soft)
Use these credit cards. They
say "Mr. and Mrs." I reserved
the car. Buy me some clothes.
Here's a list. I can't go home
for my stuff. Can you do it?
EADY
When's it over?
NEIL
Twenty-two hours. Then we fly
out of here...clean.
He kisses her. She doesn't respond. She stares at him.
EADY
I want you to let me go. When
will you let me go?
NEIL
You can go now. There's the
door, you want out...
EADY
No, I have to do what you say.
But will you let me leave after?
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NEIL
It will be different...
She starts to leave. Neil stops her. She glances at him
and leaves.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR - HANNA - DAY
driving.
It's morning. He's been up all night.
INT. HANNA CONDO - HANNA - DAY
entering door.
COOKING SOUNDS. He stops. Frozen.
FARINA'S POV:
A MAN
on his sofa watching his TV. His name is RALPH.
JUSTINE (O.S.)
(ignorant of Hanna's
presence; to Ralph)
It's ready...
JUSTINE
enters, sees Hanna.
JUSTINE
(cool)
Oh. Meet Vincent.
RALPH
Excuse me. You didn't tell me
you were...
Ralph sees Hanna's 2" .38 in his waistband.
RALPH
(continuing)
Oh, my God...
HANNA
What's your name?
RALPH
(frozen)
I should....Ralph...I'm...
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Hanna's reaction to Ralph is vacant of emotion.
HANNA
I'm Vincent Hanna.
JUSTINE
Don't you even get angry?
HANNA
(to Justine)
I'm angry.
(to Ralph)
Ralph, you can ball my wife.
You can lounge around her $1.7
million condominium on her sofa.
You can do all those things.
But you do not get to watch my
fucking TV...!
Hanna lifts it off the table, spilling framed pictures. A
commercial segues to a quiz show.
HANNA
(continuing; to
Justine)
I've never screwed around. I've
been true blue to you since the
day we met.
JUSTINE
It would have been preferable if
you had! You made me do this!
HANNA
Right I had Ralph fuck you 'cause
it makes me feel so good.
JUSTINE
Put down the television. You
look ridiculous.
(he doesn't)
Dr. Prince says I'm trying to
get your attention. Christ! I
have to pay someone to figure
out my life with you.
RALPH
Maybe I should...
HANNA
Shut up!
JUSTINE
Why's it my job to figure it all
out and explain it to you?
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HANNA
'Cause you're the one who spends
all the time on the couch.
JUSTINE
And what do you do?
HANNA
What do I do? I speak the English
language. Words. Sentences
even.
JUSTINE
How admirable: proletarian candor.
HANNA
Thank you.
JUSTINE
Except you don't say a damned
thing. You neglect me. You
don't call. I can worry about
you or not. So I withdraw. You
don't notice. You're walking
through our life chloroformed,
Vincent. Wake up. It's almost
over.
She unplugs the TV. The image Hanna's holding dies. Hanna
looks at her and leaves.
CUT TO:
EXT. DR. BOB'S DOG AND CAT HOSPITAL, KENNELS - WIDE - DAY
Basset Hounds BAY. Nate, Neil and Chris walk between the
cages of parked pets - all of whom make a RACKET. The
talk loudly over it. Chris' left arm is in a canvas sling.
His hair has been cut short. He looks different. Dogs
BARK throughout.
NATE
I got Cerrito's share deposited
in the Delaware Trust for Elaine.
She's pretty bad...
(pause)
Passports. Traveler's checks.
Plastic.
(hands them over)
Hangar 17. Plane call letters
are 1011 Sierra. Touches down,
holds for five minutes and splits.
The plane will stand an FAA check.
Filed flight plan. The works.
(MORE)
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NATE (CONT'D)
(to Chris)
Here's the address Charlene said
she was at. But I don't have
documents for her.
CHRIS
I'm not flying. I'm drivin'.
NATE
(looks at Neil; to
Chris)
Fly. Send for her later.
(to Neil)
Can't you talk to him?
NEIL
I been trying.
NATE
(to Neil)
Talk to you in three hours in
case there's changes.
Nate leaves.
NEIL + CHRIS
NEIL
Use the Camaro. Its clean and
will stand a DMV check.
Registration in the glove box.
CHRIS
How you getting around?
NEIL
Someone's picking me up.
CHRIS
A girl on the side?
NEIL
(laughs)
See you, cowboy.
CHRIS
So long, brother.
They embrace. Neil slaps the side of his face slowly -
and leaves.
CUT TO:
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INT. MERCEDES 560 SL, TRAVELING - NEIL + EADY - DAY
EADY
(driving)
Clothes are in the trunk.
NEIL
Any trouble?
EADY
No. When's it over?
NEIL
Six hours. 8 p.m.
She stops for a red light - a little sharply.
NEIL
(continuing)
I'll buy you lunch. Everything's
smooth. We're going to fly
away...
Neil looks for Eady's reaction: no response.
CUT TO:
INT. FARINA APARTMENT - WIDE DAY
FARINA'S
been up all night and looks it. Bags of take-out food and
coffee containers litter the table. Dominick crawls over
and up Farina's leg.
Charlene comes over. Farina picks Dominick up and makes a
face and growls. Dominick laughs. Charlene smiles and
takes him. Phone RINGS. Farina takes it, listens. Then:
FARINA
(into phone)
Not a thing. What about you?
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA OFFICE - WIDE - DAY
Hanna, Drucker and Bosko - more all-nighters with one day
growths - pore through files and hang on phones.
It's frantic. Hanna's on with Farina.
HANNA
(into phone)
Someone's agenting Neil's stuff?
(MORE)
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HANNA (CONT'D)
Who? The Tooth Fairy? Talk to
you later.
Hanna hangs up. He thinks for a second.
HANNA
(continuing; suddenly
to Drucker)
...how did Charlene get the Marina
address passed to Chris?
They come up out of their chairs and Hanna's punching
numbers. He's furious.
HANNA
(continuing; to
Drucker)
I don't believe I didn't think
of this.
(into phone)
Farina?
CUT TO:
EXT. SAN DIEGO FREEWAY, PHONE BOOTH - NEIL - TWILIGHT
Green vapor lights have ignited on the freeway behind them.
Neil drops the quarter and dials. Eady sits in the Mercedes -
waiting. Behind them streams of cars and headlights pass
by. We HEAR a PHONE RING.
NATE (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Yeah?
NEIL
(into phone)
Hi ya.
NATE (V. 0.)
(phone filter)
You okay?
NEIL
(into phone)
Yeah, Breedan's end?
NATE
(phone filter)
Still can't find nobody. It's
in the Delaware Trust. You tell
me later what to do. And about
your ride. No changes. Right
on schedule.
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NEIL
(into phone)
Okay...
Starts to hang up...
NATE (V. 0.)
(phone filter)
By the by: I heard your pal is
checked into the Airport Hyatt
under "Jamieson"...if you still
care...
Neil doesn't answer.
NATE (V.O.)
(continuing; phone
filter)
I figured you wouldn't waste the
time.
In the background Eady turns on the radio and watches Neil
in the phone booth and rests her chin on her hand on the
door.
NEIL
(into phone)
You figured right.
(smiles)
Take it easy, old man.
NATE
(phone filter; laughs)
You take it easy. Be careful,
huh?
Neil hangs up and turns to Eady. He stands there. He
nods.
NEIL
(to Eady)
That was the last bridge.
Eady looks away.
NEIL
gets in and hugs her desperately. It's the most emotional
we've ever seen him. Eady responds not at all. Neil lets
her loose.
CUT TO:
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 134.
INT. NATE'S STOREFRONT TAX OFFICE - NATE - DUSK
hangs up - still smiling. Behind him - out the window -
two cars SCREECH to a halt. Hanna's the first one out.
Bosko and Drucker are in the second car. Guns drawn, they
bust into the Tax office. As they come through the door:
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S CAR, TRAVELING WIDE ON REAR SEAT - NIGHT
Nate's handcuffed behind his back between Hanna and Bosko.
HANNA
He blows out of here, you'll do
his time. I want...
NATE
(shouts back)
Screw what you want. Who the
fuck are you?
HANNA
(shouts)
Your worst nightmare. Hard time,
Nate!
NATE
(shouts back)
I ain't looking at shit, and you
know it! So don't con me.
BOSKO
(grabs Nate; to
Hanna)
I'll work him...
NATE
(shouts at Bosko)
Go ahead!
HANNA
(to Bosko)
Don't touch him!
(to Nate)
Accessory. Armed robbery and
murder one. Dealing stolen
merchandise and securities. You
agent for Neil. At least the
armored car and bank. Everything
I tie him into, I tie you into.
Two cops dead. Other bodies on
the sidewalk. You understand
that kind of heat? You fucking
get it!
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NATE
Neil who...?
CUT TO:
INT. DIVISION, BOOKING ROOM - TRACKING ON - NIGHT
Hanna dragging in Nate followed by Drucker and Bosko. A
Booking Officer's in front of a cage. Hanna throws Nate
at the cage.
HANNA
(shouts to Drucker)
Book him on Accessory to Armed
Robbery, Murder One, A.D.W., and
Trafficking Stolen Merchandise.
(shouts at Nate)
The Nazi's in Quentin will turn
your ass into a satchel. You're
an old man. Gimme Neil!
NATE
(shouts back)
What I'll give you is so many
false arrest lawsuits, you won't
have time to write traffic
tickets!
Nate's dragged away.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S OFFICE - HANNA - NIGHT
with Drucker and Bosko - enters and kicks a chair out of
the way.
HANNA
Get me Farina.
Drucker punches in the number.
DRUCKER
Can we put Nate away?
HANNA
With a staff of five or six
marshaling physical evidence for
six months after two years' worth
of continuances...maybe he'll do
18 months. Won't fucking happen.
(to Bosko)
Check the bait.
BOSKO
Waingro?
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HANNA
Yeah. At the hotel.
Bosko starts dialing. Drucker hands Hanna the phone with
Farina on the other end.
CUT TO:
EXT. PACIFIC PALISADES CLIFFS - TWO SHOT- TWILIGHT
The sun is setting beyond Point Dume. Neil and Eady are
at the edge of the sea cliff. He checks his watch. He
looks cut at the sky. He wears clothes Eady bought.
POV: SANTA MONICA BAY
The swells rock a few small boats near the reef: PAN RIGHT.
The sun is gone. The sky To the LEFT the bulk of a 747
rises over the ocean slowly, as if gravity didn't exist.
NEIL
Look over there.
EADY
watches screaming gulls swirling below against the water.
NEIL
(talks to the back
of her)
I don't even know how to think
like this...cause this has
happened to me late in my life.
But I got some expectations.
For us. You can walk right now
if you want. Walk away. Or
you...on your own...you choose
to come with me. I got enough
in there to take care of us for
forever.
There's no response.
NEIL
(continuing)
Eady.
She turns and looks into his eyes. He touches the side of
her face.
NEIL
(continuing)
Eady?
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She folds into his arms and they stand there against the
darkening sky and red cirrus.
CUT TO:
EXT. MARINA - WIDE ON ALLEY FROM ROOF - TWILIGHT
Neil's Lincoln driven by Chris enters and parks near six
guys playing shirts and skins under two spotlights. He
winces from the pain. His arm is in the sling. He looks
at the piece of paper Nate gave him and looks up TOWARDS
CAMERA at the address. He doesn't get out of the car.
COP #6 (V.O.)
(radio filter; matter
of fact)
Richie. A possible moved into
the zone.
COP #5 (V.O.)
(radio filter)
We got him.
FARINA (V.O.)
(radio filter)
I copy.
PULL BACK TO REVEAL we're SHOOTING FROM the roof of the
apartment building DOWN onto the alley and in the
FOREGROUND, prone on the roof is COP #5 in flack vest with
an AR-180 rifle with a nite-site scope aimed at Chris.
Two buildings away is Cop #4.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S OFFICE - WIDE - NIGHT
Hanna's on the phone.
FARINA (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Got a live one.
HANNA
(into phone)
I'll hold.
CUT TO:
INT. SECOND FLOOR APARTMENT - FARINA - NIGHT
WIDEN TO INCLUDE Charlene, two cops and Marciano (very
nervous). Farina folds away from the window and sets down
the phone - off the hook. -
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FARINA
(to Charlene)
C'mon, sugar: show yourself
MARCIANO
(to Charlene)
Do it!
FARINA
(to Marciano)
Shut up!!
Marciano fades back. Charlene sits frozen to the spot.
It's as if the pressure had battered her into a stupefied
tranquillity.
FARINA
(continuing)
One second at the window. Then
it's all over...
CHARLENE
looks at Farina. She slowly
crosses to the window. Marciano
has faded to the back of the
room.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEY - CHRIS
looks up.
CHRIS POV: CHARLENE
looks down at Chris - deep into his eyes. She's disturbed.
She's unsure. Then she decides.
CHRIS
looking up into Charlene's open face from inside the
Lincoln. He starts to get out. Then he sees...
CHARLENE
And we TILT DOWN her body to her hand at her side. Her
hand subtly waves him away, gestures towards the roof.
INT. APARTMENT - REAR SHOT ON CHARLENE
CHARLENE
(irritated)
For Christ's sake...that's not
even him. That's not Chris.
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EXT. ALLEY - WIDE ON CHRIS
turns to basketball players.
CHRIS
(loud; tight)
Any of you guys know anything
for rent around here?
BASKETBALL PLAYER #1
Alberiz's grocery on Dell Avenue
got cards on the wall.
He dribbles and fakes a hook shot and passes. Chris starts
to look down the alley.
FARINA
(radio filter)
Unit two. This is command.
Take him at the street. Check
him out.
INT. APARTMENT - WIDE
UNIT TWO (V.O.)
(radio filter)
10-4.
Charlene crosses back to her chair. Farina stares at her
unsure. Marciano re-enters and paces idly.
MARCIANO
(worried)
Where the hell is he?
CHARLENE
(taunts him)
Maybe he's not coming.
MARCIANO
(explodes)
You better hope he shows! Or
you're going to the can, you two
dollar...
Farina grabs Marciano, spins and slams him into the wall.
FARINA
(shouts at cop)
Get him the hell out of here!
UNIT TWO (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Command.
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FARINA
(into radio)
Yeah?
UNIT TWO (V.O.)
(radio filter)
This guy's John Pearson. Valid
I.D. car's registered to one
Bukowski. Ran a make to DMV.
It's clean. So's the car.
FARINA
(into radio)
Let him go.
Farina clicks off the radio and picks up the phone.
FARINA
(continuing; to
Charlene)
Want a cup of coffee while we
wait, Mrs. Shiherlis?
CHARLENE
(sad smile)
That would be nice.
Farina dials. Charlene closes her eyes. it's like she
sees the gray institution of a women's prison. She shuts
her eyes tighter to make the vision go away. Tears start
flowing.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S OFFICE - HANNA - NIGHT
FARINA (V.O.)
(phone filter)
False alarm, Lieutenant.
Hanna hangs up. He dials another number. It rings.
CUT TO:
INT. HYATT HOUSE LOBBY - DESK CLERK - NIGHT
DESK CLERK/COP - in hotel blazer - answers the phone.
HANNA (V.O.)
(phone filter)
What's the score?
DESK CLERK/COP
(into phone)
On this Waingro?
(MORE)
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DESK CLERK/COP (CONT'D)
I just told Bosko. Zero.
Nothing's happening.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S OFFICE - HANNA
hangs up.
HANNA
You know what?
(beat)
Neil's gone. Bam! Flyin' like'
a bird.
BOSKO
(jumps up)
C'mon! How do you know? We
still got...
HANNA
What do we got?
(as if to Neil)
Bon voyage, motherfucker, you
were good.
(low)
I'm going to the hotel. I'm
gonna take a shower. I'm gonna
sleep for a month.
CUT TO:
EXT. POLICE PARKING L0T - HANNA - NIGHT
gets into his Olds with his TV set still on the front seat
and pulls out, laying rubber.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR - HANNA - NIGHT
stops sharply for a red light. The TV bounces against the
dash. Hanna looks at it. It's idiotic. He drops the car
into park, opens the passenger door.
WIDER - HANNA'S
foot comes up. He braces his back against the driver's
door and kicks the TV set out of the car.
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EXT. STREET - THE TV SET
SMASHES onto the pavement. Passengers at a bus stop stare
at Hanna. The light changes green. Hanna pulls away.
CUT TO:
INT. HOLIDAY INN: HANNA'S ROOM WIDE - NIGHT
It's empty. Out the windows the mustard Hollywood glare
stays low into the building.
ANGLE - A SHADOWY FIGURE
surreptitiously moves through the room examining things.
It's a woman and in rear shot she is naked. We HEAR a key
in the lock. She turns: it is Lauren.
DOOR
opens. Hanna - disgusted - tips off his clothes and throws
them at the furniture. He turns on the shower and goes
in. He didn't see Lauren.
INT. SHOWER - HANNA
under the water, half opens his eyes and just stands there.
LAUREN'S BARE LEGS
enter the bathroom and quietly slide the shower curtain.
Hanna doesn't hear her.
HANNA + LAUREN
from the front. He's oblivious. She's behind him.
ANGLE
She does two things: she runs her hands across his stomach
and says:
LAUREN
...Daddy?
Hanna, terror-stricken, swings around and Lauren, screaming,
starts assaulting him.
WIDE
They slip in the tub and crash onto the bottom. Hanna can
barely restrain Lauren who has the strength of someone in
a psychotic episode.
CUT TO:
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EXT. CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL - BLACK AND WHITE - DAY
Code 3, pulls up and Justine runs out and sees:
JUSTINE'S POV: HANNA CARRYING LAUREN
out of a police ambulance wrapped in a towel like a baby.
His face is scratched and bleeding.
She struggles, but bent double in his arms, she's
immobilized. Attendants rush at them with a stretcher
with restraining belts. Hanna shoulders them aside and
races into emergency.
CUT TO:
INT. EMERGENCY CORRIDOR - TRACKING HANNA WITH LAUREN AS
JUSTINE - DAY
catches up.
HANNA
(to Lauren)
You're gonna be okay, baby.
Your mommy and me are here.
Everybody's here. We're going
to take care of you. We love
you...
Lauren relaxes in his arms, carried like a baby; and tears
stream down her face.
JUSTINE
one arm locked around Hanna - trying to see her daughter.
Then Lauren goes wild again and Hanna tightens.
ORDERLY
Let me take her.
HANNA
I got her.
DOCTOR
Watch her tongue!
HANNA
She's not epileptic! This isn't
a seizure.
DOCTOR
(to nurse)
5 mg of Thorazine.
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HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - HANNA + JUSTINE - LATER
his arm around her. She leans back against him.
HANNA
You okay, baby?
She shrugs. Then she moves closer to him and be pulls her
into his shoulder.
CUT TO:
INT - MERCEDES - NEIL + EADY - NIGHT
Neil drives. He's pensive. He sees the "Hyatt" sign.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Hey there, old aware ones, and
you, too, my fair ones ...
Neil KILLS THE RADIO.
EADY
What is it?
NEIL
(lies)
Nothing.
He turns the RADIO BACK ON.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Brought to you this fine day
which is A-okay!
The Mercedes is in the left. Suddenly Neil pulls across
three lanes and shoots up an offramp - fast. Neil checks
his watch.
NEIL
I got this errand to run that I
forgot.
EADY
The airport is right there. Is
there time?
NEIL
(continuing)
Sure. It's a thing I got to
take care of... is all.
CUT TO:
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EXT. HYATT HOUSE HOTEL - WIDE ON FRONT - NIGHT
A lot of traffic and lights. Neil drives the Mercedes
past the front and turns left at the corner into a dark
side street on the side of the hotel. He parks.
NEIL
(getting out)
Leave it running.
NEIL
crossing the street in his dark suit towards the hotel's
side entrance.
NEIL
...be right back, Eady.
He waves without looking.
EADY
(worried)
Neil...?
Some employees exit.
CUT TO:
INT. OFFICE - ON PAINTERS - NIGHT
Two house PAINTERS and all their gear are in an empty office
in front of a big picture window. Out the picture window
across the street is the Hyatt House. They're not painting.
They're playing gin on a cardboard box. Maybe they're on
their break.
CLOSE ON ONE PAINTER
He has a Nite vision light accumulater scope and looks
across at the hotel.
PAINTER ONE'S POV: STREET + MERCEDES
with Eady, exiting employees and Neil slips in the side
door.
PAINTER ONE
pans his scope up the hotel.
PAINTER TWO
What's going on?
PAINTER ONE
Nothing. He's watching TV.
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PAINTER ONE'S POV: ROOM 1403 + WAINGRO
across the way. He watches TV with his feet up.
PAINTERS
are police - Waingro's surveillance team.
PAINTER TWO
We going to finish this game or
what?
CUT TO:
INT. LOCKER ROOM - NEIL - NIGHT
crosses to a desk and red wall phone near some lockers.
The place is abandoned.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
(phone filter)
Hyatt House.
NEIL
(into phone; familiar)
Hi. It's the kitchen again.
A... "Jamieson" ordered a BLT
and they got his room number
screwed up.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
(phone filter)
They're always doing that.
(beat)
NEIL
(into phone)
Thanks, love.
Neil starts ransacking the lockers.
CUT TO:
EXT. HOTEL - EADY - NIGHT
in the Mercedes. Waiting. She stares at something strange.
WIDEN: it's her hand. It spasms. She grabs onto the
steering wheel to make it stop.
CUT TO:
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HOTEL LOCKER ROOM - NEIL'S
found a Hyatt security uniform. He puts on the short jacket
and San Brown belt and hat.
CUT TO:
INT. HYATT HOUSE, LOBBY - SERVICE DOOR: NEIL - NIGHT
enters and crosses to the elevators. He glances to his
left.
NEIL'S POV: DESK CLERK
talks on his police radio. TILT DOWN. A 9mm. Beretta is
under the counter top.
NEIL
continues to the elevators. It says he KNOWS Waingro is a
trap. He knows the LAPD are here. He's come for him
anyway.
CUT TO:
INT. SERVICE ELEVATOR - NEIL'S HAND - NIGHT
punches 14. PAN AROUND to Neil. The elevator rises. He
pulls his .45 and checks that there's a round in the
chamber. He slips it back into his waistband, cocked and
locked.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL, 14TH FLOOR ELEVATOR LOBBY - DOORS - NIGHT
slide open. Neil emerges. He does two things. He wedges
the ash tray to hold open the elevator door. Then, he
smashes the glass and sets off the fire alarm. Immediately
a SIREN SOUNDS. The building's elevators - except Neil's
descend. We HEAR:
PA (V.O.)
A fire has been reported. Please
leave your rooms now. Proceed
down marked fire exits. Use the
staircases. Do not use the
elevators. This is NOT a drill.
A fire...etc.
CUT TO:
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 148.
INT. APARTMENT - ON PAINTERS - NIGHT
PAINTER ONE
(still looking)
Yeah. Whyn't you call out for
pizza? Sausage, peppers,
onions...
(suddenly)
Hey.
PAINTER TWO
(ready)
What?
PAINTER ONE
That chick on the ninth floor
got naked and she's pressing
herself against the glass again.
PAINTER TWO
(crosses to window)
Let me see.
Painter One looks through the scope. He looks down at the
ninth floor and laughs. Then he looks away and sees
something else:
PAINTER TWO'S POV: ROOM
Waingro goes to a drawer, pulls out a gun and starts towards
the door.
PAINTER TWO (O.S.)
(shouts)
Oh, boy...!
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - HANNA WITH JUSTINE
OPERATOR (V.O.)
(PA system)
Lt. Hanna. Telephone. Lt. Hanna.
Hanna crosses to the nurse's station. TIGHTEN. He answers:
HANNA
(into phone)
Fuck McCauley. You handle it.
Call Bosko and Drucker in. Get
me at the hospital after.
JUSTINE
watching Hanna, heard the conversation.
Converted to PDF by www.screentalk.org 149.
HANNA
rejoins her and takes her hand. He looks at her and then
at the floor. He puts an around her.
JUSTINE
(really questioning)
...Will things change between
us?
HANNA
(beat)
I don't know...
(beat)
Probably not...
(beat)
...but I am reminded of how much
I love you. But that may not be
enough.
JUSTINE
(kisses him)
You have to go to work, don't
you?
HANNA
(touches her face)
Yeah.
As he's rising.
JUSTINE
Be careful, Vincent. Be very
careful...
(beat)
Let's keep on trying?
HANNA
walking backwards, facing her, nods "yes." The last thing
in the world he wants to do is leave. Then he turns and
starts running down the white marble corridor...
CUT TO:
INT. 14TH FLOOR CORRIDOR - NEIL - NIGHT
in the hotel security uniform approaches against the flow
of people leaving the floor. The emergency LIGHTING is on
and the PA fire alarm message still SOUNDS. Neil taps his
flashlight on the doors of 1404, 1405 and 1406 as well as
1403.
WAINGRO (O.S.)
Yeah?
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NEIL
I'm hotel security. We're
evacuating the floor.
WAINGRO (O.S.)
I can't leave.
NEIL
Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to.
CUT TO:
INT. ROOM 1403 - WAINGRO - NIGHT
looks through the peep hole.
WAINGRO'S POV: NEIL'S BACK AND CORRIDOR
A few patrons exit past the uniformed Neil. It looks
legitimate.
CUT TO:
INT. 14TH FLOOR HALLWAY - DOOR TO 1403
opens silently, half-way.
NEIL
looks inside. Waingro's obviously hidden behind the door
WIDE
Neil kicks the door and...
INT. 1403 - DOOR
smashes into Waingro. Neil hits the door again and it
smashes into waingro a second time.
NEIL
reaches around, grabs Waingro by the arm, dislocates his
shoulder, breaks his collarbone and throws him across the
room. Waingro's gun goes flying.
WAINGRO
on the sofa, seeing Neil McCauley. He feels his internal
organs drop through the floor. He looks away.
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LOW + WIDE
NEIL
I should have dumped you in that
parking lot. Look at me, you
sick fuck.
Waingro won't look at Neil.
NEIL
(continuing)
Gimme your eyes. 'Cause you're
gonna die.
Waingro, pathetically, obeys and looks up. Neil's .45
EXPLODES TWICE.
CLOSER: NEIL
now looks out the window, searching.
NEIL'S POV: HIGH RISE ACROSS THE STREET + "PAINTER" TWO
staring at Neil through the Nite vision scope, disbelieving.
Neil sees "Painter" One is shouting into his police radio...
INT. 1403 - NEIL'S
surprised not at all. He expected the police. He turns
away from the window, looks once at Waingro and leaves the
room.
CUT TO:
INT. MERCEDES - EADY - NIGHT
twisted in her seat, trying to see, frightened by the noise
and sirens. WIDEN. An L.A.P.D. fire engine ROARS in.
Now an unmarked car skids into the driveway. Drucker,
Bosko and others spill out carrying shotguns. A black and
white parks perpendicular to the traffic flow and halts
cars. She's worried, confused.
CUT TO:
INT. ROOM 1403 - WAINGRO - NIGHT
dead iN sitting position on the sofa with his head back as
if he fell asleep watching the football game.
CUT TO:
INT. HANNA'S UNMARKED CAR - HANNA - NIGHT
cruising scanning the streets. He's aggressively searching
for something.
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HANNA
(into radio)
Casals come in.
CASALS (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Vincent. I'm in the southeast
stairwell.
HANNA
(into radio)
What's the situation?
CASALS (V.O.)
(radio filter)
Three teams are moving up the
other three stairwells to the
14th floor. Elevators are out
of commission because of the
fire alarm. Surveillance said
McCauley looked right at 'em.
Didn't seem surprised.
HANNA
(into radio)
It means he knew we were here
and came anyway.
CASALS (V.O.)
(radio filter;
continuing)
I got two Special Weapons Teams
deployed at the front and back
exits. Choppers.
On their way. You want a command center in the...
HANNA
(into radio;
interrupts)
Yeah, yeah, that's fine. Stay
on it. 10-4.
For some reason Hanna's disinterested. He's moving down a
different track. He's cruising the streets looking for
something else.
HANNA'S POV: SIDE STREETS
adjoining the hotel are cluttered with emergency vehicles,
cars, pedestrians, on-lookers, service people from adjoining
buildings.
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HANNA
trying to see through, past, around everything. We don't
know what it is he's looking
HANNA'S POV: FIRE ENGINE, AMBULANCE, MERCEDES, BLACK AND
WHITE...
Then Hanna's P.O.V. PANS LEFT back to the Mercedes. The
woman waiting in the passenger seat. It is Eady. She's a
block down. A woman waiting...in a car...alone.
CLOSER: HANNA
It's what he was looking for.
EXT. STREET - WIDE
Hanna is out of the car in the jammed street, running
towards Eady and the Mercedes a block away.
EXT. HOTEL, SIDE DOOR - NEIL
emerges and APPROACHES CAMERA. In the foreground is Eady
in the Mercedes.
CLOSER: NEIL
calm, assured, approaches the car for the short drive to
the airport. Then, Neil senses and...
SIDE ANGLE: NEIL
turns and looks over his left shoulder.
NEIL'S POV: VINCENT HANNA
a half block away, running through vehicles and incoming
on-lookers right at him.
NEIL MCCAULEY
stops. He turns to Eady.
EADY
looks at him, quizzically.
HANNA
running towards Neil and Eady.
EADY
climbing out of the Mercedes, now, confused...
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NEIL
starting to leave, moving at an oblique angle. Looking at
her ... leaving her ...
EADY
next to the Mercedes. Shouting at Neil. We can't hear
what she says. SIRENS and NOISE of an ambulance.
HANNA
AMBULANCE pulls in front of him, blocks him. He's around
it, pushing a news crew out of the way, stops.
MERCEDES WITH EADY
in the street. Alone. No Neil.
HANNA
spins around, searching.
HIGH + WIDE: HANNA
in the sea of people and vehicles, crossing drivewaYs and
landscaping. Hanna - against the tide - moving away from
the crime scene and police barricades to neighboring
buildings.
FRONTAL: HANNA
through the crowd, searching. People pushed aside so he
can see. Then...
HANNA POV: THROUGH OFFICE BUILDING LOBBY TO REAR PARKING
LOT
A figure is running between cars. Beyond are the lights
of an L1011 ten feet off the ground about to touch down.
CUT TO:
EXT. RUNWAY APRON - L1011 - NIGHT
ROARING through the frame. Reveal Neil jumping a fence
and running across the grass between power units and the
racks of lights strobing their arrow sequence at the head
of the runway. Beyond is Sepulveda Boulevard and normal
traffic.
NEIL
running towards us.
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EXT. RUNWAY - L1011
it's landing gear down, its lights blasting into the lens
fills the frame as it descends to the runway. It wipes
out the strobe racks in a chaotic blast of xenon.
EXT. RUNWAY APRON - LONG SHOT:
HANNA
runs across the grass between the fence to the strobe
lights.
CLOSER: HANNA
among the structures housing the ballasts for the lights.
The ROAR of a 757's 95,000 lbs. of thrust beats an him.
He spins to protect his face. His clothes and hair are
whipped. As he runs to us ...
CLOSER: HANNA
looks up..
HANNA POV: UP INTO LIGHTS SEARCHING FOR NEIL. SUDDENLY:
NEIL (SLO MO)
is there. His .45 is up, centered into Hanna's face.
He's eight feet away, framed against the glaring racks of
strobes.
NEIL'S HAND (SLO MO)
squeezing the trigger, both eyes over the front sight,
moving laterally on target through the liquid air and
lights...
NEIL'S .45 (SLO MO)
as the trigger's squeezed and the sear's released and...
MACRO: THE .45's HAMMER (SLO MO) falling.
HANNA (SLO MO)
coming up with his 9mn. He's too late...
NEIL
The hammer drops. Nothing. His .45 misfires.
HANNA (SLO MO)
His 9mm. coming up...
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NEIL'S HAND (SLO MO)
swipes across the .45's slide.
MACRO: THE BREECH OF NEIL'S .45 (SLO MO)
The misfired round, ejected and spinning away. The new
round, moving forward, the slide returning to battery...
HANNA
FIRES THREE perfectly controlled, hammered-on SHOTS. His
front sight barely moved.
NEIL
HIT THREE TIMES in the chest - is blown back into the racks
of lights. He lies still.
HANNA
approaches, slowly. His gun hand drops to his side.
WIDE: NEIL + HANNA
Neil's on the ground, his back against the rack. One arm
is in his lap. The other is flung over the top bar of the
strobe rack. Neil looks at Hanna and gestures with his
hand. Hanna takes it. Neil holds on tight.
NEIL
last breath.
NEIL
...not half bad.
HANNA
...pretty good your own self.
Then Neil's eyes dim. And he dies.
LONG REAR SHOT: HANNA + NEIL
Neil's head has fallen onto his shoulder. Hanna still
grips his hand and looks down the runway into the west at
the lines of blue runway lights like rivers. The two of
them stay there like that.
THE END
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