CRADLE TO THE GRAVE
Written by
John O'Brien and Channing Gibson
Story by
John O'Brien
May 2002 Draft
FOR EDUCATIONAL
PURPOSES ONLY
2.
FADE IN:
EXT. STREETS (LOS ANGELES) - DAY
End of the day. An armored truck moves through the city of
Los Angeles.
EXT. JEWELRY EXCHANGE - DAY
The armored truck pulls up. An ARMORED TRUCK GUARD emerges
from the back with a satchel and heads inside.
INT. JEWELRY EXCHANGE - LOBBY - CONTINUOUS ACTION
A large foyer. Security station and elevators. PARTY SOUNDS
can be heard from a second floor balcony.
DOUGLAS is the security guard manning the station. Seeing
the Armored car Guard entering, he picks up the phone and
dials. Beat. Into phone --
DOUGLAS
Last delivery's finally here.
The Armored Truck Guard approaches the security station. As
he and Douglas exchange paperwork, the Armored Truck Guard
references the sounds from upstairs --
ARMORED TRUCK GUARD
Party?
DOUGLAS
Introducing a new line of jewelry.
ARMORED TRUCK GUARD
Wife wants me to buy her a ruby ring.
Told her to spend a little time with
the family jewels first.
PING. An ELEVATOR opens. A second security guard's inside.
Handing over the satchel and heading out --
ARMORED TRUCK GUARD
Keep it real.
INT. ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS ACTION
We see the security guard with the satchel use a key-card to
gain elevator access to the lower floors. As the elevator
doors slide closed...
3.
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - MOMENTS LATER
An exclusive showroom. Display tables empty. At one end of
the room, the elevator. At the other end, the open door to
a walk-in vault.
The ELEVATOR PINGS, and the doors open. The guard emerges
with the cart. Pushes it across the room to the outside of
the vault.
A man in a suit emerges from the vault and starts unloading
the cart into the vault.
INT. SUBWAY STATION - DAY
A train arrives. People jostle on and off.
One man remains on the platform. MILES. Crisp dresser.
Carrying a large leather bag. A cylinder hanging by a strap
over his shoulder.
The train doors begin to close. When...
A fist inserts itself between the doors. They re-open, and
a man steps onto the platform. TONY FAIT. Well-dressed.
Intense.
Fait joins Miles. They watch the train pull out. They
check to make sure the station's empty. Then jump off the
platform into the tunnel and disappear.
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
The man in the suit has finished unloading the cart. He
closes the heavy vault door and spins a large wheel on the
door, securing the vault.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - DAY
Fait and Miles run down the dark tunnel, staying close to
the wall. Miles stumbles. Falls toward the deadly, high-
voltage third rail.
Out of nowhere, Fait's hand grabs Miles' jacket. Stops him.
Just before he hits. Inches from the rail. Fait pulls him
back up and away from the danger.
FAIT
Watch yourself.
Miles nods.
4.
FAIT
Keep it tight.
Miles nods again, and they set off.
INT. JEWELRY EXCHANGE - LOBBY - DAY
Sounds of the PARTY continue from upstairs. At the security
station, the guard, Douglas, looks up from a magazine and
scans the security monitors.
ANGLE - SECURITY MONITORS
depicting the empty vault, empty vault anteroom, various
empty store areas and the elevator, in which we see the man
in the suit riding up.
BACK TO SCENE
Douglas settles back in with his magazine.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - DAY
Fait and Miles reach an access door tagged with paint. Fait
starts to open it.
Suddenly, the tunnel is filled with the ROAR of an
APPROACHING TRAIN. Fait and Miles leap to the wall. Press
their backs against it as tightly as they can.
The TRAIN whooms past, inches from their faces. When it's
gone, Miles sighs with relief. Fait cracks the access door.
INT. SUBWAY UTILITY TUNNELS - DAY
Fait moves quickly, Miles following. Fait makes fast lefts
and rights, following more spray paint.
They branch off into a small dirt-floored space, deep in the
sub-foundation of a building. Fait stops. Overhead is a
flat ceiling. On the ceiling, his flashlight finds a spray-
painted circle.
FAIT
Bull's-eye.
Without a word, Miles begins assembling equipment. Fait
pulls out a cell phone.
EXT. PARKING GARAGE - (SANTA MONICA) ROOFTOP - DAY
5.
A man, DUNCAN SU, sits in a rental 2002 Thunderbird.
INT. SU'S RENTAL T-BIRD - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Su's focused, intense, listening to a fancy WALKMAN through
HEADPHONES. We hear what he hears. Only there's no music,
just STATIC.
Suddenly, on Su's headphones, a PHONE RINGS. Su grows even
more alert. We hear a man with a French accent answer the
phone.
CHRISTOPHE (V.O.)
Yes?
FAIT (V.O.)
We're in position.
CHRISTOPHE (V.O.)
Delivery confirmed. The stones are
there.
FAIT (V.O.)
Not for long.
CLICK. HISS.
Su didn't like what he just heard. Curses in Chinese. And
takes off.
EXT. CHRISTOPHE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
Perched on the side of a cliff above the Pacific, next to
the park. The top floor is at street level.
Su easily gains access to the roof of the building. He
moves to an exact position just at the ocean-side edge. It's
an eight-story drop.
Su faces in. And then... Hops backward off the roof.
Falling feet-first through the air, Su momentarily grabs
onto an eight-floor balcony rail, slowing his descent, then
lets go.
Momentarily grabs a seventh-floor rail and lets go. Grabs a
sixth-floor rail. Hangs on this time. Vaults lightly onto
the balcony.
INT. CHRISTOPHE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY
6.
A large, free-standing FISH TANK BUBBLES away. Nearby,
CHRISTOPHE is packing to leave town. When...
SU (0.S.)
Where are the stones?
Christophe turns. Sees Su standing behind him.
CHRISTOPHE
(French accent)
Who the fuck are you?
Wham. The Chinese boxing version of a bitch-slap.
SU
Who's getting them for you?
CHRISTOPHE
Fuck off.
Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Much more violent than a bitch-
slap.
CHRISTOPHE
I'll tell you.
SU
I know.
INT. SUB-FOUNDATION - DAY
A plasma torch burns through the metal-reinforced slab
overhead. Fait taps Miles, who turns off the torch.
Fait hammers at the last layer. And...
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION
A hole appears under the private display table, where it
can't be seen by the room's security camera.
INT. SUB-FOUNDATION - DAY
Fait communicates via a high-tech, transmitting/receiving
earwig.
FAIT
Daria.
INT. JEWELRY EXCHANGE - LOBBY - DAY
Douglas looks up from his magazine and checks the security
monitors again. Everything a-okay.
7.
ANGLE - FRONT DOOR
A limo pulls up outside.
EXT. JEWELRY EXCHANGE - DAY
A uniformed chauffeur gets out of the limo, moves to the
back and opens the door. A very attractive woman in a
short, tight dress emerges.
INT. JEWELRY EXCHANGE - LOBBY - DAY
Escorted by the chauffeur, the woman, DARIA, enters. She
approaches the security station. Up close, in the light,
Daria's even more alluring. And knows how to wield it.
DARIA
I'm here for the reception.
DOUGLAS
Name, please?
DARIA
Angie Rawlins.
Douglas scans a list of names. Checks off hers.
DOUGLAS
Thank you. You can go on up. Front
elevator, to the mezzanine.
Daria turns toward the elevator. Then doesn't go. Just
glances up toward the party, suddenly unenthusiastic.
DARIA
... I hate these things. Don't you
hate these things?
DOUGLAS
I'm just here to do my job.
Daria looks back at Douglas. Studies him a moment. Liking
what she sees.
DARIA
Then again, you never know who you're
going to meet...
She shifts her wrap, baring cleavage. Then leans over the
desk. Giving Douglas an eyeful.
DARIA
8.
I'll bet you're a lot more fun than
any of those boring people upstairs.
Douglas is unaffected. Just looks at her blankly.
DOUGLAS
Really, ma'am. I have a job to do.
Daria doesn't understand why he's not interested in her.
Then she glimpses Douglas's magazine lying on the desk.
DARIA'S POV
The magazine is Genre. Males for males. Buff boys. Big
pecs, big penises.
BACK TO SCENE
Daria steps back.
DARIA
Well, I suppose I should go up and
see what they're selling.
Daria turns back and calls to her chauffeur, TOMMY.
DARIA
Tommy...
What happens next happens very quickly and sotto voce, as
Daria walks toward Tommy:
She whispers into a hidden mike --
DARIA
Change of plans. He's gay.
Tommy hears it over his earwig.
TOMMY
No way.
DARIA
Yeah way.
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. SUB-FOUNDATION - DAY
Fait and Miles have heard it, too. Into his mike --
FAIT
Tommy. Your turn.
9.
A look of alarm on Tommy's face. Into his mike --
TOMMY
Uh-uh.
FAIT
This isn't a conversation. Do it.
It's an order. Tommy knows he has to. Shit.
TOMMY
Shit.
DARIA
Key-card.
Then, still to Tommy, her voice again at normal volume --
DARIA
Why don't you keep my purse? I
shouldn't be too long.
Daria hands Tommy her purse. Palms the key-card from him.
Then heads toward the elevator, as...
Tommy replaces the sick look on his face. Does his best to
look flirty as he walks over to the security station. Leans
over the desk with a yummy-smile on his face.
TOMMY
... Aloha.
(NOTE: The following scene is INTERCUT with Scenes 20
thru 28.)
Douglas looks up from his magazine.
DOUGLAS
Hi.
TOMMY
I hope you don't take offense at
this... but I just have such a
weakness for a man in uniform.
DOUGLAS
If that's your thing...
TOMMY
Uniform's definitely my thing. I
mean, I see a sailor, I'm thinking,
mmm, seafood. Y'know?
DOUGLAS
I'm not actually supposed to be
10.
talking on duty.
TOMMY
Who's talking? Honey, this is a
flirting... But you're probably just
another good-looking man wasting it
all on women. World's full of fools.
Beat. Douglas lets him see the Genre magazine.
TOMMY
Yahtzee!... Okay, Mr. I-Always-Have-
A-Hard-Nightstick. Put away the
pictures of those underfed, white
males and let's broaden your
horizons.
TOMMY (CONT'D)
I like sunsets and puppy dogs, and
I'm big in the pants. Just hope I'm
not too cute for you. And don't tell
me it's a color thing, hon, or I'll
come over there and slap a little
discrimination right upside your
yummy little cheeks.
DOUGLAS
I'm hooked up.
TOMMY
Another big, hot, cuddly, black love-
Jesus got there first. That bitch.
Taking you. From me.
DOUGLAS
Sorry.
TOMMY
Hey... This day and age, sweetie, I
can appreciate the monogamy. Saving
it for your number one is keeping the
world safe, and it's okay by me.
Even if you are just breaking my
heart... Guess I'll just have to come
in here someday, let you catch me
shoplifting and resist arrest -- just
to have you wrestle me down and cuff
me.
DOUGLAS
I can be pretty rough.
TOMMY
Don't you get me all excited now. I
was just learning to accept my
disappointment.
11.
Tommy sticks out his hand.
TOMMY
Tommy. But you can call me Rachel.
Shaking hands --
DOUGLAS
Douglas. And, man, I really gotta
get back to what I'm supposed to be
doing, okay?
He looks away. Scans the monitors.
ANGLE - MONITORS
Everything looks normal.
ANGLE BACK ON TOMMY AND DOUGLAS
Seeing Douglas is unaware of what's happening in the vault,
Tommy relaxes.
TOMMY
I'll leave you alone. But is it okay
if I just stand here and stare at the
muscles I'll be missing for the rest
of my
life?
OFF which...
INT. ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Daria gets in. Looks back to make sure Tommy has Douglas's
attention. He does.
Instead of going up, Daria uses the key-card to access the
controls to go down.
ANOTHER ANGLE
As the doors close, Daria shoots a wink back at...
TOMMY
who furtively flips her the bird. Never missing a beat with
Douglas.
12.
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
Fait emerges from the hole beneath the table.
INT. LOBBY - SECURITY STATION - DAY
On the monitors, we see Fait in the vault anteroom and Daria
descending in the elevator as Tommy keeps Douglas's
attention diverted.
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
Fait holds a small digital camera next to the room's
security camera. Mimicking the security camera's slow pan,
Fait films the room. When he's done....
CLOSEUP - FAIT'S DIGITAL CAMERA
We see the panning shot of the room on the monitor. Fait
pulls up an on-screen menu, clicks on "Repeat." Whereupon
the mini-movie begins playing in a continuous loop.
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
As Fait mounts his camera in front of the security camera,
Daria steps off the elevator, putting her hair up, ready to
work.
INT. LOBBY - SECURITY STATION - DAY
On the anteroom monitor, we see the monitor on Fait's camera
slide into position, making the room look empty, as Tommy
continues diverting Douglas's attention.
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
Fait and Daria push the display table aside as Miles shoves
equipment bags through the hole in the floor.
Fait opens the leather bag, revealing tools, a tripod, three
steel cables and a long, rectangular box. Miles grabs a
high-tech DRILL. Begins BORING a hole high up on the vault
door.
Fait hands Daria the tripod to set up, while he uncoils the
steel cables, attaches them to the wheel on the vault door.
Then opens the rectangular box and lifts out what's inside.
A surface-to-air missile. Fait sets it on the tripod.
13.
Miles, the hole drilled, picks up the cylinder he'd had
slung over his shoulder. Pulls out a pressurized metal
canister of liquid nitrogen.
Miles injects the nitrogen into the hole. A CRACKLING sound
as the super-low-temp LIQUID spreads out inside the vault
door. The outside frosts over.
Fait finishes attaching the free ends of the cables to clips
on the SAM. Final checks of the rig.
FAIT
Out.
INT. SU'S RENTAL T-BIRD - DAY
Speeding through L.A. Calling 911 on a cell phone.
SU
... I want to report a crime in
progress.
INT. SUB-FOUNDATION - DAY
Fait is the last one down through the hole. Beat. He looks
at the others.
FAIT
Faith.
MILES
Faith.
DARIA
Faith.
Fait pulls out a remote control firing device. He pushes
the button. And...
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
The SAM IGNITES with a blinding flash and streaks across the
room. The steel cables instantly snap taut and... RIP the
vault's wheel and frozen locking mechanism right the fuck
out of the door.
INT. LOBBY - SECURITY STATION - DAY
They felt a rumble. Tommy covers --
TOMMY
Earthquake.
14.
Douglas checks the monitors. Everything looks okay.
TOMMY
Bet you know how to hit a ten on the
Richter scale...
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
The crew re-emerges through the floor to find the vault door
in pieces and a hole the size of a Sub Zero where the SAM
augured into the opposite wall.
DARIA
Holy shit...
Fait's already swinging open the vault.
FAIT
This will trigger the silent alarm.
Let's go. We got eleven minutes.
Miles moves down the rows of drawers, using a tool to pop
all the locks. Fait and Daria follow behind, quickly pulling
out the drawers and emptying jewels into nylon bags. Fait
empties drawer after drawer. All white diamonds. When...
He opens a drawer containing various colored diamonds. And
stops, admiring them.
FAIT
... I love colored stones... Look at
this...
He holds up a small, faceted blue diamond.
FAIT
Two-point-seven million.
Into the bag.
MILES
Whose shit we stealing, anyway?
FAIT
Drug dealers and money launderers.
DARIA
Works for me.
Then something else catches his eye. He holds up a small,
pink diamond on a chain. Admires it.
FAIT
This I can use.
15.
And pockets it.
DARIA
T.
Fait moves to her. Daria's fishing into a nylon bag she
found in a drawer. Pulls out a handful of... Large black
diamonds. Many more in the bag.
FAIT
Pow.
He takes the bag. Stows it in his jacket. When...
Suddenly, Fait's CELL PHONE RINGS. Surprising them. Beat.
Fait answers.
FAIT
Go.
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. SU'S RENTAL T-BIRD - DAY
Su's speeding through Los Angeles streets.
SU
Your employer betrayed you. The
police are on the way. Leave the
black stones.
FAIT
Who is this?
SU
You know the ones I mean.
FAIT
Don't think I'll do that.
Fait just hangs up.
INT. LOBBY - SECURITY STATION - DAY
Tommy and Douglas hear APPROACHING SIRENS. The SIRENS STOP
outside. SWAT, cops, the works. All heading for the front
door. Tommy whispers urgently into his mike.
TOMMY
Shit. Five-0 at the do'.
(then, aloud to
Douglas)
Better move my car.
16.
INT. VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
Fait grabs a bag of jewels.
FAIT
Go time. Leave the rest.
INT. LOBBY - SECURITY STATION - DAY
SWAT swarms in.
Tommy exits behind them.
INT./EXT. LIMO - DAY
Tommy gets in. A SWAT COP signals him.
SWAT COP
Move it out.
INT. UTILITY TUNNELS - DAY
Fait, Miles, and Daria run.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - DAY
Slam! Fait, Miles, and Daria blast out the access door.
Fait kneels, feels the track.
FAIT
Stopped the trains.
(then)
We're in the rabbit hole, they're
sending down the snakes.
(then)
Daria comes with me.
(to Miles)
I got no idea where you should go,
but you know where to end up.
Miles nods.
FAIT
Faith.
MILES
Faith.
INT. SU'S RENTAL T-BIRD - DAY
17.
Su studies a computer map of downtown as he drives.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - MILES - DAY
running like hell. Rounds a curve. Ahead are the rear
lights of a stopped train.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - FAIT AND DARIA - DAY
Approaching the front of another train, stopped at a
station. Fait signals Daria to stay put. Then pokes his
head around the corner of the train.
FAIT'S POV - STATION PLATFORM
SWAT cops hustle passengers off the train. One SWAT GUY
helps another up to check the top of the train. The SECOND
COP jumps back down.
SWAT COP #2
All clear.
ANGLE BACK
Fait turns back to Daria. Signals her to climb up onto the
top of the train. Then begins climbing after her.
As Fait reaches the driver's window, he sees ANOTHER SWAT
COP approaching the train's DRIVER, checking under seats,
etc.
Fait has to climb fast. The SWAT Guy and the Driver getting
closer. Looking up. Just as...
INT. SUBWAY TRAIN - THEIR POV - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Fait's leg just clears the window. They don't see it.
But...
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS ACTION
As Fait rolls onto the top of the train...
INT. SUBWAY TRAIN - CONTINUOUS ACTION
The NOISE causes the SWAT Cop to react. To the Driver --
SWAT COP #3
Hold it.
18.
A moment, as they stop and the Cop looks around. The Cop
checks the Driver's compartment. Nothing.
SWAT COP #3
(radios)
Train's clear.
The Cop exits. The Driver enters his compartment.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS ACTION
ANOTHER SWAT COP stands outside the Driver's window.
DRIVER
Okay to go?
SWAT COP #4
Just hang tight.
During which, just above them...
Fait and Daria lie very still. Daria's tense. Fait winks at
her, trying to relax her. Daria's still tense. He raises his
eyebrows slightly. Shifts his gaze down.
She doesn't get it. Finally follows his gaze. Sees her
position is giving him a full view of her cleavage. She
looks back at him in disbelief.
FAIT
Nice.
That does it. She relaxes and smiles back. Under which a
voice crackles over the SWAT Cop's radio.
RADIO (V.O.)
All clear.
SWAT COP #4
(to Driver)
Okay. Get this train outta here.
Whereupon the train jerks to a start.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - MILES - DAY
running toward the rear of the stopped train. Leaping onto
the rear steps. When...
Out of nowhere, a foot catches him in the head, sending him
flying back down onto the rails. And... There is Su in
front of him.
19.
SU
The stones.
MILES
You'll have to come and get 'em.
Su moves on Miles. Miles throws a solid punch at him. Su
and Miles fight on the track behind the stopped train. The
deadly third rail making the fight even more dangerous.
Miles is a street boxer. He's good. He's ferocious. But
he's no match for Su. When Miles is subdued, Su grabs the
bag of jewels, makes sure Miles doesn't have any more, then
goes.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - SUBWAY CAR ROOF - DAY
Rocketing underground. The tunnel ceiling whizzes by above
Fait and Daria. Intermittent tunnel fixtures just inches
from their heads.
Every time the train takes a curve, they both slide toward
the edge. Fait places a calming hand on top of Daria's. The
car takes a wide curve.
Daria's body flips to the side. She loses her grip.
Screams as she starts to fall off the train. Fait reaches
for Daria, losing his grip on his bag, which plummets off
the train.
Fait can't grab her. The train jerks again. He starts
sliding away from her, off the opposite side. Fait thrusts
out both hands as far as he can. And...
Just snags her at the last second. Grips Daria's wrists
with all he's got. They're now draped across the curved roof
of the train. Hands in the middle. If Daria slips, or Fait
lets her go, they both die.
INT. RENTAL T-BIRD (OUTSIDE SUBWAY ENTRANCE) - DAY
Su gets in. Empties Miles' nylon bag into his lap. A
fortune in gems and jewelry pours out. Su sifts through it,
increasingly agitated. What he wants isn't there. He throws
the bag down, cursing in Chinese.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - SUBWAY CAR ROOF - DAY
Fait is at his limit. His grip starts to loosen. When the
train begins to slow. They pull into a station and stop.
Fait releases Daria, and she drops to the platform.
20.
Fait jumps down on the other side. He's lost the bag of
jewels. Knows they're gone for good. He feels for the bag
of black diamonds. Still has them.
Unseen, Fait joins Daria on the platform, and, hand in hand,
they melt into the crowd of commuters.
EXT. AIRPORT - GENERAL AVIATION TERMINAL - DUSK
A stretch limo and a Cadillac Escalade wait on the tarmac
next to a Gulfstream, which has just arrived.
The jet door opens, and a man emerges with a bodyguard. The
man, LING, is Asian, about forty. Emanates grace and power.
As Ling descends the steps, and two thugs from the SUV go to
retrieve baggage...
A woman steps out of the waiting limo to greet Ling. She's
also Asian. Dressed in American casual. Beautiful. SONA.
She's not smiling. As Ling approaches her --
LING
Enjoying California?
CHARLES, the bodyguard, answers for himself.
CHARLES
Hope we're not here long. I hate
sunshine.
Ling kisses Sona on the lips. Then --
SONA
We may have a problem.
Ling's mood quickly darkens.
LING
The stones?
SONA
The exchange was just robbed.
LING
... Let's hope that was part of the
plan.
INT. JEWELRY EXCHANGE - VAULT ANTEROOM - DAY
Swarming with police. When... Su steps off the elevator.
He's carrying the bag of jewels he took from Miles. To a
COP --
SU
21.
Who's in charge?
COP
Who wants to know?
Su flashes I.D. We don't see it. The Cop scopes it a
moment. He's clearly impressed.
COP
Follow me.
As he leads Su toward his superiors in the vault...
INT. VANESSA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
VANESSA, eight, is in her pajamas, playing SIM Coaster on
her computer. The door opens. Fait enters. His daughter.
FAIT
You know it's past your bedtime.
VANESSA
Just a little longer.
FAIT
(imitating sweetly)
'Just a little longer'... School
tomorrow, baby. Let's go.
Vanessa sighs. Fait stands over her as she shuts down the
computer, talking her through the commands, making sure she
doesn't dawdle.
FAIT
'Exit.' 'Quit.' 'Do not save.'
'Special.' 'Shut down.' Sleepy-
time.
Whereupon he whisks her out of her chair, flies her once
around the room and tucks her into bed.
FAIT
You bag some Z's now, you hear?
VANESSA
Okay.
FAIT
... Wait a second.
VANESSA
What?
FAIT
I think there's something behind your
22.
ear.
VANESSA
Oh, please, that is so lame. It's in
your hand.
She takes his right hand, opens it and turns it over.
Nothing. Takes his left hand, opens it and turns it over.
More nothing. She's stumped.
Fait smiles. Puts his hands together. When he opens them,
there is the pink diamond pendant on the chain.
VANESSA
How'd you do that?
Fait slips the chain over her head and kisses her.
FAIT
Good night.
Then Fait looks up. Addresses the air above her.
FAIT
Angels east, angels west, north and
south, do your best. Guard her,
watch her, while she rests.
A bedtime ritual. Fait goes. When she's alone, Vanessa
holds up the diamond, which catches every bit of available
light and shines in the dark.
Then she rolls over and closes her eyes.
INT. FAIT'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Fait enters. Vanessa's nanny, TONITA, is there. To Tonita
--
FAIT
She'll stay down now.
TONITA
She won't listen to me lately. Only
you.
FAIT
I'll have a talk with her about it
tomorrow.
Still to the nanny --
FAIT
I got some work to do in the office.
You can go on to bed.
23.
TONITA
I'm watching TV, if you need me.
Fait exits.
INT. FAIT'S BAR/LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Fait enters. Tommy and Daria are there.
TOMMY
What the hell happened?
Fait puts a finger to his lips. Leads them across the room
to another door.
INT. FAIT'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
They enter. Fait shuts the door.
TOMMY
Should we be considering a
long vacation in a warm,
foreign climate where there's
no extradition?
Fait's thinking it through.
FAIT
The guy who called was only
interested in the black stones...
DARIA
Christophe sold us out.
FAIT
Or something.
Just then, Miles enters.
DARIA
You made it.
MILES
By the skin of my ass. Some
Chinese dude kicked me around
the motherfuckin' block. Busted
my ear piece.
He takes the broken communication device out of his ear and
tosses it on the table.
MILES
Snagged my loot, too... Maybe time to
24.
rethink the no-gun policy.
TOMMY
Little ass-whuppin's nothing. 'Least
you didn't have to play all foxy with
the rent-a-cop.
Fait pulls out the bag of black diamonds.
FAIT
Means this is all we got.
DARIA
So what do we do?
FAIT
You all wait to hear from me.
TOMMY
Where're you going?
FAIT
To get some answers.
Miles moves to go with him.
MILES
I got your back.
FAIT
No. I got us into this. I'll call
you if I need you.
Daria moves to him. Their eyes meet.
DARIA
Be careful.
Fait gives her a kiss. Then goes.
INT. CHRISTOPHE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Christophe's arms are wrapped around the large fish tank,
one arm over the top, the other through the legs of the
stand. His hands are bound. He can't move. His beaten
face is pressed to the glass. Large, weird fish swim past
in front of him.
The weird fish scatter as a face appears on the other side
of the tank. Ling. Looking through at Christophe.
Ling straightens and walks around the tank. Sona is with
him. So is Charles, the bodyguard. In b.g., the two thugs
stand sentry near the front door. Christophe's eyes follow
them.
25.
LING
So this is Mr. Christophe?
SONA
Yes. Only the handcuffs and fish
tank are a new look.
LING
Apparently we're not his first
visitors today.
CHRISTOPHE
Please, Monsieur Ling --
Ling interrupts him with a hand on the shoulder.
LING
Whatever you're going to say... Make
it the truth.
EXT. ARCHIE'S AMERICAN SURPLUS - M1A1 TANK - NIGHT
Sitting in the middle of the large lot, which is full of hot
goods and military surplus equipment. The tank's turret is
spinning around. The cannon elevating and depressing
seemingly at random. When...
The cannon stops. Having locked on...Fait, standing in
front of the tank. From inside the tank, a muffled voice.
VOICE (O.S.)
Bang.
A hatch opens. ARCHIE, a fairly straight-ahead-looking man,
pops his head up out of the tank.
ARCHIE
Like it?
FAIT
It's cool.
As Archie climbs out of the tank and joins Fait --
ARCHIE
Want it? Give you a good deal. Ammo
included... Reactive armor, twin M240
machine guns, 120mm smoothbore
cannon. Guaranteed to get you
through the rougher areas of the city
and keep the neighbors in line.
FAIT
Pass.
26.
ARCHIE
How about a Marine Corps assault
hovercraft?
FAIT
I got other business.
Fait and Archie walk to a work table. Nearby, two MEN
UNLOAD HOT TVS from a truck. One Man calls to Archie.
MAN UNLOADING HOT TVS
We're outta room over here, Arch.
ARCHIE
Stack 'em in the office, if you have
to.
Then Archie turns his attention back to Fait.
ARCHIE
... You weren't downtown tonight by
any chance, were you, Tony?
FAIT
Don't know what you're talking about.
ARCHIE
Me either.
FAIT
Ever see black diamonds before?
ARCHIE
White, blue, yellow, pink. Neil
Diamond. Lou Diamond Phillips.
Black diamonds? Solid rocks? No.
Whereupon Fait opens the nylon bag and pours the black
diamonds out onto the table. Archie pulls out a loup.
Studies them a moment. Shrugs.
ARCHIE
You got me.
FAIT
Find out how much they're worth.
ARCHIE
There a timetable on this, or --
FAIT
Yesterday.
ARCHIE
That's what I figured.
27.
Fait's heading out.
FAIT
I'll be back. I gotta go fuck over a
guy who fucked me over.
INT. CHRISTOPHE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - HALLWAY - NIGHT
Fait opens a door with an electronic lock pick.
INT. CHRISTOPHE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Fait enters. Stops a moment, his back against the closed
door, while his eyes adjust to the dark. Then moves quietly
out into the room. Looking for Christophe.
Fait continues moving around through the room. When he
steps in something wet. He bends down and checks it out.
Water. The carpet's soaked.
His eyes go to something. Fait finds a cord and turns on a
switch. The light in the fish tank snaps on.
REVEAL Christophe. Stuffed inside the tank. Sleeping with
the fishes.
SU (O.S.)
Looks dead to me.
Behind him. Fait turns around. Sees Su. Sitting on a
sofa.
FAIT
Guess you got to him first.
SU
Not me. Someone else.
Fait does the math.
FAIT
... You're the one who called me.
The one who took on my guy... Who the
fuck are you, man?
SU
My name is Su.
FAIT
Cool. I'm Sally.
SU
I want the black stones.
28.
FAIT
Yeah? Make me an offer.
Su stands.
SU
You can walk out of here.
FAIT
... No deal.
Fait launches himself at Su. Gonna fight his way out the
door. A much better fighter than Miles. And... He's saved
by the bell: the PHONE RINGS. The fight stops. The
phone's near Fait. Beat. The answering machine picks up.
CHRISTOPHE (V.O.)
Christophe here. Leave a message.
BEEP.
LING (V.O.)
I know you're there, Mr. Fait.
Beat. Fait pushes the button for the speakerphone.
FAIT
Who's this?
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Overlooking L.A. Ling and Sona. Enjoying hotel room
service. Ling's on a cell phone.
LING
The man for whom Mr. Christophe
arranged to have the black stones
brought into the country and
deposited at the jewelry exchange.
The man who wants them back. Now.
FAIT
Fine. How much?
LING
Maybe you didn't understand me. The
stones are already mine.
FAIT
I got 'em, I'm selling 'em. So get
your bid in or go fuck yourself.
29.
LING
I don't have time for this.
FAIT
That your final offer?
LING
I can be a very dangerous man, Mr.
Fait.
Fait just hangs up.
FAIT
Everybody think I'm the fucking
Goodwill or something...? Look, I've
had a shitty night, and so far, I got
zip for all my troubles. So I don't
know who the fuck you are, and I
don't care. But hear this: you can
beat my ass around the block all
night --
Brother, it ain't gonna get you those
stones.
A long beat. The two men facing off. Then...
As Su stands aside, giving Fait a clear path out...
EXT. STREET NEAR CHRISTOPHE'S - NIGHT
Fait slides into his Porsche and drives off.
INT./EXT. FAIT'S PORSCHE - NIGHT
Fait's checking his rearview mirror. Sees a black Cadillac
Escalade pull away from the curb and follow.
Fait doesn't need it.
FAIT
Oh, man...
He's about to punch it. When... A cop car turns a corner
and falls in beside him. Fait throttles back. Keeps
driving. Until, finally... The cops turn off. And now...
Fait hits it. Until...
Traffic ahead forces Fait to turn into an alley in a semi-
industrial area. Behind him, the Escalade tries to follow,
but is cut off by the on-coming cars.
We STAY WITH Fait. He GUNS down the alley. Reaches an
intersecting alley. Turns. GUNS it out of sight.
30.
INT./EXT. ESCALADE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Finally forcing its way through on-coming traffic and
speeding down the alley after Fait. The ESCALADE reaches the
intersection. Turns. And... CRASHES into a DUMPSTER rolled
into its path. The dumpster forces the Escalade into a
wall.
EXT. ALLEY (SEMI-INDUSTRIAL AREA) - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Two men start to get out of the Escalade. We recognize
them: Ling's two thugs. We barely have time to realize
that Fait's escape has been blocked by construction
equipment down the alley. He's had no choice but to turn
and fight.
Which is what he does, rushing the passenger.
The battle's ferocious and fast. Ultimately, Fait's out-
muscled and out-gunned. He's forced back against the open
door of the Escalade, guns to his head.
LING THUG #1
Give us the stones.
FAIT
Man, how many times I gotta tell
people: I'm a business man. Make me
a motherfucking offer.
LING THUG #2
Here's your offer.
He cocks his pistol. Beat.
FAIT
That shit ain't gonna do it, biggie.
'Cause I ain't scared of guns, and I
ain't got the stones.
LING THUG #1
Then you're gonna tell us where they
are.
Whereupon a...
BOTTLE
Spins through the air. The bottle knocks the gun from one
Killer's hand. The gun skids under a nearby chain-link
fence.
REVEAL
the person who threw the bar. Su. The fight's on. Two on
31.
two. Using all means available. During the battle, a killer
tries to reach the gun behind the chain-link fence. Almost
gets it. When...
Two vicious DOBERMANS, guard dogs for the junkyard behind
the fence, leap out of nowhere, SNARLING and SNAPPING and
smash into the fence. The killer jumps back, barely
escaping with his arm.
The fight continues. Fait and Su wear them down.
Behind the fence, the Dobies want flesh. Every time someone
crashes into the fence, they're right there trying to get a
piece.
Also, every time someone crashes into the old fence, we see
a series of chain-link connections loosen and break. Until
it happens one too many times. The entire fence goes down.
The dogs are out. The nearest targets: Su and Fait.Su and
Fait must now focus their attention on fighting off and
evading the ferocious attack dogs.
Finally, Su kicks one dog flying. Whip-kicks the other off
Fait. The two men run for the Escalade. The dogs are up in a
flash. Su spots an abandoned car. A rear door is open.
SU
Over here.
Fait follows, right on his heels.
The dogs close in.
Su reaches the car. Dives through the open door.
Somersaults over the rear seat. Kicks open the far door and
rolls out. Fait dives in right behind him. The Dobies leap
in after Fait.
Fait's airborne completely through the back seat and out the
other side of the car. Clears the door. And... Su slams
the door shut.
We watch a two-Doberman pile-up against the suddenly closed
door as Su leaps to the car's other side and shuts that
door, too. Trapping the SNARLING, foaming DOGS inside.
The bad guys are gone. And Fait's CELL PHONE is RINGING. As
Fait digs out the phone, to Su --
FAIT
Man, what the hell's up with these
fucking stones?
(into phone)
Go.
32.
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. ARCHIE'S AMERICAN SURPLUS - OFFICE - NIGHT
Archie's had the shit beat out of him.
ARCHIE
It's Archie. Bad news. We got a
problem.
CLOSEUP - VIDEO MONITOR
Surveillance camera footage of Archie's.
Five armed African-Americans, faces hidden under baseball
caps, enter Archie's place, put Archie up against a wall and
start to beat something out of him.
ARCHIE (O.S.)
... I did what you said, right? Put
it out on the street, trying to get
info on the stones. Next thing I
know, the Jackson Five here show
up... Now, there are three
significant elements to notice here.
One, I'm outnumbered. Two, they're
heavily armed. Three, they're gonna
beat me like a bongo drum...
INT. ARCHIE'S AMERICAN SURPLUS - OFFICE - NIGHT
Archie, Fait and Su are watching the monitor. On screen,
Archie surrenders immediately.
ARCHIE
... I mean, hey, I coulda resisted,
sure -- and they coulda beat me into
a coma or killed me or whatever --
but then, see, I'm thinking: How
would I be able to tell Tony what
happened to the stones? Right? What
good am I dead or on life-support.
So I threw in the towel.
Reluctantly, of course. For your
sake.
FAIT
Okay. You saved yourself to tell me.
So tell me.
ARCHIE
What?
33.
FAIT
Who are they?
ARCHIE
Uh... Don't know.
FAIT
What'd they say?
ARCHIE
Well... 'Give us the stones,
motherfucker.' You know. That kinda
thing.
FAIT
That's it?
ARCHIE
Pretty much. Yeah.
FAIT
Thanks for keeping yourself alive to
pass on all that valuable
information.
SU
Did you call the police?
ARCHIE
Look around. Are you crazy? Then
again, maybe you are crazy, 'cause I
have no idea who you are.
FAIT
Big question is, who's behind the
boost?
ARCHIE
(re: footage)
I don't know that, but I know they
got great guns. I can't even get
those. U.S. Special Forces only.
FAIT
... Chambers.
ARCHIE
What?
FAIT
He's wired into everything going down
in this city, and he can get that
kind of firepower. Gotta be him.
SU
Who's Chambers?
34.
FAIT
Runs the biggest outfit in town.
What warlords are to Afghanistan,
Chambers is to L.A... And you want to
take him on, you're on your own.
Game over for me.
(beat; then)
And now that I'm truly fucked -- what
the hell are you, anyway? You got
some I.D.?
Beat. Su takes out his wallet and shows him.
INSERT - I.D.
In Chinese. Clearly official.
FAIT
Doesn't mean shit to me.
ARCHIE
Let me see that.
Archie takes it, reads.
ARCHIE
Taiwan. Central Security Bureau.
Taiwanese intelligence.
FAIT
You read Chinese?
ARCHIE
No. But I know 'cop' in every
language.
FAIT
What, you some kinda Asian James
Bond?
SU
The stones belong to my government.
FAIT
Yeah, well, they're Chambers' now.
And even governments don't go to war
with him.
UNDER which, Fait's CELL PHONE starts RINGING.
FAIT
I'm starting to hate this phone.
(answers)
What now?
35.
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. LIMOUSINE - TIGHT ON LING AND SONA - NIGHT
Ling's on his cell phone.
LING
I hope you've reconsidered.
FAIT
Hey, it's Mr. Dangerous. 'Sup,
'homie'?
LING
You've made this difficult, Mr. Fait.
Let me make it easy.
FAIT
Can't wait to hear.
LING
I have your daughter.
Fait freezes.
LING
She's very pretty in her pink
pajamas. Aren't you, Vanessa?
REVEAL Vanessa, in the limo, held by Charles. On Ling's
signal, Charles uncovers her mouth.
VANESSA
Daddy!
FAIT
Vanessa!
LING
I want my stones, Mr. Fait.
FAIT
Motherfucker...
LING
You think about it a moment. Let me
talk to the Chinese gentleman who's
with you.
FAIT
Don't you hurt her.
LING
That's up to you... The Chinese
36.
gentleman, please?
Beat. Fait hands the phone to Su.
FAIT
He has my daughter.
ARCHIE
Oh, Jesus...
FAIT
He wants to talk to you.
Su takes the phone. In CHINESE with ENGLISH SUBTITLES --
SU
Hello.
LING
I thought I killed you.
SU
I have the stones. No negotiations.
Let the girl go.
LING
Do you really want one more person to
die?
We see this resonates with Su.
SU
No negotiations.
And then, he simply hangs up.
END INTERCUT.
FAIT
What'd you just do? What happened?
SU
I said I have the stones and won't
negotiate for your daughter.
FAIT
You what?
ARCHIE
Oh, Jesus...
SU
It will confuse him. Buy us time and
keep her alive.
FAIT
37.
What the fuck're you talking about?
That asshole has my daughter.
SU
Look -- I know him.
(then)
I want the stones, you want your
daughter. We'll get them both back.
We'll work together.
FAIT
... I gotta work with you?
SU
You have no choice.
Beat. Fait realizes what this means.
FAIT
... Shit... We gotta go see
Chambers...
(beat, then)
Oh, god... Vanessa...
INT. AIRPLANE HANGAR - NIGHT
Large, empty, brightly-lit. The door opens, and the limo
pulls in.
INT./EXT. LIMOUSINE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
The limo stops inside the hangar. To Charles, re: Vanessa
--
LING
Find a place to put her.
Then, as Charles forces Vanessa out --
VANESSA
My daddy's gonna come and kick your
butts.
Sona just reaches out and slaps her. It hurts and surprises
Vanessa. Tears come to her eyes. But she's Fait's
daughter: she won't let this bitch make her cry. Charles
takes Vanessa out. Ling's mind is still on the phone call.
LING
Su says he has the stones... But why
cut me off? Why not negotiate for
the girl? It doesn't make sense.
SONA
38.
The buyers fly in tomorrow. Should
we stop them?
LING
We'll never regain their confidence.
(beat)
We need information. Find the right
people. Pay whatever it costs.
Something's not right. Something's
happening with the stones.
SONA
What about the girl?
LING
We'll need her... She stays alive.
For now.
INT. FAIT'S PORSCHE - NIGHT
In motion. Fait and Su. Fait on the cell to Tommy.
FAIT
I'm on the way to Chambers... Yeah, I
know, but I got no other choice.
Just get the word into his pipeline
that I'm coming and want permission
to visit... I'll get back to you...
Faith...
(hangs up)
Maybe Chambers'll have a heart and
give the stones back.
(then)
Yeah, right -- and maybe he'll join
the Peace Corps.
Su looks over. Beat.
SU
I'm sorry about your daughter... How
old is she?
FAIT
This ain't the Biography Channel.
Let's just get there.
A long beat. L.A. moving by outside.
FAIT
Eight. She'll be nine in September.
Beat.
SU
39.
Mine is fifteen... Boyfriends...
FAIT
Never happen. I'll just kill
'em.
SU
I wish it were that easy.
Another beat. Then --
FAIT
About time I got the 4-1-1.
SU
4-1-1?
FAIT
What's this all about?
SU
The stones aren't what you think they
are.
FAIT
No shit.
(then)
How about the guy who has Vanessa?
SU
He's exactly what you think he is --
a thief and a killer.
FAIT
Great...
INT. HANGAR - NIGHT
A battered Ford camper now sits in the middle of the hangar.
We see Vanessa inside the camper. She's screaming. Loudly.
Not scared. Pissed. As...
Ling Thug #2 covers the windows with black spray paint.
ANGLE - ACROSS HANGAR
Ling Thug #2 hands car keys to Charles.
CHARLES
Where'd you get that piece of shit?
LING THUG #1
Let's just say Grandma and Grandpa
have a long walk back from the
40.
campground.
CHARLES
You're sure you cleaned it out?
LING THUG #1
Everything except the denture cream
and adult diapers.
Vanessa's still screaming. It's getting on Charles' nerves.
CHARLES
I'm sick of her already.
He marches toward the van. Unlocks the rear door and slides
it open.
INT./EXT. CAMPER - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Vanessa is standing inside, still yelling.
CHARLES
Shut up!
VANESSA
You shut up!
CHARLES
Go to sleep!
Vanessa reaches over and flicks ON the camper's TV. Turns
it UP LOUD. Giving him stink-eye defiance as...
Charles slams the door shut. Locks it. And...
Now that Vanessa's made her point, and Charles can't see her
anymore, her boldness begins to subside. She lies down on
the bed and curls up, alone and scared inside the dark
camper.
Vanessa holds up the pink diamond pendant and gazes at it.
A talisman. Connecting her to her father. Not making the
fear go away, but giving her strength.
CLOSEUP - FAIT
As he drives, just as if he can sense Vanessa's need for him
--
FAIT
Angels east, angels west, north and
south, do your best. Guard her,
watch her, while she rests.
41.
OFF which, as Su regards him...
INT. MEDIUM SECURITY PRISON - CELLBLOCK - DAY
A prison guard escorts Fait and Su past cells, each just as
dreary, spare and institutional as the next. That is, until
they reach the last cell.
The last cell is guarded by two convict sentries. Hanging
blankets cloak the cell entirely from view.
Fait, Su and the prison guard stop outside the cell. One
sentry blocks the way in as the other parts the blankets
covering the open cell doorway, REVEALING...
INT./EXT. CHAMBER'S CELL - CONTINUOUS ACTION
After a walk through Kansas, this is the land of Oz. The
last cell is as comfy, colorful and a well-appointed as
Joel's office.
JUMP CHAMBERS, a large, brutal-looking, inner-city crime
lord has clearly used money and influence to improve the
terms of his incarceration.
Chambers puffs a Cuban as a prison trustee, WILLY CHICKENS,
sets out breakfast before him: fresh-squeezed OJ; eggs
benedict; large, juicy sausages; fresh breads and pastries;
French-press coffee; LA TIMES, NY TIMES, WSJ, Maxim, Hustler
and the daily mail.
The guard leaves Fait and Su, turns to go.
CHAMBERS
Metz.
The guard, METZ, stops and looks back.
CHAMBERS
D.V.D.'s broke.
METZ
Get you a new one straight away, Mr.
Chambers.
Metz goes.
Beat. Chambers eyes Fait and Su through his cigar smoke.
CHAMBERS
Thanks for your patience. Man needs
his nightly rest.
(then)
Who's the gook?
42.
FAIT
... Chinese guy.
CHAMBERS
... No shoes in my crib.
Then, when Fait and Su have removed their shoes --
CHAMBERS
In.
The sentries move aside. Fait and Su enter. Chambers ash-
trays his Cuban and digs into b-fast.
FAIT
How you doing, Jump?
CHAMBERS
Don't waste my precious time.
FAIT
... I got a problem.
CHAMBERS
How's Daria?
FAIT
... Good.
CHAMBERS
Always was good. From the moment I
found her till the moment you took
her away from me. Problem, you say?
FAIT
... The black stones.
CHAMBERS
Bitch brought it in. Made me a lotta
money. But that all stopped. You
stopped that. You decided it was
okay to put an end to that. Black
stones. Go on.
FAIT
I need 'em back.
CHAMBERS
Only smart thing was not pimping her
yourself, 'cause then I'da been real
sore-angry, and you'da both been real
cold-dead...
CHAMBERS (CONT'D)
But you don't pimp, do you? Just a
43.
thief in the night. Stealing what
don't belong to you.
Chambers turns to Su. In SUBTITLED KOREAN --
CHAMBERS
You like tall white women?
Su doesn't say anything. Back to English --
CHAMBERS
He can't talk?
SU
I don't speak Korean.
Chambers carves up a sausage.
CHAMBERS
Bought myself this Korean club
downtown. Packing in the Seoul
brothers 24-7-365... Black man
gouging Koreans, ain't that a
switch... Motherfuckers got faces
like walls, but they love to drink
liquor and look at naked girls...
Place is no shitbox, either. Got me
an office looks like a kabuki love
palace. My own little sanctuary --
A QUICK SHOT OF Fait, taking this in.
CHAMBERS
-- just waiting for when I parole
out... Stop by sometime, eyeball the
poon.
FAIT
... Jump, my daughter's mixed up in
this. I gotta have the stones, or
she's dead.
No response. Chambers just keeps eating.
FAIT
If you need something more than that,
here it is...
(this is hard)
I'm begging you, Jump.
Still no response... Chambers finishes eating. Wipes his
face. Finally --
CHAMBERS
Big heist. Risky heist. Breaking
news. I'm watching it wondering why.
44.
What's worth that kind of trouble,
that kind of heat? Gotta be
something good. Gotta be something
expensive.
Beat. He meets Fait's eyes. Holds them.
FAIT
She's my little girl.
CHAMBERS
Make another one... Lotta offspring
running around. Big scores're rare
in a lifetime.
Another beat. That's it. No deal.
Fait takes a sudden step toward Chambers. Su stops him.
CHAMBERS
Slope's no dope.
He indicates behind them. They turn. The two cell sentries
are wielding prison shanks. So is Willy Chickens.
CHICKENS
Let me cut one of these
motherfuckers.
CHAMBERS
Your choice.
Chickens is happy. Thrusts the knife at Fait. When...
Su reaches out and catches the blade. Catches it with just
the thumb and forefinger of one hand. And holds it like
that. Holds it hard. Chickens can't push and can't pull.
Doesn't know what to do next. Finally yanks really hard.
And...
Su lets go. Chickens goes backward, ass over teakettle. A
beat. Then, to Fait --
CHAMBERS
Say hey to Daria. And don't forget
your shoes.
EXT. PRISON - DAY
Fait and Su walk toward the Porsche.
FAIT
I used to look up to that guy. All I
wanted was to be like him.
45.
SU
In Taiwan, I could force him to talk.
FAIT
This ain't Taiwan.
(then)
Only thing we can do now is find out
where the stones are and go take 'em.
SU
You make it sound easy.
FAIT
It won't be.
They're about to get in the car. Fait stops. Looks back at
the prison. Suddenly realizing something.
FAIT
... They're at his club.
SU
How do you know?
FAIT
I know. I can feel it. That ever
happen to you?
SU
No.
FAIT
I thought Chinese people were all
mystical and shit.
SU
We like to gamble. Not guess.
FAIT
It's no guess... But I could be
wrong... We'll hit the club. You
gotta see Archie.
SU
Archie?
FAIT
He's gotta remember something about
the guys who took down his place.
SU
What if he can't?
FAIT
Pretend it's Taiwan. Make him
remember.
46.
INT. HANGAR - DAY
RUSSELL, the science and technology end of Ling's operation,
carries a piece of equipment from the back of a five-ton
truck and approaches some kind of strange contraption, which
he's in the process of erecting in the middle of the hangar.
He puts down what he's carrying next to the contraption and
starts back for something else, when he sees Charles is
looking in the back of the truck.
RUSSELL
Hey! Get away from there!
Russell hurries over, extremely edgy, almost manic.
RUSSELL
What are you doing?!
CHARLES
Whoa. Take it easy. Just seeing if
I could help with something.
RUSSELL
You can't! It's very delicate
equipment! Stay away! Just stay
away from my truck!
CHARLES
What?
RUSSELL
Stay away from my truck!
CHARLES
What?
RUSSELL
Stay away from my truck!
CHARLES
What?
Sona's emerging from a trailer/office nearby.
SONA
Stop it.
Charles does. And now we can hear Vanessa, who's begun
screaming inside the camper.
VANESSA (O.S.)
I want my daddy!
Charles backs up, continuing to address Russell --
47.
CHARLES
I'm backing away... I'm backing
away...
VANESSA (O.S.)
I want my daddy! I want my daddy!
Charles joins Sona. Re: Russell --
CHARLES
Someone give the geek his Ritalin.
SONA
At least he's doing his job. Which
is more than I can say for some
people.
VANESSA (O.S.)
I want my daddy! I want my daddy!
Sona tosses Charles a roll of duct tape.
SONA
Tape her up and gag her.
As Vanessa continues to SCREAM, Charles moves to the van,
unlocks the rear door with the key/remote and pockets it.
Then opens the door. And...
Vanessa bolts out, crying, and clamps her arms around his
waist.
VANESSA
I want my daddy! I want my daddy! I
want my daddy!
CHARLES
Get the hell off me.
He pries loose her arms from around him. Keeping a grip on
her wrists with one hand, Charles turns her around to face
away from him. He's about to start duct-taping her wrists.
CHARLES
... Waste of time... I can think of a
better way of shutting you
up --
Vanessa back-kicks him hard in the 'nads. Charles howls in
pain and lets her go.
Quickly, Vanessa jumps back inside the camper.
INT. CAMPER - CONTINUOUS ACTION
48.
Vanessa slams the sliding rear door shut. And now... We
suddenly realize she has the key and remote! The crying
just an act she put on to pickpocket Charles. Vanessa pushes
the remote. And...
EXT. CAMPER - CONTINUOUS ACTION
THUNK go the DOOR LOCKS. Charles, still in pain, is
surprised to hear this. Feels his pocket. Realizes the key
and remote are gone.
CHARLES
Shit.
(yells to Sona)
She got the key!
INT. CAMPER - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Vanessa climbs into the driver's seat. Puts the key into
the ignition and STARTS the ENGINE. Puts it in "D."
CLOSEUP - ACCELERATOR PEDAL
To reveal Vanessa's rigged a soda can to the pedal. An
extension for her short legs. As her foot tromps down on the
can...
ANGLE - CAMPER
takes off. The windows are blacked out and Vanessa can't
see where she's going. But she's going.
INT. HANGAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION
The camper careens around the large space. Charles
scrambles after.
INT. CAMPER - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Vanessa keeps driving blind, pedal to the metal.
INT. HANGAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION
The CAMPER veers toward the rear wall. And...
... CRASHES into a support post.
As Charles yanks Vanessa from the wrecked van, unhurt...
49.
INT. KOREAN CLUB - DAY
A hostess bar, but very high-end. Beautiful women. Elegant
decor. Pumping MUSIC. No strip-club cheese. For extra
money, private rooms for private pleasures. It's day, but
the place is wall-to-wall with Korean men.
Chambers' African-Americans maintain low visibility: at the
door, behind the scenes, counting the register, etc.
ODION, a dangerous-looking Chambers main man, moves through
the crowd to Daria, waiting near the front door.
ODION
Delicious Daria.
DARIA
'Sup, Odion?
ODION
Long time no see.
Then, checking her out --
ODION
Like cognac. Just getting better.
(then)
So what brings you around?
DARIA
... Sometimes you need an old friend,
y'know?
ODION
Got trouble?
DARIA
... With a capital 'T.'
ODION
Tony Fait? Thought you and him were
tight. Bonnie and Clyde.
DARIA
Used to be that way. Not treating me
right these days. The kid's all he
cares about.
ODION
... What do you want me to do?
DARIA
... Man, I don't know. Probably
nothing you can do. I just
50.
thought...
(then)
Hey, y'know, this is crazy. I don't
know what I was thinking. I
shouldn't even be here like this.
Sorry, Odion.
Daria starts to go. Odion stops her.
ODION
Nah, hey, hold up. It's okay.
DARIA
Back in the day... Just always seemed
like you and I had something special
between us.
ODION
Didn't know you thought so.
DARIA
I always cared for you, Odion.
That's why I'm here.
ODION
... You looking for a job?
DARIA
I need something.
ODION
... So maybe you could work here.
DARIA
Here?... Oh, man, I don't know.
ODION
You were the best. Not many girls
pulling in two g's a night.
DARIA
Yeah, but it's been a while for
that... Might not remember how.
ODION
Just like a bicycle, baby. You don't
forget that stuff.
Daria considers it a moment.
DARIA
Don't know how Jump'd feel about it.
Having me back.
ODION
Hey, you let me worry about Jump,
51.
okay?
(then)
Meantime, why don't you come on in,
and you and me can, y'know, talk some
more about it.
Beat. Daria knows the look in his eyes. Gets the subtext.
DARIA
... Just talk?
Odion's drinking her in.
ODION
... No.
A beat. Then, as Daria reaches out and slips her hand into
Odion's, smiling at him --
INT. SU'S T-BIRD - DAY
Su and Archie.
SU
They have boxing matches in the day?
ARCHIE
Not exactly boxing. More dangerous.
No gloves. No rules. Big money.
Very illegal... Started holding 'em
during the daytime to fool the cops.
SU
The man you remembered -- how do you
know he will be here?
ARCHIE
I don't. But Chambers owns the
operation, so I figure it's a good
place to start.
(then)
This is it.
They turn into...
EXT. FIGHT CLUB - CONTINUOUS ACTION
A cavernous industrial building. Cars parked on the
perimeter.
INT./EXT. SU'S T-BIRD - CONTINUOUS ACTION
As they park --
52.
SU
How will you recognize him?
ARCHIE
I didn't see his face. But I'll know
his pinkie ring when I see it. Ten
carats. Round cut with square mount.
Good color and clarity. I remember
thinking what it would do to my face
if he hit me.
OFF Su's dubious look, as Archie crams on a baseball hat to
help disguise himself...
INT. FIGHT CLUB - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Archie and Su exit the car and approach a GUARD manning a
gate to the fight arena beyond.
SU
How do we get in?
ARCHIE
Leave that to me.
Then, to the Guard --
ARCHIE
Hey, man, how you doing? Got a
fighter here I want to enter.
Su shoots him a surprised look.
ARCHIE
My man's gonna put the rest of these
bums to beddy-bye. He'll go in there
and get all Chinese on 'em -- the
teeth are gonna fly, the blood's
gonna run... Gonna be fun.
GUARD
Whatever... You're number twelve,
Bruce.
He hands a card reading "12" to Su. As Archie and Su make
their way toward the arena --
SU
I didn't come here to fight.
ARCHIE
You won't have to. That was just to
get us in.
53.
They reach the arena. It's also huge. Packed with men.
Hazy with smoke. Loud with betting, cheers and boos.
A large, chain-link cage stands at the center of the room.
Inside, two battered and bloodied fighters are beating the
shit out of each other.
Like at a Gallagher concert, front row fans have sheets of
plastic over their laps. Whenever a hard kick or punch
lands, the nearest fans quickly raise the plastic sheets to
shield themselves from flying blood.
ARCHIE
Good day, over a million dollars'll
pass hands in here.
SU
Find the ring.
ARCHIE
Yeah. Okay.
He looks around. Lotta African-American males.
ARCHIE
Could take a little while.
As Archie starts moving through the crowd, looking at hands,
and Su follows...
INT. PRIVATE ROOM - DAY
Daria and Odion enter, and Odion closes the door. He starts
to take her in his arms. Daria slows him up. Guides him
back toward a sofa.
DARIA
Sit down.
Odion sits.
DARIA
Put on some music.
Odion puts a DISC in the STEREO. Cranks up some HIP-HOP.
DARIA
Nah. Something slower.
Odion SWITCHES MUSIC. A SLOW TUNE fills the room.
DARIA
That's good... Now just relax... And
watch...
54.
Daria just stands there a moment, getting her body into the
music. Then starts dancing for him. Slow and sexy.
And Odion's eating it up.
EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY
Fait and Miles climb onto the roof with gear bags. Via
earwig mike --
FAIT
Tommy.
INT./EXT. PEST CONTROL TRUCK - DAY
Tommy's behind the wheel, wearing a pest control uniform.
TOMMY
Here come da bug man.
EXT. KOREAN CLUB - STREET IN FRONT - DAY
The DOORMAN watches Tommy drive up in the pest-control
truck, put on a respirator, get out, unreel 20 feet of pest
spray hose from the truck and advance toward the door.
TOMMY
Hey. Howzit?
DOORMAN
What the hell you doing?
TOMMY
Pest control. Don't tell me you
didn't get your notice.
DOORMAN
What notice?
TOMMY
See, that burns my ass right to the
bone. I mean, hey, I'm here doing my
job... Anyway, putting that aside, if
you had gotten your notice, you'd
know there's a new city ordinance
saying all businesses catering to
foreigners gotta be sprayed.
DOORMAN
Yeah? How come?
TOMMY
'Cause foreign people're bringing all
55.
their scary-assed foreign bugs over
here. Y'know, in their luggage and
shit. And then the bugs're getting
loose and fucking everything up --
eating all the trees and everything,
y'know, making people sick... Anyway,
city says we gotta spray to prevent
any infestation and possible spread.
DOORMAN
We're doing business inside. Can't
let you just start hosing the place
with bug spray.
TOMMY
Yeah, well, maybe you should at least
ask the manager about it.
DOORMAN
Manager's busy.
TOMMY
... Okay. Your call. Just know the
city quarantine people'll be here
first thing tomorrow.
DOORMAN
Quarantine people?
TOMMY
They'll be shutting you down for non-
compliance... Peace out.
Tommy starts to go.
DOORMAN
Wait, wait, wait.
Tommy stops.
DOORMAN
City's really gonna come and close us
up?
TOMMY
Quicker'n a Zip-loc.
DOORMAN
... You sure you're not fucking with
me?
TOMMY
I'm a licensed exterminator. Why
would I be fucking with you?
The Doorman considers it another moment. Then --
56.
TOMMY
Look. Let's do this. You let me
start with a couple small rooms,
y'know, offices or something,
someplace you don't have customers.
Upstairs, so the fumes don't bother
anybody. I'll pop off a couple bug
bombs, and then we'll do the rest
later. How's that?
The Doorman considers a moment. Then --
DOORMAN
... Yeah, okay. Get the bombs, and
come on.
INT. PRIVATE ROOM - DAY
Daria keeps dancing. Peeling off layers now. Showing skin.
Odion's starting to salivate.
INT. CHAMBERS' OFFICE - DAY
What Chambers' cell is to a normal cell, this place is to a
normal office. No expense spared. (Think Joel again.) A
large, "Zen" FOUNTAIN BURBLES meditatively in the center of
the room.
The door opens. The Doorman admits Tommy, who looks around
in amazement.
TOMMY
... Look. At. This.
DOORMAN
Just do your thing and go,
bro.
TOMMY
Roger that.
He positions the BUG BOMBS. Then.... PFFFT. He sets off
one. PFFFT. The other. As he goes --
TOMMY
Just keep the door closed and be sure
to give this shit a full hour before
anyone comes in.
OFF the closing door...
57.
EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY
Fait and Miles grab gear bags and mobilize. Clip onto
ascender/descenders and lower themselves to a second-story
window. A window into...
INT. CHAMBERS' OFFICE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Where the BUG BOMBS HISS away.
Fait tries the WINDOW. Locked shut. He quickly tapes it.
BREAKS it. He and Miles climbs inside. Grab the bug bombs
and toss them out.
As Miles locks the door, Fait opens a gear bag and pulls out
a folding metal detector. Uses it to scan the entire room
quickly: floor, walls, ceiling... Gets LOW-VOLUME RING-OFFS
from various hidden metal. But he's looking for something
bigger.
BLEEE. He gets it when he sweeps past Chambers' big desk.
FAIT
Safe.
He kneels. Removes a desk panel. And...
There it is. The safe is small but highly secure.
FAIT
Take it down.
Miles finishes assembling a Barrett .50 caliber rifle. A
big gun. Opens an ammo box labeled "Depleted Uranium. .50
cal."
INT. PRIVATE ROOM - DAY
Daria's down to bare essentials -- still dancing slow and
sexy for Odion.
INT. CHAMBERS' OFFICE - DAY
Miles loads one of the massive D.U. cartridges into the
Barrett.
MILES
Even with the music, they're gonna
hear it when I fire this tank buster.
FAIT
Daria. Get ready to move.
(then)
58.
Do it.
Miles aims the BARRETT directly at the safe lock. Miles
FIRES. BIG BANG.
INT. PRIVATE ROOM - DAY
Odion starts.
ODION
What was that?
INT. CHAMBERS' OFFICE - DAY
Basically, the lock's just gone. Melted. Burned through by
the DU slug. Fait swings the safe door open.
INT. PRIVATE ROOM - NIGHT
Odion's heading out the door. When he stops. Looks back at
Daria. A realization dawning.
ODION
'Sometimes you need an old friend'...
He steps toward Daria. Backhands her. Hard. Then opens
the door.
A CHAMBERS MAN outside the door addresses Odion.
CHAMBERS MAN
It came from the office.
ODION
Watch her. Don't let her leave.
Odion goes. The Man enters. Shuts the door, leering at
Daria, who starts putting on what she's taken off.
INT. CHAMBERS' OFFICE - DAY
Fait's tossed the safe. No stones.
MILES
Not here?
FAIT
They're here. Somewhere else.
MILES
What're you talking about?
59.
FAIT
I'm telling you, they're here.
MILES
What're we gonna do?
FAIT
Everyone out.
Fait's started searching the room. Tearing it apart.
MILES
What about you?
FAIT
I gotta save Vanessa. I gotta find
'em.
MILES
I'm not leaving you.
FAIT
Yes, you are. Go. Now.
Someone starts RATTLING the LOCKED DOOR. Fait doesn't stop.
MILES
T. Come on, man. They're outside.
Give it up.
FAIT
Shut up and get the fuck outta here!
That's an order!
Miles hesitates. Fait's unreachable. Chambers' men are
trying to break down the door. Miles goes. Out the window.
Onto the ascender-descender. And gone.
INT. PRIVATE ROOM - NIGHT
Daria finishes dressing. When...
CHAMBERS MAN
... Y'know, I got the big one...
Her response is a front kick to the head. Followed by a
spin kick, knocking him out. Then, stepping past him --
DARIA
Keep it in your pants.
INT. CHAMBERS' OFFICE - DAY
CRASH! Odion and his men break down the door.
60.
Fait's still searching. Desperate to find the stones.
Desperate to save his daughter. He fights off the first
men to reach him. A wild animal. Fights off another. And
then...
The guns are out. All pointed at Fait. No stones. No exit.
INT. KOREAN CLUB - DAY
Daria walks out the front door.
INT. CHAMBERS' CELL - DAY
Willy Chickens hovers near Chambers, who is talking as he
eats another meal. Lobster. At first, we don't realize who
Chambers is addressing.
CHAMBERS
... If you're willing to pay five,
you're willing to pay ten.
CHAMBERS (CONT'D)
You're willing to pay ten, you're
willing to pay twenty. Twenty,
forty. Forty, eighty... I'm not
selling till I know exactly where the
ceiling is.
Whereupon we see who he's talking to: Ling.
CHAMBERS
You like foreplay?
LING
How much money do you want for the
stones?
CHAMBERS
I hate foreplay. Fuck the warm-up
drills -- girl's gotta get in there
and be ready to score points. Bring
it straight to the motherfucking
hoop. You understand?
(beat)
So, instead of us going back and
forth doing warm-ups, my idea's for
you to think of a number. A very
high number. A very final number. A
number so high and final it'll get me
off good, bam, right when I hear it.
Chambers hasn't looked at Ling the whole time. Still isn't
looking. Forks up some lobster meat. When...
61.
Chickens' face suddenly appears in front of him. And...
Ling slams a lobster claw deep into Chickens' neck. Chambers
doesn't wait for whatever's next. Jumps back. Fast for a
big man.
But Ling is much faster. Stronger. Deadlier. Quickly, and
quietly beats Chambers like a drum. Chambers knows when it's
finally tent-folding time. Croaks surrender through the
blood and swelling --
CHAMBERS
Okay, okay...
Ling stops.
CHAMBERS
Ain't worth my life... I'll take the
five and call it a game.
INT. CELLBLOCK - OUTSIDE CHAMBERS' CELL - MOMENTS LATER
Ling emerges from the cell through the blankets. Closing
the blankets behind him. To the sentries, who've heard
nothing --
LING
Mr. Chambers is resting. He says not
to bother him.
OFF which, as Ling walks away...
INT. CHAMBERS' CELL - DAY
FIND Chambers. No one will bother him. Ever. The lobster
fork driven deep into the base of his skull.
INT. FIGHT CLUB - DAY
Archie still looking for the man with the diamond
pinkie-ring. Su still following.
ARCHIE
... By the way, when we do find him,
what then?
SU
I'll handle it.
In the cage, a fight has just ended. The loser's
unconscious and looks like he stepped into a spinning
airplane propeller. The winner doesn't look much better.
62.
The midget RING ANNOUNCER steps in with a mike.
RING ANNOUNCER
Seven advances, eleven's out...
Next up, eight versus twelve. Eight
versus twelve. Fighters report to
the cage.
As Archie and Su continue the search --
ARCHIE
You're after the stones, too, huh?
No response from Su. Beat.
ARCHIE
... I did some more checking around
to see what anyone knows about 'em...
Guess who get back to me? My Defense
Department connection. Now, I think
he's calling me about this surplus F-
14 Tomcat I'm trying to get my hands
on. But no. Turns out he's calling
to tell me about a rumor outta Taiwan
about black stones --
In the ring, we see another bruiser waiting to fight as the
midget calls out --
RING ANNOUNCER
Number twelve!
ARCHIE
(to Su)
-- only they're not jewels --
RING ANNOUNCER
Number twelve!
ARCHIE
They're --
Suddenly, seeing the "12" card in Su's hand, a FIGHT CLUB
FAN grabs his arm and raises it. Yells out --
FIGHT CLUB FAN
Twelve's right here!
Su pulls his arm back.
FIGHT CLUB FAN
I'd be scared of him, too.
Su glances into the ring, seeing the BRUISER for the
first time. The Bruiser's beckoning.
63.
BRUISER
Let's go, chickenshit!
Su waves them off.
SU
Not today...
The catcalls start. Archie leans into Su.
ARCHIE
I know it wasn't the plan. But if
you don't fight, they're gonna toss
us out on our asses. We might never
find the guy.
A long beat. Su hates this place. Su hates Archie.
INT. KOREAN CLUB - DAY
Fait's in handcuffs. A big cut on his head. Being escorted
by two COPS to the stairs leading out of the club. To
Odion, as they pass him --
COP #1
He's pretty beat up.
ODION
Yeah. Fell down the stairs... Enjoy
the jail sex, Fait.
As they continue up the stairs --
COP #2
Better have the E.M.T.s look at his
head.
EXT. HOT DOG STAND (NEAR KOREAN CLUB) - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Near, but not too close. The club visible in b.g. Daria,
Miles, and Tommy watch as Fait is led into an ambulance.
Via earwigs --
DARIA
We're still here to help you, T.
MILES
Anything you want us to do?
INT. AMBULANCE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Fait's heard.
FAIT
64.
Not yet.
The PARAMEDIC treating him doesn't understand.
PARAMEDIC
What?
FAIT
Nothing.
CLOSEUP - BEHIND FAIT'S BACK
His cuffed hands. Fingers feeling the inside of his belt.
Finding a spot where a small rectangle has been cut into the
leather. Popping out the rectangle to reveal a hollowed-out
recess in the belt. Where...
Fait has a hidden handcuff key.
CLOSEUP - ANOTHER SET OF HANDS
struggling against their duct-tape bonds. REVEAL...
INT. CAMPER - DAY
Vanessa's hands are taped together behind her back. There's
tape around her feet. Tape over her mouth. The TV is ON
nearby, but she's not watching.
Vanessa struggles a moment longer, but can't break the tape.
Finally gives up trying. Just lies there. Tired and
scared.
INT. FIGHT CLUB - DAY
DING! The crowd's yelling and betting as number eight
leaves his corner and advances on Su.
Su has nothing against number eight. He's just trying to
buy time. So he dodges his opponent. Not exactly
running. Fighting by not fighting. A target one moment,
gone the next. Again and again, number eight swings and
misses. Until...
Number eight delivers a knockout blow. Unfortunately
it's against himself. The momentum of a missed punch
carries him headfirst into a metal post.
Number eight drops. As the referee counts over number eight,
Su uses the chance to find...
65.
ARCHIE
still checking out the hands of African-American men in
the crowd. Not making any friends as he does it.
SU
Number eight's on his feet. Moving in again. When...
ARCHIE
Suddenly, he sees it. The ring.
SU
dodges number eight again. Then... Sees Archie signaling
he's found the guy. And... Gets nailed by number eight. A
solid hit. Exciting the crowd and pumping up number eight.
Whereupon... Su turns to him and bows.
SU
You win.
Su turns, heads out of the cage. The crowd roaring its
disapproval. As... The midget Ring Announcer bars Su's
path.
RING ANNOUNCER
No quitting. Get back in there.
Su moves him aside. The midget resists. Five other waiting
fighters come to the midget's aid. Forcing Su back into the
cage. Where... It's now Su against them all.
HOT DOG STAND - DAY
Daria, Tommy and Miles wait. Two extreme MOTO-RIDERS
dressed in leathers have pulled up in a truck and gotten out
to eat. In the back of the truck is a motorcycle and a
four-wheel ATV. The two men Ogle Daria. To her --
MOTO-RIDER #1
Looking good.
She ignores them. To each other, so she can hear --
MOTO-RIDER #2
Nice rack.
MOTO-RIDER #1
Like the upstairs, like the basement,
66.
too.
DARIA
Shut up, assholes...
INT. AMBULANCE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Fait's heard. Looks past the Paramedic. Past the Cops
talking outside. Sees the hot dog stand in b.g. Sees the
truck with the motorcycle and ATV parked near the stand. The
Paramedic finishes bandaging Fait. To the cops outside --
PARAMEDIC
He's all patched up.
A Cop calls inside to Fait.
COP #1
Let's go.
Fait stands. Starts out. Into his mike --
FAIT
Get ready to move.
And we see...
The handcuffs aren't on him anymore.
EXT. AMBULANCE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Fait reaches the rear doorway. When...
He jumps. Knocks one Cop down. Shoves another aside. And
takes off running.
Fait's caught the cops completely by surprise. It takes a
few moments before the cops give chase, some on foot, others
by car.
ANOTHER ANGLE
Fait runs toward the truck parked by the hot dog stand.
To Daria, Miles and Tommy, looking on --
FAIT
Get the car. Stay close.
As Daria, Miles and Tommy quickly mobilize, Fait jumps into
the bed of the truck. Jumps on the ATV. IGNITION.
The Moto-Riders suddenly realize what's happening.
67.
MOTO-RIDER #1
Hey!
Too late. Fait blasts out of the rear of the truck. Right
through the nylon mesh tailgate.
Fait flies from the truck bed. Lands on the hood of a
police car. Gets big air off the windshield. Clears the
rest of the car and grabs pavement with all four wheels.
As Fait tears off, and cop cars follow, one of the Moto-
Riders jumps into the bed of the truck and climbs aboard the
remaining motorcycle. His friend calls to him --
MOTO-RIDER #1
Don't let that fucker get away!
The Moto-Rider FIRES UP the MOTORCYCLE. Drops it into
first. Dittoes Fait's leap out the back and SCREAMS off in
pursuit.
INT. CAMPER - DAY
Vanessa still taped up. TV still ON. When...
TV ANCHOR (V.O.)
... We go now to this breaking
story...
ANGLE TO INCLUDE TV
Airing a chopper shot tracking Fait on the ATV.
TV ANCHOR (V.O.)
... You're watching a man on an all-
terrain vehicle leading police in a
high-speed chase through downtown Los
Angeles. An L.A.P.D. spokesman says
the man, Anthony Fait --
Vanessa looks over in surprise.
TV ANCHOR (V.O.)
-- commandeered the A.T.V. after
escaping from police officers while
being treated at a local hospital for
injuries resulting from his earlier
arrest for robbery... And this is
certainly one of the wildest chases
we've witnessed here in L.A...
EXT. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY
68.
WHOOOM! Fait's flying. Seventy-plus. Down streets,
sidewalks, squeezing through places police cars can't.
Over, under, around, through -- doesn't matter. The ATV's
fast, strong and maneuverable.
One problem: so is the moto-cross bike. The guy's right on
Fait's ass. Matching move with move.
Overhead, police choppers follow Fait's every move. While
on the ground other police vehicles move to block his path.
But whenever Fait meets a roadblock, he somehow finds an
escape. At one point, he uses an outdoor escalator. At
another point he blasts through the Hotel Bonaventure.
This'll be a news highlight for days to come.
INT. FIGHT CLUB - DAY
The place is bedlam. In the crowd, bets are going down on
the battle royal, now in full effect inside the cage. Su
versus the five fighters. And the midget.
The different fighters use different fighting styles against
Su. Kickboxing, grappling, aikido, kali, American street
fighting...
Su uses all his own skills and whatever's at hand. At one
point he engineers it so one opponent turns on another
opponent. At another point, Su wields the midget like a
fighting staff.
One by one, Su starts reducing the opposition.
EXT. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY
Fait's everywhere. And so is the moto-bike. Still on his
tail.
Fait veers inside a building. The bike follows.
INT. BUILDING - VARIOUS SHOTS - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Fait and the moto-bike ascend the stairs. One floor. Two
floors. Up and up.
Fait reaches the top-floor hallway. Nowhere left to go
except...
Out the window at the end. And...
That's just where he goes.
69.
And where he goes, the moto-bike goes.
EXT. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - ROOFTOPS - CONTINUOUS
The ATV and the moto-bike make the first leap. Onto the
roof of a next-door building.
From there, it's rooftop to rooftop. Jump after jump.
Longer and longer. Until...
The MOTO-BIKE eats it in a spectacular CRASH. The moto-
rider walks away, but his chase is over.
EXT. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY
Fait's ATV SCREAMS down another street, still chased by
cops. Into his mike --
FAIT
Yo.
INT. DARIA, MILES AND TOMMY'S CAR - DRIVING - DAY
DARIA
Here.
FAIT
Above ground parking garage in
Chinatown?
MILES
Know it.
FAIT
Get there.
INT. FIGHT CLUB - DAY
It's down to Su and the kick boxer. The kick boxer spins
and kicks and punches, and...
Su just ties the guy up in his own clothes. Ties him into a
pretzel. Cinches him tight. Then...
Looks for Archie. Can't find him. Can't find the guy
wearing the ring. And hurries out of the cage.
EXT. PARKING GARAGE - DAY
Fait jukes the ATV in the entrance. Up the spiral ramp.
70.
Moments later, police CARS SKID up and seal the entrance.
INT. CAMPER - DAY
On TV, a chopper shot of the garage surrounded by police.
TV ANCHOR (V.O.)
... And it looks like this chase will
end here, as police seal off the
building...
OFF Vanessa, watching...
INT. FIGHT CLUB - DAY
Su runs into the parking area. Archie's in the T-bird.
Sitting, a little unnaturally in the front.
SU
Where is he?
ARCHIE
Decided to leave early.
SU
Where'd he go?
ARCHIE
Right here.
Su looks inside the car.
ANGLE - CAR
Where Archie sits atop the man with the diamond pinkie ring.
Holding a STUN GUN to the guy's cheek.
ARCHIE
Good thing I brought my stunner.
He ZAPS the air. Then puts it back to the guy's cheek.
ARCHIE
Okay, bud, wanna start the Q and A?
INT. CAMPER - DAY
On TV, the chopper zooms in on a familiar car, as it rolls
down the exit ramp toward the police barricade.
71.
TV ANCHOR (V.O.)
... Here's a car coming down the exit
ramp...
We see the police approach the car.
TV ANCHOR (V.O.)
... The police apparently talking to
the driver...
The police let the car pass.
TV ANCHOR (V.O.)
... Now letting this car drive on as
the search inside continues...
Vanessa notices something about the car. Looks carefully.
When...
The car turns, giving the news chopper a better zoom angle
of the people inside, and...
Vanessa sees Daria, Miles and Tommy.
Which could mean only one thing: her daddy's safe. And
soon he'll be coming to get her.
With a rekindled hope inspired by her father's escape,
Vanessa now looks for a way to free herself from her duct-
tape bonds. When, just as it's about to seem hopeless
again, her eyes go to...
Her necklace. The chain and pink diamond pendant.
Vanessa bends over and lowers her head until the necklace
slides off onto the bed. Then turns around and picks up the
necklace behind her back. Holding it as taut as she can
between her hands, she begins sawing away at the tape around
her wrists.
EXT. NEAR KOREAN CLUB - HOT DOG STAND - NIGHT
The gang's all here. All eyes on the club.
FAIT
I knew the stones were in there.
TOMMY
Question is, how do we get 'em out?
Place is slamming nonstop.
A long beat. Fait doesn't answer.
SU
Something isn't right.
72.
FAIT
Yeah. That's what I'm getting.
SU
The doorman.
FAIT
... Where the hell is he?
(then)
Everyone stay put.
OFF which, as he and Su go --
INT. KOREAN CLUB - UPSTAIRS HALL - NIGHT
MUSIC pumps downstairs as Su and Fait cautiously move down
the hall toward Chambers' office.
FAIT
No Chambers' guys. I don't get it.
They reach the closed office door, where they stop and
listen. Hear nothing.
Su and Fait exchange a "ready-ready" look. Then Su opens
the door.
INT. CHAMBERS' OFFICE - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Su and Fait enter, unchallenged, to find...
Odion and the other Chambers' men. Dead. Skull shot.
FAIT
I get it now.
Su ignores the bodies, quickly moves to the Zen fountain,
where he reaches into the water and begins searching the
rocks lining the bottom. Beat. Then --
FAIT
Are they there?
Su doesn't answer, still searching.
FAIT
No. This can't fucking happen. They
gotta be there.
Another beat. Then, at last, Su holds something up: one
black stone. It takes Fait a moment to understand.
73.
FAIT
... What? That's it?
SU
The rest are gone.
Fait can't believe it.
FAIT
... What the hell happened? Who got
'em?
SU
... Ling.
FAIT
How do you know?
SU
I know.
FAIT
... How'd he get here before us?
SU
He's good.
Beat. Failure. Summed up in one word:
FAIT
Vanessa...
(then, trying)
He has the stones. There's no reason
to keep her. Hell, she's a little
girl, she's eight years old -- she
can't hurt him. He can let her go...
He can just fucking let her go...
Su just looks at him. Not a chance. And he knows Fait
knows it, too.
It's over. For Fait, it's as if his life just ended.
FAIT
... What the hell am I gonna do?
SU
... We need to go.
Fait doesn't move. Then, suddenly, it all explodes as rage,
and Fait picks up the large, stone ball spinning atop the
fountain and, screaming, hurls it into a large display of
exotica, destroying it.
Beat. Fait looks at Su, who meets his eyes. Then --
74.
SU
Come on.
OFF which, as Su mobilizes him, and they go...
INT. HANGAR - NIGHT
Ling pours the black stones out on a table. To Sona and
Charles --
LING
We're back in business.
CHARLES
Good. I don't have to baby-sit much
longer.
SONA
I hate kids.
LING
Is everything else ready?
SONA
We just have to test the device.
Russell, who's been working on his scientific contraption
nearby, speaks up.
RUSSELL
Dye master oscillator. And not test,
calibrate. Which I'm now ready to
do... Goggles.
When the goggles are on, Russell hits a switch. And...
Inside the contraption, brilliant green laser BEAMS begin
bombarding a sensor. OFF which...
INT. CAMPER - NIGHT
Vanessa succeeds in using the necklace as a saw to free her
wrists from the duct-tape. She quickly rips the tape from her
mouth. Untapes her ankles. Then tries to figure out what to do
next. Begins searching the camper for anything that might help
her escape or fight. When...
Looking through the glove box, she finds a cell phone. An
old model. So old, it takes her a moment to figure out
exactly what it is. Then she pushes "Power," and...
The phone turns on. Sort of.
CLOSEUP - CELL PHONE
75.
"Low Batt" flashes on the screen.
INT. FAIT'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Rock bottom.
Fait's desolate, sitting on the sofa, staring off. Daria
tries to comfort him, but it doesn't help.
Miles and Tommy stay close and stay silent.
Even Archie's quiet for once.
The only noise is Su, speaking into a cell phone in Chinese
to someone who is obviously his superior.
SU
... I lost the stones. Ling has
them... I don't know where he is... I
have no way to find him... What do
you want me to do?
Under which, the PHONE begins to RING. And...
Fait's too upset to care about answering.
INT. CAMPER - NIGHT
Vanessa's on the old cell phone. We hear RINGING on the
other end.
VANESSA
... Answer, Daddy, answer...
CLOSEUP - PHONE
"Low Batt"... "Low Batt"...
INT. FAIT'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The PHONE'S still RINGING. After another moment...
MILES
Want me to get that?
Which finally mobilizes Fait to reach over and answer.
MILES
Hello.
INTERCUT WITH:
76.
INT. CAMPER - NIGHT
Vanessa whispers urgently.
VANESSA
Daddy?
FAIT
Vanessa!
Which gets everyone's attention.
VANESSA
Come get me! Please! I want to go
home!
FAIT
Okay, baby, okay. Just calm down.
Under which, in b.g., Su quickly ends the phone call to his
superior. Still in Chinese --
SU
I'll call you back.
FAIT
(continuing, to
Vanessa)
Where are you?
VANESSA
I don't know. I'm in a van inside a
big building. They painted the
windows. I can't look out.
FAIT
Try. Try to see something.
Vanessa puts her eye to the window. Finally finds a small
gap in the paint.
VANESSA'S POV
Few details. Just some chairs and bright green light from
Russell's contraption.
CLOSEUP - VANESSA'S PHONE
"Low Batt"... "Low Batt"...
BACK TO SCENE
77.
VANESSA
I see chairs. And there's green
light.
Fait repeats for the others' benefit.
FAIT
You see chairs and green light?
Where's the light coming from?
VANESSA
I can't tell.
SU
Is it bright?
FAIT
The green light, baby -- is it
bright?
VANESSA
Yeah. Really, really bright.
FAIT
(to Su)
It's real bright.
VANESSA
Daddy, hurry! I'm scared!
FAIT
I know, baby. Just hang in there
CLOSEUP - VANESSA'S PHONE
Fait's voice drops out as the battery dies.
BACK TO SCENE
VANESSA
... Daddy?! Daddy?!...
END INTERCUT.
FAIT
... Vanessa?... Vanessa!... Shit!
Fait slams the phone down in frustration.
But Su's mind is on what she told them.
SU
... He's doing it here. Tonight.
78.
TOMMY
What?
SU
Selling the stones... A dye laser
emits green light. He needs it to
activate them.
MILES
What the hell you talking about?
DARIA
What are these stones?
Archie answers it.
ARCHIE
Doomsday in disguise.
All eyes go to him.
ARCHIE
They're some kinda new synthetic
plutonium. Small and portable, but
mega-powerful.
TOMMY
This fucker's making bombs?
SU
Not making them.
ARCHIE
Yeah, he'd need a big operation for
that. Why bother? Just demonstrate
the stones work and sell 'em to
whichever international scumbag
offers the highest bid. He makes
millions, they make the bombs,
then... 'look out, world.'
FAIT
... Okay, so we know what he's up to.
How's it get us to Vanessa?
Su considers it a moment.
SU
The buyers will want to arrive and
leave quickly... Somewhere private...
Accessible by aircraft.
FAIT
Vanessa said she's inside a big
building. Could be a hangar.
79.
MILES
Man, there's dozens of little
airports around here. We'd never get
to 'em all.
SU
... Flight plans.
ARCHIE
Hey, yeah. Flight plans show
destinations. All aircraft file 'em
with the Aviation Administration. If
we could get a list, we could maybe
figure out where the sale's going
down.
FAIT
... Daria, call the aviation people.
Use our L.A.P.D. credentials. We
need flight plan info for all private
aircraft in this area tonight...
Everyone else get ready to move...
Miles, the no-gun policy's revoked.
You break out the heat... Tommy, you
gotta get us a diversion.
ARCHIE
I can help with that.
FAIT
... Do it all fast.
INT. HANGAR - NIGHT
Ling, Sona, Charles, and Russell.
Russell finishes testing his contraption. Switches it OFF.
Then, removing his goggles --
RUSSELL
We're operational.
The others remove their goggles. Sona checks her watch.
SONA
The buyers arrive in less then an
hour.
Beat. Ling holds up a black stone and examines it.
LING
... So small. So deadly... We're
selling conscience for money...
A look at the others. Serious. Then a broad smile of
80.
consummate satisfaction suddenly spreads across his face.
LING
... But it's a lot of money...
Beat. He puts down the stone. A glance at the camper.
LING
Be ready to kill the girl and go as
soon as the sale's over.
CLOSEUP - TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF LOS ANGELES AREA
Fait's finger indicates a spot.
FAIT (O.S.)
Wick Airfield...
PULL BACK TO...
INT. FAIT'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Fait, Su, Daria and Miles.
FAIT
... Five private choppers arriving
tonight within minutes of each other.
DARIA
Sounds like our best shot.
FAIT
.. It better be, or my baby's dead.
He and Su exchange a look. Then --
FAIT
Let's go.
CORPORATE HELICOPTER - NIGHT
Noselight beaming, the chopper lands next to four other
high-end biz copters, including an Agusta A109, outside the
hangar, where the bruised Ling killers stand guard.
INT. CAMPER - NIGHT
Vanessa peeks through a void in the paint covering the
windows.
VANESSA'S POV - HANGAR
81.
An internationally-diverse group of men -- some occupying
the chairs, some studying the contraption, some clearly
muscle. Across the room, Sona and Ling greet the new
arrivals.
In all, sixteen men have arrived for the sale. There are
five buyers -- one RUSSIAN, one AFRICAN, one PAKISTANI, one
EGYPTIAN, one FRENCH. The French Buyer is in a wheelchair.
Each buyer has brought with him one right-hand man and one
to three bodyguards.
Vanessa SHIFTS her VIEW, REVEALING...
Charles standing nearby. Too close for her to escape.
Charles turns, and...
BACK TO VANESSA
Quickly, before Charles can see her, she steps away from the
window.
There's no way out.
EXT. FAIT'S PORSCHE - NIGHT
Driving. Daria and Miles following in their car.
FAIT (V.O.)
So tell me... How the hell's Taiwan
fit into all this?
SU (V.O.)
One of our scientists made the
stones. Tried to go into business
for himself. We stopped him.
Recovered the stones... Ling betrayed
us. He took them.
FAIT (V.O.)
Ling? He was one of you?
SU (V.O.)
We were partners. Six of us. He
killed the others. He thought he
killed me, too.
FAIT (V.O.)
(beat)
So what're you really after -- the
stones or the payback?
SU
82.
Both.
FAIT (V.O.)
... Yeah... Let's get it all.
INT. HANGAR - NIGHT
LING
You're the world's foremost arms
dealers. You all know that weaponry
equals power. And in the world of
weaponry, nukes rule.
(MORE)
LING (CONT'D)
But nuclear material is hard to
obtain and difficult to handle... But
what if it weren't?... That's the
question that brought you here
tonight... And here's the answer.
Ling holds up a single stone.
LING
In its present state, it's completely
inert. Zero radiation, zero
volatility...
Whereupon Ling places the stone on a piece of velvet on a
table. Folds the velvet over. Then, whack, hits it hard
with a mallet.
He unfolds the velvet. The stone's smashed to pieces.
Ling picks up a sliver of stone and hands it to Russell, who
places the sliver inside a small ceramic capsule, then
inserts the capsule into his contraption.
RUSSELL
Goggles on.
Everyone puts on goggles. Then Russell hits the switch, and
the green lasers bombard the capsule containing the sliver
of stone, which begins to glow.
Russell announces each passing threshold as a numerical
readout on the contraption races up the scale --
RUSSELL
... Firecracker... .44 magnum...
R.P.G... Sidewinder... SCUD...
Tomahawk... Daisy Cutter...
Hiroshima... two Hiroshimas...
And it just keeps going. Until, finally --
83.
RUSSELL
... New World Order.
As the buyers absorb this...
Russell shuts off the beams.
RUSSELL
Goggles off.
Russell removes the capsule and hands it back to Ling, who
holds it up.
LING
One small fragment. Transformed into
a source of immense energy. More
powerful than weapons-grade plutonium
a hundred times its size.
A beat as this sinks in.
SONA
The purpose of today's sale is to
begin trading a new commodity on the
black market and establish its
value... There are fifty stones
available in the first sale. The
opening price is one million per
stone... Bids, please?
The buyers indicate their bids both aloud and by using hand
signals a la traders in a commodities exchange pit. At the
same time, they're all crunching the numbers on calculators.
Ling looks on as Sona runs the sale, and Russell uses a
laptop to input data and develops supply and demand market-
analysis for Sona to consult.
The pace starts out slowly and unevenly as the buyers feel
out the situation.
RUSSIAN BUYER
Five at one million.
Sona is silent. Silence means "No."
AFRICAN BUYER
Five at one-point-two.
Silence.
PAKISTANI BUYER
Three at two million.
SONA
84.
We'll take that.
FRENCH BUYER
Six at one-five.
Silence.
EGYPTIAN BUYER
Ten at two million.
Silence.
EXT. WICK AIRFIELD - FAIT AND DARIA - NIGHT
Near their cars.
(NOTE: From now until the battle's over, it's night. At
the airport, Fait, Su and Fait's team will all communicate
via earwigs.)
FAIT
Miles, what do you see?
EXT. AIRFIELD - ROOF
Atop the building next to Ling's hangar. The five choppers
rest on the wide tarmac below, between the two buildings.
Miles scans Ling's hangar through the scope of a silenced
sniper rifle.
SNIPER-SCOPE POV - NO NIGHT VISION
FINDING the Ling killers outside the hangar.
MILES (V.O.)
Two sentries my side.
Then, scanning inside Ling's hangar THROUGH windows --
MILES (V.O.)
Sale's at this end... There's a
camper with painted windows. Middle
of the hangar.
EXT. AIRFIELD - FAIT AND DARIA
FAIT
Vanessa said she was in a van.
That's gotta be it.
(to Daria)
When we get her, you move her outta
85.
there fast.
DARIA
I'll keep her safe.
EXT. HANGAR
Su's reached the top of outside stairs. Opens a door and
enters.
INT. HANGAR - CONTINUOUS ACTION
High above the floor, Su steps onto a catwalk. The sale
continuing below. More heated now.
RUSSIAN BUYER
Eight at three.
Silence.
FRENCH BUYER
Nine at three.
Silence.
EGYPTIAN BUYER
Ten at three-one.
SONA
We'll take that... There are now
thirty-seven stones available.
And now, in more and more rapid-fire succession --
AFRICAN BUYER
Five at three-five.
PAKISTANI BUYER
Eight at three-five.
FRENCH BUYER
Twenty at three.
EXT. AIRFIELD - FAIT AND DARIA
FAIT
Miles. Sentries.
MILES
is already sighted in. PULLS the TRIGGER. PHUT!
86.
SENTRIES
One Ling killer takes a leg hit and goes down.
Before the second killer has time to react, he catches a
BULLET in the shoulder.
MILES
MILES
Done.
FAIT AND DARIA
FAIT
Tommy and Archie. Watch out for the
camper. Punch it.
INT. HANGAR
The sale's now a frenzy.
PAKISTANI BUYER
Five at five million.
RUSSIAN BUYER
Six at five.
FRENCH BUYER
Seven at five.
AFRICAN BUYER
Ten at five.
EGYPTIAN BUYER
Ten at five-one.
FRENCH BUYER
Five-two.
When suddenly...
KA-WHAM! Archie's Abrams TANK BLASTS through a wall and
into the hangar.
Archie's head pops out of the driver's hole. At the same
time, Tommy pops up out of the turret and trains a mounted
machine gun on the stunned group.
TOMMY
Freeze, motherfuckers!
87.
Russell watches the advancing tank.
RUSSELL
I knew it! I knew it!
ANGLE - BEHIND TANK
Fait and Daria enter through the hole in the wall using the
Abrams for shelter.
INT. CAMPER - CONTINUOUS ACTION
Vanessa peers out through a gap in the paint to see what's
happening.
VANESSA'S POV
Charles is drawn away by the advancing tank.
BACK TO VANESSA
She looks back into the camper. Finds a heavy iron skillet
amid the stove utensils. Swings it. And...
SMASH! She SHATTERS a side WINDOW.
MILES' SNIPER-SCOPE POV (NO NIGHT VISION)
We FIND Vanessa, jumping out of the camper.
MILES (V.O.)
Vanessa's out of the camper. Running
this way.
INT. HANGAR - FAIT AND DARIA
To Daria --
FAIT
Stay.
And he's gone, sprinting after her just as...
VANESSA
reaches a button for opening and closing the giant hangar
doors. She jabs a button, and the nearest door begins to
motor open.
88.
CHARLES
hears the OPENING HANGAR DOOR. Turns. Sees Vanessa and
goes after her.
SNIPER-SCOPE POV (NO NIGHT VISION)
Vanessa rolls out under the rising door and runs.
MILES (V.O.)
She's out.
Then, FINDING Charles coming after her --
MILES (V.O.)
There's a guy after her.
PHUT!
INT. HANGAR - CHARLES
A BULLET rips through the collar of his leather coat. Just
behind his neck. Just missing him. But he keeps coming.
SNIPER-SCOPE POV (NO NIGHT VISION)
Charles rolling out under the door.
MILES
SHOOTS again. PHUT!
CHARLES
The BULLET RICOCHETS off the PAVEMENT right next to him. In
a flash, he's up and running. Heading out into the darkness
of the airfield after Vanessa. Meanwhile, back inside...
INT. HANGAR
In here, the hangar door continues to open as the tank makes
its slow approach. Archie's not a great driver. Tommy
sweeps the muzzle of the machine gun across the group.
TOMMY
Just be cool!
At which point, Russell breaks for his five-ton truck.
89.
TOMMY
I said don't move, motherfucker!
Russell just keeps going. Slides open the side door in the
back of the five-ton, revealing... A twin-fifty machine gun.
Two barrels, .50 caliber. Dangerous even for a tank.
Russell vaults in and takes aim.
RUSSELL
Fucking amateurs!
He starts FIRING. People start running. .50 CAL. ROUNDS take
big CHUNKS out of whatever they hit.
TOMMY
Shit! What do we do?
ARCHIE
Shoot back!
TOMMY
How?
The question's answered for him. He somehow does the right
thing. And...
Tommy's MACHINE GUN begins RIPPING CHUNKS out of the FIVE-
TON and EVERYTHING near it. Tommy's a horrible shot; the
gun's more in control of him. But...
Russell finally dies under a HAIL of HEAVY LEAD.
ARCHIE
Twin .50's some major firepower.
How'd that little shit get one?
TOMMY
Motherfucker. Couldn't fucking
listen.
INTERCUT WITH which...
ACROSS HANGAR
Ling and Sona are moving toward the limo. Ling has the
stones. When... Su is there. Blocking the way. Sona
attacks. Su easily blocks the counters. Knocking Sona back.
Never taking his eyes off Ling. When...
Sona, who's fallen back against a buyer's bodyguard, quickly
takes the bodyguard's small, full-auto SCORPION and turns
the gun on Su.
Su dives for cover as the BURST SHREDS the AREA where he'd
just been standing. As Sona continues hunting Su... Su sees
90.
Ling getting into the limo. To Archie and Tommy, as he
signals --
SU
Don't let him get away!
As a result of which...
TOMMY AND ARCHIE
Having just waxed Russell, see Ling in the limo. Tommy's .50
is out of ammo. He switches to the .30 cal. tank's machine
gun. As Archie steers toward the limo, Tommy begins BLASTING
away.
LIMO
Ling's trying to drive out, when the .30 CAL. SLUGS PUNCH
HOLES in the LIMO. The tank keeps coming. Ling bails out as
the TANK CRUSHES the LIMO.
INTERCUT WITH which...
SU AND SONA
Play cat and mouse. Su rapidly runs out of room to hide.
He can't get away. Su stands. Faces her. Faces the
inevitable. When...
WHAM! Daria appears from nowhere. Kicks the gun from
Sona's hand. To Su, re: Ling, now running from the crushed
limo
DARIA
Get him.
Su goes after Ling.
And now it's Daria vs. Sona.
Sona's a better fighter, but Daria's got passion on her
side. It's a good fight. Until, at last, Sona finds the
Scorpion. She swings it up. And...
Daria executes a sudden, improvised double move that strikes
Sona's arm in such a way as to cause her to point the
SCORPION at herself, just as she FIRES. The burst rips
through her chest and kills her.
And now, here's what's been going on outside...
EXT. AIRFIELD
91.
As Charles runs from the hangar, chasing Vanessa across the
tarmac into the darkness of the airfield...
MILES
flips to NIGHT VISION on the sniper-scope. And...
SNIPER-SCOPE POV - NIGHT VISION
Charles and Vanessa become clearly visible. Charles is
closing in on her. Cross-hairs FIND him. PHUT!
CHARLES
The BULLET knocks his gun from his hands. Charles is slowed
but keeps going.
SNIPER-SCOPE POV - NIGHT VISION
Charles reaches the flight line. Parked planes, a gas
truck, a shed, etc. He disappears behind the equipment.
MILES
sweeps the rifle, looking for Charles and Vanessa. He comms
Fait.
MILES
Lost 'em behind the gas truck.
CHARLES
stops behind the gas truck. Looks around for Vanessa. No
sign of her. Until...
Charles notices the door to the gas truck isn't closed all
the way. He whips it open. And...
There's Vanessa, hiding inside.
Charles grabs her. Yanks her out struggling and kicking.
CHARLES
Time to end this my way.
And then...
FAIT (O.S.)
Drop the girl.
92.
Charles looks over. Fait is there, holding a gun on him.
Vanessa's relieved and excited to see her father.
FAIT
Put her down.
Charles lowers Vanessa to the ground. He releases her.
VANESSA
Daddy!
Vanessa runs to her father. Dives into his arms. It's a
little more energetic than Fait was expecting. And...
Suddenly, Charles uses the distraction to rush in behind
her. He hits Fait hard. A kick sends the gun flying.
Charles keeps coming. Charles keeps pounding.
Fait's hampered by Vanessa. She won't let him go. Fait
stays between Charles and Vanessa. Guarding his little
girl. Barely managing to fend off Charles, a seemingly
unstoppable force.
The fight winds through the planes, under wings, through
struts.
SNIPER-SCOPE POV - NIGHT VISION
Fait, Charles and Vanessa. No clear shot.
MILES
comms Fait.
MILES
No shot.
FAIT, CHARLES AND VANESSA
The fight continues. Fait's suffering under Charles' brutal
attack. When...
Vanessa causes Fait to stumble near a plane. They fall.
Charles moves in. And...
Fait's hand goes to a set of chocks set against the plane's
wheel. The chocks are two heavy wooden blocks connected by
a length of nylon rope.
Fait turns to Vanessa.
93.
FAIT
Don't move.
Fait jumps to his feet. Swinging the chocks. Not quite
like nunchakus; more like a medieval mace. And now, all of
Fait's fury comes pouring out as he uses the chocks to beat
the living shit out of Charles. Charles tries to fight
back, but he's out-matched by the chocks and Fait's emotion.
The punishing blows land like Thor's hammer. Until...
A mighty swing nearly takes Charles' head off. Charles is
unconscious before he hits the ground. Fait stands over
Charles. Tosses the chocks down.
FAIT
Wrong kid. Wrong dad.
Fait turns. He moves back to where Vanessa's still hiding.
He scoops her up. And... Father and daughter hold each
other tight. Forever. During all of which, also INTERCUT...
EXT. HANGAR
Ling, having just escaped being crushed in the limo, runs
out just as... Four helicopters take off, one after the
other, carrying the buyers away.
The fifth chopper, an AGUSTA A109, is POWERED UP, waiting
for the wheelchair-bound French Buyer, being helped by a
bodyguard.
Ling intercepts them. Knocks out the bodyguard and tips
over the Frenchman's chair. Then jumps into the Agusta.
INT. AGUSTA - COCKPIT
Ling puts a gun to the pilot's head.
LING
Go!
EXT. HANGAR
Su, having left Daria to fight Sona inside, runs out.
EXT. AIRFIELD
The Agusta begins to lift off. Su starts running toward the
helicopter. Runs under the rising aircraft. Jumps. Just
in time to... Grab onto one of the retractable rear wheels.
94.
EXT. AGUSTA
As the chopper transfers to forward motion, Su struggles to
get a foot hooked on something, anything. In the process,
he kicks against the helo's sleek underbelly.
INT. AGUSTA
Ling hears the THUMPS. Looks out.
LING'S POV - SU'S LEG
swinging beneath the Agusta.
LING
To the pilot --
LING
Retract the gear!
CLOSEUP - CONTROL PANEL
The pilot hits the wheels-up switch. And...
SU
The gear begins to retract. Disappearing into the bottom of
the chopper. In a second, there'll be nothing left to hold.
SU
Shoot it down! Now!
And then... Su lets go. Drops fifteen feet to the ground.
As...
Behind him, having clanked out of the hangar, the Abrams
tank is stopped. The turret swivels toward the Agusta.
INT. TANK
Archie aims the cannon.
TOMMY
Can you hit it?
ARCHIE
No problem. Absolutely... Load.
Tommy slides a shell into the breech.
95.
Archie's locked on. He hits the trigger. And...
ABRAMS TANK
BOOM! The big CANNON FIRES. And...
SKY
The Agusta's tail is BLOWN AWAY by the CANNON SHELL.
INT. TANK
Archie and Tommy exult.
TOMMY
Shot him right in the ass.
ARCHIE
I did it. I can't believe it.
TOMMY
Thought you said it was no problem.
ARCHIE
What do I know?
INT. AGUSTA - COCKPIT
The pilot hopelessly fights to keep the chopper from
crashing.
EXT. AIRFIELD
The out-of-control AGUSTA swings back toward Su and the
hangar, losing altitude. Then SMASHES into the tarmac,
ripping open the fuel tank, spilling fuel behind it as it
caroms off the hangar and inscribes a large, skidding circle
around Su before CRASHING into another CHOPPER and BURSTING
INTO FLAMES.
The spilled fuel ignites. A circle of intense fire. With
Su in the middle.
The Agusta pilot, still alive, has been thrown outside the
circle. But Ling's only path of escape takes him inside.
Into the circle. He emerges with the bag of stones.
Su is waiting.
LING
96.
You were lucky last time. You
Won't be lucky again.
The final fight begins.
The two martial arts masters battle in the circle of fire,
using everything they can lay their hands on. Each the
equal of the other. Each knowing it's a fight to the death.
For a long time, the fight could go either way. Until...
Ling gets an arm around Su's neck. Like Charles, Su thrashes
and flails. Like Charles, he can't get away.
LING
I'll kill you fast. You won't
Feel a thing.
SU
... I won't. You will
What happens next happens in an instant:
Su breaks the hold. Hooks one of Ling's arms. Wrenches it.
A direction it can't go.
Ling's ARM BONES SNAP, TISSUES RIP.
Ling screams in pain. Just as... Su pulls the ceramic
Capsule containing the activated sliver of stone from
Ling's pocket. And...
Slams the capsule deep into Ling's open mouth. Ling gags,
choking on the capsule lodged in his throat. His horror-
stricken eyes meet Su's. Su lets him suffer another moment.
Then, in SUBTITLED Chinese --
SU
This is for our friends.
And Su strikes him in the throat. A spearing, open-hand
blow with his fingertips. Hard. Hard enough that...
INSIDE LING'S THROAT
The CERAMIC CAPSULE SHATTERS. Releasing the hot, glowing
white sliver of stone into Ling's windpipe. The fragment's
super high-energy radiation instantly beginning to cook
Ling's body from within. The power of a few thousand
microwave ovens turned on all at once.
Ling's bodily fluids instantly start boiling dry as...
ANGLE BACK ON LING
97.
As, light beaming from his eyes and mouth, Ling flash-cooks
from the inside out.
Not simply burned. Horribly desiccated. His seared and
darkened skin shrink-wrapped, mummy-like, around his
skeleton. Human jerky.
In a moment, it's finished. Ling's dry-roasted remains
topple over. Su has closed a chapter.
SAME SCENE - MOMENTS LATER
Su and Fait meet on the tarmac. Su has the stones. Fait's
holding Vanessa, asleep in his arms. SIRENS APPROACH in
b.g.
The two men regard each other a moment.
FAIT
We got it all.
(then)
What happens to the stones?
SU
They'll be destroyed.
They see police and emergency vehicles beginning to arrive
in b.g.
FAIT
Looks like I'll be doing some jail
time.
TOMMY
Jail? Man, you just helped save the
planet. Law's gotta allow for that.
A look between Fait and Su. Su nods.
SU
I'll do what I can.
ARCHIE
That's good, 'cause I mean, we make a
helluva team, y'know?
(to Su)
Well, not you, 'cause you're law
enforcement. But the rest of us
-- look, a white guy comes in handy
now and then. Y'know, if you're
pulling a job in Beverly Hills or
ripping off a country club or
whatever... What kind of percentage
are we talking?
98.
FAIT
We're not.
Fait looks at Vanessa again. Finding a new purpose in her
eyes. Beat.
FAIT
Time I got real.
He regards the others.
FAIT
Time we all did.
ARCHIE
Get real? What's that mean?
TOMMY
... Means we're through with that
life.
Fait's eyes meet Tommy's. Beat. Tommy nods.
Fait looks to Daria for her answer.
DARIA
I'm with you, T.
He looks to Miles.
MILES
Whatever you say, man.
Fait looks back to Su. They hold the look.
SU
... Good luck.
FAIT
... Faith.
Another beat. Then they turn and start walking toward the
arriving cop cars. Daria and Miles follow. Archie and
Tommy lag behind. As they all walk away from us --
ARCHIE
What, you're all gonna go straight,
just like that?
TOMMY
Maybe oughta try it yourself.
ARCHIE
Me? Are you kidding? I've had
straight jobs. You ever had a
99.
straight job?
TOMMY
I had plenty of straight jobs.
ARCHIE
Name one.
TOMMY
I sold Avon door-to-door.
ARCHIE
... You were an Avon lady?
TOMMY
I was an Avon man. You got a problem
with that?
ARCHIE
No, it's just, well, uh...
TOMMY
Nah, I'm just fucking with you.
(then)
But my momma did it, and don't you
dare start disrespecting my momma...
And so on... OFF which, we...
FADE OUT:
THE END
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