The Last Boy Scout THE LAST BOY SCOUT written by Shane Black Bang bang bangDown you goIt's just a job I do Genesis Just a Job to Do You wanna be a detective? Here's what youdo: Take a trusted friend, and imagine theworst thing, the most despicable thing, thething it would never even cross their mindsto do. Then assume they've already done ittwice. Joseph R. HallenbeckPrivate Investigator When you consider that a career in pro football means maybe ten years, after which yougot no legs left, and during which you're apainkiller drug addict, a million a yearsounds about right. So when people bitchat me about the money I made, I have a pat response: Go fuck yourself. James Alexander Dix Former quarterback, L.A. Stallions THE LAST BOY SCOUT FADE IN: INT. DARK BEDROOM The only light, that of a flickering TV screen. A big MAN lies, shirtless, on the bed. Watching a sports program. We hear: SPORTS FIGURE (V.O.) (on TV) Eliminating the draft? Worst thing ever happened to pro football. Already you got Eric Dickerson, no team's good enough for him... You got Dion Sanders, this guy, Bosworth, bunch of peacocks. Nagurski, I saw him play for 25 bucks a game. And he woulda played for free, you get me? He loved the game. Nowadays? Forget about it. The TELEPHONE SHRILLS in the stillness. The Man On the Bed answers it. Speaks haltingly. MAN ON BED Hello...? MALE (V.O.) Hello, Billy. Do you know who this is? Silence. MALE (V.O.) Kid from Ohio is looking real good, Billie... The Man's hand unclenches. A container of pills spillsover the blanket. He stammers: MAN ON BED I'm... I'm gonna... try real hard... MALE (V.O.) No, Billy. What you're gonna do ... is rush for 150 yards against Chicago. MAN ON BED That's... too much. I can't... (CONTINUED) 2. CONTINUED: MALE (V.O.) You can. And you will. This is a business, Billy. You don't make one fifty, you're history, the kidsteps in. No more job... and nomore pills, Billy. MAN ON BED Please... Just give me time... MALE (V.O.) One hundred and fifty yards. Goodbye. The PHONE CLICKS off. NFL running back Billy Cole staresstraight ahead, mouth working spastically. CUT TO: AERIAL SHOT - SNOWSTORM OVER Chicago, Illinois, as the CAMERA SPIRALS DOWN TOWARDa teeming football stadium. We hear crowd noise and marching band music, deafeningly loud, as we SUPERIMPOSEthe legend: SOLDIER FIELD, CHICAGO NOVEMBER 14 INT. ANNOUNCER'S BOOTH The BROADCAST TEAM huddles inside the quilted jackets, squinting through the snow. Speaking into headset mikes. ANNOUNCER Good afternoon and welcome to Soldier Field, Chicago, site oftoday's confrontation between the L.A. Stallions and the ChicagoBears. This is Vern Lindquistwith Terry Bradshaw, and, yes, myfriends, it is that cold. INT. LOCKER ROOM - SAME TIME Billy Cole sits, alone, in front of his locker. Eyes glazed. Face bathed in sweat. He takes a bottle of pills from the locker. Pops three. Hisses a stream of air through his teeth as we - CUT TO: 3. EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY (FOURTH QUARTER) A deafening CRUNCH as a defensive back hammers a widereceiver, nearly decapitates him. The ball rolls free. The back recovers it. ANNOUNCER (V.O.) ... Big Ray Walton puts adevastating hit on Bricmont, soChicago turns over the ball with aminute and forty seconds left. EXT. SIDELINES - SAME TIME The injured player goes by on a stretcher, moaning. Cheerleaders jump and frolic. BILLY COLE gets up off the bench. The rest of the offensive unit sprints onto the field. Cole walks. Straight ahead, eyes front. Like a robot. His HEARTBEAT THUDS on the soundtrack. COLOR MAN (V.O.) And so L.A. has a chance to ice the game, no pun intended... Andyou gotta be thinking, give theball to Billy Cole. He has had an outstanding day, racking up 138yards against a tough defense. DOWN ON FIELD The huddle breaks. The L.A. team trudges through the snow to the line of scrimmage. Cole adopts a three-point stance. Everything happens in hyper-real SLOW MOTION: The snow falls. The receivers breeze past, in motion to begin their patterns. Moving like gazelles. Cole's fingers paw the cold earth. Gouging it. He is like a spring. Coiled and ready. The ball is snapped. Turf and snow. Erupting. A firecracker series of POPS as linemen collide. Legs churning. (CONTINUED) 4. CONTINUED: The ball floats through the snowy air. Pitch-out to Cole. He takes it on the run. Tucks it under his arm. Behind him, the quarterback bites the dust, leveled. Cole turns the corner. Picks up a blocker. Feet pounding. Arms pumping. Up ahead, the free safety barrels toward him. Low and hard. Cole does not blink. He reaches beneath his jersey. Pulls out a GUN. Pumps THREE SHOTS into the free safety's head. The bullets go straight through. On the back of his helmet. A mixture of blood and fiberglass. Cole keeps going, jogging for the end zone. Around him, sound. Fury. Impact. Confusion. Another defensive back. Straight ahead. Reacts with almost comical terror. Dives to one side. Cole FIRES. Blows out the guy's knee. Ends a career. Keeps going. We are now in full-scale panic. The players are fleeing the field. Shouts. Pandemonium. A few brave men gather around the fallen players. POLICE are on the field now. Running full out. They've got riot guns, cocked and locked. Sprinting through the snow. Cole crosses the goal line. Touchdown. Drops the ball. Turns, facing the cops. His eyes are insane. The crowd is screaming. People are running back and forth like extras in the Keystone Cops. The first TWO BLASTS from the cops' RIOT GUNS go high and wide. One SHOT BLOWS APART the base of the goalpost. The forty-foot-high monument pitches over, collapsing like a wounded giant. Lands in a shower of snow and ice. Cole is oblivious to the bars crashing around him. He smiles and says: (CONTINUED) 5. CONTINUED: COLE I'm going to Disneyland... Puts the GUN to his helmet. FIRES. CUT TO: EXT. L.A. STREET - IN SHADOW OF FREEWAY - MORNING We SUPERIMPOSE the legend: WEST LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA DECEMBER 20 Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. America, and all the ships at sea. Welcome to another lackluster morning in Southern California. Palm trees limp. Windless silence. 80 degrees at 8:00 AM. CAMERA CRANES DOWN PAST a huge, rotting billboard. On the billboard, a girl in tight jeans. Grabbing her own butt. A surprised look on her face. Yes, honey, that's your butt. MOVE IN ON a tiny, weather-beaten bungalow. In the shadow of the 405 Freeway. A shingle hangs from a wrought iron post: JOSEPH R. HALLENBECK, CONFIDENTIAL INVESTIGATIONS. On the lawn, a late-model Plymouth. The sprinkers come to life. Fling water across the car. ANOTHER ANGLE Inside the car, a lone man is asleep, arms akimbo. Sprawled across the seat. Half-empty bottle of Seagrams V.O. RADIO on, playing tinny JAZZ music. Picture the tiredest, meanest, grouchiest son of a bitch self-hating loser you can. Now give him a two-year-old suit from C & R Clothing. Such is the aforementioned HALLENBECK. ANOTHER ANGLE THREE neighborhood KIDS have gathered around the car. Enjoying the spectacle of a sleeping drunk. One tosses a baseball from hand to hand. One picks his nose. (CONTINUED) 6. CONTINUED: KID #1 Dude's trashed. KID #2 Shit, we should do something tohim. Kid #3 continues mining for nose eggs. It looks like his entire fist is up there. Pause, then: KID #3 I know where there's a dead squirrel. ANOTHER ANGLE - BUNDLE OF PAPER TOWELS - SOME MINUTES LATER with a tail sticking out. The youngest Kid holds it aloft reverently. Looks in the open car window at Hallenbeck. Still snoozing. Dead to the world. KID #1 Do it. They heave the squirrel into the car and run away. A pause. Another pause. The sprinkler goes round. Nothing happens. ANOTHER ANGLE Hallenbeck snores. The mashed squirrel perches on hischest. A shadow falls across him as - KIDS return, scratching their heads. Staring in at him. KID #2 Goddamn. Dude's trashed. KID #3 Take his bottle. Kid #1 smiles nervously. Reaches in with infinite patience. Trembling hand inches closer and closer - And closes on the bottle as, without warning - 7. HALLENBECK sits bolt upright and grabs the Kid and stuffs a .38revolver in the Kid's face and cocks it. HALLENBECK Hey, motherfucker. The Kid, of course, shrieks. And the light of sanity dawns in Hallenbeck's eyes. He sucks in a deep breath. Releases the struggling Kid. Swears under his breath. Watches the boys flee in terror. Notices a dead squirrel in his lap. Scowls. Heaves it out the window. Pumps a Camel into his mouth. Lights it. Rescues the bottle of Seagrams. Thus begins his morning. He opens the car door. The sprinkler douses him. He gets out. Stands on the lawn. One of the Kids, the toughest one, is standing on the sidewalk. KID #3 I'm not scared. Hallenbeck scowls. HALLENBECK You're on my property, kid. KID #3 Sidewalk belongs to the government. Hallenbeck stares at him. Smiles weakly. HALLENBECK Excuse me. He leans over and vomits on the lawn. One hand gripping the car fender. The sprinkler goes round and round. EXT. MALIBU BEACH FRONT - MORNING A redwood beach house, mellow in the morning sun. There was a party here last night. Banners. Balloons and streamers. Tawdry in the light of day. 8. INT. BEACH HOUSE - SAME TIME A plush bedroom. Sun streams in the window. A YOUNG MAN sits, straddling a backwards chair. Bare foot, bare-chested. Blond hair, perfect tan. He is nursing a beer. Smoking and staring at - BED where a tawny golden girl lies, serene and innocent. Like a sleeping kitten. Rumpled sheets, one breastexposed. No tan line. The man takes a drag off the cigarette, studies thesleeping girl. Meet Jimmy Dix. Twenty-seven years old, former National League heartthrob. He shakes his head and mutters: JIMMY (YOUNG MAN) Jesus, kid, if only you weren't sodamn ugly. He gets up and goes into the head. Pulls out a glassvial. Dips a coke spoon with practiced ease. Sucks it up a nostril. For one moment, he catches his own eye in the mirror. FLASH CUT TO: FLASHBACK - FOOTBALL FIELD Seventy thousand people screaming. Jimmy in the middle. Younger Jimmy. Fresher Jimmy. It's a night game at the Coliseum. He's the quarterback. The snap. Jimmy fakes the draw. Rolls right. Around him, all is impact. Sound and fury. He targets a receiver and unleashes a rocket. Sixty- yard toss, hits the guy between the numbers. JIMMY'S FACE Covered with dirt and mud. Blood, too. Young and proud. Seventy thousand voices tell him he's alive. He makes a difference. 9. BACK TO PRESENT Alone in the bathroom... leaning on the counter. Head down. A voice calls softly from the bedroom: SLEEPY VOICE (O.S.) Jimmy, are you still here...? Pause, then: JIMMY I don't know. He looks up at his reflection. Glazed eyes, beardstubble. Crows' feet around the eyes. JIMMY Yeah. I guess I am. He sniffs, clearing his nose. INT. WEST L.A. BUNGALOW - MORNING Hallenbeck opens the door and shambles in. Dark. Depressing. Sprawl of furniture. Stack after stack of sports magazines. Drop all your belongings out of a plane. They will land like this. He flicks on the light. Crosses to the couch and flops down. Plucks a bottle of aspirin from an end table. Next to the bottle, we see - TWO FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS side by side. In one, younger Hallenbeck is kissing younger bride. Smiling. In the other, the President of the United States presents Hallenbeck with a medal. They are both smiling beneath the Presidential Seal. BACK TO SCENE Hallenbeck scowls and chews three aspirin. Swallows. The PHONE RINGS. He groans. Chain-lights another smoke, stubs out his old one. Chins the receiver and says: HALLENBECK Hallenbeck Investigations. (CONTINUED) 10. CONTINUED: MALE (V.O.) Hey, Joe, Mike Miller over atSwerdlow. You got a minute? HALLENBECK Mmmmm. MALE (V.O.) Mmmmm? What's mmmmm? Jeez, yousound fucking terrific. What'd you do last night? HALLENBECK Sat in the car. Looked at the sky. Got hammered. MALE (V.O.) How bad? HALLENBECK I killed a squirrel and don't evenremember. MALE (V.O.) That's bad, Joe. HALLENBECK Tell me about it. Look, I crawled out of a perfectly good bottle toanswer the phone, what the fuck doyou want? MALE (V.O.) Still takin' charity? HALLENBECK No pride here. What'cha got? MALE (V.O.) Stripper in West Hollywood. Lives alone. Very hot. A three on myfinger scale. Means I'd cut off three of my fingers if God wouldlet me sleep with her. HALLENBECK Make her a one on your nose scale. Improve your looks. MALE (V.O.) Eat me. Deal is this: She's gota psycho, threatens her over thephone. I'm gonna rape you, cutyou, the usual crap. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 11. CONTINUED: MALE (V.O.) (CONT'D) She thinks he's following her. I'm up to here, you got plans? HALLENBECK I was gonna smoke some cigarettes. MALE (V.O.) Can you postpone? HALLENBECK These are really good cigarettes. MALE (V.O.) She goes onstage at seven. It's two hundred bucks, Joe. HALLENBECK (sighs) Gimmee the address. MALE (V.O.) Terrific. And, Joe, big favor, okay? Try to... fix yourself up, if you can manage it. Look the part. Not like the last time, okay? Hallenbeck catches his reflection in the mirror over the TV. His face is ashen grey. Hollow eye sockets. Blotchy skin. HALLENBECK Gimmee the address. EXT. BUNGALOW - MORNING Hallenbeck emerges into the blinding glare. His tie is crooked. His cuffs are too short. He looks like a grouchy bear. He looks up at the girl on the billboard. HALLENBECK 'Morning, gorgeous. Gorgeous does not respond: Coy. Very coy. Hallenbeck slides behind the wheel of his Plymouth. KEYS the IGNITION. Phil Woods' SAXOPHONE fills the air. He looks at himself in the mirror. (CONTINUED) 12. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK (softly) Nobody likes you. Everybody hates you. You're an asshole and you'restupid. You're gonna lose. (pause) Smile, you fuck. He stretches his mouth into a grimace. Pulls out into the street. Off he goes. CUT TO: INT. MALIBU BEACH HOUSE - MORNING Jimmy Dix leaves the bedroom. Pads barefoot down a hall littered with beer cans, food wrappers. A sleeping guy. Stops at a door, peeks in: all-night poker game in progress. Four bleary-eyed men. Unshaven. Stack of wrinkled money on a card table. JIMMY 'Morning, boys. They all grunt. One of them, name of HENRY, looks up athim. Holds out a half-smoked doobie: HENRY Hey, Jimmy. You want some of this? JIMMY No, man. Why do you think theycall it dope? (beat) Henry, did I do anything last nightthat I should know about? HENRY You puked a couple times. Pointed at some lady's tits. Chased a dogfor a half an hour. Fucked a congressman's daughter, shit onsomeone's car. JIMMY No, man, I meant something bad, that I should know about. (CONTINUED) 13. CONTINUED: HENRY Mmmm. Nope. (frowns) My ass hurts, I think I had gaysex last night. I don't remember. When are you gonna come look atmy gun collection? JIMMY Soon, Henry. One of the other PLAYERS looks up, says: PLAYER Are you Jimmy Dix? Played for theStallions? JIMMY '86 and '87, that was me. PLAYER Hell, I think the league gave youa raw deal. JIMMY Thanks. What the hell, shit floats. I'll be back. PLAYER I hope so. JIMMY I'll be back. Everyone plays cards. No one looks at him. He frowns. Leaves. INT. LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER Jimmy is seated in the devastated living room. Puttingon shoes. He hears a COMMOTION outside: A woman screaming. Water splashing. He frowns, puzzled. Gets up. Pads out onto a redwood deck. EXT. REDWOOD DECK - SAME A six-foot behemoth is seated in a jacuzzi at the far endof the deck. He is dunking a terrified female head underthe water and laughing. Jimmy clears his throat. (CONTINUED) 14. CONTINUED: JIMMY Ho. Ray. The MAN looks up, annoyed. RAY (MAN) What the fuck you want, Jimmy? JIMMY What's with the girl? She surfaces, sputtering and screaming. Ray thrusts herbeneath the surface again. RAY Bitch won't blow me. JIMMY (pause, then) Too early in the morning, Ray. Let her go. RAY Fuck you. She's not coming uptill she starts blowing. Jimmy swallows hard. Says: JIMMY Ray. Let her go. RAY Fuck you, loser. What are you doingat a league party, asshole? You and ol' Dex Manley should get together, swap stories about gettin' booted. Jimmy controls himself with an effort. JIMMY Ray, she's gonna drown. RAY Not if she blows me. Jimmy's eyes are smoldering. He steps to the right. Casually scoops up a football lying on the deck. JIMMY Last chance, Ray. RAY Go spit. (CONTINUED) 15. CONTINUED: JIMMY Fine. Jimmy turns, as if to walk away. Instead, he spins back and launches the football. It sings, that's how hard he throws it. And when it smacks Ray in the face, something breaks. It ain't the ball. The big man howls. Clutching his flattened nose. The girl comes up for air. Gagging and choking. Jimmy is at her side instantly. Pulls her out of the water. JIMMY Get out of here. Go. She goes. He leans over and grabs Ray by the hair. The guy is bleeding. Delirious. Jimmy yanks until their faces are inches apart. JIMMY Best arm in the National League, you son of a bitch. Remember that. He lets go. Ray sags, semi-conscious. The poker players come running as Jimmy walks back inside. EXT. COAST HIGHWAY - DAY Jimmy gets into the car. Takes out his vial. Spoons some powder, sucks it up. A voice in the background: "Hey, someone shit on my car!" EXT. SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY Joe Hallenbeck slides his Plymouth to the curb in front of a cozy stucco dwelling. Gets out, crosses the lawn. A fat NEIGHBOR is watering shrubs next door. He waves. NEIGHBOR 'Morning, Joe, how's it going? HALLENBECK My ears are burning, Andy. Even as we speak, someone, somewhere iscalling me an asshole. NEIGHBOR You're funny. HALLENBECK I'm playing Tahoe on the 15th. 16. INT. HALLENBECK'S HOUSE - SAME TIME Hallenbeck enters and crosses the living room. A woman, forty-ish, once beautiful, appears in the bedroom doorway. Wearing a terry cloth robe. This is Joe's wife SARAH. SARAH I thought you were in Las Vegas. HALLENBECK I was. SARAH Where did you sleep? HALLENBECK Office. He brushes past her and crosses to the bed. On the pillow, a big stuffed cat toy smiles benignly. HALLENBECK Hey, Furry Tom. He sits on the bed. Lights a cigarette. Opens the nightstand and removes a speedloader for his .38. Starts to load the gun. SARAH How much did you lose? HALLENBECK I wasn't there to gamble. I was doing a skip trace. SARAH How much did you lose? HALLENBECK Fifty bucks. He suddenly notices a sheet of paper on the night stand. A crayon sketch. He picks it up, frowns: HALLENBECK What's this? SARAH Darian's class drew holidaypictures. That was hers. Her teacher wants to see us, Joe. 17. CLOSE ON DRAWING It's a picture of Santa Claus, except this Santa has long, stringy hair, bloodshot eyes, and grotesque talons. A little girl's severed head is clutched in one hand. Underneath, in block capitals, is written: SATAN CLAUS. BACK TO SCENE HALLENBECK Satan Claus. Kid's got some talent, don't you think? SARAH It's hideous. Her voice is ice cold. Joe turns and regards her levelly. HALLENBECK You okay, Sarah...? SARAH I'm tense. I couldn't get tosleep last night. HALLENBECK Hmmmm. Well, I think the kid will be fine. Boys still teaseher about the headgear? SARAH Are you kidding? Brace Face, that's the latest. Little bastards. HALLENBECK (under his breath) She'll be fucking them by thetime she's fourteen. SARAH Watch your Goddamn mouth, Joe. HALLENBECK Well, Christ, you let her wearenough makeup. The kid looks like a goddamn raccoon. She comes in late at night, I think, 'Christ, a burglar.' I almost shot her twice. SARAH You're not funny. All the girlsat that school wear makeup. (CONTINUED) 18. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Yeah, but they don't apply it with a paint sprayer. And for your information, our neighbors think I'm very funny. SARAH Go live with them. HALLENBECK Don't tempt me. He tosses the holstered .38 on the bed. Stalks into the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM HALLENBECK Damn raccoon. He sighs, tosses his cigarette butt in the toilet. Walks back out into the bedroom. INT. BEDROOM He kneels, looks under the bed. Frowns. Straightens and says, very conversationally: HALLENBECK Who's the guy in the closet? Sarah stops dead. Spins and stares at him. SARAH Excuse me? HALLENBECK (frowns) Oh, that's right, you sometimes forget that I'm a detective. (lights a cigarette) See, first I noticed how tense you were, but I let that pass. Then I noticed there was steam in the shower like someone was just in there, but meanwhile your hair is completely dry, you follow? So. Why the steamy shower? (MORE) (CONTINUED) 19. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK (CONT'D) Because someone else was in there, right, and since he's not underthe bed you must have stuck him inthe closet when you heard my key inthe door a day early. Tah-dah. Please, no applause. A silence hangs between them. Sarah just stares. Shakes her head. SARAH Well, nothing changes. You're still a lunatic. HALLENBECK Mmmmm. I'm sorry, honey, I don'tenjoy being observant, but someone'sgotta do it. (beat) What's his name? SARAH Please leave. I have to get dressed. HALLENBECK It's okay, I've seen you naked. So, apparently, has someone else. What's his name? SARAH You want me to open the closet, Joe? Huh? You want me to indulge yourfucking paranoia, I'll throw thedoor open, is that what you want meto do...? HALLENBECK Is this a trick question? SARAH I'll do it, Joe. Okay? And then we'll both know you're a psycho, is that what you want? Huh?? An awkward pause. Finally Hallenbeck scowls and says: HALLENBECK No. We won't open the door. SARAH Thank you. (CONTINUED) 20. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK (sighs) Nope. Door stays shut. Instead, what I'm gonna do is... (he scoops up the .38) ... I'm gonna count to three, andthen I'm gonna put a bullet inthere, and you can stop me anytimeby speaking the truth. One. SARAH If you shoot up my house, Joe, Iwill make you eat that gun. HALLENBECK Two. The truth is a beautiful thing. He cocks the hammer. Arm extended, hand rock steady. SARAH Call your shrink, Joe. I still have the number. Call him and tell him you're losing it, I cannotfucking deal with you like this -- ! HALLENBECK Three. Last chance. SARAH Joe, dammit -- ! He sighs. Starts to pull the trigger. And Sarah screams - SARAH Jesus, no -- ! And grabs the gun. Everything freezes. She looks at him. Understanding occurs. He looks at her. CLOSET DOOR swings slowly open, then... And out steps a man in a bathrobe. Compact. Wiry. Hair still soaking wet. None other than MIKE MILLER, Joe's early morning phone call. We know this because Joe says: (CONTINUED) 21. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Hello, Mike. Keeping her warmfor me? The gun barrel does not waver. Not an inch. MILLER Easy, Joe. Don't do nothing dumb. HALLENBECK How as she, Mike? On your fingerscale, how was my wife...? MILLER It just happened, Joe. It justhappened. HALLENBECK You call me from here this morning? MILLER She said you were in Vegas. I was gonna leave a message on the machine. HALLENBECK When you found out I was back. Whydidn't you split? MILLER She said relax, he never stops homeonce he's in the office. HALLENBECK Normally I wouldn't. MILLER (stares at him) You knew? HALLENBECK I suspected. So how about it, Mike? On a scale of one to ten. How was she? MILLER Joe, come on, how long we beenfriends, huh? HALLENBECK How long? Mmm. I'd say roughlyuntil you put your dick in mywife. (CONTINUED) 22. CONTINUED: MILLER You gotta understand - HALLENBECK I know, I know, it just happened. It was an accident. Sure. You tripped. You said, 'Whoops,' andaccidentally fucked my wife. Gee, Mrs. H., I'm sorry, just isn't myweek. Sure, Mike. Happen toanybody. (beat) I don't gotta understand anything. Sarah speaks then. Head down. Eyes averted. SARAH Put the gun down. HALLENBECK Hmmm? Oh, right, the gun. (sighs) You're right, Sarah, I'm acting nuts. He pulls the trigger. The SHOT is DEAFENING in the closed room. Mike Miller screams and clutches at himself. The bullet goes high and wide. Over his head. On the wall is a framed wedding photo. The twin of the one in Hallenbeck's office. The bullet strikes it dead center. Blows it to pieces. Silence. The tinkle of glass hitting the floor. Hallenbeck turns. Regards his wife with hooded, lifeless eyes. HALLENBECK Where was Darian? SARAH She stayed at Cindy's last night. He nods. Turns and waves the gun at Miller. HALLENBECK Let's take a walk, Buddy. EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAY The two men come out the back door and cut through thehedge. (CONTINUED) 23. CONTINUED: Miller's car, a Pontiac Sunbird, is parked at the curb. Hallenbeck stops in the middle of someone's yard. Holsters his gun. A neighbor's dog approaches, happily wagging its tail. Hallenbeck bends and ruffles its fur. HALLENBECK Where you want it, Mike? Head or gut? MILLER Listen, Joe, I - (stops, sighs) Gut. Hallenbeck pats the dog. Straightens. Plants his back foot and spins. Punches like a sledgehammer, into Miller's gut. Miller drops to his knees. Begins to retch. Hallenbeck takes out a cigarette. Lights it. HALLENBECK If I see you again, I'll kill you. Miller nods weakly. Gasping for breath. HALLENBECK So. West Hollywood at seven, right? MILLER Huh...? HALLENBECK The job. Seven o'clock, right? MILLER You still... want the job...? HALLENBECK It's two hundred bucks. MILLER Yeah. I guess it is. He climbs to his feet, still doubled over. MILLER I'm sorry, Joe. (CONTINUED) 24. CONTINUED: Hallenbeck says nothing. Miller turns and stumbles to his car. Hallenbeck's face betrays nothing. A dead mask. He walks back toward the hedge. The neighbor's dog runs up, a tennis ball in its mouth. Behind him, Mike Miller gets into the Sunbird. Hallenbeck takes the tennis ball. Throws it. The DOG BARKS and bounds after it. Mike Miller turns the key in the ignition. The CAR BLOWS to pieces. An ERUPTION OF FLAME. Flying glass and metal. The car becomes airborne. Engulfed in fire. Does a lazy spin. Comes down. The shockwave catches Hallenbeck. Slams him ass over teacups. Windows blow in up and down the street. Smoke and fire roll to the sky. The DOG cowers, HOWLING in fear. Beside it on the grass, the tennis ball is on fire. Hallenbeck rolls to his feet. Covered with twigs and leaves. Clothing scorched. Stares. Eyes glazed. CUT TO: EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - AN HOUR LATER A mobile crane hoists what's left of Mike Miller and his Pontiac. Policemen direct traffic, curb bystanders. OFF TO ONE SIDE a UNIFORM COP questions Hallenbeck and Sarah, who standstiffly. Not looking at each other. UNIFORM COP Why did Mr. Miller visit your homethis morning, Mr. Hallenbeck? Joe lies easily: (CONTINUED) 25. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK He came by to talk business. He had a case he was to busy to continuewith, a routine surveillance. He farmed it out to me. UNIFORM COP I see. Is that all you talkedabout? HALLENBECK Yeah. That's all. He looks the Officer in the eye. Betrays nothing. CUT TO: NAKED, GYRATING BODY Female, for the record. Signaling us that we are now: INT. "BOTTOMLESS PIT" CLUB - NIGHT Rowdy strip club in West Hollywood. Just like the name suggests; if it's a virus, you're sitting on it. After three drinks, every girl on stage looks like your highschool sweetheart. Was your sweetheart fat? Did she have excessive body hair? FUNK MUSIC, played LOUD. The Monday crowd stomps andclaps. Onstage a stripper grinds away with an enthusiasmusually reserved for standing in line at the DMV. Jimmy Dix sits at the bar, hooting and whistling. Behind the bar, a black man in a wheelchair serves drinks. His name is HARP. Off to one side, a twenty-five-year-old BEANPOLE speaksinto a microphone: EMCEE (BEANPOLE) Flash of green buys a flash ofpink, gentlemen. So reach into your pockets if you aren't therealready, and reward the lovelyand talented Ms. Vixen...! The black man shakes his head. (CONTINUED) 26. CONTINUED: HARP My son. He writes his own material, he's proud of that. Some people are proud, they curedleukemia. Old guy stops beatingoff long enough to laugh, my sonthinks he's Eddie Murphy. Jimmy uncaps a beer and raises it in a toast. JIMMY Alex the astronaut. Harp raises his own glass. HARP Alex the astronaut. It seems to be a common ritual between them. Jimmydrinks, thumps the bottle down. Says, resolutely: JIMMY I've had it, Harp. HARP Had what? JIMMY It, man. I've had it. (takes a swig) I don't remember what I did last night. I'm an idiot, Harp, I act like a complete dickhead. I don't have friends. I drink too much. I fuck anything that's warm and breathing. HARP Stay on that side of the bar. JIMMY (sighs) I cheated on my girl friend again. HARP You cheated on her? You must be crazy. JIMMY Maybe so, Harp. Maybe so. His gaze wanders across the crowded room, fixating on - 27. SCANTILY-CLAD WAITRESS Who makes her way between the tables. She is beautiful. Stands out like a teamster at a gay rights rally. Supplebody. Deep green eyes. Flaxen hair. Her name is CORY. She stops at a table against the wall. Puts down a Seagrams V.O. in a rocks glass. Seated at the table is a broad-shouldered man in a bad suit. The essence of boredom. Looks like he's been there three days. A cloud of smoke hangs around hishead. Mr. Joe Hallenbeck, no less. HALLENBECK The police won't help you, huh? CORY Sure. After I'm dead they'llperform the autopsy. HALLENBECK Guess you don't want to wait thatlong. CORY Guess not. HALLENBECK (scowls) They only play this kind of music? CORY What did you expect? HALLENBECK Pat Boone? The Four Freshmen? CORY What are you, my father? HALLENBECK Yes, I'm your father. Get yourclothes on. (beat) I hate this funk shit. It's gonnabe an extra hundred bucks. CORY You're hilarious. Sit next to the speaker, you'll get used toit. After a while you'll bescreaming play that funky musicwhite boy. HALLENBECK The screaming part I believe. (CONTINUED) 28. CONTINUED: She smiles and moves away. Hallenbeck sips his drink. Scans the crowd with shrewd eyes. ANOTHER ANGLE The lovely Cory approaches Jimmy at the bar. Harp looks on. CORY (seductive) Hello, handsome. How'd you liketo buy me a bottle of champagne? JIMMY How much for a bottle? CORY Forty dollars. JIMMY No thanks. Nothing personal, myseventh grade teacher was killedby a drunk driver. CORY Tall guy? Sandy hair? JIMMY That's the one. CORY I had to swerve three times to get him. JIMMY Ha-ha. CORY So no bottle, then? JIMMY For forty bucks I'd rather drinkmy own piss. CORY That's extra. And with that, she leans over and moulds her lips to his. Time passes. These two know each other, it would seem. Cory pulls away. Jimmy smiles. JIMMY Hi, Cory. Rough night? (CONTINUED) 29. CONTINUED: CORY Arrgh. I've had it to here. JIMMY (grins) I'll bet you have. She slaps his face. He feigns innocence. Points to Hallenbeck. JIMMY Who's the stiff? CORY He's nobody. (beat) I have to get ready to dance. JIMMY Come back soon. I want to buyyou a drink. She smiles and moves off, swishingly. Jimmy watches her go. His gaze wanders across the room to Hallenbeck. He frowns. ANOTHER ANGLE Near the stage, the would-be Eddie Murphy steps up tothe mike and says: EMCEE You know, crowd, these ladies are fine, but let me tell you the threereasons men prefer sheep: they'realways in the mood, they neverbitch, and after you fuck 'em youcan eat 'em. A few chuckles. Some coughs. More coughs than chuckles. EMCEE (plowing ahead) And now, here's a lady that'salways in the mood, put your handstogether for the lovely andtalented Ms. Cory...! Applause. A syncopated DRUM BEAT kicks in. AEROSMITH'S LATEST erupts from the SPEAKERS. And then she comes on. And even Joe Hallenbeck must draw in a sharp breath. (CONTINUED) 30. CONTINUED: Her body is exquisite. She moves like breath. Her eyescan put you under. She is simply that beautiful. HALLENBECK sits with his drink untouched before him. Pats his suit pockets, searching for a smoke. Removes a crumpled, empty pack, as: JIMMY DIX saunters up, looking less than friendly. He looks at Hallenbeck. Hallenbeck does not look at him. JIMMY Hi. You're nobody. HALLENBECK Shhh. Don't tell anyone. JIMMY That's what Cory said. She said you were nobody. Only Hallenbeck's eyes move. He looks up, regards Jimmycoolly. They size each other up. Hallenbeck sighs. HALLENBECK Easy, Junior, I'm not raining onyour parade. She's too young for me. I'm just keeping an eye onher for a few days. JIMMY I see. What are you, some kindof bodyguard? HALLENBECK Something like that. You got acigarette? JIMMY No. Is Cory in trouble? HALLENBECK I hope not. You tell me. JIMMY She didn't mention anything to me. HALLENBECK Mmmm. That bothers you, doesn't it? (CONTINUED) 31. CONTINUED: JIMMY Maybe. HALLENBECK Don't sweat it. Women have secrets. Water is wet, the sky is blue, andwomen have secrets. (beat) I'll buy you a beer. Sit down. Jimmy remains standing. JIMMY She hired you, huh? What, you inthe phonebook? HALLENBECK Yeah. Actually, she hired my buddyMike. I'm filling in. JIMMY Where's Mike? HALLENBECK He died. JIMMY Sorry to hear it. HALLENBECK Don't be. He was a lousysurveillance man. Jimmy leans forward, palms flat on the table. JIMMY Look, friend, I don't know who youare or what's going on. But Coryis my girl friend and if she's introuble, I want to hear about it. HALLENBECK That's client confidential. JIMMY Tell me anyway. HALLENBECK Nope. JIMMY I say two words to Cory and youdon't get paid, asshole. (CONTINUED) 32. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Do it. JIMMY You sure? I'm looking at your suit, you could use the dough. HALLENBECK You don't like my suit, guess what? I don't like your money. JIMMY Good, 'cause you're not getting any. HALLENBECK Story of my life. JIMMY What is? HALLENBECK Not getting any. They stare each other down. Hallenbeck calmly sips hisbourbon. JIMMY You couldn't protect a cup ofwarm piss. HALLENBECK (nods) Hit me. JIMMY Excuse me? HALLENBECK Hit me. Bust me in the chops, chickenshit. (beat) You're not afraid, are you, Jimmy...? JIMMY (freezes) You know who I am? HALLENBECK James Alexander Dix, L.A. Stallions, '86 and '87. Barred from the N.F.L. on gambling charges. Allegationsof point shaving to support acocaine habit, never proven. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 33. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK (CONT'D) Busted once for possession. You had the makings of a first classdumbshit. JIMMY Mister... You are now pissing meoff. HALLENBECK About fucking time. (extends his hand) Joe Hallenbeck. I'm a privatedetective. JIMMY (ignores the hand) I don't know, Joe... You look like a dumb wop to me. HALLENBECK At least I didn't shit my talentaway on coke, motherfucker. JIMMY Can I hit you now? HALLENBECK Absolutely. Jimmy throws a short jab at Hallenbeck's chin. It never gets there. Joe moves, lightning quick, and suddenly Jimmy's fist is trapped. Dead stops. Fingers grinding into palm. Jimmy swears. Stumbles. Sits down hard. Hallenbeck releases him. HALLENBECK Please, have a seat. JIMMY (gasping) You think you're some kind of hotshit tough guy, huh? HALLENBECK (shrugs) It's not a question of tough. I'm bigger than you, and I was trained. So I can take you. That's just theway it is. You can throw a better pass. (beat) How about that beer? (CONTINUED) 34. CONTINUED: JIMMY Piss off. HALLENBECK (signals the waitress) You were a great quarterback, Jimmy. I watched you play at WashingtonState. Red shirt freshman in '82. Followed you with the Stallions. Good scrambling ability, seventypercent completions from thepocket... You had the best gunin the N.F.L. Jimmy looks at him, puzzled. Didn't they just swap punches? JIMMY Yeah. Thanks. I guess. HALLENBECK Hell. (big smile) I'm a fan. ANGLE ON STAGE Onstage, the MUSIC GRINDS TO a CLOSE as Cory dispenseswith the last of her clothing. Strikes a pose to wildapplause and we HOLD ON her radiant beauty and - CUT TO: INT. DINGY DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT Cory and Jimmy are engaged in very hot sex. This is not a love scene; this is a sex scene. Sigh. I'm not even going to attempt to write thisquote-unquote "steamy" scene here, for several good reasons: A) The things that I find steamy are none of your damnbusiness, Jack, in addition to which - B) The two actors involved will no doubt have wonderful, highly athletic ideas which manage to elude most fat-assed writers anyhow, and finally - C) My mother reads this shit. So there. (P.S.: I think we lost her back at the Jacuzzi blowjobscene.) (CONTINUED) 35. CONTINUED: Suffice to say, they fog the screen. At last, Jimmy rolls over and pours champagne into twocrystal glasses. Lifts one in a toast. JIMMY Alex the pediatrician. CORY (giggles) Alex the pediatrician. They drink. And from this blissful affirmation of life we - CUT TO: INT. BACKSTAGE CORRIDOR - SAME TIME Joe Hallenbeck is pounding an already-dented cigarette machine. No dice. It has eaten his money. He shakes his head, muttering. Looks at his watch. Looks at the dressing room door. Shakes his head again. Walks to the end of the corridor. Goes through the fire door. Out into: EXT. PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS ACTION Starry, moonlit night. A chill breeze. Joe draws a breath. In front of him, on the wall of the club, is a poster: BAYNARD FOR SENATE, it reads. Above the logo, a picture of a benevolent-looking gray-haired man. Hallenbeck regards it balefully. HALLENBECK I didn't vote for you, you bastard. He looks away, and suddenly notices something on theground: A half-smoked cigarette butt. Just sitting there. Joe stares at it. Thinks it over. Starts to walk away. Stops. HALLENBECK You're a fuckin' lowlife, Joe. (CONTINUED) 36. CONTINUED: He bends to pick up the butt. A steel sap whistles over his head, missing by inches. Hallenbeck spins, startled. Reflexively lashes out with a flattened palm. Misses, chops the air. Two more men, behind him. Nowhere to go. A sap pops him behind the left ear. A sickening thud. The world spins out of focus. He goes down. Hits the pavement like a ton of bricks. Rolls over, staring up. Vision muddy, indistinct. HALLENBECK'S POV Three silhouettes hover over him, backlit by streetlamps. Their voices are fuzzy. HITMAN #1 That's him. He was with her. HITMAN #2 Shit, he's packing. What should we do? HITMAN #3 Get him away from here. Then kill him. HITMAN #2 There's no contract for him. HITMAN #3 Then do it for free. Just do it elsewhere. The men disperse. One of them drags Joe to his feet. A stocky, crag-faced man. He jams a silenced pistolin Joe's kidney and points him toward a vacant lotnearby. HITMAN #2 Start walking. I'm right behind you. ANOTHER ANGLE The two other Hitmen return to their gray, late-modelsedan. Climb into the car and sit, watching thenightclub. Waiting. (CONTINUED) 37. EXT. VACANT LOT - NIGHT A rusty chain-link fence separates the lot from the boulevard. Choked with weeds. Broken glass. A rusted-out car. A towering billboard looms overhead, inviting people todrink Scotch or get laid, it's hard to tell. Hallenbeck staggers drunkenly across the lot. The crag-faced man follows behind him. CRAG-FACE (HITMAN #2) Wrong place at the wrong time, buddy, that's all it is. Just want you to know it's nothingpersonal. HALLENBECK That's what you think. Last nightI fucked your wife. The gunman cracks up. Hallenbeck grins drunkenly. CRAG-FACE Oh, you did, huh? How'd you knowit was my wife? HALLENBECK She said her husband was a greaseball with bad breath. The guy cracks up again. CRAG-FACE You're pretty cool for a guy gonnatake a bullet. HALLENBECK After fucking your wife, I'll take two. The hitman wheezes laughter. Joe just grins. CRAG-FACE You're a funny guy. It's a shame to take you off. Here, kneel down. HALLENBECK Are you kidding? We barely knoweach other. The hitman is now giggling, shaking his head. CRAG-FACE This is wild. I never shot no funny guy before. (CONTINUED) 38. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK You need a special funny bullet. CRAG-FACE Come on, cut it out. Head or chest? HALLENBECK That's what your wife said. CRAG-FACE Would you quit with the wife? Enough is enough. HALLENBECK Ask me how fat she is. CRAG-FACE How fat is she? HALLENBECK She's so fat I had to roll her in flour and look for the wet spot. You wanna fuck her, you gotta slapher thigh and ride the wave in. (the hitman loses it) Like the Pillsbury doughboy, exceptwhen you poke her in the stomach, she farts. I got a buddy he's anarchaeologist, organized anexpedition to her chin. They gotlost in her nasal hair. But seriously, her eyes are like thestreets of Paris: crossed. They're so crossed when she criesthe tears run down her back. She's got back-tearia. CRAG-FACE (can't stop laughing) Oh, that's awful. Buddy, you're afucking rio - From a kneeling position, Hallenbeck flings a handful of gravel at the man's eyes. The man cries out. Stumbles backward. And Hallenbeck moves like a coiled spring. Not drunk at all. He takes the broken bottle he's been clutching and cuts the guy's throat like a knife through butter. The hitman stands with a shocked look on his face. Blood bubbling. FIRES the GUN once, into the ground. Drops it from nerve less fingers. Stares at Hallenbeck, aghast. (CONTINUED) 39. CONTINUED: CRAG-FACE Bastard. Hallenbeck meets his gaze. A savage, feral gleam in his eye. HALLENBECK And then some. The guy pitches over dead. Hallenbeck kneels beside him. Retrieves his .38, holsters it. Slips the hitman's pistolinto his waistband. HALLENBECK I'm playing Tahoe on the 15th. He takes off running. EXT. STRIP CLUB - NIGHT Cory and Jimmy emerge from the club into the parking lot. She scans the area, shaking her head. CORY I can't believe it. The bastard split on me. (sighs) I'm staying at a motel for a coupledays. Will you follow me? JIMMY Sure. He heads for his car. ANOTHER ANGLE The Hitmen wait in the darkened sedan. Watching Jimmy and Cory. The driver keys the ignition. Starts the car. In his lap is an automatic rifle. EXT. BOULEVARD - NIGHT Joe Hallenbeck is running full out. Headlong down the sidewalk. Gasping for breath. HALLENBECK Move!! (CONTINUED) 40. CONTINUED: He slams into a man. Knocks him flat. Groceries fly. Joe doesn't care. He stumbles. Keeps going. EXT. NIGHTTIME STREET - SAME TIME Jimmy Dix is behind the wheel of a silver Jag. Cory is driving a spanking new Ford Fiero. Jimmy follows behind Cory, watchdogging. Humming with JOE COCKER on the RADIO. Cory comes to a red light. Pauses. Turns right onto a sidestreet. Jimmy slows, pausing at the intersection. GRAY SEDAN passes Jimmy. Accelerating. ENGINE REVVING. Jimmy only gets one glimpse into the passing car. It's enough: Everyone inside is armed to the teeth. The SEDAN ROARS around the corner, cutting in front of Jimmy. JIMMY Oh God. This is a hit this is a fucking hit!! GRAY SEDAN comes up behind Cory. Comes up fast. Rams her car. Metal crumples. Meanwhile: JIMMY frantically floors the pedal of his Jag, pops the clutch -- And stalls out. He roars with anger. Flings open the door. Leaps out and runs forward, screaming: JIMMY Cory, get out of there!! Too late. Cory is already out of her car, yelling: CORY Hey, can't you fucking drive?? (CONTINUED) 41. CONTINUED: Her eyes go wide with shock. The Hitmen burst from their car. OPEN UP on full auto. Cory is cut down. Blown backward over the hood of her Ford. Flung to the street. JIMMY Oh Gooood!! And without missing a beat, the Hitmen turn - And OPEN FIRE on Jimmy. He takes a running start. Clears the hood of his Jag in a single leap. BULLETS DICE the metal behind him. He lands, hard. Sucks the ground. Huddled behind his car, as: TWO HITMEN move toward him, triggering THREE SHOT BURSTS. The kid is dead meat. Or so it seems until, without warning - JOE HALLENBECK charges into the intersection. Screaming bloody murder. He's got a GUN in each fist, and both are BLAZING. One Hitman dies immediately: Dances like a puppet, racked by gunfire. Bullets go through him. SHATTER the sedan's WINDSHIELD. The second Hitman turns and OPENS UP on Hallenbeck. Too late. Joe rolls behind a mailbox. BULLETS chase him, blowing apart the metal box. The Hitman swears. Turns, running for the sedan. He knows when a getaway is in order. Just one problem. He forgot about Jimmy Dix. A SCREECH of TIRES. As Jimmy's Jag slews around the corner, laying rubber. Rockets toward the Hitman, pins him in its headlights - The Hitman screams as Jimmy plows through him - And CRUNCHES into the gray sedan. (CONTINUED) 42. CONTINUED: Shatters the Hitman between the two cars... And holy Christ, the guy's still alive. Pinned like a butterfly, legs broken... He raises his rifle, screaming. Jimmy dives flat on the front seat. The WINDSHIELD ERUPTS. The Hitman. Still pinned. Still screaming. He FIRES SHOT AFTER SHOT into Jimmy's car. Hallenbeck walks up behind him. Puts a BULLET in his head. He stops screaming. JIMMY is still huddled on the front seat in a sea of broken glass. Hallenbeck walks up, leans in the window. HALLENBECK Hey. (as Jimmy looks up) Back up. ANOTHER ANGLE Jimmy puts it in reverse. The car backs up. Steam pouring from the crumpled hood. The Hitman, now freed, collapses to the street. Like a sack of flour. Hallenbeck limps toward him, wheezing. He stops as: MOTEL MANAGER stands outside a door marked OFFICE. Holding a pump action shotgun leveled at Hallenbeck. Hallenbeck nods at the bodies in the street. HALLENBECK It's all over, compadre. MANAGER Get off my property, mister. (CONTINUED) 43. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK (scowls) Sidewalk belongs to the government. He turns and looks at Jimmy. The kid is in pain. Staring at Cory's bullet-riddled body. Eyes glazed. Hallenbeck says nothing. He crosses to the shattered Hitman. Kneels down, fishes through the guy's coat pockets. Comes up with a bloody pack of cigarettes. Extracts one. Lights it. SIRENS fill the air. And Jimmy snaps out of it long enough to reach into his coat -- Takes out the vial of coke. Ditches it. Drops it down a sewer grating, out of sight. No one sees him do it. POLICE CRUISERS come SQUEALING up, flashers turning. Surrounding Jimmy, who stands, head down and motionless - And Joe, who smokes and looks at the moon. CUT TO: INT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT SERGEANT BENJAMIN BESSALO sits behind his desk, scanninga stack of typed pages. A tired-looking cop named McCASKEYlounges in the doorway. A Christmas tree in the corner sheds needles. Through the glass window, we can see Hallenbeck and Jimmyseated outside in the squad room proper. Bessalo stopsreading. Sniffs the air. Frowns: BESSALO Something stinks in here. (widens his eyes) My God, it's this statement! He flings the paper onto his desk. McCASKEY Sarge? BESSALO It's shit. Hallenbeck is hidingsomething. (CONTINUED) 44. CONTINUED: McCASKEY How do you know? BESSALO I know how the bastard's mind works. Every lie has eighty percent truthto it. Guy scares me. McCaskey is staring out the window at Hallenbeck. McCASKEY We lookin' at the same guy? BESSALO (smiles) Go ahead. Tell me what you see. McCASKEY I see a guy, looks like he justslept in his suit. BESSALO (nods) Yep. That's what most people see. McCASKEY There's more? BESSALO Oh, yeah. There's more. (beat) A long time ago, that son of a bitchsaved the President's life. INT. SQUAD ROOM - SAME TIME Outside the office Hallenbeck and Jimmy are perched sideby side on a wooden bench. Jimmy is crumpling pieces ofpaper and tossing them at a wastebasket. He throws with unerring accuracy. Beside him Hallenbeck frowns, deep inthought. Finally, Jimmy speaks: JIMMY That stuff Cory fed you about aweirdo hassling her. That was all bullshit, wasn't it...? HALLENBECK Yeah. I don't know what she was into, but those were professionalhitters tonight. Mob style. (beat) Tell me about Cory. What was she like? (CONTINUED) 45. CONTINUED: JIMMY None of your fucking business. HALLENBECK Listen up, friend. I'm trying toget a handle on this. How was she fixed for money? JIMMY (pause) I don't know. Pretty strapped, I guess. HALLENBECK Always kept an eye out for work? JIMMY No hooking, if that's what you mean. HALLENBECK It isn't. Tell me what she did at the club, besides dance. JIMMY The usual. Waitressing. Get a guyto buy you a bottle of champagne. Sit in a private booth, let thepoor fuck spill his troubles. Used to say she'd make a great psychiatrist. HALLENBECK She get many high rollers? JIMMY Sure. Even rich guys get lonely. HALLENBECK Fine. (beat) So suppose one night, her 'guest'gets a little too drunk, and bragsto her... reveals something abouthimself. Something that could hurtif it came out. What would she do? JIMMY I don't get it. HALLENBECK Would she blackmail him? JIMMY Jesus, I've had about enough of you - (CONTINUED) 46. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Would she consider the possibility ofblackmail? JIMMY (sighs) She'd consider it. If she could get away with it. But she'd need hard evidence. Otherwise, it's 'I never said that,' his word against hers. HALLENBECK Right. So what does she do? JIMMY I don't know. Follow the guy? Have him followed? HALLENBECK Bingo. Kid, this is making sense. She hires somebody to follow themark and obtain blackmail evidence. JIMMY Who does she hire? HALLENBECK Ah. She hires my buddy Mike. (beat) Right? Right. It makes sense. Except - JIMMY Except you told me that Mike was ashitty surveillance man. HALLENBECK Exactly. He got spotted. Theymade him, and they killed him. Then they took out Cory. JIMMY Christ, what did the two of them stumble onto? HALLENBECK Whatever it was, it was way overtheir heads. They knew they werein trouble. JIMMY How you figure? (CONTINUED) 47. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Because Mike was scared. He bailed out and threw the case in my lap. JIMMY He handed it to you... withouttelling you how dangerous it was? Hallenbeck stares straight ahead. Sighs and says: HALLENBECK He was fucking my wife, Jimmy. (beat) I die. He gets my wife. Jimmy just looks at him. At that moment, McCaskey pokes his head out of Bessalo'soffice. McCASKEY Okay, you guys are cleared to go. Pick up belongings at the propertydesk. INT. PROPERTY ROOM - NIGHT Hallenbeck is collecting his firearm from the propertyclerk. Jimmy lounges against the wall. Winks at a hooker as she goes by in the hall, followed by a patrol cop. Jimmy eyes his rumpled trousers. Ripped shirt. JIMMY Shit. This shirt cost me eightybucks. HALLENBECK (holsters his gun) Glad to see, at a time like this, at least you got your prioritiesstraight. JIMMY Do me a favor and shut up. You think I don't care that Cory'sdead? (rubs tired eyes) Christ, I feel like I been rode hard and put away wet. (CONTINUED) 48. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Get some sleep. JIMMY Wow. What stunning advice. I was gonna go hiking. HALLENBECK Fuck you. They start down the hallway, side by side. JIMMY You know something, Joe, for aprivate eye, you sure don't go infor snappy comebacks. HALLENBECK How's this? Fuck you and thehorse that looks like you. JIMMY Get some sleep. A passing PATROLMAN stops. Eyes Jimmy thoughtfully. Frowns: PATROLMAN You look real familiar. Do I know you? Jimmy grins, shrugs. Obviously flattered. JIMMY You might. Some people recognize me. PATROLMAN Got it. Peanuts Morton. Used to sell hash in Crenshaw District. JIMMY No, man. I played football. Jimmy Dix, L.A. Stallions. PATROLMAN What position? JIMMY Forget it. PATROLMAN Fuckin' football. Free agentsruined the damn game. (CONTINUED) 49. CONTINUED: He walks away. Jimmy scowls. Grumbles to himself. HALLENBECK We gotta cross the parking lot. You wanna borrow my sunglasses? JIMMY Fuck you. HALLENBECK Hey, snappy comeback. You a detective? As the two cross the muster room toward the front doors, they pass the hooker we saw earlier. She is talking toher pimp. There is a heated exchange. The pimp slaps her. Hard. Suddenly, Jimmy lunges forward. Balling his fists. JIMMY That son of a bitch! He's ready to clean the pimp's clock when Hallenbeck grabs him, spins him bodily. Propels him out the front doors. Away from trouble. EXT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT HALLENBECK What the fuck are you trying todo, Tarzan? JIMMY He hit the chick. HALLENBECK You don't start a fight in apolice station, dickhead. Are youreally this stupid or did you takelessons? JIMMY Guy shouldn't treat a woman likethat, is all I'm saying. He justshouldn't, okay? HALLENBECK Why? Because they're weak andneed protecting? (CONTINUED) 50. CONTINUED: JIMMY (pause, then) Yeah. He's serious. Hallenbeck starts to chuckle. Shakes his head, lights a cigarette. Laughs through the smoke. This may be the funniest thing he's ever heard. CUT TO: EXT. POLICE IMPOUND LOT - SAME TIME Hallenbeck walks across the parking lot toward his car. Jimmy trots behind him. JIMMY Mind if I catch a ride with you? HALLENBECK Yes. JIMMY My car's fucked up, remember? HALLENBECK Take the bus. JIMMY Cut it out. Look, you sorta savedmy life. Let me buy you a beer. HALLENBECK I'm not thirsty. Good night. He approaches his battered Plymouth. Jimmy scowls. JIMMY That's it. Good night? HALLENBECK Go home. Get some sleep. JIMMY What are you gonna do? HALLENBECK I'm gonna get a message to thepeople who killed your friend. JIMMY What's the message? (CONTINUED) 51. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK That we're out of it. That whatever they're doing, they don'thave to worry about us. JIMMY You're kidding. Joe gets in the car. Says nothing. JIMMY You're backing off, you're notgonna do anything? I watch T.V., what the fuck kind of private eyedoesn't do anything? HALLENBECK The kind with a wife and kid. Look, it's over. My job is done. JIMMY Fuck you your job is done. We witnessed a murder, Joe! HALLENBECK Yes, it was very exciting. Tomorow I'll take you to the zoo. (beat) You wanna play hero, go ahead. When you die, I'll take yourcloset full of eighty-dollarshirts. JIMMY Look, until this is over, I'm sticking with you. HALLENBECK The hell you are. JIMMY I'm part of this. We do something, we do it together. HALLENBECK Have a ncie night. He STARTS the CAR. JIMMY Don't drive away, Joe. Joe puts it in gear. Pulls away. (CONTINUED) 52. CONTINUED: JIMMY Joe -- ! I'll tell the cops, Joe. Joe taps the brake. Stops. Leans out the window, sayssoftly: HALLENBECK Tell them what, Jimmy? JIMMY That Mike Miller was fucking yourwife. (beat) Only reason you're not in thecooler, tough guy, is the cops gotno motive for Miller's death. When they find out Mikey wasdickin' your old lady, seems tome you become suspect numero uno. I'm scared, and I'm coming withyou, got it? Joe gets out of the car and advances on Jimmy. HALLENBECK You little creep, I'm gonna beatthe shit out of you. JIMMY Go for it. Then the cops'llreally love my story. (smiles) You don't start a fight in apolice station, dickhead. HALLENBECK You and me is not a fight. You and me is a massacre. JIMMY Gosh, you're tough. HALLENBECK Get in the fucking car. INT. CAR - DRIVING - NIGHT Hallenbeck is in a foul mood. Jimmy lights a cigaretteand applies for a position as pep chairman: JIMMY You got any hobbies? (CONTINUED) 53. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Mmmm. Used to be a pretty fairventriloquist. JIMMY Ventriloquist, really? I hear Ps and Bs are the hardest. HALLENBECK Yeah, well, actually - JIMMY (interrupts) Hey, you got any tapes in here? (leans forward) Man, what is this shit? Dick Haymes. Who the fuck is Dick Haymes? Jeez, you must be olderthan I thought. Hallenbeck grimaces and shifts in his seat. JIMMY What's the matter? Stomach problems? HALLENBECK Ear problems. JIMMY What kind of ear problems? HALLENBECK The kind that won't shut up. He stops at a traffic light. Sees a torn poster on anearby telephone pole: CALIFORNIA HAS A VOICE - BAYNARD FOR SENATE. He grumbles. Gives it the finger. JIMMY Baynard, huh? What's the matter, you got some kind of beef with theguy? HALLENBECK You might say that. JIMMY You wanna share with the class? HALLENBECK (sighs) Bastard got me fired from my oldjob. (CONTINUED) 54. CONTINUED: JIMMY Yeah? What were you, cop orsomething? HALLENBECK Secret Service. JIMMY You're high. Get outta here. (grins) Really...? You protected the man? Holy shit, you musta got laid everynight. HALLENBECK That's me. Every night. (beat) Where did Cory live? JIMMY She had an apartment on the WestSide. Why? HALLENBECK I want to check it out. Jimmy stares at him, puzzled. JIMMY I thought you were off the case. HALLENBECK (scowls) Look, dipshit, I told you that tokeep you out of my hair. (pause) My client's dead and I haven'tearned my fee. JIMMY Whoa, back up. You mean, we're gonna nail these fuckers afterall...? (grins) Damn. I knew there was a hero lurking beneath that gruffexterior. HALLENBECK Yeah, I'm a prince. Shut the fuck up. 55. EXT. ADULT LIVING COMPLEX - NIGHT Jimmy and Hallenbeck make their way down a flagstone walkbetween tiny, palm-shaded cottages. The moon casts a pale glow. HALLENBECK Bet these places run a fortune. JIMMY Tell me about it. I'm paying thefucking rent. HALLENBECK How charming. Sounds like a greatgirl. What else did you springfor? Clothes? Car payments? JIMMY Wasn't like that. Cory could'vehad lots of rich guys. Me, she loved. HALLENBECK Oh. Love. Well, forget about it, then. JIMMY Let me guess. You don't believe in love. HALLENBECK (lights a cigarette) I believe in cancer. I believe in love. JIMMY What, they're both diseases? HALLENBECK Something like that. Jimmy shakes his head sadly. JIMMY Man, I don't want to meet the bitch that fucked you up. HALLENBECK I'm sure she'd love meeting you. Probably blow you on the frontporch. JIMMY Little bitter, Joe? HALLENBECK Eat shit. 56. EXT. MOONLIT COTTAGE The two men approach the door. Jimmy takes out his keyring. HALLENBECK The cops are gonna want to checkthis place out, so don't disturbanything. JIMMY Yes, massah. INT. COTTAGE Jimmy opens the door. Flips on the lights. Stops inhis tracks. The room has been systematically torn to pieces. A knife has been used to rip open the couch. Broken furniture, shredded clothing. Everywhere. It looks like a combat zone. JIMMY I think someone disturbed some stuff, Joe. HALLENBECK Well, shit. Looks like somebodybeat us to it. JIMMY Beat us to what? HALLENBECK Whatever evidence Cory washolding. JIMMY Assuming there was any. Stay herea minute. HALLENBECK Where you going? JIMMY Bathroom. You wanna come with me? Doctor said I shouldn't lift anything heavy. HALLENBECK I'll pass. Hallenbeck starts inspecting the wreckage. 57. INT. CLUTTERED BATHROOM Jimmy enters and shuts the door behind him. He scans the floor, covered with clothes, bottles, etc. Picks up a carelessly discarded can of Right Guard deodorant. Turns it upside down, and unscrews the bottom. Inside, the can is hollow and empty. The perfect hiding place. Jimmy heaves a sigh of relief. Removes a little plastic Baggie filled with white powder. Stashes it in his shorts. Starts to replace the lid. Stops. Frowns. Reaches into the can a second time - And pulls out a yellow envelope. He looks at it, perplexed. Puts it in his pocket. Replaces the lid. Tosses the can on the floor. Flushes the toilet. Leaves. INT. LIVING ROOM Hallenbeck, meanwhile, is prowling the living room, looking at photographs on the walls. The girl in the photos seems young, beautiful, and naive. One shot depicts Cory and a friend in cheerleader outfits. On it is scrawled, GOOD LUCK IN HOLLYWOOD BABY! LOVE, JANIS Hallenbeck gazes around the devastated cottage. HALLENBECK Looks like you made it, baby. Jimmy emerges from the bathroom. JIMMY Find anything? HALLENBECK Yeah, there's some really nicerubble. (CONTINUED) 58. CONTINUED: JIMMY I may have something. HALLENBECK What? JIMMY Later. Let's get out of here. EXT. COTTAGE - NIGHT The two men emerge from the house. Joe heads for his car. Jimmy peels off toward a battered GMC Pacer parkedat the curb. HALLENBECK Where the hell are you going? JIMMY As long as we're here, I might aswell take Cory's car. HALLENBECK You got the keys? JIMMY Yeah. I'll follow you. Hallenbeck starts to turn away. Jimmy gets in the car. Hallenbeck stops. Frowns. HALLENBECK Cory has two cars? JIMMY Yeah. This one's just sittinghere until she can sell it. The color drains from Hallenbeck's features. HALLENBECK Jimmy, no!! He sprints across the sidewalk and yanks Jimmy out of thedriver's seat before he can key the ignition. JIMMY Ouch -- ! What's your problem? ANOTHER ANGLE Hallenbeck kneels and peers under the car. (CONTINUED) 59. CONTINUED: Swears softly as he sees two thin copper wires, glintingin the moonlight. HALLENBECK They used a car bomb on Mike, itfigures they'd try it on her, too. (stands) Except they wired the wrong car. Jimmy pales noticeably. JIMMY Oh. Shit. Oh. Jeez. Hallenbeck claps him on the back. HALLENBECK Easy, kid. No harm, no foul. We caught it in time. He strolls toward his Plymouth, whistling. Cheerfully unaffected. Jimmy catches his breath. Swallows hard. Turns, and bumps into Hallenbeck, coming back the other way. JIMMY What are you doing? Hallenbeck brandishes a pair of wire-cutters. HALLENBECK Gotta disconnect the fucker. JIMMY Whoa. Hold on. Um, shouldn't we call the bomb squad or something? HALLENBECK (smiles) Relax, Junior, I used to do this for a living. He isolates one wire. Turns and offers the cutters to Jimmy. HALLENBECK You wanna do it? JIMMY No, man, I - (CONTINUED) 60. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Come on, chickenshit. Just snipthe wire. Jimmy hesitates, then takes the cutters. Reaches beneath the wheel well. Plucks at the wire tentatively. Cuts. HALLENBECK Oh, shit not that one! Jimmy screams and stumbles backward. Lands on his ass. Hallenbeck is chuckling softly. Shakes his head as he walks around to release the hood. JIMMY You're a fucking asshole! HALLENBECK And then some, Junior. And then some. TIME CUT TO: THREE STICKS OF DYNAMITE - ONE MINUTE LATER have been taped to the car's ignition system. Hallenbeck removes the taped bundle. Holds it up for inspection. HALLENBECK We'll hand this over to the cops. They can analyze it. JIMMY Great. So what now? HALLENBECK (shrugs) You tell me, kid. JIMMY Give up? Flee? Go really faraway? HALLENBECK I got a better idea. Let's check in with my family. They start walking toward Hallenbeck's Plymouth. Hallenbeck tosses the car keys to Jimmy. HALLENBECK I'm tired. You drive. (CONTINUED) 61. CONTINUED: JIMMY Sure. Family, huh? You got kids? HALLENBECK Yeah. Little girl. JIMMY Does she like you? HALLENBECK Not much, no. And she likes Prince, so go figure. JIMMY I like Prince. HALLENBECK Great, you can marry my daughter. Or better yet, fuck my wife. I hear all it takes is a credit card and two valid I.D.'s. (beat) Open the trunk. JIMMY (indicating bomb) You're just gonna stick that inyour trunk? HALLENBECK (nods) You're right. Let's leave it here for the neighborhood kidsto play with. Jimmy opens the trunk. As he does, however, a voice rings out suddenly from the darkness. VOICE (O.S.) Hold it right there, gentlemen. They stop. Slowly they turn. TWO MEN are approaching from out of the trees. One holds a flashlight trained on Hallenbeck and Jimmy. The other carries a silenced Beretta. JIMMY Is it the cops? HALLENBECK No, Jimmy. It's not the cops. (CONTINUED) 62. CONTINUED: Working quickly, Hallenbeck tapes the bomb to the inside of the truck lid. Slams it shut. Turns, facing the new arrivals. The MEN wear tailored suits with matching ties. One is tall and lean. The other is a bruiser, short and stout. They both have the seasoned look of professional mob hitters. The Taller Man speaks, gun held rock steady. TALL MAN Good evening, gentlemen. Bit late for a stroll, don't you think? HALLENBECK Yeah, you two better be gettinghome. JIMMY The streetlights are on. TALL MAN That's amusing. How delightfulto find such amusing men so lateat night. (beat) I don't believe I've had the pleasure. HALLENBECK No, I don't believe you have. (to Jimmy) He'd like to have the pleasure. JIMMY Tell him it's not for sale. HALLENBECK He says it's - SHORT MAN What's your name, fuckface? This from the Shorter Man, who is clearly not happy. HALLENBECK (shakes his head) I'm asshole. He's fuckface. TALL MAN Jake, apprise Rodney Dangerfieldhere of his situation. (CONTINUED) 63. CONTINUED: Jake slips on a pair of brass knuckles. Steps up and delivers a looping right to Hallenbeck's face. A sickening crunch. A two inch gash streams blood. Jake relieves Hallenbeck of his gun. TALL MAN Perhaps we can dispense with thefun and games now, yes? Jimmy rushes forward, snarling. The Beretta swivels. Jimmy stops, the gun aimed at his gut. HALLENBECK (gasping) Easy... Jim... All they want isthe evidence... TALL MAN The evidence. Very smart. See, Jake, he knows when a situation is untenable. (smiles) You like that word? HALLENBECK Great word. TALL MAN It occurs to me that you may havethe evidence in question. HALLENBECK (spits out blood) Give up, Jimmy. We're dealingwith geniuses. Another fist to the head. Hallenbeck grunts. Spits moreblood. JIMMY Leave him alone, you fuck! HALLENBECK Back off, Jimmy. The Tall Man turns and eyes Jimmy. TALL MAN Leave him alone...? (shrugs) Whatever you say. Jake? The Short Man steps away from Hallenbeck. Turns and launches a kick at Jimmy's groin. Connects. The kid drops to the ground, retching. (CONTINUED) 64. CONTINUED: TALL MAN (sighs) Ah, my young friend... I neglectedto tell you that Jake attacks hisjob with a certain... exuberance. JIMMY Christ... I'm being beat up by theinventor of Scrabble. TALL MAN He's still in a good mood, Jake. Kick him again. Jake steps forward. HALLENBECK Wait! Hallenbeck speaks through cracked, bloody lips: HALLENBECK You want the fucking evidence thatthe stripper had. I've got it. So we can play games, or I canhand it over. JIMMY And then you'll let us go, right? TALL MAN Sure. We'll let you go. (to Hallenbeck) Where is it? Hallenbeck meets the Tall Man's gaze. Speaks softly. HALLENBECK Hand me the car keys, Jimmy. Jimmy stumbles to his feet. Looks at the Tall Man. TALL MAN Walk over and hand him the keys. Slow and easy. Jimmy takes out the car keys. Crosses to Hallenbeck. Gives him the keys. HALLENBECK The evidence is in the trunk. TALL MAN Open it. Slow. (CONTINUED) 65. CONTINUED: Hallenbeck smiles. Shakes his head. HALLENBECK I don't think so. He turns and throws the keys as far as he can. They fall out of sight behind a cottage. HALLENBECK Oops. I guess nobody gets it. TALL MAN You dumb bastard, you're going topay for that. Jake, open thetrunk. Jake steps forward, drawing a .38 silenced pistol. He is going to shoot open the lock. ANGLE ON HALLENBECK This is what he's been waiting for. He tenses, lookingto one side: next to him is a sloping hillside, anglingdown and away. He grips Jimmy's wrist, signalling to getready. Jake raises the PISTOL. Take aim at the lock and FIRES. The SHOT is SILENCED. What follows is not. Because the bullet blows through the trunk - And hits three sticks of live dynamite. SERIES OF SHOTS Hallenbeck is already moving, pitching to one side, throwing himself and Jimmy down the hillside. The night lights up like a SUNBURST. A tower of fire... Climbs up and outward from the car. The TRUNK LID is BLOWN fifty feet in the air. The tires are pulped. GLASS SPRAYS for fifty yards in every direction. And, most importantly: both hitmen are engulfed in flame. (CONTINUED) 66. CONTINUED: SOUND. Fury. Flames, rolling skyward. TINKLE of raining GLASS. Bits of falling metal. All in all, a helluva blast, and meanwhile: JIMMY AND JOE continue to careen down the hillside. Bouncing like rag puppets. Out of control. Lurch to stop at the bottom. Covered head to toe with dirt. Bruised. Bloody. Alive. They lie side by side, sucking air - Until they both hear an odd noise: The sound of CRUMPLING METAL. The sound is GETTING LOUDER. They both crane their necks in time to see - The flaming car, tumbling end over end Coming down the hill. Heading straight for them. JIMMY Jesus fucking Christ! They both dive for cover, out of the way. Barely make it. The CAR plows past them in a shower of dirt. CRUMPLING. Heaving. Spitting fire. Finally SLAMS to a halt against a palm tree. Burns. The night is filled with SHOUTS and CURSES. The sound of DOORS OPENING. The crackle of flames. ON GROUND Joe rolls over. Looks at Jimmy. Jimmy looks at Joe. (CONTINUED) 67. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK You alive? JIMMY Don't know yet. They crawl to their feet, inspecting for broken bones. JIMMY The dynamite? HALLENBECK Either that, or we're looking ata major factory recall. JIMMY Dead guys... don't make bad jokes, right? HALLENBECK Right. JIMMY So we're alive. HALLENBECK Yeah. Hooray. He spits blood as SIRENS once more fill the night air, APPROACHING. HALLENBECK Go. Get out of here. JIMMY What? HALLENBECK Get the fuck out of here, I'll take the heat on this one. Rent a car. Then go home and wait for my call. Do it. Jimmy meets Joe's eyes. Nods. Dashes off into the night. CUT TO: INT. L.A.P.D. ROBBERY/HOMICIDE DIVISION - NIGHT Sergeant Benjamin Bessalo is in the mood to kick things. A metal trashcan is booted across the room with a clangas he whirls, glaring at Joe Hallenbeck, who is seatedbefore him. (CONTINUED) 68. CONTINUED: BESSALO Goddammit, this is a police matter, you son of a bitch! I'm sick and fucking tired of sweeping up yourdead bodies, Joe, and the next time I see your ugly mug I'm puttin' abullet in it. You got that? You are off the case, buddy. Is that clear? Hallenbeck stares at him. Blows smoke. Says nothing. CUT TO: INT. RENTAL CAR - DRIVING - NIGHT Jimmy's at the wheel of a rented Subaru. Hallenbeck beside him. He hands Joe the envelope he found in Cory's apartment. JIMMY If you thought there was dynamitein the trunk, wait'll you see this. Hallenbeck reaches into the envelope and extracts a photograph: Two men having lunch together on a secluded patio. Both are older, distinguished-looking. Joe suddenly looks very pale. JIMMY The guy on the left is ConnieMarcon, the owner of the L.A. Stallions. HALLENBECK Forget about him. Look at the guy on the right. JIMMY Sort of familiar. Who is he? HALLENBECK Senator Calvin Baynard. Jimmy draws a sharp breath. Pause, then: JIMMY Let's go back to the cops. I'm scared. HALLENBECK Take it easy, kid. It's not so bad. (CONTINUED) 69. CONTINUED: JIMMY Not so bad. Excuse me, did youjust say the words not so bad? You don't understand, Joe, see, if a guy vomits on the sidewalk, you don't say, 'Oh, hey, it's notso bad, there's some ham in there.' It's fucking vomit, okay? This is bad. Hallenbeck nervously lights a cigarette. Stares straight ahead through the windshield. Begins to talk: HALLENBECK When I was thirty, I was on thePresident's personal securityforce. Once night I was on theway home from a late session. I'm on the highway just outside ofGeorgetown when I see somethingup ahead. MEMORY FLASH Another time. Another night. A younger-looking Hallenbeck. Rugged features. Clipped military haircut. He is driving. Down a turnpike, squinting through dense evening mist. Up ahead, a shape materializes out of the fog: WRECKED CAR is lying upside down in a pool of shattered glass. He SCREECHES to a stop. ANOTHER ANGLE In a dream-like SLOW MOTION, he approaches the overturned car. There are two dead bodies inside. A woman. A little boy. In the window, a stuffed Garfield doll clings with suction cups to the remaining glass. The furry cat is splattered with blood. (CONTINUED) 70. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK (V.O.) It was a high-speed collision. Both cars were totaled. The woman and the boy were dead. The driver of the other car wasn't. STAGGERING DRUNK is weaving toward Hallenbeck. Leaving behind his crumpled Mercedes. He wears an $800 suit. Tan Cordovan loafers. Silk tie. DRUNK Fuckin' bitch... She got in frontof me, man. Shit. My fuckin' car. Stupid bitch wrecked my car... He stumbles toward Hallenbeck, eyes attempting to focus. DRUNK Do you know who I am...? I'm Louis Baynard, my father isCalvin D. Baynard, man. Call myfather, he'll take care of it. The man lurches to a stop in front of Hallenbeck. Clutching at Joe's lapels. Wheezing liquor fumes. He presses a hundred dollar bill into Joe's hand. DRUNK You'll tell 'em what happened, right...? Bitch swerved in front of me, man. Wrecked my fuckin'Mercedes. Right...? HALLENBECK (V.O.) I could smell bourbon on him, bigtime. He was standing there, nota scratch on him. I went a little nuts. I hit him. In SLOW MOTION, Hallenbeck backhands the rich drunk, with a head-snapping impact that bursts lips. Breaks teeth. We see the Drunk's head slowly strike the asphalt. A sickening concussion. HALLENBECK The blow was non-lethal. But when he fell, his head hit the pavementfunny. Put him in a coma. (CONTINUED) 71. CONTINUED: The younger Hallenbeck stands on the highway of eightyears past, staring at the Drunk with fierce, blazing eyes as we - SNAP BACK TO: JIMMY AND JOE - BACK TO PRESENT Driving. HALLENBECK Even when he came out of it, he was never right in the head. His dad fixed everything with the cops. The accident report disappeared. A week later the police found half akilo of crack cocaine planted inmy house. Acting on an anonymoustip. JIMMY The senator fucked your job. HALLENBECK And my pension. And my marriage. Only reason I'm still licensed tocarry a gun, the man himself madea few calls. Since then I'm justplaying it out. Day by day. Jimmy is silent for a moment. Then: JIMMY Cory tumbled to some sort of dealbetween Marcon and the senator, and they had her killed. (beat) We gotta show this photo to the cops. HALLENBECK Not yet. I need more evidence. (beat) I want Baynard, Jimmy. I want to bring him down. I could use yourhelp. JIMMY Why should I help you? HALLENBECK Because if Baynard takes a fall, sodoes Marcon. The man who kicked youout of professional football. 72. INT. PLUSH BEDROOM - NIGHT A tall, thin, almost effeminate MAN is seated on a couch. High cheekbones. A shock of blond hair. Glittering, malignant eyes. He is directing a pornographic film. PRETTY GIRL is bound hand and foot to the posts of a lavishly appointed bed. Around her, the room is filled with Kleig lights. Reflectors. Camera equipment. The girl is scowling furiously. She speaks to the director: GIRL I want the sheets changed, Milo. MILO (MAN) Of course you do, but we're runningbehind, dearest. GIRL I don't give a shit. I'm an actress, not a piece of meat, andI want clean sheets! MILO Fine. It's done. Right afterthis next shot. A strident BEEPER GOES OFF on Milo's belt. He turns to the two-man crew and claps his hands for attention. MILO Okay, let's do it. (beat) Roll camera. CAMERAMAN Rolling. MILO And... action! The closet door opens. A hulking man emerges. He is carrying a chainsaw. The Girl on the bed stares, incredulous. GIRL Milo... What the fuck is this, some kind of joke? (CONTINUED) 73. CONTINUED: MILO Not at all, dearest. It's what's known as a snuff film. The hulking man pulls the starter cord. The SAW ROARS to life. GIRL Oh God Milo please oh God oh noplease Miloooo!! A smile twitches Milo's upper lip. MILO Easy, Pablo. She's not a pieceof meat. He exits. Closes a sound-proofed door behind him. INT. WOOD-PANELED STUDY - CONTINUOUS ACTION Milo enters, all business. Crosses to a telephone with a blinking light. Stabs a button. Scoops up the receiver. MILO Yes, Mr. Marcon? How can I helpyou? MARCON (V.O.) Is this line secure? MILO One hundred percent, sir. I wouldn't have used your nameotherwise. MARCON (V.O.) Sid and Jake are dead, Milo. Killed in an explosion. Looks like we got a new player in the game. MILO Who is he working for? MARCON (V.O.) From available information, he appears to be a free agent. Guyby the name of Joe Hallenbeck. Milo sits and begins punching keys on a computer. (CONTINUED) 74. CONTINUED: MARCON (V.O.) Get me everything you can on thisfucker, Milo. I want it on mycomputer screen in fifteen minutes. MILO Yes, sir. And then? MARCON (V.O.) And then you'll be handling itpersonally. EXT. HALLENBECK HOME - LATE NIGHT Dawn is a ghost on the horizon as Jimmy parks the rentalSubaru outside. The two men emerge. Head for the front door. JIMMY So I get to meet your family, huh? What's your daughter like? HALLENBECK She's like thirteen. And if youeven look at her funny, I'll shovean umbrella up your ass and openit. INT. HALLENBECK HOUSE - CONTINUOUS ACTION As they come through the front door, Joe's daughter, DARIAN, is slumped in a big Lazy-Boy, staring sullenlyat a movie on TV. Cute kid, cursed to wear ridiculous- looking dental headgear. She doesn't bother to look up. HALLENBECK First things first. I'm starving. (notices Darian) Hey, kiddo. Why aren't you inbed? DARIAN I'm watching television. HALLENBECK I can see that. DARIAN I hate you. Leave me alone. (CONTINUED) 75. CONTINUED: She still won't look at him. The two men cross to the kitchen. Hallenbeck opens the refrigerator, takes outsome lunchmeat. HALLENBECK She's pissed off because I wouldn'tlet her go out on a date with herfriend Billy. DARIAN I missed the biggest party of the year. JIMMY Why couldn't she go? HALLENBECK (incredulous) Because she's thirteen, that's why. (to Darian) I bought you some ice cream. DARIAN I'm not talking to you. HALLENBECK Gee, that's a shame. You alwayshave such pleasant things to say. 'I hate you, Dad.' I'm gonna missthat, darn it... (beat) It's chocolate chip, your favorite. DARIAN I don't care. You're an asshole. Without missing a beat, Hallenbeck opens the windowand heaves the ice cream outside. HALLENBECK That's for saying asshole. God, I hate wasting food. Wanna abuse me some more? Go ahead, shock me. You know, I hardly ever hear theword asshole. DARIAN Bullshit, I bet you get it all thetime. HALLENBECK All right, knock it off. (CONTINUED) 76. CONTINUED: DARIAN What're you gonna do, ground mesome more? HALLENBECK Hey, you want it, you got it, lady. DARIAN Thank you, asshole. HALLENBECK You're grounded for a week. DARIAN Yes, sir, asshole. HALLENBECK That's two. You wanna play thisgame? I love this game. DARIAN Just leave me alone. (to Jimmy) He thinks he's fuckin' Ward Cleaver. HALLENBECK All right, that's it. You wanna be a gutter mouth? You wanna sound like your mother, wellthat's terrific. Christ, all daylong I don't take enough abuse, I gotta listen to shit from you! JIMMY Hey, Joe, take it easy... HALLENBECK Don't you tell me how to talk tomy kid. DARIAN All I wanted was to go to a party, but Pop here thinks I'm out toget laid. HALLENBECK Go for it, kiddo. All the dirtywords. Come on, shock me. Go ahead. DARIAN Sure thing, you dumb fuck-up. (CONTINUED) 77. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK All right, I've had it. Go to your room. Or I will whip yourbehind. DARIAN You'd probably like it. Hallenbeck takes her by the arm and drags her out of thechair. Toward her room. HALLENBECK Goddammit, you are my daughterand you will respect me, got that? You got it? You don't ever call me a fuck-up. DARIAN Why shouldn't I, Mom calls youthat all the time. That stops him. He looks at her, stricken. HALLENBECK Your mother called me a fuck-up...? When? DARIAN On the phone to Uncle Jay. HALLENBECK Uncle Jay? Ohh, Christ, I'm a fuck-up, but Uncle Jay, nowthere's a real stand-up guy. Shit, the bastard cheats on his tax form, I'm surprised he hasn'tdone time! Why don't you ask yourmother why Mister Wonderful isn'tin jail for tax evasion? DARIAN (smiles) Because he doesn't fuck up. She goes into her room and shuts the door. Hallenbeck rubs his eyes. Leans against the wall, exhausted. JIMMY You know, for fifty bucks you couldget a guy to pull out herfingernails with a pair of pliers. (CONTINUED) 78. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK No. Anything that much fun, I'dwant to do myself. JIMMY I think we could both use a drink. Hallenbeck crosses to a cabinet, breaks out a bottle of Seagrams. Swigs. Hands it to Jimmy. As Jimmy drinks, he notices a photo on the wall: Hallenbeck shakinghands with George Bush. JIMMY That's you? HALLENBECK Yeah. That's me. JIMMY You look like the dad on 'The Brady Bunch.' HALLENBECK Yeah, I was a regular Boy Scout. Joe starts to fix a sandwich. Jimmy takes nips from thebottle. JIMMY So. You gonna get a divorce? HALLENBECK Don't know. He bites into the sandwich. Not really tasting it. JIMMY You don't like women much, do you, Joe? HALLENBECK (mouth full) Mike Miller wasn't the first time. Sarah has cheated on me before. Twice. I never told her I knew. At first, my opinion of womentook a real dip, yeah. JIMMY And now? HALLENBECK Now I'm content if I like the guyshe's fucking. This last one was my best friend. (CONTINUED) 79. CONTINUED: JIMMY Horseshit, he was a scumbag private eye. HALLENBECK What am I, Jimmy? JIMMY He tried to get you killed. HALLENBECK Friends can't be perfect. (sighs) I wish the sky wasn't blue. I wish water wasn't wet. I wish I didn't still love my wife. He eats in silence. Jimmy says: JIMMY You know what I did last night? HALLENBECK What? JIMMY I went to a party and shit on a car. HALLENBECK Damn. You, too? JIMMY I'm a complete loser. Capital 'L.' All I ever wanted... was to be somebody's hero, you know it...? Now I mostly sit around. Watch T.V. Get laid. I'm a fuckingslug, throw salt on me I'd curl up. Life sucks. HALLENBECK You're wrong. JIMMY Life doesn't suck? HALLENBECK No, life sucks. But you're not aloser. Cory loved you. JIMMY Yeah, and the last thing I did wascheat on her. (beat) Why do people cheat, Joe? (CONTINUED) 80. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Because it's easier than paying the tax, Junior. JIMMY Ooooooh. Very deep. HALLENBECK So deep I don't know what the fuck it means. JIMMY It means another drink is required. He raises the bottle. JIMMY Alex the accountant. He drinks. Hallenbeck frowns, watching him. HALLENBECK Is Alex your accountant? JIMMY No. But he could have been. (beat) Alex was my son. Hallenbeck stares at him. JIMMY I was married at 19. Sweet young thing, looking to get out from under daddy's thumb. I didn't know she was a junkie. All during her pregnancy. Shooting up. There were complications. She died. Alex lived for seventeen minutes in the incubator. Fell asleep. Died before he woke up. (takes a drink) He was born... He had time for one dream... and then he died. I wonder what his dream was about. HALLENBECK I'm sorry. JIMMY I think about him a lot. I mean, who was this... guy? (MORE) (CONTINUED) 81. CONTINUED: JIMMY (CONT'D) This little guy who only gotseventeen minutes, who was he, Joe...? What was he like? (beat) What would he have been? HALLENBECK He would have been a great ball player. Like his dad. JIMMY (shakes his head) No. He had to die, Joe. Don't you see? HALLENBECK Why did he have to die? JIMMY (softly) Because he came out of me. He puts aside the bottle. Scowls. JIMMY I'm gonna borrow your shower. He exits. Hallenbeck watches him go. Says nothing. INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION Jimmy enters and shuts the door. Turns on the shower. Makes no move to undress. Instead, he reaches inside the waistband on his pants. Removes a vial of coke. Dips a spoon. The door opens. Hallenbeck is standing there with a handful of fresh towels. He stops. Staring at Jimmy. They freeze in tableau. Then Hallenbeck crosses the floor with two quick strides and slugs Jimmy with all his might. Decks him. The kid goes over backward into the shower, head striking the porcelain. He swerves. Claws his way out, drenched. HALLENBECK Not in my house, you dumb motherfucker. (CONTINUED) 82. CONTINUED: JIMMY Joe, man, you don't get it - HALLENBECK Shut up. He picks up the vial of powder. HALLENBECK This is what you went looking forin Cory's apartment, isn't it? You found this when you found thatenvelope. He crosses to the toilet. Jimmy cries out. JIMMY Joe, please! Joe drops the vial in the water. Flushes. Jimmy darts forward. Joe shoves him back. JIMMY You stupid bastard, do you knowwhat you've done? That was a thousand bucks' worth of shit! HALLENBECK You got it, son. I'm just mixingit in with all the other shit. (beat) Get the fuck out of my house. Now. JIMMY You don't understand. HALLENBECK I said, get out. I'll break yourfucking neck, kiddo. Jimmy glares at him. Coldly defiant. JIMMY Go ahead, tough guy. Go ahead. (beat) I'm trying to survive, man. I use that stuff to get by, so fuck you. HALLENBECK I don't use it. I get by. (CONTINUED) 83. CONTINUED: JIMMY Oh, sure, Dudley fucking Do-Right, you stand there and judge me, and, meanwhile, you never had your old lady die on you, did you, pal?? And your fucking kid?? And I said to God, 'Hey, buddy, what gives? I go to church, I give to the United Way, what is this dead wife and kid shit...?' And he didn't say nothin', Joe. He grabs a towel. Scrubs savagely at his wet torso. JIMMY And then I lose my job, my fucking life, okay, and why...? You know why? Because I gambled. Whoa, hold on, stop the presses, Jimmy gambled, well shit, of course I gambled, everybody does, and the fucking league knows it! He advances on Joe, trembling with anger. JIMMY Why, Joe? Why is there an injury report in pro football, huh...? Nobody else has a fucking injury report, but the N.F.L. does, so the fucking gamblers will know the spread! Marcon... the commissioner ... those fucking hypocrites... killed the last thing I could do, Joe...! I can't do anything... anymore. And suddenly he is crying. JIMMY I couldn't save my wife... She died screaming and I couldn't do a Goddamn thing... And my baby came out... and he was so fuckin' small, Joe... He was too fuckin' small... He collapses against the wall. Slides down to a sitting position. Huddled on the floor. Hallenbeck watches him. Says nothing. For a moment, he seems moved to compassion... Then his gaze hardens. He kneels next to Jimmy. (CONTINUED) 84. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK When you're through feeling sorryfor yourself, the front door'sthat way. JIMMY (wipes his eyes) You're a total bastard. HALLENBECK You brought cocaine in my house. End of story. Jimmy is silent. He stands. Exits into the hall. Joe's daughter, Darian, is standing there. DARIAN You're Jimmy Dix, aren't you? JIMMY Huh? There is an awkward pause. Darian holds out a football card. Young, smiling Jimmy. The card is old. Tattered. DARIAN I'm sorry I acted like a bitch. Would you sign my card? Hallenbeck steps forward. HALLENBECK I told you to go to your room. DARIAN But, Dad -- ! HALLENBECK Go to bed. This guy's not signinganything. DARIAN Aw, come off it. HALLENBECK Forget it, Darian. (beat) The guy's a loser. Big time. Darian's face is a mask of confusion. (CONTINUED) 85. CONTINUED: Jimmy walks past her to the front door. Stops with his hand on the knob. Turns. JIMMY I never shaved points, Joe. I never did. Joe is silent. Stone-faced. JIMMY If you want my help, I'm at theCasa Loma Apartments on Ventura. He exits. Shuts the door behind him. Darian goes into her room, fuming. Shuts the door. Joe is alone. He turns. Sees his reflection in the hall mirror. HALLENBECK Smile, you fuck. INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAWN The first light of day streams through the window. Hallenbeck pushes Furry Tom to one side. Sits on the bed. Regards his sleeping wife with hooded, lifeless eyes. She is peaceful. Serene. He reaches out to touch her. Stops. Withdraws his hand. Crushes out the cigarette. Stands. Leaves. INT. DARIAN'S ROOM - SAME TIME Hallenbeck enters. Crosses to Darian's bed. She is asleep. She looks vulnerable. Helpless. He leans over and kisses her. She stirs in her sleep. Murmurs: DARIAN Billy... Hallenbeck recoils. Stares at her. The DOORBELL RINGS. Startling him. He mutters under his breath. Stalks out of the room. 86. ANOTHER ANGLE - FRONT DOOR Down the hall to the front door. Flings it open, pissedoff. HALLENBECK Goddammit, Jimmy, I told you -- ! It isn't Jimmy. Standing on the porch is a tall, thin man with blondhair. The man removes a TASER GUN from his overcoat. MILO Good morning, Joseph. He FIRES point-blank. The electrode hits Hallenbeck in the chest. A CRACKLE of electric current. Hallenbeck jerks spastically. The world spirals away. He plunges down into darkness. CUT TO: INT. CLUTTERED APARTMENT - MORNING Jimmy looks bad. Sprawled out on a tangle of dirty sheets. Jeans. Bare feet. Smoking. Staring at a football card. A duplicate of the one Darian showed him. He swings his legs off the bed. Stands, crushes out his cigarette. Moves into the bathroom. The Baggie of coke is on the counter. He stares at it with bloodshot eyes. Swallows hard. Acts before he can think. Grabs the Baggie. Tosses it in the toilet. Flushes. Watches as it goes down the drain. EXT. CASA LOMA APARTMENTS - MORNING Another Goddamned day. A chill drizzle. The palm trees look forlorn. 87. AT CORNER NEWSSTAND Jimmy buys a paper. Trudges along Ventura Boulevard. Huddled against the chill. SLEEK, BLACK SEDAN slides to the curb in front of him. Two men get out: One is Pablo, who last we saw wielding a chainsaw inMilo's snuff film; the other is an ugly piece of hiredmuscle who we'll call CHET. The two men flank Jimmy and walk alongside him. He looks up, startled. PABLO Good morning, Jimmy. JIMMY Who are you, and how the fuck doyou know my name? CHET (frowns) This is the guy? You sure it's the guy? PABLO This is him. CHET The kid with the million-dollar arm? PABLO Yeah. CHET Shit. He don't look like much. I wouldn't pay no million dollarsfor this bozo. PABLO Neither will anyone else, anymore. JIMMY I'm growing whiskers here, guys. You got something to say, fuckingsay it. CHET Wow. Tough guy stuff. Must have caught it from his buddyHallenbeck. (CONTINUED) 88. CONTINUED: JIMMY Who? PABLO Don't play dumb, shithead. You were with him last night at theclub. CHET Mr. Marcon sent us to teach you alesson, Jimmy. Something aboutkeeping your big coked-up noseout of his fucking business. PABLO Get ready, kid. This one's an E ticket. And, with that, they grab Jimmy under the arms. Carry him across the sidewalk to a plywood fence. JIMMY Please, guys, don't do this... Jesus Christ, I was just herboyfriend, I swear to God, please! They toss Jimmy over the fence. ANOTHER ANGLE Not a terrible fate, under normal circumstances. In this case, however - A fifty-foot drop... Awaits him beyond the fence. A huge, looming pit dug into the earth. Foundation for a new parking garage. Jimmy plummets like a stone. Under normal circumstances, he'd be dead. But since it rained last night, he's got three feet of water to land in. He hits with a splash. Disappears beneath the water. Surfaces, screaming in pain. Thrashes in the muddy water, and only when he looks down does he notice the splintered bone jutting out of his skin at a crazy angle. (CONTINUED) 89. CONTINUED: His million-dollar arm. His throwing arm. He clutches at cracked ribs, screaming: JIMMY Oh, God, my arm, my fucking arm, oh Jesus Christ!!! He kneels in the muddy water, rocking back and forth. LONG SHOT - JIMMY Alone in the pit. Huddled in a pool of muddy water. His screams of pain ECHO in the chill, morning air. INT. LAPD ROBBERY/HOMICIDE DIVISION - DAY Ben Bessalo's office, to be precise. Bessalo reclines grumpily at his desk. Scanning reports. McCaskey hangs up the phone and calls across the room: McCASKEY I got bad news and bad news. BESSALO Gimmee the bad news first. McCASKEY Bad news is, they just pulledJimmy Dix out of a constructionsite on Ventura. He's busted up. BESSALO Okay, now gimme the bad news. McCASKEY I just got a call from Hallenbeck'sneighbor. Bessalo looks up, intrigued. McCaskey continues: McCASKEY Now, according to Hallenbeck, MikeMiller came to the house earlythat morning to talk about a case, right? BESSALO Right. (CONTINUED) 90. CONTINUED: McCASKEY Okay. So how come Hallenbeck's neighbor claims that Miller's carwas parked there all night, in thesame spot? Bessalo sits bolt upright. Eyes glazed. Wheels turning. BESSALO He lied. Why did he lie...? Realization hits him like a thunderbolt. BESSALO Shit. Miller was fucking hiswife. McCASKEY What? BESSALO That's why the car was there, Miller was fucking Hallenbeck'swife, Hallenbeck just got backfrom out of town, remember? (beat) Christ, Joe wasted the bastard himself! He stabs a button on the phone. Barks into the receiver: BESSALO I want an A.P.B. out on Joe Hallenbeck. Now. Find him and if he resists arrest, shoot the bastard. He slams down the phone. Stares, stricken, at McCaskey. BESSALO I let him go, Mick. He wasted Mike Miller and waltzed right out of myoffice, I let him go, Goddammit! McCASKEY Relax, Ben. We'll bring him in. He's not that good. BESSALO You wanna bet? And, with that, we promptly - CUT TO: 91. JOE HALLENBECK'S UNCONSCIOUS FACE Weathered. Sallow. Dark circles under the eyes. HAND comes INTO FRAME and slaps him. Hard. Rocks his head to one side. INT. ELEGANT BEACH HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - ANOTHER ANGLE Thick carpet. Polished, wood furniture. Window walls. Outside, the sea is angry and grey. PABLO AND CHET are standing over Hallenbeck, who is slumped in a chair. Both hitmen wear holstered sidearms. Chet leans over and slaps Hallenbeck again. The big detective begins to stir. His eyelids flutter. CHET I think he's awake. PABLO Make sure. Chet's hand flashes out for a third slap - And from nowhere, Joe Hallenbeck's hand magically appears. Intercepts the blow. Clamps onto Chet's hand and wrenches it. A cry of pain. Chet stumbles backward, cradling the wrist. HALLENBECK I'm awake. His eyelids creak open. He squints, adjusting to the light. Studies his captors. CHET You nearly broke my wrist, man. HALLENBECK Life's a bitch. (CONTINUED) 92. CONTINUED: He starts pawing his coat pockets, looking for a cigarette. In the corner, Pablo chuckles: PABLO Milo warned us to watch out for this guy. Chet is seething. He glares at Hallenbeck. Hallenbeck yawns. CHET Fuck that. Look at him. He's nothin'. Guy's a piece of shit. Hallenbeck ignores him. Sits up. Rubs tired eyes. HALLENBECK Anybody got a cigarette...? Chet steps forward. Grins wickedly. CHET Sure, buddy. I got a cigarette. He reaches into his shirt pocket. Extracts a Marlboro. Hands it to Hallenbeck. Takes out a lighter. Hallenbeck places the cigarette between his lips. Leans forward for a light - And Chet slugs him in the face. The cigarette goes flying. Hallenbeck's head snaps back. Blood creeps from his lower lip. CHET (guffaws) Hey, baby, I thought you weretough. See, Pablo, he ain't so bad. Hallenbeck's eyes glint fiercely. He takes a breath. Leans forward and says: HALLENBECK I seem to have dropped mycigarette. May I have another? Chet turns, meets his gaze. The grin falters a bit. CHET (unnerved) Sure. Sure thing, buddy. (CONTINUED) 93. CONTINUED: He hands Hallenbeck another smoke. Hallenbeck puts it between his lips. HALLENBECK I need a light. (beat) And if you touch me again... I'llkill you. A pregnant pause. The challenge hangs in the air. Slowly, Chet takes the lighter from his pocket. Pablo looks on, a smile twisting his features. Hallenbeck leans forward for a light. Chet extends his arm - And slugs Hallenbeck in the face again. Rocks him. Chet howls with laughter. Pablo grins. CHET Baby! Two for two! The laughter continues. Hallenbeck takes a deep breath. Stands up. Strikes with a flattened palm. Breaks Chet's nose. Drives it up into the brain. Chet stands, pole-axed. Blinks once. Pitches over dead. And suddenly Pablo isn't laughing. He stares at Hallenbeck, incredulous. Stares at Chet, lying on the carpet. PABLO Jesus Christ. (draws his gun) You son-of-a-bitch. Jesus Christ!! He rushes to Chet. Kneels beside him. Hallenbeck calmly returns to his seat. PABLO You killed him! 'Fuckin' A, you killed him, he's fuckin' dead!!! Hallenbeck says nothing. (CONTINUED) 94. CONTINUED: At that moment, a door opens, and Milo enters. Slick. Well-dressed. Utterly composed. MILO Is there a problem? PABLO (still dazed) He killed Chet, Milo. The motherfucker just killed him! Milo looks toward Hallenbeck. Hallenbeck says nothing. Instead, he calmly leans forward and picks up Chet'slighter from the carpet. Lights his cigarette. Blows smoke. A tense moment... and then Milo does something unexpected: He starts to laugh. Advances into the room, chuckling. MILO Oh, my. Oh, Goddamn. Joseph, Joseph, you don't disappoint me. He draws a Walther PPK and approaches Hallenbeck. Smiling and cheerful. MILO You seem to have killed one of my men. HALLENBECK (shrugs) I needed a light. Milo nods as if this makes perfect sense. MILO You took an awful risk. Pablo here could have shot you dead. HALLENBECK If you wanted me dead, you'd havealready killed me. MILO Yes, that's true. (sits down) I suppose introductions are inorder. HALLENBECK (waves his hand) Fuck it. You're the bad guy, right? (CONTINUED) 95. CONTINUED: MILO Yes. I'm the bad guy. HALLENBECK And you've got the gun, and I'msupposed to tremble in fear, something like that? MILO Something like that. HALLENBECK Fine. I'll start trembling in aminute. Mind if I have a drink first? MILO (smiles) I don't see why not. Pablo, please take Chet's corpse intothe other room, and then fix Mr. Hallenbeck a drink. Suddenly a voice rings out from the doorway: VOICE (O.S.) Make that two. Hallenbeck turns toward the new arrival. HALLENBECK Hey, look who's here. Connie Marcon himself. Sure enough, CONRAD MARCON saunters in, just like he ownsthe place. Which, by the way, he does. Tall, strong, Texas-tough. Dressed in a Saville Row suit. He frowns at Hallenbeck: MARCON Careful, son. Only my friendscall me Connie. HALLENBECK You got friends? When did this happen? MARCON (chuckles) I'll give you one thing. You're pretty calm for a man in yourposition. (CONTINUED) 96. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK You're pretty calm for a man whoseteam is three and six on the year. MARCON They're having some problems. HALLENBECK They stink. Marcon's composure falters, but only for a moment. MARCON I'm glad you're here, Joe. We got a few things to discuss. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts. MARCON For starters, I'm sure you'reaware that professional footballis changing, and not for better. (lights a cigar) Used to be, you went to the localstadium come Sunday, you sawheroes. Guys who fought fortheir hometown. Anymore, no onegives a shit. Ever since SonnyWerblin paid $400,000 to JoeNamath back in '66, the sons of bitches just got greedier. Playing only for themselves. Giving nothing back to the game. Pablo hands him a double bourbon. MARCON This year, the final blow: the N.F.L. votes to decertify thePlayers Organization. Eliminates the draft, reduces all athletes to free agents. Reduces football, once and for all, to commerce. To greed, you follow? HALLENBECK When do I say the Pledge ofAllegiance? Marcon looks directly at Hallenbeck. (CONTINUED) 97. CONTINUED: MARCON Do you know how many ratings pointsMonday Night Football lost thisyear? Per week? An average oftwo point eight. HALLENBECK Oh, for Chrissake. You're tellingme this whole thing is about TVratings? MARCON People have stopped watching, Joe! Everybody's turning the channel, they're still looking for heroes, you follow? Guys like you. Milo here tells me you took a bulletfor the President, jumped in frontof a sniper rifle. Hallenbeck reacts, startled. Looks at Milo. MILO We took the liberty of researchingyour background. MARCON How about it, Joe? Is it truth or hype? HALLENBECK (shrugs) I got the rifle in my closet as asouvenir. MARCON There you go, that's what I'msaying. The public wants realheroes. Not a bunch of football prima donnas, jumping from teamto team with their fancy lawyers. (beat) In fact, Joe, and this is mypoint, there's only one reasonleft nowadays to watch pro- football. Can you guess? It begins to dawn on Hallenbeck. HALLENBECK Gambling. (CONTINUED) 98. CONTINUED: MARCON Exactly. Gambling. (puffs his cigar) Just one problem: football gambling is illegal in all buttwo of the fifty states. And that, Joe boy, is where I come in. HALLENBECK (sudden realization) Shit, that's what this is about! You're bribing United States senators. Paying them to passlegislation - MARCON -- Legalizing football gamblingin all fifty states. Exactly. HALLENBECK Attendance goes up again. TV ratings go up again. MARCON You got it, son. The networks are happy. I'm happy. Everybody'shappy. HALLENBECK Before we get too fucking happy, let's get a couple things straight: first, I'm not your fucking son, and second... why am I still alive? Marcon stops pacing. Sighs and sits down facingHallenbeck. MARCON It's like this, Joe: everythingwas going great until a coupleweeks ago, and then I hit a snag: Senator Calvin Baynard. HALLENBECK (takes a sip of bourbon) I don't get it. What's the snag? MARCON I offered him the bribe and he wouldn't take it. Hallenbeck actually does a spit-take. Sprays bourbon. (CONTINUED) 99. CONTINUED: HALLEBECK Baynard? Are you nuts? The guy'sso crooked he shits slinkies. MARCON Allow me to clarify: I offered him the bribe, and he turned it down because he wanted more money. HALLENBECK (sighs with relief) Thank God. For a minute there I felt hell freezing over. Did he ask for more than a million? MARCON Does the Pope shit in the woods? He wants two million or he'll blow the lid off my whole plan. I don't feel like paying no twomil, so basically that good ole'boy's gotta die. HALLENBECK Taking off a U.S. senator, that'spretty ballsy. Even for an asshole like you. MARCON Oh, I'm not going to kill Baynard, Joe. HALLENBECK Who is? Marcon says nothing. Just looks at Hallenbeck and smiles. HALLENBECK Oh, shit. He rubs tired eyes. HALLENBECK I'm the perfect fall guy. Everyoneand his uncle Max knows I hate Baynard. MARCON (nods) Anything goes wrong, all the heatlands on you, Joe boy. My handsare clean. Hallenbeck scowls. (CONTINUED) 100. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Any particular reason I should goalong with this prize-winningscheme? MARCON (smiles) Just one. He motions to Milo, who disappears through a doorway. Reappears a moment later. He's got Joe's wife. ANGLE ON HALLENBECK He stands. Face contorting. Fists clenched. Rage courses through him like an electric current. Marcon cocks his gun. MARCON Sit down, Joe. A moment. Joe stands, smouldering. On fire. Sarah speaks: SARAH Do what he says, Joe. Joe sits. Breathing shallowly. Eyes locked on Milo. HALLENBECK Are you alright, Sarah? SARAH Yes. MILO That's a temporary condition, Joseph. As you may be aware, there are distributors in Mexico who positively crave snuff films. And unless you do every fuckingthing Mr. Marcon tells you... yourwife will make her motion picturedebut. He meets Joe's murderous gaze... and smiles. 101. INT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM - DAY Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Jimmy is seated, shirtless, on a metal examining table. His ribs are taped. His arm in a cast. Two men loom over him, sour expressions on their faces: Sergeants McCaskey and Bessalo. Jimmy shakes his head, exasperated: JIMMY Look, I'll say it again for thecheap seats: I don't know anything and I can't help you. Okay? Can I go now? Bessalo grimaces in disgust. BESSALO Let me get this straight: you'rewalking along, minding your ownbusiness, when two guys you nevermet jump you and throw you in aditch for no particular reason. Is that it? JIMMY That's it. BESSALO You're full of shit, kid. (beat) Tell me where Hallenbeck is. JIMMY How the fuck should I know? Tryhis house. BESSALO We did. Where is he? JIMMY For Chrissake, I just met the guy. (beat) Look, Sergeant. I don't give ashit about Joe Hallenbeck. I justbusted my throwing arm and I'min a real pissy mood, so you gottwo choices: either charge mewith something or let me the fuckoutta here. He glares defiantly at Bessalo. CUT TO: 102. EXT. CASA LOMA APARTMENTS - DAY The grey day wears on. Jimmy trudges stiffly down the walk toward his apartment unit. Pulls up short, staring ahead - DARIAN HALLENBECK Slumped outside the door to his apartment. Asleep. A crumpled piece of paper clutched in her hand. He kneels beside her. Touches her shoulder. JIMMY Hey. Wake up. She stirs. Awakens, looking at him. Her eyes are puffy and red from crying. Her hair is a tangled mess. She hands him the piece of paper, and promptly bursts into tears. Buries her head in his chest, sobbing. He cradles her with his good arm. Awkwardly unfolds the crumpled paper and reads: MOMMY AND DADDY ARE WITH US CALL THE POLICE AND WE'LL KILL THEM BOTH. He stares at the note, dumbstruck. CUT TO: EXT. BEACH HOUSE - DAY A savage wind sweeps in off the ocean. Gulls wheel overhead. FORTY FOOT YACHT is tethered to a wooden dock outside the beach house. Milo and his crew prepare to cast off. Meanwhile: PABLO approaches along the dock, looking lean and mean in an Izod shirt. He stops in front of Sarah and Joe Hallenbeck. (CONTINUED) 103. CONTINUED: They are seated on the dock. Each handcuffed to a metal railing. Pablo kneels and unfastens Joe's cuffs. PABLO Get up. HALLENBECK Go fuck yourself. Pablo delivers a savage kick to Hallenbeck's ribs. Hallenbeck gasps in pain. HALLENBECK I meant that... in a good way... Pablo hauls him to his feet. Props him against therailing. PABLO Time for a little payback, Joe. Call it a service to dear departedChet. He slams a fist into Hallenbeck's middle. Sarah cries out in alarm. PABLO How's that feel, fuckhead? HALLENBECK (weakly) I'm asshole... she's fuckhead. And with that, Pablo lets him have it. Rains punches on his chest and gut. Slams an elbow into his kidneys. Drives a knee into his groin. Joe hits the deck. Milo calls out from the boat: MILO Easy, Pablo. I want him conscious. Pablo is kicking Joe's prone form. SARAH Goddamn you, stop it!! Oh, Jesus, leave him alone! (CONTINUED) 104. CONTINUED: Pablo gives Joe a last swift kick. Spits on him. Hallenbeck vomits. Lies bleeding on the dock. Sarah crawls over to him. As far as the cuffs will allow. Cradles his head in her lap. HALLENBECK Don't... look at me... SARAH Shhh. It's okay, Joe. I'm here, it's okay. (strokes his hair) I love you, Joe. Hallenbeck looks at her like she's just grown threeheads. HALLENBECK I get the shit beat out of me... puke all over myself... and nowyou love me? SARAH I never stopped loving you, Joe. HALLENBECK Christ, you slept with three guys. SARAH You knew about the others? HALLENBECK I knew. SARAH You never said anything. HALLENBECK Figured... you needed them. SARAH Joe, Goddammit, why didn't yousay something? HALLENBECK Like what? 'Fuck you, Sarah'? SARAH Yes. Fuck you, Sarah! Anythingto show that you... that you hadsome pride left. A pause. Then Hallenbeck heaves a sigh. (CONTINUED) 105. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Sorry... I'm fresh out. SARAH I'm scared, Joe. Get me out of this. HALLENBECK Must be my trick ear. Sounded like you said, 'Get me out ofthis.' SARAH You can take these guys, Joe. HALLENBECK I've got cracked ribs and aconcussion. SARAH Save me, Joe. Be a hero. HALLENBECK I don't believe in heroes. SARAH That's no excuse. He stares up at her for a moment. Then, through bloodylips: HALLENBECK Fuck you, Sarah... And he smiles. Just then, Milo signals from the boat. Seeing, this, Pablo approaches the couple again. PABLO All right, lovebirds, break it up. He yanks Sarah to her feet. Lets his gaze roam up and down her body. PABLO Nice tits. He rips open her blouse. Roughly fondles her breasts. Hallenbeck. On the ground. He growls with fury. Starts to push himself up. (CONTINUED) 106. CONTINUED: PABLO Stay down, fucker. Don't you move. At that moment, Milo comes striding down the dock. Whistling cheerfully. MILO Careful, Pablo. We don't want to get Mrs. Hallenbeck all excited infront of hubby. He squats next to Joe. MILO Hello, Joseph, guess what? Time to go, and remember: you followorders, or the missus pays theprice. HALLENBECK You're gonna kill us both anyway. MILO Perhaps. But there are ways todie, and then there are... ways todie. Capisce? You determine yourwife's fate. He yanks Hallenbeck to his feet. Propels him toward the boat. As her husband is being led away, Sarah calls out: SARAH Joe...! He stops. Turns. Looks at her. Boys and girls, there is, within Joe Hallenbeck, a spark: Tiny. Fizzling. Almost gone. But now, looking at his wife, that spark unexpectedlykindles - And eight years melt away. Just like that. The old Joe Hallenbeck looks his wife in the eye andsays, with deadly calm: (CONTINUED) 107. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK I'll be back. (beat) That's a promise. Milo clubs Joe in the head with his pistol. MILO You're wasting my time, Joseph. Let's go. Hallenbeck turns. Dirty. Tired. Unshaven. Bloody. He looks at Milo... and grins: HALLENBECK If you touch me again... I'll kill you. They stare into each other's eyes. Hallenbeck does not give an inch. Milo hits him again. INT. TOPANGA CANYON HOME - DAY Remember Jimmy's friend, Henry, who we met briefly nearthe opening of the film? Of course you do, you're ahighly-paid reader or development person. Well, Henry is seated in a big, lived-in den watchingfootball films. The walls around him are adorned with hunting paraphernalia. Rifles. Trophies. There is a KNOCK at the door. He gets up. Crosses to the door. Opens it. And Jimmy Dix is there. He gets right to the point: JIMMY I need to borrow a gun, Henry. INT. EXPENSIVE, WOOD-PANELED OFFICE - AFTERNOON Conrad Marcon sits behind a huge teak desk. Surrounded by football paraphernalia. Paintings. Trophies. The PHONE CHIRPS. He picks up the receiver. Stabs a button. MARCON Marcon. INTERCUT: 108. ON SHIPBOARD - MILO MILO It's Milo, sir. We're now underwayand should be lying off Catalinawithin two hours. MARCON Good boy, Milo. The commissioner's party starts at six. I'll put ina token appearance around six-thirty. MILO Very good, sir. MARCON Any problems with Hallenbeck? MILO No, we're getting along famously. MARCON Glad to hear it. No fuckups, Milo. I want him deep-sixed. MILO I assure you, neither he nor thesenator will see another sunrise. MARCON Christ, Milo, how come you alwayshave to talk like a fruit? MILO If it annoys you, I could alwaysadopt a Texas drawl, though I'mafraid I don't know any storiesabout fucking pigs. Sir. MARCON Cows, Milo. Never pigs. MILO I'll remember that, sir. He hangs up. Marcon replaces the receiver and chuckles. MARCON Goddamn fruitcake. He turns, and suddenly we realize he's not alone in the room: a STRANGE MAN is seated in the shadows off to one side. His face is obscured... Marcon addresses him: (CONTINUED) 109. CONTINUED: MARCON So far, so good. The Man in the corner nods, then speaks. As he does, we notice he has a speech impediment; it sounds like he'stalking with his mouth full. STRANGE MAN We've worked too hard, Con. There's no margin for error. MARCON Take it easy, buddy. We're covered. STRANGE MAN You're using the first team, yes? MARCON Absolutely. (sighs) Actually, I have no choice. STRANGE MAN How's that? MARCON Fuckin' Hallenbeck killed the second and third teams. EXT. LONG BEACH BOAT YARD - AFTERNOON A sign reads, BOAT RENTALS: DAY AND WEEK. Jimmy moves briskly down a concrete ramp toward aHatteras sport charter. He is obsessed. Determined. Darian trots along behind him. She's holding up prettywell, considering. DARIAN What do you need a boat for? JIMMY I'm gonna crash a party out onCatalina. Marcon will be there. He swings a bag of gear onto the boat. Starts to store it. DARIAN Maybe... we should call thepolice. (CONTINUED) 110. CONTINUED: JIMMY No, honey. Not now. There's some big shots involved in this mess, and it's my word against theirs. If I blab to the cops, your momand dad will disappear and they'llnever find the bodies. (beat) I'm sorry, Darian. DARIAN (about to cry) So... what do we do...? JIMMY What I do... is confront Conrad Marcon and threaten to go to thecops, unless he gives them back. DARIAN Is that gonna work? JIMMY Beats me, but I think it's what your dad would do. DARIAN I'm scared. JIMMY Me, too, honey. His gear stashed, he turns to Darian. Tries a smile. JIMMY So... why'd you come to me, anyhow? DARIAN I don't know. I thought you'd... know what happened, know what todo... (beat) I mean, you were one of my dad'sbig heroes. Jimmy almost chokes... JIMMY What? (CONTINUED) 111. CONTINUED: DARIAN When I was little, he used to talk about you all the time. Best football player in the game. Great this. Wonderful that. You shoulda seen him when you gotbusted. Jimmy stares straight ahead. Takes a deep breath. JIMMY I'll get them back, kiddo. I'll get them back. CUT TO: EXT. CATALINA ISLAND - ESTABLISHING SHOT - NIGHT The island sits beneath a dark, cloud-filled sky. Fog nestles in the foothills, rolling in off the ocean. CATALINA FERRY slices through the murk, filled with light, laughter, MUSIC. ON SHORE Boats are arriving at a private dock. A steady stream of guests. Tuxedoes and evening gowns. A parade of phony hair and phony boobs. All mounting the stairs to a huge chalet. Inside, a dinner party is in progress. INT. OPULENT LIVING ROOM - PARTY in progress. People with six-figure incomes. Pretending they're important. Mingling. Schmoozing. At a raised bar, Conrad Marcon bends the ear of a Japanese businessman. A lot of laughter. Back-slapping. A sudden commotion near the front door. FLASHBULBS POP. People crane their necks. Marcon turns to look, as: 112. SENATOR CALVIN BAYNARD enters the party, surrounded by an entourage of men in Armani suits. Seeing this, Marcon's face changes. Gone is the affable Texan. In his place, a ruthless murderer. He smiles. CUT TO: AUTOMATIC RIFLE as a thirty-shot clip is snapped into place. INT. FORTY-FOOT YACHT - CABIN - NIGHT Milo is preparing the weapon. He works the action. Pumps a round into the chamber. Looks up at Hallenbeck, who is bound hand and foot. Seated across from him in the boat's cabin. MILO Your wife's very pretty. HALLENBECK Fuck you, cocksucker. MILO My, my. Little testy this evening. He pulls a switchblade out of his Windbreaker. MILO That's not very polite, you know, calling someone a cocksucker. A lot of hard Ks. Very abusivesounding. Hallenbeck says nothing. MILO What would you do, Joseph, ifsomeone called you that? Would you cut out one of his eyes...? HALLENBECK Nope. MILO What would you do? (CONTINUED) 113. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK I'd go off and suck some cockand leave him the fuck alone. Milo studies Hallenbeck the way a museum curator mightstudy a new species of fish. MILO It occurs to me, Joseph, that Iwould very much like to hear you scream. HALLENBECK Come again? MILO You're so cool, aren't you? So... if you'll pardon the expression... hard-boiled. I'd like, just once, to hear you scream in pain. HALLENBECK Play some rap music. Milo chuckles, shakes his head. MILO Fascinating. HALLENBECK When do I kill Baynard? MILO (laughs) Come now, Joseph, did you reallythink that I'd hand you a loadedgun? (beat) You're not really going to kill anyone. HALLENBECK I'm not? MILO No. He leans forward. MILO You're going to be framed for thesenator's murder... when they findyour corpse at the scene of thecrime. 114. EXT. PRIVATE DOCK - NIGHT Boats, lots of them. Sportfishers. Yachts. Floating boats. Money, money, everywhere, and plenty of drinks to drop. HATTERAS SPORT BOAT PURRS quietly into the harbor. Jimmy at the rudder. Nudges up to the dock. In the chalet above, the party rages. SERIES OF SHOTS - JIMMY'S PREPARATION Jimmy lashes the boat. Goes below. Grabs a tuxedo from the closet. Stands, dressed, in front of the mirror. Opens a box. Removes a 9 millimeter Baretta. Works the slide. Jacks a bullet into the cylinder. Stashes it in the waistband of his pants: In back. Concealed by the tuxedo. Studies his own grim face in the mirror. JIMMY Okay, hot shit, let's do it. EXT. DECK - NIGHT Jimmy emerges from the cabin. Heads for the rail. A voice calls out: DARIAN (O.S.) Nice tux. He turns, and sees Darian Hallenbeck. Peeking her head out from under a tarpaulin. JIMMY Goddammit, I told you to go home! DARIAN Fuck you, I stowed away. They'remy parents, okay? Jimmy shakes his head. Exasperated. JIMMY Fine, whatever. Just stay here. With the boat. (CONTINUED) 115. CONTINUED: Darian starts to protest. He throws her the keys. JIMMY Anything funny happens, get thefuck out of here. Darian takes the keys. Frowns, says: DARIAN You look terrible. JIMMY I feel terrible. DARIAN Are you really a drug addict? JIMMY I was. I kicked the habit. When? DARIAN JIMMY This morning. Stay here. He swings over the side, onto the dock. DARIAN Don't let them break your other arm. JIMMY Thanks, kid. You're a fuckin' inspiration. INT. MILO'S YACHT - CABIN - SAME TIME Milo speaks to Hallenbeck. Clipped. Businesslike. MILO At eight-fifteen, Senator Baynardwill leave the party, hopefullyunobserved. He and his entouragewill board a fast boat, and rendezvous with us at sea. HALLENBECK Jesus. He thinks he's geting histwo-million-dollar payoff. Milo nods. Points to two identical suitcases in the corner. (CONTINUED) 116. CONTINUED: MILO Baynard will not leave his boat. One of his men will board us, and inspect the contents of thesuitcase. This suitcast. He opens one of the cases. Hallenbeck stares. HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS Twenty thousand of them, to be precise. Neatly bundled. MILO Then we pull a simple switch. When the man returns to his boat, he's carrying this suitcase. He points to the identical twin. HALLENBECK Plastics? MILO (nods) Detonation upon opening. Enoughto kill the passengers, not enoughto sink the craft. (smiles) And when we place your charredcorpse amidst the wreckage, thepolice will draw the inevitableconclusion: a down-on-his-luck P.I. makes a suicide strike against the man who cost a career. HALLENBECK That sounds lovely, but how is mybody gonna get charred? With a flourish, Milo pulls aside a tablecloth. Under the table is a five gallon can of gasoline. MILO Maybe I'll get to hear you scream, after all... Just then, one of Milo's crew sticks his head in the door. CREW MEMBER You better get up here, we gota problem. 117. EXT. YACHT - ON DECK - NIGHT Milo's yacht is anchored about a half mile offshore. Island lights blink in the distance. Fog rolls in. Milo emerges from the cabin onto the deck. Crosses to the railing, looks down at: FISHING BOAT bobbing in the water about thirty yards away. A FISHERMAN is waving his arms. Hailing them. Beside him, his wife and seventeen-year-old son. FISHERMAN Hey! Buddy, I got a cracked enginecasing, I'm dead in the water! Can I get a tow? Milo swears under his breath. Calls out: MILO I'm sorry, sir. This boat is Island Security, we're understrict orders to stay within this sector. FISHERMAN Aw, shit! Look, it'll take ten minutes! MILO I'm sorry, we can't help you. FISHERMAN Goddammit, now I gotta call theCoast Guard! Milo's crewman steps up to the rail. Speaks urgently: CREW MEMBER Milo, he's gonna bring the CoastGuard down on top of us. Milo ponders for maybe three seconds. Then he calls out: MILO Excuse me. Sir? The Fisherman turns. His family beside him. MILO Fuck you, sir. (CONTINUED) 118. CONTINUED: He reaches under his Windbreaker. Pulls out an Ingram model MACHINE GUN. OPENS FIRE. The entire family is blown away. WOOD SPLINGERS POP and fly. GLASS SHATTERS. The bodies topple like broken toys. Milo ceases fire. Turns to his crewman. MILO Problem solved. Get over there and put the bodies below wherethey can't be seen. He saunters away as if nothing unusual has occurred. EXT. PARTY HOUSE - NIGHT Jimmy is strolling along a hedge behind the house. Looking for a back entrance. He hears VOICES, approaching. Pulls up short. Ducks into the shadows. Senator Baynard goes by, with two bodyguards. Brisk. Businesslike. SENATOR Christ, I can't believe I agreedto this dog and pony show. Let's get it over with. The head for the boats. Jimmy stares after them, mind racing. Makes a decision: heads for the boats. Following Baynard. INT./EXT. JIMMY'S BOAT - NIGHT Jimmy casts off the lines. Heads for the cockpit. Darian is inside. JIMMY Gimmee the keys, kiddo. DARIAN Where are you going? (CONTINUED) 119. CONTINUED: JIMMY The Senator's here, and he's leaving by the back door. I'm gonna follow him. He keys the ignition. JIMMY Get off the boat. DARIAN Fuck you, man. No way. JIMMY Darian, Goddammit - She runs below decks. DARIAN (O.S.) I'm not coming out! Jimmy looks up: The Senator's boat, a sleek, powerful Marlineer, is even now pulling out of the cove. JIMMY Okay. Shit. Okay. Easy. Shit. He throttles forward. The Hatteras pulls away from the dock. CUT TO: EXT. SKY - NIGHT The sound of THUNDERING ROTORS, as a refitted Bell Cobra HELICOPTER cuts through the night sky over Catalina. Banks sharply, cruises offshore. INT. COCKPIT - SAME The PILOT works the stick while the CO-PILOT searches the water below through infra-red binoculars. He speaks intoa microphone. CO-PILOT This is Air One, over. MALE (V.O.) Roger, Air One, over. (CONTINUED) 120. CONTINUED: CO-PILOT The drop zone is clear, repeat, the drop zone is clear, over. INTERCUT WITH: MILO'S YACHT - SAME TIME Milo is at the other end of the connection. Beside him, two crewmen. MILO Roger, Air One, over and out. (replaces the mike) Up anchor, gentlemen, we have a go. (points toHallenbeck) Gag him and stash him. As Milo goes topside, one of the men tapes Joe's mouth. The other opens a cramped storage compartment. They stuff him inside. Shut and lock the door. EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - NIGHT About two miles offshore. The Senator's Marlineer cuts through the waves, converging with Milo's yacht. The two boats pull up alongside. The lines are made fast. One of Milo's crewmen greets Senator Baynard's AIDE, a slick-looking Italian in a $1,000 overcoat. Baynard's man hops from one boat to the other. Boarding Milo's yacht. Meanwhile - EXT. OFFSHORE WATERS - IN FOGBANK Jimmy Dix is clearly lost. He bangs his fist in frustration. JIMMY Goddammit, I lost him. I can't see a fucking thing. DARIAN See if this boat has sonar. JIMMY Oh, yeah, little Miss Know-It-All. (CONTINUED) 121. CONTINUED: DARIAN Fuck you. JIMMY Watch your mouth. DARIAN Take a bath in my ass. They're clearly having no fun. CUT TO: INT. MILO'S YACHT - CABIN - SAME TIME The payoff is in progress. One of Milo's crewmen carries the suitcase over to the wall. Places it on a built-in counter. Underneath the suitcase is a half-finished jigsaw puzzle. Off to one side is a half-empty coffee container. The case is opened. Greenbacks galore. Baynard's Aide whistles softly. Examines the stacks of bills. Nods, satisfied. AIDE Okay. We're cool. Just then Milo enters the cabin. Adopts a harsh New Yorkaccent as he angrily barks: MILO Hey! Any of you stupid fucksbother to frisk this goombah? CREWMAN No, sir, we didn't think - MILO Exactly, you didn't think! Goddammit, that's two million bucks there, now frisk the fuckin' guy! AIDE Hey, baby, I'm clean, take it easy - MILO Fuck easy. Against the wall, spread 'em! (CONTINUED) 122. CONTINUED: As Baynard's man assumes the position - Milo hits a concealed button. It happen in less than a second: the built-in counter rotates into the wall, only to be replaced by anindentical counter. Identical half-finished jigsaw puzzle. Identical coffee cup. And, of course, the identical suitcase. The indignant Aide turns around, pat-down concluded. AIDE Okay? Satisfied? Milo smiles apologetically. MILO We're cool, baby. He hands over the suitcase. BACK TOPSIDE Baynard's man emerges onto the deck, carrying the suitcase. Steps over the rail, crossing to the Senator's boat. Gives a thumbs up to the men waiting there. They cast off the lines. Freeing the two boats. INT. MILO'S YACHT - BRIDGE Milo watches, tense. As the lines are freed, he says: MILO Hard to starboard, get us out ofhere. Back off a hundred yardsand wait for the blast. INT. SENATOR'S CABIN - SAME TIME The go-between heads below deck, carrying the suitcase. Senator Baynard puts down his wine glass. Looks up, expectant. The Aide flashes an "A-Okay" grin. Sets the suitcase on a table. Meanwhile - INT. JIMMY'S SPORT BOAT - BRIDGE Jimmy has had about enough. He sighs with frustration. Stares ahead into the fog. (CONTINUED) 123. CONTINUED: JIMMY All we're doing is burning gas. Sorry, kid, I'm turning back. The words are barely out of his mouth when he hears athrobbing NOISE, growing louder... Darian looks uppuzzled. DARIAN Do you hear that -- ? And with that - AIR ONE bursts from the fog. Directly in front of them. Hovers like an avenging angel, TURBINES SCREAMING - JIMMY Holy fucking shit! Rotor wash sprays in every direction. The noise is deafening. INT. AIR ONE - COCKPIT The PILOT grabs the mike and shouts into it: PILOT Code yellow, code yellow, we gota bogie, repeat, we got a bogie, over. INT. MILO'S YACHT - BRIDGE Milo snaps his head to one side, hearing this. Grabs the mike: MILO Air One, Air One, where the fuck is he? PILOT (V.O.) Nine o'clock, repeat, on yournine, and closing fast! 124. ANOTHER ANGLE Jimmy's BOAT ROARS out of the fog... And suddenly he's in a world of shit. Less than fifty yards to port is Milo's yacht. Fifty years to starboard is the Senator's Marlineer. JIMMY Oh, wow. We're fucked. He GUNS the ENGINE. Spins the wheel, banks to port. AIR ONE screams past, cutting across the bow, nearly taking offthe roof - Jimmy, wrestling the wheel, and meanwhile - INT. BAYNARD'S CABIN The Senator actually has his hands on the suitcase toopen it, when one of his MEN yells: MAN Shit! Something's going on. BAYNARD What is it? MAN Another boat. It's a fuckingsetup! BAYNARD Get us out of here, now! The guy relays the order, and: EXT. HIGH SEAS Baynard's Marlineer surges forward. Full throttle, heading for shore, as - EXT. MILO'S YACHT Milo skids out on deck, grabbing for his machine gun. Calls out: MILO Who the fuck is he? A crewman grabs a pair of binoculars. Meanwhile - 125. INSIDE STORAGE COMPARTMENT Hallenbeck has no fucking idea what's going on, but hecan hear everthing that's said, as: BACK ON DECK the Crewman lowers the binoculars in disbelief: CREWMAN Son of a bitch! It's Dix, the Goddamn quarterback! INT. STORAGE COMPARTMENT Hallenbeck's face goes through various stages of shock. It's nothing compared to when he hears: CREWMAN (O.S.) There's a little girl with him! With that, he goes berserk. Draws his legs back, thunders them against the compartment doors. Kicks with all his might. Over and over like a crazed horse, as: BACK TOPSIDE Air One does a flyby, circling, awaiting instructions. ON DECK Milo grabs the hand mike and says: MILO Air One, Air One, follow the Senator, roger? I'll take the sport boat, you take Baynard, over. AIR ONE (V.O.) That's a roger. Over and out. MILO (turns to his men) Okay, let's go. Full throttle. INT. YACHT - SAME TIME With a final, resounding crash, Hallenbeck kicks open the compartment. Topples out onto the cabin floor. (CONTINUED) 126. CONTINUED: Works his bound hands over his knees so they're now tied in front of him. Everybody's topside; for the moment, at least, he is forgotten. He half crawls, half lurches over to the kitchen nook. Worms beneath the table... awkward, desperate... Drags out the can of gasoline. Tries to unscrew the top. No dice. Can't get a grip. Finally, in frustration, he tips the can on its side. Brings his legs up in the air - Slams them down on the can. Over and over until, with a metallic pop -- ! it bursts. Floods gasoline over the carpet, meanwhile: BACK TOPSIDE Milo's yacht is plowing ahead, gaining on Jimmy's Hatteras. The crew members take up positions on the prow. OPEN FIRE. WITH JIMMY As he throws Darian to the deck, shields her with his body. The wheelhouse is RAKED by GUNFIRE. He grits his teeth. Reaches beneath his tux. Yanks out the BERETTA and returns FIRE, BAM -- BAM -- ! and meanwhile: INT. YACHT CABIN Hallenbeck is opening a box of kitchen matches with his teeth. Dozens of matches fall scattered on the carpet. He releases the box. Bends. Picks up a single match in his teeth. Presses his face to the wall. Gives his neck a wrench - Lights the match. He drops the match on top of the GAS CAN. (CONTINUED) 127. CONTINUED: A WHOOSH of combustion. It bursts into flame. Joe swivels around. Balancing on his backside. Thrusts his legs into the fire. Strains. Pulls. Sweat runs in rivers. Until the ropes binding his legs snap. He lurches to his feet, lets free. Now there's only one problem: He's on fire. The legs of his pants are soaked with gas. Flames race up his legs. He plunges headlong up the stairs. ON TO DECK where he hurtles toward the rail, dives - into the sea, swallowed by the waves. A CREWMAN suddenly screams: CREWMAN Fire in the hole! Fire, indeed. It's a rapidly-spreading blaze. The pursuit is momentarily forgotten as the crew races to put out the fire, and meanwhile: HALLENBECK surfaces, gasping for air. Trying to swim with his hands tied. DARIAN spots him first. Sees her father bobbing like a cork inthe ocean, screams: DARIAN Daddy!! Jimmy whirls around, startled. JIMMY Shit. I don't believe it. DARIAN Do something! Hurry! (CONTINUED) 128. CONTINUED: Jimmy spins the wheel. Banks hard to port. Brings the boat around in an arc. Yells to Darian: JIMMY Keep the wheel like this! Don't let it move! She grabs the wheel. Jimmy bends down. Opens a compartment. Takes out the boat's anchor. Metal hook, attached to seventy yards of chain. He hefts it like a grapplinghook. JIMMY Third and long, baby, lets' go... And, sure, his left arm isn't his good arm - But, boy, does he heave that anchor. It soars through space, chain playing out behind it... Hits water, thirty yards past Hallenbeck - Who turns, sees the anchor skimming toward him over the waves. EXT. MILO'S YACHT Milo, meanwhile, has also spotted Hallenbeck. He growls in rage. Hefts the Ingram machine gun, as: ANOTHER ANGLE Hallenbeck thrusts forward, hooks his bound hands around the passing anchor and whoosh -- ! He is catapulted forward, jerked like a rag puppet. BULLETS CHOP the water where he just was. He skims over the waves. Bounced. Battered. Trailing behind Jimmy at fifty miles an hour. Jimmy and Darian begin to haul him in. Struggling. Straining. The boat rushing headlong, driverless. With a last, desperate surge of energy - They drag Hallenbeck over the side. Into the boat. DARIAN Dad...! (CONTINUED) 129. CONTINUED: She collapses, weeping, atop her father. Hugs him for all she's worth. HALLENBECK What the hell's she doing here?? DARIAN I stowed away... GUNFIRE splits the air. Reminds them they're not out of the woods. MILO'S YACHT is behind them again. The fire is out. The chase is on. It steadily cuts the distance. JIMMY'S BOAT Hallenbeck staggers to his feet. HALLENBECK Get below, Darian. And staythere. He stumbles into the wheelhouse. Dazed. Barelyconscious. JIMMY Got any ideas? HALLENBECK Yeah. Go really fast and hopethey don't catch us. (beat) Oh, shit. JIMMY What? HALLENBECK Fog bank, dead ahead. Hang on. Into the fog they go, and, folks - This is really scary. Because you can't see a foot in front of your face. They plunge through the fog at fifty miles an hour. Hallenbeck sweats, eyes glued to the windshield. (CONTINUED) 130. CONTINUED: And then a shape materializes off to port: Milo's yacht. Running alongside. Drawing closer. Hallenbeck wrestles the wheel. No dice. The yacht draws ever closer... men on deck... machine guns... Joe looks over... and his face tells the story: HALLENBECK We're dead. Except, just then, a strange thing happens: Milo's yacht veers off to the left. Away fromHallenbeck. Jimmy stares, dumbfounded. JIMMY What the fuck? They're peelingoff. Why? A pause... then it hits Joe like a thunderbolt: HALLENBECK 'Cause they got sonar, that's why! Hard to port! JIMMY Port? HALLENBECK Left, Goddammit. The boat slews to the left, as, from out of the fog - The Catalina ferry looms right in front of them. JIMMY Shit fuck piss! They almost make it. As it is, they avoid a head-on. Instead, they hit broadside. A sickening CRUNCH -- ! Jimmy and Joe are thrown from their feet. A momentary glimpse of faces rushing past -- Horrified tourists -- And then the ferry is behind them. Jimmy gets up. Staggers to the controls. Pushes the throttle. The boat lurches forward - Then SPUTTERS. Fizzles. He swears violently. (CONTINUED) 131. CONTINUED: JIMMY We're on half power, we lost anengine! EXT. FOG BANK - SAME TIME The crippled boat chugs through the mist. JIMMY swears again. Bangs his fist. JIMMY We're sitting ducks. They got sonar. They can find us. HALLENBECK Kill the running lights and radiothe Coast Guard. Jimmy flicks off the lights. Grabs the mike. As he does, a VIBRATING RUMBLE fills the cockpit, causing himto pause... and then stare in shock as their boat emergesfrom the fog - And Air One hovers directly overhead. JIMMY Fuck me. The two men watch, helpless, as the helicopter descends, the Co-Pilot taking aim with a LAWS rocket. HALLENBECK Get down! They both hit the floor. Hands over their heads - And then the pilot makes a costly error: He descends right into the path of Milo's yacht. With no warning whatsoever, the boat comes bursting out of the fog - PLOWS right INTO the HELICOPTER. Second number one: The boat pierces the chopper, rips it to shreds. Second number two: The whole boat-slash-chopper mix erupts in a shower of wood and fiberglass. Turns night into day. 132. JIMMY AND JOE are still huddled on the floor. Pause. They look up. Bewildered. There was a big light... Big noise... Why aren't they dead? ANOTHER ANGLE They move like sleepwalkers to the cockpit window. Stare in disbelief. Joe looks at Jimmy. Jimmy at Joe. Debris rains down. CUT TO: EXT. CRASH SITE - MINUTES LATER Jimmy, Joe and Darian are on deck, chugging through thewreckage. Darian clings to her father's arm, in shock. Hallenbeck sees something in the distance. Squints: HALLENBECK What's that? Jimmy looks: A bright object... going in circles... JIMMY That's Baynard's boat! HALLENBECK (nods) It can get us to shore faster than this one, don't you think? He starts to turn away. Notices something in the water. Speaks over his shoulder to Jimmy. HALLENBECK Hand me the pole. Jimmy hands him a long, wooden pole with a hooked end. He fishes in the water. Snares a large, floating object. Swings it aboard. Drops it at Jimmy's feet. The suitcase. JIMMY What is it? HALLENBECK Birthday present. (CONTINUED) 133. CONTINUED: He turns away. Jimmy bends to open the suitcase. Joe heads into the cockpit, Darian beside him. Steers the boat away from the crash site. Toward the senator's boat. Chugs forward on half an engine. O.S., Jimmy suddenly yells: JIMMY Holy fucking shit!! EXT. BAYNARD'S BOAT - SAME TIME The once-mighty Marlineer runs aimless circles in themist. Half the cockpit is blown away, probably by a LAWSrocket. The Hatteras pulls up alongside, and Hallenbeck steps tothe rail, carrying the Baretta. HALLENBECK Wait here. He swings aboard the senator's boat. Gun cocked. Ready. INT. SENATOR'S BOAT - COCKPIT Enters the cockpit. What's left of the roof is bullet- pocked. The navigator is dead. Slumped over the controls. Joe pulls him off the panel. KILLS the ENGINE. INT. MAIN CABIN Joe bursts inside. Hard and fast. Gun leveled. No need. It's a slaughterhouse. The walls are perforated. Baynard and his men are dead. The suitcase's evil twin lies unopened on the table. Hallenbeck walks over to Baynard's lifeless body. Stares into the wide-open eyes. HALLENBECK Sorry, Cal. Life in the big city. CUT TO: EXT. LONG BEACH BOAT RENTALS - NIGHT The senator's boat pulls up to the dock. No one is around. 134. EXT. DOCK - SAME TIME Hallenbeck crouches next to Darian, looks her in the eye. HALLENBECK Listen carefully. I'm gonna goget your mom back, okay? You're gonna go in the Denny's restaurantand stay there. Talk to the waitress but don't mention me. Mom and I will come pick you uplater, got it? DARIAN (crying) They're gonna kill you...! HALLENBECK Are you kidding? I do this for a living. (hands her a twenty) Buy me an ice cream. I'll be back. (beat) I love you. She throws her arms around him. CUT TO: INT. RENTAL SUBARU - DRIVING - NIGHT All business now. Deadly serious. Jimmy and Joe stare ahead through the windshield. Grim. Tense. In the back seat sits the coveted suitcase. JIMMY Your prints are all over thatboat. What happens when they findthe bodies inside? HALLENBECK Quit being a fuckin' killjoy. He cuts the headlights. Cruises to a stop behind a roadside dumpster. HALLENBECK Come on. We've got some things topick up. EXT. HALLENBECK'S HOUSE (WEST L.A.) - NIGHT They creep across a suburban lawn, hugging the shadows. (CONTINUED) 135. CONTINUED: Across the street, Hallenbeck's house is dark. Deserted. Truly a sight: Jimmy, in a white shirt and tuxedo pants, nursing a broken arm; and Joe, drenched to the skin, pants hanging in scorched tatters. Joe suddenly puts up a restraining hand. They stop. Crouched behind a eucalyptus tree. Joe points: THEIR POV A late-model Buick is parked just up the street from his house... There is a man slouched inside. Smoking. BACK TO SCENE HALLENBECK Shit. Someone's staking me out. JIMMY (clears his throat) Oh, I forgot to tell you. The police want you for killing MikeMiller. Hallenbeck shoots him a withering look. CUT TO: EXT. COASTAL WATERS - NIGHT A Coast Guard cutter is circling the site of the boat/ chopper crash. A uniformed ENSIGN shines a light on thedark waters. ENSIGN I think I got someone! Four o'clock! MILO is draped over a piece of wooden wreckage. Half his hair is burned away. His face is blistered. He looks up, pleading, at the Ensign, as: ANOTHER ANGLE He hides the Ingram beneath his body, cocked and ready. CUT TO: 136. INT. PARKED BUICK - NIGHT The sour stakeout cop reaches for a job necessity: the pot to piss in. He undoes his fly. Pees into an old Maxwell House coffee can. Opens the door to dump it out. A hand reaches in, lightning quick. Grabs the can, throws it back in his face. As he jerks backward, blinded, the hand knocks him cold. EXT. BUICK - SAME TIME Hallenbeck drags the unconscious cop from the car. HALLENBECK Let's get him inside and tie him up. JIMMY Are you crazy? That's a cop! You don't punch cops! HALLENBECK I forgot. Hurry up. INT. HALLENBECK'S BEDROOM - MINUTES LATER The cop is bound and gagged in the corner. Unconscious. Hallenbeck moves hurriedly. Not a second to waste. Pulls a dark turtleneck from a drawer. Rips off the sleeve. Throws it to Jimmy. HALLENBECK Wear that. He strips off his own shirt. Crosses to the closet. HALLENBECK You know how to use a gun? JIMMY The trigger's the little blackthing. HALLENBECK Here. He hands Jimmy a shotgun and a box of odd, blackcylinders. (CONTINUED) 137. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Use these. They're shredders. Equipped with an explosive charge. When you fire the gun, they sprayon impact. Take out anythingwithin ten yards. JIMMY What are you gonna use? HALLENBECK A little souvenir... He reaches into the closet. Pulls out a sniper rifle. The rifle. The one responsible for the puckered scar onhis chest. HALLENBECK Go bring the car around. EXT. HALLENBECK'S HOUSE - SAME TIME Jimmy emerges, starts across the lawn. Pulls up short. Stares ahead at: HIS POV - TWO BLACK SEDANS parked at the curb. BACK TO SCENE He starts to cry out - And a dark figure looms behind him. Clubs him in the head. INT. HALLENBECK'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME Hallenbeck snaps a full magazine into the rifle. Stuffs extras into a black Windbreaker. Hears a NOISE. Looks up, expecting Jimmy - Draws a sharp breath: PABLO AND ASSORTED GOONS standing in the doorway. All of them have guns. Pablo grins, shakes his head: PABLO Face it, pal. You're fucked byGod. CUT TO: 138. PAD AND PAPER as they're placed in front of Hallenbeck. He is seated on the bed. Three guns covering him. Beside him sits Furry Tom, grinning his stuffed-toy grin. PABLO Are you a literate man, Joe? HALLENBECK I got a subscription to Jugsmagazine. PABLO That's good. See, Joe, what you're gonna do, you're gonnawrite a little story. A GOON sticks his head in the door. GOON We've got Jimmy Dix in the trunk. PABLO Get him out of here. Take him to Mr. Marcon. I'll follow you assoon as my business here isfinished. The Goon departs, leaving Hallenbeck with Pablo and twoothers. He studies them. Calculates the odds. Verdict: Bad. PABLO Yeah, you're gonna write a littlestory, Joe. About how guilt- stricken you are over SenatorBaynard's death, which is allover the air waves, by the way. Yeah... you're so guilty aboutpaying those hitmen to kill him, that you're gonna kill yourself. HALLENBECK Hey, who's writing this story? You're doing all the good parts. PABLO Oh, and, Joe...? Don't forget toinclude how guilty you are overthat cop you murdered. HALLENBECK What cop? (CONTINUED) 139. CONTINUED: Pablo draws his pistol. PUMPS TWO SHOTS into the unconscious cop in the corner. PABLO That one. HALLENBECK You son of a bitch...! Pablo is making a big mistake, but he doesn't know it. He is fueling Joe Hallenbeck's rage. Pity the fool. Hallenbeck regards him with dead, lifeless eyes. A thoroughly unnerving stare. Then Joe does something very odd. He says, softly: HALLENBECK We don't like Pablo very much, dowe, Furry Tom...? There is a pause... And then, incredibly -- Furry Tom answers. A high-pitched, squeaky stuffed cat voice. HALLENBECK (as Furry Tom) No, Mr. Hallenbeck, we think Pablo is a motherless fuck who takes it up the ass. Dead silence. Pablo is completely thrown; so are we, forthat matter... and then it hits us: Joe is doing ventriloquism. And the funny thing is, he's really good. Pablo overcomes his shock. PABLO Shit, is he doing that? Hallenbeck's face remains cold. Expressionless. HALLENBECK Furry Tom, tell Pablo what I'mgonna do to him. HALLENBECK (as Furry Tom) You're gong to make Pablo eat allhis teeth, Mr. Hallenbeck. (CONTINUED) 140. CONTINUED: Pablo can't help it. He bursts out laughing. PABLO That's amazing, man! Hallenbeck picks up Furry Tom. Inserts his hand, makes the furry head bob back and forth. HALLENBECK (as Furry Tom) Hey, Mr. Hallenbeck, they'relaughin' at me. That's not verynice. By now, all three hoods are in hysterics. HALLENBECK Are you mad, Furry Tom? HALLENBECK (as Furry Tom) I don't get mad. I get even. And, with that, Furry Tom's mouth opens - And EXPLODES, showering stuffing. One of the goons is still laughing when he realizes half his throat is gone... And Furry Thomas BELCHES FIRE again, and the second goon goes down in a spray of blood, and if you haven't guessed already - Joe has a gun hidden inside Furry Thomas. Pablo is a little sharper. A little quicker. He dives forward, knocks the puppet from Joe's hand. Joe drives upward, into Pablo's gut. They reel across the room. Locked in combat. Lamps topple. GLASS BREAKS. Pablo slams Joe's head into the wall. Leaves a dent. Does it again, a sickening impact... Starts to strangle Joe - And the truth is, Joe's not thirty anymore. He's not going to make it. The world swims away. Then, as if through a tunnel, Joe notices something beside him... something hanging on the wall. Fights to focus. Breath gone. Strength gone. Identifies the object: (CONTINUED) 141. CONTINUED: His Presidential Medal of Valor. Shiny medal. Shiny ribbon. His name... It hits him quite suddenly: The medal has sharp edges. With the last of his strength, he plucks it from the wall. Drives it into Pablo's throat. The big man stumbles backward. Eyes wide. Gurgling. He thrashes, the red-white-blue ribbon flapping obscenely from his gushing neck. Drops to the dusty carpet. Dies. Hallenbeck takes a deep breath. Eyes wide. Insane. He is surrounded by corpses. He takes another deep breath. Picks up the sniper rifle. Slings it over his shoulder. Heads for the door. INT. CONRAD MARCON'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Jimmy Dix is on the floor, and Marcon is kicking him savagely. Pointed alligator boots lashing out. Again and again. MARCON You know I don't enjoy doin' this, Jim. Jimmy curls up in a fetal ball. Marcon paces, shakinghis head. MARCON I remember how much you hated thepain... You got hooked on Demerol, didn't you...? I'll make a deal with you. Tell me who you talkedto, and I'll give you all thepainkillers you can swallow. JIMMY Nobody knows. Just... just me... and Hallenbeck... MARCON Now, see, I'd love to believe you. But we are talking about thefuture of my football team. (CONTINUED) 142. CONTINUED: He crosses to the fireplace. Removes a poker. MARCON And ain't nothin' more importantthan my ball club, 'cept maybe mycollection of autographedfootballs. Got one of yours, youknow. (softly) Who'd you talk to, Jimmy? JIMMY Nobody... Marcon raises the poker. Brings it down on Jimmy's broken arm. EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - NIGHT Hallenbeck leaves the rented Subaru by the side of the road. He is dressed in combat black. Government issue. Rifle over one shoulder. Hunting knife in a hip scabbard. Like an angel of death, he moves into the brush. Heading down the canyon. EXT. MARCON'S HOME - SAME TIME An armed sentry patrols the grounds. Below him, nighttime L.A. stretches to the Pacific. Joe Hallenbeck emerges like a wraith from the trees. Clamps a gloved hand over the sentry's mouth. Drives the hunting knife into his back. INT. LIVING ROOM - SAME TIME Marcon stirs the fireplace logs, stoking the blaze. Replaces the poker. Crosses to his desk and sits. Jimmy is on the carpet, delirious. Out of it. Marcon presses a button. An armed HARDGUY appears. HARDGUY Mr. Marcon? (CONTINUED) 143. CONTINUED: MARCON He's nothing, he can't hurt us. Take him somewhere and kill him. HARDGUY Yes, sir. The Hardguy crosses the room. Grips Jimmy by theshoulders. With a soft SPIT of sound, his forehead blooms crimson. He collapses, lifeless. At his desk, Marcon whirls, stunned, as: JOE HALLENBECK steps through the French doors behind him. He resembles nothing human. A demon in black. Eyes burning. Gun held loosely. An extension of his arm. Marcon reaches for the button to summon help. HALLENBECK Don't. He jams the rifle barrel into Marcon's throat, nearlycrushing his larynx. Hisses: HALLENBECK The gun is silenced, I'll fuckin'kill you. Where's my wife? MARCON I... I don't remember, I... Joe shoves on the gun. The barrel chokes him. HALLENBECK My wife. Grabs a pen. Shoves it in Marcon's hand. HALLENBECK The address. Now! MARCON It's... Milo's film studio... HALLENBECK Write it down, dumbfuck. (CONTINUED) 144. CONTINUED: He speaks over his shoulder: HALLENBECK Jimmy, you okay...? Jimmy stirs. JIMMY Hurts like hell. Marcon finishes writing. Hallenbeck snatches up theaddress. Stows it in his pocket. HALLENBECK Okay, Connie, you're gonna walk usout of here, nice and easy, gotit? (beat) Can you walk, Jimmy? JIMMY Yeah... I think so -- Joe, behind you...! Too late. A revolver is cocked a foot from Joe's head. STRANGE MAN Drop it. It's the same odd voice we heard earlier. The man with the speech impediment. HALLENBECK You drop it, asshole, or I killMarcon. The Strange Man chuckles. STRANGE MAN Sorry, but that won't work. I don't care if he lives or dies, now drop the gun. A pause. Once more, Joe calculates the odds. No dice. He places the rifle on the desk. STRANGE MAN Walk over there by your friend, Joe. Hallenbeck turns around... and, for once, his jaw drops. He's looking at a man he never thought he'd see again. A man who suffers from facial paralysis ever since his headbounced off the Georgetown turnpike eight years ago. 145. LOUIS BAYNARD Son of the late senator. The right side of his facedoesn't quite match the left. The muscles don't work. Hallenbeck recovers his composure. As Jimmy climbs tohis feet, Joe walks over and stands next to him. Two gunmen appear behind them, covering the rear. HALLENBECK Well, Goddamn. How's the head, Lou? BAYNARD (STRANGE MAN) Aside from permanent facialneuralgia, just lovely. HALLENBECK Next time, Lou, just say no. JIMMY Shit. This is the drunk guy youslugged, look what you did to hisface! Marcon, meanwhile, is positively livid. He snaps atBaynard: MARCON You son of a bitch, you were gonnalet him kill me! BAYNARD Nothing more or less than you'd dofor me, Conrad. (turns) I never thought I'd see you again, Joe. HALLENBECK Speaking of which, what the fuckare you doing here? BAYNARD Call it a financial partnership. For a price, I agreed to connectMr. Marcon to the necessarypeople in Washington. HALLENBECK In other words, you dropped yourfather's name a bunch of times. (CONTINUED) 146. CONTINUED: BAYNARD (ignores him) But imagine my delight this morning, Joe, when Mr. Marcon informed me of a golden opportunity: a chance to kill my father and frame you forthe crime... What can I say, inherit a fortune and humiliate youin the bargain, who could resist? HALLENBECK Do I also have you to thank fordragging me into this mess? BAYNARD (sighs) It was I, unfortunately, whobought a forty-dollar bottle ofchampagne... spoke a little toofreely to that hooker. JIMMY She wasn't a hooker, dickhead. HALLENBECK He should know, Jimmy. With a face like that, he's gotta bepaying for it. BAYNARD You can die fast or slow, so watch your mouth. Jimmy chimes in: JIMMY We'd rather watch yours. It's goofy-lookin'. Marcon has had enough. He pounds his fist on the desk. MARCON Kill them, Goddammit, waste 'em both! JIMMY Any bright ideas, Joe? HALLENBECK Gimmee a minute. JIMMY Excuse me, could you give him aminute? He's trying to think ofa way out of this. (CONTINUED) 147. CONTINUED: Behind them, the two hardguys COCK their GUNS. Jimmy sweats. He's scared shitless underneath. Hallenbeck clears his throat: HALLENBECK You know of course, Connie, that you're a dead man. Marcon holds up his hand. MARCON Wait. The gunmen lower their weapons. MARCON Let's humor this asshole. What are you talking about? HALLENBECK (shrugs) Nothing much, just that I made aphone call from the boat on theway in. MARCON You called the cops? Fuck it, they can't prove a thing. HALLENBECK Oh, but I didn't call the cops. I called the mob. Marcon stares at him. Blinks. HALLENBECK See, Connie, every year, the mobrakes in two and a half billion from football bookmaking. If yousucceed in making gambling legal, all that money goes to the government. (beat) I wouldn't be surprised if they put out a contract on you. Of course, I might be able to call itoff. Marcon stares him down. A pause. Then Marcon smiles: (CONTINUED) 148. CONTINUED: MARCON He's bluffing. He's not connected to the mob, what a load of horseshit. Nice try, asshole. (waves his hand) Kill them. HALLENBECK (plowing ahead) Then there's the matter of two million dollars. Or didn't youknow that watertight suitcasesfloat...? He once again looks Marcon in the eye. HALLENBECK I've got your money, Connie. Stashed in the back of a rented Subaru. We'll take you to it. MARCON (laughing) Jesus, I don't believe it. This guy's a riot. JIMMY (sotto) I don't think it's working, Joe. Try another one. HALLENBECK Hell, I'm fresh out. You wanna try one, kid, go for it. A pause. Then, without warning, Jimmy turns - And slugs Hallenbeck with his good arm. Decks him. JIMMY Fuck you, Joe, I'm not just gonnastand here and die. Mr. Marcon, he's lying. We do have the money, but it's not in a car, it's in a storage locker. I have the key on me. I'l hand it over if you let me go. Hallenbeck stares in disbelief. The kid's actually trying something. MARCON Where is the key, Jimmy? (CONTINUED) 149. CONTINUED: JIMMY It's stashed in my shorts. MARCON (nods) All right. Slow and easy. JIMMY Sure. Slow and easy. Jimmy reaches inside his jeans. Slowly, cautiously pullssomething out, concealed in his fist. We see, but Marcon doesn't: It's a shredder shell. He holds it in his fist. JIMMY Promise you'll let me go. MARCON Hell with that, son. Hand it over or I'll have you kneecapped. JIMMY Oh, yeah? Well, that's too bad. See, it's one of those new plastickeys. The kind that melt...? And, with that, he hurls it into the fire. So fast that nobody can see just what he threw. JIMMY I guess nobody gets the money. The two hardguys rush to the fireplace. MARCON Pull it out of there! One of them grabs a pair of tongs - and the SHREDDER EXPLODES. Sprays the two hardguys. Cuts them to ribbons. Then, several things happen at once: Everybody goes for a gun. Hallenbeck lunges, scoops up a fallen pistol - As Marcon draws his GUN and FIRES, missing - Joe RETURNS FIRE, BAM-BAM -- ! Catches Marcon in the shoulder, and meanwhile - (CONTINUED) 150. CONTINUED: Baynard draws down on Jimmy, who picks up a flaming logand hurls it, knocks the SHOT wild, as: Marcon darts out the French doors, into the night, soHallenbeck spins, FIRES at Baynard - Blows him backward in a bloody spray. Baynard sagsagainst the mantel. Collapses, dead. ECHOES. Silence. Jimmy and Joe are alone with three corpses. Jimmy snatches up a pistol. Joe slings the sniper rifleover his shoulder. Stares at Jimmy: HALLENBECK Plastic keys...? The kind that melt? JIMMY Hey. Short notice, best I could do. HALLENBECK You did fine, junior. JIMMY Learned it from a pro. Come on. EXT. MARCON'S HOUSE - NIGHT The wooden garage DOORS EXPLODE outward, bursting tosplinters, as a Ford BRONCO DRIVES right THROUGH them, Conrad Marcon at the wheel. He careens off into the night. Makes a getaway. INT. GARAGE - SAME TIME Jimmy and Joe come racing out of the house, just in timeto see Marcon's taillights disappearing up the canyon. JIMMY Son of a bitch! HALLENBECK Forget about him. Let's get mywife. He crosses to a parked Mercedes. SHOOTS open the door. Gets in. Pops the ignition package. Hotwires it. The CAR ROARS to life. (CONTINUED) 151. CONTINUED: HALLENBECK Get in. He's so slick, it's scary. EXT. MARCON'S HOUSE - SAME TIME The Mercedes barrels out through the splintered garagedoors. BURNS RUBBER down the hill. INT. CAR - DRIVING They stare straight ahead. Tense. Breathless. HALLENBECK On my way, honey, on my way... EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - NIGHT Conrad Marcon, meanwhile, is rocketing along the windingroad, heading up the canyon, when he sees somethingahead: HIS POV - JOE'S RENTAL SUBARU sitting abandoned in the roadside brush. BACK TO SCENE Acting on a sudden hunch, he SLAMS ON the BRAKES. Stops the car. Gets out, crosses to the rental. Peeks in. A two-million-dollar suitcase sits, pretty as punch, onthe back seat. MARCON Shit, Joe Boy, you wasn't bluffing... He draws his gun. Blows out the glass. Reaches in. Opens the car door. Snatches up the briefcase. CUT TO: 152. EXT. DOWNTOWN HOLLYWOOD - NIGHT A block of seedy-looking brick buildings. Off Sunset. Not many people at this hour. MERCEDES slews around the corner races down the street, running without headlights. Lurches to a halt near the mouth of an alley. Jimmy and Joe burst from the car, guns in hand. Hellenbeck is grim, purposeful. Jimmy is nervous. JIMMY I'm new at this, Joe. How do we do it? HALLENBECK We get in, we get out. Shoot anyone who's not my wife. Check that: Don't shoot me. He jacks a fresh clip into his rifle. CUT TO: LOCKPICK inserted in the latch of a back door. Hallenback finds the tumblers. Springs the lock in seconds. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Jimmy and Joe. Side by side. Walking. Expressionless. They round a bend in the hall. SENTRY seated outside a wooden door. .38 special in a shoulder rig. Sees them, leaps to his feet, gun clearing leather - Joe blows him out of his socks. TWO-SHOT BURST. Silenced. Guy hits the wall. Paints it with blood. Flops, dead. Jimmy and Joe step over him. Joe braces himself. Draws back his foot. Kicks the door, as: 153. INT. STUDIO - SAME TIME The door flies open. Doesn't hit the wall. Something stops it. Joe doesn't blink. He puts the rifle against the panel. FIRES three SHOTS through the wood. Keeps going. A body falls out from behind the door. Joe doesn't even look. The body sits up. Not dead yet... Jimmy comes through the door. SHOOTS him. Follows Joe. One more door to go. Thick. Soundproofed metal. It isn't locked. Joe yanks it open. Steps inside. MOVIE SET Lights. Camera. The wrong kind of action. SARAH on a bed, naked. bright lights on her. Around her, a director. A cameraman. MAN with a chainsaw. and he's standing right over her. Jimmy BLOWS down the two artistes. Joe takes the actor. HALLENBECK Cut. He throws the hunting knife. It pierces the guy's neck. The chainsaw clatters to the floor. He does the funny little dance peculiar to those with pierced necks. Falls. Dies. And then, mercifully, it's over. Joe crosses to the bed, puts out an arm, and Sarah collapses against him, shakingwith sobs. (CONTINUED) 154. CONTINUED: He strokes her hair. Speaking softly. Quietly. Speaking to the only woman he's ever loved: HALLENBECK I'm here... it's all right... I'm here... He cradles his wife in the middle of a slaughterhouse. CUT TO: EXT. SIDEWALK - NIGHT Sarah is now dressed, as Joe supports her across the sidewalk toward the stolen Mercedes. He turns to Jimmy. Hands him a set of keys. HALLENBECK Drive one of their cars. Theywon't be needing them. JIMMY Where do you want me to go? HALLENBECK The two million bucks is still in the Subaru. Parked on Mulholland above Marcon's house. Go pick itup and bring it to the office. We're gonna go get Darian. JIMMY Yes, massah. He moves off into the parking lot. Hallenbeck says to Sarah. HALLENBECK I'll take you and Darian to theoffice. You can sleep there. SARAH Why can't we go home? HALLENBECK There's four corpses in the bedroom. SARAH Oh. It's a very tiny "oh." ESTABLISHING SHOT - JOE'S OFFICE in the shadow of the freeway. The night wears on. From the billboard, Gorgeous continues to entice. 155. INT. HALLENBECK'S OFFICE - SAME TIME Darian is asleep, cradled in her mother's arms. Her mother is awake, cradled in Joe's arms. HALLENBECK Jimmy should be here any minute. Then we gotta talk to the cops. Sarah nestles into the crook of his arm. SARAH Will the police catch Marcon? HALLENBECK Maybe. He's probably in somesecret crash pad, packing to leave town. A pause, then Sarah says: SARAH I remember when we got married... My friends would talk about theirhusbands. They'd say, 'Oh, myhusband is a big-time publisher,' or, 'My husband is a brilliantlawyer...' I used to say, 'Myhusband can stand over a shotgunvictim and eat a ham sandwich without puking.' HALLENBECK Don't knock it. It's a skill. She turns. Looks into his eyes. SARAH I want to try, Joe. Do you stillwant to try? A pause. He leans in and kisses her tenderly. And, with typically swell timing, a set of headlightsrakes across the window, accompanied by the strobinglight of a police flasher. HALLENBECK Ahh, shit. Looks like the local constable has come to chat. SARAH Shall we invite him in? HALLENBECK No. Stay here. I'll deal with it. (CONTINUED) 156. CONTINUED: He gets up, throws on a jacket. EXT. JOE'S OFFICE - NIGHT Joe exits the office, starts across the lawn toward the vehicle with the flashing light. Realizes with a sudden shock: something's wrong. HALLENBECK That's not L.A.P.D.... HALLENBECK'S POV the insignia on the door panel reads LONG BEACH SHOREPATROL. In the same glance, he sees there's a dead cop slumped in the passenger seat, and worse, much worse than that: Milo is in the driver's seat. WIDER ANGLE Milo, who steps out of the car and promptly OPENS FIRE onJoe. HALLENBECK Son of a bitch! He dives for cover, the turf erupting all around him, as: INT. OFFICE - SAME Sarah sits bolt upright. Eyes panicked. Terrified. Darian comes awake, screaming: DARIAN Mommy, what's happening? Sarah leaps off the couch, cradling Darian andmeanwhile - EXT. OFFICE - SAME Hallenbeck spins behind one of the billboard supportlegs, as BULLETS CHOP it to splinters. 157. MILO advances. changing clips. Methodical. Precise. Like a robot. He is obsessed. All vestige of sanity gone. MILO You fucked up my face, Joseph! Joe starts to climb. Scales the wooden structure. Swings himself onto the raised platform. Flattens behind the billboard. MILO Don't try to hide, Joseph. I've got all night, you fucked up myface. He sprays a BURST of GUNFIRE up at the billboard. HALLENBECK huddles behind the billboard as the bullets stitch upward. Through the wooden frame. A hot SLUG RIPS through Joe's arm. An eruption of blood. He hisses in pain. Rolls away from the gunfire. Looks around. Desperate. Sees a painter's bucket lying nearby. He counts to three. DOWN BELOW Milo calmly changes clips. Hallenbeck bursts from cover. Hurls the bucket down at Milo, dashes across the front of the billboard, hard and fast - BULLETS CHOPPING the board right behind him, blowing holes in Gorgeous's derrierre - And then Joe does a risky thing: He sprints to the end of the billboard, running full tilt, and he leaps out into space, what the hell is hedoing? (CONTINUED) 158. CONTINUED: He's trying to make the freeway. It's a good fifteen feet. Try it sometime. He flies through open air - Milo's GUN CHATTERING below, seeking him out - And just does make it. Hits the freeway surface and collapses forward, screaming as he rolls on his injured arm... Looks up - EIGHTEEN WHEEL TRUCK is headed straight for him, bearing down...! He rolls aside just in time. It THUNDERS past. Staggers to his feet, frantic - and Milo is climbing the billboard. Hallenbeck looks for a place to hide. There isn't any. He's going to have to run through traffic. He shifts from foot to foot, searching for an opening, and meanwhile - INT. SUBARU - DRIVING Jimmy Dix is actually on the freeway, driving, when helooks across the center divider and sees Hallenbeck. JIMMY I don't fucking believe it. He swerves over to the side and meanwhile HALLENBECK watches in dismay as Milo climbs onto the platform... Walks across the front of the billboard. Toward the freeway. Toward Joe. Snarling. Joe grabs a broken bottle off the ground. Heaves it. Milo puts up an arm, catches a glancing blow. Blood flows. All it does is piss him off. MILO You ruined my flesh! (CONTINUED) 159. CONTINUED: Hallenbeck dives flat to the road as Milo opens up again, a chattering BURST of GUNFIRE. The muzzle flash is blinding. The windshield of a passing car SHATTERS -- The driverpanics, the car spins out of control - Slews across the road in the middle of traffic. COLLISIONS. CRUMPLING METAL. EXPLOSIONS of GLASS. SCREECHING TIRES. CAR slides straight toward Hallenbeck. He dives aside, rolls to his feet - And he's right in Milo's sights. My friends, the fat lady just sang. Except another lady says different: A single GUNSHOT SPLITS the air. Milo's chest explodes with bubbling blood. He shrieks. Turns, staring in disbelief at SARAH HALLENBECK below, on the lawn. She aims Joe's service revolver and says: SARAH You just fucking die. She FIRES again, and Milo reels backward. Leaves a bloody smudge on the billboard. She DROPS the HAMMER again and again. Empties the gun. Milo jerks and twitches. Racked by gunfire. Paints a bloody stripe across the billboard, making Gorgeous's bloody buns even bloodier - Clutches himself. Looks over at Hallenbeck. HALLENBECK She's something, isn't she? Milo pitches forward. Falls to his death. 160. HALLENBECK stares, dumbfounded at Sarah. She look up at him. A moment passes between them. Around Hallenbeck, a sea of crumpled cars. HORNS BLARING. Amidst it all, he stands. Beaten. Bloody. Bullet-scarred. Jimmy winds his way through the cars. Walks up to Joe. They stand in silence for a moment, then Jimmy says: JIMMY The car's over on the other side. C'mere, I want to show yousomething. EXT. 405 FREEWAY - SOUTHBOUND LANE - NIGHT Jimmy and Joe stand in the breakdown lane next to therented Subaru. Jimmy points to the shattered window. JIMMY Somebody broke in and swiped thesuitcase from the back seat. Had to be Marcon, right? There is a pause. They both stare at the car. Two million. Down the drain. Except, after a beat... they begin to laugh. First chuckling, then chortling.. Now it's go-for-broke. Jimmy hoots. Joe howls. Jimmy pulls out a key and opens the trunk - You can guess what's inside. JIMMY Son of a bitch got the wrong one! CUT TO: AUTOGRAPHED FOOTBALL on the dresser of a fancy penthouse suite. Signed by Joe Montana, no less. CONRAD MARCON bustles back and forth, shoves the last of his needed possessions into a travel bag. Hefts it. Puts it near the door. (CONTINUED) 161. CONTINUED: Crosses to the bed, where the other suitcase lies. Looks at it. Smiles, contented. Can't help himself. He reaches out. Flicks the latch. Opens it. There is a note taped to the inside: FUCK YOU EXT. DOWNTOWN SKYSCRAPER - 32ND FLOOR - NIGHT Marcon's flaming corpse is BLOWN OUT through the glass, along with his earthly possessions. He plummets like a meteor. CUT TO: EAST L.A. SIDESTREET - NIGHT Two ten-year-old black boys are walking down the street. Out strolling in the poverty that exists in the shadow of the skyscrapers. Quite suddenly, without warning - A football drops out of the sky. Hits and bounces, very high - Comes down. Settles. Rocks, back and forth. The kids look up, puzzled. Searching the sky. The ball sits there. Only slightly scorched. Tentatively, almost like he's afraid of being caught, one of the boys bends down... looks both ways... Picks up the ball. Smiles. Then, as if by some unspoken agreement - The other boy starts to run. Slowly at first, then faster... faster still... A slant pattern, heading for the mailbox... And at 12 midnight on December 22nd, the San Pedro Street quarterback throws an absolutely perfect pass. Their laughter is joyful. Innocent. Fervid. They will grow up to be sports heroes. DISSOLVE TO: 162. INT. BESSALO'S OFFICE - L.A.P.D. - MORNING Hallenbeck sits impassively while Bessalo paces, fuming. BESSALO You got a lot of questions to answer. HALLENBECK I know. BESSALO You'll probably lose your license. HALLENBECK I know. Bessalo glares at him. BESSALO Do you care? Hallenbeck smiles. HALLENBECK My wife loves me. Bessalo looks at him like he's grown a tail. ESTABLISHING SHOT - JOE'S OFFICE - UNDER THE FREEWAY Another blistering hot December day. Gorgeous looks on from her perch, cheerful as ever, despite the crusted brown stripe on her ass. INT. HALLENBECK'S OFFICE - DAY The suitcase sits on a table. Jimmy and Joe contemplateit over a bottle of Seagrams V.O. JIMMY So. HALLENBECK Yeah. So. JIMMY (clears his throat) You gonna keep it? Hallenbeck nods. HALLENBECK Some of it. (CONTINUED) 163. CONTINUED: JIMMY How much? Hallenbeck frowns. Opens the case. Reaches in - And plucks out two crisp $100 bills. Stuffs them in a pocket. Jimmy stares at him. HALLENBECK (shrugs) My fee. He shuts the case. Shoves it toward Jimmy. Jimmy leans forward, eyeing the suitcase. JIMMY Shit, Joe... I got all the moneyI need. He shoves it back into the center. Joe nods. HALLENBECK I'm thinkin' I could use a partner. (beat) Think you could handle that forawhile? JIMMY I maybe could handle that. For awhile. He pours a drink. Raises his glass on high: JIMMY Alex the detective. He drinks. INT. CANCER RESEARCH CENTER - DAY A uniformed man is emptying the PLEASE GIVE jar when he notices a suitcase lying against the wall. Under a poster that says THE GOAL: A CURE IN OUR LIFETIME. He bends down. Opens the suitcase. When the money is counted, there will be $1,999,800. A note is taped to the inside: SO HURRY UP ALREADY 164. EXT. PALM-LINED L.A. STREET - DAY Jimmy and Joe walk side by side. Away from us. Slightlydrunk. Palms wave lazily. A sweaty Santa rings a bell. HALLENBECK See, Jim, the thing is, life sucks. But you still can't be hangin'around Satan Claus, you know why...? JIMMY Why? HALLENBECK 'Cause someday, compadre... SatanClaus and Santa Claus are gonnahave a big fight, and you knowwhat...? (beat) Santa's gonna kick some royal ass. He puts a fatherly arm around Jimmy's shoulder, grins: HALLENBECK Hey. Smile, you fuck. FADE OUT. THE END