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The Rock
Screenplay by
David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook,
Mark Rosner and Aaron Sorkin
BEGIN MAIN TITLE SEQUENCE:
An impressionistic montage:
A SILHOUETTED MAN in front of mirror dons his Marine
dress blues. Spit polish shoes laced. Medals clipped to
jacket. All in CLOSEUP. We never see him fully.
The Man puts HIS HAT squarely on his head. EYES glint.
On the man's dresser: MARINE MEMORABILIA. Three Purple
Hearts, photos of a WOMAN (his wife), PHOTOS OF MARINES
in combat locales.
TIGHTER INTO THE PHOTOS
We HEAR PANICKED VOICES, EXPLOSIONS, NOISES OF BRUTAL
COMBAT.
IMAGES
Through smoke, a desperate MARINE PRIVATE who knows he
will never be rescued... TWO MARINES walk up to a
farmhouse door; through the screen we see a MOTHER AND
DAUGHTER who know what the news will be...
IMAGES
A MARINE COLOUR GUARD carries a COFFIN... Now we are
the coffin as a FLAG drapes down on us. placed into a
YOUNG WOMAN'S HAND.
Now we're in ARLINGTON CEMETERY. Images of the cemetery
are reflected in wet puddles, as the SPIT-SHINED SHOES
walk past images of the TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER a
ROW OF GRAVES comes into focus
CLOSEUP
On the MARINE'S HAT, and his EYES. Suddenly an
EXPLOSION and we see -
A MARINE in a jungle, radioing for help: "You gotta get
us outta here sir, Jesus, they're all over us...!"
An EXPLOSION ends the communication...
CLOSEUP
On the MARINE'S EYES and...
FADE IN:
EXT. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY - MORNING
Two groundskeepers on "ride 'em" lawn mowers, BENNIE
and MARLIN, smoke Camels and watch the MARINE OFFICER
from the opening montage. He's alone, across the
cemetery.
BENNIE
You'll get used to him. Every
Sunday morning - rain, snow,
holidays nothin, keeps him Away.
ACROSS THE CEMETERY
Brig. Gen. FRANCIS XAVIER HUMMEL stands before a
headstone: BARBARA MCLEAN HUMMEL 1946-1996.
HUMMEL
Hi Barb. The house sold yesterday.
I know, I know, the market's
depressed. Anyway, I'm leaving the
area. Some things I have to do.
Things I couldn't do while you were
here. Maybe you would have
approved. Hell, I know you wouldn't
have. (beat) I've tried everything
and I can't seem to get their
attention. But now they'll learn
how it feels on the other side.
Let's hope it elevates their
thinking.
Hummel puts new flowers on the grave. Walks off.
EXT. ACCESS ROAD TO ARMY WEAPONS COMPOUND - NIGHT
Heavy rain. A road next to a heavily guarded bunker
facility. A canvas covered ARMY TRUCK blows a tire in
the road. The DRIVER gets out. Inspects the tire.
INT. ARMY TRUCK - NIGHT
FOUR MARINES in black suits dive through a hole in the
truckbed floor into a MANHOLE IN THE ROAD.
EXT. ARMY WEAPONS COMPOUND - FRONT GATE - NIGHT
Three ARMY MPs at the front GUARDHOUSE. General Hummel
pulls up in a SUBURBAN. The MPs immediately recognize
him and stand more rigidly.
ARMY MP
General Hummel, sir. It's an honor.
Is the Colonel expecting you, sir?
HUMMEL
Held better be. This is a security
inspection.
ARMY M. P.
Yes, sir!
The MP waves Hummel in, saluting crisply.
INT. GRATED STORM DRAIN IN BUNKER COMPOUND - NIGHT
The four marines from the truck are waiting, readying
arms. The leader is looking at his watch. Gives a hand
signal to the others, and up they go -
EXT. BUNKER COMPOUND - NIGHT
The four marines emerge from the storm drain and move
toward covered positions in the compound.
200 YARDS AWAY - TWO ARMY "MAGAZINE CHECKERS" emerge
from a building with clipboards, on routine check.
INT. BUNKER SECURITY BUILDING - NIGHT
The Army MPs escort General Hummel inside. THREE ARMY
GUARDS spring up from their SURVEILLANCE MONITORS.
Everyone's nervous, in awe, rigid at attention. COLONEL
CALLAHAN emerges from an adjacent room, sleepy-eyed.
COLONEL CALLAHAN
General Hummel! This is a surprise!
HUMMEL
That's the idea, Colonel.
EXT. BUNKER COMPOUND - WATCH TOWER - NIGHT
Two marines position themselves outside the door to the
bunker compound's elevated watch tower.
EXT. BUNKER COMPOUND - NIGHT
Below the watch tower, the ARMY MAGAZINE CHECKERS
approach. Marines 1 and 2 spring out, armed with M-16s
with over/under grenade launchers They shoot BEAN BAG
projectiles at the Army Guards, who collapse, dazed.
INT. BUNKER COMPOUND WATCH TOWER - NIGHT
Marines 3 and 4 burst inside the watch tower. The
guards inside spring up. BOOM BOOM, they're hit by bean
bag projectiles, propelling them out the windows of the
watch tower. They fall 10 feet and lie unconscious.
EXT. BUNKER COMPOUND - NIGHT
Marines 1 and 2, now in MAGAZINE CHECYERIS UNIFORMS,
move to the BUNKER DOOR. They open the door with the
Magazine checker's CODED CARDS.
INT. CHEMICAL WEAPONS BUNKER - NIGHT
Two ARMY GUARDS, playing poker, look up at the entering
marines. Marines 1 and 2 walk straight up to the Army
Guards, holding them at bay with M-16s. Before any
words are spoken, one of the marines injects each of
the guards with a VACCINE PISTOL.
INT. BUNKER SECURITY BUILDING - NIGHT
Four more marines led by SGT. CRISP enter, holding Col.
Callahan, General Hummel and the Army Guards at bay.
SGT. CRISP
This is a security exercise, sir.
We've fully breached and
infiltrated your compound. I'm
afraid you and your men are my
prisoners, sir.
The marines begin cuffing the Army Guards to the
radiator and taping their mouths.
SGT. CRISP
Sorry sir, you realise the
importance of these exercises.
HUMMEL
(to Callahan)
Ten men who could have been
terrorists are out there doing
whatever they damn well please to
your compound, Colonel. Here you
sit with your ass chained to a
fucking radiator. This is not a
tight ship. I would not want to be
in your shoes in the morning.
Sgt. Crisp hits the FRONT GATE'S OPEN BUZZER and
follows Hummel out of the room.
EXT. ARMY WEAPONS COMPOUND - FRONT GATE - NIGHT
The gate swings open. TWO HUMVEES enter the compound.
EXT. CHEMICAL WEAPONS BUNKER - NIGHT
The marines use a 'rabbit tool, (hydraulic, compact and
powerful) to pry open the bunker's steel doors. They
rush down a hallway.
CHEMICAL WEAPONS BUNKER - INTERIOR HALLWAY
The marines rush up to another steel door and quickly
pry it open.
INT. C.B.W. BUNKER - NIGHT
A refrigerated storage room for chemical weapons.
Storage tubes are labeled: V.X. POISON GAS. Across the
room are rockets labeled: 55 115 MM BOLT ROCKETS.
Using the TRACK HOOK SYSTEM in the bunker's ceiling,
the marines move the V.X. CHEM ROUNDS and BOLT ROCKETS
to the waiting humvees. It's very fast, like clockwork.
EXT. ARMY WEAPONS COMPOLIND - FRONT GATE - NIGHT
The Humvees, followed by Hummel in his Suburban, roar
out of the compound.
CUT TO:
INT. HUMMEL'S SUBURBAN - NIGHT
Hummel on a CB radio: A textbook exercise, gentlemen.
Rendezvous in eleven hours.
EXT. FBI FIELD OFFICE, FT. DIETRICK, MD. - DAY
Establish headquarters for chemical/biological weapons.
INT. FBI OFFICE - CHEMICAL/BIOLOGIAL DIVISION - DAY
A WINDOWED DOOR stenciled "Chemical/Biological Weapons
Division". A RUBBER DART hits the glass and drops into
a TRASH CAN next to the door.
ISHERWOOD (V.O.)
Son-of-a-bitch...
GOODSPEED (V.O.)
You owe me five dollars, Marvin.
ACROSS THE ROOM
BILL GOODSPEED, 30, and partner/trainee MARVIN
ISHERWOOD, 25, feet up on desks, with toy guns. This is
Man's Boredom. A ceiling fan circles. Isherwood yawns;
scratches neck with his gun barrel.
Goodspeed reloads. Aims. Fires.
THE DART hits a CARDBOARD TARGET across the room which
activates a Rube Goldberg series of events ending in a
PLASTIC GIRL being ignited in a PAN OF CHEMICALS.
Goodspeed, without even getting up, casually sprays the
pan with flame retardant foam.
ISHERWOOD
(yawns)
I was told this was exciting work.
GOODSPEED
Patience, Marvin. It has its
moments.
A KLAXON sounds. Isherwood smiles excitedly.
INT. FBI CHEMICAL WEAPONS - BASEMENT CORRIDOR - DAY
Isherwood follows Goodspeed down a grimy, off-white
corridor illuminated by antiseptic light. This is an
older building. Hasn't been refurbished and shows it.
INT. FBI CHEMICAL WEAPONS - LABORATORY - DAY
A medium-sized laboratory, where 5 FBI TECHNICIANS are
bent over tables of beakers, test-tubes, Bunsen
burners, etc. The room and equipment are old and used;
could be 1976 rather than 1996.
Along one side of the lab is a plexiglass wall. Inside
the plexiglass is an airlocked GAS CHAMBER. F.B.I
chemists LONNER and LING motion to Goodspeed.
DR. LONNER
C'mere, Billy.
(points inside gas
chamber)
A dog at J.F.K. got a whiff of
something postmarked to a Bosnian
refugee camp. Could be detergent,
could be seran gas.
INSIDE THE GAS CHAMBER
Is a LARGE WOODEN CRATE next to a TABLE OF POISON
DETECTION INSTRUMENTS.
ISHERWOOD
Bosnian refugee camp? I don't get
it.
GOODSPEED
Half a million Serbians reside in
the U.S., Marvin. Serbians don't
like Bosnians. Read a newspaper.
It's good for you. Hold out your
hand.
Isherwood does so. It's shaky.
ISHERWOOD
I'm okay. Really. Let's do it.
Hold on Goodspeed's uncertain look.
CUT TO:
INT. GAS C ER - DAY - MINUTES LATER
The door HISSES open. Goodspeed and Isherwood, in
vulcanized rubber suits and visored helmets, enter.
They go to the INSTRUMENT TABLE before the crate.
A GLASS VESSEL with tiny air holes (like a salt shaker)
descends from the ceiling. Inside are COCKROACHES.
GOODSPEED
Coal miners use canaries, we use
those. Sorry guys.
DR. LING
(into mike)
We have airlock, Bill. Proceed.
GOODSPEED
(into helmet mike)
July 1, 0.900 hours, agent William
Goodspeed and agent/trainee Marvin
Isherwood. Initiating exam of a
wooden crate. Suspicion of seran
gas device inside.
Goodspeed grabs a pry-bar from the instrument table-and
slowly pries open the cratels wooden lid. He motions to
Isherwood. Together they gingerly lift the lid.
INSIDE THE CRATE
It's filled with "UNICEF" type stuff. Goodspeed lifts
out a HOT-PLATE. Isherwood lifts out an EGG BEATER.
Goodspeed runs a POISON SENSOR past each.
GOODSPEED
Appears to be kitchen items,
cleaning agents, and...
(lifts out a
sweatshirt)
... old clothes.
ISHERWOOD
This is thrilling.
Isherwood lifts out a DOLL. Goodspeed's POISON SENSOR'S
NEEDLE goes crazy...!
GOODSPEED
Careful, goddamn it Marvin!
The doll's eyes open. Its mouth blast a PINKISH SPRAY,
hitting Goodspeed's forearm and Isherwood's palm.
OUTSIDE THE GAS CHAMBER
Dr. Ling stabs a button marked "exhaust" and another
marked "emergency."
A KLAXON sounds. FBI TECHNICIANS race for the exit.
IN THE GAS CHAMBER
The pinkish gas hovers in the air. CEILING EXHAUST FANS
begin to suck it up.
IN THE GLASS VESSEL
The cockroaches convulse, flip in the air and explode,
guts splattering the vessel walls.
ISHERWOOD
What's hap... what's happening...?
Dr. Ling looks at a DIGITAL CLOCK on the control panel.
DR. LING
Don't panic, Bill. 50 seconds and
the gas will clear. You're okay.
Goodspeed grabs the doll from Isherwood, slams it on
the table, and grabs a SCALPEL. Cuts open the doll's
chest.
GOODSPEED
I've got some bad news and some
really bad news. The bad news is
the gas is corrosive. It's eating
our suits.
Isherwood looks at his RUBBER GLOVES. The rubber is
beginning to bubble and corrode.
DR. LING
What's the really bad news.
Goodspeed peels back the doll's plastic chest,
revealing: a C-4 EXPLOSIVE DEVICE and TEN POISON
AMPULES.
GOODSPEED
Enough C-4 explosive to blow the
chamber and enough poison gas to
kill everybody in the building.
Isherwood's and Goodspeed's rubber gloves are melting.
ISHERWOOD
The acid's eating... it's eating my
fucking suit...
GOODSPEED
Chill, Marvin.
(yells outside)
WHERE'S THE GODDAMN SPRINKLERS?
Dr. Lonner flips on the sprinklers. The pipes KNOCK. A
FEW PATHETIC DROPS trickle from the SPRINKLER HEADS.
DR. LONNER
Something's blocking the pipes,
Bill. When in Christ's name are
they gonna give us a new
building...
DR. LING
Get the atropine, Isherwood. The
atropine, Marvin.
Isherwood, terrified, jerks open an OVERHEAD CABINET,
revealing several 6 inch needled SYRINGES.
DR. LING
You die, we all die, Bill. Inject
yourself, then diffuse it.
(Goodspeed continues to
inspect the device)
Goddamn it, Bill, take the
antidote.
Isherwood fumbles with a huge syringe.
GOODSPEED
Get that away from me.
(to himself)
I hate needles.
DR. LING
INJECT YOURSELF!
GOODSPEED
LONNER, WHERE'S THE GODDAMNED
WATER?
The pipes are KNOCKING, now they're COUGHING.
DR. LONNER
It's coming, it's coming...
Isherwood sinks to his knees, holding the huge syringe
in front of his heart, hara-kiri style, hands
trembling...
Goodspeed concentrates on the device; his calm is
unsettling. His hands flash, grabbing instruments and
performing precise, deft, functions. He snips a wire
and splices it. Another. Another.
DR. LING
(sweating it out)
Ten seconds, Bill.
Isherwood moves the syringe closer to his chest.
ISHERWOOD
Oh fuck oh shit oh fuck THIS IS
LIKE FUCKING PULP FICTION ONLY IT'S
REAL.
Isherwood drops the syringe. Fumbles for another...
Goodspeed, ice-cold, continues on the device...
DR. LING
Five seconds, Bill, four seconds,
Jesus Christ...
GOODSPEED'S RUBBER GLOVE is stretched to transparency.
We see GOODSPEED'S FLESH through the acid-eaten rubber.
He makes one final cut-and-clamp. THE DETONATOR on the
poison gas turns off.
DR. LING
Three, two... the gas is clear!
OUTSIDE THE GAS CHAMBER
GREEN LIGRTS FLASH on the control panel and a
TORRENTIAL SPRAY soaks Goodspeed and Isherwood. is wide-
eyed and trembling. Goodspeed glares at him.
DR. LING
Next time use the atropine!
GOODSPEED
I don't like needles.
EXT. GEORGETOWN - STREETS / ALLEYWAY - DAY
The bohemian part around Georgetown U. Goodspeed heads
down an alley between two townhouses. LOUD COUNTRY
MUSIC emanates from an apt. above. Goodspeed ascends.
INT. GEORGETOWN - GOODSPEED'S APARTMENT - DAY
A young woman stands in the middle of the living room,
belting out a Carlene Carter tune in cowboy boots,
rhinestone blouse and skirt. CARLA PESTALOZZI, 20's, is
playing guitar, accompanied by a boom box.
CARLA
Every little dream I dream about
you, Every little song I sing about
you, It drives me crazy when you go
away.
(notices Goodspeed)
Wanna keep you locked up at home...
Goodspeed walks past her into the kitchen. Carla turns
down the music. Goodspeed re-enters with a Budweiser.
CARLA
(New Jersey accent)
Hey there.
GOODSPEED
Hey honey.
CARLA
Wrote a new song. Wanna hear it?
Goodspeed sits heavily on the couch. Rubs his temples.
GOODSPEED
Not now.
CARLA
Boy, somebody's in a bad mood.
GOODSPEED
Yeah, somebody's in a bad mood.
Carla changes the CD: a PUCCINI OPERA plays.
CARLA
Better?
GOODSPEED
Much better. She sits with him.
Puts her arm around him.
CARLA
What happened baby. Tell me.
GOODSPEED
Had a close one.
CARLA
You want to talk about it?
GOODSPEED
Not really.
CARLA
You know how I feel about what you
do.
GOODSPEED
Could we change the subject?
CARLA
That record company in Nashville
wants to hear my demo tape.
GOODSPEED
Hey! Now there's some good news.
CARLA
You think I'm too... ethnic for
country music?
GOODSPEED
Carla Pestalozzi? No. Definitely
not. You could have posed for the
Mona Lisa. Sophia Loren looks
Swedish next to you.
(smiles)
I hope that's a compliment. I could
change my name. How 'bout Bobby Sue
Pestalozzi? Billy in Pestalozzi?
GOODSPEED
Stick with Carla.
CARLA
Okay. How 'bout Carla Goodspeed?
(Goodspeed frowns)
Six years, Bill. We've lived
together six years.
GOODSPEED
We've talked about this, Carla,
we've talked it up, down, inside
and out...
CARLA
Billy, this probably isn't the best
time... Bill, I'm uhhh.
CARLA
I'm pregnant.
GOODSPEED
You're what... ?
She holds up a positive home pregnancy test.
CUT TO:
EXT. DESERT AREA (SOUTHWESTERN U.S.) - DAY
TWO Y GUNSHIPS roar over camera and land next to the
two Humvees. The Huey's doors open. Marine Captains
FRYE and DARROW, both late 20's, drag out two MARINE
LANCE CORPORALS, bound and gagged, and sit them down.
Other marines roll gurneys laden with chem rounds,
rockets and other equipment onto the Hueys.
They Hueys ascend and SCREAM off across the desert
and...
CUT TO:
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - AFTERNOON
Establishing shots of San Francisco and Alcatraz Island
in the middle of San Francisco Bay.
EXT. ALCATRAZ ISLAND - AFTERNOON
A PARK RANGER (JOE) leads a group of 80 TOURISTS across
the prison exercise yard. In the background looms the
city of San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge.
PARK RANGER JOE
Alcatraz - "the Rock" - is the most
famous, and was the most feared,
prison ever built. Here the inmates
were allowed one hour of daily
exercise.
FEMALE TOURIST
Is it really true no one escaped?
PARK RANGER JOE
True, madam. From 1936 until the
prison's closing in 1963, there
were fourteen attempts but no one's
believed to have made it to shore -
alive at least.
The tourists file off toward the MAIN CELL HOUSE.
Bringing up the rear are Gen. Hummel, Maj. Baxter, Sgt.
Crisp, Capt. Hendrix, and Pvts. Scarpetti,. Royce,
Gamble and Starling, all in civilian clothes.
Hummel motions to Crisp, who bleeds off with Scarpetti
and Royce. Hummel and the others continue with the
group.
INT. ALCATRAZ - MAIN CELL HOUSE - AFTERNOON
Cell Blocks B and C, which inmates called "Broadway." A
long corridor with three tiers of cells on each side.
The Ranger leads the tourist group inside.
PARK RANGER JOE
Al Capone; Machine Gun Kelly;
Robert Stroud, the Birdman of
Alcatraz; all lived in these cells.
The Ranger pulls the CELL DOOR OPEN/SHUT LEVER
(recessed in the wall at the end of cell block). All
the cell doors on the first floor slide open.
PARK RANGER JOE
Now Ladies and Gentlemen, the U.S.
Park Service cordially invites you
to become inmates of Alcatraz -
temporarily of course.
The tourists laugh and move inside the cells.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - WHARF - AFTERNOON
The side across from San Francisco. The TOURIST BOAT is
docked in front of the U.S. PARK RANGERS' OFFICE.
Sgt. Crisp and Pvts. Scarpetti and Royce walk up to the
Ranger's office. They look left and right, then enter.
INT. ALCATRAZ - U.S. PARK RANGERS OFFICE - AFTERNOON
TWO PARK RANGERS and a SECRETARY look up.
ALCATRAZ PARK RANGER
You're not supposed to leave the
tour, guys. Is there a problem?
SGT. CRISP
Big problem.
INT. ALCATRAZ - MAIN CELL BLOCK - AFTERNOON
The tourists are in the cells, looking around. Park
Ranger Joe notices Hummel, Baxter, and the other
marines standing behind him. Smiles:
PARK RANGER JOE
Don't want to be locked up,
fellahs?
HUMMEL
Not today. You go ahead.
PARK RANGER JOE
I don't think so hah hah.
Baxter draws a .45 and places it to Ranger ioe's head.
HUMMEL
I think so.
Startled, Park Ranger Joe backs into a cell. Baxter
grabs the cell door open/shut lever and yanks it. The
cell doors CLANG shut. Hummel, Baxter and the others
walk off.
TOURISTS
Hey, what are you doing...? Wait a
minute, what's going on... ?
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PARADE GROUND - AFTERNOON
Hummel and Baxter walk up to the PARADE GROUND as THE
TWO HUEY GUNSHIPS approach. They hover above the parade
ground. Cpts. Frye and Darrow rope-deploy from the
Hueys. They stand at attention, saluting Hummel and
Baxter.
CAPTAIN FRYE
General Hummel: Captains Frye and
Darrow.
HUMMEL
Deploy as planned, Captain.
(unison)
Aye, aye, sir.
FRY AND DARROW
They hand signal to the Huey pilots. The Hueys take off
around the back of the island.
CUT TO:
A MONTAGE OF SHORT INTERCUT SCENES - AFTERNOON
THE INFIRMARY, UPSTAIRS ROOM
A former hospital room will be the command and
communications center. PVTS. GAMBLE and STARLING set up
a portable desk, chair, and an array of communications
equipment (including portable satellite dish and look
out).
EXT. THE ISLAND'S SHORELINE
CPT. HENDRIX AND PVTS. ROYCE and SCARPETTI lay motion
sensors on the perimeter.
INT. THE PRISON MORGUE
PVTS. COX and MCCOY load the V.X. CHEM ROUNDS from
INSULATED COOLING BAGS (size of a big gym bag) into the
morguels CORPSE DRAWERS.
MAJOR BAXTER sets up a PORTABLE Rocket LAUNCHER.
EXT. MAIN CELL HOUSE ROOFTOP
CAPTS. FRYE and DARROW set up a second portable rocket
launcher.
INT. ALCATRAZ - MAIN CELLHOUSE - DAY
The tourists are now panicked, confused, and making a
commotion. Shouting and yelling. A woman is crying.
Suddenly a .45 is fired. Total silence. Hummel and
Baxter, followed by Pvts. Gamble and Starling (pulling
a gurney stacked with MARINE FIELD RATIONS), walk to
the middle of the cell block.
HUMMEL
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. You are
my prisoners. I have no intention
of harming you. You will be fed
regularly. That is all you need to
know for now.
Gamble and Starling begin passing out the field
rations.
INT. WASHINGTON D.C. - J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING - NIGHT
FBI Director JAMES WOMACK exits his office in a tuxedo,
trailed by MARGIE WOOD, a young
FBI Agent.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Can it wait till morning, Agent
Wood, I'm going to hear Bruce
Springsteen...
AGENT WOOD
(re: Womack's tux)
In that?
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Christ, the concert's for the
Prince of Wales or somebody...
AGENT WOOD
I really think you should take this
call personally.
They stare at each other and...
CUT TO:
INT. HOOVER BUILDING - DIRECTOR WOMACK'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Womack, grabbing his phone
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
FBI Director Womack.
HUMMEL (V.O.)
First: I am holding eighty-one
civilian hostages on Alcatraz
Island. Make an excuse to their
families and do not alert the media
or there will not be eighty.
Second: fifteen guided rockets
armed with V.X. poison, are
currently aimed at the population
of San Francisco. I will call again
at 0-hundred hours and state my
demands.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Wait. Who is this?
HUMMEL
Brigadier General Francis X.
Hummel.
CLICK. Womack stares at the phone: calls to outer
office:
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Mary Jane, get the Pentagon!
(to Agent Wood)
Call the San Francisco office. It
seems Alcatraz was just re-opened.
Agent wood gives him a curious look and...
CUT TO:
INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY / COMMAND CENTER - AFTERNOON
Cpts. Hendrix, before Hummel.
Frye, and Darrow, and Sgt. Crisp at attention Maj.
Baxter at Hummel's side.
HUMMEL
At ease, Gentlemen. It is
traditional for me to meet with my
officers before an operation. The
heart performs one thing, the legs
another, the brain another - all
better function together or the
body becomes ill, is prone to
disease.
(beat)
Major Baxter, Gunny Crisp and I
have been on the front lines since
'Nam.' Captain Hendrix was my
adjutant in the Gulf. Get a
haircut, Pete, you're lookin' like
a beatnik.
(the crew-cutted
Hendrix smiles Captain
Frye, Captain Darrow.)
You and your men are new to me.
CAPTAIN FRYE
Would the General like a recitation
of our service records?
HUMMEL
I'm well aware of your service
records, Captain, they are
excellent. I want to be clear on
why you - why all of us are here.
You both stand to profit from this.
CAPTAIN FRYE
Profit is not my motive, sir. I am
here to redress a wrong.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Yes, sir, and to learn some people
a lesson.
HUMMEL
This country has places where
wrongs are redressed, Captain
Darrow: They are called courts of
law. In the military, they are
called Courts Martial. This country
has places where lessons a-re
leaned. They are called schools. Am
I confusing you?
CAPTAIN DARROW
Well, sir, frankly... EL I see that
I am.
(beat)
HUMMEL
The only accurate term for what we
are doing here is treason. Plain
and simple. An insurrection against
a government to which we have sworn
allegiance. Everyone in this room
must understand that.
Hummel looks from face to face, studying each.
HUMMEL
The question is what kind of
traitor are we. Coward or lion?
Benedict Arnold, or Thomas
Jefferson? I have posed that
question to myself, have answered
it, and my conscience is clear.
Have all of you?
HUMMELS' OFFICERS
Yes, sir.
HUMMEL
Within thirty-two hours you will
leave this country and not return.
All of you can live with that?
OTHER OFFICERS
(unison)
Yes, sir.
HUMMEL
Well, I cannot. So, regardless of
what happens on this island in the
hours ahead, I will stay. The men
exchange surprised glances.
CAPTAIN HENDRIX
But General, you'll be prosecuted.
HUMMEL
Yes, Captain. And I plan on
conducting my own defense. it will
make the O.J. Simpson trial look
like an episode of "Perry Mason."
Take your posts, gentlemen. Semper
fi.
Hummel's men fall out and exit. Baxter, the last to
exit, salutes Hummel.
INT. PENTAGON - SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT
Many people around a table, each with a DOSSIER on
Hummel:
FBI Director Womack (still in tuxedo), FBI agent Margie
Wood, White House Chief of Staff HAYDEN SINCLAIR,
National Security Advisor LOUIS LINDSTROM, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs GENERAL ALBERT KRAMER, Air Force
General PETERSON, and CIA Director MILTON AMWAY.
GENERAL KRAMER
Last night Hummel and eleven
marines, under the guise of a
security exercise, walked off with
fifteen V.X. rockets. It wasn't
discovered until the shift change
this morning.
ON THE SCREEN - A YOUNGER HUMMEL IN VIETNAM
GENERAL KRAMER
Here he is in Vietnam - I think a
Major at the time.
MORE SLIDES OF HUMMEL IN VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL THEATERS
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
Four tours in Vietnam, Grenada,
Panama, Desert Storm. Three purple
hearts... two silver stars and...
the Congressional Medal of...
Jesus.
(looks up)
The man is a hero.
GENERAL KRAMER
A legend. During Tet he held off a
brigade of V.C. single-handedly.
Saved his whole company. Hence the
nickname "gunfighter."
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
What was this book Hummel wrote on
Vietnam? Anybody read it?
RAYDEN SINCLAIR
No. Give me the skinny.
GENERAL KRAMER
The "skinny," Mr. Sinclair, is that
the U.S. should have either won the
war or gotten the hell out of
Vietnam and stopped wasting
American lives. I happen to share
General Hummel's view.
The door opens. A NAVAL ATTACHE pokes his head in.
NAVAL ATTACHE
General, it's him. The call
connects to a phone on the table.
GENERAL KRAMER
Frank, this is Albert Kramer.
HUMMEL
Hello Al. How're Judy and the kids?
GENERAL KRAMER
They're fine. I'm with General
Peterson, FBI Director Womack,
Chief of Staff Sinclair, Security
Advisor Lindstrom, and CIA Director
Amway. You've got a lot of people
worried, Frank. Can you help us
out?
INTERCUT - PENTAGON AND ALCATRAZ
HUMMEL
I'll come straight to the point,
General Kramer: Eighty-three Force
Reconnaissance Marines have died
under my various commands. Forty-
seven in northern Laos and southern
China...
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
Southern China? We never admitted
we sent troops into China.
There is a pause.
HUMMEL
Who is that. Identify yourself.
Everyone stares at Sinclair.
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
White House Chief of Staff
Sinclair, General.
HUMMEL
How old are you, white House Chief
of Staff Sinclair.
RAYDEN SINCLAIR
I'm thirty-three.
HUMMEL
Well White House Chief of Staff
Sinclair, by your ninth birthday I
had led over two hundred incursions
into China and personally killed
that many of the enemy. General,
put some duct tape over Mr.
Sinclair's fat, ignorant mouth. He
has shit for brains and he is
wasting my time.
Sinclair's irritation is relieved by the Naval Attache,
entering again, who hands him a phone and whispers:
NAVAL ATTACHE
The President calling from Moscow.
Sinclair walks to the far corner of the room with the
phone, speaking sotto voice.
GENERAL KRAMER
Continue Frank.
HUMMEL
Eighteen others died in covert,
illegal operations in Chile and El
Salvador. Remember the Gulf War.
Those pretty "smart bomb" pictures
on C.N.N.? My men lased those
targets. Ten were left to rot
outside Baghdad when the conflict
ended - and let's not even mention
Mogadishu, gentlemen. No benefits
were paid to their families; no
medals conferred. These men died
for their country and they weren't
even given
a coddamn military burial.
(beat)
This situation will not stand: you
will transfer 100 million dollars
from a Grand Cayman "Red Sea
Trading Company" account to an
account I designate. From these
funds, reparations of one million
dollars will be paid to each of the
83 marines, families. The rest of
the money will pay for my outfit's
expenses. Am I clear?
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Except for the Red Sea Trading
Company. What is that?
HUMMEL
Identify yourself.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
FBI Director Womack, General.
HUMMEL
You'll be particularly interested:
It's a slush fund where the
Pentagon keeps proceeds from
illegal arms sales.
GENERAL KRAMER
Frank, Jesus, this is classified
information.
WOMACK
(stunned)
Is this true?
General Kramer, embarrassed, nods yes.
HUMMEL
If you want the money back, you'll
have to tell the attorney General
and the boys down at Justice where
it came from. Good luck.
Hayden Sinclair returns to the table.
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
General, I've just spoken to the
President and he is clear as hell
on this: We will not negotiate with
you and we do not care if...
HUMMEL
Someone please gag that man.
(beat)
Alert the media, I launch the gas.
Refuse payment, I launch the gas.
It is just after midnight. You have
36 hours - all of today and half of
tomorrow, until 12 noon - to
transfer the money. Don't even
consider the standard counter
measure, General.
GENERAL KRAMER
What's the potential casualty rate
of a single rocket armed with V.X.,
General Peterson?
GENERAL PETERSON
In a dense urban area, sixty,
seventy...
RAYDEN SINCLAIR
Well that's not so bad...
GENERAL PETERSON
Thousand. Seventy thousand. Dead.
one teaspoon will kill all living
organisms in a three story office
building. Get the point?
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
What did Hummel mean by "standard
countermeasure" General?
GENERAL PETERSON
Napalm. Standard poison gas can be
neutralized by napalm. It burns it
up - consumes it upon detonation.
The problem is that V.X. gas is ten
times more toxic and designed to
withstand napalm. Hummel must know
about Willy Peter, General.
GENERAL KRAMER
'Course he does.
(explaining to others)
"Willy Peter," short for "White
Phosphorous Incendiary Device,"
still in its test phase. It
detonates at 6,000 degrees, enough
to burn up V.X.
(dawning on him)
That explains Hummel's time frame.
He knows we're not operational.
What would it take, General?
GENERAL PETERSON
To equip a flight of F-16s with
Willy Peter in 36 hours? An act of
God.
(off Kramer's look)
All right, we can try. But view the
use of Willy Peter as a secondary
initiative.
GENERAL KRAMER
Then on to our primary initiative.
(hits intercom button)
Send in SEAL Team Leader Anderson.
(to FBI Womack)
Who's your best chemical biological
man?
AGENT WOOD
(rises)
I'll find out.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Tell him to pack a bag for San
Francisco.
EXT. GOODSPEED'S HOUSE - ROOFTOP - NIGHT
Tarpaper and gravel roof. Candles burning. Loretta
Lynn's "Stand by Your Man" on the boom box. AMONGST THE
RUSTY SUPPORT SCAFFOLDS of an old sign from the 120's -
Carla and Goodspeed are, to put it delicately, madly
passionately athletically fucking. Standing up. They
both have robes on. A CORDLESS PHONE RINGS. Again.
CARLA
Don't stop... do no stop.
GOODSPEED
Shit, shit, shit what time is it.
(fumbles for phone)
Hello.
(pause)
I'll be downstairs in ten minutes.
Goodspeed hangs up. The couple stares at each other.
Carla's seen this look before...
GOODSPEED
I've got to go to San Francisco.
CARLA
No. I'm sorry, but NO. I need you
here with me. We need to talk about
this...
GOODSPEED
I've got to go. She grabs his arm.
I can't... I cannot deal with this
right now...
(softly)
Bill, I am very Catholic. And very
pregnant. And very unmarried. Help
me with this.
She turns away from him. He pulls her back...
GOODSPEED
I love you. I will marry you. I
just didn't plan on this, that's
all. Tell you what: come to San
Francisco.
CARLA
Really?
(smiles)
Really?
GOODSPEED
It's probably just a training
exercise. Check into a hotel, order
up some champagne, I'll finish up
my business and...
CARLA
... We'll finish what we started.
Baby, are you sexy in those
boots...
Goodspeed walks off in COWBOY BOOTS, robe and boxers...
INT. PENTAGON - SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT U.S.N.
Commander CHARLES ANDERSON, 35, just the hardest
looking man you've ever seen, stands before the group.
Anderson is a Navy SEAL, an Incursion Team Leader.
Before Anderson are AERIAL RECON PHOTOS of Alcatraz.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
A precision night drop is out due
to the full moon. Likewise on a
frontal, seaside attack: at the
first shot, Hummel might launch. My
second in command is working on an
attack from within the prison.
(beat)
The idea is to penetrate the
tunnels under the prison,
undetected, emerge in its center,
and jump the marines from behind -
take their rocket positions without
a shot fired. But I need better
intelligence.
GENERAL KRAMER
You've studied the architectural
plans.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
They're useless. Alcatraz was
originally a Civil War fort. It's
been ripped up and rebuilt for
years. Under there is a maze of
shit, excuse my language.
(beat)
What I need is personal, firsthand
intelligence on the island's
tunnels.
CAMERA FOCUSES ON F.B.I
Director Womack, who gives a very significant look to
CIA Director AMWAY.
GENERAL KRAMER
The former warden?
AGENT WOOD
Died in 1979. The guards we
contacted are useless. There was a
janitor, "Alcatraz Al". He worked
there for twenty years, but he died
in 1983.
GENERAL PETERSON
Didn't three guys escape? I thought
I saw a movie about it.
AGENT WOOD
It's a Hollywood myth. No one's
escaped Alcatraz and lived.
FBI Director trades a very significant look with CIA
Director Amway. Amway clears his throat. He is older,
very old school. Everyone turns to him.
CIA DIRECTORY AMWAY
There is someone who can help us.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
The CIA Director and I have
something to discuss in private.
Womack and Amway rise and exit together. Everyone else
sits there, confused.
INT. PENTAGON - CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Womack and Amway exit into the corridor. They huddle
tightly against the wall. Sotto voice:
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
You're not actually suggesting...
CIA DIRECTORY AMWAY
The man spent every night for six
months making a dry-run of his
escape. He knows every inch of that
island. We have to, Jim.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I am very uncomfortable about this.
INT. WOLFBURG PENITENTIARY - CELL BLOCK - NIGHT
A long row of cells. CAMERA slowly DOLLIES past cell
after cell. Sullen INMATES stare blankly at us...
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
(O.S.)
I knew, I knew someday, this would
come back to bite us.
CAMERA moves through a door marked "ISOLATION." At the
end of a gloomy corridor is a CAST-IRON DOOR.
BACK TO THE PENTAGON CORRIDOR
CIA DIRECTORY AMWAY
It won't bite anyone - if handled
correctly. When was the last time
you saw him?
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
When he escaped from San Quentin.
CIA DIRECTORY AMWAY
The man was an S.A.S. trained
killer.
BACK TO WOLFBURG - IN THE ISOLATION CELL
TWO FEDERAL MARSHALS open the cell's steel locking bar.
They push open the door. Dark inside. A MAN sits on the
bed.
CIA DIRECTORY AMWAY
Can we risk letting him out?
A SHAFT OF LIGHT cuts across the cell floor.
CIA DIRECTORY AMWAY
The question is: can we not?
THE SHAFT OF LIGHT slices the face of JOHN PAUL MASON.
He is British, at least once was, imprisoned without
trial for 33 years on U.S. soil. For now, we have no
idea why.
EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - DULLES AIRPORT HANGAR - NIGHT
Raining. An F.B.I GULFSTREAM 4 JET sits on the tarmac.
EXT. FBI GULFSTREAM - NIGHT
FBI Director Womack sits with FRANCIS REYNOLDS, 30, an
Assistant U.S. Attorney from the Justice Dept.
Goodspeed sits across the aisle.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I'm told you're our best chemical
weapons man, Goodspeed. What's your
education?
GOODSPEED
B.A. Columbia. M.A. and P.H.D.,
Johns Hopkins, biochemistry and
toxicology.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Excellent. What do you know about
V.X. gas?
Pause. Goodspeed stares at Womack.
GOODSPEED
This isn't a training exercise, is
it sir.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
No Goodspeed. It's not a training
exercise.
HOLD ON Goodpeed's reaction, and...
CUT TO:
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - FEDERAL BUILDING - DAWN
Dawn breaks over San Francisco. A BLACK SEDAN and BLACK
SUBURBANS pull up to the FBI's West Coast office.
Goodspeed, Womack and Reynolds get out, go inside.
INT. FBI - OBSERVATION ROOM - MORNING
We watch Mason being led into an INTERROGATION ROOM,
his legs in irons, his hands cuffed behind him.
We are watching through a TWO-WAY MIRROR, and WIDEN TO:
Womack, Goodspeed, Reynolds and ERNEST SANCHEZ, S.F.
Bureau Agent in Charge, are watching Mason. Sanchez is
a gruff guy with the subtlety of a heart attack.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
The following is a state secret.
Disclose it to any party and you
will be subject to prosecution. His
name is John Mason. A British
national incarcerated on Alcatraz
island in 1962, escaped in 1963.
AGENT SANCHEZ
Director, no one's ever escaped
from Alcatraz...
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I'm telling you facts, Agent
Sanchez. Do not argue and do not
question. He was recaptured and
sent to San Quentin, from which he
escaped in February, 1976. He's
been held at Wolfburg since. He has
no identity. He does not exist.
Understood?
(turns to Sanchez)
I want one thing: how he escaped
Alcatraz - specifically the route
he took through the island's
tunnels.
AGENT SANCHEZ
You want him conscious or
unconscious afterward?
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Don't even entertain it. This man
laughs at strong arm tactics.
dodium pentathol doesn't work
either.
GOODSPEED
Why's he going to help us now?
U.S. ATTORNEY REYNOLDS
(hands Womack Pardon)
Mason's papers are in order, sir.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Because I'm willing to give him
what he wants, Goodspeed - a full
pardon.
AGENT SANCHEZ
Steep price for some information.
(waves Pardon away)
I don't need that to get what you
want.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Sanchez - try subtlety.
AGENT SANCHEZ
It's my middle name.
(to Goodspeed)
Watch kid, maybe you'll learn
something.
Sanchez exits.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
(grumbles)
I ask for an interrogator and what
do I get...
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Mason looks around. He focuses on the mirror. He stares
right through at Goodspeed. Goodspeed is fascinated,
unnerved.
GOODSPEED
(to himself)
Jesus look at this guy.
INT. FBI - INTERROGATION ROOM - MORNING
Sanchez walks in, sipping coffee. Mason sits there,
eyes forward.
SANCHEZ
I'm FBI Special Agent in Charge
Sanchez.
Sanches sits. Mason stares at the table.
MASON
In charge of what? Fucking me over
for another three decades?
SANCHEZ
(congenial)
Hey. Easy. I just want to talk.
MASON
You know what FBI stands for
Sanchez? Fucking Bloody Idiots. I
don't want to talk to you.
A pause. Sanchez glares at Mason.
SANCHEZ
Just some questions about Alcatraz.
It's a tourist attraction now. You
remember Alcatraz, Mason.
The word "Alcatraz" registers with Mason.
MASON
Do I remember Alcatraz.
SANCHEZ
Not the island itself. The tunnels
underneath it.
IN THE OBSERVATION ROOM
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Real subtle, Sanchez...
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM
SANCHEZ
There's no harm in cooperating with
us.
MASON
Who's "us?" FBI? CIA? Why should I
do that?
SANCHEZ
Maybe there's a gift in it for you.
MASON
(to the mirror)
Timeo danaos et dona ferentes.
THE OBSERVATION ROOM
Goodspeed smiles slightly:
GOODSPEED
"I fear the Greeks even when they
bring gifts."
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
MASON
Are you capable of reading,
Sanchez?
Sanchez is getting flustered.
SANCHEZ
I don't have time for this shit...
(pause; stares at
mason)
Yes. I can read.
MASON
The story of Alchimadus. Know it?
SANCHEZ
No.
THE OBSERVATION ROOM
GOODSPEED
(to himself)
Ancient Greece. Alchimadus was
imprisoned by his king.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
MASON
Thomas a Beckett. Heard of him?
SANCHEZ
Maybe. Not really.
THE OBSERVATION ROOM
GOODSPEED
(to himself)
Archbishop of Canterbury.
Imprisoned and executed by Henry
the Second...
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
MASON
Solzhenitsyn. I've a sneaking
suspicion you've heard of him.
THE OBSERVATION ROOM
GOODSPEED
(to himself)
Russian poet and dissident exiled
to Siberia.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Sanchez draws a blank on Solzhenitsyn.
SANCHEZ
Look, I'm asking the fucking
questions here.
(beat)
You can trust the FBI
MASON
That's a good one, Sanchez. What do
you call and FBI Agent who can't
tell a lie? A mute.
Mason turns away. As if Sanchez no longer exists.
Suddenly, over a wall-mounted INTERCOM:
U.S. ATTORNEY REYNOLDS
(V.O.)
Uhm, Agent Sanchez, could we have a
word with you?
SANCHEZ
Here, call your lawyer and tell him
you're going back to jail.
Sanchez tosses a quarter on the desk and exits.
IN THE OBSERVATION ROOM
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Impressive, Sanchez.
GOODSPEED
You mind if... uhm... I take a
shot?
SANCHEZ
He'll eat him alive.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
He's already had you for the first
course.
(hands Goodspeed
the pardon)
Go.
Goodspeed takes the pardon, goes for the door.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Goodspeed enters. He's completely out of his element,
has no idea what he's doing, and is-suddenly face-to-
face with this... Mason creature.
The two men regard each other.
GOODSPEED
Take his cuffs off.
The Marshal uncuffs Mason's wrists. Mason rubs his
wrists, staring now at Goodspeed.
MASON
Who the fuck are you, Mother
Theresa?
So much for Goodspeed's confidence.
GOODSPEED
No actually, I'm Bill Goodspeed.
(rallies)
Mr. Mason, we really need your
help. That's a pardon and release
contract from the Attorney Generals
office. It makes you a free man,
provided you cooperate.
He slides a ballpoint pen across to Mason. Mason looks
at the pen, then Goodspeed.
MASON
What do you do for the FBI,
Goodspeed.
GOODSPEED
(lying)
I'm a field agent.
MASON
Tell me what you really do.
IN THE OBSERVATION ROOM
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Don't answer that, Goodspeed...
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM
GOODSPEED
I'm a chemical biological weapons
expert.
Mason registers this information...
IN THE OBSERVATION ROOM
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Stupid, stupid, stupid...
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Mason stares at the pardon contract, thinking.
MASON
You said I'd be a free man. Define
free
GOODSPEED
Uhm, well, emancipated. Unfettered.
MASON
I know what the fucking word means,
idiot. In this context.
GOODSPEED
I don't understand...
MASON
During the time I cooperate, will I
be outside? Outside a jail?
GOODSPEED
Well yes I suppose...
MASON
You suppose?
GOODSPEED
Yes. You'll be outside.
IN THE OBSERVATION ROOM
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Don't give away the farm,
Goodspeed.
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM
MASON
What's happening on Alcatraz,
Goodspeed?
GOODSPEED
A hostage situation. A matter of
life and death.
Mason thinks. He picks up the pen.
MASON
(looks at mirror)
Then on one condition: a minimum of
two hours in the Fairmont Hotel - I
trust it still exists. I want a
shower and a new suit of clothes.
GOODSPEED
I think we can arrange that.
With that Mason picks up the pen and signs the pardon
contract. He hands it to Goodspeed, who exits.
Mason turns toward the mirror, staring right through.
INT. FBI OBSERVATION ROOM - DAY
Sanchez and Goodspeed enter.
Goodspeed hands U.S. Attorney Reynolds the signed
pardon contract.
SANCHEZ
Why didn't you throw in a trip to
Fiji?
U.S. ATTORNEY REYNOLDS
I'll have this forwarded to the
President, Director.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
No. You'll give it to me.
(pause)
Give it to me, Reynolds.
Reynolds reluctantly hands the pardon to Womack.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
(to Sanchez)
Show Attorney Reynolds outside
there's a car waiting for him. And
Sanchez - I'll handle the next
stage.
Sanchez leads the perturbed Reynolds out. Goodspeed and
Womack are alone now. And Womack tears up the pardon
GOODSPEED
Sir, that's a legal document.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I'll decide what's legal,
Goodspeed.
Over WOMACK'S SHOULDER, Goodspeed WATCHES AS -
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Mason places THE QUARTER on the floor. He raises his
metal chair; SLAMS it down on the quarter.
GOODSPEED
Sir, those references to
Alchimadus, Beckett, Solzhenitsyn:
all had something in common.
IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Mason picks up the coin. It has a DEEP BURR in it. He
moves to the mirror; begins carving into the glass.
GOODSPEED
They were imprisoned for doing
nothing wrong. What's going on,
sir?
Goodspeed watches Mason over Womack's shoulder.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
You're out of your depth,
Goodspeed. You are on a need to
know basis and you do not need to
know.
Mason has etched a circle in the mirror. He slams his
elbow against it. The glass caves in, CRASHES to the
floor.
Goodspeed and Womack whirl around, startled. Mason
leans into the observation room.
MASON
One more thing: a shave and a
haircut.
(sees Womack)
Hello Womack.
Mason and Womack stare at each other and...
CUT TO:
EXT. MOJAVE - DESERT FLATS - MORNING
A hot desert-vista. Miles of nowhere. A DODGE sits
under a tripod. Suspended from the tripod, a BLINKING
DEVICE.
The device DETONATES, showering the car with WHITE HOT
BURNING LIQUID and amazingly, the car melts into a pool
of molten steel, disintegrating to ash, which blows
across the desert.
50 YARDS AWAY
USAF LT. JIMMY FISK and CPT. LARRY GILER (both late
20's) emerge from the heat waves in heat-reflective
suits, walking toward A HEAT PROTECTIVE BUNKER (a wall
coated with heat reflective metal.)
BEHIND THE BUNKER
USAF GENERAL PETERSON watches with other Air Force
OFFICERS and TECHNICIANS.
Fisk and Giler enter, pulling off their suit hoods.
Their faces are beet red from the heat.
CPT. GILER
What it's all about, sir: Willy
Peter burns steel, burns titanium;
it'll sure burn up your poison and
everything else in the atmosphere.
GENERAL PETERSON
I need four F-16's equipped with
air-to-ground missiles within...
(consults wristwatch)
... twenty-six hours.
LT. FISK
Let me name some things that are
more possible, General, with all
due respect: winning the Lottery,
climbing Mt. Everest barefoot,
getting a parking space at Yankee
Stadium, marrying Sharon Stone...
CPT. GILER
Can't do it, General.
GENERAL PETERSON
You can. And you will.
General Peterson walks off.
CPT. GILER
Get yer minds off Budweiser,
baseball, and broads, fellahs -
we're goin, round the clock!
CUT TO:
INT. FBI VAN - BACK COMPARTMENT - DRIVING - MORNING
A van with no windows. Mason is shackled to a steel
loop at one end of the seating bench. Goodspeed sits
across from him, a CELLULAR PHONE at his ear.
THREE FBI AGENTS (CORD, STAR and HUNT) sit down the
bench, talking amongst themselves.
CARLA (V.O.)
(recorded voice
message)
Hi! Bill and Carla ain't in! State
your business! Make it interesting!
GOODSPEED
(into phone)
Listen Carla: I'll explain later,
but don't come to San Francisco.
CLOSE ON MASON
Watching Goodspeed, picking up anything he can from the
conversation.
INT. GOODSPEED'S APARTMENT - DAY
Carla stands in the threshold of the apartment,
watching the answering machine -
GOODSPEED (V.O.)
(on the machine)
I repeat, don't come to San
Francisco.
CARLA
Like hell I'm not...
She exits, slamming the door.
INT. FBI VAN - BACK COMPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Goodspeed clicks off the phone, thinking, nervous.
Goodspeed notices that Mason is staring at him.
MASON
(sotto)
Who's Carla? And why don't you want
her to come to San Francisco?
Goodspeed doesn't answer. He notices the FBI Agents
staring at Mason and him. He straightens up.
GOODSPEED
You're on a need to know basis and
you don't need to know.
MASON
You learn that line in Cub Scouts,
Goodspeed?
The van STOPS: the rear doors open to the FAIRMONT
HOTEL SERVICE ENTRANCE.
INT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - PENTHOUSE SUITE - DAY
Top floor suite with a private elevator. Grand, with
French doors leading to a balcony. Director Womack,
Goodspeed and FBI Agents Star and Hunt are in the room.
Jackets off, shoulder holsters on.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I personally picked this suite.
(points at elevator)
Only one exit.
IN THE SUITE'S BATHROOM
Steamy, from the shower. FBI Agent Cord sits on the
sink. MASON'S VOICE emanates from the shower. He's
singing some ditty off-key. But Mason isn't washing.
INSIDE THE SHOWER STALL
Mason's tampering with the BELL HOUSING of THE
RETRACTABLE CLOTHESLINE on the shower wall.
Mason pops off the bell-housing. he pulls out the nylon
clothesline cord (it's thick, about 10 ft.) and rips it
from the bell housing. Tests its strength.
Satisfied, he knots A NOOSE on one end of the
clothesline cord, then coils.
IN THE BATHROOM
Mason emerges from the shower wearing a huge hotel
bathrobe.
Cord hands him a SUIT OF CLOTHES. Mason inspects them.
MARSHAL CORD
Put 'em on. You've got forty-five
minutes.
MASON
You going to stand there and watch?
MARSHAL CORD
That's right.
MASON
Well if it excites-you...
MARSHAL CORD
Put the goddamn clothes on.
IN THE SUITE'S LIVING ROOM
Womack is dumping the contents of a BARBER'S BAG on the
sideboard.
Hands THE HOTEL BARBER, a swishy guy, a COMB, ELECTRIC
TRIMMER and BIB. The BARBER frowns.
BARBER
I can't do a decent job with these.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
That's all you get.
BARBER
I'm an artist, not a barber.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
(holds up scissors)
Without these he can't stab you in
the throat.
Mason, dressed, emerges from the bathroom. Motions the
barber toward the balcony.
MASON
Shall we do this outside? In the
sunshine?
The barber gulps. Follows Mason onto the balcony.
ON THE SUITE'S BALCONY
Mason sits in the sun on a balcony chair. Bib on.
BARBER
How would you like it sir?
MASON
Whatever's in style.
BARBER
Oh fabulous. You look shabby. Shall
I snip and cut the shabbiness away?
The barber begins trimming Mason's hair...
THE BALCONY - SOME MINUTES LATER
Mason's hair and beard are neatly trimmed. The barber
holds a mirror up; Mason examines himself.
MASON
Good. Thank you.
The barber stands. Clears his throat. Rubs his thumb
and forefinger together.
MASON
Yes of course. My secretary will
take care of you.
(to Agent Star)
See to the good man will you?
Agent Star, glaring at Mason, leads the Barber out.
MASON
What say we bury the hatchet,
Womack.
Mason extends his hand. Womack looks at it. As Womack
reluctantly takes Mason's hand, Mason slides the noose
over Womack's wrist. He yanks it tight and shoulders
director Womack bodily over the balustrade.
MASON
In your head.
Womack plunges, HOWLING, 9 stories to his death. No, he
only falls 10 feet. SPROOOOOING he stops, hanging by
his wrist off the side of the building, held there by -
MASON
On the balcony, clutching the other end of the nylon
clothesline, staring at Goodspeed.
GOODSPEED
Jesus... JESUS CHRIST....
Goodspeed fumbles for his gun. Finally unholsters it.
DIRECTOR WOMACK
Hanging below, is SCREAMING.
MASON
Drop the gun or I'll drop your
boss.
EXT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - ACROSS THE STREET - DAY
Two FBI Agents, loitering by their vehicle, look up at
Womack, dangling off the side of the building.
FBI AGENT
Holy shit, we got a jumper.
FBI Agent #2 raises binoculars to his eyes.
FBI AGENT #2
Looks like.... Womack... !
EXT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - PENTHOUSE SUITE - DAY
Mason and Goodspeed as before.
MASON
Whoops.... I'm feeling tired....
Whoops....
Mason lets Womack drop a foot. Womack SCREAMS!
Goodspeed drops his gun and grabs the clothesline.
Mason bolts from the balcony into the suite's library.
Agent Star sprints onto the balcony. Star and Goodspeed
begin hauling Womack up as -
Mason steals through the suite, through the vestibule,
and into the elevator.
ON THE BALCONY
Agent Star and Goodspeed hoist Directory Womack, red-
faced and sputtering, over the railing. Goodspeed grabs
Star's walkie-talkie.
GOODSPEED
All units, this is Caretaker. WE'VE
GOT A SIGNAL SIX. Mason's in the
elevator! Let me know where he
stops!
INT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - BASEMENT - HOTEL KITCHEN - DAY
Mason exits the elevator. The kitchen is bustling with
COOKS AND BUSBOYS. Mason moves toward the side exit.
Two FBI Agents enter. Mason ducks into the dishwashing
room. Waits for the Agents to run past.
Mason emerges, running right into... Goodspeed.
WHAMM. MASON'S FIST slams into Goodspeed's jaw.
Goodspeed goes down on the huge dishwasher. Mason moves
off quickly toward the side exit.
EXT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - SIDE EXIT - DAY
Mason exits the hotel. 20 feet away is the PARKING
VALET. 10 incredibly fast expensive European cars are
waiting to be parked. First in line, however, is a
HUMVEE.
EXT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - SIDE EXIT - DAY
Goodspeed exits, looking at Mason getting into the
HUMVEE. The Humvee explodes out of the hotel driveway.
Goodspeed shouts to the FBI Agents across the street:
GOODSPEED
That's him!
The FBI SEDANS ROAR off after Mason.
Goodspeed looks around. A Ferrari sitting there.
Goodspeed gets behind the wheel.
The FERRARI blasts out of the driveway after the
Humvee.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - STREETS - DAY
The HUMVEE lumbers up to a traffic light. Stops behind
several vehicles ahead.
INT. MASON'S CAR - DRIVING - DAY
Mason looks-up in the rear view mirror. The FBI SEDANS
are behind him, closing fast. Mason rams the stickshift
into gear; throws the wheel.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREET - DAY
MASON'S HUMVEE veers to the side and CLIMBS OVER a
parked, day-glow painted VW BEETLE, squashing it's
hood. The Humvee ROARS through the intersection,
leaving -
The FBI SEDANS and GOODSPEED'S FERRARI trapped at the
light behind the other cars.
EXT. THE STREET AHEAD - DAY
MASON'S HUMVEE plows through traffic, hitting the left
and right bumpers of the cars in front of it, knocking
them aside. It blows through ten cars like ten-pins.
GOODSPEED'S FERRARI slaloms through the Humvee's wake
of dented cars and accelerates after the Humvee.
TWO POLICE PATROLMEN scramble into their cruisers,
throwing on the CHERRY TOP LIGHTS.
The CRUISERS charge after the Humvee and the Ferrari.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS (HILL #1) - DAY
The HUMVEE is accelerating up a very steep hill. 100
yards down the hill, the TWO S.F. POLICE CRUISERS, the
FBI SEDANS, and GOODSPEED'S FERRARI, all race after it.
INT. MASON'S HUMVEE - DAY
Mason has the radio on. A NEWSFLASH is broadcast:
RADIO NEWSMAN
This just in: More than twenty
highway patrolmen are involved in a
highspeed chase on Van Ness
Boulevard, north of Trocadero...
Mason looks at Humvee's CELLULAR PHONE. Grabs it.
Studies it. He's never used one before.
MASON
Modern conveniences. Cheers.
(punches numbers)
San Francisco. Jade Angelou. That's
A-n-g-e-l...
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS (HILL #1) - DAY
AT THE INTERSECTION - THE TRAFFIC LIGHT is red. A
SPARKLETTS WATER TRUCK proceeds into the intersection.
INT. MASON'S CAR - DRIVING - DAY
Mason runs the red light. The Sparkletts truck is in
the intersection. Mason violently throws the wheel. The
Humvee swerves to avoid the Sparkletts truck -
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS (TOP OF HILL #1) - DAY
But doesn't make it. Mason's Humvee SLAMS into the
Sparkletts truck's BACK END, knocking it sideways. The
HUMVEE blasts through the intersection as -
70 WATER BOTTLES (5 gallon each) tumble off the
Sparkletts truck. The bottles roll down the hill,
gaining speed.
INT. MASON'S HUMVEE - DAY
The call connects.
JADE ANGELOU (O.S.)
Hello?
MASON
Is this Jade Angelou?
JADE ANGELOU (O.S.)
Yes. Who is this?
MASON
John Mason.
(lengthy pause)
Don't be shocked. I don't have much
time. Please listen carefully...
INT. GOODSPEED'S FERRARI - DAY
GOODSPEED
Where is he sir? RIGHT IN FRONT OF
ME. What's he doing? HE'S ON THE
PHONE. I DON'T FUCKING KNOW, HIS
STOCKBROKER! Oh shit. Gotta go.
Goodspeed looks at SPARKLETTS BOTTLES bearing down on
him
INT. S.F. POLICE CRUISER - DAY
Two S.F. PATROLMEN. Their eyes widen too as - THE
SPARKLETTS BOTTLES are bouncing now, roll down on them
at 45 mph. A BOTTLE SMASHES through the windshield,
showering the Patrolmen with glass.
EXT. SAN FPANCISCO STPEETS - (MIDWAY UP HILL #1) - DAY
Chaos. Bottle after bottle smashes down on the -
Front-running vehicles. DENTING HOODS. SMASHING
WINDSHIELDS. THREE FBI SEDANS and GOODSPEED'S FERRARI
negotiate the crashing cars.
They race through the carnage after Mason.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS - (HILL #2) - DAY
MASON'S HUMVEE explodes over the crest of a hill at 90
mph. and soars. A beat, then -
THE FBI SEDANS, followed by GOODSPEED'S FERRARI soar
over the crest of the hill.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS - (BOTTOM OF HILL #2) - DAY
At the intersection here, TWO S.F. ROAD WORKERS are
sliding a STEEL PLATE over a 6 ft. deep ditch cut in
the asphalt (for a water main or equivalent).
The Road Workers, hearing the WAIL OF MASON'S HUMVEE,
look up and dive away just at THE HUMVEE blasts over he
steel plate, dislodging it from its positioning. It
TEETERS on the lip of the ditch.
THE FBI SEDAN hits the teetering steel plate, which
collapses - causing the sedan to be swallowed up
halfway into the ditch, it's rear end sticking up in
the air. Seconds pass, then -
THE SECOND FBI SEDAN SLAMS into the front running
SEDAN'S... EXPOSED UNDERCARRIAGE. Both vehicles are
obliterated.
GOODSPEED'S FERRARI, in the most hair-raising slide
ever filmed, veers and misses the mangled FBI sedans.
Now it's just Mason and Goodspeed and...
CUT TO:
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS - (TOP OF HILL #3) - DAY
MASON'S HUMVEE, with GOODSPEED'S FERRARI close behind,
races down a street on the crest of a hill.
IN THE INTERSECTION AHEAD
A CABLE CAR is turning down the hill. Mason's Humvee
also turns down the hill, but as the Humvee rounds the
corner -
An OLD WOMAN starts crossing the street. Mason throws
the wheel swerving to avoid her, and -
THE HUMVEES BUMPER catches the BACK OF THE CABLE CAR,
dislodging its rear steel wheels from the CABLE CAR
TPACKS. With the front wheels still lodged in the
tracks, the cable car begins to slide sideways.
GOODSPEED'S FERRARI clears the cable car's sliding back
end and sprints after Mason's Humvee.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS - MIDWAY DOWN HILL #3 - DAY
The Humvee and Ferrari blast down the hill. The street
is thick with vehicular traffic.
So THE HUMVEE swerves, leaving the street.
Onto the sidewalk. Where... SNAP SNAP SNAP it knocks
down every parking meter, then hits A LADDER in a
cordoned off area. On the ladder, a LINEMAN is fixing a
MUNICIPAL POWER LINE. The ladder collapses; THE LINEMAN
falls, flailing through the air.
Goodspeed slams on the brakes. The Ferrari spins 180
degrees and lurches to a stop facing uphill.
INT. GOODSPEED'S FERRARI - DAY
The AIR BAG's exploded in Goodspeed's face.
GOODSPEED
Shit shit SHIT SHIT...
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS - MIDWAY DOWN HILL #3 - DAY
Goodspeed looks up the hill. GOODSPEED'S EYES bug.
GOODSPEED'S POV
The CABLE CAR is still sliding down the hill sideways.
The SLIDING CABLE CAR, its wheels SPEWING SPARKS down
the hill. The LAST PASSENGER dives. it's now empty and
sliding straight for Goodspeed's Ferrari...
INT. GOODSPEED'S FERRARI - DAY
Goodspeed grabs the Ferrari's CELLULAR PHONE and tries
the door latch. The goddamn airbag is all over him....
So Goodspeed shoots the fucking air bag.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS - (BOTTOM OF HILL 33) - DAY
The TUMBLING CABLE CAR hits the Toyota's rear. The
Toyota's gas tank EXPLODES, lifting the cable car.
The Ferrari's door flies open. Goodspeed dives away as
-
The CABLE CAR, aflame, cartwheels in mid-air and lands
with a WHUMP on the FERRARI, crushing it like a tin-
can.
Goodspeed, dazed, wheels away from the wreck, shielding
his eyes from the smoke and fire.
A YOUNG KID ON A MOTORCYCLE rolls up.
MOTORCYCLE KID
You just fucked up your Ferrari,
man.
GOODSPEED
It's not mine.
MOTORCYCLE KID
Way cool.
(smiles)
GOODSPEED
Neither is this.
Goodspeed shoves the kid off the Motorcycle. Speeds off
into traffic. The kid stands there dumbstruck.
EXT. STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO - DAY
Goodspeed, driving through traffic on the kid's
motorcycle, flips open the cell phone. Punches numbers.
INT. FBI OFFICE - CHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL DIVISION, FT.
DIETRICK, MARYLAND - DAY
Marvin Isherwood is enjoying another thrilling day. he
grabs for the RINGING PHONE.
ISHERWOOD
Chem weapons. Isherwood.
GOODSPEED (V.O.)
Marvin, ring up Wolfburg Federal
Pen. The inmate is Mason, John.
Isherwood gets on the computer. Starts tapping....
INTER CUT - MARVIN IN THE LAB / GOODSPEED ON MOTORCYCLE
ISHERWOOD
Wolfburg, got it. Masconi, Magrane,
Masters. No Mason in Wolfburg,
Bill, is this a relative of
yours... ?
GOODSPEED
NOT NOW Isherwood. Go to February
1976. Who was transferred to
Wolfburg from San Quentin that
year?
ISHERWOOD
Two guys. Joseph Wainwright, and
a.... they don't have a name, just
"inmate 9999?"
GOODSPEED
Hit nine nine nine nine.
ISHERWOOD
This is weird. They got medical
records, place of birth - Glasgow?
but no name. Wait a minute, there's
a next of kin. Jade Angelou of 32
Stenson Drive, San Francisco. Bill
did you, like, fuck something up?
Bill? Bill?
Goodspeed ROARS off on the motorcycle and...
CUT TO:
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - 32 STENSON DRIVE - DAY
A single family house. Across the street -
Goodspeed watches the house. The door opens. JADE
ANGELOU exits. She's 19, tall, pretty, purposeful.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - PIAZZA DES ARTES - DAY
Mason stands next to a massive column, writing on a
piece of paper: "ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, FORT WALTON,
KANSAS. FRONT PEW. RIGHT LEG. HOLLOW."
ACROSS THE PARK
Jade Angelou enters a city park with a rotunda of
classical design. A walk-way under massive Corinthian
columns. She moves through the rotunda.
Mason sees her. He steps behind the column as she
passes. There is a moment of indecision. Mason looks at
THE PIECE OF PAPER in his hand.
MASON
Jade.
Jade Angelou stops cold. Slow-ly turns. And regards
Mason.
ACROSS THE ROTUNDA
Goodspeed sees Mason and Jade. he stealthily moves
toward them.
BY THE COLUMN - MASON AND JADE
Jade approaches Mason tentatively. He is stunned by
her. By her beauty, her bearing, her likeness to him.
MASON
Hello. Yes. It's me.
JADE
I uhm... I'm not quite sure what to
say. This is all a bit much...
Several POLICE CARS ROAR past, sirens BLARING. Mason
pockets the PIECE OF PAPER.
MASON
Let's uhm... let's walk a ways.
They walk off next to a TALL HEDGE. Goodspeed follows
on the other side of the hedge.
INTERCUT
Between Mason and Jade, and Goodspeed eavesdropping.
Goodspeed pulls out his cellular phone, begins punching
numbers.
JADE
So how long have you been out?
MASON
A while.
JADE
A while. And you didn't call? You
are free now, right?
MASON
I'm here with you, aren't I?
JADE
Why now? I mean why today.
MASON
I was driving through San
Francisco. I decided it was time.
JADE
Well there's not a lot I know about
you other than you escaped from San
Quentin, had a four day affair with
my mother, and I'm the result. You
can imagine I'm pretty confused.
MASON
I tried to explain in my letters.
JADE
Ahh. Your letters. They weren't
very easy to follow.
She fishes in her pocket. Pulls out a LETTER. WHOLE
SECTIONS OF THE LETTER have been scissored out. Mason.
frowns.
MASON
I see.
(grumbles)
Bloody prison censors.
JADE
How about explaining now?
In the b.g. we HEAR POLICE SIRENS. Mason looks around.
MASON
Maybe this isn't the best time...
(off her look)
Jade. Here sit down.
Mason and Jade sit on a bench. MORE SIRENS in the b.g.
Mason looks off nervously.
MASON
All will be explained. You must
trust me on this. Someday very
soon, after I get a few things
settled, I will come back for you.
What I need to know is: do you want
me in your life?
JADE
How can I answer that? I don't know
if we can.... after 19 years, just
start like that.
MASON
We are the same blood.
JADE
But I don't know you.
MASON
Where to begin.
(sighs)
My name is John Paul Mason. I'm
Scottish. I attended Dartmouth
Naval College. My favorite color is
green. I like books. I like a good
joke. At one time I shot a pretty
fair round of golf. I'm in my 60's
and I've been in jail half my life.
(Jade looks away)
Maybe it's better I go.
She smiles. Puts her hands on his.
JADE
No. You're doing okay.
Police sirens BLARE. And the entire park is suddenly
surrounded by FBI AND POLICE VEHICLES.
JADE
You lied to me.
Goodspeed approaches. Mason makes no attempt to move.
Jade turns to him.
GOODSPEED
(flashes his ID)
FBI miss. Your father is working
with us. He's helping us resolve
a....
(looks at Mason)
... dangerous situation.
JADE
He is?
GOODSPEED
Yes madam. We've got to go, John.
Mason extends his hand to Jade. She takes it.
MASON
Jade - remember what I said.
They hug. Then Mason walks off with Goodspeed and -
- Jade opens her hand, revealing the PIECE OF PAPER
upon which Mason wrote his instructions.
ACROSS THE PARK
FBI Agents Star and Cord run up.
GOODSPEED
(sharply)
No cuffs until we get to the cars.
They continue toward the waiting cars.
MASON
You surprise me, Goodspeed. Now I'm
going to surprise myself: thank
you, you could have handled that
differently.
GOODSPEED
(tight)
You almost got me killed. Twice.
MASON
How's your jaw?
Goodspeed wheels on Mason and swings. SNATCH. Mason
catches Goodspeed's fist. Three inches from his face.
GOODSPEED
It hurts.
Sanchez, Director Womack and the FBI Agents approach.
Womack's arm is in a sling; he's in a volcanic rage.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
You cocksucker you dislocated my
shoulder and cost the city of San
Francisco ten million dollars. You
try to escape again and Agent
Chaney here will break your legs.
AGENT CHANEY, large and mean, comes to Mason's side.
MASON
Pleased to meet you.
INT. PIER 39 - FBI COMMAND CENTER - DAY
Night is falling. A large warehouse room with windows
looking out to Alcatraz Island. Looks like NASA.
AT A RECTANGULAR TABLE
Mason sits at the head of the table 122 in front of a
SCALE MODEL OF ALCATRAZ. Commander Anderson and ten
NAVY SEALs look toward Mason.
Anderson is agitated, staring at Mason.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Okay, one more time: down this
second fork fifty-seven paces to a
septic chamber. Turn left at the
water pump, then forty-two paces to
the prison showers...
MASON
No. Forty-two paces to the septic
chamber. Fifty-seven to the
showers.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
(pointedly)
That's not what you said three
minutes ago.
MASON
(innocently)
It's not?
COMMANDER ANDERSON
(dagger stare at Mason)
Excuse me.
(rises)
Womack.
Womack follows Anderson aside. They confer heatedly.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
I ask for someone with knowledge of
the island's tunnels. you give me a
fuckin, convict who wants to play
"twenty questions."
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
He knows every inch of those
tunnels, Commander.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Then he's keeping it to himself.
He's fucking with me and I don't
have the time.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
(pause; he thinks)
What if he went with you?
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Out of the question. He'll endanger
the mission - he'll endanger my
men. He's a security risk. Who says
he won't bolt as soon as we turn
our backs on him?
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I'll handle that. Chaney.
The hulking Chaney escorts Mason over.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
You're not cooperating, John. Maybe
this will help. I'm sure you're
curious about what's happening on
Alcatraz.
(no response)
Twelve United States Marines - a
terrorist rogue force - have seized
it. They've aimed fifteen poison
gas rockets at the city. Enough
poison gas to kill every man, woman
and child in San Francisco.
(smiles)
Yes, John, including your daughter.
MASON
You son-of-fucking-Satan.
FBI DIRECTOA WOMACK
Mr. Mason has a strong incentive to
help us, Commander Anderson.
Mason boils. Then springs at Womack. Chaney grabs
Mason, head-locking him. So Mason knees Womack in the
balls. Womack doubles over. Recovers, coughing.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Get him some gear. He's going to
the Rock. Goodspeed!
ACROSS THE ROOM
Goodspeed looks up from a computer screen generating 3-
D images of different angles of a V.X. ROCKET. He walks
over to the table. Anderson and the other SEALs stare
at him.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
The goal is to take out the
launchers and neutralize the V.X.
chem rounds, Goodspeed. Tell us
what you know.
GOODSPEED
Well, the thermal imaging photos
picked up the poison gas. Here. The
prison morgue.
(points)
It's probably being kept
refrigerated. makes sense. V.X. gas
begins to lose its toxicity at
higher temperatures.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Have you ever actually seen one of
these devices?
GOODSPEED
No sir, but I've studied them....
COMMANDER ANDERSON
(sarcastic)
That's great, Goodspeed. You're in
the Bureau, so you've had weapons
training.
GOODSPEED
A little, sir.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
So you've never been in a combat
situation.
GOODSPEED
No sir.
(beat)
Should I begin the briefing on
diffusing and detoxification sir?
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Won't be necessary.
GOODSPEED
Sir, these are very complicated
devices...
COMMANDER ANDERSON
I know they are, Goodspeed. That's
why you're going with us.
GOODSPEED
Sir?
COMMANDER ANDERSON
(to SEAL Reigert)
Get him some gear.
Mason stares at Goodspeed.
MASON
Wait just a minute. This little
twat's going to deal with the
poison? He's gonna get us all
fuckin' killed!
Mason walks off muttering.
INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - BATHROOM - A MINUTE LATER
SEAL Dando stands at a urinal. Goodspeed bursts in and
lunges for another urinal. He vomits. Gags. Spits.
SEAL DANDO
Nice to meet you too.
Sanchez enters.
SANCHEZ
You look like shit.
Goodspeed leans back against the wall.
GOODSPEED
Thank you.
SANCHEZ
You're not wimping out on us,
Goodspeed.
GOODSPEED
I join the FBI I ask for fieldwork.
They say, "Bill, you're too fucking
smart for field work." Every year I
put in for a transfer and every
year I sit in that goddamn lab like
the fucking Maytag repairman in the
commercial. Then the call finally
comes, and it's a whole fuckin,
city at stake? Oh Jesus...
SANCHEZ
Chemical Weapons isn't a cakewalk,
Goodspeed.
Goodspeed splashes cold water on his face.
GOODSPEED
I've got some bad news and some
really bad news sir. Maybe the bad
news isn't bad, maybe actually it's
good....
SANCHEZ
Spit it out.
GOODSPEED
My girlfriend's pregnant.
SANCHEZ
(pause)
What's the really bad news.
INT. PIER 39 - OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM - DAY
SANCHEZ (V.O.)
Goodspeed, GODDAMN IT...
The door bursts open. Sanchez, veins bulging, exits,
followed by Goodspeed.
SANCHEZ
Agent Cord, get over to the Pan
Pacific Hotel and bring Goodspeed's
girlfriend to this facility
please!!
CUT TO:
EXT. ALCATRAZ - LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - SUNSET
Cpts. Darrow and Frye look out . the window at the
Marine's Command Center in the Infirmary.
CAPTAIN DARROW
(mumbling)
Seventeen hours left. What the fuck
is he doing? How much time does it
take to transfer money from one
account...
CAPTAIN FRYE
Just a matter of time, buddy. The
Pentagon'll cave and we'll be
headin, south of the border a
million dollars richer.
INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - SUNSET
Hummel sits at his desk. The phone RINGS.
HUMMEL (V.O.)
Hummel.
SECURITY ADVISOR LOUIS LINDSTROM
Hello Frank, Lou Lindstrom. I'm in
the oval office with General
Kramer.
INTERCUT - ALCATRAZ INFIRMARY / WHITE HOUSE OVAL OFFICE
GENERAL KRAMER
We're having some problems with the
account transfer, Frank.
HUMMEL
Don't tell me your problems, tell
me your solutions.
GENERAL KRAMER
We've spoken to the President. He's
not too happy about this.
Chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair enters.
HUMMEL
Well he'd better give me a goddamn
assurance...
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
The only thing the President will
give you is a fair trial after
you're caught, General.
HUMMEL
That you, Sinclair? What exactly do
you do at the White House? Answer
the presidential phone? Wash the
presidential limousine? Are you his
golf caddy, Sinclair?
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
Now you give me some goddamn
respect, General....
HUMMEL
You want respect, you child, you
coffee server? Let's talk about
Dave Ridgeway.
GENERAL KRAMER
Who's Dave Ridgeway, Frank?
HUMMEL
A twenty-two year old marine
tortured to death by a communist
death squad in the El Salvadoran
jungle. His mother and young wife
were told by the Pentagon that he
went AWOL Let's talk about the
respect he got.
LOUIS LINDSTROM
This is going nowhere Frank...
HUMMEL
Then let me tell you what is: The
most lethal poison gas known to man
into San Francisco's business
district. You have twelve hours to
deliver the money or be prepared to
reap the whirlwind, gentlemen.
CLICK. National Security Advisor Lindstrom stares at
the phone. Shakes his head.
LOUIS LINDSTROM
What's the word from Mojave?
GENERAL KRAMER
General Petersen can give us no
definite assurance on the Willy
Peter capability.
The men stare grimly at each other.
LOUIS LINDSTROM
Greenlight the SEAL incursion.
General Kramer picks up the phone.
CUT TO:
EXT. NAVAL AIRSTRIP (INCURSION STAGING AREA) - DUSK
The INCURSION STAGING AREA (a base in the S.F.
vicinity) Goodspeed and Mason, in black dry suits, join
Commander Anderson and nine other SEALs.
Four SEALs will be identified: BOYER, REIGERT, DANDO,
and SHEPHERD.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Listen up, men. Mr. Mason here will
run point for us. Lieutenant
Shepherd will be attached to your
hip, Mason. You breath, he breathes
with you. Understand?
LIEUTENANT SHEPHERD, young, laconic, nods at Mason.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Shep, what's the status on the
special operational gear for Mason.
SEAL SHEPHERD
(hands over items)
One aluminum fork and one quart of
motor oil in a squeeze tube.
GOODSPEED
Motor oil?
MASON
For cottonmouth.
Goodspeed and the SEALs exchange looks.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Goodspeed here's our specialist. We
will cover him while he neutralizes
the' chemical threat. If he does
his job we'll launch flares and
hold our position 'till the cavalry
comes. Make no mistake about it,
gentlemen, we are going in against
an entrenched force led by one hot-
shit field commander. We are in the
fight of our lives, I bullshit you
not. Any questions? Let's move out.
The move across the staging area to -
A CH-53 SEA STALLION and two HUEY COBRA ATTACK
GUNSHIPS, their BLADES whipping with ferocity.
SEAL Shepherd stands in the Sea Stallion's door. The
SEALs board past him. Last are Mason and Goodspeed.
MASON
After you, 'lace."
Goodspeed gives Mason a look and climbs in. Then Mason.
Then Shepherd, who SLAMS the door shut.
The GROUND CREW waves red LIGHT SABRES: "all clear."
The Hueys and the Sea Stallion lift off.
INT. SEA STALLION - NIGHT
Goodspeed and Mason sit with the SEALs. Grim,
determined faces. Not a word spoken.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Activate mini-cams.
Anderson, Boyer and the other SEALs flip on TINY
VIDEOCAMERAS mounted on their shoulders. A NAVAL MEDIC
passes out SYRINGES OF ATROPINE in ANKLE SHFATHES.
NAVAL MEDIC
Atropine. Any contact with the gas,
use it.
Each SEAL takes one; begins strapping it to ankle.
Goodspeed shakes his head, declining.
GOODSPEED
Uhn uhn. I hate needles.
INT. PIER 39 - MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TRAILER - NIGHT
AT THE CONTROL PANEL - FBI TECHNICIANS talk into
headsets and watch a bank of MONITORS displaying:
satellite pictures, thermographic images of Alcatraz, a
computer bio of Hummel.
Sanchez sits at the control panel wearing a headset.
Director Womack paces behind him.
SANCHEZ
Mini-cams operational.
OUTSIDE IN THE WAREHOUSE
An FBI SEDAN pulls in and parks. FBI agent Cord gets
out. Carla sits in the back seat.
CARLA
Would you please tell me what is
going on?
AGENT CORD
Can't do that, ma'am. Sorry.
EXT. SKIES OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY - NIGHT
The Hueys and Sea Stallion fly in formation AT CAMERA.
The Sea Stallion's running lights suddenly BLINK OFF.
INT. SF.A STALLION - NIGHT
The two SEA STALLION PILOTS don NIGHT VISION GOGGLES.
IN THE HOLD
The SEALs begin to prepare themselves; checking their
weapons combat wet-suits, and CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHER
SCUBA TANKS.
The SEALs begin to don their scuba apparatus.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
You know what you're doing?
MASON
Yes. Little fancier than I'm used
to.
Mason examines the equipment. It's more modern, but not
foreign to him. He adjusts his depth and oxygen gauges.
Goodspeed, having a hard time, watches Mason.
EXT. SKIES OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY - NIGHT
The HUEYS, 50 ft. from the water's surface, SCREAM PAST
CAMERA and bear down on Alcatraz.
The SEA STALLION, lagging behind the Hueys, BANKS RIGHT
and peels away. It descends lower, below radar.
INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - NIGHT
The FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN watches the RADAR SCREEN...
Glowing BLIPS move toward Alcatraz. One BLIP vanishes.
FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN
They're off radar, headin' 'round
Treasure Island.
EXT. SKIES OVER TREASURE ISLAND - NIGHT
The Sea Stallion rounds Treasure Island and heads
toward the rear of Alcatraz Island.
INT. SEA STALLION - NIGHT
The SEA STALLION PILOT turns to Anderson.
SEA STALLION PILOT
I got you to the strongest current
in the Bay, Commander. You're on
your own from here.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Prepare to deplore!
CUT TO:
A SERIES OF SHOTS
The SEALs stand. Each checks the gear of the man in
front of him. Straps tightened. Weapons checked.
IN THE REAR OF THE HOLD
FOUR SEALS ready two high-tech 139B 3-man submersibles
called "SDUs" (Seal Delivery Units), also known as
"Seal Subs."
Mason is ready to go, calm and steady, eyes forward.
Goodspeed's still behind. He has his scuba tanks
shouldered, but he can't get the list of the tricky
catches on the shoulder harness secured...
Mason reaches over and secures, with a METALLIC DLINK,
the catch. Goodspeed, embarrassed, nods.
AT THE BACK OF THE HOLD
139F SHEPHERD, with a nod, directs Mason to sit down on
the SDU behind SEAL BOYER, the SDU's driver.
Mason does so. Chaney then sits behind Mason. SEAL
Dando then begins buckling Shepherd and Mason onto the
sled with harnesses (the unit's version of a seat-
belt.)
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO BAY (OFF ALCATRAZ) - NIGHT
The Sea Stallion hovers 15 ft. from the surface. The
BELLY DOOR opens. COMMANDER ANDERSON leans out,
inspecting the drop area. he hand-signals to -
SEAL Dando, reading the two SDUs. Goodspeed sits on the
SECOND SDU behind SEAL Reigert. SEAL Dando begins
buckling in Goodspeed.
GOODSPEED
Wait a minute.
(Dando stops buckling)
What if this thing crashes...
Dando looks at Reigert. They laugh. This remark they
obviously find very funny. Dando continues buckling
Goodspeed in.
MASON
Smile Goodspeed. Live a little.
Life is short... especially yours.
And the SDUs are released, rolling out of the Sea
Stallion on a set of tracks, SPLASHING DOWN into -
EXT. UNDERWATER - NIGHT
The bay here. The SDUs' XENON headlamps come on.
EXT. THE SEA STALLION - DOORWAY - NIGHT
The rest of the SEALs, carrying equipment and single
man mini-SDU units, jump from the Sea Stallion one by
one.
EXT. UNDERWATER - NIGHT
The three-man and single SDUs head toward Alcatraz,
passing ABOVE CAMERA.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - NIGHT
The SEARCHLIGHT atop the lower lighthouse scans the
bay, back and forth. It fixes on something.
INT. ALCATRAZ - LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - NIGHT
Hummel and Baxter watch from the window. Captain Fryels
voice emanates from the walkie-talkie.
CAPTAIN FRYE (V.O.)
Something on radar, sir. Two Hueys
in standard formation, due east and
approaching.
Hummel raises binoculars. Scans the bay.
HUMMEL'S POV - THROUGH BINOCULARS - THE HUEYS AND SEA
STALLION
Flying low, SCREAM toward the island.
BACK TO SCENE
Hummel lowers the binoculars, clicks on his walkie-
talkie.
BAXTER
Decoy?
HUMMEL
Royce, Scarpetti, Gamble, Starling:
get to the west end of the island
on the double. Think we have
visitors.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - WATER TOWER - ALLEY - NIGHT
Pvt. Royce clicks off his walkie-talkie.
ROYCE
You heard the man, let's move it.
Pvts. Royce, Scarpetti, Gamble and Starling race off.
EXT. UNDERWATER - NIGHT
The SEALs, pulled by their SDUs, WHOOSH past camera.
The SDUs lights dim the FLUORESCENT GREEN.
CLOSEUP ON BOYER
The three-man SDUs driver, intense, determined.
CLOSEUP ON BOYER'S FLUORESCENT GREEN INSTRUMENT PANEL
Charting their approach to the island.
They've drawn close to the island. Commander Aanderson
swings an UNDERWATER SPOTLIGHT, which reveals -
A LARGE WATER INTAKE PIPE
Jutting out from the Island's bedrock, 7 ft. in
diameter, covered by a GRATE thick with rust, barnacles
and seaweed. There's a SMALL JAGGED HOLE, presumably
through which Mason escaped 33 years earlier.
EXT. UNDERWATER - POWER P. INTAKE PIPE - NIGHT
The SEALs cast off the SDUs and direct their GREEN
FLUORESCENT SPOTLIGHTS inside the hole in the grate.
Mason stares at the hole. Commander Aanderson nods to
Mason: "lead the way." Mason does so. Enters the pipe.
one by one, the SEALs and Goodspeed follow Mason in.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - SHORELINE NEAR POWER PLANT - NIGHT
Pvts. Royce, Scarpetti, Gamble and Starling walk the
shoreline, peering into the black water.
ROYCE
Looks all clear, sir.
INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - NIGHT
Baxter turns to Hummel:
BAXTER
Nothing.
HUMMEL
Tell 'em to stay out there.
INT. ALCATRAZ - SUBTERRANEAN POWER PLANT - NIGHT
A large subterranean room under the island's Power
Plant... large WOODEN CISTERN in the middle.
The SEALs emerge in the cistern and climb out. The room
has one exit, sealed with a HEAVY IRON door.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Thank you very fucking much, Mr.
Mason, you've led us to a room with
no exit.
SEAL BOYER
Skipper, blow it or burn it?
COMMANDER ANDERSON
No time for the torch.
Explosives'll bring the fucking
world down on us.
(turns to Mason)
An idea, please, we're tight on
time.
MASON
Wait for me to unlock the door.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
You do not look like Jesus Christ,
Mr. Mason, so I'm having a hard
time how you're going to accomplish
that.
MASON
(points)
Under there.
UNDERNEATH THE STEAM ENGINE
Is a tiny crawl space. 10 STEAM RELEASE VALVES
periodically emit BURSTS OF STEAM.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
You are shitting me. You catch one
of those steam bursts and you're a
corpse.
MASON
True.
(unshoulders his
equipment)
I memorized their timing.
Mason sits on the edge of the crawl space. FBI looks
inside the crawl space: WHITE HOT BURSTS of 500 degree
Fahrenheit steam BLAST DOWN.
SEAL SHEPHERD
Uhh sir, you said never leave his
side...
COMMANDER ANDERSON
You're not required to follow,
Lieutenant Shepherd. This man is
going to die.
MASON
(grumbles to himself)
That's been said to me before...
Mason takes a deep breath and he rolls -
INTO THE CRAWL SPACE
Mason logrolls one revolution... STEAM BURST another
evolution STEAM BURST another revolution STEAM BURST.
Mason rolls to a stop on his side. STEAM BURSTS on
either side of him. Mason collects himself. Breathes
deeply and rolls again. His movements are precise, from
memory. He rolls past each burst, any imprecision
certain death...
IN THE CISTERN ROOM
Goodspeed, Aanderson and the SEALs watch Mason, amazed.
SEAL REIGERT
Who the fuck is this guy? Houdini?
IN THE CRAWL SPACE
Mason rolls past the STEAM RELEME VALVE and disappears.
IN THE CISTERN ROOM
Several seconds pass. We HEAR THE DOOR being unbolted.
It CREAKS open. There stands Mason.
MASON
Welcome to the Rock.
The Incursion Team files through the door.
CUT TO:
INT. TUNNELS UNDER ALCATRAZ - NIGHT
Here, the tunnel moves up a steep incline to a LOCKED
STEEL BULKHEAD. SEALs Reigert and Dando check it out.
SEAL DANDO
She's at least three inches thick
sir.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Shit. Burn it.
Dando unpacks an ACETYLENE TORCH. Reigert turns on the
ACETYLENE VALVES (tanks rigged to Dandols gear) and
sparks the torch. IT FLAMES UP, white hot.
Dando starts toward the bulkhead. Mason steps past him,
bending his KITCHEN FORK into an awkward shape. He
fishes the fork in the lock; twists it, and... POP.
Mason throws open the thick bulkhead door. And climbs
through the bulkhead.
MASON
(muttering)
Guys are worthless.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Who is this guy...?
INT. DRAINAGE PIPES LTNDER MAIN CELL HOUSE - NIGHT
The team arrives at a series of concrete drainage
pipes. Mason points up to one of them.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
The shower room?
(Mason nods yes)
After you.
Mason and the SEALs climb into the drainage pipe.
INT. DRAINAGE PIPE UNDER SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
The SEAL team, Mason leading the way, climbs toward a
FAINT LIGHT emanating from a DRAINAGE GRATE above.
SEAL Reigert readies a FIBRE OPTIC SEEING DEVICE; he
pushes the fibre-optic camera up through the grate.
INT. ALCATRAZ - PRISON SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
The FIBER-OPTIC CAMERA turns, looking in a 360 degree
radius, and transmitting images of -
THE PRISON SHOWER
A tiled room with shower heads and a 20 160A ft.
ceiling. Above, a mezzanine circles the showers; here
Alcatraz's guards once watched inmates below..
INT. DRAINAGE PIPE UNDER SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
Commander Anderson views the shower room images on a
TINY (2 inch by 2 inch) WRIST-HELD VIDEO MONITOR. The
shower is deserted, but there's something of interest -
A MOTION DETECTOR (a blue beam flashed from a
transmitter to 161A a receptor) across the grate.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Motion sensor.
Anderson gingerly lifts the grate. Reigert wiggles his
hands past the edges of the grate and nudges the beam
transmitter (with one hand) and the beam receiver (with
the other) away from the grate.
INT. INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - NIGHT
A SILENT ALARM next to Pvt. Royce blinks on. Royce
turns to Maj. Baxter.
ROYCE
Sir. Anti-disturbance temblar
tripped in the shower. We got
visitors.
INT. MAIN CELL HOUSE - SHOWER ROOM
The grate pops open. SEALs Boyer and Reigert, wearing
NIGHT VISION GLASSES, emerge taking defensive positions
back-to-back. Commander Anderson follows. Then, one by
one, the rest of the SEALs emerge.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
(to Lt. Shepherd in the
drainage pipe)
Stand fast. We'll secure the area.
Anderson directs Boyer and Reigert to a TILED COLUMN.
They creep across the tiled floor, taking "check and
defefid" positions behind the shower's TILED COLUMNS.
But suddenly, shockingly... FLOODLIGHTS flash on.
Coming from the mezzanine above.
The SEALs whip off their night vision goggles.
INT. PIER 39 - MOBILE COMMAND TRAILER - NIGHT
ON THE VIDEO MONITOR - We see the illumination of the
shower room (transmitted from the SEALs cameras.)
SANCHEZ
What's that...what the hell is
that?
INT. ALCATRAZ - DRAINAGE PIPE UNDER SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
Goodspeed, Mason, and Lt. Shepherd react to the sudden
illumination above.
GOODSPEED
(whispers)
What's going on?
SEAL SHEPHERD
(whispers)
Don't know.
INT. SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
The SEALs whirl around, startled, unnerved, squinting
into the blinding whiteness of the floodlights.
HUMMEL (V.O.)
Drop your weapons.
The SEALs, terrified, hesitate but do not drop their
weapons They stand back-to-back, weapons trained at the
catwalk. squinting into the white light.
The SEALs behind the tiled columns take cover. we
cannot yet see Hummel and the marines. This plays with
as much tension as possible. The situation is chilling:
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Anderson here, General Hummel.
Commander. Team Leader.
HUMMEL (V.O.)
Commander Anderson, if you have any
concern for the lives of your men,
you will order them to safety their
weapons and place them on the deck
at their feet.
INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - NIGHT
ON THE VIDEO MONITOR - We see the floodlights above on
the Mezzanine and hear Hummel's voice:
SANCHEZ
Oh Christ this isn't happening.
INT. ALCATRAZ - SHOWER ROOM MEZZANINE - NIGHT
Hummel looks down at the SEALs. Baxter's text to him.
The other marines are at positions around the mezzanine
perimeter, M-16's trained and ready.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
Sir, we know why you're out here.
God knows I agree with you sir, but
like you sir, I swore to defend
this country against all enemies.
Foreign, sir, and domestic.
(shouts now)
General, we've spilled the same
blood in the same mud. You know
goddamn well that I cannot give
that order...
BEHIND A COLUMN
SEALs Reigert and Boyer stare into the floodlights.
HUMMEL
Your unit is covered from an
elevated position, Commander. I'm
not going to ask again.
ON THE MEZZANINE
Cpts. Frye, Darrow and Pvts. Cox, McCoy, have their
weapons trained; they're pumped and trigger happy.
HUMMEL
Don't do anything stupid,
Commander. No one has to die here.
COMMANDER ANDERSON
You men following the General: You
are United States Marines and under
oath you forgotten that? We all
have shipmates we remember - some
of 'em were shit on and spit on by
the Pentagon - that doesn't give
you the right to mutiny.
HUMMEL
That's a nice speech, Commander. I
heard plenty like it in the
Pentagon and on Capitol Hill. They
all added up to zero. Pretty words
aren't gonna get you out of this,
Commander. Now abort this mission.
Goddamn it, abort.
BEHIND THE COLUMN
SEAL Boyer, just 20, having never seen combat, is
trembling with fear, indecision.
SEAL BOYER
It's us or them, Reigert, fuck
they're gonna waste us...
SEAL REIGERT
Get a grip on yourself...
ON THE MEZZANINE
Pvt. Coxi's BOOT nudges a TILE which has come loose
from its mortar. The tile inches to the edge of the
mezzanine. Then it falls...
Boyer, reacting to THE FALLING TILE, brings up his
machine gun and fires A SUSTAINED BURST in its
direction -
And all hell breaks loose. THE MARINES fire in unison.
A cruel withering fusillade.
The SEALs in the middle of the floor take the brunt of
it. They gamely return fire. But they're hit. Again.
Again. Again.
IN THE DRAINAGE HOLE
Goodspeed, Mason, and Lt. Shepherd listen (and watch,
when the view allows) in utter horror to the firefight
above.
Lt. Shepherd scrambles up the ladder. Goodspeed grabs
him. Tries to pull him down.
GOODSPEED
Don' t do it.
SEAL SHEPHERD
Let go of me.
Lt. Shepherd climbs the ladder.
IN THE SHOWER ROOM
Anderson takes a bullet in his leg. His automatic
blazing, he takes a bullet in the forearm. The chest.
The shoulder.
THREE MARINES on the mezzanine are hit and killed.
Lt. Shepherd climbs out of the drainage pipe and comes
up firing. He instantly takes a bullet through the
visor, killing him instantly. Shepherd falls to his
knees and pitches over, falling face first into -
THE DRAINAGE HOLE
Where Shepherd's lifeless eyes come face-to-face with
Goodspeed, who nearly passes out, then looks away in
horror.
SEALS BEHIND THE COLUMNS return fire. They're hit,
picked off one by one.
Marine Cox and McCoy fire a 50 CAL. GUN (as powerful as
anti-aircraft or anti-tank round) through the column,
killing Reigert and Boyer.
HUMMEL
HOLD YOUR FIRE HOLD YOUR FIRE....
INT. DRAINAGE PIPE UNDER SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
Suddenly the-firing stops. Goodspeed and Mason freeze.
Thinking fast, Mason rips the TAC RADIO from Shepherd's
helmet, takes his 9 MM PISTOL and MACHINE GUN, and his
SAW-TOOTHED KNIFE AND SHEATH, and climbs down.
Goodspeed, indecisive at first, clambers down after
Mason.
INT. PIER 39 - MOBILE COMMAND TRAILER - NIGHT ON THE
VIDEO MONITOR
An image transmitted from Anderson's helmet camera.
Anderson has fallen, so this is at ground level. We see
corpses and near corpses.
SANCHEZ
It's over.
FBI TECHNICIAN
We've still got movement. Numbers
eleven and twelve. That's Goodspeed
and.... Mason.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
If mason's still alive, it's not
over.
INT. ALCATRAZ - TUNNELS UNDER SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
Mason and Goodspeed exit the drainage pipe. Goodspeed
is panting, nearly hysterical.
GOODSPEED
We're never gettin off this island.
INT. PIER 39 - WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
Carla peers through a crowd of FBI TECHS huddled around
video and audio monitors. She freezes, her hands
covering to her mouth at the sound of:
GOODSPEED
(over tac radio)
... god Jesus we're gonna die.
Sanchez, agitated, exits the Command Trailer with
Director Womack. They huddle, speaking in hushed
voices.
SANCHEZ
You told me I am on a "need to
know" basis. Well goddamn it, I
need to know. Who the fuck is John
Mason. Start talking, Director, or
I swear I will go to the press.
A tense pause. Then Womack sighs, and his voice travels
back three decades...
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
1962. J. Edgar Hoover is head of
the FBI, some say the country. It's
no secret the esteemed Mr. Hoover
kept microfilm files on prominent
Americans and Europeans. de Gaulle,
British members of Parliament, even
the Prime Minister. The man had
dirt on everyone in the world,
INT. ALCATRAZ - TUNNELS UNDER THE SHOWERS - NIGHT
Goodspeed, slumped in a corner, watches Mason arm
himself.
He is a different person. Alive. Now in his element.
pops the clip on Shepherd's g mil gun. Inspects it.
Unsheathes the saw-toothed knife. Sheathes it.
INTERCUT - PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER / ALCATRAZ TUNNELS
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
The British sent over their best
operative, John Mason, to steal it.
Mason grabs Shepherd's machine gun, pops the clip.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Our agents caught Mason at the
Canadian border but with no
microfilm. It's never been found.
So Hoover held him without trial.
The British claimed they didn't
know him.
SANCHEZ
What about the daughter? why didn't
Hoover use her as leverage?
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
He died in 1972. She wasn't born
yet Today it's a different Bureau
and no one wants to touch this.
SANCHEZ
My god, you're not saying...
Mason slides the clip back in the machine gun. Tests
the action, obviously comfortable with firearms...
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
John Mason has been incarcerated
without trial on American soil
since 1962. He knows our most
intimate secrets of the last half
century. The alien landing at
Roswell, the truth about the J.F.K.
assassination.
INT. ALCATRAZ - TUNNELS BELOW SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
(O.S.)
John Mason was an S.A.S. trained
killer, one of MI-6's best
operatives ever - John Mason was
one of the most dangerous men on
earth.
Mason, armed and dangerous for the first time in 33
long years, faces Goodspeed. Brings his machine gun up.
Goodspeed raises his -9 mil pistol in self-defense.
GOODSPEED
Don't shoot me. Mason was actually
slinging it over his shoulder...
MASON
For Christ's sake.
Mason trudges down the tunnel. Goodspeed follows him.
GOODSPEED
Wait. Where're you going?
MASON
Off this island. You mind?
GOODSPEED
Yes I mind. I mind very much.
From the tac radio in Mason's hand:
SANCHEZ (O.S.)
(over tac radio)
Goodspeed, Goodspeed, come in.
MASON
You've got a phone call.
Mason throws the tac radio at Goodspeed's feet and
trudges off. Goodspeed grabs the tac radio.
GOODSPEED
It's me sir.
SANCHEZ (O.S.)
What is happening? Where's Mason?
GOODSPEED
He says he's leaving the island
sir.
SANCHEZ
Don't let him do that.
GOODSPEED
He's got a gun, sir.
SANCHEZ
What do you have, a FUCKING WATER
PISTOL? Get him back!
Goodspeed hurries off after Mason.
INT. ALCATRAZ - SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
Commander Anderson and the SEALs lie dead, their blood
running over the tiles into the drainage grate. Hummel,
Baxter walk amongst the corpses.
HUMMEL
I never wanted this. Jesus Christ.
BAXTER
We knew it might happen, Frank.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Maybe now they'll pay up.
CAPTAIN HENDRIX
Maybe now they won't.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Then maybe we'll execute a few
hostages.
One SEAL, Dando, is still alive. He's gurgling blood.
Staring up at Hummel.
SEAL DANDO
You'll go to hell for this General.
CAPTAIN DARROW
(to Pvt. Royce)
Put a bullet in him.
Pvt. Royce, appalled, can't bring himself to do it.
CAPTAIN FRYE
You heard him. End it.
Cpt. Darrow pulls his sidearm and levels it.
HUMMEL
CAPTAIN, HOLSTER THAT SIDEARM.
CAPTAIN DARROW
(lowers sidearm)
Yes sir.
Royce kneels. Feels Dandols carotid artery.
ROYCE
He's dead anyway sir.
Hummel leans down. Stares into Dando's video feed.
INT. PIER 39 - NIGHT
Womack and Sanchez stare at Hummel on the monitor.
HUMMEL (V.O.)
(over monitor)
You have a made a terrible mistake
and more of our brothers have died
in vain. Let's not repeat this.
The transmission goes dead.
INT. ALCATRAZ - SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
Crisp bent over SHEPHERD'S CORPSE in the shouts to
Hummel:
SGT. CRISP
General! This man's weapons and tac
radio are missing!
HUMMEL
Rodent problem, people. Let's flush
the pipes.
Pvts. Cox and McCoy go to the drainage pipe.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - MAIN CELL HOUSE - NIGHT
Hummel and his men exit the Main Cell House and fan out
in teams across the island.
Sgts. Crisp and Cpt. Hendrix move toward the power
plant (above the tunnel traveled by Mason and
Goodspeed.)
INT. TUNNELS UNDER ALCATRAZ - NIGHT
Goodspeed's still trailing after Mason.
GOODSPEED
Would you stop. Just stop.
(Mason stops)
I don't know what you did or why
you were sent to jail, but there
are a million people across that
bay who might die...
(Mason continues)
Fuck this. Stop. Freeze.
Mason turns. Goodspeed has his g gun trained on him.
He's not the most convincing gun handler.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - IN FRONT OF POWER PLANT - NIGHT
Sgt. Crisp and Capt. Hendrix, walking toward the power
plant, hear something. Beneath them, through a
VENTILATION GRATE. VOICES.
CAPTAIN HENDRIX
(whispers in tac mike)
Rodents located.
Hendrix and Crisp begin preparing a SATCHEL EXPLOSIVE.
INT. TUNNELS UNDER ALCATRAZ - NIGHT
Mason and Goodspeed as before. Mason advances.
GOODSPEED
FBI Stop right there. I really mean
it.
MASON
(stops)
If you really mean it, take the
safety off.
Goodspeed fiddles with the safety catch. With a swipe,
Mason snatches the gun. They glare at each other.
SANCHEZ (V.O.)
(over tac radio)
Goodspeed. Goodspeed, come in. Have
you resolved this?
GOODSPEED
Now he has all the guns, sir...
(clicks off the tac
radio)
You've got to help me. What do you
want me to do, beg?
MASON
Save your breath and your dignity,
if you have any. I am leaving. I am
getting my daughter and getting the
hell out of here.
Mason walks off. Suddenly stops. THE SATCHEL EXPLOSIVE
has fallen at his feet. Mason turns, looks at
Goodspeed. And they sprint back, the way they came.
IN THE TUNNEL BEHIND THEM
A MONSTROUS EXPLOSION blows in the tunnel and knocks
Mason and Goodspeed to their feet.
INT. ALCATRAZ - SHOWER ROOM - NIGHT
Pvts. Cox and McCoy attach a bundle of C-4 to A TANK OF
GASOLINE and toss it down the drainage pipe.
INT. TUNNELS UNDER ALCATRAZ
The gas bomb detonates, blowin'g a wall of flame
through the tunnel. The fire is looking for an escape,
hunting and burning everything in its path.
DOWN THE TUNNEL
Mason and Goodspeed see the wall of flame ROARING
toward them. Mason grabs Goodspeed.
MASON
Hold your breath.
They dive into a pool of stagnant water, submersing as
the WALL OF FLAME blows through the tunnel over their
heads.
Mason, then Goodspeed, drags himself out of the water.
MASON
Come on. And keep your mouth shut.
Mason hurries off, Goodspeed on his tail.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - SUBTERRANEAN CIVIL WAR RUINS - NIGHT
The tunnel leads here, to the Civil war era dungeon.
The tunnel's bricked up; brick and mortar circa 1855.
CIVIL WAR RUINS - NIGHT
GOODSPEED
Now what?
Mason moves to the bricked-up wall. Feels around the
mortar. Smiles. Removes a brick. another. Another. A
WHOLE CLUMP of bricks falls, revealing a HOLE.
MASON
Came out right through there.
(squeezes through the
hole; mutters)
'Course I've gained a few since...
Goodspeed follows Mason through the hole.
INT. CIVIL WAR DUNGEON - OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL - NIGHT
Mason and Goodspeed emerge to a ledge which faces a
POOL OF DANK STAGNANT WATER. It's about 3 ft. deep.
MASON
Across that, then 50 yards to the
morgue.
(off Goodspeed's blank
stare)
You said that's where the fucking
poison is, Goodspeed.
GOODSPEED
I don't get it. You're going to
help me?
MASON
No. I'm going to give you dancing
lessons. What the fuck do you
think?
GOODSPEED
You don't have to get all bent out
of shape.
MASON
What's bent out of shape, idiot, is
the tunnel I was going through to
freedom five minutes ago.
GOODSPEED
All right, all right. Don't call me
idiot, okay?
Mason what did I do to deserve this? What God did I
offend...
Goodspeed begins to wade into the pool.
MASON
Stop.
(Goodspeed stops)
There. And there.
Goodspeed squints. The water slithers with
COTTONMOUTHS. Mason unpack the QUART OF MOTOR OIL in
spray bottle.
MASON
Cottonmouth snakes. They breath
through their skin. Oil clogs it.
They hate the stuff.
MASON
sprays the motor oil across the
pool. The snakes scatter. The
pool's now coated with an oil
slick. Mason wades in. Goodspeed
follows.
The COTTONMOUTHS, repulsed by the oil, stay away.
Goodspeed tries not to look at the snakes. They make it
across.
GOODSPEED
Something's a little off here: I'm
the FBI Agent, you're the convict,
and you have all the guns.
Mason slaps the 9mm pistol into Goodspeed's hand walks
off. Goodspeed follows.
INT. ALCATRAZ - TUNNEL UNDER PRISON MORGUE - NIGHT
Mason and Goodspeed arrive at a fork in the tunnel.
DOWN THE FORK IN THE TUNNEL
... is the PRISON MONO-RAIL SYSTEM: a single rail
suspended from the tunnel ceiling, upon which SMALL
CARTS are suspended.
GOODSPEED
The morgue?
Mason nods. Moves to a STEEL-RUNGED LADDER leading to a
GARBAGE CHUTE against the wall. Goodspeed follows.
INT. ROOM ADJACENT TO MORGUE - NIGHT
Mason and Goodspeed emerge from the garbage chute. They
hear VOICES in the next room.
INT. MORGUE - NIGHT
Pvts. Gamble and Starling are guarding the poison.
Starling's walking around. Gamble's seated on a
MORTICIANIS TABLE, smoking.
The door bursts open. Mason stands in the doorway.
GAMBLE dives away. Starling whirls, raising his M-16.
MASON'S HAND flashes. THE SAW-TOOTHED KNIFE flies the
length of the room and buries in Starling's neck.
MASON
Never hesitate.
Gamble fires from his position around the corner. Mason
and Goodspeed dive for cover behind a cabinet.
Goodspeed fires from cover without looking, his gun
raised over the cabinet. Mason, underneath the cabinet,
fires at GAMBLE'S FOOT. Gamble, shot, hits the deck.
Gamble unclips a GRENADE. Before he can pull the pin...
MASON FIRES HIS CLIP EMPTY at the AIR CONDITIONER MOUNT
on the ceiling above Gamble. The mount gives; the
ENORMOUS AIR CONDITIONER falls, crushing Gamble.
Gamble's GRENADE, still secured with the pin, rolls
away.
Goodspeed rises. Looks at Gamble under the air
conditioner. Just HIS LEGS stick out. (Note: the rest
of the scene's action plays out around Gamble's legs.
GOODSPEED
You didn't learn that in prison.
MASON
No, and I used to be a lot quicker.
GOODSPEED
I've got some questions for you but
they can wait.
Goodspeed opens the CORPSE DRAWERS revealing the V.X.
CHEM ROUNDS (shaped like big tennis ball cans).
Goodspeed carefully lifts out a chem round. Mason grabs
one, accidentally knocking it against the drawer.
GOODSPEED
Careful. The second you don't
respect this, it kills you.
Goodspeed and Mason set the V.X. chem rounds on the
mortician's table. Goodspeed pulls out his EQUIPMENT
KIT. Begins detaching the tops of the chem rounds.
Goodspeed reaches inside a chem round and carefully
pulls out... a STRAND OF V.X. POISON PEARLS: ping-pong
ball sized glass bubbles filled with poison.
GOODSPEED
I need a hand here.
(Mason looks anxiously
at the poison pearls.)
Mason. Now.
Goodspeed hands the poison pearl strand to Mason. Mason
holds it like a string of wind chimes.
MASON
What... exactly does this do to
you?
GOODSPEED
Any epidermal exposure or
inhalation and you'll know: A
twinge at the small of your back as
the poison seizes the nervous
system.
(hands over another
poison pearl strand)
Then loss of muscular function.
Then you spit your guts out, it
looks like a tub of spaghettis
spilled on the floor, then your
skin turns black...
Mason stares uneasily at the pearl strands.
MASON
Sounds like my first marriage.
Goodspeed has the chem round's GUIDANCE SYSTEMS
exposed. Inside are tiny GUIDANCE SYSTEM MICRO-CHIPS.
Goodspeed plucks the chip from each chem round and
pockets it.
GOODSPEED
(into tac radio)
Pier 39 come in.
SANCHEZ (V.O.)
(tac radio)
Goodspeed? Where the hell have you
been. Talk to me.
GOODSPEED
We're in the morgue. I'm removing
the rocket's guidance system chips.
(to Mason)
Without em the rocketslll fly about
500 feet and splash down like a
wounded duck.
Goodspeed moves on to the third and fourth chem rounds.
Suddenly there's a BEEP. Goodspeed and Mason whirl.
Pvt. Gamble's WALKIE TALKIE is talking to them:
HUMMEL (O.S.)
Gamble, Starling. Come in.
Mason and Goodspeed exchange a nervous look.
HUMMEL (O.S.)
Privates Gamble and Starling, come
in.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - NIGHT
Hummel clicks off his walkie-talkie. Stands there a
second, thinking.
HUMMEL
The morgue. Hummel and Baxter exit
quickly.
INT. ALCATRAZ - MORGUE - NIGHT
Goodspeed goes faster; his hands are sweating,
trembling. It's like he's lost his spine. (And thinking
about Carla, perhaps he has.)
MASON
C'mon c'mon... faster...
Goodspeed nearly drops a chem round. Mason recoils.
MASON
I thought you were cool under
pressure.
GOODSPEED
Shut up; you're making me nervous.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - BETWEEN CELL HOUSE AND MORGUE - NIGHT
Hummel and his men race toward the morgue.
INT. ALCATRAZ - MORGUE - NIGHT
Goodspeed has dealt with eight chem rounds. There
should be seven more, but there's not. Goodspeed counts
them...
MASON
They'll be on us in twenty seconds.
GOODSPEED
Wait a minute. Fuck. Hummel stole
fifteen chem rounds. There's only
twelve here. Here. Quickly. Do
these last four.
Mason raises the poison pearl strands from each of the
remaining four chem rounds. Goodspeed quickly plucks
the chips from the guidance systems.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - MORGUE - NIGHT
Hummel and the marines converge on the morgue. Surround
the door. They burst inside, guns trained.
INT. ALCATRAZ - MORGUE - NIGHT
Cox, McCoy, and Darrow fire machine gun bursts at -
MASON AND GOODSPEED
Sprinting across floor, BULLETS chewing the floor. They
dive into the MORGUE INCINERATOR CHUTE, Goodspeed
leaving the tac radio behind...
INT. TUNNEL UNDER MORGUE - NIGHT
Goodspeed and Mason tumble out of the chute. Two MONO-
RAIL CARTS are hanging there. They exchange a look and
climb into the first cart. Mason throws the cart's
RELEASE LEVER. The cart glides down the mono-rail.
INT. ALCATRAZ - MORGUE - NIGHT
Hummel goes to the mortician's table. Sees the theft of
the guidance chips.
HUMMEL
Hendrix! Take Royce and Scarpetti!
Cpt. Hendrix and Pvts. Royce and Scarpetti dive into
the incinerator chute after Mason and Goodspeed.
BAXTER
Gamble and Starling are dead.
CUT TO:
INT. TUNNEL UNDER MORGUE - MONO-RAIL TRACK - NIGHT
Hendrix, Scarpetti, and Royce tumble from the
incinerator chute. Mason and Goodspeed are down the
Mono-rail track.
Hendrix gets in THE SECOND MONO-RAIL CART. Scarpetti
gets in THE THIRD MONO-RAIL CART. Hendrix and Scarpetti
pull the release levers. The Mono-rail carts rumble
after Goodspeed and Mason. Hendrix shouts back to
Royce:
CAPTAIN HENDRIX
FOLLOW ON FOOT!
INT. ALCATRAZ - MONO-RAIL TUNNEL - NIGHT
The three carts fly down the mono-rail: Goodspeed and
Mason (in CART 1) 50 feet ahead of Scarpetti (in CART
2), who is 50 feet ahead of Hendrix (in CART 3).
IN CARTS 2 AND 3
Scarpetti and Hendrix fire M-16s.
IN CART 1
Mason and Goodspeed duck as BULLETS RICOCHET around the
tunnel walls. They pop up and return fire.
IN CART 2
Scarpetti arms hi over/under M-16 grenade launcher with
a grenade and... FIRES.
The GRENADE PROJECTILE shoots down the monorail tunnel.
IN CART 1
Mason and Goodspeed duck as the GRENADE PROJECTILE
wings over their heads, continues down the tunnel and
DETONATES against the tunnel wall.
CART 1
Roars through smoke and debris left by grenade
explosion. As it rounds a corner, Mason grabs A
SPLINTERED TIMBER and releases from the cart. CART 1,
with Goodspeed alone continues down the mono-rail.
Mason yanks down a 5 ft. long BROKEN SECTION OF SEWAGE
PIPE and presses himself against the tunnel wall.
AS CART 2 rounds the corner...
WHAM!! Mason swings, hitting Scarpetti flush in the
forehead, killing him and blowing him off the cart.
Cart 2, without Scarpetti, continues down the mono-
rail.
Mason waits. As CART 3 rounds the corner
Mason swings again But Hendrix is waiting for it.
Hendrix grabs the swinging pipe and pulls Mason into
Cart 3!
IN CART 3 - HENDRIX AND MASON FIGHT SCENE
Mason's sprawled on the floor of the cart. Hendrix
levels his M-16. Mason whipsaws the legs under Hendrix,
bowling him over, the M-16 falling away from the cart.
Mason and Hendrix get to their feet.. They trade blow
after blow as the Cart ROARS through the tunnel.
IN CART 1
Goodspeed looks over his shoulder at Mason and Hendrix
locked in mortal combat. He pulls the CART BRAKE. Cart
1 begins slowing down. CART 2 (Scarpetti's) rams into
it. Now Carts 1 and 2 are together. And on comes -
CART 3
Hendrix knocks Mason to the floor of the cart. Hendrix
dives atop Mason, strangling him. mason's head is bent
over the front lip of the cart. Mason looks down the
mono-rail track. To his horror he sees CARTS 1 and 2
slowing down...
IN CART 1
Goodspeed realizes that his cart is going to ram
Mason's outstretched head. He releases the brake, and
CART 1 picks up speed...
IN CART 3
Hendrix draws the knife. Hendrix raises the knife. With
his last strength, Mason rolls away. Hendrix plunges
the knife down, missing Mason, him momentum carrying
his head and shoulders over the front lip of the cart.
Mason SCREAMS at Goodspeed.
MASON
BRAKE!!!
IN CART 1
Goodspeed pulls the cart brake and -
CART 3 SLAMS into CARTS 1 and 2 at 20 mph., crushing
Hendrix's head and torso between CARTS 2 and 3.
The collision knocks Mason off CART 3, SLAMMING his
head against the tunnel wall. Mason falls unconscious
to the tunnel floor, while -
CART 1 is shoved by the collision across a DITCH OF
WATER in the tunnel floor. Goodspeed groggily gets to
his feet. Jumps down from the cart.
GOODSPEED
Mason!
In the midst of this Pvt. Royce runs up. Sees Mason
concussed, helpless. Royce draws his GLINTING KNIFE.
Kneels over Mason. He's going to cut his throat.
GOODSPEED
Wait.
Royce lowers the knife. Looks across the ditch at
Goodspeed. The ditch is 20 ft. wide and filled with
dank, stagnant water and we've seen dank, stagnant
water before.
GOODSPEED
Pretty easy killing an unconscious
man. How about trying me? Punk.
(beat)
What're you waiting for? Limp dick.
ROYCE
I am going to fuck you up something
fierce. You rolled the wrong
number, shithead. You crapped out.
And Royce begins to wade into the ditch. And Goodspeed
is looking at the water, waiting... Royce is waist deep
now. Royce feels something. He winces. Looks down at -
FIVE COTTONMOUTH SNAKES, fangs wide and white, plunging
into him. Royce screams. His knees buckle. He falls to
his knees in the water. A COTTONMOUTH stuck to his
neck... Royce SHRIEKS again...
And slides gently under the water.
GOODSPEED
I rolled snake-eyes. Shithead.
Goodspeed, hand over hand on the monorail, eases the
cart across the stagnant ditch. Hops out. Mason
gets to his feet. The two exchange a look.
MASON
Limp dick?
GOODSPEED
It's all I could think of.
They stumble off down the mono-rail tunnel.
MASON
I think I've got arthritis.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT
General Kramer, CIA Director Amway, chief of Staff
Hayden Sinclair and Security Advisor Louis Lindstrom.
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
The President arrives in three
hours. His directive is to string
Hummel along until the airstrike is
operational.
LOUIS LINDSTROM
What's the word from Mojave,
General?
GENERAL KRAMER
(grim)
They're going as fast as they can.
A CORRUGATED ALUMINUM HANGAR
SUPER: "Mojave Desert United States Air Force Testing
Facility"
INT. USAF TESTING FACILITY WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
Looks like a Formula One garage. ROCK MUSIC blares.
Eight GUIDED MISSILES (finned, 8 feet long) hand from
hoists in various states of repair. USAF TECHNICIANS
hover over the missiles.
IN A CORNER
Jimmy Fisk and Larry Giler consult.
LT. FISK
We're fucked, cap'n.
CPT. GILER
Are we fucked with a pencil or are
we fucked with a baseball bat.
LT. FISK
We're fucked with a telephone pole.
(turns to the missiles)
We can arm em with Willy Peter, no
problem, but negatory on smart bomb
capability.
CPT. GILER
What are you saying?
LT. FISK
The pilots are gonna have to drop
em manually. We're talkin, retro,
baby. We're talkin' World War II.
INT. ALCATRAZ - BEHIND "CHINA ALLEY" - NIGHT
Mason and Goodspeed emerge from the mono-rail tunnel.
The launcher on China Alley is in the b.g. Suddenly,
from the loudspeaker above them:
HUMMEL (V.O.)
(loudspeaker)
Attention Navy Seals, attention.
Mason and Goodspeed freeze.
GOODSPEED
He thinks we're Seals.
HUMMEL (V.O.)
(loudspeaker)
Congratulations. You've taken some
things of mine. I can't convince
you to return them so I'll put on
someone who can.
A pause. Then a MALE VOICE. Nervous. Quivering.
MALE VOICE (V.O.)
(loudspeaker)
Hell... hello.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PRISON EXERCISE YARD - NIGHT
LARRY HENDERSON, 48, stands at the end of the exercise
yard in a SPOTLIT AREA. Capt. Darrow has his .45 placed
against Larry's left temple.
HUMMEL
Tell them your name and age.
LARRY HENDERSON
My n-name is L-larry Henderson. I'm
forty-eight.
HUMMEL
Good Mr. Henderson, continue...
LARRY HENDERSON
I don't know who you are, but p
please, there's a gun
EXT. ALCATRAZ - BEHIND CHINA ALLEY - NIGHT
Mason and Goodspeed, crestfallen, listen.
LARRY HENDERSON (V.O.)
(loudspeaker)
... and they're going tooh god...
(through tears)
... please don't kill me.
Larry's quivering voice trails off. Replaced by:
HUMMEL (V.O.)
(loudspeaker)
Convinced? Mr. Henderson hopes so.
You have two minutes.
Goodspeed turns to Mason.
GOODSPEED
I'll go.
MASON
Wrong.
GOODSPEED
What, vou?
MASON
I'm not the chemical weapons
expert.
GOODSPEED
Good point. Okay here, take 'em.
Goodspeed unpockets the V.X. ROCKET'S GUIDANCE CHIPS.
Hands them to Mason. Mason heaves them into the bushes.
GOODSPEED
What are you doing?
MASON
Now they only have three rockets
left.
GOODSPEED
What about Mr. Henderson?
MASON
Hummel's a soldier, not a murderer.
GOODSPEED
Wait.
MASON
(stops; turns)
Find the rockets. If they're
guarded, kill the men guarding
them.
GOODSPEED
I... I don't know if I can do this.
MASON
There's only one way to find out.
I'll try to give you time. And
Goodspeed....
(tosses Goodspeed his
ATROPINE SYRINGE)
Don't be an idiot. Put that on.
Mason moves off into the night.
GOODSPEED
Well thank-you, thank-you very
much.
Goodspeed creeps toward the China Alley rocket
launcher.
EXT. CHINA ALLEY - NIGHT
Goodspeed moves under the grated, multi-level structure
of china Alley. Looks up through the grate. The ROCKET
LAUNCHER sits on the grate on the level above him.
EXT. MAIN CELL BLOCK - NIGHT
Mason walks down the middle of the cell block toward
the opening to the exercise yard.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PRISON YARD - ONE MINUTE LATER - NIGHT
Darrow with his gun to Larry Henderson's head. Hummel
paces in the background. Mason emerges from the cell
block.
Mason walks up to Hummel. The two stand there a moment,
regarding each other.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Gotta be kidding me. They send an
old man.
Mason gives Darrow a hard-eyed glance. Hummel takes a
lap around Mason, sizing him up.
HUMMEL
I thought I'd been in the service a
long time. Name and rank, sailor.
MASON
John Paul Mason.
(stares at Hummel)
Royal Navy. Commander.
HUMMEL
You're a long way from England,
Commander Mason.
MASON
I feel strangely at home.
HUMMEL
How's that?
MASON
You wouldn't believe me if I told
you.
HUMMEL
Do you have some unique knowledge
of this prison facility, Commander
Mason?
MASON
Quite unique.
HUMMEL
How's that?
MASON
I was a guest here.
Glances all around. Someone laughs. Everyone laughs.
EXT. CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCH STATION - NIGHT
Pvt. Cox mans the launcher. Suddenly a voice:
GOODSPEED (V.O.)
Freeze.
(Cox freezes)
Drop the weapon and turn around.
Slowly.
Pvt. Cox drops his weapon. Slowly turns. Goodspeed, one
hand on his gun, the other on HIS TOOLS, begins to
unscrew the V.X. CHEM ROUND FACE-PLATE.
ON THE GRATED LEVEL ABOVE GOODSPEED
Pvt. McCoy appears. Looking down, he sees Goodspeed and
Cox. He cinches his REPELLING CLIP to the steel
railing.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PRISON YARD - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT
HUMMEL
Well you're some kind of joker,
Mason. Maybe you're a lunatic. Are
you of sound mind, Mason?
MASON
I'm not threatening the lives of a
million innocent people. You are.
Hummells demeanor changes. Hard now. Tight.
HUMMEL
Give me the guidance chips.
MASON
I threw them in the bay.
HUMMEL
That was stupid of you.
MASON
(re: hostage Henderson)
Would you have shot him7
CUT TO:
The marines look at Hummel, wondering the same thing.
EXT. CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCHING STATION - NIGHT
Goodspeed, still holding Cox at bay, pulls the V.X.
chem round from the rocket. The going is slow. He
begins to lift the POISON PEARL STRANDS from the chem
round. His hand reaches to unclip the GUIDANCE SYSTEM
CHIP.
Suddenly Pvt. McCoy repels to the level behind
Goodspeed. Goodspeed grabs the chip and dashes off,
slamming through an OLD WOODEN DOOR into the CIVIL WAR
RUINS.
EXT. PRISON YARD - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT
Mason and Hummel. The previous question dangles in the
air: Would you have shot him?
HUMMEL
You seem like a bright man,
Commander. Bright men understand
necessity.
MASON
Bright men also obey the law.
"Wherever law ends, terror begins."
John Locke.
HUMMEL
"Where there is no law, there is no
transgression." The Bible. Romans,
Chapter 4, Verse 15.
MASON
Article 7, American Constitution?
"Treason against the United States
shall consist of... 11
HUMMEL
The American Constitution was
written by traitors, Commander.
Traitors against a government
founded on injustice and tyranny
and stupidity.
(beat)
I see little difference in my
motivation.
EXT. CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCHING STATION - NIGHT
Goodspeed, inside the Civil War ruins, levels his gun
at the door. The chip is in his free hand.
The door CREAKS open.
EXT. PRISON YARD - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT
HUMMEL
Do you, Commander Mason?
Suddenly GUNSHOTS. Coming from China Alley. Hummel and
men whirl around, startled.
HUMMEL
Frye, Crisp, go!
EXT. CHINA ALLY ROCKET LAUNCHING STATION - NIGHT
Goodspeed wildly discharges his gun until CLICK, the
clip is spent. Cox and McCoy step through the doorway.
Goodspeed shoves the guidance chip in his mouth.
MCCOY
Swallow that and I swear on my Aunt
Myrtle's grave I'll cut your belly
open and pull it out.
McCoy and Cox spring at Goodspeed. McCoy whips the butt
end of his gun against Goodspeed's head. Goodspeed
crumples, unconscious. McCoy jams his fingers in
Goodspeed's mouth.
MCCOY
He bit the fuckin' thing. It's
shot.
INT. MAIN CELL HOUSE - CELL BLOCK "ID" - MORNING
Goodspeed squints through painful eyes, gaining
consciousness. he looks around, taking stock of the
start cell on "ID" block. Gets to his feet. Goes to the
bars:
GOODSPEED
Mason.
(no response)
Mason?
MASON (V.O.)
It's about time.
GOODSPEED
Where are you?
A CELL ON THE TIER ABOVE GOODSPEED
Mason sits on a bed.
MASON
Above you.
(under his breath)
Literally and figuratively.
WIDENING
We see that MASON'S MATTRESS has been ripped into long
strips. Mason is BRAIDING THE STRIPS into a long rope.
The rope is quite finely constructed. Mason's been at
this several hours.
INTERCUT BETWEEN THE TWO CELLS
During the following, Mason keeps busy with his rope
braiding.
GOODSPEED
This is tiny.
MASON
You referring to your intellect,
Goodspeed? Or another portion of
your anatomy...
GOODSPEED
The cell, Mason.
MASON
Five feet by seven. Try living in
one for a year. What happened?
GOODSPEED
I only got one chem round. There
are two left. I fucked up.
MASON
(sarcastic)
Surprise, surprise.
GOODSPEED
I'm not a field agent, all right?
So cut me a break.
MASON
An FBI Man asking me for a break.
How droll.
GOODSPEED
What is your beef with the Bureau,
anyway C'mon. Tell me.
MASON
Let's say our countries had a
little dispute. They both knowingly
shafted me.
GOODSPEED
How?
MASON
Familiar with the name Hoover,
Goodspeed? I don't mean a vacuum
cleaner...
Goodspeed listens intently and
CUT TO:
INT. LONG BEACH AIR FORCE BASE HANGAR - MORNING
SUPER: "LONG BEACH, CA. - US AIR FORCE BASE"
TECHNICIANS are frantically installing WILLY PETER
INCENDIARY BOMBS under the wings of an F-16.
ACROSS THE HANGAR
General Peterson and Captain Giler brief FOUR F-16 TOP
GUN PILOTS.
GENERAL PETERSON
The target. Alcatraz Island. This
is not a precision strike. The
entire island is to be blanketed.
LWO F-16 PILOT
Sir, we hit that Island with Willy
Peter and it's going to look like
Iwo Jima. No one can survive it.
GENERAL PETERSON
(grimly)
That's why this is a volunteer
mission, Captain. If any of you
have doubts you can carry it out,
speak up.
The pilots look at each other. Silence.
GENERAL PETERSON
Captain Giler?
CPT. GILER
We jerry-rigged a release lever.
You'll find it on the left side of
the cockpit. It's got two
positions: safety and release.
Throw it on release, the bomb drops
in five seconds. Change your mind,
throw it back on safety. Any
questions?
INT. ALCATRAZ - GOODSPEED'S CELL - MORNING
Goodspeed stares blankly into space.
INTERCUT BETWEEN THE TWO CELLS AGAIN
GOODSPEED
Jesus.
(thinks)
Why didn't you just tell Hoover and
the bureau where the microfilm was?
Make a trade?
MASON
Some trade. They'd get the
microfilm and I'd get a bullet in
the head.
GOODSPEED
I see your point. Something's been
on my mind. About your escape.
MASON
What?
Mason rises. Lifts the bed. Pulls off the bed's heavy
ROLLING CASTER. Knots the caster onto one end of the
braided rope.
GOODSPEED
You went down the shower drain,
through the tunnels to the power
plant, under the steam engine and
out through the intake pipe - that
much I've got ' But... how'd you
get out of your cell?
Mason leans out his cell and tosses the rolling caster
down the cell block. The braided rope, tied to it,
plays out to it's full length.
GOODSPEED (CONT'D)
I only ask because, in our current
situation, it might be useful
information...
The result: the braided rope lies across the cell block
floor, the rolling caster tied to it. Mason holds the
other end of the rope through the bars of his cell.
MASON
Trade secret, Billy, I'll tell you
this: It was easier than getting
in.
MASON
fiercely yanks the rope toward him.
The heavy rolling caster jerks from
the floor. The CASTER, pulling the
rope, flies past Mason's cell -
Shooting in an arc around the corner of the cell block,
still pulling the rope, where -
The caster-pulled ROPE catches the CELL RELEASE LEVER
against the wall. The rope coils, WRAP WRAP WRAP,
around the release lever handle.
MASON
tugs the rope taut like he's just
snagged a fish. Then he pulls
slowly and delicately.
THE CELL DOOR RELEASE LEVER pulls down and -
MASON'S CELL DOOR (and all the doors on that tier) open
at once.
Mason smiles.
INT. GOODSPEED'S CELL - MORNING
Goodspeed hears the doors opening above him.
GOODSPEED
Hey! Hey what's happening?
(no response)
Mason. Mason?
Suddenly Goodspeed's cell door opens. Goodspeed exits
the cell. Mason stands there.
MASON
You're on your own, kid. Your
gear's over there.
Mason motions to a HEAP OF THEIR GEAR (clothes,
weapons, flares) in the corner of the cell tier.
GOODSPEED
Shit....
Goodspeed grabs his guns and gear and follows after
Mason.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - MORNING
Hummel sits behind the desk. Baxter, Frye, Darrow,
Hendrix in front of him. Silence. Hummel stares at his
phone. The tension is palpable.
HUMMEL
Time.
BAXTER
(consults his watch)
Fifteen minutes Frank.
CAPTAIN FRYE
We have two operational rockets
left, General. One on the lower
lighthouse, one on the rooftop,
ready for fire.
(no response)
General.
HUMMEL
I heard you Captain.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Prepare for launch General?
General?
HUMMEL
Not yet.
CAPTAIN FRYE
General Hummel, noon is
approaching.
HUMMEL
I'm aware of the time, Captain.
Hummel glares at Frye, then at the phone. Frye and
Darrow exchange a look...
CUT TO:
INT. WHITE HOUSE - OVAL OFFICE - MORNING
The Clock on the wall reads 11:47.13 minutes to go.
General Kramer, Security Advisor Louis Lindstorm and
CIA Director Milton Amway.
LOUIS LINDSTROM
When was the last communication
from our men on Alcatraz?
GENERAL KRAMER
Seven hours ago.
The Naval Attache enters excitedly.
NAVAL ATTACHE
General, the white phosphorous
attack is operational.
General Kramer grabs the phone.
GENERAL KRAMER
Get me the President.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PARADE GROUND - MORNING
Mason emerges from the parade ground ruins and moves
down the embankment toward the water. Goodspeed stays
above.
GOODSPEED
Mason. John.
(Mason stops)
What happened - the injustice done
to you - doesn't mean you can walk
away from this. A million people
across that Bay will die.
MASON
Only one of them I care about.
GOODSPEED
You were once a different man.
MASON
You don't know what kind of man I
was.
GOODSPEED
You were a civil servant. Sworn to
do your duty. Just like me.
Mason begins climbing down to the waterline.
INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - MORNING
Hummel, with Baxter, Hendrix, Frye, Darrow and Crisp.
The atmosphere is now so fucking thick you can cut it.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Eleven fifty-seven, General. Three
minutes to go.
HUMMEL
They're going to call.
CAPTAIN FRYE
They are not going to call General.
HUMMEL
I... I don't understand this.
CAPTAIN DARROW
I understand it. They're calling
our bluff. We have two operational
rockets left. We have to stick one
of those rockets in their ear,
General.
HUMMEL
Atom?
BAXTER
I... I don't know Frank.
HUMMEL
Seventy thousand people... I
didn't... I didn't ever...
CAPTAIN FRYE
You didn't ever what?
(no response)
You didn't ever what, General?
(gets in Hummel's face)
General, forty-eight hours ago I
was in a cushy job at Pendleton. As
of this moment I am subject to
prosecution for treason and murder.
Do you know what that means. It
means the electric chair. For all
of us.
BAXTER
He's right Frank. Authorize the
launch or it's over.
All eyes on Hummel now.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Authorize the launch, General.
Hummel nods and
CUT TO:
EXT. ALCATRAZ - ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE - MORNING
Capt. Frye and Sgt. Crisp approach the rocket launcher
across the roof of the main cell house.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PARADE GROUND - MORNING
Mason's wading into the water now.
GOODSPEED
You'll never make it.
MASON
I once swam the English Channel,
but you're entitled to your
opinion.
Goodspeed, disgusted, turns and heads back, grumbling.
GOODSPEED
Fine. I'll fuckin, do it myself.
EXT. ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE - MORNING
Cpt. Frye and Sgt. Crisp on the roof, ready the rocket
launcher. Hummel's VOICE comes over Fryels walkie-
talkie:
HUMMEL (V.O.)
(over walkie-talkie)
Launch coordinates 675 dash 439.
CAPTAIN FRYE
Aye aye General: coordinates 675
dash Awaiting launch command.
INT. INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - MORNING
Hummel stares at a GRIDDED MAP OF THE BAY AREA.
CAPTAIN FRYE (V.O.)
(over walkie-talkie)
(beat)
General, your command.
HUMMEL
(closes his eyes)
Fire.
EXT. ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE - MORNING
Frye presses the ignition switch. The ROCKET'S TAIL
fires. It ROARS off the launcher. Toward Oakland.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PARADE GROUND - MORNING
CLOSE ON MASON - as he watches the V.X. ROCKET ROARING
over his head toward civilian populdtion.
MASON
(hushed)
My god.
Mason looks up. Goodspeed stands above on the
embankment.
GOODSPEED
That change things?
INT. PIER 39 - FBI COMMAND - MORNING
The FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN stares at the RADAR SCREEN.
FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN
They fired a rocket. It's headed
east.
Everyone stares at the radar screen. A hush.
SANCHEZ
East. But that's... Oakland.
(dawns on him)
My god. The football game.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PARADE GROUND - MORNING
Mason comes back up the embankment. Faces Goodspeed-
with grim resolve:
GOODSPEED
Partners?
MASON
Partners.
The two men clasp hands and
CUT TO:
EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM - NOON
60,000 FOOTBALL FANS scream as the OAKLAND RAIDERS
sprint onto the field. Above, unbeknownst to anyone -
EXT. SKIES OVER OAKLAND CALIFORNIA - DAY
The V.X. ROCKET arcs over Oakland and -
INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - DAY
- Hummel, Baxter, and Darrow stare at the transmission
from the rocket's optic camera.
ON THE VIDEO MONITOR
We first see CLEAR SKY. The rocket reaches its apex.
Blue sky is now replaced by the OAKLAND COLISEUM
directly below. We descend on 60,000 people.
BACK TO SCENE
Hummel watches the video monitor nervously. His jaws
twitch.
He looks at the ROCKET GUIDANCE CONTROL COMPUTER. He
looks at the video monitor.
He can't take it. Hummel lunges for the ROCKET GUIDANCE
CONTROL COMPUTER. Darrow tries to restrain him, but -
Hummel punches in NEW COORDINATES -
EXT. SKIES OVER OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY
The V.X. Rocket's GUIDANCE CONTROL suddenly BLINKS RED.
the rocket veers off on a new vector. Heading now
toward San Francisco Bay. And
CUT TO:
INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - DAY
The FBI Radar Technician reacts to the change in the
rocket's trajectory.
FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN
Sir, it's heading into the bay?
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO BAY - DAY
A CHARTER FISHING BOAT bobs in the bay.
EXT. CHARTER FISHING BOAT - DAY
Four GUYS are fishing. Relaxing. Drinking beers. one
guy looks up. Sees something.
CHARTER FISHERMAN
What the hell...?
EXT. SKIES OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY - DAY
The V.X. rocket screams down at 500 ft. altitude it
DETONATES. Showering a cloud of V.X. POISON onto the
bay.
EXT. CHARTER FISHING BOAT - DECK - DAY
The Fishermen stand there, stunned as DROPLETS OF V.X.
POISON fall upon them. It's like a grey drizzle.
The Fishermen exchange looks. Hold out their hands,
catching "rain drops". One of them spasm. Another. The
others. Skin turns black. Blood runs from pores.
EXT. ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE - DAY
Frye and Crisp stare across the Bay in disbelief.
CAPTAIN FRYE
I don't believe it. He pulled the
plug.
Frye, disgusted, races down the STAIRS.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - IN FRONT OF INFIRMARY - DAY
Frye stalks into the infirmary. Mason and Goodspeed
come around the corner and steal inside the infirmary.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - OVAL OFFICE - DAY
Chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair stands before the desk
of the President of the United States.
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
They need a decision Mr. President.
The President (who we don't see) gazes into the East
Garden.
The President hits his INTERCOM to the room where his
cabinet is gathered.
INTERCUT WITH THE AUTHORITIES
Reactions, as needed:
PRESIDENT
These past few hours have been the
longest, darkest of my life. This
is when you wish the buck did not
stop here.
(beat)
A balance between two tragedies. On
one hand the fate of a million
civilians. On the other, Frank
Hummel. That we have ignored or
abandoned or marginalized a great
soldier like Frank Hummel and that
American boys have paid the price
of that neglect in blood, is
equally real, and equally tragic.
HAYDEN SINCLAIR
The glass is half full not half
empty, sir. No civilian casualties
so far.
PRESIDENT
I don't believe in half full or
half empty, Sinclair. There are
chemical weapons and there are
civilians. And there are men on
Alcatraz who've proved they're
willing to use the one on the
other.
(beat)
We are at war with terror. Fighting
a war means casualties. This is the
worst call I've ever had to make.
(takes the phone)
Air strike approved.
EXT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - MOBILE WAR ROOM - DAY
Sanchez, Womack, Carla, silent around speakerphone.
EXT. LONG BEACH AIR FORCE BASE - DAY
The F-16s ROAR down the runway, lifting into the sky.
INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY CORRIDOR - DAY
Mason and Goodspeed move silently down the corridor.
They pass the HEAVY STEEL DOOR of the Marinets Command
Center. It's ajar. Voices emanate within.
Goodspeed and Mason move inside the adjacent room.
INT. INFIRMARY ROOM ADJACENT TO COMMAND CENTER - DAY
There's a 4 x 16 inch slit in the wall. Mason and
Goodspeed position themselves on either side, watching
and eavesdropping on the drama unfolding within.
INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - DAY
Frye, Darrow and Baxter. All staring at Hummel.
CAPTAIN FRYE
You're gutless. I knew it.
CAPTAIN DARROW
The problem is now they know it.
HUMMEL
Careful son. I'd maintain
discipline if I were you.
Darrow draws his .45, levels it at Hummel.
INTERCUT WITH MASON AND GOODSPEED'S REACTIONS
CAPTAIN DARROW
I'm relieving you of your command
General. Captain Frye?
CAPTAIN FRYE
I'm in.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Major?
Major Baxter looks from Darrow to Hummel.
HUMMEL
Tom?
BAXTER
It's over Frank.
(to Darrow)
I'm in.
Hummel blinks. He can't believe this.
HUMMEL
Tom, I warn you.
BAXTER
Stand down, General.
HUMMEL
I'm giving you a direct order.
BAXTER
(draws his .45)
I'm not accepting it.
IN THE ADJACENT ROOM
Goodspeed and Mason exchange a tense look. Mason aims
his gun through the slit...
Hummel draws his .45 but Baxter fires first, hitting
Hummel squarely in the chest.
Mason FIRES through the slit, killing Baxter as -
Hummel, gunshot, reels toward the STEEL DOOR behind
him. He wrenches it open and lunges outside into the
corridor.
IN THE CORRIDOR
Mason fires into the command center, sending Frye and
Darrow diving for cover. Goodspeed grabs the semi-
conscious Hummel and drags him down the corridor.
IN THE INFIRMARY WASHROOM
Goodspeed drags Hummel inside. Hummel collapses against
the wall.
His blood runs across the tiled floor. Mason takes a
defensive position in the washrooms doorway.
Darrow and Frye attack through the infirmary's maze of
rooms, taking cover where they can, squeezing off
rounds.
Mason fires at Darrow and Frye from the doorway while
Goodspeed kneels over Hummel. Hummel's dying and knows
it. he stares at Goodspeed through glassy eyes.
HUMMEL
My god what have I done...
GOODSPEED
It's not too late, General. Tell me
where the last chem round is.
HUMMEL
(gasps for air)
Lower lighthouse...
Hummel dies. Mason and Goodspeed turn from Hummel to
each other.
MASON
Do your job, Billy - I'll try to
hold 'em off.
Mason blasts away at Frye and Darrow, allowing
Goodspeed to sprint for the exit toward the lower
lighthouse.
As Frye holds down Mason with fire, Darrow sprints for
the opposite exit. Frye, firing while retreating, moves
back inside the Command Center.
EXT. MAIN CELL HOUSE - DAY
Goodspeed exits and sprints toward the lower
lighthouse.
EXT. / INT. ALCATRAZ - LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Sgt. Crisp smokes a cigarette next to launcher.
Goodspeed enters, gun raised. Crisp spins, drawing his
.45.
GOODSPEED
Don't...
Goodspeed shoots Crisp. Crisp falls dead.
INT. INFIRMARY - CORRIDOR - DAY
Mason advances toward the command center's door.
Suddenly the HEAVY STEEL DOOR creaks open and -
A SATCHEL EXPLOSIVE flings out, sliding across the
corridor floor toward Mason. Mason turns and sprints
away. Frye bolts from the room, sprinting the other
way.
Mason dives away as the satchel DETONATES, imploding
the corridor walls, collapsing the ceiling. mason's
engulfed in two tons of plaster and crumbled cinder
block.
INT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Goodspeed's detached the V.X. CHEM ROUND from the
rocket. He's about ready to pull out the poison pearls
when..
Darrow barges in. Goodspeed, c hem round in hand, moves
behind the stairway and scaffolding in the room's
middle.
INT. INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - DAY
Frye, at the GUIDANCE CONTROL COMPUTER, into walkie
talkie.
CAPTAIN FRYE
Crisp, Darrow, come in...
(thinks; clicks walkie-
talkie to new channel)
Cox, McCoy, get your asses up here!
EXT. ALCATRAZ - WHARF WATCH TOWER - DAY
Pvts. Cox and McCoy, standing watch, leave the watch
tower and hurry toward the infirmary and lower
lighthouse.
INT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Darrow moves one way, Goodspeed the other. Goodspeed
holds the chem round in front of him.
CAPTAIN DARROW
Give that to me.
GOODSPEED
You shoot me, I'll drop this and
we're both dead. One of these
pearlslll kill everything within
200 feet. You know how this shit
works?
Darrow drops his gun. Pulls out a TITANIUM BLADED
KNIFE.
CAPTAIN DARROW
You know how this shit works?
Darrow advances on Goodspeed. The only route to
Goodspeed is between the rocket and the window. Darrow
continues advancing. Goodspeed eyes the launcher's
IGNITION SWITCH. As Darrow passes between thewindow and
the launcher...
GOODSPEED
You know the Elton John song,
"Rocket Man"?
CAPTAIN DARROW
I hate it.
Darrow lunges. Goodspeed stabs the IGNITION SWITCH. The
V.X. ROCKET LIFTS OFF, HITTING Darrow square in the
chest.
EXT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
The V.X. ROCKET BLOWS Darrow THROUGH THE WINDOW and
wings off, clearing the cliffs. Darrow falls from the
rocket -
GOODSPEED
Well it happens to be my favorite
fuckin, song!
EXT. ALCATRAZ - PARADE GROUND - DAY
Darrow plummets, IMPALING himself on a STEEL FENCE
SPIKE. The V.X. ROCKET swerves madly across the bay -
INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - MOBILE WAR ROOM - DAY
FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN
Second rocket's away, sir.
(confused look)
It went in the Bay sir.
INT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Goodspeed's alone now with the last V.X. CHEM ROUND. He
-pulls out the STRAND OF POISON PEARLS. Suddenly an AXE
BLADE comes through the door.
EXT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Capt. Frye chops at the door lock with a FIRE AXE.
INT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Goodspeed looks around frantically. Only one place to
go. Up. Goodspeed scrambles up the interior metal
stairs.
EXT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE ROOFTOP - DAY
Goodspeed emerges on the roof. Sets down the chem
round. Pulls out the POISON PEARL STRANDS, his hand
shaking. With the other hand, he unclips the ROCKET
GUIDANCE CHIP.
The COPPER STRANDS holding the pearls are corroded. A
strand BREAKS. Four PEARLS fall. Goodspeed catches
three. The FOURTH drops, hitting his SHOE. It rolls
along the rooftop. Goodspeed sets aside the other
pearls and dives, grabbing the stray pearl an inch from
the roof's edge.
Suddenly the HUGE LIGHTHOUSE WINDOW behind Goodspeed
EXPLODES, showering Goodspeed with glass.
ON THE ADJACENT ROOFTOP
Pvt. McCoy, wielding a smoking .60 CAL MACHINE GUN.
McCoy fires a wicked, long, sustained burst, emptying
his entire ammunition belt.
The LIGHTHOUSE SEARCHLIGHT FRESNEL blows to shreds.
Goodspeed rolls away, GLASS SHARDS raining down on him,
cutting him. He's a sitting duck.
McCoy casts aside the .60 Cal and unshoulders a SNIPER
RIFLE. Draws a bead on Goodspeed again. Goodspeed,
bleeding, terrified, cowers, awaiting death.
A SILHOUETTE APPEARES behind McCoy. It's Mason, dirty
and bloodied. McCoy spins. Mason bats the rifle aside,
KNEES McCoy in the solar plexus, grips McCoy's NECK -
SNAP! - and HURLS him off the roof. McCoy falls 5
floors.
Goodspeed gives Mason a thankful glance. And hears the
DOOR BURST OPEN BELOW.
INT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE ROOFTOP - DAY
Frye roars inside. Looks around. Starts up the stairs.
EXT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Frye barges onto the roof. Sees the DISMANTLED CHEM
ROUND. Goodspeed's at the edge of the roof looking
down.
CAPTAIN FRYE
Give me the guidance chip.
Frye raises his M-16 as Goodspeed jumps. Lands hard on
the ground below and sprints off.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - IN FRONT OF THE LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Goodspeed sprints toward the NEW INDUSTRIES BUILDING.
EXT. LOWER LIGHTHOUSE ROOFTOP - DAY
Frye fires form the roof. M-16 ROUNDS kick up dirt
around Goodspeed. Frye curses and head back down the
stairs.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - IN FRONT OF LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY
Frye exits and sprints after Goodspeed.
INT. MAIN CELL HOUSE - STAIRWELL - DAY
Mason come down the stairs. Suddenly Pvt. Cox looms on
the stairs below. Faces off with Mason. Cox draw his
knife and lunges. Mason catches Cox' wrist.
Cox, with his free hand, hits Mason. Hard. Mason
recoils. Counter punches. On comes Cox. He's huge and
menacing. He hits Mason again. Again. Again. Cox has
Mason backed up to the stairwell.
INT. NEW INDUSTRIES BUILDING - DAY
Goodspeed, frantic, sprints across the floor, SPLASHING
through puddles. He loses his footing. falls and slides
across the floor, clutching the guidance chip and pear.
He gets to his feet. LIMPS behind some RUSTY MACHINERY.
Frye enters. Sees RIPPLES IN PUDDLES left by Goodspeed.
Frye creeps across the floor. Following the ripples.
INT. MAIN CELL HOUSE - STAIRWELL - DAY
Mason's nearly through. Backed up against the railing.
Cox comes in again. WHAM WHAM. Mason spits blood and
teeth. Mason moves to his pocket. As Cox comes in for
the death blow -
Mason pulls the MOTOR OIL from his picket and sprays it
in Cox's eyes. The big man is dazed, blinded. Mason
steps aside and rams Cox over the railing. Cox falls to
his death on the floor below. Mason looks down at him.
MASON
Snakes hate the stuff.
INT. NEW INDUSTRIES BUILDING - DAY
Frye creeps close to Goodspeed's hiding place.
Goodspeed lunges from behind the machinery, jamming his
fingers into Fryels mouth and ramming home the POISON
PEARL.
Goodspeed HAMMERS his fist into Fryels JAW. We hear the
glass breaking in Fryels mouth. Fryels eyes widen. GREY
SMOKE SPEWS FROM HIS MOUTH AND NOSTRILS. His eyes
bulge.
Goodspeed tries to step away. Frye bearhugs him,
pressing his face close. Frye open his mouth, spewing
forth a CLOUD OF POISON in Goodspeed's face.
CAPTAIN FRYE
You're comin, with me.
Goodspeed shoves Frye away. Frye drops, his body
quivering. Blood pours form his ears and nose. Frye
spasms in a sickening dance of death.
Goodspeed reels away, COUGHING. Dizzy, he falls to his
knees. He's gassed and knows it. Desperately, he rips
at his PANDLEG. A SYRINGE taped to his calf. ATROPINE.
He pulls it free and hesitates. A beat, then - he
PLUNGES the long needle into his chest. Into his heart.
Depresses the plunger.
EXT. SKIES OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA - DAY
The F-16s, flying north along the California Coastline,
bank right and dive down onto San Francisco Bay.
INT. NEW INDUSTRIES BUILDING - DAY
Goodspeed's world slows down. Is he dying? He sees
IMAGES in SLOW MOTION He and Carla together his parents
moments from his childhood...
Slowly Goodspeed's breathing normalizes. He gazes up at
the dawning sky. SEES something shimmering in the
distance. Through the HEAT WAVES...
THE SOUADRON OF F-16s.
INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - DAY
Sanchez, Director Womack, and the FBI Technicians watch
from the window as -
The F-16s wing across the Bay toward Alcatraz.
SANCHEZ
May god have mercy on their souls.
CARLA
(face buried in his
hands)
You can't do this, you can't let
this happen.
EXT. NEW INDUSTRIES BUILDING - DAY
Goodspeed exits and kneels, reaching for HIS OTHER
PANTLEG. Pulls out his GREEN FLARES. He cracks the
flares and fires them up.
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO BAY BRIDGE - DAY
The F-16s fly under the span of bridge, just 50 feet
off the water, shooting up a PLUME OF WATER.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - NEW INDUSTRIES BUILDING - DAY
Goodspeed, in SLOW MOTION, waves the flares.
INT. LEAD F-16 - COCKPIT - DAY
The LEAD F-16 PILOT speaks on this air-to-air mike.
LEAD F-16 PILOT
Arm up.
INT. PIER 39 - FBI COMMAND CENTER - DAY
Carla watches the approach of the F-16s on Alcatraz in
horror. Every second is excruciating.
FBI TECHNICIAN
Ten seconds to the drop zone. And
now counting eight, seven, six...
EXT. WORLD WAR II BUNKER (SPOTTING POSITION #1) - DAY
A hilltop on the Marine side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Two spotters watch the action through SPOTTING SCOPES.
SPOTTER 1 watches the F-16s. SPOTTER 2, watching
ALCATRAZ, nearly jumps out of his skin.
FBI TECHNICIAN
Green smoke! It's... Goodspeed!!
A RADIO OPERATOR fires a message to command.
INT. PIER 39 - FBI COMMAND CENTER - DAY
SANCHEZ
Abort. Abort immediately.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - SHORELINE - DAY
On come the F-16s, ROARING over Alcatraz. They're
almost on top of Goodspeed now. It's too late. It's all
over.
INT. LEAD F-16 - COCKPIT - DAY
F-16 FLIGHT CONTROLLER
(V.O.)
(cockpit radio)
ABORT, RED THUNDER, ABORT!
LEAD F-16 PILOT
Abort. Abort.
The Lead F-16 Pilot safeties the bomb release lever.
INT. REAR F-16 - COCKPIT - DAY
The REAR F-16 PILOT is wrestling with his release
lever. It's stuck. He can't "safety" it.
REAR F-16 PILOT
Sir, something's wrong. I can't
disengage...!
LEAD F-16 PILOT
Then peel off...
EXT. SKIES OVER ALCATRAZ - DAY
The four F-16s veer away from the island. But for the
REAR JET, the order came too late...
EXT. REAR F-16 - WING UNDERCARRIAGE - DAY
The Rear F-16 releases its Willy Peter canisters. They
plummet to the island.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - NEAR NEW INDUSTRIES BUILDING - DAY
The WILLY PETER CANISTERS land, detonating on impact in
a MONSTROUS INFERNAL EXPLOSION.
The awesome concussion knocks Goodspeed off the New
Industries Building pier into the bay.
EXT. UNDERWATER - DAY
Goodspeed, concussed in the water, tries to keep
consciousness. He can't. He sinks.
ANOTHER FORM appears above him. It's Mason, swimming
for Goodspeed. Mason gets under his arms and pulls him
up.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - SHORELINE - DAY
Mason drags Goodspeed ashore.
INT. PIER 39 - COMMAND WAREHOUSE - DAY
Sanchez, Director Womack and the FBI Technicians stare
out the window at Alcatraz, enshrouded in PLUMES OF
SMOKE.
Total silence. Only Carla, weeping quietly in the
corner. Sanchez puts his arm around her. Ushers her
away. Suddenly a VOICE CRACKLES:
GOODSPEED (V.O.)
Pier 39 come in. Pier 39...
(freezes)
My god he's alive.
Director Womack grabs the mike.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Goodspeed, this is Director Womack.
Are the hostages alive?
GOODSPEED (V.O.)
Every one of 'em sir.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
What about Mason?
INT. ALCATRAZ - CIVIL WAR RUINS - DAY
Goodspeed stares at Mason, letting the question dangle.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Goodspeed. Is Mason alive?
A pause. The question still dangling there. Then:
GOODSPEED
(deep breath)
Just come and get me, sir. I'm
tired.
SANCHEZ
Name your vacation spot, Goodspeed.
The Bureau'll pay for it.
Goodspeed hangs up. The two men regard each other.
GOODSPEED
Mason, uhm, John, I have something
to tell you. You know that pardon
contract you signed?
MASON
Womack ripped it up, right?
GOODSPEED
You knew? All this time?
MASON
I'm not a fool, Billy.
GOODSPEED
All I know is that whatever you
did, you don't deserve to go back.
MASON
Goodspeed. You know the etymology
of your name?
GOODSPEED
God's speed.
MASON
Yes. To wish someone a prosperous
jouey.
Mason smiles. Goodspeed smiles back. There is an
immediate tacit understanding.
MASON
And if you turn around I'll tell
you a secret.
Goodspeed, confused by this, gives Mason a look. Slowly
turns around. Camera doesn't leave him.
MASON (O.S.)
St. Michael's Church, Fort Walton,
Kansas. Front pew. Right leg.
Hollow.
GOODSPEED
What's that?
(beat)
Mason?
Goodspeed turns around. John Paul Mason is gone.
EXT. ALCATRAZ - DOCK - DAY
Goodspeed is standing on the dock. Sanchez comes down
the gangplank.
SANCHEZ
You surprised me, kid. Never
thought you could do it.
GOODSPEED
Neither did I sir.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
Where's Mason?
GOODSPEED
Vaporized, sir. Blown out to sea.
GOODSPEED
He saved my life, sir. Is Sanchez
going to accept this?
SANCHEZ
Yes
(smiles; acknowledges)
Poor son-of-a-bitch.
FBI AGENT
Sir, the White House calling. It's
the President.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I'll take it.
Womack elbows past Goodspeed and Sanchez.
FBI AGENT
Uhm, sir, actually it's for
Goodspeed.
Womack glares at Goodspeed, who takes the phone.
GOODSPEED
Bill Goodspeed, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT (V.O.)
I am in your debt, Goodspeed, the
country is in your debt. You're a
hero, son.
GOODSPEED
Thank you, Mr. President. The man
you should be thanking is John
Mason.
PRESIDENT (V.O.)
So I've been informed. Would you
put the FBI Director on please?
GOODSPEED
Director Womack.
Goodspeed hands the phone to Womack. Womack looks at
the phone. Slowly takes it.
FBI DIRECTOR WOMACK
I can explain all of this, sir...
PRESIDENT (V.O.)
I don't want your explanation,
Womack. I want your resignation.
Womack grimaces. Goodspeed, smiling to himself, turns
away. Carla races into his arms. A long, warm embrace.
CUT TO:
EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY - DAY
A jeep motors up the Freeway. Passing a sign:
"VANCOUVER 30 MILES"
INT. JEEP - DRIVING - DAY
Mason and Jade. Jade driving. Father smiles. Daughter
smiles back.
CUT TO:
BEGIN CLOSING CREDITS
The following plays over:
"KANSAS - DAY"
EXT. A ROAD IN FORT WALTON, KANSAS - DAY
A beat-up PORSCHE SPEEDSTER exits a BAPTIST CHURCH.
INT. PORSCHE SPEEDSTER - DAY
Carla is driving. Goodspeed next to her. He opens a
WORN PLASTIC CANISTER. Spools out a REEL OF MICROFILM.
CARLA
Would you please tell me what this
is all about...?
GOODSPEED
You want to know who really killed
President Kennedy, honey...?
FADE OUT
THE END
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