FADE IN: - SimplyScripts
FADE IN:
EXT. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
A perfectly sunny, northern California spring day in a
typical upper-middle class neighborhood.
SUPER: APRIL 15, 2157
A car drives down the street. It parks in the empty driveway of an attractive two-story house.
Party balloons are tied to the lamppost in front of the house.
An attractive man and woman, HARVEY and SHEILA BARRETT, get out of the car. Sheila grabs a brightly wrapped package from the back seat. They walk up to the door and RING THE DOOR BELL.
INT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME – FRONT HALLWAY - SAME
NICK TEMPLE reads THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY in a room just off the front hallway.
Nick is nineteen years old. He is a confident athlete, good-looking with close-cropped hair. His clothes are casual, but not sloppy.
There is a bookshelf with a number of unopened presents on it just inside the door. A stairway leads from the entrance way to the second story.
Nick gets up and opens the door.
HARVEY AND SHEILA
(simultaneously)
Happy birthday!
They enter. Nick closes the door. Sheila hands Nick the present. He puts it on the bookshelf.
NICK
Thanks, you guys. Mom and Dad are
out back with DOC JOHNSON.
(yelling)
Mom, Dad! Harvey and Sheila are
here.
(normal tone)
I’ll be out in a bit.
HARVEY
(salutes)
Yessir!
NICK
No need for that, Harve. I’ve got
two years to go.
Harvey laughs. Nick watches as Harvey and Sheila head to the back of the house. The DOOR BELL RINGS. Nick opens the door.
Family friend TOM HAMILTON stands at the door with a six-pack of beer. A ribbon is stuck to the top of one of the bottles.
Tom’s had a tough night out. He wears sunglasses, and he hasn’t shaved for a couple of days. He looks to be about thirty.
TOM
Hey! There he is. The birthday
boy. The big one nine.
Tom comes in and hands Nick the six-pack.
TOM
Bon appetite!
NICK
Gosh, Tom, you shouldn’t have gone
to so much trouble.
Nick closes the door and puts the beer on the bookshelf.
TOM
No trouble at all, Nicky. Where’s
the party? Never mind, I’ll find
it myself. I can smell a good
party; it’s a gift I have.
Tom grabs one of the beers, and breezes by Nick heading for the backyard. The DOOR BELL RINGS. Nick opens the door.
KERRY and JOHN PARTRIDGE, and JIM and OLIVIA MIKAN are at the door. They all appear to be thirty years old. They are well-dressed, fit, tan, and successful. The women each hold a brightly wrapped package.
NICK
Come in, come in. You guys all
come together?
JOHN
Sure, Nick. We came here straight
from church.
There is a silent pause before they all break into loud laughter.
NICK
Presents on the shelf. Party’s out
back. You guys look great as
always.
KERRY
You know what they say, Nick. You
won’t look a day over thirty!
More laughter as the two couples head for the backyard. Nick closes the door, shakes his head and goes back to reading.
EXT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME – LATER
The driveway is crowded with cars. A car parks in front of Nick’s house.
GRAMMY TEMPLE, an attractive, slender woman, who appears to be about thirty years old, gets out of the car. She is dressed in clothes appropriate for an outdoor springtime party.
Grammy Temple gets a brightly wrapped present out of the car’s backseat, walks up to the door and RINGS THE DOORBELL.
INT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME - FRONT HALLWAY - SAME
LIVELY CHATTING/PARTY NOISES from the backyard can be heard in the background. Nick opens the door.
NICK
Grammy Temple!
Nick holds out his arms for a hug. Grammy Temple rushes in to give him a hug.
GRAMMY
Happy birthday, Nicky!
Here. A little something for you.
I hope it fits. You’re getting so
big!
NICK
Thanks, Grammy . . .
Where’s Gramps?
GRAMMY
Oh, he had to go on one of his
climbs. He’s in Yosemite with
that group of idiots from the office. He sends his love.
NICK
Right back at him when you see him.
GRAMMY
Sounds like the party’s already
in full swing. The big day’s
finally here!
NICK
Yeah. I guess so. I’ll just put
this with the other presents.
Nick puts the present in the pile.
NICK
You look great as always, Grammy.
GRAMMY
Oh, Nicky, I’m getting so damn old!
They both laugh.
NICK
You know what they say . . . You
don’t look a day over thirty.
GRAMMY
You’re sweet, honey. Mom and
dad home?
NICK
Yeah, everyone’s out back.
Grammy heads to the backyard. The camera focuses on her body as she walks away. She is stunning for a grandmother.
Nick scratches and shakes his head before he heads back to his chair to continue reading.
MRS. TEMPLE (OS)
Nick, honey, you joining us?
Nick puts down his book, takes a deep breath, and heads out back.
EXT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME BACKYARD – CONTINUOUS
The suburban backyard of an upper-middle class family dressed up for an adult birthday party.
The guests are all in the yard or on the covered patio. They all have drinks in their hands. No one looks more than thirty years old.
Nick’s two older brothers, HARRY TEMPLE and JOE TEMPLE, ages twenty three and twenty six respectively, are also there. They and Nick are the only ones who look younger than thirty.
Over to one side of the patio, a small group is gathered around a video game console. Grammy Temple plays a video game against Tom.
TOM
You haven’t lost a step, baby. You
think you got what it takes?
GRAMMY
What did you have in mind, Tommy?
TOM
I know where I can get a six pack
of beer and I’ve got the rest of
the day off.
GRAMMY
What’ll we tell the kids, Tommy?
TOM
Tell them you ran off with an older
man!
Grammy, Tom, and the group all laugh.
Nick enters through a sliding screen door from the kitchen. Birthday cheers greet Nick’s entrance. Nick is embarrassed by all the attention and continues to look nervous.
Joe Temple, Nick’s oldest brother, is another good looking guy. He is self-assured, successful and comfortable. He walks over to Nick.
JOE
Check out Grammy flirting over
there. Tom’s what, half her age?
NICK
Actually, a little less than half.
You think it’s weird now, wait ‘til
a hundred years from now.
JOE
What’s weird about it? It’s only
natural with the serum and all.
NICK
That doesn’t strike you as weird?
JOE
I figure she’s entitled with the
way Gramps is always chasing skirts.
Nick shrugs and shakes his head. Joe takes a sip from his drink and moves off.
MRS. TEMPLE
BILL, light the cake, dear.
Everyone’s here now.
Mrs. Temple, like everyone else, looks to be about thirty years old. She fawns on her sons and likes to tell her husband what to do. She has an apron on.
Her husband, BILL TEMPLE, is a good-natured, rock solid guy. He has a drink in his hand which he holds onto even as he lights the cake.
BILL
That should do it. Nineteen, and
one to grow on!
MRS. TEMPLE
Okay, everybody. Let’s gather
‘round. Time to sing to the
birthday boy.
The guests gather around, sing Happy Birthday, and hoist their drinks.
Nick blows out all of the candles. The crowd cheers.
Mrs. Temple moves in to start cutting the cake and serving it.
NICK
(above the crowd)
Before we get started I have
something I need to let you all
know.
The crowd eventually quiets down. Mrs. Temple goes on cutting the cake and putting the pieces onto plates.
NICK
(very nervously)
Mom, Dad, I suppose I should have
done this earlier. . . I could
have saved us, well, I guess I’ll
just say it.
Mrs. Temple stops cutting the cake.
MRS. TEMPLE
What is it, sweetheart?
Mrs. Temple puts a hand on her son’s arm.
NICK
I’ve made a decision. I’ve given
this a lot of thought. Honestly,
I haven’t thought about much of
anything else for the last few
months.
(a deep breath)
I’m not going to get the serum
injections.
The crowd is in stunned silence for just a moment until John Partridge breaks out laughing, at which point they all, except Nick, start laughing.
Nick tries to get their attention above the laughter.
NICK
It’s not a joke. Really, really.
I’m afraid I’m dead serious.
INT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME – FRONT HALLWAY - LATER
Bill Temple says goodbye to the guests as they leave. The mood is somber.
BILL
I don’t know where this came from.
It’s completely out of the blue.
Harvey, Sheila, thanks for coming.
Sorry about all of this.
SHEILA
I tell ya, it’s times like this
that make me glad we couldn’t have
kids.
HARVEY
You gotta get him turned around,
Bill. The Academy’s not gonna put
up with any nonsense like this.
BILL
No question there. We’ll handle
it. I just can’t believe he’d do
this to his mother, and on his
birthday, for Pete’s sake. His
brothers never gave us any trouble.
Harvey and Sheila leave. The last out the door is Dr. Johnson.
BILL
Doc. I’m sorry you came out here
for nothing.
DR. JOHNSON
Not to worry. I’m ready when you
folks are. Always have been.
INSERT – SMALL BLACK DOCTOR’S BAG
Dr. Johnson pats the bag.
BACK TO SCENE
BILL
We’ll call you.
Dr. Johnson leaves. Bill looks up the stairway that leads from the entrance way.
BILL
Nick! Your mother and I would like
to have a little talk with you.
INT. NICK’S TEMPLE’S HOME - LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Nick’s family is gathered together in the family’s large, comfortable living room. They all look haggard at this point.
Bill has a drink in his hands, and is louder than the rest each time he speaks. Mrs. Temple goes back and forth from looking scared to angry.
Nick’s two brothers, Joe and Harry, a near carbon copy of, but three years younger than Joe, are also in the room.
MRS. TEMPLE
But Nick, I don’t understand. It’s
perfectly safe. Everyone in our
family for as long as I can
remember has had the injections.
We’ve never had a single problem.
There’s nothing to worry about,
honey.
BILL
Oh, for Pete’s sake, dear, you’re
not listening. This is some sort
of political statement. That’s what
it is, isn’t it, son? A political
statement.
NICK
Not really, Dad. I’d just rather
try life on my own terms, the way
it was meant to be lived. This has
nothing to do with politics.
BILL
The hell it doesn’t. What on earth
have you got against living
forever? I don’t get it. What
could anyone have against living
forever? As long as you don’t get
hit by a train or something like
that, you’ve got it made. There’s
plenty of people in this world that
would trade places with you in a
heartbeat, young man.
Bill drains his drink.
BILL
Are you on some sort of religious
kick here? Give me something to go
on besides, “I did it my way.”
JOE
Come on, Nick. You don’t think
this is going to fly at the
Academy, do you? You can’t go back
there if you aren’t in the program.
Only outlaws aren’t in the program.
MRS. TEMPLE
What he’s doing isn’t against the
law, is it dear?
BILL
No, but it should be. What if
everybody started deciding they
weren’t going to get the injections?
Things would get out of control fast.
That’s what’d happen. Our taxes
would go through the roof again,
that’s for damn sure, what with the
the health care costs and
everything else.
Bill gets up, goes to the bar in the room and fixes himself another drink.
MRS. TEMPLE
How are you going to ever get
married, honey? You’ll start
growing old and your wife won’t.
Who’s going to want to marry some-
one that grows old? Have you
thought about that?
NICK
I at least want to have kids.
BILL
What the hell’s that supposed to
mean?
NICK
Am I the only one that’s noticed
that none of our immortal friends
have children?
JOE
That’s got nothing to do with the
serum.
NICK
You’re sure about that?
BILL
Oh, here we go. I knew it was
political. You know as well as I
do that they did a big study on
that. The serum’s got nothing to
do with fertility rates one way or
the other. You sound like one of
those Wise Men. They’re about the
only loonies out there that believe
this garbage.
Bill returns from the bar with his fresh drink and stands beside Mrs. Temple’s chair.
HARRY
You’ll look older than the rest of
us by the time you’re thirty five.
How do you think that would make
us feel?
JOE
Who’d take orders from some old
geezer of an Army officer? I’m
telling you, the Academy’s not
going to like it. Two years for
nothing? Shit.
MRS. TEMPLE
Joey, please.
JOE
Sorry, mom.
Mrs. Temple, who has been crying, blows her nose.
BILL
What about that, Nick? What about
your appointment, your commission?
You can’t just chuck it all
for some wild political idea or
some hair-brained religious quest.
NICK
(deep breath)
You guys have to believe me. I’ve
thought about all of these things
and many more. The whole idea of
trying to achieve immortality by
getting a series of chemical
injections is something I’m just
not interested in. I’ll say it
again. I want to live life the way
it was meant to be lived.
BILL
You know you’re putting all of us
at risk with this stunt. We’ll be
shunned. You’re a history student;
you know what’s happened to people
who don’t get the injections. I
hate to say it, but if you’re going
through with this, you have to leave . . .
MRS. TEMPLE
(gasps)
BILL
. . . and I mean right away. I’m
going to bed. If you’re here in
the morning, I’ll take that as
meaning you’ve come to your senses.
If you’re dead set on going through
with this, I want you to clear out
before your mother and I get up.
Mrs. Temple stands and gives Nick a tearful hug. Bill and Mrs. Temple leave for bed. The brothers sit in silence for a moment.
HARRY
So, Nicky boy, what’s it going to
be? Immortal or immoral, as the
saying goes.
NICK
I thought I’d join the Wise Men
first thing in the morning.
HARRY
Not funny. Don’t even joke about
that. Seriously, you know what
you’re going to do?
NICK
Can you give me a lift to the
laser rail station in the morning?
HARRY
You sure about this? What about
West Point?
NICK
They already know. I resigned
right before I left.
JOE
Wow! Man, this is some deep shit.
It’s like slow motion suicide or
something. That’s all I’ve got to
say.
Joe gets up and goes to bed.
HARRY
Joe’s right, Nick, this is some
deep shit.
NICK
That’s it?
Harry gets up to go to bed.
HARRY
What do you want me to say?
NICK
Skip it. You still good for that
ride in the morning?
HARRY
Sure, but look, don’t be afraid to
change your mind. Goodnight,
little brother.
NICK
‘Night, Harry.
Harry leaves Nick sitting alone. Nick walks over to a bookshelf and pulls out an atlas. He flips through a few pages and stops.
INSERT – ATLAS MAP OF WYOMING
Nick’s finger goes to Cheyenne, Wyoming, on the map.
EXT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME – THE DRIVEWAY - DAY
SUPER: APRIL 16, 2157
Nick, with a rucksack in hand, is about to get into a car. Harry is already in the driver’s seat.
Bill and Mrs. Temple are visible in their pajamas through their upstairs bedroom window. Mrs. Temple cries.
As Nick gets into the car, he notices them in the window. He blows them a kiss.
Mrs. Temple buries her head in Bill’s chest. Bill stares down at him.
Nick puts his rucksack in the back, gets in, and closes the door. The car backs out and takes off down the street.
EXT. HARRY’S CAR - DAY
HARRY
I’ll be honest. I just don’t get
it, Nick.
NICK
Haven’t you ever wanted to do some-
thing different, Harry? Something
that makes you different from al-
most everybody else?
HARRY
Not this different.
NICK
This will give me a chance to gain
an entirely different perspective
on life.
HARRY
Are you serious? You sound like an ad.
NICK
Can’t help that.
HARRY
What’s wrong with the perspective
you have? Dad’s right. You stick
with the program and you’ve got
it made.
NICK
I’ve got a feeling the next big
idea is out there, just waiting for
someone to come up with it, but
we’re all too focused on our own
lives and making sure that we live
forever that we’re not paying
attention to the rest of the world.
HARRY
Someone’s been putting ideas in
your head. Living forever is a
pretty big idea.
NICK
But it’s not a new one. I want to
do something heroic.
HARRY
A hero! Please.
They drive on in silence.
EXT. SACRAMENTO LASER RAIL STATION - DAY
Harry’s car pulls up to the curb. Harry and Nick get out. Nick gets his rucksack out of the back seat. Harry leans against the driver’s side of the car.
HARRY
We gonna hear from you?
NICK
Oh, sure. I’ve got my iVoice with
me. I’ll stay in touch.
HARRY
Do that. At least let us know
where you end up. You have enough
money?
NICK
For a few weeks. Not much to spend
a paycheck on at the academy.
HARRY
All right, then. I guess this is
it. Take it easy, hero.
NICK
You too. I love you guys.
HARRY
Okay, Nick.
Harry gets back in the car and drives off. Nick heads for the inside of the rail station.
INT. SACRAMENTO LASER RAIL STATION - SAME
The rail station is modern, clean, and urban looking. Everything in the station is automated.
There are various billboards on the walls. One has in caps the company name TITHINEX splashed across it. Just below the name, the billboard says, YOU WON’T LOOK A DAY
OVER THIRTY . . . EVER!
Another billboard is for SENIOR SINGLES RESORTS. Just below that name it says, EIGHTY IS THE NEW THIRTY!
Everyone in the station looks to be thirty years old or younger.
Nick walks over to a ticket machine labeled BULLET POINTS EAST built into the wall. He punches in his destination, places a plastic card into the machine, and retrieves the card when it comes out moments later.
He walks over to an electronic gate, inserts the card, and walks through, retrieving the card as it is ejected on the other side of the gate.
He passes a billboard that says, IMMORTAL OR IMMORAL . . . IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICES. . . A DEPARTMENT OF EQUILIBRIUM PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE.
MONTAGE – TRAIN INTERIOR - DAY
- Nick finds a seat by himself as an ANNOUNCEMENT states, “Please be seated for the acceleration portion of our trip.”
- The train pulls out and rapidly accelerates.
- Nick watches the landscape whipping by. The train itself is sleek and remarkably fast.
- Nick naps. The landscape is still whipping by.
- Nick pulls out his copy of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, removes the bookmark, and reads.
- Nick buys some lunch from a food cart that comes by.
- Nick is in his seat watching the landscape again as an ANNOUNCEMENT comes over the train’s p.a. system, announcing, “Next Stop, Cheyenne. Please be seated for the deceleration portion of our trip.”
- Nick puts his book in his rucksack, picks up the rucksack, and heads for the train car door as soon as the train has come to a halt.
EXT. CHEYENNE LASER RAIL STATION - LATER
Nick walks out of the Cheyenne laser rail station with his rucksack on his back. On the front of the rail station is another Tithinex billboard identical to the one in the Sacramento station.
Cheyenne is a pleasant town, with a touristy Old West feel to it.
Nick walks several blocks. No one on the street is any older than thirty.
Nick comes to a two-story motel, The ETERNAL SLUMBER MOTEL. A neon sign outside says VACANCY. Nick pauses, takes a look, and walks inside to inquire about a room.
INT. ETERNAL SLUMBER MOTEL - FRONT DESK – SAME
DESK CLERK
That’s the best rate in town. One
night or thirty. Rate’s always the
same.
NICK
I’ll take it.
DESK CLERK
How long you stayin’ for?
NICK
At least a week.
DESK CLERK
Okay. I’ll have to debit you up
front. Got your identity card?
I’ll get you all logged in.
Nick hands over two plastic cards to the clerk. The clerk scans the first, looking at the display on his computer screen.
DESK CLERK
All right there, Mr. Temple. I’ll
put you in room 203, for a week.
NICK
Sounds good. Thanks.
The clerk starts to input data using the computer monitor as a touch screen.
NICK
Are you from around here?
DESK CLERK
Lived in Cheyenne my whole life.
NICK
I hear that the Wise Men are sup-
posed to be holed up somewhere near
here. Know anything about that?
The desk clerk instantly bristles at the mention of the Wise Men.
DESK CLERK
Seems there’s been a mistake.
We’re all full up. Here’s your
cards back. You’d better get
going. If you know what’s good
for you, you won’t ask any fool
questions about any Wise Men. Now
go on.
Nick stands there for a moment in disbelief.
DESK CLERK
Are you deaf as well as stupid?
Git!
Nick gathers his cards off the check-in desk and backs out of the office.
MONTAGE – NICK TRIES TO GET A MOTEL ROOM
- At each motel, all of which display vacancy signs, he is advancing towards getting a room when the front desk clerk suddenly looks angry and points to the door clearly telling Nick to get out.
- This happens at three additional motels. The clerk at
the last motel can be seen making a call as soon as Nick leaves.
INT. – FOREVER YOUNG MOTEL – FRONT DESK – NIGHT
Nick, looking weary, walks into the motel front desk office. The name of the motel is the FOREVER YOUNG MOTEL.
A thirty-year-old, slightly bored, female clerk is behind the counter as Nick walks in.
FEMALE DESK CLERK
Looking for a room?
NICK
You bet. Any vacancies?
FEMALE DESK CLERK
How long you need it for?
NICK
Three days.
FEMALE DESK CLERK
You’re smart not to spend too long
here.
NICK
Believe me, I’m getting smarter by
the minute.
FEMALE DESK CLERK
It’s two-fifty a night, in advance.
NICK
I’ll take it.
FEMALE DESK CLERK
Okay. All I need are your debit
and ID cards.
Nick hands over the two plastic cards. The desk clerk inputs data on her touch screen.
NICK
Are you from around here?
FEMALE DESK CLERK
Born and raised.
NICK
Any recommendations on where I can
get a bite to eat?
FEMALE DESK CLERK
All kinds. What are you looking
for?
NICK
Nothing fancy. Just plenty of food
at a good price.
FEMALE DESK CLERK
Try the ROUND UP. Out the door, to
your right, two blocks down on the
right. Good solid food, not pricey.
My husband’s been the manager there
just about forever.
NICK
I’ll check it out.
FEMALE DESK CLERK
Okay, you’re in room eight. Right
around the corner on the first
floor. Here’s your access card.
Pool’s heated and there are extra
towels by the pool. Enjoy your
stay.
NICK
Thanks. Room eight. Got it.
EXT. FOREVER YOUNG MOTEL - ROOM 008 – SAME
Nick gets to the door of his room. He chuckles slightly at the “008” sign on the door, uses his access card, and opens the door.
INT. FOREVER YOUNG MOTEL - ROOM 008 – LATER
The motel room is a standard motel room: clean, two double beds, a flat screen imbedded in the wall opposite the beds.
Nick’s rucksack is on one bed. Nick is on the other, sitting up, relaxing. Nick channel surfs and drinks a bottled water. His iVoice, on the bed next to him, RINGS. The ringtone is the theme from GOLDFINGER.
NICK
Yeah. I’m here.
MALE VOICE (OS)
How’s the vacation spot?
NICK
About like you predicted.
MALE VOICE (OS)
Any action yet?
NICK
Other than being treated like I
have leprosy every time I mention
the Wise Men, not a peep.
MALE VOICE (OS)
Keep me posted.
NICK
Will do.
A BEEP indicates the communication has ended.
INT. ROUND UP RESTAURANT – LATER
The ROUND UP Restaurant is a moderately busy, old-fashioned steak joint.
Nick sits at the bar looking over a menu.
NICK
Looks like it’s gonna be the
porterhouse with fries and some
grilled onions.
BARTENDER
Anything to drink.
NICK
Sure. How about a draught.
BARTENDER
Got some ID?
Nick feels around in his pockets.
NICK
Skip it. Just some mineral water
ought to do it.
The bartender puts in the order and comes back with Nick’s mineral water.
BARTENDER
Where you from, son?
NICK
Just outside of Sacramento.
BARTENDER
What are you doing in Cheyenne?
NICK
I’m on spring break. I thought I’d
see some of the country.
BARTENDER
Ever been out this way before?
NICK
No. I went to Yellowstone when I
was a kid, but that’s about it.
BARTENDER
Where you headed?
NICK
I’m not sure. I thought I’d stick
around here for a couple of days,
and then I’ll figure out what’s
next. I’ve got three weeks.
BARTENDER
Must be nice.
NICK
Can I ask you something?
BARTENDER
Sure, anything. I might not
answer, but you sure as hell can
ask.
NICK
Why does everyone get so spooked
around here when I ask about the
Wise Men?
BARTENDER
(laughing)
You must be asking a bunch of
scared old women.
NICK
No. I asked about four different
people. As a matter of fact, they
were all men. They all clammed up
the second I mentioned them.
BARTENDER
It’s funny, but there was a time
when almost everyone out here was
the kind of person who loved
getting in the government’s face.
Not afraid of anybody or anything.
NICK
What happened?
BARTENDER
Tough to say, but this Wise Men
thing, that’s people against the
government and the corporations. I
guess that’s just too much for most
folks to be against all at once.
A BELL RINGS.
BARTENDER
Well, here’s your dinner. Chow
down. And, if you want my advice,
you’ll keep your head down, too.
EXT. CHEYENNE STREET – SAME
Nick walks out of the ROUND UP restaurant. The street and sidewalk are fairly deserted. He has a toothpick in his mouth, and he looks around as if he is trying to decide whether to take a walk or head back to his motel.
Nick starts to stroll slowly back to his motel. He gets about half a block and a dark panel van suddenly pulls up right in front of him.
The sliding door on the passenger side of the van bursts open and three men in ski masks jump out. One gets behind Nick and pulls out a pistol, shoving it into the small of Nick’s back. The other two each grab an arm.
Nick is forced into the van. The sliding door slams shut and the van speeds away.
INT. KIDNAP VAN - NIGHT
Nick has a hood over his head. His hands have been tied behind his back. The others in the van have taken their ski masks off. The van speeds along a dark mountain road.
PETE LAWRENCE, one of the Wise Men, is in charge of the kidnap. He is broad-shouldered and solid. He looks like he could be a longshoreman. He has a two-day beard. His face is almost fierce, his gaze intense.
PETE
Search him. Look for anything
that looks like he can communi-
cate with it.
NICK
Who . . .
Pete smacks Nick across the face with the back of his hand.
PETE
Shut the fuck up! You say nothing
until I tell you to talk. Nothing!
CHARLIE LEWIS and BOBBY, the Wise Men who helped kidnap Nick, search him. They find his iVoice. Pete smashes it and tosses it out the window of the van. Nick’s watch receives a similar treatment.
PETE
Scan him.
Charlie pulls out an electronic device, runs it up and down Nick, and looks at it.
CHARLIE
He’s clean. No ID and debit
on him either.
PETE
I’m going to ask you some
questions, asshole. You bullshit
me and I’ll kill you right here,
right now, got it?
Pete puts a gun to Nick’s head and clicks a round into the chamber.
NICK
Got it.
PETE
How many calls have you made
since checking into your motel?
NICK
What?
Pete hits him again, and shoves the barrel of the gun against the side of Nick’s head.
PETE
(shouting)
You think I’m fucking around here?
How many calls?
NICK
None. I haven’t made any.
Pete looks to Charlie for confirmation. Charlie nods a yes.
PETE
How many calls have you received
since checking into your motel?
NICK
One. Just one. That’s all. I
swear.
PETE
Why don’t you have your ID and
debit cards with you.
NICK
‘Cause I thought some group of
pricks might kidnap me and steal
my money and identification.
Pete punches Nick, knocking him out cold.
PETE
(under his breath)
I warned you, asshole.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD – SAME
The van speeds off into the darkness.
INT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER - BRIEFING ROOM – NIGHT
There are about twenty seats in a small, windowless briefing room. Ten men and women are in the chairs. They chat with each other quietly.
On the front wall is a circular government seal indicating the briefing room belongs to the DEPARTMENT OF EQUILIBRIUM – WESTERN DIVISION.
The men and women in the seats are all in black combat boots with black trousers bloused into the boots, and black military sweaters. They have patches on their left shoulders identical to the seal on the wall in the briefing room.
A door in the rear of the room opens and JAKE LAWRENCE strides in and up to the podium at the front of the room. He is similarly dressed and carries a black beret in his hand.
The men and women in the chairs come to attention.
JAKE
As you were.
(waits for order)
Ladies and gentlemen, IntelCom has
provided us with possible
confirmation on the general A.O. of
a Wise Men cell.
The audience groans sarcastically.
JAKE
I know. We’ve heard this before,
but I’ve seen the data and it looks
pretty solid. I’m going to check
something out tomorrow in the a.m.
I’ll be back no later than fifteen
hundred hours. I expect the team
to be ready to move out when I
return if the intel checks out.
Questions?
MALE TEAM MEMBER
Any estimate on how many
unfriendlies at the site, Chief?
JAKE
Negative. Honestly, we haven’t
pinpointed a site, just a possible
area of operations.
FEMALE TEAM MEMBER
Chief, any estimate on weapons,
defensive positions, etc.
JAKE
Same answer. Look, we’re checking
all of the elint and satellite data
for the suspected A.O. I should
have more for you by fifteen
hundred tomorrow. Anything else?
CORPORAL MURPHY, you’re with me.
Jake leaves the podium. Corporal Murphy, the youngest team member, follows Jake into the hall. All other team members stand at attention as Jake leaves.
INT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – CORRIDOR - SAME
Jake and Murphy walk briskly down the hall. Murphy is twenty-two years old, but he looks like an eager, fresh-faced teenager. He is shorter and slighter than Jake. He walks a half step behind Jake and to his side.
JAKE
Murphy, I’ve signed off on that
pass request of yours. You can
take the next 4 days off.
MURPHY
Permission to speak, sir.
JAKE
Speak. And quit calling me “sir.”
It makes me feel old, damn it.
MURPHY
I want to pull that request, Chief.
JAKE
What?
MURPHY
I want to move out with the team
tomorrow, sir . . . I mean Chief.
JAKE
Sorry, Murphy. You’re not going on
this one.
MURPHY
With all due respect, Chief, if
that’s the case then why have
I been training for the past ten
months?
Jake stops so Murphy stops, too. Jake gets right in his face.
JAKE
Look, Murphy. You’re the newest
guy in this outfit. This isn’t any
damn training exercise. Take my
word for it, these people are cold-
blooded killers, and you’re just
not ready. Got it?
MURPHY
I heard about what they did to your
brother, Chief, but . . .
JAKE
Murphy, since you just got here
from Training Command, I’m not
going to take this opportunity to
tear your head off and shit down
your neck, but if you ever so much
as think about what the Wise Men
did to my brother, I will not show
the sort of patient self-restraint
I am currently displaying. Got it?
MURPHY
Ah, y-y-y-yes sir, Chief.
JAKE
Pick up your leave form from
personnel. I’ll see you when you
get back. That’s all.
Murphy salutes. Jake returns the salute and walks briskly away leaving Murphy dumbfounded.
EXT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN - NIGHT
The van that the Wise Men used to kidnap Nick pulls into the compound. It pulls up to a concealed door in a large earth berm. The door opens and the van drives inside the earth berm.
INT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN – CONTINUOUS
The sliding door on the van opens up. The van empties. Charlie, Bobby, and Pete take the bound and hooded Nick to a chair and sit him down. Pete starts smoking.
Charlie takes Nick’s hood off. Nick’s face is swollen from the beating in the van.
Also present are ABE and MARTI MADISON, the husband and wife team that leads the Wise Men. They are obviously in their late forties. They are trim, fit, and both have graying hair. They are both calm, parental figures.
Abe has a receding hairline. He and Marti have a normal amount of wrinkles in their faces for people their age. Abe wears a flannel shirt, faded blue jeans, and workboots.
Marti is similarly dressed.
Abe motions to Pete to untie Nick’s hands.
The driver of the van, Abe and Marti’s daughter MELANIE MADISON, disappears into the compound.
Nick keeps looking back and forth in astonishment at Abe and Marti.
ABE
What’s the matter, never seen an old
person before?
NICK
Oh . . . sorry.
ABE
Forget it. Pete here tells me
you’re looking for some group
called the Wise Men.
Nick is silent.
Pete
The man’s talking to you. Show
some respect.
NICK
He’s right. I was asking questions
in Cheyenne about you guys.
ABE
What’s your name, son?
NICK
Nick. Nick Temple.
ABE
Where are you from, Nick?
NICK
Woodland, California.
Marti brings Nick a glass of water. Nick drinks it and gives the glass back to Marti.
NICK
Thanks.
MARTI
Tell us, Nick from Woodland,
California, why are you in Cheyenne
looking for the Wise Men?
NICK
I think you’re probably . . .
ABE
Nick, why do you assume we’re part
of this group called the Wise Men?
Maybe we’re part of a secret
government agency that stamps out
dissent. Maybe we’re just some
ex-hippies who like living in the
mountains.
NICK
I’m pretty sure this isn’t a
government operation.
ABE
Really? America has always used
the military to protect its
business interests overseas; why
not use do the same thing right
here at home? What’s so farfetched
about that?
NICK
They would never let a couple of
people who haven’t taken the serum
run the outfit, would they?
Nick looks over at Marti as he says this.
ABE
Back to my question, Nick? Why are
you looking for the Wise Men?
NICK
Well, it sounds to me like you,
excuse me, they may be the only
sane people left in the country.
ABE
What have you heard about them?
NICK
Big picture?
ABE
All right.
NICK
That they want to live normal lives
without the help of a bunch of
chemicals. That’s all I want, a
normal life.
Abe and the others laugh. Nick looks puzzled.
ABE
You’ve made a huge mistake, my
young friend.
Again, Nick looks puzzled.
ABE
Does it look to you like anyone
here is leading a normal life?
PETE
You expect us to believe that
bullshit? You just happened to
land in Cheyenne and just
happened to start asking everyone
and their brother about the Wise
Men?
ABE
He’s right, Nick is it? It doesn’t
make much sense unless you were
sent here.
NICK
Look, I turned nineteen two days ago.
I told my folks I wasn’t going to
get the injections, so my dad told
me to get packing. Actually, my
brother brought up the idea of
joining the Wise Men. As far as
Cheyenne goes, I picked it at
random before I left. Pure luck.
PETE
Don’t buy it Abe. This guy’s
trouble.
ABE
Charlie, take a blood sample.
We’ll check him for the serum.
We can at least settle that.
Charlie is a good-natured, wire-rimed glasses wearing tech geek who looks to be about thirty.
He goes to a cabinet and pulls out a small black kit that has syringes and test tubes in it. He walks over to Nick.
CHARLIE
I’m going to take a blood sample
from you. Do we need to tie you up
again? Doesn’t matter to me.
Either way I’m gonna get the
sample.
Nick holds out his arm. Charlie takes the blood sample.
PETE
I’m not sure what that’ll tell us,
Abe. We’d be better off if we had
his ID and debit cards. We could
scan them and see what this asshole
has been up to.
Charlie finishes taking the sample.
CHARLIE
I’ll be right back.
MARTI
Relax, Pete. If he’s a plant, do
you think they’d let him walk
around with identification that
says, “Watch out! Government spy
here”? The ID wouldn’t do us any
good.
PETE
This whole deal stinks. That’s
all I’m saying.
Charlie returns.
CHARLIE
Nick here is a serum free zone.
I envy you, except that your bad
cholesterol is kind of high. If
you’re not gonna take the serum,
you better cut back on the fried
foods.
NICK
Thanks for the tip.
ABE
Look, it’s late.
(to Bobby)
Throw a mattress in one of the vans.
3 hour guard shifts. Let him wander
in the morning, but stay with him.
(back to Nick)
We’ll continue this in the morning.
For now, let’s all get some rest.
NICK
Thanks.
ABE
For what? For kidnapping you,
beating you, and imprisoning you?
NICK
For not putting a bullet in my
brain.
ABE
Too messy. Get some rest.
BOBBY
Let’s go.
Nick follows Bobby down a corridor. Abe, Marti, Pete, and Charlie gather around the table.
PETE
I don’t trust this guy, Abe. You
should let me take care of him.
MARTI
Pete, we can’t just shoot him. What
if he really is one of us?
ABE
What if we had shot you when you
showed up, Pete? No. We’re not
going to shoot him.
PETE
We don’t have a lot of extra bodies
for guard duty.
ABE
We really only have to worry about
tonight and tomorrow. Even if he
slips away, he’s four hours by
vehicle from anywhere. We’ll take
him with us on the supply run
tomorrow night. It should be a
good test.
MARTI
Keep your eye on him, Pete, but try
not to be too rough on him. We
can’t afford to lose anyone who
might be willing to help us.
PETE
Anything you say, Marti. See you
two in the morning.
ABE
Goodnight, Pete. And, good job
today.
EXT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME – DRIVEWAY – DAY
SUPER: APRIL 17, 2157
An official looking car drives up and parks in the driveway. The car has a Department of Equilibrium shield on the front, driver’s side door.
Jake Lawrence, in civilian clothes, steps out, takes a look around as if to make sure he is in the right spot, walks up to the door, and RINGS THE DOORBELL.
INT. NICK TEMPLE’S HOME – THE LIVING ROOM - SAME
Jake Lawrence sits on one side of the Temple living room; Bill, Mrs. Temple, and Harry Temple sit opposite Jake.
Jake keeps his tone friendly, but the Temples are clearly nervous.
MRS. TEMPLE
Can I get you a cup of coffee?
JAKE
No thanks, Mrs. Temple. I won’t
take much of your time. I
appreciate you folks talking to
me this morning.
BILL
How can we help you, Mr. Lawrence?
JAKE
You have two more sons, isn’t that
right?
BILL
Yeah. Joe is at work. Our other
son, Nick, is enrolled at West
Point.
HARRY
He was enrolled.
JAKE
How do you mean? Harry, is it?
HARRY
He told me he withdrew before he
went on leave, that’s all.
Mrs. Temple gasps.
BILL
I had no idea, really.
JAKE
No problem, Mr. Temple. I’m only
trying to get a fix on where Nick
might be now. Actually, he might
be in a position to help us.
HARRY
Why don’t you ask the Wise Men? He
said he was going to join up with
them.
MRS. TEMPLE
Harry! He said no such thing.
HARRY
Yeah, he did, Mom. Right after you
and Dad went to bed.
JAKE
Well that’s what concerns us.
Son, did he say anything more than
that, like where he was headed,
or anything about where he thought
he might be able to hook up with
the Wise Men?
HARRY
I took him to the laser rail
station in Sacramento. That’s all
I know about where he went. I’m
sure he put a ticket on his debit
card. Check the data base.
JAKE
Mr. and Mrs. Temple, I’ll need your
permission to do that.
BILL
Of course, anything at all. Is
there anything else we can do?
JAKE
Not for now. I’ll have someone
text you for Nick’s card codes.
The sooner you get that to us, the
better.
BILL
Absolutely.
Jake gets up to leave. He hands Bill a card.
JAKE
(standing)
Thanks again for your help. If you
think of anything else, here’s my
contact information. I’d sure
appreciate hearing anything that
occurs to you. If Nick tries to
contact you, give him my numbers.
They shake hands, exchange good-byes, and Bill accompanies Jake to the front door.
BILL
I don’t know what happened to Nick.
Everything was going along great
and then, two days ago he dropped
this in our laps. When you guys
find him, save a piece of him for
me.
JAKE
Okay, Mr. Temple. Don’t be too hard
on him. He’s got a lot of living to
do.
BILL
Not if he doesn’t get on board with
the serum, he doesn’t.
JAKE
Oh, right. Well, thanks again.
Jake exits. Bill closes the door behind him. Mrs. Temple, crying, runs over to hug Bill. Harry mixes himself a drink in the background.
INT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN - DAY
Nick wanders around inside the compound, escorted by a guard.
Wise men work on various routines in the compound, everything from vehicle maintenance, to weapons checks, to electronics maintenance. They pay little attention to Nick.
Nick and his guard wander back to the area of Nick’s interrogation. There, Abe, Marti, Pete, and Melanie are gathered around a table with a map on it. Melanie is tall and athletic, and completely devoted to her parents.
They look up as Nick approaches and Abe folds the map. Pete is chain smoking.
ABE
Good morning. Did you get some
breakfast?
NICK
Yeah, I ate with my new friend
here. Thanks.
PETE
I can’t believe we’re feeding this
guy. We’re short enough on
supplies as it is.
NICK
You guys ever go outside?
ABE
Sure, Nick. Good idea. How about
a breath of fresh air?
(looks at his watch)
We’re out of satellite coverage for
about thirty more minutes. Mel, show
our guest around the outside.
Nick, feel free to ask questions.
Nick and Melanie go through the double door entrance the van entered the night before.
PETE
You think that was a good idea?
Mel’s not armed.
ABE
Let’s leave the door open. If he
tries something, Mel will let us
know. Besides, she can take care
of herself.
EXT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN – SAME
Outside of the compound, the landscape is a bleak mountain pasture. Some large trees obscure the entrances to the underground portion of the compound which looks like little more than a small rise in the earth from the outside.
The doors to the compound are not visible from above. There is a dirt trail, barely distinguishable from the surrounding geology.
There are patches of snow on the ground as it is early spring.
Melanie and Nick stroll around the compound as they talk.
MELANIE
Not much to show you, really.
NICK
Location, location, location.
MELANIE
Its only charm.
NICK
You guys build this thing?
MELANIE
No. It was built in the middle
of the last century by a group
that called themselves the
Pilgrims. Not too clever, eh?
They were separatists.
NICK
I remember reading about those
guys. They ended up just sort of
fading away.
MELANIE
Almost. They’d all been given the
sterility formula with their
injections. A lot of them gave
up their dreams of living low tech
lives when they realized they
couldn’t have kids. A couple of
them changed the focus of their
rage. At any rate, they managed
to build about half a dozen of
these throughout the West. We only
use them when the heat’s really on.
NICK
How’d you guys find out about them?
MELANIE
My father was given a map
showing the locations of the
compounds by the last survivor
of their group.
NICK
What happened to him?
MELANIE
He was a hundred and twenty five
years old. He couldn’t take life
anymore so he jumped off the Golden
Gate Bridge. It’s getting to be a
familiar story. More and more
people just check out when they hit
about a hundred and ten. Another
Tithinex secret.
NICK
If it’s a secret, how do you know
about it?
MELANIE
Charlie was their top tech guy for
ten years. He knows where all the
bodies are buried.
NICK
You’re not really 65 years old or
anything creepy like that, are you?
MELANIE
(a sly smile)
Why do you care?
NICK
Never mind. . . What about the rest
of the Wise Men? Why are they
here?
MELANIE
Look, that’s a name the media gave
us. Frankly, it’s silly. We don’t
see ourselves as different, or wise
or strange or gifted. We see
ourselves as remarkably normal.
NICK
Do you guys recruit? Do people
come to you? Or do you just
kidnap people?
MELANIE
We all got here different ways,
but we’re all here for the same
reason.
They wave to Charlie as he goes inside the compound.
MELANIE
Charlie found us. Like I
said, he was the top tech guy at
Tithinex until he found out about
the sterility project, how Tithinex
doses well over half the serum
injections with sterility drugs.
Actually, it was the Department of
Equilibrium’s idea about 75 years
ago.
NICK
What took them so long?
MELANIE
They couldn’t phony up enough
natural disasters to keep
population growth under control, so
they got a little more resourceful.
Charlie found out about it and left
the next day.
NICK
I knew it. None of my folks’
friends have had kids.
MELANIE
I can’t believe more people
haven’t figured it out. I guess
everyone’s so stoked about the
eternal life deal that they just
put on blinders.
NICK
What about you? Don’t you want a
a shot at eternal life?
MELANIE
Too late now. I didn’t get the
first three years of shots.
NICK
Your folks forbid it?
MELANIE
Actually, they left it up to me.
NICK
So why all the hiding?
MELANIE
Remember what happened to that
family in Miami about five years
ago?
NICK
Yeah, but weren’t they sort of in
everyone’s face about it?
MELANIE
Not a bit. That’s just the way it
was reported. No one would leave
them alone. They were treated worse
than people treat child molesters.
Eventually their neighbors got out
of hand and that was the end of it.
NICK
That’s not the way I heard it.
MELANIE
Take my word for it. They were my
cousins. My Uncle Sam and his
family. Never a peep out of them,
but when someone found out they
weren’t taking the serum, that was
a death warrant for them.
NICK
I don’t know what to say.
MELANIE
There’s nothing to say.
Nick reaches for her hand as they continue to walk.
NICK
What about Pete? He seems wound
tighter than the rest of you.
MELANIE
Pete found us, too. He and his wife
had been trying to have kids for
years. She gave up and ended up
hanging herself. Pete’s been
chasing that awful demon ever
since. We love him dearly.
There’s nothing Pete wouldn’t do to
protect me and my folks.
NICK
I got that impression.
(stops walking)
Was that a warning?
MELANIE
Just useful information. What
about you? Why are you here?
NICK
Your boys kidnapped me, remember?
Melanie releases her hand and gives him a dismissive look.
NICK
It might be a chance to do
something heroic. I know that
sounds corny, but there it is.
MELANIE
You might get your shot.
They continue to stroll for a moment in silence until they come across Pete, leaning against a tree and smoking a cigarette.
PETE
You two having a nice chat?
NICK
You know, those things will kill
you.
PETE
Not me, buddy boy. I’m immortal.
Mel, your mom needs to see you.
You’re with me, junior.
NICK
Thanks for the tour.
MELANIE
You two see if you can’t learn to
play nicely together.
Melanie heads for the door to the compound. Pete pulls out an automatic pistol. He pulls the receiver back to put a round in the chamber, and points it at Nick’s head. After a tense moment, he lowers the weapon.
PETE
Relax. Can you handle one of these?
NICK
Sure.
Pete tosses the pistol to Nick.
PETE
Clear the chamber, break it down,
put it back together, and
reload it.
Nick does as ordered with ease. When he is done, he puts a round in the chamber and points it at Pete.
ABE (OS)
Go ahead. You’ll be doing him a
favor, and you’ll be dead before
he hits the ground.
Nick turns around to see Abe aiming a pistol at him. Nick lowers the weapon, clears it, and tosses it to Pete.
PETE
Good career move, wise guy.
Where’d you learn to handle a
weapon like that?
NICK
(shrugs)
I was a boy scout.
PETE
Bullshit.
ABE
Let’s hope you still are. Come
on. Let’s get inside, satellite
coverage time.
The three walk towards the compound door.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – DAY
A public tour of the Tithinex Plant is taking place.
People are seated in small clusters of swivel chairs that are attached to a moving sidewalk. They all wear shower caps.
The tour takes them past five large flat video screens.
Two men in business suits watch the tour progress from a distance. One is the C.E.O. of Tithinex, GEORGE TUCKMAN, the other is his ASSISTANT.
Tuckman’s sleeves are rolled up, his tie is loose, with a slightly frumpy look that reveals that this is a hard working, harassed guy.
The Assistant is dressed in a neat suit. He is skinny and alert, the nervous assistant of a short-fused boss.
The seats move slowly along as the screens display an image of an elderly looking doctor in a lab coat holding up a test tube and looking at its contents.
NARRATOR (OS)
Dr. Moriarty’s discovery of what he
called the cell guard gene in 2015
was the crucial first step in
developing the Tithinex serum. It
wasn’t until 10 years later that
his formula was approved, Tithinex,
now the world’s largest
pharmaceutical company, indeed,
America’s most profitable corpora-
tion, was founded, and Americans
began reaping the untold benefits
of the promise of eternal life.
GEORGE
Yeah. The serum had nothing to do
with making a pile of money. Not a
thing.
The seats move slowly along as the screens flash several images of Greek statues and the Parthenon.
NARRATOR (OS)
Dr. Moriarty named his serum after
Tithinus who, according to Greek
mythology, received the gift of
eternal life from the gods.
GEORGE
Notice we never mention what happened
to Tithinus in the myth.
The seats move slowly along as the screens display an image of a line graph that shows the spiraling costs of health care during the first half of the 21st century.
NARRATOR (OS)
Thanks to the Tithinex serum, the
spiraling costs of health care that
threatened to destroy the American
economy were reduced by 90%.
GEORGE
Yeah, all those out of work health
care providers went overseas and
wrecked everyone else’s economy
instead.
The seats move slowly along as the screens flash images of thirty-year-old men and women frolicking on the beach, dancing, sailing, touring the world, generally enjoying life.
NARRATOR (OS)
And now, thanks to the tireless
efforts of Dr. Moriarty and all of
those at Tithinex who came after
him, “You won’t look a day over thirty
. . . Ever!” Now ladies and gentle-
men please stay seated as you enter
phase 2 of the tour, the Tithinex
serum manufacturing facility.
The seats move through automated doors into the main body of the plant. A young woman comes up to Tuckman and his Assistant.
YOUNG WOMAN
Mr. Tuckman, there’s an urgent call
for you - a gentleman from the
Department.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT - GEORGE TUCKMAN’S OFFICE - SAME
Tuckman’s office is large and modern. On the credenza behind his desk are pictures of Tuckman’s wife, children, and grandchildren, although it’s difficult to tell which is which because they all appear to be thirty years old.
The door to the office opens, and Tuckman walks in, followed by the Assistant. He motions to the Assistant to take a seat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk.
GEORGE
(yelling)
Terry, I’ll take it in here.
Tuckman sits down in the leather chair behind his steel and chrome desk, takes a deep breath, and pushes a button near a speaker on his desk.
GEORGE
This is Tuckman.
INTERCUT - TITHINEX C.E.O.’S OFFICE/OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EQUILIBRIUM’S DEPUTY DIRECTOR - DAY
The office of DEPUTY DIRECTOR CHURCHILL is the office of a high-ranking government official, complete with an American flag in one corner, and the Department of Equilibrium flag in the other corner.
The Deputy Director is a schmoozer.
CHURCHILL
Mr. Tuckman, this is Deputy
Director Churchill.
GEORGE
What’s on your mind, Churchill?
CHURCHILL
We have some pretty solid leads on
a Wise Men cell location.
GEORGE
(irritated)
Pretty solid leads? This better
not be like the last time. Lots
of action, no result.
CHURCHILL
Well, of course, nothing’s a sure
thing, but we’ve got someone close
this time.
GEORGE
So why are you calling me?
CHURCHILL
We’re putting a team together to
try to confirm. Just keeping you
posted.
GEORGE
Why don’t you call me when you’ve
got something solid to report, okay
Deputy Director Churchill?
CHURCHILL
I’ll take that as an okay from your
end. I’ll be in touch.
George SLAMS down the phone.
GEORGE
Damn! Covering his ass, that’s all
that was.
INT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN - NIGHT
Abe, Marti, Pete, and Charlie are gathered around a table in the compound. The table has a map on it.
ABE
It’s a two-week supply. I wish we
could get more, but that’s all they
wanted to risk.
PETE
Our pick-up point is here.
INSERT – THE MAP
Pete points to a spot on the map.
BACK TO SCENE
PETE
Abe’s already made the payment,
so there shouldn’t be anyone else
at the site.
MARTI
(checking her watch)
It’s about ninety minutes from
camp. We’ll leave in forty five
minutes. Charlie, our comms in
order?
CHARLIE
Everything’s working for once.
Since it’s a small load, we’ll take
two vehicles. They’re hooked up
for secure network comms.
ABE
We’re taking Nick. Pete, he’ll
ride with you.
PETE
I gotta tell you, Abe. I think
that’s a big mistake.
MARTI
Abe and I talked it over. There
shouldn’t be any fireworks, so
we won’t have to watch him too
closely. Let’s just continue to
keep an eye on him. It’ll be a
good test. He tries to make a
break for it, you know what to do,
Pete.
PETE
All right. But if he fucks this
up . . .
ABE
Look, it’s just some food and
water. If something goes wrong,
we can break up for a couple of
weeks until we line something else
up. He’s coming along, and that’s
it. We’re out front, in the
vehicles in . . .
(looking at his watch)
forty two minutes.
The group breaks up. Pete folds the map and takes it with him.
EXT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – HANGER - NIGHT
Jake and six of his team members are gathered around a table. It has a map on it. They are dressed for action.
JAKE
Our best intelligence places a Wise
Men cell in the vicinity of
Cheyenne, Wyoming. That’s about a
ninety-minute ride from here by
chopper. The team will ride in the
lead bird, and the transport chopper
with two A.P.C.’s in it will follow.
Our L.Z. is here, about a mile
outside of town at the abandoned
County Hospital. Our best analysis
puts the cell up in these hills.
INSERT – THE MAP
Jake points to a spot on the map.
BACK TO SCENE
JAKE
Our man may already be with them.
We’ll drop in, see if we can pick
up some local humint, play it by
ear. Any questions?
MALE TEAM MEMBER
If we run into them, how do we
know which guy is ours?
JAKE
You won’t. Just light ‘em up. He
knew the risks going in. Anything
else?
The team members all shake their heads signifying “No.”
JAKE
All right, let’s get our gear and
our asses in those choppers. I
want to be airborne in ten minutes.
EXT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – TARMAC – SAME
There are two helicopters on the tarmac. Two military jeep/hummer type vehicles are loaded into one of them.
Jake’s team members put rucksacks and weapons into the other helicopter. Once the vehicles are loaded, the team gets into the lead helicopter and the two helicopters take off.
EXT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN - NIGHT
Abe, Marti, Pete, Charlie, Nick, and Bobby, perform weapons checks and comms checks between the two vehicles they have as they prepare to leave for the re-supply run.
Pete performs a function check on a small automatic rifle. Nick walks over to him.
NICK
You gonna give me one of those?
Pete pulls out a pistol that was tucked into the back of his pants and tosses it to Nick.
PETE
Try this on for size. Extra
clips are already in the vehicle.
NICK
You spoil me.
Charlie is in the lead vehicle. He wears a headphone with a small mouthpiece.
CHARLIE
This is a comms check. You read me
Abe?
Abe is in the other vehicle with a similar device on.
ABE
Like a book, Charlie.
(commanding)
All right, let’s move out.
Car doors slam, and the vehicles roar out of compound.
EXT. LANDING ZONE FOR JAKE’S TEAM’S HELICOPTERS – LATER
The two helicopters carrying Jake’s team and its vehicles land near an abandoned hospital outside of Cheyenne.
The team jumps out of one helicopter as soon as it is on the ground. They run over to the other helicopter to offload the two vehicles.
After the team offloads the vehicles, the helicopters immediately take off.
Jake gets a map out and spreads it on the hood of one of the vehicles as the other team members gather round.
They are all dressed as they were in the briefing room, but they have black combat helmets and web gear on. They also have applied black camouflage to their faces. They are all armed with small assault rifles.
JAKE
We’ve got some fresh satellite
intel. Giant Eye picked up heat
signatures from a pair of vehicles
that drove out of Cheyenne and
proceeded northwest along this
route into the hills. From the
imaging, the vehicles stopped about
two hours out of town leaving some-
thing by the side of the road and
then heading back down into town.
TEAM MEMBER #1
I don’t get it, Chief. Do they
think the Wise Men are back here in
Cheyenne?
JAKE
Negative. H.Q. believes this is
some sort of supply drop off.
Giant Eye moved out of the pattern
before we could confirm if vehicles
were approaching the drop point
from any other direction. If I’m
right about the general location of
their camp, that point is a perfect
spot for re-supply. Let’s check it
out. We’ll pull up to this spot
here, about half a mile out, go in
on foot, and see what happens.
Questions?
Team members nod in the negative.
JAKE
Stay off the air, ladies and
gentlemen. Let’s keep it quiet.
All right. Move out.
Jake puts the map away. Jake and the other team members get into the vehicles and drive quickly away.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD/SUPPLY DROP OFF POINT - LATER
The Wise Men pull up to the supply point.
There are several stacks of boxes under some loosely placed branches for camouflage.
They get out of the two vehicles. Everyone speaks in whispers.
ABE
Pete, you and Nick head down
the road no more than a hundred
yards. If you run into anything,
do not engage. Get back here
immediately and we’ll pull out.
Charlie throws his small automatic rifle to Nick.
CHARLIE
Give me that pistol. You might
need something a little bigger down
there.
NICK
I hope not, but thanks.
Nick throws the pistol to Charlie. He pulls the rifle’s charging handle back, putting a round in the chamber. Nick and Pete head off down the road. The others start loading the vehicles.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD/JUST BEYOND THE SUPPLY DROP OFF POINT – SAME
Jake’s team approaches. Jake sees something and holds up a fist signaling for all to stop. Jake points ahead. The team member next to him nods.
Jake, using hand signals, directs two team members to the left and two to the right. The others move slowly, silently forward.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD/NICK AND PETE’S POSITION – SAME
Pete signals to Nick to stop. They stop and can hear FOOTSTEPS. Pete motions to Nick to start walking backwards to the supply drop off point.
JAKE (OS)
Stop right there!
Nick and Pete open fire and start running back to the supply point. Jake’s team returns fire.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD/SUPPLY DROP OFF POINT – SAME
The Wise Men hear GUNFIRE as they finish loading.
ABE
Marti, get in. I’m driving.
Charlie, you’re in the other vehicle.
Bobby, fire on the flanks with me.
CHARLIE
Abe, we gotta get out of here.
ABE
Give ‘em thirty more seconds.
That’s all.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD/NICK AND PETE’S POSITION – SAME
Nick backs up firing. He trips and is down. A figure looms up over him. It is Jake. Jake is about to fire when he recognizes Nick. He gestures for Nick to move out. Jake scrambles up and runs for the supply point.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD/SUPPLY DROP OFF POINT – SAME
Nick and Pete have rejoined the Wise Men. They all fire as they enter the vehicles.
Charlie, in the driver’s seat of the vehicle with Pete and Nick in it, is hit in the arm by return fire; he is wounded, but not badly.
The Wise Men vehicles are hit, but not disabled. Bobby is hit twice as he fires from the passenger seat of one of the vehicles. He slumps over.
Jake’s team closes in. In the flashes of the firing weapons, Jake clearly sees his brother Pete’s face. Jake freezes.
At that moment, the Wise Men vehicles back wildly up the road. They are quickly out of range.
JAKE
Cease fire. Cease fire.
The gunfire stops.
SHERRY (OS)
(moaning)
JAKE
Stay calm, people. Who’s hit,
who’s all right? I want a sit-rep,
now!
Jake’s team, minus two members, reports to him.
FEMALE TEAM MEMBER
Chief, I think Johnson’s dead.
Sherry’s hit too. Hartner’s on
first aid, but she doesn’t look
good.
MALE TEAM MEMBER
Chief, you want us to take one of
the vehicles and go after them?
JAKE
Negative, we’d better take care
of our casualties first. Okay,
you two, bring up the vehicles.
We need to get to a good L.Z. and
medivac our wounded out of here.
FEMALE TEAM MEMBER
But Chief, they can’t be more than
five minutes ahead of us.
JAKE
We’re not leaving anyone behind.
Besides, we have no idea what their
total numbers are. We could be
walking into an ambush. We need to
regroup. Now get those damn
vehicles up here. Move.
INTERCUT - TWO WISE MEN VEHICLES FLEEING SKIRMISH - LATER
One vehicle has Pete, Nick, and Charlie in it. Charlie is driving. His right arm is bleeding.
Bobby is in the front passenger seat of the other vehicle. He is mortally wounded. Marti reaches over from the back seat to give him first aid. She looks for a pulse.
MARTI
Come on. Come on. Not now, Bobby.
Not now.
She tears open his shirt, and sees a huge, gaping wound.
MARTI
Oh, Christ.
Abe sees the wound.
ABE
You get a pulse?
Marti opens a box on the back seat and pulls out a compression bandage. She puts the bandage on Bobby’s chest, applies pressure and checks for a pulse with her other hand.
MARTI
Nothing.
Marti starts CPR. As she does, she turns his head and sees a bullet wound in his temple. Abe sees the wound.
ABE
He’s dead, Marti.
Marti desperately keeps giving him CPR.
ABE
Marti! He’s dead!
Marti, exhausted, collapses into the backseat.
ABE
(into his headset)
Charlie. Do you read me?
CHARLIE
Right here, Abe.
ABE
Give me a report.
CHARLIE
Nick and Pete are all right. I got
banged up a little, but I’ll be
okay. How about you guys?
ABE
Bobby’s dead.
CHARLIE
(to Nick and Pete)
Bobby didn’t make it.
PETE
I saw him get hit. It didn’t look
good.
ABE
We need to split up. We’ll take
the Thayer Creek route back.
You guys stay on the trail. Keep
your lights off. We’ll see you
back at the compound.
Pete takes the headphone from Charlie.
PETE
Abe, this is Pete. Nick did good.
ABE
All right, Pete. We’ll see you
soon.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD – SAME
One Wise Man vehicle veers off. They both fade into the night.
EXT. LANDING ZONE FOR JAKE’S TEAM’S HELICOPTERS – LATER
Jake and his team load the vehicles into the helicopters. They also load two bodies into the helicopters. Once they finish, the other team members climb in and the helicopters take off.
EXT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN – DAY
SUPER: APRIL 18, 2157
Abe, Marti, Pete, Nick, Charlie, and Melanie bury Bobby in a rock covered-grave. All except Pete cross themselves. Pete smokes.
PETE
Abe, we’re gonna have to move.
ABE
I agree. Before noon. This
position is compromised.
MARTI
If we’re moving anyway, why not
move up the raid? Everything’s
ready. Let’s get it done.
ABE
Pete?
PETE
Marti’s right. We were going to
stay here until the raid. Now that
we’re leaving, we might as well
move it up.
ABE
Charlie, you up to it?
CHARLIE
(smiling)
‘Tis but a scratch.
ABE
All right, that’s settled then.
Let’s take what we need and get the
hell out of here. Albuquerque’s a
ways away.
PETE
You guys should know. I saw Jake
last night. That’s his team
chasing us.
MELANIE
What about you, Pete? You going to
be able to go through with this?
PETE
Don’t worry about me. If it comes
down to it, I’ll be able to pull
the trigger. I guaran-damn-tee it.
ABE
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
All right, let’s get packed up and
get out of here.
NICK
(staring at the grave)
Shouldn’t he have a cross?
Melanie takes one of his hands in hers.
MELANI
Why don’t you make one for him?
NICK
Okay. I’ll make one. Sure.
PETE
How do you like being a hero now,
Nick?
ABE
Lay off, Pete.
Nick walks off to find some materials to make a cross. Pete, Abe, Marti, Melanie, and Charlie walk together towards the compound entrance.
EXT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – TARMAC – DAY
Jake’s team offloads themselves, their vehicles, and their fallen comrades. An ENLISTED MAN approaches Jake and salutes him. Jake returns the salute.
ENLISTED MAN
Sir, they’re waiting for you in the
briefing room.
JAKE
Lead the way, son.
INT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER - BRIEFING ROOM – SAME
Several officers surround a large conference table. George Tuckman is also there. A map of Wyoming appears on the front wall.
Jake, still in his uniform from the raid, and with a day’s worth of stubble, stands stiffly at the head of the table with a pointer.
JAKE
Frankly, we got lucky. They could
have had a much larger contingent,
we suspect.
GEORGE
Lucky!? You call two dead lucky?
You call a gun battle between
American citizens lucky? Christ,
I’d hate to see the State of
Wyoming on a day when you run out
of luck, Major.
JAKE
(ignoring Tuckman)
I understand that we’ve got a
location on the cell’s compound.
Satellite imaging has picked up
movement here.
INSERT – THE MAP OF WYOMING
Jake points to a spot on the map.
BACK TO SCENE
JAKE
That’s the latest intel.
GEORGE
Latest intel? I haven’t seen any
new intel.
CAPTAIN JOHNSON, an intelligence officer, stands up. He pushes a button on a remote, and several images that appear to have been taken from a satellite appear on the screen that the map had been on. Those images show vehicles and humans moving around on the ground.
CAPTAIN JOHNSON
We have detected vehicular and
human activity in an area roughly
four hours out of Cheyenne, or two
hours northwest on the trail last
night’s raid took place on. We see
no reason to conclude that activity is
anything other than a Wise Men cell.
GEORGE
You sure it’s not just some weekend
hunting lodge? You might be in for
an even bigger fight if you barge
in on a set of Wyoming hunters,
especially if they’ve had a few
beers. Get your asses and faces
shot up.
CAPTAIN JOHNSON
Negative, sir. We’ve been tracking
activity in the area, and a Wise
Men camp is the only thing that
fits.
Captain Johnson nods to Jake. Jake pushes a button on the remote, and the map of Wyoming reappears.
JAKE
There’s a suitable L.Z. about an
hour out by vehicle here. We can
drop and be in the compound in just
under three hours after deployment.
My team needs about two hours of
R&R. I also need to call in two
replacements. Frankly, Colonel,
I’d like to double the number of
men I take up there this time.
GEORGE
Not gonna happen.
JAKE
(to Colonel Schmitz)
Sir?
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Mr. Tuckman’s right, Jake. There
are going to be enough fireworks
with a small team. If we go in
there with any more firepower,
we’re gonna wake up the whole damn
state. Christ, these are supposed
to be covert ops, Major, not full-
fledged invasions.
GEORGE
And can we please not forget that
these are American citizens we’re
talking about?
JAKE
(exploding)
American citizens? These are cold-
blooded killers, outlaws. And if
you don’t believe me, I suggest you
take a quick trip to the base
morgue when we’re all done here to
confirm the deep, deep patriotism
of these American citizens.
GEORGE
You mind your manners, Major.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Gentlemen. This is not getting
us anywhere.
JAKE
Begging your pardon, sir. I’ll at
least need to reinforce from the
losses the team suffered last
night.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Not a problem.
JAKE
If there are no further
instructions.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Major, you’re not bringing back any
prisoners, understood?
JAKE
I did not intend to, sir.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
All right. You have your orders.
Jake salutes Colonel Schmitz and leaves the room.
GEORGE
This is that cowboy’s last chance.
He screws this up and I want some-
one else heading up that team.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
George, I have the greatest con-
fidence in Major Lawrence’s
abilities. If you have any concerns
about him, I suggest you accompany
him on this next raid and evaluate
his performance personally.
George Tuckman stands up.
GEORGE
You mind your manners, too,
Colonel. Don’t forget who you’re
talking to.
George Tuckman storms out of the room.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Asshole.
EXT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN - DAY
The Wise Men pack up to leave the compound. They load three vehicles. Bobby’s grave with a cross at the head of it is in the background.
PETE
Yo! New guy. You’re with me.
I’ve got shotgun.
Pete tosses Nick a set of keys.
MELANIE
(to Nick)
Be careful.
Nick takes hold of her hands.
NICK
(sarcastically)
You worried Pete might try
something?
MELANIE
It’s not him I’m worried about.
NICK
Me neither.
PETE
Hey, Romeo, let’s move it.
Melanie gives Nick a quick kiss on the cheek.
NICK
The master’s voice. Gotta go.
Nick and Pete get into the same vehicle. The Wise Men climb into the vehicles. The three vehicles drive away from the compound.
INT. PETE AND NICK’S CAR – LATER
NICK
Albuquerque, eh?
PETE
Who told you that?
NICK
Abe mentioned it before we left.
PETE
Never mind about Albuquerque. Just
go where I tell you. I’ll let you
know when to turn.
NICK
What’s in Albuquerque?
PETE
You’re about to piss me off. I
told you to drop it about
Albuquerque. Why don’t you just
concentrate on the road and leave
me alone?
They drive in silence for a few moments.
NICK
Did you know Bobby for long?
PETE
He joined us about eight months
ago. Used to work for Tithinex,
just like Charlie. He was a
good man.
Another moment of silence passes between them.
NICK
Pete, I’ll be honest. I was scared
shitless back there.
PETE
Of course you were. Just proves
you’re human. So what? That’s the
deal, see? It’s perfectly normal
to be afraid of death. That’s what
got us into this mess.
NICK
Just thought you should know. . .
You mind me asking about your
brother?
PETE
Yeah, I mind. Just drive and knock
it off with all the questions.
Pete lights a cigarette.
NICK
Can you at least crack the window?
PETE
(laughs)
I forgot, these things actually
could kill you.
NICK
Hysterical.
EXT. DENVER LASER RAIL STATION - PARKING LOT - NIGHT
Nick and Pete’s vehicle parks in the laser station lot. Nick and Pete get out and they get their rucksacks out, too. They close the doors.
PETE
Give me the keys.
Nick tosses the keys to Pete.
NICK
You mind telling me what’s going
on now?
PETE
Follow me, and shut the fuck up.
That’s what’s going on.
In the background is a billboard advertising HEAVENLY CIGARETTES. The slogan is YOU CAN SMOKE THEM FOREVER!
Pete and Nick walk to the front door of the station. They pass a storm drain. Pete tosses the keys down the drain. They head quickly into the rail station.
INT. DENVER LASER RAIL STATION - TICKET WINDOW – SAME
Pete inserts a debit card into a ticket machine identical to the one in the Sacramento laser rail station and buys two tickets. He hands one to Nick.
NICK
San Diego. I thought we were
going to Albuquerque.
Pete gets right in his face.
PETE
I swear to you, if you don’t shut
the fuck up about Albuquerque, I’m
gonna do you right here, right now.
Get it?
NICK
Yeah. Look, I’m sorry Pete. I
just don’t like being in the dark.
You mind if I at least take a leak?
PETE
Our train leaves in 5 minutes. Can
you hold it till then, junior?
NICK
Of course, pops.
Pete and Nick head down a hallway that has a sign above it that reads SOUTHWEST SPECIAL – SAN DIEGO LASER TRAIN.
INT. LASER TRAIN CAR - SAME
Nick and Pete get on the near-empty train. They pick out a couple of seats and put their rucksacks in the luggage rack overhead.
NICK
I’m gonna find the head and take a
leak.
PETE
You have 90 seconds.
NICK
What?
PETE
You have 85 seconds.
Nick leaves the car. An announcement comes over the intercom.
ANNOUNCEMENT (OS)
Please be seated for the
acceleration portion of our trip.
Pete laughs to himself. The train accelerates rapidly. A few seconds later, Nick comes stumbling back to his seat.
PETE
Make a mess back there?
NICK
Nah. I’m used to taking a whiz
going from zero to two fifty.
PETE
If you’re smart, you’ll get some
shut eye. It’s gonna be a busy
twenty four hours.
Pete puts his cigarette out. They both lean back as if to go to sleep.
PETE
By the way, hero, you do anything
to cause any kind of harm to
Melanie and I will personally rip
your balls off. Got it?
NICK
What?
PETE
Just keep it in your pants.
NICK
Okay, dad.
PETE
Don’t test me on this. I’m not
fucking around.
NICK
Melanie have anything to say about
this?
PETE
Not a thing. Now get some sleep.
NICK
Aren’t you going to tuck me in?
EXT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – TARMAC - NIGHT
JAKE and his team load into helicopters for the raid. Jake looks impatiently at his watch. Murphy comes running up to him, geared up and dressed to go on the raid.
MURPHY
Chief, I hear you need some
reinforcements.
JAKE
You hear right, Murphy. Get
aboard. We’re moving out.
Jake and Murphy get into the lead helicopter and it takes off.
INT. LASER TRAIN CAR - NIGHT
Nick is still asleep as an announcement is heard.
ANNOUNCEMENT (OS)
Please be seated for the
deceleration portion of our trip.
Nick wakes up. The train comes to a stop.
PETE
Let’s go, sleeping beauty. This is
our stop.
NICK
We’re in San Diego?
PETE
Ha! Not hardly. But that’s what
we want the Department to think.
Come on. Grab your stuff. We’re
outta here.
Nick and Pete grab their rucksacks and get off the train.
EXT. TAOS LASER RAIL STATION - PARKING LOT - SAME
Pete and Nick exit from the front of a small laser rail station with a sign over it reading TAOS, NEW MEXICO. Pete leads Nick to a car in the parking lot.
As they approach the car, Pete pulls a set of keys out of his pocket. He presses a button on the keys and the doors open.
PETE
ERNIE, nice job. I’ve got shotgun
again. Throw your stuff in the
back. You’re driving.
Pete throws the keys to Nick.
NICK
Where this time?
PETE
Are you still asking questions?
NICK
Forget it. How do you guys afford
all of this stuff?
PETE
You’ll never believe it.
NICK
Try me.
PETE
Abe. He got rich investing in
resorts for singles over 80.
“Eighty’s the New Thirty.” He wised
up and cashed out before he turned
35.
NICK
Wow! That was Abe?
PETE
That’s two questions. Now get in
the car.
Nick shakes his head. They both get into the car and the car pulls out of the parking lot into traffic, heading south.
EXT. COMPOUND OF WISE MEN – DAY
SUPER: APRIL 19, 2157
Jake and his team surround the compound and post two team members at each of the doors. Each team member has a headset on and is armed.
JAKE
(whispering)
Watch for booby traps people. On
three, we’re going in. One, two,
three!
All teams break down the doors to the compound.
INT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MAN – SAME
Jake’s team does a room by room search of the compound. The rooms have the look of having been abandoned in a hurry. There is still equipment lying around, food, papers, etc.
JAKE
(into the headset)
Report in.
FEMALE TEAM MEMBER
No one here, Chief.
MALE TEAM MEMBER
Same here.
MURPHY
All clear.
JAKE
(into the headset)
All right. Let’s gather up any
paper, electronic device, anything
that might tell us where they went.
I want every inch of this place
on digital. Check that grave we
saw for a body. We’ll take that
too. You know the drill. Move.
The team members stand down, stow their weapons, and start gathering up the significant materials left behind.
EXT. COMPOUND OF THE WISE MEN – LATER
One of Jake’s team members takes digital pictures of the entire outside of the compound.
JAKE
(into the headset)
That’s right, sir. The compound is
empty. Judging from the looks of
the place, they haven’t been gone
long. We found the supplies they
picked up the other night, so
they’re traveling light. We’re
going to bring what we found back
for the intel boys to look at.
Maybe we can figure out their next
move.
A helicopter lands in a small clearing just beyond the compound.
JAKE
All right. Let’s load it up and
move it out.
The team members load what they’ve taken from the compound, including a full body bag, and then climb into the helicopter. The helicopter takes off. Bobby’s disturbed grave, minus the cross, is in the background.
SERIES OF SHOTS OF AN ABANDONED HOSPITAL OUTSIDE OF ALBUQUERQUE - DAY
In each shot, one of the three cars pulls up to the abandoned hospital. The vehicle’s occupants, the Wise Men from the compound, get out and greet Ernie and BEN.
Ben leads them inside the building.
Ernie parks the vehicles in a covered parking area marked EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY.
After Ernie parks the last vehicle, he runs inside where Ben and the others went.
INT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – BRIEFING ROOM - DAY
Jake briefs the military brass. Colonel Schmitz, CAPTAIN ANDERSON, an intelligence officer, LIEUTENANT BURLAND, and several lower ranking officers are in the briefing room.
Jake stands in front of the room. Projected on the wall is a schematic of the Wise Men compound.
JAKE
As Captain Anderson knows, we have
the analysts going over all of the
documents we found, the e-mechs
checking out the electronic devices
and the image analysts going over
the digitals we took.
Jake takes a seat.
CAPTAIN ANDERSON
Frankly, so far we’ve come up empty
handed. The documents appear to be
worthless, although they do paint
an interesting picture of their
spending habits. We hope to be
able to retrieve at least some
partial financials. With any luck,
we’ll be able to block further
expenditures. These guys were
pretty careful. They left a lot
of clutter. I get the feeling that
was on purpose, just to tie us up.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
What about the e-mechs?
CAPTAIN ANDERSON
About the same. We can’t restore
any memory from the chips that
seems to be significant. Whoever
is running their I.T. is good. We’ve
been feeding it all through crypto
in case we’re missing anything.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Anything yet?
CAPTAIN ANDERSON
We have recovered what we think are
some coordinates that might give us
an idea of where they’re headed
next. Lieutenant Burland?
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
Thank you, sir. Their compound
used to belong to a group of
separatists that built several of
these compounds throughout the
West. We retrieved an array of
numbers off one chip that seems to
be connected to a matrix from
another chip. Together, we believe
they might be encrypted
coordinates. We’re doing the main
frame analysis on them now. If we
can pinpoint the sites, and if Wise
Men cells are using those sites for
secure locations, we could at least
take those out.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Anything else from the e-mechs?
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
Negative. But we’re still running
some other tests. We should know if
if we have anything, or nothing at
all, by later tonight.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Thank you, Lieutenant. What about
the digitals?
CAPTAIN ANDERSON
Nothing so far, but they’re all in
the imaging shop. I’ve got half a
dozen analysts working on them. If
there’s anything there, again, we
should know by, at the latest,
tonight.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
I take it the trail’s gone cold,
Major.
JAKE
I’m afraid so, sir. We’ve been
checking freeway cameras, laser
rail monitors, debit records,
airport cameras, the usual. We
know they left the camp in
vehicles, but it is too early to
expect abandoned vehicle reports.
None of the accidents reported in a
predictable radius from the cell’s
compound fit, and we have no
reports of gunshot wounds being
treated that fit either. For the
moment, the trail’s gone cold.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Jesus, I’d like to get these guys.
We’re spending way too much time
and coming up empty. Tuckman’s
gonna chew my ass. Jake, have
your team ready. If anything pops
up on the radar screen, I want you
to be able to move out immediately.
JAKE
We’re ready, sir.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Good. All right, gentlemen, let’s
hope the Wise Men come up for air
somewhere and that we’re watching
when they do. In the meantime,
let’s get back to work.
The crowd begins to leave the room.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Hold up a second, Jake.
Colonel Schmitz waits until everyone else has cleared the room.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Look, if we find these guys, it’s
all going to be on you and your
team. The Department is getting a
lot of heat from Tuckman about the
negative publicity from these
operations. Personally, if we find
them I’d like to send in an armored
division and take them out for
good, but politically, I can’t do
that. It has to be a small team,
and you guys know the terrain the
best.
JAKE
Not a problem, sir.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Have a seat, Jake.
Jake sits down.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
What do you think about these guys?
You’ve gone up against them. What
do you think?
JAKE
I think they’re a menace, and that
they threaten the fabric of our way
of life.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Cut the company man crap. You’re
too smart for that.
JAKE
Off the record?
COLONEL SCHMITZ
It doesn’t leave this room.
JAKE
They’re good, no doubt, and they
seem to have given more thought to
some pretty important questions
than most of us have.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
How so?
JAKE
Let me put it this way, sir. Do
you regret having gotten the in-
jections?
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Regret? I’m not sure. I wish I
had thought it through a little
more before. But you gotta start
when you’re only nineteen, so
there’s a lot of room for error.
JAKE
That’s a fact. Frankly, I regret
it.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
So why haven’t you run off and
signed up with the Wise Men?
JAKE
I made a promise to my country to
do a job. A cliché, but true. If
the country is too damn lazy or
silly to figure out that this whole
eternal life deal is the wrong way
to go, well that’s democracy,
right? We’ve got the right to be
wrong.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Ever bothered by that?
JAKE
What bothers me is I can’t get past
the notion that most people are
just going along with the program
without giving it any thought at all.
“My country, right or wrong,” or
something along those lines.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
That ever get in the way?
JAKE
Never. I’m going to keep my
promise even if it rubs me the
wrong way from time to time, and
even if it means I have to clean up
a mess that’s been made out of
ignorance or apathy. Well, there
it is. Jake Lawrence on the state
of the union.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
I can’t say you’re wrong, Jake.
That’s been the job of people like
you and me for a long time.
(pauses)
You’re a good soldier, Major, and a
good man.
JAKE
Thank you, sir.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
All right. You and your team get
some rest. We might need you again
before the day’s out.
JAKE
And sir, good luck with Tuckman.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
(laughs)
I’m not sure who’s worse, Tuckman
or the Wise Men.
JAKE
Rank has its privileges, Colonel.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
That it does. All right, Major.
That’s all. Oh, and Major, we’re
still operating under a no
prisoners protocol.
Jake nods, salutes and exits.
INT. ABANDONED HOSPITAL - NIGHT
The Wise Men – Abe, Marti, Pete, Melanie, Nick, Charlie, Ernie, Ben, and DAVID – are gathered around a building diagram.
ERNIE
Well, Ben’s kept a pretty close eye
on them, Abe, and there’s been no
significant construction or remodel
since Charlie left with this
schematic in his briefcase. It
should be accurate.
NICK
Gutsy move, Charlie. You just
walked out of there with the plans?
CHARLIE
Hey, electronic security was my
job. Even if they had searched me,
it wouldn’t have been unusual for
me to have these.
ABE
What about the codes, Charlie? I’m
sure they changed those the moment
you went A.W.O.L.
CHARLIE
I buried some software that should
give me quick access to any code
changes, unless they found it, of
course. In that case, we’re
screwed. We’ll find out just inside
the perimeter. There’s a network box
I can tap into. The morons put it
there for field convenience. It
makes the place a sieve. If I can
still access the software, I’ll be
able to code master keys for us.
PETE
Sounds too simple. I don’t like
it.
NICK
Is there anything you do like?
ABE
All right, assuming we get in, we’ll
break up into three teams with Marti
and David staying with the vehicles.
Pete, you and Nick enter here, head
down this corridor and position
yourselves approximately here to
cover the main entrance in case we
have company. There’s a night
watchman who sits at a desk here.
They overproduced so there’s been
no graveyard shift for more than a
month.
CHARLIE
The night watchman doesn’t move
from that desk, even if there’s an
emergency. He calls everything in.
ABE
Charlie, you have the looping
software ready?
CHARLIE
Only if my codes are good. The
looping software will cause the
digital images on the night
watchman’s screens to repeat. If
it works the way it’s designed, then
the time hacks on the screen will
continue to change like the display
is in real time. If we’re quiet
going in, the front desk guy won’t
see anything unusual on his
screens.
ABE
A lot of “ifs.”
CHARLIE
Can’t be helped, Abe. It all
depends on that software I planted.
If they found it, mission’s a
scratch. If not, at least we’re in
the building.
ABE
Okay. Ben and I will head to the
warehouse area here. Once we’re
in, we’ll plant the explosives.
BEN
We’re figuring on no more than
seven minutes from getting the
codes until all charges are
planted.
ABE
I’m going to put them on a five
minute timer. That will give us just
enough time to clear out once they’re
set. Once you hear that they’re set,
you’ve got five minutes before all
hell breaks lose. If you’re still
in the building when the blast
goes, you’re not going to make it.
MELANIE
I’ll have master comms from back
here. I’ll at least make sure
everyone gets the word as soon as
the charges are set.
ABE
Good. Charlie, you and Ernie are
in first to deactivate the security
codes. Once you’ve entered the new
codes, move to the data center to
see if you can find and upload that
formula onto worldscan. Remember,
once we’re all in with coded cards
it will be twelve minutes to
detonation. If you don’t have the
formula in seven minutes, forget
it. Get out of there.
ERNIE
No moss growing on this boy!
ABE
Look, we’ve been over this enough.
Except for Nick, this should be
second nature by now. Bobby didn’t
make it, so Nick you’re in. Just
follow Pete’s lead and you’ll be
fine. Questions?
Abe burns the schematic. He checks his watch.
ABE
We leave here in exactly ninety
minutes. E.T.A. at Tithinex is
midnight.
The Wise Men drift off. Marti stays close to Abe as does Pete.
ABE
Nick, stick around for a minute.
Nick turns around and comes back in.
ABE
Look, if you want out, now’s the
time to speak up.
NICK
No chance. I’m in Abe. This is
why I was looking for you guys in
the first place.
MARTI
You know you’ll be executed if
you’re caught.
NICK
If I was afraid of dying I would
have taken the injections. Life’s
gotta mean something.
PETE
Well, you’re probably in deep shit
for helping out the other night on
the supply run. Another capital
offense or two isn’t likely to make
much difference at this point.
ABE
Things have got to be moving pretty
fast for you. I just want you to
make sure you’re up to this, not
just for yourself, but for all of
us. We’ll be counting on you.
NICK
Honestly, I guess I’ll find out
when the time comes. I hope I’m
up to it, but it’s not the sort of
thing I’ve been practicing.
ABE
I’m not worried about your courage.
I just want you to be honest about
your commitment.
NICK
Just point me in the right
direction and we’ll see what
happens.
ABE
I hope you know what you’re getting
into.
NICK
What about you and Marti, Abe? Why
are you guys out here risking your
lives? Pete tells me you were the
Eighty is the New Thirty guy. You
had it made.
ABE
No doubt. I suppose what turned me
around was when I found out why the
serum was so highly sought after.
NICK
Come on, that’s easy. People have
been looking for the fountain of
youth forever.
ABE
That’s what motivates individuals.
I’m talking about what motivated
Tithinex, in fact what motivated
a good portion of the corporate
world.
NICK
So what’s the big secret?
ABE
It’s not really a secret. I came
across it doing some genealogy
research after I sold my business.
NICK
And?
ABE
They wanted to limit consumer
demographics. In fact, they were
looking for something even more
radical, something that would have
stopped our development at the age of
twenty. But, for some biological
reason they can only get our cells to
stabilize at thirty. There it is.
Let’s play God and fuck with the
whole human race so our advertising
and product development budgets
are more manageable. That was
enough to turn me to the dark side.
NICK
Wow! I had no idea. I thought it
was all humanitarian, all about
cutting health care crises and
costs.
ABE
That’s the official line, but it’s
less than half the truth. Fact is,
the health industry tried to stifle
the whole deal. There were too
many interests lined up against
them.
MARTI
That’s enough history lesson for
tonight. Try to get some rest.
We’ve got a big night ahead of us.
Nick leaves the room.
MARTI
You’re not convinced, are you,
Pete?
PETE
Not by a long shot. Too many
things are just too convenient and
we really don’t know a damn thing
about him. Like where’d he learn
to handle weapons the way he does?
That takes some training.
ABE
You’ll be right with him all the
time. Fact is, to make this
thing work, we need the extra body.
PETE
It’s gonna work, Abe. It’s gonna
work.
ABE
I pray that it does.
INT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT
Colonel Schmitz, Captain Anderson, and Lieutenant Burland sit at the briefing table. There is an image of Bobby’s grave from the Wise Men compound projected onto a
screen.
Jake comes in, looking like he was just recently sleeping.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Major, come in. Take a look at
this.
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
(eagerly)
We think we found something in the
digitals. This is the grave of one
of the Wise Men. You can see how
fresh it is. The autopsy confirms
that he was probably killed when
your team interrupted their supply
run.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Lieutenant, get to the point.
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
Yes, sir. At any rate, we didn’t
notice this at first, but if you zoom
in on the cross, there are four very
faint numbers that appear to be
etched into the back of the cross.
INTERCUT – THE IMAGE OF BOBBY’S GRAVE
The cross marking the grave is zoomed in on. Faint numbers are visible at the tips of the back side of the horizontal piece of the cross.
BACK TO SCENE
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
Luckily, one of your team members
was smart enough to bring the cross
with him.
Lieutenant Burland holds up the cross, clearly pleased with himself. Jake comes over to start to examine it.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
For Christ’s sake, Burland, cut to
the chase.
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
Yes, sir, right away, sir. We
examined the numbers and they were
clearly etched into the wood quite
recently.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
The point, Lieutenant, the point.
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
We were going to start some
computer analysis on the numbers,
but one of our image analysts is a
former field artillery man. He
recognized them right away. We
looked it up and he’s right.
They’re coordinates for
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
JAKE
That’s twenty miles from Tithinex.
LIEUTENANT BURLAND
Exactly.
COLONEL SCHMITZ
Jake, I want you to get your team
out there A.S.A.P. If the Wise Men
are going to make a move, I want
your team to be there to greet
them.
JAKE
Begging your pardon, sir, but we’re
going on a couple of scratchy
numbers on the back of a cross?
COLONEL SCHMITZ
It’s thin, I know. But it’s too
much of a coincidence, especially
since our man is on the inside. If
it’s a false alarm, I’ll take the
hit. If not, you need to make this
work, Major. You’re batting with
two strikes, I think you know.
JAKE
Yes, sir. We’re airborne in twenty
minutes. You’ll excuse me,
gentlemen, I’ve got work to do.
Jake stands up, salutes Colonel Schmitz, and leaves briskly.
INT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – BARRACKS – SAME
Jake’s team members, fully dressed, are asleep in bunk beds. Jake bursts in.
JAKE
Hit the floor, people. We’re
moving out again. I want you on
the tarmac in 10 minutes ready to
go.
Team members roll out of their bunks and scramble to get their gear together.
EXT. WESTERN MILITARY COMMAND CENTER – TARMAC – SAME
Jake’s team jumps into a waiting helicopter. As soon as the last team member jumps on board, the helicopter takes off
EXT. ABANDONED HOSPITAL - NIGHT
With the exception of Melanie and Nick, the Wise Men begin to load into two vehicles for the raid on Tithinex. The vehicles leave the scene in a cloud of dust.
Melanie and Nick come out of the hospital arm in arm.
MELANIE
Come back in one piece, promise?
NICK
Promise.
They embrace. Nick gets into a vehicle. Melanie goes back into the abandoned hospital.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT - LATER
The noise of car engines approaching is heard in the background.
Off to the left of the plant, and about one hundred yards beyond a fenced perimeter, the Wise Men vehicles pull to a stop.
The Wise Men get out.
ABE
Final weapons check.
Abe, Marti, David, Ben, Pete, Nick, Charlie, and Ernie all perform function checks on their weapons.
ABE
Final comms check.
The Wise Men check their communications gear.
ABE
Melanie. Are you there? Come in.
MELANIE (VO)
Right here, Dad. You guys reading
me alright?
Abe looks around as all of the members give the thumbs up.
ABE
Marti, you and David are here.
Everyone else, move out.
Marti and David take up firing positions behind the vehicle doors as the others move off towards the perimeter of the Tithinex plant.
INT. MILITARY HELICOPTER - SAME
JAKE
What’s our e.t.a.?
PILOT
On the ground in 10 minutes, sir.
JAKE
Weapons checks.
Jake’s team members perform function checks on their weapons. Each gives Jake a thumbs up when finished.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – PERIMETER – CONTINUOUS
All six Wise Men scurry up to the fence. There is a metal box on a concrete stand just inside the fence.
Charlie attaches some wires using alligator clips to the fence. He takes a pair of wire cutters and cuts the portion of the fence between the attached wires.
Charlie, by himself, moves inside the perimeter to the power box. He pries open the box. He pulls out a hand-held device similar to a BlackBerry and plugs it directly into the electronic panel in the box.
Charlie types a series of codes/numbers into the BlackBerry.
CHARLIE
They didn’t find my software.
We’re in. Looping software loaded
and operational. Coding cards now.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – SAME
A NIGHT WATCHMAN, sitting at a bank of monitors at the information/slash security desk notices that all of the screens seem to blip at the same moment.
He watches the monitors for a few seconds. Time hacks in the lower right corner show continuous time starting at 12:02 a.m.
He shrugs his shoulders and goes back to reading his magazine SENIOR DIGEST.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – PERIMETER – SAME
Charlie slides three magnetic cards down the side of the BlackBerry and unhooks the BlackBerry device. He motions to the others to join him.
The rest of the team crawls quickly through the hole in the fence.
Charlie gives one member of each two-man team a magnetic card.
ABE
Remember, lads, twelve minutes.
Okay, let’s split up.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – SIDE DOOR - SAME
Abe slides his magnetic card through a coded locking device. Abe and Ben wait for a few tense moments.
Nothing happens. Abe is about to try the card again when he hears a CLICK. Abe and Ben enter the plant.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – ANOTHER ENTRANCE – SAME
Charlie uses his magnetic card. It works perfectly. He and Ernie enter the plant.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – A THIRD ENTRANCE – SAME
Pete uses his coded card. It does not work. He tries again. Nothing.
Pete is about to explode when Nick grabs the card from him, turns it right side up and hands it back to Pete. Pete slides it through again and they hear a CLICK.
PETE
Thanks.
NICK
No sweat.
Pete and Nick enter the plant.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – SERUM WAREHOUSE AREA - SAME
Abe and Ben use their magnetic card to enter the warehouse.
Once inside, they take their rucksacks off and start pulling out fist-sized chunks of plastic explosives. They have a dozen in all.
They attach electronic timers to each chunk. The timers are not yet set.
They begin placing the explosives at various spots throughout the warehouse.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – SAME
Pete and Nick head down a series of corridors. They have their weapons drawn. Nick covers their rear as they move forward.
A toilet FLUSHES. They turn a corner and see a night watchman coming out of a lavatory zipping his pants up. The night watchman turns and walks away from Nick and Pete not having seen them.
Nick and Pete continue. They come to a long, wide corridor that leads to the front entrance. Near the front entrance is a large circular information/security desk.
The same night watchman is seated at the desk watching a bank of monitors.
Nick and Pete take up firing positions at the far end of the corridor.
Pete removes a small black device from a pouch in his jacket. He motions to Nick and throws it to him.
Pete takes a similar device and attaches it to the wall, just beyond the corner. He motions to Nick to do the same.
Once the two devices are up, Pete adjusts his until a green light on top of his device comes on.
Pete runs his hand between the two devices and the green light turns to red. It turns back to green when he removes his hand.
Pete pulls out a small wad of plastic explosive and places it directly next to the device on his side of the hallway.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – DATA CENTER – SAME
Ernie and Charlie enter. They walk over to a console that has two keyboards and a bank of screens. Charlie hands a compact computer drive to Ernie.
CHARLIE
Load this. Just keep hitting yes
as it goes through the program.
It should get us through their
firewall and link us up with world-
scan.
ERNIE
Got it.
CHARLIE
I’m going to look for the formula.
Man, oh man, it doesn’t get any
better than this. Bringing the
monster to its knees!
ERNIE
Yeah, buddy!
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – SAME
Marti and David see the approach of the helicopter with Jake’s team on it.
MARTI
(into her headset)
We’ve got visitors. Looks like
a Department strike team. Let’s
put some hustle in it.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – SERUM WAREHOUSE AREA - SAME
ABE
(into his headset)
Almost done here, Marti. Hang
in there.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – SAME
The helicopter lands. The team jumps out.
JAKE
You two. Head over to those
vehicles we saw on the way in. If
anyone is there, take them out and
fire up those vehicles. I don’t
want anyone to be able to escape in
them. The rest of you come with
me, we’re going in the front door.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – DATA CENTER - SAME
ERNIE
That’s it. The wall’s down. Up-
load to worldscan as soon as you’ve
got it.
CHARLIE
Still looking, still looking.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – SERUM WAREHOUSE AREA – SAME
ABE
Last one’s in. They’re all set.
Abe pulls a small transmitter out of his jacket pocket. He pushes a button.
INSERT
ONE OF THE PLANTED EXPLOSIVES
A digital readout lights up with 5:00 on it. It immediately begins counting down.
BACK TO SCENE
ABE
(into headset)
Okay, folks. Five minutes. Get the
hell out of here.
INT. ABANDONED HOSPITAL – SAME
Melanie sits at a transmitter and microphone.
MELANIE
All acknowledge. Five minutes.
All acknowledge.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – MAIN FRONT HALLWAY – SAME
PETE
(into headset)
This is Pete. Okay.
Jake’s team bursts through the front door. The night watchman is so startled he falls out of his chair.
PETE
Get out of here, Nick. I’ll hold
these guys off.
Nick takes off. Pete starts firing. Jake’s team returns fire.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – DATA CENTER – SAME
Charlie and Ernie can hear GUNFIRE.
ERNIE
(into headset)
This is Ernie. We acknowledge.
Let’s go man, we’ve got to get
out of here.
CHARLIE
You go. I’m almost in. Don’t
worry, I’ll make it. Get your ass
out of here.
ERNIE
Don’t wait too long. Sounds like
it’s heating up.
CHARLIE
I’ll be okay. Now get.
(focusing)
Come on, come on, I know it’s in
one of these files.
ERNIE
Like I said, no moss growing on me.
Ernie rushes out.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT – SAME
A gun battle rages at the site of the parked vehicles. David is killed.
The two members from Jake’s team begin to close in on Marti. One of them is Murphy.
Marti loads a grenade into her grenade launcher mounted on her assault rifle.
She is hit as she pulls the trigger. She is killed. The grenade finds its target and kills Jake’s two team members.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – CORRIDOR
ABE
(into headset)
Marti, Marti, come in. Come in.
He looks at Ben and shakes his head.
BEN
Come on, Abe, we’ve got to keep
moving.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT - MAIN FRONT HALLWAY - SAME
Pete is shooting it out with the other members of Jake’s team. Jake and Pete see each other.
Pete runs back away from the entrance. Jake gives chase.
Jake crosses the threshold of the trigger device set by Pete. He turns, sees Pete, and aims.
JAKE
Pete!
INSERT – EXPLOSIVE DEVICE PETE PLANTED
The light on the device goes from green to red. The device
explodes.
RETURN TO SCENE
Jake is killed as Pete watches.
Pete is momentarily stunned. He gathers himself and runs off down the corridor.
When the dust from the explosion clears, the remaining members of Jake’s team continue to pursue Pete.
INTERCUT - INT. ABANDONED HOSPITAL/TITHINEX PLANT – DATA CENTER - SAME
MELANIE
Charlie, you’ve got to get out of
there. You’re under 3 minutes.
INSERT
ONE OF THE PLANTED EXPLOSIVES
Digital readout is 2:29.
BACK TO SCENE
CHARLIE
Almost home, baby. Almost home.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – HALLWAY - SAME
Abe and Ben are running. They turn a corner and there’s Nick, aiming at them with his automatic weapon.
ABE
Nick! Don’t shoot. It’s us.
Nick drops his weapon for a second. Then raises it, takes aim and begins firing. Abe and Ben return fire. Ben is killed instantly. Abe is mortally wounded. Nick is hit badly in the leg.
Abe staggers towards Nick and falls no more than 10 feet from him.
Pete turns the corner behind Nick as Abe falls.
PETE
I knew it, you son of a bitch!
ABE
Pete. No. Don’t turn a traitor
into a hero.
Abe dies.
Nick stares, stunned.
NICK
Oh, Christ. What have I done?
Pete aims his weapon at Nick.
NICK
Go. I’ll hold them off as long as
I can. Go, damn it. I’m your only
chance.
Pete lowers his weapon and escapes. Nick tries to stop the bleeding in his leg. He picks up his weapon and gets up. He hears Jake’s team coming down the corridor.
Jake’s team members turn the corner. Nick fires. They respond and Nick’s body is torn apart by the return fire. Nick falls on top of Abe, dead.
INSERT
ONE OF THE PLANTED EXPLOSIVES
Digital readout is O:15.
INT. TITHINEX PLANT – DATA CENTER – SAME
CHARLIE
That’s it. All your secrets all
over worldscan for any asshole with
a chemistry set to read. Wahoo!
I am out of here.
EXT. TITHINEX PLANT - NIGHT
Pete runs with a limp away from the plant. He gets to the shot up Wise Men vehicles and finds Marti and David dead. He bends down, sobbing.
Just as he gets to one knee, the plant explodes in the background.
Pete starts to climb into one of the vehicles when Ernie runs up and gets in.
PETE
Charlie?
ERNIE
Stayed too long.
Pete closes his door, starts the engine, and puts the vehicle in gear. He looks up and sees Charlie running towards him.
Charlie climbs in.
CHARLIE
Is this it?
PETE
‘Fraid so. Lots of bodies. Lots
of fucking bodies.
CHARLIE
Let’s get the hell out of
here.
The vehicle speeds away in a cloud of dust.
INT. BAR IN SAN DIEGO – NIGHT
SUPER: ONE YEAR LATER
Pete sits in a not so crowded twenty-something bar. He has his back to the bar, with a schooner of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He listens to a conversation immediately to his left.
BEARDED BAR PATRON
Nah! The government wiped those
guys out. They all died in the New
Mexico raid last year.
SKINNY MALE BAR PATRON
You buy that? Come on! Don’t be so
naïve. I hear they’re out in the
east desert, no more than a hundred
miles from here.
BEARDED BAR PATRON
(sarcastically)
Oooh! You’re scaring me. The big
bad Wise Men are still lurking.
(pointing to Pete)
I bet Mr. Chainsmoker there’s their
new supreme commander!
SKINNY MALE BAR PATRON
Shut up. I’d at least like to
think they’re still around, that
there’s someone out there not just
rolling over for the government’s
bullshit.
Pete drains his beer, turns around on his barstool, puts out his cigarette, throws a couple of bucks on the bar, and departs.
EXT. STREET OUTSIDE OF SAN DIEGO BAR - SAME
Pete stands about fifteen feet away from the bar’s entrance. He smokes and looks around. After Pete takes a couple of drags, Skinny Male Bar Patron comes out of the bar.
He is only on the sidewalk for a few seconds when he is kidnapped in the same manner that Nick Temple was – van, THREE MEN IN SKI MASKS, etc. Pete watches.
Once the Skinny Bar Patron and two of the three Masked Men are in van, the third Masked Man looks quickly at Pete. Pete gives him an almost imperceptible nod and the third Masked Man jumps in the van. The van speeds off.
Melanie Madison joins Pete. Pete puts out his cigarette on the sidewalk. They walk towards a parked car, get in, and speed off in the same direction the van took.
The End
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