Human Target 1x01 - Pilot

8/3/2019 Human Target 1x01 - Pilot

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H U M A N T A R G E T

TEASER

OVER BLACK:

A mans voice. Nervous. Raspy. A little out of breath...

RASPY VOICE (V.O.)Blending in... You have no idea whatits like, always blending in... Youforget who you are. Eventually, youstart to forget who you ever were...

...then, BLINDING LIGHT, and were in--

INT. DINGY OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

A large office bullpen, awash in stark daylight. But theresnobody here. The desks are all empty. The place is dead--

RASPY VOICE (O.S.)They push you and push you further intothe margins. Treat you like dirt, takeaway your manhood. Make you small...

--except for the DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES face down on the ground,some crying, all panicked. Were in a hostage situation...

RASPY VOICE (O.S.) (CONT'D)Somebody had to do something about it.

One hostage is separated from the crowd; in a chair, a BLACKHOOD covering his face, his wrists and ankles taped down. If

were paying attention, well see hes wearing BROWN LOAFERS.

And as we keep pushing into the office, we finally find thesource of the voice. A GUNMAN, on the phone with--

CUT TO:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY

A NEGOTIATOR, among a heavy perimeter of cop cars--

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)I hear you, Hollis, I really do. He usedyou. Took advantage of all your work, andthen cut you loose. Its a terrible thing--

WE HEAR A COMMOTION OVER THE PHONE, before the line goesdead. Off the Negotiator, concerned--

CUT TO:


3/63

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - SIMULTANEOUS

The Gunman (HOLLIS) is now amidst the hostages, RIFLE RAISED--

HOLLISWhat was that?! I heard that!!!

We now see that hes wearing a VEST WIRED FULL OF EXPLOSIVES.He points his rifle at a WOMAN on the ground--

HOLLIS (CONTD)All I want is Lydecker dont make me hurtthe rest of you!!

The Woman is crying. Holliss nerves are totally frayed.This whole thing is going south, fast...

As Hollis paces nervously, we see a photo on the wall: KEN

LYDECKER, the man in the hood. In the photo, hes smiling.

A PHONE RINGS in the hostage area. Hollis picks up.

NEGOTIATOR (FROM PHONE)Hollis? Hollis, are you there?

Hollis doesnt know how to respond, stays silent...

INTERCUT WITH:


NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)Alright, listen; Ive got people toanswer to, and if they think thosehostages are in imminent danger, theyregonna start kicking in doors.

HOLLIS (FROM PHONE)You wont. You know Ill blow the office.

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)I know that, but at a certain point itisnt gonna be up to me anymore. Nowsince I dont think either of us want to

go down that road just yet, help me buysome time. Send out the employees...

HOLLIS (FROM PHONE)No... No that wont work...

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)Lemme finish. The deal is, I get thebystanders, and you keep Ken Lydecker.Hes the only one you really want anyway.

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 2.

(MORE)

CONTINUED


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Youll still have leverage, and Ill havesomething to show my bosses. And we allget to live a little while longer...

ON HOLLIS, sweaty. He doesnt know what to do. But hewatches the Woman Hostage crying on the floor, and a momentof humanity hits him... Off Hollis--

CUT TO:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - MINUTES LATER

We see a line of HOSTAGES filing out of the building. Thecops receive them, offer medical assistance, etc.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

Hollis is left alone, pacing. We move past the seated HoodedMan. If were paying attention, well notice that HIS SHOESARE NOW BLACK BOOTS. And his ankles are no longer taped tothe chair... As Hollis paces nervously--

HOODED MANHey... Buddy. Are we alone yet?

HOLLISShut up, Im...

Hollis stops pacing. That was not the voice he expected to

hear coming out of that hood. What the fuck...?

HOODED MANHello?

(no response)Alright, that sounds like a yes.

The Hooded Man (whose hands are apparently free too) peelsoff his hood. This is CHRISTOPHER CHANCE (39). Rugged andrumpled, like hes living in some permanent hangover state.

Hollis jerks up his rifle, freaked.

HOLLISWheres Lydecker?

HOODED MAN (CHANCE)Give it a minute, youll figure it out.

Off Hollis, we--

CUT TO:


CONTINUED:

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE) (CONT'D)


5/63


Among the hostages being attended to, we spot KEN LYDECKER.Bloodied, but safe, free and reunited with his family.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

Hollis is both furious and terrified. He unsafeties hisrifle, shoulders it. Then, a moment of recognition--

HOLLISIve seen you. Youve been aroundhere... Youre the auditor...

CHANCESure. Listen, a word of advice? Never

make threats. You wanna do something,dont talk about it. Just do it.

HOLLISWhat?

CHANCEYouve been sending Lydecker threats for

weeks. It got his guard up. Got himplanning. And now look where you are...

(then)Threats just make things messier. Nothreats. Just action.

HOLLIS(beat)

You just committed suicide for that snake--that rat... Do you realize that?

CHANCEOkay, first, I dont think you can beboth of those things at the same time.Second, youre a salesman. You gotfired. Lets not do this like he had you

working the chain gang.

HOLLISHe took away eight years of my life!Left me with nothing. No severance. Nosavings. He broke me. And he deservesto die for it.

CHANCENo he doesnt.


CONTINUED


6/63

HOLLISYes he--

CHANCENo, he really doesnt. Nobody deservesto die, Hollis. Frankly, after seeingyour behavior today, I think Ken Lydeckerdeserves a medal for putting up with youas long as he did.

(beat)Now there arent too many good outcomesfor you here. But they all start withyou giving up that gun...

HOLLISI came in here ready to kill him, what

makes you think I wont kill you?

Chance sizes him up. And then starts walking towards him...

CHANCEBecause I see the rifle, but I dont seea guy whos gonna use it.

HOLLISAre you crazy? I said stop!

CHANCEAm I crazy?

Chance walks right up to him, inches from the rifle muzzle.

CHANCE (CONTD)I assume that was a rhetorical question.

A tense beat, as they stare each other down. Before Holliscan speak, CHANCE LASHES OUT, pushing the rifle aside, andstriking at Hollis in the same move. The GUN FIRES, butChance is well clear of it.

Hollis tries to fight back, but hes severely outmatched.Chance is no street fighter; every move is graceful. This isa guy who has spent a lot of time studying martial arts.

The rifle skitters across a desk and onto the floor, andChance goes after it. As he does, Hollis franticallyconnects some wires from his vest to a DEAD-MANS SWITCH.

Chance grabs the rifle, cycles the chamber expertly, and aimsit at Hollis. But Hollis has just finished arming the vest.

CHANCE (CONTD)You dont wanna go out like this, do you?


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


7/63

A tense moment of stalemate. Then--

HOLLISNo... So Im going outside. And when Iget close enough to Lydecker...

(re: the detonator)Im going to finish what I started.

(starts towards the door...)You can stand there and say whatever you

want... That Im about to do a terriblething. That I can still get out of this.But it wont change anything. This isgoing to happen.

On Chance, calm and cold. As Hollis nears the door--

CHANCEHey... Whatd I tell you?

(Hollis turns to face him)No threats.

--and CHANCE SHOOTS HOLLIS, SQUARE IN THE CHEST.

CUT TO:


The Police Negotiator is arguing with his CHIEF, as--

BOOOM!!!!! THE THIRD FLOOR EXPLODES, shattering windows...Smoke billows out, as glass and debris rain down on us...

FADE TO BLACK:

THE SOUND OF A DOOR CREAKING OPEN... And then, FOOTSTEPS...

CHYRON: FOUR WEEKS LATER...

The footsteps continue as we--

FADE IN:

INT. DARK CORRIDOR - DAY

--to a shadowy, lamp-lit hallway. We follow SHOES as theywalk down the hall, finally stopping in front of an apartmentdoor. The door is unlocked (3 locks), and we enter into--

CUT TO:

INT. CHANCES APARTMENT - DAY

Modest. A strange variety of art from around the world.Museum quality pieces sitting beside garbage movie posters...


CONTINUED: (2)

CONTINUED


8/63

No real unifying sensibility to any of it. Clothes strewnabout, dishes piled by the sink. The place is in completedisarray. We get the sense that its always that way.

As we enter, we get a look at the owner of the feet from thehallway. Black, early 40s. He flips through some junk mailon the table, including A FED EX BOX. Separate from the mail,he sees an unmarked envelope. Lifts it open, and sees abundle of cash inside. This, as a humongous ROTTWEILER greetshim. When the Man speaks, its with a British accent...

MANHello Carmine... Hows your buddy today?

CHANCE (O.S.)Completely immortal...

Chance emerges from the other room. His shirt is off, and we

see the damage from the explosion. Scratches on his face; anoticeable limp; a large bandage on his chest... Behind him,a DOCTOR emerges from the other room as well.

DOCTORHello, Winston.

Meet WINSTON, Chances business partner, and trusted friend.

WINSTONDoc. Didnt think Id see him on hisfeet for weeks.

DOCTORIm as surprised as anyone, consideringthe shape he was in.

Chance sits, and the dog jumps up licking his face. As theDoctor goes to leave, he pulls Winston aside--

DOCTOR (CONTD)That wound is still opening up wheneverit feels like it. Itll heal, but... Heneeds to take it easy. No kidding.

Beat. Winston nods. But as Doc reaches for the envelope of

cash, Winston puts his hand down on it defensively. The Docgives Winston a look... Really?

DOCTOR (CONTD)Been keeping my mouth shut for 10 years.You really think I need to hear the rulesagain?

Almost immediately, Winston feels a little silly. He lets goof the envelope. The Doc takes it.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


9/63

DOCTOR (CONTD)Winston, is everything alright?

WINSTONYeah... Thanks for your help.

Doc lingers a beat, before exiting.

CHANCEYou came to check on me?

WINSTONWho do you thinks been feeding thatbeast all this time youve been laid up?

CHANCEFigured maybe he finally got a hold ofthe mailman and had just been eating him.

Winston inspects the Fed Ex box on the table.

WINSTONI see Lydecker finally sent payment...

Winston unpacks the box to produce a WHISKEY BOTTLE. Helooks at it, puzzled. Holds it up to Chance.

WINSTON (CONTD)Whiskey...?

CHANCE

Its not whiskey. Its 30 year oldYamazaki. Its a $900 bottle of scotch.

(off Winstons look)Hey, that stuffs not easy to find...

WINSTONWhen I suggested we might keeptransactions quiet by bartering insteadof cash, I assumed you understood I

meant, bartering for things of value.(re: a canvas by the table)

This is a Degas. It has great value.(re: the whiskey)

This is a slow Tuesday night for you.

CHANCE(re: the scotch)

Ken Lydecker is a good guy who was in abad spot. I figured he could use a break.

(re: the Degas)That guy... I didnt much like that guy.


CONTINUED: (2)

CONTINUED


10/63

WINSTON(beat)

Alright, setting aside for the momentyour stunning disregard for our solvency,theres a bigger conversation Ive beenputting off...

(then)There are a finite number of times youcan cause a mess of that magnitude andstill have clients show up at our door.

CHANCEDont start... I told you, it was theonly way to stop the guy from killingLydecker, along with dozens of bystanders.

WINSTONI understand that. What I cant figure

out is why it got that far. Why notchallenge him at the outset? You said hehadnt armed the vest yet, why not disarmhim cleanly before he did?

CHANCEWhat do you think, I let it get that farbecause I thought itd be fun?

WINSTONI dont know, mate, you tell me.

CHANCE

Come on-- I controlled the situation.

WINSTONThe building explo--

CHANCE--exploded, I know, I was there.

(then)I waited because I felt Lydecker was inno immediate danger. I let it play outuntil I had an angle. When the bomb

went, I got distance, gave myself cover.I was in control the whole time.

A beat, Winston unable to take that at face value, butunready to push the issue. Yet. He nods, gets up to leave.

CHANCE (CONTD)Where are you headed?

WINSTONPeale has a referral he wants me to see.


CONTINUED: (3)

CONTINUED


11/63

CHANCEI can come.

WINSTONNo you cant. Shop stays closed whileyou recover. No discussion.

CHANCEHey... Thanks for worrying. But really,theres nothing to worry about.

Off Winston, hoping thats true. He exits.

CUT TO:

INT. CHANCES OFFICE - NIGHT

Chance and Winstons non-descript office. Could belong to

any small business in LA. Seated across from Winston isSTEPHANIE DOBBS (35, sophisticated-sexy) and her husbandJAMES (40s). In the corner is PEALE, a local cop.

STEPHANIEIt was about a week ago. I get in the carto go to work, and it wont start. Twohours later, Im at the dealership, andthe mechanic comes out with this look onhis face... He says the good news is mybatterys dead. The bad news is he found 8ounces of Primasheet 2000 under the hood--

WINSTONPlastic explosive.

STEPHANIEHad the car started...

WINSTONLucky battery.

STEPHANIEYeah. Listen, Mister...

She waits. Winston looks to Peale plaintively--

LT. PEALENo names, Stephanie. Easier that way.

STEPHANIELook, I dont know why somebody would

want me dead. Ive never gotten threats.Dont have enemies. I dont know whatthis is. Thats why I need your help.


CONTINUED: (4)

CONTINUED


12/63

WINSTONIm sorry, but why exactly is thissomething the police couldnt handle?

LT. PEALETell him what you do.

STEPHANIEI work for McNamara Engineering, I runthe design team for the Monterey Line.

WINSTON(beat; duly impressed--)

Is that a fact...

LT. PEALEYoure looking at the lady responsiblefor the most expensive public works

project in US history. Bullet train fromLA to San Francisco.

STEPHANIEWith the trains maiden voyage coming up,you can understand why wed like to keepthis information private.

JAMESThe last thing McNamara needs is morecontroversy surrounding the project. ButIm not here speaking for the company.And Im not here because Im her

supervisor and I cant do my job withouther, though I am and I cant. Im herebecause shes my wife. And if you canhelp to end this thing faster and saferthan the police can, then youre the men

we want.

WINSTON(considers all this, before--)

Alright, what Im going to do is referyou to a private security firm that Ithink quite highly of. Theyll work withyou to develop a security plan--

STEPHANIEIm sorry, I thought your associateprovided the security.

WINSTONWe arent taking new clients at the moment--


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


13/63

STEPHANIENo, I was told you provide a uniqueservice. That youre the people I need--

WINSTONIm sorry. This is the best I can do.

STEPHANIEThats not good enough--

CHANCE (O.S.)Why me?

Everyone stops, sees Chance standing in a shadowed doorframe.

STEPHANIEExcuse me?

CHANCEWhy not conventional private security?

STEPHANIEYou can flush this person out, yes? Gethim to reveal himself, and take him out.

CHANCEThats the idea.

STEPHANIEI dont want to live my life in fear.Whoevers behind this, they shouldnt

have that kind of power over me. I wantto end this. On my terms. Soon.

Chance considers her a long beat. Mulling it over. Then--

CHANCEAnd how fast does this thing go?

STEPHANIE(a bit thrown)

Safe cruising speed is about 200 mph.

CHANCE

Would I get to ride on it?

On Stephanie, puzzled... What the hell is this guys story?

STEPHANIEI assume so...

Chance considers that very seriously. Winston smiles aresigned little smile. He knows where this is going...


CONTINUED: (2)

CONTINUED


14/63

CHANCEOk. Im in. Lets get started.

CUT TO:

INT. JAMES & STEPHANIES HOME - DAY

Around the dining room table, papers and files spread out.

CHANCE (V.O.)I work with a cover, so Ill need a wayto blend in. A role to play where no one

would think twice seeing me with you...

In scene--

STEPHANIE...Im telling you, Ive spent 10 years

designing this train, engineers are theonly people I see all day.

CHANCEI dont wanna do engineer.

STEPHANIECan I ask why not?

CHANCEDont like math.

STEPHANIE

Ok, is this really that big an issue?

CHANCEThe threat needs to see you as vulnerable.Thats how we draw him out, keep him offguard. If I stand out, he can plan around

me. Thats how clients get dead.

STEPHANIEWell, I dont know what else there is...With the rollout coming up, well havepeople in from Sacramento and ourconsultants in from Tokyo, but unless you

can be the California Secretary ofTransportation or a Japanese person, Idont think thats gonna be much help.

Stephanie catches a strange little smile on Chances face.

CHANCEOk... Problem solved then.

(off Stephanies confused look)Next issue.


CONTINUED: (3)

(MORE)

CONTINUED


15/63

This trip, its extremely dangerous. Closequarters. No escape route. Perfect placeto take a shot at you--

STEPHANIEHang on, Ive been working on thisproject for-- I drew the first pencilsketches. If youre explaining why Icant be on that train, then--

CHANCEI was explaining why I need you on it.

JAMESExcuse me?

CHANCE3 ounces of plastic is lethal, your guy

used 8. He doesnt like variables. Thetrain trip minimizes them. Gives him asecond shot if he misses the first, nocops to muck things up. If Im him,thats where I make my next move.

JAMESThen why would you want her to be on--

CHANCEBecause theres no escape for him either.Once he takes his shot, hes exposed. Andthen hes gotta deal with the one

variable he wasnt accounting for.

STEPHANIEWhats that?

CHANCE(big smile)

This guy.

Off Chance--

END TEASER


CONTINUED:

CHANCE (CONT'D)


16/63

ACT ONE

OVER BLACK

Faint crowd noises... Muffled cocktail party chatter...

CHANCE (V.O.) (CONT'D)Who am I?

As the muffled chatter comes into relief, we--

SMASH TO:

EXT. TRAIN PLATFORM - DAY

A private platform, filled with invited guests. A bannerabove: MONTEREY LINE - MAIDEN VOYAGE. And just off theplatform, a sleek, double-decker bullet train. MONTEREY ONE.

Chance walks with Stephanie through the crowd. Eyes open,never watching her. Always watching the crowd.

STEPHANIE (V.O.)Youre Tony Graham, my new translator.

Stephanies voice-over matches (but just barely) the movementof her lips as she introduces Chance to her colleagues.

CHANCE (V.O.)What happened to your old translator?

STEPHANIE (V.O.)

The company provided one to deal with ourTokyo consultants, but she made too many

mistakes, so I hired my own.(beat)

While were on the subject... You arefluent in Japanese, right?

This as FOUR JAPANESE BUSINESSMEN approach and greetStephanie. Introductions are made MOS.

CHANCE (V.O.)I guess well find out, wont we?

We join them as sound returns, and one of the men sayssomething to Stephanie in Japanese. Chance translates.

CHANCE (CONT'D)Mr. Saito wishes you congratulations onthe well-earned celebration. Theyrehonored to be invited.

STEPHANIEThank you, Im so glad you could be here.


CONTINUED


17/63

As Chance translates, Stephanie catches the Japanese lookingat Chance a little sideways... She tries to stay calm...

Saito smiles, and turns to go, but then turns back and talksto Chance. Except Chance doesnt translate. Theyre talkingto each other. On Stephanie-- What the hell? Chance appearsto be telling Saito a story. Hand gestures, big inflection.Unless you speak Japanese, youll get none of it. But itsure sounds interesting. As he finishes, the Japanese allsmile big, each shaking Chances hand. After they exit--

STEPHANIE (CONT'D)What the hell was that?

CHANCEWhat the hell was what?

STEPHANIE

Theyre our biggest consultants, I haveto work with them. What did you just say?

CHANCEThey were surprised my dialect is satsuma-ben. I told them my fathers father was

with MacArthurs staff in Tokyo, where hebefriended a steward from a fishingvillage on the island of Kyushu. Mygrandfather sponsored the steward when hecame to the U.S. for college, where heand my dad became lifelong friends. Andhe taught me to speak Japanese.

STEPHANIE(totally charmed by that...)

Wow, thats... Is that true?

CHANCENo. We shouldnt be the last to board,lets go.

Stephanie shakes her head, and they head to the train. But asthey do, Chance spots a SUSPICIOUS GUY in the crowd. The Guyhad an eye on Stephanie and tried to look away... Not intime. Chance clocks it...

CUT TO:

EXT. LOS ANGELES OUTSKIRTS - DAY

The Monterey Line runs through an LA suburb, still at itsmodest urban cruising speed. Ten passenger and cargo cars,an engine at both front and back. Its a good-looking train.

CUT TO:


CONTINUED:


18/63

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CAFE CAR - DAY

The cafe car has been done up for a cocktail party. Rightnow, everyones attention is focused at the front of the car,

where DAVID MCNAMARA (60s), addresses the crowd.

MCNAMARA...when my father started this company 52years ago, I doubt hed have believed theState of California could get its acttogether to accomplish something likethis. But in three hours well be in SanFrancisco, nothing will ever be the sameagain, and its because of all of you.

(a STEWARD whispers in his ear)Folks, Im told were now clear of the

marker. Now most of you know StephanieDobbs, shes the project leader for this

mess. Stephanie, will you give the order?

STEPHANIEFull speed ahead...

Off Stephanie, beaming--

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CONTROL CAB - DAY

The ENGINEER pushes the throttle forward, and we watch thedigital speedometer move. 90 mph... 110... 140...

CUT TO:

EXT. LOS ANGELES OUTSKIRTS - DAY

THE TRAIN SCREAMS BY. A 200 MPH bullet, bound for San Fran.

TIME DISSOLVE TO:


Cocktail party. Chance talks to TOM (40s), as Stephanie isin another conversation, just arms length away from Chance.

TOMDont sweat what everyone says about her,Im sure youll enjoy working for her.

CHANCEWhat does everyone say?


CONTINUED


19/63

TOMThat shes miserable to work for. Thatif youre not as smart as she is, you

must be incompetent. That mistakesshould be punishable by death...

CHANCESo its not true?

TOMNo, its true. But I love her anyway.

CHANCESo ifs shes so difficult, why doesanyone put up with working with her?

TOMShed tell you its because no one can do

what she does. But the truth is, Jamesdnever let anyone look at her funny, muchless suggest getting rid of her...

(unable to ignore his scratches)Say, what happened to your face?

CHANCEYou should see the other guy. Whatsleft of him, anyway...

Tom laughs, although something about Chances tone creeps himout a little. Stephanie joins them.

TOMI was just telling Tony here about howeveryone hates you but me...

Stephanie punches Tom in the arm.

STEPHANIETom was Jamess Best Man, he introducedus. Hes Macs General Counsel.

Tom sees an OLDER WOMAN waving him down across the room...

TOM

Excuse me. Our Undersecretary for MassTransit isnt through bugging me aboutthe tab for today.

Tom excuses himself, and exits.

CHANCEWhat was the tab for all this?


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


20/63

STEPHANIEAll in? About 80 billion.

(off Chances double-take)We went a little over budget.

CHANCEWell I should hope so. Do I even want toknow how much of that came from my taxes?

STEPHANIEAbout 80 billion.

CHANCE(beat; under his breath)

Even I want to kill you a little bitright now...

Stephanie has to smile a little. Then, quietly, privately--

CHANCE (CONTD)Listen, if its possible, have them turnthe air-conditioning down 10 degrees.

STEPHANIEWhy, are you warm?

CHANCEIm not, but at least 10 different guyshere are starting to sweat...

STEPHANIE

What do you care how much other guyssweat?

CHANCEBecause God doesnt like cold-bloodedkillers, so He makes as few as He can.The prospect of hurting someone causesstress in most people. They sweat. Fatguys sweat when its 5 degrees too warm.I like to be able to tell the difference.

STEPHANIEOh... Ok. Ill see what I can do.

CHANCEGreat. And feel free to keep askingquestions about how I do my job. I findit not at all irritating or distracting.

Stephanie doesnt shrink from that. And we get the senseChance likes it. But we also sense theres something else onher mind...


CONTINUED: (2)

CONTINUED


21/63

STEPHANIEYou really think whoever is after me ison this train...?

CHANCEIf it were me... Id be here.

Off Stephanie, unsettled...

CUT TO:

INT. CHANCES OFFICE - DAY

Winston, on the phone--

WINSTON (INTO PHONE)Sounds like shes got enemies there...

INTERCUT WITH:


Chance is on a cell phone. Hes talking discreetly, no oneelse in earshot. He watches Stephanie intently as he talks.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)Line forms to the left. Shes a badboss. Shes stubborn as all get-out.She designed a $40 billion train thatsomehow cost 80. If there are 10 peoplehere who havent considered killing this

woman at least once, Id be amazed.

WINSTON (FROM PHONE)Anyone jumping out at you yet?

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)Not yet.

(beat)Do me a favor, see if you can pull thecall logs from this phone.

WINSTON (FROM PHONE)Just out of curiosity, does she know

youre on her phone?

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)No, I swiped it. I wanna see if shestalking to anyone interesting, and Ididnt want to have to go 12 rounds withher about it. And one more thing: FindGuerrero, bring him into this. No onehandles this corporate crap like he does.


CONTINUED: (3)

CONTINUED


22/63

Chance trails off as he realizes that Stephanie is nowstaring back at him. She glares. Quit staring at me...

CHANCE (INTO PHONE) (CONT'D)Will you look at this. Im watching a guythat wont stop shifting his coat around,and she thinks Im flirting with her.

We see the SUSPICIOUS GUY from before in Chances eyeline,looking a bit agitated.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE) (CONT'D)This is some piece of work, this lady...

ON WINSTON. He hesitates a beat, before broaching--

WINSTON (INTO PHONE)Listen. I dont know why you were in

such a rush to take this job. And Ihavent wanted to say anything aboutthis, but... She looks like her. Iknow, I see it too. But it isnt her.Its got nothing to do with her. Youknow that, right?

Chances smile fades. An unreadable, silent beat.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)Lemme know when youve got Guerrero.

Off Chance--

CUT TO:

INT. SANDWICH SHOP - DAY

TWO NASTY-LOOKING THUGS enter, each stuffed into their cheapsuits. We focus on the LATINO one of the two. Guerrero?He scans the place, before he spots--

A SKINNY GUY (40s), sitting alone in a corner booth, readinga book, eating his lunch. The Thugs sit, boxing him in.

LATINO THUG

Youre the guy digging around South TrustBank. Asking questions. Making trouble.

Its weird, but the Skinny Guy doesnt seem intimidated.

SKINNY GUYAnd youre... employees of the bank?

LATINO THUGYou could say that.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


23/63

SKINNY GUYI see. Well, Im sorry, but your employeris engaged in some pretty shady loans

with his directors families. And myfriends need to know just how shady iftheyre going to make their case. So Imafraid were at an impasse.

LATINO THUGWere at a what?

SKINNY GUYImpasse. It means we disagree withoutprospect of resolution.

Latino Thug looks to Other Thug. You believe this guy?

LATINO THUG

See, we came here to explain it to you.But youre not getting it. So maybe weneed to go for a little walk to the alleyout back, and explain it different. So

we dont have impasse.

SKINNY GUY(beat; considers them)

Alright. But I have to warn you. Ifthis gets violent, Im gonna fight back.

The Thugs chuckle. They outweigh him by about 500 lbs.

LATINO THUGYoure gonna fight back...

SKINNY GUYActually, youre right, fight back is alittle misleading. What Ill do is breakinto your homes some night soon, and killyou each in your sleep.

(off their stunned silence)Youll probably be first, Alfredo. That

way Steven here can have a few extra dayswith Marla and the girls. Its only fair.

On the Thugs. What the hell is this...

LATINO THUGHow do you know my name?

SKINNY GUYYour employer keeps sensitive informationon a drive he thinks is secure. It isnt.

(re: the door)Shall we?


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


24/63

The look in the Skinny Guys eyes makes our skin crawl.Theres something just slightly unhinged about it...

The Thugs consider how long they have to wait to leave inorder to maintain a shred of dignity. Long enough? Yeah,thatll do it. They get up, and exit silently. Skinny Guy

watches them go, as his CELL RINGS. He answers.

SKINNY GUY (GUERRERO)(INTO PHONE)(CONT'D)This is Guerrero.

Off Guerrero--

CUT TO:


Chance and Stephanie sit at a booth. A CELL RING comes from

Chances pocket. He fishes it out and answers.

STEPHANIEThats funny, my phone has the same ring.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)Yeah. Yeah, go ahead...

CUT TO:


Winston, on the phone--

WINSTON (INTO PHONE)Guerrero is in. But theres somethingelse. I went through her call logs,found something that may be interesting.

CUT TO:


As Chance listens silently to Winston on the other end, aSTEWARD (whom well only see from the neck down) sets a fewdrinks around the table.

STEPHANIEThats strange, dont you think? That

wed both have the same...(looks closer)

Wait a minute, that is my phone.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)Alright, let me know what he finds.


CONTINUED: (2)

CONTINUED


25/63

STEPHANIE(snatches the phone back)

You stole my phone?!

CHANCEI borrowed it. Listen, do you know aTimes reporter named Mark Hoffer?

STEPHANIEI forgot to plug it in last night, andyoure here running it down--

CHANCEFocus, please. Mark Hoffer.

STEPHANIEHe covers the project, he used to callperiodically for background or a quote.

Why?

CHANCEHis name isnt in your phone book, buthis numbers listed as incoming a dozentimes or so. Mostly unreturned.

STEPHANIEYeah, well, Im bad about returningcalls. Havent talked to him in almost ayear. What difference does it make?

CHANCE

Just that reporters are like vultures;when they linger, its worth noticing...

Chance trails off, his attention focused out the window...

STEPHANIEHello...?

...we then notice whats drawn his attention. In thewindows reflection, Chance sees the Suspicious Guy, nowclearly eying Stephanie from across the car. A beat, beforethe GUY STARTS WALKING THIS WAY... Chance calmly stands up,picks up a full cocktail... Waits... Then turns,

accidentally spilling the drink all over Suspicious Guy...

CHANCEJeez, Im sorry about that...

Chance helps the guy clean up... But as he does, we see hesdiscreetly frisking him. Chance then turns him, looks himsquare in the eye. Evaluating the threat. The look ofsurprise in the guys eyes says hes clear. Chance backs off.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


26/63

CHANCE (CONTD)Cant take me anywhere...

The Guy gives Chance a sideways look, before continuing onand approaching Stephanie. Chance stays close by...

SUSPICIOUS GUY (BILL)Weve never met, but I think you know whoI am. My name is Bill Arnold. May I sit?

Stephanie is instantly uncomfortable. Seems to know exactlywho this guy is, and not in a good way...

STEPHANIEOf course.

BILLIll be honest, I came here prepared to

say to your face what you already knowIve been saying in Sacramento. But nowthat Ive seen this thing youve created,now that its real... I think the firstthing I need to say is, Im sorry.Evidently, you were worth every penny...

Chance watches over the conversation, but suddenly, we startto notice the sounds in the room start to drop out. Billsvoice... Then the crowd noise... On Chance, hyper-alert.He cant tell what it is, but something isnt right...

Chance scans the crowd... Still cant put his finger on

whats tripping his alarms... Then, from the silence, webegin to hear the SOUND OF TINKLING ICE CUBES rise in the

mix... Chance focuses on a few glasses in the hands ofpeople around the room... From glass to glass, until hisfocus settles on Stephanies... And the ICE CUBES in herdrink... As Stephanie lifts her glass to take a sip--

SOUND RUSHES BACK IN... Chance grabs her arm, taking awayher glass, and leading her away from the table... Before shecan protest, she sees the look in his eye, and knows exactly

what it means. She goes along.

BILL (CONTD)

Excuse me, we were just in the middle ofa conversation...

Chance ignores him, keeps Stephanie moving. They pass James,surprised by the sight of Chance whisking his wife away.

CHANCE(passing by James--)

Stay. Keep your mouth shut.


CONTINUED: (2)

CONTINUED


27/63

JAMESWait a minute, you cant just--

--but Chance is already past him. James helplessly watchesas Chance and Stephanie continue towards the rear exit...

STEPHANIEWhats going on?

CHANCEThe ice in your glass was cubed.

STEPHANIESo?

CHANCENo one elses is.

ON BILL. Takes a swig from his own glass, but its empty.Just ice. He grabs Stephanies fresh one, and takes ahealthy pull.

Back on Chance and Stephanie, as they near the exit...

CHANCE (CONT'D)Theyre plastic. Ive seen them before.

STEPHANIEPlastic... What for?

CHANCE

Delivery system.

BACK ON BILL... Not feeling so hot. Then, his eyes rollback in his head, and he hits the deck. Convulsions. AWOMAN SCREAMS. A crowd forms around him. As Chance andStephanie reach the exit, Chance stops, turns back...

He scans the crowd surrounding Bill. Face after face, allfocused intently on Bill. Except ONE STEWARD, who Chancecatches staring back at him... He was watching Stephanieexit... Chance grins.

CHANCE (CONTD)

(to himself)Hello, fella...

He then takes Stephanie out the exit into the next car, asthe door whooshes shut behind them.

END ACT ONE


CONTINUED: (3)


28/63

ACT TWO

INT. MONTEREY ONE - COACH PASSENGER CAR - DAY

Chance and Stephanie enter an empty passenger car. Stephaniepaces, clearly panicked by the bullet she just dodged.

Chance sees an EMERGENCY STOP handle on the bulkhead. Hecracks the glass, pulls the switch. Nothing.

STEPHANIENot operational. Most of the systemsback here arent online yet...

Stephanie is shaking. Seriously freaked out.

STEPHANIE (CONTD)Whyd you let him drink from that glass?

CHANCEHes not my problem.

He notices Stephanies state. Goes to her, takes her pulse.

STEPHANIEIm fine. Im fine...

Its taking every ounce of will she has to hold back tears.

CHANCEYoure all over the place.

Completely catching Stephanie off guard, Chance hugs her.She pushes back--

CHANCE (CONT'D)Relax, this isnt a date... Its aphysiological response, itll slow yourheart rate down.

(he holds her; she lets him)Not sure why, but it works. Somethingabout human contact and stress receptors.

A beat. Chance doesnt intend this to be sexual or romantic

in any way. But off his face, we FLASH OUT TO--

--Chance and a DIFFERENT WOMAN, vague resembling Stephanie.Ten frames. Barely enough to get oriented. But we can just

make it out... Theyre dancing...

BACK TO SCENE. Chance tightens his grip just enough for usto notice. She pushes away again; he lets her go. But asthey separate, she sees BLOOD ON HER SHIRT. Looks at Chanceand sees a red spots growing on his shirt...


CONTINUED


29/63

STEPHANIEYoure bleeding...

CHANCEIts a scratch.

STEPHANIEThats no scratch. What happened to you?

CHANCELong story. Can we lock this door?

STEPHANIENot from here. Seriously, are you ok?

Chance finds a loose CHAIN, and rigs it to the door. If thedoor opens, the falling chain makes a racket. But as he rigsit, he senses her eyes on his back. He changes the subject--

CHANCEWeve got at least one of them out in theopen now. A steward. Not for nothing,but you should really talk to yourcaterers about their hiring process.

STEPHANIEAt least one of them...?

CHANCESometimes they work in teams. Frankly,Im not convinced the person or people

who paid for it arent up there too.Either way, right now hes trying not topanic. He missed the shot, probablyknows I made him, probably made me forsecurity if hes any good.

STEPHANIESo what do we do now?

CHANCEHes irritated. Hes gotta come to usnow, and he knows it. So we let him makethat mistake.

Off Chance, as he finishes up his door alarm...

CUT TO:

EXT. PARK - DAY

Guerrero sits on a park bench. Hes approached by LOWELL(50s), balding and overweight. Lowell, who looks like heshad a bitch of a morning, sits down nearby Guerrero.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


30/63

GUERREROThanks for coming.

LOWELLSorry Im late. Its been... Its beena rough morning.

GUERREROI need some information about a guy who

works in your office. Names MarkHoffer, hes on the Sacramento desk.

LOWELL(beat; an indignant glare)

Is that supposed to be a joke?

GUERREROWas it funny?

LOWELLMister Guerrero... I owe for what youdid for me and my family. But there mustcome a point at which Ive repaid thatdebt. Now I know what kind of a man youare, so when you pull me out of theoffice to ask these kinds of questions--

GUERREROWhat are you talking about?

LOWELL

Are you saying you dont know?

Off Guerrero, at a loss--

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - COACH CAR - 2ND FLOOR - DAY

Chance and Stephanie sit in a booth. Shes lost in thought.

CHANCEThat guy back there, he said you were worthevery penny... What was all that about?

STEPHANIEIm due a sizable bonus if the train comesonline by a certain date. Bills a lawyer

with CALDOT, hes been whining to the pressabout our overruns. When he heard aboutthe bonus, he tried to paint me as theposter child for waste in the project.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


31/63

CHANCEHow big a bonus are we talking?

STEPHANIEHey, if they couldve found someone to do

what I did for less, they wouldve...

CHANCESure, of course... How much?

STEPHANIE...two point four.

CHANCEFunny, dont remember you mentioning that.

STEPHANIECome on, Bill Arnold is a schlub trying

to get noticed, hes not a threat...(then)Im not withholding information from you.

CHANCE(beat; smirks...)

All my clients say that.

STEPHANIEThen why are you making that face?

CHANCEBecause all my clients are lying when

they say that.(off her look)

If you really wanted to help me, youdtell me everything. Secrets. People youvehurt. Stuff that keeps you up at night.Because 9 times out of 10, one of thosethings is why somebody wants you dead.

STEPHANIESo youre saying Im lying to you?

CHANCEIm saying everybody lies to me. Even

when it might save their life to comeclean, they lie. You wanna know why?Pride. If that doesnt just about sum usup as a species, I dont know what does.

STEPHANIE(beat)

I heard you once wore a clients clothesinto a crowded room where you knew agunman would try take a shot at him.


CONTINUED:

(MORE)

CONTINUED


32/63

That you essentially invited the gunmanto shoot you instead.

CHANCEWhats your point?

STEPHANIEIf you have such a low opinion of people,

why risk your life for them? Why be theguy wholl take a bullet for a stranger,a human target for hire, if they deserve--

CHANCEI didnt say they deserve it.

STEPHANIEYou just said--

CHANCEI said people have secrets, and secretscan be dangerous. Nobody deserves to die.

Stephanie takes that in a moment. The silence is broken,though, as HER PHONE RINGS. Chance grabs it, answers...

CHANCE (INTO PHONE) (CONT'D)Yeah... When... This morning-- Today?...no such thing as coincidence... Do mea favor, keep digging... Ill connect

when we hit destination.

Chance hangs up. He looks up at Stephanie.

CHANCE (CONTD)Mark Hoffer was killed this morning.

STEPHANIEWhat?

CHANCEHis car exploded. Unofficial policereport says there was Primasheet residue--

STEPHANIE

Oh God...

CHANCESame explosive as the one in your car. Ineed you to start thinking... What didyou talk to him about?

STEPHANIEI dont know, all kinds of things...


CONTINUED: (2)

STEPHANIE (CONT'D)

CONTINUED


33/63

CHANCEScandal? Something personal?

STEPHANIENo.

CHANCEPrivileged information?

STEPHANIENo, never. I mean, once I-- No, nothingprivileged.

CHANCEOnce you what?

STEPHANIEAbout eighteen months ago, I had a run-in

with management about a design issue.Happens all the time, but this one theygave me an especially hard time with. I

was mad when I talked to Mark, I felt badimmediately that I said anything to him.

CHANCEWhat did you say?

STEPHANIETheres a component in the brakeassemblies, a Y-Wing connector, that webought from a new supplier. Most Y-

Wings are titanium, these were somealloy Id never heard of. So I did sometesting. When I exposed them to asignificant static charge in just theright way, they overheated.

CHANCEIs that a problem?

STEPHANIENot if the static charge is below acertain limit. But at extremely highspeeds, it could lead to a catastrophic

failure of the brakes.

CHANCETrain wont stop.

STEPHANIENot when you want it to, no.

CHANCESo what happened?


CONTINUED: (3)

CONTINUED


34/63

STEPHANIEI told management, they rejected myconclusions. Said I over-estimated thecharge, that itd take a driver recklesslyexceeding safe speeds for there to eventheoretically be a problem. Said itdcost billions to retrofit my changes, andthat my compulsive need for perfection

wasnt compelling justification. Butwhere I come from, when somethings brokeyou fix it. So I kept pushing. A weeklater, they caved. Said theyd make thefixes. I havent thought about it since.

CHANCESo far, so good. Whyd you tell Hoffer?

STEPHANIE

I dont air dirty laundry outside theoffice, I didnt even tell James. ButMark caught me right in the middle of it.I was frustrated, I made a mistake.

CHANCEStephanie... Is there a chance he wasgonna write about this?

STEPHANIEWrite about it?

CHANCE

Nice sidebar to go along with the launchof the train? Engineering firm cutscorners on safety measures for largestpublic works project in U.S. history?

STEPHANIEIts possible. But what difference wouldit make? If they fixed the brakes, whatdifference would it make if he wrote...

They both arrive at the hypothetical answer at the same time.It hangs in the air a moment. But before either can respond,

we hear THE CHAIN SLINKING TO THE GROUND downstairs.

Chance grabs Stephanie, they hide behind a bulkhead near therear of the car. Chance draws his gun...

FOOTFALLS up the spiral stairs... Slowly approaching... Butas they get closer, something about it seems wrong to Chance.Whoevers clunking around out there, it aint a professionalassassin. Chance holsters his gun.


CONTINUED: (4)

CONTINUED


35/63

CHANCE THEN SPRINGS... A quick move to subdue theintruder... Pins him up against the wall... But--

STEPHANIE (CONT'D)Wait-- No, stop!

We get a look at the guy. ITS TOM.

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - COACH CAR - 2ND FLOOR - MINUTES LATER

Chance, Stephanie and Tom, seated--

TOMWhen I couldnt find you, I asked James

where you were. He seemed weird aboutit, didnt really answer. I got worried,

so I came looking for you.

CHANCE(to Stephanie)

At least your husband can followinstructions...

STEPHANIEHows Bill?

TOMTheres a doc up there, hes managed tostabilize him. They talked about

stopping and medivac-ing him to UCSF, butMcNamara figures its actually faster tokeep him on the train... They put thepedal to the floor; a chopper wouldactually be slower than we are right now.

(then)Stephanie, you gotta tell me whats goingon here?

(re: Chance)And what the hell is this guys story?

Stephanie looks to Chance. What do I tell him?

CHANCEI need you to go back to the main car,Tom. If anyone asks, you couldnt findStephanie. You dont know where she is.

TOMWait a minute-- Steph, if theressomething wrong, I want to help--


CONTINUED: (5)

CONTINUED


36/63

CHANCEAnd Im telling you, you can help bygoing back to the main car, and keepingyour mouth shut. Dont talk to anyone.

Tom looks to Stephanie, who silently affirms.

TOMAlright...

But as Tom gets up to go--

STEPHANIEHey... Do you remember the flap aboutthe Y-Wing connectors? About a year ago?

TOM(thinks)

Vaguely... Youd talked to some reporter,wanted to make sure you hadnt violatedyour confidentiality agreement...

STEPHANIEYou didnt tell anyone else at thecompany about that, did you?

TOMDid I say anything...? Why would I--No, of course not.

There was a bit of a hitch in his answer. Chance clocks it.

TOM (CONT'D)Steph, are you sure youre okay?

STEPHANIEYeah... Yeah, Im fine.

A beat, before Tom exits. Chance eyes him warily as he goes.

CUT TO:


Guerrero sits at the computer, Winston over his shoulder.

WINSTONWhat is this?

GUERREROContents of Mark Hoffers hard drive.

WINSTONDo I want to know how you came about it?


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


37/63

GUERREROAn editor at the paper owes me. Fewyears back, a utility company hired a guyto hassle him and his family over a storyhe was working. I got him out of it.

WINSTONHow did you do that?

GUERREROI decided to stop hassling him.

(re: computer screen)Theres nothing here. Nothinginteresting, anyway. Just some notes,his schedules, expenses...

THE PHONE RINGS. Winston answers, then signals to Guerrerofor him to pick up an extension as well.

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - COACH CAR - 2ND LEVEL - DAY

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)Not sure what youre finding there, butIm feeling like McNamara management maybe involved in this.

GUERRERO (INTO PHONE)Thats good news.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)Yeah, thats what I was thinking.

GUERRERO (INTO PHONE)You want me to go see him?

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)I do. See if hes heard anything.

GUERRERO (INTO PHONE)Im on it.

They all hang up. Guerrero puts on his coat to go...

WINSTONWhy is it good news if the company isbehind this?

GUERREROBecause companies like this arent builtto off people, so it tends to be sloppy.Someone talks, the wrong guys listening,and suddenly words all over the street.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


38/63

WINSTONWho are you going to see?

GUERREROThe Wrong Guy.

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - COACH CAR - 2ND LEVEL - DAY

Chance hangs up. Off Stephanies skeptical look--

CHANCEDont tell me you arent thinking it too.

STEPHANIEWhat if they lied to me about replacingthe connectors...?

CHANCESomeone decides youre making a big dealout of nothing. Figure theyre $40billion over-budget, theyre not askingfor a few billion more just to make youhappy. So they lie to shut you up.Except they find out the Times is writingabout it. Even if they think the trainssafe, they cant allow a suggestionotherwise. No paying passenger wouldever go near this thing. Someone asks,How do we make this problem go away,

and were off to the races...

STEPHANIEThis sounds awfully paranoid...

CHANCEAsk Mark Hoffer how paranoid it sounds.

STEPHANIE(beat)

If they lied about replacing thoseconnectors, weve got a much biggerproblem... Were easily going 50 miles

per hour above safe-speed right now...

CHANCEAre you saying that by speeding thistrain up, somebody up there may haveunwittingly created the situation theyassured you would never happen?

STEPHANIEPretty much.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


39/63

CHANCEAlright... Then we need to know if thoseconnectors were replaced or not.

STEPHANIETo be sure, youd have to do a visualinspection. Raise one of the cars onhydraulics, crawl into the access-space--

CHANCEHow do we do it right now?

STEPHANIEYoure kidding...

CHANCEIf this train cant stop and were theonly people that know, I imagine were

gonna have to do something about it.

STEPHANIEYou want to squeeze into an open-aircrawl-space 8 inches above the tracks,under a train going 230 miles per hour,and conduct a visual inspection?

CHANCENot particularly. But tell me theresanother option.

CUT TO:


The main car, more somber than before. Bill is unconscious,laid out on a bench. On James, as he watches Tom enter fromthe rear of the car. Tom is conspicuously uncomfortable,trying to breathe deep. Passing by James, we pick up--

THE STEWARD-ASSASSIN from before, whom we follow as heapproaches the rear of the car, and exits into--

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - EMPTY COACH PASSENGER CAR - CONTINUOUS

He checks his watch impatiently. A beat, before he pulls aPISTOL, and heads deeper into the train. Hes on his way...

END ACT TWO


CONTINUED:


40/63

ACT THREE

INT. FOOD COURT - DAY

A generic office building food court. Guerrero approaches atable where an OLD MAN (60s) sits eating his lunch. But asGuerrero nears him, a BEEFY GUY in a suit gets up and standsin Guerreros way. They stare each other down a beat, before--

OLD MAN(to the Beefy Guy)

Its alright.

The Beefy Guy steps aside, and Guerrero takes a seat.

OLD MAN (CONTD)Havent seen you in a while.

GUERREROHavent been looking for you.

OLD MANAn answer for everything... This is whyI stopped finding work for you.

GUERREROI stopped taking the work you found,thats why you stopped finding it.

OLD MANWhat do you want?

GUERREROI need to know if youve heard of any

work put on the street by a companycalled McNamara Engineering.

The Old Man looks to the Beefy Guy, who shrugs.

OLD MANNot to the best of our recollection.

GUERRERO(beat; disappointed...)

Are you sure?

OLD MANHold on, Ill check again.

(beat; an eff-you stare...)Yes, Im sure.

Guerrero slumps a bit. Dead end.


CONTINUED


41/63

OLD MAN (CONTD)What do you care, anyway? You wanna knowif theres open work, but you dont wannatake it? What are you, window shopping...

(it clicks for him; he smiles)Ah... I see. Youve gone to the otherside. Fighting the good fight, makingthe world safe for democracy...

(coughs out a laugh...)Like your friend Chance, I suppose. Atleast he had the courtesy to tell me to

my face when he lost his nerve.

Guerreros getting nowhere, and hes had enough. He gets up.

GUERREROThanks for your time.

OLD MANJust making life hard on yourself,friend. Companies have secrets.Husbands hate wives. Brothers envybrothers. This works been aroundforever, it aint going away, it ainteven slowing down...

Guerrero stops a moment. Turns back.

GUERREROWhat did you just say?

OLD MANI said I dont know what you hope toaccomplish by--

GUERREROYeah, I got it.

As Guerrero exits, he smiles. Something just clicked for him.

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CARGO CAR - DAY

An open cargo compartment, the length and width of the car.High ceilinged, theres no 2nd floor here. Heavy machineparts and instruments are bundled in a few rows, most of themcovered under a large tarp.

Chance and Stephanie are beside a panel in the floor,unscrewing the fasteners keeping the panel secured.

STEPHANIEThis is crazy.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


42/63

CHANCEIt isnt crazy.

STEPHANIEDo you have any idea what kind of surfacestresses are generated when you move atrain this big this fast? The jet streamthatll be swirling 6 inches beneath you

will suck you right under the wheels ifyou get anywhere near it.

CHANCE(beat)

It may be a little crazy.

Chance finishes with the last screw in the panel.

CHANCE (CONT'D)

Explain to me again what Im looking for.

A beat. Stephanie has to hand it to him; hes got balls...

STEPHANIEThe brake housings are the black boxesoffset from the wheels, by the accessshaft. Theres a seam that runs alongthe front of each box. If the connectors

were replaced, the seams should bejagged. If the seams are smooth...

CHANCE

...cancel Christmas, I get it. Ok.Alright, lets do it.

Chance and Stephanie unlock the panel, and as they hoist itup, THE WIND NOISE IS DEAFENING. Like standing next to a jetengine with the cowlings off. Chance takes off his dressshirt, and we see that the wound on his chest is becoming aproblem. Stephanie is a little horrified by it, but Chancedoesnt even acknowledge it. He crawls down into--

CUT TO:

EXT. MONTEREY ONE - CRAWL-SPACE - CONTINUOUS

Chance slips into the crawl-space. The wind is overwhelming.Hard to keep his eyes open... Hard to breathe...

The space itself is open on three sides, made up of a loosecriss-cross of supports. Above is the undercarriage of thetrain. Super-tight; very little room to maneuver.

Chance hangs on to the supports above, with his feet wedgedinto the side struts for support.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


43/63

He shimmies awkwardly down the crawl-space, straining to keephis weight suspended over the bottom guard rail.

He sees the brake-case, just needs to make it that far... Afew more yards... But, as he moves, his leg jerks back. Hisshoelace caught in the rigging... Chance yanks at it, butcant get it free... Straining to hold himself up... On hisundershirt, we see THE RED SPOTS JOINING, where the wound onhis chest is now worsening...

Chance gives it one last pull... His foot comes out of shoe,the shoe falls onto the guardrail, and is then SUCKED IN BYTHE JETSTREAM... ROCKETS AWAY LIKE A BULLET, OUT TO THE SIDEOF THE TRAIN, and then UP IN THE AIR, riding the trains aircurrent like it was shot out of a cannon. Its violent andquick. On Chance, resolving not to go the way of the shoe...

He digs deep and regains his grip. It takes all hes got,

but he REACHES THE BLACK BOX... Feels around behind it...

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CARGO CAR - DAY

Stephanie waits nervously by the open access panel... Nosign of Chance... Shes really starting to worry, as A HANDPOPS OUT OF THE OPENING. Then another...

Stephanie rushes over, and helps A GRIMY, BLOODY CHANCE haulhimself up onto the deck. He collapses, exhausted.

STEPHANIEPlease tell me were ok...

CHANCE(heaving)

Well... Ok...

STEPHANIEWere not ok, are we?

CHANCEWere screwed...

Stephanie pops up off the ground, paces nervously.

CHANCE (CONTD)Heres what were gonna do. We go to thefront, and youre gonna tell them theyneed to cut the engines--

STEPHANIEIts not that simple... There are threehigh grade curves on the route.


CONTINUED:

(MORE)

CONTINUED


44/63

If we are where I think we are, theresone coming up in about 60 miles.

CHANCESo?

STEPHANIESo there are only two rules to driving atrain. And one of them is, when you getto a curve, slow down.

CHANCE(putting it together)

Well go off the rails at this speed...How long would it take to coast to asafer speed?

STEPHANIE

More than weve got--

CHANCE TACKLES STEPHANIE to the ground, just before--

BANG! Gunshots ring out... The ASSASSIN IS AT THE OPPOSITEEND OF THE CAR, FIRING AT US...

Chance pulls his gun and returns fire, as he and Stephanietake cover behind a bundle of machinery. A beat, as Chancepeers over the bundle to check the Assassins position.

CHANCERun as fast as you can to the door.

STEPHANIEBut its the wrong way, we have to get tothe main car to warn them about--

CHANCEGo!

Before Stephanie can even react, Chance pops up and WALKS OUTIN THE OPEN TOWARDS THE ASSASSIN. The Assassin eyes go wide

with surprise as he sees Chance walking right into his fire.The Assassin tries to aim for a clean shot, but Chance forceshim to take cover...

STEPHANIE RUNS towards the rear door. As she nears it, Chancestarts to fall back, TOPPLING A STACK OF BOXES to cover theirretreat... They both sprint out the door and into--

CUT TO:


CONTINUED:

STEPHANIE (CONT'D)


45/63

INT. MONTEREY ONE - EMPTY PASSENGER CAR - CONTINUOUS

Chance and Stephanie sprint through a barebones passengercar, largely unfinished... A beat, before THE ASSASSINAPPEARS AT THE DOOR, FIRING AWAY... Chance returns fire, butafter the first shot-- CLICK. Out of ammo...

He and Stephanie quickly make it through the next door, andshut it. The Assassins gunfire impacts off the closingdoor, just missing them...

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - 2ND TO LAST CAR - MOMENTS LATER

Chance enters, shuts the door, and shuts a CLOSET DOOR justinside, which covers the main door. He then HAULS DOWN ACART FULL OF EQUIPMENT, barricading both doors closed. A

beat, before THWACK, the Assassin runs up against thebarricade on the other side.

CHANCEOughta hold him for a few minutes...

Inside the car, we see tools, equipment... Its the rearengineering car. Through the barricaded door, we can hearthe Assassin working at the door, trying to get through.

STEPHANIEI dont know how many minutes weve got.12, maybe 15 before we hit the curve...

She pulls out her phone. TIGHT ON THE DISPLAY: A RED BATTERYINDICATOR. Stephanie dials: JAMES. It rings, hits voicemail.

CHANCEWho are you calling?

STEPHANIEJames. He can at least warn them...Come on, pick up...

Stephanie dials again, but as she does the battery goes, andthe phone shuts itself down.

STEPHANIE (CONTD)Dammit!

CHANCETheres gotta be an intercom orsomething...


CONTINUED


46/63

STEPHANIEThey hooked up these cars so they couldtest speed at full capacity. Theyreballast. Only electronics working arethe lights and the air conditioning...

A beat, as they both arrive at the same idea together...They slowly look up to a partially exposed AIR DUCT...

MOMENTS LATER, INSIDE THE AIR DUCT...

--Chances head is poked into the duct, checking it out.Its tight, barely big enough for a person to be on allfours. Chance then drops back down to--

THE REAR CAR, with Stephanie...

CHANCE

Will it support both of us?

STEPHANIEI dont know. I didnt exactly design itto be a jungle gym.

CHANCEIt doesnt have to hold for long, we justhave to get past him to the next car.

Off Stephanie...

CUT TO:

INT. AIR DUCT - MOMENTS LATER

Chance leads Stephanie down the cramped duct... They quicklyreach a thick grating at the end of the car--

STEPHANIETheres two--

Chance makes a face-- Shhhhh!!! Then, whispered--

CHANCEIf he hears us, were gonna be dodging

bullets...

STEPHANIETheres two grates between here and thenext car. You can just unscrew them...

Chance pulls out a UTILITY KNIFE, and carefully unscrews thegrate, before gently setting it aside. They then crawl intothe next section. Like ribbed, flexible Kevlar; were now inthe connecting space between the cars.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


47/63

Chance then carefully, quietly, unscrews the second gratethatll take them into the Assassins car. As he finishes, heturns to Stephanie, and holds a finger to his lips. He takesa breath... But as he pulls away the grate to set it aside--

WE SEE THE ASSASSIN A FEW YARDS AWAY, IN THE DUCT! Hestrying same thing we are... A moment of surprise for both ofthem, before the Assassin goes for his gun, and Chancescrambles towards him, trying to close the distance...

The gun comes out, but Chance is on top of him-- They tradepunches, elbows... Like wild dogs locked inside a metaltrunk... With each punch and kick, we see the BRACKETSSUPPORTING THE DUCT STRAINING under their weight...

They trade punches, but Chance is losing stamina... TheAssassin begins to get the upper hand, lands a few nastyelbows... With the last one, THE DUCT GIVES WAY, and we--

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - EMPTY PASSENGER CAR - CONTINUOUS

--where one end of duct drops-- Chance and Assassin slide downand onto the deck... The section holding Stephanie teeters fora moment, before it gives way, dumping her hard to the ground...

Chance gets up just in time to DODGE THE REST OF THE DUCT ASIT FALLS... The lower end of the duct hits the ground,SNAPPING LOOSE THE END THAT WAS STILL CONNECTED... The topend then topples SIDEWAYS INTO A WINDOW, SHATTERING IT,

FILLING THE CAR WITH WHIPPING WIND.

Chance looks to Stephanie; shes not moving. But before hecan go to her, the ASSASSIN SPRINGS... This isnt likefighting Hollis earlier; the Assassin knows what hesdoing... Hand-to-hand combat between two pros...

But the Assassin goes to work on Chances wound, which is nowa full-on bleeding mess... Chance summons the strength tothrow the Assassin off him... He then clambers across thefloor, where a STEEL PIPE is rolling... He grabs the pipe,stands, brandishing it, ready to charge, but as he turns, hesees the ASSASSIN HAS RECOVERED THE GUN. A beat... The

Assassin smiles a little... Cocks his gun... Checkmate.

On Chance... Think fast... He turns, AND FIRES THE PIPE ATA WINDOW OPPOSITE THE SHATTERED ONE... As it hits, ASPIDERING CRACK grows in the window... The Assassin looks atChance puzzled-- What the hell was that for? But then, the

window finally shatters, and--


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


48/63

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE... The two open windows create a cross-draft that TURNS THE WHIPPING WIND INTO A CYCLONE! Hurricaneforce winds swirl, tossing the Assassin like a rag doll...

The odds evened, Chance scoots towards the Assassin, almostgliding across the deck as he catches a tailwind... HECRASHES INTO THE ASSASSIN, checking him into the wall, just afew feet away from the OPEN WINDOW...

They struggle, each trying to get the upper hand... Then, inone move, Chance pivots, spinning the Assassins momentumagainst him, towards the window, and with one last shove, THEASSASSIN IS SUCKED RIGHT OUT OF THE TRAIN.

Chance drops to the ground, completely spent... Catching hisbreath... But as he raises his head, he sees Stephanie, nowon all fours, hauling herself up. They exchange a look...Were not out of the woods yet...

CUT TO:


Chance, with Stephanie tight behind him, enters the crowdedcar. James approaches, and Stephanie rushes to him, hugginghim tightly...

Chance looks like grim death, and draws strange looks frommost of the cars passengers. CHANCE THEN FIRES HIS PISTOLinto the deck. That gets the attention of the rest of them.

CHANCEIn about 10 minutes, this train is goingto crash. I suggest we all get off itbeforehand.

Stunned silence, as the bewildered crowd stares at Chance.

SAITO (JAPANESE SUBTITLED)Who are you?

CHANCEI told you. Im the interpreter.

Off Chance--

END ACT THREE


CONTINUED:


49/63

ACT FOUR


Moments after the end of Act Three.

MCNAMARAWhat the hell do you think youre doing?

STEPHANIEYou son of a bitch... You lied to me.

MCNAMARAWhat?

STEPHANIEI told you about the defect in the brakeassemblies. I warned you.

MCNAMARAStephanie, you sound like a crazy person,calm down...

James tries to put an arm around Stephanie to calm her down,but she pushes him away--

STEPHANIEIn a few minutes, were going to arriveat the R-5 curve. But when the engineerapplies the brakes to slow us down beforethe curve, the brakes are going to fail.

MCNAMARAAlright, lets everyone take a breath.This train is perfectly safe. Its brakesare perfectly safe. Would I be here if Ihad the slightest doubt about that?

STEPHANIEYoure wrong...

JAMESSteph--

CHANCEExcuse me. Seems like theres an easy

way to resolve this...

Stephanie gets it immediately. She heads towards the controlcabin. Chance follows.

CUT TO:



50/63

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CONTROL CAB - MOMENTS LATER

Stephanie, Chance, James, the Engineer, and a number ofonlookers. McNamara pushes his way to the front.

STEPHANIESlow us down, please.

The Engineer, a bit confused, engages the brakes. Everyonewatches the speedometer... 231 MPH... 227... 221... Theyreslowing. Relieved sighs around the cabin.

MCNAMARAStephanie, come tomorrow, were going tohave to have a serious discussion aboutyour continued employment with--

A LOUD METALLIC POPPING SOUND comes from under the deck.

Everyone gets quiet a moment. ANOTHER POP. THEN ANOTHER.We hear a series of pops, running the length of the train...

On the speedometer... Stopped at 221 MPH. The Engineerpushes the brakes harder, but the speed stays the same.

The air suddenly goes out of the room, as it dawns oneveryone the trouble theyre in. McNamaras face goes white.

CHANCEI think they have a name for the kind oftrain this just turned into...

TOMThere must be a way to stop it.

STEPHANIEThere isnt. But there may be a way tostop part of it...

(beat)Theres a supplemental braking system inthe rear car. Its too weak to slow the

whole train at this speed, but if weseparate the rear car, we can slow itdown enough to take the curve safely.

A few people look to McNamara for his approval, but hes tooshocked to respond.

CHANCEHow far?

Stephanie checks a display on the console.

STEPHANIEAbout 27 miles.


CONTINUED


51/63

CHANCE(does the math; checks hiswatch)

Seven minutes. I suggest we getmoving...

Off Chance--

CUT TO:


Guerrero enters, a sense of urgency about him. He goesstraight to the computer.

WINSTONFind something?

GUERRERODo you still have the call logs from theclients cell phone?

WINSTONYeah.

GUERREROPlease read me back the dates and timesof the incoming calls from Mark Hoffer.

WINSTONWhy?

GUERREROPlease. The dates and times.

WINSTONAugust 20, 12:53 pm. April 24, 7:31pm...

Guerrero runs his finger across the screen as Winston reads.

WINSTON (CONT'D)February 25, 2:53pm, December 15... Whatis this?

A beat, before Guerrero pushes back from the computer.

GUERREROI think I know who hired the hit onStephanie Dobbs.

Off Winston--

CUT TO:


CONTINUED:


52/63

INT. MONTEREY ONE - 2ND-TO-LAST CAR - DAY

The penultimate car in the train. Passengers are stillshuffling into the rear car, soon to be their lifeboat.

Stephanie has an access panel open in the bulkhead--

STEPHANIEThe system isnt online. Well have tocut the hydraulics manually from here tocut the last car loose.

CHANCEFour minutes. Is there time?

STEPHANIEWere fine. Once the hoses aredisconnected, therell be about a 20

second delay before the cars separate.

TOMWhy dont you let somebody else do that?

STEPHANIEI know the guts of this thing better thananyone.

James looks a little distressed. She smiles warmly for him.

STEPHANIE (CONTD)Its ok. Ill be ok. Go...

James, Tom and everyone else clear out into the rear-car.Just Chance and Stephanie remain. Shes shoulder deep in theaccess panel, feeling around as she disconnects the hoses.

CHANCESorry.

STEPHANIEFor what?

Chance glances around. The train. Her baby.

CHANCEFigured somebody should say it.

STEPHANIEAt least I know what Ill be doing nextMonday.

CHANCEWhats that?


CONTINUED


53/63

STEPHANIEBuilding the damn thing all over again.

Chance smiles.

STEPHANIE (CONTD)Im down to the last connection here.Ready?

Chance nods. Stephanie pulls the hose, and we hear MACHINERYSHIFTING under the deck. Around them, STEAM HISSES FROMCONNECTING HOSES behind the walls...

But as Chance and Stephanie get to the door to the rear car,IT WONT BUDGE. Chance pulls at it. Nothing.

CHANCEI thought you said they dont lock.

STEPHANIEThey dont...

REVEAL THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, where we see that someonehas jammed it shut.

ON CHANCE as he pulls at the door, trying to work it loose.But as he gives it a pull, he drops to a knee, exhausted.His wounds have finally become unbearable...

Stephanie pitches in. But as she tries to work the doorloose, A LOUD BANG IS HEARD FROM OUTSIDE, as the flexible

cowling covering the short space between the two cars comesundone... As the rear car separates, and begins recede away--

STEPHANIE (CONTD)(small)

No...

--Stephanie watches helplessly out the window. Chance is onthe floor, bleeding out. Off the two of them, stranded...

END ACT FOUR


CONTINUED:


54/63

ACT FIVE

INT. MONTEREY ONE - 2ND-TO-LAST TRAIN CAR - DAY

Picked up directly from the end of Act Four.

STEPHANIEHow much time?

CHANCETwo minutes. Give or take.

Chance and Stephanie, stranded, time running out...

STEPHANIEMaybe we can strap ourselves in. Hopethe cars are strong enough to holdtogether...

CHANCEAre they?

Stephanies look doesnt inspire much confidence...

STEPHANIEWere going to die, arent we?

Chance looks up at her, and we FLASH AGAIN TO--

--Chance and the Mystery Woman from before. Except thistime, hes holding her lifeless body... As fast as it

appeared, its gone, and we RETURN TO SCENE--

ON CHANCE, the wheels in his head spinning...

CHANCEAt this speed, wake turbulence off thetail of the train is gonna run straightup in the air, right?

Stephanie almost double-takes... How did he know that?

STEPHANIEExcuse me?

CHANCEOur wake, the air passing over the hullof the train--

STEPHANIEYeah-- Not straight up, but close to it.

CHANCEAt least 140, 150 degrees, right?


CONTINUED


55/63

STEPHANIERoughly... I thought you said you werebad at math.

CHANCEI said I didnt like it, I didnt say Icouldnt do it.

Chance hoists himself off the deck. A look of purpose to him.

STEPHANIEWhat are you trying to figure out?

CHANCEHow to get off this train.

(then)Come with me...

--and he heads up towards the front of the train.

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CARGO CAR - MOMENTS LATER

Chance unwraps the tarp from the machines its covering.

CHANCETake this...

Tosses her the utility knife--

CHANCE (CONTD)Seatbelts, two of them. Cut them asclose to the seat as possible.

STEPHANIE(catching up to him...)

Wait a minute-- No no no no no...

CHANCENinety seconds. You got a better idea?

A beat, before Stephanie heads off. Off Chance--

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - 2ND-TO-LAST TRAIN CAR - DAY

Chance rigs the seatbelts into the drawstring-cable at thebottom of the tarp...

STEPHANIEThis isnt going to work...


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


56/63

Chance wraps the seatbelts across his chest in an X.

CHANCEIm open to alternatives. Id talk fastthough.

Chance holds out his arms. Stephanie crosses herself, beforegetting close to him. He wraps his arms around her tightly.

CHANCE (CONTD)Exhale. Hard.

Stephanie does. Chance opens the door behind them, fires thetarp out the back door, holds on to Stephanie with everythinghes got-- A moment, before THEYRE BOTH YANKED VIOLENTLYOUT THE BACK DOOR!

CUT TO:

EXT. MONTEREY EXPRESS - DAY

The tarp expands in the trains backdraft, BECOMING AMAKESHIFT PARACHUTE, drifting up and away from the speedingtrain, which rockets forward away from them...

The trip up is the easy part. As they fall, it becomes clearthat this thing aint a parachute. A messy, spiralling (butnon-life-threatening) drop, before--

THEY LAND ROUGHLY in the dirt. Stephanies wind is knockedout of her, she heaves for air. Lifts her head up just in

time to watch as--

THE TRAIN REACHES THE CURVE AHEAD... The lead car startsaround bend, but it cant hold the track... THE FIRST CARCAREENS OFF THE RAILS and into a dusty flatland... THETRAILING CARS JACK-KNIFE, piling up behind it, and carryingthe whole mess thundering forward... Its the biggest damn

wreck youve ever seen.

As it finally comes to a rest, things get quiet again...Stephanie notes that Chance never got up from the fall.

STEPHANIE

Hey... Hey!

Chance doesnt answer. Stephanie goes to him, not sure whatto do. Concern turning to panic.

STEPHANIE (CONTD)Wake up... Come on...

Lifeless. But after a beat, he coughs. Comes around.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


57/63

CHANCE(long beat)

Ow...

Stephanie smiles her relief...

We pull back on a tableau of the two of them... The smokinghulk of the bullet train off in the near distance... TheSAFE CAR rolling by them, appreciably slowed down, andcoasting safely around the curve ahead...

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. TOMS APARTMENT - NIGHT

A trendy bachelor pad. On a wall-mounted TV, news coveragedrones on about the crash, including footage of the emergencyresponders that arrived after the fact...

TV NEWSPERSON (O.S.)...the cause of the derailment isnt yetknown, but considering the reported $80billion price tag, theres certain to beno shortage of questions in the comingdays about how such an accident could--

The TV is clicked off. Tom stands looking out the window,lost in his own head. Clearly on edge.

A KNOCK AT THE DOOR. Tom goes to answer it. ITS GUERRERO.

GUERREROTom Jansen?

TOMYes...

GUERREROYou dont know me. We need to talk.

Off Tom--

CUT TO:

EXT. JAMES & STEPHANIES HOME - NIGHT

Jamess SUV pulls up to the house, as James, Stephanie andChance get out. Both Stephanie and Chance have clearly beentreated; Stephanie bandaged, Chances arm in a sling.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


58/63

JAMESThank you for coming all the way backhere with us, but I think it might benice to have a night with an empty houseafter all this...

CHANCEJobs not done yet.

JAMES...but I thought you said--

CHANCEThe hitter is out of the picture. Butsomebody hired him, and somebody jammedthat door shut on us on the train. Until

we find out who, your wife is in danger.

STEPHANIEWhats the next step?

CHANCEI think weve got some promising leads...

Off Chance--

CUT TO:

INT. JAMES & STEPHANIES HOME - MOMENTS LATER

They enter the house, turn on the lights. Stephanie is

startled to see TOM SITTING IN THEIR LIVING ROOM.

STEPHANIEWhat are you doing here?

Before Tom answers, GUERRERO APPEARS as well.

JAMESWhats going on?

GUERRERO(to James)

Mark Hoffers expense reports included a

number of expenses at a hotel in LagunaNiguel. His stays coincided with phonecalls placed by him to Stephanies cellphone. Each and every one.

CHANCEJames, when did you find out your wife

was sleeping with Mark Hoffer?

On James and Stephanie, both stunned into silence...


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


59/63

TOM(to James)

Is this true? You hired someone to...

Tom cant even say it out loud. James sits down on a step,head in his hands. Nothing for him to say at this point.

CHANCE(to Tom)

When Stephanie asked you if you toldanyone that shed talked to the reporterabout the brakes, you said you hadnt.That wasnt entirely true, was it?

TOMNo.

(beat)I told her husband.

(to James)I told you so you could protect her...And you did this?

CHANCE(to James)

Howd you put it together from there?Suspicious that shed told Tom and keptit from you? Start digging through herphone like I did?

On Stephanie, horrified in several different directions...

STEPHANIEYou knew...? For how long?

James remains silent. Just stares back at her.

STEPHANIE (CONTD)But it was over. Itd been over for ayear, I hadnt even talked to him...

JAMESI know.

STEPHANIE

Then why now? We were doing better...This whole last year, weve been better.

On Chance, as it clicks...

CHANCEThe money...

(beat)


CONTINUED:

(MORE)

CONTINUED


60/63

If hed done this a year ago, you dontfinish the train, and theres no bonus...This way, he gets the money.

On Stephanie, as that sickening realization hits her. Shesin shock, too horrified to speak. She looks up at Chance,and they lock eyes, as a tear starts to run down her cheek...

CUT TO:

INT. JAMES & STEPHANIES HOME - LATER

We see the cop siren flashing silently through the window.Lt. Peale is here. Hes just finished cuffing James, when hepulls Chance aside--

PEALEWith all the news about the crash, this

place is about to be a mob scene. Press.Precinct captain. You got about 5minutes--

CHANCEYeah, Im going. Thanks.

Chance exits the house to--

CUT TO:

EXT. JAMES & STEPHANIES HOME - CONTINUOUS

--where he sees Stephanie sitting on steps of the frontporch, her knees pulled to her chest. He stands in front ofher. Her eyes stay on the ground as she speaks--

STEPHANIEI think you were wrong.

CHANCEAbout what?

STEPHANIE(beat)

Im responsible for this. You risked

your life for me, and it turns out Ideserved what was coming to me...

CHANCEThere are 118 people who are alivetonight because of you.

STEPHANIEThats not what Im talking about--


CONTINUED: (2)

CHANCE (CONT'D)

CONTINUED


61/63

CHANCEI know what youre talking about...

Chance moves closer to her, and places a hand on her head.Its as intimate a moment as hell allow himself.

CHANCE (CONTD)You did something you regret. Were hard-

wired to do things we regret. It aintgonna change, it aint something to beafraid of, and it most certainly is not areason to die.

Chance lingers. Doesnt want to leave her. She doesnt wanthim to go.

STEPHANIEI dont even know what I owe you...

CHANCE(beat; smiles...)

Youll buy me a drink someday.

And he finally turns, walking off towards a waiting car.

STEPHANIECan you at least tell me your name?

Chance stops walking. A beat. Then, defenses down...

CHANCE

Chance. Christopher Chance.

STEPHANIE(beat)

Is that true?

Chance gives her a hint of a smile, but no answer. He turnsback towards the car, where Winston is driving, Guerreros inback. Chance gets in, and they head off into the night.

DISSOLVE TO:


Chance reads the paper. A piece about a foiled murder-for-hire plot that shattered a family. We get the sense thatChance isnt even reading. Hes just looking at the pictureof Stephanie. Its an old picture, and shes smiling.

Winston enters, and sits.

WINSTONI think you should take some time off.


CONTINUED:

CONTINUED


62/63

CHANCEImagine my surprise.

WINSTONIm not joking, mate. Take some time.Get away from this.

CHANCEWhat are you so worried about? Whatsdifferent about right now than anythingelse Ive ever done? And dont start

with me about how much Stephanie lookedlike Mary. That was a low blow.

WINSTONDo you want to know the truth?

CHANCE

Please.

WINSTONI thought that at first. That maybe youthought that somehow by putting yourselfthrough this, youd be able to finallyput Mary in the past. But now I dontthink thats it.

CHANCEIt isnt it.

WINSTON

No, now Im even more worried. I keptasking myself, why would he keep doingthis? Letting situations get out of handso he ends up standing in front of oneloaded gun after another? Lydecker, thatstunt with the train... Is it the rush?Is it some kind of penance? And then ithit me... Maybe he keeps putting himselfin front of the loaded gun because heshoping one of these days, hell get whathe deserves, and itll finally go off.

On Chance, who just looks back evenly at Winston. Doesnt

respond. Gives nothing away. The silence is broken by aRINGING PHONE. Chance answers.

CHANCEYeah... Ok... Tell me about the threat.

Human Target 1x01 - Pilot

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Transcript of Human Target 1x01 - Pilot