To Catch A Killer - Damián Szifron & Jonathan Wakeham
To Catch A Killer - Damián Szifron & Jonathan Wakeham
Written by
Damián Szifron
Current revisions by
Damián Szifron & Jonathan Wakeham
FADE IN
IN THE STREETS
IN SHOPPING MALLS
Crowds flow in and out with shiny new purchases. The line for
the latest iPhone stretches for blocks. Happy customers take
selfies.
IN A PARK
A text overlaps:
TV AD VOICEOVER
Discover your inner self. Log onto
paradisenow.com and travel to any
destination in the world.
ON THE BALCONY
BOOM!
THE BALCONY
No one looks our way, all eyes are on the fireworks show.
The man falls to the floor. One less. Since everyone around
him is staring and pointing at the sky, no one notices.
ELEANOR
Okay, so what’s the problem?
APD Officer ELEANOR FALCO has just arrived. Smart, mid 30s,
still ambitious but passed over for promotion too many times.
A young woman ill at ease with the world.
MANAGER
She’s the problem. This woman’s
distressing the other customers and
she refuses to leave.
INTERFERING MAN
(fresh-faced, impeccably
liberal)
You’re distressing the customers.
The lady paid for her food, she’s
entitled to finish it.
MANAGER
You like her so much, you take her
home.
(tugging her shoulder)
Come on, lady, you’re done. Move
along.
DRUNKEN WOMAN
Keep your hands off me you little
shit!
MANAGER
You hear that?
ELEANOR
You’re really not helping, Ma’am.
(not wanting to)
Look, you can’t bring alcohol in
here.
DRUNKEN WOMAN
Try eating this food without it.
(mumbles to herself)
I give birth to four children,
raise them like kings and get
treated like this?
ELEANOR
(quietly, to the manager)
She clearly has a problem. Why not
let her finish and go?
MANAGER
Because she has been here for three
goddam hours! I don’t mean to be an
asshole but I need the table and I
want her out. Please, do your job.
INTERFERING MAN
She’s just trying to keep some
dignity, officer, no-one’s
committed a crime here.
MANAGER
Yes she did, she’s trespassing. And
you, sir, are being disorderly.
INTERFERING MAN
(laughing)
Me, disorderly? You’re a fucking
fascist!
MANAGER
(squaring up to him)
What did you just say? Tell that to
my face you fucking snowflake.
ELEANOR
(steps between them)
Both of you -- Stand down! Now. Or
I’ll drag both your asses to jail.
(to the interfering man)
The law favors property, not
people. I might not like that. I
don’t have a choice. But if you
want to help this woman, invite her
to your place. Cook her dinner.
Read her a story for all I care: I
promise no-one’s stopping you.
ELEANOR
And you, sir, could stop behaving
like a shareholder and start acting
like a human being.
7.
ELEANOR
And you, give me that bottle.
DRUNKEN WOMAN
Fuck you!
INTERFERING MAN
What’s G25?
ELEANOR
(to the manager)
You’re gonna need to keep that lady
here and lock the doors.
Eleanor gets out to the street. The police car that brought
her here is already flashing emergency lights.
POLICE LIEUTENANT
You, what’s your name?
ELEANOR
Officer Falco, sir.
POLICE LIEUTENANT
(pointing at a building)
Apartment 9B. Young male. Jonah
Reinberg. Ballistics’ll need the
room clear.
ELEANOR
Anyone there yet?
POLICE LIEUTENANT
What do you think? Just get up
there, calm the family, clear the
room.
Eleanor nods.
ELEANOR
Officer Falco, ma’am. Police.
ELEANOR
Hello. My name’s Eleanor. What’s
yours?
ELEANOR
Is your mommy home, Haley?
Eleanor can hear the cries all the way down the hall to --
VICTIM’S MOTHER
No, no, no, no...
ELEANOR
I’m very sorry for your loss,
ma’am.
(then)
But I need you to lay him down now.
VICTIM’S MOTHER
I don’t care what you need. You
will not touch my son.
ELEANOR
Mrs. Reinberg, I need to clear the
room. I’m just doing my job.
VICTIM’S MOTHER
Your job was to keep him alive.
ELEANOR
12-K, copy.
ELEANOR
Confirmed.
ELEANOR
Mrs. Reinberg, your daughter needs
you. Now. Why not let me take you
both to your room?
A tense silence.
MOMENTS LATER
The room is now a crime scene. Mother and daughter both gone.
Two BALLISTICS EXAMINERS in bulletproof vests and helmets
collect evidence.
BALLISTICS EXAMINER #1
(into evidence recorder)
Single bullet through north-facing
window. Punctured the victim’s
forehead then hit the wall at a
downward trajectory, approximate 20
degrees.
BALLISTICS EXAMINER #2
Careful.
BALLISTICS EXAMINER #2
Would you help with this, please.
BALLISTICS EXAMINER #1
(into radio)
300 Peachtree, 12-K, set.
Its green beam shoots from the hole in the wall through the
hole in the window, then cuts through the night sky, tracing
a path that ends at the shooter’s balcony.
BALLISTIC EXAMINER #1
Jesus fuck!
CUT TO:
ELEANOR
(to the fleeing residents)
Hey, stop! All of you, do not leave
the forecourt!
OFFICER COLEMAN
Are you insane? It’s a burning
building! Get ‘em out!
ELEANOR
Any of them could be the shooter!
OFFICER COLEMAN
Or, he could’ve rigged this whole
place to blow -- get them OUT!
ELEANOR
(to Coleman)
Get filming. Every face on tape.
FIRE CHIEF
We need cover! The shooter may be
in there but we can’t let the fire
spread.
ELEANOR
(eager)
We can give you --
Eleanor turns to see the SWAT TEAM arrive and take control.
Heavily armed, helmets and oxygen masks on, they head for the
stairs. The firemen follow close behind.
SWAT COMMANDER
(hollering to the firemen)
Keep tight behind the man in front
of you. Don’t stop til we reach 17.
SMASH! The fire crew break down the door then step back,
fitting their hoses to the water supply.
SWAT COMMANDER
Hold!
Smoke. Debris. Paint melted off the walls, the wooden floor
warped and charred. Close to fainting, Eleanor crosses to --
14.
THE BALCONY
Except --
MALE VOICE
Breathe.
MALE VOICE
And again.
(then)
You okay?
MCKENZIE
Jack McKenzie. Our kids won’t
believe how we met.
LAMMARK
Dude. We didn’t lay this on for
your amusement.
MCKENZIE
Yes, sir.
15.
LAMMARK
Get me blues at every MARTA
station.
MCKENZIE
She was out for three minutes.
Heart rate’s normal.
ELEANOR
(standing up)
It’s OK, I’m fine.
PARAMEDIC #1
No. Sit down. Keep breathing.
(swapping the mask for
their oxygen gear)
You’re not walking seventeen
flights like this.
MCKENZIE
(to Lammark)
Owner’s Norwegian, Ragnar Wirkola.
But the apartment’s been vacant, on
the market for over a year.
MARQUAND
It’s intact. Whoever was inside had
a copy of the key.
SWAT COMMANDER
(reporting to McKenzie)
Three full sweeps, not a sign.
Parking lot, storage units,
elevators.
LAMMARK
(overhearing)
We know what a building is made of.
Do another sweep, and take
forensics with you.
SWAT COMMANDER
Right away, sir.
CHIEF JACKSON
We’re holding the residents in the
pool area. Least, the ones we
managed to hold. My first
responders on scene got all the
others on tape.
LAMMARK
Good work, Chief. Agent Krupp, you
know the drill. ID and background
on everybody. Criminal history,
place of employ, the whole nine.
LAMMARK
And find them a hotel. This whole
building is a crime scene.
(looking out the window)
More like this whole city.
KRUPP
You want warrants?
LAMMARK
No. Ask permission. Anyone gets
twitchy, they’re the ones we want
to see.
(beat)
Prints?
LAMMARK
Get the toilet. Urine, fecal
matter. Let’s Jurassic Park the
bastard, see what we can find.
LAMMARK
All of it. Pull it out.
CRACK! The examiners pull the toilet from the wall, wrap it
in plastic.
LAMMARK
(to the paramedics)
Does this look like an emergency
room to you, gentlemen?
ELEANOR
Sorry. I’m out of here.
CHIEF JACKSON
Excuse her. Ms. Falco ran into a
burning building with no mask and
passed out. I’ll make sure we
refresh her procedure.
OFFICER COLEMAN
It was Falco who gave the order to
shoot with our phones, Chief.
LAMMARK
Gold star for Miss Falco.
(then)
What about the explosion, people.
Did he trigger it remotely?
The paramedics lead Eleanor out the door. McKenzie gives her
a thumbs up as she goes past. But the crime scene is a
private club and she’s not a member yet.
18.
LAMMARK
Thanks to all these self-proclaimed
authorities in the media, you’ll
keep hearing ISIS day and night.
But at this point no-one’s claimed
responsibility for the attack.
LAMMARK
Within the next few hours, your
desks will be flooded with data,
much of it inevitably false. So
it’s important to keep certain
preconceptions in mind while you
classify evidence.
LAMMARK
One: “Mass murderers are white,
male, 20 to 30.” Except for Seung-
Hui Cho, Korean. Stephen Craig
Paddock, 64. Brenda Spencer, 16,
our first school shooter. And the
list goes on.
LAMMARK
Two: “Mass murderers suffer from
personality disorders.” I’d say yes
but the range is so wide it
includes all of us. Depression.
Anxiety. Schizophrenia. PPD. NPD.
PTSD. Also, look out for
physiological pathologies that
limit inhibition: malformations,
tumors in the pre-frontal cortex,
head trauma. They’re often victims
of aggression during childhood or
development, especially from the
people who are supposed to love and
protect them.
19.
LAMMARK
Their understanding of the world
gets skewed and they repress large
amounts of anger for long periods
of time. Later in life, anything
can unlock Pandora’s box.
(turns the page)
Three: “Mass murderers want to get
caught.” Well, this one sure
doesn’t. 29 casings, 29 victims.
Every shot found its mark. Not a
single stray hair or fingerprint.
This guy is thorough. He didn’t
come here to die. He doesn’t want
to be found.
(beat)
But, we are going to disappoint
him. And that starts now.
LAMMARK
Four.
CUT TO:
Officer GARFIELD (25) and Eleanor make coffee for the top-
ranking agents.
JESSE CAPLETON
-- because shutting down freeways
will cause mass panic.
20.
LAMMARK
Jesse, the shooter’s causing mass
panic. Closing freeways will cause
headaches.
JESSE CAPLETON
Headaches my Governor doesn’t need.
LAMMARK
These are federal roads, I’m a
federal agent, and I’m shutting
them down.
RUSS ADOVICH
(reading a text)
They’re sending Frank Gerber down.
DC’s convinced this is ISIS.
LAMMARK
(tensing)
ISIS drives trucks into crowds.
This man was trained. Whoever the
hell is behind this, FBI
Counterterrorism isn’t gonna find
‘em. A man on the ground who knows
this city, that’s the man who’s
gonna find ‘em.
JESSE CAPLETON
Strange how whatever the problem
is, you’re always the right man to
solve it.
OFFICER GARFIELD
(stirring creamer with a
pen)
Pre-frontal cortex, my ass. This
dude is evil. No experts required.
ELEANOR
Evil is cutting off a bird’s wing
just to see what happens. This guy
is swatting mosquitoes.
21.
OFFICER GARFIELD
Whatever you wanna call it -- they
should hang him by his balls from
the top of a flagpole as an example
to all the other nutsos out there.
LAMMARK (O.S.)
Officer, why don’t you leave the
sentencing up to the judge? Our job
right now is to catch him.
OFFICER GARFIELD
Yes, sir.
LAMMARK
Can you make some fresh coffee?
(throws his cup in the
trash)
This tastes like transmission
fluid.
ELEANOR
Right away.
LAMMARK
Not you. What was your name?
ELEANOR
Eleanor Falco, sir.
LAMMARK
Why did you say that about the
mosquitoes?
ELEANOR
It's just a feeling.
LAMMARK
Based on what?
ELEANOR
I don’t think he was looking for
destruction. I think he was looking
for relief.
LAMMARK
You got a feeling he's going to do
it again?
ELEANOR
(thinks)
Yes.
LAMMARK
Why?
ELEANOR
Because he liked it.
LAMMARK
How do you know?
ELEANOR
He killed thirty people. Otherwise,
he would have stopped at two.
LAMMARK
So why did he stop? Why not kill
fifty or sixty?
Eleanor thinks.
LAMMARK
Because the fireworks stopped? No
more cover for the gunshots?
LAMMARK
Bullshit. Don’t patronize me. Tell
me what you think.
ELEANOR
He’s got his fill. No matter how
good the food tastes, you stop
eating once you've had enough.
(beat)
Until you get hungry again.
CHIEF JACKSON
We’ve tripled the men on the
streets and opened an information
hotline. If you’ve seen or heard
anything, call.
PRESS PACK
Anything on the shooter? -- Why
didn’t the police take him down? --
Are you going to impose a curfew?
Lammark and McKenzie get into separate FBI SUVs and are
driven away. A beat of longing. Eleanor’s connection with
Lammark has led to nothing.
Eleanor shuts the door, drops her bag, sets her gun down. The
place clean, uncluttered. Unloved. No family photos.
Miaoooow.
24.
ELEANOR
Get the fuck out of here, Hugo.
IN THE BATHROOM
IN BED, LATER
IN BED, DAYLIGHT
ELEANOR
(picks up)
Sir?
ELEANOR
Trouble?
Eleanor’s eyes light up. Then she checks the time. 5:42.
Fuck!
26.
LAMMARK
Jesse, you never saw Jaws? You’re
the asshole trying to keep the damn
beaches open. 29 bodies.
LAMMARK
That guy was dead! I have an
Olympic class marksman running
wild. We need to stop the world
until we find him.
LAMMARK
Those we can deal with. But theme
parks? Malls? The stadiums? The
fewer people out there, the more
chance of catching this guy. Simple
math.
LAMMARK
Jesse, calm down.
(breathes deeply)
I can get this guy. I guarantee it.
Sorry if I over-reacted. Let’s
reconnect later.
LAMMARK
(pounding the table)
Fuck! Fuck! Fuuuuuck!
ELEANOR
Is this a good time, sir?
LAMMARK
Jesus Christ. These people. It’s
like they’ve developed a system to
drain my energy away.
Lammark pulls out a tray of pills and knocks the day’s dose
back with his coffee. Seeing her look --
LAMMARK
Blood thinners. I’m fine, just need
to stay calm. But if they think I’m
less than a hundred percent --
ELEANOR
Don’t worry, sir. I won’t tell a
soul. But I don’t get it. Do they
not want you to catch him?
LAMMARK
(tucks his pills back into
his bag)
Yes. As quickly as possible. The
problem is, they think they know
how. These MBA fuckers. They won’t
let you shit without signing it
off. But let’s talk about you.
Coffee?
LAMMARK
I can think of two reasons you
might be reading this guy. One:
you’re potentially a great
detective. Two: you’re as fucked up
as he is. Either way, I’m doing
everyone a favor by keeping you off
the streets.
MCKENZIE
Look at you, buddy! What got you so
slim?
28.
LINDEMBLAT
(happy to see him)
Cut out gluten. Magic bullet.
MCKENZIE
No gluten, huh? Steak and eggs got
gluten?
LAMMARK
Eleanor, I believe you’ve met Jack
McKenzie. As an investigator,
frankly, he’s average at best. But
once we get close to our killer,
trust me, we all want Mac around.
MCKENZIE
Flattering. Really.
(sliding into the booth)
Is she sticking around?
LAMMARK
(to Eleanor)
If you’re interested, I’ll need to
request your transfer.
ELEANOR
Would I be working for the Bureau?
LAMMARK
Not directly. But you’d be a
liaison between APD and the Bureau,
passing on any information you
think I need to know.
(to McKenzie)
We’re surrounded by jackals and
clowns, not many people I can
trust. Krupp and Marquand are
capable but they feed everything
back to DC. So I’m going to trust
you two.
LAMMARK
We have a puzzle and a mystery.
Mac, you’re Puzzle Boy. What’s our
man’s identity? If we get enough
pieces maybe the picture becomes
clear. Facts. Surveillance. Data.
Find the links.
29.
MCKENZIE
Our path. Can I say welcome aboard?
LAMMARK
Mac, you stay away from this girl.
ELEANOR
Thank you, sir, but I can protect
myself.
LAMMARK
Oh, it’s him I’m worried about.
(to McKenzie)
So, where are we at?
CUT TO:
MCKENZIE
The block has 12 security cameras
but the drive overwrites every 48
hours. If he got in before that
we’ve missed him. We’re checking.
Meantime, Samantha’s collating all
the incident AV: media, cellphones,
drones and surveillance. Three
hundred hours of footage, we should
have them cleaned up and cut down
in sequence by 1700.
LAMMARK
I want it ready by three.
MCKENZIE
The owner is a financial advisor.
He lives in Oslo and hasn't even
laid eyes on the condo. Got it as a
debt repayment and he’s been trying
to sell it ever since.
LAMMARK
Good luck with that.
MCKENZIE
The realtor’s checking the
walkthroughs over the past six
months. His team will be in for
questioning first thing tomorrow.
LAMMARK
Anyone been working in the
apartment? Locksmiths, painters,
phone company?
MCKENZIE
No landline, no cable, no WiFi. Why
bother? No-one lived there. But
Wirkola had the place painted last
year. We found the company, we’re
tracing the men.
LAMMARK
(to McKenzie)
Get background on all personnel,
current and former, last seven
years.
31.
MCKENZIE
Will do.
LAMMARK
We’ll copy you in on all reports,
Eleanor.
MCKENZIE
(opens another profile)
Señor Ortega’s been the janitor
since the building opened. 54,
Cuban, GPR negative. No guns, no
record, he says he never had a copy
of the keys. He works 6am to 3pm.
His colleague Barraza, covers the
night shift but he was off for the
holiday.
LAMMARK
Where is Barraza?
MCKENZIE
Not in the area.
LAMMARK
I didn’t ask where he isn’t, I
asked where he is.
MCKENZIE
We’re checking. But he doesn’t
match our profile. Half of the
residents accused him of smoking
weed in the hallways.
LAMMARK
And the other half?
MCKENZIE
They’re buying it from him. He’s
also sleeping with a married woman
from the third floor. She was
supposed to be in a corporate
retreat in Cleveland but apparently
she’s with Barraza. At this rate
her husband will find them before
we do.
LAMMARK
Krupp?
KRUPP
We’ve ID’d the building residents
and instigated background checks.
Counterterrorism are processing the
profiles right now.
LAMMARK
Excuse me? Counterterrorism?
KRUPP
Frank Gerber requested them.
LAMMARK
I am running this operation. Not
Gerber, not Washington and
certainly not you.
KRUPP
I thought you were onboard, I’m
just trying to speed things along.
LAMMARK
Want to speed your ass out the
door? If Frank requests
resuscitation you need my approval
first. That goes for all of you.
Understood?
Nods all round. A knock on the door, then IRENE MICHKIN (55),
Case Administrator, enters with a document.
LAMMARK
What now?
IRENE
Confirmation that you’re not
imposing a curfew. Jesse Capleton
asked you to sign it.
LAMMARK
Why the hell would I sign something
that’s the exact opposite of what I
asked for?
IRENE
He says you agreed on the call but
that he needs you on the record.
LAMMARK
(to Marquand)
You been talking to
Counterterrorism too?
MARQUAND
No, sir.
LAMMARK
Then give me something I can work
with, please.
MARQUAND
The shockwave markings confirm the
use of a hand grenade. He left the
gas on, pulled the pin and closed
the door behind him.
MARQUAND
Ballistics has their money on the
XM-21 Sniper System, an adapted
version of the M-15. They developed
it for Vietnam. They added a stock
in 1975, but their guess is this is
one of the originals. It was the
standard issue sniper rifle until
the M-24 replaced it in the first
Iraq tour.
(but)
Bad news is, the gun’s older than
the database. We’ll have to go old
school here, match up each piece of
evidence manually with samples at
ATF archives across the country.
LAMMARK
(to McKenzie)
What does the Army do with weapons
that are no longer in use?
MCKENZIE
If they're in decent condition,
they get kicked down to local law
enforcement. Some are dismantled.
34.
ELEANOR
Who dismantles them?
MCKENZIE
The arsenal keepers. Each base unit
has its own.
ELEANOR
(to Lammark)
Can we get records of them?
ELEANOR
Okay. Names, service records,
periods of active duty. Any
prosecutions, missing weapons, any
snipers then or now, records of
psych trauma and PTSD.
MARQUAND
You want first pet and favorite
teacher?
ELEANOR
That won’t be necessary.
MARQUAND
(to Lammark)
We’re on it.
LAMMARK
All right. Any Snowden fans in the
room?
(beat)
Good, cause we’ve got full
cooperation from the NSA. I want
full surveillance on the realtor,
his employees, building residents,
both those janitors, Wirkola, and
so on and so forth. Voice, text,
browsing history and e-mails. Where
next?
CUT TO:
35.
REPORTERS
Do you have any suspect, Mr.
Lammark? -- Can you confirm this
was terrorism?
LAMMARK
(to Eleanor)
Silence can’t be misquoted.
CUT TO:
LAMMARK
It’s your call, Nathan. But I need
collaboration, not competition. I
can always use more help but there
needs to be a chain of command --
ELEANOR
Can I ask a personal question?
MCKENZIE
Sure.
ELEANOR
We all share the same goal. Don’t
you think Lammark’s being a bit
paranoid about everybody else
involved?
MCKENZIE
Paranoid? Two years ago he was
convinced that aliens were
controlling him from inside his
knees.
(off Eleanor’s look)
True story. The problem isn’t who
has the information, but what they
do with it. I’ve seen too many
cases derailed by power struggles.
36.
At the end of the corridor Lammark flashes his ID, the COPS
on duty open the doors.
Eleanor wedges her phone and notepad under her arm as she
awkwardly pulls on the gloves. Then she takes in the room.
MCKENZIE
My God.
FORENSICS CHIEF
A lot of bodies but almost no
evidence. Small entrance, large
exit on all.
(pointing to each)
Head, thorax, thorax, thorax, head,
neck, head, head, thorax, thorax,
head, stomach, neck, head, head,
thorax, thorax, neck, neck,
stomach, head, head, thorax,
stomach, head, head, thorax,
thorax, head. One shot per victim.
LAMMARK
Anything about the shooter? Height?
Weight?
FORENSICS CHIEF
At that distance? I can’t even
start to speculate.
LAMMARK
(to McKenzie)
You ever seen anything like this?
MCKENZIE
Not outside the service. Or inside
it. This is high-precision shit.
You’ve got wind, fireworks
distracting you. Closest target was
300 feet away. Flawless work.
LAMMARK
Is the shooter a man?
ELEANOR MCKENZIE
Yes. Yes.
LAMMARK
Why?
MCKENZIE
On this scale? Unprecedented.
LAMMARK
(fair enough)
You can buy a brand new assault
rifle anywhere in Georgia. No
background check, no permit. So why
use a 40 year old military weapon?
MCKENZIE
Because he has access?
ELEANOR
Or he wants to make a point? Are we
assuming he was born here? He may
not be a US citizen.
LAMMARK
Which explains the 4th of July? Is
this a man who hates America?
MCKENZIE
Or who loves America too much.
ELEANOR
Could just be someone with a gap in
his diary. Maybe America’s just not
important to him. Not worth
celebrating.
ELEANOR
(gazing at the bodies)
We’re all so different, but still
act the same. Rush hour. Lunch
hour. Black Friday. Fourth of July.
38.
LAMMARK
No kids. Why? On a family holiday.
ELEANOR
(thinks)
Because nature’s not to blame.
Culture is. He isn’t punishing
people.
LAMMARK
(nods)
No reveling in the victims’
suffering. No torture. Just a quick
one way ticket to Never Neverland.
POLICE OFFICER
They have him, sir.
LAMMARK
What do you mean they have him? Who
has him?
CUT TO:
LAMMARK
What the fuck, Frank? I’m heading
this up ‘til the Director says
otherwise.
39.
FRANK GERBER
Hey, don’t have a heart attack, I’m
not here to undermine you. We just
had to move fast. We’re checking up
the residents and this kid rings
alarm bells all over the place.
When we try to question him, he
locks himself in the room and
threatens to kill everyone.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
(broadcasting live)
This is where the tenants of 12
Centennial Park are staying on your
dime. Now it seems the killer is
among them. 17 year-old Hasna
Rahmani, another angry Muslim who
loves room service but hates
America.
FRANK GERBER
(to Lammark)
He ticks every box. Barely speaks
English, often skips school, spends
all night blowing brains out on
video games --
LAMMARK
So how’d he access the apartment?
FRANK GERBER
The Rahmanis live right above the
shooter’s condo, he could’ve easily
climbed down onto the ledge. He
knows the area, might’ve planned
the whole thing.
We see the SWAT TEAM ready to barge in, moving across the
hall towards a room, its curtains shut.
40.
LAMMARK
Do we know for certain he’s armed?
FRANK GERBER
He said he’s gonna kill everyone!
LAMMARK
(outraged)
I asked if he was armed, not what
he said!!
LAMMARK
You gave the go-ahead?
FRANK GERBER
Back off, Lammark.
We hear the pounding on the door, then the lock breaking and
the SWAT officers shouting.
ELEANOR
No...
ELEANOR
(startled)
Where’s the life net? Get a life
net!
Hasna falls into the void. The sound of his body hitting the
pavement is devastating.
LAMMARK
Where’s the weapon, Frank? So far
you haven’t even found a catapult!
FRANK GERBER
He could’ve stashed it anywhere! He
fits the profile. Everyone we talk
to says he had a difficult
upbringing, that he was isolated,
ostracized --
LAMMARK
Very touching but A, you don’t have
a firearm. B, you’re oceans away
from establishing any connection to
an old XM-21 Sniper System in
particular. And C, you don’t turn
into a first class marksman by
playing goddamn video games. So
either find some evidence here and
make sense of it or admit this is a
colossal fuckup!
JESSE CAPLETON
C’mon, Lammark, if it wasn’t him,
how come he jumped?
LAMMARK
I don’t know, maybe because that
fucking parasite Jimmy Kittridge
plastered his face on TV and called
him a terrorist. Arab kid in a
Georgia high school, I guess he
wasn’t picturing himself homecoming
king.
JESSE CAPLETON
(regarding the press)
But it could have been him, right?
I mean, for now, until he’s proven
innocent?
42.
LAMMARK
Jesse, it’s supposed to be the
other way around.
JESSE CAPLETON
Not when tourism is one of our
biggest employers. I need the folk
out there to feel safe, Lammark.
This shows them that we’re on it.
Buys us a little more time.
LAMMARK
(disgusted)
Be sure to send the Rahmanis your
invoice. I’m getting back to work.
Falco! McKenzie!
JESSE CAPLETON
And you wonder why you never made
it in DC...
LAMMARK
Never argue with idiots, Eleanor.
They’ll drag you down to their
level and they’ll beat you there
because they have experience.
Eleanor and Lammark board the SUV, wait for McKenzie. In the
background, Jimmy Kittridge continues broadcasting.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
According to his classmates,
Rahmani was frequently referred to
as “Crater-face” due to his acne
problem. A quick check of his
online activities proves that --
MCKENZIE
Sorry.
MCKENZIE (PRE-LAP)
Three painters worked the
apartment. Rodney Lang, Abraham
Lopez and Dmitiri Bovrov.
MCKENZIE
Sorry to keep you waiting,
gentlemen.
RODNEY LANG
(shaking McKenzie’s hand)
Wife’s working a double so guess
who’s in charge?
LAMMARK
This is gonna be quick. Just a
couple of questions.
LAMMARK (PRE-LAP)
Where were you on the night of the
4th of July, Mr. Lang?
CUT BETWEEN:
INTERVIEW ROOM #1
RODNEY LANG
We watched the fireworks on TV. Kid
loved ‘em. Future patriot.
MCKENZIE
Or pyromaniac. Any proof of that?
Lang gives them his iPhone. A selfie of himself, his wife and
their son.
44.
ELEANOR
I’ll have the metadata checked.
INTERVIEW ROOM #2
ABRAHAM LOPEZ
At my mother-in-law’s, down on the
Gulf. I thought you caught the guy?
LAMMARK
Maybe. No pictures?
ABRAHAM LOPEZ
You don’t want to see a picture of
my mother-in-law.
ABRAHAM LOPEZ
Big party. Cousins, nephews. I was
grilling the burgers. We all went
inside to watch the news when we
heard.
INTERVIEW ROOM #3
DMITRI BOVROV
I was at my apartment, alone.
LAMMARK
Don’t worry, Dmitri, it’s still
legal to spend a night by yourself
in this country.
MCKENZIE
(checking his file)
But you did receive military
training back in Russia, is that
correct?
MCKENZIE
Do much shooting practice?
DMITRI BOVROV
Sir, I didn't kill those people.
(off Lammark’s look)
45.
LAMMARK
Can you prove you were at home at
9pm?
DMITRI BOVROV
My neighbor, maybe he see me come
in. And every night I call my
father in Russia, perhaps you
confirm with phone company?
LAMMARK
(nodding, to Eleanor)
Sure. We'll check it out.
MCKENZIE (PRE-LAP)
Mr. Lopez, why did you stop working
with DeLuxe Painting and Repairs?
INTERVIEW ROOM #2
ABRAHAM LOPEZ
You’d have to ask them.
LAMMARK
We will. Tell me about the job in
Centennial Square. What can you
remember?
ABRAHAM LOPEZ
(tries to remember)
That light. The view. We all worked
in the living room together, then
Dmitri stayed extra for the
bedrooms.
INTERVIEW ROOM #1
RODNEY LANG
No, I did the bedrooms, I think --
LAMMARK
(can’t stand the baby)
Eleanor, would you consider me
sexist if I asked you to try get
Mr. Lang’s baby to sleep?
RODNEY LANG
(gives her the baby)
Thanks.
MCKENZIE
(checks his file)
Mr. Lang, you've got quite the gig
in wall painting, don’t you?
Regular at DeLuxe, a string of
freelance work for Million Colors
as well...
RODNEY LANG
We need the money. Kids don’t come
cheap.
CUT TO:
SAMANTHA
This is all the footage we have so
far. I’ll update it as we receive
more. When we have multiple sources
you’ll see a split screen. We cut
it chronologically and removed all
the dead time.
47.
LAMMARK
What’s the total length, Samantha?
SAMANTHA
One thirty two.
ON THE SCREEN
CCTV FOOTAGE: It’s fuzzy. Monochrome. But you can’t miss the
muzzle flash in the narrow gap between buildings.
48.
SAMANTHA
This footage was provided by the
APD.
MCKENZIE
No bag, no weapon.
KRUPP
I was trying to help.
LAMMARK
Help who?
LAMMARK
Play it again, Sam.
CUT TO:
The clock on the wall keeps counting the time since the
shooting began. It’s still only 22 hours.
FBI COURIER
Preliminary lab report. Will you
sign for it?
ELEANOR
Sure.
IRENE
I’m arranging your transfer with
APD. I’ll need you to fill in this
form to get it signed off by HR.
ELEANOR
Of course.
The late night shift taking over now. Eleanor still at her
desk, working on her report. Unread emails down to 500, her
vision blurring. Lammark’s voice snaps her to attention.
LAMMARK (O.S.)
Eleanor, did you receive a package
from the lab?
ELEANOR
(looking up)
Yes, sir. I’ve included everything
in my report. Urine and fecal
samples were scarce, but still
enough to detect an iron and
protein deficiency. I checked, it’s
common amongst non meat-eaters.
LAMMARK
What time did this arrive?
ELEANOR
I don’t know, twenty minutes ago?
LAMMARK
Forty-five. I had the courier
check. I didn’t have it, so I
called the lab to complain.
ELEANOR
Sir, I only wanted to --
LAMMARK
This is urgent, specialized,
classified intel. And yet you, a
beat cop with no college degree,
decided that I would have to wait
for your verdict?
Lammark holds out his hand. Eleanor gives him the lab report,
boiling with shame. He turns and leaves.
LAMMARK
(rolling down the SUV
window)
Eleanor. I’m sorry. I had a
ridiculously stressful call and I
took it out on you.
ELEANOR
No worries.
LAMMARK
Look, it’s late. Why not come round
for dinner? Talk it all through
with a good glass of wine?
ELEANOR
Sir, if you --
(growing angrier, her eyes
rapidly filling with
tears)
If you hired me because you want to
fuck me, you can shove this job up
your ass.
LAMMARK
Eleanor. I’m married. My partner is
at home, cooking. And you look like
you could use a good meal.
ELEANOR
(looking out the window)
Why did you sign that memo if you
think it’ll happen again?
LAMMARK
You can’t fight every battle. You
have to choose the ones you can
win.
ELEANOR
But when you sign you’re part of
the game.
52.
LAMMARK
When you don’t they replace you.
And the only decision you’re making
is whether to be buried or burned.
ELEANOR
Jesse Capleton can't fire you. He's
not your boss.
LAMMARK
Jesse Capleton operates my boss,
who operates him in return. Guys
like that, it’s just a circle jerk.
All it takes is one phone call.
(impersonates them)
"I’m pleased he’s on the case but
don’t you think Lammark’s getting
old?” “I’m worried for his heart."
They say what the other one wants
to hear and before you wake up
you’re out the door. You’ve been in
the game long enough to know that.
ELEANOR
I guess I just thought there’s a
level that the shit stops raining
down on you.
LAMMARK
You’ll find it just starts rolling
uphill. But maybe they have a
point. Maybe I’m not the right man
for the job.
ELEANOR
This isn’t because they’re afraid
you won’t catch him. It’s because
they’re afraid that you will.
(off Lammark’s look)
If you crack this, you might very
well be the next FBI Director. And
they’re clever enough to foresee
that their asses will be first to
hit the sidewalk.
Lammark nods. Hell, that makes sense. His phone buzzes with a
message. He squints at it, passes it to Eleanor.
53.
LAMMARK
Read this for me? Text is smaller
than fly shit.
ELEANOR
It’s McKenzie.
(scrolling down)
The night janitor, Barraza, was in
Florida. Homicide confirmed his
alibi.
ELEANOR
Something’s odd about Lang. The
shoes. The Rolex. Bringing the kid?
LAMMARK
It’s not Lang, Eleanor. His alibi’s
solid. But I’ll call Tracey in the
morning if you want to monitor his
comms.
CUT TO:
ELEANOR
How long have you guys been
married?
LAMMARK
Ever since we were allowed.
LAMMARK
Eleanor, meet Gavin.
GAVIN
(shakes her hand)
Hey. Geoffrey says you have a lot
of potential as a detective.
ELEANOR
(shy)
That’s very kind of him.
54.
GAVIN
(pouring wine)
Well, that’s the big question. How
people shape systems, how systems
shape us.
ELEANOR
Not for me, thanks. Just water.
GAVIN
Today, it’s all about status. The
people who have it will kill to
protect it, the people who want it
will kill to achieve it, and the
people without it get crushed in
between. Whether that’s a
corporation, the government, high
school, the pattern seems to be the
same.
ELEANOR
Is there any way to change that?
GAVIN
Sure. Equality. Empathy.
Connection. When we truly see
ourselves in other people we want
to raise them up, not bring them
down.
LAMMARK
You see? If our shooter had one
hour with Gavin he’d stop killing
people and start hugging them.
(Gavin laughs)
I mean it. He’s the best. I would
replace the Statue of Liberty with
one of Gavin. Naked.
55.
ELEANOR
I’ve never seen it. The Statue of
Liberty.
GAVIN
You’ve never been to New York?
You’d love it. Best city in the
world. Whereas Atlanta -- you know
they actually used the slogan The
City Too Busy To Hate? Turns out
not busy enough.
(then)
Still, not for much longer, I hope.
ELEANOR
He’s retiring?
GAVIN
That’s a dollar. Swear box.
Meanwhile, keep him safe for me,
won’t you?
ELEANOR
I promise.
LAMMARK
So Eleanor, why did you lie to me?
ELEANOR
(tense)
Sir?
LAMMARK
You were rejected by the Bureau and
decided not to tell me? That’s what
pissed me off, not the lab report.
ELEANOR
It was ten years ago, I didn’t
think it would matter.
56.
LAMMARK
We’re under the microscope,
everything matters.
ELEANOR
Do you know how many opportunities
someone like me gets to prove
themselves? I hoped I’d get a
chance to before I got found out.
I’m sorry, I should have told you.
LAMMARK
(puts on his glasses)
You aced observation and knowledge,
but your psych eval did you in.
Aggressive. Addictive. Antisocial.
This is the profile of people we
arrest, not hire.
LAMMARK
When they ask you to draw a tree,
the trunk represents your life up
to the present. You were twenty two
at the time and from the picture,
Doctor Richmond here conjectured
something fucked you up, and badly,
around the age of twelve.
LAMMARK
There’s no soil. Your tree has no
roots. What happened to you when
you were a little girl?
ELEANOR
Is this necessary?
LAMMARK
Well, it's not mandatory. But I
need to know who I’m working with.
ELEANOR
My father was a janitor. Bright,
middle-class apartments. The kind
we could never afford. We lived
there, in the back. The block had
its own pool.
57.
LAMMARK
So you had to move. That’s it?
ELEANOR
He did. To California. Got ill.
Died fast. My mother, she was a
survivor. She was young.
Attractive. Knew what certain men
want. The owner allowed us to stay.
Two months later we were living
with him.
Eleanor dries her eyes but can’t stop the tears. Lammark
seems to understand why.
ELEANOR
Good thing is, I could use the
pool.
LAMMARK
Did your mother found out?
ELEANOR
You don’t have to be a detective
when your 12 year-old comes to ask
about abortions.
LAMMARK
What did she do?
ELEANOR
Not much. Last I heard they’re
still together.
LAMMARK
Have you tried any illegal
substances? Yes. Which ones? All of
them. That didn't help your
application either. What were you
thinking when you wrote that down?
ELEANOR
Kurt Cobain. “I'd rather be hated
for who I am, than loved for who I
am not.”
58.
LAMMARK
Not exactly a role model for great
life choices according to the
Bureau.
(keeps reading)
You worked at a dry cleaner's, then
you cleaned houses, offices. You're
a smart girl, nice-looking, why
didn't you look for a better job?
ELEANOR
That doesn't count for much if you
don’t go to college.
LAMMARK
So why didn't you?
ELEANOR
Because there was no one to pay for
it. And because after working all
day to make the rent, you don’t
feel like studying. You feel like
sleeping.
LAMMARK
What led you to law enforcement?
ELEANOR
I was looking for protection.
LAMMARK
From who?
ELEANOR
From myself.
ELEANOR
That enough for you?
LAMMARK
No, Eleanor.
(pours her more water)
The only thing enough for me is a
solid lead. The hatred that’s
driving our shooter isn’t so
different from yours. Since you
won't go out there and wipe
everybody out, you turn it against
yourself. I need you to use it as
fuel to bring me something new.
Now. We get him, this goes away.
59.
CUT TO:
A toilet flushes.
Best Buy's humongous home theaters all play the same trippy,
mind-numbing music video. A celebration of youth, wealth and
beauty.
The shooter doesn’t buy any food. Cap pulled low, his face
invisible, he starts picking from the leftovers on other
tables, buffet-style. Like a patient vulture.
HUSBAND
Honey...?
BOYFRIEND
(realizing)
Help! Help!!!
LATINO EMPLOYEE
Somebody call the police! Someone’s
shooting!!!
SECURITY GUARD
Clear the area! Move, people, move!
Calmly, the shooter grabs his bag and blends in with the
fleeing crowds.
A MAN running past stops to notice his arm hidden under his
jacket. Bad move. A silent shot. Dead.
He slides the gun deep into his pocket, enters the store,
plucks the telescope and walks back out into the mall.
OFFICER GARFIELD
Wait-wait-wait! It’s a telescope!
(to the shooter)
Go on, sir! Let’s go. Move! Move!
Cars ram through both entry and exit boom gates to escape.
62.
A DESPERATE DRIVER crashes his 4x4 into the car ahead of him
and accelerates to push it along. The CAR DRIVER jumps out,
furious, pulls out a gun.
CAR DRIVER
Are you fucking insane??
Now those exits are blocked. Plan B. The shooter opens the
Honda’s trunk to reveal an arsenal inside. More guns,
grenades and packs of dynamite.
The shooter calmly grabs a grenade, pulls the pin and throws
it at him.
JIM LASSKY
I haven’t seen an XM-21 in years.
But they’re around if you know
where to look.
ELEANOR
Where would I look?
JIM LASSKY
DoD’s the only government
department that’s failed every
audit for 25 years. They lost track
of a billion dollars’ worth of
weapons in Iraq and Kuwait alone.
63.
ELEANOR
So why buy a vintage weapon when
there are newer ones available?
JIM LASSKY
Oftentimes? They’re better. Easy
load, easy clean. And standardized
ammo.
ELEANOR
(indicating)
Like that 1853 Enfield?
JIM LASSKY
(smiles)
Lot of folks here had family in the
Confederate forces.
ELEANOR
Or the Ku Klux Klan.
JIM LASSKY
I’m not doing anything illegal.
ELEANOR
A Milkor BXP? Can’t sell that even
in Georgia.
(then)
I’ll need a list of all your
clients for the last ten years.
JIM LASSKY
That’s highly confidential.
ELEANOR
I don’t doubt it. But if this guy
is one of your clients and it turns
out you withheld the information --
JIM LASSKY
Names and purchases, right?
Eleanor nods. Mr. Lassky ducks into the office. Before she
can check the text her phone buzzes again.
JIM LASSKY
You’re gonna have to --
64.
ELEANOR
Taxi! Taxi!!
All around her people turn to their phones. The news is out.
The scene is mayhem. All the ramps leading to the mall are
jammed. Shoppers try to flee the horror. Emergency vehicles
try to reach it. The building is enveloped in a cloud of
smoke and debris as countless choppers fly over the area
searching for the shooter in vain.
IN THE TAXI
ELEANOR
Here.
She follows them with her gaze up to the offices on the top
floor.
65.
Eleanor enters.
LAMMARK
(his eyes on the screens)
Come, Eleanor. Sit.
SURVEILLANCE EMPLOYEE
This is the first time we see him.
MCKENZIE
(nervously)
This is like Where’s Waldo?
LAMMARK
(outraged)
Are you even listening? This guy’s
as white as my ass in December,
over six foot and skinny as fuck!
CCTV: Ross, Dress for Less. The store is packed. The shooter
pulls some pairs of tagged pants from the rails and heads
towards the changing rooms.
ELEANOR
He’s following someone.
66.
Eleanor’s right.
LAMMARK
That’s gotta be the weirdest
fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
SURVEILLANCE EMPLOYEE
(fast-forwarding)
We don’t have cameras inside the
restroom.
LAMMARK
Not yet.
MCKENZIE
Wait a sec -- rewind that.
MCKENZIE
(to the head of security)
Take me to that restroom.
CCTV: The shooter exits the restroom in his new clothes and
cuts through the crowd, walking confidently.
ELEANOR
He’s not searching. He knows where
he’s going. He’s been here before.
CCTV: The shooter rides the escalator down to the food court.
67.
LAMMARK
(to the surveillance
employee, who nods
constantly)
We’re gonna need old files. Weeks.
Months. Years. Whatever you have.
(to Krupp)
I want a face. Tell Sam to check
everything. Everything. Reflections
in windows, cameras in stores --
KRUPP
(nodding)
This much footage, we should be
able to 3D print the guy.
ELEANOR
He didn’t come here to kill. He
comes here to eat. Get new clothes.
He’s an animal. A dog that learnt
where the leftovers are.
LAMMARK
That’s your iron deficiency. Our
dog’s a herbivore.
CCTV: The shooter tucks the Tupperware into his bag, pulls
out the gun.
ELEANOR
Smart enough to avoid leaving
fingerprints.
LAMMARK
He’s trained.
ELEANOR
But not by the army...
ELEANOR
His body knows where it goes.
Weapons are an extension of
himself. Like nails, or hair. He
was born amongst them.
Lammark nods.
LAMMARK
What the fuck...?
CCTV: From the exit doors, the police surround the shooter.
Then, spotting the telescope, Officer Garfield waves him on.
LAMMARK
That poor guy is about to be really
popular on the force...
CCTV: The shootout at the boom gate unfolds. Then the first
grenade explodes, the lens cracks, and the footage breaks
off.
LAMMARK
(checking his watch)
Where do they go?
CUT TO:
Eleanor and Lammark squint from the merciless sun as they cut
through hordes of cops, FBI agents, the National Guard,
firemen, paramedics, arriving journalists.
LAMMARK
I don’t know what’s gonna happen to
me first: getting fired or a heart
attack.
Eleanor nods.
LAMMARK
Well, thanks for the reassurance.
ELEANOR
(contradicts him)
I believe you’re being paranoid.
LAMMARK
Just in case I’m not, I want you to
work side by side with McKenzie.
Stop that truck. The t-shirt’s
important. If we can get his DNA --
(on the radio, looking
around)
Where the hell are you, Mac?
LAMMARK
(to McKenzie)
Take her with you.
LAMMARK
(winks to Eleanor)
Just letting him think he’s in
charge.
70.
ELEANOR
Hey. Lammark.
(he turns to her)
Take your pills. Ignore the clowns.
Fight the jackals.
McKenzie and Eleanor make their way down the highway, leaving
middle class, industrial areas behind and heading into
progressively poorer areas.
MCKENZIE
Copy that. Tell ‘em not to touch
anything.
MCKENZIE
(shaking his head, lost in
thought)
I can’t even begin to understand
these guys. “Empathy deficit”
doesn’t quite do it for me.
71.
ELEANOR
He’s the opposite. Hypersensitive.
The excess drives him over the
edge.
MCKENZIE
Malls are loud. The fuck did he
expect? People just out, trying to
have some fun. Makes me ill.
GPS VOICE
In two miles, exit right.
MCKENZIE
The world is a messed up place,
Eleanor, but people are
fundamentally nice.
ELEANOR
You really believe that?
MCKENZIE
You really don’t?
ELEANOR
Well, not like a Hallmark card.
MCKENZIE
I’m optimistic, Eleanor, not
stupid. I served three tours in
Iraq. I’ve seen things to turn a
baby’s hair gray. But I still
choose to see the good and that’s a
choice we all can make. So stop
defending him.
ELEANOR
I’m not defending him. For the
record, I think he’s a sick,
twisted son of a bitch and I hope
he ends up with more holes than a
colander. But he’s not an alien. We
made him. He’s a product of
society, not the other way around.
MCKENZIE
Let me tell you something.
“Society” allows us to live in
peace. Without it we’d be all
blowing each others' brains out.
72.
ELEANOR
Firstly, we are. More than anywhere
else. And second, we don't all feel
the world the same way. You never
know how the wrong person’s going
to react if he feels trapped. A
furious dog can’t kill a hundred
dogs. We can.
MCKENZIE
So my actions are not my
responsibility? "I'm sorry I killed
all those people, I just couldn't
help myself"?
(beat)
It’s much simpler to me. You just
have to be civilized. If I want a
burger, I pay for it. If I want to
take a shower, I use my own
bathroom -- I don’t stick my balls
under the faucet of a public
restroom. And if everyone around me
starts getting on my nerves, I’ll
get myself a tent and go live out
in the woods. There's no real need
to break into a fucking mall packed
with weapons and destroy entire
families -- their lives, their
dreams, their future.
ELEANOR
They sell weapons at the mall, Mac.
GPS VOICE
You have reached your destination.
CUT TO:
LANDFILL WORKER
Agent McKenzie?
MCKENZIE
In the flesh.
73.
LANDFILL WORKER
What, you were expecting a crew of
Mexicans to do it for you?
MCKENZIE
Isn’t the -- uh -- organic stuff
supposed to be separated from the
recycling?
LANDFILL WORKER
Yeah, but we don’t do that yet. I
guess they tell people to separate
the trash to raise awareness or
something.
MCKENZIE
Right. We’re looking for a black t-
shirt someone dropped in the second
floor restroom. Any tips?
LANDFILL WORKER
Don’t fall in.
(then)
The whole building takes a shit
four times a day. Everything gets
mixed together, compressed in the
truck and then dropped here.
MCKENZIE
We could use some help. This is
urgent police business.
LANDFILL WORKER
I’m aware. You give it a go. I’ll
go check if someone’s available.
MCKENZIE
He’s never coming back, is he?
MCKENZIE
Fuck!
74.
ELEANOR
(laughs)
Mac!
Eleanor sloshes over to McKenzie and helps him get back up.
MCKENZIE
Christ. How can we expect people to
behave in a civilized manner when
we surround them with all this
shit?
ELEANOR
Ten minutes ago you were saying
just the opposite.
MCKENZIE
So what? I’ve changed my mind.
What’s the point of an opinion if
you can’t change it?
CUT TO:
JESSE CAPLETON
The biggest attack in American
history and all we can offer the
Governor is “Please stay indoors”?
LAMMARK
(ignoring Jesse)
Nathan, it’s been less than 72
hours since the first shooting.
NATHAN BOWEN
And people already think you’ve
lost control. We need a game-
changer. This could be it.
75.
FRANK GERBER
We might even flush the bastard
out.
LAMMARK
So we risk sharing our leads with
the killer live on TV while we get
buried in useless information?
JESSE CAPLETON
I’d rather risk that than have
everyone think we have nothing!
LAMMARK
I meant the risk to the population,
Jesse, not your administration.
LAMMARK
Now that’s a real lead. Now we can
match hair, skin, sweat.
JESSE CAPLETON
Prints?
LAMMARK
Unlikely on cotton, but in a couple
of hours we should be able to --
NATHAN BOWEN
I don’t think you’re listening,
Lammark. The decision is out of
your hands. And, if you don’t play
along, so is this investigation.
CUT TO:
This is not the message Lammark had hoped to give. But it’s
his last chance of remaining in charge.
76.
LAMMARK
From now on we will distribute
every new piece of data
simultaneously to APD, DHS, NSA,
the National Guard and Langley. We
will also engage directly with the
public through our friends in the
media. This will be an open
investigation, with independent
teams working in parallel to
process every lead. Basically:
Hunting Season. Good luck everyone.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
If you’re with kids or are
sensitive to violence, please look
away now.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
These acts are horrifying. But
they’re not the product of a
monster. They’re the product of a
man. A dangerous man, sure. But a
damaged one too. That’s why tonight
I make this offer: if you know this
man; if you love this man; if you
are this man; please, call this
number. We’re here to help.
LAMMARK
Well, there’s the Nobel for Worst
Fucking Idea.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
With me is Martha Curry, Professor
of Criminal Psychology at Florida
Tech. Martha, what makes a man do
something like this?
MARQUAND
HDM, World War Two era. OSS pistol
of choice. Hard to find outside
Special Forces inventories.
MCKENZIE
What about the explosive?
MARQUAND
C4. Military grade.
MCKENZIE
(to Eleanor)
You don’t buy this stuff at Home
Depot. It’s manufactured
exclusively for the Army, any time
from Vietnam to Kuwait.
MARTHA CURRY
When it comes to mental disorders,
violence is more commonly reactive
than planned, triggered --
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
Gotta stop you there. We have a
caller. Sir, you are live on The
Kittridge Show.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
(hangs up)
Er -- I apologize for the language
there. Please, keep your calls
coming but do keep ‘em clean.
MARQUAND
Arsenal keepers across the country
from the past fifty years. Green
means solid alibi, blue still TBC.
We’re targeting the ones in pink:
discharged from the forces --
ELEANOR
And the yellow?
MARQUAND
Dead. Pretty good alibi.
LAMMARK
(noticing her interest)
I think it’s safe to say our
shooter is among the living. Yes?
ELEANOR
Munitions this old? Could be quite
the inheritance, sir.
Marquand nods.
LATER
KRUPP
(as he gets it)
Mall footprint analysis. Cat work
boots, six years old. He’s not the
first owner. Soles worn on the left
side, he favors the right.
(then)
Plant residue was detected.
Cudweed, it’s considered a plague
in these parts. Also wood chips,
sawdust and paint traces.
79.
LAMMARK
Good work, Krupp. Upload it to the
database.
On TV:
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
Hello?
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
(hangs up)
Oh boy. I wish the shooter would
unload his rage on idiots like
these and not on poor defenseless
people. We are providing this
number exclusively for you -- the
perpetrator of these attacks --
Eleanor logs into the NSA database, accesses all the cyber-
spying related to the case. She selects Rodney Lang, studies
his inbox.
MCKENZIE
T-shirt results just in from CODIS.
No fingerprints, but they found
some hair and skin particles. They
noticed the hairs are brittle near
the ends. When they fall out, so do
skin particles.
80.
LAMMARK
Are you trying to sell me dandruff
shampoo?
MCKENZIE
This is common among people who’ve
suffered severe head trauma.
On TV:
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
At least the ratings are through
the roof tonight -- Hello?
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
You are live on The Kittridge Show,
who am I talking with?
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
Well, heil Hitler, how are you?
MCKENZIE
NSA’s on it.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
C’mon, how do I know that you’re
not just some kid with a voice
distortion app jerking off on a
swastika flag.
MCKENZIE
Prepaid AT&T line. Dialed star-67
to hide the number.
ELEANOR
That works?
MCKENZIE
Not on them.
(a new text)
Phone was bought at a Walmart
upstate, 45 minutes ago.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
OK, let’s suppose it is you. Don't
you think you've done enough? I
mean, getting the president to fly
the flags at half-mast twice in a
single week?
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
So you don’t like our military?
MCKENZIE
Paid in cash, no credit card info.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
I see... You know that sooner or
later they'll find you, right?
MCKENZIE
My sister’s getting married.
LAMMARK
(sighs, tense)
Jesus...
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
Adolf. Adolf. Please. Our system
has issues. We’re all aware of
that. And I understand this pain is
real for you. But --
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
Oh, I'm shaking in my shoes. Man, I
hope you're dumb enough to come
after me, you’ll find I’m well
protected.
Another text.
MCKENZIE
They've got the cash register
identified. Pulling up security
camera feed now.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
So now you're recruiting for your
gospel? Is that how you're plotting
to destroy mankind?
The prints are out. The image is lined and blurry but the
suspect is skinny and tall. Also, completely bald, but he
could’ve shaved his head. Looks like a match.
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
Look, if you actually are the man
behind these attacks, I am going to
speak on behalf of the families
you’ve destroyed. You're a coward,
a hack, an attention seeker --
JIMMY KITTRIDGE
Adolf -- ?
MCKENZIE
All right, they got him.
CUT TO:
MCKENZIE
Call began at 8:21pm in Eurarlee,
ended at 8:29 three miles
southwest. A minute later, the chip
went dead. But the phone’s GPS
matches that of a Chevrolet
Silverado, tag number Alpha, Lima,
X-ray, eight-zero-eight. Owner is a
David Lee Hicks, age 43.
MCKENZIE
NRA, legal owner of an AR-15, an AK-
47 and a bunch of hunting rifles
and pistols. He’s also member of
the Georgia Security Force, the
local branch of the Three Percent.
Hate government, liberals and Jews.
FRANK GERBER
That’s three strikes against me!
CUT TO:
KRUPP
Team One in place.
ELEANOR
(troubled, to Lammark)
Sir. B-12 deficiency, our guy’s a
vegan. You really think he’s a
hunter?
LAMMARK
A hundred bodies would say so.
ELEANOR
The NRA? The Three Percent? I think
he’s a joiner, not a loner.
LAMMARK
Your objection is noted.
MCKENZIE
Not you, Eleanor.
ELEANOR
But --
MCKENZIE
Whatever happens, stay in the car.
85.
BOOM! The front door shatters. The team burst into the house,
weapons raised. As they enter each room --
Suddenly -- BANG!
What should she do? She grabs her gun and jumps out of the
car, scrambling after him, calling out --
ELEANOR
FBI! Suspect this way!
BANG! A bullet slams into Eleanor’s back. The force hurls her
down, wind gone from her lungs, gun skittered away.
She rolls over, gasping for breath, to see Hicks running out
of the shadows. She crawls for her gun, but --
Too late! Pale hands grasp her, hauling her up, a struggling
human shield as --
MCKENZIE
FBI! Drop it!
86.
McKenzie and the others stand, their guns raised. Eleanor can
hardly breathe, she’s in excruciating pain.
BANG! BANG! BANG! McKenzie shoots Hicks in the nose, chin and
eye. He falls backwards, dead.
The FBI team rush over. Eleanor looks up, ears ringing, to
see McKenzie’s face, taut with worry. She manages a smile.
ELEANOR
I’m okay.
MCKENZIE
Let’s not make a habit of this.
CUT TO:
Frank Gerber and his team search the house. Weapons, Nazi
memorabilia, but nothing that proves he was the killer.
MCKENZIE
You're not gonna like this. Hicks
was in Vancouver during the mall
attack. And he marched with his NRA
buddies at the 4th of July parade.
(then)
There’s more. Hicks’ call to
Kittridge caused some collateral
damage.
87.
LAMMARK
It was not my strategy, sir. I
advised that the plan was risky and
flawed.
RUSS ADOVICH
But this was your investigation?
You had overall control?
LAMMARK
Yes, Mr. Deputy Attorney General.
RUSS ADOVICH
Was it also under your orders that
the public were encouraged to call
in, without even limited screening?
LAMMARK
Yes sir.
RUSS ADOVICH
Just a half hour after the show
ended, two teenagers in Wisconsin
killed two people and injured three
more. They took their own lives
when challenged by police.
88.
LAMMARK
Sir, we all know what’s going on
here. This is not about the deaths
of young men, but the ambitions of
old ones. This is about finding a
scapegoat when --
RUSS ADOVICH
Do you know the name of the killer?
Lammark sighs.
LAMMARK
We’re talking about someone who
obviously lived off the grid for
the past --
RUSS ADOVICH
Answer the question. Do you know
his profession? His place of
residence?
LAMMARK
Not yet.
RUSS ADOVICH
It seems that, under your command,
information is no cure for
ignorance. Perhaps if you’d paid
more attention to people who were
qualified to help --
(holding up paper)
This internal report suggests
you’ve been taking your lead from a
police officer with no
investigative experience, rejected
by the Bureau, with a long and
proven record of addiction. Am I
right?
LAMMARK
When everyone else was helping
residents to flee a burning
building, Officer Falco was the
only one with the presence of mind
to film them do it. I know talent
when I see it. It’s a pivotal part
of my job.
RUSS ADOVICH
Perhaps, Mr. Lammark, we should
consider whether your pursuit of
new talent is because you know your
own is failing? You’ve been a fine
public servant and you’ve fought
your illness with courage, but --
LAMMARK
I know this man. And I know how to
find him. You fire me, you get your
sacrifice. But if you don’t, you’ll
get your killer. So you need to
decide what matters the most.
CUT TO:
MCKENZIE
Hey Krupp -- ?
ELEANOR
It wasn’t him, Mac.
IRENE
He’s been jealous since the moment
Geoffrey laid eyes on her.
MCKENZIE
(to Krupp)
Fuck, we need to get you some ice.
Luckily, I know a place.
(to the whole gang)
Listen. We all are really stressed
out here. The city’s under siege.
Marquand’s fighting for his life,
and we’re all about to lose our
jobs. But you know, this whole
time, the planet kept on spinning
and exactly thirty-eight years ago,
I was being born. And I could
really use a drink.
MCKENZIE
They stitched you up like a mummy
in there.
LAMMARK
(scrolling his phone)
Jesus. That’s quick. It’s
everywhere.
(reads headlines)
“Lammarked Man. After 30 years in
the Bureau...”
ELEANOR
Don’t do that, sir.
LAMMARK
When I ask for Wild Turkey, I don’t
need it raised from the egg.
LAMMARK
(morose)
Now they’ll use all of our work.
91.
IRENE
And everyone you care about will
know that you did it. Everyone you
ever loved. Everyone you ever led.
LAMMARK
Irene, darling, you’re not helping.
LAMMARK
You know why I wanted to run the
FBI? To hire people like you. ‘Cos
it takes the broken people to fix a
broken world.
ELEANOR
I’ll always be grateful to you,
sir. I’m sorry they didn’t feel the
same way.
LAMMARK
All those fuckers in suits, they
don’t know shit. ‘Cos when you grow
up on the inside you never see the
edges... “Rejected”. Fuck you, FBI.
MCKENZIE
(hair tousled with sweat,
a gleam in his eye)
Miss Falco, I don’t believe you can
boogie.
Eleanor looks at Lammark, who rolls his eyes but shrugs OK.
ELEANOR
Why yes, sir. I can.
92.
This time she allows McKenzie to lead her to the dance floor.
ELEANOR
Careful, he doesn’t like anyone.
But McKenzie strokes Hugo under his chin and the cat purrs
contentedly, utterly charmed.
MCKENZIE
You were saying?
ELEANOR
You want coffee?
MCKENZIE
No, thanks. Just you.
McKenzie gently sets Hugo down on the sofa, then goes over to
Eleanor, slides his arm around her waist and kisses her neck.
ELEANOR
Hang on --
MCKENZIE
You’ve no idea how lovely you are.
He lifts her up, then lowers her tenderly onto her bed but --
ELEANOR
Mac --
Mckenzie lifts her shirt, kisses her stomach, then kisses her
all the way down from her belly button to the top of her
pants.
ELEANOR
Mac -- please -- it’s not working.
MCKENZIE
Oh, it’s working...
ELEANOR
Mac. Stop.
ELEANOR
It’s me. I’m not -- I’m sorry.
MCKENZIE
Don’t be. We’ll take this as slow
as you like.
ELEANOR
Not now.
MCKENZIE
Not ever?
ELEANOR
Not. Now.
MCKENZIE
You want me to leave?
Eleanor’s shaking her head, her eyes bright with tears. But --
ELEANOR
Yes.
ELEANOR
I’m sorry, Mac.
MCKENZIE
It’s okay. If there’s anything.
Anything --
ELEANOR
I’ll call you.
MCKENZIE
I’ll see you.
IN QUICK SHOTS
She wraps a band around her arm. Fills the needle. Finds the
vein. Her pupils dilate.
Above her, paint chips off the ceiling as the heroin fills
her mind with a series of images and sounds that blur
together.
LAMMARK (V.O.)
They’re often victims of aggression
during childhood or development...
95.
LAMMARK (V.O.)
Especially from people who are
supposed to love and protect them.
LAMMARK (V.O.)
Their understanding of the world
gets skewed and they repress large
amounts of anger for long periods
of time.
The tree with the cut-off branch animates. But however much
it grows it won’t flower or fruit, turning in on itself as.
LAMMARK (V.O.)
Later in life, anything can unlock
Pandora’s box.
MARQUAND (V.O.)
It’s intact. Whoever was inside had
a copy of the key.
RODNEY LANG
We need the money. Kids don’t come
cheap.
CUT TO:
96.
A towel wrapped around her, all the case files spread on the
floor: the condo’s documents, the deed of sale, all the
waivers, the owner’s profile.
ELEANOR
What I couldn’t get my head around
is how you can be in so many places
at once. And then it hit me. You’re
outsourcing.
ELEANOR
(on an impulse)
Gimme that.
Eleanor takes the baby and starts to swing her back and
forth. Her movements are a little violent but effective.
ELEANOR
So here’s what I think. You painted
the living room with the guys from
DeLuxe on May 27th, and for the
next two days you gave someone else
the keys to finish the bedrooms.
That’s how you made time for the
Million Colors job on the 28th and
your lover on the 29th.
97.
RODNEY LANG
Listen, I don't know where you came
up with this crap. First of all, I
don't have a lover --
ELEANOR
Mr. Lang, save it for the judge.
I've got copies of all your emails
and text messages from the past
three years, even the ones you've
erased.
RODNEY LANG
(in shock)
That’s illegal.
ELEANOR
Your wife won’t care.
RODNEY LANG
I used to game the system. Take
more jobs than I could handle, call
other guys -- Armenians, Mexicans,
Poles...
LAMMARK
Very equal opportunities of you.
RODNEY LANG
Well, everyone got a fair cut. But
with the economy how it is, even
they got too expensive. ‘Til I
found this list of ex-cons. Guys
with a record that no-one would
hire. They’d work for almost
nothing, long as you didn’t ask any
questions.
RODNEY LANG
Once in a while I’d bring them
lunch so they wouldn’t have to
leave. As you can guess these guys
will eat whatever you toss their
way. But he stuck in my mind ‘cause
he said that before prison he
worked at a slaughterhouse upstate
and never ate meat again after
that. I only knew him by the name
of Dean. Tall, thin guy, always
wearing a cap. It’s him. He stopped
answering so I stopped calling.
ELEANOR
It’s a burner phone, hasn't been
used for months. But there are only
three slaughterhouses upstate.
RODNEY LANG
(cooperative, to Lammark)
I was just about to call you guys,
then Eleanor showed up and I didn't
have to.
LINE SUPERVISOR
No, but I didn’t start here ‘til
2014. You guys need to talk to --
(calls out)
Hey, Ramona, come over here!
LINE SUPERVISOR
This guy look familiar?
RAMONA
(puts on her glasses)
Familiar? That's Dean fucking
Possey!
RAMONA
Kept his head down, din’t cause
trouble. But Alonso, the supervisor
back then, he was always teasing
him, like he weren’t man enough for
the job. He used to call him
pinhead because his head had this
creepy shape.
(she sucks her cigarette)
One night, I think it was ‘97, they
stay the last shift on the
hamburger sector. Next morning, we
get in and Alonso’s all ground up.
Possey said he tripped and fell in
the grinder, but we all knew it was
him. He went to the can, actually,
but since his father had some kinda
connection, they reopened the case
and let him out a few years after.
CUT TO:
100.
ELEANOR
He was let out on parole in
December ‘99, with support letters
from Colonel Leopold Harper and
General Benjamin Tusk. Both served
with Possey’s father, Sergeant
Arthur Jules Possey, a shooting
instructor at the 75th Rangers
Regiment. When Possey’s father
stepped down as instructor, he
remained the arsenal keeper until
he passed away in 2003.
We drive past empty lots. Eleanor turns the page in the file.
ELEANOR
The prison psychiatrist wrote:
“Awkward young man, downcast gaze,
refused to shake hands. Extremely
sensitive to body contact and loud
noises.” Another report: “Unable to
sleep, minimal eye contact. Prefers
the isolation unit to general
population.”
CUT TO:
ELEANOR
We should call Mac.
LAMMARK
Not if we care about him. We’re
breaking a dozen rules, Eleanor.
Mac’s still on the inside.
101.
ELEANOR
This isn’t about him. Mac would
bring back up and you wanna catch
him yourself. Prove everybody
wrong.
LAMMARK
You don’t? I do things my way
because I’ve seen what happens when
they’re done the other way. They
send tactical, they blow whatever
lead is waiting in there.
ELEANOR
And what if he’s in there?
LAMMARK
Then we’re giving him an extra hour
to escape.
ELEANOR
This man is a trained killer. He
has nothing more to lose. And I
promised Gavin that I’d keep you
safe.
LAMMARK
So you better follow me in.
CUT TO:
MRS. POSSEY (68) opens the door a crack. Lacquered gray hair,
cardigan, and birdlike, inquisitive eyes.
LAMMARK
Mrs. Possey? My name is Marcus
Flynn and this is my daughter
Sophia. Is Dean around by any
chance?
MRS. POSSEY
Oh, Dean doesn’t live here. I wish
he'd come more often. Where do you
know him from?
102.
LAMMARK
We were cellmates. We got pretty
close and -- well, Dean’s the
reason I got my life back together.
We were in town and I just wanted
her to meet him. I'm not sure if he
ever mentioned me...?
Mrs. Possey slices a lemon, pours some iced tea. Eleanor and
Lammark seated across from her at the kitchen table.
MRS. POSSEY
Sometimes he comes and stays for a
few days, makes himself useful in
the garden. Then I don't see him
for months, even years. I ain't
seen him for some time now.
LAMMARK
How come Dean ended up in a
slaughterhouse and not the Army?
MRS. POSSEY
Because they wouldn’t take him.
Said he was too strange, too unfit.
Arthur was so disappointed... He
was 4th generation Army, did all he
could to get Dean to join up. Ever
since he was born, he taught him
strategy, discipline, weapons.
Lord, he was hard on that boy.
LAMMARK
But Dean never wanted to be a
soldier, right?
MRS. POSSEY
Not really. He’s more of the
sensitive type. He always loved the
heavens. Stars, planets, all that
stuff...
LAMMARK
May I ask what happened to him in
the head? Why wouldn't he ever talk
about it?
MRS. POSSEY
(her eyes fill with
hatred)
Arthur always sent him out to the
woods to fetch the targets. That
day he didn't realize Dean was
still out there -- ‘least I hope
not. Two pellets got him in the
head. He was laid up for six
months. Nearly died. He was never
the same after that. Everything
bothered him. Started to hate
birthday parties, which he used to
love. Stopped having friends
over...
ELEANOR
Is that a telescope, Mrs. Possey?
MRS. POSSEY
Yes, Dean’s got several. I take
care of them, they’re all in the
shed. You wanna see?
ELEANOR
I’d love to, Mrs. Possey. But I
need to use the bathroom first.
MRS. POSSEY
Sure, sweetie. It’s just at the
back. But be careful. It doesn’t
always flush right.
She locks the door, takes out her phone. She’s about to dial
McKenzie when her eye catches a pile of newspapers by the
closet.
The top one has Lammark’s firing on the cover and a photo
from the Capitol parking lot: Lammark, Eleanor and McKenzie.
Her heart beating wildly now. Eleanor lifts up the paper and
discovers the whole pile is a record of the shootings and of
their investigation.
No-one in there.
IN THE KITCHEN
Lammark leaps up. But before he can draw his gun, Mrs. Possey
stabs him in the arm, neck and face with the knife she’d used
on the lemon.
Lammark reaches for his gun and shoots Mrs. Possey through
the table -- BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! -- until she is no
longer moving.
He lets the table go and both him and Mrs. Possey’s body hit
the ground.
LAMMARK
(hand to his chest,
expression of pain)
Oh, no...
(staring at the bathroom)
Eleanor... Eleanor...
105.
Eleanor kicks and shakes but she can't breathe beneath the
curtain and she passes out.
FADE TO BLACK.
The summer breeze blows through wind chimes. The sweet sound
awakens Eleanor, who opens her eyes.
DEAN
I had to check for microphones.
For the first time we see DEAN POSSEY face to face. He has a
soft voice, almost sweet. His white baseball cap on. A
shotgun leaning against the wall.
One of the shotguns, that is, because the walls are covered
with weapons of all shapes and sizes.
ELEANOR
Where is the man I came with?
DEAN
He died. Along with my mother.
DEAN
I always thought I’d die before
her.
ELEANOR
So what’s next, Dean...?
(staring at the arsenal)
Looks like you’ve got everything
you need to make your dreams come
true.
DEAN
Yes. My father was convinced
someday our enemies were going to
invade. Russians. A-rabs. He wanted
to be prepared.
106.
ELEANOR
But those are not your enemies.
DEAN
And I’m nowhere close to my dreams.
Sometimes I’d love to be a giant.
Pick up the entire Earth with my
hands and toss it into a massive
pot of boiling water. Boil all the
people right off.
ELEANOR
You’re not the only one who doesn’t
like the neighbors, you know?
Actually I was brought in because
they thought I might understand
you.
DEAN
And do you?
ELEANOR
Well, I’m here.
ELEANOR
Are you going to kill me?
DEAN
I have to.
ELEANOR
But you don’t want to.
DEAN
Taking a human life is a beautiful
thing. You can sense the energy
being released. So many troubled
minds. Tense bodies. They want
peace. I give it to them.
ELEANOR
You sense the energy?
107.
DEAN
Sometimes I do. I see it. Tiny
particles evaporating back to the
atmosphere. Planets are cells, you
know? Neurons of a higher
intelligence; and they're all
connected electrically. Through
gravity, they generate thoughts.
Thoughts that I learned to hear.
ELEANOR
And what do they tell you?
DEAN
The universe is concerned about us.
The neuron we call Earth is too
filled with plastic and cement. And
now we’re reaching out into space,
trying to infect the other neurons.
ELEANOR
So you want stop these tumorous
cells from reaching other
planets... by killing people in a
mall?
DEAN
It’s really connected to me. We
created a world without grass.
Sometimes you have to walk miles to
touch the earth with bare feet. You
have to look out for yourself at
every single corner.
(imitating his mother’s
voice)
“Watch out for the car,” “Watch out
for the truck.” At night there are
so many lights on that you can’t
even see the stars. Everything is
too fucked up. People make so much
noise. What are they laughing at?
What are they celebrating? I give
you two of this, you give me one of
those; you give me ten of these,
I’ll let you blow my cock, fuck
you. Fuck you all. When you realize
that you’re never going to feel at
ease with everyone else, you either
kill yourself or you kill everyone
else.
108.
DEAN
We’re the only species capable of
losing our dignity. People
scrubbing, cleaning up somebody
else’s shit twelve hours a day for
a handful of green paper. Not me.
And the creatures who’ve adapted, I
consider them a plague. Many think
nature is trying to wipe us out.
I’m just helping, like a natural
disaster with a telescopic sight.
ELEANOR
I was at the slaughterhouse today.
Believe me, I understand what
you’re talking about.
DEAN
(remembering)
Yeah... One morning after an all-
nighter, I traced the cow's path
backwards. I started in the burger
section, went through cutting, saw
the carcass getting skinned and cut
in two, then the cows getting hit
with the hammer. Then I followed a
truck all the way back to the farm.
I jumped the fence, walked around
the lake and saw 'em there, in all
their magnificence. Grateful for
their existence. They didn't want
to change anything. They didn’t
want to evolve. They just wanted to
breathe, live, and die with
dignity. Then dissipate into the
whole. But we don't even let them
do that. That day, I envied those
cows and felt ashamed of people.
ELEANOR
Why don't you just go away? There
must be places where you can live
like those cows out on the farm.
Like a free cow.
DEAN
I don’t think so. Maybe the rich
can. Every place you go belongs to
someone.
109.
ELEANOR
Don't you think deep down, maybe
you just need something simple?
DEAN
(smile)
Like love?
ELEANOR
Well, yes. Affection. Protection.
Some of us have been so mistreated
that we don’t even know what it’s
like to feel good. I didn’t enjoy
almost anything in life, Dean. They
burned our bridges to pleasure. But
who says we can’t rebuild them?
DEAN
You’re just trying to postpone your
own death.
ELEANOR
I don't care about dying. I'm not
afraid.
DEAN
Maybe that's why I don't feel like
killing you.
He takes off the cap revealing his deformed head. There are
two chunks missing and no hair grows there. It's a disturbing
image, but Eleanor doesn't flinch. She stares at Dean’s
wounds as if they were beautiful. And perhaps that’s what she
really feels.
ELEANOR
Can I share something very
personal, Dean?
110.
Dean puts on his cap again, stands up, takes a pistol from
the shelf and slowly approaches Eleanor.
Dean lays her down on the bed but doesn't remove the
handcuffs. Then he lies down on top of her, kissing her
breasts and trying to make love to her.
ELEANOR
Shh, it’s okay. Here, let me.
Eleanor moves down his body, kissing him, gently, making him
feel at ease.
DEAN
You won’t bite me?
ELEANOR
I promise.
Eleanor continues, takes him into her mouth. Dean relaxes and
starts to enjoy it. Then he lifts her face back to his,
kisses her and climbs awkwardly onto her.
Her arms are stretched above her head, her wrists cuffed to
the bedpost. There’s no way she can free herself, but as they
reach climax, she whispers in Dean's ear --
ELEANOR
And Dean, can I share something
else with you?
DEAN
(enjoying; his eyes
closed)
What...?
ELEANOR
I’m not going to die today.
111.
Eleanor opens her mouth and, with demonic force, she bites
into Dean’s windpipe. Her bite is as strong as a crocodile's.
Dean thrashes around but he can’t break free from her clasp.
The metal bed collapses and both fall to the floor.
Eleanor spits out a piece of his Adam's apple and closes her
eyes, waiting for the shot. She’s ready for the end but --
Eleanor pulls the metal bed towards the door. The handcuffs
cut into her wrists, her old suicide scars begin to bleed.
She reaches the door, but the bed is too big to get through.
ELEANOR
(scared shitless)
Okay, Eleanor --
BEARDED GUY
(aware of who he is)
Hey, asshole!
WASTELAND
Eleanor sees the bearded guy lying on the floor, shot in the
chest.
Dean hears it, turns, points, BANG! The sniper falls to the
street, dead.
Dean's hit in the leg, but he rapidly hides, then comes out
again with an Ingram MAC-10 submachine gun raised and already
firing -- PFRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR -- both father and son are dead
in the middle of the street.
Eleanor needs to take him down. Now. She grips her gun and
follows Dean into an alley.
There he is, behind the bus stop! She points at him, but he
aims at her too, faster, his finger on the trigger, a stand-
off.
Dean keeps walking backwards, facing the team out to get him.
Suddenly, reaching the end of the alley --
A beat. Then Dean turns to see more than 200 COPS and SNIPERS
all aiming at him. From cars, rooftops, choppers, they all
have a clean shot. And they take it.
HELICOPTER POV
FADE TO:
Eleanor has a strong fever. The wounds on her wrists and body
are infected.
IRENE
Hey... How are you feeling?
115.
ELEANOR
Been worse. Been better.
IRENE
(smiles)
You look better. Want some water?
ELEANOR
Please.
IRENE
Dr. Lantos ran some tests on you.
Routine stuff for cases like this.
(then)
You’re pregnant.
Eleanor is thunderstruck.
IRENE
We're keeping this out of the press
but I do have to report it to my
superiors.
ELEANOR
I understand.
IRENE
You don't need my opinion, I'm sure
it's the same as everyone else's.
But basically, we’re ready when you
are.
Eleanor nods.
LATER
Alone now, Eleanor puts away her breakfast. She’s not hungry.
Eleanor turns off the TV. She wants to cry, but a knock at
the door distracts her.
MCKENZIE
Hey, sorry to barge in on you.
ELEANOR
(smiling)
You brought me flowers?
MCKENZIE
I brought you crackers.
(holds them up with his
other hand)
Not good at presents. These are
from Gavin.
ELEANOR
I broke my promise.
MCKENZIE
Don’t even dare. He would be proud.
MCKENZIE
Listen, I heard. We’re taking care
of everything. I just talked to the
best doctor on planet Earth. It’s
going to be quick, painless, you
won’t even notice.
ELEANOR
I’m keeping it.
MCKENZIE
Eleanor. You don’t want to do that
to yourself. I know this can be a
complicated issue, but not when the
father’s a mass murderer.
ELEANOR
Abortion is not the issue here,
Mac. I have nothing against it.
This is -- an exorcism.
What does she mean? Eleanor tries to put her thoughts into
words.
ELEANOR
Some very bad things happened to me
when I was younger. I grew up with
this demon inside me that frightens
me terribly and doesn't let me
enjoy life.
117.
MCKENZIE
Eleanor, please let’s do what needs
to be done. Put an end to this
phase and start a new one.
(kindly)
Whatever you’re going through,
you'll get over it. I can help. I
want to help. I want to be with
you, Eleanor.
MCKENZIE
Okay, let's suppose you give birth
to the Devil’s spawn. You take care
of it and you even find a man -- a
saint actually who’s willing to
raise it with you. The press will
find out. It’ll be in every
newspaper. Every website. Every
screen in the world. And people are
cruel. They’ll hate him. They’ll
make his life impossible.
ELEANOR
Who’s the misanthrope now?
MCKENZIE
Eleanor, every time you look your
son in the eye, you’ll see the man
who raped you.
ELEANOR
He didn't rape me, Mac. I asked
him. And I did it to kill him.
MCKENZIE
Right. I wish you the best. But I
beg you to reconsider.
118.
MCKENZIE
Nobody ever gave you what I’m
trying to give you. Maybe that’s
why you don’t understand it.
MCKENZIE
(comes back in)
Okay, fuck it. I’ll be your saint.
MCKENZIE
I’m offering up my services. If he
comes out a violent menace, I'll
knock him out. If anyone picks on
him, I'll knock them out. Now let’s
jump in a car and get the hell out
of here before reporters start
harassing us and turn us into
national heroes.
ELEANOR
I don’t want to go anywhere.
(grabs his hand)
I want to run the FBI.
MCKENZIE
Oh... Okay.
MCKENZIE
I don’t think they ever had a woman
in that position.
ELEANOR
It doesn’t have to be now.
MCKENZIE
That's great, because you’ll need
to solve a few more cases...
ELEANOR
Well, I learned from the best.
119.
MCKENZIE
You know, we killed his father. We
might be looking at a kid with some
psychological issues. Seriously,
Eleanor, I want a shrink right by
his cradle.
ELEANOR
(twinkle in her eye)
Who said it’s a boy?
THE END