15 Minutes Page #15

DAPHNE:

Oh my G-d! Oh my G-d!

Jordy turns - sees Eddie's shield.

DAPHNE (CONT'D)

They were here!

This freaks her out. They were in her home. She starts to

panic.

JORDY:

Calm down. Get a hold of yourself! Get

down!

He pulls aside the curtain to the bathtub. In it is a CAN OF

GASOLINE. A virtual bomb.

JORDY (CONT'D)

Oh Jesus!

Daphne reaches for the can of gasoline.

JORDY (CONT'D)

What are you doing?

DAPHNE:

Pouring it out!

She grabs the can of gasoline - pours it down the drain. The

FIRE is raging outside the bathroom. The bathroom door is

beginning to smoke and burn. They are trapped.

Jordy turns - grabs an exposed water pipe that runs up the

wall to the ceiling. He throws his feet against the wall for

leverage. Pulls with all his might to break it loose. It's

creaking - but he's having a hard time with it.

DAPHNE (CONT'D)

Oh sh*t!

Jordy looks over. The gasoline she's pouring out - is not

going down the drain. It's stopped up. As soon as the fire

gets in the bathroom, everything will explode!

Jordy begins pulling at the rusty pipe with all his might.

Daphne comes over - helps him. Both of them trying to break

it off. Suddenly it snaps and water POURS into the room.

SOAKING THE WALLS. They point the pipe toward the door,

soaking some of the flames which are consuming the door.

Trying to stop the fire from coming in. He and Daphne are

drenched. And trapped.

Jordy grabs a broken piece of pipe. Starts SMASHING the wall

behind them. The wall to the adjacent apartment.

VIDEO POV:

Jordy and Daphne in the bathroom - surrounded by fire.

CAMERA WHIP PANS down the street as FIRE ENGINES arrive.

OLEG:

is VIDEOTAPING them from the opposite rooftop. Tenants from

Daphne's building are fleeing down the fire escape. Emil

stands in back of Oleg - who is very excited. He turns the

camera on himself.

OLEG:

This is great film! You can see fire

right now - Daphne is in fire - Fire

Marshal is here. Everything is so

messy. Everything is so crazy right

here! Look at this fire! We made it!

90% of people who die in fire die from

eating smoke. So most likely they all

die from eating smoke.

The CAMERA PANS to Emil.

OLEG (CONT'D)

And this is the man who started the

fire. Say something to your fans, Emil!

Emil waits a beat and then blows a kiss to the lens.

DAPHNE'S BATHROOM

Filled with smoke. You can barely see Jordy or Daphne.

Jordy SMASHES a hole in the wall - which reveals the bathroom

in the apartment next door. The smoke has a place to escape.

There's a 7-year old KID in there. Standing in the bathroom.

Terrified.

JORDY:

Get back! Get out of the bathroom!

Run!

7-YEAR OLD KID

The hallway is on fire!

JORDY:

It's okay. I'm a fireman. I'm going to

help you. Get back! Now!

Jordy pushes Daphne through the wall - turns as the bathroom

door catches fire. It's seconds before the whole room will

blow up.

OLEG:

Across the roof is videotaping the bathroom as it EXPLODES!

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Fire engines have arrived. The street is filled with

gawkers. Garcia and Korfin pull up just as Jordy runs from

the building - holding the kid in one arm and pulling Daphne

with the other. Carefully guarding his bandaged hand. A

fireman grabs the kid. Another grabs Daphne. Garcia and

Korfin run to Jordy.

GARCIA:

Jordy! What the hell happened?!

KORFIN:

Are you alright, man? Lemme see the

hand!

JORDY:

Where's Daphne? Daphne?

He spots Daphne on the corner as a familiar voice pushes

through the crowd.

VOICE:

Isn't she a beauty? She's my fire, look

at that loom-up on her!

Jordy turns - it's Max. The attention pyromaniac who Jordy

threw out of his office. As a news crew arrives, Max turns

to the cameras.

MAX:

I did this! I did this! Take my

picture! I'm Max! Max Gornick!

Jordy grabs Max - pushes him away.

JORDY:

Get outta here!

KORFIN:

What the hell happened?

JORDY:

They were inside. They booby trapped

her apartment!

Korfin scans the crowd. Looking for Emil and Oleg. In the

b.g., Duffy is SCREAMING.

DUFFY:

What the hell are you talking about???

They're gonna do what?

Jordy and Korfin turn. The Chief has a phone to his ear and

is freaked.

INT. LOBBY OF CHANNEL 12 BROADCASTING - NIGHT

JORDY'S POV

as he enters the TV station. His clothes burnt and still

wet. The lobby's full of ANGRY COPS. Tommy and Leon, still

in his funeral suit, SCREAMING above them all at Maggie the

producer and her ASSISTANT, who are standing behind the desk.

TOMMY:

Where is he?! Where is Hawkins?!

MAGGIE:

He's not on the premises!

LEON:

I want the tape. Go get it and bring it

here this minute.

MAGGIE:

Any request for the video must be

directed to "Top Story's" attorney -

Bruce Cutler. I'll be happy to give you

his number.

Leon jumps over the desk where Maggie stands. Tommy pushes

past the security guard to follow Leon. They continue toward

Maggie, pushing her further back into the office. She tries

to protect herself with an office door which Leon slams open.

LEON:

Lady, if you put Eddie's murder on TV,

I'll get a warrant for your arrest and

shove it so far up your ass it'll come

outta your mouth!

MAGGIE:

I want your shield number!

HAWKINS (O.S.)

Viewer discretion advised!

MAGGIE:

(pointing at the TV)

You want the tape? There it is!

Leon, Tommy, all the cops and Jordy - turn toward a TV set

which is mounted in the lobby. The "Top Story" logo flashes

on the screen, then Robert Hawkins is seen behind his desk.

HAWKINS:

What we are about to broadcast is very

graphic footage...

Everyone is riveted. But Jordy notices outside...a "Top

Story" NEWS VAN is waiting in the alley. Robert Hawkins

jumps from a doorway and into the van. Jordy backs out.

INT. PLANET HOLLWYOOD - NIGHT

POP...a video POV of a bottle of Crystal as the cork is

popped. The videocamera pans up to Emil sitting at the

table. He nods at the waiter who leaves. Emil raises the

glass - looking into the lens.

EMIL:

America! Who says you can't be success

in America? I arrived with nothing,

knowing nobody - now look - I am a

success story!

The videocamera is lowered. Oleg turns it off. Asks

suspiciously.

OLEG:

You are success story? I am success

story! Why do you say I and not we?

EMIL:

Oleg, don't be paranoid. You got a

hundred-fifty thousand dollars, didn't

you? I gave you half of what they gave

me. Look - here we are!

Emil gestures toward the big television set. We are in

Planet Hollywood - where diners and those by the bar can

watch a huge screen hanging from the ceiling. Robert Hawkins

is introducing his show.

HAWKINS (ON T.V.)

Good evening. Welcome to "Top Story".

Tonight, I present to you material of a

graphic and violent nature never before

seen on television. And I do so with a

heavy heart. You will be first-hand

witness to the slaying of celebrated New

York City Homicide Detective, Eddie

Flemming. It would be only normal to

ask, why? Why are we showing something

so journalist, I must show it. A

democracy survives through the freedom

of its media, and if we cannot see what

is happening then we don't deserve our

democracy, or our freedom. Eddie

Flemming was my friend. I cried when I

watched this footage and vowed to fight

this violence with every molecule of my

being from this day onward. Hopefully,

this will have a similar effect on you.

One final word, this material is

absolutely not appropriate for children.

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