15 Minutes Page #18

AUDIENCE:

Shoot him! SHOOT!

A GUNSHOT! Jordy ducks! Another GUNSHOT! Jordy realizes

the shots are coming from the screen.

OLEG:

Look! Over here!

Jordy turns. Oleg stands up and FIRES at him - trying to

film Jordy's death with a videocamera.

Jordy ducks, then rises up with his gun as Oleg vaults over

the seats, leaping from one to the other, mashing shoulders

and heads, bounding for the screen.

JORDY:

Everybody down! Stay DOWN!

Jordy FIRES as the screen villain blasts away. Some in the

audience don't realize the real thing is happening. Oleg

leaps on the stage in front of the screen, illuminated by it.

Jordy runs down the aisle. Oleg FIRES at Jordy. Jordy FIRES

back. People panic - scurrying away - Jordy can't get a

clear shot. Oleg FIRES again, wounding a moviegoer. Jordy

raises up as the theater lights go on...and Oleg is gone!

Jordy jumps on the stage - runs backstage - Oleg has

disappeared.

JORDY (CONT'D)

Sh*t!

SIRENS are heard from outside. VOICES of cops are heard as

they enter.

CLOSE ON TV:

A REPORTER is in Times Square, reports from outside the movie

theater.

REPORTER (ON T.V.)

...and the wild chase through Times

Square ended with the suspect, Oleg

Razgul, escaping. The fire department

has identified the fire marshal involved

in the failed pursuit as Jordy Warsaw.

The channel is changed. PETER ARNETT is reporting the same

story.

PETER ARNETT (ON T.V.)

In a related matter, Mr. Slovak's

attorney, Bruce Cutler - famous for

handling sensational cases - claims his

client is unfit to stand trial.

INT. JAIL CELL - WIDER - DAY

Daphne sitting on a bench in a jail cell. Watching TV

through the bars. She is in the fire department's holding

cell in Brooklyn.

PETER ARNETT (ON T.V.)

In fact, Cutler claimed Mr. Slovak was

not the alleged mastermind behind the

murders.

According to Cutler, Mr. Slovak was

being directed by his partner, who

threatened to kill him if he didn't

follow Mr. Razgul's orders. Cutler told

reporters today that Mr. Razgul did in

fact stab his client.

The scene CUTS TO Cutler's press conference.

CUTLER:

My client, Mr. Slovak, is a victim.

What's happened is not his fault. Emil

was under the influence of his partner.

At the trial, you'll see that my client

will be vindicated...

INT. BELLEVUE - MENTAL OBSERVATION UNIT - DAY

The CAMERA WIDENS from the TV set. We are now in an

interview room, a guard is posted outside the room. Emil

sits at a small table - with Cutler. Emil is dressed in

Bellevue clothes. He's handcuffed and his ankle is bandaged.

Emil gives a complimentary nod toward Cutler.

CUTLER:

I brought you some letters. It's really

fan mail. Women mostly. One wants to

buy you clothes, another sent a check.

Another wants a check.

EMIL:

You bring the cigarettes?

CUTLER:

Oh, sure.

Cutler shakes a cigarette out of the pack, stuffs it in

Emil's mouth and lights it for him. Emil has never smoked

before.

CUTLER (CONT'D)

How're they treating you, alright

(Emil is nonresponsive)

I want to get the cuffs off... but

there's a little bit of a problem.

Things out there are very negative right

now for us. We gotta change that

around. Perception is very, very

important. Perception is reality. I

know you're not f***in' crazy. But it's

important that I get that message out.

Cause that's our only defense in this

case.

Emil leans forward. Cutler retrieves the cigarette from

between his lips.

CUTLER (CONT'D)

I want you to focus on three things:

fear...

He puts the cigarette back in Emil's mouth.

CUTLER (CONT'D)

...delusions and paranoia.

EMIL:

I was all of these.

CUTLER:

Well, you didn't appreciate the severity

of it until recently. No question about

that.

EMIL:

What about Oleg?

CUTLER:

Disappeared. They're looking

everywhere. Maybe he went back to

Czechoslovakia.

EMIL:

No, he is here. Sh*t...

CUTLER:

Don't worry about him. Think about

yourself.

EMIL:

What about my movie rights? Book

rights?

CUTLER:

Look, I haven't really focused on that

kind of thing.

EMIL:

What's your cut? How much?

CUTLER:

I would say...half. Half is fair.

EMIL:

(laughs)

No. No way.

CUTLER:

But it's...

EMIL:

Thirty-percent. No more. Or I call

another lawyer. This is the biggest

case of your life. Don't try to

negotiate. Thirty percent. Say yes or

no.

CUTLER:

This is not about money, Emil. I need

your trust in me.

EMIL:

What else do you need?

CUTLER:

I need to know about your background. I

need to know about your upbringing. Why

you're here.

EMIL:

(indicating cigarette)

Give me another one, please.

Cutler stuffs another cigarette in Emil's mouth. Lights it.

CUTLER:

Tell me about yourself. What you did as

a young boy... what your parents were

like.

EMIL:

My father always degraded me. Killed my

self-esteem. And my mother was blind.

CUTLER:

Your mother was blind?

EMIL:

Yeah, she went blind giving birth to me.

She went to f***ing black market doctor

to induce me.

CUTLER:

Back in the Czech Republic?

EMIL:

Yeah, yeah...bad doctor gave her bad

drugs which made her go blind. And my

father blamed me for her blindness...

CUTLER:

Your father blamed you for your mother's

blindness?

EMIL:

Yeah, he hated me from day when I was

born. Put it out. Can you put the

cigarette out?

Cutler takes the cigarette from Emil's lips and extinguishes

it.

EMIL (CONT'D)

That's what he did to me. He put

cigarettes out on me.

CUTLER:

Your father put cigarettes out on you?

EMIL:

Out on my back when I was a small boy.

CUTLER:

Can I see your back?

Emil rises. Cutler comes around and pulls his shirt up. HIS

ENTIRE BACK IS COVERED WITH DISGUSTING PURPLISH WELTS FROM

CIGARETTE BURNS. Cutler recoils - horrified.

CUTLER (CONT'D)

Oh, Jesus.

EMIL:

I'm abused. Don't you think?

CUTLER:

I don't think it's abuse, I think it's

torture.

INT. FIRE STATION 91 - DUFFY'S OFFICE - DAY

Inside the Arson Squad, Duffy sits behind his desk. Jordy

stands across the table from his Chief. Behind Jordy we can

see Garcia and Korfin outside, listening. Duffy has a

subpoena in his hand.

DUFFY:

The public doesn't have any idea what we

do and now you're going to define our

image! This is going to be our Rodney

King!

JORDY:

What was I supposed to do? The guy

tried to mug me. I was gonna send a cop

back - I just forgot.

DUFFY:

Forgot? You handcuffed a civilian to a

tree?!

JORDY:

Chief - I know I screwed up - but this

guy was no innocent civilian.

DUFFY:

Well this is gonna end your career and

probably mine.

JORDY:

End my career?

DUFFY:

How are you going to fight this? Maybe

if Oleg hadn't gotten away and you'd

been on the front page, as a hero, this

thing would be easier to fight. You'd

have the good to weight against the bad!

It's unfortunate that I have to make

decisions based upon your press coverage

but there's nothing I can do! Gimme

your shield.

JORDY:

But Chief? Over this??

DUFFY:

There's nothing to talk about. Get a

good lawyer. You're suspended until

your trial.

Jordy sighs. Dying inside. He surrenders his shield. Drops

his handcuffs, his pager and his gun. Duffy picks up the gun

- looks at it.

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