48 Hrs. Page #11

He grabs Hammond and they head for the Cadillac.

TRANSITION.

ALL-NIGHT GAS STATION

Cadillac parked behind the service area.

RESTROOM:

Hammond looks' up at his bruised face in the mirror, then

washes up. Cates is one step ahead of him. He rolls up a

piece of the wet towel and inserts it over his bleeding gum.

HAMMOND:

Too bad we got interrupted when we

did. I was getting ready to

finish you off.

Cates straightens up from the wash basin.

CATES:

Yeah, right. You want to try

again?

HAMMOND:

Naw, you'd just call your pals

back to bail you out one more time.

CATES:

They saved your ass, convict.

HAMMOND:

One thing's for sure, Jack.

That's how you'll tell the story.

Cates dries off his face, starts out of the washroom.

CATES:

I'll even put it in my report that

way.

The door closes behind Cates. Hammond leans back toward the

mirror, nudges a tooth with his finger.

HAMMOND:

Motherf***er.

GAS STATION PARKING LOT

Cates leans on the Cadillac as Hammond emerges. Hammond

starts for the passenger side.

CATES:

Wait a minute.

Hammond stops.

CATES:

(continuing)

You come clean or we're going to

go again. Right here, right now.

Pause.

A long moment; Hammond decides be has no choice.

HAMMOND:

I been waiting a long time for

some money.

CATES:

How much?

HAMMOND:

Half a million.

CATES:

Jesus.

Hammond smiles his meanest smile.

HAMMOND:

How's that for a number to give

you heart failure? Guess you might

start to get the picture after

all. Mlaybe you're on the wrong

side of the old law and order

business..

Cates is unmoved.

CATES:

Just tell me about the money.

HAMMOND:

Me and my bunch hit a dealer in

the middle of a sale. It's the

kind of money nobody ever reports

stolen. I was sittin' pretty,

livin' in the high cotton, then

somebody fingered me for another

job. ... Some psycho who's out

there capping people with some

cop's gun.

CATES:

He's after your money.

HAMMOND:

You catch on real fast...Okay,

Jack, let's talk deal. How much of

my money you gonna let me keep?

Cates just looks at him.

HAMMOND:

(continuing)

We split 50-50?

CATES:

Not likely, convict.

HAMMOND:

You gonna let me keep any of it?

CATES:

Depends on how things work out. I

believe in the merit system. So

far you haven't built up any

points.

He smiles.

HAMMOND:

Okay, from now on, I'm gonna be

real good, Jack.

Cates smiles back.

CATES:

Where's the money?

HAMMOND:

In the trunk of a car. A lot

better than under a mattress,

right?

Cates smiles.

CATES:

Right, partner.

HAMMOND:

Get this. We ain't partners. We

ain't brothers. We ain't friends.

If Ganz gets away with my money,

you're gonna be sorry we ever met.

CATES:

Yeah. Right.

They get into the Caddy. Boom away.

TRANSITION.

The Cadillac moving through the city... Clock on the

dashboard showing 4 a.m. Cates at the wheel.

CATES:

(continuing)

Where's the goddamn car?

HAMMOND:

You're a real case, you know that,

Jack?

Smiles.

HAMMOND:

(continuing)

This'll show you how smart I am.

I got it parked.

CATES:

...For three years? Let's hope it

wasn't a tow-away zone.

HAMMOND:

You just drove by it.

The Cadillac makes a screeching U-turn,i swings into the curb.

Cates leans out, looks at...

PARKING BUILDING

Narrow, multi-storied, with a garage-like opening and

signals... proclaiming 'Weekly-Monthly-Long Term."

CADILLAC:

CATES:

Okay, now what?

Hammond gets out of the car.

Stands on the sidewalk.

Stretches.

Then gets into the back seats.

HAMMOND:

Since you're wired on benniest you

get to stay up and stare at the

building. I'm tired, so I'm going

to sleep. They take Sunday off.

Place opens at seven o'clock

Monday morning. Wake me up at a

quarter till...

Cates stares at the place.

CATES:

You son of a b*tch. You knew where

the money was all along and all we

had to do was come here and wait.

I almost got my ass blown off

twice tonight for nothing.

HAMMOND:

I wasn't sure the money was still

there until we saw Luther. You

almost got your ass shot off for

nothing once, not twice, Jack.

CATES:

Sh*t.

THE CITY:

Beyond the skyline, grey streaks of dawn etch the sky.

TRANSITION.

The Cadillac is pulled up facing the streets down the block

from the parking sections Cates walks in through the lot

entrance. Threads his way between the lines of parked

vehicles Tired and haggard, he carries a paper bag filled

with quick-order food.

CADILLAC:

Hammond stretches on the back seat. Cates slams the door

shut.

CATES:

I don't want you sleeping on the

job.

Hammond yawns, eases himself into a sitting position.

HAMMOND:

The place opens in five minutes.

Ganz ought to be here soon...

Cates tears the paper bag open. Passes a cup of coffee and

donut back. He sips his own coffee, adds some whiskey from

his flask... pops another bennie.

CATES:

You took a big chance, leaving

this here all this time.

HAMMOND:

Not really. I figured Ganz was

put down for a long time. And I

knew Luther would never job me on

his own. He's too chickenshit.

CATES:

Guess what? Luther just got in

line.

Hammond sits up.

HAMMOND:

What?

CATES:

Musta got some primo bondsman.

HAMMOND:

Jesus Christ. That's a disgrace

The guy pulls a gun on a cop and

he's out in 24 hours. I tell you

some of the courts these days are

just a f***ing revolving door.

INT. PARKING LOT BUILDING

Luther walks up to the window where a bored ATTENDANT reads

a comic book.

ATTENDANT:

Yeah?

LUTHER:

I want to pick up my car.

He passes across a faded form.

ATTENDANT:

Name?

LUTHER:

Hammond.

The Attendant examines the form, surprised.

ATTENDANT:

This is three years old.

LUTHER:

Yeah, I've been busy.

The Attendant opens a key file, begins rummaging in it.

ATTENDANT:

We don't wash 'em, ya know.

LUTHER:

How about chargin' the battery?

ATTENDANT:

That we do. And we put air in the

tires. I'll even sell you some gas

if you need it.

LUTHER:

Great, just great.

The Attendant finds the key, exits the booth. Luther follows

to an elevated stack of cars. The Attendant throws a switch,

the stack of cars begins to move.

STREET:

Luther drives down the exit ramp in a dated Porsche

convertible.

The car is covered with a uniform coat of dust, except for

the windshield which has been wiped hastily clean.

Luther waits for a break in the flow of traffic, drives out.

Another street

Luther turns onto a side street and then suddenly Cate's

Cadillac appears ... starts to tail the Porsche.

CADILLAC:

Cates follows Luther through several turns.

The Porsche jerks whenever it speeds up or slows down.

HAMMOND:

Jesus Christ, look at all the dust

on my car...why in the hell don't

he take it to a car wash?

CATES:

Didn't know you darker people went

in for foreign jobs.

HAMMOND:

I had no choice. Some white

a**hole bought the last piece of

sh*t skyblue Cadillac.

ANOTHER STREET:

The Caddy follows the Porsche.

INT. CADDY

As they follow Luther.

CATES:

You'd think the guy'd be smart

enough to know he was being tailed.

HAMMOND:

Tryin' to save his girl, man. He's

in another world.

CATES:

If I was his size and had Ganz on

my ass, I'd just leave town.

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