Arctic Blue Page #11

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CORBETT:

We get wet, we freeze to death in

a couple hours.

ERIC:

I've been on ice like this when I

was a kid, skating. Spread your

weight, keep moving. Go on.

Corbett is not about to be outdone in the guts department by

someone with a Master's Degree.

CORBETT:

(gestures 'you first')

Be my guest.

ERIC:

(points .357)

I'm right behind you.

Frowning, Corbett tentatively steps onto the ice and inches

across the fifteen feet to the other bank.

NEW ANGLE:

He turns and, indeed, Eric is right behind him.

(CONTINUED)

102 CONTINUED:

CORBETT:

Wait 'til I'm across!

Eric doesn't want to be too far from his prisoner. He keeps

coming. The ice GROANS and HISSES under their weight.

Corbett is three feet from solid ground. He drops to his

knees, then stomach, and rolls like a log the rest of the

way.

Eric splays out on the ice and crabwalks across. The ice

makes an ominous CRACKING and water begins to seep through

air holes.

Standing, Corbett weighs his chances of bolting from Eric.

Eric crawls doubletime. He makes it onto solid ground just

as the ice under him breaks off in a big, thin, clear plate.

CLOSER:

Eric sits on some rocks. Corbett glares it him.

CORBETT:

Most dangerous thing in the

world:
A regular Joe, in over his

head. You trying to prove how

tough you are for me, or for

yourself?

ERIC:

It wasn't my idea to crash the

plane.

CORBETT:

Let's camp. There's grayling

under this ice. I'll snare some

for dinner.

ERIC:

(standing)

We've got another two hours of

daylight.

CORBETT:

Pushing it is flat wrong. All

you prove is your ignorance about

breaking trail.

Eric is not convinced. Grumbling, Corbett gets up and

takes the lead as they continue southward.

103 INT. THE TURTLE - DARKROOM - DAY

Trying to keep busy, Anne Marie develops some prints in the

darkroom she's made from the front bathroom. She glances at

her watch and sighs, her mind on Eric's overdue return.

104 INT. THE TURTLE - FRONT MODULE

Anne Marie comes out of the darkroom and hangs the prints up

to dry. Outside, (OS), a car HORN blares a couple of times.

Grinning, she runs to the door.

105 EXT. / INT. THE TURTLE

Meyerling's Dodge truck pulls up. Anne Marie comes outside.

Her smile wilts when she sees it's not Eric. As Meyerling

climbs the embankment to the Turtle, he glances at Wilder's

snowmobile parked alongside the Turtle.

MEYERLING:

I've been trying to raise you on

the shortwave for two days.

He pushes past Anne Marie and goes into the Turtle.

ANNE MARIE:

Have you talked to Eric?

MEYERLING:

I have not, but I very much want

to. What do you know about the

trouble in Devil's Cauldron?

ANNE MARIE:

I was hoping you had some news --

MEYERLING:

-- Get this straight: I'm the

District Supervisor. Whatever

you do reflects on me. It wasn't

my idea to bring you people up

here, but I'm stuck with you.

You are absolutely not to involve

yourself in any local disputes.

Whichever side you take, you

alienate the other. Mr. Corbett

is quite well-known in this

region. People admire him --

ANNE MARIE:

-- Corbett's a killer.

(CONTINUED)

105 CONTINUED:

MEYERLING:

I don't care if Ben Corbett makes

meatloaf out of nuns and babies,

he's not your concern.

Understood?

Anne Marie just glares at him. Meyerling examines the

damaged shortwave.

MEYERLING:

(continuing)

What happened here?

ANNE MARIE:

The radio's on the fritz.

MEYERLING:

Where'd you say Eric is?

ANNE MARIE:

Somewhere along the pipeline.

MEYERLING:

What about that hotheaded

marshal, Sam Wilder? I heard he

was in the middle of this mess.

ANNE MARIE:

Sam? We haven't seen him.

MEYERLING:

Really. I thought maybe that was

his snowmobile outside.

(beat)

By the way -- your truck also 'on

the fritz?'

ANNE MARIE:

(blanching)

Why?

MEYERLING:

It's out by the pumping station,

shot full of holes.

Noting Anne Marie's distressed reaction to this news, he

crosses to the door.

MEYERLING:

(continuing)

Still nothing to tell me?

(no reply)

Suit yourself.

106 EXT. ENDICOTT MOUNTAINS - DAY

Eric limps further down from the mountains. Corbett keeps

pace in front of him and his magnum. As their altitude

decreases, there is ever thicker vegetation.

Their tracks in the snow stretch up behind them into the

distance. The magnificence and grandeur of the surroundings

cannot be overstated. Picture the most rustic, overwhelming

wilderness imaginable, and then make it ten times larger.

NEW ANGLE - LATER

The men's way is once again interrupted, this time by a

sheer granite drop. The steep decline would be tough to

negotiate with mountaineering equipment and proper footwear.

Corbett peers over the edge and shakes his head.

CORBETT:

Have to backtrack, find another

way down.

ERIC:

Forget it. It would take days.

CORBETT:

(assessing the drop)

Going to be a bit of a challenge

with handcuffs on.

Eric realizes he's right. After some deliberation, Eric

cautiously approaches him. With the .357 cocked and ready,

he undoes one of the cuffs, leaving them hanging from

Corbett's wrist. He then unthreads the nylon twine from

Corbett's tarp.

ANGLE - GRANITE SHEER

Eric and Corbett are tied, belt to belt, with the nylon

rope. Corbett inches down first, feet spread for maximum

footing, gloveless hands grasping at anything.

Eric mimics Corbett's moves and follows the same path.

Unable to grasp the rocks effectively, he stops and takes

his gloves off. Continuing, he winces -- the rock is cold

and sharp. His hands are soon numb and bloody. Even in the

dry, below-freezing air, Eric is sweating.

He looks down and hangs on more tightly. Sliding to level

ground two hundred feet below would pummel him to hamburger.

Corbett pauses and rests his cheek against the rocks. Eric

is right above him.

(CONTINUED)

106 CONTINUED:

Suddenly, Corbett's foot slips. His right hand

instinctively goes for a hold. The dangling handcuffs snare

on a protuberance, knocking him off balance.

The fulcrum of Corbett's body leans out into the empty air.

Eric moves down a little, braces himself and extends his

leg, giving Corbett something to grab. Corbett takes hold

of Eric's shoe and tries to teeter back against the rock

wall. Adrenaline screams through Eric's system.

Corbett looks up at Eric. A careless move will send them

both tumbling. Eric clutches harder at the rocks and waits

for the worst.

After a long moment, Corbett regains his balance and lets go

of Eric's foot. He continues his descent. Eric lets out

his breath and tries to swallow. His mouth is as dry as the

granite.

CUT TO:

107 EXT. TREELINE - LATER THAT DAY

Handcuffed again, Corbett hikes in front of Eric along the

top of some foothills. Now and again he glances behind,

gauging Eric's weariness, waiting for a moment's

carelessness. Around them there is heavy vegetation now --

snow-covered sedge tussocks, knee-deep muskeg and twisted

thickets that are treacherous and slow to tramp through.

Above them, ominous clouds and sharp, cold winds are coming

down from the north.

But below, a mile ahead, the edge of the forest is like the

hem of a great green garment stretching endlessly southward.

The combination of altitude and latitude creates an

amazingly sharp topographical dividing line. Within a few

thousand yards, the landscape abruptly changes from scrub

brush to thick coniferous forest.

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