Arctic Blue Page #14

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(CONTINUED)

117 CONTINUED:

ERIC:

(continuing)

Stop!

Corbett bounds through the snow, dodging trees and

snow-covered rocks.

Eric squeezes off a SHOT, and is startled by the recoil and

the blast. He scrambles to his feet and SHOOTS again.

Corbett zigzags and disappears from sight over a snowbank.

NEW ANGLE - FOLLOW CORBETT

Corbett runs over a frozen stream, invisible under a cover

of snow. Suddenly, the ice SHATTERS under him. Corbett is

immersed in frigid, waist-deep water. He gasps from the

sudden temperature drop.

ERIC:

hobbles after him, CUSSING bitterly to himself.

CORBETT:

crawls to solid ground. Disoriented from the shock to his

system, he rolls over to catch his breath.

WIDER:

Eric appears over a snowbank.

Corbett tries to run, but his frozen, waterlogged legs feel

like pig iron. Stumbling and panting, he looks for a safe

place to cross the stream. Eric easily catches up to him.

Corbett sits in the snow, shivering. He looks up as Eric

trots over.

Eric glares at Corbett and rubs the bruise on his cheek.

CORBETT:

Nothing personal. Just wanted to

see what you'd do.

Noticing Corbett's sopping legs, Eric becomes furious.

CORBETT:

(continuing)

Have to get these wet things off.

ERIC:

You're not going to slow us down!

Keep moving!

(CONTINUED)

117 CONTINUED:
(2)

CORBETT:

Inside of three hours you'd be

dragging my dead carcass.

Fuming, Eric helps Corbett up.

118 EXT. ENDICOTT FOOTHILLS - EVENING

The sun sinks below the horizon, creating across the

mountains a spectacular show of color and shadows. The wind

HOWLS.

119 INT. NYLON SHELTER

Eric stokes a fire at the mouth of the shelter. Corbett's

pants and boots hang to dry from branches next to it. He

huddles under the tarp, covered by his coat, drowsy and

listless.

ERIC:

Stay awake! You want to go

hypothermic?

CORBETT:

If that means freeze my balls

off, no thanks.

(yawns)

I'll be okay.

Eric examines him. Corbett's skin is white and rigid, his

lips are pale blue. He scowls at Eric.

CORBETT:

(continuing)

Told you I'm fine!

ERIC:

(holds up three fingers)

How many do you see?

CORBETT:

(irritable)

What?! F*** off. Save yourself.

ERIC:

You don't feel cold?

CORBETT:

It's a spring day...

He starts to doze off. The shivering he's been repressing

now racks his body. Eric sits him up, closer to the fire,

and puts his own parka over Corbett's shoulders. With his

foot, Eric rolls some hot rocks bordering the fire closer to

(CONTINUED)

119 CONTINUED:

Corbett's legs. Eric rubs his arms and hands, but it isn't

enough. Eric loathes the specter of death, even Corbett's.

He shakes him, trying to keep him awake.

ERIC:

Wake up, goddammit! You've got

classic hypothermia --

crankiness, fatigue, can't feel

your coldness. Worst thing you

can do is fade out.

Corbett is headed someplace far away. Sighing, Eric turns

him so his back faces the fire. He unbuttons Corbett's

shirt, then unbuttons his own shirt and lies across Corbett.

Eric gasps -- Corbett feels like a slab of ice. Corbett's

teeth chatter. He's completely unconscious.

ERIC:

(continuing)

One more thing -- this doesn't

mean we're going steady.

DISSOLVE TO:

Later, Corbett rests fitfully. It could go either way.

Eric chews on some roots and pokes at the fire to keep it

lively.

DISSOLVE TO:

It's night. Some color has returned to Corbett's skin.

Eric turns as Corbett mumbles and clutches at the front of

his shirt. His eyes open. He tries to sit up, but he's too

weak.

ERIC:

Stay still.

CORBETT:

Where's my ELT?

ERIC:

Emergency transmitter? All your

gear is back at Wilder's.

CORBETT:

You got one?

ERIC:

It was blown up with the plane.

CORBETT:

Too bad. We'd be out of here in

a few hours.

(CONTINUED)

119 CONTINUED:
(2)

ERIC:

How? Nobody this far north

monitors that frequency until

avalanche season.

(beat)

Besides, I'm surprised a tough

guy like you uses fancy

electronics.

CORBETT:

I'm surprised a flat-ender like

you knows cold-weather remedies.

ERIC:

Read a lot of adventure stories

when I was a kid...

Corbett smiles.

CORBETT:

I'm hungry. Go kill me some

dinner.

ERIC:

An appetite. Maybe you won't die

after all.

CORBETT:

Hate to disappoint you.

120 EXT. HAUL ROAD - THE TURTLE - NIGHT

The AURORA makes a dazzling display in the cold clear sky.

Below, the only light on the endless expanse of dark earth

comes from the Turtle.

CLOSER:

Flashlight in hand, wearing one of Eric's coats, Anne Marie

refuels the generator. Something catches her eye --

ANNE MARIE'S POV

In the distance, headlight beams jostle along the Haul Road.

BACK TO SCENE:

Anne Marie caps the diesel fuel can and stows it away.

ANNE MARIE:

(grinning)

It's about time...

She hurries back into the Turtle.

121 INT. THE TURTLE

Anne Marie brushes her hair and makes herself presentable.

122 EXT. THE TURTLE

The vehicle gets closer. It's the trappers' jeep. It slows

and parks on the Haul Road next to the Turtle.

123 INT. THE TURTLE

Anne Marie peers out the window. She gasps as she

recognizes the jeep. Ducking from sight below the window,

she grabs Eric's coat and hurries into the rear module.

124 EXT. THE TURTLE

Mitchell stays in the jeep. Viking Bob and LeMalle get out

and walk cautiously toward the Turtle.

LeMalle stands midway between the jeep and the Turtle,

cradling his carbine. Viking Bob goes up the steps.

125 INT. THE TURTLE - REAR MODULE

Anne Marie remembers something she should've taken with her:

the rifle. Too late. She hears Viking Bob's FOOTSTEPS (OS)

come up the wooden stairs outside.

126 EXT. THE TURTLE

Viking Bob knocks on the front door. He peers through the

sheer curtain on the window, into the front module.

VIKING BOB:

Hullo?

He shrugs to the others, then tries the door. It's

unlocked.

Mitchell gets out of the jeep, spits and follows the others

in, his hand close to the Colt Peacemaker strapped to his

leg.

127 INT. THE TURTLE

Anne Marie climbs out a window in the back. She closes it

behind her just as Viking Bob pokes his head in the rear

module.

The trappers snoop around, noticing that the coffee pot is

still warm, etc. The emptiness is ominous. LeMalle picks

up the big Remington bear rifle. He opens the breech to

determine if it's loaded, and sniffs the barrel to see if

(CONTINUED)

127 CONTINUED:

it's recently been fired. Viking Bob notices the damaged

radio.

VIKING BOB:

Somebody left in a big hurry.

(to LeMalle)

Check outside.

128 EXT. THE TURTLE

LeMalle goes outside and shines his flashlight around.

NEW ANGLE:

In the back, Anne Marie drags an evergreen tree branch

behind her to cover her tracks in the snow, then climbs into

the utility compartment where Wilder's body was stored.

A moment later, LeMalle comes around the corner. He notices

bear tracks and scat from the prior night's visit.

LEMALLE:

(calls out to others)

Grizzly sign. Looks fresh.

Viking Bob and Mitchell converge with LeMalle. They point

their flashlights around, spotting footprints and marks

going off into the woods.

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