Arctic Blue Page #20

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CORBETT:

At least your girl had the sense

to jump ship. Too bad she's the

only one small enough to fit

through that dumb waiter.

179 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - FOLLOW ANNE MARIE

Using the cover of the snowfall, Anne Marie circles around

the outside edge of town toward Wilder's cabin. She takes

some of her photo gear from the snowmobile.

180 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI

Unaware of Anne Marie's maneuver, the trappers wait for a

response from Corbett. None comes. Viking Bob places a

calming hand on LeMalle's shoulder.

VIKING BOB:

Just wait, we don't know what

this guy's up to. Ben'll let us

know what to do.

181 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - ANTENNA TOWER

With a camera bag slung over her shoulder, Anne Marie climbs

up the metal antenna tower behind Neff's house on the edge

of town. She grits her teeth and fights back a wave of

vertigo. The ground disappears from sight, hidden by the

snow and fog.

Fifty feet up, she attaches her infrared video camera to the

tower crossbars and, using a length of coaxial cable, hooks

its RF output to the feedline of the community TV antenna.

182 INT. RENTAL CABIN

Eric looks at his watch. 10:55 AM.

183 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI

A CRACKING twig behind the cabins gets the trappers'

attention. Clutching his rifle, LeMalle goes to

investigate.

WITH LEMALLE:

as he probes through the snow, listening. He reaches the

edge of the woods and, finding nothing, returns to the

others.

NEW ANGLE:

Anne Marie crouches behind a tree, twenty feet behind

LeMalle. After a moment, she tiptoes back toward the rental

cabin.

184 INT. RENTAL CABIN

Eric and Corbett turn as Anne Marie's camera bag suddenly

drops from the dumb waiter shaft. Anne Marie wriggles back

inside. Before Eric can say anything, she puts her fingers

over his mouth. She turns on the TV set and tunes it to

channel 3.

ANGLE ON TV:

A fuzzy IMAGE comes into view. It's Devil's Cauldron from

the vantage of Anne Marie's infrared video camera. The

falling snow shows up as a translucent yellow wash over the

scene. Buildings are distinguishable as bluish silhouettes.

Heat-producing objects -- warm walls, chimney smoke, etc. --

are pink and red. And there are three clearly-definable

human figures standing near the Maqi. The trappers.

BACK TO SCENE:

Corbett is amazed. Eric smiles at Anne Marie.

(CONTINUED)

184 CONTINUED:

ERIC:

Your infrared camera?

ANNE MARIE:

(nods)

Technology in the wilderness.

Only problem is talking to you on

your way to the landing strip.

ERIC:

I've got an idea. We'll have to

work fast.

He digs through Anne Marie's bag of equipment and supplies,

then stops and looks up. Outside, there is an OS SOUND that

is felt before it is HEARD. The cargo PLANE approaches in

the distance.

185 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR MAQI

The trappers look at each other as the SOUND of the plane

grows louder.

VIKING BOB:

There's what they're waiting on!

MITCHELL:

(smiles tightly)

They'll have to come right past

us.

186 EXT. RENTAL CABIN

Eric quietly pulls the door open. Holding the pistol to

Corbett's head, he pushes Corbett out in front of him.

Anne Marie and Eric exchange a long look. Fighting back

tears, she reaches up and touches his face.

ERIC:

When you ran off, I thought you'd

keep going 'til you were back

home in Washington.

ANNE MARIE:

My home is here. With you.

He smiles. Then he and Corbett are gone, lost from sight in

the snowfall. After a beat, Anne Marie takes a deep breath

and slinks away in the other direction, toward the dance

hall.

(CONTINUED)

186 CONTINUED:

ANGLE NEAR THE MAQI

The trappers wait, twenty-five feet from Eric and Corbett.

The DRONE of the plane grows louder.

ERIC AND CORBETT

start toward the airstrip. Corbett sees a patch of bare

dirt and SCUFFS his feet in it.

ANGLE NEAR MAQI:

The trappers turn to the SOUND, heard under the RUMBLE of

the still-distant plane. Converging, they head in that

direction. Suddenly, Anne Marie's VOICE booms through the

town:

ANNE MARIE (OS)

(over PA)

They're moving toward you!

WIDER:

Eric SHOOTS a couple times, then backtracks and pulls

Corbett behind one of the rental cabins.

Ducking the bullets, the trappers sprawl onto the ground.

187 INT. DANCE HALL

Anne Marie has turned on the rusty TV near the pulpit.

While watching the infrared IMAGE of the action outside, she

holds the microphone wired to the old PA.

ANGLE - THE TRAPPERS

Viking Bob gestures to Mitchell and LeMalle to separate.

ANNE MARIE (OS)

(over PA)

They're fanning out.

Angry, LeMalle BLASTS his rifle in direction of her VOICE.

LEMALLE:

(to Viking Bob)

Kenai's PA -- but how the f***

she seein' us?

VIKING BOB:

Doesn't matter. We know where

they're going. C'mon.

Stalking, anxious, LeMalle follows Viking Bob.

(CONTINUED)

187 CONTINUED:

MITCHELL:

splits off from them and looks for footprints in the snow.

188 EXT. ALLEY

Eric pushes Corbett through a narrow pass between two

buildings in the center of town. He walks in Corbett's

footprints. Almost through to the other side, he suddenly

stops. Pulling Corbett with him, Eric walks backwards,

still carefully placing each foot in an existing footprINT.

Corbett can't help but smile.

189 INT. DANCE HALL

Watching the TV screen, Anne Marie sees one of the red blips

change direction and head toward her.

ANNE MARIE:

(into mic)

One is moving back toward the

cabins.

190 EXT. DANCE HALL

It's LeMalle. He crosses to Kenai's generator. With a

well-placed rifle SHOT to its innards, he GRINDS it to a

halt.

191 INT. DANCE HALL

The TV PICTURE disappears as the power dies. Anne Marie

keys the PA microphone; it's dead, too.

192 EXT. ALLEY

Eric and Corbett emerge from between the buildings. Eric

backtracks toward the hot springs spa, now leaving an

obvious trail.

193 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA

Eric and Corbett go inside. Eric pulls the door closed

behind them, but leaves it ajar.

194 INT. KENAI'S HOUSE

The DRONE of the approaching plane is ever louder. Kenai

stands and pulls on a succession of sweaters. Dixie looks

at him.

DIXIE:

Earl, it's crazy to go out there.

(CONTINUED)

194 CONTINUED:

KENAI:

I hear someone in the spa.

He straps on a holster under his sealskin coat.

195 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - AIRSTRIP - LONG SHOT

The big 4-prop plane is about to touch down on the far side

of the snow-covered airstrip.

196 INT. DANCE HALL

Anne Marie zips up her parka and cautiously goes outside.

197 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA

LeMalle follows the footprints to the door Eric left ajar.

He peers inside.

198 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA

It's tomb-quiet except for water DRIPPING and pipes

CREAKING. LeMalle looks around. The sound of a small DING

against metal above him gets his attention.

He sees a fleeting shadow cut across the catwalk above him.

He finds a metal ladder, slings his rifle over his shoulder

and climbs up. Hearing another SOUND on the far side of the

catwalk, he hurries across, holding onto the pipes for

balance.

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