Arctic Blue Page #21

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LeMalle is directly above the huge central pool. He ducks

to go under a long piece of twine running from the ceiling

to a dark corner below. Suddenly, the twine snaps tight,

pulling open a heavy trap door on the ceiling. The door

swings down and knocks LeMalle off the catwalk. With a

yelp, he splashes into the water below.

NEW ANGLE:

Hidden in the shadows, Eric drops the end of the twine and

rushes toward the front door with Corbett in tow.

ERIC:

(to Corbett)

That'll keep him out of the cold.

LEMALLE:

climbs out of the central pool, soaked. He pulls his wet

jacket off and furiously throws it down.

199 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA

Eric leads Corbett around the back of the spa. A GUNSHOT

rings out nearby and a BULLET hits the wall above Eric's

head.

MITCHELL:

has seen their faint silhouettes through the snow. He

purposely SHOOTS over their heads so he doesn't hit Corbett.

ANGLE BEHIND HOT SPRINGS SPA

Eric and Corbett crouch down and double back. They are

once again swallowed up by the snowfall.

200 EXT. ALLEY

Viking Bob follows their footprints in between the

buildings. He continues to a point where they converge to

one set, then stop. He smiles at the naivete of Eric's

ploy. Looking at the boardwalk railing above, he assumes

Eric and Corbett have swung over it onto the iced-over

boardwalk. Pleased with his deduction, Viking Bob continues

along the alley.

SNAP! Viking Bob lets out a horrible HOWL and falls on his

back in the snow. Biting into his right calf is a huge

conibear leg trap. In extreme pain, he struggles to lever

it open with the barrel of his rifle.

201 EXT. KENAI'S GENERAL STORE

Corbett shoots Eric a dangerous look as Viking Bob's CRIES

carry though the town.

ERIC:

He'll live.

202 EXT. ALLEY

Hearing Viking Bob's cries, Mitchell backtracks and rushes

to Viking Bob's aid. Between them, they manage to yawn open

the jaws of the trap and free Viking Bob's leg. Viking Bob

tries to walk but the leg won't support him -- the bone is

broken. Bitterly frustrated, he waves Mitchell on. In

agony, Viking Bob eases down in the snow. He tears a strip

of lining from his coat and wraps his leg to stop the

bleeding.

203 EXT. HOT SPRINGS SPA

Anne Marie scurries by on her way to the airstrip.

Suddenly, the hot springs door bursts open and LeMalle

lunges at her. Stripped of his wet clothes, he's wrapped

(CONTINUED)

203 CONTINUED:

in blankets and furs, his feet protected by sacks lashed to

them. His wet body and hair steams in the frigid air.

Anne Marie lets out a startled cry and springs away from

him. She falls hard on her back, knocking her wind out.

Scrambling for footing in the snow, LeMalle drops his rifle.

He comes at her again. Anne Marie moves away and pulls the

.44 magnum out. LeMalle stops and glares at her.

ANNE MARIE:

(gasping)

Don't make me shoot.

She gets up, keeping the magnum pointed shakily toward him.

LeMalle glowers menacingly.

ANNE MARIE:

(continuing)

We're going to Sam's cabin. You

can stay in the jail until this

is over.

LeMalle slowly crouches down for his rifle. Anne Marie

wields the handgun at him, but he doesn't stop.

LEMALLE:

Want to chance it with that

hog-leg? You can't even hold it

up. Better drop me first shot,

b*tch, or I'll rip your f***in'

lungs out.

Taunting, sneering, LeMalle stares her down. Anne Marie is

paralyzed. Feeling that he's won, LeMalle wraps his bony

fingers around the stock of the Remington.

Anne Marie closes her eyes and FIRES. Pulling the rifle

close, LeMalle tucks and rolls and jumps to his feet. Anne

Marie FIRES again, and AGAIN. Shot, LeMalle hobbles away,

leaving a trail of blood in the snow. Numb, Anne Marie lets

her arm fall.

204 EXT. BOARDWALK NEAR WILDER'S CABIN

Eric looks around at the sound of the shooting, fearing the

worst. He pulls Corbett off the boardwalk and they cut

across open ground toward the airstrip depot.

205 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA

Kenai looks around at the messy RESULTS of LeMalle's

ransacking for things to wear. Kenai turns, startled, when

he hears footsteps. It's Neff and Meyerling.

(CONTINUED)

205 CONTINUED:

KENAI:

(disgusted)

Lookit this damn mess. Where in

hell's Wilder?

NEFF:

(after a beat)

Dead. Trappers killed him.

KENAI:

Aw, Jesus. Told you this was

trouble.

(to Meyerling)

What about you, big shot? Do

something. Who's side are you

on, anyway?

MEYERLING:

Hey, I thought you people loved

Corbett and his wild men!

KENAI:

This shoot-'em-up sh*t is bad for

business. I'm sick of it.

MEYERLING:

What about you, Neff?

NEFF:

Well... two of the trappers are

down already --

MEYERLING:

(suddenly on the bandwagon)

-- One left; three of us. Let's

finish it.

NEFF:

What about Eric Desmond?

MEYERLING:

I'll handle him.

206 EXT. YARDS BEHIND AIRSTRIP DEPOT

Through the snow, Eric can see the faint outline of the

plane on the runway. He and Corbett hurry toward the back

of the airstrip depot.

As they wend their way through the junk-filled yards, Eric

catches a glimpse of movement around a corner, REFLECTED in

a pane of glass leaning against a roll of tar paper.

(CONTINUED)

206 CONTINUED:

ERIC'S POV - REFLECTION

Peacemaker in hand, Mitchell is behind the depot, coming

right for them.

WIDER:

Eric takes out the homemade flashbomb. He lights it, tosses

it toward Mitchell and covers his eyes. It EXPLODES with a

muffled pop and a bright flash of white light.

Mitchell stumbles backwards and blinks his eyes. The flash

has temporarily clouded his vision.

Eric moves Corbett to another approach to the depot and

waits for Mitchell to move on.

207 EXT. REAR WALL OF AIRSTRIP DEPOT

Mitchell is about to do just that when a hand on his

shoulder stops him. It's LeMalle, oblivious to the profuse

bleeding from his right shoulder. Mitchell blinks, still

having trouble seeing. LeMalle gestures for him to be quiet

and points in Eric and Corbett's direction.

LEMALLE:

(whispers)

Over there...

He hoists his Remington.

MITCHELL:

(whispers)

Hold it. You might hit Ben.

LEMALLE:

Bullshit. I hit what I'm aiming

at.

MITCHELL:

Let 'em come closer first...

But LeMalle is too anxious. He swings the rifle up,

left-handed, and SHOOTS.

NEW ANGLE:

The bullet just misses Eric. He panics and wildly returns

FIRE with the .357.

208 EXT. REAR WALL OF AIRSTRIP DEPOT

Mitchell and LeMalle scatter under the hail of bullets.

(CONTINUED)

208 CONTINUED:

ANGLE ON ERIC AND CORBETT

as they HEAR LeMalle's labored footsteps run past them,

nearby. Eric peers cautiously around the corner toward the

depot. There is no further movement.

Eric waits a moment, then leads Corbett cautiously toward

the depot.

209 EXT. REAR WALL OF AIRSTRIP DEPOT

Reaching the rear wall, they practically stumble over

something. It's Mitchell, lying on the ground near the

wall, badly wounded by Eric's barrage. Eric gasps.

Anguished, Corbett kneels next to Mitchell. Mitchell pulls

him closer.

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