Assassins Page #18

Rath is snapped from his reverie as real pigeons flap by

the window. Electra studies him.

ELECTRA:

Are you okay?

Rath gestures her over. He points to strategic spots

below as he talks.

RATH:

At ten o'clock tomorrow I'll enter

the bank. He'll be in the plaza

somewhere. In the crowd. When he

sees me go in, he'll move up here.

ELECTRA:

You're sure?

RATH:

(nods)

You'll be at the cafe. You'll see

him when he goes inside. We'll

have two-way mics so we can talk.

ELECTRA:

What do we do after he goes

inside?

RATH:

We wait.

Rath describes the rest not the way he planned it, but

the way he remembers it.

RATH:

It'll take all day, but he'll

begin to doubt himself. He'll

start to think he missed me.

He'll have to see with his own

eyes whether I'm still in the

bank. It'll be sunset, closing

time. He'll have to leave the

rifle here when he goes to the

bank. There are metal detectors

at the door. When he's out of

sight, you'll come in here and

take the rifle.

Electra looks back at the bank.

ELECTRA:

What if he tries to shoot you

before you go into the bank?

Rath speaks like it was all written in stone.

RATH:

He'll wait for the prime shot.

When I come out.

ELECTRA:

How can you be so sure?

RATH:

Because he likes history...

(a beat)

Fifteen years ago I was at this

same window.

ELECTRA:

Fifteen years...

And as they stand side by side, suddenly everything is

clear to Electra.

ELECTRA:

Oh my God.

Rath finally looks at her.

ELECTRA:

Your friend Nicolai. You said he

was taken.

Rath nods.

ELECTRA:

(a whisper)

You killed him...

Rath doesn't answer. And suddenly Electra is scared

again. She looks at him a beat longer then does the only

thing she can to protect herself: she puts on her

sunglasses.

We MOVE IN ON the lenses, see Rath reflected in them.

EXT. NEW HOTEL - MAGIC HOUR

The cab pulls away.

INT. NEW HOTEL - LOBBY - NIGHT

Rath and Electra walk through an archway and start

upstairs. In front of them walks a newlywed couple --

kissing and giggling -- very much in love -- Rath pays

no attention while Electra can't take her eyes off them.

INT. NEW HOTEL HALLWAY - NIGHT

They reach a landing. To make things worse, they have

adjoining rooms. Rath opens their door, enters. Electra

lingers, watches the other couple as he fumbles for his

keys. Watches as she runs her hand over him. He finally

gets the door open. He pushes her inside.

INT. NEW HOTEL - ROOM - NIGHT

Electra listens to the sounds coming from the other side

of the wall. LAUGHTER quickly turning into PASSION.

ELECTRA:

(sarcastic)

You should check them out. Maybe

they're Interpol.

RATH:

(in no mood)

Not even professionals could pull

that act off.

As the sounds become MORE MUFFLED, Electra grabs a glass,

holds it to the wall. Rath watches with distaste.

RATH:

You're a voyeur.

Electra looks at him, hears the disgust in his words.

But she has some in her own.

ELECTRA:

There are worse things.

Rath looks away. There are. Electra is possessed of

knowledge she can't understand, let alone forget.

RATH:

Look, Nicolai and me... It's none

of your business.

ELECTRA:

(fierce)

It is my business. I'm with you!

Rath isn't going to say anymore. Electra turns back to

the wall as the sounds of PASSION BUILD.

ELECTRA:

(a beat)

I can't trust you. You can't

trust me. How can we possibly

help each other -

RATH:

I trust you.

ELECTRA:

Why? Why do you trust me?

He doesn't have an answer. She picks up Pearl, walks

into the bathroom. As the door locks behind her.

EXT. PLAZA COLON

Almost deserted, a different story after sundown. As the

last fruit VENDOR shuts up his cart.

BAIN (O.S.)

Un momento. Por favor.

The Vendor sighs, waits as Bain, carrying a nylon bag,

steps over. He nods politely, scans the fruit, picks out

two apricots. He hands the Vendor a twenty, walks on

without waiting for his change.

VENDOR:

Gracias, Senor.

MOVE WITH Bain as he strolls across the plaza. Biting

into the apricot, savoring the taste, he looks at the

bank, at the big iron gates barring the front entrance,

but also at the modern metal detectors just beyond.

Taking another bite, he turns, scans the opposite side.

The Hotel Paraiso is even gloomier than the first time

we saw it. By instinct, Bain settles on the same window

that Rath did.

He walks to the bank entrance, imagines the sight line

back to the hotel. Doing his homework.

Finishing the first apricot, Bain sets the second on a

column ledge just to the right of the entrance.

Bain crosses the plaza to the hotel. Pulling free a

.24 nailed to the entrance, he steps inside.

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