Assassins Page #4

We see Rath move into position across the grave from

Branch. Rath removes a piece of white tape from his cast,

exposes a barrel opening.

The Priest raises his hands, all heads bow. Branch's.

Rath's -- though his eyes stay on his mark.

PRIEST:

I am the resurrection and the life,

saith the Lord.

As the Priest continues, Rath twists his body slightly,

taking aim with the .22 which must be inside the cast.

He's got a clean shot at the back of Branch's head.

PRIEST:

... shall not die, but have

everlasting life.

Rath's about to squeeze the trigger...

PRIEST:

Amen...

Water pelts as sprinklers surge to life on all sides of

the service area. Bad timing. Or is it? All heads turn.

Several people move to get away from the spray.

EXT. GRAVESTONE - DAY

It is Bain sighting along the barrel of his silenced

rifle.

TELESCOPIC POV OF BRANCH

in his wheelchair. TIGHT ON a spot above his heart.

BACK TO GRAVESITE

Rath spins back to look toward Branch. The old man's

head is still bowed in prayer. Or is it. Crimson

spreads out across his white shirt. He's been shot

through the heart. As one of the Bodyguards realizes...

BODYGUARD:

He's been shot!

The crowd panics -- people running everywhere. Rath

spots a young caretaker. Wearing coveralls. Nonchalantly

heading off beyond a mausoleum, wheeling a trash can full

of leaves. It's Bain.

Rath turns his body to aim. In all the confusion, no

one notices a .22 shell.

BAIN:

Reacts as a BULLET drills the trash can. Pulling a

sniper's rifle from the can, he runs, dives as another

BULLET RICOCHETS off the tombstone just in front of him.

BODYGUARDS:

All this has attracted their attention. Drawing guns,

they charge after Bain. He comes up FIRING silently.

The Bodyguards go down. But now police are on the way.

BAIN:

Stands and tries to run. Again, he's pinned down as TWO

BULLETS blossom granite around him. He scans the crowd,

has no idea who's shooting at him.

CEMETERY:

And a small army of POLICEMEN are advancing, service

revolvers everywhere.

POLICEMAN:

Drop it! Now!

Bain makes one last attempt to move. A BULLET nearly

takes off his ear. Making a strategic decision, he

tosses out his rifle and waits for the cops. In an

instant, they've surrounded him. They pin him to the

ground -- find his .22 pistol and handcuff him.

RATH:

He sidesteps for a clear shot; Police are everywhere.

RATH:

Move, you sonuvabitch. Give me a

line. Goddamnit, get out of the

way.

Cursing again under his breath, he won't take the chance

of hitting a cop.

BAIN:

As they hustle him along, he ducks and weaves, perfectly

aware of how to take advantage of his human shield. For

an instant, he sees a man. Fifty yards away.

Silhouetted by the low sun. Watching. Bain squints

against the light, can't make him out, but knows it's

Rath. He ducks.

CEMETERY:

Far ahead Rath sees Bain being frisked against a police

cruiser. The cops handcuff him, shove him in the back.

His rifle goes in the front.

In a moment the cruiser rolls out, led by a second.

Rath hurries across the cemetery, headed for...

EXT. CEMETERY - UPPER ROADWAY

Rath climbs into his rent-a-car. He releases two Velcro

strips and the cast neatly separates -- revealing his

silenced .22 held comfortably in his hand. He slaps in

a new clip and ROARS forward.

EXT. INTERSECTION - LATE DAY

Rath eyeballs the street. Crowded with people and cars.

The police cruisers are gone.

INT. RENT-A-CAR - MOVING - LATE DAY

Rath continues, reaches under the seat for a portable

police band RADIO. He switches it ON. Garbage until:

COP #1 (V.O.)

This is twenty-three. Proceeding

to 7th with suspect in custody. Over.

As the DISPATCHER ROGERS they got the message, Rath

spins the wheel, hangs a right to try and catch up.

EXT. STREET - LATE DAY

Two police cars race by. Bain is in the back seat of

the second one.

INT. POLICE CRUISER - STREETS - LATE DAY

Bain sits in the back seat. Handcuffed. Separated from

the two cops up front by a steel mesh screen. The

sniper's rifle is in the front seat.

The second cruiser is up ahead, leading the way. As

city blocks whizz past, Bain stares back over his

shoulder. The street is empty behind them.

Bain stares ahead. Silent. Behind his back, he grips his

left hand with his right thumb. Slowly, he pulls his left

thumb out of its socket. The digit folds unnaturally into

his palm, as Bain slides the cuff over his hand.

INT. RENT-A-CAR - LATE DAY

Rath turns onto Victoria. No police cruiser in sight.

Rath turns west, GUNS it.

INT. POLICE CRUISER - STREETS - LATE DAY

Speeding along. COP #1 looks back at Bain who stares

out the side window.

As Cop #1 looks ahead -- BOOM! Bain rears back with both

feet and kicks out the side window.

Before either Cop can even react, Bain reaches through

the rear side window and through the driver's side

window. As he wrenches back on Cop #2's neck...

EXT. STREET - LATE DAY

The CRUISER SKIDS out of control. It slams into a row of

parked cars, straightens for an instant before it cart-

wheels end over end, lands on its roof.

The second cruiser starts to break as they realize

what's happened behind them.

A silent moment before Bain pulls himself out the side

window of the wreck. He has blood trickling from his

hairline.

Bain reaches into the cruiser for his rifle. Cops #1 and

#2 hang upside-down in their seats. Cop #2's neck is

twisted -- broken. Groggy, Cop #1 is still alive.

Bain lies flat on his stomach, aims back through the

window at Cruiser Two which has turned and is speeding

back the other way.

Rate this script:2.5 / 2 votes