Backdraft Page #7

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You scare me now.

Sean.

Listen, I, uh--

I blew it.

I forgot that I gotta work this morning.

So, um--

That's all right. We'll just do it again next Saturday.

- All right?

- Mom's crying.

The latest polls came in, Marty.

Marty?

Jesus Christ, Marty.

What's going on?

We have a city planners meeting in 15 minutes.

Marty.

You've gotta level with me, Marty.

Is there something about these deaths you're not telling me?

No.

- What's this?

- Just take it.

Rimgale's gonna wanna talk to Swayzak about this.

I'm sorry.

That's a dumb thing to say.

You're right.

Good-bye, Brian.

What the hell you do with this thing?

What do you mean? I drove it, Joe.

This is a copy of Swayzak's report that we know is bullshit;

but we could never argue with the numbers because they're airtight.

This file she gave you proves it's phoney.

I checked on the firm that recommended the cuts to Swayzak's task force.

They've done exactly one job, a manpower study.

I checked further and it's not even a company. No employees... nothing.

- Just a P.O. box.

- I wonder who wrote that report.

- Someone who knows how to work numbers.

- Exactly.

Like a bunch of dead financial wizards.

- Seagrave, Holcomb, Cosgrove--

- And Swayzak.

Why did he go through this trouble to cut firehouses?

When a firehouse closes, Swayzak converts it into a community center.

- That's sweet.

- Lakeside Dynamics, remember them?

They get all the expensive construction work.

I'm telling you, this is a total scam.

These guys were making a ton of money.

It's time we had a little talk with Mr. Swayzak. Let's go.

Mr. Swayzak?

Gas. Check in there.

[Hissing]

Aaah!

[Screaming]

Come on. Come on!

- Let's go. Come on!

- [Coughing]

- [Coughing]

- Hey, kid.

I think I've got a problem here.

Is it true that you were rescued by the fire department's arson team?

That's quite a bunch of guys, huh?

I'm so goddamn helpless here.

I can't do a f***ing thing.

[Sighs]

- What do you want me to do?

- I've been lying here thinkin'.

For hours... thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'.

We're close. We're close.

But we're not lookin' in the right place,

not in the right place.

So, you've come to pick Ronald's brains...

because nobody knows the animal like Ronald.

It must've looked like it was going to be...

a medium deal, didn't it, when your father bought it?

What?

Did you watch him when he made that ballsy jump and saved--

I didn't come to talk about my father.

I sent away for a copy of that "Life Magazine"...

with your picture on the cover.

It's a collectible.

- Who's doing this, Ronald?

- Wrong question.

Who isn't?

It isn't a spark, is it? Because there isn't enough damage...

and he wouldn't have had any fun.

It isn't an insurance pro because there isn't any profit.

- Who does that leave us with?

- What's his tool?

How does he do it? How does he talk to the fire?

- The outlets.

- No.

That's a probie. That's beneath you, Brian.

Trychtichlorate.

Very good. Very good.

You still haven't put it together?

- I have.

- Then who, Ronald?

You wanna know who?

I wanna know...

if this kid really wanted to be...

just like his dad.

Did he?

Okay.

I'm outta here.

All right! I wanted to be him, okay?

I wanted to be him more than anything.

You loved him.

Yeah.

You watched him dance with the animal. You saw your dad burn.

F*** you, Ronald! Who the hell's doin' this?

Did it look at you?

[Whispering] Did the fire look at you?

It did.

Ohhh.

Our worlds aren't that far apart, are they?

So...

whoever did this, really knows the animal well, don't they?

They know him real well but they won't let him loose.

They won't let him have fun so they don't love him.

Who doesn't love fire...

and is around trychtichlorate all day long?

Oh, my God!

That wasn't such a long walk after all, was it?

Oh, God.

Goddamn it, Stephen.

[Door Shutting]

Hey, what's goin' on?

I just came by to see how you were doing?

How am I doin'?

Well, I'm sellin' Dad's boat.

Guy comin' by in a few minutes to take a look at it.

What are you gonna do?

I mean, where you going?

I didn't say I was goin' anywhere.

Look, I gotta-- I gotta get back.

- There's somethin' I'm supposed to do.

- What?

What do you gotta do?

Look at you.

Look at your face! All the things you must be thinkin'.

You really hate my guts, don't you?

You know something, Brian? That's all right.

- Maybe we should talk abou--

- You don't like me...

because I was no genius in the way I raised you. Is that it?

Dad was gone! What was I supposed to do?

- You tell me.

- Forget it. It's okay.

I tried. I wanted so many things for you...

that I couldn't even hope for.

Because after that, I had no choices!

Well, I'm not your father.

You got somewhere to go, go.

People change, huh, Brian?

Sometimes right when you're lookin' at 'em.

What's going on with you?

I don't know.

Do you?

I gotta go.

[Remembering:
Roaring Fire]

[Screaming]

[Fire Bell]

[Dispatcher] Attention, all units responding.

This is gonna be a hazardous materials response at a chemical plant.

[Fire Bell]

- Stephen? Has Stephen gotten back yet?

- He just pulled up.

- Is it Adcox?

- How do you know?

I didn't until you came to the boat lookin' for those chemicals.

- Lookin' for me.

- What were they doing on the boat?

Axe gave 'em to me. They're cleaning sh*t.

- We gotta roll!

- I'll be there in a minute.

I gotta go to Rimgale with this.

- They're pullin' a box.

- I'll be there!

- Stephen!

- Wait! I'm his lieutenant.

I'll handle it.

Stephen?

Are you a part of this?

No.

You're sure?

That's the only thing I am sure of anymore.

Bull, we need you.

Jesus Christ!

Stephen!

Stephen!

Sh*t!

[Siren And Horn Blasts]

[Horn Blast]

[Pengelly] Get out of the way!

[Moaning]

- You all right?

- You all right, Peng?

- Everybody all right?

- You okay?

Yeah. Help me out.

Where's 17?

- I don't know.

- Sh*t!

Stephen!

- Where's 17?

- 17's on the roof.

[Captain] Mask up. We got a chemical fire.

[Indistinct]

[Chief] We're pullin' the plug.

Everybody off the roof, now!

[Stephen] Jesus Christ, Axe. You don't understand.

[Adcox] My cousin, Sally, used to work at Swayzak's office.

She saw the files. She saw what he did.

- You set me up with those chemicals?

- I'm tryin' to explain.

- Stephen.

- You back off!

- Axe.

- Somebody had to stop these pricks.

- Are you thinkin'? You burned people!

- You didn't see.

- You're a fireman.

- When Sally showed me Swayzak's files--

- I should've let you in on it.

- In on murder?

Those a**holes were closin' firehouses, gettin' our friends killed for money.

- I had to do it for the department!

- For Tim?

- That was an accident.

- Did you start that fire?

Why'd you have to go in there so f***ing early?

That's why you wanted me to wait.

- Let me finish Swayzak!

- No. It's over.

Your dad would puke if he saw how you sh*t on his department.

- What would he say about what you do?

- Your dad died...

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