Blade Runner Page #17

Rachael looks stoned on the horror of the killing.

DECKARD:

There's only one thing that works

on cuts and bruises and long nights.

She looks at him blankly.

CUT TO:

EXT. KIOSK - MOMENTS LATER

It's a grimy little tienda with a counter right on the

sidewalk and shelves crammed with dusty bottles,

bright packs of cigarettes, old magazines and assorted

junk. The SALESLADY wears an eyepatch and a sharp look

in her good eye.

Deckard and Rachael are facing her.

DECKARD:

Tsing Tao.

The Saleslady tries to hand Deckard a half pint but he

shakes his head and points and she produces a fifth.

Deckard is paying when he feels a tap on his shoulder.

He turns and sees Gaff leering at him.

Not what Deckard expected or wanted. His eyes flicker

a warning in Rachael's direction.

Rachael is standing in the flow of pedestrians, Asians,

Mexicans and Indians. She has already seen Gaff and

she gets the message in Deckard's eyes and allows her-

self to drift away, part of the stream of humanity

moving down the sidewalk.

But Gaff's sharp eyes have picked up Deckard's look

and he glances.

What Gaff sees is the back of a woman's head in the

crowd.

Gaff looks back at Deckard and makes a head movement

indicating the vehicle at the curb.

It's a spinner and Bryant is grinning at the window,

chewing on a heater.

BRYANT:

Christ, Deckard, ya look almost as

bad as that tit job ya left under

the bus. Almost.

Deckard walks over to the spinner.

Gaff is looking down the street, trying to make out the

Caucasian woman disappearing in the crowd.

DECKARD:

You get the call on the big one?

BRYANT:

Bet your ass. Two in one night,

you're the same old shitstorm,

aren't ya?

(to Gaff)

You could learn from this guy,

Gaff. A goddamn one-man slaughter

squad, that's what he is, a real

shitstorm.

Gaff has to smile and nod politely, that's his job.

Deckard has followed Bryant's beady gaze to the obvious

bottle he's holding in the paper bag.

DECKARD:

I'm going home.

BRYANT:

Home! A killer like you! I

figured you'd be up all night

slaughtering phonies. Four to

go, thought you'd just leave

'em dead in the alleys for us

to pick up. Haw! Haw! Come on,

Gaff.

DECKARD:

Three. There's three to go.

BRYANT:

Huh?

DECKARD:

There's three left.

BRYANT:

Four. That tit job you vee kayed

at the Tyrell Corp... disappeared.

She didn't even know she was skin

till you put the machine on her.

Some kinda brain plant, says Tyrell.

Deckard has already noticed that Gaff is looking down

the street in the direction Rachael went.

Gaff feels Deckard's eyes, turns and leers cheerfully

at Deckard. Deckard meets the look... an ominous

exchange.

BRYANT:

Come on, Gaff.

(to Deckard)

Drink a couple for me, pal.

CUT TO:

INT. DECKARD'S KITCHEN - NIGHT

Deckard is about to swig some Tsing Tao for Bryant.

He puts the glass to his lip and the lip, caked with

dry blood and swollen, splits again and blood gushes

into the clear liquid in the glass.

Deckard stares at the bloodstained drink ruefully, then

takes a thirsty gulp and licks his bleeding lip.

The ice in Rachael's glass is RATTLING. She's standing

only a few feet away, half eaten by shadows, her eyes

blank with shock.

The reason the ice is rattling is because her hand is

shaking.

You can hear the CLOCK TICKING in the living room.

DECKARD:

Me too.

Rachael frowns and looks at him. What ?

DECKARD:

I get 'em bad. It's part of the

business.

Deckard holds out his hands. They're shaking.

Rachael gives Deckard a long hard look.

RACHAEL:

I'm not in the business.

Deckard meets her look, understands he cannot comfort

her so easy, she will not be one of the boys with him.

RACHAEL:

I am the business.

She is grim and angry and shaking.

You can hear the clock TICKING.

CUT TO:

INT. DECKARD'S BATHROOM - NIGHT

SPLASH. Deckard sticks his head in the sink full of

water and the water turns crimson.

He lifts his face out of the water, dripping and gropes

for a towel, wipes water blindly from his face.

INT. DECKARD'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Rachael is in the foreground shadows, a drink in her hand.

She's watching Deckard who is washing his face in the

bathroom,framed by the open door. You get the

Deckard in the background, goes on drying. He's naked

except for a towel around his waist.

Rachael takes a drink. Her face is enigmatic. She's

watching.

Deckard is unaware of her eyes on the back of his neck.

She's looking at the ripple of muscle around his

shoulders.

CUT TO:

INT. DECKARD'S BATHROOM A FEW MINUTES LATER

Deckard is standing in front of the mirror. He's

staunched the bleeding lip and now he's studying it.

The rustle of silk.

Rachael appears in the doorway of the bathroom, drink

in hand.

Deckard doesn't acknowledge her presence.

There is a long silence. She sees the muscle ripple in

his naked back. Hard body. Scars of old wounds.

RACHAEL:

What if I go North...

disappeared ?

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