Cliffhanger Page #4

HAL:

Take the Bronco to where you're going.

I've already been. Then go back to

wherever it is you like to hide. And

stay there.

Hal heads back into the office -- Gabe heads for the Bronco.

CUT TO:

EXT. DENVER MINT - HIGH ANGLE - DAY

The Southwest regional center for printing and distributing

currency. Hundreds of troops stand guard over the impressive

U.S. Treasury complex.

INT. TREASURY COMPOUND - A HUGE PRINTING PRESS

is at work -- the ROAR of its parts is deafening as it stamps

out a plate design on huge sheets of paper -- we move in on

THE PAPER:

which is moved by mechanical arm to a SLICER that razors the

bills apart -- it's moving too fast for us to see the

denomination -- the cut bills are separated by --

FOUR SEPARATION CHUTES

that fire the bills down to a mechanical COUNTER that

serializes, counts, bands and stacks them faster than any

human could -- a HAND reaches to pick up a band --

THE BILLS:

are something a banker could work a lifetime without seeing,

but are real nonetheless -- $5,000 bills, banded here in

hundreds. The band is put back in the growing stack by

RICHARD TRAVERS:

mid-thirties, a tough, imposing Treasury agent -- he regards

the fortune piling up in front of him with only cold,

professional interest. Travers is flanked by a trio of equally

tough TREASURY AGENTS -- he turns to flunky DAVIS (20s). It's

clear who's in charge of protecting the money here, and who's

in charge of counting it.

TRAVERS:

Tell Wright the San Francisco shipment

is ready.

DAVID:

(phone already out)

Right away, Mr. Travers.

As Davis dials we move to --

THE OFFICE:

of WALTER WRIGHT (50s), comptroller of currency -- his

demeanor suggests he's in control, and used to keeping it that

way.

WRIGHT:

(into phone)

Good -- good. I'll be right down.

As Wright gets up from his desk, though, we hear in the outer

office --

SECRETARY (O.S.)

You can't go in there --

MATHESON (O.S.)

Watch me.

KURT MATHESON (30s) bursts into the office, trailed by

Wright's flustered SECRETARY.

MATHESON:

Walter Wright?

(flashes badge)

Matheson. FBI. We need to talk.

PRINTING COMPOUND - THE MONEY

has now been packed into a trio of metal briefcases -- ten

thousand $5,000 bills. Travers shuts the cases in turn, and

locks each with an electronic key card, triggering a FLASHING

RED LIGHT on the locks as he does. A uniformed PILOT shows up

behind Travers as he cuffs the cases to the hands of the three

other agents.

PILOT:

We'll be fueled and ready in ten

minutes, Mr. Travers.

TRAVERS:

(an order)

Be ready in five.

MATHESON (O.S.)

Go ahead and take ten. We'll need the

time.

Travers looks up at Matheson, who has just arrived with

Wright. Travers is instantly furious at the challenge to his

authority.

MATHESON:

(flashes badge)

Matheson. FBI.

TRAVERS:

(looking down at it)

Your parents must be proud.

(to Wright)

What the f*** is this about?

WRIGHT:

Small problem with the shipment,

Travers.

(to Matheson)

Tell him what you just told me.

Matheson draws out a file and hands it to Travers.

MATHESON:

We got word that somebody's been

observing your currency shipments --

this load, the $5,000s -- over the

last three deliveries.

TRAVERS:

(laughs)

There isn't a hell of a lot anyone can

do but observe.

(beat)

This is the most protected shipment

we've got -- and the most useless for

a thief. Those bills aren't in

circulation. You think five thousand

dollar bills are easy to pass? Who the

f*** would try?

Matheson hands Travers a folder.

MATHESON:

This guy might.

We look over Travers' shoulder at the photos, which are all

blurry, all blown up from different surveillance pictures --

and all of them show ERIC QUALEN.

TRAVERS:

Who is he?

MATHERS:

(patient)

His name's Eric Qualen. One of the

East German spies who got shut out by

the reunification. The CIA issued an

inter-agency warning about him right

after the wall came down. He's got

nowhere to go and nothing to lose.

He's also got the international

connections to get rid of bills like

these -- and he's probably desperate

enough to try for them. Fifty million

bucks buys a lot of sanctuary.

TRAVERS:

Could you get to the part where I'm

supposed to care?

MATHESON:

(shows him more photos)

We had two agents monitoring him.

These two -- Gleason and Quinones.

Their last report said he was going to

try to take this shipment.

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