Cliffhanger Page #7

TRAVERS:

So what. He'll sift though a plane

that went down in a storm --

(gestures to bodies)

-- find enough pulverized bone for six

men heroically killed in the line of

duty --

(finds three suitcases)

-- and just enough of the right kind

of ash.

Travers opens one of the cases, which is identical to the

others -- except that it's full of one dollar bills. He's

thought of everything.

TRAVERS:

We get twenty-one gun funerals and

they write off fifty million. It's

perfect, as long as you hold the plane

steady -- so concentrate.

Travers moves back into the cabin.

INSIDE QUALEN'S JET

We can now see four other passengers. All are fit and armed --

HELDON and RYAN are seated, while KYNETTE and DELMER, ready to

help with the transfer, are on the opposite side of the door

from a very impatient Qualen.

QUALEN:

(into radio)

Travers -- hurry it up.

INSIDE TREASURY JET

Travers, now in a harness like the one seen earlier -- uncuffs

the money cases from the agents.

TRAVERS:

(into radio)

On my way.

Travers steps back into the cockpit and flips a toggle switch

over and LED --

THE LED:

starts counting down from 2:00 -- 1:59 -- 1:58 --

IN THE COCKPIT:

Even in the last minute, the storm's gotten worse -- the plane

is flying right into the blackest center of it. The pilot

looks more panicked than ever.

TRAVERS:

That charge is going to blow both

engines -- the plane'll go down like a

rock, so clip yourself on to the end

of the cable with the money as soon as

I get over.

(an afterthought)

And make sure you bring the right

cases.

Travers heads back into the cabin and hooks his harness to the

cable between the planes.

TRAVERS:

(into the headset)

Dip the plane. I'm coming over.

THE JETS - LONG SHOT

Qualen's jet dips down so there's a sharp incline -- Travers

starts the slide down, zipping in seconds across into

QUALEN'S JET

where he's pulled in and unclipped by Qualen.

QUALEN:

(shouting over the wind)

Why didn't you send the money over?

TRAVERS:

(shouting too)

Somehow, I didn't think you'd have

waited for me if I'd sent it first.

Qualen smiles in reply. No. Maybe he wouldn't.

IN THE TREASURY PLANE COCKPIT

The pilot locks the controls and rushes back to the cabin.

THE LED:

counts down -- 0:38 -- 0:37 -- 0:38 --

IN THE TREASURY PLANE CABIN

The pilot gathers the cases and uses their cuffs to attach

them to the cable -- but as he steps past the bodies of --

THE AGENTS:

Matheson's eyes open -- he's not dead yet.

IN THE CABIN:

The pilot clicks the last of the three cases onto the cable

and is about to put his harness on -- but behind him, Matheson

shakily crawls to his feet, draws his gun, and SHOOTS the

pilot in the back twice.

THE PILOT:

drops out of the plane, flailing -- if he's screaming, we

can't hear it over the HOWLING of the storm --

IN QUALEN'S JET

Qualen and Travers are watching the whole plan unravel --

TRAVERS:

(shouting to cockpit)

Get underneath the jet! The cases will

slide over!

THE JETS - LONG SHOT

Qualen's jet sharply dips down and the cases start to slide

over -- but at the same time --

INSIDE THE TREASURY JET

Matheson, groggy, holds onto the doorway and FIRES a full clip

from his automatic at Qualen's jet -- and

THE LED:

counts down -- 0:02 -- 0:01 -- 0:00 -- and

THE TREASURY JET'S ENGINES

are destroyed as the charge DETONATES --

THE JETS - LONG SHOT

As promised, the Treasury jet is now plummetting as if it had

no wings at all, levelling the angle between the planes -- the

cases dangle precariously on the wire --

INSIDE QUALEN'S JET

TRAVERS:

(shouting)

Lower! Get underneath it!

INSIDE TREASURY JET

Matheson struggles to the cockpit and gets behind the controls

-- as if that's going to do any good --

THE JETS - LONG SHOT

Qualen's jet is deliberately racing the disabled Treasury jet

down, but it's hopeless -- there's no way to get underneath

the falling jet long enough for the cases to slide over.

INSIDE QUALEN'S JET - KRISTEL

isn't quite panicked. Yet.

KRISTEL:

It's dragging us down! Disconnect the

cable!

INT. QUALEN'S JET - CABIN

Heldon and Ryan try to do just that, but the cable is

taut -- there's no way to loosen the clip on the door --

BOTH JETS:

dive down faster at an ever steeper angle, over the edge of

the Colorado mountain range --

INSIDE THE TREASURY JET

-- the clip on the door finally breaks --

BOTH JETS - LONG SHOT

-- the Treasury jet drops as Qualen's jet, trailing the cable

and the money, sharply shoots upward --

THE TREASURY JET

makes a one point landing nose first into the wilderness,

cartwheeling into a FIREBALL!

INT./EXT. RANGER STATION

The sound of the EXPLOSION, muffled in the wind, far-off, but

audible, drives Hal outside -- he's alert, but can't see

anything in the murk of the storm --

INT. QUALEN'S JET - THE COCKPIT - KRISTEL

levels off the plane, but it's still in trouble --

CABIN - QUALEN AND TRAVERS

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