Cliffhanger Page #8

struggle to reel in the cable, because --

CLOSE ON THE CABLE

The money cases are still, barely, holding on, the cuffs

caught on the broken clip at the end --

QUALEN AND TRAVERS

aren't even bothering with the electric winch, they're

dragging it in hand over hand -- but --

CLOSE ON THE CABLE

-- the cases, torn by the wind, work their way loose one at a

time and drop -- one -- two -- three -- into the snowy

mountains below!

IN THE CABIN:

Heldon and Ryan clamp the door shut as Qualen angrily attacks

Travers --

THE COCKPIT - KRISTEL

tries to bring the plane up, but can't -- the fuel guage

needle is dropping fast --

INSERT - THE WING

is pouring out fuel through a dozen bullet holes -- one of two

engines sputters to a stop.

THE COCKPIT - KRISTEL POV

The plane is now just skirting the mountain tops, and is still

being battered by storm winds -- Kristel aims it for what

looks like the flattest, longest mountain top --

THE CABIN:

Kynette and Ryan grab Qualen and Travers to separate them --

all strap in, because

THE PLANE:

is going down -- it just tops the edge of a precipice and hits

the ground level --

THE MOUNTAIN TOP - LONG SHOT

-- the problem is, the ground itself isn't level, it tilts

down towards another edge five hundred yards distant -- if the

plane keeps skidding, it'll go over the edge --

THE PLANE:

sleds down at an angle, skipping over rocks -- -- through

trees --

-- tearing off a wing --

THE COCKPIT:

Kristel rides the stick only out of habit -- nothing she does

is going to matter now --

INSIDE THE CABIN

The men are jolted around -- windows IMPLODE as Kynette tries

to protect a bag of what is obviously explosives --

THE PLANE:

rips downhill through a wooded area like a runaway train --

-- the second wing is sheared off by trees --

COCKPIT POV - THE OPPOSITE EDGE

is coming up fast -- but

THE PLANE:

wrenches to a sudden halt, the fuselage intact.

WIDER VIEW - THE PLANE

or what's left of it has stopped several feet short of the

edge -- we can see why: the steel cable, trailing from the

cargo door, has lashed itself around a half dozen trees,

acting as a tripwire to stop the plane.

INSIDE THE PLANE

Quiet. All are dazed but, outside of superficial cuts,

unhurt. Kristel moves out of the cockpit, looking around.

KRISTEL:

So much for phase one.

(to Travers)

Now what?

She speaks for all of them -- especially a still-seething

Qualen. Travers pulls out the tracer monitor for the cases.

The tracer screen shows three distinct blips -- the tracers

have survived the fall.

TRAVERS:

Now -- we call the police.

INT. RANGER STATION - DAY

Hal, agitated, paces in the main office -- Frank, unconcerned,

puts a coat hanger and some aluminum foil on a little TV to

drag in the fading signal of a Broncos game.

HAL:

Look -- I know there's a storm, but

that wasn't thunder.

FRANK:

(unconcerned)

Hal, when you've been in this line as

long as I have --

The station's scanner radio barks to life.

KRISTEL (O.S.)

(panicky)

Mayday -- mayday -- downed DC-3 --

mayday --

Hal runs to the radio and keys the mike.

HAL:

Rocky Mountain Rescue -- come in,

mayday --

INT. COCKPIT

Kristel is on the radio, as Travers and Qualen hang back.

Kristel's voice is panicked but she can't suppress a grin.

KRISTEL:

Downed charter flight

alpha-charlie-niner--

(keys mike to "garble"

transmission)

-- dead, seven seriously wounded,

acknowledge --

INT. RANGER STATION

HAL:

Acknowledged, mayday. What's your

position?

KRISTEL (O.S.)

("panicked")

Don't know -- position unknown --

landed on top of some mountain -- only

visual bearing is a facing

cylinder-type formation -- over --

HAL:

Got to be Comb Bluff.

(keys mike)

Acknowledged, mayday. Winds are too

strong for us to get a copter up there

-- can you and your passengers make it

through the storm? Over --

KRISTEL (O.S.

Negative -- cockpit is on fire --

fuselage broken into three sep--

("garble")

--ed in shock. Need medical supplies,

including insulin, repeat, insulin, as

soon as po --

Dead silence. The transmission cuts off/

HAL:

Mayday -- come in, mayday --

INT. COCKPIT

Kristel hangs up the radio and smiles, Travers and Qualen

standing behind her. Qualen lightly applauds.

QUALEN:

Not bad. The insulin was a nice touch.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

The Bronco wends through a winding country road, coming

finally to a cabin settled in a clearing.

GABE:

pulls into the driveway and puts the Bronco in park. He

doesn't cut the engine, because he's not sure whether he's

going in or not. Finally -- he cuts the ignition.

INT. CABIN - DAY

A knock on the door brings no response -- no one inside. Gabe

opens the unlocked door -- and steps inside.

GABE:

Maggie?

No answer. Gabe takes a look around the living room. His face

tells us, without a doubt, this used to be his home. Gabe

moves inside, pausing at a mantle. Two framed photos -- Gabe

and Maggie sleeping together in a hammock, bolted to a sheer

wall over a 2,000 foot drop. Gabe, Hal and Maggie, all

younger, all sporting drunken grins, in a mountain cave. Gabe

smiles for the first time today at this memory -- a BANGING at

the back of the cabin shakes him out of it.

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