Excess Baggage Page #6

She nods.

OLD WOMAN:

Across from the dumpster.

PATROLMAN:

Okay.

Through the patrol car's back window, you can see a secondpatrol car following them as he glides down the back street and turns thecorner.

EXT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/FRONT - NIGHT

Joe's climbing into his old Chevy -- a small, slumped figurein all that darkness -- when the two police cars cruise around the cornerand down the street towards the warehouse's front entrance.

WILL (O.S.)

Oh, sh*t.

The police cars are slowing, checking buildings --

WILL (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Go, Uncle Joe, Go.

INT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/APARTMENT - NIGHT

Will's at the window, every tendon in his body pushing forJoe to get out of there --

WILL:

Don't stop, old man.

EXT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/FRONT - NIGHT

Joe's leaning forward in his car, eyeing the approachingcruisers in his rearview mirror -- casually, oh so casually, adjusting thatmirror -- you can see the indecision in him, sitting there, adjusting themirror just a little too long --

But he starts his old car up and pulls away from the curb,gliding slowly down the block --

INT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/APARTMENT - NIGHT

Will, standing pensive by the window, watching --

WILL:

Keep going, Joe, keep going --

EXT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/FRONT - NIGHT

Joe's Chevy glides around the corner as the two cruisershalt in front. Their doors creak open, and the patrolman and a COMPANIONCOP climb out.

INT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/APARTMENT - NIGHT

Will drags a pre-packed duffel bag from under the bed, checksto make sure a stack (we are talking a serious STACK) of money is in there,and hoists the duffel, heading for the stairs.

A KNOCK sounds behind him.

Another KNOCK.

He sets the bag softly down and eyes the door.

WILL:

Okay, they're serious. But how serious?

EXT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/FRONT - NIGHT

The patrolman knocks on the door again, looks at his COMPANIONCOP, shrugs.

COMPANION COP:

Lights are on.

The patrolman nods, starting back for his car.

PATROLMAN:

Call it in and see what they say.

He leans into the cruiser, pulls out the radio mike.

PATROLMAN (CONT'D)

Central, I've got a situation here in the warehousedistrict. Over.

INT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/APARTMENT - NIGHT

Will hoists his duffel bag.

WILL:

Too damn serious for me.

INT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

Will, coming down stairs two at a time, tossing the duffelbag into the back of the Porsche, yanking the bathroom door open on Emily--

EMILY:

You running a peek show here or what?

WILL:

Up.

He's undoing the handcuff on the sink, jerking her to herfeet, dragging her towards the car --

EMILY:

Who was that old man?

Shoving her headfirst through the Porsche's passenger door,he slaps the cuff to the passenger brace bar --

EMILY (CONT'D)

Hey! God Damn It!

She jerks backwards -- stuck.

WILL:

Get in.

She doesn't.

He's headed around the car, slipping into the driver's seat,revving the engine as he slaps control keys to open the garage door -- hepauses to stare at her, hard and cold.

WILL (CONT'D)

You can ride inside or outside the car, but eitherway, when that door opens, we're leaving.

Emily climbs into the car and slams the door.

EMILY:

You're a real fun date, you know that?

WILL:

You aren't my idea of a good time.

The Porsche squeals out of the warehouse.

INT. WILL'S WAREHOUSE/APARTMENT - NIGHT

The coffee pot steams on its burner.

EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT - NIGHT

Joe slows to a crawl, pulls the Chevy over, and sits thereidling -- tapping the steering wheel, indecisive.

JOE:

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

He squints at approaching headlights in the rearview mirror.

The approaching car slows, pulls alongside him. Natch, it'sa COP. The cop shines a flashlight in at Joe, rolls down a window, forcingJoe to roll down his window and squint into the glare.

COP:

Everything all right here?

JOE:

Oh, yeah, just fine. I just kinda lost my way.

The cop's getting out. Joe winces.

COP:

Could I see some identification, please?

JOE:

Oh, sure.

Joe fumbles for his wallet, pulls out a license, extendsit with a shaky hand -- the cop eyes him, takes it, studies it, then Joe.

COP:

Mr. Pogue, would you please step out of the car?

JOE:

Excuse me?

COP:

Please step out of the car, Sir.

Joe opens the door and climbs out.

JOE:

Hey, I just got a little lost, is all. If you couldgive me directions to the freeway --

COP:

Have you been drinking tonight, Mr. Pogue?

INT. WILL'S PORSCHE - NIGHT

Will winds up Highway 5, North. Emily, still cuffed to thebrace bar, broods in the passenger seat.

EMILY:

I can see you are a master economist of words.

Will grunts, spots a lone gas station and phone booth onan abandoned stretch, slows to pull off the highway.

EMILY (CONT'D)

You're a kidnapper now, you know. I mean, before,it was just an accident, but this is definitely a hostage situation.

Silence.

EMILY (CONT'D)

Oh, and in case you didn't notice that sign backthere? "Washington."

Silence. She shakes her head in mock chagrin.

EMILY (CONT'D)

Crossing a state line with a hostage. That's a federaloffense.

Will idles in front of the phone booth, unlocks the cuffs,leans across her to push open the passenger door.

WILL:

Get out.

Emily eyes him, the phone booth, him.

EMILY:

Get. Out?

The car idles. Cold wind sweeps through the open door, rufflinganything not nailed down.

She sits, not moving. Comprehension dawns on his face.

WILL:

Oh. Here.

He fishes in his pocket, pulls out a quarter, smacks itinto her palm.

She studies the quarter in her palm like it's some sortof alien relic -- slowly looks up at him.

EMILY:

Are you mad?

WILL:

Excuse me?

EMILY:

You think, after being locked up, starved, bullied!Brow beaten! Robbed! And you forgot my purse. You think now you'regoing to give me a quarter and leave me here?

WILL:

This'll do.

EMILY:

Forget it. I want a cigarette. I want breakfast.I want a shower. And I want my car.

She crosses her arms. He struggles for an appropriate response--

WILL:

I don't allow smoking in my car.

EMILY:

Are you for real?

The engine idles.

Will eyes the car's dimensions, gauging the feasibilityof a fight in close quarters, touches the bandage on his chin.

She smiles, smug -- his odds don't look good.

WILL:

I'm a hardened criminal.

EMILY (CONT'D)

I'm Emily Rose T. Hope. And you do not want to messwith me before I get my morning cigarette.

Emily snaps her seat belt on with finality.

INT. UNDERCOVER CAR - NIGHT

Dan Sims wrestles his seat belt as the undercover car screechesthrough the warehouse district.

SIMS:

I thought I told you to get this fixed.

Barnaby shrugs.

BARNABY:

I did get it fixed.

SIMS:

Then why isn't it fixed?

BARNABY:

New car assignment.

Dan, at a loss, studies the car's interior -- it sure ashell looks like the same car, right down to the gum on the dashboard. Hesighs.

SIMS:

Get it fixed.

Barnaby shrugs.

SIMS (CONT'D)

What the hell is that?

Dan squints through the windshield at a column of blacksmoke.

BARNABY:

Looks like smoke.

SIMS:

I am really trying to like you, Barnaby, but youjust make it so damn hard.

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