Face\Off Page #15

Castor puts the photo down, then pulls out a handbook:

"You and the N.S.A: A Primer for New Employees."

EXT. ARCHER'S HOME -- DAY

CASTOR, carrying grocery bags, comes into the backyard where

JAMIE practices free throws. He watches her miss again.

CASTOR:

Get a higher arc on the

ball, Jamie. And for

Chrissake, square your

shoulders to the basket.

JAMIE:

Like you know anything

about it.

CASTOR grabs the ball. Despite the encumbrance of the

groceries ... SWISH! He crisply sinks the ball.

CASTOR (cont'd)

Now square your shoulders

to the goddamn basket.

He goes inside. Then JAMIE takes his advice. Shoulders

squared, Jamie sinks a clean shot. She's impressed.

INT. ARCHER'S HOME -- NIGHT

Laden with text-books, EVE is greeted at the door by JAMIE.

EVE:

Where are you going?

JAMIE:

Chinatown.

EVE:

On a school night?

JAMIE:

Dad said it was OK. Have fun.

JAMIE kisses her and exits. EVE'S confusion grows when she

sees the dining room -- it's set for a candlelight dinner.

CASTOR enters, dressed nicely, opening a bottle of wine.

CASTOR:

Hurry up -- the salad's

getting warm and the

pasta's getting cold.

EVE:

-- I've got to study.

He confidently pulls the books from her grasp.

CASTOR:

I can't believe you forgot.

Eve -- it's Date Night.

DINING ROOM -- LATER

CASTOR'S eyes twinkle as EVE looks up from her pasta.

EVE:

Why do I feel like I'm

on a blind date?

CASTOR:

They say love is blind.

Do you think that's true?

EVE smiles playfully as he pours her more wine.

EVE:

I think -- you're trying

to get me drunk.

CASTOR:

Wouldn't be the first

time -- or would it?

EVE:

You wouldn't even sip

champagne at our wedding.

We were underage -- you

wouldn't break the law.

(giggling)

Remember what my brother

called you?

An awkward silence ...

CASTOR:

Who could forget? I was

so young and clumsy then --

Castor "accidentally" knocks over his glass, spilling wine --

and, of course, conveniently changing the subject.

CASTOR (cont'd)

Some things never change.

They both mop up the mess with napkins until their fingers

lightly touch, then intertwine. A charge of sexual tension.

As they almost kiss ... she becomes cautious.

EVE:

So -- how long will you

be gone this time?

CASTOR:

Gone?

EVE:

Isn't that what all this

is about? Letting Jamie

go out, cooking me dinner,

-- your next assignment?

CASTOR:

I'm not going anywhere.

EVE:

You always say that --

then you leave.

CASTOR:

Can't you see I'm trying

to change? I sent Jamie

off because I wanted to be

alone with you. I wanted

to see the candle-light

dance in your beautiful --

Uh-oh. CASTOR can't tell the color of EVE'S eyes. He leans

in "romantically" -- but WE know the real reason.

CASTOR (cont'd)

-- brown eyes.

He smells her hair, then her shoulders, her skin. She's

aroused, but wary. So Castor goes in for the kill.

CASTOR (cont'd)

I wanted it to be just

right ... when I told

you about my promotion.

EVE:

-- what?

CASTOR:

I'm replacing Lazarro.

Nice, safe desk job --

just like you wanted.

EVE:

... That's great.

CASTOR:

So you see, I'm not

going anywhere. Unless

it's upstairs with you ...

CASTOR sweeps EVE up in his arms and heads for the stairs.

INT. BATHROOM -- NIGHT

CASTOR carries EVE into the shower and spins on the water.

EVE:

You're wearing your suit --

CASTOR:

Call me spontaneous.

There's nothing she can do as he rips her clothes apart --

on her like a vulture to carrion. They drop to the floor of

the stall -- water filling up around them.

CASTOR (cont'd)

... I feel like I'm having

you for the first time ...

INT. ARCHER'S CELL -- NIGHT

Desperately alone, seemingly without hope -- ARCHER huddles

in a skimpy blanket. He barely stirs as ...

WALTON does his rounds of the darkened cells, then stops at

the CELL BLOCK SECURITY DOOR. The head guard uses his thumb

print to clear security -- then types in his clearance code.

BACK TO ARCHER'S CELL

The instant the DOOR SLAMS shut, ARCHER rights himself. He

pulls out a LIGHTER and sparks it -- holding the flame to

his THUMB.

The skin melts like wax, but Archer doesn't cry out. He

peels off the skin graft -- the mold of Castor's fingerprint

-- revealing his OWN.

INT. AQUACADE ANNEX

The inmates are naked -- but still wearing their lock-down

boots -- as they are herded into the prison SHOWER.

ARCHER:

Don't they ever let us

take these boots off?

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