Face\Off Page #20

LARS:

(starts car)

-- Got him.

INT. HOSPITAL -- NIGHT

EVE is confused, distracted. The Proctor waits impatiently,

grading pad in hand.

EVE:

Who is this?

ARCHER:

Never mind that! Just

take Jamie and get out

of that house. Don't

tell anyone where you're

going -- especially not

him -- just GO.

EVE:

Okay, you're having an

emotional crisis. You

need to seek the help

of a trained --

ARCHER:

Think about it, Eve!

Everything he's done

recently has been

peculiar, right? He's

said and done things your

husband would never do ...

EVE:

Whoever you are, don't

call again.

ARCHER:

Don't hang up ...

She clicks off. Disturbed, she's forgotten where she is.

PROCTOR:

Doctor, we're waiting ...

Eve shakes off her instinctive chill and goes back to work

-- SPLITTING the cadaver's cranium with the laser.

EXT. PARK -- NIGHT

ARCHER sags in futility. But a SECOND CLICK on the phone

line makes him snap alert. Was that a phone tap?

Suspicious, ARCHER dashes out. He scans the parking lot --

several cars and a pick-up truck plastered with Playboy

centerfolds. Then Archer sees ...

IN THE DISTANCE -- car HEADLIGHTS speeding toward the park.

Only the truck is unlocked. ARCHER slips in and starts to

hot-wire it. The engine grinds and chokes.

THE SAAB reaches the edge of the park.

ARCHER finally starts up the truck. He finds a cowboy hat

on the seat and shoves it on his head as he drives away ...

THE TRUCK exits the far end of the parking lot and rounds

the bend ... just as the Saab arrives.

LARS and LUNT leap out and scan around. Archer is gone.

EXT. TITO'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT

Sagging yellow CRIME-SCENE TAPE seals off the door.

ACROSS THE STREET: Archer watches from the truck. His face

reflects the nightmarish truth: Tito is dead.

ARCHER:

No, Jon ... think like Castor.

Where would he go ... who

would he turn to?

EXT. STRIP MALL -- NIGHT

SASHA PLUMMER exits a beauty shop. She's a hardened, but

sensual woman. She gets in her old Lexus and takes off.

INT. LEXUS -- MOVING -- NIGHT

She slows down to check out a POLICE FORENSICS TEAM that's

swarming all over Archer's abandoned pick-up truck.

SASHA:

Uh-oh, somebody's in trouble.

ARCHER:

Yeah -- me.

In a flash, SASHA grabs some pepper-spray. ARCHER --

hunkered down in the back-seat -- stares into the nozzle.

SASHA:

Jesus Christ, Castor.

ARCHER:

Drive.

SASHA:

The last time I took orders

from you I ended up with

five years probation.

She stops the car -- mere yards from the milling police.

One VETERAN COP looks her way -- scrutinizing.

ARCHER:

Just get out of here --

please. I -- I'll ...

ARCHER'S losing consciousness. SASHA looks at him harshly

-- like a woman trying to hate someone she still loves.

Then, she sees the blood seeping through his shirt.

SASHA:

Damn it, Caz.

She hits the gas and drives off.

INT. ARCHER'S HOME OFFICE -- NIGHT

CASTOR'S on the phone as he scrolls through CD-ROM files.

CASTOR:

-- you don't have to rat out

anybody ... nothing changes

except now you've got the

blessing -- and protection --

of the NSA ...

(now in Spanish)

[No. Santiago's spoken for

... you can have Panama City

or Acapulco. Take Acapulco,

the food's better.]

Something catches Castor's attention. He sees --

DOWN ON THE STREET

A jet-black Firebird SCREECHES up to the curb.

CASTOR (cont'd)

Bueno ... I'll be in touch.

He hangs up and watches the Firebird. The thumping MUSIC

from within goes quiet, but no one emerges.

INT. FIREBIRD -- NIGHT

JAMIE is inside, struggling with big, amorous KARL (17).

JAMIE:

No ... no, please.

(he doesn't stop)

My father -- he's got a

gun -- he'll -- he'll --

KARL:

That wimp won't do sh*t.

(pulls open belt)

Anyway, you said he's

never home --

SMASH! The window explodes inward. CASTOR drags KARL out

by his hair. JAMIE scrambles toward the house as ...

CASTOR:

Who are you to call

Jon Archer a wimp?

Karl stammers, terrified. Enraged, CASTOR pulls Karl

eyeball-to-eyeball -- the kid goes white with fear.

CASTOR (cont'd)

You dickless suburban puke,

get out of here before I

eat your f***ing spleen.

CASTOR heaves Karl into the windshield -- spiderwebbing it.

Somehow the kid finds his feet and stumbles behind the

wheel. The Firebird lurches away.

INT. HOUSE -- NIGHT

CASTOR enters to find JAMIE, still shaken up.

CASTOR:

What are you -- stupid?

JAMIE:

You haven't changed at all!

Some guy tries to rape me

-- and you side with him!

CASTOR:

Did it look like I was

siding with him? Did it?

(she falls silent)

You want to play with

the bad boys, you

better be prepared. Do

you have protection?

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