Face\Off Page #22

ARCHER:

How old is he?

SASHA:

Five. No one knows you're

his father. I thought

someone might want to hurt

him -- just to hurt you.

Archer's emotions take him to a darker place. Hands

shaking, he holds the boy, perhaps a bit too roughly.

ARCHER:

Yes ... someone might want

to tear him apart -- snuff

him out -- for revenge.

SASHA:

You're not holding him

right ... Caz ...

ARCHER isn't hearing SASHA. He's lost in his own MEMORY ...

a SQUEAL of tires ... Castor FIRING ... glass SHATTERING ...

a child's fading CRIES. He's RELIVING his own son's death.

ARCHER:

In one awful moment

-- he could be dead.

ARCHER'S grip tightens around Adam -- his big hands

dwarfing the little boy's body.

ADAM looks straight at Archer with a child's eyes. Big,

naive -- innocent. It pulls something up from inside

Archer ... something STRONG.

He regains control, dumping the child into Sasha's arms.

ARCHER (cont'd)

He's not my son.

SASHA:

Yes, he is. Caz --

SOMETHING alerts Archer -- maybe the fleeting SHADOWS that

blot out the window-light for the barest second.

ARCHER:

Get down! GET DOWN!

K-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! The window panes shatter -- as TEAR

GAS GRENADES and GUNFIRE riddles the room.

OUTSIDE:

On the rooftop across the way, CASTOR directs the firepower.

INSIDE:

Coughing, ARCHER crawls through the roiling smoke toward the

door. He's almost out when ...

ADAM'S WAIL of fear freezes Archer. He looks back -- and

sees Sasha. She's knocked-out.

ADAM stands beside her -- frantically pulling on her limp arm.

ARCHER'S face betrays his conflict. A child -- but his

worst enemy's child. He watches as --

BULLETS shred the wall around Adam. The boy's frozen.

ARCHER moves -- he crawls toward Sasha and Adam, grabs them

and pulls them out into --

THE HALLWAY. Archer hauls them down the corridor as the

walls disintegrate behind them.

EXT. STREET -- NIGHT

CASTOR and his Team race toward the smoke-filled building.

CASTOR:

Split up. I want to know

the second he's spotted.

INT. CONDO COMPLEX -- CORRIDOR -- NIGHT

Momentarily safe, Archer rouses Sasha. She comes to and

hugs Adam, making sure he's okay.

SASHA:

Thank you, Caz ...

BOOT STEPS and SHOUTING VOICES. ARCHER takes off.

INT. STAIRWELL -- NIGHT

ARCHER rushes through the roiling tear-gas -- and stops short.

CASTOR is there. He raises his machine-gun -- too late.

ARCHER leaps -- slamming into Castor. FACE-TO-FACE -- they

slug it out, bashing and butting.

ARCHER:

Stay away from my family!

CASTOR:

Too late, your kid worships

me. And your wife -- she's

an animal. Even I can't

keep up with her.

Enraged, ARCHER heaves CASTOR -- he plunges down the stairs,

head-over-heels, and lands in a heap. LOOMIS arrives,

firing, driving Archer back up the stairs -- toward the roof.

EXT. ROOFTOP -- NIGHT

ARCHER runs along the length of the roof to the opposite

fire-escape railing. But as he turns ... he finds himself

looking right into the barrel of POLLUX'S PISTOL.

POLLUX:

Peek-a-boo, dumb f***.

Pollux KICKS Archer hard -- Archer slips down on the guard

rail -- but manages to hold on by his fingers.

POLLUX (cont'd)

Remember me? Your

big brother?

Pollux steps down -- grinding Archer's fingers into the

steel fire-escape rung.

BELOW:
CASTOR and LOOMIS race over. Loomis aims his

machine-pistol -- but Castor stops him.

CASTOR:

Wait for a better shot.

ON THE ROOF:
Pollux puts his full weight down on Archer's

hand. In agony, Archer sees his one chance --

THE RUSTED RIVETS that fix the fire-escape to the brick

wall. ARCHER plants his feet on the wall and pushes as

Pollux c*cks his pistol -- aiming right at ARCHER'S head.

POLLUX:

You tricked me into telling

you sh*t I never told anyone.

Now take it to your grave.

THE RIVETS strain -- then give. With a shriek, the fire-

escape pulls away. Pollux loses his balance --

POLLUX PLUNGES three stories and pancakes onto the street.

CASTOR:

Pollux ... Pollux!

POLLUX is almost gone. CASTOR looks up and sees --

ARCHER -- scrambling over the ledge onto the roof.

EYE-CONTACT between predator and prey, killer and cop.

CASTOR opens fire --

ARCHER ducks the bullets as he disappears over the lip.

EXT. ROOFTOP -- NIGHT

ARCHER catches his breath -- then SEES something. It's the

small, steel CYLINDER Pollux took from NSA Evidence.

EXT. STREET -- NIGHT

CASTOR desperately performs CPR on Pollux -- to no avail.

POLLUX slips away ... and dies.

CASTOR:

(to Loomis)

Get a medic -- now!

Hang on, Pollux ...

LOOMIS:

Forget him, sir. It's

only Pollux Troy ...

Castor snaps. Without hesitation, he jerks up his gun and

puts a bullet right in the middle of Loomis's head.

CASTOR looks at the dead kid -- his rage barely abated as --

BUZZ and WANDA arrive on the scene and see Loomis's body.

WANDA:

What happened?

CASTOR:

What the f*** do you

think happened? Castor

Troy just shot him!

(a beat)

What are you waiting

for? GO!

After Buzz and Wanda take off -- CASTOR gathers Pollux up in

his arms -- totally devastated.

INT. MARINA -- DRY DOCKED FREIGHTER -- DAY

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