Face\Off Page #26

INT. LOADING DOCK -- DAY

NSA AGENTS poke around the truck as Workers unload icy-fresh

seafood crates -- onto long metal "roller belts."

EXT. HOTEL -- DAY

CASTOR and EVE exit the limo -- and greet arriving GUESTS.

INT. REFRIGERATOR ROOM -- CONTINUOUS

The fish, shrimp and caviar are stowed. The door shuts.

A MOMENT LATER -- in the largest crate -- a big black sea-

bass starts to quiver. This sea-food really is fresh. Then

a hand pushes the fish aside.

ARCHER emerges from beneath the ice and dozens of whole fish

carcasses. Freezing, he sniffs himself and heads for the door.

INT. LOBBY -- DAY

CASTOR, EVE and other guests head into the OUTDOOR ELEVATOR

-- flanked by NSA security agents. EVE checks her watch.

INT. HOTEL KITCHEN -- DAY

Kitchen workers load pre-prepared food onto the FREIGHT

ELEVATOR and hit UP.

INT. SHAFT -- DAY

ARCHER squats on the roof of the small freight cabin as it

ascends. He's cramped into the small space.

INT. REVOLVING RESTAURANT -- DAY

DING! The main elevator opens -- CASTOR and EVE are greeted

by more NSA security agents -- and a round of APPLAUSE from

the gathered BUREAU CHIEFS and their FAMILIES.

Behind them, a spectacular SUNSET.

INT. SERVICE CORRIDOR

DING! The FREIGHT ELEVATOR opens up -- hotel staff unload

it into the rooftop kitchen.

An NSA Security Agent climbs into the freight elevator and

pushes up the CEILING HATCH.

INSIDE THE SHAFT

The Agent scans around. Empty.

THE AGENT:

hits down. The elevator descends.

INT. SHAFT

Below, ARCHER presses himself against the shaft wall as the

elevator drops behind him. He crawls into an ACCESS HATCH.

INT. MAINTENANCE SHAFT -- DAY

Cramped, noisy and crowded with AUTOMATED WINDOW-WASHING

DRONES. Crawling, Archer makes his way to an APERTURE in

the outside wall.

A DRONE creeps past Archer as it's fed out onto the EXTERIOR

TRACK. Archer takes a deep breath -- then grabs hold of it.

EXT. HOTEL -- DAY

Straining, the DRONE continues out of the shaft and UP the

side of the building.

ARCHER hangs on to the DRONE as it ascends -- finally

pulling him OFF the narrow ledge and upward -- toward the

restaurant level.

INT. RESTAURANT -- DAY

Chatting with the bureau chiefs and their wives, EVE turns

from Wanda to CASTOR.

EVE:

I'm going to the powder

room.

CASTOR:

Sure, baby -- go anywhere

you want.

(gestures to Lars)

But I have to give you

an escort. Security

reasons.

Eve, burying her concern, is forced to follow.

EXT. HOTEL -- DAY

ARCHER hangs from the DRONE. Reflexively, he looks down.

INSTANT VERTIGO -- a huge drop.

ARCHER regains control. He forces himself to look UP --

at a WARNING LABEL on the drone: "Not For Human Transport."

INT. POWDER ROOM -- DAY

LARS inspects the plush ladies room. Satisfied, he pushes

past Eve with barely-disguised contempt.

EVE shuts the door and hurries to the window. She sees:

INTERCUT:
ARCHER

He clings to the straining, short-circuiting DRONE,

ascending toward her.

THE DRONE'S cover starts to CRACK under Archer's weight. He

can just see EVE in the window -- as he rises.

EVE pulls the surgical laser BONE-SAW from her purse and

sparks it up.

ARCHER'S coming fast. The timing must be perfect.

EVE scores the perimeter of the plexiglass window.

IN THE CORRIDOR:

Impatient, LARS pushes open the door.

LARS:

What's taking so long?

IN THE RESTROOM:

Lars bursts in, scanning the room. When he heads toward the

window, Eve blocks his view by banging on the tampon machine

-- as if it just ate all her change.

EVE:

Got a quarter?

Uncomfortable, LARS fishes into his pocket for two-bits,

then beats a hasty retreat. An instant later --

EVE lasers the last section of the window.

ARCHER grinds past, the DRONE breaking away from its track.

EVE stands back as ARCHER kicks in the window -- it CRACKS

along its scoring -- but doesn't give.

The DRONE breaks off the track and free-falls ... just as ...

ARCHER kicks again -- the window pops in. ARCHER dangles,

half-in, half-out. EVE rushes over -- pulling him in.

INT. CORRIDOR -- NIGHT

EVE exits the rest room. Lars studies her flushed, agitated

face -- as they return to the restaurant.

INT. RESTAURANT -- NIGHT

EVE watches as LARS whispers into CASTOR'S ear. She heads

for the band-riser and grabs the microphone.

EVE:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

I know this is primarily a

business gathering ... but I'd

like to take this opportunity

to tell my husband how proud

I am of him ... and how much

I love him.

EVE nods to the bandleader; the band strikes up a 90's

golden oldie. She hustles Castor onto the dance floor.

THE ROMANTIC SCENE draws the milling guests and agents in

from the corridor -- allowing ARCHER to make it from the

restroom into the adjoining STAIRWAY.

ON THE DANCE FLOOR

EVE and CASTOR slow dance to Madonna's "Thief of Hearts."

EVE:

Remember this from our

junior prom? Boy, were

you ever mad for Madonna.

CASTOR:

Back then -- who wasn't?

EVE:

Wait a second -- you hated

Madonna. Didn't you?

He kisses her neck playfully. Eve swallows her repulsion.

INT. OFFICE SUITES -- NIGHT

ARCHER silently picks his way through the deserted office.

he goes into the adjoining --

MAINTENANCE ROOM

ARCHER traces the twisted phalanx of climate-control ducts

until he sees a RED GLOW. He pushes the ducts aside to

reveal the BOMB. As he steps toward it -- a HULKING SHADOW

wraps around the wall -- coming toward him.

INT. REVOLVING RESTAURANT -- DANCE FLOOR -- NIGHT

More couples dance alongside Eve and Castor.

CASTOR:

(notices something)

Well well. Here's a surprise.

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