Face\Off Page #28

ARCHER and CASTOR smile, inhaling deeply. This is the way

it should be.

Then CASTOR goes for his pistol -- ARCHER lunges and --

INT. ATRIUM -- NIGHT

The skylight EXPLODES downward as ARCHER and CASTOR crash

through it -- still entangled.

THE MEN collapse hard. THE GUN clatters across the terrace

toward the planter of trees.

ARCHER AND CASTOR brutally strangle each other -- digging

their fingers deep into their throats. They throttle each

other so hard, their LARYNX VOCAL CHIPS are dislodged.

THEIR VOICES change, echoing with garbled, robotic static.

ARCHER:

Give up, Castor. People

are going to find out.

CASTOR:

Not if I kill you first ...

They scramble for the gun -- but A HAND reaches out from the

Juniper trees and picks it up. Archer and Castor stop dead

in their tracks because -- JAMIE APPEARS, holding the pistol.

CASTOR (cont'd)

Give it here, Jamie.

ARCHER:

No, Jamie. Don't do it!

Everybody gawks -- because ARCHER and CASTOR are now ...

SPEAKING IN THEIR OWN TRUE VOICES

And nobody is more confused than JAMIE: the man who looks

like her father sounds like Castor; the man who looks like

Castor sounds like her father.

ARCHER (cont'd)

Listen to my voice, Jamie.

I'm your father.

CASTOR:

It's a trick, Jamie.

I'm your father.

Jamie swings the pistol back and forth -- baffled.

CASTOR (cont'd)

Shoot him, Jamie.

ARCHER:

Jamie ...

CASTOR:

Shoot him!

Jamie FIRES. Archer collapses -- a slug in his shoulder.

Castor snatches the pistol from Jamie's hand.

CASTOR (cont'd)

You idiot. No kid of mine

would miss so badly.

He aims the pistol at Archer's head.

WANDA (o.s.)

Hold it.

WANDA AND BUZZ have burst onto the terrace -- their guns

leveled. Eve and the bureau chiefs are right behind.

CASTOR:

Just saving the tax-payers

the cost of a trial. So

take a hike.

BUZZ:

What's the matter with

your voice, Commander?

CASTOR:

Castor Troy almost strangled

me to death. Where the hell

were you?

WANDA:

You're both in custody until

there's a DNA fingerprinting

and we can prove who's who.

Now put the gun down.

CASTOR:

(a beat)

You can't blame me for trying.

He grabs JAMIE, shoves the gun under her chin -- and

drags her onto --

A GARDEN PATIO:

Using Jamie as a shield, CASTOR backs toward the private

outdoor ELEVATOR ... ARCHER and the others following.

JAMIE fumbles to pull something from her pocket as CASTOR

elbows the DOWN button, then aims at the charging ARCHER.

CASTOR (cont'd)

Say goodbye to daddy.

JAMIE whips out the BUTTERFLY KNIFE -- snaps it open

expertly -- and sinks it into CASTOR'S thigh. Jamie dives

out of the elevator as its doors close.

CASTOR (o.s.)

You ungrateful delinquent!

JAMIE:

Will someone PLEASE tell

me what's going on?

But ARCHER just rushes past her and leaps --

OVER THE RAIL:

ARCHER soars -- landing hard on the elevator roof.

INT. ELEVATOR -- DESCENDING -- NIGHT

Wrapping his leg wound, CASTOR fumbles for his pistol as

ARCHER kicks in the roof escape panel and drops inside.

CASTOR gets off a wild shot as ARCHER grabs for the pistol.

Boom! Boom! Boom! More errant shots rip through the

elevator roof.

INSIDE THE SHAFT: The slugs shred the heavy cables.

INSIDE THE CAR:
The pistol drops as CASTOR tears at ARCHER'S

face -- ripping the seam across his jawline. Archer rips

back at Castor. But they both react in surprise when --

INSIDE THE SHAFT: The splitting cable SCREAMS. The

ELEVATOR CAR bangs back and forth as the cables give way.

INSIDE THE CAR:
Archer and Castor are thrown around like

limp rag dolls.

INT. LOBBY -- NIGHT

The elevator CRASHES -- scattering the stunned guests.

CASTOR pulls himself from the wreckage. No sign of ARCHER.

He spots his pistol lying in the debris.

He reaches for it but recoils when a BLOODY HAND juts out of

the twisted steel and tightens around the gun. ARCHER --

battered but intact -- rises slowly from the wreckage.

CASTOR backs away and runs out of the lobby.

EXT. HOTEL -- NIGHT

CASTOR limps out as a squad car roars up -- siren blaring.

CASTOR:

Castor Troy's in there!

Move it or I'll have your

badges!

The COPS rush to the entrance. CASTOR jumps in their car.

As soon as the cops blow into the hotel -- ARCHER darts out

from behind the door.

He reaches the curb just in time to see Castor's squad car

screech out of the driveway. ARCHER scans the street -- the

only vehicle in sight is a Delivery Van.

EXT. STREETS -- NIGHT

CASTOR tears down Marina Blvd. Up ahead -- a BIG SAILBOAT

being loaded onto a trailer blocks the road.

He cuts the wheel hard. The squad car jumps the curb --

bounces down a grassy knoll -- until SMASH!

The car plows into a sign that reads: "EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE.

KEEP OUT. THROUGH TRAFFIC USE TRANS-BAY TUBE."

Castor finds himself at the ...

ENTRANCE TO THE (CLOSED) GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

CASTOR throws the transmission into reverse as HEADLIGHTS

burst into view. And behind the wheel -- JON ARCHER.

CASTOR:

Sh*t.

CASTOR jacks into drive. The car shoots onto the bridge.

EXT. GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE -- NIGHT

CASTOR weaves in and out of the cracked asphalt -- banging

past steel cables and around rusted girders.

ARCHER bulls his way through -- closing in.

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