Face\Off Page #3

A DOZEN COPS are cut down at once. INSTANT SILENCE.

A SILHOUETTE appears among the dead cops.

LARS aims the rifle again, but Pollux stops him.

POLLUX:

It's my brother ...

Indeed, the SILHOUETTE IS CASTOR. He grabs a pistol, stuffs

it in his belt and hurries to the edge.

POLLUX fires a piton. It sinks into the precinct wall at an

incline, fixing a STEEL CABLE between the buildings. Pollux

nods "scram" to the TWINS who grab their bags and exit.

CASTOR and POLLUX make eye-contact -- a silent communication

-- as CASTOR secures himself on an inverted T-Grip pulley

and starts slowly sliding along the rain-slicked cable.

EXT. HOTEL -- NIGHT

CASTOR is halfway across when -- GUNSHOTS. One grazes him,

the other cracks the pulley. It GRINDS to a halt.

BRYCE -- wounded -- shakily aims from the wrecked precinct,

about to fire again. Pollux can't get a clear shot.

POLLUX:

Castor -- !

Hanging from one hand, CASTOR blasts back -- nailing BRYCE.

CASTOR:

Go on -- GO!

Abandoning the broken pulley, CASTOR keeps moving -- hand-

over-hand. POLLUX hesitates -- then takes off.

EXT. HOTEL ENTRANCE -- NIGHT

A black van screeches to a stop. ARCHER steps out, followed

by veteran TITO BIONDI and rookie LOOMIS. Shattered GLASS

crunches beneath Archer's shoes.

HIGH ABOVE:

CASTOR'S GRIP starts to slip. Struggling to hold on, he

drops his pistol. It falls -- TUMBLING -- as --

STREET BELOW:

ARCHER looks up -- and catches the PISTOL.

EYE-CONTACT between Archer and Castor. Years of hatred pass

between them. Before Archer can open fire --

A RANGE ROVER roars toward him -- POLLUX shoots as he drives

right at the agents.

ARCHER and team returns fire. Wounded, LOOMIS goes down.

Shredded, the RANGE ROVER spins out and FLIPS.

INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT

CASTOR glances at the SWARM of authorities below. He hauls

himself INSIDE the room and sees that Pollux has left him an

automatic pistol and a steaming cappuccino.

INT./EXT. RANGE ROVER -- STREET -- NIGHT

Before bloody Pollux can come to his senses, ARCHER cuffs

him to the steering wheel.

ARCHER:

You won't be using this

trick on me again.

He reaches into Pollux's shirt and yanks off a chain from

which hangs a tiny HANDCUFF KEY. Pollux flails helplessly.

Tito looks up from aiding Loomis -- whose ear is shredded

-- to see Archer disappear into the hotel.

INT. HOTEL -- 26TH FLOOR -- NIGHT

Gun ready, ARCHER emerges from the elevator. He scopes out

the cordite-reeking hotel corridor -- it's empty.

Likewise the hotel room ... just an empty coffee cup.

EXT. ROOF -- NIGHT

CASTOR skirts the rooftop dominated by an enormous NEON

hotel sign, searching for a way out.

He finds a hatch, set flush on the rooftop. He grabs the

handle, but it doesn't give.

Setting down his pistol, he grasps the hatch handle with

both hands and tugs hard.

The flashing NEON strobes CASTOR'S SHADOW on a tank beneath

the helipad -- marked "COOLANT UNDER PRESSURE -- NO SMOKING."

As Castor works, a SECOND SHADOW melts into his. For a

moment the two shadows MERGE. Then ...

ARCHER (o.s.)

Turn around.

CASTOR sees ARCHER standing behind him. Gun trained.

CASTOR:

Jon, I'm getting a little

annoyed by your obsessive

need to spoil my fun.

ARCHER:

And how much will your

"fun" net you this time?

CASTOR plays for time -- inching toward his pistol.

CASTOR:

What's it to you? I

declare it. Here I am,

back in the States for

less than a month --

ARCHER:

You're under arrest.

Incredibly, you still have

the right to remain silent --

CASTOR:

What're you gonna do with

me gone? You'll drive

your wife and kid nuts!

I bet your daughter is

just about ripe by now.

What's her name, Janie?

ARCHER:

Mention my family once

more and you're dead.

CASTOR:

You can't kill me, Jon.

I've got something going

this Saturday night ...

it's gonna be worse than

anything God ever dumped

on the Pharaohs -- and

only I can stop it.

ARCHER:

You can tell me all about

it -- from your prison cell.

CASTOR:

Don't count on it.

CASTOR grabs for his gun. ARCHER dives away, firing, as --

Castor's shot rips into the COOLANT TANK. WHOOSH! The

coolant sprays out -- blasting full-force at Castor. He's

thrown back and --

CASTOR hits the neon sign. Tangled in the shattered sign,

rain-soaked CASTOR is ELECTROCUTED by a web of shorting wires.

ARCHER stumbles away from the torrent of sparks and madly-

whipping electrified wires. He backs into --

TITO:

Tell me he didn't get

away again ...

The smoke subsides. CASTOR hangs crucified in the skeleton

of the neon letters -- "HOTEL" now reads simply "H - - EL."

Dead to the world, Castor's MOCKING SMILE still survives.

EXT. ROOFTOP -- NIGHT -- (LATER)

A stately woman, flanked by two bodyguards, coolly examines

CASTOR'S body as it's gurneyed into the freight elevator.

This is regional NSA director VICTORIA LAZARRO (40s).

She spots ARCHER waiting for the glass view elevator.

LAZARRO:

Jon --!

ARCHER doesn't seem to hear. He gets into the elevator.

INT. HOTEL -- GLASS ELEVATOR -- NIGHT

ARCHER hits "down." Before the doors close, LAZARRO

squeezes inside. The elevator descends.

LAZARRO:

Fine work, Jon.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes