Gold Page #10

48.

By way of agreement he rubs her thigh where the dress has

ridden up. Sunlight filters through the trees above. Kay’s

toes are painted eggshell blue.

WELLS:

You’re gonna be able to quit all of it

if you want... Never work another day

in your life. Blue skies coming.

INT. ELDORADO - MAGIC HOUR

WELLS:

Close your eyes.

Wells drives down a country lane.

EXT. ELDORADO - DAY

Wells stops, gets out and starts around the car.

KAY:

(happy)

Kenny Wells, what are you doing?

WELLS:

Eyes closed. No peeking.

He opens Kay’s door, leads her a short distance.

WELLS (CONT’D)

Okay, now open ‘em.

She opens her eyes. In her eyes something immense that must be

comprehended. And for a moment we don’t see what she’s seeing

and then we do:

DREAM RANCH LAND

The sweep of ranch land is epic. Prairie dogs hop away. Elk in

the distance the size of ants.

KAY:

It’s beautiful.

WELLS:

It’s going to be our place, above it

all, away from it all. Like we always

wanted. We’ll put the house here.

(MORE)

49.

WELLS (CONT'D)

Fieldstone and oak. The kind that

lasts forever. A big kitchen where I’m

standing. And a great room with two

fireplaces.

He turns to look at Kay, to see if she’s going with it.

KAY:

Can we afford this?

WELLS:

Almost, baby. Almost...

Wells jogs a short distance away, still going...

WELLS (CONT’D)

Bedrooms here and here and here... And

here... For the kids. Ah, come on,

Kay... How many kids?

KAY:

People usually start with one.

They look at each other. It’s golden hour. Then she skips

through the field toward him.

KAY (CONT’D)

Kitchen should go the other way,

Kenny. To get the morning light.

INT. THE THREE GREENHORNS BAR - NIGHT

Wells laying it out for the boys: Burns, Connie, and Nevins.

WELLS:

It’ll be straight commission to

start, but this hook’s got meat on

it. There’s money out there, so reel

it in.

They throw back the rest of what’s in their glasses. Wells

leans over and whispers to Bobby Burns.

WELLS (CONT’D)

This stock’s gonna start cooking. You

sell a little here and there. Don’t

wait. Think rainy day, Bobby boy.

EXT. DREAM RANCH LAND - DUSK

The car doors are open, a great SONG plays on the radio. Wells

and Kay slow dance in the field as a glorious sunset fades.

50.

And PULLING BACK to find a BILLBOARD ON STILTS showing a

“dream house.” As Kay and Wells slowly turn in the distance

and the music is gently blown away across the fields.

INT. THREE GREENHORNS BAR - NIGHT

Wells and Kay dancing in that way happy couples do, almost

like they’re one person, her head melting against his chest.

BURNS (O.S.)

Kenny... this is Walt Kealer. He

publishes “The Gold Digger.”

KEALER:

We reach a half a million readers and

they’d all love to know what you got

cooking over there in Indonesia. You

have a minute, I’ll buy you a drink.

Kealer, a serious guy, and Burns both look at Kay.

KAY:

(almost a whisper)

No one dances like you.

(to the world)

He’s all yours, Walt.

WELLS:

Hell, I read the Gold Digger. Step

over to my office, Walt.

Wells signals for two drinks, leads Kealer to the booth.

KEALER:

They’re saying you bring this in,

you’ll get the Golden Pickaxe. What do

you say about that?

WELLS:

I say we probably just jinxed it.

KEALER:

How many ounces you guessing?

WELLS:

Millions of ounces, Walt. Millions.

Kealer whistles. Makes a note.

50A.

KEALER:

Placer mining?

WELLS:

Hard rock. It ain’t amateur hour.

KEALER:

How’s the infrastructure?

51.

WELLS:

Building it from the ground up.

Wells sees Kay at the bar flirting/teasing with two regulars.

Queen of the runway. He loves this.

AT THE BAR:

Kay waits for Roy to mix fresh drinks.

ROY:

(nodding at Wells)

Seems like someone’s ship is finally

coming in.

KAY:

Everyone’s, Roy.

(so proud)

He makes sh*t happen. He really does.

A customer sidles up and wraps a big arm around. Kay flashes

some wattage -

KAY (CONT’D)

JD, where you been hidin’ yourself?

BACK WITH WELLS -

KEALER:

On a different tack, what do you think

your dad would say if he could see you

right now?

WELLS:

The last card you turn over is the one

that matters.

INT. COLEMAN & MEAD CAPITAL GROUP - CLIVE’S OFFICE - DAY

CLIVE Coleman, 70’s, flanked by a now-deferential Andrews and

Stanton, opposite Wells.

CLIVE:

Kenny, your father and I started out

together in this business. Hell, he

put me in the business, but I don’t

have to tell you that.

WELLS:

Dad always spoke well of you, Clive.

CLIVE:

One of the best men I ever knew.

51aA.

The mention of his father in this context makes Wells proud.

CLIVE (CONT’D)

You’ve gone from 4 to 23 cents on the

first assay result. And you’ve pulled

two more that confirmed those

findings?

51A.

WELLS:

Three more.

CLIVE:

Three more... I’d like to underwrite a

private placement of Washoe stock. I

believe we can raise between eight and

ten million dollars.

WELLS:

Capital’s definitely top of the agenda

right now.

CLIVE:

A lot of folks will want to make this

deal, but we’ve got history and I hope

you know you can trust me. I only wish

you’d brought it to me sooner. I could

have helped you from the get-go.

52.

Wells’ gaze now slides to Stanton, a deer in headlights. Wells

pushes his coffee mug across the table.

WELLS:

Top that off for me, will you?

Stanton rises and exits with Wells’s mug. WE FOLLOW HIM -

INT. COLEMAN & MEAD CAPITAL GROUP - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Stanton walks to the kitchenette. A COWORKER looks at him like

a condemned man. Hear LAUGHTER from the conference room. He

pours the coffee, takes a deep breath, and heads back.

INT. COLEMAN & MEAD CAPITAL GROUP - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

Stanton comes back in to find the group on their feet, Wells

shaking hands with Clive Coleman.

CLIVE:

Stanton. Mr. Wells has agreed to give

us his business. On one condition.

Stanton blanches. Here it comes. Wells is stone-faced.

WELLS:

I want you to personally handle my

account. I need you to be available

to me 24-7 and 365.

Stanton is speechless for just a moment, but finds his voice.

STANTON:

Absolutely. Yes. Thank you.

Clive slaps the stunned Stanton on the shoulder.

CLIVE:

Congratulations. Seems you made quite

an impression.

A look between Wells and Stanton, a look of understanding.

Stanton is grateful, but also knows that Wells owns him.

WELLS:

It’s gonna be a wild-ass ride. You

ready for that?

53.

STANTON:

Yes, sir.

WELLS:

Then what are we standing here for?

Let’s go make some money.

SEQUENCE -

-- THE WASHOE SITE -- the noise is staggering as ACOSTA

supervises more core drilling. FOUR DRILLS now working,

CONVERGING as they MAP THE CONTOURS of the vein.

-- THE ASSAY LAB -- a Washoe sack is cut open, the crushed

rock core sample is poured onto an industrial scale.

-- THE THREE GREENHORNS BAR -- Wells, Bobby Burns and the guys

work the phones. Kay brings Wells another Seagrams. He gives

her a smile, never missing a beat of his pitch.

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