Hard Rain Page #10

JIM:

(to Tom)

Where is it?

TOM:

It's hard to tell now with the water

so deep.

Jim c*cks the hammer on his pistol. Tom gets the hint.

TOM:

It's down there a little further.

Jim nods, gives the engine some juice and they move on.

TOM:

Takes a quick look at his watch.

JIM:

Sees Tom looking at his watch.

EXT. STREET

Karen is in the Sheriff's boat, wearing Phil's jacket, trying

to warm up.

KAREN:

Tom went off in their rowboat.

WAYNE:

(to Phil)

It's Tom now. Looks like you lost

out, pal.

SHERIFF:

Where was he going?

KAREN:

Back to the armored truck.

EXT. CEMETERY

Jim throttles down the ski-boat engine.

JIM:

Here?

TOM:

Uh... no. A little farther --

JIM:

They're not coming, son.

Tom looks over at Jim, pretending to be confused.

TOM:

What?

JIM:

The National Guard. They're not

coming.

TOM:

I don't --

JIM:

I know you've been trying to stall

until they show up, but they're not

coming.

TOM:

(pause as he realizes)

Oh, God. You intercepted Charlie's

call, then you called them off.

JIM:

No, son, I didn't call them off.

They never were coming. We didn't

"intercept" Charlie's call. He called

us direct.

And on Tom's look of disbelief...

INT. DAM CONTROL OFFICE

Hank is on the radio.

HANK:

I'd love to help you, Sheriff, but I

can't leave! If the water goes over

the top again it's bye-bye, dam! Bye-

bye, town! In fact, I could use a

little help up here myself.

EXT. PARK AREA

The Sheriff is in his boat; Wayne is back in his own. The

Sheriff is on the radio.

SHERIFF:

Hank, remember when Mike Crane holed

up in Jack Finch's barn and said he

was gonna burn it down?

CROSSCUT WITH HANK

HANK:

Hey, I was the one who got the dumb

son-of-a-b*tch to come out.

SHERIFF:

Right. And before you went in, I

deputized you, you dumb son-of-a-

b*tch! So when I say get down here,

it's not a request, it's an order.

So get down here! Now! I won't need

you for long. And bring your gun.

EXT. CEMETERY

JIM:

We were gonna hit you just before

you got on the Interstate, but then

you got stuck so we had to change

our plans and take you --

TOM:

Bullshit. This is all bullshit.

JIM:

I knew Charlie when we were both

working construction for the Johnstown

company. His middle name was McCarthy

because his parents loved Charlie

McCarthy on the radio. His wife's

name was Mary. She died of a heart-

attack last year. He has a daughter

and a son, both grown with children

of their own. I'm afraid I don't

know the names of the grandchildren.

Tom looks down, not wanting to believe.

JIM:

What else do I know...? Oh, yes. I

know Uncle Charlie was trying to

steer his favorite nephew away from

a life of crime.

Tom suddenly lunges for Jim. Ray yanks Tom back.

TOM:

Why'd you shoot him? Kill Charlie

and you get to keep another share?

JIM:

No, That was an accident. Ken shot

him.

(eyes Kenny sadly)

I never told him Charlie was on my

side. Ken liked to talk.

(shakes head)

He shouldn't've been here. But his

dad asked me to watch over him. I

guess I didn't do the best job.

RAY:

Excuse me, Jim. I hate to interrupt

and all, but could we just get the

money and get the hell out of here?

JIM:

(nods; to Tom)

I'm gonna ask you one more time. And

before you think of bullshitting me

again, keep in mind I have had a

very frustrating night. And while I

know I'll never get the money if I

kill you, it's getting to the point

where I just don't care.

Jim casually aims his gun at Tom.

TOM:

I'll tell you where it is. But it's

not going to do you any good.

Jim arches an eyebrow.

TOM:

The Guard may not be coming, but

someone else sure as hell is.

EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN THE SHERIFF

At the controls of his boat, moving fast, sprayed by rain.

Karen and Phil are in the back of the boat. Wayne is close

behind in his boat.

EXT. CEMETERY

JIM:

I'll take my chances.

Tom pauses, looks over to...

THE CRYPT:

Just the top of it is visible. Two more COFFINS float nearby.

TOM:

There.

Jim steers the ski-boat over, hands Tom a flashlight.

JIM:

Well, go get it.

Tom climbs over the edge of the ski-boat and into the water.

He turns on the flashlight and drops below the surface.

RAY:

(eyeing Tom in water)

"At night we'd go down to the river

and into the river we'd dive."

(off Jim and Mehlor's

looks)

Springsteen, "The River." I'm all

out of bible quotes.

UNDERWATER:

Tom shines his light on...

THE CRYPT:

One end of a rope is tied to the crypt. The other end, cut

and frayed, is suspended in the water, waving in the current.

ON THE WATER:

Jim watches Tom's light rise. Tom comes up fast, takes a

breath.

TOM:

It's gone.

JIM:

What?

TOM:

(smug)

Looks like somebody beat you to it.

RAY:

Oh for Christs -- I'm gonna shoot

him, Jim.

Ray grabs pistol in his belt. Before he can pull it out,

holes puff out of his chest, followed by blood and then the

sound of the rifle-shots. Ray tumbles into the water. A half-

second later there's...

HAIL OF BULLETS:

Ripping into the ski-boat, water, trees, crypt.

THE SHERIFF'S BOAT, WAYNE'S BOAT

Are outside the fence, a hundred feet from the crypt. PUSH

IN FAST on...

THE SHERIFF:

To the rescue. He and Wayne and Phil fire their guns.

TOM:

Ducks underwater.

JIM:

Pulls his pistol, returns fire.

MR. MEHLOR

Opens fire with a shotgun, shooting wild, yelling. Then he's

hit and knocked out of the boat, dead.

IN THE SHERIFF'S BOAT

KAREN:

Stop! You'll hit Tom!

The Sheriff stops shooting, yells at the others.

SHERIFF:

Hold your fire!

Wayne and Phil stop shooting.

BY THE CRYPT:

Tom is holding onto a coffin, out of view of the Sheriff. He

hears a rush of bubbles and turns as...

JIM:

Comes to the surface, breathing deep.

JIM'S GUN

Comes out of the water fast and the barrel goes to Tom's

forehead.

THE SHERIFF'S BOAT

There's an adrenal fire in the Sheriff's eyes. He starts his

boat forward, Wayne following. Their lights find...

JIM'S BOAT

No sign of life. Then there's a sound and the lights sweep

over to find...

JIM AND TOM:

Climbing up on top of the mostly-submerged crypt. Jim is

behind Tom with his gun to Tom's head.

THE SHERIFF:

Stops his boat. Wayne stops, too. They are thirty yards from

Jim and Tom.

KAREN AND TOM:

A look passes between them.

JIM:

(to Sheriff)

Now, sir, I can imagine you'd love

nothing more than to shoot me, but I

caution you -- in order to do that,

you're gonna have to shoot through

young Tom here.

THE SHERIFF:

Thinks for a second, then shrugs.

SHERIFF:

Okay.

He raises his rifle.

KAREN:

Realizes what is about to happen.

TOM AND JIM:

Also clue in, but before they can move...

THE SHERIFF:

Squeezes the trigger as...

KAREN:

Hits the gun with her arm.

THE RIFLE:

Fires.

TOM:

is grazed in the arm by the bullet.

THE SHERIFF:

Smacks Karen hard with his rifle and she tumbles out of the

boat, unconscious.

TOM AND JIM:

Throw themselves back off the crypt as...

THE SHERIFF AND WAYNE

Empty their guns in their direction.

JIM:

Returns fire, shooting blindly over the top of the crypt.

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