Hard Rain Page #14

KAREN:

Reaches out with a foot, straining, stretching her body,

almost dislocating her shoulder and...

HER FOOT:

Just barely touches one of Wayne's feet, but then Wayne's

foot slips away and...

KAREN:

Can only watch as...

WAYNE:

Drifts out the door and is pulled away by the current.

EXT. RESERVOIR DAM

Water is cascading over the top of the dam. Chunks of concrete

are washing away.

INT. CHURCH

The Sheriff, Phil and Wayne scan the water, looking for

movement.

SHERIFF:

Where are they?! Jesus!

UNDERWATER POV:

Looking up through a tangle of floating pews at the wavering

silhouettes of the boats and the men in them against the

burning timbers above.

TWO PISTOLS:

Come into view, pointed up through the water.

ON THE WATER:

The Sheriff, Phil and Hank have let down their guard for a

second when there's a series of dull, muted clacks from

underwater as...

BULLETS:

Come streaking out of the water, winging by them, plugging

into the boats.

UNDERWATER:

Jim fires the pistols, the bullets' bubble streaks knifing

up through the water.

THE SHERIFF, PHIL AND HANK

hit the deck in their boats, returning fire over the gunwales.

TOM:

Surfaces over by the stairs up to the balcony, gasping for

air. He runs for the stairs.

BLAZING TIMBERS:

Start to fall from the burning roof frame, hitting the water

with loud sizzling hisses.

THE SHERIFF, PHIL AND HANK

Turn to shoot at tom through the dropping flaming debris.

TOM:

Disappears up the stairs, the bullets just missing him.

UNDERWATER:

Jim runs out of bullets. He's long since run out of air. He

drops his guns and swims under the pews.

HANK:

Looks up, realizing that Tom will be able to shoot down on

him. He reverses his boat fast under the balcony as...

TOM:

Shoots down from the balcony, blowing a chunk out of the

prow of Hank's boat.

INT. KAREN'S HOUSE

The water is up to Karen's chin. Her hands are working

frantically beneath the water.

UNDERWATER:

She's using the tip of the knife blade to unscrew the screws

holding the support to the railing. She's on the last one.

The blade slips, misses, gets a quarter turn, another quarter

turn...

KAREN:

Spits out the water that spills into her mouth.

UNDERWATER:

Another quarter-turn and the screw is loose enough to turn

by hand.

KAREN:

Holds her breath with the water touching her nose. She gets

the screw loose, pulls up on the railing and pulls the

handcuff through the gap between the support and the railing.

INT. CHURCH

The Sheriff turns to Phil and nods re: Jim.

SHERIFF:

You take care of him!

The Sheriff aims at the balcony as Phil scans the water,

looking for Jim.

UNDERWATER:

Jim pulls an electrical cord out of a wall socket.

ON THE BALCONY:

Tom ducks down as the Sheriff's bullets start plugging through

the wood front of the balcony. Tom moves away from the bullet

strikes, splashing through the water in the balcony.

CLOSE ON BALCONY FLOOR

As BANG BANG BANG -- bullets start shooting up from below.

HANK:

Is firing up at Tom through the floor of the balcony.

TOM:

Jumps back, startled, looking down at...

THE BALCONY FLOOR

Holes explode in the floor, sending up small geysers of water.

The water then starts whirlpooling down through the holes.

TOM:

Moves back from hank's advancing bullet holes.

THE SHERIFF:

Keeps firing.

TOM:

Is caught between Hank's bullets and the Sheriff's bullets.

So he racks a load in the shotgun and dives backwards off

the balcony.

HANK:

Is still shooting up as...

TOM:

Arcs off the balcony, firing the shotgun under the balcony

at Hank.

HANK:

Dives to the floor of his boat as Tom's shotgun blasts blow

plate-sized holes in the church doors.

TOM:

Lands in the water and goes under.

THE SHERIFF AND PHIL

Look for Tom in the water.

HANK:

Starts to get up from the bottom of his boat, searching for

a clip for his gun.

THE SHERIFF:

Sees Tom's shape in the water and is about to shoot when...

JIM:

Jumps up out of the water with the electrical cord. He tosses

a loop of the cord around the Sheriff's neck and pulls,

yanking the Sheriff out of the boat.

TOM:

Comes out of the water, aiming his shotgun at...

PHIL:

Who is aiming his pistol at Tom. Phil freezes.

THE SHERIFF AND JIM

Struggle in the water. Jim pulls the cord tightly around the

Sheriff's neck as the Sheriff tries to get a shot off at Jim --

he can't get the barrel pointed at Jim.

HANK:

Fumbles with the bullet clip.

HANK:

(to Phil)

Kill him!

TOM:

Turns his shotgun on Hank and pulls the trigger -- click. Uh-

oh.

HANK:

Kill him!

TOM AND PHIL:

Exchange a look.

HANK:

Slams the clip into his gun and levels it at Tom.

PHIL:

Points his gun at Hank.

PHIL:

No! We can't --

BANG! and hank shoots Phil. Phil pitches back out of the

Sheriff's boat.

PHIL:

Lands between Jim and the Sheriff, knocking them apart.

THE SHERIFF:

Is free of Jim's grasp. He shakes off the electrical cord

and turns to shoot...

JIM:

Who moves a little faster. He grabs Phil's pistol and puts

it to the Sheriff's head before the Sheriff can bring his

gun around.

HANK:

Draws a bead on Jim and is about to shoot when...

TOM:

Comes out of the water on the other side of Hank's boat. Tom

pushes down hard on the side of the boat.

HANK:

Is rocked back, thrown off balance. He starts to spin and

bring his gun around when...

TOM:

Swings with the shotgun, catching...

HANK:

In the side of the head. Hank crumples and falls into the

water, taking his rifle with him.

JIM AND THE SHERIFF

Jim nods at the Sheriff's rifle.

JIM:

In the boat.

THE SHERIFF:

Hesitates, then tosses his rifle into the boat.

TOM:

Grabs Hank's rifle and aims it at the Sheriff.

TOM:

Where's Karen?

INT. KAREN'S HOUSE

Karen undoes a last screw in a metal support.

She pulls the handcuff through the gap between the support

and railing. She's at the top of the stairs.

THE END OF THE RAILING

Curves and goes into the wall.

KAREN:

Tugs at the railing, tries rocking it up and down. It doesn't

budge. She starts chipping at the plaster with the knife.

KAREN:

God, I am really beginning to hate

fine craftsmanship.

THE WATER:

It's up to her chest.

INT. CHURCH

The Sheriff hesitates.

TOM:

Where is she?

SHERIFF:

They went back to her house.

TOM:

Where's her house?

SHERIFF:

It's --

And just then they all hear something truly ominous -- a

siren pierces the night.

INT. KAREN'S HOUSE

She reacts to the siren -- uh-oh.

INT. CHURCH

The siren wails.

JIM:

What in God's name is that?

SHERIFF:

Hank?

HANK:

(woozy but okay)

It's topped out.

SHERIFF:

How much time we got?

HANK:

How should I know?

SHERIFF:

Guess!

HANK:

It's an old dam! Not long.

SHERIFF:

(to Tom)

Then I'd say you boys better drop

your guns.

TOM:

What?

SHERIFF:

That's the deal! You let me and Hank

go -- with a few of these bags --

and I'll tell you where to find Karen.

JIM:

(to the Sheriff)

Get out of the boat.

TOM:

Hold on.

Jim turns to look at Tom.

JIM:

Hold on?

SHERIFF:

It's the only way you're gonna find

her!

TOM:

It's only a couple of bags.

JIM:

No.

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