Hard Rain Page #2

CHARLIE:

If it'll shut your mouth you can

have the whole bag.

Charlie starts the truck. Tom thinks about it, then tosses

the bag back.

TOM:

Nah. I start eating donuts and I'll

never get out of this truck.

CHARLIE:

(disgusted)

I love how you think you're better

than this.

TOM:

Don't get me wrong, Charlie. There's

a lot to like about this job -- and

I don't just mean the dashing

polyester ensemble and the solid

three-figure income.

CHARLIE:

(angry)

You ungrateful sh*t! I don't believe

you!

TOM:

(surprised)

Charlie, relax! I was kidding!

CHARLIE:

You don't wanna do this? Fine. Go

back to selling hot construction

machinery. That's a helluva career.

TOM:

It had better hours.

Charlie slams the clipboard down on the seat.

CHARLIE:

You think this is a joke? This is

funny? Jesus Christ! You know how

lucky you are you could get in here?

Thirty years old and all the crap

you pulled and you never got caught?

TOM:

(angry)

That wasn't luck, old man. That was

skill. I was good at it.

CHARLIE:

Oh, yeah, it takes a lot of skill to

fence bulldozers. That's goddamn

genius time.

TOM:

About as much skill as it takes to

sit in a truck and get fat eating

donuts.

CHARLIE:

Oh, so that's all I've been doing,

huh? Just wasting my life away.

TOM:

I didn't say that.

CHARLIE:

Yeah, building a home, raising a

family -- that's just stupid.

TOM:

I didn't say that!

CHARLIE:

You know what, Tom? I really don't

give a sh*t what you said.

Tom doesn't reply. Charlie puts the truck in gear; starts

off. Tom looks at Charlie, shakes his head -- what was that

about?

EXT. ROADSIDE BAR - ESTABLISHING - DUSK

INT. ROADSIDE BAR - DUSK ECU PEN ON PAPER

Writing letters in a crossword puzzle. Holding the pen is...

JIM:

Late 50s, with a creased face and piercing eyes. He's sitting

at the bar, drinking coffee. Rain sheets down outside. The

BARTENDER watches TV, sound off. Next to Jim at the bar are...

RAY, KENNY AND MR. MEHLOR

Ray, 40s, has lank hair, rheumy eyes and a glass of Irish

whisky in front of him. Kenny, 20s, long hair, has the energy

of a puppy -- unfortunately he has about as much smarts as a

puppy. Mr. Mehlor. 40s, looks like -- and was -- a high school

teacher.

ON TV:

Sound off, a MAN is crying about what he has lost in the

flood.

RAY:

"Thus saith the Lord; Behold, waters

shall rise up out of the north and

be an overflowing flood and all the

inhabitants of the land shall howl."

Jeremiah 47:
2.

Ray takes a drink. Kenny leans over to Ray, sotto.

KENNY:

You're gonna be able to buy a helluva

lot of bibles, huh, Ray? Me? First

thing I'm gonna do is get my brother

a lawyer. Best that money can buy.

A thought comes to Jim -- an answer to a clue in the crossword --

and he starts filling in words as Ray and Kenny talk.

RAY:

What's he facing?

KENNY:

Thirty in.

RAY:

He cap a cop or something...?

KENNY:

Security guard. "In the commission..."

All he's got is a piece of sh*t P.D.

Now I'm gonna be able to afford him

a good lawyer -- a guy with a haircut.

Jim leans over to Kenny.

JIM:

'Scuse me a second. Take a look at

thirty-one across.

Jim slides the newspaper in front of Kenny.

KENNY:

Sh*t, Jim. I don't do crossword

puzzles.

MR. MEHLOR

I'll take a look, Jim.

JIM:

Kenny can read.

(to Kenny)

Just look at it. You know when you

write down a word and suddenly it

looks all wrong? Maybe it's right,

but it doesn't look right?

Jim points at the newspaper.

JIM:

Thirty-one across.

Kenny shrugs and looks down at the newspaper.

KENNY:

(mumbles as he reads)

Mention money again and...

His eyes go wide.

ECU CROSSWORD PUZZLE

In an uncompleted part of the puzzle, Jim has written a

message in the boxes. It reads: MENTION MONEY AND I'LL KILL

YOU.

JIM AND KENNY:

Kenny looks up at Jim. Jim glances over at the bartender

then back at Kenny. Understand?

JIM:

Did I get it right?

KENNY:

Yeah, Jim. You got it right.

INT. ARMORED TRUCK - DUSK

Charlie and Tom continue to drive in silence. They both sneak

looks at each other. Their eyes meet for a second, then they

look away. A moment's pause then...

TOM:

Jerk.

CHARLIE:

Jack-ass.

A hint of a smile on both of them. Tom reaches for Charlie.

TOM:

Give us a kiss. Come on.

Charlie goes red in the face, pushes Tom away.

CHARLIE:

Get out of here.

TOM:

(laughs, beat)

You really are a cranky old fart,

you know that?

CHARLIE:

I'm sorry.

TOM:

What was that about? I mean, I'm

just sitting here and all of a sudden

you go postal on me.

CHARLIE:

I don't know, I... It's just this

weather. I... I want to get back.

TOM:

You know, I really do appreciate

what you've done for me. This is a

good job.

CHARLIE:

No, it's not. It stinks. It's putting

your life on the line for someone

else's money.

EXT. ROAD OUT OF TOWN - DUSK

Looking away from town, the HIGH SCHOOL is on the left. On

the right is the CEMETERY. Farther on, on the left, is a CAR

AND BOAT DEALERSHIP. The road is covered in water.

THE ARMORED TRUCK

Goes by the entrance to the high school, water shooting up

from the wheels, pushing out in a wide wake.

INT. TRUCK

Tom glances ahead and sees that the road is covered in water.

TOM:

Jesus. Where's the road?

THEIR POV:

Stretching out ahead of them are reflector bars on the

telephone poles, a few feet above the rippling surface of

the floodwater.

CHARLIE:

It's there.

(beat)

Somewhere. I hope.

(beat)

Look, Tom, I don't care what it is

you end up doing.

TOM:

Oh, God, here we go again.

CHARLIE:

This is the last time, I swear.

Tom sees something ahead. He doesn't understand at first.

HIS POV:

The reflector bar on the pole two poles ahead is lower than

the others. No reflector bars for a hundred yards, then they

resume.

CHARLIE:

(looks at Tom)

I just think, whatever it is you do,

it's time you did some heavy lifting.

Tom figures out what's going on with the reflector bars.

TOM:

Stop!

CHARLIE:

No, you gotta hear this. You're better

than --

TOM:

Stop the truck! We're going down!

OUTSIDE THE TRUCK

The water rises fast up the grille as the truck angles down.

INSIDE THE TRUCK

CHARLIE:

Jesus!

Charlie stands on the brakes.

THEIR POV:

A wave of water rushes forward from the truck, then comes

back and washes over the hood, splashing up on the windshield.

TOM:

Back up!

Charlie throws the truck into reverse but gives it too much

power. They hear the rear wheels spinning underwater. Charlie

eases off, the tires start to catch, they start moving

backwards.

Charlie and Tom exchange a quick look of relief... and then

the engine dies. Charlie tries to restart it, but there's

nothing.

OUTSIDE THE TRUCK

It's stopped on a downgrade -- it's a dip in the road.

The water is up to the top of the front tires: up to the

hubcaps on the rear wheels. The headlights are underwater,

spots of yellow glowing. They've stopped next to a lighted

sign.

CLOSE ON SIGN:

WELCOME TO HUNTINGBURG.

HOME OF THE 1987 STATE CHAMPION WARRIORS.

IN THE TRUCK:

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