Hard Rain Page #5

On the wall, angles down into the water. Underwater there

are a couple of steps leading up to a change in level in the

hall -- that's what the jet-ski grounded on.

HALLWAY:

Ray motors down the hallway toward the corner.

RAY:

Kenny?

HIS POV:

Around the corner comes a jet-ski. Ray assumes it's Kenny.

RAY:

See him?

Then the jet-ski speeds up and shoots by him. Ray sees it's...

TOM:

Wearing Kenny's hat and jacket.

RAY:

Gives chase.

SCHOOL HALLWAYS:

Ray races after Tom along the flooded hallways, taking the

turns fast. Ray pulls a gun, starts shooting.

TOM'S POV

Tearing through the halls, flashlight lighting the way.

Bullets hit the walls, ceiling, water around him.

TOM:

Comes around a corner, sees the open front doors ahead of

him.

JIM AND MR. MEHLOR

Come into view in the ski-boat, blocking the exit.

TOM:

Turns hard and speeds down a side hall.

TOM'S POV

A wall of windows at the end. No way out. Trapped. Then...

KENNY:

Rises out of the water, blood running down his face, pistol

up.

TOM:

Looks back.

RAY:

Is on his tail.

TOM:

Makes his choice and guns the jet-ski straight at Kenny.

TOM:

Yee-hah!

KENNY:

Fires, misses and is knocked to the side as...

TOM:

Hunches down on the jet-ski and crashes through the windows.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL

Jim and Mr. Mehlor are moving right outside the windows just

as Tom blasts out of the school and races off into the dark.

EXT. OPEN WATER

Tom moves fast over the water. He yanks off his clip-on tie.

JIM AND THE OTHERS

Chase Tom's light, behind by fifty yards, heading out into

farm fields. They get closer and closer and then watch as...

TOM'S JET-SKI

Runs straight into a tree and explodes.

JIM AND THE OTHERS

Race up to find the burning, flaming wreckage of the jet-

ski. Ray circles on the other jet-ski. Kenny, still bleeding

from the head, is in the boat with Jim and Mr. Mehlor.

KENNY:

(laughing)

Nice driving, buttwipe!

RAY:

I'm glad you're enjoying this, Kenny,

but if he's dead, how do we find the

money?

Kenny reacts -- oh, right.

JIM:

Oh, he's still alive.

We see what Jim sees.

ECU THROTTLE OF JET-SKI

Tom used his tie to wrap the throttle open.

HUNDRED YARDS AWAY

Tom is hiding in the branches of a floating tree, watching

the distant lights of Jim and his men. The current carries

Tom away.

WITH JIM AND HIS MEN

Jim scans the horizon; sees nothing.

JIM:

Ray, I'm in need of a little

inspiration.

RAY:

"With a raging flood he makes an end

of those who oppose him, and pursues

his enemies into darkness." From one

of the more obscure --

KENNY:

Sorry to interrupt Bible study and

all, but has no one but me noticed

how completely screwed we are? We

should be back in the motel room,

counting out the money. Instead --

Jim lashes out with a fist, hard and fast, hitting Kenny in

the chest, knocking him out of the ski-boat, into the water.

Kenny comes up in the thigh-deep water, sputtering.

JIM:

No one likes this particular turn of

events, Kenny, but we have a choice --

we can can either deal with it or we

can walk away. There's a lot of money

out there, so I choose to deal with

it. If you want to go, that's fine --

start swimming. You want to stay,

that's fine, too -- just stop your

damn whining.

Jim pushes the throttle forward and the ski-boat takes off,

leaving Ray on the jet-ski, with Kenny in the water.

KENNY:

What the hell's his problem? All the

money in the world ain't worth a

goddamn nickel if you get caught.

It's not like there won't be other

jobs.

RAY:

You may have more of these in you,

Kenny, but Jim doesn't.

Ray pulls Kenny up onto the jet-ski and takes off after Jim.

EXT. BACK OF CHURCH - SANDBAG WALL

The water level is creeping up a five-foot-high wall of

sandbags.

REVERSE ANGLE:

Looking out over the top of the sandbag wall. A tree floats

by on the water.

HANDS:

Suddenly appear on the top of the wall and...

TOM:

Pulls himself into view. He climbs over the wall, exhausted.

BEHIND THE SANDBAG WALL

Gasoline-powered pumps are sucking up any rainwater. The

sandbags have kept the floodwater at bay.

TOM:

He hurries up the back steps and goes into the church.

INT. CHURCH - BACK ROOM

Tom walks through a small room lined with closed cupboards.

He goes through a door.

INT. CHURCH - MAIN HALL

Tom comes out into the altar. He looks around, impressed.

It's a beautiful church. Scaffolding goes up one wall -- the

church is being restored. Tom is startled by a sound from

above. He grabs a heavy silver candlestick as a weapon and

looks up to see...

BIRDS:

Fluttering up in the rafters.

TOM:

Takes a breath. Just as he relaxes, he hears a whooshing

sound from behind him and turns to see...

A LARGE CRUCIFIX

Being swung at his head. Thunk and...

THE SCREEN GOES BLACK

FADE IN:

INT. SHERIFF'S STATION

Tom slowly regains consciousness, blinking his eyes. He

hears...

SHERIFF (O.S.)

What are you doing here?

But the Sheriff isn't asking Tom, he's asking...

KAREN:

30, pretty, even in head-to-toe rain gear.

KAREN:

I was setting up pumps.

WAYNE:

I sure as hell don't get what you

see in that church.

KAREN:

I wouldn't expect you to, Wayne.

WAYNE:

What's that supposed to mean?

SHERIFF:

Karen, did you think the order was

for everyone but you to evacuate?

KAREN:

I was gonna go as soon as I filled

the pumps, but the next thing I know,

I've got a looter on my hands. Now,

maybe I'm crazy, but I was expecting

a little gratitude?

PHIL:

I think it's great what you did.

WAYNE:

That's it, Phil. That'll finally get

you into her pants.

PHIL:

Shut up.

SHERIFF:

What if he'd had a gun, Karen? A lot

of these looters carry guns.

TOM (O.S.)

I'm not a looter.

TOM:

Sits up on a cot, behind bars in the holding cell, woozy.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL

Jim and his men are searching the school for the money.

RAY:

Jim, it could be anywhere. It might

not even be in the school.

JIM:

Keep looking.

EXT. MAIN STREET

The rain sheets down hard. A lightning flash reveals...

THE STATUE:

The water is up to the horse's knees. The lightning passes

and a second later thunder rolls.

INT. SHERIFF'S STATION

The Sheriff, Phil, Wayne and Karen stand outside the cell.

Tom is inside, on the cot. He touches the cut on his forehead.

WAYNE:

What were you doing at the church?

KAREN:

I told you -- he was looting it.

TOM:

I just said I'm not a looter!

(to Karen)

You're the one who nailed me?

(Karen nods)

You got a better arm than my ex-wife.

What the hell did you hit me with --

a statue? I saw a flash of some guy

coming at me.

KAREN:

(mumbles, embarrassed)

It was a crucifix.

(to others)

It was the only thing there!

TOM:

Oh, great. Now I'm gonna have people

coming from around the world to see

the face of Jesus on my forehead.

SHERIFF:

Look, son, what were you doing in

the church?

TOM:

Looking for a place to hide out.

WAYNE:

From who -- Swamp Thing?

TOM:

The bastards who killed my partner.

That stops the room.

TOM:

We were driving an armored truck.

The truck got stuck out past the

high school. They must've picked up

our call to dispatch, 'cause they

knew where we were. Charlie and I

were just standing there and all

hell broke loose.

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