Lethal Weapon Page #4

(digs into his

pocket for

loose change)

... Ninety-seven-fifty. Sixty.

Seventy-five. Okay, there's

ninety-eight dollars and twenty

cents...

He is about to check his other pocket for change when

Drug Dealer One stops him.

DRUG DEALER ONE:

Forget it, dumbshit.

RIGGS:

C'mon. I'm almost there. Gimme

a minute to -

DRUG DEALER ONE:

One hundred thousand, you stupid

f***! One hundred thousand!

Riggs is floored. He can't believe his ears.

RIGGS:

Oh, Jesus ... I can't afford that.

Not on my salary.

(beat)

Look... let's do this instead ...

(pulls out his

wallet)

I take your complete stash, okay?

I take it all. For free. And

you a**holes go to jail.

As he says this, he flips open his wallet and shows his

badge. The Drug Dealers at first look startled, then

disbelieving.

RIGGS:

I could read you your rights,

but ... nah. You guys know what

your rights are.

DRUG DEALER ONE:

F*** you, man. That badge ain't

real. And you ain't real.

DRUG DEALER TWO:

But you're sure as hell one

crazy f***!

Riggs' eyes begin to blaze. His nostrils flare. Like

a maniac, he lunges at Drug Dealer Two.

RIGGS:

You callin' me crazy!? You

think I'm crazy! You, wanna see

crazy? I'll show you crazy!

This is crazy!

Riggs then proceeds to slap and pummel the Drug Dealer

in the manner of the "Three Stooges"... complete with

"WOO-WOO" sound effects.

But he ends the routine by pulling a nine-millimeter

Baretta from behind his back and pressing it against

the neck of Drug Dealer Two.

RIGGS:

That's a real badge. I'm a real

cop. And this is a real gun.

(to the other two

Drug Dealers)

Face down on the ground. Arms

and legs out. Do it now!

Dealer One and Three begin to follow orders but Riggs

sees a flicker in their eves that him to trouble.

He spins around -- a FOURTH DRUG DEALER is behind him

with a shotgun. The SHOTGUN EXPLODES. Riggs ducks,

allowing Drug Dealer Two to take the full force of the

'blast in the face.

Riggs rolls in the sawdust FIRING his BERETTA.

Dealer Four takes a bullet between the eyes.

Dealer Two now has an AUTOMATIC RIFLE in his hand.

It CHATTERS in Riggs' direction. Sawdust and pine

needles fly in the air -- but Riggs is able to blow

him away.

One more Drug Dealer left. Riggs can't find him.

His eyes dart in all directions. Where is he?!

Behind Riggs, that's where! He presses a revolver to

the back of Riggs' head, taking Riggs' Baretta from

him and tucking it into his belt.

That's when:

19B FIVE NARCOTICS OFFICERS 19B

come running from their stakeout positions around the

lot. But they stop short when they see that Riggs is

being held with a gun pointed to his head.

The Drug Dealer begins to move with Riggs toward a van

parked nearby.

RIGGS:

(to officers)

Shoot him! Shoot him!

DRUG DEALER:

(to Riggs)

Shut up!

RIGGS:

(to Drug Dealer)

F*** you!

(to officers)

Shoot him! Shoot him!

The narcotics officers don't know what to do. They

are frustrated. Helpless. Immobilized.

Riggs sees the van looming up. The van means defeat.

The van means disgrace. The van means victory for the

bad guys, and we know that Riggs would rather die than

be the instrument of the Dealer's escape.

19C CLOSE ON RIGGS AND DRUG DEALER 19C

The veins are popping out in Riggs' neck. The Drug

Dealer is getting nervous and panicky. His gun hand

is trembling. The barrel of the gun jiggles against

the back of Riggs' head.

RIGGS:

(to Drug Dealer)

Do it, a**hole. Pull the trigger.

Pull the trigger.

DRUG DEALER:

Shut the f*** up!

They move closer to the van. The narcotics officers

have their guns poised for action, but don't dare use

them.

DRUG DEALER:

(to officers)

Guns down! Guns down!

RIGGS:

(to officers)

Shoot him! Kill him!

(to Dealer)

Pull the trigger!

(to officers).

Waste him!

(to Dealer)

Shoot me!

(to officers)

Kill him!!

The Dealer is so freaked now that his grip on Riggs

slips momentarily -- and Riggs sees his opening.

He spins. Kicks the Dealer in the groin. Dislocates

his arm -- sending tlie gun flying. Riggs retrieves his

Baretta from the Dealer's belt and shoves the barrel

into the Dealer's face.

Riggs' entire body quakes with rage. His finger begins

to squeeze back on the trigger. He wants to kill the

guy so bad he can taste it... and yet, he doesn't do it.

The other officers arrive and step between Riggs and

the Dealer.

Riggs turns away. Breatliing hard. Adrenalin pumping.

He tucks the Baretta into his belt, then notices that

his hand is covered with the spilled blood of one of

the Drug Dealers.

It gives Riggs

it.

pause. For a moment, he just looks at

HOLD ON Riggs. VERY CLOSE. And the look in his eyes.

20 OMITTED

thru

25

20

thru

25

26 INT. METRO SQUAD ROOM - MORNING 26

Police have seldom looked this busy. Yes, there are

RINGING PHONES. Yes, there are CLATTERING TYPEWRITERS.

Yes, it looks like a circus. And here comes Captain of

Detectives ED MURPHY, moving like an after-breakfast

juggernaut. Behind him, a young woman rushes to keep up.

The POLICE PSYCHOLOGIST, no less.

PSYCHOLOGIST:

I want Martin Riggs pulled from

duty.

MURPHY:

Um... no.

PSYCHOLOGIST:

No. No??? Captain, he walked

into the line of fire.

MURPHY:

Very brave individual, don't

you think... ?

PSYCHOLOGIST:

This is utter bullshit.

MURPHY:

Oh, is it? Forgive me.

PSYCHOLOGIST:

Martin Riggs is a cop with a

death wish.

Murphy shoots her an incredulous look.

PSYCHOLOGIST:

You can quote me. It happens to

be my professional opinion.

MURPHY:

Um... good opinion. See you

tomorrow.

PSYCHOLOGIST:

Captain...

MURPHY:

Look, Doc, you're way off. Way

off. Know what I think? I think

Riggs is pulling for a psycho

pension.

PSYCHOLOGIST:

Oh, do you?

MURPHY:

Yeah. I am sure you're aware the

department offers a disability

stress pension -

PSYCHOLOGIST:

Yes, I'm aware -

MURPHY:

-- Except we don't offer it to

everybody, only cops who seem to

suffer from

PSYCHOLOGIST:

-- From abnormal stress, yes, I

know. Or suicidal tendencies.

MURPHY:

Give the lady a cigar.

PSYCHOLOGIST:

You think Riggs is playing a game?

MURPHY:

Sure. He wants the

it a hundred times.

around.

cash.

He'll

Seencome

PSYCHOLOGIST:

Sir, with all due respect ... I

think that's a dangerous attitude

to take. May I remind you that

his wife of eleven years was

recently killed in a car accident,

and

MURPHY:

I know all about Riggs, Doc.

a tough bastard.

He's

PSYCHOLOGIST:

(intense)

He is on the edge. He may be

psychotic.

MURPHY:

Bunch of psych bullshit-

can I pee now?

Look,

PSYCHOLOGIST:

I think you're making a mistake

by leaving him in the field.

He's suicidal.

MURPHY:

End of discussion. We're gonna

wait. And then, if he offs

himself ... Well, then we'll know

I was wrong.

Yes, sir.

PSYCHOLOGISTThen we'll know.

CUT TO:

27 EXT. SIMI VALLEY -NIGHT 27

Rain sweeps in off the desert. Cold. Drenching. Riggs

walks slowly toward his trailer home, head down. The

RAIN BEATS on him. He doesn't notice. Under his arm he

carries a large cardboard box.

28 INT. RIGGS' TRAILER - SAME TIME 28

Riggs enters, soaking wet. Switches on the lamp.

Depressing. Jake appears, tail a-thump. Tongue wagging

doggishly. Riggs reaches atop the refrigerator, grabs

a bag of peanuts.

Opens it, tosses it to the dog.

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