Next Page #10

His words hit the bull's-eye. Liz’s whole demeanor softens.

Although still troubled, she takes his arm, and they walk on.

ANOTHER ANGLE - BINOCULAR MASK

ferris (o.s.)

Who’s the woman?

Ext. Hillside overlooking park - day

Ferris, Cavanaugh, and Policeman Rick are each looking

through a pair of binoculars.

POLICEMAN rick

Liz Cooper. Nice girl, but very

erratic.

cAVANAUGH

Think she’ll cooperate?

POLICEMAN RICK:

Hard to say. She’s impossible to

control.

Ferris

Sounds like you’ve tried.

POLICEMAN RICK:

She’s quite a challenge.

EXT. PARK - daY

Liz and Cris, still walking, holding hands.

LIZ:

I swear, I can’t figure you out.

63.

CRIS:

Believe me, the feeling is mutual.

LIZ:

Sometimes you seem mindlessly

impulsive. But other times I feel

like you’re utterly calculating,

saying exactly what you think’ll

push my buttons.

CRIS:

What do you mean?

LIZ:

Don’t you think it’s kind of an

amazing coincidence that neither of

us can have kids?

CRIS:

You want to talk to my doctor? I’ll

get him on the phone. No, really, I

mean it. I’ll have him send you my

records. Because I want you to

trust me.

He seems so sincere that she dismisses her concerns.

LIZ:

Then open up. Talk to me. Where are

you going with your life?

Cris seems unprepared for the question.

crIS

Wherever it takes me.

LiZ

You never think about the future?

CRIS:

All the time. - But mainly how to

stay out of trouble.

LIZ:

No goals? Dreams? Ambitions?

CRIS:

There’s only one thing I’ve ever

wanted.

LIZ:

What’s that?

64.

CRIS:

A family.

She seems disappointed.

LIZ:

That’s all? Just a family?

CRIS:

Well, I was, as they say, left on a

doorstep when I was two.

(makes light of it)

Never found foster parents who

could put up with me. - So to me, a

family sounds like plenty.

That certainly pressed her buttons again.

LIZ:

You’ve got to be making this up.

CRIS:

I wish.

She rests her head on his shoulder.

LIZ:

You poor guy.

Ext. Hillside overlooking park - day

Still watching Cris and Liz as the couple get into her car.

CAVANAUGH:

I say we get the whole department

up here and bust his ass.

Ferris

And by that time, his ass’ll be

long gone.

CAVANAUGH:

Then why won’t he see through your

trap?

Ferris takes a deep breath.

Ferris

Let’s try this one more time.

65.

ext. old SHOPPING CENTER - daY

Grocery, drug store, hardware, gas station. Liz and Cris get

out of her Jeep. He heads for the grocery store.

LIZ:

I’ll meet you inside. I need to

pick something up at the drug

store.

They split up.

Ext. Across the street - unmarked car - day

Ferris, Cavanaugh, and Policeman Rick watch the couple go

their separate ways. Ferris gets out.

FERRIS:

Stay in the car. If he sees your

shadow, he won’t take the bait.

CaVANAUGH

We hear you.

Ferris

I’m serious. This guy can smell

your farts before you even eat the

beans.

rick

Miss, I won’t even think about

beans.

Ferris gets out of the car. Cavanaugh and Rick stay put.

Rick

Sounds like a crock to me.

CAVANAUGH:

You haven’t been chasing him for

three years.

Int. DrugSTORE - day

Liz is in the female department, trying to choose between

various brands when Ferris approaches.

Ferris

Miss Cooper.

LIZ:

Yes?

66.

FERRIS:

Agent Ferris.

Ferris shows her badge. Homeland Security. Liz, frightened,

is ready to listen.

Int. Drug store - dAY

Ferris and Liz huddle in a quiet corner. Liz is in shock from

what she has just heard.

LIZ:

He’s not a killer. He needs help.

Ferris

I agree. But he has a long history

of resisting arrest, and the state

wants to hunt him down with fifty

trigger-happy cops.

LIZ:

(aghast)

You’re not gonna let them.

FERRIS:

That’s why I came to you.

LIZ:

Okay, I’ll talk to him. I’ll try to

get him to...

Ferris shakes her head lamentably.

FERRIS:

Even his best friend says he’ll

never turn himself in. - At this

stage, there’s only one way to keep

him from self-destructing.

Liz knows she’s facing an agonizing decision.

EXT. GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT - DAY

Cris waits impatiently by her Jeep. Liz finally approaches,

carrying a couple of heavy bags filled with wine and booze.

crIS

What took so long?

LIZ:

I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen

in a while.

67.

Liz holds out a single key on a ring.

LIZ:

She said we could use her cabin up

at the peak.

ACROSS THE STREET

Ferris rejoins Cavanaugh and Ferris in Rick’s car.

caVANAUGH

Did you tell her about the future

thing?

Ferris

Of course not. I wanted her to

believe me. - But I loaded her up

with liquor, to dim his headlights.

Ext. Mountain road - day

Liz’s Jeep grinds up a steep, winding road, past a sign that

says “State Line.”

She turns onto a dirt driveway that leads to a cabin and a

glorious panorama.

CRIS:

God, this is gorgeous.

Inspired, he kisses her, but she’s distant.

CRIS:

What’s wrong?

She smiles wanly, then gives him a peck.

LIZ:

Nothing.

She hops out of the truck.

Ext. STAKEOUT SITE across the CANYON - day

Cavanaugh and Rick look through binoculars. Ferris peers

through a telescope on a tripod. Baines approaches with a

half dozen tech and construction guys.

68.

baines

Okay, when you press the remote,

the cabin will lock down like a big

jail cell.

FERRIS:

But silently, right?

BAINES:

Unnoticeably.

CAVANAUGH:

And that’s when we go in.

Ferris rolls her eyes with exasperation.

Ferris

You still don’t get it.

(tries to be patient)

This has to be clear to your whole

army.

(to Baines)

And yours. -- After she comes out

and we lock down the cabin...We

don’t do anything. We wait.

Policeman RICK

But if he’s already trapped...?

FERRIS:

Gentlemen, try to think like him. -

If the plan is to go in right after

he’s trapped, he’ll see it coming

and he’ll slip away before he’s

trapped...

(to Cavanaugh)

Like he’s always done.

cavANAUGH

How does your plan change anything?

baines

At least he won’t hear it when the

trap closes.

FERRIS:

And if he doesn’t know he’s

trapped, he can’t foresee knowing

he’s trapped.

CAVANAUGH:

That kinda makes sense.

69.

FERRIS:

The eureka moment is when he

realizes he’s been trapped.

CAVANAUGH:

When is that?

ferriS

That’s the point. We want to delay

“eureka” for as long as possible.

So by the time he sees trouble and

decides to waltz away...

baines

(finally gets it)

He’s already been in the trap for

hours.

FERRIS:

Voila.

Cavanaugh and Rick nod with a kind of awe.

RICK:

You’re smart.

Baines looks at her with new respect.

Int. Cabin bathroom - sunset

Liz looks in the mirror, torn.

Int. Cabin - parlor - sunset

Cris is lighting a fire he has built. Liz drifts in, pensive.

LIZ:

Cris. Do you think we met for a

reason?

CRIS:

You mean, do I believe a higher

power brought us together?

LIZ:

Yeah.

CRIS:

No. I think we’re just the last in

a long chain of accidents that

started with the Big Bang.

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