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Int. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY - las vegas regional

OFFICE - nIGHT

Ferris strides purposefully through hallways crowded with

people hustling just as urgently as she is. She enters the

large ante-room of a bigshot’s office and addresses JEANNIE,

a civil service secretary.

Ferris

Jeannie, I have to see him right

away.

Jeannie

He’s on with Washington. We just

went on Code Orange.

Ferris

What’s the threat?

JEANNIE:

We found a dirty bomb in East

Vegas. A barrel of C-4 and a kilo

of nuclear waste. But we’re getting

chatter about a dozen more out

there somewhere, ready to blow.

Ferris absorbs the catastrophic news without emotion.

13.

Ferris

Tell him I have a new source that

could help with the case.

JEANNIE:

(snide)

Another remote viewer?

Ferris stares her down.

Ferris

Have him meet me in imaging.

Leaves without waiting for a response.

ext. picnic in park - Day

Cris and a glowing YOUNG MOTHER hold a BABY BOY. Gazing into

the baby’s eyes, Cris beams with perfect happiness. He plays

with the baby’s fingers. The two middle ones are subtly

WEBBED BY A PIECE OF SKIN that comes about halfway up the

bottom knuckle. The image whites out as...

INT. LAUNDRY TRUCK - DAY

Sunlight pours into the back of the truck, revealing Cris

lounging on a mound of laundry sacks. He composes himself and

steps out, nonchalant as James Bond.

CrIS

Thanks, guys. Not too heavy on the

starch.

Computer simulation

The pursuit of Cris through the casino has been mapped into a

3-D visualization. Multiple camera angles have been merged so

that a single POV seamlessly follows Cris without cutting.

It’s clear that Cris avoids trouble before he sees it.

male voice (O.s.)

You pulled me out of a conference

call with the Secretary to show me

a video game?

Int. IMAGING lab - day

ERIC WISDOM, 38, stands next to Ferris as they watch the

simulation on a flat-screen monitor. Highly competent,

solidly masculine, Spencer Tracy to her Hepburn, you can rely

on him in your average emergency. Which this is not.

14.

FERRIS:

I need six men to bring him in.

WISDOM:

We’re on Code Orange.

Ferris

He could help us find the other

bombs.

WISDOM:

That’s an ultra low probability.

None of your “specials” have ever

panned out, and this isn’t the time

to experiment.

Ferris steps close to Wisdom.

FERRIS:

Come on, Eric, you saw it. We’re

flying blind and he’s got radar.

Wisdom steps away from her.

WISDOM:

Callie, people are talking. They

say I’m only funding your research

because we’re involved.

FeRRIS

That’s because they’re....

WISDOM:

Right.

Ouch.

WISDOM:

I’m sorry, but they’re right.

FERRIS:

You bastard.

WISDOM:

I care about you, and I wanted to

support you. But there’s a limit to

what I can...

FERRIS:

(professional)

Look, we analyzed what this ability

would look like if it existed.

(MORE)

15.

FERRIS (cont'd)

I went screening for it in a highly

scientific way. And now I’ve

identified someone who matches all

the indicators. So the next obvious

step is to...

wisdom

Let me do my job! - Christ! Don’t

you ever quit?

FERRIS:

No.

(beat)

I’ve got a country to protect.

He finds her both infuriating and irresistible.

WISDOM:

Use your charm on somebody else.

He stalks out of the room, leaving her more thwarted than

sad.

DRIVER’S POV:
TRAFFIC IN VEGAS

An elevated freeway. Driving behind a pick-up truck carrying

a mattress and box spring.

Cris (v.O.)

I’m not God. I don’t see

everything. Just my own future.

Ext./INT. Cris’ car - day

Cris drives an old Camaro, muscle-y but inconspicuous.

Cris (v.O.)

To me, it seems normal. The way

lightning comes before thunder.

Cris changes lanes to get from behind the truck.

CRIS (V.O.)

Most of the time, I’m not paying

attention. Just making sure I don’t

step in a mess.

In his rearview mirror, Cris sees the mattress fall off the

truck, causing an accident.

16.

CRIS (V.O.)

Sometimes I get a blast from far

away.

He sees a plume of smoke in the distance.

CRIS (V.O.)

Or I can start with a glimpse of

something close and keep pushing

on.

He takes the next exit.

CRIS (V.O.)

Usually it’s none of my business.

He turns into the parking lot of a bookie shop, THE FINISH

LINE.

Int. The finish line - day

Cris walks to the counter. Addresses the manager.

CRIS:

Guy around?

MANAGER:

You are?

CRIS:

Tell him it’s King Midas.

Int. homeland security regional hq - internal security office

-day

TERRY BAINES, plainclothed HEAD OF PROTECTIVE SERVICES for

the Facility, walks down the corridor with three of the

better-trained MILITARY POLICE who have been brought in to

augment the regular staff of civilian FEDERAL PROTECTIVE

SERVICE POLICE. Baines is a handsome former Special Forces

Lieutenant, early-forties, who takes his work very seriously.

Ferris runs to catch up with him. He doesn’t slow down for

her.

FERRIS:

Terry? Terry! - I know you’ve got

your hands full but I was wondering

if you might be able to spare a few

warm bodies for an outside

operation.

17.

She gives him a look. There’s some mutual attraction, but not

a lot of affection.

BAINES:

We’re strictly internal.

FERRIS:

That’s why I need your people.

Everybody else is assigned.

BAINES:

Does Wisdom know about this?

FERRIS:

He suggested it.

While Baines arches a dubious eyebrow, an intellectual junior

analyst, AMANDA, catches up with Ferris.

AMANDA:

Callie.

(corrects herself)

Agent Ferris. I’ve got a face match

on your subject. His name is Cris

Johnson.

Ferris takes Amanda’s PRINTOUT and glances at it on the run:

it’s a PHOTO of Cris on a WANTED BULLETIN.

fERRIS

(slows to a stop)

Never mind, Terry. Pretty Boy here

is wanted for murder in Nevada.

She hustles off with Amanda.

INT. BACK ROOM AT THE FINISH LINE - DAY

A smoky office with a big screen tv and a poker table, but no

card players. Cris is greeted by GUY, relaxed, professional,

smartly dressed, mid-forties. He’s classier than the joint he

runs.

Guy

Well, if it isn’t the Golden Man.

A look, a hug. A lot of history.

Guy

What brings you crawling back to

me?

18.

CRIS:

I need to cash some chips. - Got

tagged.

He starts setting them in stacks on the poker table.

GUY:

You burned through your stash

already?

CRIS:

I’ve been trying to lay low.

Int. State police STATION - dAY

Computer monitor on a desk plays Cris’ escape from the

casino.

CavANAUGH (o.s.)

That’s him. I call him the Road

Runner. You know? Beep beep.

LT. CAVANAUGH, middle-aged hunter type, beer belly but still

a menace.

Ferris

What’s he running from?

Cavanaugh takes a videocassette from a pile on his messy

desk.

CAVANAUGH:

You showed me yours. I’ll show you

mine.

He pops the tape into a VCR. Presses play.

On the monitor

Low-quality security camera recording of a liquor store at

night. Business is good. FIVE PEOPLE wait in line at the

register. Time code reads November 11, 2004. Cris walks in,

unsteady on his feet. Heads for the beer locker. Pauses.

Suddenly runs toward the register at full speed and TACKLES A

CUSTOMER, shoving him hard to the floor. Cris prepares to

hold him down, but the tackled man just lies there, a pool of

blood forming under his head. Cris looks up. The customers

are gaping at him, terrified.

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