Predator Page #16

SCHAEFER:

(screaming)

Billy!!!

But Billy stands at the foot of the bridge, knife raised, waiting,

accepting his oncoming destiny.

SCHAEFER:

Billy!!!

In frustration, Schaefer hikes Ramirez higher onto his back, digs in

and sprints to the top of the hill, Anna waiting at the top.

EXT. BILLY - DAY

Crouches low, knife extended in a fighting position.

EXT. RIDGETOP - DAY

Over the top, in a low depression, Schaefer props Ramirez against some

rocks, reaching for his weapon. They HEAR Billy's echoing SCREAM.

Instantly their weapons are raised, cocked and ready.

SCHAEFER:

Get back, into the rocks!

Schaefer sweeps Anna behind him as Ramirez struggles to his feet.

Together they back up, covering the ridgeline over which they've just

come.

Suddenly, from one side, near Ramirez, the Hunter bursts from the

jungle, Ramirez, seeing the Hunter, spins raising his weapons to

fire...

Ramirez SEES the Hunter's onrushing face, still in camouflage, a

montage of organic textures and colors, his yellow eyes burning.

Whipping the MP-5 is the direction of the Hunter he is hurled backwards

from the impact of the Hunter's weapon, his neck gushing BLOOD, the MP-

5 flying through the air, landing in front of Anna. She moves for the

weapon...

The Hunter, with unearthly speed, turns towards Anna, as Schaefer

starts to spin, SEEING the Hunter about to strike as Anna dives for the

weapon. Schaefer lunges kicking the MP-5 out of Anna's reach.

SCHAEFER:

(to Anna)

Run! Get to the chopper!

Schaefer spins and FIRES, bullets THUDDING into the ground, the barrel

arcing towards the Hunter as Anna stumbles to her feet running into the

jungle.

In a blur the Hunter spins back, hurling his weapon at Schaefer which

slices through the wooden stock of the rifle, SPARKS FLYING as it

severs the trigger guard and steel breech.

The M-203 flies out of Schaefer's hands as the Hunter's weapon cuts

deeply into his left shoulder, laying open the flesh.

The M-203 hits the ground, where it lies broken in half, useless.

Schaefer hits the ground and is rolling, up and running for his life,

the Hunter charging after him.

SCHAEFER:

Crashes headlong through the jungle. He leaps a fallen log, stumbles,

struggles to his feet, running on pure adrenalin, his shoulder pulsing

blood, his eyes filled with terror.

Behind him he can hear the Hunter in pursuit, closing.

Schaefer spins to look behind him, a wild desperate look on his face;

he turns back, ducks an overhanging limb and lunges on.

EXT. HUNTER'S POV OF SCHAEFER - DAY

Closing rapidly... another few yard.

BACK TO SCENE - SCHAEFER

Runs like a madman, the SOUND of the Hunter's FOOTSTEPS close behind.

He's losing ground. He knows he's going to die.

Schaefer SHOUTS. Suddenly the ground before him COLLAPSES and he

disappears from sight.

EXT. CANYON WALL - DAY

In a shower of leaves, flailing arms and legs, Schaefer crashes through

the trees at the canyon's edge, free falling into space.

With a sickening IMPACT, he hits the branches of the first trees lining

the canyon and falls, a hundred feet, through one canopy after another,

desperately grabbing for limbs and branched to break his fall.

He hits the bottom branches of the list line of trees, impacting

crosschest on a large BRANCH, knocking his wind out.

Semi-conscious, he hangs momentarily before he slides off, fingers

digging into the bark, falling another ten feet into the swiftly moving

river.

EXT. RIVER - DAY

Weighted down by his boots and clothing, Schaefer struggles to stay

afloat. Gasping for air he ducks underwater, untying one of his boots.

He surfaces, fills his lungs and dives again, releasing the other boot.

He surfaces, strips off his shirt and pants and begins to swim towards

shore, stroking with one arm.

EXT. HUNTER'S POV - DAY

As he nears the edge of the precipice from which Schaefer has fallen.

The Hunter in close pursuit does not hesitate but LAUNCHES himself off

the cliff in a spectacular LEAP, streaking downward towards the tops of

the trees that grow out from the canyon wall.

The Hunter tears through the canopy of the first tree, the branches and

leaves rushing past in a KALEIDOSCOPIC BLUR.

The Hunter bounds off of one branch after another, moving through the

trees as an expert skier might negotiate a series of downhill gates.

The Hunter leaps free of one tree, bounds across twenty feet of open

space to a large branch of a huge tree, affording a good view of the

river below. From his vantage point, looking down at the windening,

slowing expanse of river, Schaefer is nowhere to be seen.

EXT. SCHAEFER - DAY

He is swept into a still FASTER CURRENT and is carried helplessly

downstream. Boiling WHITEWATER appears.

Out of control he is swept through a series of rapids, pulling his

further and further downstream until he is finally ducked into the

undertow and hurled over the top of a six foot falls, driven deep

underwater by the pounding force of the water.

EXT. POOL AT BASE OF FALLS - DAY

There is no sign of Schaefer. Precious seconds pass. Slowly, looking

like a drowned rat, he surfaces, taking a feeble breath. He is nearly

finished, his energy sapped. But the water is calm and a few strokes

are enough to carry him near the shore. His feet hit bottom.

He tries to stand but pitches headfirst into the thick MUD SLURRY at

the river bank. With his last ounce of strength, he crawls, panting and

gasping into a sheltered mud OVERHANG, collapsing beside the exposed

ROOT-SYSTEM OF A DEAD TREE, his body completely covered in thick, gray

MUD.

Nearly unconscious, he raises his head and looks to the opposite side

of the river, scanning the bank. There is no sign of the Hunter. He

collapses in relief. He's escaped.

Suddenly, the Hunter impacts the water, throwing up a huge SPLASH. He

stands up in the waist deep water. As the water streams off of his

body, the chameleon effect rapidly changes, struggling to match the

shifting color patterns of the shimmering water.

His glaring yellow orbs stare directly at the spot where Schaefer lies

helplessly trapped.

The Hunter surges forward, relentlessly closing in on this prey.

SCHAEFER:

Is frozen in terror, paralyzed with fear, his eyes locked on to the

incredible creature that is about to kill him.

EXT. HUNTER - DAY

Closing rapidly, another ten feet. He leaves the water and walks

through the mud, stopping, towering over Schaefer.

EXT. SCHAEFER'S POV - DAY

As the Hunter's feet surge though the mud and stop, three feet away.

EXT. SCHAEFER - DAY

Realizing his life is about to end, closes his eyes, awaiting the

Hunter's killing blow.

EXT. HUNTER'S EYES - DAY

The fierce yellow orbs look downward.

EXT. HUNTER'S POV - DAY

He's looking directly at Schaefer, EXCEPT HE CAN'T SEE HIM.

He can clearly see the EXPOSED ROOT-SYSTEM, but because of the heavy

mud blocking Schaefer's body heat, Schaefer registers in the Hunter's

vision as merely an indistinct lump of clay, unrecognizable to the

Hunter as a human being.

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