Sound of Metal Page #4

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PROTAGONIST:

Yes, it is – I’m looking right atit.

Above the bustling street, a HIGH-RISE HOUSE, at least twentystoreys tall, with two large balconies, towers over...

MALE VOICE:

(over phone)

I’ll see who’s on deck. BombayYacht Club, two hours.

As the Protagonist hangs up, he spots a figure, on the topbalcony. A WOMAN IN A SARI, standing high above the city.

INT. BOMBAY YACHT CLUB – EVENING

The Protagonist enters the quiet ex-colonial establishment.

Takes a seat. A BUSINESSMAN sits down next to him.

BUSINESSMAN:

It seems you need an introductionto a prominent Mumbai local onshort notice. I’m Neil.

Neil offers his hand. The Protagonist takes it –

PROTAGONIST:

I need an audience with SanjaySingh.

NEIL:

Not possible.

PROTAGONIST:

Ten minutes, tops.

NEIL:

Time isn’t the problem. Getting outalive’s the problem.

(thinks)

Would you take a child hostage?

The Protagonist shakes his head.

NEIL (CONT'D)

A woman?

PROTAGONIST:

If I had to. I’m not looking tomake much noise here.

18.

Neil keeps thinking. Signals a waiter –

NEIL:

Vodka tonic.

(gestures at theProtagonist)

Diet Coke.

The Protagonist stares at Neil. Neil looks up, confused.

NEIL (CONT'D)

What? You never drink on the job.

PROTAGONIST:

You’re well informed.

NEIL:

It pays to be in our profession.

PROTAGONIST:

Well, I prefer club soda.

NEIL:

(grins)

No, you don’t.

Neil raps his knuckles on the table, thinking.

NEIL (CONT'D)

How’s your parachuting?

PROTAGONIST:

Broke an ankle in basic training.

Singh’s house isn’t tall enough toparachute off of.

NEIL:

(thinks)

But it’s bungee-jumpable.

PROTAGONIST:

I don’t think ‘bungee-jumpable’ is

a word.

NEIL:

It may not be a word, but it may beyour only way out of that place.

(a thought occurs)

Or into it, for that matter.

EXT. HIGH-RISE HOUSE – EVENING

ARMED GUARDS patrol the balconies.

19.

INT. HIGH-RISE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

Inside one of the magnificent rooms, a middle-aged Indian manmixes drinks. This is SANJAY SINGH.

EXT. LOW ROOFTOP NEXT DOOR TO HIGH-RISE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

Neil and the Protagonist race across the roof carrying asports bag. Neil pulls out a WINCH, the Protagonist pulls outa large CATAPULT, loops it around two pipes, glancing downinto the WALLED YARD at the foot of the high-rise house.

Neil BOLTS the winch to the roof, the Protagonist sights theupper balcony of the high-rise house, FIRES a ball with aline up and over the balcony railing...

EXT. HIGH-RISE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist and Neil lie next to each other as the WINCHRUNS, TENSIONING THEIR ELASTIC LINES... they LAUNCHthemselves, FLYING UP to land against the side of thebuilding –

They RUN SILENTLY UP THE BUILDING, onto the UPPER TERRACES,

SHOOTING TWO GUARDS with silenced pistols...

INT./EXT. HIGH-RISE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

Sanjay Singh hands a drink to the Woman in the sari. Theymove out onto the balcony –

EXT. BALCONY – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist surprises Sanjay, holds him at gunpoint –

PROTAGONIST:

(to the Woman)

Stay back.

(to Sanjay)

I was almost taken out by a veryunusual type of ammunition inUkraine. I want to know who

supplied it.

SANJAY:

My name’s Sanjay. And you are?

(silence)

No chit-chat?

The Woman pushes a RED BUTTON on the wall –

20.

PROTAGONIST:

There’s no one at the other end. No

one who’s going to help you,

anyway.

INT. SECURITY STATION, HIGH-RISE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

An alarm buzzes, the Security Guards are frozen, Neil has agun on them, a finger to his lips...

EXT. BALCONY, HIGH-RISE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS

Sanjay tries to turn to see the Protagonist –

SANJAY:

Why would I know who supplied it?

The Protagonist pushes his head back around with the gun –

PROTAGONIST:

The combination of metals is uniqueto India. If it’s from India, it’s

from you.

SANJAY:

A fair assumption –

PROTAGONIST:

Deduction.

SANJAY:

Deduction, then. Look, my friend,

guns are never conducive to aproductive negotiation.

PROTAGONIST:

I’m not the man they send tonegotiate...

He C*CKS his weapon – puts the gun to Sanjay’s head –

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

But I am the man people talk to.

SANJAY:

(charm curdles)

I can’t. I can’t tell you.

PROTAGONIST:

You’re an arms dealer, friend –

this may be the easiest triggerI’ve ever had to pull.

21.

WOMAN (O.S.)

To say anything about a clientwould violate the tenets he lives

by...

The Protagonist GLANCES at the Woman... whose fingers arecasually INTERTWINED. The Protagonist brings his free hand upto hold the gun in both hands, fingers INTERLACED...

PROTAGONIST:

If tenets are important to you,

then you can tell me. Everything.

WOMAN:

Not while you have a gun to myhusband’s head.

The Protagonist releases him.

WOMAN (CONT'D)

Sanjay, make us a drink.

INT. TERRACE OVERLOOKING MUMBAI, SANJAY’S HOUSE – LATER

Overlooking the extraordinary bustle of the city. Sanjay hasleft. His wife hands the Protagonist his drink –

PRIYA:

I’m Priya Singh.

PROTAGONIST:

This is your operation?

PRIYA:

A masculine front in a man’s world

has its uses. The dealer you’relooking for is Andrei Sator.

PROTAGONIST:

The Russian oligarch?

PRIYA:

You know him?

PROTAGONIST:

Not personally. Made his billionsin gas, moved to London and married

an English girl. Said to be on theouts with Moscow.

PRIYA:

Very good. Except the ‘gas’ he madehis billions from was actuallyplutonium, and he’s said to be onthe outs so he can feed British

Intelligence whatever the Russianswant them to think they know.

22.

PROTAGONIST:

None of which explains how or whyyou sold him inverted munitions.

PRIYA:

When I sold him the rounds, theywere perfectly ordinary.

PROTAGONIST:

So how did he get them inverted?

PRIYA:

We believe he’s functioning as somekind of broker between our time and

the future.

PROTAGONIST:

He can communicate with the future?

PRIYA:

We all do. Credit cards, email,

text – anything that goes into therecord speaks directly to thefuture. The question is – can thefuture speak back? And, if so, whatare they saying?

PROTAGONIST:

And I’m supposed to find out?

PRIYA:

To get anywhere near Sator wouldtake a fresh-faced protagonist...

She reaches up to touch his cheek.

PRIYA (CONT'D)

Fresh as a daisy. Get close, findout what he’s receiving and how.

PROTAGONIST:

Is it safe to involve British

Intelligence?

PRIYA:

I have a contact who’s out of

Sator’s reach.

PROTAGONIST:

One of us?

PRIYA:

No, he thinks we’re chasingplutonium.

SIRENS. BANGS! Priya looks over to see POLICE CARS arrivingfar below, in the WALLED YARD at the foot of her house...

23.

PRIYA (CONT'D)

You’d better get out of here.

PROTAGONIST:

Can’t you explain things?

PRIYA:

You have to start looking at theworld in a new way – this conflictruns backwards and forwards

simultaneously. Your name on apolice report reveals your identityto the future – they pass it backto Sator –

PROTAGONIST:

My cover’s blown before I get nearhim.

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