The Crazies Page #16

RUSSELL:

You talked.

Russell shoulders his rifle and walks off, picking up a

portable MILITARY RADIO from the debris along the way. David

watches him then helps Judy to her feet.

A DEAD INTELLIGENCE OFFICER IN A KANSAS CORNFIELD. Blood,

sprayed across the Suburban's undercarriage, SIZZLING on the

hot exhaust pipe.

EXT. HIGHWAY 50 - LATER

David and Judy walk the sun-scorched highway, eyes trained on

Russell who walks fifty paces in front, a man to fear.

DAVID:

I’ll get the guns from him.

JUDY:

What if he tries to stop you?

Russell, out of earshot, glances back at them as if knowing

their private thoughts. Turns forward again. And we get

David’s reply:

DAVID:

He's a good kid, but I'll kill him

if I have to.

Russell starts to jog. David and Judy match his stride,

maintaining that fifty-pace separation.

EXT. GAS STATION - LATER

Abandoned filling station. Russell crosses the lot and goes

inside. David and Judy arrive moments later and follow him.

Tense. Moment of truth.

80.

INT. GAS STATION - DAY

David and Judy enter. On the far wall is a cooler filled

with BOTTLED WATER. Russell tosses them both a bottle.

DAVID:

Thanks.

Russell exits without a word. Steps outside and pours an

entire bottle over his head. Opens a second bottle and sits

down drinking it on the concrete median by the pumps.

David and Judy guzzle, the excess water running down their

necks. Both watching Russell through the window as he SCANS

THE CHANNELS on the military radio. STATIC. He puts the

radio down and heads for the men’s room. David sees

Russell’s mistake.

The radio, and HIS GUNS, sitting by the pumps.

INT. MEN'S ROOM, GAS STATION - DAY

Russell, at the urinal, flushes, zips, steps to the sink

where he blows his nose into his handkerchief.

THE WHITE CLOTH TURNS DARK RED, FILLING WITH BLOOD.

He tucks it away, seemingly unaware. Stares at himself in

the cracked mirror. Dead-eyed. Sweat rivering down his

cheeks.

Madness.

EXT. GAS STATION - DAY

Russell exits. Sees his guns are gone. Flushing with rage,

he crosses to David, who has them.

RUSSELL:

I'm gonna need those back.

DAVID:

I'll carry 'em for a while. You've

been carrying 'em the whole time.

RUSSELL:

Yeah, thanks anyway.

Russell reaches for them. David shakes his head, stony.

DAVID:

I got 'em.

81.

RUSSELL:

You sure about that?

DAVID:

Yeah.

Russell nods, nods again, then draws from behind his back a

SPARE HANDGUN. David is hopelessly outdrawn. Judy white

with terror.

JUDY:

Russell, we're on your side...

RUSSELL:

My side? I didn't even know there

was sides.

JUDY:

There's not, I didn't -

RUSSELL:

Tell her to shut up.

David gestures. Judy stops talking. Russell presses the gun

to David's chest.

JUDY:

RUSSELL, NO!

RUSSELL:

TELL HER TO SHUT HER MOUTH OR I'LL

KILL HER TOO!

DAVID:

(to Judy while looking at

Russell)

Stop talking. Let him think about

what he's doing.

Russell stares David in the face. Finger on the trigger.

Taps him bluntly on the chest with the barrel.

RUSSELL:

One...

(taps him again)

Two...

(taps him again)

Three!

You're waiting for the gunshot but Russell just shakes his

head in reproach.

82.

RUSSELL:

That's how many times I saved your

life.

EXT. GAS STATION / HIGHWAY 50 - MOMENTS LATER

Russell, who now has all the guns, gestures down the road

with his revolver.

RUSSELL:

(e.g. ‘walk’)

Out in front where I can see you.

David and Judy start down the road, Russell behind them.

They talk under their breath.

JUDY:

Let's just run.

DAVID:

No. Give him a target he'll hit

it. Let me think a minute.

They walk on, weighing their options. And David realizes.

They have none.

DAVID:

(turns)

F*** it, I'm gonna confront him.

JUDY:

David, no

DAVID:

We don't get to that truck stop

we're dead anyway.

He walks back toward Russell. Russell raises the M-16.

RUSSELL:

Back off.

DAVID:

I want to talk to you.

RUSSELL:

BACK OFF!

Russell takes aim at David's face.

DAVID:

Just wanna talk.

83.

JUDY:

DAVID, STOP!

DAVID:

Put the gun down.

Russell tightens on the trigger.

RUSSELL:

You better listen to me.

JUDY:

DAVID!

DAVID:

Put it down.

RUSSELL:

FINAL WARNING, CHIEF!

DAVID:

I just want to talk to you.

David walks right up to him. The M-16 pointed at his throat.

Russell staring down the barrel.

DAVID:

Can we talk? Man to man?

A long tense moment then Russell lowers his weapon.

DAVID:

Okay. Here's the deal -

David PUNCHES HIM square in the face, lays him out flat.

Russell, dazed, offers no resistance as David quietly disarms

him, just stares at the sky like he's daydreaming:

RUSSELL:

(hazy)

Remember that monster catfish I

caught last summer?

DAVID:

(disarming him)

Yeah.

RUSSELL:

(hazy)

What'd he weigh, you reckon?

DAVID:

(disarming him)

Ten fifteen pounds.

84.

Faint smile from Russell.

RUSSELL:

(hazy)

Big son of a b*tch.

Judy arrives, her shadow falling across Russell who sits up

now, semi-lucid, the suckerpunch helping clear his head.

RUSSELL:

I'm not right, am I?

David shakes his head no. Russell nods in confirmation.

Unexpectedly, his voice cracks with emotion.

RUSSELL:

Can I keep walking with you guys?

Little while longer?

David trades looks with Judy.

EXT. HIGHWAY 50 - LATER

They're jogging again. Russell struggling to keep up. Judy

drinks from a water bottle, passes it to David. He finishes

it, tosses it. And before the bottle hits the ground - he

grabs her and pull her into the tall grass. They peer

through it. Both crouching.

TWO MILITARY TRUCKS butted together form a CHECKPOINT two

hundred yards down the road. SIX HEAVILY ARMED SOLDIERS IN

BIOSUITS. No way past.

Russell arrives beside them, huffing. Sizes up the

checkpoint. Indicates a route through the adjoining field.

RUSSELL:

Cut through there, you can pick up

the highway on the other side.

DAVID:

They'll see us.

RUSSELL:

They'll be focusin' on me.

David looks at Russell. He's offering to sacrifice himself.

RUSSELL:

Deputy does what the sheriff tells

him. You're the sheriff.

Permission. David can't give it. Russell holds out his hand

for a gun.

85.

RUSSELL:

I’m done, chief, let me go out big.

Moment of deliberation then David puts the revolver in

Russell’s hand, making sure it's fully loaded. A beat and

then he gives him the shotgun as well, pumping his last

shells into the chamber. Gun in each hand, Russell eyes the

checkpoint. Steeling himself. Looks at David one last time.

RUSSELL:

Hoo-f***in'-yah.

And takes off through the field toward the checkpoint. We

run with him, immersed in the sounds - the SWISHING GRASS,

his POUNDING STEPS, and the ROCK ANTHEM he's singing under

his breath to psych himself up ("Walk This Way"):

RUSSELL:

Met a cheerleader was a real young

bleeder oh the times I could

reminisce, 'Cause the best things

of lovin' with her sister and her

cousin only started with a little

kiss, like this...

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