The Debt Page #11

The side door is flung open and Rachel dives in, just as

Stephan roars forward again.

128B INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS 128B

P.O.V - THROUGH WINDSCREEN

The Guard from the bridge has run down the stairs and is

now between us and the exit. As we watch he raises his

rifle...

STEPHAN:

Down!

The three duck as the Guard fires, punching a neat hole in

the windscreen. Seconds later the van thuds into him,

sending him flying.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 54.

128C EXT. VAN - CONTINUOUS 128C

...as it roars out of the depot gates, bullets flying past

it...

129 EXT. ROAD NEAR STATION - NIGHT 129

STEPHAN’S P.O.V

On the road ahead a Border Guard Jeep appears, driving

directly towards them.

Stephan has no choice - he floors it.

At the last second the jeep tries to pull right but the van

catches its rear side and barrels straight through, the

jeep spinning off and smashing into the wall.

130 IN THE VAN 130

Stephan fights to keep the van under control, screeches

into a turn and off down the road.

STEPHAN:

Is he dead? (Beat) Is he dead?

RACHEL:

Who?

STEPHAN:

The Guard! The one who saw your

face! Is he dead?

RACHEL:

No.

Stephen’s grim silence says everything. He glances back at

the unconscious Vogel lying between the other two.

STEPHAN:

How did he come round? How the

f*** did he come round? You gave

him the full injection?

Rachel hesitates.

STEPHAN:

Did you give him the...

RACHEL:

I don’t know! I thought I...

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 55.

STEPHAN:

Jesus Christ!

Stephan can’t believe it’s all fallen apart so quickly.

STEPHAN:

We could have gone!

DAVID:

It’s not over.

STEPHEN:

We could have f***ing...!

DAVID:

WE STILL HAVE HIM! IT’S NOT OVER!

We still have him.

Stephan glares at David but doesn’t say anything. The van

roars on.

131 INT. SAFE HOUSE. CORRIDOR - NIGHT 131

Rachel sits on the floor looking towards the living room,

staring at something.

RACHEL’S P.O.V

...three POTS have been placed under drips from the ceiling

inside the room. We hear the three distinct notes of the

water drops.

Rachel stares dully at the water dripping, feeling

exhausted and numb.

A key scrapes and Rachel turns to the door as Stephan and

David walk in, hair soaked from the rain.

RACHEL:

(Standing up)

What did he say?

Stephan stalks past, ignoring her.

RACHEL:

You made contact?

David nods. David looks after Stephan who’s walked on into

the living room in grim silence.

RACHEL:

What did he say?

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 56.

DAVID:

It’s going to take time. They

need to open up a new route, they

need to find political help.

Maybe the Americans. Two weeks...

maybe three.

Rachel reacts with dismay. Rachel moves after David towards

the living room. The camera continues after her.

DAVID:

We work four shifts guarding him.

We feed him at the end of each

shift. We never leave him alone.

STEPHAN:

(turns to Rachel, hard)

And you’re compromised. You don’t

leave the f***ing house.

DAVID:

We can do this. We just need to

stay focussed.

The three turn to stare at something off-screen.

The camera continues into the room to find Vogel’s body

slumped on the floor, bound to the radiator, mouth taped,

slumped, unconscious.

We continue towards him...closing on his

face...CLOSER...Then his eyes open and he looks at us...

132 INT. BEDROOM/LIVING ROOM. SAFE HOUSE. - DAY 132

Rachel’s EYES OPEN and she lies in bed listening to the

muffled sound of Vogel CURSING and YELLING in German next

door - a breakfast ritual that has been going on for days.

IN THE LIVING ROOM

VOGEL:

(In German)

.....F***ing a**holes! F***ing

pig sh*t food! F*** you! F***

you! F***...

David and Stephan are wrestling with an enraged Vogel,

trying to feed him.

A BOWL clatters to the floor. Vogel’s shouts are muffled as

his mouth is taped again.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 57.

BEDROOM:

He continues to swear at his captors as best he can through

his gag. Rachel tries to block out the sound with her

blanket.

133 KITCHEN 133

Rachel walks in and finds a flushed David wiping oatmeal

off his trousers, the empty bowl on the bench beside him.

DAVID:

(Off her look)

At this rate he’s going to starve

himself to death before we can

get him back.

134 LIVING ROOM - LATER 134

Rachel sits in the armchair near the end of her shift,

watching Vogel who is slumped asleep. He looks dishevelled,

the oatmeal he refused to eat smeared down his chin. She

can’t delay the moment anymore.

She takes a bowl of prepared oatmeal from the table beside

her and walks towards Vogel, stirring the bowl with an

unsteady hand.

She kneels down in front of him.

In the silence, we hear rain falling heavily outside.

Vogel wakes, stays slumped, staring at her with dull eyes.

She takes the napkin that was covering the bowl and wipes

the food from his chin. Finally she removes the tape from

his mouth. Vogel watches her without moving. She offers him

a spoon of oatmeal, waiting for the sudden yelling and

abuse. He says nothing, just opens his mouth obediently.

Rachel feeds him a spoonful of oatmeal. He speaks to Rachel

in German, subtitled.

VOGEL:

My wife.

Rachel ignores him, feeds him another spoonful.

VOGEL (CONT’D)

Is she hurt?

Another spoonful, and another.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 58.

VOGEL (CONT’D)

Is she alright?

An ALARM CLOCK on the table, rings - the end of her shift.

She wipes his mouth, tears some tape from the roll. Vogel

closes his eyes, a look of such genuine suffering it stops

Rachel.

VOGEL (CONT’D)

Please? Tell me she’s alright.

Rachel puts the tape over his mouth and stands. David walks

in and takes his place in the ARMCHAIR facing Vogel.

Rachel begins to leave. She looks back at Vogel who is

staring after her, eyes pleading. She hesitates then gives

a small nod and turns to walk out of the room, passing

Stephan who has been standing in the doorway, watching her.

135 KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 135

Rachel starts to wash the oatmeal bowl. Stephan follows her

in.

STEPHAN:

You can’t talk to him.

RACHEL:

I didn’t say anything.

STEPHAN:

You can’t listen to him.

RACHEL:

I know. I just...

STEPHAN:

(overlapping)

I’m not angry -

He rubs her back. Rachel stiffens a little.

STEPHAN (CONT’D)

-I’m just telling you - we don’t

talk to him. We don’t listen to

him. He isn’t there. He isn’t a

human being. He...

He stops himself.

STEPHAN (CONT’D)

We have a date. Ten days time.

The Americans are going to help.

Rachel looks at him, relieved.

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT WITH PINK AMENDMENTS - 26.03.09 59.

RACHEL:

Good.

He smiles, stares at her, moves a little closer but Rachel

has already side-stepped him and walked away.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote