The Fugitive Page #10

Gerard moves back through the bedroom past the SCREAMING

woman. He locks in on the voice and sound of the moving

fugitive.

ON COPELAND AND NEWMAN

Copeland listens but gets no response from Gerard. He backs

through the second bedroom door, pulling Newman into the -

LIVING ROOM:

Newman's eyes are pure terror - the blade pressed against

his throat.

COPELAND:

(to Gerard)

You hear me? I said, I want out or

I'll cut your man's throat!

GERARD:

Keeps moving down the hallway, through first bedroom, pauses

at door to the second bedroom and chooses his course.

LIVING ROOM:

Copeland positions himself between the bedroom door and the

hallway opening. He's troubled he can't hear Gerard.

Suddenly he hears a NOISE behind him at the bedroom door He

whips Newman around and we see:

A shoe hits the floor. Copeland realizes his mistake too

late. He turns back to the hallway and there is Gerard.

He never blinks. FIRES once killing Copeland instantly.

The knife falls to the floor. Newman clutches his head,

stunned but unhurt.

Gerard now turns to the screaming woman behind him in the

bedroom doorway.

GERARD:

Shut up.

She does. Immediately.

EXT. HOUSE - MORNING

As coroners and tactical police mop up. Gerard moves across

the yard, sips coffee from Styrofoam cup. He stops at a

sheriff's car, Newman sits on back seat, shaken, nearly

hysterical, clutching his ear.

NEWMAN:

My ear... I can't hear a thing out

of it. I can't believe you did that!

GERARD:

You think I should have bargained

with him, don't you?

NEWMAN:

Yes. You could've missed! You

could've killed me!

GERARD:

Yeah, you're absolutely right. I

could've.

They hold a look.

GERARD:

How bad's your ear?

NEWMAN:

Terrible. I probably have permanent

hearing damage.

GERARD:

Let me see it.

Newman leans toward him. Gerard speaks into his ear.

GERARD:

I don't bargain.

Gerard leaves. Newman watches him - realizing what a truly

unsettling man Gerard is.

EXT. CHICAGO PAY PHONE - MORNING

Kimble makes call. While he waits for phone to be answered

TRAINS COME and GO in the b.g. An EL CROSSES OVERHEAD. The

BELLS of Chicago River DRAWBRIDGE.

KIMBLE:

Walter. It's Richard.

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. LAW OFFICES OF GUTHERIE, MORGAN AND WAINWRIGHT - DAY

Walter Gutherie answers phone from his office overlooking

Lake Michigan.

GUTHERIE:

Richard... Jesus, why did you run?

Running only makes you look guilty.

KIMBLE:

I wasn't worrying about appearances,

Walter.

GUTHERIE:

Tell me where you are. I'll come

meet you so you can turn yourself

in .

KIMBLE:

I'm not turning myself in. I need

money.

Gutherie is silent. When he speaks again his speech takes on

the lawyerly tone of a man who's covering his own bases.

GUTHERIE:

Richard. You're asking me to harbor

and aid a convicted felon... I can't

help you that way. My advice - both

as a friend and as your legal counsel

- is for you to give yourself up.

Now tell me... where are you?

Kimble picks up the change in his attorney's tone.

KIMBLE:

(beat)

St. Louis.

GUTHERIE:

Give me an address. I'll be -

CLICK. Gutherie hears the LINE GO DEAD. Kimble's gone.

EXT. DOWNTOWN - DAY

Kimble stands in the doorway with cup of coffee. He considers

his next move. Then seeing bank clock flash the time: 9:30 -

he knows what that move is.

INT. NORTH BANK TENNIS CLUB - DAY

An upscale mid-town tennis club. Behind glass windows of

the entryway we see tennis courts. From the courts comes Dr.

Charles Nichols still dressed in his warmups, carrying his

tennis bag. A friendly DESK ATTENDANT Sharon) smiles as he

goes by.

DESK ATTENDANT:

See you tomorrow, Dr. Nichols?

NICHOLS:

Creature of habit, Sharon.

EXT. NORTH BANK CLUB - DAY

Dr. Nichols leaves the club. He tosses his gym bag into the

back of his car and drives off.

INT. / EXT. NICHOLS'S CAR - DAY

As he pulls up to the first stoplight, a homeless man moves

toward the driver's side and begins washing his windshield.

Nichols waves the man off.

NICHOLS:

Not today, please.

The man shuffles off. Just then a second man appears at his

passenger window. He leans down to wave him away

NICHOLS:

No. Not -

... then stops - the face at his passenger window is

Richard Kimble's.

NICHOLS:

(stunned)

Oh, my God... Richard...

Nichols rolls down the passenger window.

KIMBLE:

How're you doing, Charlie?

NICHOLS:

You're alive...

KIMBLE:

Yeah. And I need your help.

NICHOLS:

Anything.

KIMBLE:

I need some money. Whatever you've

got on you.

NICHOLS:

Of course.

Nichols reaches into his gym bag in the backseat and digs

for his wallet...

NICHOLS:

Tell me where you're staying. I'll

get you more money. Some clothes.

Just give me an address...

KIMBLE:

I'll call you.

Kimble glances around, the area is still clear. He looks

back into the car and doesn't see the police car turn the

corner and come up the street behind them.

Nichols finds his wallet ant hands all the cash he's got to

Kimble, who quickly pockets it.

NICHOLS:

I know why you came back - to find

him. If I can help, call me...

Call me.

They hold a look. The stoplight changes to green but they

don't see it.

KIMBLE:

Thanks, Charlie...

NICHOLS:

Here, Richard, take my coat...

He reaches into the back for his coat, suddenly police car

behind him POPS its SIREN. Nichols looks into his rearview

mirror. Sees a COP lean out his window.

COP:

(to Nichols)

Hey, buddy - green light. Let's go.

Nichols looks back at Kimble. He's gone.

INT. U.S. MARSHAL'S OFFICES (CHICAGO) - CLOSE ON AUDIO TAPE - DAY

REWINDING. The media room - just what it sounds like -

banks of audio/video equipment and a sound board.

Renfro rewinds the tape. Gerard, Biggs, Poole and Newman.

POOLE:

We've alerted St. Louis P.D

GERARD:

Call them back. Tell them you've

made a mistake.

POOLE:

What?

GERARD:

(to Renfro)

Stop it there.

Renfro hits play. Kimble's VOICE is heard again:

GERARD:

Drop the voices.

Renfro removes the two voices. What comes up are the

BACKGROUND SOUNDS. EXTERIOR NOISES (BELLS RINGING, TRAFFIC,

MECHANICAL... TRAINS). Everyone becomes focused to the

sounds now.

GERARD:

(he's heard something)

Listen.

BIGGS:

Trains? Traffic?

GERARD:

More... there's a voice in the

background.

At first the sound is unrecognizable. A BELL. GRINDING

MECHANICAL. Then a P.A. VOICE on the tape: "Next stop

Merchandise Mart."

RENFRO:

That's an El announcement.

GERARD:

And there's no E1 in St. Louis.

Ladies and gentlemen, Richard Kimble

is in Chicago. Poole, get his

artwork out to local police and have

C.P.D. check the shelters... Biggs,

bring in the detectives that handled

his case.

Instantly the room is in movement.

STEVENS:

I'll prepare the press release.

GERARD:

No.

Stevens stops.

GERARD:

They don't know he's alive and as

far as Kimble knows we don't either.

I want to keep it that way as long

as we can. Are we clear?

The whole group sense Gerard's intensity in regard to

Kimble.

RENFRO:

(for the group)

Perfectly.

Gerard reflects on a moment of personal satisfaction.

GERARD:

Noah... go to my office and let's

officially take Dr. Kimble out of

purgatory.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes