The Game Page #22

Nicholas glances at the door, moving for it, dragging

Christine. Feingold's still got his hands up...

Nicholas and Christine near the doors...

Feingold bolts another direction, leaping tables...

Security Guard 1 shifts aim to Feingold...

SECURITY GUARD 1

Stop!

Security Guard 1 FIRES...

INT. 12TH FLOOR HALLWAY -� NIGHT

Nicholas shoves out into the hall with Christine just as

GUNSHOTS ECHO behind. MORE horrified SCREAMS HEARD and

TABLES TOPPLING and PLATES CRASHING.

Nicholas shoves Christine ahead, searching desperately...

NICHOLAS:

Get us out of here...

CHRISTINE:

Nicholas...

NICHOLAS:

Get us out!

He shoves. She falls. He pulls her back up...

INT. STAIRWELL -- NIGHT

They enter. He makes her climb at gunpoint...

NICHOLAS:

Move, move, move!

They climb stairs... up towards the "HELIPORT..."

EXT. ROOFTOP -- NIGHT

Air ducts, etc. A MUFFLED ALARM SOUNDS as Christine comes

out the door onto the windy rooftop, followed by Nicholas.

She backs against the railing the borders the huge BLACK

PIT at the center of the building; an atrium SKYLIGHT.

Nicholas SLAMS the door, throws the HEAVY BOLT, searches to

make sure the rest of the roof is clear.

CHRISTINE:

What do you think you're doing?

NICHOLAS:

You tell me... I want to know who's

behind this. Who did this to me...

how, why... ?

CHRISTINE:

How deluded can you be? There's no

why...

NICHOLAS:

Who's responsible?!

CHRISTINE:

It wasn't you. It wasn't personal...

NICHOLAS:

You call them...

Nicholas pulls out the WALKIE-TALKIE, throws it to her.

CHRISTINE:

It could have been any a**hole with a

couple hundred million in the bank.

NICHOLAS:

Call them, tell them to get the boss

up here. Tell them I'll kill you...

POUNDING is HEARD from the other side of the roof DOOR.

MUFFLED VOICES. Nicholas reacts.

CHRISTINE:

They won't...

NICHOLAS:

They will! You tell them if they

don't come now, I will shoot you!

STATIC and GARBLED ORDERS HEARD from the WALKIE-TALKIE.

CHRISTINE:

I'm telling you... they'll let me die

first. You're not in a position to

threaten them. You're trapped.

You're the one who...

Christine freezes, thrown...

CHRISTINE:

... wait a minute...

She's taking notice of the revolver Nicholas brandishes...

CHRISTINE:

Where'd you get that... ?

NICHOLAS:

... what... ?

CHRISTINE:

That gun. That... that's not

automatic. The guard had an

automatic...

POUNDING is LOUDER against the nearby door.

NICHOLAS:

What the f*** are you... ?

CHRISTINE:

Where'd you get that gun?

NICHOLAS:

It's mine...

CHRISTINE:

We searched the house.

NICHOLAS:

Guess you missed it.

CHRISTINE:

(suddenly very afraid)

Just... wait. Just wait! Okay...

please, I'm not kidding anymore...

Christine brings the WALKIE-TALKIE to her mouth...

CHRISTINE:

(into walkie-talkie)

He's got a gun. Everyone, he's got a

real gun up here! Real situation!

(switching channels)

... damn it...

NICHOLAS:

What are you doing?

CHRISTINE:

Nicholas, this is fake. It's all

part of the game...

NICHOLAS:

F*** you.

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP against the DOOR...

CHRISTINE:

Listen very carefully, I'm telling

the truth... this is the game. This

was all the game.

NICHOLAS:

Bullshit. They killed him.

Feingold, Fisher, whoever... they

shot him...

CHRISTINE:

No, now wait... think about it. What

did you see... ?

NICHOLAS:

I saw them kill him!

CHRISTINE:

What did you really see? This

whole time... special effects,

squibs, like in the movies. Please,

you've got to believe me...

(into walkie-talkie)

He's got a gun, with real bullets!

NICHOLAS:

Stop talking to them!

CHRISTINE:

Okay... okay...

(drops walkie-talkie)

I put it down. Now open that door.

Mister Fisher's right on the other

side of that door. He's an actor...

NICHOLAS:

Stop talking...

CHRISTINE:

Nicholas...

NICHOLAS:

Shut up!

CHRISTINE:

Let me show you...

She takes a step toward the door.

NICHOLAS:

No! You take another step, I'll

shoot! They're trying to kill me...

CHRISTINE:

You're wrong. You're about to make

the biggest mistake of your life.

Put that gun down.

POUNDING on the DOOR is DESPERATE. Nicholas falters...

CHRISTINE:

Think about it! They followed you

every step of the way. There was

always a safety net. The taxi, there

was a diver. At my house, the window

was rigged... they shot at us with blanks...

NICHOLAS:

That's not true...

CHRISTINE:

It is. It's what you hired us for.

Nobody touched your money. Nobody

stole anything. They're waiting on

the other side of that door with

champagne... all your friends... it's

a celebration...

NICHOLAS:

No...

CHRISTINE:

Open that door, you'll see. Your

brother's there... Conrad. He's

there. It's your birthday party...

NICHOLAS:

Stop it!

CHRISTINE:

Please, Nicholas, let me show you...

She takes a tentative step towards the door...

NICHOLAS:

Don't move, you b*tch... !

CHRISTINE:

(still moving)

I have to show you...

NICHOLAS:

No!

And from the staticy WALKIE-TALKIE on the ground:

MALE VOICE (v.o.)

(thru WALKIE-TALKIE)

... Take him down! Take him down...

CHRISTINE:

(shouts to door)

He's got a gun!

With a CLANK! -- the DOOR is POUNDED OPEN, swinging...

Nicholas turns, aims at the door...

CHRISTINE:

Don't!

Nicholas FIRES, gunshot DEAFENING... !

In the doorway, Conrad, in TUXEDO and PARTY HAT, is startled

as the magnum of CHAMPAGNE he holds EXPLODES and throws foam

and glass in a wide spray...

The smile falls from Conrad's face as BLOOD spreads across

his chest. He looks to Nicholas, confused, collapsing...

A collective cry of horror comes from the gaily dressed

PARTY-GOERS behind as Feingold catches Conrad and eases him

to the ground, cradles him...

Nicholas lowers his gun... realizing...

NICHOLAS:

Connie...

Feingold clutches Conrad, trying to stop the bleeding,

feeling for a pulse. Blood flows out Conrad's mouth.

FEINGOLD:

Jesus... you shot him... !

(back to others)

Someone call an ambulance!

Conrad's eyes are closed. He's motionless. He's dead.

Christine lets out a hysterical sob, hands to her mouth.

FEINGOLD:

Oh, God... oh, God...

Nicholas drops the gun, moves forward, stunned, numb...

FEINGOLD:

He's dead... he's dead... !

(to Nicholas)

You killed him!

Nicholas falls to his knees in front of Feingold and Conrad.

Christine's eyes fill with tears...

CHRISTINE:

(to Nicholas)

Why?! I told you... I told you. Why

didn't you listen?

Feingold releases Conrad to the floor, rising, bloody...

FEINGOLD:

We're going to jail. We're all going

to jail for the rest of our lives...

People start clearing out of the stairwell, heading down.

FEINGOLD:

(to Nicholas)

We thought you knew! How could you

let this get so out of hand?

Nicholas just remains kneeled there, breathing unevenly,

staring at his brother's corpse...

CHRISTINE:

Why wouldn't you listen to me? What

is wrong with you? You killed your

own brother!

Nicholas looks to the dark sky, tears streaming down his

face. He looks all around.

Christine stops, looking down at the corpse, crying out of

control. Feingold comes to attempt to comfort her.

Nicholas gets to his feet, unsteady, backing away, looking

to the GLASS SKYLIGHT. He wipes his tears.

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