The Next Three Days Page #7

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94 INT. REALTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY 94

EUGENIE, the REAL ESTATE AGENT, walks John to the door.

EUGENIE:

You're sure that you don't want a

lawn sign?

JOHN:

I'm very sure. Thanks. *

95 INT. COMMUNITY COLLEGE - LIBRARY -- DAY 95

A STUDENT shows John how to use Photoshop to enlarge and

crop a photo.

96 INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM -- LATE AFTERNOON 96

John uses Photoshop, looking through family pictures for an

appropriate one to use for Lara's ID. Some of them are of

the family at a cottage. He finds one that will work and

starts to crop himself and Luke (as a baby) out of the photo.

Then he turns and notices Luke standing behind him, staring

at the screen.

97 EXT. PITTSBURGH -- DAY 97

A helicopter swoops over a bridge and traces the Monongahela

River through the city. On the door of the helicopter is

emblazoned the name of a local tour company.

98 INT. HELICOPTER -- DAY 98

John sits among six other passengers.

COPTER PILOT:

On the left, Allegheny County Jail.

Built in 1995, it is now the largest *

jail in the world. There have been *

three escape attempts. No one's *

made it out alive. On your right... *

Everyone else looks to the right as the pilot continues.

John stays fixed on the left window.

HIS POINT OF VIEW:

The massive rooftops of the jail. But then he sees exactly

what he is looking for: workmen wearing yellow helmets spread

hot tar and roofing paper. He spots a workman carrying a

bucket heading around a tall outcropping on the roof.

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99 INT. COMMUNITY COLLEGE - CLASSROOM -- DAY 99

LYLA, a student, reads from The Idiot as John returns to his

desk with papers in his hands. His laptop lies open to Google

Earth -- the rooftop view of the jail, from another angle.

John closes it and spreads the papers on his desk -- a printed

color version of the same. He draws an arrow to the

outcropping where we now see a door; labels it ELEVATOR.

LYLA:

On the first landing, which was as

small as the necessary turn of the

stairs allowed, there was a niche in

the column, about a yard wide, and

in this niche the prince felt

convinced that a man stood concealed.

He thought he could distinguish a

figure standing there.

100 INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM -- DAY 100

John searches Craigslist for HELICOPTER PILOTS. Clicks on

one that reads EXPERIENCED HELICOPTER PILOT, COMBAT VET,

WILL CONSIDER ANY OFFER.

ANGLE ON JOHN'S WALL

Where a magazine clipping of a helicopter sits under the

heading ESCAPE. Overlapping it he pins trimmed print-outs

of several PILOT candidates.

Directly underneath is the Google Earth photo of the rooftop

of the jail, the door marked with an arrow, and the landing

site indicated with an X in a circle.

Below that is a rough sketch of the visitor's room and the

adjacent corridor with an arrow marking the elevator. In

block letters beside it is the word "KEY?"

101 INT. GRACE AND GEORGE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT 101

Luke, John and George stand in the foyer, Luke with his child-

sized, brightly-colored overnight bag. John pulls off Luke's

coat, kisses him on the head and looks up at George.

JOHN:

Thanks.

George nods, takes Luke's hand and walks to the kitchen.

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102 EXT. HILL DISTRICT -- NIGHT 102

John drives, taking note of the corners where young men hang

out, selling drugs or contraband.

103 EXT. HILL DISTRICT -- NIGHT 103

John walks up to a guy leaning on the bumper of his car, the *

trunk partially open. Call him MOUSS. *

JOHN:

Adderall?

MOUSS:

Ten apiece, five for forty.

John hands him a twenty, Mouss digs into a bag in his trunk *

and hands him a blister-pack strip of two pills, samples. *

JOHN:

I need some passports.

MOUSS:

Piss off.

John nods and walks back across the street. The guy watches.

104 INT. CAR -- NIGHT 104

John climbs into his car and tosses the pills onto the

passenger seat, among a half dozen others. There is a sharp

RAP on his window; Mouss. John rolls down the window.

MOUSS:

You have to pay up front.

JOHN:

I can do that.

MOUSS:

You know the Uptown on 5th Ave?

JOHN:

No.

MOUSS:

Ask for Harv.

JOHN:

What's your name?

MOUSS:

Just say Mouss.

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105 EXT. UPTOWN LOUNGE - 5TH AVENUE -- NIGHT 105

John parks and steps out of his car.

106 INT. UPTOWN LOUNGE -- NIGHT 106

Hip-hop blares, the clientele are low-lives, John doesn't

exactly fit in as he enters and orders. His words are drowned

out. The bartender gives him a beer on tap. John asks for

"Hart." The bartender nods to a man at the back who is

playing a video game. John walks off, passing a LONG-HAIRED *

GUY at the bar who watches him. John approaches HARV. *

JOHN:

Mouss said to come see you.

HARV:

He did, did he? What do you want? *

JOHN:

Three passports, a driver's license,

and real social security number.

HARV:

How do you know Mouss?

JOHN:

He babysits my kid.

HARV *

(sizes him up, then:) *

Okay. *

Harv gives him a look; nods for him to follow. *

107 EXT. HILL DISTRICT - PARKING LOT BEHIND BAR -- NIGHT 107*

They step out the back door.

HARV:

You have the photos on you?

JOHN:

Yes. How much?

HARV:

Fifteen hundred.

MOUSS steps out of the shadows and cracks John across the

back of the head with a pipe. John stumbles to the ground.

The two men kick the sh*t out of John. John tries to protect

his face; they just keep kicking.

(CONTINUED)

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107 CONTINUED:
107

Mouss finally grabs John's hair and flicks a knife in his

face as Harv searches his pockets and finds his money.

MOUSS:

I ever see you again, you lose an *

eye. *

The two men walk away and get into Mouss' van. John lies

doubled up on the ground and eventually tries to stand.

108 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - BATHROOM -- NIGHT 108

John cleans the cuts on his face with peroxide, adds a Band-

Aid. He stares at his face, letting defeat wash over him.

109 INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT 109

John deducts $2,000 from the MONEY column.

110 INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM -- MORNING 110

His face purple with bruises, John pulls himself out of bed

in response to the RINGING DOORBELL.

111 INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - FOYER -- CONTINUOUS 111

John limps to the front door and opens it to see Eugenie,

his realtor, standing with a nice couple. They see his face,

try and hide their reactions.

EUGENIE:

You did remember I was showing the

house?

JOHN:

Give me two minutes.

112 INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS 112

John tacks two large dark blue sheets up over the wall,

covering his plan.

113 EXT. BRENNAN HOUSE - FRONT PORCH -- CONTINUOUS 113

Eugenie reassures her skittish clients.

EUGENIE:

It really is a great neighborhood.

114 INT. GRACE AND GEORGE'S HOUSE -- DAY 114

Grace, John's mother, opens the door and sees John's face.

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