The Rock Page #10

GOODSPEED watches the house. The door opens. JADE ANGELOU

exits. She's 19, tall, pretty, purposeful.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - PIAZZA DES ARTES - DAY

MASON stands next to a massive column, writing on a piece of paper: "ST. =

MICHAEL'S CHURCH, FORT WALTON, KANSAS. FRONT PEW. RIGHT LEG. =

HOLLOW."

ACROSS THE PARK - JADE ANGELOU enters a city park with a rotunda of=

classical design. A walk-way under massive Corinthian columns. She moves=

through the rotunda.

MASON sees her. He steps behind the column as she passes. There is a moment=

of indecision. Mason looks at THE PIECE OF PAPER in his=

hand.

MASON:

Jade.

Jade Angelou stops cold. Slow-ly turns. And regards Mason.

ACROSS THE ROTUNDA - GOODSPEED sees Mason and Jade. he

stealthily moves toward them.

BY THE COLUMN - MASON AND JADE

Jade approaches Mason tentatively. He is stunned by her.

By her beauty, her bearing, her likeness to'him.

MASON:

Hello. Yes. It's me.

JADE:

I uhm... I'm not quite sure what to say.

This is all a bit much ...

Several POLICE CARS ROAR past, sirens BLARING. Mason

pockets the PIECE OF PAPER.

MASON:

Let's uhm... let's walk a ways.

They walk off next to a TALL HEDGE. GOODSPEED follows on the other side of=

the hedge. INTERCUT between Mason and Jade, and Goodspeed eavesdropping. =

Goodspeed pulls out his cellular phone, begins punching numbers.

JADE:

So how long have you been out?

MASON:

A while.

JADE:

A while. And you didn't call? You

are free now, right?

MASON:

I'm here with you, aren't I?

JADE:

Why now? I mean why today.

MASON:

I was driving through San Francisco. I

decided it was time.

JADE:

Well there's not a lot I know about you other than you escaped from San=

Quentin, had a four day affair with my mother, and I'm the result. You can=

imagine I'm pretty confused.

MASON:

I tried to explain in my letters.

JADE:

Ahh. You letters. They weren't very

easy to follow.

She fishes in her pocket. Pulls out A LETTER. WHOLE SECTIONS OF THE LETTER=

have been scissored out. Mason. frowns.

MASON:

I see.

(grumbles)

Bloody prison censors.

JADE:

How about explaining now?

In the b.g. we HEAR POLICE SIRENS. Mason looks around.

MASON:

Maybe this isn't the best time...

(off her look)

.Jade. Here sit down.

Mason and Jade sit on a bench. MORE SIRENS in the b.9.

Mason looks off nervously.

MASON:

All will be explained. You must trust me on this.

(MORE)

MASON (cont'd) Someday very soon, after I get a few things settled, I will=

come back for you. What I need to know is: do you want me in your=

life?

JADE:

How can I answer that? I don't know if we can.... after 19 years, just=

start like that.

MASON:

We are the same blood.

JADE:

But I don't know you.

MASON:

where to begin.

(sighs)

My name is John Paul Mason. I'm Scottish. I attended Dartmouth Naval=

College. My favorite color is green. I like books. I like a good joke. =

At one time I shot a pretty fair round of golf. I'm in my 60's and I've=

been in jail half my life.

(jade looks away)

Maybe it's better I go.

She smiles. Puts her hands on his.

JADE:

No. You're doing okay.

Police sirens BLARE. And the entire park.is suddenly

surrounded by F.B.I. AND POLICE VEHICLES.

JADE:

You lied to me.

Goodspeed approaches. Mason makes no attempt to move. Jade

turns to him.

GOODSPEED:

(flashes his I.D.)

F.B.I. miss. Your father is working with us. He's helping us resolve=

a....

(looks at Mason)

.... dangerous situation.

JADE:

He is?

GOODSPEED:

Yes malam. We've got to go, John.

Mason extends his hand to Jade. She takes it.

MASON:

Jade - remember what I said.

They hug. Then Mason walks off with Goodspeed and --

-- Jade opens her hand, revealing the PIECE OF PAPER upon

which Mason wrote his instructions.

ACROSS THE PARK - F.B.I. AGENTS STAR and CORD run=

up.

GOODSPEED:

(sharply)

No cuffs until we get to the cars,

They continue toward the waiting cars.

MASON:

You surprise me, Goodspeed. Now I'm going to surprise myself: thank-you,=

you could have handled that differently.

GOODSPEED:

(tight)

You almost got me killed. Twice.

MASON:

Hows your jaw?

Goodspeed wheels on Mason and swings. SNATCH. Mason

catches Goodspeed's fist. Three inches from his face.

GOODSPEED:

It hurts.

SANCHEZ, DIRECTOR WOMACK and the F.B.I. AGENTS approach.

Womack's arm is in a sling; he's in a volcanic rage.

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

You cocksucker you dislocated my shoulder and cost the city of San Francisco=

ten million dollars. You try to escape again and Agent Chaney here will=

break your legs.

AGENT CHANEY, large and mean, comes to Mason's side.

MASON:

Pleased to meet you.

INT. PIER 39 - F.B.I. COMMAND CENTER - DAY

Night is falling. A large warehouse room with windows

looking out to Alcatraz Island. Looks like N.A.S.A.

AT A RECTANGULAR TABLE - MASON sits at the head of the table 122 in front of=

a SCALE MODEL OF ALCATRAZ. COMMANDER ANDERSON and ten NAVY S.E.A.L.s look=

toward Mason.

Anderson is agitated, staring at Mason.

COMMANDER ANDERSON

Okay, one more time: down this second fork fifty-seven paces to a septic=

chamber. Turn left at the water pump, then forty-two paces to the prison=

showers ...

MASON:

No. Forty-two paces to the septic

chamber. Fifty-seven to the showers.

COMMANDER ANDERSON

(pointedly)

That's not what you said three minutes

ago.

MASON:

(innocently).

It's not?

COMMANDER ANDERSON (dagger stare at Mason)

Excuse me. (rises) womack.

Womack follows Anderson aside. They confer heatedly.

COMMANDER ANDERSON I ask for someone with knowledge of the island's tunnels.=

you give me a f***in, convict who wants to play "twenty=

questions."

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

He knows every inch of those tunnels,

Commander.

COMMANDER ANDERSON

Then he's keeping it to himself. He's

f***ing with me and I don't have the time.

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

(pause; he thinks)

What if he went with you?

COMMANDER ANDERSON

Out of the question. He'll endanger the mission - he'll endanger my men. =

He's a security risk. Who says he won't bolt as soon as we turn our backs=

on him?

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

I'll handle that. Chaney.

The hulking Chaney escorts Mason over.

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

You're not cooperating, John. Maybe this will help. I'm sure you're=

curious about what's happening on Alcatraz.

(no response)

Twelve United States Marines - a terrorist rogue force - have seized it. =

They've aimed fifteen poison gas rockets at the city. Enough poison gas to=

kill every man, woman and child in San Francisco.

(smiles)

Yes, John, including your daughter.

MASON:

You son-of-f***ing-Satan.

F.B.I. DIRECTOA WOMACK

Mr. Mason has a strong incentive to

help us, Commander Anderson.

Mason boils. Then springs at Womack. Chaney grabs Mason, headlocking him. =

So Mason knees Womack in the balls. Womack doubles over. Recovers,=

coughing.

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

Get him some gear. He's going to the

Rock. Goodspeed!

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