The Rock Page #20

BACK TO SCENE - HUMMEL watches the video monitor nervously.

His jaws twitch.

He looks at the ROCKET GUIDANCE CONTROL COMPUTER. He looks

at the video monitor.

He can't take it. Hummel lunges for the ROCKET GUIDANCE

CONTROL COMPUTER. Darrow tries to restrain him, but --

Hummel punches in NEW COORDINATES --

EXT. SKIES OVER OAKLAND COLISEUM - DAY

The V.X. Rocket's GUIDANCE CONTROL suddenly BLINKS RED. the rocket veers off=

on a new vector. Heading now toward San Francisco Bay. And

CUT TO:

INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - DAY

The F.B.I. Radar Technician reacts to the change in the

rocket's trajectory.

F.B.I. RADAR TECHNICIAN

Sir, it's heading.,.into the bay?

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO BAY - DAY

A CHARTER FISHING BOAT bobs in the bay.

245 EXT. CHARTER FISHING BOAT - DAY

Four GUYS are fishing. Relaxing. Drinking beers. one guy

looks up. Sees something.

CIWTER FISHERMAN

What the hell.... ?

EXT. SKIES OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY - DAY

The V.X. rocket screams down. at 500 ft. altitude it

DETONATES. Showering a cloud of V.X. POISON onto the bay.

247 EXT. CHARTER FISHING BOAT - DECK - DAY

The FISHERMEN stand there, stunned as DROPLETS OF V.X.

POISON fall upon them. It's like a grey drizzle.

The Fishermen exchange looks. Hold out their hands, catching "rain drops". =

One of them spasm. Another. The others. Skin turns black. Blood runs=

from pores.

EXT. ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE - DAY

Frye and Crisp stare across the Bay in disbelief.

CAPTAIN FRYE I don't believe it. He pulled the plug.

Frye, disgusted, races down the STAIRS.

EXT. ALCATRAZ - IN FRONT OF INFIRMARY - DAY

Frye stalks into the infirmary. Mason and Goodspeed come

around the corner and steal inside the infirmary.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - OVAL OFFICE - DAY

Chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair stands before the desk of the

President of the United States.

HAYDEN SINCLAIR:

They need a decision Mr. President.

The President (who we don't see) gazes into the East Garden.

The President hits his INTERCOM to the room where his cabinet is gathered. =

INTERCUT with the authorities, reactions, as needed:

PRESIDENT:

These past few hours have been the longest, darkest of my life. This is=

when you wish the buck did not stop here.

(beat)

A balance between two tragedies.

(MORE)

PRESIDENT (contld)

On one hand the fate of a million civilians. On the other, Frank Hummel. =

That we have ignored or abandoned or marginalized a gread soldier like=

Frank Hummel and that American boys have paid the price of that neglect in=

blood, is equally real, and equally tragic.

HAYDEN SINCLAIR The glass is half full not half empty, sir. No civilian=

casualties so far.

PRESIDENT:

I don't believe in half full or half empty, Sinclair. There are chemical=

weapons and there are civilians. And there are men on Alcatraz wholve=

proved they're willing to use the one on the other.

(beat)

We are at war with terror. Fighting a war means casualties. This is the=

worst call I've ever had to make.

(takes the phone)

Air strike approved.

EXT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER - MOBILE WAR ROOM - DAY

Sanchez, Womack, Carla, silent around speakerphone.

EXT. LONG BEACH AIR FORCE BASE - DAY

The F-16s ROAR down the runway, lifting into the sky.

INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY CORRIDOR - DAY

Mason and Goodspeed move silently down the corridor. They pass the HEAVY=

STEEL DOOR of the Marinets Command Center. It's ajar. Voices emanate=

within.

Goodspeed and Mason move inside the adjacent room.

B253 INT. INFIRMARY ROOM ADJACENT TO COMMAND CENTER - DAY

There's a 4 x 16 inch slit in the wall. Mason and Goodspeed position=

themselves on either side, watching and eavesdropping on the drama=

unfolding within.

INT. ALCATRAZ - INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER - DAY

Frye, Darrow and Baxter. All staring at Hummel.

CAPTAIN FRYE:

You're gutless. I knew it.

CAPTAIN DARROW:

The problem is now thev know it.

HUMMEL:

Careful son. I'd maintain discipline

if I were you.

Darrow draws his .45, levels it at Hummel. INTERCUT with

Mason and Goodspeed's reactions.

CAPTAIN DARROW:

I'm relieving you of your command

General. Captain Frye?

CAPTAIN FRYE:

I'm in.

CAPTAIN DARROW:

Major?

Major Baxter looks from Darrow to Hummel.

HUMMEL:

Tom?

BAXTER:

It's over Frank.

(to Darrow)

I'm in.

Hummel blinks. He can't believe this.

HUMMEL:

Tom, I warn you.

BAXTER:

Stand down, General.

HUMMEL:

I'm giving you a direct order.

BAXTER:

(draws his .45)

I'm not accepting it.

IN THE ADJACENT ROOM - GOODSPEED and MASON exchange a tense

look. mason aims his gun through the slit ...

HUMMEL draws his .45 but Baxter fires first, hitting Hummel

squarely in the chest.

Mason FIRES through the slit, killing Baxter as --

HUMMEL, gunshot, reels toward the STEEL DOOR behind him. He wrenches it=

open and lunges outside into the corridor. IN THE CORRIDOR - MASON fires=

into the command center, sending Frye and Darrow diving for cover. =

Goodspeed grabs the semi-consious Hummel and drags him down the=

corridor-.

IN THE INFIRMARY WASHROOM - Goodspeed drags Hummel inside.

Hummel collapses against the wall.

His blood runs across the tiled floor. Mason takes a

defensive position in the washrooms doorway.

DARROW AND FRYE attack through the infirmary's maze of

rooms, taking cover where they can, squeezing off rounds.

MASON fires at Darrow and Frye from the doorway while GOODSPEED kneels over=

Hummel. Hummells dying and knows it. he stares at Goodspeed through glassy=

eyes.

HUMMEL:

My god what have I done ...

GOODSPEED:

It's not too late, General. Tell me

where the last chem round is.

HUMMEL:

(gasps for air)

Lower lighthouse ...

Hummel dies. Mason and Goodspeed turn from Hummel to each

other.

MASON:

Do your job, Billy. - I'll try to hold

,em off.

Mason blasts away at Frye and Darrow, allowing Goodspeed to

sprint for the exit toward the lower lighthouse.

As Frye holds down Mason with fire, Darrow sprints for the opposite exit. =

Frye, firing while retreating, moves back inside the Command=

Center.

EXT. MAIN CELL HOUSE - DAY

Goodspeed exits and sprints toward the lower lighthouse.

EXT./INT. ALCATRAZ - LOWER LIGHTHOUSE - DAY

Sgt. Crisp smokes a cigarette next to launcher. Goodspeed

enters, gun raised. Crisp spins, drawing his .45.

GOODSPEED:

Don" t ...

Goodspeed shoots Crisp. Crisp falls dead.

A255 INT. INFIRMARY - CORRIDOR - DAY

Mason advances toward the command center's door. Suddenly

the HEAVY STEEL DOOR creaks open and --

-- A SATCHEL EXPLOSIVE flings out, sliding across the corridor floor toward=

Mason. Mason turns and sprints away. Frye bolts from the room, s printing=

the other way.

MASON dives away as the satchel DETONATES, imploding the corridor walls,=

collapsing the,ceiling. mason's engulfed in two tons of-plaster and=

crumbled cinder block.

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