The Rock Page #8

GOODSPEED:

You're on a need to know basis and you

don't need to know.

MASON:

You learn that line in Cub Scouts,

Goodspeed?

The van STOPS:
the rear doors open to the FAIRMONT HOTEL

SERVICE ENTRANCE.

INT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - PENTHOUSE SUITE - DAY

Top floor suite with a private elevator. Grand, with French doors leading=

to a balcony. Director Womack, Goodspeed and F.B.I.Agents Star and Hunt=

are in the room. Jackets off, shoulder holsters on.

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

I personally picked this suite.

(points at elevator)

Only one exit.

IN THE SUITE'S BATHROOM

Steamy, from the shower. F.B.I. Agent Cord sits on the sink. MASON'S VOICE=

emanates from the shower. He's singing some ditty off-key. But Mason=

isn't washing.

INSIDE THE SHOWER STALL

-- Mason's tampering with the BELL HOUSING of THE

RETRACTABLE CLOTHESLINE on the shower wall.

Mason pops off the bell-housing. he pulls out the nylon clothesline cord=

(it's thick, about 10 ft.) and rips it from the bell housing. Tests its=

strength.

Satisfied, he knots A NOOSE on one end of the clothesline

cord, then coils.

IN THE BATHROOM - MASON emerges from the shower wearing a

huge hotel bathrobe.

Cord hands him a SUIT OF CLOTHES. Mason inspects them.

MARSHAL CORD Put 'em on. You've got forty-five minutes.

MASON:

You going to stand there and watch?

MARSHAL CORD:

That's right.

MASON:

well if it excites-you ...

MARSHAL CORD:

Put the goddamn clothes on.

IN THE SUITE'S LIVING ROOM

Womack is dumping the contents of a BARBERIS BAG on the

sideboard.

Hands THE HOTEL BARBER, a swishy guy, a COMB, ELECTRIC

TRIMMER and BIB. The BARBER frowns.

BARBER:

I can't do a decent job with these.

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

That's all you get.

BARBER:

I'm an artist, not a barber.

F.B.I. DIRECTOR WOMACK

(holds up scissors)

without these he can't stab you in the

throat.

MASON, dressed, emerges from the bathroom. Motions the

barber toward the balcony.

MASON:

Shall we do this outside? In the

sunshine?

The barber gulps. Follows Mason onto the balcony.

ON THE SUITEIS BALCONY

Mason sits in the sun on a balcony chair. Bib on.

BARBER:

How would you like it sir?

MASON:

whatever's in style.

BARBER:

oh fabulous. You look shabby. Shall I

snip and cut the shabbiness away?

The barber begins trimming Mason's hair...

THE BALCONY - SOME MINUTES LATER

Mason's hair and beard are neatly trimmed. The barber holds

a mirror up; Mason examines himself.

MASON:

Good. Thank-you.

The barber stands. Clears his throat. Rubs his thumb and

forefinger together.

MASON:

Yes of course. My secretary will take

care of you.-

(to Agent Star)

See to the good man will you?

Agent Star, glaring at Mason, leads the Barber out.

MASON:

What say we bury the hatchet, Womack.

Mason extends his hand. Womack looks at it. As Womack reluctantly takes=

Mason's hand, MASON slides the noose over Womack's wrist. He yanks it=

tight and shoulders director womack bodily over the balustrade.

MASON:

In Your head.

Womack plunges, HOWLING, 9 stories to his death. No, he only falls 10 feet.=

SPROOOOOING he stops, hanging by his wrist off the side of the building,=

held there by --

-- MASON on the balcony, clutching the other end of the

nylon clothesline, staring at Goodspeed.

GOODSPEED:

Jesus... JESUS CHRIST....

Goodspeed fumbles for his gun. Finally unholsters it.

DIRECTOR WOMACK, hanging below, is SCREAMING.

MASON -

Drop the gun or I'll drop your boss.

EXT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - ACROSS THE STREET - DAY

Two F.B.I. AGENTS, loitering by their vehicle, look up at

WOMACK, dangling off the side of the building.

F.B.I. AGENT

Holy sh*t, we got a jumper.

F.B.I. AGENT 2 raises binoculars to his eyes.

F.B.I. AGENT 2

Looks like.... Womack... !

ENT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - PENTHOUSE SUITE - DAY

Mason and Goodspeed as before.

MASON:

Whoops ....

I'm feeling tired .... Whoops ....

mason lets Womack drop a foot.

Womack SCREAMS!

Goodspeed drops his gun and grabs the clothesline. MASON

bolts from the balcony into the suitels library.

AGENT STAR sprints onto the balcony. Star and Goodspeed

begin hauling Womack up as -- .

MASON steals through the suite, through the vestibule, and

into the elevator.

ON THE BALCONY - Agent Star and Goodspeed hoist Directory Womack, red-faced=

and sputtering, over the railing. Goodspeed grabs Star's=

walkie-talkie.

GOODSPEED:

All units, this is Caretaker. WE'VE GOT A SIGNAL SIX. Mason's in the=

elevator! Let me know where he stops!

INT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - BASEMENT - HOTEL KITCHEN - DAY

Mason exits the elevator. The kitchen is bustling with COOKS AND BUSBOYS. =

Mason moves toward the side exit. Two F.B.I. AGENTS enter. Mason ducks=

into the dishwashing room. Waits for the Agents to run past.

Mason emerges, running right into..... GOODSPEED.

WHAMM. MASON'S FIST slams into Goodspeed's jaw. Goodspeed goes down on the=

huge dishwasher. Mason moves off quickly toward the side exit.

EXT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - SIDE EXIT - DAY

Mason exits the hotel. 20 feet away is the PARKING VALET. 10 incredibly fast=

expensive European cars are waiting to be parked. First in line, however,=

is a E.

EXT. FAIRMONT HOTEL - SIDE EXIT - DAY

Goodspeed exits, looking at MASON getting into the HUMVEE.

The Humvee explodes out of the hotel driveway.

GOODSPEED shouts to the F.B.I. AGENTS across the street:

GOODSPEED:

That Is him!

The F.B.I. SEDANS ROAR off after Mason.

Goodspeed looks around. A Ferrari sitting there.

Goodspeed gets behind the wheel.

THE FERRARI blasts out of the driveway after the Humvee.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - STREETS - DAY

The HUMVEE lumbers up to a traffic light. Stops behind

several vehicles ahead.

INT. MASON'S CAR - DRIVING - DAY

mason looks-up in the rear vie'w mirror. The F,B.I. SEDANS are behind him,=

closing fast. Mason rams the stickshift into gear; throws the=

wheel.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREET - DAY

MA.SON'S HUMVEE veers to the side and CLIMBS OVER a parked, day-glow painted=

VW BEETLE, squashing it's hood. The Humvee ROARS through the intersection,=

leaving --

The F.B.I. SEDANS and GOODSPEEDIS FERRARI trapped at the

light behind the other cars.

EXT. THE STREET AHEAD - DAY

MASON'S HUMVEE plows through traffic, hitting the left and right bumpers of=

the cars in front of it, knocking them aside. It blows through ten cars=

like ten-pins.

GOODSPEEDIS FERRARI slaloms through the Humvee's wake of

dented cars and accelerates after the Humvee.

TWO POLICE PATROLMEN scramble into their cruisers, throwing

on the CHERRY TOP LIGHTS.

The CRUISERS charge after the Humvee and the Ferrari.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREETS (HILL #1) - DAY

THE HUMVEE is accelerating up a very steep hill. '100 yards down the hill,=

the TWO S.F. POLICE CRUISERS, the F.B.I. sedans, and GOODSPEEDIS FERRARI,=

all race after it.

INT. MASON'S HUMVEE - DAY

Mason has the radio on. A NEWSFLASH is broadcast:

RADIO NEWSMAN:

This just in:
More than twenty highway patrolmen are involved in a highspeed=

chase on Van Ness Boulevard, north of Trocadero ...

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