Tomorrow Never Dies Page #18

SIDNEY:

Who is he?

BOND:

Sidney Winch, meet -

WADE:

Jack Wade. Citibank. Commercial

loan division. If you're ever lookin'

for a sweet refinance on the boat -

SIDNEY:

- Shut up!

BOND:

(to Wade)

You have to excuse Miss Winch: She

thinks she's on a 'seduce and

destroy' mission through life...

(pauses)

...But she won't kill us.

SIDNEY:

No?

BOND:

No. First, because I don't think

it's in your nature. And second,

because there's no gold down there.

SIDNEY:

So charming! So suave!

(beat)

Don't insult me. I'm not one of your

'little London girls' who falls for

the lies.

WADE:

So it was commitment!

SIDNEY:

Every wharf-rat from here to Hong Kong

knows what's on that boat and I'm

claiming it. One-third of that gold is

mine.

BOND:

That's fine, but - even a little

London girl knows that one third of

nothing is still nothing.

There's a flicker of doubt in her eyes. She turns to Taro:

SIDNEY:

Was he carrying anything?

Taro holds up the BOND'S DIVING BELT, indicating 'nothing'. Angrily:

SIDNEY:

Search him.

The men look at Bond - wearing only swim trunks. Nobody moves.

SIDNEY:

Do I have to do everything around here?

BOND:

I hope so.

Frowning, Sidney moves to Bond. As she REACHES INTO HIS TRUNKS, we

cut to THEIR FACES. THEIR EYES ARE LOCKED ON EACH OTHER:

BOND:

I hope you'll be gentle.

SIDNEY:

Think about mom.

BOND WINCES. She's goosed him.

BOND:

... Unusual technique.

Returning to the WIDE SHOT, she opens the sack. SHOWS THE GOLD:

SIDNEY:

And what do you call this?

BOND:

- The family jewels?

She scowls, takes out the URANIUM TOOTH. Looks at it, blankly, and

holds it out to a TECHNICIAN, who examines it.

SIDNEY:

What is this?

TECHNICIAN:

...I don't know. I'm not sure -

Just then, a CREWMAN BURSTS IN:

CREWMAN:

Boss! We got company - comin' up off

the starboard bow!

SIDNEY:

(exiting, to Taro)

Bring them.

Taro motions with his Uzi for Bond and Wade to follow...

But BOND hesitates, LOOKING BACK AT THE TECHNICIAN with the URANIUM.

007 wants to get it, but Taro nudges him out with the gun muzzle.

EXT. MALACCA STRAIT - DAY

A BRITISH NAVAL CUTTER is pulling alongside the barge - SEA SIREN

WAILING, crew members in battle gear, FORWARD GATLING GUN manned.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

(on bullhorn)

Attention sea barge: Lay down your

weapons, and prepare to be boarded.

ON THE BARGE - Sidney and Co. stand, weapons ready.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

Repeat:
Lay down your weapons, and

prepare to be boarded.

Bond turns to Sidney, who's grabbed a bullhorn of her own.

BOND:

If I were you -

SIDNEY:

- You're not.

BOND:

(as she hoists the bullhorn)

Just remember:
They think there's ten

billion dollars in gold down there.

SIDNEY:

Thank you.

(clicks it on, and:)

"Now hear this: Drop dead."

Bond and Wade exchange an amused/helpless glance - as if they both

know what's coming next. There's a pause, then -

THE CRUISER'S GATLING GUN ERUPTS WITH AN EARDRUM-SHATTERING SALVO.

It's only a warning shot, but -

EVERYONE ON THE BARGE DIVES FOR THE DECK... Except for Bond and

Wade, who might as well be having tea. Bond looks down at Taro,

cowering on the boards.

BOND:

Gatling gun beats Uzi.

NEW ANGLE - (CUTTER/BARGE) - DAY

An ARMED BOARDING PARTY is coming across an aluminum bridge that has

extended from the Cutter onto the barge.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

(a tiny popinjay)

Who's in charge here?

SIDNEY:

I am. What do you want?

CAPTAIN MORTON:

You have precisely one minute to pull

up your anchor and be under way.

SIDNEY:

Forget it. No way. I got here first.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

(ignoring her)

Who's Wade?

WADE:

That would be me -

CAPTAIN MORTON:

(snidely)

Thanks for your message.

(turns to)

And you're Bond?

BOND:

Yes -

CAPTAIN MORTON:

Guard! Arrest these men! Escort

them to the cutter!

Bond and Wade are stunned. The Marines move in. Bond struggles -

BOND:

Wait a minute -

CAPTAIN MORTON:

Get them out of here. If he says one

word, shoot him.

As TWO MARINES with automatic rifles take Bond and Wade across the

folding bridge -

SIDNEY:

(demanding)

What's your name?

CAPTAIN MORTON:

Captain Morton.

Pause. She expects him to ask "And yours?" but he doesn't.

SIDNEY:

My name is Sidney Winch, and -

CAPTAIN MORTON:

Good for you, Miss Winch. You now

have exactly 30 seconds to get this

rust bucket out of here.

SIDNEY:

(furiously)

I know my rights. These are

international waters. The British

Navy abandoned that boat, and I'm

claiming it. Under international

law, I have the right to salvage

what's on that wreck.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

Fifteen seconds. Perhaps you should

consider hiring an attorney.

SIDNEY:

I was an attorney!

CAPTAIN MORTON:

Hmmm. I suppose this is a step above

that profession.

(beat)

Ten seconds. Are you leaving?

SIDNEY:

No.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

You leave me no alternative.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

(upholstering a walkie-talkie)

Cut her anchor.

As Sidney yells "NO!" - THE FORWARD GATLING GUN erupts to life. One

short, bone rattling burst CUTS THE CHAIN.

SIDNEY:

You won't get away with this!

CAPTAIN MORTON:

(stepping onto the bridge)

Good-day, Miss Winch. I advise you

to get some steam up - before you run

aground.

As she floats away, Sidney calls out to the Captain, Bond and Wade:

SIDNEY:

You bastards! Believe me - you

haven't heard the last of me!

EXT. DECK - THE CUTTER - DAY -

Bond, Wade and the Captain.

WADE:

- Nice trick with the arrest. Very convincing.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

It's no trick, Mr. Wade. I've got

half a mind to throw both of you in

the brig.

BOND:

Don't you think you're overreacting?

CAPTAIN MORTON:

(with great sarcasm)

Yes. The famous James Bond. I've heard

all about you, sir. You were under

direct orders to act as an observer -

and yet you had to go off, on your own,

like some half-assed CIA cowboy -

(Wade reacts)

Endangering the gold, attracting that

lunatic woman, and then putting in a

distress call for us to save your

bloody hide.

BOND:

(Calmly)

...That's all well and good, Captain,

save for one thing:

(beat)

There's no gold down there.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

What are you talking about? We went

through all this and the ship isn't

even down there?

BOND:

Yes, the ship is down there. But the

gold is gone.

CAPTAIN MORTON:

That's absurd! It took two squads of

forty men fifteen days to load that

gold.

BOND:

I know what I saw -

CAPTAIN:

I don't care what you think you saw.

You're a damned amateur.

(beat)

Just get off my ship. Go back to

your trench-coats and your code names

- and leave the job to professionals.

BOND:

(exchanges a glance with Wade, then)

Aye-aye, Captain.

EXT. SPORT FISHING BOAT - STRAIT OF MALACCA - DAY -

As Bond and Wade push away from the Naval Cutter:

WADE:

Where to now, Jimbo?

BOND:

(thinking)

I'm not certain... But I think

there's someone I want to press for

some answers in Kuala Lumpur.

EXT. COASTAL ROADWAY - MALAYSIA - (BOND CAR) - DAY -

Bond'- car travels through the tropical landscape, turning at a sign

for Kuala Lumpur.

INT. BOND'S CAR - MOVING - COASTAL ROADWAY - DAY -

As Bond downshifts in anticipation of an upcoming hill, his CAR PHONE

RINGS. Before answering it, he looks down at:

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