Traveler Page #9

IN THE SIT ROOM:

Chambers hears the same thing over his police scanners.

47.

CHAMBERS:

What's your twenty?

BORJES:

We're at fifth and 60th, sir.

CHAMBERS:

Then get the hell over there and

finish this.

IN THE CAR:

Marlow sticks a flashing light on top of the Vic. Borjes

PEELS off of 5th and drops the hammer.

EXT. UPPER EAST SIDE STREETS - DAY

Taylor runs through the masses headed for the Queensboro

Bridge. Behind him, the Beat Cop draws his gun.

BEAT COP:

Hold it, Fog! I will fire!

But there are two many people around for a shot.

Taylor can see the Bridge in the distance. Then TWO MORE COPS

APPEAR RUNNING TOWARDS HIM.

He stops, chest heaving. Hemmed in. A delivery truck pulls

out of a nearby alley. Taylor ducks behind it.

The three cops converge on the alley and look inside. There's

no one there. Taylor's disappeared.

CLANG! A noise draws the cops' attention higher. Taylor

awkwardly climbs a fire escape ladder.

BEAT COP (cont'd)

Cover the block!I

The Beat Cop rushes to the ladder and starts climbing.

ON THE FIRE ESCAPE

Taylor climbs with all he's got. It's not easy. He doesn't

have a strong upper body. And his framepack and gym bag catch

the railings. The Beat Cop gains with each flight.

Taylor reaches the final length of ladder to the roof. But

HIS BACKPACK SNAGS TIGHT.

BEAT COP (O.S.) (cont'd)

Freeze! I will fire!!

48.

The cop stops two landings below. His Sig-Sauer pistol

trained on Taylor's legs above him. Still, Taylor kicks and

pulls violently, trying to push his way on to the roof.

BEAT COP (cont'd)

I said freeze!!

Taylor breaks free and rolls on to the roof. BAMI The shot

fires and CLANGS off the ladder rung he just occupied.

EXT. UPPER EAST SIDE STREETS - SAME

Jay arrives at the tram station. He scans the crowd for any

sign of Taylor.

BWIPJ BWIP! A Cop Car, lights flashing, rolls to a stop near

the tram station. Four COPS get out and take up positions.

Another cop car pulls up on the opposite side of the block.

INT. MARLOW'S CROWN VIC - MOVING - FAST

Borjes drives like a stock-car racer, squeezing the Vic

between traffic and parked cars. SCRAPING SIDES. SPARKS FLY.

They bolt across Third Avenue. Barely missing two cars.

A BEAT COP waits at the corner, eyes trained up. They stop.

MARLOW:

Officer!

BEAT COP 2

He's on the roof.

EXT. ROOFTOPS - SAME

Taylor runs with all he has. He stumbles on uneven grates.

Leaps rooftop vents.

INT. MARLOW'S CROWN VIC - MOVING - FAST

MARLOW'S P.O.V. FROM THE CAR: She can just make out the two

men running on the rooftop edge above. The car flies past

them and speeds to the end of the block.

MARLOW:

There!

She points to a fire escape up ahead. Borjes SLAMS to a stop.

Marlow gets out and starts climbing, quick as a cat.

49.

EXT. UPPER EAST SIDE STREETS - SAME

Jay sees the unmarked Crown Vic. The female detective

climbing the fire escape. Her partner behind her.

By now, the crowds that were heading over the bridge have

stopped. People look to the rooftops. As Jay scans the faces

of the crowd, he recognizes someone familiar.

THE PORTER THAT HELPED THEM OUT OF THE HOTEL.

The Porter STARES at Jay from a nearby newsstand. He's no

longer in uniform. But it's definitely him. The Porter

glances to the rooftops. Jay's eyes follow his gaze.

That's when Jay sees it. A GUY WITH A BACKPACK HAULING ASS

ALONG THE ROOFTOPS. HE KNOWS IMMEDIATELY THAT IT'S TAYLOR.

He turns back to the newsstand, but the Porter is gone.

EXT. ROOFTOPS - SAME

Taylor leaps over a small rooftop wall. SMACK1 SMACK! Two

bullets hit the brick, kick up red dust. Taylor gets up and

keeps running. The Beat Cop pursues, his gun smoking.

TRAFFIC COP:

Stop, Fog! I don't want to shoot!

But Taylor's mind is set on one thing. Freedom. He looks back

at the cop on his tail. Then...

MARLOW (O.S.)

FREEZE!!!

Taylor looks to his left. Agent Marlow has appeared from the

fire escape. Her Glock pointed right at him.

Taylor stops. But he slips on the rooftop pebbles. He SKIDS

right up to the roof's edge. He struggles to regain his

balance as pebbles fall to the concrete four stories below.

MARLOW (cont'd)

There's nowhere to go, Fog! Just

stay there and keep your hands

high!

Taylor winces, chest heaving. He knows it's over.

50.

EXT. NEWSSTAND - SAME

Jay watches helplessly as more COPS move into position around

the building. A group of HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS watch from the

nearby crowd. One of the STUDENTS talks on his cell.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

(into phone)

Yeah, dude, I think it's one of the

bombers. There are cops everywhere.

Jay realizes what he has to do. He ducks into an alley. He

takes out his cell phone and makes a call.

JAY:

(into the phone)

This is Jason Burchell. I want to

speak with Agent Marlow.

EXT. ROOFTOPS - SAME

Taylor's eyes scan wildly for any escape. Marlow moves

closer, adrenaline coursing. Borjes and the Cop cover her.

TAYLOR:

You don't know what you're doing.

The guy you want left hour3 ago.

MARLOW:

You can tell me all about it when

this is over. Now just stay put.

When she's about ten feet from Taylor, Borjes calls her.

BORJES MARLOW *

Najl It's Chambers on the *

radio— *

Tell him we've got his man. *

He wants to talk to you. *

Borjes brings her the handset.

MARLOW (cont'd)

Keep him covered.

Marlow takes the handset and Borjes trains his gun on the

back of Taylor's head.

MARLOW (cont'd)

(into radio)

Go for, Marlow.

51.

CHAMBERS (O.S.)

Marlow, Mr. Burchell wants to talk

to you.

TAYLOR overhears this. Surprised to hear Jay's name, he

starts to turn his head to listen.

BORJES:

Stay put, Fog!

Taylor turns back around, but keeps listening.

CHAMBERS (O.S.)

I told him about the evidence

against him. But he's not coming

in. He's on a cell. Keep him on

until we can pinpoint the towers.

You're on, Mr. Burchell.

EXT. NEWSSTAND ALLEYWAY - SAME

Jay speaks quietly into the cell phone.

JAY:

Who am I talking to?

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. ROOFTOPS - SAME

AGENT MARLOW:

This is Special Agent Marlow. We're

about to have a talk with your

friend, Mr. Burchell. Any chance

you'd come in and do the same?

JAY:

I'm afraid I can't do that.

Taylor smiles. He realizes his friend has come back for him.

Marlow moves away so Taylor can't listen. She walks to the

edge of the rooftop.

Jay watches from afar as she scans the plaza.

MARLOW:

You're a smart man, Mr. Burchell.

You know how the law works. If you

don't cooperate, you'll go away for

a long time when we catch you.

52.

JAY:

Maybe. But the law isn't always

right. Sometimes good judges make

bad decisions. Or worse, they're

forced to hand down decisions they

know are wrong.

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