NBKscript part VIII

INT. HOLDING CELL - DAY

Mallory's sitting Indian style, singing Girl Scout songs to
herself, and doing the hand motions.

MALLORY
(singing)
Whataleeatcha, whataleeatcha
dodaleedo, dodaleedo.
Whataleeatcha, whataleeatcha
dodaleedo, dodaleedo. Simplest thing
there isn't much to it.
All ya gotta do is dodaleedo it. I
like the rest,
but the best part I like is
Whataleeatcha, whataleeatcha dodaleedo,
dodaleedo, do
quack, quack.

The cell door opens and the hostage train of Wayne, Mickey,
Scagnetti, Roger and the camera, and two DEPUTIES they picked up
along the way enters the room. The hostages are all wrapped
with tape.

CU on Mallory. She can't believe her eyes.

MICKEY
(to Mallory)
Honey, I'm home.

Mallory runs into Mickey's arms, passionately kissing. This
kiss has been a year coming. Now they're doing something
everybody told them they would never do again.

For this moment they are the only two people on earth. We're
enraptured, too. CAMERA does a 360 around the loving couple.

MALLORY
(in between kisses)
It's taken you so long to come to me.

CUT TO:

INT. JAIL LAUNDRY ROOM - DAY

A sheet of paper flashes through FRAME.

BAILEY (O.S.)
Here's the list of the rioters.

CAMERA TILTS to Wurlitzer reading, then looking up.

WURLITZER
Wait an minute, Bailey. Where's the
list of the hostages?

BAILEY (O.S.)
I'm working on it Capt'n.

WURLITZER
Keep on it, son.

Wurlitzer reads the list to himself as he paces.

WURLITZER
(reading the names)
Alvarado, Issacs, Julian, Martinez,
Newendyke, Olvera, Pool, Ramos,
Schmidt, Spivey, Walsh, Westerguard...

Wurlitzer drops into a chair, exhausted. He rubs his face with
his hands.

NAPALATONI (O.S.)
Capt'n.

Wurlitzer looks up, then looks back down.

WURLITZER
What is it Napalatoni?

NAPALATONI (O.S.)
Mickey Knox is loose.

Wurlitzer looks up.

WURLITZER
What do you mean he's loose?

NAPALATONI (O.S.)
He's armed, he's killed three deputies
and one of Wayne Gayle's guys. At the
moment, he's hold up with Mallory Knox
in her holding cell with Wayne Gayle,
another TV guy, that cop fella, and two
other deputies as hostages. And
Capt'n, they have one of them news
cameras goin' live to KKTV. They won't
stop playin' it. What do you want us
to do?

Wurlitzer holds a frozen look, as if a fuse has blown and his
mind has shut down. If he were to open his mouth now nothing
would come out. He just sits.

CUT TO:

INT. HOLDING CELL - DAY

The hostages have been cut free from each other and sit against
the wall. Roger cradles the Betacam in his lap, rocking slowly
as if in a trance, while Scagnetti feebly splints his broken
fingers with the tape that hangs from his wrists. Wayne is
standing, alert and ready for action.

As for the two deputies, HOSTAGE DEPUTY #1 sits in anger,
tight-lipped and stolic. The other, DEPUTY DUNCAN HOMOLKA is
panicked and jumpy, one may never see a more nervous man.

Mickey and Mallory stand over them with their weapons drawn.

MICKEY
Okay, we're going out that door, and
we're gonna march down the hall and
right out of the building.
(to Wayne)
Donut said something about a news van.

WAYNE
Yeah, we have a van.

MICKEY
Where's it parked?

WAYNE
Out front.

MICKEY
Let me have the keys.

Wayne points to Roger. Roger digs through his pocket and tosses
the keys to Mickey.

WAYNE
Mickey, can I talk to you alone?

MICKEY
No.

WAYNE
This is crazy. You can't escape like
this.

MICKEY
Probably not, but we're gonna give it
the old college try.

WAYNE
We'll all be killed.

MALLORY
Exciting, isn't it?

Duncan begins to cry.

MICKEY
Now, when we get out there, you do what
we say or it's curtains. If we say
move, you move. If we say left, you
move left. If we say right, you move
right. If we say mole, you dig a hole.
Got it?

MALLORY
Are we in a big hurry?

MICKEY
You got something you want to do?

MALLORY
Yeah.

MICKEY
By all means, know yourself out.

MALLORY
Thanks. Roll 'em, Donut.

Roger snaps up and hoists the camera to his shoulder.

VIDEO FOOTAGE:

Shot through Roger's CAMERA: IMAGE FOCUSES on Mallory as she
points to Scagnetti sitting on the floor.

MALLORY
You! Stand up!

Scagnetti gulps, then rises knowing that he has fucked with the
wrong woman.

Mallory walks up to him with pistol in hand.

MALLORY
You probably thought it was pretty
funny, didn't ya?

She raises Scagnetti's pistol, aiming it at it's former owner.
Scagnetti flinches and squirms.

MALLORY
Can you remember the last time you
fucked with me? Close your eyes and
remember... Are ya thinking about it?
Good.

Mallory fires three shots into Scagnetti's chest.

Roger's CAMERA jumps, then follows the body to the floor. Roger
HOLDS on Scagnetti slumped on the floor.

DUNCAN (O.S.)
Oh God! Oh God! Ohhhh. . .

MICKEY
We're sending out a hostage. Don't
touch him!

OFF SCREEN the door is kicked open.

Roger's CAMERA whips around to witness Mickey and Mallory
jumping into the corridor, BLASTING with their guns while using
the hostages for shields. Roger's CAMERA moves out of the cell
and. . .

INT. JAIL CORRIDOR (OUTSIDE THE HOLDING CELL) - DAY

There are even more DEPUTY SHERIFFS in the corridor.

CROSS FIRE whistles by as Roger dodges to catch up with the
caravan.

The footage is very similar to Vietnam footage. It's shaky,
real, harsh, and it captures the pandemonium of battle.

The soundtrack is a mixture of yelling, crying, laughing,
and gunfire.

HOSTAGE DEPUTY #1 is SHOT, and discarded by Mickey.

The wild caravan runs down the hallway, FIRING behind them.

Mickey's HIT, but keeps on running and FIRING. Mallory sees
this and screams.

MALLORY
Mickey!

MICKEY
Don't stop!

Roger's CAMERA runs along with them.

ROGER (O.S.)
Man, oh, man. . .this is better than
Vietnam!

More DEPUTIES appear at the end of the hallway.

Mickey and Mallory get back to back with each other, using
DUNCAN as a shield in front of them and Wayne behind them.
Mickey FIRES from the front, Mallory FIRES from the rear.

DUNCAN
Please don't kill me! Don't kill me...

CAMERA WHIP PANS to catch a Deputy hopping around the corner.
The SCREEN FLASHES WHITE with a BLAST.

Roger's HIT, and the CAMERA goes haywire, reeling out of
control, the THUNKING to the ground. Roger screams O.S.

CAMERA lies on the floor, video still transmitting. Roger rolls
into FRAME screaming.

MICKEY (O.S.)
Get the camera! Get the fucking
camera!

BACK TO: COLOR 35mm.

As Mickey FIRES cover for her, Mallory swipes the camera from
Roger's side.

The Knox's start running again, still holding Wayne and last
hostage.

Deputies are lying on the ground, wounded and screaming, or dead
and silent.

MICKEY
(to Mallory)
This way.

INT. STAIRWELL - DAY

The caravan bursts into the stairwell. Mickey turns to Duncan
the remaining hostage deputy.

MICKEY
(to Duncan)
Where does this lead?

Duncan is hyper-ventilating. Mickey pushes him against to
wall.

MICKEY
Where!?!

DUNCAN
Th-- the ground floor.

MALLORY
Is that the front door?

Duncan nod frantically.

MICKEY
Let's go.

Mickey grabs Duncan and the caravan starts running down the
stairs. They go down a few flights.

As they run down one last flight, they find Wurlitzer and a team
of DEPUTIES waiting for them on the ground floor. The deputies
raise their guns.

Mallory grabs hold of Wayne, and gets behind him with one hand
pressing the barrel of her gun against his temple and her other
are wrapped around his neck, holding him close to her.

MALLORY
Back off or I'll blast him! Back off
or I'll blast him! Back off or I'll
blast him!

None of the deputies lower their guns, but they appear less
likely to start shooting.

Wayne screams.

WAYNE
Don't shoot. I beg you, don't shoot!
Please, please, please. . .

Wayne continues begging.

Wurlitzer steps forward.

WURLITZER
Now Mickey, Mallory, just let me say---

MALLORY
Shut up! Don't talk, I don't wanna
hear it!

WURLITZER
You have to know---

MALLORY
I said shut up. . .

Mallory quickly lowers her gun from Wayne's head and SHOOTS him
in the thigh. She whips the gun back up to his head.

Wayne's screaming in pain.

The deputies jump back.

MALLORY
. . .and I mean shut up!

There's a bit of a silent standoff.

Tears are streaming down Duncan's face as the caravan slowly
retreats back up the stairs to the next flight.

The deputies hold their present position.

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON STAIRWELL - DAY

The caravan goes up one flight, then stops. Mickey and Mallory
let their two hostages sit down.

Duncan is out and out hysterical, urine stains the front of his
uniform.

Mickey's pacing.

MICKEY
Think. . .think. . .think. . .

Mallory leans up against the wall, holding her side with her
hand. Blood trickles out between the fingers. We see now she's
been shot.

Over Duncan's impassioned clamour they can hear Wurlitzer yelling
from below.

WURLITZER (O.S.)
Give up! There's no other way out!

Mickey sits down, utterly exhausted. Mallory sits down next to.
him. She winces in pain. He puts his arm around her.

MALLORY
Look, lover boy, we're not getting
outta here. So I say the hell with
going back to our cells. Let's do a
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Run down these stairs shootin', go out
in a hail of bullets, but take as many
of those motherfuckers with us as
possible.

Suddenly, Mickey's exhaustion lifts. He has a plan.

MICKEY
We'll do that when all else fails.

Mickey stands.

MALLORY
Hasn't it?

MICKEY
We still got a few tricks up our
sleeves.

Mickey confronts the two hostages. He points at Duncan.

MICKEY
You married?

DUNCAN
Oh, I don't wanna die...

MICKEY
Are you married? Do you have kids?

Duncan nods pathetically.

MICKEY
Good. People, we're goin' all the way
to the front door. Now, the only way
we're gonna get there is if they don't
want to kill you two more than they
want to kill us.

INSERT:

SHOTS of deputies with guns in their hands, just itching to kill
Mickey and Mallory. We hear Mickey's voice over this SHOT.

MICKEY (V.O.)
Right now I find that highly unlikely.
So, let's help 'em out, shall we?

BACK TO PRISON STAIRWELL:

Mickey is squatting in front of Wayne.

MICKEY
Now, say I tell those guys down there
if they shoot or make a move, I'm
killin' Wayne Gayle. And they shoot or
make a move anyway. Now say by some
freak accident, you didn't die, you
live though it. What would you do?

Mickey pulls the roll of GAFFER'S TAPE from his shirt and starts
tearing strips of tape and sticking them to the wall.

WAYNE
What would I do? Me and my network
would sue the entire Los Angeles County
Sheriffs Department for flagrantly
disregarding my safety. I'd go
straight to my buddy, the mayor, and
make sure everyone of those son of a
bitches down there ends up on the
unemployment line. In fact, I'd sue
every man down there personally. I
would make it my life's ambition to
bring the LA County Jail to its knees.
I would do expose after expose on the
brutality, and the conditions, and the
inhumanity that exists here.

Mickey tosses the tape roll to Mallory and gestures to Duncan.
Mallory winks at Mickey. Mickey smiles and begins wrapping tape
around the barrel of his shotgun.

MICKEY
That's what I thought. You tell them
that. When we go down those stairs, I
want you to scream what you just told
me. `My name is Wayne Gayle! I am the
star of American Maniacs watched every
week by'-- how many people?

WAYNE
On average forty million.

MICKEY
`Every week by forty million people. I
am a respected journalist.' Have you
won any awards?

WAYNE
Are you kidding? The Golden Globe, The
Edward R. Murrow award. . .

MICKEY
`Respected journalist'-- On your
knees...

Wayne kneels in front of Mickey. While Mickey speaks he props
his shotgun under Wayne's chin and wraps the tape from the
barrel around his neck.

MICKEY
(continues)
... `Winner of the Golden Globe and the
Edward R. Murrow award among others.'
Tell 'em the name of your personal
lawyer, his firm, his address, and
phone number. Tell 'em about the mayor
and the unemployment lines. You
getting the idea?

WAYNE
Yes.

Mickey stands with Wayne as he tapes his trigger hand to the
stock of the shotgun.

MICKEY
Say it. Scream it. All the way out
the front door and into your van. And
if you stop screaming, I swear to God
I'll blow your head off.

WAYNE
Got it.

Mickey grabs the camera, and lifts it to his shoulder before
shouting to Duncan.

MICKEY
You! What's your name?

Duncan can't answer, Mallory has gagged him with his tape. Mallory
grabs Duncan by the collar and lifts him off the floor before
reading his name badge.

MALLORY
Duncan... Homolka?

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON STAIRWELL (GROUND FLOOR) - DAY

Wurlitzer and the deputies are deciding their next move when
they hear:

MICKEY (O.S.)
Start.

Wayne and Duncan come into view with the Knoxs behind them.

The deputies quickly raise their guns, but soon realize if they
take out either Mickey of Mallory that Wayne or Duncan would
die.

Mallory's right hand is taped to the trigger and stock of the
shotgun that's wrapped firmly to Duncan's neck. The pistol in
her left hand is trained on Wurlitzer.

Mickey's left hand masters the shotgun leash on Wayne, while he
monitors the Deputies with the CAMERA on his right shoulder.

NOTE: The following scene will intercut between VIDEO FOOTAGE
and COLOR 35mm.

Wayne starts belting out his speech as Mickey focus the CAMERA
on Wurlitzer. Duncan simply cries and begs for his life to be
spared.

WAYNE
(yelling)
My name is Wayne Gayle! I am the star
of `American Maniacs', watched by forty
million people every week! I am a
respected journalist, winners of the
Golden Globe, the Edward R.
Murrows Award among others! If anybody
puts me in danger, my network will sue
The Los Angeles County Sheriffs
Department. My estate will sue every
officer personally who fires. The
network's law firm is Rowlands, Davis
and Sinclair...

Mickey knew what he was doing. This has an effect on the
deputies.

MALLORY
(yelling)
Make a path!

The wall of deputies starts moving backward.

The Knoxs and their hostages start moving forward with Wayne
yelling all the way.

The deputies keep their guns trained on the caravan, but they
keep giving ground, until they reach the doors of the front
lobby and they being to part like the Red Sea.

Wurlitzer stands his ground.

WURLITZER
How far do you think your gonna get?

MICKEY
Right out the front door.

WURLITZER
That'll never happen.

MICKEY
It is happening.

The caravan marches forth. Wayne and Duncan keep shouting their
speeches. Nobody dares to move on them, but the deputies keep
their weapons ready.

Wayne stops his speech to take a breath.

MALLORY
Don't stop!

Wayne starts up again.

The deputies are completely frustrated. Mickey and Wurlitzer
are nose to nose.

WURLITZER
(to Mickey)
I will personally hunt you down, blow
the head off your fucking-whore-wife,
and plant your sick ass in the ground
all by myself.

MICKEY
(calmly)
Another day perhaps, but not today.

Mickey leaves FRAME.

CUT TO:

EXT. COUNTY JAIL - DAY

The doors swing wide in SLOW MOTION as the caravan of Mickey,
Mallory, Wayne and Duncan take their first step into the open
air.

A crescent of deputies frame the group in the B.G. while
Wurlitzer stands, defeated, just behind Mickey.

FREEZE FRAME on WIDE ANGLE.

Image DISSOLVES to BLACK & WHITE before BURNING into WHITE
LEADER.

EXT. WOODS - DAY

The WHITE LEADER is disrupted by a fogged image in BLACK &
WHITE. The image settles into a ECU of Wayne. He's being
filmed by a 16mm CAMERA that he is presently balancing on a
fence post.

This entire SCENE is played out cinema verite. The SOUND is not
in sync as Wayne steps back into a MED SHOT. He looks directly
into the CAMERA.

WAYNE
This is Wayne Gayle. I'm wounded and
my crew, Roger and Scott, are dead.
This may be out of sync `cause we are
shooting with a wild camera and a
standard recorder we found in the van.
Mickey Knox's plan worked. We walked
out the front door, into my news van
and made our getaway. When we were
followed by patrol cars, Mallory Knox
killed Deputy Sheriff Duncan Homolka
and tosses his body out of the back.
Mickey told authorities over my police
band that I would surely be next if
they didn't give up the pursuit. They
took Mickey at his word and called off
the pursuit. Why helicopters weren't
employed, I don't know. My only
thought is it all happened too fast for
arrangements to be made. We've just
pulled off to the side of the road to
do this interview. Tensions run high--

Mickey screams O.S.

MICKEY (O.S.)
We ain't got all fuckin' day!

WAYNE
Without any further ado, Mickey and
Mallory. . .

Wayne steps forward and picks up the CAMERA and while conducting
his interview, the CAMERA remains hand held.

CAMERA focuses on Mallory sitting on a stump, while Mickey paces
in and out of FRAME in the B.G.

WAYNE
Mallory, what did you think of Mickey's
plan? Did you think it would work?

MALLORY
It wasn't 'till we got on the ground
floor that I totally realized they
weren't gonna shoot unless we shot
first. When we got out of the
stairwell, I remember thinking, `Oh my
God. This might work.' But
Mickey knew it would work all along.
There wasn't any doubt in his mind.
It's not like there was and he just
didn't show it. He knew it would work.

WAYNE (O.S.)
What did you think them?

MALLORY
I wondered how long it would be before
we'd get to be alone together. And I
wondered it I could wait that long.

WAYNE (O.S.)
Did you have anything to do with the
riot in the laundry room?

MALLORY
Haven't you been listening to a fuckin'
word I said? . . . Oh, I'm sorry. Can
I say fuckin'? I can't, can I?

WAYNE (O.S.)
Try to keep it to a minimum.

MALLORY
We had nothing to do with that riot.
That riot was just -- whatchmacallit --

Mickey can be heard faintly in the B.G.

MICKEY
Divine intervention.

MALLORY
What he said. We didn't know jack shit
about and riot. It just happened. It
was kismet. We didn't even know those
people. How are we supposed to
organize a riot when we've been in
fuckin' isolation for the past year?
Just bleep out the fucks and jack
shits.
(laughs)
I mean, it's not like we care. If they
wanna say we masterminded the whole
thing, let 'em. It won't exactly keep
us up at night. But you said you
wanted the truth, and the truth is we
were just lucky.

Mickey's snapping his fingers in the B.G.

MICKEY
C'mon, c'mon, let's hurry this up.

WAYNE (O.S.)
So, what now?

MALLORY
Well, now me and Mickey are gonna take
it easy. Just enjoy each other's
company, stop and smell the roses,
notice the color purple, stuff like
that.

WAYNE (O.S.)
How do you intend to disappear? you're
probably the most famous couple in
America.

MALLORY
Well, back in slave times they had a
thing called the underground railroad.
And we got a whole fan club out there
just waiting to be conductors.
(to the camera)
So, you kids out there, keep the faith.
Cause Mickey and Mallory will be comin'
to your town real soon.

MICKEY
Okay, that's enough. End of interview.
We gotta move.

Mickey approaches Wayne. CAMERA goes a little haywire as Wayne
lowers it from his eye.

WAYNE (O.S.)
Okay, just let me swing around and film
myself asking the questions. And then
I'll do my little wrap up.

Mickey takes the CAMERA from Wayne, and while he speaks, he
balances it on a fence post.

MICKEY
Oh, we're gonna do a little wrap up,
all right. But it won't be you starin'
in the camera, looking dumb, and acting
stupid. Instead, you're gonna be
starin' down the barrels of our
shotguns and we're gonna be pullin' the
triggers.

Wayne forces a chuckle. Mickey steps away from the CAMERA and into
a THREE SHOT. The NEWS VAN is parked in the B.G.

WAYNE
That's a joke right?

Mickey pumps the slide of his shotgun. Mallory grabs her
shotgun from off the ground.

WAYNE
Just wait one fucking minute.

MICKEY
I said I'd give you a interview. Now
unless I'm mistaken, we just did a
interview.
(to Mallory)
We did an interview, didn't we?

MALLORY
Looked like an interview to me.

MICKEY
I said we'd give you an interview. I
never said we wouldn't kill you.

WAYNE
Wait! I don't know, but I kinda felt
during this. . . this whole escape that
a kind of bond--

Wayne is shaking.

WAYNE
(continues)
. . . developed between the tree of
us. We're kindda in this together,
don't ya think?

MICKEY
No. Not really.

WAYNE
Don't touch those triggers! Please. I
think I've already proven that a live
Wayne Gayle is much more better that a
dead. . . Way-- Gayle. I was your
passport out of jail, not Duncan
Homolka. But me! I'll be your
passport outta---

MICKEY
Just save your breath, Wayne. We hate
you. If anybody in the fuckin' world
deserves to die, it's you.

Wayne is grasping for anything.

WAYNE
Wait! You can't kill me. Mickey and
Mallory always leave somebody alive to
tell the tale.

MICKEY
We are.
(points to camera)
Your camera.

Mickey turns to Mallory.

MICKEY
(John Wayne voice)
Let's make a little music, Colorada.

WAYNE
NO!!!

The two interview subjects start PUMPING rounds into Wayne,
who's body dances like a puppet before collapsing to the ground.

Mickey and Mallory kiss each other passionately, then climbing
into the news van, they drive away.

Wayne's body lay peacefully in FRAME until the CAMERA
eventually runs out of film.

CUT TO BLACK:

A FILM DIRECTED BY
RAND VOSSLER

A Noja Production.




THE END



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