ARCTIC BLUE

He hears a door SQUEAK open and someone COUGH nearby, so he

stands motionless in the snow.

Bundled in wool blankets, Kenai trundles down to his

outhouse.

After Kenai passes by, Eric sneaks inside the spa. He

climbs up into the catwalk.

As Kenai goes back to his cabin, he notices that the antique

bear traps on display in front of the general store are

missing. Suddenly, Eric grabs him and pulls him into the

spa doorway.

END MONTAGE

164 INT. HOT SPRINGS SPA

Eric's unexpected appearance startles Kenai.

ERIC

I need to rent a cabin.

KENAI

What's the problem with Sam

Wilder's place?

ERIC

Will you rent me a cabin, or not?

KENAI

Pretty clever: If the trappers

got that signal beacon and get

here in time, Sam's is the first

place they'll look. They may

figure you're waiting for an

airplane, so you can't stay in

the shack by the airstrip. Last

place they'd expect you is on the

far side of town.

(shakes his head)

I can't afford any trouble --

ERIC

(takes out all his cash)

-- Here's a hundred dollars. And

if you or anyone else will back

me up on this --

KENAI

(grabs money)

-- Forget it. And try not to

bleed on my throw rugs.

(walks away, then turns

back)

Why do this?

ERIC

If you have to ask, you wouldn't

understand.

NEW ANGLE

Outside, there is the high-pitched WHINE of a snowmobile

(OS) driving into town. Eric cautiously follows the SOUND.

165 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - CLOSE ON ERIC

He listens as the vehicle cuts across town toward Neff's

house. The snowfall is too thick to see who it is. Eric

(CONTINUED)

165 CONTINUED:

moves in as close as he dares. The ENGINE stops (OS) and

FOOTSTEPS crunch up Neff's driveway.

WIDER ANGLE - NEFF'S HOUSE

A person in a hooded parka stands on Neff's stoop, about to

knock. Magnum drawn, Eric suddenly appears from the curtain

of falling snow. He shoves the person against the side of

the house.

NEW ANGLE

It's Anne Marie. She gasps. Seeing Eric, she's more angry

than relieved. Eric puts the gun back in his waistband.

ANNE MARIE

Eric! Why aren't you in

Fairbanks?

He pulls her away from Neff's doorstep. Her anger

dissolving, she wraps her arms around him.

ANNE MARIE

(continuing)

Oh, Christ, sweetheart. Four

days! I thought you were dead,

or worse.

ERIC

You can't stay here. Go back to

the Turtle. I'll meet you back

there in a few hours.

ANNE MARIE

(stung by his coolness)

What's going on?

ERIC

I'll tell you everything later.

ANNE MARIE

Where's Corbett?

ERIC

Here. A transport plane is due

at eleven. Once I put him on it,

it's all over.

ANNE MARIE

So what's the problem?

(CONTINUED)

165 CONTINUED: (2)

ERIC

There isn't one, unless Corbett's

men get here before the plane

does.

Anne Marie grasps the situation with a sickening clarity.

ANNE MARIE

Let the people here handle it.

It's their marshal Corbett

killed!

CUTAWAY - NEFF

has been eavesdropping on the conversation through his

window. The news about Wilder stuns him.

BACK TO SCENE

ERIC

Please, Anne Marie, you being

here only complicates things.

ANNE MARIE

I'm staying.

Eric knows she won't relent.

ERIC

Take the snowmobile, park it

behind Wilder's cabin.

Sighing, she STARTS the snow machine. Most of her photo

gear is lashed to the saddlebags. As she pulls away, Eric

limps back to Neff's house and knocks on the door.

INT. NEFF'S HOUSE

Shaken, Neff opens the door and lets Eric in.

NEFF

I was just on my way to your

ladyfriend's, but I guess she

found you.

ERIC

Yeah. Sorry I barked at you last

night.

NEFF

I'm the one should be sorry...

Goddamn Kenai, always out for a

score. I never should've let him

go over there.

(CONTINUED)

165 CONTINUED: (3)

ERIC

I'd sure like that favor you

offered a while back.

Neff gets a seasick look on his face.

NEFF

Look, Mr. Desmond, I didn't count

on it turning this ugly.

ERIC

What are you talking about?

NEFF

Bastards killed Sam, you think

they won't kill the rest of us?

ERIC

There'll be three, four men at

the most. I have some backup,

nothing will happen.

NEFF

I'm real sorry. In a while,

you're gone from this country.

But we live here. No one wants

to mix it up with those hombres.

Neff opens the door for Eric.

ERIC

(angry)

You don't care enough about Sam

to --

NEFF

-- Sam Wilder was my cousin.

He's why I came to Alaska. All

his letters, saying what a

paradise it is. But me ending up

dead won't do Sam a lick of good.

166 EXT. WILDER'S CABIN

Anne Marie waits in front as Eric hobbles up. She looks at

his bad ankle.

ANNE MARIE

You're hurt.

ERIC

Nothing broken. C'mon, we have

to hurry.

He leads her inside.

167 INT. WILDER'S CABIN

Corbett is calmly reclining on the cot in the holding cell.

CORBETT

Could've told you no one would

help...

Seeing Anne Marie, he smiles.

CORBETT

(continuing; to Anne Marie)

Maybe you can talk sense into

your boyfriend.

ERIC

Shut up!

CORBETT

(to Anne Marie)

Either way, you better clear out.

I don't want anyone innocent

getting harmed.

This comment has the intended effect on Anne Marie. Angry,

Eric throws Corbett a coat. Corbett puts it on. Reaching

through the bars, Eric cuffs Corbett's hands together.

ERIC

We're moving. Let's go.

As they exit, Corbett's sardonic look makes Anne Marie

shiver.

168 INT. RENTAL CABIN

The ten-by-ten cabin is furnished with two sagging cots, a

beat-up color TV set, a cookstove and a half-drum heat

stove. Built into the rear wall is a rustic dumb waiter

that once lowered perishables into the icy waters of a

now-dry stream.

Eric checks his watch. 6:15 AM. He bolts the door and

blocks the windows, opening one enough to let sound in from

outside. He extinguishes the Benman lantern and douses the

fire in the heat stove so no smoke will emit from the

chimney. Anne Marie slumps into the corner next to the dumb

waiter.

ERIC

You'll catch a chill by that dumb

waiter shaft. Sit on the cot.

(hands her the .44)

Keep this pointed at him if I get

preoccupied.

(CONTINUED)

168 CONTINUED:

Anne Marie reluctantly takes the huge gun. Trying to allay

her fears, Eric sits and brushes the hair from her face.

Corbett intently watches them. Before he can say anything,

Eric shoots him a cold look. Corbett stays quiet.

169 EXT. / INT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - VARIOUS ANGLES - DAY

A pall hangs over the town. People know to stay inside.

Time crawls by.

In his house, Neff, for once, has his TV turned off. He

tries to read and listens for sounds outside.

In the spa, water DRIPS somewhere. All the stalls are

empty.

In his sod house, Kenai looks out his one tiny window at the

curtain of snow. Dixie comes up behind him and puts her

hands on his shoulders. He looks up at her, glum.

In Wilder's empty cabin, his belongings are scattered about

as if expecting his imminent return.

In the rental cabin, Eric checks his watch. 10:45 AM.

170 EXT. DEVIL'S CAULDRON - NEAR WILDER'S CABIN - DAY

The sound of a MOTOR grows in volume, then abruptly ceases.

The trappers' jeep APPEARS in the snowfall on the road into

town. It coasts quietly in and stops behind the cover of a

woodpile across from Wilder's cabin.

The trappers get out of the jeep. LeMalle has Eric's

Remington, Mitchell has his Peacemaker, and Viking Bob

carries LeMalle's old carbine. Mitchell spits. It's so

cold outside that the spittle freezes and CRACKS before it

hits the ground.

They fan out and approach Wilder's cabin.

ANGLE WITH TRAPPERS

The cabin comes more clearly into view as the trappers move

closer. There is no sign of life. Viking Bob gestures for

the others, now positioned on either side of the cabin, to

crouch down for cover.