ARCTIC BLUE

The bear gets a muzzle full of the stuff. HOWLING

unhappily, it backs away, GRUNTING and SNEEZING. Greatly

offended, its appetite gone, it lopes into the forest.

Anne Marie squirms out from under the Turtle and, gagging

from the horrible smell, pulls off her wet parka.

CUT TO:

116 EXT. WOODS NEAR THE TURTLE - SERIES OF SHOTS - NIGHT

Wearing one of Eric's coats, Anne Marie stands in the center

of three similarly-sized trees. A FLARE supplies the light.

The big Remington rifle leans against the tree closest to

her.

She tosses one end of a hundred feet of nylon rope over a

sturdy tree branch twenty-five feet from the ground. Then

she throws the other end over an opposing branch and

stretches the rope like a clothesline.

(CONTINUED)

116 CONTINUED:

She attaches a second length of rope perpendicular to the

first and throws it over a third tree branch, midway between

the other two. She kneels and ties something BELOW FRAME to

the cross-length rope.

Pulling mightily on the perpendicular rope, she hoists

something heavy to the level of the branches. The flare

burns out, plunging the area into darkness.

Anne Marie wraps the rope around the tree trunk and

nervously tries to LIGHT another flare. As she does, the

forest seems closer, sinister, filled with lurking ogres.

Seized with an instinctual fear, she grabs the rifle and

runs back to the Turtle.

FADE TO:

117 EXT. ENDICOTT FOOTHILLS - DAY

The storm has passed, leaving a fresh covering of powdery

snow in drifts like sand dunes. Eric and Corbett trek

toward Devil's Cauldron through the ever-thickening forest.

Corbett has made them snow goggles by cutting slits in

strips of tree bark worn like sunglasses. Eric, using a

tree branch as a walking stick, still limps on his sore

ankle. For the first time, he keeps the magnum stuck in his

waistband.

CORBETT

There's a cabin, maybe twenty

miles south of here.

ERIC

(kneels to adjust his ankle

wrap)

Too bad we're heading west.

CORBETT

There's a snowmobile. Inside a

day we could be on the Yukon. I

got money there. Remember that

five thousand? Make it ten. Be

smart. Take it and walk away.

ERIC

(bristling)

You don't get it, do you?

Corbett takes advantage of Eric's poor peripheral vision

from the visor by kneeing Eric in the face. Eric falls

backwards into the snow. Corbett takes off like a

jackrabbit. Eric spits out some blood, shakes the stars out

of his eyes and yanks the .357 from under his coat.

(CONTINUED)

117 CONTINUED:

ERIC

(continuing)

Stop!

Corbett bounds through the snow, dodging trees and

snow-covered rocks.

Eric squeezes off a SHOT, and is startled by the recoil and

the blast. He scrambles to his feet and SHOOTS again.

Corbett zigzags and disappears from sight over a snowbank.

NEW ANGLE - FOLLOW CORBETT

Corbett runs over a frozen stream, invisible under a cover

of snow. Suddenly, the ice SHATTERS under him. Corbett is

immersed in frigid, waist-deep water. He gasps from the

sudden temperature drop.

ERIC

hobbles after him, CUSSING bitterly to himself.

CORBETT

crawls to solid ground. Disoriented from the shock to his

system, he rolls over to catch his breath.

WIDER

Eric appears over a snowbank.

Corbett tries to run, but his frozen, waterlogged legs feel

like pig iron. Stumbling and panting, he looks for a safe

place to cross the stream. Eric easily catches up to him.

Corbett sits in the snow, shivering. He looks up as Eric

trots over.

Eric glares at Corbett and rubs the bruise on his cheek.

CORBETT

Nothing personal. Just wanted to

see what you'd do.

Noticing Corbett's sopping legs, Eric becomes furious.

CORBETT

(continuing)

Have to get these wet things off.

ERIC

You're not going to slow us down!

Keep moving!

(CONTINUED)

117 CONTINUED: (2)

CORBETT

Inside of three hours you'd be

dragging my dead carcass.

Fuming, Eric helps Corbett up.

118 EXT. ENDICOTT FOOTHILLS - EVENING

The sun sinks below the horizon, creating across the

mountains a spectacular show of color and shadows. The wind

HOWLS.

119 INT. NYLON SHELTER

Eric stokes a fire at the mouth of the shelter. Corbett's

pants and boots hang to dry from branches next to it. He

huddles under the tarp, covered by his coat, drowsy and

listless.

ERIC

Stay awake! You want to go

hypothermic?

CORBETT

If that means freeze my balls

off, no thanks.

(yawns)

I'll be okay.

Eric examines him. Corbett's skin is white and rigid, his

lips are pale blue. He scowls at Eric.

CORBETT

(continuing)

Told you I'm fine!

ERIC

(holds up three fingers)

How many do you see?

CORBETT

(irritable)

What?! Fuck off. Save yourself.

ERIC

You don't feel cold?

CORBETT

It's a spring day...

He starts to doze off. The shivering he's been repressing

now racks his body. Eric sits him up, closer to the fire,

and puts his own parka over Corbett's shoulders. With his

foot, Eric rolls some hot rocks bordering the fire closer to

(CONTINUED)

119 CONTINUED:

Corbett's legs. Eric rubs his arms and hands, but it isn't

enough. Eric loathes the specter of death, even Corbett's.

He shakes him, trying to keep him awake.

ERIC

Wake up, goddammit! You've got

classic hypothermia --

crankiness, fatigue, can't feel

your coldness. Worst thing you

can do is fade out.

Corbett is headed someplace far away. Sighing, Eric turns

him so his back faces the fire. He unbuttons Corbett's

shirt, then unbuttons his own shirt and lies across Corbett.

Eric gasps -- Corbett feels like a slab of ice. Corbett's

teeth chatter. He's completely unconscious.

ERIC

(continuing)

One more thing -- this doesn't

mean we're going steady.

DISSOLVE TO:

Later, Corbett rests fitfully. It could go either way.

Eric chews on some roots and pokes at the fire to keep it

lively.

DISSOLVE TO:

It's night. Some color has returned to Corbett's skin.

Eric turns as Corbett mumbles and clutches at the front of

his shirt. His eyes open. He tries to sit up, but he's too

weak.

ERIC

Stay still.

CORBETT

Where's my ELT?

ERIC

Emergency transmitter? All your

gear is back at Wilder's.

CORBETT

You got one?

ERIC

It was blown up with the plane.

CORBETT

Too bad. We'd be out of here in

a few hours.

(CONTINUED)

119 CONTINUED: (2)

ERIC

How? Nobody this far north

monitors that frequency until

avalanche season.

(beat)

Besides, I'm surprised a tough

guy like you uses fancy

electronics.

CORBETT

I'm surprised a flat-ender like

you knows cold-weather remedies.

ERIC

Read a lot of adventure stories

when I was a kid...

Corbett smiles.

CORBETT

I'm hungry. Go kill me some

dinner.

ERIC

An appetite. Maybe you won't die

after all.

CORBETT

Hate to disappoint you.

120 EXT. HAUL ROAD - THE TURTLE - NIGHT

The AURORA makes a dazzling display in the cold clear sky.

Below, the only light on the endless expanse of dark earth

comes from the Turtle.

CLOSER

Flashlight in hand, wearing one of Eric's coats, Anne Marie

refuels the generator. Something catches her eye --

ANNE MARIE'S POV

In the distance, headlight beams jostle along the Haul Road.

BACK TO SCENE

Anne Marie caps the diesel fuel can and stows it away.

ANNE MARIE

(grinning)

It's about time...

She hurries back into the Turtle.

121 INT. THE TURTLE

Anne Marie brushes her hair and makes herself presentable.

122 EXT. THE TURTLE

The vehicle gets closer. It's the trappers' jeep. It slows

and parks on the Haul Road next to the Turtle.

123 INT. THE TURTLE

Anne Marie peers out the window. She gasps as she

recognizes the jeep. Ducking from sight below the window,

she grabs Eric's coat and hurries into the rear module.

124 EXT. THE TURTLE

Mitchell stays in the jeep. Viking Bob and LeMalle get out

and walk cautiously toward the Turtle.

LeMalle stands midway between the jeep and the Turtle,

cradling his carbine. Viking Bob goes up the steps.

125 INT. THE TURTLE - REAR MODULE

Anne Marie remembers something she should've taken with her:

the rifle. Too late. She hears Viking Bob's FOOTSTEPS (OS)

come up the wooden stairs outside.

126 EXT. THE TURTLE

Viking Bob knocks on the front door. He peers through the

sheer curtain on the window, into the front module.

VIKING BOB

Hullo?

He shrugs to the others, then tries the door. It's

unlocked.

Mitchell gets out of the jeep, spits and follows the others

in, his hand close to the Colt Peacemaker strapped to his

leg.

127 INT. THE TURTLE

Anne Marie climbs out a window in the back. She closes it

behind her just as Viking Bob pokes his head in the rear

module.

The trappers snoop around, noticing that the coffee pot is

still warm, etc. The emptiness is ominous. LeMalle picks

up the big Remington bear rifle. He opens the breech to

determine if it's loaded, and sniffs the barrel to see if

(CONTINUED)

127 CONTINUED:

it's recently been fired. Viking Bob notices the damaged

radio.

VIKING BOB

Somebody left in a big hurry.

(to LeMalle)

Check outside.

128 EXT. THE TURTLE

LeMalle goes outside and shines his flashlight around.

NEW ANGLE

In the back, Anne Marie drags an evergreen tree branch

behind her to cover her tracks in the snow, then climbs into

the utility compartment where Wilder's body was stored.

A moment later, LeMalle comes around the corner. He notices

bear tracks and scat from the prior night's visit.

LEMALLE

(calls out to others)

Grizzly sign. Looks fresh.

Viking Bob and Mitchell converge with LeMalle. They point

their flashlights around, spotting footprints and marks

going off into the woods.

129 EXT. WOODS NEAR THE TURTLE

Tense and silent, the trappers follow the marks. A breeze

RUSTLES the needles of the evergreens around them. They

stop at the point the footprints end. A rhythmic CREAKING

above them makes LeMalle shine his light upward.

NEW ANGLE

The light REVEALS Wilder's feet swinging back and forth

above their heads. His body is suspended in the manner of a

trail cache. Viking Bob lets out a startled grunt. He and

Mitchell shine their lights on Wilder's face.

MITCHELL

It's Sam Wilder!

VIKING BOB

Musta wanted to keep him from the

bears. If Ben killed him, he

sure as hell wouldn't hang him up

like this.

MITCHELL

Where's the kid?

(CONTINUED)

129 CONTINUED:

LEMALLE

Who gives a husky fuck? Where's

Ben?

The trappers look glumly at one another.

130 INT. UTILITY COMPARTMENT - THE TURTLE

Anne Marie jams herself behind a pile of her photo

equipment. She stops as she hears the trappers' boots (OS)

CRUNCH in the snow past her and go inside the Turtle.

131 INT. THE TURTLE

The trappers peel off their overcoats. They look around at

the comfortable surroundings.

MITCHELL

I should get me a job with an oil

company.