Assassins

Electra behind the wheel, in sunglasses and a kerchief. Rath in the passenger seat as they pull up to the curb.

RATH

Follow our plan. And if I don't show...

ELECTRA

I know. Split!

Rath barely nods. Reassuring a woman is a skill he never had. He takes the laptop from the back, casts about the front seat for something he can't find. Electra holds up the disc. He reaches, but she doesn't give it to him.

ELECTRA

In ten minutes you'll have two million dollars and no reason to come back. I ditched you. I really didn't know you that well at the time, but who knows, maybe you hold it against me and –

Rath gently crosses her lips with two fingers. Then, with absolute finality:

RATH

Partners.

She gives him the disc. Rath gets out of the car. Electra watches as he disappears, swallowed by the crowd.

ELECTRA

Be careful... Partner.

Electra drives on.

EXT. MONORAIL STATION – DAY

Carrying the laptop, wearing sunglasses, Rath boards a northbound monorail. The doors shut and it glides away.

EXT. STREET BELOW MONORAIL – DAY

As the monorail moves along above, the Mustang follows below. Her eyes looking up, Electra nearly rear ends a car slowing for a left turn. As she swerves around it.

INT. MONORAIL CAR – DAY

Rath sits, his back to the window. Turning on the computer, he inserts the disc. A list of file names scroll across the screen.

EXT. MONORAIL TRACKS – DAY

Two tracks run parallel. The northbound train slows as it nears a southbound. Reaching a station, the two trains stop directly across from each other.

ANGLE BETWEEN TRAINS

Two facing doors open. Rath stands, partly concealed behind one. A courier behind the other. He holds up an open briefcase. Inside: 20 stacks of banded $1000 bills.

Rath, his face hidden, holds up the laptop, the screen visible. The laptop and briefcase are both closed.

ANGLE ABOVE TRAINS
 

All we see are hands as the briefcase is exchanged for the laptop. As both trains continue on their way.

INT. MONORAIL CAR – DAY

Rath holds the briefcase in his lap. It feels good.

ANGLE ON WATCHER

His back to Rath, reading the paper. But watching Rath from a piece of reflective tape on the inside lens of his glasses.

EXT. MUSTANG – DAY

Electra drives, falling behind. As the light turns red ahead, she swerves 'round traffic, shoots through the intersection inches ahead of the cross traffic.

INT. MONORAIL CAR – DAY

Picking his spot, Rath pulls down on the emergency stop cord. The monorail lurches to a stop.

Rath grabs the release handle on the door, pushes it open.

EXT. MONORAIL CAR – DAY

Briefcase in hand, Rath leaps, lands on the roof of a neighboring business.

INT. MONORAIL CAR – DAY

The Watcher stands, but the doors close. True to his name, he can only watch as...

EXT. BUSINESS BUILDING – DAY

Rath swings himself over the edge of the roof, drops down to the street below.

INT. MONORAIL CAR – DAY

As the monorail continues, the Watcher loses sight, doesn't see as...

EXT. BUSINESS BUILDING – DAY

Rath's only just gotten to his feet when the Mustang pulls up, RADIO BLASTING. Rath hops in and they tear off.

EXT. MUSTANG – DRIVING – DAY

Rath grabs the briefcase from the back.

ELECTRA

It's in there?

Rath nods. As he swings the briefcase onto his lap, the RADIO LOSES RECEPTION.

Rath frowns. He moves the briefcase away and the RECEPTION RETURNS. Rath looks around them. Pedestrians everywhere.

RATH

Turn left!

Hearing his urgency, Electra turns.

EXT. SIDE STREET – DAY

Deserted. Rath heaves the BRIEFCASE up with all his might. It soars straight into the air. EXPLODES! As the air fills with shredded money...

EXT. MUSTANG – DAY

Electra slams on the brakes. As she starts to get out, Rath holds her back.

ELECTRA

But the money.

RATH

Go.

The street behind them is already filling with instant lottery winners.

INT. MONORAIL CAR – DAY

The Watcher hears the REVERBERATION, watches smoke rise in the distance. He takes out a cell-phone, speed dials.

WATCHER

(into phone)

There's been an explosion.

He flips it shut.

INT. MUSTANG – DAY

They continue. Rath with quiet resolve.

RATH

No money. No disc.

Though shaken, Electra suddenly smiles like the cat who ate the canary. Rath catches the look.

RATH

What?

ELECTRA

I wasn't sure you'd come back. This morning I switched discs. All they got was a list of file names. Bupkis.

Electra holds up the real disc. Rath can't believe it.

ELECTRA

Zero, a goose egg, jackstraw, ni, nada, zot, zilch, squirt, a dry hump, diddly squat.

(a beat)

I read a slang dictionary once.

RATH

Keep reading.

ELECTRA

Your contractor just tried to kill you. That's not good.

Rath nods. He takes the disc from her, considers it.

INT. MUSTANG – PARKED – DAY

MOVE WITH Electra. Carrying a paper bag, she exits a gourmet market and crosses the street to the Mustang. Rath waits with Pearl and his computer.

As Rath sets up his computer, Electra treats Pearl to some caviar.

ELECTRA

Do you know that caviar is not a Russian word?

RATH

Ikra. It's ikra.

ELECTRA

(surprised)

How did you know that?

No answer. There is a very particular reason that he knows this. She watches him as he types in his access code. Finally, Rath looks over at her.

RATH

I had a friend... Nicolai. He told me.

ELECTRA

Had?

RATH

Fifteen years ago. He was taken.

ELECTRA

Killed?

Rath nods. Before Electra can delve any deeper, the COMPUTER TERMINAL BEEPS. Words appear.

Contractor: "ROBERT, IS THAT YOU?"

RATH
That's right, you sonuvabitch, I'm still alive.

Rath: "I still have the disc."

Contractor: "We can make new arrangements."

Rath plays it cool.

Rath: "The price has changed."

WIDEN

To show Electra watching over Rath's shoulder.

RATH

Let's see just how valuable he thinks it is.

Rath: "$20,000,000."

ELECTRA

Twenty million?! That's insane!
 

RATH

May well be.

They wait as the screen remains, unchanged. The Contractor is thinking it over.

ELECTRA

Where do you think this person is right now? A mile from here? Ten thousand?

RATH

I never thought about it. Until now.

ELECTRA

You quit your job. You're having thoughts you never had before. Sounds like a mid-life crisis to me.

RATH

Yes. You're it.

Rath smiles. The cursor flashes. The answer is coming.

Contractor: "It will take two days to arrange the transfer. What's the bank code and account number?"

Pulling out a small notebook, Rath checks a bank account number.

ELECTRA
I don't believe it. Twenty million and he wants to know what the account number is.

(a long beat)

Partners?

Rath nods, types in the information.

ELECTRA

(almost in tears)

Ten million each!

RATH

Eight. The bank'll take twenty percent.

ELECTRA

It's that kind of bank, huh?

Rath STARTS the CAR. As they pull away...

RATH (V.O.)

You have a passport?

ELECTRA (V.O.)

Twelve. Where are we going?

EXT. AIRPORT – DAY

As the plane lands in the b.g., Bain types on his computer. It's set on the hood of his car. Bain looks at the screen as...

Contractor: "Miguel? Are you there?"

Bain lets the Contractor sweat.

Contractor: "You know what I want?"

Bain pauses, types his one condition:

Bain: "Say please. A long beat. Bain watches with satisfaction as the letters appear one-by-one: P-L-E-A-S-E."

HARD CUT TO:

EXT. CARIBBEAN – LATE DAY

Aquamarine that can only be the Caribbean. Without warning we WHIP UP OVER a sea wall, CLIMB hard ABOVE the ruins of a colonial Spanish fort. HIGHER and a modern city spreads out below us.

The CAMERA DROPS, CLOSES ON a beat-up local tai. As it bounces over blue cobblestones...

RATH (V.O.)

The Hotel Paraiso por favor.

INT. LOCAL TAI – DAY (LATE AFTERNOON)

Rath and Electra sit in the back, both in sunglasses. Electra looks out the window, taking everything in. But Rath stares straight ahead. He's been here before.

EXT. HOTEL PARAISO – PLAZA COLON – LATE DAY

The cab stops at a four-story, boarded, blackened husk. It's surreal, truly the shadow of its former glory.

RATH

(shocked)

The Paraiso. Why didn't you say?

CABBY

(thick English)

You didn't ask. Fire, Senor. Years ago. There was no money to rebuild.

Rath gets out, stares up at the hotel. Electra is out behind him. Her attention drifts to the people around her, the bustle on the plaza.

Rath only has eyes for a third-story Paraiso window.