FACE/OFF

FACE/OFF  
                             Written by

                    Mike Werb & Michael Colleary
                                                    Revised 9/10/96
     FADE INTO:

     SEPIA-TONE FOOTAGE

     of a pig chasing a lion chasing a dinosaur chasing an
     elephant.  Noah's Ark going round... and round... and
     round...

     EXT. GRIFFITH PARK CAROUSEL - DAY

     Disjointed CALLIOPE MUSIC as the wheel of fate and
     fortune goes around until we PULL BACK to reveal:

     JON ARCHER (30) rising winged Pegasus.  On the adjacent
     unicorn is his son MATTHEW (5).  Clutching a balloon,
     Matty waves at his dad.  A happy moment, like so many
     certain to follow -- until we realize we are watching
     them THROUGH...

     SNIPER'S RIFLE SCOPE - SNIPER'S EYES

     wait until the child clears his aim -- Archer is the
     target.  They round the bend and disappear...

     MATTHEW

     Loses his grip on the unicorn.  Archer reaches over and
     pulls him into his lap.  They happily ride together...

     As the horses sweep back INTO VIEW... exposing Archer...

     Now we see the sniper.  CASTOR TROY is cool, efficient,
     aggressive, sexual.  His finger closes around the
     trigger.

     BOOM!  A BULLET RIPS into Archer's back.  Bleeding... he
     drops off his horse... and sinks to the deck of the
     carousel.  His eyes desperately searching... searching...
     searching... until he sees --

     Matthew lies on his back -- still.  Slowly, Archer
     reaches out and takes Matthew's hand... and now we see
     COLOR for the first time...

     Blood red... as bleeding father touches bleeding son...

     TILT UP TO the winged Pegasus flying by -- now in full
     color and UP UP UP TO Matthew's red balloon... floating
     away.

     HANDEL'S MESSIAH OVER a SERIES OF SHOTS:

     FBI BRIEFING ROOM

     Gazing out the window as dawn breaks over the city below
     is Jon Archer... older... unshaven... fatigued... his
     eyes reveal a man in the grip of obsession.

     CAROUSEL HORSE

     sweeps by, as if marking time itself...

     HOLY PLACE

     Smoky, spiritual... dominated by a gleaming, golden
     cross.  A priest kneels before it -- deep in prayer.  The
     glimmering cross comes INTO FOCUS... but it's just a
     light-reflection... off the casing of a large bomb.  This
     is no chapel... but an atrium.  Somewhere.

     And as the "priest" rubs out his cigarette we see it's
     Castor Troy -- carefully installing this complex device.

     ANOTHER CAROUSEL HORSE

     sweeps by...

     ARCHER

     pockets his FBI badge, then holsters his gun...

     CASTOR

     sets the bomb timer -- then replaces a wall panel in
     front of it.  Totally hidden.

     BRIEFING ROOM - CASTOR'S MUGSHOT

     is on a computer screen.  His criminal dossier scrolls by
     endlessly:  bombings, assassinations, mercenary
     kidnappings, terrorism-for-hire...

     Rookie agent LOOMIS studies the details carefully.  Other
     agents -- including BUZZ and WANDA scan computer grid-
     maps, man phones, etc. amid the take-out cartons and
     coffee cups.  These people are on high alert.

                             ARCHER
               Any follow-up from L.A.P.D.
               Intelligence?

                             BUZZ
               No, sir, nothing yet.

                             ARCHER
               Get them on the phone -- now.
               What about S.I.S. and our airport
               teams?

                             WANDA
               We've had everything from psychics
               to satellites on this.  Even if
               Castor was here... he must have
               slipped the net by now...

                             ARCHER
               He's here!  And we're going to
               keep looking until we find him!

     A silence descends on the chastised team.  As they go
     back to work, veteran agent TITO BIONDI takes Archer
     aside.

                             TITO
               Jon, these people have been
               working round the clock -- you
               gotta cut them some slack...

     Archer considers his best friend's advice -- then...

                             ARCHER
               I'll cut them some slack when I
               cut myself some slack.

     Archer marches out -- slamming the door behind him.

     INT. CORRIDOR - DAY (MORNING)

     Castor quietly shuts the security door behind him.  An
     Hispanic voice startles him.

                             JANITOR
               What are you doing?

                             CASTOR
                      (in perfect Spanish)
               Thank goodness, I feel like Icarus
               in the labyrinth -- where's the
               men's room?

                             JANITOR
                      (in Spanish)
               This area is off limits, Padre.
                      (re:  security door)
               How did you get in that room?

     Realizing the JANITOR is already too suspicious, Castor
     puts a priestly arm around him -- and leads him down the
     hall.

                             CASTOR
               Okay... I have a confession to
               make, but you aren't gonna like
               it.  I was planting a bomb.

                             JANITOR
               Bomb?

                             CASTOR
               You know -- boom --
                      (patting his
                       neck)
               Oh, never mind...

     The Janitor suddenly twitches, his eyes rolls up in his
     head.  As he gasps his last -- Castor heaves him down a
     stairwell.  Now we see the needle-thin custom stiletto in
     Castor's hand.

     Castor kicks the Janitor's mop and bucket down the stairs
     -- making everything look like an accident.

     INT. SAME BUILDING - MAIN FLOOR - DAY (MORNING)

     The children's church choir -- 200 strong -- sing "Behold
     the Lamb of God."  Clergy and lay persons listen
     reverently.

     "Father" Castor strolls by the singers -- casually
     heading for the exit.  As he passes the risers, a teenage
     girl drops her sheet music at his feet.

     Returning it -- he whispers in her ear -- so close he's
     practically licking it.

                             CASTOR
               I've never enjoyed 'The Messiah.'
               But your voice makes even a hack
               like Handel seem like a genius.

     He pats her behind and leaves.  Although a little shaken,
     she's also drawn by Castor's sexual magnetism.

     EXT. LA CONVENTION CENTER - DAY (MORNING)

     The marquee proclaims:  INTERNATIONAL CHURCH CHOIRS 18th-
     21st:  AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION.

     Castor exits -- politely holding the door for a beat cop.

     INT. ARCHER'S OFFICE - DAY (MORNING)

     The office is a monument to obsession:  photographs,
     clues, newsclips, totems of Castor Troy surround a pacing
     Archer.

                             ARCHER
                      (on phone)
               ... I don't have time to get a
               warrant from some hung-over judge.
               Just give me the go-ahead, Victor,
               and I promise -- as soon as this
               is over -- you can brand my butt
               with the Fourth Amendment.

     The instant Archer hangs up -- the INTERCOM BUZZES.

                             KIM (V.O.)
               Sir, your wife's on line one...
               S.I.S. on two...

                             ARCHER
               Tell her to hang on --

     As Archer punches up line two -- Tito bursts in.

                             TITO
               A jet was chartered at Anderson
               Airfield.  Guess who just showed
               up to pay for it?  Pollux Troy.

                             ARCHER
               Scramble the Reaction Team --
               we're moving out.  And get one of
               our people on that plane.

                             TITO
               But there's still no sign of
               Castor...

                             ARCHER
               Where one brother goes, the
               other's sure to follow...

     They rush our... the hold button on line 1 still
     blinking.

     EXT. PRIVATE AIRPORT - ESTABLISHING - DAY

     A sleek Cadillac pulls in... stopping next to a Land
     Rover.

     LARS MUELLER -- a muscular, crystal-eyed jar-head -- gets
     out of the Caddy.  An instant later -- LUNT MUELLER --
     emerges from the Rover.  They are identical twins.

     The men scan the airport carefully, then open the rear
     doors of their respective vehicles.  Castor emerges from
     the Caddy -- Armani clad.

     Exiting the Rover is Castor's younger brother POLLUX TROY
     -- skittish, brilliant, paranoid -- a human hummingbird.

                             POLLUX
               You're 26 minutes late.  The
               casing didn't fit -- right?  I
               knew that cheap-shit Dietrich
               would rip us off...

                             CASTOR
               Oh, God -- !

                             POLLUX
               What!?

                             CASTOR
               I forgot to turn the damn thing
               on!

                              POLLUX
               You're kidding, right?
                      (to the twins)
               He's kidding...
                      (grabs Castor
                       by throat)
               ... are you fucking kidding!?

     Castor hugs Pollux lovingly.  Pollux squirms like a kid.

                             CASTOR
               Bro -- everything went fine.

                             POLLUX
               I hate when you call me bro.

     Pollux heads for the jet.  Castor hands Lunt a wad of
     cash.

                             CASTOR
               Thanks for babysitting.

                             LUNT
               Anything else?

                             CASTOR
               I'll contact you when we get the
               rest of the money.
                      (turns to leave)
               Oh, and stat away from downtown.
               The inversion layer's going to be
               pretty thick around the 18th.

     The twins nod... then take off.  Castor heads for the
     jet.

     INT. JET - DAY

     Castor hustles in -- exhorting the PILOT.

                             CASTOR
               Let's go, let's go!

     As the JET TURBINES start to WHINE, Castor sinks into his
     seat.  A very sexy FLIGHT ATTENDANT appears and hands him
     a Scotch.  He downs it, looking her over salaciously.

                             FLIGHT ATTENDANT
               Would you like anything else?

                             CASTOR
               Hell, yes...
                      (pulls her into lap)
               It's the only way to fly.

     She smiles, not minding, until the jet suddenly slows its
     taxi down the runway.

     COCKPIT

     Castor yanks open the door.

                             CASTOR
               What's wrong?