FACE/OFF

                             ARCHER
               We start with your basic
               kidnapping.  Then -- a little
               surgery.

                             FITCH
               Surgery?

                             ARCHER
               I'm going to rearrange his face in
               a way you won't believe.

                             ALDO
               You're an evil bitch, Caz.  But
               you've got balls of titanium.
               Count us in.

     Archer sighs with relief -- pleased with his performance.

                             DIETRICH
               Come on -- let's drink to it!

     FULL SCREEN - BLUE CAPSULE

     Dietrich cracks it open -- powder sifts into a big high-
     ball glass filled with mescal.  he hands it to Archer.

                             DIETRICH
               How about one of your famous
               toasts, Caz?

     They all look expectantly at Archer... he's at a loss.

                             ARCHER
               To old jobs, new jobs and -- uh --
               blow jobs?

     Silence -- then they crack up.  Reluctantly, Archer
     swallows the tumbler of mescal... he fights back the urge
     to puke.

                             LIVIA
               Enough business, Caz.  Let's
               dance.

                             ARCHER
               Sorry... I don't...

     She drags him onto the glass floor.  Cindee puts on some
     MUSIC as Archer's head begins to spin.  The girls start
     "dancing," grinding Archer between their taut bodies.  He
     tries to avoid it, but Livia kisses him -- hot, moist.

                             LIVIA
               Remember the Charger's game, Caz?
               The owners box?  We did it four
               times.

                             ARCHER
               Sure I remember... Once a quarter,
               right?

     Archer's eyes fall on the series of abstract paintings.

     The twisted renderings make his head spin worse... as he
     starts to hallucinate... surrounded by enemies -- he
     struggles to regain control of his battered psyche.

                             LIVIA
               Caz?  Are you okay?

     He pulls away and stumbles down the stairs -- toward the
     kitchen.

                             DIETRICH
               When even Castor Troy can't handle
               a tab of Quantrex...
                      (raises his glass)
               That, dear friends, is the first
               sorry whiff of old age.

     INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

     Archer has his mouth under the tap -- drinking greedily.
     Woozy, he takes a breath... and notices a reflection in
     the window above the sink.  Archer turns to see -- Sasha.

                             ARCHER
               -- Sasha Hassler.  Age 35.  Met
               Castor Troy in Austin, Texas, at
               Pearl Jam reunion...
                      (catches himself)
               Uh, how you doing, baby?

     She responds by slapping him -- hard.

                             SASHA
               What the hell are you doing here?
               You're supposed to be dead...

     He wobbles, then falls flat on his face.  Out cold.

     INT. ARCHER'S HOME - BALCONY - NIGHT

     Castor's chain-smoking, looking out over the city --
     wondering where Archer might be hiding.  But something
     breaks his rumination.  He sees --

     DOWN STREET

     A BMW pulls up to the curb.  The THUMPING MUSIC from
     within GOES QUIET, but no one emerges.

     EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT (MOMENTS LATER)

     Curious, Castor approaches the car, keeping a safe
     distance.  He can see Jamie inside, struggling with Karl.

                             JAMIE
               No... Karl, please.

     He "shushes" Jamie -- but doesn't stop pawing her.

                             JAMIE
               My father -- he's got a gun --
               he'll -- he'll --

                             KARL
                      (pulls open belt)
               That wimp won't do shit.

     SMASH!  The passenger WINDOW EXPLODES inward.  Castor
     drags Karl out by his hair.  Jamie scrambles out and
     flees toward the house as...

                             CASTOR
               Who are you to call Jon Archer a
               wimp?

     Castor heaves Karl into the WINDSHIELD -- SPIDER-WEBBING
     it.  Somehow the kid finds his feet and stumbles behind
     the wheel.  The Beemer lurches away.

     INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

     Castor enters to find Jamie, still shaken up.

                             CASTOR
               What are you -- stupid?

                             JAMIE
               That's just like you.  Some guy
               tries to rape me -- and you side
               with him.

                             CASTOR
               Did it look like I was siding with
               him?  Did it?
                      (she falls silent)
               You want to play with scummy organ
               grinders, you better be prepared.
               Do you have protection?

                             JAMIE
               You mean like... condoms?

                             CASTOR
               I mean like... protection.

     With a fluid motion, Castor expertly SNAPS open a well-
     oiled SWITCHBLADE and hands it to an astonished Jamie.

                             JAMIE
               For me?

                             CASTOR
               Next time -- slip it in low, then
               twist it -- so the wound doesn't
               close.

     She hugs him tight -- taking Castor by surprise.  But he
     responds momentarily.  About to pat her rump -- something
     makes him stop.

                             CASTOR
               Go on, get out of here.

     Jamie kisses him and heads up stairs.  After she's
     gone...

                             CASTOR
               No wonder he spent all his time
               chasing me.  Who can deal with
               this family shit?

     The PHONE RINGS.  He rushes to the den and picks it up.

                             CASTOR
               Jon Archer.
                      (immediately alert)
               Where is he?

     EXT. LOFT - ACROSS STREET - NIGHT

     Using night-vision goggles, Pollux watches Sasha close
     her drapes.  Visible in the b.g. on the sofa -- is
     Archer.

                             POLLUX
                      (into cell phone)
               -- I thought he might visit some
               old friends of yours.  And bro, if
               I didn't know better -- I'd swear
               this guy likes being you...

     INT. SASHA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

     Archer wakens.  Sasha is tugging off his pants.

                             ARCHER
               Uh -- can't we just talk?

                             SASHA
               Talk?  The only talk I ever heard
               from you was 'take it off,' 'sit
               on it,' 'I'll pay you tomorrow.'

     She pulls out some fresh clothes -- and dumps them on
     him.

                             SASHA
               Take off the rest of those rags
               and get dressed.  Then get out.

                             ARCHER
               Not until I finish my business
               with your brother.

                             SASHA
               I told him to keep those creeps
               away -- but you're just too big an
               attraction.
                      (calming herself)
               Look, if the F.B.I. finds out
               you've been here -- I'll lose my
               son.  So please, just go.

     For the first time, Archer sees not a hardened felon --
     but a frightened, protective mother.  And he realizes the
     effect his own relentless obsession has had on her.

                             ARCHER
               I know I've done some things that
               made your life harder...

                             SASHA
               How would you?  You walked out and
               never looked back.

     ADAM enters, heading for his toys -- his presence cooling
     Sasha's deep-seated anger.  Archer finishes dressing.

                             ARCHER
               I'm not the same person you
               remember.  And for what it's
               worth, I'm sorry...

     Her harsh look softens imperceptively -- like that of a
     woman trying to hate someone she still loves.

                             ARCHER
               Not a bad fit.

                             SASHA
               They should.  They're yours.

                             ARCHER
               Nice-looking kid, too

                             SASHA
               Of course he is...

     Sasha fidgets, struggling with a deep inner turmoil.
     Then...

                             SASHA
               Adam, come here... I want you to
               meet your father.

     Archer's face pales over in shock.

     EXT. SASHA'S ROOM - NIGHT

     Their silhouettes are visible against the shades.

     PULL BACK...

     EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT

     Castor, Buzz, Wanda and Loomis peer at the silhouettes.

                             CASTOR
                      (into cellular)
               We've got him sighted.  Okay,
               Pollux, pull out.

                             BUZZ
               What makes you so sure this guy's
               gonna set up his own brother?

                             CASTOR
               I've never been more certain of
               anything.  Get everyone in
               position.  Remember -- shoot to
               kill.

     Before Buzz can object, Castor's eyes say "don't argue."

                             BUZZ
               You heard the man -- let's saddle
               up!

     INT. SASHA'S ROOM - NIGHT

     Playing with his toys, Adam does not see Archer's icy
     gaze.

                             ARCHER
               How old is he?

                             SASHA
               Five.  No one knows you're his
               father.  I thought someone might
               want to hurt him -- just to hurt
               you...

                             ADAM
               Bang!  Bang!  Bang!

     Startled, they turn to see Adam pointing a toy gun at
     them.  Upset, she takes it from his hands.

                             SASHA
               You know Mommy doesn't like you
               playing with these things...

     She kicks the toy aside and lifts Adam -- offering him to
     Archer.  Awkwardly, Archer takes the boy.

     Archer's emotions avalanche as his grip tightens -- his
     big hands dwarfing the little boy's body.

                             SASHA
               You're not holding him right...
               Caz...

     Archer isn't hearing Sasha.  He's lost in his own
     memory... the sound of a CAROUSEL... a KID'S LAUGHTER...
     a GUNSHOT...

     Then Adam smiles -- perhaps the way Matthew once smiled.
     It pulls something up from inside Archer -- something
     strong.  He regains control, dumping the child into
     Sasha's arms.

                             ARCHER
               He's not my son.

                             SASHA
               Yes, he is -- !

     Then something alerts Archer -- maybe the fleeting
     shadows that blot out the window-light for the barest
     second.

                             ARCHER
               Get down!

     K-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!  The WINDOW PANES SHATTER -- as
     TEARGAS GRENADES and GUNFIRE riddles the loft.

     OUTSIDE

     across the way, Castor directs the FIREPOWER.

     INT. UPPER LEVEL

     Chaos.  A bodyguard is mowed down.  Dietrich and the
     others scatter and hit the floor.

     KITCHEN

     Cindee and Fitch are caught in flagrante delicto on the
     floor as the kitchen is decimated by GUNFIRE...

     SASHA'S BEDROOM

     Coughing, Archer crawls through the roiling smoke toward
     the door.  He's almost out when...

                             SASHA
               Adam!

     Her wail of fear freezes Archer.  He looks back -- and
     sees Adam in the eye of the firestorm.

     Archer's face betrays his conflict.  A child -- but his
     worst enemy's child.

     BULLETS SHRED the WALL around Adam.  Getting closer.

     Archer moves -- he crawls toward Adam.

     Just then -- a SWAT agent rappels in through one of the
     shattered windows, his weapon poised.  Archer kicks him
     hard, pitching him back through the window.

     Archer grabs Adam -- curling him into his body.  Thinking
     fast, he soaks his discarded T-shirt into a toppled
     flower vase -- then places it over Adam's face.
     Protecting him.

     He rushes to Sasha.  Together, they barrel through the
     soft, paper wall and tear out an escape route.

     INT. KITCHEN

     FIRING out the window, Fitch is riddled from outside by
     an agent as he CRASHES through the WINDOW.

     Cindee slashes the agent with a cleaver.  He FIRES --
     BLASTING Cindee into the refrigerator.

     LOWER LEVEL

     Archer hustles Sasha and Adam toward the staircase
     when --

     FRONT DOOR

     explodes open.  SWAT agents swarm to get in -- FIRING and
     throwing FLASH-GRENADES.

     ARCHER, SASHA AND ADAM

     are caught out in the open, when --

     UPPER LEVEL

     Dietrich, et al, open FIRE down on the attacking agents.
     Agents drop or are driven back out.

     SKYLIGHT

     BURSTS open and agents rappel down -- FIRING.  Aldo's
     bodyguard falls, riddled, off the upper level.

     LOWER LEVEL

     as one agent lands, Archer knocks his gun to the floor.
     They grapple.  As the agent reaches for it -- Adam
     appears and kicks the gun away.  Just like Mommy.

     SASHA

     scoops up the kicked weapon -- and cold-cocks another
     rappelling agent.  Then she FIRES, cutting a third
     rappelling agent's rope.  he drops hard to the floor --
     unconscious.

     Still grappling, Archer rips off the agent's gas-mask...

                             ARCHER
               Buzz...

     Buzz's eyes reveal only hatred.  He reaches for his
     knife.  Archer hesitates, then heaves Buzz through the
     glass door.  He pushes Adam upstairs as more agents pour
     in the front door.

                             ARCHER
               Dietrich!  The painting!

     UPPER LEVEL

     Dietrich sees the canvas mural above the breached front
     door -- and understands.  He opens FIRE, cutting loose
     the mural.  It collapses, billowing -- and enshrouds the
     attacking agents -- and buying time.

                             DIETRICH
               Let's go!

     Archer and Sasha flee up the stairs.

     UPPER LEVEL

     Sasha sees Adam huddled in the middle of the glass floor
     -- the shadows of agents moving below.

                             SASHA
               Adam!

     LOWER LEVEL

     An agent aims his shotgun at the glass floor -- at the
     "target" kneeling on top of it.

     UPPER LEVEL

     Archer dives and grabs the boy as the GLASS FLOOR
     EXPLODES up.  He rolls through a shower of glass -- but
     comes up with Adam safely.

     Agents and thugs FIRE blindly upward and downward through
     the floor -- desperate to hit their targets.

     Agents open FIRE from the girders supporting the roof --
     cutting down Fitch's last bodyguard.

                             DIETRICH
               They're like cockroaches!

     Dietrich and Livia toss SMOKE GRENADES into the loft --
     covering their escape.

     TOP LEVEL

     Dietrich leads them to the very back of the loft.  He
     pulls open a hidden door.

                             DIETRICH
               If we make it, we'll meet up at my
               Malibu place.  You remember it,
               Caz?

                             ARCHER
               Off Kanan Road -- I know it.

     Archer hands Adam over to Sasha.  She hugs her little boy
     -- then embraces Archer tightly.  Hanging on -- near
     tears -- because she knows this may be the last time.

                             SASHA
               Thank you, Caz... thank you...

                             ARCHER
               Get the boy out of here...

     Livia and the remaining bodyguard hustle Archer out --

     INT. ROTUNDA - NIGHT

     MAC-10 poised, Livia and the bodyguard rush Archer
     through the deserted rotunda -- BOOM!  BOOM!  His escorts
     drop.