REINDEER GAMES

Gabriel eyes him darkly.

                        GABRIEL
           NO.

                        RUDY
           You go in with five, you're either
           leaving an alarm free or an exit
           free. Someone hits an alarm, you're
           fucked. Someone gets to a phone,
           gets outside, 'cross the street,
           whatever, you're fucked. You need six.
                 (nods)
           Six is me.

                        GABRIEL
           No.

                        RUDY
           You guys get caught, I go away for good.
           I got an interest in making sure you
           don't. You need a sixth man covering
           an exit. What're you gonna do about it.

                        ASHLEY
           Yeah. What're you gonna do about it.

She puts an arm around Rudy, smiles. That's her man.

                        GABRIEL
           I want a map of that security level.
           Every room, every guard, every thing.

                        RUDY
           Six men means six guns.

                        GABRIEL
           No way.

                        RUDY
           I'm no threat without a gun.

                        GABRIEL
           No, you're not.

                        RUDY
           There'll be people in that casino.
           I can't keep them from leaving if
           I don't get a gun. I don't need
           bullets, Monster ... but I gotta
           be a threat.

                        ASHLEY
           What's the matter, Gabriel? This is
           what you wanted him for, isn't it?

Gabriel's eyes don't leave Rudy's.

                        GABRIEL
           No gun.

                        RUDY
           Well. What you guys have to plan
           out, then ... is how you're going
           to get to that cage and that security
           level before anybody realizes
           anything's wrong. Running in with ski
           masks and bullets flying ain't gonna
           do it.

                        GABRIEL
           That part, Nick...was planned out
           the day I read your letters.

                        RUDY
           What. We all gonna dress up like
           cowboys?

                        GABRIEL
           Not cowboys, Nick. Not cowboys.

Gabriel smiles.

                        GABRIEL
           Not on Christmas Eve.

INT. GABRIEL'S RIG - TRAILER - NIGHT CLOSE ON STORAGE LOCKER

Pulled open to reveal FIVE SANTA CLAUS SUITS, hanging side-
by-side. Red polyester coats and pants, white felt trim and black
buckles, black boots and red caps.

WIDEN TO REVEAL TRAILER

As Gabriel lifts a Santa Claus suit and presses it against Rudy.
Ashley, Merlin, Jungy and Pug look on.

                        RUDY
           You gotta be kidding me.

                        GABRIEL
           'Tis the season, convict.

He puts the suit back in the locker, pulls another. Finding Rudy's
size.

                        GABRIEL
           Can't be attracting attention, right?

                        RUDY
           what, we walking in there and
           delivering toys?

He turns to see Merlin open another locker. This one stacked with
rifles, carbines and handguns.

                        MERLIN
           Hell yeah.

INT. RUDY'S ROOM - NIGHT
CLOSE ON SKETCH

of a floor plan, a sheet of paper overlaid on Gabriel's map of the
casino. A pencil draws a boxy room and labels it "Security Video
Room." Then an eraser wipes it out.

WIDEN TO REVEAL RUDY

still cuffed to the bedframe, pulled close to a desk. He's
sitting, working on the security level map.

The door opens; Ashley enters, looking worried:

                        ASHLEY
           He wants to see your map.

                        RUDY
           I'm almost done.

                        ASHLEY
           He says he wants it now.

                        RUDY
           If he wanted a photographic memory,
           he shoulda kidnapped one. I'm
           working on it here.

Ashley walks over, puts her arms around his neck. Whispers:

                        ASHLEY
           How are we gonna do this, Nick?

                        RUDY
           You're the getaway girl. The money's
           gonna get to you eventually. Gonna be
           my job to be the guy who walks outta
           there with it. But I- can't do that
           without a gun. Any luck talking to
           him?

                        ASHLEY
           Bullets or no bullets, he won't do it.

                        RUDY
           Is there any way you could get
           into his truck?

                        ASHLEY
           No.

                        RUDY
           We need a gun, Ash. We need a gun...

Rudy studies his map, then quickly pencils in the "Security Video
Room," in a totally different place than he drew it before. Hands
the paper to her.

                        RUDY
           Here's the Picasso. Is he in his room?

                        ASHLEY
           They all are. Football's on.

                        RUDY
                 (nods, thinks)
           Keep 'em there for a little while.

Ashley takes the map, frowns. Rudy kisses her gently.

                        RUDY
           We're gonna get you out of Detroit,
           Ash. Get you out of beauty and
           fragrances.
                 (smiles, then)
           Remember that. After all this is
           over, when you know me, when you
           really know me...remember it was me.

She searches his eyes, not quite understanding. But smiles. Rudy
smiles back, nods toward the door. Ashley slips out.

When she's gone, Rudy stands and turns to the window. Outside, the
Blazer with the "Ice Fishermen Do It All Year Long" bumper sticker
still sits parked.

Rudy reaches for his jeans pocket, and pulls out-one of the game
room darts, flecked with blood.

He gives it a solemn stare

INT. RUDYS ROOM - MOMENTS L&TER - NIGHT

Rudy lies on his back, under the bed frame, dart in hand. He tears
off the plastic feathering, to get at the cross-shaped end,
furthest-from the tip. Four protruding metal edges.

He finds the Phillips screws on the bedframe, and tries to work
the dart-end into the grooves. It scrapes and jags, but with
pressure he's able to do a quarter-turn at a time.

The screw starts spiralling out.

ANGLE ON BEDFRAME

As two metal pieces split apart, and Rudy wriggles his ankle
handcuff off the frame.

ANGLE ON CLOSET

As Rudy's hand grabs a paper-covered wire hanger and rips the
paper off, untwisting the wire.

ANGLE ON ROOM'S WINDOW

As Rudy slides it open, and climbs outside.

EXT. KNIGHTS INN PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Light snow falling. Rudy drops from the second floor window into-
some snowy shrubs and an empty parking space. He stealthily darts
ahead to the ice fishermen's Blazer.

AT THE FISHERMEN'S BLAZER

Rudy peers in the windows, spotting fishing rods, tackle and gear
boxes in the back seat.

He takes his wire coat hanger, now stretched straight, and slips
it between the driver's window and moulding, jamming it around
until it trips the door lock.

The lock pops up; Rudy pops in--

INT. BLAZER

--and raids the gear box. Bait, reels, fishing wire. Boning
knives. A compass. A first aid kit. A switchblade.

                        RUDY
           Gun, gun, c'mon, boys like you gotta
           be keeping a gun...

He rustles around in the backseat. Ice cooler, open bag of pork
rinds, another gear box. Nothing.

Some HEADLIGHTS sweep past the Blazer. Rudy ducks down, pockets
the switchblade.  Munches some pork rinds.

EXT. PARKING LOT

Rudy scrambles out, heads to try another car, a pickup truck. And
then suddenly drops to the ground, seeing

MERLIN AND JUMPY

stride outside, talking casually, kicking snow on their way toward
the Nova. Voices too low to hear.

ON SCENE

Rudy crouches behind the pickup, slips around the other side.
Merlin and Jumpy walk right by him.

Rudy criss-crosses through the parking lot, hidden by cars,
heading away from his room's window. His window. Rudy
glances back to see if the truckers notice that, but they don't
seem to. They stand at the Nova, talking.

Rudy shivers, waiting. They're not leaving. When their backs turn,
Rudy dashes twenty feet to the cover of the building. He slips
around the corner, out of sight.

AROUND THE SIDE OF THE HOTEL

Rudy hops through snowdrifts, pressed to the wall, moving toward a
side entry--

--when he stops, hearing a woman's LAUGHTER.

Above his head are a row of windows. Reflections of rippling water
on the ceiling inside. It's the hotel pool behind this wall.
Sounds of SPLASHES. Murmured VOICES.

Rudy stands absolutely still. His breaths stop frosting. Because
his breathing has stopped.

INT. HALLLWAY TO INDOOR POOL - NIGHT

Rudy creeps down the darkened hall, past a sign that reads "Pool
CLOSED. Open 9 am to 9 pm, No Lifeguard on Duty."

Rudy steps closer, back to a wall, standing in shadow. The small
pool becomes visible, flickering blue water. From an unseen end, a
figure splashes backwards into view--

It's Ashley. Hair wet, naked beneath the surface. Smiling and
splashing someone offscrem-

                        ASHLEY
           ... and he's saying "We're not
           gonna help him just to walk away.
           If we're gonna help him...we're
           gonna get it all...

She splashes again. taunting--

                        ASHLEY
           ...he wants to help now, he wants
           to rob it now we could probably
           stay right here, he'd go on
           and rob it by himself

--as Gabriel steps into view, also undressed, moving toward her
in the pool.

                        GABRIEL
           He wants the money.

                        ASHLEY
           No, baby. He wants me.

Gabriel reaches her, puts his arms around her. She smiles.

                        ASHLEY
           He wants...your "sister" ...

                        GABRIEL
           ... whoever she is.

And they kiss, entwining together, reflections and ripples. A
steamy embrace.

                        ASHLEY
           Nick Mason's gonna help us more
           than we ever dreamed.

ANGLE ON RUDY

in the shadows, hearing them. Staring into darkness.

IN THE POOL