REINDEER GAMES

                        ASHLEY
           And the slots, slots I'm good at too.
           Wouldn't that be fun?

                        RUDY
           We'll have more fun in Detroit.

                        ASHLEY
           We could live it up and--

                        RUDY
           Ashley. We're not going anywhere I used
           to work.

It comes out too harsh. Ashley stops, a little hurt.

                        ASHLEY
           I just ... I thought you'd have friends
           there...

Rudy softens, touches her arms:

                        RUDY
           Hey. I been in prison for two years, Ash.
           Believe me. Those guys wouldn't want to
           see me.

He kisses her. She nods, dismisses it, kisses back.

                        ASHLEY
           Well, they don't know what the
           hell they're missing.

EXT. MOTEL - NIGHT

Ashley's Chevy Nova pulls back into the lot of the roadside joint.
There's an artificial (silver) Christmas tree tied to the roof.
She and Rudy climb out; she heads for the office:

                        ASHLEY
           Baby, I'm gonna go tell lem not
           to disturb us for the rest of the
           year. I get back in that room, you
           better be wearing nothing but a
           candy cane.

                        RUDY
           I'll see what I can do.

                        ASHLEY
           No, lover. I'll see what you can do.

She smiles, sashays sexily away. Rudy watches her go, admiring his
good fortune. Then pops the trunk, collects some of their shopping
score. Gifts and goodies.

                        RUDY
                 (sings, sotto)
           I have no gifts to bring,
           parum-pum-pum-pum. No treasures for
           the king, pa-rum-pum-pum-pum...

Loaded down, he struggles to the motel room, balances bags on his
knee, gets the key in the door, and heads inside.

INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Pitch dark. Rudy fumbles his way in:

                        RUDY
           ... but I got a girl to be with,
           rum-pum-pum-pum...

                        MERLIN (o.s.)
           Hi, Nick.

Rudy drops the shopping bags, whirls around, as a stocky black
shadow, MERLIN, all 280 pounds of him, KICKS the door shut--

                        RUDY
           What the fuck-

--and SWINGS a baseball bat toward Rudy's chest. Rudy gets an arm
down to deflect the blow, but it still stings like a mother. Rudy
HOWLS. Merlin comes at him again--

--and this time Rudy slips by. Merlin's bat SHATTERS a dresser.
Rudy grabs him by the neck, kicks out his knees and wrests him to
the ground. Grabs the bat--

--and gets DECKED from behind by another shadow, PUG, a little
white guy with a snarl. They go CRASHING onto the bed, grappling
for leverage, and then to the floor--

--where Rudy grabs a champagne bottle from the groceries and
BASHES it backwards, shattering it over Pug's head!

Pug lets go, as Rudy scrambles up, and Merlin's got him again in a
bear hug. Rudy's struggling, whirling with him, crashing into one
wall, then another, YELLING for help--

                        RUDY
           HEYYY!!! IN HERE!!! HEYYY!!!

--until he hears the PUMP-LOAD SNAP of a shotgun.

Rudy stops still. A lamp clicks on.

Standing in silhouette, a figure in a leather duster holds a
sawed-off on him.

                        GABRIEL
           Welcome home, Nick.

Another lamp comes on. Rudy, still in Merlin's choke-hold, gets a
look at the gunman, GABRIEL. Weathered face, stringy hair, early
301s. Handsome in a scuzzy way. He's seen a lot of road.

Rudy stares, totally thrown. Pug, the little guy, bad teeth, bad
hair, bad skin, gets up spitting blood and champagne.

                        PUG
           I owe ya a drink, ya fuck--

--and slugs Rudy in the gut. Merlin yanks him back up. Merlin's a
black widebody, wears a goatee and brass knuckles. Behind Merlin
stands a fourth intruder, a stone-faced Indian in a Grateful Dead
longsleeve.  JUMPY.  Guarding the door.

Gabriel's studying Rudy, up and down. Nods. Merlin relaxes his
choke-hold so Rudy can breathe.

                        RUDY
           You...you don't know me--

                        GABRIEL
           Oh, I know you, Nick. I know
           you real well.

                        RUDY
           No, you can't--

                        GABRIEL
           The hell I can't.

As the room's door gets kicked open-

                        ASHLEY
           Watch out, baby! I'm bringing in the
           fucking tree!

--and the silver fake evergreen fills the doorway, getting forced
through with Ashley's grunts and groans-

                        RUDY
           ASHLEY!

Merlin traps his jaw shut. The tree comes squeezing through,
followed by Ashley, face in branches-

                        ASHLEY
           I'm telling you, we got the best
           one in the store... I don't know
           why people want their houses
           smelling like the stupid woods ...

She's GRABBED from behind by Jumpy. Ashley screams, but he slams
her against the wall. The tree hits the ground.

                        RUDY
           NO!

                        ASHLEY
           NICK!

Rudy fights to help her, but Merlin's got him. Pug locks Ashley's
arms. She fights, muffled cries, but Jumpy and Pug have her held
firmly. Her face to the wall--

                        GABRIEL
                 (re: the silver tree)
           Hope her taste in men's better than
           her taste in Christmas.

Ashley's turned to face him. Her eyes widen. Gabriel nods.

                        GABRIEL
           Hey, sis. Happy holidays.

Rudy's jaw drops. He looks to Ashley. Then to Gabriel.
Ashley YELLS, enraged, kicking and clawing. Jumpy slams her back
against the wall for her trouble--

                        GABRIEL
           Jumpy, don't hurt her, now.

Gabriel steps to Rudy. Studies him.

                        GABRIEL
           So. This is the guy you been
           waiting for. Man of your dreams.

                        ASHLEY
           Gabriel--!

                        GABRIEL
                 (unimpressed)
           Must have a way with stationery.

                        ASHLEY
           Gabriel, what are you doing!

Gabriel raises the sawed-off to Rudy's chest. Rudy flinches, but
Merlin's got him.

                        ASHLEY
           GABRIEL!!!

Gabriel fixes her with a stare. She shuts up. To Rudy:

                        GABRIEL
           You better be here to be good
           to her, loverboy. 'Cause she's
           been good to you.

                        ASHLEY
           Gabriel, let him go--

                        GABRIEL
           Read a lot about you, Nick.

                        ASHLEY
           What are you doing here?!

                        GABRIEL
           Read you're a man of some knowledge.

                        ASHLEY
           Gabriel!

                        GABRIEL
           A man of some travels.

                        ASHLEY
           GABRIEL, I LOVE HIM!

Rudy's trying to speak, voice CHOKED. Gabriel nods to Merlin, who
again eases his hold. Rudy coughs.

                        RUDY
           I'm...not ... Nick...

Gabriel frowns. Rudy turns to Ashley.

                        RUDY
           I'm not him. I ...
                 (then to Gabriel)
           You want something from Nick,
           you got the wrong guy.

                        ASHLEY
                 (hurt)
           Nick...

Gabriel looks from her to him, then lowers his sawed-off, and
SWINGS it into Rudy's stomach. Rudy buckles. Panicked.

                        GABRIEL
           Who are you now.

                        RUDY
           You got the wrong-guy! She thinks
           I'm Nick, I'm not!

                        GABRIEL
                 (to Merlin)
           Put him in the truck.

                        RUDY
           I was in the joint with him! I
           knew about him and her, okay!? I
           took his place!

                        GABRIEL
           You what ...

                        RUDY
           Got out, Nick didn't! I pretended
           I was him! I knew about her letters!
           Jesus Christ, whatever you want from
           him -- I'm not Nick!
                 (to Ashley)
           I -- I just wanted to be--

A glance of regret amidst his desperation. Ashley stares back,
confused, searching his eyes.

                        GABRIEL
           You're not Nick Mason...

                        RUDY
           I shared his cell!

                        GABRIEL
           But you were saying you were ...

                        RUDY
           Yes!

                        GABRIEL
           So you could get with my sister.

                        RUDY
           Yes!

                        GABRIEL
           So you could get down her chimney.

                        RUDY
           Yes!

                        GABRIEL
           And you think telling me that's
           gonna help your cause.

Gabriel RATCHETS him across the chin with the gun butt. Rudy hits
the floor. Gabriel spins on Ashley, enraged:

                        GABRIEL
           Is this him!?

                        ASHLEY
                 (reaches for Rudy)
           Don't hurt him...

                        GABRIEL
           Is this the fucker you been writing
           all year!?

                        ASHLEY
                 (reaches for Rudy)
           Please, Gabriel, don't...

Gabriel puts the gun to Rudy's head.

                        GABRIEL
           IS THIS NICK MASON!!??

                        ASHLEY
           YES!!!

Gabriel doesn't shoot. Studies Rudy.

                        GABRIEL
           Well, he's gonna have to learn to
           give you some respect.

Gabriil KICKS Rudy in the jaw. Ashley screams. Gabriel motions to
his boys: Jumpy and Pug drag her outside. Gabriel KICKS Rudy
again. Rudy lies there and takes it.

Merlin lights a cig, examines Rudy and Ashley's grocery bags:

                        MERLIN
           Hey. They got a shitload of cookies.

                        GABRIEL
           Take 'em.

                        MERLIN
           How 'bout the tree? You want the
           tree?

                        GABRIEL
           Leave the tree.

Merlin nods, tucks the bags under his arms, leaves the room.

Gabriel drops beside Rudy, with a sick smile:

                        GABRIEL
           I've read your letters, motherfucker.
           Don't play no reindeer games with me.

EXT. INTERSTATE - NIGHT

As we SWOOP DOWN onto a four-lane stretch of winter highway,
arcing into the blackness.

CLOSING ON an 18-wheel tractor trailer, RUMBLING onward,
emblazoned with "Great Lakes Trucking." There's an airbrush
painting on the door to the cab, of a skeleton looking thru a
flaming radial tire, and the legend "Motor City Monster."

INT. GABRIEL'S RIG - CAB - NIGHT

Gabriel at the wheel, Merlin smoking, Jumpy eating cookies. A
TRUCK passes; Gabriel waves. A moment later, the CB crackles:

                        PASSING DRIVER (over CB)
           Hey there, Monster! What're
           you hauling this far north?

                        GABRIEL
           Hell, Bugeye. How you doin'?
           Ain't hauling, man, I'm up for the
           holidays. Gonna have myself a
           holidays...for a goddamn change...

INT. GABRIEL'S RIG - TRAILER - NIGHT
CLOSE ON RUDY

eyes closed, dried blood, head rocking side to side. He winces,
waking, with the headache to end all headaches.

                        ASHLEY (o.s.)
           Shh, Nick, shh. They won't hurt you now.
           You're okay...

Her hand strokes his face. Rudy's eyes struggle open.

ON FULL SCENE

They're in the back of the truck. There's some packing mats,
rope, two tall storage lockers, and Ashley's Chevy Nova.

Rudy's head is in her lap. He struggles to sit up, finds his
wrists tied with cord. He looks at Ashley, follows her gaze.

In a corner, Pug sits guard in a beanbag chair. He's dipping
chewing tobacco, reading Road & Track, headphones on. Gives Rudy a
bored glance, then back to his magazine.

                        ASHLEY
           I won't let lem, Nick. They won't
           hurt you anymore.

                        RUDY
           Your brother...

Ashley nods. Rudy looks around, remembering.

                        RUDY
           ... the truck driver...

                        ASHLEY
           He's not a bad person, Nick...
           he's not ...

From the corner, Pug spits some chaw. Ashley wheels.

                        ASHLEY
           You're not gonna hurt him anymore!

Pug doesn't even look up. Still stroking Rudy's face:

                        ASHLEY
           Since Janey moved in...Gabriel...
           he's come over more and more. To the
           apartment. Janey's the divorced one,
           'member, with the tit job--

                        RUDY
           what the fuck is going on.

                        ASHLEY
           He read the letters, Nick. Some
           day I wasn't there. He went through
           my room. He found your letters.

                        RUDY
           What's coing ON!!!

The truck shakes.

                        ASHLEY
           He knows you worked in that casino.

Rudy stares at her. She's scared

                        RUDY
           You motherfucker.

                        ASHLEY
           Nick, no--

                        RUDY
           You sold him out.

                        ASHLEY
           Nick--

                        RUDY
           When'd you decide to do it, Ash?
           After which of his letters, huh?
           The fortieth? The fiftieth? The
           first?!

                        ASHLEY
           Nick, what are you--

She reaches out for him; Rudy scrambles to his knees, tumbles
against the opposite wall of the trailer.

                        RUDY
           I'M NOT NICK!
                 (raging)
           You thought you'd fuck him over?!
           Well he's fucked you! I've never
           worked at some casino! I can't
           help you! Because he's not me!

                        ASHLEY
           Nick, I love you--

                        RUDY
           JESUS CHRIST!

                        PUG
           Watch your mouth, man. It's Christmas.

                        RUDY
           I'M NOT NICK!

Ashley runs at him, wraps her arms around him tightly. He tries to
fight her off. She won't let go.

                        RUDY
           Get the hell off of me!

                        ASHLEY
                 (hard whisper)
           Nick, it won't work. It won't work!

Rudy stops fighting. She has a terrified look in her eye. Checks
to Pug: he's watching them now, chewing slower. Ashley turns
them away from the little guy's view

                        ASHLEY
           He'll kill you.

                        RUDY
           You're not hearing me here--

                        ASHLEY
           My brother's killed people, I
           know he has. Truckers. If you talk
           him into thinking you're not you,
           you'll only get yourself dead.

                        RUDY
           He didn't "find" Nick's letters, did he.

                        ASHLEY
           Nick, please, it's me-

                        RUDY
           You told him about Nick's letters.