The Rock

And Royce begins to wade into the ditch. And Goodspeed is looking at the water, waiting... Royce is waist deep now. Royce feels something. He winces. Looks down at –

FIVE COTTONMOUTH SNAKES, fangs wide and white, plunging into him. Royce screams. His knees buckle. He falls to his knees in the water. A COTTONMOUTH stuck to his neck... Royce SHRIEKS again...

And slides gently under the water.

GOODSPEED
I rolled snake-eyes. Shithead.

Goodspeed, hand over hand on the monorail, eases the cart across the stagnant ditch. Hops out. Mason

gets to his feet. The two exchange a look.

MASON

Limp dick?

GOODSPEED

It's all I could think of.

They stumble off down the mono-rail tunnel.

MASON

I think I've got arthritis.

INT. WHITE HOUSE – NIGHT

General Kramer, CIA Director Amway, chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair and Security Advisor Louis Lindstrom.

HAYDEN SINCLAIR

The President arrives in three hours. His directive is to string Hummel along until the airstrike is operational.

LOUIS LINDSTROM

What's the word from Mojave, General?

GENERAL KRAMER

(grim)

They're going as fast as they can.

A CORRUGATED ALUMINUM HANGAR

SUPER: "Mojave Desert United States Air Force Testing Facility"

INT. USAF TESTING FACILITY WAREHOUSE – NIGHT
 

Looks like a Formula One garage. ROCK MUSIC blares.

Eight GUIDED MISSILES (finned, 8 feet long) hand from hoists in various states of repair. USAF TECHNICIANS hover over the missiles.

IN A CORNER

Jimmy Fisk and Larry Giler consult.

LT. FISK

We're fucked, cap'n.

CPT. GILER

Are we fucked with a pencil or are we fucked with a baseball bat.

LT. FISK

We're fucked with a telephone pole.

(turns to the missiles)

We can arm em with Willy Peter, no problem, but negatory on smart bomb capability.

CPT. GILER

What are you saying?

LT. FISK

The pilots are gonna have to drop em manually. We're talkin, retro, baby. We're talkin' World War II.

INT. ALCATRAZ – BEHIND "CHINA ALLEY" – NIGHT

Mason and Goodspeed emerge from the mono-rail tunnel. The launcher on China Alley is in the b.g. Suddenly, from the loudspeaker above them:

HUMMEL (V.O.)

(loudspeaker)

Attention Navy Seals, attention.

Mason and Goodspeed freeze.

GOODSPEED

He thinks we're Seals.

HUMMEL (V.O.)

(loudspeaker)

Congratulations. You've taken some things of mine. I can't convince you to return them so I'll put on someone who can.

A pause. Then a MALE VOICE. Nervous. Quivering.

MALE VOICE (V.O.)

(loudspeaker)

Hell... hello.

EXT. ALCATRAZ – PRISON EXERCISE YARD – NIGHT

LARRY HENDERSON, 48, stands at the end of the exercise yard in a SPOTLIT AREA. Capt. Darrow has his .45 placed against Larry's left temple.

HUMMEL

Tell them your name and age.

LARRY HENDERSON

My n-name is L-larry Henderson. I'm forty-eight.

HUMMEL

Good Mr. Henderson, continue...

LARRY HENDERSON

I don't know who you are, but p please, there's a gun

EXT. ALCATRAZ – BEHIND CHINA ALLEY – NIGHT

Mason and Goodspeed, crestfallen, listen.

LARRY HENDERSON (V.O.)

(loudspeaker)

... and they're going tooh god...

(through tears)

... please don't kill me.

Larry's quivering voice trails off. Replaced by:

HUMMEL (V.O.)

(loudspeaker)

Convinced? Mr. Henderson hopes so. You have two minutes.

Goodspeed turns to Mason.

GOODSPEED

I'll go.

MASON

Wrong.

GOODSPEED

What, vou?

MASON

I'm not the chemical weapons expert.

GOODSPEED

Good point. Okay here, take 'em.

Goodspeed unpockets the V.X. ROCKET'S GUIDANCE CHIPS. Hands them to Mason. Mason heaves them into the bushes.

GOODSPEED

What are you doing?

MASON

Now they only have three rockets left.

GOODSPEED

What about Mr. Henderson?

MASON

Hummel's a soldier, not a murderer.

GOODSPEED

Wait.

MASON

(stops; turns)

Find the rockets. If they're guarded, kill the men guarding them.

GOODSPEED

I... I don't know if I can do this.

MASON

There's only one way to find out. I'll try to give you time. And Goodspeed....

(tosses Goodspeed his ATROPINE SYRINGE)

Don't be an idiot. Put that on.

Mason moves off into the night.

GOODSPEED

Well thank-you, thank-you very much.

Goodspeed creeps toward the China Alley rocket launcher.

EXT. CHINA ALLEY – NIGHT

Goodspeed moves under the grated, multi-level structure of china Alley. Looks up through the grate. The ROCKET LAUNCHER sits on the grate on the level above him.

EXT. MAIN CELL BLOCK – NIGHT

Mason walks down the middle of the cell block toward the opening to the exercise yard.

EXT. ALCATRAZ – PRISON YARD – ONE MINUTE LATER – NIGHT

Darrow with his gun to Larry Henderson's head. Hummel paces in the background. Mason emerges from the cell block.

Mason walks up to Hummel. The two stand there a moment, regarding each other.

CAPTAIN DARROW
Gotta be kidding me. They send an old man.

Mason gives Darrow a hard-eyed glance. Hummel takes a lap around Mason, sizing him up.

HUMMEL

I thought I'd been in the service a long time. Name and rank, sailor.

MASON

John Paul Mason.

(stares at Hummel)

Royal Navy. Commander.

HUMMEL

You're a long way from England, Commander Mason.

MASON

I feel strangely at home.

HUMMEL

How's that?

MASON

You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

HUMMEL

Do you have some unique knowledge of this prison facility, Commander Mason?

MASON

Quite unique.

HUMMEL

How's that?

MASON

I was a guest here.

Glances all around. Someone laughs. Everyone laughs.

EXT. CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCH STATION – NIGHT

Pvt. Cox mans the launcher. Suddenly a voice:

GOODSPEED (V.O.)

Freeze.

(Cox freezes)

Drop the weapon and turn around. Slowly.

Pvt. Cox drops his weapon. Slowly turns. Goodspeed, one hand on his gun, the other on HIS TOOLS, begins to unscrew the V.X. CHEM ROUND FACE-PLATE.

ON THE GRATED LEVEL ABOVE GOODSPEED

Pvt. McCoy appears. Looking down, he sees Goodspeed and Cox. He cinches his REPELLING CLIP to the steel railing.

EXT. ALCATRAZ – PRISON YARD – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT

HUMMEL

Well you're some kind of joker, Mason. Maybe you're a lunatic. Are you of sound mind, Mason?

MASON

I'm not threatening the lives of a million innocent people. You are.

Hummells demeanor changes. Hard now. Tight.

HUMMEL

Give me the guidance chips.

MASON

I threw them in the bay.

HUMMEL

That was stupid of you.

MASON

(re: hostage Henderson)

Would you have shot him7

CUT TO:

The marines look at Hummel, wondering the same thing.

EXT. CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCHING STATION – NIGHT
 

Goodspeed, still holding Cox at bay, pulls the V.X. chem round from the rocket. The going is slow. He begins to lift the POISON PEARL STRANDS from the chem round. His hand reaches to unclip the GUIDANCE SYSTEM CHIP.

Suddenly Pvt. McCoy repels to the level behind Goodspeed. Goodspeed grabs the chip and dashes off, slamming through an OLD WOODEN DOOR into the CIVIL WAR RUINS.

EXT. PRISON YARD – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT

Mason and Hummel. The previous question dangles in the air: Would you have shot him?
 

HUMMEL

You seem like a bright man, Commander. Bright men understand necessity.

MASON

Bright men also obey the law. "Wherever law ends, terror begins." John Locke.

HUMMEL

"Where there is no law, there is no transgression." The Bible. Romans, Chapter 4, Verse 15.

MASON

Article 7, American Constitution? "Treason against the United States shall consist of... 11

HUMMEL

The American Constitution was written by traitors, Commander. Traitors against a government founded on injustice and tyranny and stupidity.

(beat)

I see little difference in my motivation.

EXT. CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCHING STATION – NIGHT

Goodspeed, inside the Civil War ruins, levels his gun at the door. The chip is in his free hand.

The door CREAKS open.

EXT. PRISON YARD – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT

HUMMEL

Do you, Commander Mason?

Suddenly GUNSHOTS. Coming from China Alley. Hummel and men whirl around, startled.

HUMMEL
Frye, Crisp, go!

EXT. CHINA ALLY ROCKET LAUNCHING STATION – NIGHT

Goodspeed wildly discharges his gun until CLICK, the clip is spent. Cox and McCoy step through the doorway.

Goodspeed shoves the guidance chip in his mouth.

MCCOY
Swallow that and I swear on my Aunt Myrtle's grave I'll cut your belly open and pull it out.

McCoy and Cox spring at Goodspeed. McCoy whips the butt end of his gun against Goodspeed's head. Goodspeed crumples, unconscious. McCoy jams his fingers in Goodspeed's mouth.

MCCOY
He bit the fuckin' thing. It's shot.

INT. MAIN CELL HOUSE – CELL BLOCK "ID" – MORNING

Goodspeed squints through painful eyes, gaining consciousness. he looks around, taking stock of the start cell on "ID" block. Gets to his feet. Goes to the bars:

GOODSPEED

Mason.

(no response)

Mason?

MASON (V.O.)

It's about time.

GOODSPEED

Where are you?

A CELL ON THE TIER ABOVE GOODSPEED

Mason sits on a bed.

MASON

Above you.

(under his breath)

Literally and figuratively.