The Rock

EXT. ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE – MORNING

Cpt. Frye and Sgt. Crisp on the roof, ready the rocket launcher. Hummel's VOICE comes over Fryels walkie-talkie:

HUMMEL (V.O.)

(over walkie-talkie)

Launch coordinates 675 dash 439.

CAPTAIN FRYE

Aye aye General: coordinates 675 dash Awaiting launch command.

INT. INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER – MORNING

Hummel stares at a GRIDDED MAP OF THE BAY AREA.

CAPTAIN FRYE (V.O.)

(over walkie-talkie)

(beat)

General, your command.

HUMMEL

(closes his eyes)

Fire.

EXT. ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE – MORNING

Frye presses the ignition switch. The ROCKET'S TAIL fires. It ROARS off the launcher. Toward Oakland.

EXT. ALCATRAZ – PARADE GROUND – MORNING

CLOSE ON MASON – as he watches the V.X. ROCKET ROARING over his head toward civilian populdtion.

MASON

(hushed)

My god.

Mason looks up. Goodspeed stands above on the embankment.

GOODSPEED

That change things?

INT. PIER 39 – FBI COMMAND – MORNING

The FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN stares at the RADAR SCREEN.

FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN

They fired a rocket. It's headed east.

Everyone stares at the radar screen. A hush.

SANCHEZ

East. But that's... Oakland.

(dawns on him)

My god. The football game.

EXT. ALCATRAZ – PARADE GROUND – MORNING

Mason comes back up the embankment. Faces Goodspeed-with grim resolve:

GOODSPEED

Partners?

MASON

Partners.

The two men clasp hands and
 

CUT TO:

EXT. OAKLAND COLISEUM – NOON

60,000 FOOTBALL FANS scream as the OAKLAND RAIDERS sprint onto the field. Above, unbeknownst to anyone –

EXT. SKIES OVER OAKLAND CALIFORNIA – DAY

The V.X. ROCKET arcs over Oakland and –

INT. ALCATRAZ – INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER – DAY

– Hummel, Baxter, and Darrow stare at the transmission from the rocket's optic camera.

ON THE VIDEO MONITOR

We first see CLEAR SKY. The rocket reaches its apex. Blue sky is now replaced by the OAKLAND COLISEUM directly below. We descend on 60,000 people.

BACK TO SCENE

Hummel watches the video monitor nervously. His jaws twitch.

He looks at the ROCKET GUIDANCE CONTROL COMPUTER. He looks at the video monitor.

He can't take it. Hummel lunges for the ROCKET GUIDANCE CONTROL COMPUTER. Darrow tries to restrain him, but – Hummel punches in NEW COORDINATES –

EXT. SKIES OVER OAKLAND COLISEUM – DAY

The V.X. Rocket's GUIDANCE CONTROL suddenly BLINKS RED. the rocket veers off on a new vector. Heading now toward San Francisco Bay. And

CUT TO:

INT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER – DAY

The FBI Radar Technician reacts to the change in the rocket's trajectory.

FBI RADAR TECHNICIAN

Sir, it's heading into the bay?

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO BAY – DAY

A CHARTER FISHING BOAT bobs in the bay.

EXT. CHARTER FISHING BOAT – DAY

Four GUYS are fishing. Relaxing. Drinking beers. one guy looks up. Sees something.

CHARTER FISHERMAN

What the hell...?

EXT. SKIES OVER SAN FRANCISCO BAY – DAY

The V.X. rocket screams down at 500 ft. altitude it DETONATES. Showering a cloud of V.X. POISON onto the bay.

EXT. CHARTER FISHING BOAT – DECK – DAY

The Fishermen stand there, stunned as DROPLETS OF V.X. POISON fall upon them. It's like a grey drizzle.

The Fishermen exchange looks. Hold out their hands, catching "rain drops". One of them spasm. Another. The others. Skin turns black. Blood runs from pores.

EXT. ROOFTOP OF MAIN CELL HOUSE – DAY

Frye and Crisp stare across the Bay in disbelief.

CAPTAIN FRYE

I don't believe it. He pulled the plug.

Frye, disgusted, races down the STAIRS.

EXT. ALCATRAZ – IN FRONT OF INFIRMARY – DAY

Frye stalks into the infirmary. Mason and Goodspeed come around the corner and steal inside the infirmary.

INT. WHITE HOUSE – OVAL OFFICE – DAY

Chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair stands before the desk of the President of the United States.

HAYDEN SINCLAIR

They need a decision Mr. President.

The President (who we don't see) gazes into the East Garden.

The President hits his INTERCOM to the room where his cabinet is gathered.

 
INTERCUT with the authorities
 

Reactions, as needed:

PRESIDENT

These past few hours have been the longest, darkest of my life. This is when you wish the buck did not stop here.

(beat)

A balance between two tragedies. On one hand the fate of a million civilians. On the other, Frank Hummel. That we have ignored or abandoned or marginalized a great soldier like Frank Hummel and that American boys have paid the price of that neglect in blood, is equally real, and equally tragic.

HAYDEN SINCLAIR

The glass is half full not half empty, sir. No civilian casualties so far.

PRESIDENT

I don't believe in half full or half empty, Sinclair. There are chemical weapons and there are civilians. And there are men on Alcatraz who've proved they're willing to use the one on the other.

(beat)

We are at war with terror. Fighting a war means casualties. This is the worst call I've ever had to make.

(takes the phone)

Air strike approved.

EXT. PIER 39 COMMAND CENTER – MOBILE WAR ROOM – DAY

Sanchez, Womack, Carla, silent around speakerphone.

EXT. LONG BEACH AIR FORCE BASE – DAY

The F-16s ROAR down the runway, lifting into the sky.

INT. ALCATRAZ – INFIRMARY CORRIDOR – DAY

Mason and Goodspeed move silently down the corridor. They pass the HEAVY STEEL DOOR of the Marinets Command Center. It's ajar. Voices emanate within.

Goodspeed and Mason move inside the adjacent room.

INT. INFIRMARY ROOM ADJACENT TO COMMAND CENTER – DAY

There's a 4 x 16 inch slit in the wall. Mason and Goodspeed position themselves on either side, watching and eavesdropping on the drama unfolding within.

INT. ALCATRAZ – INFIRMARY COMMAND CENTER – DAY

Frye, Darrow and Baxter. All staring at Hummel.

CAPTAIN FRYE

You're gutless. I knew it.

CAPTAIN DARROW

The problem is now they know it.

HUMMEL

Careful son. I'd maintain discipline if I were you.

Darrow draws his .45, levels it at Hummel.

INTERCUT with Mason and Goodspeed's reactions

CAPTAIN DARROW

I'm relieving you of your command General. Captain Frye?

CAPTAIN FRYE

I'm in.

CAPTAIN DARROW

Major?

Major Baxter looks from Darrow to Hummel.

HUMMEL

Tom?

BAXTER

It's over Frank.

(to Darrow)

I'm in.

Hummel blinks. He can't believe this.

HUMMEL

Tom, I warn you.

BAXTER

Stand down, General.

HUMMEL

I'm giving you a direct order.

BAXTER

(draws his .45)

I'm not accepting it.

IN THE ADJACENT ROOM

Goodspeed and Mason exchange a tense look. Mason aims his gun through the slit...

Hummel draws his .45 but Baxter fires first, hitting Hummel squarely in the chest.

Mason FIRES through the slit, killing Baxter as –

Hummel, gunshot, reels toward the STEEL DOOR behind him. He wrenches it open and lunges outside into the corridor.

IN THE CORRIDOR

Mason fires into the command center, sending Frye and Darrow diving for cover. Goodspeed grabs the semi-conscious Hummel and drags him down the corridor.

IN THE INFIRMARY WASHROOM

Goodspeed drags Hummel inside. Hummel collapses against the wall.

His blood runs across the tiled floor. Mason takes a defensive position in the washrooms doorway.

Darrow and Frye attack through the infirmary's maze of rooms, taking cover where they can, squeezing off rounds.

Mason fires at Darrow and Frye from the doorway while Goodspeed kneels over Hummel. Hummel's dying and knows it. he stares at Goodspeed through glassy eyes.

HUMMEL

My god what have I done...

GOODSPEED

It's not too late, General. Tell me where the last chem round is.

HUMMEL

(gasps for air)

Lower lighthouse...

Hummel dies. Mason and Goodspeed turn from Hummel to each other.