RONIN

     INT. THE PEUGEOT

     Where Sam sits in the passenger seat as Vincent slides behind
     the wheel.  Vincent tosses Sam a piece of paper.

                          SAM
               The Irish representative?

                          VINCENT
               Yes.

     Vincent gives Sam another piece of paper.

                          SAM
               What's this?

                          VINCENT
               The address of the Russian production
               company.  Just in case we need to find
               them.

                          SAM
               Thorough man.

     Vincent starts the car and we -

     CUT TO:

     EXT. A PARIS STREET - LATER - AFTERNOON

     The Peugeot sits, parked at a cub, a discreet distance from -
     AN APARTMENT HOUSE: 35 Rue de Glacon.  We PUSH IN on the -

     INT. THE PEUGEOT - LATE AFTERNOON

     A PIECE OF PAPER scarwled with the same address: 35 de
     Glacon.  We PULL BACK TO REVEAL -

     Sam, holding this paper and looking out at the apartment
     complex.

                          SAM
               You sure your friend got the right place?

                          VINCENT
               If Tony says this is it, then it's it.

     BEAT.  Vincent wants to know something important.

                          VINCENT
               Tell me, Sam: why do you do this?

                          SAM
               Do what?

                          VINCENT
               Continue when it would be so much easier
               to give it up.

                          SAM
               It's my job.

                          VINCENT
               Then quit.
                   (beat)
               You don't work for Interpol, Sam.

                          SAM
               Sure I do.  You heard him, you heard the
               guy -- that's what he said, what Edvard
               said.

                          VINCENT
               It's a cover, then.  A cover within a
               cover, a feint within a feint.
                   (quick beat)
               You work for the CIA, it's the only
               possible answer.

     LONG BEAT.  Sam considers what to say, and then decides he
     owes Vincent the truth.

                          SAM
               I'm a field agent -- last of an already
               extinct breed.  I do dark ops.

                          VINCENT
               Dark ops?

                          SAM
               Dark operations.  Wet work.  Kidnaping.
               Assassination.

                          VINCENT
               Very ugly.

                          SAM
               It is at that.

                          VINCENT
               Not very zen of you, huh?  Not so much
               the modern Samurai after all.

                          SAM
               I never made that claim.

                          VINCENT
               I know.  Jean-Pierre did.

                          SAM
               You were behind the door?

                          VINCENT
               I was waiting to see what would happen.
               I didn't want to kill him if I didn't
               have to.

                          SAM
               You would have done that?

                          VINCENT
               I would have tried not to.  But yes, if
               it would have kept him from shooting you,
               I would have.

                          SAM
                   (almost to himself)
               How could you have done that?

                          VINCENT
               Because I owe you.
                   (he sees something)
               Look at that...

     THEIR POV: Through the Windsheild - Deirdre exits the
     apartment building.

                          SAM (O.S.)
                   (quietly exultant)
               All things come to those who wait.

     Now Deirdre is followed by Seamus and Gregor.

                          VINCENT (O.S.)
                   (really surprised by this)
               He's not dead.

     BACK ON Sam and Vincent.

                          SAM
                   (figuring it out)
               They don't have the package.

                          VINCENT
               You think?

                          SAM
               You said it yourself: Gregor's not dead.
               If they had the package, they'd have
               killed him.

     Vincent and Sam exchange a look -- now they both figure it
     out.

                          VINCENT & SAM
                   (simultaneously)
               They're going to get it.

     CUT TO:

     INT. THE POST OFFICE - LATE AFTERNOON

     A HAND signs a receipt, and we PULL BACK TO REVEAL Gregor at
     a counter, signing for his package, which slides across the
     counter.  It's the Briefcase, although it's been wrapped in
     BROWN PAPER for its journey through the French Postal System.
     Now we see that - Seamus is still right beside Gregor; is, in
     face, almost on top of him, with a hand in his coat pocket
     which lets us know where his gun is.  Now - The two men start
     to move towards the exit as we -

     CUT TO:

     EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE - A MINUTE LATER/LATE AFTERNOON

     The Black Compact Car idles at a nearby curb, with Deirdre
     behind the wheel.  She's staring so intently at the front of
     the post office, that she's surprised when a SHADOW falls
     across her.  She looks up to see - Sam, standing next to the
     car.  Deirdre starts to reach for her weapon, but Sam cuts
     her off with a word.

                          SAM
               Don't do it...

     Something in his voice conveys enough of a threat that she
     backs off.  Now she and Sam exchange a long look.

                          DEIRDRE
               Well, if it isn't Mr. Interpol himself.
                   (she really sounds betrayed)
               I can't believe I misjudged you like I
               did.

                          SAM
               Oh please..you're on some sort of holy
               mission?

                          DEIRDRE
               I'm a patriate.

                          SAM
               Don't even think that I'm buying that.

                          DEIRDRE
               Where do you get off saying word one?
               All the time pretending to be one of us,
               it's the same thing we were doing, Seamus
               and myself.  And here you are so high and
               mighty, like you're so different from the
               rest of us.

                          SAM
               I didn't say I was.

                          DEIRDRE
                   (she sees something)
               Bloody fucking hell...

     CUT AWAY TO: Gregor and Seamus are leaving the post office.
     By now, Seamus has taken the package away from Gregor.
     Unseen by these two men - Vincent is approaching from the
     side, on an intercept course, his hand inside a bag which he
     carries with him.  Now - Deirdre turns and shoots Sam a look.
     He's still watching her keenly, and we can see that she's
     aching to reach for her piece, but she can't because Sam is
     still on her like a hawk.

                          SAM
               Don't even think it.

     He pulls back the folds of his suit jacket, revealing his
     gun, putting his hand comfortably on the pistol grip.

                          SAM
               I'd kill you before you had it halfway
               out.

     Vincent is closing on Gregor and Seamus, another ten seconds
     and he'll have them.

     Now - Deirdre looks back at Sam, then back at the situation
     developing in front of her, and then suddenly - She slams the
     car into gear and drives off, tires squealing while - Sam
     pulls his piece, sighting down the barrel and - He can't do
     it, can't shoot Deirdre.  Now - The sound of the car alerts
     Seamus, who turns in time to see - Vincent, who is raising
     the bag wrapped around his hand as - The car flies directly
     at - Vincent, who if forced to jump out of the way even as he
     pulls the trigger of the gun hidden within the bag.  The end
     of the bag explodes in a burst of fire, but the shots are off
     the mark - Missing Seamus and Gregor as - Vincent rolls out
     of the way, just in time, while - Deirdre brakes the car to a
     screaming halt, as Seamus pushes Gregor in ahead of him and
     then gets in.  Seconds later, the car pulls out, even as -
     Sam drives up in the Peugeot to Vincent, who picks himself up
     off the ground and leaps into the car.  The last thing we
     hear is the sound of Sam's Voice as the Peugeot drives off.

                          SAM (V.O.)
               Put your seatbelt on.

     CUT TO:

     INT./EXT. - CAR CHASE MONTAGE

     During this SEQUENCE, we'll JUMP CUT BETWEEN the two cars and
     the streets they travel through.  Now - The Black Compact Car
     flies down a small street, followed closely by - The Peugeot,
     where Sam is driving as Vincent tries to steady his gun to
     get a clear shot at the other Car.

     INSIDE THE PEUGEOT -

                          VINCENT
               What the fuck happened?

                          SAM
               I don't know...

                          VINCENT
               You don't know?  Bullshit, you had her,
               there was no way out.

     IN THE COMPACT CAR -

     Where Deirdre is driving for dear life, while Seamus is
     freaking out.

                          SEAMUS
               What in bloody hell is going on?

                          DEIRDRE
               They're part of the team.  One of them's
               the guy I told you about.

                          SEAMUS
               From Interpol?

                          DEIRDRE
               That's him.

     IN THE PEUGEOT -

                          VINCENT
               Why didn't you kill her?

     IN THE COMPACT -

                          SEAMUS
               Why didn't you kill him?

     OUT IN THE STREET -

     The two cars SLAM through the traffic, heading for a HIGHWAY
     RAMP which appears now perhaps two blocks away.

     IN THE PEUGEOT -

                          VINCENT
                   (figuring it out)
               You slept with her!

     IN THE COMPACT -

                          SEAMUS
               How is it these fellahs managed to get
               the drop on us?

                          DEIRDRE
               I told you: they're good...

     OUT IN THE STREET -

     THE TWO CARS have reached the highway ramp, and as first one,
     and then the other pulls onto the highway, we PULL BACK AND
     UP TO REVEAL:

     THE PERIFERIQUE -

     The massive and confusing highway system which encircles the
     city of Paris.  Right away we notice that this entrance ramp
     leads to a traffic circle, filled with various off ramps
     which lead to no less than four different sections of the
     Periferique.