RONIN

                          LARRY
               So what's the deal?

                          DEIRDRE
                   (barely stopping, very
                    snappish)
               The deal?  The deal is we leave for Nice
               at first light.

     And she exits, leaving these three men behind along with Sam
     and Vincent, who have entered from the other room.  larry
     looks at the two of them.

                          LARRY
               What'd you guys do?

     EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOUSE - LATER THAT NIGHT

     A CAR sits, cloaked in shadows.  Inside sits our friend, the
     WATCHER.  Once again we see the Watcher's knife -- once again
     he manicures his nails with it, almost delicately, as he
     watches the House.  It's dark -- a single light glows behind
     a window on the third floor.  Sam's room.

     INT. SAM'S ROOM - SAME TIME

     Sam has pushed all the furniture aside to make enough room to
     do a martial arts form.  Right now he's frozen, one leg
     extended in a kick, balancing on the other leg.  Now - A
     KNOCK at his door -- seconds later, it opens.  Deirdre stands
     there, watching as Sam holds his position for a BEAT more,
     and then retracts his leg.

                          DEIRDRE
               I feel as if I've wandered onto the set
               of Enter The Dragon.  Could you teach me
               to do that?

                          SAM
               I didn't think to see you again tonight.
               You were pretty pissed.

                          DEIRDRE
               I still am.

                          SAM
               Is that right?

                          DEIRDRE
               That's right.

     Deirdre spings at Sam, throwing martial arts combinations at
     him: punch followed by kick, elbow strike followed by palm
     thrust.  Sam parries her blows as she drives him across the
     floor until he's got his back to the wall.  Their movements
     are controlled, but powerful, and there's something almost
     flirtatious about the whole thing.  Now -

     Deirdre throws one last punch which Sam ducks.  He slips
     behind her and suddenly they square off in earnest.  The
     previous martial arts stuff was a kind of choreographed
     exercise, but now - They spar for real -- they never hit one
     another, but they come awfully close, hands and feet whizzing
     through the air, throwing rapid-fire combinations and
     techniques.  They're not angry, but they're not kidding,
     either.  Finally - Deirdre feints a punch that distracts
     Sam's attention from - The KICK she throws right behind her
     punch, and she smiles as - WHUMP!  Sam wasn't distracted at
     all -- he drops to the ground beneath her kick and catches
     her standing leg with a sweep which takes her to the ground
     and now - She's trapped beneath him.  The two of them are
     breathing hard from the exertion, their faces close to one
     another, shining with sweat and excitement and - We've gone
     from flirting to an almost primal seduction, and with their
     faces only inches apart Deirdre leans in to kiss Sam, and
     he's about to meet her half way when he pulls back.

                          SAM
               Part of me says I should just look at
               this as a perk.  You know, a bonus.  But
               then I remember you're you -- Deirdre
               who used to belong to the IRA -- and it
               occurs to me that deceit and subterfuge
               come very naturally to you.

                          DEIRDRE
                   (kissing him very lightly)
               Nobody's saying they don't.

                          SAM
                   (returning the kiss, just as
                    lightly)
               And when I consider that, I have to
               wonder if you don't have some ulterior
               motive for being here, with me, right
               now.

                          DEIRDRE
               I probably do.
                   (pulling him close)
               But for the time being, I'm willing to
               forget about it...

     They finally kiss, slowly and then building in intensity, and
     as they start to make love the

     CAMERA MOVES UP - THROUGH THE BUILDING, floor by floor, until
     we've reached -

     EXT. A ROOFTOP GARDEN - MEANWHILE

     Deirdre and Sam are not the only ones indulging in
     extracurricular activities.  Up here in this rooftop garden
     we find Swede and Gregor talking in hushed tones.

                          GREGOR
               I would imagine that the great
               satisfaction in all of this will be
               killing the American.

                          SWEDE
                   (we know this isn't true)
               I hadn't thought about it.  Understand
               me, Gregor -- I take no pleasure in
               killing.  It doesn't bother me one bit,
               but I don't get off on it.

                          GREGOR
               A means to an end, is that it?

                          SWEDE
               That's it.

                          GREGOR
                   (he rises to leave)
               Then I guess we're set.

                          SWEDE
               There is one other thing...

                          GREGOR
               What's that?

     Suddenly Swede pulls Gregor down to the rooftop with a harsh
     THUD.  Within seconds he has his gun pressed to Gregor's
     head.

                          GREGOR
               What are you doing?

                          SWEDE
               Don't cross me...

                          GREGOR
               Nobody's going to do that!

                          SWEDE
               Really?

                          GREGOR
                   (truly frightened)
               I need you, Swede, I can't do this
               without you!

                          SWEDE
                   (beat, then he puts his gun
                    away)
               I just wanted to make sure you knew who
               you were dealing with.

                          GREGOR
               I do, I do...

     Swede is now on his feet, walking away, back into the
     apartment house.

                          SWEDE
                   (this is almost to himself)
               Just remember it, then.

     And he's gone.  And as soon as he is, we notice something
     strange about Gregor: he's not the least bit scared -- he
     laughs a little low laugh as we -

     DISSOLVE TO:

     EXT. THE HOUSE - DAWN

     GRAY LIGHT seeps in from the horizon, while inside in -

     INT. SAM'S ROOM - SAME TIME

     Deirdre is pulling her dress over her head.  Sam seems to be
     sleeping in his bed as she moves like a cat towards the door
     when -

     Sam's HAND reaches out, gently yet firmly, and takes her by
     the arm.

                          SAM (O.S.)
               No goodbye?

     ANOTHER ANGLE - Sam is somehow sitting up, wide awake --
     looking at Deirdre with a penetrating glance.

                          DEIRDRE
               Look, Sam, don't take it the wrong way
               when I tell you we won't be doing this
               again.

                          SAM
               You don't have to explain yourself to me,
               Deirdre.

                          DEIRDRE
                   (almost surprised by this)
               I know I don't have to, Sam, it's just
               that, for once, I want to.  when I was a -
                   (almost with a sneer)
               Patriot, it was a given I'd sleep with
               any man it was deemed necessary for me to
               sleep with.  You know: any man who needed
               setting up.  Sometimes so we might
               blackmail him, sometimes so he could be
               killed.
                   (a quick beat)
               Sometimes so I could kill him myself.
               IRA isn't exactly an enlightened feminist
               organization, Sam.  To most of the men I
               with I was always the girl.  "Send the girl
               to do it."  "Tell The girl to take care of
               it."  "Have the girl fuck him."
                   (a quick beat)
               But I look at you and I get this feeling
               you take me for what I am: no more, no
               less.

                          SAM
               You're a hired gun, Deirdre -- just like
               me.

                          DEIRDRE
               Exactly.  And last night I wanted to be
               with someone who was just like me.

     Somewhere in all of this Deirdre has sat back down on the
     bed, and somehow now she's only inches away from Sam.
     They're lips brush and -

     A MUTED PHONE RINGS in a nearby room, breaking the moment.  A
     QUICK BEAT, then -

                          DEIRDRE
               I better be getting that.

                          SAM
               Duty calls?

                          DEIRDRE
                   (with a trace of a sigh)
               Just business.

     Deirdre gives Sam a light kiss on the lips and then she opens
     his door.  The muted phone is a little louder now.  Deirdre
     closes Sam's door as she exits, but - Sam reaches out a hand
     and catches the door right before it snaps shut.  He watches
     THROUGH THE DOOR CRACK as - Deirdre cross the hall and
     opens the door to her room, and now the phone rings loudly
     until the door shuts, muting the sound once again, shutting
     Sam out.  The phone stops ringing as Deirdre answers and as
     this happens Sam shuts his door and as the door closes we go
     to - BLACK.  Just for a second.  And then - BLINDING SUN hits
     us in the eyes as we find ourselves above -

     EXT. NICE - DAY

     A DAZZLING OVERHEAD MOVING SHOT, establishing that we've
     changed locales, moved to a place filled with sun and blue
     water and reflective surfaces: the Cote d'Azure.  We start to
     MOVE DOWN TOWARDS -

     EXT. A PRIVATE BEACH - NICE - MEANWHILE

     A TOPLESS GRANDMA reclines on a beach chair, soaking up rays,
     sipping a drinnk just delivered by a young stud of a WAITER.
     Nearby -

     AT A ROUND TABLE -

     A nice distance from anyone who might try to listen in, we
     find our group: Deirdre, Sam, Vincent, Gregor, Swede, and
     Larry.  Food and drink surround them.  Larry is, of couse,
     still eating.

                          DEIRDRE
               Now then, let's run through it one more
               time, shall we?
                   (to Gregor)
               What's your job?

                          GREGOR
               I use my cell phone to get computer
               access to the telecommunications
               satellite used by our target.  I trace
               his cell phone signature and use it to
               pin point his location as he moves
               through Nice, relaying that information
               to you.

                          DEIRDRE
                   (to Larry)
               Next.

                          LARRY
                   (a sigh, he's done this too
                    many times)
               You call me with the target's route, I
               follow along until we've reached the
               attack point and then I run his squag ass
               off the road.

                          DEIRDRE
                   (to Swede)
               Which leads us to...

                          SWEDE
               I ride with fat-boy...

                          LARRY
                   (under his breath)
               Eat shit and die slowly...

                          SWEDE
               After we stop the target car I get out
               and use the heavy artillery to kill the
               driver and his bodyguard.

                          LARRY
               I blast the lead car into oblivion...

                          VINCENT
                   (picking up)
               While Sam and I take out the back two
               cars...

                          DEIRDRE
               Leaving...

                          SWEDE
                   (picking it up)
               ...Leaving me to step in, drop the target
               in the back seat, and get the package...

                          DEIRDRE
                   (with a quick look at Sam)
               While...

                          SAM
                   (returning her look)
               ...While I back him up, making sure to
               get the package if something goes wrong
               and somebody takes Swede down.

     Nobody else seems to notice this look between them, but we
     should -- if only to note that there's something about the
     way Deirdre queries Sam about his role, and something about
     the way Sam answers her without overly reacting -- they're
     not flirting, but there's a kind of acknowledgment of the
     history they now have between them.  But -- nobody else
     notices, and Swede's line follows Sam's without breaking the
     flow of the dialogue.

                          SWEDE
               Nobody's taking me anywhere...

                          DEIRDRE
               And then...

                          LARRY
               Then Swede and I split with the package
               and meet you back at the rendezvous.