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FLANKING MANEUVERS FADE IN: EXT. A STREET – NIGHT TITLE CARD: Paris A MAN dressed in a dark-blue sweater strides toward a trash can on placed on a sidewalk. The man is MARK STONE. CIA field agent. Mark is carrying TWO PERRIER BOTTLES. He heads for the trash receptacle, and tosses the two bottles. Then he walks to his left, he's heading for a building. It's the U.S. Embassy. Several people walk, bringing bags and passports. EXT. THE EMBASSY – NIGHT Mark reaches the doorway. Two GUARDS armed with MP5 rifles, and two VERTICAL METAL DETECTORS protect the building from threats. The guards don't notice him yet. Mark is about to do something. But his steely calm disposition won't show who is he, and what he's capable of doing. Mark digs for his passport in his right hand pants pocket. Both of the guards are American. He shows his passport to the guards. GUARD ONE Yeah. He replaces the passport to his pocket. Mark takes a breath. He hesitates to enter. GUARD ONE Something wrong, Mr. Reiser? Mark shakes his head. GUARD TWO Perhaps something you forgot. MARK Actually, it's my girlfriend. GUARD ONE Your girlfriend? MARK That's right. We were supposed to meet. GUARD ONE Can I help you in that department, Mr. Reiser? MARK There isn't anything you can do to help. I'm fine. Mark's eyes dart from Guard One's face to the inside of the building. MARK'S POV, People with passports lining up. And --- bingo, the woman with the yellow jacket. PATSY BOCK. The subject. Mark takes a long, deep breath. Three, two, one ... Mark left hooks Guard Two's face as he elbows Guard One's. He grabs both their arms and pulls them. HARD. Both guards scream, but soon their voices get lost because of the pain they're going through. A couple more martial arts moves, and next thing that happens: Mark tosses both MP5s to the floor, FAR from the entrance. The metal detectors start to beep. LOUD. Then Mark dashes INSIDE THE BUILDING He keeps his eye on Patsy Bock, still lining up. A couple of civilians SCREAM in panic. Patsy turns around, realizes this and fixes her eyes on Mark. Mark draws a GLOCK pistol and fires. BANG! BANG! BANG! The sound is defeaning. Looks like Mark forgot his silencer for this one. He pulls out something from his left hand pocket. It's a SMOKE BOMB. He hurls it to the entrance. Smoke engulfs the doorway, blinding the guards who are just starting to get up. Mark's still inside, staring at the gruesome sight of Patsy Bock's ruined head. MARK'S POV, He's looking at a surveillance camera in the ceiling. He shoots it with his gun. Then --- He knows his way out, there's a door at one corner. He runs for it. A man, dressed in a gray tuxedo tries to block him. He doesn't look like a sentry man, what is he thinking? This sucks. Mark shoots him, he flings the door open and disappears into the stairwell stationed before it. EXT. THE EMBASSY – A BACK ALLEY He hurries out of the alley, back into the sidewalk. As he emerges, a new GUARD sees him and starts shooting at him. He pulls out a grenade and tosses it to the trash receptacle. BOOM! A loud, ground-shattering explosion rocks the place. The front of the embassy is covered in smoke. INT. THE EMBASSY – NIGHT A little while later, Patsy Bock's body still hasn't been collected. Blood is all over the place. The shock and pain the people are going through inside the place is indescribable. INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS – DAY RONALD BASS is the DDCI, he's seated on a table. Mark is seated on a chair, in front of him. RONALD So, you quit. MARK Yeah. RONALD Are you sure that's a decision that you can make? Mark shrugs. RONALD Are you sure that that's a decision that we're gonna follow. We own you. Mark raises a brow. MARK It's not like I'm a hit man or anything. RONALD You're not. MARK That's the point. I'm a field agent, I don't just kill people. RONALD Remember, the operation was supposed to be covert. Mark nods. RONALD And you failed! You screwed up. MARK That's why I wanna quit. RONALD You blew your cover, soldier. MARK It happens. RONALD Does it? Oh, does it? Mark is calm. He shrugs. RONALD Not for the people who work for me. Mark takes a breath. RONALD You were trained. You were trained well. MARK I mean, this is too much for me. RONALD What is too much? RONALD (continued) You've done things like this a lot of times, Mark Stone. MARK What I mean is, I can't take this shooting people, stabbing them. Seeing them die in front of me. This isn't what I think of as profession. I don't think of it as beauty. It sucks. RONALD Looks like this is the first time an agent from the Central Intelligence Agency gets grossed out by his own job. MARK I'm just starting to hate the job, that's all. RONALD You didn't fail entirely, you took out Patsy Bock, a dangerous woman who would have killed off many if she wasn't stopped. Mark, in a way, you have saved a life. MARK I hope that's true. RONALD Mark, don't show up in front of me, and display a hitman with a heart personality. MARK I told you, I'm not an assassin. RONALD You ARE. Mark shakes his head, this time a little harder, showing total disagreement. RONALD But you don't just kill, you steal, you spy, you blow things up. It's your job. You chose this life. MARK And I wanna quit! DISSOLVE TO: EXT. A MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON COMPOUND – DAY TITLE CARD: 1 year later. Germany. ARNOLD KNAPP, German terrorist, and inmate of the maximum security building is running furiously, away from the prison. He's still in the compound though. He got past the chicken-wire gates, but he can still be intercepted by somebody. A german GUARD stops him. The guard's name is DWIGHT. Dwight is carrying a baton. Another guard follows. His name is JON. They were supposed to be going to the prison, but Arnold is stopping them from doing so. ARNOLD Hi, Dwight. It's a little easier this time. Arnold disarms Dwight of his baton, and he knocks Dwight out with it. Dwight falls to the ground head first. Jon is particularly calm. He cuffs Arnold right away. JON Wohin gehen sie? Arnold pulls Jon's arms, and he hard hits Jon's face with his knees. JON Urrrghhhh! Arnold bends slightly and pulls something out of Jon's belt. The keys. He kicks Jon in the stomach, Jon falls back. The handcuffs fall on Jon's body. Then the keys. Instant sleight of hand. FADE OUT. SERIES OF FLASHY IMAGES: A passport. Some false papers. A make-up kit. A pocket book written in German. A man seated on an airplane, looks like Arnold, but the face is altered. It's a disguise. The passport again. EXT. SAN FRANCISCO SKYLINE – DAY It's bright and shiny. The plexiglass windows of most of the buildings assault our eyes with the sun't reflection. TITLE CARD: SAN FRANCISCO INT. A BROWNSTONE (MR. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT ROOM) – DAY MR. KIRSCHNER, is a middle aged, white haired German man he's seated on a couch. This is his apartment room...or hideout. Arnold stands before him. But, both of them are not alone. HARRY, HANS and LESTER (American) are seated on chairs. Harry is lying on the floor. They look mean, bad-assed. And their willing to assist Arnold and Kirschner. They are very tough men. ARNOLD So, why did you choose San Francisco? KIRSCHNER Mark Stone lives here. ARNOLD How could you know that? KIRSCHER My own sources, inside stuff. You wouldn't really care how I would know it. ARNOLD Okay. I want to go out, and kill him. KIRSCHER Nein, es functioniert nicht so. ARNOLD Why not? KIRSCHNER Stay, here. Keep a low profile. Let Harry, Hans and Lester do the job for you. You don't trust me? ARNOLD Well, on the contrary--- KIRSCHNER What? ARNOLD The Grausam Terrorist Organization will re-emerge in America. It's symbolic enough. KIRSCHER Not either, we should leave here as soon as we can. ARNOLD Not until Stone is dead. KIRSCHNER I've been doing this. These, as a bonus, Arnold, please don't abuse me. ARNOLD And I wouldn't call you a general, you were only a trooper of the Grausam. KIRSCHNER Well, I've cooperated with you. ARNOLD That's not enough. KIRSCHER There's only few of us, Arnold, wake up! ARNOLD So? KIRSCHNER We need more men to ressurect the Grausam. ARNOLD Vengeance before Armageddon. KIRSCHNER Gee, Arnold, you haven't been talking to any of us "Americans", you've been spending time in a cell, and I still find your English pretty fluent. ARNOLD The rewards of a hard-working English scholar. KIRSCHER Let us never forget that. Both of them laugh. INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS – DAY NASH JEFFREYS, Mark's best friend, also a field agent sit face to face with Ronald in his office. NASH How could he have done it? RONALD I don't know. Many ways. NASH I mean, how could he have done it, now! Now and not yesterday. RONALD That's a puzzle. NASH He probably has been trying hard a lot of times. RONALD And failed disgracefully. NASH This is the only time it's happened. RONALD No. NASH I mean, for him. RONALD Carlos the Jackal could easily escape. NASH Why all this sudden? RONALD This is disturbing. NASH Gotcha, Mr. Bass. RONALD Not just for us. But for the rest of the world. NASH I know, we can't let the Grausam rise from the dead. RONALD We should find an appropriate course of action immediately. INT. A RESTAURANT – DAY Mark Stone is now a waiter in this restaurant. He's 32 years old and he has an image of maturity and intelligence, and he deserves a better job than this. Mark is standing before a fat male CUSTOMER, who is seated on one of the wooden tables. Mark has his hands on a notepad and a pen. He's taking an order. CUSTOMER I'm not quite sure what I want, it's my first time here. MARK Well, take a look at the menu again, you might wanna make up your mind. CUSTOMER I'm still having a hard time... MARK Well, take your time. I can stand here for ten minutes. CUSTOMER Let's see, let's see. The customer glances at the menu, but without reading it. He's really confused. MARK So? CUSTOMER I don't know. Would you recommend it? MARK Hey, sir. A waiter in this restaurant couldn't have enough time to taste what we serve, hell I haven't tried a single thing that these people cook, so why don't you make up your mind and don't come back if you hate it. CUSTOMER No, give me a second I'll think. Mark sighs irritatingly. MARK Sir, really, I haven't tasted it--- CUSTOMER I know, I know, just give me a second. MARK Well, by the looks--- CUSTOMER What? MARK Our beef tastes pretty good CUSTOMER Really? MARK Sir, I'd taste it when I don't forget I'm in the mood for eating. CUSTOMER Are you sure? MARK Come on! CUSTOMER All right, all right. I'm having it. Mark leaves. Mark hands the order to one of the cooks standing behind the counter. Mark coughs. He checks his watch. There's nothing else to do. Mark turns and watches the T.V. ON THE TV SCREEN: Reporters JACKIE FINN, and JOHN DONOVAN are on their desks, in speculation of something serious. Both Jackie and John are talking. JOHN Yes, Jackie, it has happened before. JACKIE What did happen? JOHN There was this one terrorist who could shoot without blinking, he could shoot straight without missing. Ahhh, I forgot his name. JACKIE How many times has it happened, John? JOHN Ummm--- JACKIE According to your research. JOHN Um, I don't research, but there's no telling. JACKIE And why did Arnold Knapp escape only now? Mark squints in surprise. MARK Fuck, what's going on? Mark moves closer to the screen. JOHN Well, he has attempted escapes a lot of times, but this is the only time he got lucky. JACKIE That building must have REALLY tight security. JOHN Right. JACKIE Arnold was sent to jail, and captured seven years ago, right? JOHN Correct. JACKIE What about the rest of the Grausam? JOHN Yeah, all of them, all of them caught. Some of them had to be killed and they have been sent to different prisons all over the world. Arnold in Germany. But all the jailhouses the Central Intelligence Agency have locked them into are maximum security. JACKIE Yes, that's right, folks. The guards weren't able to stop Knapp because they were obviously no match for Arnold's skill in bringing people down. JOHN Will the prison tighten their security this time? JACKIE Looks like they won't. And they don't have to. They just have to catch Arnold Knapp. JOHN That's right. JACKIE Ummm, John, is it possible that he still has contacts from, I don't know, perhaps he has contacts internationally? JOHN He's in league with a lot of people, that I have no doubt. But, whether the Grausam need be feared again, that question can not be answered! Mark is still shocked and he's feeling really sore right now. He takes the tray containing the Customer's order. He walks to his table. INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT ROOM – DAY Kirschner is seated on a table, Arnold in front of him. Scattered on the table are HECKLER AND KOCH rifles, some GRENADES, CELLULAR TELEPHONES, TRACKING DEVICES and OTHER MILITARY EQUIPMENT. Kirschner's Apartment has two rooms (excluding the bath). It has a couch, a bed, and even some kitchen tools. It also has an attic, the attic's hatch sagging slightly from the ceiling. There's also a ladder on one corner of the room. Arnold is dressed in a suit, so is Kirschner. The other guys? They're in one of the rooms. ARNOLD I'm glad you told me everything. KIRSCHNER Actually, I'm not glad that I did. ARNOLD What are you saying? KIRSCHNER I'm saying that you might go too far with this obsession. I'm afraid that I change my mind, we should leave. ARNOLD How can you be so self-motivated, Mr. Kirschner, you were only a trooper of the Grausam, remember that. KIRSCHNER Also, remember, I've grown smarter. And you owe a big one from me. ARNOLD Oh, yes. KIRSCHNER So, what will be your first move? ARNOLD I don't know. I have to go out, check out the streets, I'll always get my man. I've trained for this sort of thing for years. KIRSCHNER Me too, I've been reading Lee Lapin's books. ARNOLD You spend 49 bucks on those pieces of crap! KIRSCHNER It's worth it. ARNOLD By the way, that technical manual for independent contractors was written by a woman, you know that? KIRSCHNER That was already banned. ARNOLD A woman. A publicist actually. KIRSCHNER Point is, remember, you should be laying low. Very low, remember you're in America. And the Grausam must not reform in this country. ARNOLD Why not? KIRSCHNER We should work from the shadows. ARNOLD Yes, we work in the shadows, but we should do what we have to do here. Plant bombs everywhere, and send in the message that we are alive. INT. THE RESTAURANT – LATE DAY Mark is still in the restaurant. MARGIE, Mark's best friend waittress calls for him. Mark approaches her. MARGIE Mark, phone! MARK Who the fuck is it? MARGIE A Helen Parker for you. MARK Oh! MARGIE Take it. MARK Yeah, yeah. The voice of HELEN PARKER, one of Mark's friends can be heard through the phone. HELEN Hello, Mark, how's work? MARK Hi, hunn. HELEN Don't call me that! MARK Yeah, work is fine, I don't have financial problems. I never do, and I'm good. I'm good. HELEN That's nice to hear! MARK You? HELEN I still miss Jonathan. MARK Yeah, well, I miss him too. He was a good husband. Why don't you remarry? HELEN What? Mark, don't talk about those things. MARK What gives? HELEN Barry just turned nine today. MARK All right, I'll buy him a present, but I still gotta stop buy the grocery. HELEN NO! MARK What? HELEN You don't have to do that. MARK I won't. HELEN Come over. MARK Yeah, make sure I do get to take a seat if you want me to stay long. HELEN No, you don't have to stay long. MARK Well, I will. HELEN Listen, we've invited no one. Barry hardly ever has any friends, and the first thing they thought of was Uncle Mark. I wish I never got myself fired from the restaurant, eh? MARK You didn't get yourself fired. They fired you. HELEN Ummm, bye, gotta go. Mark replaces the receiver. INT. A GROCERY STORE – NIGHT Mark taking a look at one of the stalls. He reaches for a bottle of CHILI SAUCE and holds it. He's not bringing a cart, looks like he's only after the sauce. Mark takes a look at the bottom of the bottle. MARK Shit. Mark talks to one of the clerks. The clerk is JAKE. JAKE Hey there, Mark. MARK Hi. JAKE What? MARK Say, can I ask you something--- JAKE Ask away--- MARK Your chili sauce bottles are expired. JAKE Are you sure? Could be the only one holding is expired. MARK I checked 'em all. JAKE What the fuck? MARK Hey, you got some alternatives, I'm a good customer you know that. JAKE Alternatives, alternatives, no... MARK In that case, I'll leave. JAKE No, don't! MARK Why shouldn't I leave. JAKE Well, pick up something else. MARK Just for the hell of it? JAKE Yeah, I guess. MARK No way, Jake. This is the last time I'm ever gonna have to step in this grocery store. JAKE No one gives a fuck. Mark darts his eyes to the loaded grocery cart Jake is holding on to. JAKE Noodles, like noodles? MARK Love 'em. JAKE Pick one up! MARK It's probably expired. JAKE Listen up, Mark, it's only one month past the expiration date, it couldn't make you shit green if you eat a little of it. Just put little in your plate--- EXT. THE GROCERY STORE – NIGHT Lester is right outside the grocery. Good timing. He can clearly see Mark and Jake chatting. Soon, Jake leaves. Mark gets to the counter and buys the Chili Sauce. A ghost of a grin appears in Lester's face. Looks like this is a happy night. INT. THE PARKER HOUSE (BUNGALOW) – NIGHT Mark is seated on the dinner table. With him is HELEN PARKER, a woman in her mid-thirties, BARRY who is a 9 year old and LEONARD, who's 7. They're eating spaghetti. MARK Why all this? HELEN I don't get you. MARK Why such a boring party? HELEN What? MARK It's boring, I woulda wanted it to be you know, more lively. I'd expect a nine year old to cherish all his years and be glad that he'll--- Mark laughs. MARK ---turn ten next year! HELEN That's what I said--- MARK ---hardly has any friends? BARRY No, Uncle Mark, it's just that mommy is too depressed, she's still sad that Daddy's gone and she says--- HELEN Barry! BARRY She says that she doesn't want to expose me to people who have bad influence. MARK I see. HELEN No, it's just that some of the kids in the neighborhood are punks, Mark. I don't want Barry and Lenny to get along with those kind of kids, right? Mark shrugs. MARK Uhhh, right. HELEN Don't worry, honey, we'll find some friends for you soon. MARK Aren't you supposed to be studying, Barry? BARRY I am studying, it's just that we don't bother to telephone any of my classmates, so there... MARK That must suck. EXT. BUSHES – NIGHT In the bushes just outside the Parker's Lester is watching through binoculars, he can clearly see them in the dining room. His eyes focused on Mark. LESTER So, you're a Daddy, eh? INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT – NIGHT Everybody's seated. Hans, Harry, Arnold, and Kirschner. They hear a KNOCK in the door. LESTER Lester! KIRSCHNER Hans, let him in. Hans opens the door. Lester steps in. He tosses the binoculars into the couch and takes series of deep breaths. He's exhausted. LESTER Mark Stone has a family! Arnold leans forward, feeling a sudden surge of provocation. ARNOLD What? What did you say? LESTER Two boys, his wife. That's all. ARNOLD You know where he lives. KIRSCHER Slow down, will you...how did you track him? ARNOLD I like your skills. LESTER 'Ya don't have to. I followed him from his favorite grocery store. He stopped by, he picked up a bottle of chili sauce. ARNOLD You are sure? LESTER Definitely. ARNOLD And could you easily go to his residence? LESTER It's a cake, fellas. We got our man. ARNOLD Very good, I'll decide what to do with him. LESTER I say we take him out tomorrow. Strike point's not easy to find, me and Hans can handle it. Hans nods. HANS That's right. KIRSCHNER Look guys, must we move this fast? ARNOLD Yes, there's no time to waste. KIRSCHER First, you have to question yourself, is this operation necesarry? Does it bring about something productive to our goals? You know us guys, the Grausam. We need to rise again. ARNOLD KIRSCHNER!!!!! Shut up, I'm sick of your bullshit. Vengeance before armageddon, that has what has been in my head for a long time, when I was in prison, helpless inside a cell. I'll take this oppurtunity, and--- LESTER So what's it gonna be? ARNOLD We'll kill him. Lester grabs a small-bolt action RIFLE. It's caliber is--- LESTER Twenty two LR. Lester walks toward one of the rooms, gets in. A minute later, he comes out already gripping a silencer. LESTER Put a silencer, and baby, there's no other way it can be fool-proof. EXT. THE BUSHES – DAY Hans and Lester are already hiding in the bushes, the bushes are that wide and thick, that they wouldn't question the proficiency of executing a short-range assassination here. Lester is holding the rifle, with the proper position. Hans is holding the binoculars. LESTER'S SCOPE POV, Through the window: There's no one there, the rooms inside of the bungalow are closed. Lester pans the scope and he can see the garage this time. There's a GRAY car parked up. He sees the kitchen, the dining room, no one's there. LESTER Still haven't got off the sack, I guess. Hans checks his watch: 7:30 A.M. Looks like it's too early. HANS We should have been here much later, we are like wasting our time. LESTER Relax pal, better to be earlier and precise. HANS Don't miss the shot, Lester. Lester lets go of the rifle momentarily. LESTER Hey, do I look like a fucking oaf to you? HANS Not really. Hey, American, I was just reminding you. LESTER No need for that, I'm expert. I've killed a couple of times. Lester gets back to his rifle, holds it properly, and focuses on the house. IN THE STREET, People are walking, driving to work, checking their mailboxes and picking up the newspapers. But none of them are sharp enough to notice the men behind the bushes. A couple of meters from the bushes is a huge park. It has a tree, a slide, a merry go round and some monkey-bars. BACK TO HANS AND LESTER Hans is holding the binocs, but he's not using it. Lester is concentrating, still holding the rifle. LESTER Come on, Mark, come out. HANS Still isn't there? LESTER Looks like he didn't sleep well last night. Lester lets go of the rifle. LESTER I'm too tired. YOU THERE keep a close eye on him when he gets out. HANS Roger, but you better shoot fast. In one of the houses in the neighborhood, TWO TEENAGE BOYS have their attention on a loudspeaker and a CD component hooked to it. They're gonna go jamming. They turn on the music. The music blares from the stereo... LESTER Perfect. HANS It's our lucky day. LESTER You know, I was sort of hoping for a parade. Lester gets back to the rifle. He starts scanning the house again. No sign of Mark or the kids or Helen Parker. LESTER You know what? HANS What? LESTER I think we should call this off. If this guy doesn't get up too early, then maybe he already has. He probably went off and drove for work. He's gone. HANS What are you saying? LESTER We go back to Knapp and tell him this mission should be done tonight. HANS He's not gonna like this. LESTER Sure. INT. KIRSCHNER'S BROWNSTONE – DAY Lester is talking to Arnold. ARNOLD Look, you could have stayed longer. LESTER I know, but--- ARNOLD I see your point, but I told you to WAIT until you see him, then shoot him. HANS He wasn't there. LESTER Yeah, I don't think there's a doubt in that. KIRSCHNER I told you something could go wrong, Arnold. ARNOLD What? It hasn't even started yet, we should be persistent. KIRSCHNER Bull shit. ARNOLD Fine, Kirschner. KIRSCHNER Why the fuck can't you get over it? ARNOLD I can't. I just can't. LESTER So--- ARNOLD So you can afford to fail next time, perhaps I should be there. I should put myself on the line, because I want this bastard to be put away. KIRSCHNER Arnold, how many times have I told you not to go out of this building? It's too unsafe, your face will go out into the open--- ARNOLD Exactly what is it you're worried about, huh? Surveillance cameras? SHIT! No way. KIRSCHNER Yes, yes, yes, but let's not be hasty in our actions and let us not forget prudence. HANS I say we go back to the grocery. ARNOLD Grocery store is a needle in a haystack, unless you'll find yourself lucky like Lester has a couple of times. LESTER That's right. HANS So, we're sticking to our plan here? ARNOLD It's an easy plan, nothing's difficult in it. HANS Fine, then. LESTER It's best to stick to the original plan. ARNOLD So, that's it, then! KIRSCHNER I'm not hearing this. This is silly. ARNOLD Silly to you, Kirschner, but what if you put yourself in my shoes? KIRSCHER My socks would still be off. ARNOLD I want him. KIRSCHNER But you won't have him. LESTER There seems to be another problem. ARNOLD What is it? LESTER Mr. Knapp, you might not wanna hear it, uhhh, never mind. ARNOLD Come on Arnold, don't be shy. LESTER Ummm...no, honest, no, you don't wanna hear it. ARNOLD Why not? LESTER What if he isn't there? ARNOLD What? LESTER Yes. We call it off again, and go back tomorrow. ARNOLD Yes, you're right. KIRSCHNER Ahhh, what is this? ARNOLD So, kidnap the family!!! LESTER What? ARNOLD Take the woman, the two boys, we'll figure out a way to lure Mark Stone in here. KIRSCHNER That's absurd. ARNOLD Why? KIRSCHNER How do you expect to lure him in here? INT. THE PARKER RESIDENCE – NIGHT A pretty babysitter named EMILY is talking to Helen. The two boys are in the living room, playing. HELEN Thanks for being patient with them, Emily. EMILY No problem. Helen hands Emily a bill. Emily walks out of the house. Helen goes for the doorknob, locks it. HELEN Well kids, I'm back. Helen walks to the living room, there's nothing obscuring it from the main door. The door suddenly CRASHES! Lester and Hans enter, Lester is carrying an MP5. It's weird he should be doing this, but whatever... BOOM! Lester fires one semiautomatic round from his rifle. He just hopes that the neighbors won't get up from their sleep. LESTER Come with us!!!!! INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT – NIGHT They are taken into one of the rooms. There's a bed, and a chair, nothing else. ARNOLD Stay here!!!! INT. THE ROOM Helen and the kids are leaning back, the kids covering their eyes. Helen is crying, she's staring up at Arnold's menacing face. ARNOLD Now, there is a reason why you are here. CUT TO: THE LIVING ROOM Arnold and Kirschner argue, Kirschner is more furious than ever. KIRSCHNER What is it with you, Arnold? ARNOLD Nothing! Kirschner gets up from his chair and walks back and forth restlessly. What the fuck is happening with Mr. Knapp? Kirschner stops, eyes locked on Arnold. KIRSCHNER This does not help the Grausam. ARNOLD What are you talking about? KIRSCHNER This does not help... ARNOLD The Grausam does NOT EXIST! KIRSCHNER But it will, and it will have to, soon... ARNOLD Listen to me, Kirschner. Mark Stone means a lot to me, I'll do anything to get him. I would even kill you all just to take him myself. Right now, my goal isn't completed, I can't sleep, and more than anything else...the Grausam is not on my mind. It has never been...at least not recently. Now will you stop complaining, and start trying to be calm. KIRSCHNER Calm? I'm calm, you're the one who's lost your bloody marbles. ARNOLD What? KIRSCHNER You're becoming Sean Miller. ARNOLD Becoming who? KIRSCHNER Point is, just call this kidnapping thing off and try to figure out another way to get to Mark Stone. And why the fuck can't you get over with what happened to you... INT. THE ROOM The door is shut. Helen and her kids are still in shock. Leonard embraces Helen. LEONARD Mommy, what do they want? HELEN I don't know. LEONARD Do you think they'll let us go? HELEN I can't answer that, either. LEONARD Why not? HELEN LOOK, LEONARD!!! I don't know, I don't know what the fuck are we in for, and why this happened in the first place, we just need to follow them. Give them what they want. LEONARD They want money, right? HELEN They think we're rich? That could be a possibility. LEONARD What else do you think they want? HELEN Just money. LEONARD Tell them that Barry just celebrated his ninth birthday recently, they could let us go. HELEN That's gonna be bullshit to them. LEONARD What? HELEN They won't care. They don't give a plain fuck about Barry's birthday. LEONARD Mom, stop cursing. HELEN Sorry... BARRY Why do they think he's Dad? HELEN Who? BARRY Uncle Mark. The guy said that he wants Mark Stone. HELEN I don't know. BARRY We should go out and tell them that he's not Dad. They'll let us go for sure. Barry stands up, touches the doorknob. HELEN Barry, sit down! BARRY But--- HELEN Sit down, the best thing that we can do now is shut up. INT. THE LIVING ROOM Arnold and Kirshner are still arguing. But both of them are seated now, they're both mad. They look like shit. KIRSCHNER I have told you a lot of times, you're an important man. ARNOLD The way I look at things--- Arnold sighs. ARNOLD ---you should see the way I see things. KIRSCHNER What? ARNOLD You should know how I'm feeling, and how I've always felt. KIRSCHNER Seek help. ARNOLD I don't need any. KIRSCHNER Yes you do, perhaps I can cheer you up, Mr. Knapp. ARNOLD Every single day, I think about killing him. KIRSCHNER Try to get your mind off that! Try to forget about what he did to you... Kirschner shakes his head slowly. What can ever bring Arnold Knapp back to his senses. What can make this skilled man act the way he is supposed to. KIRSCHNER You're becoming too immature. ARNOLD Who cares. KIRSCHNER So, what's your plan. ARNOLD Like I said, we find a way to get him. KIRSCHNER What? ARNOLD We attack. We surprise him. We attack sideways, we'll find a way to make him come here. In this very building. KIRSCHNER Then--- ARNOLD I wanna shoot him myself. KIRSCHNER I won't argue with that. ARNOLD Then after I kill him, I'll decide what I'm gonna do with his family. KIRSCHNER What then? ARNOLD I could either kill them, I could let them go. I don't know. INT. THE ROOM Hans enters, Hans slams the door shut. Hans is holding one of the MP5s. He crouches in front of them. Helen blanches. HANS Hello, there. Just bare with the inconvenience, eh? HELEN What? HANS I don't think this will last long. HELEN Get that gun away from me. HANS Don't worry, I'm not gonna shoot you... Hans laughs. HANS ...yet. Helen starts to cringe. HANS Seriously, killing you is not on our minds right now. So, just stay, calm, okey dokey? HELEN Right... HANS Listen, is there anything you need? HELEN Don't fucking hurt us... Barry and Leonard can only watch as this horrible man is talking to their mother. Both of them are nervous...if only he can lose that gun. HANS We won't. HELEN What do you want? HANS Daddy. HELEN What? HANS We'll kill your husband. BARRY Mark Stone--- HELEN BARRY SHUT UP!!!!! HANS You shouldn't yell at your kid like that. It's traumatic. HELEN Don't you fucking tell me what to do with my kids. Hans stands up. HANS Hey, I was just trying to help. Be happy. HELEN No. HANS What do you want? Tell me. I might give you something to last the night. HELEN What are you gonna do after you kill my husband? HANS I don't know. It's up to Mr. Arnold Knapp. HELEN You're gonna kill us, right? HANS Don't speak of that. Don't give us ideas. HELEN Who are you people? HANS We're Germans. HELEN You're terrorists, aren't you? HANS No. Not terrorists. We're just German. HELEN What is it you want with my husband? HANS I couldn't answer that. HELEN Why not? HANS I'm only hired. I only work for Arnold Knapp. HELEN Tell me... HANS Actually, he wants to avenge an old score. HELEN He's a waiter, what would he owe from terrorists? HANS He's a waiter. But sometimes, waiters aren't just waiters. They don't just work in restaurants, they could probably have some secrets... HELEN He's a spy! HANS Well, you could say that he owes us a lot of money... HELEN What? HANS You could never know the possibilites... HELEN What possibilities? HANS He could be who he is today, because of Arnold Knapp. Maybe he's kept alive, just because of our leader. HELEN Can't you people just let us go? HANS I'm afraid not. Hans frowns. Then takes a breath. He's concerned about something. He wants to tell them--- HANS I don't want to disappoint you people, but I might just tell you right now, that you could die. Be prepared. HELEN What? Helen starts breathing hard. HANS Yes. HELEN What the... HANS He'll probably kill you when he doesn't need you. Hans shakes his head. HANS You're lucky that I'm telling you this. I'm telling you this before it should happen. Helen starts hyperventilating. CUT TO: THE LIVING ROOM Kirschner is calm now. He's seated beside Harry and Lester. Hans comes out of the dark room and... HANS THE WOMAN IS HYPERVENTILATING! ARNOLD So what. HANS She could die. ARNOLD It doesn't matter, I'm not after a ransom. HANS Hey!!! ARNOLD Who cares. HANS We could need them. We can't just let any of them die. LESTER I guess Hans is right. HANS Please! ARNOLD And besides, what was all that you pulled inside the room? Chit chat. I hope you didn't give away something revealing. HANS Don't worry. ARNOLD Well, cheer them up, some more. KIRSCHNER For God's sakes, give them some food! EXT. THE PARKER RESIDENCE – DAY Cops are on the scene, yellow police tapes barricade the bungalow. Mark shows up. Mark can't hide the feeling of disturbance in him. He talks to one of the OFFICERS. MARK Officer, what happened here? OFFICER It's a possible kidnap situation. MARK What? OFFICER That's right. MARK Who took them? OFFICER We can't verify that yet, sir. Mark stares at the bungalow, he studies it. No blood, no gunshots, nothing. Except for the door. Someone rammed it really hard. OFFICER Neighbors were complaining of a loud burst, last night. They said there was a loudburst... MARK It's gunfire. OFFICER We can't verify that yet, either, sir. MARK Well, what can you confirm? OFFICER That these people have been abducted, and now we have no suspects. MARK Are there people inside the house? OFFICER Not yet, but we'll be looking for prints in awhile. MARK Have you ever found any slugs that are stuck to the walls, here? Maybe at the back of the house... OFFICER No, sir. MARK What have you found? OFFICER Absolutely, nothing. MARK Thanks. Mark prepares to leave. OFFICER Gee, sir, I just wanna ask... Mark turns around. OFFICER Do you know these people, are you a relative? MARK No. I'm one of their friends. I live nearby. Mark scans the house from the front yard, he tries to do it casually. He has got to find a way to get in. The windows are covered with curtains. INT. THE PARKER HOUSE – DAY Mark enters from the back door. He closes it slowly. He stares at the windows, the curtains are good enough to cover him. Except for the door. He's in the kitchen. There's a telephone. 10 meters adjacent to him is a window without any curtains, luckily no cops are there. No one's watching him. All right, it's time to scram. The phone rings. That's odd. Mark picks it up. It's Hans on the line. HANS Mark Stone, I'm watching you. MARK What? Who is this? HANS I'm watching you, you silly son of a bitch. MARK Who the fuck is this? What do you want? HANS I want you to hangup, and be back in the house after six hours. Repeat, six hours, now hangup!!! Mark replaces the receiver into the phone. EXT. A SIDEWALK (UPTOWN) – DAY It's somewhere uptown, where the streets are pretty crowded. Mark is inside a phone booth. INT. PHONE BOOTH He's holding the receiver, making a call. MARK Hello, hello? MARGIE Yes. MARK Oh yeah, Marge. MARGIE What's up? You know you really should be here by now. MARK No, I want a few days off. MARGIE What? MARK Something just came up, it's puzzling, and I don't think I can solve it. MARGIE What came up? MARK Something bad. MARGIE Mark, stop scaring me...what happened? someone mugged your apartment, or what? MARK No, nothing like that! MARGIE Come on, Mark. Spill some beans. MARK It's very dangerous, you could die if you know... Mark smiles. MARGIE So, you've gotten yourself into some government conspiracy? MARK Something like that. MARGIE Cut the crap, Mark. MARK What crap? MARGIE You're probably just tired of work. MARK What? MARGIE You need a vacation, that's what I understand... MARK Listen, just tell my boss, okay! INT. MARK'S APARTMENT – DAY Mark holds a GLOCK 19. He slaps a magazine full of cartridges into the pistol. INT. THE PARKER HOUSE – DAY Mark enters through the open doorway. The crashed door has been removed. He walks toward the telephone. He picks up the receiver. The line hasn't been cut. He puts down the receiver. Someone should call any minute. Mark enters the master bedroom. Nothing's been taken. Everything's intact. Clearly, these people have been after their the Parkers. Mark moves toward one of the front windows. That's odd, the curtains have been removed. Mark looks down, they're just in the floor. CRASH!!!!!!!!! Someone jumps through the glass window, a WALTHER in his hand ready to fire. Hans aims for Mark's head. BOOM! He missed. Mark lunges for Hans, and twists his elbows, almost breaking it. HANS Arrrrghhhh! Mark punches Hans real hard in the chest. Hans flies back. The Walther is on the floor, a few meters from his hand. Hans picks up his pistol. He fires, still he misses. Mark crouches behind the T.V. set. BANG! BANG! BANG! Luckily, the bullets can't penetrate the T.V. Mark gets up, shoots with his Glock. But he misses. Has he lost his touch. Hans smashes one of the windows, and falls out. This can't go on in this house forever. Mark immediately dashes, and disappears through the front doorway. EXT. PARK – DAY It's good, the streets in this village are empty. Everyone's off to work. Mark runs toward the park. He leaps and gets past one of the black metal railings. He heads for the tree. He hides behind the tree trunk. He can see Hans fast approaching. Hans can't leap that high, so he enters through one of the gates. He knows Mark is behind that tree. His elbow still hurts. His right arm. Hans is holding the Walther with his right. He's ready to wax Mark Stone. He aims for the tree. But--- BANG! BANG! Mark shoots Hans's left arm and his right thigh. Hans falls flat on the ground. Mark approaches the injured Hans. Mark puts a cap in his stomach, just to make sure. HANS Ahhhhhhhhh! fohk! (fuck) Mark kneels. Mark pistol whips his face. MARK Who are you? HANS Fuck you. MARK You're gonna die anyway, now who took the Parkers. HANS You're not the womans...husband... MARK That's right, you've been mistaken, and the Parkers are not rich. There's no reason in kidnapping them. HANS (coughs) ...Grausam...Arnold... MARK What? HANS Arnold is mad... MARK Arnold? HANS Arnold Knapp. Hans dies. LATER: Cops arrive. But this time two guns, the Glock and the Walther are laid on Hans's chest. There are about three cops closing in on the scene. Mark has blood on his face, it's not his. But he knew the cops were coming. A COP approaches him, Beretta in hand. Mark raises his hand, palm toward the officer. MARK No, no, I don't want to see one of those things near me. COP What happened? MARK This guy mugged me... COP He mugged you? MARK At least he tried... COP Do you know him? MARK I've no fucking clue who he is. MARK He wrestled with me on the street, and he was trying to get to my pocket, but thank God I didn't get hurt. Thank God he didn't take anything. The cop studies the dead body. Two pistols laid on his chest... COP A Glock and a Walther, I'd expect a mugger to carry a revolver or a knife, you know what those guns are... MARK I don't know anything about guns. COP Well, a mugger wouldn't be able to afford a Walther. Certainly not a Glock 19. MARK I wrestled with him, I managed to grab one of his pistols. I shot him...I'm a very lucky man. COP You certainly are, sir. But I'm not sure what you've gotten yourself into. MARK Oh no? The cop shakes his head. He holsters the Beretta in his hand. The cop kneels and tries to get a closer look at the body. A wound in the thigh, another in the left arm. The cop tries to strip the guy off his shirt, but whoops---no gloves. The cop stands up. MARK I swear to God! He was after my wallet. COP Not your wallet, maybe...perhaps something you have in 'ya. Your pocket? I don't know, for now, this guy looks like he's a terrorist. MARK What? COP I can't really tell, but he looks German to me. MARK What are you trying to say? COP Nothing. MARK Terrorists are after me? COP I didn't say that. MARK Terrorists want to kill me. They want to hunt me down. But why? INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT – DAY Arnold is standing up, leaning against the wall. Kirschner is asleep in the couch. Harry's having sweet dreams too. Looks like Arnold is the only guy who sleeps at night here. Lester gets out of one of the rooms. (Not the room where the Parkers are), it's another room, with a T.V. set. Lester walks toward Arnold, he glances at the door of the room where Helen and her kids are held captive. He shakes his head in contempt of something. LESTER Dude, Arnold, we're really fucked. ARNOLD I'm really happy, and I'm waiting for the news of Mark Stone's death, so please leave me a lone for awhile...if you don't mind. Lester shakes his head again. ARNOLD What gives? LESTER It's on fucking local T.V. ARNOLD What? LESTER Is it obvious? ARNOLD Look, man it's a little hard to get me to panic. No one knows that a single member of Grausam exists in San Francisco, besides, there is NO Grausam unless I say so. LESTER Hans. ARNOLD What? LESTER Hans has been killed. ARNOLD What the fuck are you saying, Lester? LESTER His body has been found in a park. INT. THE ROOM Helen is leaning against the wall. Leonard is asleep on Helen's lap. Helen is half asleep. She's bleary, scared, nervous, it's better to be drunk. Barry is pressing his ears against the door. Barry gets up, moves closer to Helen. BARRY Mom! HELEN What... Helen's eyes are closed. BARRY They're fighting. HELEN They always... BARRY Something happened. HELEN So? BARRY I hear them mention Mark Stone's name. HELEN They want to kill him. BARRY Bet those asses think he's really Daddy. HELEN I know. BARRY What are we gonna do? Helen opens her eyes, she just can't bring herself to sleep, even for awhile. She rubs Leonard's head. Lucky for him. HELEN Nothing. BARRY Mom, trust me. HELEN Trust you for what? BARRY We can tell them Mark isn't Daddy. HELEN Does it make a difference, one of those men said that we would die after they get Mark Stone. Otherwise known to them as your Daddy. BARRY That's bullshit. HELEN It's hopeless. BARRY What are we gonna do? HELEN Pray that Mark finds us. BARRY He also said that there's a possibility of releasing us. HELEN Who cares about that possibility. We are not getting out of here unless someone busts us out. Someone has got to save us, do you understand? BARRY Maybe. HELEN Barry, those men have rifles. BARRY So? Kidnappers have rifles. HK MP5s. HELEN You know those guns? BARRY I guess, from video games. HELEN No, we shut up. And it's best we do that. BARRY Then, what else can we do? HELEN That's all. INT. SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT, INTERROGATION ROOM – LATER Mark is seated on a metal chair and has his hands rested on a metallic table. Hope this won't take long. Mark hasn't lost his instincts, how long has it been since he quit? Mark scans the room, TWO WIDE OPEN WINDOWS. Perfect for an escape should trouble arise. But there won't be. DETECTIVE DONOVAN enters the room. DONOVAN Good morning, Mark Stone. I'm Detective Donovan of the San Francisco Police department. How do you do? MARK I'm great. DONOVAN You claimed that the man you fought with mugged you. MARK He was supposed to mug me. DONOVAN But the man was German, highly skilled, a well financed crook, one could call him... and he was obviously very skilled in what he was doing. MARK Well, I wrestled with him, and that was hard enough... Mark nods. Then shrugs. MARK I mean... DONOVAN Of course it was hard, now you're saying that if this guy was just an ordinary asshole about to fuck with 'ya, you're saying that you would have taken him out easy? MARK Well, I do workout. And I'm...I'm not pretty bad in sports, jumping, like that. DONOVAN Hey kiddo, what sport are 'ya into. MARK Basketball, swimming. DONOVAN You're not into practical shooting, or martial arts? MARK I know nothing of guns, and martial arts? I can come up with my own moves. I watch a lot of Jackie Chan movies. DONOVAN I see. MARK Look, how long is this gonna take? DONOVAN Not long. MARK Yes, he tried to get something from my pocket. DONOVAN The guy was German, he's obviously a member of some secret terrorist group, and I guess you better check your pants when you do the laundry tonight for some microchips of some kind. MARK No. DONOVAN You swear to God, he was after your wallet. MARK Absolutely. Donovan stands up. The glass is see-through on both ends. Mark expected the San Francisco police department to have more sophisticated technologies. Maybe there's a hitech room downstairs. Outside, it's crowded, cops passing by left and right. Some not cops. Obviously secretaries or people who take calls. What day is it? Donovan heads for the door, opens it. DONOVAN Be right back. STAY HERE!!! Donovan shuts the door. MARK Right. Several minutes pass by. Mark keeps checking his watch. And what is this Donovan guy up to? He can't stand this shit any longer. Mark heads for the window, jumps, holds on to the edges. OUTSIDE Mark is hanging on for dear life. But he doesn't look desperate, he's just trying to concentrate. Mark bows his head. There's another ledge few meters below him. Cool. Mark drops, his hands immediately end up gripping the other ledge, his legs pressed TIGHTLY against the concrete. This is hard but it's definitely a shortcut. One floor left. Mark jumps, lands on his feet. EXT. THE SIDEWALK--- A confused OLD MAN squints. Weird young man. Mark cleans himself up. Mark is breathing hard, he doesn't know what to do next. It's not yet over. He has to find out what happened to the Parkers. Why did that man try to kill him? Is it true of what he said about Arnold Knapp being involved. Three minutes pass by. Suddenly, at the foyer of the SFPD building, THREE cops accompanied by Donovan run toward him. Their guns are drawn. What the fuck is going on? Mark lets himself stand up on top of a BLUE CAR. The cops continue to pursue him. A bus passes buy. Mark LEAPS. He lands on top of the bus, rolls sideways. He DROPS to the ground, landing on his feet, barely maintaining balance. Excellent agility. The guys at the CIA must have trained him really well. Mark is on the other end of the narrow street. Mark is near a brick wall. One of the cops raise the gun on Mark point blank, but he grabs the cop's wrist, twists it, and kicks REALLY HARD at the back of his knee. The cops body slams real hard on the bricks. The second presses a pistol on his chest. Donoval approaches. DONOVAN What were you trying to do? How did you get out? MARK What?!!!! I'm in a hurry, what is it with you guys. I'm in a fucking hurry that's all. INT. MARK'S APARTMENT – NIGHT Mark is on the phone. He's dressed for bed. Blue pajama pants, and a T-shirt. He's talking to Nash. MARK Tell me you're not in Langley. NASH I'm not. MARK You're in your house? NASH Yes. MARK Good. You heard about Arnold Knapp? NASH Just before I went home... MARK Listen up, I know where Arnold Knapp is. NASH Jesus Christ, Mark, don't try to start doing your old job. And don't start calling me just because of this, but I'd appreciate if you'd tell me. MARK He's in San Francisco. NASH WHAT!!! MARK That's right. NASH You spotted him. You saw him in a shop, right. MARK Wrong answer. NASH What happened then. MARK I --- NASH Listen, if you saw him, why didn't you kick his ass, you can do something like that, even without your gun. MARK I have some friends. NASH And one of them is German, and he knows Arnold Knapp, right? MARK They've been kidnapped. NASH By whom? MARK Arnold himself. NASH Bull shit. MARK And, someone tried to kill me... NASH Where? MARK I went inside their house while cops were cleaning up the scene, I sneaked in secretly and picked up the phone. Someone was watching me then, the guy told me to come back. I did, and that guy tried to kill me. NASH Kidnapping, people out to kill you, doesn't make any sense. MARK I don't have a clue about what's going on. NASH Well, what do you know. MARK I do know that Arnold is mad at me. NASH Mad at you, for beating him up in front of his men, and using him as a human shield when you captured him at their hidden base? MARK I guess so. Bingo! That's what he wants. That's why he's in San Francisco, one of the Grausam probably still exists, and one of them spotted me here and told Knapp about me as soon as he escaped. NASH Then, I think Arnold is plain stupid, why would he go this far just because he hated the way you kicked his ass, I mean you didn't even kill him, you spared his life. And I don't think you ever killed anybody he cares of. MARK He's a ruthless man, he has high pride, and I guess the humiliation he went through when he and the Grausam went down years ago can't be forgotten. NASH Watch your back, Mark. MARK What am I gonna do? NASH Stay put. Don't worry, cops will get to him. MARK Maybe he's doing this as a diversion, he wants the Grausam Terrorist Organization to ressurect in America. Namely in the city of San Francisco. NASH In that case, he's extra stupid. MARK Look, I might be able to figure out what's going on, and I think I already have some answers to the puzzle, but I still need to dig deeper. NASH Good. MARK I just hope he hasn't done anything to them. NASH Who? MARK The Parker family. NASH Who are they? MARK Listen up, can you call the DDCI and tell him that you need to fly to San Francisco, tell him of what I told you, he'll say yes. Mark holds another GLOCK laid on top of the dresser. This guy has many guns. INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS – DAY Ronald Bass is listening to a call on the loudspeaker of a telephone, the receiver is resting on the table. It's Nash on the line. RONALD God, I hope Mark found a good job. NASH Oh yeah, he's good. RONALD Bastard quit to easy. He felt guilty for what he did to Patsy Bock and the people at the embassy in Paris, then he just decided to turn his back on us. NASH Well, he is a good man. RONALD But emotionally unstable. NASH You can't call him that, either. RONALD Where does he work? NASH A restaurant. RONALD Jeffreys, are you sure that that wasn't bullshit he was running. NASH Sounded like legitimate information, sir. RONALD All right. Fly to San Francisco, and put Arnold and all the people he's connected with in a body bag. NASH Do we have the U.N.'s approval of this? RONALD The nation is on alert, everyone knows of what happened in that Maximum Security prison on Germany, there can be no mercy this time. Kill him. INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT – DAY Kirschner, Lester and Arnold are having a conversation. LESTER So, it's bye bye. The mission is screwed. KIRSCHNER It was only a personal mission, a bonus mission. ARNOLD No way! LESTER So, how do we get to Mark? KIRSCHNER I say, you go to the grocery store, Mark's favorite and give the clerks one of our cellular telephones if you don't see him there. Tell him to hand it to Mark Stone. EXT. A COFFEE SHOP – DAY Nash sits on a table. Nash is sipping a cup of coffee. Mark is sitting in front of having, he's having nothing. Both of them are dressed in black coats. NASH So, you're really that close to them, huh? MARK Yeah. Well, no, but I've known them long enough to care about them. NASH Why would Arnold kidnap them? MARK That's one thing that's always bugged me... Mark still maintains his thoughts but his eyes are on the street, looking at the stagnant flow of traffic. MARK He's an international terrorist, and he's doing something that a small time crook does. Mark absently, looks upward, at the sky, at the buildings. Then his head returns to starting at the street. NASH Why? MARK Why what? NASH If he wanted to kill you, then you'd have probably been dead by now. Why all this, why kidnap somebody, what does it mean... MARK Oh, no, he wanted me dead. In fact what I did to that German guy just foiled his plan A. NASH Well... Nash finishes the last of his coffee. NASH That was plan B. I guess he would have taken a shot at you before he abducted the young family. MARK That's a possibility. Mark shrugs. MARK I guess they're just doing these things as desperate measures to get to me. They are using them as bait. NASH Yeah, like you'll care about rescuing them. MARK Yeah, right. Why would they think I'll care? INT. THE GROCERY STORE – DAY Lester gets in. Lester approaches one of the FEMALE CLERKS. Lester is holding a CELLPHONE and TWO ALKALINE BATTERIES. AT THE BACK OF THE CELLPHONE: A telephone number is written in BLUE INK by a marker. It can't be seen clearly, since the back frame of the cellphone is black. CLERK Can I do something for you, sir? LESTER You can give this to Mark Stone. CLERK Excuse me? LESTER Mark. He comes here very often. See, I'm his buddy, and he really shouldn't forget claiming the things that he lets other people borrow. Lester hands the phone and the batteries to the clerk. The clerk pockets them. CLERK I'm afraid I'm too busy to do that. LESTER Well, can't you get any of the other clerks to do it for you? I mean, at least one or two of them must know Mark. They may not know his name, but they know his face. And while you're busy packing things up. You can point him out. CLERK No, sir. Lester is a little bit irritated. He tries not to show it, but he takes a breath and... LESTER Tell you what, why don't I give you ten bucks just for doing it? CLERK Sir, what are you trying to say? LESTER I mean, why does it have to be so hard to hand someone a cellphone and some batteries. CLERK Are you sure that you trust me with this? LESTER Of course I trust you! CLERK I mean, I might lose the cellphone, I'll fail to give it to Mark. LESTER No, you won't it's that easy. CLERK There's something strange about this, Mister. LESTER Look, my name's Lester. Lester starts nodding his head. CLERK Yes--- LESTER Exactly, what is strange about this? CLERK You're giving a cellphone that you're supposed to give to your friend to me. LESTER So? CLERK I mean, isn't that a little awkward? LESTER WHY! CLERK Why can't you just call him, get to his house, give it to him yourself? LESTER Look, what if I said that that's not his cellular telephone. What if I said, that I'm not really that close to Mark Stone. Come on, miss just do me the simple favor! The clerk finally nods. Then smiles. CLERK All right, all right, I'll give it to him. INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT – DAY Lester is standing before Arnold, who is seated in front of the table with lots of gadgets. One of the gadgets is a cellphone, it's on, and it's hooked to a charger. LESTER It took me awhile to convince one of the clerks to hand him the cell phone. ARNOLD Of course it was, it would be a little weird for Mark Stone's best friend to entrust his cellphone to a clerk in a supermarket. Arnold raises a brow. ARNOLD What did you tell her? LESTER Well, everything you wanted me to tell her. ARNOLD Good. LESTER Do you think Stone will figure it out? ARNOLD Yes, he will. LESTER What if he thinks it's a practical joke? ARNOLD He's too smart to overlook that. LESTER Arnold, I think I should go back there and mention your name. Mention "Arnold." He'll have a clue. ARNOLD No, don't mention my name, that would be unwise. LESTER As unwise as this whole thing is going... ARNOLD Stop being sarcastic Lester, and have a break. LESTER No, I really should be going back there. Lester grabs one of the chairs and sits. Lester gets the RIFLE, the .22 sniper rifle and checks the bolt. He drops it to the floor. LESTER No, this has to end. ARNOLD It has to end the way I want it to. LESTER No, maybe not necessarily. ARNOLD Look, how would you end it? LESTER I'll go there every two hours. And when I stay nearby the grocery, I'll stay put for 3 hours until I report back here. This is going too far. ARNOLD So what. LESTER Should I do it, sir? I can kill him right there. ARNOLD NO! LESTER I'm not like Hans. ARNOLD Of course not, but you should be aware that he is a dangerous man. And even more dangerous to me when I learned about Hans's death. I would have thought he would have killed him in just one swift blow, but no. His actions backfired. So, just trust me with the maneuvers I'm taking. INT. THE GROCERY STORE – LATER Mark is holding the same chili sauce bottle that he bought before. Nash is together with him. Jake is fixing some goods in one of the stalls. Mark approaches him. Mark holds up the chili sauce bottle and replaces it where it belongs. MARK I told you that those things were crap! JAKE What the fuck are you doing? MARK I want a refund. JAKE No refunds, Mark. MARK You told me that it would taste good! JAKE I didn't assure you anything. MARK Bull shit, Jake. You are taking me to the counter and giving me back my money. JAKE What did you try it with. MARK Last night, I tried it with a hotdog, I guess it was gonna be better if I used their ketchup. JAKE Yeah, right. MARK Come on, man, give me back my money! JAKE No, I won't. MARK Bull shit. JAKE Mark! MARK I am never buying a single thing from this grocery store, ever. NASH So, it really tasted that bad, huh, Mark? MARK Yup. Nash chuckles. MARK Did you know that this grocery store could get bankrupt if you sell expired products? JAKE Like I care. MARK PLEASE. JAKE No. MARK All right. Mark goes to the counter, he's eye to eye with the CLERK Lester talked to earlier. Her name is SARAH. SARAH Mr. Stone! MARK Yes? SARAH Mr. Stone. I have something for you. Sarah hands him the cell and the alkaline batteries. SARAH Before Lester left, he told me to let you put the batteries in, so you could receive his call. MARK Lester, I don't know any Lester. Nash gets closer to the exit. But he doesn't leave. He waits patiently for Mark. MARK It's a mistake, I gotta go. SARAH Sir, it's NOT a mistake. MARK I hate to disapppoint that guy but I don't know any Lester. SARAH Sir, please! MARK What? SARAH He said MARK STONE. I was to give it to you, Mark. MARK Sarah, you swear you weren't hallucinating? SARAH No. Suddenly, Mark feels alarmed. MARK Shit. Not one of them. SARAH What? Mark, you have to know him. MARK No, Sarah. SARAH Why not? MARK Wait, I think I know him, he was German, right? He was speaking in a German accent. Mark pockets the phone and the batteries. MARK He was German from his accent, am I right? SARAH That Lester guy was very much American. MARK Then who was he? SARAH Your friend. MARK You swear to God he was American. SARAH Absolutely. INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT – DAY Kirschner and Arnold are having a conversation. Both of them are standing. ARNOLD I can't just wait for his phone call. KIRSCHNER This is getting ridiculous. Extremely. ARNOLD I'm just starting to feel good, Kirschner, don't start ruining my mood. Kirschner points to the door of the room where the Parkers are hidden. KIRSCHNER Look, and of what use is that family to us? ARNOLD What? KIRSCHNER You should kill them, dispose of them and as soon as you lure Mark into some place, you shoot him right away. Or should I do it myself? ARNOLD Be patient, Kirschner. KIRSCHNER You're the one who started this! ARNOLD And I'm the one who should finish it. EXT. BENCH – DAY Mark and Nash are seated on a bench. Mark deserves a little relaxation, and he needs to do some thinking. NASH So, what's your plan? MARK I don't know, what's yours? NASH I say that I should be the one to find him, alone. Nash leans forward. NASH I mean, you don't work for the CIA anymore, Mark. MARK But I care about the Parker family. NASH Why do you care so much? MARK What? NASH Come on, you can just let them die. NASH I never knew you were such a person who cares, Mark. I never knew that you had morality. MARK I'm not really moral...it's just that I can't stand the thought of innocent people dying because of me. NASH So, why'd you quit the job? MARK What? NASH Why'd you quit the job? MARK What job? NASH You hated the thought of innocent people dying, but why did you leave the agency? MARK I can kill a lot of good guys when I'm working on the field, than not. That's why I quit. Nash leans back. NASH Come on, Mark. Stop this, leave it to me. MARK But what about the Grausam? NASH They don't exist. I guess it's just Arnold and a few of his home boys. Yes, they're German, but I can assure you. The Grausam is dead. MARK No. NASH What? MARK The Grausam would reform. NASH What are you saying? MARK I don't know, that sick Euro fuck could probably be hatching plans to blow up the Golden Gate bridge. NASH Nahhh... MARK It's possible. He could be using this as a diversion. NASH Nah, no diversions. If he wanted to blow that bridge to kingdom come, he'd lay low. MARK And I was also wondering... NASH What? MARK After all those years in prison, why could have he escaped just now? NASH I don't know. I guess that was his lucky shot at it. MARK I still find that puzzling. NASH No, it's not. he just got lucky. Mark grabs the cellphone from his pockets. He puts the batteries in. He sees the number written in blue ink. He turns to Nash. MARK Nash, have a look at this! NASH What? MARK The number. Nash takes a look. NASH Yeah, dial it. Mark activates the cell phone and dials the number. It rings several times. Someone answers. ARNOLD Mark, is that you? MARK Arnold. ARNOLD Yes, I'm glad that you called my old friend. MARK What do you want? ARNOLD Well, this is all personal. MARK What the fuck is it you want? ARNOLD You know. MARK I don't know shit for now, so could you please tell me something exceptional. ARNOLD I want to meet with you, face to face. MARK That's fine. Where do you want to meet? See I'm vacant, I've taken a few days off from my job. ARNOLD No, you should await further instruction from me. MARK Further instruction? ARNOLD Yes, my friend. MARK And what the fuck have you done to them? ARNOLD Oh them? You're family. Mark presses the cellphone to his lap. Family? They think that the Helen Parker is his wife! And the kids, his sons. MARK What have you done to Helen? Nash doesn't panic. Instead, he stands up and keeps watching Mark as he speaks through the phone. ARNOLD So, Helen is her name? MARK What have you fucking done? ARNOLD Nothing. MARK What do you want me to do? ARNOLD I want you to call me again, tonight. Mark closes the line. Mark stands up. NASH Arnold? MARK They think that the Parkers are my family. NASH Dumbass, it's been a year since you resigned and most people who take on field missions every two months don't have time for a family! Mark shakes his head. This is bad. NASH Tell him that he's fucking stupid, and you're not related to the Parkers. MARK If he knows that I don't care for them, the more he couldn't. He'll kill them instantly. INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT – LATE DAY Arnold still has his hands on one of the cell phones. ARNOLD This is starting to get good. KIRSCHNER You should have told him what time to call. ARNOLD No he'll call as soon as it gets dark. KIRSCHNER He could be having dinner in the police department for God's sakes. Kirschner takes a breath. KIRSCHNER You think he told the cops about this? ARNOLD He's a skilled man, and he's mad. He couldn't tell the cops. He'll find me on his own. KIRSCHNER How can you be so sure? ARNOLD I just got him excited, and I didn't mention anything about the police. Suddenly, something, someone starts ramming the door of the entire apartment room. The door starts to come apart, finally it does. But it doesn't fall or dislodge. Donovan bolts into the room, Beretta in hand. So, he was working on the kidnapping case at the village too. Before Donovan can shoot, Arnold grabs one of the MP5s and kills him with full automatic fire. Blood pours from Donovan's body. From the Parker's room, SCREAMS can be heard. It's Helen's scream. Kirschner starts to panic as well. KIRSCHNER Close the door! Close the door! Lester does so. Harry takes Donovan's wallet. HARRY San Francisco Police Department. KIRSCHNER That's great. ARNOLD Everybody, please calm down. KIRSCHNER That's just great Arnold, I told you that we should just quit doing this and leave for Germany, immediately! Or go anywhere abroad for that matter. ARNOLD Calm down, Kirschner. Harry, see if you can mop the floor and clean up this mess. KIRSCHNER That cop was sent to investigate the kidnapping. ARNOLD Are you sure? KIRSCHNER He could have known about Hans, he could have tied them up together. Gathered witnesses, all that. One of the rooms open, it's the one where the Parkers are hidden. Barry was the one who opened the door, he seems like a pretty tough kid. His mother is still in shocking, sweat pours from her face. BARRY What was that? LESTER Stay back! Get the fuck back inside! ARNOLD No, it's okay. See, we just made a mistake, we overlooked something so we had to do this. BARRY I just had to tell you, Mark Stone isn't my Dad. He's just a friend of ours. INT. MARK'S APARTMENT – NIGHT Mark is speaking through his cellphone. Nash is lying in one of the beds. MARK Why do you wanna kill me? ARNOLD Do you realize how humiliating it is to be beat up in front of your own comrades, and to be used as a human shield? MARK So, that's what it's all about? ARNOLD That's right. MARK Well, you can kill me, but how do you expect to get away with it? ARNOLD Must you be told? MARK There'll be a fucking manhunt, and you won't be able to get to the airport. ARNOLD I just wanna meet you. I want this old score to be settled. MARK Are you nuts, Arnold? ARNOLD No. MARK So, why don't you just stop doing this and fly back to Germany. Then start your terrorist organization there, and maybe the CIA will use the place you live in as a striking point. We will find you. ARNOLD We? I thought you quit your job. MARK I did. ARNOLD Mark, I don't know whether I should let you die slowly, or shoot your head quickly. MARK What's the difference? ARNOLD I'm just too happy to be able to talk to you, right now. MARK And what's all this kidnapping bullshit all about? ARNOLD I never expected to do any of it. MARK Let my family go. ARNOLD No, liar liar pants on fire. MARK Let them go! ARNOLD I'm afraid we've mistaken you as their father. We've mistaken you to be the woman's husband. So I will let them go. MARK How am I supposed to meet them? ARNOLD There's only one Morton's eatery in San Francisco, right? MARK Yeah, I know what you're talking about. ARNOLD Be there nine o'clock tomorrow morning. MARK What happens after you set them free, then? ARNOLD I'll see what I can do with you. Just rescue them from there, no ransom demands are necesarry. The line goes dead. Mark tosses the phone to the carpeted portion of the floor. MARK He already knows that I'm not the head of the Parker family. NASH Then, sorry for them. It's their asses on the line. MARK Nash, no. NASH What? MARK He's gonna let them go. He's gonna drop them off at Morton's eatery. It doesn't make any sense. NASH When? MARK Tomorrow, at nine. NASH Oh well, tomorrow's gonna be our lucky day. MARK No, it doesn't make sense. Why would he be this kind? NASH Well--- MARK He's supposed to kill them when they know that they're useless. NASH So, they're not gonna die, what's the worry? Go to sleep. Let's all sleep. MARK No. EXT. MORTON'S EATERY – NIGHT It's about eleven. Nash is really sleepy. Mark on the other hand, is highly active. In front of the Morton restaurant is a FIVE STORY HOTEL. He's gonna drop the Parkers off at this sidewalk, and a sniper would shoot him from one of the hotel rooms while he picks them up. He has it all figured out. MARK Someone's gonna shoot from there. NASH Yeah, you're right. MARK None of us should stand here, tomorrow, okay? NASH Right. MARK Listen, they're probably gonna be using a 22 long rifle. Even up to the top, it's not too far from the ground. If they'll kill me then it's gonna be short range. NASH What about a shooter with a handgun? Or one of them knife throwing experts will take a shot at you--- MARK No. That can be the only way. NASH What if all that Arnold told you was true. MARK We can never be sure. NASH Okay. MARK They'll be standing in the sidewalk, I'll give you ten minutes to find him, and shoot him. NASH This could be a piece of cake. Got some walkie talkies? MARK Yup. EXT. THE STREETS – DAY The Parkers are already standing in front of Morton's eatery. INT. THE HOTEL – DAY Mark is standing behind a glass window, holding his radio. Nash is talking to the manager of the desk. NASH You sure? DESK MANAGER Well, there was one man in crutches. He said he had a pretty sore leg. NASH He was German. DESK MANAGER He was American. He had someone accompanying him. NASH And that guy was German? DESK MANAGER I couldn't tell sir. NASH The guy in crutches, was he old? DESK MANAGER No, mid-thirties by the looks of him. ON MARK, He's keeping an eye on the Parkers. They're standing still on the sidewalk. THE PARKERS see Mark through the glass window. Not good. This is not good. Helen squints in disbelief. Is it really Mark? INT. THE HOTEL ROOM – DAY Lester is holding the .22 with the silencer. His eyes are on the scope. Harry is holding a Heckler and Koch handgun. THROUGH THE SCOPE Lester can see the Parkers making weird gestures, he knows that they're seeing somebody from across the street. It's Stone. It's absolutely him. Harry peers through the window and immediately gets it. HARRY Shit, he knew our plan! LESTER I know, I know. HARRY Shoot them, Lester. LESTER Not yet. HARRY SHOOT THEM NOW!!! Lester squeezes... The gun doesn't go off. But BANG! A gunshot can be heard from the doorway. It's Nash holding a Glock. Nash turns to his side and he can see some CRUTCHES laid on the floor. It's like The Day of the Jackal. Nash shoots Harry. But Lester caps his head with the .22 Lester takes the radio hooked up to Nash's belt. Mark's voice crackles. MARK Nash, come in! Nash, is it over, over? MARK Nash... INT. THE HOTEL LOBBY – DAY Mark can hear no reply. Mark keeps trying. LESTER Nash is dead pal, I'm in room 505 catch me if you can. MARK Shit! INT. AISLE Mark is in one of the hotel aisles. The door of 505 is broken. Mark draws his gun. IN THE HOTEL ROOM He can see Harry's and Nash's corpses. He doesn't flinch. Mark is never squeamish. No one's in the room. The bathroom door is half-open. Mark heads toward it. He kicks it open and he instantly sees Lester standing on the tub, HK pistol in hand. Mark instantly grabs hold of the wrist of Lester's shooting hand and bangs it with his Glock. Lester GROANS. Mark shoots him in the stomach, and immediately hurls Lester's body to the room. Mark kneels before him and threatens him with the gun. MARK Where can I get to Arnold, buddy? LESTER Urgghhhh---- BOOM! Mark shoots him in his left arm. EXT. MORTON'S EATERY – DAY Mark talks to the Parkers. HELEN Mark, what happened? MARK I can't explain. HELEN Mark. MARK No, go to the cops now, tell them everything that happened. Run! Mark darts his eyes to Lenny and Barry. MARK Take them some place far. I think it's best to move and leave town after what you've been through. Go find a peaceful place. EXT. A STREET, DOWNTOWN – DAY Mark is just outside the Brownstone, Arnold's hideout. Mark makes a step forward to enter. He hesitates. There's a man across the street wearing a BLACK LEATHER JACKET. It's Kirschner. Mark approaches him calmly, casually. Then --- Mark grabs him by the chest, and he disarms him of an HK Pistol. Mark doesn't need to draw his gun this time. Mark pistol whips him across the face. Kirschner screams and drops to the ground. Mark kicks Kirschner's back. HARD. Seems like Kirschner isn't a good fighter. He's lost his touch as a trooper. KIRSCHNER Arrghhh! MARK Where can I find Arnold? INT. KIRSCHNER'S APARTMENT ROOM – DAY No one's inside. There's a dead body in one corner. What the fuck is it this time? He looks up. There's the attic door, SMASH! A FOOT kicks it open. Arnold's foot, and he fires an MP5 at full auto, Mark rolls sideways toward the far wall and avoids the shots. Mark is holding the HK pistol. Arnold lets go of the MP5, kicks Mark's hand, the HK handgun drops to the floor. Arnold tries to pick it up, but Mark kicks him in the stomach. Mark picks him up and punches his face. Mark punches him again. MARK So, you don't like getting beat up!!! Mark draws his Glock. But Arnold bangs Mark's hand, again it drops and clatters FAR from them. MARK Just because I humiliated you, you can manage to pull a lot of bullshit, huh! You can't get over with what I did to you! Mark punches him even harder. Arnold spits blood. ARNOLD I lied to you. But I hated it when you killed my wife. MARK What? ARNOLD Patsy! Suddenly, Mark feels a wave of tension and regret flow through him. INSERT FLASHBACK: Patsy Bock's explodes in blood. Mark takes a breath. MARK That was the last mission I had. ARNOLD I married her. She married someone else. I couldn't take it, Mark. Sorry. Arnold removes the coat he's wearing, barely able to move. Then tucked at the back of his pants is another gun. It's a COLT .45, stainless steel. He aims it at Mark point blank. But now, he's too weak. Mark grapples his arm, and now the gun is pointed directly to the front of his neck. BANG! Blood pours from Arnold's neck. He falls to the floor with a THUD! DISSOLVE TO: EXT. DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – DAY Mark is carrying some big bags. Either he's taking a much needed vacation, or he's leaving San Francisco for good. Mark is wearing shades. INT. THE PARKER RESIDENCE – DAY Carpenters are renovating it, while Helen is cooking breakfast for her kids. INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS – DAY Ronald is in his office, concentrating on what he's seeing in the T.V. A voice is heard from the TV. VOICE Arnold Knapp's body was found dead in a Brownstone apartment in San Francisco, along with Knapp's crony, Harold Kirschner, a member of the Grausam... RONALD What the fuck is going on? VOICE ...now, there was also other bodies found in one of the San Francisco hotels. First of Jeff Burrows... RONALD Too bad for Nash. INT. DENVER AIRPORT – DAY Mark is making his way to the foyer. FADE OUT: THE END.
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