FADE IN:

EXT. STREET - DAY

JOHN (30s), tall, flustered, runs to a waiting taxi, checking his watch as he goes.  He opens the door and jumps inside.

INT. TAXI - DAY

John indiscriminately shoves some bills into the hands of the DRIVER (40s).

				   JOHN
		 The airport.  Now.  Go!

The driver nods, pulls away sharply, and floors the gas pedal.

				   DRIVER
		 Got a good reason to hurry,
		 I suppose?

				   JOHN
		 A woman.

				   DRIVER
		 Yeah.  I can tell you feel
		 strongly	about her.

EXT. AIRPORT - DAY

The taxi pulls up outside the main entrance.  John flings open the door and rushes out, leaving the door open.

INT. AIRPORT - DAY

John bursts through the doors and sprints through the airport, dodging the CROWDS sluggishly milling about.

INT. DEPARTURES LOUNGE - DAY

John dashes past a protesting CUSTOMS OFFICIAL (20s) as he heads for the departure gate.

A SECOND CUSTOMS OFFICIAL (30s) stands in front of the gate.

				   SECOND CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
		 Sorry, sir, it's too late...

John ignores him and sprints past, through the gate.

EXT. RUNWAY - DAY

John emerges from the building as the plane takes off.  He falls to his knees, staring after it hopelessly.  The second customs official comes out of the building and stands beside him.

				   JOHN
		 She's gone...I can't stop her...

				   SECOND CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
		 Trust me, I've been there.  It's
		 not	the end of the world...

				   JOHN
		 You have no idea...                  

John gets to his feet, takes out his mobile phone, and dials a number.  No answer.

He hangs up and dials another number.

				   JOHN
		 Stu, I really need to call in
		 that favor.  How soon can you
		 have the plane ready?

				   STUART (O.S.)
		 Uh...twenty minutes.

				   JOHN
		 Good.  I'll be there.

He hangs up, snaps the phone shut, and turns to walk back into the building.

INT. STUART'S PRIVATE PLANE - DAY

STUART (40s) pilots the plane, while John sits beside him in the passenger seat.  John glances at his watch.

				   STUART
		 Why didn't you tell her how you
		 felt before this?

				   JOHN
		 I'm not much with words...
		 man of action, I guess...

				   STUART
		 Yeah...what is it you do?  I've
		 known you all this time, and...

				   JOHN
		 I don't like to talk about my
		 work.

				   STUART
		 ...is what you always say.

John shrugs.

				   JOHN
		 You have the bag I left you?

				   STUART
		 Yeah.

Stuart passes him the bag.

EXT. AIRFIELD - DAY

Stuart's plane lands.

EXT. HOTEL - DAY

John heads toward the entrance, the bag on his back.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY - DAY

John enters.  He stands, surveying the people moving through the lobby.

LILAH (30s), brunette, enters.  He turns toward her.  She returns his gaze.  They stand staring at each other across the lobby for a long moment.

From the stairs, SARAH (30s), blonde, enters the lobby.  She catches sight of John and stops.

				   SARAH
		 John!

				   JOHN
		 Sarah, get out of here!

Lilah's gaze snaps to Sarah.  She turns back to John, then lowers her head and fumbles in her bag.

John takes out a gun.  He aims it at Lilah.  Pulls the trigger.

The bullet hits Lilah in the chest.  She falls to the floor.

Bystanders gasp; some scream.

Lilah lifts herself up, looks at John.  He stares back.

She smiles.

				   LILAH
		Bulletproof vest, moron!

She reaches into her bag, pulls out a gun, and looses several shots at Sarah.

Sarah screams and dives for cover behind a pillar.  John moves sideways toward her, returning fire as people scatter.

Lilah fires shots into the lobby's huge mirrors.  They shatter, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.

John ducks behind the pillar, shielding Sarah from the glass.

Lilah reloads, and advances toward them, firing.

Fragments fly off the side of the pillar.

On the other side of the pillar, John reaches round, fires a couple of shots blindly, then ducks back next to Sarah.

More shots graze the pillar.

The two of them glance at each other as Lilah's approaching footsteps echo across the lobby.

John hugs Sarah tightly.

The footsteps continue.

John and Sarah gaze into each other's eyes.

				   SARAH
		 I love you.

John nods.

He slides his bag across the floor to his right, then turns to his left and shoots the chandelier hanging above the stairs.  It smashes onto them, disintegrating into thousands of pieces.

He whirls right again, comes round the pillar, and takes out Lilah before she can get her bearings.

Sarah heaves a sigh of relief.

Sirens sound in the distance.

Sarah gets up, rounds the pillar, and hugs John.

				   SARAH
		 Now I finally know what you do
		 for a living...

				   JOHN
		 And why I didn't really like to
		 talk about it...

				   SARAH
		 So is every day like this?

				   JOHN
		 With the assassins and the
		 gunfire and the near-death?
		 Well, sometimes.  But today,
		 I averted the end of the world.

				   SARAH
		 Really?  How?

				   JOHN
		 I mean, just now.  With you.

				   SARAH
		 Awww...that's the sweetest thing
		 you've ever said to me.

They kiss.

FADE OUT TO:

SONG (music by Norm Sherman):

You know I love you

When the bullets fly, I'll be there for you

Man of action, I'm not very good with the talking, but...

You know, without you, my world would end

When the bullets fly, I'll be there for you

Man of action, I'm not very good with the talking, but...

You know, without you, my world would end

You...know...I...love...you...

I love you

(c) Copyright 2009