"METRO" Screenplay by Randy Feldman SHOOTING DRAFT FADE IN: CLOSEUP OF SCOTT ROPER He's listening to the stretch call of a horse race, and he's into it. TRACK ANNOUNCER (O.S.) ...at the top of the stretch it's Cozy Girl in front with Backtrack coming on... Cozy Girl by a length, Backtrack closing... ROPER Come on. Stay up there, Cozy Girl... The CAMERA GRADUALLY pulls back to reveal that Roper is driving his Trans Am across the Bay Bridge. HELICOPTER SHOTS give a soaring view of the San Francisco skyline. TRACK ANNOUNCER (O.S.) At the eighth pole it's Cozy Girl by half a length... Backtrack closing... INT. CAR - DAY Roper's police radio SQUAWKS. DISPATCHER (V.O.) One-one-four to Roper. He picks up the radio. ROPER Dig in, Cozy Girl... (into the radio) Roper go. DISPATCHER (V.O.) One-four, Roper. Code 2.C.P. 4th and Grand. TRACK ANNOUNCER (O.S.) It's Cozy Girl holding on... Cozy Girl and Backtrack... ROPER I'm en route. E.T.A. in five. He tosses the radio down. Punches the accelerator. ROPER Stay up there, Girl... TRACK ANNOUNCER (O.S.) Cozy Girl in front by a neck... Now a head... EXT. TRANS AM - DAY Weaving through traffic on the bridge. ROPER (V.O.) Where's the damn wire?! TRACK ANNOUNCER (O.S.) Here comes the wire... and... Backtrack gets up in the last jump. Cozy girl a very game second. ROPER (V.O.) SHIT! The Trans Am streak off toward the city. EXT. BANK - DOWNTOWN - DAY A hostage situation. Police barricades. Dozens of squad cars, ambulances, spectators, SWAT team. It's a stalemate. Roper's Trans Am pulls to a stop at the barricades. He hops out, weaves through the spectators and past the barriers. A FEMALE DETECTIVE, EIKO KIMURA, rushes up to him. KIMURA Hi, Roper. ROPER Hi, Kimura. Where's the command post? Kimura points to the diner in the middle of the block. Roper heads toward it. As they walk Kimura briefs him... KIMURA The suspect came in shortly after the bank opened. Botched robbery. A teller hit the silent alarm. He took seven hostages. Shot one -- the guard. He's still alive. So far he's asked for... ROPER ...a car. KIMURA That's right, and a plane waiting at the airport. If he doesn't... ROPER ...get 'em, he's going to start shooting hostages in five minutes... KIMURA That's right. ROPER What's the suspect's name? KIMURA Earl. INT. DINER - DAY Across from the bank. This is where the "command post" is setup. About a dozen cops and the accompanying support staff are here. Lieutenant SAMUEL BAFFERT is in charge. Roper saunters in. ROPER Hello, guys. BAFFERT Hello, Roper. Glad you could join us. Roper walks over to the counter where Baffert is standing. ROPER Do we have a profile on Mr. Earl? Baffert hands him a folder. Roper opens it. BAFFERT This guy is no genius. Roper scans the profile. ROPER They're not usually graduate students. BAFFERT SWAT wants to go in. ROPER What's the rush? They haven't killed anybody yet this week? Roper refers to the folder. ROPER We got a guy who's probably on drugs. He's got a record of 459's and he was busted on possession. But he's never been busted on a major felony. What's his demeanor? KIMURA Well he's a little fucking agitated -- he ripped the phone out. ROPER I have to go face to face. BAFFERT No -- you can't do that. ROPER You got 7 hostages in there, 1 of them's wounded -- We don't know how bad it is -- The guy ripped the phone out -- SWAT said he's got a gun to the head of a female hostage. If SWAT makes entry now, you're gonna lose 1 hostage, maybe 2. I gotta go in. Maybe I can see what's going on in there. BAFFERT I don't know. ROPER He's never offed anybody. His rap doesn't show any violence. BAFFERT Not that we know of. ROPER We don't know how much time we have. If I can get in to talk to him -- maybe we won't lose anyone. BAFFERT Maybe we can get a throw phone in there. KIMURA SWAT says it's broken -- The perp in the last situation rendered it inoperable. BAFFERT What do you mean? KIMURA He urinated on it and shorted out the circuits. ROPER We gonna stand here and talk about it or let the guy in there bleed to death. (beat... beat) Give me a dozen donuts. Roper pulls out his gun and places it on the counter. EXT. STREET - DAY Roper eats the donut as he crosses toward the bank. EXT. ROOFTOP ACROSS THE STREET - DAY A team of two SWAT TEAM MEMBERS, FORBES IS A SPOTTER AND MCCALL IS A SHARPSHOOTER. KEVIN MCCALL, is the one we're interested in. He's 25 years old, handsome, all American. He's the best the SWAT team has. He crouches motionless, staring through the scope of his rifle, watching as Roper calmly walks toward the bank. FORBES What do you think he's got in the bag? MCCALL Donuts. FORBES You can't take a guy down with a donut. INT. BANK - DAY A tense situation. A wild-eyed, white punk, fuck-up of a BANK ROBBER, EARL, is holding a pretty, young TELLER around the neck with a cocked gun held to her temple. The other bank employees are cowering on the floor. A few are giving aid to the wounded bank guard who is half-conscious and oozing blood from his side. Roper strolls right through the front door and walks toward Earl, very sociable. ROPER Hi, Earl, I'm Scott Roper. Wanna donut? I ate the glazed but there's a bunch of chocolate and a -- Earl swipes the donuts out of Roper's hand and starts frisking Roper for weapons with his free hand. The other hand still has the gun poised at the young teller's head. ROPER I'm a negotiator, Earl. I don't carry a weapon. Roper smiles reassuringly at the pretty teller. It seems to help. Earl finishes patting Roper down, straightens back up and puts his hand around the teller's neck. EARL Where's the car? ROPER I need to get something straight first. Roper looks over at the other bank employees huddled on the floor. ROPER Who's the manager? A balding, middle-aged MAN sheepishly raises his hand. MANAGER I am. Roper takes a step toward him. ROPER When did you start keeping longer hours? MANAGER Last spring. ROPER Really! Because I've been thinking of moving to this branch. It would be really convenient for me -- EARL HEY, SHUT UP! Earl wags his gun against the Teller's ear. EARL Do you want me to start killing people?! Roper holds his hand up defensively. ROPER It's my job to see that no one gets killed, Earl... Including you. EARL Then where's my FUCKING car! Earl is pouring sweat. His gun hand is shaking uncontrollably. ROPER I'm getting it, Earl, but we have to do this the right way. Roper keeps his eyes locked on Earl. His voice is calm. ROPER First I need you to point that gun away from -- (to the teller) What's your name? TELLER (voice trembling) Debbie... ROPER Point the gun away from Debbie. EARL Debbie's brains are going to be splattered all over the floor if I don't see a car in five minutes! Roper takes a long look at Earl. The guy is a hair trigger. ROPER Alright! But let's be clear about one thing. If you kill someone, I can't help you. The SWAT guys will take you out. Earl glances at the army of cop cars poised outside. Reflects for a moment on the reality of the situation. EARL What are my chances of getting out of here? Roper calmly moves toward where the wounded guard is laying. ROPER Not bad. Last month, a guy robbed a bank in Daly City... Roper crouches down, smiles at the blurry-eyed guard. ROPER How ya doin'? The guard groans. He's not doing very well. Roper peels back the bloody handkerchief, takes a look. Winces. ROPER (to Earl) ...Cops gave him a car, and he lost them on the freeway. Earl is encouraged by that. EARL Really? ROPER Absolutely. Bank robbers are generally your smartest criminals. Roper looks directly into Earl's eyes. ROPER He didn't kill anybody, though. Roper bends over the guard. ROPER This is gonna hurt. He grabs the guard under the arms and starts dragging him across the floor. The guard MOANS piteously. EARL Hey, leave him alone. What are you doing? Roper keeps dragging the guard toward the front door. ROPER It's part of my negotiator's oath. If there's an injured party and I can help them, I'm duty bound by my oath to do that. You can shoot me if you want, but the next negotiator in here is going to tell you the same thing. Earl is unsure what to do, but he guesses an oath is an oath. He lets Roper drag the guard to the door. ROPER I'll be right back, Earl. Point that gun away from Debbie. Earl compliantly moves the gun away from the teller's head, then re-thinks and jerks it back against her temple. EXT. BANK - DAY Roper drags the guard out the front door and deposits him on the sidewalk. Two SWAT OFFICERS rush up to give aid. One of them is Jennings. ROPER (whispering to Jennings) Give me your gun. (NOTE: The method of disarming Earl is still to be determined) Jennings inconspicuously pulls his gun out and slips it to him. Roper quickly cocks it and shoves it in his waistband under his shirt and vest. ROPER I haven't had to shoot anyone in three years. JENNINGS Why not keep the streak alive? ROPER Because this strung-out junkie is too stupid to get out of this without killing somebody. INT. BANK - DAY Earl watches Roper through the window. He can only see Roper's back. He's getting very agitated. EARL (yelling) HEY, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE! The two cops hustle off with the wounded guard, and Roper calmly walks back into the bank. Stops about five paces from Earl. ROPER As a rule, I need one hostage released as show of good faith. Roper glances at Debbie. Gun pressed against her head. Tears start rolling down her cheeks. She's being tremendously brave. ROPER Give me Debbie. Earl squeezes the gun even tighter against the side of her head. EARL Take the old guy. The other hostages watch this exchange tensely. ROPER The Old Guy? What kind of show of faith is that? I want Debbie. EARL Am I gettin' the car? ROPER You're gettin' the car. Earl thinks about it, his gun hand twitching. He points at two of the female employees cowering against the counter. EARL Take them. Roper decides that this is the best he's going to get. ROPER You two, leave. The two women don't need any extra encouragement. They jump up and rush out the front door. EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY McCall and Forbes watch through their rifle scopes as the two released hostages are whisked away by uniformed cops. FORBES This guy is good. MCCALL That's what they say. INT. BANK - DAY ROPER That was fine, Earl. Now I'm going to get your car. Roper turns around and walks toward the front door. He stops and looks over his shoulder. ROPER Oh, there's one last thing. Earl looks like he's right on the edge. EARL What?! ROPER You want a convertible or hardtop? Earl thinks about that for a beat... ROPER Hardtop. Roper turns around, starts walking again. He keeps his eyes focused on the reflection of Earl in the front window of the bank. ROPER (without turning around) Manual or automatic? EARL Automatic. ROPER You got it. In one swift motion, Roper turns, aims and FIRES!... One SHOT. It tears into Earl's shoulder. One inch from Debbie's neck. Earl is blown back against the counter. Debbie shrieks at the top of her lungs. SWAT guys pour in from every entrance. YELLING for everybody to "GET DOWN"! Pointing guns. They pounce on Earl. EARL I give up! I give up! Roper goes to Debbie, puts his arm around her and gently leads her out of the bank. EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY McCall and Forbes still have their rifles trained on the bank door. Their police radio squawks... RADIO The situation is secured. Suspect in custody. Repeat. Situation secured. McCall lowers his rifle as Roper guides Debbie through the wave of cops rushing into the bank. EXT. STREET - SHORT TIME LATER Roper is exiting the bank and putting back on his gun when he hears the sound of a CAMERA SHUTTER. He turns to see VERONICA (RONNIE) TATE holding the camera. She snaps one of Roper with Earl in the b.g. being placed in a squad car. RONNIE There's one for the front page. Roper puts his hand over his heart as if stricken with love... which he in fact is. ROPER Ronnie, why are you torturing me? I can't live without you. Ronnie rolls her eyes. She doesn't take Roper all that seriously. RONNIE Don't start. She slings the camera over her shoulder and starts to walk off. Roper dogs her. ROPER This baseball player you're going out with... (shaking his head) He's no good for you. RONNIE Really?! He's a wonderful guy. He makes two million a year, and he worships me. ROPER I worship you. RONNIE You worship yourself. ROPER Ronnie, forget this what's-his-name. RONNIE Greg. ROPER Did you know he's already got a bad knee? In another 10 years you're going to be pushing him around in a wheelchair. Ronnie stops. Looks him in the eye. RONNIE You know what I think? I think you only want me now, because I'm with somebody else. ROPER Who cares what you think. I want you back and that's all that matters. Ronnie smiles, but offers no response. ROPER Let me take you out tomorrow night... Pleeease. RONNIE I'm going out with Greg tomorrow. ROPER (frowning) This Greg is really getting in my way. Roper gets down on his knees. ROPER Please. I'm begging you. RONNIE Oh, I've got to get a shot of this. She takes the lense cap off her camera. Roper primps his hair to make sure he looks good for the picture... CLICK! Suddenly Roper notices that his Trans Am is being towed. He rushes over to his car. ROPER Hey, that's my car. A REPO MAN stands off to the side watching dispassionately. REPO MAN Not anymore. Now it belongs to Silver Hills Financial. Roper sadly watches the tow truck drive off with his beloved Trans Am. INT. METRO DIVISION HEADQUARTERS - DAY - RAINING Lots of activity. Officers in cubicles; talking on phones; typing reports on computers. Most are plain-clothed. Roper weaves through the room. Passes by Baffert's desk. ROPER Hey, Baffert, what's the story for tonight? Baffert pulls two tickets for the Warriors' game out of his pocket. BAFFERT Floor seats. ROPER You're my hero. BAFFERT Dinner's on you. ROPER Deal. INT. HALLWAY - DAY - RAINING A quiet contrast to the squadroom. This is the executive branch of Metro. All the big-wigs are officed here. Roper walks down the carpeted hall. No one here except Kevin McCall quietly sitting outside Captain Solis' office. Roper and McCall make brief eye contact. Roper thinks nothing of it. He goes into the Captain's office. INT. CAPTAIN SOLIS' OFFICE - RAINING CAPTAIN FRANK SOLIS is on the phone. There's a file on the desk in front of him. He motions Roper to sit down. SOLIS He just walked into my office. (looks over at Roper) The Chief says, "Good work this morning. Congratulations." Roper smiles as he sits down. ROPER Tell him to give me a raise. SOLIS (into the phone) He says, "Thank you very much." (a beat) I'll discuss it with him right now... Good-bye, Chief. Solis hangs up. Looks across the desk at Roper. A long pause. He knows he's got leverage. SOLIS Roper. ROPER What? SOLIS Are you going to make this hard for me? ROPER Depends. What's up? SOLIS There's been some concern about you continuing to work without back-up. ROPER Define concern. Solis dumps his cards on the table. SOLIS What if you die and no one can do what you do as well as you do it? ROPER Your concern is heartwarming. SOLIS It's been decided that you take on another partner and train him to be able to take over for you. ROPER Is that what the guy in the Sunday School suit is doing outside? SOLIS His name's Kevin McCall. Every Metro Captain agrees that he's their top sharp-shooter and most likely to succeed. Roper grabs McCall's folder off the desk. ROPER Let me see that. Roper scans it. ROPER Tested high on his intellectual aptitude... Not as high as me but... National marksman finalist... Attended N. Y. C... Went to college. Very impressive. F.B.I. sniper school... Mayorial commendation. INT. HALLWAY - SAME - RAINING McCall turns around in his chair. He can see Roper and Solis through the glass walls of the office, but he can't hear their voices. INT. SOLIS' OFFICE - SAME - RAINING ROPER "Additional Skills": Biathelete, marathoner, lip-reading, speaks Spanish... Roper throws the folder back on the desk. ROPER Great, send him to the Marines. This guy's not a negotiator. He'll quit in two weeks. SOLIS You let us worry about that. ROPER Is there going to be an expression of your appreciation? SOLIS (gloomily) What kind of appreciation are we talking about? ROPER The financial kind. I figure I'm going to be working extra hours. All sorts of overtime... training sessions... Not to mention the extra stress... SOLIS What do you think would be in order? ROPER Like ahh... I don't know... (boldly) Five thousand dollars. SOLIS (calmly) Okay, I think I could swing that. Uh-oh, Roper thinks maybe he sold short. ROPER (quickly) And a car. SOLIS Hey, you just got a five thousand dollar raise. Get a car of your own. ROPER You know you've got nothing but cars down there in impound. SOLIS Impound isn't a rent-a-car company. ROPER (firmly) The car is part of the deal. SOLIS What happened to your Trans Am? Solis gets up and taps the glass, motions for McCall to come in. ROPER Repoed this morning. SOLIS (relenting) I'll provide you with transportation. ROPER And even if this doesn't work, I want all the money. These SWAT guys don't have the temperament. They don't have the background... McCall enters the office. ROPER (instant character change) Hey, glad to meet you. I've heard nothing but good things about you... Roper reaches out. They shake hands. MCCALL Same here. I've watched you in action. Very impressive. ROPER You've got a lot of hard work ahead of you if you want to be a negotiator. MCCALL I'm ready to do it. (a beat) And I'm going to be here more than two weeks. Roper's face darkens. ROPER Don't go reading my lips, man. That's an intrusion. Save that shit for the sniper school. Comprende? MCCALL Sorry... Habit. SOLIS (intervening) Let's move past this, gentlemen. Roper smiles. ROPER We're already past it, aren't we, Kevin? MCCALL If you say so. SOLIS Then you'll have to excuse me. I have other work to do. Roper and McCall head out the door. SOLIS Roper... Roper turns back around. SOLIS About the transportation issue... You check with the impound sergeant. Roper smiles. Total victory. INT. HALLWAY - DAY - RAINING MOVING with Roper and McCall. ROPER You ever been in a hostage situation? MCCALL Only at the very end. ROPER How do you feel after a shooting. MCCALL (self-assured) Like it had to be done. They enter the squadroom, wind through the cubicles. ROPER It rarely has to be done. MCCALL I've rarely shot anyone. ROPER SWAT is a lifesaving unit, you know. MCCALL (flatly) I know. ROPER Try to remember that. They arrive at Roper's desk. ROPER Okay, "Dead Eye", lesson one... Roper grabs an empty soda bottle from a neighboring desk. He takes the cap off a ball point pen and drops it into the empty bottle. He places the bottle on his desk. ROPER Extract that pen cap without touching or moving the bottle. McCall looks at the bottle quizzically. MCCALL What's the point of this? ROPER A little exercise in lateral thinking. The obvious solution isn't always the only solution... See you tomorrow. Roper grabs his jacket and walks off, leaving McCall to ponder the problem. McCall looks over at another cop who has been observing. The cop shrugs his shoulders. He hasn't got a clue. McCall sits down and thoughtfully peers into the bottle. OMITTED Sequence omitted from original script. INT. UNDERGROUND GARAGE - NIGHT Roper and Baffert walking past the row of cars, including Solis' cadillac, searching for Roper's "new" transportation... Roper is holding the keys in his hand. BAFFERT Mind if we make a stop on the way? We busted Frank Antonucci on possession. He gave us a lead on that Polk Street jewelry heist. ROPER "Phoney Frank"? Don't waste your time. He'd tell you his granny was in on the Kennedy assassination if he could dodge a collar. BAFFERT I still gotta do it. Wasting time is half my job. ROPER Yeah, okay. Roper is looking at the numbered parking spaces. BAFFERT This SWAT guy might be a good idea. He may be able to take a little pressure off you. I worry about you. ROPER You worried about me, too? The chief's worried about me. Solis is worried about me. Maybe you guys should start some kind of organization. BAFFERT Speaking of which. I saw you talking to Ronnie this morning. Why can't you get it back together with her. You've gotta be out of your mind not to get with that one. ROPER It's not me. It's her. She's going out with this baseball player -- Greg Barnett. BAFFERT (impressed) No shit! He's good! ROPER Fuck him. He swings at anything in the dirt. I could strike him out. BAFFERT Don't give up on her. You're getting to the age when you ought to be thinking about these things. Roper bends over like an old man. ROPER Yep, my rheumatism's been acting up. They arrive at their destination. A parking space with a 1957 DODGE PICKUP. BAFFERT This is it. Space 742. Roper looks at the pickup truck in disbelief. ROPER Then he didn't say 742. He must have said 724 or something, because this can't be right. Baffert unlocks the pickup and offers the keys to Roper who is crossing to the truck. ROPER Oh man! What am I, Red Foxx? I'm not riding in this shit. I can't roll in no shit like this. He takes the keys from Baffert who moves around to the passengers side. He opens the door. BAFFERT Where's the stereo? ROPER Fuck the stereo. What's that smell? BAFFERT Come on. Just get in. We gotta go. EXT. MARKET STREET - NIGHT The pickup in traffic. OMITTED Sequence omitted from original script. EXT. KORDA'S BUILDING - NIGHT It's a four story twenties style walk-up. It's evening now. The pickup pulls to a stop out front. INT. PICKUP - NIGHT Baffert pulls out a slip of paper. BAFFERT Apartment 306. ROPER You want me to go up with you? BAFFERT Nah, It probably won't turn up anything. I'm just gonna talk to him. ROPER Good. I don't want to be late. Baffert gets out. Roper grabs his cell phone. ROPER You want anything on the game? Baffert turns back around. BAFFERT What's the line? ROPER It was Warriors plus 6 this morning. BAFFERT I'll take half of your action. Baffert goes into the building. Roper dials his cellular phone. Beep! Beep! DETAIL SHOT A message on the display reads: RECHARGE BATTERY. Roper looks around. There's a payphone across the street. He gets out of the truck and crosses to it. INT. BUILDING - NIGHT Third floor hallway. Nice, middle class place. Well kept up. Baffert walks over to room 306. Knocks. INT. KORDA'S APT. - NIGHT Jazz is playing. MICHAEL KORDA sits motionless in a chair listening to the music. There's a KNOCK. Korda responds as if pulled from a trance. He rises and moves to the door. KORDA Who is it? BAFFERT (V.O.) It's Lieutenant Sam Baffert from the San Francisco Police Department. A slight hesitation from Korda. He glances around the apartment. For what reason, we don't know. Maybe to make sure there's nothing incriminating around. He opens the door. KORDA What happened? Is there a problem? BAFFERT May I come in? I would just like to ask you a couple of questions. Korda steps aside and lets Baffert enter. Korda closes the door. Baffert scans the place. Not bad. He listens to the music. A smile grows on his face. BAFFERT Count Basie? Korda smiles back. Another jazz aficionada. KORDA Duke Ellington. "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", recorded July 30, 1945. BAFFERT Yeah... Yeah... Now I can hear it. Korda goes to the stereo, turns it down. Duke Ellington plays low. BAFFERT Where did you find an old recording like that? KORDA Used record shop down on Turk Street. I was in there looking for some Robert Johnson. (searching for the name) Memories... Memory Lane or something... BAFFERT I've got to stop in there... Mr. Korda, do you know Frank Antonucci? KORDA You mean Frank who owns the bakery down the street? Baffert smiles. BAFFERT No, this is a different Frank. This is a man who deals in jewelry. Stolen jewelry usually. You wouldn't know anybody like that? Korda drifts to the other side of the room. Takes a look out his front window... HIS POV Nobody there. Just the truck. KORDA I certainly wouldn't. He says it as if the very idea disturbs him. He turns away from the window. Baffert feigns a coughing spell. BAFFERT Could I please have a little water? KORDA (the perfect host) Of course. Korda heads toward the kitchen area. Baffert uses this as an opportunity to drift around the room. Do a little snooping. BAFFERT The reason I'm asking you is because we arrested him with some stolen jewelry. It was traced to the robbery of a store down on Polk Street. He said he was fencing it for you. Baffert notices something in the trash can. HIS POV Several glassine envelopes used for raw jewels. They have jeweler's markings on them indicating gem weight and grade. INT. KITCHEN Korda, pouring the water, notices Baffert's discovery, but his face betrays nothing. KORDA (calmly) There's obviously some mistake. I have a cousin who has had run-ins with the law. Korda re-enters the room with the glass of water. KORDA Perhaps for his own reasons he entangled me in this... situation. BAFFERT This cousin of yours... What's his name? KORDA (forthrightly) Clarence Teal. They look at each other a beat. Korda is still holding the water. KORDA Your cough seems to be better. A real repressed tension here. Someone's about to get hurt. Baffert takes the glass of water. BAFFERT Thank you. He takes a sip. Korda watches him like a cobra. Baffert puts the glass down on the table. BAFFERT Well, I'm on my way to the game. I appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Korda. Korda smiles. Baffert walks to the door. Opens it to leave... KORDA Lieutenant... Baffert turns back around. KORDA Do you believe that story about Robert Johnson...? That he made a deal with the devil at the crossroads? Baffert muses along with Korda. BAFFERT Could be. Baffert moves off down the hall and Korda closes his door. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Baffert gets into the elevator. INT. ELEVATOR - NIGHT Baffert takes out his cell phone. Dials. BAFFERT (as the elevator descends) Hello, Judge Stone... This is Lieutenant Samuel Baffert. I'm at a suspect's residence. I'm requesting a telephonic search warrant in connection with an armed robbery at a jewelry store. There's visible evidence on the premises. Glassine envelopes with jeweler's markings were seen in the trash can... The elevator hits the first floor. BAFFERT ...I believe a full search of the premises will turn up some stolen property... The elevator opens. Korda is standing there with a knife. Baffert has no time to react... The knife hand slashes forward... Stabbing the chest and slashing across the throat. EXT. BUILDING - NIGHT Korda calmly exits the building as Roper crosses the street, returning from the payphone. Neither of the men take any particular notices of each other. A WOMAN carrying her groceries enters the building. Roper gets to the truck. A SCREAM from inside the building. INT. BUILDING - NIGHT Baffert is laying in the open elevator, knife wounds to his neck and chest. Roper rushes over to him. It doesn't look good. The woman with the groceries is standing halfway up the first flight of stairs. Frozen. Roper pulls out his gun and rushes by her up the stairs. ROPER (to the woman) Get an ambulance! INT. THIRD FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT Roper arrives at the top of the stairs. Korda's door is ajar. Duke Ellington can be heard faintly. INT. KORDA'S APT. - NIGHT Roper nudges the door open, takes a step inside, gun ready... No one there. Suddenly, from the hallway, the click of a door. Roper races out. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Roper sprints to the door at the end of the hall, KICKS it open. Gun aimed. INT. APT. 302 - NIGHT A five year old stares up at him. Scared stiff. Roper holds up a reassuring hand, and, as quickly as he arrived, he leaves. EXT. BUILDING - NIGHT Roper burst out the front. Down the stairs to the sidewalk. Looks both ways down the street... Realizes in dismay that Korda is long gone. A SIREN approaches. INT. SOLIS OFFICE - NIGHT - RAIN Angle outside window to Roper sitting in a chair by the window looking out to the rain. Solis is in the b.g. on the phone. SOLIS (on the phone) Yes sir. Every resource will be brought to bear. We will find this guy... Yeah, he's here now. I'll tell him. Solis hangs up the phone. SOLIS The chief says to tell you how sorry he is. He knew Sam Baffert was a good man. ROPER (still looking out window) He said he was just going up to talk to him. He said... (beat; turning to Solis) I want to be put on this case. SOLIS I can't do that. ROPER (emphatic) I want to be put on this case. SOLIS You know I can't assign you to this. You're much too close to it. You were much too close to Sam. The department will take care of it. ROPER Who's running it? SOLIS Roper... ROPER Who's running it! SOLIS Kimura and Glass will head the investigation. Roper turns to leave. SOLIS Scott. Go home. Get some sleep. Roper pauses at the door. Then pulls out two basketball tickets and lays them on the table in Solis' office. He exits. CUT TO: INT. METRO OFFICE AREA - NIGHT Two detectives. A female named KIMURA and a tall guy named GLASS, try to make a getaway as they see Roper coming. ROPER Hey, hey, hey... Roper intercepts them. ROPER Anything on Korda so far? KIMURA Solis said to keep you clear of this. Roper responds louder than necessary with a half turn toward Solis' hallway. ROPER I don't give a damn what Solis said. (to the detectives) If you get a lead, I want to know. OMITTED Sequence omitted from original script. EXT. SAN FRANCISCO STREET - NIGHT - RAINING Roper's pickup drives by. INT. PICKUP Thru the windshield. We see Roper as the windshield wipers flap back and forth. His face seems dazed and lost. INT. RONNIE'S HALLWAY - NIGHT Roper knocks. Ronnie's cheerful voice can be heard. RONNIE (O.S.) Just a minute. Roper makes no effort to pull himself together. The door opens and Ronnie's face registers surprise. She's dressed casually in jeans, a nice shirt, but wears make-up and earrings. RONNIE Hey. ROPER Hey yourself. Came by to see Troy. RONNIE (like hell) A little late for that, Scottie. He's asleep. (smells his breath) Jack Daniels? ROPER I'm not drunk. Yet. RONNIE Maybe you should be. ROPER You heard. She nods, sympathetic, but doesn't leave the doorway. RONNIE Yeah. I'm sorry. ROPER Can I come in? Ronnie opens the door reluctantly. INT. RONNIE'S HOUSE - NIGHT Roper enters. Instantly we see he's at home here. He hangs his coat in the closet, puts his keys on the table, notices a photograph on the wall. Quite imposing. Very unique style. ROPER That a new picture? RONNIE About 4 months old. I'm working in a new style. Roper gazes at it indifferently. He falls silent. Thoughts turned inward. Suddenly, TROY, (the dog), bounds in. He's ecstatic to see Roper. He puts his front paws on the couch and his head in Roper's lap. ROPER Hey, Troy. How ya doin' boy? (to Ronnie) He heard my voice. Roper smiles briefly, pats the dog, taking comfort from his presence. His words are light. His tone isn't. ROPER How's the good dog. I miss you buddy. You miss me? Ronnie watches them, suddenly showing the sadness she's carefully buried. ROPER He misses me. She nods. A moment's silence. ROPER I won't stay long. I had to talk to someone. RONNIE (a bit surprised at his openness) You don't usually talk to anyone when you're hurting. ROPER It was my fault. I was right downstairs. I should have gone up with him. RONNIE Scott, You can't save everyone. ROPER I've proved that, didn't I? She's not coming closer. She wants to, but she won't do it. She seems uneasy, glances towards the door. Roper rises. ROPER Oh, hell, forget it. This won't work. RONNIE (gentle) What do you want from me? ROPER Something I guess I can't have anymore. RONNIE Don't try to make me feel guilty. The whole time we were together, you went out of your way to prove you didn't need me. Now, suddenly, for one night, you need me again. I can't do it. I can't be more than your friend. Because I know what will happen. In a few weeks you'll be back on top, and you'll shut me out just as soon as you don't need me again. ROPER (surprised, hurt) You think I didn't need you? RONNIE If you did, you never showed it. ROPER Ronnie... He reaches for her and she looks like she might give in to him, but at that moment there's a KNOCK ON THE DOOR. Ronnie pulls back, confused and guilty. ROPER You expecting someone? Her silence is the answer... A flash of pain from Roper. ROPER This day just keeps getting better. Ronnie watches as he searches for his keys in his pockets. RONNIE (soft) They're on the table where you always leave them. He grabs the keys as she opens the door. GREG stands outside waiting. He's a big, good looking guy with a smile on his face. GREG Hey, baby, I thought maybe you were... Greg's smile fades as he sees Roper. ROPER I was just leaving. Roper strides past Greg who remains in the doorway. Ronnie makes brief eye contact with Greg, but then moves past him to follow Roper. She calls after him. RONNIE Scottie... take care of yourself. Roper doesn't look back. He just goes. EXT. PIER 26 - EARLY MORNING A huge warehouse. Sun coming up over the East Bay, CLARENCE TEAL rides up on a HARLEY MOTORCYLE, carrying a large cup of coffee to go. He enters the warehouse. INT. WAREHOUSE - SAME Car and Boat parts stacked in aisles ten feet high. Clarence shuffles through to his watchman's quarters which are connected to the end of the warehouse. INT. WATCHMAN'S QUARTERS - SAME Built on pilings with a panoramic view of the bay. Korda is waiting behind the door as Clarence enters. He seizes Clarence from behind and slams him against the wall and spins him around. Hot coffee soaks the front of Clarence's shirt. KORDA If you weren't family I'd kill you. Clarence is scared. He offers no defense. KORDA You told Antonucci that shit came from me. CLARENCE So that we could get the best price. He's got respect for you. He's gonna try to lowball me, Mike. Korda tosses Clarence down onto the cot. KORDA You fucking idiot! Why do you think I use you?... To be a walking advertisement. CLARENCE I'm sorry, Mike. I never heard of LaMarra flipping on anyone before. He said he had the cops paid off. Antonucci never flipped on anyone before. He had the cops paid off. KORDA Not the fucking cop that showed up at my door! CLARENCE What happened, Mike. KORDA You don't want to know. Tears start to come to Clarence's eyes. CLARENCE I'm sorry, Mike. Clarence sincerely feels bad. It's kind of touching in a twisted way. Korda moves over to the window to keep from striking Clarence again. He looks off across the bay. KORDA God damn it! I still needed to case that fucking store. It's too risky to show my face now. CLARENCE I got a couple thousand bucks. You could leave town. KORDA Leave town? They're going to know me in fucking Des Moines now!... (a beat) They got over ten million in jewels in that place. That's freedom, man. I could go anywhere I want. Clarence watches Korda warily. Things are beginning to add up in his head. CLARENCE Did you kill him, Mike? Korda turns to Clarence with a penetrated stare that answers the question. Clarence is shaken by that. He starts to whimper again. CLARENCE I'm sorry, Mike. I'm really sorry... We're talking major fear here... Korda moves to him and we think he's going to bash him around again, but, surprisingly, he hugs Clarence's head against his chest. KORDA It's not your fault you're stupid. Tears of relief from Clarence. INT. METRO DIVISION HEADQUARTERS - DAY Roper enters the squadroom. His mood is contained. He walks to a desk where Kimura and Glass are huddling. A couple desks over, McCall is reclining in Roper's chair, reading a book entitled, "Strategies and Counter Measures in Hostage Situations". On the desk in front of him is the bottle with the pen cap still in it. ROPER (to Kimura and Glass) What do you got on Korda? KIMURA We ran a search on relatives. He has a cousin in town -- Clarence Teal. Smalltime thief. Last known address was on Pine Street. He moved out a month ago. We've got a couple leads on him to check out. ROPER (rapid fire) Did you check out DMV for any vehicles registration? KIMURA Being faxed over now. ROPER How about the record room for any incident reports? He might be a victim. We can get medical records. Check with burglary detail and see if anyone else knows him, knows his habits. KIMURA Roper... ROPER And what about bars? We can talk to neighbors to see what bars he frequents. KIMURA Roper, we're into it... Suddenly Solis appears at their side. SOLIS We've had this conversation once, Roper. You're not active on this case. Roper looks at him icily. SOLIS It's in everyone's best interest. McCall, Kimura, Glass all watch this confrontation tensely. After a beat, Roper gives in. Indicates his compliance. Solis heads back to this office. ROPER (softened) You guys are doing good work. He moves toward the desk. McCall gets up when he sees him coming. MCCALL I'm sorry about your friend. I had a friend in SWAT killed. I know how it can be. ROPER I appreciate your concern. Let's leave it at that. McCall respectfully drops it. Roper looks down at the soda bottle. ROPER I don't see much progress here. McCall holds up a finger. Not so fast. He picks up a pot from a nearby "Mr. Coffee" machine. It's filled with water. He takes the water and slowly pours it into the bottle. CLOSE ON THE BOTTLE The pen cap floats to the top and McCall plucks it out without touching or moving the bottle. ROPER Very nice... You get an "A". Notice... No force required. No damage. Just then a SERGEANT calls to Roper across the squadroom. SERGEANT Roper, domestic disturbance at 472 6th Street. Possible hostage situation. McCall grabs his duffel bag. Roper starts away from the desk, then notices the book on "Hostage Strategies". He looks at the title, then makes a demonstration of dropping it in the trash can. He and McCall head out. EXT. MARKET STREET - DAY The pickup is weaving through traffic. INT. PICKUP - DAY Start on one of those air freshener evergreen trees hanging from the rear view mirror. PULL BACK to show a police bubble flashing on the dashboard. Roper weaving through traffic. McCall is sitting calmly as ever. ROPER So, McCall, how come you ended up in San Francisco? MCCALL They recruited me. Promised me fast advancement. ROPER Recruited you from where? MCCALL National Marksman Competition. ROPER With your qualifications you must have had a lot of offers. Why here? MCCALL Furthest point I could find from New York. ROPER You don't like New York? MCCALL Spent my whole life there. I just wanted to get out for a while. ROPER You'd never been out of New York? MCCALL Been to Toronto. My mother was born there. ROPER How did you like Toronto? MCCALL It was okay. ROPER You're a real excitable sort, aren't you? MCCALL You caught me on an "up" day. (a beat) How about you? How did you end up in San Francisco? ROPER I grew up in Oakland... Crossed the Bay Bridge and here I was. (a beat) So you're looking for "fast advancement". MCCALL Is there something wrong with that? ROPER I'm not sure. EXT. 6TH STREET - DAY Several Patrol Cars are parked in front of an unappealing apartment building. A crowd has begun to gather. UNIFORMED POLICEMEN hold them back. TWO COPS are questioning a man wearing only green slacks. No shirt. No shoes. Just the slacks. He is very agitated. The pickup screeches up. Roper and McCall hop out. Roper flashes his badge to the OFFICER in charge. (OFFICER #1) ROPER Roper. Metro Division. Hostage Negotiator. Give me the short version. OFFICER #1 Husband came home. Found that guy and his wife "in flagrante". Now he's holding her at knife point. ROPER Which apartment? The Officer points up to the third floor. OFFICER #1 That one with the bars on the windows. Roper nods. Walks back over to the pickup. Looks up. Eyeballs the building. ROPER How are we gonna get him out of there? MCCALL We could fill it with water. Roper throws him a look. McCall walks to the back of the pickup, reaches into the cab and digs around in his duffel bag. ROPER (to Officer #1) Have you evacuated anyone? OFFICER #1 Only that floor. ROPER Is the hostage injured? OFFICER #1 Don't know. She keeps screaming to stay out. He keeps screaming to stay out. We decided to stay out. ROPER Well, there's a good amount of agreement on that. McCall slams the truck door, sniper rifle in hand. MCCALL I'll take "highground" until SWAT gets here. (surveying the area) I can get a good sight-line from that roof across the street. McCall marches off across the street. ROPER Remember, Quick Draw, we're trying to limit the force here. McCall calls back over his shoulder. MCCALL I know my job. At that moment, a scream echoes down from the third floor window. Roper heads for the front door of the building. INT. APT. HALLWAY/STAIRCASE - (ACROSS THE STREET) McCall bounds up the stairs of the building to the rooftop. INT. 6TH ST. APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY - DAY The screams are getting more panicky. Roper comes down the hall quickly. The door to the apartment is open. It's been that way since the guy in the green slacks fled. Roper hurries toward the door. INT. APARTMENT - DAY The WIFE is in bra and panties and the HUSBAND is 6'4". He's giving her a good beating. It's a studio apartment. Unmade bed. Belongings strewn all over. Window open with sun streaming in, and a good view of the building across the street. We hear ROPER'S VOICE from out in the hall. ROPER (V.O.) I'm coming in. I'm not armed. The husband snatches his wife by the hair and holds a knife to her throat. WIFE (shrieking) No, Raymond! RAYMOND (to Roper) Stay the fuck out of here! But Roper steps into the apartment. Sees the wife. Face swollen. Knife to her neck. The enraged husband, contemplating murder. One inch from committing the act. Roper doesn't bat an eye. ROPER I know how you feel, Ray. RAYMOND You don't know shit, and I suggest you leave. He presses the knife against the wife's throat. She winces. Her chest heaves. ROPER I can't leave, Ray. It's part of my negotiator's oath. Once I'm in the room with the hostage, I have to stay. RAYMOND You don't want to see what I'm going to do to her. ROPER Let me show you something, Ray. Roper reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He extracts a photo. CLOSEUP PHOTO Wife. Two kids. A little dog-eared. Nice touch. ROPER holds it up so Raymond can see it. ROPER Same thing happened to me, man. She cheated on me, but I forgave her. You know why? RAYMOND I ain't interested in your life story. ROPER Because I was partially to blame. I wasn't around as much as I should have been. I forgot how to love her. RAYMOND She's the one to blame. Not me. EXT. ROOF ACROSS THE STREET - ON MCCALL In prone position. Rifle in hand. Eye to scope. POV THROUGH SIGHT of Raymond's open window. INT. RAYMOND'S APARTMENT Everyone where we left them. Roper looks at Ray with utter sincerity. ROPER Ray, think about how she looked when you married her. Think about how happy you were. Don't lose that, man. Don't give up everything. RAYMOND What am I giving up? I'm laid off last year. I'm down to my last unemployment check. I'm out on the streets looking for work and this bitch is banging some asshole in my bed. And now Ray is crying. Blubbering actually. And he's not that coherent. RAYMOND I'm down at Consolidated and I'm begging. I'm saying I'll take half my pay. Eight years, man. I don't even have to work the loading docks anymore. I'll do maintenance. "We're cutting back. We're streamlining, Ray. West Central's running things now. It's out of our hands" Fuck them! Fuck them! FUCK THEM! (deep sigh) I'm gonna kill her and then I'm gonna kill myself, 'cause I don't wanna live anymore. Roper reaches out to him. ROPER Ray, if you walk out of here with me, I'll get you a job. RAYMOND Doing what? Cleaning toilets? ROPER I can't guarantee you what it will be. But I swear on my life, I'll find you work. RAYMOND And why the fuck would you do that for me? ROPER Not for you, Ray. For me. A close friend of mine was killed this week. The way I figure it, I stop you from doin' what you said, I'm one up on body count. RAYMOND Who the fuck are you, Mother Teresa? ROPER My name's Scott Roper. Ray stares blankly at Roper's outstretched hand, the knife clutched tightly in his fist... The wife squeezes her eyes closed. Everything waits for an excruciatingly long beat... Then... RAYMOND I need my coat. It's on a coat rack in the corner. But to get there he has to pass by the window. Ray drops his wife on the bed, turns and goes to get his coat. He crosses in front of the window... Reaches for the coat. POP! A bullet slams into his skull. Ray falls to the floor. The wife runs out of the room, screaming! ROPER NOOOO!! He rushes over to Ray. Circle of blood soaking into the carpet. Ray's empty eyes. His hand still wrapped in his coat. He was dead instantly. Roper slams his fist into the wall. A couple of cops, guns drawn, arrive at the doorway. Roper bolts out of the room... Pounds down the hallway... Pounds down the stairs... down another flight... EXT. APT. BLDG. McCall comes across the street. Roper sees McCall, cool as ever. Rifle slung over his shoulder. Roper steps into his path. ROPER WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? McCall gives no answer. He pushes past Roper and continues into the building. INT. APT. BUILDING - HALLWAY - DAY Roper follows, screaming his head off. ROPER Do you think because the police department issued you a sniper rifle, it makes you God! What the fuck goes on in your head? McCall, still stone-faced, reaches the apartment. Yellow "crime scene" tape is being placed across the doorway. Cops are tiptoeing around, surveying evidence. McCall ducks under the tape. Roper follows. INT. APT. - DAY McCall goes over to Ray's body. Crouches down. Roper comes up behind him. McCall picks up the coat covering Ray's arms. Clutched in Ray's hand is a gun "Saturday night special" variety. McCall looks up at Roper. MCCALL SWAT is a lifesaving unit, remember? I just saved a life. Yours. Roper doesn't miss a beat. ROPER (still angry) You think I've never had a gun pulled on me?! You think every fucking time someone pulls a gun they use it?! McCall gets to his feet. MCCALL Eighty-five percent of domestic disturbances of this nature end in murder/suicide. ROPER (fiercely) Not the ones I'm at. McCall and Roper glare at each other. Toe to toe. A beat. McCall's face softens just perceptibly. MCCALL Sorry. My mistake. He walks out of the room. Roper whips the sheet off the bed, contemplates the gun gripped in Ray's hand... Then tosses the sheet over Ray's dead body. INT. METRO DIVISION - NIGHT Roper seated in the hallway, waiting outside a door marked "Internal Affairs". Things are quiet. Roper stares at the floor. Waiting. The door opens. McCall comes out, escorted by two internal affairs INVESTIGATORS. One of the investigators pats him on the back. INVESTIGATOR Looks like a clean shoot. Go home and get some rest. McCall shakes hands with the investigators and they disappear back into the office. Roper approaches McCall. He's cooled off considerably. Even a tad friendly. ROPER Come on. Let's go for a drink. MCCALL I don't really like to drink. ROPER You have to. It's a tradition. MCCALL Well, if I have to, I have to. INT. BILLY GOAT TAVERN - NIGHT A neighborhood bar. Roper and McCall are playing pool. Half- finished beers are on a nearby table. McCall is bent over the table trying to make a particularly tricky shot. Roper studies him. ROPER You got a girlfriend? MCCALL Why? You like my ass? McCall misses the shot. ROPER Better than your pool game. Roper lines up his shot. ROPER You wouldn't want to put a small wager on this, would you? MCCALL I don't gamble. Roper smiles. Sinks his shot. Moves around the table. MCCALL Yeah, I've got a girlfriend. ROPER You living together? MCCALL She's back in Jersey... going to graduate school. ROPER Explain how that works. MCCALL She's going to come here when she graduates and then we're gonna get married. ROPER She grow up in Livingtston, too? MCCALL (as if that were unthinkable) No, no, no... (a beat) She's from Hoboken. ROPER Oh, "city girl". Don't you ever long for companionship with her such a long way away in New Jersey? MCCALL We see each other every couple of months. ROPER Every couple of months, huh? A couple of months sounds like an awful long time to Roper. ROPER That's a lot of commitment. I admire that. MCCALL Do you really? ROPER No. Actually I think it's fucking crazy, I don't know if I could do it. MCCALL Thanks for clearing that up. (a beat) I hear your former girlfriend is going out with Greg Barnett. ROPER Where did you hear that? MCCALL Around. Barnett's tough competition. ROPER Yeah, well that's a sore subject, and therefore out of bounds to a young sprout of a hostage negotiator under my tutelage. A beat and then McCall realizes that this comment is a major acknowledgement of acceptance from Roper. Roper misses his shot. Picks up his beer glass. ROPER Lesson two, "Dead Eye"... should have been lesson one. Never exchange yourself for a hostage. MCCALL I think I can handle that one. ROPER Yeah, you think so, but it comes up. Roper takes a drink of beer. Nears the bottom of his glass. Calls to the BARTENDER. ROPER Zack, another round. Roper turns back to McCall. ROPER My partner gave himself in exchange for a ten year old girl. He got caught in the crossfire. Two dead. My partner and the bad guy... (takes the last sip) Weird thing is, if he was alive, he'd probably do it again. (a beat) Some people never learn. Roper puts down his glass. ROPER You think you can learn, McCall? MCCALL I think so. Roper nods. Maybe he can. INT. ROOM - DAY We're looking at a door. It's not clear where we are. McCall enters. We only see his face. Determined. MCCALL I'm Officer McCall, what's going on? REVERSE ANGLE It's a training room. It's built to approximate a convenience store. Several mannequins are placed around the room to represent a hostage situation. The "BAD GUY" has a walkie- talkie strapped around his neck. Roper's voice CRACKLES out of it. BAD GUY What the fuck do you think is going on, turdhead? I'm about to waste everyone in this place. McCall hesitates, trying to figure out a response. He seems stiff and awkward. MCCALL H... how can I help you? Tell me what... (looks off to his right) I feel stupid talking to a dummy. Roper enters the training room from a side door. He's holding the other walkie-talkie. ROPER What did you think? I'm going to let you practice on real people? Roper comes up beside him. ROPER First things is, don't say, "What's going on?" Everybody knows what's going on. I come into this situation, I say, (addressing the mannequin) "I'm glad to see nobody's hurt. That's good. I'm here to help you." (turns back to McCall) Second: You hesitated. Don't hesitate. If you're thinking, talk while you're thinking, or else he's going to think you're plotting. Which you are. If he thinks you're plotting, you're going to make him nervous. You don't want him nervous. Got that? MCCALL No. ROPER It'll come. Try again. INT. TRAINING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER ANGLE ON THE DOOR. McCall comes in. The room has the same set-up. McCall takes a look around. Launches immediately into... MCCALL My name's McCall. I'm a hostage negotiator. I'm here to help you. Roper's voice crackles back at him hostilely. ROPER (V.O.) How are you going to help me? McCall's confidence is growing. MCCALL Tell me what you need. ROPER (V.O.) I need you to bring me the scumbag who ran off with my wife so I can cut off his nuts. Now he's stumped. MCCALL (hesitantly) I can't do that. ROPER (V.O.) Then get out of my face you worthless piece of frogshit. McCall looks up to his right. MCCALL Is all the name calling necessary. Roper re-enters the training area. ROPER Nah, I just throw that in because I enjoy it. MCCALL (exasperated) So what do I say to this guy? ROPER You could say something like, (addressing the dummy) "Tell me what the scumbag's name is. Maybe we can work something out." MCCALL What? Bring somebody in so he can cut his nuts off? Roper turns to McCall. ROPER If you want to be a successful negotiator, you've got to learn to lie. MCCALL I'm not good at lying. ROPER Get good at it. MCCALL It's against my nature. Roper gives him an amused smile. ROPER You know the ten commandments? MCCALL Yes. ROPER What's the first commandment? MCCALL Thou shall have no other God before me. That's not the answer Roper wanted. ROPER Okay, forget that. What's the main one. McCall is tired of guessing. MCCALL You tell me. ROPER Thou shall not kill... You've killed, right? MCCALL Yes. ROPER Why? MCCALL To save lives. ROPER So why would you hesitate to lie to save lives? McCall can't argue with that one. Roper turns and heads back to the side door. ROPER Let's try it again. INT. TRAINING ROOM - LATER McCall comes through the door. Hands in the air. The setup in the room has been changed a bit. The bad guy is behind the counter. Several hostages in various positions on the floor. MCCALL My name's McCall. I'm unarmed. ROPER (V.O.) Okay, stop. Roper comes through the side door. ROPER Close your eyes. McCall is surprised by the command but closes them. Roper turns him away from the hostage scene. ROPER What did you see? MCCALL (rapid-fire) A dirtbag behind the counter holding a sawed-off. A Berretta nine millimeter in his belt. A female hostage, red dress, on the floor in front of the cereal display. Male hostage, jeans and blue checked shirt, three feet to her right. Another male hostage, white pants, green shirt, Nikes, laying in front of the magazine rack. A female dirtbag with a gun under her shirt, sitting against the beer cooler, trying to pass herself off as a hostage, and there's a special on toilet-paper, four for a buck twenty-nine. McCall opens his eyes. Roper's impressed. ROPER Very good. You've got good eyes. That's important. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Roper and McCall are sitting in the dark watching a video tape. It's grainy footage of a hostage situation in a sporting goods store. A negotiator confronted with a gunman holding a ten year old girl hostage. The negotiator holds his hands out imploringly... Carefully moves toward the gunman. The negotiator exchanges himself for the little girl. The gunman grabs the negotiator around the neck, holds the gun to his head. The little girl runs out of the picture to safety. Roper remains dead silent during all this. McCall looks over at him. The blue light flickers over Roper's motionless face. MCCALL Was that your partner? Roper nods. MCCALL Why did he do it? ROPER (quietly) Because he knew the little girl had zero chance of survival and his chances would be a little better... We had a plan, but SWAT opened up too early. He got caught in the crossfire. (a sad beat) Let's move on... Notice this. Always use the eyes to keep the connection. It almost like hypnosis. That's the most important thing. Create a connection. You're always on their side... McCall watches him for a beat, then turns his attention back on the screen. EXT. GOLDEN GATE RACETRACK - DAY Beautiful day. Roper and McCall leaning against the rail at the walking ring. The horses are being paraded and saddled. Roper scrutinizes them with an expert eye. McCall seems totally disinterested. ROPER You know why I like the track? MCCALL You're a compulsive gambler? Roper ignores that. ROPER Because there are a multitude of possibility's. Everything is there to see if you know what to look for. You have to read the conditions, just like in a hostage situation. Roper points across the ring to a particular horse. ROPER See the four horse. Dropping in class. No works. Front wraps. Looks like he's broken down. But notice the woman in the sun hat. She's the owner. She wouldn't have come if her horse was broken down. He's live. We use him. McCall listens indifferently. ROPER See the favorite? Tail up. Washy. He doesn't want to run today. Cross him off... Now the Six looks good. On his toes. Coat shiny. This trainer/jockey combo does well. We can't leave him out. (turns to McCall) What do you think? MCCALL I have two words for you... Seek help. ROPER I have three words for you... Ex-ac- ta. INT. BETTING WINDOWS - DAY Roper is buying tickets. McCall is with him, watching the other bettors, the odds board, all the monitors... Strange place. Roper finishes and turns away from the window. Hands McCall a ticket. ROPER I bought you a four-six exacta box. You owe me twenty bucks. MCCALL (puzzled) I do. EXT. SEATING AREA - DAY Roper and McCall pass by a gambler. GAMBLER Hey, Roper. ROPER How you doin', Marv? They sit down in a box right up front. ROPER We need the 4 and 6 to finish to first and second. MCCALL (no enthusiasm) Fine. Roper uses his binoculars to watch the horses warm up on the backstretch. MCCALL I'm told that newspaper photographer is your former girlfriend. Roper looks over at him. What's this about? ROPER Ronnie... Yeah, so. MCCALL Now she's going out with Greg Barnett? ROPER So what do you want?... An autograph. MCCALL I don't know why she'd pick him over you. Roper throws McCall a skeptical look. MCCALL (straight-faced) I'm just practicing my lying. ROPER Still needs work. MCCALL (downcast) You're right. I'll never be as good a liar as you. TRACK ANNOUNCER (O.S.) And they're racing! ON THE TRACK The horses spring from the gate. (The track announcer's call plays through race) IN THE STANDS Roper watches intently through the binoculars. McCall sits impassively. ROPER Okay, we're in good shape. We're in good shape. McCall looks across the track. MCCALL The 6 horse is last. ROPER That's okay. That's his style. MCCALL To run last? ROPER To run late! Roper follows the horses into the turn. ROPER The favorite's fading. I told you he wasn't going to run today... The four horse has got the lead! McCall sits like a wax figure. MCCALL (cynically) The 6 horse is still last. ROPER He'll be running at the quarter pole. ON THE TRACK The horses head into the stretch. The FOUR is on the lead and the SIX is starting to unleash a big run. Passing horses with every stride. ROPER (V.O.) There he goes. IN THE STANDS McCall sits forward slightly. MCCALL They need to run first and second? ROPER Yeah, first and second. Roper gets to his feet. ON THE TRACK The horses thunder down the stretch. The FOUR horse is in front and the SIX is coming on from behind. IN THE STANDS Roper is on his feet screaming. ROPER Come on, Russell! Come on, Russell. McCall jumps to this feet and joins him. MCCALL COME ON RUSSELL!... (to Roper) Who the fuck's Russell?! ROPER The jockey! MCCALL COME ON, RUSSELL! Roper and McCall cheer together. ON THE TRACK The FOUR horse crosses the finish line in front. The SIX horse is flying... Needs to beat one horse to be second... He's running out of room... With one last surge he hits the wire and... It's too close to call. IN THE STANDS McCall, really excited, turns to Roper. MCCALL We won! ROPER (disheartened) We lost. MCCALL (confidently) We won. ROPER How much you wanna bet? MCCALL You want to bet on whether you won your bet? This is getting sick. ANGLE ON TOTE BOARD As the photo finish light goes out and the numbers come on... 4-6-8. They won. IN THE STANDS ROPER Yes! High fives. ROPER That's eight hundred bucks. INT. BET/CASH WINDOW - DAY Roper and McCall collect their money. Four hundred a piece, not bad. McCall pockets his money. MCCALL How long you been coming here? ROPER About six years. My partner took me. MCCALL Is it always like this? ROPER Occasionally you lose. Suddenly Roper's BEEPER goes off. He checks it, takes out a cellular phone and dials. ROPER (into the phone) Roper here. (he listens) I'm on my way. He hangs up and turns to McCall. ROPER We gotta go. EXT. JEWELRY STORE - UNION SQUARE - DAY Marble facade. Tastefully reinforced windows and door. Choppers circle overhead. Both ends of the street are sealed off. Barricades are up. Spectators and news crews crowd behind those. Numerous police circulate. This is a major operation in full swing. INT. TRAVEL AGENCY - COMMAND CENTER - DAY It's across the street from the jewelry store. Second story. The walls are plastered with travel posters. A poster of Tahiti is the most prominent. Members of police and SWAT are standing over a blueprint of the jewelry store spread out on a table. Right behind them is a TV monitoring the front of the store. Solis is at another desk, on the phone. He's talking to the suspect. SOLIS We're working on that, Joe. These things aren't quite that simple. EXT. STREET - DAY Roper and McCall push through the barricades and come walking down the cordoned-off street. McCall takes a look at the jewelry store. Well fortified, foreboding. MCCALL This does not look good. Roper looks over there, gives no reaction. They reach Solis' convertible Cadillac. It's parked out front of the travel agency building. ROPER See this. Solis has me driving the shit-mobile, and he picked this up straight out of impound for fourteen grand. Probably worth thirty. MCCALL Police corruption. It's everywhere. INT. COMMAND POST - DAY Roper and McCall enter. McCall joins the men who are studying the blueprint. Roper stands by Solis and listens, takes note of the poster of Tahiti. Looks inviting. SOLIS This will take time to setup. I'll have to get authorizations. (he listens) Okay, you relax, and I'll -- Solis pulls the phone away from his ear. Joe has obviously hung up. ROPER What do we got? SOLIS 32 minutes ago the silent alarm went off, then the fire alarm. A unit was a block away, and the suspect got trapped inside. ROPER Any verification on numbers. SOLIS We've only seen and talked to one suspect. He calls himself "Joe". There's two jewelers, two salespeople, the manager, a security guard, and an elderly woman. This particular store is where they do a lot of jewelry making and repair. They have anywhere from 8 to 10 million in raw stones on any given day, so they sure as shit didn't just wander in. They knew what they were coming for. ROPER What have you promised them? SOLIS Just that I'd talk to my superiors. McCall returns from checking out the blueprints. ROPER Any good points of entry? McCall shakes his head. MCCALL The place is designed to be a vault. Roper picks up the cellular phone. It dials automatically. ROPER (into the phone) My name's Roper. How are you people doing in there? (he listens) Solis is off the job now, Joe. I'm the guy authorized to give you whatever you want. (listens) That's right, but first I need to come down there to talk to you. INT. JEWELRY STORE - DAY We don't see anything but the suspect on the other end of the phone. He's wearing a ski mask and gloves. Totally unrecognizable to the audience. We will find out soon that he is, in fact, Korda. He appears very cool and collected. KORDA You don't have to come here. INT. COMMAND CENTER - DAY ROPER Yes, I do. That way there's no misunderstandings. I need to make sure no one's hurt, then we can take care of business. A long pause... Then a bit sinister. KORDA (V.O.) Alright, Roper. You want to come... come. ROPER Good. I won't be armed. We gotta operate on trust here. We're going to wrap this up and have you guys out of here as soon as possible. Roper clicks off the phone. He already doesn't like the sound of this guy. EXT. STREET OUTSIDE JEWELRY STORE - DAY Roper, bulletproof vest, hands in the air, walks across the eerily deserted street straight toward the jewelry store. It's quiet now. The choppers have been pulled back. Roper reaches the sidewalk right in front of the store. Korda cracks the door open. KORDA (warningly) Stay there. Roper stops in his tracks. ROPER I'm going to put my hands down, okay. Roper slowly lowers his hands. INT. COMMAND CENTER Everybody watching through the window. EXT. JEWELRY STORE - DAY Korda takes a half step out the doorway. The gloved hand that is visible is not holding a weapon. The other half of his body is hidden inside the doorway. He wears jeans, a black shirt, and black Nike tennis shoes. He stares fiercely from behind the ski mask. There's no sign of fear in him. KORDA Are you in charge, Roper? ROPER Yep. KORDA I want a car. Like a four wheel drive. I want it in perfect condition. I want a uniformed cop to drive it up right here. I want him to leave the engine running and walk to the end of the street. Then we'll come out. I don't want any remote control devices in it. I know all the tricks. If it's not in perfect condition, and I mean if its even low on wiper fluid, I'm going to kill somebody and we're gonna start again. Korda lets that sink in. KORDA I want a plane waiting at the airport. I'll tell them where I want to go when I get there. ROPER Is that all? KORDA For now that's all. ROPER You'll get it. But, Joe, I want you to do something for me. Let me take a look around inside. Make sure everybody's okay. KORDA No. You just do shit for me right now. Korda's eyes glare from behind the ski mask. He's an ominous figure. ROPER Joe, I'm doing a lot for you. I think you could give me something to cement the deal... One hostage. KORDA I'll give you something. Korda pulls a wadded-up handkerchief out of his pocket and tosses it to Roper. Roper unwraps the handkerchief. DETAIL SHOT It's a human ear. KORDA In fifteen minutes it'll be a bigger piece. I assume there are no "misunderstanding". Roper is as serious as we've ever seen him. ROPER I understand you completely. Korda disappears back behind the door. EXT. COMMAND CENTER - DAY Roper trudges back in. Things are more active now. Logistical officers are making flow charts. Photos of the hostages are being posted on a bulletin board. Roper approaches Solis, McCall and the SWAT CAPTAIN who are anxiously waiting for his report. ROPER (flatly) We're going to have to take this guy out. That draws a long silence. That's something Roper rarely says. SOLIS Can't we wear him down? Roper hands Solis the handkerchief with the ear in it. Solis eyes it with dismay. ROPER I believe there's at least one fatality in there already. The fire alarm was probably set off by gunfire. I believe he's working alone, both from his conversation and the fact that he wouldn't come out beyond the doorway. He was holding a gun on the hostages while he was talking to me. His demeanor is calm and controlled, that's what really scares me. The other bad news is that he also indicated a familiarity with our techniques. (a beat) So, do you want to go in or wait for him to come out? McCall calmly offers his opinion. MCCALL Let him come out. Too many unknowns in there. Solis nods. That'll be the plan. MCCALL When we drive up the car, make sure it's at an angle about three feet from the curb. (to SWAT Captain) Put our best man "highground", Twenty degree down angle. The SWAT Captain motions and turns to one of his UNDERLINGS. SWAT CAPTAIN Have Anderson prep it and notify us when he's on line. The underling hurries off to take care of it. Solis looks at Roper dejectedly. SOLIS I feel this thing going sideways on us. Roper tries to buck him up. ROPER There is some good news. He's wearing a ski mask, so he's protecting his identity and hasn't determined to kill all the hostages... (big pause) Yet. INT. JEWELRY STORE - DAY The je