Alex Cross Screenplay

I, ALEX CROSS
by
Kerry Williamson
Based on the novel by

James Patterson
Revisions by
Marc Moss
DRAFT: 03-05-11
QED INTERNATIONAL
1800 N Highland Ave
5th Floor
Los Angeles
CA, 90028
(323) 785 7900
OPEN ON A MAN RUNNING. WE ARE
1 INT. PACKARD PLANT, A TWO BLOCK LONG ASSEMBLY FLOOR - DAY
And TOMMY KANE is sprinting, the lanyard around his neck

with the POLICE BADGE swinging. He's in his late 30s,
physically imposing, his brown hair mopped with sweat. Right
now he's in a bad mood --
The man he’s chasing is IAN McGUIRE. His shirt is streaked

in blood - not his own. A gun’s in his hand. He is blazing
fast… Ahead looms a chain link fence. 10 feet high. Topped
with coils of concertina wire.
KANE CUTS RIGHT.
And with this REVEAL, running behind Kane, another man: his
partner and friend, ALEX CROSS.
Cross is the physical opposite of McGuire. He’s got the

intimidating momentum of a train; and because he is as well
conditioned as he is huge, he qualifies as a Frigidaire-sized
force of nature.
Not missing a step, McGuire jams his pistol in his pants,

vaults the chain link fence, then contorts over the concertina
with an acrobatic flip. He lands running.
Cross approaches the fence with a different M.O., lowering

his shoulder and BLOWING THE HINGES off the gate.
2 EXT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS
Cross follows McGuire out the main entrance -- and slows,

looking and listening for his prey.
Meanwhile, we are absorbing what a MIND-BLOWINGLY MASSIVE

COMPLEX this is – a 36 acre ruin, 3.5 million square feet of
dead factory space.
Cross reacquires McGuire, running, and then if by magic

dropping out of sight.
CROSS
(on bluetoothed cell)
He’s gone underground.
3 INT. ANOTHER PACKARD BUILDING - CONTINUOUS
Kane is still running. He’s not surprised.
KANE
Right. See you at the chute.
2.
Cross reaches where McGuire disappeared – and we see an open

manhole in the ground.
5 INT. TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
Cross drops down into the small brick-arched passage and

resumes the chase.
6 INT. PACKARD FACTORY - CONTINUOUS
As McGuire emerges from an opening in the floor, races to

one end of the block-long space, he finds Kane entering from
outside and Cross emerging from the tunnel behind him.
He changes course, the reunited cops in pursuit.
7 INT. PACKARD PLANT
The chase continues through areas that border on the macabre:
Some windows have old automobiles dangling half-way out.
There are boats stacked all over the place, mountains of

trashed TV sets, old RVs...
Cross and Kane run, and by now we are getting the sense
they’re not so much chasing McGuire as channeling him,
maneuvering him into a corner.
8 INT. PACKARD PLANT ELEVATOR SHAFT
McGuire skids to a stop. The shaft is three stories -- it

appears he’s dead ended. But with the two cops closing in,
he JUMPS, grabs iron pipes that run the length of the shaft,
and SPRINGS UPWARDS from one pipe to another.
Cross and Kane continue on to THE AUTO RAMP at the building’s

end.
9 EXT. ROOF, PACKARD PLANT - DAY
McGuire emerges only to find Cross and Kane blitzing towards

him.
The cops DIVE FOR COVER as McGuire whips out his pistol and
FIRES 10 ROUNDS at them. Debris flies near their faces.
McGuire then leaps off the roof, roll-landing 15 feet below

on THE ROOF OF A CROSSWALK TO ANOTHER BUILDING.
Making this leap isn’t Cross’s style. Instead he throws

himself at a rusted ladder that descends to the crosswalk --
the force tears the ladder loose from the wall, LEVERING
3.
CROSS DOWN to the midpoint of the crosswalk as McGuire drops

through a hole INTO THE CROSSWALK itself.
Kane, meanwhile, dangle drops to the crosswalk. He runs,

drops through the hole --
10 INT. CROSSWALK - CONTINUOUS
-- and is surprised to see Cross has stopped running.
KANE
What gives?
CROSS
Why are we chasing this knuckle
dragger if he’s shooting at us?
Cross draws out his pistol. It’s old school and bad-ass: a
Ruger Super Redhawk .454
11 INT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS
McGuire senses he’s no longer being chased. He pauses -- his

sight-line shows him Cross with pistol leveled, but not at
him. He’s confused. Until he looks where Cross is aiming --
and sees TWO MASSIVE STAINLESS STEEL TANKS a hundred yards
away. They’re labeled: N02. Before he can shut his jaw --
12 INT. CROSSWALK - CONTINUOUS
KANE
Good question.
Cross quick fires six rounds at the two tanks.
13 INT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS
Cross’ shots trigger an ENORMOUS EXPLOSION, its ear-bursting

SHOCK WAVE blowing McGuire 20 feet back in the air, and smack
landing him into a concrete pillar.
McGuire comes to, and finds himself with a close up view of

Cross’s Redhawk and Kane’s Glock.
CROSS
Ian McGuire, your days of hurting
little girls are at an end. Would
you care to argue the point?
MCGUIRE
How’d you keep up with me?
KANE
Because, piss-ant, my daddy worked
here --
4.
CROSS
-- and every weekend this was our
turf.
Cross hoists McGuire up. Onto his tippy toes.
CROSS
Listen up. When you’re sitting in
your 6 by 8 for the next fifty years,
contemplate the irony: You got caught
in our playground.
Police cars are on site. As McGuire is put into a squad car,

Cross approaches a uniformed cop.
CROSS
Officer, I’m late for a date. Could
you give me a lift?
COP
Sure, Detective. Where to?
CROSS
Ryan Correctional.
CUT TO: Metal clanging, a door opening, and --
15 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY
a prison guard ushers in POP POP JONES, a teen with war zone
eyes and a wicked scar across his face. As his cuffs are
unlocked and the guard leaves the room, Pop Pop sees who’s
waiting for him — Cross.
CROSS
Have a seat, Pop Pop.
Pop Pop sits. Checks out the scratches and torn threads Cross
acquired during the chase.
POP POP
Man, you look like you gave your
lady the wrong answer.
Cross sets on the table a little magnetic chess set. It’s

only got four pieces on it.
POP POP
What is this, you drag me in to play
a board game?
CROSS
You know how?
5.
Pop Pop answers with a disdainful chortle.
CROSS
That's what I figured. 140 IQ, you
can't be a checkers boy.
POP POP
Damn straight. But what's the purpose?
CROSS
To show you how stupid you are. Here's
the proposition. Me, I just get these
three little pawns. You get this bad
ass rook. You going to take me before
I advance to queen?
POP POP
You got a trick.
CROSS
No. I already told you, Pop Pop,
this is a stupid test.
Cross advances a pawn. Play continues as —
CROSS
I know you didn't kill 14 people.
POP POP
She-it. Before you, there ain’t ever
been a police who didn’t say “ok”
when a gangsta say “yeah I done it.”
CROSS
Sometimes I'm not just police.
POP POP
Right, you the head shrinker. Well
you ain't shrinking nothin' of mine.
Check this out, Doctor Cross: I done
em - I said I capped em - I named em -
an the judge bought it. An here I
am. Feel me? Everybody’s happy, why
ain't you?
CROSS
I am happy, Pop Pop.
POP POP
I ain't so sure bout that.
(taking a pawn)
An your ass is in jeopardy.
6.
CROSS
Well there's two things we can agree
on. Lester Hastings. Raquel Waters.
You killed them, that we both know.
The other six, you’re taking the rap
cause you know you’re already in for
life. You figure you might as well
be a righteous street soldier, take
the fall for your “brothers.” You
call that noble?
POP POP
You askin' hypothetical?
(Cross nods)
Yeah, that's noble.
CROSS
See, that’s the reason I’m giving
you this stupid test.
(moving pawn to F6)
Which you are about to lose.
POP POP
(frustration bursting)
Man, what is it you want?
CROSS
The truth. Cause let me tell you
what that'll lead to. Not getting
back on the street, cause you're
down for two, in for life. Not
everything else, a better facility,
better food, more privileges, because
you don’t give a damn.
POP POP
Indeed.
CROSS
Which leads me back. To just telling
the truth. Talking to me about your
game, what goes on, who calls what,
why six other people ended up on the
cement. Talking straight about that
equals noble. When you get what I’m
saying, you won't be stupid anymore.
(making the winning
move)
Look, I just got myself my queen.
Cross pockets the chess set. As he goes to the door.
POP POP
Well good for you. But you lose cause
I ain't talkin.
7.
CROSS
Pop Pop, what do you think we've
been doing? I'll see you down the
road.
The door slams shut. Pop Pop sits alone.
16 EXT. CROSS' HOUSE — NIGHT
Old, but charming and well-kept.
17 INT. CROSS’ HOUSE — NIGHT
The space is cramped but cozy.
Alex’s mother, NANA MAMA, a take-no-prisoners force of nature,

is clipping coupons at the family table.
MARIA, Alex’s effervescently stunning wife, is tidying up

her briefcase.
Alex’s son, DAMON, 7, is fidgeting with a RC helicopter.
Meanwhile, Alex is with his daughter, JANELLE, 9, at an old

upright piano. Janelle is hitting the proper keys and chords
as Alex hums a musical composition —
ALEX
No, wait, it’s more like this...
He tries a variation of the tune he has in mind.
DAMON (O.S.)
Dad!
ALEX
One sec, Damon.
Janelle plays his variation; as Alex enthuses he is making

his way to Damon.
ALEX
Yes, that’s it! You got it! Janelle,
you bring out the musical genius in
me!
JANELLE
I think you’ve got it backwards,
daddy.
NANA MAMA
That’s right, honey. Don’t let that
head of his swell any bigger.
8.
ALEX
Mama, give me some credit. Why, look
at these fine specimens I made.
Alex joins Damon, who’s making adjustments to the little

chopper. (All along, Janelle continues with Alex’s tune,
improvising and improving on it.)
ALEX
What have we got?
DAMON
This puppy ain’t working.
ALEX / MARIA / NANA MAMA

Isn’t!
ALEX
Say it.
DAMON
Isn’t working.
ALEX
There too much lock-tite on the
screws?
DAMON
No, sir.
ALEX
Let’s see.
(he revs the motor)
It’s shaking. First thing is —
DAMON
Check the blades and shafts.
ALEX
Correctamundo.
Alex makes some adjustments to the blades.
ALEX
Let’s try it now.
JANELLE
Damon, you better not hit me.
ALEX
All this boy’s going to do is thread
needles.
The chopper rises. Damon manages to fly it wobbily across

the room. Maria appears at the kitchen door.
9.
ALEX
Yes! Try landing on the table.
MARIA
Alex. Could you refill the Tide?
He gives Damon a wink.
ALEX
I am on my way.
18 INT. CROSS KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
Alex meets up with Maria, snatching a kiss as she hands off

the empty detergent bottle to him.
ALEX
You know, the only problem with you,
the only problem, is you’re too short.
As he steps into the LAUNDRY ROOM, reaches up high for the

jumbo container, Maria steps to the threshold. She pretends
to be IN TOTAL AWE of him --
MARIA
Oh, you’re so tall, and, and...
She breaks into a giggle.
ALEX
Enough. I apologize. Your height is
superior.
She holds out a funnel.
MARIA
Here you go.
As Alex pours detergent from the jumbo to the regular bottle,

he finds Maria giving him a beguiling look.
ALEX
What?
MARIA
I think you’re way over-rated.
ALEX
What are you talking about?
MARIA
Just that you’re not as observant as
you think.
10.
ALEX
Is that so?
Maria draws closer to Alex. And damn, she’s got this ability
to make a little laundry room sizzle.
MARIA
Yeah.
ALEX
Well first of all, it’s everyone
else, aside from you apparently, who
thinks I’m so observant. And second
of all, I’m obviously more eagle-
eyed than you give me credit for.
MARIA
Oh? Do tell.
ALEX
What’s in it for me?
MARIA
Your pride.
ALEX
Okay. You fixed the hinge on the
front door. Janelle bit her lip at
recess and she’s proud she hasn’t
complained to me about it. And you’re
wearing a new lipstick. Gone from
Red Wine to —
MARIA
Rouge Cancun -
ALEX
which I do think is a winning choice.
MARIA
Not bad. But that’s all chump change.
You obviously need a clue. It’s very,
very close.
Alex can’t believe it. He looks around...and finally gives

up. Maria whispers a clue:
MARIA
Dr. Cross: You’re holding it.
Alex looks at the little funnel in his hand. Only with a

second look does he see the LITTLE PIECE OF PLASTIC taped to
it. He pulls it off. It’s a litmus strip.
A beat. As he contemplates it.

11.
MARIA
You need any help taking this over
the finish line?
ALEX
We’re pregnant!
MARIA
Shhh! No, Alex, I’m pregnant. You
were just the facilitator.
He lifts her up.
ALEX
How long?
MARIA
Six weeks. Which means it’s our secret
until I get to ten. Think you can
keep quiet for that long?
ALEX
For you, anything.
19 INT. CROSS’ HOUSE — NIGHT
Alex and Maria rejoin their family. Maria gives Alex a kiss
and returns to her briefcase.
Alex sits beside his mom. Takes it all in: his wife, his two
children. All the while, his mom is scrutinizing him.
NANA MAMA
Son, you look like you swallowed a
canary.
ALEX
No, Nana Mama. I’m just feeling happy.
20 INT. CROSS’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Maria stands in a bathrobe. Alex comes up behind her, puts

his hands on her belly.
MARIA
What do you think you’re doing?
ALEX
Just holding the center of the
universe.
MARIA
Yes, he is.
12.
ALEX
He?
(off her smile)
You sure?
Alex sweeps her onto the bed, Maria giggling all the while.
ALEX
What else haven’t you told me?
MARIA
Plenty.
ALEX
Oh, is that so.
Beat — Alex staring into her eyes.
ALEX
You’ve given him a name already.
She gives him a Mona Lisa smile.
ALEX
What is it?
MARIA
You have a problem with Alexander?
ALEX
Alexander? I know an Alexander. And
he happens to be a very, very, very
bad boy.
21 INT. CROSS’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Alex and Maria are entwined, fast asleep. Cross’ cell phone
rings. Maria wakes as instantly as Cross. Based on their
comportment it's evident this happens a lot.
CROSS
(to Maria)
Tommy.
(answering)
Hey...No, I wasn’t sleeping.
(writing an address)
I got it. I’ll meet you there.
He hangs up. The look he gives Maria: it happens a lot.
22 EXT. RANCH HOUSE — MORNING
Cross pulls over a few houses short. Because ahead, four

squad cars are parked tactically, the cops poised behind
them with guns drawn.
13.
Kane's Camaro is just beyond the cordon. He jogs over to

meet Cross.
CROSS
What do we have?
KANE
Man, I don’t know.
The two detectives join the cops.
CROSS
‘Morning gentlemen. Can anyone tell
me what’s going on?
COP
Yes, sir. This house belongs to a
Chester Newman. 61. He lives alone.
One of his neighbors hadn’t seen him
in a few days, got concerned. Plus,
he says his dogs have been acting
funny.
CROSS
(re distant baying)
You mean that?
COP
Yes sir. Anyway, the neighbor calls
for a patrolman, the patrolman comes
here...and he says he thinks he heard
a shotgun racked from inside. Thinks,
he wouldn’t swear. Anyhow, between
that and the dogs and the smell -
CROSS
What kind of smell?
COP
Get a little closer, you’ll see.
23 EXT. NEWMAN’S HOUSE — A FEW MINUTES LATER
Cross and Kane strap on vests and with some of the cops behind
they move in on the house. They bust inside --
24 INT. NEWMAN’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Flashlights mounted on weapons criss-cross, illuminating

rooms cluttered and dusty. And yes, the place seeps a
profoundly foul odor.
CROSS
POLICE.
14.
Cross signals that he wants to head up.
25 INT. NEWMAN’S HOUSE, 2ND STORY - CONTINUOUS
The group rushes up the stairs...and finds it’s pretty much

the same here as below. Except the stench is stronger. One
cop fights a growing gag.
Cross keys on AN ATTIC ACCESS DOOR. To the cop in charge.
CROSS
I think Chester’s alone.
26 EXT. NEWMAN’S ATTIC — MORNING
As Cross’ head comes into the space, A MASSIVE THING swoops

at him out of the dark with A JUNGLE HISS. Cross loses his
footing but dodges being hit.
He emerges into the attic, Kane behind him with Glock drawn
to deal with whatever in the hell is waiting to pounce again --
and REVEAL it is a MASSIVE COCKATOO. Now perched high up in
the roofing, it continues its stream of threatening noises,
intermittently screaming out:
COCKATOO
Loser. Youregonnaloose. Loser...
Cross and Kane ignore the bird. They’re wholly fixed now on
the remains of Chester. Who has, in a manner of speaking,
been crucified.
He’s been faced to look out a tiny window. Stripped naked,

his torso against a beam, nails driven through his ankles
into 2x4s. His arms have been nailed through the wrists to
joists above his head, but one arm has been torn loose: spike
still through it, it is attached to strings that hold it so
that he unmistakably looks as if he’s waving.
A few feet from the body is a lawn chair. Beside it is an

empty bucket of chicken and jug of water.
Cross can handle the smell. But his sense of disgust and
moral outrage is palpable. As he circles the body:
CROSS
Good God.
He studies the dangling hand, the six inch nail driven through
its wrist.
He fixes on the SEVERAL DOZEN LARGE PIECES OF PAPER scattered

on the floor.
15.
He picks up one. It’s A FINELY RENDERED SKETCH of Chester

Newman in a state of agony and humiliation. In the bottom
corner it is written: “DAY ONE, SEVEN HOURS.” Cross picks up
another, finds a similar study where Chester is near death;
it’s labeled DAY THREE, 52 HOURS.
Cross has seen enough. He forces open the window. He and

Kane take in some much needed fresh air.
KANE
Sick son of a bitch fancies himself
a Picasso.
CROSS
Yeah. He sure has the arrogance down.
Sat right there for over two days,
without a worry. Just enjoying the
suffering.
(beat)
You know, this property’s right on
the city line.
KANE
What are you saying, cuz?
Cross looks at the clear sky. The sun clearing the trees.
CROSS
It’s going to be a beautiful day.
Kane eyes his partner. He can tell when Alex is thinking.

When he needs to stay quiet and wait...Finally:
CROSS
Our guy pried Chester’s arm loose
once he was dead. Just for us.
Here we are, on the edge of town,
and Chester’s positioned facing the
city, giving us a wave. You know
what our guy’s saying? “Hello. Just
wanted to introduce myself. I’m the
new guy in town.”
KANE
Well, I’m looking forward to
personally giving him my opinion of
his sense of humor.
CROSS
Let’s pray for luck. Cause I think
before your day comes Picasso’s going
to be making us miserable.
16.
27 EXT. RANCH HOUSE - MORNING
Cross and Kane exit as a CSI team waits to move in.
CSI INVESTIGATOR
What's the score, detective?
CROSS
You’re not going to find anything.
28 INT. NONDESCRIPT CAR - NIGHT
A MERCEDES Cl65 exits the freeway.
It glides through barren streets.
29 EXT. DOWNTOWN - NIGHT
The Mercedes pulls to a stop.
Out steps MICHAEL SULLIVAN. He's in his early 30s, with

intelligent eyes, and the assured bearing of someone
accustomed to getting things done. He's perfectly dressed,
in dark, minimal colors with maximum details.
He scans his surroundings, He is not alone. There are a lot

of other cars parked around him, and other well-heeled people
heading inside A DILAPIDATED THEATER.
As Sullivan heads to the theater he clocks a Bentley Mulsanne

parked by the entrance. A BEEFY ASIAN MAN stands beside it;
he stares impassively at Sullivan.
30 INT. DECREPIT THEATER ENTRANCE - NIGHT
A LOW RUMBLING grows louder from within as Sullivan makes

his way towards the ARMED GUARDS and BOUNCERS with wands.
He flashes his I.D., is frisked for weapons. Some high

rollers, recognized as regulars, push past.
31 INT. DECREPIT THEATER - CONTINUOUS
Sullivan enters the cleared-out space, packed with PUNTERS

waving cash. The focus of their frenzy is a MMA ring in the
center of the space, where a NO HOLDS BARRED FIGHT is
underway. A BOOKIE scrawls odds on a board and handles the
wagers.
Sullivan scans the crowd. His gaze settles on a striking

Canton beauty, FAN YAU, seated ring-side. The Mandarin beauty
happens to glance in his direction. Fleetingly, she checks
out Sullivan. And he her.
He pulls out a money clip fat with cash and places a wager.
17.
SULLIVAN
Ten thousand...on The Belfast Bomber.
BOOKIE
No Bomber on list.
SULLIVAN
You're looking at him, Charlie.
The bookie eyes Sullivan.. Then eyeballs the 10k.
BOOKIE
Only opening is heavyweight.
SULLIVAN
Do I look like I care?
32 INT. IN THE RING - LATER
Sullivan emerges from the make-shift locker room, barefoot,

hands taped. He makes his way through the noisy crowd, all
poise and confidence.
Already in the ring is his opponent. An early 30s brute with

a roid-rage physique and prison tats. DOBRICA COSIC.
The bookie chalks up the odds, heavily favoring Cosic.

Sullivan studies his opponent, but takes a time out as the
long-legged RING GIRL passes.
SULLIVAN
If I win, you leave with me.
RING GIRL
What if I told you I'm only fifteen?
SULLIVAN
Then I’ll take you to school.
The crowd simmers as Sullivan and Cosic meet in the middle.
COSIC
Ready to get your ass kicked?
SULLIVAN
I like your attitude. You hit me in
the face, I'm going to kill you.
The fight begins. Sullivan ducks a few punches and avoids

kicks as he takes measure of Cosic.
Recognizing a south paw, he circles to his right. Cosic

reverses his stance. The brute is ambidextrous. He pops
Sullivan with a fast left hook and a hard right to the body.
18.
SULLIVAN
Not bad big boy.
Cosic strikes again. Sullivan is cat-quick, and every strike

meant for his head is blocked or dodged.
But THE BODY BLOWS are another story: when Cosic throws them,
they land, again and again and again, loud, blood-pissing
pops UNTHWARTED by Sullivan — as if he’s letting Cosic beat
the shit out of him.
The crowd, sensing a quick finish, grows even louder.
Feeding off their blood lust, Cosic bends Sullivan over with
a kick, followed by a guillotine head lock with which he
takes him to the mat. With Sullivan’s head immobilized —
COSIC
Anything goes, asshole!
— Cosic punches Sullivan in the face.
With this it’s as if a switch is flipped. Sullivan breaks

the hold, stuns Cosic with a knee to the thorax...
Then comes an attack, mind-blowing in its ferocity.
Sullivan knows every trick in the book, and uses plenty of

them to reduce Cosic into a mass of quivering jello: he breaks
Cosic's nose, hatchets him in the solar plexus, then — in a
move that makes the frenzied crowd gasp — dislocates the big
man's knee.
The crowd erupts as Cosic goes down. He tries to tap out.
REFEREE
(pulling at Sullivan)
We're done.
But Sullivan isn’t done — he grabs Cosic’s hand —
SULLIVAN
Anything goes, right?
— and in one move breaks all of Cosic’s fingers.
SULLIVAN
Now, we're done.
As Cosic flails on the ground, Sullivan faces the crowd, the

torn betting slips raining down like confetti.
He makes eye contact with Fan Yau. Both impassively regard

the other. Then Sullivan exits the ring.
19.
33 INT. LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT
Cosic writhes on a table as TWO BUDDIES attend to him.
COSIC'S FRIEND
He needs the ER!
As this is going on, Sullivan steps through the partition.

His demeanor entirely different from what we’ve seen. He
stops besides Cosic’s cubby where his clothes hang.
SULLIVAN
Hey. He going to be okay?
COSIC'S FRIEND #2
What do you think, man!? Just get
out of here!
SULLIVAN
No problem. Tell him I’m sorry. It
was nothing personal.
Sullivan backs out. And we see he’s picked Cosic’s wallet.

He glances at Cosic’s license, then frisbees the wallet
back into his locker.
AT SULLIVAN’S LOCKER
He is unwrapping his hands when FAN YAU shows up, flanked by

her BODYGUARDS.
Sullivan for the first time takes her in fully. She is

gorgeous. Elegant. She wears AN EMERALD NECKLACE that could
buy a couple Bentley Mulsannes.
She scans his body, the bruises. This combo turns her on.
FAN YAU
Did you learn to fight in prison?
SULLIVAN
I’ve been learning all my life. What?
FAN YAU
I think everything you say is a lie.
SULLIVAN
I’m not going to argue with that.
FAN YAU
You took a very big gamble tonight.
SULLIVAN
The house's prize-bull was a bit
over-rated.
20.
FAN YAU
I'm talking about your bet. You hurt
the house.
Sullivan takes measure of the bodyguards around him.
SULLIVAN
I don’t think you give a damn about
my bet. Or the bet you lost when
your guy tapped out. I think you
think it was worth it. You got a
good show.
She smiles. They speak the same language. He finishes

unwrapping his hand, revealing a badly dislocated finger.
She moves closer. She takes Sullivan's hand and snaps the
finger back into place. He doesn't flinch.
SULLIVAN
Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me,
I'd like to clean up, have a cold
one and screw the lovely ring girl.
FAN YAU
They don't serve alcohol here. And
maybe you should set your sights
higher than a ring girl.
SULLIVAN
Maybe I should.
34 INT. FAN YAU’S TOWNHOUSE, BEDROOM SUITE - NIGHT
Sullivan and Fan Yau enter, she snapping a command in Chinese

to her bodyguards (o.s), who remain in front of the complex.
No sooner does she shut the door than her cell phone rings.
FAN YAU
Excuse me one minute.
As Fan Yau talks, again in Chinese, Sullivan takes in the

multi-room suite: ridiculous square footage, post-modern
minimalist: the expensively paneled walls are bare, a glass-
top desk holds only a laptop: the only piece of decor is on
a side table -- a fierce STATUE of Guan Yu, the god of war.
When she finishes her call, Sullivan asks about the statue:
SULLIVAN
What’s he doing in here?
FAN YAU
You don’t know me very well.
21.
She removes her emerald necklace, sets it beside the statue.
Then she lets her dress fall to the floor.
She approaches Sullivan. Pulls off his shirt. Sighs as she

finally lays hands on his body.
SULLIVAN
I think you are up to no good.
Smiling, she tiptoes up to bite his neck.
SULLIVAN
Well, so am I.
He picks her up, lays her on the bed. She slips her hands
through silk cords attached to the bedposts.
FAN YAU
Make them tight.
She moans as Sullivan complies, binding her ankles too.
SULLIVAN
Do you like, my little lotus eater?
Before she can reply, Sullivan clamps her mouth. She panics
when she sees in his hand a tiny metal device, A MINIATURE
PNEUMATIC SYRINGE -- this is SULLIVAN'S WASP. Enjoying her
mounting fear, he presses it against her arm and a needle
shoots out. Within seconds Fan Yau goes limp - paralyzed but
alert.
Sullivan cracks the bedroom door.
He clocks one bodyguard seated in the living room, his back

to him, flipping through a magazine.
The second is in the kitchen (separated from the living room

by a partial wall) preparing a meal.
The third is not in sight.
35 INT. LIVING ROOM — CONTINUOUS
What we saw in the ring was but a warm-up for what Sullivan
does now.
In a few silent strides he is behind the seated guard. In a

fluid motion he cradles the man’s head, breaks his neck, and
pulls a pistol from his shoulder harness.
The guard in the kitchen drops his cutlery to pull his gun.
Meanwhile, Sullivan is chambering a round and taking aim.
22.
At the moment the guard grabs his pistol Sullivan’s bullet

drills into his forehead.
Sullivan takes one step to his left. Eyes on the doorway

across the room.
Within seconds the third man appears (the beefy guy who was
guarding the Bentley). He shows hardly more than his shadow
before Sullivan fires a single shot that zips through his
gut and blows out his spine.
The guard falls to the floor. In agony. His legs paralyzed.

Sullivan’s shadow falls over him.
SULLIVAN
I’ll be right back.
He kicks the guard’s pistol across the room, then exits.
The gut-shot guard starts dragging himself across the room.

DESPERATE to get to his pistol. He’s almost to it when the
DOOR SOUNDS again.
Sullivan heads back towards the bedroom; in hand he has a 96

ounce jug of Clorox liquid bleach, and A STEEL PRUNER.
As the gut-shot guard reaches his pistol, Sullivan walks by,

casually putting a bullet in his head.
He stops at the broke necked guard. Pops open the Clorox.

Sprays bleach over the dead man’s neck and shoulder holster.
36 INT. FAN YAU’S BEDROOM SUITE — NIGHT
Sullivan reenters. He sits beside the paralyzed Fan Yau. Her

eyes are clear, and she is terrified. The drug makes it
difficult for her to speak, her voice raspy.
FAN YAU
...What are you...
SULLIVAN
Shhh. I’m sorry, Fanny, but we’re
going to have to put off the kinky
sex. I’m not in the mood.
FAN YAU
What do you want?
Sullivan answers by placing her thumb in the pruner.

Commingled with her scream we hear the digit snipped.
Then he goes around the bed and cuts off her other thumb.
23.
He walks away, proceeds to wipe down things he touched in

the room earlier and splash clorox in his wake. All the while
ignoring the weak cries of the woman:
FAN YAU (O.S.)

You bastard. You shit. You’re a dead
man.
He returns to her, her laptop tucked under one arm.
SULLIVAN
Quiet.
His actions. His tone. It all adds to immediate obedience.

Hyperventilating, she eyes Sullivan with desperate attention.
She fights panic as he puts her index finger in the pruner —
but he doesn’t squeeze.
SULLIVAN
Would you like to keep this one?
FAN YAU
Yes...yes.
SULLIVAN
That means it’s time for teamwork. I
want to look at your computer. Would
you please tell me the password?
37 INT. SULLIVAN'S MERCEDES - NIGHT
As he drives over a bridge he dials 911 on a burner phone.
SULLIVAN
Hello. I’m calling to report a
multiple homicide...2416 Tracy
Avenue...How do I know? I'm the one
who did them. Have a good night.
He tosses the burner into the river, and speeds off.
38 INT. TINY BEDROOM, CROSS’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Alex stands in the doorway watching Damon and Jannie praying

by their beds. Damon clutches a toy dinosaur.
JANNIE / DAMON
God Bless Nana and Daddy and Mommy...
DAMON
... and T-Rex!
Alex tucks them in. Gives Jannie a kiss and Damon a gentle
head butt.
24.
ALEX
Dream good dreams. I’ll see you in
the morning.
As he heads toward his bedroom and Maria, waiting with a

sultry look, his cell phone rings.
39 INT. CROSS' ESCALADE - NIGHT
He pulls over in front of an apartment building. Kane hops

in. As they speed off --
CROSS
So it’s four down. What else do we
know?
KANE
Three males. The female done in nasty,
details yet to come. I haven’t heard
the tape yet, but the perp called it
in himself.
CROSS
Just one guy?
KANE
So he says.
A few beats as Cross drives fast, does the math. Finally:
CROSS
I’m feeling too old for this.
This gives Kane a good laugh.
KANE
Bitch on, rookie.
Then he realizes Cross is getting at something.
KANE
What are you saying?
CROSS
There’s an opening at FBI.
KANE
Ohh! Alex Cross with a desk job!
Living the life! At the very apex of
law enforcement!
CROSS
My psyche degree means extra pay.
25.
KANE
Plus there’s extra time with the
wife and kids.
CROSS
True.
KANE
Brother, the thing that’s on the top
of your mind, that’s what you say to
me first.
CROSS
You’re right. It’ll mean more time
with Maria and my kids.
KANE
Well. Desk job at the FBI. It sounds
great. Really. Too bad you can’t do
it.
CROSS
That so?
KANE
Alex, where you are I’ve already
been. I remember thinking I could
get out of the game, find “true
happiness.” But let me lay some news
on you: you aren’t in the game. The
game is in you.
40 EXT. FAN YAU’S HOUSE — NIGHT
Patrol cars are on scene; cops have the perimeter secured.
Cross and Kane make their way to the house.
En route, one of the cops stops them.
COP
Detectives.
They see the cop has TWO MEN, formidably built guys in nice
suits, cooling their heels. He hands Cross their licenses.
COP
We pulled these two watching from
that sedan at the corner. It just
didn’t look right.
CROSS
(re: licenses)
You run these?
26.
COP
Yeah. They’re clean.
KANE
I’m going to do a walk around.
Kane vanishes in the side yard.
CROSS
(to the cop)
Good job. I’ll take care of them.
Cross goes over to the two men.
CROSS
Evening. I’m Detective Cross. So you
gentlemen happened to be passing by.
SUIT
Yes, sir.
CROSS
You see anything unusual?
SUIT
No, sir.
CROSS
You’re police radio junkies.
SUIT
No, sir, we were just passing by.
Cross knows they’re full of it. And they know he knows. He

returns their licenses.
CROSS
I’m sorry for inconveniencing you.
Cross watches the two suits head off.
Kane comes around from the other side of the house. Cross
meets him at the entryway.
KANE
That anything?
CROSS
Yeah, but what I don’t know.
KANE
The house is heavy. If someone wanted
to force entry they’d need a
jackhammer.
27.
To illustrate, Kane taps on the window flanking the door.
KANE
Bulletproof.
41 INT. FAN YAU’S LIVING ROOM — NIGHT
Cross and Kane enter to find a crew of technicians and a

photographer at work.
KANE
What you got?
TECHNICIAN
Nada. Everything’s been sanitized.
Wiped and cloroxed.
KANE
Thanks. Could we have the scene for
a few minutes?
The CSI types thankfully exit. So now it’s just the Cross
and Kane show.
They make their way slowly across the place, taking it all
in: the gut shot driver and his trail of blood, the guy in
the kitchen with his three eyes, the dude with the broken
neck. This is something they don't see everyday.
CROSS
Tommy, who calls the shots in the
henhouse?
KANE
The motherfucking fox.
42 INT. FAN YAU’S BEDROOM — CONTINUOUS
First thing they see when they walk in is Fan Yau, still
tied to the posts. One wrist is cut, the mattress red.
KANE looks away, and is the first to see: ALL TEN OF FAN
YAU’S FINGERS lined in a neat row in front of the statue of
Guan Yu. Seasoned as he is, he can’t help himself:
KANE
Oh snap! Alex, we’ve got ourselves a
certified whack job.
Cross joins him. Is equally repulsed. But checks himself.
CROSS
Hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
28.
Meanwhile, Kane is going through Fan Yau’s purse. Nothing

stands out. Then, he pulls her license from her wallet. And
a fancy SECURITY SWIPE CARD: blank, made of titanium.
KANE
Name’s Fan Yau. Only other item is
one very elegant but blank swipe
card. And eight hundred in cash.
Cross has been looking through drawers. He's now studying

the glass top desk.
CROSS
Laptop footprints on the glass. I
say he made off with it.
Beat. Cross gestures at the dress on the floor.
CROSS
Ok. Our guy. She already knows him,
invites him in. He ties her down,
maybe gags her. You’re not impressed
yet, are you?
KANE
Not in the least.
CROSS
Then he makes it to the reader, breaks
his neck and pulls his piece fast
enough to tap the cook at 25 feet
right between the eyes.
KANE
Now I’m impressed.
CROSS
Me too. This guy is a pro, no doubt.
(beat)
The fat man barrels in. But our pro --
our pro doesn’t give him a head shot.
He lames him, kicks his piece, lets
him crawl across the room before
firing point blank.
(beat)
So he doesn’t conform, he’s not
impassive. He’s figuring he’s got
two down, now he can start enjoying
himself.
KANE
And then it’s Fan Yau’s turn. He
works her — to get the laptop
password. But come on — it doesn’t
take ten fingers.
29.
CROSS
Yeah. You can say it now.
KANE
Alex: We’ve got ourselves a certified
whack job.
CROSS
That may well be.
KANE
Anything else?
CROSS
Well, at the very least he was after
information. And he’s around 6’1”,
6’2”.
Kane gives Cross The Look. It’s a “how the hell did you deduce
that” look that he’s shot him a thousand times.
CROSS
How tall is Fan Yau?
KANE
...about 5’6”.
CROSS
Look at her desk - the indent in the
carpet shows where she always sat.
Except now the chair’s almost a half
foot back, and the carpet’s pressed
deep. Our guy was sitting there for
a while. After she gave him her
password.
(then)
And one other thing.
Cross indicates a heavy chair next to the bed. A waste basket

is beside it.
CROSS
This is where he sat. To have a nice
view. You want to guess what’s in
the waste basket?
Kane knows where this is going.
KANE
Oh, man.
CROSS
Yeah. Wood shavings from a sharpened
pencil. He was sketching her.
30.
KANE
It’s Picasso.
CROSS
Our serial killer is also a
professional assassin.
Kane lets out a silent whistle.
43 INT. CROSS’ DINING ROOM — NIGHT
Cross opens a sideboard drawer. Takes from a stack a brand

new legal pad. Takes from a box a brand new ball point.
He sits at the table. Stares at his laptop as the crime scene

photos from Fan Yau’s run in a loop.
He opens an mpeg, listens to Sullivan’s call:
SULLIVAN RECORDING
Hello. I’m calling to report a
multiple homicide...2416 Tracy
Avenue...How do I know? I'm the one
who did them. Have a good night.
CROSS
You’re a funny guy.
He goes into the kitchen, pours himself a cup of coffee.

Stares out the window into the night...
44 EXT. DECREPIT BUNGALOW — NIGHT
Sullivan eases his Merc to the curb. He takes out his WASP
and removes from a box a TINY AMPULE that fits inside the
device. He slips the WASP into the palm of his hand.
45 INT. DECREPIT BUNGALOW — NIGHT
Dobrica Cosic is passed out in a barcalounger, the TV on, a

near empty fifth of booze in his hand.
The TV goes off. This only partially awakens Cosic. But the
barcalounger rocking brings him to.
As soon as he is awake, Sullivan, standing behind him, presses

the WASP into the base of his neck. The whisky bottle drops
to the floor as Cosic makes a primitive gasp.
SULLIVAN
Stop trying to move, you’re paralyzed
dipshit.
He comes around the chair to face the man.

31.
SULLIVAN
Remember me?
Cosic sure does, and he grows even more frightened.
SULLIVAN
I’m a man of my word. There’s not
going to be a next time someone tells
you not to hit them in the face.
With this Sullivan unrolls a leather kit containing a dozen

surgical scalpels, scissors, etc. He holds a scalpel up to
Cosic, as if asking if this is what he'd like to start with.
46 INT. DINING ROOM — MORNING
Cross has come up with some notes over the past few hours,
all of them punctuated with heavily retraced question marks.
IN THE KITCHEN
Maria sees Damon and Janelle out to the school car pool.
DAMON
Bye daddy!
JANELLE
Have a good day daddy!
Cross is so intensely focused that he’s a beat late responding -

his kids are out the door as he yells out:
ALEX
Bye! Be good!
Maria takes a breath before turning to face her husband. She

goes to the entrance of the dining room, no further.
MARIA
Alex Cross. Your children did that
to you they’d be getting a talking
to.
ALEX
You’re right. I’m sorry.
MARIA
Why are you apologizing to me?
ALEX
I’ll give them one. As soon as I see
them tonight.
Maria walks away, now more frustrated than angry.

32.
Cross feels like a cad. Then an image on the laptop -- one

he's seen hundreds of times over the course of the night --
makes a synapse fire. He backs up to the photo -- it's of
FAN YAU'S EMERALD NECKLACE.
47 INT. FAN YAU'S HOUSE - MORNING
Cross ducks through the crime scene tape and enters the living
room. The morning light keys the streaks and splatters of
blood in the eerily silent house...
Then Cross hears A NOISE emanating from the bedroom. He draws

his pistol, draws the hammer, and slowly approaches.
He pauses at the half-closed bedroom door, listening. Silence.

He BURSTS THROUGH, ready to fire --
48 INT. FAN YAU'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
-- only to find a gun barrel aimed right at him.
Fortunately, it's TOMMY KANE holding the pistol.
CROSS
Man, what are you doing here?
KANE
You're asking me?, I was here first!
Christ, I almost fired. You gotta be
more careful, brother.
CROSS
Tommy Kane, shot dead by his own
partner. I'd probably never get over
it.
Both start laughing, burning up the adrenaline.
CROSS
You come with a hunch?
KANE
I just felt we missed something.
Thought maybe I'd pounce on it if I
came back and snooped.
CROSS
Find anything?
KANE
Not yet.
CROSS
Have any hunches?
33.
Kane does not.
CROSS
How about the necklace?
KANE
The one worth more than I'll ever
make?
Cross goes to the wood paneled wall. With each step he gives
it a hard knock.
CROSS
I didn't see another piece of jewelry.
Did you?
Kane knuckles his head, pissed he didn't see the obvious.
Meantime, Cross gets a different sound. Right above the statue

of Guan Yu. He probes the paneling, but to no avail. His
gaze goes to the statue. He tries moving it -- it slides
back, and the panel behind it opens.
KANE
Eureka. What do we have?
Cross shines a flashlight in the space.
CROSS
A jewelry safe. A Glock 33. And --
He reaches in, pulls out --
KANE
Fan Yau's got a backup drive.
49 INT. HOMICIDE AND MAJOR CRIMES DIVISION — LATE DAY
Cross makes his way through the understaffed open-spaced

division room with a thin file in hand.
He arrives at a corner where TWO FOUR MAN CUBICLES are angled

together; this belongs to Cross’s Unit, and the extra space
is the best thing about HMCD: the equipment is antiquated,
storage boxes are stacked everywhere, a number of fluorescent
fixtures are dead.
In addition to Kane there is VIKKI RYAN, mid-30s, and MONICA

ASHE, late 20s, a recent transfer from the ranks.
CROSS
Score one for the good guys: the
drive is a wireless clone.
(MORE)
34.
CROSS (CONT'D)
Tech forensics cracked it and I've
got info, with more on the way.
Anyone here been as productive as
me?
KANE
(correcting Cross)
Us.
Monica Ashe holds up a sheet of paper. It's mostly white.
ASHE
I have a bio on Fan Yau.
(reading)
28 years old. Taiwanese national, no
known family there or here, she
attends college on a scholarship,
earns her M.B.A in just one year,
wins a Rhodes scholarship.
RYAN
And that's all there is. It's like
Poof -- she goes totally off the
map, like a phantom.
CROSS
What's the coroner say?
RYAN
Cause of death is hemorrhagic shock.
Only note aside from the amputations
and slit wrist is a hypodermic needle
mark in her right arm. But the blood
work is all negative.
CROSS
I don't buy it.
KANE
If Doc Hoffman weren't retired he'd
ferret something out. How about I
take this to him?
A phone rings. A second later the fax machine starts spitting.
KANE (CONT'D)
I guarantee you he'd love to step
back in the lab.
CROSS
That's a plan. Carry it.
Cross picks up the phone.

35.
CROSS
Yeah...it's coming in now. Good work.
Waiting for the fax, Cross opens the folder he brought.
CROSS
Here's what we've got so far from
the drive -- virtually all of Fan
Yau's emails are to and from one
Yves LeBescond. He runs some sort of
under-the-radar financial venture
out of the Aqua Building.
The fax sheet is now out. Cross scans it.
CROSS
Vikki, we need to put a call in to
LeBescond.
As Ryan types in a contact query, Cross reads from the fax.
CROSS
Okay. The last activity on the laptop
took place at 4:26 am, at which time
we can assume Fan Yau was not typing.
Picasso hit her address book, scanned
her email...
(Cross pauses)
and the last thing he looked at was
today's schedule for LeBescond. He
has conference calls slated in Europe
and China throughout the night.
KANE
Picasso's working his way up the
ladder?
RYAN
There's no contact listed. Nothing.
Cross is already on his way out.
CROSS
I think we better be the first to
pay LeBescond a visit.
50 INT. THE AQUA BUILDING - NIGHT
No ordinary office complex. It's brand new, a stunning piece

of architecture, and outfitted with all sorts of Green
technology.
Beyond that, it's built like Fort Knox, and patrolled just
as heavily.
36.
GUARDS with bulges in their blazers are everywhere --
OUTSIDE.
IN THE MAIN LOBBY.
ON THE ROOFTOP.
And in the GUARD STATION, communication between them all is

monitored, as is a stream of tech data: CCTVs are everywhere,
as are motion detectors, sound detectors, etc.
51 INT. LEBESCOND'S HQ, TOP FLOOR - NIGHT
A vast warren of executive offices, a huge trading area with

ceiling-mounted monitors, and additional rooms with all the
amenities offered by a top-notch organization -- weight room,
kitchen, executive dining room, etc.
WE TRAVEL through this all, see only minimal staff at work.
52 INT. CORNER OFFICE OF YVES LEBESCOND - NIGHT
It's a huge, cold space, shimmering clean, and we get a sense

of LeBescond when he stops his pacing - he is speaking on
the phone to someone in French - to snap at A WOMAN who's
laid a document under A GERM-KILLING UV LIGHT on his desk.
LEBESCOND
Your hands are not clean! I can tell!
Clean them now, and do not have me
ask you again.
As he resumes his conversation, he watches the chastised

assistant squirt some hand sanitizer on her hands.
53 EXT. AQUA, REAR OF BUILDING — NIGHT
Two guards cross. And in the dark space between them Sullivan
darts. He uses an oxy-acetylene torch to cut the lock on a
manhole cover. He lifts the lid, drops in, pulling the cover
back into place.
54 INT. AQUA SUB-BASEMENT — NIGHT
The torch flares at three sides of a grate, and Sullivan

pushes through.
Here, among other things, are the guts of the building’s GEO-
THERMAL HEATING/COOLING SYSTEM. Tanks and pumps garnished
with "green energy labels" hum efficiently.
Snaking from the core of tanks are a series of 4 FOOT DIAMETER

PVC PIPES, some blue, others red.
37.
Sullivan stops at a large tank labeled "SEDIMENT TRAP."
He strips off his clothes: underneath is his wetsuit.
He's been carrying a bag: he removes some of the stuff from

it -- a mini-breathing apparatus, an oxyhydrogen torch.
Done, he straps the bag to his ankle with a nylon rope.
He closes two valves, looping a strand of micro-filament to

one of them, then opens the hatch to the Sediment Trap. He
climbs inside it --
55 INT. SEDIMENT TRAP — CONTINUOUS
-- With the valves shut it holds just a few inches of water.

As Sullivan tightens the hatch with the suction grip, he
also pulls the filament --
56 INT. AQUA SUB-BASEMENT — CONTINUOUS
-- And the filament PULLS THE VALVE back to the open position.
57 INT. SEDIMENT TRAP — CONTINUOUS
WATER STREAMS BACK INTO the Sediment Trap.
Sullivan puts the breathing apparatus in his mouth.
58 INT. LEBESCOND HQ - NIGHT
Most of the remaining staffers leave.
LeBescond strategizes at a conference table with an aide.
Aside from them, there are now only a HALF DOZEN GUARDS
patrolling the area.
59 EXT. AQUA BUILDING - NIGHT
Cross and his people pull up.
They are met by A YOUNG GUARD as they make for the main door.
YOUNG GUARD
I'm sorry, sir, the building is
closed.
Cross holds out his badge.
CROSS
Let me inside, junior. I need to
speak to your boss.
38.
60 INT. SEDIMENT TRAP — NIGHT
The tank full, Sullivan uses his feet to push open the other
valve. He somersaults so that he’s head first, and then –
61 INT. THE RED PIPE — CONTINUOUS
Sullivan enters the PVC Pipe and rides the slow flow of water
upwards.
His equipment bag trailing behind him.
Every so often he checks the altimeter on his watch.
Passing 25 feet.
Then 100.
200 feet.
62 INT. AQUA BUILDING LOBBY - NIGHT
Cross and his people are met by the chief guard, SACKS, backed
by a handful of his men.
CROSS
We're here to see Mr. LeBescond.
SACKS
I'm sorry, detective. The building
is closed, and unless you have a
warrant this is as far as you're
getting.
CROSS
You're saying you never let police
on the premises. Because there's no
need.
SACKS
If you want to put it that way.
CROSS
Vikki.
She hands him some photos of Fan Yau. Post fingers.
CROSS
This is one of Mr. LeBescond's
employees. We have reason to believe
the person who did this is on his
way to visit. He might already be
here.
The photo has Sacks a little unsettled.

39.
SACKS
He wouldn't be getting any further
than you.
CROSS
You're probably right. When I come
back with a warrant, and tell Mr.
LeBescond about your indifference to
his fingers, I'm sure he'll say the
same thing.
Now Sacks is starting to doubt himself.
CROSS
Escort us to his office. He has
security up there? Play it safe for
yourself, take us up to talk to them.
63 INT. ELEVATOR, AQUA BUILDING - NIGHT
Cross and his people and Sacks get in. Above the elevator
panel's buttons is a CARD SWIPE.
Cross runs Fan Yau's blank titanium through it -- he and

Kane exchange an "Oh, yes" look as the elevator takes off.
64 INT. THE RED PIPE — NIGHT
Sullivan is now passing 300 feet, and here the straight ascent
ends: there is a 45 DEGREE OFFSET.
Sullivan maneuvers through the turn.
He immediately finds another 45 Degree Offset in the opposite

direction. He maneuvers through this as well.
The equipment bag trails behind him as he makes these turns.
He jerks to a stop.
He looks back: THE ROPE attached to his ankle is taut.
WE SEE that his bag is JAMMED between the two offsets.
Sullivan pushes himself back down to free the bag.
As he contorts himself to get a hand on the rope he

inadvertently RIPS AWAY THE TUBE connecting his mouthpiece
to its air bladder.
As the tube sinks he catches it with his knee, pressing it

against the pipe.
40.
65 INT. ELEVATOR, AQUA BUILDING - NIGHT
Cross and company exit, and
66 INT. LEBESCOND HQ FOYER - CONTINUOUS
are met by LeBescond's personal detail. LeBescond's Chief of

Security is ERICH MIELKE, an attitudinal 6'5" ex-Stasi.
SACKS
Mr Mielke, the police think there's
a problem you need to be aware of.
CROSS
Actually, now that we're here, I'd
like to speak with Mr. LeBescond.
MIELKE
Mr. LeBescond is not available.
67 INT. THE RED PIPE — NIGHT
Sullivan works the air tube problem methodically -- despite

the narrowness of the pipe he keeps force-extending his arm
until he's able to snag the tube. Just as he's about to run
out of air he reattaches it.
He fills his lungs, then slackens and pulls on the rope,

finally unwedging it.
Sullivan kicks upward. With an eye on his altimeter he stops

his ascent.
He ignites his oxyhydrogen torch, and cuts a big hole in the

pipe --
68 INT. OUTSIDE THE RED PIPE
As WATER RAGES OUT, Sullivan pushes himself toward the inner

wall. He uses the torch to make a tiny hole -- he inserts a
fiber-optic cable through and switches on his monitor:
SULLIVAN'S POV -- INT. BATHROOM, LE BESCOND'S HQ
He sees an empty, all stainless steel bathroom.
69 INT. STAINLESS STEEL BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS
Sullivan unbolts a panel and gains access. As a bathroom

it's familiar enough, but its steel finishings hint at some
sort of futuristic function.
70 INT. LEBESCOND'S FOYER - NIGHT
Sacks gets a call from the foyer.

41.
SACKS
We've got sensors showing a
malfunction.
CROSS
It's him.
MIELKE
Slow down, and explain yourself.
CROSS
Inside this minute your boss is going
to be dead.
SACKS
(more incoming info)
Coolant system pressure's dropped to
zero.
CROSS
Wisen up, ubermensch. Get proactive
or get out some body bags.
Off Mielke's condescending skepticism, CUT TO:
71 INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
Sullivan pulls his new set of tools from his bag: an H&K sub-
machine gun, a AWC MK II (with a built-in suppresser, it
makes no noise), and a DOZEN HOCKEY-PUCK SIZED flashbang and
concussion grenades.
As he makes for the door:
72 INT. LEBESCOND'S OFFICE - NIGHT
LeBescond and his assistants look up shocked as Mielke and a

half dozen guards and four police officers enter.
LEBESCOND
What is this?
CROSS
As we speak there is a man here to
kill you.
(to Sacks)
Get him behind that desk.
LEBESCOND
Touch nothing! In here you touch
nothing!
(then)
You think I am an amateur?
42.
LeBescond pushes a button, a panel slides open at the end of

the office, and A PANIC ROOM appears. LeBescond heads into
it, his assistants following. He turns to them as he enters.
LEBESCOND
No. The protocol is for me alone.
With that he shuts himself in. The assistants look panicked.
CROSS
(to Sacks)
Get them somewhere.
(to Mielke)
Where you keep your artillery?
Sullivan slides the fiber optic out into LeBescond's HQ --
74 INT. LEBESCOND'S HQ - NIGHT
He pans one way, then the other. He sees no one. In the far
distance, he can see LeBescond's office.
75 INT. OUTSIDE LEBESCOND'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Cross waits under cover. In his vicinity are Kane and Vikki.
Cross throws off the safety on his Benelli M4 shotgun.
BEYOND THE FOYER
Kane and Mielke and his guards, similarly armed, also

wait...but for what they do not know.
Kane looks across the office space -- at the far side of

which Cross is positioned under cover.
Their eyes meet. Kane gives a "WTF?" gesture. Cross replies

with a "hell if I know" shrug.
76 INT. LEBESCOND'S HQ - NIGHT
Sullivan emerges into the seemingly empty office complex. He

makes his way silently towards LeBescond's corner office.
Just then, as if from nowhere, Cross steps from around a

darkened corner, his 12 gauge shouldered.
CROSS
Police Freeze!
Sullivan stops. Raises his arms.
Cross locks eyes with the killer. And he with Cross.

43.
CROSS
You got a name, Picasso?
Before an answer can come, Cross hears THE TINY SOUND of one
of the hockey puck grenades rolling toward his feet.
In the split second before the flashbang detonates, Cross

throws himself back around the corner.
Sullivan pivots and dives and rolls.
The FLASHBANG BEHIND HIM illuminates the guards and cops

coming from the foyer -- Sullivan sprays machine gun fire to
drive them back.
CROSS
comes back around the corner, panning his shotgun.
He sees Sullivan sprinting, into a CONFERENCE ROOM -- Cross

advances, firing SHOT AFTER SHOT through the room's outer
wall, hoping to tag Sullivan.
IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM
Sullivan crawls forward as buckshot and plaster rain from

above. At the room's end is a HALLWAY.
Sullivan darts for it, springs up, and spotting Kane and the
Aqua guards sprays the H&K and lobs a grenade.
KANE AND THE GUARDS
are momentarily stunned and blinded by the flashbang.
As Kane regains his senses, Cross joins up with him.
KANE
He passed us. I think.
CROSS
Damn it. Spread out.
Cross takes Monica; Kane, Vikki and the guards split into
two groups -- they all move outward to the HQ's corners.
77 INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
Sullivan continues his retreat. He whips around a corner to

find Mielke. Before the big Hun knows it Sullivan fires his
silenced .22, hitting him in the forehead, mouth and chest.
By the time Mielke falls, Sullivan is gone --

44.
78 INT. ADJOINING HALLWAY - NIGHT
Sullivan arrives at THE BATHROOM.
As he opens its door, he hears KANE SHOUT
KANE (O.S.)
FREEZE!
Sullivan slams the steel door and locks it just as buckshot

loudly indents the thick metal.
80 INT. HALL OUTSIDE BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS
Kane runs to the door. Sees a series of levers beside it.

Since they are marked with WARNING LABELS he pulls them all.
To Sullivan's astonishment, things begin to happen in the

room: the toilet paper dispenser retracts; the towel rack
revolves out of sight -- and HIGH PRESSURE STEAM starts
spraying from multiple nozzles.
One nozzle is just beside him: Sullivan staggers back, his

arm and torso badly burned.
He puts his breathing apparatus back on, heads through the

access panel, and pulls it back in place.
82 INT. LEBESCOND HQ, HALLWAY - NIGHT
Cross and everyone else are outside the bathroom door.
CROSS
How can we get in?
SACKS
The bathroom is sterilizing. There's
no entry for five minutes.
Cross smacks the door in frustration.
CROSS
(to Sacks)
Circle the building.
83 INT. OUTSIDE THE RED PIPE
It is still gushing water, thousands of gallons a minute.

Sullivan, between the inner wall of the building and the
hole, fights to pull himself past the torrent and back into
the pipe.
45.
84 INT. INSIDE THE RED PIPE
Sullivan slowly pulls himself in.
Once he is below the hole, the current normalizes. He kicks

downward.
85 INT. LEBESCOND HQ - LATER
The bathroom door is open now. Cross and his people are in
it, and the panel has been removed.
Cross finishes clocking Sullivan's work.
CROSS
Where's this take him?
SACKS
The sub-basement. My men are waiting.
Cross and Kane take another look at the cascading tube.
CROSS
This guy is a piece of work.
86 INT. SUB-BASEMENT - NIGHT
Guards converge. Are at the ready. See nothing. Suddenly,

the sediment trap bursts open. Sullivan sprays everyone down
with his H&K before they can register what's happening.
87 EXT. AQUA BUILDING - NIGHT
Sullivan appears from the manhole access. He sees guards

arrayed on either side. He pulls pins on four flashbangs,
flings two in each direction, and ducks back in his hole.
The four grenades explode with ENORMOUS SOUND AND BLINDING

LIGHT.
Sullivan pulls himself out of the hole and runs off as the
guards around him flounder senselessly on the ground.
88 INT. LEBESCOND HQ - NIGHT
Cross and Kane emerge from the bathroom. Sacks is encountering

radio silence.
SACKS
(on radio)
Squad One, status. Hello. Squad Two,
over. Squad Two.
(to Cross)
Something's happening.
46.
CROSS
It already has.
His attention turns to the hallway.
KANE
Look who's joining the party.
LeBescond, surrounded by guards, is making his way to Cross.
CROSS
You're tonight's lucky man.
LEBESCOND
I've just gotten off the phone. My
employer would like to speak with
you.
CROSS
Your employer? And who might that
be?
LEBESCOND
Anders Ångstrom.
Cross throws Kane a look. Which is reciprocated. No doubt,

this is a name they both know.
89 EXT. ÅNGSTROM ESTATE — DAY
In front of Cross' car is A SEDAN: Cross is following the

Two Suits we first saw outside the cordon of the Fan Yau
murder scene.
Cross follows them up a long driveway and through a formidable

security gate.
As he continues on the long winding drive up to the

magnificent estate he sees everywhere indicators of world
class security: cameras and sensors mounted on trees, armed
guards not only at the gate but patrolling the grounds and
watching from fortified boxes on the roof.
Cross’ drive comes to a stop at a ring of bollards anchored

into the ground some distance from the house.
The Two Suits escort Cross to the entrance.
90 INT. ÅNGSTROM’S ESTATE, RECEPTION ROOM — DAY
Cross is greeted by a young, polite man. STEPHAN.
STEPHAN
Good afternoon, Dr. Cross. I'm
Stephan.
47.
CROSS
Hello.
— This as he walks him to a security checkpoint surrounded

by bullet-proof glass. Cross sees inside A SCREEN displaying
a body scan taken of him taken when he passed through the
front doors. The GUARD inside slides out a drawer.
STEPHAN
Would you please check your weapons
with the security officer.
Cross unholsters his Redhawk and lays it in the drawer. And

the Glock 29 backup on his ankle. And the old ivory handled
SWITCHBLADE from his pocket. He flashes Stephan a smile.
CROSS
That’s all I’ve got.
STEPHAN
This way, please.
91 INT. ÅNGSTROM’S ESTATE, CENTER HALL — CONTINUOUS
Cross follows Stephan down the long hall. Conscious that the
mirrors are two-way, that cameras are panning with him.
92 INT. ÅNGSTROM’S ESTATE, OPERATIONS CENTER — CONTINUOUS
Cross and Stephan continue through this high-tech room, filled

with well-dressed workers. Phone conversations in multiple
languages. MIT graphics on computer screens. It all has the
quiet hum of a well-honed machine.
At the end of the room, Stephan opens a door —
STEPHAN
Please.
93 INT. ÅNGSTROM’S ESTATE, OUTER OFFICE — CONTINUOUS
Cross finds himself in a tiny room with PARAMITA. She is

extraordinarily beautiful: poised and exotic. And she is
ÅNGSTROM's GATEKEEPER. (nb: it’s obvious to Cross, if not to
us, that she is, like him, a profiler.) Paramita keenly
observes Cross as she asks somemind-probe questions.
PARAMITA
You took Neurocognitive Disorders at
Johns Hopkins. Why was it canceled?
CROSS
My mentor, Gregory Kass, was an
alcoholic.
48.
PARAMITA
Your wife wears what size dress?
CROSS
A four.
PARAMITA
What kind of cancer killed your
grandmother?
CROSS
Adenocararcinoma.
PARAMITA
Thank you, Dr. Cross
Paramita knocks on the room’s other door and opens it.
PARAMITA
Mr. Ångstrom will see you now.
94 INT. ÅNGSTROM’S ESTATE, ÅNGSTROM’S OFFICE — DAY
Cross enters. It’s an enormous space, unique and impeccable.

On his way to greet him is ANDERS ÅNGSTROM, late-60s, a man
radiating confidence and intelligence. Ångstrom’s English is
impeccable, his accent European.
ÅNGSTROM
Dr. Cross, Anders Ångstrom. Thank
you for coming.
CROSS
Don’t mention it.
The handshake is all about each man sizing up the other.

Cross notices that Ångstrom is wearing A PRICELESS RING, a
large emerald cut RED DIAMOND.
ÅNGSTROM
You noticed my ring. Red is the rarest
of colored diamonds, you know. A
dear friend gave it to me many years
ago in South Africa, before the
kaffirs got out of control.
He smiles at Cross, trying to assess what buttons he’s just

pushed. Cross gives him nothing to seize upon.
ÅNGSTROM
You are in time for my walk. Come.
With this command, Ångstrom heads out some garden doors --

49.
95 EXT. ÅNGSTROM’S GROUNDS — CONTINUOUS
The estate could well go to the horizon. As in the front,

security, both technological and on two feet, is obvious
(and in other places not so obvious).
Cross finds that A MAN has appeared in Ångstrom's shadow.

Not much younger than Ångstrom, he has a cryptic, grey
quality; he is PIERCE, Ångstrom's guard of last resort.
ÅNGSTROM
This is Pierce. My Man Friday.
Pierce doesn't acknowledge Cross; he looks as if he sees

through him.
ÅNGSTROM
Take no offense, he hasn't had much
to say for thirty years.
As Cross follows Ångstrom they pass close by a woman reading

on a bench under a tree. Well kept, but with the bloom off
her rose: this is MRS ÅNGSTROM.
MRS ÅNGSTROM
Anders, will your guest be lunching
with us?
ÅNGSTROM
No, dear.
The two men walk into A FORMAL GARDEN from the pages of
Versailles. As they walk its manicured paths:
ÅNGSTROM
You enjoy nature, of course. And
human nature, that is your specialty.
CROSS
It’s more of an ongoing project.
ÅNGSTROM
A modest answer. Certainly, you have
an opinion of me.
CROSS
You’re asking do I know what you
are?
ÅNGSTROM
Don’t hold back.
Cross eyes Ångstrom the same way Paramita was eyeing him --
50.
CROSS
Your enterprises have been accused
of deforestation in Asia. Of selling
tainted baby milk in developing
countries. Of buying commodities
from governments that permit child
slavery. Would you like me to go on?
ÅNGSTROM
If you wish.
CROSS
In a nutshell, you’ve raised enough
eyebrows to warrant a grand jury
investigation, a deportation
proceeding, and there’s talk of a
senate committee hearingß.
Cross’ final statement causes Ångstrom to repeat the words

with A DISDAINFUL LAUGH that he can barely control:
ÅNGSTROM
A Senate committee!
They walk a few steps — it takes that long for Ångstrom to

recover from his bizarrely disdainful mirth.
ÅNGSTROM
Let me tell you what people fail to
understand. I operate on a global
scale. Therefore, I have no choice
but to deal with global complexities.
CROSS
Which require destruction.
ÅNGSTROM
Dr. Cross, creation and destruction
— each proceeds from the other, you
of all people should know that.
CROSS
Then you should have no problem with
a like-minded businessman out to
hurt your share prices.
ÅNGSTROM
You're referring to my recent
difficulties?
(Cross doesn't answer)
I’m afraid it’s more primal than
that.
(beat)
The man you're alluding to has been
hired to assassinate me.
51.
CROSS
Who put out the contract?
ÅNGSTROM
As you so thoroughly established, I
have many enemies. I imagine that
thousands would like to see me dead.
I am certain that a hundred or so
have the means to make a play.
They walk a bit. Cross waiting for Ångstrom to clarify.
ÅNGSTROM
The killing of Fan Yau has given my
killer access to information, about
my tendencies, my obligations, my
movements both real and virtual.
Although thwarted by you last night
from learning even more, he remains
where he needs to be: inside my
information loop.
CROSS
You seem to have adequate protection.
ÅNGSTROM
I know of the other things this animal
has done. He kills both professionally
and recreationally.
CROSS
That’s accurate enough.
ÅNGSTROM
Do you understand him yet?
CROSS
As of now I still consider him just
an acquaintance.
ÅNGSTROM
Is he predictable?
CROSS
Aside from knowing now that he intends
to kill you — no.
ÅNGSTROM
So you have nothing else.
Cross answers with a noncommittal shrug.
ÅNGSTROM
You must find it unpalatable, being
sworn to protect a man like me.
52.
CROSS
Let’s just say I’m after the bad
guy.
Ångstrom stops, looks at Cross and laughs.
CROSS
Why did you ask me here?
ÅNGSTROM
A man like me doesn’t get to where
he is in life without being a superb
judge of character. Of human nature.
I asked you here to see if you were
up to the task.
(beat)
I think you don't know yourself yet.
Therefore, you are weak.
(then)
Good day, Dr. Cross.
As Ångstrom continues on his walk, Cross finds Pierce has

appeared out of nowhere. He will not have to see himself out
alone.
96 EXT. CROSS’ HOME — NIGHT
We can see Damon and Janelle playing downstairs. Upstairs, a

bedroom light is on.
97 INT. CROSS’ HOME, BEDROOM — NIGHT
Cross is changing into a sharp suit. He’s distracted, still

wedded to the events of the day. Maria is in the bathroom.
MARIA (O.S.)
Alex, are you okay?
ALEX
What?
MARIA (O.S.)
I said, are you okay?
Maria emerges from the bathroom: dressed for a night on the

town, a vision of loveliness. Alex’s demeanor takes a 180.
ALEX
You look — wait, I don’t want to say
beautiful. Let me think of something
better.
(searching)
You look arresting.
53.
MARIA
Why, thank you, Detective Cross. You
sure you want to go out? We don’t
have to go out.
ALEX
No, I want to take you out. I want
to ruin every other man’s evening.
98 INT. CROSS’ HOME, LIVING ROOM — NIGHT
Janelle and then Damon whistle and whoop as their parents

come down the stairs.
NANA MAMA
You all calm down. You’re acting
like you’ve never seen your mama
looking like a beauty before.
Janelle hugs Maria.
JANELLE
Mama, you look like a princess!
Maria takes a knee to be at Janelle’s level.
MARIA
You are my princess. You be a good
girl.
(to Damon)
And you too, young man!
DAMON
Yes, ma’am.
NANA MAMA
Tell your mommy and daddy to get out
of here!
JANELLE
Have a good time!
DAMON
Bring me some left overs!
99 EXT. CROSS’ HOME — NIGHT
Alex and Maria head out. As Alex opens the car door for her:
ALEX
I’m actually fine being ignored. You
know that, don’t you?
Giggling, Maria pulls her door shut. Alex get behind the
wheel, and they drive off.
54.
100 INT. RESTAURANT — NIGHT
A swanky place. Doing business. Alex and Maria are just

getting situated --
HOSTESS
Dr. Cross, your table will be ready
in a few minutes.
ALEX
Thank you. We’ll wait at the bar.
AT THE BAR
MARIA
Tonic water, please.
ALEX
A glass of Pinot Noir.
The two enjoy the moment of not talking, just looking at

each other. Maria bewitching. Alex happy. They get their
drinks. Clink them as Alex toasts:
ALEX
Here’s to what I don’t like.
MARIA
What’s that supposed to mean?
ALEX
I don’t like this being special. I
think we deserve to be doing this
all the time.
MARIA
If we did this all the time it
wouldn’t be special.
ALEX
Good point. Allow me to clarify. I
mean once a month. Me getting to
look at you looking like this. Once
a month, for three hours.
MARIA
Ah, one for each kid.
ALEX
See, we’re thinking the same.
MARIA
Well, it sounds nice.
55.
ALEX
But...?
MARIA
Not realistic. Which is unlike you.
We’re going from sneakers for two to
sneakers for three. And between
sneakers and college tuition there
are a thousand other things.
ALEX
That’s true.
(beat)
But things change.
MARIA
What are you saying?
ALEX
Profiling and analysis at the FBI.
Location t.b.d -- we can stay here,
we can move to DC. Either which way,
a 15% raise and a job on the clock —
that means we can do this every now
and then, and those few thousand
other things.
MARIA
You’ve decided?
ALEX
Yes I have.
MARIA
Do you mind telling me when?
ALEX
About twenty seconds ago. Looking at
you.
A laugh escapes Maria. She’s surprised.
MARIA
I need a moment to let this sink in.
Cross’ cell phone vibrates. He reluctantly checks it.
ALEX
It’s Monica.
(walking away)
A job on the clock. Think about that.
I’ll be right back.
(on cell phone)
Monica, what’s up?
(MORE)
56.
ALEX (CONT'D)
(silence)
Hello?
Cross is now where it’s quiet --
AT THE FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT
SULLIVAN (ON PHONE)

This isn’t Monica, Dr. Cross. You
know who this is, don’t you?
CROSS
Yes.
SULLIVAN (ON PHONE)

And you’re wondering where Officer
Ashe might be. Well since I can’t
hand you a sketch, I’ll send you a
picture. Just a sec, it’s on its
way.
Cross receives the text. With foreboding, he opens it. MONICA

ASHE LIES DEAD in a bathtub filled with bloody water. He
struggles to contain his fury and revulsion as Sullivan
continues on speaker.
SULLIVAN (ON PHONE)

It sounds like you got it. I cinched
her tight and did her in her own
bathtub. There are so many interesting
things you can do with fire and water.
It’s too bad we only had an hour.
Cross can hardly contain himself.
CROSS
Your time is coming to an end.
ON SULLIVAN:
He is lying down, in the shadows, against a black backdrop.

It’s impossible to place him.
SULLIVAN
You can do better than that. Can’t
you? Come on, Dr. Cross, now’s your
chance. Maybe your only chance to
question me.
CROSS (ON PHONE)

Are you having fun?
SULLIVAN
You’d find my hobbies boring.
57.
CROSS (ON PHONE)

Your hobby is inflicting pain.
SULLIVAN
I take pain more seriously than that.
It fascinates me.
CROSS (ON PHONE)

It always has. It was hard conquering
the guilt, wasn't it?
A long beat. Because Cross has struck a nerve. We can see

it; Cross can sense it.
In the meantime, Sullivan sits up — and WE SEE he’s on the

2ND STORY ROOF of a building opposite the restaurant. He has
a clear view of Cross.
And of MARIA. He looks beyond Cross as the hostess shows her

to a table. His eyes now scan between the two of them.
CROSS (ON PHONE)

What feels better, a professional
hit or a random kill?
SULLIVAN
Each keeps me sharp doing the other.
With this he picks up an SV-99 Sniper Rifle. He gets Cross’

head centered in the scope —
CUT TO CROSS:
CROSS
So we’re just alike, two
professionals.
SULLIVAN (ON PHONE)

I don’t consider you a professional.
CROSS
What do you call our run-in last
night?
SULLIVAN (ON PHONE)

Based on what Monica told me, no
more than a lucky hunch.
CROSS
Those are going to be your dying
words --
SULLIVAN (ON PHONE)

Dr. Cross, you’re taking this
personally.
58.
Cross jabs again:
CROSS
Yeah, that’s right — just as personal
as you felt hauling ass from that
building.
CUT TO SULLIVAN:
SULLIVAN
That’s a job I can finish another
day.
CROSS (ON PHONE)

That’s irrelevant. What do you do to
yourself when you fail?
Beat. Sullivan looks pissed. He puts his finger on the

trigger. Ready to blow of Cross’ head.
CROSS (ON PHONE)

Hello? Are you listening? You punished
yourself afterwards, didn’t you?
How? Did you stick wire under your
nails? Zap your nuts with a stun
gun?
SULLIVAN
I’m not from some book, Cross.
CUT TO CROSS:
CROSS
I know you. Pretend all you want,
but you’re not even in control of
your own impulses. It scares you,
doesn’t it? Not having control?
CUT TO SULLIVAN:
Sullivan pans his rifle away from Cross. He puts Maria’s

head in the cross-hairs.
SULLIVAN
You want to know about pain? You
want to be an expert?
CROSS (ON PHONE)

You’re in a league of your own.
SULLIVAN
Well you can join me. Cause as soon
as your wife puts her menu down I’m
gonna take her away.
59.
IN THE RESTAURANT
Sullivan’s words send a jolt of adrenaline through Cross.
He turns, already moving -- sees Maria isn’t at the bar.
Going faster, he veers into the dining area, scanning,

focusing on Maria, scrambling towards her, knocking over
tables, eliciting SCREAMS, and then Maria turns her head,
locks eyes with him, curiosity going to fear and then terror
as she hears Alex SHOUT
ALEX
NO! DON’T
But already the menu is slipping from her hands --
CUT TO SULLIVAN:
-- and as it drops, Sullivan, snake-quick, drops the cross-

hairs from her head to her chest.
He pulls the trigger.
CUT TO CROSS:
Throwing himself at Maria as the BULLET SPIDER WEBS THE

WINDOW.
Cross takes Maria to the ground, blanketing her.
Amid the rising PANDEMONIUM in the restaurant —
ALEX
Are you all right?
MARIA
Alex, what?
Only now does she realize. Something. She looks at Alex,

confused.
MARIA
I’ve been...what...Alex?
Alex, his eyes frantic, darting, runs his hands over her,
ALEX
You’re okay, you hear me!
MARIA
The baby.
He finds it. A TINY HOLE at her shoulder. Only now starting

to flow with blood.
60.
He feels her back, finds his hand bloodied lower down — the
path was from shoulder to lung to heart.
Alex Cross SHOUTS OUT
ALEX
Call 911! Gunshot!
He looks back to his wife. Her fading eyes.
ALEX
Maria. Hold on, hold on.
MARIA
The baby. The baby.
And with this she dies.
101 INT. HOSPITAL CHAPEL - NIGHT
Alex, shirt soaked in Maria’s blood, sits, bent over.
Kane sits in the pew behind him. Cross senses he's there.
A beat, Cross’ eyes remaining fixed on the floor...
CROSS
She's been gone two hours now.
There’s nothing Kane can say.
CROSS
And Monica too.
KANE
Yeah.
CROSS
I was talking to him, Tommy.
Cross checks the time. Stands.
CROSS
I’ve got to go home, and tell my
children their mother is dead.
KANE
All our lives we've been the Oreo
brothers. Us against the world.
Wherever this goes, I am with you.
102 EXT. CEMETERY — MORNING
Alex and his family. They numbly make their way through the
crowd and take their seats in front of Maria’s casket.
61.
103 EXT. LONG SHOT, CEMETERY — MORNING
As the casket is lowered, REVEAL it is SULLIVAN watching

through binoculars from the far side of the lot.
He alternates between Cross’ face and looking down. When he

is done with his SKETCH OF ALEX CROSS, he drives off.
104 INT. CROSS’ HOUSE — DAY
The place is packed with mourners come to pay respects:

relatives, friends, colleagues of Alex’s, colleagues of
Maria’s, some of whom Alex doesn’t even know.
Alex can’t take a step without getting a hug or a hand on

his shoulder. He’s partly numb, partly on the verge of a dam
burst.
He sees Damon, sitting with a bunch of his teenage cousins;

the sight gives him a glimmer of hope.
Through a window Cross notices Kane OUT ON THE FRONT PORCH,

on the cell phone, taking notes.
When Kane reenters the house Cross stops him in the corner
of the foyer. In hushed, urgent tones:
CROSS
What you got?
KANE
Alex. I'll fill you in later.
CROSS
No, Tommy. Now. I need it now.
KANE
It was Hoffman. He I.D'd the drug
Picasso's using. None of the newbies
saw it because it metabolizes so
fast. It's called Tetrodotoxin or
TTX. It paralyzes but doesn't block
pain.
(then)
But it's unavailable, hasn't been
manufactured for decades. And get
this: Picasso injected it into Fan
Yau, Dobrica Cosic, and Monica. But
not the first guy, not Chester Newman.
CROSS
Why not Chester?
62.
KANE
I don't know, maybe he got off
watching the old man squirm on the
cross.
CROSS
It's possible. But he likes this
stuff.
(beat)
Someone had to make it for him.
KANE
That we know.
CROSS
What if he couldn't use it on Chester?
Because he had it processed for
himself after he came into town?
As the ramifications of this sink in, Nana Mama interrupts.
NANA MAMA
Excuse me.
Kane gives them space.
NANA MAMA
Alex, Janelle’s in her room.
ALEX
I need to go up to her.
(then)
I’m not sure what to say.
NANA MAMA
You just talk to her, son. The right
words will come.
105 INT. JANELLE & DAMON’S ROOM — DAY
Alex finds Janelle curled up on her bed. He sits beside her.
ALEX
Hey, baby...It’s pretty crowded down
there, isn’t it?
Janelle gives a noncommittal shrug.
ALEX
You want to be alone?
JANELLE
I want my mama back.
63.
ALEX
Can I tell you a story about mama?
He takes down from a shelf a little TOY KEYBOARD.
ALEX (CONT'D)
One day mama and I were out — you
were here with Nana Mama cause you
were just a little girl — and your
mama saw this. And she said, “We
need to buy this for Janelle.” And I
don’t know why, but I put up the
biggest fight. I came up with every
reason not to buy it: you were too
little, maybe we should buy the
beginner's violin, maybe we should
wait, maybe you didn’t like music.
But your mama would have none of it.
She said “We are buying this for
Janelle.” See, she knew you were
born to play the piano.
JANELLE
I’m not a piano player anymore.
CROSS
Why do say that?
JANELLE
It’s not inside me.
CROSS
Do you trust me?
Janelle nods.
CROSS
One day the music will come back. It
won’t be mama, but it will be part
of her. Just give it time.
106 INT. CROSS’ HOUSE, LATER — DAY
The crowd has thinned out. Alex and Nana Mama and Damon are
talking with some relatives. Janelle rejoins them, bringing
a drink for Damon. The long process of healing is beginning.
MARIA'S FRIEND
(entering from kitchen)
Alex, you have a call.
ALEX
I'll be right back.
64.
107 INT. KITCHEN - DAY
Cross enters, picks up the land line.
CROSS
Hello.
SULLIVAN
Hello Detective. Am I calling at a
bad time?
Cross, jaw clenched, steps into THE LAUNDRY ROOM.
CROSS
What do you think, you sonofabitch.
SULLIVAN
Ooh. That's good. I could feel that.
At the funeral you looked so stunned,
but now the pain's really starting
to flow. It's going to get worse,
you know.
CROSS
You couldn't be more right.
SULLIVAN
We're talking about you, bright boy.
I mean, you do understand it's all
your fault.
108 EXT. CABIN BY THE LAKE - CONTINUOUS
Sullivan stands outside a rented crappy unwinterized cabin

by the lake. There's no other place in sight.
SULLIVAN (CONT'D)
I had you in my sights, but you just
had to be so bright. You think you're
pushing my buttons? Explain to me
then why your Maria is dead. It's
because you made me kill her. You're
guilty, not me, and because you're
such a bright boy, you're going to
take that knowledge to the grave.
109 INT. LAUNDRY ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Cross listens, his fury mounting --
SULLIVAN (CONT'D)
The only thing I'm curious about is
how are you going to punish yourself
in the meantime? What, you don't
have anything to say?
65.
CROSS
Oh, I do.
SULLIVAN
Speak up. I think I can handle it.
CROSS
When I'm done with you, you're not
going to be feeling anything. Your
calendar's got no more pages.
Cross hangs up the phone. Trying to conceal his anger. He

sees Kane, across the room. Off Cross' look, Kane gives a
nod. He has a good idea of what's going down.
110 EXT. CABIN BY THE LAKE - CONTINUOUS
Sullivan's too arrogant to worry about Cross' vow for a

second. He tosses the burner into the lake.
111 INT. GARAGE - NIGHT
Darkness intermittently sliced with shafts of light.
Cross's GUN SAFE is open. He sets his Ruger Red Hawk Revolver
in it, and takes out a .357 P226 Sig Sauer and an extra
magazine. He holsters it. Then takes out his pump shotgun.
Cross has HIS SHOTGUN fixed to his work table. As he picks

up a hacksaw, he sees Nana Mama standing at the threshold.
NANA MAMA
I saw the way you and Tommy were
looking at each other.
(then)
I know what you're up to.
ALEX
Mama --
NANA MAMA
You've appointed yourself judge,
jury, and executioner.
Cross starts sawing off the barrel.
NANA MAMA
And you're going to go after him, no
matter what the cost to your family.
ALEX
I'm going to do what I do because of
the cost to my family.
She approaches him, passion in her voice rising.

66.
NANA MAMA
And you'll never be the same.
Twelve inches of gun barrel fall to the floor. He starts

filing smooth the inside of the remaining barrel.
ALEX
That's the outcome no matter what.
NANA MAMA
Stop playing with words! There's
more to it than that, and you know
it!
(then)
"Do not avenge yourselves, beloved,
but yield place to the wrath; for
Vengeance is mine; I will repay."
Alex finishes dressing the barrel with a few rubs of emory

cloth. He loads in some shells, then turns to her.
ALEX
Romans 12:17.
(then)
This isn't about vengeance. It's
about me doing my job. Mama, I love
you. And you are the wisest person I
know. But on this, you can't see
what I see.
Beat. Because what he's just said has triggered something.
NANA MAMA
Alex -
Her voice falters. She takes a second to recover.
NANA MAMA
-- I knew about the baby. Maria didn't
say anything - I could just see it,
on both your faces. I know what's
going with your heart.
ALEX
Then there's nothing else to talk
about. I will promise you this: when
I go to work, nothing's going to be
any different. I'm still going to be
just the cop looking for the bad
guy.
Nana Mama looks at him, knowing the promise he's just made
was a lie.
67.
ALEX
I have a lead to follow.
He passes her, gets in his car.
112 INT. ESCALADE - NIGHT
Cross collapses the stock of the shotgun and shoves the weapon
down between his seat and the console.
113 EXT. CROSS HOUSE - NIGHT
Worried sick, Nana Mama watches her son speed off.
114 INT. ESCALADE - NIGHT
Cross hits the open road and jams down on the gas. You'd
call the driving reckless were it not for Cross' intense
look. He's not only fixed on the road. He's mind is whirring,
thinking 5 moves ahead.
115 EXT. RYAN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY - DAWN
The prison is so lit up it hurts the eyes.
The Escalade pulls to a stop at the Main Gate.
116 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAWN
A deja vu moment at first as the same prison guard ushers in

POP POP JONES. Once his cuffs are unlocked and the guard
leaves, Pop Pop sits across from Cross, rubs his weary eyes.
POP POP
Guards told me what went down with
your woman.
Cross doesn’t reply.
POP POP
I'm sorry, man. That was way cold.
CROSS
Yeah.
POP POP
So what you doing here? Why ain't
you home with your kids?
CROSS
Something like this happen to you,
you'd be at home right now?
68.
POP POP
Hell no, man. But that's a different
world I'm from.
CROSS
We're in the same world, Pop Pop.
Pop Pop eyes Cross. Seeing a new edge to the man.
POP POP
I know that look you got. I seen it
in the mirror.
CROSS
Well, like you've always said, there's
nothing you can do about it. Except.
(then)
I want to see Daramus Holiday. I
want you to make the call.
POP POP
Talk to Daramus? You up to what I
think? If so, call me stupid, but
you're talkin' crazy. Doc C, I need
you on the outside, man, bein' my
rock, not showin' you the ropes inside
of here.
CROSS
That's not going to happen. Call
Daramus, tell him any place public.
POP POP
Why am I supposed to be doin' this?
Cross rises to head out.
CROSS
Because you always do what's noble.
117 INT. EVIDENCE ROOM — MORNING
Cross enters with A BRIEFCASE, finds the predictable lonely

cop relegated behind the cage, KLEBANOFF, working on a puzzle.
The cop obviously isn’t aware of what’s happened to Cross.
CROSS
Hey Kleb.
KLEBANOFF
Alex Cross, how ya doing?
CROSS
I’m doing fine, Kleb.
69.
KLEBANOFF
What do you need?
CROSS
I’m calling in that chit from 2000.
Klebanoff turns serious, nods. As he opens the cage --
KLEBANOFF
I’m going buy myself a soda.
Once Klebanoff exits, Cross enters the cage.
118 INT. SULLIVAN'S CABIN - DAY
A small space. Everything simple and immaculately arranged:

a cot, the long worktable replete with gunsmithing gear and
other arcane tools of the trade.
Sullivan stands shirtless in front of a mirror, wielding

surgical scissors: He is in the midst of debriding THE BURNS
on his arm and torso, cutting away dead and infected skin.
It hurts like a bitch. Between snips, Sullivan turns to an

easel and adds to the SKETCH OF HIS OWN SUFFERING FACE.
All the while, in b.g, THE LOCAL NEWS plays on a TV.
NEWS ANCHOR
...Police still refuse to officially
comment on a possible connection
between yesterday's home invasion
murder of Monica Ashe and the shooting
of Maria Cross. You'll remember that
Officer Ashe, a member of the Homicide
and Major Crimes Unit, was detailed
to Maria Cross' husband, Detective
Alex Cross. But sources within the
department have confirmed there is a
possibility the deaths are both
attributable to the serial killer
known as Picasso, who has claimed at
least eight victims.
SULLIVAN
93 you ignorant hack.
He turns off the TV, then finishes bandaging his wounds.
AT HIS WORK TABLE
Sullivan sits down to a large AERIAL MAP OF DOWNTOWN. He

busies himself making measurements, punching data into a
calculator, and making notes of all his results.
70.
Taped to the wall above him is THE SKETCH he did of Alex

Cross at Maria's funeral.
119 INT. GM HERITAGE CENTER - DAY
A vast showroom filled with hundreds of cars. It's not teeming

with visitors -- but it suits Cross fine, who steps into
view when he sees three men appear. He carries a briefcase.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY is tall, commandingly built, well-dressed,

and has an unmistakable air of intelligence. The two
accompanying him look like only slightly older versions of
Pop Pop. One is DREW-CAKES, the other L'LL JUICE.
Cross and Daramus link up in stride. As they stroll along

the gallery of cars, Daramus' muscle trailing:
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
Alex Cross. How's my man Pop doing?
CROSS
Just fine, all things considered.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
Why you see him so much?
CROSS
I think he's interesting.
As Holiday replies he is checking out a '66 Pontiac GTO.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
So what you want, doctor? I've got
long reach. You want to replace that
old Escalade you drive? You want a
flat screen for your two little ones?
Whole bunch of kitchenware for your
mama?
CROSS
You do your research.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
I got my researchers doing my
research.
CROSS
What have you got for my wife?
Holiday resumes walking.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
Hey man, I'm sorry about that. That
was flat out cruel. I do hope you're
not thinking my prints are on that.
71.
CROSS
What if they were?
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
I don't move that way. Unless. Truth
is, I didn't do or know anything.
Word.
CROSS
Maybe you know something but don't
know it.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
That's everybody's story, Dr. Cross.
CROSS
That's right. I'm looking for a
chemist. A street work chemist.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
A mixer killed your wife?
CROSS
The killer's been dealing with one.
You deal with them all. You can tell
me who's desperate for money, who
has judgment issues, who's got the
mojo to cook exotica.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
I’m not omniscient.
Cross gives Daramus an incredulous look:
CROSS
Yeah.
Holiday gets into a 1939 Chevy Master DeLuxe.
120 INT. CHEVY MASTER DELUXE - CONTINUOUS
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
Have a seat. Come on, man, this is
like my office, I powwow in here all
the time.
Cross gets in shotgun. Drew-Cakes and L'll Juice get in back.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
Now we're sitting in a real gangsta
car, let’s play "what you going to
do for me."
Cross opens his briefcase. Gives Daramus a pistol sealed in

a thick plastic bag marked "EVIDENCE." Daramus is impressed.
72.
CROSS
This is the 9 Pop Pop used to shoot
Toya Waters and Lester Hastings. You
have your lawyers file any kind of
appeal, the state's going to have an
evidentiary problem. Charges
dismissed.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
That leaves Pop in on six counts.
CROSS
Oh, you want the other piece?
(to Daramus' men)
The .35 belonging to Drew-Cakes? Or
was it yours, L'll Juice?
(to Daramus)
I've got it. You play it right, you
earn it, and Pop Pop walks.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
After I give you the chemist?
CROSS
The right chemist.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
I got one problem. What if this
chemist is one of my top dogs? If he
belongs to me, maybe I won't want to
give him up.
CROSS
Hey Drew-Cakes, is your boss saying
he values his chemists more than his
soldiers?
The Street in Daramus emerges. He leans into Cross' space.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
You crazy talking like that.
CROSS
No, I'm not. I'm just off the
reservation.
DARAMUS HOLIDAY
Answer my question. What if I don't
give you a name cause I don't have
the answer?
Cross gets out of the car.

73.
CROSS
You're Daramus Holiday. You're Street
Google. You'll get me my name.
(heading off)
If you don't, then I might just come
after you.
121 EXT. GAS STATION - DAY
Sullivan has driven outside the city. As he fills up his car

he eyes A TEEN AGE BOY topping off his pickup truck.
They pay in cash one after another.
SULLIVAN
Hey buddy, want to make an easy 50?
TEEN AGE BOY

(suspiciously)
Doing what?
Sullivan holds out a crisp bill.
SULLIVAN
Target practice.
122 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY
Both cars have pulled off a desolate country road. A LARGE

FIELD lies fallow. A few hundred yards away are woods. In
the other direction, a river.
AT THE TREE LINE Sullivan stands beside a trap thrower and a

bag of clay pigeons. He launches a pigeon - the little clay
disc zips LOW AND FAST across the field.
SULLIVAN
You give it a try.
The young man proves himself a proficient pigeon launcher.
SULLIVAN
Good. That watch work?
TEEN AGE BOY

Yes, sir.
SULLIVAN
I want one in the air every twenty
seconds.
TEEN AGE BOY

Yes, sir. Every twenty seconds.
Sullivan walks away.

74.
BACK AT HIS MERC, Sullivan pulls out of the trunk a M110

sniper rifle, an iPod mounted to it running a BulletFlight
external ballistics calculator.
He taps data into the iPod: humidity, distance, wind speed,

etc. He scans the computer's output. With a final command,
the iPod starts emitting a BEEP every one second.
Sullivan makes a LOUD WHISTLE.
A moment later, the first pigeon flies. It's astonishingly

small from this vantage. Sullivan just watches it.
He adjusts his scope a few clicks.
The next pigeon flies. Sullivan shoulders the rifle, fires,

and clips the pigeon, sending in veering.
He makes another scope adjustment. Taps the iPod, which now

starts BEEPING EVERY HALF-SECOND.
The third pigeon flies.
Sullivan tracks it, pulls the trigger...and hits the target

dead center, obliterating it.
Another pigeon flies - and it too is shattered.
Another, and Sullivan is toying now, he tracks it across the

field and nails it just before it hits the ground.
As THE TEEN AGE BOY launches pigeon after pigeon he becomes

increasingly astonished by what he's seeing.
He releases a pigeon, and this one is atomized when it's

ONLY A FEW FEET out of the launcher - the boy is splattered
by clay dust as the bullet blows into a tree a few feet away.
TEEN AGE BOY

Son of a bitch!
SULLIVAN waits for the next target, his iPod timer now going
off every eighth of a second.
He sees the young man advancing to him.
SULLIVAN
What's wrong?
TEEN AGE BOY

I gotta get going.
SULLIVAN
Yeah?
75.
TEEN AGE BOY

I'm sorry. I got to go. I forgot
about this thing.
(holding up the bag)
You only got five left.
SULLIVAN
I knew that.
TEEN AGE BOY

What's that beeping for?
SULLIVAN
It gives me lead correction. So I
can't miss.
(then)
Give me your keys.
The young man eyes the rifle. With a trembling hands obeys.
Sullivan backs the intimidated lad up against his truck.
SULLIVAN
You're a deer hunter, aren't you?
TEEN AGE BOY

Yes sir. Sometimes.
SULLIVAN
So you know how to field dress?
TEEN AGE BOY

Yes, sir.
Sullivan jabs him with his WASP. As the young man goes limp
Sullivan grabs the lapels of his jacket, and throws him in
the back of his pick-up truck.
He opens his knife. As the teen's eyes widen:
SULLIVAN
Well if I do anything wrong, you let
me know.
123 EXT. RIVER - DAY
The teen comes out of shock because of the cold water.
Disoriented, his eyes fearfully darting, he remembers that

he can't move as the gurgling truck submarines into the river.
Tied to a truck bed cargo cleat, he is dragged underwater

with it, his blood and viscera obscuring even more his
distorted view of THE MAN looming at water's edge.
SULLIVAN
76.
watches the truck sink out of sight. He closes his sketch

book and heads back to his car.
124 EXT. HMT TECHNOLOGIES - DAY
A new Industrial Park. Cross and Kane exit the Escalade and
arrive at an expensive security door. After they buzz:
KANE
You want me to do the talking?
CROSS
You can do all the talking you want.
A SWARTHY HAITIAN IN HIS 30S, wearing protective goggles

over gold wire rimmed glasses, appears at the door.
DARDIS
I am sorry, we are not --
Kane presses his badge to the glass.
KANE
Police.
125 INT. HMT TECHNOLOGIES - DAY
Dardis buzzes them in. The place is a fully tricked out

chemistry lab, and apparently a one man operation.
DARDIS
Can I help you gentlemen?
KANE
Vincent Dardis?
DARDIS
Yes.
KANE
You look like a Yertle. Take off
those goggles, Yertle.
DARDIS
Yes, I am sorry.
KANE
This is a nice little set-up. What
you cook here Yertle?
DARDIS
Officer, I'm afraid there's been a
mistake.
77.
KANE
Answer the question!
DARDIS
Lubricants. Primarily advanced
automotive lubricants.
CROSS
My ass. What kind of advanced drugs
you make?
Beat. The eyes of a guilty man.
DARDIS
I would like to call my attorney.
The request triggers something in Cross. He turns volcanic.

He HURLS Dardis into a shelf of glassware. And SHOUTS:
CROSS
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK
TO AN ATTORNEY!
Cross throws him onto a counter. Glass is smashed as Dardis

rolls and falls to the floor. Cross picks him up.
Kane wasn't expecting this kind of fury.
KANE
Alex, hold on.
CROSS
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN
SILENT! TELL ME WHO'S PAYING FOR
TTX!
DARDIS
I don't...
Cross turns Dardis, grabbing his arm and pulling it behind

his back and jerking it upwards. In concert with the POPPING
SOUND of the shoulder being dislocated, Dardis CRIES OUT in
agony. All along Cross is advising:
CROSS
ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN BE USED AGAINST
YOU!
KANE
Alex! Enough!
As Kane steps in from behind to intervene, Cross' elbow

inadvertently whacks him in the jaw, sending him reeling.
78.
Cross is oblivious to this as he slams the BUNDLE OF NERVES

in front of Dardis' shoulder joint. Dardis falls to his knees
in agony, his arm dangling useless.
CROSS
Want me to make it go away? Pop it
back?
DARDIS
Yes!
CROSS
Then give me answers! TTX.
DARDIS
Tetrodotoxin prevents action
potentials in nerves by blocking --
Cross bats Dardis' shoulder joint again.
CROSS
Stop being a dictionary! Who's the
buyer?
Dardis, weeping, CRIES OUT:
DARDIS
I am afraid of him!
He stares at Cross, broken, desperate to spill:
CROSS
Afraid of who?
DARDIS
I have no name. He came here twice.
Manufacture is slow. He frightened
me, I took precautions.
CROSS
What do you mean?
DARDIS
I wanted to know when he was coming
back, so I could hide myself.
CROSS
You're not answering!
DARDIS
The last ampule box I gave to him
will alert me when he heads back, it
has a tracking device inside it.
79.
CROSS
What!?
DARDIS
It works off the cellular network.
CROSS
What's it ping to?
DARDIS
My cell phone. You can bluetooth it --
CROSS
Just cough it up.
126 INT. CROSS'S ESCALADE - DAY
Cross turns at full speed out of the Industrial Park. Kane

holds DARDIS' CELL-PHONE; the tracking app on it shows a DOT
moving on a map.
KANE
He's heading downtown.
CROSS
(into radio mic)
Vicki. You have anything fresh on
Ångstrom?
VICKI
(on radio)
Hold on.
Cross looks at Kane, who's busy pressing buttons on the phone

and the car's navigation pane.
CROSS
What are you doing?
Kane finishes the bluetoothing process: the tracking app

shows up on the car's navigation screen.
KANE
Giving us some redundancy. Hey,
redundancy never hurt anyone.
127 INT. HMCU - CONTINUOUS
Vicki swivels to a monitor. Keys her query.
VICKI
(into radio mic)
There's an Ångstrom entry this
morning. One sec.
80.
128 EXT. ÅNGSTROM’S ESTATE - CONTINUOUS
A LONG LINE OF BLACK CARS -- a half-dozen tinted 4x4s and

TWO ARMORED LIMOUSINES stand ready, along with Ångstrom's
full detail of bodyguards.
Ångstrom appears at the door. He's dressed for rain -- in a

jacket, wearing a hat. He turns to his wife:
ÅNGSTROM
Don't worry, this is only a formality.
I'll see you at dinner.
Mrs. Ångstrom watches tight-lipped as the gorgeous Paramita

joins Ångstrom, along with Pierce, LeBescond, and the rest
of his entourage.
Ångstrom, Paramita, and Pierce get into one limo, LeBescond

and the lawyers into the other.
VICKI (V.O.)
Ångstrom was ordered to appear at a
deportation hearing this afternoon.
129 INT. CROSS'S ESCALADE - CONTINUOUS
CROSS
When?
VICKI
(into radio mic)
It’s scheduled in 30 minutes.
Cross guns the accelerator.
KANE
How's Sullivan supposed to know that?
CROSS
It's like Ångstrom said. "He's inside
my information loop."
(into radio mic)
Vicki, you sound the horn. Loud. You
tell our people, SWAT, US Marshals,
all of them, they've got a public
execution going down at the Federal
Courthouse in less than 30 minutes.
130 INT. HMCU - CONTINUOUS
VICKI
(into radio mic)
Alex, the brass is going to want
some questions answered.
81.
131 INT. CROSS'S ESCALADE - CONTINUOUS
CROSS
(into radio mic)
You tell them I've got first hand
corroboration from a Triad informant.
The Chinese are whacking him today.
(then)
And make it clear - the assassin is
a Pro - he could be coming from a
thousand different angles.
132 EXT. ELEVATED PARKING GARAGE - DAY
Sullivan parks his car in an open air elevated lot. He's got
a BACKPACK slung over one shoulder. He pulls a GOOD-SIZED
BAG from the trunk.
As he heads to the building entrance he sees ON THE STREET

BELOW TWO SQUAD CARS scream by.
133 INT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY
Sullivan makes his way through the building.
134 EXT. CITY STREET, DOWNTOWN - DAY
Sullivan exits the building.
As he waits to cross the street, he clocks A POLICE CHOPPER

flying overhead.
135 EXT. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE - DAY
Squad Cars are screaming in and police are already shutting

down streets, redirecting pedestrians, starting to put up
barricades.
A big POLICE COMMAND TRUCK pulls up across from the

courthouse. Out from it comes the man in charge: CAPTAIN
BROOKWELL, and his two lieutenants, MAX and THOMAS:
BROOKWELL
Max, I want you making sure everyone's
working out of my tent. Thomas, anyone
who's giving commands, find 'em and
confirm they're working off our
contingency scenario. Ours, not
theirs. Where's the goddamned bomb
squad?
MAX
They're pulling in.
82.
BROOKWELL
In 15 minutes I want this block
sanitized.
Brookwell eyes the circling helicopter. Talks into his mic.
BROOKWELL
That you, Crowly?
CROWLY
(over speaker)
Yes, sir.
BROOKWELL
You keep my ass covered.
CROWLY
(over speaker)
Roger that.
136 EXT. BUILDING - DAY
Sullivan gets out of a cab, enters another building.
137 INT. CROSS’ ESCALADE - DAY
Cross hits the downtown area. Driving hard.
VIKKI (on radio)

Command post is up.
CROSS
Keep me posted.
Kane eyes the navigation panel. Something doesn't seem right.
KANE
He's still a few miles off target.
CROSS
Tommy, who calls the shots in the
henhouse?
KANE
138 EXT. BUILDING - DAY
Sullivan exits the building, emerges on some sort of elevated

platform -- it's not exactly clear to us what it is.
He finds himself waiting along with THREE BAD-ASSES.
SOON-TO-BE DEAD MAN 1

Hey, what you selling, bro?
83.

He looks like a panty man. That true?
You hitting the bricks selling pink
panties?
Everything clarifies as a SINGLE TRAIN CAR glides to a stop.
As Sullivan boards the monorail, he activates his stopwatch.
139 INT. MONORAIL TRAIN - DAY
The monorail is computer operated. Sullivan sets his bags

down at the front. The three bad asses are the only other
passengers.
140 EXT. CITY STREETS - DAY
Ångstrom's caravan drives through the city, ignoring speed

limits and stop lights.
As BOMB SQUAD MEMBERS exit the court with their sniffer dogs.
BOMB SQUAD MEMBER

Building's clear.
The HEAD OF BOMB SQUAD, ROB, who's with Brookwell,

acknowledges, then gestures at the sea of parked cars in the
lot opposite the building.
ROB
There's no way we're vetting all
these vehicles in 10 minutes. Any
one of them could do a city block.
BROOKWELL
Great. We're sitting in goddamn
Baghdad. I'm walling off detonation
signals.
The two climb into --
142 INT. THE POLICE COMMAND TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
VIDEO SCREENS show the copter's feed of POLICE SNIPERS ON

ROOFTOPS, of the SURROUNDING BLOCKS where pedestrians are
being shunted away and traffic re-routed.
BROOKWELL
Max, pull up the cell grid.
Max turns on another screen. A GRAPHIC comes up that overlays

a MAP OF THE AREA and TRIANGLES emanating overlapping
concentric rings. Brookwell asks Rob:
84.
BROOKWELL
How many towers you want down?
ROB
Everything in these ten square blocks.
Max flips switches.
143 INT. CROSS' ESCALADE - DAY
The navigation panel goes blank. Same with the cell phone:
KANE
What the -- we lost our bead!
CROSS
Bomb squad shut down the cell towers.
KANE
He was at Cass and Selden.
CROSS
It's too far out.
Some squad cars pass by at full speed. Cross improvisationally

fishtails to join up with them on the way to the Courthouse.
144 INT. MONORAIL TRAIN - DAY
As the train pulls out, Sullivan plugs his laptop into the
car's control unit. As he types in some hijacking commands:

What the hell you doing, man?
The three of them are up and approaching but Sullivan is

intent on finishing his command string.
Just before they're on him, he turns and shoots the first

two in the head with his silent KM II.
The worst of the bunch Sullivan knee caps. The guy falls to
the floor, writhing in agony.
Sullivan checks his stopwatch as the car, increasing in speed,

FLIES PAST the next station.
He's got a few moments to burn. He pulls the ampule box from
his backpack, loads the WASP, and goes to the miserable
writhing bastard.
SULLIVAN
Tell me the truth --
85.

Please, man, please.
SULLIVAN (CONT'D)
-- What color panties you wearing?
He jabs the guy in the neck.
SULLIVAN
Stay put. We'll finish later.
He returns to his bags and blows out a window with a sidekick.
Cross skids to a stop outside the cordon.
As Cross and Kane run towards the Command Truck, they see
how well-locked down the area looks.
They zero in on Brookwell.
BROOKWELL
Cross, if this is a fire drill
your ass is cooked.
CROSS
Get the cell towers back up!
BROOKWELL
What are you talking about!?
CROSS
I was tracking the man's cell!
BROOKWELL
Well I'm shutting off car bomb
triggers.
(shouting to his aide)
Thomas, take care of Dr Cross.
(to Cross, moving on)
I've got a lock-down to manage.
Cross and Kane stride away from Thomas. Looking all around.
Trying to divine how Picasso will penetrate.
KANE
You think this'll scare him off?
CROSS
He won't care.
They've covered all of the front of the Courthouse when

Ångstrom's caravan arrives.
86.
KANE
I'll take the front.
As Cross heads for the rear of the caravan --
146 INT. MONORAIL - DAY
Sullivan takes from the bag his sniper rifle, assembles it.
Punches data into the BulletFlight calculator. He sets the
lead correction beeper to 1/10th of a second.
Sully takes position at the open window. The knee-capped

slob's cries fade away: Sullivan is in a "sniper's bubble."
Cross's intention is to link up with Ångstrom, but finds

himself in a tussle with the linebacker-sized guards from
the rear vehicle:
CROSS
I need to see Ångstrom. Get out of
my way!
As Cross tries bulling his way through, he sees LeBescond

exiting one limo and making his way up the Courthouse steps.
Ångstrom, hat pulled low, annoyed by the hubbub, surrounded

BY A WALL of towering guards, emerges from the other limo.
The train WHIPS onto a long straight stretch. It's moving at

55 mph.
Sullivan stands statue-like....and then pulls the trigger at

the nanosecond when LeBescond enters his crosshairs.
LeBescond's head is blown out -- and with this comes MAYHEM.
Cops discombobulated. Looking everywhere, fingers on triggers.
The SOUND OF THE GUNSHOT arrives, but distance and building

echoes render it meaningless.
As the train is about to curve out of the kill zone, Sullivan

reaches into the bag -- and pulls out a Russian RPG-29. ie,
a Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher. The courthouse remains
in his sight frame as he aims and fires.
87.
151 EXT. 3 BLOCKS FROM THE COURTHOUSE - DAY
The THERMOBARIC ANTI-PERSONNEL ROUND flies at 600 m.p.h down

the three blocks towards its target.
As the warhead makes contact with Ångstrom's human shield it

disperses a cloud of gas.
The growing cloud then detonates in a massive fireball,

OBLITERATING Ångstrom and all his men -- and sending out A
VICIOUS SHOCK WAVE.
The BACK BLAST blows the Command Truck onto its two distant
wheels for a second.
While men, KANE AMONG THEM, are hurtled off their feet by
the concussion wave.
Cross is slammed into a patrol car.
Cross snaps to, hones in on the RPG's SMOKE TRAIL leading

from the train as IT ZOOMS OUT OF SIGHT.
Cross is already at a run --
CROSS
Son of a bitch!
-- while around him shock and mayhem still abound, the lucky
cops with bloody noses and blown-out ears, the ones less so
screaming with broken bones and internal injuries, the few
of Ångstrom's people in a daze even as some of Ångstrom's
vehicles pull away in a panic.
Cross sees Kane, lying like a rag doll. Two cops are working
on him. Despite Kane's dazed eyes, he instinctively barks to
Cross in a hoarse voice:
KANE
Go!
Cross dashes to his Escalade, and peels off toward the

monorail tracks.
153 INT. ESCALADE - DAY
Cross drives off with the single-minded intent of catching

up with the train.
He engages his four wheel drive, pops the curb, maneuvers

through and around the police cordon and barricades.
88.
He turns back onto the empty street, the RAISED MONORAIL

TRACK three blocks ahead. He hits the gas.
Reaching it, he turns hard, ignoring the oncoming traffic,

and now has the train in his sights.
He weaves past cars, then finds himself with an open stretch

that allows him to take it to 90 and close in on the train.
SULLIVAN remains ignorant of Cross' actions as he walks back

to the Soon-To-Be-Dead Man 2 and looms over him.
SULLIVAN
So, how do we end this?

Burn in hell.
Sullivan finds the directive amusing. Then something catches

his eye -- he looks up TO SEE THE ESCALADE, maniacally chasing
the train. Just a few blocks back and closing rapidly.
He looks back down at Soon-To-Be-Dead Man 2.
SULLIVAN
I've got to switch to Plan B. I need
to borrow your jacket.
He draws his pistol and shoots Soon-To-Be-Dead Man 2 in the

head. Then he pulls off the Now-Dead Man's HEAVY JACKET.
Sullivan strides back to his laptop and types in a new set

of commands.
The Passenger doors open...the train slows to about 40.
Cross remains at full speed, honking his horn, veering left

and right to stay the course, closing on the train.
Ahead, the track takes a gentle turn, which allows HIM TO

SEE the open passenger doors.
He looks further ahead -- the monorail FEEDS INTO AND OUT OF

a building. Cross' eyes dart to the train. He knows he's
driving into uncertainty.
CROSS
Damnit!
89.
Sullivan wraps his weapons, ampule box, etc in the jacket,

shoves it into the backpack, then pulls it on backwards, so
it's cushioning his chest. He goes to the open door.
As buildings whip by, he takes quick deep breaths, readying

himself...
Cross catches up with the train -- just as it's about to

enter the building.
He hits the breaks, cuts his speed in half.
As soon as the train is moving past the platform Sullivan

crosses his arms over his chest and BAILS OUT --
159 INT. MONORAIL PLATFORM - CONTINUOUS
-- Sullivan is ALREADY ROLLING when he hits the concrete.

It's as well-executed as can be, but that doesn't mean it's
not brutal.
After a long, punishing roll, Sullivan comes to a stop.
He slowly rises.
The outside of his hands torn and bloodied.
He spits out a tooth.
He then sees A GROUP OF ASTOUNDED ONLOOKERS on the platform

staring at him. Watching them, he rearranges his backpack,
and in the process pulls out his H&K submachine gun.
The astounded onlookers transition to frightened onlookers.

Sullivan gives them a "stay quiet" look as he walks away,
into the building.
160 EXT. ESCALADE - DAY
Cross moves even more slowly past the building. He's unsure
which path to take: his eyes follow the train and flit to
his mirrors -- he knows Sullivan might have pulled a move.
AHEAD, the traffic grows heavy, a near-jam due to the streets

closed by the police. He finds some cars are now behind him,
hemming him in.
The POLICE RADIO CHATTER (which has been ongoing), now gives
way to an incoming comm:
90.
VICKI (ON RADIO)

Alex! Alex, do you read? I've got
incoming from the courthouse. Please
advise --
CROSS
(very abrupt)
I'm in pursuit of Picasso, Tommy's
hurt, make sure he's being taken
care of. Out.
With that, he angrily turns off the radio.
161 INT. MONO BUILDING - DAY
Sullivan expertly holds his weapon to his side, so no one

notices it.
The more he walks the more he works out whatever damage he

did to himself in the jump. His gait is almost normal.
He is soon moving at a good clip through the building.
Trotting DOWN THE ESCALATOR, he passes a RENT-A-COP heading

up. The Rent-A-Cop turns, keying on Sullivan's weapon.
162 INT. MONO BUILDING PARKING - DAY
Sullivan quick-scans the lot. Immediately hones in on a man

driving a CORVETTE ZR1 towards the exit.
Sullivan runs, catches up with the Corvette as the man stops

AT THE EXIT GATE to feed in his parking ticket.
Sullivan sticks the H&K in THE DRIVER's face.
SULLIVAN
Back up, get out, leave the keys.
CORVETTE DRIVER
Okay, okay!
The driver backs away from the exit gate so his door can
open. Before he gets out --
The rent-a-cop appears at the entrance to the building. His

pistol already drawn as he shouts:
COP
STOP!
Sullivan whips around, his H&K already firing. Sullivan guides

the stream of bullets into the rent-a-cop's chest.
The Cop's pistol discharges into the ceiling.

91.
163 EXT. ESCALADE - DAY
Cross HEARS the multiple gun shots echoing from behind.
He has a Screw It attitude to his jammed-in situation: he

plows into the car in front of him, shoving it forward, then
reverses hard into the car behind him, pushing it back a few
feet.
With horns going off like crazy, he bangs a U-ey, dodges a

car, and sets off toward the Mono Building just as the
Corvette pulls out and roars off.
164 INT. CORVETTE - DAY
Sullivan turns in the opposite direction from the courthouse.
He drives aggressively, weaving in traffic, but careful not

to bust the speed limit so as to alert any cops.
This all changes when he catches in his rear view mirror the
Escalade. Now HE CAN SEE who is behind the wheel.
Sullivan shifts gears and rockets off.
He puts the Corvette to the test -- accelerating to 90,

braking hard to switch lanes. He gains more and more distance
from the Escalade.
As Cross tries in vain to keep up. He gets cut off, finds

his vision blocked by an 18-wheeler...
Sullivan hits an open stretch of road and zips up to one

hundred. He sees no sign of the Escalade in his mirror.
He slams the brakes, takes a violent turn ONTO ANOTHER STREET.
He continues on, free as a bird.
A view of the road opens, and Cross sees he's lost Sullivan.
He pounds the steering wheel. But isn't giving up.
CROSS
Come on...
He keeps driving, urging his car to go faster.

92.
And then, IT RESUMES: the tracking app on the navigation

panel flashes back on. Now beyond the 10 block cell phone
jamming perimeter, he can again see where Sullivan is.
CROSS
As I live and breath.
Cross turns off ONTO THE STREET Sullivan had taken. He

accelerates. The dot draws closer.
Sullivan drives like a law-abiding citizen. He wears the

self-satisfaction of having pulled it all off.
Seemingly out of nowhere THE ESCALADE IS ON HIS ASS, veering

into his lane, clipping his tail.
SULLIVAN
Bastard!
Sullivan steadies his car, lowers the passenger window.
He veers right, SLAMS THE BRAKES, and as the Escalade flies

past he fires full auto with his H&K.
169 INT. ESCALADE - CONTINUOUS
flies past the Corvette, taking a dozen slugs, but all they
do is break glass and rupture upholstery.
Cross' window is already down. He draws his sawed off shotgun.
170 INT. CORVETTE - CONTINUOUS
Sullivan sees Cross aiming the shotgun at him.
He hits the gas, Cross' shot BLOWS OUT A SIDE WINDOW, spraying
Sullivan with glass. Another shot takes out a chunk of car
just above the rear tire.
As Cross pumps the shotgun, the Corvette increases its

distance.
Cross fires again at the car, aiming for the tires.
Buckshot sparks on asphalt just behind the racing car.
172 INT. CORVETTE - CONTINUOUS
Sullivan slows to Cross' speed, and maintaining the distance

he's gained, he twists to fire his H&K at the Escalade.
93.
Cross sees the BULLETS KICKING UP the asphalt towards him.
He jams on the brakes, swerves, and the trail of lead passes.
As he recovers control he sees the Corvette racing away.
Sullivan drives dangerously fast. Totally confidant.
All the while making turns, reversing direction, basically

taking every possible evasive maneuver.
And all the while, his eyes darting to the rear view mirror -
Cross' appearance out of nowhere has gotten into his brain.
Cross wasn't surprised to see Sullivan rocket away.
CROSS
That's right.
He keeps driving hard, pushing 90, focused on the navigation

panel. On the rapidly moving dot. When the dot is clearly
headed south -- the moment Cross has been waiting for arrives:
HE SWERVES onto a street heading in the same direction.
CROSS (CONT'D)
Run into my 'hood.
Then he goes OFF-ROAD.
Cross blows through a chain-link fence.
The Escalade barrels through A STAND OF TREES.
The Escalade continues its off-road trek, moving through a

VACANT LOT and bouncing violently OVER A HALF-DOZEN RAILROAD
TRACKS.
All the while, Cross keeps glancing at the navigation panel -

and we see he's already radically cut the distance between
himself and Sullivan.
Sullivan reaches a dead zone -- The Badlands, unending blocks

of abandoned houses. He tops out the 'Vette at 155.
Sullivan takes it through a slight turn, then blasts into AN

OLD NARROW TUNNEL.
94.
Cross blows through another fence and is now on a long, level

concrete STRAIGHTAWAY.
The speedometer is topped, the beast moving at 110.
He's too busy driving to glance at the navigation panel. But

we see it. According to it, he is ON TOP OF THE DOT.
Sullivan emerges from the tunnel.
Cross blows off the straightaway ONTO THE ROAD. He veers

ever so slightly.
Enough to T-BONE THE CORVETTE.
180 INT. BOTH CARS - CONTINUOUS
It's an enormous impact. Especially inside the Corvette,

with its direction suddenly changed 90º.
AIRBAGS DEPLOY as metal and fiberglass crumble and crack.
181 EXT. DEAD FIELD - CONTINUOUS
The Escalade plows the Corvette into a dead field.
Both men are stunned by the airbag impact.
SULLIVAN
pushes himself out of his car. He fires a LONG BURST at the

Escalade.
CROSS
dives onto the seats, pulls himself out the passenger door
as THE ESCALADE IS RIDDLED.
He takes cover at the front of the Escalade and quickly BLASTS

SHOTS at the Corvette until the shotgun is empty; he feeds
into it his remaining six cartridges.
SULLIVAN
hunkers down as he pulls a new magazine from his backpack

and feeds it into his H&K.
The barrage of buckshot skewers him with glass and fiberglass.

95.
Some PELLETS HIT HIS THIGH.
CROSS
Pumping and firing, Cross dashes to the cover of a tree,

bringing him even closer to Sullivan.
His shotgun empty, he DRAWS HIS .357 SIG and chambers it.
SULLIVAN
SPRAYS WITHERING FIRE in Cross' direction - and while Cross

remains low, Sullivan makes for a SHED.
He pulls himself UP ONTO THE ROOF of a shed.
ON CROSS
rising in time to see Sullivan hoisting himself to whatever

is above the shed.
Cross fires four shots as Sullivan disappears from sight.
182 EXT. RAIL BEDS, BACK OF CENTRAL STATION - DAY
Sullivan finds himself at THE BACK of the ONCE GRAND RAILWAY

STATION. It's a VAST AREA, empty except for the dozen tracks
that come from nowhere and go nowhere.
Despite his game leg he manages to run.
183 EXT. DEAD FIELD - DAY
Cross cautiously follows, taking the shed roof, slowly raising

his head -- TO SEE in the distance Sullivan running down the
tracks.
184 EXT. RAIL BEDS, CENTRAL STATION - CONTINUOUS
Cross hoists himself up.
Cross takes careful aim with his Sig at Sullivan, well past
the hundred yard mark.
Cross fires three spaced shots, the big gun kicking.
SULLIVAN
can feel Cross' eyes boring into his back.
He starts zig-zagging when the first bullet hits the dirt a

few yards ahead of him.
96.
The second bullet hits near his feet, convincing him that
here, out in the open, will not do: he turns toward the OPEN
MAW that used to be the ENTRANCE/EXIT OF THE OLD STATION.
CROSS
closes the distance.
Ready to return fire should Sullivan pop out with his H&K.
And altogether pleased as punch about where he's channeled

Sullivan: into his turf.
185 INT. ATRIUM, RAILWAY STATION - DAY
Once a gem, the station still shows graceful lines and a few
ornamental embellishments. But it's essentially an enormous
cadaver of brick and steel, heavily graffitied, its floors
slick with water.
Cross comes through A SIDE ENTRANCE, advances SLOWLY.
Moving from one position of cover to another.
Listening to the utter silence for a tell-tale sound.
SULLIVAN
stands in the shadows of a wall's inset. At the FAINT PATTER

of footsteps, Sullivan steps out and FIRES ACROSS THE ATRIUM.
CROSS
hits the floor. He squeezes off 5 quick rounds -- UPWARD
The ceiling is mostly nonexistent...but a decent number of

ENORMOUS GLASS PANES have survived, only to now be shattered --
SULLIVAN
ceases firing as HUGE SHARDS OF GLASS start raining down. As

he flees
CROSS
gets a bead on Sullivan and from across the long room fires
ANOTHER HANDFUL OF SHOTS.
SULLIVAN
exits the room as .357 slugs BLAST AT CONCRETE around him.

97.
186 INT. CORRIDOR, RAILWAY STATION - DAY
Sullivan runs down the corridor, constantly looking to see

if Cross is showing behind him.
187 INT. A DIFFERENT CORRIDOR, RAILWAY STATION - DAY
Cross runs full speed. Ejecting the Sig's mag, slamming in a

second mag -- and putting the first magazine in his back
pocket.
Cross doesn't have to look over his shoulder. Because he

knows exactly where Sullivan is headed...
188 INT. MAIN ROOM, RAILWAY STATION - DAY
Cross halts in this MASSIVE ROOM, stripped bare, the floor

covered with a QUARTER INCH OF WATER, its walls lined with
enormous columns supporting A VAULTED 50 FOOT CEILING.
Cross takes aim at a spot 200 feet away...AND WAITS, as the

sound of SULLIVAN RUNNING grows louder.
189 INT. CORRIDOR, RAILWAY STATION - DAY
Sullivan runs, the entrance to the Main Room looming.
Just before dashing into it, he stops, hugs the wall. H&K
ready. Listening. All of his experience warning him: No.
190 INT. MAIN ROOM, RAILWAY STATION - DAY
Cross stands as he was. Motionless. Finger on hair trigger.
Suddenly, SULLIVAN SKIDS INTO THE ROOM, LYING ON HIS SIDE:

HYDROPLANING across the floor, H&K firing wildly in Cross'
direction.
Cross acquires his target and empties his magazine --
-- all the while STEPPING BACK to take cover BEHIND A COLUMN

as Sullivan's machine gun spray draws closer.
Sullivan's H&K goes empty. Sullivan whips out his MK II.
Behind the column, Cross holsters the empty Sig and pulls
THE SUB-COMPACT GLOCK 29 from his ankle holster.
Sullivan, totally exposed out on the floor, sees his closest

option is a GRAND STAIRWAY between himself and Cross.
He starts firing perfectly-aimed rounds at the column that

Cross is behind, the pistol whisper silent but the bullets
emphatic as they chip at the column.
98.
Cross stays glued to the column as the bullets thud.
As Sullivan reaches the stairway his MK II is empty.
The echo of its CLICK carries.
Cross steps out BLAZING, nearly tagging Sullivan as he bolts

up the steps.
Cross runs to the stairway, resuming fire as he turns the

corner. He's in time to see Sullivan cut right.
191 INT. GRAND STAIRWAY - CONTINUOUS
Cross steadily mounts the steps.
He reaches the top.
Listens.
Swings around, ready to fire --
192 INT. UPPER CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
Every doorway is nailed closed with plywood sheets. Except

one way down at the end -- where a REGULAR DOOR is shut.
193 INT. CORRIDOR - DAY
Cross slowly makes his way, his feet sinking in the wet,
rotted floor.
He reaches it. Listens. Assesses.
Finally, he kicks open the door, ready to unload --
-- but from where he stands he sees a room that's almost

gone. Sun beams through the partial ceiling, and the floor
and walls are scattered with small trees and vines, some
dead, some half-dead.
Toward the far side of the room, THE FLOOR warps down, and
in some places has disintegrated entirely, leaving A HOLE.
As for Sullivan, there's not a trace.
194 INT. THE RAILWAY FOREST - CONTINUOUS
As Cross scopes the room from outside the doorway, WE SEE

SULLIVAN ABOVE THE INSIDE OF THE DOORWAY, legs astride, feet
planted on two steel beams that once supported the roof.
He has A LONG IRON ROD cocked, ready for Cross.

99.
195 INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
Cross continues scanning the foliage. He fixes on SOME BENT

AND BROKEN BRANCHES -- Sullivan's trail.
196 INT. THE RAILWAY FOREST - CONTINUOUS
Cross charges in, FIRING in what he thinks is Sullivan's

position.
Sullivan swings fast and hard. The PIPE NAILS Cross' forearm,
sending THE PISTOL FLYING.
Sullivan swings again from high up, but Cross sidesteps the
bar.
Sullivan jumps down -- a BEAM BENEATH THE FLOOR CRACKS, the

floor collapses a bit, but Sullivan is already advancing
toward Cross, jabbing with the bar.
Sullivan throws another big swing -- but this time Cross is

ready, he steps into the swing so that Sullivan's hand hits
his abdomen; Cross RIPS THE BAR FREE, sends the smaller
Sullivan off-balance.
Cross attacks, his training blended with primal fury.
And what goes down is Sullivan's cat-like speed vs. Cross'

strength and fury. Sullivan's broad array of martial arts
skill vs. Cross's street-fighting childhood and ten years of
Krav Maga.
Cross swings. Sullivan moves as Cross did, inward toward

Cross to tie him up, but Cross' move was a feint, and he now
DRIVES THE SHORT END of the pole into Sullivan's gut.
As Sullivan reflexively bends, Cross swings behind him and

takes Sullivan's legs out.
Sullivan hits the deck, lungs empty, but before Cross succeeds
in pile-driving the bar straight through him he rolls.
Instead, the ROD DRIVES DEEP into the soggy floor.
It hits a supporting beam. There's a loud wooden snap, and A

FISSURE snakes out from where the floor has disintegrated.
Sullivan scrounges for the pistol but Cross dives and with
his greater length is able to swat it...
...the Glock twirls across the floor and INTO THE HOLE.
Both men on the ground.
Cross grabs the back of Sullivan's head and with his other
hand HAMMER-FISTS HIS NOSE, breaking it.
100.
CROSS
You don't like that do you?!
Cross palm-heel strikes Sullivan's chin. All the while:
CROSS
Today's the day. When I do. The whole
human race. A big favor.
He follows this savage hit with a strike to the temple even

as he repeatedly drives his knee into Sullivan's wounded
thigh.
Someone not used to beatings like this would be tapped, but

Sullivan's body is reacting on instinct: as blood and saliva
flow he wraps his legs around one of Cross', and TORQUES THE
BIG MAN OVER.
He drives an elbow in Cross' diaphragm, taking Cross' wind.

Sullivan does it again. A third time.
Both men try to get up. Sullivan is faster. And Cross, still
rising, takes a glancing knee to the head.
Cross tries to roll kick Sullivan from the ground, but

Sullivan stays with him, his senses returning, and front
kicks Cross' stomach, causing him to contract in pain.
Sullivan staggers to THE PIPE and pulls it out of the floor.
SULLIVAN
You big boys always fuck up big.
Sullivan tees up on Cross, the swing swooshing, and the iron

rod hits Cross' biceps, FRACTURING HIS HUMERUS.
Cross rolls in agony, the fissure below him spreading, the

floor tilting, channeling him close to THE GROWING HOLE.
SULLIVAN
Ain't pain grand!
Sullivan swings. A kill shot to Cross's head. Cross sees it,

turns, takes the blow on the shoulder of his broken arm.
Twirling the rod like a batter on deck, Sullivan gauges Cross,

this vanquished man.
SULLIVAN
So Detective, where's backup? Oh, I
think I understand.
Cross tries rising. The floor shudders once more. Another

floor beam cracks. Cross is SO close to taking a 50 foot
plunge.
101.
SULLIVAN (CONT'D)
You make me laugh, bright boy. I
knew you were going to punish yourself
for killing Maria. But I didn't expect
you were going to let me help.
Sullivan backs away, pulls HIS BACKPACK from the wizened

foliage.
Cross focuses on Sullivan. Watches Sullivan as he slips The

WASP (his pneumatic syringe) into the palm of his hand. As
he takes an ampule from the box, slides it into the device.
As he PUTS THE BOX into his shirt pocket.
All the while Cross is amplifying his pain, trying to get

the shaking hand of his broken arm INTO HIS PANTS POCKET.
Sullivan approaches, his weight causing the floor to give

even more.
As he leans forward to inject Cross, Cross grabs Sullivan's

wrist with his good arm.
Cross' one arm -- it against all of Sullivan's body.
The strong arm trembles.
Starts to bend.
The WASP closes in on Alex Cross' eye.
SULLIVAN
Stop fighting, Alex. You've been
losing ever since you started.
Cross makes his move. His only move. His only chance.
His other hand is now out of his pocket. In his hand is his
SWITCHBLADE.
ROARING to drown out the agony, Cross wills his fractured

arm to DRIVE HIS KNIFE THROUGH THE AMPULE BOX and to the
hilt into Sullivan shoulder --
-- Cross rises as Sullivan falls back, twisting his fist to

work THE FLOWING TTX into Sullivan bloodstream.
CROSS
Have a little of your own medicine!
Sullivan emits AN UNGODLY GASP as --
The FORCE OF THE TWO BODIES hitting the floor makes the hole
grow wider. Part of Sullivan's rapidly paralyzing body falls
into it.
102.
Sullivan eyes Cross as he slowly sits himself up.
Cross eyes Sullivan as he works out from his back pocket THE
MAGAZINE from his Sig Sauer. There's ONE BULLET LEFT in it.
Cross draws the big gun.
Pins it between his knees.
Shoves in the magazine.
Chambers the single round.
Cross raises the pistol.
To shoot Sullivan.
Point blank.
In the face.
A floor beam gives. It breaks through the masonry below,

PLUMMETS 50 FEET down to the floor of the Main Room.
Sullivan laughs. Victorious. His voice A STRAINED GASP:
SULLIVAN
Go on. But never forget: I made you!
Cross squeezes the trigger.
But as he is about to exceed 5 pounds of force, he takes his

finger off. The Better Angels of His Nature have prevailed.
CROSS
No.
Sullivan looks perplexed as Cross holsters his pistol.
CROSS
I'm going ruin your day.
He pulls out his handcuffs. Slaps one of the cuffs over

Sullivan's wrist.
CROSS
You're under arrest, you son of a
bitch.
Another floor beam collapses.
The hole widens.
Sullivan falls.
103.
Cross has a hold of the other end of the cuff. Sullivan

dangles, the steel bracelet digging into his flesh. It hurts
Sullivan, and it shows, as Cross, inch by inch, backs away,
pulling Sullivan with him.
But as he attempts to extricate Sullivan, the rotten floor

collapses away, more and more quickly.
Cross tries to move faster as the hole spreads, threatening

to swallow them both.
Cross whips his legs around, spreads his weight flat.
As the hole extends his grip on the handcuff bracelet slips

an inch so that it's on the verge of being held by just his
fingertips.
Cross' spreading out his weight wasn't enough. More masonry

falls from below, another beam falls, the hole opens faster
than ever now, to swallow Cross --
-- the sound of wood and brick is so loud that CROSS DOES

NOT HEAR THEM, he does not see the SEA OF BLUE, as HE IS
SWALLOWED --
Cross plummets -- but stops cold.
The cuff is jolted from his hand.
And Sullivan falls.
In the one second plus that he has remaining, Sullivan's

most basic instincts emerge. Before he splatters on the floor
of the Main Room, Sullivan/Picasso CRIES OUT IN FEAR.
As for Cross, he is hauled out of the hole by Tommy Kane,

who in turn is being held by another cop, and he by another.
KANE
We got ya', buddy! Hold on.
The line of cops pull Cross well clear of the hole -- now
consuming half the room.
They stop by the door. Cross looks at Kane. Kane slaps his
back.
FADE TO BLACK
197 INT. CROSS' OFFICE, HMCU - DAY
BOXES are stacked in the office. They all bear the same label:
ALEX CROSS, FBI, 1 Hoover Road, Quantico, VA
104.
Cross sits at his bare desk. His arm in sling. From the look
of his various scratches and bruises, a few weeks have passed.
Cross is focused intently on his laptop. We see he is watching

HELICOPTER VIDEO of the Ångstrom assassination.
AGAIN AND AGAIN he watches it: Ångstrom, his bodyguards

tightly packing around him as emerges from his limo and goes
up the courthouse steps.
He can't stop watching. Because he can't stop searching. For

the thing that he's missing...but KNOWS is there.
198 INT. CORRIDORS, POLICE HQ - DAY
Cross heads through the station corridors. HIS CELL PHONE

RINGS. The number is blocked. Cross answers it.
A MAN (ON PHONE)

Dr. Cross.
Cross stops in his tracks. Cross's voice is level:
CROSS
Ångstrom.
ÅNGSTROM (ON PHONE)

You don't sound surprised.
CROSS
I had a feeling there was more to
that mess than met the eye. And then
I realized: when we mopped everything
up, there was no red diamond ring.
Ångstrom giggles like a child who knows he's been caught.
A cluster of talking policemen gets Cross on the move again.

He exits the building.
199 EXT. POLICE HQ - CONTINUOUS
Cross stops on the steps.
CROSS (CONT'D)
It was Pierce. He wasn't just your
bodyguard -- he was your body double.
CUT TO:
Flying low over the ocean. A jungle looms, a volcano sits in

the distance. Closer in, we can see a LAVISH, EXOTIC COMPOUND
built just beyond the beach.
105.
ÅNGSTROM (V.O.)
Mr. Pierce served as a decoy many
times. He was a loyal companion. I
take comfort knowing he never felt a
thing. The bottom line is I had no
choice. Life as me was getting to be
inconvenient.
200 INT. ÅNGSTROM'S COMPOUND - CONTINUOUS
Ångstrom is relaxing on a sofa, gazing at the ocean. A large

computer monitor beside him streams data.
Cross' voice sounds from a HIGH-TECH TRACE-PROOF COMM DEVICE.
CROSS (ON SPEAKER)

So you took out a hit on yourself.
And Fan Yau and LeBescond, they were
too deep inside your "information
loop," they had to go for real.
ÅNGSTROM
It was a necessary housecleaning.
ON CROSS
He swallows the bile rising in his mouth.
CROSS
And Sullivan never even knew he was
being played the sucker.
BACK ON ÅNGSTROM
He has risen now, is walking --

"Sullivan", "Picasso"...identifying
him has proved a bit of a problem,
hasn't it? I would tell you his name,
but I myself don't know. I simply
contracted him on the open market.
There are many such men in the world.
-- and greets with a kiss Paramita, his beautiful Gatekeeper,

as she enters wearing a sarong.
ON CROSS
CROSS
You're not the type to call to gloat.

That is true.
(MORE)
106.
ÅNGSTROM (ON PHONE) (CONT'D)

When we met I said you were not up
to the task. That you were weak. I
called to tell you that I was wrong.
Good luck, Dr. Cross. You're going
to need it.
The line goes dead. Cross looks up, sees Kane is pulled over
in his Camaro, has been waiting for Cross to finish.
201 INT. KANE'S CAMARO - DAY
Cross looks out window as the city passes by.
Then, the streets in his neighborhood.
Finally, Kane pulls to a stop outside Cross' house.
KANE
Hey, Alex: I know it's a step down
from this place, but D.C., I could
be persuaded. Keep it in mind.
Cross smiles. They shake, the men's two hands flying through
a series of moves evolved over decades of friendship.
202 EXT. CROSS' HOUSE - DAY
Cross gets out, then pauses as --
KANE
Hey. Who was that you were you talking
to, outside the station?
CROSS
Who calls the shots in the henhouse?
Kane knows exactly what Cross is telling him. His jaw goes
slack.
KANE
Cross' look is a sober affirmation. Incredulous and disturbed,

Tommy Kane drives off.
Cross walks up to his front door.
He stops here. In the distance he can hear A SIREN WAIL.
He looks inside. The place is half-way packed up to move.
He sees Janelle and Damon putting stuff in boxes.

107.
He keys on Janelle: as she picks up HER TOY PIANO. The one

Maria bought her. Janelle kisses it, then puts it gently
into a box.
Alex Cross is so moved. But he remains in the doorway, looking

in, as behind him the sound of the siren grows louder.
THE END

Alex Cross Screenplay

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Alex Cross Screenplay

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I, ALEX CROSS

Based on the novel by

1 INT. PACKARD PLANT, A TWO BLOCK LONG ASSEMBLY FLOOR - DAY

And TOMMY KANE is sprinting, the lanyard around his neck

The man he’s chasing is IAN McGUIRE. His shirt is streaked

KANE CUTS RIGHT.

Cross is the physical opposite of McGuire. He’s got the

Not missing a step, McGuire jams his pistol in his pants,

Cross approaches the fence with a different M.O., lowering

2 EXT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS

Cross follows McGuire out the main entrance -- and slows,

Meanwhile, we are absorbing what a MIND-BLOWINGLY MASSIVE

Cross reacquires McGuire, running, and then if by magic

3 INT. ANOTHER PACKARD BUILDING - CONTINUOUS

Kane is still running. He’s not surprised.

4 EXT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS

Cross reaches where McGuire disappeared – and we see an open

5 INT. TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS

Cross drops down into the small brick-arched passage and

6 INT. PACKARD FACTORY - CONTINUOUS

As McGuire emerges from an opening in the floor, races to

He changes course, the reunited cops in pursuit.

7 INT. PACKARD PLANT

The chase continues through areas that border on the macabre:

Some windows have old automobiles dangling half-way out.

There are boats stacked all over the place, mountains of

8 INT. PACKARD PLANT ELEVATOR SHAFT

McGuire skids to a stop. The shaft is three stories -- it

Cross and Kane continue on to THE AUTO RAMP at the building’s

9 EXT. ROOF, PACKARD PLANT - DAY

McGuire emerges only to find Cross and Kane blitzing towards

McGuire then leaps off the roof, roll-landing 15 feet below

Making this leap isn’t Cross’s style. Instead he throws

CROSS DOWN to the midpoint of the crosswalk as McGuire drops

Kane, meanwhile, dangle drops to the crosswalk. He runs,

10 INT. CROSSWALK - CONTINUOUS

-- and is surprised to see Cross has stopped running.

11 INT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS

McGuire senses he’s no longer being chased. He pauses -- his

12 INT. CROSSWALK - CONTINUOUS

Cross quick fires six rounds at the two tanks.

13 INT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS

Cross’ shots trigger an ENORMOUS EXPLOSION, its ear-bursting

McGuire comes to, and finds himself with a close up view of

Cross hoists McGuire up. Onto his tippy toes.

14 EXT. PACKARD PLANT - CONTINUOUS

Police cars are on site. As McGuire is put into a squad car,

CUT TO: Metal clanging, a door opening, and --

15 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY

Cross sets on the table a little magnetic chess set. It’s

Pop Pop answers with a disdainful chortle.

Cross advances a pawn. Play continues as —

Cross pockets the chess set. As he goes to the door.

The door slams shut. Pop Pop sits alone.

16 EXT. CROSS' HOUSE — NIGHT

Old, but charming and well-kept.

17 INT. CROSS’ HOUSE — NIGHT

The space is cramped but cozy.

Alex’s mother, NANA MAMA, a take-no-prisoners force of nature,

MARIA, Alex’s effervescently stunning wife, is tidying up

Alex’s son, DAMON, 7, is fidgeting with a RC helicopter.

Meanwhile, Alex is with his daughter, JANELLE, 9, at an old

He tries a variation of the tune he has in mind.