"DIE HARD" (1988)

Nothing Lasts Forever

A Gordon Company/Silver Pictures Production

Christmas tinsel on the light poles. We ARE LOOKING east past Inglewood INTO the orange grid of L.A. at night when suddenly we TILT UP TO CATCH the huge belly of a landing 747 — the noise is deafening.

The usual moment just after landing when you let out that sigh of relief that you've made it in one piece.

ON JOHN MCCLANE 3

mid-thirties, good-looking, athletic and tired from his trip. He sits by the window. His relief on landing is subtle but we notice. Suddenly, he hears a voice next to him.

J^W!fc'"S Don't fly much do you?

McClane looks over at a grinning middle-aged BUSINESSMAN sitting next to him.

The Businessman picks up on McClane's scepticism and takes it as a challenge. His salesman's smile broadens.

/0s**.. The Businessman oozes confidence. McClane reaches up to help a woman down with her bags and the butt of his Beretta handgun suddenly becomes visible to the Businessman. The man blanches at the sight and McClane notices the look. He's seen it before.

We SEE this doesn't totally calm the Businessman. McClane holds his look and produces a gold NYPD Detective's shield.

CLOSE ON A bottle of Dom Perignon as the cork explodes across a large office floor decorated for Christmas. A Japanese man, mid-fifties standing on a desk holds up the bottle triumphantly and looks out at an adoring audience of junior executives and office personnel. He is JOSEPH TAKAGI, Sr. V.P. of Sales for Nakatomi, a multinational corporation.

In the b.g., obviously still at work, an attractive BUSINESSWOMAN in her mid-thirties, studying a computer printout, heads toward her office. Falling into step with her is HARRY ELLIS, thirty-seven, V.P. of Sales. Well-dressed, with stylish, slicked-back hair, he looks and acts very smooth.

She turns into:

Her name is HOLLY GENNARO MCCLANE, though the nameplate on her door stops after the first two. She puts the printout down on her secretary's desk.

Ginny passes Ellis in the doorway as Holly punches a number on the phone.

I ELLIS ' (not giving up)

How about tomorrow night?

Just then the party on Holly's phone picks up and WE:

INTERCUT:

where a four-year-old girl, LUCY MCCLANE, answers the phone with a sense of importance.

Holly suddenly smiles. It is the first time we've seen her smile and it speaks volumes about the person hidden under a tough business exterior.

She looks up and watches Ellis leave.

/fH^s

J^*>*

Lucy hands the phone to a young Salvadorian woman, PAULINA, the housekeeper.

Holly hides a trace of disappointment.

Holly's smile comes through again.

McClan^-r^earing TBTs-sWool topcoat and carrying a huge FAg^chwartz stuffep. animal and his hangup bag, comes down

ramp with the Businessman from the

The Businessman moves down the ramp and is lovingly greeted by his family. McClane watches, moved by the sight, then looks around the waiting area, just on the chance his family might be waiting. Instead he spots a thin, gangling, black kid, WILLIAM, in an ill-fitting chaufeur's uniform. As he waits he beats «out a rhythm on a card with J. McCLANE printed on it. McClane pauses in front of him.

He turns and starts walking.

William takes McClane's bag.

McClane and William both sit in the front seat as the black limo turns off the Santa Monica Freeway and heads north toward Century City. The huge toy animal sits in the backseat. McClane hears a rustling at his feet and looks down to see a bunch of fast food wrappers. Picks one up — it says Taco Bell — and looks at William who grins sheepishly.

<T expect you to sit up front.

A98

f* WILLIAM (Cont.)

(popping in a cassette) Mind if I play some tunes?

A hard RAP SONG blasts from the speakers.

McClane gives up and grins, tosses the wrapper back on the floor and looks out the window.

9 HIS P.O.V. 9

Convertibles with Christmas trees in their backseats, Time/Temperature signs which read: 69°, and palm trees trimmed in Christmas lights — it is clear that Christmas L.A. style is a foreign commodity he could live happily without.

WILLIAM

f* (to the animal • in the back)

You know, you're stocked backed there. We got CD, CB, TV, phone, full bar. I even know a couple of Teddy Bears... (to McClane) ...Or is he married?

f^ WILLIAM

Hey, I'm sorry. I got to quit doing that, you know.

McClane gives up.

I /

McClane grins, he likes William even if he is direct.

A miniature Christmas tree with blinking lights sits on a desk of SERGEANT AL POWELL, thirties, a man who's had enough experience to know how bad it can be out there. He speaks in low tones to the telephone.

A98

10 CONTINUED: ' 10

Suddenly Powell's miniature tree is knocked on its side and a handgun goes spinning across the desk into his lap. He looks up to see two cops trying to subdue a struggling suspect in front of his desk. COP #1 looks up at Powell and grins.

COP #1 Don't worry, Al, it ain't loaded.

Powell hangs up and puts the heavy firearm on the desk as the two cops shove the suspect into a chair in front of him. COP #2 stares at the suspect and points at Powell.

I COP #2

Sergeant Powell's a very deadly man with a handgun, so don't try anything or he might kill you... by accident.

The two cops laugh. Powell ignores them, and expertly rolls in a sheet of paper into his main weapon — the typewriter.

McClane and William pull up in front of the Nakatomi building, a forty story, ultra-modern highrise in Century City.

He gets out and William sits a moment in the car alone before getting out to help him with the bags.

William climbs out of the limo and stops by the trunk.

He looks up at the highrise lit by huge spotlights, then back at William who's made no attempt to open the trunk.

He hands McClane a slip with the number on it.

Beautiful and deserted. A large Christmas tree stands next to the security table where the GUARD sits. McClane goes to the desk and signs in.

McClane riding the elevator. He rotates his head. Getting the cricks out. As he approaches the 32nd floor we hear a tremendous THUMPING, THROBBING NOISE. McClane stops and listens before he realizes — it's the party. As the doors open the noise attacks us.

McClane moves around the edge of the party and stops a dancing woman who points to Holly's "office.

A98

McClane pauses at the door and notes the name, then knocks. It is opened by Takagi. Ellis sits behind Holly's secretary's desk and nervously taps a tightly-rolled dollar bill.

Ellis subtly runs a checking finger under his nose then stands to shake hands with McClane. McClane takes it all in.

We can tell by McClane's look that he doesn't think much of Ellis. McClane holds Ellis' look and runs his finger subtly under his nose.

A98

yflE^X

Ellis automatically puts his hand to his face before realizing his face is clean.

Holly enters. Seeing McClane momentarily stops her. J /

^S*!S\ him...of course he has.

McClane and Holly look at each other for a moment awkwardly then she kisses him on the cheek. The awkwardness pleases Ellis.

He points to a new gold Rolex on Holly's wrist.

A UPS truck turns off Olympic into the underground parking garage of Nakatomi.

It goes down the ramp and passes William's black limo. William I is not visible in the front. The back windows are tinted.

William sits in the backseat. He is making a drink from the bar with the TV on and his rap music blasting from the cassette player, oblivious to the truck passing behind him.

The UPS truck stops in front of the service elevator on the next level down. As the truck idles, the uniformed driver makes a note on his clipboard.

Holly sits in Ellis' office — a Sharper Image kind of place. Through a door to the private washroom, she watches McClane in his T-shirt finish washing his face.

They both smile, a reminder of something past.

A98

J^tn\ McClane finishes drying his face and steps to the doorway.

McClane fixes her with a look.

He nods at her new watch. She rubs her watchband self-consciously and when she looks up McClane is staring at her.

They lock eyes for a moment, but it's an intense moment that says a lot about how they still feel about each other. Just then a man and a woman, both a little tipsy, open the door to the office, see that its occupied and beat a hasty /Si^V retreat. The interruption temporarily dents the mood. Holly tries to smile.

She leaves and McClane smiles to himself — it's a start. He looks at all the lavishness around him and picks up a phone on the wall by the toilet. He opens his wallet and takes out the phone number William gave him. A photo of his children stops him.

Holly and the two children we saw at Holly's house. He flips it over. On the back in crude but painstaking hand of a five-year-old it says: WE MISS YOU, DADDY. LOVE JOHN (and in more primative letters) LUCY.

23 MCCLANE 23

returns the photo to his wallet, dials the number and begins to unlace his shoes.

The Guard at the front desk notices the UPS truck on his monitor. The Guard continues to watch the UPS truck and only half notices as a BMW pulls up in front of the building and two extremely well-dressed, BUSINESSMEN (late twenties) climb out and start up the stairs for the door. As they cross the lobby to the Guard's table to sign-in, we hear •their conversation.

MAN #1 (THEO) (animatedly) ...So, Kareem rebounds — listen, this is a great play — feeds Worthy on the break, over to A.C., to Magic, back to Worthy in the lane and —

Suddenly the other man pulls out a Walther pistol with a silencer and aims it at the Guard's forehead. Before the Guard can react he pulls the trigger.

MAN #1 (THEO) (dryly) Boom...two points.

(The speed with which the murder takes place sets the tone for the rest of the action.) The killer moves behind the desk, stepping over a small pool of blood from the Guard. His name is KARL, big, with long blond hair like a rock drummer. Karl takes off the silencer and looks at the

A98

J0£\ video monitor of the UPS truck. The first man, THEO, opens his briefcase and takes out a portable CB radio.

25 ON THE SCREEN 25

the driver nods at the security camera as several men climb out the rear of the van and begin unloading wooden crates•by the service elevator.

Theo enters the small control room and comfortably sits behind a maintenance keyboard. With a few typed-in commands } he locks down the passenger elevators up to the 32nd floor. i Then with several more computer commands, .systematically causes:

27 THE HEAVY STEEL GATES TO THE PARKING GARAGE CLOSE 27

28 THE ESCALATORS TO THE GARAGE COME TO A STOP 28

29 THE POWERFUL BLOWERS IN THE AIR CONDITIONING TOWER 29 ON THE ROOF SUDDENLY STOP AND WE HEAR JUST THE TRICKLE OF WATER IN THE COOLING TOWER

Theo finishes typing and disconnects the keyboard and pulls out the wires from beneath the panel.

The doors to a service elevator open TO REVEAL HANS GRUBER, impeccably dressed, lean and handsome, he steps out into the lobby like he owns the building — and in a way he does. Theo steps to the door of the control room and tosses Hans the Guard's master keys. Hans goes to the front door and locks it. He looks out at the street — not a creature is stirring — Century City is quiet.

32 KARL 32

waits beside an elevator which opens REVEALING NINE MEN dressed in fatigues, all armed with Kalashnikov machine guns and carrying canvas kit bags. One of them, HEINZ, in his twenties, goes to the dead guard and immediately begins \ changing into the dead man's clothes.

takes a tool case from the elevator and heads silently for the basement stairwell.

34 THEO 34

leaves the control room and nods to Hans.

35 HEINZ 35

•

half-dressed in his uniform, takes his position behind the front desk.

36 HANS 36

looks at his watch and seems pleased. He steps into the service elevator with the others and presses the button for 1 the 32nd floor. The entire sequence has taken maybe sixty ( seconds.

McClane, barefoot, his pant legs rolled up above his ankles. He finishes dialing and waits for the party to answer.

/Jl//lfl"\38 INT. BUILDING BASEMENT - PHONE ROOM 38

A large sign says: PACIFIC BELL EMPLOYEES ONLY. Inside Karl stands in front of an intimidating matrix of phone lines — but what he has in mind won't require a doctorate in Electrical Engineering. He focuses on four CPV plastic conduits which run out of the main panel over his head and opens his case REVEALING a compact electric chain saw.

McClane on the phone.

William is reclining on the seat. The music is on so loud that it is nearly impossible to hear.

/liBBNy 41 INT. PHONE ROOM - SAME 41

Karl cuts through the four tubes one at a time.

A98

ytf&*^S McClane on the phone.

He stops and gently taps the phone cradle. No dial tone.

William looks at the phone.

He turns down the music but there is no one on the line.

He hangs up and turns the volume back up.

44 ELLIS' OFFICE 44

He hangs up the phone and goes into Ellis' office and picks up the phone on the desk. It too is dead.

\ 45 INT. SERVICE ELEVATOR 45

Hans and the others approaching the 32nd floor. As they grow closer we hear the noise of the speakers growing louder and louder. The men cock their weapons and brace themselves as the car stops and the elevator doors open. ON THE SOUND OF GUNSHOTS AND SCREAMS WE:

McClane grabs his shoulder harness off the back of the chair and moves quickly to the doorway. He looks down the hall.

47 HIS P.O.V. 47

Two terrorists, FRANCO and TONY, armed with M-5 machine guns searching the offices on the hall one by one. They open a door, look in from the hallway, and move on quickly to the next. They are four offices away and moving fast.

McClane looks across the corridor and sees the stairwell door — too far to reach without being seen.

(*** 48 MCCLANE , . 48

steps back, throws off the safety on his Beretta and braces himself.

A98

^0™^ reach the office just before Ellis' and throw open the door REVEALING the man and woman who interrupted Holly and McClane a few minutes before, now in the throes of passionate lovemaking on the desk. The two terrorists smile at each other then enter the office.

A moment later the man, trying desperately to pull up his pants and woman buttoning her blouse, are pushed out into the hall and toward the party, by Tony. The other terrorist. Franco, goes to Ellis' office and opens the door. It is empty. Only McClane's shoes and coat remain.

CLOSE ON McClane's bare feet padding quickly up the concrete stairs, two at a time. We FOLLOW him up two flights, then | out onto the:

51 34TH FLOOR 51 i | Unlike the 32nd it has no surrounding offices, just one | large secretarial pool with hundreds of desks, hundreds of phones, dark and deserted. McClane moves quickly to a desk and picks up a phone. It's out.

P MCCLANE

Shit...

Out the windows a high-rise apartment building a half-block away sparkles with lights. McClane stares at a woman in her kitchen. We SEE her wipe her hands on an apron and turn to answer a telephone. It seems so easy.

McCLANE Think...

The employees have been herded to the center of the room where the desks have been pulled back. Many people are whimpering. Holly looks around the room for McClane; she sees Ellis. Takagi, stubbornly refusing to cooperate is pushed toward the group. Hans steps up on top of a desk and looks over the group.

{ unfortunately, are part of the recompense.

Several of the terrorists begin collecting IDs as people hunt for ID.

f He steps down from the desk and goes into: / 53 HOLLY'S OFFICE 53

where a terrorist with glasses, FRITZ, has begun to set up operations. A large CB unit is placed on her desk and a TV monitor is put on the credenza. While he works, Hans picks up an 8x10 photo on the credenza.

y 54 CLOSE - THE PHOTO 54

The same one that we saw in McClane's wallet of Holly and the children.

55 HANS 55

He puts the photo back. Franco (who checked Ellis' office) brings McClane*s coat, socks and shoes. Hans examines the clothes and looks at the man who brought them.

Hans feels the fabric of McClane's topcoat as Franco leaves and Takagi is brought to the office. Hans smiles. jt0>&\

A98

f*y HANS

(pleasantly) Mr, Takagi, my name is Hans Gruber. Would you come with me, please?

McClane pauses outside the stairwell door to the 38th floor, he presses the handle and cracks the door open TO REVEAL a computer floor. The-computer machinery drones on under the lights behind plate glass windows. McClane quietly closes the door and makes a note on a piece of paper.

It is a listing of the floors and says:

» 32 Hostages / 33 ?

34 Open Floor 35 Open Floor 36 Cubicles 37 Cubicles and inside offices (TV sets in inside office) 38 Computers

f* 58 MCCLANE 58

moves up the stairs to the next landing, the 39th floor, and tries to open the door. It is locked. He keeps going up.

Hans, Takagi, Karl and Tony. Riding silently. Hans alone seems relaxed. He whistles. We recognize it as "Whistle While You Work."- He looks at Takagi*s suit.

He continues whistling and enjoys Takagi's surprise.

HANS

f^' You are surprised a 'terrorist' would

know fine tailors?

McClane starts to open the stairwell door to the 40th Floor when a NOISE above him gets his attention. He moves silently up.one flight to the roof. Quietly, he cracks the door and looks out onto a Machine floor on the lower level of the roof.

61 HIS P.O.V. 61

Three terrorists, JAMES, ULI and HEINRICH, unload the wooden crates we saw in the garage from the service elevator. One of them looks his way and:

62 MCCLANE 62

closes the door and slips back down the stairs, opening the door to the next floor. Like the others, it is dark but we instantly know from the paneling that he has reached an executive floor. VOICES and a light at the end of the hallway draw him in that direction.

CLOSE ON a scale model of a bridge. Constructed to exacting detail. Hans admires it. Behind him are photographs of the gorge where the bridge will be constructed and maps of Central America. Karl, Tony and a wiry terrorist, MARCO, listen. Takagi watches.

Hans straightens, looks hard at Takagi.

Takagi looks confused. Hans puts a friendly arm around Takagi's shoulders and guides him into the adjacent boardroom where Theo types in commands onto a built-in computer console.

A98 (CONTINUED)

Theo types at the console.

64 INSERT: SCREEN 64

It says: NAKATOMI INVESTMENT PENSION PLAN and a list of Serial and CUSIP numbers. In one stroke they are deleted from the screen. Then the next message comes up: ENTER ACCESS NUMBER.

65 TAKAGI 65

He stops as Theo turns and faces him. He knows suddenly what it's all about. Hans smiles at Takagi.

/$^&N Hans slowly takes out his Walther and his silencer. He feels his silencer a moment, as if making a decision, then slips it back into his coat pocket. Takagi sees the gun.

Hans presses the gun against Takagi's lapel.

He gulps. Theo looks hard at Karl, who reluctantly meets his look.

Karl gives Theo five dollars — a private bet. Takagi takes heart, but Hans doesn't put up his gun.

He cocks the gun then hesitates, moves the barrel upward off his suit.

I He moves the barrel up Takagi*s neck, seemingly searching for / just the right spot. He pauses below Takagi's jaw, next to his jugular and snuggles the barrel gently into the niche.

Hans moves the barrel from the jugular to a point directly over Takagi's adam's apple and finally seems satisfied. The Exec locks eyes with Hans.

He presses his eye to the crack in the door just in time to see Hans pull the trigger. In the tiny room it sounds like Hiroshima. The blast knocks Takagi backwards onto his butt, a gaping hole in his throat. He remains seated upright for an instant, stunned, before Hans steps up and puts another bullet in his chest.

67 CLOSE ON MCCLANE 67

He is stunned and moves back from the door holding his breath. His gun bumps against the paneling.

He looks up at the sound.

A98

{ Marco turns to the door to the hallway where McClane was and throws open the door. The long, darkened hallway is deserted. He steps into the:

69 HALLWAY 69

and stops in front of the only door near the conference room — a Supply Closet — and tries the door — it is locked.

70 CONFERENCE ROOM 70

Karl stares at the body of Takagi then looks up at Hans as i Marco returns to the room.

' HANS

(to Karl) Go supervise the work on the roof.

In the darkness of the closet we MAKE OUT McClane, pressed against the wall. He listens to the footsteps moving away and lets out a breath.

William is on the car phone. The music is playing.

Hans and Theo enter the safe room. The huge corporate safe looms in front of them. Theo places three kit bags onto a table and rolls up his sleeves.

• •' THEO

(eyeing the safe) Ask me in an hour.

-i$KJ*>\ McClane moves out onto the 37th floor, angry at himself.

Suddenly he looks up at the ceiling and sees a sprinkler head. His look drops to the wall and focuses on a small red fire alarm switch by the door.

An alarm sounds. Quickly firemen move to their machines as a voice of a 911 Dispatcher drones.

911 DISPATCHER Main Wilshire units. Two alarm fire at Nakatomi —

The voice continues as the station doors open and we:

A fire alarm indicator light showing which floor has sounded the fire alarm — suddenly begins flashing, emitting short, loud beeps. Heinz, the terrorist in the guard's uniform and manning the station, immediately picks up his CB.

McClane stands at windows looking Northward for fire trucks. Suddenly we SEE the flashing red lights of two trucks in traffic two miles away.

He rides the elevator back to 32nd floor with Tony.

/"**> the alarm...then disable the system.

He ponders the problem of McClane, looks across at Tony, and presses the talk button again.

McClane stands silhouetted against the window. In the distance he can see another fire truck swing off Santa Monica onto Avenue of the Stars.

Suddenly the red light on the first truck goes out, then on the second. McClane watches in disbelief. The trucks slow and turn down separate side streets, heading for home.

Just then the elevator bell rings and we HEAR the ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN. A figure (Tony) slips into the shadows — his machine gun drawn. We MOVE WITH HIM from the elevator area until he reaches the light switch and throws it illuminating the entire floor. McClane is gone.

80 ON MCCLANE 80

under a desk. He takes in his options.

81 HIS P.O.V. 81

the feet of Tony. They move slowly in his direction. McClane looks down the aisle next to the windows. It leads to a series of office cubicles at the other end of the floor and is a clear path if he can make it past Tony.

82 TONY 82

He moves steadily toward the area where we saw McClane.

He fingers the trigger of his machine gun.

A98

C* Moving more confidently, he steps up to McClane's desk, then around it and fires a blast into the space. It is empty. As the SOUND OF THE MACHINE GUN FADES he listens and hears another SOUND — a low HUMMING NOISE coming from the other end of the room near the cubicles.

Tony heads toward the noise. Sensing a trap, he moves past each cubicle carefully, checking each office until he reaches the doorway of the last one. The sound is just around the partition. He tenses, then spins into the cubicle.

83 TONY'S P.O.V. 83

an electric typewriter left on.

84 TONY 84 i grins at his nervousness. He turns it off as McClane steps i INTO FRAME behind him, his gun aimed at Tony.

Tony slowly turns around and sees McClane*s detective badge pinned to his shirt.

Tony doesn't. McClane cocks his Beretta. Tony watches him calmly.

Tony spins to the side and McClane fires, hitting him in the arm, but the big man's momentum slams McClane into a filing cabinet and sends his pistol into the hall. Tony reaches for his machine gun, but McClane kicks him into the desk. He locks his arms around the big man's neck in a hold that sends Tony reeling into the hall. McClane holds on as they slam into the glass door of a fire hose cabinet shattering the glass. They careen across the hall into the stairwell door, opening it, and crash into:

then down the concrete steps into the wall on the landing below. For a moment, both men lie still, then McClane moves and we SEE the concrete becomes wet under the'big man as Tony's bladder opens. McClane, still holding onto Tony's neck, releases it and the man's head flops sickeningly to the side.

For a moment McClane just looks at the dead man, stunned, then a HISSING SOUND coming from Tony's kit bag gets his attention. He opens it and finds the terrorist's CB.

Tony's body sits slumped in a secretary's chair — a note attached to his chest. McClane sits on the floor in front of him hurriedly lacing up the dead terrorist's boots on his own ; feet. He ties the last lace and tries to take a couple of i steps. He nearly falls flat. Quickly he starts taking the boots off.

He yanks off the boots and tosses them on Tony's lap, then pushes buttons for the 33rd and 32nd floors. He slings Tony's kit bag over his shoulder along with the dead man's machine gun. A wooden desk ruler protrudes from McClane's back pocket.

The elevator doors close and the car starts down. After it's dropped only half a floor, McClane forces the doors open with his fingers — stopping the car between floors.

Using the ruler he blocks open the inside doors, then opens the outside doors of the floor above (34th) with his fingers and pulls himself up onto the carpeted floor, then up onto the roof of the car. Once on the roof of the car he reaches over the edge and removes the ruler, closing the inside doors and setting the car in motion again.

The elevator bell rings and Fritz, guarding the area, sees Tony's body in the chair. Hans comes to the elevator with Franco, lifts Tony's chin and sees that his neck has been snapped. He removes the note and reads it aloud.

/tfnl£*\

Hans sighs and looks at the dead man.

As Fritz calls Karl on his CB, Hans looks at Franco.

On top of the car, listening to the conversation below. Franco and Fritz step into the car and the doors on the elevator close. The car accelerates upward and McClane grabs onto the heavy, grease-coated cables to keep his balance. Already his clothes are soiled; his face and feet, arms and hair are dark from the dirt and sweat.

The car speeds up the shaft — passing the car bringing Karl down to the hostage floor — and stops at the 40th floor. The doors open and McClane hears them roll the chair with the body off the car. McClane looks up.

89 MCCLANE'S P.O.V. 89

A metal catwalk runs around the inside of the elevator shaft.

90 MCCLANE 90

pulls himself up onto it. As he moves along the catwalk looking for a way out, he passes an unmarked metal door, 2'x3'. McClane pushes it open and looks in.

91 MCCLANE'S P.O.V. 91

Total darkness.

z**^ takes out a rifle cartridge from Tony's kit bag and lobs it

into the void. It is a full four seconds until we hear its nonexplosive chatter on the ground below. You don't have to be a mathematics whiz to know it's a long drop.

He moves cautiously around a corner and we SEE a metal ladder leading up to a door marked PUMP ROOM. Opening the door McClane enters a darkened:

93 PUMP ROOM 93

damp and full of pipes and goes to another door. He cracks the door and looks out.

94 MCCLANE*S P.O.V. 94

The lower level of the roof. Open and deserted. Only a heliport above him is higher.

CLOSE ON A PAIR OF LARGE HANDS as they squeeze into fists so ^ tight it drains all color from the fingers. Controlled rage. ( We PULL BACK TO REVEAL the hands belong to Karl, who stands in Hans' office.

McClane climbs to the heliport and leans against the leeward side of a wall surrounding it. Shielded from wind, he pulls out the CB, turns to channel nine, and starts broadcasting.

DICK THORNBURG, local TV news reporter, talking on the phone to his girlfriend also hears the distress call. He stops listening /i»«»\ to her for a moment and turns up his scanner.

A98 (CONTINUED)

Hans'and Karl also hear the clear signal over Hans' CB.

A SUPERVISOR weaves her way back from the break room toward a DISPATCHER who is monitoring the call.

She plugs in her headset.

listening more closely. On a hunch he reaches over and starts recording the conversation.

with Franco and Fritz.

It's an order and the look he gives the other two backs it up. He fits a fresh magazine into his rifle as the elevator opens to the roof. A98

He is almost breathless as he finishes his call.

He releases the talk button. There is a pause and then his radio crackles to life again with the Supervisor's voice.

Suddenly machine gun shells rip into the concrete wall in front of him. The noise is deafening as we:

Both Supervisor and Dispatcher reach for their headsets in pain from the INTENSE SOUND and:

Thornburg immediately hangs up on his girlfriend and yells over his shoulder to his assistant in the next room.

Running. Tracer bullets rip into the wall behind him. He reaches the corner and sees the two other terrorists moving toward him. Before they see him, he leaps down to the next level out of range of Karl.

The Supervisor and Dispatcher listen in stunned silence^ The shots sounded real enough...

A98

f* He puts two packs of pink Hostess "Twinkies" and his police radio down on the counter in front of a young male CLERK, who stifles a smile. Another teenage employee behind the counter also smothers a laugh.

He tries not to look at Powell for fear of breaking up altogether.

The clerk nods and puts them in a bag. Suddenly Powell's Police Radio crackles to life.

Powell picks up the radio.

DISPATCHER'S VOICE/RADIO

yA|IT?i'*\ Investigate a code two at 15433

Avenue of the Stars.

Powell grabs the bag and immediatley heads for the door as the two employees break into laughter.

running for his life, from Fritz and Franco, doesn't realize he is being herded around the building toward Karl. Suddenly McClane turns a corner and sees Karl. The big man fires a burst and McClane ducks back stopping at the exterior door to the pump room he used before. It is locked from the inside. He blows the lock off with a burst from his machine gun and slips into the darkness of the:

Moving quickly through the pump room, McClane picks his way over the same ground as a few minutes before and opens the door to the elevator shaft. The dimly lit shaft yawns before /?W?>\ him. He starts down the ladder back to the catwalk.

A98

\ Franco and Fritz reach the pump room door and wait for Karl, who leads the way into the darkness of the pump room.

on the far stretch of catwalk. He turns the corner, out of view of the pump room door, moves down the back side of the catwalk past the small air shaft door, and stops — he's reached a dead end — the catwalk ends, the elevator is gone.

His flashlight beam dances around the interior of the room. He starts to open the door to the elevator shaft when suddenly their radio crackles with Hans' voice.

Karl doesn't answer.

Karl turns off his radio. In the light of their flashlights, the two other terrorists look at Karl in stunned disbelief. He opens the door to the elevator shaft.

He backtracks to the air shaft door, strikes the lighter from Tony's kit bag and looks in.

114 MCCLANE'S P.O.V. 114

The air shaft. The lighter dimly illuminates four walls of smooth aluminum disappearing into darkness. Moving the light in further, he sees something else — the dark outline of a horizontal air conditioning duct — nine feet down the side and leading into the guts of the building.

115 MCCLANE 115

f* extinguishes his light, looks at the strap on his kit bag.

Karl steps off the ladder to the catwalk and unslings his machine gun.

from McClane's kit bag. One has been clipped to each end of his machine gun making a long sling.

118 MCCLANE 118

braces the gun across the outside opening of the air shaft door and lowers himself into the:

119 AIR SHAFT 119

holding onto the canvas sling with his elbows bent, like doing a chin-up.

His feet slowly move down the smooth aluminum walls until they reach the top of the air duct, then dangle in the open space. He straightens his arms to give him length enough to touch the /fiflJPv, bottom edge of the duct. Suddenly he feels something give way above him and looks up.

120 CLOSE ON THE CLIPS 120

Slowly the brass clips start bending under McClane's weight.

121 ON KARL 121

He moves steadily toward the corner.

now only inches from the bottom edge. McClane's arms are fully extended now. He hears Karl on the metal catwalk. His muscles strain and quiver.

123 THE CLIPS 123

They are opening wider until one side bends all the way back — and snaps.

124 ON MCCLANE 124

falling. He grabs the ledge of the air duct as he falls and his body slams into the aluminum wall with.a echoing BOOM. Above him on the catwalk the rifle rattles on the metal outside the door.

{***• Around the corner Karl freezes, unsure of the sound, then starts slowly for the corner.

126 ON MCCLANE 126

holding onto the ledge by his hands. With every ounce of strength he tries to pull himself up into the horizontal duct, clawing for a hold.

127 ON KARL 127

He rounds the corner and sees McClane's rifle lying beneath the doorway. He moves to the small door, shines his light and aims his rifle down into the air shaft ready to fire.

128 HIS P.O.V. 128

The shaft is deserted. Moving his light around he sees the air duck. Without hesitation he turns and backtracks to the pump room door.

He lies exhausted and motionless in the narrow crawl space. He awkwardly fishes out the lighter from his shirt pocket and ^rx flicks it on.

130 HIS P.O.V. 130

Not for claustrophobics — a long, dark and narrow corridor. There's no light at the end.

He turns out his lighter and starts crawling.

Karl climbs the ladder to the pump room door where Franco and Fritz wait.

He moves through the pump room and goes outside.

McClane crawls to a'junction. To his right he sees a vent twenty feet away. The light looks' wonderful to him and he moves towards it.

A98

Karl opens the door from the roof Franco and Fritz behind him. He points to a series of rooms near the elevator shaft and the three men split up, each going to a separate room. Karl opens the door to the:

134 MACHINE ROOM 134

and looks up. The ceiling is crisscrossed with air ducts. He fires a burst into the ducts.

McClane remains motionless in the air duct. Three quarter-sized holes inches from his face show how close Karl came to nailing him. Sweat covers his face, drips silently onto the aluminum.

136 MACHINE ROOM 136 * / Karl listens patiently for sound. Just then the two other terrorists return.

Karl hesitates a moment, fighting his instincts before finally /$£\ turning to go. Suddenly the duct McClane is in groans slightly under his weight. Karl stops and looks up at the matrix of aluminum duct work, trying to single out the source of the sound, He steps back into the room and raises his rifle. Holding it upright he presses the barrel up into the belly of McClane's air duct, feeling for weight — the weight of a body.

137 INSIDE THE AIR DUCT 137

McClane sees the indention of the barrel pressing into the aluminum fifteen feet away. There is a pause and another indention three feet closer. He can hear Karl's footsteps on the concrete — moving slowly below the duct.

138 ON KARL 138

His eyes are fixed above him on the air duct. He presses the barrel up again. Still nothing.

139 ON MCCLANE 139

Silently he moves his hand to his breast and slowly draws his Beretta. The next indention presses up six feet away. McClane points his gun downward and waits.

/&*• 140 KARL 14 0

stops directly below him. The barrel starts up and just touches the duct under McClane when Franco returns to the door and calls.

A98

/fffift\

Karl hesitates then lowers his gun and leaves.

He hears the door close and lowers his head.

Dick Thornburg and his news editor, SAM, in the control booth where we're in the countdown to the 11 o'clock news.

/ SAM

I mean people want to go home for christsake...it's Christmas Eve.

From behind the news desk pretty-boy anchorman, HARVEY JOHNSON, looks up at the booth, calls to Sam over his mike.

Sam finds the news report in his stack of papers and starts out of the booth with Thornburg on his heels. We FOLLOW.

Both news anchors, Sam and all the floor personnel look up. They're in their final seconds. The FLOOR MANAGER worriedly counts off, "9...8.. .7. .. " Harvey looks angrily at Thornburg.

He points at Harvey who automatically smiles as the red light goes on, but it's obvious Thornburg has wrecked his concentration

The program rolls its intro tape and Harvey shoots Thornburg a look that could kill. Thornburg smiles at his handiwork.

The street is empty, quiet. A lone police black-and-white pulls out of the shadows of a side street and begins a slow cruise toward the Nakatomi building.

f* Driving, alone. He stares up at the dark tower. It seems calm. Lights on the 32nd and 40th floors. Powell slows to a stop and scans the premises. In the lobby we SEE Heinz, sitting behind the desk. Powell reports to his radio.

He pulls in and parks in the front.

McClane punches out a ceiling vent and drops down into the machine room. For a moment he stands, listening for sounds of movement. The floor is quiet. He goes to the stairwell.

The edge of the roof. Suddenly a tall terrorist, HEINRICH, moves along the wall and looks over at Powell's car.

The elevator doors open and Karl, Franco and Fritz step out onto the darkened floor. We SEE large number "3" painted on the doors of this floor. They move quickly toward the windows on the Avenue of the Stars side where a terrorist, ALEXANDER, with a BAR rifle has set up a machine gun nest. Directly below him we SEE Powell's car.

Hans watches from above. He raises his CB.

Heinz picks up his CB. He watches Powell coming up the stairs toward the door.

A98

Powell tries the front doors. Locked. Heinz comes hustling across and unlocks the door.

Powell steps in and looks around.

McClane makes his way to the Avenue of the Stars side of the building, enters the board room where Rivers was shot. McClane goes to the windows and looks down at the street. i

Powell's car.

^ N He lifts one of the big chairs and swings it at the window. , ( The tempered glass whitens on the first blow.

HEINRICH, the terrorist on the roof hears a SOUND and looks down and sees the board room window crack from McClane's blow. He lifts his CB.

Heinz watches confidently as Powell moves through the lobby looking for signs of trouble. Suddenly, Heinz notices a pool of blood from the shooting of the desk guard next to sign-in table. He looks up just as Powell starts toward him.

McClane draws the chair back for the final hit when a terrorist (MARCO) appears at the door. Both men react, but Marco already has his gun up. He fires a round at McClane. The bullets rip into the table top and the chair, and McClane goes down behind the table.

Theo, now in goggles, uses a huge machine to bore quarter-size holes into the safe. He turns it off hears the gunshots on the floor above. He moves into the outside room to listen better, then looks back at.his kit bags of equipment as if making a decision. A98

Marco smiles and moves around to the other side of the table, but finds no body. He looks around frantically then squats beneath the table and sees:

158 MCCLANE 158

lying prone, his pistol trained on him.

159 BOARD ROOM DOORWAY 159

Just then Heinrich, the terrorist on the roof, steps into, the doorway. He sees McClane and starts to fire, but McClane fires twice and kills him. Marco springs on top of the huge table. McClane rolls on his back so he can cover either angle but it is clear that Marco is in the more enviable position. / 160 ON MARCO 160

on the tabletop slams in a fresh magazine and smiles.

/«"*, you had the chance...

He leans his machine gun over the edge.

161 MCCLANE 161

aims directly above him and fires twice into the underside of the table. The bullets rip through the table and Marco.

On the SOUND OF THE GUNSHOTS, he stops, listens.

Powell comes back to Heinz — moving steadily toward the table and the pool of blood. He pauses next to the table, his shoe just touching the blood, but he doesn't see it.

A 9 g (CONTINUED)

/*v . POWELL

No, I guess not...Well, I got a pregnant wife at home wondering what the hell's keeping her Twinkies... (a slip, sees Heinz's puzzled look) Forget it. Merry Christmas.

Powell starts toward the door. Heinz watches him and sees the cop's first three steps leave bloody footprints, but Powell doesn't see.

McClane rolls out from under the table, goes to the windows, and looks down in time to see Powell close his car door.

He looks over his shoulder at the body of Marco.

/*N 165 INT. POWELL'S POLICE CAR - SAME 165

Powell checks-in on his radio.

He releases the talk button and loosens his tie as he waits for confirmation.

Powell hangs up the radio and puts the car into reverse.

f« Thank you. Sir...

A98

f* POWELL (Cont.)

(singing again louder) ...you better not pout I'm telling you why...Santa Claus is coming to —

Suddenly Marco's body crashes onto the hood of his car.

Suddenly a barrage of machine gun fire from the 3rd floor drowns out his call. Powell ducks and flattens against the seat as bullets blow out the front window, covering him in glass. His radio comes back, calmly.

But Powell accelerates in reverse away from the building, keeping his head low and praying he doesn't hit anything as the bullets follow him digging into asphalt. A half block away his car runs up onto the sidewalk and crashes into a store front. Powell sits up and clutches the mike.

McClane looks down at Powell and grins.

Sirens wail as police cars arrive and barricades go up. The KCBS news truck pulls up to a prime location.

He leans back and closes his eyes, luxuriating in the sound of WAILING POLICE SIRENS.

f* Stands by the window looking out at the arriving police cars when suddenly his CB crackles to life.

Moving down the corridor. Now armed with Marco's machine gun < and carrying his kit bag, he seems more lethal.

He turns off his radio and turns a corner when a door in front of him suddenly swings open and Theo stands unarmed in the doorway. McClane seems only a hairbreadth from firing but the sight of the clean-cut man, not unlike a junior executive, causes him to suddenly lower his gun.

Theo, realizing McClane doesn't suspect him of being one of the group, suddenly grins.

He pushes Theo ahead of him and they move down the hall.

Karl steps off the elevator and goes through the crowd of hostages to report to Hans.

Suddenly they hear Powell's voice over the CB.

and Theo moving down the corridor, they hear the transmission ) also. McClane stops Theo and grabs his CB.

INTERCUT:

' 173 EXT. POLICE OPERATIONS TRAILER 173

Powell stands in front of his destroyed cruiser and looks up at the building. Behind him technicians, City Power and Light personnel, SWAT officers in protective gear, move in all directions. A trailer is being backed into a side street, which will become the police center of operations. It is like watching a small town being constructed right before your eyes,

/?P\ POWELL

How many are there?

A98

f* MCCLANE

Don't know but I've killed three, including the one who fell out of Santa's sleigh.

fm*. MCCLANE ' We've gotten pretty intimate

waiting on you guys to get here.

McClane turns off his CB and sits against the wall. Theo slumps against the wall opposite McClane, beneath a roster of offices and names for the floor.

A98

f*^ McClane pulls out a candy bar from the kit bag and offers Theo one. Theo shakes his head and McClane unwraps it.

Theo grins, and ties his shoe.

Theo extends a hand across the corridor.

McClane pulls out another candy bar and offers it to Theo. This time the terrorist takes it. McClane looks around the darkened hallways. He clearly doesn't like it. Casually McClane's glance goes over Theo's head.

174 HIS P.O.V. 174

The roster of names of employees.

175 CLOSER 175

We MOVE DOWN the row of names beginning with C on the roster — passing CAMPBELL, S.; CLAY, Wm.; CRAWFORD, L. and suddenly we're in the D's. yffS*\ 176 ON MCCLANE 176

His glance drops subtly from the roster and he takes another bite of his candy bar.

A 9 8 (CONTINUED)

McClane pulls out his Beretta pops out the magazine, jams in a fresh one, and hands it to him.

An unmarked police car pulls up across the street from Nakatomi building and a MAN in a sportcoat climbs out. Stocky, his hair a little too perfect, the very fact that he is the i Deputy Chief of Police Operations on a Christmas Eve gives some evidence to his position in the pecking order. His name is DWAYNE T. ROBINSON and he moves brusquely past police technicians into:

178 THE MOBILE POLICE UNIT 178

and goes to a uniformed officer.

Powell turns around.

Powell hands him a headset.

A98

f* ROBINSON

(slipping on the headset) What about the terrorists? Have you talked to them?

We CAN SEE Robinson already hates the complications. Here's a man more adept at handling two punks in an empty Safeway. He is clearly not ready to deal with a situation where the terrorists won't talk. Just then, two plainclothes MEN enter J the trailer and show their I.D. to the guard. Their presence f further upsets Robinson.

McClane and Theo come down the stairwell from the 40th floor. McClane tries the door to the 39th floor — the handle moves in his hand. McClane looks up and re-checks the floor number by /**** the door frame, then opens the door. Both men move out onto:

180 THE 39TH FLOOR 180

and down a corridor. As they move McClane notices something along the floor jam.

181 HIS P.O.V. 181

A plastic explosive charge.

182 MCCLANE 182

moves carefully past it and another, drawn toward a lighted office at the end of the hallway.

McClane moves into the office, which we RECOGNIZE as the anteroom to the safe room. The door connecting the safe room has been closed, hiding the safe and drill press. Theo's three bags, however sit on the table and McClane goes straight for them. Theo steps into the room behind him. He spies something else on the table.

f* 184 HIS P.O.V. 184

the Walther.

Looks up and watches McClane open the first bag containing the plastic explosives.

He places a couple of packets next to the Walther and hurriedly opens the second bag.

186 INSERT 186

The contents: Detonators. /s^N 187 MCCLANE 187

throws the second bag over his shoulder. Theo watches him.

He starts for the door. Theo watches him for a moment then brings up the Beretta aiming it right at McClane's face and cocks it.

McClane just looks at him.

MCCLANE

^ Why wire the top floors, Bill?

A98

' THEO

Don't worry about it. Drop your gun.

Instead, McClane slowly raises his machine gun and aims it at Theo. Theo pulls the trigger — the gun clicks empty. Theo's eyes go to the Walther on the table. McClane follows his glance.

Theo looks back challengingly, McClane recognizes the look.

But Theo breaks for the pistol and McClane levels him with a burst from the machine gun. For a moment he just looks at the dead terrorist, then retrieves his Browning and exchanges magazines.

(** 188 INT. 39TH FLOOR - OFFICE 188

Dark. A light comes on and McClane quickly moves to the desk. He takes out a handful of detonators and puts them in his other kit bag, then puts the main bag of detonators in the trash can under the desk covering it with the trash, and sliding it back under the desk again.

Robinson and Powell when McClane calls them on the CB.

INTERCUT:

190 MCCLANE 190

T He sits on the floor below a bank of windows.

| 191 ON ROBINSON 191 / Listening with everyone else.

192 ON MCCLANE 192

INTERCUT:

193 POWELL 193

In the police trailer.

stJM.!\ looks at a technician.

Hans talking on CB to McClane. Karl stands to the side.

i i Put the detonators on an elevator / and retreat to a safe place and

we won't bother you anymore. I

i give you my word. i 196 MCCLANE 196

MCCLANE

i Let's see, is that the same word f^ you gave Rivers before you shot him?

He hears Karl let out a yell and Hans' radio goes dead. McClane lets out a breath and leans back. The tough guy act is difficult. He waits and his radio comes back with Hans.

You'll get over it.

INTERCUT:

197 HANS 197

f^ HANS

And it will get tougher. I promise.

Robinson turns quickly to his radio operator.

INTERCUT:

199 HANS 199

HANS

/*N Everyone is fine, Mr. Robinson.

f* (chuckles)

You are eager, aren't you? Please sit back and relax, we will contact you when we are ready.

Hans turns off his radio.

The two well-dressed men chuckle at. Robinson's frustration. The big man lights a cigarette for the smaller one. Robinson turns on them angrily.

They each pull out their I.D. and flash it at him.

/ffi^TS LITTLE JOHNSON

Special Agents Johnson and Johnson, FBI.

He lets the implication of a possible changeover hang for a moment. It isn't lost on Robinson.

(^ ROBINSON

Just stay the hell out of my way. (turning back) Johnson and Johnson...Jesus?...

Hans and Karl. Karl preps his weapon with a hunter's obsession for detail.

Karl leaves and Hans watches from the doorway. Suddenly he notices Holly staring at him from her place on the floor. She holds his look boldly.

HOLLY

/ Why don't you want to talk to them?

/^if\ You can negotiate that.

Hans stares at Holly, this makes Ellis even more uncomfortable and he tries to quiet her. But she holds Hans' look.

/^vX Holly doens't answer, but Hans knows by her reaction, the answer is "yes"

A98

-* HANS ( Then you know you want them to

respect what you say, when you say it. But sometimes, no matter how many times you tell them something is dangerous — like a hot burner on a stove — it is not until they touch it, that they understand it is truly dangerous...Folice are like children...words are often not enough.

He turns and goes back into:

202 HOLLY'S OFFICE 202

He closes the door. Going to the desk he shifts through the I.D.'s and finds Holly's.

^203 INSERT - HOLLY'S I.D. 203

It shows Holly's picture and the name: GENNARO.

We SEE a news report interrupts the regular scheduled f* program. Dick Thornburg talks to the camera. As he talks We PULL BACK TO SEE William in the backseat of the limo. He reacts excitedly to the report.

205 ON SCREEN 205

the CAMERA PULLS BACK and we SEE the Nakatomi Building rise up in the b.g. behind Thornburg.

as he recognizes the place on TV.

The CAMERA PANS to Police Trailer and we SEE the massive build-up of police personnel and equipment.

He grabs the car phone and madly punches 911.

He gets it right and leans back, still panicked as someone answers.

The word freezes in his mouth as something suddenly dawns on him. William cancels his call.

He looks back at the TV.

j0!GiZ\

A stairwell door opens and McClane carefully moves out onto the 37th floor. Seeing that it is deserted he begins overturning desks, making a small fortress. A98

The trunk to the big limo opens and William's hand reaches under a tool kit TO REVEAL a portable CB unit.

William plugs the CB power cord into the rear cigarette lighter and turns it on. The STATIC HISSES as he goes through the channels. Suddenly he stops and WE HEAR KARL'S VOICE over the CB.

Karl stands over the body of Theo.

McClane at STAIRWELL DOOR. He lays a plastic chair protector sheet in front of the stairwell door. Then he leans an axe against the door — a very primitive early warning device.

McClane fastens a small pad of plastic explosives to the light switch by the doorway; then presses a half dozen detonators into the material. He's not sure how many he'll need and adds another for good measure and puts the rest in his pocket.

Fritz and Franco move onto the 38th floor and spread out. The operation looks like an African hunt with beaters moving out in front — rattling chairs, knocking over phones, lamps etc. — moving toward Karl, who waits at the other end of the room by the stairwell door.

When they reach him he opens the stairwell door and silently waves them down the stairs. He looks over the floor one last time, then he notices a flickering fluorescent light above him in the stairwell. His glance goes to another fluorescent fixture.

A98

A new group of men enter the trailer — the SWAT team personnel. One in particular CAPTAIN MITCHELL eyes a pretty policewoman on the way in.

Following Mitchell is a small man with pencils in his shirt pocket and a hard hat, GEORGE HENRY', City Engineer's office.- The last man enters in a tuxedo, pulled away from a party. His name is RALPH BAILEY, late thirties; mayor's office liasion. Johnson and Johnson view the assembly with detached amusement. Robinson does the introductions quickly.

The engineer nods to the men. Mitchell eyes the Feds, wary of his competition.

Bailey takes an offered cup of coffee. He looks like he needs it. Henry unrolls building plans while Robinson talks.

ROBINSON

' To bring everyone up to date,

we've got a hostage situation

I in which thirty-five civilians

are being held by an undetermined number of terrorists with no

expressed intent to negotiate.

Now, we've got six hours before the East Coast wakes up and turns on their TV's and frankly I'd like not to be here when they do, so let's hear what you gentlemen have got to say.

Robinson looks up at the Agent.

^ .• killed four of the terrorists, have { plastic explosives and detonators:

These claims are unconfirmed.

A98

^ BAILEY ( Who is he? What's he doing there?

He stands on the street behind some cars with his CB. An officer comes by with a fresh cup of coffee for him.

INTERCUT:

217 MCCLANE ON 37TH FLOOR 217

He sits with his back to the wall, behind his fort of overturned desks. He's tired and hungry and raises his CB.

f^ coffee I smell?

("* that car.

The compliment stirs some buried pride in Powell.

A98

Mitchell has started to assert himself. Henry puts an unlit cigarette between his lips and studies the diagrams.

i group.

t LITTLE JOHNSON

Why don't you use the man who's already inside?

Everyone suddenly looks at Henry.

A98

f* HENRY

(noticing all the looks) The building's got a fourty foot deep reverse flow conduit...they can't get across it.

Henry puts his cigarettes back into his mouth and looks back at the diagram.

I / Powell is talking with McClane on the CB.

INTERCUT:

{ 220 INT. MCCLANE - 37TH FLOOR - SAME 220

Sitting against the wall.

It's an appeal and the words effect Powell, he answers quietly, like a promise.

^ Suddenly he hears A CLATTERING SOUND over his CB.

/fe$\

I've got company, Al...I'll get back to you.

But he realizes McClane is gone.

McClane moves from his fort in the shadows to the corner of the floor.

222 MCCLANE'S P.O.V. 222

The axe has fallen, but the floor looks deserted.

223 MCCLANE 223

He hears a noise across the room — like a lamp being knocked over, then a phone. McClane is on the move. Quickly he moves through the cubicles, pausing before the doorway to each one. The noises behind him become louder.

He passes the stairwell door and comes to the corner, looks f*- carefully around it — it is clear. He steps around it and suddenly Karl appears around the other corner directly in front of him and opens fire. The bullets rip into the wall in front of him — hitting a metal drinking fountain and sending water spewing across the room. McClane ducks back around the corner but at that moment Franco and Fritz appear at the other end cutting off his retreat.

Oh, shit...

McClane feels the handle of the stairwell door behind him and pushes it, disappearing into the stairwell just as the two terrorists open fire.

Quickly McClane starts up the stairs. His bare feet taking the concrete steps two at a time, heading into the darkness of the next landing. Suddenly WE HEAR a CRUNCH and McClane stiffens like he's been shot.

The broken glass of fluorescent light bulbs and blood moves ^ out from beneath his left foot.

leans against the railing for support, the pain is incredible. (**"**• He lifts his foot exposing a three inch gash. Gritting his teeth he reaches into the bloody slash and extracts a large piece of glass. Suddenly below WE HEAR the stairwell door open. McClane fires a burst down the stairwell and pulls himself to the door, three steps up.

227 38TH FLOOR 227

McClane hobbles painfully toward the elevator bank — every step leaves a pool of blood in the carpet.-

He clutches his CB and tries desperately to make contact with McClane.

Franco and Karl reach the bloodstains on the stairs. They move carefully to the door to the 38th floor and crack it slightly, then open it more — McClane is nowhere in sight, but his trail is evident. s£$£>\

A bloody path leads toward the elevator bank — veering toward a secretary's desk — missing it's chair — then back to the elevators. Suddenly the two terrorists HEAR the SOUND OF AN ELEVATOR in motion and move quickly to the:

Two sets of elevators facing each other like square dancers. McClane*s bloodstains lead up to a set of doors and quickly Franco forces open the doors with his fingers and looks in.

231 FRANCO'S P.O.V. 231

The elevator car in motion going down. It stops two floors below them.

They move quickly back to the stairwell as we STAY in the elevator bank a full second after they're gone. Suddenly the doors on the opposite side of the bank open and we SEE McClane sitting in the secretary's chair keeping his bleeding left foot off the ground. /flW\

McClane hobbles back to the office area. He goes to the first desk he reaches and begins going through the drawers

A98

/m^ looking for gauze or something to stop the bleeding on his [ foot. No luck, he moves to the next desk and opens a drawer. He finds a box of Kleenex and tosses it. A little more digging turns up a box of band-aids — finger size. He opens another drawer digs for a moment then closes it — nothing. Then he stops — and slowly reopens the last drawer.

He pulls back some papers and REVEALS a box of MAXI-PADS.

A huge spotlight is brought into position a half-block away from the building. We NOTICE several more — their generators rumbling. Suddenly their beams are turned on, increased in intensity and pointed to the building. The reflection off the glass is incredible, blinding. )' / 235 INT. HANS' OFFICE - SAME 235

Hans notices the growing illumination and goes to the window, carefully looking out. The entire front of the building is whited out. He picks up his CB.

Karl and Franco moving carefully down the stairwell. Their

The police are moving.

i ( 237 INT. 38TH FLOOR 237

McClane unwraps a maxi-pad and tapes it tightly to the bottom of his cut foot. He tests it gingerly on the carpet — it's painful, but serviceable. Looking up he notices the intensity in the lights outside. McClane picks up his CB.

• MCCLANE You almost did. I'm going to be limping for a while. What's

f* going on down there?

Around him the activity with the huge spotlight is apparent.

„0 0 (CONTINUED) A98

at the window, looking out. He can't see anything — total whiteout. Instead of panic however he senses a confrontation and it excites him. He smiles and steps into the hall.

HOLLY

? (to Hans) / What's going on?

/0fe\ Two SWAT officers, with blackened faces and carrying equipment bags, move quickly through the lobby of a nearby apartment building and enter Lobby elevator.

Another PAIR of SWAT OFFICERS move to a point on the roof of another building and peer over the edge at the brilliantly lit Nakatomi building. THE SPOTTER stares through an infrared scope at the Nakatomi roof while the other officer, THE SNIPER sets up his rifle.

POLICE BARRICADES

Mitchell listens to a CB radio then looks at Robinson, who is visibly tense.

Robinson hesitates, then gives his approval with a nod.

/9&\ { They sprint unmolested to the bars covering the garage doors. Mitchell and Robinson watch from behind the cover of a police car as one of the SWAT officers removes a portable welding torch and begins cutting his way through the lock.

He moves painfully to the window and looks out. He can't see a thing because of the lights.

Suddenly rifle fire sounds from the building.

f* anything.

More shots ring out from the building going over the SWAT officers' heads and suddenly the huge dome of one of the spotlights shatters behind Mitchell and Robinson's head. The glow fades. A moment later the next light twenty feet away dies.

The two SWAT officers cutting the garage gate suddenly look up as their cover starts to disappear.

Suddenly the third and fourth lights are shot out and the SWAT men become sitting ducks.

{ The terrorist marksman, Alexander, on the third floor draws a bead through his scope and hits one of the officers in the leg, then hits 'the second one in the chest.

A98

P MITCHELL

(on radio) Send up the car!

An armored car wheels toward the building and starts toward the wounded men.

From his vantage point he watches the action. At the sight of the armored car he lifts his CB.

JAMES quickly loads two small crates onto the service elevator and pushes the button for the 3rd floor. As the car starts down, he removes an anti-tank gun from one of the crates.

McClane HEARS the sound of the ELEVATOR MOTOR running coming down from the roof. He picks up his CB.

V MCCLANE

AI, what's happening out there?

The service elevator arrives on the third floor and James moves across the room toward the windows with the anti-tank weapon. At the window, Alexander puts down his rifle and takes the weapon from James. /fM;i\

( CONTINUED)

A98

/fiwlfP\ Outside the window the armored car has stopped in front of the wounded men and paramedics quickly load them in from the sheltered side of the vehicle. Alexander quickly sights on the armored car.

A blast ROARS from the third floor window and the shell hits j the armored car. The car pitches forward like a beast whose 1 front legs have been shot out from under it — its front axle destroyed, unable to move. Alexander looks back at James and grins.

He watches from his window. Coldly picks up his CB.

f^ HANS

Hit it again.

254 MCCLANE 254

listening. He picks up his CB.

McClane slumps to the floor below the window. He feels helpless, then notices his kit bag.

255 3RD FLOOR 255

James runs back to the crate "on the elevator.

They look on in horror as the armored car sits helplessly on fire. On the police radio channel we HEAR the screams of men inside.

A S 8 (CONTINUED)

Z^5**,

• 257 INT. ELEVATOR CAR - 3RD FLOOR - SAME 257 / James opens the box of shells and takes two and starts back across the room.

EXPLOSIVE - SAME

f^ Like a football. It sits on the seat of a secretary's chair with castors. We PULL BACK TO SEE McClane press three detonators into the top, then cover the explosive with a typewriter, tying it securely in place with electrical cords.

wheels the chair to the service elevator, opens the door and blocks them with a fire ax. He looks in — the top of the car can just be seen thirty five floors below.

James hands the shell to Alexander, who expertly loads it into the anti-tank gun. Through the window we SEE a second armored car roll into position next to the other. Alexander lifts the anti-tank gun to his shoulder and aims.

McClane pushes the chair into the shaft.

[ For a long moment there is nothing, then: the shaft is filled with light, then SOUND — an ungodly ROAR — and McClane is thrown back across the elevator corridor against the other bank of doors by the concussion wave.

The explosion, like a firestorm, rips across the floor:

263 BLOWING OUT THE MACHINE GUN NEST AND JAMES AND 263 ALEXANDER

264 SHATTERING WINDOWS 264

265 SENDING DESKS, CHAIRS, PHONES, AND TYPWRITERS 265 FLYING

The police take cover behind their cars. Powell, Robinson, and Mitchell look like they've seen the face of God as the building rocks from the blast. Henry's cigarette falls from his mouth as a desk is sent hurtling across Avenue of the Stars into the trees across the street.

watching it on TV, feeling it all around him.

Dick Thornburg's crew is taping.

Thornburg looks at his competitors still setting up.

269 ON HOSTAGE FLOOR 269

The hostages are shaken and the remaining terrorists, Fritz and Franco", aren't too sure of themselves either. Only Hans is relatively calm.

f* FRANCO

They're firing at us.

270 ANGLE ON HOLLY 270

She comforts an older woman.

He sits up and lifts the CB.

INTERCUT:

on the street.

Before Powell can answer Robinson comes running up to him.

/^vW^N.

(angrily to McClane) Now, listen to me, mister, I don't know what your game is but you just destroyed a building and put hundreds of people's lives in jeopardy. Now maybe you were trying to help but we don't need any more of that kind of cooperation. I want you to put down your weapons and retreat to a safe place. Do you understand, me?

McCLANE Who is this?

ROBINSON

J This is Deputy Chief of Police t Dwayne T. Robinson. You are

interfering with police business.

McClane leans tiredly against the elevator door.

/SfSN^

asshole! Now, put AI on, goddamnit!

McClane is so furious, he's out of breath.

A98

William nods in agreement.

still seething. There is a long pause on the CB, then:

/ 275 ON POWELL 275

Other officers, including Robinson, monitor the conversation.

276 ON MCCLANE 276

He grins, and a little laugh escapes.

277 ON POWELL 277

(** • MCCLANE'S VOICE

(o.s., tiredly) Thanks, partner.

Robinson turns and leaves; Powell watches him and smiles to himself.

Hans, Franco, and Karl plotting strategy.

/0&\

279 ANGLE ON ELLIS AND HOLLY 279

outside of Hans' office. Ellis watches Franco and Karl leave then looks back at Hans' office. Suddenly, he stands and Holly looks at him like he was crazy.

Fritz moves quickly across the room towards Ellis.

f* (to- Fritz)

I want to talk to Hans.

sitting tiredly against the wall. Sweat runs down his face and arms leaving streaks through the dirt. McClane watches a drop fall to the floor.

He digs out his now crumpled and grease-stained photo of his family. He wipes a smudge from the face of Holly and smiles tiredly. Suddenly his CB crackles to life.

281 POWELL ON STREET 281

POWELL

J0F?\ Expecting my first any week, now.

It says: CHILDREN? We PULL BACK TO REVEAL Dick Thornburg. He passes the note silently over to his assistant, MARY, as they monitor the call.

283 MCCLANE 283

stares at his photo, when suddenly another VOICE besides Powell's comes over his radio.

( The sound of his name startles him and for a moment McClane stares at the radio.

McCLANE (beat) Yes.

Ellis is being pampered by Fritz and Franco in Hans' office. He has a cigarette, and a terrorist brings him a Diet Coke. Hans hands the radio to Ellis. Karl watches quietly.

J HANS /

(to Ellis) Just act nervous.

Ellis nods and presses the TALK button.

Ellis looks over at Hans who gives him a "thumbs-up", he's doing a great job.

and others listening intently.

286 ON MCCLANE 286

He closes his eyes and leans his head back again.

/T^V MCCLANE

(to CB, quietly) Yeah, I hear you.

J I can end it all for you in two / seconds, if I want.

Hans reaches out his hand for the CB. Ellis gives it to him.

^ obviously not making clear to 1 s

you is that if you do not yield our equipment at once, we will kill him.

He hands the radio back to Ellis, who takes a sip of his soft drink, obviously untroubled by Hans' threat.

While Ellis talks, Hans quietly takes out his Walther keeping it out of Ellis' line of sight.

He can hardly bring himself to say it. He knows they're not

z*^- kidding, even if Ellis doesn't.

A98

s$&\ MCCLANE

(to himself) Forgive me, Ellis. (presses the talk button; to Ellis? a beat) I don't believe them.

Ellis looks at Hans and shrugs, "Well, I tried..." Hans nods understandingly. He takes the CB, presses the TALK button, and in one frighteningly smooth motion brings the Walther up to Ellis' forehead and pulls the trigger. ON SOUND OF THE GUNSHO we:

He was expecting it and still it chills him. The screams of the hostages seem distant over the tiny radio speaker as we:

going crazy. They see Ellis' blood splattered on the glass walls of the Hans' office.

He throws open the door to let McClane and the police hear the screams of the hostages.

INTERCUT:

2 9 3 MCCLANE 293

/&R\

A98

f\ MCCLANE

(hard) Look asshole you can shoot the whole goddamn floor — it can't make m e move any faster. I'm not in the best shape anymore and it's a long w a y o f f .

294 MCCLANE 294

He angrily throws his CB across the floor. He struggles to pull himself to his feet when he h e a r s :

/^PPS, bitch. Everything that went

down between y o u and that punk is on tape down h e r e . You let that man d i e . N o w , I don't care what your story is or w h o your friends a r e , if there's a way to jam your ass in jail I'm going to do it. You hear me?

McClane reaches the radio and turns it off.

Robinson hears the static over his radio and throws down the headset. He stomps past P o w e l l .

Robinson wheels on him angrily.

^*SN going to dump his ass in jail.

Robinson keeps going.

Robinson stops at the door. The room falls silent..

Robinson steps back into the trailer.

i ROBINSON / Anytime you want to go home,

Sergeant...consider yourself dismissed.

They lock eyes.

- NIGHT

and his assistant Mary.

She nods and leaves. He looks toward the building and smiles. He is clearly in local news Nirvana.

Across the trailer the OPERATOR monitoring the CB signals for RobinsOrt.

Robinson grabs a headset.

INTERCUT:

Hans sits in his office.

HANS

I I'm afraid that talking is out i / of the question as long as you

have one of your operatives in the building.

^ Los Angeles Police Department in (, any way, shape or form. I give you

my word. Look, let's try to settle this thing.

HANS

ROBINSON

/ W \ Look, don't tie negotiations to a

variable I have no control over!

Hans turns off the radio.

299 ON ROBINSON 299

He is left alone on the line with this thought.

300 ON MCCLANE 300

He opens the stairwell door on the 39th floor and moves carefully down a row of glass-walled offices. Suddenly his CB crackles.

McClane ducks into an:

301 OFFICE 301

and lifts the CB.

( MCCLANE

What's up, AI?

302 ON ROBINSON AND OPERATOR 302

The OPERATOR listens via headset to the other channels with a German INTERPRETER.

Robinson exits the police trailer to tell Powell, then stops on the bottom step. Powell is less than twenty feet away. For a moment Robinson stands there, then he shakes out a cigarette and walks in the other direction.

McClane in the office talking to Powell. As he talks he lifts his cut foot, examines the bandage. It's bloodsoaked.

He puts his foot down, reaches into his kit bag, takes out his spare magazine and begins re-loading it.

Franco moving down the stairwell. Suddenly he hears McClane's voice on his CB. He stops, directs the antenna.

306 MCCLANE 306

McClane's smile disappears-

He listens to McClane then turns to channel 26 and speaks in German.

William turns the dial and hears Franco's conversation in German. Concerned.

| 309 MCCLANE 309 / He stops re-loading, concerned and puts the spare magazine down on the edge of the table.

/Ji^N

the horse.

The stairwell door opens and a Franco steps into the corridor on 39th floor. We can HEAR McClane's VOICE for the first time without the radio.

311 MCCLANE 311

MCCLANE

/$ff^V Listen, AI...

A98

/££^v POWELL'S VOICE

(o.s.) Look, I don't need any advice —

SUDDENLY behind McClane we SEE Franco through the glass wall of the office. He's only three offices away. He lifts his radio and whispers in German.

312 POLICE INTERPRETER 312

INTERPRETER

/ He sees him. / 313 ON WILLIAM 313

He can't stand it any longer. He throws up the volume on his CB, presses his TALK Switch and yells.

314 ON MCCLANE 314

reacts to the William's warning and hits the floor just as a burst of Franco's machine gun fire rips through the glass partition and blows out the windows in front of him.

Robinson comes up to Powell.

Suddenly both' men look up as bits of glass sparkle and fall to the street like glitter in the huge spotlights.

McClane dives into another office across the hall just before Franco cuts him off. /f»!ft\ 317 MCCLANE 317

checks his rifle — he's almost out of ammunition — and opens his kit bag for the spare clip as we:

C U T T 0 :

A98

f*^ on the desk in the first office. It is picked up by Franco, who smiles at his find.

319 ON MCCLANE 319

He moves quickly down the corridor to the stairwell and opens the door REVEALING:

320 FRANCO 320

He stands in the stairwell his machine gun trained on McClane.

The Interpreter looks at Powell and Robinson entering the trailer

climbing. Franco listens to Hans on the CB.

(** HANS' VOICE

(o.s.) Wait for Karl. Don't take him there alone.

Robinson and Powell listening to the conversation.

/fl&?£\ Through infra-red scope. The door to the roof.

SPOTTER #1 One, clear.

McClane and the Franco reach the interior door that leads to the roof. McClane is about to open it when Franco stops.

McClane does. Franco's eyes focus on McClane's detective badge covered with dirt and blood. Franco unpins it from McClane's shirt and wipes it clean.

328 SPOTTER #2'S P.O.V. 328

The door to the roof opens slowly and two men emerge. The Spotter talks by headset.

SPOTTER #2 (voice over) They're on the roof.

329 SNIPER'S SCOPE P.O.V. (CROSSHAIRS) CLOSE ON 329 y t S I n ^ MCCLANE'S BADGE

SNIPER #2 (voice over) . .- I've got it...

SNIPER #2 (voice over) ...and it's clean...From the looks of it, though, he's turned things around.

330 ON POWELL AND ROBINSON 330

listening, surprised.

SPOTTER #1 (voice over) Spotter one, here, I've got that too, Sir.

SPOTTER #2 (voice over) Yessir, the one in front.

But Robinson looks lost. Unsure.

A98

f^ They reach the edge, there's nothing there. McClane acts surprised.

Franco cocks his machine gun.

Carefully he reaches into a pocket and brings out a handful of detonators. Franco takes them and presses his CB.

FRANCO

/ (to CB) / I've got them.

Hans' voice comes back.

/$Sf\ FRANCO

(to McClane) Kneel.

Robinson suddenly decides. He grabs his mike.

333 NAKATOMI ROOFTOP 333

McClane kneels in front of franco. The terrorist aims his machine gun at McClane's head, then suddenly, without a sound, Franco is blown backwards then sideways almost simultaneously, as if hit by two invisible punches. McClane hits the ground just as the:

swings open and Karl opens fire. More sniper shots send Karl back inside. He closes the door and locks it.

335 MCCLANE 335 /lp^\ lies there a moment longer, then picks up Franco's CB.

"MCCLANE AI?

A98 INTERCUT:

relieved.

wiped out in the backseat. He clutches the stuffed animal in a death lock. He's relieved to hear McClane's voice, then leans forward. Hesitates, then presses the talk button.

William hesitates, then picks up a fast food wrapper off the front seat and smiles.

338 ON MCCLANE 338

/Wfty

yS$£?\

340 ON MCCLANE 340

Just then Hans' voice comes over the air.

Dick Thornburg goes to a commercial. Mary comes over, smiling.

She smiles knowingly and pats a plain brown folder.

He sits in his office and looks through the open door at Holly. She sits twisting the band of her watch.

34 3 INT. BLACK AND WHITE POLICE CAR 343

Robinson sits in the backseat of a black and white police car looking at some papers. Little•Johnson is already sitting there,

He starts to open the door, realizes he's in a black and white — no rear door handles — and looks back at the two men.

Robinson eyes them suspiciously.

Robinson hesitates. He looks stunned.

/$$t\ (CONTINUED)

Both men look at the deputy chief. Robinson closes the folder on Gruber and thumps on the door.

The two agents share a smile. S0y\

He gets out and opens Robinson's door.

He goes through Franco's kit bag and removes his Beretta and finds something else — another candy bar.

INTERCUT:

345 POWELL 345

He looks up at the building.

345 CONTINUED:

C MCCLANE

What nap? I was just rinsing out a few things. What's going on down there?

/ 346 INT. LIMO 346

William watches the TV set in the limo, presses the Talk Button on his CB.

INTERCUT:

347 MCCLANE 347

POWELL"S VOICE John, listen to me. The less you talk about this the better.

348 ON POWELL 348

He turns the corner and finds a metal cabinet (like the glass ones on the lower floors) containing a fire hose. He pulls out a foot of the canvas hose, then stops.'

?' / This hits McClane.

The word hit.McClane like they would any cop. It's a brand new ball game.

He yanks the heavy fire hose out of the cabinet and across the roof toward the edge.

350 HANS' OFFICE 350

Karl comes to the 'door, Hans looks up from the CB.

350 CONTINUED:

HANS

^v They're getting ready to do something. ^ Get to the roof.

351 MCCLANE 351

removes Franco's belt, then cuts a crude harness out of the dead man's kit bag.

352 ANGLE ON MCCLANE 352

as he leans over the roof and focuses on the large plate windows of the floor below (40th). He carefully measures off the hose, then looks over the side one more time. The drop again gets to him this time. He straightens up quickly.

Suddenly he stops his work and listens.

William is running through the channels. Suddenly he stops and picks up his CB.

f* 354 EXT. NAKATOMI ROOF 354

McClane stares out toward the horizon. In the darkness the lights — three helicopter gunships, flying in tight formation. His radio crackles.

He is stunned to hear this. He asks out loud to the video technicians.

A TECHNICIAN at the far end turns.

TECHNICIAN

f*^ I've got them.

Powell moves quickly to the technician's video screen. Sure enough, he sees the lights of incoming helicopters. The sight stuns him. A98

Karl rips the top off a crate and removes a lethal Stinger missile launcher.

Just then Robinson and Little Johnson step inside. Powell turns on Johnson.

He struggles into his make-shift harness and moves to his position at the edge of the roof behind the big NAKATOMI letters.

William climbs into the front seat of the limo and starts the engine. He gives it a couple good revs and looks over his shoulder at the stuffed animal — it's buckled in.

McClane looks back toward the helicopters on the horizon... •They are closing fast, less- than a half-mile away. The first helicopter lowers its nose and starts to dive.

William backs out of his parking place and puts it in drive. He opens a tape case and frantically searches through his collection of RAP cassettes as he speeds through the garage toward the gates.

i ( McClane turns the CB to channel 26, turns up the volume and throws the CB in the direction of the elevator tower. The door to the roof starts to open and McClane fires a quick burst forcing the terrorists back inside.

3 63 INT. LIMO 363

William suddenly pulls a tape from the case and his fingers whip it into the cassette deck in the car stereo.

He cranks up the volume and presses the TALK BUTTON on his CB.

Hans at the window. He watches the helicopters approach and starts to tlak into his radio when suddenly his CB starts blaring William's LOUD RAP MUSIC.

BLASTING the same LOUD MUSIC as we:

racing head on toward the gate. William braces for impact.

Well, here goes my raise...

And he CRASHES THROUGH THE GATE just as we:

As the first cannon rounds from the helicopter drown out the song and rocks spew up all around the elevator tower. The gunship passes overhead and one of the terrorists steps out and fires at McClane.

368 MCCLANE 368

takes cover behind the NAKATOMI sign.

' 369 HELICOPTER #2 369

dives to attack.

370 THE DOOR TO THE ELEVATOR TOWER 370

suddenly cracks open and a column of smoke, stiff as a f* flagpole, rises into the sky.

371 CLOSE ON MCCLANE 371

realizing what's happened.

372 HELICOPTER #2 372

as the missile hits and the helicopter explodes — sending parts falling to the street and adjacent rooftop.

373 MCCLANE 373

fires at the door driving the terrorists back inside, then looks up at:

374 HELICOPTER #1 374

for a moment the other helicopter hesitates as if deciding whether to attack again.

375 MCCLANE 375 /flfi^S^

watching the helicopter.

A98

^ MCCLANE

(watching the helicopter) Use your brains and get the fuck out of here.

376 HELICOPTER #1 376

But the chopper lowers its nose and dives toward the building.

377 MCCLANE 377

turns back to the door; it starts to open.

He fires wildly at the doorway, forcing the two terrorists to stay inside as:

378 THE HELICOPTER 378

makes a pass blowing the hell out of the tower, but not bothering anyone inside. The helicopter turns and starts to come in again.

379 MCCLANE 379 /£$^N ( covers the helicopter's attack, then suddenly runs out of

ammunition. He reaches for the second magazine just as:

380 THE ELEVATOR TOWER DOOR 380

opens and Uli fires at him.

381 MCCLANE 381 as a bullet rips cleanly through his thigh and causes him to knock the second magazine over the side of the roof. McClane falls to the edge and watches the magazine disappear below.

382 THE HELICOPTER 382

starting its pass, but with no one to provide cover.

383 KARL 383

steps boldly into the doorway behind Uli with another Stinger missile on his shoulder. He takes aim.

384 KARL'S P.O.V. 384

y<m\. The diving helicopter directly in his sights.

lying on the edge of the building. He focuses on the window y below him and takes out his Beretta. As the helicopter comes screaming in for its attack, McClane fires into the window.

Inside the helicopter there is a split-second to realize the inevitable, but not enough time to react as the second missile is launched.

387 THE ROOFTOP 387

turns cherry red as THE HELICOPTER EXPLODES DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. Flaming gas and chunks of metal come raining down onto the roof.

388 MCCLANE 388

rolls off the side of the building, crashing full force I through the window and into a:

McClane clutches for a handhold as hunks of the destroyed helicopter fall past the window. He grabs onto the desk leg with one hand but the tension of the hose pulls him back toward the window like a giant hand. With one hand he pulls the strap to release the harness. Immediately losing his grip on the desk the tension of the hose pulls him toward the window, but the harness slips off just in time. He's in.

Karl looks out from the doorway at the wreckage and the deserted rooftop. Nothing moves. Nothing could have survived that crash. Only the 'K' remains of the NAKATOMI sign.

A half-mile away the third helicopter lands on the rooftop of a nearby building. The remaining FBI troops climb out and run for safety. Karl brings the CB to his mouth. Channel 26 is jammed. He turns to nine and his words are heard from William's limo to Powell on the street.

Hans is watching the TV.

A98

392 ON SCREEN 392

We SEE a LONG SHOT of the Nakatomi rooftop. The smoldering wreckage seems to be visual evidence of Karl's statement.

Powell watches in horror as final pieces of the helicopter come raining down. Unwilling to give up he charges into:

Technicians are rewinding and viewing the various tape of the helicopter attack and the crashes.

TECHNICIAN

/

Nothing.

McClane pulls himself into the room. He is shaken. Breathing hard. He tears at his pants to reveal the leg wound. There is too much blood to see it clearly. /^\ He tries to wipe away the blood but the pain is so intense he crumples up onto the floor writhing. Suddenly he sees something across the floor.

396 CLOSE ON A DESK PHOTO 396

of a family. The glass shattered but the picture intact.

397 MCCLANE 397

he looks up on a credenza and sees other photos:

A boy playing baseball, a girl pushing a stroller. Anonymous faces, but families.

399 CLOSE ON MCCLANE. 399

He closes his eyes.

William's battered limo is surrounded by SWAT officers. He ( is helped out of the car holding his hands up.

He sees the TV camera and waves.

The stairwell door opens and McClane limps onto the 37th floor toward the fort he constructed earlier. He stops at a water fountain where he washes away the blood and dirt from his leg.

A neat hole going through the outside of the thigh and coming

/

Hans turns his CB to nine and speaks to the radio.

^ office by office.

404 37TH FLOOR OFFICE 404

McClane goes to a desk and opens a drawer, looking for something to re-bandage his foot. He finds nothing and checks another — still nothing.

405 ANGLE ON INNER OFFICE 405

He moves to a desk in an inner office and suddenly spots a TV set in the cabinet. Like a stone-age man suddenly placed in the twentieth century, he reaches for it cautiously, turns it on and watches it dumbly, turning down the volume.

406 CLOSE ON TV 406

Images flash by, a compilation of events of the last twelve hours. A TV reporter — behind him police barricades. Officers in bulletproof vests run hurriedly past him. We SEE a night scene with the words: RECORDED EARLIER at the bottom of the screen. The image shakes, the TV camera tilts up quickly and we SEE the upper floors obscured in a huge cloud of smoke — the elevator explosion.

f\ . (CONTINUED)

407 ON MCCLANE 407

The extent of the damage stuns him.

He leans forward and turns up the volume.

/S^V,

Uli comes down the stairs. Suddenly he hears something and presses his ear to the stairwell door.

Al Powell leaves the operations trailer and moves down the sidewalk past the vested SWAT officers and collapses on the stoop of a business. He looks and feels like a man who has betrayed a friend. A TV news REPORTER spots Powell and moves his crew quickly over for an interview.

We SEE the reporter approaching Powell.

411 MCCLANE 411

Having never seen Powell, McClane ignores the picture until he hears:

A98

412 CLOSE ON MCCLANE 412

This gets his attention. He looks up at the TV.

413 ON SCREEN 413

Powell says nothing and begins to move away. The reporter and camera follow him.

Powell stops. He looks directly into the camera as if looking right at McClane.

A stairwell door opens and Uli, steps out onto the floor. He can hear the sound of the television set and moves carefully toward the SOUND.

415 ON MCCLANE 415

He hears something and pulls out the Beretta. He hits the floor of the office and crawls to the doorway and looks out.

416 HIS P.O.V. 416

Uli moving toward the office. Drawn by the SOUND of the TV.

417 MCCLANE 417

pops out the Beretta's magazine — he's down to his last three bullets. He checks his shoulder harness, nothing. He lies there thinking for a moment, then rolls back over and suddenly focuses on something on the wall just behind the terrorist.

The plastic explosive he planted by the light switch. He takes careful aim.

POWELL

I

I'd just say...hang in there, partner and if you can hear me give me a sign.

Suddenly an explosion rips the 37th floor. Powell looks up.

McClane moves through the rubble of blown-up desks and finds the terrorist's machine gun; his CB hisses nearby.

For the first time we SEE that Hans is off-balanced. Holly watches him. Suddenly the CB comes to life.

Thornburg's KCBS truck parked in front of Holly's house.

424 ANGLE ON FRONT DOOR 424

Thornburg pleads with Holly's housekeeper, Paulina. She is scared and Thornburg plays on it.

^ ' (CONTINUED)

He slams in a fresh magazine and suddenly stares at the television screen.

Paulina, near tears, lets the children come to the door. They squint into the bright lights.

j 427 32ND FLOOR - ON HOLLY 427

seeing the same scene through the door to Hans' office. She gasps at the sight of her children.

Hans stares at the children on the TV then looks across the room at the family photo on the credenza.

He now is squatting down with his microphone to interview the children. His voice is soft, comforting.

John, Jr. says nothing, but Lucy looks at the camera.

She struggles to fight back tears with no luck. Suddenly the door to Hans' office opens. He steps out and looks at Holly AS we:

A98

431 MCCLANE 431

He stands stunned looking at the TV, as if all the fight has suddenly been drained from him. His CB comes to life.

/S3RN,

McClane waits in the elevator corridor for the service elevator. The car arrives. He places the kit bag inside, punches thirty-nine, and steps back into the corridor.

Hans has Holly in his office. She nervously pulls on her watchband when suddenly we HEAR McClane*s VOICE on the CB.

A98

/fl^FS\

Hans hesitates for a moment then hands the CB to Holly who takes it with trembling hands.

f^ My feet are cut and I'm wounded and

I've got a long way to go. I need you to talk to me. Like we use to do. Like up at your father's farm on Long Island. Remember how we'd talk?

McClane quietly opens the door to the 32nd floor. It is quiet. The hostages are on the other side of the floor.

He turns down his CB and moves steadily toward the other side of the building.

(** 435 ON HOLLY 435

She talks calmly into the CB as if she is talking privately to McClane.

A 9 8 (CONTINUED)

435 CONTINUED:' 435

The doors to the service elevator open and Karl takes the detonators and goes to the safe.

McClane moves around the side of the floor. He reaches the corner and he can see the hostages. They are sitting on the floor. Holly's secretary, Ginny, sitting a few feet away from Fritz, the guard, looks up and sees McClane, she immediately tries to hide her surprise but Fritz notices and looks around the corner.

438 HIS P.O.V. 438

The corridor. There is no sign of McClane.

439 FRITZ 439

He looks back at Ginny.

But Fritz doesn't buy it. He goes slowly down the corridor where McClane was and looks around the next corner. Fritz sees nothing and starts back. As he passes an office an arm suddenly reaches out, covers his mouth and pulls him inside.

She has indeed blocked everything out of her mind but McClane as she talks.

She watches as Hans loads his Walther. He suddenly becomes suspicious that she is doing all the talking and looks up.

A98

/s*v HOLLY

(relieved to hear him) Let me talk. There's so much I wanted to tell you last night but I couldn't...

McClane steps back into the hallway — a finger to his mouth — and motions for her to come. She gets up and starts for McClane. The others follow.

Karl finishes packing the last detonator and sets the timer. Ten seconds. He grabs his gun and leaves. I / 443 INT. HANS' OFFICE - SAME 443

Holly talks into the CB. While she talks she notices people leaving and casually looks away so that Hans won't notice. His back is to the exodus.

HOLLY

^ I love you. Whatever happens, ( I love you.

444 39TH FLOOR 444

Karl in the hallway. Suddenly, AN EXPLOSION belches smoke out of the safe room.

Powell, Robinson, the Johnsons hear the sound over their CB.

An older WOMAN panics at the sound of the explosion.

She becomes hysterical.

447 HANS' OFFICE 447

• Hans goes to the door and sees the exodus. He shoots the woman then grabs Holly and pushes her out of the office and down the opposite corridor.

(** sees Hans and Holly moving toward the elevators and aims, but he doesn't risk a shot. He starts after them.

SWAT officers sprint toward the building. The lead officers crash through the front glass doors and rush to the stairwells.

450 ON POWELL 450

451 ON MCCLANE 451

moving down the corridor toward the elevators. x^>v

A police helicopter takes off from the neighboring building and streaks toward the Nakatomi tower. It opens fire on the elevator tower.

Hans hears the sound of automatic rifle fire overhead. He brings up the CB.

( listening.

Karl steps into the safe and begins removing stacks of documents.

456 CLOSE ON THE DOCUMENTS 456

$100,000 TREASURY BONDS. The stacks are enormous. Three-four hundred to a stack.

457 KARL 457

His CB crackles with Hans' voice.

HANS* VOICE Karl. Helicopters!

I He preps a Stinger missile and looks through the crack in the roof door.

459 HIS P.O.V. 459

Smoldering debris from the helicopter crash covers the roof. Then a quarter mile away he sees the helicopter diving for the roof.

McClane finishes taping his holster behind his neck. Suddenly the doors open, the 37th floor, then close — McClane*s buying time.

He slips the Beretta into the hidden holster, then practices reaching behind his neck and drawing the gun. It is awkward and he tries it again — better. The doors open to the 38th floor, then close.

f^ 461 INT. 39TH FLOOR - SAME 461

Hans positions himself in front of the elevator bank, fingering the trigger of his machine gun, waiting.

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462 KARL 462

reaches the roof just as Heinz opens the door and lifts the Stinger to his shoulder. The chopper opens fire. The rounds kick up rooftop-gravel in lines straight to the door, hitting Heinz and Karl.

463 HANS 463

He hears the HUM of the elevators and braces himself. He checks his gun and waits. Suddenly, the far right elevator light comes on over the doors and we hear the electronic ring. The door opens and Hans opens fire.

Bullets rip into the brushed aluminum interior, totally destroying the car. Hans spends half his clip before he realizes the car is empty. The light over the next door comes on. i J Hans slams in another magazine. He moves quickly to that door and as the doors open, blasts the inside of that car before realizing, that it too is empty. His CB comes to life and he hears McClane's. voice.

f* 464 INT. 39TH FLOOR - STAIRWELL DOOR - ON MCCLANE - SAME 464

He moves from the stairwell onto the 39th floor carefully toward the elevator bank where Hans and Holly were. He turns the corner and they're gone.

465 ON MCCLANE 465

moves carefully up the hallway. Every office doorway is a potential ambush.

McClane turns the corner. We SEE the lighted doorway to the safe room.

McClane turns off his radio, cutting Powell off.

and Police TECHNICIANS.

Powell stares up at the building — helpless.

^467 ON THORNBURG 467

Listening to his car radio as he drives back to Century City. He realizes what they've done.

William listening with police. When he realizes they're off the air, he looks up and says a little prayer.

He carefully lays his radio on the boardroom table so as not to make a noise and motions Holly up with the end of his Walther.

470 HALLWAY 470

McClane reaches the doorway to the anteroom.

McClane puts his hands on his head, steps into the doorway. /$Wt!i\

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471 HIS P.O.V. 471

Hans stands in front of the window his arm around Holly's neck. He holds her in front of him like a shield. Holly gasps at the grizzily sight of her husband.

472 MCCLANE 472

McClane looks at the Bearer's Bonds on the table. He looks back at Hans.

He pulls back the hammer and presses the barrel into Holly's neck.

Hans hesitates, then smiles. He removes the gun from Holly's neck and aims at McClane.

McClane looks directly at Holly, they lock eyes.

She bumps Hans hand with the gun and McClane draws the Beretta over his shoulder and fires — hitting Hans in the right nipple. The bullet goes clean through him, starring the window behind him. He looks at McClane increduously.

She tries to break free but Hans pulls her back in front of him. Slowly he raises the gun to her neck. She squirms against the terrorist, trying to break away but the barrel presses against her throat. McClane aims again and fires, hitting Hans in the shoulder.

The jolt knocks Hans backward against the window. He releases Holly's neck and his hand slides down her arm as the glass starts to give way behind him — his fingers running down her arm until one finds a grip in Holly's watchband and pulls her into the gaping window with him.

McClane drops his gun and lunges for his wife, grabbing Holly's other arm just as she falls. For a moment McClane holds them all but Hans' weight slowly begins to weaken him. His hold on Holly starts to slip.

McClane braces himself against the window frame and strains to reach Holly's watchband. His muscles quiver, his hand almost there when we SEE Hans slowly bring his pistol up from his side and aim at McClane.

Holly sees him and screams. Hans' hand trembles. He locks eyes with McClane one last time, starts to pull the trigger, as McClane releases the watchband. Hans' face registers his horror as he and the watch suddenly drop. We listen to his scream all the way down.

McClane pulls Holly back into the room and holds her.

He looks down at Hans' body, then back at Holly.

He stands looking worriedly up at the building, when suddenly his CB comes to life.

A 9 8 (CONTINUED)

} Thornburg's unit stuck in traffic ten blocks from the Nakatomi building. HORNS BLARE all around the truck. Thornburg is going crazy not being at the building. He can feel his Emmy slipping away.

476 THE EMPTY LOBBY 476

The doors to the service elevator opens McClane leaning on Holly on one side and the SWAT leader on the other moves steadily across the cold marble floor to the front door and steps:

477 OUTSIDE 477

into a blaze of television lights. The entire front of the building is packed with reporters and TV cameras. Amid shouts of "There he is!" the media surges into the police line ringing the steps. McClane ignores their shouted questions and pushes forward down the steps with something else on his mind.

At first there is no answer, then we SEE Powell moving through the press, his hand on the butt of his .38.

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/S*s McClane stops at the base of the steps and stares at him, then offers the cop his hand.

She nods weakly. Just then Robinson moves toward them through the group. I

ROBINSON

/

We're going to have to ask you some questions, McClane. The damage to that building, Mr. Ellis' shooting. To be real honest —

Before Robinson can protest, a SCREAM causes McClane to turn.

478 HIS P.O.V. 478

There in the doorway is Karl. Easily as crusted in dirt and blood as McClane, he holds an M-5 machine gun.

As the press panics trying to escape, Karl locks eyes with McClane and levels his gun. McClane throws Holly to the ground and grabs the dumbstruck Robinson's sidearm. But he doesn't get off a shot — a lone gunshot stops Karl — knocking him back through the doorway. McClane looks back to see Powell still sighting down the barrel of his .38. His hands rock steady. He sees McClane's look.

They smile and McClane leans on Holly as William's battered black limo backs up to them. The window rolls down and inside we SEE William and the stuffed animal. •

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/$Z\

McClane grins AS we:

r.