"DIE HARD 2" (1990)

JOHN MCCLANE, long topcoat FLAPPING, comes running out of the terminal towards an AIRPORT COP in plastic covered uniform who is supervising a TOW TRUCK DRIVER who in turn is manhandling a sedate sedan with Virginia plates and a "GRANDMOTHER ON BOARD" sign on the rear window.

cop Sure. Tomorrow 8 to four, you pay 40 bucks, we give it back.

cop I was in LA once. Hated it.

: CONTINUED

(X) CONTINUED - 1.

He realizes the truck is DRIVING AWAY one way while the cop is going off the other way - McClane votes for the cop -

. . MCCLANE Hey, c’mon, it’s Christmas - COP So ask Santa to bring you another car. MCCLANE

(sotto) You son of a -

BEEP drowns out his last word. McClane sweeps aside his coat, finds the beeper on his belt. He looks at the obviously unfamilar number on the read out in puzzlement, then runs into the terminal.

CHRISTMAS MUSIC wafting through the building from a SCHOOL CHOIR perched’ in front of a massive, three-story window. Blase

travelers PAUSE in their hectic rush to applaud the angelic voices.

McClane shoves his way through some people - when they GLARE at

a APPLAUDS the kids, pulls up at an INFORMATION

BOOTH - the girl there is watching a LITTLE TV on the shelf out of sight from the public.

afternoon as predicted. McClane nods, serves across the slick linoleun.

rs ea le OT ne

2A

thru

(X) CONTINUED - Oo 2 1ST NEWSCASTER(cont’d) Correspondent Leonard Adkins is in a warmer clime, with a story that grows hotter by the minute. WITH MCCLANE 2A he fairly SKIDS to a halt at a_ line of PHONE BOOTHS - and outside each booth a long LINE of people with their armfuls of luggage and gifts.

McClane’s BEEPER goes off again.

OMITTED thru

A plane TAKES OFF. We PULL BACK and realize we’re in a MOTEL ROOM. The TV is on and we SEE the TV PICTURE CHANGE to a TROPICAL AIRFIELD. Khaki-clad heavily armed SOLDIERS form a ‘cordon as a stiff-backed handsome MAN of 60 in handcuffs and leg chains is hustled aboard a plane. 2ND NEWSCASTER .

Security was tight today at Escalon

airport in the Republic of Val Verde,

where government authorities escorted

General Ramon Esperanza to the

military transport that will bring

him to the United States to stand

trial for narcotics trafficking.

A HAND thrusts in front of the CAMERA - FINGERS clenching and curling oddly. WIDER , 6

A half naked MAN is doing Tai Ch’i EXERCISES. This is COLONEL WILLIAM STUART, U.S.A. (Ret.) His body is hard, with SCARS from knives and bullets.

On the TV, the words "FILE TAPE" blink under Esperanza’s IMAGE, here resplendent in a Latin American uniform, reviewing troops in the field and then moving to a table under a tarp to sign documents with American military officers. He hands a COLONEL the pen just used on the document - a souvenir.

(X)

CONTINUED - a . 6

PICTURE CHANGES to some WASHINGTON STEPS. The AMERICAN COLONEL

we just saw exits a Federal building with some JUNIOR OFFICERS

and attorneys - avoids reporters.

The exercises finished, Stuart FREEZES in an eerie pose, until

BACK TO SCENE . 8 The man uncoils. Composes himself. Goes to the closet.

. - smuggling.

One topcoat, one suit there, shirt and tie laid out like a

costume not usually worn. On the shelf above, one PACKAGE in DISTINCTIVE CHRISTTMAS WRAP.

Stewart puts on the shirt. In the pocket is a PEN - the same pen we just saw.on TV. If we haven’t realized it yet, we realize it now; is is the same man.

Suddenly Stuart WHIRLS like a GUNFIGHTER. But all he’s got in his hand is the remote control, snatched from the nightstand.

TV 9

; 12 fo aru

wt |

(X) CONTINUED - : 9 It clicks OFF -

CLOSE on the hallway door as Stuart COMES OUT, the package in his hand, the Huer ticking away. We WIDEN, TRUCK with him as he moves down the corridor.

And now we SEE THEM - ten more TALL, HARD men, all coming into the hallway from their adjoining rooms within seconds of each other, all carrying SIMILAR GIFT WRAPPED PACKAGES.

They get into two adjoining elevators, the stark LIGHTS above their heads and their unmoving expressions making them look like Aliens ready to beam up. As the doors CLOSE we

McClane SQUEEZES past an enormous WOMAN exiting a phone booth

with a PRESENT as big as she is. Catching his breath, he drops his quarter, dials.

OMITTED thru oe 13

HOLLY MCCLANE is here, AirPhone at her ear and a beautiful SUNSET over the plane’s wing visible through the nearby window. With the Compaq portable computer, filofax and calculator piled

-on it, ‘Holly’s seat back table looks like a traveling office.

_. MCCLANE Hello. This is Lieutenant McClane - Somebody there beep me?

HOLLY

I’d like to think I’m somebody. MCCLANE

Holly! Did you land? HOLLY

John, wake up. It’s the nineties. Microchips, microwaves, faxes and airphones.

Cy 44

i5

(X) CONTINUED - — . 14

They both hang up. The OLDER WOMAN beside Holly smiles at her.

. OLDER WOMAN Well, I do. I used to carry around ‘those awful mace things -

She opens her purse and displays a Taser stun gun. CLDER WOMAN (cont’d) (showing it)

Now I zap any bastard who screws with

me. I tried it on my little dog,

poor thing, limped for a week. As Holly tries to smile politely, we

. CUT TO:

MCCLANE 15

Coming out of the phone booth and almost COLLIDING with -

aed

(X) NEW ANGLE 16 Colonel Stuart. STUART

Excuse me -

Pause as they dance away from each other. Then -

it.

Now it’s Stuart’s turn to look at McClane oddly; then he moves off. McClane looks after him, trying to place him... shrugs... heads for the bar.

A LITTLE SEMI-RURAL CHURCH ~- NEAR THE AIRPORT 17

Charming - until the SUB WOOFER ROAR of a big jet SCREAMS by, practically in the little church’s backyard.

Now we notice that the church is a little run down - trim needing paint, sidewalk cracked - and a neat SIGN confirms our

- suspicions:

"FUTURE SITE OF PARISH DAY CARE CENTER. WORSHIP WITH US AT OUR NEW CHURCH, 52 KENSINGTON ROAD, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA."

A DWP VAN pulls up, snow tires CRUNCHING on the driveway here. Two MEN (BAKER and THOMPSON) get out in official DWP wardrobe.

But we remember the trim bodies, trimmer hair... and we remember those gift wrapped packages, - which one of these guys carries.

INSIDE THE CHURCH 18

On a TV here, the newscast CONTINUES, now back to the tropical airport. Esperanza is at the top of the steps, waving to the press like a triumphant hero - not a felon en route to prison. The plane doors close and it taxis down the runway.

WIDEN from the set, which an elderly CUSTODIAN is watching while he eats tae instant soup. The DOORBELL RINGS. The custodian answers it.

18A

- (%)

Baker and Thompson glance at each other.

The three men walk down the main aisle of the church. Dust motes dance in the colored light.

They’ve arrived at a rear window. FOCUS CHANGE to a green

CONDUIT BOX on. the the church’s rear lawn, half covered in snow.

FOCUS back through the glass. Thompson looks questioningly at Baker, who nods.

BLAM BLAM BLAM. BULLETS RIP through the end of the Christmas package, SLAM the custodian up and into a row of pews, which OVERTURN.

MUSOU Ele. tA

Rete UT Bent

(X) NEW ANGLE 19

Baker rips the rest of the smoking package away from his weapon,

‘Slings it over his shoulder and begins to SHOVE the pews aside to

make a larger open area.

Thompson, meanwhile, takes out a very futuristic transceiver.

He turns it ON; getting a RED light; enters a NUMBER CODE on the keypad and gets a GREEN LIGHT. There’s an EERIE QUALITY to the transmission.

. THOMPSON This is team one. We’re here.

With an annoyed expression, Thompson CLICKS OFF the newscast. , CUT TO:

Two PAINTERS pull up in avan. Move around the back and start to pull out ladders and cans.

Suddenly two MEN (O’REILLY and SHELDON) are there.

O’REILLY Yeah.

BAM! BAM! Both painters are SHOT.

Quickly, the two men toss their bodies into the rear, get into. the van... and BACK IT INTO the airport garage.

O’Reilly enters a NUMBER CODE into a transceiver- Selatan 4

O“REILLY (into radio, as they

drive) Team Two. In position.

2iA

23A

23B

(X)

a CYCLONE FENCE and a MICROWAVE DOME fenced in with a sign: “PROPERTY OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION AGENCY. NO TRESPASSING."

_BURKE and KAHN - two more of those CLEAN CUT MEN are here, just

now parking and going to the rear of their rented station wagon. Quickly, they OPEN the trunk - slide out _a long OLIVE DRAB TUBE

and a TRIPOD. Givin Kdew lem aD Tbk Sires “oe lacs > CLOSER me

Kabn KICKS spikes on the tripod into the frozen ground to anchor it - TILT UP as Augke, SNAPS the tube ON TOP of it, SWINGS IT AROUND towards thé installation -- when

POLICEMAN’S VOICE Hey, you!

This is a restricted area! Mind

telling us what you’re doing? ON THE MEN A quick look between them... and then SHE 6WIVELS the-long tube around! With Kahn LOADING and Qgeee FIRING, the two men LAUNCH a MISSILE at the police car! THE POLICE CAR

EXPLODES, the two cops halfway out swallowed up in the DESTRUCTION. 0

cuT TO:

The top of the Tower, it’s the heart, soul, brain of Dulles. We HEAR snatches of AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL as the CAMERA PANS the big room. We SEE PLANES outside, the airport LIGHTS already on against the grey of the snow. It’s damn impressive.

’ 21A

23A

23B

(X)

CONTINUED - 25

CAMERA SETTLES on TRUDEAU. Chief Air Traffic controller, he’s lived through hijackings, the Olympics, Reagan’s mass firings -and he’s still going (heart bypass notwithstanding.) Chief engineer BARNES 1s as good as a right ventricle, anyway.

An ALARM RINGS. . TRUDEAU ; 26 lighting a cigarette, he hovers over BARNES.

Barnes hits a switch. The ALARM STOPS. Everyone relaxes.

WIDEN from McClane at the bar, his coat on a stool beside him. He’s on his second scotch. On the BAR TV, we SEE SAMANTHA ("SAM") COPELAND, a reporter with "live" super’d over her body. She is clearly somewhere inside this airport -.

CAMERA ADJUSTS to show a MAN as he OPENS a. PHONE BOOTH. It’s very quick, but we REALIZE that while in there he wasn’t using the phone but one of the transceivers we saw before.

This is MAJOR GARBER, Stuart’s second-in-command; but his efficiency and chilly courage are second to none. CAMERA FOLLOWS

HIM to a TABLE.

COCHRANE and MILLER - TWO MORE of those neat, trim young men-are there, in neat, boring topcoats. ,

)

a ed

(X)

CONTINUED = 7 27

GARBER ; That was the Colonel: All perimeter teams are in place. (to Cochrane) . Weather?

‘Cochrane covers one ear and we SEE that he has a RADIO EARPLUG ; other. He listens intently, then GRINS.

COCHRANE> Flurries all along the Virginia Coast... new storm moving in from

the Northeast.

' GARBER

(sharing the smile) God loves the Infantry.

(smile gone) Carry out your assignment. We’ll regroup at field HQ.

(setting his watch) Three fifty one... Mark.

They syncronize their watches, and then Miller leaves the bar. CAMERA PANS HIM out. He walks right past McClane, who doesn’t notice him.

A beat after Miller’s exit, two AIRPORT COPS in snow-flecked JACKETS come into the bar. Seeing, them, the bartender is

already pouring coffee for them. But-

GARBER AND COCHRANE . . 28

also see the cops = and ve casually, Cochrane pulls the earplug from his ear. a reed casually, Garber Uses His foot to slide

the two long Christmas package at his feet under the table.

ON MCCLANE - CAMERA PUSH 29 This gets his attention. His eyes narrow. He looks from the two

ordinary looking men towards the Airport cops, wonders why they got fidgety. Now he watches

GARBER & COCHRANE 30

who looks at his watch, signals Cochrane. Both rise. But as Cochrane bends to pick up his wrapped package... and as he moves, something dangles inside his jacket. Is it a holster?

(X)

CO 31 CONTINUED -

oe MCCLANE

Excuse me, officers. This may be

a total wild goose chase, but I think I just saw -

He STOPS. CAMERA ADJUSTS. The cop he’s talking to is the asshole who towed away the car.

AIRPORT COP

Saw what? MCCLANE Elvis. , oes turns, throws money near his glass and guickly exits the

trying to get the half dozen UNIFORMED US MARSHALS or the three JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LAWYERS to talk to them - without success. But one reporter =- Sam - NOTICES -

c™ as she watches, Garber joins him - 34 BACK TO SCENE SAM

(nudging her cameraman) Hey. Colonel Stuart.

_CAMERAMAN Old news.

“Very quietly, Sam and the cameraman do their best to slip away from the pack.

STUART (sotto) Everything on schedule? GARBER Tapping airport phones right now. Got a slight problem with personnel: Last minute replacement. What’s the status of the security here?

NF CONTINUED

- f

- 38 () Nard ) ) )

) 37 | oo 38

(X)

CONTINUED - ; 35 STUART (nodding towards the Justice people) Like we figured. A joke - But suddenly both men are in the GLARE of a portable light.

And the. interview is over and he’s out the door.

McClane’s head panning the holiday crowd - then SEEING Cochrane. Quickly, he FOLLOWS Cochrane downwards - into

COCHRANE 38

a GLIMPSE of him at a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE" - then he’s gone. McClane runs up, too late; the door is shut again. He looks around, sees a LUGGAGE WORKER, flashes his badge.

7 LUGGAGE GUY Airport police -

Dark. Clatters and bumps, machine sounds... more bumps. McClane

“moves cautiously along. He JUMPS as a large SHADOW moves

nearby, but it’s a big CASE on a conveyor belt.

Now, he stoops to go under another conveyor belt = the different tracks intersect and pass each other like freeway off-ramps discharging luggage from one to another - and then he SEES -

_

COCHRANE AND MILLER 39A

One has his jacket off, and just now dusts off his hands like a man finishing a job.

The other one has one of those transceivers.

MCCLANE’S VOICE Excuse me.

NEW ANGLE 4l

They turn, see McClane with his badge in his left hand - his right hidden under the long coat which is draped over his shoulder like Clint Eastwood’s serape in a Spaghetti Western.

Instantly both men DIVE to the outside, drawing guns.

on a conveyor belt, which CARRIES him UP and OVER the gunmen.

They FIRE UP at him - He aims back - and then a SUITCASE falling from another belt and knocks his gun away!

‘glance - split up.

looks around for a weapon, anything. Then he notices all the luggage going past: Suitcases, camera cases, a bicycle... Skis.

MILLER 46

Moving forward expertly, gun ready. WHAP! A SKI POLE smacks down on his wrist! The gun DROPS onto a conveyor belt, FIRES - then moves away, obscured by moving luggage.

wee

(X) CONTINUED - * 46

McClane steps in, punches Miller - gets HIT hard himself -both ROLL OVER onto the new belt.

all the echoes - it’s hard.

MCCLANE AND MILLER. 48

Fighting hand to hand. Miller starts pressing the ski pole against McClane’s throat. Metlane tries to do the same thing back - they spin, SMASH into a pile of suitcases, some of which SPILL OPEN.

Miller gets in a powerful punch, gets free - CAMERA FOLLOWS Miller as his hand gropes for the pistol - and then McClane rolls tnto view with fucking HAIRSPRAY right in the guy’s eyes! Miller HOWLS, blinded - but then - BLAM! A BULLET EXPLODES the tan in McClane’s hand!

NEW ANGLE . 49

Cochrane is there! McClane LEAPS like Tarzan to the BOTTOM of the higher, empty "return" belt - the momentum swings him right towards Cochrane, who FIRES once more before McClane’s KICK nearly takes orf his head - he loses the gun, but Jesus, these

guys are tough and now Cochrane LEAPS UP and grabs McClane’s

belt and clothes and they’re both hanging -suddenly they’re both too damn high to get off!

The belt goes through a hatchway - a hatchway with virtually no clearance.

kill them both one way or the other - McClane KICKS him, again, again - finally his grip loosens - at the last minute McClane

JUMPS to a thick conduit - and then Cochrane gets JAMMED

INTO THE HATCH HEADFIRST. 53 NEW ANGLE ~ 20 FEET UP 54 The conduit BREAKS FREE from its molly bolts, but doesn’t drop

~and three feet away the guy SCREAMS and then his neck SNAPS and his body TWITCHES AND JERKS and the machinery JAMS, smoking-

PP

MCCLANE ; 55

WINCES as blood SPLATTERS - and then REACTS as the 20 foot tall conduit pipe CREAKS, BENDS-TOPPLES- he RIDES IT DOWN-

cUuT TO:

led by the luggage guy, two AIRPORT COPS run in -

Aten 7

panting for breath, rubbing his eyes, he sees their approach, starts to run. He races down a long aisle past cartons of freight... starts to smile - there’s a door just ahead - he’s gonna make it -he’s gonna make it - suddenly a CHING CHING SOUND makes him turn -it’s the CHING CHING OF -

like the Lone Ranger, takes Miller down. (X) ON THE FLOOR 59

As the bicycle FLIPS OVER, McClane gets to his feet first and finds a gun in his face -

2ND AIRPORT POLICEMAN (X) FREEZE! And in that instant (you guessed it): (Hiller BScaPEs. (X) MCCLANE (sighing) Brilliant, asshole. I’m a cop -that was the bad guy! (X) 2ND AIRPORT POLICEMAN (X) (unimpressea@)

Yeah? Where’s your I.D.?

McClane starts to reach into his jacket - remembers. He looks

around the huge room and its clanking conveyor belts.

i 4 61 j 1} | ) . ya

CONTINUED - i = 60 | did nor ORNBERS’S VOICE - no, you did not explain anything - all you did was shove me bac ere in this cattle car -

STEWARDESS’ VOICE - Sir, you were told when you boarded that we were overbooked -

Holly looks up idlely - and then REACTS as she sees - | DICK THORNBERG ~ HER POV 61

Her nemesis from 20 months ago, here waving his ticket and fending off the Stewardess’ friendly hands.

2ND STEWARDESS It wasn’t nearly as edifying as "Bimbos of the Sky", was it, Connie?

THORNBERG |

You think you’re funny? - (looking at. her nametag) |

I’ve got your number - |

2ND STEWARDESS

(pushing him in seat) (X) And I’ve got yours ~ so park it, pal! NEW ANGLE 62 Thornberg simmers - and then he SEES HOLLY. FOCUS CHANGE. THORNBERG Stewardess!

eae

CONTINUED - . . 62

. STEWARDESS Mister Thornberg - you cannot monopolize my -

CAMERA ADJUSTS to feature Holly - and the Stewardess’ growing fascination with her.

THORNBERG

‘Fifty yards -

(to Stewardess) And by seating me here you’re violating a court order - I could sue you and this airline - this woman has assaulted me and besmirched my reputation - ;

as it is ZIPPED into a body bag, our view of the mangled head and shoulders mercifully brief. The body is set on a gurney. We WIDEN and see Airport police and coroner’s people about to make off with it... and the MEDIA, now drooling over this new story dropped right into their laps. As FLASHBULBS POP and CAMERAS ROLL, Sam NOTICES -

MCCLANE 64

One of the cops hands McClane his wallet. As he pockets it, he notes the CROWD milling about the luggage area.

(xX)

CONTINUED - . 64

2ND AIRPORT COP That’s up to the Captain.

cuT TO:

BAKER guards the rear door with an ASSAULT RIFLE. He REACTS, tense as a FIGURE appears, running up from the snowy expanse behind the church. It’s Miller- the man who escaped from McClane. Baker waves him in.

pint and BURKE are DIGGING in the y rd with pickaxes and hardly

INSIDE 66

Stuart’s poring over MAPS of the airport. He looks up, nonplussed; wipes away SNOW that falls from. Miller’s shoulder to the table top.

away. STUART Did you finish your assignment? . MILLER Yessir. But - STUART

Then the damage is minor. (drawing a PISTOL) But the penalty could be severe.

In a blur of motion, Stuart is on his feet, the pistol is at Miller’s temple. CLICK.

ae

I | |

CONTINUED -

McClane comes in, first double taking the name on the door:

CARMINE LORENZO, CAPTAIN OF AIRPORT POLICE.

The man himself - a 20 year veteran of bureaucratic wars that have earned him this little kingdom - rises behind his desk.

Captain Lorenzo.

' MCCLANE No. Just a little professional courtesy. LORENZO

In an airport Christmas week? You gotta be kidding.

_ forensics team in, dust it, shoot

it-

—_——

nee

- he

CONTINUED -

aa a a aaa a

MCCLANE , If it’s more than a dollar eighty (X) nine, yeah - (X)

; LORENZO (sharp) , McClane, don’t start believing your

own press.

(on McClane’s look, waving the FAX) (X) Yeah, I know who you are, that Nakatomi thing in LA. Just ’cause the TV thought you were hot shit don’t make it so. This time you’re in my

little pond, and I’m the big fish (X) that runs it. Now you capped some (X) lowlife, fine. I’11 send your fucking

Captain in L.A. a fucking (X) commendation.

He hits a BUZZER. Immediately two burly AIRPORT COPS appear in

the doorway.

a

CONTINUED - (2) 67

McClane moves towards the door, his hands waving off the would be bouncers.

McClane comes out of Lorenzo's office, steaming. He walks down the corridor - looks back at one of the stocky Airport cops pares a smile - when the guy turns away McClane punches the wall.

Then a CLATTER announces the PASSAGE of the morgue guys, the BODY on their gurney. McClane moves aside, watches them, thinking... getting an idea.

A RENT A CAR DESK 69

the girl here lost in a romance novel-

He reaches over, gently takes typing paper and a stamp pad. - GIRL (too late) Hey! PARKING GARAGE 70 McClane catches up to the morgue guys as they reach their wagon.

(ve quickly showing his badge) Gotta check something.

Before they can react, he’s UNZIPPED the bag, yanked out the guy’s right hand.

coe ee

CONTINUED - 70

He presses the fingers against the paper, checks them. (The hand he’s released remains straight up.)

And he’s gone as they look after him, puzzled.

cruising along, its FIGHTER ESCORT a few wingtips away. Now, the fighter WAGS ITS WINGS and PEELS AWAY.

CAMERA MOVES from the cockpit back through the rest of the plane.

By now we are on Esperanza. Looking astonishingly carefree, (X he smiles at the young CORPORAL guarding him, puffs on a cigar... ( and casually examines the military chronometer on his handcuffed (X wrist. We PUSH IN on it. (X

) X) ) )

WIDEN from Stuart’s Huer, showing the exact same time. Now we SEE that the church is full of ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: in fact,

it looks very much like a mini-version of an airport control tower, complete with radar screens and a big glass board to mark positions on.

_ CONTINUED

POR EM. MR SL. - 2. OS

(X)

(- 73 CONTINUED - 73

4 CAMERA follows a MAN with a Pizza sized RADAR DISH as he crosses

the room, a CRONY unrolling WIRE behind him.

CRANE UP as the man CLIMBS into the STEEPLE... UP, UP, UP, until he’s in the BELFRY where a PRERIGGED TRIPOD WAITS for the dish.

As he CLAMPS it in place we SEE the yard behind the church and the SPARKLE of WELDING TOOLS; someone is making CONNECTIONS to the now open conduit box and underground CABLES.

Before she can answer, he’s over the counter and reaching for her phone.

The office he’s in shows us that AL POWELL has moved up in the world - and Twinkies have move up along with hin.

S~ POWELL (swallowing, answering phone) Records. Sgt. Powell -

MCCLANE

Hey, partner. Get that twinky out of your mouth and grab a pencil.

A {) 76 CONTINUED -

(X)

_ POWELL 550-3212. This is a first.

MCCLANE :

Yeah, well my wife’s company makes ‘em, I figure it’s time to get one of them pregnant.

(aside to girl) This way?

(ah) This way.

The FAX starts to leave McClane - voila, it’s already arriving at Powell’s office.

; POWELL (as it arrives) Fingerprints? ‘MCCLANE

From a stiff down here at Dulles.

I marked the whorls with a pen in case the transmission’s fuzzy. Can you run that through State and Federal for me - throw in Interpol if you

got it.

MCCLANE

‘I don’t know. Just a feeling.

bankrupt. MCCLANE The FAX number is uh - GIRL

-on the top edge of the transmission he just got -

i

(X) CONTINUED - (2) : - 76

The nice stewardess comes over to Holly, takes her glass.

_. HOLLY I don’t think so. . (indicating Thornberg) I only have to look at his face for fifteen more minutes.

7 CAPTAIN’S VOICE (over PA) Ladies and Gentlemen, I’ve just been informed by Dulles traffic control that a new weather front is moving in ahead of us. We may be up here for a little while longer...

GROANS. COMPLAINTS. Holly holds out her glass.

McClane paces, smoking. RRING. Both the FAX machine and the telephone light up. McClane beats her to it.

MCCLANE

| Al?

POWELL - IN HIS OFFICE - INTERCUT 79 | POWELL

Right here, partner. Your stiff’s dossier is coming through right now.

SS ee ee

(X)

CONTINUED - 79

— MCCLANE at?

POWELL

Yup. S/Sgt. Oswald Cochrane. American advisor in Honduras, killed in helicopter accident 5/11/88.

(reading the page) Read between the lines of his military record and it looks like a lot of black bag stuff.

__ MCCLANE Yeah, I see it. Thanks a lot, Al. I owe you.

He hangs up. The girl gives him the eye.

Just the FAX, ma’am. Just the FAX.

McClane comes out, deep in thought - gets on an walkway. Suddenly the CLICK of HEELS makes him turn.

Sam Coleman is trotting down the linoleum next to the walkway, trying to keep up with hin.

(X)

‘eo 80 CONTINUED - 80

SAM

Sam Coleman, WADC news -

(as McClane REACTS) Hey, I know how you feel about the media, but we’re not all like that putz Thornberg - he crossed the line. That’s why they canned him out in . LA.

And he’s at the end of the walkway and he quickly disappears into the crowd, leaving Sam pissed, puzzled... and out of breath.

Lorenzo has joined the regulars here to cover his ass -

MCCLANE’S VOICE Yeah... if your gangs get their training at’ Fort Bragg. 82 NEW ANGLE . 82 Surprised, they turn to see McClane step out of the elevator.

mee. oe... oe

ae ew Aa

O 82

om, ¢ bd \

(X)

Burke turns off his acetyline torch, flips up his face shield.

ee ee

wee

(X)

Signal is given. Switches are thrown. CAMERA PANS OVER and UP to the CHOIR LOFT, which is electronic heaven. EVERYTHING COMES ON LINE.

; STUART 5 minutes to zero hour. Stand by.

MCCLANE

Okay. You got back-up - back-up for everything you think can go wrong. What about something nobody anticipated? Not accidents, not

- weather -

Everyone turns at the chill in Barne’s voice.

\ A

CONTINUED - gs

But Barnes doesn’t reply... just tries - and fails - to point out the window. Everyone turns. (X) REVERSE ANGLE - OVER THEIR SHOULDERS . ' 86

Slowly, without any fuss, and with a pattern of sorts that would be pretty if the impact wasn’t so frightening... slowly, ALL THE RUNWAY LIGHTS ARE GOING OUT.

As Stuart’s TECH throws more and more SWITCHES - THE CAB 88

- and more and more runways go DARK.

Yellow!

‘People leap into action... meanwhile, Trudeau and the others MOVE

around the tower, the CAMERA FOLLOWING in a 180 TURN, watch as the LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT.

- LORENZO Maybe we should call the power company...?

Already the SPEAKER BOXES are beginning to CHATTER -

PILOT’S VOICE 2ND PILOT’S VOICE

(panicked) Dulles Tower, this is TWA

Dulles, Pyhat’s going on? 23 -what the hell happened I’m in approach - . to you -?

Ne

Be cep Rr De I te

(X)

CONTINUED - | a 88

And now, God help us, all REACT to ANOTHER ALARM.

IN THE VIRGINIA CHURCH | | 89 A CABLE yanked from the ground gets CUT, SPARKING - ! THE CAB 90 WHIP PAN to an ENGINEER -

IN THE CHURCH’S BACKYARD - SAME TIME . 91

GLOWING FIBER OPTIC CABLE stretched like a sacrifice on a BLOCK | -AXE BLADE swoops down = SPARKS. The LIGHT DIES -

IN THE CAB =- SAME TIME 92

2ND ENGINEER | Jesus! Instrument landing system is down!

fe ane Confirmed! ILS is dead - every Goddamn system is dead!

Jacoby, Strauss. Get your controllers on the horn - every plane approaching our Vortacs that’s not in our pattern yet gets turned away now. Everyone already inside our pattern holds at the outer marker. Stack ’em, pack ‘em, and rack ’em. Move.

(to another man) I want every off duty controller and technician here in five minutes. Page the terminal - no, better, beep them.

(turning) McClane. This what you were expecting?

Aye En

oe 92

uum, «93 co

(X) CONTINUED - _

A PHONE RINGS. CAMERA ADJUSTS. It’s a prominent RED PHONE.

-. TRUDEAU _(a look at McClane, then;) Put it on speaker.

STUART’S VOICE Attention, Dulles Tower. Attention, Dulles Tower -

Stuart is using a phone that’s PATCHED IN to the cables ripped from the earth -

. TRUDEAU: How did you get on this line? Who is this?

STUART

Who I am is unimportant. What I. want... well, if you don’t want those planes overhead to start dropping like flies when they run out of fuel... what I want is very important.

All REACT = McClane as much as anyone.

94 |

ra

94 CONTINUED -

Trudeau nods

(X)

95 FAVORING MCCLANE 95

As Trudeau tries to make headway with Stuart, McClane leans over

to Barnes.

(X)

CO) 95 CONTINUED - | 95

Monday morning? My wife’s on one of those planes these bastards are fucking with! That makes me a player on the fucking field, you putz! And if you got off your fat ass when I told you to, maybe we wouldn’t be knee deep in shit right now!

And already two big Airport cops are trotting over. As Trudeau > REACTS, unsure -

See Mr. McClane out. 96 AT THE ELEVATOR 96 It opens. Someone’s inside, but we don’t feature them yet.

the -

96A

(X) CONTINUED - 96 TRUDEAU This is off limits, Coleman, you know that! Together with McClane she’s shoved into the elevator. MCCLANE

Anythin ou can think of, they’1l think of too!

But the elevator DOORS CLOSE on him and now Lorenzo turns a KEY on the control panel, then SPEAKS into his walkie talkie.

AIRPORT - LOBBY - INTERCUT 96A

Rattled, the guard signals a comrade, hustles to obey. IN THE ELEVATOR 97

McClane punches buttons. But it’s on override.

ie MCCLANE Shit!

AM, CPN

Sc SS SS SE EW Se ee

CONTINUED - 97

How about "fuck" and "you"?

McClane STOPS as if zapped by a Taser.

_ _ MCCLANE (realizing) Stuart! The guy who got canned by Congress - that’s who he was-

But McClane has already jumped up and grabbed the light fixture, and now in a gymnast’s move KICKS out the ceiling hatch and

disappears through the roof! (X) NEW ANGLE 98 The door opens. The GUARDS there REACT to the open ceiling. (X) Sam shrugs. _ SAM Claustrophobic, I guess.

TILT UP from a big map of the airport. Lots of AD-LIB BRAINSTORMING, some of it breaking through - some how one reedy hesitant voice cuts through with nothing but confidence-

1ST ENGINEER (sarcastic) Yeah, right. Somebody run down to Radio Shack and get a transmitter-

done? (MORE)

be

ae

~

CONTINUED -

(X)

2ND ENGINEER That’s VHF - it’ll scatter -

difference.

I want my Swat team to go with him as cover.

(firm, tough) Whatever we can think of - they can think of, too.

He says it like he thought of it himself. Then -

STUART’S VOICE

Attention, Tower. You have two more minutes to stack the planes in your inbound pattern over your outside radio marker. After that you will

be able to receive only. Any attempt to restore your systems will be me

by severe penalties.

At the elevator, Lorenzo pauses - stage WHISPERS -

Lorenzo leaves. Trudeau ain’t so sure.

Ie: :

“th, ¢ 4 iq Noe

Ra PR EA Sa, St ER (A SA

(X) CONTINUED - (2) 99

Trudeau waits as switches are thrown, and then takes the jack from the ear/phone he wears and jacks it into a panel.

As CONCERNED CREWS in each listen to:

TRUDEAU (cont ’d)

Our NAV and Approach systems are down and we expect to lose voice in another minute. We want you to continue holding at the outer marker as directed and wait for further instructions. As - as soon as we’re back on line we’1ll expedite your landings on a fuel emergency basis. Good luck...

(pause) God bless.

He turns to a tech, face ashen.

-CUT TO:

ANGLE ON a bank of ARRIVAL MONITORS. Already a quarter of the planes are DELAYED by weather; but now, in a domino like PATTERN, all the remaining FLIGHT DATA changes to DELAYED.

CAMERA ADJUSTS to show PEOPLE REACTING with frustration and concern.

Pretty dark and creepy for a place only 25 years old. A FLASHLIGHT BEAM PANS THE LENS. We SEE the two lobby guards as they search the basement. They move AWAY from the CAMERA. Pause.

a En

ee 7

a

(X)

CONTINUED - 102

McClane APPEARS in the gloom close to CAMERA, clothes now a little greasy and dirty from his little escape.

He moves through the cavernous maze, and then REACTS to MUSIC. Moves towards it. And arrives in -

AN.. APARTMENT 103

Or something like it: Here, in an area reached only my somebody with a groundhog in his ancestry, is a space with some battered chairs, a 3-legged card table, a cot made up with faded but neat covers, some 50’s vintage (but lovingly scotch taped) PIN UPS, and a tiny kitchen precariously propped up on a big purple plumbling valve on the wall.

ON A PHONOGRAPH , 104

The SOURCE of the music, a 78 SPINNING on the old machine. McClane’s HAND picks it up and we WIDEN as he looks at it curiously.

A HAND reaches for McClane’s shoulder. NEW ANGLE 105

McClane’s instincts take over; ina flash, he WHIRLS and his would be attacker is pinned against a wall. It’s a wizened MAN in his 60’s who now raises his hands to show he ain’t looking for trouble.

In response, the man points to the NAMETAG on his coveralls.

. MAN (MARVIN) Marvin, I’m Marvin. Thought you was tryin’ to steal my records, that’s all.

He moves to them, possessively.

(X) co

\ J 105 CONTINUED - 105

McClane reacts to that, peers at hin.

McClane shows his badge.

MARVIN

L-Lorenzo? C=-come on, officer, I can barely get by, even with ny

. pension. You know, I’m a vet, WW 2? If it wasn’t for guys like me, you kids’ be eatin’ sushi today. I’m just trying to save a few bucks -I could get fired if you tell.

“em

McClane moves over to a big panel with telephone lines and jacks. Examines it as he speaks.

CONTINUED |

: ~~

( ) 108

. (X) CONTINUED - (2) 105

There hasn’t been this much activity here since Gorbachov dropped in. FIVE SWAT OFFICERS check gear, leave the office at Lorenzo’s signal - :

IN BASEMENT - TIGHT ON ALLIGATOR CLIPS 107

We WIDEN as Marvin connects them to one set of bolts, then another. McClane shakes his head. No... no...yes!

LORENZO’S VOICE Through the annex skywalk to the new terminal... that way nobody sees then, we don’t have any panic.

TRUDEAU’S VOICE And we don’t want any disasters. Barnes has five minutes to check out that antenna array.

He rummages around, finds a big wrinkled MAP, smoothes it out. MARVIN (cont ’q@) Lemme see... yeah, must be this... connects to the new terminal -

Marvin points to an ELEVATED WALKWAY connecting the two complexes.

. (X) () 107 CONTINUED - 107

Barnes, nervous, throws things into a metal case.

His fellow engineers watch, curious, as he EXITS with the FIVE SWAT COPS. CAMERA FOLLOWS the four men past -

A) BANKS OF COMPUTERS - B) COMPUTERIZED WEATHER MAPS - C) AN L.E.D. DULLES MAP =

all of it useless, all of the operators watching their only hope -Barnes.

a | | CUT To:

109 BASEMENT 109

A MOUND of CRINKLED PAPERS is FLATTENED against the card table. We WIDEN, see it is an architect’s PLANS of the entire Dulles netherworld, cribbed by Marvin and now festooned with his various multi-color jotes and notes.

MARVIN

’ (nodding) Like the Japs had all over Iwo Jima. That’s where I got wounded. But we put those little twerps in their place once and for all.

(pointing to the map) These are air ducts for all the terminals. Heating, cooling. Whole

( shebang. (MORE)

ea 109

etre,

CONTINUED -

So I put you in where they start

there. Looks like... ma J90g.

(amused)

(X)

MARVIN

Uh-uh. It’s a pisser of a crawl. And that’s the easy part; first

you gotta be an

acrobat.

With a cordless drill, Marvin unhinges the access door. Last bolt, it falls with a sheet-metal SLAM.

McClane WINCES as a BLAST of AIR hits him - and, as perspiration

breaks out on his forehead, we realize it’s hot air.

Whoa.

Winter up there.

MCCLANE

He aims Marvin’s flashlight down there, isn’t enchanted with what he sees. He turns, takes Marvin’s map.

MCCLANE (cont ’d)

I owe you one, Marvin. How about a sixpack of malt liquor?

MARVIN

How ‘bout a case of Johnny Walker? (on McClane’s look) Hey, I may be homeless, but I ain’t

tasteless.

NIGHT

A big “history of flight" MURAL high on the wall here HALF

FINISHED, ceilings PARTIALLY

OPEN; A WORKER on the scaffold

and THREE OTHERS on the floor still hammering and fiddling.

Barnes and the cops come in. at -

Barnes looks OUT the WINDOWS here

ame,

114A

114B

(X) | SATELLITE ARRAY - THROUGH GLASS - FAR END OF GALLERY 112 still covered with FACTORY PLASTIC and TAPE. BACK TO SCENE 113 __ BARNES (into his cellular phone) We’re in the annex skywalk. I can see the dish! I/’11 call you as soon as it’s hot for a protocol test.

MCCLANE - IN BOILER ROOM - NIGHT 114

McClane moves forward - stops immediately. Looks up at Marvin, who GRINS. ;

MCCLANE’S POV DOWNWARD . 114A

He’s HIGH ABOVE the huge boiler room. The only way across is on a narrow beam.

BACK TO SCENE , ‘ 114B

McClane takes a breath, starts across the beam. There’s a scary

moment at first but he gets quickly confident - a bit too

confident midway - he starts to lose his balance and alI but runs to the far end, JUMPS to safety.

As he pulls himself up he HEARS Marvin CLAPPING behind hin. With a scowl, McClane checks his map, pushes on. CUT TO;

Barnes and the SWAT cops run forward, get on the SLIDEWALK; impatient, they run even while on it.

A WORKER <- AT FAR END OF SLIDEWALK 116 reaches into the open slidewalk CONTROL PANEL-hits a SWITCH.

THE SLIDEWALK | , 117 JERKS to a halt -theix nen on it almost TUMBLING. Oblivious,

the worker turns his on them again.

‘No reaction. The cop runs forward.

()aa7

Nee

(X) CONTINUED - — 117 SWAT COP(cont’a@)

HEY! ASSHOLE! What do I look like to you?

The man TURNS. It’s e’REILLY, one of the ones who killed the real painters. He has a GUN.

A sitting aude

He SHOOTS hin. WIDER ; 118

The other three "workers" turn, and now we SEE that they are SHELDON, SHOCKLEY and MULKEY - Stuart’s soldiers all.

BARNES AND OTHER COPS 119

As bullets RAKE the slidewalk and PING off its walls, they JUMP over the railing & take cover-another COP KILLED on the move.

BARNES 120

is CUT badly on the arm by flying GLASS - he CRINGES behind a dumpster while the three remaining cops EXCHANGE FIRE with the

four soldiers. BULLETS hit near his metal case. He takes a

deep breath - rescues it!

MCCLANE , 121

in the TUNNELS, he tosses off his sweater into the darkness. Underneath, his shirt is already sweat~stained.

And then he HEARS the gunfire - it’s close! He gets his bearings -LUNGES } through a wall of STEAM -

THE ANNEX GALLERY Oo 122 a third airport cop DIES. His partner KILLS the gunman (Shockley) who took out his friend, and then he’s KILLED himself. The last SWAT cop breaks. cover and gets CUT DOWN. Sudden SILENCE.

Barnes suddenl alizes he’s all alone. FOOTSTEPS approach hin. He looks up. Mulkeyyis right above him - .

WIDE 123

Suddenly a VENTILATION GRATE by Hulkey’s) head KICKS OUT, sending the guy sprawling. McClane JUMP own, FIRING!

C223 CONTINUED - 123

Mulkey has caught the damn thing on reflex, and now he TWITCHES backwards, the bullets SPARKING off the grate before they drill through him.

McClane ROLLS, FIRES a€_0’Reilly across the gallery, who takes (X)

COVER. Then BULLETS hit all around McClane; he SEES —_™s

124 ‘SHELDON>- ABOVE HIM ON SCAFFOLD 124 FIRING DOWN - 125 BACK TO SCENE 125

SCAFFOLDING - BULLETS PING off the metal behind him as

McClane FIRES UPWARDS, and then VEERING, he RUNS UNDER the : tries to nail him from ground level - meanwhile

(X)

126 UP ABOVE . 126 Sheldon tries to SHOOT DOWN and UNDER. , (x) 127 MCCLANE : , . 127

deliberately SMASHES into the cross bars he passes, one after another, the SMACK of his body into them sounding like linebackers in combat -

ie _— ~ 5128 SHELDON 128 AIMS - but then the half of the SCAFFOLDING beneath him GIVES WAY. He FALLS, SCREAMING - LANDS with a CRUNCH beside Barnes-

129 MCCLANE 129 has a moment of satisfaction - then

He RUNS and DIVES SIDEWAYS as the rest of’ the scaffolding falls

towards him, paint and glue and half the mural’s tile grid coming down with it!

131° MCCLANE "431

lands, HARD, the plywood boards from the top of the scaffold SWEEPING him off his feet ~ his gun SKITTERS across the linoleum towards the far end of the slidewalk - he rolls over and SEES

(X)

a 132 @vREILLY SIX FEET AWAY 132

SA he, too, has ducked the falling scaffold, but he’s already on his feet, already bending to grab his dropped MAC 10 from the slidewalk - bringing it up - AIMING - 133 BACK TO SCENE 133 McClane SPINS on the floor and SLAMS the nearest piece of the metal scaffold into the OPEN SLIDEWALK ELECTRONICS. ‘ It SHORTS OUT SPECTACULARLY and THEN - i . 133A FAR END OF. SLIDEWALK 133A | ‘ It WHIRRS into HIGH GEAR, TREAD SHREDDING - 134 BACK TO SCENE | 134 “the slidewalk in OVERDRIVE, 0’Reilly is FLUNG right over McClane’s HEAD. = 135. NEW ANGLE 135 He SLAMS into the wall at the end of the walkway HEADFIRST. . There’s a sickening CRACK as his neck goes and then he TWITCHES i and slides to the floor, a SMEAR of blood on the slick wall.

136 BACK TO SCENE | . 136

McClane takes a long overdue breath. Then he picks up his s pistol, checks the bodies to make sure there’s no surprises, and goes over to Barnes.

N

Both look at it-- and then 137 WIDE . 137

The antenna array outside BLOWS UP, pieces SHATTERING the glass window. McClane and Barnes DUCK, but they’re too far away to be damanged.

a, CONTINUED

CONTINUED =~ s = 137

Time they don’t have. (X) | CUT TO:

Thornberg, on an inside aisle seat, glances out the window. Sees something. Releases his seat belt. And goes over to the glass, pressing, his nose against it like a kid in a candy store.

. F HIS POV»: 139 LIGHTS in the sky: Other airplanes.

WIDER 140

- Holly looks at him. She can’t help not looking at him; he’s

practically in her lap.

So is that plane... practically. Despite herself, she looks out.

. THORNBERG There’s nothing regular about it. (turning) I see you’re intrigued. That’s my gift, Mrs. McClane. I make people

curious. . HOLLY Don’t you mean nauseous? THORNBERG

“The people have a right to know, Mrs. McClane. You got in the way of that.

(MORE)

——— es

ee eee ee 7

ate,

CONTINUED -

McClane is doing a damn decent FIELD DRESSING on Barnes.

AN EERIE ALIEN TYPE VOICE makes them both jump; McClane raises his GUN.

NEW ANGLE

It’s coming from a TRANSCEIVER beside one of the dead men. Curious, Barnes slides over, picks it up. LISTENS with McClane to the GARBLED, spine-chilling NOISE.

; GARBER I say again, Annex team... report in. Annex team, report in. He looks at Stuart, concerned.

Here, Garber no longer sounds human.

MCCLANE

(X) (X)

PAA Ye

TERS,

ote

rN 144

"146

(X) CONTINUED - 144

IN THE VIRGINIA CHURCH - NIGHT 145 Kahn descends from the choir loft and joins Stuart and Grant.

oo KAHN (to Stuart) Sir, we just monitored a call from their chief engineer. Our people took out their Swat team... completely.

He comes to a decision. Picks up the phone. Speaks. Voice flat, firm, stern. Around and above him, his men hover over the improvised screens and terminals.

They listen, fearful - .

STUART’S VOICE You’ve wasted lives and time on a futile and obvious target. Now you have to pay the penalty.

MCCLANE =- IN ANNEX - SAME TIME 147

They HEAR this too, over Barne’s cellular tie in to the tower. McClane grabs it.

~

(X)

This interchange is BROADCAST here - Lorenzo SHOUTS into the phone-

He stops, seeing the chilling look Trudeau is giving him. STUART , 149

has reacted to both the mention of his name and of McClane’s. His brow furrows. Ah, yes.

(aside, off mike) Give me a flight number - one low on fuel.

Another man hands him a slip of paper. He reads it, switches to another mike (or frequency).

a A

(X) IN THE REAL TOWER - THE CAB - NIGHT Everyone here REACTS to Stuart’s voice - and the chilling lie

he’s just told in an affable, good ol’ boy tone that’s totally different than anything we’ve heard.

STUART’S VOICE We been right here, old man. But

our systems didn’t come back on line until just this second.

MCCLANE AND BARNES - IN ANNEX

both ashen faced -

MCCLANE STUART’S VOICE Christ, he’s bringing them You’re cleared for approach down! Why are they on Runway 29. Report to the listening? Tower at the Outer Marker. ‘BRITISH PILOT BARNES Roger, Approach, and about (heartsick) time: I’ve got 230 people It’s our frequency. Why up here flying on petrol shouldn’t they? fumes. TRUDEAU STUART’S VOICE The son-of-a-bitch... the (replying to pilot)

Goddamn son-of-a-bitch- I‘ll bet. Okay, calibrate

your altimeter at settin MCCLANE’S VOICE two-nine-nine-two. Turning

What? | you over to Tower...now.

do it..!

Desperate, McClane runs to the spilled paint, grabs turpentine, rags, pieces of scaffolding.

CONTINUED - 153

IN THE BRITISH COCKPIT 154

PILOT’S VOICE We’re sorry about the inconvenience, but we’1ll all be on the ground in a few minutes.

The spent and exhausted people REACT. Some break into APPLAUSE and CHEERS of "HIP HIP." But one NICE ENGLISH GRANNY -clearly not an experienced air traveler - still looks TENSE. A STEWARDESS pauses to pat her shoulder reassuringly.

_ STEWARDESS Just like British rail, luv. May -be late but we get you there.

MCCLANE-FROM OUTSIDE ANNEX 156

Barnes holds one end of a painter’s dropcloth; McClane - now wearing Barne’s coat - DROPS out the broken window to the snow below.

There he’s a tiny SHADOW on the white field. He turns, RUNS across the unlit airport... wind whipped SNOW quickly hiding him from Barnes.

THE VIRGINIA CHURCH - NIGHT 157 STUART | . (off mike to Thompson) (X) Activate ILS landing system. But (X) Recalibrate sea level. Minus 200 feet.

on - the main TECH here - OBEYS, with an unhealthy GRIN. He punches DIALS - a SCREEN LIGHTS UP - Stuart plays with his (X) mike button to create static as he "switches" the incoming plane (xX) from the approach operator to the tower operator - both, of (X) course, played by him... (X)

i ee

| \ a

160A

(X)

LIGHT SIZZLES in the distance, dances. Trudeau fumbles up a pair of binoculars. Looks -

MCCLANE ~- ON THE FIELD — 160

He’s made two TORCHES from wads of fabric wound on the scaffold

ieces - now he uses his LIGHTER to ignite them. He WAVES the impromtu FLARES in a crazy pattern - We HEAR the approaching plane-

IN THE ANNEX SKYWALK 160A

PILOT’S VOICE Dulles, this is Windsor one fourteen. Inside the outer marker.

STUART’S VOICE (doing a different voice than before Roger, Windsor. This is Dulles Tower. We have radar contact and show you on ILS. You are in the glide path and looking good.

ne

CONTINUED -

(X)

PILOT’S VOICE Wait a minute... something down there through the snow... looked like a light...

- STUART - IN VIRGINIA CHURCH

MCCLANE -ON THE FIELD

Now he can HEAR the plane’s ENGINES and - for a ‘fleeting MOMENT - he SEES its LIGHTS between gusts of snow-

IN THE TOWER

no.... pull up... pull up...

Helpless, listening, watching ~ the plane’s lights intermittently visible here, too, growing closer - dropping -dropping -

UNDER THEM -

(165

166A

166B

(X)

CONTINUED ~ . a 165 He SLAMS CONTROLS - the plane TILTS -

catches the tarmac - and that’s all it takes: The PLANE FLIPS OVER, ROLLS - .

INSIDE THE TUMBLING PLANE 166A LUGGAGE tumbles in the CABIN - PEOPLE SCREAM -

for a split second we HEAR the SCREAMS of men, women, children, and then all we HEAR - and SEE - is an EXPLOSION.

RUNWAY - ANOTHER ANGLE 167 As the plane breaks up and flaming debris SCATTERS.

He gives the scream of an animal in a trap and falls to his knees.

IN THE TOWER 169

Everyone RECOILS at the explosion, which turns this room BLOOD RED with reflected light. CHUNKS OF METAL and PLASTIC boil through the sky. Something HITS the GLASS here, starring it and smearing it with what we hope is only grease.

Somewhere SIRENS wail. cUT TO:

STUART , 170

Silence here, too. His men look at hin. Except for Thompson, who clearly enjoyed his part in the above, their faces are blank. Maybe they’re admiring Stuart’s incredible coolness.

Maybe.

~~ ee oe

4170

CONTINUED - Oo 170

He DISCONNECTS.

THE RUNWAY - LONG DOLLY SHOT - NIGHT 171

Firemen and medics scramble over a chaos of metal and fabric that used to be an airplane. WATER everywhere; snow melted for a hundred yards around from the EXPLOSION.

Pieces of luggage, fragments of people’s lives: Toys, purses, books, a woman’s bloody shoe.

McClane weaves through the workers, glazed eyes looking at the plane.

He stops, looking puzzled at McClane, who is torn, bloody. McClane sees the look. Laughs bizzarely.

He grabs the rescue worker by the collar. MCCLANE (cont ’d)

-«ethe last fucking victim he’ll ever have.

cuT TO:

Esperanza glances at his watch. Then, with a slight grimace and. moan, he begins to massage his chained lower legs with his (X) cuffed hands.

The young guard shakes his head. | (X) YOUNG GUARD (X)

Desculpe me, mi General. No tengo (X)

el permiso. X

a

\ 273

(X)

CONTINUED ~ 173

Esperanza’s eyes flash for a moment - and then he smiles paternally, fumbles a cigar out of his breast pocket.

Flattered, the kid lights him up.

In the silence since the crash, no SOUNDS here, except the faint MONITORING of the Tower and aircraft chatter and the muted AUDIO of a TV. Garber breaks the silence.

Stuart smiles tightly at the unvoiced question.

And = almost in afterthought - he wipes the flight number from the clear glass board. CAMERA PUSHES to the TELEVISION.

ON THE SCREEN : 175

SAM COLEMAN is on CAMERA, "live" supered over her face. She’s OUTSIDE on the airfield, her NEWS HELICOPTER beside her. In the distance behind barricades we see the CRASH SITE.

(MORE)

ey

\ )175

CONTINUED - 175

PHONES ringing off the wall; pitiful attempts at damage control. A DOCTOR gives Barnes a proper bandage on his cut. |

McClane sits dazed on.a bench, eyes looking at nothing - the coffee someone gave him ignored. Trudeau appears.

Barnes leaves. McClane blinks, coming around to reality. Sees Trudeau.

"MCCLANE Trudeau... I... I...

(voice tight)

I never felt so useless.

4176

CONTINUED -

McClane sees

(X)

something else there in his eyes.

And...?

CAMERA PUSHES IN on McClane.

Thornberg at

PLANE ~ NIGHT . 177 the window again. Face suspicious.

HOLLY

‘A stronger mouthwash would be nice.

He glares at her, moves down the aisle.

WITH HIM

he goes into

the coach section, moves to the row with his NEWS

CREW. He shakes a sleeping ASSISTANT awake.

| ‘oon ~J 62]

t 179

CONTINUED - 178

Puzzled, the man pulls his bag from under the seat, gets one out.

He TUNES the mike’s receiver, monitoring with an earplug. FROWNS.

CAMERA TIGHTENS on Thornberg. Wheels start spinning. Leaving, he pats Victor’s shoulder.

LIGHTS in the SKY cut through the SWIRLING SNOW. Two ARMY (X) HELICOPTERS dance through the air towards us, and SET DOWN with a (xX) ROAR, their BACKWASH creating a Yukon like STORM. (X)

aie"

a

) 179

CONTINUED <-

(X)

earlier; Lorenzo, worried about his status - and McClane, plain

Waiting here are Trudeau; The JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MEN we saw |

worried.

As the ROTORS keep TURNING, SOLDIERS and the CHOPPER CREWS hustle out of the choppers, the wind blowing over them and their

equipment.

A powerfully built MAJOR in his late 40’s walks

forward past the waiting men like someone in a receiving line. Everyone SHOUTS over the NOISE.

Rollins. Department of Justice.

TRUDEAU ! (polite) Trudeau. Chief of Air Operations.

Pause. Grant stops, looks at hin.

GRANT

McClane... Oh, yeah, you’re the one

who tried to save that plane tonight. (stepping closer)

You showed some balls out there,

McClane. Now show some sense and

let the pros handle things.

of your boys -

a, . { 7179

(X)

CONTINUED ~- (2) _ 179

Not any more, he’s not.

(to the group) Gentlemen, we are here to take down Colonel Stuart... and we will take him down. You see, I served with him. And I taught him everything

he knows. . MCCLANE (quietly) | Yeah. But what if he took some night courses? Grant REACTS, recovers. GRANT

(to his men) All right, hustle! Command post will be in the Airport Police office. I want to be tied into the Tower and every sysytem that’s still working in fifteen minutes!

GEAR and WEAPONS get hustled into the building as the Choppers LIFT OFF.

CcuT TO: 4

Barnes, huddled with the engineers. Desperate now.

2ND ENGINEER Lights! Big portable lights! We set up on the field and -

- BARNES And wait for those lunatics to shoot them out? And where do we get those "big portable lights"? Borrow them from Batman?

1ST ENGINEER Semaphore! That gets my vote-

em

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a

CONTINUED -

(X)

3RD ENGINEER Eighteen planes up there; only five have those phones. We got through to three of them, still trying with the others.

1ST ENGINEER Just checked the weather. Headwinds slamming right into everybody over the outer marker. The planes with enough fuel were already shunted to Atlanta -

Suddenly Barnes’ expression changes.

, 1ST ENGINEER So?

2ND ENGINEER (getting it) We switch the tower freqency over to the one for the beacon -

And as faces brighten for the first time in hours, we

“™ML81

(X)

WIDEN from a tubular ELECTRONIC DEVICE with torn out wires at both ends as it CLUNKS down on a table.

The second Triple T SERGEANT wipes grease from his hands, shows it to the men here. .

2ND SERGEANT Traced the signal, found it in the luggage area. They’ve been tapped into the tower all night.

McClane and Trudeau look at Lorenzo, who looks away, embarassed.

The young CORPORAL has set up his radio gear in the receptionist’s area. Now, he TUNES in that GARBLE.

The kid can’t answer. Then Grant appears, the MAN from the Justice Department in tow.

"My office" meaning Lorenzo’s. Lorenzo glowers at that, but the little group moves in that direction - then the JUSTICE GUY puts up his hand to block McClane -

Trudeau looks at McClane, sympathetic - and then the door SHUTS.

; (X) -_

The Navigator suddenly sits upright at his ‘phones.

2ND OFFICER What the fuck -

. 2ND OFFICER The outer marker beeper? It’s not beeping. It’s talking.

And saying this he turns up a DIAL -

BARNES’ VOICE

(from speaker) ~-tention, all aircraft in Dulles landing pattern. Attention. This is Chief Engineer Leslie Barnes. I have been authorized to brief you in full. At this time this is the only channel available to us. Here is the situation. Approximately 2 hours ago -

Between business class and coach. Grinning, Victor pulls Thornberg through the curtain, pokes an earplug into Thornberg’s ear. ‘We TIGHTEN on hin.

BARNES’ VOICE (tinny) -the terreciste have cut all our systems and now have control of everything except this channel.

Victor GRINS. And pulls a MICROCASSETTE RECORDER from his shirt pocket. It is ALREADY JACKED INTO THE RECEIVER and TURNING.

Thornberg all but cackles.

BARNES’ VOICE We believe this channel is secure but your own transmissions are not. Do not repeat do not attempt to reply on your own frequencies to this broadcast. These people have already caused one crash by impersonating our tower-

; THORNBERG Jesus!

RANT SRT eI TEE Trey,

Rabat searee

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(184

(X)

HOLLY 184

looking suspiciously at the little piece of the two men still visible.

Barnes is using a TELEPHONE which is JURY RIGGED with some electronic lines.

“repeat, do not accept any instructions Claiming to be from our tower unless you hear your own flight recorder access code. We will get this from your respective airlines and use it for confirmation.

where Thornberg’s expression is like a man having sex.

Repeat: the terrorists have cut off the two systems that can allow you to land: The field lights for a manual landing and the ILS for an instrument one. A special US Army unit is already here and preparing to take out the terrorists.

CAMERA TIGHTENS on Thornberg: Orgasm. cuT To:

TIGHT ON A CRACKED MIRROR. Marvin is checking himself out ina ‘nice, long topcoat which has unfortunately recently been covered with grease and grime (not to mention the bullet holes.)

CAMERA ADJUSTS as McClane comes in.

./ 188

scrambled transceivers - one with a GREEN L.E.D.!

(X)

CONTINUED ~ 187

Marvin chuckles, moves over to a table and pulls aside a cloth. All electronic stuff there.

Marvin realizes that McClane has a funny expression.

Stuart is in the pulpit, his men attentive.

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Sh OPIN FAT SOT

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4 189

CONTINUED - — 189 oS — > THOMPSON... (X) (callin —_—— Sir! General Esperanza’s plane just came on the scope. Stuart hurries up into the choir loft, CAMERA ADJUSTING. He takes up the phone. STUART Attention, Dulles Tower...

STUART’S VOICE I am lighting up a runway now. Do not - repeat, do not - attempt to land any planes. Remember, I am monitoring you. And now, like magic - one DISTANT RUNWAY twinkles on. Almost immediately the CHATTER from the sky picks up: QUESTIONS. DEMANDS. PLEADING. BARNES What do we do? TRUDEAU Obey.

STUART’S VOICE Dulles Tower to FM-1. Dulles Tower to FM-1...

STUART’S VOICE You are to come in on runway fifteen, (X) repeat, runway fifteen.

By now the CAMERA is in the REAR CABIN.

Just in time to SEE Esperanza STRANGLE the nice young corporal with the chain from his handcuffs.

He lets the body drop, nice and soft so it doesn’t make a sound. Taking the handcuff key from the body, he frees himself... (X)

mo’ \_ 4192

a a a na

(X)

McClane is examining the Scrambler, excited.

He STOPS.

He’s seen Esperanza, who has come into the cockpit holding the corporal’s pistol.

Suddenly the CO-PILOT LEAPS for Esperanza! Esperanza WHIRLS, SHOOTS TWICE - one shot KILLS him - but one SHATTERS

ONE OF THE SIDE WINDOW PANELS 194 and WIND and SNOW thunder INSIDE like a WALL.

q

—™ \. 4195

Everyone has REACTED to the SHOT and NOISE - and now ANOTHER SHOT.

TILT UP from the PILOT’S BODY on the floor, already flecked with SNOW.

Esperanza is at the controls, trying to SEE through the SWIRLING WHIRLWIND. Cursing, he flies with one hand; with the other he REACHES UP and FEELS ABOVE the RADIO PANEL for something he expects to be there: And it IS - one of the DISTINCTIVE SCRAMBLED TRANSCEIVERS.

. ESPERANZA (into it) ‘Eagle Nest, this is Falcon... Mayday. Eagle Nest, this is Falcon... Mayday!

They HEAR the GARBLED ALIEN SOUND -

Stuart is startled to hear this, but grabs his transceiver -

Near zero visibility. I must drop

out of the storm. I can land but

I must land now, on the first outgoing runway. Repeat, I cannot circle ‘around to runway fifteen.

PULLBACK. McClane listens, grinning. He takes the airport map from his pocket, hands it the Marvin.

STUART =- IN VIRGINIA CHURCH - INTERCUT , 200 STUART (off mike) Shit!

~—— w~ we =

O 200

In the church, Stuart grins at Esperanza’s cool, signals

(X) CONTINUED - - 200 He snaps his fingers. Someone produces a map, points out -

as he DESCENDS from the eye of the storm the SNOW in the cockpit ABATES a bit. Now we can SEE the airfield - and the ILLUMINATED

RUNWAY which is PERPENDICULAR to the plane. !

Thompson. A switch is THROWN.

The FIRST RUNWAY goes OFF and a NEW RUNWAY lights up DIRECTLY IN FRONT of the plane.

a _ ESPERANZA Gracias, Amigos.

INSERT - THE MAP 203

His FINGER moves along the runway to the code numbers.

MCCLANE’S VOICE Eleven W4, W5 - Bingo.

BACK TO SCENE 204

He turns. CAMERA PUSHES to the white wall numbers here: "11W3". An ARROW indicates "ACCESS GRID."

ESPERANZA’S VOICE Eagle Nest, do you copy? I’m coming down, now.

c=

CONTINUED - 204

STUART‘’S VOICE We copy, Falcon. We/’ll have you in five minutes.

STUART -.IN VIRGINIA CHURCH 205

he tosses the command mike to one of his men, throws a weapon ever his shoulder and leads Garber, Thompson and Kahn in a rush (X) out the rear door.

REACTIONS as. the PREVIOUS lit runway GOES DARK and a DIFFERENT ONE LIGHTS UP.

“INT. ESPERANZA’S PLANE - NIGHT 206

Wincing against the blowing snow and wind, the General expertly trims his descent. He reaches for a co-pilot’s control and sweeps the dead man to the floor, bites down on his cigar. The plane begins to VIBRATE, but he humms to himself.

He’s the scum of the earth. But one hell of a pilot.

McClane, breathless, reaches the ladder. The grid above him is bigger than a doorway, made of heavy industrial steel. (X)

McClane checks his pistol clip with a snap.

He flies up the ladder - and BRUISES his shoulder against the locked grid.

MCCLANE

CUT TO;

Oe

mon,

2208

(X)

THE PLANE 208

Dropping - . GF STUART AND SOLDIERS - IN JEEP ON AIRFIELD 209

Their BREATH clouding inside the still cold JEEP as it BOUNCES along. Garber shines a FLASHLIGHT into the falling snow, illuminates a snow-covered runway number sign: "EIGHT WEST."

The miltary plane ROARS overhead!

A RICOCHET PINGS off one of the grids hydraulic hinges and

McClane winces as metal splinters sail by. Then he begins to muscle the heavy grid upwards.

it ~- it’s the TUNNEL GRID, SNOW falling through it - the damn

thing must weight over 300 pounds = McClane gets his head and shoulders up and out. Looks at - . . THE PLANE - HALF A MILE AWAY 212 about to hit the runway -

SKIN RIPS on the cold metal - with a grimace, he pushes his

rifle out, starts to follow -

BELOW 214

oa damaged hydraulic hinge suddenly SNAPS with a squish of thick uid.

ABOVE 215

the 300 pound grid THUDS down on McClane’s back. He GROANS, stunned.

NN a eel aan cen

ae

O21

D) THE PLANE ~ 1/8 mile away -

E) MCCLANE’S FEET - still in the tunnel, they GROPE for leverage on the steps -and SLIP! Now they kick away at AIR -

MCCLANE AND PLANE <- IN ONE SHOT 218 It’s coming, coming, COMING. Desperate, McClane sees that part

of the rifle is half under the grid. Now, he puts all his energy into levering the rifle against the steel.

Slowly, slowly, sweat breaking out on his forehead, he levers the rifle higher and higher, the rifle in turn levering the grid

_ upward, an inch at a time - finally, it’s high enough for him to JAM the rifle’s bayonet ring into the grid while the cheek notch

of the stock perches precariously on the lip of the hole.

AND THE PLANE IS RIGHT FUCKING THERE.

McClane DIVES OUT OF THE HOLE.

The PLANE SMACKS into the half-open grid, which goes FLYING, the plane hardly dented, the rifle SNAPPING like a toothpick, the scrambler CRUNCHING like a bug -

McClane kisses asphalt, WINCES at the SCORCH of jet exhaust five feet over his head.

‘McClane gets to his feet, sucks in air - and heads for the plane.

STUART AND SOLDIERS - SAME TIME 221 Close enough to SEE the plane as it STOPS - STUART (pointing) There -!

Esperanza secures the controls, moves to the doorway and spins the wheelock. It opens with a HISS and the steps DROP DOWN. (X)

CONTINUED - 222

MCCLANE’S VOICE Not yet.

McClane’s FIST smacks in, knocking Esperanza back from the door.

Suddenly BULLETS PING on the hatch inches from McClane’s head.

McClane DIVES: and rolls into the cabin - FIRES TWICE out the door

and then almost on instinct. whirls - . Esperanza’ Ss snatched up the rifle from the dead corporal but (X) McClane’s SHOT hits him in the SHOULDER. With a HOWL, Esperanza falls backwards - but hangs on to the gun.

BACK TO SCENE

McClane FIRES, blowing a hole in Ghompson’> THROAT, and as (X) Garber’s slugs come closer, McClane DIVES into the cockpit,

BULLETS smacking all around him from Garber and _ Eeperanze =

RE he nn A 9 +s 9" Fle

SO eee ~~

an 225 \

THE COCKPIT — 225 -

McClane SLAMS the door behind him, LOCKS IT. BULLETS PING into the door, which INDENTS from the hits which don’t penetrate it.

A policeman - PUSH to Stuart. He knows which policeman...

space with him... the SNOW and GLASS everywhere... and then he crawls to the door, gingerly tries it.

IT WON’T MOVE. He tries harder.

OTHER SIDE OF DOOR 228 A RESCUE AXE is across the. door like a barricade. IN THE COCKPIT. 229

McClane looks worried - and then

Stuart, Esperanza and two of the others ring the nose of the plane, weapons out.

Garber - the last man = comes up, delayed by locking McClane in the cabin.

CONTINUED - oo 230

And he OPENS FIRE. The others instantly join in. INSIDE THE COCKPIT 231

McClane DUCKS as FIVE MACHINE GUNS BEGIN TO RIP THE PLACE APART. What’s left of the glass IMPLODES, and ricochets begin SLAMMING around the room - McClane eats floor, but the snaking lines of bullets criss cross the cockpit, searching him out -

Glass rakes his forehead, blood misting his vision - He crawls to the door - throws his weight against it - nothing -

he shoots -

MCCLANE . 233

he’s HIT in the left hand.

Clunk-clunk-clunkCLUNK. TEN GRENADES land and BOUNCE here like hailstones from hell. They SIZZLE. McClane rolls over and suddenly SEES -

LEVER BESIDE PILOT’S SEAT 236

CAMERA PUSHES to it: "EJECT."

oN 237

ere

—— eager ee

MCCLANE - 237

in one move vaults into the seat, snaps on the belt, grabs the lever -

WIDER 238

with a WOOSH and a ROAR, the ejection seat ROCKETS UPWARDS, the steel vanguard above McClane’s head PUNCHING THROUGH what’s left of the canopy.

OUTSIDE . 239

the cockpit EXPLODES! It’s all so FAST and EYE SEARING we’re not sure if McClane is clear ~- but then we SEE

MCCLANE - IN MID AIR 240

No sound, now, just the WHOOSH of the air going past - the ejection seat is TUMBLING -

WHOMP! The ‘chute OPENS with violent YANK.

At the jeep, Stuart and his men REACT as WATER from MELTING SNOW (X) runs past their feet. Garber POINTS to the ghostly image of the ‘chute, half a mile away -

‘GARBER There -

But Stuart turns at the SOUND of SIRENS.

NEW ANGLE , 242 The calvary is coming... and it’s not his.

BACK TO SCENE 243

Helping the wounded Esperanza, they vanish into the darkness.

pee Se ee ee eae =

a ee

wa

THE PARACHUTE - ON THE GROUND 244 BILLOWING as something struggles under it.

MCCLANE’S VOICE (muffled) Where’s - the fucking - door?

He staggers out from under the yards of silk, COVERED IN SNOW -fights the vertigo from his: flight - runs off.

The stewardess sticks her head into the cockpit.

‘em down. STEWARDESS Works for me. [711 - She STOPS. She’s SEEN THE FUEL GAUGE - HER POV 246

Almost on EMPTY - BACK TO SCENE 247

She REACTS. No one says anything. She composes herself... goes out. .

Holly types a line on her computer. Then she REACTS to the (%) SOUND of crumpled paper. CAMERA ADJUSTS as she looks at

Thornberg. He’s LISTENING to the TAPE RECORDING with an earplug and then drafting his own document.

He crosses out a line, adds a word - looks at it proudly. (X) THORNBERG (X%) (sotto, to hinself) (X) Boy, am I good... (X) HOLLY

Writing your acceptance speech for the video sleaze awards?

BE te me

TESST US AS re eee gar RT ANTE oy:

DEG RERL ety

CONTINUED -

te ep

But now that stewardess reaches up and turns on the TV PROJECTOR.

As the lights DARKEN, Thornberg decides this is perfect cover. pretending he’s getting a blanket overhead, he slips his credit card in one of airphones. Then he moves down the aisle, phone

inside his jacket.

He makes a croaking noise to sell it, stumbles into the lavatory.

This is Richard Thornberg. Put me through to the News Director.

(listening) I know he’s getting ready for the broadcast, that’s why I want hin! Now get him or start typing your resume!

CuT To:

The DOCTOR patches McClane’s right hand; one of the soldiers gives McClane a cigarette.

- ‘* MCCLANE Esperanza’s down... but he’s hurt. I killed one more man... that’s six

they’ve lost all together.

(X)

(X)

tet

ad

Ses sia:

(X)

CONTINUED - 249

McClane stands, glares at the two officers. He flips away the cigarette, walks away, pissed.

But the enlisted men seem sympathetic. And so does BARNES | 250 Who now pulls McClane aside.

Interested, McClane follows Barnes around the corner. WHEN THEY’RE ALONE 251 Barnes unfolds some plot plans.

Ne 51 CONTINUED -

(X)

The passengers’ patience has begun to frazzle. The Older Woman beside Holly is no exception.

HOLLY

It’s hard to blame anyone for the weather -

em,

CONTINUED - . 252

. OLDER WOMAN Yeah? What about that porker Willard Scott? (to herself) I shoulda taken the bus. At least they can pull over for food and gas.

HOLLY 253

REACTS to what the woman’s said. As the Stewardess PASSES, Holly signals her - RISES halfway to meet her.

STEWARDESS | Yes?

HOLLY | I... was just wondering. Our flight was only supposed to be 5 1/2 hours- (X) (almost sheepish) -Do we have enough fuel for all this endless circling?

Pause. The Stewardess’ face eases into an official smile. STEWARDESS Oh, of course we do. They anticipate little problems like this.

She moves away. We TIGHTEN on Holly. She’s chilled by the lie. Worried, she TURNS... looks at the AirPhone. . (X)

TIGHT ON MCCLANE’S WAIST 254 HIS BEEPER SHOWS as he CLIMBS something ~- we WIDEN.

He and Barnes are outside a HOUSE that backs up to the Airport. Both peer over the fence. It’s a modest DC suburban tract job. People TRIM a TREE. It could be Norman Rockwell.

MCCLANE . ! Hell. These people are hanging their ' Goddamn stockings.

They DROP down into the snow, CRUNCH to the next fence. Look at

SECOND HOUSE 255

No tree: People having dinner, a MENORAH burning on the windowsill.

55A

(X)

NEW ANGLE 255A

They’ve come to a corner; now they go back to the street, spread Barne’s map out on the hood of Barne’s still humming CAR. Far behind them, we SEE the illuminated airport TOWER, centered in the dark blot that should be brightly active runways.

Barnes reaches inside his jacket, fumbles in his jammed plastic pocket thingie for a little flashlight. He checks the map.

BARNES

Four more possibles. Three houses... °

and a church. They cross the intersection on foot, walk over a lawn. It’s further to the next place; more prosperous yard. Suddenly McClane puts up his hand -Barnes stops - both look at - NEXT PROPERTY - THE CHURCH . 257 Baker is walking, almost casually, around the rear of the house. BACK TO SCENE 258

McClane and Barnes huddle, whisper.

Indeed, Baker’s steady progress has made a trench around the church property, and the distinctive PRINT of his galoshes now makes double images.

Who the fuck cares, just be ready.

CONTINUED - 260

Saying this, McClane takes his own gun from his holster and puts it in the back of his trousers... then moves off.

Barnes takes out a cellular phone, lurks under a tree. MCCLANE . , 261

moves from shadow to shadow and tree to tree like an Indian stalking a settler... closer... closer...

. CUT TO:

Holly drops her credit card in the airphone. Starts to DIAL.

MCCLANE 263 Baker is only a yard away. Closer - closer - and then -BEEP! (X) BAKER 264 Instantly whips his head around, the hidden MAC 10 coming up, but the winter outerwear slows him. McClane. DIVES on hin. (X) BARNES 265 REACTS, begins to dial the phone. REACTS to INSERT - PHONE 266 ‘The dial reads NO SVC. BACK TO SCENE 267

He raises the antenna, realizes he’s got to move - runs towards

‘the street.

MCCLANE AND BAKER 268 ©

CRASH into the fence with a CRACK. McClane has erjs gun (X) hand and SLAMS it down on the E fence - -again

“blood wells - the gun DROPS @~Haker , taking McClane away (X) from the weapon ~-They trade bru unches -

2721

Through the rear window here we SEE the fence GIVE, and bend AGAIN, but the SOUND is muffled by the WIND and the GLASS.

Lorenzo WRITES as Grant REACTS - » LORENZO

You’re where - you crazy idiot, why= didn’t you -

..BARNES - INTERCUT

He’s down the block, STANDING on a snow covered car -

Grant signals his Sergeant and then it’s like D-Day as ALL the

SOLDIERS and some COPS hustle out -

MCCLANE AND BAKER ~

a

halfway to their feet, the snow bloody between them

KARATE KICKS McClane back into a tree, dazing him--Baker yjumps

in, RIPS McClane’s coat open and -

GRABS for the holster! GRINS, head butts hin!

As his hand comes up empty, McClane . CUT TO: VIRGINIA STREET ~-' NEAR AIRPORT - NIGHT

AIRPORT POLICE CARS and the ARMY TRUCK SKID AROUND A CORNER-

.. SINT. ARMY :' TRUCK

Soldiers on the benches - Grant standing, rocking like a commuter

Still MONITORING the radio -

- Telford, only one unarmed,

Gentlemen. here...

AMMO CLIPS are broken out = all PIGGYBACKED

(X)

(X)

_ 275

ch 277 a

~_e,

a ee aS eae aetna - a i, A NE a mm am mm

(X)

~both HIT the wall of the church’s detached garage -SNOW and ICE fall from the roof, but both men ignore it -

—_———

McClane’s LEFT hand can’t force away Baker's RIGHT hand and the KNIFE. .

The bastard is STRONG and now his left jumps out and pins McClane’s RIGHT so-it can’t help - The knife creeps towards McClane’s throat! McClane is fucked -and then his desperate eyes look at something nearby -

We FOCUS CHANGE - it’s a big ICICLE -with his last strength McClane BREAKS out of Baker’s grip, grabs the icicle-

-and STABS it RIGHT in Baker’s EYE! REVERSE ANGLE 276 Baker SCREAMS and falls back - McClane ROLLS with him and with

both hands PRESSES the ICICLE HOME SIX MORE INCHES right into the son-of-a-bitch’s brain.

The body TWITCHES, DIES. McClane falls against the garage as the snow turns CRIMSON all around. Catches his BREATH... and then REACTS to a WHISTLE.

BARNES 277

is in the street. Moving in a crouch, McClane heads towards hin. Barnes points to

pue sOuvters 4 278

their truck far down the street, they move forward silently and expertly, shadows starting to surround the church.

te

CONTINUED - 279

And Lorenzo is HUSTLED away. McClane takes out a cigarette.

2ND SERGEANT (coming up) Flanking the church now, sir. oe (X)

McClane ‘and Barnes watch as the soldiers start to close the net.

A SOLDIER 280

moves forward on the lawn into a PRONE FIRING POSITION - and then his GUN MUZZLE hits a TRIP WIRE in the SNOW!

IN THE CHURCH 281

Stuart's men ‘REACT | to. and ALARM - instantly go to ASSIGNED JOBS! Some grab weapons ~- others. SMASH the EQUIPMENT HERE! Esperanza, bandaged, throws a coat on, grabs a pistol!

OUTSIDE _ . 282

, MCCLANE SHIT!

Everyone DIVES for COVER as a STAINED GLASS WINDOW is BROKEN and (X) a rifle POKES out. GUNFIRE lights up the street, REFLECTS on the snow!

O°?

(X)

CONTINUED - 283

Looks all around - all change their ammo clips, putting ones with blue adhesive tape into their weapons - and then they RETREAT from the front windows. We PAN them out the REAR and to the FENCE behind the church - which they SMASH THROUGH.

MCCLANE 284

taking cover behind a parked car, he HEARS the SOUND of SPLINTERING WOOD -

And he’s on his feet, FIRING his pistol, here outclassed by the assault rifles -

WIDER — 285

Grant signals his men - they FOLLOW McClane, RUSH the church ~-there is NO MORE FIRE from the. front - some of the men SMASH

‘through the doors, others run alongside the church -

BEHIND THE CHURCH - CRANE SHOT . 286 Stuart leads his men and Esperanza towards what LOOKS like BUSHES >

about 30 yards behind it - but as Miller and Busmke reach them

and grab at FABRIC we REALIZE it is a SNOW CAMOUFLAGED TARPULIN. REAR OF CHURCH 287 McClane is first here - DUCKS as GUNFIRE erupts ahead of him

-then he FIRES at the MUZZLE BLASTS in the darkness - then REACTS to the SOUND of GASOLINE MOTORS -

HIGH ANGLE 288

as Stuart and Esperanza and the remaining men ESCAPE on hidden SNOWMOBILES! |§§ McClane FIRES twice at the

‘REAR SNOWMOBILE — 289

Garber is on it - McClane’s BULLETS rip through his CHEST -as he falls off it SPINS OUT, ROLLS OVER.

INSIDE THE VIRGINIA CHURCH 290

The Airport police crash in behind the tailing soldiers. Barnes

looks at the smoking ruins.

re

(3299

MS

290A

290B

-290C

(X) CONTINUED - 290

CAMERA RAKES to the sergeant, who is by a BLINKING BOOBY TRAP hidden under a panel.

GRANT

Evacuate! Now!

the soldiers and Barnes rush out, bowling over Lorenzo just as he’s heading in. As all dive into the snow -

WIDER . 290B

The church EXPLODES, stained glass windows giving the destruction an eerie BEAUTY as they SHATTER -

BACK TO SCENE 290C

As debris RAINS DOWN, everyone struggles to their feet. Lorenzo spits out snow, looks around.

MCCLANE - PULLBACK 291

He’s riding the snowmobile that cracked up, carrying the dead man’s assault rifle like the Duke on a horse!

the rifle forward. He STEADIES IT alongside the WINDSHIELD of the snowmobile.

as

( 294

eae

THROUGH HIS SIGHTS - 294 We see STUART’S HEAD. BACK TO SCENE 295 MCCLANE This is for flight one fourteen, mother fucker < He FIRES.

STUART , 296

UNTOUCHED. But he LOOKS back at the SOUND of SHOTS. HAND

SIGNALS his flanking riders. WIDER 297

Two of them PEEL OFF; Kahn, riding double with ESPERANZA; Ryeke, (X) riding alone. Burke SWITCHES AMMO CLIPS to a red taped clip.

ae MCCLANE 298

_MCCLANE Shit!

He AIMS at the APPROACHING SNOWMOBILES -FIRES -

Again, UNTOUCHED! Now as he SWEEPS past Esperanza FIRES his pistol -

on FULL AUTO -

- goes AIRBORNE - McClane TUMBLES from the seat - and the ’mobile EXPLODES against a runway WIND REGISTER.

WITH STUART 302

He looks back at the mini-FIREBALL, signals his men to regroup. All DWINDLE in the landscape of the empty airfield.

2“

SNOW oe 303 which MOVES. McClane’s HAND comes into view. Face bloodied by glass, jacket ragged, body bruised, he should be looking for (X) a doctor.

Instead, he’s pawing through the snow - looking for the assault rifle. And finds it, the stock broken. McClane pulls off the clip. He peels off a round into his hand, then another.

There’s PAPER WADS where brass should meet lead. ; (X)

Paleing, he rummages in the snow, finds one of the soldier’s

backpacks. More clips inside. First clip has live ammo. Second clip ~- blanks - CAMERA PUSHES in on McClane until he looks at the red/blue tape and -makes the connection.

He gets to his feet and RUNS.

STUART’S VOICE (from radio) - Attention, tower. This is Colonel Stuart. Is our plane prepared?

Stuart and his men, on foot near the halted snowmobiles. LIGHT in the distance; hangers; the terminal.

got. Stuart looks at his map, then the hanger mentioned; not far.

om

(X)

The Army trucks are parked by the still intact church GARAGE. the B.G. FIRE FIGHTERS spray down the smoking RUIN; ice FORMING

and sparkling everywhere.

Grant uses the field radio Telford has set up in the back of the

truck.

GRANT

If you remember me, Colonel, you’1l “remember I know the drill as well

as you do. Check out your own fucking plane.

(disconnecting)

We move out in five minutes. Body armor for everyone - full metal jackets. We will take them in the hanger or we will shoot that fucking ‘plane out of the sky. Lorenzo, take your men back to the airport and seal off every exit in case anyone tries to break out on the ground.

A chaotic meeting of news staffers - the PRODUCER waves for

quiet, hovers over a speaker phone.

PRODUCER

Dick, this is nuts - first, you do Siamese Twin drag queens, not hard news; and second, every station in town has people out at the airport and none of them has heard even a whisper of this shit you’re running down-

In

\ : Nw

‘All LAUGH - the bitter laughter of the battlefield.

And he PLAYS the MICROCASSETTE. We HEAR Barnes’ earlier TRANSMISSION.

In the TV station, STUNNED reaction.

Local POLICE keep curious NEIGHBORS behind barricades while SOLDIERS get ready at the trucks.

INSIDE AN ARMY TRUCK - NIGHT | : 310

LAUGHTER, which SUBSIDES a bit as Grant looks at his watch... a look DUPLICATED by the others.

O) 310°

ye ee

CONTINUED - 310

GRANT

So do we, kid. TELFORD

(touched)

Really, sir? GRANT

Yeah. Then we wouldn’t have to do

this.

And in a flash, Grant DRAWS his combat knife and SLITS the kid’s throat!

Telford FLOPS BACK off the bench. Grant is already digging into (X) the cargo pocket of his trousers and he comes out with a transceiver - the same distinctive scrambled transceiver used by

Stuart’s men!

Stuart holds his transceiver while he looks up at the plane prepared for him. One of his men comes out, gives him the thumbs -

up sign.

Roger, Hatchling. We are secure here. You have a green light. Repeat, green

light.

MARVIN . | 312 whistling, stacking dolls, shoes, more flotsom from the Airport sea he’s scavenged. At a SOUND he TURNS - (X) MCCLANE 313

shivering, battered, trying to come down a ladder. He FALLS the (X) rest of the way.

THE SOLDIERS - ON VIRGINIA STREET 314

close the back of the truck - they DRIVE AWAY. Lorenzo, getting (xX) in his car, gives them a thumbs up.

(

we,

1414 a

CONTINUED - : 314 Grant, grinning, returns it. (X) TIGHT ON A TV SET 315

A SPORTS EVENT is SUPERCEDED by a SPECIAL BULLETIN CARD.

GROANS. MOANS. CAMERA PANS and we SEE we’re in a BAR in the AIRPORT TERMINAL.

This is a special bulletin from WZDC (X) News. There was a plane crash earlier this evening at Dulles, where other aircraft continue to circle, with no explanation from Airport or FAA officials. Now, with an exclusive KLA report, here is Dick Thornberg, reporting from the skies over Washington.

That gets all the sports fan’s attention. Now a SUPER of Thornberg’s FACE comes up in the corner of the newsroom.

THORNBERG’S VOICE

(filtered) Tom, I’m one of the thousand people who has been circling our Nation’s capitol, under the assumption that whatever problem was going on far below me was a normal one. But the truth is far from normal - the truth is terrifying..

. CUT TO:

People walking along - and then jumping out of the way of- (X) A TERMINAL EMERGENCY CART ~ SIREN AND LIGHT WAILING 317

MARVIN drives, happy as hell; beside him, in the seat usually (X) reserved for the sick or elderly, is McClane, slowly coming back to normal from his ordeal.

THORNBERG ~IN LAVATORY | 318

With a smug smile, Thornberg plays the tape again.

—we wee

7 oh ace

OYA ITT AR TORE Oe RE TY SUE Ce ee

FR Beta oT Le!

oo and °

“Dd Qty.

ZA

om SE se ve a ee ae ee See oe camer i n nine li

(X)

IN THE AIRPORT BAR 319

The people LISTEN as the tape of Barne’s earlier broadcast PLAYS.

AIRPORT POLICE OFFICE ~- NIGHT 320

The golf cart SKIDS to a halt at the receptionist’s desk. Lorenzo comes thundering out of his office.

MARVIN

This man’s been through serious shit, give him a break-

You’re completely around the fucking bend, McClane. And you know what else?

(reaching for handcuffs) You’re under arrest - ;

McClane steps back ~- raises the assault rifle - FIRES.

SSS i ter, a a

(X)

(323 NEW ANGLE 321 : Lorenzo STAGGERS back in shock ~ and then realizes he’s UNSCATHED. LORENZO ‘Wha - how - MCCLANE

(showing the clip) These are the bullets they used out there tonight.

LORENZO

Holy shit -

(into phone) This is Chief Lorenzo. I want every officer recalled now and assembled in body armor with full weaponry in the motor pool in five minutes! It’s time to kick ass!

He slams the phone down - checks his pistol ammo and rushes out the door - a startled - and appreciative - McClane beside him!

cuT TO:

/ As the TAPE RECORDING CONCLUDES, the patrons are in SHOCK. Already several begin to RUN OUT.

CAMERA PANS AWAY from the terminal bar towards a GIFT SHOP. There, all the PORTABLE TV’s ON DISPLAY are BROADCASTING the SAME THING. A CUSTOMER hearing this DROPS a CRYSTAL VASE.

THORNBERG’S VOICE (as tape ENDS)

Since then this reporter has learned that the terrorists have virtual control of the entire airport - a fact the authorities have suppressed. The terrorists promise more bloodshed unless their demands are met; and now that special Army Commandoes have arrived at the airport, the liklihood of a full scale and deadly battle is dangerously close -

Suddenly full of SCREAMING PEOPLE. 324 FRONT OF TERMINAL 324 A mass EXODUS. People FIGHT for CABS. ) CUT TO:

~~ ee

a

326A

thru

McClane jumps out of the car - looks around and SEES -

(X)

They’re watching this here, too.

McClane is in Lorenzo’s police car; a DOZEN other police cars full of officers behind, lights SPINNING. Lorenzo leans out the window like Ward Bond on Wagon Train.

Converge on Hanger 11 on all four sides! When the city blues get here with their backup, they can pick up ‘the pieces! MOVE OUT!

(aside to McClane) McClane, you meet my nephew?

The other guy in the car is the asshole who towed the car. As McClane REACTS, the caravan ROARS FORWARD, SIRENS WAILING -

NEW ANGLE 326A

And Lorenzo’s car SMASHES into a TAXI. CAMERA CRANES UP and we SEE that the police cars have run smack into the PANIC in the front of the airport.

OMITTED thru

SAM - IN THE TERMINAL 329 watching the scene, trying to get it on video. . CUT TO:

WIDEN from the TV SCREEN. Thornberg’s broadcast is here, too!

A WOMAN SCREAMS. A MAN tries to get out of his seat and a STEWARD forces him back.

(N331

m=,

HOLLY © ° 331

Then something else sinks in; she looks at the empty airphone cradle on the wall - gets quickly out of her seat - in mid-stride she STOPS - takes her seatmate’s PURSE. Then, she sidesteps

some panicked people, goes to the kitchen area.

And finds one of the special keys for the lavatories. THORNBERG ~- IN LAVATORY . 332

And so it continues: A standoff between terrorists and authorities with the lives of thousands at stake. But at least this time, in this place, the truth, at least, is not among the hostages because Richard Thornberg put his life and his talent on the line for humanity and country.

ee ee ee

Ano Sr

Behind him, Holly silently opens the lavatory door.

WHAM. She ZAPS him with the old lady’s TASER. He TWITCHES - DROPS! She picks up the phone. (X)

McClane, Sam and the cameraman, forcing their way through the crowd; Sam ABSORBING what McClane’s told her.

, MCCLANE Thanks; but I’m looking for a different kind of ride.

And he POINTS to -

“we wer eee

rae doe Tene ee

\

/ 334

thru

336A

336B

336C

.336D

(X)

HER NEWS HELICOPTER 334

across the tarmac -

OMITTE | thru

ryt" GER 11 HT . 336A

Stuart and hi aiatin d, at doors, on high scaffolds to look out at the landing field hidden in the driving snow. Stuart looks at his watch.

, here on watch. Something GLEAMS in the distance. He SPEAKS into his radio -

BURKE \ (cocking oh)

GRANT’S VOICE My position is I’m gonna get my ass reamed out by the best Goddamn soldier on the planet ’cause I’m two minutes late.

Stuart GRINS, signals for the hanger door to be opened.

WIDER 336D

The big door RUMBLES UPWARDS. There’s the truck, headlights now ILLUMINATING the waiting plane.

Grant jumps down from the cab, gets a warm greeting from Stuart in the headlight beams. Grant salutes him, then pivots to salute Esperanza.

_ GRANT Congratulations on your escape, sir.

| |

p—~ 36D Ld

338A

-338B

(X)

My congratulations, gentlemen. You/’ve

won a victory for democracy... my

pride and admiration... and a kick

ass vacation! Get on board! With a CHEER, they run up the stairs to the plane.

WHOOSH! UP and OFF THE GROUND like an elevator. McClane REACTS.

The abandoned truck’s lights still GLARE into the CAMERA -and then something SHADOWS THEM -

WIDER - LOW ANGLE 338A The 747 TAXIS out of the hanger, rolls towards the runway. INSIDE - FIRST CLASS 338B the soldiers take seats, cocky smiles on their faces -

McClane and the others fly along, LISTENING to the CONTINUING APIRPLANE AND TOWER TRAFFIC - which is growing PANICKY.

(X)

THE HANGER - BELOW THEM - NIGHT 340

The plane. in a slow wide turn, the hanger empty, light spilling into the snow -

MCCLANE : Get ’em to stop! Hover low, block their path!

. _ PILOT Play chicken with a 200 ton plane? Hey, I’m crazy, but not that crazy-

_ RADIO Dulles, this is Western one-forty-

' MCCLANE (chilled) Holly -

. TRUDEAU’S VOICE Negative, one fourteen, our situation is unchanged.

-Pause - McClane furious - but the pilot equally tough. MCCLANE

(finally) Okay - then how about on top of it?

Os 1 CONTINUED ~ 341 And as both men realize they’ve cut a dangerous deal and start to smile, we (X)

The pilot and co-pilot look at each other as their fuel gauge BEEPS and FLASHES YELLOW.

\ The cabin attendants are lugging Thornberg’s unconscious body down the aisle. They strap him in as Holly and the others listen, chilled to -

PILOT’S VOICE We have no choice but to attempt an emergency landing. Please put on your safety belts and assume crash positions as instucted by the cabin

i attendants. 3392 | 392 “thru OMITTED thru 398 398 399 THE PLANE 399 engines GLOWING through the snow - (X) 399A THE CHOPPER : ‘ 399A TURNING, DROPPING = the door SLIDES OPEN - McClane SLIPS out (X) “takes a deep breath - and MOVES to the SKID! (X)

Diving, diving -

eo oat,

Y

t):

AFR on

(X)

CONTINUED - , 402

To her amazement, she HEARS another voice mumbling tearfully. It’s Thornburg, half-conscious.

the 747 taxis along - CAMERA PANS BACK and DISCOVERS the

CHOPPER, McClane on its skid, as it DROPS LOWER, MATCHES SPEED

with the plane!

Esperanza, Stuart, Grant. Starting to feel like what they think

“they are: Heroes.

lifetime. STUART They don’t get much of it in the tropics.

McClane - sitting on the skid - now DROPS to a HANDHOLD as the

. skids come treacherously close to the PLANE WING. McClane’s FEET

grope for the wing surface - but the two aircraft - one still earthbound - MOVE APART. Pause. McClane TRIES AGAIN ~MAKES

IT!

THE ’CHOPPER . 406 it PEELS AWAY, vanishes in the snowstorm.

MCCLANE | 407

panting, he wedges himself against an engine pod - and starts to take off his jacket!

Esperanza lights a cigar - and then FROWNS.

AN (X) L108 CONTINUED - 408 STUART What? ESPERANZA

The aerilons! Something’s wrong -we can’t take off -

He looks out the window - and REACTS to <- 409 WING AERILON ~- HIS POV 409

Hydraulics GROANING because McClane is JAMMING his JACKET into the groove where it hinges!

410 BACK TO SCENE 410 They can’t fucking believe this. Then - GRANT (already moving) I’1l do hin. STUART

(following, to Esperanza) You just get us in the air, General.

es You’re the only one who can do it.

_f

S421 INT. CABIN - NIGHT -411 Stuart and Grant cock their weapons, move to the door. Grant opens it.

4l2 EXT. WING 412 .Grant stands there, WIND whipping him. NO MCCLANE - just the jacket, FLAPPING in the groaning aerilon.

Grant starts out - WHAM! McClane APPEARS from behind the door, TRIPS him! Grant’s gun BOUNCES off the wing, falls to the ground rushing past below!

413 STUART 413 in the doorway, tries to AIM - but

are INDISTINGUISHABLE in the driving snow.

415 MCCLANE AND GRANT 415

Each HOLDING ON TO THE WING with one hand - FIGHTING with the other - Grant POUNDS AWAY on McClane’s face ~ but McClane doesn’t HIT BACK - he just GRINS like a maniac - PUSHES Grant

-pushes ~pushes -

(435

18A

(X)

CONTINUED - 415 -

The SOUND of metal SLIDING - a KNIFE APPEARS in Grant’s hand- . GRANT (cont’@) (raising knife) I really liked you - GRANT 416

too late, he realizes he’s over the front edge of the wing! He screams and FALLS ~

NEW ANGLE 417

RIGHT INTO THE ENGINE INTAKE! There’s an awful GRINDING SOUND -A SCREAM - McClane winces as RED SNOW SPLATTERS HIM -

‘REAR OF ENGINE , 418

it could be hamburger pouring out - but before we can dwell on it, the engine pod BLOWS!

MCCLANE - ON THE WING 418A wipes red snow from his arn.

IN THE COCKPIT 419

- a "FIRE" indicator goes on. Esperanza hits "EXTINGUISHER",

handles it - increases power to the other engines.

STUART | 420 trying to SEE - finally - a GLIMPSE of what has to be McClane

-with a savage grin, Stuart takes off his rifle - discards the bulky coat - knife in hand, he steps out.

MCCLANE . 421

moves hand over hand to a trailing section of the wing. Looks over and down at

FUEL PORT - UPSIDE DOWN = HIS POV 422

ae Se a ee

(X)

BACK TO SCENE

He reaches for it. Too far. Stretches. Gets

it - fucker is

TIGHT. Wincing, he TURNS it a bit - then LOOKS up just in TIME

to SEE STUART, knife whizzing DOWN - NEW ANGLE

McClane ROLLS, but the knife CATCHES his SHOULDER. In pain, he

mananges to KICK Stuart’s KNEE - Stuart FALLS,

almost goes over

the wing - McClane goes back to work on the fuel port -1t TURNS another 1/4 turn -and then he has to abandon it to deal with

another CHARGE from Stuart. ESPERANZA

he TURNS the PLANE. Now he’s ON THE RUNWAY PROPER.

McClane JAMS

Stuart’s knife hand the aerilon crack! The next WIGGLE of the metal CRUNCHES both hand and knife! Stuart SCREAMS and loosens

on the fuel port!

-his grip on McClane, who PUNCHES him away, goes back to work

But he’s hardly at it when Stuart RECOVERS, and, mangled hand held clawlike, KICKS McClane’s INJURED SHOULDER -KICKS AGAIN -blood on Stuart’s shoe - McClane is being worked over the edge of the wing! He CATCHES at the last moment - now he IGNORES

Stuart’s BLOWS, because - UNDER THE WING

McClane feels for the fuel port ~ turn, turn -

it OPENS! Fuel

SPIGOTS DOWN - McClane feels the wetness on his hana -

THE RUNWAY

a RIBBON of FUEL twists behind the moving plane, slick and light

reflecting - BACK TO SCENE

Stuart STOMPS on McClane’s HANDS on the wing - again - McClane SMILES - and then Stuart KICKS

MCCLANE

DROPS 20 FEET, SLAMS into the snow at the edge bounces like litter thrown from a moving car - almost rolls over him -

STUART

with a victorious SHOUT he YANKS the coat from throws it away - heads for the door -

of the runway, the big REAR TIRE

the aerilon,

meee eee

ESPERANZA oe 432 sees this, smiles - MCCLANE -AT EDGE OF RUNWAY 433

crawls to a painful sitting position. Face impassive, he watches the jet move away... and ~ incongrous as it seems - he lights a

cigarette, looks off at - . (X) THE LINE OF JET FUEL 434

running along the runway for 1/4 mile now - MCCLANE 435

battered like a car wreck victim, now he looks up into the dark sky trying to find the SOUND OF JET ENGINES. Then he SEES -

LIGHTS OF HOLLY’S PLANE - HIS POV 436 careening down in a desperate fight against gravity - BACK TO SCENE 437

McClane takes a LONG PULL on the cigarette until the tip is RED-HOT. ,

STUART ~ IN THE OPEN PLANE DOORWAY 438 about to close it, he looks back and for the first time SEES

THE JET FUEL - HIS POV 439 winding endlessly down the runway -

MCCLANE 440

And he THROWS THE CIGARETTE INTO THE FUEL.

STARTS TO -RISE - the wheels go into the AIR - (x)

(X)

ij \42B REAR OF PLANE 442B

A

ner . But as the craft rises, so does the FLAME, climbing the fuel ribbon RIGHT INTO THE SKY and TO THE NEAREST ENGINE which EXPLODES!

442C ESPERANZA 442C TURNS at the EXPLOSION in time for a WALL OF FIRE that SHOOTS UP THE WING and through the cockpit FLOOR, and then he’s ON FIRE and then 443 STUART 443

is BLOWN TO LITTLE PIECES as a FIREBALL BLOWS RIGHT OUT THE DOOR, taking all the remaining soldiers with it and then

It EXPLODES ITSELF, WINGS and TAIL and BODY going nine different directions!

445 OMITTED . 445

446 MCCLANE | 446

DIVES for the ground as the explosion ROLLS TOWARDS HIM. 3447 IN THE CAB 447 wr

~~)

they watch the FIREBALL in the distance -

448 MCCLANE 448

Gets to his knees, and LOOKS at the huge conflagration.

Blackness and driven SNOW outside - and then - in an almost

cinematic FADE - through the glass we SEE the BURNING WRECKAGE

-and, more importantly - the LINE OF FIRE RUNNING CLEAN AND STRAIGHT for almost a mile -

A_line right along the runway.

The pilot grabs controls desperately, trims the plane -

( \sPe IN THE CABIN - 450 i a The passengers REACT as they level a bit -

It descends, a bit erratic, but now it’s ALONGSIDE the line of

fire, coming in from the wrong end of the runway, and then the

wheels BOUNCE, once, twice, and then a tire BLOWS but the pilots (xX) ; HOLD IT as it SWERVES and finally SKIDS TO A HALT, turning onto (xX)

the grassy field.

| Already we HEAR RESCUE SIRENS.

452 IN THE CAB 452

ay) TRUDEAU They already know. Listen.

And sure enough, there it is - the SOUND of ENGINES -

And now the lights come down from the sky, in a neat and patient row, the closest filling the screen, the others dwindling down to. the size of stars.

454 MCCLANE ~ ON THE RUNWAY . 454

Stumbles along, maybe thinking he’s dead or dreaming... IGNORING the giant PLANE LANDING BESIDE HIM, ignoring the FLAMES beyond that - His concentration is totally on Holly’s plane -now another giant PLANE SKIDS down behind him - it’s an assembly line, like B-29’s coming home from war - then he SEES what he’s praying for - breaks into a RUN -

HEARS this just as she goes down the RESCUE CHUTE, ushed by Stewardess controlling their own tears -

“6 SOA BEE TASES tea

r.. 456

-

4m

461A

(X)

MCCLANE 456

CATCHES her at the bottom like a child - CARRIES HER AWAY. THORNBERG - ON THE GROUND . 457 groggy, he raises his hands in supplication to the stewardess.

She steps over him, puts her high heels back on - walks off.

. CUT TO:

THE NEWS ’CHOPPER 458

It CRUNCHES DOWN on the frozen earth near the runway. Sam and her cameraman hit the ground running. SEE -

And she yanks out his power cord, watches it dreamily.

THE AIRFIELD - NIGHT 461 as rolling stairs are put up to the planes and the passengers

pour down the steps into arms of friends, families, loved ones. MCCLANE 461A Sets Holly down, kisses her - then both TURN at a HONK.

Marvin is there in an airport cart. He looks at the chaos.

McClane and Holly get in the cart. Marvin drives them away, light BLINKING... and we PULLBACK until McClane and Holly are just part of the crowd.