"DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE" (1995)

The sun is rising over the World Trade Towers. It’s a July morning; the city is already steaming.

The detective’s bullpen is deserted. Shafts of sunlight pass through venetian blinds onto --

A CUP OF COFFEE on a desk, CAMERA picking up objects (photos, a detective’s shield) belonging to Detective John McClane, N.Y.P.D.

Suddenly DOORS BANG OPEN. Cops and detectives enter for a new day, laughing, talking Yankees and Mets.

The room is packed with UNIFORMED COPS and DETECTIVES. Incessant CHATTER and TAPPING WORD PROCESSORS.

IN THE CORNER - A GROUP OF N.Y.P.D. DETECTIVES are going over case files, drinking coffee. RICKY WALSH sits with his feet propped on his desk, looking at a CLIPBOARD.

N.Y.P.D. Chief of Detectives ARTHUR COBB is talking to DETECTIVE JOE LAMBERT.

( LAMBERT : Se Arthur, John’s not had the best year... , COBB

I don’t want a testimonial. His caseload’s down. There’s talk of a leave of absence. I’ve got to see some change. You and Ricky have known him since kindergarten - you talk to hin.

They stare at each other.

A long functional john with a thousand toilets and sinks. TWO UNIFORMED ROOKIE COPS are taking a piss, | whispering. In the b.g., we hear a ROARING FAUCET.

. ROOKIE COP 2 Yeah. Couple times at the range.

The cops, startled, look over at --

cd

JOHN. MCCLANE, at the sink, spitting out toothpaste. McClane is 40 now. His hair is flecked with grey.

He stands upright and turns off the faucet. Wipes his mouth on his sleeve.

McClane walks past the rookie cops with his toothbrush and toothpaste.

McClane walks out the door past the stunned cops and -- | CUT TO:

It’s 9:00 a.m. and already humid as a locker roon.

On 3rd Avenue, SHOPPERS crowd through the doors of-

BLOOMINGDALES eager to take advantage of a cosmetics and lingerie sale.

‘LADIES walk the aisles, exchanging cool smiles with swishy PERFUME SALESMEN who display their scents.

AT THE COUNTER - A LADY SHOPPER applies eye shadow. She bends forward, looking in a small mirror on the counter.

The SALESGIRL, on the other side of the counter, agrees.

The LADY SHOPPER bends closer to the mirror. Her shoe hits something. She looks down.

A SAMSONITE BRIEFCASE sits at her feet.

The Lady Shopper picks up the briefcase and hands it

across the counter to the Salesgirl. The Salesgirl examines the briefcase. It is TICKING.

They each look at the briefcase. They look at each other.

A huge blast. An eruption of flame.

The place blows to pieces. ; Flying glass and metal. The jewelry counters become airborne. It is over suddenly.

CEILING SPRINKLERS douse the carnage. Corpses lie amidst the wreckage.

Walsh and the detectives continue their morning routine.

Everyone turns to McClane; he’s at his desk, knotting his necktie, lighting another cigarette.

7 MCCLANE Old Spice.

JOE LAMBERT walks up humming the theme from “Jeopardy.”

-

He has DOLLAR. BILLS in one hand and A CUP OF COFFEE in the other. He shoves the coffee in McClane’s hand.

(pockets. the $5 bill) Detective McClane, for ten dollars, this is the biggest engineering job in the U.S. since the Hoover Dan.

Suddenly the bullpen’s EMERGENCY BELL CLANGS. Everyone whips their neck around.

WALSH

During this, Lambert turns to McClane.

Life. Yours in particular.

McClane and Lambert lock eyes. A UNIFORMED COP enters the bullpen, shouting:

Everyone stares at each other.

- MCCLANE Ever see a woman miss a shoe sale?

McClane and the Detectives scramble around, throwing on their suit jackets, checking their weapons, etc.

DOWN THE HALL - ARTHUR COBB

leans out his office, shouting instructions to McClane, Lambert, Walsh, and the others who are rushing. through the bullpen.

The detectives roar out through double doors. Cobb’s secretary, JANE, calls from inside the office.

JANE appears next to him. Her face is ash white. SECRETARY JANE Arthur, you’d better take this. (Cobb looks at her)

He says he set the bomb at Bloomingdales.

They stare at each other. Cobb turns, looks into his office at --

COBB’S DESK = HIS TELEPHONE - It is flashing.

Cobb goes into his office and picks up the phone. He punches a line button. It connects a call.

We hear a voice. A European accent. It is, from the first syllable, chilling and unforgettable.

It is Simon.

(beat) Bloomingdales was just for show.

A pause.

A pause. Cobb stares at the phone receiver.

SIMON

Good. :

-(suddenly low,

sinister) Listen to me, Arthur. In the next several hours Simon is going to tell Detective McClane what to do and Detective McClane is going to do it. If he fails to comply with the Slightest detail of my instructions, there will be a penalty.

Cobb swallows. His throat is suddenly dry.

COBB’S SECRETARY (appearing in the doorway)

He just went to Blooming....

Jane runs off. Cobb takes his hand off the receiver:

SIMON

Simon Says Detective McClane is to

stand on the corner of 138th street and Amsterdam, which is in Harlen,

if I’m not mistaken....

A STREET SIGN: "AMSTERDAM AVE", crossed at a right angle with "138TH ST."

MOVING UP AND PANNING around --

On each corner of this intersection is a business: A bodega, a bar, a laundromat, and an APPLIANCE SHOP.

ON 138TH ST. - DOWN FROM THE BAR - A NEIGHBORHOOD GANG

all 20’s and late teens, are hanging out on the bar’s delivery bulkhead in their bathrobes, laughing, smoking Cigarettes and drinking beers. They are watching --

The two BIGGEST GANGMEMBERS (GANGMEMBERS 1 & 2) playing black-jack on an overturned milk carton. It’s high- stakes. . The carton is covered with cards and money.

ACROSS THE INTERSECTION - TWO BLACK KIDS come down Amsterdam. They are DEXTER 12, and RAYMOND,

10. Dexter is lugging a big STEREO RECEIVER. The kids walk toward the appliance shop on the corner.

| 10.

The place is jammed with refrigerators, washing machines, stereos, T.V. s, etc.

DING! a bell on the door sounds as the kids enter.

ZEUS CARVER, 29, black, comes through the maze of junk. He has confidence, a strong sense of himself. He looks people in the eye. He doesn’t like weakness or indifference. He’s a man with things on his mind. He is often angry, due to attitudes and conditions which have prevailed in this country for the last 300 years...

Zeus walks up to the boys. He’s known them since they were born; they’re his nephews.

Tony wants to sell you this.

Dexter hands Zeus the stereo receiver. He examines it.

; DEXTER It ain’t hot.

Zeus opens the cash register and pulls out two twenties and a ten. He hands the bills to the kids.

p te

Dexter reaches for the bills. Zeus retracts then. Now a series of questions. Sort of a routine...

So who’s gonna help you?

ae

That’s right.

Satisfied, Zeus offers the bills again. Dexter snags them. They smile at Zeus and tear out the door.

Zeus carries the stereo to the work bench, muttering: ZEUS : Ain’t hot. Thing’s so hot you could fry an egg on it. CuT TO:

A block away, a POLICE VAN rolls up. Stops at the curb.

In the back compartment, John McClane sits with Chief of

Detectives Cobb. McClane wears nothing but a terry- cloth bathrobe, socks and shoes.

. The VAN DRIVER leans into the back compartment.

Cobb turns to McClane.

McClane swivels around and lowers his robe. Taped to his bare back is a SMALL CALIBER PISTOL.

McClane swivels back around. Cobb looks at him. -Frowns.

r

They stare at each other.

watching? MCCLANE (shakes his head; a pause)

What the hell is this all about?

McClane takes a deep breath and opens the van door.

McClane gets out of the van in his bathrobe.

Cobb hands McClane a LARGE WHITE SANDWICH BOARD from the van. (The kind worn by street advertisers: two pieces of plywood connected with twine.)

McClane slips off his bathrobe and tosses it to Cobb. He’s now in boxer shorts, socks, and dress shoes.

McClane nods. The police van pulls away from the curb, does a U-turn,

and heads south on Amsterdan.

McClane watches the van go.°

He turns and looks at the run-down surroundings.

He puts on the sandwich board.

We are behind him. We can’t see the front of the board.

McClane heads north on the sidewalk, heading toward 138th street, one block away.

FOLLOWING MCCLANE - as he walks.

UP AHEAD - A BLACK WOMAN, 50’s, comes out of a decrepid brownstone and walks down the front stoop. She turns south on the sidewalk, heading for McClane.

McClane and the Black Woman Pass each other. McClane walks past her and keeps walking.

THE BLACK WOMAN stops, wide-eyed, double-taking. She looks over her shoulder at McClane.

McClane continues to the corner of 138th and Amsterdan. There, he stops.

CLOSE ON McClane - Sweat beads on his brow. His eyes dart in all directions. :

MCCLANE’S POV - PANNING AROUND THE INTERSECTION

No traffic. Quiet sidewalks. McClane’s eyes PAN from the bodega, to the liquor store, to the laundromat, to ZEUS CARVER’S APPLIANCE SHOP. His eyes lock on -

THE GANGMEMBERS playing cards down 138th street. They are wrapped up in the game. They do not see hin.

BACK TO SCENE - MCCLANE wipes the sweat from his forehead. Under his breath:

Across the street, outside Zeus’s appliance shop, DEXTER and RAYMOND are staring at him. Dexter whispers to Raymond. They go back into the appliance shop.

An electric stove is jacked up on cinder blocks. Zeus is under it. We only see his legs.

The front door bell DINGS.

ZEUS

What are you doing back here? I’m busy.

Zeus, muttering under his breath, slides out from under the stove, a red-hot SOLDER GUN in hand.

He looks up at Dexter and Raymond.

They point to the window. zeus walks to the window and separates the grimy venetian blinds with his fingers.

He looks out. He blinks. He looks again, squinting. He comes away from the window. Says to Dexter:

Dexter and Raymond stare at Zeus.

Dexter and Raymond run toward the back of the shop. zeus goes to the door. Exits the shop.

Zeus comes out of his shop, the solder iron still in hand. He looks around the intersection. Across the

street, the GANG MEMBERS are hanging out, playing cards, Oblivious to anything unusual.

zeus looks south-easterly, at the other corner.

It is a bizarre, surreal sight.

In blazing sunshine, on the worst street in Harlem, a

white man is standing in boxer shorts, socks, and shoes, wearing a large white sandwich board. It is McClane.

The front of the board,’ in huge red letters, reads: I HATE NIGGERS

Zeus blinks. He frowns. He thinks. He walks diagonally across the intersection.

MCCLANE sees Zeus coming.

Zeus approaches him. He stops in the street ten feet from McClane, eyeing him quizzically.

They stare at each other. Zeus’ eyes dart from McClane to the GANG MEMBERS on the

corner.

' Not to get too personal, but a white man standing in the middle of Harlem wearing a sign saying "I hate Niggers" has either got some personal issues or he’s a few boats shy of a fleet.

(comes closer, voice lowering) I’m talkin’ to you, man: you’ve got ten seconds, maybe less, before those guys see you. If they see you, they’11 kill you. Do you understand me?

I can’t explain now. Out of the corner of his eye, Zeus sees --

THE CARDGAME - ONE OF THE PLAYERS (GANG MEMBER 1), having lost a big hand, flings his cards over his opponent’s head. The cards twirl like little frisbees TOWARD THE INTERSECTION CORNER.

The opponent (GANG MEMBER 2).chases the cards. He grabs a couple. He is nearly in the intersection. Suddenly he freezes --

He stands up, looking straight at McClane.

The other GANG MEMBERS, nei seurng the flight of the cards, also see hin.

THE GANG MEMBERS are now standing on the opposite corner of the street, staring at McClane and Zeus.

MCCLANE turns to Zeus, his speech clipped, urgent:

Yeah, I heard it on the news.

Whether Zeus believes McClane or not, it’s too late now. THE GANG MEMBERS start across the street.

obviously not crazy, but I want you to act it. Like Looney Toons, okay?

McClane nods, acknowledging this.

The GANG MEMBERS are upon them.

They circle around McClane, staring at the sandwich board. They are amused. Sort of. They smile.

After an ice-cold pause:

is.

The Gang Members look at each other. Some LAUGH.

Gang Member 1 comes up close to McClane. Looks: at McClane’s sandwich board.

GANG MEMBER 1

God, huh? Does your god hate niggers too?

(pulls a switchblade

from his pocket) He better, deuce. You’re gonna need him. (over shoulder, to other Gang Members) -‘Let’s fuck this guy up.

Gang Member 2 steps forward. Stares at McClane. Then he turns to Zeus.

The other Gang Members LAUGH.

Zeus stays put. Doesn’t budge. The Gang Members crowd in around McClane. Gang Member 1, brandishing the knife under McClane’s nose, motions to the sandwich board.

TWO GANGMEMBERS lift the back face of the sandwich

an

is.

board, roughly, over McClane’s shoulders, and fling it to the ground. The boards CLATTER on the ground.

McClane staggers forward, his torso now exposed. Taped to the small of his back is the .22 clip handgun.

Zeus sees the gun before anyone else. He lunges behind McClane and RIPS the gun from McClane’ s

back, tape and all.

zeus brings the gun down, training it on the Gang Members, wildly, back and forth, from member to member.

Startled, they recoil.

Except for Gang Member 1, who sticks the switchblade under McClane’s chin.

A tense pause. Zeus cocks the gun. His hand is rock steady.

Gang Member 1 tosses the knife down. He backs off. McClane joins Zeus. At this moment --

A HARLEM LIVERY CAB comes up to the intersection and stops at the light. It’s right next to then.

zeus points a gun at THE LIVERY CAB DRIVER, who looks back with wide, terrified eyes.

Zeus motions to McClane. McClane moves to the cab, Zeus following, stepping backward, the gun trained on the Gang Members.

They get in the cab. It roars off down Amsterdan, leaving --

The Gang Members running after the car, SHOUTING OBSCENITIES, throwing beer bottles, etc.

McClane and Zeus sit in the back seat.

Up front, the LIVERY DRIVER, is quaking in his seat. He thrusts money into the back seat.

Zeus rolls his eyes. Hands the money back to hin.

: ZEUS Ahh man, I ain’t robbin’ you. Just get us outta here. Head downtown. Run the lights.

' LIVERY DRIVER You got it boss!

The car lurehes forward. CcuT TO:

We are the P.0.V. of someone sitting in a parked: car at 139TH AND AMSTERDAM, one block north.

We have just seen the foregoing incident. We lower © BINOCULARS from our eyes, hand them to someone in the passenger seat, and engage the gears. We pull away from the curb.

The car is rocketing down Amsterdan. Zeus turns to McClane. Hands him the gun.

- MCCLANE Yep. (pronouncing it latino: “hey-zoos") Jesus, right? (extends his hand) I owe you one. You’ll be compensated for any loss of livelihood.

now? . MCCLANE Chill, out, Jesus. I1/’11 have a car sent up. ZEUS Chill out? Speak like a white person.

(beat) . And where do you get off callin’ me Jesus? Do I look Puerta Rican?

He didn’t say "hey-zoos." He said, “Hey. Zeus." My name is Zeus.

McClane looks Zeus over. Smiles.

McClane notices -=-

THE LIVERY CAB DRIVER is making strange eyes at McClane and Zeus in the rear-view mirror. (remember, McClane is almost entirely nude).

ROARS through the interSection at BROADWAY AND 80TH.

Zeus (v.o.) Pull this goddamn cab over right now!

Cops and detectives come and go on the stone staircase of the largest police precinct in the world.

The livery cab pulls up. McClane gets out. He pulls his wallet out of his sock (he’s still in his underwear) and pays the Driver.

Zeus stays seated in the cab.

_ Zeus frowns. He gets out of the cab. He follows McClane up the stairs into the precinct.

TWO UNIFORMED cops exit and come down the stairs. They pass McClane and Zeus, stopping, doubletaking.

Cobb is behind his desk, on the phone. The phone is

hooked up to a TELEPHONE CALL TRACING MACHINE. Lambert sits in front of the desk, flipping through a large stack of FILES.

McClane’s putting his clothes back on. Cobb. hangs up the phone. Turns to McClane.

I‘d remember it. We’re up the wrong tree anyway. He’s not going to use his real name.

MAN IN CORNER

‘I disagree, Lieutenant.

vd McClane turns. In the corner is a MAN, 40’s, smoking a pipe.

A pause.

Schilling puffs his pipe.

- MCCLANE Speak English.

CHARLES WEISS, head of N.Y.P.D.’s Incendiary Control and Forensics Team, or I.C.F.T. (i.e., the "Bomb Squad") enters the office, carrying a SAMSONITE BRIEFCASE.

Weiss is a frenetic, serious little guy who likes his job a little too much.

Weiss sets the briefcase on the desk. Attached to the briefcase is a SMALL BOX with a protruding ANTENNAE.

WEISS

Ten pounds of plastique, just like he said. The detonation system’s not a fuse, not a timer. It’s that.

(points at the box) Radio transmittor. Super high, super delicate frequency. Now watch.

He pops open the briefcase. A HUGE PACKAGE OF PLASTIQUE. EXPLOSIVE and a BLASTING CAP is within. Wires run from the transmittor to the blasting cap. ‘

Lambert, seeing the explosive, recoils.

WEISS

Take it easy. It’s disarmed. The beauty of this system is that it can be detonated from anywhere up to ten, twenty miles away.

(he looks up at the

others) Your boy’s no amateur, Arthur. This is the most sophisticated system in the world. Army stuff. SEAL team stuff. Most terrorists don’t have this stuff...

Weiss picks up the briefcase, goes to the door.

Joe, start with the military. Special Forces and Navy Seals. Any discharge less than honorable, any psycho case.

Cobb and McClane look through the window at --

IN THE BULLPEN - Zeus CARVER sits with DETECTIVE WALSH at WALSH’S desk. Walsh is typing. Zeus is giving Walsh his statement.

Suddenly Cobb's phone BUZZES. COBB’S Secretary pops her head in the office.

Everyone exchanges a glance.

Cobb goes to the phone and turns on the TRACING MACHINE. McClane, Lambert, and Schilling gather around the desk. Cobb hits a button, connecting the SPEAKER PHONE.

After a lengthy pause:

SIMON

I’m hurt. Really. I’m not very happy. He wore the board and stood on the corner. Congratulations. Marvelous. Where are my pigeons?

(cheery) , I had two pigeons bright and gay, They flew from me the other day. What was the reason they did go? You cannot tell; for you do not know.

Cobb, McClane, and Lambert exchange looks.

COBB ~ He’s here.

Cobb motions to Lambert. Lambert goes to the door and leans out, motioning frantically to WALSH AND Zeus.

Meanwhile, Simon continues:

Walsh and Zeus enter the office.

Zeus looks at the phone. Looks at everyone else.

stake. (beat) You’d better hope he calls back.

A dreadful silence falls on the room. Everyone stares at the phone.

The phone RINGS. Cobb springs for it. Punches the button. The call connects.

CLICK.

COBB

Simon? Please. Simon? He spoke out of turn.

happen again?

(low, sinister) What’s your name, boy?

SIMON

I’1l call you tarbaby if I like. I was going to spare you; now I’ve changed my mind.

(pause) Simon Says: McClane and Zeus take a cab to the subway station at 72nd and Broadway. I will call you both in fifteen minutes at the payphone in the island. Any police escort or - failure to answer my call will cause non-compliance. By now you’ve found my briefcase - you understand the severity of the penalty.

Walsh hustles out of the office.

Everyone looks at Zeus.

I was a fool to get messed up in this in the first place. Have fun.

‘Zeus is almost out the door.

McClane’s voice stops hin:

Zeus turns. Levels cold eyes at McClane:

. ZEUS | I hope they’re white.

And he continues out the door. Cobb turns to McClane:

McClane hurries out the door <--

- and runs after Zeus, who is walking quickly toward the exit. He heads him off. Zeus stops.

Of course I know it, it’s in Harlem. I played there when I was a kid.

Zeus frowns. He wearily turns and follows McClane back to Cobb’s office and we --

McClane and Zeus are exiting Cobb’s office and Cobb is barking orders:

. COBB John, don’t play around - do exactly what he says. Ricky and Joe - get a civilian vehicle from the undercover guys. Follow ‘em to 72nd, but keep your distance - and keep me informed!

McClane and Zeus disappear through the exit doors. Lambert and Walsh go the other way to the motor pool.

Cobb goes back in his office. Mumbles: COBB Simon Says. Shit. (hits the intercom on his . phone) Janie, get me the Mayor’s office.

A YELLOW TAXI CAB sits at the curb. A UNIFORMED PATROLMAN holds the door open for <-=-

McClane and Zeus who race down the stone steps. They hop in the taxi; the door is slammed shut; the taxi speeds off into traffic.

The taxi pulls up to the curb on Broadway. McClane and Zeus scramble out and run across the street.

The station entrance is on an island in the the middle of the intersection, directly above the train track. Next to the station is a NEWS KIOSK.

Next to the kiosk is a PAYPHONE. McClane and Zeus run up to the phone.

sits at the curb. Detectives Walsh and Lambert in it. Walsh speaks into ac.b. RADIO

A WOMAN, 30’s, well-dressed, is talking as McClane and

aa

Zeus approach.

a

Zeus reaches into the cubicle.

_Horrified, she grabs her bags and moves off.

McClane turns to Zeus.

ZEUS

Let’s get something straight: you need me more than I need you. . If you don’t like the way I do things, fine.

(walks away from the

phone) I quit.

And the phone RINGS!

zeus stops, turns, eyeing the ringing phone. McClane and Zeus lock eyes, glaring at each other.

MCCLANE

He said you have to be here.

(Zeus doesn’t move) All right. I. need you.

(Zeus doesn’t move;

McClane sighs) All right, I need you more than you need me. .

Zeus reluctantly goes back to the phone. McClane answers the phone. zeus crowds in next to McClane, sharing the receiver.

" MCCLANE Hello. °

SIMON

Birds of a feather flock together, And so will pigs and swine. Rats and mice all had their chance, And so will I have mine.

(beat) Why was the phone busy? Were you calling someone?

. SIMON I believe you, John. Oh, my! It’s time for a pop mental aptitude quiz.

Simon laughs. McClane and Zeus exchange a glance: "What the fuck..?"

. MCCLANE Wait! What’s the penalty? SIMON Oh. The trash receptacle next to

you?

McClane and Zeus look at the WIRE TRASH CAN next to them which has been IN FRAME the whole time.

‘33.

SIMON (cont’d)

Every wife had seven sacks, Every sack had seven cats, Every cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks and wives, How many weré going to St. Ives?

(beat) , My phone number is 555 and the answer. Call me in thirty seconds

or die. CLICK. McClane stares at Zeus. MCCLANE What was it, seven wives at St. Ives? ZEUS

Shut up. I’m good at this stuff.

McClane shuts up. Zeus’s mind is going overdrive.

Shit, you’re Fight. So it’s let’s see...seven wives, forty-nine sacks, three hundred and forty-two cats and two thousand....

(does the addition) Two thousand, eight hundred!

The call connects.

McClane grabs Zeus and dives away from the phone booth, screaming to SURROUNDING PEDESTRIANS: °

McClane and Zeus land in a heap on the pavement, covering up. Seconds pass. Nothing happens.

McClane sloowwly looks up.

A BUNCH OF NEW YORKERS are staring at then.

The PHONE RECEIVER is swinging by its cord, and emanating from it WE HEAR SIMON LAUGHING.

McClane and Zeus get up and go back to the phonebooth. McClane lifts the receiver.

McClane and Zeus collapse against the walls of the payphone compartment, breathing hard.

McClane looks down at a big VENTILATION GRATE next to

the payphone. Twenty feet down, through the GRATE, he can see PEOPLE on the platform, waiting for the train.

Suddenly the metal ventilation grate VIBRATES. We hear the DULL RUMBLE of a train pulling in.

SIMON

This morning I left something provocative on it. Explosive even.

(suddenly low, dark,

and very fast) Simon Says get to the payphone at the south end of the Wall Street station next to the news kiosk by 5:20 or the number 5 train, and all its passengers, will cease to exist. If you use any means of travel other than a civilian vehicle, I will blow the train. If you make any attempt to close or evacuate the subway system, I will blow the train. I will call you in thirty minutes. You'd better be there. Toodle-ooh.

CLICK.

McClane hangs up. He looks around, panicking.

McClane and Zeus look down. BELOW them, PASSENGERS are stepping onto THE FIVE TRAIN. The doors SLAM shut.

The train pulls away from the subway platform.

Zeus Where are we, low 70’s? Here to Wall Street in thirty minutes?

“ MCCLANE It’s possible.

morning rush hour. It’ll take at least forty minutes. We don’t even

have a car.

McClane dashes off the island into the street, FLAGGING A CAB. The cab pulls over.

McClane flashes his N.Y.P.D. SHIELD at the DRIVER.

The driver, an ARAB, looks aghast at McClane.

. ARAB CABBIE No Englie, no Englie....

McClane yanks open the door. The Arab driver reluctantly gets out. McClane gets in, Zeus in the passenger side.

They settle in. McClane grips the wheel.

ZEUS

I used to @drive a cab. I know the best routes. Ninth Avenue...

McClane throws it in drive. The car BOLTS forward. McClane throws the steering wheel. THE TAXI FISHTAILS into a U-TURN, heading into TRAFFIC. ONCOMING CARS veer to the side, SCREECHING. .

MCCLANE throws the steering wheel again.

The taxi hops the curb, SLIDING, TIRES WAILING, and ROARS down 72nd Street, now heading EAST. :

ACROSS THE STREET - IN THE IMPALA Walsh and Lambert pull away from the curb, giving chase.

THE TAXI blasts through the red-light at the intersection, narrowly missing --

1) a baby carriage;

2) three guys in business suits; and,

3) two nuns (who are still] praying)

zeus clutches the dashboard, eyes wide.

ZEUS

Where the hell are you going!? I’m telling you: Ninth Avenue is the quickest way south.

Walsh drives. Lambert’s on the radio. LAMBERT They’re heading east on 72nd toward Central Park.

Again, another red light. Gridlock. Two TRUCKS in the intersection. Six, maybe seven feet between then.

The taxi is approaching the intersection at 80 m.p.h. --

Zeus throws up his hands, waiting for the inevitable

ott.

impact. Which doesn’t come.

The taxi shoots between’the bumpers of the trucks, SCRAPING METAL, SHOOTING SPARKS --

And flies into CENTRAL PARK on the CENTRAL PARK THRUWAY!

THE IMPALA, trailing, doesn’t make it. It fishtails, attempting to stop, and runs up on the curb.

Walsh bangs on the steering wheel.

zeus 1s staring malevolently at McClane.

WALL STREET IS SOUTH.

Don’t yell at me.

(again, calmly:) The best way south isn’t Ninth Avenue, it’s through the park. TI mean that in the...

(jerks the wheel t

the right) ...iliteral sense...

THE TAXI hops the curb into the JOGGERS’ LANE.

PEDESTRIANS, BYCYCLISTS, ROLLERBLADERS scramble and dive

out of the way as the taxi SMASHES through the wood railed fence and heads pell mell into --

THE SHEEP MEADOW. Now heading south! Through the park!

McClane is driving like hell across the sheep meadow! zeus is catatonic.

THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD - IN THE MEADOW - PEOPLE

who, seconds ago, were relaxing, are now “—eiNs out of the way.

~- A GUY WITH A FRISBEE nearly catches a Pender. -- A PASSIONATE COUPLE, NECKING ON A BLANKET, does a

logroll out of the way. -- A WHITE-FACED, JUGGLING MIME tosses his juggling pins and runs.

The taxi flies on. Headed toward the softball fields. cut TO:

Two teams of out-of-shape BANKERS and LAWYERS are ‘reliving their highschool glory days.

The taxi RIPS into the infield, slinging dirt, missing

the Baserunner by inches. It roars through the diamond, heading for the CENTRAL PARK SOUTH THRUWAY.

McClane grips the wheel with white knuckles. zeus is having a coronary.

The taxi SMASHES through the wooden railing, now

ENTERING the thruway, fishtailing through the jogging lane, and SLIDING headlong into traffic.

Zeus looks at his wristwatch.

; ZEUS Twenty-seven minutes.

McClane looks at Zeus. He glares at back. McClane floors it.

THE TAXI flies out of Central Park onto 6th Avenue . (Avenue of the Americas) and runs straight into - AN IMPENETRABLE WALL OF TRAFFIC. °

Everything has come to a dull, painful crawl. McClane scans the Avenue.

Gotcha. Done deal. McClane clicks on the c.b. Adjusts the band.

A pause, as we hear a PHONE RINGING, then:

- MCCLANE (frantically) Two officers down at the corner of 14th Street and 9th Avenue! We need an ambulance, this is an emergency!

McClane slams down the radio and jerks the wheel, banging a right on 57th street. He turns to Zeus.

McClane guns it. The car flies down 57th Street.

Uneventful. A NURSE wheels a PATIENT up the entrance ramp.

Suddenly the hospital’s E.M.S. (Emergency Medical Services) GARAGE DOOR (located on 9th Avenue) rolls open and an E—.M.S. AMBULANCE VAN roars out onto 9TH AVENUE, heading south, its SIREN BLARING WHOOOP WHOOP WHOOP.

ACROSS THE STREET - ON 57TH ST. - THE TAXI

comes flying around the corner, fishtailing onto 9th Avenue, falling in behind the ambulance!

MCCLANE

That’s the ticket - pick up some blockers, then go for the endzone.

McClane punches the accelerator, sels ewang the AMBULANCE.

ne

All the way down 9th avenue, cars pull to the curb. The sidestreet traffic halts. As --

The AMBULANCE, siren WAILING, roars through intersection after intersection, running interference for MCCLANE AND ZEUS IN THE TAXT!

McClane drops the hammer. 40 miles an hour. 50. 60. Block after block flies by.

zeus looks at McClane, impressed.

McClane guns the car and --

The AMBULANCE skids to a stop in the intersection. Paramedics scramble out, looking frantically around for the "officers down."

McClane veers to avoid the ambulance in front of hin. He clears it and accelerates through the intersection.

Zeus looks at his watch.

McClane bangs a left on 12th Street.

. MCCLANE You’ll see.

cur TO:

The West Village. oo, A sign on the subway entrance: SHERIDAN SQUARE. The taxi pulls over in front of the Subway stairs.

MCCLANE | So we're probably ahead of ‘the train, right? >

. MCCLANE That’s exactly what I’m thinking.

McClane gets out of the taxi. Leans in the window:

McClane hands Zeus the gun; Zeus looks at it.

I’m deputizing you.

zeus reluctantly takes the gun.

- MCCLANE ‘See you on Wall Street.

And McClane runs. down the stairs into the subway!

Zeus watches McClane race off. He tosses the gun on the seat, then throws it in drive and speeds off.

cuT TO:

McClane dashes down the stairs to the platform. He jumps the turnstile and sees -=-

The NUMBER 5 TRAIN’S DOORS are closing.

4s.

McClane turns, vaults the turnstiles, and runs back up to the street level.

sprints down the sidewalk on 9th Avenue, arriving at VENTILATION GRATE ABOVE THE SUBWAY TRACK.

He kneels and lifts up the grate, tossing it aside.

He lowers himself into the ventilation hole, hanging there by his fingers.

THE SUBWAY train passes beneath him, still moving Slowly, accelerating into the tunnel and <-- .

MCCLANE releases his grip, falling onto --

‘~~ the ROOF OF THE DRIVER’S CAR.

The SUBWAY DRIVER looks up, astonished at --

MCCLANE, outside, clinging to the door of the driver’s car, BANGING on the window.

The driver opens the door; McClane slides inside. He flips out his detective’s shield.

McClane opens the back door of the driver’s compartment and enters the first subway car.

The taxi, Zeus at the wheel, flies through traffic.

Zeus looks up through the windshield at --

Zeus’ POV = WALL STREET’S WORLD TRADE TOWERS loom over the sky-line, just ahead.

BACK TO SCENE - Zeus lowers his eyes to the street. OH MY GOD --

A TRACTOR TRAILER is in the intersection ahead of hin.

Zeus slams on the brakes.

The taxi screeches to a stop at the light.

zeus nervously taps his fingers on the wheel, waiting for the truck to make the corner.

Suddenly the back seat door of the taxi opens. zeus whirls around, staring at -- °

A GUY IN A BUSINESS SUIT sitting in the backseat. Zeus has picked up a passenger! And he’s a snotty guy:

BUSINESS GUY

No. Your light’s on.

(beat) Let me make this simple: take me to Wall Street or I’1l have you’re medallion suspended.

(beat) What, you don’t like white people?

zeus glares at the guy. Sighs.

. ZEUS Fine. 112 Wall Street it is.

THE LIGHT turns GREEN. Zeus FLOORS it. The taxi sprints through the intersection.

The train is rocketing through the tunnel. McClane comes through the doors connecting two cars.

It’s not very crowded. Some STOCKBROKERS. A few LADIES.

He moves down the aisle, stooping low, looking underneath the rows of molded fiberglass subway seats.

‘He pauses. Looks up at --

A LADY. She adjusts her legs. She thinks he’s trying to look up her dress.

McClane hurriedly moves the length of the car. Goes through doors into the next car.

The streets are filled with five o’clock commuters. We HEAR an ENGINE GUNNING.

The taxi ROARS up at 50° Miles an hour and careens to the curb. Zeus gets out and runs down the steps to THE WALL ST. SUBWAY STATION.

The Business Guy in the backseat stares straight ahead, eyes like saucers. (One can only imagine what &he rest of the trip was like.)

One of the larger stations in Manhattan, distinguished by a HUGE DIGITAL CLOCK and even bigger DIGITAL STOCKS AND BONDS QUOTRON, both of which hang from the ceiling of the train platform, giving Wall Street commuters up- to-the-minute market prices.

At the south end of the long platform is the WALL STREET NEWS KIOSK. Next to that is a public TELEPHONE.

AT THE TURNSTILES - ZEUS runs up to the turnstiles and jumps over one.

A TRANSIT COP, eating a donut, sees hin.

Zeus doesn’t look back. He keeps right on going. The transit cop hops over a turnstile and gives chase.

Zeus runs through the crowd, smashing into people like a Pin-ball.. Overhead, the HUGE DIGITAL CLOCK reads: 5:18.

Zeus reaches the PAY PHONES by the news kiosk, huffing and puffing. A BUSINESSMAN stands in front of the phone, fishing for quarters in his pocket.

CcuT TO:

McClane is frantic now, moving down the aisle of a car, looking under the seats. He looks at his watch.

INSERT ~- MCCLANE’S WATCH: 5:19

BACK TO SCENE - MCCLANE wipes sweat from his eyes. Continues into the next-to- last car, bending, stooping,

f

looking under the seats.

There. There it is. Something under the seat.

McClane rushes to it. GOMMUTERS stare at him as he gets on his hands and knees and looks under the seat.

A BUNDLE OF PLASTIQUE EXPLOSIVE, a black box transmittor attached to it, antennae protruding, is fixed to the underside of the seat with boxing tape.

Very slooowwly, with sweat streaming down his face, McClane begins to rip the tape off. He finally unleashes the explosive, stands up, and begins walking, tenderly, toward the back of the train.

Zeus is by the phone, nervously watching the clock.

The Businessman is fishing for quarters in his pocket. THE DIGITAL CLOCK flips to 5:20. ° And the BUSINESSMAN finds his goddamn quarters! He begins sliding them in the money slot of the phone.

zeus pulls his gun and points it at the Businessman.

The Businessman looks at Zeus and, alarmed, begins to. back away from the phone.

We HEAR the CLICK OF A REVOLVER behing Zeus. And then:

VOICE (v.0o.) DROP THE GUN AND GET YOUR HANDS UP!

Zeus freezes. Drops the gun.

THE TRANSIT cop stands ten paces away, revolver cocked. COMMUTERS on the platform run for cover. WOMEN SCREAM.

Zeus looks at the Transit Cop. Looks at the phone. And the PHONE RINGS.

zeus slowly raises his hands. The Transit Cop grabs him by the collar, spinning hin,

eon

pushing him face-first against the wall. The phone RINGS again.

- ZEUS Look, I have to answer that.

The PHONE RINGS for the third time. And just then -- _ emanating from the Subway Tunnel - WE HEAR THE RUMBLE OF THE TRAIN coming into the station.

Zeus stares at the phone, panicking. And it RINGS for the FOURTH TIME.

The Cop spreads Zeus’s legs and begins to pat him down.

McClane is moving through the last car with the bonb, SCREAMING at PASSENGERS.

THE PASSENGERS, panicking and HOLLERING, scramble through the door into the front cars.

McClane gets to the back door of the last car. He looks out the window. The TRAIN TRACKS fall away from the moving train.

He sets the plastique on a seat and jerks the door handle. It’s JAMMED. McClane strains. Looks at his watch. It’s 5:20.

He strains with all his might. It won’t open!

The cop is patting down Zeus’s legs, frisking him. The phone rings again. The fifth ring. The sixth.

Zeus’s RIGHT HAND (plastered against the wall) inches toward the phone receiver. He grabs it off the cradle, whips around, and SMASHES it against the Cop’s temple.

The cop goes down, writhing in pain, his revolver falling on the platform. Zeus grabs the gun and trains it on the cop, holding him at bay.

ae

ce

SQ.

The phone is dangling from its metal cord. Zeus grabs it and SHOUTS into it:

After a pause:

CLICK.

ZEUS looks at the phone in terror and turns to --

THE FIRST CAR OF THE TRAIN emerging from the tunnel.

ZEUS cowers in anticipation of the explosion.

; ZEUS Get down!

The Businessman and the Transit Cop look at Zeus, confused, as if he’s a lunatic.

- The SUBWAY CAR is entering the station.

We FOCUS on THE WHEELS OF THE CAR inching toward --

An ELECTRONIC DETONATOR attached to the subway track. It’s a wire stretched across the rail, connecting two

' Circuit breakers; the passing of the first subway car

will cut the wire, and thus trigger the detonator...

McClane gives up on the door handle.

He thrusts his elbow through the glass window of the

subway door. He grips the bundle of plastique and --

FLINGS it through the smashed aperture in the window. THE PLASTIQUE falls on the tracks and --

MCCLANE dives forward, sliding across the car’s floor to the other end of the car. He covers up, but --

NOTHING HAPPENS.

MCLANE, confused, uncovers and looks around as --

~- THE WHEELS OF THE FIRST CAR roll over the wire of the detonator, breaking the circuit. THE DETONATOR flashes, sending a signal to -- ‘

-- the bundle of PLASTIQUE EXPLOSIVE which McClane flung from the train. . The plastique DETONATES.

A HOLOCAUSTIC EXPLOSION erupts in the tunnel, knocking the train’s back car off the tracks and tipping it over.

The EXPLOSION blasts a hole in the CEILING OF THE SUBWAY TUNNEL, creating A CRATER in the middle of Wall Street.

ON THE SUBWAY STATION PLATFORM - THE FIREBALL erupts from the tunnel opening with fury and impact, knocking -

ZEUS, the BUSINESSMAN, the TRANSIT COP and other COMMUTERS to the platform floor.

Then it is over.

COMMUTERS are running for the exits, SCREAMING.

The CEILING SPRINKLERS have come on.

The TRANSIT COP is on his knees, searching for his gun. Zeus, groggy, gets to his feet, the sprinklers showering her. He peers through heavy smoke at --

THE TUNNEL OPENING - A MAN

is emerging from the tunnel opening past the derailed train. He comes through the smoke and train wreckage.

It’s McClane. His forehead is cut and bloody.

He climbs up onto the station platform and walks up to ' Zeus and the transit cop. He flips open his N.Y.P.D. SHIELD for the cop.

McClane and Zeus look at each other.

r

There is a HUGE CRATER in the middle of Wall Street. FIREMEN are spraying chemical fire retardant into the cratered hole.

The intersection is a tangle of firetrucks, ambulances and police cruisers. The area around the crater and subway station is closed off with POLICE BARRICADES.

T.V. NEWS TEAMS conduct interviews, jockey for position. The sidewalks are filled with rubbernecking STOCKBROKERS and LAWYERS.

BEHIND BARRICADES - ON THE BACK BUMPER OF AN AMBULANCE - MCCLANE and Zeus sit. An E.M.S. PARAMEDIC applies a butterfly bandage to McClane’s cut forehead. Zeus is drinking coffee, staring into the smoke, watching PARAMEDICS carry off the injured. -

Lambert and Walsh come up to then.

Shit, I don’t know how you did it, but you did it.

(Walsh kneels in front

ef McClane) John, but.you’ve got to help us on this... Think. Some guy who’s got it in for you. Some kid you beat up in highschool, who knows.

Ricky, I’ve been thinking about it.

McClane turns and looks. COBB is outside the barricades, motioning to him.

McClane and zeus get up: and move past the barricades, following Cobb.

A dark VAN is parked in an alleyway down the street from the blast site. TWO MEN in dark suits and sunglasses stand by the van. Their dress and demeanor indicate they are federal agents.

McClane and Zeus follow Cobb to the van. One of the dark-suited men opens the door for then. Cobb cliimbs in; McClane and Zeus follow. —

McClane and Zeus get in and sit next to Cobb. In the back of the van is a BANK OF COMPUTERS and PHONE MODUMS manned by a young F.B.I. AGENT.

IN THE SEAT OPPOSITE are TWO MEN, 40’s, staring at them. ANDREW CROSS and WILLIAM JARVIS are deadly serious, career G-men. A BRIEFCASE sits on Jarvis’ lap.

McClane and Zeus shake Cross’ hand. McClane turns to Jarvis.

‘ COBB The situation’s worse than we thought, John.

S4.

- CROSS Detective McClane, four years ago the communist bloc’s top field operative, an East German, was caught attempting to assassinate the leaders of the new democratic regime in Romania. He was sentenced to. life imprisonment in a Bucharest jail. Six weeks ago he escaped. We have positive confirmation he’s pierced United States soil.

Cobb exchanges a look with Jarvis and Cross.

A pause. McClane’s eyes narrow.

Jarvis flicks open his briefcase and removes a C.I.A. INTELLIGENCE DOSSIER. He closes the briefcase and sets the dossier on his lap. It is stamped with a government seal: "PRIORITY TOP SECRET."

Jarvis turns the dossier around and opens the cover.

CLOSE ON MCCLANE as he looks at the dossier. His jaw muscles tighten; his eyes darken.

Now we see --

INSERT - INSIDE THE DOSSIER is A PHOTOGRAPH of HANS GRUBER (played by Alan Rickman in "Die Hard.") standing in front of East Berlin’s Brandenberg Gate, smiling, his arm around someone we cannot see because the other half of the ° h_is ob ed_b } ape

BACK TO SCENE

He removes the sheet of paper from the photograph --

INSERT ~- THE DOSSIER PHOTOGRAPH - Hans Gruber’s arm is around a YOUNGER MAN, also smiling, a younger and more ‘sinister version of Hans.

BACK TO SCENE

MCCLANE stares at SIMON GRUBER, the brother of the man he killed. His mind is racing. He swallows hard.

Jarvis flips through the dossier. ’ He reads Simon Gruber’s intelligence report as McClane flips through more PHOTOGRAPHS.

; JARVIS Simon Gruber. Born February 13, 1952 in Dresden. Conscripted in the East German army, 1970.

PHOTOGRAPH - SIMON GRUBER in a military uniform.

PHOTOGRAPHS - SIMON GRUBER exiting an automobile in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

PHOTOGRAPHS - SIMON GRUBER on a bridge over the Danube in Vienna. SIMON GRUBER moving through a crowded street in Budapest.

PHOTOGRAPH = SIMON GRUBER with a BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN in a cafe in Amsterdan.

JARVIS

Sit down, Mr. Carver. Simon Gruber has come to New York and he’s not very happy with Detective McClane. Or you, for that matter. Because of the use of explosive, we’re inclined to think Simon’s with this man --

PHOTOGRAPH - A. dark, compact MAN on a street in Eastern Europe.

'57. There’s a KNOCK on the van door.

The -van door opens. Detective RICKY WALSH leans in the door with a grim expression. Says to Cobb:

Everybody stares at the phone in Cobb’s hand.

F.B.I. agent in the

back of the van) Tommy. Speaker.

Cobb hands the phone to a the young F.B.I. agent (TOMMY) in the back of the van, who puts the cellular phone in a modum with a speaker capability. We HEAR SIMON:

SIMON : Let’s see, I bet there’s John MeClane, and Zeus, and who from the F iBsleics?

A pause. Cross clears his throat.

still wear those horn-rimmed glasses, they’re so unbecoming.

Everyone looks at Jarvis’ horn-rimmed glasses. Jarvis grits his teeth.

CLICK.

SIMON — If I told you that it wouldn’t be fun, would it? By the way: the bomb’s detonator is set to receive the police ban frequency. I’d avoid using your radios.

Everyone stares at each other.

I gaurantee you he isn’t.

There’s A KNOCK on the van door. The door opens. Charlie Weiss from the N.Y.P.D. bomb squad sticks his head in the van.

WEISS

Arthur, we traced the explosive from the bomb in Central Park. The manufacturer’s in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I called ’em. They had a break-in over the week-end.

(beat) You won’t believe this. Twenty- eight hundred pounds of C-4 high- density plastique explosive. That’s the equivalent of what we dropped on Hiroshima.

Everyone looks at each other.

Simon gave us a riddle. The answer was twenty-eight hundred.

McClane turns to Zeus:

McClane and Zeus exit the van, hustling down the alleyway for Washington Square Park.

Cobb turns to Cross and Jarvis:

e

COBB is behind the barricades. All the POLICE, FIREMEN, and E.M.S. workers are crowded in front of him.

Walsh moves off yelling at the T.V. NEWS TEAMS.

Cobb continues:

The cops scurry off. Cobb mutters to no one in particular.

We are on rooftop 25 stories above the blast site. Below, on Wall Street, the cops are scurrying off to try to find the bomb in the school.

A MAN is at the edge of the roof, looking down. He~- turns away and we are face-to-face with --

SIMON GRUBER, age 42. Everything about this man is disconcerting: his physicality, the way he moves, the

way he lights a cigarette. His eyes are very blue, yet dead, like a shark. His smile is ironic, detached.

MATHIAS TARGO, next to Simon, nods. Targo is Hungarian, 30’s, compact and deadly. He never smiles.

Simon flips open a cellular phone, punches numbers. SIMON Go. Simon and Targo turn and look north, up Greenwich Avenue, toward Tribeca. A mile away they can see --

SIMON’S POV =~ FROM ROOFTOP VANTAGE - TEN HUGE INDUSTRIAL DUMPTRUCKS wheel around a corner and head down Greenwich Ave. toward Wall Street.

BACK TO SCENE

Simon pockets the cellular phone and turns to Targo, who wears a grim expression.

Simon smiles; Targo maintains his grim expression.

. TARGO You have more in common with your brother than I thought.

Simon’s smile vanishes. He is instantly cold, detached.

Simon turns and walks off. Targo watches him.

nti,

An N.Y¥.P.D. airport security captain hangs up a phone and turns to his sergeant:

They’ve got a situation over there = and don’t use your radios!

The sergeant hurries off and we --

An N.Y.P.D. Bridge and Tunnel Captain screams at his SUBORDINATES, who hustle for the door.

An emergency briefing. The room is filled with uniformed cops and detectives, some still entering.

COBB is in the front of the room with a huge map of Greater New York, breaking down assignments.

A police motor pool garage - a line of a hundred N.Y.P.D. cruisers. As each cruiser exits the garage,

the cop at the wheel hands his ¢.B. POLICE BAN RADIO to a_cop collecting then.

The switching center for all police communications. A row of THIRTY DISPATCHERS sit at their phones. The pace is frantic. Obviously, the volume of calls has just drastically increased.

WANDA SHEPHERD, the head dispatcher, a wiry, chainsmoking, frenetic woman, watches her staff.

She turns and walks down the corridor, running into --

Sgt. JOHN TURLEY, N.Y.P.D. Chief of Internal. Communications. Turley’s natural calm is the mirror opposite of Shepherd’s natural frenzy.

Turley takes her arm and pulls her toward the dispatch. room.

. The park at the bottom of 5th Avenue. It is mid-day and packed. Baby strollers, rollerbladers, a few artists. A Juilliard violinist plays for quarters.

McClane and Zeus come across the park; they stop at the phones next to the fountain in the park’s center.

They stand there by the phone in silence. Zeus is eyeing McClane.

. ZEUS

He’s twenty-nine. He owns an appliance shop. He’s divorced because - none o’ your fuckin’ business. And somebody’s trying to kill him because he saved some white cop’s ass.

They eye each other.

| MCCLANE You think for five minutes we can get around this black white thing?

They eye each other. Then they talk at once, the pace and intensity increasing:

_ ZEUS .- Ahh man, you’re not going to shovel this bullshit at me...

-And I don’t give a rat’s left testicle if you’re black, or white, or green.

Silence. They glare at each other.

The phone RINGS.

They continue staring each other down. Neither moves.

McClane grabs the phone.

McClane motions to Zeus, who comes up close. They share the phone receiver. Reluctantly.

Zeus takes the phone.

_ MeClane reaches to the roof of the phonebooth.

His hands lower, holding a CARDBOARD BOX.

McClane sets the box on the ground and opens it. McClane and Zeus stare at --

INSIDE THE BOX - A WEIGHING SCALE (the household variety) attached to a DIGITALLY TIMED DETONATOR.

THEIR POV - PANNING THE EDGE OF THE FOUNTAIN

We move past a couple kids, an old guy smoking a cigarette...TWO PLASTIC JUGS with HANDLES sit by the lip of the fountain.

BACK TO SCENE

McClane and Zeus exchange a look.

MCCLANE’S looking over Zeus’ shoulder. His face darkens. He says under his breath.... ,

zeus whirls around and looks at -=- THEIR POV = ACROSS THE POND - A CHILDRENS’ PARK

about 50 yards away. A swingset, a jungle gym, a

ne,

teeter-totter, etc. A GROUP OF KIDS and THEIR MOTHERS

and NANNIES are playing. The kids are tear-assing around the place. Under the jungle gym, A SAMSONITE BRIEFCASE glints in the sunshine.

BACK TO SCENE - Simon continues: SIMON Exactly four gallons in one of the

jugs. I emphasize exactly. You have twenty minutes.

Mclane and Zeus look down in horror as <--

The DIGITAL TIMER on the detonator flicks on. It reads: 20:00. Then flips to 19:59 and begins counting down: 19:58, 19:57, 19:56....

: SIMON If I told you it wouldn’t be fun? Would it John.

CLICK.

SIMON clicks off his cellular phone; we see that he’s on street level as we WIDEN TO --

SIMON and TARGO, both wearing hardhats and suits and ties. They walk toward --

TWO UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS guarding the barricaded perimeter of the blast site from pedestrians. Al) the

other police, fire, and E.M.S. personne) _ and vehicles hav Vv a) wi in. ool.

In the b.g. the TEN INDUSTRIAL DUMPTRUCKS are pulling up to the site and parking next to the blast site.

Simon approaches the cops. He opens his wallet and flashes proper credentials.

| 68. SIMON

The mayor wants this train up and

running - that’s where I come in.

We’re going to clear the rubble and gauge the extent of damage.

COP l (laughs) Come on, we’ll take you down.

The two cops lead Simon and Targo down the station steps. Simon stops. Targo continues behind the cops, pulling A SILENCED HANDGUN from a shoulder holster.

Targo and the cops round the corner, descending to the platform. We hear SILENCED GUNSHOTS, then the sound of bodies collapsing. .

TARGO comes back up the staircase, nodding to Simon. SIMON turns to the dumptrucks and motions.

TWO MEN get out of the lead dumptruck, dressed as (N.Y.P.D. patrolmen. They take the dead policemens’ places behind the barricades.

MR. LUCK, the driver of the lead dumptruck, backs up to the cratered hole in Wall Street. The bed of his truck rises, dumping out PORTABLE STEEL RAMPING GIRDERS.

Several other DUMPTRUCK DRIVERS leave their trucks; they pick up the ramping: girders and begin erecting a ramp from the street level to the subway track below.

A DUMPTRUCK backs up to the crater. OTHER DRIVERS ' offload a TUNNEL DIGGER (used in mining operations - a machine that digs huge holes), and a MASSIVE CRATE.

The DIGITAL TIMER on the detonator (attached to the scale) is counting: 15:32, 15:31, 15:30, etc. McClane has the jugs in hand.

Pie

_ MCCLANE Obviously we can’t get four gallons in the three gallon jug.

The FAKE COPS are standing guard. The DRIVERS are building the steel ramp into the crater.

We’re in the tunnel, 50 yards from the station platform.

SIMON and TARGO stand on the tracks, watching --

THE TUNNEL DIGGER spewing dirt out of 10’ by 6’ aperture that’s been jackhammered in the concrete wall of the subway tunnel. It backS out. The TUNNEL DIGGER OPERATOR turns to Simon: .

Simon nods to Targo.

Targo crowbars open the HUGE CRATE we saw unloaded from the dumptruck, revealing a six-foot diameter, diamond- tipped HYDRAULIC DRILL mounted on treads. He gets behind the controls and starts the engine.

A JACKHAMMERED HOLE in the subway wall. The hole is lit with battery powered construction lamps.

INSIDE THE HOLE - MR. LUCK (the lead dumptruck driver) is on his belly next to an ELECTRICAL CONDUIT the size of a log. The conduit’s steel casing is ripped open, exposing HUNDREDS OF SEPARATE ELECTRICAL WIRES.

Mr. Luck cuts and clamps a WIRE from the conduit onto a large black box with numerous gauges labeled: SEISMIC DETECTION MONITOR. He prepares to snip the OLD WIRE --

TWO FEDERAL MARSHALS sit behind a bank of monitors. VIDEO MONITORS show the interior of VAULTS. Next to these are SEISMIC DETECTION MONITORS exactly Jike the

kind being used by Mr. Luck.

-- the seismic detection monitors briefly wobble. Federal Marshal 2 sees the glitch out of the corner of his eye and whirls around in his chair.

The SEISMIC DETECTION MONITORS appear normal.

’ FEDERAL MARSHAL 2 Nothin’.

Federal Marshal 1, satisfied, exits the roon.

The ramp is now fully constructed. The DUMPTRUCKS are. backing down the ramp onto the subway tracks.

Each DRIVER gets out and climbs into the bed of his dumptruck, releasing the tailgate. They drive SKID STEERS (compact, powerful, earthmoving vehicles) off the trucks. They drive the skid steers down the tracks.

Simon is looking down the subway tracks. DOWN THE TUNNEL -- a FLASHLIGHT flashes on, then off.

INSIDE THE DRILLING HOLE - MATHIAS TARGO, seated behind the hydraulic drill, operates levers. The ENORMOUS DIAMOND-TIPPED BIT lifts up and pushes forward into a WALL OF TUNGSTEN STEEL ARMOUR PLATE.

A modest, non-descript bank lobby. It’s quiet. Little activity. No customers.

THREE GUARDS are on duty: one behind the front desk; Two by a metal detector in the corridor to the elevators.

THREE BUSINESSMEN enter the lobby, carrying briefcases. They speak with English accents.

They move toward the front desk.

Tarog’s drill WHINES within the drilling hole.

SIMON turns and nods to SIX MEN with silenced machine pistols who move into the drilling hole.

BARS OF GOLD BULLION on PALLETS are stacked floor to ceiling. Suddenly the walls vibrate. The floor shakes until the whole room is rattling and --

TARGO’S HYDRAULIC DRILL BIT explodes through the wall. Red LIGHTS flare. A siren sounds.

The Federal Marshals stare, astonished and startled, at the VISUAL MONITORS as the drill bit breaks through!

Federal Marshal 1 stabs the EMERGENCY BUTTON. An ALARM CLANGS. Federal Marshal 2 speaks into a microphone.

FEDERAL MARSHAL 2

Breach in the main vault. I repeat, we have a breach in the main vault.

SIRENS WAIL in the floors below. The LOBBY GUARDS react with alarn.

The ENGLISH BUSINESSMEN pull silenced pistols from their coats and shoot the guards.

They drag the corpses into the back corridor.

One of the Businessmen, (NIGEL), strips off his suit jacket and shirt, revealing a FEDERAL MARSHAL’S UNIFORM

underneath. He walks back to the lobby, scooping up the hat of a dead guard. He puts the hat on.

The OTHER TWO BUSINESSMEN get in the elevator and descend.

Eight heavily armed FEDERAL MARSHALS run down the corridor. They assemble around the vault door.

Federal Marshal 1 punches a code into a keypad: © it is the COMBINATION for the vault door.

We HEAR the Monitor Room's door open. The Federal Marshals look up and cringe. PHHHTT! PHHHITT! Both are shot dead in their chairs.

TUMBLERS electronically roll and a motor HUMS. The vault door begins to slowly open.

Around the vault door, the team of Federal Marshals, breathing heavily, brace for a firefight.

FOUR DISKS scuttle across the tile floor. Coming from behind then.

The FEDERAL MARSHALS stare at the disks. They EXPLODE, spewing gas. The Marshal’s recoil, then collapse, unconscious.

THE TWO ENGLISH BUSINESSMEN step toward the vault door. They move inside the vault, coming face-to-face with --

“INT. BANK - MAIN VAULT

-- their comrades entering from the drilled hole. Then, supremely, comes Simon Gruber. He stands there, blue eyes flashing, staring at --

34 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S GOLD CURRENCY gleaming on the pallets, stacked to the ceiling.

' SIMON Gentlemen, I present you with a golden opportunity..

THE DETONATOR’S TIMER counts down: 6:18,-.6:17, 6:16...

- MCCLANE

I thought you were good at this stuff. ZEUS

Shut up. If we pour the three gallon into the five gallon...

Zeus quickly grabs the five gallon jug. He submerses it. It quickly fills with water.

McClane, anxious, kneels next to hin.

McClane hands Zeus the three gallon jug. Zeus pours the five gallon jug into the three gallon jug until the water comes to the brin.

Zeus holds up the five gallon jug. It’s 2/5ths full.

zeus empties the three gallon jug into the fountain. He picks up the five gallon jug and pours EXACTLY two gallons into the three gallon jug.

During this, passing PEOPLE have begun to notice. McClane and Zeus get increasingly strange looks.

McClane looks at the timer.

Zeus pauses.

_ MCCLANE Do the rest of it.

Oh christ.

McClane grabs the handle of the three gallon jug (filled with EXACTLY two gallons), trying to YANK it from Zeus.

zeus holds on. They stand there, each with a handle. They pull back and forth.

“MCCLANE Let go. I’m starting over.

They both look down at <-- THE SCALE’S DIGITAL TIMER: 4:00, 3:59, 3:58....

They stand there, each pulling on a jug handle. And now, out of the corner of his eye, McClane sees --

McClane’S POV - BY THE JUNGLE GYM - A 5 YEAR-OLD BOY

is next to the SAMSONITE BRIEFCASE. He is picking it up by the handles. He smiles. Laughs. He’s cute.

BACK TO SCENE - MeClane’S EYES twitch with terror.

Zeus follows McClane’s eyes to the jungle gym. “McClane screams at the little boy’s MOTHER:

A PALLET OF GOLD BARS as THE BUCKET OF A SKID STEER rams into it and we widen to --

Simon’s men are scooping up the huge pallets of gold bars. They move the gold like gravel, or rocks, with emphasis on speed. Bars are CLANGING on the ground.

Skid steers, laden with gold bars, roll up to the dumptrucks and empty their loads.

SIMON AND TARGO watch from the platforn. Simon looks at his watch.

. CUT TO:

THE SCALE’S TIMER reading: 00:31, 00:30, 00:29....

MCCLANE AND ZEUS are still trying to wrest the jug from each other. Both are furious, insistent:

MCCLANE

Goddamn it, let go or I’ll kick your ass back to Harlem, you.....

McClane catches himself. An icy pause.

(looks at the timer) Twenty seconds.

gym, panicking) Fuck this. Let’s get rid of the bomb. ,

But McClane isn’t listening:

McClane holds up the three gallon jug.

McClane sets the three gallon jug down. He pulls the five gallon jug out of the pond.

McClane pours the full five gallon jug into the three gallon jug until the water brims at the top.

They stand there, triumphant. Then they remember -- THE DIGITAL TIMER, now reading: 00:05, 00:04, 00:03... McClane puts the five gallon on the scale -- THE TIMER freezes at 00:0}. McClane and Zeus sink to their knees,

hyperventilating as --

THE PHONE next to the fountain RINGS. McClane goes to the phone. Grabs the receiver.

We HEAR HANDS CLAPPING over the phone receiver.

CLOSE ON MCCLANE - as he listens to Simon Jeugh. McClane can’t articulate it yet, but he’s been here before. He has a feeling, a hunch.

Simon on the platform.

In the b.g. the dumptrucks are filled with gold Bullion. Each truckbed is topped with a layer of dirt to cover the gold, then covered with a tarpaulin.

INTERCUT - SIMON AND MCCLANE

Simon clicks off his phone. Smiles.

McClane hangs up the phone. He pulls out a pen and records the card catalogue number.

McClane walks off.

r

" ZEUS Hey. You forgetting something?

McClane stops. Turns. Zeus is pointing across the park to the jungle gym, at the SAMSONITE BRIEFCASE with the bomb in it.

McClane and Zeus exit Washington Square Park, McClane : : : wi .

it~ They head north on Fifth Avenue. Behind them they hear SHOUTING. They turn. :

DOWN THE STREET ~- TWO KIDS, both about 12 or 13, come tearing out of a KOREAN DELICATESSEN a block away. They get on bikes and begin pedaling down the sidewalk. The proprietor, an irate KOREAN, exits the deli and chases.

The Korean Proprietor pulls up, panting... He curses and walks back to his store.

The kids pedal across the intersection, laughing, laden with stolen candy, bags of chips, sodas, etc., heading | straight for McClane and Zeus. As they pedal past --

McClane sticks his arm out, collaring KID 1. The bike CLATTERS on the sidewalk.

The other kid pedals over to McClane. McClane let’s go of Kid 1. He falls on his can on the Sidewalk. He glares up at McClane.

the city.

TWO POLICE CRUISERS race past on Fifth Avenue, sirens BLARING.

CLOSE ON MCCLANE - the wheels are spinning again. He’s been here before and now he comes to a decision. °

McClane grabs Kid 2 by the collar and lifts him off the bike. He hands Zeus Kid 2’s bike.

He picks up Kid 1’s bike off the sidewalk. Then, with the samsonite briefcase in Hans, he pedals off down the sidewalk, heading south!

zeus turns to the shocked Kids and smiles. ZEUS It’s Christmas. You can steal anything you want.

And Zeus pedals off after McClane, leaving -- THE KIDS on the sidewalk, staring slack-jawed.

DOWN THE SIDEWALK - ZEUS pedals up to MCCLANE.

McClane pedals on down the sidewalk. Zeus, scowling, pedals after hin.

A small street perpendicular to Wall Street.

McClane and Zeus pedal down Christopher Street, stopping at the intersection of Christopher and Wall Street. Mcclane dismounts his bike.

THE LAST OF SIMON’S DUMPTRUCKS is lumbering past McClane and Zeus, moving east. Zeus and McClane take no notice. McClane looks to his right --

MCCLANE’S POV - WALL STREET (LOOKING WEST)

The Wall Street subway station is three blocks away. The TWO FAKE COPS (Simon’s men) are standing guard.

BACK TO SCENE - MCCLANE

looks around. His brow is furrowed, he is thinking a mile a minute, and he turns 180 degrees --

MCCLANE’S POV =- PANNING 180 DEGREES FROM WALL STREET (LOOKING WEST) TO WALL STREET (LOOKING EAST)

The NEW YORK FEDERAL RESERVE BUILDING looms up about three blocks east. A grand, marble-pillared building.

BACK TO SCENE - MCCLANE’S EYES glint and now he thinks he’s onto something:

I don’t know’myself. Just do it, zeus. Humor me for five minutes.

McClane walks toward the Federal Reserve. Zeus frowns, exasperated, and walks toward the subway.

zeus pedals up to the ‘Station, stopping behind the barricade. .

The two cops turn, see Zeus. They walk over. :

The two fake cops look at each other.

The two cops look at each other again. The tension is mounting.

And strangely, they move outside the barricades and walk off down the street.

Zeus watches them, perplexed. He looks around.

He notices THE RAMPS leading into the crater.

He dismounts the bike, sets down the samsonite briefcase, and steps past the barricades, heading toward the crater.

MCCLANE enters the lobby. Calm, uneventful, no cvstomers.

THREE FEDERAL MARSHALS stand guard: one behind the front desk; two at the METAL DETECTOR. They are SIMON’S MEN who commandeered the building.

McClane steps up to the Guard (Nigel) behind the desk. He flips open his detective’s shield.

Nigel exchanges a tense glance with the other guards,

then smiles at McClane, and says, jn an American accent:

The other guards apporach.

McClane follows the Guards across the lobby. They move past the metal detector and down the side corridor.

McClane continues toward THE STAIRWELL in front of him.

e

McClane stops. He turns. The Desk Guard (Nigel) is pointing at the elevators.

CLOSE ON MCCLANE - Something isn’t kosher here. Something Nigel just said.

McClane stops suddenly, turns, and begins looking around the corridor and lobby.

| MCCLANE Hey, fellahs? I think I know what’s bothering me.

As McClane walks away from the guards, he reaches inside

his jacket and pulls his gun from his shoulder holster.

THE GUARDS nervously look at each other. They didn’t want to kill McClane here but now they’1l have to.

THE GUARDS begin to pull their handguns and level them at McClane’s back, but --

MCCLANE spins, diving to the floor, his gun up and firing. In rapid succession McClane shoots and kills Nigel, Freddy and the other fake guard.

McClane gets up and steps past their corpses.

McClane gets in the elevator and descends.

Zeus walks down the ramp onto the subway platforn. Simon’s abandoned SKID STEERS sit there.

zeus jumps onto the track and follows the line of abandoned equipment, toward the drilling hole.

| 85.

McClane comes down the corridor with extreme vigilance, . training his gun left and right.

He passes the monitoring roon. The TWO FEDERAL MARSHALS are dead in their chairs.

McClane comes to the vault. The door is open. The other Federal Marshals are unconscious on the ground. McClane moves vigilantly inside --

McClane enters. He looks at the DRILLED HOLE IN THE WALL. He HEARS something coming through the hole.

Zeus, emerges, throwing up his hands.

McClane, relieved, lowers his gun. Zeus moves into the vault. They look around stupified. All the gold is gone.

McClane picks up a GOLD BAR at his feet. He hands it to Zeus. Zeus’ eyes widen, glinting in the reflection of the gleaming gold bar.

a,

They stare at each other, realizing that the last dumptruck was leaving when they arrived.

McClane moves quickly to the vault door, saying to Zeus over his shoulder <--

zeus frowns. He drops the gold bar and follows McClane. The gold bar THUDS on the floor.

McClane and Zeus run down the steps of the bank. - MCCLANE runs to a PUBLIC PHONE on the corner. Punches numbers. The call connects and we hear:

The THIRTY DISPATCHERS are blue in the face, handling ten times the normal volume.

Head dispatcher WANDA SHEPHERD is chainsmoking, watching her staff. She screams down the hall.

She lights another cigarette and --

MCCLANE anxiously tapping his fingers, waiting for the phone to connect.

e

" MCCLANE Christ, is every fuckin’ cop in the city using this line....?

DOWN THE STREET - ZEUS jogs along the curb, checking parked cars. He comes to a YUGO with it’s window half open. He reaches inside, unlocking the door.

_ ZEUS McClane!

McClane slams down the phone and runs over to Zeus. They get in, Zeus behind the wheel.

wire?

zeus pulls a plastic folder from his pocket, opening it, revealing a small set of ELECTRICIAN’S SCREWDRIVERS.

zeus throws it in a gear.

THE YUGO pulls over by the subway blast site. The door opens. MCCLANE’S HAND reaches out and grabs the samsonite briefcase. The Yugo sputters off.

Bomb Squad Chief Charlie Weiss stands outside a public school in the Bronx. The entire block is baricaded off. A SUBORDINATE is briefing hin.

Wiess looks up as TWO BOMB SQUAD members come down the. steps of the school, shaking their heads at Weiss.

Weiss turns to his people. WEISS

Franklin Elementary on Courtland

Park Avenue. Let’s move it, people! Weiss and his men mobilize for the next school and we --

The Yugo struggles up the ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge

and stops. Zeus and McClane get out. Cars WHIZ past, HONKING. Zeus and McClane look around.

From this vantage they can see: 1) to the east, the

Brooklyn Bridge; 2) to the west, lower Manhattan, Wall Street, the Bowery; and 3).to the north, the F.D.R. Expressway stretching up the East River.

ZEUS’ AND MCCLANE’S POV - SCANNING THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE There are no dumptrucks on the bridge.

BACK TO SCENE

zeus is pointing toward -- ZEUS’ AND MCCLANE’S POV - NORTH ON THE F.D.R.

Lumbering up the F.D.R., about a mile north, is a line of TEN INDUSTRIAL DUMPTRUCKS.

BACK TO SCENE - MCCLANE AND ZEUS

get in the Yugo and roar down the ramp onto the F.D.R.

SEVERAL POLICE VANS are parked in the rotary island at Columbus Circle. A make-shift N.Y¥.P.D. Command Central.

Chief Cobb sits in an open van, chewing gun. Joe Lambert and Ricky Walsh are reporting to hin.

a

UP AHEAD - THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD - The dumptrucks move slowly in the right lane, about 3/4ths of mile ahead.

What about the library? We’ve gotta get that disarming code.

oe

They stare at each other, it dawning on then.

Zeus is pointing out his side window at --

A MERCEDES moving in traffic right next to them. At the wheel is a YUPPIE STOCKBROKER engrossed in conversation on a CELLULAR PHONE.

McClane and Zeus exchange a knowing glance and we --

THE MERCEDES’ TIRES SQUEALING away from the F.D.R. Expressway’s breakdown lane.

The Yuppie stands there, open-mouthed, watching his Mercedes drive off. The YUGO is parked behind hin. Suddenly the Mercedes stops. The window rolls down. McClane sticks his head out. Screams at the Yuppie.

The Mercedes SQUEALS off, fishtailing into traffic.

oe

McClane is now driving. He grabs the cellular phone and punches buttons.

" MCCLANE This is more like it.

At this point they’re at about 60th street. The call connects. McClane listens to a RECORDING:

McClane punches "redial" and waits.

The Mercedes moves under an underpass. AHEAD, the expressway veers around a several corners.

THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD - we can no longer see THE DUMPTRUCKS; they’ve gone around a corner.

COBB, on the phone:

INTERCUT - COBB and MCCLANE

‘Arthur, just listen to me.... The line CRACKLES with static, then a DIAL TONE.

McClane punches "redial" again. The Mercedes is emerging from the underpass. zeus is looking ahead, through the windshield. ZEUS McClane.

THEIR POV - THROUGH WINDSHIELD - THE F.D.R. AHEAD - The dumptrucks are gone. They’ve vanished.

McClane and Zeus look around frantically. The dumptrucks have seemingly vanished. Then:

Zeus points and McClane looks --

THEIR POV - A SINGLE DUMPTRUCK is wheeling down a SIDE STREET off the F.D.R.

CUT To:

HENRY ROLLINS, the N.Y.P.D. Captain of Traffic Police, is on the phone with Arthur Cobb.

to close a fuckin’ popsickle stand. You took ‘em already.

(he settles) All right, all right. I can give you a hundred guys. Five to ten for - every bridge and tunnel.

COBB on the phone with Henry Rollins:

Cobb hangs up and dials another number.

McClane and Zeus are panicking.

airbags?

McClane SLAMS on the breaks and throws the wheel. Tne mercedes FISHTAILS into the left hand lane.

McClane throws the wheel again. The Mercedes SMASHES through the guardrail and flies into the SOUTHBOUND LANE of the F.D.R.

ONCOMING CARS SCREECH, locking up their brakes as --

THE MERCEDES ROARS across the three southbound F.D.R. lanes, SMASHES through the far guardrail, and careens . wildly onto 86TH STREET.

MCCLANE throws the wheel, powersliding into a U-turn. He floors it and SPEEDS after the dumptruck.

The Mercedes closes on the DUMPTRUCK McClane and Zeus saw from the F.D.R.

The Mercedes overtakes the dumptruck, then SWERVES in front of it, SCREECHING TO A STOP, blocking it.

The dumptruck stops. McClane and Zeus get out. McClane approaches the dumptruck, gun drawn, hollering:

The terrified DRIVER throws up his hands. He gets out of the cab, quivering.

McClane, still training the gun on the driver, backs up toward the bed of the dumptruck. He climbs onto the bumper and looks in the truckbed.

THE TRUCKBED - is empty.

McClane steps down from the bed, lowering the gun. He flips open his detective’s shield...

ent

McClane’s brain sparks with understanding. It’s all clear to him now. He turns to Zeus.

McClane hand Zeus the slip of paper on which he recorded the card catalogue number.

McClane and the driver move quickly to the truck.

; ZUES McClane, goddamn it....

But McClane is gone. Zeus scowls. He runs to the Mercedes.

The point at which the aquaduct reaches Manhattan.

a

A LINE OF DUMPTRUCKS iS entering the tunnel; ANOTHER LINE OF DUMPTRUCKS is exiting.

PAANING PAST THE TRUCKS ENTERING THE TUNNEL - SIMON’S. DUMPTRUCKS have fallen in line. We see MR. LUCK and SIMON’S OTHER DRIVERS behind the wheels of their trucks.

SIMON, in the lead dumptruck, sits with Targo, who drives. Targo, grim as usual, looks at his watch.

Simon, smiling, picks up his cellular phone as his truck enters the aquaduct tunnel.

A DISC JOCKEY, on-air, sits with his feet propped up (a song is playing). His phone FLASHES. He picks it up.

A GREEK proprietor behind his counter. A Customer comes charging in..

A LADY CUSTOMER hears this, alarmed.

Two guyS are jogging, one listening to a walkman. The guy with the walkman stops. Rips off his headphones.

" JOGGER 1 . Jesus Christ, there’s a bomb in one of the schools in New York.

The Mercedes pulls up to the curb, double-parking. zeus gets out and runs up the steps.

cuT TO:

The dumptruck with McClane and the driver roll up to the aquaduct tunnel opening.

They begin to enter the TUNNEL ENTRANCE.

Jerry Parks gives McClane a funny look.

McClane. gives Jerry Parks a funny look.

Jerry Parks’ dumptruck rumbles into the Aquaduct and

pulls into =--.

THE PUMPING STATION EXCAVATION SITE - here,

an enormous

subterranean room is being dug for the aquaduct’s pumping station. BACKHOES are filling the DUMPTRUCKS

with excavated dirt and rubble.

AT ONE END OF THE PUMPING STATION - we see the actual _ AQUADUCT TUNNEL OPENING - a 32 foot diameter tube. ~

Jerry Parks pulls up next to the BACKHOE OPERATOR.

- MCCLANE (yells)

DID ANY TRUCKS PULL INTO THE TUNNEL?

McClane turns to Jerry Parks.

Jerry Parks gulps and --

‘Zeus runs down the steps with a LIBRARY BOOK under-his arm. He gets in the Mercedes.

Zeus settles in behind the wheel. Looks at the book. It is entitled:

Simple Solutions to Complex Problems by physicist Richard Eichman. Zeus stares at it. He flips through it. Shakes it to see if anything falls out. Starts the ignition and ROARS off.

CuT TO:

A circular tunnel, 32 foot in diameter. SIMON’S TRUCKS roll through the tunnel at 40 n.p.h.

One of the trucks stops. The nine other trucks continue up the aquaduct.

CROWDS OF PEOPLE are packed around the garages, demanding to get their cars. The ARAB PARKING ATTENDANT

is freaking out.

The bridge from Manhattan to the Bronx.

The entrance to the bridge is starting to fill.

Cars are trying to evacuate the city and everyone has headed for the bridges and tunnels.

zeus’S MERCEDES, flying through traffic, cutting off cars, swerves onto the bridge as behind him --

The block around the bridge becomes hopelessly bottlenecked. The TRAFFIC COPS arriving to block off

the bridge can’t reach the bridge.

McClane, in Jerry Parks’ dqumptruck, rumbles up the tunnel.

McClane’s looking through the windshield. He comes around a corner.

UP AHEAD - THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD - we see THE TAIL LIGHTS OF A DUMPTRUCK sitting in the tunnel, the truck from Simon’s convoy which stayed behind.

McClane stops. He thinks a moment.

In the seat next to him is Jerry Parks’ hardhat. He picks up the hardhat, thinking.

Two of Simon’s men, NILS AND KLAUS, watch nervously through the side rear-view mirrors as --

IN THE SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR ~- THE MAN draws closer and now he speaks:

McClane appears in the window of the truck cab. (next to Nils) The tunnel is dark; McClane’s face is obscured by the hardhat.

Nils and Klaus say nothing.

A tense pause.

NILS looks closely at McClane, recognizing him as -- KLAUS brings up his handgun, leveling it at McClane.

MCCLANE reaches in the window, grabs Nils by the collar, YANKING his head and torso forward in the seat-as --

KLAUS FIRES - the bullet hits NILS in the head and MCCLANE brings his handgun up, shooting KLAUS. Klaus | falls forward against the dash, dead.

McClane opens the cab door. Nils’ corpse falls on the pavement. .

Slides across the seat, opening the door, shoving Kiaus’s corpse to the pavement.

McClane keys the ignition, engages the gears, and starts up the tunnel.

CUT To:

Simon’s dumptrucks are rumbling across TWO STEEL RAMPS bridging A TRENCH CUT IN THE CONCRETE FLOOR; electrical cable is being layed across the aquaduct floor.

Targo is @riving. The c.b. radio BEEPS. Simon picks up the receiver.

TARGO, alarmed, turns to SIMON. CLOSE ON SIMON - his jaw twitchs. His eyes glint.

INTERCUT - MCCLANE AND SIMON

McClane clicks off his ¢c.b., ENDING INTERCUT.

SIMON clicks off his c.b. TARGO is glaring at hin.

They drive. on in silence, the tension palpable.

THE LAST OF SIMON’S TRUCKS rumbles across the steel ramps bridging the electrical conduit trench; this last truck shakes one of the ramps loose. The ramp falls into the conduit trench.

CuT TO:

Here the aquaduct is sealed with a CONCRETE RETAINING WALL supported with STEEL GIRDERS. Beyond the retaining

wall is a wall of water.

Simon’s convoy pulls up in front of the retaining wall.

To the left is a CONSTRUCTION. VEHICLE EXIT RAMP, leading up to ground level.

Simon and Targo get out of their truck. " TARGO He’1ll be here in minutes. What are we going to do? Simon thinks a moment. He looxs at --

THE RETAINING WALL holding back the water from the rest of the aquaduct.

Zeus’s mercedes is driving up the Saw Mill Parkway He pulls off the road and looks at --

- An ORANGE SHED HOUSE on the side of the parkway, built

over the ventilation grates to protect the public. It

is marked: DANGER: CONSTRUCTION BELOW.

zeus pulls back on the parkway, following the aquaduct.

The dump trucks are exiting the tunnel up the construction vehicle exit ramp.

MR. LUCK and TARGO finish rigging the retaining wall with a package of C-4. They get in the last remaining truck in the tunnel and pull up the exit ramp.

- EXT. NORTHERN BRONX - AQUADUCT EXIT

Targo’s dumptruck comes up a ramp to street level, joining the other dumptrucks.

Targo nods to Simon, who removes a transmittor detonator from his pocket; he presses the button and --

-- the plastique EXPLODES, blowing the retaining wall, releasing the water into the rest of the aquaduct. —

Simon turns to Targo.

Simon gets in his truck; the convoy of dumptrucks pulls out-onto the Saw Mill, ‘heading north.

Targo motions to Mr. Luck and ANOTHER MAN. They walk to the southbound lanes of the Saw Mill River Parkway.

Targo walks right into the middle of the Parkway. AN ONCOMING B.M.W. locks up it’s brakes, fishtailing to a stop ten feet from Targo. The driver gets out.

The B.M.W. Driver suddenly backs up, terrified. TARGO steps past him, a machinegun trained at his head.

Mr. Luck gets behind the wheel, the other man next to him. Targo gets in the back with the machinegun.

THE B.M.W. sprints off.

Truckdriver Jerry Parks stands in front of Arthur Cobb, who’s talking excitedly on the phone.

COBB

That’s right, Charlie. Taft Public, 135th and Columbus.

(clicks off the phone;

Says to Jerry Parks) Thanks.

(screams to Lambert, .

Walsh and others) Let’s go, fellahs!

(punches numbers) Janie, get me the Westchester State Police.

McClane’s truck is parked in front of the cable trench in the concrete floor.

McClane picks up the ramp that fell into the trench. He stops. He hears a WHOOSHING SOUND.

Perplexed, he looks around. He puts down the ramp and walks several paces ahead. The WHOOOSHING gets LOUDER.

AHEAD - THE TUNNEL bends around a curve.

McClane walks around the bend. He stops in his tracks. The OVERHEAD LIGHTS stretching down the tunnel begin to BLINK our.

CLOSE ON MCCLANE - his eyes widen at the sight of --

A 32 FOOT HIGH WALL OF WATER ROOOAAARRING through the tunnel, coming straight at hin.

McClane turns and races back to his dumptruck. The wall of water is gaining quickly.

He gets in the cab.

McClane frantically engages the gears.

He performs the quickest five point turnaround in the history of driving.

He FLOORS the dumptruck, gunning it down the tunnel the other direction. :

THE SPEEDOMETER reads: 20 m.p.h, 25, 30. The truck can’t outrace the water.

THE WALL OF WATER catches the dumptruck.

The force of the water is awesome.

It picks the truck up and carries it, in effect "surfing" the dump truck ahead of the WALL OF WATER.

McClane looks around, frenzied. He climbs out of the cab through the window.

THE WALL OF WATER is behind the truck, pushing it through the tunnel, ROARING all around McClane.

McClane climbs onto the roof of the cab. He turns and looks down the tunnel.

AHEAD - SUNLIGHT is emitting from one of the VENTILATION GRATES in the tunnel’s ceiling.

As the dumptruck passes under the grate -- MCCLANE grabs the bars of the grate, releasing from the

roof of the dumptruck. His shoulder dislocates. MCCLANE SCREAMS in agony. But holds on.

The WALL OF WATER ROARS past him, carrying the dumptruck down the tunnel.

McClane clings to the bars of the grate.

He fights the rushing water. Through sheer will, he moves hand over hand, Dar by bar, to the VENTILATION GRATE’S LATCH. He unlatches it and crawls out.

The force of the water sends a TEN FOOT geyser spouting up from the ventilation opening.

McClane crawls out next to one of the orange sheds marked DANGER, shuddering with pain, the water showering down on him. His shoulder hangs weakly at his side.

The GROUND around him is raked by AUTOMATIC FIRE.

McClane dives behind the orange shed; he is pinned down and can’t move; he draws his gun and returns fire at --

~- TARGO AND MR. LUCK, in the commandeered B.M.W, on a bridge overpass a hundred yards away. .

Suddenly the MERCEDES ROARS up next to MCCLANE, slinging gravel, lurching to a stop next to McClane. >

The door is thrown open.

McClane dives inside the car. Zeus floors it. They roar off as automatic fire BLOWS out the back windshield.

cursing, get in the B.M.W. It speeds down the entrance ramp to the Saw Mill Parkway. oS

Zeus and McClane. McClane is wet, grimacing.

(nands McClane the

book) Here.

McClane stares at the book: "Simple Solutions to

ao we lee woe mw twee eee ce ee we

Complex Problems,” by Richard kiehman.

ZzuUS Don’t ask me. (looks through _windshield)

THEIR POV - THROUGH WINDSIIIELD - THE PARKWAY ABEAD

The K.M.W., heading mouth on the Gew Mill, voers ecross tha median, heading straight for them! Guna RLAZE from tha R.M.W., blowing in the Mercedes f[ront windshield.

MeClane and Zeus duck, come up spitting glass.

The B.M.W. nlidaa inta traffic in a 180 degree turn, narrowly missing oncoming cars, aud comes after tha Mercedes. Targe, in the back scat, leaus out the - window, blasting away --

The back windshield blows out.

MeClane leans out tho window, returning fire. A bullet clips McClane‘’s shoulder.

MeClane recoile inside the uar, bleeding from the wound. Zeus looka at. MeClane, scared ehilless.

- MCCLANE Wa ean’? antran ‘em. Go in thera!

Zeus threwo the wheel. the Mercedes flies off the Parkway into --

A NCDORALD’S driveethru.

Tle Me.cedes blasts across the parking iot and entera the DRIVE-TERU LANE, disappeering around a cornel.

The B.M.W., luk ou lt’s tail, enters the ariveetnru lane and alse disappears.

IN TOE ORIVE-THRU LANE - THE B.M.W. pulls around the cornar and pulls up behind the Mezuvdcs, parked by the FOOD ORDER WINDOW.

Targo, Mr. Luok and the other man snap new Clips in

ee +e (GS. $0 eh Sew ee al we coos ee oot.

io8.

their weapons and unload a vicious, extended tusilades juin the mack ef the Mercedse, riddling it, Lluwiny oul every piece of glans.

They xtop firing. A voice emanates above.

Targo, Mr. Luck and the other man turn, their eyes widening at --

MCCLANE, inside the food erder windew, Jeaning out, his

gun leveled at Mr. Luck,

MCCLANE’S GUN erupts. He shoets Mr. Luck and the other man, killing them instantly.

TARGO comes up tizing, bluewing out the glass of the food order windre ae oo

MCCLANE divee to the fleer. In the Lege, the MCDONALD ’S EMPLOYEES escranm in terror, hugging the flouz.

TARGO climbe behind the wheel cof the B.M.W., hops the enurb and roars off ae --

‘MCCLANE jumpe through the foed order window into tlw

drive-thru lane, emptying hie gun an tha fleeing B.u.W.

Mefiane gree to the Mercedes and opens the door. Zeus is on the flour of the passenger side, cringing. McClane gets bohind the wheel. Viloors it.

The two vehielaa ROAR into the northbound lanee of the perkwey. Sut now McClane is chasing Targo!

sEusS (wetartlied) What?

‘ wee wer ew ~— sew ewe aw we —

You know it? r

"2PM

Yeah I know it. (McClane lJeoks at hin)

It.’n my sons’ school, McClane.

MeClane and Rana atare at each other.

BXT. SAW MILL PARKWAY - TOLL BOOTH

The B.M.W. movaa through the tell beeth. Instoad of throwing change in the COIN CATCHER, Targu throwa a JOAN OF PLASTIQUE EXPLOSIVE and roars through

the Loll booth.

MeClanea and 2eus are approaching the toll booth. MeClane’s staring through the windshield.

MCLANE’S POV - THR TOLL BOOTH - De sees Targo tosningy the plastiqua in the coin catcher.

BACK TO) SCENE

McClane grabs the LIBRARY BOOK and the SAMSONITE BRIEFCASE.

fargo vatches THE MERCEDES approaching tho tell booth. He presses a DETONATOR in his hand.

blows eky high eud -~

—_— em - owe moe eee wwe

MeClanea and Zeus roi} avay from the tell boeth on the pavement, covering up ao ~--

PIECES OF THE MERCEDES AND TOI). RNOTH rain down around them, clattering on the pavement.

THT. R.MLW. © TRAVELLING

Targo looks at the burning car and tull booth in his rear-view mirror. Ha amilose for the first time.

WHEELS SQUEALING AWAY from the toll booth atd widen to -

R lady arands on the side of the sead, watching her STATION WAGON ROAK up the parkway.

MeClane and Zeus in the station wagon, Zeus driving. McClane’s near the end of hin atrength: his right shoulder’s been disloceted; his left shoulder’s gunyhcet; his face is aut and bruised.

TNROUGH THE WINDSETELD - IN THE ROAD AHEAD - We see Targo’e B.M.W.

McClane zeavhes his leg over, stomps on tne accelerelor.

_ 3380S MY SONS ARE IN THAT SCHOOL MCCLANE.

rhe car is swerving all over the highway.

om. | eee atte ite. we eee ee OT me ce 0 a. no)

lili.

(holds up the book) Be gave us shit.

(glares at Zeus) Zeus, wa'va greta make Gimen tell us |

whet this things = He’s gotta give us tha aede - it’s our only chance.

The two man stare at each cthez. Zaur takaa a deen breeth.

He floors the accelerator.

EYT. TAFT GRADE SCHOOL - HARLEM

Thay harrel up, stopping in trent of the schon!.

The araa in barricaded off. Cobb, Lambert and Walsh stand cutside the school. Charlie Weise ef the bomb squad approaches Cobb.

- WEISS We already checked this one, Arthur. Ara you sure?

Weiss I’ve qot fifty guys in there. If it’s here we’l) find it. Rveryuone turns and looks at the school and --

A bleak wharf servicing a SCRAP METAL facilily.

A hulking, rnated, 400 foot CARGO SHIP sits at the dock.

SIMON otands wetching es --

THD OUMPTRUCKS are pushed one by one into the teeth of a METAL SCRAPPER, the largest made. (the first truck,

‘te 1. | ee wow ew

ili2.

driverlean, io pushed by the eccuond in line, the second by fhe third, ete.)

cd

The TEPTR of the scrapper vhuwe the truck's cab, bed, engine and hublion wi a A spitting it out in shredded bits inte the hold of the cargo ship.

MeClane and Zous are on a knoll, lvuvking down through trees at THE WHARF, a quarter mile below. In the b.g. the etation wagon‘’s parked on the side of the Saw mill.

THEIR POV - BELOW, IN TOE WHARF’S PARKING LOT - THE B.M.W. puile in. TARGO ygete out and walks through the parking Int toward the cargo chip.

BACK TO SCENE

McClane pulls out his handgun and inserts ea naw «lip. He pulls up his pantlegs, exposing a: ANKLE NOLSTER. He unstraps the HOLSTFR and hands it to Zeus. <

zEUs Look, MeClane...J...shit, I don’t know if I’m up to this.

Z2wau celuetantly take the ankle hulstes.

MeClane picks up the samsonite briefcase they’ve been earrying since Washington Squere Park and trudges down to the wharf. Zeus follows McClane and wa --

Cur TO:

Cubb, Charlie weiss, and Joe Lampert are staring nervously inside the seheele HUCE WALK IN REPRIGERATOR -

2800 pounds of FLASTIQUE EXPLOSIVE, in a crate marxed GRADE AAA MILK, sits amidst other food products.

INSLRT - THE BOMD’S DETONATION SYSTEM - A DIGITAL TIMEK is ticking dewn, 15:23, 15:22, 15:21..... Next to the timer is ea SMALL COMPUTER KEYBOARD and SCREEN. Thea ECREEN READS:

a we we nt ee :

wens +: lieioentin en Ot - ee Le it Pay ee Me 2S

DISARMING CODF: _ BACK TO SCENE "

- WALSE The principal says it vas delivered this morning.

coBs Can you do anything, Charlie?

COBB , Simon said if he sees one kid leaving he‘1ll blow it manually.

Coss Now do yon know he’s not? (they stare at cach other. Cobb sighr) Prepare an evacuatiun. If McClane doeen‘t call with the code in ten minutes. we evacuata tha anhani.

Everyone etares grimly at. the bomb. CUT TOs

the kids are grouped in the auditorium. A TEACHER is leading them in song.

Thay are singing “Row, row, row your beat."

IN THE BACK ROW - Ceue Carver’s sons, DEXTER and RAYMOND, ara seated vith THREE FRIENDS, waiching -- .

OUTEIDR THE AUDITORIUM - COPS, PIREMEN, and BOMB SQUAD personnel come and go.

DEXTER whiepere to RAYMOND:

a,

| i

Ce ee eres ee

ee SR ee Tol

Nexter, Raymond, and THREE OTHER KIDS sneak oft through the ajala and head teward the back of the auditorium.

cur To:

The FIFTHS dumptruck in line is being shawnd up by the matal scrapper. SGimon‘’s mon are busy operating the scrappar, punahing the trucks into the eorappur, ctc. Simon stands on the wharf, vatching.

A GOLD RAR lands, THUD at his feet.

Simon leeka at the gold bar. Hie jaw muscles tighten. Hv slowly turns, facing --

JOHN MCCLANE who walks quickly up to Simen, his gun

. tzrainad an Simen’s head.

BY TUE TRUCKS AND SCRATPER - TANGO and the OTHER MEN laok over, their faces twioting in shock. They go for

their qune but -- MCCLANE pute hie gun to Simon’s head.

Targe end the other men freeze.

Simon is charactcristically inea cold.

T ean’? de that Jehan.

Vel. ete a wr ee oe.

tt ee : eh a ~T)

McClane cocks tha gun.

eee

Siman, to MeClane’s eurprise, ion’t going to de it. MeClane’s hand shakes with rage.

The tension is tnhaarable.

annem (e.0)

STOP i Everyone whit)s around as e-

ZEUS coman from behind the last dumptruck, hande raised.

z5us Kil] ma inateaad. Just give us code.

MeClane‘s heart sinks. TARGO movee to Zeus, collaring him from behind.

MeClane shouts at Zeus. MCLANE You fuckin’ idiot....

+ Gee See ee oe he

+ fo

eee he ee wow a ww em emt ee we

tte

ZEUS _ (cont ‘d) (to Simon) I got the bonk. © ‘(tlips the pages) Whare is it?

(beat)

If I give you the cody, how will you communicate it to the echeol? Ahh, I kKuow. One of the truck radios. Mathias, we’ll need the pniice band.

Simon and Targe exchange a look. Targo reaches inaide the third truck. (thare are now only four trucks remaining)

Tarago adjnats the band on the c.b. Zeus and McClane look on in horror aa Targo clicks on

the_radio, scnding a sianal....

Zeus grabs fer the radiv but -- Targo piet.al whips him te the ground.

ie John smeClane.... MeClane turna tn Sinan, confused. MCCLANT You said the police hand would detonate the bash.

You son-of-a... MeClane shwuves Simon roughly over to the truck.

Targo, holding fevue at qunpeint, backs ewey. McClane takes the radio.

All uf thw kids are linea up by tha anditorium exit. A TEACHER is going down the line, taking « head count.

CODD and his men are outside in the hallway, watching.

wee Hee ee

—~ ee ee eee

177); A PATROLMAN cumag up to Cobb with a portable ¢-b. radio.

Everyone staraa at the e.b., shocked.

; WALSE Christ, what. are you doing....?

Cobb takea the rareiver.

TINTERCUT - COBB IN SCROOL/MCCLANE AT WHAKY

Simon just staras hak.

szus Simeon. My sone are in that echool..

MeClane Jooke eat the book in Seus’ hands.

Cobb, hearing the above en the pheno, panics. Coss Fuck ‘im, John, wo’ra gonna evacuate.

Tha TRACHER comes up to CORB.

--om .

be ee ey

PRUNE NG. + €26 S5> 5E>~

missing.

e

DEXTER, RAYMOND, and the THREE OTHER KIDS come down the stairs. They wit down. .

COBB gulps and says into the phons:

‘COBB John, Zeus’an kids took off.

Zeus hears this over the .c.b. receiver.

zEUS Oh christ, Dexter.....

WEISS turns to Cebh.

Weiss runa off to the basement.

Zeus looks at. his watch: 2:57. Three minutes tuo go. ZEUS Oh God... ' (his voice cracks) Please. Simon, please. Simon just starer at hin. MCCLANE You can’t de this. You can’t just let them die.

COBB looks at the kids. He turns to WALSH and LAMBERT.

Walsh and Lambert go to the line of KIDS. They are

ware wh BP SSM 6 OKI:

a

—-—— ww: oe woe wwe

nerveus. Same ere erying. They don’t know what‘s happening, they juet know it’s bad.

outside. Ga.

THE KIDS rune ant af the auditorium. Coss (inte phone)

John, we’re getting the hell ont. of here.

Zeus, hearing this. yella intn the receivor,

The tension is new at a white hot pitch.

zzUS Den’t! Find my sons!

WEISS settles down next to the bomb. He pulle « WIR? CUPTER from hie puuket.

He begins to select a wire. Sweat in at.rmaming down his face, falling in A PUDDLE al

his feet.

THE TIMER READS: 2:59:48, 2:59:49, 2:59:50....There are ten seconds left.

Weiss bends to get a closar lank. ... ¥xT. WHARF Zeus io looking at hie watch, screaming....

The evacuating KIDS are running out of the school.

Dexter, Raymond, and the ull: Lices Kids are obiiviocus, playing cards.

Prom

:

)

Weise is going to enip the wire but MIS SHOE wlips on the puddle of sweat -- .

He LURCHPS forward, losing his balausve, and ETAUS the HUGE PACK OF PLASTIQUE Luneath the timer --

Weiss dives away. ; a s- Waiss slowly looks up at --

THE PACKAGE UF PLASTIQUR - A STREAM OF SAND pours cut ot the hole onto the floor.

WEISS gete up and runa out of the basement.

UXT. WHARF

Zeve is now hysterical, discensolate.... McClane is staring malevolantly at Simon.

Then, over tha e.b. receivers

Coss (V.a.) John, it‘e a fake.

MeClane freezes. feus freeses.

And suddenly Targe and Simun’s men are approaching Meclane, surreunding him, theirs guns drawn.

MeClane still hee hie gun to Simon‘’s head. Simen lneks innecently eat MeClane.

And Simon Janghs. Hideously. And Tazyuo lauqns. And the other men. They etand there laughing in McClane’s face.

Simon pointa tn --

om oF er" ee oe:

|

am

+ (OSL CG! OLS MOG re. | wwe wee ---

THE CARGO SHIP - A NUGE CRATE sits thuse, vu which ts printed:

JOUNSON AND EPWARDS Co. C-4 BIGH DENSITY PLASTIQUE

MeClane’s and 2nue‘e eyes widen.

Zeus and MeClane lock eyes. McClane slowly lnwarn the gun; tesses it on the ground.

STHON pivhky up McClane‘’s gun. ‘turns to Targse.

Tarco shoveaa zeus forward. SIMON

Wait. (fargo and Zeus stop) The book. Giva if. to his.

Zeus hands McClane the book. They lonk at each other again. Targo shoves feus; they move off aczuss the wharf.

McClane reaches under his coat to his BANDCUIT CLIP. Hea ramovoes the bandeuffe.

Simem motions McClaue toward the cargs ship with the gun. They move up the gangplank.

They meve ever to the vzate of C4.

MCCT.ANF locks one of the cuffs to his wrist. He locks down at <--

TUL LINE OF TRUCKS moving into the scrapper. ‘The cccond

wom: eDELIIG! (OUTS "OC te. : 212 SUS COD Mar. 26 i338 10: SOAR MO

to last truck im almost entirely chewed, and the firat trnek is moving toward the ecrapper.

McClane Jocks the other handenfé to the STEEL RATII.ING of the gunwale, right next to the bomb.

(eniles) I am e@ terrorist, after all. Give

me the kay please.

MeClane tosses Simnan the handeuft key.

Simon pockets the kay. Then he moves to the crate of C-4¢, where we see --

INSERT - A DIGITALLY TZEMED DETONATOR identical to that. on the fake bomb in the echool.

BACK TO SCENE - SIMON speaks to McClane while he adjuste tha datenator.

SIMON

I admit you surprised me. You are eatill an arrogant, unpleasant man. Yau aaaumed the boak vas worthlcoo. That in heeause you vere too stupid to figure it out. It contains Lhe disarming code. Tha sane code . you'll assed.

(beat) We have one more game to play. The ohip leave under eutumalic pilot. Onee at sea I will give you...let me test this first...

INSERT - SIMON’S HAND clicks the timer to 5:00. It begins counting down: 4:59, 4:58, 4:57....

- CUT Tor

Targo lcads Zeus through tle pesking lot. Targo stops.

rom.

PDS: tose MOC ho. + S12 STE CODe SAT. ce oes a

“PARGO stop.

Zeus stops. Looks at him nervously:

zeus kneels.

EXY. CARGO SHLP - DECK

. Simon haen’t yet finished with the detonator.

INSENT ~- TOL OLTONATOR continues to count downs 4:28, 4s 27, as 26....4. MCCLANE Tell me one thing: this had nothing to do with your brether, did it?

Simon chuckles. Then laughs out loud.

And MeClane etarta Janghing tan.

Simon laughs louder. MeClane laughs louder. Both men are just busting a gut. Then:

really funny Hah Hah?

Gumptruck....

Simon’s face freeses. Jt twists and disterte with sheok and surprise and he whirls around to see -<-

TRE LAST DUMPTRUCK being pulled inte the metal ecrapper. The cab is already chewed. Resting atop Lhe tarpaulin on the dumptruck‘’s bed we eee TUE SAMSONITE DRIErCAst drown ihe pack lining in the sunliaht

mlitre in <

SIMON SCRRAMS down to his men....

rad

zeus is knerling before Targo.

22Us (trembling) Simon said to lat we go.

Zena’S HAND inches toward his ankle. he pulls his pantiag up, oxposing HcClanc’s ankle holster....

Targo raises iis gun to the back of Zeus’ head. Zeus tremhias.

THE DUMPTRUCK (and samsonite brietcase) pulia into the teeth of tho metal scrapper and BLOWS shy hilgh,

devastating the acrappor and truck, and killing all of Simon‘s meu as =~

Simon is kneeked to the greund by the force vol exptosion, his gun seuttling te the dnak fluuoz.

MeClane reaches fer the gua, his hand locked to the tailing. Tt’s inehes away. McClane atraaaiins with all his might. He can’t reach it!

Targo whirla arrmnd, eurprised by theo oxploesicn.

ZEUS °S WAND flashes up with the ankle-holstered gun. Be shoots Targo in the forehead.

Targo falla to the ground, Jvad.

Zeus rises, lnnks at Targo’s corpse aud shudders.

Zeus runs back to the wharf.

Simon gets to hia feat. and scrambles for the gun. MsClane, locked to the gunwale, trips hin.

Trom : HENSLEIGH HOUSE PHONE No. : 212 SYS sees Mar.32 1$94 1::agem spe

Simon gets back up.

e

MeClane, with one shoulder disiocated and another gunshot, with one hand locked to the railing, Sights ea one-armed fistfight with Simon.

Simon beats the living shit out of MeClane, who tries gamely to fight back. Lefts. Rights. MeClane’s blood aprays the deck.

Simon goes for the gun. Grabs it.

With his last energy, MeClane leans back against the gunwale and lifts his legs, scoralling Simon by the neck. He squeezes. Simon twists in MceClane’s grip. He chokes. His naeck hulges.

McClane twists his legs violently. Simon‘s neck snaps.

SIMON freezes. Riaead trieklan from his mouth. He looks at MeClane and dies.

Simon falls backward over the gunwale into the cea.

ZEUS comes running up the gangplank. Re runs up to McClane.

MCCLANE

Zeus looks at the timer.

THE TIMER ON THE PLASTIQUE is counting down: 1:00, 00:59, 00:58.....

EUs Shut up, McClane.

Zeus grabs the LIBRARY BOOK (it’s been sitting there the whole time)

| ZEUS We‘re gonna figure this out.

Sweat is streaming McClane’s face.

They ere trying to remain calm.

They are failing.

McClane is facing death and Zeus knows it. zeus’s frantically flipping through the book.

MCCLANE

|

ne

2 UCL! tue MOC to. : S82 SS COD Mar.-20 2094 13: 90Am

zEuSs Shiiit. All you said was you were yoing to kick my ass back to Harlem. (Laughs) Tike you ever coyld. (beat) T’ve heard a lot worme.

szus No. (beat) But as whita people go, you" ve all right, MeClane.

They look at — other. zeua t.oases the book down.

2505 Thera‘a nothing in this fucking thing. MCCLANE

(sweating bullets now) GET OUT OF HERE, Z2EUR.

_ MCLANE looks et the BINDING OF THE ROOK. He sees Lhe ecard catalogue number on the binding.

Zeus grabs thw book.

2E0S Buly shit.

THR TIMER - 00:5. 00:4, 0023....

Zana gets up. Holding the book, he punches in:

HxU46 9

The timer stops. MeClane and Zeus collapse ayainst the crate of C4.

In the background, POLICE SIRENS WAIL and we --

Prom: (DLS! OLS NOC Me. : 212 SOE COo4 Mar. 32 ico4 ii: daam coc

| 127.

CRANE OP AND AWAY from Zeue and McClane, and suddenly they are LAUGHING softly, both exhausted.

: You mean what you said? ZEUS

what?

. MCCLANE | Aa white people qe, I’m all right. 221s |

Did I way that?

MCCLANE

Fuck yeah. I’ve had a shitty year, I could use a new friend....

| (| . beer with you.

: 2Bus

: AabA ehriat. what have I done now... MCCLANE

You want to get a beer?

what the fuck. MeClane, I’]] gat a

STATE POLICE VEMLCLES roar into the foundry. : e Continue to CRANE UP.....