EXT. HIGHWAY DINER (DAWN) 

DR. DAVID ROGOZIN drives up in a Lincoln town car. He’s wearing jeans and an army jacket. He’s unshaven and hung over. He's 48 and not aging badly so much as corroding. He’s still good looking and he knows it.

POV pulls back to show ANNABELLE O'LEARY looking out the window at him. She is a spectacular gazelle of a woman with a calm intelligence and a grandiose idea of her own importance. 

She has no common sense whatsoever and survives only by a series of miracles. One of them is about to start.

Rogo goes into the diner. MOS: He orders coffee, sits down and starts talking to Ann. 
 
INT. DINER 
                         
Coffee arrives. 

ROGO 
I like dawn, a dirty-gray Jersey dawn.
Makes me feel like I survived a war. 

Ann shakes her head.

ANN
What are we going to do?

ROGO
I keep thinking about that, but nothing 
happens which happens more and more 
often as I grow older. 

ANN 
When I was in undergrad, I had a boy 
friend who liked to be whipped. He 
had another girl to do that for him 
then he would come to me and I would 
kiss the welts. 
                         
ROGO
Is that why you became a doctor? 
                         
ANN 
No, Schmuck, it's what I'm doing 
with you. 

Rogo, very hung over, looks at his watch. 
 
ROGO 
Show time. 

They get up to go. She looks at the way he’s dressed.

ANN
You going in like that?

ROGO
I’ll change in the stairwell like Superman.

SERIES OF SHOTS:

EXT. DINER
They leave the diner and use Rogo’s car.

EXT. PRISON
Driving up to a high medieval looking wall.

INT> STAIRWELL

Rogo changing into a suit.

INT. HOSPITAL WARD (OVERLIT) 

Ann and Rogo, he’s now wearing an elegant 3-piece suit. He’s even combed his hair. There are A FEW PATIENTS. Most of the beds are empty. Something is a little wrong. Two of the patients are chained to their beds. There’s A NURSE and A GUARD ARMED with a tonfa night
stick and both of them look more sorrowful and compassionate than Ann or Rogo.
                       
ANN 
Prognosis guarded? 
                        
ROGO
It means she's dying. 

ANN
I know what it means. This cant go on. 
                      
ROGO 
It wont for long, the other volunteers are dead. 
                        
ANN 
I mean I’m getting out. 
                        
ROGO
And do what?

ANN
This isn’s white-collar crime anymore,
concealing side effects is like murder. 
                       
ROGO 
No. There was no way to save them. 
That’s why they’re here.

ANN 
But raising false hopes is the 
cruelest thing you can do.

She turns and strides out. 

ROGO 
Wait, I’ll drive you back.
 
Ann doesn't wait. She calls for the guard to let her out. 

ROGO (continuing)
What do you mean ‘murder? He already
had pneumonia when I shot him.
                        
Rogo stares into space. Ann leaves.

INT. MALL BOOKSTORE

It’s called THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN and it sells
romances. Ann slams in and looks wildly at 
the racks of Gothics. MELISSA, a good looking 
loose-bodied girl of 28, is sitting behind a 
desk reading COSMO GIRL.

MELISSA
Aren’t you supposed to be at work?

ANN
Yes.

MELISSA
Don’t talk about it, if you 
don’t want to.

ANN
I dont want to talk about it.

MELISSA
Fine.

Ann sits down at the desk and Melissa pours coffee for both of them.

MELISSA (continuing)
You have 19 lovers and you’re 
in here every day romances.

ANN
I guess they’re not very romantic. 
Aren’t you supposed to try to sell
this stuff?

MELISSA
Yeah, but you’re nuts. Like giving
a loaded gun to a retarded child.

ANN
What else is new?

MELISSA
Nothing. You’ve read everything except the section 
on Lesbian vampires. Get out of here andbreak some h
earts.

Reluctantly, Ann gets up and marches out.

EXT. PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY COMPLEX 
         SOMEWHERE IN JERSEY (DAY) 

Research and manufacturing facilities cover a square mile. Security is paranoid: Watch towers and electrified fences, guards patrolling with Rotweillers. In the distant background an oil refinery belches fire. 

Ann strides in the door. She has a magnificent stride, like Arnette Jens in THE BALCONY.

INT. HALLWAY IN THE RESEARCH BUILDING (ALPHAVILLE) 

POV pulls back to an OSS on Annabelle then follows her as she strides down another hall and into an office.

INT. MIDDLE MGT OFFICE (FAKE COZY) 

Ann strides in on WAXNER. He's young and good looking in a soft suburban way. He has the air of success and a blank determined 
smile. You would not buy a used car from this man. 

WAXNER
What now?

She slams some photographs on the desk 
in front of him. 

DIALOGUE: This is what would actually be said.  It doesn’t have 
to be heard beyond a Gregorian Chant kind of drone as the cart 
loads of dead test animals are wheeled by the door.

POV: panning out the window to see the oil refinery looking like Auschwitz, to the wall to show a framed and autographed photo of Waxner with Nixon: arms around each other and grinning, to the door 
to show a wagon load of dead Beagles being rolled by from the animal test facility.

                           ANN 
David’s has been faking the data.

She spreads the photos out in front of him.

ANN (continuing)
T3, upper outer quadrant. Nipple inversion, skin satellite nodules, ferritin and chorionic gonadotropin elevated and still rising. 

She shoves another photograph at him. 

ANN (continuing)
Two weeks later: Direct invasion of breast parenchyma, 
ducts ,7d lymphatics. Visible axillary lymphadenopathy. 
Peau de orange. Sounds like a desert. And it's getting 
ready to fungate. 

The sight of all the raw meat makes Waxner hungry. He starts munching on a jelly donut. The red jelly squirts out. Neither of them consider it worth a comment. She shoves a 3rd photograph in front of him. 

ANN (continuing)
Three weeks: It's gone T4. Visceral involvement, through the chest wall into adenocarcinoma, rapid and wide spread hematogeous dissemination, he's claiming remission from week 1. 

WAXNER 
Visceral involvement’s You have the 
X-rays’s 

Ann shakes her head.

WAXNER (continuing)
These were shot too close, it's hard 
tell the scale on this. What are the numbers?

ANN
I dont have them. 

WAXNER
A little informal. Anything else? 

ANN 
Satellite nodes in her armpit and groin. 

                         WAXNER 
They were there to begin with; they 
would have grown faster untreated. 
                        
ANN 
How can you decide that without even looking at the data? 
You dont seem that interested. 
                         
WAXNER 
All you've shown me so far are judgment calls. David’s you really call him David? He may have made a mistake. He may have given the results and overly optimistic interpretation. 

Occupational hazard. Research is 99% failure. You have to be optimistic, irrationally optimistic or you give 
up. You got to have faith.
 
                        ANN 
You know, after a while, these inspirational cliches 
all sound the same. 
                          
WAXNER 
They all mean good-bye. 
                         
ANN 
I'm taking this to Garvey. 
                         
WAXNER 
Stop listening to Prozac. He'll 
fire you. 

Ann runs out. Waxner picks up the phone. 

INT ROGO’S CAR (BRIGHT) 

Rogo is in his car, on the cell phone, nodding and cursing. 

ROGO
Bug Fuck!

He hangs up throws back his had and screams:

SHIT!

then he floors it, going at 90 mph past some cops who cant believe what they’re seeing. They give chase, see the MD plates and give up

INT. CORRIDOR (BRIGHT) 

Strictly Alphaville: sci-fi nightmare. Rogo running along the corridor and looking determined. 

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE GARVEY’S OFFICE 
         (FUNERAL PARLOR GLOW) 

Ann is just coming out of Garvey's office. Rogo 
is outside, looking disheveled and out of breath. 
                             
ROGO 
Warner called me. I tried to head 
you off. 
                          
ANN (smirking)
He's waiting for you. Go on in. 

He does and closes the door. POV follows him. 

THOMAS GARVEY is head of the cancer research section: a money machine. He is a dapper little man with a face like you always 
see in corporate annual reports: Gray hair, lots of laugh lines, half frame glasses and a gray cast-iron smile. 

Garvey is looking out the window, peeking through the Venetian blinds at the oil refinery belching fire and smoke. A Bach toccata is on the muzak. 

GARVEY 
I have one question. Is this a shake down or is she 
really that crazy? 

ROGO 
She's that crazy. 

GARVEY 
You hired her. 

ROGO
I didn't know. She sounded idealistic, they all do. 
They think it's expected of them. She seemed sane so 
I figured she was bitter and disillusioned. 

GARVEY 
She had some photographs. I assume she has others. 
She can blow whistle on this. 

ROGO
You’re covered.

GARVEY
It would still be an embarrassment.

ROGO
Baby, we’re far beyond shame.

Garvey struggles to suppress a laugh and almost succeeds. He tries to stay angry and cant, he finds Rogo charming and tries to be angry about that too.

ROGO (continuing)
You still haven't told me what you want me to do.

Rogo gets up to go. 

GARVEY 
Get her pregnant, get her married. 
Get her married and pregnant. When 
she has more to worry about than 
herself, things will look different. 
                         
ROGO 
Isn't that a bit 19th century?

                         GARVEY 
When you get 100 miles in from the coast, it is the 19th century. Enough, get out of here. And dont tell me how much I owe you. Anything I owed you, you already spent. We're not friends anymore, we've been going through the motions for years.
 
ROGO 
I know. 
 
INT. ROGOS LAB 

Rogo walks in. Ann is there with a Cheshire smile. 
She thinks he’s just been roasted.

ANN
I made coffee. 
                       
ROGO 
That part sounds all right. The short version is: You're fired. 

ANN
I'll hear that from him. 

Another cartload of frozen Beagles. 
Ann has stopped smiling. 
                       
                        ROGO 
Dont. Right now, you're on probation, not because he 
wants to, but because it’s the only easy thing to do. 
If you’re that pissed, why didn’t you go public with it?

ANN
You'd have gone to jail.

ROGO
I'm glad you figured that out. 
Any milk for the coffee? 
                       
ANN 
Try my breast, I think I'm pregnant. 
                       
ROGO 
That was the only thing missing. 
 
EXT. PARKING LOT (EVENING) 

Rogo drives away. Ann stares after him for a 
long moment then drives off in an ancient MG. 

EXT. HIGHWAY (EVENING) 

Ann driving her MG. 

INT. ANN’S APARTMENT (BRIGHT) 
                   
Ann trying to read. She gives up and gets dressed.

INT. ROGO’S DEN (DIM) 

Rogo drinking and staring straight ahead into the darkness. 

EXT. HIGHWAY (NIGHT) 

Ann jogging down the shoulder of the highway. 

INT. ROGO’S DEN (DIM)

Rogo drinking and staring straight ahead. 

INT. ANN’S APARTMENT (BRIGHT) 

She's showering, soaping herself slowly, sensually and getting off on it. 

INT. ROGO’S BEDROOM (DARK) 
 
He's standing naked looking out the window. HIS WIFE is asleep in the bed behind him. He looks 
at his watch. 5 AM 

INT. DRUG COMPANY CAFETERIA (FLASHY AND STERILE) 

Ann is sitting at a table. She has a tray with 
a sandwich and 4 Bloody Marys on it. A SNAG (Sensitive New Age Guy) walks over to her table. 

SNAG 
Do you seriously mind if I join you? 

ANN
Why the Hell not? Dont stand there 
with your mouth open, sit down. 

He puts down his tray and sits across from her. 
                    
SNAG 
Whatever it is, I didn't do it. 
                    
ANN
You're right, you didn't. I'm sorry. 
                    
SNAG 
What kind of music do you like?
                    
ANN 
What? Oh. Sure, why not?.\ Ars Antigua. 
Pre-Bach Baroque. Counter-point in all 
8 modes at once. 

Hard cocaine hop from the 50s. It has 
the same quality. The intricacy of it. 
There's some of that in The Magnificat. 

Does not compute. He tries again.

SNAG 
Are you religious? 

Meaning: Do you fool around?

ANN 
What? Oh. Non-practicing atheist,
you got to have faith. 
                   
SNAG 
Like the Torah. Circling a castle endlessly 
without finding a way in and then, when, when 
you're about to give up, the Princess shows 
her face at a window in the tower. 
                                  
ANN 
Maybe you should have stuck to Torah. 
                         
SNAG 
Maybe I should have. 
                        
ANN 
You're not in cancer research, are you?
 
SNAG 
Respiratory diseases. Senior researcher.

ANN
I'm Annabelle. What's your name?
                         
SNAG 
Duane. Are you from New York’?
                         
ANN 
Obviously, I'm from New York, obviously 
you're not. 
                          
SNAG
Minneapolis. I'm being transferred back 
there. 
I thought you ought to know that.
 
ANN 
Duane, do not say another word or I think 
that I shall scream. Now, if you can hear me, 
nod your head. Good. Now, you going to write 
down my address because I am cooking dinner 
for you tonight at 8 PM. Do you have a pen 
or a pencil? Good. 
  
POV pulls back to show Rogo and Garvey sitting at 
a table across the room. 
                          
GARVEY 
He's writing something down. He scored. 
                        
ROGO 
Couldn't you have done a little better 
for her than that?

                         GARVEY 
She's using him for kleenex so, it 
doesn't matter. 

ROGO
Toilet paper.

GARVEY
Anyway, she'll love it in Minneapolis. 
Lots of winter sports. Like Siberia. 

ROGO 
Thomas, every time I get laid you
go kill crazy. It’s getting a 
little obvious, don’t you think?

He gets up to go. 

GARVEY 
I'm not being hard on you, am I? 
I haven't even mentioned your wife. 
What is her name? I blocked it out. 

ROGO 
Makes two of us. 

GARVEY 
David, I dont want to kill you. I dont 
even want to fire you. So, stop reminding 
me that you're here. 

INT. ROGO’S CAR (EVENING)

Rogo watches Snag come up to Ann’s door carrying
flowers and a box of candy. Rogo checks his watch.
It’s 8 pm exactly.

THE SAME

Rogo checks his watch again. It’s 10.
He starts the car and drives off.

INT. ANN’S APARTMENT (ARTSY AND CRAFTSY) 

Ann and Snag have just finished dinner. 
                         
SNAG 
That was magnificent. 

ANN 
Thank you. I stick to things I know 
I can do perfectly. I'm not an 
adventurous cook. 
 
SNAG 
I’m glad. Shall I help you with the dishes?

ANN 
You would. Thank you, that would be 
very nice. I’ll wash, you dry. 
                       
SNAG 
Of course, I like to do my share. I'm 
good at scrubbing out the bathroom too. 

Ann closes her eyes and trembles slightly. 

SNAG (continuing)
Are you all right?
                        
ANN 
I'm fine, it just takes a little getting used to. 
                         
SNAG 
I don’t understand. 
                          
ANN 
Dont worry about it, I'll get on top, 
you wont have to do a thing. 

He starts to drop the dishes, but she takes them out of his hands and walks into the kitchen. He follows her in.  There is a cat on top of the refrigerator. It is a large muscular black cat and Snag pets him expertly. Ann smiles, she begins to have hope.

ANN (continuing)
Tell me your fantasies.

SNAG 
Have you ever been to a state fair? 

She closes her eyes again and he takes the dishes 
out of her hands. 
 
INT. DINER (MORNING) 

Rogo walks in. He gets the usual challenging stare from the truckers. It lasts a moment then everyone ignores each other.

COUNTER MAN 
Where's your girl friend? 
                         
ROGO
I hadn't thought of it that way, 
but I guess she is. I overslept 
and missed her. 

COUNTER MAN 
Pretty lady.

ROGO 
I'm satisfied if she is.

COUNTER MAN 
You should be.
                         
ROGO 
Why, you want to give some advice? 

COUNTER MAN 
Sure, ride it till it crashes. 

ROGO 
I like it. 

COUNTER MAN 
What do you think of the Knicks' 
chances in the playoffs? 

ROGO 
I've always regretted that I've never learned 
how to conduct that kind of conversation. 

COUNTER MAN
Have it your own way, you're the one 
with a license to kill. 

Rogo throws some money on the counter and runs out.

COUNTER MAN (continuing)
Hey, hey, I'm sorry. 

EXT. PRISON (DIRTY GRAY MORNING) 

Rogo enters the prison wearing a black suit and 
a derby. He looks like an executioner. 

GUARD 
Yes. Dr. Rogozin, good morning.

Through many locked doors and hostile expressions, he enters the infirmary. No rats, no dirt, no garbage. There is a bizarre formless despair about the place, like a border crossing or a bus station or a public men’s room.

The room is immaculate but, it's been repainted 
too many times with paint thick as cake frosting. 
Cream and yellow. 

The bars, like everything else, they look slightly melted. What isn't covered with paint is all enamel 
and tile, all of it chipped and worn, 
sad and seedy. The place makes you automatically think of suicide. 

The ceilings are high, but the rooms are cramped, set 
in a maze with no clear way out. to compartmentalize trouble when it happens. 

He enters the infirmary, puts on a white gown and makes a serious effort to scrub up. Short shrill screams in the background, crying, hysterical whining and mumbling. 

He enters the prison infirmary. The women are in standard hospital beds but, half the enamel is broken off. The sheets are clean but, stiff heavy fabric built for endurance not for comfort. The blankets have holes. 

None of it quite as worn out as the women themselves .

Ann walks up to him. 

ANN 
A raise, Wozzeck, a raise.

ROGO
Opera jokes yet. What time does the 
next swan leave? 
   
ANN 
The last swan is gone. 

They walk into the sick room. A woman is strapped to a white hospital bed. Her mouth has been taped shut to keep her from screaming. A white rubber swim cap has been put on her head so the tape wont stick to her hair. 

She makes squeaking noises continually and rolls her eyes in a slow rhythmic way because it's the only part of her that she can move. 

Ann sits down beside the struggling woman and croons to her, stroking her forehead and making 
the cooing noises you make to a small child or 
an animal. Rogo takes a step back. He's seeing something even worse than we do. 

ROGO 
Did you ever see Wild Strawberries? There's 
a line in there about: The first duty of a 
physician is to ask forgiveness. 

To his astonishment, he starts to cry. Suddenly, Ann is crying too. 
                         
ANN 
You son of a bitch! 

He wipes his face with his hand and throws the tears away like they were sweat. 
       
ROGO (softly) 
Get me the charts. 

He pulls the sheet off the woman on the bed. Her left breast looks like a bowl of rotted purple orchids. There are satellite growths radiating across her body. When they say malignant, they 
mean malignant. 

A hand thrusts into the frame holding the metal clipboard holding the chart. He ignores it. 
                     
ROGO 
Injectable Valium. 100 cc.                     
 
ANN
We're out. I called you. 
                      
ROGO
I got the number off the beeper. I figured 
I'd talk to you when I got in. Get some Valium. 

She thrusts the chart at him. He doesn't take it. She grabs his wrist and puts the chart into his hand. 

ROGO (continuing)
Check the infirmary. 
                      
ANN
I did. It's a prison. They dont have 
ups or downs.
 
He puts down the chart, and strides out. POV follows him into the next room. He ransacks the cabinets. He finds a thing called MORPHILUDE. There are 4 vials. He fills a hypo and walks back into the sick room. She looks at the box.

       ANN
Are you crazy? The use-by date is 1976. 
What's that going to do? 
                       
ROGGO
Kill her quick, if she's lucky. Metastasis 
is complete. Death is hours away. Maybe 
we'll learn something. 

It's standard procedure, you know that. Whatever 
drug is handy, you try it and see what happens. 
Nobody has anything to lose. 

He shoots up the woman on the bed. She goes into convulsions Ann crosses herself and begins to pray. 

ROGO (continuing)
At least she's out. 

She stabs him in the chest with the chart. He 
takes it out of her hands and opens it. 

ROGO (continuing)
If this is what Christian scientists are against, 
maybe I ought to get with them. 
                                  
ANN 
Try ripping out human entrails and holding 
them up to the Moon Goddess. It goes with 
your image. 

ROGO 
I'm doing my best. 
                                  
ANN 
Your best isn't good enough. People must 
say that to you a lot. 
                                  
ROGO 
She was given the test drug? 
                                 
ANN 
That's what's killing her. Acute necrosis of the surrounding tissue but the cancer eats it like candy. How did this get approved for clinical testing?

He looks at her for a moment but doesn't answer. He approaches the two other women. They are chained by their ankles to their beds. Their hands are free and, 
as he gets close, they cover their breasts in a pathetic way. 
                      
ROGO 
I just remembered. I have Valium. My 
own. I'll get a refill on the way home.

But she has already grabbed the Valium away from him and is feeding it to the dying women. Rogo hangs a mike around his neck and begins dictating. 
 
                        ROGO (continuing)
April 7, 9:30 AM. David Rogozin MD Ph.D. 
at Rahway State Penitentiary. The prison 
infirmary. Three women inmates with T4 
scirrhous adenocarcincma, one of whom has 
refused surgery.
All three cases are terminal. Under a ruling of the Supreme Court, they have been allowed to volunteer to 
test the experimental anti-cancer drug: 
Tartuffin. The drug has significantly retarded metastasis with temporary remission in all 3 
cases. 

Annabelle walks over and presses a heel into his instep. He turns the recorder off. 

ANN 
I'm getting out. 
 
ROGO 
And do what? Write-poetry? Get back to work.

She starts to assemble instruments on a tray. 
He turns the recorder back on. 

ROGO 
Patient 1... 
 
INT. KITCHEN (NIGHT) 

Rogo is home with his wife, sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea and pouring vodka into it. 
                          
WIFE 
You could go back to teaching. 
                           
ROGO 
There's no enrollment. Everyone's being forced into early retirement. Too many doctors, except in small towns in Ontario where you get paid in chickens. 

WIFE 
Then do something else. You're interested in DNA. 
                          
 ROGO 
You've got to quit at the top, not at the bottom. I win a Nobel prize, I can start all over in DNA engineering. Nice clean molecules. 
                          
WIFE 
Would it hurt to make a phone call?
                            
ROGO
I'd be asking favors from men I haven’t talked to 
in 20 years and we weren't that close even then.
                          
WIFE 
So, what are you going to do?

ROGO 
Stop worrying about who owes what 
to whom and who owns which part 
of me and just run for my life.
                           
WIFE 
Where'd you learn to talk like that? 
                           
ROGO 
The locker room at Erasmus Hall high school.
 
Suddenly Rogo is dressed as a basketball player. 
The uniform says ‘Erasmus Hall’ across the front.
His wife is dressed as a Vegas showgirl. He notices.

ROGO (continuing)
This is a dream.

His wife smiles then arches an eyebrow. 
                          
WIFE 
Otherwise, you’d be dead meat. 

INT. PRISON CELL (DAY) 

FADE JERKILY INTO: 

Ann is shaking him awake. He's lying on a cot in 
an unused cell. The cell door is open. He went to 
sleep fully dressed. 
                           
ANN 
Run come see Jerusalem. 

ROGO 
This is a dream too. 

ANN
Run, come quick. 
                           
ROGO 
At least it's daylight. 

They quick march back to the infirmary. Everyone 
is smiling and nodding at them in total silence, 
looking at them with pure love. It has the quality 
of nightmare. 

2 of the shackled women are sitting up in bed, 
smiling and flirtatious. 

The woman who was dying fast is still out cold, 
but serene and pleased with herself as though 
she'd just given birth.

Ann throws back the sheet like a magician performing 
a trick. The cancer is 1/4 the size. The breast looks like a breast again.

ROGO
Oh, no.

ANN
Say that again.

ROGO
That cant happen in 6 hours.

ANN
You've been out for 24.

He looks at the other 2 women.

ANN (continuing)
I dosed them too. A smaller dose. because we 
dont have any anti-convulsives left. But they're responding.

ROGO
I have to call my wife.

ANN
Whatever for?

ROGO
It can wait.

ANN
I thought I'd wake you up before
I alert the media.

ROGO
You really want to tell them how it happened?

ANN
Well, no, but I know you'll think of something.

ROGO
Then we wait. For all we know, it 
causes uterine cancer like tamoxifen. 
We dont even know what it is.

ANN
We know it saved her life.

ROGO
Looks like it, doesn't it?

ANN
The way you found it, that's embarrassing, 
but no one has to know. You act like it's 
disaster.

ROGO
It means we’re out of a job.

ANN
I don’t understand.

ROGO 
It's called Death By Success. We all 
get fired. Clean out your desk and 
be out of the building in an hour. 
It happens all the time. 
                        
ANN 
That's insane. 

ROGO 
Like Stalin said: Gratitude is a disease 
of dogs. I'm all right. I’ll get another 
job easy enough. 
                       
ANN 
You dont talk like it. 
                         
ROGO
I will. I just didn't think I'd have to. 
As trauma goes, moving rates just after 
major amputation. 

ANN 
You talk like an old man. You're not old. 
And I'm leaving anyway. To Minneapolis. 

ROGO 
So I hear. 
                      
ANN 
Who told you?
                   
ROGO 
No one told me anything. I just said that 
to have something to say. Let's get on with 
it. Is there enough left to analyze?

She hands him the box. There are 3 vials left. He closes his eyes and clutches the box to his chest. There is a moment of physical weakness but, it passes. He takes out 1 vial and hands it to her. 
                  
ROGO 
This is for them. I'm gone. 

Suddenly, Rogo looks like a tired old man. 
                   
ANN 
Snap out of it, Schmuck, you won. It's a surprise 
but there's nothing wrong with winning. 
                    
ROGO 
Nothing's wrong. We're immortal. You've even got 
your tenure. All you have to do is to do is type 
it up. As soon as we can think of a cover story. 

He turns to go, Ann is still in shock, 
 
ANN 
Wait. David, I was awfully rude to you. 
                  
ROGO 
You had every right to be angry. 

                    ANN 
Dont talk to me as though I were your wife. 

The women in the beds are giggling. 
                    
ROGO 
Not now, Dr. O'Leary. 

Flashy sequences of Rogo doing chemical analysis:
lots of colored lights and computer printout over-
lays like the heads up radar display in an F-14. 

WAXNER (V.O.) 
Such a mess, I dont know where to begin. 
                     
ROGO (V.O.) 
We can pretend it never happened.
                    
WAXNER (V.O.) 
We may have to. We have a promising cancer drug that requires extensive testing. Stonewall it there. 
                     
ROGO (V.O.) 
Dont use Nixon terminology, it's scary. 
                    
WAXNER (V.O.) 
Stay scared. You weren't supposed to 
win so you must have cheated. There'll 
be every possible attempt to discredit 
the results. FDA investigations, OSI 
investigations, people saying you stole 
the results.

People saying that you faked them, that the 
results cant be any good because you're banging 
your girl assistant, that you've been fucked 
silly and dont know what you're doing. 
                 
ROGO (V.O.) 
That part sounds true. Say something 
I can argue with. 
                        
WAXNER (V.O.) 
You're the wrong man to do the research. 
                     
ROGO (V.O.) 
Wait just a God damn minute! 
 
INT. WAXNER’S OFFICE (BRIGHT) 
    
WAXNER 
No one is trying to cheat you out of 
anything. But, you've been cooking the 
books for too long, your result would 
not be believed. 
 
ROGO 
No one knows that outside the company. 
                   
WAXNER 
Everyone knows. It's like poker, you get 
a playable hand, what’s 1 time in 4?
A man plays every hand, you know he's 
bluffing. 

You get a promising cancer drug, what? 1 time 
in a 100? You get promising results at least 
half the time. Just enough failures to keep 
the Office Of Scientific Integrity off your 
back. 
                  
ROGO 
I'm doing the job I'm paid to. 
                   
WAXNER 
The nicotine patches got you spacey? Repeat: 
You wouldn't be believed. I know you’re sincere so, we'll try it. From scratch, with someone else. 

With a clean record. If it works, you get credit 
for the discovery, share credit. Is that unfair?
                  
ROGO 
I haven't ID'd the drug, that will take 
another week. 

WAXNER 
All right. Make it 3 days. But that's the 
end off your involvement. 

Garvey walks in on Rogozin and Waxner 
                         
ROGO 
This isn't the reception I expected. 
The irony is a little overwhelming. 
                        
WAXNER
You're lucky to get irony. If I were going 
by the raw odds, I'd say you finally flipped. 
I’ll find someone for this, I dont know who, 
let me think about it. 

GARVEY 
Did I miss much?
 
WAXNER 
He thinks he's found a cure for breast 
cancer, 3 varieties of breast cancer, 
and found it entirely by accident. Smash 
and grab.

GARVEY 
Only way it could be found. We've been 
at this 30 years and we dont understand 
shit. 

WAXNER 
No, shit we understand...That's all, Rogo. 

Rogo looks from Garvey to Waxner, puzzled then leaves. POV follows him down the hall. 

GARVEY (V.O.) 
I'm going to ask some dumb questions.
                          
WAXNER (V.O.) 
Complete remission in the 3 cases. 
All of them terminal, T4 and gone. 

GARVEY (V.O.) 
You believe him? 
                        
WAXNER (V.O.)
Statements from the prison doctor, nurses 
and assistant warden. Faxed in; It gets to 
be a lot of paperwork to lose. I had to talk 
them out of calling in the TV crews. This 
could have been worse. It could have been 
on the 6 o'clock news. 
                        
GARVEY (V.O.)
Handle it. 
                        
WAXNER (V.O.) 
We can try but...We can try. 

GARVEY (V.O.) 
But what?
               
          WAXNER (V.O.) 
But first we to get it away from him.

INT. ROGO’S LAB --INTRICATELY BUSY (BRIGHTLY LIT)

Annabelle standing by, Rogo doing chemical analysis. 
           
                ROGO 
There are 5 factors. 

ANN 
There should be hundreds at each stage 
of decomposition. 

ROGO 
There are. Only 5 I've never seen before. 
It has to be them, some of them, 1 of them 
and its adjurants. I've always regretted 
that I never learned to dance. 

ANN 
You still haven't told me what went on 
in there. 

ROGO 
You don’t want to know. 

ANN
That bad?

ROGO
Yeah. 

ANN 
And you're going to let them do it? 
 
ROGO 
You might want to transfer out of here. 
My name on your resume isn't going to 
do you any good. 

ANN 
Your name was never going on my resume. 

He looks at her in curiosity. 
His expression changes to pain. 

ANN (continuing) 
Christ, David, dont look at me like that, 
the only reason I never told you was that 
at 48 I hoped you were pragmatic enough to 
figure it out for yourself. Hell, you know 
how competitive it is out there. 
                       
ROGO 
I did figure it out. I just told you about 
it, but you give me one more press release 
like that, you pat the top of my head with 
one more ponderously condescending remark, 
and you're going to get hit! 
                     
ANN 
I'd kick the shit out of you. 

ROGO 
I know. Maybe, I could come up behind 
you and push you down the stairs. 

ANN
I make you feel young again, huh? 

ROGO 
Look, I know you can defend yourself. 
But I love you. So I'm trying to 
protect you anyway. 

ANN 
From wha? Define what you mean by love
Once I know, I can tell you whether or not 
I am interested in that kind of transaction. 

ROGO 
I think it means something like:
I will never betray you.

ANN
Oh. 

EXT DRUG COMPANY PARKING LOT (DAY) 

Garvey and Waxner. Garvey has the remote in his hand trying to make the car alarm squeak so he can locate it by the sound. 

                         GARVEY 
He's doing his own chemical analysis. 
That's what scrubbing floors is to 
beautiful women. 

                         WAXNER 
It would be a mistake to involve anyone 
else. I agree. 

                         GARVEY
Duane says that she says that he says 
that he wont let go of it. 

WAXNER
Who the fuck is Duane?

GARVEY
Her new boyfriend.

WAXNER 
Oh, him. He’s in love with her and 
he's jealous, he might say anything. 
                         
GARVEY 
He doesn't have that kind of class. 

                         WAXNER 
And you hate to do it, but you have 
no choice so, what is it’s 

                         GARVEY 
Make him a cash offer. 
                          
WAXNER 
That's silly, these loonies cant be bought 
for money, it has to be prestige. Give him 
a promotion. 

                         GARVEY 
He's enough trouble where he is. A cash 
offer will clarify things wonderfully. 

                         WAXNER
What part are you unclear about’s 

Garvey gets into his Mercedes and burns rubber getting out of the parking lot. 

MICROSCOPIC VIEW. CANCER CELLS DYING 
NORMAL CELLS UNTOUCHED 

INT. LAB (DAY) 

Rogo is looking up from the microscope, very sure of himself. Ann is standing by, handing him slides. She looks calmly in love with him. 

ROGO 
One factor. Not three or four in a particular balance. And it's the cure. Not a treatment. It's the cure. 

He stops and stares into space.

                         ANN 
Then what's wrong’s 

ROGO 
It's too easy. I dont understand why 
it wasn't discovered before. 

                         ANN 
You found it by accident, a roll of 
the dice.

                         ROGO 
Even so. Well, we'll see. 

INT. ROGO TYPING CHEMICAL FORMULA INTO 
        INTO A COMPUTER CONSOLE 

Lots of visuals: 3-dim models of molecules rotating, showing off the structure from different angles, clusters being added and dropping off. 

Carbon atoms are black, Oxygen blue, Nitrogen red, sodium and potassium in yellow and orange metallic colors, the electron clouds show up as miniature lightning storms. 

Chemical designations vanishing as their parts are being fitted into place: O - O - O. O -O Atoms being used up one by one. Then there's a glitch and the molecular structure collapses and has to be begun again. Finally, it's done.

Rogo types in more instructions and the computer signals that it's searching its memory. Rogo leans back and lights a cigarette. Ann takes it out of his mouth, starts to put it out then puffs on it herself. Rogo lights another. 
 
At last the computer flashes the result:

SERENICIN FDA approved 1974
Indication for high blood pressure
Patent expired 1987 Not renewed 

   					ANN 
Oh, no! It's been patented already. 

                         ROGO 
It's all right, dont they teach you 
anything in school’s 

                         ANN 
It's public domain. The patent is all used up. 

                         ROGO 
The composition patent, that's used up. There's also a Use Patent, the patent for a new use for an old drug. That's us. 

ANN 
But, how do you collect. It's a use patent 
but they say that they manufacture it to 
use on athlete's foot. How is the patent 
enforceable’?

INT. WAXNER’s OFFICE (FILM NOIR SHADOWS THROUGH 
THE VENETIAN BLINDS) 

Garvey and Waxner team preaching at Rogo. 

                         WAXNER 
The answer is: It isn't. The New Use Patent 
is worthless in this case. The useful life 
of this drug is one year, then the disease 
is cured and the market is gone. 

The residuals aren't worth fighting about. 
Publishing the results would destroy you. 

                         ROGO 
Death by Success. It happens all the time. 
 
                          WAXNER 
It did. We all played musical chairs among 
the drug companies but, now there are fewer 
chairs. With all the mergers, total research 
staff is half of what it was 10 years ago. 

                          GARVEY 
(to WAXNER)
Maybe you ought to come to the point. 

                          ROGO 
The point is: They would not hire you. 
The one thing they do not need is more 
administrators. It's the one thing nobody 
needs. You'd be unemployable. Correct? 

Do I owe you something’s Remind me what it is. 

                         WAXNER 
You go public with this, then we're shocked, 
shocked to discover that you have been 
faking test results for at least 10 years. 
And then no one will listen to anything you 
have to say. 

                         ROGO 
You go too. There's no way you can do that 
and keep your jobs. 

                         GARVEY 
If we could, we would have done it already. 

WAXNER 
But, it would happen anyway. Upper management 
would do it for us, they'd have to, to save 
the company. I don’s see that you have a 
choice here. 
 
ROGO 
You're right. I cant publish it myself. 

GARVEY 
Pay him. 

                         ROGO 
A lateral promotion and a free ride. 

                         GARVEY
I wont promote you. You'd have a grudge 
and, if I let you hang around, you might 
find a way to get even. There has to be 
an end to this. 

                         WAXNER 
Your job is to find expensive drugs that 
prolong life. There is a great deal of 
money to be made out of that and very 
little to be made out of finding a cure. 

ROGO 
I understand that. 

                         GARVEY
I understand it too. Why are you going on 
about what we all know’s I have the feeling 
that you're speaking for the benefit of a 
tape recorder. 

                         WAXNER 
You want the room swept?

GARVEY 
No, I want the tape. 

                         WAXNER 
He expects to get paid off for not doing his job. 

GARVEY 
So, pay him. 

Waxner hoists an aluminum suitcase onto the desk. 
and shoves it toward Rogo. 

WAXNER 
It's 1 mil 5. Not a whole lot but, the most 
we could hide easily. It's for your research 
on whatever. We'll handle the accounting. 

In a year, the money will be gone and so will 
you. We'll make a deal on your pension plan 
and early retirement, don’s argue too much 
about that. 

Rogo opens the attaché case and looks inside. 

WAXNER (continuing)
Count it later. 

Rogo closes the case and gets up to go. 
                         
ROGO
Is this conversation being recorded? 

GARVEY 
Of course. 

                         ROGO 
It incriminates your selves. 
                        
WAXNER 
But you're the monster, the doctor who 
discovered a cure for breast cancer and 
suppressed it. Take your money and get out. 

                         GARVEY
Do I hear a claim for moral superiority’s He's 
trying to turn a defeat into a moral victory. 
That was Adler's definition of neurosis. It's 
over and you won. 

                          ROGO 
What would Donald Duck do in a situation like 
this? I'm trying to find a role model and he's 
the only one I can think of who got into these 
dead-end double binds. 

                         WAXNER 
He'd be saved by a miracle at the last moment. The others drink themselves to death. Fast, too. A matter of months. 

                         GARVEY
Ignore him. He hates to lose. It's his one good quality. 

Rogo takes the suitcase and leaves. 

WAXNER 
Donald Duck?  That's a pretty massive regression. 

GARVEY 

That's the word. 

INT. ANN'S APARTMENT -- LATE AFTERNOON 
        (WARM MELLOW LIGHT) 

There are some empty boxes from Victoria's Secret. 
Obviously the snag has just bought the lingerie for her. It's his taste, not hers. 

Ann is wearing lingerie that's much too frilly for her. Say, a lacy teddy, and crotchless white satin bloomers with little bows at the knee. She's sitting in an arm chair reading a gothic novel with a garish cover: Something like ANGELIQUE IN BARBARY. 

The Snag is naked, kneeling in front of her and painting her toenails with loving care. He's sweating slightly. She puts the book aside for a moment and smiles at him. 

SNAG 
Like what you see?

ANN 
Power is a beautiful feeling. 

                         SNAG 
Except, in my fantasy, you're reading 
a fashion magazine. 
                         
ANN 
You dont read them, you look at the pictures. 
400 pages and it's over in 10 minutes. 
 
                       SNAG 
But that's my fantasy. 

                         ANN 
We're not married yet. 

SNAG 
Meaning what’s 

                         ANN 
It is not yet a job. 

SNAG 
How is the job? 

                         ANN 
All right. I turned David around again. 

SNAG 
That’s a death sentence. It’s a business. 
The only criterion is commercial viability. 
                        
ANN 
Whenever someone uses 5 syllable words, 
I know they're quoting. Who said it’s

SNAG
No one. No one said it. It didn't need to be said. 

She looks at the clock and braces one foot on his chest.

                         ANN 
10 minutes. I have to get back. 

INT. ROGO'S LAB (DAY) 

Rogo watches a 747 drift across the sky. 
He looks at his watch then Ann rushes in. 
She pivots then stops and looks back at him.
                         
ANN 
I have to get my laptop. 

But she doesn't move. 

ROGO 
Something wrong’s 
                           
ANN 
No, some days you look good to me.
I'll meet you in the lobby. 
 
INT. DRUG COMPANY LOBBY (BRIGHT) 

Rogo on a pay phone. 
                         
ROGO
...I cant. I've got to see it through. It's either 
that or close down the process and start over on 
Monday and that's a loss of 2 weeks...You're right, 
but it isn't...I dont know...I'll be home when I can. Enough! 

He hangs up. Ann has been waiting in the wings, 
now she runs up, slightly disheveled and sexy as Hell. 

She is carrying her laptop. She stares at him again. He walks out carrying the aluminum suitcase. She follows him. 

ANN 
Where are we going’s 

ROGO 
A hockey game. Next week, the circus. 
Meet your culture. 

ANN
The circus’s Why’s 
                         
ROGO 
Things I've left undone. 

                         ANN 
They threatened to kill you! 

                         ROGO
We'll talk about it later. Once we start, 
the rest of the night is shot. Let's save i
t for last. 
 
INT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 

Ann and Rogo watching a hockey game. 
A nasty stick fight breaks out on the ice. 
 
                          ROGO 
Testosterone poisoning. 

THE SAME 

A player does the hat trick and skates around the rink. The crowd are on their feet cheering, in triumph. Ann and Rogo too. He begins to smile. 

EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE ANN'S BUILDING (MURKY) 

Rogo and Ann. He takes the suitcase and Ann’s laptop out of the trunk of his car. POV follows Rogo and Ann into the hallway of her apartment house. 

A LITTLE OLD LADY opens her door a crack 
and peeps out. She looks at the suitcase. 
                         
OLD LADY 
Full of sex toys, I hope. 

ROGO 
Dead babies. 

                         OLD LADY 
That's all right for you, bringing work home 
every night, but she's a young girl. But she's 
a young girl, she should be out looking for 
romance and adventure. 

ROGO 
               (to Ann) 
Take that advice. 

                         ANN 
I'm not that bored. Nowhere near. 

The old lady slams her door shut. 

INT. ANN'S APARTMENT (DIM) 

Ann and Rogo. Their coats come off, but they 
keep the rest of their clothes on for the moment. 

ANN
Are we drinking?

ROGO
Not just yet.

He notices a stack of foreign fashion magazines 
on the end table by the arm chair. 
                                                   
Since when did you start reading fashion magazines? 

ANN
Objection’s 
 
                         ROGO 
No, I think it's a good idea. You
dont always have to be making a 
political statement.

Ann sets up her laptop on her desk 
                                
  ANN 
I have it all typed. New England 
Journal of Medicine, yes’s 
                  
   ROGO
What will you do with half a million? 
Your share of the Nobel. 

        ANN 
Not much. Buy a condo, pay the taxes, 
and the money's gone. 

       ROGO
A million. And forget the taxes, off 
the books.

                         ANN 
Barely middle class. Bake apple pies, 
be active in the PTA, see lots of 
Broadway musicals, whatever it is they do. 
It's comfort, it's not enough to buy freedom. 

ROGO 
It's not enough to act rich, if 
that's what you mean by freedom. 

                         ANN
I mean, if I had 50 million, I'd 
get a law degree and enter politics. 
                                  
ROGO 
Could you do it on a million 5’s 

                         ANN
I could try. No, not off the books. I'd last 
until someone noticed I was there, then it's 
over with 
a bang. 

                         ROGO 
Then it's all completely hopeless? 

ANN
What is it?

Rogo opens the suitcase, it's full of $100 bills.

ANN (continuing)
Bonus? You said.

             ROGO 
Payoff. They’se killing it. You're entitled to half.

There’s a long silence, then Hell lets out for noon. Ann is doing a volcanic monologue, Rogo is walking around the room, punching the walls, holding his head, scrawling THEY'VE LANDED in the condensation on a window.

He reels through the apartment turning on appliances, trying to drown her out: TV, CD player, dishwasher, blender and finally the shower. She follows him closely, turning them off one by one. 

Finally, he grabs a beer mug and a bottle of 
blue gin. After the 3rd gulp, he smiles at her 
and begins pantomiming a pitcher shaking off 
the catcher’s calls.

That doesn’t slow her down either. He tries to lock himself in the bathroom, but she kicks the door open. 
He sits` down in the bathtub withhis head in his hands and let’s her rave.

                         ANN 
When I met you, I thought you must be strong too 
because you have all the symptoms. 

When strong people are young everyone around them 
tries to feed off them, to squash them or avoid them. They grow up feeling they are in some kind of quarantine, exiled within themselves.

Being strong they are most resilient with amazing endurance but, even the strongest tire some time. 

If they haven't had the good fortune to meet at least one other genuinely strong person by 30 that feeling of quarantine can become unbearable and then, where all others have failed, the strong person takes up a systematic and sneaky campaign of self destruction. 

There's only one snag, strong people can never be truly suicidal, just miserable. With strength comes an inescapable sense of duty, especially if you're talented, which refuses to let you put the barrel of a .38 against the roof of your mouth and pull the trigger, it would be much easier to shoot some total stranger in the street. 

The truth is that strong people are masters of slowly punishing themselves. Now, just when Dr. David Rogozin was convinced that his plan of self dissolution was succeeding, He finally meets another strong person. That 
really pisses him off for many reasons:

First, because he was sort of looking forward to sliding into oblivion, sure that no one would notice but damn it someone did. Now, his rationality desperately seeks some way of pigeon-holing the situation. 

He chases shadows like Pygmalion scenarios or unrequited love stories but, none of these ruby slippers fit. 

And, no, no matter how hard his misery tries to play lap dog she will never buy; it, not even for a minute. The part of him that she has awakened and responds to is much more primordial than he dares admit, after all he has been trying so long and hard to forget about it he had almost convinced himself that he could get away with it. 

The concept terrifies him, thus the push to rationalize it, to push her to rationalize it, but that would be 
an awful disappointment wouldn't it’s because what really terrifies him are his own life force and creativity stirring after their long hibernation.

He is not in love with her, He cares about her but, he is not in love with her. She just happened to trip a circuit breaker that even he was sure he had forgotten. 

The current of thought and feeling that fills him was not triggered by her or her attentions, it is his own neglected self that fills him, she just happened to 
see it there dormant. 

Maybe her appearance distracted him from his misery 
long enough for that imprisoned self to send the SOS.

At any rate, now he has a real dilemma, his life force demands that he start creating and he cannot do that vicariously through her, nor can he turn their connection into a Neil Simon play. 

ROGO 
More like The Bride Of Frankenstein. 

ANN
Damn right! 

ROGO
Look, I dont have a choice here. 

ANN
You have a choice. You're going to take that money and use it to complete the tests on your own. Have you no shame’s Have you no decency?

ROGO 
Frankly, no. 

                         ANN 
Well, you're going to do it or we dont 
act out your fantasies ever again. The 
one about the training school for ladies maids?                   
 
ROGO 
All right, I'll do it. 

ANN
I hate all men! 
                         
ROGO 
Me too. I love you, Baby. 

                         ANN
I love you too, Baby. 

                         ROGO 
Engels said it all: We live in pre-history. 
Do you have a gun? 
                        
  ANN 
My ex-boyfriend was a cop. When we 
broke up he offered to get me a gun. 

ROGO 
Sporting of him. 

                         ANN 
I told him I'd probably shoot him 
with it. 

ROGO 
Get a gun. 
                          ANN 
Am I going to need it?
 
                        ROGO 

You're going to need a passport. We're going 
to be taking a trip very soon. 

ANN
To where?

ROGO 
Good question. 

EXT. STATEN ISLAND FERRY -- EVENING (DARK, BLUSTERY) 

Garvey and Waxner are sitting out on the rear 
deck eating Chinese take-out with chopsticks. 
They look cold and uncomfortable. 

          GARVEY 
They can still clock us with parabolic mikes. 

WAXNER 
Not in this wind. 

                         GARVEY 
His intern, the child-woman flitter-
fluttering in the shadows: Duane says 
she wont give up. What are you going 
to do about that? 
                          
WAXNER
Alone, she's just one more crazy lady with 
a conspiracy theory. She knows it. She 
wont be a problem. Sometimes the money 
takes a while to sink in. 
                         
GARVEY 
Jersey. If only the stench would stay 
the same but, it's always surprising. 
It keeps changing and I dont know if 
someone farted or it's something I 
stepped in or there's a gas leak and 
the car is about to blow up. 

                         WAXNER 
The lo mein is greasy. 
                         
GARVEY 
Greasy? it's unspeakable. I'd like to 
shoot whoever taught them about micro-
wave reheating. 

He throws the lo mein overboard. The seagulls 
dive for it. 

                         GARVEY (continuing)
Did he believe your jazz about the new-use patent? 
                          
WAXNER 
Why not? it might be true, almost true. 
                        
GARVEY 
He's going to talk. 

WAXNER 
You dont have to justify anything to me, 
just convince me that we're going to get 
away with it.

                      GARVEY 
He'll talk just for the moment of glory 
even though it kills him. 
                    
 WAXNER
I didn't know you had that much respect 
for him. But, then why bother to give 
him the money’s 

GARVEY 
No good reason. I dont want a situation 
like last time. We got very lucky on that 
one. I won’t run that risk again. 

WAXNER 
Car bombs are getting a little obvious. 
I've seen that on TV 3 times this week. 

He looks around nervously but, in the wind and 
cold rain, the rear deck of the ferry is deserted. 
                     
GARVEY 
We're doctors, we use poison. 

He holds out his hand.

GARVEY (continuing)
First, the tape, 

Waxner hands it over 
                  
WAXNER
Like I said, I dont have the competence for this. 

INT. ANN’s BEDROOM (NIGHT) 

Ann is in a big brass bed under a fluffy comforter.
Rogo is standing naked, drenched with sweat and 
still panting, trying to catch his breath. Both 
of them are very much alone with their thoughts. 
 
ROGO 
You all right’s 

ANN
Fine.

She gets out of bed naked, except for high-heeled boots and wiping herself with a fluffy beach towel from beside the pillow. 
 
                    ROGO 
I get the feeling that you fake one 
on me once in a while. 

                    ANN 
Not this time. It was fine, not as 
brutal as you sometimes try to act. 
                  
ROGO 
I have to do something about Jessica. 

ANN
Who's Jessica? 

ROGO 
  My wife.

ANN
No you dont. I want things to stay exactly the 
way they are. 

She pats her stomach. Remember, she's pregnant.

ANN (continuing)
You could move to Minneapolis, visit 
your child once in a while; maybe, 
this one wont be crazy, not growing 
up around you. 

ROGO 
You are such a total whore. 

ANN
Why?

EXT. WALL STREET AREA (EVENING AFTER RUSH HOUR) 

Garvey and Waxner walking down the middle of the street. No traffic, no pedestrians, it looks like the night after the end of the world. 
                    
GARVEY 
We could get killed down here. 
                 
WAXNER 
That would be poetry. 
                   
GARVEY 
If he committed suicide, he's depressed 
enough, and that would discredit any 
results he left behind. 

                     WAXNER 
If he even got struck dead by lightning 
Annabelle would claim it was murder. 

Garvey nods agreement. 
              
GARVEY 
The two of them in a suicide pact. 
 
WAXNER 
Too romantic, too much like fun. We'd get 
lady writers with 3 barrel names writing 
books about it. 

It cant attract media attention. Any investigation is going to turn up something embarrassing. 
                   
GARVEY 
Yes, it has to be boring. It has 
to be tasteless. 
                  
WAXNER 
We have that part locked. 

Garvey glares at Waxner for a slow count of 3,
finally, Waxner shrugs.

GARVEY 
And it has to be tomorrow. If we wait any longer, 
you'll think of too many reasons why it cant be 
done at all. 

EXT. ROGO’s HOME (NIGHT) 

He exits the garage and walks wearily into his house. POV follows him in. His wife sees him and walks out of the room. He sits down in the living room, looking around him in disbelief. His son walks by on his 
way out. 

                    ROGO 
Hello, Sunshine! 

His son gives him a look of pure hate and keeps walking. Rogo turns on the TV with the sound off. It's a sit-com: Squat, grinning people with big hair. Even with the sound off the rattle of canned laughter comes through. He looks like he's going to cry. He gets the horrors, grabs his coat and runs out. 

                    WIFE (V.O.)
That's right, run out without even saying Hello! 

INT. ROGO’s LAB (NIGHT) 

He opens the door, turns on the light and then freezes like a well bred pointer. The lab has been cleaned out. The shelves are empty and the equipment is gone. He checks the file cabinets. They're empty too. 

He walks over to the hazardous waste bin and unlocks 
it. He takes out a transparent plastic sack with his notebooks, hard disks and the two vials of the drug. 

He checks his shoulder bag. He has an antique 
.38 belly-gun and 3 very modern looking quick-loaders. He puts the sack inside with the gun on top. 

He types a complicated password into his desktop computer and uses the mouse to trundle the files over to the waste basket. He takes a long look around him then turns out the light and closes the door. 
 
POV follows him out through threatening looking shadows to the company foyer. 

THE GUARD gives him a professional smile. 
                   
  GUARD 
Working late, Doctor. 

                   ROGO 
You have to run fast as you can
just to stay in the one place. 

The guard doesn't know what he's talking about, 
but gives him a professional chuckle. 

EXT. ANN’s APARTMENT (NIGHT) 

Rogo knocks on the door. She answers wearing 
baggy shorts and a pink T-shirt with the logo: 

BEER IT’s NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE 

She gives him a weary smile then she notices the expression. Then she sees the notebooks and vials in his hands. She stops smiling and waits for him to speak. 

                     ROGO 
The lab's been cleaned out. They got everything. 
They thought they did. Everything important was 
in the hazardous waste bin, the one place they 
couldn't look. 
        
  				 ANN 
Why’s I guess that isn't much of a question. 
You had a deal.

                     ROGO 
I said Checkmate and they said 
Call And Raise. 
 
Rogo divides up the documentation. He lays out the notebooks, a disk and a vial for Ann. He keeps a hard disk and one vial for himself. She looks at the notebooks in his hands.

ANN
How far are they going to go’s

She looks at him questioningly. He adds a .38 belly gun and 3 quick-loaders to her share. She picks up the .38 and checks to see that it’s loaded.
 
                         ANN 
I would have thought you hated wheel
guns, I mean, low tech and all that. 
                           
ROGO 
That’s a rather desperate attempt 
at detachment. It’s happening to 
you and it’s happening now.

He takes out his pipe. He tries to fill it and gets tobacco all over himself. He tries to light it and 
cant. He throws it down and lights a cigarette.

ANN 
How's the kid’s 

                         ROGO 
Still paranoid schiz. 
                         
ANN 
They're frequently very talented. 

                         ROGO 
If they can stay out of jail long enough. 
Nothing I can do for him, anyway. 
                         
ANN 
I guess we still have a couple of 
hours. Still gin?

                         ROGO 
It's winter, I switch to scotch. 
You were here last winter.

ANN
Glad you remembered.

ROGO
You dont seem surprised by any of this.
                         
ANN 
It isn’t real.
 
She takes him by the hand and leads him to the bedroom. She’s sucking her thumb or biting her nails, it’s hard to tell.

INT. BEDROOM --- STRICTLY FUNCIONAL

There’s an ashtray, whiskey, Vaseline and a pile 
of fluffy towels within easy reach of the king
size bed. 

ROGO (admiringly)
Do you ever feel fear?

ANN
You learn how to keep all that tuned out.

ROGO
But you've never had combat training 
so, how did you learn?

ANN
A contact sport. I worked my way through undergrad as a call girl. Surely, you must have known.

EXT. PHARMACEUTICAL FIRM PARKING LOT (NIGHT)

Rogo is sitting in his car smoking. He puts out the cigarette and switches to a pipe, but cant get it lit. He relights the cigarette butt. The radio is playing the Newark jazz station.

THE SAME (THE SKY HAS TURNED GRAY) 

THE SAME (DAYLIGHT) 

Rogo checks his watch. It's 7:30. The news comes on. He ignores it and starts to get out of the car.
                         
ANNOUNCER (V.O.) 
...and now for the local news. Police are 
seeking Dr. David Rogozin for embezzling 
2.5 million dollars from Palimpsest Inc., 
a New Jersey pharmaceutical firm. 

ROGO (mumbling)
Right on cue. What is this? divine intervention’s

He changes the station.

2ND ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Dr. Rogozin had claimed to have found a 
cure for breast cancer. 

ROGO (to himself)
Jung called it synchronicity.

2ND ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
It was discovered that he had faked the results of his research and, when threatened with exposure, he stole 
the funds and ran. 
      
ROGO (to the radio)
But he's got more moves than ExLax.
.
Rogo turns off the radio and looks up at his office window. Garvey and Waxner are looking back at him. 

INT. ROGO’s OFFICE 

Garvey is standing at the window with a huge hypodermic behind his back. It has a brass plunger and thumb rings and is filled with something green and nasty. 

EXT. ROGO'S OFFICE 

Rogo looks back at them. He puts the car in gear and peels out of the parking lot at 90 mph. 

INT. ROGO’s OFFICE 

                        WAXNER 
You said he'd be up here trying 
to give the money back. 

GARVEY 
I know what I said. 

Waxner is typing on Rogo's PC: SUICIDE NOTE
                                         
Yadda Yadda, may God forgive me,
I’m outta here----Rogo

POV pulls back. Garvey throws the hypo into a hazardous waste container and clears the PC. The monitor pulses softly.

GARVEY. 
It's time we called Tokyo and did some 
damage control. They have to back us up. 
They dont have a choice. 

                        WAXNER 
You said he didn't have a choice either. 
                       
GARVEY
It's his Wonder Woman assistant. I told you something had to be done about her. 

WAXNER 
What about him’? The police catch him, 
he's got quite a story to tell. 
                        
GARVEY 
They're not going to catch him. 

Waxner checks Rogo's PC. 
                        
WAXNER 
The memory's been cleared and the 
disks are missing. 

They look at each other. 

INT. WAXNER’s OFFICE (DAY) 

Waxner is there with a DETECTIVE and a couple of uniformed cops. The uniforms leave. 
                      
WAXNER 
We went over all this last night. 

                         DET 
All we knew then was what you told us. You drew 
it out the money yourself. There’s no evidence 
that Dr. Rogozin actually received it.

                        WAXNER
You can check with my supervisors. 

                        DET
I have. The chief accountant. Controller’s 

WAXNER 
Comptroller. 
 
                         DET 
Yeah, thought that was a misprint. He 
backs you up. Same choice of words. 
You two have been rehearsing your story. 

WAXNER 
Why shouldn't we?

                         DET 
It would be helpful if there were some 
trace of Dr. Rogozin. Like, if his credit 
card was used to rent a motel room. Any 
chance of that happening? 

                       WAXNER 
He has 2 million in cash. Why would he 
leave a trail with a credit card’s 

DET
Yeah. 
  
WAXNER 
And if he didn't steal the money, 
where is he’s 

The detective watches a cart load of frozen beagles go by. He takes out his .357 MAGNUM. He dumps the bullets and puts 1 back in. 
                       
  DET 
You know how Russian roulette started?
Russian troops stationed in Siberia 
started playing it out of sheer boredom. 

He points the gun a Waxner and spins the cylinder.
He cocks the hammer and pulls the trigger. There's a click. 
                        
WAXNER 
You can break the firing pin like that, 
letting the hammer fall on an empty chamber. 

The detective cocks the hammer again. 

WXNER (continuing)
What do you want to know?
                      
DET 
The whole story from the beginning. 

                        WAXNER 
This will be painful to listen to. 

                        DET
Go ahead. The nerves are dead. 

POV pulls back as Waxner talks MOS.

THE SAME
 
CU of the detective is throwing up in a wastebasket. 
He straightens up.

DET (sweating)
Take this number. At least, they're pros. 
They know how. 

He writes the number on a match book cover and throws it in Waxner's lap. 

WAXNER
Do they take MasterCard?

The detective leaves, cursing.

INT. ROGO’s HOME (11 AM) 

Garvey and Waxner ransacking Rogo's library, 
slapping his wife out of the way. A security 
guard from the drug company has Rogo’s son in 
an arm lock. Garvey is shoveling books onto 
the floor. He finds some notebooks. 

                         GARVEY 
Class notes from med school. Sentimental. 
 
Rogo’s wife is whimpering. the son is cursing and struggling, trying to kick the security guard in the shins. 

      WAXNER
I found it. It's on the menu in his 
desk top, under 'cancer cure' 

GARVEY 
Erase it. 

               WAXNER 
I have a feeling that, if I do, the whole 
building will go up. Let's preview it.

He manages to unlock the file and cue it in. 
The screen says: 

YOU’RE NO BETTER AT THIS THAN YOU 
ARE AT ANYTHING ELSE. IT’S GONE
                        
WAXNER
That says it all. 

                         GARVEY
He wouldn't have it with him. Annabelle. 
No, that's a little obvious.

 WAXNER 
She knew enough to run for it. 
Yesterday. She didn't come in. 

                         GARVEY 
Why the Hell didn't you think of that before? 
Call security. No, Christ, those clowns. Call 
the police. Theft of company property. Patent infringement. Top secret documents. No, 
that's civil. No, no cops. 

    WAXNER
I have a number to call. 
 
INT. ANN’s APARTMENT -- ARTSY (NEAR DAWN) 

Ann wakes up to hear two men trying to break into her apartment. She has a police lock so, it takes them a little time. They have a car jack under the door and are pumping it up. She hears her neighbors complaining, them answering. 
                         
GOON 1
It's all right, Ma'am, we're cops. 

NEIGHBOR
No, you're not. 

Ann jumps up then makes the bed before grabbing her clothes and backpack and jumping into a closet. She jumps out again to retrieve a shoe then back in again just as the door is ripped off the hinges 
and 2 GOONS break in. 

GOON 2 
Gone. So, we wait. 

GOON 1
Bed hasn't been slept in. She didn’s come 
home last night so, she wont be back. 

GOON 2 
We ought to look. 

GOON 1
She's gone so, she took it with her. 

GOON 2 
Cat's still here. 

GOON 1 
People abandon their animals all the time. 
No fucking compassion. 

The notebooks and hard disks are in plain sight. 
Then there are sirens in the distance. 

GOON 2
Now. 

Ann waits till they're gone. She slips out of the closet and stuffs the notebooks and disks into her backpack, then make up. She picks up her razor, looks at it, takes out the single edged razor blade and slips it into her pocket. Then a Mace canister. Then 3 more gothic novels. Then she makes a phone call. 

ANN
Martha’s 
                        
MARTHA (V.O.) 
Annabelle’s are you in some kind of trouble? 
There are men here asking for you. They're 
waiting out front in case you show up. 

                         ANN 
Thanks, Mart. Can you take care of 
my cat? You have the keys?
 
MARTHA (V.O.) 
Where are you calling from?

But she sounds too eager. Martha has begun 
to stink.

Ann hangs up, puts the cat in its carrier, grabs it, 
her backpack and shoulder bag and looks out the rear window. The alley is, clear and she begins climbing 
down the fire escape. An old woman looks out her 
window at her. Ann puts a finger to her lips. 

                         ANN 
Three months behind on the rent. 

The old woman nods understandingly and Ann keeps going. She has her car parked on the street, an incredibly beat up sports car, an old MG or a Morgan. She drives off.. 

INT. EDITORIAL OFFICES OF THE NY TIMES (DAY) 

An uncomfortable looking EDITOR is sitting behind 
a desk and talking to Annabelle. Rogo's notebooks are on the desk between them. 

                         ED 
Unprintable. You dont have the credentials 
to tell the story. You would have to be the 
principal researcher, one of the players. 
Either that or a medical reporter with an 
international reputation. 

                        ANN 
I'm not asking you to believe this on 
the basis of my reputation. I have the
research record to prove it.

                          ED 
We are not in the business of evaluating 
medical research. We don’s have the competence. 
Or the time. It would have to be taken on faith. 

Perhaps, if you could find another researcher 
to co-author it, someone with an established 
reputation. Even then you would only succeed in embarrassing yourself. 

Ann tries to interrupt, but he wont let her. 

There's a book about this: Strategic Deception by Herbig, something like that. Like tricking the Japanese into bombing Pearl Harbor. 

No one would believe that America would sink its own fleet just because it was obsolete and there was no other way to get rid of it. 

It couldn't happen. The evidence is irrelevant. People will believe a conspiracy theory if and only if 
it fits in with what they want to 
believe anyway

ANN
Who killed JFK? 

ED
The Russians, I thought everyone knew that. 
They were still pissed at being forced to 
get their missiles out of Cuba, that's why. 
And it had to be covered up because the 
only alternative was nuclear war. 

ANN
          Is that true?
                         
ED
I dont know, I just made it up, but 
you see what I mean. It fits, so it's 
believable. A cancer cure being suppressed, 
that doesn't fit, it calls too many things 
into question. I dont know what else to 
tell you. 
                            ANN 
How about ‘good-bye’?
          
The editor gives her a sardonic smile. He grows smaller in the background as Ann walks out. 

INT. DRUG COMPANY LAB CORRIDOR (BRIGHT) 

Ann is talking to a HINDU MD Ph.D. NAMED GUPTA 
He speaks fluent New York dialect. 
                          
GUPTA 
How the Hell did you get in here? 
We're supposed to have security. 

                    ANN 
What about Dr. Rogozin? 

                    GUPTA 
Rogo? He was good but, a little noisy. 

ANN
He had guts. 

                    GUPTA
It's called guts when you win. When you 
lose it's just stupidity. And he took too 
many chances. He was lucky for so long, 
he didn't think it was luck. 

                    ANN 
His luck came back at the end. 

GUPTA
Yeah, that's why he killed himself. 
Or did he run for it’s 

ANN
It was murder. 
                          
GUPTA
I don’s believe in conspiracy theories for 
the simple reason that too many people 
would be involved. One of them would have 
to talk. 

ANN
I'm talking now. 

Gupta tries to answer and cant.

ANN (continuing)
It isn't necessary to keep them from 
talking. All it's necessary to do is 
keep them from being listened to. 
Like now. 

GUPTA 
Yeah, you're smart enough. He told 
me that. 

ANN 
I'm asking you to test this and see 
if it's a cure for breast cancer. 

               GUPTA 
My reputation would be ruined just by being 
associated with that. Try a younger man who's 
still got some guts. 

               ANN 
Then you do believe me’s 

               GUPTA
Why not’s you're obviously telling 
the truth. 

ANN
Then help me. 

               GUPTA 
Help you’s I'm going to call Waxner 
and tell him that you were out here 
trying to peddle the formula. Run 
for your life, Butch! 

ANN
Butch’s 
                         
GUPTA 
Yeah, you haven't been reacting to me 
as though I were a man since you got here.

ANN
Is this better’s 

She grabs his nuts and gives them a slow twisting squeeze. He doubles up and drops to his knees with an abstracted expression. 

EXT. YORK AVE (SUNNY) 

Ann runs out, into the parking lot across the street into her MG and gone. Her cat is screaming 

EXT. CANCER CLINIC (EARLY EVENING) 

People are filing out, going home. Ann is sitting in 
her MG watching them. She sees someone she recognizes and runs up to him. He keeps trying to get into his 
car, she keeps trying to stop him. 
      
ANN 
Dr. Barthes’s Annabelle O'Leary, research 
assistant to Dr. David Rogozin. 

BARTHES 
I heard. I'm sorry. 

ANN 
He left some...important research unfinished. 
I thought you might want to?

BARTHES
After what happened, it's hopelessly tainted . 
                          
ANN
He killed himself because his daughter got 
pregnant and wouldn't get married. 
                           
BARTHES 
Rogo didn't seem the type to take that seriously. 
                          
ANN 
And she wanted to be an actress. 

BARTHES 
I didn't know he had a daughter. 
                           
ANN 
And she was hopelessly retarded. 

     BARTHES 
No doubt, if she wanted to be an actress. 
I can understand why he didn't want to 
talk about it. 
                          ANN 
His son was a full time job. 
    
BARTHES 
Yes, I know. I'm very sorry about all 
of that but... 
                          ANN 
You don’s have to credit Dr. Rogozin on this. 
You could take the research as your own. 
There's no need to involve yourself in 
the scandal. 

BARTHES 
What do you get out of this? 
                         
ANN 
A cure for breast cancer. 
                   
BARTHES 
Yeah, you're cute. I'm cute too.
What do you get out of it’s 

ANN 
Co-authorship. I dont have the credentials 
to publish on my own. 

           BARTHES 
All right, this is beginning to make sense. 
I'm catching the 11 PM shuttle to Kennedy 
from the 61st Street Heliport. Be on it and 
you'll have twenty minutes to make your pitch. 

He escapes into his car and drives away.
 
Ann heads back toward her MG, but goons 1&2 are waiting for her. She isn't sure she recognizes them. She doesn't need to, they’re quick marching toward her, pumping their arms and their eyes are burning.

She ducks into the hospital and they follow her. She tries to evade them in the many corridors but they manage to corner her at a locked exit.

               GOON 1 Dr. Warner wants you. 

ANN 
I have nothing to say to him.

She slides her hand into her hip pocket, smiling. 

GOON 1 
That's all right, he doesn't have anything to 
say to you either. 

He grabs her arm then flicks her nipple with a forefinger. 

She draws back her hand. He laughs expecting an ordinary feminine slap but, She has a single-edged razor blade between her first two fingers and it drops him to his knees, hands clasped to his face, blood running out between his fingers.

Goon 2 grabs her wrists but, She butts the bridge of his nose with her forehead. He lets go. She sweeps his legs out from under him and he goes over backward, landing neatly on his left ear.

Ann makes it to her car and drives off. She's being followed by goons 3&4, then they all get stuck in a massive traffic jam. Neither car can move. 

She jumps out and runs with her backpack and cat carrier. She's almost run over by a motorcycle.

It stops and she jumps on, hanging on to her backpack and cat carrier and gripping the driver with her knees.

He doesn't seem to mind. It's a big Harley and 
it takes off riding the white line. A bug black 
Cadillac peels out and starts chasing them down 
the wrong side of the street, weaving its way 
through the oncoming traffic. 

The driver takes the Harley wrong way down a one-way street, detours onto the sidewalk going flat-out at 110. 

A cop car does a U turn and takes out after him. 
He leads them down to Park Ave. and opens up. They chase him down to 47th St., circling through the tunnel to the Park Ave. entrance of the Waldorf. 

He takes the Harley up the stairs, through the open door of the Waldorf and then across the lobby at 60. The men cut and run, the girls just stand there turned coyly sideways and clutching their purses with both hands. 

The only one with any guts is little old lady who tries to stick her umbrella through the spokes of his front wheel. She misses and he's across the lobby, down the stairs, out the door and into 
Lexington Ave. 

EXT. PARK AVE. ENTRANCE OF THE WALDORF (EVENING) 

The cop car is half-way up the stairs with 4 flat tires. The cops are standing beside it, blaming each other at the top of their lungs. 

EXT. LEXINGTON AVE (EVENING) 

The Harley is racing into a sold wall of traffic with another cop car behind it. In front of it is 
a VW and in front of that is a 16-wheeler of the kind used to transport new cars. It has a back arched like a suspension bridge.

The driver skies the Harley up the rear of the VW, onto and over the arched back of the 16-wheeler, over the truck cab and into the middle of the intersection. 
 
TRUCK DRIVER’s POV

TRUCK DRIVER’s RPOV to catch his expression as 
the Harley comes over the truck cab 

EXT. LINCOLN SQUARE PLAZA (EVENING) 

With three cop cars in pursuit, the Harley skies up the stairs and across the plaza, through the wind-blown spray of the fountain and the outdoor cafe at the far end. 

EXT. CAFE (EVENING) 

A FOOT COP is banging away with a .:44 magnum. 
The only safe place to stand is where he's aiming at. everyone in the cafe hits the dirt, then one hand reaches up to take a lit cigarette out of 
the ashtray and retreats under the table with it. 

EXT. WEST SIDE HIGHWAY (NIGHT) 

The Harley is racing down the highway straight 
into a cop roadblock with four more cop cars in 
pursuit. The driver guns the engine and leaps 
the Harley onto the concrete divider and zooms 
past the roadblock with the cops blazing away. 

EXT CHRISTOPHER STREET (NIGHT) 

The Harley exits the highway and pulls up on a side street behind The Archives. The Driver pulls off his helmet. It’s a girl, 

A handsome blond AMAZON (MEG) with the worried 
smile of a lesbian unsure of her welcome. Ann 
gets of the back of the Harley. 

ANN
Thank you. 

AMAZON 
  That's all I get? 

Ann hands the Amazon the cat carrier. 

ANN
You want a cat’s 

AMAZON
And? 

ANN
We'll see. 

AMAZON (smiles)
  My name is Meg. 

INT MEG’s APARTMENT (STRICTLY NORMAN ROCKWELL) 

Flowered slipcovers, lamps with frilly shades, 
lots of photographs, flowers and figurines. Meg 
is brewing a huge pot of powerful black tea. 
She pours Ann some and fills the rest of the 
mug with cheap brandy, 

MEG 
Dont worry, the tea will kill the taste. 

Ann opens her backpack. She has Rogo’s .38 and quick loaders. Meg sees it and her smile gets a little more worried. 

Why didn't you kill them. I dont mean 
the cops I mean...Who was it’s Whoever 
it was, you had a perfect excuse. 
                         
ANN 
It wasn't necessary. 

                          MEG 
You could get a reputation as a moralist and 
not get invited to parties anymore. 
                       
  ANN 
Why did you save my life’s

               MEG 
What's wrong with that’s 

ANN
Nothing. 
                        
  MEG 
Do I make you feel shy or what’s 

ANN
Or what.

  MEG 
That's better. What do you call 
the business you’re in? 

ANN
Betrayal.

MEG
Maybe, we shouldn't talk about your job, 
I think it's getting you depressed. 
                         
ANN 
I think you're right. 

MEG
Well’s 

          ANN
I cant think of anything. 
                       
MEG 
That's all right, I'll do all the thinking 
required for tonight. 

She takes a box of animal crackers off the shelf. 
She opens it and spills out 4 white cross 
amphetamines. 

MEG (continuing)
You don’t mind do you’t 

Ann looks at her with maternal sadness. 

MEG (continuing)
        Perhaps you'd like an aphrodisiac’s 
                                                  
Ann smiles and shakes her head. 

MEG (continuing)
     You're not really very affectionate, 
did you know that’s 

ANN
I'm getting there. 
                        
MEG 
Why don’s I light some candles? 
                         
ANN 
I have an appointment at 11 PM. 

MEG
Plenty of time. 

EXT. 61ST STREET HELIPORT (NIGHT) 

Meg and Ann pull up on the Harley. Ann gets off 
the back. They say good-bye. Meg pulls up the visor 
on her helmet and kisses Ann on the cheek. Ann 
grabs her and kisses her fiercely on the mouth 
then walks away. Meg looks astonished then, 
after a long moment, drives away. 

Ann walks into the Heliport. There is a
helicopter lazily taking off from the dock. 
A clock says 10:56 and A FLIGHT ATTENDANT approaches. 
                       
  ANN
  Is that the 11 o'clock to Kennedy’s 

                         ATTENDANT 
The -10:55. On time. I used to fly one 
of those things in the Afghanistan.

ANN 
You look crazy enough. When’s the next copter’s 
                                                       ATTENDANT 
They told me it was the last stand of 
the World War 1 fighter pilot. 

Another copter is revving up on the pad. 

          ANN 
Does that one go to Kennedy’s 
                                    ATTENDANT 
They told me it was like Napoleonic cavalry. It had tremendous shock power and could concentrate very 
fast but, it was tremendously fragile and could only be used against an enemy who was already disorganized. 

Actually, you could bring one of those things down with a well thrown coke bottle. Every time one of them takes 
off I think: Some lunatic is actually going up in that thing. 

At this point, the copter to Kennedy which has been on a long slow ascent to give the passengers a view of the city straightens out and heads South by Southeast. 

ANN
` It didn't blow up. 

ATTENDANT 
They usually dont but, that one's going to Newark in 10 minutes, if you want to wait. There's always a chance. 

Ann walks away. Meg drives up on the Harley. 
She's been lurking somewhere. 

MEG
Call him.

ANN
They can trace the call.

MEG
They’se not looking for me. Just dial it.

Meg hands Ann her cell phone. Ann takes it, consults an address book and dials. It rings. It’s answered.

PHONE (V.O.)
Mumblem umble

ANN
Dr. Barthes, please. Hello?

PHONE (V.O.)
He’s dead!

and hangs up. Ann hangs up too.

ANN
He’s dead.

Meg starts to speak, but Ann cuts her off.

They didn’t say.

Ann gets on the back of the Harley.
 
MEG
What now’s 
                   
ANN 
Whatever it is, it will keep till morning. 

They drive off. 

EXT. MEG’s BLOCK (NIGHT) 

Meg parks the cycle and they walk up to her 
apartment house. She looks up at her window. 
The lights are on and, through the heavy 
steel gate, she can see that someone's 
moving inside. Meg points. 

ANN
Friends of yours’s

MEG
I dont have any. 

ANN
Except one. 

She hands Meg a cigarette. Meg lights it, takes 
two puffs, throws it down then climbs the fire-escape to her floor. 

EXT. FIRE ESCAPE (NIGHT)

There are 2 MEN and they're not smiling. They don’t see her. They don’s hear her either, the TV is on full blast.

She makes some whistling noises like a pigeon 
until the cat comes out to the window to meet 
her, wriggling through the bars of the gate. They realize that something is happening and rush to 
the window: they’re large ugly citizens but they’re inside and Meg is already headed down the stairs, clutching the cat. 

They try shooting at her but, cant get a clear shot, they cant get their arms through the bars 
at an angle that would allow them to aim. 

One of them grabs the bars of the gate and shakes them in frustration, like a caged animal, as Meg leaps from the bottom of the fire-escape and runs to the cycle still clutching the cat. 

Ann is already on the Harley, looking prim. Meg does a Western Movie leap into the saddle and they roar off. 
 
INT. DINER (NIGHT) 

A very glitzy diner on a deserted section of the waterfront. (There aren't any like that but, this is a movie) It has the view of the river under the 125th Street overpass of the West Side drive. 

Ann is sitting with her backpack, holding her 
cat and using a piece of string for a leash. 

She has a cup of coffee and a huge piece of Technicolor cake with whipped cream and cherries sticking out of it in all directions. It's untouched. 

Then Waxner walks in. 

WAXNER 
(to the WAITRESS) 
Coffee. 
(to ANN) 
You want anything’s 

He sits down in Ann's booth across from her. 
She has the .38 pointed at him under the table. 
                        
WAXNER (continuing)
Why are you hanging are around New 
York’s How crazy are you’s 

ANN
You want a cat’s 

WAXNER 
They shed, they tear up the furniture, they 
eat the potted paints, my wife wouldn't put 
up with it. What's his name?

ANN
Schwarzenneger. 

It's a black cat.

    WAXNER 
You wish. You know how many laws 
you broke tonight’s

ANN
No.
                  
WAXNER 
Neither does anyone else. It will take days 
to figure it out. 

ANN 
Which side are you on?

WAXNER
My own. Yours, if you get away. I'm the hero who saved you. If you get killed, 
I did my job. 
                         ANN 
Does that make sense? 

WAXNER
I dont know, most analysis of motivation is science fiction anyway. But, yeah, we're so amateurish that 
it was clear that you had every chance of getting 
away. But, why are you still here’s How could you do anything so stupid? 

ANN
I'm new at this, it takes a while to develop a mature personality for it. 
It's too late to worry about it now. 
                         
 WAXNER 
No, worry. It's too .late to do anything else. 
You know, the only difference between us and 
the lab animals is that we think before we act. 
                         
ANN
I got enough of this from Rogo. 
                          
WAXNER 
But you dont listen. You are an MD Ph.D., 
the smartest of the smart, but you act like 
you learned it all from a comic book. 

You are a turkey, a gobble cadet. 
Into the air Junior Birdmen!. Up, 
Up and away! Take that, you dirty 
rat! YOU ARE INCOMPETENT

 ANN 
Wait a minute. Do you want the 
notebooks back’s 

                        WAXNER
Hell, no! You have one really great 
thing going for you. You're expendable. 
Meanwhile, get out of my life. You're 
30, you're not cute anymore. That's what 
you wanted isn't it’s Out’s You're out. 
                        
 ANN 
You ever think of anyone but yourself?
                         
WAXNER
No, never. Why do you?
 
 ANN 
The police looking for me’s 
                         
WAXNER 
Not yet. Dont want the goons and the 
cops tripping over each other. It 
takes a while to disengage. 
                          
ANN 
Well, call them off for the night, 
I need the sleep. 

WAXNER 
Off the dyke’s they're gone. 

He stands up to go.

The cat growls and engorges with rage. It's a big cat and with its hair bristled out it looks big enough to bring down a moose. 
 
It manages to swat Waxner's nose and suddenly 
he's dripping blood. Ann grabs the cat and it immediately falls asleep in her arms. 
                        
ANN 
We were just leaving. 
                    
Waxner stares after them. He isn't angry yet.
He hasn't had time. He still doesn't believe it.
 
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE MEG’s APARTMENT (EARLY MORNING) 
 
Ann knocks at Meg's door. Meg opens it and smiles 

               MEG 
I've been expecting you, come in. 

Ann walks in, takes the leash off the cat and drops it to the floor.It runs off. Ann sits down heavily on the sofa.

               ANN
I had no where else to go. 
                         
MEG 
Does that mean you're staying?
                       
ANN 
Just sitting down for a minute. I'm 
a little tired. 
                         
MEG
I believe that. Are you all right’s 

ANN
Ashamed, I dont even know of what.
Do you have any brandy’s 
                         
  MEG 
You dont want it, it's the same as 
last time. I'll get you some chamomile 
tea and an oatmeal cookie, it will 
calm you down. 

She marches into the kitchen to make tea. 
                         
ANN 
Aren't you frightened’s 
                       
  MEG (from the kitchen) 
You're trusting me with your cat. besides, I like you. 

Ann gets up and checks the locks on the door. 
                        
  ANN
 I shouldn't stay, I'm endangering you. 
                       
MEG 
  (from the kitchen) 
Sit down and shut up, I'll be with you 
in a minute. 
 
Ann sits down in the armchair. She sees a pile of fashion magazines next to it. She smiles and shakes her head in disbelief.

MEG (continuing)
When I was a little girl, I dreamt of this horrible monster that came into my room to kill me but, he couldn't harm me because I liked him. 

Ann thinks that over and begins to relax. 

Meg comes out of the kitchen with tea and cookies. She's wearing a 1940's tea dress, long and high roll, doing a Carole Lombard imitation with her hair up in a French roll. Ann is startled. 

                MEG 
Is there anything in particular you'd like
 me to wear’s 
                        
 ANN
I'd like a blindfold. 

Meg puts down the tray and throws a sleep mask 
at her. 

MEG
You're fun people. 
 
EST SHOT. TORONTO (NIGHT) 

INT. HOTEL LOBBY PLASTIC) 

Rogo is renting a room. He tries to pay in cash. 

               CLERK 
I'm sorry, sir, we dont accept cash. 
Only credit cards. Do you have a credit 
card, sir?

ROGO
Yes, of course. 

It has his name on it. He hands it over. 

INT. POLICE HQ (EARLY AFTERNOON) 

LT. GUZMAN walks in as Ann is arguing with a plain 
clothes cop who is obviously her EX-HUSBAND. 

Guzman sees that she's pretty and that she's pissed. 
He sees an opening. 
                         
EX 
He's not dead or, if he is, he killed himself.
I cant investigate a murder that didn't happen. 
                        
ANN 
Sure you can, you just cant solve it.

EX
She couldn't have really said that.
You didn't really say that did you’s

ANN
What about Barthes? 

EX 
Apparent heart attack,. no violence. 
You'll have to wait for the autopsy , 
if there is one. How crazy are you? 

GUZMAN
Is this man annoying you’s Not covering his 
mouth when he coughs’s things like that’s
 
ANN 
(to her EX) 
Find out. What are you afraid of? You have the badge, you have the gun, what more do you want?

EX 
(to GUZMAN) 
You see now why we broke up. Her boyfriend ran off without her so, he must have been murdered. 
                        
ANN
He was killed to keep him from 
publishing his results. 

GUZMAN 
I dont understand. 

ANN 
Why should you?

GUZMAN
Tell me. 

                         EX 
Don’s encourage her, we'll never get 
her out of here. She's been here two hours 
already. 
 
GUZMAN 
(to ANN) 
Come on, he doesn't deserve you.
                         
 EX 
Maybe, I should introduce you two’s 

GUZMAN
I can handle it. 

INTERROGATION ROOM (INTIMIDATING) 

Ann and Guzman sitting, tape recorder running. 
                    
GUZMAN
Publish or perish, I heard of that. But, killing 
him to stop him from publishing, that doesn't 
make sense. You'll have to explain. 

Ann shakes her head. She doesn't know where to begin. Guzman nods, smiles and makes with the encouraging body language. Nothing happens. He takes out a cigarette. 

GUZMAN (continuing)
 You can smoke. The rules dont apply here. 

She does. He takes out a 5th of Jack Daniels'. 

ANN
Drinking on duty’s 

GUZMAN 
It's an interrogation room. It helps people to talk. 

She accepts and throws back a double shot. 

GUZMAN (continuing)
I don’s know enough about this to ask questions 
so, why dont you tell me the whole story from 
the beginning. 

ANN 
He was murdered. 

GUZMAN
From the beginning. 

She tries to interrupt. 

GUZMAN (continuing)
I know it seems like the long way but, 
it saves time in the end. 
 
                    ANN 
You're trying to keep me from talking. 

                    GUZMAN 
Sounds like it, doesn't it. Let's begin. 

THE SAME 4 TIMES FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES MOS
                        
ANN 
You dont believe me. 
. 
GUZMAN 
Well, no.
 
ANN 
Ask me questions, trip me up. 

               GUZMAN 
I couldn't even recite it back to you. 
It's like one of those Shakespeare in 
the Park things with everyone disguised 
as someone else. 
                   
ANN 
Then why listen at all’s 

GUZMAN 
You're pretty. 

ANN
Good-bye. 

She moves for the door. 
. 
          GUZMAN
Hold it, wait. What is it you want 
me to do? 

Ann doesn't know either. 

            ANN 
Barthes is dead, I want to know what 
he died off. 

GUZMAN
Sounds easy. Come on. 

He leads her out of the interrogation room to a computer terminal in an empty office and logs in. 

GUZMAN (continuing)
Heart attack, looks like. No autopsy scheduled. 

ANN
Let's go to the morgue. I'm a doctor. 
                  
GUZMAN 
Trust me, I'm a doctor’s What could you tell by looking at the body. 
                   
ANN 
Probably nothing. 
                  
  MAN 
Suddenly, I believe your whole story. 
Why is that’s 
 
INT. MORGUE (OVERLIT AND ANTISEPTIC) 

                     GUZMAN 
Barthes, you have him’s

ATTENDANT 
Yeah, so what’s 

GUZMAN 
This is the wife. 

ATT 
The wife was already here. 
                   
GUZMAN 
This is the other one. 
                    
ATT 
Oh, like that. 

They get to Barthes' body. It rolls out of the cabinet. 

ATT (continuing)
And he was a jogger, pulse rate of 42, with the ginseng-and the good cholesterol vs. the bad cholesterol, rolls over in bed to screw his wife and has a flame 
out and he chokes on his own blood. 

It's all what nature gave you. The rest of it is just jerking off. 

He rolls open the drawer to show the corpse.

ATT (continuing) 
They don’s look like much. Once the spark is gone, they're hard to recognize; You want to check some identifying marks’s The appendix scar’s The mole 
on the inside of his thigh’s 
                   
ANN
No.

ATT 
He doesn't have a mole on the inside of his thigh. 
Who are you’s Let's see some ID. 

Guzman flashes his badge 

ATT (continuing)
Wait a minute, the way you flashed that 
it could be anything. Let me see it again. 

Guzman shows his badge again. Ann rips the sheet off Barthes’s body. His face is purple red and there is a black-red froth of dried blood around his mouth. He’s been stabbed twice through the heart.

ATT (continuing)
Wait a minute. You cant do that. 
 
ANN
Heart attack’s I love that Dawn Patrol RAF understatement. It shows class.

ATT
Well, you know, it was suicide, they don’t 
like to admit it.

ANN
He’s been stabbed twice through the heart. It’s physically impossible for him to have done it himself. He couldn’t have pulled the knife out after the first time. So, it’s murder.

ATT
What do you want from me’s

Ann is about to say something, but Guzman grabs her 
arm and hustles her outside. 

EXT. STREET (GRAY DAY) 

ANN
What do we do now’s
                         
GUZMAN 
Nothing. You heard him: it’s official.

ANN
You’re walking out on me too?

There’s a long silence.

GUZMAN
Look I’ll find out what I can and 
I'll call you tonight. 
                       
 ANN 
No, I cant go home. I’ll have to meet 
you somewhere. Tell me. 

GUZMAN
No, you tell me. Someplace you feel 
comfortable. 

She hands him a matchbook from Florent. 

GUZMAN (continuing)
Give me some time. Around ll. It shouldn't be a place where you're 
known 

ANN
I've been there once. 
 
She watches him walk away until he disappears 
 
INT. CANADIAN PASSPORT OFFICE (SLIGHTLY OLD WEST) 

Rogo is getting a Canadian passport. 
                         
CLERK 
Normally, we do this by mail and it takes 
2 weeks but, you're obviously Canadian. 

He holds out Rogo's passport to him. Rogo looks puzzled. 

CLERK (continuing)
The accent. 

ROGO
You mean: a little Scot, a little Irish in 
there’s Maybe, I'm American and my parents 
are from Boston 
                         
CLERK 
Now, you're trying to sound like it. 
                         
ROGO
For all you know, I'm an American embezzler with a lawyer who knows Canadian law and how casually you 
hand out passports. 
                         
CLERK 
You're Canadian, all right. If you're looking for an argument, try an American, they dont know any better. 

Rogo picks up his passport and turns to go. 

ROGO
54/40 or fight! 

CLERK 
That's the spirit. 
 
EXT. TORONTO AIRPORT (NIGHT) 

Rogo is boarding an EL AL jet. He's about to climb the stairs. 

ROGO 
Which way is south’s 

THE ATTENDANT points. Rogo looks south toward 
America but there's nothing to see but darkness 
and flickering lights. Rogo looks unhappy. 
                         
ATTENDANT 
Cheer up, there's a MacDonald’s in Tel Aviv, too. 

Rogo shakes his head. He looks as though he wants to cry and cant. He gives up on it and climbs the stairs and boards the 747. 

INT. POLICE HQ (BRIGHT) 

Guzman gets called into the office of THE CHIEF 
OF DETECTIVES 

CHIEF 
Where is she’s

GUZMAN
Who’s 

CHIEF 
Whadyado’s screw her and take a liking 
to her’s 

GUZMAN 
Not yet. So, why are we covering 
up for murder’s 
             
CHIEF 
He's not dead. He was in a hotel in Toronto. 
At least, his credit card was. We'll find him. 
  
GUZMAN 
What about Barthes’s 

CHIEF 
Who’s that?

               GUZMAN 
That's about what I figured. 
                          
CHIEF 
Young Hero, maybe things did get a little out of hand over there but, outside of maybe Hollywood, pharmaceuticals are the one big business America has left. No one is going to let you mess with it. 
                          
GUZMAN 
That's cool, but what do you want with the girl’s 

                CHIEF 
She's stolen secret documents from the company. She's trying to peddle them. She's trying to use them for extortion. 

GUZMAN
If that were true, she wouldn't have 
come to the police. 
                         
CHIEF 
I dont have time for this shit. 
                         
GUZMAN 
You going to kill me too? I know 
it all. I might talk. 

CHIEF 
Who'd listen?
                        
GUZMAN 
What about her’s No one believes her. There's nothing she can do with the notebooks. Why don’t they just let 
her alone? 
                      
CHIEF 
Because there is something she can do and, 
if they let her hang around long enough, 
she'll figure out what it is. 
 
GUZMAN 
Like what?
                       CHIEF 
Like you, are you a cop or what’s 
                          
GUZMAN 
She's afraid to go home. She said she'd 
call tomorrow and arrange a meet. 
                         
CHIEF 
You give her home or office’s 

GUZMAN 
Both.

     CHIEF 
We'll have them covered. Dismissed. 

EXT. STREET CORNER BANK MACHINE (NIGHT) 

Ann hesitates then uses her bankcard at the teller machine. A MAN comes to the machine next to hers, gets his money and goes. Her machine still hasn't given her card back yet. 

She looks around and sees all kinds of reasons for paranoia. Even a child in a stroller begins to look like a secret agent. The machine hums and lights flash but, it gives no response. 
 
Finally, She panics and begins walking away fast. As she does, 2 cop cars slide up to the teller machine. THE COPS get out, slowly, calmly but, with their guns in their hands. Ann turns around. 
                         
ANN 
What's going on’s officer. 
                         
COP 
Go home, lady, just go home. 

The cop doesn't even look at her. She heads west, 
trying hard to walk slowly. She goes 1 block 
turns the corner finds a phone and dials.

INT. FAKE C&W BAR (TOO CUTE) 

The phone rings, THE BARTENDER answers

BARTENDER 
Hogs and Heifers.

ANN (V.O.)
Duane, please. 

  BARTENDER 
We got 5, it's that kind of place. 
Do you have a preference’s 

                         ANN (V.O.)
The one who looks like Keanu Reeves 
and acts like Woody Alien. 

Duane the snag comes to the phone. 

EXT. ANN IN THE PHONE BOOTH (NIGHT) 
                         
SNAG (V.O.) 
I could hear you yelling clear across 
the room. 

ANN 
Duane, are you being followed? If you were being followed, would you know it’s 
                         
SNAG (V.O.)
No. But, I know you're in some kind of trouble. I don’s care. You' re my girl. If you killed someone, I’ll help you hide the body. Tell me what you need me to do. 

ANN
There's a place called Florent. 
Be there at 11:30 with a car.
 
SNAG (V.O.) 
It's almost 11 right now.

                         ANN 
It's a few blocks from you on 
Gansevoort Street. 
 
SNAG (V.O.) 
Spell it.
                         
ANN
I cant. He was a Revolutionary War hero, he defended the fort at Swaxhill guarding the entrance to the Mohawk Valley. It was a sideshow to the Battle of Saratoga. 
 
SNAG 
I'll find it. I'll be there. Are you okay’s 

                    ANN
I will be, if you help me. 

SNAG
I'll be there. Just calm down.

ANN
Thank you, Duane.

She hangs up. She closes her eyes and leans 
against the wall. 

EXT. FLORENT (NIGHT) 

Ann walks in. She looks around. Guzman isn't there.

EXT. STREET (NIGHT) 
 
The clock says ll:05. 
    
Guzman is parking his car a block away from Florent. He gets out and starts walking. The neighborhood is deserted. He's being followed 
and they’se not being subtle about it.

He stops, thinks about that for a moment, then keeps walking. POV follows him into Florent. 

INT. FLORENT --- CLASSIC 1950’s DINER

He sees Ann, but ignores her. He sees A GIRL
who looks vaguely like her and walks up to her.
                   
GUZMAN 
Forgive me, Ma'm, my wife is sitting 
over there and she looks a lot like 
you. It might save my marriage if I 
could make her jealous. 

GIRL
That has got to be the most outrageous come-on I have ever heard in my life! That's beautiful.

The girl laughs, throws her arms around Guzman’s neck and kisses him passionately. The 2 goons who have been following Guzman rush in and grab him 
and the girl. 

POV retreats to Ann. There's an argument, but we cant hear it. The background noise is a steady roar of emphatic conversation drowns them out.

The argument turns ugly. Guns are drawn. The conversation dies except for one SERBIAN GIRL who's used to all that and she keeps talking. A GIRL with a shaven head and subway strap earrings nods and smiles. 

SERB-ETTE
But what she really doesn't like is that the waiter mistook Chris and I for brother and sister. Well, we've always been siblings, for as long as we'd known each other. 

We both have snake green eyes and we're exactly the same height and, even when we color our hair, we color it the same color. It's just one of those odd connections that we have, and it's always been that way.

And then the shooting starts. This is a realistic gunfight: They're blazing away at each other point 
blank, but the only safe place to stand is where 
they're aiming at. And everyone has a gun and is 
sure that he's the target so, everyone is blazing 
away at everyone else.

Bottles are exploding off the walls and on the tables, jugular spurts in all directions in odd corners of the room, but the gunmen themselves are untouched and dont seem surprised by it.

The Serbian girl crawls under a table and keeps talking. Strangely, she can be heard clearly above the gunfire.

So, we go to order and she refuses to order anything. She has a headache and she's not hungry. 

Now, mind you, I am still smiling, because it's 
Chris and if he really loves her and wants to 
marry her then it's now them and not just him 
and I would do anything for him and that includes putting up with his bitch fiancé.

One of the goons is down, Guzman is wounded.
Most of the patrons are dead. The TV and the 
cashregister computers have exploded, shredding 
the air with glass splinters. 

The other goon has crawled behind the bar. He and Guzman are blazing away, hitting everything except each other.

So, I order her a chicken salad because she looks like a vegetarian, little prissy thing, and I try hard to include her in the conversation, but in the end there was absolutely nothing we could 
do to appease the bitch and she dragged him home early.

THE CHEF comes out of the kitchen wearing gum rubber waders for some reason and carrying a 
sawed off double barreled shotgun that obviously belonged to his grandfather.

And I'm kind as I can be as I say farewell and wish them both the best 
of luck and, in truth, I'm hoping for 
a car wreck that gives him a good 
smack on the head and puts her through 
the windshield.

There is a sudden absolute silence.
Then faintly, the drip of blood and broken bottles.

Then, 2 weeks latter, there's a knock on the door...

Ann runs into the kitchen and out the back door. Sounds of the battle begins again behind her. Then shots from 2 different guns: The scratchy rachety sound of a 9mm and the cell door slam 
of a.45 and the ear aching explosion of the 
sawed off. 
 
EXT. STREET IN THE MEAT PACKING DISTRICT (NIGHT) 

The street is cobble-stoned and dim. It looks like a scene from a Sherlock Holmes movie. An empty taxi is waiting by the rear door. She leaps in. Waxner is driving. 
                         
ANN 
Airport. Any airport. 

WAXNER 
Surprised’s 
                          
ANN 
Not really. 

WAXNER
How did you get along with an 
idealist like Rogo’s 
                      
ANN 
I kicked him in the shins a lot. 
You could kill me now.

                         WAXNER 
The sex wasn't that bad, a little too professional. 
Not like a whore, that would have been better. 

More like a nurse, fluffing up my pillows and 
tucking me into bed and saying: There now, you 
have a nice nap. But, all right. 

ANN
Have you killed Garvey’s

WAXNER
Not yet, I’se only got two hands.

He let’s go of the steering wheel for a moment 
to show her.
                          
ANN
I'm getting out. 

WAXNER 
Stop it. Just, stop it. 

The cab is going up the West Side Highway but, it's blockaded at 23rd Street. The cops are stopping cars 
and shining flash lights inside. 

                         ANN 
Can you get me out of this? 

WAXNER 
I can do anything. 

He twists the cab over the low concrete divider, bending the tires out of shape until you’re sure they’ll burst (but they don’t), and takes off wrong way up a 1-way street. The cops follow with sirens howling but, when they reach 10th Ave, they cant pick Waxner's cab out 
of the army of cabs moving uptown. 

They try to set up a road block at 23rd and 10th but, the cabs roar past them. 
                                 
ANN 
Where are we going’s 

WAXNER
They expect you to go north. So, we 
head south. You have to stop being predictable. 

He takes the cab over to the curb at 47-49th 
and 11th Ave. past the array of WHORES .

ANN
I need money. Lots of it.

                         WAXNER 
I can’s get more than $500 out of an 
ATM. Will you accept a check’s

ANN
Stop the car. 

He understands what's going on and speeds up. 

ANN (continuing)
Stop the cab.

Reluctantly he does. 

WAXNER 
Hey, if you need money that bad, 
I'll pay you. 

The meter says $5.75. She hands him $6. 
ANN 
Keep it! 

Ann gets out. POV follows her. She kicks off her shoes, then pulls off her dress and slip and 
shoves them into her backpack. 

She takes out a pair of stiletto pumps. Now, she's down to nylons, bra and girdle. It's a panty girdle with a detachable crotch. She unsnaps it and throws it away then, teetering on her 4 inch heels, she walks toward the line of whores on 47th between 11th and the river. 
                         
WHORE 1 
This aint your turf, Honey. 
                         
ANN
I'll pay him when he gets here. 

WHORE 1 
You better. 

Among the bargain basement whores, she stands out like a gamecock in a barnyard. Jersey-ites in beat up cars try to pick her up. 

She ignores them. A PRETTY BLACK whore with clear
green eyes like a cat walks over to her. 

GREEN EYES 
Watcha doing here, Honey’s You writing 
a book’s Not that I'd mind being in a book.
                          
ANN 
Something like that. 

She walks away. Green Eyes follows.

                         GREEN EYES 
Or, your boyfriend gave you a present 
and expected something special in return and you said: You want me to be a whore, well, all right. 

                         ANN 
There's a story. It’s too good to be 
true but, it doesn't matter. Saying it makes it true, it's that kind of story.

There was a Gypsy girl on line for the gas chamber and an SS man recognized her and knew that she was a dancer. 

And he asked her to dance for him and 
she did, beautifully, seductively, sensuously.

She danced up next to him, pulled his Walther out of the holster and shot him eight times through the stomach. She was killed but, she was going to be killed anyway and, by that one act, she fulfilled herself as a dancer, as a woman and as a Gypsy.
 
                         GREEN EYES 
I know one. What's the difference 
between kinky and perverted’s 

ANN
What’s 

GREEN EYES
Kinky is: you use a feather. Perverted is: 
you use the whole chicken.

ANN
And smiling the boy fell dead.

                         GREEN EYES
You a little crazy, Sugar’s That's never no mind, it dont matter to anyone. 
 
THE SAME 

Finally, a huge glossy black Lamborghini pulls up and Ann smiles in satisfaction. She gets in without a word. 

INT. CAR (LUXURIOUS)

There is A HUGE GLOSSY BLACK PUSHER inside. 

                        PUSHER 
This is your lucky night. 
                                             ANN 
I can see that.

running her fingertips up the inside of 
his thigh. 
                        
 PUSHER 
I just did the dirty deed and I'm 
gonna spend a lot of it on you. 

patting the shoulder bag beside him. 

Ann looks at him: Can he really be that stupid’s 
He opens the bag and shows her that's full 
of stacks of $20 bills. He is that stupid. 

                         ANN 
Park by the river, Sugar, and make 
me earn it. 

EXT. HIGHWAY (NIGHT) 

He parks in the plaza in front of the Port Imperial ferry. He pushes a button and the front seat goes all the way back. He pulls down his pants, then his boxer shorts covered with hearts and dollar signs 
while Ann smiles benignly. 

She reaches into her backpack and pulls out a small black leather case. She opens it and takes out a loaded hypodermic. 
                         
PUSHER 
What the fuck is that’s 

ANN 
Papaverene. It will keep you hard 
for an hour.

PUSHER 
I heard of that. 
                                  
  ANN
It's an extra $100, but it's worth it.

PUSHER
I don’s know.

ANN
You want it to last. You’re not 
some little faggot pumping for 90 
seconds to prove he’s not queer.

PUSHER 
Yeah, what the Hell. 

She stabs him in the groin with the hypo. 
He immediately goes into convulsions. 
She lights a cigarette and watches him die. 

ANN 
Take your time, Sugar, we've got 
all night. 

Ann smiles primly then shrugs into her dress. 
She checks his neck artery to make sure he's 
dead. She takes his wallet, his automatic,
the leather sack of money and pushes his 
dead body out the driver's side door. She 
drives out to the highway and looks north. 

EXT. WEST SIDE HIGHWAY (NIGHT)

She sees the flashing red lights of another cop roadblock at the entrance to the Henry Hudson 
and all the side street are blocked by cop cars. 

She does a U-turn and heads downtown. No one seems to notice. The road blocks begin to evaporate, cop cars drifting away as she heads south.

By the time she gets downtown to Christopher St. the exits are clear. She parks a block from Meg’s apartment. She turns a corner and sees Meg’s Harley. 

She's home. Then she sees Snag leaning against 
the side of a car. 
                    
SNAG 
Waxner called me on my cell phone. 
No flights out till morning and 
you had nowhere else to go. 
                  
ANN 
I've lost track of which side he's on. 
I dont think he knows.
                         
SNAG 
You're running in circles. I saw a cat 
do that to a mouse. He drove it insane. It kept running in smaller circles until it fell over dead of a heart attack. 

  ANN 
You didn't save the mouse’s 

                         SNAG 
I didn't want to interfere. It was 
like watching a religious ceremony. 

ANN
Good-bye, Duane. 
                         
SNAG 
Why didn't you keep going’s 

ANN
I need a passport. Someone else's.

                         SNAG 
How crazy are you’s 

She jerks her head toward Meg's apartment 
                        
  ANN
Are they up there’s 
                         
 SNAG 
They didn't think you'd be back. They couldn't 
believe anyone could be that stupid. You caught 
them by surprise. 

ANN
What do you want’s 
                          
SNAG 
To take you home to Minneapolis. . 

ANN
Like nothing has happened. 
SNAG
I did everything you asked me to. 
                         
ANN 
You did everything everyone asked 
you to. Now, fuck off! 

SNAG 
Please.

                         ANN 
Duane, you're a lovely boy and you’ll make 
some girl a wonderful wife some day. 
                        
  SNAG 
That's a little unfair. You seemed 
to enjoy me well enough. 

                         ANN 
Maybe, it is unfair. I'm too tired to think it 
through. I'll call you tomorrow. 

SNAG
You'll call? 
       
ANN
I'll call. 

A COUPLE walks past. Snag and Ann stop talking till they're gone. 

SNAG
From a pay phone. You promise’s 

She kisses him lightly on the lips. 

                    ANN
I promise; I'll call. Now go home 
before you get yourself killed. 

Ann walks away fast and into Meg’s apartment house.
She has a gun out, holding it down next to her thigh and goes up the stairs slowly. 

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE MEG’s APARTMENT

The door to Meg’s apartment is ajar, Ann pushes 
it all the way open. POV follows her in. Meg is 
sitting on the floor, clothes torn and handcuffed 
to the radiator.

MEG
The key is on the table. 

ANN
Why didn't you call for help’s 

MEG
Too embarrassed. 

ANN
Were you raped?

MEG
They tried but they couldn’t get 
it up. 

ANN
I hate all men. I need your passport. 
                        
 MEG
It doesn't look like you. 

                         ANN
Passports never do. Where is it’s 

                         MEG 
Are you going to unchain me’s 

ANN
Maybe later. 

                         MEG 
On the bookshelf, behind the dictionary. 

Ann finds it. She smiles at Meg. 

                  ANN 
Are you uncomfortable?

MEG
Yes! 

            ANN 
You should have said something.

She walks to Meg, strokes her hair and unlocks 
the cuffs.

INT. MEG’s BEDROOM (DAY) 

Ann is wearing a College-Girl-At-Home costume: 
panties and a man's button-down blue oxford. She's looking out the window when the front door opens. 

She reaches into her shoulder bag and grabs her 
gun, aiming it through the bottom of the bag. 
She sees it's Meg and puts the whole thing down, 

                  MEG 
I talked to him. He says that he'll 
wait for you forever. 

                  ANN 
He probably will. 

                 MEG 
I doubt it, I'm meeting him for 
coffee tomorrow. 

                  ANN
Poor Duane, I shouldn't have got 
him involved. 

                   MEG 
Poor Duane’s It's working out rather nicely 
for Duane. What do you want for breakfast?

                   ANN 
Coffee and cigarettes. 

                  MEG
Pancakes and eggs. And sausage. 
 
She walks out and into the kitchen, throwing off her coat on the way. She starts making breakfast. It's a practiced routine, almost a ballet. 
                     
   ANN 
Too much fat. 
                     
    MEG 
You could get killed walking out that door and 
your last thought would be: I had a last chance 
to have pancakes and eggs and I blew it. When 
are you leaving’s 

ANN 
Tonight.

                        MEG 
What are you going to do till then’s 
                         
ANN
I'll find something. 

                         MEG
Any regrets about last night’s 
                     
ANN
It wasn’s unpleasant.

                         MEG 
I think I'm going straight, it's women who are ruthless, it's men who are silly and sentimental. 

                        ANN 
Can all that wait until tomorrow’s 

MEG 
Yes. 

EST. SHOT. (THE SUNLIGHT IS WHITE HOT)

title over: HAIFA, ISRAEL 

INT. MEDICAL LAB AT THE TECHNION

Rogo walks in on DR. AMRAM BAR TAR. He's 
red-haired and beefy with a broad snub nose. 
A face like a lion.
                        
BAR TAR 
You slimy little prick! I'm sure you've got 
some sly, weird, wonderful explanation of 
everything. I dont want to hear it!. 

Rogo holds out the vial. 

BAR TAR (continuing)
What the fuck is that supposed to be’s 

                    ROGO 
Try it on adenocarinoma. 

Bar Tar looks disgusted but, he takes a tissue 
sample with a microtome, makes a slide, moistens 
it with an eyedropper dipped in the vial and 
puts it under the microscope. He looks carefully. 

BAR TAR 
It's toxic, so what’s 

                         ROGO 
Try it on healthy tissue. 

Bar Tar looks even more disgusted but, he does 
the same business again and looks through the microscope. 

He makes a noise like the mating call of the 
humpback whale. His assistants come running. 
One of them matter of factly carries an Uzi. 

                         BAR TAR
(to his assts.) 
Coffee. And another ashtray. 

(to ROGO)
Brandy’s

ROGO 
Not just yet. 

                        BAR TAR 
You dont mind if I do’s 

ROGO 
It's all yours. I'm not staying. 

He walks out. They watch him go.

EXT. STREET (NIGHT) 

Two cop cars are at 18lst/Ft. Washington watching the bus station and the approach to the GW bridge. Meg and Ann go by on the Harley. 

INT. COP CAR 

A cop ID's her as the Harley goes past and talks rapidly into his microphone. He puts the car in gear and takes off, lights and siren blazing. 

EXT. STREET (NIGHT) 

Meg does a couple of U-turns, goes wrong way up 
a 1-way street, runs 3 red lights and hits the 
approach to the bridge at 90 with 2 cop cars in 
pursuit. They play bumper cars for a while but, 
the Harley is too fast for them. 

It pulls away across the bridge and comes to a screeching cork-screw stop in the toll plaza on 
the other side. The cops jump out with SIG-Sauers 
in the classic water skiing pose. 

COP 
Out of the car! 

ANN
You mean, dismount the motorcycle and doesn’t ‘please’ usually accompany a request like that?

He closes his eyes in agony

                         COP
NEW YORK WOMEN!!! 

ANN 
Testosterone poisoning. 

Meg manages to leap the cycle over the cop car 
with Ann slung across her lap then roars off. 
More pursuit. Meg leaps the Harley over a 3 ft. concrete wall, falls 20 ft., lands the cycle upright and roars up the highway in the wrong direction into the oncoming traffic.

EXT. HIGHWAY (NIGHT) 

Meg pulls the Harley onto the shoulder. Ann stands up, straightens her clothes and gets on the saddle behind Meg. She reaches around and flicks Meg’s nipple with her forefinger. 

ANN
Giddyap. 

Meg doesn't move. 

   MEG 
        How can you be so cruel’s 

   ANN
   I'm a doctor. Trust me! 

Ann has her hands around Meg's breast. She's singing something in Meg's ear, but the wind rips it away. 

EXT. INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL AT NEWARK AIRPORT (NIGHT) 

They pull up and Ann gets off. She puts her hand to Meg’s cheek, tracing the line of her eye with her forefinger. Meg twists her face away. Ann doesn't 
move. Meg turns back and kisses her on the cheek. Ann grabs Meg and kisses her fiercely on the mouth then leaps away and runs into the terminal. 

POV FOLLOWS her 

POV pulls back to an OSS on 2 GOONS watching the ticket counters. One of them is talking on a cordless phone. He hangs up. 

GOON 5 
That's it, she's dead. Fingerprints. Positive ID. 

                         GOON 6 
There was a sighting in Ft. Washington. 

                         GOON 5 
There are sightings of Elvis too. You wanna wait for him’s Maybe, you can sign him to an exclusive contract. 

Just then, Ann walks by in the middle distance, headed for the El Al counter and noticing nothing. 

GOON 5 (continuing) Oh, Christ, I thought we were going home. 

Ann is walking fast to the El Al counter, not looking back. Then she sees them.. She sees them staring at her and understands the situation at once. 

She takes off running through the crowd. They take off after her. She makes it out the side door with a strong lead. 

EXT. HELIPAD (NIGHT) 

A copter is about to take off and there's the same attendant as at 61st street. 

ANN
Oh, no! 
                        
ATTENDANT 
I used to fly one of those things in 
the Gulf. 

                         ANN 
You're Death, aren't you’s 

                         ATTENDANT (cheerfully)
I get off work in an hour. 

Ann looks behind her. goons, cops and assorted Anglos with guns are closing in again. In front 
of her, the copter is 3 ft. off the ground. 

She runs toward it anyway. Obligingly, the copter touches down to let her on board and she climbs inside. The goons start banging away but the copter wheels away into the darkness with its lights off. 

INT. COPTER 

There are no passengers, just Ann and the pilot The control board lights give the darkness a cozy glow like a fireplace. 
 
  ANN 
Why did you do that’s 
                   
PILOT 
I dont know, I felt like it. 

ANN 
There's a lot of it going around. 

They fly over a massive traffic jam on the NJ 
turnpike. It's a parking lot. Cars are backed 
up for 20 miles. In the sky-glow from New York 
you can see the fumes going straight up to the 
jet stream. She nods .

                     PILOT 
I had a professor, He would look at something 
like that and say: Behold I'm this product of 
Rational Man. 
(PAUSE)
I dont know what you did but, I’m impressed as Hell. That good? That bad? 

ANN 
You dont want to know. 

PILOT 
Where do you want to go’s

ANN
New York.

PILOT 
They'll be waiting for you 

ANN
Maybe.

PILOT
Do you have a gun’s Take it out and point it at me. No, do not cock the hammer. Ease the hammer back down. That's it, just point it at me. 

Strange noises are coming out of his radio. He picks up the mike. 

PILOT (continuing) 
(to the radio) 
She's got a gun pointed at me.
What do you want me to do’s 

He turns the radio off. 

ANN
Canada. 

PILOT 
          I'll take you far as I can.

They're flying north along the Hudson River. He checks the radar display. There are 2 blue dots flashing on and off and closing the distance.

They're coming after you. See, that's the cop signal, clocking us too until we run out of gas. 2 cop copters, we come down, there'll be there. Can you get away’s 
ANN
Maybe. 

PILOT
Try nap of the earth and get lost in ground clutter. For a while. That's poetry. I mean for guys who cant talk, who can barely spit, that's poetry.

He brings the copter down to a few feet above 
the trees. He narrowly misses a high rise. 
                         
ANN 
Bring it down, I'm out of here. 
                        
PILOT 
You're still alive, what do you want? 

But, he brings the copter down to hover a few 
feet above the upper deck of the IRT El somewhere in the Bronx. 
                         
ANN 
Dont go home, they all do that. 

She climbs out

EXT. EL STATION (NIGHT)
 
A few workmen are going to the graveyard shift. They stare at her for a moment then studiously 
mind their own business. A train comes. They 
get on, so does Ann. 

INT. SUBWAY CAR 

The train rolls. It stops at a station. The doors stay open a long time. Nothing happens. The doors close. The train moves again with many rattles and grunts. 

THE SAME 

Ann is riding morosely off into the night. She's alone in the car. The train stops at a station. 
The doors open. Nothing happens. 

The doors close. Then 4 black Latinos enter from 
another car. They see her and smile. They walk 
up surrounding her. 

LATINO 1 
Hi, Sugar. 

ANN 
Dont you ever sleep’s 

They try to figure that one out and cant. 

                         LATINO 2
Watcha doin running around in the night when 
there are only bad men about?

               LATINO 1 
What you got in the bag, Sugar’s 
 
ANN
A cure for cancer. 

They're embarrassed. They think she's nuts. They're not sure but, if she is, that's like diplomatic immunity.

                         LATINO 2
My grand mother had that. They cut 
her tit off, but it came back. 

LATINO 3
The tit’s 

LATINO 2 
The cancer!

ANN 
This will cure it. 

There’s a silence. Latino 4 is thinking.

               LATINO 4
But, cancer is big business so, they tried to 
kill you and that's why you're riding the 
subway at 3 in the morning. 

ANN (astonished)
That's right.

LATINO 4
I got an idea. 

           LATINO 3 
(delighted with himself) 
That's an oxymoron. 

                         LATINO 4 
Fuck the librarian jazz. We'll take 
you to a place where they can use it. 

                ANN 
No, thanks. Your good intentions wouldn't 
last 20 minutes. 

                         LATINO 4 
This will take 10. It's the next stop. The botanica at 155 and St. Nicholas. 

LATINOS 1, 2 and 3 
          Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 
 
EXT. STREET (NIGHT) 

TRACKING SHOT: Ann and 4 Latinos coming out 
of the subway and walking to the botanica ‘s
A botanica is a black magic store. 

There statues of the Virgin and the saints all 
gut-bucket Technicolor and of the monster gods 
of Yoruba and VooDoo and Macumba and the cult 
of the saints.

There are aerosol sprays attract love, to attract money, to repel bullets. There are charms to ward off the evil eye and to bring luck, 18 different kinds of luck. 

POV watches through the window. Ann is talking urgently to the proprietor. The 4 Latinos are standing around nodding. Then the proprietor 
starts nodding too. 

INT. BOTANICA 

PROPRIETOR
How much?

ANN
Nothing. Free. The important thing is that you use it. 

She hands him the notebooks, the hard disk and the last remaining vial. He gives her all the money in the cash register. 

                         PROPRIETOR 
Yes, take it. It's important to me 
that you know I believe you. 

She takes it and turns to go. 

                          LATINO 1 
We'll walk you out of the 'hood. 

They’se leering at her with appetite. 

The proprietor hoists a 12-gauge shotgun from down 
around his knees and lays it across the counter. 

     PROPRIETOR
No, you wont. 

LATINO 1 (laughing)
No, we wont. 

RPOV TRACKING SHOT 

Ann walks out and off down the darkened street. All the street lamps have been shot out. RPOV does a high-speed back peddle like on Jeanne Moreau at the beginning of THE BAY OF ANGELS. 

And she disappears.