Excerpt from BLACK NIGHT, by Brian Mix FADE IN: TITLE CRAWL: At the dawn of 21st Century corporate take- overs escalate to a military scale. The ten year consolidation war leaves President Victor Slane in charge of one Mega-Corporation. Only few cities are left intact, surrounded by huge parameter walls. The No-Man's-land in between (The Shadow Lands) is uninhabitable. An Anti-Slane Resistance forms to overthrow his corporate machine. Slane sends his best operative to stop them. His name is Jake Blake. EXT. SKY - SUNSET A beautiful azure sky. A bulbous grey air ship approaches. The stencil on the side reads: KHARDOOM REHABILITATION TRANSPORT. Under the words in smaller type: MAKING YOU BETTER FOR SOCIETY. The ship makes a sudden turning dive into the thick layer of black clouds below. The clouds billow out, leaving a hole through which can be seen the foul teeming city of Khardoom. The air is so polluted gas-masks are required. INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT Underneath Khardoom in an old subway station, a wrecked train waits forever at the platform. Two GROTESQUE SPECTERS wearing ragged clothes stand guard. Out of the darkness steps JAKE BLAKE. Jake is wearing the uniform of the Black Night, Special Ops. He's buffed, chiseled, perfect. His silenced 9mm pistol at his side, Jake moves like a cat, angling in on the two ghoulish guards. He raises his gun and takes dead aim. WHAMM! Jake is jumped from behind by a THIRD RAG- DRAPED GHOUL, it's face ravaged by leprosy. CLANGG! A Crowbar divots the cement next to Jake's head. The creature pulls back for another swing when Jake shoots it with four quick shots. THWIP, THWIP, THWIP, THWIP. The huge creature drops on top of Jake, it's last breath in his face. Jake rolls it over with a muffled grunt, barely containing his revulsion. The other two are almost on him. THWIP, THWIP! They die in a SCREAMING heap. INT. STATION - NIGHT The Resistance has set up a base of operations inside the burned-out subway station. Jake steps in and looks around; Computers, Radios, it's clear. Jake pulls off his gas mask and speaks into a walkie- talkie. Jet Black hair, blue eyes, devastating. JAKE OK, Gant I'm in. They're using Shadow Land Zombies for guards, disgusting. EXT. SUBWAY TUNNEL STREET ENTRANCE - NIGHT The steel plates covering the entrance are torched open. GANT stands next to the opening. Gant's Black Night uniform doesn't fit over his bulky frame. The fashionably small gas mask he wears looks out of place over his too often broken nose. GANT Yeah, we knew that. Just don't get any on ya'. JAKE (V.O.) Thanks for telling me. GANT Sorry Jake, need to know. Get Wilson, get the ammo dump, and get out. INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT Jake turns deeper into the Resistance lair. GANT (V.O.) Wilson will use anybody, you know how it is. JAKE Yeah, I know how it is. INT. RESISTANCE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Emergency lights flash on the wall. Sitting behind his desk is VICTOR WILSON. Although a wise tactician, he is not accustomed to combat. He is wearing a flak jacket. His hands shake as he loads a pistol. INT. STATION HALLWAY - NIGHT Two more of the cloaked ZOMBIES stand guard in front of double doors. They hold baseball bats. They never even see Jake coming. He drops them both. JAKE Shit, at least if they had guns they'd stand a chance. Jake kicks in the doors, surprising Wilson. INT. RESISTANCE CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT Wilson raises his gun but Jake is faster. He shoots him twice in the chest. The resistance leader falls into his chair and wheels to the back wall. The flak jacket has deflected the rounds. Wilson looks up at his assassin. WILSON I know you, you're Jake Blake, you're supposed to be on the frontier, not Black Night. Jake unslings the small satchel charge off his back and grabs the primer. JAKE Things change. WILSON Don't do it, join us. JAKE Sorry, I work for Slane. Jake pulls the primer cord, slides the charge toward Wilson, and heads out the door. INT. STATION HALLWAY - NIGHT Jake strides down the dark hall to an intersection. Out of the dark TWO RESISTANCE MEMBERS jump him. Jake flings the first to the floor and shoots him twice. The second takes an elbow to the face but pulls his gun. Jake spins and fires one shot, hitting the Resistance member right between the lenses of his gas-mask. KAAABOOOM!!! The control room down the hall blows. Jake is knocked off his feet to the floor, face-to-face with the first Resistance member. Jake locks eyes with him. He pulls the gas-mask off what looks to be a twelve year old boy. JAKE What the... Shit! The boy dies in his arms. Jake reaches over to see the face of the other fallen Resistance member, but a blast of machine gun fire stops him. He looks up. The machine gun-toting FREEDOM FIGHTER takes off down the hall. Jake jumps up in pursuit and flips on his walkie-talkie. Gant is already screaming. GANT (V.O.) What the hell is going on down there, Blake? Jake talks as he runs through the smoke filled halls. JAKE Hell's break'n loose down here, and I think I just popped a twelve year old kid. GANT Who gives a fuck-blow the ammo dump and skate. Jake stops to catch his breath. JAKE What the hell are kids doing down here, Gant-you said troops. GANT (V.O.) Who cares how old they are! Plant 'em all. Jake lets go of the transmit button and stows the radio. JAKE (to himself) God damn you, Gant. Jake turns the corner a runs smack into the machine gun toting Freedom Fighter. Jake grabs the guard's gun and flings him into the opposite wall, pulling the machine gun free. He points it at the guard. He does not fire. The Freedom Fighter has lost HER gas-mask, and is dazed by the collision with the wall. Jake lowers the gun. She makes an awkward grab for him. He spins, slamming her down and out with a back- handed fist. He's not happy. JAKE This just keeps getting better. Jake leaves her in a heap and heads further into the base. INT. AMMO DUMP HALLWAY - NIGHT Jake peers down the hall and sees two even younger kids guarding the door to the Ammo Room. He raises his gun but he can't bring himself to do it. The kids spot him and fire their machine-guns. The weight and kick of the weapons are too much. The boys are knocked down by the recoil. All the rounds go stray. Jake walks away and thumbs his walkie-talkie. JAKE Gant, this is bullshit. I'm extracting. GANT (V.O.) Are you insane! You can't extract! Blow that ammo, that's an order. Jake is runing toward the exit. EXT. SUBWAY TUNNEL STREET ENTRANCE - NIGHT Gant boils; Half screaming half spitting into his walkie-talkie. GANT You finish that job! Do you hear me?! Jake has switched off his radio. Gant throws his radio to the pavement, shattering it. INT. STATION HALLWAY - NIGHT The Hall is filling with thick smoke from the burning control room. Jake is looking at the two boys he killed. On his face, how much he'd like to undo this. Undo his life. He heads out the door. INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT Gant grabs Jake and shoves him hard against a wall. GANT You disobeyed a direct order. I should kill you right here. Jake, still having his pistol in his hand, shoots Gant in the leg. Gant drops Jake and falls to the ground clutching his knee. Jake calmly brushes off his jacket, pops the clip from Gant's gun, ejects the last shell, and tosses it at Gant. JAKE I quit, asshole. GANT You can't quit, you're Black Night. JAKE Watch me. With that Jake pulls the badge from his chest and tosses it next to the gun. Gant snaps up the badge and looks up to tell Jake how he's going to die, but Jake is gone. EXT. KHARDOOM ARMS HOTEL - NIGHT This hole is rundown even by Khardoom standards. Jake's car screeches to a stop in front of the hotel. He jumps out and runs up the rickety stairs. INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT The door slams open from Jake's kick. He enters the room, gun drawn. A quick scan reveals no one there. Jake grabs his duffel bag and stuffs it with all his worldly possessions. He picks up his ID from the dresser. Pulls out his money, not much, and flings the wallet across the room. A KNOCK at the door. Jake grabs the pistol off the bed and opens the door. He is blinded by the bright lights in the hallway. A camera WINDS as Three BLACK NIGHT GOONS grab Jake. GOON Jake Blake, we have a warrant for your arrest. Mass-Murder. They take his gun and roughly escort him handcuffed up to the roof, all the while playing it up for the camera. EXT. HOTEL ROOF - NIGHT The bulbous grey transport ship waits there, passenger ramp lowering. The words: MAKING YOU BETTER FOR SOCIETY on the side are brightly lit by the hotel neon. The Black Night men shove Jake into the ship. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. LANDING PAD - DAWN Smog filters sunlight, bathing the pad in a red haze. The transport lands. BLACK NIGHT TROOPS, wearing gas masks, run into formation. The landing ramp grinds open. Troops form a corridor, leading to a podium back by a huge Vid-screen displaying the Black Night logo. Next to the screen stands Gant. A lone CAMERAMAN in a Black Night uniform peers through a 16mm news camera. He whip-pans to the top of the ramp. Jake appears, his feet in shackles. Someone has worked him over pretty well. All of the patches and rank insignia have been ripped from his uniform. The escorting guards move/drag Jake through the human corridor and prop him in front the podium. Gant limps over to the hand-cuffed prisoner. He now wears a mechanical knee brace. A remnant of Jake's bullet. It SQUEAKS as he walks. He's still pissed. GANT Your done Blake, Slane is putting you down. JAKE Nice squeak Gant. (beat) You've got nothing on me. GANT Jake, you've killed dozens of people. JAKE Under your orders. GANT Details, details. Now Gant's laughing, Jake's mood darkens. GANT What do you say Jake, come back in. I can help you. JAKE I'm done with it, Gant. I'm done killing for Slane, and I'm done with the Black Night. GANT Then it appears your killing days are over, traitor. JAKE Yeah, but it does leave my nights open-- Gant turns toward the podium. JAKE --Puppet! Gant spins and lands a double-fisted punch across Jake's face driving him to his knees. Gant steps up behind the podium,and musters his sincerity. GANT Prisoner! You stand before us guilty of seditious and heinous crimes. So great are your traitorous acts that President Slane himself shall pass sentence. The soldiers snaps their heels in attention as President SLANE steps up to the podium. His face appears, thirty feet tall on the Vid-Screen behind him. He wears the thin mask of benevolence. He's the greatest political weasel ever. SLANE Jake Blake returned to us from the Consolidation War a hero. Tragically, the war has taken it's toll on our comrade. When a Black Night officer breaks the law he, in turn, must be broken. Prisoner, do you have anything to say before I pass sentence? The 16MM camera whirs to a stop, as the cameraman turns it off. Gant grins. Jake looks at the news camera and remains silent. Slane smiles like a snake. He's got Jake right where he wants him. SLANE You were my best operative, Jake, but with the Resistance and the budget cuts, the people are screaming for heads. (small chuckle) So I'm giving them yours. Jake looks up at the others but they are all turned away pretending not to hear. Slane turns angry. SLANE You'd have done much better had you followed your orders and killed all of those, those, revolutionaries. You were my right hand now you're--you're... Slane stops himself from boiling over then nods. The 16mm news camera once again starts running, Slane puts on his 'face'. SLANE For your crimes against the Corporation and for the good of her people, I sentence Jake Blake to rehabilitation in the city of Khardoom for the rest of his natural life. Gant grins as he yanks Jake to his feet. GANT Rest of your life eh.... Let's see that'll be about ten minutes. You never should have quit Jake, the Black Night is invincible. JAKE Things change. GANT Look at the bright side, Slane could have sent you to the Shadow Lands. Gant shoves Jake roughly toward an elevator labeled "DEATH CHAMBER". GANT This won't hurt as much. Two guards (TALL and SHORT) herd Jake into the elevator. GUARD #3 follows them in. INT. ELEVATOR, GOING DOWN - DAY Jake stands bleeding as the guards watch the numbers click by. The short guard tugs at his gas mask and shuffles his feet. The tall guard looks at the short one, then at Jake. The short guard pulls a side-arm and shoots the tall guard between the eyes. Guard #3 pulls up his machine gun, but not in time. Jake head-butts him, pulls the guard's pistol out of its holster, and shoots him. Jake points the pistol at the short trooper who quickly kicks it into his face. Jake smashes the short guard's chin with an uppercut from his handcuffed fists. The guard drops Jake with a short kick to the chest. The short guard pulls off HER gas mask and helmet. CASS'S long hair falls around her shoulders. It's the girl from the Resistance base. She's beautiful, tough, and spitting blood. CASS Are you some kind of idiot? I'm with the Freedom Fighters. Do you want to be saved or what? They struggle to unlock Jake's handcuffs. Both trying to take charge. JAKE Look honey, nobody saves me, I work alone. CASS Honey?! You Black Night asshole we don't have time-- DING! The elevator has stopped. They both look up; The display reads DEATH CHAMBER. INT. DEATH CHAMBER HALLWAY - DAY Jake and Cass emerge from the elevator. They move down the hall quickly. Two guards from the far side see them and unsling their weapons. Jake and Cass simultaneously draw and fire on the guards. The guards fall quickly. Alarms sound, and red lights flash. JAKE & CASS (together) Shit! They run down the corridor Jake leads them to an intersection. INT. CORRIDORS Jake looks around the corner. Many GUARDS coming their way. JAKE Grenade. Cass grabs a grenade pulls the pin with her teeth and tosses it to Jake. He snaps it out of the air and sends it sailing down the hall in one smooth motion. KABOOM. No more movement. This time Cass leads down the corridor, past a few bodies to a door. She fires her machine gun down the hallway. Jake runs up behind her. JAKE OK, sweetheart which way out? CASS The name's Cass... Cass opens the door with a short kick and gestures towards the room. CASS ...Step into my office. Jake steps into what is clearly the men's toilet. Cass fires at the Black Night Troops at the far end around a corner. INT. FAR END OF THE HALLWAY - DAY Two Black Night troopers are taking cover behind the corner. Gant walks up from behind them. GUARD #4 They're just ahead, sir. GANT Get out of my way. Gant pushes past his men. He is holding a pump action rocket launcher. INT. MEN'S ROOM - DAY Cass opens the window and pulls in two sets of rope- lines from outside, and hands one to Jake. JAKE And I didn't get you anything. CASS There's a car on the street. Cass climbs out. Jake tilts out the window, looking down. POV - JAKE The street looks a long way down. BACK TO SCENE Jake is little nervous. CASS What's wrong killer? 'fraid of heights? It's only ten stories. She rappels down the building. EXT. STREET - DAY Cass lowers herself to the ground, smugly smiling at Jake's trepidation, when a machine gun is thrust into her face. She's surrounded by four BN guards. INT. MEN'S ROOM - DAY Jake watches what's happening on the street, and looks for another way out. The door to the men's room EXPLODES. Jake looks down. EXT. STREET - DAY Cass has her hands on her head and the guards are patting her down. INT. MEN'S ROOM - DAY Behind Jake -- Gant is at the hole where the doorway used to be. Jake looks back. JAKE (to himself) Not good... Gant takes aim. JAKE Not good..! Jake dives out the window. JAKE NOT GOOD!! EXT. STREET, TEN STORIES UP - DAY Jake dives through the air as a rocket EXPLODES in the window behind him. Jake does a flip, readies his machine gun with his right hand as the ropes snap taught in his left, two feet from the street. He's ready to fight. EXT. STREET - DAY JAKE Haaah! Jake's ready-for-action stance slackens as his jaw drops with surprise. Cass stands over the bodies of the guards. She has the last unconscious guard by the shirt collar -- she drops him. CASS If you're through with your little Y chromosome docudrama, the car is right here. Cass points to an unmarked car. It EXPLODES! EXT. STREET, TENTH STORY WINDOW - DAY Gant is at the blown out window aiming his rocket launcher. JAKE Cheap import car, come on! EXT. STREET - DAY Jake takes off in a dead run, Cass right behind as another rocket explodes. Black Night Police cars SQUEAL into the street. Jake runs up next to one of the police cars, shoots the door latch and opens the door. The driver pulls his pistol but Jake clobbers him with the machine gun. He pulls the driver out of the car and slides in behind the wheel. Cass is already in the passenger seat when Jake closes the door. INT. BN POLICE CAR - DAY The car moves quickly out of Gant's range. Jake's only concern now is where to dump Cass. CASS Turn left on eighth, then head up Turner Ave. JAKE You had better be giving me directions out of this piece of shit town. CASS You can't drive out of Khardoom. The walls are fifty feet high. The car takes some fire from an approaching Black Night Police car. EXT. STREETS OF KHARDOOM - DAY Jake and Cass' car veers into an alley. The BN car in pursuit doesn't make the turn and crashes head on into the corner of a building. Jake's car emerges from the far side of the alley. INT. BN POLICE CAR - DAY Jake looks around for other cars. JAKE OK, so what's your bright idea? CASS There's a Freedom Fighter base just beyond "G" sector. Jake chuckles at the name. JAKE Freedom Fighters? You have got to be kidding. Cass is dead serious. CASS We just saved your life. I just hope you can get to Slane before it's too late. JAKE Why don't you get some more children? They'll follow you anywhere. CASS Those kids were only down there because everyone else was out trying to blow the main gate. You knew that, you hit us when we were down. JAKE Slane used me, and if you think I'm going to let you use me to get to him, you've got another thing coming, sweetheart. CASS What did you think we sprung you for? Your good looks? You're a tool, that's all, and now you're our tool, sweetheart. INT. KHARDOOM FF BASE - DAY A rag-tag bunch of Freedom Fighters watch a televisor broadcast. On-screen is "doctored" film of Jake shooting dozens of people. NEWS ANNOUNCER (V.O.) ...Department of Information reports upon his escape, Jake Blake was clearly seen killing civilians without remorse. Blake is a military-trained driver and weapons expert. All citizens are urged to-- The Vid continues to run but no one is watching as Jake's car comes to a screeching halt into the base. Jake and Cass jump out. They're still steaming. BURKS approaches. He's an eagle scout of a guy, you get the impression he still has his merit badges stashed in a shoe box somewhere. BURKS Welcome to the team Blake! JAKE You can shove this "team" up your ass, coach. As soon as the smoke clears, I'm gone. Burks is backing up, Jake shoves him up against a wall and pulls his 9mm. Two Resistance members come up behind Jake, pointing their machine guns. Mexican stand-off. Burks is still righteous. BURKS Somebody's got to make Slane and the Black Night pay for what they've done to the world. Jack shoves the gun under Stevens chin. In the background the Vid is still running, calling Jake a "madman killer." JAKE Why me? STEVENS We tried to get to Slane. We couldn't... Cass pushes her way in. CASS We decided the only way to get past Slane's killers was to get one of our own. JAKE Screw You. Jack pulls the hammer back on his gun. The two Resistance men pull the bolts on their machine guns. STEVENS We want to bring down Slane and his whole corporate machine. ZOE Cut the little boy games, Jake. You can't get away without us. We need a Black Night operative. You do the math. JAKE I've been drafted before. It didn't agree with me. BURKS Just give me a chance to explain my plan. Jake un-cocks his gun. JAKE I came here because I had to. I didn't ask for your help. All I want is out. CASS Out where? You're the most wanted man in the Corporation. Jake Lets Burks go and holsters his side arm. The FF men back off. JAKE There's an independent colony just beyond the frontier. No extradition, no Slane, no Freedom Fighters. Jake starts walking toward the car. BURKS You can't just leave - you're one of the reasons Slane got to power in the first place. JAKE A lot of people helped Slane. I quit the Black Night, that's enough. Jake grabs a leather jacket off a chair as he walks past. CASS Let him go Burks, two days ago this butcher was killing our guys. We can't trust him. BURKS Cass, please. JAKE Not killing your guys anymore is exactly what got me in this mess. CASS Colonel Adams is crazy if he thinks this grunt-- This stops Jake. JAKE Adams? Richard Adams? BURKS You know him? JAKE I heard he was dead. BURKS Slane lies. He's running the Freedom Fighters from our base in Capital City. Jake's impressed but still wary. BURKS We can help you escape Jake. We can get you to Capital City. Colonel Adams has people there who can smuggle you out of the Corporation to a colony or where ever else you want to go. JAKE And what exactly do I have to do? Burks smiles. DISSOLVE TO: INT. KHARDOOM FF BASE - DAY Jake's car has been repainted and more. Cass and HAWKINGS, the FF's absent-minded gadget/explosives man, are giving it the once over. HAWKINGS Not much time, I did what I could. If I had more time I could add rockets and cluster bombs, no not cluster bombs maybe... Hawkings trails off into explosion-land. CASS We've added more firepower, armor and so on. If you just follow the scanner to the Mayor's motorcade-- JAKE You want to tell me how to drive, too? Not waiting for a comeback, Jake gets into the car, burns rubber and zooms off. CASS That's the last we'll see of Mr. Jake Blake... HAWKINGS The thing about exothermic reactions is they take two parts. STREETS OF KHARDOOM - DUSK Mayor Clark's three-vehicle Motorcade moves toward the Black Night square. A lead BN Police car is followed by Clark's black limousine. At the rear is an armored truck with a swivel mounted machine gun on the roof. INT. LIMO - DUSK Mayor Clark sits alone in the back. He appears sinister but efficient. He looks at his watch. CLARK How much further? DRIVER Just a few more minutes, Mr. Clark. STREETS OF KHARDOOM - DUSK The street is deserted except for a few parked cars. KABOOOM! One of the parked cars explodes in a tremendous blast. It sets off two others. BOOM BOOM! The quick-thinking lead driver turns his BN Police car down a side alley, the limo and truck follow leaving the destruction on the street behind. Before the three cars can reach the end of the alley Jake's car ROARS in from the far side head on, grill mounted machine-guns BLAZING. The lead car SCREECHES to a halt only to be rear ended by the limo. Jake's machine guns are cutting the lead car to ribbons. It EXPLODES, trapping the other cars in the alley. INT. LIMO - DUSK Clark frantically slaps the back of the drivers head. CLARK Back up, back up you fool! STREETS OF KHARDOOM - DUSK The limo's tires smoke as it backs up quickly smashing into the front of the armored truck. A BN soldier climbs out of a hatch on the roof of the armored truck and fires the mounted .50 cal. machine-gun over the limo at Jake's windshield. The bullet-proof glass shatters but does not give way. JAKE Holly shit! Thank you, Hawkings. Clark is waiving out of the back window of the limo, he can't be heard through the glass. The machine- gunner see's him and yells down the hatch. MACHINE-GUNNER Back out! Back out! The gunner returns to his gun, but Jake's car is gone. The armored truck moves backwards down the alley the limo follows. Jake's car enters from behind them. He's got them trapped. Jake races down the alley guns blazing. The rounds bounce off the truck's thick armor. The machine-gunner swivels around and starts firing at Jake. Neither one does much damage as the distance between them closes. Jake's guns are pointed too low to hit the gunner. The Machine-gunner disappears down the hatch. The Truck accelerates backwards. They close quickly. The gunner and comes back up with a PANZERSHREIK (shoulder mounted anti-tank gun). He aims it at Jake. COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.) Acquiring Target. Stand-by. INT. JAKE'S CAR - DUSK Jake sees the large gun. JAKE Not good. Jake's foot smashes the accelerator to the floor. The walls of the alley go by in a blur. JAKE Not good! STREETS OF KHARDOOM - DUSK Jake closes so fast the gunner doesn't have time to shoot. His car crashes into the back of the armored truck. The impact sends the machine-gunner flying over the back of the truck and onto the hood of Jake's car. He caves in the already shot-up windshield. The truck keeps rolling. It pushes Jake and his car back out into the street and rolls to a stop. Jake leaps past the smashed windshield, off the hood of his car, and onto the armored truck. The hatch on the roof of the armored truck opens but Jake kicks it shut. The Limo is just clearing the alley about to escape, when Jake shoulders the Panzershreik. JAKE Leaving so soon. The party's just beginning. FLAMES leap out the back of the launch tube as the anti-tank shell heads for the limo. Jake can see the Mayor's screaming face as the Limo explodes into a ball of flame. The Limousine burns black oily smoke as Jake's car limps away down the street. INT. JAKE'S CAR - DUSK Jake watches the flames in his rearview mirror. He talks to himself. JAKE Killin' good guys, killin' bad guys. I gotta' get out of this stinkin' town. INT. KHARDOOM FF BASE - NIGHT Jake pulls into the base. FF members swarm around him, full of kudos, Jake half smiles and turns to find Cass standing with folded arms. Jake shrugs. CASS All hail the conquering hero. Kill one Mayor and they forget last week you were killing our guys. JAKE I'm doing my job. You can lighten up. CASS Lighten up. You bastard. Jake has touched a nerve. Cass spins and walks into the control room. Jake doesn't know what happened. Burks calls Jake over to a Vid monitor. On the Vid are shots of guns and equipment being moved into Khardoom. BURKS Slane has declared war on the Resistance. He's got it out for you personally. The sooner you're out of Khardoom the better. JAKE Great, how? BURKS Hawkings has built a car mounted missile that can blow the main gate. Jake rolls his eyes. BURKS You blast a hole in that gate and we can all get out. You lead we follow. Jake spots Hawkings pulling the missile cart to his car. Cass is next to him. JAKE Hey, I'm not leading anybody. I blow that gate and it's good bye, Burks. BURKS But-- Jake has walked away toward Hawkings. Hawkings is glad to see Jake but Cass keeps her distance finding something else to do rather than talk to him again, and Jake knows it. HAWKINGS (stroking the missile) She's primed, pumped and ready to blow. Ain't she somethin'? JAKE If you like that kind of woman. Jake still stares at Cass. Hawkings shakes his arm. HAWKINGS Jake, my missile. I'm talking about my missile! Jake turns to Hawkings. JAKE Hawkings, you've created a weapon of terrifying destructive power. (beat) How do I fire it? Hawkings smiles as he continues mounting the missile on the car. Jake walks to Cass who stands, watching him with folded arms. CASS Hawkings does admire a killing machine. JAKE Packs one helluva missile. CASS I meant you. JAKE So did I. CASS Back off! Jerk! Cass gets right in his face. An alarm SOUNDS in the B.G. CASS Last week, those people you killed were my men. My friends-- (she stops herself) What does it matter. You don't believe in anything. Now Jake turns angrily. JAKE Everything I believe in ended when I came back from the war-- KABLOOM! The base doors explode inward. Black Night Troops stream in, spraying bullets, dropping bodies. Jake is instantly on the move. For each shot he fires a Black Night trooper falls. A BN man jumps Cass and drags her into the control room. Jake slips through the smoke towards them. INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT The Black Night trooper smashes Cass across the face. TROOPER Tell me! How do I close the doors?! Jake steps calmly into the room. The BN trooper spins around using Cass as a shield. His gun to her jaw. Jake aims. CASS No! TROOPER Don't move or I'll-- Jake fires once. JAKE (finishing for him) --shoot? The trooper falls. Blood on her face, Cass freaks. CASS You could've killed me! Jake smiles. JAKE Don't worry, this week, I'm killing their guys. INT. KHARDOOM FF BASE - NIGHT Sporadic gunfire in the background. The fight has moved outside of the base. Cass sees Hawkings laying nearby, bleeding. CASS Hawkings! They run up to Hawkings. Cass cradles him. HAWKINGS Jake, the missile... locked and loaded. Hawkings is about to pass out in Cass' arms. Looking around, Jake realizes what he has to do. JAKE I'm out of here. CASS Fine. Abandon us! JAKE Look, if I go, they'll follow. They're here for me. Cass is unsure about this revelation. The mounting gunfire leaves little room for discussion. CASS All right, go. Jake picks up a machine gun,chambers a round and gives Cass a farewell glance. Spraying the Black Night with gunfire, he leaps into his car, and burns out of the base. Realizing their target is escaping, the remaining troops give chase, leaving Cass and Hawkings. Cass watches him go. CASS (under her breath) Welcome to the Resistance, Jake. EXT. KHARDOOM FF BASE Jake's car fishtails out of the base, three Black Night cars in hot pursuit. With Hawkings' six foot missile strapped to the roof Jake's car won't corner as well as the BN Cars They gain on him quickly. INT. JAKE'S CAR - NIGHT Jake sees the cars closing in the mirror. JAKE Hawkings, this missile is going to kill me. Jake spots something on the dashboard. Next to the wiper switch is a knob marked "C.B." in crayon. JAKE C - B... C - B? Cluster Bombs! Jake pulls the knob. STREETS OF KHARDOOM - NIGHT Three spheres pop out of the back of Jake's car. They bounce behind the car for twenty feet then pop open. Doziness of small bombs go in every direction. Bouncing, springing into the air. The three BN cars drive into the "cloud" of cluster bombs and are blown to bits. JAKE He pumps his fist in victory. JAKE Yes! Hawkings, I'm going to kiss you. EXT. KHARDOOM - NIGHT The missile launches ahead of Jake's car. THE KHARDOOM MAIN GATE EXPLODES in a huge fire ball. Jake's car dives into the flames. OUTSIDE THE MAIN GATE - DUSK The car emerges from the flames and races by in a blur. A few seconds later a BN guard's body finally lands.