RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE DEAD HOMEPAGE

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LAND OF THE DEAD

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY BY

GEORGE A. ROMERO

AUGUST 24, 2004, ATMOSPHERE ENTERTAINMENT

ROMERO-GRUNWALD PRODUCTIONS

Copyright 2004 All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

BLACK. THE SOUND OF CHANNELS BEING TURNED ON A TV. TITLE UP: *

“SOME TIME AGO”. *

 *

NEWSCASTER (O.S.) *

 

It’s hard for us here to believe *

what we’re reporting to you, but it *

does seem to be a fact. *

 *

CLICK! In a corner of the BLACK SCREEN, A SMALL TV APPEARS. *

On it, in BLACK & WHITE, A NEWSCASTER sits at an anchor desk. *

NEWSCASTER (O.S.) *

 

Bodies of the recently dead are *

returning to life and attacking the *

living. *

 *

CLICK! With each CLICK, the TV disappears, then reappears in *

a new position ON SCREEN. CREDITS ROLL in the surrounding *

BLACK. *

 *

NEWSCASTER (O.S.) *

 

Murder victims have shown signs of *

having been partially devoured by *

their murderers. *

 *

CLICK! ANOTHER NEWSCASTER is on the TV now, sitting in a more *

modern studio. The broadcast remains in BLACK & WHITE. * SECOND NEWSCASTER *

 

Because of the obvious threat to untold numbers of citizens, due *

to the crisis that is now *

developing this radio station will *

remain on the air day and night. *

 

CLICK! The second newscaster looks more and more dishevelled. *

SECOND NEWSCASTER (O.S.) *

It has been established that persons who have recently died have been *

returning to life and eating the *

 flesh of the living. *

CLICK! *

 SECOND NEWSCASTER (O.S.) *

We must not be lulled by the

concept that these are our family *

members or our friends. They are not. *

They must be destroyed on sight. *

 

CLICK! A THIRD NEWSCASTER, more haggard than the others, sits at an ANCHOR DESK on a barren set, still in BLACK & WHITE. *

2.

THIRD NEWSCASTER (O.S.) *

Every dead body that is not *

exterminated becomes one of them. *

It gets up and kills. The people it *

kills get up and kill. They kill *

for one reason. They kill for food. *

CLICK! *

THIRD NEWSCASTER (O.S.) *

If this situation is allowed to *

continue, there will be nothing *

left. Nothing. *

CLICK! *

THIRD NEWSCASTER (CONT’D) *

It’s over. Finished. Finished. It’s *

their world now. *

CLICK! IN ABSOLUTE BLACK, A SINGLE WORD FADES UP: “TODAY”. A *

SOUND FADES IN TOO. TCHICK! KA-TCHICK-TCHICKY-TCHICK! Soft. *

Metallic. It makes us nervous. *

1 EXT. UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 1

IN COLOR: A FULL MOON shines over a picture-perfect American *

town. PEOPLE, seen in SILHOUETTE, stroll past quaint shops

whose signs promise RELIABLE APPLIANCES, WELL-MADE CLOTHES, *

SOLID VALUES. A DINER has a neon sign that offers the “BEST

EATS IN TOWN”. But something is wrong. The neon isn’t lit.

Nothing in town is lit. Street lamps, windows, are all dark. *

TCHICK! KA-TCHICK-TCHICK. That DISTURBING SOUND continues. *

Some of the PEDESTRIANS drift into “UNIONTOWN PARK”, milling

around a GAZEBO, where THREE “MUSICIANS” are struggling with *

a trombone, a saxophone, and a tambourine. They can’t seem to

make the instruments work, except for the tambourine player,

who is rattling out a few very unrhythmic beats. That’s where *

that sound is coming from. TCHICK! KA-TCHICK-TCHICKY-TCHICK. *

A CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALS: The “MUSICIANS” are DEAD. So are *

the “PEDESTRIANS”. Flesh is rotting off their bones. The town

itself, which at first looked so perfect, is ROTTING TOO. *

MIKE (O.S.)

They’re trying to be us. *

RILEY (O.S.) *

They used to be us. *

3.

2 EXT. HILLTOP ABOVE UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 2 *

RILEY *

(Worried) They’re learning how to be *

us again. *

RILEY DENBO watches the town through binoculars. 32, made *

rugged by realities, he has a heart beneath his tough

exterior. MIKE CONVERSE, 21, young and unseasoned, has the

eagerness and passion of someone young and unseasoned.

MIKE

No way. Some germ or some devil got

them things up and walkin’. But

there’s a big difference between

them and us. They’re dead!

3 EXT. “UNIONTOWN TEXACO” - NIGHT 3 *

A DEAD TEENAGE COUPLE walks hand-in-hand near the gas pumps

of a defunct TEXACO STATION. The boy steps on the little hose

that BINGS when a car pulls in. Out of the building comes...

...AN ATTENDANT. It was once tall and handsome. Now his face *

is a wrinkled map of death. He has lost its left arm. Dried *

blood darkens the shoulder of its jump-suit, where the arm

was torn away. A “TEXACO” PATCH tells us the Thing used to

work here. Embroidery tells us his nickname was once “BIG *

DADDY”. He goes to the pump and removes the nozzle. Turns, as *

if searching for a car to fill with gas. There is none.

MIKE (O.S.) *

It’s like they’re pretending to be *

alive. *

4 EXT. HILLTOP ABOVE UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 4 *

RILEY *

Isn’t that what we’re doing, son? *

Pretending to be alive? *

5 EXT. DUMP - NIGHT 5 *

THE SOUND OF GROANING WOOD as THREE heavily-armed GUERILLAS *

push a large CRATE over a PRECIPICE into a deep GARBAGE PIT *

below. FIVE SIMILAR CRATES lie amid the rubble. *

Insects BUZZ. RATS crawl. HUMAN SKELETONS, most HEADLESS, lie *

everywhere, no flesh left on their bones. Those with heads *

show various wounds to their skulls. Except for one, which... *

...suddenly, startlingly MOVES! Its bony arm reaches up from *

the bottom of the pit toward... *

4.

...CHOLO DeMORA, a Latino in his 20s, handsome, roguish, and *

confident...a bit too confident. He reaches over his shoulder *

and unstraps a CROSSBOW. *

CHOLO *

Poor bastard. *

WFFFFT! Cholo shoots the skeleton. His arrow goes completely *

through the WHITE SKULL. *

6 EXT. MOVING VAN - NIGHT 6 *

The doors of a beat-up WHITE MOVING VAN open. Cholo reaches *

in, throwing back an oilcloth that covers ANOTHER CRATE. *

GUERILLA *

Whole lotta trash this week. *

CHOLO *

That’s life, brother. A whole *

lotta trash. *

As the men tip the crate onto a dolly, MAGGOTS are revealed *

in the darkness beneath, squirming in a POOL OF BLOOD. *

(What’s in that crate?) *

7 EXT. HILLTOP ABOVE UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 7 *

RILEY and MIKE watch THREE DEAD THINGS lumber toward them

from the town below.

RILEY

They know we’re here. They can *

smell life. Smell blood.

8 EXT. “UNIONTOWN TEXACO” - NIGHT 8 *

THROUGH THE BINOCULARS: BIG DADDY replaces the nozzle in the

gas pump. Sensing something, it looks around. Up. His dead *

eyes lock on Riley’s. Big Daddy grunts. Responding to him... *

9 EXT. HILLTOP ABOVE UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 9 *

...the THREE DEAD THINGS move up the hillside with more *

determination. *

RILEY *

(Glancing at Mike’s guns) You any

good with those?

MIKE

Dunno. It’s my first trip. Never *

had to use ‘em before.

5.

RILEY

Great. I’m out here with a guy who

can’t shoot. Let’s go.

Mike stands, turns, and... *

...is GRABBED from behind by a ZOMBIE! It’s not one of the *

three they’ve been watching. This one wears the remains of a *

CLOWN SUIT. Half its bulbous red nose has been eaten away. *

Painted eyelashes make its stare alarming. Its ORANGE HAIR is *

crawling with SPIDERS. It wrestles Mike to the ground. Opens *

its lipsticked mouth. Is about to bite Mike’s neck when... *

...Riley FIRES his .45. BLAM! A bullet SHATTERS the Clown’s *

SHOULDER CAP. The dead thing is pitched backward, but seems

to feel no pain. It hunkers over Mike again.

Riley FIRES four more times. THREE BULLETS RIP into the *

Clown’s CHEST, NECK, CHEEK. Finally, the FOURTH PUNCHES A *

HOLE above the thing’s left eyebrow. The Clown DROPS. *

Mike looks at Riley.

MIKE

Jesus. You can’t shoot, neither!

10 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 10

RILEY and MIKE step into a tight, uncomfortable space. *

Generators whir. Gears turn. The two men open a storage *

locker and strap on ammo belts as... *

...SOMETHING TERRIBLE LOOMS out of the shadows! It moves *

toward Riley and Mike, who can’t see it from behind the *

locker. The LEFT SIDE OF THE THING’S FACE has been BURNED *

AWAY. Only scar-tissue remains, and a single usable eye

bulging from a socket.

Riley turns. Sees the thing. And, surprisingly, he relaxes, *

recognizing CHARLIE HOUK, a heavily-armed guerilla whose

intellect is as burned as his face.

CHARLIE

Tcha doin’, Riley?

RILEY

Havin’ a bad dream.

CHARLIE

I have bad dreams. Hell, yes. Just

look at me, you can tell that I

have terrible dreams.

6.

RILEY

The town is full of walkers.

CHARLIE

Every town is full of walkers.

RILEY

These aren’t just walking. They’re

like...regular folks.

CHARLIE

But they’re dumb, Riley. Hell, dead

folks is near as dumb as me!

RILEY

You learned how to make yourself

useful. That’s what they’re doing.

WOMAN’S VOICE (O.S.) *

They dumped the trash. Cholo’s on *

his way.

Riley and Mike look across the room in the direction of the *

voice. Twenty feet away, a WOMAN sits at the controls of what *

looks like a scavenged airplane cockpit that’s outfitted with *

a mixture of high- and low-tech equipment. She wears a black *

leather jacket with “PRETTY BOY” emblazoned across the back. *

MIKE *

(Surprised) Pretty Boy’s a dame? *

RILEY *

This one is. Last one was a guy. *

MIKE *

What happened to him? *

Pretty Boy turns, poking her finger through a BULLET HOLE *

encrusted with year-old BLOOD in the chest of her jacket. *

PRETTY BOY *

I kept his jacket. For good luck. *

MIKE *

Luck? *

RILEY *

Put some flowers in the graveyard. *

Pretty Boy reaches out and flips a toggle switch on the *

control panel. THOOMB! THOOMB! DEEP CONCUSSIVE SOUNDS can be *

felt as much as heard as... *

7.

11 EXT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 11 *

...RILEY, CHARLIE, and MIKE step out of A VEHICLE the size *

of a city bus. The words DEAD RECKONING are painted on its *

side. This is no bus. It’s a war wagon, built of SCAVENGED *

PARTS with a RIVETED STEEL SKIN. GATTLING GUNS protrude from *

a MEAN-LOOKING SNOUT. A ROOF TURRET supports two FOURTEEN *

INCH-CANNONS. Rotating lights SHINE in all directions, *

piercing the night. *

THOOMB! THOOMB! THOOMB! That sound again. MORTAR TUBES on the *

vehicle’s roof are launching FIREWORKS that BURST in the sky. *

CHARLIE

(Looking up) ‘Flowers in the *

graveyard’. Why do you call ‘em

that, Riley? I don’t get it. These

here flowers ain’t the kind you lay

down on the ground. These here are

sky flowers. Way up in Heaven.

RILEY

I love ya, Charlie. Know why?

Cuzz you still believe in heaven.

THE WHITE MOVING VAN rolls in and parks beside Dead Reckoning. *

CHOLO jumps out with the THREE GUERILLAS from the dump. *

CHOLO

You guys scope out the town?

RILEY

Looks like nobody’s hit it before.

FOUR GUERILLAS get into an old T-BIRD CONVERTIBLE mounted with *

machine guns. TWO OTHER ARMED MEN climb onto MOTORCYCLES. The *

very night seems to GROWL as everyone starts their engines. *

CHOLO

Ready?

CHARLIE

Always ready. Just look at me

you can tell I’m always ready.

CHOLO

I look at you, all I see’s an idiot. *

CHARLIE

I don’t think that’s all you see.

I bet you see this iron, too.

8.

Charlie is wearing four holstered sidearms, two shouldered

automatic rifles, a REMINGTON...and a sly smile that makes us

wonder whether he’s an idiot or not.

CHOLO

Let’s go have some fun.

RILEY

Ain’t about fun, Cholo.

VROOOM! The T-Bird and the motorcycles pull out toward town. *

RILEY

We go in, do our job, and get out,

all of us alive, okay? I don’t want *

any fuck-ups on my last day out here. *

CHOLO

(Grinning) My last day, too.

Riley looks surprised. Cholo mounts a MOTORCYCLE, REVS the *

engine, and heads out. *

CHOLO (CONT’D)

YEEEE-HAAAAAAAA!

CHARLIE

What’d he do, hit the lottery or

somethin’?

RILEY

Somethin’. (Wondering) Somethin’.

Riley and Charlie start to get back into Dead Reckoning. Mike *

follows, pausing to look up at the “sky flowers”. *

MIKE

Do those things really work? *

RILEY

Yup. (Almost sadly) Stenches can’t *

take their eyes off ‘em.

12 EXT. MAIN STREET - UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 12

DEAD THINGS stand completely frozen in the middle of main *

street, like statues, mesmerized by the FIREWORKS. *

Only one figure is moving. BIG DADDY. He weaves between his *

brothers and sisters, urgently waving his one good hand, *

like Frankenstein’s monster, as if to say “Bad! Bad!” He has *

learned that fireworks bring danger. *

9.

A DEAD TEENAGE CHEERLEADER, holding filthy pom-poms, looks at *

Big Daddy, unable to grasp what he’s trying to communicate. *

A SPEAR is DRIVEN through the Cheerleader’s face! The spear *

is held like a lance by HARRY, a guerilla who roars past on *

his motorcycle hooting like a cowhand on round-up. Other *

BIKERS rumble down the street, firing guns. *

Big Daddy watches the Cheerleader fall. It throws its head *

back and lets out a great HOWL. *

13 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 13 *

THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD: RILEY recognizes BIG DADDY from the *

gas station. He also recognizes the Thing’s anguish as... *

14 EXT. TOP OF MAIN STREET - UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 14 *

...DEAD RECKONING, mortars still shooting FIREWORKS, stops on *

the edge of town. CHOLO pulls up alongside on his bike. *

15 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 15 *

THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD: RILEY and MIKE watch the T-BIRD ROAR *

down MAIN STREET. The FOUR GUERILLAS inside laugh gleefully *

as they use the MACHINE GUNS to MOW DOWN HAPLESS ZOMBIES. *

MIKE

I thought it was gonna be a battle.

This is a fucking massacre.

CHOLO

(Through an open hatch) Kid, these *

are the toughest guys in the ‘hood.

You can’t keep ‘em from wantin’ to

get some chuckles.

Riley gives Cholo an irritated look.

CHOLO (CONT’D)

Hey, not me, Boss. You told me not

to have any fun, I’m not having any

fun at all. (To Mike) Come with me,

kid. I’ll show you the ropes. *

Mike climbs out and gets on the back of Cholo’s motorcycle. *

RILEY

Where you goin’?

CHOLO

To get supplies. Essential supplies.

That’s job our job, ain’t it?

10.

16 EXT. UNIONTOWN FOODMART - NIGHT 16

THE WHITE MOVING VAN pulls up to a supermarket. THE DEAD *

THINGS in the parking lot, gazing at the FIREWORKS, barely

notice the vehicle. MARKSMEN keep the lot covered as *

GUERILLAS carry CASES OF CANNED GOODS out of the supermarket

and into the van. The team has this down to a science. *

RILEY’S VOICE comes over one Guerilla’s hand-held radio.

RILEY (O.S. RADIO FILTER)

How’s the food?

GUERILLA #1

(Into his radio) Lousy, but there’s

lots of it.

17 EXT. UNIONTOWN SIDE STREET - NIGHT 17 *

DEAD RECKONING RUMBLES down a side street, its steel skin *

reflecting the FLASH of fireworks. *

18 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 18 *

PRETTY BOY drives. RILEY stands beside her. *

RILEY

(Into radio) Number Two, what’s

your location?

 GUERILLA #2 (O.S. RADIO FILTER)

Drug store. Need an aspirin? I got

a million of ‘em.

RILEY

(Into radio) Antibiotics. We need *

antibiotics. *

GUERILLA #2 (O.S. RADIO FILTER)

We’re set.

RILEY

(Into radio) Number Three?

19 EXT. UNIONTOWN GUN STORE - NIGHT 19 *

GUERILLAS load boxes of ammo into a JEEP. *

GUERILLA #3

(Into radio) Guns and ammo, Boss.

11.

20 EXT. MAIN STREET - UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 20

HARRY, the biker with the spear, is making another run toward *

a WALKER, who stands mesmerized by the fireworks, when... *

WHAP! Harry is sent FLYING!

A DEAD WOMAN, once pretty, wearing a softball uniform that *

bears the NUMBER NINE, has used its bat to hit a home run. *

Harry’s riderless motorcycle fishtails up the street and hits *

the side of a building. *

Harry tries to get up. TWO DEAD THINGS attack him. Another *

motorcycle, driven by ANCHOR, who looks like Popeye, RUMBLES *

up in the nick of time. *

ANCHOR *

Harry, jump on!

Fighting off the Dead Things, Harry gets on and speeds away.

21 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 21 *

PRETTY BOY turns a corner. Out the windshield, RILEY sees... *

22 EXT. MAIN STREET - UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 22 *

...CHOLO and MIKE, on Cholo’s bike, joining up with FOXY, a *

red-haired guerilla on his own motorcycle. The three drive *

toward the end of town. *

RILEY (O.S.) *

What the fuck? *

23 EXT. UNIONTOWN STATE STORE - NIGHT 23 *

CHOLO SCREECHES to a stop at a LIQUOR STORE with MIKE and *

FOXY. All dismount and start toward the entrance. They stop *

as DEAD RECKONING pulls up and RILEY and CHARLIE climb out. *

CHARLIE

Nothin’ in there but booze. Booze

ain’t essential. *

FOXY

A jug of good Kentucky goes for

fifteen hundred back in town.

RILEY

(To Cholo) I’m not risking anybody’s

ass just so you can pick up some

side money.

12.

CHOLO

Not askin’ you to.

Cholo and Foxy start into the liquor store. The doors are *

wide open. All that can be seen from outside is darkness. *

RILEY

Mike! Wait! *

But Mike has followed the others inside. *

24 INT. UNIONTOWN STATE STORE - NIGHT 24 *

CHOLO unstraps his crossbow and leads the way cautiously *

into the dark space. Every subtle SOUND in the SILENCE puts *

MIKE more on edge. His hand tenses on his gun as SHADOWS loom *

in front of him. Shadows that could be zombies, but are not. *

Behind the dusty glass doors of a once-refrigerated wall- *

unit, Cholo sees a CASE OF DOM PERIGNON. He goes to the *

refrigerator. Re-strapping his crossbow, he opens the door. *

Reaches in for the case of champagne. His two hands grab it. *

A THIRD HAND GRABS IT! *

Cholo looks up. The refrigerator has no back wall. A DEAD *

THING with a Manson-like SWASTIKA tattooed in the center of *

its forehead has stepped in from the shadows of a loading *

area beyond. It GRABS Cholo with a terrifying GROWL. *

Cholo falls under the weight of the champagne, and the *

weight of the Dead Thing, which drops on top of him. They *

roll, struggling. The Thing holds Cholo in a death grip. *

At the front of the store, Mike fumbles with his rifle. *

Foxy shoots at the Dead Thing and misses. *

Cholo PUNCHES the Thing with his free hand. The Dead Thing’s *

head recoils, but lowers again toward Cholo, the Swastika *

looming, drooling teeth baring for a bite. Cholo’s eyes *

flash. It’s the first time we’ve seen him scared. *

BLAM! CHARLIE FIRES one round, right into the center of the *

swastika on the Zombie’s forehead. The Thing crumples. *

MIKE *

Nice shootin’. *

CHARLIE *

Good shootin’. Ain’t no such thing *

as nice shootin’. *

13.

A FOOT KICKS the Zombie off Cholo, who looks up to see... *

...RILEY extending a hand to help him to his feet. *

RILEY *

Close one. *

CHOLO *

I’m still here, ain’t I? *

Everyone relaxes. Cholo picks up the case of Dom. The others *

head toward the front of the store. *

TILT DOWN TO THE FLOOR as their feet move past. In the gloom *

behind stacks of cartons... *

...A DEAD HAND appears. Reaching. *

CHOLO *

Shit! Look out, kid! *

The hand grabs Mike around the ankle! Mike turns, raising his *

gun. Too late. *

A DEAD UNIFORMED POLICEMAN, the skin on half its face STRIPPED *

DOWN TO BONE, RIPS A HOLE IN HIS LEG with its teeth! *

Mike SCREAMS, staggers into a wall, and drops to a seated *

position on the floor. Riley and Charlie spin around at the *

sound of his cry. Cholo, closest to Mike, pulls his crossbow *

and fires an arrow through the Zombie’s head. *

CHOLO

Fuckin’ rookies.

Cholo tucks away the crossbow, grabs a box of Cohibas off a *

counter, and runs outside with Foxy. Riley goes to Mike. *

RILEY

(Kneeling) It’s alright, son.

You’re gonna be alright.

MIKE

No. I’m dead. You get bit by one

of those things and you become what

they are.

Riley wraps a strong arm around Mike and lifts him. Mike

quickly plants the barrel of his .45 under his chin and... *

BLOWS HIS OWN BRAINS OUT!

Riley, stunned, lets the corpse slide to the floor. He looks

into the rookie’s open eyes, devastated.

14.

25 EXT. MAIN STREET - UNIONTOWN - NIGHT 25

THE WHITE MOVING VAN, THE T-BIRD, AND THE JEEP roll out of *

town in a convoy. Trailing them, THREE SADISTIC GUERILLAS on *

MOTORCYCLES ROAR past, firing... *

...a HAIL OF BULLETS at A DEAD FAMILY on the sidewalk. The *

MOTHER FALLS. Not shot. It has been GRABBED and SHOVED down

to the ground by... *

...BIG DADDY! Who GRABS the little GIRL next, thrusting her

roughly behind the protection of a wrecked car. The FATHER is

last. Big Daddy grabs it from behind, by its hair, just as... *

...ROUNDS from an UZI DRILL A DOTTED-LINE across the Father’s *

neck. Big Daddy is unhurt, but spattered with BLOOD. Not red,

greenish-black. The blood of the dead.

There’s a RIPPING SOUND as the Father’s NECK is PULLED APART

by the weight of its limp body. The body DROPS to the street.

The HEAD remains suspended in Big Daddy’s hand. His face *

contorts. His mouth opens and closes, trying to utter sounds. *

Big Daddy drops the head, looking down at its befuddled eyes

with sympathy. After a moment, the sympathy is joined by

rage. Big Daddy lifts his right foot and brings it STOMPING *

DOWN on the disembodied head, CRUSHING ITS SKULL.

The convoy ROARS off, leaving a cloud of exhaust. Big Daddy *

sees Harry’s downed motorcycle lying in the street. The butt *

of an AUTOMATIC RIFLE protrudes from a saddlebag. *

Big Daddy goes over. Pulls out the rifle. Tests the weight of *

it in his hand. Curls his finger in through the guard and *

pulls the trigger. *

BLAM! A bullet ricochets off a brick wall. Big Daddy is *

startled at first. Then, he relaxes, realizing the rifle’s *

power. With surprising dexterity, he slings the weapon’s *

strap over his head and across his chest, patting the strap *

as if comforted by it. Turning, he looks toward... *

...THE DISTANT GLOW OF A SKYSCRAPER that can be seen ON THE *

HORIZON. That’s the direction the convoy is headed. That’s *

where the bad men came from. That’s where he wants to go. *

REVERSE ANGLE: *

With the city in the distance, Big Daddy starts walking. *

NUMBER NINE falls into step beside him. Soon there are MORE. *

None of them knows where they are going. Or why. All that *

seems to matter is that they have a leader. *

15.

26 EXT. DEPOT - PRE-DAWN 26 *

DEAD RECKONING, emitting tendrils of HOT STEAM from twenty *

steel nostrils, stands parked in a corner of a fenced-in *

outdoor yard. (We don’t see how big the yard is. Yet.) A *

SEARCHLIGHT sweeps the darkness as GUERILLAS unload the

supplies they took from Uniontown and carry them toward... *

...a set of RUSTY STEEL DOORS, above which is a FADED SIGN *

that reads “SUBWAY (TO CITY)”. *

In the bustle of activity, HARRY, the biker who was attacked *

in town, perspires as he helps unload. He looks ill. *

RILEY walks past, handing out bottles of beer to the men. *

RILEY *

Harry. Beer? *

Harry doesn’t answer. *

RILEY (CONT’D) *

Harry? *

Harry SPINS! GROWLS! LUNGES at Riley like a beast! *

Riley has no time to reach for his gun. The Harry-Thing is *

strangling him. SMASHING the neck of a beer bottle on the *

snout of Dead Reckoning, Riley JAMS THE JAGGED GLASS into *

the Harry-Thing’s forehead. Its body drops to the ground. *

PRETTY BOY *

Got knocked off his bike in town. *

Must have been bit. *

Riley looks down at the body with a mixture anger and regret. *

27 INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - DAWN 27 *

A mile-long subway tunnel extends into BLACKNESS. A wide *

PLATFORM runs the length of the tracks, at the head of which *

A DERELICT TRAIN is parked. *

A CARGO CARRIER pulls out, driving along the platform, its *

flatbed piled with supplies, while ANOTHER CARRIER is being *

loaded with boxes of food, pharmaceuticals, ammunition, and... *

TWO BODY BAGS. *

CHARLIE *

Shit happens, Riley. *

RILEY *

(Blaming himself) Only if you let it. *

16.

The cargo carrier that was first to pull out drives into the *

tunnel. CEILING LIGHTS spaced far apart STUTTER on and off. *

Two guerillas, ANCHOR and MOUSE, who looks like a mouse, ride *

on the open flatbed with the cargo. *

The tunnel is filled with looming steel shapes that cast *

menacing shadows. Mouse shifts nervously. Suddenly... *

...PLINK! SOMETHING WET FALLS ON HIS FACE! He JUMPS. *

Recovers. Wipes his cheek with his sleeve. *

MOUSE *

I hate going under the fuckin’ river. *

He takes out a joint. Lights up. The match FLARES. SPLAT! *

Mouse and the match are soaked by WATER dripping from above. *

28 EXT. THE CITY - DAY 28 *

RIVERS flank a TRIANGLE OF LAND where A CITY glows in the *

sunrise. Once proud and prosperous, its buildings now seem *

like tombstones. SEVEN BARRICADED BRIDGES span the rivers. *

ANNOUNCER (O.S.) *

Protected on three sides by mighty *

rivers, the city stands as a monument *

to man’s ingenuity. At the center of *

it all is Fiddler’s Green. *

29 INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - DAWN 29 *

A TV MONITOR broadcasts views of A KITCHEN, A PLUSH LIVING *

ROOM, A DEN with a VIDEO FIREPLACE. *

ANNOUNCER (O.S.)

Luxury living in the grand old style. *

Dine at one of three restaurants.

Look for that perfect gift in our

fabulous shopping mall.

The monitor shows a huge ATRIUM with shops and restaurants. *

GUERILLA (O.S.) *

They make it sound nice. *

CHOLO (O.S.) *

It is nice. *

Holding his case of Dom Perignon and his box of Cohibas, *

CHOLO looks with FOXY at a monitor mounted to a white-tiled *

subway station wall. Down the tunnel behind them, the other *

GUERILLAS unload supplies from CARGO CARRIERS parked on the *

platform. A sign reads, “GOLDEN TRIANGLE/FIDDLER’S GREEN”. *

17.

RILEY *

(Approaching) Cholo. *

Foxy moves away, leaving Riley and Cholo alone. *

RILEY

Two people dead. That kid, Mike. He *

should be here with us right now. *

CHOLO

I didn’t kill him. He got bit and

he killed himself. Same thing I

woulda done. And you!

Riley lunges at Cholo, takes hold of his shirt, and SLAMS *

him against the wall.

RILEY

The fuck are you turning into, man? *

CHOLO

We take money to do nasty shit.

Shit that nobody else is dumb

enough to do. We go in knowing the

risks. The kid did too. His number

came up, that’s all.

RILEY

We take the risk to bring in things *

people need. Not to make a few

extra bucks selling liquor. You *

used to know that. *

CHOLO

Everybody makes their own way.

Everybody makes their own

fucking way!

Cholo shrugs out of Riley’s grasp. Behind them, the guerillas *

continue to unload cargo. *

CHOLO (CONT'D)

My daddy...he picked fruit, penny-

a-piece. He never went for

anything, so he never had anything.

I’m gonna have a place, Riley. My *

own place! And now I got enough *

money to buy my way in.

ANNOUNCER (O.S.)

Isn’t it time? Isn’t it your time?

For Fiddler’s Green.

18.

Cholo looks up at the TV monitor. Riley follows his gaze, *

seeing well-dressed PEOPLE sipping cocktails in a club room.

RILEY

You’re dreaming, Cholo. They’d

never let me in. They’ll never let

you in. We’re the wrong kind.

The image on the TV MONITOR changes to an overhead view of *

the city and its rivers. Animation draws a RED LINE along the *

base of the “golden triangle”, a zone known as “THE THROAT”. *

ANNOUNCER (O.S. CONT’D) *

Bask in the security of a city *

protected not only by its natural *

boundaries, but by hand-picked *

members of its own private militia. *

30 EXT. THE CITY - ”THE THROAT” - DAWN 30 *

In live action, not on the monitor, WEARY TROOPS, sloppily

uniformed, guard four rows of electrified, barbed-wire FENCING.

DEAD THINGS cluster by the DOZENS outside the barricades.

CORPSES hang all along the stretch, suspended on the barbs.

MILITARY WOMAN

Stench! Ten o-clock!

A WALKER lumbers in and touches the fencing. SPARKS FLY! The

Thing’s flesh is literally COOKED! BOILS develop, POPPING

OPEN, emitting SMOKE. Still the Thing remains animated.

MILITARY MAN

Take its fuckin’ face off.

BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA! The Military Woman FIRES. The Thing is

decimated. Its body hangs, welded to the SPARKING barbs.

31 INT. FIDDLER’S GREEN CENTRAL MALL - MORNING 31

CHOLO approaches a CHECKPOINT manned by TWO SECURITY GUARDS. *

Setting down the champagne and Cohibas, he unstraps his *

weapons and hands them over. *

CHOLO *

DeMora. Supply unit *

SECURITY GUARD *

What’s in them boxes? *

CHOLO *

Essential supplies. For the man *

upstairs. *

19.

The Guard takes Cholo’s weapons and returns a claim check. *

CHOLO collects his boxes and steps onto an escalator that *

carries him up into an ENORMOUS ATRIUM. The “mall” we saw on *

TV. SUNLIGHT splashes through glass walls onto box-planted

trees. Caged birds CHIRP seemingly in tune with the Chopin *

that lilts over a sound system. SHOPPERS, expensively over- *

dressed, stroll past stores. OTHER RESIDENTS lunch at *

“outdoor” cafes. Cholo pulls out a kerchief and wipes the *

smudges off his face, trying to make himself presentable. *

32 EXT. “GOLDEN TRIANGLE” - MORNING 32 *

FIDDLER’S GREEN, a heavily protected HIGH-RISE in the center

of the city, dominates the skyline. It’s where the Fat Cats

live, protected from urban decay. The building is surrounded

by unoccupied high-rises that define “the golden triangle”, a

clean section in the center of the city. No ugliness in view.

RILEY and CHARLIE cross a manicured plaza to a CHECKPOINT *

manned by TWO SECURITY GUARDS. Riley hands over his ID. *

RILEY *

Quittin’ time, Deke. *

SECURITY GUARD *

(Holding up the ID) You’re gonna *

need this. *

RILEY *

(Walking on) Nope. When I said *

quittin’ time, I meant quittin’ *

time. *

33 EXT. “GHETTO” - MORNING 33 *

RILEY and CHARLIE walk down a street into the city’s “ghetto” *

zone, which is lined with taverns, gambling clubs, strip

joints, like a boom town from Alaskan gold-rush days. BUYERS

and SELLERS lurk in the shadows, copulating, dealing drugs.

Riley is welcomed by nearly everyone he passes, greeting *

them in return with a smile and a nod, handing some bills to

a FATHER with a YOUNG SON, patting an OLD MAN on the back.

CHARLIE

Wanna get a drink, Riley? Just

look at me, you can tell I could

use a drink.

RILEY

 Later. Gotta see a man about a car.

20.

Charlie follows Riley, who strides into... *

...an alley, surprised to find a cadre of rough-looking *

REVOLUTIONARIES, led by MULLIGAN, a defiant man who stands *

on a soapbox. A small audience is gathered in front of him. *

He takes a swig from a bottle of whiskey. *

MULLIGAN *

(Irish accent) How long are you *

gonna let him push you around? If *

there was enough of us...if you all *

would join up with us...we could *

pull him down off his throne! *

Some of the people in the audience nervously shift their eyes *

to the FIDDLER’S GREEN HIGH-RISE ten blocks away. *

RILEY *

You can’t fix a place like this, *

Mulligan. You just have to get out *

of it. *

MULLIGAN *

We’ve got the firepower, Riley. If *

you and your friends would come in *

with us, we’d be unstoppable. *

Mulligan holds out his bottle to Riley, who passes it to

Charlie, who takes a swig.

RILEY *

Everyone’s stoppable. *

We hear the sound of a boy coughing. Mulligan’s son BRIAN *

stands behind him, looking feverish. *

MULLIGAN *

You alright, son? *

BRIAN *

I’m fine, dad. *

As Riley starts past, he stops, pulls something from his *

pocket, and presses it into Mulligan’s palm. *

RILEY *

Antibiotics. For your boy. *

Mulligan looks down with gratitude at a bottle his hand. *

When he looks up again, Riley is gone. *

21.

34 EXT. GARAGE - MORNING 34 *

Turning a corner, RILEY and CHARLIE stop in front of a *

rundown GARAGE with a tarp hanging down instead of a door.

Riley pulls it aside and looks in. A HOBO lies asleep on a

grease-stained floor, curled under some old newspapers.

RILEY

Where’s the car?

HOBO

(Waking) What car?

RILEY

My new car. I paid for it. I was *

here yesterday. There were two guys

getting it ready for me.

HOBO

There was nobody here this morning.

RILEY

Sonofabitch!

CHARLIE

What happened, Riley. Didja get

fucked?

Riley stands there, grim-faced.

RILEY

(A whisper) Come on.

35 INT. PENTHOUSE CORRIDOR - FIDDLER’S GREEN - DAY 35

BING! An elevator door opens. CHOLO, carrying the champagne

and Cohibas, steps out, walks to “PENTHOUSE NUMBER ONE”, and *

rings the bell. An instant after he pushes the button... *

...the door is JERKED OPEN by TYLER KNIPP, 50-something, an *

African American man in a white butler’s jacket. Frightened, *

he’s wielding a SCISSORS, poised to strike. *

KNIPP *

(Lowering the scissors) Oh, Mister *

DeMora. Mister Kaufman ain’t home *

and there’s some shit goin’ down. *

No lie. I heard... *

A SCREAM RINGS OUT down the corridor! *

KNIPP (CONT’D) *

I heard that! *

22.

ANOTHER SCREAM. *

KNIPP (CONT’D) *

Oh, man. Mister K. sure gonna be *

upset about this. *

Cholo drops his boxes and moves down the corridor. *

KNIPP (CONT’D) *

I called Security. They should be *

here... *

Cholo reaches the door to PENTHOUSE NUMBER TWO. It’s locked. *

ANOTHER SCREAM from inside. He FLINGS himself at the door. *

The LATCH SPLINTERS out of the frame. The door BURSTS open... *

36 INT. PENTHOUSE NUMBER-TWO - FIDDLER’S GREEN - DAY 36

...and CHOLO enters a dark foyer. The only light comes from *

another room somewhere inside. A soft, rhythmic SQUEAK, like *

a child’s swing moving back and forth, ECHOES through the *

apartment. It’s an eerie, incongruous sound. *

On guard, eyes straining, Cholo moves inside. The squeak gets *

louder, the light brighter as he turns a corner and sees... *

...a MIDDLE-AGED MAN, HANGING DEAD from a HOMEMADE NOOSE *

suspended from a light fixture in the kitchen! THE BODY SWAYS *

slowly, the harsh glare making the man’s face even whiter *

than it is. A toppled chair lies on the floor at his feet. *

Cholo stands transfixed for an instant. And in that instant... *

...HE IS GRABBED FROM BEHIND! He whirls, ready to kill, but *

finds only a MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN, 60-something, wearing a *

tailored suit and expensive jewelry, her perfectness *

blemished only by her hysteria. *

WOMAN *

My Johnny, he killed himself, he *

killed himself. My Johnny! My *

Johnny! *

Cholo shakes her, hard. *

CHOLO *

Keep it together, lady. *

Behind them, in the kitchen, unseen, a dazed YOUNG MAN, walks *

up to the hanging corpse. He rights the toppled chair and *

steps on it, lifting a paring to knife cut through the noose. *

23.

YOUNG MAN *

(Softly, to himself) Dad. Oh, Dad. *

WOMAN

(To Cholo) Se-Security. Are you *

Security?

CHOLO

No, I...

WOMAN

Then, for God’s sake, who ARE YOU?!

She resumes her SCREAMING. *

In the kitchen, the Young Man is slicing through the rope *

when his DEAD FATHER’S EYES POP OPEN! The Young Man is too *

busy with the rope to notice. THE HANGED MAN’S EYES BLINK. *

Once. Twice. Three times. Its body TWITCHES. And then... *

...the Hanged Man turns, making a move on the Young Man. The *

motion increases the strain on the light fixture, which pulls *

away, SPARKING, from the ceiling and CRASHES TO THE FLOOR, *

along with the Hanged Man and his son. *

The entire apartment is PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS. The woman *

stops her screaming. Almost as soon as she does, a SNARL can *

be heard from the kitchen, followed by another SCREAM, this *

one coming from the Young Man. *

Cholo rushes to a nearby fireplace and grabs a POKER and a *

MATCHLIGHT, which looks like a pistol, but shoots FIRE from *

its tip. He approaches the kitchen, using the FLAME to light *

his way. In the FLICKERING GLOW, he sees... *

...the Young Man lying on the floor. CHUNKS have been bitten *

out of his neck and wrist. The body is CONVULSING in the last *

moments of life. THE HANGED MAN IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. *

Cholo stands over the Young Man and stabs him in the head *

with the poker, jabbing the point all the way through. The *

woman SCREAMS again from the kitchen doorway. *

CHOLO *

Shut up! I gotta hear. Where’d he *

go? Where’d the other guy go? *

Silence. Cholo pulls the poker out of the Young Man’s head. *

SHUFFLING sounds. He follows them to the other end of the *

kitchen, probing the darkness with his matchlight. *

The sounds are LOUDER here. Cholo lifts the poker, ready to *

strike. Just as he does... *

24.

...the back door of the apartment BURSTS OPEN and a SECURITY *

GUARD lunges into the kitchen, rifle in hand. *

SECURITY GUARD *

 (To Cholo) Drop it! *

Cholo drops the poker and holds up his hands. *

CHOLO *

Hey, no problem. *

TWO MORE SECURITY GUARDS come through the apartment’s front *

door and rush into the kitchen. *

CHOLO (CONT’D) *

No problem, no problem! But there *

is a problem. There’s a dead guy *

walkin’ around in here. *

THE HANGED MAN appears without warning, attacking one of the *

guards who just entered, BITING OFF half his left CHEEK, *

including the EYE. *

Before his partner can raise his gun, THE WOMAN GRABS IT FROM *

HIM! Aims at the Hanged Man. *

WOMAN *

YOU SELFISH BASTARD! YOU LEFT ME *

ALONE HERE! *

She fumbles with the weapon, not knowing how to make it work. *

The bitten security guard starts to lose all strength in his *

legs. The Dead Thing holds him up, as if waltzing with him, *

BITING HIM again and again. *

Cholo takes the gun from the woman and shoots the Hanged Man. *

 BITTEN SECURITY GUARD *

I need help. I need help! *

Cholo kills the bitten security guard, too. *

SURVIVING SECURITY GUARD *

You...FUCK!

Cholo turns the gun on the surviving security guard. *

CHOLO

You wanna talk about this? I did *

what I had to do. I only did what I *

had to do!

25.

37 INT. “THE ARENA” - DAY 37

RILEY and CHARLIE step into the CELLAR of an old BROWNSTONE.

Dirt floor. Stone walls. The place is filled with smoke and

BUZZING with FLIES. As Riley and Charley turn their guns over *

to TWO BIG BRUISERS inside, a TOUT named ROACH sidles over. *

TOUT *

(Eyeing the weapons) Supply run last *

night, uh? Bet you have some money in *

your pocket. I can show you how to *

turn that money into more money. *

RILEY *

Roach. Where’s Chihuahua? *

TOUT *

Maybe I can find him for you. Come *

on in. *

Riley is already in. He has pushed past the Tout and is *

striding into a fog where GAMBLERS are rushing to place bets *

with heavily-armed BOOKIES. We’re reminded of a cock-fighting *

joint in a Pancho Villa movie. *

RILEY *

Lot of action tonight. *

TOUT *

Gotta new kind of game. *

Riley strides toward a cluster of BETTORS. A very tall man *

stands among them, wearing a Texas Stetson that sticks up *

high above all other heads, its peacock feathers poking even

higher out of a snake-skin hat band.

Riley grabs him and spins him around.

The man’s feet are off the ground. Way off the ground. Far

from tall, he’s a little person, who has been standing on a

platform, wearing a purple satin pimp-suit. He’s a Latino,

who looks like a Chihuahua. And that’s his name. CHIHUAHUA.

CHIHUAHUA

Put me down! Put me down!

RILEY

What happened to my fucking car?

CHIHUAHUA

What? They’re fixing it up.

26.

RILEY

I went over to the garage. Your

guys aren’t there. The car’s not

there. My dinero’s not there.

CHIHUAHUA

Hey, this is not me. I did not do

this to you. I am your friend. Put

me down. Come on. I find out what

went wrong.

RILEY

Just get me the car, or they’ll

carry you out of here inside that

fucking hat.

38 INT. BACKSTAGE - “THE ARENA” - DAY 38

In a dark CATACOMB, DEAD MEN are chained to the walls. WHAM! *

A POLE shoots out. A NOOSE on the end encircles the neck of a *

captive Dead Man and is cinched tight. TWO MEN hold the pole

while A THIRD sprays RED PAINT on the Thing’s face. ANOTHER *

DEAD THING is dragged in and sprayed with BLACK PAINT.

39 INT. BACK OFFICE - “THE ARENA” - DAY 39

Cursing in Spanish, CHIHUAHUA pulls a GLOCK out of a filing

cabinet and jams a magazine up its butt.

40 INT. CENTER RING - “THE ARENA” - DAY 40

RILEY and CHARLIE drift into a large room that’s packed with

BETTORS hooting and hollering like football fans. They’re all

jammed onto tiered wooden viewing stands arranged around an

IRON-MESH STRUCTURE that looks like a lion-tamer’s cage.

Gates open. THE PAINTED WALKERS are thrust inside the cage.

Their nooses are released. The gates are locked behind them.

DEAD RED, alarmed by the color of DEAD BLACK’s face, reaches

out and gently touches the paint. Its fingers come away with

blackened tips.

Black follows suit, staining its fingers red. Black licks its *

hand, spitting when it identifies not blood, but something *

distasteful. *

BOOKIES drift among the spectators, taking bets with fists *

full of cash. *

CHARLIE *

What are they betting on, Riley? *

27.

RILEY *

Red or Black. Who’s gonna win the *

fight. *

CHARLIE *

What fight? Stenches don’t fight. *

TOUT (O.S.) *

They do when there’s food. *

The TOUT sidles over. *

RILEY *

What’s on the menu today? Cat or *

dog? *

TOUT *

I told you. Today it’s something *

new. *

CLANG! Another gate opens in the cage. A hush falls as

everyone awaits what will come. Including the Dead Men, who

gaze with anticipation at the opening. What comes is...

...A WOMAN! Alive, badly bruised, her dress in tatters.

Despite tarnish, she still looks sexy. Last night she was a

hooker known as SLACK. Now she’s meat in a lion cage. *

RILEY *

Jesus fucking Christ. *

The gate SLAMS shut. The Dead Things walk toward the woman. *

Riley rushes off. Charlie follows. *

Slack backs up, hits the wall of the cage and, terrified,

starts to circle its iron perimeter. The Dead Men flank her. *

Black is the first to touch her. The crowd HOWLS.

Slack’s terror turns to determination. She punches Black

three times in the face. The Thing recoils as she glides out

of its grasp.

RILEY and CHARLIE reach the BRUISERS who took their weapons. *

RILEY *

Give us our guns. *

BRUISER *

(Handing over the weapons) You *

leavin’? *

Riley cocks his M-16. *

28.

RILEY *

In a little while. *

In the ring, BLACK reaches for SLACK again. With one *

lightning-fast move, she kicks it in the chest, sending it

flying into Red’s arms. Red shoves Black aside.

Black makes another try for the woman. Red grabs its rival.

This time Black hangs on to Red’s shirt. The two twirl around

in a staggering lampoon of a wrestling match. *

Slack rushes to the side of the cage and starts to climb.

She’s agile. Strong. But she almost falls as the cage SHAKES

with the force of... *

...Red SLAMMING Black against the mesh. *

On their way back through the arena, RILEY and CHARLEY push *

through the crowd, trying to reach the center ring. A GOON *

steps in front of them. *

GOON *

No guns in here! *

Riley gives him a rifle butt in the face and moves on. *

Slack continues to climb the cage, almost out of reach, but *

Black grabs one of her ankles, pulling her down and slamming

her to the ground.

Black hunkers, drooling, over Slack. As it is about to bite, *

RAT-A-TAT! A short burst from Riley’s M-16 shatters Black’s *

collarbone. Cheekbone. Skull. The Thing drops. *

Red lunges for Slack. Riley kills it with another short BURST. *

The crowd PANICS, stampeding toward the exit. Suddenly MORE

BULLETS FLY, this time from a GLOCK, FIRED by...

...CHIHUAHUA, who, in a rage, is pushing through the LEGS of

the fleeing crowd. He makes it to a clear spot and draws a

steady bead on a target...Charlie. Chihuahua pulls his

trigger. Riley beats him by an instant, FIRING the M-16.

Just as Chihuahua’s gun GOES OFF...a LINE of BULLET HOLES

PERFORATES the little man’s belly. The round from his Glock

misses Charlie completely.

Riley runs to the cage, where Slack stands, trembling, just

on the other side of the bars.

RILEY

You okay?

29.

She nods gratefully.

Chihuahua is still on his feet. And now he is really pissed.

Not because of the holes in his gut, but because...

CHIHUAHUA

My suit! You fucked up my new suit!

Riley turns to Chihuahua, but doesn’t have time to lift the

M-16 before...BLAM! The little man FIRES at him. Slack

delivers a powerful KICK into the flexible fencing, sending *

Riley sprawling to the ground and saving him from...

...Chihuahua’s round, which misses Riley...but HITS SLACK!

Spun around by the impact, she falls face down.

Chihuahua continues to FIRE. Riley Marine-crawls as bullets

PUNCH around him, SPARKING off the cage. Chihuahua keeps

coming, keeps FIRING, until...

...A SINGLE SHOT from Charlie’s .45 shatters his skull. He

drops like a broken pinata.

Riley looks up, seeing TWO OTHER MEN with guns. Chihuahua’s *

GOONS. For a moment it seems as if a major shooting match is

going to break out. But before it does...

POLICEMAN (O.S.) *

 Hold it! *

...FOUR POLICEMEN burst in. The Goons lower their weapons. *

Riley runs back to the cage, BLASTS the lock on the nearest

gate, and rushes inside. Slack’s body is lying on the floor.

He suspects she’s dead. When her BODY MOVES, he suspects

worse. He plants the barrel of his M-16 against her temple.

SLACK

I’m alright, I’M ALRIGHT!

Slack uses her left arm to push herself up to a sitting

position. Her right arm is BLEEDING, up near the shoulder.

SLACK (CONT'D)

Fucker got my right arm. I’m a lefty.

They look into each other’s eyes. *

RILEY *

Seen you around. *

SLACK *

Seen you around. *

30.

A POLICEMAN steps over. *

POLICEMAN

The hell happened here?

RILEY

Somebody shot the little fat man.

POLICEMAN

Yeah, I see that. You’re under

arrest.

41 INT. BOARD ROOM - FIDDLER’S GREEN - DAY 41

A UNIFORMED GUARD leaves CHOLO in a PRISTINE WHITE conference

room with glass walls overlooking the rotting CITY far below.

Cholo sets the case of champagne and the box of Cohibas on a

conference table. A MAN stands in SILHOUETTE at the windows.

SILHOUETTED MAN

How was Uniontown?

CHOLO

Dead.

SILHOUETTED MAN *

Death intrudes on us even in the *

Green, I’m afraid. I heard about *

what happened with my neighbors. *

I’m grateful for your help. *

CHOLO *

I brought you back some presents. *

Cholo opens the case of champagne. He pulls a bottle out, *

untwists the wire, and uses his strong thumbs to pop the *

cork. FOAM runs. *

CHOLO (CONT'D)

You probably want a glass, don’t

you? Sure, a high-toned man likes

to drink out of a glass.

Cholo grabs a highball glass from a cupboard, pours champagne

into it, and brings it, overflowing, to the Silhouetted Man.

CHOLO

I got something else, too.

Cholo tears open the box of Cohibas. He picks up two cigars,

bites off the tips, puts one in his mouth, then, walking back

to the Silhouetted Man, puts the other in his mouth, lighting

them both with a wooden match that he strikes on his jeans.

31.

SILHOUETTED MAN

Thank you.

CHOLO

No, thank you! Twenty grand. That’s

what I got comin’ for last night. I

never bothered to pick it up.

SILHOUETTED MAN

You didn’t?

CHOLO

Nope. I left it in the bank. Your

bank. With all my other dough.

From all those other nights. I got

enough now to buy me a place.

SILHOUETTED MAN *

You mean here? In the Green? *

The Silhouetted Man steps away from the window. Expensively

dressed, in his early 60s, he is PAUL KAUFMAN. He sets down

the highball glass Cholo gave him, gets out a proper *

champagne flute, and fills it from the bottle, smiling

politely at Cholo.

KAUFMAN

I’m sorry, Mister DeMora, but

there’s a very long waiting list.

CHOLO

How long?

KAUFMAN

This is an extremely desirable

location. Space is limited.

CHOLO

You mean restricted.

KAUFMAN

Well, I do have a board of

directors, a membership committee

that has to approve...

A wave of incomparable sadness sweeps over Cholo’s face.

CHOLO

I guess it takes more than money to

become a “member”.

32.

KAUFMAN

Take my advice. Withdraw your funds

from the bank and spend them

somewhere else.

CHOLO

(Quietly) Don’t do this to me. Don’t

do this to me.

KAUFMAN

I’m sorry, but...

CHOLO

No, no, no. Three years! Three

years I been cleaning up after you, *

taking out your garbage, and you

tell me I’m not good enough? You’re

the one who’s no good. You are no

fucking good. And you are gonna let

me in. You know why? Because I know

what goes on around here. How many

of your fucking “members” know

what’s in that garbage I take out

for you?

Cholo lunges at Kaufman, grabs him by the collar.

CHOLO (CONT'D)

YOU’LL LET ME IN OR I’LL...

Cholo feels the barrel of a .45 against his waist. Kaufman,

who has drawn the pistol from his jacket, is still smiling.

KAUFMAN

Maybe we should talk about this

when you’re less excited.

Kaufman presses a button under the table. THREE SECURITY

GUARDS rush in, GRAB Cholo, and drag him away. Kaufman stops

one of the guards at the door.

KAUFMAN (CONT'D)

(Softly) I won’t be needing this

man any more.

42 INT. STAIRWELL - FIDDLER’S GREEN - DAY 42

THE SECURITY GUARDS lead CHOLO down the stairs. Cholo WHIRLS

like a Ninja. He SLUGS one guard, kicks another in the groin,

the third in the face, and escapes through a fire door.

33.

43 INT/EXT. JAIL - AFTERNOON 43

RILEY RIPS off part of his shirt-sleeve and starts to bandage

the wound on SLACK’S arm. They are in a jail cell that has

brick walls and a small barred window facing a dark alley.

CHARLIE, stripped of all his guns, stares outside longingly.

RILEY

(To Slack) Why you? In that arena.

Why did the little fat man throw

you in with those things?

SLACK

It wasn’t the little man. It was the

big man. The man upstairs. He’s got

his fingers in everything down here.

If you can drink it, shoot it up,

fuck it, or gamble on it, it belongs

to him. He’s just seein’ that we get

a few cheap kicks so we don’t go

thinkin’ too hard about why he’s

eating steak and the rest of us are

lucky to get the bones.

RILEY

Same question. Why you?

SLACK

They found out I was working with

Mulligan and his people. Tired of

eatin’ off bones.

CHARLIE

What can you do? Every place is the *

same.

RILEY

Places with people. I’m gonna find

me a place where there ain’t no

people. North. Canada.

SLACK

Wherever you’re going, take me *

with you.

CHARLIE

He won’t. Riley likes to be alone.

He might take me. Cuzz havin’ me

around is pretty much the same as

bein’ alone. (Glancing at Riley)

I can make myself useful. And I

can shoot.

34.

SLACK

I can shoot. And I can be pretty

fucking useful. I had training. I

was gonna join the Army. Up the

Green. Till somebody figured I’d be

a better hooker than a soldier.

RILEY

I don’t need to hear your story.

Everybody’s got a story, and I’m

tired of hearin’ them all!

SLACK

What’s your story, Riley?

They look at each other, clearly attracted. *

RILEY

I said everybody has a story. That

was wrong. I don’t have one. Daddy

was a preacher. Mama kept the

house. School. Engineering. Nothing

bad ever happened to me...(turning

away)...till everything changed.

SLACK

Everything changed for all of us.

Whether we had a story or not.

A SOUND outside the window. Charlie glances through the bars. *

CHARLIE

Hey...

Riley and Slack look out the window. FOUR SECURITY MEN are *

chasing MULLIGAN into the alley outside. They drive him like *

an animal against a wall, club him, and drag him away.

RILEY

Mulligan.

RILEY instinctively reaches through the window’s bars, but

there’s nothing he can do. It’s a helpless feeling.

CHARLIE

What are they gonna do? Kill him? *

SLACK *

Not right away. First, they’ll try *

to get what they can out of him. *

About people like me. *

Riley puts his hand on her back. *

35.

44 INT. BEDROOM - AFTERNOON 44

In a ratty bedroom, FOXY is wakened out of a snore by CHOLO.

CHOLO

We’re taking the truck out. Get

the guys.

FOXY

Riley?

CHOLO

No, not him. Just the regular

guys. Know what I mean?

45 EXT. DEPOT - NIGHT 45

CRANE DOWN FROM A FADED SIGN, TONY’S AUTOMANIA, high above

what was once a car dealership, but is now a fenced-in DEPOT

full of VEHICLES. A huge WHITE FACE with black cartoon eyes *

POPS into view, attached to a TEN-FOOT-TALL BODY emblazoned *

TONY BALONEY. It’s one of those vinyl ADVERTISING DUMMIES

that does the hula as air pumps through it. Tony’s arms wave

wildly, like a giant zombie, comic yet oddly unnerving as...

BLAM! BLAM! Bullets hit it in the face and neck. GUS, a young

soldier, and his partner BARRETT, are shooting outside the

SALES OFFICE of the car-lot-turned-depot. A sign is printed

on the window. “BEST DEALS IN TOWN AND THAT’S NO BALONEY!”

BARRETT

(Handing Gus a five) You win. You *

got him in the brain.

46 INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL - NIGHT 46 *

SCREECH! CHOLO pulls a CARGO CARRIER to a stop along the *

platform of the tunnel. FOXY, PRETTY BOY, MOUSE, ANCHOR, and *

SCAR, the youngest of the team, leap off the flatbed. *

47 EXT. DEPOT - NIGHT 47 *

The steel doors under the “SUBWAY” sign open and CHOLO strides *

out with his TEAM. A DEPOT GUARD steps forward as the doors *

close and lock automatically behind them. *

DEPOT GUARD *

What’s up, Cholo?

CHOLO

(Flashing an official-looking

paper) Takin’ the truck out.

36.

DEPOT GUARD *

You just got back in this morning. *

CHOLO

Nobody gets a day off these days.

DEPOT GUARD *

(Taking Cholo’s paper) Hey, wait a *

minute this is from yesterday. *

CHOLO

(Keeping his cool) Oh, I must have *

given you the wrong one. Here...

Cholo reaches down, but not into his pocket. For his gun. *

Just before he draws it...SHOTS ring out. *

CHOLO (CONT’D) *

What’s that? *

DEPOT GUARD *

Relax. Just target practise.

48 EXT. DEPOT - TONY’S AUTOMANIA SALES OFFICE - NIGHT 48 *

GUS

Double or nothing?

BARRETT

Sure.

GUS aims his rifle at the jerking head of TONY BALONEY. As he *

is about to fire, there’s a SOUND at his back.

GUS

Quit scratching around back there.

You’re tryin’ ta fuck up my aim.

BARRETT

I’m just standin’ here. I’m not

doin’ nothing.

The SOUND comes again. From the woods that adjoin the lot.

Barrett grabs the handles of a KLIEG LIGHT mounted on a pivot *

and swings it so that it ILLUMINATES the tree-line. *

There’s nothing there. Nothing but BRANCHES being slapped by *

erratic gusts of wind.

Barrett pivots the Klieg light back to its original position, *

jumping out of his skin when the bright white beam reveals... *

A DEAD THING within arm’s length. *

37.

Barrett FIRES! The dead thing DROPS OUT OF FRAME, REPLACED BY *

ANOTHER. BLAM! Barrett SHOOTS again. This creature collapses. *

It is also replaced by another, which is also shot, as... *

BLAM! The top of Barrett’s head is taken off by a rifle shot. *

The rifle was fired by BIG DADDY. The barrel is still smoking. *

In the darkness behind him stands NUMBER NINE. Behind Number *

Nine are the SHUFFLING SHADOWS of many more dead things. *

GUS SCREAMS.

49 EXT. DEPOT - NIGHT 49 *

CHOLO

What’s that? Screaming practice? *

GUNNER (O.S.)

Stenches! Jesus! They’re all over *

the place! *

THE DEPOT GUARD turns and runs toward his men. CHOLO’S TEAM *

unstraps weapons and gets ready for battle. *

CHOLO *

(Stopping them) Ain’t our fight. *

Stenches are making it easy for us. *

 Let’s grab the truck. *

CHOLO and his team sprint across the lot to DEAD RECKONING. *

A GUNNER at a machine-gun battery opens fire on the WALKERS. *

Many of the rounds SPARK off the wire fencing.

50 INT. DEAD RECKONING NIGHT 50

CHOLO and his TEAM scramble into the vehicle.

FOXY

Should we send up some ‘sky flowers’?

CHOLO

No. Those things want to get in

here...let ‘em in.

51 EXT. DEPOT - NIGHT 51

THE WALKING DEAD march through MACHINE GUN FIRE behind their *

“leader”. BIG DADDY. He is the first to reach the fence *

surrounding the lot. Pushing against the wire, he is soon *

joined by NUMBER NINE. Then OTHERS. The FENCE COLLAPSES. The

Dead Things SWARM into the depot.

VROOOM! DEAD RECKONING pulls out. Rumbling over the section *

of fencing the zombies pushed down, it drives into the night. *

38.

SOLDIERS abandon their stations and scatter, shooting wildly. *

NUMBER NINE knocks one of them cold with its baseball bat. *

The soldier falls, losing his M-16. BIG DADDY grabs the bat *

and throws it aside. Picking up the soldier’s M-16, he *

presses the weapon into Number Nine’s hands, even arranging *

Number Nine’s fingers on the trigger. *

RATATATAT. With the gun aimed at the ground, Number Nine *

fires a BURST that sends her into a spastic dance. The *

soldier sits back up. Draws a pistol. Big Daddy grabs the *

barrel of the still-firing M-16 and guides it along the *

pavement to... *

...the soldier’s legs. Bullets march up his groin, belly, *

chest, and, finally, head. He drops. *

ANOTHER SOLDIER attacks. This time, Number Nine aims her *

weapon purposefully and scores a direct hit. *

OTHER DEAD THINGS SMACK at the steel doors that lead down to *

the subway. They can’t get through. Losing interest, they *

drift slowly away, until their attention is refocused by... *

...a GRUNT from Big Daddy, who is gazing toward the GLOW of *

the FIDDLER’S GREEN HIGH-RISE across the river, closer now *

than before. The city. That’s where he wants to be. That’s *

where he’s determined to go. *

52 INT. KAUFMAN PENTHOUSE - FIDDLER’S GREEN - NIGHT 52

KAUFMAN RIPS a TURKEY LEG off a cooked bird on a platter in

front of him and eats. Across the table sits one of his board

members, HARRISON SUTHERLAND. KNIPP enters.

KNIPP

Phone call, sir.

KAUFMAN

Thank you, Knipp. I’ll take it.

Knipp brings a radio-phone to the table. Kaufman picks up the

receiver and lifts it to his ear.

KAUFMAN

Yes?

CHOLO (O.S.)

Kaufman?

Kaufman tenses, just enough for Sutherland to notice.

KAUFMAN

Ah. The one that got away.

39.

CHOLO (O.S.)

You said we should talk when I was

less excited. I’m a lot less

excited now.

KAUFMAN

 What do you want, Mister DeMora?

53 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 53

CHOLO

I can’t have a place in the Green, *

fine. I’ll go find another place. *

But you know what I’m gonna need? *

Money. I want my money out of your *

bank. And I want the rest of the

money out of your bank. And if you

don’t give it to me, I’m gonna blow

you out of your fuckin’ ivory

tower. I’ve got Dead Reckoning. *

54 INT. KAUFMAN PENTHOUSE - FIDDLER’S GREEN - NIGHT 54

KAUFMAN

That’s unfortunate.

CHOLO (O.S.)

Put the money on a boat and send it

across the river to the South Side.

Tenth Street Pier. One man to drive

the boat, no more. You’ve got till

midnight. Four hours. I won’t be

there. Dead Reckoning won’t be

there. But I’ll know if it happens.

I’ll know if it doesn’t happen.

CLICK! CHOLO hangs up.

SUTHERLAND

Trouble?

KAUFMAN

In a world where the dead are

returning to life, the word

‘trouble’ loses much of its

meaning. (Beat) He wants money. *

SUTHERLAND

Pay him.

KAUFMAN

We don’t negotiate with terrorists.

There are other options.

40.

55 INT. JAIL - NIGHT 55

CLANG! A FIDDLER’S GREEN SECURITY GUARD opens a cell door.

SECURITY GUARD

Which one of you is Denbo?

RILEY, CHARLIE, and SLACK exchange glances. What now?

56 INT. FIDDLER’S GREEN BOARDROOM - NIGHT 56 *

KAUFMAN sips a Scotch. SUTHERLAND is present, with a middle- *

aged board member named CHANDLER STYLES and CLIFF WOODS, who *

is young and ambitious. All of them are nervous, pacing. A *

door opens and RILEY is ushered into the room.

KAUFMAN

Mister Denbo. Come in. Can I offer

you a drink?

RILEY

I don’t drink.

KAUFMAN

Well, then...please sit down.

RILEY

Nobody else is sitting. I think

I’ll just stand here, like the

rest of you. While you tell me

why I’m standing here.

KAUFMAN

We need you to repossess a vehicle

that belongs to us. The vehicle you

designed, Mister Denbo. Dead

Reckoning has been stolen. By your

second in command. I want him

captured. Or killed. And I want my

two-million-dollar piece of

equipment returned.

RILEY

The truck.

KAUFMAN

Which has guns. Big guns. That

could do a great deal of damage if

he were to aim them at this city.

RILEY

Why don’t you just send out your

troops?

41.

KAUFMAN

I don’t want to lose them. I could

send five hundred men against that

thing and they’d all come back in

body bags. It’s your vehicle. Cholo

was your man. You might be able to

get close enough to...do what has

to be done. (Refilling his scotch) *

Do this for me and I’ll grant you *

something in return. Residence in *

the Green. *

RILEY *

Not me. That’s what Cholo wanted, *

and you didn’t give it to him, did *

you? That’s why he’s out there *

waving a cannon at your ass. *

Kaufman won’t admit that Riley’s right, but he looks at him *

with a glimmer of respect. *

RILEY (CONT’D) *

Give me one of those vehicles, over *

in the depot, weapons, and enough *

ammunition to go north.

KAUFMAN

But...there’s nothing up north.

RILEY

That’s the idea.

KAUFMAN

Alright. You’ve named your price.

An easy one to pay.

RILEY

 

One more thing. My friends. They

go with me.

 

KAUFMAN

 

Take them.

 

He looks at Riley, a hint of desperation behind his eyes.

KAUFMAN (CONT’D)

 

Can you find Dead Reckoning?

Quickly?

 

RILEY

 *

How quickly? *

 *

42.

KAUFMAN *

 *

By midnight. *

 *

RILEY *

 *

I have a way.

 *

57 EXT. INDUSTRIAL STREET - NIGHT 57 *

 *

DEAD RECKONING RUMBLES along a dark street, plowing into a *

DERELICT CAR, knocking it aside and rolling it down a small *

embankment, pinning THREE DEAD THINGS beneath. *

58 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 58 *

 *

CHOLO’S TEAM laughs raucously at the fate of the zombies. *

CHOLO *

 *

(Tense) Knock it off! *

 *

59 EXT. INDUSTRIAL STREET - NIGHT 59 *

 *

BIG DADDY steps out of the darkness, watching the lights of *

DEAD RECKONING recede. He hears desperate SQUEALING coming *

from under the toppled car. *

 *

He lumbers down the embankment. Pushes on one of the upturned *

tires. He can’t turn the car by himself. He looks back to the *

road. Grunts. *

 *

NUMBER NINE and OTHERS OF BIG DADDY’S GATHERING FORCE hurry *

to the car. They push. The car rolls over, freeing THE THREE *

DEAD THINGS. One of them used to be a BUTCHER. Still wearing *

a blood-stained apron, carrying a meat cleaver, he looks at *

Big Daddy with something resembling gratitude. *

60 INT. FIDDLER’S GREEN WEAPONS STORAGE - NIGHT 60

SOLDIERS pass out monster weapons to RILEY, CHARLIE, and

SLACK. Riley straps on a K-90. Charlie turns one down.

CHARLIE

 

I like the iron I already got.

 

SOLDIER

 

This piece fires fourteen rounds

a second.

 

Charlie unstraps his own REMINGTON. A la Sergeant York, he

licks his thumb. Wets the sight. And BLASTS a COCKROACH

climbing on a wall twenty feet away.

CHARLIE

 

I don’t norm’ly need fourteen rounds.

43.

SLACK

 

I’ll take that gun. *

 

SOLDIER

 

Can you handle it?

 

SLACK

 

Better’n you. The safety’s off.

 

The Soldier checks the gun. The safety is off. He clicks

it on and embarrassedly hands the weapon to Slack.

RILEY

 

(To Slack and Charlie) You guys

don’t have to come out with me if

you don’t want to.

 

Slack ties her hair back with a bandana. Checks her gun clip.

SLACK *

 *

I’d feel like a dick if I didn’t.

CHARLIE

 

Me too. Just look at me you can

tell I’d feel like a dick.

*

SLACK *

 *

Some shit, ain’t it? Goin’ out to *

save a place we don’t give a fuck *

about. *

 *

RILEY *

 *

It’s not the place. It’s the people *

in it. *

 

KAUFMAN (O.S.) *

 *

Mister Denbo.

 *

Riley turns. KAUFMAN and SUTHERLAND enter with several OTHERS. *

KAUFMAN (CONT’D) *

 

Your friends are going out with

you. I want some of my friends to

go along, as well. (Turning) *

 

Manolete.

 

AN HISPANIC MAN steps forward.

 

MANOLETE

 

That’s how I am called...Manolete.

After the bullfighter.

 

44.

KAUFMAN

 

Teahouse.

 

TEAHOUSE steps forward. A mean-looking Asian right out of

Mortal Kombat. He joins his hands, as if in prayer, and bows.

KAUFMAN (CONT'D)

 

 Pillsbury.

PILLSBURY is a woman, a Sumo-sized Samoan, six hundred pounds

and seven feet tall, swaggering, decked out in a clatter of

fighting gear.

 

SLACK (CONT'D)

 

(Impressed) Damn.

 

Pillsbury speaks with a voice as deep as the Mindanao trench.

PILLSBURY

 

I come here to do sumthin’. Not

stann aroun’. Why we stann aroun’?

Less go do sumthin’.

 *

61 EXT. 10TH STREET PIER - NIGHT 61

 

A LONG DOCK juts into the RIVER. DEAD RECKONING stops beside *

it. MOUSE jumps out. CHOLO stands in an open hatch. *

MOUSE *

 *

(Looking around nervously) Don’t *

leave me alone here long. *

 

CHOLO

 *

At midnight. Give me a call. Let

 

me know if we’re rich or not.

 

Mouse nods, running off to hide in a BOAT SHED.

62 EXT. DEPOT - NIGHT 62 *

 

The steel doors to the subway tunnel open. RILEY and his TEAM *

step out. The depot has been DEVASTATED. FIRES BURNING. *

FENCES DOWN. Only TONY BALONEY moves, still waving spookily. *

CHARLIE

 

Geez. Cholo made a mess.

 

RILEY

 

Cholo didn’t do all this.

 

Clouds of thick black SMOKE from the fires BILLOW across the

depot, restricting visibility. Ever-shifting OPENINGS in the

clouds reveal glimpses of torn BODY PARTS.

 

45.

RILEY (CONT'D)

 

Stenches have been at this place. *

 

He leads the way into the depot, his M-16 at the ready. *

Behind him, all eyes peer nervously into the smoke. Everyone *

speaks in HUSHED tones. *

 

MANOLETE

 

When the truck pulled out, it must

have knocked the fence down. That’s

how they got in.

 

RILEY

 

That fencing was pushed in from

outside.

 

TEAHOUSE

 

You know how many stenches it

would take to do that?

 

RILEY

 

There’s a thousand of them out

there for every one of us.

 

CHARLIE

 

Good thing we’re smarter.

 

SLACK

 

Look who’s talkin’.

 

RILEY

 

They’re getting smart. I saw it in

Uniontown, last time out. They’re *

 learning how to work together. *

Thoughts darken. So does the SMOKE, which billows thicker, *

virtually blinding the team. SOUNDS come. The MOANING of the *

WIND. The POPPING of burnt metal and wood. *

TEAHOUSE *

 *

What do they want? *

 *

Slack looks back as she walks. The zombies have taken down *

another section of the depot fence, beyond which lies a *

suburb. Beyond which is the river. Beyond which is the glow *

of the FIDDLER’S GREEN HIGH-RISE. *

 

SLACK *

 *

They want the city. *

 *

RILEY *

 *

The city is us. They’re after us. We *

pissed ‘em off one too many times. *

46.

MANOLETE *

 *

They’ll never get across the river. *

CHARLIE *

 *

Thank Heaven. *

 

RILEY *

 *

Gotta love the guy. He still believes *

in Heaven. Anyone got a radio? *

 

Teahouse pulls a Motorola from his belt. Just as he tosses

it to Riley, they hear...GROWLING!

 

The team draws their weapons, standing in a loose circle,

their backs to each other, guns searching for a target.

Darting eyes peer into the void. MORE NOISES emanate from *

somewhere. Everywhere. Slowly...

 

...Charlie unstraps his Remington. Licks his thumb. Wets the

sight of the rifle.

 

SLACK

 

(A whisper) Why do you do that? *

 

CHARLIE

 

(Whispering back) Catches the *

light. Right now it’s moonlight.

Lets me see where I’m aimin’.

 

BLAM! Charlie FIRES! A single shot into the black smoke.

SLACK

 

The hell you shooting at?

 

CHARLIE

 

 That thing.

A DEAD MAN steps out of the smoke! Before anyone can react, it

grabs Slack’s shoulder from behind! She whirls around. Pulls

away. Is about to shoot when she sees AN ENTRY WOUND on the *

left side of the Thing’s forehead.

 

CHARLIE (CONT'D)

 

Off-center. But I got him.

 

The Thing relaxes its grip and drops at Slack’s feet.

MANOLETE

 

(Hysterical) There’s more of ‘em out *

there. I can hear ‘em. THERE’S MORE!

There are SHUFFLING SOUNDS in the smoke. Manolete backs away.

Pillsbury grabs him. Slaps him, hard, across the face.

47.

PILLSBURY

 

If they is more, we gonna need

 

yo guns. Pull ‘em out n’stann up

wid us, like de man you ain’t.

 

Riley lifts Teahouse’s Motorola and pushes “Send”.

RILEY

 

Riley Denbo. Calling the Green.

 

63 INT. FIDDLER’S GREEN BOARDROOM - NIGHT 63 *

CLOSE ON: SUTHERLAND’S alarmed face.

 

SUTHERLAND

 

What?

 

A TROOPER, equally alarmed, is reporting.

 

TROOPER

 

Wiped out! That’s what he said!

Denbo! He said the depot was

wiped out by stenches! *

 

KAUFMAN

 

Thank you. Keep us informed. *

 

64 EXT. DEPOT - NIGHT 64

 

RILEY and his TEAM move through DRIFTING SMOKE. VEHICLES are

scattered about. They stop at the T-BIRD. There are no keys *

in the ignition.

 

CHARLIE

 

Gotta go get the keys, Riley.

 

Riley looks across the lot to the CHARRED RUIN of a shack.

Tire fires BURN around it. Debris smolders.

RILEY

 

Ain’t no keys to get. Melted.

 

MANOLETE

 

Screw keys. Hot wire the fucker.

 

MANOLETE climbs in and goes to work under the dash.

 PILLSBURY

He feelin’ better since I hit ‘im.

Suddenly, CHARLIE draws his .45 and FIRES AT SLACK! BLAM! The

bullet buzzes just above her ear, blowing a WISP OF HAIR as... *

48.

...A DEAD OLD MAN BEHIND HER DROPS, a HOLE in its head. *

SLACK

 

Thanks, Charlie. That was useful.

 

The WIND shifts and black SMOKE envelopes them.

MANOLETE

 

I can’t see!

 

Riley pulls out a flashlight and shines it under the dash.

The team fans out around the T-Bird. The smoke is so thick *

they can’t make out anything. Including each other.

Charlie peers into openings that shift on the breeze. What

he doesn’t see, what he can’t see, is what’s behind him...

...a FEMALE WALKER, wearing the soiled and tattered remnants

of a bridal gown. The fabric seems to glow in the smoke. *

The bride shuffles toward CHARLIE. We see it coming. No one *

else does. Just as it opens its mouth to bite... *

BLAM! Slack SHOOTS! Her bullet cuts closer than the one

Charlie fired, CLIPPING OFF THE TOP OF HIS EAR before *

DROPPING THE BRIDE. *

 

SLACK

 

Even-Steven.

 

CHARLIE

 

Not! That hurt! I didn’t hurt you!

Manolete fumbles with colored wires under the dash.

RILEY *

 *

Hurry up. *

 

PILLSBURY

 

(Impatient) Yellow to red!

 

TEAHOUSE

 

What the fuck does a Samoan know

about hot-wiring cars?

 

PILLSBURY

 

Five thousand cars. Stole. Every

year in Samoa.

 

MANOLETE

 

Fifty thousand in Mexico.

 

49.

PILLSBURY

 

Mexico got a million cars. Samoa got

five thousand. Every one. Stolen.

 

THE T-BIRD’S ENGINE REVS. *

 

MANOLETE

 

I GOT IT! LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!

 

Riley leads the team into the T-Bird. Manolete starts to get *

out from under the dash. As TEAHOUSE settles into a seat by *

the door... *

 *

...SOMETHING heavy and wet SMACKS his shoulder. It’s a *

FOREARM! It drops onto Teahouse as if thrown at him.

TEAHOUSE

 

God! Oh, GOD, WHAT’S THIS?!

 

Teahouse HURLS the bloody thing onto the asphalt. Shockingly,

the ARM SPRINGS BACK, THUMPING against Teahouse’s face! A

twist of torn muscle, no thicker than clothesline, is keeping

the limb loosely attached to...

 

...A DEAD THING that has crawled beside the T-Bird. Lifting *

itself, it BITES a large filet out of Teahouse’s arm. CHARLIE

SHOOTS it.

Manolete climbs up behind the wheel and...VROOOOOM!...pedal

to the metal he pulls out of the depot. Slack glances at

Teahouse, then, wind in her hair, leans in close to Riley. *

SLACK

 

(Softly) How long does he have?

 

RILEY

 

I had a brother. Real brother, by

birth. Bit. Hung on for six days.

Before he turned. I was the one had

to shoot him.

 

SLACK

 

And you said nothin’ bad ever

happened to you.

 

RILEY

 

That happened to my brother.

 

SLACK

 

(Into his eyes) But you kept going.

RILEY

 

Got to, right?

 

50.

SLACK

 

Yup. Dead is dead. And that ain’t

you. And that ain’t me.

 

Slack turns to Teahouse.

 

SLACK (CONT'D)

 

Sorry, man. I truly am.

 

She draws her .45, aims at Teahouse, and FIRES. *

65 INT. FIDDLER’S GREEN BOARDROOM - NIGHT 65 *

 

KAUFMAN paces with a cigar, passing SUTHERLAND, STYLES,

and CLIFF.

 

KAUFMAN

 

I recognize that some of you are

concerned. We’ve been threatened by

a disgruntled employee. I’ve sent

people out to take care of the

problem. However, should something

go wrong, I want to assure you that

measures have been taken. I’ve

established outposts. With food and

supplies to support us on our way.

CLIFF

 

On our way? To where?

 

KAUFMAN

 

Alternate sites have been chosen.

Air transport has been arranged.

For us and our families. As well as

necessary support personnel.

 

CLIFF

 

What about all the others?

 

Kaufman looks at Cliff, as if expecting him to understand.

KAUFMAN

 

All the others can be replaced.

 

By others.

 

CLIFF

 

But...

 

KAUFMAN

 

Cliff, let me talk to you for a

moment.

 

Kaufman leads Cliff into...

 

51.

...an alcove on the far side of the room, shutting two pocket

doors made of sandblasted glass. Sutherland and the others *

can’t hear, but can see, Kaufman and Cliff in SILHOUETTE. *

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOORS: Kaufman leans close to Cliff, *

smiling, his eyes blinking a bit too rapidly. *

KAUFMAN (CONT’D)

 

You interrupted me. I was just *

talking about how people can be

replaced. You don’t want to be

replaced, do you?

 

 CLIFF

(Nervous) No.

 

KAUFMAN

 

No, and I don’t want to replace

you. You have promise. A day may

come when you earn yourself some

responsibilities. Right now, the

responsibilities are mine. All *

the responsibilities. It was my *

ingenuity that took an old world *

and made it into something new. I *

put up fences to make it safe. I *

hired soldiers and paid for their

training. I keep the people on the

streets away from us by giving them

their games and vices. It costs me

money! But I spend it because the

responsibility is mine! Now do you *

understand “responsibility”? *

 

CLIFF

 

Yes, but...

 

KAUFMAN

 

No buts.

 

CLIFF

 

But...

 

Kaufman looks disappointed. Taking Cliff by the arm, smiling

again, he leads him over to an outer door and opens it. An

armed SECURITY GUARD stands in the corridor outside.

KAUFMAN

 

Take him out with the rest of the

garbage. I won’t be needing this

man anymore.

 

52.

At the conference table, Sutherland sees the light coming in

from the outer corridor, better defining the silhouettes as

the Security Guard drags Cliff away.

SUTHERLAND

 

(To Styles) Pretty soon it’s going

to be one of us.

 

66 EXT. CARNEGIE - NIGHT 66

 

On an overgrown suburban street, a LAWN TRACTOR, driven by a

GARDENER in work clothes, drives back and forth, back and

forth, over a swath of dead grass. The gardener is DEAD too.

67 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 67

 

CHOLO watches the GARDENER through the windshield.

CHOLO

 

If I don’t have this truck, I’m no

different to Kaufman than that poor

Mexican bastard out there.

 

CLOSE ON: CHOLO’S WATCH. 11:20.

 

FOXY

 

He’s never gonna pay. *

 

CHOLO

 

He knows it’s his ass if he doesn’t.

Cholo slides open a small window, grabs his crossbow, and *

SHOOTS the Gardener in the head.

 

68 EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT 68 *

 

ANGLE ON: A SOLID WALL OF WOOD. BIG DADDY, NUMBER NINE, and

OTHERS OF THE DEAD push against it. The wood holds.

Big Daddy turns, surveying his troops. Focusing on the *

BUTCHER. On the meat cleaver it has in its hand. *

Big Daddy pounds on the wood, demonstrating. Points at the *

meat cleaver. Pounds again. The Butcher gets it. Approaches *

the wall. *

 *

WHACK! The meat cleaver chops into wood, splintering it. *

REVERSE ANGLE: from the other side of the wall as the wood *

splinters to reveal BIG DADDY’S EYES staring through at... *

...the FIDDLER’S GREEN HIGH-RISE, looming closer than it was *

before, though it’s still across the river. *

53.

69 EXT. MCKEE’S ROCKS - NIGHT 69

 *

CLOSE ON: a small, electronic unit, the size and appearance *

of a “Game Boy”. AN LED SCREEN shows a BLINKING RED DOT *

moving along a MAP. *

 *

RILEY (O.S.) *

 *

Turn left up here. *

 

SLACK, driving the T-BIRD now, makes the turn. The car blows *

through a deserted town, moving fast. Riley notices that *

Slack is effected by the desolation she sees. *

RILEY

 

How long since you been out here?

 

SLACK

 

Never been out. Lived in the city

since...it was a regular city.

 

RILEY

 

Pull over.

 

SLACK

 

(Surprised) Huh?

 

RILEY

 

You said you were going to make

yourself useful. Right now what I

could use is for you to pull over.

She does. The T-Bird stops along a road bordered by a MARSH *

thick with tall CAT TAILS. Unexpectedly, Riley stands and

points his automatic at PILLSBURY and MANOLETE.

RILEY

 

I made a deal with your boss. Find

Cholo. I’m gonna do it. Keep him from *

blowing up the Green. I’m gonna do

it, I don’t want people to get hurt.

Bring back Dead Reckoning... Sorry.

That’s where I stop. I didn’t ask him *

for much, just guns, ammo, and a car.

I’ve got the guns. I’ve got the ammo.

And if I find Dead Reckoning I’m

gonna have the best fucking car *

that’s ever been built, and I’m

taking it to Canada. If any of you

don’t like that idea...

 

Riley reaches down and opens the passenger door. Manolete

looks out and sees the CAT TAILS MOVING. THREE WALKERS are

slogging through the marsh.

 

54.

MANOLETE

 

Some choice.

 

 PILLSBURY

Good choice. I like see Canada.

 

Pillsbury reaches out and slams the car door closed again.

RILEY

 

Charlie, keep these two covered.

 

Charlie pulls his .45. *

 *

Riley turns around his seat, glancing down again at the “Game *

Boy” in his palm. The RED DOT has moved on to ANOTHER MAP. *

RILEY (CONT’D) *

 *

Take a right onto Route Six. *

 

Slack pulls out. *

 

SLACK

 

This is what you were thinking

about all along. You got me out

here figuring I’m a boy scout, and

now you’re telling me we’re just *

stealing a fucking car? *

 

RILEY

 

You have a problem with that?

 

SLACK

 

No. I like the way you think. *

 

CHARLIE

 

I like the way he thinks, too.

Just look at me you can tell I

like the way he thinks.

 *

RILEY *

 *

Take another right. *

 *

SLACK *

 *

How do you know which way you’re *

going? *

 *

Riley holds up the “Game Boy”. It BEEPS SOFTLY as the RED DOT *

shifts onto another MAP. *

 

RILEY *

 *

I built a homing device into Dead *

Reckoning. If Cholo’s anywhere within *

fifty miles, we can track him. *

 

55.

70 EXT. ROAD - NIGHT 70 *

 

DEAD RECKONING stops on a long road, at the end of which *

stands... *

 *

...a MILITARY COMPLEX. THE BEAM of a SEARCHLIGHT sweeps back *

and forth over the buildings, a sign of life. *

71 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 71 *

 *

CHOLO checks his watch. 11:29. He speaks into a TRANSMITTER. *

CHOLO *

 *

Mouse. Anything? *

 *

72 INT. SHED - 10TH STREET PIER - NIGHT 72 *

 

MOUSE stands in the shed, holding a transmitter of his own. *

MOUSE *

 *

Not yet. No boat. No money. No *

nothing. *

 *

73 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 73

 *

PRETTY BOY *

 *

I’m telling you, he’s never gonna *

pay. *

 

CHOLO *

 *

That’s why we’re here. *

 *

CHOLO looks out the window to the searchlight sweeping over *

the military complex in the distance. *

 

74 INT/EXT. IMPALA - COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT 74 *

 

SLACK drives as RILEY monitors his “Game Boy”. *

RILEY *

 *

Shit. He’s going to Ross Park. *

 

SLACK *

 *

What’s there? *

 *

RILEY *

 *

Powder magazine. Where they keep *

the big boomers. Rockets. For Dead *

Reckoning’s cannons. *

  *

56.

75 INT. SHED - 10TH STREET PIER - NIGHT 75 *

 

MOUSE looks at a GRIMY WINDOW as the SHADOW of a WALKER stops *

just beyond the glass. Mouse FIRES a BURST shattering the *

window and dropping the Walker. *

 *

Silence. Mouse takes a tentative step toward the window. A *

SCRATCHING SOUND. SOMETHING climbs up onto the sill from *

outside. Mouse raises his gun, but hesitates when he sees... *

...it’s a child. A GIRL SCOUT. It died at age nine, still *

wearing its uniform. Now, it’s voracious. It grabs Mouse’s *

gun-hand. The weapon FIRES harmlessly into the floor. Mouse *

is about to be chomped when... *

 *

...a STALAGMITE OF GLASS in the top of the shattered window *

drops, PIERCING the Girl Scout’s head. *

 

Mouse runs SCREAMING to the door, where he is grabbed by *

another DEAD THING. And another. As he is TORN APART, he sees *

that there are DOZENS MORE. *

 

EXT. RIVER - NIGHT *

CRANE UP TO REVEAL: *

 *

...AN ARMY OF THE DEAD LINING THE RIVERBANK FOR AS FAR AS THE *

EYE CAN SEE. *

 *

CLOSE ON: BIG DADDY. Only the river now flows between he and *

his goal: FIDDLER’S GREEN HIGH-RISE, so near and yet so far. *

76 INT. KAUFMAN PENTHOUSE - NIGHT 76 *

 *

WHAM! The door SLAMS behind KAUFMAN as he enters the foyer. *

KNIPP emerges from the rear. *

 *

KNIPP *

 *

Any word from Mister Denbo, sir? *

 

KAUFMAN *

 *

No. Pack us up. We might have *

 

to be leaving. *

 *

KNIPP *

 *

In the helicopters? *

 

KAUFMAN *

 *

We’ll only need one of them. *

 

57.

77 INT/EXT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 77 *

 *

PRETTY BOY eases the vehicle up the road to the complex of *

buildings: ROSS PARK, a sprawling munitions depot. *

The searchlight continues to sweep across the night, but NO *

ONE is manning it. It’s mounted to an automatic rotator on *

the roof of the main building. *

 *

FOXY *

 *

 Looks like no one’s here. *

The gates stand wide open. There’s no sign of life. *

CHOLO punches a button. The SIDE HATCH HISSES OPEN. *

CHOLO *

 *

Foxy. You’re elected. Get out there *

and see what the fuck. *

 *

Foxy moves out through the open hatch. *

 

CHOLO (CONT’D) *

 *

Somebody go out and help. *

*

SCAR grabs his weapons. *

 *

SCAR *

 *

I’ll go. *

 *

78 EXT. RIVER - NIGHT 78 *

 *

ONE OF THE DEAD TOPPLES face first into the water, dropping *

out of sight. ANOTHER FALLS. BIG DADDY looks at the spot *

where his brothers fell in. He looks for a long time, cocking *

his head like a puppy trying to understand a high wind. *

The first Dead Thing slowly rises out of the water. Then the *

Second. They stand, waist deep, in the shallows. *

Big Daddy gazes down at the water, a concept dawning. Then, *

with grim purpose, he steps deliberately off the low wall. *

Hitting the river, he manages to stay on his feet. Standing, *

waist deep, with the others, he scoops up water with his one *

good hand. Sniffs it. Tastes it. *

He looks up. Sees the CITY LIGHTS REFLECTED ON THE RIVER. He *

tries to express his thoughts. All that comes from his mouth *

is a series of inarticulate moans. He’s incapable of *

transmitting his idea. So he does what he’s been doing since *

Uniontown. He leads. He walks toward the city. Out of the *

shallows. Into deep water. Over his head. *

 

58.

79 INT. UNDERWATER - NIGHT 79 *

 *

There are AUTOMOBILE TIRES, GARBAGE CANS, a rusted ANCHOR, a *

sunken MOTOR BOAT, HUNDREDS of BEER BOTTLES...AND THOUSANDS *

OF DEAD THINGS...WALKING...ON THE RIVER BOTTOM...following *

BIG DADDY through the debris. *

 *

80 INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT 80 *

 *

A knock on a door is answered by A MAN who looks a bit too *

greasy to be important. SUTHERLAND is outside. *

SUTHERLAND *

 *

How much is Kaufman paying you and *

your men? *

 *

GREASY MAN *

 *

Four hundred a day. Each. *

*

STYLES *

 *

I’ll pay you five thousand a day. *

Each. *

 *

81 EXT. T-BIRD - NIGHT 81 *

 *

The car speeds down the road with SLACK at the wheel. *

82 INT. T-BIRD - NIGHT 82 *

 *

RILEY looks at his watch. 11:40. *

 

83 EXT. ROSS PARK AMMUNITION DEPOT - NIGHT 83 *

 

The unmanned SEARCHLIGHT scans the yard, casting intermittent *

shadows. *

 *

SCAR *

 *

This place is important. The men *

here wouldn’t just walk out. *

 

FOXY *

 *

Maybe they had no choice. *

*

FOXY and SCAR move toward a large STORAGE BUILDING where a *

door swings in the night breeze, SLAPPING alarmingly against *

the wall. Beyond the opening is a BLACK MAW, like a velvet *

curtain, past which nothing can be seen. *

 

FOXY (CONT'D) *

 *

There could be stenches in there. *

(Readying his M-16) Got a flashlight? *

59.

Scar nervously pulls out a flashlight. As he CLICKS on the *

BEAM, he loses his grip. The flashlight drops to the ground. *

Scar reaches for it. His fingers tip it and it spins. The *

beam WASHES across his shoes. Then Foxy’s shoes. Then finds... *

...ONE OTHER SHOE. Someone else’s. Gasping, Scar grabs the *

flashlight, shining the beam up onto what should be a leg, *

but there’s nothing left above its bloody shin. *

PLIP! PLOP! PLIP! Beads of BLOOD hit the floor, dropping *

from the DARK FIGURE of a SOLDIER who is approaching. Scar *

aims the flashlight at the figure’s face, recognizing... *

SCAR *

 *

Brubaker! You okay? Where’s the *

other guys? What happened here? *

 

Brubaker keeps coming. He has BULLET HOLES in his chest, but *

they’re not what’s dripping blood. It’s another half-eaten *

FOOT that he’s carrying. BRUBAKER IS DEAD. Foxy shoots him. *

Foxy and Scar move into a hangar-like space. Pitch black. *

Except for the mote-filled BEAM from Scar’s flashlight, which *

illuminates a supply of enormous cannon shells, lined up on *

storage shelves. THE “JOHNSONS”. *

 *

SIX DEAD SOLDIERS are hunkered in the shadows, EATING the *

REMAINS of OTHER DEAD SOLDIERS. *

 *

Foxy grimly raises his weapon. As he squeezes the trigger, *

the sound of the gunfire OVERLAPS into... *

84 INT. DEAD RECKONING - NIGHT 84 *

 *

ANCHOR and SCAR wrestle TWO “JOHNSONS” into place. *

CHOLO *

 *

That’s good. That’s all we need. *

 

FOXY *

 *

(Sober) To blow up the Green. *

 

85 INT./EXT. T-BIRD - HILLSIDE ROAD - NIGHT 85 *