Falling Off Skyscrapers Sometimes Hurts a Bit

By MANOHLA DARGIS

Published: December 15, 2011

What makes Tom Cruise run — run harder and run faster, leaping from one building and dangling off another, the world’s tallest — as he does to exhausting, unnerving effect in “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” his latest exercise in extreme performance? The fourth in the franchise, this “Mission” has a solid cast, including a notable new co-star in Jeremy Renner; a new director, Brad Bird; and a story that’s as nonsensical as any in the series. Mostly, though, it has Mr. Cruise hurtling through the movie as if his life depended on it, which, to judge by the hard line of his jaw, his punishingly fit body and the will etched into his every movement, may be what’s at stake.

It’s fitting that Mr. Bird, the director of the Pixar movies “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille,” has taken over the reins of the franchise for his live-action directing debut. The “Mission: Impossible” movies belong to that outlandish, sometimes cartoonish class of action adventures in which lesser, Bond-like heroes walk or race from fiery explosions in between locking and loading, kissing and killing, and killing some more. The films, spun off the 1960s television show, fondly remembered for its rubber masks and Lalo Schifrin’s brilliant, pulsating theme music, added Mr. Cruise, who in the 15 years since the first installment has tumbled from his top spot as the world’s biggest movie star to lag behind neo-action figures like Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp.

Mr. Cruise may be somewhat down (certainly his smile has dimmed), yet he’s scarcely out. That’s partly because of Mr. Bird, who has given this movie a self-aware levity that’s intended to clear away the bummer blues of the last “Mission,” five years ago. Directed by J. J. Abrams, who is also a producer of this movie, the third film skewed the series too dark with a nihilistic baddie (chilled to shivering by Philip Seymour Hoffman) and a nightmarish torture scene. It also burdened Mr. Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, with a wife (Michelle Monaghan), an unwise move — American action heroes, latter-day fantasies of our native rugged individualism, walk alone, not down the aisle — which suggested that the soon-to-be-remarried Mr. Cruise was borrowing a chapter from his own life.

The new movie, written by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, both alumni of Mr. Abrams’s television show “Alias” (mostly), ditches the wife and gets back to action basics with globe-trotting, nifty gadgets, high-flying stunts and less loquacious villainy (Michael Nyqvist). (It was also partly shot in Imax, which doesn’t really enhance anything.)

Ethan, after being broken out of a Moscow prison, where he had been idling among hordes of bull-necked Ivans and Igors, sets off on another mission with an old teammate, the tech whiz Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and the obligatory pretty lady, Agent Jane Carter (Paula Patton). The mission goes bust and boom, as does a debriefing with Ethan’s boss (Tom Wilkinson, uncredited), whose murder finds Ethan and his team blackballed (if still sleuthing) and keeping company with an intelligence analyst, William Brandt (Mr. Renner).

Mr. Renner, who played the main bomb specialist in “The Hurt Locker,” eases effortlessly into the blockbuster register, where star charisma and presence like Mr. Cruise’s matter more than emotionally selling a scene. Mr. Renner has to do some actual acting because of the role (surprise: there’s more to Brandt than a suit), and his low-key performance is a dividend in a movie in which almost all human interactions take exaggerated form, with more throttling than talking, or so it seems. Mr. Renner isn’t an obvious action type — he’s good-looking rather than roguish or boyishly pretty — but as soon as he rolls up his sleeves and picks up a gun, it’s obvious that he’s qualified for the job.

For his part, Mr. Cruise seems comfortable resuming his franchise duties, though there’s a palpable difference in his affect, even from the last movie. He still radiates intensity bordering on mania, but without the familiar “what, me worry?” air of invincibility. Maybe it’s age: he turns 50 next year, or perhaps Mr. Bird’s approach doesn’t sit well with him, even if it also fits. The wolfish Cruise smile seems tighter, at times reluctant, despite Mr. Bird’s efforts to lighten the mood with banter (much of it supplied by a chattering Mr. Pegg). Over the years Mr. Cruise, a divinely superficial presence in pop fodder like “Top Gun,” has grown progressively heavier, weighted down by stardom, ambition and the misstep of turning his personal life into a public drama. At times he can feel leaden.

Unexpectedly, though, his age and inescapable gravitas work for “Ghost Protocol,” partly because they invest the outrageous stunts with a real sense of risk. Mr. Cruise’s primary job in the “Mission” series is to embody a not-quite-ordinary man whose powers are at once extraordinary and completely believable, a no-sweat feat in the first few films.

Here, however, when Ethan ziplines off a building onto a truck and then rolls hard onto the street, Mr. Bird — while borrowing more than a little from the “Roadrunner” cartoons — also makes you aware of the fragility of the body ricocheting on screen, absorbing every blow for your entertainment. And when Mr. Cruise hangs off the even taller building, what you see isn’t just a man doing a crazy stunt but also one poignantly denying his own mortality.

“Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Largely bloodless, if at times extreme, violence, including gunplay and a

fatal push from a skyscraper. Those with acrophobia beware.

第二篇：碟中谍吉他谱_Mission

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2ByRobert TowneRevised. 12/4/99NOTE: THE HARD COPY OF THIS SCRIPT CONTAINED SCENE NUMBERSAND SOME "SCENE OMITTED" SLUGS. THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED FORTHIS SOFT COPY.FADE IN:A WORN SATCHEL (MOVING - DAY)is being carried by a world weary middle European wearing a black armband. VLADIMIR NEKHORVICH exits a gleaming building, pausing for a moment, under a motto clearly visible above his head, 'Where the future is now'. He checks the time.INSERT - WATCHset in Countdown Mode. It's at 19 hours forty-seven minutes and sixteen seconds and dropping, 19:37.15, :14, :13, :12 etc.O.S. children are singing:Ring a ring a rosy/a pocketful of posy/a tissue a tissue/we all fall down.Nekhorvich looks to see children at play outside the adjacent Natural History Museum. They are moving in and around an oddfreeform sculpture.POV - SCULPTURE AND CHILDRENa blur where the sculpture seems to be distorting the children, almost like mirrors in a fun house.NEKHORVICH wipes his eyes, a horn honks. He looks toward the sound.MOVING SHOT - SATCHEL (INT. AIRPORT SECURITY - DAY)on the belt that takes it thru X-Ray. On the other side a guard opens the satchel and pokes thru a few toilet articles, personal items, books, a battleship gray digital camera and - in a small plastic container marked 'S.G.' - a small, square shiny object, hi-tech and at odds with the other items. She pulls out an urn-shaped vessel.GUARDWhat's this, then?NEKHORVICH (handing her documents)The ashes of a colleague, I'm taking themto his family. If you wish to open it,please be careful.COMPUTERIZED SCREEN DISPLAY (INT. PLANE - MOVING - DAY)on the cabin wall displays a colorful map showing the flight point of departure in Sydney, continuously updating distance, direction and time to its ultimate destination, Atlanta, Georgia.CAPTAIN'S VOICE- folks, we're a little over two and a half hours from touchdown in Atlanta, but if you look out your windows on either side of the aircraft, we'll soon be crossing the southern section of the Rocky Mountains, a range which includes more than 50 peaks rising above 14,000 feet. The chain's loftiest point, Mount Elbert, at 14, 43

3 feet should be coming into view as we pass over central Colorado shortly..NEKHORVICH (INT. CABIN - DAY)seems intent on the map, its changing times and distance. He checks his watch - the countdown has gone from 20 to three hours and 32 minutes as Nekhorvich is mesmerized by the descending seconds whipping by.ETHAN HUNT sits into shot on the vacant first class aisle seat beside Nekhorvich.ETHANYou keep staring at that watch as if yourlife depended on it, Doctor..NEKHORVICH Well, yes. I suppose I am a bit anxious.ETHANThey're ready and waiting. You'll soon be with old friends.NEKHORVICH (meaning Ethan)I'm with an old friend now, Dmitri.ETHANSorry it couldn't be under happier circumstances.NEKHORVICH Yes, I'm sorry too.. 'You're sorry and I'msorry..'(bemused laughter, then looks at Ethan)- you do know Gradski thought the world of you.Nekhorvich is overcome. Ethan puts a comforting hand on his shoulder:ETHANHe was quite a man. Did he know before the end you two had succeeded?NEKHORVICH Yes, he knew. Just..ETHAN..not in time to save him.NEKHORVICH No. After you've lived with Chimera for twenty hours, nothing can save you. Not even...Bellerophon.Nekhorvich pats the satchel.ETHANYou carry them together? Safely?With an almost impish grin and a wink:NEKHORVICH Yes, and you'll get us to a safe place with them, thank god!..left to my own devices, I'm an old fart too inept to read a railroad timetable!..Good-natured laughter. Cut off by a flight steward who passes by, giving a sidelong silence in Ethan and Nekhorvich's direction. Oxygen masks suddenly deploy from the ceiling. Passengers are puzzled and alarmed.CAPTAIN'S VOICEYou Captain again. We've experienced a slight but abrupt drop in cabin pressure..A passenger struggling with his mask. As Nekhorvich fumbles with the strap on his mask he notes that the display screen sh

ows their altitude is below 30,000 feet and dropping. He checks the countdown time on his watch again. Nekhorvich looks around him. The flight attendants are conspicuously absent and all the passengers who have on oxygen masks are passed out.INT - COCKPITThe flight crew now wearing their oxygen masks.CAPTAIN(into radio)Pan, pan, pan, Denver Center. This is Trans Pac Flight two-two-zero-seven, 747 heavy. We are not reading you. We're unable to maintain cabin pressurization. We have initiated a descent to one sixthousand.The Co-pilot is working on the plane's altitude when his hands slip off the controls. His eyes flutter, then:CO-PILOTCaptain, I don't..can't..He passes out. The Captain, HUGH STAMP, turns to verify that therelief pilot is also unconscious at the controls.He then removes his oxygen mask, sets the auto pilot, inputting numbers to slow the plane and descend. As the craft titles downward...INT - GALLERYThe flight attendants are pulling on jump suits. Stamp emergesfrom the cockpit.INT - CABINEthan returns. Nekhorvich beckons to him. Ethan sits. Grinning around, Nekhorvich conspiratorially:NEKHORVICH..it seems we have a problem, Dmitri.ETHAN(in the same tone)You keep calling me Dmitri. You really shouldn't.Nekhorvich's eyes narrow.NEKHORVICHYou're not Dmitri?With a lightning swift move Ethan breaks Nekhorvich's neck.ETHAN- no.He grabs the satchel.ETHAN (cont'd)(to Wallis)Wallis, hold onto it.Wallis slashes the satchel handle open, takes the satchel for Ambrose. He peels off the latex mask, revealing SEAN AMBROSE.ETHAN (cont'd)Ulrich, pull the -He tears off the vocal oscillator at his adam's apple, clears his throat, now as Ambrose:AMBROSE- pull the NO2 tank and dump it, it's potential evidence..STAMP(the 'captain' into shot)All done, chief..AMBROSE(what else)- right -(kidding)- don't go too far ahead of me now -STAMP

Not possible..Ulrich has rolled back the carpet over an access panel just beneath them that leads to the belly of the plane. Stamp pulls back the panel, hops into the compartment below which is four walls of electronic equipment. Stamp kneels and slides back the floor hatch. The wind howls, puffs of cloud zip by beneath them. As they descend into the belly:WALLISCheckpoint Charlie plus 30, altitude minus two-zero-thousand. Airspeed one-seven-niner knots..AMBROSEIt's that time. Go.They don goggles and, with Ambrose in the lead, the team leaps, one after another from the hatch, sailing offinto the sky.INT - COCKPIT (DAY) An automated voice repeats in an ominous monotone:VOICETerrain, terrain. Pull up, pull up.The co-pilot stirs. He blearily rouses himself just in time to see:A mountain rushing toward him. As mountain meets airplane, the frame is filled with fire, but when camera pulls back from the fireball, it is in fact no more than a match head filling frame, which ignited, lights a fuse..The MI theme music kicks in, the main credits roll to:EXT - FACE OF MOUNTAIN (DAY)For a moment it might be thought part of the same range when the plane crashed but when Ethan Hunt climbs into frame the angle widen and titles down, revealing more of where he's come from than where he's going. Aside from the fact that he's in the midst of free-climbing what is easily a sheer rock face of at least a thousand feet, there's the sunny picture-postcard view of a lovely valley and pellucid lake thousands of feet below. Ethan climbs out of shot.WIDE UP ANGLE (DAY)revealing the summit, a light breeze hitting the lichen and whatever growth has a slender purchase on the rocky mountainside, fluffy clouds overhead.Ethan into shot. Despite the spectacularly precarious handholds he's using to hang onto the mountain and his life, he appears relaxed, engaged - for him - in the equivalent of busman's holiday. It's leisurely danger for Ethan; one might almost expect to hear Julie Andrews trilling 'Climb Every Mountain' on the soundtrack.Then a rock he's been grasping crumbles and Ethan drops about six inches before he grabs onto the mountain again. As he hangs by five fingers thousands of feet above the earth he doesn't seem terribly concerned until he spots a helicopter.It's materialized behind the summit and passes surprisingly close just overhead, casting its shadow downward over Ethan. Instinctively, Ethan flattens hims

elf against the rock surface, as if the copter poses some sort of threat to him. But when its rotors whir it into the distance Ethan relaxes and resumes his climb.A HAIRY OVERHANG (EXT. MOUNTAIN - DAY)near the summit Ethan departing from the vertical and is now traversing the mountain with more of his back than his feet exposed to the earth far below. He's clinging to the mountain almost like a fly walking on the ceiling. When he reaches for a handhold that will restore him to the vertical, he dislodges a lizard - and manages to catch it before it plunges thousand of feet to oblivion.ETHANWhoaa..He pockets the lizard, climbs the overhang.REVERSE ANGLE - SUMMITwith Ethan's hand, then Ethan coming into view and making the summit. He reaches into his pocket and releases the lizard who favors Ethan with a stern reptilian stare by way of gratitude. To lizard:ETHANYou're welcome.The lizard scampers off, then a low beeping sound at his back attracts his attention. He turns to see the source of the beeping, a small package in day-glo colors with a day-glo streamer. Ethan looks to the sky where the helicopter is now ominously circling back.Ethan lifts the day-glo package and waves it in the direction of the copter. With a distinct lack of enthusiasm.The helicopter once again turns, banks and disappears. Ethan has opened the beeping package and finds a pair of sunglasses.ETHAN'S POV SUNGLASSESFirst, a retinal scan.ELECTRONIC VOICEIdentity confirmed.SWANBECKGood morning, Mr. Hunt.Swanbeck's face flashes onscreen. Over his introduction of Nyah is a series of satellite photographs whose subject is so elusive she never seems to give the camera a clean shot.SWANBECK'S VOICEYour mission, should you choose to accept it, requires you to recover a stolen item, designated Chimera. Essential to the mission is the recruitment of a civilian -- a Miss Nyah Nordoff-Hall. She is a highly capable professional thief currently active in Spain.A series of Nyah's 'accomplishments', i.e., warrants, complaints, Interpol summaries of her various criminal activities, as well as glimpses of the elusive Nyah circulating about Seville.SWANBECK'S VOICE (cont'd)Her dossier's available on I-COM 3. You have 48 hours to recruit Ms. Nordoff-Hall

and meet me in Seville to receive further details. Should you or any member of your IM force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow all knowledge of your actions.Swanbeck's face reappears on screen:SWANBECK'S VOICE (cont'd)And Mr. Hunt - the next time you go on vacation, please be good enough to let us know where you're going. This message will self-destruct in five seconds.Ethan removes the glasses, then tosses them into space.ETHANIf I let you know where I'm going -The glasses explode in a puff of smoke.ETHAN (cont'd)- won't be on holiday.Ethan, with a fair amount of disgust, gets to his feet and jumps off the mountain, in, what for a moment looks like a suicidal snit. Then, somewhere hundreds of feet below camera, there's a little puff of color as the tulip-shaped chute pops out of his back-pack. Begin the sound of a castanets and the animal-like cries of flamenco dancers.DISSOLVE TO:EXT - ANDALUSIAN VILLA (EVE)Bustling in the activity of a large private party, with arriving guests and attentive valets, as a young woman, her face unseen, exits her car and enters the villa.A FLASH OF SKIRT AND LACE (INT-EXT. VILLA - FLAMENCO DANCERS - EVE)where to the cries of dancers add graceful feminine hands wielding the castanets. The dancers perform on a raised platform and NYAH NORDOFF-HALL'S face can be glimpsed thru the swirling skirts and pounding heels, looking thru, not at them.REVERSE ANGLE - ETHANlooking back in a similar way to Nyah; surreal lighting and the relentless chorus of pounding heels seem to isolate them in the crowed party. Nyah continues to look at Ethan over the shoulder over her wanna-be escort, a very attentive gentleman. Nyah offers up her empty glass, and the gentleman eagerly takes it to the bar for a refill, leaving Nyah and Ethan looking at one another. Ethan approaches her.ETHANDo you know me?NYAHNo. Should I?ETHANNo. You just looked as if you did.NYAHNo. Just as if I'd like to.ETHANOh. Well. I think that can be arranged.NYAHNot tonight. Bad timing. Sorry -ETHANThere's not en

ough time in the world for any of it to be bad.This stops her. Nyah moves closer to him, until they're nose to nose. Whispered but breezy:NYAHLook, it's either you or the rent and I don't mind telling you it's not an easy choice.ETHANWhat if I pay the rent?NYAHUh-huh.ETHANUh-huh?Glancing at the gentleman making his way back with her drink then:NYAHGo find the wealthy lady you came with and next time we meet - I'll pay your rent. (kissing him, sweetly)Now bugger off.And purposeful creature that she is, she takes her frustrated desire upstairs, timing her footsteps so as to use the sound of the dancer's steps to cover her own. Once upstairs, a security guard near the master bedroom can be seen eagerly following herdown the hall, both moving past a pair of windows, visible to Ethan. In a few moments, Nyah can be seen past the windows in the opposite direction, without the guard following. In another moment or two, a very puzzled looking security guard can be glimpsed in the first window, looking up and down the hall, clearly having lost sight of Nyah. Ethan smiles, moves out of shot.INT - MASTER BEDROOM (EVE)Nyah has opened the door and moves swiftly thru the bedroom.INT - BATH (EVE)A decadent looking affair with suggestive lighting, mirrored walls. The tub has a tray across it which includes a wine cooler chilling a bottle of Crystal and a mound of caviar on a bed of ice. Nyah can't resist. She spoons a dollop of the caviar and downs it before she moves along the frescoed walls of the tub to its back. There, she pulls out her compact and removes the puff, revealing an electronic density meter. She turns it on and holds it at the rear of the tub. Its sweep gauge jumps sharply from green thru yellow and into red.NYAH(her fondest hopes confirmed)Mmmm.She now steps into the tub and focuses on the grout between the tiles just above the sop dish. Her knee eyes search for any cracks in the grout and she spots one. Using a tweezers she pulls the silver of the grout out from between the tiles, revealing something that looks like a credit card wedged between the tiles. She slips the card into a narrow opening under the sop dish.There's the sound of hydraulics and two arms move the marble casing out from the rear of the t

ub. Nyah breathes a sigh of relief and anticipation: kneeling in the tub she finds herself looking down at an open safe, revealing some half-dozen locked compartments. As she studies them:ETHANDecisions, decisions.Nyah looks up to see Ethan's reflection in the bathroom mirrors, looking down at her kneeling in the tub.NYAHWhat are you doing here?ETHANThink you're the only one who can pick a lock?NYAH(not altogether pleased)I see. You're not just another pretty face..Before Ethan can answer, a voice can be heard coming from the bedroom warbling Granada in Spanish, and with considerable gusto.NYAH (cont'd)Oh god. A bloody baritone.Nyah catches a reflection behind Ethan's in the bathroom mirror. She reaches up and grabs Ethan by the lapel, yanking him into the tub, pulling him down on top of her. Once again they're nose to nose.ETHANI take it you prefer tenors.She glances up at the mirror. In it is the reflection of SENOR AUGUSTO DE L'ARENA, a big amiable Castilian in his fifties who's changing a white dinner jacket that's had wine split on it. He breaks into a heavily accented version of 'Now or Never', and disappears from the dressing room mirror.NYAHWould you mind if I'm on top?ETHANOh, either way works for me.With a jaundiced look she rolls over on top of Ethan and begins working on one of the safe compartments, using a tiny torque wrench from a tube of lipstick and a carbide pick from a mascara brush. She glances down and is rather disconcerted. Continues working with the pick and wrench.ETHAN'S VOICEYou're never gonna find it there.NYAH(she jumps, dropping the torque wrench)Damn it! Find what?ETHANHis ex-wife's Bulgari necklace that goes up for auction Tuesday.Looking down to Ethan, a touch of indignation:LOOKING UPmore or less, hands locked behind his neck as he rests against the raked back of the tub, his eyes and nose inches from Nyah's lower pelvic region as she straddles him. Not exactly in the mood to move:She stiffens - he knows too damn much.NYAH- right..where i

s it?ETHANFar right. She immediately switches her efforts from top left to thebottom right compartment. She's utterly nonplussed:NYAHWhere's the bloody -ETHAN(plucking it off his chest,offering it up like a mechanicunder the chassis)- torque wrench.NYAH- this is very disconerting..ETHANHey, you put me here. I just do what I'mtold.NYAH- right..She unstraddles him and, with a few deft moves with the torquewrench and carbide pick - and it's open. She withdraws a velvetpouch and opens the pouch. Out spills the spectacular necklace.NYAH (cont'd)Lovely.(starting to close the safe)Who are you and what's it going to cost me?ETHAN(having sat up)I wouldn't do that.NYAHDo what?The alarm goes off.ETHANThat.The bathroom is suddenly filled with security guards, gun drawnSenor de l'Arena, looking highly upset, pops in.SENOR DE L'ARENAOh, Senor Keyes, thank God it is you!(in Spanish to security guards,annoyed)It's Senor Keyes, the security engineer.ETHANWell, Senor de l'Arena the goods news isthat the heat sensors were activated. ButMiss Nordoff-Hall, my associate -Senor de l'Arena kisses Nyah's hand.SENOR DE L'ARENAMucho gusto, senorita.ETHAN- did feel that she had rather too long towork on the safe before they triggered thealarm, isn't that right Miss Hall?NYAHOh yes. Absolutely. Much too long Ishould yes.Nyah's initial shock and panic slowly gives way to a wary,intensified curiosity - about Ethan.ETHANUnder the circumstances I think we wouldrecommend re-setting the senors torespond to a lighter load. How do youfeel about forty kilos, Miss Hall?NYAHIndeed.

ETHANWell, Senor de l'Arena, there's no reason to disrupt your party any longer. we havesome further concerns about the dispositionof your security guards, which you'llreceive in our written report by fax in themorning, hard copy to follow. Shall we?He offers Nyah his arm. They start out. Ethan immediately stops.ETHAN (cont'd)Miss Hall. Haven't you forgottensomething?Nyah looking genuinely puzzled.NYAHThe necklace?Nyah slowly reaches into her dress and withdraws the glitteringstring of diamonds and rubies from her bust.SENOR DE L'ARENA(a great kidder)What are you trying to do, senorita? Robme.They all laugh, and Ethan's got her out the door.EXT - ANDALUSIAN VILLA (LATE NIGHT - PRE DAWN)The stars dimming, the sky a gun metal blue. Ethan and Nyahemerge from the villa, walking slowly. Nyah's clearlypreoccupied.NYAHI'm missing something here, aside from a500,000 pound necklace. Even after Ibotched the job, I could've walked out of there with the bloody thing.ETHANAt least you walked.NYAHIf you weren't going to let me get awaywith it, why did you let me go thru withit?ETHANWanted to see how good you were.I'm hoping we might work together.NYAHMay I say something, no offence? Youlook like a gigolo, you sound like a thief, you act like a cop - what thebloody hell do you have in mind?ETHANWorking under adverse conditions. Highlyadverse conditions.NYAHSounds smashing. I'm in. Muchacho, micarro, por favor! Now be serious. Youcouldn't possibly want me off tonight'sperformance..ETHANYou didn't do that badly.Her car arrives.NYAH(as she moves to her car)You're apologizing for me? Quite thegentleman..ETHAN(opening the car door)Not really. I triggered the alarm..One foot on the floorboard she freezes, b

ack to Ethan.ETHANHey, the Bulgari job last week wasflawless. And I've always been partial topale yellows.She slides behind the wheel.NYAH(as he leads on the car)I don't do laundry, or put up withcheeky bastards who set me up on theirterritory so they can poach on mine.She takes off, spewing bits of gravel and dust in her wake.Ethan smiles and shakes his head.ON THE ROAD - NYAH (MOVING)around curves, hair flying, she's free. Her car phone rings.Perplexed, she lets it ring once or twice picks it up:NYAH(tentatively)Hola..ETHANHi. Would you mind slowing down?NYAHWhere did you get this number? I don'teven have it!ETHAN' VOICEWould you like it?She hits the End button and disconnects. The phone immediatelyrings again. She refuses to pick up. Ethan pulls alongside hers.She looks at him. They speak through the open cars.ETHANPull over and listen to me, will you?Just listen..NYAHListen to what?ETHANI need your help and I thin you can usemine.NYAHYour help? What are you talking about?ETHANScotland Yard, Interpol, every Dutchauthority. I can make them go away.NYAHOh bloody hell. You're a spy.She floors it and shoots ahead of Ethan, nicking his car as she takes off.ETHAN(to himself)I deserved that.SERIES OF DRIVING SHOTS - NYAH AND ETHANEthan rings her again. And keeps ringing. Her face becomesgrim, her flight progressively more desperate and with Ethan'spursuit progressively more determined. They are reaching thelimits of adhesion around blind curves.MORE SHOTS DRIVING (DAWN)The sky's battleship gray; Ethan pursues Nyah around hairpinturns high above the Costa del Sol; they rip thru patches ofmarine fog drifting on the road, obscuring it.Both are appalled by the other's willingness to escalate risk inthis game of flight and pursuit until Ethan tears thru a fogbankand sees on his GPS what Nyah can't see thru the fog - less than four hundred meters ahead is a

turn she can't possiblynegotiate and if she can't she'll plunge off the road hundreds offeet to rock and sea below. Ringing her number again:ETHAN(half to himself)Slow down, slow down.She turns up a mound and loses control. She spins out and headstoward the edge of the cliff.NYAH(realizing she's in trouble)Uh-oh.Ethan cuts her off and sends them both into a 540 degree spin.Her car stops just at the cliff's edge.Furious she wrenches open the car door and gets out.ETHANNo!Suddenly there's no Nyah. Ethan leaps over to Nyah's car andsees Nyah dangling over the ocean and rocks hundreds of feetbelow, holding the door handle.NYAHOh..oh..Taking a firm grip on her wrist.ETHANDon't look down. Just..look at me.That's it..that's it..He pulls Nyah up to the car, across the seat and half intohis arms. For a long moment it looks like she's in shock. Then:NYAHWhat's you name?ETHANEthan Hunt.NYAHWell, Ethan Hunt, what is it you want totalk to me about?Thru the veil of morning fog, Nyah looks at Ethan. Her dark eyessuggest wit, and willingness, and longing.ETHAN...more than I thought..They scarcely to move to bring their lips together:NYAHAwfully short notice..ETHANCare to wait a decent interval?NYAHWho wants to be decent?..DISSOLVE:CLOSE - ETHAN (INT-EXT. SAFEHOUSE - SEVILLE - DAY-EVE)sleeping. His eyes open slowly. He comes to full consciousness,his head still on the pillow. Something approaching seriousanxiety informs his features. He lifts his head and looks at hisleft, angle widening. Nyah lies on her side facing him, sleeping serenely. Anxiety on the order of oh-God-this-isn't-approved-recruiting-technique, confirmed. He lets his head flopback on the pillow. Then he turns so he and Nyah are profile to-profile. As he looks at her sleeping his anxiety fades, replacedby curiosity and even wonder. He lifts his hand and justbrushes her cheek. Her eyes open. She knows where she is.ETHANSo what've you got against spooks?

Nyah smiles.NYAHWhen they've got your recruitingtechnique? Not a thing.ETHANOh. Well..this isn't exactly by the book.NYAHThey've got a book for this?ETHANThey've got a book for everything.NYAHThe only other spook I knew was a liar.Charming but absolutely incapable oftelling the truth. He'd lie about hisfavorite color. But then I reckon it's anoccupational hazard. All spies really dois conceal the truth and tell lies.ETHANNot revealing information doesn'tnecessarily make someone a liar.NYAHThat's not the point. In the end whatspies rely on is the one thing they thinkthey know that you don't.ETHANWhich is?NYAHThat they're lying.Ethan laughs.NYAH (cont'd)..once they know that they canget very very..crosee..Nyah shoulder and moves into Ethan.ETHANSo where did I got right?NYAHYou're not a liar. Or you're an awfullygood one..(then)..this thing these blokes pinched..ETHANI don't know that they 'pinched' it.Don't even know that they're blokes.Nyah stops to think about this.NYAHWell, then, what I am I doing here? I assumeI'm meant to be some sort of thief-tocatch-a-thief..ETHANSo do I. Sort of.Nyah looks at Ethan, a little worried.NYAHSpoken like a spook..you ever afraid?ETHANOf what?Nyah laughs.NYAHAsk a question, you get an answer!..ETHANDamn, you're beautiful.NYAHThat's because I'm on my back.Quick as a cat Ethan flips Nyah over so she's looking downat him.ETHANI don't think so.She sinks into his arms.EXT-INT - STREET - SEVILLE (VALENCIA FESTIVAL) (EVE)

Ethan's step is unusually jaunty as he bounces along, making hisway thru the festive and jostling crowds preparing for the Cremaportion of the Fallas de Valencia. On this night great papiermache effigies, some serious, some comic, are placed all thru thecity and torched in great bonfires. Outside the bar Ethan'slooking for there's a street vendor, hawking Fallas mementos andflowers. He starts past the vendor, and it hits him - he's going to buy some flowers.He chooses a colorful spring bouquet so fresh the dew can beseen on the petals. Ethan pays the vendor, starts into the bar,and thinks better of walking into Swanbeck with the bouquet.Turns back to the vendor.ETHANAre you gonna be here a while?VENDORSi, senor.ETHANI'll pick'em up on my way out, okay?Ethan enter the bar and goes upstairs to the second floor wherehe passes security at a pair of double doors.INT - IMF BRIEFING ROOMSwanbeck stands looking out the window. Noisy crowds from thefestival provides a constant walla, and during the sequence, thefirst effigies are lit, and smoke and flame provide a vividbackground thru briefing room's window.SWANBECKFetival's a pain in the ass. Honoringsaint by setting'em on fire.(turning to Ethan)Sit down, sit down.Ethan sits.SWANBECK (cont'd)Let's you know what they think of saints,doesn't it? Damn near set me on fire onmy way over here. As if I haven't beenburned enough today.A moment where it's impossible to tell which way the wind isgoing to blow between these two. Then civilly:SWANBECK (cont'd)Sorry I barged in on your vacation.ETHANSorry I didn't let you know where I was.SWANBECKDon't be. Wouldn't be on vacation if you did.ETHANWell. You're sorry and I'm sorry.SWANBECKWhy did you phrase it like that?ETHANLike what?SWANBECK'You're sorry and I'm sorry.'ETHANYou gotta be kidding.Swanbeck turns to his computer and begins play on a DVD, andprojected onto a computer screen staring back at Ethan is:VLADIMIR NEKHORVICHNEKHORVIC

H(with exaggerate brio)Well, Dmitri! How are you?..Nekhorvich pauses as if waiting for reply. Ethan smiles.ETHAN..I'm fine..and you?NEKHORVICHI'm fine..Ethan laughs.ETHANI'm fine and you're fine..With Ethan simultaneously whispering:NEKHORVICHI'm fine too.. I'm fine and you're fine - doyou remember, dear fried, how you gotSergei and I to repeat those lines from Dr.Strangelove and we gave you the name of that silly Soviet Premier because we didn't knowyour name?..In those days, you not onlysaved our lives, you saved our sanity. 'Now,then Dmitri - we have this little problem':Every search for a hero must begin withsomething that every hero requires; a villain. Therefore, in a search for ourhero, Bellerophon, we created a monsterChimera. I beg you, Dmitri, come to Sydneyand accompany me to Atlanta immediately.However we travel, I must arrive at medestination, within 20 hours of departure.Forgive this fanciful explanation, but fornow prudence dictates that I communicatenothing but the gravest urgency.I fear I can entrust this to no one butyou, Dmitri. as we say, 'I'm sorry andyou're sorry'..Swanbeck stops the DVD.SWANBECKLet me ask you something. You have anyidea what the hell he's talking about?Ethan smiles.ETHANAn idea, yeah.SWANBECKLike?ETHANLike it's a good idea to pick him up in ahurry. And a bad idea to fly him on acommercial carrier. So let's get on withit. He's still in Sydney?SWANBECKDr. Vladimir Nekhorvich is dead. So is hiscolleague, Gradski, but that happenedearlier. We had Nekhorvich on a flightfrom Sydney that crashed in the Rockies..Ethan sits back, heavily.SWANBECK (cont'd)- Hunt, are you listening?..Slowly looking up:ETHANIf he didn't want to go anywhere withoutme, how did you get him on the flight?

SWANBECKYou were there.Swanbeck clears his throat. He turns back to the computer and punches in: MISSION DOUBLE IMAGE. File open to computer scansof AMBROSE, SEAN, and HUNT, ETHAN, the computer scanning andcomparing their features, millimeter by millimeter, stat by stat,as the computer then imposes, with the help of the physiognomyscan, Ethan's face on Ambrose: hence, mission double image.ETHANslowly looks up at Swanbeck.SWANBECKWhen I couldn't find you, I had to replaceyou. Sean Ambrose was the obvious choice.He double you, what? Two, three times?ETHANTwice.SWANBECKWhat did you think of him?ETHAN You know we had reservations about eachother. Isn't it a little late in the dayto be asking me that?SWANBECKNot necessarily.Swanbeck shows Ethan a photo of airline Captain.SWANBECKAirline record list Captain HaroldMacintosh as the pilot for Flt 2207. asfar as the media and all governmentalagencies are concerned, Captain Macintoshdied on the flight, but in fact he missedit. He did, however make the next flight -in cargo, stuffed into a rather small suitcase considering his size.Another photo of an open suitcase, the body in it partiallyobscured by a ring of police and customs officers.SWANBECK (cont'd)Someone on that flight planned anoperation designed to down the plane andmake it look like an accident. Someoneskillful enough to bring the whole thingoff without a hitch but - they don'talways get your luggage on the plane, evenwhen you fly first class.ETHANSo there's one thing we know Ambrosedoesn't.SWANBECKThen you do think it was Ambrose.Ethan barely nods.SWANBECK (cont'd)And you're not surprised.Ethan gives Swanbeck a look.ETHANWhatever Nekhorvich was carrying Seanwanted and he wanted to conceal the factthat he took it.SWANBECKEnough to kill Nekhorvich and two hundredinnocent passengers?Ethan smil

es.ETHANSean feels he hasn't done the job unlesshe leaves a lot of hats on the ground.SWANBECKThe question is why? What was thisChimera Nekhorvich was carrying?Ethan rises and moves to the window.ETHANRight now only Ambrose knows that.SWANBECKIn any case, you've got to recover Chimeraand bring it to us.ETHANIn order to do that, I've got to figureout how he plans to make money with it.SWANBECK- right. In fact since the plane wentdown our banking sources have confirmed amarked increase in the stock pilling ofcash in terrorists accounts.ETHAN'Terrorists?'SWANBECKWell you know Nekhorvich's history.You're the one who got him out of theSoviet Union was it still in bio-weapon business.ETHANIf that's what you're thinking Ambrosewould have set up a bidding situation withany number of buyers before he got on theplane. Locating him in time to stopsomething like that - SWANBECK- is where Miss Hall comes in.ETHAN(blindsided)Excuse me?SWANBECKMiss Hall and Ambrose had a relationshipwhich he took very seriously. She walkedaway and he's wanting her back eversince. We believe she's our surest and quickest way of location him.ETHAN(acidly)And then what?SWANBECKThen makes sure she continues to see him.Gets him confide in her and report toyou.ETHANYou made it sound as if I was recruitingher for her skills as a thief.SWANBECKWell, then I mislead you. Or you made the wrong assumption. Either way we're askingher to resume a prior relationship, not do anything she hasn't already done.ETHANShe's got no training for this kind ofthing.

SWANBECKGo to bed with a man and lie to him?She's a woman. She's got all the trainingshe needs.Ethan's anger flashes but does his best to contain it.ETHANI don't think I can get her to do it.SWANBECKYou mean it'll be difficult.ETHANVery.SWANBECKWell it's not mission difficult, Hunt.It's mission impossible. Difficult shouldbe a walk in the park for you. If you canthink of a quicker way to get to Ambrose,you're welcome to try. Oh, by the way, youmight want to take a look at these..if youhave any further qualms about getting herto do the job.He pulls out a little Minolta digital camera (identical to theone in Nekhorvich's bag at airport security). Swanbeck sets it onthe table. Ethan picks it up the tiny camera and puts it to his eye.EXT - BAR (NIGHT)A grim Ethan, starring fixedly ahead of him emerges to an evermore lively crowd. as he does:STREET VENDORSenor, senor! Your flowers.The vendor holds up the spring bouquet. Ethan seems genuinelysurprised by them.ETHANYes. They're very nice..And he's lost in the crowd, leaving a very puzzled vendor holdingthe bouquet.STILL OF CRASH SITE IN ROCKIES (THRU MINOLTA STILL CAMERA)One after the other flashing by. They are more evocative thanspecific in their suggestion of an abrupt, fiery, ending, wherethe lives of hundred are literally and figuratively torn apartand strewn over a desolate landscape.NYAHcarefully places the little Minolta on a glass-topped coffeetable. She's beautifully pulled together, the safehouse has thelights low, flamenco music playing, and when she walks out ontothe balcony Ethan sees the candlelit table and a bottle ofchampagne chilling. There's a light breeze the fire from theburning effigies throwing smoke and flame all over the city.NYAHWhat's the population of Seville anyidea?ETHANFive, six-hundred thousand.NYAHThere's nearly 2 million in London.ETHANAnd six billion in the world.NYAHThat's lot of people out there..how manyof them, I wonder, are capable ofsomething like that?

ETHANSean Ambrose, for one.A long shocked moment. Nyah laughs.NYAHRight...INT - SAFEHOUSE (EVE - LATER)The pounding beat of the flamenco music seems to fill the roomNyah's back to Ethan:NYAH(grimly amused)Not that it matter much but..I seem torecall you staying something like, 'I washoping we could work together.'ETHANThis wasn't what I had in mind, Nyah.NYAHBut it is what you'd like me to do.so tell me to do it..She approaches Ethan. They're inches apart.NYAH (cont'd)Come on, out with it. Tell me to go andinsinuate myself back into Sean's life.ETHANGo and insinuate yourself back into Sean'slife.NYAHI'd like a little more conviction..ETHANSo would I. But it's not mine to give.NYAH(archness there)You've either got it or you don't. Letyour conscience be your guide?ETHANSomething like that.With a smile and a wink.NYAHBut I don't have a conscience. I'm abloody thief.ETHANYou can be a thief and have a conscience.NYAHNo. You can be a thief and have aconscience: Not me. Why did you have totell me about this!(pouring herself a drink)What do I have to do to get away from thisguy? When you're with him, he messesabout with your head every wakingmoment..even now I'll be at some out-of-the-way-place, a tin of caviar and a bottle of Crystal shows up at the table,with two glass, God knows how he finds out at any given moment where I am in theworld but he does. And it looks like he'sdone it again. You know his definition ofa true paranoid?ETHANI don't.NYAHSomeone in possession of all the facts.(she turns away, pauses)Are you telling me I have to do this?

ETHANGenerally, I don't favor coercing someone.Not when there's a chance my life couldend up in their hands.NYAHAnd that's the only reason?ETHANCan you think of a better one?NYAHNot me. I was just hoping you might..orthat..somehow in the course of businessthis got personal as well as physical.ETHANLook, would it make you feel better if Ididn't want you to do this?NYAHMuch.ETHANThen feel better!..Long moment while she looks at him.ETHAN (cont'd)Well. That made all the difference in the world, didn't it?Ethan walks out onto the balcony. She looks at his back.NYAHSean will never be anything but suspiciousif he picks up some sort of 'yoo-hoo-I'm-not-nad' message. Not after the way webroke up.ETHANWhat wouldn't make him suspicious?NYAHProbably that I needed him in some urgentway..destitute - in serious trouble..thekind I couldn't possible sort out myself..Ethan's been smiling slightly.ETHANSerious trouble, Nyah, is something I canalways arrange..NYAH IN A SPANISH JAILstanding for front and side mug shot. O.S. sound of teletypecontinues. SUPERIMPOSE: Ethan holding up something the size ofa dime:ETHANThis little chip sends a coded signal thatcan be picked up only by our computer.On the screen of the GPS computer, a little yellow blip appearspulsating on the screen.ETHAN'S VOICEWhen it's in your ankle we can track youwithin three feet of anywhere in the world.OVER ETHAN AND ONTO COMPUTER SCREENHe types a small Interpol bulletin stating that Nyah NordoffHall, apprehended March 13 in Seville, is awaiting extraditionwhile the authorities in London, Paris, and Amsterdam squabbleover where she's going to be tried first, for the various theftsand burglaries she's committed in the three cities.COMPUTER SCREEN (AMBROSE TENT ANNEX - DAY)Ambrose picking up on a version of the Interpol bulletin Ethan'spu

t out. He leans over the screen for a moment, then moves tothe window, and stares out thoughtful at the bay, almost as ifhe were watching...EXT - NYAH IN JAIL COURTYARDFrom a beautiful blue sky, pan down to the courtyard of the jailwhere Nyah is allowed out for an airing, seemingly alone but being watched by:ETHAN AND COMPUTER SCREENHis attention fixed on the screen, Ethan stares at satelliteshot of Nyah in the jail courtyard.INT - PRISON - NYAHbeing allowed a phone call, a prison guard visible b.g. Crosscut with Ethan.ETHANLook, I can't run your arrest in CNN, butI guarantee he's monitoring every law enforcement agency in the world, for whatthey might be saying about him, if nothingelse - he's got the ability and, weassume, the desire to get you out ofthere.NYAHThis doesn't seem to be accomplishingmuch.ETHANWell, I mean it's not a total loss. It iskeeping a very capable thief off thestreet..NYAHVery funny..maybe he has heard anddoesn't want to know. Maybe he's lostinterest.Her guard, b.g. is handed a note.GUARD(to Nyah)Your lawyer to see you.NYAHWhat lawyer?ETHAN AND COMPUTER SCREENETHANWell, here we go.SECTOR: AUSTRALIA, moving into NEW SOUTH WALES, and then to:Sydney. Here Ethan pulls up names, photos and profiles of potential candidates. They scroll past, one face morphing intoanother. Ethan punches in on WILLIAM A. BAIRD. EXPERTISE:Qualified in virtually every mode of transport, land, sea, air.ORDINANCES: Small arms and automatic weapons authority, edged andimpact weapons. PROCUREMENT: Resourceful. EXPLOSIVES: Precisiondetonation, diffusion.Ethan punches: Request immediate availability.EXT - GOVERNMENT BUILDING - SEVILLE (DAY)Nyah emerges from the entrance to the jail.ETHANStop and look for something in youpurse..kneel down..She does. They're effectively blocked from the street.NYAHLimo's waiting.Ethan hands her a key chain with what appear to be a car-key.ETHAN- Ambrose will have counter-surveillancesecond to no one's. Whe

n and if hecontacts you, push this buttonbefore you actually end up under his roof it'll scramble your transmission to us.She takes the key chain. Her hands are shaking.NYAHWhen will you be there?ETHANBefore you are.NYAHHow can you possibly? I've got to getright on the plane. I'm leaving now.ETHANYou don't trust me.NYAHOh, I do. But as we know I'm a very poorjudge of character.ETHANHe's got you on Qantas flight 2735. It'sgoing to be delayed.NYAHYes?ETHANYou'll be fine. I'm going to loseyou.NYAHEthan, you take care of yourself, I'lltake care of myself because if push comesto shove, I'm gonna bail - and withoutgiving two week notice.ETHANWell, forewarned is forearmed. And whilewe're at it, be especially sensitive toany sudden change in Ambrose's plans,especially any involving you..They rise. A quick squeeze of her hand and he's gone. A look ofsomething like longing replaces the toughness as she gazes afterhim, then starts across the street toward the limo and driver. MImusic theme kicks in and continues over:POV HELICOPTER (MOVING - SYDNEY - DAY)over the Harbor Bridge, sails dotting the bay like confetti.EXT - FARM (DAY)pans of sheep are bleating and looking for sort of cover inresponse to the sound of a helicopter touching down.EXT - COPTER (DAY)Billy and Luther emerge, Luther with computer looking acutelyuncomfortable in a wrinkled suit.ETHAN'S VOICEWelcome to Australia, mate.They look up to a smiling Ethan who points to the ground beneathLuther's feet. Luther looks down to see that he is standing in apile of sheep-shit.LUTHERThanks - mate.Both men laugh and all three move to:INT - FARMHOUSE (DAY)Luther and Billy with Ethan setting up their operation. There'sa blip on one of the screens.LUTHERIt's the transponder.ETHANPut in the coordinates and let's get a visual. The visual

s aren't coming up.LUTHERThe satellite doesn't work as fast as Ido.BILLYYeah, I've heard about you, Luther, and Ijust want to tell you it's an honor and apleasure to be working with you blokes,whoaa! That's some transponder!As Billy speaks, the visual come on line and Nyah has becomevisible.LUTHER(a jaundiced eye, to Ethan)It certainly is. How did we get so lucky?Ethan pointedly ignore the question.POV - MOVING (PALM BEACH - DAY)rounding the tip of the bay's crescent, revealing the beach anddock at Ambrose's palm-lined residence.NYAHThe speedboat's engine's are cut. Nyah looks momentarilystricken.POV NYAH (MOVING)a lone slender figure silhouetted at the end of the dock, stillas the piling besides which it stands. But the features remainobscured by the sun at his back.ETHANleans forward as the slender figure grows larger,BILLY (to Ethan)Is it him, then?POV - MOVINGThe tide is too low for the boat to dock, making it necessary forhe boat to approach the shore. The slender figure moves off theend of the dock and onto the beach.THE CIGARETTEidles into shadow water but the props start chewing into thesand - the boatman grumbles he can't get any closer. The slenderfigure has moved to the shoreline and the angle of the lightchanges - Ambrose is waiting.Nyah hesitates only a flicker of an instant, slips over the sideinto thigh-high water without taking her eyes off Ambrose.Ambrose strides right on into the bay. as they are just an arm'slength apart:NYAHtakes a deep breath, presses the button to scramble thetransponder.WITH ETHAN (INT. SHEEPFARM SAFEHOUSE)The picture abruptly goes dead.BILLYDamn. Just when it was about to getinteresting.ETHANIt's okay. She scrambled thetransmission. Luther, continue feedingthe GPS her position.Luther punches in. The signal - and the global coordinates aregiven. They wait.INT - SPACEThe satellite positions itself.WITH THE THREEETHANCan't we speed this up.Luther shoots him a disgusted look.LUTHERWith what? This is the only computerthat'll do this.THE SIGNALS

AND PHOTOSstart to bounce back, growing larger and larger on the screen,until: Nyah can be seen, water up to her thighs, lingering inAmbrose's arms with each blow-up, and linger. And lingering.BILLY- right. Now there's a bloke who knowshow to deliver a proper welcome. Don'tget me wrong, mate. You were quitehospitable. Is it him, then?Ethan's look suggests he's worried about lapse in recruitingjudgment.LUTHERIt is, Billy.BILLYThen we got'em!ETHANWe don't know what we've got because wedon't know what he's got, where he's gotit or what he's doing in Sydney with it.Ethan strides away from the screen, the edge in his voice and the move not altogether lost on either Luther or Billy.INT - THE BAY (EXT. PALM BEACH - DAY)Perfectly poised, still loosely in his arms, Nyah returnsAmbrose's penetrating gaze with a pleasant, clear eyed one.AMBROSENot much luggage.NYAHI left in a bit of a hurry. I'm terriblygrateful, Sean.AMBROSEHow grateful?NYAHWell that depends.AMBROSEOn what.NYAHHow hard you had to work to get me out ofthere..how in the world did you ever find me?AMBROSE(stopping)How I usually find you, Nyah.NYAHHow do you that.AMBROSEMagic...NYAHAhh..POV THRU TENT ANNEX WINDOW (AMBROSE COMPOUND)looking down the length of the dock. Ambrose, his arm aroundNyah and carrying her suitcase, moves up the dock toward thehouse and camera.Stamp steps into the annex and looks over to Wallis, who watches Nyah on the monitors.WALLISNo flies on her.(checking her on a scannerscreen)No bugs either. She's clean.STAMP(drily)All cats are.INT - ETHAN - SAFEHOUSE (SHEEP FARM - DAY)Ethan watches the Nekhorvich video on the computer screen.NEKHORVICH...therefore in a search for our h

ero,Bellerophon, we created a monster,Chimera.Ethan then flips through a series of pictures on the computerdepicting the myth of Bellerophon attacking Chimera.Billy moves up behind him.BILLYWhat you got there, mate?ETHANA myth..just a myth...shouldn't you bechecking out their countersurveillance?BILLYWell you know his blokes'll place the OSCOR in his annex, where else if you'repinpointing transmitters, video signals,covert chip cameras, anything radiating,oscillating..ETHAN..or hard wired..BILLY(please)- or hard wired, right. First line of perimeter defence'll run from the back ofthe dock to the front of the house.Whatever moves burps or bleep is gonna bepicked up to a height of twenty feet.Basically impenetrable, I'd say.LUTHEREthan, here's Nekhorvich, and here's hisbossLuther scans an entry from the IMF database with newspaperclippings, sidebars of still of McCloy and Nekhorvich.LUTHER (cont'd)McCloy, Jon Chaddick, CEO BiocytePharmaceuticals..D.O.B. September 30,1952, Manchester, England.BILLY (a little lost)Well do you disagree with that?ETHANNot at all. But how about going into townand confirming your intuitions on site?BILLYOh well, if that's how you feel about it.Billy leaves.LUTHER..then Cambridge..Harvard..entrepreneurialefforts..in efforts..in 1989, acquired Biocyte inhostile takeover..As Luther transfer info to Ethan's computer:LUTHER (cont'd)Ethan, have a look at this.On Ethan's screen appears the Biocyte website; where among hevarious icons one offer McCloy's proud detailing of Biocyte'sphilanthropic efforts:MCCLOY'S VOICEWe at out state-of-the-art solar poweredBiocyte building recognized that eternalvigilance is the price of health.. whetherit's funding the teaching center at the Royal Prince Edward Hospital, removing

aerosol products from the marker orbraving the influenza quarantine at Brunyisland late last month..at Biocyte yourlife..is our life's work..ETHAN(quietly)..Biocyte workers at Bruny Island.INT - AMBROSE'S (DAY)They've reached the head of the stairs. Ambrose opens a door.It's a large bedroom opening onto a veranda with a view of thetent annex and the beach, and a very large bed.NYAHYour room.AMBROSE(yes)Mmmm.NYAHAnd my room?A long moment. Ambrose walks to a mirrored wall. The mirrorsare sliding doors. With a sweeping gesture, he slides one of themirrors back and reveals a wardrobe of beautiful designerclothes.AMBROSEThought you could use a little somethingto wear.Nyah stares at the spectacular wardrobe. Ambrose pulls out aslinky Armani and drapes it on the bed.AMBROSE ( cont'd)Try it on..Nyah hesitates.AMBROSE (cont'd)Go ahead. I'm dying to see if I remembered your size..Nyah picks it up.NYAHNo changing room?Ambrose sits on a chair by the window and waits. Her blouse,belt, skirt, fall on the bed. As her slender arm reaches down topick up the Armani:AMBROSEgrips her wrist, the flimsy Armani dangling in the air.CLOSE - NYAHmeeting Ambrose's look.NYAHYou're not interested in seeing how itlooks.AMBROSEOh, I am. Later..The Armani falls in a fragile heap on the floor.CLOSE - ETHAN (DUSK)standing off to one side, listening to Nekhorvich's voice.NEKHORVICH..therefore in a search for our hero,Bellerophon, we created a monster,Chimera.LUTHERWhy's Nekhorvich going on about an old Greek myth?ETHANNekhorvich specialized in recombining DNAmolecules. In the myth, Bellerophon killedChimera, a recombinant monster with the headof a lion and the tail of a serpent whoplagued the ancient world. I think Nekhorvichhas created a monster virus in Chimera and apparently the means to k

ill it inBellerophon.LUTHERThat simple, huh?ETHANWhy not?CLOSE - NYAH (INT. AMBROSE BEDROOM - DUSK)lying back on a pillow, looking and off into space to rightoff camera. She hears Ambrose's voice, with Ethan's voiceAMBROSE'S VOICE/ETHAN'S VOICEDamn, you're beautiful..Nyah reacts as if she'd been rapped on the nose, her eyesmoist. She turns abruptly to camera.NYAHDid you say something?AMBROSEleaning on an elbow, looking down.AMBROSEI said you're beautiful, Nyah.NYAHOnly because..it's spring..chalk it up(looking him dead in the eye)- to spring fever.Ambrose, amused, lights a cigarette and inhaling:AMBROSEWon't do, love. It's not spring. It'snearly autumn..You're in Oz. everything'supside down and backwards here.NYAH(more direct)Maybe that's it, then. Everything's upsidedown and backwards...CLOSE - ETHAN (SHEEP FARM SAFEHOUSE - DUSK)ETHANLuther..get us everything you can on the outbreak of influenza on Bruny Island lastmonth, including photos of the victims.LUTHERRight. I guess there aren't many fluepidemics in the middle of summer.Luther resumes working on his computer and sees Ethan is lockedon Ambrose's compound on his computer screen, thinking of Nyah.LUTHER (cont'd)She did it, Ethan. Nyah's in thecompound.ETHANYeah? I've just rolled up a snowball andtosses it into hell.Ethan stands.OUTSIDE THE SHEEP FARM SAFEHOUSEA brooding Ethan exits the sheep farm safehouse under a settingsun.ETHAN'S VOICENow we'll see what chance it has.Ethan stops, looking out over the broken plain. His voice isheard overlapping into the next scene.ETHAN'S VOICE (cont'd)(softly)Damn, You're beautiful.CLOSE - NYAH (NIGHT)lying in bed, obviously hearing Ethan's voice again, and feelingvery much alone. She stares out into the night, a gaze that inits bemused intensity is an exact match to Et

han's.FADE:CLOSE - PHOTO - HONG KONG TIMES (INT. AMBROSE STUDY - EARLY DAWN)its front page, except for the headlines and date, covered withstacks of paper money, banded bundled dollars piled high as acord of wood. The amount $24 millions is written in ink over themoney.AMBROSETwenty-four mil..Ambrose's hands shift to another photo of another newspaper, theLONDON TIMES, this one piled high with English pounds and thewritten amount: 37 million pounds.AMBROSE'S VOICEThirty-seven million pounds. That's apromising bid.The third photo is of the AFTERNOON ARUBAN, with $14 millionpackaged on it.Ambrose, wearing a robe and seated at a glass-topped table, setsthis last photo on the table on top the others. He picks upNekhorvich's digital camera, removes the film disk, and snaps itinto its plastic case. He places the case into an envelope(NOTE: The same envelope seen at the track) and hands it toStamp.AMBROSEWe'll need this at the track. Well then.Sorted.Stamp is seated near him. Glances toward Ambrose's bedroom andNyah asleep in Ambrose's bed.STAMP (pointedly)Not everything. Why do you think she'sreally here?AMBROSEFrom her point of view or mine?STAMPWasn't exactly gagging for it when sheleft you six months ago..The question is,do you trust her? As he speaks, Ambrose pulls a cigar case and a cutter out of hisrobe. Takes a cigar out of the case and clips the end of thecigar; the razor-sharp cutter decapitates the tip of the cigar like a guillotine.AMBROSEOne considers her timing, of course -getting nicked within a week of the planegoing down. Suggestive, even borderlinesuspicious, but hardly conclusive.STAMPWell, you've thorough about it, at anyrate.Ambrose opens the cutter again to clean off the fragments oftobacco trapped by the cut.AMBROSETell me, Hugh. You don't exactly hang onNyah's every word and gesture, do you?Fairly ratty nail, that.Sean touches the nail of Stamp's left pinkie finger. Stampreacts by slightly withdrawing his hand.STAMP Sean..With his left hand Ambrose grab

s Stamp's left wrist.AMBROSEYou're not scrutinizing any casual shrug for some hair-splitting nuance, are you?STAMPSean, please..Sean pulls Stamp's hand closer.AMBROSESuppose she is some sort of Trojan horsesent in by IMF to spy in us, why should Ideny myself the pleasure of a ride or two?Or don't you think I can learn more fromher than she can from me?Ambrose twists Stamp's wrist so that Stamp drops to one kneetrying to alleviate the pain.STAMP(in pain)I do!..Ambrose leans in close to Stamp's face as he places the cutteraround Stamp's pinkie.AMBROSENow Hugh, you must realize that some of ushave the burden of sex to deal with..andmy dear chap. I may or may not know why she thinks she's here, but I'm willing totake the risk, because Hugh, I am gagingfor it..Ambrose closes the cutter on Stamp's finger and cuts the nail,just nicking the top of the finger and drawing blood. Stampcries out. Ambrose tosses Stamp a napkin, light his cigar andexhale.AMBROSE (cont'd)Don't ever question my judgment again.DISSOLVE:EMPTY FRAME (EXT. RANDWICK RACE TRACK - DAY)with no sound, the back stretch an unrecognizable blur untilhorses at high speed burst into the frame bringing with them thesight and sound of their great nostrils snorting and gasping forjostling and going to the whip, the sound of the crowdoverwhelming all but the announcer's voice carrying everyonearound the far turn and into the home stretch with a ringing,controlled frenzy.EXT - PRIVATE BLEACHER (DAY)Nyah and Ambrose rising as the horses cross the finish.AMBROSE(surprised)You won.NYAH(looking at her ticket)I suppose I did.AMBROSEWhat made you pick that nag? She'd never won a bloody thing.NYAH'Thief in the Night?'AMBROSESay no more. I'm off to grab a drink.Still favor Bellinis?She smiles, a little shakily. Ambrose leaves.A VOICENaturally Vain..

It's Billy passing behind her.NYAHPardon me?BILLY'Naturally Vain.' In the fourth.Check her out. She's due.Billy hands her a chest sheet and moves on. She opens it to thefourth race. Taped onto 'Naturally Vain' is a small plasticpiece with the note. she regards the note, places the plasticpiece in her ear.ETHAN'S VOICEYou can speak as if I'm right by your side.NYAH(picking up binoculars)Where are you?ETHAN'S VOICEAt the mounting enclosure, just off the tracks at two o'clock.THRU BINOCULARS - NYAH'S POV - MOVINGthru the crowd onto the track over to the pre-post paddock wherean animated gaggle of owners, heavy batters and investerace toutssurround it. Only Ethan is stock still - and looking up at Nyah.CLOSE - NYAHa swift intake of breath as she see him.ETHANHow's it going? Everything okay?NYAHJust like old times.ETHANJust like old times?NYAHJust about..She appears to be the picture of unruffled sang-froid.ETHANTell me who you've run into at Ambrose's.ETHAN'S POV (THRU GLASSES)moving from Nyah to the champagne bar just behind where Ambroseis seen greeting someone in the crowd and they sit at a cornertable in front of the window overlooking the track.NYAH(a breath, then:)Near as I can tell, there's at least ahalf-dozen other blokes about the place.Maybe more. Hugh Stamp, an old mate ofSean's, is the only one I recognize, bitof a creep and then some..POV ETHANStamp, stands a pillar, his finger bandages, lookingglum and looking down at Nyah.ETHANWe know him. He's over your leftshoulder, looking right at you as you go on..NYAH- Michael, his driver's an Aussie, new tome. Then there's the blokes in theannex at the back of the house.ETHANHave you met them?NYAHAnnex is strictly off limits to me andthey never come to the main house,Michael even t

akes their meals to themall but shoves them under the door.ETHAN(looking into Champagne Bar)I've no doubt.ETHAN'S POV MONOCULAR VIDEO RANGE FINDERof Ambrose sitting with someone whose face is obscured from hisangle by bar patrons.BILLYis also looking.POV RANGE FINDER BILLYand from his point of view it can be seen that Ambrose is talkingwith John McCloy, the head Biocyte. Ambrose takes an envelopeout of his inner left jacket pocket and from it pulls out a smallplastic container marked 'S.G.' (Identical to the object firstseen in Nekhorvich's satchel at airport security.) He opens itand removes a small shiny object about the size of a quarter. Heturns to the window and gestures. Stamp enters the bar.BILLYAmbrose is meeting some bloke in the bar.Big bloke, ginger hair. They're intosomething.ETHAN'S POVETHANI'll be damned. It's McCloy, the BiocyteCEO.LUTHERNekhorvich's boss?ETHANYep.NYAHAmbrose has photographs of newspapers withloads of money piled on them -- thirty-seven million on the London Times. What'sthat about?ETHANBids from possible Chimera buyers -- toprove that as of the date on the newspaperthose bids are back up by earnest money --INT - VAN - LUTHERis monitoring both cameras. All see Ambrose give the littlewafer-like object to Stamp who places it in a small camera, handsit back to Ambrose and exits, waiting just outside the glassdoor. Ambrose hands the camera to McCloy who looks puzzled.LUTHERLooks like Ambrose is showing McCloy howto use a digital camera..McCloy puts it to his eye, fumbles, then with Ambrose'sdirection:ETHANWhatever McCloy's looking at, he's nothappy about.McCloy puts the camera down. The two men have words. McCloyshakily leave the table. Ambrose opens the camera.LUTHERAmbrose just pulled the memory card out ofthe digital camera and put it into anenvelope, put it in his inner left jacketpocket...ETHANLeft jacket pocket?

LUTHERRoger that.ETHANConfirm. Left jacket pocket.LUTHERLeft jacket pocket confirmed.ETHAN BY THE MOUNTING ENCLOSUREETHANNyah, Ambrose is heading back. There's anenveloped inside --NYAH-- his left jacket pocket.ETHANAffirmative.AMBROSEpasses by Stamp on his way back, hands him the camera.NYAH(after a brief pause)Where do I meet you?ETHANBetting table twelve off the paddock.Nyah, are you up to this?NYAHI'll muddle through.WIDE ANGLE - BLEACHER (DAY)Ambrose arriving with a pair of drinks. Nyah rises.AMBROSESee anything you like?NYAHYeah. Naturally vain -- but they're aboutto close the betting table and I haven't asou..While Ambrose is still juggling the drinks, Nyah reaches into histrouser pockets, and rummages around.AMBROSE(laughing)Nyah!ETHANBilly, make sure Nyah's not followed.BILLYNo worries, mate.She pulls out a fifty-dollar note.NYAHWould you mind terribly?AMBROSE (cont'd)(amused and turned on)- not at all. But you'll pay for thatand with interest..NYAHI've no doubt..She heads up the stairs.AMBROSE(reaching into his pocket formoney)Hold on.Ambrose grabs her arm, and she almost drops the envelope she'sjust lifted. (NOTE: It is important not to see her actually liftit). She's holding it, pinned between her right arm and side. Asit's slipping, she notes Stamp above her, looking down and has toconceal what she's holding from him as well:AMBROSE (cont'd)Put down a couple of hundred for.NYAHTo win?AMBROSEWhat else?She takes it and as she does the envelope falls, but she managesto catch it wi

th her left hand, blocking the move with her bodyas she does.WIDER ANGLE - NYAHmoves along the aisle.ETHAN'S VOICELuther, smallest digital you got. Readyto transmit. Betting table twelve.EXT - VAN (DAY)designated as NEW SOUTH WALES DELIVERIES, 'anytime, anywhere.'Luther bursts out of the van, carrying the tiny camera and beginsto thread his way thru cars and foot traffic.BILLYin dramatic contrast ambles at a conspicuously leisurely pace.NYAHpasses Stamp, not seeing him standing just a row above, blockedfrom her by one of the pillars. Stamp idly regards her and then decides: he follows.LUTHERperspiring, approaches the betting table thru the last of theparked cars.STAMPapproaches the door thru which Nyah had gone and starts to openit - only to have the door slammed in his face and on hisbandaged finger by Billy, in a track usher's uniforms.BILLY(very solicitous)Sorry about that, mate, that must'vereally - aggrhh!..Even as Stamp winces in pain his arm has shot out and Billy findshimself pinned to the wall gasping for air. If he'd been weldedthere by a band of steal he'd have more room to maneuver.STAMPSay again?BILLYAggrhh-aggrhh-aggrhh...STAMPWhatever you're about in future, watchyour step. Never know who you might runinto...Stamp looks around, Nyah's nowhere in sight. He's lost her. Seeshis hand's bleeding and lets Billy go, who nearly drops to the floor.STAMPWhere's the loo then?BILLY(pointing up)- aggrhh-aggrhh-aggrhh...Stamp heads up the men's room.BILLY(croaking it out)...Shakes his head, feeling lucky to escape with his life.EXT - PADDOCK - BETTING TABLE TWELVENyah into shot. Stands in line. She looks around.ETHAN'S VOICEHow'd you do? Don't turn around.Nyah turns and looks Ethan dead in the eye.NYAHI managed.ETHANYou noticed. What're you going to do?Spank me?She slips Ethan the envelope. Ethan himself returns the look,holding it in spite of:BILLY'S VOICEStamp's out

of the loo.Luther arrives, with the camera, opening for Ethan. Nyah turnsaway. Ethan pulls out the tiny memory card, slips it in the camera.ETHAN (CONT'D)(looking into camera)This is going to take a couple ofminutes..LUTHERis racing back to the van.LUTHERThere in twenty, Ethan..NYAH AND ETHAN (IN LINE)edge toward the window.BILLY'S VOICEStamp's a little shaky, but headed yourway, mate.ETHANCopy that.(to Nyah)Who do you like? In the race?NYAH(nervous, she's heard Billytoo)What race are we talking about?INT - VAN (DAY)A sweaty Luther:LUTHER I'm booted up. Go, Ethan.BILLY'S VOICEHe's heading down the stairs, now..Ethan places the digital camera on play and begins to go thru thestills. As they cliff off, Ethan is visibly affected.LUTHER IN THE VANwatches the stills as well. He's no less affected.ETHAN WITH NYAHHe mutters some expletive under his breath, then, evenly:ETHANI want you out of Ambrose's place.BILLY'S VOICEHe's one tier from the bottom.Ethan glances over to the bottom of the stairs.NYAHWhat are you talking about?As he lowers camera and removes the memory card.ETHANI want you out of there.NYAHWhy? What's happened. What did you see?BILLYThirty steps..Slipping card back into envelope.ETHANNyah, you've done more than enough. Eventhe best of snake charmers get bit.NYAHEthan, tell me -BILLY'S VOICETwenty, nineteen..Ethan's been talking to someone he's been urging to walk, not runto the nearest exit. Now he drops all pretence:ETHANI want you out of Australia!(more quickly)..I don't know how much more plainly I canput it.NYAHHow do you suggest I go ab

out it?ETHANHe's touched your heart. You'reoverwhelmed. You need to think it over.You'll meet him somewhere in a month. IfYou're not out in 48 hours I'm coming inand getting you out. Give me the earpiece.She just gets it out of her hear and gives it to Ethan when shereaches the bookie who warns her to get down her bet. She giveshim her money and gets the tickets just as the buzzer goes off -no more bets. Flustered by it she picks up her tickets but drops the envelope. She quickly kneels and scrambles to recover it,tucking it away and looking up - to see Stamp standing over her.almost exactly where Ethan had stood when she looked away.NYAHtries not to register alarm while she gauges how much Stamp hadseen.STAMPGet your bet down?NYAHJust..She rises. Stamp waits only a moment then follows.AT THE PRIVATE BLEACHERS (DAY)everyone's on their feet, the horses are in the backstretch.Ambrose is watching the race through binoculars. Nyah comes up behind and puts her arms around him. With her left hand she putsthe envelope into his right jacket pocket.AMBROSEYour nag is making a run for it on theoutside!(lowering binoculars)Bloody hell, Nyah!She's momentarily startled. Then:AMBROSE (CONT'D)You picked another winner!NYAHWell, that's good, isn't?A BLOW UP (INT. SHEEP FARM IMF SAFEHOUSE - DAY)of a shot from a digital camera card.ETHAN'S VOICEDr. Segi Gradski, Nekhorvich'scolleague and lifelong friend..The photos is coded with the data in the lower left hand corner,01.27.99, the time in the right, 10:02:56 A.M. Burned into thephoto is '20 hours, 03 minutes after exposure.'Ethan paunches in.ETHAN'S VOICE (cont'd)Twenty hours and three minutes afterexposure.(sotto voce)Twenty hours.Ethan doesn't say anything for a moment, then goes on to the nextphoto on the card: '25 hours, 40 minutes after exposure.' It'sGradski again. Gradski's eyes are darkly circled, his skull look mottled.ETHANSix hours later.Another photo: '31 hours, 30 minutes after exposure.' Gradski'sbleeding from nose, mouth and ears, the skin eruptions are

pervasive, his body an open wound.ETHAN ( cont'd)Six more hours.The next photo. '34 hours, 25 minutes after exposure.' Gradski'sbody at rest.ETHAN (cont'd)Three hours after that, Gradski was dead..LUTHERHere's a victim from the Bruny Islandoutbreak.The victim's face shows a devastation undeniably like Gradski's.A long, long moment as Ethan, Luther, and Billy sit in silence.BILLYOh, happy day.Ethan looks again at the first photo of Gradski.ETHANNekhorvich said 'However we travel, Imust arrive at my destination within 20 hourshours of departure.'CLOSE - NYAH (EXT. AMBROSE VERANDA - LATE AFTERNOON)Nyah is on the balcony. Ambrose enters with two glasses of champagne. AMBROSETo Australia. It's made so many convictsfeel at home. Here's hoping it does thesame for you..He laughs. She doesn't.NYAHSean, there's something I've been meaningto talk to you about... Isn't going to beeasy for me to say.AMBROSE(jocular)Then don't say it.NYAHI don't know what to do about you, Sean.I'm more than a bit muddled. I need time.AMBROSETo do what?NYAHSort it all out.AMBROSEAnd you're going to have time. There'sbeen a change of plans.NYAHA change of plans?AMBROSEYes. We won't be able to have dinnertonight. Something's come up. I hope youdon't mind.NYAHOh, no, not at all. Maybe just a bit.AMBROSEUlrich will be about. He'll look afteryou.NYAHLovely.INT - AMBROSE STUDY (LATE AFTERNOON)Ambrose enters, slips off his jacket and hangs it over a chair.He walks to a desk and brings up a computer the Biocyte websiteand McCloy infomercial. Stamp notes that Ambrose is on the computer and moves to the desk.STAMPI thought you were going to dinner.

AMBROSE(pulling up something on thecomputer)Hugh, take care of the Nekhorvich memorycard.STAMPWhere is it?AMBROSEIn the envelope in my pocket. Myright.. jacket..pocket..Stamp leans over and pulls out the envelope. As he does he sees Ambrose has pulled up and started to play McCloy's informercial.AMBROSE (cont'd)(calmly)We've got an opportunity here. I'm notgoing to miss it..CAMERA CARD PHOTOS (INT. SHEEP FARM - ETHAN & CREW)a microscopic view of myriads of ugly green spiky objects amidexploding red ones..ETHANChimera attacking human blood..One more shot. A lavender stained group of spiky objects amidexploding the green ones.ETHAN (cont'd)Bellerophon attacking Chimera..On an adjacent screen is a frozen frame of McCloy looking thruthe digital camera at the racetrack.BILLYAmbrose obviously got these fromNekhorvich on the plane.LUTHERWhat manic invents disease like that inthe first place? Why would he do it?ETHANI don't know, but Nekhorvich was not amanic. Get me a twenty on Nyah.LUTHERShe must still be on the property.ETHANI told her to get outta there.EXT - LIMO (EVE)McCloy gets in the rear of the limo and lights up a cigar. Thelimo takes off. another car pulls out and tags along behind thelimo.INT - OTHER CAR (MOVING)Michael at the wheel.INT - LIMO - MOVING (EVE)McCloy doesn't like the taste of the cigar, goes to toss it outbut the electronic window button doesn't work. He notices theevening paper partially open on the seat. His name leaps out. Heopens the paperTHE HEADLINESannounce that John C. McCloy, CEO of Biocyte, Inc., one of theworld's leading pharmaceutical companies, has died of a straightand terrible strain of influenzaShocked, McCloy drops the paper, calling out:MCCLOYGeorge. George. George.The drover doesn't turn around. McCloy can't believe it. Hebangs on chauffeur window. The driver turns on the airconditioning in the rear of the limo. McCloy clutches his throat

and passes out.MCCLOY (INT. ICU UNIT - NIGHT)regains consciousness. He's got tubes coming out of everyorifice and is contained in the equivalent of a plastic bubble.Drenched in perspiration and he looks around for a call button.He grips the side of the bed.MCCLOYBloody room..just..shut your eyes, shutyour eyes.He can't resist. Opens them to look up thru the plastic to see:NEKHORVICHa shimmering blur coming in and out of focus.MCCLOY (cont'd)I'll be buggered!..What's this then?NEKHORVICHA visit from an old friend.MCCLOYWhat's happening here? You're dead!NEKHORVICHFatigued, certainly. But dead is a littleextreme. On the other hand, when me dearGradski had your pulse and blood pressurehe has less than ten hours to live.MCCLOY(confused)It was in the bloody papers, on thetelly..what's this about Gradski?NEKHORVICHYou are infected with Chimera, my friend.INT - AMBROSE BEDROOM (NIGHT) NYAHis on the phone.NYAHInternational, please. I'd like to make areservation on the next available flight tonight.OPERATORWhere to?NYAHWhere is next available flight going?The operator answers.NYAHFine. I'll take it.She hangs up, goes to the door. The house is eerily silent.POV - STAIRWELL (NIGHT)a play of shadows, the sound of the kitchen fridge.CLOSE - NYAHMoves softly downstairs & hesitates at bottom, glancing about.NYAHUlrich?..Ulrich!...Silence. she goes into the kitchen. No one. She goes out the door.OVER NYAH'S SHOULDER - MOVING (EXT. SYDNEY - NIGHT)running pell-mell down to the shore. Stops. Looks outside thesmall skiff moored at the end of the dock. It's dark and shedecides to chance it. She moves onto the pier, trying to glideby the boathouse. A figure darts out and grabs her. She tries toscream but can't. The figure whips her around and she sees:ETHANEasy, easy, easy, shhh!NYAHOh Ethan!..She throws her arms around him.ETHAN

Are you okay?NYAHI am now. Get me out of here. Just getme out of here.ETHANIt's going to be okay.He holds her.INT - HOSPITAL ROOMMcCloy's strapped down, but manages to reach the call button andpush it. Again and again.NEKHORVICHNo use, my friend. The medical staffwants no part of this. Doctors don'tfancy the idea of dying any more thananybody else.McCloy stares at Nekhorvich for a long moment.MCCLOYHow could I possibly be infected?Nekhorvich shrugs.NEKHORVICHThat's exactly what Gradski said - 27hours before he died. With Chimera, themost minute exposure can be fatal.McCloy again looks at his vital sign on the monitor. He gripsthe edge of the hospital bed.NEKHORVICHBut then you shouldn't be feeling to ill.not for another three of four hours anyway.McCloy breaks a fresh sweat in a sudden spasm of anxiety.MCCLOYYou have Bellerophon.NEKHORVICH(mildly)Do I?MCCLOYYou took it! All of it! And what if I needit?NEKHORVICH(amused)'If?' My, my, my...the five hundredpeople on Bruny Island that youdeliberately infected with Chimera neededit as well.MCCLOYOh, please! How was I to know they had tobe treated with Bellerophon within twentyhours?NEKHORVICHBy asking me.MCCLOYYou still don't get it, do you? You wantto make an omelet, you break a few eggs -I needed to know just how bad the diseasewas - in the real world, not the lab. Andyou never know til you try. You thoughtyou were genetically splicing togetherstrains of influenza to create a cure for all influenzas. But I saw youcreating a disease so terrible in Chimerathat the cure would be priceless.NEKHORVICHYou wanted the disease in order to peddlethe cure.M

CCLOYWell, the thought had occurred to me. I neededChimera in order to peddle Bellerophon. Forhero to be appreciated, you need a monster.Now that's not so difficult to understand, isit? Look, time was a shot of penicillin couldknock off every bloody bug in the zoo! Notanymore!..have you any idea the R&D money ittakes to float one little pissy boutiqueantibiotic that's barely effective against onestrain of one bacterium? If I couldn't makes money killing the microscopic little shits thatare out there, you'd help me put one out thereI can make on!..there it is. I'veconfessed. I, John C. McCloy, am in businessto make money. Lilly's making billions feedingProzac to depressed dogs. Pfizer doesn't evenknow where to put the money they're making onViagra, and let me tell you that shit didn't doa thing for me even at twice the recommendeddose, Jesus, who do I have to screw to get aa break!..now get me out of here, get me treatedand let's go back to work!..NEKHORVICHYou know, I think it's a little late forthat. Do give my regards to Gradski ifyou see him.INT - HALLWAY (OUTSIDE MCCLOY'S ROOM)Nekhorvich heaves a sigh and rips off a latex mask, and the vocaloscillator, revealing an exhausted Ethan. Angle widens toinclude Luther and Billy in hospital greens.Luther and Billy nod in disgusted assent.EXT - ANNEX (NIGHT) NYAHholds tight in her embrace with Ethan.NYAHEthan, you know what frightens me mostwhen I'm with him?..the thought of never seeing you..how are we getting out of here?ETHANNyah, it's very important not doanything to alarm Ambrose..NYAHWhat? You told me to get out of here. Ithought you were here to collect me. Iwas so relieved.ETHAN(with growing urgency)No time to explain. You've done well,and we're so close. So close. It'scritical that you do whatever Ambroseasks. Don't worry - it'll be over soon..That's a promise.. Come on, now off yougo!He gives her an affectionate smile and she reluctantly heads backto the house, her expression troubled, even sus

picious.INT - HALLWAY (OUTSIDE MCCLOY'S ROOM)Having just taken off the mask, Ethan stands with Luther and Billy.LUTHER(disgusted by what he's heard)So Ambrose has Bellerophon and McCloy'sgot Chimera.BILLYThere guys are walking around withdifferent halves of the same dollar bill?ETHANAmbrose got Bellerophon from Nekhorvichon the plane, but he didn't get the Chimeravirus.LUTHERYeah. Why else would he come back toAustralia? If he had them both, he couldsell them anywhere.ETHANI kill Chimera at Biocyte and he's sittingon a cure without a disease.LUTHERYou've got the voice print, I'll get us in..EXT - AMBROSE HOUSE (NIGHT)Ethan enters and tears off his mask, revealing Ambrose filledwith implacable rage. He looks up to see Stamp who's beenobviously waiting for him. Tearing the voice oscillator.Leaning with both hands on a counter-surveillance monitor tablehe stares at the floor, his face rictus of hateful intensity.STAMPYou were right. Hunt stung McCloytonight. He knows. They'll be going intoBiocyte...Ambrose looks up slowly to Stamp who's been standing by.AMBROSEGood..then we go where he'll be, don't we? Well done, Hugh. Well done.CHAUFFEUR'S WINDOW (INT. LIMO - EVE)being rapped on by the driver.MCCLOY wakes with a start. The window's lowered -- Billy's in livery.BILLYYou're home, guv'ner. Home..It's taking time to register. Then:MCCLOY- where's George. My regular driver.Where is he?BILLYTook ill, guv'. Touch of the flu. Theysay it's going around. Nasty business.Mind you don't catch a chill now.Still dazed, McCloy manages to nod and exit the limo. Billydrives off.CLOSE - COMPUTER SCREEN - BIOCYTE BUILDING BLUEPRINTS(INT. SHEEP FARM SAFEHOUSE)including all specifications.ETHANLuther, do you have the building up andrunning?Luther punches in and up comes a squat little island a hundredyards off shore, connected to the mainland by a wooden bridge.

ETHAN (cont'd)That's not exactly it.LUTHERSorry, that it a Biocyte facility, theirstorage structure..ETHANNyah still on the property?BILLYShe hasn't left it.Then:LUTHEROkay, here you go -As Luther speaks, the building - on his computer graphics, onewith the BIOCYTE PHARMACEUTICALS ELEVATORS AND RENDERINGS, isbeing rapidly morphed to three dimension existence off therendering specifications by Luther, as if the building itselfwere being constructed at a madly rapid pace, from its foundationto its reinforced steel structure, to its honeycombing of floors,to its outer skin. Luther's reconstitution of the building lotstatic, but moving around and above it even as he proceeds.ETHANLet's start from the inside out.LUTHERAll storage and production of Chimera isdone here, in this lab on the forty-secondfloor, the heart of the building.BIOCYTE LABOnly about eight personnel -- chemists in lab coats, workers inbio-containment suits, etc. -- populate the lab, passing throughsecurity door and air locks, monitoring the virus stock, padingthe injection gun, etc.LUTHER'S VOICEChimera itself is kept in two places: inproduction vials in an incubation room andhoused in a small airtight chamber - insidethree injection guns.BILLY'S VOICEMate, you kill it in both places, we'relaughin' and we go home.WITH LUTHER AND ETHANETHANNow how to get in there.LUTHERNo garage entrance. Lobby's protected by five guards on rotating patrol.Ethan watches the rendition of the Biocyte lobby on screenCLOSE - AMBROSE (NIGHT)in overhead light, his eyes are dark pits, somehow underlying hersaturnine intensity:AMBROSEIf you look at Hunt's operational history, heinvariably favors misdirection and deception.For a start he won't go into Biocyte from theground where he has to risk confrontationwith security.ETHAN Not going in from the ground. Show me theatrium.INT - BIOCYTE ATRIUM SHAFTThe height and

extent of the atrium are revealed, as well as itsconclusion in a glass floor in the ceiling of the lab.LUTHER'S VOICE(unhappily)The atrium? One of a kind. Runs down thecenter of the building. Provides 24-hournatural light via mirrors and daylightstorage cells. Optimal growing conditionsfor the virus. Ends in a glass floor whichdoubles as part of the lab's ceiling.WITH LUTHER AND ETHANLuther sees the glint growing in Ethan's eye.LUTHERHey, atrium roof closes at sundown.EXT - BIOCYTE ATRIUM SHAFTAs the sun sets, the louvers of the atrium roof begin closing.LUTHER'S VOICEAnd if the louvers are open for more thanthirty seconds at night, the CivilEmergency alarms are tipped. Those even Ican't stop. Thirty seconds total to getyou in and the cable out.ETHANSecurity?LUTHERThirty-second opening in the roof and a250-foot drop.ETHANI'm not waiting 48 hours. When we're doneat Biocyte, if she's not out of Ambrose's,I'm going in and getting her out.CLOSE - AMBROSE (NIGHT)AMBROSENo, Hunt will prefer to engage in somesort of acrobatic insanity to enterBiocyte somewhere through the atrium wheresecurity is minimal..Suddenly there's the roar of helicopter rotors.ETHAN (EXT. SYDNEY - NIGHT)is poised, upside down, on cable against the Sydney skyline.THE ATRIUM LOUVERSbegin to open.WITH LUTHER (INT. VAN)hurriedly working the atrium's controls, hitting 'ENTER',repeatedly.INT - COPTER (HOVERING)BILLYPackage away in five..four..three..two..one...LUTHERI'm not ready!ETHANI'm gone..Ethan plummets towards the atrium.WITH LUTHER (INT. VAN - NIGHT)LUTHER(frantically working controls)C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!ETHAN'S DESCENTis so swift it appears as though he's going to hit the atriumlouvers but as he reaches roof level they crack open just enoughfor him to dart thru like thread thru a needleLuther begins the countdown. His countdown cont

inues, runningunder the action and dialogue below.LUTHER'S VOICE..nineteen..eighteen..seventeen...ETHAN IN MID-DESCENT (MOVING)moves down the shaft of bluish light, past the building's walls.LUTHER'S VOICE(low)..sixteen..fifteen..Ethan streaks thru the beams of light toward the atrium floor.INT - ATRIUM FLOOR - ETHAN reaches the end of the cord, slows himself to a stop and sees the security guard through the window. The guard starts as he catches a glimpse of Ethan's reflection in the control panels. ETHANLuther, I'm looking at security. CLOSE - LUTHERLUTHER(utterly shocked) Oh. Uh. Commencing diversion. (sotto voce, typing swiftly) Alarm in cosmetics. INT - ATRIUM FLOOR Ethan swings himself up to the ledge above the guard's window, putting himself out of the puzzled guard's sight. LUTHER'S VOICE Gotta get that cable out. Ethan unhooks the cord and flips to the atrium floor. An alarmgoes off. LUTHER'S VOICE (cont'd)There it goes.. Still confused and concerned, the guard doesn't immediately react to the alarm or the ringing phone. He finally answers the phone. GUARD #2'S VOICE (on phone) AY! what's the matter with you? Can't you hear the alarm's gone off in cosmetics? The first guard gives up what's confused him. GUARD (sarcastic) Right. Then I guess I'll have to trot off to see who's pinching eyeliner, won't I.(exits, grumbling) I'll even check the stairwell on the way. UP ANGLE - CABLE being swiftly retracted toward the atrium's opening as it closes. BILLY Retracting cable. LUTHER'S VOICE (low) Three..two..one.. UP ANGLE - ATRIUM The cable just makes it thru the atrium as the louvers close. BILLY'S VOICECable's clear. INT - ATRIUM FLOOR - ETHAN reaches down and presses a silent beeper. WITH LUTHER (INT. VAN) sees a little red diamond-shaped light pop on his screen LUTHER

Transponder activated..Reading package and Cable is clean. (exhaling, relieved) He's on his way. Staring at the buildings control panels.ETHAN (INT. ATRIUM) hugs the floor just out of sight of the befuddled security guard. AMBROSE'S VOICE He'll make the attempt at the only possible time for both of us, 11 P.M. - when the guards rotateand the buildings air-filtration generators goactive, covering the sound of his break-in.. WITH LUTHER LUTHER Ethan, the generators are about to go active. We'll be out of contact for eleven minutes. CLOSE - GENERATORS dark and silent. GENERATORS turn over and roar to life. ETHAN AT BOTTOM OF ATRIUMcuts into the glass floor, pops it out, and drops thru theopening. None of it's heard under the generators.. Ethan drops onto the lab floor and heads across the lab and upthe ramp to the hot zone. AMBROSE'S VOICE The frequency of the generators operate to our advantage - cutting radio communication from his team for the next eleven minutes.. INT - BIOCYTE LOBBY (NIGHT)Stamp, flanked by several of his team in Biocyte security guard uniform, crosses the lobby toward a pair of actual Biocyte security guards who appear more puzzled than alarmed at thisunexpected influx.ONE OF THE GUARDSWhat's this, then? Reinforcements? STAMP Not exactly, mate. WITH LUTHER (INT. CONSTRUCTION VAN - NIGHT)His attention in drawn to a spot on the grid where Nyah'stransponder blip, a circular yellow one in contrast to Ethan's,is moving. Troubled:LUTHER Billy. I think we got a problem. Nyah'son the wing. Up early. Billy, do you copy?INT - CHOPPER BILLY Exactly where is she? LUTHER ..in the building... BILLY'S VOICE Say again. Sounds like you're saying 'she's in the building.' LUTHERI am. She is.AMBROSE'S VOICE Ethan does it the hard way to avoid confrontation. Neutralizing security guards is simply too distasteful to him.. INT - BIOCYT

E LOBBY The two guards who had greeted Stamp and his arriving team lie inert on the lobby floor. AMBROSE'S VOICE I've never found that a problem... WITH BILLY (INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT) Billy's so surprised he momentarily gets loose with the copter and it banks off. As it and he recover: BILLY Right. Well, then. She's not likely to be alone. is she? LUTHER'S VOICE The question Is 'how many of 'em?' I can't get thru to Ethan. Not 'til the generators go off. BILLY When's that? LUTHER'S VOICE Not for another eight and a half minutes.WITH LUTHER staring at the red and yellow blips in vertical alignment, the Yellow one, Nyah, considerably below the red one, Ethan. INT - HOT ZONE ENTRANCE (NIGHT)The door reads. DANGER: LIVE VIRUS: INCUBATION ZONE. EXPOSURE ISFATAL. Ethan pulls on a protective mask from his pack and puts a miniaturized recorder up to the voice print activator:MCCLOY'S VOICE John C. McCloy.. Ethan's buzzed into the hot zone. He steps into the air locks. INT - SHEEP FARM IMF SAFEHOUSEA small bomb is placed by the dark gloves of someone unseen. EXT - CONSTRUCTION VAN - NIGHT a shadow falls across the dirt in front of the bumper. A SMALL OBJECT with a digital clock face, its red LED illuminating descendingnumbers, is carefully placed inside the bumper. The magnet on itdoesn't quite catch. It's then placed more carefully. INT - CONSTRUCTION VAN Luther doesn't pick up on the faint metallic sound just outside. He's concentrating on the flashes on the screen showing thetransponder rising in the building. Increasingly desperate:LUTHER It looks like Nyah's headed toward an elevator. ETHAN working meticulously an a computer monitor. DOWN ANGLE - ELEVATOR DOORS and a security guard's body lying in the corridor. A pair of trousered legs step over the body and into the elevator joining Nyah's legs and feet, and other pairs of trousered legs. Theelevator doors close. AMBROSE'S VOICEIf Hunt actually manages to squeak thru the atrium he's liable to make it to Chimera before

we will.. CLOSE LUTHER On his computer screen the yellow dot continues its ascent, thetwo dots growing ever closer. LUTHER She's in the elevator heading toward Ethan. BILLY'S VOICE How much longer before you can reach him? LUTHERFive and a half minutes. (looking at his chronometer) He's breached the hot zone.. AMBROSE'S VOICE On the other hand we know where Hunt will be and he doesn't know we're coming..INT - INCUBATION ZONEIn front of each of three large television monitors is a vialshaped roughly like a sealed beaker somewhere between one and twoliters in size. Each one is contained behind Plexiglas and each one pale yellow, one sunset red. Behind them are monitors marked,respectively: WORKING SEED STOCK, MASTER SEED STOCK, IN VITROVIRUS. Behind these is a monitor screen with a blow-up of thecontents of the vials & the magnitude of the blow-up - 950,000x.These are X-Ray microscope blow-ups, i.e., allowing the viewer tosee the motility of the virus and its metabolism, not dissimilarto an MRI this of Chimera in its three different cultures..Ethan's on the computer controls, racing thru to WORKING SEEDSTOCK, which calls for optimal levels of 6.9 pH and 11 degrees Celsius. He drops the pH to zero and punches up thetemperature to a hundred. The effect on the greenish hue inthe bottle is subtle but immediate - not so subtle is theeffect on the virus seeds viewed microscopically - theyimmediately appear agitated, their microscopic DNA innardscontracting and expanding.Ethan moves on to the Master Seed Stock and the In Vitro Viruspanels on the computer. The changes he makes are reflected onthe digital monitoring panels before each viral container.THE WORKING SEEDvial has begun to change colors from sea green to a paler pea-green. The liquid itself begins to thicken:COMPUTER VOICE(female)Alert. Chimera-working-seed-stock-pH-and-temperature-level-outside-optimal range.As the liquid grows more viscous the X-Ray have a progressivelymore difficult time penetrating the individual cells, resultingin a low humming sound which grows as the liquid gels.ETHANat the control panels for maintaining the virus.ANOTHER COMPUTER VOICEAlert. Chimera-master-seed-stock-pH-and-temperature-level-outside-optimal range.

FIRST COMPUTER VOICEAlert. Chimera-working-seed-stock-pH-at-unacceptable-level..THIRD COMPUTER VOICEAlert. Chimera-in-vitro-pH-and-temperature-level-outside-optimal range..FIRST COMPUTER VOICEAlert. Chimera-working-seed-stock-pH-at-critical-level. Alert. Stock-lifethreatened. Alert.The X-Ray microscope shows the individual seed-cells stickingtogether, some exploding, then all movement ceasing. The Liquiditself is suddenly shod thru fluorescent sparks before itcongeals to an opaque mush.FIRST COMPUTER VOICE (cont'd)Alert. Chimera stock life..terminated..Simultaneously with the seed stock, Ethan's damaging both theworking seed in-vitro virus.WIDE ANGLE - HOT ZONEEthan places a little plastique on a timer and runs up a ramp tothe decontaminant air lock at the back entrance to the hot zone.BILLY'S VOICEHow're we doin', then?LUTHERHe should've have killed the virus in theincubation area..Nyah's exited theelevator on the same level as the lab.BILLY'S VOICEWhat can we do' mate?LUTHER(staring at them)Hope he kills all the bugs before the yellow dot gets to the red one.CLOSE - LUTHER'S SCREENThe read and yellow blips are now on the same plane. The yellowdot moves toward the red one as if drawn by a slow motion magnet.DOWN ANGLE - ETHANlooking up as his entire body is hit with air like he's a windtunnel. When the air flow ceases, a green light goes on.COMPUTER VOICESubject is contaminate free. Zero contaminatefactor. Subject contaminate free.ETHAN - GLASS OBSERVATION ROOMheads up a ramp to the three injection guns. Hands in gloves hereaches into the chamber for one of the injection guns.LUTHER'S VOICEHe's still got three injection guns in thetest lab..They're loaded with doses ofChimera which he'll destroy by firinginto a hyper-thermal chamber.He places the barrel of the gun, seals the chamber, and fires.There's a tiny flash of light. Ethan withdraws the gun.INT - CONSTRUCTION VANLuther's sweating it as the clock counts down: :30, :29, :28..LUTHER- twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five,

come on, Ethan we're almost there! I-I'moff sensitive for this..In a spasm of anxiety Luther bolts to his feet, wipes his brow.LUTHER (cont'd)- eighteen seconds, the generators'll beoff and Ethan's back on line..Luther glances thru the van window only to see reflected in thevan side mirror:MIRROR REFLECTION - CHROME BUMPER (EXT. CONSTRUCTION VAN)reflected in it is the face of a digital clock, its red LEDilluminating the clock's numbers fourteen - thirteen - twelve -WITH LUTHERLUTHER(realizing what he's in for)Oh - oh - oh -Even as he moans he's frantically ripping out the computer andcords dangling, hotfoots toward the van exit.INT - HOT ZONE - GLASS OBSERVATION ROOMEthan fires the second injection gun. Picks up the third andlast. He pauses as he's about to fire it, staring intentlysuddenly the gun is held by:NEKHORVICHwho turns the barrel from the hyper-thermal chamber and releases into his wrist.BACK TO ETHAN - GLASS OBSERVATION ROOMwhose vision of of Nekhorvich fades. Still thinking of Nekhorvich hecontinues to stare at the gun for another moment and before he can fire:INT - SHEEP FARM IMF SAFEHOUSEThe bomb's LED readout shows 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.. As it reaches 0a small light on the bomb suddenly stops its incessant blinking.EXT - VANexplodes. Saw horses and dirt fly.INT - GLASS OBSERVATION ROOM - ETHANlooks up just in time to see Ambrose and team arrive at the far end of the lab. They immediately open fire, shattering theroom's walls and the glass injection gun chamber. As theinjection gun begins falling to the lab floor below, one ofAmbrose's team runs to grab it, but before he can reach it he isshot by Ethan, who's falling to the floor below.AMBROSE(to Ulrich)Get it.As Ethan hits and dives for cover, Ulrich goes for the gunEthan shoots Ulrich in the leg. Ulrich hops back in pain.AMBROSEThose were two explosions, your van andyour safehouse, in case you didn't hearthem both -- I believe that means you'vealso lost a friend.Ethan's crouching on the ground protected behind a series ofvertical metal sheets.ETHANAnd you couldn't walk to tell me about it.Ethan moves to pick up the injection gun which lies in theshattered glass on the floor. Ambrose, Wallis, and a couple ofother Ambrose team members fire, kicking u

p broken glass. Ethanbacks off.AMBROSE(yelling)Hold your fire, dammit!The two spot one another in a mirror on the far wall of the hotzone..AMBROSE (cont'd)Well, Hunt. How've you been?ETHAN(smiling)Fight a bit of a cold..AMBROSEAnd you're happy about that?ETHANBeats fighting the flu, I'm here to tellyou.AMBROSEYou know, that was the hardest part ofhaving to portray you. Grinning like anidiot every fifteen minutes.ETHANI would've thought the hardest part wasexercising restraint. Curbing thatpressing need of your to get your gun off. You were in such a hurry to knockoff that 747, you never figured out wherethe virus really was.AMBROSEI knew where it was.ETHANOh. then you knew the only way could smuggle the live virus to the CDCscientists in Atlanta was by injectinghimself and using his own bloodstream as a Petri dish, doing it inside of twentyhours so he could take the anti-virus andstill have it be effective. You knew thatwhile you were knocking him off anddestroying the very thing you came for.Ethan has been using this exchange to ease a fresh seventeenround clip into his weapon and he punctuates this last with aspray of gunfire, attempting to cover his own effort to the reachthe injection gun. The return fire nearly hits the injectiongun, kicking up glass and dust and making it move around on thefloor.AMBROSEStop! Put a sock in it! Hit that bloodygun and you'll spray the bloody virus allover the place!Everybody's regained cover but the injection gun remains out ofeverybody's reach.ETHANThere it is, guys, the last of it.AMBROSEYep. You've provided us with a goldenopportunity to have both the bug and thebug killer.ETHANWhat was the top bid?AMBROSEWhy, you going to make me a better offer?

ETHANThan thirty-seven million pounds? Notreally.AMBROSE(not amused)Somebody's been slipping you our mail.Come on out here, you bad girl.Nyah walks out into view on her own. Ethan sees her reflection inthe mirror. Enraged, but trying to control it.ETHANShe doesn't belong here, Sean. Let her go.AMBROSEShe wouldn't be here if it wasn't foryou, Hunt. from this moment you'reresponsible for what happens to her, andif you're looking out for her well-being,I suggest you advise her to pick up thegun and bring it to me. Ball's in yourcourt, Hunt. What've you got to say?Nyah's waiting for your answer.A pregnant pause.LUTHER'S VOICE(breaking through the static)Ethan, Nyah's in the building! Do you copy?WITH LUTHER (EXT. BIOCYTE)a mess amid the rubble of the construction van.ETHANETHAN(dryly)Thank you.ETHAN (cont'd)Sure he won't shoot you the minute he'sgot it?AMBROSEOh, Hunt, please! One can't hold Nyahresponsible for her actions..ETHANIn other words, you're calling her aflake.CLOSE - NYAHlistening.AMBROSEYou know women, mate. Like monkeys, theyare. Won't let go of one branch tilthey've got a grip on the next...get it,Nyah. I'll cover you.Ambrose cocks his weapon.AMBROSE (cont'd)I'm waiting.NYAH(not much more than bodylength from Ethan)This isn't exactly working out the way youthought it would, Ethan. Sorry.Finger on the injection trigger, she rises and turns the barrelon her arm, firing. The sound of the air pressure pushing thevirus into her is unmistakable, as is the circle of tiny puncturewounds on her skin. Nyah moves in front of Ethan, covering him,as she turns to face Ambrose.ETHANshocked by Nyah's gesture but as she addresses Ambrose heresets the 'Countdown' on his chronometer to twenty hours. Asit drops into the nineteen:

AMBROSE(frustrated in the extreme)You..bitch!She's been laughing away with Ethan:NYAHYou're not going to shoot, Sean. Notthis bitch. She's worth thirty-sevenmillion pounds.CLOSE - ETHAN'S HANDSfingers press a red button on a tiny detonator. There's a brightheat flash from the hot zone and an explosion of gas and water --the plastique killing any airborne virus.Ethan uses the diversion to grab Nyah and run with her to the farside of the lab, behind a stock of horizontal cylinders.INT - LABAmbrose and team recover from the explosion and begin firing onthe tanks protecting Ethan and Nyah, surrounding the two withfire and jets of released steam.INT - LAB - ETHAN AND NYAHbehind the stack of tanks. Ethan launches an explosive down ashort hallway, blowing a hole in the building's exterior wall.INT - ENTRANCES TO THE LABA group of Biocyte security guards enter from behind Ambrose andteam and catch them off-guard. All hell breaks loose.INT - LAB - ETHAN AND NYAHETHAN(outraged)What did you think you were doing!NYAHI wasn't thinking! Just..trying to keepyou from getting hurt, that's all.This hits Ethan with the force of a blow.ETHAN- you who don't have a conscience.NYAH(something of surprise toher)I guess I lied..You can't get both of us out of here, can you?ETHANNo.NYAHThen you'll have to kill me before it'stoo late. Before I start killing people.ETHANNo.NYAHI'm infected with Chimera. You know youdon't have a choice. Just do it now.She puts Ethan's gun to her forehead.NYAH (cont'd)For god's sake, get it over with.THE HAMMERpulls back.CLOSE - ETHANHe can't fire, lower the hammer.ETHANWe've got 19 hours and 57 minutes beforeyou start killing anybody. I'll get Bellerophon into your system by then.Just stay alive. I'm not gonna lose you.Ethan runs from the cover of the tanks toward the exploded wallonce in the open, he exchanges direct gunfire with Ambrose's

team, wounding a couple men. He reaches the wall and dives thru,camera with him as he drops 25 stories, the sound of gunfire inthe air all around him.Less than a hundred feet from the ground a small dark chutedeploys and Ethan is lost from view beneath it.PANNING SHOT - PAINTINGS (INT. CULTURAL ARTIFACT CENTER)of Aborigine paintings, eerie patterns made of man and naturephantasmagorical, like the patterns that form under the eyelidsshortly before sleep. B.G. the haunting notes of didgeridooinsure they're not being overheard.SWANBECK(reading the paintings titles)'Dreaming of Birds and Flying Fox,''Bushfire Dreaming,' 'Wind Dreaming,' --oddly appropriate -Swanbeck breaks off and turns to a somewhat battered and battleweary Ethan:SWANBECK (cont'd)- since it appears that Chimera, themother of all nightmares is on the loosesomewhere around here - is there any waythis disaster can be viewed as a qualifiedone?ETHAN(tight-lipped)Not yet. We did manage to pull anysensitive equipment and material out ofour safehouse wreckage.SWANBECKWe could lock down passport control andall ports of authority, but that won'tstop Ambrose, and beyond him, we don'tknow who else we're looking for -- all terrorist bank accounts of which we'reaware are stable. No deposits, nowithdrawals. Therefore no suspects.ETHANWe think we've got our finger on the buyer.SWANBECKDo you? Even assuming you're able toprevent Ambrose selling Chimera, you'venow got an additional problem. Youdestroyed all of Chimera at Biocyte. IfAmbrose is going to sell Chimera now,he'll have to do it by taking a pint or soof Miss Hall's blood to market.ETHANYes, I believe that's right.SWANBECKBut that leaves another seven or eightpints of Chimera.ETHANYou mean that leaves Miss Hall.SWANBECKYes, I believe that's right. Now myunderstanding is that 20 hours afterexposure, the victim becomes infectious.

Highly infectious.Ethan glances at his chronometer. Swanbeck sees it.SWANBECK (CONT'D)You noted the time of exposure?Ethan nods.SWANBECK (CONT'D)- good. Then if you manage to get hold ofAmbrose, and obtain what he's got, you'vegot -(glancing at the chronometer)- 8 hours 57 minutes and twenty-threeseconds to destroy the largest remainingsource of Chimera on earth.ETHANShe sacrificed herself..SWANBECKBrave girl. If you can get hold ofBellerophon with the time limit, you mayspare her the ultimate sacrifice. But ineither case you've got less than ninehours to kill her or cure her. After thatit's out of our hands and a matter ofworldwide material law. And Hunt. Howeveryou obtain it, we want you to preserve asample of Chimera. Bring it back alive.Ethan's staring at Swanbeck.SWANBECK (CONT'D)Something else?ETHANAren't you even curious? About why shedid it?SWANBECKNo. I can't afford to be curious. Andneither can you, Hunt..As the eerie wail of the didgeridoo seems to mount in volume andintensity, the overcast sky filtering into the loft seemsparticularly oppressive. Ethan's up against it and he knows it.A VIEW OF SYDNEYfrom harbors to skyline in all its sunlight splendor.Nyah sits for a moment, looking steadily at Ambrose. Ambrose patsthe cannister he's carrying.AMBROSEFeel like pleading for your life?NYAH(with an edge)Not as much as you feel like hearing it.Ambrose slaps her. With scarcely a flicker of hesitation sheslaps him back.AMBROSEGod damn it, Nyah! Why did you do it? Whydid you save that bastard?NYAHIf it'll make you feel any better I won'tdo it again.It doesn't. Full of pain and rage, he gets out of the car.AMBROSEIf it'll make you feel any better, you'regoing to take a lot of Aussies with youand make me a lot of money.NYAHWhat are you ta

lking about?AMBROSEIn just a few hours you can be assured ofgoing down in history as the typhoid Maryof Oz. G'day.A nameless guard from Michael's car idling nearby gets into theback seat with Nyah. Ambrose shuts the car door in Nyah's face,gets in Michael's car takes off.EXT/INT - IMF HELICOPTER - BLUFFETHANLuther?..Luther.Luther drops a tiny part into his computer board and, as he triesto fish it out with the aid of a magnifying glass:LUTHEREthan, I keep telling you there's not a chance of locating Nyah til I access thesatellite and there's not a chance ofdoing that til I get this thing booted upand running! How much time does she have left?ETHANNinety-seven minutes, twenty-sevenseconds.BILLYBefore we kill her or cure her..LUTHERRight.ETHANWrong. All we've got to worry about isAmbrose. Nyah will take care of Nyah.BILLYWhat are you talking about?ETHANUnless we dose her with Bellerophon on thenext ninety-seven minutes, Nyah will killherself. So, first things, first.Swanbeck said there's no cash movementfrom any monitored terrorist accounts.EXT - BEAR ISLAND CAR PARKMcCloy's black limousine is in the car park.ETHAN'S VOICEConfirms what Ambrose is gonna do -INT - TUNNEL - BEAR ISLANDBarrels of toxic materials line the walls, as an armed guard patrols the corridor, leading into the main chamber, where wefollow McCloy intoINT - SLABHOUSEMcCloy enters and begins pacing.ETHAN'S VOICE (CONT'D)- who he's doing it with, and where he'sgonna do it.EXT - MOTORCYCLE AND LINE OF VEHICLES (DAY)speed along an isolated road in close formation before turningonto a side road, revealed as leading to a bridge across a smallstrip of water to a small island.EXT - BEAR ISLAND - LANDWARD SIDE (DAY)As the cycles and vehicles cross the bridge and approach thefront gate, the camera swings around the side of the islandestablishing the geography and the six cannon emplacementsbefore coming to a stop onEXT - BEAR ISLAND - SEAWARD CLIFF - ETHANscaling the seaw

ard side of the island with minimal gearEXT/INT - IMF HELICOPTER - BLUFFresting like a giant locust, half hidden by a cluster of trees onthe bluff overlooking Bear Island.Billy's at the controls, with binoculars, maintainingsurveillance of the island and environs.In the back, Luther is at Work on his GPS computer.BILLY'S VOICEEthan's out from under the bridge and onthe south-east face..EXT - CLIFF/VIEW OF TUNNELEthan climbs the side of the cliff. BILLY'S VOICEEthan, Ambrose and his tem haveover the bridge -ETHANCopy that.Ethan reaches the clifftop and sees armed guards patrolling.BILLY'S VOICEYou all right, mate? From here it lookslike very security. What's it look like like from there?ETHANRisky.He's over the top and moves swiftly to cover.Ethan surprises and kills a perimeter guard, then runs to alength of grating and lifts one of the panels.Ethan climbs down through the grating in the roof of the tunnel.Using a bar to swing down, he breaks a second guard's neck anddrops to the floor.EXT - BEAR ISLAND - ENTRANCE (DAY)Ambrose and team drive through the entry gate -- passing itsBIOCYTE PHARMACEUTICALS sign and various no-nonsense warnings of'No Trespassing,' etc. -- before Biocyte security guards close itbehind them.INT - TUNNEL - NEAR THE GRATINGETHANBreached the structure at the ten o'clockgrating. In the tunnel moving toward thetarget.Ethan begins heading down the tunnel.INT - SLABHOUSE BUILDINGAmbrose and team enter, where McCloy and his CHEMIST andACCOUNTANT are waiting. As Stamp stands back, observing, andWallis sets up a laptop, Ambrose walks up to a refectory-liketable and stands opposite McCloy. Ambrose reaches into his coatand puts two cannisters on the table in front of McCloy. McCloy'schemist picks up the cannisters and inserts them into twochambers connected to his microscope.CHEMISTIt's a DNA match. The blood's loaded withChimera.An insert of the microscope plate shows the two samples, asBellerophen destroys Chimera.The chemist presses a button on the chamber and there's a heatflash. The chamber red light moves to green, and there's a mechanical voice: 'Substance destroyed.'CHEMIST (cont'd)

And they certainly have Bellerophen.The Kev cannister is out on the table.MCCLOYWell, then. You've got both the virus andthe anti-virus, Chimera and Bellerophen.Which means I've thirty million foryouAmbrose doesn't respond.MCCLOY (cont'd)That's all the cash I can come up withAMBROSENot exactly. Wallis?WALLIS(off Biocyte figures on laptop)More like two-two point two million.AMBROSEIn any case we don't want your cash.MCCLOYThen what do you want?Ambrose picks up a mobile phone and dials.AMBROSEStock, Mr. McCloy. Stock options, to be alittle more precise..(into the phone)- cut her loose..right in the center oftown..the more crowded the better..(punching off, to McCloy)How quickly can you manufacture more ofthe antivirus.INT - TUNNEL - CAVITY IN THE WALLAs he moves along the tunnel, Ethan suddenly flattens himselfagainst a wall as he receives a transmission from Luther.LUTHER'S VOICEEthan, just picked up an Ambrose call -Nyah's been dropped off. I think she'salive.ETHANWhere is she?EXT - HELICOPTER - BLUFFLUTHERSomewhere in Sydney.INT - TUNNEL - CAVITY IN THE WALLEthan hears something and ducks into a nearby cavity in thetunnel wall. As a guard approaches, Ethan steps out of thecavity and knocks the guard out, then throws him into theopposite wall.LUTHER'S VOICEEthan? Do you copy?ETHAN'S VOICE'Somewhere in Sydney?' Care to harden thetarget?LUTHER'S VOICECan't. Until I can get the GPS up on ourcomputer..it's still down..ETHANThe clock is ticking..Back to the matter at hand, Ethan completes the move on the guard and knocks him out.INT - SLABHOUSEMCCLOYBellerophen? No time at all once I've got it.AMBROSEGood. Biocyte stock is just a week or twoaway from g

oing through the roof.MCCLOY(alarmed)What are you talking about?AMBROSEAn outbreak of Chimera.MCCLOYWhere?AMBROSEIn downtown Sydney for a start.McCloy is stunned.AMBROSE (cont'd)You create the supply, Mr. McCloy, we'vejust created the demand. Three million people in Sydney and 17 million people inAustralia are going to need Bellerophenwithin a matter of days..not to mentionthe rest of the world..INT - TUNNEL - OPEN AREA - ETHAN'S FEETstealthily approach a couple dozen jittery pigeons, cooingand pecking. The intensity of their noise-making increasesas Ethan reaches them.INT - TUNNEL - OUTSIDE OF THE SLABHOUSE ROOM DOORSHearing the disruption of the pigeons, one of Ambrose'sguards leaves his post at the double doors and head the tunnel toward the birds to investigate.INT - TUNNEL - OPEN AREAAmbrose's guard draws his gun and continues approaching thepigeons. Before the guard can see him, Ethan runs forward, andsends the pigeons into scattered flight, blinding the guard.Ethan jumps into a back flip and double kicks -- first knockingaway the guard's gun and then knocking him out and flat on hisback. Ethan continues his flip and lands right back on his feet.INT - SLABHOUSEAMBROSE-- now here's the way it's going towork..Wallis, the shares outstanding are..WALLISNinety-three point four million.AMBROSE Which means, Mr. McCloy, we have to getour hands on four hundred and eightythousand options. We'll borrow yourthirty million to buy those options. Yourstock's never sold above thirty-onedollars a share. We'll agree to buy atfifty. AMBROSE (cont'd)When your stock goes north of two hundred, and it will, those options will be worth billions. We can borrow whatever we need to buy the 48,000,000 shares, fifty-one percent of Biocyte.MCCLOYOutrageous. I won't let you take controlof my company.AMBROSE Sit down. You'll be a billionaire. Betterthan being broke. I've got terroris

ts andother pharmaceutical companies standing inline. Ball's in your court, Mr. McCloy.INT - TUNNEL - OUTSIDE THE SLABHOUSE ROOM DOORSEthan pulls a can of explosive material form his pack. Herolls it towards the double doors, and it stops just beforereaching them. Then, pointing his gun to the ceiling, he fires into the air.INT - SLABHOUSE ROOM - AMBROSEhears a noise and looks to Stamp, who heard it as well.Stamp nods to two guards to check it out. They head acrossthe room to the double doors.INT - TUNNEL - OUTSIDE THE SLABHOUSE ROOM DOORS - ETHANwaits for the right moment before raising his and firingat the can of explosives. Just as it ignites, the guardsopen the doors and are blown back by force of the explosion.INT - SLABHOUSE ROOM - AMBROSEreacts and turns toward the explosion. Amidst the flames and debris, a single white dove comes flying into the room. Andbeyond it, Ambrose can see Ethan Hunt in silhouette walkingslowly past the doorway.AMBROSERun that bastard down.Orders are shouted, and guards, along with Stamp, hotfoot it downthe tunnel-corridor in the direction of the explosion.INT - TUNNEL - STAMP AND GUARDSrun down the tunnel. The guards move commando-style, directedby Stamp's hand signals.INT - SLABHOUSE - MCCLOY AND AMBROSEAmbrose loads his gun and drags the tip of the barrel along thetable.AMBROSEWe're running short on time, Mr. McCloy.We've got to conclude our business.McCloy pauses only a moment before nodding to his accountant.MCCLOYYes, start the transfer.The accountant begins working on his laptop.AMBROSE(to Wallis)Follow it. Let me know.INT - TUNNEL - STAMP AND GUARDSpass a couple of doorways. A pigeon flies past Stamp's face andhe stops. As he turn, Ethan Lowers himself from a hiding placein the ceiling. Stamp and Ethan pull their guns on one another.They're in a face-off until they both agree to drop their guns,but Stamp catches his in mid-air and points it back at Ethan.ETHANYou broke our deal.STAMPYou're too trusting. Raise your handsslowly.As Ethan raises his hands, he pulls the pin on a grenade and thenkicks it between Stamp's legs. The handle flies off: It's live.When Stamp looks down in surprise at the grenade, Ethan kicks outhis gun.Trying to escape the grenade, Stamp smashes

into Ethan and seemsto have hit him in the jaw. Both hit the ground as the grenadeexplodes, with Stamp appearing to have the upper hand.INT - SLABHOUSEAs everyone waits for the transfer to complete, the grenadeexplodes out in the tunnel. McCloy and his accountant freezewith alarm as a sprinkling of dust settles on the room.AMBROSE(to the accountant)Keep it going.STAMP'S VOICESean, this rat's reached the end of themaze.AMBROSE(into walkie-talkie)Is he alive?STAMP'S VOICEMore or less.AMBROSEBring him to me.INT - HELICOPTER - BILLY AND LUTHERLuther has the GPS computer starting to access the satellite.BILLY(nervously)We're due to take off.LUTHERNot for seven more minutes.INT - SLABHOUSE - WALLISchecking his computer screen, which shows the transfer hasfinished successfully.WALLISSean. Transfer complete.Stamp drags Ethan in, arms pinned with heavy tape. StampEthan look grimy as sandbags after a busy day of tunneling.Ambrose rises to examine his prize.MCCLOY(apprehensive)What exactly do you intend to do with him?Ambrose walks behind Ethan and kicks his knees out from underhim. Ethan falls to the floor.INT - HELICOPTER - BILLY AND LUTHERLUTHEREthan? Ethan? Do you copy?Luther hears nothing in response but while noise. He looks toBilly and indicates there's no answer.ETHANWell, mate, maybe this is one of thosetimes we shouldn't follow orders.EXT - HELICOPTER (DAY)the rotor blades turn over.INT - SLABHOUSE BUILDING (DAY)AMBROSE(to Ethan)What have you got to say for yourself.Hunt? Any last words?Ethan appears as if he wants to respond, but can't. Ambrosekicks him again.AMBROSE (cont'd)Stop mumbling.STAMPAfraid he's got no choice. I believe Ibroke his jaw.AMBROSEHugh, I'm impressed..Ambrose has picked up a pair of Berettas, and is proceeding to

load both full seventeen round clips.MCCLOY(anxiety mounting)What do you intend to do?Ambrose favors McCloy with a glance of genial exacerbation.AMBROSEYou needn't watch.FULL SHOT - HELICOPTER (DAY)rising off the golf green, and banking toward the island.INT - SLABHOUSE (DAY)Ambrose standing before Hunt with a pair of fully loadedBerettas. The sound of the helicopter grows.AMBROSE- right. We don't have a lot of time,Hunt. whatever you've got to say, say itnow.Ethan indeed makes some considerable effort to speak but can onlymanage a few guttural, progressively desperate sounds whichcontinue as:AMBROSE (cont'd)Sorry mate, I can't understand a bloodyword. How about giving us a big smile toremember you by?(hearing the helicopter)No? Well, then. This is what's known asgetting your gun off.With that Ambrose empties thirty four rounds from the twoBerettas into Ethan whose body jerks crazily on the floor.McCloy nearly faints, and Ambrose laughs at his squeamishnessuntil something on Ethan's body catches his eye: the top of thelittle finger on the right hand is bleeding. Ambrose grabsEthan's face, and rips off a latex mask: revealing Stamp, eyeswide open and thoroughly lifeless. His jaw, under the mask hadbeen taped carefully close with the same heavy tape Ethan hasused to mount the drain-pipe shotgun on the tunnel wall.AMBROSE (cont'd)Bloody hell!He looks around, but Stamp is gone. So is the cannister andkevlar vest that had been on the table moments before.EXT - BEAR ISLANDEthan's on the motorcycle, heading toward the gates, which a pairof security guards are frantically trying to close.Billy and Luther in the copter are over the island, and bank soLuther can fire a grenade launcher and blow the back of Ambrose'sboat.The guards close the gate, Ethan runs the motorcycle up thehillock and jumps the gate, over onto the bridge. Ambrose followsin the SUV, crashing thru the gate.They race across the bridge and the road, onto the hugegreensward opposite to and similar in shape to Bare Island.There, with the helicopter hovering, Ambrose manages to cornerEthan and after they expend whatever ammunition their weaponshold, they move into each other bare handed and engage inferocious, no-holds-barred combat, the helicopter hovering lowenough to keep a

way whatever's left of Ambrose's henchmen, thechopper's downdraft hitting them and flattening the grass aroundthem. Ethan prevails.A SPECTACULAR VIEW OF SYDNEYon bluffs overlooking the city. Camera moves slowly to the topof the bluff.EXT/INT - IMF HELICOPTER (DAY)With Billy flying and Luther at the door, machine gun inhand, the copter nears the Bare Island gun pit and Ethan.EXT - BEAR ISLAND GUN PIT - ETHANruns into the central 'hole' area, guns in both hands andwearing the kevlar vest. He runs toward the walled edge of the enclosure and jumps. As he pulls himself up the top ofthe wall, he sees the IMF helicopter approaching.A gunman appears from the tunnel entrance and opens fire, thebullets exploding into the wall around Ethan, who jumps outof the way to avoid them.EXT/INT - IMF HELICOPTERis under fire as well, bullets spraying the windshield,driving Luther back inside and causing Billy to turn thechopper around.BILLYMan at your six.EXT - BEAR ISLAND GUN PIT - ETHANwho rolls and returns fire at the gunman. Ethan first hitsthe gunman in the leg, and then shoots and explodes thecanisters behind the gunman, killing him.ETHAN(to Billy)The field of fire is too heavy. Back offand pinpoint their positions.BEAR ISLAND HILL - MOTORCYCLEbearing down on him as he stands up. Ethan just manages todive out of its path before a second motorcycle comes up overthe hill. Ethan flips backwards and fires his pistol,shooting the second cyclist off his bike.The motorcycle flies over Ethan, who runs after it and jumpson, revving the throttle and taking off.BEAR ISLAND - PARKING AREA - AMBROSEdeploys some of his men via walkie-talkie while othersscramble into their cars.AMBROSE(into walkie-talkie)Hunt's heading for the bridge. Coming inat twelve o'clock high.BEAR ISLAND BRIDGEA Gold Falcon with several of Ambrose's men inside enters thebridge from the mainland and speeds toward the island.EXT - BEAR ISLAND COMPLEXAmbrose's men exit the complex and get into their cars.BEAR ISLAND HILL - ETHANcrests a hill aboard the cycle, the IMF chopper in b.g.ETHANClear that bridge for me.LUTHER' VOICERoger that.BILLY'S VOICEThey're tracking you on the left, Ethan.Prepare for some fire.BEAR ISLAND ROADWAYMicha

el's SUV and Wallis' sedan speed along as a gunman from theSUV fires on Ethan up the hill, spraying bullets around him.BEAR ISLAND BRIDGE - GOLD FALCONapproaches the island. Luther fires his grenade launcher. Ithits the Falcon's trunk, lifting its back wheel off the ground,but the Falcon keeps coming, its trunk ablaze. Luther reloads asa gunman leans out the window, firing up at Ethan on the hill.BEAR ISLAND HILL - ETHANlays on the cycle's throttle, accelerates down the hill andpropels the bike into the air and off the island, just asEXT - IMF HELICOPTER - LUTHERagain fires his grenade launcher, this time at the front of theBEAR ISLAND BRIDGE - GOLD FALCONon the bridge. The grenade explodes at the front of the carand hurls the Falcon into the air and off the bridge.BEAR ISLAND - HILL/BRIDGE - ETHANis in mid-air on the cycle, heading down toward the bridge. Justas he lands, the Gold Falcon flies off the bridge, and Ethanspeeds through the flames and off onto the mainland.BEAR ISLAND - BRIDGEMichael's SUV arrives and tears through the gate and flames,followed by Wallis' sedan and then Ambrose, riding a motorcycle.ROAD LEADING FROM BRIDGE - ETHANraces up the road to find a white Falcon approaching.The IMF chopper arrives and gunfire's exchanged. Luther takes ahit in the shoulder and drops his gun as the chopper banks away.INT - HELICOPTER - LUTHERLuther grips his shoulder in pain and falls back into his seat,jarring the GPS computer. It responds by beeping and coming tolife. Nyah's yellow dot pops up on the screen.GPS COMPUTERThe target is located.LUTHEREthan, the computer's up. I've got Nyah.She's moved out of the city.ETHANLuther, say again.LUTHERShe's on the North Head Bluff - approaching the cliffs. One klick away.EXT - ROADWAY - ETHANETHAN(over increasing static)Copy. She's only got twenty-eight minutesleft. Track ahead and pick her up.INT - IMF HELICOPTER Luther bands his shoulder wound and monitors his GPS laptop.LUTHERWe won't be able to cover you.EXT - ROADWAY - ETHANslightly slows the bike to concentrate over the static.ETHANYou're breaking up. Track ahead and pick her up. You've got me on GPS. Bring her to me.Ethan pulls out and throws away the earpiece.

INT - IMF HELICOPTERLUTHERBilly, North Head. Haul ass.EXT - ROADWAYEthan heads downhill as the SUV approaches on an adjacent road.He pulls out in front of it, immediately drawing fire. Withoutslowing, Ethan drops to the side his cycle for cover.INT - IMF HELICOPTER - LUTHERwatches the GPS laptop as the chopper speeds over Sydney.EXT - ROADWAY - ETHAN AND WALLIS' SEDANWallis' sedan appears from an adjoining road and pulls in behindEthan, who climbs back aboard his cycle. Cut off, the SUV turnsonto a side road to intercept Ethan.WALLISGet him.ULRICHI can't get a good shot.Before an intersection, Ethan both revs and brakes, spinning thebike and creating a smoke screen. Wallis' car enters the smoke.ULRICH (cont'd)I can't see him, mate. Slow down!WALLISShut up. I know what I'm doing.Wallis breaks hard, but not hard enough: he stops just in thepath of an oncoming 18-wheeler. His car's demolished.EXT - ROADWAY - ETHAN AND SUVEthan pulls out of the smoke as the SUV bursts out of the scrubbehind him, striking the rear of the cycle. Ethan puts his bike into a spin and pulls his gun, ending up alongside the SUVpassenger window. He fires through the window, shooting bothMichael and the bodyguard.The SUV veers off, crashing into a line of parked cars. It hitsthe first car and flips up and over, landing upside down onseveral more parked cars. Ethan speeds off on his smoking cycle.Ambrose arrives and then takes a side road.INT - IMF HELICOPTER - LUTHERworking on his GPS laptop. The range -- ie, the distance fromthe moving copter to the yellow dot, Nyah, on the edge of thescreen -- is reduced to about two kilometers.LUTHER(to Billy)Range is two kay.BILLYI hope there's a place to land.Luther looks up from the screen to see the bluff of North Head atthe entrance to Sydney's harbor.EXT - THREE-LINED ROADWAY - ETHANtearing down the road, when suddenly from a side trail Ambrosepulls out behind him and begins firing. Ethan weaves to avoidAmbrose's fire and passes a car, pulling in front of it forcover. The car skids, forcing Ambrose to veer around it.FROM COPTER TO GROUND (MOVING)rapidly approaching the North Head bluff.BILLYThere she is. I got

visual.LUTHERWe're down to seven minutes 23 seconds..HIGH ANGLE - NORTH HEADmoving up behind Nyah who is walking purposefully to the edge ofthe bluff and a precipitous drop to rocks and surf a hundred and fifty feet below.Camera drops to Nyah's shoulder level and moves with her to thebluff's edge. As she's just a few steps away from steppingoff, there's a roar and the helicopter rises into the shot,before her wild-eyed Billy gesturing, 'Stop! Stop!' to Nyah.EXT - ROADWAYEthan passes narrowly between a car and oncoming truck. Ambrosefollows as soon as the truck clears. Ethan fires backward using his side-view mirror to aim, exploding Ambrose's windscreen.Ambrose skids until his wheel clips a rock, knocking him upright.Ethan turns into a side road and speeds through open scrub. Backon the main road, Ambrose roars off to intercept Ethan.EXT - CLIFFTOP - ROCK LEDGEOn a clifftop clearing, Ethan races along as Ambrose moves to cuthim off. They head toward one another.LUTHER'S VOICEEthan, we've got her. Tracking to you now.We're reading 5 minutes 19 seconds.EXT - CLIFFTOP - CLEARINGEthan and Ambrose round a bend and face one another. Withouthesitating, they charge towards each other. As they near oneanother, each leaps forward and off his bike, and they collidehard in mid-air. They fall to the ground fighting as their bikesskid and Ethan's explodes, raining debris upon them.Ethan and Ambrose rush towards one another. Ethan flips Ambroseto the ground. Ambrose pulls a gun from his ankle holster. AsEthan knocks it away, he loses his own gun and they both fall offa 30-foot cliff.INT - IMF HELICOPTERat top speed over Sydney. Nyah appears weak and shivers.LUTHER(to Billy)Bearing two one zero. About 3 klicks.(into microphone)Ethan, we're moments away..EXT - CLIFFTOP - CLEARING - FIGHTEthan and Ambrose rise from the fall. Ethan jumps up and sweepsAmbrose, dropping him to the ground. Ethan begins stranglingAmbrose but gets knocked off, and when they both stand, Ambrosegets Ethan in a choke hold.Ambrose hits him and grabs a rock and hits Ethan in themidsection and the face. Ethan kicks it out of his hand andconnects with several punches, knocking Ambrose to the ground.Kneeling, Ambrose pulls a knife from a boot holster and cutsEthan across the back and face. Ambrose dives on Ethan and theknife is poised above Ethan's eye before Ethan grabs the knifeand clears, holding it out t

oward Ambrose.AMBROSEGo ahead. Use it Hunt. It's not a badway to go. A lot better than the way thatbitch is going to die.Ambrose swings again and misses, and Ethan delivers a series ofkicks, leaving Ambrose stunned and barely standing. Ethan stepsback, and with a running start, strikes Ambrose with a leapingkick that drops him to the ground and knock the knife out of hishand.EXT/INT - IMF HELICOPTER - CLIFFTOPAs they approach in the distance, Billy, Luther and Nyah finallygain sight of Ethan in hand-to-hand combat.EXT - CLIFFTOP - CLEARING - FIGHTEthan turns and walks away from Ambrose toward the cliff edge.The copter lands and Luther runs toward Ethan but pulls up,looking over Ethan's shoulder. Ambrose has a gun aimed at Ethan's back.AMBROSEHunt. You should have killed me.Near Hunt's feet is his own gun, obscured from Ambrose's view bydust from the copter. Ethan tosses the canister to Luther andthen kicks his gun up out of the dirt and into the air. Hecatches it, drops down and fires, killing Ambrose.EXT/ INT - HELICOPTER ON CLIFFTOPEthan reaches Nyah at the copter. Inches apart, they can onlystare silently at one another.INT - CULTURAL MUSEUMDidgeridoo music. A child admires a painting. Swanbeck and Ethanface one another. A long, long pause. For a moment it appears asif Swanbeck has lost awareness of Ethan's presence.SWANBECKSorry, Ethan. I don't quite know where tobegin. Any suggestions?ETHANYou'd like me to conduct my owndebriefing.SWANBECKWhy not? You've done just abouteverything else on this operation.ETHANI'd thank you -- but I'm not sure that wasa compliment.SWANBECKOf course it was. Anyone whose operationsrequires the level of disinformation thatyours do, is bound to get a little flakhere and there. You try flogging thestories on CNN I've had to come up withabout what's been going on around here thelast few days. At any rate, it's beenmost instructive -- what they'll swallow,or what they'll broadcast with a straightface.(picking up a file)Miss Hall's blood, it appears, hasabsolutely no elements of the Chimeravirus

. Not even antibodies.ETHANYes, I gathered as much.SWANBECKAnd the only other remaining sample was inthe canister you recover from Ambrose.ETHANYes.SWANBECKAnd that appears to have been destroyed.It also contained the anti-virus,Bellerophon.ETHANWell, Bellerophon, it turns out, was onlyreally effective against Chimera.SWANBECKBut you were under specific instructionsto bring back a living sample of theChimera virus. I'd be very interested toknow how, after you'd managed its recoveryintact, it subsequently got destroyed.ETHANBy fire. That's the best way, really.SWANBECKSo you didn't fail mission, you simplychanged it.Ethan doesn't respond.SWANBECK (cont'd)It's no longer enough for you to executeand implement IMF policy, you now wish togo in the business of creating it?ETHANNo, I don't. But in this case -SWANBECKIn this case, it wasn't a bad idea. Inface, it was a pretty damn good idea.Just don't make a habit of it. And, as forMs. Hall, in light of her efforts, hercriminal records will certainly beexpunged. I'm assuming you approve.ETHANI do.SWANBECKWhere is she now, by the way? Do youknow?ETHANI don't. No exactly.SWANBECKWell, Hunt, what are your plans?ETHANNot sure. Some sort of vacation. I'lllet you know where I'm going.SWANBECKOh, you don't have to do that. Wouldn't be a vacation if you did.Ethan and Swanbeck exchange one final, knowing glance.SKY NEWSCASTERThis incident in the wake of rumorssuddenly surfacing about Mr. McCloy and Biocyte's financial difficulties --including criminal allegations of insider trading, embezzlement, conspiracy to

commit fraud, and stock parking -- have,understandably, sent stock prices of thepharmaceutical company plummeting.EXT - SYDNEY (DAY)Ethan emerges to a very crowded street. Billy and Luther arewaiting. Both look to Ethan.LUTHER(worried)So what did he say?ETHANGood job. And thanks.BILLY(incredulous)That's it? That's it? That's it?LUTHER(dryly, looking at Billy)And the check's in the mall.BILLYRight. Just remember, mates. BillyBaird's the name. Anything you need toget, move or watch, I'm your man.And Billy's gone. Ethan and Luther remain alone, both reluctantto say anything, both reluctant to leave.One quick bear hug, then:LUTHERAlways nice hearing from you man. Stay in touch..And Luther's off. Ethan looks after him, a bit wistfully. Then,curiously tentative he moves off into the crowd. After a half-dozen steps, something catches his eyes. He stops.One quick bear hug, then:NYAH(a tad wary)Do you know me?NYAHis inches from him. Without batting an eye.ETHANNo. Should I?NYAHNo. You just looked as if you did.ETHANNo...She wraps her arms around him and kisses him with considerableconviction.ETHAN (cont'd)...just as if I'd like to.NYAHOh. Well..He kisses her with a conviction that is more than a match forhers.NYAH (cont'd)..I think that can be arranged.Looks around at the swirling crowd:ETHANLet's get lost.And in a moment they've vanished from the frame and into thecrowd. Camera begins to pull back, the bustling crowd everfilling the frame - and in the distance, perhaps, just a splashof a bouquet of flowers can be seen, appearing to bounce along onits own, the rising beat of the MI theme:BEGIN CREDITS: IMF II - CHIMERA