Bowie snags the grab loop with his other hand. Ace fumbles the Glock from his waistband.
CLARA
Don’t kill him!
Ace points the gun at Bowie, who stares into Ace’s eyes, cold, grim. The Muskrat enters calmer water.
ACE
(to Bowie)
Let go.
BOWIE
You better shoot me. I’m not letting go.
ACE
Maybe I’ll leave you both.
Clara clutches her belly.
CLARA
You can’t leave us. Ever.
ACE
(to Bowie))
See your ass on Judgment Day.
As Ace levels the Glock at Bowie’s face, Clara thrusts upward into Ace. He pulls the trigger and the shot goes wild. The shot echoes like thunder. In the hush that follows...
CLARA
I meant, you can’t leave us. I’m pregnant.
Far upriver, in the clouds: SKEEEEK.
CUT TO:
EXT. BASE OF CLIFF. DUSK.
SFX: SKEEEK carries over. Raintree and Dove stare up the sheer rock face, ropes around their shoulders, belaying pitons and pick hammers stuck in their belts.
RAINTREE
Slippery when wet.
DOVE
We can die waiting or we can die climbing.
RAINTREE
Something’s up there.
DOVE
Great. More ancient Cherokee spirits?
Raintree launches himself up the rock face, free climbing.
RAINTREE
We’ll see.
CUT TO:
EXT. CLEARING IN WOODS. DUSK.
Farrengalli has Castle propped under the canopy, near the fire. Castle is semi-conscious, moans occasionally. Farrengalli checks the red bandage on Castle’s shoulder. The inflated Muskrat lies at the edge of the makeshift camp. It is turned over, and rain drums off of it.
FARRENGALLI
Only a crazy fucker would climb up where they are. We’re better off on the ground, buddy.
CASTLE
I got an idea.
FARRENGALLI
I know. We been there. Climb the cliff, call on the cell phone. And wait for the cavalry.
CASTLE
You fell for it, huh?
FARRENGALLI
What you talking about?
CASTLE
The raft. You and me. I want to catch that son of a bitch.
FARRENGALLI
I like half of that idea.
Farrengalli gets up and heads toward the Muskrat. Castle tries to rise, groans, he’s too weak. Farrengalli starts dragging the kayak toward the river.
CASTLE
You can’t leave me.
FARRENGALLI
I’ve heard that from 20 different women, and all of them were prettier than you.
He keeps on. Castles shouts at his back.
CASTLE
If they make it to the top...
Farrengalli pauses, not turning.
CASTLE (CONT’D)
Helicopters. News crews. Publicity. You want Raintree to have it all?
Farrengalli turns and lets the Muskrat drop to the ground.
FARRENGALLI
Catch you on the other side, Mulder.
CUT TO:
EXT. FACE OF BABELTOWER. DUSK.
Raintree is halfway up. He squats on a narrow ledge, pounds a climbing anchor into a rock crevice. He attaches a safety line and plays it down to Dove, who is on a ledge 10 feet below. The main line is looped through a second anchor, with Raintree holding the end.
RAINTREE
Anchors away.
Raintree holds tension on the main line. Dove begins her ascent. The main anchor slowly pulls free, then it pops. Dove screams as she takes a sudden drop.
The safety line stops her. She is swinging 15 feet below Raintree, dangling by the carabiner in her belt.
RAINTREE (CONT’D)
Hold the main!
He reels in the slack and wraps it around his arm. He braces his feet against a rock. Muscles bulging, he begins to draw her up. The line scrapes along the ledge, fraying. Dove scrabbles for a handhold.
DOVE
I can’t...get...any purchase.
RAINTREE
On three. Make like Spiderwoman and grab everything you can. One...
(braces himself)
Two…
(grimacing as rope tightens)
Three!
He yanks, the rope burning his wrist, he plays in another couple of feet, Dove finds a small crevice and propels herself upward. One of her hands reaches over the ledge.
Raintree secures the slack and reaches for her with his free hand. She is slippery with rain, grunting.
Dove throws her other hand over, finds a crevice, scrambles up and over, rolls flat against Raintree. They lay panting, face to face, looking at each other.
DOVE
Close.
RAINTREE
Too close.
Their lips move forward as if to kiss. The line grows taut. Below them:
FARRENGALLI (O.S.)
Hey, you guys, wait up.
CUT TO:
EXT. GORGE LEDGE. DUSK.
Samford-thing perches on the ledge, looking out over the river. Three of his fellow goregoyles soar over the gorge in the rain. Behind him, the Pete-thing crawls in the clumsy first stages of change.
Samford-thing sniffs the air. He opens his mouth, showing teeth, grinning, hungry, eyes dead. He launches himself from the ledge with a SKEEEEEK.
CUT TO:
EXT. ON THE RIVER. DUSK.
Ace, Clara, and Bowie huddle on the shore, Ace with the gun, Bowie a few feet away. The Muskrat bobs in the water, tied off to a fallen tree. Clara’s Maglite sweeps over the forest and river as she swivels her head.
ACE
Jesus Fucking Christ on a lollipop.
CLARA
I knew you’d be mad.
ACE
You ain’t keeping it.
Clara wraps her arms around her belly, protectively.
CLARA
God chose me for it.
Ace explodes in rage, slaps her. Bowie starts to respond but Ace threatens him with the gun.
ACE
(to Clara)
You ain’t good enough.
BOWIE
That make you feel good, Ace?
Ace turns his anger to Bowie.
ACE
If you hadn’t tried to play hero, we’d be to town by now.
BOWIE
Is it more fun to slap them than to blow them up?
Ace points the barrel of the pistol inches from Bowie’s face.
ACE
Don’t think I can’t get that raft down the river without you.
BOWIE
I’m dead either way. What does it matter to me?
Ace grins, face slick in the rain. He turns and jams the gun into Clara’s gut. She grunts in pain.
ACE
Suffer the children.
Bowie goes to the Muskrat and begins to untie it.
BOWIE
The water’s rising fast. We’d best get on with it.
CUT TO:
EXT.BABELTOWER. DUSK.
Farrengalli sits on the ledge beside Raintree and Dove. He peers over in the rain.
FARRENGALLI
You people are crazy.
RAINTREE
Where’s Castle?
FARRENGALLI
I went to get some firewood and he stole the raft. Can you believe it? A fucking federal agent.
DOVE
What, he pumped it up by himself? In that condition?
FARRENGALLI
He ordered me to. Wanted me to go with him.
RAINTREE
A wounded man without a gun?
FARRENGALLI
(shrugs)
He’s got a badge, man. Said he wanted to catch that bomber. Get revenge for his partner.
RAINTREE
He’s pr
obably in shock.
DOVE
Or doped out of his mind.
Farrengalli and Dove look at Raintree, who touches his medicine bag. From upriver comes a distant SKEEEK.
RAINTREE
We don’t have much light left.
He stands and rolls up rope.
CUT TO:
EXT. CLEARING IN WOODS. DUSK.
Castle is groggy, fighting to stay awake. The fire has burned low. Rain ticks off the canopy. The woods are misty. The Muskrat is nearby.
CASTLE
(delirious)
Rook. Should I ride it out here or go for the glory?
Something moves in the misty trees behind him.
CASTLE (CONT’D)
Yeah, you’re right. Got a job to do.
Castle rolls over with a groan and drags himself toward the Muskrat. He crawls out from the canopy into the rain, mud covering his bandage.
CASTLE (CONT’D)
Partners are always there for each other.
Castle drags himself forward, the going is tough, the Muskrat is 20 feet away and he doesn’t know what he will do once he gets there.
The shadow moves and separates from the mist of the forest.
CASTLE (CONT’D)
Rook?
The Samford-thing skips and floats into the light from the campfire, showing its gray skin and ragged clothes and torn flesh. Its tongue flaps and it emits a hungry sigh.
SAMFORD-THING
Skeeee.
It moves in on Castle, whose scream echoes up the face of BabelTower—
CUT TO:
EXT.BABELTOWER. DUSK.
200 feet above the river, and the top of the tower is lost in mist and rain.
Raintree is suspended on a rope, looped over a projectile of rock above and tied off below. He’s trying to set an anchor for the safety line. He drives the pick-hammer against the piton but the rock is too tough. More pitons are stuck in his belt, as well as the cell phone.
Below him, Dove and Farrengalli wait expectantly on a ledge, Farrengalli squinting into the clouds. He flinches and ducks as—
SKEEEEK. A pair of the goregoyles explode out of the mist, swooping down the valley.
FARRENGALLI
Fuck!
DOVE
(whisper)
Robert! Don’t move!
(to Farrengalli)
Shut up. They’re blind, remember?
FARRENGALLI
Can they smell me shitting my pants?
Raintree freezes on the ropes, pressing flat against the slick stones. The creatures soar by and it looks as if they’re going to pass the group. The piton slips from Raintree’s grip and the metal spike pings off the rocks below.
In a flash, the goregoyles turn and soar toward the sound. One swings past the piton as it falls. The other slows, sensing Raintree swinging on the rope, trying to secure his grip.
The first soars up and disappears into the mist. The second swings in a loop, almost lazily, coming within 10 feet of Raintree, who shuts his eyes and holds his breath. The fingers of his free hand squeeze the medicine pouch.
When the creature passes, Raintree exhales in relief and—
SKEEEEEEE. The first goregoyle divebombs from above, Raintree pulls a piton from his belt and spins so his back is against the cliff face. Braced, he thrusts the piton out and jabs the goregoyle under the chin.
The momentum carries the creature into Raintree and for a moment they are face to face, the creature’s teeth inches from Raintree, slobber and gray blood mixing with the rain.
Below, Dove runs to the rope and cries out.
DOVE
Watch out for the other one!
Raintree shoves the first creature away and it falls limply, slamming into the ledge a few feet from Farrengalli, who reels away from the goregoyle. The wounded creature tries to rise from its belly.
Dove throws a loop of rope around its neck and yanks its head back, planting one boot in its back like a crazed cowgirl. After a moment, Farrengalli joins the attack, lost in his blood lust as he kicks the creature’s head. His stomps punctuate his words.
FARRENGALLI
It’s—
(stomp)
Only—
(stomp)
Fucking—
(stomp)
Natural!
Above, Raintree is scrambling up the rope. He’s almost to the ledge—there’s a cave—he’s about to swing his leg over—
SPLAT. The second creature plows into him from behind, smacking him against the rocks, dazing him. The teeth nuzzle his neck, claws rake his flesh. Raintree jabs the pick-hammer into its skull.
The thing takes the damage and still wants to feed, the jaws working, claws digging into Raintree, who slips a few feet down the rope, hanging on with one hand.
The creature’s added weight strains the rope, and it backs away momentarily, trying to lift Raintree into the air. Up a couple of feet, then Raintree delivers another pick-hammer blow. They slam back against the stone.
The goregoyle grabs the front of Raintree’s shirt but the fabric gives way and the claws rack down, snagging on the belt. For a moment, the creature’s weight is on the straining belt—the medicine bag and cell phone are attached to the belt.
Raintree grabs the medicine bag first, tucks it inside his shirt. He grabs the cell phone just as the belt breaks free—the creature hurtles into space, fluttering, trying to fly but ruined.
Below, Dove is yanked off-balance as the desperate goregoyle struggles free of the rope. Farrengalli draws his buck knife and slashes at the creature, opening its face to a spout of gray blood.
DOVE
Fuck with its head!
The creature rakes out, one dirty fingernail penetrating Farrengalli’s thigh. Enraged, Farrengalli thrusts the tip of the Buck knife into one milky eyeball, then twists it deeper. The creature lets out a hiss of pain.
FARRENGALLI
Can’t get no satisfaction, huh?
A snake drops onto Farrengalli’s shoulder. He jerks away and swings the dripping knife—
It’s a rope.
From above:
RAINTREE
Come on up. It’s a cave.
CUT TO:
INT.BABELTOWERCAVE. NIGHT.
The group—Raintree, Farrengalli, and Dove—are sweaty, barely visible in the cave. They sit apart from one another, Farrengalli holding his knife. His flashlight is in his lap, switched on and making a circle of light between them. Raintree flips open the cell phone. The green screen lights up his face.
RAINTREE
No bars.
FARRENGALLI
What if we can’t get a signal up there?
DOVE
We can defend this cave.
Farrengalli points his flashlight into the bowels of the cave.
FARRENGALLI
The Fed said those things live in caves. Might be some back there right now, just waiting to come out and turn us into sausage.
DOVE
I wish the reality show audience could see you now...you’d be voted off the island.
FARRENGALLI
Hey, honey, bet your sweet ass on it—I’ll be the last one standing.
Raintree stands, his wounds clearly visible, some of them oozing blood. More of Dove’s shirt is wrapped around one of his muscular biceps.
RAINTREE
I’ll scout it out.
DOVE
You should rest.
RAINTREE
No, Bowie is counting on me. And so is Castle, right, Farrengalli?
Farrengalli grunts and looks away.
FARRENGALLI
Maybe you’ll have one of your visions, Chief. Isn’t this what you came for? To play the brave warrior?
RAINTREE
(to Dove)
I’ll take first watch. Two hours. You sleep and he can watch the mouth of the cave.
Dove gently touches his forearm. Again their faces are too close.
DOVE
We should
stick together.
RAINTREE
Yell if you need me.
(to Farrengalli)
Flashlight?
Raintree extends his open palm. Farrengalli glowers and lowers his head.
DOVE
Please?
With a snarl, Farrengalli slaps the flashlight into Raintree’s palm. Raintree heads deeper into the cave, the light bobbing and then fading.
FARRENGALLI
So, what’s on the menu? I’m hungry.
Dove leans against the rocks, wraps her arms around herself, and closes her eyes. Two coils of rope are near her feet.
FARRENGALLI (CONT’D)
You know I got a big appetite, don’t you?
DOVE
(eyes closed)
I think I’m dreaming there’s an asshole in my bed.
The Gorge: The Screenplay Page 6