The Tourist
INT. DOGE’S SUITE – NIGHT
The key sounds in the lock and the door swings open. Frank and Cara tumble in together, laughing, a little tipsy.
He glances at the sofa and that sobers him up, reminding him where he’s going to sleep. However…
He watches Cara drop her wrap over a chair and kicks off her shoes. She throws open the French doors to the balcony.
Frank bypasses the sofa-bed and follows her outside.
EXT. BALCONY – NIGHT
Cara looks out across the lagoon.
Frank appears beside her.
FRANK I could get used to this.
A movement in the street down below catches her eye. She studies the Ponte del Vin intently, seeing something.
Cara turns abruptly to Frank and presses her body against his. He’s taken by surprise but willingly responds to her advance, wrapping his arms around her back.
They exchange a long, passionate kiss.
VIDEO POV OF THE SAME
REVEAL the lens of a PALM-SIZED VIDEO CAMERA peering out from behind a vendor’s cart in the street below.
Frank, his face slightly obscured, kisses Cara.
WE HEAR the WHIRRING of the video camera.
I/E. DOGE’S SUITE/BALCONY – RESUME
Still kissing, Cara leads Frank back into the hotel room…
EXT. VIDEO POV FROM THE STREET – CONTINUOUS
The silhouettes of Cara and Frank disappear into the hotel room as…
INT. DOGE’S SUITE – CONTINUOUS
Cara closes the curtains. She pulls away from him.
Her composure changes; the passion is gone. The expression on her face is matter-of-fact.
CARA You should leave Venice tomorrow. (softer) It’s a city for lovers Frank; no place to recover from a failed engagement.
She turns and walks toward her bedroom…
Frank stares after her in stunned disappointment.
FRANK What… what did I do?
She pauses at the door. Her expression softens slightly.
CARA Nothing. I’m sorry.
Then she disappears into her bedroom. The door closes behind her and we hear the click of the lock.
Frank remains standing alone, immobile.
After several moments he sits on the sofa. There are two folded blankets and a pillow.
From within Cara’s bedroom we can hear her voice, muffled but still audible…
CARA (CONT’D) …that’s exactly what I’m doing, but now I want him to go…
He approaches the door, straining to hear more but her words fade out.
INT. BATHROOM – NIGHT
Frank gets ready for bed. He takes off the watch Cara gave him and something on the back of it catches his eye. It’s engraved with a name:
ALEXANDER PEARCE
He stares at the name for a moment, then unzips his travel bag. Takes out his pills. Pops a bunch. Brushes his teeth.
He pauses and stares at himself in the mirror as if wondering how in the world he ended up here. It’s like he’s staring into the face of stranger.
He puts his tooth brush down and pads off to sleep on the sofa.
INT. DOGE’S SUITE – MORNING
The sound of the SHOWER reaches Frank in his sleep. He blinks his eyes.
The morning is misty. He closes the balcony doors.
Cara’s bedroom door is ajar. Frank struggles not to notice. He turns to his bed and begins folding sheets.
Then he hears the sound of water running in the shower.
He glances over at the door ajar, the sound of the shower… it’s too much.
Frank walks to the bedroom door. He pushes it open.
The door to Cara’s bathroom is open. The outline of her naked body is visible in the shower. She lifts her wet hair and soaps the back of her neck.
She sees him. Cara is so stunned she simply stands there.
Frank walks to the shower and opens the glass door.
Walking in, he LIFTS Cara against the glass, clutching at her slithery body, kissing her frantically…she kisses him back with ardor, wrapping her dripping legs around his back…
INT. DOGE’S SUITE – MORNING
Frank is sleeping. A smile on his face. A shadow passes over him as somebody walks past.
A man’s trouser leg is visible in the foreground, moving slowly toward Frank. Then…
CLANG! Frank wakes with a start to see……
A WAITER is setting up breakfast on a cart.
WAITER Pardone Signore. Good morning.
Frank stares in surprise at the food spread out before him.
WAITER (CONT’D) La Signora ordered this for you when she left.
FRANK When she…?
He looks around the suite. He is alone. He nods.
FRANK (CONT’D) Thank you.
The waiter has finished. He hovers for a moment…
Finally Frank takes the hint and gives the man a one Euro tip. He takes it with disdain and leaves.
Frank throws off his blanket and sits up.
INT. CARA’S BEDROOM – MOMENTS LATER
Frank strolls into the room, barefoot, in his boxers. The bed is unmade.
Cara has left a shirt over a chair… he picks it up and holds it to his face for a moment to enjoy her lingering scent.
He notices a newspaper… a copy of The International Herald Tribune is open on her bedside table. He lifts it to see what Cara had been reading.
There is a personal ad that has been lightly dotted with a ball point pen. The message is just a list of words:
“TOM CORRY NOW IN A MICA CAN IF FEELING PEST STILL
AROUND.”
The dots single out letters in a code… Frank picks up the pen and puts a faint line through the groups of unselected letters to reveal the message:
“Tomorrow 11 Caffe Pesaro”
Frank studies this for a moment.
THE BUZZER SOUNDS
Laying the paper on the table, Frank walks to the door.
MAN’S VOICE (O.S.) Breakfast.
Frank reaches for the doorknob… then pauses. Breakfast again?
He quietly slides the chain on. Peers through the spyhole.
SPYHOLE POV — Two tough-looking men in suits stand there: most definitely not hotel staff. One has a scar on his face… Demidov’s BODYGUARDS.
Frank is frozen.
Scarface takes out a silenced PISTOL and mutters something in Russian to his partner. He produces a LOCK PICK SET and crouches out of frame.
Frank hears the sound of scratching metal and clicking tumblers inside the lock. He looks around wildly. Sees the KEY on the entryway table and reaches for it…
Ch-chunk. The Russian picks the lock and slowly starts to open the door. The chain stops it. A pause.
A moment later a KNIFE comes through the crack and starts to slide the chain…
Frank stares at the knife; he has to act fast…
Frank throws his shoulder against the door. The knife clatters to the floor as the door slams shut. Frank jams his KEY into the lock and turns the bolt into place.
There’s angry confusion on the other side of the door.
Frank grabs a heavy glass ashtray and swings it at the back of the key– breaking it off in the lock.
Frank scrambles out of the way…
The sound of metal scraping in the lock. Russian CURSING can be heard just outside. A heavy blow as they try to shoulder the door open…
Frank looks around desperately for an escape.
The bathroom? The sitting room? Adjoining doors? None.
There’s nowhere to go.
Frank bolts for the balcony in his bare feet.
He scrambles outside as…
POP! POP! POP! Bullets rip through the wood and metal, blasting the lock assembly apart. The door bursts open.
EXT. BALCONY – DAY
Frank looks down and stares at the
DIZZYING SIX STORY DROP
to the cobblestones of the Ponte del Vin below.
Guests sit on their balconies with their morning coffee.
Three balconies over, Frank sees the rooftop of the modern wing of the hotel.
IN THE SUITE
The two TOUGHS rapidly move through the room, searching. Nyet, Nyet.
The one place they haven’t checked…
THE BALCONY
Frank puts one bare foot on the stonework. He grimaces as he HEAVES himself onto the railing of the balcony adjacent to his.
He hangs desperately, flailing, 100 feet over the street below. He gets a tentative hold…
A PALLID FRENCH WOMAN drops her coffee and screams.
The Russians sprint out to the balcony. They spot Frank…
Who shoves the Pallid Woman inside, struggles past her breakfast table, and prepares to leap again– but slips on the spilled coffee.
Bullets shatter China around him. He cuts his foot on a broken plate. He grabs his bleeding foot.
FRANK Goddamn it! I’m a fucking tourist!
Another round of shots ring out. They don’t seem to care.
Frank goes over the railing with another awkward HEAVE.
His pursuers scale the adjoining stone work and step onto the Pallid Woman’s balcony.
This time Frank lands in the lap of a BURLY WELSHMAN.
BURLY WELSHMAN Are ya bloody mad?
The Burly Welshman PUNCHES Frank in the stomach, which drops him out of the way of…
TWO SHOTS
Which explode into the Welshman’s shoulder. He cries out and falls down on top of Frank.
The Russians stand on the Pallid Woman’s balcony and prepare to JUMP…
as Frank crawls out from under the wounded Welshman and peers over the next balcony…
Which is at least TWENTY FEET from the roof.
He misjudged the distance.
FRANK Shit…
INT. THE WELSHMAN’S ROOM – SECONDS LATER
Frank runs through the hotel room, past the Welshman’s wife to the door.
A SHOT behind him and pounding feet send him out into the corridor past a room service steward to an…
ELEVATOR
Which will not do but the–
INT. SERVICE STAIRCASE – SECONDS LATER
STAIRS will and Frank flies down the steps, three at a time, hearing his pursuers above him, running harder than he’s run in his entire life…
But he’s slow and they gain on him enough to aim weapons through the railing…
P-CHING, several bullets ricochet like pinballs in the metal stairwell.
Frank pants as he pushes out a side door…
EXT. RIO DEL VIN CANAL, VENICE – DAY
Frank sprints along the edge of the canal, dodging tourists and children, vendors and locals. He spots a VENDOR’S three wheel BICYCLE and jumps on.
As he pedals, he realizes it’s too slow so he JUMPS
OFF…
and FALLS – a painful spill, he cuts his hand – but clambers to his feet as the Russians bear down. Running up hidden stairs he finds the roof of a shop on the Riva Degli Schiavoni…
EXT. RIVA DEGLI SCHIAVONI, VENICE – DAY
Frank runs down the ridge of the roof. A silenced shot hits roof tile nearby and throws him off balance. He
FALLS…
…bumping down the other side of the roof until, as he topples over the edge, he thrusts a hand at the gutter, smashing his head against the wall. He drops onto the pavement along the edge of the small canal.
He doubles back towards the lagoon. Looking back, he sees the men still in pursuit.
He turns into the Campo San Zaccaria, scattering the flapping and fluttering PIGEONS. The Gondolieri and their passengers watch the half-naked man run past and cheer.
A GONDOLIER (in Italian) Run faster, man!
The Russians force their way past the pedestrians. They have almost caught him when…
INT. LEATHER SHOP – DAY
Ducking inside a leather shop, Frank heads straight for the back entrance and finds it.
He stands on the cobblestones. Blood streams from his forehead as well as his hand. He has
SECONDS
to decide which way to go. The alley is long and narrow on either side. An awning above. Clear sight lines.
The back of the shop upends the Grand Canal.
EXT. ALLEY – MOMENTS LATER
The Russians burst out the back.
There is no sign of Frank.
Scarface looks at the Canal. He walks to the edge of the water and SPRAYS gun fire atop it. Nothing.
HIGH ANGLE OF SCENE
Frank lies huddled on his back IN THE AWNING behind the leather shop, barely able to control his frantic breathing. He’s mere feet away from the men who are trying to kill him…
He looks up and sees: the scowling face of an Italian WOMAN peering out over her window box.
Frank raises a desperate finger to his lips. A prayer that she won’t give him away.
She looks at him disapprovingly. Then disappears back inside.
CLOSE ON FRANK as he waits, his heart pounding.
Seconds tick past… is he safe?
Rrrrrip! A black cylinder, like the barrel of a gun, tears through the awning fabric inches from his Frank’s head.
He cries out. The awning rips and dumps him down hard onto the cobblestones below…
A MOMENTARY BLACKOUT
Frank opens his eyes and sees two pairs of black boots that belong to… A PAIR OF CARBINIERI who stand over him. One of them holds a nightstick.
They stare down at the bloodied tourist in his underpants lying at their feet. They’ve seen stranger things.
INT. POLIZIA “QUESTURA” (POLICE STATION) – DAY
Frank sits alone with a blanket over his shoulders. Most of the blood has been wiped from his wound and he has a rough bandage on his head.
From down the hallway a cheery stubble-faced POLICE OFFICER, DOMENICO (30’s, animated), walks into the room where Frank is waiting.
Domenico laughs, talking on his cell phone as he enters.
DOMENICO (in Italian) You can’t let them stay over, man. You start cuddling and then she wants to borrow your car. Stop cuddling, Tomaso!
Frank stands.
FRANK Excuse me…
DOMENICO (suddenly noticing him) Hey, what are you doing in here?
FRANK The officers told me to wait here. I’ve been sitting here for over two hours…
Dominico glances over his shoulder.
DOMENICO I think they forgot about you.
Frank sits back down heavily. Domenico sits on the edge of a desk.
DOMENICO (CONT’D) What happened to you, anyway?
FRANK Somebody tried to kill me.
Domenico picks up Frank’s statement and glances at it.
DOMENICO Mr. Taylor, wow, you had quite a day. Eh? We got chasing, we got shooting.
Domenico looks at mild-mannered Frank sitting there in his boxers. The story seems unlikely.
FRANK You think I’m crazy but it’s all true.
DOMENICO Maybe you crazy AND it’s true, my friend.
Domenico looks at Frank a little harder. Decides this guy is not making all this up.
DOMENICO (CONT’D) Okay, so who are these guys? Why they mad at you?
FRANK I have absolutely no idea.
DOMENICO They followed you from the Danieli?
FRANK They came to the room. They pretended to be room service.
DOMENICO You don’t scopata one of their girlfriends or something?
FRANK I didn’t “scopata” anybody!
DOMENICO Who is…
He consults a piece of paper.
DOMENICO (CONT’D) Cara Mason?
Frank is quiet. Domenico playfully points at him.
DOMENICO (CONT’D) I catch you, right?
FRANK (irritated) In America the cops catch the crooks, not the victim.
DOMENICO Ha ha, we do that sometimes here, too.
Domenico considers for a moment.
DOMENICO (CONT’D) Is no domestic, then?
FRANK No.
DOMENICO How long you know Cara Mason?
FRANK I met her yesterday.
DOMENICO And you take her to the Danieli? That must have been good meeting, yes?
FRANK I didn’t take her. She took me.
The infectious grin again lights up Domenico’s face.
DOMENICO You lead an exciting life, Mr. Taylor.
FRANK Not usually.
Domenico picks up the phone and dials a number. He talks in brisk Italian, listens again and replaces the receiver.
DOMENICO Signora Mason was staying with “her husband” last night. You marry her, Mr. Taylor?
FRANK No.
DOMENICO I think maybe Signora Mason might know why these guys behave badly. What do you think?
Pause.
FRANK I think that’s possible.
DOMENICO You got a phone number, mobile?
FRANK She didn’t give me one.
Domenico looks him over.
DOMENICO You need some clothes. I’ll be right back.
He leaves Frank alone again.
Frank stands and half-heartedly follows him to the doorway.
He spots something in the adjoining room; a computer that has been left on. He wanders over and looks at the screen.
An idea comes into Frank’s head… he looks around. Nobody is watching him. He glances at the inscription on the
WATCH…
Then quickly sits down. He does a search for “WANTED INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALS” and types in the name:
ALEXANDER PEARCE.
An immediate hit in the data base. Alexander Pearce’s page fills the screen. The caption reads:
#6 on INTERPOL’S MOST WANTED LIST.
In place of a photograph there is just a black outline of a man’s head.
Frank is about to scan for more information when he hears Domenico returning. He quickly steps back into the room where he was left…
DOMENICO enters carrying a garish SWEAT SUIT. He hands it to Frank.
DOMENICO (CONT’D) Here. Put these on. Time to go.
Frank looks at the clothes.
FRANK Um… thanks. Where are we going?
DOMENICO I’m taking you to the hospital, Mr. Taylor. A doctor should take a look at you.
FRANK I’d really rather just go–
DOMENICO Don’t worry. I put you in Padua, away from Venice. You’ll be safe. (scribbles his number) Any worry, you call me. I give you my home number.
INT. HOSPITAL SCANNING ROOM, PADUA – EVENING
Frank lies flat on his back.
A NURSE leans over him with a kindly expression.
NURSE Relax signore. We’re just going to make sure everything is all right inside your head.
She slides him slowly into the mouth of an MRI scanning machine head first. It hums to life.
INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR, DANIELI – EVENING
Domenico whistles as a hotel clerk escorts him to to the Doge’s suite.
CLERK (in Italian) Unfortunately we’ve already re-let the room. (nervous) We’d rather the guests didn’t know about the incident.
DOMENICO Don’t worry. I’ll be discreet.
CLERK Grazie.
The Clerk knocks. The door is opened by Ivan Demidov.
CLERK (CONT’D) I beg your pardon, Signore, but this is a police officer. He needs to briefly examine the room.
DEMIDOV Of course.
Demidov steps back, holding the door open.
INT. DOGE’S SUITE, DANIELI – EVENING
Demidov watches Domenico, who sniffs around.
DEMIDOV (casually) What happened, officer?
DOMENICO That’s what I’m trying to find out, Signore.
Domenico gets down on his hands and knees and looks around. He spots something under the sofa and fishes it out with his penknife… a spent bullet casing.
He puts it in a plastic bag, pleased with himself. Demidov catches his eye. He smiles at him.
DEMIDOV You are a good detective.
DOMENICO I do my best.
Domenico stands and takes his leave.
DOMENICO (CONT’D) Sorry for the inconvenience. Enjoy your stay.
As he and the clerk exit, Scarface steps out from the other room. Off Demidov’s look, he leaves the suite to follow…
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM, PADUA – NIGHT
Frank lies on the bed. There are clean bandages on his injuries.
The television drones on the wall: an Italian reality show. A WOMAN holds her hands over her eyes. The HOST taunts her:
THE HOST (V.O.) (in Italian) Now remember, I said you were in for a surprise… a big surprise.
Frank waits for the surprise.
INT. INTERPOL FIELD HQ, VENICE – NIGHT
Ackerman is tilted back with his eyes closed like he has a headache.
Jones enters with a file labelled: “Frank Taylor”.
ACKERMAN What did we find on the American?
JONES He’s a tourist. Member of the teacher’s union. Pays his taxes. Has bad luck.
ACKERMAN Evidently. He had a pair of Russian hit men after him. Are you still going to tell me Demidov is clean?
JONES I never said he is clean. I just said he isn’t our target.
GOYAL I’m just wondering how they tracked them down at the hotel…
ACKERMAN (under his breath) Just so long as they don’t beat us to Pearce when the real one arrives.
He looks up at Goyal.
ACKERMAN (CONT’D) Where’s the teacher now?
GOYAL The local police picked him up.
ACKERMAN Then he’s safely out of the way.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – NIGHT
Frank sits up in his bed, reading.
The PHONE RINGS.
FRANK Hello?
INT. TERRACE FLAT, PADUA – EVENING
shirt and holds a glass of wine. Loud Italian pop music plays in the background.
DOMENICO Well it’s official Mr. Taylor. You’re not mad.
FRANK That’s a relief.
DOMENICO I went to the hotel. Somebody shot at somebody. I found a shell casing. I’ll have it analyzed in the morning.
Frank glances around uncomfortably.
FRANK I’d like to be on a flight home tomorrow morning.
DOMENICO Relax, you’re perfectly safe where you are. (pause) You have any visits from your Signora Mason?
FRANK (quiet) I wish.
DOMENICO Never let them cuddle, Mr. Taylor. One cuddle and it all turns to merda. Good night. If you need anything, you have my number.
Frank hangs up, shaking his head.
In the restful silence he hears a DISTANT BANG. A gunshot? A door slam? Nervous, he gets up and goes to the door…
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR – NIGHT
Frank looks right and left. The corridor is empty and silent, lit by strip lights set on low.
Just as he’s about to close the door again, Frank notices that there is a label stuck there with his name on it, just above the room number.
He struggles with the label for a few seconds, tearing it off.
He sticks the label on the door to an empty room opposite.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – NIGHT
Frank goes to the sink and splashes water on his face. Stares at himself for several moments, as he did in the bathroom at the Danieli. He’s lost in thought.
Then…
He hears the clang of a metal pushcart being wheeled along. Some footsteps approach. There are voices speaking an unfamiliar language, maybe Russian…
Russian?
Frank scrambles for his clothes. He fishes out Domenico’s phone number from a pocket and races to the phone. Then freezes, listening:
The footsteps move away slightly… there is the sound of a door opening. The door across the hall.
Seconds pass. The door is closed again. The footsteps move down the hall, slowly fading away.
Frank punches in the policeman’s number and grips the receiver. It rings.
INT. DOMENICO’S TERRACE FLAT – NIGHT
A saucepot simmers on the stove. The phone RINGS. Behind it is a WINDOW – pierced by one circular bullet hole.
The music still plays.
As our gaze drifts downwards we see Domenico’s bare feet, prone behind the kitchen island.
The phone RINGS and RINGS…
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – NIGHT
Frank is struggling into his clothes. Everything seems to stick and take forever.
He opens the door a crack and looks down the ward. Nothing. He moves along the passage, slipping into doorways and out of the light.
He finds the elevator and jabs at the button.
The light shows it is approaching the floor. It stops. The doors open. Frank is about to enter it, when suddenly SOMEBODY STEPS OUT…
An ORDERLY exits and brushes past.
Frank breaths a sigh of relief and steps in.
INT. HOSPITAL ELEVATOR, PADUA – NIGHT
Frank presses the button for Receptione et Terre and waits an interminable four seconds for the doors to close.
Slowly the elevator descends… and stops.
The doors open. A big MAN stands with his back to us, blocking the exit. Frank shrinks away, with nowhere to hide. The man turns.
He’s a MALE NURSE, waiting to get into the lift. He stands aside to allow Frank to leave. Frank takes a step out…
…and sees SCARFACE talking to the receptionist. Hurriedly, Frank reverses back into the elevator.
FRANK (to the Nurse) Wrong floor.
Then, just before the doors close, Scarface turns… his eyes meet Frank’s. He starts towards the elevator… but the doors shut first.
The lift stops again. The doors open on the first tier of the subterranean car park.
Frank leaps off.
INT. UNDERGROUND CAR PARK, PADUA HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Limping and terrified, Frank jogs towards the ramp marked Uscita in the far corner.
An ENGINE ROAR splits the silence. The lights blind Frank in the darkness as the car careers towards him.
He falls to his knees.
The car skids to a stop.
The door flies open. He squints. Sitting behind the wheel, calm and beautiful as ever, is CARA. He stares.
CARA What are you waiting for? Get in.
INT. CARA’S CAR – NIGHT
He climbs into the car. She turns to him as she pulls out.
CARA Did you miss me?
FRANK A little.
He glances anxiously over her shoulder.
FRANK (CONT’D) Um… you may not believe this but there are some people trying to kill me–
CARA (calm) I know.
Cara drives toward the ramp. He looks at her.
FRANK Do you know why?
CARA It’s because I kissed you.
She stops the car and waits for the metal gate at the top of the ramp to open. It rises with a loud creaking to
REVEAL…
A BLACK CAR with two men inside. One of them steps out and ducks under the gate as it rises up.
While he’s briefly silhouetted by the car’s headlights we glimpse the outline of an AUTOMATIC WEAPON.
CARA (CONT’D) Shit.
With remarkable sangfroid she cuts the engine and lets her car roll backwards, gliding silently and perfectly into a parking spot.
Silence.
They watch the BLACK CAR slowly descend the ramp. The Russian with the gun in his hand walks carefully alongside.
Frank watches, holding his breath.
The sound of another engine cuts through the silence. A pair of headlights come up from the level below.
CLOSE ON THE CAR. The MALE NURSE from the elevator is driving up toward the exit ramp, toward the exit where the Russians are waiting.
CLOSE ON THE GUNMAN slipping back into the shadows and readying his gun to fire.
FRANK sees what is about to happen. His face betrays his concern.
He reaches for the door.
CLICK. Cara presses the central door lock. Frank’s door doesn’t budge. He looks over at her.
FRANK (re: the Nurse) That guy has nothing to do with this.
CARA Neither do you.
He looks her straight in the eye. She relents.
CARA (CONT’D) Okay. If you want to play hero…
She turns over the ignition.
CARA (CONT’D) Hold on.
Cara revs the car and pulls out fast, cutting off the Nurse’s car. He leans on the horn.
At the top of the exit ramp, the metal parking gate is slowly being lowered.
She weaves around the black car, deliberately heading for the gunman. He opens fire.
BRRRRRAAAP!! Bullets spray wildly, ricocheting off the walls, shattering windshields… Frank covers his face as a side-window pops, showering him with glass.
The GUNMAN is forced to jump out of the way as Cara scrapes the side of her car along the wall. Sparks fly.
The black car burns rubber as it U-turns to follow her.
She guns it up the ramp towards the closing door.
FRANK There’s not enough room!
CARA There’s enough room.
The fence whirs at head height and keeps lowering. The black car is closing in behind them.
FRANK We won’t make it!
CARA I thought Americans were optimists.
At the last second he ducks instinctively and closes his eyes. The gate clips the top of Cara’s car with a tremendous CLANG! Traps it.
Cara presses her foot all the way down on the accelerator. Smoke pours from the tires.
CRASH!
The black car RAMS them from behind.
A Russian leans out the window and fires at the outlines of Cara and Frank’s HEADS. Bullets shatter the back window.
Cara pushes Frank’s head down. The sound of burning gears as the engine hits its limit.
Suddenly, scraping paint, Cara’s car SPRINGS forward, jetting out onto the street.
The fence drops further and shudders to a halt. The black car is trapped. The Russians can only watch as Cara speeds away.
INT. CARA’S CAR – NIGHT
The quiet hum of the autostrade is the only sound in the car.
Frank sits in a daze. He turns to her.
FRANK Do I look that much like Alexander Pearce?
Cara turns sharply.
CARA How do you know–?
Frank holds up his wrist.
FRANK The watch.
She hesitates. A pause.
CARA I don’t know. You’re about his size. That’s all.
FRANK (incredulous) You don’t know what your own boyfriend looks like?
CARA Alexander crossed a very dangerous man. He changed his appearance in order to vanish.
FRANK Great.
CARA Don’t worry. I’m taking you somewhere you’ll be safe.
FRANK We should go to the police.
CARA Because they did such a good job protecting you before?
Frank doesn’t respond.
CARA (CONT’D) Trust me.
Frank looks at her. Then relents, leaning his head back against the support and closing his eyes.
EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF VENICE – MORNING
The car is parked along a muddy canal. Beside it runs a small disconnected set of palazzos. Cara shakes Frank. He won’t wake up.
CARA Frank… Frank.
He’s snoring. She pinches his nose closed…
He startles awake. She smiles mischievously.
ON A SIDE STREET
He follows her past abandoned tricycles and very old men sitting on stone steps.
FRANK And I thought I wouldn’t get to do any sight-seeing.
Frank steps over a greenish puddle.
CARA Here we are.
She pauses before a run-down palazzo.
INT. RUN DOWN PALAZZO, HALL – NIGHT
The narrow hall is dark and shabby.
Cara walks up the stairs to a door on the landing. She opens it with a key.
INT. PEARCE’S “SAFE HOUSE” – NIGHT
It is completely dark inside. The two of them maneuver in the darkness. The sound of a hand bumping against a wall.
Finally somebody finds the light switch and–
CARA holds a .38 Taurus PISTOL in front of her.
Frank happens to be right in her line of sight. He flinches.
FRANK Whoa!
CARA Sorry.
She quickly directs the gun away from him. Frank leans over, catching his breath.
Cara starts to giggle. Frank starts to laugh too.
INT. KITCHEN, PEARCE’S “SAFE HOUSE” – NIGHT
The apartment appears as if it was leased, stocked and then never set foot in again. Brand new appliances that have never been used.
Frank walks over to a flat screen TV and curiously peels off the protective clear film… He looks up and sees:
Cara has her head inside the OVEN.
FRANK What are you doing?
She pulls out, a flashlight in her mouth.
CARA Making sure no one sabotaged the gas lines.
Frank watches her walk over to the FUSE BOXES.
