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Die Hard (1988)

by Jeb Stuart.
Revisions by Steven E. DeSouza.
Based on the novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorp.

More info about this movie on IMDb.com


FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY


FADE IN

1       405 FREEWAY - LOS ANGELES - EARLY EVENING	    1

Christmas tinsel on the light poles.  We ARE LOOKING east past
Inglewood INTO the orange grid of L.A. at night when suddenly
we TILT UP TO CATCH the huge belly of a landing 747 -- the
noise is deafening.

2       INT. 747 - PASSENGERS - SAME		  2

The usual moment just after landing when you let out that sigh
of relief that you've made it in one piece.  As the plane TAXIS
to its gate, they stir, gather personal belongings.

3       ON JOHN MCCLANE			     3

mid-thirties, good-looking, athletic and tired from his trip.
He sits by the window.  His relief on landing is subtle, but
we NOTICE.  Suddenly, he hears --

		SALESMAN'S VOICE
	You don't like flying, do you?

McClane turns, looks at the Babbit clone next to him.  Caught,
he tenses, holds his armrests in exaggerated fear.

		MCCLANE
	No, no, where'd you get that idea?

		SALESMAN
		(smiling)
	Ya wanna know the secret of successful
	air travel?  After you get where you're
	going, ya take off your shoes and socks.
	Then ya walk around on the rug barefoot
	and make fists with your toes.

		MCCLANE
	Fists with your toes.

		SALESMAN
	Maybe it's not a fist when it's your
	toes...I mean like this...work out
	that time zone tension.
		(demonstrating)
	Better'n a cup of coffee and a hot
	shower for the old jet lag.  I know
	it sounds crazy.  Trust me.  I've
	been doing it for nine years.

The plane stops.  Passengers rise, start to take down overhead
luggage.  McClane does this, but as he opens the door above,
the businessman BLANCHES seeing:

3-A     HIS P.O.V. - MCCLANE'S BARETTA PISTOL		 3-A

Peeking out from his jacket.

3-B     BACK TO SCENE				3-B

Recognizing the look, McClane smiles reassuringly.

		MCCLANE
	It's okay.
		(showing badge)
	I'm a cop.
		(pause)
	Trust me.  I've been doing it for
	eleven.

The businessman relaxes, moves off.  McClane now wrestles down
the biggest Teddy Bear FAO Schwartz had to offer.  Balancing
this, he moves down to another overhead, takes out a topcoat
and an overnighter.  Barely managing all this, he turns,
COLLIDING WITH:

3-C     A PRETTY STEWARDESS			 3-C

She bumps noses with the bear, gives a look.

		STEWARDESS
		(smiling, about the bear)
	Maybe you should have bought her a
	ticket.

		MCCLANE
	Her?

He scrutinizes the nether regions of the bear, shrugs.

		MCCLANE
	She doesn't complain.

		STEWARDESS
		(eying him)
	Neither would I.

McClane smiles, with just enough of a sigh to know he's as
wistful about things-that-might-have-been as she is...moves
down the aisle.

						CUT TO:

4       INT. THE NAKATOMI BUILDING (LOS ANGELES) - EVENING     4

CLOSE ON A bottle of Dom Perignon as the cork explodes across
a large office floor decorated for Christmas.  A Japanese man,
mid-fifties standing on a desk holds up the bottle triumphantly
and looks out at an adoring audience of junior executives and
office personnel.  He is JOSEPH TAKAGI, Sr V.P. of Sales for
Nakatomi, a multinational corporation.

		TAKAGI
	Ladies and gentlemen...I congratulate
	each and every one of you for making
	this one of the greatest days in the
	history of the Nakatomi corporation...

In the b.g., obviously still at work, an attractive BUSINESSWOMAN
in her mid-thirties, studying a computer printout, heads toward
her office.  Falling into step with her is HARRY ELLIS,
thirty-seven, V.P. of Sales.  Well-dressed, with stylish,
slicked-back hair, he looks and acts very smooth.

		ELLIS
	What about dinner?

		WOMAN (HOLLY)
	Harry, it's Christmas Eve.  Families...
	Stockings...chestnuts...Rudolph and
	Frosty...those things ring a bell?

She turns into:

5       HER OFFICE				   5

Her name is HOLLY GENNARO MCCLANE, though the nameplate on her
door stops after the first two.  She puts the printout down
on her secretary's desk.

		ELLIS
		(in reply)
	I was thinking more of roaring
	fireplaces...mulled wine and a nice
	brie...

Holly ignores the come-on, turns to her secretary.

		HOLLY
	Ginny, it's 6:40, you're making me
	feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge.  Go on,
	join the party, have some champagne.

Ginny slowly manipulates herself out of her seat.  She is
enormously pregnant.

		GINNY
		(grateful)
	Thanks Ms. Gennaro.
		(worried)
	Do you think the baby can handle
	a little sip?

		HOLLY
		(eyeing her)
	Ginny, that baby's ready to tend bar.

		ELLIS
		(not giving up)
	How about tomorrow night?

Holly just points to the door.  He follows Ginny out, clearly
not giving up.  Just then the party on Holly's phone picks up
and we:

						INTERCUT:

6       INT. NICE HOUSE IN SANTA MONICA		       6

where a five-year old LUCY MCCLANE races her YOUNGER BROTHER
to the phone, winsthe wrestling match, and answers with a sense
of importance.  An Xmas tree is in the b.g.

		LUCY
	McClane residence.  Lucy McClane
	speaking.

Holly suddenly smiles.  It is the first time we've seen her
smile and it speaks volumes about the person hidden under a
tough business exterior.

		HOLLY
		(with affection)
	Hello, Lucy McClane.  This is your
	mother.

She looks up and watches Ellis leave.  He "shoots" her with a
"catch ya later" wink.

		LUCY
	Mommy!  When are you coming home?!

		HOLLY
	Soon.  You'll be in bed when I get
	there, though.

		LUCY
	Will you come say 'good night'?

		HOLLY
	Don't I always, you goose?
		(enjoying Lucy's giggle)
	Now put Paulina on the line, and
	no searching the house for presents!

		LUCY
		(caught)
	I didn't look in the front closet
	under the steps!  Is Daddy coming
	home with you?

		JOHN, JR.
		(hearing this, jumping up
		and down)
	Yeah!  Daddy!  Daddy!  Daddy!
		(on second thought)
	And a Captain Power!

		HOLLY
		(a little tightly)
	Well, we'll see what Santa and Mommy
	can do.  Goose, put Paulina on, okay?

Lucy hands the phone to a young Salvadorian woman, PAULINA,
the housekeeper.

		PAULINA
	Hello, Mrs. Holly.  You coming home
	soon?

		HOLLY
	I'm working on it.
		(beat)
	Did Mr. McClane call?		      *

		PAULINA
	No ma'am.

Holly hides a trace of disappointment.

		HOLLY
	Well...maybe there wasn't time before	     *
	the flight.  You should probably make
	up the spare room just in case.

		PAULINA
		(smiling)
	Yes, Mrs. Holly.  I do that already.	      *

Holly's smile comes through again.

7       INT. LAX - EVENING			  7

McClane, wearing his wool topcoat and carrying the biggest
stuffed animal FAO Schwartz had in stock and his hangup bag,
comes down the American Airlines ramp and into the terminal.
He avoids one near-collision involving his stuffed animal, an
act which drives him into another fender bender with a CUTE
GIRL who looks like she's ready for high tide at Zuma.  As she
smiles, weaves onward, McClane looks at his own Arctic gear
and then the girl as she kisses a similarly garbed boyfriend.

		MCCLANE
		(sotto, to himself)
	California.

He looks around the terminal at:

7-A     HIS P.O.V. - TERMINAL		         7-A

FAMILY REUNIONS are going on all around his as grandparents
greet grown children and their children, YOUNG WIVES greet
uniformed SOLDIERS, our Babbit businessman greets a pleasant
wife and two pleasant kids.  It's all very traditional, very
touching and not the least bit corny.

7-B     BACK TO SCENE				7-B

McClane watches, moved by the sight, then looks around the
waiting area, just on the chance his family might be waiting.
Instead he spots a thin, gangling black kid, ARGYLE, in an
ill-fitting chauffeur's uniform.  As he waits he beats out a
rhythmn on a "Nakatomi Corporation" card with J. McCLANE written
on it in magic marker.  McClane pauses in front of him, unsure.

		MCCLANE
	I'm John McClane.

		ARGYLE
		(introducing himself)
	Argyle.  I'm your limo driver.  Hey,
	nice bag.

He turns and starts walking.  McClane paces him, still juggling
bag and giant animal.

		MCCLANE
	Argyle.  Don't you take this stuff?

		ARGYLE
		(stops)
	Do I?  I'm sorry.  You're gonna have to
	help me, man.  This is my first time
	driving a limo.

		MCCLANE
	That's okay.  This is my first time
	riding in one.

						 CUT TO:

8       WITH THE LIMO - DUSK			8

TILT UP from the Lincoln emblem on the car.

Both Argyle and McClane are in the front seat.

		ARGYLE
	Just kick back and relax, man.  We
	got everything you need:  CD, CB,
	TV, VHS, telephone, full bar.

He looks in the back seat, which is occupied by the bear.

		ARGYLE
	If your friend is hot to trot...I
	know a couple of mama bears.
		(turning to McClane)
	...Or is he married?

		MCCLANE
	Married.

McClane tries to get comfortable, scowls as a RUSTLING NOISE
reveals wrappers and styrofoam from Taco Bell.  He scowls at
Argyle.

		ARGYLE
	The girl was off today.  Hey, I
	didn't expect you to sit up front.
		(back to the topic)
	So, your lady live out here?

		MCCLANE
	The past six months.

		ARGYLE
		(thinking about that)
	Meanwhile, you still live in
	New York?

		MCCLANE
	You're nosey, you know that, Argyle?

		ARGYLE
	Hey, I'm sorry.  When I was a
	cabdriver, see, people expected a little
	chit chat, a little eccentricity and
	comaraderie, I forgot how stuck up you
	limo guys were, so excuse me.

		MCCLANE
		(amused)
	It's okay, it's okay.

		ARGYLE
		(instantly)
	So, you divorced of what?

McClane gives up.

		MCCLANE
	She had a good job, it turned into
	a great career.

		ARGYLE
	But meant her moving here.

		MCCLANE
	Closer to Japan.  You're fast.

		ARGYLE
	So, why didn't you come?

		MCCLANE
	'Cause I'm a New York cop who used
	to be a New York kid, and I got six
	months backlog of New York scumbags
	I'm still trying to put behind bars.
	I don't just get up and move.

		ARGYLE
		(to the point)
	You mean you thought she wouldn't
	make it out here and she'd come
	crawling on back, so why bother to
	pack?

McClane grins, he like Argyle even if he is direct.

		MCCLANE
	Like I said, Argyle...you're fast.

		ARGYLE
		(popping in a cassette)
	Mind if I play some tunes?

A hard RAP SONG blasts from the speakers.

		MCCLANE
	How 'bout some Christmas music?

		ARGYLE
	That is Christmas music.

And damned it if isn't, the Fat Boys of Run DMC doing a
revisionist number on WHITE CHRISTMAS or something.  McClane
gives up, looks out the window.

9       HIS P.O.V.				   9

Convertibles with Christmas trees in their back seats,
Time/Temperature signs which reads:  69 degrees, palm trees
trimmed in Christmas lights, intermittent West side token
"Happy Chanukahs"...it is clear that Christmas L.A. style has
its own unique style.

10-     OUT				   OUT   10-
11							    11

11-A    THE LIMO - CENTURY CITY		      11-A

TILT DOWN FROM one of the stars of this film, the well-lit,
impressive and spanking-new NAKATOMI BUILDING.  The limo pulls
up, parks, and Argyle gets out.  McClane lets himself out,
which is fine because Argyle doesn't remember he's supposed to
do it.  They both go to the rear of the vehicle.

12      EXT. NAKATOMI BUILDING - NIGHT		       12

Argyle climbs out of the limo and stops by the trunk.

		ARGYLE
	So, you go on upstairs to the party,
	your lady sees you, you run into each
	other's arms.  Music comes up, you
	live happily ever after, that it?

		MCCLANE
	It's corny, but I could live with it.

		ARGYLE
	What is it don't work out that way?
	Where you gonna stay?

		MCCLANE
	I'll find someplace.

He looks up at the highrise lit by huge spotlights, then
back at Argyle who's made no attempt to open the trunk.

		ARGYLE
	Tell you what.  I'll pull into the
	parking garage and wait.  You score
	with your wife give me a call on the
	car phone and I'll leave your bags
	inside at the desk.  You strike out...
	I'll get you to a hotel.

He hands McClane a business card with the number on it.

		MCCLANE
		(taking the number)
	You're all right, Argyle.

		ARGYLE
	Just remember that when you sign
	for the tip.
		(pointing to the
		building)
	They're paying for it, so don't be
	shy.

McClane grins, heads inside.

13      INT. NAKATOMI LOBBY - NIGHT		  13

Beautiful and -- on first glance -- deserted.  Finally a
SOUND in the sterile lobby reveals the presence of a
SECURITY GUARD hidden until now behind a massive desk.
McClane goes there, signs in.

		MCCLANE
	Holly McClane?

The Guard points to a prominent touch screen computer console.

		GUARD
	Just type it in there.

McClane is confused for a moment, then he moves to the screen.
He gives the Guard a look...the Guard raises his eyebrows as
if to say give it a try.

13-A    SCREEN - CLOSER			    13-A

McClane types, "McClane, Holly".  Pause.  The screen replies,
NO SUCH EMPLOYEE LISTED.

13-B    MCCLANE						 13-B

Frowns...thinks.  Simultaneously inspired and suspicious, he
types again.

13-C    THE SCREEN				  13-C

McClane types, GENNERO, HOLLY.  This time the screen CHANGES,
shows an elevation of the building and then a floor plan of the
30th floor with Holly's office BLINKING.		     *

13-D    BACK TO SCENE			      13-D

		MCCLANE
	Cute toy.

		GUARD
	Yeah.  When you have to take a leak
	it'll help you find your zipper.

		MCCLANE
	Thirtieth floor...		         *

		GUARD
		(pointing)
	Take the express elevator and get
	off at the noise.

McClane nods, moves off.  He moves to the elevators, and as he
does his experienced eye takes in:

13-E    ANOTHER SECURITY GUARD		        13-E

Patrolling a different area.

13-F    SEVERAL HI-TECH CAMERAS AND SENSORS		   13-F

which are cleverly worked into the decor of the lobby.

13-G    BACK TO SCENE				13-G

McClane reacts with bored professionalism, NODS to the guard.

		MCCLANE
	Lots of hardware...

The guard shrugs.  McClane gets in the elevator.

14      INT. ELEVATOR - NIGHT		         14

McClane hits "30" and REACTS to the hyper-powered SPEED with
which he rises.  He rotates his head, getting out the travel
cricks.

As he approaches the 30th floor we hear a tremendous THUMPING,
THROBBING NOISE.  McClane stops and listens before he
realizes -- it's the party.  As the doors open the noise
ATTACKS us.

15      30TH FLOOR - SAME			   15

McClane moves around the edge of the party, gradually
spiraling inward.  He grabs a glass of Mimosa champagne punch
from a passing tray, sips...scowls.  Spotting open beers in
an ice bucket, he tosses the punch into a potted plant, even
burying the plastic glass.  Sipping the beer, he moves through
the dense party.  People he doesn't know throw streamers over
him.

A WOMAN kisses him.  He grins.  A MAN kisses him.

		MCCLANE
		(to himself, shaking
		his head)
	California...

Finally he queries a DANCING WOMAN.  The MUSIC drowns out their
words but she nods, points off in some generic direction.

McClane heads that way, cuts around a Christmas tree, loses
his bearings.  He sees:

15-A    TAKAGI						   15-A

who has an air of authority.  McClane goes up to him.

		MCCLANE
	Excuse me, I'm looking for --

		TAKAGI
	Holly Gennero?

		MCCLANE
	Yeah.  How'd you know?

		TAKAGI
	I've spent half my life on airplanes,	     *
	I can recognize someone who just
	got off one.
		(shaking hands)
	I'm Joe Takagi, Mr. McClane.  I have
	...something to do with this company.

		MCCLANE
	So I've heard.

Takagi smiles, leads the way.  As they approach Holly's office
door, McClane notices the name there is -- again -- "Gennero".

		TAKAGI
	Holly went to the Vault room to FAX
	some documents...she should be back
	any...

16      HOLLY'S OFFICE			      16

Ellis is behind the desk.  He's SNIFFLING and just as they
come in he SWEEPS the back of the slick desktop with his hand.

Both McClane and Takagi catch on...but Takagi tries to hide
his awareness.

		ELLIS
	Ah...hi...I just had to make a quick
	call, and this was the nearest phone...

		TAKAGI
		(as Ellis rises)
	Ellis, this is John McClane...
		(with meaning)
	Holly's policeman?
		(to McClane)
	Ellis is in charge of International
	Acquisitions.

		MCCLANE
		(shaking hands with Ellis)
	That explains the recent deal with
	Bolivia.

Ellis REACTS, runs a checking finger under his nose.

		MCCLANE
		(sotto)
	Relax, Ellis.  I'm off duty.

		TAKAGI
		(eager to change the
		subject, to McClane)
	Can I get you anything?  Food?  Cake?
	Watered down champagne punch?

		MCCLANE
		(grinning)
	I'm fine.
		(looking through the
		glass)
	You throw quite a party.  I didn't
	know they had Christmas in Japan.

		TAKAGI
	Hey, we're flexible.  Pearl Harbor
	didn't work out, we got you with
	tape decks.

McClane laughs.  He likes this guy.

		ELLIS
	Actually, it's kind of a double celebration.        *
	We closed a pretty big deal today and a lot
	of it was due to Holly.

The door OPENS.  Holly comes inside.

		HOLLY
	All set, Joe.  The contracts went
	over the wire, and --
		(surprised)
	John...!

16-A    MCCLANE AND HOLLY			   16-A

A moment.  Does the sound of the party stop for him?  We know
it.  For her?  It's more cryptic.  We sure hope so.

		HOLLY
		(recovering)
	I was hoping you made that flight.

		JOHN
		(quietly)
	I was hoping you were hoping that.

She laughs, kisses him on the cheek.  Ellis notes the awkwardness.

		TAKAGI
		(to McClane)
	You wife's made for this business.
	She know how to drive a hard bargain.

		MCCLANE
	Yeah.  I remember our first date.

		ELLIS
	Show him the watch.

As she hesitates:

		ELLIS
         Go on, show him.  What're you,
         embarrassed?
		(to McClane)
         A little token of our appreciation
         for all her work.

He takes Holly's wrist, holds it up.  McClane smoothly takes
the wrist away from Ellis, looks at the watch.

		MCCLANE
	Nice, but one of us is three hours
	out of sync.  I think it's me.
		(to Holly, pointedly)
	Is there a place I can wash up?

		HOLLY
		(happy for the excuse)
	Sure.  Follow me.

They go out.  Alone, Takagi's look at Ellis shows his
disapproval of certain snow at Christmas.

						CUT TO:

17      EXT. NAKATOMI - NIGHT		         17

An Emory freight truck turns off Olympic into the underground
parking garage of Nakatomi.

18      INT. PARKING GARAGE			 18

It goes down the ramp and passes Argyle's black limo.  The
driver's seat is EMPTY.

19      INT. LIMO - SAME			    19

Argyle sits in the back seat hidden from the outside world by
the tinted rear windows.  He is making a drink from the bar
with the TV on and his rap music blasting from the cassette
player, oblivious to the truck passing behind him.

20      INT. PARKING GARAGE - SAME		    20

The Emory truck stops in front of the service elevator on the
next level down.  As the truck idles, the uniformed driver
makes a note on his clipboard.

21      INT. ELLIS' OFFICE - NIGHT		    21

TILT UP FROM McClane's BARE FEET.  He is clenching and
unclenching his toes.

		MCCLANE
		(surprised, actually feeling
		tension decline)
	Son-of-a-bitch.  It works.

 Holly sits on the desk here, watches him remove his jacket, tie
 shirt, etc.  Begin to wash up in the private bath.

		HOLLY
	What are you doing?

		MCCLANE
	It's a long story.  You know, I
	think that Ellis has his eye on you.

		HOLLY
	That's okay...
		(pause)
	... I have an eye on his private
	bathroom.

 McClane's face shows his relief (or rather, his attempt not
 to show any).
							      *

		HOLLY
	So, where are you staying?  This		   *
	all happened so fast I didn't even
	ask you on the phone.

 McClane finishes drying his face and steps to the bath doorway.

		MCCLANE
	Well, Cappy Roberts retired out
	here a couple years ago.  He said I
	could bunk with him.

		HOLLY
	Oh...Where does he live?

		MCCLANE
	Ramona...no, Pomona, that's it.

		HOLLY
	Pomona!  You'll be in the car the
	whole time...Look, let's make this
	easy.  I have a spare bedroom.  It's
	not huge, but the kids would love to
	have you at the house.

 McClane fixes her with a look.

		MCCLANE
	They would, huh?

		HOLLY
	      (beat; honest)
	I would too.
							      *
 They lock eyes for a moment, but it's an intense moment that
 says a lot about how they still feel about each other.

 Just then a man and a woman, both a little tipsy, open the
 door to the office, see that it's occupied and beat a hasty
 retreat.  The interruption temporarily dents the mood.  Holly
 tries to smile.  But for McClane it's the last frustration.

		HOLLY
	...I've missed you.		        *

		MCCLANE
	Especially my name.  You must miss
	it every time you write a check.  When
	did you start calling yourself
	'Ms. Gennero'?

		HOLLY
	      (caught)
	This is a Japanese company, you know?
	They figure a married woman, she's on
	the way out the door...

		MCCLANE
	Sure.  It's unnerving.  I remember
	this one particular married woman,
	she went out the door so fast there
	was practically a jetwash...I mean,
	talk about your wind chill factor...

		HOLLY
	Didn't we have this same conversation
	in July?  Damn it, John, there was
	an opportunity out here -- I had to
	take it --

		MCCLANE
	No matter what it did to our marriage -- ?

		HOLLY
	My job and my title and my salary did
	nothing to our marriage except change
	your idea of what it should be.

		MCCLANE
	Oh, here it comes.  One of those
	'meaningful relationship conversations.'
	I never should've let you get those
	magazine subscriptions --

		HOLLY
	You want to know my idea of a marriage?
	It's a partnership where people help
	each other over the rough spots --
	console each other when there's a
	down...and when there's an up, well,
	hell, a little Goddamn applause or
	an attaboy wouldn't be too bad.
	      (quietly)
	I needed that, John.
	      (pause)
	I deserved that.

 There's a clumsy pause as if she's almost challenging him to
 say...something but he sets his jaw, says nothing.  Just then
 the door opens and Ginny leans inside.

		GINNY
	Miz Gennero?  Mr. Takagi is looking
	for you...he wants you to say something
	to the troops...

		HOLLY
	Thanks, Ginny.  I'll be a second.
	Oh, this is --

		MCCLANE
	      (mock bright 'radio' voice)
	Hi.  John Gennero here.  I'm the
	sensitive and supportive man of the
	eighties.

 Ginny looks puzzled, goes out.  Holly sighs, moves to the
 door.

		HOLLY
	I'll be a few minutes.  Wait here --

		MCCLANE
	Don't I always?

 She's gone.  Immediately, he slaps his forehead, contrite.

		MCCLANE
	      (to himself)
	Schmuck!

22-     OUT						OUT   22-
23							     23

24      INT. BUILDING LOBBY - SAME TIME		       24

The Guard at the front desk notices the Emory truck on his
monitor.  The Guard continues to watch the Emory truck and
only half notices as a Mercedes pulls up in front of the
building and two extremely well-dressed BUSINESSMAN (late
twenties) climb out and start up the stairs for the door.  As
they cross the lobby to the Guard's table to sign in, we hear
their conversation.

		MAN #1 (THEO)
	      (animatedly)
	...So, Kareem rebounds -- listen,
	this is a great play -- feeds Worthy
	on the break, over to A.C., to Magic,
	back to Worthy in the lane and --

Suddenly the other man pulls out a Walther pistol with a
silencer and aims it at the Guard's forehead.  Before the
Guard can react he pulls the trigger.

		THEO
	      (dryly)
	Boom...two points.

(The speed with which the murder takes place sets the tone
for the rest of the action.)  The killer moves behind the
desk, stepping over a small pool of blood from the Guard.

His name is KYLE, big, with long blond hair like a rock
drummer.  Karl takes off the silencer and looks at the video
monitor of the Emory truck.  The first man, Theo, opens his
briefcase, takes out a portable CB radio and speaks into it.

		THEO
	We're in.

25      ON THE SCREEN				25

the driver nods at the security camera as several men climb out of
the rear of the van and begin unloading wooden crates by the
service elevator.

26      INT. ELLIS' OFFICE - NIGHT		    26

McClane looks at all the lavishness around him and picks up a
phone by the toilet.  He opens his wallet and takes out the
phone number Argyle have him.  A photo of his children stops
him.

It's of Holly, the two children and himself in happier days:
Six months ago, before Nakatomi came calling to Holly's door.
McClane flips it over.  On the back in crude but painstaking
hand of a five-year-old it says:  WE MISS YOU, DADDY.  LOVE
LUCY (and in more primitive letters) JOHN.

McClane returns the photo to his wallet, dials the number.

26      INT. BUILDING OPERATIONS CONTROL ROOM		 26

Theo enters the small control room and comfortably sits behind
a maintenance keyboard.  Whistling a vaguely familiar tune, he
TYPES in some commands and locks down the passenger elevators
up to the 30th floor.  Then with several more computer commands,
systematically causes:

27      THE HEAVY STEEL GATES TO THE PARKING GARAGE CLOSE      27

28      THE ESCALATORS TO THE GARAGE COME TO A STOP	  28

29      OUT				   OUT    29

30      CONTROL ROOM - SAME			 30

Theo finishes typing and disconnects the keyboard and pulls out
the wires from beneath the panel.

31      INT. LOBBY - SAME			   31

The doors to a service elevator open TO REVEAL HANS GRUBER,
impeccably dressed, lean and handsome, he steps out into the
lobby like he owns the building -- and in a way he does.

Theo steps to the door of the control room and tosses Hans a
COMPUTER CARD.

Hans goes to the front door, waves the card over a magnetic
plate.  An LED BLINKS and the door LOCKS with a THUD.

Hans looks out at the street.  Appropriately enough, "not a
creature is stirring."  Century City is quiet.

32-     OUT				   OUT    32-
35							     35

35-A    LOBBY - QUICK CUTS			  35-A

An elevator opens REVEALING TEN MORE MEN, all armed with
Kalashnikov machine guns are carrying canvas kit bags.  One
of them, EDDIE, a rugged American in his twenties, goes to
the dead guard and immediately begins changing into his cloths.

Meanwhile:

   A)  Karl takes a tool case from the elevator and joins his
   brother TONY, first playfully grabbing him.  They head
   for the basement stairwell;

   B)  Theo leaves the control room and nods to Hans.

   C)  Eddie finished adjusting buttons and snaps on his
   pilfered uniform, takes his position behind the front desk.

36      HANS						     36

looks at his watch and seems pleased.  He steps into the service
elevator with the others and presses the button for the 30th
floor.  The entire sequence has taken maybe sixty seconds.

37      INT. ELLIS' BATHROOM - 30th FLOOR - SAME	     37

McClane is still barefoot, his pant legs now rolled up above
his ankles.  He stretches his toes again.  Damn, it works.  He
lights up a new Marlboro, dials a number on the (bathroom)
phone.

38      INT. BUILDING BASEMENT - PHONE ROOM		   38

A large sign says:  PACIFIC BELL EMPLOYEES ONLY.  Inside Tony
stands in front of an intimidating matrix of phone lines -- but
what he has in mind won't require a doctorate in Electrical
Engineering.  Karl comes over, gives his an elder brother's
punch on the arm, points out what to do.  Together they focus
on four CPV plastic conduits which run out of the main panel
over their heads.  Tony nods.  Opens a case REVEALING a
compact electric chainsaw.

39      INT. ELLIS' BATHROOM - RESUME		 39

		MCCLANE
		(on phone)
         Argyle...?

40      INT. LIMO						40

Argyle is reclining on the seat.  The music is on so loud that
it is nearly impossible to hear.

		ARGYLE
         Hey, John, what's the word on you
         and your lady?

		MCCLANE'S VOICE
         The vote's not in yet.

41      INT. PHONE ROOM - SAME		        41

Karl cuts through the four tubes one at a time.

42      INT. ELLIS' BATHROOM - SAME		   42

McClane on the phone.

		ARGYLE'S VOICE
		(mocking)
         'Vote's not in yet?'  What's that
         supposed to mean.

		MCCLANE
         What do you want, 'All My Children'?
         We're making progress.  After I get my
         foot out of my mouth, we'll really be
         cooking, and then I can --

He stops and gently taps the phone cradle.  No dial tone.

43      INT. LIMO				   43

Argyle looks at the phone.

		       ARGYLE
         What?...Mr. Mac, you there?

He turns down the music but there is on one on the line.

		       ARGYLE
	      (to himself)
         Well, call me back, John.  You got
         the number.

He hangs up and turns the volume back up.

44      ELLIS' OFFICE			      44

McClane hangs up the original phone and then tries the other
one on the desk.  It, too, is dead.

45      INT. SERVICE ELEVATOR		        45

Hans and the others approaching the 30th floor.  As they grow
closer, we hear the noise of the speakers growing louder and
louder.  The men cock their weapons and brace themselves as the
car stops and the elevator doors open.  ON THE SOUND OF GUNSHOTS
AND SCREAMS WE:

				   CUT TO:

46      INT. ELLIS' OFFICE			  46

McClane grabs his shoulder harness off the back of the chair,
moves quickly to the doorway.  He looks down the hall.

47      MCCLANE'S P.O.V.			    47

Two terrorists, FRANCE and FRITZ, armed with M-5 machine guns
searching the offices on the hall one by one.  They open a door,
look in from the hallway, and move on quickly to the next.

They are four offices away and moving fast.

McClane looks across the corridor and sees the stairwell door
-- too far to reach without being seen.

48      MCCLANE						  48

steps back, throws off the safety on his Beretta and braces
himself.  He opens the door, peers through a crack at:

49      HALLWAY - FRANCE AND FRITZ		    49

QUICK CUTS as McClane's eyes SCAN their weapons...he's totally
outgunned, and he knows it.

Franco and Fritz reach the office just before Ellis' and throw
open the door REVEALING the man and woman who interrupted Holly
and McClane a few minutes before, now in the throes of
passionate lovemaking on the desk.  The two terrorists smile
at each other, then enter the office.

A moment later the man, (trying desperately to pull up his
pants) and the woman (buttoning her blouse) are pushed out
into the hall and toward the larger group by Fritz.  The other
terrorist, Franco, goes to Ellis' office and opens the door.

It is...empty.

50      INT. STAIRWELL - SAME		         50

CLOSE ON McClane's bare feet padding quickly up the concrete
stairs, two at a time.  We FOLLOW him up, then out onto the:

50-A    31th FLOOR				   50-A

This is the mezzanine floor immediately above the main
Nakatomi lobby.  McClane sees Theo and KRISTOFF wheeling carts
of equipment.  McClane ducks back into the stairwell, he runs
up another flight and out onto:

51      UNFINISHED FLOOR			    51

Eventually it will be one large secretarial pool, but only a
portion is completed.  Half-finished partitions and office
furniture in its original plastic wrappings are everywhere.
One end has a few lonely finished working areas.

McClane moves quickly to a desk and picks up a phone.  It's
out.

		MCCLANE
	Shit...

He looks out the window at:

51-A    NEIGHBORING BUILDING - MCCLANE'S P.O.V.	      51-A

A high-rise apartment building a half-block away sparkles with
lights.  McClane stares at a PRETTY GIRL in her bedroom.  She's
wearing drop dead underwear right out of the Victoria's Secret
catalog.  As we watch, she flops down on her bed, and with
one long leg in the air, effortlessly dials
a call on her high-tech phone.  It seems so easy.

51-B    BACK TO SCENE				51-B

Frustrated, he watches this, knits his brow.

		MCCLANE
	Think...

52      INT. 30th FLOOR (HOSTAGE FLOOR) - SAME		52

The employees have been herded to the center of the room where
the desks have been pulled back.  Many people are whimpering.

52-A    HOLLY						    52-A

She looks around the room for McClane.  She's so intent on
this that she doesn't see one TERRORIST waving her forward.
Exasperated, he SHOVES her.  Her glare at him shows us her
mettle.

52-B    WIDER						    52-B

As the employees are bunched together, Ellis seeks out Holly.
He's clearly scared but trying to fake courage.  He pats her
hand "reassuringly."

Hans steps up on top of a desk and looks over the group.  He
reaches into a pocket...several people CRINGE...but what he
comes out with is a Bottega Venata pocket notebook.  He checks
his own scribblings like a dais speaker.

		HANS
		(soothing, in control)
	Ladies and gentlemen, due to the
	Nakatomi Corporation's legacy of
	greed around the globe, it is about
	to be taught a lesson on real power.
	You...will be witnesses.
	If our demands are not met, however --
		(sad smile)
	-- You may become participants instead.
		(beat, checking notes)
	Now, where is...'Takagi'?  Where is
	the man who...
		(slight smile)
	...used to be in charge here?

Takagi is shoved forward.  He's worried but far from cowed.
Hans steps towards him.  Extends a hand.

		HANS
		(quite civil)
	Mr. Takagi.  How do you do.  My
	name is Hans Gruber.

Takagi is confused by his charm.  Hans waves politely in the
direction of an elevator and with an armed escort takes the
executive away.  CAMERA ADJUSTS to show Holly, concerned.

56      INT. STAIRWELL - 33rd FLOOR - SAME		    56

McClane pauses outside the stairwell door to the 33rd floor,
he presses the handle and cracks the door open TO REVEAL a
computer floor.  The computer machinery drones on under the
lights behind plate glass windows.  McClane quietly closes
the door and moves to another floor.

		MCCLANE
		(mumbling to himself)
	32 construction...33 computers...

57-     OUT						OUT   57-
58							     58

59      INT. SERVICE ELEVATOR - NIGHT		 59

Hans, Takagi, Karl and Tony.  Riding silently.  Hans alone
seems relaxed.  He whistles.  We recognize it as a snatch of
Wagner.

		HANS
	Nice suit.  John Philips...London?

Takagi stares at him, speechless.

		HANS
		(smiles)
	I have two myself.
		(beat, as he exits:)
	I'm told Arafat shops there too...

60      INT. STAIRWELL			      60

McClane starts to open the stairwell door to the Machine Floor
when a NOISE above him gets his attention.  He moves silently
up one flight to the roof.  Quietly, he cracks the door and
looks out onto a Machine Floor on the lower level of the roof.

61      MCCLANE'S P.O.V.			    61

Three terrorist, JAMES, ULI and HEINRICH, are unpacking the
wooden crates we saw in the garage from the service elevator.
It's not clear what they're doing but it seems very military
like and ominously defensive.  Heinrich POINTS up to the
ceiling and says something in German.  The others nod.  Heinrich
starts to turn towards the CAMERA and:

62      MCCLANE						  62

closes the door and slips back down the stairs.

63      INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - BOARD ROOM FLOOR - NIGHT        63

Hands enters, looks around.			*

		HANS		        *
	And when Alexander saw the breadth
	of his domain, he wept.  For there
	were no more worlds to conquer.
		(to Takagi)
	The benefits of a classical education.

Hans admired a scale model of a bridge.  Behind him are       *
photographs of the gorge where the bridge will be constructed.
Karl and Tony listen.  Takagi watches.

		HANS
	It's beautiful.  I always enjoyed
	models as a boy.  The exactness, the
	attention to every foreseeable detail...
	perfection.

		TAKAGI
		(defensively)
	This is what this is about?  Out
	building project in Indonesia?
	Contrary to what you people think,
	we're going to develop that region...
	not 'exploit' it.

Hans straightens, looks hard at Takagi.

		HANS
	I believe you.
		(smiling)
	I read the article in Forbes.		      *

Takagi looks confused.  Hans puts a friendly arm around Takagi's
shoulders and guides him into the adjacent board room where
Theo types in commands onto a built-in computer console.

		HANS
	Mr. Takagi, we could discuss
	industrialization of men's fashions
	all day, but I'm afraid my associate,
	Mr. Theo, has some questions for you.
	Sort of fill-in-the blanks questions
	actually...

				 JUMP CUT:

64      A COMPUTER SCREEN SPITS OUT:		 64

         NAKATOMI CORPORATION.
         BOARD WORKSTATION.
         ENTER CENTRAL COMPUTER CODE KEY _ _ _ _.

65      THEO						    65

sits fingers poised over the keyboard.  Hans sits opposite.
Takagi stands like the accused at the foot of the table, has
just read the screen, blurts:

		TAKAGI
	I don't have that code...!
		(beat; to Hans)
	You broke in here to access out
	computer?!?  Any information you
	could get -- they wake up in Tokyo
	in the morning, they'll change it!
	You won't be able to blackmail our
	executives or threaten --

Hans barks him to silence:

		HANS
	SIT DOWN!

Takagi complies.  Hans is abruptly compassionate and quiet.

		HANS
	Mr. Takagi...I'm not interested in your
	computer.
		(beat)
	I'm interested in the 640 million dollars
	in negotiable bearer bonds you have in
	you vault.

ON Takagi's reaction.

		HANS
	Yes...I know about them.  The code
	key is a necessary step in accessing
	the vault.

		TAKAGI
	You want...money?  What kind of
	terrorists are you?

		HANS
		(amused)
	Who said we were terrorists?

65-A    MCCLANE - ENTERING THIS FLOOR		65-A

He tiptoes along, gun held ready.  He can HEAR the MUMBLE of
voices from the conference room, moves slowly towards it.

65-B    CONFERENCE ROOM - RESUME		     65-B

Hans slowly takes out his Walther and his silencer.  He feels
his silencer a moment, as if making a decision, then slips it
back into his coat pocket.

		HANS
		(weighing the gun)
	The code key, please...?

		TAKAGI
	It's useless to you!  There's seven
	safeguards on our vault, and the
	code key is only one of them!  You'll
	never get it open!

Hans lifts the gun.

		HANS
	Then there's no reason not to tell
	it to us.

		THEO
		(aside to Karl)
	I told you...

		KARL
	It's not over...

Hans gives them both a look like an annoyed schoolmaster,
turns back to Takagi.

		HANS
	This is too nice a suit to ruin,
	Mr. Takagi.  I'm going to count
	to three.  There will not be a
	four.  Give me the code.

He cocks the gun:

		TAKAGI
	I don't know it!  get on a Goddamn
	jet to Tokyo and ask the chairman!
	I'm telling you!  You're just going
	to have to kill me --

		HANS
	Okay.

BANG!!  He pulls the trigger:

66      OUT IN THE MUSEUM - MCCLANE		  66      *

reacts as if shot.

A66-A   HIS P.O.V.				 A66-A    *

The glass doors to the boardroom are splattered red and
dripping...

66-A    INSIDE						  66-A

Takagi is still seated, but the chair in flat on its back,
blood flowing out into the carpet.

Hans springs to his feet:

		HANS
	We do it the hard way!  Tony, see if
	you can dispose of that. (the body)
	Karl, you'd better check Heinrich's
	work up on the machine floor.

Karl, in the midst of handing Theo a fifty dollar bill, nods.

67      OUTSIDE - MCCLANE			  67

stunned, sees Hans move and tries to retreat.  But his gun
bumps the underside of the table:

68      INSIDE - HANS			      68

hears it.  Karl is the first to move:

69      KARL						    69

springs through the door, finds nothing.  He checks two
adjoining rooms, the first is deserted.  The second...is
locked.

70      KARL						    70

returns to Hans.

		KARL
	Nothing...

		HANS
		(nods)
	See to Heinrich...
		(to Theo)
	Now...you can break the code key...?

		THEO
		(grins)
	You didn't bring me along for my
	charming personality.

As he heads for the elevator.

		THEO
		(under his breath)
	'Though you could have...

Hans smiles, confident in his team, and follows.  CAMERA
SETTLES ON the door that Karl found locked.

71      INSIDE THE SUPPLY CLOSET - MCCLANE		   71

slowly lets out a breath, praying softly:

		MCCLANE
	Argyle.  Tell me you heard the shot.
	Tell me you heard the shot and you're
	calling the police right now...

				 CUT TO:

72      INT. LIMO - PARKING GARAGE		   72

Argyle is on the car phone.  The music is playing.

		ARGYLE
	I'm working, honey.  Working hard.
	'Course I'll be by later to pick you
	up, have I ever lies to you?  My boss?
	He thinks I'm cruising to Palm Springs...

72-A    MACHINE LEVEL - TIGHT ON CEILING		     72-A

Heinrich PRESSES something into a niche here, scrambles like
a monkey to a new position.  Helped by one of his men, he
JUMPS down, moves to another area, climbs up again, removing
something from his shoulder bag.

73      VAULT ROOM - 31ST FLOOR		      73

Hans and Theo enter the safe room.  The huge corporate safe
looms in front of them.  Theo places three kit bags onto a
table and rolls up his sleeves.  He swivels a computer console
into handy reach, sits down.

		       HANS
         How long?

		       THEO
         Thirty minutes to break the code...
         Two hours for the five mechanicals.
         The seventh lock...that's out of
         my hands.

		       HANS
         If out plan works...the FBI will
         get rid of it for us.

Theo grins, begins typing.

73-A    HIS SCREEN				  73-A

He types BEGIN ALGORITHM CODE PROGRAM.  RANDOM NUMBERS AND
LETTERS begin going by:  AAAAA; 11111; AAAAB; 11112.

74      32ND FLOOR				  74

McClane moves out onto the 31st floor, angry at himself.

		       MCCLANE
         Why the fuck didn't you stop him?
	      (beat)
         Because, you ignorant sonofabitch,
         you'd be dead, too.  Think...think,
         Goddamnit!

Suddenly he looks up at the ceiling and sees a sprinkler head.
His look drops to the wall and focuses on a small red fire alarm
switch by the door.

75      INT. MAIN FLOOR - L.A. FIRE STATION - NIGHT	 75

An ALARM sounds.  Quickly firemen move to their machines as a
voice of a 911 DISPATCHER drones.

		       911 DISPATCHER
         Main Wilshire units.  Two alarm fire
         at Nakatomi Plaza --

The voice continues as the station doors open and we:

				  CUT TO:

76      INT. NAKATOMI - GROUND FLOOR OPERATIONS ROOM - SAME   76

A fire alarm indicator light showing which floor has sounded the
fire alarm -- suddenly begins flashing, emitting short, loud
beeps.  Eddie, the terrorist in the guard's uniform and manning
the station, immediately picks up his CB.

77      32ND FLOOR - SAME			  77

McClane stands at windows looking Northward for fire trucks.
Suddenly we SEE the flashing red lights of FOUR ENGINES in
traffic two miles away.

		       MCCLANE
         C'mon, baby...come to Papa.  I'm
         gonna kiss your Goddamn dalmatian.

78      INT. SERVICE ELEVATOR - ON HANS - SAME	      78

He rides the elevator back to the 30th floor with Tony.

		       HANS
	      (calmly, to Eddie
	      on CB)
         Call 911, give them the name and
         badge number on your uniform and
         cancel the alarm...then disable
         the system.
	      (looks across at
	      Tony, presses talk
	      button again)
         Eddie?  What floor did the alarm
         go off?

78-A    MACHINE FLOOR			      78-A

They've heard the alarm here, too.  Heinrich, Marco and       *
Uli HEAR the alarm and continue their mysterious work.

79      UNFINISHED FLOOR - SAME		      79

McClane stands silhouetted against the window.  In the distance
he can see another fire truck swing off Santa Monica onto
Avenue of the Stars.

Suddenly the red light on the first truck goes out, then on the
second.  McClane watches in disbelief.  The trucks slow and
turn down separate side streets, heading for home.

		       MCCLANE
	      (realizing)
         Son of a bitch...

Just then the elevator bell rings and we HEAR the ELEVATOR DOORS
OPEN.  A figure (Tony) slips into the shadows -- his machine
gun drawn.  We MOVE WITH HIM FROM the elevator area until he
reaches the light switch and throws it illuminating the entire
floor.  McClane is gone.

80      ON MCCLANE				  80

under a desk.  He takes in his options.

81      HIS P.O.V.				  81

The feet of Tony.  They move slowly in his direction.  McClane
Looks down the aisle next to the windows.  It leads to a series
of cubicles at the other end of the floor and is a clear path
if he can make it past Tony.

82      TONY						    82

He moves steadily toward the area where we saw McClane.

		       TONY
         The fire has been called off, my
         friend.  No one is coming to help
         you.  You might as well come out
         and join the others.
	      (fingers the trigger
	      of his machine gun)
         I promise not to hurt you.

Moving more confidently, he steps up to McClane's desk, then
around it and fires a blast into the space.  It is empty.  As
the SOUND OF THE MACHINE GUN FADES he listens and hears another
SOUND -- a NOISE coming from the other end of the room near
the cubicles.

Tony heads toward the noise.  Sensing a trap, he moves past
each cubicle carefully, checking each office until he reaches
the doorway of the last one.  The sound is just around the
partition.  He tenses, then spins into the cubicle.

83      TONY'S P.O.V.			      83

A radial arm saw spins noisily.

84      TONY						    84

grins at his nervousness.  He moves to turn it off, not
realizing the sound has buried the soft rustle of McClane,
steps INTO FRAME behind him, McClane shoves his pistol barrel
against Tony's temple.

		       MCCLANE
         Freeze, Police...don't move or name
         your beneficiary.

Tony doesn't.  McClane cocks his Beretta.  Tony watches him
calmly.

		       TONY
         You won't hurt me.

		       MCCLANE
         Yeah?  Why not?

		       TONY
	      (smug)
         Because you are a policeman.  There
         are rules for policemen.

		       MCCLANE
         Yeah.  My Captain keeps telling
         me the same thing.

McClane suddenly PISTOL WHIPS Tony across the head.  Tony
REELS, then swallows, worried for the first time.

		       MCCLANE
         Let's go.

Suddenly Tony spins to the side and McClane FIRES, but the
big man's momentum slams McClane into a filing cabinet and sends
his pistol into the hall.

Tony fires his machine gun, but McClane kicks him into the desk.

He locks his arms around the big man's neck in a hold that
sends Tony reeling into the hall.  McClane holds on as they
slam through several plastic board partitions.  They careen
across the hall into the stairwell door, opening it, and crash
into:

85      STAIRWELL LANDING			  85

then down the concrete steps into the wall on the landing below.
For a moment, both men lie still.  McClane, still holding onto
Tony's neck, releases it and the man's head flops sickeningly
to the side.

For a moment McClane just looks at the dead man.  Then, slowly,
methodically, he begins to SEARCH HIM.  He turns all his pockets
inside out, looks at his clothing labels, stares long and very
hard at a California driver's license with Tony's picture on
it.  He expertly examines the machine gun when a HISSING SOUND
coming from somewhere attracts his attention.

He rises, moves cautiously to the source.

85-A    NEW ANGLE				   85-A

It's Tony's CB, which has fallen from the dead man's waist during
the struggle.  McClane stares at it, formulating a plan.

				  CUT TO:

86      INT. 32ND FLOOR - NIGHT		      86

PAN FROM Tony's now shoeless feet TO McClane, who sits on the
floor near the body hurriedly lacing up the dead terrorist's
boots on his own feet.  He ties the last lace and tries to take
a couple of steps.

He winces in pain, goes off balance.  Quickly he starts taking
the boots off.

		       MCCLANE
         A million terrorists in the world
         and I kill the one with feet
         smaller than my sister.

He yanks off the boots and tosses them into the garbage.  Then
he pulls the body up and sets it down on a secretary's chair.
He starts to push it along when he gets an idea and moves to:

86-A    A DESK						  86-A

Where he scribbles a note we cannot read on a piece of paper.
Then his eyes fall on some Xmas decorations nearby.  He smiles
to himself.

86-B    IN THE ELEVATOR - UNFINISHED FLOOR		   86-B

TIGHT ON McClane's back as he pushes Tony's body on swivel
chair into the elevator.  (NOTE:  WE CANNOT SEE TONY'S HEAD)
CAMERA ADJUSTS as McClane pushes the buttons for the 31th and
30th floors.

We notice he's got the dead man's machine gun and that a wooden
desk ruler protrudes from McClane's back pocket.

The elevator doors close and the car starts down.  After it's
dropped only half a floor, McClane forces the doors open with
his fingers -- stopping the car between floors.

Using the ruler he blocks open the inside doors, then opens the
outside doors of the floor above (31st) with his fingers and
pulls himself up onto the carpeted floor, then up onto the roof
of the car.  Once on the roof of the car he reaches over the
edge and removes the ruler, closing the inside doors and setting
the car in motion again.

86-C    HOSTAGE FLOOR			      86-C

The hostages have been gathered together in a group in the center
of the open floor, guards flanking them.  The elevators are
barely visible from the edge of the group, which is where Ginny
and Holly are sitting.  Ginny winces, uncomfortable on the floor.
Holly soothes her.  Hans stands in front of them like a stern
camp counselor in front of the assembled bunk.

		       HANS
         I wanted this to be professional,
         efficient, adult, cooperative.  Not
         a lot to ask.  Alas, your Mr. Takagi
         did not see it that way...
	      (harder)
         So he won't be joining us for the
         rest of his life.
	      (as that sinks in)
         We are prepared to go any way you
         make us.  When we have achieved our
         aims you can walk out of here...
         or be carried out.  Decide now, each
         of you.  But remember that we have
         planned everything to the last detail.
         We are completely in change.

A "DING" attracts his attention.  He turns.

87      NEW ANGLE				   87

The elevator doors OPEN and Fritz, guarding the area.  WHIRLS,
gun held ready.  His jaw drop as he sees:

87-A    TONY'S BODY - HIS P.O.V.		     87-A

Still and dead, flopped in a swivel chair, a red Santa hat
gaily placed on his head.

87-B    HANS						    87-B

REACTS.

		       HANS
	      (indicating the hostages)
         Get them over there.  Schnell!

The guards quickly hustle the hostages away as Hans crosses to
the elevator, but for before.

87-C    HOLLY						   87-C

Sees the body...and REACTS.  She knows her husband's abilities...
not to mention his twisted sense of humor.

87-D    NEAR THE ELEVATOR			  87-D

As Fritz stands there, confused, Hans comes to the elevator with
Franco, lifts Tony's chin and sees that his neck has been
snapped.  He sees a folded piece of paper in Tony's collar,
takes it out.

87-E    INSERT - THE NOTE			  87-E

It reads, "Now I have a machine gun.  HO-HO-HO."

87-F    BACK TO SCENE			      87-E

		       FRITZ
         Perhaps a security guard we
         overlooked...?

Hans lifts Tony's chin again, lets the head flop over.

		       HANS
	      (thoughtfully)
         Security guard?  They're usually
         tired and burned out old policemen growing	 *
         fat on a pension...This is...
         something else.

87-G    ROOF OF ELEVATOR - SAME TIME		 87-G

McClane is staring through a tiny crack at the scene below him.
CAMERA ADJUSTS from Fritz in the b.g. to Hans and France just
below.

McClane is WRITING in his weather-beaten cop's notebook.  The
first notation is NUMBER OF HOSTAGES:  HOLLY + 30 -- odd.  Then
it says, NUMBER OF TERRORISTS?  As we watch, he adds "3 ? 1
87-H    in Lobby (?) and 2+ with hostages??  Plus ones on     87-H
roof (3)."

		       FRITZ'S VOICE
	      (slightly spooked)
         We have to do something, Hans.

		       HANS' VOICE
	      (not pleased)
         Yes...we have to tell Karl his brother
         is dead.  Tell him to come down.

Now McClane writes "HANS=LEADER.  Karl=BROTHER.  USE THIS?"
As Fritz calls Karl on his CB, Hans looks at Franco.

		       HANS
         Franco, you and Fritz take the body
         upstairs and out of sight.  I don't
         want the hostages to think too
         much.

88      INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT - CAR ROOF - ON MCCLANE - SAME    88

On top of the car, listening to the conversation below.  Franco
and Fritz step into the car and the doors on the elevator close.
The car accelerates upward and McClane grabs onto the heavy,
grease-coated cables to keep his balance.  Already his clothes
are soiled; his face and feet, arms and hair are dark from the
dirt and sweat.  The car speeds up the shaft -- passing the car
bringing Karl down to the hostage floor -- and stops at the
machine floor.  The doors open and McClane hears them roll the
chair with the body off the car.  McClane looks up.

89      MCCLANE'S P.O.V.			   89

A metal catwalk runs around the inside of the elevator shaft.

90      MCCLANE						 90

pulls himself up onto it.  As he moves along the catwalk looking
for a way out, he passes an unmarked metal door, 2'x3'.  McClane
pushes it open and looks in.

91      MCCLANE'S P.O.V.			   91

Total darkness.

92      MCCLANE						 92

takes out a coin.  A quarter.  He stops, switches to a nickel.
Throws it into the void.  It is a full four seconds until we
HEAR it "CHING" and bounce on concrete far below.  You don't
have to be a mathematics whiz to know it's a long drop.

		       MCCLANE
         Jesus...

He moves cautiously around a corner and we SEE a metal ladder
leading up to a door marked PUMP ROOM.  Opening the door
McClane enters a darkened:

93      PUMP ROOM				   93

damp and full of pipes and goes to another door.  He cracks the
door and looks out.

94      MCCLANE'S P.O.V.			   94

The lower level of the roof.  Open and deserted.  Only a heliport
above him is higher.

95      30TH FLOOR (HOSTAGE FLOOR) - HOLLY'S OFFICE - SAME    95

WIDEN as a FILING CABINET is FLUNG across the floor, drawers
SLAMMING out, papers flying.  KARL has done this, and he's    *
barely started.  He FLINGS a LAMP against a wall, PUNCHES a hole
into the plaster.  Finally, Hans goes to him, lays controlling
hands on the man's shoulder.

		       HANS
         I know what you are feeling.  But
         this is not productive --

		       KARL
	      (pushing him away)
         He was my only brother...my only
         family!
	      (a flat statement)
         I want blood for my blood.  We
         search...now.

He starts to move.  Hans stops him.

		       HANS
	      (firmly)
         No.  Heinrich's team must finish
         planting the detonators...and Theo
         needs time on the vault.  After the		 *
         police come they'll waste hours trying
         to negotiate...that's when we search		*
         for this man.  Until then...we do not
         alter the plan.

		       KARL
	      (quietly)
         And if he alters it...?		     *

For once Hands doesn't have an answer.

95-A    HOSTAGES - AROUND THE CORNER		 95-A

They've heard the alarm, can see and sense the agitation among
their captors.  Ellis slides over to Holly.

		       ELLIS
         What's happening?

		       HOLLY
         They don't look happy...something's
         gone wrong.

		       ELLIS
         The police...?

		       HOLLY
	      (shaking her head)
         John.

		       ELLIS
         John?  Christ, he could fuck this
         whole thing up...what does he think
         he's doing?

		       HOLLY
         How about his job?

		       ELLIS
         His 'job' is 3000 miles away.  Without
         him, they might let us go...at least
         we have a chance...

		       HOLLY
	      (quietly)
         Tell that to Mr. Takagi.

96      EXT. ROOF - NIGHT			  96

McClane climbs to the heliport and leans against the leeward side
of a wall surrounding it.  Shielded from wind, he pulls out the
CB, turns to channel nine, and starts broadcasting.

		       MCCLANE
         Mayday, Mayday!  Anyone!  Terrorists
         have seized and Nakatomi building
         and are holding 30 or more hostages!
         I say again --

97      OUT				   OUT   97

98      INT. HANS' OFFICE - SAME		     98

Hans, Karl, Fritz and France hear the clear signal over Hans'
CB.

		       MCCLANE'S VOICE
         -- unknown number of terrorists,
         six or more, armed with automatic
         weapons at Nakatomi, Century City...
         Somebody answer me, Goddamnit!

Karl looks almost...satisfied.

		       HANS
         The roof.  It's the best place to
         transmit.

They move.

99      INT. LOS ANGLES EMERGENCY DISPATCH CENTER - SAME      99

A SUPERVISOR weaves her way back from the break room toward a
DISPATCHER who is monitoring the call.

		       DISPATCHER
         It's the same address as that fire
         signal --				  *

		       SUPERVISOR
	      (frowning)
         -- the false alarm?  I'll handle		    *
         it.

She plugs in her headset.  (Her condescending, arrogant tone is
like the one in the famous tape where the dispatch lady spends
so much time on red tape that the patient dies.)

		       SUPERVISOR
	      (into mike)
         Attention, whoever you are.  This
         channel is reserved for emergency
         calls only --

		       MCCLANE'S VOICE
         No fucking shit, lady!  Do I sound
         like I'm ordering a pizza?

100     OUT				   OUT  100

101     INT. SERVICE ELEVATOR - ON KARL - SAME	     101

with Franco and Fritz.

		       KARL
         No one kills him but me.

It's an order and the look he gives the other two backs it up.
Karl checks his magazine, SLAPS it into his rifle as the elevator
opens to the roof.

102     EXT. UPPER ROOF			   102

McClane moves around the roof, circling the helipad, making sure
he has a good enough view to avoid being ambushed.  He can't
see in all directions at once but he's doing the best he can.

		       MCCLANE
         They've already killed one hostage,
         and they're fortifying their positions
         while we're bullshitting!  Now, send
         police backup ASAP!

		       SUPERVISOR'S VOICE
         Sir, I've already told you, this is
         a reserved channel.  If this is an
         emergency call, dial 911 on your
         telephone.  Otherwise I will report
         you to the police --

		       MCCLANE
	      (to the radio)
         -- fine!  Report me!  Hey, come down
         here and fucking arrest me!  Send
         the police.  NOW -- !

Suddenly machine gun shells rip into the concrete wall in front
of him.  The noise is deadening as we:

				  CUT TO:

103     INT. DISPATCHER OFFICE - SAME		103

Both Supervisor and Dispatcher reach for their headsets in
pain from the INTENSE SOUND and:

104     OUT				   OUT   104

105     EXT. ROOF - ON MCCLANE - SAME		105

Running.  Tracer bullets rip into the wall behind him.  He
reaches the corner and sees the other two terrorists moving
toward him.  Before they see him, he leaps down to the next
level out of range of Karl.

106     INT. EMERGENCY DISPATCH - SAME		       106

The Dispatcher looks critically at the Supervisor in the
sudden silence.

		       SUPERVISOR
	      (importantly)
         Ad...have a black-and-white do a
         drive-by.

				  CUT TO:

107     INT. 7-11 - AT THE COUNTER - NIGHT		   107

TIGHT as one after another after another HOSTESS TWINKIE is
stacked up on the counter.  CAMERA WIDENS and we SEE the
young male CLERK, who stifles a smile.  Another teenage
employee behind the counter also smothers a laugh.

The customer is POWELL, young for a police veteran, old for
the rest of the world.

		       CLERK
         Thought you guys just ate donuts.

		       POWELL
         They're for my wife.  She's pregnant.
         If I knew she was gonna eat a dozen
         at a shot, I woulda bought stock in
         the company.

The Clerk nods and puts them in a bag.  As Powell pays, suddenly
his BELT RADIO crackles to life.

		       DISPATCHER'S VOICE/RADIO
         Dispatch to One Adam Ten, over.

Powell grabs the radio, speaks into it.

		       POWELL
         One Adam Ten, go ahead.

		       DISPATCHER'S VOICE/RADIO
         Investigate a code two at Nakatomi
         Plaza, Century City.

		       POWELL
	      (thinking)
         Nakatomi Plaza?

He moves to the door, steps outside.

107-A   EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE		       107-A

Powell looks towards the horizon and up.

There it is, Nakatomi, in all its gleaming glory.

		       DISPATCH VOICE
         One Adam Ten, do you copy?

Powell is already moving to the car.  He tosses in the twinkies,
hops behind the wheel.

		       POWELL
	      (into police
	      radio)
         Roger, dispatch.  I'm on the way.

And he BURNS RUBBER leaving the store:

				  CUT TO:

108     EXT. ROOF - ON MCCLANE - NIGHT		       108

running for his life, from Fritz and Franco, doesn't realize
he is being herded around the building toward Karl.  Suddenly
McClane turns a corner and sees Karl.  The big man fires a
burst and McClane ducks back stopping at the exterior door
to the pump room he used before.  It is locked from the inside.

He BLOWS the lock off with a burst from his machine gun and
slips into the darkness of the:

109     ELEVATOR SHAFT NEAR PUMP ROOM		109

Coming quickly out of the pump room, McClane picks his way
over the same ground as a few minutes before and opens the door
to the elevator shaft.  The dimly lit shaft yawns before him.
He starts down the ladder back to the catwalk, moves along
it -- STOPS.

The catwalk ends, and the elevator is gone.

109-A   INT. PUMP ROOM - OTHER END		   109-A

Karl crosses, starts to open the door to the elevator shaft
when suddenly their radio crackles with --

		       HANS' VOICE
         Karl?  Franco?  Did you catch him?

		       FRANCO
         No, but he's in the elevator shaft.

		       HANS' VOICE
         Prefect.  The elevators are locked off.	    *
         He can't escape.  Just shut him in and
         return to base.

		       KARL
         Hans, he killed by brother --

		       HANS
	      (more firmly)
         Karl, I know you want him, but the
         police are probably on their way.
         Maybe we can convince them it was all
         a mistake, but not if they hear gunshots!
         If you lock him in he'll be neutralized
         -- now do it!  Karl?  Karl!

Karl turns off his radio.  In the light of their flashlights,
the two other terrorists look at Karl in stunned disbelief.
He opens the door to the elevator shaft.

109-B   INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT - ON MCCLANE		     109-B

He's OVERHEARD enough of this to realize he's in deep shit.
He backtracks to the air shaft door, strikes a cigarette
lighter.

110-    OUT				   OUT   110-
117							   117

117-A   ELEVATOR SHAFT (OPPOSITE SIDE)		       117-A

Karl steps off the ladder to the catwalk, his own gun held    *
ready.

118     MCCLANE						 118

HEARING Karl's approach, McClane thinks fast, looks down at
his narrow confines, and then at:

118-A   HIS WEAPON				  118-A

and its canvas gunsling and metal strap slides.

118-B   BACK TO SCENE			      118-B

Quickly, McClane lets out all the slack in the sling.  Then,
he BRACES the weapon across the outside opening of the air
shaft door and lowers himself into the:

119     AIR SHAFT				   119

meanwhile holding onto the canvas sling with his elbows bent
over it like a kid doing a half-asses skin-the-cat on a swing
set.

His feet slowly move down the smooth aluminum walls until they
reach the top of the air duct, then DANGLE in the open space.
He straightens his arms to give him length enough to touch
the bottom edge of the duct.

Suddenly he FEELS something GIVE above him and looks up.

120     CLOSE ON THE SLING			 120

It was designed to carry a gun on a man, not vice versa.  The
few inches of extra canvas are sliding through the clips.
When they're gone...he will be too.

121     KARL						    121

He moves silently toward the corner.

122     CLOSE - MCCLANE'S TOES		       122

now only inches from the bottom edge.  McClane's arms are
fully extended now.  He hears Karl on the metal catwalk.  His
muscles strain and quiver.

123     THE SLING				   123

One of the canvas end slips through the clip.

124     ON MCCLANE				  124

FALLING.  He grabs the ledge of the air duct as he falls and
his body slams into the aluminum wall with an echoing BOOM.
Above him on the catwalk the rifle rattles on the metal outside
the door.

125     ON KARL						 125

Around the corner Karl FREEZES, unsure of the sound:

126     ON MCCLANE				  126

holding onto the ledge by his hands.  With every ounce of
strength he tries to pull himself up into the horizontal duct,
clawing for a hold.

127     ON KARL						 127

He rounds the corner and sees McClane's rifle lying beneath
the doorway.  He moves to the small door, shines his light and
aims his rifle down into the air shaft ready to fire.

128     HIS P.O.V.				  128

The shaft is deserted.  Moving his light around he sees the air
duct.  Without hesitation he turns and backtracks to the pump
room door.

129     INT. AIR CONDITIONING DUCT - ON MCCLANE - SAME        129

He lies exhausted and motionless in the narrow crawl space.  He
awkwardly fishes out the lighter from his shirt pocket and
thumbs it ON.

The flickering GLOW shows him this ain't no place for
claustrophobics -- it's a long, long long dark and narrow
corridor full of weird shadows.  The far end (if there even
if one?) is BLACK.

		       MCCLANE
         Whew...for a moment there I was
         worried.

He turns out his lighter, and starts crawling.

130-    OUT				   OUT   130-
133							   133-

133-A   INT. MACHINE FLOOR			 133-A

The three terrorists rush down from the roof in hot pursuit,
Karl leading the way through the door.  Karl points quickly to
the left and right where there are a series of rooms.  The
others checks these while Karl approaches the CAMERA, trigger
finger ITCHING.  Almost immediately, the others return.

		       FRANCO
	      (a whisper)
         Nothing.

Karl looks puzzled.  Then he thinks, mentally retracing McClane's
few options.  Karl's eyes scan the architecture here, and then
suddenly he looks UP.

133-B   OUT				   OUT   133-B   *

134     HIS P.O.V.				  134     *

The ceiling is criss-crossed with air ducts.  He fires a      *
burst into the ducts.

135     INT. AIR DUCT - SAME		         135

McClane remains motionless in the air duct.  Three quarter-size
holes inches from his face show how close Karl came to nailing
him.  Sweat covers his face, drips silently onto the aluminum.

136     MACHINE ROOM				136

Karl listens patiently for sound.  Just then the two other
terrorists return.

		       FRANCO
         Nothing.

Karl hesitates a moment, fighting his instincts before finally
turning to go.  Suddenly the duct McClane is in GROANS slightly
under his weight.  Karl stops and looks up at the matrix of
aluminum duct work, trying to single out the source of the
sound.  He steps back into the room and raises his rifle.
Holding it upright he presses the barrel up into the belly
of McClane's air duct, feeling for weight -- the weight of a
body.

137     INSIDE THE AIR DUCT			137

McClane sees the indention of the barrel pressing into the
aluminum fifteen feet away.  There is a pause and another
three feet closer.  He can hear Karl's footsteps on the
concrete -- moving slowly below the duct.

138     ON KARL						 138

His eyes are fixed above him on the air duct.  He presses the
barrel up again.  Still nothing.

139     ON MCCLANE				  139

Silently he moves his hand, slowly draws his Beretta.  The
next indention presses up six feet away.  McClane points his
gun downward and waits.

140     KARL						    140

stops directly below him.  The barrel starts up and just
touches the duct under McClane when Franco returns to the
door and calls:

		       FRANCO
         Karl!  Police!  Come on.

Karl hesitates then lowers his gun and leaves.

141     CLOSE - MCCLANE			    141

He hears the door close and lowers his head.

141-A   INT. 33RD FLOOR - SAFE ROOM		  141-A

The large LED WINDOW in the front of the safe BEEPS and letters
creep by:  ACCESS CODE ACCEPTED.  We HEAR a CLUNK.

CAMERA ADJUSTS to show Theo, who grins.  Now his computer
screen reads, LOCK #1 DISABLED.  DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED?

Theo puts goggles on his eyes, holds out his hands towards
Kristoff like a doctor requesting a scalpel.  Kristoff gives
him a GIANT DRILL.

		       THEO
         You bet your ass I'm gonna proceed.

He turns on the drill:

142     OUT				   OUT   142

143     EXT. CENTURY CITY - AVENUE OF THE STARS - NIGHT       143

The street is empty, quiet.  A lone police black-and-white
pulls out of the shadows of a side street and begins a slow
cruise toward the Nakatomi building.

144     ON POWELL				   144

Driving, alone.  He starts up at the tower.  It seems calm,
its glowing lights matching the warmth of the holiday
decorations on the streets.  Powell slows to a stop and
scans the premises.  In the lobby we SEE Eddie, sitting behind
the desk.  Powell reports to his radio.

		       POWELL
         Guard inside.  No signs of disturbance
         ...I'm going up for a closer look.

He pulls in and parks in the front.

145     INT. MACHINE ROOM - SAME		     145

McClane punches out a ceiling vent and drops down into the
machine room.  For a moment he stands, listening for sounds
of movement.  The floor is quiet.  He goes to the stairwell.

146     EXT. ROOF - SAME			   146

The edge of the roof.  Suddenly a tall terrorist, James,
moves along the wall and looks over at Powell's car.

147     INT. 3RD FLOOR - SAME		        147

The elevator doors open on Karl, Franco and Fritz.  They      *
step out onto the darkened floor.  We SEE large number "3"
painted on the doors of this floor.

They move quickly toward the windows on the Avenue of the Stars
side where a terrorist, ALEXANDER, with a BAR rifle has set up
a machine gun nest under a half-opened window.  Directly below
him we SEE Powell's car.

Alexander PANS the police car with his weapon, finger on the
trigger.  This is clearly a man hungry for action.

148     30TH FLOOR (HANS' OFFICE) - SAME		     148

Hans watches from above.  He raises his CB.

		       HANS
	      (his usual calm)
         Eddie?

149     INT. LOBBY - SAME			  149

Eddie picks up his CB.  He watches Powell coming up the stairs.

		       EDDIE
	      (to CB)
         Had a feeling you'd be calling...

		       HANS' VOICE
         Let him in.

Eddie is a little startled, but he moves quickly.

149-A   ALEXANDER				   149-A

also hears this, and his eager expression fades.  But orders
are orders.

150     EXT. FRONT DOOR OF NAKATOMI - SAME		   150

Powell tries the front doors.  Locked.  Eddie comes hustling
across and unlocks the door with the magnetic card.

		       EDDIE
         Evening, officer.  What's up?

Powell steps in and looks around.  Bland HOLIDAY MUZAK filters
from Speakers here.   (LET IT SNOW)		  *

		       POWELL
         We got an emergency call that there
         was a problem here.

151     INT. 34TH FLOOR - BOARD ROOM - SAME		  151     *

McClane makes his way to the Avenue of the Stars side of
the building, enters the board room where Takagi was shot.
McClane goes to the windows and looks down at the street.

152     HIS P.O.V.				  152

Powell's car.

		       MCCLANE
         All right!

McClane waits, expectant.  Five seconds.  Ten seconds.  But
no commotion, no shouting.  He frowns.

		       MCCLANE
         Where's the fucking cavalry?

152-A   INT. LOBBY - SAME TIME		       152-A

Powell walks casually across the slick floor, eyes panning the
area.  Eddie sits casually watching a game on one of his
monitor screens.

		       EDDIE
         We already had that false alarm, you
         ask me, the Goddamn computers sent
         you out on another wild goose chase.
         They been chasing bugs in that system
         since they installed it.
	      (to the screen)
         Oh, shit, come on, I got fifty bucks
         on you assholes -- !

Powell's face shows us he's starting to think he's wasting his
time.

152-B-  OUT				   OUT   152-B
153							   153

153-A   WITH MCCLANE				153-A

The silent tension is driving him crazy.

		       MCCLANE
         Come on, come on...who's in that
         car, Stevie Wonder?

He makes up his mind.  He lifts one of the big chairs and
swings it at the window.  The tempered glass whitens on the
first blow.

153-B   EXT. ROOF				  153-B

James sees the glass whiten below him and shouts into his mike.

153-C   INT. MACHINE FLOOR			153-C

Heinrich hears the radio and shouts to Marco who grabs his
machine gun and runs.

154     INT. LOBBY				 154

Eddie watches confidently as Powell moves through the lobby
looking for signs of trouble.

154-A   AROUND THE CORNER FROM POWELL		       154-A

Uli is there, gun held ready.		        *

155     BOARD ROOM - 34th FLOOR		     155

McClane draws the chair back for the final hit when a terrorist
(MARCO) appears at the door.  Both men react, but Marco already
has his gun up.  He FIRES a round at McClane.  The bullets rip
into the table top and the chair, and McClane goes down behind
the table.

156-    OUT				   OUT  156-
156-A							156-A

157     INT. 34th FLOOR - BOARD ROOM		157

Marco smiles and moves around to the other side of the table,
but finds no one.  He looks around frantically than squats
beneath the table and sees:

158     MCCLANE						158

lying prone, his pistol trained on him.

		       MCCLANE
         Drop it or you're a rugstain.

159     BOARD ROOM DOORWAY			159

Just then Heinrich, the terrorist steps into the doorway, sees
the situation.

		       HEINRICH
         Marco, duck!

Marco dives sideways, but Heinrich still isn't quick enough.
McClane FIRES TWICE and Heinrich DROPS sprawling in the hallway,
machine gun FIRING BLINDLY until he hits the floor.

159-A   HOSTAGE FLOOR			      159-A

They can FAINTLY HEAR the gunshots.  Holly pales:

159-B   THE LOBBY				   159-B

All Powell can hear here is "LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW."  He
STOPS just a yard from seeing the armed terrorist, turns back.

		       POWELL
         Screw this.

He turns back.

159-C   THE BOARD ROOM			     159-C

Marco springs on top of the huge table.  McClane rolls on his
back so he can cover either angle but it is clear that Marco
is in the more enviable position.

160     ON MARCO						160

on the table top slams in a fresh magazine and smiles.

		       MARCO
         Next time -- don't hesitate.

He leans his machine gun over the edge.

161     MCCLANE						 161

aims directly above him and fires twice into the underside
of the table.  The bullets rip through the table and Marco,
who DROPS beside McClane.

		       MCCLANE
         Thanks for the advice.

162     OUT				   OUT   162

163     INT. LOBBY - SAME			  163

Powell heads for the door.  Eddie moves to lock up after him.

		       POWELL
         Sorry to water your time.  Merry
         Christmas.

Powell goes out.

164     INT. 34TH FLOOR BOARD ROOM - SAME		    164

McClane rolls out from under the table, goes to the windows,
and looks down in time to see Powell heading for the car.

		       MCCLANE
         Oh, man, please, no --

Desperate, he leans on the glass...which CRACKS again, on the
verge of going.  McClane thinks...looks over his shoulder at
the body of Marco.

165     INT. POWELL'S POLICE CAR - SAME		      165

Powell check in on his radio.  Unconsciously he begins to
HUM the Muzak he overheard in the lobby.

		       POWELL
         One Adam Ten to 6421.  We had a
         wild goose chase on that 436.
         Everything's okay here.  Over.
	      (waiting, loosening
	      his tie, he murmurs)
         'Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
         but the...the uh, dum, de dum's
         delightful...'

		       DISPATCHER'S VOICE
         Roger, One Adam Ten.  We thought it
         was a crank call anyway.  Clear to
         code eight.

		       POWELL
         Roger.
	      (putting the
	      car into gear)
         '...let is snow, let it snow, let
         it snow -- '

Suddenly Marco's body CRASHES onto the hood of his car.

		       POWELL
	      (terrified)
         -- Jesus H. Christ!
	      (grabbing for
	      his radio)
         6421, this is One Adam Ten --

Suddenly a barrage of MACHINE GUN FIRE from Alexander on the
third floor drowns out his call!  Powell ducks and flattens
against the seat as bullets blow out the front window,
covering him in glass.

		       DISPATCHER'S VOICE
         Roger, One Adam Ten, please repeat.

But Powell accelerates in reverse away from the building,
keeping his head low and praying he doesn't hit anything
as the bullets follow him, digging into asphalt.  A half block
away his car runs off the pavement and down a SLOPE, finally
BOUNCING to a jarring HALT in a parking lot which is destined
to become police H.Q. a few pages from now.  Powell sits up
and clutches the mike.

		       POWELL
         One Adam Ten, under automatic rifle
         fire at Nakatomi!  Requesting immediate
         backup and SWAT assistance...


166     INT. 34TH FLOOR - BOARD ROOM		 166     *

McClane looks down at Powell and grins.

		       MCCLANE
         Welcome to the party, pal.

				  CUT TO:

166-A   INT. OFFICE - TV STATION - SAME TIME		 166-A

WIDEN FROM A POLICE SCANNER.  We take in the action here,
all color coordination and slickness.  RICHARD THORNBURG,     *
local TV news reporter, is on the phone to his girlfriend.

		       THORNBURG		    *
	      (into phone)
         -- of course I can get us a table,
         Wolfgang and me, we're like that.
         I interviewed him...hold on,		*
         babe...

He covers the mouthpiece, because he's become aware of what's
coming from the scanner.

		       POLICE SCANNER
	      (various voices)
         -- attention all units.  Officer
         pinned down by automatic weapon
         fire at Nakatomi, Century City --
         request assistant -- (ETC)

		       POWELL'S VOICE
	      (intermixed with
	      all this)
         -- guys, you want to cut through
         the red tape?  They practically
         turned this car into Swiss cheese -- !

		       THORNBURG
	      (pleased)
         All right...!

He drops the phone, pick up another.  Shouts --

		       THORNBURG
         Mary, this is Dick.  I want a remote
         truck and a crew to meet me at the
         South gate in fifteen minutes...
	      (listens)
         Damn right, fifteen...
	      (listens)
         Where are we going?
	      (Hearing gun shots)
         For an Emmy!

Now, hearing MACHINE GUN FIRE, Thornburg hangs up the second
phone.  Runs out of the room.  CAMERA PANS BACK TO the first
phone.

		       WOMAN'S VOICE
         Richard?  Richard?

167     EXT. CENTURY CITY - NIGHT		   167

Sirens wail as the first few police cars arrive.  Powell sees
them, waves them back, points to the third floor.

168     INT. HOSTAGE WING - ON ELLIS - SAME		 168

He leans back and closes his eyes, luxuriating in the sound
of WAILING POLICE SIRENS.  He looks at Holly.

		       ELLIS
         I never through I'd love to hear
         that sound.

169     HANS' OFFICE			      169

Hans, Karl, Fritz and Franco confer.

		       HANS
	      (in mid-speech)
         -- all of you, stay at your posts!
         We knew that police action was
         inevitable...
	      (an odd smile)
         ...In fact, it's necessary.  So let
         them start their feeble efforts;
         until them, stay calm.  We have
         the hostages, remember.  We are
         still in charge.

Suddenly Hans' CB crackles to life.

		       HANS
	      (picking it up)
         I told all of you...I want radio
         silence until further --

				  INTERCUT:

169-A   MCCLANE - 34th FLOOR - BOARD ROOM		   169-A    *

He's got a CB on the table and ON, and his cop's notebook is
out again.  He's already upgraded the NUMBER OF TERRORISTS?
to "12 (?) minus 3 = 9" and added other information.  As he
speaks he takes ammo clips the dead men dropped, their
sidearms, etc.

		       MCCLANE
         Gee, I'm sorry, Hans, nobody gave
         me the message.  You shoulda put
         it on the bulletin board.  Anyway,
         I thought you and Franco and Karl
         and the other boys might be lonely,
         now that I waxed Tony and Marco and
         their buddy.  So I invited some of
         the guys from my card game.

In the office, the terrorists REACT, startled, as McClane
name-drops.

		       FRANCO		       *
         How...how does he know so much
         about --

		       HANS
	      (waving for silence)
         Ah, how nice of you to call.  I
         assume you are our mysterious party
         crasher.  You are most troublesome
         for a...security guard?

170     INT. 34th FLOOR - ON MCCLANE - INTERCUT	    170      *

Moving down the corridor.  Now armed with Marco's machine
gun and carrying Heinrich's kit bag, he seems more lethal.    *

		       MCCLANE
	      (into CB)
         BZZZ!  Sorry, Hans, wrong guess.
         Would you like to go for
         Double Jeopardy, where the stakes
         are double and the scores really
         change?

He rolls Heinrich over and is delighted to find a pack of
Gauloise's in the man's pocket.  He takes them, pats the      *
dead man's face.

		       MCCLANE
	      (sotto, to the body)
         Bad for your health anyway.

		       HANS
         Who are you, then?

		       MCCLANE
         Just the fly in the ointment, Hans.
         The monkey in the wrench, the pain
         in the ass -

McClane STOPS in mid-speech.  He's just opened the kit bag
Heinrich had over his shoulder when he died.  Now McClane
takes out the contents...dozens and dozens of EXPLOSIVE
DETONATORS marked "DANGER" and a CHUNK of cello-wrapped
PLASTIQUE the size of an electric razor.  He WHISTLES in
surprise to himself.

In the office, Hans turns off his mike for a moment, turns
to Karl.						        *

		       HANS
         Check on all the others...don't
         use the radio.  See if he's lying
         about Marco  and find out if anyone		 *
         else is missing.			  *

He moves.   Hans goes back onto the CB.  Meanwhile, McClane   *
SMILES at the tell-tale STATIC as Hans goes off and on.  He
knows what's happening.  Now, he starts to walk down
a corridor, eyes PANNING FROM elevator to the stairwell
doors.

		       HANS
         Mr. Mystery Guest.  Are you still
         there?

		       MCCLANE
         I wouldn't think of leaving, Hans.
         Unless you want to open the front
         door...?

		       HANS
         I'm afraid not.  But you have me
         at a loss -- you know my name, but
         who are you?
	      (scornfully)
         Just another American who saw too
         many movies as a child.  Another
         orphan of a bankrupt culture who
         thinks he's John Wayne...Rambo...
         Marshal Dillion.

		       MCCLANE
         Actually, I was always partial to
         Roy Rogers.  I really dug those
         sequined shirts.

		       HANS
	      (harsh)
         Do you really think you have a chance
         against us, Mr. Cowboy?

A LIGHT blinks on the elevator.

		       MCCLANE
	      (long pause)
         Yipee-yi-yea...mother-fucker.

McClane goes quietly through the stairwell door and is gone
by the time the search party steps onto this floor.

Hans sits quietly...thinking.

170-A   OUT				   OUT   170-A

				  CUT TO:

171     INT. 30TH FLOOR - SAME		       171

Karl steps off the elevator and goes through the crowd of
hostages to Hans.

		       KARL
	      (quietly)
         He wasn't lying about Marco:  He's
         thirty stories down on the street.
         The other man is Heinrich, and I found
         his body upstairs.
	      (pause; Hans looks
	      alarmed)
         And his bag is missing.

		       HANS
         He had the detonators!
	      (into CB)
         Theo?  Theo!

				  INTERCUT:

171-A   THEO - IN SAFE ROOM			171-A

With Kristoff, he has DRILLED TWO HOLES in the safe and is
working on a third when he HEARS the CB.  He turns off the
drill, answers.

		       THEO
         Yo!

		       HANS
         We may have some problems.  How is
         your schedule?

Theo moves to his computer screen which shows a schematic of
the safe and blinking icons and the words MECHANICALS #2
and #2 DISABLED.

		       THEO
         Three down, four to go --

		       HANS
         Then don't waste time talking to
         me.

Suddenly all REACT to a nearby CB transmitter which broadcasts.

		       POWELL'S VOICE
         This is Sergeant Al Powell of the
         Los Angeles Police Department.  If
         the person who radioed for help on
         this channel can hear me, acknowledge
         this transmission...I say again...

172     INT. 33RD FLOOR - ON MCCLANE - NIGHT		 172     *

		       MCCLANE
	      (to CB)
         I read you, Powell.  You the guy
         in the car?

				  INTERCUT:

173     EXT. POLICE OPERATIONS TRAILER		       173

Powell stands in front of his destroyed cruiser and looks
up at the building.  Behind him technicians, City Power and
Light personnel, SWAT officers in protective gear, etc., arrive
from all directions.  A trailer is being backed into a parking
lot, which will become the police center of operations.  It
is like watching a small town being constructed right before
your eyes.

		       POWELL
	      (to CB)
         What's left of him.  Can you
         identify yourself?

				  INTERCUT:

173-A   HANS AND KARL			      173-A

Listening intently.

		       MCCLANE
         Maybe later.  Just listen fast
         because this is a party line and
         the neighbors are trigger happy.
         Now here's the skinny:  There's
         thirty or so hostages on the
         30th floor, with probably 2 or 3
         guards to cover a group that size.
         The leader here is named Hans,
         and besides the pea shooter he
         ventilated your car with,		   *
         they got machine guns and		   *
         sidearms up the yin yang.  On top
         of that one of 'em had a big enough
         chunck of plastic explosive to
         orbit Kate Smith.			 *

NOTE:  The following dialogue is said OVER McClane's.

		       FRANCO
         We have to find him and shut him
         up!  He's telling them everything --

		       HANS
	      (shaking his head,
	      calming)
         The police are irrelevant.  We've		   *
         waiting for the FBI.  Until they		    *
         arrive, we can't finish out work.
         Meanwhile, let this fool waste time
         for the police.  Fritz, go help Uli		 *
         find the bag.

The CAMERA TIGHTENS ON him

		       HANS
         We must find those detonators.

They leave.

173-B   WITH MCCLANE				173-B

		       POWELL'S VOICE
         How many are there?

		       MCCLANE
	      (thinking about it)
         Figuring there's at least one to
         cover the lobby, a couple with the
         hostages...I'd say they came in
         with about a dozen...but they're
         down to nine now, including the
         skydiver you already met.  These
         guys are mostly Europeans, judging
         by their clothing labels, and they're
         well financed and very slick.

		       POWELL
         How do you know?

		       MCCLANE
         I've seen enough phoney ID's in
         my time to recognize that the ones
         they've got cost a fortune.  Add all
         that up and I don't know what the
         fuck it means, but these are bad
         ass preps and they're here to stay.

We notice that everything McClane has said about "clothing"
and ID's and police jargon, etc., has set off a little buzzer
in Powell's brain.

		       POWELL
         I hear you...
	      (on a hunch)
         Partner.  And LA's finest are on it,
         so light 'em if you got 'em.

		       MCCLANE
         I'm ahead of you...partner.

		       POWELL
         Uh, what do I call you?

A moment.  McClane smiles.  What the hell?

		       MCCLANE
         'Roy'.

		       POWELL
         Got it...'Roy'.  Now listen.  If
         you think of anything else you think
         we need to know, don't be shy, okay?
         In the meantime I want you to find
         a safe place and hole-up and let
         us do our job.  Understand?

		       MCCLANE
	      (to CB)
         They're all yours, Al.  Good luck.

McClane turns off his CB and sits against the wall.

174-    OUT				   OUT   174-
176							   176

177     EXT. POLICE OPERATIONS - NIGHT		       177

An unmarked police car pulls up across the street from
Nakatomi building and a MAN in a sportcoat climbs out.
Stocky, his hair a little too perfect, the very fact that
he is the Deputy Chief of Police Operations on a Christmas Eve
gives some evidence to his position in the pecking order.  His
name is DWAYNE T. ROBINSON and he moves brusquely past police
technicians and goes to the forward group of officers.

		       ROBINSON
         Who's talking to them?

Powell turns around

		       POWELL
         I am, Sir...Sergeant Al Powell.

		       ROBINSON
         Dwayne Robinson.  Well, what have
         you learned?  What do they want?

		       POWELL
         The terrorists?  Don't know, Sir.
         We haven't heard a peep from them.

		       ROBINSON
	      (puzzled)
         Then who the hell have you been
         talking too?

		       POWELL
         We don't exactly know, Sir.  He won't
         give us him name.  He appears to be the
         man who called in the report...he's
         killed one of the terrorists for sure
         and claims he capped two others.

		       ROBINSON
	      (exasperated)
         He claims?  Powell, has it occured
         to you he could be one of the
         terrorists, pulling your chain?
         Or some kind of nut case who --

		       POWELL
         I don't think so, Sir.  In fact...
         I think he's a cop.  Maybe not
         LAPD, but definitely a badge.

		       ROBINSON
         How do you know?

		       POWELL
         A hunch.  Things he said.  Like,
         knowing how to recognize a phony
         ID --

		       ROBINSON
	      (exasperated)
         -- recognizing phony ID's?  Christ,
         Powell, he could be a fucking
         bartender for all we know!

Something draws Robinson's attention.  He looks at:

178     HIS P.O.V. - REMOTE NEWS TRUCK		       178

Pulling up and parking just beyond the barricades.
Richard Thornburg gets out, starts supervising the	  *
positioning of cameras.

178-A   BACK TO SCENE			      178-A

		       ROBINSON
         Oh shit...

179     HOSTAGE FLOOR			      179

Hans examines building plans at Holly's desk.  Behind him
the TV is ON, the sound muted.  TV cops triumph over oafish
bad guys.

Hans looks up as Fritz brings in Holly.

		       HOLLY
         I...have a request.

		       HANS
         Oh?  What idiot put you in charge?

		       HOLLY
	      (evenly)
         You did.
	      (on his look)
         You murdered by Boss.  Now...
	      (waving towards
	      the hostages)
         They're looking to me.  Personally
         I'd pass on the jab.  I don't enjoy
         being this close to you.

Hans is impressed by her candor.  And she's easy enough
on the eyes.

		       HANS
         Go on.

		       HOLLY
         We have a pregnant woman out there --
	      (on his look)
         -- relax, she's not due for two
         weeks, but a marble floor isn't
         doing her back any good.  I'd like
         permission for her to more to one
         of the offices where there's a sofa.

		       HANS
         No.  But I'll have a sofa brought
         out to you.  Good enough?

		       HOLLY
         Good enough.  And unless you like
         is messy, you'd better start taking
         us in groups to the bathroom.

		       HANS
	      (nods)
         Yes, you're right.  It will be done.

He nods to one of his men, and she is waved to the door:

As she goes:

		       HANS
         Mr. Takagi chose his people well,
         Mrs...?

		       HOLLY
         Gennero.  Miss Gennero.

He nods, thoughtful.  She goes out.  Hans suddenly notices:

180     CLOSER - TV				180

A slide "SPECIAL BULLETIN" has appeared.  This changes to a
SHOT of the Nakatomi building with "LIVE" supered over it.
Richard Thornburg is in front. The CAMERA TIGHTENS ON him.

		       THORNBURG
         This is Richard Thornburg, speaking
         to you live from Century City...
         where Los Angeles has joined the
         sad but world wide fraternity whose
         only membership requirement is the
         awesome spectre of International
         Terrorism...

181     ANOTHER TV SCREEN - NIGHT		   181

As Thornburg Continues, we PULL BACK.  We're WITH Argyle in
the back seat of the limo.

		       ARGYLE
	      (reaching for the
	      remote)
         What else is new...?

The CAMERA PULLS BACK and we SEE the Nakatomi Building rise
up in the b.g. behind Thornburg.

		       ARGYLE
	      (stunned)
         Holy shit...

		       THORNBURG
         We're told that the situation began
         some two hours ago when an
         unidentified party of men took over
         the building and sealed off all of
         its entrances and exits...

Argyle is already bailing out of the car.

182     EXT. LIMO - IN THE GARAGE		   182

Argyle looks at the metal gates, swallows.  He JUMPS back
in the car.

183     BACK INSIDE				183

Argyle pours himself a stiff drink.

		       THORNBURG
	      (on TV)
         Since all the telephone lines have
         been cut, the only contact with the
         building had been through the use of
         CB communicators which the terrorists
         brought with them.  Strangely enough,
         so far the terrorists have not
         communicated directly with the police...
         but an unidentified man has had
         several conversations which seem to
         indicate...

Argyle nearly spills his drink as he leans over the front
seat and turns on the CB.

				  CUT TO:

184     OUTSIDE THE BUILDING - SAME TIME		    184

Signs of activity along the edges and shadows of the area.
Men and vehicles.  The SNAP of weapons and breeches.
Footsteps running in unison.  Powell picks up on this, turns
to Robinson, who is standing with the SWAT Captain, MITCHELL.

		       POWELL
         What's going on?

		       ROBINSON
         What's it look like?  We're going
         in.

		       POWELL
	      (flabbergasted)
         Going in...are you out of your mind?
         There's 30 hostages in there -- for
         all we know --

		       ROBINSON
         -- all we know?  We don't know shit,
         Powell.  If there's hostages why
         hasn't anyone asked for ransom?  If
         there's terrorists, where's their
         goddamn list of demands?  All we know
         is that someone shot up your car, and
         it could be the same flake you've been
         talking to on the radio!

		       POWELL
         What about the body that fell out of
         the window -- ?

		       ROBINSON
         Who the hell knows?  Maybe he was a
         stockbroker who looked at the Dow Jones
         and opted for early retirement!

		       MITCHELL
         Chief, we're ready.

		       ROBINSON
         I'm coming.

		       MITCHELL
	      (into radio)
         Rivers.

		       RIVERS
	      (over radio)
         Yo.

		       MITCHELL
         Begin your reconnoiter.

185     MCCLANE						 185

Inside the building, sadly realizing that the Marlboro pack
has only two more to go.  He savors the dregs of his current
number, then suddenly becomes aware of an almost EERIE QUIET.
He moves to the window.

186     HIS P.O.V. - OUTSIDE		         186

Hints of activity in the darkness.  A LIGHT FLARES extinguished.
Shadows move on trailer walls.

187     BACK TO SCENE			      187

		       MCCLANE
	      (spooked, into CB)
         Powell?  Al, you still with me?
         What's going on?  Al?

				  INTERCUT:

188     OUTSIDE						 188

Powell stiffens.  Robinson looks at him warningly, shakes his
head.

		       POWELL
         I'm here, Roy, but I'm, uh, kind of
         busy.  Let's talk later, okay?

		       MCCLANE
         Al, what's wrong?  Did something --
	      (realizing)
         -- Oh, God.  You're coming in!  That's
         it, isn't it?  Christ, Powell, I told
         you what you're dealing with here --

		       POWELL
         I said we'll talk later, Roy.  If
         you're what I think you are you should
         know when to listen, when to shut up...
         and when to pray.

Hating himself, Powell DISCONNECTS, watches LIGHTS snaps on in
the parking lot to illuminate the area.

Also hating himself, McClane does the same thing.  Pale, he
moves to a window to watch what he knows is going to be brutal.

188-A   IN HOLLY'S OFFICE - HANS		     188-A

He hunches over his communicator.

		       HANS
         They'll be coming.  Get ready.
         Theo, watch the screens.  Be our
         eyes and ears.
	      (pause)
         Wait until they're close.

188-B   EDDIE						   188-B

slips away from the desk, a computer card in his hand.  He
meets up with another terrorist and they move behind a slit
in the wall.  Eddie waves his card at the sensor and a METAL
GRID crashes into place.  They hold their weapons behind it,
ready.

188-C   VARIOUS SHOTS - TERRORISTS - ON OTHER FLOORS	188-C

All now with earplugs in their CB's, taking up positions:

189     AT THE LOBBY DOOR			  189

The SWAT team leader moves in SOP style to the door, scans it
carefully.

189-A   EXT. CENTURY CITY - ON MITCHELL AND ROBINSON -        189-A
POLICE BARRICADES

Mitchell listens to CB radio.

		       RIVERS
	      (over radio)
         We're in position.

Mitchell looks at Robinson, who is visible tense.  Robinson
hesitates, then gives his approval with a nod.

		       MITCHELL
	      (to CB)
         Go.

190     QUICK SHOTS - INSIDE THE LOBBY		       190

The SECURITY CAMERAS on the walls PAN and ZOOM:

191     THE VAULT DOOR			     191

Kristoff DRILLS AWAY, is rewarded with the message FIFTH LOCK
DEACTIVATED.  DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?  Nearby, Theo sits at
a bank of monitors.  Screen after screen pinpoints all the
police activity outside, down to the last detail.  Theo SMILES.
Suddenly we RECOGNIZE that tune he's been whistling.  It's
"Singin' In The Rain."

		       THEO
	      (into a throat mike)
         It was the night before Xmas, and
         all through the house, not a creature
         was stirring, expect for the four
         assholes coming in the rear in
         standard 2 X 2 cover formation.

192     INT. LOBBY - NIGHT			 192

Eddie and another terrorist, ULI, take up prone firing
positions, using the gaps in the steel partition like gunpoints.

193     ANGLE ON TWO SWAT OFFICERS		   193

Mitchell and Robinson watch from behind the cover of a police
car as the SWAT officers remove a portable welding torch and
begin cutting their way through the locks.

194     INT. 33RD FLOOR - MCCLANE		    194

He moves painfully to the window and looks out.  He can't see
a thing because of the lights.

		       MCCLANE
	      (to himself)
         No...

195     EXT. POLICE BARRICADES - ON MITCHELL AND ROBINSON     195

Suddenly rifle fire sounds from the building.

		       ROBINSON
	      (worriedly)
         They're shooting at them

		       MITCHELL
	      (calmly)
         It's panic fire...they can't see
         anything.

		       POWELL
	      (under breath)
         They're shooting at the lights.

More shots ring out from the building going over the SWAT
officers' heads and suddenly the huge dome of one of the
spotlights shatters behind Mitchell and Robinson's head.
The glow fades.  A moment later the next light twenty feet
away dies.

		       ROBINSON
         They're going after the lights!

The two SWAT officers cutting the garage ate suddenly look up
as their cover starts to disappear.

		       ROBINSON
         Call them back.

		       MITCHELL
         No, they're almost in.

Suddenly the third and fourth lights are shot out and the SWAT
men become sitting ducks.

196     IN HOLLY'S OFFICE - HANS		     196

He calmly speak into his CB.

		       HANS
         Don't get impatient.  Just wound them.

197     INT. LOBBY				  197

Eddie and Uli fire.  They hit one of the officers in the leg,
the second one in the arm.

198     EXT. POLICE BARRICADES - ON MITCHELL AND ROBINSON     198

		       MITCHELL
	      (on radio)
         Send in the car!

An armored car wheels toward the building and starts toward
the wounded men.

199     INT. ROOF-MACHINE ROOM/SERVICE ELEVATOR - SAME        199

JAMES and Alexander quickly load two crates onto the service
elevator and push the button for the 3rd floor.  As the car
starts down, they remove an anti-tank gun from one of the
crates.

200     WITH THEO - WATCHING SCREENS		 200

		       THEO
         Well, what have we here.  The
         police've got themselves an R.V.
         James, Alexander, southeast corner.

201     INT. 3RD FLOOR - SAME		        201

The service elevator arrives on the 3rd floor and James and
Alexander move across the room toward the windows with the
anti-tank weapon.  At the window, they prepare the weapon
for use.

Outside the window the armored car has stopped in front of the
wounded man and paramedics quickly load them in from the
sheltered side of the vehicle.  Alexander quickly sights on
the armored car.

		       ALEXANDER
	      (to Hans, CB)
         I have them

		       HANS' VOICE
	      (o.s., over CB)
         Fire.

202     EXT. THE ARMORED CAR		         202

A blast ROARS from the third floor window and the shell hits
the armored car.  The car pitches forward like a beast whose
front legs have been shot out from under it -- its front axle
destroyed, unable to move.  Alexander looks back at James and
grins.

203     30TH FLOOR - HANS			  203

He watches from his window.  Coldly picks up his CB.

		       HANS
         Hit it again.

204     MCCLANE						 204

listening.  He picks up his CB.

		       MCCLANE
         Hans, you motherfucker, you've made
         your point.  Let them pull back!

		       HANS' VOICE
         Thank you Mr. Cowboy, I'll take it
         under advisement.  His it again.

McClane slumps to the floor below the window.  He feels
helpless, then notices his kit bag.

205     3RD FLOOR				   205

James runs back to the crate on the elevator.

206     EXT. POLICE BARRICADE - ON ROBINSON AND MITCHELL      206

They look on in horror as the armored car sits helplessly on
fire.  On the police radio channel we HEAR the screams of men
inside.

		       MITCHELL
	      (to radio)
         Rivers!  Rodriguiz!...Report...

		       RIVERS
	      (voice over; on
	      radio, yelling)
         This is Rivers.  We've got one dead.
         Everybody's hit.  Rodriguiz's bleeding
         bad.  We've got to get the fuck out of
         here!

		       MITCHELL
	      (to radio)
         Rivers, hang on!  That's an order!
         Hang on, we'll get you out.

207     INT. ELEVATOR CAR - 3RD FLOOR - SAME		 207

James opens the box of shells and takes two and starts back
across the room.

208     INT. 33RD FLOOR - CLOSE ON A SHAPE ON PLASTIC         208
EXPLOSIVE - SAME

Like a football.  It sits on the seat of a secretary's chair
with castors.  We PULL BACK TO SEE McClane press three
detonators into the top, then cover the explosive with a
typewriter, tying it securely in place with electrical cords.

209     ANGLE ON SERVICE ELEVATOR - MCCLANE		  209

wheels the chair to the service elevator, opens the door and
block them with a fire axe.  He looks in -- the top of the car
can just be seen thirty-five floors below.

210     INT. 3RD FLOOR			     210

James hands the shell to Alexander, who expertly loads it into
the anti-tank gun. Alexaneder lifts the  gun to his shoulder
and aims.

211     INT. 38TH FLOOR			    211

McClane push the chair into the shaft.

		       MCCLANE
         Geronimo...motherfuckers.

For a long moment there is nothing, then:  the shaft is filled
with light, then SOUND -- an ungodly ROAR -- and McClane is
thrown back across the elevator corridor against the other
back of doors by the concussion wave.

212     ON THE 3RD FLOOR			   212

The explosion, like a firestorm, rips across the floor:

213     BLOWING OUT THE MACHINE GUN NEXT AND JAMES AND        213
ALEXANDER

214     SHATTERING WINDOWS			 214

215     SENDING DESKS, CHAIRS, PHONES, AND TYPEWRITERS        215
FLYING

216     EXT. AVENUE OF THE STARS		     216

The police take cover behind their cars.  Powell, Robinson,
and Mitchell look like they've seen the face of God as the
building rocks from the blast.  Henry's cigarette falls from
his mouth as a desk is sent hurtling across Avenue of the Stars
into the trees across the street.

217     INT. UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE - ON WILLIAM - SAME   217

watching it on TV, feeling it all around him.

		       WILLIAM
         Oh, Jesus...

218     EXT. DOWN ON THE STREET - SAME		       218

Dick Thornburg's crew is taping.

		       THORNBURG
	      (in awe)
         Unreal.
	      (to the cameraman)
         Did you get all that?

		       CAMERAMAN
         Yep.

Thornburg looks at his competitors still setting up.

		       THORNBURG
         Eat your heart out, Channel Four.

219-    OUT				   OUT   219-
221							   221

222     ON HOSTAGE FLOOR			   222

The hostages are shaken and the terrorists guarding them
aren't too sure of themselves either.  Only Hans is relatively
calm.

		       FRANCO
         They're using artillery on us -- !

		       HANS
         You idiot, it's not the police...
	      (pause)
         ...It's him.

223     ANGLE ON HOLLY			     223

She comforts Ginny.

224     INT. 32ND FLOOR - MCCLANE - SAME		     224

He sits up and lifts the CB.

		       MCCLANE
         Al!  Al, the guys in the car, did
         they make it?

				  INTERCUT:

225     EXT. POWELL				225

on the street, watching as the survivors are pulled out of the
wreck and to safety.

		       POWELL
	      (on CB)
         Safe and sound, thanks to you.
         What the fuck was that?

		       MCCLANE
         The plastique I found.
	      (worried)
         Is the building on fire?

		       POWELL
         No, but it's gonna need one hell
         of a paint job and a shitload of
         screen doors.
	      (looking off,
	      nodding)
         One spotters say you got two with
         that blast.

		       MCCLANE
         Two?  Are you sure?

Before Powell can answer Robinson comes running up to him.

		       ROBINSON
         Is that him?

		       POWELL
         Yessir.

		       ROBINSON
	      (reaching for Powell's
	      CB)
         Give me that.
	      (angrily at McClane)
         Now, listen to me, mister, I don't
         know what you think you're doing,
         but demolishing a building doesn't
         fall under the definition of 'help'!
         There's hundreds of people out here
         and you covered half of them in
         pieces of glass --

		       MCCLANE
         Glass, my ass!  Who the fuck is this?

		       ROBINSON
         This is Deputy Chief of Police
         Dwayne T. Robinson, and I'm in
         charge of this situation.

McClane leans tiredly against the elevator door.

		       MCCLANE
         Well, from up here, it looks like
         you're in charge of shit, Dwayne.
         I haven't seen such a fucked up
         operation since the
         Bride of Frankenstein.  Ask
         the guys in the armored car if
         they minded a little flying glass.

		       ROBINSON
         Listen asshole -- !

		       MCCLANE
	      (exploding)
         Asshole?  I'm not the one who just
         for butt fucked on national TV,
         Dwayne!  Now if you're not part
         of the solution, stop being part
         of the problem!  Get off the
         Goddamn radio and put Al back on!

McClane is so furious, he's out of breath.

226     INT. LIMO - ARGYLE - SAME		   226

Argyle nods in agreement.

		       ARGYLE
         Tell 'em, Mr. Mac!  Tell 'em!

227     INT. 33RD FLOOR - ON MCCLANE		227

still seething.  There is a long pause on the CB, then:

		       POWELL'S VOICE
         Hello, Roy.  How're you feeling?

		       MCCLANE
	      (pissed)
         Pretty fucking unappreciated.

				  INTERCUT:

228     ON POWELL				  228

Other officers, including Robinson, monitor the conversation.

		       POWELL
         Hey, I love you.
	      (looking around)
         So do a lot of the guys.  So hang
         in there, man.  Hang in there.

		       MCCLANE
	      (tired, touched)
         Thanks...partner.

229     TV - CLOSE				 229

As it SNAPS ON.  We're in the studio set.

		       GAIL
	      (as the picture
	      stabilizes)
         ...of the Nakatomi building,
         sources say that the terrorist
         leader 'Hans' may be this man,
         Hans Gruber.

A SLIDE of Hans appears behind her.  At the same time, the CAMERA
PULLS BACK.  We realize we're on THE HOSTAGE FLOOR, and Hans
has just turned on the set out here for his "guests".  He smiles
modestly as they "recognize" him from the on air shot, returns
to the office.

		       GAIL
	      (on TV)
         A member of the radical
         West German Volksfrei movement.
         Strangely, the Volksfrei leadership
         issued a communique an hour ago
         stating that Gruber has been expelled
         from the organization and is operating
         on his own.

		       HARVEY
	      (on TV)
         Obviously, Gail whatever his
         affiliation, it's safe to say
         that Gruber's terrorist actions
         in Los Angeles tonight are well,
         terroristic...

As the bullshit continues, Ellis suddenly STANDS, head towards
the terrorist "office".  Immediately the chief guard here,
Fritz, moves to intercept Ellis.

		       HOLLY
         Where are you going?

		       ELLIS
         I'm tired of sitting here waiting
         to see who gets us killed first...
         them...or your husband.
	      (to the approaching
	      Fritz)
         Hi there.

		       HOLLY
	      (worried)
         What are you going to do?

		       ELLIS
         Hey, I negotiate million dollar
         deals for breakfast.  I can handle
         these clowns.
	      (to Fritz)
         I want to talk to Hans.  Hans!
         Sprickenzie talk?

He doesn't wait for an answer.  Fritz follows him.  Holly
worries.

230     THE OFFICE				 230

		       KARL
	      (in mid-speech,
	      angry)
         -- you wouldn't let me kill him
         when I had the chance --

		       HANS
         If you'd listened to me he would
         be neutralized already!

		       KARL
         I don't want neutral...I want dead --

ALL TURN at a rap on the door.  Ellis is there.

		       ELLIS
         Hope I'm not interrupting...?

		       HANS
	      (to Fritz)
         What does he want?

As Fritz shrugs:

		       ELLIS
         It's not what I want, it's what
         I can give you.  Look, let's be
         straight, okay?  It's obvious
         you're not some dumb thug up
         here to snatch a few purses, am
         I right?

Karl looks at Ellis and then at Hans, as if to say, let me plug
this asshole right now.  But Hans is either amused of curious
or bored enough to shake his head, turn back to Ellis.

		       HANS
	      (politely)
         You're very perceptive.

		       ELLIS
	      (flattered)
         Hey, I read the papers, I watch
         60 minutes, I say to myself, these
         guys are professionals, they're
         motivated, they're happening.
         They want something.  Now, personally,
         I don't care about your politics.
         Maybe you're pissed at the
         Camel Jockeys, maybe it's the
         Hebes, Northern Ireland, that's
         none of my business.  I figure,
         You're here to negotiate, am I right?

		       HANS
         You're amazing.  You figured this
         all out already?

		       ELLIS
         Hey, business is business.  You use
         a gun, I use a fountain pen, what's
         the difference?  To put it in my
         terms, you're here on a hostile
         takeover and you grab us for some
         greenmail but you didn't expect a
         poison pill was gonna be running
         around the building.
	      (smiling)
         Hans, baby...I'm your white knight.

		       HANS
	      (dryly)
         I must have missed 60 Minutes.  What
         are you saying?

		       ELLIS
         The guy upstairs who's fucking things
         up?  I can give him to you.

As Hans reacts with real interest for the first time, we:

				  CUT TO:

231     POWELL						 231

By the CB.  He suddenly REACTS to a GROAN from McClane.

		       POWELL
         Roy!  You all right?

232     INSIDE - MCCLANE			  232

He's by an open desk drawer, having just ripped open a package
of twinkies he's found.  He grimaces, mouth full.

		       MCCLANE
         Yeah, just trying to handle some
         year old twinkies.  Yucck.  What
         do they put in these things?

		       POWELL
	      (reciting)
         'Sugar, enriched flour, partially
         hydrogenated vegetable oil,
         polysorbate 60 and yellow dye #5.'

		       MCCLANE
	      (laughing)
         You sound like a man with a
         couple of kids.

		       POWELL
         Not yet, the wife in working on our
         first.  You got any kids back on
         the ranch?

McClane swallows Twinkie with a grimace, takes out his wallet,
flips it open to a picture of himself and Holly and the kids
in happier days.

		       MCCLANE
         Two.  And I'd sure like to see them
         swinging on the jungle gym with
         Al junior.

		       POWELL
         It's a date.  You buy the ice cream.

McClane laughs, stares at the photo, when suddenly another VOICE
besides Powell's comes over his radio.

		       HANS' VOICE
	      (o.s., on CB)
         Touching, cowboy, touching.
	      (pause)
         Or should I call you Mister McClane?
         Mister officer John McClane on the
         NYPD?

McClane FREEZES.  How much do they know?

233     THORNBURG - IN TRAILER		      233

Reacts, gleeful, writes down the name.

		       THORSON
	      (to Mary)
         Get on the phone to our New York
         affiliate...move, move!

234     POWELL						 234

reacts, signals an Aide, who's already writing, too.

				  INTERCUT:

235     MCCLANE AND HANS			  235

		       MCCLANE
	      (fighting to stay calm)
         Sister Teresa in third grade called
         me Mr. McClane.  My friends call me
         John Mac.  You're neither...shithead.

		       HANS' VOICE
         I have someone who wants to talk
         to you.  A very special friend who
         was at the party with you tonight.

McClane's face falls.  Oh, God.  Eyes closed, he waits for the
voice that tells him it's all over.

		       ELLIS' VOICE
         Hello, John boy?

McClane's eyes open, showing equal parts of shock and hope.
In the office, CAMERA ADJUSTS TO SHOW Ellis as Hans gives him
the CB.

		       MCCLANE
         Ellis?

Ellis has a cigarette, and a terrorist brings him a Diet coke.

		       ELLIS
         John, they're giving me a few minutes
         to try and talk some sense into you.
         I know you think you're doing your
         job, and I can appreciate that, but
         you're just dragging this thing out.
         None of us gets out of here until
         these people can negotiate with the
         LA police, and they're just not gonna
         start doing that until you stop
         messing up the works.

		       MCCLANE
	      (carefully)
         Ellis, what have you told them?

		       ELLIS
         I told them we're old friends and you
         were my guest at the party.

McClane sighs, partially relieved.  Hans meanwhile, narrows his
eyes.

		       MCCLANE
         Ellis...you shouldn't be doing
         this...

		       ELLIS
         Tell me about it.

He looks at Hans, who gives him a nod.

		       ELLIS
         All right...John, listen to me...
         They want you to tell them where the
         detonators are.  They know people are
         listening.  They want the detonators
         of they're going to kill me.

Ellis gives Hans a big "ok" sign.  Hans returns it.

236     INT. POLICE TRAILER - ON POWELL, ROBINSON - SAME     236

and others listening intently.  McClane closes his eyes and
leans his head back again.  He knows what is going to happen,
even if this poor bastard Ellis doesn't.

		       ELLIS' VOICE
         John, didn't you hear me?

		       MCCLANE
	      (to CB, quietly)
         Yeah, I hear you, you fucking moron!

		       ELLIS
         John, I think you could get with
         the program a little.  The police
         are here now.  It's their problem.
         Tell these guys where the detonators
         are so no one else gets hurt.  Hey,
         I'm putting my life on the line for
         you buddy...

		       MCCLANE
         Don't you think I know that!  Put
         Hans on!  Hans, listen to me, that
         shithead doesn't know what kind of
         scum you are, but I do --

		       HANS
         Good.  Then you'll give us what we
         want and save your friend's life.
         You're not part of this equation.
         It's time to realize that.

Saying this, Hans takes out his gun, points it at Ellis, smiling.
Ellis smiles, too.

		       ELLIS
         What am I, a method actor?  Hans,
         babe, put away the gun.  This is
         radio, not television...

		       MCCLANE
         That asshole's not my friend!
         I barely know him!  I hate his
         fucking guts --
	      (desperately sincere)
         -- Ellis, for Christ's sake, tell
         him you don't mean shit to me --

		       ELLIS
         John, how can you say that, after
         all these years--?  John?  John?

Ellis looks at Hans and shrugs, "Well, I tried..." Hans nods
understandingly.  He takes the CB, presses the TALK button, and
in one frighteningly smooth motion brings the Walther up to
Ellis' forehead and PULLS THE TRIGGER.

				  CUT TO:

237     INT. 33RD FLOOR - MCCLANE		   237

He was expecting the SHOT but it still chills him.

238     30TH FLOOR - HOLLY AND HOSTAGES		     238

She lowers her head sadly.  Around her, the others go CRAZY as
they SEE Ellis' blood splattered on the glass walls on Hans'
office.

239     INT. HANS' OFFICE - ON HANS		239

He throws open the door to let McClane and the police hear the
screams of the hostages.

		       HANS
         Hear that?  Talk to me, where are my
         detonators.  Where are they or shall
         I shoot another one?  Sooner or later...
	      (taking a shot)
         ...I might get to someone you do care
         about.

		       MCCLANE
	      (after a beat)
         Go fuck yourself.

He DISCONNECTS.

240     EXT. BUILDING			    240

Powell fends off Robinson, who wants the CB.

		       ROBINSON
         Goddamn, didn't you hear him!  He
         practically pulled the Goddamned
         trigger himself -- he gave that man
         to them --

		       POWELL
         Christ, can't you read between the
         lines!  He did everything he could
         to save him...if he gave himself up
         they'd both be dead!

		       ROBINSON
         Maybe.  And maybe they'd at least
         be talking to us!  Now tell your
         'partner' to stay out of it, or so
         help me if he lives through this
         I'll put him behind bars myself!

		       POWELL
	      (amused)
         He's alone, tired, hunted, and hasn't
         seen diddly-squat from us and you
         think he gives a flying fuck about
         what you're going to do to him?
         Robinson, wake up and smell the shit
         you're shoveling!

		       ROBINSON
	      (cold)
         Anytime you want to go home,
         Sergeant...consider yourself dismissed.

They lock eyes.

		       POWELL
         No Sir.  You couldn't drag me away.

		       HANS' VOICE
	      (over CB)
         Attention police.  Attention police.

It's asses and elbows time.  Tape recorders are started.

		       POWELL
	      (starting to speak)
         This is --

		       ROBINSON
	      (taking the CB away)
         This is Deputy Chief Robinson.  Who
         is this?

				  INTERCUT:

241     HANS' OFFICE			      241

		       HANS
         This is Hans Gruber.  I assume you
         realize the futility of direct action
         against me.  We have no wish for
         further loss of life.

		       ROBINSON
         What do you wish for, Mister Gruber?

		       HANS
         I have comrades in arms around the
         world who are languishing in prison.
         The American State Department enjoys
         rattling its saber to its own ends...
         now it can rattle it for me.

				  INTERCUT:

242     MCCLANE						242

Listening to this with expressions ranging from astonishment
to dismay to outright derisive amusement.

		       HANS' VOICE
         ...The following people are to be
         released from their captors:  In
         Northern Ireland, the seven members
         of the New Provo Front.  In Canada,
         the five imprisoned leaders of
         Liberte de Quebec...

243     HANS' OFFICE			      243

		       HANS
         ...in Sri Lanka, the nine members
         of the Asian Dawn movement...

		       KARL
	      (sotto)
         'Asian Dawn Movement?'

		       HANS
	      (off-mike, a shrug)
         I read about them in Time magazine.
	      (on mike)
         When these Revolutionary Brothers and
         Sisters are Free, the hostages in this
         building will be taken to the roof and
         they will accompany us in helicopters
         to the Los Angeles International Airport
         where you will be given further
         instructions.  You have two hours to
         comply.

		       ROBINSON
         Two hours?  Are you insane?  I can't
         authorize...hello?  Hello?

		       KARL
         Do you think they'll even try to
         do it?

		       HANS
         Who cares?
	      (on another
	      channel)
         Theo.  Are we on schedule?

				  INTERCUT:

244     VAULT ROOM				 244

Theo and Kristoff have been rewarded with another LOCK
DEACTIVATED.

		       THEO		         *
         One more to go...then it's up
         to you.

The graphic on his screen flashes:  "WARNING:  ELECTRO-       *
MAGNETIC SEAL ARMED."			      *

		       THEO
         And you better be right, because
         this one's going to take a miracle.

		       HANS		         *
         It's Christmas, Theo, it's the time
         of miracles.  So be of good cheer
         and call me when you hit the last
         lock.
	      (disconnecting)
         Karl...hunt the little shit down
         and get those detonators.
							      *
		       KARL
         Franco is checking the explosives,
         Fritz is with him.

		       HANS
         I'll check the explosives.  You
         just get those detonators.

245     MCCLANE - 32ND FLOOR		        245

As he talks, he essentially PATROLS the floor he's staked
out, constantly looking into every dark corner, gun held
ready, moving toward the stairwell.

		       MCCLANE
         Al?  Al, you there?

		       POWELL
         I'm here, cowboy.

		       MCCLANE
         Speaking of cows, did you ever
         hear so much bullshit in your life?
         Two hours?  That doesn't even make
         any sense --

		       POWELL
         Don't tell me, partner.  I'm just
         a desk jockey who was on the way
         home when you rang.

		       MCCLANE
         The way you drove that car, I
         figured you for the streets.

		       POWELL
         In my youth, partner.  In my youth.

246     INT. TV STUDIO - NIGHT		      246

Gail and Harvey have company, a man from the Senator
Paul Simon's school of grooming.

		       GAIL
	      (in mid-speech)
         ...author of...
	      (holding up a copy)
         'Hostage/Terrorist, Terrorist/Hostage,
         a Study in Duality.'  Dr. Hasseldorf,
         what can we expect in the next few hours?

		       HASSELDORF
         Well, Gail, by this time the hostages
         and their captors should be entering
         the early stages of the Helsinki
         Syndrome.

		       HARVEY
         As in Helsinki, Sweden?

247     CONTROL ROOM				247

Sam sighs, shakes his head.

		       HASSELDORF
	      (over monitor)
         Uh...Finland.  Basically, it's when
         the hostages and the terrorists go
         through a sort of psychological
         transference and projection of dependency...

248     INT. NAKATOMI - HOSTAGE FLOOR		248

Fritz drags Ellis' body out of the office and throws it on the
floor.

		       HASSELDORF
	      (over Hans' TV)
         What can only be described as a
         strange sort of trust and bond
         develops...We've had situations where
         hostages have embraced their captors
         after their release and in one case
         even corresponded with them in prison...

249     INT. BUILDING - MACHINE FLOOR		249

Hans turns, looks up at the ceiling.  Too dim up there to see
from here.  He sighs, sets his gun down on a buttress, starts
to climb up, not enjoying it.

250-    OUT				   OUT   250-
253							   253

				  CUT TO:

254     OUTSIDE THE BUILDING		         254

Robinson looks at a YOUNG COP, reacts, startled:

		       ROBINSON
         The...the FBI?  Here?  Now?

		       YOUNG COP
         Yessir.  Right over there.

Robinson looks at Powell, adjusts his clothing, fixes his tie.

		       POWELL
	      (dryly)
         You want a breath mint?

Robinson glares at him, then they move together towards:

255     A BIG DARK GOVERNMENT CAR		    255

Headlights still on, dominating the area where it sits.  Robinson
steps up, sees:

256     HIS P.O.V. - FBI AGENTS		      256

They get out.  One big back lit SILHOUETTE, one little one.

		       BIG JOHNSON
	      (showing badge)
         I'm Special Agent Johnson of the FBI.
         This is Agent Johnson...no relation.

		       ROBINSON
	      (stepping forward, plastic
	      smile)
         Dwayne Robinson, LAPD.  I'm in charge
         here.

		       BIG JOHNSON
         Not any more.

As Robinson REACTS, we GO TO:

257     THE MECHANICAL FLOOR - TIGHT ON HANS		  257

He checks the plastique, not pleased.  He turns, DROPS to the
floor.

258     LOW ANGLE						258

He lands, knees bent...looks directly at a PAIR OF BARE FEET.
A GUN BARREL DROPS INTO THE SHOT close to his head.

		       MCCLANE
         Lost?

259     NEW ANGLE						259

A moment.  And then Hans turns, looks up.

The transformation in his expression and bearing are mind-
boggling.  Hands shaking, eyes filled with fear, he swallows,
looks up at McClane and in a perfect American accent says:

		       HANS
         --ohGodplease -- don't kill me --
         don't kill me -- you're one of them,
         I know it --

		       MCCLANE
	      (thrown, unsure)
         Whoa, whoa, easy man.  I won't hurt
         you.  Who are you?  What are you
         looking for?

Hans' eyes dart towards:

260     THE BUTTRESS TEN FEET AWAY		    260

Where a tiny piece of his gun sticks out, barely visible.

261     BACK TO SCENE				261

		       HANS
         A way up to the roof...I thought I
         could signal for help --

He starts in that direction.

		       MCCLANE
         Forget it.  They got a guy up there.
         You want to stay alive, keep moving.
         Hey?  You hear me?

Hans realizes this tack won't work.  He follows McClane.

		       HANS
         You...you're an American?

		       MCCLANE
	      (friendly, easing the
	      man's fears)
         Only if New Jersey counts.

It works.  The poor frightened civilian shows a hint of a smile.

				  CUT TO:

261-A   OUTSIDE BUILDING			    261-A

		       ROBINSON
	      (in mid-speech to FBI)
         We've got thirty, maybe thirty-five
         hostages, probably on the 30th floor...
         seven, maybe eight terrorists.

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
	      (to Big Johnson)
         Sounds like a standard A-7 scenario.

Big Johnson nods in agreement, turns to Robinson.

		       BIG JOHNSON
         Thank you.  We'll handle it from
         here.  When we need to commandeer
         your men, we'll try and let you know.

He starts to move away with his partner.

		       POWELL
	      (angry)
         Aren't you forgetting something?

Johnson and Johnson turn.  Robinson wants Powell to shut up.

		       BIG JOHNSON
         Such as...?

		       POWELL
	      (pointing to the building)
         John McClane!  He's the man who gave
         us all the information we've got!
         He's the reason you're facing seven
         terrorists instead of twelve.

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
         He's inside?  Who is he?

		       ROBINSON
	      (nodding)
         He may be a cop...we're checking
         on that --

		       BIG JOHNSON
         One of yours?

		       ROBINSON
	      (too quickly)
         No, sir.

		       BIG JOHNSON
	      (after a moment)
         If he's not a terrorist, and he's
         not a hostage...he's just not part
         of the equation.

They start to walk away.

		       POWELL
	      (indignant)
         T...that's the same Goddamn thing
         the terrorists said!

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
	      (interested)
         Really?
	      (to Big Johnson)
         That's one good thing.  Sound like
         we're dealing with pros.

They leave.

				  CUT TO:

262     THE COMPUTER FLOOR			  262

McClane and Hans walk together.  Hans is still a "nervous wreck."

		       HANS
	      (nodding)
         There was a party -- celebration --
         all of a sudden they were there --
         shooting -- threatening us --

263     CLOSER SHOT				  263

McClane looks at this poor civilian, on the edge of going to
pieces.  He puts his hand on his shoulder.

		       MCCLANE
         Relax, man...you smoke?

Hans nods, still "frightened".  McClane takes out his spoils
of war, the Marlboros.  Two left.  He sighs, takes one, offers
the other one with an expression like a little boy forced to
share a cookie.  McClane takes out a lighter, does his and
Hans'.  Hans nods, grateful...then peers at McClane.

		       HANS
         You...you don't work for Nakatomi...
         and if you're not one of them...

		       MCCLANE
         I'm a cop from New York.

		       HANS
	      (puzzled)
         New York...

		       MCCLANE
	      (explaining)
         They invited me to the Xmas party.
         Who knew?

Hans' eyes take in his bare feet.

		       MCCLANE
         Better than being caught with your
         pants down, right?
	      (extending his hand)
         John McClane.

		       HANS
	      (shaking hands)
         William Clay.
	      (smiling)
         Call me Bill.

McClane nods, friendly like, and his eyes glance casually over
at:

264     THE WALL - A ROSTER OF NAKATOMI EMPLOYEES	    264

In alphabetical order.  CAMERA MOVES OVER the "c's":  CAMPBELL,
S.: CLAY, WM.: CRAWFORD, L...PANS BACK TO CLAY.

265     BACK TO SCENE				265

		       MCCLANE
         Bill, you know how to use a handgun?

		       HANS
	      (hesitant)
         One weekend I went to a combat ranch...
	      (apologetic)
         You know, that game with the, the guns
         that shoot red paint?  Must sound
         pretty silly to you...

		       MCCLANE
         Sounds better than nothing.

McClane takes out his Baretta, pops out the magazine, jams in
a fresh one and hands it to him.

		       MCCLANE
         Time for the real thing.

McClane turns, moves on...we STAY ON him until he REACTS to a
CLICK.  He slowly turns:

265-A   NEW ANGLE						265-A

Hans is...well, Hans again, from expression to posture.  He
holds the pistol aimed at McClane's face and talks calmly into
his radio in German.

		       HANS
         Karl!  Franco!  I'm on 33.  Come
         quickly.
	      (to McClane)
         Put down your gun and give me my
         detonators.

McClane just looks at him.

		       MCCLANE
         Hans.  Your Hans.

		       HANS
	      (nods, indicating McClane's
	      gun again)
         Put it down now.

		       MCCLANE
         That was tricky, with the accent.
         I bet you do a great Ed Sullivan.
         Why do you need the detonators, Hans?
         I already used the explosives.

		       HANS
         I'm going to count to three...

		       MCCLANE
	      (cold)
         Yeah.  Like you did with Takagi.

McClane raises his machine gun, aims at Hans.  Hans PULLS THE
TRIGGER.

Click.  Astonishment.  Click-click-click.  McClane steps in
carefully, reclaims his pistol.

		       MCCLANE
         You think I'm a shmuch, Hans.

Hans pales as we hear the ding of an approaching elevator.

		       HANS
         You were saying.

McClane whirls in time to see:

266-    OUT				 OUT    266-
269							  269

260     KARL, FRANCO AND FRITZ		      270

Coming out of it, FIRING.

271     BACK TO SCENE			     271

McClane FIRES back, killing Fritz.  Karl and Franco take
cover.  McClane ducks into a water cooler alcove, looks back
at:

272     WHERE HANS WAS			    272

He's gone, a SWINGING OFFICE DOOR the only evidence of his
passing.

273     BACK TO SCENE			     273

McClane curses himself, then RETREATS into a:

273-A-  OUT				  OUT   273-A-
273-I							273-I

274     BANK OF COMPUTERS			 274

Where he DUCKS and DODGES as bullets ping and ricochet all
around him.  Ducking, rolling, he FIRES at:

275     FRANCO						 275

McClane's bullets RAKE his middle, throw him over a desk, his
weapon FLYING:

276     CLOSER						 276

He SLIDES right into a glass door.  It smashes around his head.
Bright arterial BLOOD fountains up:

277     MCCLANE						277

hope rising at the prospect of an equal battle, his face
suddenly FALLS as BULLETS fly in from an unexpected direction.
He turns:

278     HANS						   278

has reappeared and snatched up Franco's weapon.

279     MCCLANE						279

FIRES, moving, trying to keep from bring flanked.  One of his
shots SHATTERS a glass panel, raining down shards near Hans,
who escapes with only superficial scratches.

280     HANS						   280

looks at the glass around him, gets an idea.  He SHOUTS to
Karl in German:

		       HANS
         The glass!  Shoot the glass!

And, saying this, he demonstrates.  Karl follows suit.

281     MCCLANE						281

as GLASS FLIES EVERYWHERE, McClane sees one option, takes it.
BLASTING a burst to keep their heads down, he WHIRLS, JUMPS
on top of a long counter and RUNS ACROSS THE ROOM.  Their
BULLETS follow him, six inches behind his moving form!  Big
CRAY UNITS GROAN with electronic SQUEALS and SPARKS as a
million Gigabytes goes to RAM heaven.  McClane reaches the end
of the counter, DIVES and rolls to the floor:

282     HIS FOOT				   282

goes right down on a jagged SHARD.  He GROANS, keeps going:

283     STAIRWELL DOOR			    283

He's out, gone, safe!

284     BACK TO SCENE			     284

Karl looks pissed as hell.  Behind him, Hans sifts through
rubble, then comes over, smiling.

He's holding the bag of detonators.

		       HANS
         Smile, Karl.  We are back in business.

				  CUT TO:

285     INT. TV TRAILER			   285

		       HASSELDORF
	      (on monitor here)
         ...all depends on what we mean by
         "Terror.'  If Clauswitz could say
         'War is the last resort of Deplomacy,'
         couldn't we just as well say that
         terrorism has an equal claim to...

Mary comes inside, grinning ear to ear.  Thornburg looks up from
his danish, a cute little chin napkin protecting his shirt
collar.

		       THORNBURG
         You got something?

		       MARY
	      (waving a paper)
         Just McClane's name, badge number,
         police record, vital statistics...
	      (the ringer)
         ...And his family's address right
         here in L.A.

As Thornburg GRINS we GO TO:

286     HOSTAGE FLOOR			      286

Eddie and Uli are guarding the hostages.  Hans and Karl return.
Hans tosses the bag of detonators to Uli, who grins, leaves.

287     HOLLY AND GINNY			    287

Holly has watched all this nervously.  But Ginny's eyes follow
Karl, who doesn't share the mood of the others.

		       GINNY
         That one look pissed, Ms. Gennero...

		       HOLLY
	      (relieved)
         Thank God.
	      (explaining)
         He's still alive.

				  CUT TO:

288     UPSTAIRS - WASHROOM			288

The door JARS open.  McClane all but crawls inside.  As he
passes the CAMERA we SEE his dragging foot leaving a trail
of blood on the linoleum.

				  CUT TO:

289     VAULT ROOM - SAME TIME		       289

Theo and Kristoff REACT, delighted, as they get the message
SIXTH LOCK DEACTIVATED.  Suddenly a BUZZER SOUNDS and the
graphic flashes:  "ELECTROMAGNETIC SEAL ENGAGED.  CANNOT
BE DISARMED AT THIS LOCATION.  TERMINATE SEQUENCE (Y/N)?"

		       THEO
         You better heat up that miracle		     *
         you were talking about.  We broke
         through on Number Six, and the
         Electromagentic came down like a
         sledgehammer...

				  INTERCUT:

290     HANS' OFFICE				290

		       HANS
	      (unphased)			 *
         Well have a look at what our friends
         outside are doing and I'll be right
         up.

291     INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT		        291

Wincing in pain, McClane washes his foot in a sink basin.  He
washes a deep cut, soaps it, but the pain doesn't relent.
When a VOICE speaks, he JUMPS, realizes it's the CB.

		       POWELL
	      (on CB)
         Roy?  You still with us?

		       MCCLANE
         Yeah.  But all things being equal,
         I'd rather be in Philadelphia.  By
         the way, chalk up two more terrorists.

				  INTERCUT:

292     POWELL - OUTSIDE			   292

		       POWELL
         They boys'll be glad.  We got a pool
         going on you.

McClane tries to wrap paper towels on the foot but his grimace
shows that is still hurts like hell.

		       MCCLANE
	      (through his teeth)
         Yeah?  What's the odds?

		       POWELL
         You don't want to know.

Suddenly remembering an NYPD course in first aid from ten years
ago, McClane removes the improvised bandage, check the cut
more carefully.

		       MCCLANE
	      (as he work)
         Put me down for twenty anyway...I'm
         good for it...so, what got you off the
         street, Al?  You liked lousy coffee,
         or what?

Powell doesn't answer right away.  At the same time, McClane
swallows, seeing a gleam inside his foot.  He gingerly probes,
and pulls out a shard of glass almost three inches long from its
angled gash, his mouth twisted in a silent scream all the way.

		       POWELL'S VOICE
         I...realized I couldn't do what I
         had to anymore...at least not out
         there.  I had an...accident.

McClane throws the glass across the room, forehead bathed in
sweat.

		       MCCLANE
	      (weakly)
         They way you drive, I can see why.

		       POWELL
	      (beat, serious)
         I...I shot a kid.

Realizing what he's hearing for the first time, McClane's face
shifts to a new kind of pain.

		       POWELL
	      (soft)
         Eleven years ago.  Oh, it was dark...
         he was big for his age...damn ray gun
         he had looked real enough...yeah, I had
         all the right excuses...but afterwards...
         I really couldn't draw my gun again.

		       MCCLANE
         I...I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to make
         a joke of it.

		       POWELL
	      (offhand)
         Hey, you couldn't know.

		       MCCLANE
         I still feel like shit.

		       POWELL
         Then this won't matter.
	      (reluctantly)
         LAPD's not calling the shots anymore.

And as McClane REACTS we GO TO:

293     INT. VAULT ROOM - NIGHT		      293

Hans and Theo lean over a monitor watching a DWP truck near
the parking garage.

		       THEO		         *
	      (tapping the screen)
         There's the city engineers...they're
         going into the street circuits...But
         who are these guys in the suits?

		       HANS
         That's the FBI...ordering them to cut	      *
         the building's power.  They're as
         regular as clockwork...or a time lock...

ON Theo's look:

		       HANS
         ...the circuits that cannot be cut...
         are cut automatically in reponse to
         a terrorist incident...You ask for
         miracles, Theo...I give you the FBI...

		       THEO
         When you're hot, you're hot.

				  CUT TO:	 *

294     EXT. BUILDING			     294

As we saw on Theo's screen, the Johnsons and Robinson and
Powell are my a MANHOLE with a CITY ENGINEER.  A big CONTROL
BOX is there, cables snaking into the ground where another
CITY WORKER finishes WELDING a last connection.

		       GUY IN MANHOLE
         We're spliced in down the line.

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
         Do it...now.

The engineer THROWS GIANT LEVERS.  Inside the manhole, SPARKS
SIZZLE and massive contacts CLUNK.

295     THE BUILDING				295

One by one, all the light on all the floors GO OUT.

296     MCCLANE						 296

in the bathroom, ripping off his shirt and tying it around his
foot, he REACTS --

		       MCCLANE
	      (into CB)
         Powell?  What's going on?

				  INTERCUT:

297     OUTSIDE						 297

		       POWELL
	      (watching the others)
         Ask the FBI.  They've got the terrorist
         playbook and they're running it, step
         by step.

McClane reacts, worried; he knows better.

298     THE HOSTAGES				298

groan with this new problem:

299     THE VAULT ROOM			     299

Theo and Kristoff and Hans huddle over the computer monitor
screen as if it was a warm fireplace.  Theo points to the
computer screen; all they can do is wait.

We HEAR the HUMM of a portable generator.  The lights go OFF.
The computer screen stays ON.  Theo looks over at the safe.

300     SAFE LED READOUT			   300

It still reads "FIBER OPTIC TIME LOCK CANNOT BE DISARMED AT
THIS LOCATION.  TERMINATE SEQUENCE (Y/N)?"

301     BACK TO SCENE			      301

		       KRISTOFF
         Damn!  It didn't go!

		       THEO
         They're on the building circuit...
         it's too local.

		       HANS
         Encourage them to be bolder.

		       THEO
         The only thing left for them is the
         City Grid...
	      (worried, typing)
         ...They may not do it.

302     EXT. BUILDING			      302

Just as the Johnsons are looking SMUG...all the floors GO
BACK ON, one by one!

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
         Shit!
	      (turning, to the
	      Engineer)
         Cut it again.  Go wider.

		       ENGINEER
         I can't go wider here...
	      (to Robinson, looking
	      for help)
         ...I'd have to call downtown have
         them take down one of the city
         grids...you're talking ten square
         block --

		       ROBINSON
         -- ten blocks?
	      (to Big Johnson)
         Are you crazy?  It's Christmas Eve,
         thousands of people -- the Mayor'll
         scream bloody murder --

		       BIG JOHNSON
	      (ignoring Robinson,
	      to the Engineer)
         We must shut down the building.  Go
         wider --!

		       ENGINEER
         I need authorization --

		       BIG JOHNSON
         Authorization?  How about the
         United States Fucking Government?
         Lose the grid or lose your job!

The engineer looks at Robinson.  No help.  The engineer looks
at his guy in the manhole, shrugs.  No choice.

		       ENGINEER
	      (takes phone)
         Central.  This is Walt, out at
         Nakatomi.  I want you to shut down
         grid 212.
	      (listens)
         No shit, it's my ass.  Just shut it
         down now.

Pause...pause...AND THEN THE FLOORS OF THE BUILDING ALL GO
OUT AGAIN.

303     IN THE VAULT ROOM			  303

EMERGENCY LIGHTING FLICKS ON.   An ALARM "beep-beep-beeps."

304     THE LED READOUT ON THE SAFE		  304

changes to "FIBER OPTIC TIME LOCK DEACTIVATED AT SOURCE.
SEVENTH LOCK DISENGAGED."

305     BACK TO SCENE			      305

With a dramatic HUM worthy of 2001, the vault door OPENS!

306     OUTSIDE						 306

The FBI guys look at the dark building, than at the LAPD guys.

		       BIG JOHNSON
         That should shake'em up.  With all
         the power shut down, those bastards
         are probably scared shitless.

307     IN THE VAULT ROOM			  307

The safe door finishes its ponderous move, CLUNKS to a halt.
Theo and Kristoff LAUGH, give each other high fives.  Even Hans
loses his usual cool, slaps Theo on the back as Theo and
Kristoff CHEER.

				  CUT TO:

308     THORNBURG'S TV TRUCK		         308

drives along a residential street.  We SEE the Nakatomi tower
in the b.g., spotlit by the police beams.  Thornburg checks a
map, POINTS a turn out to the driver.

				  CUT TO:

309     OUTSIDE THE NAKATOMI BUILDING		309

Powell looks up at the dark structure lit only by emergency
lighting.  He sidles over to the FBI men.

		       POWELL
	      (dryly)
         What do we do now, arrest them for
         not paying their electric bill?

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
	      (sharply)
         We let them sweat awhile.  Then, when
         they're expecting helicopters...
	      (pause)
         ...We give them helicopters...

		       BIG JOHNSON
	      (nodding)
         Right up the ass.
	      (into another communicator)
         This is Johnson...no the other one.  I
         want that air support ready to lift off
         in five minutes...Damn right fully
         armed.  We're on our way.
	      (into CB)
         Attention in the building.

				  INTERCUT:

310     VAULT ROOM				  310

Hans talks while Theo and Kristoff tackle the problem of
unloading the racks and racks of bonds and transferring them
to the black cases.

		       HANS
         This is Hans...

		       BIG JOHNSON
         This is Agent Johnson of the FBI.
         The State Department has arranged for
         the release of your comrades.  The
         helicopters you requested are on the
         way.

		       HANS
         I hear you, FBI.  We'll be ready.

He disconnects, smiles at Theo.

		       HANS
         When they touch down and we blow the
         roof, they'll spend a month sifting
         through the bodies and rubble.  By the
         time they figure out what went wrong...
	      (smiling at the
	      irony)
         ...we'll be earning twenty percent
         like nice fat Capitalists.

		       BIG JOHNSON
	      (disconnecting, grinning)
         By the time he figures out what hit him
         he'll be in a body bag.

The Johnsons exit.  Powell and Robinson look at each other,
unhappy.  Powell's CB HISSES --

		       MCCLANE'S VOICE
         Powell, listen...

Powell moves off to be alone.

				  INTERCUT:

311     INT. BATHROOM			      311

		       POWELL
         I'm here, John.

McClane tries walking on his foot.  He winces in pain, clearly
at the end of his resources.

		       MCCLANE
	      (long pause)
         Look...I'm getting a bad feeling up
         here...I'd like you to do something
         for me.  Look up my wife...don't ask
         how, you'll know by then...and tell
         her...tell her...I've been a jerk.
         When things panned out for her, I
         should've been behind her all the way
         ...We had something great going until
         I screwed it up...She was the best
         thing that ever happened to a bum
         like me.  She's heard me say I love
         you a thousand times, but she never
         got to hear this...honey...I'm sorry.
	      (pause)
         You get all that?

		       POWELL
	      (clearly touched)
         I got it.  But you can tell her
         yourself.  Just watch your ass and
         you'll make it.

		       MCCLANE
         I hope so.  But that's up to the
         guy upstairs.
	      (pause; struck by
	      a thought)
         Upstairs...
	      (thinking, to himself)
         ...Hans, you bastard...what were you
         doing?

		       POWELL
         Roy?

		       MCCLANE
         Stand by, Powell.  I gotta check
         something out.

He moves towards the door, limping hurriedly out of the room.

				  CUT TO:

312     HOLLY'S FRONT DOOR			 312

Thornburg's got one foot literally in the doorway, but since
Paulina still has the chain on, it's not quite enough.

		       THORNBURG
	      (to Paulina)
         One minute, that's all we ask.  You
         could be denying them their last
         chance to talk to their parents.

		       PAULINA
         I'm sorry...Mrs. Holly says I
         couldn't let strangers into --

		       THORNBURG
         Strangers?  I'm with KFLW TV, that's
         affiliated with the FCC, and I'm sure
         you know that's the United States
         government...just like the INS?

As she wavers...

				  CUT TO:

313     THE MECHANICAL FLOOR		         313

McClane hobbles in here, favoring his foot.  He retraces his
steps earlier, mentally replaying his meeting with Hans.

		       MCCLANE
         I was here...he was...

His eyes flick over the area...then he looks up.  Seeing
something, he moves closer.  He sets down his CB and then, with
difficulty, he climbs up on a thick pipe, flicks his lighter
and hold its high.

314     HIS P.O.V.				  314

Explosives are everywhere.

315     BACK TO SCENE			      315

He reacts, quickly extinguishing the lighter.  He follows the
detonator lines with his eyes.

		       MCCLANE
         Oh my God...

He drops to the floor, winces in pain, picks up his CB.

		       MCCLANE
         Powell!  Powell, listen to me!  You're
         being double crossed!  The whole roof
         of this building is --

Suddenly a GUN BARREL is pressed against his head.  He stiffens.

316     NEW ANGLE				   316

Karl takes his Baretta, tosses it away.  Then Karl takes the
CB.  Smiling, Karl SMASHES the transmitter underfoot.

				  CUT TO:

317     EXT. BUILDING - POLICE LINES		 317

Powell is beside one of the radio monitoring officers.

		       POWELL
	      (into CB)
         Roy?  Hello?  Hello?
	      (to the officer)
         I thought you had him.

		       OFFICER
         I did.  He said something about a,
         a double cross...

		       POWELL
	      (looking off)
         Tell me about it.

318     NEW ANGLE				   318

Showing two HELICOPTERS in the distance heading this way.

				  CUT TO:

319     MACHINE FLOOR			      319

Karl hovers over McClane, who hasn't moved a muscle.

		       KARL
	      (quietly)
         We're both professionals.  But this
         is personal.  You...are done.

WHAM!  McClane DRIVES his elbow into Karl's face.

320     NEW ANGLE				   320

Karl's weapon clatters on the floor.  McClane follows his first
blow with another.  Karl recovers, and with a spinning karate
kick SLAMS McClane back.

				  CUT TO:

321     HOSTAGE FLOOR - NIGHT		        321

Eddie turns from a window, where the chopper lights loom closer.

		       EDDIE
         They're coming.

CAMERA PANS across the room to the doorway of the office, where
Hans nods, stands.

		       THORNBURG'S VOICE FROM TV
         -- I know you're proud of your daddy...

322     CLOSEUP - HOLLY			    322

She's speechless, watching in shock as:

323     THE PORTABLE TV			    323

shows Thornburg at Holly's house!  He's squatting down with his
microphone to interview the children in their P.J.s.  His voice
is soft, comforting.

		       THORNBURG
	      (to the children)
         ...because he's a very brave policeman.
         And your mom has shown just as much
         courage.  But is there something you
         would like to say to them if they're
         watching?

John Jr. says nothing, but Lucy looks at the camera.

		       LUCY
         Come home.

324     HOLLY						   324

She struggles to stay composed...can't.  She slowly turns her
head, looks at Hans.

325     HER P.O.V. - HANS			  325

He's looking away from us, at the picture of the children on
her desk.  He turns back and looks at her.  He smiles.

		       HANS
         Mrs. McClane.  How nice to make your
         acquaintance.

He raises his weapon...but he only shoot it into the ceiling,
making everyone jump!

		       HANS
	      (shouting)
         On your feet, everyone!  Upstairs,
         now!
	      (quietly, to Uli)
         You'll lock them up there and come
         right down...

Uli nods and he and Eddie help herd everyone towards the stairs.
Hans moves forward...grabs Holly himself.

				  CUT TO:

326     THE MACHINE FLOOR			  326

McClane and Karl move towards each other, each sizing the other
up, each looking over the terrain.

		       MCCLANE
         Better this way, isn't it?  I mean,
         any faggot can shoot a gun.

This time Karl doesn't take the bait.  Then, when he
does charge, it's unexpected.

The two men fight brutally, Karl bringing years of martial
training to this moment, McClane bringing nothing but the street.

327     NEW ANGLE				   327

		       MCCLANE
         You should've heard your brother
         scream when I broke his fucking
         neck...

Karl steps in quickly with a deadly move.  McClane twists free,
slams an elbow into Karl's kidney.  Karl backs off, circles
McClane with new respect.

				  CUT TO:

328     INSIDE AN FBI CHOPPER - IN FLIGHT		    328

THROUGH THE CANOPY we SEE another flanking chopper.  Johnson
and Johnson are here, helmets and mikes on.  Big Johnson checks
aerial maps while Little Johnson checks ammo clips for his
sniper scoped assault rifle.

		       BIG JOHNSON
	      (shouting, to the pilot)
         Stay low.  They're expecting transports,
         not gunships.

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
	      (shouting over the noise
	      of the rotors)
         What do you figure on breakage?

		       BIG JOHNSON
         I figure we take out all the terrorists,
         and lose 20 percent of the hostages...
         25, tops.

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
         I can live with those numbers.

				  CUT TO:

329     VAULT FLOOR				 329

Theo and Kristoff load the bonds into the big cases which carried
all their gear when they entered.  As Hans and Eddie come in they
look curiously at Holly.

		       HANS
         A little bonus for us.
	      (shoving her forward
	      violently)
         A policeman's wife might come in
         handy.

He picks up a CB, speaks into it.

		       HANS
         McClane!  McClane!  I have some news
         for you...McClane?

330     THE MACHINE FLOOR			  330

TILT UP from the CB radio Karl smashed.

Karl and McClane are in the b.g., almost toe to toe, all their
tricks played out, going at it with animal instinct.

331     THE VAULT ROOM			     331

		       HANS
         McClane?
	      (pause, then on a
	      new channel)
         Karl?  Karl?

Nothing.  He looks at Theo.

		       HANS
         Hurry.

332     THE ROOF						332

Uli herds the hostages up onto the roof, pushing the last few
out.

333     LONG SHOT - FBI CHOPPERS - DOWN AVE. OF THE STARS     333

They float toward us, hugging the street, their prop wash
shaking the trees.

334     POWELL AND ROBINSON			334

Following them with their eyes, for once sharing the same opinion.

335     HOSTAGES ON THE ROOF		         335

They see their very own Christmas decorations, the friendly
copter lights, and begin to smile and cheer.  Uli smiles to
himself, moves towards the door:

336     VAULT ROOM				  336

Theo closes the lid of a bond-stuffed case, carries it out of
the room.  Holly's eyes follow his exit while the others continue.

		       HOLLY
	      (to Hans, scornfully)
         After all your posturing, all your
         speeches...you're nothing but a common
         thief.

		       HANS
         I'm an exceptional thief, Mrs. McClane.
         And now that I'm moving up to kidnapping,
         you should be more polite.

He SLAPS her.

337     MACHINE FLOOR			      337

Karl drives McClane back with a sweeping head kick.  Another one.
McClane is staggering.  He gets in one hard punch and then Karl
charges at him.  McClane falls backwards, drives his legs
upwards, propelling Karl into the air:

338     LOW ANGLE				   338

Karl goes into a loop of chain hanging over a turbine, becomes
entangled.

339     MCCLANE						 339

jumps to his feet, yanks the other end of the chain.

340     KARL						    340

is JERKED upwards by the neck.  He TWITCHES like a captured
fish -- starts to turn blue:

341     MCCLANE						 341

Twists the chain end around a pipe as Karl STILLS.  McClane
snatches up his Baretta from the floor, runs out.

				  CUT TO:

342     CHOPPERS - IN THE AIR		        342

We can SEE the tailing 'chopper through the open port of this
one.  Big Johnson leans over, slaps the shoulder of his pilot.

		       BIG JOHNSON
         Just like Saigon, eh, Wally?

		       PILOT
         My kind of town.

				  CUT TO:

343     THE ROOF						343

The door rattles.  His back to the CAMERA, Uli goes to the door,
OPENS it -- and TWO BULLETS COME OUT HIS BACK.  Smoking Baretta
in hand, McClane vaults over the body before it has even stopped
twitching.  As the hostages SQUEAL and SCREAM, McClane snatches
up Uli's machine gun, runs out onto the roof.  He charges
through the crowd, spots Ginny near the edge of the roof.  She
meets him halfway.

		       MCCLANE
         Where's Holly --

		       GINNY
         The took her -- after they saw the
         kids on television --

		       MCCLANE
         What?  God --

He looks off to the choppers.  Closer yet.  He turns, SHOUTS.

		       MCCLANE
         Listen to me!  All of you, get down
         to the lower floors -- you're all
         in danger.

		       HOSTAGE
         What are you, crazy?  We're being
         rescued!  Those helicopters --

		       MCCLANE
         -- there won't be shit for those helicopters
         to land on, because the whole top of this
         building is wired with explosives!  Now
         get below --

		       SECOND HOSTAGE
         But...we're safe up here --

		       MCCLANE
         Safe, my ass!  This ain't a helipad,
         it's a launching pad!

And he FIRES over their heads!  They SCREAM, head for the door
as he hoped!  He FIRES again, raking a line across the roof.
They really haul ass.

		       MCCLANE
         GET BELOW!  NOW!

344     IN THE WING CHOPPER - MID-AIR		344

A YOUNG FBI AGENT is here with a rifle and a partner.

		       YOUNG FBI
	      (into throat mike, looking
	      out the door)
         Flight leader, this is Wing.  I think
         they're on to us.  One of the terrorists
         is firing on the hostages.

345     INSIDE THE OTHER CHOPPER		     345

		       LITTLE JOHNSON
	      (into mike)
         Roger, Wing.  We copy.
	      (to the pilot)
         Swing around.
	      (raising his rifle)
         Give me a clear shot.

The pilot nods.

346     INT. VAULT ROOM			    346

		       HANS
	      (supervising the work)
         Schnell, schnell...der zeitz ist kurz...

Something catches his eye.  He turns, looks at:

347     VIEW THROUGH WINDOW -- HIS P.O.V.		    347

Through the glass here he can catch a glimpse of the hostages
coming back into the room!

				  CUT TO:

348     THE ROOF						348

McClane herds the last of the hostages inside, starts for the
door himself, when with a ROAR and a CHATTER of rotors, the
lead chopper zooms overhead!  McClane throws himself down on the
ground, looks up as the chopper banks in a tight turn and then
from the open side GUNFIRE erupts!  Shocked, McClane DIVES out
of the way of the bullets that stitch across the door.

349     HOSTAGES - ON LOWER FLOORS (OR IN STAIRWELL)	349

descending, SCREAMING and HOWLING as a chopper SWEEPS past a
window on a loop back towards the roof.

350     IN THE CHOPPER			     350

Both Johnsons FIRE AWAY

		       BIG JOHNSON
         Bank and we'll nail him!

351     THE VAULT ROOM			     351

Hans whirls towards Kristoff.

		       HANS
         Blow the roof.  Now!

		       KRISTOFF
         But Karl and Uli are up there --

CAMERA ADJUSTS to show the remote detonator on a table.  Hans
goes to it.

352     THE ROOF						352

McClane DIVES away from another burst.

		       MCCLANE
         You assholes, I'm on your side -- !

They come in on another pass.  Desperate, he looks around, see
a fire hose.  Makes up his mind.  With the chopper LOOMING UP
behind him, he slings Uli's weapon, runs to the fire hose,
unreels three yards, loops it around his back and under his legs.
He looks over the edge, hesitates:

		       MCCLANE
         Fuck this...

Bullets HIT all around him.  He JUMPS:

353     THE VAULT ROOM			     353

Hans extends the antenna...HITS the button.

354     LONG SHOT - THE ROOF		         354

The helipad EXPLODES!  A FIREBALL rolls into the sky.

355     THE HOSTAGES				355

lose their footing on the floor.  Dust and debris fall down,
but they're okay.

356     JOHNSON AND JOHNSON'S CHOPPER		356

STRAINS to avoid the rising fireball...can't!  It's CAUGHT in
the explosion!  It tips over, a rotor hits the roof -- it
CRASHES, EXPLODES, tumbles down the side of the building!

357     MCCLANE						 357

Dangling against the side of the building, he DUCKS and winces
as FLAMING DEBRIS soar past him.

358     THE ROOF - HOSE WHEEL DEVICE		 358

Flame ROARS TOWARDS it, engulfs it.  It JERKS on its foundation
PIVOTS 180 degrees as several bolts slip:

359     MCCLANE						 359

DROPS several more feet.  He swallows, then KICKS against the
side of the building, his bloody feet leaving smears.  The
shatterproof glass doesn't budge!  Wincing as more FLAMING DEBRIS
sizzles by, McClane levels the machine gun, KICKS off from the
building, SWINGS back ten feet -- reaches the zenith of his
arc -- FIRES the gun and sails back in:

360     INSIDE THE BUILDING			360

McClane SMASHES through the shattered glass, SAILS inside, rolls
onto the floor, PLOWING through furniture and decor.  Finally
he STOPS, catches his breath with relief...rises to one knee:

361     UP ON THE ROOF			     361

The fire hose mounting is BLASTED off the roof, SAILS past the
CAMERA:

362     OUTSIDE THE BUILDING		         362

The hose mechanism tumbles downward!

363     INSIDE						  363

McClane is YANKED off his feet, dragged towards the window!

364     THE HOSE WHEEL - OUTSIDE		     364

It SLIDES down the side of the building!  The hose PLAYS OUT
on the edge of the windowsill, dragging McClane towards his death!

365     MCCLANE						 365

CLAWS at the floor...no help.  Inches from the shattered window,
he braces his legs against the sill, groans as he fights the
weight of the hose and the reel.  One foot SLIPS.  Only his
already wounded foot keeps him indoors.

He scrambles to untie his improvised rappeling rig -- gets free
just before the hose nozzle CRASHES out and into the great beyond!

Winded, strength ebbing, he staggers to his feet -- just in time
for:

366     THE ROOF						366

to RECOIL from another staggering explosion!

367     THE HOSTAGES				367

They scream, cry out:

368     IN THE VAULT ROOM			  368

As Holly covers her head from falling plaster, the men work
like automatons, piling up the bonds.

369     MCCLANE						 369

recovers from another AFTERSHOCK, runs up the steps -- is
momentarily amazed to HEAR a "ding" from the elevator -- he looks
at:

370     THE SHAFT				   370

where suddenly the WALL EXPLODES OUTWARD as an ENTIRE ELEVATOR
CRASHES THROUGH THE WALL, swinging on its cable like a
demolition ball on a crane!

371     BACK TO SCENE			      371

McClane runs up the steps as brickwork flies past his head like
schrapnel:

372     THE ELEVATOR				372

reaches the apex of its swing, drops down in an arcing turn:

373     WIDE SHOT				   373

the elevator CRASHES into the stairs!  The section McClane in
on SNAPS LOOSE!  At the last minute McClane LEAPS towards:

374     THE VAULT FLOOR BALCONY		      374

and catches it as stairs and elevator CRUMBLE behind and beneath
him!  With his last effort, he hauls himself onto the balcony
and them moves off!

				  CUT TO:

375     EXT. BUILDING			      375

The police are scrambling for cover.  Powell and Robinson are
open-mouthed.

376     IN THE BASEMENT			    376

Argyle is huddled down on the floor of the back seat, the stuffed
animal held over his head as much for company as protection.
As the building ceases to ROCK Argyle sneaks a peek out from
under the fur...and sees:

377     HIS P.O.V. - THEO			  377

at the delivery truck.  He steps into a white paramedic's
jumpsuit and zips it up.  He hops into the cab and pulls the
truck away from the loading dock.

378     MCCLANE - ON THE VAULT FLOOR		 378

He creeps forward, looks carefully into:

379     HIS P.O.V. - VAULT ROOM		      379

They're getting ready to leave with the bearer bonds.  Suddenly
the CAMERA FOCUS CHANGES TO HOLLY.

380     BACK TO SCENE			      380

McClane's face shows his anguish.  He checks the weapon he took
from Uli.  One bullet!

		       MCCLANE
	      (under his breath)
         Shit...

He checks his Baretta.  One bullet.  He thinks, desperate.
Decides.  He takes the bullet from the rifle clip, adds it to
the Baretta clip.  He slams the pistol clip back, really worried.
Mind racing, he looks all around the room...his eyes fall on a
tape dispenser.  He thinks again...steps towards it:

380-A   IN THE BASEMENT			    380-A

Theo has pulled two ramps out from the truck and slips into
the back.  A car engine fires up inside the delivery truck.

381     ARGYLE						  381

Realization dawning, he vaults into the front seat.

382     THE GARAGE				  382

A paramedic van shoots out of the back of the Pacific Courier
delivery truck.  Flooring the limo, Argyle CRASHES into
the van, which CAREENS into the wall.

383     CLOSER						  383

Theo staggers out in time for Argyle to deck him with one punch.

		       ARGYLE
	      (looking around)
         Where's the camera when you need them?

				  CUT TO:

384     THE VAULT ROOM			     384

		       HANS
         Let's move.

The last of the money is piled on.  Hans hangs onto Holly while
Eddie pushes the mail carts of moneybags.  Kristoff goes to the
door to scope their escape...suddenly he is COLD COCKED by a
rifle butt.

385     WIDER						   385

McClane steps into view in the doorway, backlit by sparks still
tumbling down from the roof above.  He holds the machine gun
ready.

		       MCCLANE
         Hans!

Hans turns, not that surprised.  Grinning, he yanks Holly into
view.  No words need be said.

		       HOLLY
         John!

		       MCCLANE
         Holly, we have to stop meeting like
         this.
	      (taking in the vault)
         So that's what it was.  A fucking
         robbery.
	      (thinking)
         So why nuke the building, Hans?

		       HANS
	      (with a shrug)
         When you steal six hundred dollars,
         you can disappear...but when you
         steal six hundred million, they will
         find you...unless you play dead.
	      (tight smile)
         Which happens to be your next role...
         drop your gun, please.

McClane hesitates...Hans pushes the gun against Holly again,
really hurting her.  Eddie quickly raises his weapon.

		       HANS
	      (to Eddie)
         Nein, dies ein ist mein.
	      (to McClane)
         This time John Wayne does not walk
         off into the sunset with Grace Kelly.

		       MCCLANE
         That was Gary Cooper, shithead...

		       HANS
         No more jokes, drop it or she gets it
         between the eyes!

		       MCCLANE
	      (slowly putting down
	      his gun)
         Whoa, Hans, now you're the cowboy?

		       HANS
         'Yippe-ki-yea, mother fucker'?  Now
         you are fucked.

He aims:

		       MCCLANE
         Holly, now...!

Instantly, Holly sidesteps, JABS her elbow into Hans' face!

386     MCCLANE - OVER SHOULDER SHOT		 386

At the same moment Holly moves, McClane grabs his Baretta
from its hiding place TAPED TO THE BACK OF HIS NECK, SHOOTS
Hans high in the chest!

The bullet passes right THROUGH Hans, and the WINDOW behind
him SPLATTERS with blood and SHATTERS.  Even while this is
happening, McClane SPINS:

387     EDDIE - THROUGH MCCLANE'S WIDESPREAD LEGS	   387

Eddie takes a gunshot, DROPS just like on Gunsmoke.

388     BACK TO SCENE			      388

Hans drops his weapon, staggers, looks down at his own blood
in shock.

389     MCCLANE						 389

		       MCCLANE
         You were right about us Americans.
	      (he blows smoke
	      from his pistol
	      barrel)
         We are cowboys.

390     VAULT ROOM - WIDER			 390

Incredibly, Hans still stands, eyes filled with shock and
disbelief.  He REELS, falls against the windowsill, starts to
TOPPLE -- and then he GRITS his teeth and from some inward
place finds a last reserve of strength and he GRABS:

391     HOLLY'S WRIST			      391

and she is YANKED off her feet!

392     BACK TO SCENE			      392

Hans goes out the window, pulling Holly with him!  McClane
LEAPS forward, catches her inside arm near the elbow at the
last minute!

393     EXT. BUILDING - LONG SHOT		    393

The roof still in flames, McClane hangs halfway out of the
window, jagged glass raking his face, straining to hold onto
Holly as Hans drags her out!

McClane braces himself against the window frame and strains to
pull Holly closer.  With a MOAN, she catches the windowsill with
her inside hand.  McClane STRETCHES with his other hand, begins
to INCH towards Holly's wristband.

394     HANS' HAND - WIDEN			 394

A death grip on the watchband.  We WIDEN, SEE that, blood
flecked teeth GRITTING, he is STRAINING with his other hand
to bring up the gun he is still holding!

395     MCCLANE						 395

Holly's SCREAM alerts him.  Hans locks eyes with McClane one
last time, starts to pull the trigger, as:

396     VERY CLOSE				  396

McClane RELEASES the latch on the watchband!  The overtaxed
metal SNAPS, links flying:

397     WIDER						   397

Hans' face registers his horror as he and most of the watch
suddenly drop.

We LISTEN to his scream all the way down, finally HEAR him HIT.

McClane pulls Holly back into the room and holds her.

		       MCCLANE
         It's okay, babe.  It's okay.

He looks down at Hans' body, then back at the scrap of wristband
he's still holding.

		       MCCLANE
         You got a warranty on this?

She laughs through her tears, holds onto him.

				  DISSOLVE TO:

398     EXT. BUILDING - DAWN		         398

Smoke drifts up from what has suddenly become the top floor.
Thornburg's remote truck careens into the parking lot.

399     CLOSER						  399

A crowd watches as the front doors of the building open.  We
SEE McClane, who holds up Holly and in turn is supported by
SWAT men.  As REPORTERS start shouting questions, McClane
breaks free of his entourage, and, holding Holly, pushes into
the crowd.

		       MCCLANE
	      (calling out)
         Al?  Al, you here -- ?

The crowd eddys and surges...suddenly Powell is there, and
McClane knows it's him.  They stare at each other, ten feet
apart, and then they're grinning, extending their hands.  But
somehow a shake isn't enough, and they're embracing each other
like men who've lived through combat together...which, in fact,
is the truth.

		       MCCLANE
	      (emotional)
         Al.  Man, you were my rock.  I
         couldn't have made it without you.

		       POWELL
         Bullshit.

		       MCCLANE
         I'm serious.  Hey, this is my wife...
         Holly Gennero.

		       HOLLY
	      (taking Powell's hand,
	      correcting)
         Holly McClane.

Hearing this, McClane grins, pulls her close.		*

		       POWELL
	      (to her)
         A pleasure.  I guess John doesn't
         need me to give you that message
         anymore.

		       HOLLY
	      (puzzled)
         Message?

McClane begins to make silent "ixney" gestures in Powell's
direction.

		       POWELL
         You know, about him being such a
         jerk -- and how he's really sor --
	      (seeing McClane)
         -- ee...Uh, I'm sure he'll fill
         you in.

Just then Robinson barges forward.

		       ROBINSON
         I want you for debrief, McClane.
         You've got some things to answer
         for -- Ellis' murder -- property
         damage -- interfering with police		   *
         business --

A SCREAM causes McClane to turn.

400     HIS P.O.V.				  400

There in the doorway is Karl, clothing and body scorched.
Easily as crusted in dirt and blood as McClane, he holds his
machine gun.

401     EXT. BUILDING			      401

As the crowd panics trying to escape, Karl locks eyes with
McClane and levels his gun.  McClane throws Holly to the
ground and grabs the dumbstruck Robinson's sidearm.

But he doesn't get off a shot -- a lone gunshot stops Karl --
knocking him back through the doorway.  McClane looks back to
see Powell still sighting down the barrel of his .38.

His hand is rock steady.  He sees McClane's look.

		       POWELL
	      (shrugging)
         You were right.  You couldn't have
         made it without me.

They smile.  Suddenly McClane and Holly squint as LIGHTS pan
onto them.  Thornburg pushes his way forward, mike extended
like a weapon.

		       THORNBURG
         Mr. McClane...Mrs. McClane...any
         comment on your incredible ordeal?
         What are your feelings now that it's
         all over?

Without a beat, Holly PUNCHES HIM in the chops.  He FALLS,
dropping the mike with an electronic SQUEAL.  McClane looks at
his wife, amazed.  Behind them, Thornburg sits on the ground, *
nurses his lip, turns to his camerman.

		       THORNBURG
	      (eager)			    *
         Did you get that?

McClane and Holly continue on, turn towards:		 *

402     ARGYLE'S LIMO			      402

It's a little smashed up, but still running.  Argyle is
standing beside the open door.  McClane and Holly get in and
Argyle closes the door.

		       ARGYLE
	      (getting in the
	      front)
         If this is their idea of Christmas
         I gotta be there for New Year's.

CAMERA ADJUSTS TO SHOW the rear window where McClane and
Holly are kissing.  As they drive off, we:

FADE OUT
THE END
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