Backdraft (1991)

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - STORAGE ROOM - 20 YRS. EARLIER

Darkness. Then the GLINT of a flashlight. Its beam rocks 
crazily to and fro across the inside of a small storage room 
as we hear two children arguing.

		OLDER KID
	You're doing it wrong.

		YOUNGER KID
	Shut up.

		OLDER KID
	You're doing it wrong.

It's hard, but we get a sense of the room in the whipping 
beam of light. Huge, dark coats lined up like sides of beef 
on steel batons. Bent, stained helmets hung like African 
masks.

Beneath them BRIAN, 7, and STEPHEN, 12, are trying to struggle 
into a pair of the ludicrously massive coats over their 
pajamas.

		STEPHEN
	It doesn't go like that.

		BRIAN
	Who asked you?

		STEPHEN
	If you do it like that it'll open in 
	the fire. Then you'll get burned and 
	DIE.

The door suddenly opens, morning sunlight roaring in. It's a 
fire station storage room full of fire gear. A fireman stands 
in the doorway, tall, athletic, their father; DENNIS 
McCAFFREY.

		DENNIS
	Who's going to die?

		STEPHEN
	Brian. He's not doing it right, dad. 
	He never does it right.

		DENNIS
		(gestures for them to 
		come out)
	Well, let's have a look.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - DAY

The two boys tromp out of the closet. The rubber turn-out 
boots are as high as their thighs. The ends of the coats 
drag on the floor. They salute, Brian's arm just an empty 
sleeve. Dennis kneels down and re-fastens Brian's coat.

		DENNIS
	Your brother's right. If you don't 
	fasten these correctly they could 
	open and you'd get burned.

		STEPHEN
	And DIE!

		BRIAN
	You wouldn't let me die, would you, 
	Dad?

		DENNIS
	McCaffreys are smarter than fire, 
	Brian.
		(playfully slaps their 
		shoulders)
	How 'bout lunch, huh?

		STEPHEN
	Fireman shit?

		DENNIS
	Hey, what's with the mouth? Where'd 
	you grow up, a barn?

		STEPHEN
	Firehouse.

		DENNIS
	Cute.

-- The station suddenly fills with the BELLOW of an ALARM 
KLAXON.

		DENNIS
		(sighs)
	Never fails...

A young fireman, ADCOX, appears with the dispatch card.

		DENNIS
	Big deal?

		AXE
	Medium deal.

		DENNIS
	Want to come along, Brian? Watch the 
	old man earn his keep?

		STEPHEN
		(pissed)
	Dad!

		DENNIS
	You've come along a dozen times, 
	Stephen, give your brother a chance. 
	We'll be back in a few minutes.
		(to Brian)
	How 'bout it, sport?

		BRIAN
	Sure!

Dennis scoops Brian up and loads him into the fire engine 
cab. The other three firemen climb aboard and take their 
places.

EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - DAY

There's a cough of diesel, a crunch of gears, and the engine 
is pulling out of the station.

		DENNIS
	Hit the button, Brian.

Brian stamps his foot on the siren button. The red light 
snaps on, the siren growls and blares, and they're off down 
the street. Brian turns around in his seat and, at the last 
instant before the corner, makes eye contact with his older 
brother.

They stick their tongues out.

EXT. CHICAGO STREET - DAY - 20 YRS. EARLIER

The engine howls its way through the city. Brian, sandwiched 
between his father and Adcox, looks out in wonderment at 
intersections zipping past like picket fences, at people on 
sidewalks holding hands over their ears, at the red emergency 
lights bouncing crazily off shop windows.

EXT. BUILDING - DAY - 20 YRS. EARLIER

Lazy smoke curls out the second story of a commercial block. 
Medium deal. The engine pulls up and the firemen are jumping 
off like ship rats. Dennis opens his door, hops down, and 
pauses just long enough to point a serious finger at his 
son.

		DENNIS
	Stay near the truck.
		(winks)
	And keep an eye out for us, huh? 
	We're short handed today.

Brian nods vigorously, taking the command seriously. Dennis 
smiles and is off, dragging a hoseline with his crew toward 
a doorway they disappear into. Brian climbs down from the 
cab.

		ENGINEER
	Don't stray too far, little man.

Brian smiles to the pumper operator. He just wants a better 
look. And he gets it: Smoke turned evil and dark now, taking 
on purpose.

EXT. BUILDING - DAY - 20 YRS. EARLIER

There's a level of apartments above the storefronts. As Brian 
watches, a window opens and out steps his father and Adcox 
onto a small fire escape. Their attention's on the next window 
over, out of reach, wrapped in leaky smoke.

Suddenly Dennis climbs up onto the fire escape railing, armed 
with only an axe, and JUMPS across to the next metal balcony. 
A ballsy, dangerous move. He kicks in the window, breaks out 
the frame with his axe, and dives in.

A beat later he reemerges on the balcony with a terrified, 
smudged little girl. He hands the little girl over the railing 
to a fireman now coming up the more traditional way -- a 
ladder.

Dennis's face lifts and grins at Brian; dirty, bigger than 
life, invincible. He winks a wink only possible between 
fathers and sons and he's gone again, back into the swirling 
darkness. As Brian stands there, full of love, full of pride, 
he sees a piece of awning along the roofline crack; releasing 
a sickly yellow tongue of flame that slinks over the roof. 
The flame seems to pause, to stare at Brian a beat. Shhh, 
don't tell anyone. Brian is transfixed, his little head 
staring up in astonishment.

Nobody else has noticed it.

Brian can see his father and Adcox through the window; 
probing, looking for the flame lurking just above. Brian 
starts to call out in a small, hesitant voice,

		BRIAN
	Dad...

He tries to call louder... But suddenly everything is 
happening very fast in slow motion:

-- Brian can see Adcox testing the ceiling with a pike pole 
as Brian steps forward, under the power of a flame that 
beckons him as -- 

Dennis suddenly THROWS his body against Adcox, knocking him 
clear just as a flame EXPLODES DOWNWARD from the ceiling 
fully against him as -- All the building's windows BLOW OUT 
and it's like the sky's erupted for Brian, a burning hailstorm 
that falls and pelts the ground around him. Plaster, wood, 
and something metal that cracks against the pavement and 
spins slowly.

A fire helmet.

And Adcox is coming out the door now, blackened and torn, 
hopeless tears streaming down his face.

		AXE
	Get us some backup! We need some 
	goddamn backup!

And, spotting Brian, he runs towards him. And the helmet 
spins and spins and Adcox keeps running, and the sky is 
raining fire, and the flame on the roof has risen up now to 
its full, horrifying size and it's laughing now, laughing at 
the little boy as the helmet finally stops spinning, and we 
read the printing on the neck guard.

MCCAFFREY

And Adcox is sobbing and has his arms around the boy, 
protecting him from the fire, the world, but it's like Brian 
doesn't see him. He pulls away from Adcox, walks up to his 
father's helmet, And puts it on.

The scene EXPLODES with a flash as a photographer captures 
the instant.

INT. SEEDY APARTMENT - DAY

Sequence omitted from original script.

INT. BRIAN'S CAR - DAY

Hold on the freeze-frame. Let it become an aged cover of 
LIFE. The magazine jiggles and rocks and we see now it's 
sitting atop a box of knick-knacks jostling in the back seat 
of an aging BMW. There's plenty of other boxes here, a live 
on the move, and in the driver's seat, BRIAN McCAFFREY, now 
27. There's piles of empty burger wrappers, Coke cans, and 
Florida knick-knacks on the dash board; a little blow-up 
palm tree, a cheesy hula girl emblazoned with "McCaffrey 
High-End Stereo Sales".

EXT. HIGHWAY - MONTAGE - DAY

Brian and his battered BMW shoot past prairie, cow country, 
nervous suburbs and finally a sign: WELCOME TO CHICAGO.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

Wind tugging at his bangs, Brian stares down at the graves 
of Dennis and Mary Elizabeth McCaffrey.

INT. CHICAGO GAS STATION RESTROOM - DAY

In a crusty sink he combs his hair, knots a tie around his 
neck.

EXT. CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ACADEMY - DAY

Brian walks through its sculpted columns, straightening his 
tie. He comes to a door, FIRE ACADEMY CHIEF. He takes a deep 
breath, steadies his gaze, and enters.

INT. FIRE ACADEMY CHIEF'S OFFICE - DAY

The ACADEMY CHIEF sits at his desk going over a file. Out 
the window can be heard a FIRE TRAINING CLASS in action.

		CHIEF FITZGERALD
	Is this a joke?

Brian's sitting in the seat opposite.

		BRIAN
	If it was a joke, sir, you'd be 
	laughing.

		CHIEF FITZGERALD
	You walked out on this academy six 
	years ago. One week to graduation. 
	You think we forgot that? You think 
	I did?

		BRIAN
	I want another shot, Sir.

		CHIEF FITZGERALD
		(beat)
	Look, everybody remembers your old 
	man. Being his son, all you had to 
	do was breathe to graduate here. 
	Dead Hero Father Rule. But you blew 
	us off. Why should I take you back?

		BRIAN
	If you remember, sir, my test scores 
	were in the top --

		CHIEF FITZGERALD
	-- I don't give a damn what your 
	test scores were, maybe you could 
	have been a good firemen, but you 
	had your shot.

		BRIAN
	I need another one, sir.

		CHIEF FITZGERALD
	Sorry, but it's out of my hands. Try 
	again next year.

		BRIAN
	No, it isn't out of your hands or 
	you wouldn't even have met me. If I 
	push you have to let me back in. 
	Dead Hero Father Rule. Sir.

		CHIEF FITZGERALD
		(simmers)
	Even if you graduate this academy, 
	you've still got nine months of 
	probation. That's hard duty, son. If 
	you don't really love this job, it'll 
	kill you.

		BRIAN
		(rises)
	See you Monday. Sir.

As we hear the BLOW OF A WHISTLE

							CUT TO:

EXT. CHICAGO FIRE DEPT. TRAINING ACADEMY - GRADUATION DAY

And everybody lined up at attention in dress blues.

		CHIEF FITZGERALD
		(at podium)
	Though the world changes every day, 
	some things are truly forever: 
	Courage, devotion, and honor in what 
	we do. This class is a special one, 
	for we dedicate it to the three 
	firefighters that have fallen this 
	year: Donald Knowlton, Richard Walter 
	and Michael Petzold...
		(silent beat)
	Ladies and gentlemen, it is with 
	pleasure that I certify that Candidate 
	Class number 322, having successfully 
	completed all academy requirements, 
	are hereby graduated to the Chicago 
	Fire Department.

Candidates and their relatives CHEER and leap to their feet. 
Something struggles inside of Brian. He doesn't stand at 
first. Another Candidate, TIM, 20, looks at him strangely. 
So does the Academy Chief, his eyes finding Brian's. And 
Brian's standing slowly now, joining them...

EXT. BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

An expensive one. We hear a window BREAK.

INT. BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

Through the dimness a file cabinet. An AXE SUDDENLY SLAMS 
into it, RIPPING it apart. Files crash to the floor. And a 
picture. 1970. Four young guys marlin fishing. Time of their 
lives.

INT. BROWNSTONE BEDROOM - NIGHT

And a GREY PUTTY being SLAPPED along the edges of a door.

INT. PUB - NIGHT

A split-level firemen's dive; complete with mounted axes and 
personalized T-shirts from various engine companies proudly 
declaring "LADDER CO. 6 -- AXE FIRST, HOSE LATER" and "CHICAGO 
FD, 150 YEARS OF TRADITION UNIMPEDED BY PROGRESS".

Tonight the place is firmly in the hands of an army of 
recently graduated candidates. A few on the back patio have 
hooked up a charged hoseline and are taking potshots at 
balloon targets, each other, the neighbor's cat. Brian and 
Tim, still in their uniforms, enter from the street. Survey 
the scene.

		BRIAN
	Completely out of control.

		TIM
	What the hell are we waiting for?

As they shoulder their way inside, another CANDIDATE appears 
holding proudly a fistful of sealed envelopes.

		CANDIDATE
	Hot off the presses, guys. Station 
	assignments.

Tim and everyone else but Brian eagerly tear into them. Brian 
nonchalantly shoulders up to the bar.

		BRIAN
	A beer, Willy!

The barkeep turns and smiles.

		WILLY
	Well, if it isn't the littlest 
	McCaffrey.
		(to candidates with 
		hose)
	Hey! You break anything with that 
	you buy it!
		(to Brian)
	Sorry, there must be something wrong 
	with my eyes. I keep thinking that's 
	a fire department uniform.

		BRIAN
	It's in my blood, Willy.

The candidates are ripping open their assignments, exclaiming 
to each other: "All right! Engine 117! That's a slum! They 
get cookers every day!". "Oh no, Engine 10, that's a nice 
neighborhood"...

Willy turns to the bulletin board behind him and unpins a 
stack of business cards.

		WILLY
	Really. Well, let's have a look at 
	what else was "in your blood". I 
	always look forward to getting these, 
	they make such a nice collage for 
	the bar... "Assistant Director, Sales, 
	Aspen Snowmobile Tours..."

		BRIAN
	Didn't offer the kinda growth and 
	challenge I need.

		WILLY
	Uh huh. And "Pioneer's Pride, Mobile 
	Log Cabins". That was in your blood 
	about six months wasn't it?

		BRIAN
	Management were pin heads.

		WILLY
	"Laguna Jamming, Custom Surfboards"?

		BRIAN
	Coffee sucked.

		WILLY
	And just this year, "Brian's Sound 
	Spectrum". Your own company even. 
	Big step.

		BRIAN
	I was ahead of my time.

		WILLY
	You know, I've got a perfect little 
	spot here for "Brian McCaffrey, 
	Fireman"...

Tim holds an envelope marked McCAFFREY out to Brian.

		TIM
	Aren't you even curious?

		BRIAN
	Engine 115, right?

		TIM
		(opens it, surprised)
	How'd you know? These are supposed 
	to be sealed.

		BRIAN
	Lucky guess.
		(winks)
	And a case of scotch to a captain in 
	station assignments.

		TIM
	You crooked son of a bitch. Why 115?

		BRIAN
	Lots of fires. They promote faster 
	there. Take a look at the last Lt.'s 
	list, half the guys on it came from 
	that battalion. Gotta think about 
	your future, Timmy. 115's the station.

		TIM
	Ah man, if you're gonna bribe your 
	way into a station, why not 17 with 
	me and your brother?

On Brian's reaction

							CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

A Porsche knifes through darkened streets. The DRIVER, 50, 
is dressed for success. Pulling up to the brownstone we saw 
earlier, he gets out and rubs his eyes. Another day in the 
salt mines.

Climbing the short stairs, he sticks his key into the lock 
and opens the door. It is the last thing he will ever do.

A THUNDERING EXPLOSION ENGULFS the stoop.

INT. PUB - NIGHT

The place is packed now with girls flirting with the 
candidates, putting their helmets on, etc. The horseplay 
around the bar suddenly stops at the sweet sound of a SIREN.

EXT. PUB - NIGHT

Everyone steps outside, cocks an ear. And here it comes, the 
real thing, SCREECHING past in a full-tilt rush. Shouts and 
raised toasts.

		TIM
	Hey, that's my cousin's company! 
	C'mon! Let's go!

As Brian turns, he suddenly confronted by an elderly 
LITHUANIAN WOMAN.

		BRIAN
		(surprised)
	Mrs. Viatkus...

She grabs his cheeks and rattles off in Lithuanian. Brian 
can only smile. Then two attractive jean-clad legs step up. 
JENNIFER.

		JENNIFER
	Brian.

		BRIAN
		(surprised)
	Jennifer.

		JENNIFER
	You're back.

		BRIAN
	You look great.

		JENNIFER
	Thanks for calling.

		BRIAN
	Uh... I've been sorta keeping a low 
	profile... the academy... I graduated 
	today.

		JENNIFER
	Huh.

		BRIAN
	So... I see you're still in the 
	neighborhood.

		JENNIFER
	Not quite. Just visiting. I live in 
	Lincoln Park now.

		BRIAN
	Yeah? What have you been up to?

		JENNIFER
	I work for city hall.

		BRIAN
	Really? No kidding.

		JENNIFER
	What, you think I just dried up and 
	blew away when you left? The world 
	does turn once in awhile Brian, even 
	without your permission.

Just then, Tim OPENS UP the hoseline, DRENCHING Brian.

		TIM
	Don't want you overheating, Brian!

Brian ducks the stream and PULLS a length of hose near his 
feet, FLIPPING Tim. Brian JUMPS him, shuts off the hose and 
pins him to the pavement.

		TIM
	Okay okay! Uncle!

Brian walks back toward Jennifer

		JENNIFER
	You've certainly matured.

She turns to leave.

		BRIAN
	Well, if nothing else, it's nice to 
	know we can still be friends.

		JENNIFER
	I don't want to be your friend, Brian.

Another in a series of fire engines HOWL past. Tim grabs 
Brian by the shoulder.

		TIM
	Let's go, man!

EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

Brian and Tim jump into Brian's car. They shoot blindly down 
the street looking for the fire engine, running down red 
lights or anything else that gets in their way. Brian suddenly 
hits the brakes, SCREECHING to a stop. They roll down their 
windows. Far off can be heard the wind-up of a siren.

		TIM
		(points)
	That way.

EXT. STREETS - FIRE ENGINE - NIGHT

SCREECH. They fly around a corner, down a block, and there 
it is, lights flashing up ahead. Brian GUNS it, roars up 
alongside the fire engine. Tim leans out the window, shakes 
a bottle of beer, and lets loose a foamy eruption in the 
truck driver's face.

		DRIVER
	Tim! You crazy motherfucker!

But he's laughing.

		TIM
	What'cha got?

		DRIVER
	Box alarm. Walton Ave.

		TIM
	We'll meet ya.

EXT. BROWNSTONE - WALTON AVENUE - NIGHT

As Brian and Tim pull up two engine companies are already 
dragging lines toward the rolling brownstone we saw explode 
earlier. Tim cheers the firemen on like a drive-in movie.

Brian watches the fire with uneasy fascination. Embers 
whipping into the night, drifting to the ground around him.

One of the engine companies is entering the doorway now. He 
watches as they willingly crawl into a place any sane person 
would run for their life from. Jesus Christ. FLASH -- Brian 
turns at the blinding snap of a camera. Several locals are 
gathered around a parked car, some taking pictures. Brian 
notices that right away. It takes a beat longer to notice 
the CHARRED CORPSE stuffed head-first through the windshield. 
It's the Porsche driver, his legs sticking out at crazy 
angles. A dog barks furiously at it.

		TIM
		(also looking at body)
	Man. Something sure put a crimp in 
	his evening.

		BRIAN
	Backdraft.

The brownstone fire quickly transforms itself into noisy 
clouds of dirty white steam. And one of the firemen is coming 
back out now, walking toward Brian.

When he's just a few yards away he pulls off his air mask 
and helmet and we shudder with Brian, because the man is a 
dead ringer for HIS FATHER.

		STEPHEN
	Well, look what we have here. Nice 
	costume. Rent it?

		BRIAN
	I want to thank you for coming to my 
	graduation, Stephen. It was a great 
	inspiration to me.

		STEPHEN
	So you're going to fight fires now, 
	huh?

He pats Brian's cheeks, leaving behind large charcoal smears.

		STEPHEN
		(re smears)
	Doesn't work on you.
		(turns to leave)
	See ya around, little brother.

		BRIAN
	Not likely.

		STEPHEN
		(turns)
	Well, see you're wrong already. Had 
	a talk with Chief Fitzgerald, and we 
	decided in the interest of brotherly 
	love, that maybe you shouldn't be 
	way over on the other side of town. 
	So starting tomorrow, your assigned 
	to company 17. My company.
		(Brian's color drops 
		a hue)
	One case of scotch, you're getting 
	cheap in your old age, Brian...

And Stephen turns for his own men, Tim staring at Brian as 
clouds of smoke drift past like ghosts.

EXT. BROWNSTONE - ACROSS THE STREET - NIGHT

A flame LEAPS up into the foreground. Touches a cigarette. 
The cigarette glows, lingers, then lowers slowly from the 
mouth of RIMGALE, fifty-five years old and six and a half 
feet of solid granite. Wearing a windbreaker and grey slacks 
tucked into fire department rubber boots, he takes another 
slow drag. Looks at the body stuffed into the windshield. 
It's twenty yards away from the brownstone. Stephen looks up 
as Rimgale drops the cigarette, crushes it with his boot, 
and crosses the street to the building.

INT. BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

Charred walls hiss and snap in the steamy darkness. Rimgale 
is there, gloomy in the beam of his flashlight. He crouches 
down, plays his flashlight along the ruined baseboard.

		SHADOW
	If you stare any longer Stevie, I'll 
	start charging you admission.

Stephen is leaning in the doorway, watching him.

		STEPHEN
	Got a cause?

		SHADOW
	Are the glory boys actually showing 
	interest in Investigation's work? I 
	may have a stroke.

		STEPHEN
	The glory boys just want to finish 
	their report so they can go home.

Rimgale's flashlight finds a wall socket that he pries loose 
and holds up to the light. He lowers it, takes in the walls, 
the room.

		SHADOW
	They're gonna have to wait a few 
	days on this one.

EXT. BROWNSTONE - NIGHT

Tim's talking to his cousin. Brian hangs back, watches the 
body-bag people load the Porsche driver into a meat wagon. 
There's a still an audience for this, still stray dogs 
circling and barking. Brian walks up, looks inside the car, 
and sees on a seat the ragged remains of a FINGER.

		BRIAN
		(to coroner crew)
	Hey, you forgot... this.

They're already climbing into the wagon. The driver smiles 
creepily.

		CORONER DRIVER
	We always leave something for the 
	dogs.

Brian looks across the fireground, sees his brother walking 
back to the fire engine. They share a brief, edgy glance.

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

A modest one. South-side Irish old fashioned. Brian walks 
up. There's a little kid, about five, playing with a toy 
fire truck on the drive.

		BRIAN
	Hey, Sean. What's goin' on, man?

The kid stares at him without a glimmer of recognition.

		BRIAN
	It's Uncle Brian. Y'know.

He makes his hand into a talking puppet.

		BRIAN
		(bandito accent)
	"Spinach? We don't need no stinking 
	spinach". Remember?

The kid drops his toy truck and flees inside.

		KID
	Mom! Mom!

INT. HELEN'S HOUSE

Brian follows, sticks his head in the door.

		BRIAN
	Hellooo...

A warm looking woman, 30's, HELEN, comes around the corner.

		HELEN
	Brian?

		BRIAN
	Hi, Helen. Man, you look great.

		HELEN
	You look like... Brian.

She gives him a tentative hug.

		HELEN
	'Bout written you off. How long have 
	you been in town?

		BRIAN
	Four months.

		HELEN
	Four months?

		BRIAN
	I know, I know, Should'a called. 
	I've been really busy. I joined the 
	fire department.

Helen's expression suddenly saddens.

		HELEN
	Oh Brian...
		(beat)
	You guys... you really know how to 
	put each other through it, don't 
	you?

The little kid is peeking fearfully from the kitchen doorway.

		BRIAN
	That's Sean? Jeez, he's a giant.

		HELEN
	Yeah, you'd be surprised what three 
	years can do to a kid.

		BRIAN
	Sean, come on out, man. What, you 
	forget your favorite uncle?

		HELEN
	Stephen told him you were killed in 
	a hot tub accident.

		SEAN
		(intense)
	Dad was kidding, Mom.

And the kid runs unexpectedly away, angry.

		BRIAN
	Well that's two things to strangle 
	Stephen for. Where is he, anyway?

		HELEN
		(beat)
	Stephen's not staying here now, Brian. 
	He moved out last April.

An embarrassed sting.

		BRIAN
	Oh, man, I'm sorry.

		HELEN
	You guys ought to try picking up a 
	phone once in awhile.

EXT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - MARINA - DAY

A small one on the river. Several boats bob peacefully. Except 
one. Raised high in dry-dock, it's an ancient fishing trawler. 
Bachman-Turner-Overdrive drifts up from the galley on badly 
fuzzed speakers as Brian climbs the ladder.

		BRIAN
	Hey.

Stripped to the waist, Stephen's bent-over cleaning out the 
guts of the inboard motor. He looks confused to see Brian.

		BRIAN
	I talked to Helen...

Wrong thing to say. Stephen turns back to his work.

		BRIAN
	...Man, I thought dad's boat was 
	finally retired to the family 
	graveyard. Don't you worry about 
	falling out of this thing?

Stephen straightens up, his forearms smudged with grease. 
Brian admires the unwashed cereal bowls and peeling deck 
paint.

		BRIAN
	I like what you've done with the 
	place.

		STEPHEN
	It's comin' along... want a beer?

Stephen tosses him a beer from the fridge. As Brian pops it, 
he sees the small pile of city-issue gallon size cans in the 
corner. Armorall, solvent, extinguisher foam.

		BRIAN
	Been ripping off fire stations?

		STEPHEN
	It's old stuff Adcox gave me that 
	the department was going to throw 
	out anyway. Still good enough though 
	for this tub.

Brian winces at the music coming out of shot speakers.

		BRIAN
	Bachman Turner Overdrive?
		(looks through music 
		rack)
	...Buffalo Springfield?... Stephen 
	Bishop? Oh man...

Brian lifts one of the tapes -- an 8-track -- and holds it 
carefully in his palm as if it were a rare and fragile relic.

		BRIAN
	My God, an actual operating 8-track.

		STEPHEN
	What, you've never seen one before?

		BRIAN
	In the Field Museum once.

		STEPHEN
	It works.

		BRIAN
	It worked when you were in sixth 
	grade.

INT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - DAY

Sequence omitted from original script.

EXT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - DAY

Brian opens the trunk of his old BMW. It's full of stereo 
boxes marked BRIAN'S "SOUND SPECTRUM".

INT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - CABIN - DAY

Brian's gutted the speakers and is re-wiring them.

		STEPHEN
	People actually used to pay you for 
	this?

		BRIAN
	Millions, Stephen -- And sexual 
	favors.

		STEPHEN
	Sheep don't count.

		BRIAN
	Yeah? What about Laura --

		STEPHEN
	That was never proved.

Brian moves over to another speaker.

		STEPHEN
	Why'd you come here, Brian?

		BRIAN
	I wanted to know why you messed with 
	my station assignment. I mean, is 
	this really gonna have to one of 
	those big brother -- little brother 
	"you broke my GI Joe and I'm still 
	pissed" games?

		STEPHEN
		(sighs)
	What is it with you, man, huh? How 
	do you manage to keep coming up with 
	new and amazing ways to screw up? 
	That scotch bullshit? Am I really 
	supposed to believe you came crawling 
	back home because you suddenly felt 
	heart strings moan for the family 
	biz? You were bankrupt, man.

		BRIAN
	Hey! You don't know me --

		STEPHEN
	I know you cold, Brian. The scary 
	thing is, you probably could have 
	faked it for awhile. But you see, in 
	this job there's no place to hide. 
	Isn't like selling log cabins. You 
	have a bad day here -- someone dies. 
	And that's not fucking good enough. 
	Want another beer?

		BRIAN
	So that's it? Big bad brother's gonna 
	ride my ass till I cough blood?

		STEPHEN
	Big bad brother is going to treat 
	you like any other probie -- that I 
	don't think is going to make it.

Brian staples the last of the audio cord in place and switches 
on the tape player. The cabin fills with sharp, crystal clear --
Stephen Bishop.

		BRIAN
	There's only so much technology can 
	do.
		(picks up his tool 
		box)
	Thanks for the beer.

		STEPHEN
	Thanks for the speakers.

EXT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - DAY

Brian climbs down off the boat. Looks up at Stephen.

		BRIAN
	Y'know, I told myself a million times 
	I didn't want to be a fireman. I 
	said bullshit to that line about 
	tradition and family legacy. I know 
	I split, and I know how you felt...

		STEPHEN
	Yeah, you know. You know what it 
	felt like.

		BRIAN
	I gotta do this, Stephen. I gotta 
	know.

		STEPHEN
	I think you're gonna find out, Brian. 
	Don't be late tomorrow.

INT. BRIAN'S APARTMENT - MORNING

A simple one-room walk-up. A stereo blares Chicago blues as 
Brian buttons up his uniform in the mirror. He steps back, 
looks at himself, -- and oh man what the hell am I doing...

EXT. BRIAN'S APARTMENT - STREET - MORNING

Brian climbs into his car, turns the key -- nothing. He gets 
out, looks under the hood, then SLAMS it down in frustration.

INT. ELEVATED TRAIN - MORNING

A pissed-off Chicago, hauling itself off to work in the 
morning snap, passes by Brian's window. Tough Midwestern 
brick. Tough Midwesterners. Heads-down in their 150 year war 
with a wind committed to pushing the whole damn thing into 
Lake Michigan.

EXT. EL STATION - MORNING

The train clacking away above him, Brian walks down the 
sidewalk carrying his fire equipment. He turns a corner and 
comes on.

EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - MORNING

Brian stands there. It's his dad's station. Turn of the 
century abused. Sooty with stone gargoyles and a pair of 
faded red doors that suddenly CRANK OPEN as Brian comes up 
the drive. Fire engine 17 and ladder truck 46, lights 
flashing, pull out onto the apron.

The fireman sticking his head out of the passenger window is 
Stephen. One look at the silver trumpet on his collar and we 
know this isn't Fireman McCaffrey but Fire LT. McCaffrey.

		STEPHEN
	You're too late, probie.

Tim, in ladder truck 46, waves a small bye-bye as both rigs 
begin heading down the street.

		BRIAN
		(chasing)
	Goddamn it, Stephen...

Brian bolts full-out for the engine. At the last instant 
before he falls on his face a fireman reaches out and drags 
him aboard.

INT./EXT. FIRE ENGINE 17 - DAY

It's Adcox, the fireman from the first scene, now a veteran.

		AXE
	Why baby McCaffrey, how ya doin'?

The Pumper driver, SCHMIDT, pops in a howling ROCK TUNE as 
they zoom off.

		SCHMIDT
		(re Brian to Adcox)
	You know this rug rat?

		AXE
	Know him? I practically raised him.
		(Jewish mom)
	And he never calls, he never writes...

Brian shouts over the noise to GRINDLE, 35, one more seat 
down.

		BRIAN
	I'm Brian.

		GRINDLE
	I'm sorry.

Grindle sticks his nose out the window, sniffs, then begins 
buckling up his coat.

		GRINDLE
	Boys, I do believe we have a 
	barbecue...

As Brian and Adcox fasten up their own equipment --

EXT. FACTORY - DAY

Smoke pours with confused indecision from every window of a 
five story factory as the pumper and ladder company pull up.

		GRINDLE
		(staring at confusing 
		smoke)
	I hate it when we gotta fucking go 
	look for it.

		STEPHEN
		(to Schmidt)
	Call in another alarm. We're gonna 
	need some back-up.

Everyone begins strapping on air tanks and masks. Adcox drags 
the rig's suction line to the hydrant. A beautiful illegally 
parked Mercedes is blocking the way.

		AXE
		(to Stephen)
	Oh these moments do try me...

		STEPHEN
		(admiring car)
	Be gentle.

Whistling to himself, Adcox SMASHES the brass coupling through 
the passenger window, runs the line through and SMASHES it 
out the other window before connecting up to the hydrant.

Stephen and Grindle pull hose off the bed and move out. 
Brian's so jacked up he can't get his air tank on right. 
Schmidt calmly helps him into his gear.

		SCHMIDT
	It's only rock 'n roll, kid.

Stephen, Adcox and Grindle are crouched at the door, ready 
to go. Brian takes a hose roll and runs to catch up when 
he's cut-off by dazed Latin workers shouting incoherently at 
him in SPANISH.

		STEPHEN
	Hey, probie! How 'bout it, huh?

Brian pushes past the workers and takes his position on the 
hose line. Stephen reaches over and re-adjusts Brian's air 
tank strap.

		STEPHEN
	You're doing it wrong.

Stephen eases the door open. Thick smoke rolls sickly out 
over their heads.

		STEPHEN
		(to Brian)
	Stay beside me.

And in they go...

INT. BURNING FACTORY - DAY

Inside the smoke is like liquid lead. Going by feel, they 
hump the hose up one staircase after another, crawling on 
their hands and knees toward a dull red glow. Turning a 
corner, they enter

INT. BURNING FACTORY - A VAST ROOM - DAY

Totally ablaze. Brian looks up in wonder at the buffeting 
waves of flame in the ceiling, at the SCREECHING timbers 
crumbling to the white-hot floor. At the walls HOWLING in 
bestial agony. It is the most horrifying, and wonderful thing 
he has ever seen.

		AXE
	Wash it to the windows?

		STEPHEN
	No, we'll hit the son of a bitch 
	head on.

		AXE
	It's gonna flash, Stevie. We gotta 
	get behind it.

		STEPHEN
	Nah, listen to it. It's a pussy. 
	It'll just steam on us. It won't 
	flash. Go high in the ceiling.

Adcox and Grindle shrug and pull their helmets down tight, 
expecting the worst. Adcox opens up the nozzle, turning loose 
a high pressure BLAST OF WATER into the ceiling. The fire 
SCREAMS in manic anger and HEAVES a cloud of HOWLING steam 
that WHIRLS back and BAKES them like lobsters. Brian gasps 
for air as swirling ash batters his facemask. A window 
somewhere EXPLODES. Somebody shouts. Christ, you can't see 
anything. Stephen HOOPS in victory.

		STEPHEN
		(to fire)
	I knew you were a pussy! C'mon! Steam 
	us!
		(to firemen)
	Let's go!

The chase is on! Going for the throat while the fire's 
confused and defensive, the firemen SCRAMBLE through the 
boiling cloud. They hit it in the ceiling, in the walls, 
forcing it back and back. It HOWLS and CLAWS in anger, 
furiously throwing cinders and broken timbers in their faces. 
The walls ECHO with its SCREAMS as it retreats to a corner.

		STEPHEN
	Ya love it, probie?

		BRIAN
	I'm in heaven, Lt.

		STEPHEN
	Hook us up to a stand-pipe.

Brian runs back to the wall to hook up his hose roll to the 
building water system. He goes to unscrew the cap with his 
hydrant wrench but it keeps slipping off the nut.

		STEPHEN
	Jesus, how 'bout man, huh? We're 
	gonna loose this!

Brian finally gets it hooked up and runs back.

EXT. FACTORY - OTHER SIDE - DAY

Tim and three guys from his ladder company, come up an 
extended aerial ladder, CRASH through a window and

INT. FACTORY - DAY

begin HACKING their way toward Brian's company as -- BOOM! 
It's a sudden, shattering vibration that shakes the building 
to its foundations. Then, a sucking sound: RUSH-RUSH-RUSH... 
Stephen speaks calmly into his radio handset.

		STEPHEN
	Hey Otis, is it...?

		SCHMIDT
		(into radio)
	Yeah.

		STEPHEN
	Goddamn it, where's our backup? 
	Where's the second-in companies?

		SCHMIDT'S VOICE
	Sorry, man. John Wayne time.

		STEPHEN
		(to firemen)
	Dig in!

The firemen hesitate. PENGELLY, the Truck Company Lt., looks 
at Stephen with concern.

		STEPHEN
	Dig in, goddamn it!

The crews immediately gather in the center of the floor. 
They turn over tables, chairs, anything to form a barrier. A 
circling of the wagons. -- BOOM! rush-rush-rush -- BOOM! 
Each louder than the last. Stephen and Brian are ducked behind 
an overturned desk. Adcox and Krizminski clutch hoselines 
like frontiersmen's Winchesters.

		STEPHEN
	You're gonna love this.

-- rush-rush-rush -- CRAAAASH!! On an instant the world comes 
apart as all four walls of factory windows EXPLODE in a hail 
of glass. A wave of HOWLING FLAME POURS IN after it, SHRIEKING 
and HISSING.

At the same moment, part of the floor beside a heavy sewing 
machine GIVES WAY and a ladderman, SANTOS, FALLS THROUGH, 
grabbing the edges at the last minute as flames BELLOW UP 
from underneath. He SCREAMS as his grip loosens.

Grindle leaps to the ladderman's side, grabbing his arms and 
coat. Brian hesitates just an instant and Stephen SHOVES him 
out of the way to back up Grindle.

		SANTOS
	Help... Oh God...

Adcox's taken the hoseline and is opening fire. Water and 
flame crash and snarl across the floor in a blood curdling 
ROAR. It's a thrashing, murderous standoff.

Stephen and Grindle have got Santos but the angle's bad. 
Blow it now and all three could take a header. Santos is 
panicking, losing his grip. Grindle bores his eyes into the 
man's with the calm and conviction of Moses.

		GRINDLE
	You go, we go.

They may all die, but they won't leave him. He calms a little, 
hangs on till they PULL him out of harm's way. Adcox continues 
with the hose as suddenly, everyone HITS the deck as the 
fire EXPLODES over them, BURSTING their coats into flame. 
Tim's company opens up their line, WASHING everybody down 
before CHARGING after the fire. A ladderman, NIGHTENGALE, 
steps on Brian's back.

		BRIAN
	Hey!

		NIGHTENGALE
	Sorry man, I thought you were dead.

Brian, stunned, sits up, his coat and helmet smoking. Stephen 
seems totally unaffected and is already on his feet and over 
the top of the barricade, the others backing him as he 
mercilessly drives the fire back, trapping it finally into a 
corner. The fire hisses, spits, shakes the walls with its 
furious anger. But it's all bluster now, the fire's dying.

		PENGELLY
		(ladder co. captain)
	Stephen! BC's on the radio. Says 
	they think a civilian got left behind 
	downstairs.

		STEPHEN
	Adcox! Take Tim and do a search.

Adcox leads Tim downstairs. Brian looks shaken up. Stephen 
helps him roughly to his feet.

		STEPHEN
	Don't you fold on me now, man.

Brian burns at that and shakes his brother's arm off.

		STEPHEN
	Clear the hose for me.

Brian's walking over to clear the hoseline when he hears it. 
small voice. Faint. "Help me..."

		BRIAN
	Hey, I think it's coming from a 
	different staircase.

Nobody hears. -- Brian takes off down the other steps on his 
own.

INT. BURNING FACTORY - DOWNSTAIRS

It's only the fire's ghost here, lazy and slow.

Off the corridor are rooms full of commercial sewing machines. 
Brian enters one and drops to his knees.

Looks under a table, flashes his light behind a work stand. 
Nothing. He turns to backtrack his way out when A TONGUE OF 
FLAME suddenly LEAPS up through the floor in front of him, 
cutting off the door. Brian lands on his ass as it hisses 
and giggles and dances unreally in front of him.

I never forget a face, kid. -- That fire from childhood. He 
could maybe force his way through but Jesus, the way it looks 
at him --

-- Brian ROLLS away from it. Looks for another doorway -- 
And ends up in thick smoke. He drops to a crawl, stays on 
his belly where the air's clear. When he sees it. Behind 
some furniture. Something flesh-colored. Shit. It's a body. 
He crawls up closer. It's a woman. Adrenalin pounding the 
top of his skull off, he grabs her and stumbles back down 
the hall, makes a turn --

		BRIAN
	I got one!

EXT. FACTORY - DAY

-- And now he's bursting from the building onto a short fire 
escape, shouting at the top of his lungs.

		BRIAN
	I got somebody! I got somebody!

A sea of media flashbulbs ERUPTS in his face. The press have 
arrived in force, crowding the street. Brian pushes through 
them to a clear spot on the far side of the engine. Two fire 
paramedics rush over as he lowers the figure.

		BRIAN
	Is she... Is she alive?

The paramedics suddenly stop their efforts. Turn to Brian.

		PARAMEDIC
	I'm afraid you're a little too late 
	with this one.

They step aside. Brian looks down. The woman looks strange. 
Mostly because she's a heavy store DRESSING DUMMY. The 
paramedics burst into laughter. Brian, looking pale and 
shaken, turns and walks away. He passes Grindle and Tim, 
sitting on the pumper's tailboard helping the REAL woman 
that was found inside.

		GRINDLE
	Sorry to hear about the mannequin. I 
	heard you two were close.

Photographers have appeared and are flashing the woman. Dizzy, 
Brian wanders off, tries to help out with the choking clog 
of singed factory employees before finally turning quickly 
into

EXT. FACTORY ALLEY - ACROSS THE STREET - DAY

Where he barfs his guts out in private. Doubled-over, one 
arm on the brick wall for support, we see the raw terror. 
The demons rushing out of him.

		BRIAN
	Shit...

Someone else does too. Jennifer. Dressed now in a long 
expensive coat, she's standing at the end of the alley with 
a clipboard. Brian, ashes smeared across an ashen face, 
spittle on his chin, doesn't notice her.

		STEPHEN
		(appearing beside him)
	You all right?

Stephen isn't pale. He's flushed and buoyant. All this hasn't 
taken anything from him. It's made his day.

		BRIAN
	Yeah. Fine. I'm a little busy right 
	now.

Stephen leans against the wall. Folds his arms.

		STEPHEN
	Y'know, you got an awful short memory 
	for direct orders. I told you to 
	stay beside me.

		BRIAN
	-- C'mon, Stephen.

		STEPHEN
	-- You split the team, man. And what 
	was that crap with the standpipe? 
	You'd think you and a hose were never 
	introduced before.

Stephen turns to leave. Brian yells after him.

		BRIAN
	Goddamn it Stephen!

		STEPHEN
	-- I told you to stay next to me!

		BRIAN
	-- I was doin' it! I was up there 
	fucking doin' it. You don't know, 
	man, you don't know what I did!

		STEPHEN
	What you did was drop the ball, 
	Probie. Get that right.

		PENGELLY
		(from end of alley)
	Hey! Stevie! They're callin' for ya.

Stephen turns to walk away. Pauses.

		STEPHEN
	Bet 30,000 dollars a year and twenty 
	two days a month off sounded pretty 
	good twelve weeks ago, huh?

As Stephen leaves, we see that Jennifer's been standing at 
the end of the alley, listening to them. She's turns and 
walks as Brian looks up. We register his surprise. He watches 
her head toward a dynamic-looking guy in his 40s, ALDERMAN 
SWAYZAK, surrounded by reporters.

EXT. BURNED BUILDING - FRONT - DAY

		SWAYZAK
		(to reporters)
	Roger, Paul... How's it going, guys?

		REPORTER
	Another fire in this district. Getting 
	to be Cinder Alley up here.

		JENNIFER
		(walking up)
	You used that last week.

She hands Swayzak a clipboard.

		AXE
		(yelling down from 
		window)
		(to Brian)
	Hey! Probie! We're still workin' 
	here, man.

INT. BURNED BUILDING

Brian and the rest of the company rip open the walls and 
beat the last weak flames in a final flurry of dingy sparks.

The moment the smoke clears just a fraction, cigarettes appear 
in everyone's mouth. Was it good for you? The talk is easy 
and obscene, the intense camaraderie of shared danger. Ash 
clods are thrown playfully back and forth in the afterglow 
of having taken on the worst there is and walking away one 
more time.

		GRINDLE
		(to Adcox)
	Stephen man, what's going through 
	that guy's head? Takin' it on in the 
	first room... this shit's happening 
	too often. It could've flashed. 
	Should've flashed.

		AXE
	But it didn't. Guy knows.

		GRINDLE
	Guy's lucky.

Adcox sees Brian. Smiles.

		AXE
	Hey, baby McCaffrey. First one's the 
	clincher. You did okay.

		BRIAN
	My Lt. might have something to say 
	about that.

		AXE
	Ah, everybody screws up some, Brian. 
	You're working for the toughest Lt. 
	on the job. Saw him once pick up a 
	probie he thought was moving too 
	slow and throw him into a burning 
	building. It's just bad luck you're 
	family.

		BRIAN
		(beat)
	John, when you're in there... in the 
	fire... do you ever see...

		STEPHEN
		(from across room, 
		interrupting)
	C'mon ladies, let's roll some hose...

		BRIAN
		(to Adcox)
	-- Never mind.

Brian turns and sees out the window Jennifer and Swayzak 
standing near Rimgale's red fire dept. sedan.

EXT. FACTORY - DAY

Rimgale walks up to his sedan.

		SHADOW
	Alderman Swayzak.

		SWAYZAK
	Investigator Rimgale.

		SHADOW
	I need to get in the trunk.

Swayzak's leaning on it. We sense the dislike between them. 
Swayzak steps aside. Rimgale pops the trunk.

		SHADOW
	Awful expensive shoes to be wearing 
	at a fireground, Alderman. But then 
	I guess you haven't been to too many 
	fires.

		JENNIFER
	I wanted to talk to you about Alan 
	Seagrave's death. We still haven't 
	gotten a fire report from your office.

		SHADOW
	You'll have an answer as soon as I 
	do.

		SWAYZAK
	People are asking how a prominent 
	taxpayer got stuffed through the 
	windshield of his own car. They're 
	asking me.

		JENNIFER
	--The point is, Investigator, you 
	haven't even told us yet if the fire 
	was accidental. We're starting to 
	get the feeling your office is 
	dragging out this case to embarrass 
	the Alderman because of his fire 
	dept. reorganization program --

		SHADOW
	-- You mean his firehouse closing 
	program, -- Don't you?

		JENNIFER
	We'd just be very disappointed if it 
	turned out your office was playing 
	politics.

		SWAYZAK
	-- Because I'm not. I care about 
	this city, and I care about this 
	department --

Rimgale cuts him off with the shutting of his trunk lid.

		SHADOW
		(calm of a monk)
	Alderman, I have a remarkably 
	uncomplicated job. To decide if a 
	fire's arson, and if so catch the 
	pain in the ass doing it. But to be 
	honest, if my methodical investigative 
	methods just happen to muck up the 
	campaign of certain mayor wanna-bees, 
	well, I guess I can't say I sleep 
	any less peacefully.

And he walks back to the burned building.

		SWAYZAK
	I wish I could just fire the son of 
	a bitch.

		STEPHEN
	Hey! Swayzak!

Stephen's leaning out of an upstairs window. As the TV cameras 
turn, he drops down onto a fire engine hose bed and pops 
right into Swayzak's face with a murderous grin.

		STEPHEN
	We almost lost a whole company up 
	there, Swayzee buddy. Isn't any back-
	up since you closed '33. And we really 
	appreciate it, the guys and me. 
	Honest. I know you've got my vote 
	for mayor.

Grindle and Santos start walking for Stephen. Brian's there, 
following after them.

		SWAYZAK
	Look Lt., I'm on your side. If there's 
	a problem, please, work with our 
	task force to fix it.

		STEPHEN
	Oh yeah, your famous task force... 
	three guys have already died this 
	year because of the cuts made by 
	your "task force"...

		GRINDLE
	Stevie, c'mon man...

Stephen silences Grindle with an outstretched hand. Swayzak 
leans close, out of earshot of the cameras.

		SWAYZAK
	You see that funny glow that's 
	starting to blink in the corner of 
	your eye, Lt? That's your career 
	dissipation light -- and it just 
	went into overtime.

		STEPHEN
	If anybody's light's gonna blink, 
	it's yours.

Swayzak holds his ground. It's a tense, out of control moment 
between them. Rimgale turns from his work, watches Stephen 
with concern. Adcox suddenly inserts himself face-to-face 
with Swayzak and we see the raw hatred.

		AXE
	You're in firemanland now, Swayzak. 
	Do yourself a favor and just walk 
	away.

Swayzak holds Adcox's gaze, then turns for his car. Brian 
watches Jennifer climb in beside her boss.

		BRIAN
	This is your city job?

Jennifer shrugs as they pull away.

INT./EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - LATE DAY

Brian jumps down from the rig as it backs up the driveway. 
Across the street a middle-aged woman flashes them from the 
balcony of her apartment.

		AXE
	That's Franny. She likes firemen.

		STEPHEN
	Tim, fill out the alarm card.
		(to Brian)
	Clean the pipe poles, wipe down the 
	ladders and hang some hose.

Adcox watches Brian and Tim exchange looks. Tim shrugs. Brian 
sighs and pulls out the pike poles, starts across the floor 
before freezing suddenly at a murderous GROWL. Brian turns 
and sees a DOG. Sort of. It has the rib cage of a wild beast, 
fangs, long greasy hair. It blocks his way, SNARLING with 
hate.

		GRINDLE
	That's The Thing. You can't stay 
	unless he likes you.

Slobber drools out of its mouth as it GROWLS.

		BRIAN
	Have you guys got something against 
	dalmatians?

Brian wipes some of the crusted grime from his face, looks 
back and forth between Franny and The Thing, and sighs.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - BUNKROOM

Sequence omitted from original script.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - LOCKER ROOM

Brian enters, strips down his battered uniform, and opens 
his locker. The mannequin from the fire SPRINGS OUT, legs 
spread. A sign taped to its mouth says: "TAKE ME BRIAN, YOU'RE 
MY SUPERMAN!"

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - WASHROOM

Brian and the others scrub the morning's fire off their bodies 
in the station shower. Tim keeps filling his mouth full of 
water and launching it upward in a stream.

		BRIAN
	Do you have to do that?

		TIM
		(pumped)
	Could you believe that fire? Man! 
	First day! There I was, Adcox and 
	me, pullin' that lady right out of 
	the fire's fuckin' throat! I love it 
	here -- No surround and drown for 
	this company. Fighting 17th! Goddamn 
	Stephen's amazing. You see how he 
	took that fire by the balls? I'm 
	gonna be that good some day, you 
	watch.

Brian compares himself to the praise heaped on Stephen.

		TIM
	Y'know what Stephen said to me, right 
	when all the shit was coming hard? 
	"You never know till the moment the 
	fire stares you down if you're just 
	gonna do this job or be great at 
	it".

		BRIAN
	Ah man, is he usin' that line now on 
	you? What, you think he made that 
	little gem up? Jesus Christ, I used 
	to have to listen to my old man use 
	that every morning.

Brian shuts off his shower and walks out.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - BUNKROOM

Stephen sits alone at his bunk, slowly stretching a strained 
and ruined back. He blows out a long, tired breath, and begins 
working ointment into an anciently scarred and battered knee.

On the wall is a small glass case full of station memorabilia 
through the years. There's a two battered fire helmets there, 
set reverently on velvet. Beside it is a photograph of his 
father. Grinning. Top of the world. He's wearing a T-shirt 
proudly stenciled FIGHTING 17th.

Father and son exchange a long, awkward greeting.

In the doorway, Brian stands watching his brother, who not 
even 40, suddenly seems an old and broken man.

The ALARM KLAXON suddenly sounds. Brian, just in a towel and 
Tim, in boxers covered with little dinosaurs, dash for the 
fire pole.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - APPARATUS FLOOR

Tim and Brian slide down and bounce off the floor.

		GRINDLE
	-- C'mon! C'mon! Go! Go!

Brian and Tim rush for their equipment. Grindle grabs their 
arms.

		GRINDLE
	No! C'mon! This way!

He hustles them across the apparatus floor, through a doorway, 
and into the kitchen.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - KITCHEN/DINING AREA

The makings of a meal are laid out on the counter. Brian and 
Tim come to a screeching halt. The rest of the station is 
sitting calmly at the kitchen table, watching.

		BRIAN
	What's going on?

		PENGELLY
	Dinner, Probies. Get started.

							CUT TO:

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - KITCHEN

Tim and Brian, still in their boxers, set down plates of 
food.

		STEPHEN
	Better be good.

		SANTOS
	Or we feed you to The Thing.

Everybody digs in. The table is a craze of half a dozen 
different conversations. On the TV mounted above on the wall 
are news shots of Seagrave's body sticking out of the 
windshield.

Adcox stands and tinks his glass with a spoon for silence.

		AXE
	Gentlemen, please... As 17's official 
	toastmaster --

		SANTOS
	And bullshitter.

		AXE
	Thank you, Santos. Did I happen to 
	mention that you were cut out of my 
	will?
		(company laughs)
	I think it appropriate that we 
	recognize the two asswipes -- I mean 
	probationary firemen -- among us who 
	today were baptized officially into 
	the world of Old Man Fire. First to 
	Tim, who despite being handicapped 
	at birth with a rather dull expression 
	and a really hideous pair of ears, 
	not only took on the beast but pulled 
	from its clutches -- assisted by a 
	more famous and brilliant firefighter -- 
	me -- a kicking and screaming civilian 
	that will probably end up suing us 
	for breaking her fingernail.
		(laughs)
	And to Brian, who's own contribution 
	was both more beautiful and less 
	likely to sue.

Adcox puts his arm affectionately around the mannequin, seated 
with honor at the head of the table. Right beside The Thing.

		AXE
	Y'know, when I heard that both 
	McCaffrey brothers were going to be 
	assigned together here, well, my 
	heart was filled with... a sudden 
	desire to transfer.
		(laughs)
	So raise a glass, lads. To funny-
	looking Tim, and the McCaffrey 
	brothers, who despite years of getting 
	on each other's nerves have managed 
	with great effort... to still be 
	pissed off at each other. Gentlemen!

		COMPANY
		(together, a toast)
	Fuck you!

The klaxon suddenly rings. Two bells. The ladder guys groan 
and get up.

		STEPHEN
	Bye, boys.

		SCHMIDT
		(winks)
	We'll keep it warm for you.

							DISSOLVE TO:

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - BUNKROOM

Dawn lightens the room as Brian slowly opens his eyes and 
sees in extreme, fish-eyes close-up: THE THING GROWLING at 
him. Brian turns the other direction and sees Stephen, fully 
dressed, standing over his bunk.

		STEPHEN
	Clean the toilets.

INT. APPARATUS FLOOR

Bleary-eyed, the nine firemen line up raggedly in front of 
their rigs, dressed like shit but for peaked uniform caps 
they wear only at this moment. Stephen stands before them, 
does a quick glance up and down the line.

		STEPHEN
	Okay, company dismissed. -- See ya 
	guys tonight at Fitzgerald's 
	retirement party.

They shuffle for the door. As Brian passes,

		STEPHEN
	You want a ride?

EXT. BRIAN'S APARTMENT BUILDING - MORNING

Stephen pulls up. Brian opens the door.

		BRIAN
	Thanks.

		STEPHEN
	Brian --
		(a beat that hangs 
		there)
	-- See ya tonight.

INT. RESTAURANT - RETIREMENT PARTY - NIGHT

That's been cleared out for a huge PARTY in full swing. An 
Irish folk band cuts loose a merciless bagpipe beat. City 
brass--including Alderman Swayzak -- a few reporters, firemen 
and their families all mix together for this is a RETIREMENT 
PARTY for the Captain Fitzgerald. Brian enters, seeks out a 
beer at the bar. Stephen's there, swaying with what is clearly 
not his first drink of the evening.

		STEPHEN
	Hey.

		BRIAN
	Hey.

CHEERS as a one joke gift after another is laid on the Chief. 
Stephen sees his ex-wife, Helen, dancing with another man. 
He turns away.

		STEPHEN
	I gotta change the view...

Santos and Grindle walk up.

		GRINDLE
	Heard you didn't make the list for 
	captain, man. I'm sorry...

Stephen just shrugs.

Brian sees Jennifer across the room. She looks great. Refined 
as she expertly works the room, schmoozing and hugging and 
calling various politicos by their first name.

As she speaks to one, a waiter offers a drink. As she accepts, 
a bottle appears over her shoulder and splashes it with red 
syrup.

		BRIAN
		(holding bottle, 
		interrupting)
	With grenadine, right?

		JENNIFER
	When I was twenty.

		BRIAN
	Oooh, very sophisticated. Having 
	fun?

Her attention broken, the politico has slipped away. Annoyed, 
Jennifer leads Brian aside and speaks low, but angrily at 
him.

		JENNIFER
	Look, I'm not the same girl who had 
	nothing better to do than wrap her 
	legs around you on a Saturday night. 
	This isn't about fun. I'm working 
	here.

		BRIAN
	Carrying Swayzak's notebook?

		JENNIFER
	Let me tell you something. Martin 
	Swayzak is going to be this town's 
	next mayor.

		BRIAN
	Yeah. Swayzak. Humanity's last hope. 
	How can you work for that guy?

		JENNIFER
	Why do you think Marty came here 
	tonight? Because he cares about your 
	department. You don't know how hard 
	he works. You don't know about his 
	programs helping West Side --

		BRIAN
	-- All I know is that his programs 
	are getting firemen hurt.

		JENNIFER
	Bullshit. Marty's plan is only about 
	efficiency. I've got two cousins on 
	the job, you think I'd work for him 
	if I didn't believe in it?

Jennifer instantly cuts off as a well-dressed COUPLE passes 
and switches stunningly into schmmoze-mode.

		JENNIFER
		(to man)
	-- Tom, how nice to see you. I know 
	Marty'll be very happy you came. 
	Thanks so much for the donation.
		(to woman)
	Marie... how's little Kevin? Really? 
	Seen the polls? This is the year...

They move away. Jennifer turns to Brian and switches just as 
fast back to their argument.

		JENNIFER
	-- The thing that really makes me 
	angry is the way your union has --

Brian can't help it. He cracks up.

		BRIAN
	What was that? Oh man, you have picked 
	up a few moves since John Paul II 
	Boulevard.

		JENNIFER
	Yeah, well I like to think I'm just 
	a little past hanging out on JP II 
	watching the Irish pick fights and 
	Litwalks barf in the planters.

		BRIAN
	I seem to remember some pretty good 
	nights on JP II.

Brian turns and walks away.

ACROSS THE ROOM

Adcox is talking with another knot of firemen. He's brought 
a date, SALLY, a hot little number that has a habit of 
standing on her tip-toes when she talks.

		SALLY
		(looking at Swayzak 
		across room)
	Yuck, what a scumbag.

		AXE
		(to Santos)
	Fuckin' city transferred Sally three 
	months ago out of parking violations 
	into Swayzak's office. Now I gotta 
	pay my own goddamn tickets and she's 
	stuck with an asshole.

		SANTOS
	Pay more?

		SALLY
		(shrugs)
	No, but there's more exercise -- 
	being chased around a desk.

There's a commotion at the other end of the bar. A group of 
firemen have gathered around a weekly magazine.

		GRINDLE
	Aw, I don't believe this shit.

		SCHMIDT
	Somebody get a shovel! You seen this, 
	Stephen?

As they hold it up to Stephen we see a photo spread titled 
DARING FIRE RESCUE.

The first photo shows Brian rushing out of the burning 
building with seemingly a woman in his arms. The second photo 
shows the backs of Adcox and Tim's helmets as they 
administered aid to the real woman they saved. The implication 
is it's the same woman.

		BRIAN
	What?

		TIM
		(reads)
	"Probationary Fireman Brian McCaffrey, 
	on his very first fire, showed the 
	kind of bravery and courage of a 
	veteran firefighter when he risked 
	life and limb to double-check a 
	burning floor alone, emerging 
	victoriously with Anna Rodriguez, a 
	seamstress for the North Shore 
	Clothing Company... McCaffrey first 
	gained prominence as the subject of 
	a 1972 Pulitzer Prize winning 
	photograph taken at the scene of his 
	father's death..."

The old photo is there too. Brian and his dad's helmet.

		GRINDLE
	Whadda we gonna do about this?

Stephen glances over the headlines.

		STEPHEN
	Y'know, I think it's a union bylaw 
	that if a guy gets in the paper -- 
	especially if it's bullshit -- he 
	owes the company a drink. In fact...
		(motions to waiter)
	...I'll have a double. On the hero.

The other firemen jump in with drink orders. Dozens of them.

		BRIAN
		(confused)
	What's going on?

Tim shows him the magazine. Brian reads with horror as 
Alderman Swayzak appears beside him.

		SWAYZAK
	Brian McCaffrey, right?

		JENNIFER
	Brian, this is my boss, Alderman 
	Swayzak.
		(to Swayzak)
	Brian's a big fan of yours.

		BRIAN
	Yeah. Big fan.

		SWAYZAK
	And I'm a huge fan of what you did 
	to save that woman, Brian.

		BRIAN
	Uh, I think there's been a mistake. 
	I didn't save that woman.

		SWAYZAK
	No need to be modest, Brian.

		BRIAN
	No, you don't understand, I saved a 
	mannequin.

		SWAYZAK
	-- That really was incredibly work 
	you did. You and your brother, 
	fighting fires together, helluva 
	image, isn't it? You must feel lucky 
	to be assigned under his command.

		BRIAN
	Every little boy's fantasy.

		SWAYZAK
	Brian, let me come to the point. I'd 
	like to offer you a job.

		BRIAN
	I have a job.

		SWAYZAK
	This one's still with the fire 
	department. One of our best 
	investigators, Don Rimgale, is working 
	on a very difficult, visible case 
	right now. We think he could use 
	another pair of hands and you're 
	exactly the kind of guy I want 
	representing us: An authentic hero 
	from a traditional firefighting clan.

		BRIAN
	Yeah, we got all kinds of traditions --
	like dying young.

		SWAYZAK
	Not every job in the fire department 
	comes with a tombstone, Brian. This 
	could be a great opportunity to 
	move... beyond a fire engine.

Brian looks at Jennifer, then smiles at Swayzak.

		BRIAN
	Thanks anyway, Mr. Swayzak, but fire 
	engines sorta run in my family. 
	Politics don't.

-- A man suddenly steps between them to pump Swayzak's hand. 
Brian shakes his head and walks away. Swayzak shoots a 
concerned glance at Jennifer. She catches up with him at the 
buffet table.

		JENNIFER
	Boy, took you all of thirty seconds 
	to blow that.

		BRIAN
	C'mon Jennifer, he's just another 
	North-Side jag-off with a mouth.

		JENNIFER
	Brian, do you always have to be so 
	stupid? Think about your future for 
	once.

		BRIAN
	So now you suddenly care about my 
	future?

		JENNIFER
	Look, I didn't mean to take a piece 
	out of you back there, I just thought 
	you'd call when you came back. You 
	didn't and...
		(beat)
	Don't blow it just because of this 
	garbage between us.

		BRIAN
	Hey, sorry if I made you look bad in 
	front of your boss. But I'm not gonna 
	be a poster boy for him, I'm trying 
	to do something here. There's five 
	hundred smoke eaters in this room 
	that do that stuff for real every 
	day. Tell Swayzak to talk to one of 
	them.

Across the room, Stephen's at the buffet, watching Helen 
dance with her fireman date, the drinks hammering him hard.

		PENGELLY
	Aw man, how can she dance with that 
	guy?

		SCHMIDT
	I hate that guy. He's a dispatcher. 
	I hate his voice.

		STEPHEN
	Whatever...

		PENGELLY
	I mean, I know women have gotta bang 
	somebody, but why that son of a bitch?

Stephen gives Pengelly an icy, sideways look.

		SCHMIDT
	Hey Stevie, he's an asshole...

Stephen smiles and pushes off the bar -- right for Helen as 
she dances.

		STEPHEN
	Uh, Helen, I wanted to talk to you a 
	second about Sean...

		HELEN
	Stephen, I'm kinda busy here, can we 
	talk about this later?

		DATE
	How ya doin', Stephen?

		STEPHEN
	Jackson.

Jackson steers her away but Stephen isn't done yet. He dogs 
them.

		STEPHEN
		(to Helen)
	What's wrong with right now? He's 
	your son for christ's sake. He's --

		JACKSON
	Hey, Stephen, what about that dumb 
	ass brother of yours, huh?

		STEPHEN
	...Yeah?

		JACKSON
	Savin' a mannequin... How fuckin' 
	stupid can a guy get?

Stephen suddenly PUNCHES Jackson.

		STEPHEN
	You can't talk about my brother like 
	that...

		HELEN
		(sighs)
	Here we go...

And Stephen PLOWS into Jackson. Another fireman JUMPS to 
Jackson's aid. And Brian's there, defending his brother, 
PUNCHING OUT a fireman. The crowd finally pulls the two apart.

		JACKSON
	You're crazy, man!

		STEPHEN
	Leave me alone!

		AXE
	Goddamn it, Stephen, lay off!
		(Stephen calms a little)
	You stupid dumbshit, you never know 
	when to fucking quit, do you? You 
	ever wonder why your career's in the 
	fucking toilet? Why you're gonna be 
	stuck a Lt. for life?

		STEPHEN
	No.
		(beat)
	I need a drink.

Stephen takes a step for the bar -- then suddenly turns and 
JUMPS Jackson again. Brian pulls him off and drags him for 
the door.

		BRIAN
	You don't need a drink, man. You 
	need to get outta here...

As Jennifer watches Brian lead Stephen out the door.

		JENNIFER
		(to Swayzak)
	Ah those McCaffreys... just hate 
	leaving a party with anyone left 
	standing...

EXT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Brian leads Stephen toward his car.

		STEPHEN
	I'm okay... leave me alone...

Stephen pushes Brian away and promptly stumbles to the 
sidewalk.

		BRIAN
	So you got a 'roid going with Jackson 
	or what?

		STEPHEN
	Nah, he's nothin'. It's just 
	sometimes... sometimes you just gotta 
	punch somebody out, y'know?

Brian stands there and folds his arms.

		STEPHEN
	I don't think I can get up.

Brian lends an arm.

		STEPHEN
	Look, Brian, a photographer. Maybe I 
	can get on the cover of LIFE magazine, 
	too.

		BRIAN
	C'mon, let's crawl home.

EXT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - NIGHT

Stephen throws an arm over Brian's shoulder as he leads him 
up onto the boat.

		STEPHEN
	...Adcox, those guys...they don't 
	get it... it isn't the goddamn 
	promotion... or dad... I'm not my 
	old man, y'know? No fire's gonna get 
	me... I don't give a shit about being 
	a captain... it's just... it's just 
	they don't trust me anymore...
		(blows out painful 
		breath)
	...they don't trust me anymore...

INT. STEPHEN'S BOAT

Brian's flops his brother on the bed. Unties his shoes.

		STEPHEN
	If you'd get out of my fuckin' way. 
	I could take my own goddamn shoes 
	off...

He clearly can't. Brian slips them off.

		STEPHEN
	You're such a pain in the ass... 
	You've always been a pain in the 
	ass...

There's just a grim wall lamp above Stephen's face.

		STEPHEN
	Jesus, it's too damn bright in here... 
	Like a goddamn spotlight... I'm goin' 
	blind...

		BRIAN
		(touching light)
	This?

		STEPHEN
	Yeah... too bright...

Brian turns off the dim light. Stephen's breathing deepens.

		STEPHEN
	They don't know... they don't know 
	what I hear in there...

Brian tucks the blanket around him.

		STEPHEN
	...This boat could be okay, huh?... 
	Take it out weekends... Sean 'n me...

Stephen's voice drifts off into sleep. Brian watches a moment, 
the rare look of peace on his brother's face, then leaves.

EXT. FIRE ACADEMY - NIGHT

Dark and still. Brian, carrying a roll of hose, scales the 
chain link.

EXT. FIRE ACADEMY - EXERCISE GROUND - NIGHT

Is a practice stand-pipe. Brian counts down to himself, then 
rushes the stand-pipe, spinning off the cap with a hydrant 
wrench and attaching the hose coupling. He does it again, 
over and over.

EXT. FIRE ACADEMY - DAWN

The sky's gone pink and blue as Brian climbs back over the 
fence. Adcox, coming out of a donut shop across the street, 
sees him.

							DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREET - CHICKEN ACCIDENT - DAY

A truck has JACKKNIFED across the avenue and SPILLED its 
contents -- several THOUSAND baby chicks. They're scurrying 
everywhere as Brian's company tries to round them up. It's 
hopeless as the exhausted firemen stuff handfuls of the 
cheeping cargo into their turn-out coats. There's ghetto 
kids all around, grabbing at the chicks, grabbing at the 
fire engine.

		STEPHEN
		(at kids)
	Hey! Knock it off!

Brian stops a beat. Rubs his eyes.

		AXE
		(smiles)
	Maybe you should have gotten more 
	sleep last night.

Brian looks at him. Does he mean what he thinks he means? 
Tim is coming out of a small store across the street. He 
hands a small bag of groceries to Adcox.

		TIM
	This everything you wanted?

Everyone grows suddenly silent.

EXT. WIDOW'S HOUSE - DAY

A fireman's without even saying so, "Petzold" on the mailbox, 
Engine 17 parked out front. Brian's alone outside, cleaning 
the diesel fuel off his arms. Watching a small kid playing 
with a toy fire truck in the drive.

INT. WIDOW'S HOUSE

Tim and Brian are loading the groceries into the fridge. 
Stephen and Grindle are fixing a loose cabinet door as Adcox 
sits caulking a faucet fitting at the kitchen table with a 
young WOMAN.

		WOMAN
		(to Stephen)
	Can I help you guys at all?

		STEPHEN
	Nah, we just about got it.

		WOMAN
		(noticing Adcox's 
		shirt)
	Sally must be finally ironing your 
	shirts.

		AXE
	It's just new. Couple'a shifts and 
	it'll be as thrashed as the rest.

The sight of uniform is too much for her. Her eyes cloud.

		WOMAN
	I'm sorry...

Adcox reaches out and lets her weep on his shoulder.

		AXE
	It's okay...

		WOMAN
	I miss him... I just miss him, 
	y'know?...

EXT. WIDOW'S HOUSE - DAY

Adcox stands out at the fire engine smoking a cigarette, 
lost in himself, watching the little boy play with his toy 
fire truck. Stephen's followed him out.

		AXE
	This job... This fuckin' job 
	sometimes... To buy it trying to go 
	the extra yard, man, that's one thing, 
	but to buy it just because there 
	wasn't any back-up... it's bullshit...

Stephen leans down close.

		STEPHEN
	Yeah, it's bullshit. So what? Fuck 
	Swayzak. Fuck 'em all. We don't go 
	into fires for them. You know that. 
	Christ, you taught me that.

A beat of understanding between them. Stephen looks back at 
the house.

		STEPHEN
	You know Knowlton pretty well?

		AXE
	Yeah...

		STEPHEN
		(beat)
	Kind of an asshole, wasn't he?

Adcox can't help but smile.

		AXE
	Biggest in two battalions.

		STEPHEN
		(beat, smiles)
	We're gonna be okay, man...

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - DAY

As Brian and Tim scrub down the fire engine, the rest of the 
company lies sprawled in

THE STATION REC ROOM

Watching a weepy soap. Schmidt walks through and is snared 
by the TV's glow. He hesitates. Shares the moment.

		SCHMIDT
	Is she going to get the divorce?

		SANTOS
		(sighs with honest 
		concern)
	Hell if I know, man.

A ladderman, WASHINGTON, walks in with a memo.

		WASHINGTON
	Hey, Pengelly, you made the captain's 
	list!

Everybody clasps Pengelly on the shoulder. "Way to go". "All 
right, man". Brian turns and sees Stephen out on the apparatus 
floor, watching. Watches. Pengelly's younger than him.

EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - TRAINING BUILDING/HOSE TOWER - DAY

An expanse of concrete lying out back of the station. Built 
in one corner is the concrete shell of a five story training 
building, just wide enough for a stairway and room on each 
level. Twenty yards away, Brian, Tim and Adcox stand ready 
beside a pile of coiled hose rolls.

		STEPHEN
		(looking at watch)
	Alright... Go!

Tim picks up a roll of hose, 50 pounds, throws it over his 
shoulder and runs with Adcox to the foot of the building. 
There's a fixed standpipe that Adcox ties into as Tim drags 
the other end inside and up a flight of stairs.

		STEPHEN
	Go!

Brian lifts another hose roll under his arm and runs for the 
building.

		STEPHEN
	That isn't a football, probie. Get 
	it on your shoulder.

Brian runs up two flights to meet Tim and connect his end. 
Tim heads down for another roll as Brian drags his up another 
two flights. It's a bitch.

Sweating, he barrels back down the stairs, passing Tim coming 
up with another roll.

		BRIAN
	Having fun, fireman?

Tim flips him off. Brian laughs and sprints for another roll.

		STEPHEN
	You're not breaking any records, 
	Brian.

Brian holds it under his arm and takes off. Stephen grabs a 
roll himself, hoists it to his shoulder and runs alongside.

		STEPHEN
	Your shoulder. Like this!

Brian lifts it to his shoulder.

		STEPHEN
	Come on! Pick it up!

They come to the doorway. Instead of stopping, Stephen follows 
Brian in and runs alongside up the stairs. Without a word 
spoken it's become a race between them.

Brian's face explodes in sweat. His heart pounds as they go 
up flight after flight. The hose rolls weigh a 100 pounds. A 
thousand. Neck 'n neck all the way; grunting, their throats 
burning, only one flight from the roof Stephen STUMBLES and 
SCRAPES his leg. Brian pauses. Stephen's already back on his 
feet.

		STEPHEN
	Run, damn you!

Brian does, Stephen already gaining on him -- getting ready 
to pass him -- when they burst gasping out onto the roof, 
Brian the "winner" by a nose. Stephen drops his hose roll, 
sticks his face into Brian's, -- And laughs. Unsure, Brian 
starts to join in. Stephen stops suddenly.

		STEPHEN
	Roll the hose.

		BRIAN
	What, are you kidding? By myself?

Adcox and Tim, down below, have already disappeared back 
into the station.

		STEPHEN
	You heard me.

We see now what Stephen apparently doesn't. He was scraped 
badly, his pant leg torn and leaking dark circles of blood.

		BRIAN
	What, is it the stairs? Christ, I'll 
	let you win next time.

		STEPHEN
		(in Brian's face)
	You got a problem with drilling, 
	probie?

		BRIAN
	No, Lt., I don't have a problem with 
	drilling. But let's just have one 
	drill. Not one for the company and 
	one for me.

		STEPHEN
	Roll the hose.

Stephen turns and walks away. Brian stands there watching 
him in blind fury, finally exploding.

		BRIAN
	Goddamn you Stephen, I'm not gonna 
	quit. You hear me!

An awkward beat between them that's interrupted suddenly by 
the station alarm klaxon. Stephen smiles.

		STEPHEN
	Well, thank God for fires...

EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - HOSE TOWER - BELOW - DAY

Sequence omitted from original script.

							CUT TO:

EXT. LAKE SHORE MANSION - NIGHT

Sequence omitted from original script.

EXT. LAKE SHORE MANSION - NIGHT

Sequence omitted from original script.

INT. LAKE SHORE MANSION - FRONT DOOR

Sequence omitted from original script.

							CUT TO:

EXT. TENEMENT BUILDING - DAY

Smoke and confusion. A MOTHER is screaming hysterically at 
Stephen as he jumps down from the engine.

		MOTHER
		(grabbing his coat)
	My baby! My baby's still up there!

		BATTALION CHIEF
	Hang on a sec, Stevie, we got a 
	hoseline coming.

Stephen doesn't even pause and enters the building. Brian 
hesitates a beat, then follows.

INT. TENEMENT BUILDING - DAY

Where they bomb up a staircase just as a WALL OF FIRE LASHES 
DOWN, KNOCKING them on their ass. Stephen jumps to his feet 
with an axe as Brian struggles to get up.

		STEPHEN
	Don't take that kind of shit from 
	it! Don't let it know you're scared! 
	Come on!

Stephen, with just his axe, CHASES up the stairs at the fire, 
HAMMERING at the flaming boards. The fire retreats into 
another room, SLAMMING the door shut behind it.

Brian struggles up the stairs. The two of them slide up on 
either side of the closed door, Stephen cradling his axe 
like a SWAT team shotgun. The door breathes in and out and 
something animal scratches and snarls on the other side.

Brian can feel the panic rising in his throat. That thing 
behind the door, that slobbering, evil thing. It wants out. 
It wants... him.

		STEPHEN
	Ready?

		BRIAN
	Christ, Stephen, let's wait for the 
	hose team...

		STEPHEN
	Listen to it, Brian... Jump when I 
	say... It won't get us.

Stephen HAMMERS the lock with his axe and KICKS the door 
open. A WALL OF FLAME ROARS out past their cheeks, then 
BACKWASHES in.

		STEPHEN
	Now!

Stephen picks up the door, and using it as a shield CHARGES 
into the flames. Brian tries to follow but the fire WELLS 
UP, cutting him off. He hesitates. It's that goddamn flame 
again, leering at him. Daring him. It BUCKS suddenly, DROPPING 
Brian to his knee. He GROANS in pain.

-- And now Adcox and Grindle are coming up the stairs with a 
hoseline WASHING DOWN the room. Clouds of furious steam bellow 
out and across the ceiling. Nobody could be alive in there.

Except Stephen. His entire outfit smoldering, he emerges 
from the clouds like a fucking god, carrying in one arm a 
gasping child.

EXT. TENEMENT BUILDING - AFTERMATH - DAY

Most of the firemen have gathered together for post-fire 
coffee and stories. Brian sits off alone on the fire engine 
bumper, apart from them. Santos walks up.

		SANTOS
	They think she's gonna live...

Stephen walks up. Sits down beside him.

		STEPHEN
	You okay?

		BRIAN
	I waited... I would have fucking 
	waited...

		STEPHEN
	That's not what it's about, Brian. 
	The point is there was a kid in there. 
	And what if there'd been two? I went 
	in because that's what I do. It's my 
	way. It's dad's way. It isn't 
	everybody's way.

		BRIAN
	Dad's way? Where did he tell you 
	that? In a fucking seance?

		STEPHEN
	You said you wanted to know something, 
	Brian. What did you learn today?
		(Brian doesn't answer)
	What do you say, Brian, huh? Time to 
	move on?

Brian lingers only a moment before standing.

		BRIAN
	You're right, Stephen... You win... 
	You're the best, man...

Brian hands Stephen his helmet and walks away.

INT. SWAYZAK'S OFFICE - DAY

There's only six like it in city hall, and this one has a 
view.

		SECRETARY'S VOICE
		(on intercom)
	Brian McCaffrey on line two for 
	Jennifer.

		JENNIFER
	I'll take it in my office.

		SWAYZAK
		(turns to her and 
		smiles)
	Go get him.

INT. CORRIDOR/CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

Jennifer comes out of Swayzak's office and walks down to her 
own.

INT. JENNIFER'S OFFICE/INT. BRIAN'S APARTMENT - DAY

-- It's a tiny, bleak little rat hole. She picks up the 
receiver...

		JENNIFER
	Brian?

We see Brian in his apartment.

		BRIAN
	I've been thinking about what you 
	said the other night... If the offer's 
	still on the table, I'd like to talk 
	about it.

		JENNIFER
		(beat)
	...Okay. I'll arrange things with 
	your assignment captain.
		(beat)
	Marty's a good man, Brian.

		BRIAN
	Yeah...

Brian hangs up. He stares at it a moment, then SLAMS it 
against the wall.

Jennifer stares at the phone with something almost like 
sadness.

							DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BROWNSTONE - DAY

Stephen drives past the burned-out brownstone that fried 
Alan Seagrave. He parks in the alley behind, walks up the 
building, and PULLS OFF a plywood sheet covering a blown-out 
window.

INT. BROWNSTONE - DAY

Stephen walks through the creepy, brutalized silence. Back 
to where Rimgale had focused his investigation that night. 
He searches the floor, the wall, looking for something...

EXT. ARSON HQ/FIREHOUSE - DAY

A crumbling one in Chinatown. Brian checks the address on 
his slip of paper. He stands there a beat, hating himself.

INT. FIRE STATION/ARSON HQ

It's a regular station but for the rear that has been 
converted into arson squad offices. As Brian approaches the 
office door he can see Rimgale sitting at his desk. Standing 
nervously beside it is a fresh-faced, uniformed PROBIE.

		SHADOW
		(to probie)
	...So stop me if I get this wrong... 
	The fire's almost out... You're 
	upstairs on the unburned floor 
	checking for heat. You've been told 
	by your Battalion Chief, your Captain, 
	by me, not to do anything up there 
	until ordered. But now the itch 
	starts, and all of a sudden comes 
	the Glory Boy Flash: Hey, I'm a hero. 
	Heroes don't just stand around. So 
	on your own you decided to punch out 
	a window for ventilation. Was that 
	before or after you noticed you were 
	standing in a lake of gasoline?

The kid is dying a thousand deaths of humiliation.

		SHADOW
	You could've crispered half your 
	company with that little stunt, but 
	more importantly you wrecked the 
	physical evidence I use to prove 
	it's arson. You've made my day longer, 
	Probie. Go home and think about that.

The kid shuffles off hang-dog. Rimgale's angry gaze falls on 
Brian.

		BRIAN
	Uh, I'm Brian McCaffrey. Your new 
	assistant.

		SHADOW
	Your Dennis' kid.
		(beat)
	I work alone.

And Rimgale walks into his office, leaving Brian marooned in 
the doorway. Stepping behind a small partition, Rimgale 
changes his shirt. Brian can just glimpse from where he stands 
a horrible burn that has consumed most of Rimgale's stomach. 
Rimgale catches the look.

		SHADOW
	Are you still here?

		BRIAN
	Get used to me, Inspector. I'm not 
	going anywhere.

		SHADOW
	Then go find a corner. I don't want 
	you in my way.

		BRIAN
	I think we should get something 
	straight here. I was assigned to 
	this office by the city.

		SHADOW
	Look, I knew your father, he had a 
	helluva reputation on this job. But 
	that don't mean you get any slack. 
	Swayzak sends you down here, okay, I 
	gotta eat you, that's the rules and 
	I got nothing to say about that. But 
	Swayzak or no, you live with me. 
	Step out of line, and I don't care 
	who knows you, I'll swing the hammer.
		(beat)
	You think you're the first?

Rimgale glances at his watch, puts on his coat, and picks up 
a small paper bag.

		BRIAN
	Where are you going?

		SHADOW
	Pest control.

							CUT TO:

INT. MAX SECURITY PRISON - DAY

And the face of RONALD, an unremarkable man in his 40s. 
Unremarkable but for laser eyes and two heavily bandaged 
hands. Go wide and find him sitting in an institutional chair -- 
handcuffed, actually -- in an institutional hall. A uniformed 
guard stands nearby as Brian and Rimgale come down the 
corridor. Ronald smiles upon seeing Rimgale.

		RONALD
	Shadow.

		SHADOW
	How ya doin', Ronald. Staying 
	comfortable?

		RONALD
	Didn't think you'd make it.

		SHADOW
	Wouldn't miss this for the world, 
	pal.

		RONALD
		(looking at Brian)
	Who's this?

		SHADOW
	He works for me.

		RONALD
	Is he a fireman?
		(smiles)
	I like firemen.

		SHADOW
	You like everybody, Ronald.

Ronald's eyes pick up Brian's name on his prison ID badge.

		RONALD
	Brian McCaffrey...
		(eyes light up happily)
	Oh this is really a treat. Brian 
	McCaffrey. Lost a dad to the animal, 
	huh?

		BRIAN
		(heating up)
	Hey, do I know you?

		SHADOW
	You don't know him.

		RONALD
	I know you.

		BRIAN
		(to Ronald)
	What the hell are you talking about 
	my --

Rimgale silences Brian with a threatening hand.

		SHADOW
	Knock it off. Now.

		RONALD
	Tell him about me, Shadow?

		SHADOW
	Ronald here likes telephones. Used 
	to tape wooden matches to the bell 
	striker and wrap it in cotton. Came 
	up with a whole little thing there, 
	didn't you Ronald? When you got bored, 
	what did you do? You just started 
	making calls... mostly day care 
	centers and retirement homes, wasn't 
	it?

		RONALD
	Did he tell you how we finally met?

		SHADOW
	Nobody cares, Ronald.

		RONALD
	Oh, but it's a good story, Shadow. 
	You're depriving our famous young 
	friend here...

		VOICE IN CORRIDOR
	Okay... Ronald Bowland...

The cop helps Ronald to his feet and all four are marching 
down the hall.

		RONALD
	It was on State Street, right?... 
	Just your basic warehouse torch for 
	the owner. Cakewalk. But the animal... 
	turned on me... 'Ol Shadow here, he 
	shows up -- whole place is going 
	like hell -- my hair, my hands... 
	could've just let the animal take me -- 
	but Shadow, he's a good camper, so 
	he tries to pull 'ol Ronald out. 
	Guess he didn't notice the tub of 
	phosphorous next to me...
		(smiles)
	Notice you're still a little shy 
	about rolling your sleeves up, Shadow. 
	Show him your stomach yet?

INT. PRISON - INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY

Ronald in the hot seat before a parole board, Rimgale and 
Brian on the sidelines.

		MAN
	...All right, the parole board has 
	received Mr. Bowland's fitness report, 
	his ID-44, endorsement from his 
	section warden... Dr. Norris?

		WOMAN PSYCHIATRIST
	As supervising psychiatrist I would 
	describe Mr. Bowland's progress as 
	remarkable. Taking into account his 
	disability and the six years already 
	served, I recommend parole.

		MAN
	Mr. Bowland, do you regret your 
	crimes?

		RONALD
	Yes. I understand now the pain I 
	caused.

		MAN
	If released, will you commit these 
	crimes again?

		RONALD
	I won't.

		MAN
	Do you consider yourself ready for 
	society?

		RONALD
	Yes.

The parole board shuffles their papers. It's a done deal. 
Rimgale suddenly stands and approaches Ronald.

		SHADOW
	Sure Ronald? You're ready alright.

		RONALD
	Absolutely.

		MAN
		(surprised)
	Excuse me, Mr. Rimgale.

		SHADOW
	Excuse me.
		(to Ronald)
	What do you do with little girls?

A tortured look comes over Ronald's face. He's holding back. 
From the paper bag, Rimgale suddenly tosses a burned baby 
doll in his lap.

		SHADOW
	What do you do with them, Ronald? 
	Huh?

Rimgale then lights a cigarette lighter in Ronald's face.

		RONALD
		(smiles)
	-- Burn them.

		SHADOW
	And old ladies?

		RONALD
	-- Burn them.

		SHADOW
	And the world -- the whole world.

		RONALD
		(smiles)
	-- Burn it all.

The parole board stares, stunned. Rimgale stands.

		SHADOW
	See ya next year, Ronald. Gotta go.

EXT. THEATRE BUILDING - DAY

A pre-war theatre closed with a sign: UNDER RENOVATION -- 
OPENING XMAS 1991. DAVID BENTON, mid-forties, climbs out of 
his car and walks to the entrance with some rolled-up 
blueprints.

INT. THEATRE BUILDING - DAY

Benton walks through the vast theatre and up to a beautiful 
Art Noveau office door: DAVID BENTON, PRIVATE. He goes to 
insert his key. Drops it. As he reaches down, we see a tiny 
wisp of smoke SUCK back under the door. Benton sniffs, as if 
he smells something, then shrugs and inserts his key. It'd 
have been a good story if he'd lived longer.

The moment he pushes the door open It EXPLODES OUTWARD in a 
ROARING FIREBALL.

							DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THEATRE BUILDING - SUNDOWN

Later and engine companies have already knocked down the 
building fire as Brian climbs out of Rimgale's red sedan.

		SHADOW
		(opens trunk)
	Hey kid, c'mere -- At least make 
	yourself useful.

He starts handing Brian handfuls of equipment cases. Loaded 
down, Brian follows Rimgale into the building.

INT. THEATRE BUILDING

Fire crews are at work in here, including Engine 17 at the 
other end of the theatre. Brian's surprised to see them, his 
eyes locking briefly with Stephen's. An ENGINE COMPANY LT. 
walks up to Rimgale.

		ENGINE LT
	We were lucky with this one. Could've 
	taken out the whole complex, but the 
	explosion blew out most of the flame. 
	Good for us.
		(looks to body)
	-- Not so good for him.

"Him" is our previous owner, David Benton, just his hands 
and a leg showing from under the collapsed door. Rimgale 
crouches beside it.

		SHADOW
	Turn this over.

Brian does. The corpse's keys are still in the lock. So's 
Benton. Blown with such force he seems fused with the door. 
On the door's edge Rimgale notices a small patch of melted, 
sticky goo. With his penknife he scrapes a sample and seals 
it in a glass vial, stands, and walks into the office.

INT. THEATRE OFFICE

		BRIAN
	What do you want me to do with --

Rimgale, now inside, silences him with an outstretched arm.

		SHADOW
	-- Shhh.

		BRIAN
		(after a beat)
	What are you listening to?

Rimgale doesn't answer. His eyes drift over the scorched 
walls as he speaks softly to them.

		SHADOW
	You sneaky little son of a bitch... 
	Hide and seek... Come on, tell me 
	what I want to know...

He scratches at some soot. Smiles and lifts a small hand 
recorder.

		SHADOW
		(business-like into 
		recorder)
	Heavy smoke stains observed in entry 
	room. Demarkation line high. Fire 
	never got hot enough here to cook 
	soot off. It started somewhere else...
		(walks down hall)
	Less soot here. More heat.
		(they enter back room)
	And very little soot here.
		(to Brian)
	Get that couch out of the way.

Brian pulls it aside. The lower third of the wall is 
completely untouched by soot.

		SHADOW
		(to himself)
	So you were happy here. Warm and 
	cozy and in no hurry...
		(into recorder)
	Soot high, clean unburned wall low, 
	indicates slow burn in thermal 
	balance.
		(to Brian)
	Find me some glass.

		BRIAN
	Glass?

		SHADOW
	Do we have a language barrier here? 
	Glass.

There's some on the sill of a blown window. Brian hands a 
shard to Rimgale, who turns it over in his palm.

		SHADOW
		(into recorder)
	Glass found in ignition room is in 
	small, thin pieces, indicating 
	explosion. Lack of discoloration 
	indicates a long, slow burn. Explosion 
	must of come after a slow burn.
		(shuts recorder off)
	You little tease... What were you up 
	to you little bastard, huh? What 
	made you that mad?
		(then, an idea)
	Or scared.
		(switches on recorder)
	It started in this room. Took its 
	time, hung out... but the air ran 
	out. It couldn't breathe. So it was 
	snuffed. But it wasn't dead... still 
	all that trapped heat, lying low, 
	waiting for some sucker to open the 
	door and give it that one gulp of 
	air...

		BRIAN
	-- Another backdraft.

Rimgale turns to the wall, a section where the plaster is 
severely damaged. He probes with a penknife.

		SHADOW
	Finish coat burned away... Severe 
	spawling of rough coat...

Rimgale follows the damaged wall down -- down -- to a melted 
wall socket.

		SHADOW
	That's our ignition point. Dig it 
	out. Carefully.

Brian chops it out from the wall. Rimgale crouches down, 
peels back the melted faceplate and examines the wires. The 
copper tip is severely melted. Rimgale sniffs the plug.

		SHADOW
		(into recorder)
	Temperature in this room was about 
	2000 degrees, but copper wire in 
	outlet is melted, which requires 
	5000 degrees. An accidental short in 
	the plug could of created a spark of 
	7000 degrees, hot enough to melt the 
	wire and start a fire.

		BRIAN
	No it couldn't.

Rimgale shuts off the recorder. Stares down Brian.

		BRIAN
	I mean you'd be right -- with normal 
	wire. But that's gauge ten in that 
	plug -- industrial stuff. Who knows 
	why they put it in here -- but it 
	won't melt at less than 12,000 
	degrees. And no natural spark short 
	of lightning gets that hot.
		(Rimgale just stares)
	In another life I was in high-end 
	electronics.

Rimgale opens a plastic bag and puts the plug inside.

		SHADOW
		(into recorder)
	Have outlet analyzed for any traces 
	of flammable accelerants.

Rimgale stands and walks out.

		BRIAN
	Don't mention it.

INT. THEATRE BUILDING - NIGHT

Brian follows Rimgale down from the office into the vast 
theatre. Walls hiss and spit. Brian's surprised to see his 
former engine mates there, tromping and crunching their way 
through broken glass, their flashlights like dancing 
fireflies. Tim passes by.

		BRIAN
	Hey, Tim.

Everybody turns at the voice and the air suddenly chills.

		TIM
		(distant)
	Brian.

		SHADOW
		(to Brian)
	Check the wall for burn patterns.

And Rimgale's off to another room. Brian turns and looks at 
the wall. It's endless.

		BRIAN
		(to Tim)
	So, you surviving without me?

		TIM
	There's no replacement 'cause of 
	your boss' cuts, if that's what you 
	mean. If someone else goes out on an 
	injury we're really screwed.

		BRIAN
	Swayzak's not my boss.

Silence. Brian looks over the wall. A dirty puddle separates 
him from it.

		GRINDLE
		(to Brian)
	Ooooh, like the tie. Love the tie.

		BRIAN
	Grindle, scrape down that wall for 
	me, huh? I would myself, but the tie 
	'n all, y'know...

Grindle stares at him a beat, then wordlessly steps into the 
muck and pulls free a section of wall, dropping it on the 
ground in front of Brian. Santos and Grindle look at each 
other.

		SANTOS
	Uh, Brian, if you're lookin' for 
	smoke patterns, there's some good 
	ones over here.

		BRIAN
	Yeah? Where?

		GRINDLE
		(as Brian walks over)
	Little to the right... further... 
	further... Right behind there. Hey, 
	could you hand me that pike pole?

There's a pike pole leaning against the wall. Brian pulls it 
aside. SPLASH -- The pole had been supporting a small, sagging 
piece of ceiling that instantly collapses, dumping twenty 
gallons of murky, putrid black water all over Brian's civvys. 
Nobody laughs.

		GRINDLE
	Sorry, maybe that wasn't it after 
	all.

Stephen appears around the corner. Sees what's happened.

		STEPHEN
	That's just about enough, guys, okay?

		SCHMIDT
	See ya around, Brian.

They leave. Brian stands there, humiliated.

		AXE
		(to Brian)
	What the hell's the matter with you, 
	huh? You're steppin' in the shit 
	again. You could've done it. You 
	don't want this.
		(the suit 'n tie)
	Wake up, kid.

Brian burns with shame and anger as Adcox walks away. Stephen 
hands Brian a towel.

		STEPHEN
	Here. Dry yourself off.

Brian snatches it from him. Glares at his brother.

		STEPHEN
	Look, you are sorta making yourself 
	fair game.

		BRIAN
	Thanks for the insight.

		STEPHEN
	Brian, look --

		BRIAN
	Just leave me alone, okay?

Brian walks away. Stephen calls after him.

		STEPHEN
	Hey, Bri... Rimgale's okay. I don't 
	get half the shit he's talking about, 
	but then everybody says the same 
	thing about me. Who the hell knows?

INT. HELEN'S HOUSE - DAY

Helen, Stephen's ex-wife, is sitting at her kitchen when she 
looks up suddenly at a strange sound coming from the roof.

EXT. HELEN'S HOUSE - ROOF - DAY

On the short, sloping roof, Stephen stands hammering a shingle 
back into place. Helen sticks her head out the dormer window.

		HELEN
	Stephen, what are you doing here?

		STEPHEN
	Fixing my roof.

		HELEN
	It's not your roof anymore.

He stops and tosses the hammer aside. Looks at his watch.

		STEPHEN
	Where's Sean?

		HELEN
	He's got piano lessons.

		STEPHEN
	Oh yeah? How's he doing?

		HELEN
	He's going to be a fireman.

		STEPHEN
	Give up, babe. You can't fight it. 
	Believe me, my mom tried...

		HELEN
		(beat)
	Stephen, you gotta stop just showing 
	up on the roof like this.

		STEPHEN
	I just wanted to, I don't know, not 
	exactly apologize for the other night -- 
	especially since I don't remember 
	much of it --

		HELEN
	-- You remember.

		STEPHEN
	Yeah... I just thought I should say, 
	I don't know, something.

		HELEN
	The great communicator.

		STEPHEN
	Sorry I hit Jackson.

		HELEN
	He deserved it. He was born deserving 
	it.

		STEPHEN
	He treats you okay?

		HELEN
	Okay.

		STEPHEN
	I treated you better.

		HELEN
	You treated me like shit.

But she smiles.

		HELEN
	You want some coffee?

		STEPHEN
	Coffee? Nah, I gotta go.

		HELEN
	What's wrong, Stephen?
		(looks at her)
	C'mon, you only beat up the roof 
	when something's on your mind.
		(beat)
	How's Brian doing?

		STEPHEN
	He's out.

		HELEN
	I know he's out, but how's he doing?

		STEPHEN
	Y'know, I treated him better than 
	any other probie I ever had. He 
	probably hates my guts, but I did 
	the best thing for him. I made him 
	finally look in the mirror.

		HELEN
	Ah Stephen, that's what this is really 
	about, isn't it? You always have to 
	be right.

		STEPHEN
	Hey, I'm the first one to admit when 
	I'm wrong.

		HELEN
	Yeah? When was the last time?

		STEPHEN
	In a fire? Never.
		(beat)
	Look, I'm his brother. I care about 
	him, y'know? He was going to get 
	himself killed. Maybe not today, 
	maybe not in a year, but it would've 
	happened. And I couldn't -- I just 
	couldn't...

		HELEN
	You can't keep being his father...

Stephen sighs deeply.

		STEPHEN
	You know what I realized today? I 
	can't remember my dad's face anymore. 
	There's pictures of him staring at 
	me everywhere I go, but the guy behind 
	them... he's gone...

He sighs and hops down from the roof to the driveway.

		STEPHEN
	I'll see ya around, Helen.

She watches him as he walks lonely up the street.

INT. CITY MORGUE - DAY

A Lab Tech, RICCO, leads Brian and Rimgale through the autopsy 
area till they come on two corpses lying side by side covered 
in plastic.

		RICCO
	Okay, Alan Seagrave and Donald 
	Cosgrove...

If you say so. Brian's stomach does a half-gainer as he's 
confronted by two hideously charred bodies.

		RICCO
	...Both deaths due to close encounters 
	with stationary objects; office door 
	for Mr. Cosgrove, '89 Porsche for 
	Mr. Seagrave. No non-relevant traumas. 
	No significant blood toxicology. 
	Attitude of both trajectories 
	consistent with explosions.

Brian is discreetly avoiding his gaze, whistling quietly to 
himself as he looks over specimen jars on a shelf.

		RICCO
	They ran the residue you scraped 
	from both crispers' front doors. 
	It's a combination of plumber's putty 
	and rayophene gum. Burns almost 
	completely away when you light it.

		SHADOW
	Putty? On both doors?

		RICCO
	There's something else kinda 
	interesting...

Ricco lifts Benton's charred shoulder. Underneath we see 
some of his clothes that have melted and co-mingled with his 
flesh.

		RICCO
	See this?

A credit card has been fried right into Cosgrove's skin about 
where his back pocket should have been.

		RICCO
	Guess he didn't leave home without 
	it.

Ricco erupts in a honking laugh, then switches instantly 
back to a business tone.

		RICCO
	Anyway, down here, take a look...

		SHADOW
	McCaffrey, hold this for us.

		BRIAN
	Uh, I don't think that's in my 
	contract...

		SHADOW
	I just re-wrote your contract. 
	C'mere...

With supreme reluctance Brian pulls the crisper's head and 
shoulder away from the table.

		RICCO
	Jesus Christ, he isn't gonna try to 
	sell you insurance, lift him.

Brian gathers the torso up and hoists him higher.

		RICCO
		(to Rimgale)
	See that patch of shirt? We wondered 
	about the discoloration so he ran a 
	spectro. On a lucky shot we picked 
	up some traces of Trychticholorate. 
	Nobody around here had ever heard of 
	it.

		SHADOW
	Trychticholorate? Alright, it's an 
	absorption catalyst in toxic waste 
	accidents. It's pretty rare, they 
	stopped making it a couple'a years 
	ago.

		RICCO
	Probably got in Cosgrove's clothes 
	in a gas state from the fire.

		SHADOW
	What the hell was it doing in the 
	fire?

		RICCO
	That's your job.

At that instant, Cosgrove's eyes OPEN and his body SIGHS. 
Brian DROPS the body in shock and backs away, stunned.

		SHADOW
	I asked you to hold him, not feel 
	him up...

INT. RIMGALE'S CAR - DAY

Rimgale's FD sedan. Brian is still wringing imaginary guts 
off his hands. Rimgale tosses an open fire chem book in his 
lap.

		SHADOW
	Read.

		BRIAN
	"Trychtichlorate is a binary 
	structured --"

		SHADOW
	-- Go to the bottom. Under heat 
	properties.

		BRIAN
	"During heat episodes of 2000 Kelvin 
	or higher, Trych breaks down and 
	dissipates. Will consume magnesium".

		SHADOW
	Ever burned magnesium? It's so hot 
	it takes water molecules and BAMM!

Rimgale CLAPS his hands next to Brian's head, STARTLING him.

		SHADOW
	Son of a bitch tears 'em apart just 
	to eat the oxygen. Wouldn't take 
	much at all to melt ten gauge wire. 
	Problem's burnt magnesium leaves a 
	powder trace -- unless you could 
	find something that would eat its 
	residue.

		BRIAN
	Trychticholorate. Then Swayzak can 
	announce Seagrave was a murder.

Rimgale looks at Brian. He's getting tired of this.

		SHADOW
	Look, it isn't proof, okay? Someone 
	may have put the chemical in the 
	outlet, but we found it as a vapor 
	in Cosgrove's clothes.

		BRIAN
	And the putty around the door?

		SHADOW
	Even if it was used to seal the air 
	off, that doesn't explain why someone 
	would go to the trouble of a 
	backdraft. A gun's a helluva lot 
	easier

		BRIAN
	But the right guess on this is arson.

		SHADOW
	I don't guess.

		BRIAN
	Some people say you don't do much of 
	anything when it comes to this case.

		SHADOW
	I don't work for them, either.

INT. ARSON HQ - DAY

Brian's sitting at a desk. He's finishing up a huge paper 
clip Tyrannosaurus. The phone RINGS.

		BRIAN
	Arson.

		JENNIFER
	Straightest answer your department's 
	given me all week.

We see Jennifer's calling from her office, she's busy signing 
papers brought to her and okaying campaign posters as she 
talks.

		BRIAN
	Hey.

		JENNIFER
	How's it going?

		BRIAN
	Boss and I are up to about three 
	words an hour.

		JENNIFER
		(to secretary)
	Green committed to a thousand.
		(to Brian)
	There's another fund-raising party 
	tonight. Marty'd really like you to 
	come.

		BRIAN
	I don't know, I'm kinda swamped here.

He tosses a paper airplane.

		JENNIFER
	I could use a date.

		BRIAN
	Yeah? Well, maybe I can fit it in...

		RIMGALE'S VOICE
	McCaffrey! Come here!

		BRIAN
		(into phone)
	Call ya back.

Brian hangs up quickly and walks back into

INT. ARSON HQ - ANOTHER ROOM - DAY

Rimgale's there, crouched excitedly beside a trash can that's 
lid's been sealed closed. He tamps a piece of putty on the 
rim and backs away.

		SHADOW
	Take the top off. Go ahead. Take it 
	off.

Brian walks over and RIPS OFF the lid. -- Instantly a tongue 
of flame SHOOTS straight up past his head and BLOWS out.

		BRIAN
	Jesus!

Rimgale's grinning like a little kid.

		SHADOW
	That's it! Oh, that son of a bitch, 
	he's different, goddamn it! You see 
	what this tells us, huh? Our killer 
	doesn't love fire!

		BRIAN
	What?

		SHADOW
		(pulls out file)
	I got it after we talked to Ronald. 
	Torches. Want to fry the whole goddamn 
	world. But the fires that killed 
	those guys never really burned up 
	much. -- The burns were all lit in 
	outlets surrounded by double 
	firebreaks in the walls. And he made 
	his burns backdrafts.
		([p. 78])

		BRIAN
	But he killed these guys.

		SHADOW
	But he could have killed everybody 
	there. The firebreaks kept it from 
	spreading in the wall. The backdraft 
	blew out the flame. That's it. That's 
	the reason.

		BRIAN
	What reason?

		SHADOW
	Why backdrafts. Whoever fried Seagrave 
	and Cosgrove went to a helluva lot 
	of trouble to make sure they died by 
	fire, but also made sure the fire 
	blew itself out.

		BRIAN
	That's why the sealant on the doors... 
	So what have we got, a torch with a 
	conscience?

		SHADOW
	No, we have a stone killer trying to 
	make a point.

		BRIAN
	Are you going public with this?

		SHADOW
	No. Do that and I guarantee you'll 
	scare him off. I don't want him 
	running away.

EXT. PARTY BOAT - NIGHT

A Latin band cuts loose as beautiful people mill about against 
a beautiful Chicago skyline. An AIR HORN blows, and suddenly 
the skyline is MOVING. We're on a huge, private party boat.

EXT. PARTY BOAT - NIGHT

Brian's leaning on the boat railing watching the passing 
parade of rich and beautiful. Across the sea of champagne 
and brie, he spots Jennifer talking with her boss, Swayzak. 
He has his hand on her back.

Jennifer spots Brian. She smile, detaches herself and walks 
over.

		JENNIFER
	Hi.

		BRIAN
		(eyes on Swayzak)
	Hey...
		(beat)
	So are you dating your boss or what?

		JENNIFER
	If you weren't at least the 300th 
	person to ask me that, I'd probably 
	be pissed.
		(beat, sighs)
	Boy, you sure know it's a man's world 
	sometimes...

		BRIAN
	Sorry.
		(beat)
	Are you dating anyone?

		JENNIFER
	You think that's really any of your 
	business?

		BRIAN
	Well, you did invite me here.

		JENNIFER
	Marty did.
		(beat, smiles)
	But I wanted you to come to.

Swayzak suddenly appears with his entourage.

		SWAYZAK
	Mr. McCaffrey...

		BRIAN
	Nice boat.

		SWAYZAK
	It isn't mine.
		(to photographer)
	Let's get a picture.

Swayzak swings around and puts his arm cheesily around Brian's 
shoulder. Another staffer slaps a SWAYZAK FOR MAYOR sticker 
to Brian's lapel. Jennifer rolls her eyes to Brian. I'm 
sorry... Snap.

		SWAYZAK
		(seeing someone else)
	Larry!
		(sotto to Jennifer)
	What does he do again?

Swayzak leads her off in pursuit. Left alone, Brian turns to 
the railing, stares off at the passing city. You can hear 
the wind-up of a siren.

And there it is now, an engine company zooming along Wacker 
Drive. Something digs and kicks inside of Brian as he watches 
it disappear.

		JENNIFER
	How's the job going?

She's appeared again beside him.

		BRIAN
	Okay.

		JENNIFER
	Boy, Rimgale's as slow as a snail, 
	isn't he?

		BRIAN
	No, he's more of a dinosaur. Guy's 
	not a dummy, though. He's juggling 
	alot of balls on this one.

		JENNIFER
	Yeah, but it doesn't take Albert 
	Einstein just to figure out if these 
	guys were killed by accidents or 
	not.

		BRIAN
	Jesus, give him a break. There isn't 
	enough proof yet to go public. Sure, 
	we found some chemical shit we think 
	somebody dumped in the plugs to torch 
	'em, and we've maybe figured out why 
	backdrafts, but you can't rush this 
	stuff. Not 'till it's locked.

		JENNIFER
	But Rimgale's probably going to come 
	around to arson.

		BRIAN
	In a dinosaur kinda way, yeah.

BAMM!

Both of them look up sharply. A woman drunk out of her mind 
has tipped over in her chair. She laughs, her fellow 
tablemates laugh, everybody laughs. Jennifer takes Brian by 
the arm in the opposite direction and smiles.

		JENNIFER
	Save me.

EXT. PARTY BOAT - NIGHT

The band's completely cut loose now. A wild percussion rhythm 
that has everyone on their feet dancing like madmen. Brian 
and Jennifer stomp and sweat and shake and giggle through 
hair crazily askew. The lakeshore is twinkling and wonderful 
as it slips past. The drums beat faster and harder and the 
only thing that isn't moving now is their eyes -- eyes locked 
on each other.

EXT. ARSON HQ - NIGHT

Sweaty, flushed with the evening and a few drinks, Brian and 
Jennifer pull up in her car.

		BRIAN
	Thanks for the invite.

		JENNIFER
	Got anything to drink in there?

		BRIAN
	Oh, there might be something stashed 
	away for emergencies.

INT. ARSON HQ/FIRE STATION

The regular engine company's gone to bed and the arson squad's 
packed in for the night, leaving the apparatus floor quiet 
and dim as Brian and Jennifer enter.

Brian leads her back past the engine and arson sedan to the 
rear where Rimgale has his offices. As they walk Jennifer's 
eyes drift up to the old sculpted parapets, the press-tin 
ceiling.

		BRIAN
	This is one of the oldest fire 
	stations in the city. Lotta tradition 
	locked up in here. What do you think?

		JENNIFER
	Homey.

		BRIAN
	See that trap door up there? That 
	used to lead to the hay loft when 
	they had horse-drawn engines. It was 
	pretty different then... but kinda 
	the same, y'know?

		JENNIFER
	Do you miss it?
		(he doesn't answer)
	You seem like you do.

		BRIAN
	When I came back, I knew more than 
	anything else that I wanted to be a 
	fireman.

		JENNIFER
	Then why did you quit?

		BRIAN
	I wanted to be a good one.

INT. ARSON HQ - BACK OFFICES

They walk into the back arson offices. Brian pokes through a 
few drawers, one or two shelves. Finally he lifts a squat, 
specialized fire extinguisher. The bottom has been hollowed 
out, leaving room for a fifth of bourbon.

		BRIAN
	Old firehouse trick.

He pours her a glass. Jennifer takes a generous sip of her's, 
turns, brushes past him and breathes,

		JENNIFER
	So show me your fire truck.

INT. ARSON HQ - APPARATUS FLOOR

Brian escorts Jennifer along the side of the behemoth.

		BRIAN
	Well, our specimen here is your basic 
	standard issue piece of primary 
	suppression equipment. This area is 
	the pumping panel, which controls 
	the rate of liquid insertion into 
	the hose.

		JENNIFER
	Uh huh.

Brian lifts a narrow, tapered straight-bore nozzle.

		BRIAN
	This is a six inch playpipe, cast 
	bronze to keep it firm during hard 
	flows.
		(picks up another 
		item)
	This is our pipe extender, used in 
	forward lays...
		(moves on)
	This is our hard suction line... Our 
	adjustable insertion nozzle...
		(comes around back of 
		trunk)
	...And this is the hose bed.

Beat. The air cracks between them. And is brushed aside. In 
an instant they're all over each other. Tangled lips and 
gulping breaths. Jennifer abruptly breaks it off

-- And looks mischievously up at the hose bed, with its long 
curling rolls of soft cotton.

Brian doesn't remember this precise scenario being discussed 
at the academy, but he improvises admirably, popping up onto 
the hose bed and offering a gentlemanly hand to Jennifer. As 
they tumble into the soft folds

							CUT TO:

EXT. HIGH-RISE - NIGHT

Engine 17 roars up, lights flashing, to a high-rise. As the 
crew jumps down Tim trips and falls flat on his face.

		GRINDLE
	Jesus Tim, if you're going to kill 
	yourself at least wait till the fire, 
	it's better P.R.

INT. ARSON HQ - HOSE BED - NIGHT

Jennifer unbuttons Brian's shirt.

		JENNIFER
	Tell me about the playpipe again...

She pulls the shirt off his shoulder as we

							CUT TO:

INT. HIGH-RISE - LOBBY - NIGHT

Engine 17 walking up to a frazzled security guard in the 
lobby.

		STEPHEN
	Where is it?

		SECURITY GUARD
	Don't know. There's alarms going off 
	on three different floors.

		STEPHEN
	Wonderful.

They climb into the elevator.

INT. HIGH RISE - ELEVATOR - NIGHT

It's cramped on the way up with the bulky coats, helmets, 
hose rolls, and the tangible nervousness that always goes 
with this kind of fire. The elevator Musak plays 101 Strings 
version of "Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree".

		TIM
	How do we know if the floor's going 
	to be on fire?

		STEPHEN
	If the doors open and it's hot, don't 
	get out.

INT. ARSON HQ - HOSE BED

Brian pulls off Jennifer's stockings. As she kicks it away...

INT. HIGH-RISE - UPPER FLOOR - NIGHT

The elevator stops. DING. The door opens. No howling blaze, 
not even any noise, but enough hanging smoke that you can't 
see your hand in front of your face.

They fan out gingerly onto the floor, looking for the fire. 
Hide and seek in a white fog bank. Everybody stops and 
listens. Slowly, carefully, they feel their way through the 
haze.

		STEPHEN
	It's here.

On cue something snakes past behind the walls, whispers and 
whines and shivers up and over them and then is silent. 
Grindle attaches a hoseline to the building standpipe.

		GRINDLE
	These high-rise gigs give me the 
	creeps.

		AXE
	Let's wait for a back-up, Stephen. 
	We're early on this one, it hasn't 
	even broke out yet. We're one short 
	as it is with Brian gone.

But Stephen's on the hunt now. Obsessed.

		STEPHEN
	Want to learn something?

		TIM
	Yes sir!

Stephen and Tim take the lead, their axes gripped like 
shotguns. Grindle backs them up with a charged hoseline.

		STEPHEN
	Adcox, go with Pengelly and check 
	the other side.

		AXE
	It isn't safe, man. Don't go splittin' 
	us up. Not with this one.

		STEPHEN
	-- What the hell's the matter with 
	you? You always check the other side. 
	I haven't got time for bullshit right 
	now, okay? We got a job here.

		AXE
	Let me take the lead, Stephen...

		STEPHEN
	Goddamn it Adcox! Just do your fucking 
	job!

Adcox folds. With a stricken look on his face he takes his 
crew down the other way. Stephen and Tim slowly feel their 
way.

CRACK

Everybody SPINS around in terror. Nothing. Something inhuman 
giggles down ahead of them. Stephen smiles.

		STEPHEN
		(like a mantra)
	Oh, you're so very sly, but so am 
	I...
		(to Tim)
	...Listen to it... you can tell when 
	a wall cracks which way it's gonna 
	jump... you can hear the doors breathe 
	if they're hot...

Tim looks confused. He doesn't get it.

They come to a side door. Stephen runs his hand down the 
jam, feels for heat. Then he steps back, takes a deep breath, 
and CRASHES the door down with one AXE BLOW. Quiet inside.

INT. ARSON HQ - HOSE BED - NIGHT

Brian and Jennifer are into the rhythm now, breathing deeply. 
On the wall above them are framed photos of dead firemen. 
Watching.

INT. HIGH-RISE - SECOND DOORWAY - NIGHT

Stephen concentrates on the sound of the fire above him, --
then abruptly turns and CRASHES down another door.

INT. ARSON HQ - ALARM KLAXON GOES OFF - NIGHT

Brian and Jennifer lie in a tight embrace, enjoying the 
moment, the lull, as suddenly the lights SNAP ON and an alarm 
klaxon BELLOWS. Firemen are coming down the pole now.

		JENNIFER
	What's going on?

They frantically climb into their clothes. The firemen haven't 
noticed them as they climb aboard. They've STARTED THE ENGINE.

		JENNIFER
	What are they doing?

EXT. ARSON HQ - STREETS - NIGHT

And before either of them realizes it, they're suddenly 
pulling out into the street and WAILING off down the block. 
The wind's wild in their hair, the siren deafening, the 
flashing red lights blinding staccato, And Jennifer loves 
it. She kisses Brian fiercely, he lets out a war whoop lost 
in the blast of air, and together they hold each other as 
the night screams past and...

EXT. HIGH-RISE - NIGHT

Engine 17 pulls up into the parking lot of the high-rise 
fire. Firemen leap out of the cab and rush around behind to 
pull off lengths of hose from the bed. As the folds curl 
away the fireman is stunned to see a woman's stocking come 
out with it.

With equal shock he looks up and watches as a disheveled and 
grinning Brian and Jennifer climb calmly down out of the 
bed.

		BRIAN
	Excuse us.

INT. HIGH-RISE - TIM'S DOOR - NIGHT

Stephen and Tim creep along the hall.

		STEPHEN
		(to Tim)
	Lotta smoke, but it isn't rolling... 
	that means it's hiding... staying 
	sleepy... one of these doors...

Tim's come to one.

		STEPHEN
		(to himself)
	Easy... no hurry... you're not going 
	anywhere...

Stephen BANGS down another door. Sticks his head in to check. 
A little woodpecker toy dips up and down in a glass of water.

Tim readies his axe before his door, gathers his courage as 
Stephen comes out of the room he was checking. Sees Tim 
lifting his axe.

		STEPHEN
	Did you check the door for heat, 
	Tim?

Tim doesn't hear. The axe is already up.

		STEPHEN
	Tim?

Tim's committed now, coming hard at the door. And Stephen 
sees it for just an instant -- Small tendrils of smoke edging 
lazily around the door -- then being sucked back in.

		STEPHEN
	Tim!

He rushes for Tim as Tim's axe SMACKS the door and a whine 
behind it builds and roars and howls and Tim's all follow-
through now, hitting the door with his shoulder as 

The door EXPLODES OUTWARD, HURLING TIM against the opposite 
wall and for an instant he's okay but he freezes in terror 
as A SHRIEKING TONGUE OF FLAME SHOOTS OUT THE DOORWAY and 
Grindle shouts in horror and opens his hose line as the flames 
wrap Tim like a jealous lover as Adcox hears it and screams,

		AXE
	Oh God! Oh God no!

And Tim's screaming now too, because his helmet, his mask, 
his face, it's all melting and Grindle dives suicidally at 
the monster, BLASTING it with his hose as Stephen ignores 
the flames and puts his arms around Tim as Grindle DOUSES 
them both, killing the flames.

The monster rolls wounded back into the room, into the air 
shafts as Tim whimpers incoherently, sliding down the wall 
as Stephen tries to help but oh God you can't tell what's 
face and what's mask and helmet anymore.

Grindle looks back where the fire came from. There's a corpse 
in there, burned and lying between two doors.

Adcox rushes to Tim's side sobbing and it's the end, the end 
of the goddamn world...

EXT. HIGH-RISE - NIGHT

Brian and Jennifer are having the time of their lives, when 
suddenly a group of firemen pass by rushing someone on a 
stretcher to an ambulance and Brian sees -- sweet Jesus -- 
it's Tim. Jennifer turns away in horror. They load Tim into 
the van as Adcox and Grindle jump in to ride along. To hold 
his hand.

Stephen watches the ambulance disappear out into the street. 
Frustration and fury tear at him as he takes off his coat 
and slams it to the ground. He kicks it, kicks it till his 
strength's gone. He turns, his wounded eyes finding Brian.

INT. HIGH-RISE - NIGHT

Rimgale walks down the smokey corridor. The charred civilian 
is there, sitting in the short stretch of hall between two 
blown doors. Through the haze Rimgale sees Stephen crouched 
in the interior room, picking at the debris. Lost in himself.

		STEPHEN
	Hey, Stevie.

Stephen stands and looks around the room, seemingly unaware 
of Rimgale. He walks wordlessly straight out past him, his 
eyes streaming with tears.

INT. HOSPITAL - EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT

Brian shoulders his way through the emergency room. He passes 
a small alcove full of vending machines. Adcox is there, 
sipping a paper cup, leaning against the machine in deep 
anguish.

		BRIAN
	Is he...

		AXE
	He's alive.

INT. HOSPITAL ICU - NIGHT

Further down the hall is ICU. Grindle and Santos are there, 
sitting outside the room, raw and weary. Grindle nods to 
Brian. Everyone's still stained and smudged from the fire.

Everyone but Brian.

Brian looks through a door window into the room. There, 
surrounded by doctors and physicians, lies Tim. He's been 
cut out of his uniform. Gauze bandages everywhere. As a pair 
of forceps peel some away Brian glimpses what used to be a 
face, now only reds and browns and leaky whites. He turns 
away.

		BRIAN
	Do they think he'll pull through?

		GRINDLE
	They're not saying.

		BRIAN
	I should have been there.

		NIGHTENGALE
	None of us should have been there, 
	Brian.

Voices rise down the hall. Turn to shouts. It's Adcox and 
Stephen, tearing heartbreakingly into one another. Brian 
can't make out the words but it's ugly, emotional. Abruptly 
it ends and Stephen emerges from the alcove, walking toward 
them upset.

		BRIAN
	You had to do it, didn't you?

Stephen's got other things on his mind.

		STEPHEN
	...Not now, Brian.

		BRIAN
	Had to take on another fire bare-
	handed, huh? Had to be fucking myth 
	man in there instead of looking out 
	for your probie. Is that what 
	happened? Is it, Stephen?

		STEPHEN
	I had that fire. He didn't listen!

		BRIAN
	He didn't listen? He was a fucking 
	candidate! He was your responsibility. 
	He shouldn't have been there in the 
	first place, Stephen.
		(beat)
	You burned him.

		STEPHEN
	Fuck you.

Brian grabs his arm.

Stephen SNAPS and roughly PUSHES Brian, knocking him against 
the wall. Brian comes off it in a flash and is all over 
Stephen. They go down and it's all thrashing and shouting 
now. A horrible, endless draw. Grindle and Santos are in it, 
pulling them apart, holding them up against opposite walls.

Both brothers glare at one another, tears filling their eyes. 
Brian shakes Grindle off and walks away.

							DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ARSON HQ - BRIAN'S DESK - MORNING

Brian sits staring blankly. A newspaper drops in front of 
him. FIRE DEPT. SAYS IT'S MURDER. Rimgale stands above him.

		SHADOW
	Goes on about how the break was made 
	through the discovery of "chemical 
	traces" and a "behavioral link". Oh, 
	and Swayzak's quoted saying the chief 
	investigator is closing in on the 
	torch and expects an arrest "any 
	time".

Brian's eyes wince closed.

		SHADOW
	Get your stuff and get out.

INT. JENNIFER'S OFFICE - DAY

She's pouring some coffee as Brian bursts in.

		JENNIFER
		(surprised)
	Brian. What's wrong?

		BRIAN
	You told Swayzak about our arson 
	lead. It's all over the fucking news.

		JENNIFER
	I didn't know it was a secret. There 
	aren't supposed to be secrets between 
	the city and its investigators --

		BRIAN
	-- Bullshit! You knew what I told 
	you wasn't ready for the papers --

		JENNIFER
	Will you please keep your voice down, 
	there's people --

		BRIAN
	-- You could have scared the son of 
	a bitch off. We may never bust him 
	now. All for a couple's political 
	points.

		JENNIFER
	I was doing my job.

		BRIAN
		(grabs her arm)
	Yeah? And just how much of all this 
	has been "doing your job"?

		JENNIFER
		(shakes it off)
	Let me ask you something, do you 
	really think Marty had you assigned 
	to arson because of your firefighting 
	skills? Who the hell are you kidding? 
	I was there, remember? I saw you and 
	your brother --

		BRIAN
	Leave Stephen out of this --

		JENNIFER
	Oh yeah, he's the real fireman.
		(beat)
	Who are you? Just another probie 
	working for Swayzak --

		BRIAN
	-- I work for the city.

		JENNIFER
	You knew what we were asking you to 
	do. Don't suddenly pull out a 
	conscience now. The fit isn't right.

Swayzak appears in the doorway. He looks haggard, as if he 
hasn't slept. There's something haunted in his eyes.

		SWAYZAK
	Mr. McCaffrey... Keeping busy?

		BRIAN
	Yeah. In fact, I just dropped off a 
	letter to the Times explaining how 
	yesterday's arson announcement was a 
	fabrication by your office. They 
	loved it. And you know what? You 
	were right, my family background in 
	firefighting gave it weight.

		JENNIFER
	Oh Brian...

Brian shoulders his way past Swayzak and walks out.

INT. HOSPITAL - TIM'S ROOM - NIGHT

Brian walks up to Tim's room. Stephen's sitting there, ragged 
looking. Inside the young probie lies wrapped in tubes and 
gauze and years of wasted promise. An EKG beeps, a respirator 
hisses, and Brian gulps down something heavy in his throat.

		STEPHEN
	He's gonna live. Maybe not much else, 
	but he's gonna live...

Stephen walks away.

EXT. ARSON HQ - MORNING

As Rimgale gets out of his car a limousine pulls up. Swayzak 
opens the rear door from inside.

		SWAYZAK
	Inspector.

		SHADOW
	Alderman.

INT. SWAYZAK SEDAN - DAY

Cruising through traffic. Swayzak is disheveled, unshaven, 
fidgety. A man who hasn't slept and had a few drinks before 
the one he's pouring now. He offers one to Rimgale.

		SHADOW
	I usually have breakfast first.

Swayzak apparently doesn't.

		SWAYZAK
	When are you going to catch the prick 
	that's doing this, Don?

		SHADOW
	"Don?"

		SWAYZAK
	Don't you have any leads at all?

		SHADOW
	No Marty, I don't.

For the first time, Rimgale sees real fear on Swayzak's face.

		SHADOW
	We still haven't found a connection 
	between the victims.

		SWAYZAK
	Jesus, open your eyes! Seagrave, 
	Cosgrove, and now Holcomb -- fried 
	in a goddamn high-rise!

		SHADOW
	Holcomb? I didn't know the name of 
	that victim had even been released 
	yet.

The sedan stops back at arson HQ. They'd gone around the 
block.

EXT. ARSON HQ - SWAYZAK SEDAN - DAY

Rimgale opens the door, climbs out, lingers.

		SHADOW
	Is there a connection between them, 
	Alderman?

		SWAYZAK
	Just catch the son of a bitch.

The door shuts and Swayzak roars away.

INT. ARSON HQ - BACK OFFICES - DAY

Rimgale walks back into his offices. He's surprised to see 
Brian there working at his desk.

		SHADOW
	What the hell are you doing here?

		BRIAN
	I'm finished with Swayzak. I'll do 
	whatever you want me to do. I just 
	want to help catch the guy that burned 
	Tim. You gotta give me another shot.

Rimgale stares at Brian, appraises him.

							CUT TO:

INT. HIGH-RISE

A CLOSE UP of Rimgale POPPING the molding around the door 
frame of Holcomb's burned office. Underneath can be seen 
traces of the same white residue from the other fires.

		SHADOW
	I thought 'ol Marty was acting a 
	little strange... And he's right.

Rimgale rubs the white powder between his fingers.

		BRIAN
	Backdraft?

Rimgale stands at the spot in the short hall where the body 
lied between two doors.

		SHADOW
	The backdraft was set somewhere in 
	there. It fried Holcomb when he opened 
	the inner door. But the outer door 
	held... and waited for Tim...

Brian steps into the inner office.

		SHADOW
	So find me the fire.

Brian begins searching, probing. He finally stands. Defeated.

		SHADOW
	You're thinking too much of the 
	building and not enough of the ghost.

Brian's eyes don't understand. From Rimgale's coat comes a 
plastic flask. He pours out of it a liquid onto the floor 
and lights a match.

		SHADOW
	In a word, Brian, what is this job 
	all about?

		BRIAN
	Fire.

Rimgale drops the match.

WUMP. A small flame explodes to life.

		SHADOW
	It's a living thing, Brian. It 
	breathes, it eats, and it hates.

The fire's climbing a wall, chewing a corner.

		SHADOW
	The only way to beat it is to think 
	like it. To know that this flame 
	will spread this way across the floor 
	not because of the physics of 
	flammable liquids or heat convection, 
	but because it wants to.

FWUMP. It darts west. Licks the ceiling. The fire purrs and 
hisses. Stretches luxuriously and attacks savagely.

		SHADOW
	Some guys on this job, fire owns 
	them. It makes them fight on its 
	level. But the only way to truly 
	kill it is to love it a little, just 
	like Ronald.

Brian stares at the flame. A goblin reaching out for him... --
Woosh! Rimgale hits it with a fire extinguisher. In an instant 
the goblin is gone, the genie in the bottle.

		VOICE
	What the hell are you guys doin'?

A young woman's entered.

		SHADOW
	We're the fire department, lady.

		WOMAN
	Well color me stupid, I always thought 
	the fire dept. put out fires.

		SHADOW
		(to woman)
	You work here?

		WOMAN
	Till yesterday. What do you think 
	the odds are that a non-refundable 
	ticket to Paris survived this?

		BRIAN
	Somewhere between zero and no way.

		WOMAN
	Shit. What a mess.

		SHADOW
	You seem real broken up about Mr. 
	Holcomb.

		WOMAN
	Jeff Holcomb? The Darth Vader of tax 
	accountants? He was a sleezeball. 
	Hopefully a sleezeball that carried 
	some insurance.

		BRIAN
	Go talk to the building owner.

		WOMAN
	He was the building owner.

		BRIAN
	Our book lists the owner as Dekom 
	Trust.

She looks at him like he's the dumbest human she's met all 
week.

		WOMAN
	Don't investigators come in adult 
	size?

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - OUTSIDE STEPHEN'S OFFICE - DAY

Sequence omitted from original script.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - STEPHEN'S STATION OFFICE - DAY

Stephen's lying sprawled on his bunk, his hands pressed over 
his eyes. There's a voice outside the door.

		GRINDLE
	Stevie? Rimgale's here to see you.

		STEPHEN
	I'm busy.

		GRINDLE
	He just wants to --

		STEPHEN
	-- I'm busy goddamn it, okay?

A beat, then Rimgale himself enters.

		STEPHEN
	What, they don't knock on your planet?

Rimgale takes in Stephen's room, the half empty bourbon 
bottle. Without a word, Rimgale walks over and pours it out. 
He sits down beside Stephen.

		SHADOW
	I still haven't gotten your fire 
	report, Stevie. On Tim.

A wave of pain rolls through Stephen.

		STEPHEN
	I'm working on it.

		SHADOW
	I deal with this stuff every day. 
	But a fireman... you never get used 
	to it.
		(beat)
	What happened up there? He was a 
	candidate. Did he pay attention? Was 
	he listening?

		STEPHEN
	...He wasn't listening to the right 
	thing...

		SHADOW
	What do you listen to, Stephen?

		STEPHEN
	You don't know... nobody knows...

		SHADOW
	I might.

Stephen's eyes meet Rimgale's and hold.

		STEPHEN
	It knows us. This one knows us.

		SHADOW
		(beat)
	I need that report, Lt.

Stephen takes Rimgale's notebook out of his lap, rips out a 
page, and writes angrily in huge block letters.

		STEPHEN
	Tim-went-to-the-fire-and-now-he-
	doesn't-have-a-face.

Stephen throws the sheet at Rimgale, stands, and walks out.

INT. HALL OF RECORDS

An Escher drawing of a place, endlessly vast racks spun around 
an open central core. High up, lost among its rows, Brian is 
going through rack after rack of dog-eared record books as 
Rimgale enters down below.

		BRIAN
		(trying to hold it 
		together in his mind)
	Hey boss, Dekom Trust is owned by 
	Pan Illinois... which is majority 
	controlled by Lakeside Dynamics... 
	which is a division of Windy City 
	Ventures... who's partners are...
		(beat)
	Alan Seagrave, Donald Cosgrove, and 
	Jeffrey Holcomb.

		SHADOW
	Son of a bitch. They knew each other.

							CUT TO:

INT. HALL OF RECORDS

More books. Files. Acres of paper.

		BRIAN
	So Seagrave and Holcomb were 
	accountants...

		SHADOW
	And Cosgrove. Coppers figured he 
	laundered money for the mob before 
	getting into real estate. They weren't 
	very high on Seagrave, either.

		BRIAN
	Nice bunch of guys.

		SHADOW
	Who all ended up wearing candles for 
	faces...
		(beat)
	Swayzak's up to his ass in this 
	somehow. Guy can barely hold a drink 
	in his hand, he's so scared.

A beat, then he looks directly at Brian.

		SHADOW
	We need to get a look at his files.

EXT. ROOFTOP RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Sequence omitted from original script.

EXT. LAKESHORE - DUSK

With glowing skyscrapers leaping up in the background, it's 
an unexpectedly quiet, serene place along the lake. Jennifer 
sits alone at a bench, watching an ancient fisherman look 
for dinner, as Brian walks up.

		JENNIFER
	Hi.

		BRIAN
	Hi.

		JENNIFER
	We still talking?
		(beat)
	Look, I'm sorry about the other day --

		BRIAN
	Swayzak knows something about the 
	guys that were murdered. I want to 
	know why he keeps that hidden.

		JENNIFER
	I don't know anything about it.

		BRIAN
	You could check. It'd be in his files.

		JENNIFER
		(beat)
	Do you know what you're asking me to 
	do?

		BRIAN
	Yes.

		JENNIFER
	Y'know, four years ago I was working 
	in a bakery. Two years ago I was 
	bringing Marty coffee and he didn't 
	even know my name. I run that office 
	now. Marty believed in me and I 
	believe in him. You want me to just 
	throw that away?

		BRIAN
	Your boss is lying, Jennifer.

And it hangs between them, two people lonely on the edge of 
the lake.

INT. BRIAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Sequence omitted from original script.

INT. HELEN'S GARAGE - NIGHT

At a workbench, under a single lamp, Stephen stands amongst 
a confusion of tools, wire, And a wall socket.

With a pair of pliers, he tugs at something within the socket, 
puts the face-plate back on and screws it down. He stares at 
it, and we feel the sudden wave of hopelessness cascading 
through him.

He sets the socket back down -- and SCATTERS everything aside 
in a single, furious move.

INT. HELEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Sequence omitted from original script.

EXT. HELEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Stephen's sits quietly against Helen's back door, lost in 
himself. A light comes on. Helen opens the back door.

		HELEN
	Stephen?

She sits down beside him.

		STEPHEN
	I'm sorry... I... couldn't sleep...

		HELEN
	What's wrong?

		STEPHEN
	I...
		(beat)
	It used to be, when I was a kid, 
	what meant most to me about this job 
	was there were no ifs. Life and death, 
	right and wrong. When someone called 
	the fire department, we came... Those 
	guys don't know how much I love 
	them... You don't leave people 
	hanging... cause that's what it's 
	all about. It's loyalty. It's 'till 
	death do us part. Isn't that what 
	you heard?... It's you go, we go... 
	Cause without that, it's the end of 
	families, it's the end of the fire 
	department... and when the fire 
	department stops coming... that's 
	the end of the fucking world...
		(beat)
	I'm sorry I came, Helen, it's just... 
	it's just there's nobody I can talk 
	to...
		(beat)
	I miss you.

The moment lingers, grows heavy and grey.

INT. HELEN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

Stephen and Helen in bed, holding each other...

INT. HELEN'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING

Morning, and Stephen dressed, making eggs for three. Sean's 
there, lending a hand, beaming as Stephen tries to show him 
how to flip an egg. Helen enters in her robe. He kisses her.

		STEPHEN
	Cook and I are almost finished here. 
	Have a seat.

		HELEN
	Stephen... I... can I talk to you a 
	second...

Stephen musses his son's hair and follows her out into the 
hall.

		STEPHEN
	Look, I'm sorry I --

		HELEN
	-- No, that's okay. It's just Sean...

		STEPHEN
	-- He's gettin' good on those eggs. 
	And y'know, he told me he actually 
	likes the piano.

		HELEN
	I don't want to confuse him, Stephen.

The blow's so long and hard and deep you don't even see it.

		HELEN
	It's... It's just things have 
	changed... you're the same, Stephen, 
	but things are different now... you've 
	got a son... you're the best at what 
	you do Stephen, you always were, but 
	you scare me now...

Just then, Sean sticks his head into it.

		STEPHEN
		(to Sean)
	Hey... Sean-man, your dad blew it. I 
	forgot I had to work this morning...

		SEAN
	Aw dad, c'mon...

		STEPHEN
	Next time, huh? We'll do it up big. 
	Promise.

Helen's turned away.

		SEAN
	Okay.
		(then sotto)
	Mom's crying, dad.

INT. SWAYZAK'S OFFICE - CITY HALL - MORNING

Jennifer enters Swayzak's inner office. His chair's turned 
away toward the window.

		JENNIFER
		(holding print-out)
	Latest polls came in, Marty.
		(he doesn't answer)
	Marty?

Finally the chair turns, revealing a haunted man. Polls are 
far from his mind.

		JENNIFER
	Jesus Christ, Marty, what's going 
	on?

		SWAYZAK
	Leave me alone.

She sees a fire department file on the murders open on his 
desk.

		JENNIFER
	We've come a long way together, Marty. 
	I've staked my whole career on you. 
	And now you're sneaking around this 
	office, leaking things to the papers 
	behind my back...
		(beat)
	Is there something you're not telling 
	me about these deaths?

Swayzak's eyes are dead metal.

		SWAYZAK
	No.

And he turns his chair around again. Jennifer stands there a 
beat. -- Then turns to the filing cabinets.

EXT. BRIAN'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

Brian drives up and parks. He's half way to the staircase 
when he sees someone sitting in the dark in a car.

		BRIAN
	Jennifer?

She hands him a manila envelope.

		BRIAN
	What is --

		JENNIFER
	Just take it.

Silence.

		BRIAN
	I'm sorry.

		JENNIFER
	That's a dumb thing to say.

		BRIAN
	You're right.

She starts her car.

		JENNIFER
	Goodbye, Brian.

INT. FIRE DEPARTMENT REPAIR DEPOT

A cavernous hall full of dozens of fire trucks loaded on 
jacks. Rimgale's sedan's there, the repairman shaking his 
head in amazement at the undercarriage.

		REPAIRMAN
	What the hell do you do with this 
	thing?

Rimgale's looking through the report Brian's handed him.

		SHADOW
	This is the copy of Swayzak's manning 
	report that was released. Everybody 
	on this job knows it's bullshit but 
	we could never argue with the numbers. 
	They're all airtight.

		BRIAN
	Yeah? Airtight?

He dumps three more reports on Rimgale.

		BRIAN
	I've got three different drafts of 
	the same report -- with different 
	numbers that're all over the place. 
	Looks like they were just making it 
	up as they went along.

		SHADOW
	Did a little check on the consulting 
	firm that wrote the report. They did 
	exactly one job -- Swayzak's manpower 
	study. It's not even really a company. 
	No employees, no directors, just a 
	PO Box.

		BRIAN
	Then who wrote the report?

		SHADOW
	It had to be someone who knows 
	numbers. Some kind of fancy 
	accountant. But what's the connection?

Brian hands him something else. A photograph. Swayzak and 
the other three, posing on a fishing boat, 1970. Time of 
their lives.

		SHADOW
	I think it's time Mr. Swayzak and us 
	had a little heart to heart talk.

EXT. SWAYZAK'S HOUSE - NIGHT

The red arson sedan pulls up to wealthy home. Rimgale and 
Brian walk up and knock on the door -- it creaks open ajar. 
They push the door open slowly.

INT. SWAYZAK'S HOUSE - NIGHT

It's dark as they enter.

		SHADOW
	Hello? Swayzak?

Brian and Rimgale split up down different halls. It's the 
HISS Brian hears first. Then the FLASH of an electrical socket 
FLARING ice-cold cobalt blue. Suddenly the room's dimensions 
are there in frantic, strobing shadows. Chairs, a couch --

-- And a figure that JUMPS Brian. the light from the burning 
plug is a fierce strobe as the figure, a confused shadow, 
crashes Brian to the floor. They STRUGGLE.

The figure GRABS Brian's throat. Brian PUSHES him back

-- Against the burning wall plug. The figure SHRIEKS in pain, 
gets his hand on a crowbar and SLAMS Brian -- who crumples, 
dazed. The figure stands -- just as Rimgale TACKLES him. The 
figure CRASHES across a gas space heater, SNAPPING the 
connection off. The figure SLAMS Rimgale HARD with the 
crowbar, squirms free, and stumbles out the door.

Hissss... Rimgale climbs to his feet as fire eats at the 
wall. A baby backdraft wagging its tail. He goes to a dazed 
Brian's side, lifting him by his armpits and

EXT. SWAYZAK HOUSE - NIGHT

helping him outside. Hissss... The ruptured space heater 
pumps gas furiously. Rimgale sees that. He also sees a bedroom 
door ajar on the far side of the house. And through the door 
a couch. And on the couch, A body. Hissss...

INT. SWAYZAK HOUSE - NIGHT

Rimgale rushes back inside. It's Swayzak, unconscious.

EXT. SWAYZAK HOUSE - NIGHT

Rimgale drags him out on the stoop beside Brian just as the 
gas WHUMPS and the doors and windows EXPLODE in a HOWLING 
FIREBALL, the shrapnel BLOWING Rimgale off his feet. Brian 
slowly shakes his head clear. He looks around, tries to orient 
himself.

		SHADOW
	Uh... I sorta got a problem here...

Brian climbs up to his feet and walks over to where Rimgale 
lies at a weird angle, a piece of wrought iron fence punched 
through his shoulder.

INT. HOSPITAL - EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT

Rimgale lies in an emergency room bed.

		SHADOW
	Well Brian, I guess you can say it's 
	arson now...

		BRIAN
	How ya feeling?

Rimgale grunts.

		BRIAN
	Did you pull me out?

		SHADOW
	Yeah.

		BRIAN
	Did I say thanks?

		SHADOW
	No.

		BRIAN
	Just wondering.

		SHADOW
	I hate hospitals. You're so... so 
	goddamn useless...

Rimgale suddenly kicks the bed frame in anger. He kicks it 
over and over with frustration till something finally SNAPS 
off. Brian waits, let's him vent his frustration.

		BRIAN
	So what do you want me to do?

		SHADOW
	I've been lying here hours... just 
	thinking... We're close...
		(beat)
	We're not looking in the right place, 
	Brian. This one knows us and we're 
	not looking in the right place...

INT. PRISON INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY

Brian's sitting alone in a chair. Finally the opposite door 
opens and in enters Ronald.

		RONALD
	Well, Mr. Life magazine. Come all 
	this way just to say hi?

Brian hands him a stack of murder files.

		BRIAN
	I'm close... but I can't get who it 
	is...

		RONALD
	So you came to me...
		(smiles)
	Well, this is going to be an 
	interesting afternoon after all...

As Ronald starts to read the files

							DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRISON INTERVIEW ROOM - LATER - DAY

Brian still sitting there. Watching Ronald devour the 
statistics. The photos of charred bodies. Ronald finishes, 
leans back.

		RONALD
	Okay, here's the deal. I'll tell you 
	a story, you tell me one. Fair?

		BRIAN
	Who's doing this?

		RONALD
	Your first question should be who 
	isn't. It isn't a spark, Brian. Not 
	enough damage. And an insurance pro? 
	Where's the profit margin?

		BRIAN
	Then who --

		RONALD
	-- No no, your turn. Tell me a story.

		BRIAN
	I don't have a story.

		RONALD
	Sure you do.

Ronald drops on the table a dog-eared copy of that 1972 LIFE 
magazine with Brian on the cover.

		RONALD
	Famous story even. Straight burn. 
	Just an engine and truck first on 
	scene. What did you feel, Brian, 
	when you first got there?

		BRIAN
	What?

		RONALD
	You gotta tell a story too, Brian. 
	It's fair. C'mon, don't think too 
	hard --

		BRIAN
	I... I thought it was great. I loved 
	it. It was nothing to these guys... 
	medium deal.

		RONALD
	Right. Light smoke, low roll. Couple'a 
	civilians hollering -- medium deal. 
	So young fireman Adcox and Captain 
	McCaffrey, they head up stairs, get 
	out on the fire escape -- McCaffrey 
	does the ballsy jump across... what 
	were you feeling, Brian?
		(Brian doesn't answer)
	C'mon, you promised. Be honest.
		(Brian just stares)
	Okay... Guard!

		BRIAN
	-- I wanted to be him. Right then I 
	wanted to be him more than anything...

		RONALD
		(smiles)
	Very good, Brian. -- About your report 
	here. The way to a torch's heart is 
	through his tools. That's how you 
	know him. It's the way he talks to 
	the fire. And to you if you listen.

		BRIAN
	The outlets.

		RONALD
	That's a probie answer. You're smarter 
	than that, Brian.

		BRIAN
	Trychticholorate.

		RONALD
	Good. -- So our two heroes, Adcox 
	and McCaffrey, they go back inside. 
	Only there's another fire in there 
	nobody sees. And it took your dad, 
	didn't it Brian? Did you see him 
	burn?

In a flash, Brian suddenly reaches across and grabs Ronald 
by the collar.

		BRIAN
	Who the fuck is doing this?

		RONALD
	After it took your dad... the fire... 
	did it look at you Brian? Did it 
	talk to you?...

And Ronald sees something in Brian's eyes. He smiles.

		RONALD
	You see, our world's aren't so 
	different...

Brian releases Ronald.

		BRIAN
		(quiet)
	Who's doing this?

The arsonist smiles a creepy, horrible grin.

		RONALD
	Think, Brian. Who doesn't love fire, 
	but knows it better than anyone else? 
	Who's around trychticholorate 24 
	hours a day?

A cold shock rolls through Brian as he slumps back in his 
chair.

		BRIAN
	Oh Jesus Christ...

		RONALD
	Not such a far walk after all, is 
	it, Brian?

EXT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - MARINA - NIGHT

Brian climbs up onto Stephen's boat. Nobody home. He opens 
the cabin door, goes inside and hits the lights.

INT. STEPHEN'S BOAT - NIGHT

There's cereal bowls in the sink, beer bottles on the table, 
And a stack of fire department supplies in the corner.

His whole body aching with reluctance, Brian begins looking 
through them. Solvents, Armorall, a small specialty can of 
fire dept. chemicals. There's a label of ingredients on it. 
Way down at the bottom, Is trychticholorate. Nausea wracks 
its way through Brian.

		BRIAN
	Oh goddamn it Stephen...

Footsteps. Brian spins around in stone shock as Stephen comes 
into the cabin.

		STEPHEN
	Hey, what are you doing here?

		BRIAN
	Just... Just wanted to say hello...

		STEPHEN
	So hello.

Brian backs away from the chemicals.

		STEPHEN
	Well, long as you're here you can 
	help clean up a little. I've got a 
	guy coming to look at this in a few 
	minutes.

		BRIAN
	You're selling dad's boat?

		STEPHEN
	Yeah, it's just another memory in my 
	life right now. And I got way too 
	many of them...

		BRIAN
	I really should get back. There's... 
	there's something I'm supposed to 
	do.

		STEPHEN
	Yeah? What have you got to do?
		(beat)
	Look at you. Look at your face. All 
	the things you must be thinking. 
	Man, you must really hate my guts. 
	Well, you know what? It's okay.

		BRIAN
	Look, Stephen, maybe we can talk 
	about this some other --

		STEPHEN
	-- Okay, so you don't like me. You 
	don't like everything I've done. 
	What, because I wasn't such a genius 
	the way I raised you? Jesus Christ, 
	dad was gone, what was I supposed to 
	do? You tell me, what the fuck was I 
	supposed to do?!

He KICKS the bulkhead wall.

		BRIAN
	It's okay, Stephen, I --

		STEPHEN
	-- I tried, y'know? Helen's right. I 
	don't have all the answers, but 
	goddamn it, I've got some.
		(beat)
	Look, you're gonna do what you have 
	to, and maybe I shouldn't have gotten 
	in the way. I'm your brother, not 
	your father. Go on. You gotta go 
	somewhere? Go...

Brian turns to leave. Pauses.

		BRIAN
	I saw it.

		STEPHEN
	Saw what?

		BRIAN
	When dad died, I saw another fire...

		STEPHEN
	Everybody did.

		BRIAN
	I saw it before it got them. I tried 
	to yell, but... He asked me to look 
	out for him. And I didn't do it. I 
	let him die.

		STEPHEN
		(stunned)
	...Jesus, you been carrying that 
	around for twenty years? For christ's 
	sake, you were seven years old! You 
	think he could have heard you in 
	there?

		BRIAN
	I hate him so much sometimes, Stephen. 
	You don't know how hard it was for 
	me to put that uniform on...

		STEPHEN
	Maybe I do.
		(sighs)
	...What a fuckin' mess, huh?
		(beat)
	People can change Brian.

		BRIAN
	Sometimes right when you're looking 
	at them.

Brian sees the chemicals in the corner again and something 
freezes up inside. Stephen catches the look and there's 
horrible silence between them.

		BRIAN
	Oh God, Stephen, what's going on 
	with you?

		STEPHEN
	I don't know, Brian... I don't know...

EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - NIGHT

Brian stands before the fire station. His brother's and his.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - UPSTAIRS LOCKER ROOM

Brian PRIES the lock off Stephen's locker. Starts looking 
through it. Adcox comes out of the shower with a towel on, 
starts shaving in a mirror. He doesn't notice Brian. Adcox 
turns to head for his own locker and the towel slips a little. 
And Brian's universe caves in.

An icy claw tears out his stomach. Gulping breaths, he forces 
himself to look at Adcox's back.

On it is a small, rectangular burn. It's fresh and it's the 
size of a wall socket. At that moment Adcox turns. The two 
of them stare at one another just a beat, then Adcox walks 
past him. Just then the alarm bells RING. Brian hesitates a 
beat, confused, then turns and runs down to

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - APPARATUS FLOOR

Where firemen are scurrying around, suiting up. Brian looks 
frantically for Stephen, sees him out back.

EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - BACK OF STATION - SUNDOWN

		BRIAN
		(breathless)
	-- Stephen, wait a minute. I gotta 
	talk to you. It's Adcox, he's --

		STEPHEN
	-- What are you doing here?

		BRIAN
	I saw Adcox's back! I saw the burn! 
	I put it there! Jesus Christ, Stephen, 
	he's been killing people!

		STEPHEN
	I know.

		BRIAN
	How do you know?

		STEPHEN
	I knew when you came looking for the 
	chemicals. Looking for me.

		BRIAN
	-- What were they doing there?

		STEPHEN
	They were for the fucking boat, Brian.

Grindles sticks his head out the back door.

		GRINDLE
	We gotta roll, Stevie...

		STEPHEN
	I'll be there.

		GRINDLE
	They're waitin' man.

		STEPHEN
	I'll be there, goddamn it!

Grindle goes back in.

		STEPHEN
		(to Brian)
	Anything else?

		BRIAN
	What are we going to do about this?

		STEPHEN
	I'll handle it.

		BRIAN
	We gotta go to Rimgale, Stephen.

		STEPHEN
	I'm his Lt. He's my responsibility. 
	I'll handle it. Me.

Stephen turns and walks toward the station.

Brian's eyes go to a window just above it. There, watching 
him, watching the whole exchange between brothers, is Adcox.

Adcox stares at Brian a beat, then finally disappears as 
Brian hears the cough of diesel engines.

		BRIAN
	Oh, Christ. Stephen...

He starts running for the station.

INT./EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - NIGHT

-- It's too late. Adcox climbs aboard just as the engine 
company pulls out and whistles down the street.

The ladder company is just easing onto the drive. Brian 
hesitates only an instant, then runs to the equipment racks, 
PULLS off the hooks his helmet, coat, boots -- and jumps 
onto the truck as it takes off in pursuit.

INT./EXT. ENGINE COMPANY 17 - NIGHT

As it howls down the avenue, Stephen turns around and stares 
at Adcox sitting behind. The glimmer of an understanding...

INT./EXT. TRUCK COMPANY 46 - NIGHT

The laddermen look confused seeing Brian sitting among them.

A CAR Suddenly CUTS the truck company off. The driver SLAMS 
the brakes, PUSHING the truck company into a HORRIBLE SKID. 
The back fishtails, the wheels JUMP the curb, BASH a mailbox, 
and then the whole rig ROLLS onto its side and DRAGS to a 
stop.

It's tangled confusion in the rear cab. Firemen, unhurt, 
piled atop one another. Brian slides his way out from under 
them and looks down the street where plumes of smoke rise 
six blocks away.

He starts running.

EXT. WAREHOUSE FIRE - NIGHT

Flames and smoke curl from a huge industrial warehouse along 
the river as Brian, panting, runs up. He searches frantically 
through the maze of arriving engine companies, looking for 
number 17. There it is but nobody's home. Brian stops a 
passing captain.

		BRIAN
	Where are they? Where's 17?

		CAPTAIN
	On the roof.

Brian looks up at the smoke and whirling firestorm four 
stories above him, feels the bile of fear in his throat, the 
desperation, -- And begins strapping on an air tank.

EXT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

Brian, now fully suited up, climbs the endless rungs of an 
extended aerial ladder.

EXT. WAREHOUSE ROOF - NIGHT

Tongues of flame ROCKET skyward through ragged holes. Black 
clouds drift murderously, roofing tars bubble and hiss as 
the roof itself GROANS like a comatose dinosaur, reminding 
you the whole thing could go any minute -- and you with it.

Trudging alone across this alien, spongy surface, Brian looks 
for his company. It's almost impossible to tell anyone apart, 
faces hidden behind helmets and masks.

Suddenly a cloud of smoke clears and there's two firemen 
near the edge, "17" on their helmets.

		BRIAN
	Stephen --

The helmets look up. Stephen and Adcox. Facing each other. 
Adcox cradles an axe.

		STEPHEN
	Brian?

Brian starts to move beside Stephen but Adcox turns, tightens 
his grip on the axe, and now all the cards are on the table. 
A hissing black cloud drifts through. They're the only three 
people on earth.

Adcox's eyes are clouded with tears.

		AXE
	Aw man, Stephen, listen to me...

		STEPHEN
	-- What the fuck were you thinking, 
	huh? Burning people? You're a fireman.

		AXE
	They were killing firemen, man. When 
	Sally showed me what was in Swayzak's 
	files... They were my friends, I had 
	to do it. I had to do it for the 
	department.

		BRIAN
	Did you do it for Tim?

		AXE
		(pain, to Stephen)
	That was an accident! Jesus Christ, 
	why did you have to go in there so 
	fucking early? Why didn't you listen 
	to me!

Brian and Stephen are backed up against the roof edge -- 
sixty feet up. Far below a fireboat has begun pumping a 
massive stream at the side of the building.

		AXE
	You gotta let me finish --

		BRIAN
	Just come down, John. Just --

		AXE
	-- Shut up! Your dad would fucking 
	puke if he saw how you've shit on 
	his department!

		STEPHEN
	-- Knock it off!

		AXE
		(to Stephen)
	-- You can't let him turn you against 
	your friends, man --

		BRIAN
	-- He killed people --

		AXE
	-- You know what Swayzak would do to 
	the department if this got out? --

		BRIAN
	-- Stephen, this is bullshit --

		AXE
	-- What he would do to your dad's 
	department? You gotta let me finish 
	it --

And there's a horrible glimmer of confusion on Stephen's 
face.

		BRIAN
	You're his Lt., Stephen...
		(beat)
	Are you gonna handle it? Are you 
	Stephen?

		STEPHEN
	Shut up!

		AXE
	...What do you want me to do, Stephen? 
	Talk to me. What am I supposed to 
	do?

		STEPHEN
		(beat)
	There's a fire. We've got a job here. 
	Let's get on with it.

EXT. WAREHOUSE - ACROSS THE ROOF - NIGHT

The rest of the crews are totally oblivious to what's 
happening through the smoke on the other side. Grindle and 
Santos feel the roof go suddenly spongy beneath them.

		GRINDLE
	Shit... It's going! Clear the roof! 
	Now!

Everybody drops their equipment and runs for the edges as

EXT. WAREHOUSE ROOF - BRIAN ET. AL - NIGHT

Brian, Stephen and Adcox react as the roof HOWLS and GROANS 
and huge SPLITS begin racing along it. And then it goes.

The center section DROPS, and in rolling waves of SCREECHING 
steel, the hole spreads outward; DEVOURING.

Adcox shoves them aside and runs for his life as the hole 
races for them, SWALLOWING roof.

		STEPHEN
	Jesus Christ Brian, run! Run goddamn 
	it!

And Brian balls-out dashes for the edge. Stephen's made one 
corner, Brian desperately heads for another. At the last 
instant -- as the HOWLING FLAME BELLOWS UP to his ankles -- 
Brian LEAPS OFF the roof --

EXT. WAREHOUSE - FIRE ESCAPE - NIGHT

-- And falls half a story before CRASHING onto an exterior 
fire escape. Flames have cut off the fire escape two floors 
below, so Brian climbs down as far as possible, crawls onto 
a ledge, KICKS out a window, steps through,

And falls.

INT. WAREHOUSE - ELEVATOR SHAFT - NIGHT

Blackness and emptiness, two stories of it, before he CRASHES 
into a pool of water at the bottom. He's in a freight elevator 
shaft, thrashing madly, drowning. Great SHEETS of WATER are 
POURING through an upper doorway and CASCADING down like 
monsoon rain.

EXT. WAREHOUSE - FIREBOAT

We see it's coming from the fireboat's rushing stream.

INT. WAREHOUSE - ELEVATOR SHAFT

The weight of his equipment is pulling Brian underwater. 
Struggling against the insane swirls and the sheets of water 
still POURING DOWN, Brian unhooks his air tank. He leans 
back, tries to float on the rising column of water. -- His 
coat catches on something -- YANKS him underwater. He 
struggles feverishly -- finally tears the coat off.

The building GROANS in earnest. Flaming chunks of plaster 
CRASH down around Brian, forcing him to duck underwater. The 
place is coming apart.

Ten feet above, one of the falling chunks SMACKS a gas main, 
SPLITTING then IGNITING it. A white-hot JET OF FLAME SHOOTS 
from one side of the shaft to the other.

Brian's floating okay, he's floating right up into the flames.

Brian tries to flatten himself out, to keep everything but 
his nose below water, but he's still moving up -- the heat 
becoming so intense his face flares and he's ducking under 
water now, trying to stay alive, trying to decide whether to 
drown or burn --

-- When there's a CRASH. And suddenly another door on the 
shaft is tearing open. There's a glint of an axe. A 
flashlight.

It's Stephen.

Brian has about two seconds left. In that time Stephen sees 
the shut-off for the gas line mounted on the wall opposite. 
It's unreachable, a good twelve feet across a horizontal 
curtain of flame. Before we can even assimilate that, 
Stephen's already jumped. A crazy leap over the fire. He 
SMACKS the opposite wall, HITS the shut-off, and FALLS 
CRASHING into the pool beside Brian.

		STEPHEN
	You crazy son of a bitch, why couldn't 
	you stay behind a desk where you 
	belong?

		BRIAN
	"You never know till the fire stares 
	you down if you're gonna be --"

		STEPHEN
	Oh shut up, huh?
		(grimaces)
	I think I broke my goddamn arm...

Brian helps him stay above water. The level continues to 
rise, bringing them finally even with an open doorway they 
scramble through.

INT. WAREHOUSE - STAIRWAY - NIGHT

It leads to a stairwell that's become a RAGING TORRENT of 
water spilling down it. No way. They push through to the 
next doorway and out onto

INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

The place is full of hundreds of chemical drums. The fire 
has cracked its way into the room as WUMP -- drums begin 
EXPLODING, SHOOTING UPWARD Roman candle fountains of 
glittering FLAME. Brian helps Stephen as they snake their 
way past sweating drums -- pressure valves hissing madly 
with desperation. They duck low, round a corner,

INT. WAREHOUSE - CATWALK - NIGHT

-- And walk right into an axe handle that SMACKS Brian's 
throat KNOCKING him gasping flat on his back. It's Adcox.

Stephen JUMPS Adcox and TACKLES him on the edge of a metal 
platform that extends out from the raised flooring.

		STEPHEN
	You stupid son of a bitch! What the 
	fuck are you doing!

		AXE
	Stevie... I...

Adcox struggles against him, heaving and sobbing.

		STEPHEN
	Let it go! Goddamn it let it go!

And Adcox releases the axe.

		AXE
	I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...

Brian's on his feet now, coming toward them, when a chemical 
drum below EXPLODES, the shock wave BUCKLING the platform 
and DROPPING it several feet before it HOLDS. Brian, cut-
off, is HIT with a wall of debris.

Adcox and Stephen are FLUNG across the platform and THROUGH 
the shattered railing. Stephen grabs a piece of broken, 
dangling strut and hangs on with one hand.

In his other hand is Adcox. Hanging below him, his grip 
loosening.

		BRIAN
	Stephen!

Brian's struggling to get out from under the debris. The 
railing Stephen's hanging onto is slick, his hand SLIPPING 
along it. But he won't let go of Adcox. His eyes bore into 
his best friend's with absolute conviction.

		STEPHEN
	You go, we go.

The towering shots of FLAME from below have begun to IGNITE 
Adcox's pant leg. He's starting to burn. But Stephen won't 
let go. Won't let go even as the flames crawl up Adcox's 
back. And Stephen's hand is slipping and slipping and then 
it isn't slipping anymore because it's come off.

		BRIAN
	NO!

Adcox and Stephen FALL. There's a narrow catwalk half-way 
down. Stephen HITS with a sickening CRUNCH.

Adcox falls past it, down into the flames.

There's an exposed I-beam running from the ruined platform 
out over the catwalk. Brian climbs up onto it, balances across 
over the fire below and jumps down to the catwalk where his 
brother lies, battered but still alive.

		BRIAN
	You're gonna be all right, man.

INT. WAREHOUSE - FLOOR - NIGHT

Brian looks down and across the factory floor. There, coming 
through the doorway, is Pengelly and Nightengale with a 
hoseline.

INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

		BRIAN
	Hey! Over here!

They start for him when another drum EXPLODES, FLATTENING 
them and launching their hoseline into a crazy, thrashing 
arc. The flame has cut them off from the hose. Stephen sees 
what Brian's thinking.

		STEPHEN
	Wait for another hose team...

But Brian's already moving for the catwalk ladder.

		STEPHEN
	Wait for the goddamn hose team!

Brian puts his feet on the outside rungs of the ladder and 
SLIDES down to the factory floor. He's heading for the 
hoseline when WHAM! -- The fire cuts him off. Not just any 
fire. That same one from so many years ago.

Don't fuck with me, kid. I'm not in the mood.

Nightengale's lost his helmet and it's lying near the flames 
spinning slowly upside down -- just like his father's. Brian 
stands there, paralyzed, as the fire laughs at him. Same old 
little kid with his finger up his ass. Then something 
different comes into Brian's eyes.

		BRIAN
	No... No more.

There's a pathetic little wall extinguisher mounted on the 
pole. Brian lifts it, approaches the fire. You can practically 
hear the flames laugh at him. Brian suddenly turns and SLAMS 
the neck of the extinguisher against the pole, BREAKING it 
off before HEAVING the cannister HISSING into the flames 
where it EXPLODES -- a cloud of extinguisher powder that 
STUNS the flames just long enough for Brian to dash through 
and TACKLE the hose.

The fire shakes off the powder, rises up to kill -- Just as 
Brian spins and HITS it with the STREAM.

-- And it's like a howling train wreck as the two grapple 
with each other -- Pengelly and Nightengale have an opening, 
and they're dashing for the catwalk ladder up to Stephen 
because the fire doesn't care -- it only has eyes for Brian 
now --

-- And Stephen sees Brian tackle the monster, and his eyes 
fill with tears --

-- And the fire's pushing Brian -- pushing him with the fury 
of a frightened street bully -- but Brian won't give -- and 
now the fire's back's broken -- it's whimpering, dying.

And Pengelly and Nightengale have climbed up to Stephen now, 
pulling him away.

		STEPHEN
	That's my brother! That's my brother 
	goddamn it!

And the fire's just a little gremlin now, sighing sadly as 
Brian steps up with the hoseline.

		BRIAN
	Another time, friend.

And whoosh, it's gone.

EXT. BURNED BUILDING - NIGHT

Brian rushes up as paramedics load his brother into an 
ambulance.

		STEPHEN
		(smiles, weak)
	You are such a pain in the ass...

As Brian jumps in with him

							CUT TO:

INT. AMBULANCE - NIGHT

Paramedics swarm over Stephen as the ambulance screams through 
the night. Brian's right there, holding his hand.

		STEPHEN
	Don't tell them about Adcox... Don't 
	let 'em...

		BRIAN
	I'm sorry... I'm sorry I thought... 
	I won't.

His brother squeezes Brian's hand, his eyes never leaving 
him.

		PARAMEDIC
		(reading EKG)
	Oh shit, give him some lidocaine, 
	now. Now.

		STEPHEN
		(beat)
	Who's your brother?

Stephen's EKG's begun to falter. The other paramedic fires 
off an injection into his IV.

		PARAMEDIC
	His pressure's fading -- push some 
	adrenalin.

The EKG's become erratic. Stephen's eyes never leave Brian's.

		BRIAN
	Oh man, don't you die... Don't you 
	die...

		PARAMEDIC #2
	He's going south... He's gonna box 
	damn it...

They put an ambo bag over Stephen's face. The eyes never 
leave Brian's.

		BRIAN
	Goddamn it don't you die now... Not 
	now!

They're breathing for him now. The EKG begins shrieking.

		PARAMEDIC
	V-fib!

The paramedics begin scrambling to load the defibrillator 
pads on Stephen's chest. But the fireman's eyes never waver 
from Brian. They look into his with complete conviction, 
complete acceptance, And then they don't.

FADE TO BLACK:

Then, FADE UP TO:

EXT. MICHIGAN AVE - DAWN

A silent, quiet street absolutely empty of traffic. Then 
over the crest of Chicago's mightiest thoroughfare, creeps 
slowly a fire engine. It's emergency lights are on but not 
the siren. This engine isn't in a hurry today.

Behind comes another fire engine. And another. Ten, twenty, 
all of them creeping slowly along. And behind the engines 
now walk firemen in their dress blues. Hundreds of them. 
Walking silently in step behind

TWO COFFINS

Loaded in the rear of Engine 17. Santos drives as Grindle, 
Brian, and the men of ladder company 46, walk behind. The 
silent procession passes under extended aerial ladders crossed 
like dress swords. Average people stop, take their hats off.

EXT. LAKE SHORE DRIVE - THE SILENT PROCESSION

Sequence omitted from original script.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

Two coffins, lying side by side, draped in the blue and white 
of the Chicago flag. A single fire helmet rests atop each 
casket.

Brian stands at attention beside Helen. He holds the hand of 
Stephen's son Sean, his eyes clouded with tears as a fire 
dept. honor guard plays Taps. Jennifer's there, too far away 
to touch.

Rimgale, still wearing a head bandage, stands stiffly beside 
a brass bell and speaks with a voice raw and weary.

		SHADOW
	In the Chicago Fire Department the 
	alarm code 3-3-5 signifies that the 
	company has returned home to quarters. 
	We will now ring out that code to 
	welcome home John Adcox and Stephen 
	McCaffrey...

With a small hammer Rimgale rings out 3-3-5 on the bell.

The honor guard folds the flag covering Stephen's casket and 
hands it to Helen, who holds it to her breast as we

							DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

A sea of blue uniforms drifting across green as the funeral 
breaks up. Brian hugs Helen and Sean. Lets them go.

EXT. CEMETERY EDGE - DAY

Rimgale's there, resting against his dept. sedan as Brian 
walks by, pauses, and leans on it beside him. A beat.

		SHADOW
	Your brother was a good man.

		BRIAN
	Yeah.

		SHADOW
	Another couple of good men get burned 
	up for their city? Is that how it's 
	going to read?
		(Brian doesn't answer)
	You're the only one that knows.

		BRIAN
	Like it never happened...

Rimgale turns to walk back to his sedan. He pauses. Looks 
back to Brian.

		SHADOW
	Want to help me with something?

INT. OFFICE - DAY

An elevator opens as Brian and Rimgale walk quickly out, 
down a hall, and BURST into Swayzak's office.

INT. SWAYZAK'S OFFICE - DAY

The Alderman's there, giving a press conference from his 
desk.

		SHADOW
	Mr. Swayzak! How ya doin'?

		SWAYZAK
		(confused)
	Investigator...

Rimgale sits on Swayzak's desk.

		SWAYZAK
	I'm a little busy right now --

		SHADOW
	This'll only take a minute. There's 
	two cops outside that want to ask 
	you about this --

Rimgale drops the manning report on Swayzak's desk.

		SHADOW
	This is just a guess of course, but 
	I think they're gonna want to know 
	why you secretly paid Donald Cosgrove, 
	Jeffrey Holcomb and Alan Seagrave to 
	create a phony manpower study.
		(to cameras)
	You guys'll wait, right?

The room explodes with questions. Through the din Brian leans 
over the desk very close to Swayzak.

		BRIAN
	See that glow flashing in the corner 
	of your eye? That's your career 
	dissipation light. And it just went 
	into high gear.

Brian turns and pushes his way out. At the door he pauses 
and looks back at Rimgale. The investigator nods and smiles 
just a little...

INT. SWAYZAK'S OFFICE CORRIDOR

As Brian walks down it, Rimgale appears and calls to him.

		SHADOW
	-- Brian.

Brian hesitates.

		SHADOW
	Don't keep looking over your shoulder 
	for the ghost. It's gone now.

And there's just a beat between the investigator and his 
probie before Brian nods and walks away.

EXT. SWAYZAK OFFICE CORRIDOR

Brian walks down the hall. He passes Jennifer's small office. 
She's in there, surrounded by packing boxes.

		BRIAN
	I think your boss is going to need 
	some spin control.

		JENNIFER
	I quit two days ago, Brian.

		BRIAN
		(beat)
	What'll you do?

		JENNIFER
	I don't have the slightest idea...

		BRIAN
	I'll see ya around, huh?

		JENNIFER
	It's a small town.

							DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FIRE STATION 17 - CITY

And morning breaking across the avenues and up against the 
tired brick of firehouse 17.

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - LOCKER ROOM

Brian sits staring into his locker, lost in thought, his 
equipment stacked up on the bench beside him. THE ALARM KLAXON 
SOUNDS

INT. FIRE STATION 17 - APPARATUS FLOOR

And firemen scurrying to their equipment on the apparatus 
floor. They're climbing aboard their rigs now and the pumper's 
diesel is coughing to life.

At the last moment, as it begins to pull out, Brian comes 
sliding down the pole in his turn-out gear, bounces off the 
floor, and climbs aboard as the engine WHISTLES away.

INT. ENGINE 17 - CAB

There's a new fireman beside him on the bench. He can't get 
his coat buckled right. Brian leans over does it for him.

		BRIAN
	You're doing it wrong.

EXT. FIRE ENGINE 17 - STREET - DAY

And the fire engine slips away from us, down the avenue, 
into the city as we

							FADE TO BLACK

				THE END