[Policewoman attaches parking ticket to Tessa's car, walks off as Tessa and DM exit store]

Tessa - I can't believe this -- look at it. I have more than a hundred tickets here. {I've got a ??} Listen, I'm a citizen, I pay my taxes.

DM - You know, it looks like you've got another one over there.

Tessa - No, this is a . . . No.

DM - [pulling ticket from under windshield wiper] And it's a big fat one, too.

Tessa - Damn!

DM - Why don't you pay your parking tickets? I pay all mine.

Tessa - Yeah, I know, you do everything. I know you do everything, Mister I-know-everything.

DM - Come on, Richie, let's get going. Stop feeding your face.

Tessa - You know what? I'm leaving this country. If I have to pay these tickets, I'm leaving this country. {I ??} Richie, quickly, we're late.

RR - [exits store, all get into T-bird.] I'm here.

Tessa - [looking at tickets] Damn it. I don't believe that. Richie, don't they have anything better to do?

[T-bird pulls up next to "No Parking - Tow Away Zone" sign]

DM - [as Tessa flips through stack of tickets] Yeah, some people collect stamps.

Tessa - Very funny.

DM - They're not going to let you pay for those on an installment plan, you know.

RR - Have either of you guys noticed we're in a tow-away zone?

Tessa - They won't tow the car away.

DM - Ah, you've talked to the police already?

Tessa - No, because you're staying with the car. [gets out] It says here the office is in Building A.

RR - [getting out] You'll get lost.

DM - Yeah, that's right. Stay with Richie. He knows his way around in there better than anybody.

RR - Yeah, yeah, yeah, very funny.

DM - Well, if they put you in jail, I'll write every day.

RR - [walking off with Tessa] Yeah, sure.

Workman - [offscreen] Morning, Charlie. [Bailiff nods, closes courtroom door]

[inside courtroom, lawyers talk quietly as the court stenographer prepares his machine. Meanwhile, out in the hall, four workmen in paint-stained white coveralls start their day of renovations.]

Janitor - [walking down the hall with his daughter] Now, you promise to be good. Don't go bothering the judge like last time.

Belinda - He was nice.

Janitor - I know, but he's real busy, okay?

Belinda - Is Momma coming to the courthouse?

Janitor - No, Momma's got to talk to a man about a new job.

Belinda - Why? Didn't she like her old one?

Janitor - Yeah, but it sorta went away.

Belinda - Will your job go away, too?

Janitor - No, no. My job's fine. Hey, I'm the main man around here. Without me this building would fall down. [unlocks door to Janitor's closet] Okay, baby. You go in there and play, okay? Daddy's got to go to work. [hugs Belinda]

Belinda - [entering closet] Close the door, please. [She walks to a nook in the back where a small table, chair, blackboard, and toys are found. She sits in the chair and picks up two dolls.] [Big doll voice:] We're gonna have a party. [Little doll voice:] Oh goody. [Big doll:] And we're gonna have chocolate cake with lots and lots and lots and lots of icing. [Little doll:] Oh goody, I can't wait.

Slade - [led in by bailiff, sits by his lawyer, Myron Klein] Morning, Klein.

Bailiff - [as judge enters] All rise.

Judge - Is the defendant ready to receive sentence?

Klein - We are not, your honor. I object to this entire proceeding.

Judge - Noted. [to Slade] Anything to say before sentence is passed? [Slade is silent] Also noted. Brian Slade, I hereby sentence you to the term of life without the possibility of parole for each of the seven counts of murder in the first degree. Terms to be served consecutively.

Klein - Your honor, defense would again argue that Mr. Slade's trial has been a mockery of the judicial system.

Judge - Mr. Klein, your client has been convicted of one of the most heinous crimes in the history of this country . . . one which has left seven people dead. The man is so dangerous I had to sentence him in a closed court.

Klein - We're going all the way on appeal, way over your head.

Judge - Mr. Klein! That is your right. [to bailiff] Take him away.

Bailiff - Come on, Slade, let's go.

Klein - Don't worry, I haven't given up on you, okay?

Slade - That's very comforting, Myron. [led away by Bailiff]

Judge - Mr. Klein.

Klein - Your honor?

Judge - Approach the bench.

Prosecutor - [to companion] I can't believe Klein is even going to consider an appeal. [they continue talking as they leave the courtroom.]

Judge - Listen, pencilneck. Next time you mouth off in my court, you'll have thirty days to discuss the law with your other clients who never made it out of here.

[Bailiffs lead Slade past the four workers, who pull guns from various hiding places.]

Kirby - Now! [fires his gun, killing both bailiffs. The "workers" run forward and, taking the keys from the dead bailiff, uncuff Slade.]

Cop - Some people figure meters don't apply to them. [attaches parking ticket to windshield of T-bird, then knocks on glass to awaken DM, who is asleep in the driver's seat.] Hey, buddy, rise and shine. [DM wakes up, sees ticket.]

RR - Gunshots . . . I heard gunshots.

Stanley - Backfires. Just a truck backfiring. Nothing to worry about.

RR - Yeah, right. [stops, backs up] Stanley!

Stanley - Who wants to know?

RR - It's me, Richie Ryan. [Stanley looks at him.] Come on, we're outta here. [Grabs Stanley's arm in one hand, Tessa's in the other, and pulls them down the hallway.]

Stanley - [As they wait for the elevator] I'll be damned. Richie Ryan, hah-hah! It's been so long! What've you been doing with yourself?

Slade - Go!

[His men wait as a cop runs up the stairs, then lean around the corner and gun him down.]

2nd Cop - Jerry! [as fire alarm sounds, leans around corner to shoot at the gunmen] I got 'ya. [pulls his dead partner away]

[DM hears fire alarm and gun shots. He gets out of the T-bird and jogs toward the courthouse]

Bystander - {I heard some} gunshots on the fourth floor.

Slade - [as gunfight continues] Back off! [takes gun and leads the men back down the hallway] We'll try the other side.

Klein - [stopped in his tracks as the armed group rounds a corner] Ah!

Slade - Myron! How good to see you again. [to his men] Move. Bring him along. Kill the alarm, Mancuso.

[As alarm stops, the Janitor bursts through the door at the end of the hall, runs past RR, Tessa, and Stanley, and skids to a halt as Slade and his men round the corner, guns aimed at him]

Stanley - [raising his hands over his head] Geesh.

Slade - [to Janitor] And you thought you'd missed the party.

[Elevator dings, doors slide open. DM sees the unarmed side standing with hands raised, and moves quickly to grab the gun hand of the nearest man (Schmidt), disarming him.]

Tessa - Duncan! [Slade pistol whips DM from behind] Aaah!

Kirby - Let's go!

Slade - No! They'll be waiting for us in the lobby. Everybody back in the courtroom. Move! [motions at DM] Him, too.

Kirby - {Fine, give me your ??} [drags DM along by the wrists]

Slade - Move it!

Tessa - Duncan, it's me. Duncan? Duncan, come on. Duncan. [Slade walks over and puts his hands on her shoulders.] Don't touch me.

RR - Bud, why don't you lay off! [he is pushed away by one of the other men]

Slade - Very nice.

Randi - [as yet another ticket is affixed to the T-bird's windshield] We're here in front of the County Courthouse, where, thirty minutes ago, an extraordinary drama took place. Brian Slade, the convicted murderer made a bid for freedom from the courthouse where he was being sentenced . . . apparently aided by members of his own gang. But the escape effort WAS thwarted by two unsuspecting police officers who stumbled upon the gang members. More details as they become available. This is Randi McFarland, reporting live.

SWAT Commander - Lieutenant Cominski?

Cominski - So, they ask for anything yet?

SWAT - Yeah. Chopper and a pilot, Lieutenant.

Cominski - What're the chances of you putting some of your men up on the roof?

SWAT - There's no roof access. We could try bringing them in on the same chopper that Slade wants to go out on.

Cominski - Aw, come on, no. He's too smart to fall for something like that. He'll have someone up there already. What about the bailiffs?

SWAT - They're both dead.

Cominski - Put in a call to Mr. Slade.

[As they pick up the phones . . .]

[ . . . Slade's phone rings. He answers it.]

Slade - [into phone] Brian Slade, here. Who am I talking to?

Cominski - Lieutenant Cominski. I'm in charge down here.

Slade - What's your first name, Cominski?

Cominski - Stosh.

Slade - Stosh. Let me ask you a question, Stosh . . . Have you had much experience doing this sort of thing?

Cominski - Well, what do you think?

Slade - Careful, Stosh. We can cut through a lot of the ritual, here. Like I said, I want the chopper on the roof in a half hour. I want five backpacks with enough food for five men for a week . . . flashlights, a sleeping bag, a compass . . . You get the idea. Either the chopper is on the roof in a half hour, or your first body hits the pavement. [hangs up.]

[later]

RR - [as DM sits up, holding his head] You're okay, right? [slaps him on the shoulder.]

Tessa - [to Stanley as he fumbles in his pocket for a bottle of pills] Are you all right?

Stanley - [swallowing a pill] I'm all right. These guys aren't going to let us go even if I wasn't all right.

Tessa - Maybe they will.

Stanley - No, no, no. Not these guys. I'm a student of the human condition. I can size up a mark in a fiddler's minute.

Tessa - Mark?

Stanley - Yeah, mark. Yeah. Sucker, pigeon. It's what I do for a living. I'm a con artist, miss. I like it. I tried fencing for a while, but you fall in with a bad bunch of people that way. Nah, in the con game, you're always dealing with the nicer people . . . honest people. Dumb. A little larceny in their hearts . . . but nice and honest. Nicer piece of people like Richie, here. Anyway, my point is, these guys you cannot con.

SWAT - [watching Schmidt on monitor] They've taken out every other camera on the fourth floor. Here goes this one.

Cominski - No. He'll ask Slade first. See, I'm getting a feel for these guys. They're like a well trained military unit. Commandos, maybe.

SWAT - Slade was a major in the Special Forces. Three of his gang are ex-military. You’ve been reading their file.

Cominski - Nah, it's just a guess.

SWAT - Hmph. Good to guess what they're gonna do in twenty-five minutes?

Cominski - I think we'd better have that chopper on the roof.

Slade - [To DM] Are you a cop? You look like a cop.

DM - I'm not a cop.

Slade - Military, then, right?

DM - I've put in my time.

Slade - I can always tell. Nice move out in the hallway. Clean, efficient. You're good. I respect that.

DM - Am I supposed to respect this?

Slade - This? It's just business. Nothing personal -- a means to an end.

DM - So you're bluffing the police.

Slade - No. We'll do whatever's necessary. You would too in my place, wouldn't you? Sure you would. You'd do whatever it took. I'm a good judge of men. [walks off]

Janitor - [leans over, whispering] My little girl . . . is somewhere on this floor. Has anybody seen her?

Randi - [to cameraman] Okay. All right, look, let's try the 'sources close to the scene' routine, you know? Make them think that we know something they don't, all right? Ready? Just shoot it. [into camera] I've just been informed by sources very high up in the police department that something big is about to break. Although I see no unusual activity outside the courthouse, these sources insist [talks louder as helicopter can be heard approaching] that this crisis is rapidly reaching a head. [looks up, sees helicopter, lowers microphone] Son of a bitch. [to cameraman] Sometimes you just get lucky. Shoot it! Shoot it, shoot it! [as helicopter descends toward building] Are you getting it?

[Two snipers in black drop from helicopter onto building roof, helicopter lifts away from them.]

Kirby - Two snipers came in with the chopper. They're on the roof.

Slade - Keep an eye on them. Take this with you. [hands Kirby a radio]

Slade - [walks in, dialing phone, and speaks into it.] I'm disappointed in you, Stosh. I thought we understood each other.

Cominski - We do. What's the problem here?

Slade - There are two snipers up on the roof.

Cominski - That was a mistake, Slade. I didn't know about it. We'll remove them.

Slade - You're playing with me. Okay. You wanna see how I play? Stay tuned.

SWAT - We're taking the snipers off now.

Cominski - [hangs up phone] Commander, next time you plan some of this Rambo crap, do you think you could inform me first? I'd really appreciate it!

Slade - [looking over assembled hostages] Take my good friend Myron here into the office with the security camera and do him in front of it.

Myron - No, no, not me. I-I tried to take care of you! I was -- I was going to appeal. We were gonna beat this thing together! [points offscreen - to Judge?] Why don't you take him?

DM - He has a wife and child. He told me about them.

Myron - Yeah, it's true, it's true. It's a little boy. He's three.

Slade - Oh. What's his middle name?

Myron - Um, it's, uh . . .

Slade - What's that they say in the Revolution, Myron? First, you kill all the lawyers.

Myron - No, no . . . [Slade raises and cocks gun. Myron screams, as do other hostages. Slade pulls trigger and gun clicks harmlessly. Myron begins to cry.]

Slade - Take Rambo here and put him on ice. [His men pull Myron out of the room. Slade walks down to where DM is sitting, puts clip in gun and cocks it again.] Like I said, nothing personal.

DM - [standing] Let's go.

Tessa - [moving forward] Duncan . . . [DM stops at door, turns] I love you.

DM - I'll see you.

Kirby - Not in this lifetime, pal. [pushes DM out of courtroom and down hall to the lone security camera]

Cominski - [As Slade, his man, and DM walk into view on the monitor] Now what the hell is this? Who's the guy in the middle?

SWAT - Maybe one of the hostages.

Cominski - Wait a minute, I know this guy. It's MacLeod! [reaches for phone and hits redial]

Slade - [on monitor, answers phone] Just so we understand the seriousness of the situation, Stosh.

Cominski - We're pulling the men off the roof, Slade! Now listen, just listen to the chopper. These guys are history.

Slade - Just so there are no more games, no more delays.

Cominski - Slade, I know you're serious. You don't need to impress me. I know you. You don't need to do this. [gets dial tone as Slade hangs up, tries to redial] Pick up, you son of a bitch! Don't do this!

[While Cominski was talking to Slade:]

SWAT - [talking in background into his headset] Teams 2, 3 and 5, take up your positions. Go on my command.

Radio - Unit three has withdrawn, repeat, unit three has withdrawn, over.

SWAT - Squad five, are you in position? Five? Report your position.

Radio - Unit four in position.

[Cominski and SWAT Commander watch monitor as DM is shot and falls to the ground.]

Radio - Unit five in position. We're all ready.

[Slade walks up to security camera, points gun at it and monitor goes to snow.]

Radio - Report shots fired. [another voice:] Confirm that. We heard it too.

SWAT - All squads attack on my command.

Cominski - No, dammit, no!

SWAT - Ready . . .

Cominski - Look, they're all dead before we even get close. Now you call your men off NOW!

SWAT - Squads 2, 3, 5 . . . Stand down.

Radio - Confirmed. Standing down.

SWAT - Await orders. Acknowledge.

Radio - Unit 5, roger.

[later]

Randi - [talking to camera] So as of now, we have heard that at least one hostage has been shot, possibly killed, and no further word as to the identity of that hostage. We will continue to keep you informed of any developments as they break. Now back to our studio. [as cameraman turns feed off] All right, look, take this tape -- I don't care what you have to do: beg, sell your children, just get us a live feed. [to herself after cameraman leaves] All the news, all the time. You are there. In sports: one dead, no men on, no score at the top of the seventh. Update: any city, any time . . . some poor fool just died. Film at eleven. [pauses, takes deep breath] This week in Washington . . .

[DM, still lying on floor, revives]

Belinda - [to doll] There's a man in the hall. Maybe we should tell him where we are. [pretends to be the doll] I don't like him. He looks mean. [talks to doll again] We'll wait in here till my daddy comes back. He'll know what to do. He runs everything in this building, you know.

Slade - He was a brave man. He died well. I admire that.

Tessa - [holding back tears] Do you think that I give a damn what you admire?

Slade - You're angry now. That's understandable. Later, in a day or so, you'll appreciate what I've told you.

Tessa - [as Slade walks off] Slade . . . in a day or so, you'll be dead.

Slade - Aye, well, that still gives us a day or so together, doesn't it? [cell phone rings, he answers it] Are we on the same frequency now, Stosh?

Cominski - Yeah, I'm listening.

Slade - I want a helicopter big enough for the five of us, plus three hostages.

Cominski - You have the pilot.

Slade - No, we don't. Not until we're on the chopper, we don't. [closes phone]

SWAT - They're heading for the Great North Woods. If they fly in there at treetop level, they could disappear for weeks.

Cominski - How long do you think the hostages will last once they land? Meanwhile, we've got twenty-five minutes.

SWAT - Not enough time to install a beacon on the chopper. Listen to me. We gotta go in there, we gotta save as many hostages as we can.

Cominski - Where the hell do you think you are, Beirut? All right, all right. We go in ten minutes. [lifts phone to ear] Yes, Mr. Mayor.

SWAT - [into headset] Teams 2, 3, and 5, stand by. It's a go.

[Schmidt walks into room, sees bloodstain where DM's body should be, turns, and is knocked out by DM.]

DM - Not your day, is it?

[DM walks down hall, sneaks past Mancuso, finds janitor's closet, enters, looks around for things to use against Slade's men.]

Belinda - [coming out of her play area] Who are you? Did my daddy send you?

DM - Yeah, he sent me to see if you were all right.

Belinda - Is he okay?

DM - Yeah, he's fine.

Belinda - [sees blood on DM's shirt from bullet wound] You hurt yourself.

DM - It's just a cut. It doesn't hurt much. Now we've got to be very quiet, okay?

Belinda - Can you please leave now? I'm playing.

DM - I wish I could, sweetheart, but I'm sort of hiding.

Belinda - Then I'll go.

DM - Uh, no, uh . . . there are some bad men out there.

Belinda - My dolly told me they were bad.

[DM finds long metal skewer for picking up trash and examines it. Belinda waves him down close to her.]

Belinda - [whispering] I have to go to the bathroom.

Kirby - Schmidt isn't anywhere around. I checked. Maybe he split on us.

Slade - How? He can't get out without going past Mancuso and Pauling.

Kirby - They haven't seen him in the last ten minutes.

Slade - Check the roof.

Kirby - I checked the r--

Slade - Check it again.

[Kirby leaves, walks down hallway, hears toilet flush, enters restroom. He peers over each of the stalls in turn. When he reaches the last one, DM shoves the metal trash skewer through the door into him. He pulls the skewer out, then goes over to an AC grate and opens it, lifting Belinda down.]

Belinda - You said there might be a loud noise, that I'd be safer in here. I didn't hear any loud noise.

DM - No, I know, I was wrong. We gotta go.

Belinda - [whining] I want to go home now, please?

DM - We can't yet. Do you know any other really good hiding places?

Belinda - Yup.

[As they leave, Kirby, who was hidden by the open stall door, slowly falls to the ground.]

[SWAT team members enter the courthouse, ready to take down Slade and his men]

Radio - Hold on the third landing and await further orders.

Cominski - [on two phones at same time] Yes. Yes, I know that, Mr. Mayor. Fine. Thank you. I'll tell him. Yeah, he knows. [as SWAT Commander jogs up] Wait.

SWAT - All squad leaders are briefed. They know every inch of that fourth floor. We'll go as soon as the chopper arrives. Can you think of anything we're forgetting here?

Cominski - Yeah. Munich.

Radio - All units, stand by. Maintain radio silence.

Mancuso - [yelling from hallway] Slade! Slade! Slade!! [enters courtroom] Slade! There's nobody in there! There's no body!

Slade - [pushing him back into hallway] Move. Pauling, you stay at the door. [walks down hallway following Mancuso]

[Tessa takes advantage of Slade's absence to call from phone on judge's stand.]

Cominski - [answering phone] We have ten minutes here, Slade! [pause] What?

Mancuso - Maybe he was wearing a vest.

Slade - I shot him dead, Mancuso. Check every room on the floor. [to Pauling] You stay here. They're downstairs; I can smell them.

Mancuso - Slade! [Slade enters, they examine Kirby] What happened to him?

Slade - You ever seen a bayonet wound before?

Mancuso - What?

Slade - Come on.

[As they walk past Janitor's closet, they hear a sound and Mancuso panics, firing his machine gun at the door.]

[Janitor, hearing the gunfire, jumps to his feet.]

RR - Whoa, whoa! Where are you going?

Janitor - My little girl! My little girl . . . she's out there!

RR - Where?

Janitor - She's hiding.

RR - Well then, don't lead them to her. It's cool. She'll be all right.

Janitor - Okay. [sits down, still distressed]

[Mancuso finishes firing, kicks door in, finds Schmidt tied to chair just inside door, now riddled with bullet holes, very much dead.]

Slade - [seeing dead man] Mancuso!

Tessa - [into phone] I-I don't know who they are shooting at, but they are not shooting at us. We are all right. [pause] Okay. Stay back, or they'll kill us.

Cominski - [to SWAT] Call it off. The hostages are safe.

SWAT - [into headset] All squads, hear this: Abort, repeat, abort.

Slade - [entering courtroom, sees Tessa at phone] What are you doing!?

Tessa - I told them not to attack. Somebody had to do it.

Slade - That's very good. You saved a lot of lives, including yours. Give me that. [reaches for the phone, talks into it] Cominski . . . are you playing with me now?

Cominski - What've you done, Slade? We had a deal here.

Slade - I've kept it. Where's my chopper?

Cominski - The chopper is on its way. Now, listen to me very carefully. If you harm any more hostages, I will see to it personally that you do not leave that building alive, and I hope you believe that!

Slade - Oh, I believe you, Stosh. I just don't care. [throws phone violently away]

Cominski - [hanging up phone] She said that Slade's men didn't shoot at them. What the hell is going on up there!?

Slade - You're some woman.

Tessa - You're garbage.

Belinda - This is how the judge goes home without anyone seeing him. He told me.

DM - So what do we do now?

Belinda - [points to spot on flat panel door at end of hallway] Push here.

DM - What, here?

Belinda - You have to push very hard.

[DM pushes and panel swings open to reveal secret entrance to judge's chamber]

DM - You're being a very good girl. You're very smart. [whispers] But now you've got to be very quiet.

Belinda - I will if you tell me a story.

DM - Shh.

Belinda - Only if you tell me a story.

DM - [looks around room, goes to closet, slides door open] This is where I want you to hide. And don't come out, no matter what you hear.

Belinda - It's pretty small. I like my daddy's closet better.

DM - Well, we can't go back there right now. Go on.

Belinda - Only if you tell me a story.

DM - All right. But get in first.

Belinda - [gets in closet, sits on floor] No ghost stories. I like fairy stories.

DM - Okay. Well, uh . . . once there was this place where the fairy people lived. It was a beautiful city in those days, surrounded by white walls and tall stone towers . . .

Belinda - What were they like?

DM - Well, they were like regular people, except they lived for . . . a very long time, and . . . they never grew old.

Belinda - Like Peter Pan!

DM - Yeah . . . sort of. Well, the fairies were handsome . . . and wise . . . and very, very clever. The problem was, as time went on, there were more and more people, and soon the fairy people had to leave their home in the fairy city. They moved into the mountains, and into the old forests, and in the caves and in the cliffs. But the other people always found these places, so the fairy people had to move on.

Belinda - That's sad. Where do they live now?

DM - [whispering] Oh, Belinda . . . they're all around us. And you know what their job is? [Belinda shakes her head] It's to protect children. And sometimes tell them stories.

Belinda - Have you ever met one?

DM - Oh, lots. You stay very quiet in here, now, okay? [Belinda nods, DM slides door closed.] Bye.

RR - [sees how nervous Mancuso is about his dead partners] I know what's going on here.

Stanley - Sure you do.

RR - I'm serious. It's that wacko serial killer on trial in 3B. He must have escaped.

Stanley - I didn’t hear about him.

RR - Eats human flesh -- I'll bet he took the body.

Mancuso - What kind of trash are you talking, kid?

RR - Trash? Let me ask you a question. Was anyone out there killed with a sword? [off Mancuso's reaction] Yeah, this murderer . . . he kills people with swords. Cuts them up, and then . . . [makes slurping noises] Mmm, mmm, good.

Slade - [comes up beside Mancuso] Why don't you go relieve Pauling. Send him in here.

Mancuso - Sure.

Slade - Go on.

Mancuso - [very nervous, walks up to Pauling] Slade wants to see ya. [takes Pauling's place at stairwell, gun cocked. Hears noises coming from "Jury Selection" room. Opens door, DM grabs him by the throat, throws him into the room, slams the door behind them.]

Slade - [to Pauling] Mancuso's losing it. You keep an eye on them. [points to hostages, then walks out into corridor to speak to Mancuso, who has gone missing.]

RR - [to Stanley, who is fumbling for his pills again] How d'you feel?

Stanley - I've felt better. [takes one of his pills]

RR - So, Stanley, what're you doing here this time?

Stanley - Fencing stolen merchandise. Thought it would be an easier scam.

RR - At your age?

Stanley - I know, I know. I thought I wouldn't have to go out of town so much. I'm getting . . . I'm getting too old for the con game, you know?

RR - Well, let me give you some "professional advice". Stick to what you know. Fencing stolen property, you meet the wrong kind of people.

Stanley - I just said that to somebody. [pause] I must be looking pretty bad; you're awful nice to me.

Slade - [enters, goes to Pauling] He's gone. Now there's nobody watching the hallway. It's not secured. Check for another way out. Go on!

[Pauling goes behind witness stand to Judge's chambers. He looks around, even opens the sliding door of the closet where Belinda is hiding, but does not see her. A buzzer rings, and as he turns, DM appears behind him.]

DM - Now this is an interesting test of your reflexes. Can you turn and fire that thing before I skewer you? The good news is, I'm rusty. I might miss. You want to know what the bad news is? [Pauling turns, DM impales him, then punches him] The bad news is, I'm really pissed.

[Meanwhile, Slade hears chopper approaching, pulls out cell phone and dials]

Slade - [when Cominski picks up] Cominski! I'm getting out of here! I've got a hostage. If you try anything, we die together.

Cominski - I hear you, Slade. None of my people will stop you. [looks pointedly at SWAT, who pulls his headset off in frustration]

RR - [standing, as Slade moves toward Tessa] Just what are you doing . . .?

[Slade punches him]

Stanley - Take me! Take me! I'm old.

Slade pulls Tessa to her feet. Janitor and Stanley hold RR back as Slade pulls Tessa out the door.]

[Slade pulls Tessa down the hall and into the room, where DM is sitting calmly behind the desk.]

Slade - [pointing his gun] You!

DM - I have a proposition for you, Slade.

Slade - Who the hell are you?

DM - Just an old soldier. Here's the deal: you drop your gun, we have a dual.

Slade - A dual? [laughs] Come again?

DM - You get to that gun [points to gun on edge of desk] . . . before I get to my . . . this [indicates metal skewer also lying on desk] . . . You kill me, take her, fly away.

Slade - Why should I do something that stupid?

DM - Soldier's honor.

Slade - Honor?

DM - It's all you have left.

[Slade drops clip from gun and lets Tessa go. Tossing his empty gun down, he makes a grab for the one on the desk, and DM skewers him through the heart.]

DM - Nothing personal. [DM & Tessa embrace as Slade falls to the floor.]

Janitor - [As DM and Tessa lead Belinda into the room] Oh! [scoops Belinda up] Oh, honey, I missed you! Are you okay? [turns to DM, crying] Mister, I don't know who you are, but I owe you.

DM - [smiles, then pauses] Well, now that you mention it . . .

Stanley - Son of a gun, Richie. Look at that.

RR - [laughs] You're getting senile, Stanley.

SWAT member - All units, go. Go!

[The SWAT teams flood the floor, finding the hostages, as well as the various dead men.]

Radio chatter: 'We've got two DBs here.' 'How many dead?' 'Make that three.' 'Inside the courtroom -- the hostages are safe.'

SWAT member - [to hostages] All right, folks. Let's take it downstairs and, uh, I'm going to ask some questions there.

Radio chatter: 'Where the heck are the suspects?' {'?? dead.'} 'What happened up there? Who killed them?' 'No idea. Fourth floor is secured. We found Slade.' 'Report.' 'Slade is dead.'

Reporter 1 - [as hostages exit] Lieutenant! Do you really know what happened up there, Lieutenant?

Reporter 2 - Did the police kill Slade?

Reporter 1 - Commander, describe the final assault. Commander?

Reporter 2 - You've got to give us more. Can you give us the names of the hostages?

Cominski - The suspects apparently had a falling out. Four of them are dead and is in custody.

[In background, DM sneaks out in disguise of Janitor's borrowed shirt and baseball cap and makes his way to T-bird, where Tessa is waiting. She sees the latest parking ticket, grabs it, balls it up and throws it to the ground.]

Randi - What about the hostage that was killed?

Cominski - That, uh, fortunately was only a bluff. The hostage is alive and well. He's doing very well. He's pretty shaken up, doesn't want to talk to anyone. That's all for now. Thanks. Thank you.

Randi - Yeah, but can you give us any reasons for why the gang members began killing each other?

[Police stop the reporters from following as SWAT and Cominski walk off.]

SWAT - What do you think happened out there?

Cominski - I'm saving it for my memoirs.

Randi - [as RR pushes past the police blockade] Richie? Richie, what are you doing here?

RR - Gotta go.

Randi - Wait a minute! Were you in there? What happened to you?

RR - [to DM] Look who's here. [hops into back of T-bird.]

Randi - [to Richie, not recognizing DM, whose back is to her] What happened?

Tessa - [to DM] Aren't you getting in?

DM - No. I'll see you at home later. [walks off into crowd as Tessa pulls away.]

Radio - Unit two, how many body bags have been requested?

Unit 2 - Six. We have the bailiff in the corridor. The others are spread out all over the fourth floor.

Radio - Roger. Medical examiner is on his way up. Did you say six bodies, unit two?

Unit 2 - Roger that.