Human Target

TEASER:

OVER BLACK:

A man’s voice. Nervous. Raspy. A little out of breath...

RASPY VOICE (V.O.)

Blending in... You have no idea what

it’s like, always blending in... You

forget who you are. Eventually, you

start to forget who you ever were...

...then, BLINDING LIGHT, and we’re in-

INT. DINGY OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

A large office bullpen, awash in stark daylight. But there’s

nobody here. The desks are all empty. The place is dead-

RASPY VOICE (O.S.)

They push you and push you further into

the margins. Treat you like dirt, take

away your manhood. Make you small...

--except for the DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES face down on the ground,

some crying, all panicked. We’re in a hostage situation...

RASPY VOICE (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Somebody had to do something about it.

One hostage is separated from the crowd; in a chair, a BLACK

HOOD covering his face, his wrists and ankles taped down. If

we’re paying attention, we’ll see he’s wearing BROWN LOAFERS.

And as we keep pushing into the office, we finally find the

source of the voice. A GUNMAN, on the phone with-

CUT TO:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY

A NEGOTIATOR, among a heavy perimeter of cop cars-

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

I hear you, Hollis, I really do. He used

you. Took advantage of all your work, and

then cut you loose. It’s a terrible thing-

WE HEAR A COMMOTION OVER THE PHONE, before the line goes

dead. Off the Negotiator, concerned-

CUT TO:

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 2.

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - SIMULTANEOUS

The Gunman (HOLLIS) is now amidst the hostages, RIFLE RAISED-

HOLLIS:

What was that?! I heard that!!!

We now see that he’s wearing a VEST WIRED FULL OF EXPLOSIVES.

He points his rifle at a WOMAN on the ground-

HOLLIS (CONT’D)

All I want is Lydecker don’t make me hurt

the rest of you!!

The Woman is crying. Hollis’s nerves are totally frayed.

This whole thing is going south, fast...

As Hollis paces nervously, we see a photo on the wall: KEN

LYDECKER, the man in the hood. In the photo, he’s smiling.

A PHONE RINGS in the hostage area. Hollis picks up.

NEGOTIATOR (FROM PHONE)

Hollis? Hollis, are you there?

Hollis doesn’t know how to respond, stays silent...

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - DAY

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

Alright, listen; I’ve got people to

answer to, and if they think those

hostages are in imminent danger, they’re

gonna start kicking in doors.

HOLLIS (FROM PHONE)

You won’t. You know I’ll blow the office.

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

I know that, but at a certain point it

isn’t gonna be up to me anymore. Now

since I don’t think either of us want to

go down that road just yet, help me buy

some time. Send out the employees...

HOLLIS (FROM PHONE)

No... No that won’t work...

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE)

Lemme finish. The deal is, I get the

bystanders, and you keep Ken Lydecker.

He’s the only one you really want anyway.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 3.

CONTINUED:

NEGOTIATOR (INTO PHONE) (CONT'D)

You’ll still have leverage, and I’ll have

something to show my bosses. And we all

get to live a little while longer...

ON HOLLIS, sweaty. He doesn’t know what to do. But he

watches the Woman Hostage crying on the floor, and a moment

of humanity hits him... Off Hollis-

CUT TO:

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT - MINUTES LATER

We see a line of HOSTAGES filing out of the building. The

cops receive them, offer medical assistance, etc.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE BULLPEN - DAY

Hollis is left alone, pacing. We move past the seated Hooded

Man. If we’re paying attention, we’ll notice that HIS SHOES

ARE NOW BLACK BOOTS. And his ankles are no longer taped to

the chair... As Hollis paces nervously-

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