FADE IN:

EXT. CARIBBEAN ISLAND -- DAY

A secluded island surrounded by bright blue-green water.

Sand untouched by footprints, this place has been forgotten.

A mountain with the vague image of a skull on it's craggy

face grows out of the jungle.

A seaplane zooms overhead, pontoons skimming the water until

they slide onto wet sand.

EXT. BEACH -- DAY

Two sets of BOOTS mar the smooth sand near the pontoons.

A pair of MEN kick up sand as they march up the beach.

The Leader (DEAKINS) holds a sextant-like device up to the

mountain, zeroing in on the skull face. In his other hand -

a laminated xerox copy of an ancient treasure map.

He adjusts the sextant to match the information on the map.

The pointer aims to a trail through the jungle.

DEAKINS (O.S.)

It's through there.

The two Men push back palm fronds, enter the jungle.

EXT. JUNGLE -- DAY

When the palm fronds snap back into place, the beach is gone.

Jungle noises surround the two Men as they follow the trail.

Deeper into the jungle. Surrounded by weird noises.

They step over a human skeleton... creepy!

Deakins pulls aside vines using a compass to follow the map.

Pulls a vine away from his face.

Not a vine...

A hissing snake!

DEAKINS

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Jumps back, and we see that he's NOT Indiana Jones.

KEN DEAKINS is a college freshman with a confident manner and

an easy smile. Athletic body in well-worn jeans. A kid!

(CONTINUED)

2.

CONRAD HARPER shakes his head.

CONRAD

We could be at Lauderdale surrounded

by babes in bikinis, but no. Nooo.

Deak wants to go on a treasure hunt.

Conrad is Deak's college room mate and best friend. A science

geek, every D-ring on his vest has some sort of gadget hanging

from it. Both have a coil of high-test rope over their

shoulders, hooked to a D-ring on their belts, for climbing.

DEAKINS

Connie, this is going to be the best

damned summer vacation you've ever

had. Trust me.

CONRAD

(gestures to skeleton)

Did he trust you?

Deakins keeps moving through the jungle, Conrad following.

DEAKINS

Would you rather be stuck with your

parents at Disney World?

CONRAD

They went to Paris this year. Great

food, museums, cute French girls...

DEAKINS

...with hairy legs.

Deakins stops suddenly, has to grab Conrad to keep him back.

A half dozen skeletons on the trail in front of them, legs

standing upright, bodies fallen backwards.

CONRAD

More fun?

DEAKINS

Sand traps.

Conrad shrugs, pulls a telescoping probe-stick from a D-ring,

clicks it open and sweeps the sand in front of them.

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

Bear trap-like devices clamp shut like mouse traps. The

probe gets stuck in one of them.

CONRAD

Should have made a couple of those.

(CONTINUED)

3.

DEAKINS

Who knew?

CONRAD

Let me see... What have I got?

Conrad pulls a nail gun-like gizmo from a D-ring, fires a

piton into a tree, hooks one end of his rope to it, hooks

the other end of the rope to the next piton in the gun and

aims across the clearing at a tree. Blam! Perfect shot.

The rope is stretched from tree to tree across the clearing.

Deakins grabs the rope and hand-over-hand across the booby

trapped clearing, feet only inches from skeletons and traps.

DEAKINS

A little low, Connie.

CONRAD

Sorry, Deak.

When he gets to the end of the rope he realizes the tree is

a dozen feet short of the booby trapped area.

CONRAD

Sorry again, Deak.

Deakins has to swing and let go... landing at the very edge

on the traps. Gestures for Conrad to come.

DEAKINS

Your turn.

Conrad reluctantly grabs the rope, starts across.

Halfway: One of the pitons begins to pull from the tree.

Conrad's feet dangle over the traps and skeletons.

The piton pulls out some more.

Conrad gets to the end of the rope.

Looks at the edge of the traps a half dozen feet away.

CONRAD

I'm not sure I can do this.

DEAKINS

Want to wait there? I'll find the

treasure and be right back...

Conrad swings back and forth. Lets go. Lands at the edge.

And falls backwards! Into the sand traps!

(CONTINUED)

4.

Deakins grabs him, pulls him upright moments before his butt

would have hit the sand traps.

DEAKINS

You owe me one.

Deakins pulls out the map, hands Conrad a measuring tape.

Conrad moves through the jungle until the end of the tape.

Deakins joins him, finds the next reading on the map, uses

his compass to pull the measuring tape on a new direction.

EXT. CAVE -- DAY

The tape and jungle both end at a clearing with a cave.

Deakins consults the map, smiles at Conrad.

DEAKINS

This looks like the place.

They click on flashlights and enter the cave.

INT. MAZE OF CAVES -- DAY

Spooky. Shadowed.

Conrad and Deakins follow the map deeper into the cave.

Around a corner.

A dozen skeletons pierced by arrows litter the ground.

Deakins shines his flashlight over the floor.

DEAKINS

Trip wires.

They carefully step over the trip wires.

Conrad shines his flashlight on the cross-bows on the wall.

CONRAD

Cool.

Conrad uses a can of gold spray paint from his vest to mark

the trip-wire.

Past the trip wires, to a Y in the caves. Right or left?

The map says left. They continue through the maze of caves.

Another Y. Right or left? Map says right. They enter...

A chamber filled with TARANTULAS! Dozens of them!

DEAKINS

Why did it have to be spiders?

Conrad hands him a pair of rubber bands. Huh?

(CONTINUED)

5.

Conrad puts rubber bands on the leg of his jeans.

Keeps the spiders from crawling up his pants legs. Oh.

Deakins follows suit.

They creep though the spider chamber.

Constantly brushing Tarantulas off each other. Spooky.

They use the tape to match the course to the map.

Deakins and Conrad measure off the last length...

A dead end.

Deakins looks at the map in the flashlight beam.

DEAKINS

It's supposed to be here.

CONRAD

Maybe we went left when we should

have gone right?

Deakins turns back and sees the second cave, a Y in reverse.

He and Conrad laugh, enter the treasure cave, Conrad marking

it with the gold spray paint.

INT. TREASURE CAVE -- DAY

They step over a pair of trip wires and enter the cave. A

pirate skeleton, corroded samurai sword in hand, stands guard

over a strange altar with three monkey statuettes.

CONRAD

That's it?

DEAKINS

That's it.

The monkeys are in a different order on the map. Deakins

studies the cave walls. Minute holes at eye level.

DEAKINS

Poisoned darts. Stay down.

Conrad ducks below dart level. Deakins takes a deep breath.

DEAKINS

Here goes.

With lightning fast hands he pulls the monkeys out of the

altar and rearranges them to match the map. They are tumblers

in a lock. In the correct order, the altar springs open.

Exposing a treasure chest size repository.

THE GOLD!!!!!

(CONTINUED)

6.

Deakins and Conrad raise their heads to look at the treasure.

Empty, except for an Ace of Spades playing card. Deakins

studies the Ace.

DEAKINS

What?

A gun touches the back of Deakins' neck. He raises his hands.

Conrad raises his hands when a gun nudges him.

GARMES (O.S.)

Well, well. What have we here?

(laughs)

Seitz, Howe, search these children.

Deakins and Conrad are searched. Conrad's gizmos are removed,

thrown on the ground. They find the map in Deakins' pocket.

DEAKINS

Whoa! We didn't steal the treasure.

GARMES (O.S.)

I know... I did.

Deakins and Conrad turn slowly, hands up, to see...

Dr. LEELAND GARMES is a dangerous Australian treasure hunter,

Indiana Jones' evil twin. Ruggedly handsome, but edgy.

The gun at Conrad's neck is in the hands of JUAN SEITZ, a

muscular brute with an eye patch. Deakins' is the prisoner

of martial arts master WONG-HOWE. A handful of SCUMMY LOCALS

with old rifles fill the cave behind them.

GARMES

Let them see what they're missing.

A pair of locals push in an ancient treasure chest on a dolly.

Garmes pops open the chest, exposing GOLD!

GARMES

Most people go to their graves without

having seen that much gold, my boy.

You two are the are the exception.

Garmes closes the chest.

GARMES

Have the locals deal with them. Let's

get this to the plane.

Seitz and Wong-Howe holster their guns, push the treasure

chest away... but not before Seitz gives Conrad a playful

slap on the face. The Locals take aim at Deakins and Conrad.

(CONTINUED)

7.

Garmes gives a final wave and exits the treasure cave.

CONRAD

"The best damned summer vacation you've

ever had. Trust me."

The Locals get ready to fire.

Deakins springs into action - grabbing the rusty sword from

the pirate skeleton's hand, swinging it at the rifles.

Knocking them off aim. Bullets ricochet through the cave,

killing a couple of locals but missing Conrad and Deakins.

DEAKINS

Whoa! - Let's go!

Deakins gives a final swing of the sword to keep them back,

then they run like hell. The surviving Locals reload their

old rifles, then give chase.

INT. MAZE OF CAVES -- DAY

Deakins and Conrad round a corner and Garmes, Wong-Howe,

Seitz and the treasure chest are blocking their path.

DEAKINS

Excuse me, pardon me, excuse me!

They knock the gang aside before they know what's happening.

No way to get around the treasure chest, so Deakins and Conrad

begin pushing it in front of them.

Seitz and Wong-Howe grab their guns and fire at the pair.

Deakins and Conrad turn a corner, and are safe... for a minute.

Garmes roars at the Locals:

GARMES

Get them!

The Locals give chase through the maze of caves.

Deakins and Conrad hear the echoing footsteps of an army.

CONRAD

Any other great ideas?

Deakins hooks his safety line to the treasure chest as they

run. Doesn't want to lose it. Bullets ricochet around them.

Pushing the treasure chest is slowing them down... the locals

are only a hundred feet back. Closing in.

(CONTINUED)

8.

DEAKINS

Duck!

Conrad follows Deakins' lead and ducks behind the treasure

chest, as they hit the tripwires. The cave is filled with

flying arrows. Many of the Locals are hit. Go down.

Deakins and Conrad see the light at the end of the tunnel.

EXT. CAVE -- DAY

Deakins and Conrad push the dolly with the treasure chest

out of the cave, following the path to the ocean.

Garmes and his gang are in hot pursuit.

EXT. JUNGLE -- DAY

They tear down the trail, pushing the treasure chest in front

of them. Bullets whizzing overhead.

DEAKINS

On the chest! Now!

Conrad and Deakins hop onto the treasure chest moments before

they hit the patch of sand traps. SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

Unfortunately, they run out of momentum only halfway across.

Three Locals chase them across the sand. SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

The Locals are snared, screaming.

Garmes, Seitz, Wong-Howe and four Locals stop at the edge of

the sand. The screaming is getting on Garmes' nerves.

GARMES

Shut them up.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Quiet.

GARMES

Children... Give me back my treasure,

and I'll let you live.

DEAKINS

Your treasure?

GARMES

I aced you fair and square.

DEAKINS

If it's yours, come get it.

(CONTINUED)

9.

Garmes nods to Seitz, Wong-Howe, the Locals, who start firing.

Deakins and Conrad are sitting ducks!

Deakins and Conrad grab the rope overhead and pull themselves

across the sand traps as bullets spray around them.

Garmes gestures to the Locals to hand over hand across the

rope, but the rope is too far away to reach. One Local falls

in the trap. Screams as they trap closes. Bang! Quiet.

DEAKINS

Perfect, Connie.

They slap hands and push the treasure chest through the

jungle, bullets flying behind them.

EXT. BEACH -- DAY

Deakins and Conrad break out of the jungle onto the beach.

And the dolly wheels get stuck.

They struggle to push the chest across the beach.

Thrashing in the jungle behind them - Garmes and his gang!

DEAKINS

Start the plane!

Conrad is conflicted. Leave his friend to deal with Garmes?

CONRAD

Leave it, Deak. It's only money.

DEAKINS

Go! Go!

Conrad runs across the beach to the seaplane.

Deakins pushes like crazy, but Garmes' gang breaks through

the jungle only a dozen feet behind him! Bullets fly!

DEAKINS

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Deakins takes off running, dragging the chest through the

sand behind him. Wong-Howe, Seitz, and the two surviving

Locals give chase.

Deakins trudging through the sand, dragging the heavy chest

behind him. He lets out more rope, escaping from the locals.

The treasure chest is dragging farther and farther behind

him. Every time the gang gets close, he lets out more rope.

10.

INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY

Conrad hops into the plane, tries to start it. Floods the

engine. Checks on Deakins - the gang has almost caught him!

EXT. BEACH -- DAY

Deakins lets out all the rope, zipping away from the gang.

He sprints to the seaplane, leaving the treasure chest.

The gang gets to the chest and raise their guns. Firing.

INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY

Bullets spatter all around the plane.

Conrad gets the plane started.

Deakins climbs in.

They take off!

And get to the end of the rope... Deakins is practically

yanked out of the plane by the weight of the treasure chest!

He unhooks the rope from his harness, hooks it to the plane.

EXT. BEACH -- DAY

Garmes reaches the treasure chest. Laughs. Pops it open.

THE GOLD SPARKLES!

GARMES

(laughs)

Mine! Mine after all!

Garmes reaches inside to grab a fistful of doubloons. WHAM!

The treasure chest is pulled right out of his hands!

Yanked off the beach by the plane!

EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY

Flies back to the beach, chest dangling on the rope below.

INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY

Deakins and Conrad slap hands. Deakins pulls the Ace of

Spades from his pocket and tosses it at Garmes and the gang.

EXT. BEACH -- DAY

The Ace floats down to Garmes, who screams in rage.

Seitz, Wong-Howe, and the locals fire at the plane.

Hitting the rope.

The treasure chest falls from the sky.

(CONTINUED)

11.

Thud! Lands in the sand a half dozen feet from Garmes.

GARMES

Amateurs!

He flips the Ace of Spades away.

INT. TITLE SEQUENCE

A James Bond style title sequence with the Ace of Spades,

tarantulas, the samurai sword, and sexy women.

EXT. UCLA - ESTABLISHING -- DAY

Title: THREE YEARS LATER.

INT. DORM ROOM -- DAY

The samurai sword and some maps hang from the wall surrounded

by pennants, posters of girls and cars. Deakins takes off

his graduation gown, tosses it aside. His suburban MOM

immediately folds it neatly and places it in an open suitcase.

MOM

Why can't you take a normal vacation?

DEAKINS

Go to Disneyland or something?

Deakins packs, clearing out his dorm room. MOM and DAD watch.

Both are God-fearing working class suburbanites.

MOM

Someplace safe. With the rest of the

family. When was the last time you

saw your sister?

DEAKINS

At the wedding. The most recent one.

To that Ralph guy.

MOM

Deak, you spend all of your money on

these... adventures...

DEAKINS

Mom, I have enough money saved to

last me three months once I get back.

That's plenty of time to find a job.

DAD

I just don't see the point...

(CONTINUED)

12.

DEAKINS

There's no scholarships in the real

world, and I'm not rich like Conrad. I

don't get twenty thousand dollars in

allowance every year. I have to work.

DAD

What's wrong with that? I worked

twenty five years at Dow so that you

could go to college and get a safe

job. No heavy lifting, no chance of

getting hurt in some freak explosion.

DEAKINS

Dad, this is my last chance to be a

kid. After this, I'll always have

some boss telling me what to do. This

is my last summer. I want to play.

Deakins pulls the samurai sword off the wall, examines it.

Without the corrosion, it's beautiful. An ornate handle has

an unusual Japanese ideogram engraved at the base.

MOM

You can play at Disneyland. There's

rides. Pirates of the Caribbean?

DEAKINS

I held down two part time jobs all year

long and still got good grades. I've

earned this. Please let me have it.

Dad nods slowly. Deakins packs the sword, ready to go.

MOM

Jack, you're not going to let him go?

I thought we settled this in the car?

DEAKINS

Mom, I'll be okay.

Deakins kisses his Mom. His beeper goes off.

DEAKINS

That's Conrad. There's a map auction

in an hour. I have to get going.

DAD

You be safe.

DEAKINS

I will, Dad.

He shakes hands with his Dad, leaves.

13.

EXT. LOS ANGELES LUXURY HOTEL -- EVENING

Establishing shot of a glass and chrome tower downtown.

INT. HOTEL BALLROOM -- EVENING

An auction is in progress. Not fine art, treasure maps.

The room is filled with every type of scum and villainy...

Treasure hunters. Modern day pirates, cowboys, a few sissy

archaeologists, and Indiana Jones clones.

Deakins and Conrad sit in the back of the room, whispering.

From here, all they can see are the backs of heads.

DEAKINS

What do have in the kitty?

CONRAD

Forty seven thousand. Last year's

treasure, minus beer and pizza money.

The auctioneer, SLOCUMBE, looks over the house.

SLOCUMBE

Now we come to the highlight of this

evening's auction. The Holy Grail

for treasure hunters...

Deakins and Conrad look at each other.

SLOCUMBE

During World War 2 the Japanese

Imperial Army systematically looted

all of the conquered Asian countries

of their national treasures, gold,

silver and precious gems.

Slocumbe is captivating, a great story teller.

SLOCUMBE

In 1943 Count Terauchi ordered all spoils

of war be collected and transferred to

the Philippines, where General Yamashita

had set up a stronghold.

Murmurs in the room at the mention of Yamashita.

SLOCUMBE

The Philippine Islands were easily

defended and centrally located. By

October of 1944 over $3 billion in

treasure had been buried in 172 different

locations.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

14.

SLOCUMBE (CONT'D)

Tunnels dug by prisoners of war,

protected by booby traps including bombs

and poisonous gas.

DEAKINS

(whisper)

Poisonous gas?

SLOCUMBE

Detailed maps were drawn on rice paper,

with instructions written in 'Kungi',

a 2,000 year old Japanese language.

Then all of the prisoners who dug the

tunnels were killed.

This is sounding more dangerous by the minute.

SLOCUMBE

168 of the 172 maps were given to

different Japanese sailors to take

back to the mainland... but the ship

was sunk in by an American destroyer.

Like there's a curse on this treasure.

SLOCUMBE

But four of the maps were entrusted

to Yamashita's assistant, who gave

his word he would tell no one about

them. When the assistant died this

year, the maps were discovered.

Four lucite encased rice paper maps appear in Slocumbe's

hands. Conrad studies them with his pocket digital binoculars.

SLOCUMBE

The treasure is now worth over $100

billion. Over 60 of the treasure

sites have been found, but the four

major sites remain undiscovered.

A HUNTER sitting in front of Deakins whispers to his partner.

HUNTER

Rumor has it the Marcos fortune comes

from one of these sites.

SLOCUMBE

The treasure of General Tomoyuki

Yamashita remains the "Holy Grail"

for treasure hunters.

(CONTINUED)

15.

Slocumbe puts the maps on a display. Deakins pulls the

binoculars from Conrad's hands, looks at the maps.

SLOCUMBE

There is no guarantee that these maps

will lead you to the treasure, they may

be decoys. They may lead to four of

the lesser treasure sites, or to sites

which have already been discovered.

(smiles)

Do I hear an opening bid of 25?

Deakins raises his hand.

SLOCUMBE

We have twenty five. Thirty? We have

thirty. Man with the cane has thirty

five. I see thirty seven. Thirty eight

from patches. Thirty nine. Forty?

Deakins raises his hand again.

CONRAD

It's too much, Deak.

SLOCUMBE

Young man has forty.

(bid from the front row)

Doctor has forty one.

Deakins raises his hand.

SLOCUMBE

Young man has forty two.

The Doctor in the front row shows all five fingers.

Just the back of a head from where Conrad and Deakins sit.

SLOCUMBE

Doctor bids forty five.

Conrad holds Deakins's hand down. He raises the other hand.

Conrad looks at the bank book, $47,127.00 is all they have.

SLOCUMBE

Forty six from the young man. Forty

seven from the doctor.

Conrad lets go of Deakins's arm. He can't bid more than they

have, right? Deakins raises his hand - shows three fingers.

SLOCUMBE

Fifty from the young man.

(CONTINUED)

16.

CONRAD

Deak...

SLOCUMBE

Fifty five from the doctor.

To Conrad's horror, Deakins shows all five fingers.

CONRAD

Okay, it's time to go home.

SLOCUMBE

Sixty from the young man. Doctor?

Sixty one from the doctor.

Deakins shows four fingers.

SLOCUMBE

Sixty five from the young man. Doctor?

Bidding is at sixty five. Sixty seven

from the doctor. Young man?

Deakins holds up three fingers. Conrad covers his eyes.

SLOCUMBE

Seventy from the young man. Doctor

goes seventy two.

Deakins holds up three fingers. Conrad can't look.

SLOCUMBE

Young man says seventy five. Doctor?

Going once, going twice, sold.

Deakins is excited, shakes Conrad.

DEAKINS

It's ours, Connie! The Holy Grail

for treasure hunters. All ours!

CONRAD

Where are we going to get the other

twenty eight thousand?

DEAKINS

You bring your ATM card?

CONRAD

Twenty. Eight. Thousand. Dollars.

DEAKINS

Your allowance for next year and my

three month cushion.

(CONTINUED)

17.

CONRAD

And how do we finance the excursion?

DEAKINS

I've got credit cards.

CONRAD

Deak, you'll be paying this thing off

for the rest of your life!

DEAKINS

The treasure will pay off the cards.

Conrad looks skeptical. Deakins hands him the binoculars.

DEAKINS

Take a look at the third map. Upper

right hand corner.

THE MAPS THROUGH THE BINOCULARS - first map, second map,

third map, left side, upper left corner. An ideogram.

DEAKINS

The same symbol that's on my sword.

It's a sign, Connie. We were meant

to have those maps.

Conrad lowers the binoculars.

CONRAD

Seventy five thousand is a lot of

money for a lotto ticket.

DEAKINS

THE lotto ticket. Connie, this is

our last summer as free men. For the

next twenty five years I'm going to

be trapped in some cubicle punching

code, slowly turning into a pod person.

You're going to be living in your

parents' poolhouse, wondering when

they're going to cut off your allowance

and make you get a real job.

CONRAD

You're scaring me, Deak.

DEAKINS

This is our last adventure. We have

to take it to the limit.

CONRAD

Along with our credit cards.

(CONTINUED)

18.

The room has emptied. Conrad and Deakins prepare to leave.

Wham!

A leg blocks the aisle - Seitz, the eye patch wearing brute.

Wong-Howe blocks the other side of the aisle.

Garmes stands in front of them, offering an Ace of Spades.

DEAKINS

If it isn't the bad doctor.

GARMES

Those maps should have been mine.

DEAKINS

You could have outbid me. You've got

plenty of money. Why didn't you?

GARMES

You're amateurs. You don't have a

chance of finding Yamashita's gold,

my boy. After you fail, I'll buy the

map back for ten cents on the dollar.

DEAKINS

And if we find the treasure?

GARMES

Not a chance.

DEAKINS

We did okay last year.

GARMES

What was it? Some small time

desperado's booty?

DEAKINS

The Reno Kid. Fifty Gs and change.

GARMES

You spent more than that today. How

do you plan to pay for the excursion?

CONRAD

I'm bankrolling it.

DEAKINS

If you'll excuse us, we have to get

our map... Stay away from our

excursion. If Seitz or Wong-Howe

lays a hand on me, they'll have to

see a proctologist to get it removed.

GARMES

See you in Manila.

(CONTINUED)

19.

Deakins lifts Seitz leg out of the way, they head to Slocumbe.

EXT. MANILA - ESTABLISHING -- DAY

A 747 roars into Manila.

A series of shots show the exotic metropolis.

Ending with a shot of an older hotel with ornate ironwork.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- DAY

Conrad and Deakins drag their luggage to the front clerk.

DEAKINS

Ah, the envelope capital of the world.

The CLERK looks them over, sneers.

CLERK

Yes?

Deakins pulls out his credit card, drops it on the clerk.

DEAKINS

We need a room.

CLERK

Only one?

DEAKINS

(looks at credit card)

Yes. Only one.

CLERK

(insinuating)

Will you be needing one bed or two?

DEAKINS

Two.

CLERK

Having a little spat, are we?

DEAKINS

We just want one room, two beds. Okay?

CLERK

You know we don't allow guests in the

rooms after seven P.M.

DEAKINS

We won't have guests in the room, or

elephants in the room, and we sleep in full

length pajamas.

(CONTINUED)

20.

The Clerk sneers again, processes the credit card, hands

them an envelope with mag-keys and paperwork.

CLERK

Welcome to Manila, Mr. Deakins.

INT. HOTEL ROOM -- DAY

Deakins and Conrad look over the room - it's small.

DEAKINS

There are something like a hundred

islands, here, some of them nothing

but jungle, others with active

volcanoes. I called around and got

us the best guide on the islands.

This local guy named Larry Ariola.

CONRAD

Areola?

Conrad pops open a suitcase and pulls out some gadgets,

setting them near the door and balcony.

DEAKINS

A real bad-ass. They say he once

survived for two weeks in the jungle

with nothing but a pocket knife.

CONRAD

Larry?

DEAKINS

What are you doing?

CONRAD

Perimeter alarm. Why not play it safe?

DEAKINS

Maybe Larry's related to Moe and Shemp.

They say he's the best jungle guide

the Philippines. We meet him in an

hour at the Continental Bar.

Deakins grabs his samurai sword, ready for action.

DEAKINS

Need your gizmo-vest?

CONRAD

Saving it for the jungle.

21.

EXT. CONTINENTAL BAR -- EVENING

Where Somerset Maughm would go for cocktails.

Deakins and Conrad sit at a booth, drinking beer, watching

the doors. Whenever some bad ass guy enters, they look him

over, wondering if he's Larry.

A guy in an AUSSIE HAT with a huge knife enters... not Larry.

A guy in a BOMBER JACKET with a chrome 45 auto... not Larry.

A guy in a fedora with a BULLWHIP enters...

A WOMAN blocks their view.

Deakins and Conrad try to look around her. Other guys enter

but they can't see - she's standing in front of their table.

DEAKINS

Excuse me, Miss?

Deakins gestures her to step aside. She doesn't move.

More guys enter, maybe Larry, they can't see past her!

Guys keep entering.

DEAKINS

Ma'am, we're waiting for someone,

think you could step aside? We don't

want to miss him...

The Woman doesn't budge. Instead, she holds out her hand.

LARI

I'm Lari.

LARI ARIOLA is beautiful, tough, competent, sexy... dressed

in khaki, cleaning her fingers with a corroded pocket knife.

DEAKINS

You're a girl.

LARI

Amazing powers of observation.

DEAKINS

I think there's some kind of mistake...

LARI

I'm not supposed to be a girl?

DEAKINS

Exactly. Your name is Larry?

(CONTINUED)

22.

LARI

L.A.R.I. You two were looking for a

jungle guide, right?

DEAKINS

Yes.

CONRAD

Larry Ariola? Ariola?

LARI

(points knife at Conrad)

You making some kind of crack?

CONRAD

No. Lovely name. Has a ring to it.

DEAKINS

Ken Deakins, "Deak". That's Conrad.

Lari shakes their hands, almost breaking Conrad's.

Takes a seat and gestures for the WAITRESS.

LARI

(to Deakins)

This on your tab?

DEAKINS

Of course.

LARI

(to Waitress)

I'll have some of those shrimp

appetizers, some crab cakes, and do you

still have the steak and lobster combo?

Deakins and Conrad look at each other, at the credit card.

LARI

Medium rare, rice AND baked potato -

with the works, salad AND soup, garlic

bread and let me see the wine list...

Deakins pulls the wine list out of her hands, looks for the

cheapest bottle in the house.

DEAKINS

How about the three of us have some

Sekts?

LARI

Excuse me? Just because you correctly

identify me as a girl doesn't mean

you need to shift into mating mode.

(CONTINUED)

23.

DEAKINS

S.E.K.T.S. German champagne. This is

kind of a special occasion, right?

(to waitress)

A bottle of Sekts and three glasses.

(to Lari)

Sure you don't want to order desert?

LARI

Maybe later. This might be our last

good meal before going into the jungle.

Where you going?

DEAKINS

We have four locations...

Deakins looks around before pulling out the maps, passing

them across to Lari. Their hands touch, and there are some

sparks of attraction. Zap! Their eyes meet for a moment.

She looks at them upside down, sideways, tries to read the

ideogram directions.

DEAKINS

It's a two thousand year old Japanese

language called Kungi. We'll need a

translator.

LARI

I know just the guy. Japanese history

professor. Retired here two years

ago. Likes the local girls.

Lari flips open her cell phone, dials.

LARI

Professor? Lari.... How are you? ...

May have a translation job for you.

Some old Japanese writing...

DEAKINS

Kungi.

LARI

Kungi... Really? That's interesting.

(she looks at the maps)

On rice paper, you say? Fascinating.

Deakins pulls the maps away from her... as her meal arrives.

LARI

Sure they'll pay... I don't know if

they'll go that high...

(CONTINUED)

24.

Deakins flips through the credit cards in his wallet. Enough?

LARI

Well, that's still too much, but I

think they can afford it... Tomorrow

morning? They're at the Hotel T--

CONRAD

Someplace public.

LARI

How about nine AM at the outdoor market?

Sure. No, I'll probably be rounding up

equipment. You'll be meeting a guy named

Ken Deakins... Early twenties, six

foot, brown hair, blue eyes, kind of

cute, carries an old samurai sword.

She hangs up, smiles at Deakins.

LARI

Nine AM, the outdoor market at Bacala.

Then she starts eating - a human vacuum cleaner.

LARI

Looks like we're going to need some

climbing gear, a GPD --

CONRAD

Got that. We'll need some safety

lines, some portable digging equipment.

LARI

Flashlights, tarps, camping gear?

CONRAD

I have all of the electronic stuff.

LARI

How do you plan to pay me?

DEAKINS

You accept credit cards?

LARI

(laughs)

I'll have to remember that one.

EXT. ATM MACHINES -- NIGHT

Deakins and Conrad feed a stack of credit cards into a pair

of ATMS, getting maximum cash advances on each. Conrad hands

him his stack of cash.

(CONTINUED)

25.

DEAKINS

Why don't you head back to the hotel,

I'll take care of Lari.

Conrad gives him a look, nods, leaves.

EXT. STREETS OF MANILA -- NIGHT

Deakins counts out money to Lari, who shoves it in her bra.

They walk down the street, and undercurrent of romance.

LARI

That was nice. I've never had sekts

before. Kind of ticked my nose.

DEAKINS

It was good sekts. Best I ever had.

LARI

How often do you do this?

DEAKINS

Have sekts?

LARI

Look for buried treasure.

DEAKINS

Started the summer I graduated high

school. Four of us decided to go to

Mexico, see if we could find this

bandito's buried loot.

(laughs)

Bobby got food poisoning, Ron got

drunk, Mike got the clap... I was the

only one who took it seriously.

Actually found the treasure.

(shrugs)

A bunch of old coins. Worth a couple

thousand bucks at most. But I had a

great time. I found my thrill.

(smiles)

In college I hooked up with Conrad. Now

it's how I spend my summer vacation.

They reach the hotel. They shake hands, lingering, touching.

LARI

See you in the morning.

Sparks of attraction between them. He starts pulling her

closer, ready to kiss her, thinks better of it and lets go.

(CONTINUED)

26.

DEAKINS

Goodnight.

Lari watches him enter the hotel, then pulls out her money.

LARI

Yamashita's gold. Finally.

INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT

Deakins and Conrad sleep.

A black spot of Deakins' arm. Deak bushes it off, asleep.

It crawls back onto his arm. It's a big hairy tarantula!

Deakins blinks his eyes open, sees something near his nose.

Another tarantula.

His eyes open WIDE.

The sheets are polka-dotted with tarantulas. A dozen of them.

DEAKINS

Conrad?

Conrad continues snoring.

Deakins carefully pulls back the sheet, tries to carefully

swivel out of bed without being attacked by tarantulas.

The floor is covered with tarantulas.

DEAKINS

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Conrad continues snoring. His bed is polka dotted, too.

Deakins carefully steps into a safe-spot, plots his course across

the room to the bathroom. Carefully brushes a spider off his

foot and creeps through the sea of spiders to the bathroom.

INT. BATHROOM -- NIGHT

Deakins steps into the bathtub, runs an inch of water.

Spiders don't like water.

INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT

A MAINTENANCE MAN sweeps tarantulas into a storage container.

Conrad continues snoring.

The Clerk whispers to Deakins, who is holding something.

CLERK

I apologize for any inconvenience

this may have caused you, Mr. Deakins.

(CONTINUED)

27.

DEAKINS

Can't stop the tarantulas from migrating.

CLERK

If it happens again, don't hesitate to call.

The Maintenance man and Clerk leave.

Deakins looks at the card in his hand.

The Ace Of Spades.

EXT. OUTDOOR MARKET -- DAY

An amazing outdoor market - from fruits and vegetables to

hand crafted art, and everything in between. Deakins sees a

60 year old Japanese man, NAGATA break through the crowd.

DEAKINS

Professor Nagata?

NAGATA

Where is Miss Ariola?

DEAKINS

She and my partner are picking up

equipment. I'm Ken Deakins.

Nagata looks around, nervous. Doesn't offer his hand.

DEAKINS

She says you can read Kungi.

NAGATA

Yes, yes of course. And you have

some rice paper maps.

DEAKINS

She didn't tell you that.

NAGATA

You have the maps to Yamashita's gold.

Correct?

Deakins wonders how Nagata knows so much.

He pulls out the four lucite encased maps and a grease pencil.

NAGATA

Interesting. Very interesting.

Nagata writes the translation (English) on the lucite.

Directions, landmark descriptions, distances.

NAGATA

Amazing. Interesting.

(CONTINUED)

28.

Deakins keeps one hand on the butt of his sword, studying

the crowded market as Nagata translates. Looking for signs

of trouble. Nagata finishes the last of the maps.

NAGATA

This has been a great privilege, Mr.

Deakins. The maps are part of history.

Nagata hasn't handed over the maps, yet.

Deakins points to the symbol in the corner of the third map.

Nagata has not translated it.

DEAKINS

What does that mean?

Nagata studies the ideogram. Gasps. Eyes opening in amazement.

DEAKINS

What is it?

Nagata seems to be in shock. Staring at the symbol.

DEAKINS

Is it a curse?

Nagata opens his mouth...

Falls forward.

A knife in his back!

Lands on his face, maps underneath his body.

DEAKINS

Professor Nagata? Professor Nagata?

People see the knife, begin screaming.

Deakins leans over Nagata. Nagata is trying to say something.

Deakins puts his ear to Nagata's lips.

NAGATA

Four.... Four is.... One.

Nagata dies.

A police whistle.

Deakins tries to get the maps, but they're wedged under Nagata.

Two POLICEMAN, Wong-Howe and Seitz break through the crowd.

Deakins takes off running.