DARK ANGEL
Season One, Episode #5: "Prodigy"
First Aired 11/21/2000

(Max is in front of the sink in her bathroom trying to squeeze some toothpaste onto her toothbrush.)

MAX: I can't imagine a time where you could just walk into a store, shelves were full and you could buy whatever you needed.

KENDRA: Yeah.

MAX: I mean, if you ran out of toothpaste you’d go buy some toothpaste.

KENDRA: Try this. Baking soda and peppermint oil. Does the trick.

MAX: Thanks. That's what I don't understand about this whole economic breakdown thing. We have this huge toothpaste shortage but you can buy peppermint oil.

KENDRA: If you know the right people. How do you spell, uh... poly-merase?

MAX: P-o-l-y-m-e-r-a-s-e. Except it's pronounced polymer-aze with a "z" like in "enzyme," which is what it is. Responsible for the duplication of the DNA molecule by allowing the oligonucleotide primers to bind to the separated molecular strands.

KENDRA: You're such a goofball.

MAX: What are you working on?

KENDRA: Got a gig temping for this Japanese doctor who's in town giving a paper.

MAX (reading the title of the paper Kendra hands her): "Gene re-sequencing, manipulation of RNA nucleotides."

KENDRA: Don't ask me what any of it means. All I know is I'm getting paid.

MAX: Excellent.

KENDRA: Actually, it's kind of dope. This doc - his name is Tanaka - took this crack baby born three months premature. The kid had the I.Q. of broccoli. Doc goes to work on him. Six years later, he's a boy genius. (shows Max a picture) Isn't he a cutie pie?

MAX: So, they fixed him by futzing with his genes after he was born?

KENDRA: I guess.

MAX: Can I take a look at this?

KENDRA: Long as you don't make me late for the conference.

MAX: Got you covered.

(They ride to a fancy hotel on Max’s motorcycle)

MAX: They're putting you up here during the conference?

KENDRA: Not a chance.

MAX: Too bad. I was hoping we could score some towels.

KENDRA: If I get invited to shower with anyone I'll see what I can do. (Chuckles)

(Max looks up at the hotel and sees Jude staring out a window. A man pulls him back)

(In his apartment, Logan has fallen backwards off his wheelchair. As he tries to get back into the chair, he hears Max come in, and closes the wall partition so she can’t see him.)

MAX: Anybody home? Logan? Logan? (Finally she sees him. He has successfully gotten back into his chair) Hi.

LOGAN (embarrassed): Hi.

MAX: Hard of hearing or something?

LOGAN: Actually, one of my faculties that's still intact. I was just thinking.

MAX: Oh.

LOGAN: You have that "Logan, I need a favor" look on your face.

MAX: Don't I always? I mean, isn't that the only reason why I come around? There's a conference at the Steinlitz hotel. A scientist, Dr. Tanaka, is presenting a paper on genetic research.

LOGAN: Yeah, I think I, um, heard something about that.

MAX: I want to check it out.

LOGAN: You have my blessing.

MAX: It's one of those things where you can't just walk in off the streets. You gotta have credentials.

LOGAN: I'll see what I can do. Why do you want to go, anyway?

MAX: I read this guy's paper. Claims he can cure what ails you by moving your genes around.

LOGAN: Think he can help you with your seizures?

MAX: Worth looking into. You know, you ought to come down there with me. Dr. Tanaka talks about how by using the body's genetic blueprints it can re-engineer itself. If the man's on the level you'd be walking around in no time.

LOGAN: You know what, Max. I'm having a hard enough time dealing with the here and now. You want to go listen to whatever pie in the sky Dr. Feelgood's hustling be my guest. Just leave me out of it, okay?

MAX: Okay. I was just . . .

LOGAN: Just don't. I'll call you if I can swing the conference thing. (Opens the door for her to leave)

(Opening credits)

(At Jam Pony)

SKETCHY: How was everybody's weekend? Good, good.

CINDY: Speak for yourself. Original Cindy had a tragic Saturday night. Finally got to kick it with my lickety-boo, k?

MAX: Chrisette?

CINDY: Check it. We have a couple beers, shoot some pool - sista gurl drop she go both ways.

SKETCHY: Yeah, so, aren't all women basically bisexual?

MAX: You're an idiot.

CINDY: I can live with bisexual. It ain't perfect, but at least she halfway there. But then sugar tells me that she has this big ole love affair with one of the other lickety chicks which ended badly, so her heart is broken. So now she is celibate.

SKETCHY: What's the point of being bisexual if you're celibate?

CINDY: Thank you. So, now they two broken hearts.

HERBAL: Yes, but it's all good.

CINDY: It is not all good. All good would be her and me chillin'.

HERBAL: It unfolds according to the will of the most high not just your desire, my sista.

CINDY: Whateva.

SKETCHY: But you might want to try getting her really drunk.

MAX: (Walking up to Normal and fake-coughing) I'm going to have to take the afternoon off. Medical emergency. (coughs)

NORMAL: Yeah, right.

MAX: I'm clammy and achy with chills. I got a fever. I'm burning up. Feel my forehead.

NORMAL: No, thank you. Get a note from your doctor.

MAX: (Coughs) (Her pager beeps) Can I use your phone? Please?

NORMAL: Just don't breathe on it.

MAX (on phone): Hey.

LOGAN: Affirmative on those press credentials. You're Rachel Glasser from Biotech Frontiers magazine. I'll leave them with Bling if I'm not here.

MAX: Thanks.

LOGAN: Sorry for getting pissy before.

MAX: No big dealio. (Hangs up and coughs again for Normal’s benefit, then walks away. Normal makes a face and sprays the phone with a liberal amount of disinfectant.)

(At the hotel where the conference is held, Dr. Tanaka is speaking with two other men in Japanese)

MAX (butts into the conversation and shakes his hand): Hi. Rachel Glasser. Dr. Tanaka. Nice to meet you. Biotech Frontiers.

TANAKA: Excuse me. How do you do?

MAX: I'm curious. You know how when you try to resequence nucleotides you always end up with one stray entron? Have you ever considered using plasmids to transfect the new base-pair vectors directly into the codon sequence so that that won't happen? I mean, one bad entron can mess up everything.

TANAKA: Interesting. I never considered that.

ON THE INTERCOM: Ladies and gentlemen, if you will please take your seats.

TANAKA: Please excuse me. Perhaps we can talk more later?

MAX: Yeah, I would like that.

(Kendra notices her)

KENDRA: What are you doing here?

MAX: You don't know me. My name's Rachel Glasser. I'm a journalist. Don't ask me how I got here.

KENDRA: Your rich boyfriend, that's obvious.

MAX: He's not my boyfriend.

KENDRA: Yeah, yeah. What's up? This isn't exactly your crowd.

MAX: Shall we?

(They enter the conference room and sit down. Dr. Tanaka’s presentation begins with a video)

TANAKA: This is Jude Thatcher at birth. He weighed just 31/2 pounds. He needed oxygen because his lungs were underdeveloped. He had no swallowing reflex, so had to be fed intravenously. He was addicted to crack cocaine. His mother, incarcerated for drug abuse and prostitution, could not afford the most basic health care. Jude was heading for an early and unlamented grave until our foundation stepped in and took over the health management of the child. We began an intensive course of surgical, pharmacological and genetic intervention. The results were encouraging. This is Jude at two years, six months. This is Jude at four years. And this is Jude today, living proof that there are no limits to what the human body can achieve with the right training and environment.

JUDE (comes onto the stage): Konnichi-wa. (Introduces himself in Japanese and Spanish) We hope you find the proceedings informative and enlightening. Hello, Dr. Tanaka.

TANAKA: Konnichi-wa, Jude-san. Why don't you play something for us?

(Jude plays a piece on the piano)

(Max has a flashback to Manticore, when Lydecker would force the kids to hold their breath under water for 4 minutes. One of the kids began to panic, but Lydecker would not release him until the time was up)

MAX: (voice over) At Manticore, Lydecker used to tell us the same thing: "There are no limits. What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve . . . With the right training." Only we could still get shot and killed like Eva . . . starve to death . . . or drown. I've often wondered why we didn't just turn on him. We were stronger, faster. Any one of us could have snapped his neck before he knew what hit him, but we were too scared and he knew it.

(Lydecker enters and moves to sit in the seat next to Max) LYDECKER: Is this seat taken?

(Music continues)

MAX: No.

(He sits down. During a break in the presentation, he approaches her in the lobby. Her heart begins to beat loudly and she hears Lydecker speak unintelligibly in slow motion)

MAX: Excuse me?

LYDECKER: I said . . . You're not leaving. You couldn't possibly have gotten your story.

MAX: No.

LYDECKER: It is amazing, isn't it? To think that we can fix nature's mistakes.

MAX: Yeah.

LYDECKER (holds out his hand): Donald . . . Lydecker.

MAX (shakes it): Rachel Glasser. Biotech Frontiers.

LYDECKER: I . . . Can't say that I've heard of that . . .

MAX: It's new.

LYDECKER: I'll have to check it out.

MAX: Nice to meet you. Excuse me. (She walks away)

(Flashback to Manticore propaganda slides – “Know your enemy,” “Deception is a weapon,” “Surprise a tactical advantage”)

KENDRA (comes up to her in the hallway): Max?

MAX: It's Rachel. I told you.

KENDRA: Right. Are you okay?

MAX: Yeah. Why?

KENDRA: Was that guy hitting on you?

MAX: What?

KENDRA: You gotta watch out for the older ones - less testosterone and more charm, but it's still all about banging the gong. You bailing?

(Flashback to a slide reading “Know your enemy”)

MAX: Not a chance. (Goes back into the hall and sits next to Lydecker again) Is this your area of specialty, genetics?

LYDECKER: I've done some work in the field.

MAX: Really?

LYDECKER: With children . . . Gifted children.

MAX: How gratifying.

LYDECKER: I guide them as best I can. But mostly, I provide a framework in which they can flourish.

MAX: Must be a challenge.

LYDECKER: Oh, it is. You know, it's always the highly intelligent ones who most lack discipline.

MAX: Maybe they figure they're smart enough to think for themselves.

LYDECKER: Ah, they're still children. They don't always act in their own best interest.

(Max has flashback to the escape from Manticore)

LYDECKER: What do you think of this so far, the conference?

MAX: It's hard not to be impressed.

LYDECKER: Tanaka's recombinant technology is groundbreaking. It's why I'm here. The children I work with - their genetic anomalies make them gifted and they also make them flawed. Have we met before?

MAX: I don't think so.

LYDECKER: You seem awfully familiar.

MAX: I get that a lot.

INTERCOM: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back Jude Thatcher and Dr. Tanaka.

(Applause as Dr. Tanaka and Jude return to the stage)

TANAKA: Thank you. Thank you so much. Jude is an extraordinary boy - a singular creation whose very life is the culmination of decades of genetic research. Jude is also a messenger bringing good news to each and every one of us. How, you ask? You, sir. Will you please stand?

LYDECKER: Me?

TANAKA: Yes. I see you wear glasses.

LYDECKER: Yes.

TANAKA: How long have you worn them?

LYDECKER: A few years. I was fine till I was about 43. Next thing you know, I couldn't live without them.

TANAKA: Do you know why that is?

LYDECKER: Well, I'm no ophthalmologist but I think it has to do with the hardening of the crystalline lens, which doesn't contract the way it used to.

TANAKA: That's right. Now, what if I told you that what you referred to is already written in the genetic code and that, if I . . . (points to a picture of DNA) snipped here . . . grafted here and used some of your own RNA to seal the graft you could throw away your glasses?

LYDECKER: You would be my hero.

TANAKA: Thank you. You may sit down. Thank you. This same technique also allows us to treat and cure far more distressing conditions such as congenital blindness, deafness even severe neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy. All these can be remedied by manipulation of their genetic code - a minor rewriting . . .

(Max notices Jude looking around, frightened. She sees men pulling out guns)

DARIUS: Go, go. Everybody stay calm! We are the May 22nd Movement!

TANAKA: What are you doing?!

(People begin to yell, scream and run)

DARIUS: We are the May 22nd Movement. We are here to liberate the boy. Stay calm, stay out of our way and you will not be harmed.

LYDECKER: (Handing his gun to Kendra) Take this. Hide it. They won't search you.

KENDRA: What? No.

LYDECKER: Trust me.

DARIUS (to Tanaka): Let him go.

TANAKA: No. You're not going to hurt the boy. Let him go! No!

DARIUS: (Softly to Jude) Come over here with me.

(Lydecker pulls the fire alarm)

TERRORIST: Get him!

DARIUS (on walkie-talkie): We're coming down. Bring the van around.

(VOICE ON WALKIE-TALKIE): Not possible. Hotel security is blocking the entrance. They're evacuating the place.

DARIUS: Disable the elevators and seal the stairwells. No one gets on or off the floor! Everyone, on the ground! Now!

TERRORIST: Do it!

(At the Jam Pony, Herbal rides his bike by the dispatch center and joins Original Cindy and Sketchy, who are eating lunch at a table)

NORMAL: Hey! No riding inside! That's what's wrong with everything -- no respect.

CINDY: What you eatin' on?

SKETCHY: Tomato with endive and watercress.

HERBAL: How come I don't see any tomato, endive or watercress?

CINDY: Where is he gonna find any of that stuff even if he could afford it?

TV REPORTER: We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news. This is the scene at the Steinlitz hotel where a heavily armed group identified as the outlawed May 22nd Movement stormed a scientific conference being held there. Police arrived moments ago and are attempting to . . .

SKETCHY: Too much negativity in the world, man.

HERBAL: Which is why Jah want us to hold a higher vision of things. Like the both of you-- your feast here.

CINDY: Look, Herbal, it's one thing for me and Sketchy to play pretend gourmet 'cause we broke. But that bitch for real.

HERBAL: Nah, nah. That's the very same thing, you know. Knowing that it's all good, all the time.

CINDY: Right, right, right. Somebody gonna get they ass blown off but that's all good?

HERBAL: All the time.

CINDY: I love you like a brotha, my brotha, but that is just wack.

NORMAL (comes up): Hi. Do the words "bip, bip, bip," mean anything to you people?

TV REPORTER: The May 22nd Movement takes its name from the birthday of terrorist Theodore Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, who for three decades in the late 20th century waged a violent campaign against the technocratic state . . .

(At Logan's apartment, Bling sees the news story on TV)

BLING: Logan . . .

TV REPORTER: The group was formed in the wake of the bombings, which . . .

BLING: You should see this.

TV REPORTER: . . . movement founder John Darius praised as "a call to arms against modern technology. . .

LOGAN (join Bling at the TV): John Darius. Interviewed him a few years back.

TV REPORTER: . . . The movement is claimed be responsible for several attacks, including blowing up of bio-testing laboratories, television relay stations and . . . We are now receiving unconfirmed reports that more than a dozen hostages are being held . . .

LOGAN: Where is this?

BLING: Steinlitz hotel.

LOGAN: That's where Max is.

(In the conference room)

DARIUS: We don't want to hurt anyone. Cooperate and you'll be all right. All we want is to free the boy.

TANAKA: Free him? From what?

DARIUS: From you and your freak show. You've turned him into the poster child for your morally bankrupt techno-state.

MAX: What are you gonna do with him?

DARIUS: Give him a home, a family, where he can live like a real human being.

LYDECKER: And grow up to spout slogans and shoot people.

TANAKA: This boy is my family.

DARIUS: He's your lab rat.

(A phone rings)

LYDECKER: The police, calling to negotiate.

DARIUS: This is John Darius. We're May 22nd. We're armed, and we're holding 35 hostages.

SUNG: Detective Sung, Seattle P.D.

DARIUS: If you try anything if your men come anywhere near this building hostages will die. You got that?

SUNG: I understand.

DARIUS: We want transport and safe passage for ourselves and the child known as Jude. If you don't meet our demands we'll kill one hostage every hour.

SUNG: What you're asking for we're going to need more than an hour.

DARIUS: First hour's already up. (motions to one of his thugs) Terrence.

(The thug hovers over the hostages, pushing Kendra away before grabbing Dr. Tanaka)

KENDRA: Oh!

TANAKA: Jude . . . Be brave.

KENDRA: They're just trying to scare us, right? They're not really going to kill him, are they?

(Outside, military troops jog into position, and Bling and Logan arrive on the scene. The terrorists take Dr. Tanaka to the roof of the building and push him towards the ledge)

TANAKA: What are you people doing?!

TERRENCE: Just showing you the city, Dr. Mengele.

TANAKA: No! No! No! No! Help! Help!

(They push him off the ledge as Logan and the crowd below watch)

DARIUS (on the phone): 59 minutes. Then another one goes after him.

(Original Cindy, Sketchy and Herbal are riding in an alley)

CINDY: She's hot, but what's Original Cindy supposed to do? Wait around and see if this celibate thing is just a phase?

HERBAL: If 'twas meant to be, it'll be.

CINDY: Listen to Doris Day over here.

SKETCHY: Hey, the Steinlitz is right down there.

CINDY: Yeah, so?

SKETCHY: So, let's check it out. Maybe we'll catch a shoot-out or something.

(He heads off down a side street. Herbal doesn’t want to follow, but Original Cindy decides to go too)

CINDY: Somebody's gotta make sure he don't get into trouble.

HERBAL: Why?

(In front of the hotel, the police have baracaded the street)

CINDY: See that? Now don't even try telling me that it's all good.

HERBAL: All the time.

CINDY: No, that is evil, straight up.

HERBAL: Yes, it's evil.

SKETCHY: W-wait, so if it's all good all the time and you acknowledge that what just happened is evil well, aren't you sort of saying evil is good?

HERBAL: Yes, now you overstand. You have to forgive evil, all right? But love in spite of evil.

CINDY: You need to put down the spliff because it is clouding your mind.

SKETCHY: Now, I'm going to have to more or less agree with Original Cindy on this one, Herbal. And I ain't no stranger to stoner logic. The guy looked pretty damn dead.

(Logan and Bling arrive and see Detective Sung)

LOGAN: Matt! Detective Sung! We've gotta talk.

SUNG (to the police at the baracade): He's okay.

LOGAN: A friend of mine was at this conference.

SUNG: A few folks got out when all this started. What's the name?

LOGAN: Glasser. Rachel Glasser.

SUNG: Still unaccounted for. Sorry.

LOGAN: Who's running the show here?

SUNG: Military's taking over.

LOGAN: Guy behind May 22, Darius? I know him. Maybe I can help.

(Inside the conference room)

KENDRA: 45 minutes. Are they just going to wait until he kills someone else?

LYDECKER: Give me the gun . . . Carefully. It's okay.

(Max has a flashback to Mantacore, and the last time she saw a gun in Lydecker’s hands. He had killed one of her friends on the night of the escape)

(Outside the hotel)

ARMY MAN: So, how do you know this clown, Darius?

LOGAN: I interviewed him several times for a story I was doing a few years back, and he's no clown. He's very serious, and, obviously, very dangerous.

ARMY MAN: If you’d have turned him in at the time you would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.

LOGAN: Well, I'm a journalist, not a policeman.

ARMY MAN: Well, like all journalists, you're in the way. (on the walkie-talkie) I need an ETA on those sharpshooters.

ARMY MAN 2 (on the walkie-talkie): An hour away, sir.

ARMY MAN: What the hell's taking so long?

LOGAN: Let me talk to him.

ARMY MAN: You have no involvement in this matter, Mr. Cale.

LOGAN: And you have no credibility with a man who's holding a group of innocent people. As a soldier, you represent everything he despises.

ARMY MAN: And, as a soldier, I intend to do my job.

LOGAN: I might be able to get him to listen to reason.

ARMY MAN: You can't reason with terrorists.

LOGAN: I can offer him a way to get his message out there.

ARMY MAN: He kills a man and you want to give him a bigger audience?

LOGAN: You and I both want the same thing - to free those hostages.

(Inside the conference room)

TERRORIST GIRL: How can we kill a person an hour? I never agreed to that. It's crazy.

DARIUS: Are you questioning me?

TERRORIST GIRL: Yes.

(The phone rings)

DARIUS (answers it): You better be calling to say our transport is ready.

LOGAN: Mr. Darius, this is Logan Cale.

DARIUS: Logan Cale. It's been awhile. How'd you get drafted into this?

LOGAN: Oh, that's not important. What is important is the safety of your hostages.

DARIUS: And you have 33 minutes, or there's going to be one less to worry about.

LOGAN: You should be aware, Mr. Darius, this isn't a police operation anymore. The military's involved, and from what I can tell, they're very anxious to do their thing.

DARIUS: It doesn't surprise me. They've been hunting us down like animals for the last ten years.

LOGAN: Then you know they're just waiting for any excuse to come in, guns blazing, and take you out.

DARIUS: If they do, they'll have a lot of dead hostages on their hands.

LOGAN: As long as they get you, I don't think they care.

DARIUS: Nothing like a good massacre to stir up public opinion against these butchers. People need to know what they've done to this country . . . the human race . . . the entire planet.

LOGAN: What century are you living in, Darius? Nobody's ever going to hear about this. The authorities will turn your martyrdom into a nonevent and it will be history that never happened. Is that what you want? Because it doesn't need to be that way. If you can guarantee the hostages' safety I can help you get your message out.

DARIUS: How?

LOGAN: I have contacts who'd be willing to tell your story and no one would be able to stop it. On that, you have my word. But first, I need you to release the hostages.

DARIUS: No way, they'd storm the building in a second and you know it.

LOGAN: Why not show the world you really are more compassionate than your enemy? Release the women and the child.

DARIUS: I'll give it some thought. (hangs up)

ARMY MAN: Nice try, but it's not going to work.

LOGAN: We'll see.

(In the conference room)

MAX (to Jude): You okay?

JUDE: I'm thirsty.

KENDRA: Come on, let's go see if they'll let us have some water.

LYDECKER: He's a good little soldier.

MAX: He's a scared kid.

LYDECKER: Fear accomplishes nothing. I hope he learns that now if he hasn't already.

MAX: Is that what you teach those kids of yours? To shake it off and move on, like nothing happened?

LYDECKER: You look like you were around in the days before the pulse. Your parents brought you over to visit your little friends. Carpools to soccer games, art schools. And do you really think, Miss Glasser, that your childhood prepared you for the life that you have to live now?

MAX: My childhood wasn't quite like that.

LYDECKER: In a way, the pulse had some positive aspects. Toughen the world - strengthen the species.

MAX: Pretty grim view of things.

LYDECKER: Not grim . . . realistic. We can't pretend the world runs on love. Survival of the fittest.

MAX: Yeah, it's all about survival.

LYDECKER: I do hope that boy gets out of this in one piece.

MAX: Hope? That's a strange word coming from a man with your take on things.

LYDECKER: Anachronistic language. I wish I could speak digitally. Point is, it'd be a shame to see Tanaka's work go to waste. I'd like to observe the boy . . . For my own research.

MAX: Maybe you should do something with that gun . . . Before someone else gets killed.

LYDECKER: It's tactically premature. Things are going to get worse before they get better.

DARIUS: Get me Cale. (At the military's HQ)

LOGAN (on the phone): Logan Cale. . . Okay, I'll see what I can do. (Hangs up) (To Sung) I go in as a good faith gesture, he releases the women.

SUNG: What about the other hostages?

LOGAN: He wants transport to a civilian airstrip before he hands them over.

ARMY MAN: He's not getting that, no way.

LOGAN: Okay, one step at a time. Let me go in there, talk to him, face to face.

ARMY MAN: Now you need to be clear on two things: we don't have to honor any deals you make, and I'm not guaranteeing your safety.

LOGAN: I'm not asking you to.

(In the conference room)

DARIUS: Because we're fighting for humanity, we're making a gesture of humanity. The women are free to go. You'll be escorted to the lobby. Any games, you'll be shot.

(Max gets up to leave with Jude, but Darius blocks her way)

MAX: We're taking him with us.

DARIUS: No, you're not.

MAX: Then I'm going to stay with him.

DARIUS: I don't think so. Come on, Jude.

TERRORIST: Keep moving.

(In the hallway, Max and Kendra see Logan. He shakes his head at Max and mouths “Go!”)

KENDRA: Wasn't that . . .

MAX: Yeah, I'm going to say hi. Don't tell.

LOGAN (to Darius): We meet again.

DARIUS (referring to his wheelchair): Accident, or did you stick your nose where it wasn't wanted?

LOGAN: Something like that.

DARIUS: You'd think you would have learned your lesson.

LOGAN: You'd think.

MAX: (pretends to fall on the stairs) Ow! My ankle!

TERRORIST: Keep moving!

TERRORIST 2: I'll take care of it.

MAX: I think I twisted it.

TERRORIST 2: (offering his hand to Max) Here.

MAX: You're such a gentleman. (Max slams the terrorist to the wall) Too bad I'm not a lady.

(In the conference room, Logan is sitting next to Lydecker)

LYDECKER: Pretty chivalrous-- offering yourself in place of the ladies.

LOGAN: I'm old-fashioned.

LYDECKER: Also a little crazy - getting yourself mixed-up in this.

(Logan notices Lydecker’s name tag and looks at him curiously. Max has made her way to a room at the back of the conference room where she can watch the terrorists. She sees Logan talking to Lydecker)

(Two terrorists lead the women to the front door of the hotel)

ARMY MAN (into walkie-talkie): Anybody gets a shot, take it. Aerial units move to jump-off position. Await my command.

(A sharpshooter takes out both of the terrorists. Original Cindy sees Kendra)

CINDY: What the hell? Kendra!

SKETCHY: Wait. Looks like she's okay.

POLICEMAN (to Kendra as she heads for her friends): Hold it, miss.

KENDRA: Max is still in there.

CINDY: Did I hear that right?

HERBAL: Max is inside there? That's bad. That's very bad.

CINDY: I guess "it's all good" goes out the window when someone you know and love is in trouble.

POLICE: This is still a dangerous area. Please get in the truck as quickly as possible.

(Two soldiers land on the hotel’s roof, but are seen and shot by a terrorist, who relays this event to Darius)

DARIUS (inside, to Logan): What the hell's going on? They killed some of my people. They tried to land soldiers on the roof. Their word means nothing. Neither does your life. Take him away.

(The terrorists take Logan to the roof to toss him over the ledge. Max, who had been watching, realizes what is happening and just as Logan is pushed off the top of the building Max dives head first after him with a rope tied around her waist. She grabs Logan mid-fall and they crash through a hotel window just as the rope is shot and broken, landing on the bed in each other's arms.)

MAX: You all right?

LOGAN: You okay?

MAX: What are you doing here?

LOGAN: I was going to ask you the same question. I went to a lot of trouble to get you released.

MAX: What were you thinking exchanging yourself for us?!

LOGAN: You should be thanking me.

MAX: Thanking you? You'd be thrown off the roof . . .

LOGAN: You'd be with those morons . . .

BOTH: . . . If it wasn't for me.

MAX: Forget it.

LOGAN: Never mind.

(Max gets up but Logan pulls on the rope and tugs her back down onto the bed)

MAX: I should go save the kid.

LOGAN: Just go save the kid.

ARMY MAN: Full breach. Full breach. We go in as soon as all squads are in position. Wait for my command.

SUNG: Maybe we should give Darius something to buy more time.

ARMY MAN: He's out of time.

SUNG: What about the hostages?

ARMY MAN: They're expendable. We're going to show these idiots who's in charge.

DARIUS (to his thugs): What do you mean he got away? He's in a wheelchair, for God sakes. Check it out.

(The thugs run into Max in the hallway, but she gets away)

DARIUS: They're making their move. Let's get out of here. Grab a hostage.

(Lydecker jumps up and pulls his gun, but the terrorists knock it out of his hand and beat him up. Max sneaks into the room just as a terrorist is about to shoot Lydecker. Instead of letting Lydecker die, she attacks the terrorists as the rest of the hostages flee.)

DARIUS (Grabbing Jude): Come with me, okay? That's it. (He runs behind the stage with the boy. He sees Max’s shadow on the screen and shoots at it, but she appears behind him)

MAX: Looking for me?

(Darius tries to shoot her, but Max outruns the bullets, disarms him and slams him into a wall. She tries to comfort Jude, who is huddled against the wall, scared.)

MAX: You okay? Jude?

JUDE: What's going to happen to me now?

MAX: It's okay. You don't have to be brave anymore. Let it all out. It's all right. (She carries Jude out of the hotel)

(In the conference room, the soldiers and beating and kicking Darius)

LYDECKER: Hey! Hey, what the hell are you men doing?

SOLDIER: Interrogating the prisoner, sir.

LYDECKER: Under the laws of this country, this individual's entitled to due process. You want him showing up for arraignment looking like this?

SOLDIER: No, sir.

LYDECKER: You want the judgment of your commander, the credibility of your military undermined by your reckless behavior?

SOLDIER: No, sir.

LYDECKER: Neither do I. (shoots Darius) Problem solved. One of the hostages is a young boy about seven years old. Have you seen him?

SOLDIER: No, sir. Unaccounted for, sir.

LYDECKER (sighs): Thanks.

(Outside, Max puts Jude in Logan’s car)

LOGAN: Thanks.

SUNG: Better get the kid out of here.

LOGAN: Thanks for sticking your neck out on this, Matt.

SUNG: This way at least he won't end up in an orphanage.

LOGAN: Or in Lydecker's hands.

MAX: Take care of my boy.

LOGAN: He'll be okay.

SUNG (to the police at the barracade): These folks are free to go.

(Logan’s car drives off)

CINDY (sees Max): Max! You okay, sugar?

MAX (hugs her): I just kept my head down and let the mens fight it out. It’s all good.

CINDY: Yeah, it's all good.

SKETCHY: All the time.

HERBAL: All the time.

(In Logan's apartment)

MAX: Hey.

LOGAN: Hey, yourself. Ordering myself a new wheelchair. Looking for one with the jet thrusters.

MAX: Thanks for bailing the gals out of there today. . . Myself included.

LOGAN: Right back at you. Taking a header off that building was above and beyond the call.

MAX: Looking out for my meal ticket. How many guys can cook and save the world?

LOGAN: So . . . that was Lydecker.

MAX: Yep, my own private Anti-Christ, up close and personal.

LOGAN: Shorter than I imagined. Do we have any idea why he was there?

MAX: Same as me - looking for answers. He said all of us, his gifted children, were . . . flawed.

LOGAN: The seizures?

MAX: I got the sense he was talking about something even worse. . . I saved his life.

LOGAN: And here I thought I was special.

MAX: He was about to take a bullet in the head. All I had to do was stand there, do nothing and I could cross Donald Lydecker off my list of things to worry about.

LOGAN: You didn't exploit tactical advantage over your enemy? He'd be so disappointed if he knew.

MAX: How sick is that? But, for some reason, I couldn't let it happen. I have no idea why.

LOGAN: Life good, murder bad?

MAX: I'm not that high-minded. Lydecker's the one guy that knows what's going on in this freak show body of mine . . . whether or not this bar code has an expiration date. I guess I couldn't let him die with that secret.

LOGAN: Whatever you have to tell yourself. Fact is, you saved a man's life.

MAX: A bad man.

LOGAN: It's still a good thing.

MAX: I'm not so sure. But you know what really bums my ass out? I had a chance to swipe some towels from the hotel and I totally spaced it.

LOGAN: Next time.

MAX: Yeah, next time.