Disclamer: I don't own any of the characters, and even some dialogue that I list below. They are all property of the movie National Treasure.
How National Treasure (the first one) should have ended, in my opinion.
"Where are you Ben?" A scruffy Riley was impatiently drumming the steering wheel. "Where are you?"
"Stop talking, and start the van." Ben Gates said to the earpiece. He heard the red van rumble to life as he approached, Riley gripping the steering wheel. Ben went around the back and opened it up. Shoving the real Declaration of Independence into a tube case, just as Riley commented on an approaching guest in his ear.
"Ben, the…" Riley hesitated. "The crazy Declaration lady's behind you." Ben swapped the tube case in his hand for the souvenir.
"Oh, it's you. Hello." Ben acted relived.
"Mr. Brown, what's going on?" She spotted the plastic-covered scroll in his hand, and her eyes became large. "What's that?"
"A souvenir." He stated nonchalantly.
"Really?"
"Stop chatting and get in the van." Riley's voice breaks into the conversation, though only Ben can hear it.
"Did you enjoy the party?"
"Yeah…"
Suddenly red sirens go off inside the building that can be heard loudly outside.
"Oh my god." Riley says as he sees the red lights.
"Oh my god, you did not…?" Ms. Chase looks once more at Ben, then at the scroll in his hand.
"No…." Ben faintly says.
"Security! Over here!" She yells to any policeman in the vicinity. Then she turns around to snatch the document for his hands. "Give me that!"
"It's yours take it!" Ben lets her go and shuts the back door of the van. "Go."
"What? We can't just let her go." Riley shouts.
"Yes we can." As they watch Abigail Chase cross the street and begin to fight over the Declaration with one of Ian's thugs.
"Wait, hold it. Hold it. Bad. Bad bad bad." Ben gets out of the car to run across the street to Abigail, but the man in the driver seat of the large truck pulls out a gun and shoots one at the front of the van, missing. As he sees Riley, he shoots the window and the glass shatters. By now they had Abigail into the truck.
"GO, GO!" Ben yells. But Riley doesn't respond. "Riley! Go!" He looks up over the hood of the van to see Riley staring at him, blood running down the left side of his face. His gray eyes lifeless.
"Riley!" Ben runs around the car to the driver-side door and yanks it open. The driver of the truck that is holding Ian, his crew, and now Abigail, fires one more shot and drives off. Ben is trying to un-do Riley's seat-belt, in some ill-fated attempt to save his friend. When unexpectedly he himself feels a pressure along his back, as an enormous pain erupts from the very same spot. Then both the pain and the pressure leave his body as does his soul. Ben slumps against the seat, falling to the wet pavement a moment later.
As Ian gets away, he then realizes that Abigail doesn't in fact have the document and ends up shooting her out of frustration. About fifteen minutes after Ian has left the scene of the crime, the security staff of the National Archives find both Riley and Ben dead by the van along with the real Declaration of Independence. The document is safe, and Ian has no other plan left to get the Declaration again, and isn't crazy enough to try once more. The treasure is forgotten for yet another decade and the story ends.
Although I did very much enjoy the movie, I was just thinking about this while I was watching it. I'm just in a bloody mood today. WOOT!
11:38pm Friday, April 11, 2008