13

Ianto's cart is shoved by the collision across a ditch of water in the tunnel floor. Ianto groggily gets to his feet. Jumps down from the cart. "Jack!"

In the midst of this Royce runs up. Sees Jack concussed, helpless. Royce draws his knife and kneels over Jack. He's going to cut his throat.

"Wait." Ianto pleads.

Royce lowers the knife. Looks across the ditch at Ianto. The ditch is 20 ft. wide and filled with dank, stagnant water and we've seen dank, stagnant water before.

"Pretty easy killing an unconscious man. How about trying me? Punk." Ianto yells nervously then after a beat he taunts "What're you waiting for? Limp dick."

"I am going to fuck you up something fierce. You rolled the wrong number, shithead. You crapped out." And Royce begins to wade into the ditch. And Ianto is looking at the water, waiting... Royce is waist deep now. Royce feels something. He winces. Looks down at five Cottonmouth Snakes, fangs wide and white, plunging into him. Royce screams. His knees buckle. He falls to his knees in the water. A Cottonmouth stuck to his neck... Royce SHRIEKS again ... And slides gently under the water.

"I rolled snake-eyes. Shithead." Ianto, hand over hand on the monorail, eases the cart across the stagnant ditch. Hops out. Jack gets unsteadily to his feet. The two exchange a look.

"Limp dick?" Jack grimaces.

Ianto shrugs as he replies "It's all I could think of."

They stumble off down the mono-rail tunnel. Jack mutters "I think I've got arthritis."

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WHITE HOUSE

General Kramer, C.I.A. Director Amway, chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair and Security Advisor Louis Lindstrom are there as Sinclair says "The President arrives in three hours. His directive is to string Saxon along until the airstrike is operational."

"What's the word from Mojave, General?" Lindstrom asks.

A grimfaced Kramer replies "They're going as fast as they can. A corrugated aluminum hangar. "

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U.S.A.F. TESTING FACILITY WAREHOUSE

Looks like a Formula One garage. Rock music blares. Eight guided missles (finned, 8 feet long) hand from hoists in various states of repair. U.S.A.F. Technicians hover over the missiles. In a corner Jim Fisk and Larry Giler consult. Fisk huffs "We're fucked, cap'n."

"Are we fucked with a pencil or are we fucked with a baseball bat." Giler asks.

"We're fucked with a telephone pole." Fisk snorts as he turns to the missiles "we can arm em with Willy Peter, no problem, but negatory pn smart bomb capability."

"What are you saying?"

"The pilots are gonna have to drop em manually. We're talkin, retro, baby. We're talkin' World War II." Fisk grins.

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ALCATRAZ - BEHIND "CHINA ALLEY"

Jack and Ianto emerge from the mono-rail tunnel. The launcher on China Alley is in the background. Suddenly, from the loudspeaker above them Saxon yells "Attention Navy Seals, attention."

Jack and Ianto freeze as Ianto whispers "He thinks we're Seals."

The loudspeaker booms "Congratulations. You've taken some things of mine. I can't convince you to return them so I'll put on someone who can."

A pause. Then a male voice. Nervous. Quivering. "Hell... hello?"

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ALCATRAZ - PRISON EXERCISE YARD

Larry Henderson, 48, stands at the end of the exercise yard in a lit area. Capt. Darrow has his .45 placed against Larry's left temple.

"Tell them your name and age." Saxon demands.

"My n...name is L... Larry Henderson. I'm forty-eight."

"Good Mr. Henderson, continue ..."

"I don't know who you are, but p… please, there's a gun " Larry swallows then contines

"... and they're going to oh god... (through tears) ... please don't kill me" Larry's quivering voice trails off.

Replaced by Saxon "Convinced? Mr. Henderson hopes so. You have two minutes."

Ianto turns to Jack. "I'll go."

"Wrong."

"What, you?" Ianto snorts.

"I'm not the chemical weapons expert." Jack counters.

"Good point. Okay here, take 'em." Ianto un-pockets the V.X. guidance chips. Hands them to Jack. Jack heaves them into the bushes. Ianto squeals "What are you doing?"

"Now they only have three rockets left."

"What about Mr. Henderson?"

"Saxon's a soldier, not a murderer." Jack says as he miles softly and starts to head off.

"Wait." Ianto begs.

Jack stops; turns "Find the rockets. If they're guarded, kill the men guarding them."

"I... I don't know if I can do this."

"There's only one way to find out. I'll try to give you time. And Ianto..." Jack tosses Ianto his Atropine Syringe "Don't be an idiot. Put that in your pocket."

Ianto goes to seak and jac slams their mouth sothgeter, the kiss both searching and hingry. Jack relases a stunned Ianto then Jack moves off into the night.

"Well thank-you, thank-you very much." Ianto creeps toward the China Alley rocket launcher muttering to himself "Wham bam think you man!"

Ianto moves under the grated, multi-level structure of china Alley. Looks up through the grate. The Rocket Launcher sits on the grate on the level above him.

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Jack walks down the middle of the cell block toward the opening to the exercise yard. Darrow with his gun to Larry Henderson's head. Saxon paces in the background. Jack emerges from the cell block. Jack walks up to Saxon. The two stand there a moment, regarding each other.

"Gotta be kidding me. They send an old man." Darrow snorts.

Jack gives Darrow a hard-eyed glance. Saxon takes a lap around Jack, sizing him up. "I thought I'd been in the service a long time. Name and rank, soldier."

"Jack Harkness." Jack replies as he stares at Saxon "Royal Air Force. Captain."

"You're a long way from England, Captain Harkness"

"I feel strangely at home."

"How's that?" Saxon asks calmly.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Do you have some unique knowledge of this prison facility, Captain Harkness?"

"Quite unique."

"How's that?"

Jack shrugs "I was a guest here."

Glances all around. Someone laughs. Everyone laughs.

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CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCH STATION

Pvt. Cox mans the launcher. Suddenly a voice "Freeze." (Cox freezes) Drop the weapon and turn around. Slowly."

Ianto sounds more confident than he feels.

Pvt. Cox drops his weapon. Slowly turns. Ianto, one hand on his gun, the other on his tools, begins to unscrew the V.X. Chem Round Face-Plate. On the grated level above Ianto PVT. McCoy appears. Looking down, he sees Ianto and Cox. He cinches his repelling clip to the steel railing.

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ALCATRAZ - PRISON YARD

"Well you're some kind of joker, Jack. Maybe you're a lunatic. Are you of sound mind, Jack?"

"I'm not threatening the lives of a million innocent people." Jack smiles back "You are."

Saxon's demeanour changes. Hard now. Tight. "Give me the guidance chips."

"I threw them in the bay."

"That was stupid of you." Saxon says with surprise.

Jack nods to hostage Henderson "Would you have shot him"

The marines look at Saxon, wondering the same thing.

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CHINA ALLEY ROCKET LAUNCHING STATION

Ianto, still holding Cox at bay, pulls the V.X. chem round from the rocket. The going is slow. He begins to lift the Poison Pearl Strands from the chem round. His hand reaches to unclip the Guidance System Chip. Suddenly PVT. McCoy repels to the level behind Ianto. Ianto grabs the chip and dashes off, slamming through an old wooden door into the Civil War Ruins.

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Jack and Saxon regard each other. The previous question dangles in the air: Would you have shot him? Saxon finally says "You seem like a bright man, Captain. Bright men understand necessity."

"Bright men also obey the law. 'Wherever law ends, terror begins.' John Locke." Jack replies.

"Oh? 'Where there is no law, there is no transgression.' The Bible. Romans, Chapter 4, Verse 15."

Jack nods then says "Article 7, American Constitution? "Treason against the United States shall consist of... "

Saxon snarls "The American Constitution was written by traitors, Captain. Traitors against a government founded on injustice and tyranny and stupidity. (beat) I see little difference in my motivation"

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Ianto, inside the Civil War ruins, levels his gun at the door. The chip is in his free hand. The door creaks open.

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"Do you, Captain?" Saxon demands.

Suddenly GUNSHOTS. Coming from China Alley. Saxon and men whirl around, startled. Saxon barks "Frye, Crisp, go!"

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Ianto wildly discharges his gun until CLICK, the clip is spent. Cox and McCoy step through the doorway. Ianto shoves the guidance chip in his mouth. McCoy growls "Swallow that and I swear on my Aunt Myrtle's grave I'll cut your belly open and pull it out."

McCoy and Cox spring at Ianto. McCoy whips the butt end of his gun against Ianto's head. Ianto crumples, unconscious. McCoy jams his fingers in Ianto's mouth. "He bit the fuckin' thing. It's shot."

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MAIN CELL HOUSE - CELL BLOCK 'D"

Ianto squints through painful eyes, gaining consciousness. he looks around, taking stock of the start cell on 'D" block. It's morning. Daylight. Gets to his feet. Goes to the bars: "Jack. (no response) Jack?"

"It's about time." Comes a reply.

"Where are you?"

In a cell on the tier above Ianto Jack sits on a bed. "Above you."

Jack's mattress has been ripped into long strips. Jack is braiding the strips into a long rope. The rope is quite finely constructed. Jack's been at this several hours.

Ianto looks around the cell "This is tiny."

"Five feet by seven. Try living in one for a year. What happened?" Jack asks.

"I only got one chem round. There are two left. I fucked up." Ianto sighed.