DARK SALAVAGE
by William C.
Martell
EXT. SUBURBAN SWIMMING POOL -- DAY
Summer. A back yard pool in 1960s suburbia.
A pair of eight year old BOYS in swim trunks stand at the
edge of the deep end. The brown haired one in BLACK TRUNKS
is an average looking kid, the blond in RED TRUNKS is a heart
breaker -- golden tan, electric blue eyes.
A Suburban MOM holds up a toy anchor made of brass.
The Boys watch the toy anchor glitter in the sun.
Mom throws the anchor into the pool, it sinks to the bottom.
MOM
On your marks, get set, go...
The Boys dive in, creating ripples across the surface.
EXT. DIVE BOAT -- DAWN
Coffee splashes, creating ripples across the cup.
SHELBY GOLDSMITH, the body of an ex-model, the mouth of a
truck driver, puts the old metal coffee pot back on the
Coleman stove. Dressed in a dark blue wetsuit, with a tool
pouch of marine archeological tools on her belt.
She hands cups to the other divers, keeps the third.
LONNIE
Start the day the coffee way. Mmmmm.
Sitting on the boat's railing: the two Boys all grown up...
LONNIE MARKS, brown hair, black wet suit, custom three-shot
speargun, underwater video equipment. Top in marine salvage,
recovering millions in sunken treasure for investor groups.
He zips his wetsuit over a lanyard with the old toy anchor.
Next to Lonnie is CURT WILLIAMS in a red wet suit. Speargun,
two kelp knives. Lonnie's best friend and partner. Still a
heart breaker, golden tan, electric blue eyes.
WILLIAMS
Can't beat those old metal pots.
SHELBY
Egg shell's the secret.
LONNIE
(smiles)
Drink up! Can't be late for work.
Lonnie finishes his coffee, pulls down his face mask and
flips backwards off the boat. Splash!
Williams and Shelby follow. Splash! Splash!
"Top man" RON ENNIO, older diver with thick glasses, fourth
man on the team, looks over the railing as they descend.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Seaweed tickles by like green fingers, fish dart past.
The three kick down, connected by a safety line attached to
the dive boat. The "up-line".
Two hundred feet down: a Nazi Junkers JU 352 Herkules cargo
plane buried in the sand.
Lonnie lights the wreckage.
The three look at the Junkers 352 in awe.
Sixty years on the ocean's floor, shadowed, creepy, silent.
112 foot wingspan, 79 feet from the tail to the third
propeller on its extended nose. The ghost of a plane.
Thumbs up from Lonnie, Shelby. Williams converts his hand to
a gun and fires. Lonnie shoots video of the Junkers 352.
Flippers kick Williams and Shelby to the cargo door.
Shelby clamps a Manta Reel near the door, clicks the "up
line" to the reel, disconnecting them from the boat.
Williams gives the tether a few tugs, gets Lonnie's
attention. Gestures for Lonnie to put down the camera, join
the fun. Lonnie tries to film some more, but Williams pulls
him in, smiling.
Lonnie and Williams open the side door of the sand covered
plane, shine lights in. Lonnie swims inside. Disappearing.
INT. JUNKERS 352 CARGO PLANE - UNDERWATER
Atmospheric, murky. Light from Lonnie's flash creates bright
spots in the darkness, tendrils of shadow reach like fingers.
IN THE COCKPIT
Two skeletons in rotted uniform float at the controls.
Other skeletons at control panels, wedged in by metal chairs.
Lonnie videotapes the find. Amazed.
Williams swims ahead, exploring... Jerking on Lonnie's
tether.
EXT. JUNKERS 352 CARGO PLANE - UNDERWATER
Shelby feeds the safety line, gives the up-line three tugs.
EXT. DIVE BOAT -- DAY
Ron Ennio feels the tugs, lets go of the line.
ENNIO
Lonnie and Curt are in the plane.
INT. JUNKERS 352 CARGO PLANE - UNDERWATER
Lonnie follows Williams through claustrophobic corridors,
bubbles trailing behind them, trapped in pockets of steel.
Williams kicks ahead, exploring. Through a door, out of
sight.
Lonnie swims through the doorway to find Williams.
A man jumps out from the shadows, grabbing Lonnie.
Fingers reaching for his throat.
Lonnie jerks back, blast of bubbles from his regulator.
Not a man. A ROTTED SKELETON in uniform!
Lonnie calms, begins videotaping the compartment. A diorama
of WW2 German airforce life - except for the skeleton crew.
Lonnie gets yanked by the tether line, ruining his video
shot. He gives the line a tug. The line tugs back.
It's a tug of war between treasure and exploration.
Lonnie tugs back and forth on the line, smiling. Braces his
feet on the bulkhead, gives the line a massive tug. Wham!
Lonnie shoots across the room. The end of the tether
floating into the room. Williams has disconnected the safety
line.
IN THE CARGO HOLD
William's flashlight touches stacks of oil paintings, crates
of sculptures, two rotted Guttenberg Bibles... In the center
of the room are two burlap covered pallets of freight.
Lonnie swims in, gestures to the unhooked tether.
Williams shrugs, tears the rotted burlap off a pallet.
Nazi gold bars from the 1940 Bichener smelting. Treasure.
Lonnie videotapes the rotted oil paintings.
Van Gogh. Rembrandt. Cezanne. Paint peeling.
Williams grabs Lonnie by the T of his tanks and yanks.
Ruins Lonnie's shot again.
Williams gestures to the gold. That's what they came for.
Who cares about the rest of the junk?
Lonnie reluctantly puts away the video equipment.
They find the cargo door controls. Rusted shut.
Lonnie works on the mechanism with his kelp knife. Click.
The cargo door slowly opens, mechanism tearing the knife from
Lonnie's hand... drawing blood. Ouch!
The cargo door drifts to the sand.
And a shark swims into the cargo hold.
Lonnie and Williams stay still. Neither breathes -- the
bubbles from the regulator are similar to a thrashing fish.
The shark swims right up to Lonnie, "sniffs" him.
Lonnie holds tight to his wounded hand.
The shark swims past Lonnie, moves on to Williams.
Williams stays still. Holding his breath. Afraid.
The shark opens its mouth, SNAPS in front of Williams.
Then swims past, through the door to the cockpit.
Williams and Lonnie give the thumbs up. Williams extends his
index finger, fires his "gun hand". They're rich! A big
moment... Best friends sharing the find of a lifetime.
EXT. JUNKERS 352 CARGO PLANE - UNDERWATER
Lonnie swims out the cargo door, gives Shelby a thumbs up.
She gives the upline two tugs.
EXT. DIVE BOAT -- DAY
Ron Ennio feels the tugs, tosses a pair of inflatables into
the water, watches them drift down. Yells to the boat crew:
ENNIO
They've got the gold.
EXT. JUNKERS 352 CARGO PLANE - UNDERWATER
Lonnie, Williams, and Shelby attached the inflatables to the
pallets of gold with steel cables. Make sure they're secure.
Lonnie's hand wound begins bleeding again.
The shark zooms out of the cargo doors, right at Lonnie!
Lonnie flips his speargun into his hands.
The shark roars at Lonnie.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Three spears fire from the gun.
Two direct hits into the shark's eyes.
The shark keeps coming!
Lonnie dives to the sand, shark zipping overhead.
It slams into the sand a dozen feet away. Dead.
Three thumbs up. They're all alive... and still rich!
Over protests from Shelby, Williams hooks the up-line to both
pallets of gold. No safety line at all.
Lonnie and Williams pull the ripcords on the inflatables.
They blast full of air, buoyant, pull the gold to the
surface. Picking up speed.
The wake slams Williams into Lonnie.
Click.
Williams unhooks Lonnie's weight belt - it drops to the sand.
Lonnie's body shoots to the surface.
Falling UP!
If Lonnie surfaces without decompression he'll get the bends.
Possibly die.
Shelby grabs Lonnie's gloved hand.
No safety line. Williams unhooked it.
Shelby looks around for Williams.
Gone. Already swimming to the surface.
Lonnie and Shelby lock eyes, hold tight to each other.
EXT. DIVE BOAT -- DAY
Pop! Pop!
Both pallets of gold erupt from the sea near the dive boat.
Williams pops up between the floats, removes his mask,
laughs.
EXT. JUNKERS 352 CARGO PLANE - UNDERWATER
Lonnie's glove slips off in Shelby's hand.
Falling up!
Shelby hooks Lonnie's watch with her fingers. Hangs on.
Lonnie tries to lose his glove and grab Shelby.
The dive watch band snaps.
Lonnie blasts to the surface. Gaining speed.
Frightened eyes focus on Shelby... she gets farther away!
Then Lonnie's eyes bug out from the pressure.
Blood sprays from his ears, nose, tear ducts.
He speeds to the surface. Faster. Faster.
No way to scream... he's underwater!
Light from above. The surface is closer.
His eyes EXPLODE, covering the glass face mask with blood.
INT. LONNIE'S HOUSE -- MORNING
Lonnie bolts up in bed, bathed in sweat, heart pounding.
Touch of grey: Lonnie is five years older. Still alive.
LONNIE
No more midnight pizza.
Around his neck -- the bronze toy anchor on a lanyard.
He rubs the nightmare from his eyes... they're still there.
EXT. DIVE SHOP -- DAWN
A broken neon sign LONNIE'S DIVE SHOP (but "shop" isn't
working). Not pretty, but it's where REAL divers go for
equipment. Gravel parking lot filled with Jeeps, Broncos.
INT. DIVE SHOP -- DAWN
Every SCUBA and snorkeling item known to man. Wall space not
used for merchandise is covered with photos of Lonnie's team
and their discoveries... cut outs for Williams' face. In the
back, a pot bellied stove with the metal coffee pot.
Lonnie and Ron Ennio fill tanks for a succession of DIVERS.
Jokes, laughter, Lonnie is the hub of the SCUBA world. Divers
fill their travel cups from the old metal pot, share stories.
LONNIE
You need a new regulator, Johnny.
DIVER #1
Lon, I can't...
Lonnie pops off the old regulator, replaces it.
LONNIE
Pay me later. Can't afford to lose any
customers the hard way.
DIVER #1
Thanks, Lon.
A few CUSTOMERS later, Lonnie hands a DIVER's tanks to Ennio,
leads him back to the suit rental area.
LONNIE
Van, my man... what size this week?
DIVER #2
She says small, but I say medium to
large. She's... um, built.
LONNIE
Another cocktail waitress?
DIVER #2
Real estate agent. Met her at a party.
Lonnie hands Diver #2 a neon blue step-in suit.
LONNIE
Should fit, unless she's in the Guiness
book.
Diver #2 laughs, slaps hands with Lonnie.
Lonnie and Ennio fill tanks until the rush dies down. Last
customers of the morning are CARTER and BUDDY. Eager, self
assured, early twenties, Carter is Lonnie ten years ago.
LONNIE
Where you guys headed today?
CARTER
Found a crushin' old DC-3 sunk off the
coast near Gualala.
LONNIE
That thing still there?
CARTER
You dove that?
LONNIE
(smiles)
You know me... The only wreck I wouldn't
dive on was my ex-wife.
CARTER
Want to tag along?
LONNIE
You mean just close up and go diving?
ENNIO
Never happen.
Carter looks at some of the faded photos. Lonnie, Shelby,
Ennio, and Williams pose with gold doubloons and treasures.
Early photos with just Lonnie and a de-faced Williams.
CARTER
It'd be joyous. Progging with Lonnie
Marks. Maybe we'd find buried treasure.
LONNIE
Let the other guys go for the treasure,
now I just dive for the pleasure.
(Lonnie pulls the tanks off the
compressor.)
I'll take a rain check, Carter.
CARTER
Some day we're gonna hit the water
together, so I can glom all of your
tricks.
LONNIE
My tricks? I'd be stealing your moves.
CARTER
Don't hold your breath.
LONNIE
That's what the tanks are for.
Carter laughs, pays, leaves the shop with his Buddy.
Lonnie picks up his coffee cup. Empty. Nods to Ennio and
heads to the stove. Pours a cup, hears someone behind him.
DONAGGIO
Lonnigan Marks?
LONNIE
Friends call me Lonnie.
CHARLES DONAGGIO looks like a retired college professor.
Sixty, tweedy, British. A wooden cane props him up.
DONAGGIO
They say that you are the man in
underwater exploration and salvage.
LONNIE
WAS the man.
DONAGGIO
I have a proposal for you.
LONNIE
Not looking to get married again.
DONAGGIO
They said you were quite the wise ass,
too.
LONNIE
I'm still a wise ass.
Lonnie pours a cup of coffee for Donaggio.
DONAGGIO
What do you know of the Mayans?
LONNIE
They gave their hearts freely.
DONAGGIO
There was more to their civilization than
the sacrifices. By 900 AD they ruled
Central America.
LONNIE
Are you an archaeologist?
Donaggio continues as if COMPELLED to prove his knowledge.
DONAGGIO
In 1519, the Spanish conquered Central
America. Slaughtering and looting.
LONNIE
Some kind of history professor?
DONAGGIO
In a country rich in gold and silver, it
is no surprise that monuments to their
Gods were usually crafted in --
LONNIE
You're a gold smelter???
DONAGGIO
For almost a century, galleons shipped
gold and silver to Spain.
LONNIE
And you know about a specific galleon?
DONAGGIO
In 1573 one of these galleons was caught
in a storm a day out of Caracol carrying
a fourteen ton solid-gold sculpture of
Quetzequatal with emeralds for scales and
rubies for eyes --
LONNIE
The San Miquel?
DONAGGIO
A seven ton solid silver sundial, five
copper bulls weighing a ton each.
LONNIE
Riesenberg went after it in 1953. Fisher
gave it a shot ten years later. Best
divers in the world couldn't find it.
DONAGGIO
They were looking in the wrong place.
I've spent twenty years searching the
archives in Spain. I believe I can
pinpoint the exact spot where it sunk.
LONNIE
You're a "Mist"?
DONAGGIO
Charles Donaggio.
LONNIE
You found the DeBraak, the St. Paulie...
And now Miquel?
DONAGGIO
This coffee is excellent.
LONNIE
Egg shell... Why not get that guy from
N.A.M.E. -- Curt Williams?
DONAGGIO
He was our first choice.
LONNIE
Can't imagine him turning it down.
DONAGGIO
You know Williams?
LONNIE
(touches the toy anchor)
I used to dive with him.
DONAGGIO
He doesn't seem like a team player.
LONNIE
There's an understatement.
DONAGGIO
My investors have suffered through years
of research. They're ready for some
excitement.
LONNIE
Discovery and recovery.
DONAGGIO
Are you interested in the San Miquel?
LONNIE
Of course. You'll take care of the
permits? I'm great in the water, but...
DONAGGIO
I'll deal with the Belize government.
We'll be at the Royal Reef Hotel in two
weeks. You'll have a team?
LONNIE
(smiles)
I can put something together.
Donaggio hobbles out of the dive shop. Lonnie watches him.
ENNIO
What was that all about?
LONNIE
Guy thinks he's found the San Miquel.
Ennio is impressed.
Lonnie hits the 'no sale' button on the register.
In the cash drawer a corroded key in an empty compartment.
He looks at the key for a moment.
Finally reaches in, pulls it out.
EXT. OLD WAREHOUSE -- DAY
Behind the Dive Shop a corrugated metal building.
The corroded key fits a rusted padlock on the door.
After a few tries, Lonnie gets the door open.
INT. OLD WAREHOUSE -- DAY
Everything is covered in five years of dust.
Marine salvage equipment: a portable magnetometer, a compact
side scan sonar, an underwater prop tow, several blower
units, a clampdown winch, zodiac, safety rigs, buoys, a shark
cage.
IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM
An old Range Rover under layers of dust.
Lonnie wipes the dust off the side of the Range Rover.
Painted on the truck "THE SEA HUNTERS -- MARINE SALVAGE".
A noise. Lonnie spins. Ron Ennio silhouetted in the doorway.
LONNIE
What do you say? Want to go diving?
ENNIO
(takes off his thick glasses)
Someone's got to watch the store.
LONNIE
Can't do it without you, Ron. You're my
"top man". I want you on the team.
ENNIO
I appreciate it, Lonnie... Really. But
what if you come back empty? I'd be more
good to you here.
(Lonnie nods. A moment.)
You know who'd make a good "top man"?
EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY -- DAY
A beat-up Bronco takes the sharp corners between the rock
wall and the ocean at high speed. A cellular phone rings.
INT. BRONCO -- DAY
Carter answers the cellular, driving with one hand.
CARTER
Burwell residence, how may I help you?
He spins a corner, Buddy holding on for his life.
CARTER
Yeah? Crushin'! Where's the dive?
Another corner - almost going over the cliff into the
Pacific.
CARTER
What about Shelby? Isn't she in Florida
someplace feeding dolphins?
Carter swings another corner, almost hitting a logging truck.
CARTER
Joyous. See you there.
Carter hangs up, turns to Buddy... Eyes off the road.
CARTER
I'm going diving with Lonnie Marks!
Carter looks back at the road just in time.
EXT. MARINE RESEARCH FOUNDATION -- DAY
Two dolphins swim in a large tank.
Shelby, touch of gray, two finger types into a laptop
connected to a pair of corrugated tubes sunk in the tank.
ON THE MONITOR
"JUMP AND I'LL GIVE YOU A FISH"
She hits "enter" and squeals and barks come from the tubes.
The dolphins jumps into the air.
Big splash.
The dolphins swim to Shelby, pop out of the water.
SHELBY
Good boys!
Shelby gives them each a fish.
The dolphins takes it, bark-squeak for a minute.
SHELBY
Sorry, I don't speak dolphin... Yet.
The dolphins swim away.
When the ripples subside, Shelby sees the man's reflection.
SHELBY
Lonnie Marks. Good to see you back in
men's clothes again.
LONNIE
Shelby, Shelby, Shelby.
SHELBY
What'd you do with your heel collection?
LONNIE
Like you'd be caught dead in heels. You
don't even shave your legs.
SHELBY
Some women go for the natural look.
LONNIE
Want to go diving?
SHELBY
Recreational?
LONNIE
Salvage job. Spanish galleon.
The dolphins chatter, looking for attention (and fish). She
throws each a fish, turning from Lonnie.
LONNIE
You know me... My dives are always fun.
SHELBY
Like the time we were arrested as dope
smugglers? A week in a Colombian jail
with nothing to wear but a bikini.
LONNIE
Well... okay...
SHELBY
The mud-pond in Mexico?
LONNIE
Mud is good for the skin. That would
have cost you two grand at a spa...
SHELBY
That dive off the nude beach in Greece?
LONNIE
We got a hell of a tan.
SHELBY
What's the cargo?
LONNIE
Silver and gold statues. Twenty six
tons.
SHELBY
Statues? What's the location?
LONNIE
Belize...
SHELBY
You're going after the frigging San
Miquel? Now I know you're crazy.
LONNIE
Does that mean you're in?
Shelby looks at the dolphins, the institute... her life. Does
she want to give all of this up?
SHELBY
Aw, hell... Let's go diving.
INT. RANGE ROVER -- DAY
Carter in the passenger seat moving and grooving to the
radio.
The Range Rover is clean, parked outside the Marine Research
Foundation. A trailer piled with equipment behind it.
The passenger door is yanked open, a hand thrust in at
Carter.
Carter jumps... then puts $20 from his wallet into the hand.
LONNIE (O.S.)
Told you she was in.
CARTER
(looks at empty wallet)
You're gonna have to buy the brews
tonight.
EXT. RANGE ROVER -- EVENING
The Range Rover roars south. The adventure has begun.
EXT. BELIZE CITY -- DAY
From the ancient Mayan ruins in Caracol we move East to...
The main seaport of Belize, on the beautiful Caribbean coast.
Ending at the huge luxurious Royal Reef Hotel on the water.
A title is supered "Belize City, Central America".
INT. ROYAL REEF INN -- DAY
From the plate glass window of the luxury hotel, past the
indoor fountain and terrarium, to the ornate front desk. A
set of fingers drum on the desk -- Shelby looking pissed.
SHELBY
I don't give a weasel's willy what that
computer says, we DO have reservations.
Lonnie pushes through the lobby, spear gun over his shoulder.
LONNIE
Sorry! The valet didn't know how to
drive a 4X4 with a half ton trailer.
SHELBY
He can't find our reservations.
LONNIE
Check under Bullwinkle.
The Clerk punches it into the computer, smiles at the
results.
CLERK
Ah... Mr. Bullwinkle?
LONNIE
This is my lovely wife Rocky,
(Shelby flips him off)
and here comes Boris with the luggage.
Carter enters, dragging a pile of dirty tethered duffle bags.
Flies swarm around some of the more briny bags.
The Clerk wrinkles his nose.
CLERK
Rooms 517, 519, and 521.
Lonnie signs the registration card.
SHELBY
(gestures to speargun)
What's that for?
LONNIE
Hotel sharks.
The Clerk hands them three mag-keys, nods to the duffle bags.
CLERK
Will you require a bellboy to help you
with your luggage?
LONNIE
I think he can handle it.
The Clerk smiles, Carter frowns.
EXT. POOL SIDE BAR -- EVENING
Splash! A WOMAN in a sexy one piece does aerial acrobatics
before hitting the pool.
The wake travels the length of the pool, to where Lonnie,
Shelby and Carter down beers.
CARTER
Why the bogus names?
LONNIE
If anyone finds out we're here for the
San Miquel every lowlife diver and
weekend treasure hunter in the world will
descend on this place. There won't be
enough water for all of us.
SHELBY
That's why we have to be frigging careful
with the boat.
Carter's confused.
LONNIE
There are some great diving boats in
town... We aren't renting any of them.
CARTER
We gonna swim out to the site?
LONNIE
We'll rent a commercial fishing boat.
The more run down it looks, the better.
SHELBY
It's still got to work.
LONNIE
What we want is an older boat in top
mechanical shape. Well maintained
inside, not so well maintained outside.
CARTER
We'll stay aboard, right?
LONNIE
There'll be four of us.
SHELBY
Four?
LONNIE
The "Mist" who's putting this thing
together wants someone from his crew.
I'm going to try to talk him out of it,
but it's his checkbook.
Shelby gestures a pretty WAITRESS for another round.
SHELBY
Anybody asks, we're deep sea fishing.
LONNIE
Tell them we're stockbrokers on holiday.
CARTER
Wait a minute -- I'm finding the boat?
LONNIE
"Top Man" does all the shit work.
Carter notices three COLLEGE GIRLS sitting pool side. Smiles
at them. They giggle, return the smile.
CARTER
Can I have the rest of the day off?
LONNIE
Sure... After you find the boat.
Carter laughs grabbing two Negra Modellos from the Waitress
as she passes, hands Lonnie the bill, joins the College
Girls.
LONNIE
(studies the bar bill)
This is outrageous!
(hands bill to Shelby)
I wouldn't pay it if I were you.
Shelby, stuck with the bill, pays. Generous tip.
WAITRESS
Muchas gracias.
SHELBY
(flirting)
De nada.
(waits for Waitress to leave)
When was the last time you dove? Not
just fooling around, for treasure.
LONNIE
You were there.
SHELBY
It's the frigging San Miquel, Lonnie.
LONNIE
Why not start at the top?
SHELBY
Because the treasure's at the bottom?
LONNIE
Why is it that no matter what we talk
about you always bring up sex.
SHELBY
(laughs)
God, I've miss this shit... Remember when
that frigging Argentine Minister Of
Antiquities claimed the crates of
doubloons from the HMS Henniger --
LONNIE
Stuck us with all of those clay pots of
copper and brass coins --
SHELBY
Curt sneaks in, fills the pots with the
gold doubloons, leaves the Argentine
holding his brass!
Shelby laughs... sees Lonnie's reaction to Curt. Stops.
SHELBY
We made a hell of a team. Curt always
says those were his best dives --
LONNIE
You've seen him?
SHELBY
He comes by every few months. Usually
trying to talk me into a dive. Wanted me
to join N.A.M.E. but --
LONNIE
I can't believe you'd even talk to him.
SHELBY
Curt is who he is. You just have to
accept him... You never came by, Lonnie.
LONNIE
For the past five years I've been living
on the surface.
The sexiest woman in the world comes out of the pool.
EVELYN's white one piece bathing suit is translucent from the
water. Climbing the ladder, she locks eyes with Lonnie.
SHELBY
Something in your eye?
LONNIE
I saw her first. Dibsies. Dibsies. She
probably doesn't like hairy legs anyway.
Every man at the pool watches Evelyn pass by.
Lonnie moves to his feet without removing his eyes from her.
SHELBY
If it doesn't work out, give me a call...
She might be my type.
Lonnie follows Evelyn through the crowded resort.
A hundred feet away, he keeps losing track of her.
Evelyn stops at a lounge covered by a bright beach towel.
By the time Lonnie gets to the chaise lounge, it's empty.
Only a wine glass with a red lipstick ring.
Lonnie looks all around the pool. Evelyn is gone.
EXT. STREETS OF BELIZE CITY -- EVENING
Lonnie walks across the Swing Bridge, passes the Government
House, the Clock Tower. Storm clouds gather on the horizon.
As Lonnie explores the picturesque city, it rains.
He dives for cover under a restaurant canopy, steps inside.
INT. FORT STREET RESTAURANT -- EVENING
Lonnie, dripping print shirt and shorts is out of place.
MAITRE D'
You have reservations, Sir?
LONNIE
About almost everything.
Fort Street is an elegant five star restaurant, most of the
patrons are dressed for dinner: coats, ties, adult pants.
MAITRE D'
Reservations ARE required, sir...
A WAITER pulls the Maitre D' aside, whispers.
MAITRE D'
My apologies, sir. The lady is waiting
at your table.
(looks him over)
The house has a jacket in your size.
LONNIE
Are there house pants?
MAITRE D'
I'm afraid not, sir.
The Waiter returns with the house jacket, helps Lonnie put it
on. He looks silly in the jacket and shorts.
MAITRE D'
Mr. Valdez will show you to your table.
Lonnie follows the Waiter across the restaurant.
WAITER
It's not wise to let a woman wait, senor.
They weave between tables, PATRONS staring at Lonnie's legs.
LONNIE
Did you see her legs? They're hairrier
than mine. And she swears like a sailor.
The Waiter leads him to a corner table, pulls out a chair.
Lonnie sits.
The woman at the table ISN'T Shelby.
It's EVELYN, the woman from the pool.
LONNIE
Do you always rescue stray men from
embarrassing situations?
EVELYN
Only when the alternative is dining
alone.
A touch of British accent, Evelyn is dressed to thrill.
LONNIE
Lonnigan Marks. Friends call me Lonnie.
EVELYN
Evelyn.
The shake hands, Lonnie doesn't want to let go.
EVELYN
Business or pleasure?
LONNIE
Excuse me?
EVELYN
Your purpose in Belize City?
LONNIE
Business.
EVELYN
Lumber? Fishing? Sugarcane? Tourism?
LONNIE
Marine salvage.
EVELYN
I take it that has nothing to do with the
armed forces or organized religion?
LONNIE
Sunken ships. I'm a diver.
The Waiter pours Mersault into two glasses.
EVELYN
I ordered wine, hope you don't mind.
LONNIE
Trying to get me drunk?
EVELYN
Not on a 1979 Mersault.
Takes a sip. Smiles. A charge of sexual energy between them.
EVELYN
You wear a rubber suit?
LONNIE
They tend to cut down on sensation.
EVELYN
I've heard that.
LONNIE
If it's warm enough, I just wear trunks
when I go down.
EVELYN
You go down often?
LONNIE
Every chance I get.
EVELYN
Always looking for ships?
LONNIE
Sometimes just exploring.
EVELYN
That sounds exciting.
LONNIE
It can be. Do you dive?
EVELYN
I've done some snorkeling.
Lonnie looks at the lipstick mark on her wine glass.
LONNIE
Is that why you're in Belize?
Snorkeling?
EVELYN
I'm here with my father.
(laughs at herself)
Sounds silly, doesn't it? Like I'm
sixteen or something... Maybe I am.
LONNIE
Should I check your ID?
EVELYN
(sexy smile)
I assure you I'm legal.
INT. FORT STREET RESTAURANT -- LATER
The remnants of dinner on the table between them.
Evelyn and Lonnie laugh, comfortable together.
LONNIE
...We spent three days in jail, wearing
nothing but our bathing suits, until the
investors came up with bail money.
EVELYN
(laughs)
I think I'm drunk... Would you take me
back to my hotel, Mr. Marks?
LONNIE
Lonnie. Friends call me Lonnie.
Lonnie pays the bill and helps her up, they leave.
Giggling.
EXT. STREETS OF BELIZE CITY -- NIGHT
The rain has stopped, they walk arm in arm.
LONNIE
Which hotel?
EVELYN
The Royal Reef, right on the water...
LONNIE
I'm in 517.
EVELYN
Room 423. We're neighbors.
INT. ELEVATOR -- NIGHT
The elevator doors open, Lonnie and Evelyn step inside.
LONNIE
Walk you to your door?
EVELYN
You don't want to come in?
Lonnie pulls her around, mouths finding each other as if
their faces are magnetized. It's one hell of a kiss.
LONNIE
Can I take a rain check?
EVELYN
You know where to find me.
The elevator doors open, she steps out... leaves Lonnie
alone.
INT. ROOM 517 -- NIGHT
Lonnie flips on the lights. He's not alone.
CURT WILLIAMS is posed on the sofa in a white tuxedo,
radiating self confidence. No gray in his blow-dried hair.
WILLIAMS
Lonnie... How have you been, buddy?
LONNIE
Lonnigan. Ex-friends call me Lonnigan.
LEONARD HERRMANN, a huge brute in a muscle T and black
slacks, stands behind Williams. He's a threat in human
form.
Dragon tattooed BARRY LEE grabs a beer from the pried open
mini-bar, a 44 magnum in his shoulder holster.
LONNIE
(gestures to beer)
I'll take one of those.
BARRY
Last one. We've been here two hours.
LONNIE
Sorry to keep you waiting.
(to Williams)
What's with the muscle?
WILLIAMS
Barry and Herrmann - they're on my team.
LONNIE
They know how dangerous that can be?
WILLIAMS
Lonnie, Lonnie, Lonnie. We used to be
friends...
LONNIE
What do you want, Curt?
WILLIAMS
I want in on the San Miquel dive.
LONNIE
We're here to dive the blue hole...
WILLIAMS
We were a great team, Lonnie.
LONNIE
Should I call hotel security?
WILLIAMS
I have a mobile command center on a
Cessna Caravan seaplane. Latest side
scan sonar, robot subs with mini-cams.
All courtesy of N.A.M.E. and Uncle Sam.
LONNIE
I have a side scan sonar --
WILLIAMS
Damaged in shipping. You really
shouldn't leave your gear unattended in
the hotel parking lot. They aren't
responsible for lost or stolen items.
Lonnie dives for Williams. Herrmann intercepts, sends him
crashing into the coat rack. Barry's gun pops into his hand.
WILLIAMS
I've tried the solo career, Lon. It
didn't work for me, it's not going to
work for you. We need each other, buddy.
Lonnie flips the speargun from the hat rack into his hands.
Thwack! Thwack!
One spear slices across the room, pins Barry's sleeve to the
bar before he can aim his gun. Now he can't reach his beer.
The other spear zips past Herrmann's face, forcing him back.
Williams quick draws a pair of black 45 automatics.
Lonnie spins, aims the speargun at Williams. Last spear.
LONNIE
This conversation's over.
WILLIAMS
I believe here in Belize they call this
an 'American Stand-off'.
LONNIE
You going to shoot me or leave?
Williams steps closer -- twin 45s almost touching Lonnie's
face.
WILLIAMS
There's enough gold to share. We could
work together. Just like the old days.
LONNIE
You steal the gold? Leave me hanging?
Lonnie keeps the speargun aimed at Williams.
WILLIAMS
What did you want me to do? We had two
floats of gold on the surface just
waiting for pirates --
LONNIE
Ron had it under control.
WILLIAMS
Ron was an old man. We should have got
rid of him years ago. He was worthless -
-
LONNIE
Worth less than what? The gold?
Williams takes another step closer, the tip of Lonnie's spear
touches his chest. Presses both gun barrels into Lonnie's
face.
WILLIAMS
I had investors to think about.
LONNIE
They were OUR investors. It wasn't YOUR
dive it was OUR dive.
Williams lowers his guns, steps away from Lonnie...
Wham! Herrmann slams Lonnie with a massive fist, sends him
to the floor. Williams kicks the speargun away, holsters one
gun and keeps the other on Lonnie.
WILLIAMS
It's all ripples on the surface, Lonnie.
Let's talk about the Miquel.
Barry pulls the spear from his sleeve, grabs his beer.
LONNIE
Nothing to talk about.
Herrmann slams him again... tries a second time, but Williams
stops him. Lonnie curls up into a ball on the floor,
bleeding.
Williams bends down and grabs the toy anchor, lifting
Lonnie's head off the floor with the lanyard.
WILLIAMS
Can't believe you still wear this thing.
It's gotta be twenty five years old.
Williams hears Lonnie strangling and lets go of the
lanyard... But the past still connects them.
WILLIAMS
I need this dive. I'm not like you. I
can't just drop out and open a dive shop.
Williams gently cleans the blood from Lonnie's face with a
monogrammed handkerchief. A friend caring for a friend.
WILLIAMS
We can dive with each other or against
each other. We have so much history
together, Lonnie. Why throw it all away?
Williams gets to his feet, leaves his handkerchief behind.
Stops at the door.
WILLIAMS
Donaggio arrives tomorrow. If for some
reason you can't meet him at the airport,
I'd be happy to take your place.
BARRY
Hey, thanks for the beer.
When they're gone: Lonnie grabs his speargun, staggers to his
feet, checks his wound in the mirror by the mini-bar. A
small gash. Washes it in the bar sink. Reaches for a beer.
A waste basket full of empties -- mini bar looted, empty.
EXT. BELIZE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT -- DAY
A 727 lands on the strip, squeals to a top, and taxies past
the beat up hangers to the sleek new terminal building. A
ramp is wheeled to the plane doors. PASSENGERS disembark as
PORTERS pop open the cargo hold and stack luggage nearby.
Charles Donaggio hobbles down the ramp, looking for Lonnie.
Hotel Vans, limos and CHAUFFERS with cardboard signs,
friends. But no sign of Lonnie.
Donaggio spots a familiar face: Williams.
Williams smiles at Donaggio. Barry and Herrmann flank him.
Donaggio looks again for Lonnie. He is nowhere.
Confused, Donaggio crosses the tarmac to Williams.
DONAGGIO
Mr. Williams?
WILLIAMS
Mr. Donaggio --
Lonnie breaks through the crowd, grabs Donaggio before he
reaches Williams and steers him toward the luggage.
LONNIE
Sorry I'm late. Which are yours?
Lonnie grabs Donaggio's bags from the row, hustles him across
the tarmac to the Range Rover, passing Williams and his team.
LONNIE
Sorry you came all the way out here for
nothing, Curt.
WILLIAMS
It doesn't have to be this way, Lonnie.
LONNIE
Sure it does.
Williams watches Lonnie toss Donaggio's luggage in the back
of the Rover, climb inside and drive away in a cloud of dust.
INT. RANGE ROVER -- DAY
Donaggio studies Williams through the dust.
DONAGGIO
What is Mister Williams doing here?
LONNIE
Shouldn't have told him about the dive.
DONAGGIO
But... He doesn't have the job...
Lonnie looks in the rear view mirror.
A BLACK JEEP is following them. Three hundred feet back.
INT. BLACK JEEP -- DAY
Barry drives, Williams in the passenger seat, the massive
Herrmann filling the back seat. All three are armed.
INT. RANGE ROVER -- DAY
Lonnie skids onto a side road, spewing dust.
Donaggio holds on for his life.
LONNIE
My top man found a boat. It's ready to
go. You got money?
DONAGGIO
Of course. Must you drive so fast?
The dust clears behind them, the Black Jeep is still there.
Lonnie spins onto a side road, taking them through jungle.
LONNIE
About this diver of yours...
DONAGGIO
Yes? I'll need to introduce you.
LONNIE
Look, I've already got a Top Man and
Secondary Diver. I'm Primary...
DONAGGIO
What about a Relief Diver?
LONNIE
I'm not sure we'll need one.
Lonnie looks in the rear view mirror.
The Black Jeep is still back there.
Catching up with them.
DONAGGIO
I assure you, this diver is competent.
Used to be with N.A.M.E...
At the next intersection, Lonnie fakes right, turns left.
Donaggio is thrown against the side of the truck.
LONNIE
One of Williams' divers?
DONAGGIO
You used to dive with Williams.
The dust behind the Range Rover clears: No Black Jeep.
Lonnie smiles, turns onto a paved road, heads to the Marina.
LONNIE
Now I only dive with people I know.
DONAGGIO
If you're quite sure...
EXT. COMMERCIAL MARINA -- DAY
The Range Rover pulls onto gravel lot and comes to a stop.
A dozen piers filled with beat up commercial fishing boats
south of the Swing Bridge. DOCK WORKERS push wheel barrows
filled with fish from the boats to a pair of rusting old
cannery buildings. Teaming with activity... and flies.
Lonnie and Donaggio climb out of the Range Rover.
From one of the piers, Carter waves a greeting.
LONNIE
Our top man, Carter.
Donaggio grabs his briefcase from the Rover, follows Lonnie.
EXT. PIER -- DAY
Donaggio narrowly avoids the wheel barrows of fish as he
hobbles behind Lonnie to where Carter and Shelby wait.
LONNIE
Carter, Shelby, this is Mr. Donaggio. The
"mist" who put this thing together.
Donaggio shakes hands with Shelby and Carter.
CARTER
Crushin'... What's a "mist"?
LONNIE
Marine Historian.
DONAGGIO
Every country has their own maritime
archives. Records of every ship, piece
of cargo and sailor since time began. I
sift through documents looking for clues
to ship wrecks. Millions of documents.
Something I read ten years ago combined
with a tidbit I read last week may form a
solid lead. Fascinating work.
Snore... Lonnie notices an attractive WOMAN, back to him,
talking with one of the grungy fishing boat captains.
Donaggio notices Lonnie looking at the Woman.
DONAGGIO
I know you won't be needing her, but I'd
like to introduce you to my diver.
Donaggio touches the Woman's shoulder.
She turns. It's Evelyn.
DONAGGIO
My daughter, Evelyn.
EVELYN
Mr. Marks and I have already met.
DONAGGIO
(confused)
Oh? I thought...
LONNIE
Why didn't you tell me...?
DONAGGIO
He doesn't think he'll be needing a
relief diver --
LONNIE
Maybe we shouldn't take the risk. With
Williams here we could use some help.
SHELBY
Curt's in Belize?
LONNIE
He was waiting in my room last night. I
think he's gone pirate.
SHELBY
Does he have an eye patch? A parrot on
his shoulder?
LONNIE
A DESIGNER eye patch. He wants the
Miquel.
SHELBY
How's his ego?
LONNIE
It's gotten bigger than his hair.
SHELBY
I'm not even sure that's possible.
Carter points to a dilapidated commercial fishing boat. The
Dos Equis is run down, grease smeared, in need of many coats
of paint, and smells of fish.
CARTER
Think this tub will do?
LONNIE
The "Double Cross"?
JUAN HORNER is a Mestizo Indian version of Danny DeVito.
Burley, hairy, with a cigar butt clamped in his mouth.
CARTER
Juan Horner, the captain.
Lonnie shakes his hand. Horner grunts.
Lonnie's hand comes away smeared with grease.
LONNIE
How much?
CARTER
Seven hundred a day.
Donaggio hands Horner seven hundred dollars from his wallet.
Horner keeps his hand out until Donaggio fills it.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAY
The team jumps onboard the Dos Equis, watching where they
step, they don't want to break through the deck.
Horner casts off, goes to the bridge and starts the engines.
Carter gives them a quick tour of the boat.
INT. ENGINE COMPARTMENT -- DAY
Carter opens a door below decks.
CARTER
Looks like kitty-crap from the outside,
but he just rebuilt the engine.
LONNIE
Looks clean.
CARTER
There's a brand new winch, too.
INT. GALLEY -- DAY
A small formica table, a Coleman stove and a refrigerator
covered with every refrigerator magnet know to man.
CARTER
Galley. The bunks are right through
here.
INT. CABINS -- DAY
Two little rooms with bunk beds, between them: a closed door.
The sound of running water comes from behind the door.
Lonnie opens the door: a toilet overflowing with sea water.
LONNIE
Horner needs to get his "head" examined.
CARTER
Needs a new seacock. He's got the part,
hasn't gotten around to fixing it. He
just hangs his ass over the side.
LONNIE
There's not enough beer in the world to
wash that image out of my mind.
EXT. CARIBBEAN -- DAY
A majestic feeling of adventure as the Dos Equis leaves
Belize, entering the azure sea. Dolphins jump along side.
INT. BRIDGE -- DAY
Donaggio at the navigation table, plotting their course on a
photo-reproduction of a 1570's map. Frequently consults a
binder with hand written notes and Xeroxes on the San Miquel.
DONAGGIO
Seventeen degrees South.
LONNIE
Shouldn't that be North? Riesenberg and
Fisher dove off Ambergris Caye.
DONAGGIO
That's why they didn't find the Miquel.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAY
Turns South, leaving the shore and the city behind them.
INT. FORT GEORGE LIGHTHOUSE -- DAY
From his vantage point on top of the lighthouse, Williams
watches the Dos Equis turn South through binoculars.
WILLIAMS
They're going South. Weird.
Behind him, Barry and Herrmann.
WILLIAMS
Get the plane. This could work out after
all.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Donaggio lifts a Xeroxed page from his binder.
DONAGGIO
September 3rd, 1573: "A devil's blanket
of clouds turned day to night and the
wind screamed. The heavens opened, and
rain came, washing several men to sea.
The masts snapped before we could lower
the sails, and the crash awoke the sea
gods and fueled their anger."
Donaggio closes the binder and holds it at his side.
DONAGGIO
There were ninety men on the San Miquel.
Seventy six died in the storm and
shipwreck. Thirteen were attacked by
sharks that night. Only one survivor.
Donaggio holds up the binder.
DONAGGIO
He testified that he saw Gales Point
before the ship went down.
Lonnie sees the Gales Point slowly appear behind a mountain
as they continue South. Donaggio points out three landmarks.
DONAGGIO
Gales Point, the Barrier Reef, and
Ambergris Caye. This is where the San
Miquel went down...
The rest is drowned out by the seaplane zooming overhead.
Lonnie waits until the plane is gone, turns to Horner.
LONNIE
Can you find this place again?
EVELYN
No problem.
She holds up a Global Positioning Device.
LONNIE
Let's get your father ashore, load the
equipment, and find this wreck.
Thumbs up all the way around. The find of the century is
about to be theirs. The seaplane flies over again.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Barry and Williams see the Dos Equis head back to Belize.
BARRY
We know the area, what now?
WILLIAMS
A little team work. Let his team mark
all the possibles, then our team can take
the Miquel right out from under them.
Barry takes the seaplane back to Belize.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- EVENING
Piled high with equipment, the Dos Equis cruises back to the
dive site as the sun sparkles off the Caribbean.
INT. BRIDGE -- EVENING
Evelyn looks up from her GPD to Horner at the wheel.
EVELYN
Right... here.
Horner cuts the engines, drops anchor.
INT. GALLEY -- EVENING
Lonnie rolls out a large scale map of the area, cut into
sections with a magic marker.
LONNIE
We work a quarter square mile at a time,
buoys at every magnetic reading. Can we
knock off four sections a day?
SHELBY
I don't give a dog's dick, long as we
keep it under two weeks above water.
EVELYN
Should be able to handle that.
LONNIE
We start tomorrow at sunrise.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- MORNING
Sun rises over the Caribbean and the Dos Equis.
EXT. REAR DECK -- MORNING
Lonnie an Shelby open a waterproof metal case and pull out
the magnetometer. Carter and Evelyn use the compressor to
inflate the zodiac rubber raft, then attach the motor.
The magnetometer and some mini-buoys are put in the zodiac.
LONNIE
Carter, want to hang out with the buoys?
INT. ZODIAC -- MORNING
Lonnie drops the magnetic head into the water, feeds out
line. They cruise through the first section; Carter driving
the zodiac, Lonnie on the magnetometer console.
LONNIE
Every time we get a hit, we mark it with
a buoy and record the reading. Higher
the reading, the more metal.
CARTER
Sunken ship is gonna have a massive
reading?
LONNIE
Hundreds of ship have gone down here, and
the Miquel may not be in one place. Four
hundred years of currents: it could be
scattered all over.
Lonnie gets a reading, Carter tosses out a blue buoy.
LONNIE
Forty.
INT. GALLEY -- DAY
Lonnie uses a blue marker to write 40 in the right corner of
the first section of the big map. He writes 25, 77, and 53
on other parts of the first section, each marking a buoy.
Lonnie looks out the window at the zodiac zooming around.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Carter drives the zodiac as Shelby runs the magnetometer.
SHELBY
Seventy two big ones.
Carter tosses a buoy into the water, Shelby notes the
reading.
INT. GALLEY -- DAY
Shelby uses the blue marker to write 72 on the second
section.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Carter drives the zodiac as Evelyn runs the magnetometer.
EVELYN
Fifty three.
Carter tosses in a blue buoy, Evelyn records the reading.
INT. GALLEY -- DAY
Evelyn writes 53 on the third section of the big map...
The big map fills with blue numbers, a hundred of them.
EXT. REAR DECK -- EVENING
A hundred blue buoys float around the Dos Equis.
The team drinks beer, watches the sun set.
CARTER
To twenty six awesome tons of treasure.
LONNIE
If we find this wreck, there's gonna be a
lot of things pulling you in different
directions: Gold, fame, even women.
SHELBY
Don't look at me.
LONNIE
Whatever happens, don't forget.
(touches bronze anchor)
Carter is confused, but no one explains.
The sun sets, brings on the night.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAWN
The sun rises behind the Dos Equis... a sound breaks silence.
INT. CABINS -- DAWN
Lonnie's eyes open. He listens to the sound. An airplane.
He grabs his speargun and races up the stairs.
EXT. REAR DECK -- MORNING
Lonnie watches the seaplane land two miles away, pontoons
skim the surface near some buoys before coming to a stop.
Lonnie grabs binoculars from the bridge.
Evelyn comes on deck behind him.
EVELYN
What is it?
THROUGH THE BINOCULARS
Lonnie watches the seaplane stop at one of the buoys.
Two MEN in wet suits lower a robot mini sub into the water.
LONNIE
They're diving our buoys.
EVELYN
Pirates?
Lonnie lowers the binoculars, races to the zodiac.
Evelyn grabs her ditty bag and follows.
EXT. ZODIAC -- MORNING
Lonnie pilots the zodiac to the seaplane.
A hundred feet away from the seaplane Lonnie cuts the engine.
INT. SEAPLANE -- MORNING
Williams, in the command center, works the controls for the
robot sub, watching the monitor. Gray-green images of the
ocean's floor... a scattering of debris. The ghost of a
ship. A fishing boat, maybe a year under the water.
The robot sub putters to the cabin windows... A
face eaten away by fish pops into frame, startling Williams.
He brings the robot sub back to the surface.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- MORNING
Williams pokes his head out, sees Lonnie, grabs a bullhorn.
WILLIAMS
Good morning, Lonnie. Evelyn? You're
looking sweet, today.
LONNIE
You're diving our buoys.
WILLIAMS
You have no claim on this water. I can
dive here if I like.
EVELYN
And I can use the buoys for target
practice if I like.
She pulls a 9mm auto from her bag, fires at the bouy next to
the plane. Ricochets send Barry diving into the cockpit.
EVELYN
I'm a terrible shot. I might
accidentally hurt someone.
She fires another shot.
LONNIE
What the hell are you doing?
EVELYN
Getting in a little target practice.
She fires more shots.
Williams quickly closes the plane's door. Barry hits the
starter, brings the seaplane to life. Herrmann scrambles onto
the pontoon, climb inside, leaving the robot sub behind.
Barry taxies away from the zodiac.
Evelyn holsters the gun.
EVELYN
Did the trick.
LONNIE
Can you warn me next time before opening
fire?
EVELYN
I'll send you a memo.
LONNIE
If those guys had returned fire, they'd
have been shooting at me, too.
The seaplane turns around, skimming the water.
Heading right at them, picking up speed.
LONNIE
Double damn.
Lonnie hits the starter button.
He forgot to adjust the choke, floods the engine.
EVELYN
Lonnie...
The seaplane roars across the water at them.
Lonnie adjusts the choke, hits the starter button again.
Nothing.
The seaplane is almost on top of them.
Lonnie hits it again.
The engine turns over.
The zodiac zips out of the way moments before the seaplane
would have run over it... The wake almost knocking them over.
The seaplane takes to the air, zooming away.
EVELYN
Think he'll be back?
LONNIE
I don't think he's left yet.
The seaplane makes a lazy turn, then roars back at them.
Lonnie twists the rudder, aims the zodiac at the Dos Equis.
Pushes the throttle to the limit.
LONNIE
Hold on!
The seaplane roars down at them.
The zodiac hits full speed, bow climbing up out of the water.
The seaplane is gaining fast.
Almost on top of the zodiac.
Evelyn stands, almost falling over, turns to face the plane.
EVELYN
Memo to Lonnie: I'm going to open fire.
LONNIE
Stay down!
Legs spread for maximum balance, Evelyn aims her pistol at
the plane. Every wave almost knocking her over.
The seaplane only twenty feet away.
Evelyn fires at the seaplane's windscreen...
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
The bullet cobwebs the passenger window next to Barry.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Evelyn gets in one more shot before she and Lonnie have to
hit the deck. The seaplane's pontoons missing them by
inches.
Prop wash almost flipping the boat.
The seaplane roars into the sky, turns, comes back at them!
Lonnie moves back up, grabs the throttle, tries to get out of
there. Evelyn stands again, aims at the seaplane.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Barry aims the seaplane's left pontoon right at Evelyn.
Zooms in for the kill.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
When the seaplane gets within range, Evelyn opens fire.
Bullets spark off the plane. But the plane keeps coming.
Lonnie ducks. Evelyn waits until the last minute, blasting
right at Barry, before hitting the deck. The pontoon grazes
her back, slamming her to the rubber.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams climbs into the co-pilot seat of the Cessna.
WILLIAMS
A little target practice, buddy.
Pulls out his twin black 45 automatics.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
The seaplane banks, roars back at them.
A mile of water between them and the safety of the Dos Equis.
LONNIE
We aren't going to make it.
Lonnie tries to outrun the seaplane.
Evelyn staggers to her feet, aims at the approaching plane.
Looks right down the gun sights at Williams and fires.
Click. Out of shells.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams aims the twin guns out the window and opens fire.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
A stream of bullets zips through the water at the zodiac.
Lonnie grabs Evelyn with one hand and 90' turns the zodiac
with the other, almost flipping it over.
Gun fire almost puncturing the zodiac.
The seaplane zooms past, climbs, banks, comes again.
Lonnie zig-zags the zodiac, evading the seaplane's gunfire.
Almost bouncing Evelyn out of the boat.
The seaplane stays right on top of the zodiac, close to stall
speed, trying to ram Lonnie with its pontoons.
Rocking from right to left pontoon.
Lonnie evades: a boxer ducking punches.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
The stall buzzer sounds. Barry pulls back on the stick,
increases speed to stay in the air. Leaves the Zodiac
behind.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
The seaplane zooms away... but doesn't bank and return.
LONNIE
You hear me say "stay down"?
Evelyn nods defiantly -- no one tells her what to do.
Lonnie zooms the zodiac back to the Dos Equis.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Lonnie and Evelyn climb up on board the Dos Equis.
SHELBY
What was that all about?
LONNIE
Williams was diving our buoys. Evelyn
shot at him. He decided to shoot back.
SHELBY
There's no way to keep him out of the
water. Too much ocean to cover.
CARTER
What are we going to do?
LONNIE
I've got an idea.
Lonnie grabs a bag of unused buoys.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Lonnie swaps a red buoy for a blue buoy.
The blue buoy lands in the bottom of the zodiac.
LONNIE
Next!
Carter speeds the zodiac to the next blue buoy. Halfway
there, Lonnie tosses out a green buoy and a yellow buoy.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Shelby watches the water fill with different colored buoys.
SHELBY
How frigging colorful.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Carter stops at the next blue buoy, Lonnie replaces it with a
red one. Hangs on to the blue buoy.
LONNIE
Next!
Carter zooms to the next buoy, Lonnie tosses out the blue
buoy, a yellow buoy, and a green buoy along the way.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Lonnie and Carter climb onboard.
The Dos Equis is surrounded by colored buoys... a thousand of
them!
SHELBY
What if Curt brings a magnetometer?
CARTER
Lonnie's way ahead of you.
LONNIE
Carter: get the tanks ready. Shelby,
Evelyn: get your skins on.
SHELBY
We haven't scouted all the sectors...
LONNIE
If Williams is diving, we're diving. We
can't let him find the San Miquel before
we do. If it comes down to the three
unscouted sectors...
EVELYN
What if Williams finds it first? How far
do we go to protect our dive?
Lonnie ignores the question, strips down to his shorts and
puts on his wet suit. Good guys wear black.
Shelby's wetsuit is dark blue, Evelyn's is teal blue.
Evelyn has a pair of chrome kelp knives.
All have top of the line Ni-Tek dive computer/communicators
swiped from the display case of Lonnie's Dive Shop.
Carter returns with two sets of tanks.
CARTER
Who gets them?
LONNIE
(touches the brass anchor)
I'll relieve.
No confidence in his voice - he's been burned and is scared.
Carter helps Shelby and Evelyn on with the tanks.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAY
Stops at a red buoy and drops anchor.
The seaplane zooms overhead, lands two miles away at a blue
buoy. Herrmann and Barry grab DPVs and dive the site.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Lonnie lowers the binoculars, turns to Shelby and Evelyn.
LONNIE
This site is a seventy two. Ready?
Carter checks the safety line, all four gives the thumbs up.
Shelby and Evelyn "big step" into the Caribbean.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Evelyn and Shelby swim to the bottom, dragging the safety
line behind them. Stopping a couple of times to pressurize.
Every tropical fish imaginable, garden eels, swimming
turtles. Bright colors from elk horn coral, sponges, and
anemones.
Every type of undersea terrain imaginable: drop-offs, coral
forests, tunnels, swim throughs, blue holes, atolls, spur-
and-grove canyons, the longest barrier reef in the world.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Carter holds onto the up-line, bored.
CARTER
Never thought treasure hunting would be
so exciting.
Lonnie hangs the binoculars on the peg, goes below and
returns with a stack of books. Drops them at Carter's feet.
LONNIE
Don't worry. They're picture books.
Carter flips through one of them.
LONNIE
Ship designs and specifications. So you
can identify the wrecks.
CARTER
Don't we just hire a mist to do that?
LONNIE
Mists and water don't mix. And would you
want that guy onboard for two months,
talking all the time? I don't think so.
CARTER
I thought I'd be progging for treasure...
LONNIE
You wouldn't be on my team if you weren't
a good diver.
CARTER
So why are you keeping me on the boat?
LONNIE
It's the part of treasure hunting you
have to learn.
(pats his shoulder)
When I started, Ron was "primary" diver.
Curt and I were supposed to trade off as
"top man", but I ended up doing it.
CARTER
Curt was the hot-shot diver, right?
LONNIE
(ignores that)
When Ron couldn't get prescription masks
anymore, we kept him on as "top man".
Shelby doesn't have much tank time left.
When she takes over as "top man", I'm
going to need a secondary who knows the
ropes. Okay?
Carter nods, reluctantly starts reading one of the books.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
On the sand and coral bottom, Evelyn uses a hand metal
detector, gets a strong hit in a sand wash. Gestures to
Shelby.
Shelby pulls the portable blower unit from her shoulder: like
a small electric leaf blower.
Blasts a stream of water at the sand... stripping away years
of grit... uncovering a row of encrusted disks.
Evelyn tugs twice on the up-line.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Carter feels the tugs.
CARTER
They've got something.
Carter hauls up a basket filled with the encrusted disks.
Lonnie carefully removes the disks. Archeological tools chip
the crustaceans from the disks, until the become metal
plates. Using brushes and solvents, the engraving can be
read "H.M.S. Green King".
LONNIE
Someone didn't want to do dishes.
(grabs Donaggio's binder, finds
the Green King listing)
HMS Green King, lost in 1773, found in
1953 by Jess Marine. Next buoy.
Carter tugs on the up-line. Lonnie watches the seaplane.
Shelby and Evelyn climb into the Dos Equis, dump their tanks.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAY
The Dos Equis moves to the next red buoy.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Carter with two sets of fresh tanks, hands one to Lonnie.
SHELBY
I'm okay to go again.
LONNIE
Time for me to get my feet wet.
Shelby helps Lonnie on with the tanks. Carter helps Evelyn.
SHELBY
(touches Lonnie's Ni-Tek)
You need anything, call. Okay?
LONNIE
You know me... I take care of myself.
They big step into the water and submerge.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Evelyn swims past eels, turtles, tropical fish.
Lonnie follows her down, pausing to pressurize every so
often. The lower they go, the darker it gets.
AT A HUNDRED FIFTY FEET
Lonnie makes the mistake of looking up. Vertigo sets in. The
surface seems to move farther and farther away.
When Lonnie looks back down at Evelyn, she's gone.
Hidden in the darkness beneath him.
Lonnie feels alone.
Strangely afraid.
Sees Evelyn's red yoke light, swims down to join her.
On the sandy bottom, Evelyn's metal detector goes crazy.
Lonnie gives the area a spray from his blower unit.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Shelby watches the seaplane taxi to the next buoy...
A red one.
Carter feels the up-line tug four times.
CARTER
Blaster!
Shelby lowers the blaster over the boat's propeller.
The force of the propeller shoots water through the elbow of
the blaster through a big hose to the sand 170 feet below.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Evelyn and Lonnie hold the hose, aiming the crushing force of
the blaster. A giant pit opens in the sand, uncovering...
The crusted bow of a wrecked 1920s fishing boat in the sand.
Lonnie shakes his head at Evelyn, points to the surface.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Lonnie pops to the surface, races to where Evelyn floats
face down in the water. She isn't moving.
Lonnie flips her over. Her face mask is filled with blood!
INT. CABINS -- NIGHT
Lonnie bolts upright in his bunk, drenched in sweat.
EXT. REAR DECK -- NIGHT
Lonnie stands at the railing, shaking away the nightmare.
SHELBY
You okay?
LONNIE
I'm over my head.
SHELBY
It's the frigging San Miguel. No one's
ready for something this big.
LONNIE
(touches the bronze anchor)
I just don't want to get burned again.
SHELBY
Curt didn't turn into a back stabbing
mother fucking son of a bitch, he was
always a back stabbing mother fucking son
of a bitch. Long as it wasn't your back
or your mother.
LONNIE
We dove together since we were kids.
Every treasure I brought up was with him.
SHELBY
He's a world famous treasure hunter.
Sharing his success with us lesser
mortals all those years.
LONNIE
What if we can't do it without him?
SHELBY
Lonnie, I'd been diving for two decades
but there was nothing I could teach you.
(turns away from him)
I never felt like you needed me.
LONNIE
We were a team.
SHELBY
Curt always needed me. Really needed me.
He couldn't survive without other people.
LONNIE
He USES people, Shelby.
SHELBY
Being used, being needed -- At least
you're being acknowledged.
LONNIE
If I dive with you it's because I want
to. I've been living on the surface...
SHELBY
No, you've been hiding like some dog
licking his wounds. Pushing everybody who
cares about you away. You're the one
who's not on the team, Lonnie.
LONNIE
Then what are you doing here? Just going
for the gold? Using me to --
SHELBY
I'm here because I'm your friend.
Stops Lonnie cold. All of his defenses fall away.
LONNIE
Why the hell do you put up with me?
SHELBY
You take shit from friends you'd never
take from strangers. All part of the job.
Long as they don't do anything
unforgivable.
LONNIE
I need to get some sleep...
SHELBY
Too bad we took Donaggio ashore.
LONNIE
We've got to make seven, eight buoys a
day if we're going to beat Williams to
this wreck... He dove a red buoy today.
SHELBY
You mark it off?
(Lonnie nods)
That's one less we have to dive.
Lonnie watches Shelby go down to the cabins.
He touches the brass anchor... still connected to the past.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAWN
The sun rises behind the boat.
EXT. REAR DECK -- MORNING
Lonnie, Carter, Shelby, and Evelyn finish their coffee.
Carter returns the metal coffee pot to the galley.
LONNIE
Come on, let's get wet.
Shelby and Lonnie slip on their tanks, big step into the
water.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- MORNING
Lonnie follows Shelby down, fear grows as the surface world
gets farther away. Sunlight filters into shadows.
Shelby uses her metal detector to find the spot.
Lonnie uses his blower to clear away years of sand.
EXT. REAR DECK -- MORNING
Carter pulls up the basket - watches Evelyn carefully pull
out the artifacts, chip off the corrosion. Catalogues them.
INT. GALLEY -- MORNING
Seven red buoys have been crossed off on the big map.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Carter brings out a fresh pair of tanks.
LONNIE
Williams is sleeping late.
SHELBY
Frigging wish I had.
Evelyn and Lonnie grab tanks.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie has found his confidence, swimming beside Evelyn.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Shelby hears the seaplane.
SHELBY
About time, dogfuck. Forget to set the
alarm?
The seaplane buzzes the rear deck, forcing Shelby and Carter
to dive to the floor boards.
Pontoons barely missing them.
CARTER
Hey, asshole! We're trying to work.
Shelby follows the plane, will it land at a red buoy?
The seaplane doesn't land.
It circles back.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams at the back door with a half dozen metal pans.
WILLIAMS
Hope they like their steaks rare.
As the seaplane buzzes the boat, Williams dumps the pans out
the door.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Shelby wrinkles her nose and flips off the plane.
SHELBY
Dump your garbage somewhere else!
She goes to examine the trash...
A thick red juicy steak.
Raw.
Carter picks up a steak, sniffs it to see if it's good.
CARTER
Get the barbecue ready. We can wash
these things off and eat them.
SHELBY
Frigging dog-gammed rat-fart shit!
A shark fin pops up near the boat... Followed by sixty more!
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie gives Evelyn a thumbs up. Something floats near them.
It's raining meat. Steaks float around them.
Lonnie grabs one, studies it. Terror grows in his eyes.
Suddenly a pack of SHARKS zoom from behind a coral forest.
Lonnie flips the speargun into his hands.
SIXTY sharks swim at them eating steaks along the way.
They try to stand perfectly still as sharks swim around them.
Evelyn slowly pulls a pack of shark repellant from her belt,
breaks it open. Yellow repellant tints the water.
A shark closes in on Lonnie.
Evelyn waves the repellent pack to speed dissipation.
The shark sees the movement and strikes!
Teeth clamping at Evelyn's hand.
She lets go of the repellant pack.
The shark bites it savagely.
Wishes it hadn't. Thrashes away in pain.
Leaving Evelyn with no repellent, but a whole bunch of
sharks.
Lonnie breaks open a repellent pack, swishes it around. The
water around them tints yellow, keeping the sharks back...
Until the yellow repellent dissipates.
Evelyn pulls her last two packs of shark repellent, breaks
them open. Looks at Lonnie.
They need a plan.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAY
Shark fins circle the boat. Hundreds of them.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams lowers his binoculars, laughs.
WILLIAMS
Should keep them busy.
Two miles away: not a single shark.
Barry and Herrmann use their DPVs to dive the blue buoy.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie points to Evelyn's blower unit.
Evelyn swings her blower up in an underwater FBI crouch.
The repellent completely dissipates...
........................Sharks come closer...
..............................Only a few feet away...
......................................Within biting
distance.
Evelyn flips the switch, sending a jet of water at the
sharks.
Water hits the lead shark, slamming it back into the other
sharks like bowling pins. Strike!
Evelyn lowers the blower, swims out of there. Lonnie
follows.
The pack of sharks give chase.
Lonnie and Evelyn swim as fast through a maze-like coral
forest.
The sharks are faster. Only ten feet behind them and
gaining.
Evelyn is five feet in front of Lonnie.
Swimming like crazy. Has no idea how close the sharks
are.
The LEAD SHARK is four feet away from Lonnie's flippers.
Lonnie spins and fires his speargun.
The spear wooshes through water, hits the shark.
Doesn't kill it, just makes it angry.
Lonnie swims faster than ever.
The shark is two feet from his fins.
Jaws open wide. WAMCK!
The shark bites into Lonnie's flipper, yanking him back.
Lonnie fires point blank at the shark's eye.
Direct hit.
But the shark holds on to his flipper.
Struggling in its death throws, flailing Lonnie around.
Blood from the punctured eye entices other sharks.
A hundred sharks come after the flailing Lonnie.
His foot clamped in the shark's mouth, he can't get away!
Evelyn spins, blower flipping into her hands.
She tries aiming at the sharks, but Lonnie is in the way.
The army of sharks close in on Lonnie.
Ten feet away. Nine. Eight.
The shark finally dies.
Lonnie kicks it off his flipper.
Swims away from the sharks.
Evelyn BLASTS the army of sharks.
They topple away from Lonnie.
Letting the speargun trail on its shoulder strap, Lonnie uses
his hands to swim out of there.
The sharks smell blood from the leader and go cannibalistic.
Ripping into the corpse of their dead leader. A savage
feeding frenzy.
Evelyn gestures to the wrecked 1920's fishing boat.
Safety?
Lonnie nods and they swim down to the wreck.
The army of sharks finishes off the leader and chases after
Lonnie and Evelyn.
Zooming through the water at top speed.
INT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER
Evelyn and Lonnie enter the wreck SECONDS before the sharks
get there... but they don't get the door closed in time!
A shark has followed them inside the dark wreck.
Evelyn breaks a glow stick for illumination... sees the
shark.
Lonnie fires his speargun.
Misses.
The shark bites at Lonnie.
Teeth clamping shut only an inch away.
Lonnie fires again. Click. Time to reload.
The shark chomps at Lonnie again.
Lonnie uses the speargun as a club.
Slam! Slam! Slam! The shark, dazed, closes its mouth.
Lonnie pushes it outside the boat with his gloved hands.
Needs something to block the open door.
Evelyn spots a rusted 50 gallon oil drum.
Tries to pick it up.
Too heavy.
Lonnie tries to reload the speargun...
But the shark pokes his head back in.
Lonnie punches the shark in the nose, knocks it back.
Three other sharks try to squeeze through.
Evelyn searches for something else to block the door.
Lonnie clubs two of the sharks with his speargun, but the
third slips past him... zips at Evelyn!
Evelyn finds a loose metal floor plate, pulls it up.
The shark attacks.
Evelyn uses the plate as a shield, keeping the shark away.
Lonnie punches a pair of sharks in the nose, gets his
speargun loaded, slams another pair of sharks, fires at
Evelyn's shark.
Whamph! Direct hit. The shark thrashes and dies.
Evelyn uses the plate to push the bleeding shark outside.
Blocking the door.
Lonnie and Evelyn lean against the plate, as sharks try
slamming it open.
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Then their Ni-Tek's flash a warning: Air tanks almost
empty!
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams taxies the seaplane to the next buoy... a red one.
Barry and Herrmann prepare to dive.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
The alarm on Carter's dive watch buzzes.
CARTER
Last ten minutes of tank time.
Shark fins swarm around the Dos Equis.
SHELBY
Get the fresh tanks. Now!
Carter bolts below decks, returns with the tanks.
CARTER
They can't come up to get them...
Shelby's Ni-Tek beeps with a message.
SHELBY
Sector six! Buoy with the fishing boat!
INT. BRIDGE -- DAY
Horner grunts, starts the boat, steers it to sector six.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAY
The bow of the boat slams into sharks.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
They stop at the red buoy.
Shelby takes the tanks from Carter, drops them over the
side.
INT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie's Ni-Tek flashes a message.
Shelby is sending down tanks.
EXT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER -- DAY
Sixty sharks circle the sunken fishing boat. Two sets of
tanks float past, landing a hundred feet away from the boat.
INT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie pantomimes to Evelyn that he's going out for the
tanks.
She pantomimes that he's crazy -- too many sharks.
Lonnie shrugs -- what choice does he have?
His Ni-Tek counts down his last minutes of air, as he removes
the metal panel and swims out. Evelyn slams the panel back.
EXT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie punches a few sharks out of the way, then fires his
speargun at a shark to his left and a shark to his right.
Two direct hits.
Shark blood tints the water red.
Some of the sharks move to feed off the speared sharks.
Lonnie weaves through the remaining sharks, racing to the
tanks before they finish their meals.
A shark snaps at him.
Lonnie clubs it with the speargun, reserving his last
spear.
Lonnie makes it to the tanks just as the sharks finish the
appetizer and begin looking for the main course.
He grabs both tanks, dragging them back to the fishing boat.
Doesn't get far before the sharks attack.
A huge shark zips at him, jaws opening wide...
Lonnie's hands are full, can't reach his speargun.
He is weaponless.
The shark snaps...
Lonnie shoves one set of tanks in its mouth.
Teeth break on the tanks.
Lonnie pulls the speargun into his hand, clubs a pair of
sharks out of the way as he drags the other tanks back.
The army of sharks attacks again...
Just as Lonnie runs out of air!
Lonnie clubs three sharks, uses his last spear to take out a
shark moments before it chomps down on his leg.
As the sharks feed off their wounded brother, Lonnie replaces
his tanks with the fresh set, swims back to the fishing boat.
INT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER -- DAY
Evelyn slams the panel shut behind Lonnie.
She's out of air (no regulator bubbles).
Lonnie gives her the regulator, and they buddy breathe.
Trapped in the dark as the army of sharks continue slamming
against the metal panel, trying to get in.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Shelby's Ni-Tek beeps.
SHELBY
The tanks are almost empty.
CARTER
How do we get them out of there?
INT. GALLEY -- DAY
Shelby grabs her laptop, searches for the corrugated tubes.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
She plugs in the speaker tubes, lowers them into the water,
loads her Dolphin/English translation program and types: "HEY
DOLPHINS! FREE FISH IF YOU BUMP THE SHARKS!"
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
A school of Dolphins changes direction as they hear the
offer.
EXT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER -- DAY
The school of dolphins ram the sharks with their noses.
Hitting them with enough force to kill them.
A battle wages between sharks and dolphins.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Dead sharks float to the surface.
A troop of Dolphins breaks surface and do a tail walk,
squealing that the job is done.
Shelby yells to Horner.
SHELBY
Don't be a jerk, get them some fish.
Horner grunts, grabs some fish from the cooler.
EXT. 1920S FISHING BOAT - UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie and Evelyn cautiously swim out of the fishing boat...
A pair of fins zip at them.
Dolphins offering them a ride to the surface.
Lonnie and Evelyn each grab a fin and zip through the
water.
EXT. REAR DECK -- SUNSET
Storm clouds haloed by the setting sun.
Lonnie sits on deck, a beer in his hand, looks at the
sunset.
EVELYN
In China, if you save someone's life, you
become responsible for them.
LONNIE
Thank God we're not in China.
Evelyn sits next to him, takes a hit off his beer.
EVELYN
I keep waiting for you to knock on my
door.
LONNIE
Don't want to chance waking up Shelby.
She's grumpy before her first cup.
EVELYN
It doesn't have to be a relationship.
LONNIE
Too late for a one night stand.
She consults his dive watch, pulling him to her.
EVELYN
I think we have time.
That magnetic attraction pulls their faces together into a
powerful kiss. Lonnie pulls away before losing control.
LONNIE
This is a mistake.
EVELYN
You've skipped ahead and read the end?
LONNIE
Mixing business and friendship hasn't
worked well for me in the past.
(touches the brass anchor)
Williams -- you worked with him at NAME?
EVELYN
We dove together.
The sun has set, storm clouds bringing on the darkness.
LONNIE
People always disappoint you.
EVELYN
Only if you let them. I had an affair
with one my father's business associates.
I thought it was love... I have no idea
what he thought.
LONNIE
What happened?
EVELYN
He found another pretty toy to play with.
(beat)
I confronted him, refused to back down.
(smiles)
Now he hates me as much as I hate him.
LONNIE
I'm not sure I'm ready for you, yet.
EVELYN
You don't have to dive in. You can just
get your feet wet.
They look at each other for a moment, then the magnetism
kicks in... faces drawn together in a powerful kiss.
As they pull off each others clothes, the rains come.
Fabric becomes translucent before being discarded.
Naked, only the bronze anchor comes between them. Lonnie
takes it off, sets it on the deck. Their lovemaking is
reflected on wet deck around the bronze anchor.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- MORNING
His watch band breaks... Lonnie blasts to the surface.
Frightened eyes focus on Evelyn... she gets farther away!
Then Lonnie's eyes bug out from the pressure.
Blood sprays from his ears, nose, tear ducts.
No way to scream... he's underwater! Light from above.
The surface is closer.
Lonnie's eyes explode, covering the glass face mask with
blood.
INT. CABINS -- MORNING
Lonnie wakes up, heart pounding... another nightmare.
Something smells bad.
Pulling on his jeans, he goes to investigate.
INT. GALLEY -- MORNING
Lonnie puts his handkerchief over his nose.
The refrigerator is unplugged, door open. Food rotting.
The canned provisions have been cut open, dripping on the
galley floor. Millions of flies buzz.
CARTER
What's that smell?
Lonnie spins, startled. Sees it's Carter. Evelyn, Shelby,
and Horner are behind him, covering their nose and mouths.
SHELBY
Should have kept those steaks...
Shelby closes the refrigerator door.
The magnet collection is gone.
Lonnie examines a can -- cut with a serrated diving knife.
LONNIE
If we aren't diving, Williams isn't
diving.
Lonnie grabs the site map, finds the co-ords for the grids
where Williams was diving. Snatches the GPD from Evelyn.
LONNIE
Come on.
Evelyn, confused, follows Lonnie out of the Galley.
EXT. ZODIAC -- MORNING
Lonnie and Evelyn cut the engine when the GPD beeps.
Lonnie hefts a trash bag, dumps the rotted food into the
ocean, cans and all. Splash!
Shark fins pop up as they zoom away.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- AFTERNOON
The sun begins to set as the boat makes its way to port. The
Cessna seaplane zooms overhead, buzzing the boat.
EXT. COMMERCIAL MARINA -- EVENING
Horner ties the Dos Equis to the dock.
LONNIE
Carter, get us enough stuff for two
weeks.
SHELBY
Don't forget beer... we need our grains.
CARTER
Can't a guy have any fun?
LONNIE
Sure... After we find the Miquel.
Evelyn jumps onto the pier, yells to Lonnie.
EVELYN
Dinner with my father.
LONNIE
We sail at dawn.
Lonnie notices the Cessna seaplane docked a couple of piers
over, grabs his spear gun and starts off the boat.
SHELBY
Where are you going?
LONNIE
To find Williams.
SHELBY
Lonnie...
LONNIE
I'm only going to talk to him.
(quietly)
Stay with the boat, okay?
Lonnie jumps onto the pier, heads into town.
Shelby breaks out the neoprene repair kit and fixes the shark
bites on Lonnie and Evelyn's wetsuits, grumbling...
SHELBY
Everyone else gets to go ashore.
EXT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
The kind of place that gives waterfront bars a bad name.
Patrons are pissing against the wall outside.
INT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
If patrons pissed inside, you wouldn't find it unusual.
Herrmann and Barry watch Williams arm wrestle with a HUGE
BLACK man over lit candles. Huge Black laughs, presses
Williams' arm close enough to the candle to ignite hair.
HUGE BLACK
Cooking up some white meat.
WILLIAMS
You want to raise the bet, Buddy? Make
it an even hundred? Cash.
HUGE BLACK
It's your money.
The scummy patrons laugh, make side bets. An economy class
HOOKER licks her lips as Williams' flesh burns.
WILLIAMS
No Visa Card, no American Express.
Williams smiles, then pushes Huge Black's hand up to 90'.
The back of William's hand is burned and ugly.
WILLIAMS
If ain't green and doesn't have a picture
of a President on it I don't wanna see
it.
Williams pushes Huge Black's hand down to the candle.
WILLIAMS
Had enough?
Huge Black strains. Sweat pours off his brow as he tries to
hold ground. He manages to push Williams back to 90'...
For a moment.
A flare as hair burns off Huge Black's hand.
Williams keeps the hand in the fire, smiling.
Flesh SIZZLES on the back of Huge Black's hand.
WILLIAMS
Now: Is it over?
HUGE BLACK
Yes! Yes!
He presses Huge Black's hand into the flame, smothering it.
Then he lets go. Huge Black cradles his smoking hand.
WILLIAMS
Easiest hundred dollars I ever made.
(takes the money from under the
candle)
Drinks for everyone!
The crowd of SCUMBAGS cheer, rush the BARTENDER with orders.
A MAN sits across from Williams.
WILLIAMS
My next victim?
Williams quaffs his snifter of Martell Cordon Bleu.
WILLIAMS
Got your hundred?
Lights the candle, looks up at his next contestant... frowns.
WILLIAMS
Lonnie.
LONNIE
Lonnigan.
WILLIAMS
Costs a hundred bucks to sit there...
Unless you want to go for the Miquel?
LONNIE
It's already mine.
WILLIAMS
You found it?
(plenty of time to answer)
I didn't think so.
LONNIE
It's my dive.
WILLIAMS
This is stupid, Lonnie. Why fight each
other over some silly sunken ship?
LONNIE
You know me --
WILLIAMS
Better than anyone else in the world.
He grabs Lonnie's hand... holds it.
Lonnie is aware of the brutish Herrmann behind him somewhere.
WILLIAMS
It's not too late to team up on this one.
LONNIE
Five years too late.
Herrmann puts his hands on Lonnie's shoulders, near his neck.
WILLIAMS
Remember our first dive? When treasure
was just a dream?
LONNIE
It was all about the dive. We didn't
have shit.
WILLIAMS
Just that old magnetometer we got at a
swap meet and that aluminum rowboat.
LONNIE
All ripples on the surface, Curt. Let's
talk about the Miquel.
Lonnie tries to pull his hand away, Williams holds tighter.
WILLIAMS
Thanks for reminding me, buddy...
Herrmann? It's sugar time.
The brute's hands tighten on Lonnie's neck...
..............Lonnie prepares to be strangled to death...
Then Herrmann takes his hands off Lonnie, goes to the bar.
HERRMANN
Do you have any bar sugar?
(Bartender shakes head)
How about Orgeat syrup?
Herrmann buys the bottle of syrup for $20, leaves.
Lonnie tries to pull his hand away, but Williams pops him
into arm wrestling position... laughs.
WILLIAMS
Afraid you'll lose?
BARRY
(checks their elbows and grip)
Shoulders square... Three, Two, Go!
HUGE BLACK
He doesn't have a chance.
Williams presses Lonnie's hand toward the candle.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- NIGHT
Carter drops another hand-truck of canned food cases on the
rear deck near Shelby. Six stacks of cases.
CARTER
Canned veggies, pork and beans, five
cases of corned beef, some fruit for
desert...
SHELBY
What about beer?
CARTER
Ten cases.
Carter folds up the hand-truck, jumps onto the pier.
CARTER
I'm off for produce and spoilables. Can
you put that stuff away for me?
Shelby grumbles as Carter scoots away.
INT. GALLEY -- NIGHT
Shelby is stocking shelves... drinking fresh beer.
Footsteps on the deck outside.
SHELBY
Lonnie?
The footsteps start down the stairs.
Shelby grabs a pair of beers from the refrigerator.
SHELBY
What happened? Curt dick you around?
Closes the fridge and sees Herrmann's reflection on the door.
SHELBY
Shit, it's frigging Moby Dick.
Drops the beers, gets ready to fight, isn't fast enough.
Herrmann throws a massive punch, knocks her against the
fridge.
Shelby kicks him in the legs, knocking him down.
She grabs a fallen beer bottle, breaks it over his head.
Doesn't even slow him down.
Herrmann punches her twice.
INT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie pulls his hand out of the flames before it burns.
LONNIE
You think treasure is more important than
the dive? More important than the team?
Lonnie pulls his hand to 90', tries pushing Williams' down.
WILLIAMS
Investors are all above the surface.
They don't care what goes on under water.
It's not their world down there.
Williams presses Lonnie's hand back toward the flames.
Sizzle!
INT. GALLEY -- NIGHT
Herrmann grabs Shelby by the throat, strangling her.
HERRMANN
You weren't supposed to be here.
Shelby knees him in the groin until he lets go.
SHELBY
Sorry. Nothing personal.
Grabs a chair and tries holding him away like a lion tamer.
Herrmann grabs at her.
Can't reach.
SHELBY
Geeze, you're handsy.
Herrmann slams the chair into kindling wood.
Jumps for her.
INT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie struggles to pull his hand out of the flames.
LONNIE
You lived to dive. It was never about
the surface, never about the treasure.
WILLIAMS
We always wanted different things,
Lonnie. But you want me to want what you
want.
LONNIE
I want to know my friends aren't going to
screw me over for money.
WILLIAMS
See? You have all of these rules about
right and wrong. Your rules. And you
expect everyone else to live by them,
just because you live by them.
(beat)
You know how hard it is to be your
friend? How impossible you make it? I
had to get out.
Williams presses Lonnie's hand back into the flames.
INT. GALLEY -- NIGHT
Herrmann grabs Shelby in a massive bear hug.
Squeezes.
SHELBY
We don't know each other well enough.
Shelby headbutts him, but he doesn't let go.
Squeezes harder.
Her ribs are about to break.
Shelby stomps on Herrmann's feet, claws at his crotch.
SHELBY
Gotta be balls in there someplace.
He loosens his grip. She pulls out an arm, slams him twice
in the face until he completely lets go.
She grabs the coffee pot from the stove, smashes it across
his face spraying scalding hot coffee.
Herrmann screams.
SHELBY
It's the egg shell.
INT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie notices a wine glass surrounded by Williams' empty
snifters with a bright red lipstick mark -- Evelyn's shade.
LONNIE
You dove with Eveyln Donaggio?
WILLIAMS
How's she doing? She being a good little
girl? Following your rules? I always
thought she was a little headstrong.
LONNIE
She's a good diver.
WILLIAMS
You know, before she met me, she'd never
gone down before... Hadn't dove either.
Lonnie looks at the lip-sticked glass, and that's all the
distraction Williams needs to push his hand into the flame.
INT. GALLEY -- NIGHT
Shelby pulls back her fist for a massive punch.
Herrmann catches it in his hand, smiles.
SHELBY
I don't hold hands with men.
Herrmann wrenches her hand behind her back.
Snapping her arm.
Shelby screams.
INT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie is still focused on the lip-sticked glass.
WILLIAMS
Pay attention.
Williams grabs the toy anchor and pulls Lonnie's head close.
WILLIAMS
You're a friend, I don't want to hurt
you.
LONNIE
That explains the gun fire and shark
bait.
WILLIAMS
I know you can handle yourself in the
water. You're the best diver I know, Lon.
Pushes Lonnie back into the flames.
The hair on Lonnie's arm ignites, and he screams out loud.
INT. GALLEY -- NIGHT
Shelby screams, arm twisted sideways.
Herrmann grabs his bottle of Orgeat Syrup, goes to a door.
HERRMANN
Engine room through here?
Shelby tries rolling to her feet.
Broken arm is in the way. Screams again.
Grabs the fallen coffee pot.
INT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie pulls his hand from the flames. It's blistered.
WILLIAMS
Before they shut down N.A.M.E. we found
a couple of ships, but nothing of any
"historical significance".
Williams uses the lanyard to pull Lonnie closer.
WILLIAMS
I could have used you, buddy.
LONNIE
I don't like being used.
Williams laughs, pushes Lonnie back into the flames.
INT. ENGINE COMPARTMENT -- NIGHT
Herrmann unscrews the air cleaner on the diesel engine.
Shelby drags herself into the room, arm hanging backwards.
HERRMANN
Here for the magic act? I will now turn
a boat into a barge. Presto...
Herrmann is about to pour the syrup into the engine.
Shelby throws the coffee pot left handed, missing Herrmann...
But hitting the syrup bottle.
Shattering it and spraying sticky syrup over Herrmann.
Saving the boat's engine.
HERRMANN
Bitch!
He slams her to the ground, kicking her into unconsciousness.
INT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie screams -- hand on fire!
WILLIAMS
Lonnie, the Miquel is my last chance --
(pushes harder)
If it's you or me, I gotta pick me.
Williams lets go of the toy anchor, Lonnie's head snaps back.
WILLIAMS
Now: Is it over?
Lonnie pushes his hand up, rage giving him new strength. He
pushes Williams' hand up to 90', then ROARS as he presses
over the top, slamming the pretty boy into the flame.
Williams screams as his hair ignites.
LONNIE
It's over.
Williams screams like a baby as the back of his hand fries.
He stops struggling so that his hand puts out the candle.
LONNIE
The San Miquel is MY dive. It's not like
we're friends... I don't have to put up -
-
WILLIAMS
There's enough gold for both of us.
Lonnie pulls William's bloody handkerchief from his pocket,
gently wraps it around William's burned hand.
LONNIE
It's not about the gold, it's about the
dive.
WILLIAMS
I really don't want to hurt you
Lonnigan...
(beat)
But I will.
Angry Patrons, who've lost bets, threaten Lonnie with broken
beer bottles. Lonnie flips the speargun in to his hands,
keeping them at bay as he backs out.
EXT. WATERFRONT BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie backs out, lowers his speargun.
Someone grabs his shoulder from behind.
Herrmann!
HERRMANN
Better get back to your boat. That dyke
of yours got herself hurt.
Lonnie runs to the Dos Equis. Herrmann laughs.
INT. HOSPITAL -- MORNING
A DOCTOR steps out of Emergency Room #4, Lonnie grabs him.
LONNIE
How is she?
DOCTOR
Someone needs to wash her mouth out with
soap. I've never heard such language
from a woman...
LONNIE
And her arm?
DOCTOR
Two months with the cast. Physical
therapy for a period after that...
Lonnie pushes past the Doctor into Emergency Room #4.
Evelyn waits just outside the door, in the hall.
INT. EMERGENCY ROOM #4 -- MORNING
Shelby sits up in bed with a fresh white cast on her arm.
SHELBY
Doc said you can't sign until it's dry.
LONNIE
I think this means you're grounded.
SHELBY
I don't give a dog's dick what you think.
I'm on the team. Can't get wet, but I
can work as "top man".
(smiles)
Carter's been itching to dive anyway.
LONNIE
Maybe we should pack the trucks before
anyone else gets hurt.
SHELBY
Curt screwed us over on one dive. Sixty
minutes of tank time. And you've spent
five years moping about it.
LONNIE
Wrong -- Curt ruined twenty five years of
friendship in sixty minutes of tank time.
SHELBY
Are you going to take twenty five years
getting over it? Going to spend the rest
of your life on the surface?
Shelby hops out of bed, touches the (still tacky) cast.
SHELBY
It's the frigging San Miquel, damn it.
And you're going to let it get away.
LONNIE
Shelby... I can't do this alone. I never
could. I need you. That scares me.
She embraces Lonnie. Holds him as close as the cast allows.
SHELBY
Haven't hugged a man since I was sixteen.
Feels kind of perverted.
(lets go, mock repulsion)
Before Moby Dick snapped me, he said Curt
had someone on our boat.
LONNIE
Evelyn was with him last night.
SHELBY
Women: They'll fuck you up every time.
(smiles)
If you're lucky.
LONNIE
Curt's already on the water by now...
Shelby and Lonnie head out of the hospital.
Tension between Lonnie and Evelyn as she falls in with them.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- DAY
The Dos Equis drops anchor between a red and blue buoy.
Williams' seaplane is already on site, divers working.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Lonnie lowers the binoculars, hangs them on the peg.
LONNIE
Carter - Get your skins on. You're
diving.
CARTER
Crushin'!
Carter jumps around like an excited chihuahua.
Starts stripping off his clothes.
Stops when he realizes he's not wearing trunks under
his jeans.
CARTER
Kitty-crap! Don't dive without me, okay?
He goes below decks to put on his trunks.
EXT. REAR DECK -- LATER
Evelyn helps them on with their tanks.
Lonnie briefs Carter.
LONNIE
Below the surface, we're connected,
whether there's a safety line or not.
CARTER
I can look out for myself.
LONNIE
No. You look out for me and I'll look
out for you.
Carter nods, lowers his mask, puts in his mouth piece.
They "big step" into the water, flip over and kick down.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Carter zips past Lonnie, racing him down to the bottom.
Lonnie grabs him, slows him down.
Two hundred and thirty feet down, Lonnie uses his blower to
wash away the sand, uncovering a sunken luxury yacht.
Carter shines his flashlight through the windows.
A bloated, deteriorating face looks back at him.
Carter drops the flashlight, panicked.
Lonnie shines his flashlight inside, studying the corpses.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Carter and Lonnie climb on board.
CARTER
Holly shit, those dead guys were fresh.
LONNIE
Maybe two, three weeks old. Probably
jacked by pirates.
INT. GALLEY -- DAY
More sections are crossed off on the big map.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
The deck fills with treasures. From the Green King's plates
to a wide assortment of cruise ship golf clubs.
William's seaplane and the Dos Equis move closer with every
dive. Soon, they will be in shouting distance.
Carter and Evelyn "big step" into the water, swim down.
Lonnie grabs the binoculars, watches Williams' team.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams checks the magnetometer reading at the blue buoy.
WILLIAMS
Another twenty five.
Barry and Herrmann give the thumbs up, flip over and
submerge.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Barry and Herrmann are pulled to the bottom by DPVs. They
use portable magnetometers and blowers to uncover the object.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Barry and Herrmann surface and spit out their mouthpieces.
WILLIAMS
What'd you get?
BARRY
More of the same.
Barry hands something to Williams, who blows a fuse.
WILLIAMS
Any more of this shit, we go back to town
and grab some steaks...
EXT. REAR DECK -- EVENING
Evelyn zips Lonnie's suit over the brass toy anchor.
EVELYN
Ready to get wet?
He brushes her hands away, pulls back.
LONNIE
I can do that myself.
She makes a point of backing off, straps on her chrome kelp
knives. Lonnie notices the blades are scarred -- dull.
EVELYN
What's wrong?
LONNIE
Everything.
He big steps into the water... Evelyn reluctantly follows.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- EVENING
Williams finishes diving a yellow buoy, packs it up.
The seaplane taxies along the surface, takes off.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- EVENING
The seaplane roars right at the boat.
EXT. REAR DECK -- EVENING
The seaplane buzzes the rear deck, forcing Shelby and Carter
to dive to the floor boards. Pontoons barely missing.
SHELBY
Watch where you're going, dick-lips!
Shelby follows the plane. It circles back.
The plane buzzes them again, pouring garbage out the door.
Trash rains over the water near the Dos Equis.
More steaks?
SHELBY
Frigging dog-gammed rat-fart shit!
Shelby runs below decks to get her laptop again, stops when
she sees some of the trash on the rear deck.
Picks a piece up, studying it, puzzled.
Then she laughs. A refrigerator magnet shaped like a
smiling bear.
The deck is covered with refrigerator magnets.
SHELBY
Wondered what happened to them.
EXT. GALLEY -- EVENING
The refrigerator door is covered with magnets again.
SHELBY
Curt returned all the magnets.
LONNIE
Then he knows only the red buoys are
real... We'll be racing head to head.
EVELYN
If he finds the Miquel first?
Lonnie shakes his head. Doesn't know what they'll do.
CARTER
Maybe we should do some night dives? Use
the home court advantage?
LONNIE
We're stretched enough already. I'm not
going to sacrifice divers for gold.
Lonnie studies the big map, only a couple dozen red buoys
left unexplored... plus the three unscouted sectors.
SHELBY
Four, maybe five days of diving.
LONNIE
Two days. Williams will dive half of
these spots. Let's hope the wrong half.
We'd better gets some sleep.
Lonnie continues studying the map as the others retire.
Evelyn watches him from the cabin door, then goes to bed.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAWN
Bleary eyed, they suck down coffee from the dented metal pot.
CARTER
Home court advantage: We're getting an
hour more sleep than Williams.
SHELBY
It's not e-frigging-nough.
They hear the seaplane coming. Lonnie and Evelyn toss the
rest of their coffee, strap on their tanks.
When Evelyn tries to adjust Lonnie's tanks, he moves away.
EVELYN
What's the matter?
LONNIE
Wondering what's beneath the surface.
Lonnie splashes into the water, Evelyn follows... confused.
The seaplane buzzes the Dos Equis, lands a half mile away.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- MORNING
Williams has two extra divers, SMALL and ELMER.
Williams barks orders to his teams, sending Herrmann and
Elmer to one red buoy, and Barry and Small to another.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Lonnie lowers the binoculars.
LONNIE
He's got both teams going.
Shelby takes the binoculars so Lonnie can put on his tanks.
SHELBY
Catch the yellow and green stickers?
Nitrox, so they can stay down longer.
LONNIE
No reliefs? He's gonna kill those guys.
EVELYN
Unless he finds the wreck first. What's
the magnetometer reading?
CARTER
An awesome seventy eight.
Lonnie and Evelyn "big step" into the water.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Lonnie and Evelyn use the blaster to dig a pit in the sand.
The blaster stops, sand clears.
Evelyn uses her blower to uncover a metal object.
The rigging from a galleon.
Lonnie and Evelyn put the artifact in the wire basket.
EXT. REAR DECK -- DAY
Carter uses the winch to lower the artifact on the deck.
Shelby chips away with the archeological tools, uses brushes
and chemicals to expose the surface.
Lonnie and Evelyn climb aboard, look over Shelby's shoulder.
LONNIE
Don't be bashful.
SHELBY
It's definitely from a galleon.
LONNIE
The San Miquel?
SHELBY
Can't be sure. But the construction's
right for the time period.
Carter writes: "Galleon -- San Miquel?" in the log book.
INT. GALLEY -- DAY
More red marks on the big map are being crossed off as both
Lonnie's team and Williams' teams dive the red buoys.
The map fills from both sides.
Red sights on the map marked off.
A DOZEN sites left.
TEN sites left.
EIGHT sites left.
SIX sites left.
EXT. REAR DECK -- EVENING
They don't need binoculars to watch Williams' teams dive...
The Dos Equis and seaplane are within shouting distance.
SHELBY
How late are we going to dive?
LONNIE
If they're diving, we're diving.
Evelyn comes from below with Lonnie's tanks, helps him on
with them. Shelby's broken arm keeps her from heavy work.
CHEERs float across the water from the seaplane.
Lonnie grabs the binoculars from the peg.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- EVENING
Williams and his teams are drinking champagne from the
bottle, pouring it over each other, celebrating.
EXT. REAR DECK -- EVENING
Lonnie puts the binoculars back on the peg.
LONNIE
Looks like they found something.
CARTER
The San Miquel?
They watch the celebration.
Depressed.
The plane takes off, buzzes the Dos Equis on its way to
shore.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- NIGHT
Darkness.
INT. GALLEY -- NIGHT
Lonnie sits alone, drinking beer, looking at the big map. A
noise behind him.
The speargun is in Lonnie's hands in a flash.
Aimed at Evelyn.
EVELYN
That's no way to greet a lady.
LONNIE
You were with Williams Thursday night.
Are you sleeping with him?
EVELYN
You haven't been getting enough oxygen.
LONNIE
What were you doing there?
EVELYN
Telling him to find his own ocean. What
were YOU doing there?
LONNIE
(lowers his speargun)
Put your knives on the table.
EVELYN
Afraid I'm going to stab you?
She pulls one knife from its scabbard, moves toward Lonnie.
Lonnie takes a step back, hits the wall.
Trapped. Evelyn moves closer, knife glittering.
Lonnie comes in fast and low, wrestles the knife out of her
hand, points it at her eye, backing her to the map.
LONNIE
Look at the blade -- Dull from cutting
the cans.
EVELYN
I use an Ocean Master Beta... Someone
switched blades on me...
LONNIE
Who would do that?
EVELYN
Someone who dove with Curt and doesn't
hate him. He was the business associate
of my father's who used me and dumped me.
LONNIE
You sleep with all your dive partners?
EVELYN
Do you really want to get into this?
(takes the knife from him.)
Because it's just like the sea: the
deeper you go, the darker it gets.
LONNIE
What do you mean?
She moves toward him, knife blade glittering.
Closer.
Closer.
Backing him against the wall.
EVELYN
Do you really think I'd destroy the food?
Sabotage the dive? Stab you?
She lets the knife go and it sticks in the deck at his feet.
EVELYN
I'm not diving with Williams, I'm diving
with you.
Faces only inches apart.
Passion explodes between them, faces blending together.
LONNIE
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
A gentle kiss. He strokes her hair.
LONNIE
He's still hanging on to us...
EVELYN
When he brings up the treasure, let's
pirate it...
LONNIE
I can't swim that low.
EVELYN
(she pulls away)
You're just going to let him steal the
Miquel right out from under you?
LONNIE
He doesn't have the Miquel.
Lonnie moves to the big map.
LONNIE
Williams made his find here.
(mag reading 165)
The sector below is where we found the
Green King plates.
(points to sector)
You worked with Williams. He jumps in
before checking the water.
EVELYN
You think he's found the Green King?
LONNIE
And the Miquels' still down there.
EVELYN
What are we waiting for?
EXT. REAR DECK -- NIGHT
Lonnie and Evelyn join Shelby, Carter, and Horner.
SHELBY
Want a beer?
LONNIE
We're going down. Carter, get us some
tanks. Shelby, grab --
SHELBY
Night dives are frigging dangerous --
LONNIE
We can handle it. Evelyn's looking out
for me, I'm looking out for her.
Lonnie and Evelyn suit up and prepare to dive.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- NIGHT
Using underwater torches, Lonnie and Evelyn swim down to the
bottom, stopping to pressurize along the way. A team.
At the bottom, they use the metal detectors to spot the
hit... On the edge of a deep drop-off.
Blower units clear away the sand.
Their lighting equipment is out of batteries by the time they
uncover the object.
Lonnie's Ni-Tek flashes that they are low on oxygen... time
to surface. He ignores it.
When the sand settles they use "glow sticks" to illuminate
the find. They have to push the glow sticks right up to the
object to identify it... A cannon.
Lonnie gets closer to read the engraving, glow stick fading.
EXT. REAR DECK -- NIGHT
Shelby hears the seaplane.
INT. SEAPLANE -- NIGHT
Williams buzzes the Dos Equis once, notices the activity.
WILLIAMS
They're still diving? Don't they know
it's cocktail time?
As the seaplane banks to pass over the Dos Equis again,
Williams lights a molotov cocktail off his cigar.
EXT. REAR DECK -- NIGHT
Molotov cocktails rain down over the ship, exploding into
flames, creating an inferno around Shelby and Carter.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- NIGHT
Lonnie's glow stick goes dark.
Suddenly night turns to day.
Lonnie can clearly read the engraving on the cannon.
Light flashes down from the surface.
Lonnie looks at Evelyn, then to the bright surface.
A circle of fire.
Lonnie and Evelyn start swimming to the surface.
EXT. DOS EQUIS -- NIGHT
The boat is completely engulfed in flames.
Horner's fire extinguisher goes dry, but the flames rage
on.
Shelby and Carter inflate the zodiac, drop it into the water.
Carter gets in the rubber raft, starts it up.
Horner uses a bucket to throw water on the fire.
The fire expands, air tanks EXPLODE into the sky.
SHELBY
Horner! Come on!
Shelby has to grab him, pull him into the zodiac.
She grabs the dive log along the way.
The fire rages.
EXT. SURFACE -- NIGHT
Lonnie and Evelyn pop to the surface in time to see the Dos
Equis EXPLODE into a giant fireball as the fuel tanks ignite.
Burning debris rains down on them.
They dive below the surface as a wall of flame roars
overhead.
EXT. ZODIAC -- NIGHT
Shelby zooms the zodiac away from the inferno.
Horner watches his boat burn, grunts in shock.
CARTER
Someone in the water! Over there!
Lonnie and Evelyn bob in the water. They pull them aboard.
LONNIE
What happened?
SHELBY
Curt decided to brighten our day.
They zoom back to Belize.
INT. POOL SIDE BAR -- NIGHT
Lonnie, Evelyn, Shelby and Carter listen to Donaggio.
Everyone around them is bright and festive...
Making them look even more depressed.
DONAGGIO
There's an emergency investors meeting
tomorrow morning at ten in the hotel
ballroom to discuss Mr. Horner's "boat".
Lonnie nods, watches Donaggio hobble back inside the hotel.
CARTER
What's the deal with this meeting?
LONNIE
They'll bitch about how expensive this
thing has become, then chip in to get us
a new boat so we can find the Miquel.
The Waitress brings another round, whispers in Shelby's ear.
SHELBY
Lonnie, are we done here?
LONNIE
Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Shelby looks at the bill, shocked (shocked!), hands it
Lonnie.
SHELBY
That's outrageous. I wouldn't pay it if I
were you.
Shelby and the Waitress leave together.
Carter spots his German Girls, splits before Lonnie can stick
him with the bill.
CARTER
In the morning, dude.
Leaving Lonnie and Evelyn alone at the table.
LONNIE
Look, Evelyn...
EVELYN
Lonnie...
LONNIE
Just let me say this...
He touches her hand, gently opens her palm, caressing it...
LONNIE
I wouldn't pay it if I were you.
Puts the bar bill in her palm.
Smiles.
EXT. ROYAL REEF INN -- MORNING
The sun rises behind the hotel.
INT. HOTEL BALLROOM -- MORNING
Over fifty INVESTORS dressed casually in polo shirts sit with
their BIMBOS at tables drinking coffee or cocktails. Lonnie
breezes in late, sits between Shelby and Evelyn. No sign
of Carter.
Donaggio takes the podium and calls the meeting to order.
DONAGGIO
I'd like to thank everyone for coming at
such short notice. You have been most
patient during the research phase.
Shelby is taking notes on a legal pad.
Lonnie pulls the pad away from Shelby, reads it.
A tally sheet for polo shirt animals.
Bears, penguins, dogs, eagles, Godzilla.
LONNIE
(whispers)
What's this?
Shelby points out a JAPANESE INVESTOR with a Godzilla shirt.
DONAGGIO
The salvage operation has encountered
several serious setbacks. The loss of
Mr. Horner's uninsured boat yesterday has
put the partnership in debt.
LONNIE
(whispers)
Seen Carter?
SHELBY
(whispers)
Probably over slept.
LONNIE
(whispers)
Probably didn't sleep at all.
DONAGGIO
A more serious problem is the involvement
of a second salvage team. Searching for
the same sunken galleon.
Lonnie and Shelby pay attention... the "Williams problem".
DONAGGIO
Now it seems as if this second team may
have found the San Miquel.
(coughs)
Several solutions to this problem were
put to the ballot, and I have the results
here before me.
Shelby, Lonnie, and Evelyn smile at each other.
The Williams problem is about to be solved.
DONAGGIO
It gives me great pleasure to introduce
the leader of our dive team...
Lonnie gets to his feet, smiles, starts to the podium...
DONAGGIO
Mr. Curt Williams. Late of the National
Administration for Marine Exploration.
Williams and his team file out on stage. Williams sees
Lonnie, turns a thumbs up into a finger-gun and fires.
DONAGGIO
And his team: Mr. Herrmann, Mr. Barry,
Mr. Elmer, Mr. Small and Mr. Burwell.
Carter is on Williams' dive team!
INT. HOTEL BALLROOM -- LATER
The meeting is over.
Investors mill around Williams as if he's a movie star.
Lonnie cuts through the crowd to Carter.
LONNIE
Evelyn wants her knife back.
Pulls out Evelyn's scarred knife and throws it at him.
Carter catches the knife in one hand, shrugs.
CARTER
He's going to let me dive, Lonnie...
LONNIE
You signed on to MY team.
CARTER
I signed on to a treasure dive, not to
sit on the boat and learn the difference
between a galleon and a fucking sloop.
LONNIE
You're forgetting what this is all about.
It's not the treasure, it's the dive.
CARTER
Lonnie, if that were true we'd be in
Gualala right now progging that DC-3.
(Lonnie knows it's true)
I want to be the guy who brings up the
treasure. Hold the gold in my hand.
THAT'S what it's all about.
LONNIE
You made your choice. Remember that when
he takes the gold and leaves you hanging.
Meanwhile: Evelyn finds her father in the crowd.
EVELYN
We had an agreement...
DONAGGIO
I couldn't appear partisan, Evelyn. I
have to be loyal to my investors.
EVELYN
Pity there's not enough loyalty for
everyone. Wasn't aware it was in short
supply.
Evelyn turns her back on him, walks away.
Lonnie turns away from Carter, bumps into someone.
WILLIAMS
Lonnigan Marks.
(smiles)
I guess the Miquel is mine, after all.
LONNIE
If you told me I'd never make another
cent diving, it wouldn't stop me. I
dive, because I love to dive.
WILLIAMS
Investors aren't interested in your
entertainment.
Williams grabs the brass anchor, keeps Lonnie from leaving.
WILLIAMS
Remember, I offered to partner with you
on this, buddy. You turned me down.
LONNIE
You know me -- I have all of those rules
about right and wrong.
Williams lets go of the brass anchor, Lonnie takes it off.
LONNIE
You want this?
WILLIAMS
(admires the anchor)
It's just a stupid toy.
LONNIE
Were we ever on the same team?
Williams' expression gives his answer.
LONNIE
It's all yours.
Lonnie throws the anchor. Williams scrambles to catch it.
Lonnie walks back to his table, smiles at Shelby.
LONNIE
Can't say my dives aren't fun.
SHELBY
We've got no boat, no investors, no
money... What's the plan? Go home?
LONNIE
We've got a zodiac and three tanks.
SHELBY
We've got five sites left, plus unscouted
sectors - We gonna keep zooming back to
town to refill the tanks between dives?
LONNIE
I know where it is.
INT. ROOM 423 -- DAY
Lonnie, Shelby, and Evelyn sit around a re-creation of the
big map and use the dive log for reference.
LONNIE
The mag hit on our last dive was from a
cannon... From the San Miquel.
EVELYN
What are the odds of the cannon being
moved by currents?
SHELBY
They weigh two tons.
Lonnie points to the next unexplored mag hit: a 120 reading.
LONNIE
A few yards away from the cannon there's
a deep drop-off. Five, maybe five
hundred fifty feet down. A strong
reading.
SHELBY
The San Miquel?
EVELYN
Of course.
SHELBY
Five hundred fifty feet... that's pretty
close to crush depth.
LONNIE
Right at the limit. It'll be dark down
there. We'll need torches, even during
the day. Maximum pressure. It'll be
dangerous. If you want to back out...
SHELBY
Ah, hell... Let's go diving.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams waits for dive teams to surface with the treasure.
Sipping champagne in the seaplane.
Admiring the brass anchor around his neck.
King of the world.
Bubbles on the surface.
Herrmann, Barry, Elmer, Small and Carter surface.
Carter now wearing the day-glow wet suit of William's
team.
WILLIAMS
What have you got for me?
HERRMANN
A canon, more wreckage...
WILLIAMS
No gold?
No one answers.
Carter finally speaks up.
CARTER
This wreck looks more like a British
warship than a Spanish galleon.
WILLIAMS
I don't remember hiring you as a mist.
BARRY
Somebody already picked this wreck clean.
WILLIAMS
Lonnie dive this spot?
CARTER
We never got this far.
WILLIAMS
Shit.
Williams looks out at the un-scouted area: buoy-free.
Hears a boat motor, grabs his binoculars.
The zodiac splashes over the surface.
WILLIAMS
He knows something.
(lowers binoculars)
Let's pack it up, we're heading back into
town... grab some steaks.
The day-glow divers climb into the seaplane and Williams
takes off, buzzing the zodiac on his way back to shore.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Lonnie, Shelby, and Evelyn duck as the pontoons zip overhead.
Shelby flips off the plane as it zooms away.
They splash to the dive site, zodiac piled high with
equipment, including three tanks with green and yellow
stickers.
EVELYN
Nitrox tanks: Help you stay down longer.
LONNIE
Never been a problem for me.
Lonnie slows the zodiac at the charred floating debris that
used to be the Dos Equis. Stops a hundred yards away.
SHELBY
You sure this is the spot?
LONNIE
Can't you feel it?
SHELBY
Give me your knife.
Evelyn hands her the knife, Shelby cuts off her cast.
SHELBY
The doctor said not to get it wet.
LONNIE
What the hell are you doing?
SHELBY
It's going to take three frigging people
to bring up that wreck... We lost Carter,
that leaves me.
LONNIE
Shelby...
SHELBY
I don't give a dog's dick. You look out
for me, I'll look out for you.
Lonnie nods. All three give the thumbs up... a Team. They
put on tanks, back flip off the zodiac.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
The three swim down, up-line stretching behind Shelby to the
zodiac overhead. They stop several times to pressurize.
They pause at the edge of the drop-off, looking into the
darkness below. Way down. Five hundred fifty feet.
Lonnie swims down, Evelyn behind him, Shelby last.
The deeper they go, the darker it gets.
Sunlight on the surface farther and farther away.
Light becomes dappled.
Spooky shadows are everywhere.
ON THE BOTTOM
They see the source of the big mag-hit: a crashed C-23 Sherpa
Cargo plane on an underwater ridge.
Lonnie shines his flash through the canopy: a rotted skeleton
provides a shock. An eel slithers out the eye socket. Yech.
Lonnie jumps back, looks at Shelby and Evelyn.
Sees their disappointment.
Not the San Miquel, but some old drug runners' plane.
Lonnie doesn't give up, pulls out his metal detector.
They search with hand held metal detectors.
Lonnie gets a hit.
Shelby gets a pair of hits.
Evelyn gets a strong hit.
A twenty here.
A forty. A one twenty over there. A sixty. A ten.
The underwater ridge is littered with readings.
Hundreds of them.
Shelby pulls a flare from her pack, illuminates the area.
They use blowers to wash away the sand from the ridge,
uncovering the outline of a Spanish Galleon...
UNDER the crashed plane.
The skeleton of the San Miquel.
Amazingly preserved in the deep waters.
Lonnie swims to the bow, brushes away sand with his hand.
A brass plate, crusted with hundreds of years of corrosion.
"RSN SAN MIQUEL"
Thumbs up! They have found it!
They use the blowers again to clear away sand, find the
rotted deck of the ship, and the rear deck hatch.
Shelby clips the up-line to the deck of the galleon.
They check their safety lines, then Lonnie and Evelyn swim
through hatch into the cargo hold, using the dive lights.
INT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Murky. Dark. Spooky. Rotted, dangerous bulkheads.
Light from their flashes creates bright spots in the
darkness. Tendrils of shadow reach out like fingers,
grabbing.
Lonnie swims ahead, pulling on Evelyn's tether.
She tries to keep up, but Lonnie is excited, impatient.
Lonnie swims through a narrow passage under a rotted beam,
into the cargo hold of the galleon.
IN THE CARGO HOLD
Lonnie stops. Amazed.
Evelyn has to push Lonnie out of the way.
Is confused until she sees what he is looking at.
A huge golden Inca Idol.
Fourteen tons in the shape of Quetzequatal.
Emeralds for scales, rubies for eyes.
Surrounded by ingots, doubloons.
It TOWERS over them, dwarfing them. As
big as seven cars. Amazing.
A huge seven ton silver sundial.
Five copper bull statues weighing a ton a piece.
Really amazing.
Evelyn gives her safety line a couple of tugs.
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Shelby feels the tugs, opens a nylon bag and begins pulling
out huge pancake shaped inflatables, the size of Volkswagens.
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- LATER
Lonnie, Shelby and Evelyn attach five inflatables to the
giant Idol with steel cables, three inflatables for the
silver sundial, an inflatable for each of the five copper
bulls.
They use a buoyancy rig (like an underwater stretcher with
buoyancy bags on the sides) to carry stacks of gold doubloons
and gold bars to the last pancake/inflatable.
Evelyn takes a break, watches Shelby and Lonnie dump gold
onto the pancake and go back inside the ship...
A flicker of light from above.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Williams' seaplane lands on the surface near the zodiac.
A huge amphibious CARGO PLANE lands next to the seaplane.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
A half dozen divers in day-glow wet suits put on their tanks
and get their DPVs and dive sleds ready. Elmer and Small
lead this group of MERCENARIES from the waterfront bar.
Twentieth century pirates.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams gives instructions to Carter, Herrmann, and Barry.
WILLIAMS
(touched brass anchor)
Let them do the heavy lifting. When the
treasure is ready to go, then snag it.
The three dive into the water with their DPVs and descend.
INT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Shelby and Lonnie shovel the last doubloons onto the rig.
Red light strobes inside the galleon.
Lonnie checks his Ni-Tek, thinks it must be an oxygen
warning. Nope: It's a "Help" message from Evelyn.
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Lonnie and Shelby exit the San Miquel and see...
Six day-glow divers descending on the site at high speed...
Using DPVs and "Dive-Jets", like underwater motorcycles.
Shelby unhooks the safety line from her BC vest.
A diver in a RED WETSUIT zips at Evelyn on his Dive-Jet.
Trying to hit her.
She waits until the last moment before swimming aside.
Red zooms past, banks in the water, come back at her.
CLOSER TO THE WRECK
A diver in a BLUE WETSUIT zooms at Shelby.
She flips the blower into her hands, blasts him with
water. Knocks Blue off his Dive-Jet.
The Dive-Jet crashes into the sand.
Blue rights himself, aims his speargun at Shelby.
Fires two spears. Whamp! Whamp!
NEAR THE SUNKEN PLANE
Lonnie kicks to help Evelyn, but AQUAMARINE WETSUIT lands on
his back. Knife trying to cut Lonnie's throat.
Lonnie struggles with Aqua, keeping the knife away.
AT THE WRECK PERIMETER
Red zooms at Evelyn again.
Evelyn moves to the left.
Red corrects aim, zipping the Dive-Jet right at her.
Evelyn swims aside seconds before he would have hit her.
Red banks the scooter, roaring back at Evelyn.
Like underwater bull fighting.
CLOSER TO THE WRECK
The two spears blast at Shelby.
Twisting into a ball, Shelby gives the blower a shot.
Her body rolls out of the way of the two spears.
Underwater acrobatics.
She flips upright and blasts Blue into the sand.
When Blue tries to get up, she blasts him again...
Knocking the regulator out of his mouth.
Blue forgets about Shelby, worries about survival.
NEAR THE SUNKEN PLANE
Lonnie continues to struggle with Aqua... as YELLOW attacks!
Yellow pokes at Lonnie with a javelin.
Lonnie pulls away, having to move Aqua's weight as well.
Yellow pokes again.
Lonnie lets go of Aqua's knife hand and grabs the javelin.
Pulls the javelin (and Yellow) toward him.
Kicks Yellow in the face with both flippers, knocks him back.
Then Aqua slices Lonnie's air hose in half.
Bubbles blast to the surface.
Lonnie's air supply! Lonnie holds his breath.
AT THE WRECK PERIMETER
Red zooms at Evelyn, trying to hit her.
Evelyn steps aside, slashes Red with her knife. Draws
blood.
Red banks the Dive-Jet around, slows to examine his wound.
Gets mad.
Pulls out HIS dive knife... practically a machete!
Roars the Dive-Jet back at Evelyn.
CLOSER TO THE WRECK
Shelby watches Blue swim away, then sees PINK and LIME
zooming at her on Dive-Jets... One from the left, one from
the right. No escape.
NEAR THE SUNKEN PLANE
Lonnie's air supply spews out of the cut hoses.
Aqua stabs at Lonnie with his knife.
Lonnie grabs his wrist, fights to keep the knife away.
Kicks back with his flippers.
Connects with Aqua's legs.
Aqua lets go of Lonnie.
Lonnie spins to face Aqua. Running out of air.
Aqua slices down with his knife at Lonnie's face.
AT THE WRECK PERIMETER
Red zooms at Evelyn, big knife out.
At the last minute, Evelyn swims to the side.
The Dive-Jet misses by less than an inch.
Red vaults off the Dive-Jet, slamming into Evelyn.
Big knife slicing at her!
CLOSER TO THE WRECK
Shelby is trapped between Pink and Lime's Dive-Jets.
She blasts at Pink with her blower, knocks him off his cycle.
Uses the blower to twirl around.
Aims at Lime and blasts him off his Dive-Jet.
Both divers hit the sand.
But both Dive-Jets are still coming RIGHT AT SHELBY!
NEAR THE SUNKEN PLANE
Lonnie grabs Aqua's knife arm, holds the blade away...
Punches him in the stomach with his other hand.
HARD.
Aqua spits out his mouth-piece.
Lonnie grabs it, wipes it, puts it in his mouth.
DEEEEEEEEP breath.
Aqua is now attached to Lonnie, and without any air supply.
Lonnie knocks the knife out of his hand, punches him twice.
Aqua takes a big gulp of water. Stops fighting.
Lonnie drops his tanks and pulls on Aqua's tanks.
Yellow throws his javelin at Lonnie.
AT THE WRECK PERIMETER
Evelyn and Red struggle in an underwater knife fight.
Red slashes at Evelyn's face, but she blocks with her knife.
Clang!
Evelyn stabs at Red. He blocks. Clang!
Red slices low. Evelyn blocks. Clang!
Evelyn swings her knife at Red, he blocks, parries, stabs.
She blocks the stab, spins Red's knife away.
Red knocks the knife out of Evelyn's hand, moves in to kill.
CLOSER TO THE WRECK
Shelby sees the two Dive-Jets zooming at her.
No escape.
Aims the blower straight down and fires.
Like a jet-pack.
She zooms up SECONDS before the two Dive-Jets collide only
an inch below her. BLAAAAAAAAM!
Shelby keeps zipping up...
Shuts off the blower when she sees over the top of the
wreck:
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Barry, Herrmann, Small, Elmer and Carter at the
inflatables...
The inflatables fill with air from dive tanks.
When they reach the balance point between the weight of the
golden idol and the buoyancy of the inflatable, they pull the
giant Quetzequatal statue out of the wreck's cargo hold.
The HUGE winged serpent rise to the surface, creating a wake
and a vacuum all around it.
CLOSER TO THE WRECK
Shelby watches the giant gold idol float away...
Picking up speed as the inflatables continue to fill. A
golden monster blasting past.
The treasure is rising away from them!
NEAR THE SUNKEN PLANE
Yellow throws his javelin at Lonnie.
Lonnie swims aside, reaches for his speargun.
The javelin misses Lonnie, stops, springs back to Yellow!
It's on a bungie! A deadly yo-yo!
Yellow throws the javelin again, before Lonnie gets his gun.
Lonnie moves aside, the javelin barely missing him.
BOING!
It springs back into Yellow's hand.
Lonnie scrambles for his speargun, can't get it in time.
Yellow throws the javelin again.
This time Lonnie grabs the javelin, gives it a yank.
BOING!
Yellow springs into Lonnie's fist.
Lonnie SLAMS his fist into Yellow's face mask.
Glass shatters.
Yellow claws at the jagged glass in his eyes.
AT THE WRECK PERIMETER
Red stabs at Evelyn.
Evelyn quick-draws her second dive-knife from its scabbard.
Deflects Red's knife, and cuts his air hose in half.
Red drops his knife, fights for air.
The six day-go divers are dead or swimming to the surface.
Evelyn sees Lonnie and Shelby gesturing for her to join them.
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
The three inflatables attached to the giant silver sundial
pull it from the cargo hold, raising it to the surface.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Five copper bulls, twice life-size, are pulled from the
cargo hold and begin drifting to the surface!
The last inflatable, with the doubloons, fills with air.
All of the treasure from the San Miquel is gone.
Lonnie points to Shelby, gestures for her to follow the
treasure to the surface. Shelby nods, swims away.
Lonnie turns to Evelyn...
Wham!
She disappears!
Herrmann grabs Evelyn's flipper and YANKS her down.
Into his arms.
He puts a knife at her throat.
She struggles, can't escape his massive bear hug.
Lonnie sees Herrmann and Evelyn...
Then swims in, aiming his speargun at Lonnie.
Lonnie flips the speargun into his hands.
It's the underwater version of "High Noon".
Lonnie and Barry facing off with spearguns.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
Shelby hitches a ride with a dolphin as she follows the
treasure to the surface. Elmer, Carter, and Small rise
nearby.
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Barry fires a spear at Lonnie.
Lonnie returns fire, rolls away from Barry's spear.
Barry evades Lonnie's spear, fires at Lonnie again.
Evelyn struggles in Herrmann's arms.
The brute holds his knife at her throat.
Lonnie fires, rolls away as Barry's spear whizzes past.
The two blast spears at each other.
Until Lonnie's speargun clicks dry.
Out of spears!
Barry aims his last spear at Lonnie.
Then his dive watch alarm goes off...
Time to surface.
Herrmann and Barry nod at each other.
Then Herrmann cuts off Evelyn's BC/weight vest.
The BC/weight vest drops to the sand.
Evelyn's body shoots to the surface.
Suddenly buoyant.
Herrmann lets go of her, swims to the surface with Barry.
Evelyn's eyes show fear as she SHOOTS to the surface.
Falling up!
If Evelyn surfaces without decompression she'll get the
bends. Possibly die.
Lonnie grabs his wrist as she flies past.
Now HE'S falling up, too!
Both are panicked, out of control, falling.
Lonnie sees the up-line a few feet away.
Uses the speargun on its tether to lasso the up-line.
Pulls them close enough to the line for Lonnie to grab
it.
Lonnie holds tight to the line.
Holds tight to Evelyn's hand.
Evelyn's buoyant body continues to pull to the surface.
As if magnetized.
Buoyancy more powerful than Lonnie's weight belt.
More powerful than his grip?
Evelyn and Lonnie lock eyes, hold tight to each other.
Lonnie hangs on for her life.
Then their Ni-Tek alarms sound: out of air!
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams watches the surface of the Caribbean.
Calm. Placid. Flat.
Suddenly, a GIANT golden statue of a winged serpent erupts
from the sea. Water splashing. It's as big as the seaplane!
The wake from the Quetzequatal almost knocks over the
seaplane.
WILLIAMS
It's beautiful. Beautiful.
Williams smiles in amazement. Eye to eye with the statue.
Williams blue eyes staring into Quetzequatal's emerald eyes.
Then the giant silver sundial erupts next to the gold idol.
Williams has to hold on to a strut as the wake washes past.
WILLIAMS
All good things come to people who
wait... and let others do the work.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
The five copper bulls splash to the surface around the planes
On one of the copper bulls has speared a diver with its
horns.
The seaplane and cargo plane are surrounded by strange
sculptures made of gold, silver, and copper. Surreal.
Williams grabs the radio mike.
WILLIAMS
Nino, load 'em up.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Huge Black (Nino) on the radio.
HUGE BLACK
Easiest million dollars I ever made.
Huge Black tosses a steel cable to the Elmer and Small, who
attach it to the float cables on the silver sundial. Using a
winch, Huge Black drags the sundial into the cargo bay.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams looks into the winged dragon's eyes.
It's love.
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Evelyn and Lonnie lock eyes, hold tight to each other.
Evelyn's feet pulling toward the surface.
The force of her buoyancy pulling her hand from Lonnie's.
Their Ni-Tek alarms continue flashing.
But Lonnie isn't using his tank... he's using Blue's.
Lonnie twists his leg in the up-line, anchoring himself.
Bubbles stop flowing from Evelyn's regulator.
She's used up her reserves. Completely out of air.
Lonnie pulls her down to him.
Glove straining in glove.
When their masks are almost touching, he uses his free hand
to pull the back-up regulator from his tanks, twists the
valve open. A burst of air shoots out of the tube, filling
the sea around them with bubbles.
Lonnie puts the tube into her mouth like a straw.
Evelyn sucks in air, blows it out her nostrils.
Face mask touching face mask, they breath from the same tank.
Using the same air supply. Romantic.
The glove pulls off her hand... her grip is loosening.
Evelyn's glove slips off.
Falling up! Air hose pulling out of her mouth!
Lonnie grabs Evelyn's hand with his hand.
Hangs on.
Fear in Evelyn's eyes.
Air hose spewing bubbles at her face.
Evelyn tries to calm herself to use less oxygen.
Impossible.
Lonnie holds on to her, knows she is going to die...
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Shelby pops out of the water, looks around.
Treasure all around her.
Gold and copper glittering in the sun.
She paddles around the giant golden idol, sees the seaplane
and cargo plane.
Sees Elmer and Small helping Huge Black guide the giant
silver sundial into the wet-bay of the amphibious cargo
plane. Sees the treasure being stolen.
Shelby looks at the seaplane...
Just as Williams aims his black automatics at her!
Shelby flips over, kicks below the surface as bullets splash.
Just missing her.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams stops firing. He almost shot the float of doubloons.
WILLIAMS
Woah! Close one. Carter! Bring me that
float of doubloons!
Carter guides the float to the seaplane, helps Williams load
the sacks of gold coins into the passenger area.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Elmer, Small and Huge Black position the giant silver sundial
in the cargo hold of the plane, deflate and remove the
floats.
HUGE BLACK
This time, we're all wealthy men.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Small and Elmer attach the cable to the giant Quetzequatal
statue and gesture for Huge Black to start the winch.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams and Carter stop loading doubloons and watch the
solid gold winged serpent glide across the water to the cargo
plane.
Williams gives Carter a thumbs up. Carter returns it.
Williams makes his hand into a gun and fires.
Carter mimics this.
EXT. SAN MIQUEL WRECK -- DAY
Evelyn's hand is slipping.
She is at the end of her air.
Lonnie risks losing her by pulling her closer.
Grabs the safety line in his free hand, clips it onto her.
Her glove slips off. Evelyn falls to the surface!
Shooting up at high speed, ten feet away from Lonnie.
Twenty feet.
Thirty feet.
Forty feet.
Then she comes to the end of the safety line, jerks to a
stop.
Lonnie reels her in.
Pulls her until their face masks are touching again.
Then gently puts the air tubs back in her mouth.
They begin climbing the up-line together.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams keeps his black automatics ready, looking for Shelby
while Carter loads the last sacks of doubloons.
Two divers surface between the floats.
Williams almost shoots them.
BARRY
Hey! We give up!
Barry and Herrmann - each carrying a gold bar.
WILLIAMS
Where's Marks and the girl?
HERRMANN
They won't be coming up any time soon.
Williams looks at the water... mourning a friend and lover.
WILLIAMS
(touches brass anchor)
I told him... I needed this one... Some
people just don't listen.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
The gold idol barely clears the cargo doors as Small, Elmer,
Barry and Herrmann guide it inside. It's amazingly beautiful.
The cargo plane sinks lower in the water.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Shelby follows the up-line to the zodiac, unhooks the line,
dives under the surface and swims to the seaplane's pontoons.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Shelby surfaces quietly next to the pontoons.
Williams and Carter only a few feet away.
She paddles to a pontoon, trying not to make a sound.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams scans the water for Shelby, guns ready.
Hears water lapping against the pontoons.
WILLIAMS
Hold it, Carter.
Carter stops loading. Williams listens. Hears nothing.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Shelby hooks the up-line to the pontoon.
The seaplane is now connected to the San Miquel wreck.
Shelby pops beneath the surface, swims to the zodiac.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Carter loads the last bag of coins onto the seaplane.
WILLIAMS
Come on, Carter. You're riding with me.
Couldn't have done it without you, buddy.
Williams grabs Carter's hand, pulls him onboard.
Then cuts open a bag of gold doubloons, grabs a handful.
They sparkle.
Hypnotize him. Lure of the Gold.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Only the copper bulls are left.
Small and Elmer remove the dead Diver from the bull's horns,
attach the cable. Signal Huge Black that they are ready.
Huge Black starts the winch, pulling in the statue.
HUGE BLACK
That's a lot of bull.
When they get the first bull into the plane, Huge Black looks
at the water line in the wet-bay. The plane is over loaded.
HUGE BLACK
Mr. Williams! The plane can not hold any
more! We are taking on water!
WILLIAMS
You think I'm just going to leave four
copper bulls floating around? Those
things have historical significance.
HUGE BLACK
This plane only carries nineteen tons.
We have over twenty two tons --
WILLIAMS
Load them!
Huge Black pulls in the last float...
Filling the cargo plane with all 26 tons of treasure.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Lonnie and Evelyn pop to the surface.
Mouth pieces and masks are removed. Empty tanks removed.
They hold each other for a moment.
Glad to be alive.
Kiss. A good kiss.
Then the engines start.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
The four propellers on the amphibious C-130 gain speed.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Cockpit: Barry does a quick pre-flight, grabs the radio.
BARRY
Ready to roll.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams starts his engines, grabs the radio.
WILLIAMS
Sweet. Have Leo pay off the crew.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Cargo Hold: Herrmann smiles at Huge Black.
HERRMANN
Sorry. I'm going to have to ask you to
leave the plane. We're over loaded.
Huge Black gets ready to rumble. A battle of the titans!
HUGE BLACK
I came for the gold, I'm leaving with the
gold. You going to throw me off?
HERRMANN
Now or later. You pick the fall.
Huge Black rushes Herrmann.
They trade massive punches.
Grapple like Sumo wrestlers.
Slam fists into each other.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Carter notes the partially submerged pontoons.
Too many bags of doubloons.
CARTER
We're too heavy. We'll never get this
thing in the air.
WILLIAMS
Think throwing out a couple hundred
pounds would help?
CARTER
Anything we can lose...
Williams cuts off the sentence with gun fire.
Blasts Carter out the door into the water.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Herrmann knocks Huge Black to the open cargo doors.
Huge Black SLAMS Herrmann with both fists, knocking him
down.
HUGE BLACK
You fall easy.
Herrmann struggles to his feet...
..........grabs Barry's gold bar from the floor...
......................................Throws it at Huge
Black.
The gold bar knocks Huge Black out of the plane...
Into the water...
Where he sinks like a rock.
Herrmann hits the button that closes the cargo door.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Lonnie swims through the debris -- discarded dive equipment,
deflated floats, dead divers from the undersea battle.
He pushes a body out of the way... sees the corpse's face:
It's Carter.
Carter's dead hands are empty. Lonnie takes a gold doubloon
from one of the deflated floats, folds it into Carter's hand.
Let's him hold the gold.
A moment. Mourning.
Then Lonnie continues swimming to the Seaplane.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
The surviving MERCENARY DIVERS swim to the cargo plane.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
When ever a Diver tries to squeeze through the closing door,
Herrmann kicks them in the face mask.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Starts taxiing, leaving a wake of bloody-faced divers.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Starts taxiing, pontoons cresting the water.
Hanging on to one of the pontoons: Lonnie Marks.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Herrmann turns away from the closing cargo bay door, doesn't
see Evelyn climb inside.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Shelby climbs aboard the rubber boat, cradling her bad arm.
Watches the two planes struggle to take off...
Then finally become airborne.
She waves goodbye to the treasure...
Then sees Lonnie!
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Lonnie climbs on top of the pontoon as the plane takes off.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams has trouble keeping the plane level.
Can't figure out the problem. Then the door opens.
He turns and gets Lonnie's fist in his face.
Williams punches Lonnie, almost knocking him off the
pontoon.
WILLIAMS
The Miquel's my dive. Mine. Not ours.
LONNIE
You didn't find the wreck, my team did.
WILLIAMS
Don't give me that shit.
Williams quick draws a black automatic at Lonnie's face.
Lonnie flips the speargun into his free hand like a magician.
Inches apart, just like in the hotel room.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
The plane climbs higher.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams presses his black 45 into Lonnie's cheek.
WILLIAMS
Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine...
LONNIE
(nostalgia and regret)
You know Curt, I missed you.
WILLIAMS
I'm not going to miss you.
Williams squeezes the trigger!
Lonnie knocks the gun aside with his speargun.
Bullet missing by less than an inch.
Lonnie fires a spear - high and outside, lodges in the roof.
Williams continues firing.
Bullets spraying at Lonnie - ricocheting through the
plane.
LONNIE
You're nothing like me, Curt.
Lonnie fires another spear, misses.
Williams presses his automatic into Lonnie's face and
fires!
Click.
The slide is back, he's out of shells.
WILLIAMS
I'm the one with the treasure, buddy.
You're the one swimming home.
Williams CLUBS Lonnie in the face with his gun until he
falls.
Lonnie lets go of the speargun and grabs for anything that
will keep him from falling. Snags the brass anchor lanyard.
Williams keeps CLUBBING Lonnie with the gun.
Finally the lanyard breaks...
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Lonnie falls off the pontoon.
Grabs the strut.
Water zipping by a hundred feet below. Toy anchor
clasped in his hand.
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
In the air below and behind the seaplane.
Struggling with excess weight.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Herrmann hears a noise.
Turns. Sees Evelyn with her knife.
HERRMANN
Didn't you see the sign: No riders.
EVELYN
Don't you see the knife: you're screwed.
HERRMANN
Big threat from a little girl.
Herrmann rushes her, knocking the knife away.
Slamming his fists into her face.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Lonnie dangles from the strut.
Ocean rushing below him.
Pulls himself back up.
Sees the safety line connected to the pontoon.
LONNIE
Double damn!
Williams reaches out and pries his hand off the strut.
Lonnie almost falls.
Williams grabs his hand... trying to reclaim the bronze
anchor.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams pulls Lonnie back into the cockpit.
WILLIAMS
I'm the fucking best diver in the world.
You know it, Lonnie. Admit it!
Lonnie tries to break Williams' grip. Can't.
Williams reaches for his second gun!
Hand...
Holding hand...
Hanging on...
Keeping Lonnie close to Williams.
They are only inches apart.
LONNIE
It's time to let go, Curt. I did.
Whamph!
Lonnie flips the speargun into his hand and fires the last
spear -- pinning Williams' gun arm to the seat before he
fires.
Williams lets go of Lonnie's hand to grab the spear.
Lonnie looks at the water a hundred feet below... jumps!
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Splash!
Lonnie hits the water, feet together, good form.
He's gone for a moment, resurfaces as the cargo plane zooms
overhead, trailing the seaplane.
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Evelyn hides under a brass bull, sees her knife, reaches...
Herrmann grabs her legs and YANKS.
The knife gets farther away from her hand.
She stretches, grabs the knife.
Herrmann pulls her close.
Evelyn stabs him. Herrmann lets go. Roars in pain.
Evelyn runs to the cargo door.
Hits the open button. When the door is open enough to
squeeze through, Evelyn dives.
Herrmann grabs for her legs.
Isn't fast enough. She's gone. But they still have the
golden idol and the silver sundial.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
Evelyn splashes into the water.
Lonnie swims over to her, toy anchor still in his hand.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams carefully pulls the spear out of his arm. Ouch!
Dresses the wound with the handkerchief stained with Lonnie's
blood. Smiles at the gold around him... he has won.
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Without Lonnie's weight, the plane begins to climb.
The up-line goes taut, pulls up the 'anchor'.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
A foot away from Lonnie and Evelyn, the 'anchor' at the other
end of the up-line erupts from the water... the San Miquel!
The eighty foot section of the hull blasts out of the water,
trailing five hundred feet behind the seaplane.
Awesome.
The remains of the galleon flies behind the seaplane...
INT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
Cockpit: Barry and Herrmann trail behind the seaplane.
Despite being 7 tons over the limit, they're gaining
altitude.
BARRY
The San Miquel is ours. OURS!
EXT. CARGO PLANE -- DAY
The wreck of the San Miquel SLAMS into the Cargo Plane. Wood
debris clogging all four propellers.
Sending the cargo plane hurtling into the water.
The up-line wraps around a propeller, yanking on...
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams feels the plane jerk backwards.
Lose altitude.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
The cargo plane hits the water at two hundred miles per hour.
Cart-wheels wing to wing a half dozen times before
disintegrating.
The giant silver sundial skips across the water!
The winged serpent flies!
Pieces of the plane spray!
EXT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Like a dog on a rope, the seaplane stops moving forward.
Slams down onto the water at two hundred miles per hour.
INT. SEAPLANE -- DAY
Williams pulls back on the stick as the water rushes closer.
Nothing happens.
So he screams.
EXT. SURFACE -- DAY
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!
The seaplane crashes, explodes.
Spraying two tons of sparkling gold doubloons over the
sea.
Lonnie and Evelyn shield their eyes from the fire ball.
EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY
The remains of the cargo plane/San Miquel sink to the bottom.
EXT. ZODIAC -- DAY
Lonnie and Evelyn climb into the zodiac.
Lonnie looks at the toy anchor, mourns his ex-friend.
A moment.
Then Lonnie throws the anchor as far as he can... it skips
across the ocean like a stone.
Then disappears. Gone forever.
SHELBY
The frigging San Miquel.
LONNIE
Lost for almost five hundred years, and
we found it. We may not get the
treasure, but we did damned fine work.
For a moment they look at the oil slick.
EVELYN
It's not like we have to find it again.
Lonnie and Shelby look at her, smiling. The smile becomes
contagious, each grin producing another until all are
smiling.
LONNIE
Aw, hell... Let's go diving.
Thumbs up all the way around.
INT. DIVE SHOP -- DAY
A photo on the wall shows Lonnie, Shelby, Evelyn, Ennio,
Diver #1 & Diver #2 giving thumbs up in front of the towering
gold Quetzequatal statue. Awesome and amazing.
Another photo has the team in front of the silver sundial.
Beer bottles raised in toast.
One with Horner on a new boat surrounded by the Investor's
BIMBOS (now his).
Another has Lonnie and Evelyn riding a bronze bull.
Laughing.
The Easter Egg: Lonnie stuck with the bar tab.
FADE OUT
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Index