INT. BASEMENT OF THE OTHER GUARD HOUSE
All the third soldier can see through the basement windows are his comrades exchanging automatic gunfire with the Gatling gun in the tower next door.
BEN (ON THE TUBE)
Hello! Is there anyone there?
SOLDIER THREE
(picking up the speaker tube)
Hello! Mr. Slidell?
ON THE IRONCLAD BRIDGE
Ben slams the speaker tube back down.
BEN
Sorry, wrong number!
And picks up the next one, as Abigail pops up onto the bridge.
ABIGAIL
Those pollsters can find you anywhere.
He smiles and motions her to join him.
BEN (ON THE TUBE)
Is anyone there?
GUARDHOUSE
AGENT HOWIE
Boss, someone’s talking on this tube thingy.
The agent passes him the speaker tube.
RILEY
Let me have that!
BEN (O.S.)
Is anyone up there?
RILEY
Ben! It’s me, Riley!
BEN (O.S.)
Are you okay?
RILEY
Just fine. I’ve recruited some help. Sadusky and his crew. Is Abigail with you?
BEN (O.S.)
Yes. Can you get us back up there?
RILEY
Uh. I think we may be wanting to come down to where you are.
BEN (O.S.)
What?
RILEY
(to Sadusky)
How much time we got?
SADUSKY
The order should have been issued three minutes ago. It’s on the way. Say seven or eight minutes.
ON THE IRONCLAD BRIDGE
Ben and Abigail hold the speaker tube between them, both straining to hear.
RILEY (O.S.)
We’ve got a little situation. According to Sadusky, the whole mountain top is about to come down on top of us, courtesy of the US Government.
BEN
That’s extreme prejudice.
RILEY (O.S.)
Don’t take it personal. They don’t know we’re here.
BEN
Listen. The mechanism for raising the entrance is in the basement of the guardhouse across from the one with the ladder to the lower area.
RILEY (O.S.)
Gotcha. We’ll see what we can do.
BACK ON THE CATWALK
The Slidell boys clench each other, neither one strong enough to overpower the other, nor willing to back down. Rance charges up, kicking and screaming.
RANCE
We have no time for this!
In their blind fury they ignore him. Rance takes out his hand gun and fires once into the air. Horatio and Morgan break apart and scramble away from Rance.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Neither of you are worthy to lead the cause.
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