Sons of Cain

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THE SONS OF CAIN

by

Tim McGregor

April 7, 2006

Tim McGregor

6 Lakeview Ave.

Toronto, Ontario

Canada, M6J 3B1

416-534-8958

[email protected]

Option holder:Christopher Smith

9465 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA, 90212

310-860-8000

[email protected]



EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

Candles glow in an old Mexican graveyard. Hundreds of them,dotted through the tombstones. The soft strum of a mariachiguitar. There is food and drink and flowers.

The year is 1887.

Candied skulls of baked sugar leer everywhere. The cemeteryalive with people celebrating El Dia de los Muertos. All singand toast their ancestors.

Except for one young man.

A KID, maybe seventeen, sits apart from the revellers. He’spoor and it shows in his threadbare clothes and worn hat. A bottle in hand. Eyes staring up at a church spire just beyondthe cemetery gates.

A FIDDLER stumbles near, sawing his broken instrument. Hegestures at the bottle in the Kid’s hand.

FIDDLERDame el refresco, caballero.

The Kid doesn’t react. Never takes his eyes off the church.

The Fiddler leans closer, thinking the Kid is deaf.

FIDDLERJoven--

A gun appears out of nowhere. A big Army Colt. Pointed rightat Fiddler’s nose.

KIDGet the hell away from me.

Fiddler sidles away quick. The Kid gets to his feet.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

An old Spanish church of white-washed stucco and a clay tile

roof. A weatherbeaten spire and mission bells.

The Kid takes a last swig on the bottle, tosses it away andKICKS the door open.

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Empty pews and heavy silence. Deserted.



KIDElijah!

The name echoes off the walls.

KIDShow yourself, you son of bitch.

Kid marches up the pews then stops cold. A WOMAN kneelsbefore a tall statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

KIDPaloma?

PALOMA looks up at him. Dark and beautiful with eerily greeneyes. She’s crying. Her hair is tussled and her clothes torn.

KID

What happened to you?

He takes her arms but she shrugs him off and lowers her eyes.Her black hair falls, hiding her face.

ELIJAH (O.C.)Get your filthy hands off her.

FATHER ELIJAH WADE stands over them in his black priest robeand clerical collar. A tall man with broad shoulders.

KIDThe hell’d you do to her?

Father Elijah glowers down at the Kid.

ELIJAHYou’re drunk.

KIDYou hurt her, I’ll kill you. Brother orno.

ELIJAHGet out.

KIDShe’s coming with me.

Kid reaches for Paloma. Elijah grabs Kid and HURLS him away.

ELIJAHDon’t touch her!

The Kid spins and charges at the priest, plowing the big manto the ground. Kid smashes his fist into his brother’s face.

2.



KIDSon of a bitch! I hate you.

Paloma pulls the Kid off.

PALOMA Basta!

The priest pulls something from his robe-- an archaic, crude-looking dagger. The blade flashes, then CUTS the Kid.

Kid stumbles back, blood staining his shirt.

Elijah slashes again, drawing more blood.

Kid draws and BOOM! Shoots Elijah in the chest.

Elijah staggers. Paloma screams.

The priest falls onto Kid, clutching at him. Pulls him close.The floorboards run slick with their blood.

ELIJAHMurderous Cain...you will be cursed from the ground...a fugitive and a wanderer onthe earth...

PALOMA Elijah, stop--

Blood foams up between Elijah’s lips, choking off his words.

He slips to the floor.

The Kid backs away, clutching his slashed chest.

MEN burst into the church, having heard the gunfire outside.

Kid bolts for the backdoor. The men chase after him.

Paloma cradles the dead priest’s head in her lap. Blood poolsaround her knees.

Track the blood as it runs between the cracks of thefloorboards. Down under the floor to the cellar. Rivulets at

the seam and drips--

Blood dollops onto something carved of black stone, spacklingit with the blood of the priest and the brother.

DISSOLVE:

Super: THREE YEARS LATER

3.



EXT. PUEBLO - DAY

An Arizona sun beats down on the empty streets of a dustypueblo town. The silence is broken by the crack of GUNFIRE.

THE ARMY COLT

--is snapped open at the hinge. The cylinder is removed andempty shells are shaken out of the smoking chambers.

A voice screams in the background.

VOICE (O.S.)Sonovawhore!

THE KID reloads his gun. A few years older but not much moreprosperous. A proper gunbelt and a new hat. Exhaustedlooking, miles and miles worn into the lines of his eyes.

His back is literally up against a wall. The Kid snaps thebarrel shut, thumbs the hammer back and yells at the voice.

KIDTold you to give up on it, Jake.

US MARSHALL JAKE PEPPER

--kneels in the middle of the dusty street. His right hand isbloodied and curled into his chest. He holds a Peacemaker inhis left hand and FIRES but the shots go wild.

JAKEAin't gonna happen, Kid. I'm taking yourhead back in a sack. I'm federal now!

Jake talks a good game but he's hurt bad. The gun tremblesbecause Jake is clearly not left-handed.

KID (O.S.)How the hell you get a badge?

The Marshall crawls toward the house hard by his left, tryingto pinpoint the Kid's voice.

JAKEOnly one willing to go after your sorryass!

Jake steps over a BODY sprawled in the sand. A Deputy’s starpinned to the dead man’s shirt. A SHOT rings out--

Jake wheels and BLASTS off two rounds. Nothing there.

4.



KID (O.S.)Give up on it, old man. Less'n you wantthe other hand shot off.

Jake’s right hand is a BLOODIED MESS, cradled into his chestand staining his shirt.

JAKEStep out and fight, damn it!

No response. Jake's eyes dart around.

KID(O.S.)Here, old man...

Jake SPINS-- the Kid stands wide open.

Jake FIRES but the shot goes wild. The two men stare at each

other over the barrel of their guns. Deadlocked.

The Kid spits into the sand-- then lowers his gun.

Jake PULLS the trigger. But the barrel just clicks empty.

JAKEDidn't know you could count.

The Kid KICKS him down hard and levels the big Colt right atJake's face. Kingdom Come.

JAKE

I won’t beg.

KIDAin't no one asking you to.

Jake stares into the barrel. He closes his eyes...

Kid spins the gun into his holster. Jake opens one eye,surprised he’s still alive.

JAKEYou losing your nerve...?

KIDTold you before. I’m done with killing.

JAKETell that to my deputy.

Whump! Kid BOOTS him hard in the stomach.

5.



KIDYou shoulda told him better than to shootat my back, mister 'US Marshall'.

Kid picks up Jake’s gun and tosses it over a fence.

JAKEYou can't run forever. Sooner or later,it’s gonna catch you up.

KIDI can sure as hell try.

JAKEThere ye go again with that foolishness.

(...)Men like you don't change. I seen otherstry it, better men than you, too. Oh

they'll talk your ear off about secondchances and atonement, what have you.But that's all it ever is. Just talk.

The Kid trails up the reins of his horse tethered nearby.

JAKENever sticks, boy. You're nothing but athief and a killer. All you ever gonnabe.

Kid turns to say something but then changes his mind.

JAKEAin’t you ever heard of the long arm athe law?

KIDWhat of it?

CRACK! A length of board crashes over the Kid's head and hecollapses in a heap. A SECOND DEPUTY stands over the Kidholding a pine two-by-four.

JAKEThe arm is long indeed.

EXT. DESERT - NIGHT

The Kid lies in the sand under a piñon tree at the top of a mesa. His hands bound tight with rope.

Jake winces as his Deputy wraps his wounded hand.

6.



DEPUTYI say we lynch him right here. Reward money’s the same, alive or dead.

JAKENo. We’ll bring him back so all the folkshe wronged can see him hang.

The Kid lifts his head, eyes swimming around.

DEPUTYBut he shot your hand off.

JAKEUntie him.

Jake pulls a hatchet out of his saddlebag.

DEPUTYWhat are you gonna do?

JAKEHe’ll be a lot less dangerous without hisgunhand.

The Deputy kneels on the Kid’s chest and cuts the ropes. Kidstruggles but he’s still weak. The Deputy holds his righthand down flat against a stump.

DEPUTYQuit squirming now. We’re just gonna even

things up here.

Jake tests the hatchet blade against Kid’s wrist.

DEPUTYJesus Jake, did you shoot him?

JAKENo. Missed him by a mile.

DEPUTYHe’s bleeding.

BLOOD seeps through the Kid's grimy shirt. Kid thrashes,fighting under the Deputy’s weight.

KIDGet the hell offa me.

JAKEKeep him still now or you’ll mess my aim.

Jake raises the axe high, ready to sever the Kid’s wrist.

7.



KIDGet off, ya bastard sonofabitch. Now!

The wind picks up, whistling through the scrub and kickingsand up into the Marshal’s face.

Something rustles in the dark. Jake looks up, alert.

JAKEWho's there?

FIGURES

move against the horizon. Six men moving forward with thefading light at their backs. DARK MEN, nothing more thanblack silhouettes against a dying sun.

JAKE

Identify yourself!

No response. The Dark Men stop and fan out, their faceshidden under hatbrims and upturned collars. Watching.

DEPUTYWho are they?

JAKEBounty hunters. Looking to collect.

KIDJake, you’d best get the hell outta here.

JAKEYou know these men?

KIDYou don’t want to tangle with them.

Jake looks up, surprised to see the Kid’s reaction.

JAKEDon’t believe I ever seen you scared.

The Dark Men march forward again. Jake reaches for his gun.

JAKEWithdraw or I will fire.

The strangers ignore the warning. Jake levels a dead aim at atall man out in front.

JAKEGoddamnit, get back!

8.



Jake FIRES, shooting him square in the chest. The Dark Mandoesn’t fall, doesn’t even break his stride.

Jake’s jaw drops low.

Kid scrambles up and bolts straight for the Marshal’s horse.

Gunfire breaks as the Deputy opens fire. The Dark Men pressforward.

Kid leaps onto the horse, looks back--

The Dark Men RIP into the lawmen with their bare hands, everyone of them a tattered black silhouette against the sky.

Kid spurs the horse away into the night.

The tall man, the one Jake shot, watches the outlaw escape.

At his feet lies the Marshal, gutted open with his entrailsspilled out over the sand.

EXT. SCRUBLAND - NIGHT

A crumbling adobe shack leans in the scrub. The Morgan grazesnearby, ridden hard and put away wet.

Kid bangs his fist on the door.

INT. SHACK - NIGHT

GUILLERMO, the owner of the shack, stirs the fire and watchesKid stuff dry goods into a saddle-bag.

GUILLERMOWhere will you go now?

KIDStraight south, cross the Sonora toPerdido. You got any forty-fours?

Guillermo searches through a cupboard.

GUILLERMOCrossing the desert is suicide. Andyou’re wanted in Perdido most of all, no?

KIDAin’t got much of a choice. Somethingevil’s dogging my trail.

Guillermo unwraps a cloth containing cartridges of variouscalibers.

9.



GUILLERMOBounty Hunters?

KIDWorse.

Guillermo sees the blood on the Kid’s shirt.

GUILLERMOAre you hurt?

KIDIt’s nothing. Old wound.

GUILLERMOWho are these men?

The Kid picks out a handful of forty-four shells and hands

the bundle back to Guillermo.

KIDThey’ll track their way here. You need toclear out and stay away for a few days.

GUILLERMOHow will they find--

KID(cutting off)

I ain’t kidding, Guillermo. Promise meyou’ll clear out soon as I’m gone.

GUILLERMOVery well.

Kid slings the saddlebag over his shoulder. ShakesGuillermo’s hand.

GUILLERMOVia con Dios.

KIDHe won’t be riding with me.

EXT. MESA - NIGHT

A small fire burns atop the mesa. The Dark Men hoistsomething up into the tree.

BODIES

The Marshall and his deputy hang upside down from the tree,their bellies split open and spilling onto the ground.

10.



The Dark Men pass before the fire, silhouettes shimmeringagainst the flames.

The tall man stands out from the rest, dressed in a tatteredBLACK ROBE. He turns his attention south, the direction in which the Kid fled and heads out on foot. The rest follow.

EXT. DESERT - NIGHT

A weather-beaten signpost leans in the scrub flats. Moonlightbounces off the faded letters: PERDIDO

Behind the signpost lies the old Spanish town of Perdido,crumbling and forgotten. A CRY rings out.

INT. ROOM - NIGHT

Old women whisper in Spanish around the bedside of a GIRL inlabor. The Girl screams as she pushes down.

PALOMA hisses at the women to be quiet as she midwives theGirl to term. Her green eyes older and wearier.

PALOMA Otra vez.

The Girl bears down harder, screaming the whole way. Paloma worms the babe free and cuts the umbilical cord.

The crones hold their breath as the midwife rubs the baby, working fluid out of it's mouth with her fingers--

The babe is silent and still. A stone. A chill moves throughthe room. Paloma makes the sign of the cross.

The crack of gunfire breaks in from out in the street.

EXT. TOWN SQUARE - NIGHT

A man lies dead in the open square of Perdido. A bloom ofpowderburn and blood on his chest. A gun in his hand.

SHERIFF HARLAND stands over the dead man, shaking his head.The Sheriff is a big man, pushing forty. A temperate man.

Two other men look down at the corpse. The portly one isMAYOR JENKINS. The one with the smallpox scars is DUTCHMAN.

JENKINSWhat happened?

11.



HARLANDSame thing that always happens, misterMayor. Drunken cowboys get in a fight andsomeone goes for his gun.

DUTCHMANShould we close down the saloon?

JENKINSLet’s not lose our heads here.

Harland kneels down and picks up the dead man’s gun.

HARLANDAin’t the drinking that’s the problem.It’s all these damn firearms.

DUTCHMAN

Well, they ain’t nothing you can do aboutthat. Short of cutting off everyone’strigger finger, I mean.

Harland pockets the gun. A faraway look in his eye.

HARLANDI reckon.

A dog slurs out of the shadows and laps the blood on thesand. Harland shoos it away.

INT. SHACK - NIGHT

Guillermo sits before the fire, feet up and falling asleep.Ignoring the Kid’s warning.

The sound of a horse whinnies out in the yard. Guillermo getsup, grabs his rifle from the mantle and checks the window.

Quiet. Gun raised, he goes to the door and throws it open.

Black Robe and the Dark Men storm inside.

EXT. SHACK - NIGHT

A single gunshot rings out. Then crashing noises as the hutis ransacked. The rifle smashes through the window glass.

The Dark Men file out of the shack one by one. Smoke billowsout the door and flames lick up inside the windows.

Guillermo doesn’t come out.

12.



EXT. COUNTY OFFICE - NIGHT

Sheriff Harland stands on the porch of the County Office.Seated in a rocking chair is BLIND JOHN, a big man with acataract eye.

RONALDO (O.C.)Another man gunned down?

FATHER JORGE RONALDO leans against the rail. The grey in hisdark hair reflects his clerical collar and black robe.

HARLANDYup. How many is that this month, John?

BLIND JOHNFour I believe. No, it’s five. Fiveshootings.

RONALDOWas he a local man?

HARLANDNo. Just another outlaw running forMexico. One of the hazards of living in abordertown. You get used to it afterawhile, father.

RONALDOI don’t think I’ll ever get used to theviolence in this town.

BLIND JOHNBelieve it or not but this used to be aquiet place. Last couple years though,it’s all gone to Hell.

RONALDOThere must be some way to stem theviolence.

HARLANDThere is but it’s...unpopular. Yourguidance at the pulpit is a good start.

RONALDONot good enough I’m afraid.

HARLANDYou’re being humble again, Ronaldo.

RONALDOI wish that were true but the people hereare still wary of me.

13.

(MORE)



It’s only been three years. Not longenough to earn their full trust.

BLIND JOHNGive ‘em time, father. They’ll comearound.

RONALDOThank you, John. Speaking of which, Ishould go prepare tomorrow’s sermon.

Ronaldo steps away just as Paloma walks by the porch, pullingdown her shirt sleeves.

RONALDOGood evening Paloma.

PALOMA

Father. Sheriff.

HARLANDHow's the Espejo girl? Is it a boy or agirl?

The midwife just shakes her head. Bad news.

RONALDODear God. Not again.

PALOMA (stepping away)

Beunos noches.

The three men watch Paloma walk away.

HARLANDAnother stillbirth? Jesus, how many doesthat make now?

BLIND JOHNI lost count. Something's wrong with thistown, Sheriff. Something terrible wrong.

EXT. DESERT - NIGHT

The horse canters slow through the ocotillo bushes. The Kidslumps over the horn, asleep in the saddle. The horse stops.Kid pitches forward and falls to the ground with a thud.

He springs up fast, gun drawn and leveled over the horizon.The horse spooks and trots away.

Kid shakes his head to get his bearings. Curses himself.

14.

RONALDO (CONT'D)



The wind picks up, blowing down from the north. Kid looks up--

THE DARK MEN

--march through the scrub. There are now seven of them.

They have no guns or weapons of any kind.

They have no horses.

Kid backs away and chases after his mount but the horse shiesand trots away again.

KIDGet back here. You ain’t gonna like them bastards anymore than me.

The Dark Men keep coming.

Kid hops along, one boot in the stirrup and lifts up into thesaddle.

He looks back at his pursuers then spurs the horse south.

EXT. PERDIDO - DAY

Street vendors set up shop and cry their wares as the town ofPerdido wakes up. Father Ronaldo makes his way through the market stalls, stirring up stray chickens as he goes.

RONALDOGood morning, mister mayor.

Ronaldo pats Mayor Jenkins on the shoulder.

RONALDOI trust we’ll see you in church this morning?

JENKINSYes, God willing.

(takes his arm)I notice you and the Sheriff are getting

on like old friends. That’s what I liketo see, the moral pillars of thiscommunity getting along.

(...)Course, one has to keep a sense ofperspective on friendships and alliances.

RONALDOYou don’t care for our Sheriff?

15.



JENKINSGod no, I love the man. It just, well,sometimes his zeal for the job clouds hisjudgement. Leads him to make rashdecisions, if you take my meaning.

RONALDOI’m afraid I don’t.

JENKINSWell, that’s good. A grain of salt is allI’m saying. Listen to me go on and idleyour time before church. Go on, father.

RONALDOI do need to rustle up some more waywardsouls for church. I’ll see you there.

Jenkins waves and Ronaldo crosses the town square, passing anold woman sweeping the ground with a straw broom. He looks tosee what she’s sweeping at.

A blackened smear of blood caked onto the cobblestones,flaking away with each sweep of the broom.

EXT. DESERT - DAY

The Kid sits slumped over the saddle horn, exhausted. Thehorse shambles on, froth spilling from its mouth.

Winds kick up the sand. The Kid lowers his hat and rides on.

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

Two young men sit idle on a porch on the edge of town. BILLsits on the stoop cleaning his Colt Peacemaker. ARLO pickshis teeth, watching him. Arlo’s SON plays nearby.

ARLOHow many times you gonna clean thatgoddamn pistol, Bill?

BILLGunfighter always keeps his gun clean.Otherwise the barrel gets dirty andthrows off the aim.

Bill oils down the hammer with loving care.

16.



BILLEspecially a Peacemaker, which justhappens to be the finest working pistol a man can have. Unlike that old Walker yougot. That damn relic is more like to blowup in your hand than fire straight.

ARLO(chuckles)

Gunfighter? Shit, Bill...

Bill looks up and sees that Arlo is not wearing his gunbelt.

BILLWhere is that Walker? How come you ain't wearing it?

ARLO

Don't need it.

BILLUnwise, Arlo. Man without a gun ain't much of a man.

ARLOStrutting around with a gunbelt is justasking for trouble.

BILLThat's your wife talking. That cunny done whipped you into shape good and proper,

ain't she?

ARLOGotta grow up some time, Bill. Leave thetoys behind.

Bill practises his quick-draw, holstering and drawing the gunquick and smooth.

BILLOne of these days, I'll show you. Showthis whole shit-stained town...

(draws his gun)

Lightning Bill. That's what they's gonnacall me. You wait and see.

RONALDO (O.C)Good morning boys. Ready for church?

Father Ronaldo smiles up at them. Bill pats down his grimyshirt, looking for an excuse.

17.



BILLI’m kindly short on Sunday best, padre.

RONALDOYou look fine to me.

A CACOPHONY of noise breaks the quiet. A crowd of people march past them. The Fiddler creaks out a slow dirge,accompanied by a lone mariachi player. A crowd follows,singing in Spanish, bearing flowers and bottles.

BILLWhat the hell are these fools doing?

RONALDOEl Dia de los Muertos.

BILL

Already? Jesus Christ...

ARLOYou’ll have to excuse Bill, padre. Hedon’t much like the Day of the Dead.

BILLPure craziness, you ask me.

ARLOC’mon, Bill. It’s a chance to toast yourancestors. The dead meet you halfway attheir graves. Or so they say.

BILLAll Mexicans are crazy. You believe thatcraziness, father?

RONALDOI like the sentiment. A family reunion with the dear and departed.

Bill just shakes his head at them. Arlo eggs him on.

ARLOIt has a bad side too, Bill. It’s the one

night when evil roams free and the deadcome back to settle old scores.

(winks at Ronaldo)Better be sure you got that Peacemaker onyou tonight, amigo.

Bill doesn’t respond, distracted by something.

ARLOBill?

18.



BILLWhat in the hell is that?

A horse limps out of the desert towards town. Flies buzzaround its mucous caked eyes. The rider lies slumped over thehorn, lifeless.

BILLNever seen a dead man ride a horse.

Arlo turns to his son, ARLO JR, and shoos him home.

ARLORun on home, son. Go find your mama.

The Morgan shambles forward. People step out of its way likeit's a leprous thing. The Kid remains prone over the saddle.

Father Ronaldo grabs the cheekstrap and stops the horse.

SILAS, owner of the livery stable, steps out from his barnand watches the horse.

SILASHe dead?

RONALDO(puzzled)

He’s tied to the saddle.

The Kid’s belt is lashed to the saddle with twine.

SILASSo he wouldn't fall off. Musta come clearacross the desert.

RONALDOWhat manner of fool rides across theSonora?

SILASMan on the run. Look at this.

A crude wooden cross is clenched in the Kid's fist. Bill and

Arlo come up, looking the rider over.

ARLOWhat the hell's he running from?

RONALDOCut him down.

Silas cuts the rope from the Kid's waist and Ronaldo bringshim down. The wooden cross falls away into the sand.

19.



Ronaldo grabs a ladle from the water trough and touches it tothe Kid’s lips. Kid coughs and spits it back up.

RONALDOEasy son.

Kid pulls himself up and limps to the trough. Splashes waterover his face. The bells of the church ring out.

RONALDOI have to go. Will you be alright, son?

KID(grabs Ronaldo’s arm)

I need to talk to you.

RONALDOThe service will be starting soon. I must

go. Come to church.

KIDI ain’t stepping foot in there. I needyour help, padre.

RONALDOSon, I have to go. Come and see me afterthe service. I’ll help you any way I can.

Kid lets him go. Ronaldo runs off to church.

Bill nudges Arlo in the ribs, pointing out the Kid’s gunbelt.

Twin holsters of tooled leather.

BILLLookit them big Colts.

Kid leans over the trough, his back still to the other men.

KIDSilas, can you mend that horse?

SILAS(surprised)

I know you?

Kid turns, his face cleaned of dust. Silas startles, takes astep back. So do Bill and Arlo.

BILLSon of a bitch...

Silas, Bill and Arlo tense up, like someone expecting arattlesnake to strike.

20.



SILASWhat’d you come back here for, kid? Folksain’t forgot what you done.

Kid rubs the water off his face. Silas takes a step back.

KIDCan you mend her?

Silas eases up a little. He pats the horse down, inspectingits eyes and mouth. A hoof.

SILASThis animal’s done in. Best put her down.

Kid shakes his head. No.

SILAS

She won’t make another mile.

KIDThen you take her. Mend her back tohealth. But I’m gonna need another horseand how much will you take for a fastone?

SILASWell, I don’t know...

KIDYou got horses in that stable, ain’t you?

SILAS(stalling)

All my livery’s out in the field. Gonnatake a while to haze one in.

Kid stuffs dollar bills into Silas’ pocket.

KIDThen go get one.

Kid marches away, forcing Bill and Arlo to make room.

Bill watches the outlaw walk away, his back wide open to him.He clutches his gun but doesn’t draw, losing his nerve.

SILASBill, go find the Sheriff. Tell him theKid is back.

21.



EXT. COUNTY OFFICE - DAY

Bill marches towards the County Office. Arlo keeps up.

BILLHe sure as hell don’t look like nohellfire outlaw. Just a scrawny runt.

ARLOBill, leave it be. You know what he done.

BILLFolks round here like to spin theirtales. Hell, I thought he’d have devilhorns and a tail. He’s a runt. With aprice on his head.

ARLO

Then the sheriff can deal with him.

They climb the steps. Blind John creaks in his rocking chair.

BILLWhat’re you doing, John?

BLIND JOHNWhat's it look like, son?

ARLOIs the Sheriff here?

BLIND JOHNOn his way to church. Same as you boysshould be.

Bill and Arlo step inside. Bill tears a WANTED POSTER off a wall of notices and hands it to Arlo.

BILLTake a look at that reward.

Arlo’s widen at the amount.

BILL

And it’s all mine.

EXT. BARRIO - DAY

Kid stalks down a back alley, looking for an address. Hepulls his hat down low to hide his face from the locals.

22.



He stops at a door with a crescent moon painted on the wood.He takes a swig on a bottle, stuffs it back in his coat andbangs on the door.

No answer. He turns to a MAN leaning in a nearby door.

KIDDonde esta la curandera?

MANNo se. Probar la cementerio.

Kid touches his hat to him and leaves.

EXT. CEMETERY GATES - DAY

Kid steps up to the gates and then stops. He scuffs the dirt

with his boot, reluctant to enter the old graveyard.

He takes a pull on the bottle and passes through the gates.

BILL

leans against a doorway further up the street, watching theKid enter the cemetery.

BILLThere he goes.

(looks at Arlo)And you without your gun.

ARLOBill, let the sheriff handle this.

BILLAnd pass up on that reward money? No sir.I'm gonna get me a reputation gunningdown that outlaw.

(...)But we gotta do it now ‘fore Harland gets wind of it.

ARLO

You got a deathwish? The Kid’s agunfighter. A real one.

BILLHe’s a punk with a big rep, that’s all.Now come on, ‘fore we lose him.

Bill marches off after the Kid. Arlo just shakes his head.

23.



SILAS

--leads the Kid’s horse into his stable. He spots Bill goingafter the Kid and curses under his breath.

SILASGoddamnit, Bill.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

Melted candles and rotting candy skulls litter the tombstonesof the old graveyard, the detritus of countless Day of theDead fiestas.

Paloma sits alone before a whitewashed gravestone, clearingaway the dead flowers and broken glass.

KID (O.S.)Paloma?

Her eyes go wide at the sight of the Kid. She backs away.

KIDWait. Please...

PALOMA Cómo se vuelve el atrevimiento ustedaquí.

KID

That's why I come back... No te vayas.(takes her arm)

Listen to me, you need to get outta town--

She yanks her arm free and slaps his face.

PALOMA Debes salir.

Paloma marches away through the headstones.

The Kid stands there dumb, watching her go.

INT. CHURCH - DAY

Father Ronaldo stands at the pulpit before the congregation.His voice carries out over the snores and coughs and farts.

RONALDOAtonement is not an easy thing. We haveall transgressed, not only against Godbut each other.

24.



Harland leans back in the pew, his head bobbing up and downtrying to stay awake.

RONALDOThe path of redemption is hard but thatpath must be taken. Otherwise we are lostand without purpose. Perdido.

Silas storms through the doors and runs up the aisle.

SILASSheriff!

RONALDOHold on a minute, Silas...

The man sitting next to Harland elbows him awake.

SILASHarland, we got trouble. It’s the Kid.

HARLANDWho?

SILASThe Kid. He’s back.

Harland’s face drops. The people react with curses.

SILASIt gets worse. Bill’s gone after him. I

think he’s gonna try and collect.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

The Kid slugs the bottle back, contemplating the gravestonebefore him. FATHER ELIJAH WADE, 1861-1884, RIP.

BILL (O.S.)You sure don’t look like no hellfiregunslinger.

The Kid turns. Bill stands behind him, his right hand resting

on the butt of his holstered Peacemaker.

KIDWhat do you want?

BILL(waves the Wanted poster)

Thousand dollar to start.

The Kid turns back to the gravestone, ignoring Bill.

25.



BILLMaybe you ain’t as bad as folks say.

(no response)Come on, asshole. Let's try them bigColts against this here Peacemaker.

The Kid stands, keeps his back to Bill

...and just walks away.

BILLDon't you turn your back to me! Whatkinda gunfighter are you?

Kid just keeps walking.

BILLI'm calling you out! COWARD!!

BLAM! Bill draws quick and FIRES from the hip-- Lord knows where the bullet went but the Kid is unharmed.

The Kid turns and draws out and aims.

Bill gets rattled and BLASTS another round from the hip butthe shots go wild.

The Kid holds the big Colt straight, takes time to aim and--

Bill's hand EXPLODES in an awful bloody mess. He drops to hisknees holding his destroyed hand.

BILLJesus Christ! My hand! My goddamn hand!

KIDNever fire from the hip, cabron. Thatshit don’t work.

The Kid walks away.

Arlo runs up to help his friend.

BILL

Kill that sonovabitch!

Arlo snatches up Bill's gun and levels it proper at the Kidand squeezes the trigger.

BLAM! This time it almost hits the mark. Kid spins around butagain he takes a second to aim then FIRE.

Arlo falls on his ass, gets up again then falls back down.

26.





HARLANDIs he gonna live?

Arlo’s eyes roll back and blood bubbles out of his mouth.

DOC HAYESThis is bad, Sheriff. Through the lung.

DUTCHMANI can’t believe that sonofabitch cameback here. What the hell does he want?

JENKINSGod knows. What are we gonna do, Harland?

Harland jacks the Henry’s lever.

HARLAND

Whatever’s gotta be done.

INT. LIVERY - DAY

The front door busts open, startling Silas in a stall. TheKid grabs the first saddled horse he sees.

SILASHey, that’s the sheriff’s horse!

KIDThen give him my money.

Kid climbs up and rides the horse out the barn door.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Harland stops cold, watching the Kid gallop out of the barn,straight for him. On his own damn horse!

Harland aims the rifle then hesitates, reluctant to shoot hisown mount. He sticks two fingers in his teeth and WHISTLES.

The horse stops hard and throws the rider.

Kid hits the ground with a SNAP and tumbles through the sand.

Harland aims again but the horse gets in the way, trotting upto him and nudging him with its nose.

He shoves the animal out of the way, draws up the rifle...but the Kid’s gone.

28.



WHAM! Kid PUNCHES Harland in the mouth. The Sheriff goes flaton his ass, swings the rifle up--

Too late. The Kid aims his Colt right at Harland’s face.

Harland freezes with the Henry half-cocked and the whole world goes still.

KIDDrop it.

Harland shakes his head, NO.

KIDListen to me, Sheriff. Something bad ison its way and I can’t be locked up whenit comes. Just drop the goddamn rifle.

HARLANDI can’t do that.

KIDYes, you can. Drop it and all the gunsstay quiet.

Harland doesn't move. The Kid clicks back the hammer.

KIDThen you better shut your eyes.

Kid aims the barrel between Harland’s eyes.

KIDGoddamnit Sheriff, I mean it.

Harland doesn’t even blink.

A crow flies overhead, passing its shadow over both men.

The Kid eases the hammer forward-- and LOWERS THE GUN.

Harland blinks in disbelief, then brings the rifle to bear.

Jenkins and the other men watching can’t believe it either.

EXT. DESERT - DAY

The Dark Men trudge through the sand under a punishingArizona sun. Wisps of black rising out of the heatshimmer.

A rattlesnake darts from a yucca. A bootless, blackened footsteps on its tail. The viper STRIKES, biting the Dark Man inthe shin.

29.



The others stop. No one moves, no one offers to help him.

The bit man doesn’t move, his foot still on the snake. Hereaches down with a filthy hand and snatches the serpent upby the neck.

The men resume their march. The bit man falls in line as ifnothing happened.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Harland slings the double gunbelt over his shoulder and dragsthe Kid through the street. An entourage of men followbehind, taunting the Kid now that his wrists are bound.

DUTCHMANAin’t so deadly now is you, mister

gunslinger?

CHARLIETakes a cold man to gloat over his killlike that. No better than a animal.

The Kid is pushed along from behind. He looks through thecrowd of faces in the street and spots Paloma.

She makes the sign of the cross. He lowers his head in shame.

MARTY the blacksmith tosses a rotten cabbage--

MARTYSonovawhoor-killer!

SPLAT. The Kid gets it in the face but some of it hitsHarland and he ain’t too happy about it.

HARLANDGoddammit, Marty. Stop that.

MARTYSorry, Sheriff.

Father Ronaldo pushes through the crowd to see the boy he

helped earlier now a prisoner of the Sheriff.

RONALDOCharlie, what’s going on? Who is thatboy?

CHARLIEThat boy is the reason you’re here. Hekilled your predecessor, Father Elijah.Shot him dead in his own church.

30.

(MORE)



(off Ronaldo’s shockedexpression)

And if that weren’t bad enough, he comeback three days later. Dug up the graveand stole the body.

Ronaldo’s taken aback.

RONALDOWell, thank God Harland apprehended him.

CHARLIEDunno how he did it, though. The kidthere had the drop on old Harland. Couldakilled him easy but he just give up.Reckon our Sheriff’s got the evil eye.

Little Arlo Jr watches from the crowd as the man that killed

his father is taken to jail.

INT. COUNTY OFFICE - DAY

Harland drags his prisoner into the County Office. Blind Johnopens the door to the backroom where a jail cell waits.

KIDThat boy, he gonna live?

HARLANDWhat the hell do you care?

Kid is shoved inside. Harland clangs the bars shut.

BLIND JOHNYou know Charlie’s tying the gallows ropeas we speak.

HARLANDWell old Charlie’s gonna have to wait.Give me a minute with him, huh?

John leaves the room. Alone, Harland turns to his prisoner.

HARLANDNever thought I’d see your face again,kid. Not after all the grief you caused.

Kid slides to the floor and rests his elbows on his knees.

HARLANDYou want to tell me what you did withFather Elijah’s body?

31.

CHARLIE (CONT'D)



KIDI didn’t do nothing with it.

Harland leans in, speaking quietly but dead serious.

HARLANDWhy didn't you pull the trigger on me?

The Kid just stares at the floor, ignoring the question.

KIDYou gotta let me out of here.

HARLANDRight. Cause something bad’s coming. Yougot a posse after you?

KID

They’ll cut a path straight to your door,Sheriff. And they’ll kill what gets inthe way.

HARLANDHow many men we talking about? Heavilyarmed?

KIDSix men. Maybe seven. No guns. No horses.

HARLAND(laughs)

I think I can handle that.

KIDYou can’t. There’s gonna be a bloodbathless’n you let me outta here.

Harland scrutinizes the Kid. Is he crazy or just desperate?

HARLANDAny last requests?

KIDThe priest. I wanna see him.


A NOOSE is slung over the old gallows beam. Charlie andDutchman secure the hangman’s rope on a rickety stage in thecenter of the town square.

Father Ronaldo, Jenkins and Silas watch in silence from thedusty street. Silas tips his hat as Harland approaches.

32.



JENKINSCharlie’s all set. Let’s bring him out.

HARLANDBit eager, ain’t we? Kid needs a trialbefore we fit him for the noose.

SILASWhat for? We all know what he done.

HARLANDBecause we’re gonna do this right. Needto tell all these folks to go on home.

(to Ronaldo)He’s asking to see you, father.

RONALDOThen I guess I’ll be on my way. Sheriff,

what’s the boy’s name?

HARLANDWade.

RONALDONo, his given name.

HARLANDDon’t know. Don’t believe he’s got one.

Ronaldo nods to the men and steps away.

HARLANDMister Mayor, would you round up the towncouncil for me. We’re gonna fix thisproblem once and for all.

JENKINSHold on now. I know you’re angry and all--

HARLANDI ain’t angry, Jenkins. But having agunbarrel in my face kindly put thingsinto perspective. Things are gonna changeround here. Now go gather up the

councilmen. Please.(...)

Silas, help me clear these folks outtahere. Then we can go clean up the messthat sonofabitch made.

33.



INT. COUNTY OFFICE JAIL - NIGHT

Blind John lets Ronaldo into the jail room and closes thedoor. The priest peers into the dark cell.

RONALDOYou asked to see me?

The Kid steps out of the shadows and nods to the priest butremains silent. Ronaldo waits for him to speak.

KIDWanted to ask you something.

RONALDOAnything.

KID

What does atonement mean?

RONALDOIt means to make amends for one's sins.

KIDAnd how does a man go about getting it?

RONALDOOne can make amends to those he has wronged. Seek forgiveness.

KID

Will that undo all the bad things a mandone?

RONALDOThere’s no undoing what’s done. But thereis a way to set things right.

Ronaldo pulls a Bible from his pocket.

RONALDOThe best place to start would be here, inthe pages of the Lord's book.

He holds the Bible out to him but the Kid doesn’t touch it.

RONALDOCan you read?

Kid shakes his head, no.

RONALDOI could read to you.

34.



KIDYeah, read that part about them brothers.The first ones.

RONALDOFirst ones?

KIDThe first brothers.

RONALDOYou mean Cain and Abel?

KIDYeah, them two.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

Harland approaches the cemetery on foot while Silas draws abuckboard wagon up behind him.

RONALDO (V.O.)"Cain rose up against his brother Abel,and killed him."

Harland looks down at the body of Arlo Thomas.

RONALDO (V.O.)And the Lord said, "What have you done?The voice of your brother's blood is

crying to me from the ground. You shallbe a fugitive and a wanderer on theearth."

The corpse is lifted onto the buckboard and covered with asheet. The wagon trundles away.

RONALDO (V.O.)“And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lestany who came upon him should kill him.”

EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT

Harland stands on the porch of Arlo's house, talking quietly with the now widowed MAGGIE. Arlo Jr watches from the steps.

HARLANDIf there’s anything you need Maggie, mydoor’s always open to you. Day or night.

The boy bolts from the porch and runs into the night.

35.



HARLANDCome back here son.

MAGGIELet him go. He’ll come back on his own.

Harland nods at the buckboard wagon waiting in the street.

HARLANDWell, Silas and I can carry him in or...

MAGGIEI don’t want to see him. Not like that.

INT. COUNTY OFFICE JAIL - NIGHT

Father Ronaldo closes the book. Kid leans on the bars.

KIDWhat happened to him after that? AfterCain fled?

RONALDONo one knows.

KIDHe ever get rid of the mark on him?

RONALDOThe mark itself is unimportant. The sin

would remain with him.

KIDYou think any man who kills his brotheris marked the same way?

RONALDOOnly to himself. The guilt would markhim.

Kid falls silent, scuffing the floorboards with his heel.

RONALDO

Why are you asking about Cain?

KIDDidn’t they tell you what I done?

RONALDOThey said you killed a priest.

KIDMi hermano.

36.



RONALDOThe priest was your brother?

The Kid looks down at the floor, guilty as sin.

RONALDOWhen did this happen?

KIDThree years ago. To the day.

RONALDOIs that why you came back here, to atone?

KIDHe come to me one night. Him and them others.

RONALDOOthers?

KIDOther men I killed.

Ronaldo contemplates the floor for a beat.

RONALDOYour conscience has caught up with you,son. The sins of the past are weighingupon your heart. That is why your brotheris haunting your dreams.

KIDI ain't talking about dreams.

The door BANGS open. Harland and John carry Arlo's shroudedbody into the room and lay it down on the table.

HARLANDEvening, Father.

RONALDOIs that...?

HARLANDYup.

Blood seeps through the fabric of the shroud.

KIDYou ain’t leaving him in here.

37.



HARLANDWhat's the matter, son. Don't like thelook of your own handiwork?

RONALDOIs this necessary?

HARLANDYup. Give the boy here a chance tocontemplate on what he done.

Harland steps up to the bars and looks the Kid in the eye.

HARLANDI’m almost of a mind to thank you, kid.Things are gonna change around here. Andit’s all because of you.

Harland and John leave the room.

INT. SALOON - NIGHT

Sheriff Harland throws down a legal document before a tableof angry men. Mayor Jenkins looks on from the bar as Dutchmanargues with a man named VERNON.

DUTCHMANNo. No sir. Won't work.

VERNON

Would you just listen to him, Dutch.Harland's right. This town is the laststop before Mexico. Every two bit outlawends up here and I for one am tired ofall these gun-slinging bastards.

Dutchman points a finger at the men round the table like DOCHAYES and Charlie and Marty.

DUTCHMANThose gun-slinging bastards come here with pockets full of money. Money theyspend in your store, Vernon. Marty’s

smith-shop. Hell Sheriff, even you make money off them in fines.

VERNONSo as long as they's spending money it'sokay? Let them shoot the town to hell.

DUTCHMANWhat else we gonna do? Ever since thesilver mine panned out we got nothing.

38.



DOC HAYESThat makes us dependant on outlaws andtheir money. Where you think they got allthat money in the first place?

DUTCHMANThat mine was our single source ofrevenue and it run dry. Three years nowand every one of us is feeling it. We gotnothing else. Except these so-called-outlaws and their money.

VERNONMoney that's still got blood on it.

DUTCHMANYou got a better idea on how to save thistown? A better way to put food on the

goddamn table? Spill it, muchacho! I'm all ears!

HARLANDI'm not proposing to keep them out. Justconfiscate their guns when they come intotown. They can enjoy the hospitality ofPerdido without the shooting the placeall to hell.

The Sheriff looks at every man in turn.

HARLAND

But it ain't just the bad men I'm talkingabout. The new ordinance will apply toits citizens as well as its 'visitors'.

DUTCHMANThe hell it will...

HARLANDAll citizens of Perdido will hand overtheir firearms to the county office.

A pin drops.

INT. JAIL - NIGHT

The Kid stares at the body on the table.

KIDI didn't mean for that boy to die. Guessthat don't matter much now, does it?

39.



RONALDOWhat happened out there? I mean, when theSheriff apprehended you?

The Kid just goes back to scuffing the floor.

RONALDOCharlie said you could have killed theSheriff easily but you didn't. Yousurrendered. Is that true?

Kid nods.

RONALDOWhy? You could have been far away from here by now.

KID

Don't wanna kill no more. That's all.

RONALDODo you wish to confess your sins?

Wind whistles through the window, rustling the bloody shroud.

KIDCan you get me outta here?

RONALDOI... Of course not.

KIDKeys are just hanging on that peg.

RONALDOYou're asking me to break the law?

KIDI'm asking you to help me.

Ronaldo holds out his bible.

RONALDOI am trying to help you.

KIDThen get me outta here. Now.

Wind RATTLES the roof shingles. Kid looks out the window, watching the rising windstorm.

RONALDOIf you truly want to atone, you must stoprunning and face your past.

40.

(MORE)



You must confront your sins. Confrontyour brother.

KIDThat's the last thing I want to do.

Wind blasts the shingles.

RONALDOYou're bleeding. Are you hurt?

The Kid looks down, fresh blood seeps through his shirt.

KIDHe's coming.

RONALDOWho? Who’s coming?

Blind John barges into the room. He goes to the back door tosecure it against the wind.

BLIND JOHNHell of a wind out there. Might be in fora storm.

KIDGet out of here, Father.

RONALDODon't refuse the Almighty, son. Not now.

KIDGet the hell outta here.

BLIND JOHNYou ungrateful shit. The man's trying tohelp you.

The wind picks up even more. The rustling of the shroudbecomes louder. The Kid turns mean on Ronaldo.

KIDGo! NOW!

BLIND JOHNSonovabitch has gone crazy.

The wind suddenly stops and everything becomes still. Theshroud continues to RUSTLE.

Ronaldo and John turn to the sound--

THE SHROUD stands upright. The priest’s jaw drops open.

41.

RONALDO (CONT'D)



BLIND JOHNjesuschristalmighty...

KIDRun, damn it!

The shroud doesn't move. John draws his gun and reaches forthe shroud with his free hand. Slowly pulls it away--

THE DEAD MAN

stands upright, motionless like a mannequin. His skin grayand his eyes a cloudy yellow.

It doesn't move.

It doesn't move.

IT SPRINGS UPON JOHN.

The Deadman TEARS John to the floor and wails on him like a mongoose, ripping into him with unnatural violence.

Blood SPRAYS over Father Ronaldo. He recoils, as if stung.

KIDFather, the keys!

Ronaldo looks stupidly at the outlaw.

KID

The keys, goddammit! Get the keys!!

Ronaldo snaps out of it. He grabs the ring from the peg andfumbles one key after another into the slot.

The Deadman rises, covered in John's blood.

KIDHurry...

Ronaldo's hand shakes as he tries another key. It turns.

The Deadman chomps his teeth into Ronaldo’s neck.

Kid SLAMS the door in its face.

The Deadman lashes out at the Kid. He KICKS at it, squirmingaway like he’s on fire.

WHUMP! A hard kick sends the thing backwards. The Kid shovesthe priest through the door.

42.



The Deadman rushes them. The Kid smashes its face with an oillantern. The oil spills over the Deadman and IGNITES.

Kid grabs his gunbelt and drags the priest out the door intothe street, away from the horror.

Ablaze, the Deadman stumbles into the street after them, thendrops to its knees and keels over.

INT. SALOON

Mayor Jenkins leans over the counter and whispers to hisbarkeep. SLIM JIM is a big man with an easy smile.

JENKINSPour them another round, Slim. It’s goingto be a long night.

SLIM JIMThe good stuff?

Jenkins shakes his head, no. He looks back at the men at thetable. The mood of the town council has turned sour.

DUTCHMANNo way in hell folks are gonna give uptheir firearms. We ain't the problem.

HARLANDThe law’s gotta adhere to everyone, not

just the bad men.

DUTCHMANHarland, we made you Sheriff to clean upthis town. Not to take our guns away.

HARLANDI am making this town safe. Trust me.

MARTYHow is this gonna solve anything?

HARLAND

Its real simple, Marty. Unarmed drunksuse their fists, not guns. Which optionyou prefer, a busted nose or a casket?

CHARLIEHorseshit.

HARLANDYou want a cold hard fact? Every timesomeone dies, the whole town dies.

43.

(MORE)



(points to Marty)Marty, your apprentice got shot a weekago. Who's gonna mend a shoe you takeill?

CHARLIEYou can't take away a man's guns,Harland. What does that leave him with?

HARLANDHis manners.

DUTCHMANAnd what are you gonna do if we refuse,huh? Jail us all to a man?

HARLANDIt ain't gonna come to that.

CHARLIE(heads for the door)

I for one will not be disarmed, sheriff.

HARLANDSit down, Charlie. I need everyone'scooperation here.

CHARLIEYou want my gun, you'll have to pry it myfrom my cold, dead hand.

Charlie storms out. The men grouse and murmur.

HARLANDFellas, I can't pass a county ordinancealone. I need the consent of the council, which means you.

(deadly serious)And you're gonna sign it even if I gottabreak your damn fingers to do so.

Andy comes busting through the door.

ANDY

Sheriff, there’s a fire.

HARLANDWhere?

ANDYRight outside your office.

44.

HARLAND (CONT'D)




The corpse burns in the street. Jenkins and Dutchman look onas Silas throws a blanket over it, dousing the flames.

Harland marches out of his trashed office.

JENKINSWhat the samhill happened here?

HARLANDPrisoner escaped.

VERNONThe kid’s loose?

HARLANDHe killed John. Tore him to pieces.

Jenkins points to the smoldering corpse.

JENKINSThen who the hell is that?

Harland removes the blanket. The body is blackened andcharred, carbonized beyond recognition.

HARLANDI reckon that there is Father Ronaldo.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

The Kid and the priest hide next to a crumbling adobe wall.Ronaldo clutches his neck wound, wincing with pain.

KIDLet me see that.

Ronaldo pushes the Kid away.

RONALDOWhat... What in God's name just happened?

Kid unfurls a rag from his pocket.

RONALDOI gave Arlo last rites. He was cold tothe touch. How could he still be alive?

KIDYou’re bleeding.

Ronaldo takes the rag and throws it away.

45.



RONALDODead men don't just get up and walk.

Kid ignores him for a moment, peering around a corner. Hespots the group of men outside the County Office.

Ronaldo slumps down, groaning in pain.

KIDGet up.

RONALDOJust go. You’re free now.

Kid hauls Ronaldo up by his collar and pushes him on.

KIDMove.

INT. COUNTY OFFICE - NIGHT

Harland opens the gun cabinet and hands out rifles toDutchman, Marty, Vernon and Slim Jim.

DUTCHMANSo much for your new ordinance.

HARLANDAs of this moment you men are deputizedagents of the Sheriff's department and

will remain so until we find this man.(...)

As such you will conduct yourselfaccordingly. Check each house and tellfolks to keep their doors locked andtheir lights out. They are to stayindoors until we find this man.

Harland turns to Slim Jim.

HARLANDSlim, gonna need you to close down thesaloon for the duration.

SLIM JIMI doubt that outlaw's gonna stop in for adrink, Sheriff.

HARLANDNot him I'm worried about. I wont abideno drunken deputies.

46.



DUTCHMANThink he's talking to you, Marty.

MARTYShut up, Dutch.

HARLANDAny questions?

MARTYHow much this gonna pay?

HARLANDPay? Marty, we got a cold blooded killerout there.

MARTYWhat if this takes a couple days? A week?

HARLANDMister Mayor?

Jenkins shoots a dirty look at Harland.

JENKINSThe county will indemnify your efforts.

HARLANDNow, if there are no more stupidquestions.

The Sheriff leads his new deputies out the door.

HARLANDSilas, take Andy and lock up the stable.He'll go for his horse. Rest of you, pairup and clear the streets.

SILASWhat about the Mexicans? They’re all atthe graveyard.

Harland turns to Charlie.

HARLANDWould you go up and clear them out. Tellthem to stay home till we catch this man.

BILL (O.C.)Wait up.

Bill struts in, his right hand bandaged up in a sling.

47.



SILASBill, you ought to be in bed.

BILLWhy, is that where the prick's hiding?

ANDYWhat are you gonna do? Bleed on him?

BILLI can shoot just fine with this hand.

Harland leads Bill away from the other men.

HARLANDForget it. You're mad and you ain’tthinking straight. Go on home, son.

BILLSheriff, who you know can shoot better'n me?

HARLANDThat ain’t the point, Bill.

BILLYou gonna trust these yokels to coveryour back?

Bill nods at the new ‘deputies’.

HARLANDI got no use for a man out for vengeance.

BILLI ain’t. I want that sonuvabitch broughtto good and proper same as you. And thenyou can take his horse and any money he'sgot and hand it over to Arlo's wife.'Scuse me... widow.

HARLANDMaggie and her boy ain’t got much now, dothey?

BILLNot without a man earning for them.

Harland nods and leads Bill back to his deputies.

48.



HARLANDAlright, everybody partner up. We'regonna start at the south end of town and work our way north. Tell everyone to getindoors until we get this bad man.

EXT. DESERT - NIGHT

The Dark Men crest the top of a mesa and look down at thelights of town.

Black Robe pushes on, his tattered vestment flapping in the wind. The others fall in behind him, passing the weatheredsign that welcomes all to Perdido.

EXT. BARRIO - NIGHT

Dutchman and Marty search the poor side of town. The streetis deserted save for two mangy dogs fighting over meatscraps.

Marty turns to ask a question, inadvertently pointing hisrifle right at Dutch’s face.

MARTYSay, Dutch--

Dutchman grabs the rifle barrel and points it to the ground.

DUTCHMAN

Jesus, Marty, don't ever do that. Thing'sloaded. Keep it pointed at the grounduntil you ready to shoot.

MARTYSorry. You ever done it?

DUTCHMANFired a rifle? Course. How I know youkeep it trained on the ground instead of waving it around like a goddamn flag.

MARTY

No, I mean, you ever shot a man?

DUTCHMANI shot at a man once.

MARTYWhat happened?

49.



DUTCHMAN(shrugs)

I missed.

MARTYHe shoot ba--

DUTCHMANShut up. You hear that?

They hold their breath, listening. Dutchman draws his gun and waves Marty forward.

EXT. TOWN LIMITS - NIGHT

A mule brays in a cactus stand just outside of town.

CHARLIEGodammit, mule.

One-Eyed Charlie marches through the scrub after it.

CHARLIEYou run off on me again and swear-to-GodI will carve you up and eat you.

Charlie grabs the reins but the burro SPOOKS and pulls away.

CHARLIEThe hell's a matter with you?

A twig snaps behind him. Charlie peers into the darkness withhis one good eye.

CHARLIEEladio, that you?

The DARK MEN walk out of the wasteland. All rags and tattersflapping in the wind.

Charlie gets a good look at Black Robe. His mouth gapes open.

CHARLIE

Sweet Jesus...

The Dark Men surround him. The mule bolts into the desert.

Charlie's head rolls into a yucca stand.

The Dark Men enter town.

50.



EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

The Kid leads the priest by the arm, eyes peeled for trouble.

RONALDOThis is only making things worse. Youhave to surrender.

KIDShut up.

Kid inches around a corner, looking out at the stable. Silasand Andy stand guard with rifles crooked at the elbow.

Kid spits then leads Ronaldo away down a darkened alley.

KIDSit down. You need that cut patched up.

Ronaldo slumps down on a crate. Kid inspects his wound butthe priest waves him off.

KIDYou wanna bleed to death?

Ronaldo relents. His eyes dart around, trying to make senseof what he’s just seen.

RONALDOMaybe Arlo wasn’t really dead after all.Just near death... and he woke up

confused or mad...

KIDHe was dead.

RONALDOThe dead do not just spring back to life.

KIDLazarus come back.

RONALDOLazarus was raised by the hand of Christ.

I don’t recall seeing him in the room.

Ronaldo shakes his head in frustration.

RONALDOJust let me go. Don’t make me anaccomplice to you.

KIDI can’t do that. I need your help.

51.



RONALDOWith what?

KIDWith what you just seen.

BLAM!

A bullet screams by. Kid throws the priest to the ground forcover and draws his Colt.

DUTCHMAN AND MARTY

--hunker down behind a wall and fire at the outlaw.

MARTYYou get him?

Bullets BLAST the wall above their heads as Kid returns fire.Plaster and dirt rain down as Marty hugs the ground.

Dutchman drops his gun and RUNS.

MARTYGodammit! Get back here!

KID (O.S.)Drop it.

Marty looks up...

The Kid stands not ten feet away with his dragoon pistoltrained right on him.

KIDThe gun. Drop it.

Marty looks at his hand, surprised he's still holding hisgun. He drops it.

Kid aims the barrel at Marty’s eyes. Ronaldo rushes up.

RONALDOFor God’s sakes, don’t kill him.

Kid thumbs the hammer back. Click. Marty trembles, knowinghe’s as good as dead.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Harland trawls up a street, with Bill following ten pacesbehind him. Harland stops, listening the crack of gunfire.

52.



HARLANDWhere’s that coming from?

Something scampers out of a shadow. The boy, Arlo Jr. Harlandgrabs at him but the boy rabbits away.

HARLANDBill, grab that boy.

No response. Harland turns--

HARLANDBill?

Bill’s gone. The boy disappears through a fence.

DUTCHMAN

--sprints blind down an alley, rounds a corner-- and SLAMSinto Harland.

DUTCHMANJesus Christ, don't kill me!

HARLANDEasy Dutch, it’s me. Where’s Marty?

Dutchman gasps for air, trying to speak.

DUTCHMANThe Kid... Kid got him.

EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

Marty’s eyes are shut tight, waiting for the end.

KIDGet lost.

Marty blinks his eyes open. Kid lowers his gun.

KIDGo on.

Marty backs away. Ronaldo breathes a sigh of relief. Then anoise stops everyone.

The sound of boots ringing off the cobblestones.

A wall of black smokes up out of the alley behind Marty.

53.



THE DARK MEN

All inky blackness with glowing coals where their eyes shouldbe.

A sooty hand snatches Marty and drags him down, swallowinghim up into the darkness. A throat gurgle and then the crackof bonesnap.

Kid fires. Draws the second Colt and BLASTS at the Dark Men with both barrels.

One of the intruders drops, then another. The others pressforward, bullets slamming into their dark clothes.

Kid withdraws, shoves the priest ahead of him.

RONALDO

What in God’s name--

KIDMove!

The Dark Men push on. The outlaw and the priest run.

EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

Harland and Dutchman search the alley.

HARLAND

Do you see him?

DUTCHMANThere.

Up ahead, Marty’s boots stick out from the shadows.

HARLANDMarty? You alright...

He isn't. His insides lie steaming on the ground beside him.

EXT. CEMETERY GATE - NIGHT

Kid catches his breath outside the old cemetery. Ronaldoslams him up against the cemetery wall.

RONALDOWho are those men?!

(shakes Kid)What in God’s name is going on?

54.



Kid shoves the priest off him.

KIDCome on. Something I wanna show you.

The Kid steps into the cemetery. Skulls of sugar and paper maché stare back at them from the tombstones.

KIDThey tell you anything about the man youreplaced?

RONALDOThey said you desecrated his grave afteryou killed him.

KIDYeah. I heard that one too.

Kid points out the headstone that Paloma tended to earlier.

KIDFather Elijah Wade. Too righteous for hisown damn good.

RONALDOWhy did you kill him?

Kid picks up a candied skull and turns it in his fingers.

KID

We fought. Over a woman. You know PalomaHerrera?

RONALDOThe midwife?

He crushes the skull in his fist.

KIDYou seen those green eyes of hers. I beenin love with her ever since I canremember.

(...)

But she loved Elijah. Even after hebecome a priest. Maybe more.

The crushed powder runs through his fingers.

KIDI hated him for that.

Father Ronaldo looks uncomfortable with the innuendo.

55.



RONALDOWere... were they lovers?

KIDNot like that. They prayed together.

(...)Elijah, he was always a hard man but heturned mean all of a sudden. Hateful.Told me to stay away from her. SaidPaloma was too good for trash like me.

Kid spits onto his brother’s grave.

KIDBastard wanted her all to himself.

RONALDOWhat did you do?

KIDGot drunk. Came looking for a fight. Andfight we did. I shot him through theheart inside his own church. Your churchnow.

Kid kneels down and straightens up the flowers Paloma placedthere earlier.

KIDBut that spiteful sonovabitch couldn’tleave it be. He crawled up outta this

grave and come looking for me.

Ronaldo rubs his temples, unsure of what to believe.

RONALDOAnd what of those other men?

KIDI killed them too. Most of 'em werebounty hunters looking to collect theprice on my head. Some of them... some were just unlucky.

(...)

And now they’re all after me.

RONALDOThis doesn’t make any sense.

KIDI been cursed, father. Just like thebrother in the story.

56.



RONALDOWhat?

KIDElijah, he cut me pretty bad. Left a markthat ain't never healed.

He opens his shirt to reveal a horrid scar on his chest,scabbed over in some spots but bleeding fresh in others. Twocuts forming a crudely shaped X.

KIDThree years now and it still bleeds. It'sthe Mark.

RONALDOMark?

KIDThe Mark of Cain.

RONALDOCain? It’s only a scar. It just hasn'thealed, that's all.

KIDIt’s a curse.

Ronaldo shakes his head at the outlaw.

RONALDO

You’re deluded. It’s simply your ownconscience eating its way through yourheart. That is what’s haunting you, theguilt.

KIDAin’t the guilt, father. It’s him.

RONALDOWhy would God single you out? Of all thesinners in the world, why you?

Kid scuffs the dirt with his bootheel.

KIDThat’s why I need your help, father. Igotta break this hex me, get them ghostsoff my back.

(...)Tell me how to do that.

57.



EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

Dutchman turns away from the corpse and retches. Vernon runsup to join them and sees the remains of Marty

VERNONJesus, his innards.... What kind of madman are we dealing with?

Harland peels off his coat and throws it over the corpse.

HARLANDCome on.

Harland leads the two men towards the cemetery gates.


Wind flutters the candles peppered around the churchyard.

RONALDOYou're insane.

KIDThey been dogging me three years now. AndI’m tired. God, am I tired.

The priest stares at him, unsure of what to think.

KID

I need to get this mark off me and breakthe curse. Tell me how to do that.

RONALDOThis is madness. I can’t help you.

KIDCan’t or won’t?

RONALDOEven if this was true and God put that mark on you, who am I to interfere withHis work?

A beat. Then Kid tenses up, sensing something in the air.Draws his gun.

RONALDOWhat is it?

The Kid pans the barrel over the tombstones-- BLAM!

58.



DUTCHMAN AND VERNON

--dive behind a headstone as it explodes with gunfire abovethem. They crawl away, staying low.

RONALDO'S POV

as he watches Harland creeping towards the Kid. Harland motions for Ronaldo to keep quiet.

Kid drops to one knee and FIRES.

Harland eats the dirt, swings the rifle up fast to--

THE KID'S GUN BARREL

a foot from his face. But Harland's gun is pointed right atthe Kid's heart. The lawman and the outlaw glare at each

other over the barrels of the guns. STAND-OFF.

Everything goes still. Then Harland smiles.

CLICK. Dutchman levels a gun at the back of the Kid's head.

DUTCHMANDrop it.

Harland and the Kid stare down each other's barrels andDutchman keeps his gun trained on the Kid's head.

RONALDO

Please, don't anyone move...

HARLANDThought you were dead, father.

RONALDOI'm fine. Just be still.

HARLANDThen who the hell got burned back there?

RONALDOThe boy, Arlo.

HARLANDWhat the hell did you torch him for?

RONALDOHe... he wasn't dead, Harland. Heattacked us. He killed John.

HARLANDYou been at the bottle?

59.



RONALDOI know how this sounds... Look, justeveryone ease off the trigger. Please.

Harland and the Kid continue their staring contest. The windpicks up, blowing dust around. Something rustles in the dark--

DARK MEN

standing not ten yards out. Still. Watching.

HARLANDWho the hell...

More Dark Men stand to their right. And to the left there arefew more. THE STANDOFF JUST GOT BIGGER.

The Kid pulls up on the gun and eases the hammer down.

KIDIt’s them.

The Dark Men push forward through the graves, out of thedarkness and into the light--

DEAD MEN

Each one, dead to a man. Rotting flesh and yellow eyes.

BLACK ROBE steps forward, his face putrid and the eyeslifeless. His rancid garment flaps in the wind. A filthy

clerical collar around his neck. He marches for the Kid.

Kid BLASTS away with both barrels. Black Robe staggers back with each shot but he does not fall.

The crack of gunfire startles Harland and Dutchman to life.They fire at the Deadmen. Vernon runs for his life.

DUTCHMANThey don't go down! THEY DON'T GO DOWN!!

A DEADMAN lunges at Ronaldo, separating him from the others.

The priest backpedals away. Thrusts a CROSS at the Deadman.

The walking corpse stops in its tracks--

RONALDOOur Father, who art in Heaven...

The Deadman slaps the crucifix out of his hand.

60.



Ronaldo scrambles back, hands groping the dirt for a weapon,anything. A length of wood--

The priest SMASHES it down on the thing's head. The Deadmanstumbles. He hits it again.

RONALDOThy kingdom come...

(bludgeons the Deadman)Thy will be done...

He drops the wood. Looks down at the skull he smashed open.

The Deadman stirs, his jaw hanging loose. It gets up again.

THE KID

is in trouble. A Deadman on his back, ripping at him. Another

coming up fast.

The Kid hits the ground rolling and shakes the Deadman off.He gets up fast and STOMPS on its head with his bootheel.

The second Deadman lunges at him--

BARROOM! Kid blows its head clean off with both barrels.

Black Robe strikes from behind, clamping a cold hand aroundthe outlaw’s neck. The Kid kicks out in a panic, finds hislegs and RUNS.

DUTCHMAN

staggers back. Belly torn open, one hand to keep his guts in.A Deadman closes in for the kill--

BLAM! Harland shoots the corpse, forcing it back but therotting thing just keeps coming.

Harland swings his rifle like a bat and clubs it down.

HARLANDGet up!

Harland drags Dutchman by the arm and they're running.


Sand kicks up around the Deadmen standing in the cemetery.The ones that fell now rise, some with part of their headsblown away and one with no head whatsoever.

61.



Black Robe turns to a tombstone before him. The name ElijahWade inscribed there under a faded plaster crucifix.

He tears the crucifix away and crushes it to powder in hishand then pushes the entire gravestone over into the sand.

Black Robe strides away, following the Kid. Pin pricks ofyellow light glow where his eyes should be.

The rest follow. The Deadmen do not lurch or shamble. Theysimply walk, determined and unstoppable.

INT. HUT - NIGHT

Father Ronaldo hides inside a crumbling hut and holds hisbreath in the dark.

A deadman stops outside the door. Ronaldo holds his handsover his mouth to stifle a cry. He stays quiet but his eyesare SCREAMING.

The thing outside the door moves on.

INT. BARN - NIGHT

Vernon runs into a barn and closes the door, plunging theinside to pitch black.

Then something rustles in the dark.

VERNONWho's there?

Two pinpricks of yellow light break the pitch like fireflies.Then another two lights appear.

Eyes, glowing in the dark. Closing in on him.

INT. SALOON - NIGHT

Jenkins and Slim Jim sit alone in the saloon. Harland barges

through the door pulling Dutchman after him.

JENKINSWhat the hell happened?

HARLANDPut out them lights.

SLIM JIMWe heard all that gunfire...

62.



Harland pulls the big outer door shut.

HARLANDPut out the damn lights!

Slim extinguishes the lamps. Jenkins helps Dutchman to achair and looks down at the wound.

JENKINSMy God. Jim, go get Doc Hayes.Dutch is bleeding to death.

HARLANDShut up. Nobody move.

Everyone shuts up. Harland looks scared and that scares thehell out of Jenkins.

JENKINSDid the Kid shoot you all to pieces?

Harland doesn't answer.

DUTCHMANThe dead... dead have come back.

Slim presses his hands to Dutchman's belly to keep his gutsfrom spilling out. The floorboards become slick with blood.

SLIM JIMDon't talk, Dutch.

DUTCHMANThey gonna kill us all...

JENKINSWhat the hell happened out there?

Harland just shakes his head, unable to answer the question.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

The Kid hides in the shadows, watching the deserted street.

Two Deadmen come out of an alley and sniff the air, lookingfor him.

The Kid backs up and keeps moving.

INT. SALOON - NIGHT

Harland keeps watch at the window.

63.



JENKINSAm I supposed to believe that? Dead menjust walking around and killing everyone?

(turns to Dutchman)Dutch, tell me it again. What exactly didyou see?

Slim Jim holds his hand against Dutchman's heart.

SLIM JIMHe can’t hear you.

HARLANDQuiet.

Footfalls ring outside the door. Harland reloads his gun.

EXT. SALOON - NIGHT

Ronaldo creeps down the boarded walk as quiet as he can. Hiseyes dart around the deserted square.

A HAND slaps over his mouth and drags him away.

HARLAND (O.S.)Easy father, its me.

Harland pulls Ronaldo into the saloon. Slim Jim closes thedoor. Ronaldo goes limp when he sees the familiar faces.

HARLANDAre you hurt?

RONALDOI’ll survive.

JENKINSWhat happened out there, padre? Dutch wasgoing on about the dead, coming back.

RONALDOWhere is Dutch?

Dutchman lies slumped in his chair, dead.

SLIM JIMIs it true, father?

RONALDOIt appears so.

Harland uncorks a bottle and splashes whiskey into glasses,spilling it all over the bar. Passes them round.

64.



HARLANDCan’t believe it myself. I saw them things rip the guts outta poor Dutch butI still don't believe it.

JENKINSWhy are they here?

Ronaldo stares at the liquor in the glass for a moment andthen throws it back.

RONALDOThe kid. It has something to do with thekid.

A tremor ripples through him as the whiskey hits his stomach.

JENKINS

What does the kid have to do with it.

RONALDOThey’re after him. He said they’re allthe men he's killed.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

Wind rattles the shutters inside a small adobe house. Palomapulls the shutter tight and wraps a shawl over her shoulders.

She lights a candle on a small Guadalupe shrine in the wall.

The door creaks open...

The Kid steps over the sill into the room. Paloma startles.

PALOMA Vete... Get out.

KIDPaloma, wait.

She grabs a carving knife from the sideboard.

PALOMA No moleste.

KIDListen to me. You have to leave Perdido.

He grabs a satchel from a wallpeg and tosses it on the table.

KIDYou ain’t safe here anymore.

65.



PALOMA So you’ve come to save me? Play thecaballero and make everything okay?

She steps towards him, brandishing the knife.

PALOMA Have you forgotten what you’ve done?

She shoves him out the door, sending him tripping over thesill onto the sandy street.

PALOMA I'd sooner die than be with you.

The door is slammed shut. The Kid limps away into theshadows, stray dogs snapping at his heels.

INT. LIVERY BARN - NIGHT

Silas shifts about nervously. Andy peers out a greasy window.Horses snort and stamp in their stalls.

ANDYHell of a lotta gunfire out there. Youthink they got him?

SILASLet’s hope so.

ANDYThey musta. I counted a dozen shots.Maybe we should go see.

SILASSit tight. The Sheriff will come get us when it’s all over.

ANDYWhat if he forgets about us? I don't wanna sit in a stinking barn all night.

Andy opens the door and peers out at the empty street.

ANDYOne of us ought to go see.

SILASGet back in here and do like the Sherifftold you.

ANDYI'll be right back.

66.



Andy runs out the door. Silas just shakes his head andrefills his pipe.

INT. COUNTY OFFICE - NIGHT

Andy nudges open the door to the dark County Office. Thelamps stand snuffed and the air is quiet.

The rocking chair squeaks back and forth on the floorboards.

ANDYJohn? Did they get him?

No response, just the sound of the creaking chair.

ANDYWhy you settin there in the dark?

A DEADMAN sits in the rocking chair, eyes glowing in the darklike a cat.

The deadman turns and looks at Andy and just keeps rocking,back and forth, back and forth...

Andy blinks in disbelief, then slowly backs away.

INT. SALOON - NIGHT

Harland opens the loading gate on his rifle. One shot left.

JENKINSThis is crazy. Dead men don't just get upand walk.

Harland draws the Starr pistol from his holster. He pushesout the cylinder and checks the chambers.

RONALDOI saw it happen. To Arlo.

(sets his glass down)You put his body in the cell. The kid wasyelling at John and I to get out...

SLIM JIM(fills Ronaldo’s glass)

Take it slow, father.

RONALDOArlo stood up. Just stood up and didn't move for the longest time. He- it killedJohn. I let the kid out of the cell--

67.



HARLANDYou let him out?

RONALDOThat thing would have killed me. The kidset it afire.

SLIM JIMHow many of them are out there?

HARLANDSix, maybe seven. Kid musta killed a lotof men in his time.

JENKINSWhat the hell're we gonna do?

HARLAND

Jim, you got a gun?

Slim Jim pulls an old ten gauge shotgun from behind the bar.

SLIM JIMJust this old buckshot.

HARLANDShells?

Slim Jim snaps the barrel open.

SLIM JIM

Two.

Harland lifts the beam bolt from the door.

JENKINSWhat're you doing?

HARLANDI'm outta shells. All the ammunition isat the County Office.

JENKINSYou can’t go out there. They'll kill you.

We gotta stay together.

HARLANDThey'll find their way here sooner orlater.

RONALDONo, he's right, Harland. Together, we atleast stand a chance. Alone...

68.



HARLANDAnd what're we gonna do if they come?Spit at them?

RONALDOThen we'll all go.

JENKINSI'm not going out there.

HARLANDI ain’t asking you to. Stay put. I'll beback with some guns and shells.

Harland hands his rifle to Jenkins.

HARLANDYou got one shell left in that. Use it

wisely.

The Sheriff slips out the door.

EXT. BLACKSMITH SHOP - NIGHT

The Kid hunkers down behind a cactus fence. He rifles throughhis pockets for shells and reloads.

CLICK.

The business end of a Peacemaker finds the back of his head.

BILLGotcha.

Bill leers down at him with a big shit-eating grin.


Harland creeps into his office. He sees the empty rockingchair, swaying like it’s just been vacated.

His foot hits something on the floor--

ANDY

or what's left of him anyway.

Harland opens the gun cabinet and stuffs boxes of shells intohis pocket. He takes his old Enfield rifle and tests itsfamiliar weight in his hand. He tenses--

Something SHUFFLES in the dark behind him.

69.



Harland holds the Enfield by the barrel in both hands--

CRACK! He brings it down hard on the thing behind him.

Black Robe shrugs off the blow.

A second Deadman strikes from the shadows and Harland firesand backs away to the door.

Black Robe takes an oil lamp and smashes it against the guncabinet. Flames SPRINT up the woodwork and over the firearmsand ammunition inside.

EXT. BLACKSMITH - NIGHT

Bill levels his gun right at the Kid's face and gloats.

BILLGetting careless, cowboy. Unwise for a man with a price on his head.

KIDPut that away before I shove it down yourdamn throat.

Bill's finger gets itchy on the trigger...

BLAM! Gunshots ring out but they ain’t coming from Bill.

Bill looks to where the gunshots are coming from.

BILL(distracted)

What the hell?

WHUMP! The Kid BELTS Bill hard, grabs his gun and bolts.


Harland scrambles backwards out the door, jamming down thelever and FIRING. He tumbles down the steps onto his back.

The County Office goes up in flames, EXPLODING from within asall the ammo goes off like a string of firecrackers.

Black Robe stands on the porch, backlit by the inferno.

Two Deadmen come out the doors after him and Harland firesbut they just keep coming.

They rush Harland, their rotting faces breathing foul intohis and the Sheriff is done for.

70.



CRACK! The Kid KICKS the Deadman off and he levels his Coltat it and empties three shells into the damned thing.

More of the dead are coming up fast.

Kid hauls Harland up-- a deadman LUNGES for them--

GUNFIRE blows it back. The Kid and Harland look up to seeBill's smoking Peacemaker. Bill takes Harland’s other arm andthe three of them scrabble away.

The County Office burns.

INT. SALOON - NIGHT

Ronaldo and Jenkins peer out the windows, listening to thesound of gunfire and explosions.

JENKINSThat doesn’t sound good.

BANG! Something SLAMS into the door from outside, almostknocking it off the hinges. Slim Jim brings up the buckshotand aims it at the door.

HARLAND(O.S.)Goddammit, open the door!

RONALDOIt’s them. Open it!

JENKINSAnd let those things in?

Ronaldo shoves Jenkins aside and opens the door. Kid and Billdrag Harland inside.

JENKINSClose the damn door!

The dead are already pushing at the door and Ronaldo can'tkeep them out. One of the damned things slides through thebreach before Slim Jim SLAMS his weight against the door.

The Deadman leaps onto the Kid, tearing at him. Kid crashesthrough the tables with a monkey on his back.

Slim Jim smashes a chair over the damned thing to shake itloose. It LASHES out at him like a rabid dog--

Bill BLASTS shells into it. The thing is blown back acrossthe room but it keeps moving, clawing the air.

71.



The Kid pushes the upright piano onto it-- piano strings HUMas it hits the floor. Ronaldo and Jenkins pile tables andchairs onto it until the thing is pinned down.

THE DEAD HAND

--sticks out from under the piano, scratching at the floor.

BILLSomebody wanna tell me what the hell isgoing on?

Jenkins trembles as he makes the sign of the cross.

JENKINSIt’s the end. The end of everything...

SLIM JIM

Jesus, don't talk like that.

JENKINSJudgment Day has come.

(turns to Ronaldo)Tell them, Father. The dead have risenfrom their graves. And Hell has let looseits monsters.

Everyone looks to the priest for an answer but Ronaldodoesn’t have one.

EXT. SALOON - NIGHT

Three horses stand tied to the hitching post, snorting withan animal’s sense of danger.

Black Robe leads his cadre of Deadmen to the saloon. He waveshis hand at the horses, giving silent orders.

The Deadmen snap the reins and haze the animals away.

Black Robe looks up at the windows of the Saloon.

INT. SALOON - NIGHT

Harland turns on the Kid.

HARLANDYou. Priest said it’s got something to do with you. What the hell do they want?

JENKINSJesus, look!

72.



Yellow eyes peer in through the grimy windows.

CRASH! Bony fists smash the glass. The doors burst inwardsand the dead crawl through the splintered wood like snakes.

SLIM JIMOut the back!

The men follow the barkeep to the backdoor.

The Deadmen slither inside, squeezing past the bottleneck atthe door and climbing through the smashed windows.


Paloma steps out of an alley into the square. The stomping ofhooves pounds the air-- a HORSE bolting right towards her.

She jumps back. The horse races past her into the night.

Gunfire rings out from the Saloon. She sees the Sheriff andthe Priest fighting off a group of dark men.

One Deadman turns and slurs towards her.

Paloma’s eyes go wide at the sight of it. It lunges at her.She stumbles back but it keeps coming--

A HAND locks around the Deadman’s throat and hurls him away.She looks up at her savior-- another Deadman but this one is

clad in a priest’s robe and filthy clerical collar.

Paloma stutters. Even through the leathery flesh and yelloweyes, she recognizes him.

PALOMA Elijah...

Black Robed ELIJAH snatches her by the arm with hiscadaverous hand.

KID

--boots away a Deadman. Cut off from the other men andsurrounded. He startles, seeing Paloma in the street.

Then he sees Black Robe/Elijah clutching her arm. He smashesthrough the Deadmen in a frenzy and runs for Paloma.

Kid aims at Elijah’s head and CLICK. Both barrels draw empty.

Elijah looks down at his kid brother, lips drawing back in acold smile. A reunion of sorts, the three of them like this.

73.



Kid barrels into Elijah headfirst, bringing the big man down.They roll but Kid comes up on top, knees on Elijah’s chest,smashing a gunbutt into the dead face.

Elijah STRIKES him, sending Kid tumbling through the sand.

EXT. SALOON - CONTINUOUS

Slim Jim hammers at the Deadmen but he’s surrounded. Theyswarm him and pull him down.

Ronaldo and Harland back up, pulling Jenkins with them.

HARLANDWe’re fighting an uphill battle here.

RONALDO

Get to the church.

KID

--scrambles to his feet and pulls Paloma close. They watchElijah rise from the sand and turn towards them.

The dead priest dusts himself off, like he’s got all the timein the world.

Kid pulls the woman away and they start running.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Ronaldo swings open the heavy doors and waves the others in.

Bill brings up the rear and takes the door from him. He looksback to see Kid and Paloma running hard for the church. Heswings the big door closed.

BILLNo more room, cowboy.

Kid shoulders it back open and Paloma rushes in.

Boom! Bill shuts the door and slams the bolt lock home.

KIDSon of a bitch...

Kid PUNCHES Bill in the teeth. Bill hits the door and slidesto the floor. Kid raises his foot, ready to stomp his head--

Paloma stops him, pulling him away.

74.



PALOMA No more.

Kid relents and storms away from Bill.

Everyone drops to catch their breath, each man a bruised andbloodied mess.

JENKINSWe’re safe in here.

Mayor Jenkins sits on the floor, eyes crazed with terror.

JENKINSThey can’t come in here. Right, Father?It’s holy ground, they can’t come inhere...

Ronaldo feels all their eyes burn into him for reassurance.

RONALDOYes, mister Jenkins. We’re safe in here.

But the priest sounds uncertain and Bill catches it.

BILLBullshit. We’re all gonna die in here.

HARLANDNo one’s gonna die. Them doors are threeinch oak. Take an army to bust them down.

Harland tends to Mayor Jenkins, trying to calm him down. Hepulls out his flask and lets Jenkins slug at it.

BILLBullshit I say.

HARLANDBill, just shut your damn mouth.

RONALDOHarland...

Ronaldo holds his hand out for the flask. Harland hesitates.

HARLANDYou already had snout-full, padre. Maybeyou oughtta--

RONALDOLet me have the damn flask.

75.



Ronaldo gulps it down and wipes his hand across his mouth. Heglares at the Kid.

BILLWe gotta get out of here.

JENKINSNo. We're safe. God will protect us.

Bill stands and walks toward the altar.

BILLI for one am getting the hell outta here.Where's the backdoor, Ronaldo?

PALOMA Do not open that door.

BILLNo one asked you, witch.

KIDMind your mouth, asshole.

BILLGo to hell.

Kid gets to his feet.

KIDSomeone shoulda slapped some sense into

you a long time ago.

BILLYou wanna try it, big man?

HARLANDShut up! All of you, just shut up.

The men stop talking. Harland turns to the Kid.

HARLANDYou. Just what the hell are we dealing with here?

KIDThe dead.

HARLANDAnd?

76.



KIDWhat else you need to know? They don’teat, they don’t sleep and if you shoot‘em, they don’t die.

HARLANDAnd they're after you?

KIDThree years now they been on my tail.They'll kill anything that stands intheir way.

Paloma shudders at Kid’s words, eyes darting around in horroras if seeing something for the first time.

JENKINSThree years?

Harland scratches his chin, trying to make sense of it.

HARLANDWhy are they after you?

KIDI been cursed. For killing my brother.

RONALDOThe boy is delusional. He thinks Godhimself marked him.

KIDYou saw them things. Your eyes lying toyou?

RONALDOThose...abominations are not the work ofGod.

KIDMaybe you lack the faith, padre.

The priest boils at that but holds his tongue.

JENKINSHe's right.

RONALDOHe's deluded.

JENKINSNo, he's right. You said three years...eighty-four, right? Same year the silver mine ran dry. Put us all outta work.

77.

(MORE)



(fevered)Don't you see? God has not only cursedhim, He's punishing this whole town.

PALOMA No, do not say that.

JENKINSThe mine, the lifeblood of this town ranout the same year he killed his brother.Same time the drought hit. And thebirths.

KIDBirths?

PALOMA There hasn’t been a child born alive in

Perdido for the past three years. Allstillborns.

HARLANDSlow down.

JENKINSIt all makes sense. Don't you see?

A pall settles over the room.

HARLANDWhy come back here?

Kid looks over at Paloma, betraying one reason, then he nodsat the priest.

KIDNeed to break the curse. I thought comingback where it started I could find a means to end it. Thought maybe the padrecould help me.

He looks over at Ronaldo slugging at the flask.

KID

I thought wrong. Padre can’t even helphimself.

RONALDOWhat makes you so special?

Ronaldo turns on the Kid, the liquor in his blood.

78.

JENKINS (CONT'D)



RONALDOI gave my life to God. I gave upeverything in hopes of seeing His handrevealed to me. I prayed and waited butnothing ever came. Until now.

The priest shoves him. The Kid just takes it, backing intothe Guadalupe statue.

RONALDOAnd this is how He reveals Himself to me.Through those abominations outside. Andyou, a killer.

Kid turns and looks up into the face of the Virgin. Thelifeless plaster eyes stare back at him.

RONALDO

He reaches down from on high and writeshis name in your flesh with the Mark ofCain. Why... why you?

Paloma takes Ronaldo’s arm, trying to calm him down.

PALOMA Tranquillo, padre. Esta bien.

BILLSounds like pure craziness to me.

The men look at Kid suspicious, unsure of what to believe.

Kid looks to Paloma.

KIDYou were there. Tell them.

PALOMA That’s not what happened.

That snaps the Kid’s head around. Is she lying?

PALOMA God didn’t curse you. Your brother did.

KIDThat’s a damn lie.

PALOMA I’ll show you.

Paloma walks up to Kid, reaches past him and grabs hold ofthe Guadalupe statue.

79.



PALOMA Help me. Pull this out.

Together they pull the statue out of its alcove, scraping itacross the floor. A cast iron ring lies in the dust. Palomapulls it open, revealing a TRAPDOOR.

Cobwebs shroud the opening of a small priesthole. Old ladderrungs lead down into the darkness underneath the church.

RONALDOWhat is this?

Paloma brushes away the cobwebs.

PALOMA The crypt. Hand me those candles.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Dark and cold, lit up by the candelabra in Paloma’s hand.Bare stone walls carved from igneous bedrock. Kid pulls atorch from a wall sconce and touches it to the candles.

Ronaldo climbs down the ladder and looks around, while theSheriff and Mayor follow behind him.

PALOMA This way.

Ronaldo follows the woman, crunching debris underfoot. Helooks down to find dusty bones scattered everywhere.

KIDHow’d you come to know of this place?

PALOMA Elijah showed it to me. The night hedied.

RONALDOWhat exactly was your relationship withFather Elijah?

PALOMA I loved him. But not in the way youthink. We loved each other through ourlove for God.

Kid snarls his teeth at that but hides it from Paloma.

80.



PALOMA But Elijah had started to change. Hebecame angry and distant with me.

RONALDOWhy?

PALOMA This.

She moves the candelabra forward...

AN ENORMOUS STATUE

squats at the end of the crypt. Eight feet of chiseled stone,carved into a colossal grinning SKULL, eerily similar to thecrude Day of the Dead decorum of the day.

Its mouth of teeth gapes open, the lower jaw extendinggrotesquely forward to form a table top.

Hieroglyphics carved into the stone show ancient priestssacrificing human victims on the skull statue. An altar to afaith long faded from history.

RONALDOWhat in the name of Christ is it?

PALOMA An altar. To something very old and verycruel.

(...)Elijah said he’d found something greaterthan the Church. And we could be togetherin his new faith.

Kid stares at the grinning skull, wanting to spit.

KIDThis is why he changed. Became mean.

PALOMA He was dabbling in something evil and ittook hold of him. I wanted no part of it.

I ran from this awful thing. Elijah wentcrazy, beat me for rejecting him.

(looks at Kid)That’s when you found me. Do yourecognize this?

Paloma points to a crude ornamental dagger fitted to a slotin the carved teeth of the skull.

81.



PALOMA It’s the blade he cut you with. I hid itback down here and sealed off theentrance to this evil place.

Kid touches the altar, running his fingers over its stonegrooves. A black patina flakes off at his touch.

KIDThere’s blood on this.

PALOMA Your blood. Yours and Elijah’s. It ranthrough the floorboards.

Kid backs away from it, shaking his head.

PALOMA

Do you remember your brother’s dying words?

KIDHe called me Cain. And God heard him.

PALOMA God didn’t hear him, this thing did. Ittasted your blood and the curse becametrue.

RONALDOYou mean Father Elijah meant to crawl out

of his grave and become a... a walkingdeadman?

Kid staggers away, reeling from her words.

PALOMA No. The curse condemned him also. Hebecame the instrument of his ownblasphemy.

Ronaldo gazes at the altar in horror.

RONALDO

I can’t believe this has been hiddenunder my church the whole time.

BILLWho would build a church over thisgodawful thing?

RONALDOThe Spaniards. They did it all the time.

82.



HARLANDWhy not just destroy the damned thing?

PALOMA I think they were afraid of it.

Ronaldo holds his hands over the altar, like he’s warmingthem over an open fire.

RONALDOCan you not feel it? Like it’s hot andcold at the same time.

Harland watches the priest with suspicion.

HARLANDLet’s get the hell away from it.

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Ronaldo closes the trapdoor and Paloma helps him push theGuadalupe statue back over it.

Harland looks out a small window. The square deserted.

JENKINSDo you see them?

HARLANDNo. It’s quiet.

Kid moves away from the others and slumps to the floor. Rubshis eyes, exhausted and still reeling from what he’s seen.

Paloma sits down quietly beside him. She watches him.

PALOMA You never knew.

Kid takes off his hat and shakes his head.

KIDYou still love him. Don’t you?

PALOMA I love the man he used to be. Before hechanged.

KIDAfter all he done to you.

She folds her arms around her knees, about to say somethingbut stops and remains quiet.

83.



KIDI’d never hurt you. Not like that. I’dtake care of you.

PALOMA I know.

KIDWhy can’t you let him go?

PALOMA I can’t force my heart to love you.

He snaps the hatbrim in his fist.

KIDWhy not?

Kid calms down, straightens out his hat. The moment drags.

SMASH! A rock shatters the window, bounces across the floor.

Everyone scrambles to their feet and moves away from the windows. Something POUNDS on the doors.

JENKINSWhy can’t they just go away?

Kid hustles Paloma to the center of the floor. He draws hisgun and pushes open the cylinder.

HARLANDHow do we stop these things?

KIDYou don't.

HARLANDI knocked the head off one of them. Itdropped.

KIDOnly slows them down.

BILLYou telling me they keep going even ifthey got no head?

KIDOnly thing I seen stop them is burning.

JENKINSSo let's burn them.

84.



KIDAin’t that easy. You gotta burn them downto nothing.

Kid puts his hat on. Still bent. He straightens it some more.

KIDI caught one once. Torched him. Took metwo days to burn him down to cinders.Even then, the bones kept moving.

Jenkins shudders at the mental image.

JENKINSThen what do we do?

BILLAin’t it obvious?

All eyes turn to Bill.

BILLWe give 'em the kid.

All eyes turn to the Kid.

KIDYou better think again.

BILLHe's what they want. Let's just give him

to them. Problem solved.

Harland doesn't say anything. He just stares at the Kid.

JENKINSMaybe Bill's got a point.

BILLDamn straight. We all supposed to do diefor him? One man? And a goddamn killer atthat? Let 'em have him. Them things candrag his ass off to the hellfires.

HARLANDNo one’s tossing anyone out.

BILLWhat the hell's gotten into you? Earlierin the day you were ready to hang him andnow you wanna save his neck?

(...)It’s him or us, sheriff.

85.



JENKINSDo it, Harland. Give them the kid andthey'll go away.

Silence. Everyone chews on the idea. The Kid backs up.

BILLHell with ya. I’ll do it.

Kid draws fast as a rattlesnake and aims his gun at Bill’seyes. Bill freezes cold.

KIDI’ll kill any man who tries.

The air tenses. The dead pound on the doors.

BILL

You gonna shoot us all? You that fast?

KID(cold as hell)

Draw and find out.

RONALDOFor God’s sake, stop this.

HARLANDYou ain’t gonna shoot nobody.

Harland rests his hand on the butt of his gun, tempting fate.

HARLANDYou kill us, we’ll just rise from thedead. That’s how this works, don’t it?

Kid grits his teeth. Cornered and he knows it.

HARLANDWhat will happen to her if we turn intothem things outside?

The dead pound, pound, pound on the doors.

The Kid stands alone, shunned by even this small community.The fugitive again.

He leans and spits on the floor. Looks up at the Sheriff.

KIDYou’ll keep her safe?

HARLANDWith my life.

86.



Kid holsters his gun and walks away.

PALOMA You can’t do this.

HARLANDWe have to. I’m sorry, Paloma.

PALOMA Then Elijah wins. Don’t you see? The evil wins.

Ronaldo follows Kid to the rectory door. A beat.

RONALDOI wish there was some other way.

KID

Yeah.

Kid nods at the door. Ronaldo unbolts and opens it.

The outlaw strides out and the priest locks it back up.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Kid stays in the shadows of the church wall, quiet as can be.

Two Deadmen rise up out of nowhere, as if waiting for him.

Kid breaks into a run.

EXT. CHURCH DOORS - CONTINUOUS

Elijah watches the Kid bolting from the church but he makesno move to follow him.

He hisses at the Deadmen pounding on the doors. They stop.Elijah kicks over a water trough, spilling it into the sand.He snaps his fingers at it.

The Deadmen hoist up the trough like a battering ram.

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Ronaldo joins the others gathered at a pew. The men breathe asigh of relief while Paloma paces the floor, troubled.

BILLGuess we just wait it out, huh?

87.



CRASH! The front doors burst open, splintered apart by the water trough/battering ram.

And the Dead pour through the breach.

Harland curses. Their plan didn’t work. He draws and fires atthe Deadmen. Bill follows his lead.

Elijah pushes aside his Deadmen and locks eyes on Paloma.

Ronaldo pulls them away.

RONALDOThis way.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Ronaldo rushes out the rectory door-- only to find anotherDeadman waiting for them. A grisly corpse with his JAWBONEhanging loose.

Jawbone locks his cold hands around Ronaldo’s throat.

Harland and Bill shoot and pistolwhip the Deadman but Jawbonelashes back at them. It rips into Harland’s ribs and theSheriff drops.

More Deadmen spill into the street after them.

JENKINS

--is knocked flat to the ground. Dead hands grab his anklesand DRAG the mayor back into the church.

Paloma watches in horror as the men go down, then ducks asJawbone swipes at her.

KID (O.S.)Muchacho...

Jawbone turns-- Splash! Gets drenched by Kid tossing a bucketonto him. The liquid steams up off him. Kid strikes a matchoff a thumbnail and

Whoosh! Jawbone goes up in flames. He flails his arms,dripping fire and everyone backs away, including the otherDeadmen.

Paloma and the men retreat, looking for higher ground.

Jawbone crawls away, reaching for a nearby water trough. Kidgrabs his ankle and drags Jawbone back into the street.

88.



KIDBurn, you ugly son of a bitch.

The Dead watch their compadre burn. Kid limps away.

EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

Harland stumbles, clutching his stomach. Paloma helps him up.

PALOMA We need to hide somewhere.

Kid marches up to the first door he sees and KICKS it in.

INT. DRY GOODS STORE - NIGHT

They crash into a merchant shop and stay low. Harland catcheshis breath while Paloma tends to his cut ribs.

HARLANDWe’re a sorry looking bunch.

Kid looks out the window to the square. Jawbone burns in thesand. The Deadmen turn and withdraw into the church.

All goes quiet.

RONALDOWhat’s happening out there?

KIDThey’re hold up in the church.

BILLAin’t they coming for you?

Kid watches the church but no one comes out.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Mayor Jenkins struggles, carried aloft by the Deadmen down

into the crypt. He’s thrown to the floor.

Slim Jim lies stretched over the altar. His throat slit.Blood spilled down the altar and gelling in the crevices.

Elijah rolls Slim off the stone and turns to Jenkins.

Dead hands drag Jenkins up and stretch him out over thealtar. Elijah leans in close, his glowing eyes just inchesfrom Jenkins.

89.



The Mayor of Perdido County screams.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Crash! Something flies out the church window and lands in thesand. A prayer book.

A Deadman lurches out the front door, carrying a bigcrucifix. He tosses it into the street and goes back inside.

More of them appear, tossing bibles into the gutter.

INT. DRY GOODS STORE - NIGHT

The five survivors press against the window, watching theDead empty the church of its sacraments.

RONALDOWhat are they doing to my church?

Two more Deadmen come out, lugging the big Guadalupe statueinto the street. They stomp it to pieces in the sand.

KIDSon of a bitch... Look.

RONALDOWhat?

KIDThem two.

The two Deadmen stomping the statue--

SLIM JIM and JENKINS

Their skin now gray and eyes turned yellow.

RONALDOHow can that be? You didn’t kill them.

HARLAND

It appears they changed the rules on ya.

Slim and Jenkins finish stomping the Guadalupe. They skulkaway from the church and into the night.

BILLAre they coming this way?

KIDNo. They’re headed off somewhere else.

90.



Harland rummages around the shelves and finds a spyglass. Heunfurls it and peers out at the church.

SPYGLASS POV

Panning over the church until it stops at a broken window. A bustle of activity inside.

RONALDOWhat’s happening in there?

The Deadmen toss the pews away and tear up the floorboards.Elijah stands over them, orchestrating the destruction.

HARLANDThey’re wrecking the church. Tearing upthe floors.

Ronaldo takes the spyglass and peers into his church.

KIDWhat the hell for?

RONALDOTo get into the crypt. To get the altar.

Ronaldo turns to Paloma.

RONALDOWhat did Father Elijah plan to do withhis new ‘faith’?

Paloma blanches, as if remembering something.

KIDWhat is it?

PALOMA He vowed to convert everyone to it. Allof Perdido...

A beat. Then SCREAMS break the silence.

The Dead Jenkins and Slim return, dragging Silas with them.

The Livery owner struggles but he’s no match for them andgets dragged kicking and screaming into the church.

HARLANDWhat the hell are they doing now?

Ronaldo turns pale.

91.



RONALDOIt’s for the altar. They’re going tosacrifice him on it.

More Deadmen slur out of the church and away into the night.

KIDThey’re going for more.

HARLANDWe gotta stop them.

KIDYou can’t.

HARLANDWe can’t stand here and watch ‘em tear mytown apart.

PALOMA What if we just stopped Elijah?

KIDYou can’t do it.

PALOMA He’s the one behind this.

Kid shakes his head in shame.

KID

I can’t beat him. He’s too strong. Alwayshas been.

A beat. Someone coughs.

RONALDOThe altar.

HARLANDWhat of it?

RONALDOWe destroy the altar, we’ll destroy him.

Kid looks unconvinced.

RONALDOHe rendered this evil. His blasphemy andyour blood fueled this curse.

KIDHe ain’t gonna stand still while we bashat it with a pick-axe.

92.



Harland rifles through a cabinet at the back.

HARLANDNo need. Catch.

The Sheriff tosses something into the air. Kid catches it--three sticks of dynamite twined together at the wick.

HARLANDYou’re gonna blow it to smithers.

KIDDon’t recall volunteering for the job.

HARLANDHe’s your brother.

Kid inspects the fuses on the dynamite. Not very long.

KIDGetting back inside will be tricky.

HARLANDBill and I can lay down cover fire, drawthem outta the church.

KIDTwo guns? Odds ain’t with us.

Harland unscrews his flask, toasts the Kid and takes a drink.

HARLANDSufficient unto the day, son. Sufficientunto the goddamn day.

PALOMA Father Ronaldo and I are not crippled.That makes four to draw them out.

KIDYou ain’t going nowhere.

PALOMA I won’t stand wayside while you all die.

Gun or no, I’ll stand with the sheriff.

RONALDOShe speaks for both of us.

KIDYou ever shot a gun, padre?

Ronaldo doesn’t answer, meaning no.

93.



HARLANDNothing to it. Here.

Harland hands his rifle to Ronaldo.

HARLANDEye your target against the bead andsqueeze the trigger. Jack the lever toreload.

Kid looks up at Paloma. She stands firm.

He pulls one of his Colts and reloads the chambers. He spinsthe gun and offers the handle to her.

Paloma takes the gun and almost drops it.

PALOMA

It’s heavy.

Kid grabs a box of shells and slides it into her pocket.

KIDSix shots, then reload.

Paloma turns to go. Kid touches her arm.

KIDPaloma...

Kid gropes for something to say to her. Anything.

KIDDi mi nombre.

PALOMA John. Tu nombre es John.

Harland waits impatiently at the door.

HARLANDLet’s get a move on, people.

Paloma and Kid break it up and join the others.

HARLANDWe’ll give you a minute to get situated.

Kid squares his hat on his head then goes out the door.

BILLHow do we get them outta the church?

94.



Harland grabs a bucket of pennynails and empties it onto thecounter.

HARLANDWe’re gonna knock on the front door.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Kid glides along the church wall, checks the street thenclimbs up to a broken window. Looks inside. The trapdoor tothe crypt is right below him.

The Dead occupy the church, now stripped of all Christianicons. Some tear at the floor while others sit quietly in thepews, as if waiting for a sermon to begin.

Elijah is nowhere to be seen.


Harland tilts a kerosene-filled bucket into the sand leadingup to the church doors.

He joins the others in the center of the square, a good tenyards from the church.

HARLANDAlright, we’re gonna get their attentionand draw them out into the open here.

(...)We can’t hold them off too long so whenthey get close, we withdraw into the drygoods and make another stand there.

BILLAnd when they get us in there?

HARLANDWe get creative.

Bill and Harland take aim at the front doors and fire. The wood splinters away under their bullets.

A Deadman appears at the door.

One, two then three of them descend the front steps and seethe quartet of people facing them. More come to the door.

Bill draws a bead on the closest one and fires. It drops to asitting position, then gets back up.

95.



EXT. CHURCH WINDOW - SAME TIME

Kid watches the Dead file out to the commotion in the street.He steps over the broken glass and drops silently to thefloor.

He hesitates, looking into the darkness of the trapdoor.

Then down he goes.

INT. CRYPT - CONTINUOUS

Kid moves down the passageway. Votive candles from the churchproper stand set and lit, casting a red glow over the walls.

Dynamite in hand, he approaches the stone altar at the farend of the crypt.

The crude skull grins up at him. Its stone contours staineddamp with fresh blood. A BODY lies crumpled at its base.

Kid nudges it with his boot, rolling the corpse onto itsback. Silas stares at the ceiling, belly split and fliesalready swarming his gaping eyes.

Kid kneels down before the altar, looking for somewhere tojam the dynamite in.

YELLOW EYES

flicker from the deep shadows, watching the Kid.


Harland and company watch the enemy clomp out of the church.

A WALL OF DEADMEN

stand in the town square, some without arms, others withoutheads and another with but stumps for limbs. They roilforward in unison towards the four survivors.

RONALDONow, Harland.

HARLANDHold up, let them step into it.

The Dead move forward. The one without limbs slithers on itsbelly, flapping its stumps in the sand like a beached seal.

96.



Harland sets a match to the kerosene. Flames BLAZE across theground to the bigger puddle at the Deadmen’s feet.

The Dead step out of the fire’s way as the ground igniteslike a bonfire. The only one caught in its flames is thelimbless one, flailing and flopping in the inferno.

Harland curses, the trap sprung but now useless.

Paloma swings up the heavy Colt with both hands and fires.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Kid jams the dynamite into a gap in the stone teeth andfumbles for a match.

ELIJAH

rises up silently behind him and DRIVES a foot into Kid’sback, slamming him up against the stone altar.

The box of matches scatters to the floor.

Elijah’s dead hand reaches past Kid’s face, grips the daggerin its slot and pulls it free.

Kid struggles but he’s pinned tight.

The corpse on the floor stirs. It sits up straight and Kid issuddenly eye-to-yellow-eye with Silas.


A cloud of gunsmoke coils around the survivors as they fireat the Deadmen. Ronaldo fires the rifle but the recoil kickshis shoulder, throwing the shot wild.

HARLANDMove back!

The group backs up as the wall of Deadmen gains ground.

Harland turns, only to find their escape route cut off by two more Deadmen... the former mayor and barkeep.

INT. CRYPT - CONTINUOUS

Elijah rams his boot harder into Kid’s backbone.

Silas’ dead face leans in closer to the pinned gunslinger.

97.



Kid gets some leverage against the stone and BUCKS up,throwing off his brother’s heel.

He rolls away fast and up onto his feet. Draws his gun.

The Kid and the dead priest face each other, two brotherssizing one another up for the last time.

Kid levels the Colt at his brother’s face and BLASTS Elijahdead center between the eyes.

The dead priest barely flinches. Smoke wisps out of thecyclops hole in his skull. He SLASHES Kid across the wrist.

The gun clatters away across the floor.

Kid jumps back but not quick enough. Elijah cuts him again,slicing his shirt and opening the old wound.

Kid drops to his knees.

Silas squares up beside Elijah, their yellow eyes lookingdown at the bleeding gunslinger.


Ronaldo swings the rifle up at another target. Dead handssnatch the weapon away from him. He’s surrounded.

Paloma blasts a hole in a skull and aims at another but

there’s too many of them. A sea of dead hands overwhelm her,pull the gun away and reach for her throat.

Bill drops one after another with his Peacemaker but the damnthings just keep crawling at him.

One Deadman stomps towards him, all burnt skin and charredflesh. Bill recognizes him.

BILLArlo...?

The thing that was Arlo Thompson flattens Bill to the ground

and wrestles the gun from his hand. It jams the barrel intoBill’s temple and...

Bang. Bill’s brains splatter over the sand.

Harland fires and retreats up the steps of the Dry GoodsStore, watching in horror as his allies fall like dominoes.

98.



INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Elijah looms over Kid. Wipes the blade against his thigh.

Kid kicks out hard into Elijah’s knee. Something SNAPS andElijah goes down.

Kid springs up and STOMPS down on the hand holding thedagger, shattering Elijah’s fingerbones to splinters.

Silas body-slams Kid across the room.

Kid snatches up his gun and backs up against the wall.

Elijah picks up the dagger with his good hand and closes in with Silas, cornering the Kid. No way out.

Kid levels the gun again but Elijah just twists his mouth

into a cruel smile. The weapon is useless and they both knowit.

The dead priest and Silas move in for the kill. Elijah raisesthe dagger high, ready to gut his brother-- but noise from the passageway stops his hand.

Deadmen lurch in with two more victims bound for the altar.

PALOMA AND RONALDO

--kick and struggle against their captors as they’re handedforward and presented to Elijah.

Elijah takes Paloma by the chin and looks into her eyes. Hecaresses his cold thumb over her lips.

PALOMA Elijah, don’t do this...

His jaw moves as if trying to speak but all that comes out isa hissing death rattle.

PALOMA For God’s sakes...

The dead priest curls his lips back at her words. His fingerscut into her skin.

KID (O.C.)Get your damn hands off her.

Elijah swivels slow to his brother.

Kid holds a candle under the dynamite jammed into the altar.The flame an inch from the wick.

99.



Elijah releases Paloma.

KIDLet them go.

The dead priest shakes his head. No.

KIDDo it or I’ll dynamite this goddamn rock.

EXT. DRY GOODS STORE - NIGHT

Harland jacks the rifle, shoulders it ready to blast anythingthat moves.

The square stands empty. Black smoke billows up from thekerosene fire in the sand.

Harland steps cautiously into the square.

A noise breaks the quiet. Something coming out of the smoke.

Dead Arlo marches for Harland, his charred limbs making ahorrid shurring sound as he walks.

Harland fires. Arlo juggernaughts towards him, barrels theSheriff to the ground.

The rifle knocked away into the sand.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

The Deadmen remain still. The Kid is like a stone. The candlegutters under the dynamite wick.

No one even breathes.

KIDLet ‘em go, Elijah.

(...)I’ll still be here.

PALOMA No. Light the dynamite. Before it’s toolate!

KIDShut up.

(...)Elijah. Don’t make me wait.

100.



Elijah nods to his cadre. The dead release Paloma and Ronaldoand step back, parting the way to the exit.

The dead priest looks to his brother. Kid moves the flameaway from the dynamite.

KIDGo on.

Paloma doesn’t move.

PALOMA It can’t end like this.

KIDGet her out of here, Ronaldo.

RONALDO

(leading her away)Come away, Paloma. Please.

PALOMA You’re just going to let these thingskill you?

Kid thumbs the hammer back with a loud click.

KIDThey ain’t gonna kill me.

Ronaldo tears Paloma away, hurrying down the crypt to the

ladder leading out.

Elijah points at the candle. Kid tosses it away.

The Deadmen press forward, surrounding the Kid on all sides.


Harland scrambles away on his back, kicking out at Dead Arloto get away.

The Deadman leaps onto Harland. Locks his scorched fingers

round the lawman’s throat.

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT

Paloma helps Ronaldo climb out of the trapdoor. Ronaldo headsfor the door but Paloma hesitates.

RONALDOWhat are you waiting for? Hurry.

101.



PALOMA What did he mean by that?

RONALDOYou know what he meant.

Paloma pulls the trapdoor over. It slams shut with a bang.She slides the bolt, locking it.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Kid backs up against the stone.

A WALL OF DEADMEN

--close in on him. Surrounded on all sides.

Kid looks up at Elijah.

KIDI’ll see you in Hell.

Kid spins the barrel of the gun into his mouth.

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT

The GUNSHOT echoes through the church. Paloma startles at thesound as if stung.

Ronaldo takes her hand and leads her out the door.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Kid lies against the altar, face staring up at the ceiling.

His blood and brains sprayed over the black stone. Splintersof skullbone and scalp peel away from the thick blood andfall to the floor.

Elijah looks down at Kid. His fists trembling with rage atbeing cheated like this. He roars at his dead brother.

The Deadmen stop moving.

Elijah drops to his knees as if a great exhaustion overtakeshis dead limbs. He goes still, like stone.

The Deadmen follow suit, dropping to their knees in unison.They tilt their faces up to heaven and become still.

102.




Harland chokes, struggling against the deathgrip. He getsfree and looks up.

Dead Arlo doesn’t move, as if frozen to the spot.

Harland pushes it away. The Deadman rolls off and hits theground.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

The priest and the midwife limp out of the church, steppingpast the bibles and broken crosses scattered in the dust.

Smoke billows around them, the limbless corpse still burningin the sand. The town square empty and quiet.

HARLAND (O.C.)Is it over?

Harland sits on the steps of the general store, his riflepropped over his knees. The sheriff of Perdido county isbloodied and filthy like he’s been to Hell and back.

But he manages a smile.

RONALDOIt’s over. The Kid is dead.

Harland lays the rifle on the step beside him.

HARLANDAmen for that.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Nothing moves. The Kid dead against the altar. The Deadmen asstill as stone. Like a waxworks tableau.

A breeze picks up out of nowhere and blows through the crypt,fluttering the candles.

The light shimmers over the walls.


Ronaldo joins Harland on the step, looking tired and worn.

103.



They look down at the remains of Arlo on the ground. Hischarred flesh flakes off and peels away, leaving nothing butpapery ash on the sand.

RONALDOBill?

Harland shakes his head. No.

HARLANDWhat happened down there? Did they gethim?

RONALDONo. He took his own life.

Ronaldo makes the sign of the cross.

HARLANDSo that did the trick? It’s finished.

He nods but Paloma paces the sand. She looks scared.

HARLANDYou don’t seem so sure.

PALOMA How do we know it’s over?

RONALDOHe’s dead. The curse fulfilled.

PALOMA Is it?

HARLANDWhat are you saying?

PALOMA How does the curse work?

RONALDOAnyone the Kid killed rose from the...

The Sheriff and the priest stop smiling.

INT. CRYPT - NIGHT

Candlelight ripples over the remains of the Kid. His skinpale and lifeless.

104.



THE EYELIDS ROLL OPEN.

A murky yellow glows from within.

The candles die out all at once, plunging the crypt into

DARKNESS

FADE OUT:

~ END ~

105.

Documents

Sons of Cain