The Night of the Golden Spikes

ACT THREE

EXT. BANK

A grey stone building with a white wooden entrance porch that is a small shelter from the rain.

"Engineer Lewis Clement" (Gordon in disguise), carrying a small leather suitcase, makes his way up the steps and ENTERS...

INT. BANK - CONTINUOUS

...the bank: which looks no more like a bank than the hotel room looked like a sheriff's office. What's the point of building something substantial, after all.

There's a BANKER sitting at a desk wearing spectacles and reading a BOOK - because it's unlikely this town has a paper. He doesn't seem to notice "Clement". We know he's a banker because he's dressed like one. (Clement is the engineer that designed the railroad path - not the guy who drives one of the trains.)

GORDON

Halo! Halo! Engineer Lewis Clement here.

The Banker peers up at him over the spectacles and is soundly unimpressed.

"Clement" is undeterred.

GORDON (CONT'D)

A mighty deluge Mother Nature is treating us to out there. A fine day to settle in with a hot toddy and immerse yourself in a world where the sun is shining and adventures abound.

The banker's reaction is profound. He blinks.

GORDON (CONT'D)

Fighting those red savages with Buffalo Bill, I'll bet. Good choice: not only entertaining, but educational. No telling when those techniques will come in handy out here in the wild...wild west.

The banker's consideration of the fellow changes: he actually sizes him up. He decides it might be worth the extreme effort to engage another human: something he doesn't waste much energy on normally.

BANKER

Ever seen a windmill?

Now that's a question "Clement" can get excited about.

GORDON

Seen one? Why my good man, I've designed dozens of them! Hundreds, in fact, I'd say. Important engineering structure. They can grind grain, move water about, even generate power -

Leans in conspiratorially...

GORDON (CONT'D)

Mark my word, someday they'll light whole cities.

BANKER

Ever designed one that looks like a man on horseback?

"Clement" starts to answer excitedly: but stops suddenly - his face falling.

A windmill that looks like a man on a horse? What kind of question is that?!

With a sigh, the banker puts the book down.

BANKER (CONT'D)

What can I do for you?

GORDON

(indicating the suitcase)

Well, you see, I've got some very expensive and delicate instruments here that I just don't feel comfortable leaving laying around that hotel over there. I'd like to lock them up in your vault.

BANKER

I didn't know a train engineer's whistle was that valuable.

See, he made the same mistake you did.

GORDON

(proudly)

No, no, no, my good man. I'm not the man who drives the blasted train: I'm the man who told them how to build it: where to lay the tracks and what have you.

The Banker sours.

BANKER

So it was your idea to blast tunnels through all those mountains instead of going around them.

GORDON

(still proudly)

Yes, as a matter of...

He realizes the banker was calling him stupid suddenly.

BANKER

I can tell you right now that big old case isn't going to fit in my safe, anyways.

GORDON

Not your safe: of course not. But your vault...now I'd be willing to pay handsomely to be secure in the knowledge that...

BANKER

I don't have a safe.

"Clement" is struck by disbelief. He looks around, as if he's going to check the outside sign again.

GORDON

This is the town bank, isn't it?

BANKER

It is. But there isn't anyone in town that has that much need for a bank.

GORDON

(in disbelief)

No need for a bank?!

BANKER

Who has money? The workers don't even get paid until the railroad is complete.

GORDON

Well, certainly there's need to secure the money when it arrives - until they get paid!

BANKER

Mister Lambert has his own vault in the basement of the hotel. Perhaps he can spare you a corner.

The banker picks up his book and resumes reading.

It's clear "Clement" has been dismissed. Gordon is unimpressed with the whole thing.

GORDON

(sourly)

Yes, perhaps he can.

INT. WEST'S HOTEL ROOM

West is at the wall. He turns the sconce and the panel slides open.

West steps into the passage and the panel slides shut.

INT. HOTEL PASSAGE - CONTINUOUS

West in a narrow, wooden passage. It's dim.

He reaches down to his belt and pulls out a long wire, which is hidden along the inside seam.

In the narrow space, he twists and cranes to reach down to his boot.

He pulls off the heel and drops out of it's interior a small, metal square with two screws in the top of it.

He bends the wire back and forth until it forms several loops.

Then twists the ends around the screws in the metal piece.

It glows brightly.

Yup. A light bulb lit by a battery is better than a torch any day - even if it is implausible. Artie's a grand friend to have.

He plunges down the passage with the light held out before him.

INT. HOTEL BASEMENT HALLWAY

Clement/Gordon moves along the hallway and approaches a door, which he opens and pokes his head into, peering inside - doesn't find what he's looking for.

He closes it and continues on. Moves to open another door, but turns and moves away swiftly when...

RAILROAD WORKERS approach toward the camera.

Clement/Gordon waits until they pass, then swiftly goes back to the door he passed.

As he reaches it...

...the door opens and TWO MEN ENTER from it Clement/Gordon quickly does a 180 and moves along. Clearly not the door he is looking for.

Clement/Gordon reaches the door that dead-ends the hallway and tries to open it. It's locked.

He feels the door for weaknesses. It's not only locked - it's steel.

Hardly a problem for Gordon.

He pulls a ball of C-3 (it's too early in history for C-4) out of his pocket and wedges it into the door knob plate.

Retrieves a fuse from inside his lapel, pushes it into the C-3.

A match from his belt, dragged along his belt buckle, and he lights the fuse.

He ducks away and waits...

The C-3 EXPLODES.

Gordon (still dressed as Clement but not needing to act like him any longer) darts back to the door, grabs the door knob, and opens it, and EXITS through it into...

INT. BASEMENT ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Gordon ENTERS, stops and looks around. He's in a dusty and spacious basement storage room, filled with roughly made WOODEN BOXES that are shaped like small caskets. (Two planks of wood each side, held together by a vertical cross piece on either end.)

As he looks around he sees -

GORDON'S POV

- the far wall, which has two large barn-type doors that obviously lead to the outside.

NORMAL POV

Gordon turns his attention to the stacked boxes. He moves through them, looking for a likely one to open.

When a VOICE booms out and stops him in his tracks.

VOICE

Choose wisely, my son.

He twists quickly, searching for the source. LAUGHTER(?)from above directs his attention up toward the ceiling -

GORDON'S POV

West, standing in an open doorway at the top of the wall.

WEST

I chose poorly.

GORDON

Jim! How...?

WEST

Apparently they didn't get around to finishing all the secret passages.

GORDON

Well, hold on...

Gordon looks around and finds a COILED ROPE - because there is always one laying around when you need one.

He picks it up, forms a loop, swings it in a circle and throws it up to West -

- who misses it. Even West isn't perfect.

Gordon regathers it, forms another loop, swings it in a circle and again and throws it up to West -

- who catches it this time.

West gathers the rope up, forms his own loop, swings it in a circle, and throws it up -

- and around a support beam near the ceiling.

West is perfect. It's Gordon that isn't.

West let's the rope out - it threads over the beam and then down to a waiting Gordon.

Gordon grabs it and braces himself.

West swings out on the other end and let's himself down the rope...climbing down till he reaches Gordon and the floor. (Alternate: his SLEEVE GUN WEDGE and WIRE/PULLEY.)

As soon as West hits the ground a low WHINE can be heard under the conversation - like an insect in the room.

GORDON (CONT'D)

How was your date?

WEST

Smashing.

He looks around their surroundings.

WEST (CONT'D)

Shall we?

Gordon goes back to one of the boxes. Starts looking for...

...West picks up a CROWBAR off the floor (they are always laying around handy too) and hands it to Gordon: then crosses his arms and waits.

GORDON

Thank you, my dear man.

WEST

The least I could do.

As he pries open the box...

GORDON

The very least.

The box lid comes up and Gordon drops it on the floor on the opposite side from him.

He peers into it...

GORDON'S POV

A RAILROAD TIE in a bed of straw. (The implication is that there are more under it.)

GORDON (CONT'D)

Imagine that -

NORMAL POV

GORDON (CONT'D)

In a town created to finish a railroad...

West peers over his shoulder. The whine gets louder.

WEST

...rails.

It's all a bit anti-climatic.

West steps back. The whine grows softer.

GORDON

Lambert is actually shipping rails to build the railroad.

(confused)

I just don't understand why the rails would be in a vault.

WEST

His name isn't Lambert. It's Booth.

GORDON

Boo..?

(unbelieving)

As in John Wilkes?

West nods tersely.

WEST

The man who killed Lincoln. He's right here in this town.

GORDON

Jim, I know this assignment has dredged up old memories and regrets...

(beat)

Booth's body was positively identified by both his fiance and Doctor May.

WEST

A woman and a man bribed to change his I.D. to positive.

Gordon has less tolerance for West's outlandish notions than his friend has for his. It's clear in his tone.

GORDON

Conspiracy theories, Jim?

WEST

I was at Garret's farm. The man killed had red hair and freckles. That wasn't Booth.

Gordon tries to reason with him.

GORDON

The finest actor of our time...he could have dyed his hair, changed his appearance...

West isn't budging - and Gordon sees that. He's quickly resigned to the truth: because he knows West that well.

GORDON (CONT'D)

Doherty needed him to be Booth.

West has acknowledged the truth years ago.

WEST

The country needed him to be Booth: in order to heal. But I've always known that Lincoln's murderer is alive.

(beat)

He's here.

West leans forward on the box between them. The whine becomes over powering.

WEST (CONT'D)

Living as a rich railroad tycoon -

GORDON

(interrupting, irritated)

What IS that noise?!

West moves away from the box to look -

- the whine grows softer and he realizes -

- it's his slide.

WEST

Artie...

West pulls the slide off his tie and moves it over the open box and the whine grows piercing.

WEST (CONT'D)

Q-metal.

He drops it in Gordon's outstretched hand.

Gordon moves the slide over the stacked boxes in quick succession. The whine grows louder as it gets closer to each box.

GORDON

Every single one of these rails has a core of Q-metal.

Gordon is contemplating.

GORDON (CONT'D)

And entire railroad, stretching across the country, every rail lined with Q-metal...

West tries to make sense of it.

WEST

The high density of the Q-metal makes them more durable.

But West doesn't know the science that Gordon does. Suddenly, Gordon realizes why they are lined with Q-metal. His face grows cold in horror.

GORDON

Jim, this is bad. Very bad.

As usual, that is the understatement of the century.

BOOTH (o.c.)

Now you just had to be difficult, didn't you?

West and Gordon glance quickly -

THEIR POV

Booth in the open door, with Weld and Ben and Jerry: ARMED.

INT. BOOTH'S LIBRARY- LATER

As Booth ENTERS, followed by West and Gordon - at Weld, Ben and Jerry's gunpoint.

The table is set with dinner.

Hale ENTERS the room carrying a coffee pot. She hesitates when she sees the extra men.

BOOTH

We have guests for dinner, dear.

(to West and Gordon)

No need to be rude, gentlemen. Take a seat.

West won't even go near the table.

WEST

(jovially)

I'd be happy to take it if I can use it to smash in your head.

Booth nods to Weld and his men.

Weld grabs him and forces him roughly into a chair. He tries to get up again, they push him back down.

The other men take a step toward Gordon - he hesitates before seeing the futility of resisting and takes the chair next to West.

GORDON

(annoyed and amazed)

I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it myself. The surgery scar on his neck that looks like a burn -

WEST

- and on his left hand -

Booth helpfully pulls off his glove and offers up his hand -

CLOSE ON

- the letters "JWB" tattooed between his thumb and forefinger.

BOOTH

- my initials.

NORMAL POV

GORDON

I've known actors that do that with their lines - bad actors.

It irks Booth, though he tries to hide it.

WEST

Must be hard to remember your name with so many...Lambert. Billy Bowlegs. Booth.

(beat)

Murderer.

GORDON

My guess it that this lovely young lady is actually Lucy Lambert Hale: devoted, grieving fiance of Booth - widowed before she could be married.

She nods demurely as she takes a seat.

WEST

(clipped. To Hale)

You had a way out. You should have taken it.

GORDON

(to West)

Well, now I understand "Lucy's" personality change after Booth's death. From gay socialite to dour shut in.

WEST

It's not Lucy Hale married to the Secretary of the Navy: it's an imposter.

HALE

A servant who willingly took on a better life.

WEST

She get's Washington society: you wallow in the mud with a madman.

GORDON

(flippant, to West)

Hardly a fair trade.

HALE

You've never experienced true love.

(proudly)

Or true patriotism.

BOOTH

I must say I am honored, Mister West. I never expected to be dining with one of the five men that Lincoln chose personally for his new - "secret service".

(beat)

Like most of Lincoln's failed notions, it's not quite "secret" is it?

West isn't taking the bait.

WEST

(chatty, to Gordon)

Failure is something Booth knows well. Lincoln's kidnapping, the assassination of William Seward and Andrew Johnson...

BOOTH

(angry)

I killed Lincoln!

GORDON

(with enthusiasm)

Which rallied the Confederate troops to rise up again and...

He stops. His face falls with pity.

GORDON (CONT'D)

Wait. That didn't happen.

WEST

Jefferson Davis even denounced him.

BOOTH

(incensed)

Coward! I handed him the opportunity and he squandered it. I had no idea how weak he truly was.

WELD

(in disgust)

He groveled like a child: begging for any scraps they would throw, accepting the culls with gratitude.

WEST

The murder of Lincoln brought this country together. We have you to thank for the strength of the Union now.

Booth bites back his response. He knows that West is baiting him.

BOOTH

Eat, gentlemen. Lucy is an exquisite cook.

WEST

I'm not sharing a meal with the coward that murdered Lincoln. Now you're going to kill Grant. Didn't your failure the first time teach you anything?

BOOTH

If Grant dies it'll be due to his own pompous ego - having to be here at this great publicity event.

WEST

You're an enemy of my country, and I'll see you find justice.

BOOTH

I am not the enemy of your country. I am the savior of mine!

GORDON

(to West)

I see we're entering familiar territory here.

WEST

(to Gordon)

Yes: he's now going to explain to us exactly what his elaborate, foolhardy plans are now.

Booth knows what he is doing.

BOOTH

You can't bring me down to the level of the common criminals you've known, Mister West.

(gestures)

Eat.

The two sit stoically.

BOOTH (CONT'D)

Fine then. I'll indulge you.

He stands and strides to the wall, where a MAP of the United States hangs - a crooked line dividing the country from East to West.

BOOTH (CONT'D)

No more relying on weak leaders: I've taken the human equation out of it. Soon, this country will be divided into two countries - North and South - forever: irrevocably.

HALE

(starry eyed)

We will each have our own country, as it should have always been.

Gordon's fears are confirmed.

GORDON

It's a bomb, Jim. One continuous bomb laid along the entire length of the transcontinental railroad.

BOOTH

Very good, Mister Gordon.

(to West)

You see, the Q-metal that I've made the core of the rails is perfectly safe: unless a high-yeild bomb is detonated in contact with it.

WEST

Your spikes - detonated by a special silver mallet, I assume.

BOOTH

Exactly. And with the utter power of the fusion bomb that will create...

GORDON

He's going to break the country in half. Literally. Creating two separate continents where once there was one.

Booth gloats proudly.

It's the final proof to West.

WEST

You've gone completely mad.

He must really be mad: because even the most insane plans usually sound remarkably sane on this show.

BOOTH

What you call madness now, history will call genius.

WEST

I think you're heirs will be disappointed.

Booth isn't impressed.

BOOTH

You're no more than annoying insect to me, West. Eat or don't. The workers have been paid: the hostages released.

(self satisfied)

Soon my spikes will be driven into the rails.

Booth raises a toast with a flourish.

FREEZE FRAME

END ACT THREE