The Night of the Golden Spikes

ACT FOUR

INT. BASEMENT ROOM

West is strapped into an old fashioned ELECTRIC CHAIR. Gordon is chained to the wall with SHACKLES.

The two restraining devices are connected by WIRES. Wires which then lead out of the room.

BOOTH

You'll be happy to know that I've released all the railroad representatives and your precious President Grant. They'll be free to witness this grand event -

He grins manically.

BOOTH (CONT'D)

Up close and personal.

GORDON

(lightly, to West)

They really are all very predictable.

WEST

I'm surprised we don't get bored.

Booth ignores the bait.

BOOTH

I've arranged for you to celebrate the completion of the railway in a truly special way.

WEST'S POV

Following the wires from the chair out of the room.

NORMAL POV

West is rather disappointed in the simplicity of it all.

WEST

These wires: they're connected to the spikes.

GORDON

And when they are hammered in, we'll be electrocuted.

BOOTH

Exactly. Your time is imminent now.

WEST

It's good for a man to know his end is near.

(beat)

I don't suppose you have any gods to pray to as you prepare to meet your maker.

GORDON

Aside from yourself, of course.

Booth's narcascistic confidence is nearly bursting out of him now.

BOOTH

I'm afraid any grand plan to escape and bring me to my final, vindictive justice is only going to come to a - rather - shocking end.

GORDON

(to West)

Oh, they do like to hear themselves talk, don't they?

Booth's amused.

BOOTH

I'll have my men send what's left of your bodies to Washington - and whoever is left alive there.

He EXITS.

INT. HOTEL PARLOUR - LATER

The parlour is over-crowded with people: all of them talking at once. Arguing heatedly, in fact.

Over the noise and confusion, we hear a loud voice..

GRANT

Gentlemen!

The crowd silences.

Grant emerges as a center clearing forms. Booth, Hewes, Safford, Weld, Rev. Todd, Mills, and Dodge make up it's edges.

BOOTH

(annoyed)

NO ONE planned this ceremony?!

There's a mumbled hubbub of agreement in the crowd.

BOOTH (CONT'D)

(muttering)

God save me from amateurs.

Grant motions the crowd to silence and calm with a gentle hand movement - and his words.

GRANT

It's truly not difficult. Not for one experienced in these matters.

He surveys the crowd.

GRANT(CONT'D)

Reverend Todd: you'll open with a prayer?

REV. TODD

(with forceful conviction)

Asking God's favor upon our great enterprise.

You can feel and hear the crowd's confidence and happy energy return.

GRANT

And then the two gold spikes will be driven into the pre-bored holes.

He surveys the crowd again.

GRANT(CONT'D)

Mister Lambert, you'll have the honor of the first: for without you there would be no rails to join.

Shit! Booth's icy smile is frozen - his plan certainly didn't involve being the one to detonate the bomb - or be anywhere near it. His mind races to find a way out.

BOOTH

No, no... NO.

Silence. He's refusing the honor?!

BOOTH (CONT'D)

(humbly)

It's the great work of the two railroad companies that have truly brought this country together. It should be their honor to join the rails.

The crowd seizes on the idea. Grant does too.

GRANT

(to Booth)

Quite right. Thank you for deferring the honor. And in keeping with that, BOTH gold spikes should be driven at once.

(to Safford)

Governor Safford, the Central Pacific sent you here to represent them - so you shall drive the spike in their honor.

A quick glance around. The men that were seated at the gambling table and taken hostage start pruning. But Grant's eyes settle elsewhere.

GRANT (CONT'D)

Mister Hewes: you shall drive the other spike in honor of the Union Pacific.

Relief and agreement - except for the men who were vying for it.

WELD

(brusqely)

Now what about the Arizona and Nevada spikes?

Confusion ensues...

Grant moves to take control again...

INT. BASEMENT ROOM - CONCURRENTLY

West and Gordon still held prisoner.

Gordon can see West investigating their options - looking at the details of their situation.

GORDON

Pretty simple: but effective. These wires..

SHOT

Camera follows West's POV as his eyes trace the double wires leading from the chair confining him...

... to the shackles confining Gordon...

...then leading across the floor...

...along the wall...

...and out of the room to the outside.

NORMAL POV

GORDON (CONT'D)

(with a defeatist tone)

...form a continuous circuit. If the wires are broken anywhere along it...

West shifts in the chair: squirming.

SHOT

West twists his right wrist in the restraint - pulling on it, loosening it...

NORMAL POV

GORDON (CONT'D)

We'll be electrocuted instantly.

WEST

(impatient with his doubt)

I see that.

Gordon doesn't believe he sees it.

GORDON

It's death when the railroad is completed: or now.

WEST

Patience, Artie.

CLOSE ON

West's right wrist as he gets the restraint loose enough to maneuver.

He flexes the muscle: his SLEEVE GUN pops out of it.

NORMAL POV

West smiles in satisfaction.

The sleeve gun is pointed directly at Gordon's chest.

Which has Gordon mildly concerned.

GORDON

I admit: it'd be less painful than being electrocuted.

West is squirming again: aiming.

Gordon is downright alarmed.

GORDON (CONT'D)

But I honestly choose... neither!

West shoots -

CLOSE ON

- the wires twisted closely together where they are coming through the wall directly behind Gordon's head.

The bullet strikes the exact spot that the wires are twisted together and severs them both cleanly.

NORMAL POV

As West pulls his right wrist free and starts pulling off the other restraints...

GORDON (CONT'D)

(in happy relief)

That was some mighty fine shooting.

As West frees himself from his chair and darts over to Gordon...

WEST

I was aiming at your head.

EXT. PROMONTORY SUMMIT

WIDE SHOT

A crowd gathered on the summit of mostly workers. The two engines - Central Pacific 60 (Jupiter) and Union Pacific 119 frame the shot: standing 100 feet apart.

CLOSE SHOT

As two railroad rails are laid on a tie made out of California laurel with pre-drilled holes. (8 Chinese workers laid these rails.)

EXT. HOTEL HALLWAY

Ben and Jerry guard the door to the basement room: one standing, one sitting in a simple wooden chair.

The door opens and West darts into the hallway in a hurry.

Ben and Jerry immediately go after him. West swings a right cross at Ben: he blocks it with his left arm and slams his right fist at West's stomach.

West goes flying back - into Gordon as he emerges from the open door. Gordon catches him.

As West plunges back toward the two attacking men...

WEST

The bomb, Artie!

West slams a fist into Ben's stomach: knocking him out of the way so...

Gordon can speed past the fist fight.

Jerry bends and plows head-long into West's middle: slamming him back against the wall.

West raises both arms and brings them down hard on the Jerry's back. He collapses at West's feet.

Ben grabs a nearby chair and swings it at West's head.

West ducks and the chair hits the wall, smashing into pieces.

West steps over the unconscious Jerry and quickly delivers a one-two volley of punches into Ben.

Ben is knocked back against the wall - instantly recovers and slams his fist into West's face.

West pivots from the impact, but instantly jams his left elbow back against the man.

Ben recoils... as West turns and slams a right cross against the man's face.

Ben goes flying and collapses.

EXT. PROMONTORY SUMMIT

A group of people gathered around the two rails: including Grant, Hewes, Safford, Dodge, Weld, Rev. Todd, and Mills.

ANOTHER ANGLE

The back of the crowd looking outward.

Gordon appears over the crest of the hill - running toward the camera and crowd -

ORIGINAL CLOSE SHOT ANGLE

The golden spikes, telegraph wires attached to their shafts, being set in the rail/tie.

ANGLE ON GORDON AGAIN

Gordon runs like a bat out of hell -

INT. BOOTH'S LIBRARY

West bursts into the room at a run

WESTS POV

- the door at the opposite end closing with TWO RUFFIANS standing guard.

NORMAL POV

West drives around the table and at the men.

They attack and he dispatches them quickly with a single punch each.

He jerks the door open and dives through it.

INT. HOTEL BACK STAIRWAY

Booth and Hale run down the stairs, around the landing and into the kitchen -

EXT. PROMONTORY SUMMIT

Ceremonial silver mallets are handed to Hewes and Safford.

ANGLE ON GORDON AGAIN

Gordon fights to get through the boisterous crowds...

...pushing his way through the people...

At last he pushes through the edge and breaks free...

But - it's too late!

NORMAL POV ANGLE

The two hammers sail in a downward arc -

ANGLE ON WEST/GORDON AGAIN

Gordon freezes: ducking as he shields his head with his arms. (Because this will surely be as effective against the thermonuclear blast as a school desk is.)

We HEAR two metal hammers simultaneously hit metal.

And...

INT. STORAGE BARN

West ENTERS: pushing through the door in rush.

WESTS POV

Booth and Hale: standing hand in hand, their backs against a wall covered with lights and circuitry.

And they SHIMMER out of existence.

Yup.

A steampunk transporter!

Booth is gone.

West is - unhappy.

EXT. PROMONTORY SUMMIT

Gordon is still shielding himself from...

...nothing.

Gordon straightens cautiously and look...

THEIR POV

A silver mallet resting on the rail NEXT to the spike.

And

The other silver mallet resting on the rail NEXT to the spike.

They both missed. Seriously! (Yes, history is amazing and quite helpful to plots.)

NORMAL POV

The people around burst into laughter.

Hewes and Safford are rightfully embarrassed.

Gordon step through those gathered.

GORDON

I'll just take those now.

Gordon bends down and retrieves the golden spikes. He handles them gingerly as he straightens.

GORDON (CONT'D)

(nodding to Hewes)

You can retrieve these from our safe when you're ready to leave for San Francisco.

Well, not quite those spikes.

ANOTHER ANGLE

West jogs up the hill, approaching the back of the crowd.

NORMAL POV

Gordon standing next to Grant: a bottle of champagne in one hand, a glass of it in the other.

The crowd gathered are celebrating in victory.

West, out of breath, steps through the crowd and next to Gordon.

Gordon smiles, raises the glass to West - who shakes his head.

Understanding, Gordon's grin fades and he lowers the glass.

EXT. UTAH LANDSCAPE

The Wanderer steams away from Utah.

INT. TRAIN VARNISH CAR

SHOT

On West and Gordon sitting at the small table against the left side of the car. (This shot can be framed to see only the table and the two windows behind it, as was seen in season three.)

One of the strongboxes is sitting on the table as they play chess.

GORDON

Another successful mission: the President is on his way home and the railroad is complete.

West is preoccupied. He moves a chess piece.

Gordon sees West's preoccupation in the bad move.

GORDON (CONT'D)

Jim, you found him once. We'll find him again.

Gordon moves a piece.

WEST

It took five years.

GORDON

It won't take another five. You beat him: he can't let that go.

West does smile at that. He moves a piece.

WEST

I didn't beat him: bad aim beat him.

GORDON

(laughing)

I can't believe they BOTH missed.

West chuckles as well. Gordon glances at the box as studies the board.

GORDON (CONT'D)

(gesturing at the box)

I'll be happy when these small bombs are in the hands of scientists. Jim, there may be real uses for this technology as real weapons some day.

WEST

(scoffs dismissively)

No one sane is going to use a bomb that destroys everything. What's the point of winning a wasteland?

Gordon nods in agreement. Then -

GORDON

Should we tell Senator Chandler that his wife isn't really Lucy Hale?

Gordon moves a piece.

WEST

I don't know, Artie: is there ANY man who doesn't know his wife isn't the woman he thought he married?

West grins and moves a piece.

WEST (CONT'D)

Checkmate.

Gordon rolls his eyes in defeat at both West's statement about women and the chess game.

West gloats.

FREEZE FRAME

THE END