[Jake Green takes a train and then drives to Jericho. He arrives at the
Richmond farm, where they are selling fruits and vegetables. He listens to
"All These Things I've Done" by The Killers.]
Radio Announcer: ...is high on capitol Hill as an emergency session of
Congress prepares to hear the President address the issue of global
violence. Recent attacks have pushed this administration to take extreme
action, raising more fears than it has alleviated. With global tension
rising, the President is taking a risky step by confronting what some
political observers...
Stanley: Aw, I can't believe it. Jake Green! How you doin', man? When'd you
get back to town?
Jake: Um, just now. Is that Bonnie?
[Bonnie waves. Jake signs to her.]
Jake: You grew up.
Stanley: Wait a minute. Where the Hell you been?
Jake: I been around.
Stanley: Jake, no one's been "around" for five years.
Jake: The army. I been in the army.
Stanley: Good for you.
[Mimi walks out of the house.]
Jake: Who's that?
Stanley: She's from the I.R.S.
Jake: I.R.S.? Audit I.R.S.?
Stanley: Yeah.
Jake: Not going well?
Stanley: No. Forget it. How about you and I, we go out tonight, and we catch
up?
Jake: I'd love to, but I just came in to see my grandfather. I gotta get
back, so, uh....
Stanley: Okay. Bonnie! [Throws fruit at Bonnie] Bonnie, we need a pie. one
strawberry rhubarb. [Jake signs something to Bonnie] Welcome back to
Jericho, Jake.
GRACIE'S STORE
Gracie (to Jake): His wife is lovely, but I don't know about him. Mrs. Olsen
made me promise not to tell, but she heard that he bought the old Thompson
place in cash. Cash!
[Two teenage girls chat in the store while a teenage boy, Dale, sweeps up
nearby.]
Lisa: That color looks really good on you.
Skylar: I know.
Lisa: Um, why didn't your mom take you to New York?
Skylar: 'Cause she hates me. [to Dale] What are you looking at, loser? I
could be shopping in Soho right now instead of...Gracie's Market.
Lisa: I know.
Skylar: Look at this thing. It's so ugly.
Gracie: You promise not to tell?
Jake: I promise, Mrs. Leigh.
Gracie: What about you, Jake? Where've you been keeping yourself?
Jake: Playing minor league baseball.
Gracie: Oh. That a fact?
OUTSIDE THE STORE
Ashley (on the phone): Well, when do you get in from Chicago? Alright. Good!
I'll pick you up. (Laughs) I love you, too.
Jake: Hey.
Ashley: Hey. Hi, um...what are you doin' here?
Jake: Jake: I just came here for the day. Visit my grandpa, see the family.
Ashley: Oh, sure. Of course. I just didn't hear.
Jake: Anyway, how you been? Mom tells me you're teaching at the high school
now.
Ashley: Yeah, it's weird, huh?
Jake: Well..
Ashley: I love it. I just bought a house in The Pines.
Jake: The east side on a teacher's salary?
Ashley: Um, my - my fiance, he's in banking, so...
Jake: That helps.
Ashley: Yeah. Roger really loves it here.
Jake: Well, I'm happy for you, Emily.
Ashley: How about you? You got somebody?
Jake: No.
Ashley: I'm sorry.
Jake: Aw, no you're not. You love it.
[Both laugh.]
Jake: God...
Ashley: Where have you been?
Jake: The navy. oh, why even bother?
Ashley: Seriously, where have you been?
[Song plays again as Jake drives to his parents' house. The dog greets
him as he walks up with a pie box. He walks inside and sees Gail. She turns
and hugs him excitedly.]
Jake: Hi, Mom.
Gail: Oh, Jake! Oh, honey. Oh! Oh, you're home.
Jake: You're choking me, Mom.
Eric: I thought I heard an annoying voice. Hey, brother.
[They hug.]
Jake: Hey, good to see you.
[Johnston appears at the door. The family sits in the living room.]
Jake: I'm not here to interfere with your campaign, Dad. All I want is your
signature and then I'll visit Grandpa.
Eric: It's been five years, Jake. That's all you have to say to Dad?
Jake: It's none of your business.
Johnston: It is his business. It is all our business. What you put this
family through...
Gail: Johnston, for God's sake.
Johnston: He coulda been...
Jake: We could spend a week talkin' about what I coulda been, alright? I've
apologized. I've made amends. This is me now. I have a plan, but I need my
money to make a clean start.
Johnston: It's not your money. It's your grandfather's money.
Jake: I know, but he gave it to me for a reason.
Johnston: And he gave me authority over it for a reason. You convince me
you're leading a more productive life, then...
Eric: That's right, Jake.
Jake: We were both born on third base. Quit pretending you hit a triple.
When are you going to realize? I'm 32 years old.
Johnston: When you do.
[Johnston leaves, with Jake yelling after.]
Jake: Can I talk to my mayor then? Huh?
Gail: Let's go see your grandfather.
[Gail and Jake visit the grave of Eric Jacob Green.]
Jake: He just...If only I'd...
Gail: Stop it, Jake. You'd've been here if you could.
Gail: I brought money. Here.
Jake: I can't, Mom.
Gail: I'll talk to your father.
Jake: He doesn't get it.
Gail: Because you won't tell him why you really need the money.
Jake: Mom--
Gail: You don't give him enough credit. Your dad's had a few trials of his
own, you know.
Jake: He can never know.
[They hug.]
Gail: Just...stay one more day.
Jake: I gotta get back to San Diego by tomorrow.
[Jake gets in his car.]
Jake: Mom, one more thing.
Gail: Hmm?
[Jake gestures for her to come closer, so she does. He pulls out the money
that she slipped in his pocket.]
Jake: You have clumsy hands.
Gail: Oops. {She takes the money.] I love you.
Jake: I love you.
[They kiss.]
Gail: Have a good trip now, okay?
[Jake drives away as she watches.]
[Deputy Jimmy is at home with his wife and kids. He is watching C-Span.]
Man on TV: Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States.
Jimmy's son: (Bored) Do we have to watch this?
[Jimmy gestures that his kids can leave, so they do.]
[A schoolbus full of children, and their teacher, Heather, head down the
road. The children sing "Old McDonald" while Heather, who is standing, is on
the cellphone with someone.]
Heather: Well, we finally found a garage that could fix it. No, we had to
take a detour.
[At home, Emily hangs up a "Welcome Home" banner to welcome home her
fiance.]
[At Bailey's Tavern, the patrons watch the news.]
Man on TV: Oceans of hatred has created..
Mimi: Feel like I'm back in D.C.
Man on TV: ...And yet, we all know these divisions pale in comparison to the
fundamental dangers posed by the threat of terror.
[Jake is driving and listening to the radio.]
Man on radio: We have an eternal commitment to leave the world a better
place for our children and grand-children. This has always been our
problem...
[Jimmy's little girl plays hide-and-seek on her porch.]
Girl: 5-4-3-2-1!
Heather: We'll be back in an hour, Miss McBay. Miss McBay? Hello?
[All the TV's and radios lose their transmissions.]
[The little girl sees her brother standing on top of a roof. He is
staring off into the distance.]
Girl: No fun, Woody. You have to hide better.
[We see that Woody is looking at a mushroom cloud off in the distance.]
Girl: Woody? Whatcha lookin' at?
[Bonnie watches the cloud from her porch at the Richmond farm. Stanley
comes out and pulls her away by her shoulders.]
[The clock on Emily's mantel shows 6:00.]
[At the schoolbus, Heather and the children watch as a frightened deer
runs alongside the bus. Suddenly, the bus stops, but we don't see why.]
[There is a lot of commotion and noise in the town. Dale goes home. He
sees the light blinking on the answering machine.]
[At the Green house, Johnston goes downstairs.]
Johnston: Gail? What's going on?
[Gail is downstairs with Jimmy and his family. Gail looks up at him.]
Gail: (Softly) Oh, Johnston.
[He rushes downstairs. Next we see he is phoning someone, with no luck.]
Johnston: Okay, it looks like the explosion came from the west, maybe
Denver. Jimmy, get on the radio. I want everybody at the sheriff's station.
I'll
pick up Eric. Let's move.
Jimmy: Okay.
Woody: Dad, don't leave.
Jimmy: Come here.
[They hug as Gail watches.]
Jimmy: Be back real soon, all right?
Gail: Johnston. Jake...
[They hug.]
Johston: We'll find him.
[Jake sees the animals acting weird along the side of the road, too, so
he is distracted. Another car, a station wagon, has been weaving. It hits
Jake, who only sees it at the last minute. His car is knocked off the road
and doesn't move.]
[At city hall, Johnston is talking with other men.]
Shep: We're bringing them out of the mine five at a time as always. No need
to start a panic.
Norman: You're just trying to get another hour's work out of my men!
Johnston: Just stop it, the both of ya. Norman, get everybody out of the
mine, immediately. And Shep, help them for a change. Sheriff? Chief? Damage?
Fires? Buildings?
Sheriff: Nothing, Mr. Mayor. The town's fine.
Johnston: Well, let's hope you're right.
Sheriff: What does that mean?
Johnston: Do we have any geiger counters?
[Mimi walks out of the bar to find everyone rushing around frantically.]
Mimi: Excuse me. Excuse me? Did something happen?
TOWN HALL
Sheriff: So, what does the emergency plan say?
Eric: Contact the governor, National Guard, and state troopers.
Man: Are we under attack?
Johnston: Son, I don't want to hear that word again. Now, look, this could
have been a test, could have been an accident..there's, uh...military bases
near
Denver. One explosion does not make an attack. We stay calm, the town stays
calm, okay?
[Jake awakens in his car, coughing. His head hurts, and his leg is torn
and bleeding.]
TOWN HALL
Bob: I found the geiger counters.
Johnston: Thanks. Oh, Gray. Good to see you. We could use the extra help.
Gray: Well, thank you, Johnston....Eric. Uh, what can I do to help?
Johnston: We'll let you know.
[Johnston tries out the geiger counter.]
Eric: Will it work, Dad?
Johnston: Looks okay.
Woman: Mr. Mayor. Sheriff. The bomb.
Johnston: Yes, Ma'am. So far there's no sign of any radiation. We'll keep
checkin' around town.
Woman: Oh, no, sir. The school bus isn't back from the field trip with my
daughter. Well, do something! You should be out there, looking for Stacy!
Johnston: Ma'am - Theresa - this is the first we've heard of it, but we will
deal with it. Just please, don't worry.
Woman: That's easy for you to say. You don't have a child out there.
[Jake gets out of his car and goes over to the other one. The other
driver and passenger are dead. He starts walking down the road.]
TOWN HALL
JOhnston: So the school bus was here. Tell me where they might have gone for
repairs.
Man: There's Wilson's garage off 160.
Eric: Or Cedar Run Road.. Principal McBay said they took a detour.
(someone says something here but I can't make it out)
Sheriff: I figure two teams...there's only so many places it could be.
Gray: What about the parents?
Woman: Right.
[Upset parents grumble and make noise.]
Johnston: Folks. Folks! Folks. Look, I know that every part of you wants to
just rush out there. I don't blame ya. But as your friend, I'm askin' you to
think about that. You're safe here. Now what if, God forbid, you go out
there and you get stranded, and your child comes back an orphan. You know
the sheriff and his men. You know they'll find your kids. So, please...
[Johnston turns back to the search. Theresa looks worried but mollified.
Gray looks disappointed that his rabble-rousing didn't work.]
[Jake limps down the road. He hears something and then sees two children
running toward him over the hill.
boy: Mister! Mister! Please! Save us!
Jake: Why? What is it?
boy: Mister, let's go. Please, I think they're dying.
[The children lead him quickly back the way they came.]
BACK IN TOWN
[We see the police cruiser and hear its radio. There are many cars, people
mulling around, and commotion..]
Sheriff: Jimmy, get over there and calm those folks down.
[The sheriff goes over to a truck where men are jumping out of the back with
rifles.]
Sheriff: Hey, Pete. Come on!
INSIDE THE POLICE STATION
[A police woman is on the phone. The station is busy. Eric walks in.]
police woman: We have all frequencies, sir. But outside, it's like there's
no one there.
Johnsont: Allright, um...what about analog? We could contact the governor
with a ham radio, couldn't we?
Woman: That could work, but there's only one in town that I know of.
Johnston: I was afraid you were gonna say that.
OUTSIDE
[Robert Hawkins walks over to the sheriff.]
Robert: Excuse me, sheriff? Robert Hawkins.
Sheriff: Well, it's good to meet you, Mr. Hawkins, but as you can see, we've
got our hands full.
Robert: You could use an extra man?
Sheriff: No civilians, Mayor's orders.
Robert: Well, I used to be a cop - St. Louis.
Sheriff: You know the roads around here?
Robert: No, just moved to town.
Sheriff: Then I'm afraid you'll just slow us down. I'm sorry.
[Sheriff smiles and walks away.]
Robert: You might want to get some black spray paint.
[Sheriff turns. Robert points to the sheriff's car, where it says "Jericho
Sheriff".]
Robert: You know, cover that? Look, I know you're tellin' people it was an
accident, and I hope it was, but if it was an attack, sheriff, and there's
chaos out there, you might not want the wrong people knowin' that Jericho is
still here.
Sheriff: With all due respect, Mr. Hawkins, this is not St. Louis.
[Sheriff walks away again.]
INSIDE OLIVER'S HOUSE
Johnston and Eric walk into this messy garage. Johnston coughs.
Eric: Dad, are you okay?
Johnston: I'm fine. Don't worry about me.
[An old man steps out, cocks his rifle and points it at them.]
Johnston: Oliver, would you stop that?
[Johnston points his flashlight at Oliver's face.]
Oliver: All right, Johnston.
[Oliver puts the gun down.]
Oliver: Thought you were aliens. Well, we're under attack...by aliens. Don't
you know?
Johnston: Yes, we do. That's why we're here. Do you have your ham radio?
Oliver: Eh....for you, fifty cents.
Eric: Oliver!
Oliver: What? I need my fifty cents.
[Johnston hands him a bill.]
Oliver: Okay...I'll get your change.
DALE'S HOUSE
[Dale sits at a table, his head down next to the answering machine,
listening to the message repeatedly.]
Dale's mom on answering machine: Hi, Dale. Sorry I didn't call sooner,
angel, but we decided to stay in the city an extra couple days.
Man in the background: Put down the phone and come to bed.
Dale's mom: Honey (laughs), stop that, it's my kid. Baby, what are you
staring at out the window?
Man: Get over here and look at this.
Dale's mom: What-what is that?
[Rumbling sound and crashing sound.]
Dale's mom: Oh, my God, oh, my God!
[In the distance, there is a rumbling and a sound like another bomb going
off, and lights go out around town.]
BACK OUTSIDE:
Fireman #1: How can we lose power?
Chief Carroll: I don't know.
Fireman #1: Bomb coulda fried the relays.
Fireman #3: No, that's possible.
Chief Carroll: Maybe, maybe. They coulda blown up the power station for all
we know.
[Robert walks up to the group of firemen.]
Robert: Guys, it was probably just a drain on the system from Denver.
Chief Carroll: You a... science teacher?
Robert: Robert Hawkins.
Chief Carroll: Chief Carroll.
[Two police cars drive down the road; one of them has a geiger counter.]
Sheriff: What's your twenty, Jimmy?
Jimmy: Willow Creek, Sheriff. But there is nothin' in sight.
[The children take Jake to the schoolbus, which is stalled in the road
with a dead deer under its front tire.]
girl: The deer went crazy and started running all over the road.
Jake: All right, just don't look, guys.
[They go inside the schoolbus. Jake is obviously in a lot of pain, grunting
and groaning as he moves. Jake grabs the school bus driver by the shoulders.
Heather speaks up, seated nearby.]
Heather: Is he alive?
Jake: Yeah. Are you okay?
Heather: Yeah. I - I think my leg is broken.
Jake: Can you feel your toes?
Heather: Yeah. Don't worry about me.
[Jake looks back at the bus full of children.]
Heather: Worry about them.
Jake (calling out): Is anybody hurt? Huh? Anybody?
boy: Stacy's sick. She can't breathe.
[Jake limps quickly back to the boy.]
Jake: What's wrong? Huh? What happened?
[Stacy doesn't speak; she is covering her neck with her hands and struggling
to breathe. The boy speaks to Jake with his chin over the edge of the seat.]
boy: When the bus stopped, she was like this.
Jake: It's okay, Stacy. Let me see. Let me see it.
[Jake gently moves her hands away from her neck.]
Jake: Let me see? Let me just see, Stacy. It's okay. It's okay. You have an
ice pack? We got to stop the swelling now.
Heather (to a boy): Lucas, the first aid kit is under the seat.
[A boy gets the kit and takes it back to Jake.]
Jake: Okay. Come on. It's all right. Just keep breathing. Breathe normally,
all right? It's okay. It's okay. You're fine. Just keep breathing normally.
Okay. You're okay. OK.
[The girl sounds worse and worse.]
Jake: Calm down. Calm down. All right. Hey, Stacy.
[Stacy suddenly stops breathing and starts turning blue.]
Jake: No, no no no.
[Jake puts his head to her chest. She is unmoving. All of the children look
sad and stunned because she looks dead.]
Jake: Think. Think. Think. All right. Look, I need everyone's help right
now. Who has a pen? Does anyone? Does anybody have a pen? All right, I need
a pen. Any-
Boy: We have pencils.
Jake: No, I need a- I need a tube... somethin' hollow. Um, a straw.
girl: I have a straw.
[She takes it to Jake.]
Jake: Okay, let me see it. Let me see it. Come on. Ah, that's too thin. Does
anybody else have a juice box?
[Many of the children raise their hands and volunteer.]
Jake: All right, get 'em out. Get 'em out. Get some bandaids out. What's
your name?
girl: Julie.
Jake: All right, everybody, give your straws to Julie, okay? Hurry, quick!
Make 'em into a circle. All right, you got that? Here you go. Now tape 'em
together with those bandaids.
[Jake gets out his pocket knife while the children do what he asks. He moves
his knife towards Stacy's neck but then hesitates.]
Jake: Who's the strongest kid? Huh? You.
[Jake points toward the boy who told him about Stacy.]
Jake: I need you to hold her shoulders down in case she wakes up, all right?
Don't look.
[Jake cuts into Stacy's neck. The kids watch nervously.]
Jake: Where's my straws?
[He puts the tube into her neck and then breathes into it until she starts
breathing again. She opens her eyes and looks up at him. Jake laughs with
relief and then sits down.]
[Sheriff spies a bus from his police car.]
Sheriff (on radio): Wait. I see somethin'. Okay, okay. We see the bus.
Jimmy: Oh, good. You want us?
Sheriff: No, you keep looking for Jake.
[The sheriff's car and another policecar stops.]
Sherrif: Let's get down there, boys.
boy: How'd you learn how to do that?
Jake: Uh, military school.
boy: Are you a soldier?
Jake: No, a screw-up.
[The bus that the sheriff sees is not the school bus, but a prison bus.
He boards the bus and finds everyone dead. The other policeman calls to the
sheriff.]
policeman: Sheriff. Sheriff, look at this. It's the wrong bus.
Sheriff: Riley? Rile, get over here.
[Gunshot]
[The sheriff turns toward the bus door, not seeing a man standing up behind
him.]
Sheriff: Riley!
[Gunshot]
SCHOOL BUS
[Jake walks off the bus and examines the front of the bus.]
Jake: Where's the damn rescue party?
[Dale goes to the Green house.]
Gail: Well, hi, Dale. Come on in, honey. Come on. We're all trying to get
through this together.
[The Green living room is full of people. Bonnie waves to Dale.]
Bonnie: Hi, Dale.
Gail: You okay, honey?
[Dale, still in shock, doesn't answer. Gail shines a flashlight on his hand,
which holds the answering machine tape.]
Gail: Whatcha got there?
Dale: My mom.
[They all listen to the answering machine tape. They all react with groans
and cries as Dale watches sadly.]
Gail: Oh, Dale. I am so sorry. I didn't know your mother was in Denver.
Dale: She wasn't in Denver. She's in Atlanta.
[The room reacts with louder cries and gasps.]
woman: Oh, my God.
Gail: I'm sure that they'll have some answers...
[Dale leaves.]
SCHOOL BUS
[Jake carries Stacy to the front of the bus.]
Heather: How is she?
Jake: We need to get her back.
GRACIE'S STORE
Gracie walks up and down her store aisles with a flashlight. She hears a
noise and turns her flashlight toward it. She shines her light on Dale's
face.
SCHOOL BUS
[Jake drags the bus driver back to the aisle with the help of one of the
boys and lies him down.]
Jake: Uh. Right here, right here.
[One of the girls is sitting next to and leaning on Heather.]
girl: Miss Lisinski, are we going to have school tomorrow?
Heather: We'll figure it out, honey.
girl: I don't know.
[Jake sits in the driver seat. His leg is bleeding badly and he is obviously
in more pain.]
GRACIE'S STORE
[Gracie nervously follows Dale around the store as he picks up items.]
Gracie: Dale. Dale, what are you doin', honey? Please. Please don't steal
from me. Dale!
TOWN SQUARE
[There are more cars and more commotion. People are getting more frantic,
starting to turn into a mob. One man fills gas cans and then puts them into
his car. Another man comes up.]
man #1: Hey, you got extra there?
man #2: First come, first served.
man #1: Hey, man. First yOu filled up your truck, you gonna mow your lawn,
too?
man #2: I got a family, you know?
man #1: We all got families. Come on.
[man #1 grabs one of the gas cans.]
man #2: Get your hand off the can.
[They argue and struggle with the can; gas spills.]
man #2: What are you doin'?
SCHOOL BUS
[Jake starts the bus. It makes a strange sound but starts.]
Jake: All right, everybody. Sit down.
[The children sit. Jake drives the bus. Heather looks at Stacy.]
Heather: Hurry.
GRACIE'S STORE
Gracie and Dale put food in the freezers.
Dale: The food won't go rotten as long as the weather stays cool. Hopefully
the power will be fixed by then.
Gracie: Thank you for this, Dale.
Dale: Anything for you, ma'am.
TOWN SQUARE
[Tensions rise, more fighting and horns honking. The two men keep fighting
over the gas. Someone else tries to help break it up as they start pushing
and shoving.]
man #1: Get out of the car.
man #2: Step away. Step away from the car.
man #1: You need to get out of the car.
man #2: Come on, get off me.
man #3: Hey, hey, hey hey, break it up. Come on!
Robert (to Chief Carroll): You need to get some lights on, before people
start losin' it.
Chief Carrol: All we have is lanterns and flashlights. That's not enough to
light up the street, though.
Robert: But your town does roadwork at night, right?
[People keep fighting. Suddenly, huge lights come on. Robert helps crank one
up.]
Chief Carroll: You sure you're not the science teacher?
man on radio: Chief, we got a real problem down here at the gas station. We
need your help right away.
[Chief Carroll goes to answer the radio while Gray watches nearby.]
Chief Carroll: I'm on my way.
Robert: I got this.
Gray: All right, I'll come with you.
Chief Carroll: All right. Thanks.
POLICE STATION
[Johnston listens in on the radio while the police woman from earlier stands
nearby.]
police woman: Sir?
man on radio: Somethin's going on at the gas station. Big crowd. Looks like
trouble. We need help down here.
[Eric runs in.]
Eric: Dad!
Johnston: I heard. Go, go. Sarah...
[Gail rushes in as Eric leaves and Johnston starts to walk out the door.]
Gail: Honey...
Johnston: I don't have time right now. Some damn fool-
Gail: Johnston.
Johnston: What?
Gail: Listens to me. Dale Turner's mother died tonight. In another
explosion. Atlanta.
Johnston: Oh, my God.
[He puts his arm around her and they walk out together.]
SCHOOL BUS
[Jake starts to pass out as he drives the bus. He doesn't notice that the
bus passes the convict bus, which is off the side of the road. The sheriff
and the other policeman lie there with big holes in their backs. We can hear
the chatter on the police radio.]
man on radio: Sheriff? Yeah, there's no sign of Jake out here. In fact,
there's, uh, no sign of anybody. Uh, we're gonna...we're gonna head back.
Let me know if the kids need anything. Sheriff, you there?
Jake: Stay awake. Stay awake. Don't....
[Jake looks at the gas indicator, which is on empty. He is obviously
fighting to stay alert but is having trouble.]
Jake: Oh. Does this bus have a gas can?
[Heather shakes her head.]
Jake: If the bus...stops...
[Heather turns to the kids and puts on a smile.]
Heather: Kids...listen to me. If the bus stops again, we're gonna need you
to walk back to town and get help, okay?
boy: I don't know where we are.
Jake: When you get to the stop sign, turn left, all right? Take a left.
boy: Which way is left?
[Jake sighs in frustration.]
Heather: Hold up your hands.
[The kids do as she says.]
Heather: Stick out your thumbs. The one that makes an L? That's your left.
[The boy nods.]
[The firetruck, with Gray and the others, arrives at the gas station
where the fight is still going on. Gray uses the firetruck's loudspeaker to
yell at the people fighting and get them to stop.]
Gray: Marty Haver. Marty! Stop it right now. Yeah, Marty, I'm talking to
you. Micheal Stevenson... Why are you turning on each other? Stealing from
your neighbors? You are fighting the wrong people, and we are literally in
the dark.
[The crowd slowly starts turning to listen to him rather than fight.]
Gray: All I'm saying is that, I- I think we need to get organized. I-
[Gray puts down the radio, steps down from the truck, and addresses them
with his own voice rather than using the loudspeaker. Johnston appears in
the crowd.]
Gray: I don't know where the mayor is, but maybe it's time we came up with a
plan for ourselves.
Johnston: What's going on, Gray? We making speeches?
Gray: With all due respect, Mr. Mayor, we have a missing bus, no police,
firemen doing policeman's jobs.
Eric: How dare you politicize this?
Johnston: Eric, it's okay.
Eric: I'm not talking to my opponent. I am talking to my mayor. I don't care
about the election. I care about survival. We just might be on our own here,
and I need to know what my mayor intends to do.
man in crowd: Yeah!
[Crowd grumbles.]
Johnston: Folks, I know we been through a lot tonight. I want to tell you
something. I been to big cities, I been to foreign countries, but I will
take the good people-
Shep: The good people of Jericho over any other city. We know, Mr. Mayor,
we've heard the speech.
[Crowd keeps grumbling.]
Johnston: Well, Shep, I hope you don't think I've been asleep at the switch.
We had all hoped that this was an accident, but the unfortunate truth is
there was another explosion in Atlanta.
[Crowd sounds shocked.]
Johnston: I been busy trying to contact the governor to try to
co-ordinate...
[Johnston is drowned out by the crowd's noise.]
man in crowd: Well, what if the governor's dead?
Johnston: There is no report of anything happening in Topeka.
man in crowd: How can we get reports without television?
another man in crowd: Or no phone?
woman in crowd: What about New York?
Johnston: We don't know anything about New York.
man in crowd: How we going to get the power back on?
[Other questions come very fast, too fast for anyone to address.]
woman in crowd: Is the drinking water okay?
Johnston: One at a time, please. Just calm down.
man in crowd: Calm down? My boy is still out there.
Johnston: The sheriff is out there right now, looking for your boy and my
boy.
man in crowd: What about everybody else?
woman in crowd: We need more police officers out there.
man in crowd: But we need to know what you're gonna do now.
Eric: Please, no one can answer that.
man: come on, Mayor.
[Horn honking loudly. Everyone turns to look.]
man: What's that supposed to be?
[Jake drives the school bus up and opens the door.]
Jake: Help them. Help 'em!
man: It's Stacy.
man: Hey there, little one. You're okay.
[Jake and Heather relieved exchange smiles.]
Jake: What's your name?
Heather: Heather.
Jake: Jake.
Heather: Nice to meet you, Jake.
[Jake nods.]
Jake: You, too.
[Parents carry their children off the bus.]
man: Hey, buddy.
boy: Dad, there was this deer...
woman: Mommy's right here, I'm right here, honey. You're gonna be okay.
[Gail arrives and sees Jake. She goes up and helps him off the bus; Johnston
is behind her.]
Gail: Jake.
Jake: Mom.
Gail: Oh, baby. Oh, honey.
Jake: I'll be all right. Everything okay?
Gail: Yeah. Eric, help your brother.
Jake: Dad.
Eric: Put your arm around me. Easy, easy.
Gail: Careful, careful.
Eric: Easy, easy.
Jake: Okay.
Gail: Eric, get April. We'll meet you at the medical center.
[Gail and Jake get in the ambulance.]
Jake: Hey, hey, there's an empty prison bus out there.
Eric: Whereabouts?
Jake: Cedar Run.
Eric: All right, just relax. I'll take care of it.
Gail: Oh, God. Look at ya, you're a mess.
Jake: I'm fine. Stop worrying about me.
Gail: Well, good luck with that.
[Johnston goes to the bus and looks inside. He turns.]
Johnston: Hey, Shep. You said earlier that you'd heard that speech before.
You ever ask yourself why I say it? 'Cause I happen to trust you people.
'Cause I love my town. Now, somethin' happened in Denver, and Atlanta, and
it could be that we wake up and we find out that's where it stopped. But
until we know, are we gonna use our imaginations to solve problems, or to
cause them? Now, we can get the power back on, we can find out how big this
thing is... If we have to, we can fight. We can fight anybody. We can fight
all enemies. The only way that's gonna happen is if we work together. Now go
on home. we'll meet tomorrow, town hall. And folks, don't you break my heart
again. Chief? Keep all the men close until the sheriff gets back. Hey, Shep.
[Crowd disperses; Johnston shakes Shep's hand.]
AMBULANCE
Gail: I was afraid I was never gonna see you again.
Jake: [Chuckles] Come on. You think I'd let Dad have the last word?
Johnston: Hey, quit talkin' about me. You did a great thing out there
tonight.
Jake: Thanks.
[Johnston nods.]
Johnston: Your grandfather would've been proud. Gonna go see what's taking
these guys so long.
Jake: You know, I go away for a few years and the town goes to hell.
[half-hearted chuckle.]
Gail: I'm glad you're home.
Jake: Yeah, we'll see.
[Ambulance doors close.]
Chief Carroll: What are you thinking?
Robert: I was just wondering what it's all gonna look like in the mornin'.
"Run" by Snow Patrol plays.
[April is driving out on the highway. There are a lot of bumps, so she
stops and gets out. She sees lots of dead animals all over the road and is
horrified.]
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