INT OFFICES OF THE POPE - HALLWAY NIGHT

CLOSE ON a watch -- 11:40. Outside the door to the Pope's

office, Lt. Chartrand is desperate.

While Father Simeon attempts to argue with him in Italian,

Chartrand turns, hearing the POUNDING coming from down the hall.

He heads toward it, rounds a corner --

INT POPE'S PRIVATE LIBRARY NIGHT

-- and steps into the Pope's private library, where the POUNDING

is louder.

110.

He steps to a heavy door in the wall, looks unused for a century,

but it's clearly the source of the sounds. He looks down, sees

three keyholes in the door, and an ancient key in each of them.

Chartrand puts his ear to the door, hears VOICES --

INT IL PASSETTO NIGHT

-- and, on the other side, Langdon and Vittoria squint at the

light as the heavy door is hauled open before them.

Chartrand looks at them in amazement -- how'd you get here?

LANGDON

The Camerlengo is in danger!

INT PAPAL OFFICES - HALLWAY NIGHT

Chartrand, Langdon, and Vittoria round the corner and race down

the hallway toward the Pope's office, just as --

-- a BLOODCURDLING SCREAM comes from behind the closed doors. The

Swiss Guard move fast, throwing open the door.

INT POPE'S OFFICE NIGHT

Langdon and the others race into the pope's office and find a

truly bizarre scene.

Rocher is near the fireplace, brandishing his sidearm, aimed at

the Camerlengo, who lays on the floor, writhing in agony.

His cassock is torn open, and his bare chest is seared black. A

large, square brand is on the floor at Rocher's feet.

Two of the Swiss Guard act without hesitation -- they open fire.

Two bullets SLAM into Rocher's chest and he crumples.

Father Simeon bursts into the room, and as he does the Camerlengo

rolls over onto one side, points his index finger at Simeon, and

cries out a single word:

CAMERLENGO

ILLUMINATUS!

FR. SIMEON

You bastard! You sanctimonious-

He rushes at the Camerlengo and Chartrand reacts on instinct,

putting three bullets in Father Simeon's back.

111.

He falls to the floor, dead.

Chartrand and the Guards dash to the Camerlengo, who clutches his

chest, convulsing in pain.

Langdon walks toward him, stunned, as the Guards pull the

Camerlengo's hands away from his wound, revealing the fifth brand.

The crossed keys, seared into the flesh of his chest.

Langdon looks at Rocher in utter disbelief. Rocher's still alive,

trying to say something, holding out a hand.

Everyone else in the room is focused on the Camerlengo, so Langdon

bends down, takes the dying man's hand.

Rocher looks up at him, desperation in his eyes, trying to

communicate something but too weak to say more than:

ROCHER

For safety.

And his eyes close.

Langdon withdraws his hand from Rocher's, and finds the dying man

has pressed something into his palm.

A key.

Langdon looks at it, and it gives him a thought. He turns, looks

at the Camerlengo, whose chest is exposed.

The crossed keys are indeed branded there -- but they're upside

down.

Langdon slips the key in his pocket and approaches the Camerlengo

as Chartrand gets to his feet, on his radio.

CHARTRAND

I need a Medevac to St. Peter's

Square, right now!

The Camerlengo struggles to a sitting position.

CAMERLENGO

Order the evacuation. We only have

nineteen minutes.

LANGDON

(POINTING)

The keys. They're upside down.

112.

VITTORIA

You think it's a sign?

LANGDON

Everything has been a sign, why should

this be any different?

He looks at Rocher, dead on the floor. Back at the branded

keys.

LANGDON (cont'd)

Crossed keys -- the symbol for the

papacy, upside-down.

CAMERLENGO

St. Peter.

LANGDON

(YES)

The first pope, he was crucified

upside-down, on Vatican Hill. Right

beneath where we're standing.

CAMERLENGO

"Upon this rock I will build my

church."...

LANGDON

Or bring it down upon itself.

He looks back at Rocher, and at Father Simeon, dead on the floor.

LANGDON (cont'd)

They were conservatives, the former

Pope was becoming more and more

liberal. Maybe they loved their

church so much they were willing to

destroy it.

CAMERLENGO

(thinking, repeats)

Upon this rock I will build my church.

LANGDON

St. Peter's tomb is the very core of

Christendom.

CAMERLENGO

The bomb is in St. Peter's tomb!

LANGDON

(almost admiring it)

The ultimate infiltration.

113.

VITTORIA

I can still change the battery if we

hurry!

CUT TO:

EXT ST. PETER'S SQUARE NIGHT

The square is more crowded than ever, and now the helicopter.

Chartrand called SWOOPS in low overhead as Vatican Police

frantically try to clear a landing area.

CUT TO:

INT ST. PETER'S BASILICA NIGHT

Langdon, Vittoria, the Camerlengo, and two Swiss Guard are

hurrying across the deserted floor of St. Peter's Basilica when

the lights go out.

CHARTRAND

The grid is still cycling -- the power

to this section must be down.

They race down the center aisle, to the candlelit balustrade which

surrounds the winding staircase into the grottoes.

CAMERLENGO

Oil lamps. Grab one!

They do, and run down the center stair.

On the staircase,

the ninety-nine burning oil lamps throw exaggerated shadows on

stone walls.

VITTORIA

What's down here?

LANGDON

The Necropolis. City of the dead.

Oh.

The Camerlengo drops to his knees and opens an iron grate in the

marble floor.

CUT TO:

114.

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 660