Mal smiles, amused.
INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — CONTINUOUS
As Cobb runs up the stairs he reads the TYPEWRITTEN SHEETS from his envelope, and we—
CUT TO:
INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — DAY
Arthur OPENS the silver case: a COMPLEX MECHANISM of TUBES, SYRINGES, DOSAGE CONTROLLERS. Arthur’s hands fly across the machine’s controls as he glances at Saito’s STIRRING face—
ARTHUR
I’m not going to make it! Wake Cobb!
INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — CONTINUOUS
Nash turns to Cobb. Raises his hand and SMACKS him across the face, and we—
CUT TO:
INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT
Cobb is SMASHED sideways off his feet…
INT. DINING ROOM, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT
The CEILING CRACKS above Saito- he looks up as a TON of STONE floods down, CRUSHING HIM and we—
CUT TO:
INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — DAY
Saito’s eyes FLICKER OPEN. AWAKE.
INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — CONTINUOUS
Nash SMACKS Cobb again—
NASH
He won’t wake!
INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — CONTINUOUS
Arthur crouched by Saito, connects the second tube.
ARTHUR
Dunk him!
A CLICK: Arthur looks up to find Saito with a gun to his head and a finger to his lips, gesturing silence…
INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — CONTINUOUS
Nash puts his hand on Cobb’s forehead and PUSHES HIM BACKWARDS — as Cobb starts to FALL BACKWARDS in the chair we are in SLOW MOTION, and we—
CUT TO:
INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT
Cobb, full speed, picks himself up, scrambling to read the last sheet of paper. He stares at it PUZZLED — bullets hit around him as the Guards race up the stairs and we—
CUT TO:
INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — DAY
Cobb in SLOW MOTION, hits the WATER — head THRASHING as he goes under — and we—
CUT TO:
INT. GRAND STAIRCASE, JAPANESE CASTLE — NIGHT
Cobb glances up from the paper as WATER EXPLODES IN THROUGH ALL THE WINDOWS, FLOODING THE ENTIRE HALL — COBB IS SWAMPED BY WATER, SPUN IN ALL DIRECTIONS AT ONCE — HE PULLS DEEPER OR FOR THE SURFACE, WE CAN’T TELL…
HE BREAKS THE SURFACE, GASPING FOR AIR IN THE BATHTUB IN THE—
INT. FILTHY BATHROOM — DAY
Cobb’s AWAKE, GULPING AIR, getting his bearings.
Saito SMASHES into the room, KNOCKING Nash down— Cobb LAUNCHES himself out of the tub, FLYING dripping wet across the room to SLAM Saito against the door — the gun DROPS, Cobb’s fist CONNECTS with Saito’s jaw and the struggle is over.
INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — MOMENTS LATER
Cobb, wet but composed, sits, turning Saito’s gun in his hand. Nash holds Saito’s arms behind him. Outside, the sounds of RIOTING grow louder.
COBB
You came prepared.
SAITO
I bring the gun because not even my head of security knows this apartment. How did you find it?
Arthur, at the window, looks out at the WORSENING VIOLENCE.
COBB
Hard for a man in your position to keep a love nest totally secret… particularly when there’s a married woman involved.
SAITO
She would never…
COBB
And yet, here we are.
Saito is silent.
COBB
With a dilemma.
SAITO
You got what you came for.
COBB
Not quite. The key piece of information wasn’t there, was it, Mr. Saito?
Arthur looks over at Cobb, worried.
ARTHUR
They’re getting closer, Cobb.
CUT TO:
INT. BULLET TRAIN COMPARTMENT — DAY
Todashi slips a pair of HEADPHONES over Nash’s ears, then pulls out an MP3 player and we—
CUT TO:
INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — DAY
Saito’s eyes are on the floor.
COBB
You held something back because you knew what we were up to…
Cobb uses the barrel of the gun to raise Saito’s chin.
COBB
So why let us in at all?
Saito smiles, defiant. VIOLENT NOISES echo up the stairway…
SAITO
An audition.
COBB
Audition for what?
SAITO
It doesn’t matter. You failed.
COBB
I extracted all the information you had in there.
SAITO
But your deception was readily apparent.
And we—
CUT TO:
INT. BULLET TRAIN COMPARTMENT — DAY
Todashi opens the SILVER BRIEFCASE, revealing the complex mechanism of syringes and controllers — FOUR CONTROLLERS DISPLAY COUNTDOWNS.
Todashi waits for the first countdown to hit “30,” then HITS PLAY on the MP3 player— He watches Nash’s sleeping face as he RAISES the volume…
Through Nash’s headphones: the opening bars of Edith Piaf’s “Non, je ne regrette rien,” and we—
CUT TO:
INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — DAY
In the distant background, strange MASSIVE low-end MUSICAL start, sounding like DISTANT HORNS…
SAITO
So leave me and go.
COBB
You know the corporation who hired us won’t accept failure. We won’t last two days…
The DISTANT, SLOWED-DOWN MUSIC is becoming LOUDER, as are the SHOUTS coming up the stairs. Arthur looks at his watch, its SLOW SECOND TICKING MARKS TIME WITH THE MASSIVE MUSIC.
ARTHUR
Come on, Cobb.
COBB
So now I have to do this the old-fashioned way—
Cobb GRABS SAITO AND PUTS HIS HEAD TO THE FLOOR, gun pressed into his cheek. Saito looks into Cobb’s eyes — sees he will pull the trigger. Saito BLINKS, looks away in shame— When he NOTICES SOMETHING. And starts LAUGHING.
SAITO
I’ve always hated this carpet.
Cobb’s eyes flick to the carpet and back.
SAITO
It’s stained and frayed in such distinctive ways…
Cobb looks up at Nash, who shrugs, at a loss.
SAITO
But very definitely made of wool. Right now I’m lying on polyester.
Cobb glares at Nash, and we—
CUT TO:
INT. BULLET TRAIN COMPARTMENT — DAY
Todashi watches the first of the countdowns hit ZERO— He looks up at Arthur, STIRRING, and we—
CUT TO:
INT. DILAPIDATED HOTEL ROOM — DAY
Saito turns from the carpet to look up at Cobb.
SAITO
Which means I’m not lying on my carpet, in my apartment…
(smiles)
You’ve lived up to your reputation, Mr. Cobb… I’m still dreaming.
Cobb looks over to Arthur, but ARTHUR HAS VANISHED, and we—
CUT TO:
INT. BULLET TRAIN COMPARTMENT — DAY
Arthur’s eyes flicker open, AWAKE. He RIPS at his tubes.
TODASHI
How’d it go?
ARTHUR
Not good.
Arthur checks the remaining three countdowns, and we—