"Well, what next?" "You kicked the bucket, Deputy." "You know what that means, don't you?" "No, what?" "You kicked the bucket!" " Never mind." " You need a towel." " I'll get a mop." " All right." "Man, I didn't think making some extra money would be this much work." "Caleb!" "Electrocution, people." "Intubate and run some Ringer's." "We need a crash cart, stat." "I'm on it, Doctor." "Low B.P." "On my count." "One, two, three." " Get respiratory down here." " I'm on it." "I don't want him to die, Doctor." "Well, how about that?" "We're on the same team for once." " Okay, gel him up." "Charge the paddles." " All right, Doctor." "Let's go." "Come on, what are you waiting for?" "Could I just get in here, right away." " Paddles?" " Paddles ready." "Let's go." "Let's get it on him." "Okay, I've got the third line in." " All right, go." " Clear." " Clear." " Back integrators are ready." "Pump his arms." " Is he breathing?" " Yeah." "Start hyperventilating." "Get respiratory down here, now." "Does anybody know how much current the pathway took?" "Charging." "Come on, kid, hang in there." "No response, Doctor." "Come on, Caleb." "Still got nothing." "No pulse." "No blood." " Merly?" " Hello, Caleb." "We pushed two amps of bicarb." "Get respiratory down here." "Yes, sir." "I'm dead, ain't I?" "God's plan works for us all." "Still flat-line, Doctor." "Clear." " Anything?" " Nothing." "I always figured I'd be afraid." " Well, you belong here." " I couldn't agree more." "Although it just may be that your timing is off a little bit." "You see, Caleb, your sister isn't telling you everything." "You still have a choice." "Why didn't you tell me, Merly?" "Because she's afraid, Caleb." "She's afraid if you live a long and healthy life... you'll make all the wrong choices." "See?" "There's that word again, "choice."" "You don't want me to go, do you?" "I love you, Caleb." "It's your choice." "Not much time, son." "Can you come with us?" "Caleb... take my hand." "...about 45%." "There he comes." " Congratulations, Doctor." " Let's keep him stabilized." "What's his B.P.?" "Yes, he is." "Would you like to speak with him?" " Yeah." " It's for you, Mr. Rolston." " Rolston, is that you?" " Yeah, it's me." " Thank God." "Are you all right?" " I'm all right." " We're gonna send that ransom..." " No, not the entire amount..." "No, you are not running a board meeting now, pig-head." "Yeah, and if your flunkies don't come up with the rest of the cash... you're going to be one redundant C.E.O." ""Redundant C.E.O."?" "What the hell kind of talk is that?" "It means we're gonna cap this old bastard if there's a slip-up." " Right, Ted?" " That's right." "Why the personal animosity?" "People, let's just keep this business, okay?" "Business?" "Is that what you call it?" "A million people die from lung cancer, but to you it's business?" "That's so immature." "Could we all please just shut up and get in the house?" "Good idea." "Let's go." "Come on." "I want to go over this one more time with you, Teddy." "The rest of the money's gonna be in a car." "It's gonna be parked and the motor's gonna be running." "And I'm gonna be across the street with Jeri." "I'll make the pick-up, and we'll be back within an hour." "Now, you watch over this guy till we get back." "Good." "Just like a good Samaritan." "Hey, what are we waiting on, a team prayer?" "Let's go." " So you feel okay?" " I feel fine." "You sure?" "Well, maybe a little woozy." "Yeah, you did take enough voltage to light up a whole county." "Anyhow, where we're going... you can just relax and... take it nice and easy." "But I've been laying around as it is." "I don't want to lie myself around in a room." "Who said anything about lying around?" "We're going to Simpsonville, buddy." "Home of the biggest, meanest, largemouth bass in South Carolina." "Come on." "Where in the hell are they?" "This is dumb, Cody." "This is the law of diminishing returns." "Listen, our hostage is a big-shot tobacco executive, all right?" "If his idiots were willing to pay $100,000 before for him, they'll pay $200,000 now." " I just think you're pushing it this time." " No, listen to me." "Let's just sit tight for 10 more minutes, baby, okay?" "And when they show up with the rest of the money, we'll go back to the cabin... we'll get rid of Rolston, we'll pick up Ted, and we'll be on our way, that's it." "What's the matter?" "You don't trust him with the money back there?" "Ted?" "He's your brother." "Yeah, I know he's my brother." "I'm asking you if you trust him." " I go with my gut, Cody." " All right, then." "Got a real good feeling about Ted." "Hungry?" "Some." "I could use a doughnut." "Just 'cause I'm in law enforcement... don't mean I've got a bag of doughnuts under the seat." "You must have a lot of misperceptions about me, son." "I keep an open mind." "Good." "That's a good trait." "What about monsters?" "Evil spirits and all that?" "Well, what about them?" "You believe in them?" "Depends on what kind." "How about something in the woods of Simpsonville?" "Like a big cat." "Only nobody's ever actually seen it." "Well, how do they know it exists?" "Claw marks." "Plus the fact there's nobody left out there." "Hold on son." "Is that Selena?" "You bet." " Hello, Sheriff." " Miss Coombs." " Hot date?" " Maybe." "How you doing, Caleb, honey?" "Fine, thank you, ma'am." "We're going fishing." "And I see you brought along your own worm." " Well, have fun." " We're planning to." "Nothing like a good, old-fashioned, good old boys' fishing trip... just me, Caleb, Billy Peele." "Well, your information's not as good as it used to be, Lucas." "Billy Peele and I are going to a concert tonight." "A concert?" "Woman, have you got your signals crossed." "Floyd, patch me through to Dr. Peele over at the hospital, will you?" " What is this, a band concert?" " You got it, Lucas." " The symphony." " Well, that'll be fun." "Dr. Peele here." "What's it now, Buck?" "Billy boy, I got Caleb here." "He was just wanting to make sure you weren't kidding about fishing." "Of course not." "I just got me a bait-casting rig." "I knew you were a man of your word, Doc." "I'll tell him." "Looks like the symphony will have to wait, huh?" "Buck?" "Hello?" "Let's hurry up and get to Simpsonville." "Them bass will be biting in a little while." " You there?" " What was that all about?" "I don't know." "I promised Caleb I'd take him fishing next week, when he's feeling better." "Know what I'd do in your situation?" "Bail." " You would." " Yes, I would." "Damage control, son." "Your partners go down the chute, you start thinking about self-preservation." "My partners are fine." "Yeah, sure they are." "Right in the middle of a capital offense... they stop at a no-tell motel for a quickie." "You want me to gag you again?" "Then shut up!" "Jumpy, eh?" "Well, I would be, too, if I was facing life in prison." "Or worse." "Shut up, will you?" "You got most of the money." " You don't need me now." " Sit down, Rolston." "You just tell them I was already gone when you got back." "How will they ever know?" "Look, you're not calling the shots here, Rolston." "Come back here, Rolston, or you're one dead captain of industry." "Do you hear me?" "You stupid old man." "Look what you made me do!" "Well..." "Well, I can tell this place has got more bass than people, that's for sure." "Like I said, the force is with them." "The unseen force." "You scoff now, friend, but come nightfall... you're gonna be singing a different tune." "Come nightfall, I'll be frying bass on the skillet and whistling "Dixie."" "Well, then, let's get to work." "What's wrong?" "Something." "Maybe it's the unseen force." "Don't try anything." " Hey!" " Trail mix?" "Actually, it's party mix." "Got all these crispy bits in it." " Trail mix?" " I made it myself." "It's spicy." "Thanks." "Stay right where you are." "I'm not going anywhere." "We're on vacation." "Oh, God." "You're a cop." "Lucas Buck." "Nice to meet you..." "I'm not telling you my name." "It looks like we're gonna be together a little while." "I got to call you something." "How about..." "I'll call you Ted." "How'd you know my name?" "Blind, dumb luck." "You just look like a Ted." "What's your plan, Ted?" " None of your business." " You don't have a plan, Ted?" "You know what Nietzsche said, Ted." ""A man without a plan is not a man."" "I'd rather have a gun than a plan." "Well, that's where you're wrong, son." "Ted, you gonna shoot?" "'Cause if I'm gonna get shot by a Ted, I'd rather it be sooner than later." "I will if I have to." "I can see it now, Ted." "Your face on the evening news." "Headline reads "Cop killer."" ""Child murderer."" "Your mama at home watching..." " proud of her little boy." " Back off." "It's right to the heart." "I'd be dead before I even hit the floor." "Go for it, Ted." " Caleb." " Yes, sir." " Rustle us up some fishing line." " All right." "Lucas, I think you ought to come here a minute." "Ted, that man is half-dead." "And you halfway took us hostage." " I'm gonna call you Half-Ted." " Shut up." "Let me tell you why Half-Ted here is a failure." "You know what a conscience is?" "It's like when you do something wrong and it bothers you." "Well, not me." "But see, Half-Ted here has half a conscience." "A man with a real conscience never would have gotten himself into this pickle." "And a man with no conscience would have killed us all, and be in Florida already." "So you're saying that Ted's not a bad man?" "I'm not talking about good or bad, son." "I'm talking about survival." "Whole, half." "Half is nowhere." "Half is..." " Half." " You've got to take it all the way." "That's right." "Half-Ted, you're a lousy shot." "We'd better get this man to a hospital." "Face it." "We've been set up." "It wasn't no set-up." "They must've forgotten." "For God's sake, Cody, when are you gonna wake up?" "They didn't forget anything." "There's no car." "There's no money." "They're not gonna pay another cent for that idiot." "Why couldn't we just stick to the plan?" "When is it enough for you?" " I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." " Oh, yeah, that's great." "Yeah, kill the hostage." "Why don't we add murder to the list?" "We better blow out of here now before the cops show up." "I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." " Fulton County Hospital." " Dr. Peele, please." "I'm sorry, he's gone for the day." "I'll bet he is." "Damn!" "That son of a bitch." "It's the heat." "What heat?" "It's just some doofus fisherman." "That's a blue car, they don't have any trim on it... it's got a spotlight on the side." "That's a cop." "I thought you were a tough guy." " A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do." " Get down." "Don't shoot!" "It's me!" "It's me!" "Come on out, Ted." "He can't." "I got a gun to his head." "Who the hell are you?" "Sheriff Lucas Buck." "There's a young boy in here." "Put down your gun and we'll talk about what you do next." "You listen to me." "You send my brother out right now... or we're gonna shred the place." " Cody, we can't do that." " Why not?" " They'll kill Ted first, then they'll take us." " Listen..." "I'm not going back to prison, all right?" "If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die right here." "You hear me?" "You send him out or we're gonna shoot!" "If that's your choice, Ted stays with us." "Fire at will." " That bastard's crazy." " No." "He's up to something." "We'll attack after dark." "Get Ted out of there." "Kill them all." " What about the kid?" " We'll kill him first." " Comfortable, Ted?" " No." "Good." "What are you thinking about?" "I'm thinking the sun can't go down fast enough." "I'm thinking about carving him up like a big goose." "Real slow." " Dark meat first." " You always do this." "Fly off the handle." "How about thinking for a change?" "Who the hell is this?" "Billy?" "Billy, honey, where are you?" " Who the hell is Billy?" " Who is she?" "All the backwoods, nowhere spots in South Carolina... and you pick the one everybody else is using." "Shut up." "Where is he?" " Who?" " You know who." "So you lured me all the way out here?" "For what?" "The fishing." "We catch them, you cook them." "Well, what about him?" "Shouldn't we get him to the hospital?" "Back to Dr. Loverboy?" "The surgeon's surgeon?" "Miss Coombs, there are armed criminals practically right outside our front door." "You'll get back to Professor Magic-Fingers soon enough." "You are the coldest man I know." "Yeah, but it's what you like." "What you've always been attracted to." "So save the sermon, Florence Nightingale." "Caleb, come here." "Who the hell are you?" "Take a look out there and tell me what you see." "I see two people arguing at each other." "No, not at all." "They're relating to each other." "Sharing and caring." "In love, you've got to go straight for the heart." "That's why they invented the dagger." "Miss Coombs is seeing the world through rose-colored glasses these days." "Watch this." "Hey, Cody, is it?" "Hey, boy, I want to talk to you." "See if we can work this thing out." "So I don't have to shoot your brother in the head." "Why don't you come out here?" "Now, why would I do that?" "I got the money and your brother." "You got squat." "All right." "Are you out of your mind?" "You don't just stroll up to the sheriff for a little chat." "It's all right." "I've got a .306" "to do my chatting for me." " Well, I'm going, too..." " No, you're not." "You stay here and cover me." "Now, remember, pay close attention." "'Cause this is primarily a lesson about love." "And those are some of the subtlest lessons there are." "Don't kill me." " Put you out of your misery?" " No, thank you." " What do you want?" " What do you want?" "That's the question." "I want to get out of here." "Well, now, that's what I want, too." "I'll tell you what." "I'm gonna keep this. 10% off the top." "That seems fair, don't it?" "Okay, you got it." " What about Ted?" " Forget Ted." " Okay, but me and Jeri..." " Forget Jeri." "She's my wife, man." "With $100,000, you can go to Fiji and buy six wives." "You drive a hard bargain, Sheriff." "That I do." "The money's over there in that clearing." "In a shallow hole." "You'll see it." "All you got to do is... leave your wife, take the money, and you'll be fine." "See, Cody?" "Ain't that hard to put money before love." "Rolston's dead." "All right, murderer." "Up and at them." "I'm gonna show you something." "Here's the man you shot in the back." "Seeing that makes you feel real proud, don't it?" " I didn't mean..." " Yes, you did." " Yeah, but I never..." " But you did anyway." "Look into his eyes, Ted." "Look deep into his eyes and tell me what you see, killer." "Come back here, Rolston, or you're one dead captain of industry." "Do you hear me?" "You stupid old man." "Look what you made me do!" "Killer." "I think it's appropriate that I'm concerned." "I mean, the kid just got out of intensive care." "They're on a fishing trip, you know?" "I mean, you sit on your butt and you flick your wrist a lot." "He said he would call me and he didn't." "Well, maybe he forgot." " It happens." " Look." "I just wanna know that they're okay." "Can you just pick up the phone... and call somebody in the area to go and check on them?" "There's nobody in the area, ma'am." "It's a ghost town up there." "Look, I'm sure they're fine." "I'll tell you what." "I'll take you there, we'll check it out." " You and me?" " Yeah, sure." "I'm not doing anything." "Thanks." "Don't bother." "Well, now, y'all might get along..." "I mean, he's got a little missing person himself." "Yeah, that's right." "I had a date with Selena Coombs tonight." "I went over to her house." "There was bags of groceries sitting on the table." "Back door was open." "It just kind of seemed to me like she had left in a little bit of a hurry." "Can I give you nice people a little bit of advice?" "Now, Lucas and Selena... you know, they fight, and they may stray a little bit now and then... but those two are soldered together at the hip." "You still want to go?" "Well, you go up Barrow Road North till you hit Castle Haney... you turn right..." "Can you ever forgive me?" "I didn't mean to do it." "I swear I didn't." "Look, Mr. Rolston." "I'll forgive you if you forgive me, okay?" "Because I really need to sleep now." "Hello, ma'am." "That's close enough." "If you come any closer, you can kiss your puberty goodbye." " Whatever that is." " What do you want?" "Just to see how you're doing." "Put your hands on your head." " What for?" " On your head, fuzz bean!" "I know you've been out here for a long time." "So I figured you might want to join us for a spell." " We got tuna sandwiches." " Yeah, right." "Like I'm gonna give myself up for some lousy tuna fish." "I know." "I came for some bass myself." "But sometimes you've just got to make concessions." " How's Ted?" "Did you guys feed him?" " Ted?" " Oh, no, he's long gone." " What?" "Sheriff Buck took him to the clearing with Cody." " Clearing?" " Well, they're both there now." "It should be interesting, too." "Sheriff Buck told Cody about you two." "Us two?" "What do you mean?" "You know, about you two, being together and all." "Cody will kill him." "Especially when poor old Ted ain't got no gun." "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, ma'am." " I ought to shoot the messenger." " I wouldn't." "It's gonna be a long night." "And you might need every bullet in that gun." "Glad to be of help, ma'am." "She acted just like you said she would." "Went running after her honey." "Were you afraid?" "She had a gun pointed to my head." "What a man you are, Lucas." "Sending a 10-year-old out to face a gun." " Were you afraid?" " No." "That's because we knew she wasn't gonna use that gun." "Not on you." "Not after what you told her." "She became suddenly preoccupied." "Right?" "Could only think about her love... and how she had to run back and save the dope." "Caleb could have been killed." "You know that never would've happened." "Caleb, this romantic love thing..." " What do you know about it?" " From observation, quite a bit." "It's really an addiction, no different than booze or drugs or cigarettes." "And when you're in its clutches you no longer see the truth." "You become totally selfish." "Look who's talking." "And selfless at the same time." "It makes you... stupid." "Take Miss Coombs here." " She's not stupid." " Thank you, darling." "I'm not saying she is." "I'm just using her as an example." "Why don't you use yourself as an example, Socrates?" "Because I lack the imagination." "I could never imagine myself in what you call "love"." "I know." "But Miss Coombs can." "She'd willingly become a slave to it." "Because she believes that's the thing to want... to strive for, the jackpot, from what I can tell." "Like tonight, we're enjoying our tuna sandwiches, aren't we?" "And once upon a time, Miss Coombs loved her tuna sandwiches." "It was a pleasure to watch her eat one." "She would relish it." "She'd lick around the edges of the sandwich, getting all the excess tuna... before she'd take her first bite." "And then her mouth would open... and she would begin devouring it." "You listening, Caleb?" "I don't think he should be." "Can I have another soda?" "But tonight, we didn't know Miss Coombs was gonna be here." "If we did, we'd have brought more food." "I might even have brought a good bottle of wine." "But it didn't matter." "We offered her part of our supper, and she said no." "Not out of politeness, but... because she was preoccupied." "Thinking about what, Selena?" " You're a bastard." " Your love?" "The more the appetite goes or it becomes voracious... pleasures disappear... tension comes over the face and body... and the addict takes over the soul." "How unattractive." "Caleb, can I have a drink of your soda?" "Sure." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "What a bastard." "Where is it?" "That bastard." "Buck?" "Is that you?" "No, it's me." "Oh, baby." "It's good to see you." "Come on over here and help me dig." " Where is he, Cody?" " Who?" "Ted, your brother, remember?" "He's over there in that damn cabin." "You know where he is." "Where is that money?" "So, which is it, Cody?" "You killed Ted for his share of the money... or because of us?" "What "us"?" "Us, Cody." "Me and Ted." "Don't play dumb with me." "I know they told you." "Where'd you think we were all those nights, darling?" "Out masterminding your next half-baked, idiotic job?" "What are you talking about?" " Your brother, you moron." " You sick whore." "You and my own brother." "Bitch." "I'm gonna kill that kid." "I'm gonna kill them all." "He said to go left at the fork." "That's where we screwed up." " Let's just turn around and go back." " No." "Come on, it's turning into this wild goose chase." "You said yourself you didn't have anything better to do." " All right, then, what about you?" " What about me?" "I don't know, it seems kind of weird." "You and Lucas Buck." "And what's so weird about it?" "Well, the guy's got the morals of a sewer rat... and, I don't know, you seem to me to be a pretty nice girl." "Lucas' morals, or lack of, are none of your damn business." "Hey, I'm sorry I brought it up." "You know, and who are you to talk?" "You're the one who's doing it with the town tramp." "Oh, I see, this is great." "I mean, we can trash her morals up and down... but let ye not cast the stone at Saint Lucas Buck." "Touché." "Think it's true, what Ben said?" " About them being joined at the hip?" " I don't know." "I don't really know that much about her past, you know?" "And frankly, I don't give a damn." "Well, we're both in the same boat, aren't we?" "Yeah, I just wish this boat had a compass because, baby, we are lost." "You got 10 minutes." "I want the money and I want Ted, or I swear to God I'll kill you all." "Life lesson, son." "When you rile a woman... there is no place to hide." " Can you hear me, Buck?" " She is pretty angry." "Love will do that." "I thought she was after the money." "Well, they always are." "But you see that worthless boy-man over there?" "That's what she really wants." "She will chase him to the ends of the Earth and never be happy." "Maybe she's in love." "Did you ever think of that?" "Maybe she's in heat." "Wants to hurt the man she really loves." "So, how are we gonna stop her from hurting us?" " I don't know." " You visualize." "It's like looking down into a still, dark lake." "Where the bass hide." "You can't see them, but you can see them." "Visualize." "Visualize." "You practice in your mind what you want to happen... and it does." "Visualize." "You ready to try it with me?" "Don't be afraid." "I'm not." "Thank God, Ted, you're alive." "I thought Cody killed you." "How'd you get away?" "Well, don't worry about him." "I took care of him." "No more bullying... no more shooting speed, no more abuse... no more Cody." "You're salty." "Were you crying?" "Oh, baby." "It's okay now." "It's just us two." "How was it?" "It was hard." "You look a little woozy." "That's maybe from the shock." "Come here, son." "The things people fear most, they're usually quickest to believe." "Now, that weakness is your strength." "Just what the world needs, Lucas." "Another you." "Don't be afraid to do the right thing." "No matter what anybody says." "Caleb, honey, come here." "Now, what the sheriff is trying to tell you... is that it's all right to hurt people... to make them cry, to steal all their dreams." "But you were taught better than that." " But they're bad people, Miss Coombs." " I know, honey." "But everything on God's Earth doesn't take place here and now." "You got your soul to think about." "I think you're old enough to make your own choices, son... but you just remember there's a woman out there who would gladly..." "You remember, son." "Her fears." "Who's there?" "Watch your head, Half-Ted." "Sorry about the fishing part, son." "That's all right... the bass probably got scared 'cause of all this excitement going on." " Next time, okay, partner?" " All right." "Thank you, Lord, for the morning... and the chance to get out of these damn woods." "I want the money and Ted." "I want my Ted." "Would you mind pointing that thing a little bit lower?" "I was kind of hoping for an open casket." "No?" "Okay." " Any time now, Lucas." " All right, love." "This is gonna have to play out the way it's gonna play out." "Well, then play nice and kill this bitch." "Pardon my French, Caleb, honey." " I should help you, shouldn't I?" " Yes, you should." "I've had a taste of your hocus-pocus, kid." "Don't come any closer or I'll kill you." "I'll kill you all." "Take my hand." "Take it." "It's your choice." "I do okay?" "You just gained the loyalty of two women." "Yeah, I'd say you did just fine." "Good to see you, Doctor." "Got a lot of walking wounded around here for you." " You all right?" " I'm fine." "I'm going home." " What about you?" "You all right?" " Me?" "Yeah." "What happened here?" "Hey, take it easy." "I'm gonna take a look at you." "You're gonna be fine." "Unit Two, Unit Two, come in..." "Here, Doc, let me give you a hand." "Hey, call an ambulance, man." "I was worried about you." "Me?" "No, you weren't." "You just wished you was here." "You fish?"