"To tell ya the truth, I never was much for the holidays." "It's been forever since I'd known a holiday, since I'd seen my family, since I'd been with a girl, since I'd driven a car." "You see, cars are what put me here." "Iron Mountain, maximum security." "I was riding a hard five for grand theft auto." "Meanwhile, my esteemed raping and murdering colleagues were up for parole at three." "World works like that sometimes." "All the time in my experience." "That's me, Rudy Duncan, menace to society, on the left." "The guy on the right's Nick Cassidy, my best friend." "Back then, we were both looking at three days to a new start." "That's what ya talk about inprison." "How you're gonna get it right." "How you'll never make the same mistakes." "We walk outta here, we hit that road, what's the first thing you're gonna do ?" "Hot chocolate." " What ?" " That's the first thing I'm gonna do." "I'm gonna go out and get myself a mug of hot chocolate." "And a piece of pecan pie." "That's right." "A piece of pecan pie." "Yeah." "She's gonna be out there, man." "She's gonna be right there waiting." "She got us a motel on Highway 5." "Lock ourselves in the whole week, drinkin' wine, takin' baths, man." "Yeah." "Nick, all those pictures she sent ?" "You sure that's really her in the pictures ?" "I did hear sometimes these girls send pictures that's not really them." "It's like their prettier cousin or somethin' like that." "Why ya gotta say a thing like that, man ?" " I'm just sayin'..." " Why ya gotta say a thing like that ?" "I'm just sayin', maybe I should take her out." "Spend a day or two with her." "Make sure she's the right girl." "Just a day or two." "Maybe a night or two ?" "Whatever it takes." "Just make sure you're gettin' the right merchandise." " You know ?" " You know what ?" "Enjoy your hot chocolate, Rudy." "I think I'll take my chances with Ashley." "Yeah, I figured." "I figured." " Hold it up close." " Pop gate three." "Oh, shit !" " What's up ?" " Alamo's back." "Don't look like he missed the sunlight." "Bro, I'm fucked." "Pincher said he thinks I'm the one who ratted him out for beating up Creed." "'Cause I was there, he thinks I'm the reason he ended up in solitar." "Fuck, Rudy." "Move out!" "And stop !" "Move in !" "Listen to this." ""I've made my list and I've checked it twice." ""As long as you're naughty, it's gonna be nice." ""All that gets me through the day, is to close my eyes and imagine holding you," ""kissing you, touching you." ""Because I know I'll feel at that moment..." "I've found the reason for my whole entire life."" "She sounds pretty mature for 25." "Yeah !" "You grow up in Detroit, you get matured real quick." "Yeah." "Either that or those pictures are ten years old." "Sure as hell don't make me miss Millie Bobeck." "Guess I owe Millie, though." "Ifl hadn't been rolling her," "I would've never ended up here." "Yeah." "You hadn't have cracked that guy's head open, you never would've found true love." "Jealous." "Ya know, Nick, what if she sees you and, you know, you just don't do it for her, you know, I mean physically ?" "She just..." "It's not there." "What're you gonna do ?" "Well, me and her, we got a connection." "Jesus Christ." "Get this fuckin' shit..." " out of my face." " You should've written to that magazine." "I should've, yeah." "I'm gonna walk outta here." "I'm gonna walk right into a relationship." "And you, my friend, will walk out with your bus fare." "Searching for the drunkest skirt in the room." "That's right." ""Morning, gorgeous." "More eggnog ?"" " Should've written, Rudy." "You'd have got yourself a girl." "Yeah, should've done a lot of things." "All I want is just to make it back to Sidnaw, sit down for Christmas dinner, sleep in my old bed, watch some ball games with my old man, eat leftovers for about six months." "I just wanna go home." "Keep the line movin'." " What's this ?" " Holiday Jell-O." " What this shit in it ?" " Swallow it and you'll see." "Just so you know, this man and I are outta here in two days." "So while we're inhaling London broil and lobster bisque, you're still gonna be standing here smelling up the myster cream fuck." "Who's in prison now ?" "Hey, Alamo, how ya doin' ?" "Out of solitar ?" "Look good." "Lose some weight ?" "Look, man, it wasn't me." " It wasn't me." " Two days, man." "Come on." "Remember how her brother's a truck driver down there ?" "I'm thinkin' he might be able to get me some work." "What work, security ?" "I'm through with that shit." "Ashley's right." "I gotta start doin' somethin' I got a stake in, get a business goin'." "I don't know, man." "I been in the business world." "Hot-wiring cars, Rudy, does not qualify you as a small business." ""Chop-shop consultant" doesn't work on a resume." "I always wanted to be the boss of something, ya know?" "Have people working for me." "Man, what's wrong with you ?" "Monsters... in the gelatin." " It's just a roach, Zook." " Yeah, it's protein." "It's good for ya." " Monsters... in the gelatin !" " Calm down." "There are monsters in the gelatin !" "Monsters... in the gelatin !" "Look at this shit !" "Hey !" "Jesus !" " Sit down !" " Son of a bitch !" "You eat this shit !" " Get down, don't move." " Stay out of it, Rudy !" "You want some fucking monsters ?" "Two days, man." "Fuck !" "Don't move !" "We had nothing to do with it!" "Rudy, watch out !" "Cassidy's down !" "Cassidy's stabbed!" " I gotta be there." " Oh, my God !" " Rudy, Ashley." " You're gonna be all right." " Hold on, hold on." "Guard !" "Jesus, guards !" " Ashley's gonna be there." " Nick, you gotta..." " Gotta be..." "Guard !" "Guards !" "Jesus Christ." " Nick." "Nick !" "Nick !" " Get him outta here now!" "Well, at least he won't be comin' back." "You need some company tonight, Rudy, you just give me a holler." "You gonna take that from him ?" "You gonna take that shit, Rudy ?" "Open outer gate." "Your world and welcome to it, you dumb fucks." "Don't be a stranger now." "We'll keep the lights on for ya." "Over here !" "Over here." "Hey, how you doin' ?" ""And all that gets me through the day, is to close my eyes..." ""and imagine holding you, kissing you, touching you."" "Don't do it, Rudy." "Don't you fucking do it !" "Jesus Christ." "Are you Ashley ?" "I'm Nick !" "Look, Ashley, I'm sorry." "I was scared that I was gonna walk out there, and you were gonna take one look at me and just... turn around." "I was scared I was walkin' into heartache." "All those letters, those words, and you have a picture in your mind." "I was scared you'd see me, and I just wouldn't be that... picture that you had in your mind." "I figured you walked outta there and saw my clothes or something, and you just walked right the other way." " You know, maybe you saw my coat or my hair..." " Hey, I like your coat !" "Maybe you..." "Maybe you saw me and I didn't..." "Ashley, no." "That was me." "I thought you said you, had curly hair." "I do." "It's ver curly." "When it gets long, it's really curly." "But I cut it short." "I can grow it out again, if you want." "I can get it pretty bushy." "No !" "No, no, no." "I want you to be who you wanna be." "Do that again." "What ?" "Smile like that." "Come on." "One more time." "God, I have been dreaming about that smile... for so long," "Ashley Mercer." "You're better than the pictures in my mind, Nick." "You're real !" "Can I ask you somethin' ?" "Is this the first time you ever done somethin' like this ?" "You, look at you." "So pretty, sweet." "Why were you writing to a guy, some con, you don't even know ?" " I told you, Nick." "Remember ?" " Tell me again." "All the guys I've ever been with, they never wanted to get to know me." "Who I am... inside." "They just wanted to..." "get inside." "A guy like you, Nick." "God, I mean, six months before you could even touch my face." "I figure a guy like that... is gonna have to work to get to know me some other way." "But when I read what you wrote to me," ""Here's a guy they say is a criminal, but he's not." ""Just protected his girl." ""Somebody got killed, but he's not a killer..." ""'cause he did what he had to do to save somebody." "And the world just didn't see it that way."" "State of Michigan, anyway." "You wrote me some wonderful things." "It wasn't all me, you know." "It was all you." "The guy I was in with, you know, he helped me with some of the romantic stuff." "He's a good guy, actually." "You'd like him." "I'm talkin' about the heart, not the words." "Yeah, well, some of the heart might've been his too." "Yeah ?" "You should've signed his name, then he'd be here right now." "Merry Christmas !" "Merry Christmas, Santa !" "Provisions, Nick." "Provisions." "Come here." "You need a coat." "No boyfriend of mine is gonna walk around in a negative five degree wind chill... without a good-looking goddamn coat." "But you already got me all this stuff." "I didn't get you anything." "Nick, you got out." "You're here." "You're my Christmas." "It's $ 200, Ash." "I know !" "But you forget where I work." " Beauty and fragrances." " Yep." "Fifty percent off, my friend." "Just till the holidays, Nick." "We'll let her have her holidays, then we'll tell her." "I'm gonna tell them not to bother us for the rest of the year." "When I get back in that room, you better be wearing nothing but a candy cane." "I have no gifts to bring" "A gift to give a King" "I've got a girl..." "Hi, Nick." "Ah, shit !" "I oweyou a drink !" "Welcome home, Nick." "Look, man, you don't know me." "I know ya." " I know you real well." " You can't." "The hell I can't." " Watch out, baby," " Ashley !" "I'm bringin' in the tree !" "Looks like somebody's been havin' some fun." "Hey, sis, happy holidays." "No !" "You bastard !" "No !" " Take it easy." "Don't hurt her." " Right." "Sorry, Monster." "So, this is the guy you've been waitin' for, the man of your dreams." "Gabriel, what are you doing ?" " I read a lot about you, Nick." " Gabriel, what are you doing here ?" "I read you're a man of some knowledge." " Gabriel." " A man of some travels." "Look, man, I'm not him." "Whatever you want from Nick, you got the wrong guy." " Nick ?" " I'm sorry, Ashley." "I'm sorry." "No !" "No !" " Who are you now ?" " I'm not him, man !" " She just thinks I'm Nick." "I'm not him." " Put him in the truck." "Wait a minute !" "I was in the joint with him." "That's how I knew about him and her." "I took his place." " You what ?" " Okay." "I got out." "Nick didn't." "I knew about her letters, and Jesus Christ, man, whatever you want from Nick, I'm not him, okay ?" "I just..." "I wanted to be." "You're not Nick Cassidy ?" "No, man, I just shared his cell." "But you were saying you were." "Yeah." "So you could get with my sister." "Yeah." " So you could get down her chimney." " Yeah." "And you think telling' me, that's gonna help your cause." "No !" "No !" "No !" " Is this him ?" " Please don't hurt him, Gabriel." "Don't !" " Is this the fucker you been writin' all year ?" " Don't !" "Please, don't." " Is this Nick Cassidy ?" " Yes !" "Yes !" "Well, he better learn to give you some respect." " Get her outta here." " No !" "No !" "Man, they got a shitload of cookies." "Take 'em." "What about the tree ?" " You want the tree ?" " Yeah." "I read your letters, convict." "Don't play no reindeer games with me." "He read your letters." "One day I wasn't there and he came in." "Jane tried to stop him, but he read your letters." "What letters ?" "He knows you worked at that casino." "What ?" "Oh, my God, you set him up !" "No, no, I didn't." "I didn't." "When did you decide to do it, Ash ?" "After which one of his letters ?" "What, the for tieth, fiftieth ?" "The first ?" "What ?" " No, Nick, you're not..." " Look, I'm not Nick !" "Okay ?" "You thought you'd fuck him over ?" "Ah, shit !" "Guess what ?" "He fucked you !" "Because I never worked in any casino, and I can't help you because I'm not him !" " No, you don't understand." "I love you !" " Jesus..." " Christ!" " Hey, hey, watch your mouth." "It's Christmas." "Listen to me." "Listen to me." "My brother has killed people." "I know this." "You don't know him." "You don't know what he's capable of." "He will kill you." "If you keep telling him that you're not you, he will kill you." "Says here the retail industry does fifty percent of its business... between December 1 and December 25." "That's half a year's business in one month's time." "It seems to me an intelligent countr would legislate a second such gift-giving holiday." "Create, say, a Christmas Two, late May or early June, to further stimulate growth." "Ever since you been goin' to night school, you been giving me headaches, Jumpy." "Christmas Two." "Just..." ""My sweet, sexy Ashy-lashy." ""I have been dreaming of you constantly," ""and knowing you are out there makes these walls..." ""not seem so close or so strong or so cold." ""Someday I'm gonna take you up by Lake Superior." ""Before I went in, before goddamn Millie," ""I used to work up at this casino," ""workin' security." ""I used to watch for people stealing' chips, counting cards," ""getting piss-drunk, that kind of stuff." "Indian place." "Easiest job I ever had."" "You're a good writer, Nick." "I give this writing... an A-plus." "You just tell us what we need to know, and you two kids, you get to go live happily-ever-after." "You give me little nieces and nephews." " Listen to me, man." "I never worked at a casino." " No, Nick." "That guy who wrote that letter ?" "That's Nick Cassidy." "I was in the joint with him." "He rode a two-year manslaughter bit... for killing some guy who was bothering his girlfriend in a bar." "He's dead." "He wrote those letters." "He worked at a casino." "Me ?" "My last job was at a Quick Lube." "I did five for lifting cars." "That's it." "He was my cellmate." "That's how I know him." "I'm sorry about your sister." "I just got out of the joint." "I just wanna..." "I don't know anything." "I don't remember anybody." "I just wanna go home." " Bur this guy." " No." "Gabriel, no." " What ?" " Gabriel, you promised." " I promised that when he helped us, we'd be gone." "When he helped us." "This guy doesn't wanna play." "No, you promised me!" "And you promised me you'd get your sweetheart to help !" "He'd rather die... than be with you." "He'd make a fucked-up boyfriend anyway." "Bur this guy all over the place." "No." "No !" "Gabriel, no !" "Shut up !" "Don't get no blood on my shoes." "All right, all right." "What do you want to know ?" "About the casino, the Tomahawk ?" "Jesus Christ, what do you wanna know ?" "Six months writing love letters, my pen pal fucks me over." "Thanks for the stamps, Ash." "All right." "What do you wanna know ?" "Everthing." "Nick, I love you, baby." " Nick, I love you." " Hey !" "She said she loves you." "Say something." "I had better sex in prison." "Throw him back in the rig." "Monster, he's not the guy." "Whole time you were drivin', he was tellin' her he's not the guy." "He's not the guy." "I understand why he'd tell us he's not the guy, but why would he tell her that he's not the guy ?" "Maybe..." "Maybe he's not the guy." "Look, if I went in the joint with a library card, I'd come out with a librar card." "The man who wrote those letters loved Ashley, boys." "He lived for her." "Where's she work ?" "What ?" "Wrote you a hundred letters, didn't she ?" "Where's she work ?" "Lindstrom's, beauty and fragrances." "What's her middle name ?" "Samantha." "What'd they call her in high school ?" " What'd they call her in college ?" " What college ?" " What's her greatest fear ?" " Brother." "Oh, wrong." "It's drowning." "Wrong, it's her brother." "That's love." "It's time to start talking," "Nick." "Time to start tellin' tales." " Get him up here." " No, no, no !" "Fuck that !" "Nick doesn't do anything till Nick gets something for Nick." "Ya got it ?" "I want some hot chocolate." "You wanna hear about some job of mine ?" "I wanna see some goddamn hot chocolate... and some pecan fuckin' pie !" "Sure nice pie." "So, when you worked there..." "You knew the place..." "Okay." "You know what ?" "I could really go for some onion rings." "You said talk." "That's all you s..." "Gabriel, you said you wanted to talk." " How much money is in that casino ?" " Hard to say." "Well, take a guess." "Five million ?" " Jesus." "Come here." " You, you wrote Ash a letter with a stor... about working Christmas Eve." "About how they send half the security guys home." "Nobody's comin' in and out." "And the rest of ya are gettin' shit-faced." "That a true story or not ?" "Christmas Eve." "We're takin' down that casino, convict." "And you're the guy that's gonna tell us how." "That's what we can see." "Now, you tell us what we can't see." "Where the private doors go, where the alarms are, what the upstairs looks like, all of it." " That's not the Tomahawk." " What the hell are you talkin' about ?" "What's this, the cage ?" "I mean, the cage is over here." "Ya got..." "This whole thing's mixed up." " That's what it looks like, Romeo." " Since when ?" "I mean, what's this ?" " That's the prime rib buffet. $ 5.99." " Buffet ?" "Buffet is over here by the bar." "They must've remodeled the place." " What ?" " Big guy, the boss." " The guy that ran the place, was in charge." " Jack Bangs." "Jack Bangs !" "Was always talkin' about giving the place a makeover." "Must've gone ahead and done that while I was in the Mountain." "I mean, this thing's all changed around." "I can't help you with this." "I don't know where security or anything is." " I have no idea." " Look, I don't care about the pancake breakfast." "I..." "You wanna know about money, right ?" "Okay." "Where you got the buffet down here ?" "That used to be Bang's office." "And he kept a safe in there." "And that safe had all the money that he was skimming in there." " And it was called the pow-wow safe." " Pow-wow safe ?" "Yes, pow-wow safe." "'Cause he was stealing money from the tribe." "The guy had thousands in there." "Millions probably." "Millions ?" "In the pow-wow safe ?" "Millions." "But, I mean, you know, it's just that now you tell me his office is moved." "God knows what else is different." "You know ?" "The security, the..." "You want me to show you what goes where, I have no idea!" "Well, I guess we don't need you then." "Well, not necessarily." "Because, if you get me inside, then I know where the money moves." "I know the security routines." "I know their signals to each other." "I know how they operate." "You get me in there, then I can work with this map, and I can tell you if anything's changed." "Wrong, convict." "You walk in there, they recognize you." "So what ?" "If they recognize him, they'll remember him when the job goes down." " They won't recognize me." "Trust me." " Why not ?" "'Cause you're gonna get me a disguise." "What happened to working together?" " Your at herbeback in the Mountain ?" " Might as well be." "Don't get 50 channels in the Mountain." "Sleep well." "Tomorrow you got singin' for your supper to do." "Help yourself." "Sure, take that." "I don't need it." "Nick." "Nick." "Let me help you." " Get your own room, Ashley." "Get your own room." " Let me help you." "He said when you come out, he wants to talk to you." "That's all !" "I thought he meant after New Years, back in Detroit." " But you knew what he wanted." "Right ?" " I thought we had more days." "For what ?" "What are you gonna do ?" "Talk me into helping ?" "You know how I feel about my brother !" "You know how I hate him." "What did you think's gonna happen ?" "This thing's gonna be over and he's gonna let me go ?" "He's gonna shoot me in the back of the head like this !" "Or I'm back in prison for the rest of my life, and that's it for me !" "This is my life too, you know." "You think he's just gonna let me walk ?" "You think he's not gonna take this out on me ?" "I'm in this too, and I'm really scared." "Please !" "Nick." "Do you remember all those letters you wrote me ?" "About me and you against the whole world ?" "God !" "You know, it's just my luck." "I finally meet a boy that I'm crazy about, and my brother wants him worse than I do." "Why didn't you tell me your brother was a criminal ?" "Gabriel knows some guys in Miami and New York." "Guys that he helps get guns to Detroit." " That's it." "That's all I know." " And that's who he's working for on this one ?" "No." "He doesn't wanna work for anyone." " What's the last place they took down ?" " What ?" "Monster and his merry men." "What's the last place they robbed ?" "Who they ripped off ?" "What did they do ?" "I don't think they've robbed anywhere before." "They just..." "They drive guns !" "They've never done a robber ?" "Really ?" "They really do need me." "They actually need me." "A cowboy." "You're sending me into an Indian casino dressed like a cowboy." " Thought this through entirely ?" " It was that or a ballerina." "Well, I mean, I'm gonna need some money." "It is a casino." " Ten bucks ?" "What am I gonna do with ten bucks ?" " Don't tip." "Look, if we're gonna be workin' together, you shouldn't send me in there like the Lone Ranger with ten bucks to throw down." "You want me to not get noticed." "Not gettin' noticed costs at least a couple hundred." "Ante up, boys." "Don't lose." "Yeah." "Do I get, like, a countr-western name, or are we just gonna..." "You get recognized, you get a countr-western funeral !" "Come on." "Come on." "Get your hands off me !" "Are you ready to go gambling', darlin' ?" "Here." "She is now." "All right." "You all keep an eye on my guitar now." "Jumpy." "Nick, you're making it really hard to apologize." "Is that what you're tring' to do ?" "Say it with car keys." "Nick, a lot of relationships start out like this, you know, family problems ?" "Save it, Bam-Bam." "You wanna know the problem with the Tomahawk Casino ?" "You wanna know the one thing holding us back from greatness ?" "Snow." "S-N-O-fucking-W." "Snow." "There is no snow in Las Vegas, okay ?" "They don't want it." "They don't need it." "As a matter of fact, I think they have laws against the shit." "You guys hired me because you wanted Las Vegas quality." "I brought it to you." "You wanted Las Vegas press." "I gave that to you." "But I cannot give you Las Vegas profits... until you people get together around a campfire, smoke a pipe, and do some kind of spirit dance about this goddamn snow !" "They did a lot of work." "This restaurant here is the main expansion." "And, they moved the games around." "Do you know that guy ?" "Yeah, that's... that's Mike." "Mike." "He works here." "Spend some of your brother's money." "I'm gonna go look around." "I was just thinkin', maybe you fellas would like to stick around, try the $ 5.99 prime rib." "A couple of rum and cokes, please." "Barry, gimme a bottle of any goddamn thing ya got." "Hurry up." "Cheap two dollar fuckin' bettors." "Hey, how ya doin', cowboy ?" "How are ya ?" " Great." " Jack Bangs is the name." "I run the place." "Let me ask you something." "How'd you hear about us ?" "Radio ?" "TV ?" "Cable ?" "Prison." "Prison." "I can't go back to Vegas." "We won!" "We won!" "What the hell was that all about ?" "Nothing, man." "He just wanted to know how I heard about the place." "Just fuckin' tone down a little bit, all right ?" "Ease up off me." "Oh, my God !" "I'm sorry." "Jesus Christ." "I'm sorry." "Here, hold this." "What are you doing ?" "Security's not all that changed." "Let me go clean this up." " What was that ?" " His face fell off." "Take this." "Hey, a hundred bucks to wear this jacket." " Jesus, don't kill me !" " Relax, kid, nobody's gonna kill you." "Santa's gonna give you a hundred bucks and a wild west jacket." "Hey, baby." "Gimme one of those." " How're you ?" " Fuckin' freezing." "How long you work here ?" "Five years, since it opened." " How long since your makeover ?" " My what ?" "I'm talkin' about the place." "The remodeling, moving everthing around." "The Tomahawk's been the same ever since I started, buddy." "It's the losers that change." "Lyin' motherfucker !" "Go, kid, go !" "Hey !" "Shit !" " It's your jacket, you can have it !" "He gave me a hundred bucks." " Shit !" " What the hell happened, man ?" " The man fucked up !" "This building is the same from day one !" "It hasn't been changed !" "Monster, he was talkin' to the manager inside there." "There he is !" "Go, go, go, go !" "Come on !" "Get him back !" "Keep on running, Romeo !" "Keep on running !" "As fast as you go, we'll get there !" " We're truckers, motherfucker!" "We drive for a living !" "Help !" "Help !" "He thinks he's gettin' away." "Oh, shit !" "No !" "Come on." "Come on!" "We gotta get to those trees." "Oh, shit !" "C'mon !" "Get 'em outta there !" "C'mon !" " Is she all right ?" " All right, all right !" "At the rate you're goin', I'm gonna have trouble considering' you family." "Hey, there !" "You folks need some help ?" " I say, you need some help ?" " Get outta here, man !" " Shut the fuck up !" " Get the fuck outta here !" "Well, if you need some help..." "Gabriel, no!" "Gabriel, he won't hurt us." "He won't remember us." "Don't do it." "Shut the fuck up !" "No !" "Oh, God !" "What's this ?" "What's this ?" "This isn't the Tomahawk." "No." "No, I've never seen this before." "They must have given the place a makeover." "Yeah !" "The buffet was over here, the blackjack was over here, the bar used to be over here." "I don't know." "I can't help you." "I have no idea." "I have no idea !" "Somethin' tells me you're not being totally honest with me." "What'd you tell that casino manager ?" " Nothin'." "Nothin'." " You was talking to him." "What'd you tell him ?" "Nothin'." "He thought I was some gambler." "Nothin' I said." "Maybe something about a robbery ?" "No, man, I swear to..." "I swear to God." "Jesus Christ, man !" "He thought I was some gambler !" "He didn't know me, man !" "He didn't recognize me !" "Jesus Christ !" "I've been drivin' rigs a long time, convict." "Four, five million miles of road." "Hard road." "Tell 'em I was tired, shit, they'd just hire someone else." "A thousand miles by sundown or the gang don't eat come sunrise." "Shit." "And ever road, ever mile, it's nothin' but moms and pops and car-seat kiddies giving me that look..." " to go to hell and get off their happy goddamn highway." "So I have worked... and I have slaved, and I have waited..." "for the highways to split open... and for the rivers to roil and for God in the heavens... to reach down and show me some sign of my reward, to grant me with my gift and say to me," ""Gabriel, my son, you are done with the road."" "Well, convict, that gift was granted." "Look, man, I swear to God, he just wanted to know how I heard about the place, that's all." "He didn't know it was me, Gabriel." "He didn't know it was me !" "Please !" "Man, Monster, just don't start tring to hit me." "Nick, I've been tring to hit you." "Because I do not deserve to be in some shit-bag motel... in the middle of bum-fuck Michigan, throwing darts at a worthless... convict!" "You know somethin' ?" "My little sister... she deserves a world better than you." "Tonight we're gonna take one more look at that map, and this time, you better have somethin' worth saying." "What did they do to you, Nick ?" "He had some... points to make." "What the fuck did you do to him ?" "Bastard." "Get out !" "Get out !" "Just get out !" "Okay." "Come here." "Jesus." "There you go." "Okay." "All I wanted to do was to make it back to Sidnaw... and have some of Mom's gravy, you know, and some of Aunt Elizabeth's cranberry cakes." "She makes 'em with, real cranberries." "It's... really good." " We'll get there, baby." " Jesus." "We'll get there." "Just rest, okay ?" "You saved my life, Nick." "You could've run, but you didn't." " You saved me." " You saved me." "I saved you because I love you, Nick." "Why did you save me ?" "The guy I was in with..." "Rudy, the car thief... sometimes I read him your letters." "I mean, I know they were private, but, you know," "I'd read 'em to him, and he'd get this look on his face." "I swear, I think he imagined you were writing to him." "And I know sometimes," "I think, he fell in love with you too." "You gave a couple of guys hope, Ashley." "Hope is a good thing." "We're gonna get out of this... together." "I promise you." "I promise you." "Start singing, Nick." "I have no gifts to bring..." "A gift to give a King..." "It's a joke, anyways." "All right." "What you wanna do, is get to the top level up here." "Okay ?" "And you do that through this door on the western wall." "When you..." "You wanna get to the security, and then from the security you get down to the cashier cage, and then you go into the count room." "There'll be a guard in there, but he doesn't have a gun." "The door's accessed by a keypad." " The cashier'll know the code." " What about the pow-wow safe ?" "That's upstairs !" "You'll wanna get to that." "We're gonna get to the pow-wow safe." "That's good." "We're gonna get there." "What you wanna do is, you got to get a guy in the cage... and a guy on the foor and somebody up top." "Then you need a sweeper on the side, look out out front and somebody watching the back." "So that's... how many ?" "That's six." "Well, we got five." "We're keeping Ashley outside." "And you need six." "No." "I..." "Look, man, I'm not making this shit up, you know ?" "You go in there with five guys, you're gonna either leave an exit or an alarm unguarded." " No." " I know what I'm talking about." "Raise your hand if you've ever done a robber before." "Anyone ?" "Anyone ?" "Who's done... done a robbery, raise your hand." "Okay." "I have." "You need six, Gabriel." "You do." "What are you gonna do about it ?" "All right." "I want a drawing of that security level." "Ever door, ever guard, ever ashtray." "Yeah." "All right." "So, six guys, that's six guns." "No way." "Well, what am I gonna do ?" "I'm no threat without a gun." " No, you're not." " What's the matter, Gabriel ?" "Isn't this what you wanted him for ?" " Areas of expertise ?" " No guns." "Well, you know, fine." "It's up to you." "What you've got to figure out is how you're gonna get up to that security level... without anybody knowing anything's wrong." "I can tell you right now, going in there with A.K.s and ski masks... ain't gonna do that." "Well, that part, Nick, was planned out the day I read your letters." "Oh, yeah." "What ?" "We're all gonna dress up like cowboys ?" "No, no, not cowboys, Nick." "Not on Christmas Eve." "You gotta be kidding me." "'Tis the season, convict." "Coming up at 11:00... on the channel five news, these top stories." " The search intensifies for a Michiganman..." " Here's your Picasso." "reported missing this morning on the Tallahassee Lake." " Investigators suspect foul play to be involved." " It better be." "Also, lotter fever..." "How long have you guys been going out ?" " Set us up with free drinks." " Oh, yeah." "Shit !" "Only guy in the gun club who doesn't keep a gun in his truck." "Shit!" "Fucker decided to build him a silicone tongue... so that the boy could talk." "Now, you ever see a motherfucker with a breast-implanted tongue ?" "This guy I'm talking about... black-ass lung is the least of his problems, man." "He had so much smoke comin' out of his skin," " people would say, "Hey, where's the barbecue ?"" " Yeah." "No!" "No!" "No!" "Getaway from me, goddamnit!" "Stay the hell away from me." "You want me to scream ?" "I'll fucking scream, I swear to God." " Listen, I was just trying to stop him." " You just about killed me !" "When I saw you fall, I could have put the gun in my mouth and pulled the trigger." "I swear to God, you're the best thing that ever happened to me." "I know that you have tobe with him, but it is killing me." "Gabriel, we just have to keep doing this, and..." "He's helped us do the map." "He's done what we need." "We don't need him anymore." "No !" "Jesus !" "You drive me crazy, you know that ?" " Hey..." " No!" "You listen to me, because we have to be smart about this." "The more he wants me, the more his help's for real." "He's manpower." " That's all he is." " He wants the money." "No, baby." "He wants me." "Your little sister." "If only Ma and Pop..." "Could see us now." "If only this guy would play the game by the numbers." "From where I stand, the only thing he's been doing right so far... is fucking my girlfriend." "Baby." " He's nothing." "Nothing." " See you later, assholes." " Who's Jumpy calling ?" "Which one ?" " Ex-wife, probably." "All the ex-wives he's got, he's probably gonna have to take down three casinos." " You track down Gabriel ?" " Nah, he's with his girlfriend, making up for lost "Nicky" time." "Come on." "Let's go get a drink." "No, I should go and check on Romeo." "Go smile on the motherfucker in love." "Shit !" "You know what ?" "I'll meet you in the bar." "Fuck !" "Come on." "Come on." "Give me something." "I can hot-wire cars." "I should fuckin' hot-wire a hotel room." "Damn." "Who's slamming doors ?" "How ya doin' ?" "And your... your charges, sir." "Happy holidays." "That's for the hundred bucks' worth of pay-per-view." "That's for the two hundred you took out of the mini bar." " That's enough !" " It was on my credit card !" "I figured since you guys were paying for the room..." "So, you wanted a weapon, convict ?" "Don't !" "Don't !" "Well, now, look at what Santa's dwarves have brought you." "What do you say to Santa's dwarves ?" "Elves." "Santa's elves." "You say, "Thank you," motherfucker." "You hang around with criminals, you end up making a lot of plans." "But all the jobs I ever pulled, all the cars I ever stole, no plan ever went down the way it had been drawn up." "My plans to escape never worked." "And being on parole, going to the police wasn't an option." "What's the matter ?" "You nervous ?" "Right now you're just a truck driver." "You haven't done anything wrong yet." "If you do this, you're gonna spend the rest of your life wishing you hadn't." "Thanks for the reminder, Nick." "Relax." "Have a drink." "Ain't that your thing ?" "Hey, hey!" "Thirsty!" "This diversion you're doing... you'd better do it just the way Monster planned." "Or there ain't gonna be no more rest of your life." " And all through the house, not a creature was stirring." "Why don't you send most of your boys home, Ed." "Tom, why don't you go spend Christmas with your family." "Don, you can shove off." "Merry Christmas, Jack." "Nobody even comes here to cheat." "Hello !" "Eggnog for everyone !" "Santa's here !" "Good to see you." "Merry Christmas !" "Merry Christmas !" "We'd like some money, please." "We're here to win money." "Do you have any money ?" "How are you gentlemen doing tonight ?" "Ver good, captain, except that we're out of work." "Season's greetings." "He's from Lindstrom's." "I'm from Saveaway." "How ya doin' ?" "No more toys for the kiddies, but we do have charitable donations." "All right." "All in ?" "Hey, sweetheart, how ya doin' ?" " I'm fuckin' freezin'." "What can I get you ?" " Twenty-one." " Oh, Jesus !" "You just hit for my card !" " I'm not sorry, mister." " Dealerhas 18." " And look at that, grandpa." "Yeah, I'm gonna win your sled." " Save away !" " Over here." "I saved you a seat." " Play my hand." " Lindstrom's, how ya doin' ?" "Aren't you gonna take those beards off ?" "No, I'm not gonna take this beard off." "It's my lucky beard." "Mind my beard." "Watch out for this guy." "He's a fucking jinx." "Okay, Santa number three, what can I get you ?" "Could fat man with fying horse get quarters, please ?" " Watch my bank." " All right." "Five." "Nine." "No wa..." "Pop, you're..." "Damn it, you're hitting for my card." "No." " You don't even know what it is." " He doesn't hit." "Why don't you go find a chimney somewhere and fall in?" "Son of a bitch !" "You are killing me here !" "That's the way it goes." "There's two more coming." "There you go." "That's what I like to see." "Now that's the spirit." " Jack, is there a union for department store Santas ?" " Hey, who the fuck knows ?" "Get..." "Go..." "Get another table for old people !" "You're taking Santa's money !" " There is no other table." " Then open another table !" "What kind of a people cheats Santa Claus ?" " What the hell are you doing ?" " For God's sakes !" " That was Santa's money!" "You took it!" " Security !" " Hey !" "Come here, buddy !" " You cheated !" "Lay down, pop." "It's all right." "Santa Claus is kicking the shit out of your guards." "Security room." "Downstairs." "Right, right." "Take a right." "Security room." "Fuck." "Fuckin' convict !" "Jesus !" "Turn off the fucking alarm !" "Drop 'em !" "Put the guns down !" "Put the guns down !" "Put 'em down !" "Get away from that alarm !" "Put 'em down, fucking right now !" "Now, now, now !" "Drop 'em !" "Get down !" "Don't !" "Your piss is all you need, Romeo." " Move, goddamn you !" " Come on !" "These guys aren't fucking around !" "Let's go !" "Get in there !" "All right." "Just..." "Just do what my friends say." "They're a little bit, disturbed." "What's the security code for the count room ?" "You just use... use a key." " Nick said code !" " Who the fuck is Nick ?" "Who's Nick ?" "Drop your gun !" "All right, all right, all right !" "You motherfucker !" "No guns in the count room !" "Fuck you !" " No guns in the count room !" " Forget about him and get the money !" "Forget about him and get the fucking money!" "Forget about him." "There's no future for people like you and me, Nick." "The places we come from..." "plant towns, mill towns, small lives !" "No future, just more of the same !" "You want a future, you gotta stand up and steal it." "Oh, my God !" "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God." "The pow-wow safe !" "I want the pow-wow safe !" "Where is it ?" "I can't go back..." "I can't go back to Las Vegas." "Fuck !" "I do not give a shit about Vegas !" "The money is in the car." " Let's get out of here right now." " He won't tell us where it is." " What ?" " The pow-wow safe." "Remember Nick Cassidy ?" "A security guard named Nick Cassidy ?" "Yeah, Nick Cassidy." "Nick." "Where is he ?" "Gabriel, we have enough money." "Let's get the fuck out of here." "Where is he ?" "That's not Nick Cassidy." "Nick Cassidy worked for me two years ago." "Cowboy." "Hope along." "Fuck !" "It's the stor of your life, Ash." "You fucked the wrong guy !" "Rudy Duncan, honey." "Are we still gonna spend Christmas together ?" " You fucking bastard !" " Hey." "Hey, hey, hey." "No, goddamn it !" "You are lucky, convict." "You're gonna be spending Christmas with the birthday boy Himself." "Wait a minute." "There is a pow-wow safe." "All right ?" "There is a pow-wow safe." "I did time with Nick Cassidy." "Some shit he told me, some shit I remember." "He told me the manager keeps a secret stash in his office." " A pow-wow safe." " Yeah, yeah, yeah." " No, there is no safe !" "He's stalling us !" " He told me !" "He said it !" " There is no safe !" " I over heard it!" " He's been stalling us from day one." "There's no safe." " There's a pow-wow safe !" " I heard it!" " Then where the fuck is it ?" "Behind the liquor cabinet." "Oh, Jesus !" " Hey, hey !" " Oh, please." " Get up." "Get up." "Open it." " Oh, please, sir." " I can't go back to Vegas." "I can't go..." " I don't give a fuck about that !" "Get up !" "Open it !" "Hurry up !" "Pow-wow." "Pow-wow." "Hey, Santa Claus !" "Welcome to the Tomahawk !" "Oh, shit !" "Get up." "Yeah." "God... is good." "Now, what do you say... to Santa's dwarves ?" "You say, "Thank you."" "Never make the same mistake twice." "You just did." "I picked the wrong guy." "We took the place down with the wrong guy !" "Is this Christmas ?" "Is this Christmas ?" "God bless us, everyone." "Come on." "Smart, aren't you ?" "So smart." "You're smarter than everbody ?" "Pow-wow safe." "A little gift for us in the pow-wow safe." "Well, I've got a gift for you from Pug and Merlin and Jumpy, you son of a bitch." "You're going where they went, and they're gonna find you there, and they're gonna kick your fucking ass !" "You feel smart ?" "You think you're lucky ?" "Well, let's see how lucky you are." "Come on !" "Here's how lucky you are." "You got out of the Tomahawk, into your car, made it half way to Canada until you caught some ice in the road." "Get down there !" "Take a look !" "By the time you hit the bottom down there, the whole car was burning like a comet." "Must have burned up all that money too." "Was it your idea, Monster ?" "Or was it hers ?" "Well, she told me about the convict magazines." "Had to figure there'd be some guys in the pen with some useful knowledge... with nobody to talk to and nobody to listen." "So, we just stocked up on stationer." "It's a hard life being a trucker's girl." "Aw, baby." "Come here." " I saved your life." " You shouldn't have." "He really loved you, you know that ?" "Nick." "He really loved you." "Who wouldn't ?" "Maybe this is where you wanted him, Ashley." "Some stranger at the bottom of a ravine with a burned-up heart." "Maybe." "But it didn't happen." " 'Cause what you did for him - you made him the happiest he'd ever been." " Shut up." "Get up." "Come on." " Get in the car !" " Get in the car !" "Hey." "Hey !" "Gabriel !" "Don't go getting all noble with me, Rudy." "A guy takes a shiv for you, you go chasing his girlfriend ?" " Don't talk to me about greed !" " What ?" "What did you say ?" "I said, "Don't talk to me about greed !"" "No, not about that." "About..." "You said, "A guy takes a shiv for you."" "I never said anything about a shiv." "How'd you know there was a shiv ?" "You said it." "You said the real Nick died saving you." "No, I didn't." "I said he died." " I never said how." " Yes, you did." "No." "I never said how." "I said he died." " You said he was stabbed." " I said he died." "I never said how." "You said he was stabbed..." "that he took a shiv, a knife, a shank, whatever." " Ash ?" " How'd she know it was a shiv ?" "Ash ?" "How'd she know ?" "Jesus Christ." "Men !" "Merry Christmas, Rudy." "We made it, baby." "Oh, yes, we did." "We made it." "It got a little messy, but..." "I'll tell you all about that once we're on the road." "For your information," "I never fuck the wrong guy." "So, Rudy," "I want you to meet Millie Bobeck." "Remember Millie Bobeck, don't you ?" "My girlfriend before I went in." "Worked in that bar in Motor City where I manslaughtered What's-His-Name." "See, Millie here, she used to serve drinks to these gunrunning truckers." "Real big talkers, scheming about a real score one day." "Two years in the Mountain, man." "What the hell ?" "Why not let her get friendly with them ?" "Tell them her real name was Ashley." "Tell them about this idea she had..." "about writing guys in prison." "Find a sucker who could show them a sure thing." "You know, they would have never done it without you, Nick." "I mean, Rudy." "I always wanted to rob that casino, Rudy, way back when I worked there." "What better way than to get some guys to rob it for me ?" "Paid the Alamo a hundred to put the shiv in me." "He's a lifer, man." "What does he care ?" "He was supposed to stab me in the yard later that day." "But when the food fight started, man, I couldn't believe it." "A slash across the ribs, a little homemade blood capsule... gets you a nice, warm hospital bed." "Paid a guard to spread the word I'd bought it." "And once the wound healed up, got out of the Mountain this morning." "Tonight, I'm arich man." "Get in the car." "Keep your gun on him, honey." "How'd you know I'd do it ?" "Because every time I read her letters, Rudy, you listened." "Besides, man, if you hadn't taken the bait, we'd have still had a shot." "She'd have just had to convince 'em they could do it alone." "But what do you know ?" "Good ol' Rudy came through." "Good old predictable Rudy." "Goes for the easymoney..." "every time." "Five Santas walked into that Tomahawk, Rudy." "That's what the witnesses will say." "So we gotta have five Santas not walk out." "Gotta have five." "How many things could have gone wrong ?" "A thousand." "You think we don't know what a long shot is ?" "My girl Millie was steering you, man." "You fucked it up, she would have cutandrun." "They'd be looking for Ashley Mercer." "Whoever she is." "Six months of telling you Tomahawk stories." "I guess now you know why." "You gave 'em the confidence to walk in there, Nick Cassidy." "That's all we needed you to do." "You said some nice things about me, man." "I appreciate it." "You know what ?" "You're right." "I do love her." "And she..." "She loves me." "You had that part right all along." "It's Christmas, sugar plum." "Let's light up the tree." "Shit !" "Shit !" "Write me." "Aw, shit !" "It's like riding a bike." "Like riding a bike." "Good-bye, Rudy, my man." "Nice spending... time with you !" "Never put a car thief behind the wheel !" "No !" "No !" "Five Santas walked into that Tomahawk, Rudy." "That's what the witnesses will say." "So we gotta have five Santas not walk out." "Gotta have five." "Rudy." "Rudy, you and me, man." "You and me." "We can split the money?" "Rudy, that whore, Millie Bobeck ?" "You think I was serious about her, man ?" "I was gonna kill her." "You gotta believe me." "You gotta believe me." "I swear it." " Believe me!" " Believe this." "Rudy !" "Rudy, help me !" "All I wanna do is make it back to Sidnaw, sit down for Christmas dinner, watch some ball with my oldman, sleep in my own bed, have leftovers for about six months, eat some of that Christmas turkey." "Like I said, I never was much for the holidays... until now."