Ext. Rooftop terraces, Japanese castle - night

 

A LOW TREMOR RUMBLES THROUGH THE CASTLE. Cobb and Arthur

steady themselves against the wooden rail. Several TILES and

pieces of MASONRY fall. Below them a BLACK SEA churns. Other

GUESTS wander the massive terraces.

 

ARTHUR

Saito knows. He's playing with us.

 

COBB

I can get it here. The

information's in the safe- he

looked right at it when I mentioned

secrets.

 

Arthur nods. Then spots someone over Cobb's shoulder.

 

ARTHUR

What's she doing here, Cobb?

 

Cobb turns to see a beautiful woman, elegantly dressed,

staring out at the sea. This is MAL. Cobb watches her.

 

COBB

You just get to your room. I'll

take care of the rest.

 

ARTHUR

See that you do. We're here to

work.

 

Arthur brushes past Mal, shaking his head. She nears Cobb.

Looks out at the DROP. The WIND WHIPS HER HAIR-

 

MAL

If I jumped, would I survive?

6.

 

COBB

With a clean dive, perhaps. Mal,

why are you here?

 

She turns to look at him. Amused.

 

MAL

I thought you might be missing

me...

 

She smiles. He leans in, mesmerized.

 

COBB

I am. But I can't trust you

anymore.

 

She stares up at him, inviting.

 

MAL

So what?

 

INT. BEDROOM SUITE, JAPANESE CASTLE - MOMENTS LATER

 

Mal sips champagne as she studies a painting by Francis

Bacon.

 

MAL

Looks like Arthur's taste.

 

Cobb is looking down through the window at the GUARDS

patrolling the castle at ground level.

 

COBB

Actually, Mr. Saito is partial to

postwar British painters.

 

He turns to Mal, donning a pair of black leather gloves.

 

COBB

Would you sit down?

 

Mal lowers herself gracefully into a leather wingback chair.

Cobb approaches, pulls out a length of BLACK ROPE and kneels

at Mal's feet. She looks down at him.

 

MAL

Tell me...

 

Cobb TIES the rope around the CHAIR LEGS.

 

MAL

Do the children miss me?

 

Cobb pauses. He lets his gloved fingers lightly touch Mal's

ankle. He looks up at her.

7.

 

COBB

You can't imagine.

 

Mal looks away, uncomfortable. Cobb gets to his feet, letting

out the rope as he moves back to the window.

 

MAL

What're you doing?

 

Cobb tosses the rope out-

 

COBB

Getting some air.

 

He tugs on the rope, testing. The weight of the chair, with

Mal on it, holds.

 

COBB

Stay seated. Please.

 

And with that, he JUMPS. Mal considers the open window.

 

EXT. JAPANESE CASTLE WALL - CONTINUOUS

 

Cobb RAPPELS down the wall, darting past windows. He stops at

a particular one. Gets out a glass cutter-

 

Suddenly he starts DROPPING-

 

INT. BEDROOM SUITE, JAPANESE CASTLE - CONTINUOUS

 

The EMPTY CHAIR SLIDES across the floor- WEDGES under the

window-

 

EXT. JAPANESE CASTLE WALL - CONTINUOUS

 

Cobb JOLTS to a stop 15 ft. lower. He looks up at the bedroom

window. Shakes his head. Starts climbing back.

 

INT. KITCHEN, JAPANESE CASTLE - MOMENTS LATER

 

Cobb drops silently from the window into the darkened

kitchen. He pulls a PISTOL from his belt, screwing a SILENCER

onto the barrel as he GLIDES across the room.

 

INT. HALL, JAPANESE CASTLE-CONTINUOUS

 

Cobb SLIPS through the shadows towards a GUARD stationed at

the head of a GRAND STAIRCASE...

 

The Guard HEARS something- TURNS- PEERS into the shadows...

 

Cobb FLASHES out of the shadows, silenced pistol up, AIMING-

8.

 

PHHT- head shot- the Guard starts to drop... but Cobb is

already there to CATCH him, sliding on his knees and lowering

the Guard SILENTLY to the floor.

 

INT. DINING ROOM, JAPANESE CASTLE - CONTINUOUS

 

Cobb moves to a PAINTING. With practiced hands he removes it

from the wall, revealing a SAFE. Cobb spins the dial, pulls

it OPEN, GRABS an envelope from within, stuffs it into his

waistband, where there is already an IDENTICAL ENVELOPE.

 

LIGHTS COME ON. Cobb freezes.

 

SAITO (O.S.)

Turn around.

 

Cobb turns. At the far end of the room: Saito. Next to him is

Mal, gun in hand. She smiles at Cobb.

 

MAL

The gun, Dom.

 

Cobb doesn't move. Mal motions outside- two GUARDS drag

Arthur into the room. Mal puts the gun to his head.

 

MAL

Please.

 

Cobb slowly places his gun at his end of the long table, then

SLIDES it along the polished ebony. It comes to rest HALFWAY

down the length or the table.

 

SAITO

Now the envelope, Mr. Cobb.

 

Cobb reaches into his waistband, removes ONE of the

envelopes, SLIDES it along the table. Steps back, hands

raised.

 

COBB

Did she tell you, or have you known

all along?

 

SAITO

That you're here to steal from me?

(beat)

Or that we're actually asleep?

 

Arthur gives Cobb an I-told-you-so look.

 

SAITO

I want to know who your employer

is.

 

Mal COCKS the gun at Arthur's temple.

9.

 

COBB

No point threatening him in a

dream.

 

MAL

That depends on what you're

threatening. Killing him would just

wake him up... but pain? Pain is in

the mind...

 

Mal LOWERS the gun and SHOOTS Arthur in the leg- Arthur

drops, SCREAMING- Mal looks at Cobb, cold.

 

MAL

And, judging by the decor, we're in

your mind, aren't we, Arthur?

 

Cobb watches Arthur's PAIN. Mal aims at Arthur's other leg...

 

Cobb SPRINGS for the table, SKIDDING along its polished

surface- he GRABS his gun- SHOOTS ARTHUR BETWEEN THE EYES-

 

Arthur DROPS- the room starts to SHUDDER in a MASSIVE

EARTHQUAKE- Cobb SPRINGS for the door- Arthur's eyes stare at

the ceiling, DEAD, and we-

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. FILTHY BATHROOM - DAY

 

Arthur's EYES OPEN as he WAKES IN THE ARMCHAIR- he GRABS at

the tubes at his wrist, YANKING them free-

 

NASH

What're you doing?! It's too soon-

 

FLUID spurts from the tubes as Arthur STRUGGLES with the

SILVER CASE on the bathroom floor.

 

ARTHUR

I know! We have to reconnect the

loop before they wake up!

 

Arthur grabs the case and pushes through the door to the

bedroom- following the tubes to where they meet Saito's wrist-

SAITO LIES ON THE BED ASLEEP. Saito STIRS and we-

 

CUT TO: