Outside e Block. Billy is brought to the door

Billy is brought to the door. Dean pulls his keys, starts to

unlock it. We PUSH IN on Billy's face, where the tiniest

trace of a smile is starting to grow...

INSIDE E BLOCK

...and Coffey's unease grows with it. he presses his face to

the bars, his whispering becoming more urgent:

COFFEY

Careful. Careful.

Paul hears him, glances back with a puzzled look. Coffey's

gaze is directed at the door, which is being unlocked...

THE DOOR

...and opened. In that moment, the slack look on Billy's face

gives way to a wild grin. A CRAZED SCREECH leaps from his

throat, a cross between a rebel yell and a dog being

tortured, freezing everybody's blood in their veins--

BILLY

Yeeeeeeehaaaawwwwwwrooooo!

--and he drops his wrist-chain down over Dean's head, jerks

it tight, begins to strangle him. Dean lurches forward, Billy

riding/propelling him through the door onto the Mile.

Percy stands frozen in the doorway, stunned. Harry shoves him

aside and jumps on Billy from behind, trying to get him off

Dean. Dean is choking, turning purple.

Paul rushes from the cell to join the fray. Billy whirls,

delivering a stunning kick to Paul's groin. Paul's bladder

pain goes nuclear--he falls back in agony, clutching himself

and sucking air through his teeth, unable even to scream.

Billy rams an elbow into Harry's face, knocks him sprawling

on the desk, screaming and laughing and howling all the while:

BILLY

WHOOOEE, BOYS! AIN'T THIS A PARTY,

NOW? IS IT, OR WHAT?

Paul forces himself to his feet, pulls his revolver, draws

down on Billy...

PAUL

LET HIM GO!

...but Billy jerks Dean around, using him as a shield...

BILLY

G'WAN, SHOOT! SEE WHO YA HIT!

Dean is choking, dying. Paul is shifting his aim, trying for

a clear shot, not getting one. Percy's still just inside the

doorway, pressed against the wall with fear...

PAUL

HIT HIM, PERCY! GODDAMN IT, HIT

HIM!

BILLY

C'MON, PERCY, HIT ME! HIT ME, YOU

LIMP NOODLE, HIT ME! YEEHAWWW!

...and suddenly a hand comes in, grabs the hickory stick out

of Percy's grasp, raises it high--

--it's Brutal coming through the door. He swings the baton

and lands an awesome blow to Billy's head--THUMP! The force

of it spins Billy off his feet and slams him flat on his back.

Dean crawls away, gulping ragged breaths of air. Amazingly,

Billy's still conscious--he looks up at Brutal and laughs:

BILLY

Big fucker. Snuck up on me. No

fair.

Still laughing, he makes another grab at Dean. Brutal whacks

him again, turning his lights out for good. Brutal drops to

Dean's side, helping him hack air back into his lungs:

BRUTAL

Breathe...breathe...that's it...

Everybody's reining in their adrenaline. Paul glares at Harry.

HARRY

We thought he was doped.

(to Percy)

Didn't we? Didn't we all of us

think he was doped?

Percy nods, still numb. Paul is furious:

PAUL

You didn't ask? I guess that's not

a mistake you'll be need to make

again anytime soon, is it?

Harry shakes his head miserably. Paul grabs Billy by the feet.

PAUL

Grab his arms! You too, Percy!

(off Percy's

hesitation)

Percy, goddamn it, get your feet

out of cement and help us out here!

Percy finally unfreezes. The three of them hoist Billy up in

a dead-lift, get him in his cell, toss him on the cot. They

step out, slam the door, lock it. Paul looks to Harry and

Brutal.

PAUL

Get Dean looked at right away,

make sure he's all right.

Percy, you go make a report to the

warden for me. Start off by saying

the situation is under control--

it's not a story, he won't

appreciate you drawing out the

suspense.

BRUTAL

What about you? You look about

ready to collapse.

PAUL

I've got the Mile till you all get

back. Go on now.

They all exit. As soon as he's alone, Paul gives in to the

pain, holding his crotch and sinking to his knees with a

moan. It's so bad he actually lays down on the Mile, face

pressed against the cool linoleum, wishing he were dead. A

stretch of silence...and then: