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 tellin' 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
stealin' 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 l 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, l 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 lndian 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 gamblin', 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 trin' 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 considerin' 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.
lf 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, l 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 l 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.