Piranha

It's got to lead somewhere.

Well, we'll stop and make camp pretty soon. Got your breath?

Yeah. Let's go.

What is this?

It doesn't look like anyone's been here for a while. Let's go inside and check it out.

- Think we should? - Barbara, who'd know the difference?

OK.

Besides, a little lawbreaking'll do you good.

Wonder why this place wasn't on your map.

Maybe it's supposed to be a secret.

Maybe.

Hey!

Far out!

It feels great.

Come on, let's wash off, so it won't be so funky in that sleeping bag.

What if somebody catches us?

Who's gonna catch us?

There's nobody here.

Let's get wet.

- Last one in is a rotten egg. - That's really original.

- Wait a minute. - What?

What if this is some kind of a sewage treatment plant?

Idiot.

Now you're gonna get it.

How is it?

Here I come.

- That's not funny. - What?

You bit me. I can't believe you actually bit me.

What do I look like? A creature from the black lagoon?

You are paranoid, kid. Listen, I'll race you to the deep end.

Barbara! There's something in here!

David!

God damn!

David!

David?

David!

David! David!

- Rent a Jeep? - She'll be on unpaved mountain roads...

All right. Where do I sign?

We're all set. At Indian Springs you'll get a Jeep. The roads are very rough there.

NO sweat.

- I can handle it. - I know.

I wouldn't send you if I didn't think you could.

Wait. Got ya.

- I found the bigamist. - Right.

- And the bad-cheque lady? - Right.

- And Mo Schneider. - Three times, but those were all in town.

You're a city kid. These kids are out in the boon...

I can find anything, Earl. I'm two-thirds bloodhound.

I told you that when you hired me.

Oh, my gosh. My ticket. I could have sworn I put it in my pocket.

Where's my ticket?

- I can manage it. - Of course you can.

- It's money in the bank. - My money.

Hello, Brandy. How are you, huh?

This hike from town is gettin' longer every week.

- You oughta get a car, Jack. - I got a car.

It's up on blocks. That's where it belongs.

Scotch.

Gin.

Bourbon.

Tequila!

You're the 7th Cavalry, Jack.

You know, I just ran dry today.

Your corn meal is down there, but I ain't gonna walk down and get it.

Man cannot live by booze alone.

In lieu of rent. What's up in town?

- Same as usual. - I bet you miss it, Jack, huh?

I bet you miss sellin' whatever it was. That plastic fruit.

No.

Got the river.

It wakes me up in the morning.

Gives me a bath.

Does the laundry.

Gives me my dinner. Puts me to sleep real gentle.

I got my river.

I got Brandy.

Paul.

What have you got up here?

I got scotch, gin, bourbon, and tequila.

- What's it to you, anyhow? - OK.

OK, buddy. I'll see you.

Come on.

Take it easy, Brandy.

Ow!

Hm.

It's open.

Paul Grogan?

Hi. I'm Maggie McKeown. I work for a skip-tracing company.

- What's that? - We find missing people.

Did my ex-wife send you?

No.

Um...

I'm looking for a pair of teenage kids.

Some friends said they might be backpacking up here.

I haven't seen'em. Did you talk to the sheriff's people?

- They said it was a big mountain. - They're right. It is.

I figured they may have followed the river. Are there any places to swim near here?

Well, if they'd drowned, they'd be swept down to the dam.

So you're startin' at the wrong end.

Boy, you're the wrong end all right.

Look, am I interrupting something? This is kind of important.

Hey,

you cool your jets, lady.

I didn't axe-murder your young couple. I can't help you. I haven't seen'em.

Are there any other shacks up here?

Cabins. This is a cabin.

Are there any more of them? Any places where they might be holed up?

There's an old fella named Jack, has a place down the river a bit,

but he's not with them.

And there was some kind of army test site way up the mountain.

- That closed down five or six years ago. - Come on. Let's go.

- Go where? - You're taking me up there.

Oh, no, I'm not.

You think I'm wasting my time, don't you?

No. I think you're wastin' my time.

- Find anything yet? - Not yet, but it's still early in the day.

David!

Barbara!

- What were they testing here? - Who knows?

I hiked up here once with my ex-wife. They had guard dogs out.

The fence was electrified. The works.

"BR" Barbara Randolph.

Hm.

Man, that is cold.

Their parents said they were excellent swimmers.

Wouldn't they be floatin' up on top by now?

It takes a while for the body to bloat with gas.

Nice business you're in.

You think there's a way to pull the plug on this?

- Tropical fish? - Looks like it's for laboratory rats.

You know, where they had to get through an obstacle course to get a reward.

Hm.

Still warm.

Come here. Take a look at this.

Yeuch.

Let's get outta here. This place gives me the creeps.

Hey! What are you...

Well, they've been here all right.

And they never left.

- I say we drain the pond. - Well, now. Now, wait a minute.

You can't do that without gettin' somebody's permission, you know.

If it works it's the quickest way to know if they're down there.

What are you doing?

Are you all right?

- He's breathing. - No thanks to you.

- What was I supposed to do? - I would have got loose in a second.

- Look at this. You put a dent in it. - Could I have a sip of that, please?

It's not water.

- What is it? - The water's salty.

Where does this drain to?

It was a fish hatchery before the army took it over.

It probably drains underground into the river.

Uh-oh.

I think it's a dog. I don't suppose they would have fit through here.

Not in one piece.

You think he's all right up there?

Oh, shit.

Oh, my God.

I guess I must have left the keys in it. Huh?

- He's alive. - He's indestructible.

Easy. Easy, now. Easy. Easy.

- Razorteeth. - What's "razorteeth"?

- You drained the pond? - Yes...

- You let them out? - Let who out?

What's he doin'?

You don't know what you've done. Untie me.

The question is, what you've done, mister.

You don't know.

They breed like flies. There'll be no way to stop them.

Would you talk sense, dammit? What about those kids?

I can't tell you. Mother of God, they'll kill us. They'll kill all of us.

OK, mister, listen. They're gonna sweat it out of you in town.

They'll kill us.

What have we done?

Oh, my God.

- He thinks someone's going to kill him. - He's right.

I am, if he steps out of line.

- Do you have any cigarettes? - No.

I quit a year ago. It interfered with my drinking.

Do you mind if I come in for a minute?

Sure.

So, did you start drinking before or after?

- Before or after what? - Your wife left you.

- What the hell kind of question is that? - Look, I'm sorry. I was just interested.

Um,

do you mind if I sit here?

Go ahead.

- How long were you married? - Huh?

Um,

ten years.

She was just 17 when we eloped in her father's car.

Man, we thought we had the world by the balls.

Where did you live?

In town. I worked in a smeltin' operation downriver.

The government closed us down. Said we killed too many fish.

They gave it to the army, and the army sold it to some resort outfit.

So you know that somebody's makin' bundles somewhere along the line.

How do you make a living now?

Back pay. Unemployment.