MacReady finally gets his flamethrower to work and sends a blanket of flames at the Thing. The men's non-stop screams continues in the background.
The creature turns to MacReady and begins advancing towards him. Mac hits it again and again with streams of fire.
The Thing then heads for the wall and bursts through, shattering the wall structure and out to the frozen night.
After fleeing a few feet, it crumples to the ground submitting to the flames engulfing it. MacReady steps out, lights the fuse of a dynamite stick and heaves it at the Thing.
Boom! It erupts in a fiery explosion sending it's flesh splattering all over the snow covered grounds.
Back in the room, the men are screaming for MacReady's attention. They see rumblings from Window's body, it's starting to change. MacReady returns to the room, sees Windows and grabs the other flamethrower.
GARRY: MacReady, come on, hurry up! In the back! Burn it, for God's sake! Hurry up, MacReady!
CHILDS: Come on, hurry up! Burn it! BURN IT!
MacReady ignites the torch, Window's body goes up in flames. Sounds of the creature's shrills of pain fades to nothing as it burns.
CUT TO MACREADY: perspiring profusely, his hand trembling slightly, prepares to continue the test. He heats the wire. The men are pouring sweat, white-knuckled. The torch is pointed at Nauls. Nauls is stressing. MacReady places the heated wire into his plate. Hiss. Nauls exhales. MacReady unties Nauls, while the torch stays glued to the others.
MacReady heats the wire once again. Nauls has the torch aimed at Childs. Childs sits stoicly, while he watches the preparations for his turn. Fierce, determined. Nauls and MacReady take aim five yards away.
CHILDS: Let's do it.
The wire comes off the flame into the plate... the harmless hissing. The muscles in Childs' face melt into a sigh. All eyes snap towards station manager Garry. Childs, suddenly realizing who he is sitting next to, squirms.
CHILDS: Get me outta here! Cut me loose! Cut me the hell . . . come on, get me outta here! . . . Come on, get me outta here! Cut me loose, damn it!
Nauls rips away Child's bindings. MacReady stands guard. Childs scrambles off the couch. Garry stares grimly ahead. The room tenses, adrenalin pumps, breathing halts. MacReady is stone-faced. Garry sits catatonic. The torches. The wire. The plate. Garry's face.
Hisssss. The men breathe. Their torches are lowered. MacReady wipes his face. A beat. The strain on MacReady's jaw begins to lessen and takes comfort in the sound of the raging Antarctic wind vibrating the roof. A long silence.
GARRY: I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I would rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!
LATER: Childs is standing guard with a flamethrower by the main entrance. MacReady enters.
MACREADY: Childs, we're going out to give Blair the test. If he tries to make it back here and we're not with him . . . burn him.
EXT. COMPOUND - NIGHT: The wind rumbles. The storm is at its peak. MacReady, Garry, and Nauls, guided by their flares, pull themselves along the steadying rope, headed for Blair's shack.
BLAIR'S SHACK: The door is wide open. They pause by the entrance, trying to balance against the wind.
NAULS: Mac, the door's open!
INT. BLAIR'S SHACK: They enter. Empty.
NAULS: How'd he get out? The door was bolted from the outside.
A few of the floorboards are loosened. They pull them up. They stare down into a large hole beneath the planking. Something is down there. They pull up more boards. The hole is some fifteen feet deep. Its dimensions are the same as the shack. They crawl inside, igniting flares for light.
GARRY: Blair?
NAULS: Hey Blair, you down there? We got something for you!
The space below is almost completely taken up by some strange metallic object. Crudely fashioned, a patchwork job, but streamlined. Sheets of corrugated steel are visible; but cut apart and welded into the desired shapes. The object appears to be unfinished.
MACREADY: Blair's been busy out here all by himself.
NAULS: What is it?
MACREADY: Something he's been making.
GARRY: It's a ship of some kind. Stole the parts from the helicopter.
MACREADY: Smart S.O.B. He put it together piece by piece.
NAULS: Where was he trying to go?
MACREADY: Anyplace but here.
INT. COMPOUND: The Tunnel, well lit, empty. The area Childs was standing guard, no sign of Childs. Gusts of snow drift through the wide open entrance.
BLAIR'S SHACK: MacReady and Garry are setting charges to destroy the shack and Blair's ship. Nauls keeps a look out.
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