Ashes To Ashes

Happy Thursday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In the next-to-last chapter of NOWHERE GIRL, after long-lost twin sisters April Street and Cherry Nation discover that black ops spook Sledge Crafton is their father and reject his offer to join him in a life of crime, they're locked in his dungeon ... which start rapidly filling with water ...


INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
April raises her Sig Sauer.
SHOOTS at the door.

The bullets FLY OFF and
RICOCHET around the room.

Cherry aims at the window.
SHOOTS a SPRAY OF BULLETS at it.

They, too BOUNCE of the glass
and RICOCHET.

The water swirls around,
now reaching up to their knees.

APRIL
The CEILING. Let’s see if
we can blow a HOLE in it!

CHERRY
Let’s DO IT.

The girls raise their weapons.
Start FIRING at the ceiling.

Chunks of cement start FLYING off.
April shields her eyes
with her forearm.
So does Cherry.

INT. INTELLIGENCE OFFICE - AT THAT MOMENT
Crafton sits at his desk.
Looks out the window. Pensive.

He leans over. Hits a
button on his speakerphone.

SLEDGE
Donner.

DONNER (O.C.)
(electronic)
Yes, chief.

SLEDGE
I’m going to go home in
a few minutes and get some shut-eye.
These all-nighters are killing me.
I’m not getting any younger.

DONNER (O.C.)
Would you care for some company?

SLEDGE
That would be nice.

DONNER (O.C.)
Just give me a few minutes.
(beat)
I’m sorry about the girls.

SLEDGE
So am I, Donner.
So am I.
(beat)
Please do me a favor
and never mention them again.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The water is now up their waists.
The girls have now blown out
a nice-sized hole in the ceiling
about six-inches deep.

APRIL
This isn’t gonna work.
We’re gonna have think of
something else.

CHERRY
Let me get up on your shoulders.
Maybe it’s not that thick.

APRIL
Okay.

April cups her hands.
Cherry climbs up April.

Stands on her shoulders.
Pushes the ceiling where
they’ve shot it out.

Nothing.

CHERRY
Shit!
We’re gonna DIE!

APRIL
Don’t EVER say that.
We’re NOT gonna die.

Cherry JUMPS down.
Hits the water with a SPLASH.

CHERRY
Then tell me, what THE FUCK
are we GONNA DO?

She BURSTS into tears.
April GRABS her. Hugs her.

APRIL
Shhhhh, it’s okay --
I’m gonna figure something out.

INT. INTELLIGENCE OFFICE - AT THAT MOMENT
Sledge holds an old, dog-eared
Polaroid in his hand.
A tear streaks down his cheek.

CLOSE ON --
The photograph.

We see two three-year-old
little girls. Gorgeous. Happy.
Smiling. APRIL and ABBY.

SLEDGE
Pulls out a cigarette lighter.
Sets it on FIRE.

Tosses it in the ashtray
on his desk.

SLEDGE
Ashes to ashes --