Ask And Ye Shall Decive

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Hump Day. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 18 of NOWHERE GIRL, CIA asset Shag Holliday races to intercept her ex, stripper with a suitcase nuke Cherry Nation, who's trying to deliver it to a terrorist sleeper cell in the Hollywood hills. Meanwhile, a private security team is on the way to the terrorist lair ... as well as Homeland Security agent April Street, who's just hijacked a cab ...


INT. CORVETTE - MOVING - NIGHT
Shag drives into
the heart of the strip,
passes Sunset Plaza.

Talks on his hands-free
Bluetooth.

SHAG
She hung up on me.

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS - CUBICLE - CONTINUOUS
Lark turns away from her laptop.
Touches her headpiece.

LARK
Angry?

SHAG
You might say that.

LARK
You blew your cover.

SHAG
Yeah.
It was stupid, I know.
I just --
(looks at the dashboard)
I’m getting close.
I’d love to get some backup.

LARK
You know I can’t do that, Shag.
The boss gave strict orders --
this one’s off-limits.
It’ll raise red flags
that go way beyond me
losing my job.
(beat)
Apparently the guy that
runs C-6 has A LOT of pull.

SHAG
Then connect me to C-6.

LARK
I don’t have the number.
Black ops? Hello?

SHAG
Lark, give yourself some credit.
You told me you could gather
ANY intel.

LARK
I’ll call you when I have something.

SHAG
That’s my girl.
(looks out the window)
I’m here.
Gotta go.

LARK
Good luck.

SHAG
Yeah, right.
You’ve never met Cherry.

EXT. BELL AIR SECURITY - ENTRANCE - NIGHT
A SECURITY SQUAD CAR pulls
out of the building.

INT. SECURITY SQUAD CAR - MOVING - CONTINUOUS
The DRIVER turns to the
SECURITY GUARD sitting next to him.

DRIVER
Weatherman says it’s gonna rain.

SECURITY GUARD
Oh, it’s gonna rain, alright.

Meet RENNY QUICK (30’s).
Big and burly,
former Special Forces.

Retired early due to
injuries on the job.

RENNY
My knee is fucking killing me.
It’s DEFINITELY gonna rain.

EXT. SUNSET BOULEVARD - NIGHT
A light RAIN starts falling.

April stands across the street
from the Crazy Horse.

Watching the swarm of COPS,
the ambulance.
A group of GAWKERS.

APRIL
Shit, it’s raining.
I need wheels, pronto.

A YELLOW CAB pulls up
to the curb in front of her.

Two DRUNK PARTY GIRLS
spill out.

APRIL
Ask and ye shall deceive.

MESSY PARTY GIRL
(to the cabbie)
Keep the change!

WASTED PARTY GIRL
(tugs on Messy’s arm)
C’mon, let’s GO.
It’s RAINING.

They skitter away
down the sidewalk, laughing.

April goes to the cab.
Opens the passenger-side door.
Gets in.

INT. YELLOW CAB - CONTINUOUS
The CABBIE, Middle-Eastern,
sporting a turban
and a giant mustache,
turns and looks at her, startled.

MIDDLE-EASTERN CABBIE
I’m soddy, meess, but eye’m on call.
I cannot pick yoo up.

April WHIPS OUT her ID and gun.

APRIL
Federal agent, Homeland Security.
Get in the back seat.

MIDDLE-EASTERN CABBIE
I WILL NOT.
This is RACIAL PROFILING.
I am AMERICAN CITIZEN.

APRIL
This has nothing to do
with you, Bollywood.
It’s a matter of national security.
GET IN THE BACK SEAT, NOW.

MIDDLE-EASTERN CABBIE
You cannot DO THIS.
I know my RIGHTS.

April PISTOL-WHIPS him, CRACK.
He goes out like a light.

She GRABS him,
THROWS him in the back seat.
Makes a face.

APRIL
Why does everybody
I meet tonight fucking STINK?