Collateral Damage

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In Chapter 30 of NOWHERE GIRL, after discovering that deep stealth Interpol agent April Street and exotic dancer Cherry Nation are long-lost twin sisters, they team up and escape the terrorist's lair ... just as the bomb explodes ...


EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS MANSION - NIGHT
Two Feds in protective gear
with helmets stand in front of
a bomb squad truck.

They start walking toward
Cherry and April.

APRIL
(whispers)
I don’t trust them.

CHERRY
Let’s kick their ass.

INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS - CUBICLE - NIGHT
Lark takes a sip
of her water bottle.

Touches her headset.

LARK
But I don’t understand.
You WANT it to go off?
But what about -- collateral damage?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. INTELLIGENCE OFFICE - NIGHT
Sledge Crafton stands at the bar.
Mixing a cocktail.
Speaking on his hands-free.

SLEDGE
Too many people know.
It’s a big mess.
Better to start again
with a clean slate.
And it’s not a real nuke,
it’s an old Russian
piece of shit pipe bomb
with a timer, that’s all.
We’ll find some patsy
and nail it on them,
like we did in Oklahoma City.

He leans down over the bar.
SNORTS a line of coke.

LARK
But what about April Street --
and the other girl?

SLEDGE
They’re being evacuated.
I have special plans for THEM.
(beat)
Don’t tell me you're
getting soft on me.
You’re one of the
best moles I’ve ever had.
I’d hate to have to
retire you, too.

LARK
But what about the
agents on-site?

SLEDGE
They don’t know
the bomb is live.
(beat)
Like you said,
collateral damage.

INT. BOMB SQUAD TRUCK - NIGHT -
Cherry and April wear
bomb squad gear with helmets.

April GUNS the engine.
The vehicle starts moving.

CHERRY
Go, go, go --

APRIL
We’re OUTTA HERE.

EXT. QUEENS ROAD - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS
The truck ROARS down the road.

INT. BOMB SQUAD TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
April shakes her head slowly.
Thinking.

APRIL
Something’s not right.
They were acting like they
WANTED the nuke to go off.
(beat)
Unless they weren’t told
it was live.

CHERRY
Why would the agency do that?

APRIL
I don’t know, unless --

An earth-shattering EXPLOSION
rocks the truck.
April stops.

She and Cherry poke their
heads out their windows, look.

A MASSIVE FIREBALL ERUPTS
in the sky.

THE TRUCK
Continues on down Queens Road.

APRIL
That was no nuke.
Crafton was ripping
off the terrorists.
Why am I not surprised?

CHERRY
So where are we going?

APRIL
We’re gonna pay him
a little visit.

CHERRY
(turns her head)
Hey.
You okay back there?

PEELER
Sticks his head out
from the rear.

PEELER
Well, let’s see.
I’ve lost a lot of blood,
I’m dizzy from hunger,
and I just shit my pants.
I’m having a ball.