Ground Hero

Happy Tuesday, 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 Chapter 27 of NOWHERE GIRL, Homeland Security agent April Street reveals to CIA handler Lark Sommers that she's really working for Interpol, and is trying to bring down the black ops rogue off-shoot C-6 that her boss Sledge Crafton works for. Meanwhile, stripper with a suitcase nuke Cherry Nation finally delivers 'the package' to the terrorists in the Hollywood Hills ...


EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - QUEENS ROAD - NIGHT
April JOGS up the hill,
talking on her hands-free.

APRIL
You can send backup --
I’m not C-6!

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS - CUBICLE - CONTINUOUS
Lark watches April’s progress
on her monitor as it nears
the location of the nuke.

LARK
I know that.
Shag said you were Homeland Security.

APRIL
No, that was the cover C-6 gave me.
I’m a MOLE -- I’m Interpol --
I’m gonna bring down C-6,
the terrorist cell, AND Avi Abbas.
NOW, given how things have progressed,
I’d love a little help at this point.

LARK
Why didn’t Interpol ask for
our help in the first place?

APRIL
Don’t take this personally,
but The Company doesn’t have
the greatest reputation in
the global intelligence community
since nine-eleven.
I mean -- your BOSS told you
not to interfere with C-6.

LARK
I -- see what you mean.

APRIL
C-6 is totally rogue --
their ops are for profit.
They broker arms deals
around the world.
Remember the CONTRAS?
They’ll sell to anybody --
rebels in Darfur,
revolutionaries in Somalia,
the Tibetan Army --
state of the art weaponry,
sold to the highest bidder.
(beat)
Kinda like Ebay.

A MESSAGE BOX
Pops up on Lark’s monitor.

LARK’S
Fingers fly across the keyboard.

LARK
April, we’ve got a
situation in Israel.
I gotta call you back.

Lark hangs up.
April stops running.
Taps her headpiece.

APRIL
What? Hello? You there?
(beat)
What about my BACK-UP?

EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS MANSION - NIGHT - AT THAT MOMENT
Cherry and Peeler are at the front door.

CHERRY
Go hide in the bushes over there
by the window and watch.
If something goes wrong, call 911.

PEELER
Okay.
Better hide your gun.

CHERRY
Shit, yeah.

She tucks it in her skirt waistband
in the small of her back.

PEELER
So, uh -- in case anything -- happens,
I just want you to know that,
despite all this scary shit --
I’ve had the best time
I’ve ever had tonight.

Cherry’s touched.
She kisses him on the cheek.

CHERRY
Me, too.
Now go, scoot --
we gotta save the world.
(beat)
And then maybe grab some breakfast.

He nods, limps off into the bushes.
Cherry RINGS the bell.

CHERRY
Here goes nothing.

The door OPENS.
It’s Kamal.

He sees the case.
Big smile.

KAMAL
Greetings.
We’ve been expecting you.

CHERRY
Sorry for the delay.

KAMAL
Not to worry.
Please, come in.

INT. MANSION - FOYER - CONTINUOUS
Kamal leads Cherry
toward the living room.

CHERRY
(looking around)
This place is -- amazing.

KAMAL
Vulgar American conspicuous consumption.
(beat)
Can’t wait to blow it up --