To Protect And Swerve

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 ZOMBIE & JULIET, special forces commando Ginger Jones helps reunite Jool with her nanny Nin in the mansion panic room, keeping them safe from the zombie invasion. Meanwhile, Rommy and the revolutionaries take a breather after surviving a zombie ambush and plot their next move ...


INT. CARLING’S MANSION - FOYER - NIGHT
Ginger and Jool tip-toe
across the marble floor.

Point their weapons.
Eyes scanning the room.

GINGER
This room is bigger
than my whole apartment.

Jool leads the way toward the study.

JOOL
This way --

Suddenly Carling appears
down the hall.

He’s been INFECTED.
Badly. Late-stage.

Skin mottled. Bloody.
Eyes BLAZING.

JOOL
(horrified)
NO --

He RACES toward Jool and Ginger.

They FIRE at him.
BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

His head EXPLODES in a
RED-BROWN MIST.

They lower their guns.
Jool looks at him sadly.

GINGER
I’m so -- sorry.

JOOL
(eyes tear up)
That -- wasn’t my uncle anymore --

GINGER
What about your parents?

JOOL
They were killed by infecteds
when I was seven --
(realizes)
NIN.

GINGER
Who’s that?

JOOL
My nanny.
(thinks)
Maybe she’s in the panic room.
C’mon, follow me.

She trots over to
the grand staircase.

Ginger follows her.
They RACE up the steps.

INT. UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
Jool BANG, BANG, BANGS on
the steel door to the panic room.

Ginger stands guard,
weapon pointed down the hallway.

JOOL
NIN, it’s ME, JOOL.
Are you in there?

GINGER
Maybe we should check
the rest of the --

The door OPENS.
Nin looks at Jool, then Ginger.

NIN
Thank god you’re okay.

JOOL
Thank god YOU’RE okay.

NIN
Your uncle --

JOOL
I know.

NIN
(sighs)
C’mon in.

INT. PANIC ROOM - CONTINUOUS
A very large room outfitted
like a studio apartment.

The best of everything.
Very comfortable.
Ginger looks around.

GINGER
Fanciest panic room
I’VE ever seen.
(looks at them)
Well, now that you’re both safe,
I should get going.

JOOL
Wait, could you stay a
little while and protect us?
I have to wait for Rommy.

GINGER
How is he going to find you
if you’re holed up in here?

JOOL
Oh, that’s no problem.
We can access the roof over there.
(points at a ladder up to a ceiling hatch)
Please?
Just for a little while?

PUSH IN ON Ginger’s face.
Her face softens. She sighs.

GINGER
Okay. Let’s go up.

INT. SWAT TRUCK - NIGHT
Rommy’s behind the wheel.
Grim. Determined.

Brick rides shotgun, eyes bleary
from too much weed. Wasted.

BRICK
(sings)
With their tanks and their bombs,
and their bombs and their guns --
zombie, zombie, zombie --

GAGA
So where to next?

ROMMY
First we go get Jool,
then find somewhere
to make the vaccine,
and THEN go to the media.
(turns, looks at them)
So no more Doobie Brothers, okay?

GAGA
I’m fine.
Just have a mellow buzz.
Still fully functioning --
(looks at Brick)
Not like Zombie Garcia here.

BRICK
Chill OUT. Relax.
I’m just blowing off
some steam, okay?
Surviving a zombie apocalypse
is STRESSFUL.

ROMMY
Yeah, and so is having your
romantic rendezvous FUCKED UP
by ARMED GUARDS.

GAGA
That must of been rough.

ROMMY
Yeah, well the story’s
gonna have a happy ending.
(looks out the window)
We’re almost there --

Rommy pulls the picture
out of his pocket.
Sneaks a look.

It BLOWS out the window.
He tries to grab it --

ROMMY
Shit.