Trigger Happy

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Monday. 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 21 of AFTERHOURS, career criminal Danny Peel and rogue cop Vin Vargas get into an argument about the fucked-pup home invasion they barely escaped from ... with deadly results.


INT. AFTER HOURS CLUB - EARLY MORNING
Danny pulls out his cell phone.
Hands it to her.

Mia takes it, dials a number.
Relieved.

DANNY
Chill out.
Her mother had a stroke.
It’s not her fault you fucked up tonight.

VIN
WHAT?

DANNY
Shut up, Vin.
I wanna listen.

MIA
(into the phone)
UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica?
(listens)
Thanks.
(listens)
Yes, hi.
I’m calling to get some information
on a patient of yours?
(listens)
Lucy Tanaka.
(listens)
Sure, I’ll hold.
(to Danny)
I’m holding --

DANNY
It’s okay.

MIA
(nods)
Yes? She IS? Thank god. Thank you.
(listens)
She’s going home tomorrow?
(listens)
Is my sister there?
Can I talk to her?

DANNY
Time’s up.

MIA
But I want to ask her --

DANNY
(GRABS the phone)
You found out your mother’s okay.
Can’t risk you talking to your sister.
She’ll be able to tell something’s up
by the tone of your voice.

VIN
I can’t believe you
let her fucking do that.
Hostages aren’t allowed
to make phone calls.

DANNY
You really are a pain in the ass,
you know that?

VIN
HEY.
I risked my BADGE for you.
And what’s this bullshit about
‘I fucked up the job?’

DANNY
You DID fuck up the job.

CASEY
Wait a minute.
Vin’s a COP?

DANNY
(nods)
A cop with a gambling problem.

VIN
Why the fuck did you
have to tell her THAT?

DANNY
Cause it’s true?

VIN
I didn’t fuck up the job.
He was going for his piece.

DANNY
No he wasn’t.
He was reaching for his glasses.
He was blind without them.
(to Casey)
They were fucking when we walked in --
(to Vin)
And Dirty Harry here just
HAD to go in, guns blazing.

CASEY
Oh my god.
This WOULD make a great movie.

VIN
A MOVIE?
You can’t make a movie
outta this without our permission.

DANNY
I’m giving her mine.

VIN
WHAT?

DANNY
Gonna do something about it?

VIN
(stands)
Maybe.

DANNY
I wouldn’t do that if I were you.
Be the last mistake you ever made.
(chuckles)
One in a LONG line --
(imitates him)
‘Hello, honey?
I lost our mortgage payment at the track.’

Vin reaches for his gun,
but Danny’s faster --
and SHOOTS him with the sawed-off, BOOM.

He FLIES backwards, HITS the floor, THUD.
Blood starts PUMPING out of his belly.

Casey stares, wide-eyed.
Heart beating a mile a minute.

SKY
Holy shit.

BETTIE
Good riddance.

EASY
Asshole.

ANGEL
I was getting tired of his shit.

MIA
Bye-bye, sucker.

Angel looks at Mia. Smiles.

HARRY
(low)
Remind me not to make him mad --