Gun Crazy

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 14 of AFTERHOURS, pro ball player Easy Washington and indie film hunk Sky Masters try to overpower their captors, with disastrous results ...


INT. AFTER HOURS CLUB - EARLY MORNING

UNDER THE BAR
Easy taps Sky’s leg.
Slips him a folded napkin.

SKY
Looks down.
Carefully opens it.

THE NAPKIN READS
‘I’ll grab Danny’s gun.
You get Vin’s.
When I say NOW.’

SKY
Crumples it up.
Looks around nervously.

AT THE BAR
Danny looks at Mia. Smiles.

DANNY
How do you feel?

MIA
(eyes burning)
I don’t like it.
It burns my throat.

He stares at her a long beat.
Then breaks into a big smile.

DANNY
Well, now you can say
you’ve tried it.
(big smile)
More for me.

Danny leans down.
SNARFS up the last line.

EASY
NOW.

In rapid-fire succession --

Easy LEAPS off his stool.
GRABS Danny’s sawed-off.

Tries to YANK it away.
Danny tries to YANK it back.

At the same moment,
ky JUMPS off his stool.

GRABS Vin’s gun.
They WRESTLE for the weapon.

Mia SCREAMS.
Casey and Angel GASP.

Easy and Danny roll around on the floor,
struggling for control of the gun.

Danny JERKS it toward Easy’s face,
but Easy’s STRONG, and starts
JERKING it back toward Danny’s.

Vin YANKS the gun away from Sky,
PISTOL-WHIPS him on the head.

Blood FLIES from the wound,
SPLATTERS Vin’s face.

Sky tries to PUNCH him, but Vin
KNEES him in the groin, HARD.
He goes down, writhing in pain.

Easy and Danny both grip the sawed-off,
KICKING and CLAWING at each other.

Vin aims his gun at Easy --
just as the shotgun FIRES --
BLOWING OFF HIS ARM at the shoulder. BANG.
A GEYSER OF BLOOD SPRAYS IN THE AIR.

IN THE BOOTH
Bettie wakes up.
Sees the mayhem.
Tries to focus.

BETTIE
What’s -- going on?

AT THE BAR
Casey stares in horror.

CASEY
Holy fucking SHIT.

ANGEL
(to Mia)
TOWELS. GET SOME TOWELS.

MIA
They’re IN THE LAUNDRY.

ANGEL
PAPER TOWELS, NAPKINS -- ANYTHING. HURRY.

Mia reaches under the bar,
grabs a stack of paper towels,
hands them to Angel.

He RACES over to Easy.
SHOVES them on the gushing wound.

Danny gets up. Thumbs a couple
of shells into the sawed-off.

KA-CHINKS them into the chamber.
Aims it at Easy.

DANNY
And I thought we were
getting along so well.
(aims it at Sky)
And YOU. You’re PATHETIC. Weak.
This isn’t a fucking MOVIE.
(to Vin)
You okay?

VIN
Yeah.

EASY
Joke’s on you.
Movie star’s got HIV.

VIN
Who gives a shit.
So we got another faggot.
Fucking Hollywood --

DANNY
He means the blood on your face.

Vin reaches up.
Touches his face.
Looks at his hand. Sees it.

VIN
What the FUCK?

He RUNS toward the men’s room.
Danny aims his gun at Sky.

DANNY
Okay, junkie.
Go sit with the others.

Sky slowly gets up.
Trudges over to the bar. Sits.

CASEY
(nods at Easy)
We’re gonna have to
cauterize his wound.

DANNY
Or what?
He’ll lose his arm?

ANGEL
No, she’s serious.
He’ll lose too much blood.

DANNY
(looks at Easy)
Hope that wasn’t
your jerking off hand. --