Rocky Mountain Thigh

Hey there, crime kids. TGIF. 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 1 of RIDGEWAY, deep in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, a scared young woman is coerced into doing a hit for the Dixie mob ... for a price.


EXT. OZARK MOUNTAINS - DUSK
Fat white clouds poke
the deep blue sky.

Rolling green hills stuffed
with pine trees out
of a John Denver song.

A giant white statue of Jesus
stands at attention
on the mountain peak,
arms outstretched like
he’s gonna take a dive.

A narrow gravel road meanders
up the mountain to an old,
ramshackle cabin at the top.

Cue the banjo music.

A giant, brand-new red PICKUP TRUCK
comes BARRELING up the road
in a CRUNCH of gravel
like the rural archetype it is.

An ARMADILLO lazily
skitters across the rocks.

The truck ROARS by and SQUISHES it,
CRACKING its shell with a CRUNCH.

EXT. SHITTY MOUNTAIN CABIN - DUSK
At the top is a shack that looks
like it’d fall over if you sneezed.

The gravel road runs by it,
then disappears into a tunnel
of trees across the mountain ridge.

Dim light spills out
from behind dingy curtains.

The truck’s doors OPEN.
Out steps the DRIVER (60’s)
and a TALL WOMAN (50’s).

He’s got a big gut.
She’s quite the looker,
with a great rack.

INT. SHITTY MOUNTAIN CABIN - NIGHT
Dimly lit by a kerosene lantern.
Empty except for a KID (20’s)
tied to a chair. Badly beaten.

Covered in blood.
Mouth a ruined mess.
Teeth litter the floor.

Driver and Tall Woman walk in.
A BIG, BALD BRUTE in overalls
and a Ducky Dynasty beard
looks at Driver. Grins toothily.

BIG, BALD BRUTE
Finally told us.

Another MAN (30’S), intense-looking
with elaborate mutton chops
and gnarled eyebrows eyes Tall Woman.
Smacks his lips.

MUTTON CHOPS
Who’s the cunt.

DRIVER
New business associate.

Driver pulls a thick wad
of bills from his pocket.

DRIVER
Five grand. Like we agreed.

Her eyes light up.
She reaches for it --
but he snatches it away.

Pulls out a GUN.
Offers it to her.

DRIVER
First you gotta shoot this
piece of shit in the head.

TALL WOMAN
But what about --

DRIVER
This man stole from me.
Now he needs to pay the piper.
You want the fucking money or not?
(off her look)
You want to write my movie,
you gotta be IN my movie.
(holds up the cash)
Go a long way round here.

She looks at Bleeding Guy.
Then at Gnarled Eyebrows.

Then the money.
Takes the gun in trembling hands.

DRIVER
Atta girl.

Walks over to Bleeding.
Slowly raises it.
Looks at Driver.

He nods.
She takes a deep breath --

Takes aim -- and BANG,
SHOOTS him in the head.

Brains, skull and blood SPRAY the wall.
Driver tosses her the wad of bills.

DRIVER
She shoots, she scores.
(beat)
Londell sent you to get
the dirt on me.
Now you’re dirty.
(nasty grin)
You just did a hit for the Dixie mob.

A SIREN starts WAILING in the distance.

DRIVER
Whoops. Gotta go.
(winks)
Don’t spend it all
in once place now, ya hear?

***