A Disgrace To The Flag

Happy Hump Day, crime humpsters. Need a little jolt to waken you from your dreary little lives? Looking for a blast of hardboiled pulp action to brighten -- or darken -- your day? Then you've come to the right place, when you visit Nowhere Girl ...

Screened a real beaut last night. BANDITS, with Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thorton and Cate Blanchette, and directed by the great Barry Levinson. Great fun, and much better than I remembered it. I guess some things do improve with age. Fun story about 'The Sleepover Bandits.' Bruce and Billy Bob case a bank, and then surpise the manager the night before the robbery ... and tell him they're going ot spend the night, and then go to the bank with him in the morning. It goes great for awhile, but then the media gets wind of it, and they become superstars. Problem is, they meet Cate, and bring her along with them. And before you know it, she's sleeping with Bruce, and then with Billy Bob, and the whole thing gets a bit ... complicated. Check this one out if you've never seen it. Lots of fun. Two guns WAY up ...

Onto today's joint from NOWHERE GIRL ... where things are really starting to heat up as we start to approach the exciting conclusion. It's getting to the point that to say anything about what happens next would give too much away ... but just know that more bodies start to pile up as Cherry and April reach their Final Destination ...

INT./EXT. LIMOUSINE - NIGHT
Avi sits in the back as the limo cruises south on the 405.
He pulls out his cell. PUNCHES in a number.

AVI
Yeah, hi.
I’d like to reserve a ticket
on the next flight to Caracas --

A siren WHOOP-WHOOPS outside.

AVI (CONT’D)
What the fuck?

The driver’s window SLIDES DOWN.

DRIVER
I wasn’t speeding.

AVI
Goddammit.

EXT. 405 FREEWAY - LIMOUSINE - CONTINUOUS
The limo pulls over. A MOTORCYCLE COP pulls up behind it.
Stops. Parks. The cop dismounts. Walks over to the window.

DRIVER
What seems to be the problem, officer?

The cop pulls out his SERVICE REVOLVER
and SHOOTS him. BANG.

IN THE REAR
Avi hears the shot. JUMPS.

AVI
SHIT.

The cop appears in the divider --

AVI (CONT’D)
NO, WAIT!

And SHOOTS him. BANG.

EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - DAWN
A beautiful sunrise. FIRE TRUCKS and PATROL CARS
make their way up into the hills.
NEWS CHOPPERS fly overhead.

INT. BOMB SQUAD TRUCK - MOVING - CONTINUOUS
April punches in a number on her cell. Listens.

APRIL
Lark? You there?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS - CUBICLE
Lark sits at her workstation,
blowing on her hundredth cup of coffee.
Dark circles under haunted eyes.

LARK
Barely.

APRIL
I need Crafton’s location.

LARK
I can’t --

APRIL
I thought this line was encrypted.

LARK
It is, but -- I can’t --

APRIL
Wait a minute.

LARK
What.

APRIL
You never sent back-up
because you’re working for him,
AREN’T you.
You’re a fucking MOLE.
(beat)
My GOD am I STUPID.

A FIGURE IN BLACK SHADES
Appears at the end of the row of cubicles.

APRIL (CONT’D)
And you got Shag killed.

LARK
NO. That wasn’t -- my fault.

APRIL
Give me his location. NOW.

THE FIGURE
Starts walking toward Lark’s workstation.

APRIL (CONT’D)
You’re a disgrace to your flag.
You KNOW that?
This is your chance to prove that not
ALL American agents are corrupt.

LARK
Shag wasn’t corrupt!

APRIL
But you got him KILLED.

Lark GASPS.
Her eyes fill with tears.

LARK
Crafton’s HQ is in the Capitol Records building.
He’s got the whole top floor.

The figure reaches Lark’s cubicle.
He raises a 9mm Baretta with a silencer,
and SHOOTS her in the head -- THWIP.

APRIL
Good girl, now you’re talking -- thanks.
(listens)
Lark?
(beat)
Lark?
(to Cherry)
She hung up.

She looks at Cherry,
who's white as a ghost.

CHERRY
Shag’s DEAD?

APRIL
One of Crafton’s assassins.
I’m sorry, love.
I didn’t know how to tell you.
(beat)
I’m sorry.

CHERRY
Poor Shag. My god.
(beat)
He drove me crazy, you know?
But he meant well, he was --
such a great guy,
I don’t know what I’m gonna --
(beat)
SHIT, my KIDS.
Can I borrow your cell phone?

April hands it over.
Cherry PUNCHES in a number.
Listens.

CHERRY (CONT’D)
Hello, Jamie? It’s mommy.
(listens)
I miss you, too. I’m sorry I woke you --
(listens)
I’m so glad you’re having fun.
You love your Nanna, don’t you?
(listens)
I have good news.
I might be coming home sooner than I thought.
(listens)
I love you, too. Go back to sleep.

She clicks the phone shut. Relieved.

APRIL
Thank god for small miracles, huh?

CHERRY
Yeah.

The truck is RAMMED from behind.
They JERK in their seats.

CHERRY
What the FUCK was that?