Flame On, Bitches

Happy Tuesday, crime freaks! It's time once again to take a little trip to the dark side, where the drinks are cold, the chicks are hot, and the hardboiled action is non-stop, right here at That Killing Feeling ...

In today's chapter from NOWHERE GIRLS, agents April Street and Cherry Nation continue their battle with the 'attack of the rats' deep beneath black ops spook Honey Almond's underground lair ...


INT. BOMB SHELTER - NIGHT
Cherry and April stand on the top of the shelves,
kicking at the rats with their feet.
But they keep coming.

One of them BITES INTO Cherry’s ankle.

CHERRY
OWWW. Get it OFF, GET IT OFF.

April pulls out a knife.
JABS it in his head with a sickening CRUNCH.
The rat falls over.

Another one immediately takes its place.
April KICKS IT like a football, THWUMP.
It FLIES away.

APRIL
We gotta find something to --
(looks around, sees)
TORCHES. We’ve got fucking TORCHES.

She GRABS two.
Hands one to Cherry.

Pulls out her lighter.
Lights it. Then hers.

They BURST INTO FLAME.

CHERRY
Got you NOW, motherfuckers.

APRIL
How about some FIRE, scarecrow?

They wave the torches at the rats,
now SQUEALING LOUDER.

CHERRY
They’re not GOING AWAY.

One of them LEAPS up,
SINKS it’s teeth in April’s leg.

APRIL
NOOOOOO.

She puts the torch to the rat.
It CATCHES ON FIRE and SCREAMS.

She PUNCHES it with her other hand.
It FLIES away.

APRIL
This isn’t good enough --

She keeps waving her torch at the rats,
keeping them at bay.

Cherry scans the boxes on the shelves.
RIPS one open.

CHERRY
AHA. HAIR SPRAY --

APRIL
Hair spray?

CHERRY
(grabs two cans, tosses her one)
WATCH.

She holds it behind the flame of her torch.
SQUIRTS IT, and a giant FLAME
WHOOSHES OUT like a blowtorch.

She SWEEPS it across a pack of rats
clawing at the edge of the shelf.

They BURST INTO FLAMES,
SCREAMING. POPPING and CRACKLING
like pieces of evil popcorn.

APRIL
(aims her can, nods at Cherry)
FLAME ON, BITCHES --

The hold their cans up to their torches.
Start SPRAYING the rats with flames in a wide circle --
WHOOSH-WHOOSH.

The rats CATCH ON FIRE, skitter away, HOWLING.

The girls JUMP DOWN to the floor.
Continue SPEWING FLAMES at the retreating rats.
The air fills with sickening smoke.

CHERRY
Anybody want BARBECUE?

APRIL
(sweeping flames)
Who’s got MARSHMALLOWS?

The remaining rats DART into hidden holes
in the back of the room.

The girls stop.
Take a deep breath.
Look around.

CHERRY
Holy shit.

APRIL
I know --
(beat)
You saved our asses.

CHERRY
(half-smile)
What else are sisters for?

APRIL
Uh, maybe getting us the fuck
OUTTA HERE and catching the evil villain?

CHERRY
(nods)
Works for me.