Right Between The Eyes

Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday - will they hang a noose on you? That's right, crime kids, it's once again time to take a trip to the dark side ... and come with me to a place of murder and mayhem, a place where you can always get your hardboiled kicks, right here ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 21 of THE HEISTERS, the action picks up when the FBI and cops locate Kelsey and the gang's location at the Venice Motor Court Motel. Meanwhile, at the motel, Kelsey has a showdown with Kasper, who accuses her of setting up the theft of the robbery cash ... with distasterous results ...


INT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS - TERRENCE’S OFFICE - NIGHT
Terrence sits behind his desk. Mart leans against the wall, sips a cup of coffee.
Standing in front of the desk are two SERIOUS-LOOKING FBI AGENTS (30’s).

SERIOUS-LOOKING FBI AGENT
(into his cell phone)
Great, thank you. We’ll keep you posted.

Meet REN ROSEN. Stiff. Formal. No-nonsense.
Poster boy for the Feds. Boyish good looks.
Hence the overcompensation.

REN
We have the location.

TERRENCE
That was fast --

MART
Shit, yeah --

The other agent, MEG STARK,
a tall, curvy brunette gives them a wry smile.
Adjusts her glasses. Purses bright red lips.

MEG
Simple triangulation equation from the satellite.
We can track a text message
from a moving vehicle in thirty seconds.

TERRENCE
Damn.

REN
Signal came from The Venice Motor Court.
I assume that’s a hotel at the beach?

MART
Damn straight it is.

MEG
How far away?

TERRENCE
Ten minutes?

REN
Then let’s go --

MART
You mean you WANT us to come with you?

Ren nods curtly. Heads for the door. They all follow.

TERRENCE
(to Mart)
Well, THAT’S a first --

MEG
(to Mart and Terrence)
Ren believes that cooperation
between local and federal authorities
is the most efficient method of solving crime.

MART
Amen, sister --

INT. VENICE MOTOR COURT HOTEL - NIGHT
The lights are out. TV’s on with the sound off.
Kelsey lays on the bed. Smoking.
She takes a swig of beer. Thinking.

KELSEY (V.O.)
I didn’t like it.
Sure, sometimes a job got screwed up.
It happens.
Some asshole would try a double-cross
and gum up the works.
Sometimes a couple of heisters
would get into it with each other --
(beat)
But usually I could salvage it
and get back the dough.
But this time I wasn’t so sure.
Our plan was as shaky as a junkie without a fix.
(beat)
But we were stuck in a hole.
What else could we do?
Just let some asshole waltz in
and swipe the dough we’d worked so hard to get?
(beat)
Yeah. That’s right.
What I do might be against the law --
(beat)
But it’s still WORK. It’s still a JOB.

A loud POUNDING on the door.

KASPER (O.C.)
Open the fucking door, BITCH.

Kelsey turns her head. Looks --

KELSEY
Kasper?

She reaches over. Grabs her piece.
Walks over to the door.
Puts her hand on the knob.
Looks through the peephole.

KELSEY
Keep it DOWN --

She slowly opens the door.
DARTS to the side.

Kasper SLAMS it open.
RACES into the room.
SLAMS it shut. Gun drawn.

Wheels around. Sees her.
Aiming her piece at him with two hands.

KASPER
You set US UP.

KELSEY
You’re fucking crazy.

KASPER
No. YOU’RE fucking crazy for SETTING US UP.
Now you’re gonna DIE.

KELSEY
Put down the gun, Kasper.
Nice and slow --

KASPER
Jefty walked right into a TRAP.
The cops were there and they SHOT him, man.

KELSEY
They DID? How do you know this?

KASPER
The joint I went to was ALSO covered with pigs,
so I called him, and some COP answered his phone,
said he was DEAD -- THAT’S how I know.

KELSEY
Shit.

KASPER
So where is the MONEY, huh?
You got it stashed some place?

KELSEY
Kasper. I didn’t set you up.
Now put the fucking gun down
so we can figure out what to do.

A key turns in the door. It opens.
In walks Ronan. He shuts the door.

Kelsey and Kasper turn their heads.
But keep their guns trained on each other.

RONAN
What the fuck is going ON?

KELSEY
Jefty’s dead. Shot by cops.
Asshole here think I pulled
a double cross and set everyone up.

KASPER
Don’t listen to her. She DID it, man.

Kelsey takes advantage of the moment
and LUNGES at Kasper.

GRABS his gun,
KNEES him in the groin.
PISTOL-WHIPS him in the head with her piece, CRACK.

Kasper HITS the ground, THWUMP.
Holding his crotch. Groaning.

RONAN
Wasn’t that a little excessive?

KELSEY
Fuck you. He accuses me
of ripping everybody off and points a gun at me?
(beat)
He’s lucky he’s still breathing.

RONAN
I -- see your point.

KELSEY
How did it go?

RONAN
No go. Turns out she moved.
Roommate situation.
Went back home to mom and pop.
Roomie said the ‘big city’ didn’t agree with her.

Kasper slowly stands up. Glaring at Kelsey.

RONAN
(to Kasper)
How did yours go?

KASPER
Like I told HER, I get there,
and the place was swarming with fucking COPS.
I tell you, she set us up.

KELSEY
Shut the fuck up, asshole.
I don’t take any shit from a fucking DRIVER.
(to Ronan)
Miscalculation. I didn’t think they’d
stake out the ex-girlfriends, but they did.
They know the murder is connected to the robbery.

RONAN
Yeah -- guess so.

KASPER
What? You’re gonna BELIEVE her?

RONAN
Yes, I’m gonna believe her.
I brought her IN on this job.
She’s the fucking BEST,
and you don’t get more jobs
if you fucking RIP-OFF
the people you work with, GOT IT?

KASPER
But, but --

RONAN
ZIP IT, you fucking WETBACK.
You’re hired muscle, and nothing else.
You do what we fucking
TELL YOU TO DO, got it?

KASPER
HEY. Wait a minute.
You can’t talk to me like that.

RONAN
We can and you’re gonna fucking TAKE IT.
You want your share of the money or WHAT?

KASPER
But I TOLD you, SHE’S got it --

Kelsey raises her gun. FIRES.
THWIP. THWIP. THWIP.
Three shots to the chest.

Kasper looks down in horror.
Another THWIP to the head.
Right between the eyes.

He falls over, THWUNK.

RONAN
Jesus, Kelsey. Did you have to do THAT?

KELSEY
He wouldn’t fucking SHUT UP.