Shoot It Or Lose It

Happy Thursday, crime kids! Sorry I disappeared on ya yesterday, but my internet connection got a bit wonky. But NOTHING will keep me from bringing you another tale from the dark side, here at the coolest hardboiled crime joint here in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 17 of FULL BODY, we return once again to The International, DC's most exclusive 'gentleman's spa.' In today's episode, newbie Summer Donovan dreams of singing on stage while she services black ops spook Dwight Blank. Meanwhile, Croatian mob boss/club owner Yuri Vlaovic gets a little revenge on the man who helped his wife Mavra fake her death ...


INT. GOLD MASSAGE SUITE - NIGHT
Achingly kinky Parisian trip-hop.
Vanessa Daou’s DEVIATE.

From the side,
we see Summer working on Dwight.

He lies on his back,
knees up, obscuring the details.
The spook moans an eerie rasp of dark pleasure.

Summer’s exhausted.
This has been going on for a while.

Beads of sweat on her brow.
Wipes it with her wrist. Sighs.

DWIGHT’S
face is a rictus of concentration.
Eyes rolled back.
Sharp pink tongue of a serpent,
demented flicks on cracked lips.

THE CLOCK
reads ‘10:24.’

SUMMER
sighs. Looks over at the bar.
Closes her eyes.

INT. CLUB - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Small, smoky hipster dive.
Posers and pros on the prowl.
Standing on a tiny stage is SUMMER.

Retro-cool in a Mondrian print dress.
Silver go-go boots and headband.

She raises a pink martini.
Takes a sip. Toasts the crowd.

SUMMER
This one’s a cover.
Guess the artist,
and I’ll buy you a round.

Spazzy surf-guitar and flute.
Outer-space bongos.

The Supreme Beings of Leisure’s GOLDDIGGER.

SUMMER
(sings)
Just a lazy cat
in a dog eat dog world --
You know the early bird
always catches the worm --
Golddigger --

She shimmies and sways.
Knocking ‘em out. Leans in close.

SUMMER
Gotta rocket in your pocket
and it’s straight to the top --
Golddigger, who says you can’t have it all?

INT. GOLD MASSAGE SUITE - CONTINUOUS
Summer peers down at her ridiculous mission.
Looks at the clock.
It reads ‘10:29.’
She SMILES. Eyes darting.

SUMMER
Time’s almost up.
Shoot it or lose it.

Dwight’s eyes open.
He GRABS her wrist.

DWIGHT
No. Wait. I haven’t come --

She WHIPS him away.
THROWS a towel over him.

SUMMER
Then I guess you’ll have to
die another day, Mr. Bond.

PUSH IN ON Summer. In control.
Getting the fuck outta there.

INT. BATHHOUSE - SAUNA - AT THAT MOMENT
Nightmare on Wax’s sinister hep-cat
drum and bass cover of
Ennio Morricone’s CHI MAI over --

Yuri sits with BERYL JOHANNESSEN (30’s),
Finnish albino. Ghostly white.
Sweating like shit in the clouds of steam.

YURI
Is good for circulation.

BERYL
Yeah -- but don’t you think
it’s up kinda high?

YURI
(pulls out coke snifter)
I like it high.
Speaking of high, care for bump?

BERYL
Aren’t we supposed to be
sweating that out?

He smiles. Takes it.
Does a hit. And another.
Hands it back to Yuri.
Tucks it back into the folds of his towel.

BERYL
You’re not doing any?

YURI
Doc said I be careful,
have to watch heart.
Have done daily ration.
(beat, dramatic effect)
I thank you for coming on such short leash.

BERYL
Yeah, sure. What’s up?

YURI
My wife.
My dear, departed wife.
I miss her so.
Is not same without her.

BERYL
It was a tragedy --
I’m so sorry, Yuri.
What’s it been -- a year now?

His eyes go glassy.
Try to focus. Yuri watches.

YURI
Funny thing is,
turns out she’s ALIVE.
And my sources tell me
you HELPED HER fucking TRICK ME.

BERYL
(stares)
I -- I --
(looks down)
I -- can’t move --

YURI
Is animal tranquilizer.
For rhinos, elephants, big game.
Fucking American kids
call it ‘Special K.’
Some kind of fucked-up party drug.
Who the fuck would take something
that make you unable to MOVE?
(shrugs)
But it sell good.

He SLAPS Beryl on the face. HARD.

YURI
Just business -- huh, sport?
(another SLAP)
But now it’s personal.

BERYL
Please, stop! I’m sorry,
I’ll do anything you want!

YURI
You got that right,
you adulterous FUCK.

Yuri leans down.
Picks up a brown paper bag.

Pulls out a STUN GUN.
Hefts it in his hand.
Crooked smile.

YURI
She might be a lying,
cheating WHORE,
but she’s my WIFE,
the mother of my CHILD.
And you fucking FUCKED HER.

BERYL
Please Yuri, don’t --
I’m sorry, she said you were separated,
what do you want, money? I can --

YURI
SHUT UP!
I’m gonna fry your fucking balls
like perogi in OIL.

Yuri JAMS the weapon in Beryl’s crotch.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!

Beryl SCREAMS IN PAIN.

And AGAIN.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!
He STUFFS a RAG in his mouth.

YURI
Fifty-thousand volts is NOT ENOUGH.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!
Muffled screams.

Yuri stands.
Pulls a knife out
from the folds of his towel.
Beryl’s eyes blink tears of terror.

YURI
Now is time for --
Scarlet Letter.
(giggles)
Scarlet Letter,
that is good one --

CLOSE ON
Beryl’s head, from the side.
Yuri leans over, starts with the knife.
Like pumpkin carving on Halloween.

IN THE CORRIDOR
Yuri at the temperature controls.
Turns it up ALL THE WAY.
Pulls Oogie out from his robe pocket.
Gently pets him.

YURI
Was too hot for you?
Come, we go home.
Break bread.

IN THE SAUNA
Clouds of steam billow over Beryl.
In permanent dreamland.

A bloody ‘M’ on his forehead.
Like a third eye.