Babe Alert

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Monday. Hope you had a nice weak-end. But now it's time to get back to business. 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 16 of NOWHERE GIRL, Bel Air Security has been alerted by a 911 call from the hostages the terrorists are holding captive in their Hollywood Hills mansion. Meanwhile, further on down the hill, stripper-with-a-suitcase-nuke Cherry Nation decides to get some help ... from a heavy metal band.


INT. BELL AIR SECURITY HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT
A maze of cubicles, mostly empty.

A pair of FEMALE DISPATCHERS
sit side-by side at adjacent work stations.

KANEESHA (35), a big, beautiful
African American woman
with long, curled nails
turns toward her coworker.

KANEESHA
I just got another one.

MIRASOL (25), a hot, young Latina
takes a sip of coffee.

MIRASOL
Another what.

KANEESHA
Another call from the same number.
But they don’t say nothin’.
They’ve called four times
in the last half-hour.

MIRASOL
Where they at?

KANEESHA
Caller ID says they be
in the Hollywood Hills.

MIRASOL
Maybe he be havin’
a heart attack or somethin’.

KANEESHA
Maybe it’s his kid
playin’ a practical joke.

MIRASOL
Maybe not.

KANEESHA
I been on this job
over ten years,
and I think I KNOW
when it’s a real call.

MIRASOL
Suit yourself.
(beat)
I’m just sayin.’

KANEESHA
(looks at her monitor)
Shit. There it is again.
Fuck it. I’m sendin’ a car.

EXT. RANCH HOUSE GARAGE - NIGHT
Cherry, Peeler and Stan
walk up to the door.

The music grows LOUDER.
Big, thick slabs of heavy metal.

PEELER
Decent band.

STAN
Sounds kinda like Sabbath.

CHERRY
Let me do the talking.

INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
Small and dark, with soundproofing
on the walls and ceiling.

Four HAIRY MUSICIANS,
all early 20’s,
are rocking out
at a DEAFENING VOLUME.

Meet SKULL BONG.

The LEAD SINGER
faces a mirror,
singing to his own image.
Practicing his moves.

LEAD SINGER
'And when Satan sings,
the blood will flow,
and the HELL-MOUTH
will open for YOU' --

The side door OPENS.
In walks Cherry,
Peeler and Stan.

The band doesn’t notice,
lost in it’s dark reverie.

Cherry walks over
to the circuit breaker.
SHUTS OFF the power.

The music DIES.
Lights go OFF.

LEAD SINGER (V.O.)
DUDE. What the FUCK.

BASS PLAYER (V.O.)
I told you not to
turn the Marshall
all the way up.

DRUMMER (V.O.)
It’s Satan, dude.
And he’s PISSED.

The lights SNAP
back on.

Cherry points her gun
at the band.

LEAD SINGER
(sees her)
Whoah. BABE alert.

CHERRY
Sorry to interrupt
the concert, boys --
but I’ve been cuffed
to a suitcase nuke,
my car just died,
my ex-lover, the CIA
and Homeland security
are hot on my trail,
and I gotta go visit
some Middle-Eastern
terrorists up the hill.
(CLICKS the hammer)
So which one of you
Ozzy-wanabes is gonna
be my tour guide?