Collateral Damage

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Monday. 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 33 of NOWHERE GIRL, long-lost sisters Cherry Nation and April Street escape from the Hollywood Hills mansion just in time to escape the bomb explosion and discover it wasn't a nuke ... that in fact, they were set up by black ops spook Sledge Crafton, so they decide to pay him a little visit. Meanwhile, Palestinian arms dealer Avi Abbas meets a most untimely end at a 'routine traffic stop' ...


EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS MANSION - FRONT DOOR - NIGHT
Two Feds in protective gear
with helmets stand in front
of a bomb squad truck.

They start walking toward
Cherry and April.

APRIL
(whispers)
I don’t trust them.

CHERRY
Let’s kick their ass.

INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS - CUBICLE - NIGHT
Lark takes a sip of her water bottle.
Touches her headset.

LARK
But I don’t understand.
You WANT it to go off?
But what about -- collateral damage?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. INTELLIGENCE OFFICE - NIGHT
Sledge Crafton stands at the bar.
Mixing a cocktail.
Speaking on his hands-free.

SLEDGE
Too many people know.
It’s a big mess.
Better to start again with a clean slate.
And it’s not a real nuke,
it’s an old Russian piece of shit
pipe bomb with a timer, that’s all.
We’ll find some patsy and nail it on them,
like we did in Oklahoma City.

He leans down over the bar.
SNORTS a line of coke.

LARK
But what about April Street --
and the other girl?

SLEDGE
They’re being evacuated.
I have special plans for THEM.
(beat)
Don’t tell me your getting soft on me.
You’re one of the best moles I’ve ever had.
I’d hate to have to retire you, too.

LARK
But what about the agents on-site?

SLEDGE
They don’t know the bomb is live.
(beat)
Like you said, collateral damage.

INT. BOMB SQUAD TRUCK - NIGHT - AT THAT MOMENT
Cherry and April wear bomb squad gear with helmets.

April GUNS the engine.
The vehicle starts moving.

CHERRY
Go, go, go --

APRIL
We’re OUTTA HERE.

EXT. QUEENS ROAD - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS
The truck ROARS down the road.

INT. BOMB SQUAD TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
April shakes her head slowly. Thinking.

APRIL
Something’s not right.
They were acting like they WANTED
the nuke to go off.
(beat)
Unless they weren’t told it was live.

CHERRY
Why would the agency do that?

APRIL
I don’t know, unless --

An earth-shattering EXPLOSION
rocks the truck. April stops.

She and Cherry poke their heads
out their windows, look.

A MASSIVE FIREBALL ERUPTS in the sky.

THE TRUCK
Continues on down Queens Road.

APRIL (CONT’D)
That was no nuke.
Crafton was ripping off the terrorists.
Why am I not surprised?

CHERRY
So where are we going?

APRIL
We’re gonna pay him a little visit.

CHERRY
(turns her head)
Hey. You okay back there?

PEELER
Sticks his head out from the rear.

PEELER
Well, let’s see.
I’ve lost a lot of blood,
I’m dizzy from hunger,
and I just shit my pants.
I’m having a ball.

INT./EXT. LIMOUSINE - MOVING - AT THAT MOMENT
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
NO, WAIT!

And SHOOTS him. BANG.