Happy Tuesday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.
In Chapter 34 of NOWHERE GIRL, Homeland Security agent Cherry Nation is horrified to discover that CIA analyist Lark Storm is a mole working for her arch-nemisis Sledge Crafton and is responsible for the death of her ex, agent Shag Holliday ... right before Lark is assassinated ... and just as Sledge's spooks RAM her car with Hummer, setting them off on a high-speed chase ...
EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - DAWN
A beautiful sunrise.
FIRE TRUCKS and PATROL CARS
make their way up into the hills.
NEWS CHOPPERS fly overhead.
INT. BOMB SQUAD TRUCK - MOVING - CONTINUOUS
April punches in a number on her cell. Listens.
APRIL
Lark? You there?
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS - CUBICLE
Lark sits at her workstation,
blowing on her hundredth cup of coffee.
Dark circles under haunted eyes.
LARK
Barely.
APRIL
I need Crafton’s location.
LARK
I can’t --
APRIL
I thought this line was encrypted.
LARK
It is, but -- I can’t --
APRIL
Wait a minute.
LARK
What.
APRIL
You never sent back-up because
you’re working for him, AREN’T you.
You’re a fucking MOLE.
(beat)
My GOD am I STUPID.
A FIGURE IN BLACK SHADES
Appears at the end of the row of cubicles.
APRIL (CONT’D)
And you got Shag killed.
LARK
NO. That wasn’t -- my fault.
APRIL
Give me his location. NOW.
THE FIGURE
Starts walking toward Lark’s workstation.
APRIL (CONT’D)
You’re a disgrace to your flag.
You KNOW that? This is your chance
to prove that not ALL American agents are corrupt.
LARK
Shag wasn’t corrupt!
APRIL
But you got him KILLED.
Lark GASPS. Her eyes fill with tears.
LARK
Crafton’s HQ is in the Capitol Records building.
He’s got the whole top floor.
The figure reaches Lark’s cubicle.
He raises a 9mm Baretta with a silencer,
and SHOOTS her in the head -- THWIP.
APRIL
Good girl, now you’re talking -- thanks.
(listens)
Lark?
(beat)
Lark?
(to Cherry)
She hung up.
She looks at Cherry, white as a ghost.
CHERRY
Shag’s DEAD?
APRIL
One of Crafton’s assassins.
I’m sorry, love.
I didn’t know how to tell you.
(beat)
I’m sorry.
CHERRY
Poor Shag. My god.
(beat)
He drove me crazy, you know?
But he meant well,
he was -- such a great guy,
I don’t know what I’m gonna --
(beat)
SHIT, my KIDS.
Can I borrow your cell phone?
April hands it over.
Cherry PUNCHES in a number. Listens.
CHERRY (CONT’D)
Hello, Jamie? It’s mommy.
(listens)
I miss you, too.
I’m sorry I woke you --
(listens)
I’m so glad you’re having fun.
You love your Nanna, don’t you?
(listens)
I have good news.
I might be coming home
sooner than I thought.
(listens)
I love you, too.
Go back to sleep.
She clicks the phone shut. Relieved.
APRIL
Thank god for small miracles, huh?
CHERRY
Yeah.
The truck is RAMMED from behind.
They JERK in their seats.
CHERRY (CONT'D)
What the FUCK was that?
APRIL
(looks in rear view)
We’re being tailed --
(another BANG)
By a fucking HUMMER.
CHERRY
But this truck’s bigger than a Hummer.
APRIL
Exactly. Hold onto your tits.
April JAMS on the breaks -- SCREEEEECH.
EXT. SUNSET BOULEVARD - CONTINUOUS
The Hummer SMASHES into the back of the truck.
IN THE TRUCK
April JAMS it into reverse --
and HITS THE GAS.
ON THE STREET
The truck starts PUSHING the Hummer backwards.
Cars HONK. SWERVE to get out of the way.
IN THE HUMMER
The DRIVER curses.
Pulls out an AUTOMATIC WEAPON.
Sticks it out the window. PUMPS it.
THE TRUCK
Gets SPRAYED with bullets.
IN THE TRUCK
April hands Cherry her Sig Sauer.
APRIL
Here ya go, love --
shoot his fucking nuts off.
CHERRY
MOTHER-FUCKER.
Cherry takes the gun.
Opens her window. Leans out.
Starts FIRING at the Hummer.
SPRAYS it with bullets.
THE DRIVER OF THE HUMMER
Aims for the truck’s rear tires.
Gets the left. BANG.
Then the right. BANG.
IN THE TRUCK
April SWERVES the wheel.
APRIL
He’s shooting our TIRES. Get HIS!
CHERRY
Leans further out the window.
SPRAYS bullets on the Hummer’s front tires.
THE HUMMER
Swerves.
THE TRUCK AND THE HUMMER
Reach an intersection.
The truck’s wheels SCREECH on their rims,
PUSHING the Hummer into ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
A CITY BUS
SMASHES into the Hummer -- BANG. Bye-bye.
IN THE TRUCK
April pulls the truck over to the curb.
Looks at Cherry.
APRIL (CONT’D)
Nice shooting.
CHERRY
Nice driving.
APRIL
You okay?
CHERRY
Well, since you asked --
I feel like I’m gonna puke.
(realizes, turns her head)
Peeler? You back there? You okay?
Cherry swivels in her seat.
Looks in the rear.
THE BACK DOOR
Is open. The compartment is empty.
CHERRY (CONT’D)
He’s gone. Story of my life.
APRIL
Welcome to the world of espionage.
The Spy Who Left Me.
(beat)
C’mon, we gotta get new wheels.
No comments:
Post a Comment