faster. by Tony Gayton & Joe Gayton (Revised Draft)CORCORAN STATE PRISON CELL DAWN THE DRIVER pacing. In silhouette. GUARD'S BOOTS. Walking quickly. Footsteps echo WARDEN (V.0.) (ast Texas drawl) In The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran writes of good and evil. “Of the good in you I can speak, but not of the evil. For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?” Driver hears guard’s footsteps. Stops pacing. Still in silhouette. Guard marching down catwalk. Stopping at Driver’s cell. Driver comes into light. TIME SLICE FREEZE FRAME. Look at this face: Eyes. Million-mile stare. Face. Shiv-fight scarred. Deep divot in cheekbone. Shaped like a tear drop. Old bullet wound Only one tattoo: A THIN BLACK LINE on the inside of his forearm. Body. More scar than skin. More muscle than scar. SUPER OVER FREEZE FRAME: “THE DRIVER” Steve McQueen on steroids. FRAME UNFREEZES. Guard opens bean chute on cell door. Driver thrusts hands backwards through chute. Guard fits a two-piece on Driver’s wrists. WARDEN (V.0.) “verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts, it drinks even of dead waters.”BROADWAY Guard leads Driver down broadway. Pin-drop silence as Driver passes other prisoners. More like a cathedral than prison. Time slows down. Everybody watches. Everybody. ARYAN GIANT with one eye LATINO with a stump that used to be his left hand. BROTHER with a slash scar across his throat. All eye Driver. Respect. Revenge. Relief. Good riddance WARDEN (V.0.) “You are only good when you are one with yourself.” WARDEN’S OFFICE Warden. Outlet suit. Supercuts hair. Unlikely philosopher. WARDEN You weren't hardly more than a boy when you arrived here. I remember. Didn’t give you a snowball’s chance Driver sits opposite Warden. GUARD hovers behind. WARDEN What you been through I wouldn't wish on any man. But by golly you survived. Was like you were born to the darkness of this place. Driver staring straight ahead. WARDEN But I hope to God that on this day you put that darkness behind you. Driver rack-focuses on a SPIDER outside the window SPIDER wraps trapped FLY in silk shroud. WARDEN I want you to know that there is help on the outside. (MORE)WARDEN (cont'd) If things start getting to you. If you feel like you just can’t handle the pressure. Please call one of these numbers. Warden hands Driver a card. Driver considers card. An ape contemplating quantum physics. Help? What the fuck is that? WARDEN To be perfectly honest, I have my doubts but I hope you luck. I truly do. OUTSIDE CORCORAN FRONT GATE Road bisects cold fallow fields. Driver comes out. Squinting against low autumn sun. No one there to meet him. Did you think there would be? Starts walking. Paper bag of meager belongings in hand. Fast. Faster. Starts running. Warden’s card flutters, spiralling to the ground. Picks up pace. Drops paper bag. Flat-out sprint. UP HIGH. Watching him sprint off down the road. Become a speck. PARKING GARAGE NOONTIME Generic. Some small Central California town. Driver runs into the garage. IN THE GARAGE Sprints up three flights of stairs TOP FLOOR Empty except for ONE CAR. In the corner. Covered. Driver runs for car. Rips off cover. 1970 CHEVELLE SUPER SPORT. Muscle-bound Astro blue with white racing stripes. He feels up under front wheel base. Finds hide-a-key box.4. Glove box flies open. Driver pulls out a piece of paper: A NAME AND ADDRESS. Along with a map Driver's hand probes under seat. Pulls out STAINLESS STEEL RUGER SUPERHAWK ALASKAN. Snub-nosed cannon Cracks cylinder. Full house. Slides key into ignition. 454 LS6 roars to life. 450 horses idle menacingly. Hand grips Hurst pistol shift grip Tires smoke and squeal. Driver guns it out of there THE ROAD Straight stretch of black top. Through San Joaquin Valley farm country. Throbbing heat haze. Super Sport a blue blob on the horizon. SMASH IN CLOSER. Super Sport rips past. Driver opens it up. RPMs redlining Fast. Faster. Gone. WELCOME TO BAKERSFIELD Super Sport passes under the welcome arch. BUSY STREET Driver emerges from parked car. Runs across street, ignoring traffic, car horns, screeching brakes, epithets. BUSINESS PLAZA From above. Lone figure hustling against tide of workers leaving for the day. LOBBY Driver runs through lobby, barely concealing Ruger. STAIRWELL Driver tears up stairs two at a time. TELEMARKETING OPERATION Driver enters. Runs right past the RECEPTIONIST.RECEPTIONIST May I help you-- She sees the gun. Driver enters rat’s maze of cubicles. Checking faces as he goes. Gets to cubicle at the end. MIDDLE-AGED TELEMARKETER behind desk. Short sleeve work shirt, crummy tie. Speaking into headset. Looks up. Sees Driver approach. Oh-oh moment. Driver shoots Telemarketer point blank with Ruger HOLE-IN-THE-WALL MEXICAN RESTAURANT LUNCHTIME. Solamente Mexicanos. Bent over bowls of posole and albondigas. Conjunto music competes with the deep fryer. Freddy Fender and Flaco Jimenez croon about lost love. VAQUERO enters. Little guy. Big straw cowboy hat. Rodeo belt buckle. Makes eye contact with the COOK. Follows the cook’s eyes down the hall. BATHROOM DUDE paces peeling linoleum. High mileage. Dissipated. Pinkish cowboy shirt. Slim Whitman sideburns and pencil-thin moustache. A KNOCK. He unbolts the door. Sees who it is. Smiles. Lets Vaquero in. Bolts door. Melancholy strains of Freddy and Flaco. DUDE Que tal, compadre? VAQUERO Mas a menos, amigo. You know how it is. One day good, the next not 80 good. DUDE You've got to go with the flow, baby. Go with the flow. Vaquero pulls out a small, heroin-filled balloon. Dude goes fishing for dough in his pocketsVaquero rolls his eyes. Old routine. Dude comes up with some crumpled bills, some coins and some Lint. VAQUERO Man, what did T tell you about that hairy change? DUDE It's legal tender, bro. Dude holds out the money, change and all. Vaquero clenches the balloon. DUDE Fine. You don’t want to do business with me, I'll take it elsewhere. VAQUERO It's your jones, homes. Vaquero starts to leave. Panic. Dude cuts him off. DUDE, Come on, man. I was joking. I don’t talk like that. Vaquero doesn’t have time for this shit. DUDE, I was joking. (beat) It's me. (smiles) Come on. Dude proffers the cash and coins again. DUDE, Please. Pitiful doesn’t begin to describe it. AN ALLEY DUSK Somewhere in Bakersfield. Beat-up turd-brown Crown Victoria parked. Buck Owens audiocassette playing: “HEARTACHES BY THE NUMBER.”7 Dude shooting up between the toes. Bare foot a network of NEEDLE SCARS. Smack kicks in, He leans back. Fires up a butt A row of street lights flickers on in the gathering dusk. Dude smiles. Rosy glow. Music plays. Heartaches? Nah. It’s all good now. BACK TO TELEMARKETING OPERATION Crime scene. CRIME SCENE TECHS and M.f. work the scene. Uniforms mill on the periphery. UNIFORM consults with DETECTIVE CICERO. Cicero: mid- thirties, worn around the edges, still a sexy woman, but doesn’t care what you think. Uniform looks up. UNIFORM Oh no. Cicero follows his eyes. CICERO Will you look at that? Dude from bathroom walking towards them. Flashes his shield to one of the uniforms. CICERO Will you just look at that TIME SLICE FREEZE FRAME. Gut straining against cowboy shirt. Brown stove-pipe pants hug skinny legs. Pink shirt, brown pants. Nice. And bad shoes. Really bad. SUPER OVER FREEZE FRAME: “THE COP” Weight of the world. You know what he’s into. His foot is about to step into a puddle of blood. FRAME UNFREEZES.The Cop continues toward the detectives. Steps in blood. A tech looks up at him from the floor. TECH Hey! No respect whatsoever. Cop feeling no pain courtesy of las drugas. COP Oh yeah, sorry man. Cop steps more lightly over to desk. CoP Whatta we got? CICERO Whata we got? cop Yeah. I caught the case. CICERO No you didn't. COP I did. I caught the case. CICERO No. You didn’t. You couldn't have. COP And why is that? CICERO Because Sergeant Mallory doesn’t let you near a homicide. cop Things must be busy because here I am. Cicero look unconvinced. CoP Look, man, I don’t like it anymore than you. I’m like two weeks off from my kiss my ass date. I got retirement paperwork out the gazoo, man. You know?Cop pulls out a pack of cowboy killers. Taps one out. Flips it between lips. CoP But when the supervising sergeant tells me to jump, I go with the flow, baby. Marlboro flaps on bottom lip cop Know what I'm saying? A wink and a crooked smile. He flips the lid on an antique “bucking bronco” Zippo. Strikes the wheel with a flourish. Still some style left in this old dog. DETECTIVE CICERO (fucking hopeless) You can’t smoke in here. DENNY’S AFTERNOON Driver finishing up second Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast. Empty plate next to the one he’s working on. Ke mops up last puddle of yolk with final piece of pancake Time for dessert. Ex-Lax. Two. Waitress eyes him. Can’t look away quickly enough when Driver sees her. BATHROOM Toilet flushes. Driver exits stall. Driver washing off something in sink. Finishes. Several tied-off condoms. He tears one open. Tight roll of Franklins inside. BAKERSFIELD ROBBERY/HOMICIDE NIGHTTIME A television monitor plays BLACK AND WHITE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA FOOTAGE from telemarketing operation. Driver enters offices. Cicero and Cop sit in front of monitor, watching Driver approaches Telemarketer’s cubicle. CICERO Here it comes.10. SURVEILLANCE TAPE DIFFERENT ANGLE Driver approaching and killing Telemarketer. Real and raw and violent. FREEZE. CICERO Is that a gun or a Howitzer? COP Ruger Redhawk. Cicero looks at Cop. CoP Thing would drop a grizzly from fifty yards. Cicero rewinds image. Starts over. CICERO (0.8.) Watch the poor bastard’s face... SUPER TIGHT on Telemarketer: grainy and pixilated. FRAME BY FRAME. When Driver appears, his eyes go wide with fear. CICERO He knew his number was up. cop Back it up. CICERO Why? COP Indulge me. Image backs up FRAME BY FRAME. cop Play it. Image plays again. Telemarketer double takes. CoP Stop Image freezes. cop That's not fear, that’s recognition.a. CICERO What are you talking about? cop He couldn't see the gun in the shooter's hand from where he was sitting. Cop taps screen COP It's blocked by this partition. Cicero considers. cop He knew him. She looks at cop in new light. Respect? Surprise is more like it DRIVER frozen on the screen. Passive face illuminated by muzzle flash. OUTSIDE ANOTHER BUILDING NIGHT Cheap stucco bungalow. Shingle: ROY GRONE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR. OFFSCREEN SOUND: SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK.. GRONE’S OFFICE ROY GRONE. Black. Rail skinny. Seersucker suit. Razor-thin sideburns and goatee. Porkpie hat. Big SAMOAN sitting against the wall. Real big Samoan. Working a set of wrist strengtheners. Source of the SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK. Several crappy TV’s playing different sporting events. Grone wrapped up in a college basketball game. Wound up tight. Sweating buckets. GRONE, Pass the ball! He’s open inside! Pass the motherfucking ball! Player drives. Shot blocked. BUZZER SOUNDS. GRONE, No! No!12. Buries head in hands. GRONE, No. SQUEAK, SQUEAK of wrist strengtheners. Grone shoots big Samoan a look. GRONE, You wanna knock that shit off? Big Samoan does as told Grone foot-wheels his chair over to chart on the wall. Puts “L” next to North Carolina v. Wake Forest. $3,000 in the bet column. Wheels back from board. Sits there gazing at the board. Lot of “L's” equals pile of lost dough. Grone shakes head. GRONE, God-damn. I’m ‘bout to get my thumbs broke. Followed shortly thereafter by my skinny black ass. Gust of wind. Papers fly. Driver stands in open door. GRONE, Well, hello, playa’. I been expecting you. Grone indicates television. TV SCREEN A news report from the office building where Driver killed Telemarketer. SOUND IS OFF. GRONE, You been a bad boy. Grone smiles. GRONE, Pretty sweet ride I scammed for you, huh? Driver peels a fat stack of bills from his roll. Delicately places stack on Grone’s desk. Grone wheels over on chair. Picks up the cash. Sniffs it. Pulls a face.13. GRONE Damn, son, that’s some hinky-ass coin right there. Starts counting money. GRONS, I guess you want the other names Grone holds up a sheet of paper. A list of names and addresses. Still, Driver says nothing Grone shoots a look at betting board. Click! Light bulb moment. GRONE, Afraid the price has gone up DRIVER That’s the number. GRONE, Well, that “number” no longer suffices, playa’. Driver doesn’t like this. GRONE, Took me ten years and a lot of money to track these dudes down for you. I want to renegotiate. Driver susses him out. Stare-down, Driver blinks first DRIVER Okay. Grone with another smile. Spins in chair. Touchdown! Driver stops spinning chair with foot. DRIVER Number just went down. Definite buzz killer. Grone’s smile turns upside down. GRONE oh, Kenny. Samoan stands up. Gets between Driver and Grone. Dwarfs Driver. Length and width wise.aa. GRONE, Let me tell you a little something about my Samoan friend here. He was an Ultimate Fighting Champion. (beat) In Guam. You don’t even want to know what kind of sick third world shit they got to do to win that title down there. Driver looks up at Kenny. Eyes empty. No fear. No anger. Just ten years of prison. And his own share of sick third world shit. Kenny mad dogs Driver from head to toe. Wait a minute. Double take. What the fuck is this? Kenny’s eyes lock onto... THE BLACK LINE TATTOO on the driver’s forearm. Kenny shrinks, Mouth goes all retarded. KENNY oles Driver doesn’t say a word. Kenny unglues eyes from tattoo. Little more than a whisper KENNY I got no beef wit you, brah. GRONE, Stop bumpin’ ya gums and stole up on his honky ass, nigga Kenny never takes his eyes off the Driver. KENNY Dude’s a ghost. (beat) You can’t fuck up no ghost. Kenny walks to the door. GRONE, You better get your fat Samoan ass back up in here, motherfucker. Kenny is already gone, rubber flip-flops flapping. Grone turns to Driver. Bravado replaced by fear1s. GRONE, You know what? I think I’m gonna give you a refund. INSIDE SUPER SPORT MOMENTS LATER Driver looks at contents of file folder: FOUR FILES WITH FOUR NAMES, HOME ADDRESSES, WORK ADDRESSES, MAPS AND PHOTOS. Driver stares at DMV photo of Telemarketer. Crumples page and throws it in the back. Rifles through files. Finds next name and face. PALM SPRINGS PRE-DAWN Sun just below the horizon. Lights of Coachella Valley starting to come on. Palm trees sway. KILLER'S VOICE (V.0.) I did the shavasana this morning A row of street lights flicker off. A HOUSE On a promontory. Mid-century masterpiece. KILLER'S VOICE (V.0.) They call it the corpse pose. IN THE HOUSE Polished concrete, glass, steel and stone. Big-ass Basquiat, big-ass Schnabel dominate the walls KILLER'S VOICE (V.O.) It was amazing YOGA ROOM Wood floor. Glass walls overlook desert. Wind whips foliage outside. Sand swirls, peppering glass. KILLER'S VOICE (V.O.) I could actually feel my soul. Looking down from the ceiling. KILLER lies supine in the middle of the floor. Palms up. Perfectly serene. stark contrast to the mad wind outside. KILLER'S VOICE (V.0.) That's not quite right MOVING DOWN TOWARDS HIM.16. KILLER'S VOICE (V.0.) I became my soul. TIME SLICE FREEZE FRAME. Eyes closed. No movement. Completely at peace. All lean muscle shot with snaky blue veins. No fat. A cheetah. Surgical scars running up and down both legs. His face. Striking features. Almost pretty. Shades of the Thin White Duke. KILLER'S VOICE (V.0.) dust for a moment... SUPER OVER FREEZE FRAME: “THE KILLER” KILLER'S VOICE (V.0.) And then it was gone. FRAME UNFREEZES. His eyes pop open: one green, one blue. AN LP spins on a turntable. Needle lowered to grooves. Rises and falls on black vinyl. Billie Holiday sings The Man I Love. KITCHEN Architectural Digest impeccable. Killer steaming milk on a La Pavoni stainless steel cappuccino machine. Takes rose from vase with perfectly manicured fingers. Puts it in smaller, ancient-looking Japanese Tanba-style vase. Adds to breakfast tray. IN THE BEDROOM View of infinity pool through wall of glass. Beyond, lights of Palm Springs twinkling under brightening sky. Woman in bed. Asleep. Hair a black waterfall on silk Ralph Lauren sheets.17. Sheet over her. Glimpses: Small of her back. Side swell of breast. A calf. Killer enters with breakfast. Sits lightly on bed. Smooths hair from her face. Kisses her. Bye opens. Sits up. Full face. Sleepy-eyed. Insane beauty. KILLER Good morning. BEDROOM LATER Remains of breakfast scattered on the tray. They sit on the bed cross-legged, facing each other. LILY You became your soul? KILLER It's hard to explain. LILY So you left your body? KILLER Sort of. I was there...but this flesh. He pinches his skin. KILLER this meat...this...everything. became more than what it was. She doesn’t get it. He sighs. Thinks. Then... KILLER You know E equals MC squared? She nods. KILLER Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. That's just a way of saying that mass -- our bodies -- aren't just physical They're energy He looks around. Pulls the rose from its vase.18. KILLER This rose has the potential energy to become an atom bomb. So do our bodies LILY So you felt like an atom bomb? KILLER Yeah. I did. I felt like a fucking atom bomb. LILY You want to test it? She reaches into the front opening of his pajama bottoms. Killer smiles. Killer smile. Cell Phone RINGS. ENNIO MORRICONE RING TONE LILY Let it go, baby. KILLER can't, honey. Not this one. Killer picks up phone. Listens. KILLER Okay. I’m on it. OFFICE FRAMED SILICON VALLEY MAGAZINE ARTICLE on wall: Photo of a younger and nerdier Killer. Headline: “SOFTWARE DEVELOPER SELLS START UP FOR FIFTY MILLION.” FIFTEEN ONE DOLLAR BILLS mounted and framed on the same wall. Fax machine slowly spits out pages. Killer snatches first page. Peruses it. PRISON MUG SHOT PHOTO of Driver stares up at him from the page. Something utterly haunting and frightening about the photo. Killer momentarily frozen, Lily’s voice snaps him out of it LILY You're leaving, aren’t you? KILLER Yes.19. LILY who is he? Killer shrugs. Looks down at photo of Driver. KILLER That's not a question I ever ask. Looks up at Lily. KILLER This shouldn't take long. THE GARAGE Lights flicker on. Coolest garage you’ve ever seen. Killer enters. Domenica Vacca suit and shirt. Sans tie. Hermes pocket square. Gucci loafs and Louis Vitton ostrich skin carry Everything picture perfect Three cars: Ferrari F430. Koenigsegg CCX. Porsche Carrera GT. All black. All late models. Couple of million. Basy Killer rifles through file drawer. Glimpses: driver's licenses, car registrations and license plates. LICENSE PLATE is screwed into place. POLISHED STEEL CABINET OPENS Inside: guns and knives. State-of-the-art collection. He removes two knives: Busse Hell Razor combat knife and Safe Keeper II push dagger. Straps knife to calf. Push dagger to forearm. Killer chooses three guns: Glock 20S 10mm, Baretta 9000S sub- compact and an XM107 sniper rifle with scope. Muzzle suppressors for all pistols. He slides the Glock into custom made holster beneath his jacket.20. Other guns go into the Gucci bag. Along with boxes of ammo and silencers. Bag goes into a hide in the trunk of the Carrera GT. OUTSIDE HOUSE Garage door opens. Killer backs out in the Carrera GT. Quietly. She’s there in the window. Wearing his robe. Waving. Longing look. Makes him ache to leave her. He blows her a kiss. She catches it. Puts it to her lips. He backs to the end of the driveway. Into road. Drives off Red tail lights recede into dawn grey BAKERSFIELD ROBBERY/HOMICIDE © MORNING Cop stumbles in. Pearl-buttoned cowboy shirt depicts mountain scene with buffaloes. All in lovely shades of brown. Blue jeans. Cowboy boots. Cicero buried in work. File folders stacked around her. Up- all-night eyes. Cop ambles over. coP Whata we got? Withering look. CICERO You play fast and loose with that “wet shit, don’t you, cowboy? Cop confused by the aggression. CICERO Did you not get my message last night? CoP I’ve been having trouble with my service. Cicero rolls eyes so hard you can hear them. CICERO We've got our shooter.2. cop we? Whatever, Cicero shows Cop a PRISON MUG SHOT of Driver. CICERO I got a call from the warden at Corcoran. Recognized our perp on the news reports. I’ve been up all night getting to know him. COP How long has he been out? She consults the prison paperwork. CICERO Released yesterday at three p.m. Looks at TIME STAMP on still from surveillance camera CICERO Capped our telemarketer forty minutes later. cop I guess we can assume he wasn’t rehabilitated. Cicero almost smiles. OUTSIDE AN APARTMENT BUILDING DAY Sprawling, circa 70's apartment building. GT passes the building KILLER'S VOICE (V.0.) It's getting harder and harder to go on these jobs. Killer cruises to end of street. Turns. Parks about a block away. INSIDE GT Killer on Bluetooth. Looks at a fax page with address which matches address of apartment building. KILLER I mean, when I had to leave her this morning, I almost had a panic attack.22. PSYCHOTHERAPIST On the other end. Barth mother type. Red hair and peachy- creamy skin. Surrounded by Ralph Lauren floral print furniture. Buddha on the bookshelf holding burning incense stick. Seven figure view of San Francisco Bay through window behind her. THERAPIST Then maybe you shouldn't have left her. PHONE CONVERSATION. BACK AND FORTH. KILLER But this is my job. I had to go And it’s important that I keep my edge. It's a competitive business. Killer lines up shot with tiny digital camera as he talks. THROUGH THE DISPLAY -- as the camera scans the street. ‘THERAPIST In that you've never actually told me what that business is, it’s hard to comment . Killer frames shot of overhead wires and rooftops. Snaps photo. KILLER I told you. I’m an oncologist. Killer distracted by something outside. SUPER SPORT parks down the block at the opposite end of apartment complex. Killer takes out pair of titanium Nikon mini-binoculars. THERAPIST You know I don’t believe that. BINOCULAR POV Driver behind wheel. Image shaky. Compressed. Killer takes fax pages from case.23. PHOTO OF DRIVER. Ten years older. Ten years harder. But this is the guy. Killer takes a good long look. KILLER Believe what you want. I’/ma surgeon. I remove cancer. INSIDE SUPER SPORT Driver looks out at apartment complex. Sees an OLD GUY heading into apartment building with his TWELVE YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER. Driver consults file he got from Grone. Photo of Old Guy along with address and map. Address matches apartment's. INSIDE A BANK TEN YEARS AGO NO SOUND. FRENETIC. THREE MASKED MEN brandish weapons. Wave PATRONS to floor. Chaos. CICERO (V.0.) Ten years ago. Bakersfield Federal. Robbers took down just shy of three hundred grand. TELLERS stuff bricks of cash into bags. COP (V.0.) Our shooter was a bank robber? Masked gunmen bolt for door. CICERO (V.0.) No. A TIRE BURNING RUBBER CICERO (V.0.) He drove the getaway car. Tire gains traction. Eats asphalt. Modified ‘68 Pontiac GTO rockets away. INSIDE GTO Driver at the wheel. Ten years younger. A kid. Screaming down main street. 80, 90, 100 miles an hour. Engine is deafening THREE SKI-MASKED COHORTS from bank in the car with him.24. Barreling through intersections. Red lights mean go. Never once slowing down. Cop cars appear CICERO (V.0.) They estimated his top speed at 140 miles per hour. (beat) on surface streets. Driver cool as the other side of the pillow. Cohorts pull masks. The two in the back are scared shitless COHORT IN BACK Slow down! You're gonna kill us! Cohort in front seat next to Driver is calm as can be. He is THE DRIVER'S BROTHER DRIVER'S BROTHER Calm down. He knows what he’s doing. Driver looks at Brother. Brother nods. DRIVER'S BROTHER Do your thing, little brother. Pedal goes to floor. Driver sees everything. 360 degrees. Narrow miss after narrow miss. Millimeters. cranks a left on two wheels. Cohorts hold on. Driver sees... Police cars heading toward him. Driver steps on brakes. Car shudders. Smokes. Skids. Stops. Slams car in reverse. Goes backwards. Direction he just came. 50, 60, 70 miles per. Two chasing cops turning onto street. Driver still in reverse, straight toward them. Accelerating. Cops don’t have the balls for it. Veer off at the last second. Driver splits them. COP (V.0.) How'd they stop him?25. Brakes a 180. Shifts. Out of there. Driver looks over at brother. Brother smiles. CICERO (V.0.) They didn’t. Cop cars slow down. CICERO (V.0.) Called off the chase for public safety. Cop cars stop. GTO disappears from view long before the whine of its engine. BAKERSFIELD ROBBERY/HOMICIDE PRESENT Cop and Cicero drinking coffee. CICERO Made a clean getaway. cop So who collared him? CICERO This is where it gets interesting. OLD GUY’S APARTMENT Old Guy and granddaughter sit on threadbare sofa together reading Green Eggs and Ham. OLD GUY Would you like them in a box? Would you like them with a fox? Old Guy puts on a good show. The girl smiles. OUTSIDE APARTMENT BUILDING Top of Old Guy’s head can be glimpsed through a window on the second floor. INSIDE GT Killer glasses the apartment with Nikons, then sweeps back over to Driver. THERAPIST (V.0.) When you sold your software company, you said you wanted to test yourself.26. KILLER And I have. THERAPIST (V.O.) Has it become too easy? INSIDE SUPER SPORT Driver pulls Ruger from hide under seat. Looks up at apartment. KILLER (V.0.) That’s part of it. INSIDE GT Killer pulls Glock from holster. KILLER And then there's Lily. She's a distraction. (beat) You know, @ good distraction. But distractions can be a problem in this business. THERAPIST (V.0.) Did you talk to Lily about marriage? Having a family? Killer watches Driver through Nikons. KILLER Not yet. THERAPIST (V.O.) What are you waiting for? Driver emerges from Super Sport. Heads toward far end of apartment building. KILLER You know what? You're right. She's the woman I want to spend my life with. Killer suddenly animated, borderline manic as he exits GT. Talking marriage, hunting his target. KILLER Yeah. That's what I'll do. I'11 pop the question. This is great!27. Killer strides towards closest end of apartment building (opposite end from where the Driver entered) . THERAPIST (V.O.) Are you off your meds? KILLER Yes. Iam. And I've never felt better. More in tune Killer pulls silenced Glock from custom holster. Ejects mag then reseats it. THERAPIST (V.0.) If that’s your decision, 1/11 support it. I think it's a mistake, but 1/11 support it. (beat) But listen, don’t hit her with this all at once. You have a tendency to go a little too full bore at things sometimes. KILLER Gotta a BAKERSFIELD ROBBERY/HOMICIDE VIDEO ROOM SHAKY VIDEO IMAGE ON A TELEVISION MONITOR (FROM TEN YEARS AGO). The image is extremely degraded: A clapboard house in a remote canyon somewhere. Image jump cuts to THE TWO COHORTS FROM BACK SEAT OF GETAWAY CAR GUNNED DOWN EXECUTION STYLE BY UNSEEN ASSAILANTS. Bang. Bang. They slump forward. Jump cut to DRIVER and BROTHER staring straight ahead. Driver's eyes wide with fear. COP (0.8.) Where did you get this tape? IMAGE FREEZES. Cop and Cicero sit in front of monitor. Cicero palms the remote. CICERO Vice raided an illegal hard-core porn operation several years ago. This turned up on a hard drive. One of the investigators recognized our boy’s face on the video.28. cop what is it? CICERO Snuff film basically. Cop isn’t following. CICERO It's like this: they made a clean getaway on the bank job. Stashed the money, then went back to their safe house... Cicero nods towards the monitor. CICERO They got ambushed by another crew. She points the remote. CICERO One of the sick fucks taped it. Image comes to life on monitor. very little light. Muddy image. Like it has been duped a hundred times. Terrible, echoed sound. Borderline unintelligible. A VOICE (FACE UNSEEN) FROM OFFSCREEN. vorce Where’s the money? Driver and Brother stare straight ahead. Driver looks more frightened than Brother GLIMPSES OF THE AMBUSHERS MOVING AROUND BEHIND THEM, only their legs and feet in frame. DRIVER'S BROTHER Don’t tell him, man. vorcs You want me to shoot him like the others? Brother's is prodded with the barrel of a .45 automatic. Brother looks at Driver. COHORT Be strong. Intense shaky telephoto of their faces. Back and forth. Auto focus constantly readjust ing.29. DRIVER'S BROTHER You kill us, you’1l never get it. APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY BACK TO PRESENT Crummy lighting. Mile of brown water-stained carpet. OLD GUY’S APARTMENT OLD Guy I would not like them in a box I would not like them with a fox. STAIRWELL Driver makes his way up stairs BACK TO VIDEO MONITOR Driver and Brother share screen. The voice softens vorce Just tell us where the money is I give you my word that I won't shoot him. Nothing vorcs It's your choice... BANG! Gun is fired next to Brother’s ear. Driver freaks. Hyperventilating. Eyes shoot over to Brother. DRIVER'S BROTHER Don’t tell him. They’re gonna kill us anyway. Another shot. DRIVER'S BROTHER Die like a fucking man. APARTMENT HALLWAY BACK TO PRESENT Driver emerges from far stairwell. Starts checking numbers OLD GUY'S APARTMENT Granddaughter enjoying story30. OLD Guy I would not like them in the rain. I would not like them on a train. VIDEO MONITOR FOOTAGE FROM TEN YEARS AGO BANG! Driver wavers. DRIVER'S BROTHER Don't you do it! Driver looks at Brother. DRIVER I'm scared, man... Driver looks up at voice. He’s cracking. Near tears DRIVER I’m scared... voIcE I gave you my word. DRIVER It's in the chicken coop. vOICe There you go.. Gun is removed from head. DRIVER I’m sorry... Brother smiles. DRIVER’ S BROTHER (comforting) It's okay... A KNIFE WIELDING HAND quickly slits Brother’s throat. There is A BAPHOMET GOAT TATTOOED ON BACK OF KNIFE WIELDER’S HAND FROM OFFSCREEN, another voice is heard. SECOND VOICE (0.S.) Oh Jesus. No. COP and CICERO watching it play out. Cop closes eyes. Driver screams. Audio can’t handle the volume. Scream breaks up. Otherworldly.3. CICERO That was his brother. VOICE (0.S.) I told you I wouldn't shoot him. HALLWAY BACK TO PRESENT Driver arrives at door. Pulls gun from waistband. Tries door. No good. OLD GUY'S APARTMENT OLD GUY I would not like them here or there. I would not like them anywher VIDEO MONITOR Driver watches Brother bleed and wheeze. MOVE IN ON IMAGE of Driver on monitor. Tighter and tighter DEGRADED VIDEO IMAGE of Driver BECOMES... SAFE HOUSE TEN YEARS AGO We are there. Driver staring down at Brother. A HAND holds a palm-sized VIDEO CAM, surreptitiously taping the scene Brother stares up at Driver as the life bleeds out of him. Reaches out with his hand. Driver takes hold of it. Driver's eyes die along with Brother. Reveal.. TELEMARKETER standing there with .45 in hand. He was the first voice we heard. OLD GUY’S APARTMENT BACK TO PRESENT OLD GUY I do not like green eggs and ham! SAFE HOUSE TEN YEARS AGO Now a third voice chimes in. THIRD VOICE Hey32. Driver looks up at third voice. OLD GUY (ten years younger) is SECRETLY TAPING the action with the small video cam. OLD Guy (whispers for Driver only) Smile for the camera OLD GUY’S APARTMENT BACK TO PRESENT OLD Guy I do not like them, Sam I Am!! The girl giggles. Old Guy puts down book. Hand goes to her knee. She stops laughing. she goes to protest but he clamps a hand over her mouth This definitely isn’t his granddaughter. Whispers in her ear. OLD GUY Smile for the camera.. A tripod mounted video camera in the corner. The door is suddenly kicked open by the Driver. Old Guy sees Driver approaching. Same look of recognition that Telemarketer had. Driver raises gun. Old Guy pulls girl close. snatches pair of scissors from end table OLD GUY I swear to god 1/11-- BLAM, Hand and scissors shot to smithereens. Old Guy howls Driver unceremoniously shoots Old Guy in the head. Girl freaks. ONE LONG UNINTERRUPTED SCREAM. Driver looks down at dead Old Guy. Blank. Looks at girl screaming. Blank. Turns and walks away. Stops. Looks back at girl like he wants to comfort her. Opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He exits. HALLWAY Driver heads back the way he came.33. Killer emerges from other stairwell behind him. Creeps forward. Raises gun. Calm. Cool. Easy shot. Girl suddenly stumbles into hall between them, almost running into Killer. She starts screaming again when she sees Killer's gun. Driver turns. Raises gun Girl right between them, neither one takes a shot, for fear of hitting her. Killer grabs girl. Pulls her into stairwell, screening her KILLER Run! She runs down stairs STAIRWELL Killer nuts it up. Enters hallway HALLWAY Driver is at far end of hall. Hundred feet of hallway between them. Killer takes careful aim. Driver just starts squeezing off rounds. No hesitation. Killer barely gets off a shot. Driver senses weakness. Walks forward. Killer ducks into open doorway of Old Guy’s apartment. Tries to return fire. Driver keeps coming. No cover. Relentless Force of nature. Dry wall and door frame explode all around Killer. Killer seems spooked. Can’t get another shot off. Retreats again. Hunter becomes hunted. STAIRWELL Killer backs up. Returns fire. Slips. Stumbles backwards. Gun clatters between steps. KILLER Shit. Driver enters stairwell. Killer is dead meat. He hustles down the remaining stairs. Retrieves gun. Looks up for sign of Driver.34. Driver starts to pursue. DISTANT SIRENS. Driver heads back the way he came. Killer shaken. Makes it to bottom of stairwell. Sees that Driver is gone. Deep breath. Heads back up. HALLWAY Killer enters again. NEIGHBOR opens door. Killer brings finger to lips. Signals for neighbor to go back inside. Neighbor happy to oblige. APARTMENT Killer enters. Sweeps with gun. Curtains flapping in breeze. Killer goes to window. THROUGH THE WINDOW: Killer sees Driver heading towards Super Sport. Draws a bead. Long shot. Target moves through picket of palm trees. Killer pulls trigger. Silenced Glock HISSES. Bullet slams into tree behind Driver. Close. Driver looks back. Brief eye contact. It’s on. SIRENS CLOSER. Driver piles into car and drives away. Killer looks down at Old Guy. Takes out camera. Snaps a photo. INSIDE SUPER SPORT Driver completely cool. Collected. Catches reflection in rear view. BACK TO DEGRADED VIDEO FROM TEN YEARS AGO Driver looking at third voice with those same eyes. Door opens in background. OUT OF FOCUS FOURTH FIGURE enters. Driver looks directly into camera as the figure looms behind him. All fear has drained from him. Byes go dead DRIVER (barely above a whisper) I’m gonna kill you all35. Driver suddenly lurches violently as he is shot in the back of the head (by the UNSEEN FOURTH FIGURE). Followed by three to the back. Tape goes black Cop looks at Cicero. CICERO They killed him. COP What do you mean they killed him? CICERO He was dead. For a little while anyway. Pronounced DOA at the hospital. MORGUE TEN YEARS AGO Driver lying on morgue table. Head a mass of bloody gore. Exit wounds on torso. MEDICAL EXAMINER powers up bone saw. Leans over body. About to open up Driver’s skull when... Driver suddenly sits upright, gasping for air. Medical examiner freaks. Bone saw clatters to floor, spinning and jumping. Driver looks around. Picks up scalpel from instrument tray. Climbs down from table and walks away. ORDERLIES go after him. BACK WITH COP AND CICERO CICERO Doctors said they’ve never seen anything like it. Body shut down from shock. No heart beat. Stopped breathing. cop No brain damage from the head shot? CICERO Bullet hit here... (indicates back of head) ...xicocheted around the outside of his skull and came out through his cheekbone. Took him two months to recover from the wounds. (MORE)36. CICERO (cont'd) He's got a metal plate keeping the back of his head together. Cicero flips through a stack of paperwork. CICERO At his sentence hearing for the bank job, the judge asked him if he wanted to say anything. Cicero hands Cop the transcript. COURTROOM TEN YEARS AGO Judge and entire courtroom waiting for Driver to make a statement Driver in wheelchair. still recovering from wounds. DRIVER I’m gonna kill them all, your honor. BACK WITH COP AND CICERO CICERO Only words he spoke during the whole trial. Judge maxed him out. Cop digests it all COP He's a man of his word. Took him ten years, but he’s killin’ ‘em all right. KERN RIVER RECREATION AREA DAYTIME Super Sport parked under some trees. Driver squats on bank of river, watching river flow Something in his hand. COP (V.0.) And he ain't gonna stop till he’s done. He is holding the Old Guy’s info page with photo and address. He drops the page on the surface of the water. Old Guy’s image drifts away, slowly spinning and sinking. INSIDE GT37. Later. Killer driving through bad neighborhood. Little girl in passenger seat. LITTLE GIRL This is it. Killer stops. Looks out at the house. KILLER You sure? LITTLE GIRL Yes. KILLER I don’t want you ever to talk to strangers again. Okay? She looks up at him with big brown eyes. Suddenly hugs him. Takes Killer by surprise ‘Then she opens the door and quickly leaves the car. Runs to her house. Killer snaps photo. Watches her long as he can. Then drives away. Catches sight of his face in the rearview. A cut from the shootout . KILLER Damn it. That's gonna scar. TRACT HOUSE In one of those put-up-overnight neighborhoods. Ugly box crammed on top of ugly box. All crammed on top of a butt ugly section of Interstate Five. Dusty land. Sky a permanent brown smear. Speaking of brown smears. Cop's Crown Vic pulls up outside the house He gets out. Starts for the front door. Never makes it Woman comes hustling out toward him. MARINA. Fifteen years younger than Cop. Fine, smoky-eyed Latina. She’s steaming. Speaks with a strong Mexican accent. MARINA Where the hell you been?!38. cop I caught a case. Homicide. MARINA You supposed to take Jorge to his baseball game. She shoots a look back in the doorway. JORGE stands there sadly. Fat little body crammed into Little League uniform. cop I know. But this case-- MARINA You want me to have full custody, T take full custody. cop No... MARINA Then take him to his damn game! She storms back in house past Jorge. MARINA Pendejo... Poor little pudgy Jorge just looks at the ground. INSIDE CROWN VIC Jorge sitting in the passenger seat. Looking glum. Baseball mitt in lap. Cop shoots a look his way. COP How you been hittin’ ‘em, slugger? JORGE Not too good. COP What position they got you playing? JORGE Don’t play too much. cop Aw, c’mon, you got an arm like a cannon. Kow can they not play you?39. He pushes the bill of Jorge's hat down. Jorge straightens it. Nary a smile. Or a look Cop’s way. LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD AFTERNOON A game in progress. Cop stumbles out of cinderblock bathroom. Toilet paper trailing from foot. Glassy-eyed. Smoking a butt. No pain. No doubt what he’s been up to. Jorge’s team out in the field. Cop leans over fence just past dugout. Cop looks into dugout. Jorge and one other kid sitting on bench. Goofing. Not even watching the game cop Pssst. No response from Jorge. cop Pssst. Jorge continues goofing. PHONE rings. Cop answers CoP Yeah. (listens) Shit. Okay. (listens) No. I'll be there right away. He walks down to the dugout. Coach standing there. cop Hey, Randy... Coach (RANDY) looks over. COP Listen man, could you give Jorge a ride home? I’ve got this case Big one. RANDY sure. cop You probably saw it on the news--40. RANDY I said sure. CoP Okay. Thanks, man. Cop starts away. Stops. COP Why don’t you see if you can get him in the game some time? Pinch hit. Something. You know, man? Randy just nods. cop You know? RANDY I/1l see what I can do. Cop walks away. Little stagger in his step. still trailing the t.p. Randy watches him, shaking his head. OLD GUY’S APARTMENT Cop enters. Old Guy sprawled on shag carpet. Blood everywhere. Cicero with crime scene tech, looking at contents of cardboard box filled with KIDDIE PORN. Cop ambles over. cop Whata we-- (catches himself) Whata you got? Cicero smirks. CICERO Perp did the world a favor on this one. Holds up handful of kiddie porn. Cop surveys scene. Sees Old Guy kissing the shag. cop Telemarketer, pedophile. What's next? A lawyer?41. CICERO Whole shebang just got weirder Witnesses put a second shooter on the scene. CoP Accomplice? CICERO No. Seems that after our perp whacked Mr. Rogers here, he shot it out with someone out in the hall COP Armed neighbor? CICERO Uh-uh. No one recognized this dude. They exchanged gunfire, then disappeared. Both of them. COP Vehicle description? License plate numbers? Cicero shakes her head. CICERO I guess everyone was hiding under their beds. COP Get a description of the second shooter? CICERO The word beautiful came up. cop Beautiful? CICERO Like a movie star. MOTEL NIGHTTIME Crumbling crap hole. Tumbledown flop house to local migrant population. Somewhere off Highway 58. Godforsaken stretch of road. MOTEL ROOM NIGHTTIME Driver sits on edge of bed working television remote.42. Fuzzy reception (no cable here). Snatches of channels: news, sports, human interest. Driver continues. Nothing interests him, then.. GOOFY MUSIC. Driver sets remote down. Tom and Jerry. Jerry is chasing Tom around the room walloping him on the head with a mallet. Driver watches with gravitas. Every time a huge bump appears on Tom’s head, Jerry smashes it back down with the mallet. UPSCALE HOTEL ROOM NIGHT TIGHT ON COMPUTER SCREEN: Colorized photo of Bakersfield, circa 1950 KILLER (V.0.) Podunk town. Ramshackle street PHOTOGRAPH of the overhead wires and rooftops that Killer took earlier. MOVING SUPER CLOSE OVER TEXT as Killer reads from it. KILLER (V.0.) The Killer parked at the end of the street. Routine job. With any luck, he’d be home by dinner. Killer hunkered over laptop in hotel room. COMPUTER SCREEN: Banner at the top: KILLERBLOG. The story is framed by photos. All of the photos have been photoshopped to make them look like stylized panels from a graphic novel. Killer scrolls down. There is a photo OF DEAD OLD GUY, his features fuzzed over. KILLER You think we pixiled his face enough?43. PALM SPRINGS HOUSE Lily sits next to lighted pool. Quivering turquoise gem. Lily looking at Killerblog on laptop. LILY I/ll take a look at all the photos before I update the page PHONE CALL. BACK AND FORTH: KILLER Anything else? Lily bites her lip. LILY Are you sure about the end part? I think you're being too hard on yourself KILLER Read it to me. Lily reads from screen. LILY The Killer had been bested before but he could always put it down to technical glitches, unforeseen events, something outside of his control. This was new. Fear. Unadulterated fear. (beat) I don’t believe it. KILLER You don’t believe what? LILY That you were afraid KILLER It's true. LILY What about the girl? KILLER What about her? PHOTO of GIRL IN SILHOUETTE, walking towards her house.44, LILY Your mind was on saving her. KILLER No, Lily. I was scared. (beat) Home boy bitched me up like I was a fish. LILY He's that good? KILLER Good's not the right word. Dude's completely artless. No sophistication whatsoever. But he’s pure. No fear. No hesitation. LILY You'll get him KILLER I don’t know if 1/11 get another chance LILY You will. You'll get him. KILLER How can you be so sure? LILY Because you always do. ICONIC IMAGE YEARS EARLIER The Killer stands in a room surrounded by DEAD ASIAN GANGSTERS. Complete silence. Could be a still photo except for ribbon of smoke curling from the end of his silenced HK USP45. LILY (V.0.) Because from the moment I first saw you A MOVEMENT from one of the gangsters heaped on the floor. Killer's eyes go to movement. Gangster stirs. 45 goes up. Killer's eyes widen. Lily’s beautiful face appears from under gangster. smudge of blood on face.45. LILY (V.0.) -.-you were my hero. Lily tilts head. Smiles. Sweetest smile you've ever seen. Killer smitten. Love at first sight. ARVIN CALIFORNIA EARLY MORNING Dusty farm town south of Bakersfield. NEIGHBORHOOD Sixty year old ranch houses. Dry. Sun-baked. Yards gone to seed Driver sitting in $8, Watching. RANCH HOUSE A HUSBAND kisses WOMAN good-bye. Heads for SUV. BOY appears in the doorway. Lunch pail in hand. Follows dad to car. INSIDE SUPER SPORT Driver watching it all. Boy runs back to mom, She bends down. Kisses him. He turns and takes off. The woman stands there in the doorway. Soft breeze blowing her hair, Then she turns and goes inside. Driver emerges from car stuffing Ruger into back of pants. INSIDE RANCH HOUSE Moments later. Woman sitting in the kitchen. Feeding a BABY GIRL in high chair. Handsome woman. Raw boned Oakie stock. Kitchen door opens. Driver standing there Blood drains from woman’s face. She stands. WOMAN, Oh my God. He starts in. She tries to close the door. He forces his way in. Shuts the door behind him. Shoots a look at the baby. Then walks past her. Into living room, She follows him.46. He paces. Looks at the family photographs. Takes a framed one from the mantel. DRIVER Nice family. She slaps his face hard. Snatches the photograph from him. Places it back on the mantel Emotions running wild. Her back to him. She can’t look at him. WOMAN You can’t do this. Show up out of the blue. After all these years... DRIVER I know. She turns to him. WOMAN Why did you come? He looks at the floor. DRIVER I’m not sure. WOMAN There’s nothing here for you. (beat) You have to leave. He slowly nods. Admonished child DRIVER Okay. Driver starts to go. She follows him into the kitchen. Blurts it out... WOMAN Why did you make me stop coming to see you in prison? Driver stops. Baby COOS and GURGLES from high chair. DRIVER I didn’t see any sense in three wasted lives. WOMAN ‘Three?47. DRIVER Was that him? This morning? She still isn’t following. DRIVER ‘The boy. WOMAN David? (realizing) Oh God. You didn’t think. Driver silent. WOMAN David’s nine years old. You did a dime. Do the math. Driver stands there. Baby babbles. WOMAN When you cut me off, I gave the baby up. DRIVER You find a good family? She looks at him like he’s an idiot. WOMAN I had an abortion. A flash. His eyes. Something human. DRIVER I see. Driver stands there. Big. Dumb of mouth. Not of this world. WOMAN I'm sorry. DRIVER was it a boy or a-- WOMAN They don’t tell you that. DRIVER Is there a grave? Flash of anger...48. WOMAN Are you serious? He waits. WOMAN (pity more than anything) There’s no grave Baby starts crying. Wailing. WOMAN Please DRIVER Okay. 1/11 go. Driver leaves. Woman snatches baby from high chair. Goes to door. Hefts baby on hip WOMAN I know what you're doing. He keeps walking. WOMAN I saw on the t.v. She watches him go. She shouts after him. Blood in her voice. WOMAN I hope you kill them all. He drives away. INSIDE CORCORAN ADMIN OFFICES Cop and Cicero wait to be buzzed through a sally port. WARDEN (V.0.) He was what we call a walkalone WARDEN’ S OFFICE Warden sits across from Cop and Cicero. Cop looks a little out of it. Nose running. CICERO No gang affiliations?49. WARDEN You might say he was a gang of one. Did his whole stretch with no protection. Cop sniffs. Heavy lids WARDEN First day in coupla’ BGFs mud checked him in the chow line CAFETERIA TEN YEARS AGO BLACK INMATE with insanely huge afro fills frame. INSANE AFRO You better be ready on the yard tomorrow cuz we comin’ heavy on yo’ ass, fish. YARD TEN YEARS AGO Various groups milling, exercising. Driver walks alone on the periphery. Pack of BGFs (Black Guerilla Family) walking the yard. Insane Afro eyes lone Driver. Insane Afro and TWO OTHERS peel off from pack. Other inmates part as Insane Afro and his boys beeline for Driver. Driver sees them coming. Backs up. Falls to the ground. Starts fumbling with his pants. Pulls them part of the way down. INSANE AFRO I can’t fuck you right here, punk. Driver stands and pulls pants up as they surround him. He is holding a nasty looking shank. Flash of movement. Flash of blood. Inmates go down, one, two, three. Driver calmly walks away. Drops shank. BGFs squirm on the ground.50. BACK TO WARDEN’S OFFICE WARDEN First day on the inside and he was suitcasin’ a shank. Squeezed it out of his ass right there on the yard. Put all three of ‘em in the infirmary. Warden smiles crookedly WARDEN Every gang in the joint tried to recruit him after that but he wouldn't affiliate. (beat) Set up his own contraband trade. Had nothing but enemies in here from that day on. DRIVER'S CELL YEARS AGO Driver using a prison-made tattoo gun. Bricolage of parts: battery operated fan motor, guitar string needle, Bic pen for ink. He is adding something to the BLACK LINE TATTOO. WARDEN (V.0.) They kept coming after him, he kept, knocking ‘em down TRACKING OVER DRIVER'S SKIN. SUPER CLOSE... Black line becomes series of TINY TATTOOS. Each one represents a different prison gang: Aryan Brotherhood, BGF, Mexican Mafia, Nazi Low Riders, Bahala Na, Hmong Nation, Sons of Samoa. WARDEN (V.0.) He kept count. Like a fighter pilot. BACK TO WARDEN’S OFFICE Cop distracted. Rocking a little in his seat. WARDEN Word went out. He became somewhat of a legend. After a while all he had to do was flash that tattoo and nobody would mess with him.51. CICERO He ever mix it up with the guards? WARDEN Not a once. Model prisoner far as that went. Cop blows nose. Cicero shoots a look CICERO Did he have visitors? WARDEN Little old gal used to come and see him when he was first here, but she stopped coming CICERO Do you keep a log? WARDEN Not that far back we don’t. CICERO One visitor in ten years? WARDEN Like I said, he walked alone. Cicero starts to gather her things CICERO His personality. How would you sum him up? Warden thinks for a second. Nods thoughtfully. Looks up at Cicero. WARDEN Righteous. INSIDE CROWN VIC NIGHTTIME Cop and Cicero driving back to Bakersfield CICERO Righteous? She shakes her head. CICERO That was a waste of time.52. cop Maybe not. Cicero looks over. CoP We have a working theory for the second shooter. CICERO The guy at the apartment building? COP Our boy made a lot of enemies in prison. They couldn’t touch him inside, maybe they hired someone to take him down on the outside. Cicero nods grudgingly. CICERO It's worth checking out. Cop shivers. Sniffs. Jones alarm. He reaches for heater control. Short sleeve pulls back, partially revealing a tattoo. Cicero stares. CICERO That what I think it is? Cop looks down at arm. Lifts sleeve. COP This? TATTOO Grinning death's head. Cowboy hat. Framed by four playing cards. Aces and eights. Dead Man‘s Hand. cop I was with the CRASH unit in L.A. before I transferred up here. CICERO You mean the guns blazing, ass kicking cops with porno moustaches? That CRASH unit? cop That so hard to believe? Cicero can’t hide her surprise.53. CICERO Well, yeah. cop That's where I met Marina. She was my C.T, CICERO You married your snitch? COP She was in bad shape. I got her into rehab. We fell in love. Cicero shakes her head. CICERO I'll be damned, You were CRASH. Cop flashes a crooked smile cor Back in the day, I could ball with the best of ‘em, baby. He makes a gun out of his fingers. Points on down the road cop Now? I just go with the flow. (winks) Know what I'm sayin’? TEHACHAPI PASS DAYTIME The foothills bristle with giant wind turbines. Moaning wind. Dust devils swirl LILY {V.0.) Where are you? OBSERVATION POINT The GT parked alone. INSIDE GT Cozy cocoon. The wind rages outside. Killer looking at laptop screen. KILLER Tehachapi. SCREEN54. Google Harth. A view of Central California KILLER'S HOUSE Lily’s hands adroitly reassembling a broken-down aK-47 -- blindfolded. LILY What's it like? Back and forth: KILLER Surprisingly cosmopolitan. Killer looks up at billboard: WAL MART COMING! KILLER Apparently we’re getting a Wal Mart soon. LILY Where you headed? Lily seats a rod and spring into the bolt carrier. KILLER That's just it. I don’t know. Killer looks at fax page. FOUR NAMES, FOUR PHOTOS and FOUR ADDRESSES. Killer has red x-ed the photos of TELEMARKETER and OLD GUY. KILLER His last two targets are hundreds of miles apart. One east, one west. I guess wrong, I'm screwed. Killer looks at Google Earth page. Toggles back and forth between two locations. LILY Which one is closer to you? Lily replaces the receiver cover on the AK KILLER They're both a couple of hours away. (keeps toggling) I’m thinking of flipping a coin.55. LILY Why don’t you just kick back. Let him kill the next guy, then you'll know who he's going after next She works the bolt. KILLER I can’t believe I didn’t think of that LILY I told you I was more than just a pretty face. Slams empty magazine home. Pulls trigger. Click. Removes blindfold. Smiles. Notices big Fed-Ex box on dining room table. LILY Hey. You got a package today. KILLER It's for you LILY What is it? KILLER A surprise. Open it. She rips it open. Another box inside. REEM ACRA logo. LILY Oh no you didn’t. KILLER Yes I did. Lily tears open box. Finds Reem Acra wedding gown inside. Stunning. LILY oh. My. God. KILLER Marry me. LILY What?! KILLER Marry me.56. LILY when? Where? KILLER Today. At the church. LILY The church? KILLER Our church. Remember? LILY You're serious KILLER Take the Koennigs. You can be there in a couple of hours. Google Earth map satellite image. Becomes. . TATTERED ROAD MAP Flapping in the breeze. RURAL ROAD DAYTIME Driver studies map on hood of SS. Compares it against his list of names. Marks one location, then the other. Checks against his location. Location is right in between. Takes out a coin, Tosses it. FROM ABOVE Flipping coin fills screen as it apexes, then plummets down to... DRIVERS OPEN HAND Fingers close like Venus Fly Trap. Slowly open. Heads. Driver's eyes go to map. MAP Moving in on NEVADA. DETECTIVE MALLORY (V.O.) You got any leads on where he might hit next?57. BAKERSFIELD ROBBERY/HOMICIDE BULLPEN DAYTIME Cop sits at desk drinking coffee. Playing solitaire on computer. SUPERVISING SERGEANT’S OFFICE DAYTIME Cicero with MALLORY, the supervising sergeant. Mallory wears a fu and a crew. Cop is visible at far end of bullpen. Looks like he is hard at work. CICERO Hell, we don't even know what he’s driving. We've got his photo out there though. Just a matter of time. DETECTIVE MALLORY Any chance he’s done? CICERO No. Not this guy. He spent ten years plotting his revenge. DETECTIVE MALLORY How ‘bout the second shooter at the apartment? CICERO We're thinking it could be a hit ordered by one of the prison gangs DETECTIVE MALLORY Let's get some detectives down to Corcoran. Interview all of his known enemies. CICERO It's a long list Mallory nods. Looks out at cop. DETECTIVE MALLORY How are you and the cowboy getting along? Cicero cranes neck. Sees Cop spill coffee on tie. CICERO We're going with the flow, baby Know what I'm sayin’?58. Mallory chuckles. DETECTIVE MALLORY He grows on you. CICERO Like mold. DETECTIVE MALLORY You want to come over and give me a blowjob later, detective? CICERO You want to take me to Disneyland, asshole? DETECTIVE MALLORY I just don’t see it happening. CICERO I am so done with you. Cicero stands. Starts gathering her things. Sees Cop wiping coffee stain from tie. CICERO I don’t get it. Is this some sort of sympathy fuck? Mallory frowns. Cicero nods towards Cop. CICERO Flipping him this case. I don’t remember the last time he worked a homicide. DETECTIVE MALLORY I didn’t assign him to this case He asked me for it. CICERO That's not what he told me. Mallory shrugs. DETECTIVE MALLORY Retirement can queer a man’s mind. (beat) Dude was the real thing once. Looks out at Cop.59. DETECTIVE MALLORY Probably just wants to relive his glory days one last time before he rides into the sunset. WHITE CLAPBOARD CHURCH DAY Tiny church surrounded by brown dormant grassland Jagged snow-crusted mountains loom. GT parked in front of church. SINISTER SOUND OF HIGH PERFORMANCE ENGINE APPROACHING. Black Koenigsegg CCX pulls up. Eight hundred horses of sexual energy. Koenigs glides to a stop. Lily exits in heart-stopping Reem Acra wedding gown. Gathers dress. Climbs steps INSIDE CHURCH Deep shadows rent with shafts of dusty golden light. Killer stands at altar with PREACHER. PREACHER’S WIFE plays The Wedding March on ancient Hammond organ. Lily approaches. Preacher sees Lily. Mouth slightly agape. Killer smiles. KILLER Yeah. I know. Lily arrives. Smiles her smile. KILLER You ready? TRACT HOUSE Cop knocking on door. INSIDE TRACT HOUSE Marina looks through peephole. Sighs. MARINA You have to leave.60. OUTSIDE FRONT DOOR Cop leans head against door. Starts softly singing Los Lobos’ La Pistola y El Corazon. Byes closed tight. Voice cracking. Really feeling it. MARINA (0.8.) Stop it He keeps singing. COP (singing) esta triste cancion, esta triste cancion. MARINA On the other side of the door. She closes her eyes. Listens to the sad song cop Still singing when door slowly cracks open Cop opens eyes expectantly MARINA Oh Jesus. Tell me you're not erying Cop wipes tears. Sniffs. She opens the door wide. MARINA Hurry up. Before the dogs start howling. MOUNTAINS LATE AFTERNOON Super Sport negotiates mountain road. Comes around a sharp curve. Coyote darts from brush into road. Driver sees coyote. Too late. Slams on brakes. Coyote yelps and tumbles down embankment beside road. Driver stops. Gets out. Heads to where coyote fell. Scrambles down steep embankment. Almost falls. Tree branch whips face. He gets to coyote. Coyote unmoving. Bloody. Driver paces Stops. Looks down at the dead animal. Driver closes eyes. Hand goes to face.61. Coyote whimpers. It is alive. Driver squats next to animal. Strokes its head. Coyote whimpers again. It's in bad shape. Driver stands. Pulls Ruger. Points it at coyote’s head. Driver stares down at whimpering animal. Lowers gun. INSIDE CLAPBOARD CHURCH Preacher’s wife pounds out The Wedding March fanfare. OUTSIDE WHITE CLAPBOARD CHURCH Killer and Lily emerge. As they kiss passionately, the Killer raises gun into the air and empties his clip. They run to their cars Grand Prix style. Preacher emerges onto steps. Watches them roar away, spitting rooster tails of gravel and dirt. Preacher look over at wife with lustful gaze. She smiles shyly. INSIDE TRACT HOUSE Marina stands arms akimbo. Attitude of defiance. MARINA Why you here? COP You and the kids. You need protection. You need a man in the house. MARINA Aman? Do you know where one is? Cuz all I see is a junkie. CoP Baby, I’m clean. MARINA Prove it. He rolls up his sleeves. No fresh marks. MARINA Take off your boots.62. COP Marina, please MARINA I know your tricks. Cop gets down on his knees. MARINA Ay. Cabron. Have some dignity. COP Marina, I'm begging you... She slaps his face. Not hard. MARINA Gimme the dope. cop Please, Marina, take me back. Another slap. Harder. Cop takes it. He’s broken MARINA Give me the dope. He hands over the balloon. She eyes him with contempt. MARINA What happened to you? You used to be so strong. cop It's the junk, baby. It’s got me all sideways. 1/11 go into re-hab. I swear to God. MARINA Okay. Let's go. Right now. cop After this case. I gotta finish this case. Marina rolls her eyes. Cop grabs her hand cop I just want to be here. Kiss the kids good night. dust one night. She pulls her hand away.63. MARINA One night. That’s all MOUNTAIN ROAD Driver carrying injured coyote to Super Sport. Opens door. Gingerly lays coyote on back seat. Coyote whimpers again. Driver gently pets it. Coyote comes to! Vicious. Snarling. Takes snap at Driver. Teeth find flesh. Blood flies. Driver grabs wound. Coyote springs through open window. Limps off. Turns back. One last fuck-you look for Driver. Then, he disappears into trees. Driver, for first and only time, smiles. DESOLATE HILLS DUSK Lily in wedding dress plinking cans and bottles with Killer's Glock. Killer watches her shoot. Lily squeezes off final three rounds -- POP, POP, POP. Final shot sends a can flying. Lily turns to Killer, smiling proudly. KILLER Let's start a family. Right away. LILY A family? Are you serious? Killer becomes animated, manic. KILLER Why not? We’ll sell the house in the desert. Buy a Craftsman in Pasadena. LILY But you love that house. He paces. KILLER It's not right for a family. It’s too ironic. I’m sick of irony And we'll get rid of the art work. All of it. We'll buy landscapes And we'll have four kids.64. Lily giggles. LILY How ‘bout five? KILLER Sure. Why not? LILY Can we name one of them Steve? KILLER Steve? Absolutely. LILY What about your work? KILLER T/11 quit. LILY dust like that? Killer squeezes of three shots with Glock. Three bottles explode. Incredible marksmanship. KILLER Just like that MOUNTAINS ABOVE HENDERSON NEVADA NIGHT Super Sport descends a mountain road. Spangle of lights below. INSIDE SUPER SPORT NIGHT Drive fiddles with knob on radio. Snatches of music, talk radio, then stopping on a SERMON. Voice from the ether. BLACK EVANGELIST. Faint signal, crackling with static. THE EVANGELIST (V.0.) (on radio) Brother, put down that bottle, put down that cocaine, that methamphetamine. “Put down that concupiscence, that lust of flesh. HENDERSON STRIP CLUB Motorcycles and pickup trucks dominate parking lot.65. THE EVANGELIST (V.O.) (on the radio) Put down that .45. That .38. That 357 Magnum. Put it down, brother. Super Sport pulls to a stop. Headlight FILLS FRAME. Dying moth quivers on glass. Driver cuts engine. Headlight filament cools and fades. INSIDE SUPER SPORT Driver looks at strip club. THE EVANGELIST (V.0.) (on the radio) Put down those wicked ways and say his name. Jesus Christ. Say his name. (beat, softer) can you hear me out there? STRIP CLUB ENTRANCE TWO BOUNCERS pat down PATRONS as they enter. Big bouncer, huge bouncer. Huge bouncer pats down cowboy. THE EVANGELIST (V.0.) (almost whispering) Forgive them that trespassed against you. CLOSE ON HUGE BOUNCER’S HAND. BAPHOMET GOAT tattooed on back of hand. THE HAND THAT SLIT DRIVER'S BROTHER'S THROAT. THE EVANGELIST (V.0.) ..-forgive them and it will set you free. INSIDE SUPER SPORT Driver turns off radio. Hides Ruger under seat. STRIP CLUB ENTRANCE Baphomet finishes up with cowboy. Turns to partner BAPHOMET Gotta piss. He heads into club as Driver arrives.66. OTHER BOUNCER Arms up. Driver complies. Watches Baphomet head towards restroom. RESTROOM ANCIENT BLACK BATHROOM ATTENDANT stands next to sink counter tidying after shave bottles. Baphomet enters. STRIP CLUB Driver enters. Blaze of strobes, wall of sound. Strippers popping booty to ear-shattering hip-hop. Driver's eyes probe darkness, looking for a weapon: Ball point pen scribbling. Knife and fork cutting meat. Ice pick stabbing at clump of ice. BARTENDER lays down ice pick. Walks away. Driver passes bar. RESTROOM Baphomet finishes peeing inside stall. Zips up. Baphomet exits stall. Driver standing there. Baphomet washes hands. Driver remains. Staring. Baphomet looks over at him BAPHOMET What? DRIVER Bakersfield. ‘96. Realizes who is standing before him. BAPHOMET Okay (nods) Okay Baphomet dries hands.67. BAPHOMET You've grown some. Understatement of the year. Baphomet sees ice pick in Driver's hand. Reaches to back of belt. Pulls Bowie knife. Ten inch blade. Baphomet looks over at ancient BATHROOM ATTENDANT, who hasn’t noticed what is happening. BAPHOMET Joe. He's half deaf. BAPHOMET Joe! The attendant looks up. Sees the weapons. Shits a brick. ATTENDANT oh shitty! BAPHOMET I want you to go outside and dead bolt this door. Only one of us is gonna come out of here. No matter who it is, you didn’t see a damn thing. Right? Attendant nods. BAPHOMET Go on now. Attendant starts to go. BAPHOMET Joe. Attendant hovers. BAPHOMET If I don’t make it, you tell my old lady there's eight hundred dollars under the mattress. ATTENDANT Okey-dokey. BAPHOMET And tell her not to fuck the landlord.68. ATTENDANT Don’t fuck the landlord. Got it. Attendant leaves, muttering Baphomet’s instructions to himself. SOUND OF DOOR LOCKING from other side. Driver and Baphomet size one another up. Baphomet dwarfs Driver. BAPHOMET All right then... They do a slow circle. And... then They go at it. Raw. Brutal. Fast. Baphomet goes for big strike. Misses. Driver pig sticks him three times in succession. Perfect strikes. Heart. Kidney Liver. Blink you miss it. dust like that Driver steps back. BAPHOMET Fuck! Three flowers of blood blossom on Baphomet’s shirt. Knees go wobbly. Holds onto wall. Looks up at Driver. Disbelieving BAPHOMET It's over? Driver nods. Baphomet’s knife clatters to the floor BAPHOMET God damn Drops to knees. Stares at floor and does the math. BAPHOMET (whisper) I’m dying...in a fucking bathroom... Driver watches Baphomet go through the five stages of grief in record time. Only sound is Baphomet’s labored breathing. Distant BASS THUMP from dance floor.69. They look at one another, awkward as two teens on their first date. BAPHOMET Would you do something for me? Baphomet takes cell phone out of pocket. Labored breathing. BAPHOMET I got a son...in Bullhead City. (catches breath) Would you call him? Baphomet slides the phone across floor. Driver stares at it. BAPHOMET Tell him his old man is sorry. Driver doesn’t move. Baphomet pale as a shroud. BAPHOMET Come on, man. He didn’t do nothin’ to nobody. (beat) Just tell him I’m sorry. Driver picks up phone. DRIVER I’ve never used one of these. BAPHOMET He's on speed dial...number three... just press it down and hold it. Driver pockets phone. Baphomet closes eyes. Slumps to floor. Sputters blood, airbrushing white tile. Groans. Chest heaves up and down PHONE RINGING. TEEN PICKS UP ON OTHER END. TEEN'S VOICE (V.0.) Hello. Long pause. TEEN'S VOICE (0.S.) Hello? DRIVER (V.0.) Your father is sorry. Baphomet’s breathing slows70. TEEN'S VOICE (V.0.) who is this? DRIVER (V.0.) He said he was sorry. Baphomet stops breathing. INSIDE SUPER SPORT NIGHT Driver illuminated by dash light. Holds phone to ear as he negotiates mountain road. TEEN’S VOICE (V.0.) Is he okay? Long pause TEEN’S VOICE (V.0.) Did something happen? DRIVER Yeah. (beat) Something happened. Driver hangs up. CABIN MOTELS NIGHT Several rustic cabins overlook a gurgling stream. INSIDE CABIN Lily sleeping alone. Weapons, ammo, cleaning patches, gun oil spread out on table. Killer sits there looking at Killerblog on computer Killer scrolls through past entries. Graphic, stylized images: past killings, anonymous locations, weapons, ammunition, a one dollar bill changing hands. Killer clicks on a menu selection, “IN THE BEGINNING.” A PHOTO of a SKINNY UNDERSIZED KID. Sickly runt on metal crutches. Clunky braces on legs. Killer smiles at sight of photo. Killer in shorts Surgical scars visible on legs. Killer's hand runs the length of big scar on thigh. LILY (0.S.) What are you doing?nm. Killer turns. Sees Lily sitting up in bed KILLER Getting ready. Killer starts cleaning Glock with bore brush and cleaning patch. Lily comes over to the table. LILY You said you were quitting. KILLER I am. (beat) After this one. Killer goes back to cleaning gun LILY You don’t have to do this. Lily sits down opposite Killer. Looks at photo of Driver. Driver's dead eyes staring at her from prison mug shot. LILY I’ve had a bad feeling about this job from the moment I saw this Lily pushes the photograph away from her. LILY dust let it go, baby. KILLER I can’t. LILY For me? Killer catches sight of photo of himself as a child KILLER I can’t. LILY Then do it for Steve Echo of their conversation earlier LILY You said you wanted to start a family