The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)


The web's largest
movie script resource!

Search IMSDb

Alphabetical
# A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N O P Q
R S T U V W X Y Z

Genre
Action Adventure Animation
Comedy Crime Drama
Family Fantasy Film-Noir
Horror Musical Mystery
Romance Sci-Fi Short
Thriller War Western

Sponsor

TV Transcripts
Futurama
Seinfeld
South Park
Stargate SG-1
Lost
The 4400

International
French scripts

Latest Comments



ALL SCRIPTS





THE SALTON SEA by Tony Gayton

                               THE SALTON SEA

                                     by

                                Tony Gayton

                                                          FADE IN:

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

A MAN recumbent on the bed, playing a TRUMPET, his white dress shirt 
defaced by a flower of blood.  The room is ON FIRE all around him.

He is playing Miles Davis' moody, Spanish-influenced SAETA, a haunting 
and lonely piece.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  My name is Tom Van Allen ...
                       (beat)
                  or Danny Flynne ...

A DUFFLE BAG FULL OF MONEY ON THE BED.  The money burning, tiny flaming 
pieces floating around the room.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  ... I don't know anymore.
                       (beat)
                  Maybe I'll let you decide.  Maybe you
                  can help me, friend.  As you can see,
                  I don't have a hell of a lot of time left.

A PHOTOGRAPH of a woman taped to the inside of a trumpet case. The 
photo is on fire.  Only her smile remains.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Avenging angel ... Judas Iscariot ...
                  Loving husband ... Prodigal Son ...
                  The prince of Denmark ...?

A GREETING CARD on the floor, a teddy bear and the word, 
CONGRATULATIONS! on the front.  The wind from the fire blows the card 
open.  Inside, a BLACKENED BLOOD STAIN.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  All of these? None of these? You
                  decide, friend.  You decide. Trumpet
                  player? Speed freak?
                       (beat)
                  Speed freak.
                       (beat)
                  That's as good a place as any.
                       (beat)
                  But first, a little background on the
                  mad world of the tweaker ..


                                                          FADE OUT.

                                                          FADE IN.


INT. LABORATORY - DAY

EXTREME CLOSE-UP of a glass pipette dripping a clear liquid into a 
glass beaker.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  Methedrene was first distilled by a
                  Japanese scientist before WWII.
                  Hand it to the Japanese, they knew a
                  good thing when they saw it.

INT. JAPANESE ZERO - DAY

A wide-eyed, jaw-grinding KAMIKAZE PILOT with a death-grip on the 
controls.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  This guy's so tweaked, he probably thinks
                  he can survive this without a scratch.

STOCK BATTLE FOOTAGE - a Japanese Zero crashes into a battleship, 
bursting into a ball of flames.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  Maybe not.
                       (beat)
                  By some estimates, 2% of the Japanese
                  population had a meth problem after
                  the war: factory workers, soldiers,
                  pilots.  Maybe that's why it took two
                  bombs to get 'em to surrender.  A
                  nuclear blast is just a minor
                  nuisance to a determined tweaker.

INT. HOUSE - DAY

A wide-eyed, June Cleaveresque housewife in a picture-perfect white 
dress vacuums the floor of a picture-perfect house.

                             DANNY (V.O)
                  In the fifties, the housewives got
                  ahold of it.  Dexedrine. Benzedrine.
                  Methedrene ...

She attacks the same spot over and over again, one hand clutching the 
vacuum, the other stiffly holding a cigarette.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Now that's a classic speed freak for
                  you, skinny and cleaning the house.  I'll
                  bet her poor husband never knew what
                  hit him in the sack either.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

THE LEG OF THE BED rattling and bouncing loudly off the floor.

STOCK FOOTAGE - J.F.K. pumping the hand of NIKITA KRUSCHEV.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  There were even rumors that one of
                  our presidents dabbled with
                  mysterious "energy shots".  Imagine
                  that: a slammer in the White House.

Kennedy talking animatedly.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  If it's true, I'll bet ol' Krushchev
                  never got a word in edgewise.

EXT. TRUCK STOP PARKING LOT - NIGHT

A sleepy-eyed TRUCKER emerges from his tractor-trailer and approaches a 
loitering HELL'S ANGELS-type.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  By the late 60's the government
                  finally cracked down and sent the
                  whole thing underground.  Bikers
                  controlled the market for a while.

INT.  TRACTOR-TRAILER - NIGHT

The trucker gripping the wheel with the same death-grip as the 
Kamikaze.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  But now anyone with a basic chemistry
                  kit and the right ingredients can
                  cook it up at home.

INT. PHARMACY - NIGHT

A CASHIER scanning container after container of COLD MEDICATION.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  Ever see a long-haired tattooed freak
                  buying up all the cold medicine he
                  can lay his hands on at three in the morning.

The cashier looks up at the aforementioned FREAK, a frozen grin 
plastered on his face.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Take it from me, he ain't got no
                  cold.  He's a cook.  Look in his
                  kitchen and you'll find a whole
                  grocery list of unsavory ingredients.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

TRACK DOWN the kitchen counter on various containers.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  Drain cleaner, hydrochloric acid,
                  match heads for red phosphorus,
                  ether and of course the cold
                  medicine .. that's for Ephedrene,
                  soon to become Methedrene

CONTINUE TRACKING to a series of BURNERS, BEAKERS and TUBING

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  This guy's a regular Julia Child.
                  Problem is, I'll be even Miss Julia
                  fucks up the bouillabaisse from time to time.

The freaky cook sees something he doesn't like. His eyes widen.


                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Oh-oh.

EXT. TRAILER - NIGHT

As the structure explodes.

INT. PARTY HOUSE - UNKNOWN

Thick blankets and tinfoil taped over the windows.

A huge container of empty beer cans, washed and neatly arranged.

Lines of crystal meth on a mirror as precisely arranged as Nails as the 
Nuremberg rally.

A GROUP OF TWEAKERS in the middle of a binge.

Two skinny women, NANCY and Teresa bent over a drawer-full of neatly 
folded socks on the living room floor.  They stare at the drawer as if 
they were pondering a Rembrandt.

                             NANCY
                  It ain't right

                             TERESA
                  You think?

                             NANCY
                  Something's off.

                             TERESA
                  We can do better.

They take the socks out and being rearranging them again.

Three guys squeezed onto a couch together: KUJO, JIMMY THE FINN and 
CREEPER.  Kujo is talking a blue-streak.  He makes Dennis Leary took 
mealy-mouthed.

Creeper and Jimmy stare straight ahead, clearly bugging.

                             KUJO
                  So the alphabet, I mean look at it,
                  there's 26 letters.  Why not 27 or 28
                  or 106?  And the vowels: a, e, i, o, u.
                  What the hell is up with that?


                             CREEPER
                  And sometimes y.

                             KUJO
                  What I'm saying is that I love it!
                  It's great. I could go on all night about it.

And he does.

                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  Let's take every letter individually.
                  I mean, let's really break the
                  mother's down.

DANNY is sitting in an armchair.  He is the only one who looks tired.  
He sits there, taking the scene in.

ALL SOUNDS FADE OUT

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  And so this is where I find myself.
                  No. I should choose my words more
                  wisely: this is the world I sought
                  out.  The land of the perpetual night-
                  party.  Day swallowing night and
                  night swallowing day.  The crank
                  compressing time like some divine
                  piston on its awesome downstroke.

DANNY'S P.O.V. - SCANNING THE ROOM.  NO SOUND.  The girl's folding the 
socks ... Kujo ranting on ... Creeper and Jimmy the Finn grinding their 
jaws ... the BLANKETS AND TINFOIL ON THE WINDOWS.


                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  We've been at this for three days ...
                  or is it four?  Tweakerrs, lokers,
                  slammers coming and going, swearing
                  eternal allegiance and undying love
                  for one another, only to wake up
                  after the binge and realize you
                  wouldn't walk across the street to
                  piss on one of 'em if their head was on fire.
                       (beat)
                  Is it three days or is it four?

BACK ON DANNY. He blinks lethargically.


                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I know what you're thinking. But
                  don't give up on me just yet.  And
                  for God's sake, don't pity me. Don't
                  make any judgments until you've seen
                  my whole story.
                       (beat)
                  And keep your eyes open.
                       (beat)
                  Nothing is what it seems.

Suddenly ...

                             KUJO (O.S.)
                  OH SHIT! WE'RE OUT OF DRUGS!

INT. PARTY HOUSE - NIGHT 

Danny and Jimmy the Finn walking towards the front door.

                             DANNY
                  How the hell did we get this detail?

                             JIMMY
                  Guess it's our turn.

Danny nods.

                             DANNY
                  What time is it?

                             JIMMY
                  Twelve

                             DANNY
                  Midnight?

EXT. PARTY HOUSE - DAY 

As the door opens, Danny discovers that it is TWELVE NOON and the sun 
is blazing.

The party house is revealed as a cheap stucco apartment building 
crammed in the middle of BUSY BUSINESS DISTRICT at a major 
intersection.

Jimmy and Danny slip on sunglasses and brave the light.

                             DANNY
                  Where to?

                             JIMMY
                  I know a guy.

                             DANNY
                  Lead the way.

They slink along like two albino rat vampires with sunglasses.

                             JIMMY
                  Nice day

                             DANNY
                  I hadn't noticed.
                       (beat)
                  I've seen you around.  What's your name?

                             JIMMY
                  Jimmy.  Everyone calls me Jimmy the Finn.

                             DANNY
                  Why's that?

                             JIMMY
                  My features. They're Finnish.

                             DANNY
                  You don't say.

                             JIMMY
                  Finland is a country.

                             DANNY
                  Well, Jimmy the Finn, let's go score some gack.

INT. CHEAP MOTEL ROOM - DAY

Danny and Jimmy standing there looking at something OFF SCREEN.  Danny 
and Jimmy looking at one another, then back at what they were looking 
at.

A GUY sitting on the bed in his underwear, looking down at his left arm 
and holding a can of BUG SPRAY at the ready in his right hand.

He is completely motionless, studying his arm with hypnotic intensity.

                             JIMMY
                  Bobby?

                             BOBBY
                  Shhh.

Bobby never takes his eyes off his arm.

                             BOBBY (cont'd)
                       (whispering)
                  They're coming.

                             JIMMY
                       (likewise whispering)
                  What?

                             BOBBY
                  The spiders.

Bobby readies the can of bug spray, his eyes widening.

                             BOBBY (cont'd)
                       (sing-song)
                  I'm ready for you this time.

Bobby lets loose with the spray, dousing his arm.

                             BOBBY
                  Aha! Yeah!
                       (super rapid-fire)
                  You thought you could fuck with
                  Bobby, you thought you could fuck
                  with Bobby, you thought you could
                  fuck with Bobby!

Bobby's mouth wide with stupid joy and continues to cloud the air with 
bug spray.

                             BOBBY (cont'd)
                  With Bobby you thought you could fuck?

Danny and Jimmy wait silently.  Bobby finally stops spraying, satisfied 
he has killed the imaginary spiders.

He looks up at Jimmy and Danny, his eyes swimming with stupid, drug-
addled confusion.

                             BOBBY (cont'd)
                  Who the fuck are you?

                             JIMMY
                  It's me ... Jimmy

Bobby squints.

                             BOBBY
                  Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy. Rhymes with Simmy.

                             JIMMY
                  Yeah.

                             BOBBY
                  What can I do for you?

                             JIMMY
                  Um, coupla' eight balls oughta do us.

Danny and Jimmy notice something simultaneously.

There is something under the mattress - A HUGE BULGE.

                             BOBBY
                  Don't pay her no mind.

A MUFFLED MOAN from under Bobby.  She is between the mattress and the 
box springs. 

                             BOBBY (cont'd)
                  Shut the hell up, goddamit!

Bobby starts slapping the top of the mattress with his hand.  New 
MUFFLED SCREAMS from underneath.

                             BOBBY (cont'd)
                  I got no vocation skills!  What the
                  fuck you want from me?
                       (keeps slapping)
                  I got no vocation skills!

                             JIMMY
                  Hey man, take it easy.

Bobby immediately stops.  Looks at Jimmy with incredulity.

                             BOBBY
                  What?

                             JIMMY
                  Come on.  Ease off the girl.

Bobby springs from the bed, grabbing something as he rises.

Danny and Jimmy suddenly staring at a SPEARGUN which is loaded with two 
stainless steel spears.

Bobby stands there alternately pointing the speargun at Jimmy, then 
Danny.

                             BOBBY
                  Did you bring the plastic men?

Bobby nods towards something behind Danny.  Danny and Jimmy don't move 
or speak.

                             BOBBY (cont'd)
                  Did you bring the plastic men?
                       (beat)
                  Did you bring the plastic men?

Bobby rubs his nose.

                             BOBBY
                  Did ... you ... bring ... the ... plastic ... men?

                             DANNY
                  Nah, we didn't bring 'em.  That's
                  just your good crank talking, brother.

Bobby tilts his head.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  We were hoping to catch a few ourselves
                  if you'll hook us up.

                             BOBBY
                       (calmer)
                  You bring the plastic men?

                             DANNY
                  Like I said.

                             JIMMY
                  Fuck man. Come on, Bobby.

                             BOBBY
                  Bobby, Bobby, Bobby.  Rhymes with ...
                       (he draws a blank)

                             DANNY
                  Hobby?

Bobby twists a smile, revealing speed-blackened teeth.

                             BOBBY
                  That's a good man. I like that.

                             DANNY
                       (calmly)
                  Hey, Bobby, look .. What you got
                  going with your old lay, it's none
                  of our business. We're just a couple
                  of dope fiends trying to score.

Bobby lowers his speargun.

                             BOBBY
                  Two eight balls?

Jimmy breaths a sigh of relief.

EXT. CHEAP MOTEL ROOM - DAY

Danny and Jimmy exit the room, closing the door behind them.  Danny 
looks at Jimmy.

                             DANNY
                  Nice dealer you got there, Jimmy.

                             JIMMY
                  Oh ... that.  Ah, he was just juiced.
                  He wouldn't have did nothin'

WHAP, WHAP! Two spears plunge through the cheap door, stopping inches 
from Danny's head.

They run like hell.

EXT. SKY - DAY

TIME LAPSE.  The sun plunges down.  The sky turns black.  The moon 
races up and down.  The sky lightens.  The sun races up and down.  
Night comes again.

INT. PARTY HOUSE - NIGHT

Everyone crashing.  Jonestown, post Kool-Aid.  It looks like they have 
all simultaneously fallen asleep where they were standing or sitting.

Danny stirs awake.  Looks around.  He stretches.  KNOCKING OVER A 
BOTTLE OF BEER.

ALL OTHER SOUND FADES OUT AS the beer SPLATTER to the floor.  IT IS 
UNNATURALLY LOUD.

DANNY staring intently at the spilling liquid.

The beer pools up on the floor.

Danny transfixed by the image.

The last few drops of beer LOUDLY splashing down.

EXT PAYPHONE - NIGHT

Danny on the phone.



                             DANNY
                  C.I. number 678-43K-107
                       (beat)
                  Tanner and Garcetti

He hangs up.

EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

Danny waiting in the shadows.

A car, sans headlights, pulls into the alley and stops.

Danny emerges from the shadows, opens the back door and lays on the 
back seat.

INT. CAR - SAME

Two guys in suits in the front, TANNER and GARCETTI.  Tanner. blue eyes 
and SHAVED HEAD, an air of ex-military around him.  Garcetti: swarthly 
and serious, a MIASMA OF BAD-ASS ATTITUDE.

                             DANNY
                       (lying on the back seat)
                  I've got a hot one.

                             TANNER
                  You go, boy.

                             DANNY
                  If it's all the same to you, I'd
                  rather not dish right here in the
                  middle of Crankville.

Tanner drives out of the alley.

                             TANNER
                  Feeling the paranoia tonight, are we?

                             DANNY
                  Well, you know what they say, just
                  because you're paranoid, doesn't mean
                  everyone's not out to slice your
                  balls off and shove 'em down your throat.

EXT. PART - NIGHT

Danny, Tanner and Garcetti outside the car in a deserted park. Danny 
pacing.

                             TANNER
                  You got a name?

                             DANNY
                  Bobby, rhymes with hobby.

                             TANNER
                  What?

                             DANNY
                  Never mind.  Dude had a backfull of
                  jailhouse tatts.

QUICK FLASHES OF BOBBY'S TATTOOS.

                             TANNER
                  No last name?

                             DANNY
                  It was all pretty informal.  Didn't
                  have a lot of time to exchange
                  pleasantries.

Garcetti produces something from the front seat of the car and trudges 
over.

                             GARCETTI
                  This the guy?

                             DANNY
                  It speaks!

The humorless Garcetti hands Danny a "WANTED POSTER".  Bobby's mug shot 
glaring.

                             DANNY
                  That's him.  He's a lot prettier in
                  person though.

                             GARCETTI
                  Cut to the fucking chase, Flynne.

                             DANNY
                  Dude is bugging.  Transparent
                  spiders, plastic men - the whole nine yards.

                             GARCETTI
                  What's he holding?

FLASHBACK - INT. CHEAP MOTEL ROOM - DAY 

Bobby's hand extracting the eightballs from a nylon bag full of meth.

                             DANNY (O.S.)
                  Couple of eightballs, maybe more.

QUICK SHOT of an open drawer.  A GUN can be glimpsed inside.



                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Cheap ass techno knockoff in the
                  drawer with extra mags.

ANOTHER QUICK GLIMPSE of the closet.  A shotgun butt visable 

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  12 gauge in the closet.

                             TANNER (O.S.)
                  Any company?

The WOMAN'S HAND protruding from underneath the mattress.

                             DANNY (O.S.)
                  Alas, the lovely Mrs. Bobby was
                  playing the bologna in a Posturpedic sandwich
                       (beat)
                  And there was a kid.

A SILHOUETTE visible through a crack in the BATHROOM DOOR.

                             TANNER (O.S.)
                  A kid?  Are you sure?

A BEAT-UP ELMO DOLL and SOME COLORING BOOKS on top of the dresser.

EXT. PARK - NIGHT

Back on Danny.
                             DANNY
                  Yeah. Pretty sure.
                       (beat)
                  Oh yeah ... he had a spear gun, too.

                             TANNER
                  God damn, Flynne, you are one observant tweaker.

                             DANNY
                  Somebody has to help you lazy bastards.

Garcetti looks at Danny with contempt.  They head back to the car.


                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Hey Tanner ... you be careful, okay?

                             TANNER
                  Danny, I'm touched.

                             DANNY
                  Don't be. I'm worried about the kid.

                             GARCETTI
                  Then why didn't you help the kid when
                  you were there?

                             DANNY
                  Hey, you want me to do all your work
                  for you, numbnuts?

Garcetti throws Danny up against the car.  Nose-to-nose.

                             GARCETTI
                  I'll tell you why you didn't help -
                  because you're a chickenshit tweaking
                  snitch.  You're a bottom feader,
                  Flynne.

                             DANNY
                  Garcetti, you're teeth, they're fucking perfect.

Garcetti lets Danny go. Stomps off.

                             DANNY
                  You're welcome.

EXT. CHEAP MOTEL ROOM - DAY

A GAGGLE OF ONLOOKERS, including a NEWS CREW, watching from the parking 
lot.

BOBBY'S WOMAN screaming at the top of her lungs as she tries to get a 
Bobby's sheet-covered body.

A SWAT TEAM packing up nearby.  One of them suddenly does a graceful 
little Tai-Chi gesture.

A LITTLE GIRL clutches at the screaming woman's legs.

REVEAL DANNY, amongst the onlookers.  His expression gives nothing 
away.

A ribbon of blood snakes from Bobby's body, over the parking lot curb 
and runs into a storm drain.

As the blood SPLATTERS to the bottom, mixing with a pool of filthy 
water. THE SOUND IS UNNATURALLY LOUD.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL - GARDENA - NIGHT.

The place cries out "YOU HAVE FINALLY HIT THE ABSOLUTE BOTTOM!"

Danny exist the stairwell and approaches his door.

A WOMAN ONE DOOR DOWN FROM DANNY'S ROOM struggles with her groceries.  
When she goes to open the door, one of the  bags breaks, spilling its 
contents onto the floor.

Danny walks over.

                             DANNY
                       (approaching)
                  Let me help you with those.

She scoops up the groceries and hurries into her room.  Slamming the 
door behind her.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                       (loud through the door)
                  And to think Miss Manner was
                  living down the hall from me and I
                  didn't even know it!

There is a can on the floor.  Danny bends down to pick it up.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Hey, you left a can of ...

He looks at the can.

INSERT - CAN 

The label is in CHINESE.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  ... some Chinese looking shit out here.

No reaction.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I'll just leave it by the door here.
                       (beat)
                  I'm going now!

After a moment, the door swings open.  Danny is holding the can out 
with a big smile on  his face.
                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  You really oughta be more careful.
                  This is not a good neighborhood.

The woman smiles.  A pretty smile.  Sad too.

                             WOMAN
                  I was rude. I'm sorry.  I'm kinda new around here.

                             DANNY
                  You did the right thing.
                       (handing the can over)
                  What is this stuff anyway?

                             WOMAN
                  Fermented soybean curd.

                             DANNY
                  Yummy.

She smiles again. World-weary.  Sweet. Those eyes.  Sad.  Sexy.  Sad 
and sexy.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  My name is Danny Flynne.
                       (off her silence)
                  And you are?

                             WOMAN
                  Colette Aragon. Thank you, Danny.

She closes the door abruptly.

INT. RESIDENTAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

The burning room from the opening scene.  Danny's dirty clothes on the 
bed.

He emerges from the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist.  There is 
a BIG STAR-SHAPED SCAR on Danny's shoulder.

He walks over to the closet, takes a METAL LOCKBOX from the top shelf 
and puts it on the bed.

Pulls a key from his pocket and unlocks the box. He sits there staring 
at the contents for a moment, then gingerly takes them out ...

... CLOTHES.  A white dress shirt, black slacks and wingtips.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny dresses in his clothes, combing his hair.  He goes back in the 
lock box and pulls something else out ...

... A TRUMPET CASE.  He walks over to the cheap vanity and sits down in 
front of the mirror and stars for a very long time.

                             DANNY
                  My name is Tom Van Allen
                       (beat)
                  I play the trumpet.

He slowly opens the trumpet case revealing a GLEAMING HORN inside.  
Runs his fingers along the length of it and up to ...

... A PHOTO OF A WOMAN taped to the inside of the lid.  A self-
conscious smile on her face like she's uncomfortable with having her 
picture taken.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                       (distant)
                  My name is Tom Van Allen. I play the trumpet.

He takes the trumpet from the case - A CHECK from a LIFE INSURANCE 
COMPANY and a DRIVER'S LICENSE with Danny's picture and the name TOM 
VAN ALLEN.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  My name is Tom Van Allen and I play the trumpet.

He starts to play.  "Saeta" again.

AN IMAGE appears on THE BLANK WALL BESIDE HIM.  MOVE OFF DANNY AND UP 
TO THE IMAGE.

IN THE IMAGE - A HUGE LAKE in the middle of the DESERT.  CONTINUE 
MOVING IN ON IMAGE AS WE CUT TO ...

EXT. SALTON SEA - SUNSET (FLASHBACK)

Danny and THE WOMAN FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH sitting on the shore.  Watching 
the sunset. She is his wife, LIZ.

Danny playing "SAETA" on his trumpet.

Danny and Liz are alone, except for the myriad birds, silhouetted by 
the falling sun.

A gust of wind rushes across the lake, blowing Liz's hair all around 
her face.

A dying fish on the waterline, gills pumping for oxygen.

Danny finishes playing.

Silence.

IMPORTANT: DANNY WILL BE KNOWN AS TOM IN THIS SCENE.

                             LIZ
                  That's so ...
                       (not finishing the word)

                             DANNY / TOM
                  Melancholy?

                             LIZ
                  Yes, it hurts my heart.  What a
                  beautiful composition.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  And the performance?






                             LIZ
                       (goofing)
                  A virtuoso rendition.  TOM VAN ALLEN
                  is nothing short of dazzling in his
                  interpretation of Miles Davis'
                  haunting, moody piece.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  Thank you.  Thank you very much.

                             LIZ
                  And he has a really hot ass with hardly
                  any hair on it.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  Again, I thank you.

                             LIZ
                  I was talking about Miles.

Danny playfully tackles her to the ground.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  You, madam, are a heartless wench.

                             LIZ
                  And you've got wiener breath.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  Really?

                             LIZ
                  It's that disgusting hot dog you had for lunch.

Danny starts kissing her over and over again.

                             LIZ
                       (laughing)
                  Tom! Gross!

She finally pushes him off.  He rolls off of her and snuggles up next 
to her, spooning her in the sand.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  You know how I make that song
                  melancholy when I play it?
                  I think of what my life would be like
                  without you.

Liz smiles, snuggles closer to Danny.

                             LIZ
                  Tom, let's spend the night here.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  There's no motels around here.

                             LIZ
                  No.  Right here on the beach.  Come
                  on. Let's do it.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny sitting at the vanity holding the trumpet.  THE IMAGE IS STILL 
PROJECTED ON THE WALL BEHIND HIM.
                             DANNY
                       (at the vanity, whispering)
                  Okay, we'll stay.  We'll stay.

NOW THE DANNY IN THE IMAGE ANSWERS ....

                             DANNY/TOM
                       (on the beach)
                  Come on, Liz. We'll get eaten alive.

                             DANNY
                       (at the vanity, softly)
                  No ... We'll stay.

BACK ON THE IMAGE as Danny and Liz walk away from the shore.

The sun sinks completely below the horizon.

A long fish hawk floats on the last of the thermals.

The dying fish breaths its last.

Danny (at the vanity) closes his eyes.

SERIES OF QUICK CUTS

The trumpet goes back in the case.

The lid is closed.

The case goes back in the box.

The neatly folded clothes are laid on top.

The box goes back to the shelf.

The light in the closet is turned off.

                                                          FADE OUT.

                                                          FADE IN.

EXT. DESERTED PARK - NIGHT

Danny and Tanner sitting across from one another at a picnic table.

Tanner writing serial numbers down as he counts out SEVERAL HUNDRED 
DOLLAR BILLS.

Danny watching silently.

Tanner puts the bills in an envelope, licks the flap, seals it and 
slides it over to Danny, who doesn't touch it.

The envelope lays there between them for the following conversation.

                             DANNY
                  You think I'm a Judas?

                             TANNER
                  Hard to compare the people you're
                  taking down with the Lord.

                             DANNY
                  Garcetti thinks I'm a pile of shit.

                             TANNER
                  Garcetti thinks everything is shit.
                  He doesn't even like dolphins.

Danny smiles.

                             TANNER (cont'd)
                  I'm serious.  He hates 'em.  You ever
                  hear of anyone who didn't like dolphins?

Tanner shakes his head and smiles.


                             DANNY
                  Thanks for not judging me.

                             TANNER
                  It's not my place.

                             DANNY
                  Don't you wonder why I do it?

                             TANNER
                  The money? The drugs? Keeping yourself
                  out of jail? I know the drill.


                             DANNY
                  You don't find that repugnant?

                             TANNER
                  Just the way the world works.  Look,
                  as far as tweakers go, you aren't a
                  bad guy.  You never hurt anyone but
                  yourself as far as I know.

                             DANNY
                  Tell that to Bobby ... and his wife and kid.

                             TANNER
                  Bobby laid his own tracks.  He could
                  have gone quietly but he played the
                  hard-ass con till the end. And as
                  far as I'm concerned, he wife and
                  kid are a hell of a lot better off
                  without him.
                       (beat)
                  Now take the money.

Danny stuffs the money into his jacket.

                             TANNER (cont'd)
                  One think I do want to know is how
                  the hell did you get yourself into
                  this position to start with?  You
                  seem like a smart enough guy.

                             DANNY
                  It's a long story.  Maybe I'll tell
                  you all about it some day.

Garcetti emerges from the men's room, zipping up.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Hey, Garcetti ... You ever get
                  confused and try to flush yourself?

                             Garcetti
                       (all business)
                  You tell him?

                             TANNER
                  I was getting to it.

                             DANNY
                       (to Tanner)
                  Tell me what?

                             GARCETTI
                  I'll tell him.


                             DANNY
                       (worried)
                  Tell me what?

Garcetti sits down next to Danny. Sighs.

                             GARCETTI
                       (mock concern)
                  Danny, it's really pains me to have to
                  tell you this, but do you remember
                  DOMINGO, that wetback you helped us
                  put away for trafficking a few months back?

                             DANNY
                  Yeah.  What about him?

                             GARCETTI
                  Turns out he's connected.

                             DANNY
                  To who?

                             GARCETTI
                  The Mexicali Boys

                             DANNY
                  And what does this have to do with me?

Garcetti puts his hand on Danny's shoulder, really playing it up.

                             GARCETTI
                  He knows somebody ratted him.

                             DANNY
                  What?!

                             GARCETTI
                  And he's making a lot of noise about
                  having his homies hang a Colombian
                  necktie on whoever it was.

Garcetti leans in close

                             GARCETTI (cont'd)
                  You know that thing where they slit
                  your throat and pull your tongue out
                  of the hole.

Danny knocks Garcetti's hand away and stands up.  Garcetti stalks him.




                             GARCETTI (cont'd)
                  Apparently they call it a necktie
                  because it hangs down about yay long
                  and looks very similar to a tie.
                  Isn't that weird, Danny?  Isn't that
                  weird?

                             DANNY
                  Shut up, Garcetti!

Danny turns to Tanner

                             DANNY
                  If he finds out it's me, I'm a dead man.

                             TANNER
                  Danny, he isn't gonna find out it's
                  you.  Domingo was a slinger, he must
                  have sold to hundreds of different people.

Danny paces back and forth.

                             TANNER (cont'd)
                  And if you're that worried about it,
                  maybe you ought to get out of town.

                             DANNY
                  How the hell am I gonna do that?  You
                  guys are still stringing me a long on
                  that possession charge.


                             GARCETTI
                       (mock surprise)
                  You mean that hasn't been cleared up yet?

Garcetti chuckles at Danny's fear

                             DANNY
                  Fuck you, Garcetti. I been at this
                  for almost a year. I've done
                  everything you guys have asked of me.

                             GARCETTI
                  Anyone ever ask you to be such a
                  disrespectful smart-ass all the time?

                             TANNER
                  Look, we'll talk to the A.D.A.

                             DANNY
                  When?

                             TANNER
                  Soon. I promise.  We'll get the
                  charges dropped and you can
                  disappear.  In the mean time, trust
                  me, he has no idea that you ratted him out.

EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

Danny sitting cross-legged in front of a gravestone.

A PICKUP TRUCK slowly winds its way up the access road towards Danny.

Danny stands up.  Dusts his pants off.

The truck stops nearby.  The strains of GARTH BROOKS from inside.

Danny approaches.  The passenger's side window rolls down revealing ...

... A BAD-ASSED ASIAN DUDE behind the wheel. He wears a cowboy hat and 
a rodeo belt.  He looks like the Chinese Marlboro man.  This is BUBBA.

An AIRBRUSH painting on the door panel - a bad likeness of Bubba 
astride a horse, dressed as a cowboy with a huge-breasted Pamela 
Anderson-type on the saddle behind him.

                             DANNY
                       (checking out the painting)
                  Ride 'em cowboy)

                             BUBBA
                       (southern twang)
                  You like that?

                             DANNY
                  Who wouldn't?

                             BUBBA
                  First rate, ain't it?

                             DANNY
                  It's downright classy is what it is.

Bubba fires up a cigarette, revealing a pock-marked face. He carries a 
gun in a tooled leather shoulder holster.
                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  You consider my presentation?

                             BUBBA
                  Get in, hoss.  We'll talk it over.

Danny climbs in.  The window goes back up.  As the care pulls away, we 
...

... MOVE back over to the gravestone.

The stone reads: "ELIZABETH VAN ALLEN.  BELOVED WIFE"

EXT. THE CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

A non-descript. cinder block bar.  No windows.  No frills.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - SAME

Danny sitting at the bar, nursing a drink.  He looks nervous, eyes 
darting around for potential assassins.

He has nothing to worry about with this crowd, harmless alcoholics all.

Jimmy The Finn enters and approaches Danny.  Danny signals for Jimmy to 
go to the back, then gets up and follows him, carrying two beers.

                             DANNY
                  Jimmy, you don't look so hot.

Jimmy has dark circles under his eyes.

                             JIMMY
                  I'm hurting.

                             DANNY
                  You on a roll?

                             JIMMY
                  Was.  I'm on the fucking ghost train
                  right now, man.  You got anything for
                  me?

                             DANNY
                  Sorry.

                             JIMMY
                  Why does it have to feel so bad?

                             DANNY
                  You're brain is in reverse mode ...
                  cutting off your supply of dopamine.
                  Here.  Have a beer.

Jimmy sighs, scratches his arms.  They are all scabbed up.


                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  You see the crank bugs?





                             JIMMY
                  Oh yeah.
                       (guzzles some beer)
                  Man, Danny, how do you keep your shit
                  together so tight?

Danny chuckles.
                             DANNY
                  That's a good one.

                             JIMMY
                  I'm serious, dude.  You always seem
                  to be on top of things, even when
                  you're tweakin'.

                             DANNY
                  I guess there's just no substitute
                  for good genes.

Jimmy finishes his beer.  Danny signals to the cocktail waitress for 
more beer.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  You hear about Bobby?

                             JIMMY
                  Yeah, it's a pity.  Truly a pity.

Danny smiles at Jimmy's choice of words.

                             JIMMY (cont'd)
                  He was a good supplier.
                       (gets an idea)
                  You think maybe there's any drugs
                  left in his room?  You know, like
                  hidden?

                             DANNY
                  I kind of doubt it, Jimmy.

The beers arrive.  Jimmy lays into his, downing it in one long gulp.  
Danny slides his over.


                             JIMMY
                  So, why'd you want to see me?

                             DANNY
                  Business.  I need to leave town and I
                  find myself in dire need of some cash.

                             JIMMY
                  See that?  That's just what I'm talking about.


                             DANNY
                  What?

                             JIMMY
                  You. You're smooth. You use words like dire
                  and shit.  You got language skills, man.

                             DANNY
                  Don't get carried away.

                             JIMMY
                  I find myself in dire need of some cash.

Jimmy shakes his head in wonder.

                             DANNY
                  You remember that guy you told me
                  about ... said he could handle a big
                  hook-up?

                             JIMMY
                  Yeah, Pooh-Bear.  Dude is a big-time
                  cook. I'm talking dire.

                             DANNY
                  I know a buyer.  Guy's looking for a
                  quarter's worth.

Jimmy frowns.

                             JIMMY
                  A quarter?  Danny that ain't even worth ...

                             DANNY
                  A quarter of a million, Jimmy.

Jimmy's a drug-addled eyes catch a glimmer.

                             JIMMY
                  Fuuuuuck

                             DANNY
                  Can your man handle that?

                             JIMMY
                  I think so.  I mean, we'd have to
                  talk to him.

                             DANNY
                  Can you set that up?

                             JIMMY
                  Sure.

Jimmy sucks what's left of his beer down.

                             JIMMY (cont'd)
                  What's in it for us?

                             DANNY
                  I'm getting a 10% finder's fee from
                  my man if I can get the right price.

                             JIMMY
                  10%.  That's ...

Jimmy becomes paralyzed by the math.

                             DANNY
                  25 grand.  You introduce me to your
                  boy, I'll cut you five grand out of
                  my take.  That's all you gotta do,
                  just get me in the door.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Danny walking home.  Sparse traffic on the street. He walks with his 
head down and his hands thrust in his pockets.

A RED CAR approaches from the opposite direction. It SLOWS as it passes 
Danny.

Danny looks over.

The DRIVER is obscured by the reflected glare of a streetlight, but it 
is obvious that he is staring right at Danny.

Danny plays it cool. Keeps walking.

The red car pulls a SLOW U-TURN.

Danny hauls ass.

The red car catching up.

7Danny runs down a service street which runs through the back of a 
series of apartment complexes.

The red car follows, slowly prowling the street.

Danny squeezed behind a dumpster, watching.

It is now too dark to see the driver.  The car comes to a stop.

Danny hugging the dumpster tight.

Another car pulls into the tight street, behind the red car.  The 
driver of the other car SOUNDS HIS HORN.  The red car speeds off.

Danny walks quickly the other way.

INT. BARE APARTMENT - NIGHT

A WAY-TOO-YOUNG BLACK KID stares DIRECTLY AT CAMERA, an ARRAY OF 
HANDGUNS, KNIVES, RIFLES AND SECURITY EQUIPMENT spread out on the 
dining room table before him.

He is squeezed into a terry-cloth jumpsuit, his body festooned with 
gold jewelry, his hair all wet jerry-curl.

He looks like Barry White, Jr.
                             KID
                  Mister, I only deal in high-end
                  weapons.  All guaranteed stolen and
                  traceable only to their original
                  owners.  All sales are final and all
                  prices are negotiable.

The kid speaks in a HUSKY MONOTONE, completely FLAT and HUMORLESS.  He 
sounds like one of those kids selling candy door-to-door with a 
memorized pitch told by rote.

                             KID (cont'd)
                       (rapid fire delivery)
                  Glock semi-automatic 9 mm.  Tenifer
                  matte finish, Polymer grip, fixed
                  sights, 4 and 1/2 inch barrel, 22
                  ounces, double action and a 10 round
                  magazine.  Mister, I could hook you up
                  with this gun for the low price of
                  three hundred and "fitty" dollars -
                  well below market value.
                       (next gun, no pause)
                  Tangfolio semi-automatic.  This a 9mm
                  too - seems to be the weapon of choice -
                  try one and you'll understand why.
                  Rubber grips, adjustable 3 dot
                  sights, 4 and 1/2 inch barrel, 33
                  ounces.  Check out the eye-catching
                  extended beaver tail just above the
                  grip.  Got mad-ass double action and a
                  surprising 16 round magazine.
                  Mister, I want to sell you this gun
                  and I can hook you up for the low
                  price of 200 dollars.
                       (next gun, breakneck pace)
                  Maybe you looking for something in
                  a chrome finish.  Something to
                  impress the ladies. This right here
                  is a Llama Mini-Max .38 Super Auto.
                  semi-automatic.
                  Fresh satin chrome, black rubber
                  grip, 3 dot fixed sights, 3 and 1/2
                  inch barrel, skeletonized hammer with
                  an extended slide release, eight
                  capacity magazine and single action.
                  Mister, I won't lie to you, this gun
                  is not the bomb - it'll do the job,
                             KID (cont'd)
                  but it ain't all that.  That's why
                  you can walk out of here with this
                  gun for the incredible low price of
                  one hundred and "fitty" dollar.
                       (next one)
                  Maybe you looking for power, mister.
                  This gun got mad power, mad kick and
                  mad reputation.  That's right, it's
                  the Colt .357 Magnum revolver.
                  Rubber combat-style grip, fixed rear,
                  ramp front sights, 2 inch barrel.
                  Weighs in at a feather-like 21
                  ounces.  6 shot capacity with double
                  action. Mister, if you're looking
                  for impact, the Magnum will satisfy
                  all of your needs.
                       (the last gun)
                  I don't know you, mister, but you
                  look like a man of style so maybe you
                  in the market for a custom piece.
                  Mister, it's your lucky day 'cause
                  this gun got style to burn.  You
                  lookin' at the Les Baer Custom
                  Premier Tactical 45. Fresh blue
                  finish, deluxe grips, 5 inch barrel,
                  37 ounces, guaranteed to shoot 1 1/2
                  groups at a distance of 50
                  yards.  Aluminum speed trigger,
                  throated barrel, single action with
                  12 shot capacity magazine.  I could see
                  you with this gun, mister.  And I can
                  give it to you for the low price of
                  seven hundred and ninety-five
                  dollars.  Mister, these are my guns.
                  All sales are final, and all prices
                  are negotiable.

He finishes .... staring at ...

Danny and Jimmy, standing there, wide-eyed and amazed by the incredible 
sales pitch.

EXT. BAD NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT

Rows of decaying stucco apartment buildings.  Danny and Jimmy walking 
away from one of the structures.

Danny pockets the GLOCK he just purchased.  He also carries a BULLET-
PROOF VEST over this shoulder.

                             DANNY
                  Jimmy, where do you find these people?

                             JIMMY
                  The Del Ammo Mall mostly.

They walk along.

                             JIMMY
                  You wanna score some go-fast?

                             DANNY
                  Not tonight.

They continue on. Jimmy looks at the vest.

                             JIMMY
                  Hey, why do you need a gun and a vest anyway?

                             DANNY
                  Personal protection. It's a
                  dangerous world we live in, Jimmy, a
                  very dangerous world.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL - NIGHT

A TRASHY LOOKING DUDE banging on Colette's door.

Danny at his door, fumbling with his keys, watching the dude.

                             DUDE
                       (sees Danny eyeballing him)
                  You mad dogging me, Bitch?

                             DANNY
                  Heavens no. I was just admiring your boots.

The dude looks down at this beat-up motorcycle boots.

                             DANNY
                  Did you purchase them locally?

The dude ignores Danny and keeps pounding on the door.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Goodbye now. Nice meeting you.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny enters.  AN ARGUMENT ENSUES NEXT DOOR between the dude and 
Colette.

The sounds of a struggle.  Colette screams.  The dude yelling at the 
top of his lungs.  A LOUD SMACK. SILENCE.

Colette sobbing. The dude talking in hushed tones, contrite.

EXT. FREEWAY - DAY

A spray painted rusty Chevy Vega belching black smoke.  All of the 
lights are broken.

INT. VERA - SAME

Jimmy driving.  Danny in the passenger's seat, looking down at ...

... the floorboard, or lack thereof.  It is completely rusted out.  The 
freeway rushes by underneath.

                             DANNY
                  You know, Jimmy, you might as well
                  put a sign on the back of this thing
                  asking the cops to pull you over.

                             JIMMY
                  You mean, like to throw 'em off?

                             DANNY
                  Yeah, that's what I mean.
                       (beat)
                  Where the hell does this guy live anyway?

                             JIMMY
                  Palmdale

                             DANNY
                  Why do they call him Pooh-Bear?

                             JIMMY
                  I think on account of his nose.

                             DANNY
                  You're going to have to explain that
                  one.

                             JIMMY
                  He doesn't have one.

                             DANNY
                  You're going to have to give me a little
                  more than that, Jimmy.


                             JIMMY
                  Well, you know how Winnie the Pooh
                  always got his nose stuck in the honey jar?
                  Well, Pooh-Bear snorted so much
                  crank, they had to cut his nose off.
                  He's got a plastic one though.

Danny wonders what he's getting himself into.

                             JIMMY (cont'd)
                  You know, they say he hasn't slept in
                  over a year.

                             DANNY
                  You ever see Queen Elizabeth sleep?

                             JIMMY
                  No
                       (beat)
                  You think she's a tweaker?

EXT. POOH-BEAR'S COMPOUND - DAY

A sprawling old ranch house tucked into the remote hills of the desert.

A GUY passes out in the front yard.  A DOG sniffs at him, then starts 
pissing on him.  He never moves.

A PILE OF DEAD PIGEONS near the driveway.

CLOSE ON POOH-BEAR - he does indeed have a prosthetic nose.  It almost 
blends in with his face but not quite, making it that much more 
disconcerting.

He takes a huge hit of crystal meth from a pipe, holds it, then blows a 
long exhale.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Okay, here we go gentlemen ...

A REMOTE CONTROLLED CAR trundles out of the garage and along the 
driveway. Inside the car, FOUR PIEGEONS, their bodies wrapped in tape.

Pooh-Bear working the remote control device.

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  Zapruder?

A GUY filming the whole thing with a super-8 camera.

GRAINY SUPER 8 FOOTAGE: the pigeons continue along, their stupid eyes 
glazed with confusion.


                             ZAPRUDER
                  Ready.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Oswald?

ANOTHER GUY sighting a scoped pellet gun.

                             OSWALD
                  Roger that.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Grassy knoll?

A THIRD GUY aiming a pellet gun further down and to the right of 
"Oswald".

                             GRASSY KNOLL
                  Ready

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Third shooter?

THE THIRD SHOOTER is also armed with a pellet gun


THIRD SHOOTER
It's a go.

Pooh-Bear watches anxiously.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  President Kennedy waving to the
                  crowd, his lovely wife looking
                  radiant beside him as they turn into
                  Dealey Plaza ...

GRAINY FOOTAGE: the car making a turn, the pigeons oblivious.

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  Stand by, gentlemen.  Stand by ...
                       (beat, eyes widening)
                  Steady .... steady ... FIRE!

The three men open up simultaneously.

GRAINY FOOTAGE: a mass of feathers flying as the pigeons are hit.

Pooh-Bear pumps his fist.

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  Yes!  Yes!
                       (beat)
                  Out! That's a wrap.  Good job, boys. Good job.

The car continues rolling past the feet of ...

... Danny and Jimmy, who have been watching the whole thing from the 
periphery

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                       (to Danny and Jimmy)
                  So? What do you think?

                             DANNY/JIMMY
                       (ad-libbing)
                  - Cool.
                  - Yeah. Interesting.

Pooh-Bear takes the camera from "Zapruder".

                             POOH-BEAR
                       (holding up the camera)
                  I'm gonna get this developed and send
                  it to the Warren Commission.

                             DANNY
                  Um, I think the Warren Commission has
                  been closed for a while.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  No shit?
                       (thinking)
                  Fuck it.  I'll send it to Oliver Stone then.
                  He'll get them to reopen the bastard.

                             OSWALD (O.S.)
                  Pooh-Bear! We got a problem.

Oswald is standing over the car, prodding one of the pigeons with his 
pellet gun.

                             OSWALD (cont'd)
                  J.F.K.'s still alive.
                       (beat)
                  Should I finish him off?

INT. POOH-BEARS HOUSE - DAY

Pooh-Bear and Danny alone in the kitchen.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  So, Danny, Jimmy tells me you have a
                  proposition for me.

Pooh-Bear picks at a plate of SCRAMBLED EGGS on his lap.



                             DANNY
                  Yeah, I uh, have a buyer who's
                  looking for about a quarter's worth.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Crank or glass?

                             DANNY
                  The good stuff.  Can you handle that?

Pooh-Bear chews his food and nods.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  I'm sorry.  Would you like a taste?

                             DANNY
                  No, I'm good.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  I insist. It's delicious. Just a taste.

Not wanting to offend him, Danny concedes.  Pooh-Bear shovels some eggs 
into Danny's mouth.
                             DANNY
                  Not bad.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Secret recipe.

Pooh-Bear winks and shovels some more down.

                             DANNY
                  Can we talk price?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Make me an offer.

                             DANNY
                  I don't know, 14,000 a kilo?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  I deal in U.S. pounds, friend. None
                  of that faggot metric crap for me.

                             DANNY
                  Okay ... How about um .. 6,000 a ounce.

                             POOH-BEAR
                       (enthusiastic)
                  Hey, okay.

Danny looks surprised. It was too easy.

                             DANNY
                  You're serious?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Anything for a dear friend.

                             DANNY
                  But I just met you.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  But you're a friend of Jimmy's. I
                  think of you as a brother already.

Pooh-Bear takes another bite of eggs.

                             DANNY
                  So that's 40 lbs. at 6 a pound then?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  If you say so.

                             DANNY
                  Pooh-Bear, I don't mean to be rude,
                  but I get the feeling you aren't
                  taking me seriously.

Pooh-Bear puts the plate down.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Maybe you're the one who isn't taking
                  me seriously.

                             DANNY
                  Why do you say that?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  I welcome you here with open arms and
                  you got the nerve to low-ball me like
                  some slick used car salesman.

                             DANNY
                  Hey, I was just trying to ...

                             POOH-BEAR
                       (never losing his smile)
                  I want to tell you about the last guy
                  who tried to jam me up on a deal.

                             DANNY
                  Hey, I don't play that.



                             POOH-BEAR
                  I'm sure you don't.  At least I'm
                  sure you think you don't.  Anyway, I
                  want to tell you. It's a good story,
                  guaranteed to break the ice at a party.

Pooh-Bear leans back, grinning broadly

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  Dude shorted me eleven dollar ...
                  thought I wouldn't count it till I
                  got home.  Wrong.
                       (beat)
                  You know what I did?
                       (beat)
                  I clamped his head in a vice.

QUICK FLASH BACK: LOW ANGLE SLOW-MOTION CLOSE-UP of Pooh-Bear staring 
down at something OFFSCREEN, a menacing look on his face.

                             POOH-BEAR (V.O.)
                  You should have heard him howling.

BACK TO PRESENT: Pooh-Bear lights a cigarette

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Then I took a Saws All and I cut
                  His skull open

QUICK FLASH: CONTINUE SLOW MOTION CLOSE UP. Pooh-Bear reaching for 
something OFFSCREEN.
                             POOH-BEAR (V.O.)
                       (calmly)
                  You know, those Saws All really do
                  cut through everything.

BACK TO PRESENT: Danny getting nervous.

                             DANNY
                  Look, you don't have to ...

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  So I'm standing there looking at this
                  dude's brain and I'm thinking to
                  myself, you know, this guy doesn't
                  really need this thing. I mean,
                  anyone stupid enough to jam me up
                  doesn't really use their brain to
                  begin with. You know what I'm
                  saying?
                       (beat, dead serious)
                  So I took it.

Pooh-Bear makes a POPPING SOUND as he illustrates with his hands.

QUICK FLASH BACK: Pooh-Bear looking down at SOMETHING in his hand, his 
face blossoming into a sick smile.

BACK TO PRESENT: Danny listens somberly.

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  Hell, I make better use out of it
                  than he ever did.  Got it up in my
                  freezer. I take it out from time-to-
                  time, mix a little of it up in my
                  dinner ....
                       (looks at the plate of eggs)
                  ... of breakfast.

ON THE PLATE - little chunks of gray matter mixed in with the eggs.

Pooh-Bear smiles knowingly.  Danny turns pale.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  10,000 a pound

Danny decides to nerve it out

                             DANNY
                  Now you're insulting me.  Nice
                  talking business with you.

Danny gets up to leave. One of his hands shaking uncontrollably. He 
steadies it with the other hand.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  9,000.  Take it or leave it.

Danny stops.

                             DANNY
                  I'll leave it.  Eight is as high as
                  I'll go.  See ya'.

Danny goes to leave again.




                             POOH-BEAR
                  All right, all right. Don't get your
                  knickers in a knot. I can live with eight.

Pooh-Bear stands up.


                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  You got a deal.

They shake hands.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  God damn, Danny, you got some nerve.
                  Pooh-Bear respects that.
                       (beat)
                  Oh, by the way ...

Pooh-Bear takes something from the kitchen counter and tosses it on the 
table ...

... a store-bought package of COW BRAINS.

QUICK FLASH BACK: REVEAL that Pooh-Bear has been standing at the meat 
section in a GROCERY STORE. He is looking down at the package of COW 
BRAINS in his hand.

                             POOH-BEAR
                       (in the grocery store)
                  Hmm. Good price.

Pooh-Bear tosses the package in his cart and walks away, whistling.

BACK TO PRESENT:

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  You want to stay for lunch?

Danny has been had.  Pooh-Bear laughs uproariously.

INT. VEGA - DAY

Danny slouched in the passenger's seat.

Jimmy holds out a bullet dispenser of crank.

                             JIMMY
                  You want a hit?

                             DANNY
                  No. I'm good.

Jimmy pockets the drugs.

                             JIMMY
                  Can I ask you something?

                             DANNY
                  Sure, Jimmy.

                             JIMMY
                  What does J.F.K. stand for?

                             DANNY
                  John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

                             JIMMY
                  Was he the president?

                             DANNY
                  Yes, Jimmy

Jimmy drives for a while, then ...

                             JIMMY
                  Danny?

                             DANNY
                  Yes, Jimmy.

                             JIMMY
                  Thanks for not laughing at me.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

A DAPPER OLD MAN in a wheelchair crooning a Muzak-like version of Lou 
Reed's WALK ON THE WILD SIDE on a cheapo Karaoke set-up in the back of 
the bar.

                             OLD MAN
                       (softly, a la Perry Como)
                  Sugar Plum Fairy never once gave it away.
                  Everybody had to pay and pay ...

Danny, Jimmy, Kujo and Creeper sitting in a booth.

Jimmy and Creeper are amped, jaws grinding, eyes bugging.

Kujo rambles on but Danny isn't listening. He looks exhausted, his face 
is pinched, there are bags under his eyes.  He scans the bar, stopping 
on ...

... Colette AND HER TRASHY DUDE BOYFRIEND

Colette sees Danny looking.  Smiles at him.  Danny returns the smile 
until the trashy dude looks over.  Danny looks away.

                             KUJO
                  Danny, listen up.  Here's the deal ...
                  my wife's pimp knows a guy who works
                  at Cedars Sinai medical lab.  They're
                  getting a very special delivery a
                  week from this Friday.

                             JIMMY
                  What is it, drugs?

                             KUJO
                  Better than drugs.

Kujo leans in and lowers his voice

                             KUJO
                  Bob Hope's stool specimen
                       (beat)
                  We're gonna boost it.


                             DANNY
                  Why in God's name would we want
                  to do that?

                             KUJO
                  So we can sell it.

                             DANNY
                  To who?

                             KUJO
                  I don't know.  A collector.  Fuck
                  Danny, it's Bob Hope.

                             CREEPER
                  He is a national treasure.

Danny shakes his head in amazement, then looks back at Colette again.  
She sneaks another look at him.

ON THE TABLE - Kujo slides a drink glass in front of him.

                             KUJO
                  Check it out.  This is the lab.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY (FLASH FORWARD)

A stark hospital hallway. A placard on one of the doors - MEDICAL LAB.

A TITLE APPEARS - "KUJO'S BIG HEIST"

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

Creeper points at the glass.

                             CREEPER
                  What is that?

                             KUJO
                  It's the lab.


                             CREEPER
                  I mean what kind of drink?

                             KUJO
                  Cuba Libre

                             JIMMY
                  What is that? Rum and coke?

                             KUJO
                  Don't worry about it.

                             JIMMY
                  I just want to be straight on the
                  details.  Can I taste it?

                             KUJO
                  No, you can't taste it.  It's the fucking
                  lab! Now shut up.

Danny amused by the conversation.  He sees something out of the corner 
of his eye ...

The boyfriend kissing Colette roughly.  She obviously isn't enjoying 
it.

Danny watching intently.

                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  Danny, come on. If I'm gonna let you
                  in on the opportunity of a lifetime,
                  the least you can do is pay
                  attention.

Danny turns back to the table. Kujo slides another glass over.

                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  This is the courier

                             CREEPER
                  You should use something smaller.
                  He's the same size as the office. It
                  doesn't ring true.

Kujo rolls his eyes.  He uses a peanut instead.

                             OLD MAN (O.S.)
                  And the colored girls sing doot-de-doot ....

INT. HALLWAY - DAY (FLASH FORWARD)

A courier exits from the elevator carrying a medical sample case.



                             KUJO (O.S.)
                  He delivers at four o'clock on the
                  nose every Friday.  Alpha team will
                  be in the elevator with the courier.
                  That'll be Danny and Creeper.

MOVE INTO THE ELEVATOR - Creeper standing in the corner alone, asleep 
on his feet, drool trickling down his mouth.

                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  Every member of the team will be
                  equipped with night vision goggles, a
                  police scanner and two-way radios.

The elevator door closes on the dosing Creeper.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

He slides over two peanuts behind the courier peanut.

                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  ... number two team, which will be
                  me and Jimmy, will be positioned in
                  the stairwell at the other end of the hall.

Kujo slides over two more peanuts.

The trashy dude heads into the bathroom.  Danny sneaks another look at 
Colette.  This time, she gives him a big smile.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY (FLASH FORWARD)

Kujo emerges from the stairwell, also alone, approaching the courier.

He is wearing shorts, a tank top and after-ski boots.  He has a big 
powdery crank donut around his nostrils.
                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  With alpha team following from the
                  elevator, number two team will
                  approach from the stairwell, cutting
                  the courier off before he reaches the lab.

Creeper still fast asleep inside the elevator.   He wakes with a start, 
breaking down into a karate stance.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

The courier peanut is now surrounded by the other peanuts and the 
cashew.

                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  Facing superior numbers and an array of high-tech weapons, 
                  the courier will have no choice but to comply with our demands.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY (FLASH FORWARD)

Kujo and the courier playing tug-of-war with the case.  Kujo points a 
dustbuster vacuum at the courier like it was a gun.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

Jimmy listening intently, takes some of the peanuts.

                             KUJO
                  Jesus Jimmy, you at the alpha team.

                             JIMMY
                  I thought you were done.

Jimmy pulls peanut paste from his mouth and mounds them up on the 
table.

                             OLD MAN
                  I said hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side ...

                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  Now here's the beautiful part.  The
                  getaway.  Both teams will rappel
                  right down the center of the
                  stairwell, change clothes and walk
                  right out the front door like nothing
                  happened.

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY (FLASH FORWARD)

Kujo tumbling head-over-heals down the metal steps.  He gets to his 
feet, a bloody mess.

The kit has sprung open, sending shit samples everywhere.

Kujo quickly scrapes as much as he can back into a container and runs 
off.

EXT. CEDARS SINAI - DAY (FLASH FORWARD)

Kujo bolts out the front door, into the street and directly into the 
path of ...

... an ONCOMING AMBULANCE, which drags him underneath for a good fifty 
feet.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

Danny watches as the trashy dude exits the bathroom.

                             KUJO
                  So what's it gonna be, Danny boy?
                  You in or out?

Trashy dude goes to Colette.  It looks like he wants to leave and she 
doesn't.


                             KUJO (cont'd)
                  Danny!

Trashy dude grabs her by the back of the neck, lifts her off the stool 
and pushes her out the front door.

                             DANNY
                       (watching Colette)
                  I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pass on
                  this one, boys.

Danny watches her exit.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL - NIGHT (LATER)

Danny approaches his door. Stops. 

Colette is sitting in the hall, head in hands, sobbing. 

Danny starts to say something. Stops. Goes to this door. Stops again. 

                             DANNY
                  You okay?
                  She nods. 

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Well...good night then.

Danny starts to enter again. Stops again. 

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Why are you out here?

                             COLETTE
                  Quincey, my boyfriend... he kicked me out.

Danny isn't quite sure what to do. He takes a half-step towards her. 

                             DANNY
                  Look...I'd like to help you out ... but I
                  really don't want to get involved.

                             COLETTE
                  I understand. Thanks anyway.

She looks up. That face. Those eyes. Everything about her says "Get 
involved."

INT. COFFEE SHOP - NIGHT

Danny and Colette in a near-deserted retro coffee shop.

A LONE WAITRESS AND COOK mull behind the counter.

Colette's mascara is running.  Danny hands her a napkin.

                             COLETTE
                  Thanks.

She dabs at her eyes.

                             COLETTE (cont'd)
                  I'm so embarrassed.

                             DANNY
                  Don't be.

She looks at herself in a compact mirror.

                             COLETTE
                  Jesus, I look like a raccoon.

                             DANNY
                  I was thinking Alice Cooper.

She puts her head in her hands.  Sighs.

                             COLETTE
                  Oh God.

                             DANNY
                  Come on, cheer up. It could be worse.

She looks up.

                             COLETTE
                  How?

                             DANNY
                  I don't know .... you could be staking
                  your financial future on stealing Bob
                  Hope's stool specimen.

She laughs

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  See. No matter how bad things are,
                  there's always someone a little worse off.

                             COLETTE
                  What about the guy on the very bottom?

                             DANNY
                  Leave me out of this.

                             COLETTE
                  That bad, huh?

Danny holds up his water glass.

                             DANNY
                  Nevertheless, I still try to see
                  the glass as half-full.

He takes a sip.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Problem is, it's usually half-full of
                  something that tastes a  lot like urine.

He pulls a face.  Sets the glass down.

                             COLETTE
                  Could be worse.
                       (beat)
                  Oh sorry, forgot who I was talking to.

                             DANNY
                  Ouch.

Colette sips her coffee.   Danny looks around nervously.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Hey, did I mention that I was a coward?

Colette frowns, not sure what he means.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Quincey. You sure he isn't gonna
                  come looking for you?

                             COLETTE
                  Don't worry, he's probably passed out
                  with his head in the toilet by now.

                             DANNY
                  This man sounds like a real catch.

                             COLETTE
                  Oh, he's a keeper all right.

                             DANNY
                  Colette ...

He stops.
                             COLETTE
                  What?

                             DANNY
                  Nothing.

                             COLETTE
                  Go ahead.

                             DANNY
                  Look, it's really none of my business
                  but why don't you just dump this guy?

                             COLETTE
                  It's not that easy.

                             DANNY
                  Don't tell me, down deep he's really
                  not a bad person and you don't want
                  to see him get hurt.

                             COLETTE
                  Who the fuck are you, Dr. Joyce
                  Brothers?
                       (beat)
                  I hate the son-of-a-bitch.

                             DANNY
                  Then leave.

                             COLETTE
                  I can't.

                             DANNY
                  Why not?

                             COLETTE
                  You don't understand.

                             DANNY
                  There's nothing to understand.  
                  The guy is a pig.

                             COLETTE
                  I can't leave.

                             DANNY
                  You get off on abuse or
                  something?

                             COLETTE
                  Fuck you.

                             DANNY
                  Then why don't you leave?
                       (beat)
                  Just give me one good reason.

                             COLETTE
                  Because he'll kill me.

The waitress and cook look up.

                             COLETTE (cont'd)
                  Is that simple enough for you?

                             DANNY
                  Why don't you call the cops?

                             COLETTE
                  Why? They don't hold him for more
                  than a day or two.

                             DANNY
                  That's long enough to get out of town.

                             COLETTE
                  I can't. I've got a kid.  She lives
                  with my parents.  Quincey knows where
                  they live.

Danny chews it over for a second then ...

                             DANNY
                  Then make sure he gets put away for longer.

                             COLETTE
                  How?

Danny hesitates, not sure of how much he wants to get involved.

                             COLETTE (cont'd)
                  Tell me how.

                             DANNY
                  I don't know.
                       (beat)
                  Let me think about it.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Urban blight abounds

INT. BURNED OUT BUILDING - NIGHT

The grafitti-filled, cluttered shell of what used to be some sort of 
offices.

BUBBA THE ASIAN COWBOY sitting on a desk. Danny pacing back and forth 
in front of him.



                             BUBBA
                       (Texas drawl)
                  I wanna do a small buy first.  Ten
                  thousand.  We'll see how it goes.

                             DANNY
                  Why? The guys is ready to deal now.

                             BUBBA
                  Because I don't know him and I don't
                  really know you, partner.

                             DANNY
                  Now that's down-right insulting.

                             BUBBA
                  I'll have to live with that.  My money
                  my risk, my rules.

Bubba takes a plastic-wrapped bundle of money from his pocket.  Tosses 
it on the table.

EXT. ALLEY - SAME

Tanner and Garcetti ensconced in an alley diagonally across the street.

Garcetti pointing a LONG-RANGE PARABOLIC MICROPHONE at the burned out 
building.  He and Tanner wear earpieces, which are attached to the 
mike.

                             DANNY (O.S.)
                       (filtered, broken)
                  I guess I don't have a hell of a lot
                  of choice.

                             BUBBA (O.S.)
                       (filtered)
                  Get used to it.  You're in a very
                  tenuous position on the food chain, hoss.

Garcetti removes his earpiece and turns to Tanner.

                             GARCETTI
                  You thinking what I'm thinking?

                             TANNER
                  Yeah.  This could be the one we're
                  looking for.

EXT. BURNED OUT BUILDING - SAME

Bubba exits the building and disappears around the corner.

INT. BURNED OUT BUILDING - SAME

Danny now alone. He picks up the bundle of cash.  Turns to leave when 
...

... Tanner and Garcetti enter the building.  Danny turns and runs the 
other way.

                             TANNER
                  Hold it right there, Flynne.

Danny stops.

                             DANNY
                  Jesus, you almost gave me a heart attack!

Danny secretly pockets the bundle of cash.

                             DANNY
                  What the hell are you doing here?

                             TANNER
                  Question is, what are you doing here?

                             DANNY
                  I was trying to score some dope.

                             TANNER
                  Cut the shit, Flynne.

                             DANNY
                  Someone want to tell me what the hell
                  is going on here?

                             TANNER
                  Okay, asshole, you wanna play, we'll play.

Tanner takes out a pair of black leather gloves.

                             DANNY
                       (serious)
                  What did I do?!

Tanner approaches him.  Danny backs into a corner.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  This is a joke, right?  You put him
                  up to this, Garcetti?

Garcetti is mum.  Tanner raises his fists.  Danny covers his face.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Come on Tanner ... don't ...

Tanner starts swinging but SOMETHING UNEXPECTED ...

TANNER HITS LIKE A WIMP.

The punches have absolutely no effect.

Danny can't help it.  HE STARTS LAUGHING.  Tanner throws some more 
creampuffs.

Garcetti shakes his head with shame.

                             TANNER
                       (shrieking, failing)
                  You think this is funny motherfucker?

                             DANNY
                       (still laughing and covering up)
                  I can't help it, Tanner, you hit like
                  a fucking girl.

This makes Tanner even madder. His punches become wilder and even less 
effective.

                             DANNY
                  Garcetti, do something.

Garcetti tires of the whole show.  He pulls a small SHOCK GUN from his 
pocket, switches it on and sticks Danny behind the neck with it.

Danny crumples to the floor.  Tanner kicks him in the face.

Garecetti squats down next to Danny.

                             GARCETTI
                  We know what's going on.

                             DANNY
                       (in pain)
                  I still don't know what you're
                  talking about.

Garcetti jams the stun-gun into Danny's crotch.  DANNY HOWLS.  Garcetti 
lays off.  Danny lays there whimpering.

                             GARCETTI
                  Okay, let me help you.  You're setting
                  up a deal with a Chinese redneck.
                  Quarter of a million.

Garcetti holds up a tap.

                             GARCETTI (cont'd)
                  We just listened to the whole thing.

Danny gaped-mouthed. He can't believe it.

                             GARCETTI (cont'd)
                  Somebody tipped up, dipshit.

                             DANNY
                  Jimmy?

                             GARCETTI
                  Who the hell is Jimmy?

                             DANNY
                  He's the only one I told.

                             GARCETTI
                  And he probably only told two people
                  and they probably only told four
                  people and on and one. You know
                  better than to tell a secret to a
                  tweaker, Flynne.  Might just as well
                  broadcast it on the evening news.

INT. BURNED OUT BUILDING - NIGHT (LATER)

Danny sitting on a crate. He is sporting a BLACK EYE from where Tanner 
kicked him.

Garcetti at the desk dusting the plastic wrapper on the bundle of cash 
for prints.  Tanner paces back and forth in front of Danny.

                             DANNY
                  I met the guy at a party.  He said he
                  wanted to do a biggie. He's new in
                  town so I offered my services.

                             TANNER
                  This chink have a name?

                             DANNY
                  Bubba.

Tanner rolls his eyes.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I swear. That's all he gave me.
                  Hell, I didn't give him my real name either
                       (off their skeptical looks)
                  He figured the less we know about
                  each other, the better.

                             TANNER
                  You better not be blowing smoke up
                  My ass, Flynne.

                             DANNY
                  After that ass-whipping you gave me?

Garcetti suppresses a smile.

                             GARCETTI
                       (finishing up with the bundle)
                  What's on the other end of this thing?

                             DANNY
                  Now that I can help you with. Nasty
                  boy ... goes by the name of Pooh-Bear.
                  He's a chef.
                  Check with Palmdale P.D. I'm sure
                  they're keeping box scores on the guy.

                             GARCETTI
                  Sounds like you hooked up with some
                  fine citizens, Flynne.

                             DANNY
                  Oh they're all that and the
                  proverbial bag of chips.

                             TANNER
                  What're your taking down?

                             DANNY
                  Standard vig.  Minus five for a
                  certain blabber-mouth moron by the
                  name of Jimmy the Finn, who's living
                  proof that natural selection is a
                  flawed theory.

Tanner looks at Danny quizzically.

                             TANNER
                  Did you really think you were slick
                  enough to pull this off?

                             DANNY
                  Look man, I just wanted to make some
                  dough and disappear.  I didn't want
                  to wait around for Domingo to figure
                  out who doubled back on him.

Danny holds his hands up

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  But now I've seen the error of my
                  ways.  I'll just walk away ... call
                  the whole deal off.

                             GARCETTI
                  Wrong.

He tosses the bundle of cash to Danny.

                             DANNY
                  You mean you want me to roll on these guys?

Their silence is answer enough.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  No. No way.  These guys catch a
                  whiff and I'm a fucking bag of Bandini.

                             TANNER
                  You've got no choice.

                             DANNY
                  Whata you mean I've got no choice?

                             TANNER
                  Well, if you'd rather do a stretch in
                  la casa grande ...

                             DANNY
                  For that old possession charge?
                  Gimme a break.

                             TANNER
                  No. You just handed us a new one.  We
                  can go Federal on your ass right now:
                  ongoing criminal conspiracy. Intent
                  to buy and distribute $250,000 worth
                  of crank.  What's the mandatory on
                  that, Al?

                             GARCETTI
                  Dime, minimum.

MOVE OFF GARCETTI and over to a wall mounted heating vent.  MOVE INTO 
THE VENT, then ...

... OUT OF A VENT in another room.

BUBBA lurking in the shadows. Listening to the conversation through the 
wall vent in the other room.

                             TANNER (O.S.)
                  And believe me, word will get out that
                  you're a pro rat.

                             GARCETTI (O.S.)
                  That's not good in prison. It's just
                  not good.

Bubba listens intently.


INT. CAR - NIGHT

Danny hunkered down in the back sea.  Garcetti sniffing the air.

                             GARCETTI
                  What's that smell?

                             DANNY
                  That would be me.

                             GARCETTI
                  What'd you do, piss your pants?

                             DANNY
                  Hell, yes!  What the hell do you expect
                  zapping Mr. Johnson with that crackler?

Garcetti looks back at Danny with a twisted smile.

                             GARCETTI
                  Who'd have thought it?  Danny
                  "Chickenshit" Flynne trying to go
                  large right under our noses.

                             DANNY
                  Lay off, Garcetti.  I'm not in the mood.

                             GARCETTI
                  No.  You've got me all wrong.  I
                  mean, in you own pussified way, you
                  actually got some nuts in your little sack.

                             TANNER
                  Bullshit. He's a liar.

                             DANNY
                  News-flash, Tanner. I'm a fucking rat.

                             TANNER
                  You think you're so god damned smart,
                  don't you?

The dynamic has suddenly changed in the trio's relationship.  Tanner is 
now the bad cop.

                             TANNER (cont'd)
                  Well, you played the wrong mark this
                  time, asshole.

EXT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL - NIGHT

Danny approaching the building, we hear shots ...

... THE RED CAR from earlier, prowling the streets.  Danny ducks into a 
liquor store and watches from the window.

The red car cruises slowly past.

Danny squinting, trying to make out ...

... THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER.  A street light illuminates the tag 
momentarily.  A VANITY PLATE: IFORGIV.

Danny frowns, not sure that to make of it.

INT. COLETTE'S ROOM - NIGHT

Colette and Quincey lying in bed.  THE LILTING SOUND of Danny's trumpet 
wafting in the air.

Quincey is fast asleep.  Colette lays there, eyes open, listening to 
the coolly hypnotic strains of Miles Davis' "Generique."

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - SAME

Danny in his good clothes, sitting in front of the mirror, playing his 
trumpet, staring at the photos of his wife.

INT. COLETTE'S ROOM - SAME

Colette now sitting on the floor of the adjoining wall with her arms 
around her knees.  She closes her eyes and leans her head against the 
wall, soaking in the music.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - SAME

Danny continues playing.  He sneaks down a look at ...

... A GREETING CARD on the vanity in front of him.  The word, 
"CONGRATULATIONS" printed on the front.

THE FLASHBACK IMGERY appears on the wall behind him again.  MOVE from 
Danny to the image as we ...

                                                      CUT TO:

EXT. DIRT ROAD - THE HIGH DESERT (FLASHBACK)

The car jolting slowly back and forth over the bumpy road.

INT. CAR - SAME

Danny driving. Liz in the passenger seat looking pissed.

The Salton Sea can be seen far below in the distance shimmering under a 
full moon.

AGAIN.  REMEMBER, DANNY IS KNOWN AS TOM IN THIS SCENE.

                             LIZ
                  Why didn't you just ask for
                  directions back there?

                             DANNY/TOM
                  Come on, where's your pioneer spirit?

                             LIZ
                  You mean like the Donner Party?

                             DANNY/TOM
                  Hey, do you think you could eat me if
                  you had to?  And if so, which part do
                  you think you would find the most
                  delicious?

                             LIZ
                  Tom, quit fucking around.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  Okay, okay.
                       (peering through the windshield)
                  There's a house up there. I'll go ask
                  for directions.

EXT. ROAD - SAME

A dilapidated house further up in the hills, lights glowing.

INT. CAR - SAME

Liz sees the run-down old house.

                             LIZ
                  You think that's a good idea?

                             DANNY/TOM
                  What do you mean?

                             LIZ
                  Look at that place. It's creepy.

Danny steers the car onto the narrow dirt approach to the house.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  First you want me to ask for
                  directions, then you don't.  Which is it?

                             LIZ
                  I wanted you to ask back there.  You
                  know, before you got us lost.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  Just no pleasing you, is there?

                             LIZ
                  Just admit you're wrong.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  We all know how much you like hearing
                  that. Okay, Liz, I was wrong.
                  There.  You happy?

                             LIZ
                  Quit feeling sorry for yourself, Tom.
                  It gets old.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  No. You know what gets old? Being
                  reminded what a loser you are every
                  time you screw up.

                             LIZ
                  Here it comes, poor Tom.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  But that's okay, Liz, you're the one
                  with the steady job, you pay all the
                  bills. I'm just an unemployed
                  musician.  You have every right.

                             LIZ
                  That is so unfair.

Danny stares straight ahead, steering the car towards the house.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  My sentiments exactly.

                             LIZ
                  Why are you doing this?

Danny doesn't answer.

                             LIZ (cont'd)
                  I never once asked you to stop
                  playing. I wouldn't dream of it. So
                  don't take your low self-esteem out
                  on me.

Danny continues to ignore her.

                             LIZ
                  ... Tom ... screw it.  Tell me when you're
                  ready to apologize.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

DANNY lying on the bed, reliving the moment.  THE IMAGE STILL PROJECTED 
ON THE WALL.
                             DANNY
                       (on the bed, whispering)
                  I'm sorry, Liz. I love you and I'm sorry.

But the DANNY IN THE IMAGE never answers.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - DAY

It is raining buckets outside.  Danny sleeping soundly.

The roof of Danny's room is leaking, PUDDLING UP ON THE FLOOR NEAR HIS 
BED.

Danny's eyes pop open. He lays there rigidly.  LISTENING TO THE WATER.

ALL OTHER SOUND FADES OUT AS THE WATER PATTERS AND PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR.  
IT IS UNNATURALLY LOUD.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - NIGHT

The bar is almost empty.

Danny quietly playing chords on a beat-up old upright piano in the back 
of the room - the through-line of Davis' "All Blues." 

                             COLETTE (O.S.)
                  This seat taken?

Danny looks up. 

                             DANNY
                  Oh. Hi.

                             COLETTE
                  What happened to your eye?

                             DANNY
                  Turns out I'm allergic to steel-toed boots. Go figure.
                       (beat)
                  By the way, I'm not looking for a
                  matching set.
                       (off her puzzled look)
                  Where's Quincey?

                             COLETTE
                  Don't worry. He's out of town.

                             DANNY
                  How far out of town?

                             COLETTE
                  Trust me. We're safe.

Colette sits down on the piano bench next to Danny. 

                             COLETTE (cont'd)
                  Please keep playing.

He continues. She sits there listening for a few moments. 

                             COLETTE (cont'd)
                  That's nice. What is it?

                             DANNY
                  Miles Davis. "All Blues."

                             COLETTE
                  Never heard of him.

                             DANNY
                  Just a fucked-up guy who played
                  beautiful music.

                             COLETTE
                  Like you?

                             DANNY
                  Nah. I'm strictly minor league...
                  except for the fucked-up part.

Danny continues to play. 

                             DANNY
                  Dude played his soul right out the
                  end of the horn. No false notes.
                  Always honest.

                             COLETTE
                  And you admire that?

                             DANNY
                  It's the only way to play.

Colette slides closer. 

                             COLETTE
                  Is that how you play?

                             DANNY
                  I try.


                             COLETTE
                  No false notes?

She pulls even closer. 

                             COLETTE
                  No deep dark secrets?

She goes to kiss him. Danny stops playing. Pulls away from her. 

                             DANNY
                       (cold and abrupt):
                  What are you up to?

                             COLETTE
                  Nothing.

                             DANNY
                  What do you want from me, Colette?

                             COLETTE
                  I don't want anything. Why are you
                  so suspicious?

                             DANNY
                  It gets me through the day.

                             COLETTE
                  You really need to lighten up.

She puts her hand on his leg. 

                             COLETTE (cont'd)
                  Just relax.

He moves his leg away. 

                             DANNY
                  Look, I can't help you with Quincey
                  if that's what you're after.

                             COLETTE
                  This has nothing to do with him.

                             DANNY
                  So you're just attracted to me, is that it?

                             COLETTE
                  Yes. Why do you find that so hard to believe?

                             DANNY
                  How much time do you have?

                             COLETTE
                  What is wrong with you?

                             DANNY
                  How much time do you have?


                             COLETTE
                  You've got a comeback for everything,
                  don't you, Danny? You use 'em like
                  some sort of shield.

                             DANNY
                  Who the fuck are you? Dr. Joyce Brothers?

                             COLETTE
                  There you go again. You're nothing
                  but false notes.

                             DANNY
                  You don't like the tune, find another
                  station.

                             COLETTE
                  What are you hiding, Danny?

                             DANNY
                  Therapy session is over.

He closes the keyboard cover. 

                             COLETTE
                  You think you're the only one down
                  here with a sad story?

                             DANNY
                  No. But I'm the only one with my sad
                  story.
                       (beat)
                  And that's how it's gonna stay.

INT. CAR - DAY

Still raining.  Tanner negotiates the slow traffic.

Danny looking at a MUG SHOT OF POOH-BEAR.

                             Garcetti
                  Harlan Dale Monty a.k.a. Pooh-Bear.
                  Did five years manslaughter for
                  beating a pimp to death with an
                  electric wheelchair.

                             DANNY
                  Excuse me?

                             GARCETTI
                  Several possession charges, but nothing major.

                             DANNY
                  Why doesn't Palmdale P.D. just raid the guy?

                             GARCETTI
                  They have. But they never found a lab.

                             TANNER
                  That's because he doesn't have one.

                             DANNY
                  Whata you mean?  He told me -

                             TANNER
                  Guy scores dope and dollar from
                  ripping off other drug dealers.  As
                  least that's what the word is.

                             DANNY
                  What's to stop him from just ripping me off then?

                             TANNER
                  That's probably what he would have
                  done if we hadn't found out about
                  your get-rich-quick scheme.

                             GARCETTI
                  You're lucky, Flynne.

                             DANNY
                  Funny, I don't feel lucky.

                             GARCETTI
                  We're coordinating with Palmdale P.D..
                  We'll have your sorry ass covered.

                             DANNY
                  What if he caps me before you can
                  make a move?

                             TANNER
                  Golly, I hadn't thought of that.

                             GARCETTI
                  Don't we always take good care of you?

Danny doesn't look reassured.

                             DANNY
                  Speaking of which ... you run that license
                  plate for me?

                             GARCETTI
                  You mean the menacing red car?

Garcetti and Tanner exchange a smile.

                             DANNY
                  What? Is it bad?

                             TANNER
                  I'm afraid so, Danny.

                             DANNY
                  Who is it?

                             GARCETTI
                  Brace yourself.

Danny's eyes dart back and forth between Garcetti and Tanner.

                             DANNY
                  Come on! Who is it?  Domingo's boys?

                             GARCETTI
                  Worse. Much worse.
                       (beat)
                  A teacher.

Garcetti and Tanner break out laughing.


                             TANNER
                  Car is registered to a Mrs. Nancy Plummer.

Danny reacts to the name, not listening to the rest of what Garcetti 
and Tanner have to say.

                             GARCETTI
                  She's 57 and she's been teaching
                  third grade for the last 33 years.

                             TANNER
                  Now that's scary!

Danny lost in thought.

                             GARCETTI
                  You're paranoid, Flynne.  I think
                  that crank is finally starting to get
                  the best of you.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Danny waiting on the corner.

                             GARCETTI (V.O.)
                  When is the deal going down?

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  I'm making the small buy tonight ...
                  if I don't get beaten to death with a
                  wheelchair or something.  If
                  everyone is happy, we'll do the big
                  deal later in the week.

Jimmy's Vega sputters to a stop in front of Danny.  Jimmy gets out and 
hands Danny the keys.

ON THE BUMPTER, a hand-made sign. It reads: PULL ME OVER. I DARE YOU!

Danny sighs. Walks to the back, rips the sign off and gets in the car, 
leaving Jimmy with the sign.
                             JIMMY
                  You sure you don't want me to go with you?

Danny burns rubber.

EXT. POOH-BEAR'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

Danny being led towards a trailer by TWO OF POOH-BEAR'S MEN. LITTLE 
BILL AND BIG BILL. Little Bill is big and Big Bill is little.

INT. HOUSE - SAME

Pooh-Bear sitting in a recliner, obscured by shadows when Danny and his 
escorts enter.

A WIRE CAGE IN THE CORNER, SOMETHING MOVING AROUND INSIDE.  It too is 
obscured by shadows.

Pooh-Bear doesn't look up. He is preoccupied with something in his hand 
which he is cleaning with a toothbrush.

                             DANNY
                  Pooh-Bear, my man.  What's up?

Pooh-Bear doesn't respond. Continues brushing.

                             LITTLE BILL
                  He's blue.

                             BIG BILL
                  Comin' down from a 10 day ride.

Danny closes his eyes. Not what he wanted to hear.

                             DANNY
                  You want to do this some other time?

                             POOH-BEAR
                       (gloomy and tired)
                  Pull your pants down.

                             DANNY
                  I'm sorry?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Pull your motherfucking pants down.

Danny looks to the two Bills for help.

                             DANNY
                       (laughing nervously)
                  Come on, guys ...

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Big Bill.

Big Bill pulls a 19th century double-barreled FLINTLOCK PISTOL from his 
jacket and points it at Danny's head.

                             BIG BILL
                  Argh, matie. I'm a pirate.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Little Bill

Little Bill drops Danny's trousers.  Danny about to object when he is 
started into silence.

The saturnine Pooh-Bear raises his head, illuminating his face.  He 
isn't wearing his prosthetic nose.  A GAPING HOLE WHERE HIS NOSE SHOULD 
BE.  He looks like some obscene human bat.

Pooh-Bear holds up the plastic nose he has been cleaning, inspecting it 
under the light.


                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  Introduce him to Captain Steubing.

He pops his nose back into place, but it goes on crooked.

The Bills escort Danny over to the cage.  There is A GIGANTIC CRAZED 
WEASEL INSIDE.

The cage is divided by a large piece of Plexiglas.

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  You'll have to excuse him, he ain't
                  ate for over a week.

The weasel is foaming at the mouth.

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  That and the rabies.  Don't make for
                  a happy weasel.

                             DANNY
                       (trying to stay calm)
                  Pooh-Bear. come on, man.  What is
                  this?
                       (off Pooh-Bear's silence)
                  It's me, Danny. I thought we had a deal.

                             POOH-BEAR
                             Big Bill
                  
                  Big Bill pushes Danny up to the cage, which comes up to about waist 
                  level.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Captain Steubing thinks you might
                  work for the police.

                             DANNY
                  What?!

Pooh-Bear holds up his hand.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Don't address me.  I didn't make the
                  accusation.

                             DANNY
                  Please .. I don't know what you're ...

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Uh-uh-uh ...

He points to the cage.   Danny looks down at the weasel, which is 
trying to gnaw through the Plexiglas.

                             DANNY
                  Jesus Christ.
                       (to the weasel)
                  Um ... I'm not .. Captain Steubing.
                  I'm not working for the cops.

The weasel continues to gnaw.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  He don't believe you. Big Bill.


                             BIG BILL
                  Drop your package in the cage.

                             DANNY
                  My what?

                             BIG BILL
                  Put your pee-pee through the hole.

There is a hole in the top of the cage on the opposite side of the 
Plexiglas from Captain Steubing.
                             DANNY
                  This is fucking crazy!

Big Bill pulls back the hammer on the gun.

                             BIG BILL
                  Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.

                             DANNY
                  Oh fuck ... oh Jesus ...

Danny's eyes dart quickly over to Little Bill, who like everyone else, 
is watching the weasel.

Little Bill is wearing a big, filthy pea coat with A LARGE TEAR on the 
side.

Danny still hasn't complied with Pooh-Bear's order.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Shoot him.

                             DANNY
                  Okay! Okay!

From behind, we see Danny bend slightly, dropping his privates into the 
cage.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                       (eyeing the wild rodent)
                  Oh my God ... oh-my-fucking-God ...

Danny tries to stay calm, shoots another look at Little Bill who is 
standing right next to him.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Now get talkin'

                             DANNY
                  I didn't fucking do anything! I
                  swear to God!

Pooh-Bear leans forward and opens the Plexiglas partition about half an 
inch.

THE WEASEL bolts for the opening, gnashing its teeth, trying to squirm 
through.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  You got something to tell Captain
                  Steubing, you'd better do it now.

The weasel squirms and squeals and bangs against the Plexiglas.

Danny uses the diversion.  He quickly TAKES SOMETHING from him own 
jacket pocket and SLIPS IT IN THE HOLE IN LITTLE BILL'S JACKET between 
the coat and the lining.

No one notices.

Pooh-Bear opens the Plexiglas even more.  The weasel is able to get his 
head through the hole.  He bares his filthy teeth.

                             DANNY
                       (rapid-fire)
                  Captain Steubing, listen to me.
                  You're after the wrong guy. This is
                  the fuck you should be talking to.

He nods towards Little Bill.  Pooh-Bear cocks his head.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Jimmy told me that Little Bill's been
                  shorting Pooh-Bear ... settin' up his
                  own stuff on the side.

                             LITTLE BILL
                  That's a pack of discharge.

Danny now makes eye contact with Pooh-Bear, who listens intently.

                             DANNY
                  It's true. Jimmy saw him flashing a
                  pimp role at a bar the other night ...
                  said he was dissin' your ass in front
                  of one of your customers.

Pooh-Bear rises slowly.  Approaches the triumvirate.

Danny keeps one eye on ...

... the weasel as it continues its assault on the opening.


                             POOH-BEAR
                  Man'll say a lot of thing when he's
                  sporting weasel food for a pecker.

                             LITTLE BILL
                  Damn straight.


                             POOH-BEAR
                  Least I can do is check it out though.

Pooh-Bear pulls a chrome .45 from his waistband.

                             DANNY
                  Can I pull my dick out now?

Pooh-Bear limply aims the .45 at Little Bill.

                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                             Big Bill
                  
                  Big Bill pats Little Bill down.

                             LITTLE BILL
                       (holding up his arms)
                  Go ahead. I got nothing to hide.

Big Bill checks all of Little Bill's pockets, coming up empty.

The weasel has squeezed about a third of the way through the hole.

                             DANNY
                  Can I pull my dick out?

Danny, panicked, eyes the hole in the pea coat.

                             BIG BILL
                  He's clean.

Danny can't believe it.  But when Little Bill lowers his arms, a big 
roll of cash protrudes from the hole.

Pooh-Bear and Big Bill see it immediately.

                             LITTLE BILL
                  What?

He follows their gaze to the cash.

                             DANNY
                  CAN I PULL MY FUCKING DICK OUT?!

                             POOH-BEAR
                       (eyes on Little Bill)
                  Yeah.

Danny extracts himself from the cage just as ...

... the weasel bolts through the opening and springs for the hold in 
the cage.

INT. POOH-BEAR'S KITCHEN - NIGHT (LATER)

Danny sitting at the kitchen table.  THE SCREAMS OF LITTLE BILL AUDIBLE 
FROM THE OTHER ROOM.

Danny is FIDDLING WITH SOMETHING UNDER THE TABLE when he HEARS POOH-
BEAR APPROACHING.

Danny finishes up, stuffing a roll of DUCT TAPE into his pocket.

Pooh-Bear drops a zip-lock bag of METH on the table.

                             DANNY
                  I ought to just call this whole thing
                  off right now.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Don't do that. Please.  Or I'll kill
                  you.  Please, Danny.

                             DANNY
                  What the hell was that? Who told you
                  I was five-0?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  No one. It was just a test. I need
                  to be sure of who I'm dealing with
                  from time-to-time.

Pooh-Bear nudges the baggie towards Danny.


                             POOH-BEAR (cont'd)
                  Take it easy.  You passed.

Danny hands over the bundle of cash. Pockets the dope.

                             DANNY
                  Did it ever occur to you that someone
                  might cop to something they didn't do
                  rather than have their balls chewed
                  off by a rabid weasel?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  I'll keep that in mind.

MOVE UNDER THE TABLE - Danny's Glock taped to the underside, out of 
sight.

EXT. DESERTED PARK - NIGHT

Danny, Garcetti and Tanner.  Tanner doing a chemical test on the meth 
with a field kit.  The tester turns a tell-tale blue.


                             TANNER
                  We're in business.

                             GARCETTI
                  Good work, Flynne.  You're a first-rate rat.

                             DANNY
                  That's real sweet, Garcetti.  Thanks.

                             TANNER
                  We got the 411 on your good old boy.

Tanner produces a print out from an F.B.I criminal computer file.  A 
MUG SHOT OF BUBBA.  The name BUFORD "BUBBA" NGUYEN underneath.

                             TANNER (cont'd)
                  Nothing local so we ran his prints
                  through the F.B.I. Believed to be a
                  major supplier in Texas.  Jumped bail
                  on a murder rap last April.

                             DANNY
                  Murder.  Beautiful.

                             TANNER
                  Pumped fifty-seven bullets into a police informant.

Danny heaves a sign and plops down on a bench.

                             DANNY
                  You know, I'm starting to think I'd
                  rather take my chances with Domingo
                  than go through any more of this shit.

                             GARCETTI
                  Didn't you hear?  Domingo's dead.

Danny looks up.

                             TANNER
                  Took a pig-slicker to the heart.

                             DANNY
                  Jesus.

                             TANNER
                  I thought you'd be happy.

                             DANNY
                  Yeah.

He doesn't look happy.

INT. PRISON - NIGHT

Domingo sprawled face-down on the tile floor of the shower room.  Blood 
leaking from underneath him.

WATER PATTERS DOWN FROM THE SHOWER HEAD.  DILUTING THE POOL OF BLOOD.  
THE SOUND IS UNNATURALLY LOUD.

EXT. PALOS VERDES - NIGHT

The red car with "IFORGIV" plates parked in the driveway of a modest 
Spanish-style house.

INT. PALSO VERDES - NIGHT

NANCY AND VERNE PLUMMER watching TV.

Photos of Liz on top of a baby grand piano.  A SHRINE OF SORTS.

CATHOLIC ICONS ABOUND: crucifixes, Virgin Mary's, needle point prayers.

A KNOCK ON THE DOOR.  Nancy gets up to answer.

                             NANCY
                  Who is it?

                             DANNY (O.S.)
                  It's Tom.

Nancy and Verne look at one another.


INT. PALOS VERDES HOUSE - NIGHT

Danny and Verne sitting at the dining room table.  Nancy brings in a 
pot of coffee.  Verne eyes Danny silently.  Danny won't look him in the 
eye.

                             DANNY
                  All right, Nancy, how'd you track me down?

                             NANCY
                  Billy Sutcliffe said he saw you at a
                  bar down in Gardena a few weeks ago.
                  Said you looked so bad, he barely
                  recognized you.

Nancy pours the coffee.

                             NANCY (cont'd)
                  Billy's a cop now, you know.

                             VERNE
                  Highway Patrol.

                             NANCY
                  He said you were ... the people you 
                  Were with ... well ...

                             VERNE
                  Said you were a drug addict.

                             DANNY
                  Maybe I should just go.

Danny pushes away from the table.  Nancy grabs Danny's wrist.

                             NANCY
                  No. We want to help you, Tom.

Danny stays put.

                             NANCY (cont'd)
                  I know everyone deals with grief in
                  their own way.  I know how hard it is
                  to find closure.

                             DANNY
                  Closure? How do you find closure
                  when her killers are still running
                  around out there?

                             NANCY
                  I found forgiveness in my heart for
                  the people who killed my daughter. I
                  gave my grief to Jesus Christ.

                             DANNY
                  Is that what you want me to do?  Put
                  it all on Jesus?  Let him sort it out
                  in the afterlife?

                             NANCY
                  You've got to deal with this sooner
                  or later, Tom. You can't keep
                  hiding.

                             DANNY
                  Maybe I am dealing with it.

                             NANCY
                  I know it's not my place to pass
                  judgement on you but ...

Danny looks at the shrine to Liz on top of the piano.



                             DANNY
                  Then why don't I see any pictures
                  Of me up there?

                             VERNE
                  That was my idea.

                             DANNY
                  You never did like me much, did you
                  Verne?
                       (beat)
                  And you can't stand it that I walked
                  out of there alive and Liz didn't.
                  You think I'm a coward,
                  don't you?

Verne's silence is answer enough.



                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I don't blame you for hating me.  At
                  least I understand that.
                       (back to Nancy)
                  But forgiving the butchers who killed
                  Liz well I'm having some trouble
                  with that one.

                             NANCY
                  Love your enemies, bless them that
                  curse you, do good to them that hate
                  you, and pray for them which
                  despitefully use you, a persecute
                  you.

Danny touches Nancy's hand tenderly.

                             DANNY
                  I'm genuinely happy that you found
                  some peace, Nancy. But you can't
                  forgive for Liz.  No one can.  And
                  you can't forgive for me.

                             NANCY
                  Your hatred makes them stronger and
                  you weaker.

                             DANNY
                  I don't buy that. There's a place for hatred.
                       (beat)
                  Did you know that Liz and I got into an argument the night 
                  she was killed? I acted like an ass and I never had a
                  chance to apologize to her.  Do you know what that feels like?

                             NANCY
                  It's not too late to show her you're sorry.

                             DANNY
                  How?

Verne slams his hand down on the table.

                             VERNE
                  By not disgracing her memory!

                             DANNY
                  What does that mean?

                             VERNE
                  You might as well be spitting on her
                  grave every time you put drugs up
                  your nose.  Or did you just
                  conveniently forget that it was drug
                  dealers who killed my daughter?

Verne glares at Danny.  No forgiveness in his heart.

                             VERNE (cont'd)
                  You ever think you might be buying
                  drugs from the very people who took
                  her life?

                             DANNY
                  You don't understand.

                             VERNE
                  Understand what?

Danny starts to say something.  Stops.

                             DANNY
                  Nothing. It's ... it's complicated. I
                  just want you to know ... I'm not what
                  you think I am.

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny sitting at a table, the lockbox open in front of him.

He is endorsing the back of a life insurance check.  His Tom Van Allen 
driver's license laying next to it.

A KNOCK AT THE DOOR



                             DANNY
                  Who is it?

                             COLETTE (O.S.)
                  It's me.

                             DANNY
                  I'm kind of busy.

                             COLETTE (O.S.)
                  Please open the door, Danny.

He pockets the check and the license, closes the lockbox and goes over 
to the door.

Colette standing on the other side.  Her FACE AND ARMS ARE BLACK AND 
BLUE WITH BRUISES.
                             DANNY
                  Oh Jesus.

He lets her come in.  Colette looks away.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Colette ... You've gotta leave.

                             COLETTE
                  We been through that.

                             DANNY
                  What about a battered woman's
                  shelter? You can move you kid in
                  with you.

                             COLETTE
                  I need my paycheck.

                             DANNY
                  You can still work.

                             COLETTE
                  He knows where I work.

                             DANNY
                  Find a new job.


                             COLETTE
                  It's not that easy. I just got a
                  raise. I need the money.

                             DANNY
                  You always been this stubborn?

Colette cracks a crooked smile.

                             COLETTE
                  From day one.
                       (beat)
                  I was a breach birth. They tried for
                  hours to turn my little butt around.
                  But I wouldn't let 'em.

                             DANNY
                  Ass first into the world.

                             COLETTE
                  I been that way ever since.

Danny smiles.  He gently touches her eye.  Colette reaches up and 
touches Danny's bruised eye.
                             COLETTE (cont'd)
                  Look at us.  What a pair.

Colette leans in to kiss him, but they bump bad eyes.

                             COLETTE/DANNY
                  Ouch.
                  They laugh.

                             COLETTE
                  Can we try that again?

They kiss again.  Deep and long.  Danny suddenly pulls back mid-kiss.

                             DANNY
                  I can't.

Colette goes to touch him. He pulls away.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I can't.

                             COLETTE
                  Why not?

                             DANNY
                  I just can't. Okay?

Danny paces uncomfortably.

                             COLETTE
                  What's wrong, Danny?

                             DANNY
                  Look, maybe you oughta' leave.


                             COLETTE
                  No. I want to know what the hell
                  is going on.

                             DANNY
                  I can't tell you.

Colette comes to a slow realization.

                             COLETTE
                  There's someone else, isn't there?

THE FLASHBACK IMAGERY suddenly FLICKERS TO LIFE on the wall behind 
Danny - THE MOONLIGH SALTON SEA.

Danny freezes.  Looks up at Colette.
                             DANNY
                  Yes.

Colette waits a beat, then turns to leave.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Don't go.
                       (beat)
                  Please, Colette.
                       (she stops)
                  Stay and talk to me, please.

Something about Danny's voice - a raw vulnerability - which we haven't 
seen in him before.  MOVE OFF of Danny and ONTO THE FLASHBACK IMAGE.

                             DANNY (O.S.)
                  I'm so tired of lying.
                                                      CUT TO:


EXT. CREPPY HOUSE - SALTON SEA - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

Danny's car parked out front.

INT. CREEPY HOUSE - SALTON SEA - NIGHT

A CHUBBY GUY sitting on the couch in his underwear, watching A MEXICAN 
WESTERN.  He sits there with wide eyes, GRINDING HIS JAWS.

Danny, Liz AND BO, the affable owner of the house, looking at a map on 
the kitchen table.

                             BO
                  What you want to do is go back the
                  way you came and make a left at the
                  bottom. It'll take you right to the
                  highway.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  That's it?

                             BO
                  Are you Australian?

                             DANNY/TOM
                  No.

                             BO
                  Good. I fucking hate Australians.

Danny and Liz share a look.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  You got a bathroom I can use before
                  we hit the road?

                             BO
                  Yeah? First door on the right.
                  It ain't that dirty.  Just kinda'
                  filthy is all.

                             DANNY/TOM
                       (to Liz)
                  You mind?



                             BO
                  No, I don't mind.  That's how come I
                  told you about it.

                             DANNY/TOM
                  I was talking to my wife.

                             LIZ
                  Try to make it fast.

Danny heads down the hallway, Liz looks a little uncomfortable.

                             LIZ (cont'd)
                       (trying to make small talk)
                  So.  What do you do for a living around here?

                             BO
                  You know. This and that.

ON THE SHELVES, SUNDRY ITEMS USED TO DISTILL METH.

Bo scratching his arms.

Liz notices TRACK MARKS ALL OVER BO'S ARMS.  He sees her looking.

                             BO
                  Skeeters. They're bad up here.

INT. BATHROOM - SAME

Danny peeing WHEN HE HEARS ANOTHER CAR PULL UP OUTSIDE.  CAR DOORS OPEN 
AND CLOSE.  HUSHED VOICES  OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM WINDOW.

Danny finishes up.  He steps up onto the tub and peaks out the bathroom 
window.

THROUGH THE WINDOW - TWO FIGURES CROSS IN FRONT OF THE HEADLIGHTS OF 
THE CAR.  THE ENGINE REMAINS RUNNING.

Danny frowns, not sure what to make of it.  He steps down from the tub 
and is just about to exit when THE FRONT DOORS IS KICKED OPEN AND SHOTS 
ARE FIRED.

VOICES SHOUTING.

Danny freezes, not sure what to do. His eyes dart around for a weapon.

He picks up a large plumber's wrench and goes to the bathroom door.

MORE SHOTS.  SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIRE.

SEVERAL BULLETS slam through the bathroom wall, one striking Danny in 
the shoulder.

He slumps to the floor.

THE PANDEMONIUM continues in the front room.

There is a BULLET HOLE about the size of a fifty cent piece in the wall 
next to Danny's head.  He puts his eye to the hole and looks out.

DANNY'S P.O.V. THROUGH THE HOLE - scanning the room.  Stopping on ...

... LIZ. In the confusion, she has managed to hide from the intruders.  
She is squeezed into a tiny space between the sofa and the wall.  She 
clings tightly to the curtains, her hands shaking violently.

ONE THE CURTAIN RINGS - pulled taught by Liz's grip.

Danny adjusts his gaze through the hole.

THROUGH THE HOLE - scanning to the other side of the room.  Bo and the 
other guy sprawled on the floor. INTRUDER ONE stands over them, only 
his legs visible.

BACK ON LIZ - scared to death, clinging to the curtains.

The curtain rings are pulled to the breaking point.


INTRUDER ONE
Let's go!

INTRUDER TWO emerges from the back carrying a small nylon bag.  They 
start to head out the front door when ...

... one of the curtain rings breaks with a METALLIC "TING".

ON DANNY - freaking. His eyes shooting back to Liz.

SILENCE.

Listening.

Then the CREAKING FOOTSTEPS of Intruder One approaching. It takes an 
eternity.

Liz can't possibly see Danny through the hole but it looks like she is 
staring directly at him, her body rigid with fear.

Danny grabs the wrench again.  Tries to get to his feet but slips back 
down, either too weak from loss of blood or just plain scared.  His 
hand is shaking violently.

He looks through the hole again.

THROUGH THE HOLE - Liz still staring at Danny. THE FOOTSTEPS CONTENCE 
at a agonizing slow pace, then stop.

A GUN, ever so slowly, enters FRAME. EXTREME CLOSE UP on Liz's eyes as 
they widen.

EXTREME CLOSE UP on Danny's eye peering through the hole. A SHOT IS 
FIRED. His eye closes.

ON DANNY-his mouth opens to scream BUT NOTHING COMES OUT.

And with that it is all over.

Danny tries to get to his feet again. Fails, His eyes flutter. All is 
silent except for A FAINT LIQUID SPATTERING.

LONG SHOT-Back on the Salton Sea, placid and silvered with moonlight.

INT RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM- NIGHT (LATER)

Danny and Colette face-to face- in profile, silhouetted by the IMAGE of 
the sea.

                             DANNY
                  She died knowing that I was a coward...
                  that I didn't lift a finger to help her.

                             COLLETTE
                  There was nothing you could have done.

She is inches closer to him.


                             DANNY
                  No, you're wrong, I tried to tell 
                  myself the same thing but I could
                  have gotten up. I could have done 
                  something.

                             COLETTE
                  They would have killed you too.

                             DANNY
                       (finally looks her in the eye)
                  Nothing could be worse then this 
                  slow death I'm living now.

Colette puts her arms around him and hugs him tight. The IMAGE OF THE 
SEA FLICKERS AND FADES behind them.

CLOSE ON DANNY-holding Colette.

                             DANNY
                       (looking up)
                  Colette...I want to help 
                  you, with Quincey.

Colette pulls back.

                             COLETTE
                  No Danny, Don't-


                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  But you gotta be serious about it.

                             COLETTE
                  Really, I don't want to.

                             DANNY
                  I want to do this for you.  I 
                  want to do something good 
                  for a change.

Danny goes over to the dresser. Takes out a baggie of meth.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I want you to hide this
                  somewhere where Quincy
                  won't find it.

                             COLETTE
                  What is it?

                             DANNY
                  Never mind. Just do what I say.
                  He holds out the baggie. Colette backs away.

                             COLETTE
                  I don't want to.

Danny stalks her.

                             DANNY
                  I'm offering you the chance to take 
                  care of your problems. Take it.
                       (she still hesitates)
                  Don't make the same mistake I did,
                  Colette. Do something while you 
                  have a chance. Do it for your daughter 
                  before something happens.
                       (beat)
                  Believe me, you don't want to 
                  live with this burden.
                       (firm)
                  He helds the baggie out again. Colette 
                  reluctantly takes it from him.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Tommorrow night, when he is asleep. 
                  I want you to beep me at this number.
                  He writes the number down on a dollar bill.

                             DANNY
                  Will you do that?
                       (off her nod)
                  Then I want you to get out of the room.

                             COLETTE
                  Why?

                             DANNY
                  Don't worry about it. Just go across 
                  the street and watch. You'll know 
                  when it's safe to go back.

Colette goes to protest. Danny puts his hand to her mouth the same way 
she did to him earlier.

                             DANNY
                  Just do it. All your problems with 
                  Quincey will be taken care of.

INT. CINDER BLOCK BAR - DAY

Empty except for Danny and Jimmy in a back booth. Danny slides an 
envelope over to Jimmy.

                             JIMMY
                  What's this?

                             DANNY
                  Tem thousand dollars. Everything I could spare.
                       (beat)
                  It's for you.

                             JIMMY
                  But why? You only owe me five. And 
                  that's not till after we close the deal tonight.

                             DANNY
                  You aren't coming with me.

Jimmy looks hurt.


                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I need you to do me a favor instead.

                             JIMMY
                  Okay

                             DANNY
                  Wait till I tell you what it is.

                             JIMMY
                  It don't matter. I'll do it. And you
                  sure as hell don't have to pay me.

Jimmy slides the money back over.

                             DANNY
                  Why?

                             JIMMY
                  You're my best friend, man. I'd do 
                  anything for you.

Danny smiles, genuinely touched.

                             DANNY
                  Jimmy, look, there's something I have
                  to tell you.

                             JIMMY
                  Hey, check it out...

Jimmy rolls his sleeve up, revealing a tattoo.


                             DANNY
                  What the hell is that?

ON THE TATTOO: CRUDLEY DRAWN FACE.

                             JIMMY
                       (Proudly)
                  It's you! I didn't have a picture or
                  nothin' so I had to describe you to
                  the guy. Not bad though, huh?

Jimmy sits there, admiring the tattoo.

Danny stares at Jimmy with pity.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I really have to tell you something.
                  It's important.

                             JIMMY
                  What?

                             DANNY
                  I'm not a tweaker.
                       (beat)
                  I don't use drugs. I never had.

Danny is deadpan.  Jimmy starts laughing

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I'm not joking.

Jimmy keeps laughing. Danny staring, deadpan, Jimmy slowly stops 
laughing.

                             JIMMY
                  But...I've seen you.

                             DANNY
                  When? When did you ever see me use?

                             JIMMY
                  This isn't like that Queen Elizabeth
                  question, is it?

                             DANNY
                  You ever notice how I always showed 
                  up, in the middle of a binge? Left 
                  before it was over? How I sneak away 
                  for cap-naps? How when the crank 
                  came around to me, I always said I'd 
                  just done one?

Jimmy slack-jawed.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  You asked me how I always keep my 
                  shit together. Well, that's how.

                             JIMMY
                  No one ever noticed?

                             DANNY
                  Are you kidding me? A bunch of amped
                  -out tweakers? It was easy.

Jimmy is agitated and confused.

                             JIMMY
                  But... why? Why would you pretend?

                             DANNY
                  I can't tell you.

                             JIMMY
                  You don't trust me?

                             DANNY
                  I don't trust anybody.

                             JIMMY
                  And you want me to do you some big favor?

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  It's cool. I understand
                  Danny gets up to leave.

                             JIMMY
                  Wait
                       (beat)
                  If you don't trust me, why did you 
                  tell me that stuff about not using drugs?

                             DANNY
                  Because I don't want to see you end 
                  up like Kujo and those other losers.
                       (beat)
                  I thought that maybe if you knew that 
                  I didn't use, you might see it in 
                  yourself to go clear.

EXT. BACK OF CINDERBLOCK BAR- DAY (LATER)

Jimmy and Danny squinting in the mid-morning sun. They stand face-to-
face.

                             DANNY
                  You mad at me, Jimmy?

Jimmy shrugs.

                             JIMMY
                  I don't know... a little. I wish you 
                  would have let me in on it from the 
                  beginning.

                             DANNY
                  I'm sorry. I couldn't.

Danny taps Jimmy's arm.

                             DANNY
                  You know you can get that tattoo removed,
                  don't you.

Jimmy rubs his arm where the tattoo is.

                             JIMMY
                  Nah... I want to keep it.
                       (beat)
                  Maybe I can use it for like, inspiration
                  ...you know...like when
                  I detox?

                             DANNY
                  Good for you Jimmy.

Danny takes the envelope from his pocket.

                             DANNY
                  I really want you to take this.

Danny tries to hive Jimmy the envelope. Jimmy pushes it away.

                             JIMMY
                  Wouldn't be a favor if you were 
                  paying me. I'll just take my five 
                  when the deal is done.

                             DANNY
                  You're a good man. Jimmy the Finn.

EXT. PARK-DAY

Tanner and Garcetti's car parked on the periphery.

INT. CAR-SAME

Danny in the back seat dialing a CELL PHONE. A MICRORECEIVER ATTACHED 
TO THE PHONE.

Tanner and Garcetti listening through earpieces.

INT. UNKNOWN-SAME

BUBBA answers a cell phone on the other end.

                             BUBBA
                  Yeah.

CONVERSATION WILL INTERCUT BETWEEN TWO LOCATIONS

                             DANNY
                  Everything go?

                             BUBBA
                  Yeah.

                             DANNY
                  Just make sure you come alone. This 
                  guy won't like any surprises

                             BUBBA
                  I ain't a idiot, asshole.

                             DANNY
                  I'll see you tonight.

Bubba hangs up.

Danny turns the phone off.

                             TANNER
                  Man of few words.

Danny hands the phone back to Garcetti

                             GARCETTI
                  Nervous?

                             DANNY
                  With you clowns watching my back? What 
                  do you think?

Danny opens the back door.

                             GARCETTI
                  Just make sure you hit the floor when 
                  we come in. It could get ugly in there.

                             TANNER
                  Yeah, I'd hate to shoot you by accident.

Danny gets out of the car. Shuts the door.

EXT. CAR-SAME

Danny watches them drive away. When he is sure that they are gone, he 
looks around. Sees...
...A PLUMBER'S TRUCK parked on the other side of the park.

INT. PLUMBER'S TRUCK-SAME
AN HISPANIC GUY behind the wheel.

HISPANIC GUY
He's coming in.

As Danny approaches the truck, the door slides open. He piles in.

                             VOICES (O.S.)
                  How'd it go?

                             DANNY
                  You tell me.

Danny pulls a TINY MICROPHONE AND WIRE from inside his shirt and hands 
it to...
...Bubba, who sits in front of a BANK OF LISTENING EQUIPMENT.

                             BUBBA
                  You ready to go meet the team?

EXT. FEDERAL BUILDING - WESTWOOD - DAY

The PLUMBER'S TRUCK enters the underground parking lot.

INT. F.B.I. OFFICES-DAY

TEN F.B.I. AGENTS in a small conference room, looking at...

...Danny and Bubba, sitting at the head of the table. BUBBA is now 
wearing his security badge, which reads, SPECIAL AGENT TEX TRAHN. He 
stands up and addresses the group.

And he really does have a SOUTHERN ACCENT.

                             TRAHN
                  For those of you who don't know this 
                  is Tom Van Allen... a.k.a.  Danny 
                  Flynne.

Danny looks self-conscious.

                             TRAHN (cont'd)
                  About a year and half ago, Mr. Van 
                  Allen's wife was murdered at a meth 
                  lab out near the Salton Sea. No one 
                  was ever apprehended for the crime 
                  but local authorities have always 
                  assumed it was a hit and grab 
                  perpetrated by rival drug dealers. 
                  That is, until Tom here took it upon 
                  himself to conduct a one-man 
                  undercover operation at great risk to 
                  his own personal safety.

One of the agents pipes up...

                             AGENT ONE
                  He's a civilian?
                       (off Trahn's nod)
                  How the hell did you pull this off?

Trahn turns to Danny.

                             DANNY
                  I played the long shot. Just got lucky.

INT. SALTON SEA SHERIFF'S STATION (FLASHBACK) - DAY

Danny and DETECTIVE BOOKMAN, a homicide detective, sitting at a table.

                             BOOKMAN
                  How about the car? The model?

Danny shakes his head.

                             BOOKMAN (cont'd)
                  Was it a truck?  S.U.V.? Sedan?


                             DANNY
                  All I saw was the headlights. The high 
                  beams were on.

                             BOOKMAN
                  Not even a guess?

                             DANNY
                       (pissed off0
                  How many times do we have to go through 
                  this?

ANOTHER DETECTIVE enters the room, hands something to bookman, then 
whispers into Bookman's ear. Bookman nods.

                             BOOKMAN (cont'd)
                  You said one of the perpetrators crossed 
                  in front of the headlights ...

                             DANNY
                  Yeah, but he was in silhouette.

                             BOOKMAN
                  How about in the house?

                             DANNY
                  They were wearing ski masks. I told 
                  you all of this.

                             BOOKMAN
                  Did you see his hair color?

                             DANNY
                  No, Why?

Bookman holds up a small plastic evidence baggie.

                             BOOKMAN
                  Forensics found this on your wife.

Bookman holds it up to the light. Inside, ONE BRIGHT RED HAIR.

ON DANNY staring at the hair, remembering something...

EXT. SALTON SEA GAS STATION - DAY (FLASHBACK WITHIN THE FLASHBACK)

Danny putting gas in his car, Liz in the passenger's seat reading.

On the other side of the pump, A RED HAIRED MAN with a bad comb-over. 
The brightest, reddest hair you've ever seen with a BIG STREAK OF WHITE 
RUNNING THROUGH IT.

His back is TURNED. We can't see his face.

His arm and hands resting on top of the pump.

Danny looks at the guy's hand. A GUADY CLASS RING on his finger: EL 
CAMINO COLLEGE, CLASS OF '84.

INT. SALTON SEA SHERIFF'S STATION - DAY

Danny staring absently at the red hair in the baggie.

                             BOOKMAN
                  What is it?

                             DANNY
                  Nothing, I'm trying to remember...

Danny feigns frustration.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I'm sorry... I didn't see his hair
                  color... I'm sure of it.

INT. F.B.I. OFFICES-NIGHT

                             AGENT ONE
                  Why didn't you tell him?

Danny looks up.

                             DANNY
                  Because I wanted to find them myself
                       (beat)
                  I wanted to kill them.

INT. EL CAMINO COLLEGE LIBRARY-DAY

Danny sitting at a table, poring over a YEARBOOK for the class of'84.

VARIOUS SHOTS OF REDHEADS along with their majors.

Danny continues thumbing through the book. Stops. A LOOK OF RECOGNITION 
ON HIS FACE.

DETAIL OF A PHOTO: a balding red head with a streak of white running 
through it.

Danny staring intently.

REVEAL REST OF PHOTO: It is TANNER. Underneath the photo, his major: 
criminology.

INT. EL CAMINO COLLEGE LIBRARY - DAY (LATER)

Danny at a library computer.

ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN. DANNY SCROLLING THROUGH an alumni listing, 
STOPPING ON...

...TANNER, GUS, CLASS OF 1984. DETECTIVE, GARDENA police Department.

EXT. GARDENA POLICE DEPARTMENT-DAY

Danny sitting on a bus bench across from the parking lot.

TANNER AND GARCETTI exit the building and head over to their car.

Danny watches from behind a magazine as they drive past him.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  I swear to God I would have done 'em
                  right then and there...but I had to
                  be positive.  And even if Tanner was
                  involved, I had to be sure about
                             Garcetti
                  
                  EXT. D.M.V-DAY

Danny talking to a MEXICAN DUDE on the corner.

Danny slips the guy some money.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  So I became Danny Flynne.

EXT. D.M.V.- DAY (LATER)

The Mexican dude holds up something for Danny to see...

...A DRIVER'S LICENSE. It is him on the photo, but the name reads, 
DANIEL FLYNNE.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

On Danny's last line, we see TWO CAR BUMPERS COLLIDING AT LOW SPEED.

Tanner and Garcetti in the car that has been rear-ended.

Danny in the offending car, empty beer cans scattered on the front 
seat.

EXT. STREET-NIGHT (LATER)

Danny spread-eagle over the hood with Garcetti roughly searching him.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  I dropped myself right in their laps. 

Garcetti pulls a baggie of meth from Danny's pocket.

EXT. DESERTED PARK-NIGHT

Danny, Garcetti and Tanner at the picnic table, talking.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  I gave up whoever they asked for, 
                  whenever they wanted. I was a 
                  fucking dream rat. But the whole 
                  time I was sizing them up, looking 
                  for any evidence that they were the 
                  guys who killed my wife.

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING-NIGHT

Danny watching from the shadows as Tanner and Garcetti haul a DOPE 
DEALER away in cuffs.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  But they did everything by the book.

F.B.I. OFFICES-DAY


                             DANNY
                  I knew that if these were the guys I 
                  was looking for, I'd have to set up a 
                  deal so sweet, they wouldn't be able 
                  to walk away from it.

                             TRAHN
                  That's when he called me. He told me 
                  his story and he pitched me a plan.

                             DANNY
                  These guys are smart. I knew they 
                  wouldn't hit a deal unless they knew 
                  all the players. I needed a big buyer.

EXT. ROOFTOP-NIGHT

Tanner and Garcetti watching Battle enter the building.

                             TRAHN (V.O.)
                  We had one of our C.I.'s call Tanner 
                  and Garcetti with an "anonymous" tip 
                  about the deal.

                             TANNER
                       (the line takes on a whole new meaning)
                  This could be the one we're looking for.

INT. POLICE STATION - DAY

Garcetti scanning the print he took from the plastic wrapper.

A COMPUTER SCREEN - the F.B.I. fingerprinting database. A MATCH IS 
MADE. BUBBA/ TRAHN'S PHOTO appears, along with the pertinent 
information.

BATTLE (V.O.)
...I dumped a dummy file into the 
system. They took the bait and we 
were off to the races.

INT. F.B.I. OFFICES-DAY

Another agent kicks in.

                             AGENT TWO
                  How sure are you that you're not 
                  chasing two good cops? I mean all 
                  you've really got  is one red hair. 
                  That's still your only evidence.




                             TRAHN
                  Not anymore. We tapped these guys' phones 
                  and computers at Gardena P.D. 
                  Tanner and Garcetti didn't
                  report on this deal. Not a peep. 
                  They haven't coordinated with 
                  Palmdale P.D. They're keeping it off 
                  the books. It looks like we've got 
                  the right guys.
                       (beat)
                  We'll find out for sure tonight.

INT. F.B.I. OFFICES-DAY (LATER)

The meeting breaking up. Trahn walks Danny away from the conference 
room.

                             TRAHN
                  How you holding up?

                             DANNY
                  I'm fine. Little nervous...little 
                  disappointed that I didn't finish 
                  this myself.

                             TRAHN
                  Hey, you did the right thing. You 
                  wouldn't have stood a chance against 
                  these boys by yourself. They have 
                  eaten your ass alive.

Danny's PAGER STARTS BEEPING. He checks the readouts.

                             DANNY
                  Oh shit

                             TRAHN
                  What?

                             DANNY
                  Can you do me a favor? This girl I 
                  know, her boyfriend's a real piece of 
                  shit-dude's really jamming her up. 
                  I promised her I'd try to help.

Danny pockets the pager.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Could you call Gardena P.D. tell 'em 
                  you got a tip that the guy's holding?
                  Maybe have 'em send out a patrol car?

                             TRAHN
                  I'll see what I can do.

INT. BANK-DAY

Danny at the counter with a big gym bag.

A TELLER COUNTS out stacks of money.

THE LIFE INSURANCE CHECK lays on the counter in front of her. We see 
the amount -- $250,000.00

EXT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM-NIGHT

Colette standing across the street, looking at...

...TWO COPS exiting a patrol car.

Colette is crying her eyes out. She is HOLDING the BAGGIE OF METH that 
Danny gave her.

The cops enter the building just as...

... Danny drives by in Jimmy's car, followed by...

... TWO OF THE AGENTS from the conference room. They remain a good 
half-block behind him.

INT. JIMMY'S CAR-NIGHT

Danny at the wheel. He is wearing a black baseball cap pulled down low 
on his head.

                             DANNY
                  Hey guys...

INT. F.B.I. CAR-SAME

Danny is wired for sound. The agents monitor him on a receiver.

                             DANNY (O.S.)
                       (filtered)
                  I need to stop for some cigarettes.

EXT. MINI-MARKET-SAME

Danny pulls into the market.

The agents pull over to the curb, watching.

Danny is in and out in no time. He hustles back into his car and drives 
away.

EXT. REMOTE LOCATION-SAME

Tanner and Garcetti outside of a car we have never seen before. The 
truck is open.

Garcetti putting a phony license plate. Tanner sifting through the 
trunk.

IN THE TRUNK - A sawed off SHOTGUN, TWO SEMI-AUTOMATIC HANGUNS, TWO 
KNIVES, GLOVES AND SKI -MASKS.

INT. POOH-BEAR'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

Pooh-Bear loading a chrome .45, Big Bill his Flintlock.

INT. TRAHN'S CAR-SAME

Trahn driving on the freeway. he opens a briefcase on the passenger's 
seat. Inside, his F.B.I. BADGE, TWO BARETTA 9mm and TWO PAIRS OF 
HANCUFFS.

EXT. BLUFF-NIGHT

Tanner and Garcetti negotiating a washboard dirt road in the hills.

EXT. DESERT MOTEL - NIGHT

The Vega pulls into the lot of a tumbleweed motel in the middle of 
nowhere.

INT. F.B.I. CAR - SAME

The car passes the motel.

                             AGENT ONE
                       (into min-mike)
                  All right people, heads up.  Blue team?

EXT. DESERT MOTEL - SAME

TWO MOTEL MAIDS pushing a cleaning cart.  They are wearing small ear 
piece receivers.

Danny in the motel office, checking in.

                             MAID ONE
                  I've got a visual.

                             AGENT ONE
                       (filtered)
                  Red team?

TWO WORKMEN, repairing the motel sign out front.

                             WORKMAN ONE
                  He's heading to his room.

The workman watch Danny head into a room at the far end of the 
facility.  As he enters the room ...

                             AGENT ONE
                       (filtered)
                  Black team?

INT. ADJACENT ROOM - SAME

TWO AGENTS on the other side of the wall from Danny's room.  MONITORING 
WITH A FIBER-OPTIC CAMERA.

ON THE MONITOR.  DANNY enters and sits on the bed, his back to the 
camera.

INT. F.B.I. CAR - SAME

They continue down the road, away from the motel.

                             AGENT ONE
                  Okay.  It's all yours.

EXT. BLUFF - NIGHT

Tanner pulls the car in behind a rock formation on the bluff.

INT. CAR - SAME

Tanner kills the engine.  Garcetti checks his watch.

                             GARCETTI
                  Half an hour to kickoff.

Tanner takes a pair of NIGHT VISION BINOCULARS from under the seat.

EXT. DESERT MOTEL - NIGHT

Trahn pulls into the lot.  He emerges from the car with his briefcase, 
looks around, then heads down to the room.

Trahn checks his watch, then KNOCKS ON THE DOOR.

                             DANNY (O.S.)
                  It's open.

INT. DESERT MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Trahn enters.  Danny sitting with his back to Trahn.

ON THE BLACK AND WHITE SURVEILLANCE MONITOR NEXT DOOR.

                             TRAHN
                  You alone?

Danny nods.

                             TRAHN (cont'd)
                  Any word from Pooh-Bear?

Danny shakes his head.


                             TRAHN (cont'd)
                  You okay, hoss?

BACK INSIDE THE ROOM

Trahn walks over to Danny, who sits there with his head down, his face 
obscured by a baseball cap. Slowly, he looks up.

IT IS JIMMY.

                             TRAHN (cont'd)
                  What the hell?

                             JIMMY
                  Danny told me to tell you that he was sorry.
                       (beat)
                  He said he had to take care of this himself.

EXT. BLUFF - NIGHT

Tanner scanning with the night vision glasses.

                             TANNER
                  Here he comes.

REVEAL that the car is on a bluff above POOH-BEAR'S COMPOUND.

Danny pulls up in a rental car.

INT. DANNY'S CAR - SAME

Danny's hand is shaking uncontrollably.

                             DANNY
                  Easy, boy.

He looks at his hand again. It continues to shake.  He takes a deep 
breath.

TANNER'S P.O.V.

As Danny gets out of the car and goes to the trunk.

Tanner watching.

                             TANNER
                  Where's Bubba?

                             GARCETTI
                  Maybe he isn't showing.

Danny takes a gym bag out of the trunk and approaches Pooh-Bear's 
house.

                             TANNER
                  Looks like Flynne's handling the
                  cash. Let's get into position.

They get out of the car and trek down the bluff towards the house.

INT. POOH-BEAR'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Big Bill lets Danny in, then pats him down for weapons.  Satisfied, he 
leads Danny to the kitchen.

IN THE KITCHEN - Danny enters and stops.  A worried look.

Pooh-Bear along with THREE OTHER MEN.  The men eye Danny silently.  
They look like ex-cons.

                             DANNY
                  What the hell is this?

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Just some buddies.

                             DANNY
                  This is bullshit.  You didn't say
                  anything about anybody else being here.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  What the fuck are you gonna do about
                  it, dickhead?

The other guys snicker, one of them almost spitting his beer out.

Danny smiles good-naturedly.  Shoots a look over at ...

... one of the guys sitting where he taped his gun earlier.

                             DANNY
                  Come on, man, let's deal.

He throws the bag on the table, knocking a beer into the guys lap.  The 
guy springs up, pissed off.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Cool it. We got business.

                             DANNY
                  Yeah, dickhead.

Danny moves over and plops down in the guys seat.

UNDER THE TABLE - Danny fumbling with the gun, trying to untape it 
without being too obvious.

Pooh-Bear unzips the bag. Inside, a lot of cash.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Oh my, oh my.
                       (beat)
                  Big Bill, come take a look at this.

Big Bill is behind Danny, over by the sink.  He pulls his FLINTLOCK and 
walks over.

Danny continues trying to get the gun loose.  Something catches his eye 
...

... the MICROWAVE OVEN DOOR is open, casting a reflection of the room 
behind him.  Big Bill approaches Danny, pointing the gun at Danny's 
head.

The other men ease back from the table a little.

UNDER THE TABLE - Danny still can't get the gun loose.

ON THE REFLECTION - Big Bill right behind Danny.  He raises the 
flintlock.

Danny bugging.  He rips at the gun. Too late.

Big Bill goes to fire.  Using the reflection, Danny ducks at the last 
instant.

Big Bill FIRES.

The guy across the table takes the mini-ball in the chest.

ALL IN AN INSTANT - Danny extricates the gun.  Turns on Big Bill, who 
sees the gun and holds his hands up.

Danny SHOOTS TWICE, the bullets blowing through Big Bill's hands and 
thumping into his chest.  Big Bill crumples.

When Pooh-Bear goes to pull his gun from his waist-band, it discharges, 
shooting him in the thigh.

The muzzle flash ignites his pants leg.  POOH-BEAR HITS THE FLOOR, 
SCREAMING, slapping at the fire on his leg.

Danny wheels on the other two guys at the table, who are going for 
their guns.  Danny opens up on them with the Glock, flooring them 
before they can get a shot off.

OUTSIDE - still descending the bluff, Tanner and Garcetti hear the 
gunfire.

INSIDE - Danny turns on Pooh-Bear, who sits there staring at his 
injured leg.

Danny puts the gun to Pooh-Bear's head, closes his eyes and starts to 
pull the trigger.

Pooh-Bear lifts his gun and SHOOTS DANNY IN THE TORSO THREE TIMES.  
Danny collapses.

Pooh-Bear gets to his feet.

                             POOH-BEAR
                  Oh lordy, oh lordy, oh lordy.  Pooh-
                  Bear done shot himself.

He's in shock.  He grabs the duffle bag from the table and staggers 
down the hallway, into the living room.

OUTSIDE - Tanner and Garcetti at the front door, listening. They pull 
their ski-masks on, take out their guns, then silently enter.

INSIDE - gunsmoke abounds.  One of the guys MOANS on the floor.

Tanner and Garcetti enter the kitchen, guns drawn and ready.  They 
survey the scene.

Bodies everywhere.

Big Bill lays there dying, staring with confusion at the stigmata in 
his hands.

Danny lying in a heap, next to Big Bill.

Suddenly, they hear POOH-BEAR MUMBLING from somewhere in the house.

Tanner signals for Garcetti to take point.  They head down the long 
hallway, slowly and silently.  When they are gone ...

... Danny stirs on the floor. His eyes open. He opens his shirt and 
checks his torso REVEALING THAT HE IS WEARING HIS BULLET-PROOF VEST.

He struggles to a sitting position, in great pain from the impact 
bruises left by the bullets.

He picks up his gun, gets up on wobbly legs and follows Tanner and 
Garcetti down the hall.

ON DANNY as he creeps down the hall.

INT. CREEPY HOUSE - SALTON SEA - NIGHT

Exiting the bathroom and creeping towards the front room.

                             DANNY
                  Anybody there?

ONLY THE SPLATTERING LIQUID SOUND.

Danny continues.

He stops at the end of the hall.  His eyes go wide with fear and 
revulsion.

THE LIQUID SOUND BECOMES LOUDER AND LOUDER UNTIL IT IS ALL THAT CAN BE 
HEARD.

Liz is still in her hiding place behind the end of the couch.  Her head 
is resting comfortably on the arm of the couch.  She looks fine.  There 
is even a slight smile on her lips.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Liz?

Then he notices it ...

... a widening pool of BLOOD seeps from under the couch like some 
living thing.  More blood patters down from some UNSEEN WOUND on the 
side of her head.

Danny staggers towards her.

Her eyes flutter slightly.

Danny sits next to her. Holds her hand.  There is nothing he can do.

Liz tries to speak.  Can't.

                             DANNY
                  I'm here, Liz. I'm here.

She squeezes his hand.  Then goes limp.

INT. POOH-BEAR'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Danny continues down the hall, remembering.

INT. CREEPY HOUSE - SALTON SEA - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

Danny sitting there with Liz in a pool of blood.  He notices something 
on the floor ...

... LIZ'S PURSE, the contents spilled on the floor.  A GREETING CAR 
with a teddy bear and the word "CONGRATUALTIONS" on the front.

Danny goes over and picks up the card.

INSERT - CARD

He opens it  ... "YOU'RE A DADDY!"  A home pregnancy test taped inside, 
the reading is POSITIVE.

Danny drops the card.  Stares down at it as ...

... the blood from the floor pools out and engulfs the card.

EXT. SALTON SEA - NIGHT

On the placid sea as DANNY'S HORRIFIC SCREAM resounds from the house in 
the distance.

INT. POOH-BEAR'S HOUSE - NIGHT

ON DANNY standing in the hallway, staring, his face a blank.

ON POOH-BEAR - cooking up a huge dose of meth with a lighted hundred 
dollar bill.

He draws the meth into a syringe then turns on the stereo with a 
remote.

A YODELING INSTRUCTION TAPE BLASTS FROM THE SPEAKERS.

Pooh-Bear prepares to dose, looking for a vein in his neck, never 
noticing ...

... Garcetti's gun moving to the back of Pooh-Bear's head.

Pooh-Bear about to plunge the drugs when GARCETTI FIRES.

Pooh-Bear pitches forward, dead.  The syringe falls to the floor.

Tanner and Garcetti standing over him.  They pull their ski masks off.

                             GARCETTI
                  Get the bag.

Garcetti holsters his weapon and picks up the bag of money from the 
floor.

                             GARCETTI (cont'd)
                  Let's get out of here.

A GUNSHOT.  Garcetti goes down where he stands.  He lays there 
twitching like a rabbit.

Tanner staring down the sucker's end of Danny's gun.

                             TANNER
                  Danny?

                             DANNY
                  My name is Tom.

Tanner frowns.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Tom Van Allen

Danny raises his gun.

                             TANNER
                  Whatever you say, man.  Look ... can
                  we talk about this?

                             DANNY
                  Yeah. Okay. Listen carefully ...
                       (beat)
                  You're in the bathroom.  You've been
                  shot in the shoulder ...

Danny shoots Tanner in the shoulder.  He collapses to the floor.

ON GARCETTI - his eyes flutter and open.

Danny walks over to Tanner and stands above him.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  ... there's two guys with masks and
                  guns in the other room about to kill
                  your wife.

Tanner looks at Danny, confused.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  But you know if you go out there,
                  they'll kill you, too.  You'll both
                  die.  What do you do?

Tanner realizes what Danny is talking about.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Do you go out there and die like a
                  man or do you live to fight another day?

Tanner doesn't answer.

                             Danny (cont'd)
                  What do you do?

Still no answer.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Answer the question!

Tanner is ghost white, loosing blood quickly.

                             Danny (cont'd)
                  What do you do!

                             TANNER
                  Please ... don't do this ...

                             DANNY
                  Answer the fucking question!

When Danny goes to shoot Tanner again ...

... Tanner pulls a K-BAR KNIFE from the back of his belt and plunges it 
into the back of Danny's gun hand.  The gun discharges, missing Tanner.

Danny drops the gun.  Tanner snatches it up.

Tanner immediately has the gun inches from Danny's head.  Danny freezes 
...

                             TANNER
                  Does that answer your question?
                       (beat)
                  I fight.
                  I fight and I die like a man.
                       (beat)
                  You're a fucking coward, Flynne.  You
                  lived like one and now you're gonna
                  die like one.

Danny looks up at the gun, his face a blank.

                             DANNY
                       (mumbling)
                  Glock semi-automatic 9 mm ...

CLOSE ON THE BARREL OF THE GUN.  ALL SOUND FADES OUT.

MOVE INTO THE BARREL OF THE GUN.  THE BLACK KID'S FACE APPEARS INSIDE.

                             KID
                  Tenifer matte finish, Polymer grip,
                  fixed sights, 4 and 1/2 inch barrel,
                  22 ounces, double action and a ...

QUICK FLASHES of all the shots Danny fired with the Glock.

- TWO at Big Bill
- FOUR at the guys at the table
- ONE at Garcetti
- THREE  at Tanner

THE KID AGAIN.

                             KID
                  ... and a TEN ROUND magazine ...

ON DANNY.  Still staring at the gun. He knows the gun is empty. He 
notices something on the floor ...

... THE LOADED SYRINGE.

                             KID (cont'd)
                  Or did I say ELEVEN?

Danny trying to remember.

                             KID (cont'd)
                  Which was it, mister?  Was it ten or was it eleven?
                       (beat)
                  Pretty big fucking difference if you ask me.

DANNY starts chuckling. Looks up at Tanner.


                             DANNY
                  It doesn't matter.

Danny looks down at the syringe again.  Tanner sees it too.

                             TANNER
                  Too late to be a hero.

Danny picks up the syringe.

Tanner pulls the trigger.

INSIDE THE GUN - MOVING SLOWLY towards the firing pin as it springs 
forward toward CAMERA with a LOUD CLICK.

THE GUN IS EMPTY.
                             DANNY
                  Ten it is.

Danny jams the SYRINGE INTO TANNER'S THROAT all the way down to the 
plunger, dosing him with the meth.

Tanner goes down, blood bubbling from his throat around the syringe.  
His eyes roll back as he  convulses from the drugs.

Danny struggles to his feet.

Tanner quivers from head to toe like some freaked-out Pentecostal in 
the throws of a holy possession.

Danny pulls the syringe from Tanner's throat.  A LONG WET WEEZE 
ESCAPES.

Suddenly, A NOISE BEHIND DANNY.

Garcetti standing there pointing his gun at Danny, rocking slightly 
back and forth, a bullet hole in his cheekbone.  He looks brain dead.

Danny doesn't move. TANNER STILL WHEEZING.

Garcetti looks like he wants to shoot his gun, but can't.  He keeps 
looking down at his hand, trying to get it to obey.

Danny calmly walks over and takes the gun from Garcetti.

Garcetti puts his hand to his nose and blows out a clot of blood.  He 
looks down at his hand.

He has hacked up the bullet he was shot with.

Garcetti smiles an embarrassed smile at Danny.  TANNER'S WHEEZING 
CONTINUES.

                             DANNY
                       (softly)
                  You're dead.

Garcetti nods slightly.  He goes to a kneeling position, then curls up 
on the floor like he is taking a nap and dies.

Danny goes over to the couch and sits down.

Danny with his head in his hands, emotionally and physically exhausted.  
TANNER WHEEZING LOUDER AND LOUDER.

CLOSE ON DANNY'S FACE.  Blank.  Devoid of anything.  He stuffs 
Garcetti's gun into his own mouth, hand shaking.

He takes the gun out.

Stuffs it back in again, shoving it way down, almost gagging on it.  
The barrel clatters against his teeth. He takes it out again.  THE 
WHEEZING CONTINUES.

Danny starts crying.  Lifts the gun halfway again, then drops it.

He jumps up.  Goes over to the still-wheezing Tanner and empties his 
clip into him.  When the clip is spent, Danny keeps pulling the trigger 
... over and over again.

He stands there pulling the trigger again and again and again and 
again.

                                                          FADE OUT.
                                                          FADE IN:

INT. RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Danny dressed in his "Tom" clothes. He limps over to the bed and picks 
up the trumpet case.  Carries it over to the mirror.

Danny staring at his reflection. He lights a cigarette.

                             DANNY
                  My name is Tom Van Allen. I'm a
                  trumpet player.

Danny smiles.

                             VOICE (O.S.)
                  Nah, you're Danny Flynne.

He turns.

COLETTE and QUINCEY standing there.  Quincey holds a nine millimeter 
with a muzzle suppressor.

                             QUINCEY
                  You're a motherfucking rat.

He shoots Danny in the stomach.  Danny slumps to the floor.  His 
cigarette falls out of his mouth and rolls under the bed.

Colette freaks.

                             COLETTE
                  You said you wouldn't kill him!

She tries to go to Danny but Quincey stops her.

                             COLETTE
                  You lied to me!

                             QUINCEY
                  Oops.  My bad.

Danny looks at them, confused, a blood stain blossoming on his white 
shirt.


                             DANNY
                  Colette, what happened?  Didn't the cops ...

                             QUINCEY
                  The cops came.  But they didn't find
                  nothing.  Turns out their C.I. game
                  'em some bad information.

Quincey holds up the baggie of drugs.

Danny looks from Quincey to Colette.  Colette looks away.

                             QUINCEY (cont'd)
                  You fuck with the Mexicali Boys, this
                  is what you get, homes.

UNDER THE BED - the cigarette smoldering on the carpet.

                             QUINCEY (cont'd)
                  Domingo thought you might be the one
                  who went rat on him.

Quincey looks at Colette

                             QUINCEY (cont'd)
                  So I brought in a rat of my own.

Danny looks at Colette, dumbfounded.

                             DANNY
                  You set me up?

                             QUINCEY
                  Bitch played you like a squeezebox, Romeo.

Danny can't help from laughing at the irony.  Beads of sweat are 
forming on his blanched face.  He looks at Colette with a wry smile.

                             DANNY
                  You're good, princess. I'll give you that.

                             COLETTE
                  Danny, it's not what you think.

Danny looks down at his bloody stomach.

                             COLETTE
                  I owed them money ... a lot of
                  money ... they didn't give me a
                  choice.  You know how it works.  When
                  I got to know you, I tried to back
                  out ... that's when they did this ...
                       (she indicates the bruises)
                  But I told them I wouldn't do it .. I
                  didn't want to see you get hurt.

Danny stares at her, not sure what to believe.  He looks over at 
Quincey.

                             DANNY
                  She selling me a bill, home boy?

Quincey shakes his head.

                             QUINCEY
                  Nah, she ain't lying.  She took a
                  pretty good beating from you, ace. I
                  seen grown men crack after a lot
                  less.  But not this bitch.
                       (beat)
                  It was very touching.

                             DANNY
                  Then why are we here?

                             COLETTE
                  They threatened to kill my daughter.
                       (beat)
                  I had no choice.
                       (beat)
                  I'm sorry, Danny.

Danny looks at Colette, imagining the awful beating she must have 
taken.

                             DANNY
                  It's okay. It's okay.
                       (Danny touches her face.)
                       (beat)
                  God damn, you're beautiful.

UNDER THE BED - THE CARPET IGNITES.  The fire spreads quickly.

                             QUINCEY
                  Jesus.

Quincey grabs her arm.

                             QUINCEY (cont'd)
                  Let's go.

                             COLETTE
                  No!

The drapes go up in flames.  Quincey puts the gun to the back of her 
head.

                             QUINCEY
                  You wanna die here with him or come with me?


                             DANNY
                  Colette, go.

                             COLETTE
                  I don't want to leave you.

                             DANNY
                  Your daughter needs you.  Go.

The fire continues to spread.  Colette kisses Danny on the lips.  
Quincey pulls her away.

Collette looks back one last time just as the flames reach the door, 
cutting off any escape.

Danny breathing hard. He gets up.  Staggers over to the mirror where 
his trumpet is.

He opens the case and takes the trumpet out.

He plops down on the bed and BLOWS A FEW NOTES. He stops for a second, 
a smile on his lips.

He starts to play SAETA.

                                                      DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BURNING ROOM - NIGHT

Back to the opening scene.  The whole room ablaze.  Danny lying on the 
bed, playing the horn.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  So what is it?  Who am I after it's
                  all said and done?

Pieces of the roof start falling in.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Tom Van Allen or Danny Flynne?
                       (beat)
                  Avenging angel or plain old Judas?

He stops playing.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                       (weakly)
                  You decide, friend.  You decide.

He closes his eyes.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I'm too tired ... so you decide.

He drops his trumpet and lays his head back.

                                                      CUT TO:

BLACK SCREEN

THEN BLURRY, VAGUE SLOW MOTION - moving through the flames.

CLOSE ON DANNY'S HEAD - seemingly floating through the fiery room.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  Oh shit. What is this?

Emerging from the flames into a dark hallway.

Danny's eyes flutter as he seemingly continues to float.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Am I dead?

A linoleum floor rushes underneath.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Linoleum.  This must be hell.

Danny head sags, finds himself staring at ...

...  A TATTOED LIKENESS OF HIMSELF.  The tattoo smiles and speaks.

                             TATTO
                       (warped, distorted)
                  Hang in there buddy.

Stairs rush by underneath.  Then another hallway.

DANNY'S P.O.V.  - a bright white light at the end of the hall.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  Oh no.  What a fucking cliché.

On Danny's face, floating through the hall.  His eyes fluttering.

MOVING TOWARDS the light.  Closer.  Closer.

Danny's eyes close, his head droops.

                                                          FADE TO WHITE:


CLOSE ON DANNY as his eyes flutter and open.

DANNY'S P.O.V. - an image slowly coming into focus ...

... JIMMY staring down at him with concern.

Danny blinks his eyes again.  Looks up at ...

... A PARAMEDIC working on him.

Danny smiles a weak smile at Jimmy.

Jimmy just sits there, nodding his head, a big shit-eating grin on his 
face.

The paramedic continues to work on Danny.  His eyes slowly close.

                                                          FADE OUT.
                                                          FADE IN:

EXT. THE CITY - DAY

Danny exits a cab and heads towards a coffee shop.  He looks like a new 
man.

                             DANNY (V.O.)
                  Well, I've had some time to think
                  about it and it's pretty simple after
                  all.  I guess it's like the man said -
                  "Man is the measure of all things."
                  I should know.  I ran the gamut.
                  Avenging Angel, Judas, loving
                  husband, prodigal son, prince of
                  Denmark.  I was all of those things.
                       (beat)
                  Tom Van Allen got his revenge.
                  Good for Tom.  And Danny Flynne? He
                  got gut-shot for being the low-life
                  rat that he was.  Sucks for him.
                       (beat)
                  But as far as I'm concerned, they're both dead.

Danny looks through the window of the shop.

Colette inside, working the counter, pouring coffee.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  But what about this guy? Who is he?

Danny enters the shop.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  To tell you the truth, I don't know yet.

INT. COFFE SHOP - SAME

Danny takes a seat at the counter.  Colette turns and sees him.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  But I like his chances.

They stare at one another for a beat, then smile.  Colette pours him 
some coffee.

                             DANNY (cont'd)
                  I really like his chances.

They strike up a conversation as we ...

                                                          FADE OUT. 

THE END


Salton Sea, The



Writers :   Tony Gayton
Genres :   Crime  Drama  Thriller


User Comments







Index    |    Submit    |    Link to IMSDb    |    Disclaimer    |    Privacy policy    |    Contact